Hanoi cyclists face alcohol tests Hanoi traffic police have continued tightening control over drunk driving, including cyclists. On Wednesday evening, the police conducted an alcohol check on the Ly Thai To-Tran Nguyen Han street area in Hoan Kiem District from 7:30pm-11:30pm. The stops included many cyclists. Most people happily complied with the police request. Bicycle riders can be fined up to VND600,000 (25.53) if being found drunk. Many people were quite surprised when being checked for alcohol use. Lots of motorbike drivers were also stopped. A motorbike driver was fined VND4.5 million for exceeding blood alcohol levels. His driving licence was confiscated for 17 months. On Wednesday evening, the police detected four motorbike drivers who violated blood alcohol levels. The government issued Decree 100 on administrative fines for traffic violations in December 2019. Under the decree, the maximum punishment for car drivers consists of a 40 million VND (1,740 USD) fine and a two-year driving ban. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. DelveInsight Business Research LLP The prevalence of acute lymphocytic leukemia has been rising over the past few years, which prompts the growing demand for treatment options. The increasing prevalence of Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia and the growing research and development activities to develop novel therapies to treat acute lymphocytic leukemia to drive the market. The companies developing the potential therapies in the last stage of development include Juventas Cell Therapy, AbbVie, Janssen Biotech, and several others. New York, USA, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Propulsion of Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Pipeline as Novel and Extensive 160+ Therapies Likely to Enter in the Treatment Domain | DelveInsight The prevalence of acute lymphocytic leukemia has been rising over the past few years, which prompts the growing demand for treatment options. The increasing prevalence of Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia and the growing research and development activities to develop novel therapies to treat acute lymphocytic leukemia to drive the market. The companies developing the potential therapies in the last stage of development include Juventas Cell Therapy, AbbVie, Janssen Biotech, and several others. DelveInsights 'Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Pipeline Insight 2023' report provides comprehensive global coverage of available, marketed, and pipeline acute lymphocytic leukemia therapies in various stages of clinical development, major pharmaceutical companies are working to advance the pipeline space and future growth potential of the acute lymphocytic leukemia pipeline domain. Key Takeaways from the Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Pipeline Report DelveInsights acute lymphocytic leukemia pipeline report depicts a robust space with 150+ active players working to develop 160+ pipeline therapies for acute lymphocytic leukemia treatment. Key acute lymphocytic leukemia companies such as PersonGen BioTherapeutics, Takara Bio Inc., Cellectis S.A., AbbVie, Autolus Limited, Juventas Cell Therapy Ltd., Orca Biosystems, Inc., Sanofi, Beijing Immunochina Medical Science & Technology Co., Ltd., Actinium Pharmaceuticals, Nanjing Bioheng Biotech Co., Ltd., Legend Biotech, Sichuan Baili Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., SystImmune Inc., Kymera Therapeutics, PeproMene Bio, Inc., Takeda Oncology, OneChain Immunotherapeutics, JW Therapeutics, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, BRL Medicine, Meryx, Inc., Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Daiichi Sankyo Company, SecuraBio, Fate Therapeutics, In8bio Inc., Newave Pharmaceutical Inc, AstraZeneca, Biomea Fusion Inc., Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc, Nkarta Inc., Athenex, Inc., ERYtech Pharma, Chongqing Precision Biotech Co., Ltd, Incyte Corporation, BioLineRx, Ltd, OSE Immunotherapeutics, Aleta Biotherapeutics, CalciMedica, Inc., Cabaletta Bio, Hebei Senlang Biotechnology, and others are evaluating new acute lymphocytic leukemia drugs to improve the treatment landscape. Promising acute lymphocytic leukemia pipeline therapies such as CD7 CAR-T cells infusion, TBI-1501, UCART22, Navitoclax, AUTO1, CNCT19, Orca-T, SAR443579, IM19 CAR-T cells, 131-I Apamistamab, CTA30X, CT-RD06, LCAR-AIO Cells, GNC-038, KT-253, BAFFR-CAR T cells, Pevonedistat, OC-1, OC-2, Carteyva, CPX-351, ABL001, BRL 301, MRX-2843, PIT565, SNDX-5613, JNJ-75276617, AC220, Duvelisib, FT819, EAGD T-cell infusion, LP-108, AZD4573, LP-118, BMF-219, KPT-330, NKX019, KUR-502, GRASPA, pCAR-19B cells, Ruxolitinib, BL-8040, OSE-127, WU CART 007, ALETA 001, CM4620, CT120, CD123, SENL-B-19, SENL 101, HY004, and others are under different phases of acute lymphocytic leukemia clinical trials. In February 2023 , OSE Immunotherapeutics SA announced the online publication in the peer-reviewed The Journal of Immunology of positive Phase I clinical results with OSE-127/S95011, an anti-IL-7 receptor (IL-7R) antagonist, and provides an overall update on the product, which is being developed in immuno-inflammation through two ongoing Phase II clinical trials in Ulcerative Colitis (sponsor OSE) and in primary Sjogrens Syndrome (sponsor Servier), and in hematology where promising preclinical data in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) has already been reported. OSE-127 has also demonstrated great therapeutic potential in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), a very aggressive tumor arising from B or T cell precursors. In December 2022 , Juventas Cell Therapy , announced that Inaticabtagene Autoleucel ( CNCT19 Injection ) has been granted Priority Review Status by the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) to the New Drug Applicatio n (NDA) acceptance, for the treatment of adult relapsed and refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (r/r B-ALL). In December 2022 , Juventas Cell Therapy, announced that the National Medical Product Administration (NMPA) of China has accepted the New Drug Application (NDA) of Inaticabtagene Autoleucel (CNCT19 Injection) for the treatment of adult relapsed and refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (r/r B-ALL). In July 2022 , the FDA granted fast-track and rare pediatric disease designations to the CAR T-cell therapy WU-CART-007 for the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (R/R T-ALL) and lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL).WU-CART-007 is an allogeneic, off-the-shelf, fratricide-resistant CD7-targeted CAR T-cell therapy. The product is designed to overcome the technological challenges of harnessing CAR-T cells to treat CD7-positive hematological malignancies. In May 2022 , The FDA granted regenerative medicine advanced therapy designation to obecabatagene autoleucel for the treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Obecabatagene autoleucel also referred to as obe-cel, is an autologous, gene-edited chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy that targets the CD19 protein on the surface of cancer cells. In November 2021, Autolus Therapeutics plc and Blackstone Life Sciences announced that the two companies have entered into a strategic collaboration and financing agreement under which funds managed by Blackstone will provide up to $250 million in equity and product financing to support Autolus advancement of its CD19 CAR T cell investigational therapy product candidate, obecabtagene autoleucel (obe-cel), as well as next generation product therapies of obe-cel in B-cell malignancies. Story continues Request a sample and discover the recent advances in acute lymphocytic leukemia treatment drugs @ Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Pipeline Report The acute lymphocytic leukemia pipeline report provides detailed profiles of pipeline assets, a comparative analysis of clinical and non-clinical stage acute lymphocytic leukemia drugs, inactive and dormant assets, a comprehensive assessment of driving and restraining factors, and an assessment of opportunities and risks in the acute lymphocytic leukemia clinical trial landscape. Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Overview Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is also known as acute lymphoblastic leukemia. ALL begins in the bone marrow (the soft inner part of certain bones, where new blood cells are made). Most leukemia cells invade the blood fairly quickly. They can also spread to other body parts, such as the lymph nodes, liver, spleen, central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), and testicles (in males). Some cancers can begin in these organs and spread to the bone marrow, but these are not leukemia. The early signs and acute lymphocytic leukemia symptoms may resemble those of the flu or other common diseases. Some common signs and acute lymphocytic leukemia symptoms are weakness or tiredness, fever or drenching night sweats, easy bruising or bleeding, shortness of breath, weight loss or loss of appetite, and others. The tests used for acute lymphocytic leukemia diagnosis include physical exam and health history, complete blood count (CBC) with differential, bone marrow aspiration, and biopsy. The standard goal of acute lymphocytic leukemia includes chemotherapy, radiation therapy, chemotherapy with stem cell transplant, and targeted therapy. Find out more about acute lymphocytic leukemia treatment drugs @ Drugs for Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Treatment A snapshot of the Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Pipeline Drugs mentioned in the report: Drugs Company Phase MoA RoA Inaticabtagene autoleucel Juventas Cell Therapy/CASI Pharmaceuticals Registered Immunologic cytotoxicity; T lymphocyte replacements Intravenous Venetoclax AbbVie Phase III Proto-oncogene protein c-bcl-2 inhibitors Oral CPX-351 Jazz Pharmaceuticals Phase II Antimetabolites; DNA intercalators; DNA synthesis inhibitors; Type II DNA topoisomerase inhibitors Intravenous Obecabtagene autoleucel Autolus Phase I/II Immunologic cytotoxicity; T lymphocyte replacements NA Navitoclax AbbVie Phase I/II Apoptosis stimulants; Proto-oncogene protein c-bcl-2 inhibitors Oral UCART22 Cellectis Phase I Immunologic cytotoxicity; T lymphocyte replacements Intravenous Learn more about the emerging acute lymphocytic leukemia pipeline therapies @ Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Clinical Trials Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Therapeutics Assessment The acute lymphocytic leukemia pipeline report proffers an integral view of the acute lymphocytic leukemia emerging novel therapies segmented by stage, product type, molecule type, mechanism of action, and route of administration. Scope of the Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Pipeline Report Coverage : Global Therapeutic Assessment By Product Type: Mono, Combination, Mono/Combination Therapeutic Assessment By Clinical Stages: Discovery, Pre-clinical, Phase I, Phase II, Phase III Therapeutics Assessment By Route of Administration: Infusion, Intradermal, Intramuscular, Intranasal, Intravenous, Oral, Parenteral, Subcutaneous Therapeutics Assessment By Molecule Type : Gene therapies, Small molecule, Vaccines, Polymers, Peptides, Monoclonal antibodies Therapeutics Assessment By Mechanism of Action: Antimetabolites, DNA intercalators, DNA synthesis inhibitors, Type II DNA topoisomerase inhibitors, Immunologic cytotoxicity, T lymphocyte replacements, Apoptosis stimulants, Proto-oncogene protein c-bcl-2 inhibitors Key Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Companies : PersonGen BioTherapeutics, Takara Bio Inc., Cellectis S.A., AbbVie, Autolus Limited, Juventas Cell Therapy Ltd., Orca Biosystems, Inc., Sanofi, Beijing Immunochina Medical Science & Technology Co., Ltd., Actinium Pharmaceuticals, Nanjing Bioheng Biotech Co., Ltd., Legend Biotech, Sichuan Baili Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., SystImmune Inc., Kymera Therapeutics, PeproMene Bio, Inc., Takeda Oncology, OneChain Immunotherapeutics, JW Therapeutics, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, BRL Medicine, Meryx, Inc., Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Daiichi Sankyo Company, SecuraBio, Fate Therapeutics, In8bio Inc., Newave Pharmaceutical Inc, AstraZeneca, Biomea Fusion Inc., Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc, Nkarta Inc., Athenex, Inc., ERYtech Pharma, Chongqing Precision Biotech Co., Ltd, Incyte Corporation, BioLineRx, Ltd, OSE Immunotherapeutics, Aleta Biotherapeutics, CalciMedica, Inc., Cabaletta Bio, Hebei Senlang Biotechnology, and others Key Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Pipeline Therapies: CD7 CAR-T cells infusion, TBI-1501, UCART22, Navitoclax, AUTO1, CNCT19, Orca-T, SAR443579, IM19 CAR-T cells, 131-I Apamistamab, CTA30X, CT-RD06, LCAR-AIO Cells, GNC-038, KT-253, BAFFR-CAR T cells, Pevonedistat, OC-1, OC-2, Carteyva, CPX-351, ABL001, BRL 301, MRX-2843, PIT565, SNDX-5613, JNJ-75276617, AC220, Duvelisib, FT819, EAGD T-cell infusion, LP-108, AZD4573, LP-118, BMF-219, KPT-330, NKX019, KUR-502, GRASPA, pCAR-19B cells, Ruxolitinib, BL-8040, OSE-127, WU CART 007, ALETA 001, CM4620, CT120, CD123, SENL-B-19, SENL 101, HY004, and others Dive deep into rich insights for new drugs for acute lymphocytic leukemia treatment, visit @ Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Drugs Table of Contents 1. Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Pipeline Report Introduction 2. Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Pipeline Report Executive Summary 3. Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Pipeline: Overview 4. Analytical Perspective In-depth Commercial Assessment 5. Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Clinical Trial Therapeutics 6. Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Pipeline: Late Stage Products (Registered) 6.1. Inaticabtagene autoleucel : Juventas Cell Therapy 7. Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Pipeline: Late Stage Products (Phase III) 7.1. Venetoclax: AbbVie 8. Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Pipeline: Mid Stage Products (Phase II) 8.1. CPX-351: Jazz Pharmaceuticals 9. Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Pipeline: Early Stage Products (Phase I) 9.1. UCART22: Cellectis S.A. 10. Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Pipeline Therapeutics Assessment 11. Inactive Products in the Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Pipeline 12. Company-University Collaborations (Licensing/Partnering) Analysis 13. Key Companies 14. Key Products in the Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Pipeline 15. Unmet Needs 16. Market Drivers and Barriers 17. Future Perspectives and Conclusion 18. Analyst Views 19. Appendix For further information on the Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia pipeline therapeutics, reach out @ Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Treatment Drugs Related Reports Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Epidemiology Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Epidemiology Forecast 2032 report delivers an in-depth understanding of the disease, historical and forecasted acute lymphocytic leukemia epidemiology in the 7MM, i.e., the United States, EU5 (Germany, Spain, Italy, France, and the United Kingdom), and Japan. Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Market Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Market Insights, Epidemiology, and Market Forecast 2032 report delivers an in-depth understanding of the disease, historical and forecasted epidemiology, as well as the market trends, market drivers, market barriers, and key acute lymphocytic leukemia companies, including AbbVie, Autolus Limited, Juventas Cell Therapy Ltd., Pinze Lifetechnology Co. Ltd., Celgene, among others. Acute Myeloid Leukemia Market Acute Myeloid Leukemia Market Insight, Epidemiology, and Market Forecast 2032 report delivers an in-depth understanding of the market trends, market drivers, market barriers, and key acute myeloid leukemia companies, including Takeda Oncology, Immunity Bio, Teva Pharmaceuticals, among others. Acute Myeloid Leukemia Pipeline Acute Myeloid Leukemia Pipeline Insight 2023 report provides comprehensive insights about the pipeline landscape, pipeline drug profiles, including clinical and non-clinical stage products, and the key acute myeloid leukemia companies, including Takeda Oncology, Immunity Bio, Teva Pharmaceuticals, among others. Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Pipeline Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Pipeline Insight 2023 report provides comprehensive insights about the pipeline landscape, pipeline drug profiles, including clinical and non-clinical stage products, and the key chronic lymphocytic leukemia companies, including Celgene, Loxo Oncology, Octapharma, among others. Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Pipeline Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Pipeline Insight 2023 report provides comprehensive insights about the pipeline landscape, pipeline drug profiles, including clinical and non-clinical stage products, and the key chronic myeloid leukemia companies, including Kartos Therapeutics, Novartis, Incyte Corporation, among others. 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Connect with us at LinkedIn CONTACT: Contact Us Shruti Thakur info@delveinsight.com +1(919)321-6187 www.delveinsight.com DEPTFORD, United Kingdom - (NewMediaWire) - March 30, 2023 - (King NewsWire) - PulseFolio, an innovative portfolio optimizer utilizing AI technology, has recently raised $30,000 within a short period of two days. The presale, which began on March 28 and is hosted on the Pinksale Launchpad, has received an exceptional response from investors who recognize the platform's potential to transform investment management. The presale is hosted on the Pinksale Launchpad and is set to end on April 4th, 2023. The interest generated by the presale demonstrates the market's growing appetite for AI-driven investment solutions. Pulse Folio's team is thrilled with the community's support and remains committed to delivering a high-quality product that meets the expectations of its stakeholders. PulseFolio uses advanced algorithms and analytics to help traders optimize their crypto portfolios. The platform takes into account a variety of factors, including risk tolerance, financial goals, and market conditions, to provide customized recommendations for each user. The platform is intuitive and easy to use. Moreover, PulseFolio has acquired the safety badges provided by the launchpad, including the KYC (Know Your Customer) badge, the LP Locked badge, and the Audit badge. PulseFolio's CEO, commented: "We are extremely grateful for the support we have received from the community during our presale. Our team has been working tirelessly to create a platform that offers investors a reliable and efficient tool for portfolio optimization. We are confident that Pulse Folio will revolutionize the investment industry, and we look forward to launching our platform soon." Following the successful presale, Pulse Folio will begin the development phase of its platform, with a launch expected later this year. The company will continue to work closely with its community to ensure that the platform meets the needs of investors and delivers on its promise of superior returns. Story continues To participate in the PulseFolio presale, traders need to follow these steps: Step 1: Download a crypto wallet such as MetaMask or Trust Wallet. Step 2: Purchase or hold Binance Coin (BNB) in their crypto wallet, both to convert into $PULSE and to cover gas fees. BNB can be bought via any trusted crypto exchange or broker and simply transferred into the wallet or directly on the wallet with both MetaMask and Trust Wallet. Step 3: Connect crypto wallet to the presale website using MetaMask or Wallet Connect- Visit Presale website. Step 4: To participate in the $PULSE presale, investors will simply type the amount of BNB that they want to buy in the "Amount" section of the presale page and click on "Buy" button. Step 5: Investors' crypto wallet will pop-up to confirm the transaction. It will also show them the fee that they are required to pay for that transaction. To agree, they have to click on the "Confirm" button to finish the process. All the financiers will be able to claim their tokens after the presale ends on 4th of April at 2 PM UTC. After claiming, tokens will automatically get added to their crypto wallet. Users can also refer to a demo video for reference to participate in the presale. About PulseFolio PulseFolio is an AI-driven portfolio optimizer that uses advanced algorithms to generate optimal investment portfolios in real-time. The platform takes into account a wide range of factors, including risk tolerance, investment goals, and market trends, to deliver superior returns. PulseFolio is committed to revolutionizing the way investors manage their portfolios and helping them achieve their financial goals. For more information, please visit the Pulse Folio website at www.pulsefolio.com. Social Channels: Telegram | Telegram Announcement | PulseFolio Support | Presale Launchpad Media Contact Organization: PulseFolio Contact Person: Edward Website: https://pulsefolio.org/ Email: contact@pulsefolio.org Country: United Kingdom SPANISH FORK, Utah, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Purchase Green Artificial Grass, North America's largest artificial grass distributor, announces the launch of their newest showroom and warehouse in Utah County, opening April 3, 2023. Purchase Green Utah County will service Lehi, Highland, Alpine, Lindon, Cedar Hills, Saratoga Springs, Eagle Mountain, American Fork, and other surrounding cities. The store will operate from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Purchase Green Artificial Grass (PRNewsfoto/Purchase Green Artificial Grass) The Utah County team is led and operated by Jeff, Stephanie, Harrison, and Parker Duvall. The Duvall family draws from their extensive entrepreneurial spirit and family-oriented values to guarantee a superb shopping experience. "The Duvall family is pleased to announce the opening of an all-encompassing artificial turf store in Utah County. We are very excited to be a part of the Purchase Green family and to provide artificial grass to the Utah County area. Purchase Green will be a great resource for homeowners and contractors for many years to come," said Parker Duvall. In addition, Purchase Green Utah County will serve as a groundbreaking development in Utah's fight against recent drought conditions. According to the National Integrated Drought Information System, over 2.7 million Utah residents are affected by drought. While homeowners have been asked to cut back on outdoor residential water use, Purchase Green will provide residents with sustainable alternatives to traditional grass lawns. The opening of Purchase Green Utah County symbolizes the brand's commitment to enhancing landscapes with water-conscious solutions and creating sustainable environments for communities threatened by severe drought. With over a millions of gallons of water saved since 2009, Purchase Green's mission is not over. As the nation's leading artificial grass distributor, Purchase Green has come a long way from its first warehouse in Southern California. Today Purchase Green continues to expand its outreach by providing sustainable solutions and services to an ever-growing population. By placing education at the forefront of the business model, Purchase Green empowers its customers and provides them with the outstanding service they rightfully deserve. Utah County may be the newest addition to the Purchase Green family, but it will not be the last. For more information on supplies, locations, and franchise opportunities, visit purchasegreen.com. Story continues Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/purchase-green-announces-new-location-in-utah-county-301785253.html SOURCE Purchase Green Artificial Grass The logo of Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) is seen at its headquarters in Vienna By Alexandra Schwarz-Goerlich and John O'Donnell VIENNA (Reuters) -Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) took aim on Thursday at "morally arrogant" critics of its dealings in Russia, though said it was considering spinning off its business there anyway amid mounting pressure. The Austrian lender is now the most important Western bank in Russia, offering a lifeline to people and businesses there seeking to make international payments, but it is under growing pressure from Western officials and investors to quit. Chairman Erwin Hameseder accused critics of "black and white moral thinking" from a "risk free zone of comfort", and said most Western businesses had not left Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine, a war he decried as unjustified. "That is reality," he told the Austrian bank's annual general meeting (AGM). However, CEO Johann Strobl told the meeting the bank would pursue a possible sale or spin-off of its Russian business. He said it would continue to reduce activity in Russia while it pursued those options, but would keep some business there to maintain its bank licence. He was heckled by a member of the audience. "RBI will pursue possible transactions that can lead to a sale or a spin-off of Raiffeisenbank Russia and its deconsolidation from the RBI group," Strobl said. In January, the U.S. sanctions authority launched an inquiry into Raiffeisen over its business related to Russia. Earlier this month, people familiar with the matter told Reuters the European Central Bank was pressing RBI to unwind its highly profitable business in Russia. The pressure comes after a top U.S. sanctions official raised concerns about RBI's business in Russia on a visit to Vienna last month, another person said. A senior Raiffeisen executive said the bank was in talks with two potential buyers, including one from Russia, but any spin off would take four to seven months. At the AGM, Hameseder singled out "journalistic critics sitting in the sidelines", saying the bank was helping diplomatic missions in making payments and pointed to U.S. lenders, including Bank of America, still active in Russia. Story continues That echoed recent remarks by Austria's foreign minister, Alexander Schallenberg, who defended the country's second-biggest bank, saying it was unreasonable to single it out when so many other Western firms were still in Russia. RBI has been sharply rebuked by investors after participating in a Russian scheme to grant loan payment holidays to troops fighting in Ukraine. During Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen's visit to Kyiv last month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy criticised Austrian businesses still operating in Russia, singling out RBI. Although the stakes are high, some Austrian officials hope they can hold out long enough for a negotiated resolution to the war, allowing for a resumption of normal business with Russia, people familiar with the matter have told Reuters. RBI made a net profit of roughly 3.8 billion euros ($4.1 billion) last year, thanks in large part to a 2-billion-euro-plus profit from its Russian business. Russian savers have lodged more than 20 billion euros with the bank. ($1 = 0.9193 euros) (Reporting by John O'Donnell; Editing by Miranda Murray and Mark Potter) The excitement of investing in a company that can reverse its fortunes is a big draw for some speculators, so even companies that have no revenue, no profit, and a record of falling short, can manage to find investors. Unfortunately, these high risk investments often have little probability of ever paying off, and many investors pay a price to learn their lesson. A loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the inflow of external capital may dry up. If this kind of company isn't your style, you like companies that generate revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested in SThree (LON:STEM). Even if this company is fairly valued by the market, investors would agree that generating consistent profits will continue to provide SThree with the means to add long-term value to shareholders. See our latest analysis for SThree How Fast Is SThree Growing? Generally, companies experiencing growth in earnings per share (EPS) should see similar trends in share price. Therefore, there are plenty of investors who like to buy shares in companies that are growing EPS. We can see that in the last three years SThree grew its EPS by 8.7% per year. That's a pretty good rate, if the company can sustain it. One way to double-check a company's growth is to look at how its revenue, and earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins are changing. EBIT margins for SThree remained fairly unchanged over the last year, however the company should be pleased to report its revenue growth for the period of 23% to UK1.6b. That's progress. The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. For finer detail, click on the image. In investing, as in life, the future matters more than the past. So why not check out this free interactive visualization of SThree's forecast profits? Are SThree Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders? Prior to investment, it's always a good idea to check that the management team is paid reasonably. Pay levels around or below the median, can be a sign that shareholder interests are well considered. For companies with market capitalisations between UK325m and UK1.3b, like SThree, the median CEO pay is around UK1.1m. Story continues SThree offered total compensation worth UK981k to its CEO in the year to November 2022. That is actually below the median for CEO's of similarly sized companies. CEO remuneration levels are not the most important metric for investors, but when the pay is modest, that does support enhanced alignment between the CEO and the ordinary shareholders. Generally, arguments can be made that reasonable pay levels attest to good decision-making. Should You Add SThree To Your Watchlist? One important encouraging feature of SThree is that it is growing profits. Not only that, but the CEO is paid quite reasonably, which should prompt investors to feel more trusting of the board of directors. So based on its merits, the stock deserves further research, if not an addition to your watchlist. Even so, be aware that SThree is showing 1 warning sign in our investment analysis , you should know about... The beauty of investing is that you can invest in almost any company you want. But if you prefer to focus on stocks that have demonstrated insider buying, here is a list of companies with insider buying in the last three months. 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Reflex Advanced Materials Corp. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reflex Advanced Materials Corp. (CSE:RFLX) (OTC: RFLXF) (FWB: HF2) (Reflex or the Company), is pleased to announce that it has agreed to enter into a subscription agreement and agreed to make a strategic investment in Bio Graphene Solutions Inc. (BGS). BGS is a private nanotechnology company that specializes in the production of high-quality graphene. As part of the strategic investment into BGS, Reflex expects to benefit by collaborating with BGS on potential cross-development projects that include exploring downstream applications that compliment any graphite material sourced from the Companys Ruby Graphite project. Graphene is an allotrope of carbon and commonly defined as ten carbon-layers or less. As a performance additive, graphene has the ability to dramatically improve the properties of various end-materials that include strength, conductivity, flexibility, and permeability in different products and applications. The versatility of graphene enables superior results and value creation in a range of commodity-based and specialized industries, from asphalt, concrete, and plastics, to electronics, biomedical, and energy storage. BGS has developed a proprietary process for producing high-quality and cost-effective graphene from 100% organic source materials via a scalable cleantech production process making it an attractive partner for companies looking to incorporate nanotechnology into their portfolio of products and existing supply chain. BGS has already demonstrated significant value in their technology as being one of the first companies to successfully introduce graphene as a liquid admixture for use in ready-mix commercial concrete reducing the need for cement by more than 15% in select commercial mix designs. BGS is also working with notable product development partners in various industries who are exploring utilizing graphene to complement existing technologies for other high-value applications. Story continues "We are pleased to be making a strategic investment into BGS, who has developed a graphene production process thats scalable, cost-efficient, and most importantly, has the highest level of product consistency and quality control through complete process controllability, said Paul Gorman, CEO of Reflex. With graphene becoming a commercialized super material, in well-established industries, the opportunity is a complimentary fit to our supply chain solution goals." David Fisher, CEO & Co-Founder of BGS commented, We are pleased to have Reflex Advanced Materials as a strategic partner. Our high-quality graphene has significant versatility and compliments Reflexs asset portfolio and how we can drive further value creation in advanced materials. Together, we will aim to create market-ready solutions for high-value applications and we look forward to working further with the Reflex team. For more information on Reflex Advanced Materials Corp and its mineral projects, please visit the Companys website at www.reflexmaterials.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Paul Gorman CEO & Director Reflex Advanced Materials Corp info@reflexmaterials.com Tel. (416-768-6101) Suite 915-700 West Pender Street Vancouver, BC V6C 1G8 Canada About Reflex Advanced Materials Reflex Advanced Materials Corp. is a mineral exploration company based in British Columbia. Its objective is to locate and, if warranted, develop economic mineral properties in the strategic metals and advanced materials space. It is focused on improving domestic specialty mineral infrastructure efficiencies to meet surging national demand by North American manufacturers. The Company is working to advance its Ruby Graphite Project, located in Beaverhead County, Montana, and ZigZag Lake Lithium Property, located in Thunder Bay Mining Division, Crescent Lake Area, Ontario. For more information, please review the Companys filings available at www.sedar.com. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. The use of any of the words could, intend, expect, believe, will, projected, estimated and similar expressions and statements are intended to identify forward-looking statements and are based on the Companys current beliefs or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. All statements that are not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations or beliefs of future performance, such as statements regarding the expected benefits to the Company from its proposed investment in BGS, including collaboration with BGS and the creation by the Company and BGS of market-ready solutions for high-value applications. These forward-looking statements reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company, including expectations and assumptions concerning: the Companys ability to produce graphite from the Ruby Graphite Project; the closing of Reflexs investment into BGS; and Reflexs collaboration with BGS following Reflexs investment into BGS, including that the Company and BGS may cross-develop projects and the create market-ready solutions for high-value applications as a result of such collaboration. Although forward-looking statements are based on the reasonable assumptions of the Companys management, there can be no assurance that any forward-looking statement will prove to be accurate. By their nature, such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties which could cause the actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risk that Reflexs proposed investment in BGS does not close; risks associated with collaboration between commercial parties, including that the Companys collaboration with BGS may not be successful or may not occur as expected and that the Company may not receive the expected benefits from its proposed collaboration with BGS; risks inherent in the exploration and development of mineral deposits, including risks relating to changes in project parameters or delays as plans continue to be redefined, that the Company may not receive the necessary permits or approvals to conduct the desired exploration work, that mineral exploration is inherently uncertain and that the results of mineral exploration may not be indicative of the actual geology or mineralization of a project; that mineral exploration may be unsuccessful or fail to achieve the results anticipated by the Company, including that the Company may never achieve the production of graphite from the Companys mineral properties; and those risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in filings made by the Company with securities regulatory authorities. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this press release, and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Just in time for Spring, Canadians can now get their hands on a new thirst-quenching beverage available in three delicious flavours TORONTO, March 30, 2023 /CNW/ - McDonald's Canada will be making a splash on April 4th with the introduction of the all-new Fruit Splash beverages at participating restaurants across Canada. Available all day, the Fruit Splash beverages come in three flavours: Lemon, Strawberry Passionfruit and Peach Mango. McDonalds Canada is introducing Fruit Splash beverages starting April 4, in three flavours: Lemon, Strawberry Passionfruit and Peach Mango. (CNW Group/McDonald's Canada) "McDonald's Canada is always looking for new ways to drive menu and flavour innovation," said Nicola Pitman, Director of Menu Management. "The new Fruit Splash beverages are just one example of how we're continuing to bring more variety to our menu, with offerings we know Canadians are going to love. Served over ice, all three of flavours are fun and fruity, making them a delicious go-to option to enjoy, especially as the weather warms up." Lemon Fruit Splash: A refreshing lemonade beverage made with real lemon juice concentrate and real lemon pulp. Served over ice . Strawberry Passionfruit Fruit Splash: A refreshing lemonade beverage made with real lemon juice concentrate and real lemon pulp, with the sweet taste of strawberry and passionfruit. Served over ice. Peach Mango Fruit Splash: A refreshing lemonade beverage made with real lemon juice concentrate and real lemon pulp, with the sweet taste of peach and mango. Served over ice. In addition to the new Fruit Splash beverages, the cold beverages line-up is also getting a new McCafe Real Fruit Smoothie flavour: Kiwi Pineapple Banana, available at participating McDonald's restaurants in Canada for a limited time, starting April 11th. Canadians can enjoy the new cold beverages in-restaurant, at the Drive-Thru, through mobile ordering on the McDonald's app and with McDelivery. About McDonald's Canada In 1967, Canada welcomed the first McDonald's restaurant to Richmond, British Columbia. Today, McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited has become part of the Canadian fabric, serving more than one million guests every day. In both franchised and corporate-owned restaurants, nearly 100,000 people are employed from coast to coast to coast, and more than 90 per cent of McDonald's 1,400 Canadian restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent franchisees. Of the almost $1 billion spent on food, more than 85 per cent is purchased from suppliers in Canada. For more information on McDonald's Canada, visit mcdonalds.ca. Story continues McDonald's Canada (CNW Group/McDonald's Canada) SOURCE McDonald's Canada Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2023/30/c2215.html The Reviewed-approved Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro earbuds are more than $100 off right now. Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission. You're going to want to tune in to this Samsung deal to save more than $100 on the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro today. The Reviewed-approved earbuds have impressive audio quality and ANC and according to our tech wizards, are the new Galaxy earbuds standard. Right now, you can score these wireless earbuds for $114.99 with an eligible trade-inwhich is $115 off the $229.99 listing price. From $114.99 at Samsung (Save up to $115) The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are some of the best listening devices you can use according to our experts, as they have incredible sound and utilize a sleek and stylish design. In addition, they come with loads of features like active noise cancelation, water-resistance and more. Samsung deal: Get the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G smartphone for as low as $100 today These discounted buds are available in the pretty Bora Purple, Classic White and Graphite. No matter which hue you pick, you'll still save up to $115 on the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro when you trade-in an eligible device, making this Samsung deal a serious steal. Reviewed-approved deal: We love the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and you can get it for under $100 today For even more deals, head to Samsung for rock-bottom prices on appliances, laptops and other tech. But if you're mainly interested in upgrading the way you listen to music, check out the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro today. From $114.99 at Samsung (Save up to $115) The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews and more. Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time. This article originally appeared on Reviewed: Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro deal: Get up to $115 off the Samsung earbuds SkyQuest Technology Consulting Pvt. Ltd. SkyQuest's 3D Ultrasound market report is excellent information for individuals interested in gaining insight into the valuable data, trends, and opportunities in a rapidly growing industry. Additionally, the report is written clearly and concisely, making it accessible to various audiences, from industry experts to market readers. Finally, one can gain an in-depth understanding of the primary and secondary market drivers, providing them with a comprehensive outlook of the current market situation and future projections. Westford, USA, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In North America and Asia Pacific, the 3D Ultrasound market is expected to reach a value of USD 5.76 billion by 2030 with a CAGR of 6.5% over the forecast period (2022-2030). It will experience significant growth, driven by the increasing demand for minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, advancements in 3D ultrasound technology leading to improved image quality and accuracy, and growing awareness among patients and physicians about the benefits of 3D ultrasound. A recent study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) found that 3D ultrasound technology has significantly improved, with higher resolution imaging and better visualization of fetal anatomy. This has helped enhance diagnostic accuracy and reduce the need for invasive procedures. According to SkyQuest's latest global research findings, the integration of 3D ultrasound with artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to drive growth in the market further. For example, the use of AI algorithms can automatically segment and recognize various anatomical structures in 3D ultrasound images, improving the accuracy of diagnosis. Additionally, the report highlights that introducing high-resolution imaging systems has significantly improved the quality of 3D ultrasound images. For instance, the resolution of the latest 3D ultrasound machines is up to 5 times higher than earlier versions. Story continues Browse in-depth TOC on "3D Ultrasound Market" Pages - 264 Tables - 62 Figures - 65 Get a sample copy of this report: https://www.skyquestt.com/sample-request/3d-ultrasound-market The market for 3D ultrasound technology is of significant importance in modern healthcare, as it enables non-invasive and radiation-free diagnostic imaging for several medical conditions. Physicians can rely on its high accuracy and detailed results for early detection and treatment of health issues, resulting in improved patient outcomes. Its portability and ease of use make it an essential tool for medical professionals in various settings, from hospitals to remote locations. Prominent Players in 3D Ultrasound Market GE Healthcare Koninklijke Philips N.V. Siemens Healthineers AG Fujifilm Holdings Corporation Samsung Medison Co., Ltd. Canon Medical Systems Corporation Hitachi, Ltd. Mindray Medical International Limited Analogic Corporation Esaote SpA Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd. Mobisante Inc. Butterfly Network, Inc. Clarius Mobile Health Exact Imaging Telemed Systems, Inc. EchoNous, Inc. Signostics Limited Supersonic Imagine ViewRay, Inc. Browse summary of the report and Complete Table of Contents (ToC): https://www.skyquestt.com/report/3d-ultrasound-market Handheld/portable 3D ultrasound Segment to Drive Higher Sales as it is Used across various aircraft types, including commercial, military, and general aviation According to a recent analysis, the Main Landing Gear segment emerged as a significant contributor to the rapid development of the 3D Ultrasound market in 2021. This trend is expected to continue from 2022 to 2030 due to the advancements in portable ultrasound technologies, the increasing adoption of point-of-care ultrasound, and the rising burden of chronic diseases. According to SkyQuest, the global handheld ultrasound devices market is expected to reach USD 1.7 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 15.7% in the forecasted period. According to research analysis, North America is expected to become a dominant player in the 3D Ultrasound market from 2022 to 2030. SkyQuest has forecasted a CAGR of 5.2% for the region during the forecast period. The demand for 3D ultrasound in North America is being driven by the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases like cancer and cardiovascular diseases, as well as the growing awareness among patients and healthcare professionals about the benefits of this technology. In the United States, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has made ultrasound screenings more accessible to women. Health insurance providers are required to cover mammograms and certain other cancer screenings, including ultrasound screenings for women with dense breast tissue. Furthermore, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funds research and development in ultrasound technology, which helps to advance the field and improve patient care. Obstetrics and Gynecology Segment to Exhibit Strong Growth due to High Prevalence of Gynecological Disorders According to recent research by SkyQuest, the Obstetrics and Gynecology Component segment has emerged as the leading method in the 3D Ultrasound market, and it is expected to maintain its dominant position from 2022 to 2030. This growth can be attributed to the high prevalence of gynecological disorders and the increasing number of pregnancies worldwide. Furthermore, the adoption of 3D ultrasound technology in fetal imaging and diagnosis is anticipated to further bolster the expansion of the OB/GYN application segment. SkyQuest's projections suggest that the obstetrics/gynecology segment will experience a CAGR of 7.2% between 2021 and 2028. In addition, various government initiatives in developing countries to improve maternal and child healthcare are expected to increase the demand for 3D ultrasound in obstetrics/gynecology. For instance, the Indian government launched the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana in 2020, a maternity benefit program aimed at providing financial assistance to pregnant and lactating women to ensure adequate nutrition and healthcare during pregnancy and lactation. This initiative is likely to drive the adoption of 3D ultrasound technology in obstetrics/gynecology in India. SkyQuest's latest research findings suggest that the Asia Pacific region is a major player in the 3D Ultrasound market and is expected to maintain its dominant position through 2030. The research firm projects that the 3D ultrasound market in the region will experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.3% from 2020 to 2027, with China and India being the primary contributors to the growth. The region's growth is driven by factors such as the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, the growing healthcare expenditure, and rising awareness about the advantages of early disease diagnosis. A comprehensive analysis of the major players in the 3D Ultrasound market has been recently conducted in a report. The report encompasses various aspects, including collaborations, mergers, innovative business policies, and strategies, providing valuable insights into key trends and breakthroughs in the market. Furthermore, the report scrutinizes the market share of the top segments, and presents a detailed geographic analysis. Lastly, the report highlights the major players in the industry and their endeavors to develop innovative solutions to cater to the growing demand. Speak to Analyst for your custom requirements: https://www.skyquestt.com/speak-with-analyst/3d-ultrasound-market Key Developments in 3D Ultrasound Market Engineers at MIT are developing a new ultrasound technology that aims to make ultrasound imaging more accessible and portable. Unlike traditional bulky equipment typically found only in medical centers, this new technology is a small sticker that can be applied to the skin. The sticker is roughly the size of a stamp and can provide ultrasound imaging of internal organs for up to 48 hours. This innovative approach makes ultrasound imaging much more convenient and eliminates needing a technician to hold a probe in place for extended periods. Royal Philips, a prominent health technology industry player, unveiled a new portable ultrasound solution, called the Compact 5000 Series during the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting held in Chicago, USA from November 27 to December 1. This advanced product aims to extend the high-level diagnostic quality that premium cart-based ultrasound systems offer to a broader range of patients. The Compact 5000 series has been designed to provide portability and flexibility while ensuring that image quality and performance are not compromised. Ultimately, this innovation aims to enable more patients to receive first-time-right ultrasound exams. Key Questions Answered in 3D Ultrasound Market Report What specific growth drivers are projected to impact the market during the forecast period? Can you list the top companies in the market and explain how they have achieved their positions of influence? In what ways do regional trends and patterns differ within the global market, and how might these differences shape the market's future growth? Related Reports in SkyQuests Library: Global Medical Cameras Market Global Chromatography Data System (CDS) Market Global Healthcare Barcode Technology Market Global Cancer Tumor Profiling Market Global Sterilization Equipment Market About Us: SkyQuest Technology is leading growth consulting firm providing market intelligence, commercialization and technology services. It has 450+ happy clients globally. Address: 1 Apache Way, Westford, Massachusetts 01886 Phone: USA (+1) 617-230-0741 Email: sales@skyquestt.com LinkedIn Facebook Twitter TORONTO, March 30, 2023 /CNW/ - Today, Hudson's Bay is proud to announce the exclusive launch of Rise Little Earthling, an affordable and quality kid's apparel brand focused on thoughtful style for modern little ones. Designed by Joe Mimran, the brand is built with three goals in mind: sustainability, creativity and comfort. From internationally-certified eco-friendly manufacturers, organic and recycled materials in both garment and packaging, soft 100% cotton feel on skin, and its comfort design, each piece is crafted with kids and parents in mind. With a full-of-fun design aesthetic featuring a kaleidoscope of colour, modern patterns and shapes, the product sizes range from newborn to six years, and is consciously-priced. The collection is built around key moments: Party Time (dresses and rompers for occasion wear); Splash Time (swim and rainwear); Play Time (tees, leggings, shorts and bodysuits) and Dream Time (pyjamas and sleeper sets). Designed to grow as kids do, Rise Little Earthling offers generous sizing, allowing for longer wear. Special details include enveloped necklines, elastic waistbands, and shaping to allow better fit for diapersall designed with comfort at the forefront. The product is also taglessso no fuss from kids easily irritated by labels. "We know that parents are seeking affordable, style-forward and more sustainable options that suit their lifestyle," says Margot Johnson, Chief Business Officer, Hudson's Bay. "Hudson's Bay is making shopping for kids even easier - through innovations in stores including baby showrooms in select stores, to consciously-designed and quality brands like Rise Little Earthling - we are delivering for the entire family at every stage." Serving as 'brand ambassadors' are the Rise Monstersadorable characters that radiate positivity and affirmations tailored to individuality. The line-up includes Cosmo (he/him), the happy dreamer; Sydney (they/them), celebrator of differences; Chantelle (she/her), kind soul; Moonie (she/her), curious adventurer; Gogg (he/him), empathetic visionary; Catt (he/him), playful 'advocat'; Sunny (she/her), radiant optimist. Story continues Rise Little Earthling is available exclusively at Hudson's Bay stores across Canada and on TheBay.com starting today. ABOUT THE BAY Through a digital-first, purpose-driven lens, The Bay helps Canadians live their best style of life. The Bay operates thebay.com featuring Marketplace, one of the largest premium life & style platforms in Canada, with a seamless connection to a network of 84 Hudson's Bay stores. The Bay has established a reputation for quality and style through an unrivaled assortment of products and categories including fashion, home, beauty, food concepts and more. Follow us on our social media channels: Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , TikTok . The Bay and Hudson's Bay operate under the HBC brand portfolio. Founded in 1670, HBC is North America's oldest company. The signature stripes are a registered trademark of HBC. RISE LITTLE EARTHLING, AN OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD KID'S LIFESTYLE BRAND, HAS LANDED EXCLUSIVELY AT THE BAY (CNW Group/Hudson's Bay) RISE LITTLE EARTHLING, AN OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD KID'S LIFESTYLE BRAND, HAS LANDED EXCLUSIVELY AT THE BAY (CNW Group/Hudson's Bay) RISE LITTLE EARTHLING, AN OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD KID'S LIFESTYLE BRAND, HAS LANDED EXCLUSIVELY AT THE BAY (CNW Group/Hudson's Bay) RISE LITTLE EARTHLING, AN OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD KID'S LIFESTYLE BRAND, HAS LANDED EXCLUSIVELY AT THE BAY (CNW Group/Hudson's Bay) RISE LITTLE EARTHLING, AN OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD KID'S LIFESTYLE BRAND, HAS LANDED EXCLUSIVELY AT THE BAY (CNW Group/Hudson's Bay) SOURCE Hudson's Bay Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2023/30/c6918.html Fortune Business Insights Robotic Paint Booth Market to Make Notable Headway; Rising Number of Manufacturing Plants for Robotic Paint Worldwide to Propel the Market: Fortune Business Insights Pune, India, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global robotic paint booth market size is projected to experience dynamic growth in the upcoming years owing to the increasing demand for robotic paint from the automotive industry. Fortune Business Insights in its report, titled Robotic Paint Booth Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Paint/Spray Booth, Paint Robotic Arm), By End-user (Automotive Industry, Non-automotive Industry) And Regional Forecast 2023-2030. There has been an increasing demand for robotic paint from the automotive industry as this type of paint can be applied with more accuracy than the use of human workers for painting any type of automotive part. Further, the robotic paints can save a lot of time required for painting any automotive equipment or machinery, which is projected to propel the growth of this market. However, the cost of maintenance of robotic paint booths is relatively high, which is projected to impede the growth of this market. Request a free Sample research report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/robotic-paint-booth-market-104734 List of Key Players Covered in the Robotic Paint Booth Market Report: ABB FANUC Corp. Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. Staubli International AG YASKAWA Electric Corp. Blowtherm-USA Durr Group Nordson Corporation TKS Industrial Company Graco Inc. Crocodile Paint Both Integrated Automation and Robotics VarnishTech.it Symach s.r.l. Celiber-Celette Geico S.p.A. KUKA AG FUJITORONICS K.K Mexx Engineering BlastOne International Hilustre Coatings Pty. Ltd. COVID-19 Impact: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in most of the industries and manufacturing units being shutdown across the world. This pandemic has hindered the whole production process of robotic paint booths, which is anticipated to restrict this markets growth in several regions. Story continues Click here to get the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this market. Please visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/robotic-paint-booth-market-104734 Market Segmentation: The Robotic Paint Booth market can be segmented into two types: Paint/Spray Booth and Paint Robotic Arm. The Paint/Spray Booth type is used for painting large objects like automobiles, while the Paint Robotic Arm type is used for more precise painting in smaller spaces. In terms of end-users, the market can be divided into the Automotive Industry and the Non-automotive Industry. The Automotive Industry is a major consumer of Robotic Paint Booths, as they are used for painting cars, trucks, and other vehicles. The Non-automotive Industry includes industries such as aerospace, furniture, and consumer goods, where Robotic Paint Booths are used for painting various products. Highlights/Summary: The report provides an exhaustive assessment of each market segment and also offers an in-depth analysis of the market drivers, trends, opportunities, and hindrances. Furthermore, the report contains a granular examination of the regional developments impacting the market, along with a thorough evaluation of the top market players and their key strategies. Drivers/Restraints: Rising Number of Manufacturing Plants for Robotic Paint Worldwide to Fuel the Market The robotic paints are used in several industries such as automotive, construction, aerospace and aviation, and others. Hence, the key companies in this market have set up their manufacturing plants across several regions especially in the countries such as India, Malaysia, Mexico, and other countries. This is a crucial factor responsible for the growth of this market. One of the main drivers of market growth is the increasing demand for high-quality and efficient painting processes, which can be achieved through the use of robotic technology. Additionally, the need to reduce manual labor and increase productivity also contributes to the growth of this market. The use of robotics in painting also results in a reduction of waste and environmental impact, which is another factor driving the growth of this industry. However, there are also several factors that act as barriers to market growth. One of the main restraints is the high initial costs associated with acquiring robotic paint booths, which can be a significant investment for companies. Maintenance and repair expenses can also add to these costs over time, making it difficult for smaller companies to invest in this technology. Ask for Customization: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/customization/robotic-paint-booth-market-104734 Regional Insights: Rising Demand for Customized Machinery to Boost the Asia Pacific Market Growth Asia Pacific region is projected to dominate in the robotic paint booth market share on account of the rising demand for customized machinery and automobiles in the countries such as India, Japan, China and South Korea. North America region is anticipated to grow speedily in this market due to the high volume of painting operations in the countries such as the US and Canada. Competitive Landscape: Technological Advancements in the Machinery Industry to Feed Competition The leading companies in the robotic paint booth market are focusing on the increasing adoption of latest technologies in machinery industry in order to increase the usage of robotic paints and make minimum use of human workers for industrial processes. This has resulted in the increasing competition among key companies which will enable them to expand their business operations and widen their market foothold. Industry Development: February 2020: ABB introduced a painting station comprising of 12 robots that offers space saving alternative to traditional station. The painting station is able to paint a variety of automotive vehicles including, cars, SUVs and large MPVs. Inquire Before Buying: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/queries/robotic-paint-booth-market-104734 About Us: Fortune Business Insights delivers accurate data and innovative corporate analysis, helping organizations of all sizes make appropriate decisions. We tailor novel solutions for our clients, assisting them to address various challenges distinct to their businesses. Our aim is to empower them with holistic market intelligence, providing a granular overview of the market they are operating in. Contact Us: Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd. 9th Floor, Icon Tower, Baner - Mahalunge Road, Baner, Pune-411045, Maharashtra, India. Phone: US: +1 424 253 0390 UK: +44 2071 939123 APAC: +91 744 740 1245 Email: sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com Save up to $800 on the Samsung Frame TV for a limited time only. Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission. 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Watch the award-winning series before the Kevin Costner hit returns this summer I never wanted a TV in the living room because they're just not very decorative. The Frame changed my mind about that, says Sarah Kovac, Revieweds accessibility editor and Frame owner. Shes especially fond of its ability to showcase images or selected artwork while in screensaver mode. I love that I can display my own photos or classical pieces via a very affordable subscription. Several people have just thought it was a large, framed painting. Here's the deal: Subscribe to our Perks and Rec newsletter for daily savings on all the things you want and need. This makes it pose as a nice piece in your living room rather than function as a bulky, out-of-place eyesore in your home. The Frame comes complete with customizable bezels, so it can fit in with brown, white and even brick interiors. 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This article originally appeared on Reviewed: Samsung Frame TV deal: Save up to $800 on the stylish Samsung TV NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE IN THE UNITED STATES PERTH, AUSTRALIA / VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Sarama Resources Ltd. ("Sarama" or the "Company") (ASX:SRR)(TSX-V:SWA) advises that its CHESS Depositary Interests (or CDIs) on the Australian Securities Exchange ("ASX") have been halted at the request of the Company pending the release of an announcement in relation to a potential equity raising. The Company has requested a similar halt for its Common Shares on the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSX-V"). The trading halt will continue on the ASX until the earlier of the Company releasing an announcement in relation to the potential equity raising, or the commencement of trading on 3 April 2023. -Ends- For further information, please contact: Company Activities Media Enquiries Andrew Dinning or Paul Schmiede Sarama Resources Ltd e: info@saramaresources.com t: +61 8 9363 7600 Angela East Media & Capital Partners e: Angela.east@mcpartners.com.au t: +61 428 432 025 This announcement has been authorised by the Board of Sarama Resources. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Sarama Resources Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/746676/Sarama-Announces-Trading-Halt Toronto, Ontario, and New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - March 30, 2023) - Sekur Private Data Ltd. (CSE: SKUR) (OTCQX: SWISF) (FSE: GDT0) ("Sekur" or the "Company"), a leading Swiss hosted secure and private communications platform, is pleased to announce that it has launched a new security feature for all its web based Sekur solutions. The feature is called 2FA or 2 Factor-Authentication and allows Sekur users to opt-in and increase their login credential security. Two-factor authentication (2FA) is an identity and access management security method that requires two forms of identification to access resources and data. 2FA gives businesses and consumers the ability to monitor and help safeguard their most vulnerable information and networks. 2FA will be applied to all the Company's solutions including its upcoming SekurVPN. Alain Ghiai, CEO of Sekur Private Data, said: "We are very pleased to launch the 2FA feature to all our solutions. We have been looking at a lot of solutions in the past year and have decided that the one being implemented is the most efficient and easy to use for our users. The opt-in 2FA is optional of course, however, we recommend business users to implement this extra security measure to minimize cyber intrusions into their account. With 2FA implemented, we are increasing our chances of getting more and more businesses adopting Sekur as their communications platform of choice. Our prime directive is to provide private and secure communications for everyone, and, as we are not connected to any BigTech or Hyperscaler platform, we offer a truly independent, private and secure means of communications without any data mining, through our proprietary technology and our secure servers based in Switzerland. We look forward to continuing to offer true data privacy to all individuals and their businesses and protect their intellectual property, and their privacy, from data miners and malicious hackers." Story continues Sekur, which includes SekurMessenger and SekurMail, is part of a bundle of email, messaging and file transfer into one application, includes the Company's latest SekurMail technology, which includes proprietary anti-phishing and privacy feature called SekurSend. SekurSend lets a user send an email to any other recipient, whether they have Sekur or not, in full privacy and security as the email never leaves Sekur's encrypted email servers based in Switzerland. The recipient can then click on the notification and reply in the same manner using SekurReply, without the recipient having to register for a Sekur account. The sender can also decide to protect any email sent by adding a password to open it, a read-limit and a self-destruct timer as well. Sending an email with the SekurSend feature allows the senders and recipients to add limitless size attachments to the emails without crowding the recipients' email box. This also eliminates BEC attacks for businesses and email phishing attacks. Additionally, SekurMail includes full control of email delivery, automatic data export for large Enterprises and an automatic Data Loss Prevention technology ("DLP") with real time continuous archiving. Recent data breaches in messaging applications have created a certain urgency for businesses and data privacy advocates to protect their communications from cyber-attacks and identity theft via mobile and desktop devices. SekurMessenger now comes with a proprietary feature and technology called "Chat-By-Invites". This feature allows a SekurMessenger user ("SM user") invite a non-SM user, or a group of non-SM users, to chat in a fully private and secure way, without the recipient ever having to register to SekurMessenger or download the app. At the end of the chat, the initiator of the conversation can remotely terminate the conversation and all traces of the conversation are deleted from all users, including the recipient. This unique feature is now fully deployed and functional on all iOS and Android devices and web platforms. The target sectors are numerous, including but not limited to real estate, legal, finance, insurance, medical, government, energy, manufacturing, trade and pharmaceutical sectors. SekurMessenger also eliminates many of the privacy and security risks by not only not requiring a phone number, which would divulge a user's phone device ID, but also by not social engineering a user's phone or computer contact list and infecting the contacts by default as well, eliminating a huge loophole in security and privacy. SekurMessenger issues each user a username and a Sekur number. The Sekur number is the contact ID a user would disclose in order for other Sekur users to be added. The service comes with a self-destruct timer and other features as well, including Sekur's proprietary VirtualVaults and HeliX technologies with all data stored in Swiss hosted encrypted servers. Sekur's Data privacy solutions are all hosted in Switzerland, protecting users' data from any outside data intrusion requests. In Switzerland, the right to privacy is guaranteed in article 13 of the Swiss Federal Constitution. The Federal Act on Data Protection ("FADP") of 19 June 1992 (in force since 1993) has set up a strict protection of privacy by prohibiting virtually any processing of personal data which is not expressly authorized by the data subjects. The protection is subject to the authority of the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner. Under Swiss federal law, it is a crime to publish information based on leaked "secret official discussions." In 2010 the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland found that IP addresses are personal information and that under Swiss privacy laws they may not be used to track Internet usage without the knowledge of the individuals involved. About Sekur Private Data Ltd. Sekur Private Data Ltd. is a Cybersecurity and Internet privacy provider of Swiss hosted solutions for secure and private communications. The Company distributes a suite of encrypted e-mails, secure messengers, and secure communication tools. Sekur Private Data Ltd. sells its products through its own website at https://www.sekur.com, and approved distributors, and telecommunications companies worldwide. Sekur Private Data Ltd. serves consumers, businesses and governments worldwide. On behalf of Management SEKUR PRIVATE DATA LTD. Alain Ghiai President and Chief Executive Officer +1.416.644.8690 corporate@sekurprivatedata.com For more information, please contact Sekur Private Data at corporate@sekurprivatedata.com or visit us at https://www.sekurprivatedata.com. For more information on Sekur visit us at: https://www.sekur.com. Forward-Looking Information This news release contains certain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). All statements other than statements of present or historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "achieve", "could", "believe", "plan", "intend", "objective", "continuous", "ongoing", "estimate", "outlook", "expect", "project" and similar words, including negatives thereof, suggesting future outcomes or that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations; they are not guaranteeing future performance. Sekur cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond Sekur's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to the future of the Company's business; the success of marketing and sales efforts of the Company; the projections prepared in house and projections delivered by channel partners; the Company's ability to complete the necessary software updates; increases in sales as a result of investments software development technology; consumer interest in the Products; future sales plans and strategies; reliance on large channel partners and expectations of renewals to ongoing agreements with these partners; anticipated events and trends; the economy and other future conditions; and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in Sekur's prospectus dated May 8, 2019 filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators and available on www.sedar.com. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, Sekur undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160469 Brazilian-based PAM supplier recognized for "Gold" as Best Privileged Access Management PAM Platform, Best Cloud Privileged Access Management, and Best Certificate Lifecycle Management; Senhasegura also take Bronze for Best PAM Solution for 2023 Globee Award SAO PAULO & SAN FRANCISCO, March 30, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Senhasegura, a leading Privileged Access Management (PAM) solution provider, today announced the company swept three major categories as Gold winners for the 2023 Cybersecurity Excellence Awards. The Cybersecurity Excellence Awards honor individuals and companies that demonstrate excellence, innovation, and leadership in information security. Senhasegura was recognized as the gold winner for Best PAM Platform, Best Cloud PAM and Best Lifecycle Management solution. "We congratulate Senhasegura for the recognition as the Gold award winner in the Best PAM Platform, Best Cloud PAM and Best Certificate Lifecycle Management categories of the 2023 Cybersecurity Excellence Awards," said Holger Schulze, CEO of Cybersecurity Insiders and founder of the 600,000-member Information Security Community on LinkedIn, which organizes the 8th annual Cybersecurity Excellence Awards. "With more than 800 entries in more than 300 award categories, the 2023 Cybersecurity Excellence Awards program is highly competitive. All winners reflect the very best in innovation and excellence in defending against today's evolving cybersecurity threats." "Were beyond honored to be the Gold winners in categories that reflect our core technology platform in highly competitive categories in Privileged Access Management," said Marcus Scharra, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Senhasegura. "This new recognition further solidifies our technology leadership and punctuates a year of tremendous international growth." Senhasegura recently received $13 million in Series A funding and opened new North American headquarters in 2022. Senhasegura is experiencing explosive growth in North America, Europe and South America. Story continues More About Senhaseguras Award winning products PAM Platform Senhasegura is fiercely committed to an exceptional customer experience; the Companys 360 Privilege Platform was designed with powerful capabilities yet can be installed in minutes. Senhasegura consistently receives the highest marks from Gartner Peer Insights and other industry peer reviews. Senhasegura offers a full-featured, modern approach to PAM, offering many different capabilities integrated and managed with the same user interface, including: Identity Management, Insider Threats, Cloud Identity and Governance Administration (IGA), DevOps Secrets Manager, Privilege Abuse, PAM, Remote Session Monitoring, Remote Access Management, Auditing and Recording, Certificate Management and MySafe personal password manager. Senhasegura offers a proven solution, with satisfied customers in 55+ countries across 5 continents, including the closing of a multi-million-dollar, multi-year project to provide Privileged Access Management for Brazils largest national defense contractor. Cloud PAM As a leading PAM provider, Senhasegura is unique in offering a fully integrated Cloud IAM solution as part of its 360 Privilege Platform, giving security teams the ability to easily manage privileged identities in the cloud, including the control and tracking of creation and deletion and access keys in the cloud, replacing encrypted and visible application credentials with rotating credentials for increased security, and centralized management through intuitive dashboards. Senhasegura is fiercely committed to an exceptional customer experience; the Companys 360 Privilege Platform was designed with powerful capabilities yet can be installed in minutes. Senhasegura consistently receives the highest marks from Gartner Peer Insights and other industry peer reviews. Senhasegura offers a full-featured, modern approach to PAM, offering many different capabilities integrated and managed with the same user interface, including: Identity Management, Insider Threats, Cloud Identity and Governance Administration (IGA), DevOps Secrets Manager, Privilege Abuse, PAM, Remote Session Monitoring, Remote Access Management, Auditing and Recording, Certificate Management and MySafe personal password manager. Certificate Lifecycle Management Senhaseguras Certificate Manager provides centralized control over the lifecycle of digital certificates, including Amazon Certificate Manager accounts, allowing for automatic renewal and publication, and a unified view of all certificates and their status. Senhaseguras Certificate Manager Reduces certificate expiration and human errors, resulting in significantly less downtime and increased compliance with required security regulations. Senhaseguras Certificate Manager is fully integrated with Senhaseguras 360 Privilege Platform, which provides a modern approach to privileged identity management with far wider capabilities than traditional PAM products. Based on a modular platform with a single interface, Senhaseguras 360 Privilege Platform offers the following advanced capabilities: Full-featured PAM support for both privileged as well as non-privileged user password management; End-point workstation protection for both Windows and Linux; DevOps secrets management, and Multi-cloud support. Globee Awards also Honor Senhasegura The Globee Awards, one of the cybersecurity industrys oldest awards programs, also honored Senhaseguras 360 Privilege Platform with a 2023 Bronze Award earlier this month. Senhaseguras 360 Privilege Platform Senhaseguras 360 Privilege Platform offers all-in-one, advanced protection for privileged identities throughout the complete identity lifecycle, from onboarding of employees through offboarding. The Companys unique commitment to simplifying the user experience allows customers to deploy in minutes, resulting in the fastest time-to-value. Senhaseguras 360 Privilege Platform takes a modern approach to privileged identity management, offering far wider capabilities than traditional PAM solutions. Its solution is based on a modular platform with a single, easy to use interface and offers the following advanced capabilities: Full-featured PAM support for both privileged as well as non-privileged user password management End-point workstation protection DevOps secrets management Multi-cloud support to ensure full compliance Certificate Lifecycle Management About Senhasegura Senhasegura is committed to helping companies become more secure and resilient by stopping privilege abuse from inside and outside the organization. Senhaseguras award-winning 360 Privilege Platform addresses the entire privileged access management lifecycle, including before, during, and after access, and plays a critical role in implementing a robust zero trust architecture. Headquartered in Brazil, Senhasegura is a global leader with customers in over 55 countries throughout Latin America, North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The Companys PAM solution is distributed through an international network of more than 150 value-added, trusted channel partners. For more information, go to https://senhasegura.com or follow us on Twitter @senha_segura. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005154/en/ Contacts Dan Chmielewski Madison Alexander PR 949-231-2965 dchm@madisonalexanderpr.com GetUpStudio / iStock.com Proposals to address a looming Social Security budget shortfall tend to take two forms: reduce benefits to save money, or increase revenue to help fill in the funding gap. In either case, Social Security recipients are still likely to see lower benefits beginning next decade and the cut could be as much as 20% compared with current payments. See: Expert Says Silent Crisis with Retirement Savings Looms Worldwide How To Act Now Discover: 3 Ways to Recession Proof Your Retirement As previously reported by GOBankingRates, the vast majority of current Social Security benefits 75% to 80% are funded through payroll taxes contributed by employees and employers. The rest comes from the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund, which could be tapped out as early as 2032, according to a recent estimate from the Congressional Budget Office. When the OASI fund is depleted, payroll taxes will have to cover all Social Security benefits. This means Social Security recipients face a roughly 20% reduction in benefits, according to the CBO. Addressing the funding gap means making some hard decisions about how to proceed. Something has to be done, Alicia Munnell, director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, told USA Today. You either have to bring in more revenues or cut payments going out. One idea is to raise the full retirement age for claiming benefits currently 66 or 67 years old, depending on your birth year. The FRA is the age at which you can get your full benefits. Claiming early means you will have lower monthly payments, while waiting as late as age 70 means you get the maximum benefit. A plan released last summer by the Republican Study Committee would increase the FRA to age 70. The theory is that by pushing the age back a few years, more seniors would delay claiming benefits, which would help the Social Security Administration save money over the short term. As USA Today reported, others who have floated the idea of raising the FRA for younger Americans include former South Carolina Gov. and 2024 GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley, U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) and U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.). Story continues But while raising the retirement age might put the SSA on sturdier financial ground, it significantly cuts benefits for anyone retiring before their new full retirement age, according to the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM), a nonprofit advocacy group. The NCPSSM noted that when the full retirement age was 65, workers retiring at age 62 received an initial benefit that was 20% less than their full benefit amount. When the FRA rises to 67, workers retiring at age 62 will receive a 30% cut in benefits. If the age were increased to 70, a worker claiming retirement benefits at age 62 would have their benefits reduced by nearly half, according to the NCPSSM. The alternative to cutting Social Security benefits or raising the retirement age is to generate more money through higher payroll taxes. This could take a couple of forms. One would involve hiking the current tax rate of 6.2% for both employees and employers, or 12.4% for the self-employed. Another would involve raising the income threshold on wages subject to Social Security tax. Currently, any wages above $160,200 are not subject to the tax. U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) last month introduced legislation that would make the payroll tax apply to wages above $250,000. But those proposals are likely to run into resistance from anti-tax groups, and there is no guarantee that they will reduce the budget shortfall enough to prevent reduced Social Security payments. Meanwhile, a bipartisan proposal to establish a sovereign-wealth fund to help finance Social Security might already be dead in the water due to the current banking crisis. Under the proposal, the fund would be built with $1.5 trillion or more in borrowed money. If the fund fails to generate an 8% annual return, Social Securitys maximum taxable income and payroll tax rate would be increased to ensure the program stays on track to be solvent for another 75 years. However, the collapses of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank and ensuing financial crisis have already threatened sovereign wealth funds used by other countries to finance public pension programs. It now seems unlikely that Congress would support a similar program to finance Social Security. What this means for younger U.S. workers is that they need to prepare for the prospect of lower Social Security benefits in retirement, according to Craig Copeland, director of wealth benefits research at the Employee Benefit Research Institute. This means youll need to build up more retirement savings and/or work longer than initially planned. Live Richer Podcast: How To Leverage Your Investments I dont think anyone should be thinking that there wont be any Social Security, Copeland told USA Today. Theres going to be some funding for benefits. It just wont be whats currently scheduled in law. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Social Security Crisis: 20% Cuts Likely, Even With Higher Taxes or Higher Retirement Age VANCOUVER, BC, March 30, 2023 /CNW/ - Soma Gold Corp. (TSXV: SOMA) (WKN: A2P4DU) (OTC: SMAGF) (the "Company" or "Soma") announced today that it has signed a mutual collaboration agreement with CORANTIOQUIA, the Environmental Authority of the Province of Antioquia, to promote environmental voluntary activities in Zaragoza and El Bagre, Antioquia. Signing of the Collaboration Agreement. (CNW Group/Soma Gold Corp.) Under the agreement, Soma Gold Corp., operating through its wholly-owned subsidiary Operadora Minera,, S.A.S., joined CORANTIOQUIA's "EcoSchools Program" ECOESCUELAS, in the rural communities of Cordero Icacales (Zaragoza) and the indigenous community of La Sardina (El Bagre). Soma has also committed to investing in a third Ecoschool located in Cano la Tres (Zaragoza). The EcoSchools Program is a landmark initiative of the local environmental authority, which combines environmental education, awareness, and eco-friendly infrastructure in rural schools. This program includes the implementation of climate-friendly measures such as solar energy, organic farming and composting, waste management, and the preservation of local biodiversity. Ana Ligia Mora, Director of the Environmental Authority of CORANTIOQUIA, states, "We are inviting the private sector of Antioquia to join hands with our company to exceed efforts in establishing standard environmental compliance guidelines. We are delighted to announce that Soma Gold Corp. is the first company to sign this voluntary agreement". Javier Cordova, Soma's President and CEO, states, "This agreement affirms our dedication to the local environment and the well-being of our host communities. We look forward to collaborating with CORANTIOQUIA in the EcoSchools Program, and consider it as the first step in building a partnership that will strengthen our commitment and will lead to additional initiatives in the coming months and years." ABOUT SOMA GOLD Soma Gold Corp. (TSXV: SOMA) is a mining company focused on gold production and exploration. The Company owns two adjacent mining properties in Antioquia, Colombia with a combined milling capacity of 675 tpd. (permitted for 1,400 tpd). The El Bagre Mill is currently operating and producing. Internally generated funds are being used to finance a regional exploration program. Story continues The Company also owns an exploration property near Tucuma, Para State, Brazil that is currently under option to Ero Copper Corp. On behalf of the Board of Directors "Javier Cordova Unda" Chief Executive Officer and President Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. All statements, analysis and other information contained in this press release about anticipated future events or results constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are subject to business and economic risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results of operations to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and opinions of management at the date the statements are made. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements even if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable laws. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Soma Gold Corp. Logo (CNW Group/Soma Gold Corp.) SOURCE Soma Gold Corp. Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2023/30/c6375.html Maritime safety authorities in China's southernmost island of Hainan have taken delivery of an advanced ocean-going search and rescue vessel that will extend the service's reach by hundreds of nautical miles into the disputed South China Sea. The Hainan Maritime Safety Administration commissioned the 5,560-tonne Haixun 03, or "sea patrol" in Mandarin, at its base in Haikou on Wednesday, according to state broadcaster CCTV. At more than 128 metres (420 feet) long, the vessel has a range of up to 10,000 nautical miles, can handle adverse weather and sea conditions, and transport 200 passengers in a single trip. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. The Hainan administration oversees waters that include a municipality in the disputed Paracel Islands, about 260 nautical miles from Haikou. The Paracels, known in China as the Xisha Islands and in Vietnam as the Hoang Sa Islands, are also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan. The Haixun 03 is bigger than other vessels commissioned by the Hainan maritime authorities, according to one analyst. Photo: Weibo alt=The Haixun 03 is bigger than other vessels commissioned by the Hainan maritime authorities, according to one analyst. Photo: Weibo> The Haixun 03 was built in Guangzhou by the Huangpu Wenchong Shipyard, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, which develops both research vessels and warships. The ship is equipped with a drone and a mid-sized helicopter and was designed for various functions, including maritime patrol and rescue, firefighting and monitoring oil spills. Zhang Jie, an expert on the South China Sea at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said most of the previous vessels commissioned by the Hainan administration were less than 1,000 tonnes and had a limited patrol range. Story continues "The enforcement power of the Hainan administration has been upgraded with the commissioning of the Haixun 03, because now their inspectors can not only go to the Paracel Islands, but also sail to the Spratly Islands more than 1,200km (745 miles) from Hainan," Zhang said. He said the ship could support the rescue centre on Subi Reef in the Spratlys. China set up a permanent rescue centre on Subi, one of the country's three artificial islands in the Spratlys, in 2019, with a flying squadron and maritime rescue team stationed there since last year. Zhang Mingliang, a Southeast Asian affairs expert with Jinan University in Guangzhou, said that while the ship could provide better maritime rescue and search services, it would also raise vigilance among some Southeast Asian neighbours involved in territorial disputes with Beijing. "Countries like Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia are sceptical about China's increasing maritime ability because none of their naval warships can compete with Chinese maritime patrol ships," Zhang Mingliang said. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2023 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. HUNTSVILLE, Ala., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern Home Services ("Southern"), a leading provider of essential residential and light commercial home services, announced today that it had acquired Valley Heating & Cooling ("Valley") and McCutcheon Heating & Air ("McCutcheon"), two full-service home comfort, heating, air conditioning and indoor air quality companies based in Huntsville-Decatur, Alabama. Pictured from left to right: Bryan Benak, CEO of Southern Home Services and Jason Gertsman, Owner and President of Valley and McCutcheon The acquisition of Valley and McCutcheon marks a significant milestone for Southern Home Services, as it seeks to expand its reach and service offerings in the Huntsville-Decatur market. With over 30 years of experience serving customers in the area, Valley and McCutcheon have built a strong reputation for quality service, reliability, and customer satisfaction. Southern Home Services looks forward to building on this legacy and continuing to provide exceptional service to both new and existing customers in the area. Commenting on the acquisition, Southern Home Services Chief Strategy Officer, Jarrod Brinker, said: "We are thrilled to welcome Valley Heating & Cooling and McCutcheon Heating & Air to the Southern Home Services family. This acquisition represents an exciting opportunity for us to expand our presence in the greater Huntsville-Decatur market. In time, we anticipate expanding our service offering to include plumbing, electrical and home standby generators part of our "One Call. One Company." operating philosophy. In addition to added service lines, we are committed to providing the same high level of service that Valley & McCutcheon customers have come to expect, and we look forward to building lasting relationships with homeowners in the area." Jason Gerstman, President and Owner of Valley and McCutcheon said, "We are excited to join forces with Southern Home Services. Our combined expertise and resources will enable us to provide our customers with the best possible solutions and create new growth opportunities for our employees and the business as a whole." Jason added, "We chose Southern because of their reputation and for their people-first approach to acquisitions. I've grown this business over the last 24 years and I had to believe that I was leaving it in the right hands." Story continues Under the terms of the agreement, Valley Heating & Cooling and McCutcheon Heating & Air will continue to operate under their current name and branding, and all current employees will be retained. Huntsville-Decatur area homeowners can learn more about Valley & McCutcheon's products and services through their websites www.valleyheatingandcooling.com, www.mccutcheonheatingair.com, or by calling (256) 353-2004. Headquartered in Maitland, Florida, Southern Home Services operates heating, air conditioning, plumbing and electrical home service businesses in the United States. As part of the broader Southern team, Valley & McCutcheon will join Southern's family of twenty-two other service brands across ten states. Since its inception in 2016, Southern Home Services has remained one of the home service industry's premier growth platforms driving both organic initiatives and an accretive acquisition strategy focused on market-leading brands. For more information about Southern's acquisition program, visit www.southernhomeservices.com/acquisitions. Contact: Lilah Wiatr lwiatr@southernhomeservices.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/southern-home-services-continues-its-growth-with-the-acquisition-of-valley-heating--cooling--mccutcheon-heating--air-301785121.html SOURCE Southern Home Services Future Market Insights Global and Consulting Pvt. Ltd. The United States stacker crane market is projected to attain US$ 850.3 million by 2033. The automatic stacker crane segment is expected to hold a dominant share throughout the forecast period as they are fast improving their ability to operate without human interventions. Asia Pacific is expected to hold the largest market share by 2033 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, March 29, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global stacker crane market is projected to create an absolute dollar opportunity by exhibiting a CAGR of 7.9% throughout the forecast period from 2023 to 2033. The global market is estimated to reach US$ 1.1 billion in the year 2023 and is likely to surpass a valuation of around US$ 2.4 billion by 2033. According to the historical analysis, the global stacker crane market registered a CAGR of 11.9% in the historical period. The growth of the global market can be attributed to the rapid expansion of end-use verticals and the accelerating need for advanced bulk material handling systems. Moreover, the integration of remote user connectivity and interface in stacker cranes is further predicted to encourage their adoption during the forecast period. Furthermore, leading players in the market are focused on expanding their stacker crane production capacity and sales, by launching new manufacturing units across attractive markets. Download a sample to obtain additional highlights and key points on various market segments and their impact in the coming years @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-14302 The Stacker crane market has become a crucial material-handling solution, utilized across diverse manufacturing verticals like warehouses or manufacturing plants, for storage and retrieval of materials. Robust expansion of manufacturing industries the world over, along with the surge of logistics 4.0, is boosting the stacker crane industry. The logistics sector and manufacturing industries are utilizing stacker cranes for easy and rapid completion of work. Story continues Compelling Market Trends The stacker crane industry is anticipated to observe exponential growth during the forecast period due to the rising demand for efficient logistics and warehousing solutions. The propelling advancements in stacker cranes are supported by the incorporation of novel technologies, like the Internet of Things (IoT), which is projected to assist the market growth. In addition to that, a move towards the proliferation of automation and robotics in the supply chain and intralogistics is projected to boost demand for stacker cranes. Rising technological advancements continue to penetrate industries and stakeholders which are embracing various automation techniques including the deployment of industrial robotics. Furthermore, manufacturing facilities are deploying robots and robotics in every aspect of operations, from hardcore production to assembly. This has not only helped make operations efficient but also streamlined the overall supply chain. The augmenting application of robotics is highly visible in the logistics industry. Prominent companies are working on investing in automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) to automate movements as well as various regions in the facility, due to the growing complexity of warehousing and the necessity for flexible and efficient operations. Another highly popular automated option that may be used by companies with a lot of items coming in and going out is the automated pallet shuttle. An electric shuttle that moves through the storage channels of this small storage system speeds up pallet loading and unloading. Know more about this market's geographical distribution along with a detailed analysis of the top regions @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/stacker-crane-market Growth Drivers The supply chain has witnessed significant changes over the past few decades. Owing to the rising advancements in technology and rising initiatives to propel automation, machines have begun replacing human labor. As a result, various types of material handling equipment, like stacker cranes, are being used across manufacturing industries for the storage of goods. Stacker cranes are popularly known as ideal storage and retrieval systems utilized in warehousing operations for enhancing productivity, reducing manual labor, and minimizing errors. They allow users to execute loading and unloading operations quietly and steadily. Robust expansion of manufacturing industries, such as automotive and consumer goods, due to rapid urbanization, increasing population, and infrastructural development, is expected to boost the growth of the market. Restraints Some of the crucial factors limiting the growth of the stacker crane market comprise of the huge cost of installing stacker crane systems and frequent technical errors. Additionally, the unavailability of sufficient infrastructure and space for the use of stacker cranes across emerging economies may also pose a hindrance to market development. Competitive Landscape Top stacker crane manufacturers are concentrating on introducing advanced products, such as KBK stacker cranes and automated stacker cranes with better and more advanced features. Furthermore, they have adopted strategies such as partnerships, mergers, agreements, collaborations, etc. to expand their global presence. kion group ag, doosan corporation, ssi schaefer, swisslog holding ag, murata machinery, ltd., hyster-yale materials , handling, inc. jungheinrich ag, mitsubishi logisnext co., ltd.,toyota industries corporation, vanderlande industries b.v. Key Developments In October 2021, Kalmar announced that it is likely to deliver six automatic stacking cranes to Victoria International Container Terminal, situated in Australia. Valuable Insights into the Stacker Crane Market The North American region is anticipated to dominate the global stacker crane market over the valuation period. The United States market is projected to attain US$ 850.3 million by 2033. The market is estimated to register a CAGR of 7.7% in the forecast period. Key Segments By Operation Type: Semi-automatic Automatic By End-use Industry: Consumer Goods E-commerce/Retail and Wholesale Pharmaceutical Automotive Others By Application: Autostart Early Baggage Storage Sortation System Robotized Order Preparation By Type: Single Column Double Column By Region: North America Latin America Europe Asia Pacific The Middle East and Africa Expand operations in the future To get requisite details, ask for a custom report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-gb-14302 Table of Content 1. Executive Summary | Stacker Crane Market 1.1. Global Market Outlook 1.2. Demand-side Trends 1.3. Supply-side Trends 1.4. Technology Roadmap Analysis 1.5. Analysis and Recommendations 2. Market Overview 2.1. Market Coverage / Taxonomy 2.2. Market Definition / Scope / Limitations 3. Market Background 3.1. Market Dynamics 3.2. Scenario Forecast 3.3. Opportunity Map Analysis 3.4. Product Life Cycle Analysis 3.5. Supply Chain Analysis 3.6. Investment Feasibility Matrix 3.7. Value Chain Analysis 3.8. PESTLE and Porters Analysis 3.9. Regulatory Landscape 4. Global Market Analysis 2017 to 2022 and Forecast, 2023 to 2033 4.1. Historical Market Size Value (US$ Million) & Volume (Units) Analysis, 2017 to 2022 4.2. Current and Future Market Size Value (US$ Million) & Volume (Units) Projections, 2023 to 2033 Buy Now: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/14302 Explore FMIs Extensive Coverage on Industrial Automation Domain: Rockbreakers Market Review : The global rockbreakers market is valued at US$ 28,118.8 million in 2023 and is projected to register significant growth at a CAGR of 6.1% to reach a market valuation of US$ 50,833.6 million by the end of 2033. Solar Shading Systems Market Forecast : Global solar shading system market is projected to record a steady 3% CAGR through 2032. The solar shading system market is valued at US$ 3.9 Billion in 2022 and is expected to reach US$ 5.72 Billion by the 2032 Aircraft Sequencing System Market Keytrends : As indicated by the latest released intelligence study of Future Market Insights, the global market for aircraft sequencing system will expand at 11.5% CAGR over 2018 to 2027, prominently driven by rapid growth in the number of air passengers and constantly improving air trade scenario. Water Treatment Market Overview : Demand for potable water is experiencing exponential rise annually, with growing global population and pollution levels. Water bodies that have been the conventional sources of drinking water for individuals are also getting affected by alarming rates of ecological burden. Expansion Valves Market Share: Sales in the expansion valves market are projected to total US$ 17.4 Billion in 2023 from US$ 11.5 Billion in 2023. Increasing demand for advanced air conditioning systems for installation in diverse sectors will drive growth in the market by 4.2% CAGR between 2023 and 2033. About Future Market Insights, Inc. Future Market Insights, Inc. is an ESOMAR-certified business consulting & market research firm, a member of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce and is headquartered in Delaware, USA. A recipient of Clutch Leaders Award 2022 on account of high client score (4.9/5), we have been collaborating with global enterprises in their business transformation journey and helping them deliver on their business ambitions. 80% of the largest Forbes 1000 enterprises are our clients. We serve global clients across all leading & niche market segments across all major industries Contact Us: Future Market Insights, Inc. 1602-6 Jumeirah Bay X2 Tower, Plot No: JLT-PH2-X2A, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates LinkedIn| Twitter| Blogs | YouTube For Sales Enquiries: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Old Source: Stacker Crane Market to reach US$ 2 Bn by 2032 - Comprehensive Research Report by FMI Hispanolistic / iStock.com The federal government issued the last stimulus checks in response to the pandemic in March 2021. But a few states are still giving residents financial assistance in 2023. In fact, some taxpayers in Alaska and New Jersey will receive more than $1,000 this spring. Stimulus 2023: Updates To Know Now Explore: How To Guard Your Wealth From a Potential Banking Crisis With Gold Here are the program highlights: Alaska: Permanent Fund Dividend For the past 41 years, the Alaskan government has shared investment income from oil revenues with state residents through the Permanent Fund Dividend program. This year, the payout per approved applicant will be $3,284, which is a larger amount than usual due to an included $662.19 energy relief benefit. The energy-relief portion of the payout is nontaxable. Alaskans must apply for the payment by March 31. Eligibility requirements include but arent limited to being a state resident and avoiding incarceration for the full calendar year. The next payout dates are April 20 and May 18. Benefits will be disbursed based on when an application is received and processed. New Jersey: ANCHOR Property Tax Relief The ANCHOR Property Tax Relief program, which is replacing the Homestead Benefit, was created to offset years of property tax hikes. To be eligible, applicants must have owned or rented their primary residence on Oct. 19, 2019, and must file or be exempt from New Jersey state income taxes. They must also meet these annual income requirements: Homeowners: Up to $150,000 will receive $1,500, and between $150,000 and $250,000 will receive $1,000 Renters: Up to $150,000 will receive $450 Renters normally get excluded from these types of relief programs. Payments issued to renters are intended to defray the significant increase in housing costs. The application window for the program closed on Feb. 28. Payments will be issued to qualifying residents through May in the form of a check or direct deposit and are not subject to federal or state income tax. Story continues What To Do With a Windfall If you receive cash from a stimulus payment or a tax refund, inheritance, work bonus or other source you should use the funds strategically. GOBankingRates recently offered suggestions for the best ways to invest your windfall: Add funds to your emergency fund or investment accounts. Take a class to gain marketable and profitable skills. Launch a business or side hustle. Pay off high-interest debt. Take Our Poll: What Do You Plan To Use Your Tax Refund For? Im a Self-Made Millionaire: 6 Investments To Make During an Economic Downturn While it may be tempting to use your newfound wealth to buy something fun or extravagant, your future self will thank you for using all (or most) of this money to strengthen your finances. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Stimulus Checks: These 2 States Are Getting More Than $1,000 in April Global CEO, Damian McKinney, Recognized for Leadership in Advancing Justice, and Equality NEW YORK, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Stoli Group , the leading global ultra-premium spirits and wines company, today announced Damian McKinney, Global CEO, will be awarded the Harvey Milk Foundation Global Business Leadership Award. Only the second award of its kind, the honor will be bestowed at the 7th Annual Diversity Honors Gala which honors individuals from around the world who have made significant contributions to world peace and equality. Damian McKinney, Global CEO, Stoli Group "The Foundation has long admired Stoli as an organization, and Damian McKinney, specifically," commented Stuart Milk, co-founder and Board President of the Harvey Milk Foundation. "However, Stoli's response to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine whereby they boldly and unapologetically stood firm in opposition to Putin's aggression set the organization apart. At the same time, Stoli Group under McKinney's leadership has doubled down on their commitment to stand with all marginalized people globally." With a history of advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, Stoli first spoke out against Putin in 2013 in response to Russia's so-called "ban on homosexuality" when the spirits business increased support for organizations, like The Harvey Milk Foundation, that fight oppression and work for global LGBTQ equality. A longtime supporter of the Harvey Milk Foundation, Stoli has been a Diversity Honors Gala partner since 2016, and in years since has hosted LGBTQ+ refugees from Russia and satellite countries who have fled Putin's oppression with the Foundation's assistance. In 2018, Stoli introduced at the Gala their first LGBTQ+ commemorative bottle, the Harvey Milk Limited Edition, celebrating the 40th anniversary of Mr. Milk taking office. This year's event on April 1st at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, will be well attended by leading LGTBTQ+ advocates from around the globe along with the "Liberate Your Spirit" Stoli team. Story continues "Stoli, along with the Harvey Milk Foundation, will always fight for justice and equality," commented Damian McKinney. Global CEO, Stoli Group. "With Russia's invasion in Ukraine, we were quickly compelled to act. Throughout 2022, we worked aggressively to support Ukraine as they faced the horrors of war. While the work sadly continues, we are incredibly honored that such an esteemed organization as the Harvey Milk Foundation has recognized our contribution." In support of Ukraine, in 2022 Stoli released the Stoli Limited Edition Ukraine bottle , which continues to raise money for World Central Kitchen (WCK) and helped serve more than 36,000 meals refugees. In addition to working with WCK, Stoli relocated many Ukrainian employees, partners and distributors as they faced extraordinary difficulties. For others who chose to remain, Stoli provided financial, emotional, and tactical support. By working with Ukrainian suppliers and investing in a regional distributor Stoli enabled regional business to stay afloat and contribute to the country's economic stability and recovery. About Stoli Group Stoli Group was established in 2013 and is responsible for the production, management, and distribution of a global spirits and wines portfolio. Mainly known for the Stoli Vodka brand, Stoli Group has expanded to appeal to luxury on-premise and more sophisticated global consumers. Signature brands are: Stoli Vodka, elitVodka, Bayou Rum, Kentucky Owl, Villa One, Gator Bite Rum Liqueurs, Cenote Tequila, Tulchan Gin, Se Busca Mezcal and Stoli Group's wine division, Tenute del Mondo. With a presence across a network of more than 176 markets, Stoli Group works with a passionate team of 200 distributors around the world. Headquartered in Luxembourg, Stoli has production facilities in Argentina, Latvia, Spain, and the United States, some of which are steeped in history dating back to the early part of the last century. For more information, visit stoli-group.com . Contact: Maureen Landers maureen.landers@landersmadden.com 917-886-4901 Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stoli-group-honored-as-harvey-milk-foundation-global-business-leadership-award-recipient-301785322.html SOURCE Stoli Group SNS Insider pvt ltd As per SNS Insider, the growth drivers for the structural health monitoring market are expected to continue in the coming years, driven by the increasing demand for infrastructure maintenance, advancements in sensor technology, government initiatives and regulations, and increasing use of automation and robotics Pune, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The SNS Insider reported that the Structural Health Monitoring Market was valued at USD 2.37 billion in 2022, and it is anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.4% from 2023 to 2030, ultimately reaching USD 6.98 billion. Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) refers to the process of continuous monitoring, inspection, and evaluation of the structural health of a building, bridge, or other infrastructure system. SHM typically involves the use of sensors, such as accelerometer, strain gauges, and temperature sensors, which are strategically placed on the structure to collect data on its behavior and performance. This data is then processed and analyzed using advanced algorithms and machine learning techniques to identify any anomalies or changes in the structural behavior. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.snsinsider.com/sample-request/1890 Structural Health Monitoring Market Report Scope Report Attributes Details Market Size in 2022 US$ 2.37 Billion Market Size by 2030 US$ 6.98 Billion CAGR From 2023 to 2030 14.4% Key Segments By Solution Type (Hardware, Software & Services) By Application Type (Bridges & Dams, Building & Stadiums, Vessels & Platforms, Airframes & Wind Turbines, Large Machines & Equipment) By Technology Type (Wired, Wireless) Company Profiles Nova Metrix, Sixense, Acellent, Campbell Scientific, Geo kon, Cowi, Geo comp, Pure Technologies, Digitexx, Structural Monitoring Systems. Market Analysis The structural health monitoring market is set to witness significant growth due to the rapid expansion in the infrastructure sector. With increasing government initiatives towards SHM system standardization and public safety, the demand for these systems is expected to rise further. In addition, stringent regulations pertaining to the sustainability of structures and declining costs of sensors are expected to drive the growth of this market. SHM is a crucial aspect of infrastructure development and maintenance, as it enables the continuous monitoring of the structural health of buildings, bridges, and other critical infrastructure. Story continues Impact of Russia-Ukraine Conflict The impact of the conflict has been a shift in demand for SHM services. In areas affected by the conflict, such as eastern Ukraine, there has been an increased demand for SHM services as buildings and infrastructure are damaged or destroyed. On the other hand, in areas where there is a risk of conflict, such as Crimea, there has been a decrease in demand for SHM services as investors and developers are hesitant to invest in new projects. Ask For Customized Report As Per Your Business Requirement: https://www.snsinsider.com/enquiry/1890 Key Regional Development The structural health monitoring market in North America is experiencing a significant boost due to several reasons, such as the increased focus of governments on repairing and maintaining civil infrastructure, the aging infrastructure, and investments made by various governments. Countries like the United States and Canada have recognized the importance of structural health monitoring systems to ensure the safety and security of their structures and people. As the infrastructure in North America and Europe continues to age rapidly, there is a pressing need for civil infrastructure like bridges, dams, and tunnels to adopt structural health monitoring methods. Recent Developments Related to Structural Health Monitoring Market Sercel, a leading provider of seismic acquisition and imaging solutions, has announced its acquisition of Morphosense, a French company specializing in structural health monitoring and integrity management. The acquisition will expand Sercel's capabilities in the field of structural health monitoring, an increasingly important area for industries such as oil and gas, renewable energy, and civil engineering. FDH Infrastructure Group, LLC has recently expanded its portfolio by acquiring Smart Tower Systems, a move that adds cutting-edge structural health monitoring sensor technology to the company's offerings. This acquisition marks an important milestone for FDH Infrastructure Group, LLC as it seeks to diversify and strengthen its position in the infrastructure industry. Key Takeaway from Structural Health Monitoring Market Study The SHM market is primarily dominated by the hardware segment due to the high cost of integral components such as sensors and data acquisition systems. Hardware components play a crucial role in the SHM process as they are responsible for collecting and transmitting data about the structure being monitored. The wired segment accounts for a larger share in the SHM market due to its reliability in data transfer over long distances. Wired systems are commonly used for continuous monitoring of various structures as they offer reliable connectivity without any limitation on distance. Buy Exclusive PDF Copy of Structural Health Monitoring Market Along With ME Sheet: https://www.snsinsider.com/checkout/1890 Table Of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Research Methodology 3. Market Dynamics 4. Impact Analysis 5. Value Chain Analysis 6. Porters 5 Forces Model 7. PEST Analysis 8. Structural Health Monitoring Market Segmentation, By Solution Type 9. Structural Health Monitoring Market Segmentation, By Application Type 10. Structural Health Monitoring Market Segmentation, By Technology Type 11. Regional Analysis 12.Company Profiles 13.Competitive Landscape 14.Conclusion About SNS Insider At SNS Insider, we believe that businesses should have access to the best market intelligence and insights, regardless of their size or industry. That's why we offer a range of solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of each client, from startups to big corporations. With a passion for our work and an unwavering commitment to delivering value, we are dedicated to helping our clients achieve their full potential. CONTACT: Contact Us: Akash Anand Head of Business Development & Strategy Email: info@snsinsider.com Phone: +1-415-230-0044 (US) (Bloomberg) -- With Switzerlands banking crisis barely subsided, the countrys central bank will soon need to find a successor to one of the key players behind the scenes. Most Read from Bloomberg Andrea Maechler, the governing board member in charge of markets, has only one quarterly interest-rate decision left at the Swiss National Bank and is set to deliver what may be one of her final speeches on Thursday. She will depart at the end of June to become deputy chief at the Bank for International Settlements. Last year, Maechler was in charge of implementing the SNBs seminal shift to end currency purchases and start selling the franc. Amid Credit Suisse Group AGs forced takeover this month, her officials ensured a flow of dollar liquidity to lenders, and kept money markets in line. Finding a successor with the credibility and skills to set rates in a hiking cycle as the remnants of a bank crisis fester is testing enough. Add to that the tasks of enforcing transmission of monetary policy, and concurrently selling billions of foreign-currency reserves as the SNB unwinds its almost $1 trillion balance sheet. Then theres the difficulty of ensuring that its three-member board reflects Switzerlands multilingual regional balance. Another woman would be ideal, and someone from outside the central bank might be preferable too. Making it even harder for the SNBs supervisory Bank Council whose job is to propose candidates only Swiss citizens are eligible, narrowing the pool to a total population similar to New York City. The government doesnt have to follow the recommendation in its final decision. Finding a successor for Andrea Maechler will not be that easy, said Karsten Junius, chief economist at Zurichs Bank J Safra Sarasin Ltd, citing the difficulty of finding a top-notch economist and also seeking a linguistic and gender mix for the board. Story continues The language requirement is an unwritten rule that may prove insurmountable. Both SNB President Thomas Jordan and Vice President Martin Schlegel are primarily German speakers. Jordan could claim his hometown of Biel is on the boundary with French-speaking Switzerland, but appointing someone from a French- or Italian-language canton is optimal. Maechler ticked the French box, and was also the SNBs first female policymaker in 117 years: With gender diversity under scrutiny there, another woman would help. Meanwhile an external hire could alleviate criticism of the presidents dominance of the SNB. The worst thing would be for Thomas Jordan to further consolidate his power by having a current subordinate appointed, Geneva political candidate Michael Malquarti wrote on LinkedIn. A group of economists called the SNB Observatory have similar concerns, and in the past week, one local commentator called the central bank a one-man show. With the clock ticking, speculation is building on Maechlers possible successor. Heres a look at some potential candidates. Attilio Zanetti The 53 year-old Attilio Zanetti has been at the SNB for more than two decades, leading international monetary cooperation before becoming one of four alternate board members last year. He previously spent some months at the International Monetary Fund and the Federal Reserve of San Francisco, and was a lecturer at the University of Basel. Born in Italian-speaking Bellinzona and having graduated in French-speaking Fribourg, Zanetti has the language. Petra Gerlach Petra Gerlach, 47, is the only woman in the SNBs extended top echelon other than Maechler. Before becoming an alternate board member, she was deputy head of economic affairs. She joined the central bank 19 years ago, though she spent five of those at the BIS and in an academic role in Dublin. Gerlach would be the clearest female internal choice, though German being her first language speaks against her. Other Candidates The SNB could tap its own supervisory body for a candidate such as Geneva finance professor Rajna Gibson Brandon a qualified French-speaking woman and former member of the Swiss federal banking commission. Shes on the panel thats responsible for finding Maechlers successor, which might prove an obstacle to her selection, though the SNB doesnt comment on whether that would exclude her as a candidate. One option from the civil administration might be Sabine DAmelio-Favez, who runs Switzerlands budgetary authority. She has both French- and Italian-Swiss heritage, and holds the job Maechlers predecessor, Fritz Zurbruegg, had when he joined the SNB in 2012. Marlene Amstad, head of financial regulator Finma and a former SNB official herself, might be another possibility. Among other names cited by observers are three more academics: Basel macroeconomist Sarah Lein, who already did a six-year stint at the central bank, Luisa Lambertini, a finance professor based in Lausanne who is a dual Swiss-Italian citizen, and has been a consultant with the European Central Bank, and Aymo Brunetti, a former chief economic adviser to the Swiss government who was also among the first experts consulted by parliament in the Credit Suisse crisis. But the appointment of Maechler herself in 2015 suggests another option. Her selection was a total surprise, offering the possibility that such an outcome could happen again. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Municipality Finance Plc Municipality Finance Plc Stock exchange release 30 March 2023 at 10.00 am (EEST) Systemic risk buffer requirement set to MuniFin On 29 March 2023, the Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority (FIN-FSA) has, in accordance with the sections 4a and b, Chapter 10 of the act on Credit Institutions, set a systemic risk buffer requirement of 1.0 per cent to MuniFin. The decision will take effect on 1 April 2024, and it is equivalent to the requirements set to other Finnish banks at the same time. MuniFin clearly meets all capital requirements set to it. MUNICIPALITY FINANCE PLC Esa Kallio President and CEO tel. +358 50 337 7953 MuniFin (Municipality Finance Plc) is one of Finlands largest credit institutions. The owners of the company include Finnish municipalities, the public sector pension fund Keva and the Republic of Finland. MuniFin Group also includes the subsidiary company, Financial Advisory Services Inspira Ltd. The Groups balance sheet totals close to EUR 48 billion. MuniFin builds a better and more sustainable future with its customers. MuniFins customers include municipalities, joint municipal authorities, wellbeing services counties, corporate entities under their control, and non-profit organisations nominated by the Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (ARA). Lending is used for environmentally and socially responsible investment targets such as public transportation, sustainable buildings, hospitals and healthcare centres, schools and day care centres, and homes for people with special needs. MuniFins customers are domestic but the company operates in a completely global business environment. The company is an active Finnish bond issuer in international capital markets and the first Finnish green and social bond issuer. The funding is exclusively guaranteed by the Municipal Guarantee Board. Read more: www.munifin.fi Due to the ongoing transition to paperless assets, the BFSI industry is expected to further push the demand for data centers. FREMONT, Calif., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- BIS Research, the global leader in providing market intelligence on deep technologies, has released its latest study titled Data Center Liquid Cooling Market - A Global and Regional Analysis. BIS_Research_Logo According to this study, the growth in remote work, video conferencing, and internet traffic alone caused by the pandemic have been the major factors for the boost of data center capacity, which increased the accelerating transition of regions such as Asia-Pacific and Japan and the Middle East and Africa toward fully digital economies. This has only intensified the rapid evolution of the data center industry. According to BIS Research's report, as of 2021, the traditional cooling practices accounted for almost 43% of the total data center power consumption; however, efficient cooling systems and replacing existing hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) or hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) cooling systems with greener options such as liquid cooling may not only reduce energy consumption but will also help in reducing the carbon footprint of the data centers. Moreover, the data center has an excellent return on investment, which attracts investors to finance data centers across the globe. For instance, due to the influence of a few government initiatives, such as the Paris Agreement, data centers and other industries will adopt liquid cooling technologies to decrease the heat that is dissipated, thereby contributing to reducing global warming. Apart from this, the European Union (EU) has announced to go 100% carbon neutrality in the information and communications technology (ICT) and data center industry, which has encouraged various other economies, such as Japan and South Korea, to adopt similar strategies to tackle the issue of carbon emissions, especially from the ICT industry. Story continues IT and Telecom Sector to be the Leading End-User Segment The IT and telecom industry is the largest contributor to the demand for the entire data center industry, let alone the market for data center liquid cooling. The industry is driven by data transmission and data processing, with the IT industry producing the largest amount of data from data-intensive applications. The IT and telecom industry is the backbone of all other industries, as communication is a key factor in the growth of a modern economy. With the establishment of technologies such as improved network speeds, 6G and 5G, virtual and augmented reality operations, and artificial intelligence, the telecommunications industry is developing to cater to huge amounts of data processing. As a result, telecommunication data centers are also transforming to low latency needs and huge data generation. According to the study conducted by BIS Research on the data center liquid cooling market, out of the total market value of $3.49 billion in 2022, the IT and Telecom sector alone contributed $1.61 billion in revenue. The study further suggests that this trend is expected to continue in the coming years. Want to learn more about this emerging trend? Request a free sample of the report here a https://bisresearch.com/requestsample?id=1427&type=download You can also check out the detailed table of content for this report here a https://bisresearch.com/requestsample?id=1427&type=toc Analyst's Take on the Market Projection According to Debraj Chakraborty, Principal Analyst, BIS Research, "The data center liquid cooling technologies are expected to be a great replacement of the conventional air-based data center cooling techniques. Growing demand for sustainable technologies and ongoing policy changes such as Europe Green Deal, which mandates European Data Centers to become carbon neutral by 2030, are some of the key factors contributing to the growth of this market. Although a promising technology for the industry, many data center operators are reluctant to change. This is majorly due to higher initial cost and lack of standardization." Speak to an expert analyst for more details. About BIS Research: BIS Research is a global B2B market intelligence and advisory firm focusing on deep technology and related emerging trends, which can disrupt the market dynamics in the near future. We publish more than 200 market intelligence studies annually that focus on several deep technology verticals. Our strategic market analysis emphasizes on market estimations, technology analysis, emerging high-growth applications, deeply segmented granular country-level market data, and other important market parameters useful in the strategic decision-making for senior management. BIS Research offers syndicate as well as custom studies and expert consultations to firms, providing them with specific and actionable insights on novel technology markets, business models, and competitive landscapes. Contact: Head of Marketing Email: media@bisresearch.com BIS Research Inc. 39111 PASEO PADRE PKWY STE 313, FREMONT, CA, 94538-1686 Visit our Blog @ https://bisresearch.com/news Get Expert Insights @ https://community.insightmonk.com Connect with us on LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/bis-research Connect with us on Twitter@ https://twitter.com/BISResearch Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/495163/BIS_Research_Logo.jpg Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/it-and-telecom-sector-to-generate-half-of-the-total-projected-revenue-of-7-12-billion-by-2025-for-data-center-liquid-cooling-market-301785790.html SOURCE BIS Research Market.Us According to Market.us, The Telehealth Market Is Encouraged to Reach USD 36.5 billion by 2032, Revenue to Index 17.3% CAGR Over the Next 10 Years (between 2023 and 2032). New York, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Telehealth market was valued at around USD 7.7 billion in 2022 and is estimated to be worth approximately USD 36.5 billion in 2032, growing at a CAGR of slightly above 17.3% between 2023 and 2032. Telehealth refers to the delivery of medical services by all medical professionals using information and communications technology to exchange accurate information for diagnosing, treating, and preventing illnesses and injuries. With a focus on supporting the health of individuals and their communities, its applications also include monitoring, assessment, and continuing education for healthcare professionals. In addition to telemedicine, telehealth encompasses technologies like robotics, artificial intelligence, and mobile health (m-health), including connected devices and smartphone apps. Individuals with chronic illnesses (caused, for example, by asthma, diabetes, hypertension, etc.) can improve their quality of life, state of health, and ability to deal with their symptoms with the aid of linked technology. So, these technologies would aid patients in becoming more involved in their care, maintaining good lifestyle habits, and gaining therapeutic benefits. Without medical professionals' actual presence or direct involvement, patients can collect and monitor a range of real-time health and disease-related data through telehealth. Telehealth technologies also allow patients to communicate with their doctors online and receive advice or health-related information. Patients are more likely to take an active role in maintaining their health and have a higher standard of living if they are aware of their condition, therapies, and disease. Global Telehealth Market To get additional highlights on major revenue-generating segments, Request a Telehealth Market sample report at https://market.us/report/telehealth-market/request-sample/ Story continues Key Takeaway: By type , in 2022, the software segment was the most lucrative in the global telehealth market during the forecast period. By application , the patient monitoring segment is predicted to be the fastest-growing segment from 2023 to 2032. By end-user , the hospitals sector controls the worldwide telehealth market in revenue and is estimated to tolerate its governance during the forecast period. In 2022, North America dominated the market with a most significant share of 47%. One of the main factors fueling the market's growth is the rising prevalence of chronic diseases worldwide. Furthermore, the growing old population and the increased need for home monitoring devices are also boosting the market. In addition, telehealth systems are widely used in the fields of radiology, cardiology, and online consultation to treat a variety of illnesses like diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) that call for ongoing medical care. Another element spurring expansion is a variety of technology developments, such as creating user-friendly systems and smartphone applications for health monitoring. Factors affecting the growth of the Telehealth industry Several factors can affect the growth of the Telehealth industry. Some of these factors include: Increasing penetration of mobile phones: The increase in the penetration of mobile devices and internet users is driving the growth of the telehealth market. Increasing patient-centric emphasis and healthcare delivery: Patient-centric healthcare raises patient satisfaction levels, which creates benefits for healthcare providers and practices. Rise in the adoption of health apps: The rising adoption of digital health tools that aid in remote care is propelling the growth of the telehealth market. Government support and funding: Government support for digital health platforms has increased, resulting in new policies and reimbursement standards. In the forthcoming years, these factors are anticipated to support the market's expansion. To understand how our report can bring a difference to your business strategy, Inquire about a brochure at https://market.us/report/telehealth-market/#inquiry Top Trends in Global Telehealth Market The delivery of healthcare is no longer limited to the conventional hospital setting. The doctor-patient consultation through online video or audio has become the new trend. The main reasons for e-visits becoming increasingly popular are their affordability, shorter wait times at outpatient departments (OPDs), and convenience of access. This has drawn numerous start-up companies, and a notable increase in equity company investment spurs market expansion. Several new businesses are developing a remote monitoring and virtual consultation solutions and software. Even established businesses make an effort to include distinctive specializations in their offerings, such as dermatology, cardiology, general medicine, and mental health. Market Growth The increasing need for digital and practical healthcare goods and services among hospitals and consumers worldwide fuels the global telehealth market. Due to the ease with which customers can get healthcare professional services like consultations, telehealth platforms are quickly gaining popularity. In addition, the telehealth business is expanding owing to increased investments in the creation of IT infrastructure as well as rising smartphone and internet penetration among the world's population. Regional Analysis North America dominated the market with a most significant proportion of 47% in 2022. The market's growth is aided by increased investment in healthcare IT and a more excellent saturation of internet and smartphone providers. As a result, the market share for universal telehealth is anticipated to shift in North America drastically. In addition, the increased desire for teleconsultation and the positive health effects are anticipated to accelerate market expansion. The main reason for its significant market share is its large population with various chronic health issues and greater access to treatment for different acute and chronic diseases. The region with the fastest growth is predicted to be Asia Pacific. The rise in the old population in countries such as Japan and India and advancements in the medical and scientific fields. Due to the region's largest population, growing urbanization, and expanding healthcare initiatives by important regional players, which are expected to fuel market expansion, Asia Pacific is predicted to expand. Have Queries? Speak to an expert, or To Download/Request a Sample, Click here. Scope of the Report Report Attribute Details Market Value (2022) USD 7.7 Billion Market Size (2032) USD 36.5 Billion CAGR (from 2023 to 2032) 17.3% North America Revenue Share 47% Historic Period 2016 to 2022 Base Year 2022 Forecast Year 2023 to 2032 Market Drivers Modern mobile solutions are one of the main factors propelling the growth of the telehealth industry. In addition, the market is growing due to a better understanding of related procedures and telehealth apps for treating chronic and communicable diseases. Among the most important factors influencing the telehealth market are the rise in chronic diseases and the aging population. Moreover, telehealth demands are anticipated to increase in the next years due to the growing number of hospitals and private clinics in developed and emerging economies. Market Restraints Technology and infrastructure barriers are key reasons the industry isn't growing faster in underdeveloped countries, despite the huge potential of teleconsultation. Modern telecommunications equipment and high-speed internet with a high speed and large bandwidth are needed to introduce digital health platforms. Also, ample storage space for integrating and storing medical data must be provided. Numerous emerging nations face difficulties with this. In addition, the market is constrained by high installation costs for required systems and equipment, and tools for real-time monitoring of healthcare indicators. High information and communication technology (ICT) expenditures and the incapacity to employ advanced technologies are restraining the growth of the telehealth market. Market Opportunities The expanding healthcare sectors in several emerging economies, including Brazil, India, South Africa, and China, are also boosting the global telehealth market. The need to improve these countries' healthcare businesses is driven by the fast-growing geriatric population, rising per capita incomes, high patient volumes, and increased public awareness. Therefore, these countries governments are boosting their investments in bettering healthcare infrastructure and services. In addition, the affordability of smartphones, fast internet, and increased use of Telehealth by medical professionals all contribute to the growth of the mobile health sector. Putting more emphasis on patient-centered healthcare delivery and focusing on charge control in the healthcare industry would directly increase the opportunities for market development. Owing to the high number of applications of the telehealth market in healthcare industries, the rising investment in this industry is slated to offer growth opportunities in the market. Grow your profit margin with Market.us - Purchase This Premium Report at https://market.us/purchase-report/?report_id=96707 Report Segmentation of the Telehealth Market Type Insight Based on the type, the telehealth industry is divided into hardware, software, and service segments. The software category in the global telehealth market is expected to be the most profitable over the projected period due to the growing demand for appropriate, transparent medical care organizations and skilled work process management. The hardware comprises several products used in clinics, hospitals, and telemedicine at-home care. Mobile edges, communication lines, computer systems, medical equipment, video searches, and many other types of hardware are all used by various hardware. The segment's growth is exponentially accelerated by the rapid development and changes in the software system to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of telehealth equipment. Several category technologies, such as streaming media, teleconferencing, the Web, store-and-forward imagery, and native and wireless communications, generated significant income due to their widespread usage and high hardware costs. The primary categories of telehealth outcomes include hardware, software, and services assumed to be transmitted over the cloud. Due to expanding positive activities by several key competitors, the services category is predicted to gain the most significant market share. Throughout the projected period, the increased demand for high-quality care, effective workflow management, and reasonably priced healthcare services is anticipated to propel the software market's growth. The need to precisely and continually monitor a population's health due to rising healthcare expenditures has led to an increase in the use of the software. Likewise, many healthcare facilities in wealthy countries have shifted to value-based care models in order to enhance patient outcomes. Also, the major companies on a global scale have started several efforts that are accelerating the segment's growth. Application Insight The rapid distribution and evolution of telemedicine throughout the past year have improved customer acceptance. The patient monitoring segment is predicted to be the fastest-growing segment during the forecast period. It is attributable to the amplified demand for the constant monitoring of patients, mainly old patients. Further, the rapid adoption of smart medical wearable devices supplements the segmented growth, which constantly affects the user's health. According to the American Telemedicine Suggestion, about one million people are using cardiac observing procedures, which is predictable to increase supplementary. It is a central dynamic force behind the patient monitoring segment. The demand for telehealth applications for real-time monitoring and the management of chronic diseases contributed to the segment's expansion. In addition, the segment's expansion was further aided by rapid advancements in digital infrastructure, hardware and software components, smartphone penetration, and global internet access. The development of numerous platforms and applications that can diagnose, monitor, track health and wellness, and prevent disease also contributes to the market's growth. Additionally, it is projected that the constantly changing digital environment would foster the growth of these services. End-User Insight The hospital sector dominates the global telehealth market regarding revenue based on end-users and is predicted to accept its governance during the projected period. That can be attributed to telemedicine's expanding use in the healthcare industry. The need for technologically sophisticated equipment is growing across the entire global healthcare sector in order to enhance operational effectiveness, cut costs, boost profitability, and benefit healthcare personnel. In addition, the availability of telehealth platforms, like telemedicine, can lessen the workload of medical staff members in hospitals. On the other hand, the homecare segment is regarded as being the most adaptable during the projected period. It may be seen in the growing concern over hospital-acquired infections, the rise in the number of older adults, and the rise in disposable income. The majority of senior citizens respect receiving care in their homes. Thus it is anticipated that the homecare area will spark the development of the telehealth request. Also, the growing awareness of hospital-acquired contaminations restricts and discourages people from visiting hospitals, allowing them to receive care from the comfort of their homes. For more insights on the historical and Forecast market data from 2016 to 2032 - download a sample report at https://market.us/report/telehealth-market/request-sample/ Market Segmentation By Type Hardware Software Services By Application Telemedicine Patient monitoring Continuous Medical Education By End-User Hospitals and clinics Home care Diagnostic centers Other End-Users By Geography North America The US Canada Mexico Western Europe Germany France The UK Spain Italy Portugal Ireland Austria Switzerland Benelux Nordic Rest of Western Europe Eastern Europe Russia Poland The Czech Republic Greece Rest of Eastern Europe APAC China Japan South Korea India Australia & New Zealand Indonesia Malaysia Philippines Singapore Thailand Vietnam Rest of APAC Latin America Brazil Colombia Chile Argentina Costa Rica Rest of Latin America Middle East & Africa Algeria Egypt Israel Kuwait Nigeria Saudi Arabia South Africa Turkey United Arab Emirates Rest of MEA Competitive Landscape The competitive landscape of the market has also been examined in this report. Some of the major players include- Teladoc Health, Inc. American Well MDLive, Inc. OpenTeleHealth Grand Rounds, Inc. Dictum Health, Inc. AirStrip Technologies INTeleICU Masimo Other Key players Recent Development of the Telehealth Market In February 2021, Philips purchased BioTelemetry Inc., a major US remote cardiac diagnosis and monitoring service supplier. In May 2020, The Dedalus Group announced that it had agreed to buy the healthcare software solutions segment of DXC Technologies. Browse More Related Reports: About Us: Market.US (Powered by Prudour Pvt Ltd) specializes in in-depth market research and analysis and has been proving its mettle as a consulting and customized market research company, apart from being a much sought-after syndicated market research report-providing firm. Market.US provides customization to suit any specific or unique requirement and tailor-makes reports as per request. We go beyond boundaries to take analytics, analysis, study, and outlook to newer heights and broader horizons. Follow Us on LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter Our Blog: CONTACT: Global Business Development Teams Market.us Market.us (Powered By Prudour Pvt. Ltd.) Email: inquiry@market.us Address: 420 Lexington Avenue, Suite 300, New York City, NY 10170, United States Tel: +1 718 618 4351 Website: https://market.us Tenaris SA LUXEMBOURG, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tenaris S.A. (NYSE and Mexico: TS and EXM Italy: TEN) announced today that its Brazilian subsidiary Confab Industrial S.A., together with its affiliates Ternium Investments and Ternium Argentina, all of which compose the T/T group within Usiminas control group, have entered into a share purchase agreement to acquire from Nippon Steel Corporation, Mitsubishi and MetalOne (the NSC group), pro rata to their current participations in the T/T group, 68.7 million ordinary shares of Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais S.A. USIMINAS (Usiminas) at a price of BRL10 per ordinary share. Pursuant to the transaction, Tenaris would pay BRL 110 million (approximately USD21 million) in cash for 11.0 million ordinary shares, increasing its participation in the Usiminas control group to 9.8%. The transaction is subject to approval by Brazils antitrust authorities and will be financed with cash on hand. The Usiminas control group holds the majority of Usiminas voting rights and manages the company based on mutual trust. Upon the closing of this transaction, the T/T group will hold an aggregate participation of 61.3% in the control group, with the NSC group and Previdencia Usiminas (Usiminas employees pension fund) holding 31.7% and 7.1%, respectively. The Usiminas control group members have also agreed a new governance structure in the best interest of Usiminas. The T/T group will nominate a majority of the Usiminas board of directors, the CEO and four other members of Usiminas board of officers, and ordinary decisions may be approved with a 55% majority of the control group shares. At any time after the second anniversary of the closing of the transaction, the T/T group will have the right to buy the NSC groups remaining interest in the Usiminas control group (153.1 million ordinary shares) at the higher of BRL10 per share and the 40-trading day average price per share immediately prior to the date of exercising the option. In addition, the NSC group will have the right, at any time after the closing of the transaction, to withdraw its remaining shares from the control group and sell them in the open market after giving the T/T group the opportunity to buy them at the 40-trading day average price per share immediately prior to the NSC groups notice of withdrawal, as well as the right, at any time after the second anniversary of the closing, to sell such shares to the T/T group at BRL10 per share. Story continues Some of the statements contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on managements current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by those statements. Tenaris is a leading global supplier of steel tubes and related services for the worlds energy industry and certain other industrial applications. Giovanni Sardagna Tenaris 1-888-300-5432 www.tenaris.com DUBLIN, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Thailand Social Commerce Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics Databook - 50+ KPIs on Social Commerce Trends by End-Use Sectors, Operational KPIs, Retail Product Dynamics, and Consumer Demographics - Q1 2023 Update" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Research and Markets Logo Social commerce industry in Thailand is expected to grow by 39.3% on annual basis to reach US$1915.0 million in 2023. The social commerce industry is expected to grow steadily over the forecast period, recording a CAGR of 22.6% during 2022-2028. The social commerce GMV in the country will increase from US$1915.0 million in 2023 to reach US$6493.0 million by 2028. This report provides a detailed data centric analysis of social commerce industry, covering market opportunities and risks. With over 50+ KPIs at country level, this report provides a comprehensive understanding of social commerce market dynamics, market size and forecast, and market share statistics. The research methodology is based on industry best practices. Its unbiased analysis leverages a proprietary analytics platform to offer a detailed view on emerging business and investment market opportunities. Reasons to buy In-depth Understanding of Social Commerce Market Dynamics: Understand market opportunities and key trends along with forecast (2019-2028). Insights into Opportunity by end-use sectors - Get market dynamics by end-use sectors to assess emerging opportunity across various end-use sectors. Develop Market Specific Strategies: Identify growth segments and target specific opportunities to formulate social commerce strategy; assess market specific key trends, drivers, and risks in the industry. Scope Thailand Ecommerce Industry Market Size and Future Growth Dynamics by Key Performance Indicators, 2019-2028 Thailand Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Future Growth Dynamics by Key Performance Indicators, 2019-2028 Thailand Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Retail Product Categories, 2019-2028 Clothing & Footwear Beauty and Personal Care Food & Grocery Appliances and Electronics Home Improvement Travel Hospitality Story continues Thailand Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by End Use Segment, 2019-2028 B2B B2C C2C Thailand Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by End Use Device, 2019-2028 Mobile Desktop Thailand Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Location, 2019-2028 Domestic Cross Border Thailand Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Location, 2019-2028 Tier-1 Cities Tier-2 Cities Tier-3 Cities Thailand Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Payment Method, 2019-2028 Credit Card Debit Card Bank Transfer Prepaid Card Digital & Mobile Wallet Other Digital Payment Cash Thailand Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Platforms Video Commerce Social Network-Led Commerce Social Reselling Group Buying Product Review Platforms Thailand Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Consumer Demographics & Behaviour,2022 By Age By Income Level By Gender For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/2tfh1y About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/thailand-social-commerce-market-databook-2023-a-6-493-billion-market-by-2028---50-kpis-on-end-use-sectors-operational-kpis-retail-product-dynamics-and-consumer-demographics-301785759.html SOURCE Research and Markets Third Company Created by M:M Bio and Jointly Incubated by Canaan Partners has Raised $20 Million to Date Pioneering a New Precision Medicine Approach to Gastrointestinal Diseases and Cancers through Targeted Inhibition of GPR35 with First-in-Class Small Molecules AACR Presentation to Highlight Preclinical Data Validating GPR35 as Novel Cancer Target and Describing Discovery of Potent, Selective GPR35 Inhibitors OXFORD, United Kingdom, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ThirtyFiveBio Limited, a biotechnology company developing first-in-class small molecule inhibitors of G protein-coupled receptor 35 (GPR35) for the treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) disease, today emerged from stealth and announced that it will present the first data from its GPR35 antagonist program at the upcoming American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2023. The presentation will include a suite of preclinical data highlighting the biological role of GPR35 in GI disease and cancers, outlining the hypothesis that GPR35 activity has the potential to drive pro-oncogenic growth biology in digestive tract cancers, and spotlighting the company's discovery of potent GPR35 inhibitors that demonstrate the ability to prevent GPR35 signaling and tumour growth in a patient-derived cancer model. The AACR conference is being held April 14-19, 2023, in Orlando, Florida. ThirtyFiveBio logo ThirtyFiveBio, which has raised $20 million in seed financing to date, was created in 2021 by M:M Bio Limited (M:M Bio) in partnership with Canaan Partners. The company was formed to advance foundational research on the biology of GPR35 and the role that the target plays in a range of GI diseases, including cancers of the digestive tract. In less than two years since its founding, ThirtyFiveBio has built a fully enabled drug discovery platform and is advancing multiple unique families of first-in-class small-molecule inhibitors of GPR35 through lead optimization activities. "We are excited to unveil ThirtyFiveBio, the third innovative biotechnology company that we have created in collaboration with Canaan Partners, a group with who we share the goal of supporting efficient development of first-in-class medicines with clear benefit to patients and payers," said Tom McCarthy, Ph.D., chairman of M:M Bio and co-founder and executive chair of ThirtyFiveBio. "ThirtyFiveBio has the key elements that we look for when starting a company, namely thought leadership on the biology of a genetically validated target in an area of high unmet clinical need, paired with the drug discovery know-how required for the creation of first-in-class small molecules. As with Grey Wolf Therapeutics and Pathios Therapeutics, our other ecosystem companies, ThirtyFiveBio benefits from M:M Bio's hubs of excellence, which span a wide range of drug discovery and development services, as well as complete and agile operational support." Story continues The role of GPR35 in GI diseases is genetically validated with several drug developers advancing programs designed to address the target. To date, virtually all these efforts have been focused on increasing the activity of GPR35 with targeted agonists. However, important recent scientific findings, including key insights from the ThirtyFiveBio team, support the hypothesis that GPR35 antagonism may represent a more appropriate therapeutic approach by blocking unwanted GPR35 signaling. Based on this evolved scientific perspective, supported by the company's work with several world-leading, academic GPR35 specialists, ThirtyFiveBio is uniquely pursuing antagonism of the target with first-in-class small molecule GPR35 inhibitors. Supporting the company's focus on GPR35 inhibition is a collection of pre-clinical data generated by its scientists that highlights the association between GPR35 mutations and GI diseases. This includes research showing that GPR35 variants are linked to irritable bowel disease, and that GPR35 expression is upregulated in GI cancers. The company has also shown that pathogenic mutations of GPR35 drive its increased expression and function. Furthermore, study results have demonstrated that commonly dysregulated GI-cancer genes can be reversed by knocking out GPR35 in cancer cells. Taken together, these findings provide compelling evidence that hyperactive genetic mutations within GPR35 contribute to a range of GI disease processes, and that inhibiting GPR35 activity may have therapeutic utility in these diseases. "Our evolving understanding of GPR35 biology and its relevance to GI diseases has guided our unique focus on target antagonism and positioned the company with the unique opportunity to discover and advance multiple families of first-in-class small molecule inhibitors," said James Westcott, Ph.D., chief executive officer of ThirtyFiveBio. "We're excited to unveil the first data from our GPR35 inhibition program, which will spotlight the extensive work our scientists and bioinformaticians have undertaken illuminating the way GPR35 impacts digestive tract cancers, how these findings support our rationale of pursuing GPR35 inhibition as a potential anti-tumour therapy, and our identification of various novel GPR35 antagonists suitable for advancement." The AACR presentation (#454/18), entitled "Validation of GPR35 as a Novel Cancer Target in Digestive Tract Cancers and Discovery of Potent, Selective GPR35 Inverse Agonists," will take place on Sunday, April 16, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. Eastern in the "New Drug Targets" poster session (PO.ET02.08) located in Section 16 within the Orange County Convention Center. The abstract for the poster presentation can be found here: https://www.abstractsonline.com/pp8/#!/10828/presentation/2492 About M:M Bio M:M Bio Limited is a U.K.-based biotechnology hub that is leveraging its unique ecosystem to build enduring, commercially orientated drug discovery and development companies. The group's model involves assessing and identifying compelling biological targets and then assembling purpose-built teams of scientists, managers and investors to discover and develop therapeutics that address those targets efficiently and effectively. Supporting these efforts are M:M's hubs of excellence, which span a wide range of agile business services, designed to support emerging biotechnology companies from ideation through to the clinic and/or transaction, including research and development, bioinformatics, project management, commercial, operations, finance and personnel. To date, M:M Bio has played a key role in the founding, incubation and management of three biotechnology companies: Grey Wolf Therapeutics, Pathios Therapeutics, and ThirtyFiveBio. For more information, please visit: www.m2m.bio. About ThirtyFiveBio ThirtyFiveBio Limited is a biotechnology company developing first-in-class small molecule inhibitors of G protein-coupled receptor 35 (GPR35) for the treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) disease. The company has built scientific thought leadership in the biology of GPR35 and the role that it plays in GI disease, including digestive tract cancers. ThirtyFiveBio has leveraged its fully enabled drug discovery platform to identify multiple unique families of first-in-class small-molecule GPR35 inhibitors that it is advancing through lead optimization activities. Created by M:M Bio and Canaan Partners, the company has raised $20 million in seed financing to date. ThirtyFiveBio is headquartered at the Innovation Centre on Milton Park, a key science precinct south of Oxford, UK. For more information, please visit: www.30fivebio.com Contacts: ThirtyFiveBio James Westcott Chief Executive Officer P: +44 (0)1235 644980 enquiries@30fivebio.com Vida Strategic Partners (on behalf of ThirtyFiveBio) Tim Brons (Media) 415-675-7402 tbrons@vidasp.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/thirtyfivebio-emerges-from-stealth-with-presentation-of-first-data-from-gpr35-antagonist-program-at-american-association-for-cancer-research-aacr-annual-meeting-2023-301785308.html SOURCE ThirtyFiveBio Low-cost index funds make it easy to achieve average market returns. But across the board there are plenty of stocks that underperform the market. Unfortunately for shareholders, while the Forestar Group Inc. (NYSE:FOR) share price is up 53% in the last three years, that falls short of the market return. Zooming in, the stock is actually down 17% in the last year. With that in mind, it's worth seeing if the company's underlying fundamentals have been the driver of long term performance, or if there are some discrepancies. View our latest analysis for Forestar Group In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS). Forestar Group was able to grow its EPS at 44% per year over three years, sending the share price higher. This EPS growth is higher than the 15% average annual increase in the share price. So it seems investors have become more cautious about the company, over time. We'd venture the lowish P/E ratio of 4.62 also reflects the negative sentiment around the stock. The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image). We like that insiders have been buying shares in the last twelve months. Having said that, most people consider earnings and revenue growth trends to be a more meaningful guide to the business. Dive deeper into the earnings by checking this interactive graph of Forestar Group's earnings, revenue and cash flow. A Different Perspective While the broader market lost about 12% in the twelve months, Forestar Group shareholders did even worse, losing 17%. Having said that, it's inevitable that some stocks will be oversold in a falling market. The key is to keep your eyes on the fundamental developments. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 6% over the last half decade. Generally speaking long term share price weakness can be a bad sign, though contrarian investors might want to research the stock in hope of a turnaround. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Forestar Group you should know about. Story continues Forestar Group is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on American exchanges. 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Tells Canadians to embrace Ethical Media Supply Chain TORONTO, March 30, 2023 /CNW/ - Imagine a world without trusted journalism! Torstar Logo (CNW Group/Torstar Corporation) That's the message that Jordan Bitove, publisher of the Toronto Star and owner of Torstar Corporation, delivered today in a speech in which he urged advertisers and the federal governments to embrace an Ethical Media Supply Chain, which supports Canadian-owned and operated and trusted news outlets. "An Ethical Media Supply Chain prioritizes keeping money in Canada, it prioritizes media integrity, keeping every dollar in Canada to counter the rise of disinformation and to support and strengthen local journalism," Bitove said in a speech to the Canadian Club Toronto. While the pandemic emphasized the need for reliable, quality news and opinion, the last few years have difficult for journalism in Canada, Bitove said. Across Canada, more than 3,000 editorial and non-editorial news jobs have been lost since 2020. In just the last two years some 53 media outlets have closed. What this means is that Canadians are experiencing significant gaps in local information and accountability. That's why it is important for advertisers of all sizes, including the federal government, to increase their support for trusted news organizations throughout the country, Bitove said. These news outlets play a vital role in defending democracy and informing communities across the country, he added. Critically, more than 80 per cent of the current advertising spend in Canada is going to tech giants money that's leaving the country, he noted. Bitove provided examples of how declining advertising impacts the Toronto Star and other Torstar new outlets. First, one of Canada's leading institutions spent $50 million in advertising in 2022. The Star's share? Just $6,800 or 0.013%. The client isn't alone. There are dozens of big companies and hundreds of smaller businesses that just don't invest in Canadian media, Bitove said. Story continues Second, the federal government spent $140 million in advertising in 2022. Torstar's share? Less than $400,000 or 0.27%. "This has made it increasingly difficult for us to produce the reliable, quality news and opinion that is so critical in defending democracy and informing our communities," Bitove stressed. For advertisers, Bitove said organizations should ask themselves what percentage of their media spend goes to supporting Canadian-owned and operated media. "If it's 20 per cent, it's not enough," he said. For governments, Bitove said he appreciates new federal legislation aimed at providing limited help, but added that "it's not enough to actually grow the media industry in Canada." "You can absolutely play a part in this with us," he said. "Promote and invest in the ethical media supply chain, subscribe to local news and talk to everyone you know about what's at risk." Such action is needed because the issue "goes to the heart of saving our industry and our democracy," Bitove said. About Torstar Corporation Torstar is a holding company involved primarily in news and media businesses. The Torstar group includes the Toronto Star and numerous other city and community news organizations. Other investments include Canadian Press and Metroland Parcel Services. Jordan Bitove is available for interviews. SOURCE Torstar Corporation Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2023/30/c9302.html A Toyota Logo is seen at a Toyota dealership in Zaventem TOKYO (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp said on Thursday that global sales hit a record for the month of February as it bounced back from severe pandemic-induced parts shortages, adding that worldwide production also increased for a second straight month. Japan's biggest automaker said in a statement, however, that shortages of parts continue to be a problem. During the pandemic, it fared better than most car makers in managing supply chains, but even so ended up cutting monthly production targets repeatedly last year. Last month, its global sales jumped 10.3% to 773,271 vehicles, driven by a blistering 53.2% climb in domestic sales. That compares with a particularly weak February last year when sales sharply declined due to a lack of semiconductors. It said worldwide production of Toyota-branded vehicles rose 2% to 755,839, slightly ahead of its goal of 750,000. The increase comes after an 8.8% jump in January. Domestic production continued to show a strong recovery, climbing 11.2% in February after a 30.1% surge in January. (Reporting by Satoshi Sugiyama; Editing by Edwina Gibbs) SkyQuest Technology Consulting Pvt. Ltd. SkyQuest's Remote Patient Monitoring market report is excellent information for individuals interested in gaining insight into the valuable data, trends, and opportunities in a rapidly growing industry. Additionally, the report is written clearly and concisely, making it accessible to various audiences, from industry experts to market readers. Finally, one can gain an in-depth understanding of the primary and secondary market drivers, providing them with a comprehensive outlook of the current market situation and future projections. Westford USA, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to SkyQuest research analysis, the remote patient monitoring market is set to exceed USD 157.9 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of over 19.2% between 2022 and 2030. The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that the global population of those aged 60 years and older will increase from 900 million in 2015 to approximately 2 billion by 2050, thereby leading to an increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases and the aging population. As a result, the demand for remote patient monitoring technology is expected to increase significantly in the coming years, driven by technological advancements and healthcare providers' cost-effectiveness needs. The global patient-centered care market is expected to reach $16.4 billion by 2025, primarily driven by the need to improve patient outcomes, patient-centered care, and other factors, as stated in the SkyQuest report. Furthermore, adopting remote patient monitoring systems is likely to result in lower hospital admissions, with research indicating a 20% decrease, leading to an annual cost saving of $6,000 per patient. Browse in-depth TOC on "Remote Patient Monitoring Market" Pages - 157 Tables - 96 Figures - 77 The significance of remote patient monitoring is on the rise as it allows healthcare providers to monitor patients outside the traditional healthcare settings. It brings about cost-effectiveness for both patients and providers, decreases hospital admissions, encourages timely intervention, and facilitates patient-centric care. Furthermore, the emergence of cutting-edge technologies like wearable devices and AI integration is expected to enhance the role of remote patient monitoring in healthcare delivery in the future. Story continues Prominent Players in Remote Patient Monitoring Market Philips Healthcare Abbott Laboratories Medtronic Omron Healthcare BioTelemetry Boston Scientific Masimo Nihon Kohden GE Healthcare Honeywell Life Care Solutions Welch Allyn Smiths Medical ResMed Garmin Health iRhythm Technologies Teladoc Health AliveCor Kinsa Health Nonin Medical VivaLNK Get a sample copy of this report: https://www.skyquestt.com/sample-request/remote-patient-monitoring-market Chronic Disease Management Application Segment to Drive Higher Sales as there is the Growing prevalence of Chronic Disease, Cost-Saving for Healthcare Providers A recent analysis revealed that the Chronic Disease Management Application segment played a significant role in the rapid growth of the Remote Patient Monitoring market in 2021. This trend is expected to continue from 2022 to 2030, driven by the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, cost savings for healthcare providers, improved patient outcomes, advancements in technology, and the expansion of telehealth. According to the World Health Organization, chronic diseases account for 71% of all deaths globally, and the growing number of chronic diseases can result in increased hospital readmissions. However, a study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research found that remote patient monitoring can lead to a 30% reduction in hospital readmissions for patients with chronic heart failure. According to research analysis, the North American region is expected to become a dominant player in the Remote Patient Monitoring market from 2022 to 2030. SkyQuest projects that the region will grow at a CAGR of 17.95% during the forecast period, driven by major players, a favorable regulatory environment, an increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, and growing demand for patient-centric technological advancements. Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for 1 in 4 deaths, according to the American Heart Association. Adopting remote patient monitoring can play a crucial role in managing these chronic diseases, thus driving market growth in the region. Browse summary of the report and Complete Table of Contents (ToC): https://www.skyquestt.com/report/remote-patient-monitoring-market Wearable Devices Type Segment to Exhibit Strong Growth due to Rising Demand for Home Healthcare, Cost-Effectiveness The Remote Patient Monitoring market is seeing significant growth in the wearable devices type segment, which emerged as the dominant method in 2021 and is expected to continue leading the market from 2022 to 2030. This trend is driven by the increasing demand for home healthcare and cost-effectiveness, which enhances patients' operational efficiency and safety. According to SkyQuest, the wearable devices market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 15.5% during the forecast period due to advancements in wearable technology. The Asia Pacific region is also a significant force in the Remote Patient Monitoring market and is expected to maintain its leading position by 2030. SkyQuest forecasts substantial growth for the region, with a projected CAGR of 19.4% during the forecast period. This expansion is attributed to the growing aging population, increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, favorable government initiatives, technological advancements, and increasing adoption of telemedicine in the region. According to a report by the International Diabetes Federation, the Asia Pacific region has the highest number of people with diabetes globally. Remote patient monitoring can help manage these chronic diseases, driving the market's growth in the region. A comprehensive analysis of the major players in the Remote Patient Monitoring market has been recently conducted in a report. The report encompasses various aspects, including collaborations, mergers, innovative business policies, and strategies, providing valuable insights into key trends and breakthroughs in the market. Furthermore, the report scrutinizes the market share of the top segments and presents a detailed geographic analysis. Lastly, the report highlights the major players in the industry and their endeavors to develop innovative solutions to cater to the growing demand. Speak to Analyst for your custom requirements: https://www.skyquestt.com/speak-with-analyst/remote-patient-monitoring-market Key Developments in Remote Patient Monitoring Market Carbon Health, a prominent healthcare provider in the US, has acquired Alertive Healthcare, a top remote patient monitoring (RPM) company. This acquisition enhances Carbon Health's strategy of providing comprehensive care through various channels, broadens its ability to offer care at home, and expands its range of remote patient care services. Aero 3, Inc., the parent company of AeroRepair, has acquired Aircrafters, Inc. in a deal announced by GenNx360 Capital Partners. Based in New Castle, Delaware, Aircrafters is a significant supplier of wheel and brake parts for the aviation industry. The company's services include the aftermarket distribution of Collins wheel and brake parts and an extensive parts inventory, and exchange asset pools catering to multiple global operators. Key Questions Answered in Remote Patient Monitoring Market Report What specific growth drivers are projected to impact the market during the forecast period? Can you list the top companies in the market and explain how they have achieved their positions of influence? In what ways do regional trends and patterns differ within the global market, and how might these differences shape the market's future growth? Related Reports in SkyQuests Library: Global Healthcare Data Interchange (EDI) Market Global E-Prescription Market Global Next-Generation Sequencing Services Market Global Smart Pills Technology Market Global Cancer Immunotherapy Market About Us: SkyQuest Technology is leading growth consulting firm providing market intelligence, commercialization and technology services. It has 450+ happy clients globally. Address: 1 Apache Way, Westford, Massachusetts 01886 Phone: USA (+1) 617-230-0741 Email: sales@skyquestt.com LinkedIn Facebook Twitter treasury The Treasury has been criticised for underpaying tech staff after advertising for a head of cyber security on a starting salary of just 50,000. Ciaran Martin, founder of the National Cyber Security Centre, a division of GCHQ, said the Government needed to have a grown up conversation about salaries after the senior tech vacancy was mocked on social media. The posting for the head of cyber security role at the Treasury offered a salary of between 50,550 and 57,500, which is far below industry norms. A Twitter user compared the Treasury role with an identical one at "a trading company no-one has ever heard of", which offered a starting salary of 450,000. The position involves responsibility for protecting one of the Government's most sensitive departments and carries the same level of responsibility as a major general in the British Army, according to official guidance. A major generals salary starts from 120,000. cyber security job salary - Twitter Mr Martin said: "We need a grown up conversation about this. Why do deeply expert technical people work for the Singaporean government? Because it pays them really well. Mid-ranking civil servants are paid an average of 55,720 in Singapore, compared with 30,110 in the UK. Mr Martin added: There are loads of things, especially but not only confined to tech, where the Government needs specialist skills. "It's something Dominic Cummings was big on and right about... unless [government] makes exemptions, it's stuck with civil service pay scales." Mr Martin was GCHQ's head of cyber security before setting up the NCSC in 2016. He said: This is a difficult choice for a society to make. The Treasury will - rightly - argue that it's the thin end of the wedge. Tom Lysemose Hansen, co-founder of Norwegian cyber security company Promon, said: If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys. Comparative jobs in the private sector are paying five to seven times this salary; and frankly, this gives the impression that the British government isn't taking its cybersecurity seriously." Story continues The Treasurys advertisement described the job as "an exciting and meaningful opportunity to work on cyber security at the heart of Government in a time of momentous change". Figures from jobs board Indeed suggested that the salary for a director of information security averaged 80,000. An HM Treasury spokesman said: Pay must be affordable and fair so that it delivers value for the taxpayer while recognising the importance of talent. The wider remuneration package for this role contains a generous public sector pension entitlement, a substantial potential allowance and access to other benefits. Uber Health The new platform capabilities enable health systems to give patients seamless and direct access to their prescriptions, closing the loop on the patient journey SAN FRANCISCO, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Uber Health , Ubers healthcare arm, today announced same-day prescription delivery on its HIPAA-supported, centralized platform. For the first time, those using Uber Healthincluding healthcare providers and health planswill be able to manage prescription delivery from any pharmacy in their service area through the same platform they already use to coordinate transportation for patients. This launch enables providers to offer a full suite of care solutions that extend beyond the four walls of a clinic and is designed to improve patient experiences and health outcomes. Todays news furthers Uber Healths mission to optimize how patients access care. The platform allows connectivity to the key services providers require to address patient needs including prescription delivery, stress-free rides, and soon, the delivery of healthy food and over-the-counter medicine for those who need it mostincluding Medicare Advantage and Medicaid beneficiaries. When Uber Health launched in 2018, the business focused primarily on streamlining non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) options, enabling patient populationsespecially underserved and vulnerable communitiesto get to and from medical appointments. While transportation is an important social determinant of health, its only one piece of the patient care puzzle. For example, a patient discharged from a hospital regularly requires a ride home and to follow-up appointments, as well as new prescriptions. Launching prescription delivery powered by ScriptDrop on the Uber Health platform ensures organizations can fulfill their duty of care obligations to patients by arranging direct, same-day delivery of their prescriptions while tracking when they arrive, enabling them to fully close the loop. Story continues The tracking of care delivery across multiple disciplines promises a paradigm shift in an industry where providers and health plans could lose sight of patients outside of a providers office. Imagine a patient with a chronic kidney disease diagnosis who regularly needs transportation to specialist appointments that result in prescription changes of critical medications. Rather than burdening the patient with homework, Uber Health furthers the patient care team's ability to arrange these services directly and track that they occurred. Uber Health facilitates critical touchpoints that enable payers and providers to provide maximum quality care at minimum cost. At Uber Health, we are building solutions that address lessons weve learned from years at healthcare companies operating in value-based care contracts. Too much time has been spent ensuring patients had a ride to their follow-up appointment, had picked up the right prescriptions, or had access to food, said Caitlin Donovan, Global Head of Uber Health. Thats why Im proud to add a scalable prescription delivery solution to our platform that empowers care teams to fully close the loop. From prescription delivery and NEMT today to healthy food and grocery delivery in the coming months, Uber Health remains committed to delivering a more connected care journey through a single, seamless platform. Powered by an integration with ScriptDrop, prescription deliveries can be facilitated through any pharmacy registered with the NCPDP within delivery coverage areas. Importantly, Uber Health allows for access to delivery coverage areas that include pharmacies dispensing medications covered by the 340B program, helping health plans and providers reach low-income and uninsured patients. We are excited to expand our preexisting Uber relationship and work alongside the innovative healthcare arm of Uber Health, said Amanda Epp, ScriptDrop CEO. Our two companies both strive to make healthcare more accessible to patients, no matter where they live. For that reason, we believed it was important to share our network with Uber Health and increase our collective impact. Patient Engagement Advisors, whose technology platform improves care navigation in health systems and at a population health level, has enhanced its services by integrating with Uber Health's comprehensive platform. At Patient Engagement Advisors, we recognize that each patient has specific needs and unique requirements spanning follow-up appointments and referrals, medications, nutrition, and a number of social determinants of health topics such as affordability and transportation, said Jeff Moreland, Patient Engagement Advisors CEO. Uber Health is a strategic component of our global integration strategy, consolidating logistics delivery and community resources into one unified approach. We are thrilled to integrate new tools into our IT stack and workflows, allowing our onsite and remote teams to further automate scheduled rides and medication delivery. To learn more about Uber Health, click here . About Uber Health Since 2018, Uber Healths HIPAA-supported solution has become the logistics platform of choice for healthcare organizations focused on population health management. From non-emergency medical transportation, nutritious meals to prescription delivery, Uber Health helps connect millions to the care they need. Over 3,000 healthcare customers like Boston Medical Center and ModivCare trust Uber Health to provide access to stress-free transportation. By tapping into Ubers logistics expertise, Uber Healths API and dashboard are able to facilitate everything from mobility solutions to critical deliveries, streamlining population health management and supporting better patient outcomes. For more information, visit uberhealth.com. Uber Health Media Contact press@uber.com About ScriptDrop ScriptDrop is the only healthcare IT company specializing in prescription access that serves patients in all 50 states. Since 2016, ScriptDrop has worked alongside their healthcare partners to deliver medication access opportunities to patients from coast to coast through technology, empathy, and healthcare expertise. Through a robust platform, long-term data storage, multiple service levels, and first-class customer service, ScriptDrop is driving down rates of hospital readmission and improving drug adherence. For more information, go to scriptdrop.co or follow @ScriptDrop on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram. ScriptDrop Media Contact Jessica Behrendsen, Vice President of Marketing and Communications jessi@scriptdrop.co NewEdge Wealth continues to attract top advisors to service the firms ultra high net worth clients STAMFORD, Conn., March 30, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NewEdge Wealth, LLC, a registered investment adviser specializing in servicing the needs of ultra high net worth families, family offices, and institutional clients, is pleased to welcome Aaron Zises as Principal. As the newest member of the NewEdge Wealth team, Mr. Zises will continue to work with ultra high net worth individuals and families on identifying innovative ways to manage the complex demands of their wealth, including asset diversification and investment strategies, wealth strategy planning, tax and estate planning tactics, and legacy planning. He is based out of the firms headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut. Mr. Zises earned a J.D. from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and a B.S.B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis. He began his career as a hedge fund attorney at Schulte Roth & Zabel where he advised hedge fund and private equity fund sponsors on all aspects of their operations including fund structuring, tax matters, and compliance. He then transitioned to advising ultra high net worth clients, working as a Vice President at Family Management Corporation and a Private Wealth Advisor at U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management. Most recently, Mr. Zises served as a Senior Director at Hightower Advisors. Mr. Zises is a Trustee and member of the Investment Committee of the Jewish Communal Fund and a past member of the Board of Directors of UJA Federation of New York, where he currently serves on the Presidents Advisory Council. Previously, he was a member of UJAs Executive Committee and chaired the Young Leaders Division for many years. "We are excited to welcome an advisor of Aarons caliber to NewEdge Wealth," said Rob Sechan, CEO and Co-Founder of NewEdge Wealth. "His charitable efforts and experience will greatly benefit our clients who are also interested in philanthropy. With Aarons strong background, we expect him to have a significant impact at NewEdge." Story continues "Assisting clients with their wealth goals has always been a passion of mine," said Mr. Zises. "I am honored to join NewEdge Wealth and their lineup of client-centric advisors. I look forward to bringing my clients a fresh perspective on the investment strategies and level of service a firm like NewEdge can offer." About NewEdge Wealth NewEdge Wealth is a division of NewEdge Capital Group, LLC. NewEdge Capital Group services over $32 billion in client assets across multiple business lines and supports over 300 financial advisors servicing several thousand households, family offices and institutions comprising more than 75,000 client accounts. New Edge Capital Group, LLC, a Barrons Top 100 RIA Firm and Forbes Americas Top RIA Firm*, is the wealth management business unit of EdgeCo Holdings LP, which has over 700 employees and services in excess of $150 billion in wealth and retirement assets. NewEdge Wealth is designed to meet the needs of ultra high net worth, family office and institutional clients. The division seeks to provide a select group of clients with a personalized level of service and attention designed to help organize and simplify their lives, while also providing access to an expansive menu of institutional caliber products and services all wrapped in technology that serves as the connective tissue between the client and their advisor to create a stronger, more personal relationship. Investment advisory services offered through NewEdge Wealth, LLC, a registered investment adviser. Securities offered through NewEdge Securities, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC. NewEdge and its affiliates do not render advice on legal, tax and/or tax accounting matters to clients. Each client should consult his/her personal tax and/or legal advisor to learn about any potential tax or other implications that may result from acting on a particular recommendation. For more information, visit www.newedgewealth.com. *Barrons rankings awarded in September 2022 based on prior 12-month data. Forbes/Shook rankings awarded in October 2022 based on June 30, 2022 data. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005183/en/ Contacts Christopher Broussard Chief Marketing Officer 800-693-7800 x271 FILE PHOTO: Mobile memory chips made by chipmaker SK Hynix are seen in this picture illustration By Joyce Lee and Ben Blanchard SEOUL/TAIPEI (Reuters) - The criteria for new U.S. semiconductor subsidies is worrying companies such as Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and SK Hynix Inc, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Thursday, a concern shared by the world's leading contract chipmaker in Taiwan. Conditions include sharing excess profit with the U.S. government, and three industry sources said the application process itself could expose confidential corporate strategy. Yoon met with United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai in Seoul, and asked the U.S. government to consider companies' concern over an "excessive level of information provision", the presidential office said. Subsidies would come from a $52 billion pool of research and manufacturing funds earmarked under the United States' so-called CHIPS Act, for which the Commerce Department announced guides and templates this month. SK Hynix parent SK Group plans to invest $15 billion in the U.S. chip sector, including to build an advanced chip packaging factory, and has said it is considering applying for funding. Samsung is building a chip plant in Texas that could cost more than $25 billion and has said it is reviewing the guidelines. However, funding applications may require detailed cost structure information as well as projected wafer yields, utilisation rates and price changes, which three Korean chip sources told Reuters was akin to revealing corporate strategy. "All of this is confidential information. The most important thing in chips is cost structure. Experts will be able to tell our strategy at a glance," said one of the sources, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. Speaking at an industry event in Taiwan, the chairman of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC), the world's largest contract chipmaker, said it had concerns too. "We are still discussing with them. There are some conditions that cannot be accepted. We hope that they can be adjusted so there will be no negative effect. We will continue to talk to the U.S. government," Mark Liu told reporters. Story continues TSMC is investing $40 billion in a new plant in Arizona. The U.S. Department of Commerce will protect confidential business information and expects that the requirement to share excess profit will only occur where projects significantly exceed projected cash flow, a Department of Commerce official said, citing its notice for the funding. It will accept subsidy applications for leading-edge chip facilities from March 31, and for current-generation, mature-node and back-end production facilities from June 26. Also on Thursday, South Korea's parliament approved a bill offering large tax breaks to strategic industries - including the semiconductor industry - which invest at home, to strengthen supply-chain security while boosting the economy. The approval comes in the same month the government announced a 550 trillion won ($424 billion) private-sector investment plan to maintain the competitiveness of high-tech industries while other countries are actively bolstering theirs. ($1 = 1,297.8800 won) (Reporting by Joyce Lee and Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by Heekyong Yang in Seoul; Editing by Christopher Cushing, Jacqueline Wong, Elaine Hardcastle) Lendscape chosen to provide invoice financing for underserved SME finance market SINGAPORE, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Finastra has today announced that it has been chosen by Vemanti Group to help build Southeast Asia's first SME-focused neobank. Initially focusing on Vietnam, Vemanti will use Finastra's next-generation core banking solution, Fusion Essence, as the platform for new products and services aimed at increasing financial inclusion in the underserved SME finance market. Vemanti has also tapped Finastra's partner ecosystem to select Lendscape's market-leading invoice finance and supply chain finance technology. Finastra Logo "SMEs across the region are being underserved by traditional finance, which generally lacks the ability or desire to accurately assess the creditworthiness of SMEs. These businesses struggle to meet collateral requirements that tend to be designed for large corporations, leaving many unable to access formal financial services," said Tan Tran, CEO, Vemanti. "Leveraging technology and creativity, we aim to solve these problems by offering innovative finance solutions. We have chosen to work with Finastra not just as a technology vendor, but to leverage their deep, broad experience in banking, as well as their significant footprint in the region. Finastra's open ecosystem approach has already brought Lendscape's leading technology to us and we look forward to expanding our offerings quickly with Finastra's partnership." Finastra's next-generation core banking solution, Fusion Essence, will provide the technology platform for Vemanti's business and technology team to build and expand on product offerings, as well as the advanced capability for Vemanti to launch a full digital bank at scale. "Vemanti's bold strategy aims to solve a clear market need and will connect the best of Vietnam to the world. Choosing a SaaS cloud platform from Finastra means Vemanti can concentrate on its business, customers and product innovation, whilst we take care of their technology," said John Guest, Managing Director, Universal Banking, APAC, Finastra. "We are also pleased to have this opportunity to demonstrate with Lendscape the enhanced value that technology partnerships can offer the global financial services sector." Story continues Using embedded advanced analytics and technology to improve credit decisioning and processing, Lendscape's solution will enable Vemanti to offer personalized SME finance that goes beyond traditional commercial loans, such as small unsecured, short-term loans and invoice finance solutions. "We are excited to participate in this opportunity to support Vemanti in its efforts to bring finance to SMEs in Vietnam," said Kevin Day, CEO at Lendscape. "SMEs are the lifeblood of all economies and offering providers in the region access to our specialist invoice and supply chain finance solutions will enable Vemanti to support digitalization and a better customer experience, unlocking the potential of these businesses." About Finastra Finastra is a global provider of financial software applications and marketplaces, and launched the leading open platform for innovation, FusionFabric.cloud, in 2017. It serves institutions of all sizes, providing award-winning software solutions and services across Lending, Payments, Treasury & Capital Markets and Universal Banking (Retail, Digital and Commercial Banking) for banks to support direct banking relationships and grow through indirect channels, such as embedded finance and Banking as a Service. Its pioneering approach and commitment to open finance and collaboration is why it is trusted by ~8,600 institutions, including 90 of the world's top 100 banks. For more information, visit finastra.com About Vemanti Vemanti Group, Inc. (OTCQB: VMNT) is a financial technology (fintech) company that seeks to establish a strong foothold in the emerging and high-growth markets of Southeast Asia through impact-driven financial services targeting the underserved. With Vietnam as the focal starting point, its goal is to be a valuable financial partner for the SMEs throughout Southeast Asia, helping their business become borderless and together shaping the region into a global economic powerhouse of growing supply chains and manufacturing. To learn more about Vemanti, visit vemanti.com. About Lendscape Lendscape is the world's leading technology provider for all forms of secured finance. With over 45 years of experience and in-depth industry understanding, our dynamic team has designed, developed and delivered secured lending technology to over 50 markets and some of the worlds' most prestigious banking and financial services providers. Lendscape supports a range of working capital and asset finance solutions such as factoring, invoice discounting, supply chain finance, asset-based lending as well as asset finance and many other forms of specialist finance. For more information, please visit www.lendscape.com. Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/vemanti-partners-with-finastra-to-build-first-sme-focused-neobank-in-southeast-asia-301783386.html SOURCE Finastra Data Bridge Market Research Data Bridge Market Research analyses that the veterinary-animal vaccines market, which was USD 10.69 billion in 2022, would rise to USD 18.23 billion by 2030 and is expected to undergo a CAGR of 6.9% during the forecast period from 2023 to 2030 HOUSTON, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The comprehensive industry research on " Veterinary-Animal Vaccines Market " published by Data Bridge Market research includes growth analysis, regional marketing, challenges, opportunities, and drivers analyzed in the report. A top-notch Veterinary-Animal Vaccines Market report has an evaluation of the factors influencing the supply and demand of the related products and services, and challenges reckoned by market players. Veterinary-Animal Vaccines report helps put together well-informed decisions such as determining the feasibility of launching a new product before dedicating time and budget to the new venture. An excellent market survey report helps to enlighten marketing activities including understanding the requirements of the target audience and helping to understand what key messages to convey and how to convey them. With market research studies businesses can always be learning about the business environment, customers, and their needs and preferences. Data Bridge Market Research analyses that the veterinary-animal vaccines market, which was USD 10.69 billion in 2022, would rise to USD 18.23 billion by 2030 and is expected to undergo a CAGR of 6.9% during the forecast period from 2023 to 2030. In addition to the insights on market scenarios such as market value, growth rate, segmentation, geographical coverage, and major players, the market reports curated by the Data Bridge Market Research also include depth expert analysis, patient epidemiology, pipeline analysis, pricing analysis, and regulatory framework. Download an Exclusive PDF Sample of the Veterinary-Animal Vaccines Market @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/request-a-sample/?dbmr=global-veterinaryanimal-vaccines-market Story continues Veterinary-animal vaccines prevent several livestock diseases from spreading, protecting animal and human health. Food, milk, meat, protein, and other commercial items such as leather and wool derive from animals. Rabies vaccinations, foot and mouth disease vaccines, and equine influenza virus vaccines are among the most widely used veterinary vaccines, which prevent the transfer of infectious pathogens by simulating naturally acquired immunity. The growing cattle disease outbreaks and the increasing livestock population are major factors for the huge acceptance of ruminants, particularly cattle vaccines. The incidence of most livestock illnesses is partly because of veterinarians' lack of experience in diagnosing and reporting the condition. Concerning vaccine production is increasing rapidly. Opportunities Increasing Demand for Intranasal Administration The intranasal segment is expected to grow greatly due to its growing popularity. Mostly, intranasal vaccines are limited to a single dose of vaccine. The growing incidence of respiratory diseases in animals and research activities by major market players to develop better vaccines are anticipated to boost the market growth. Thus, this factor boosts market growth. Increasing Strategic Developments Associated with Veterinary-animal vaccines Various companies are continuously launching veterinary-animal vaccine products, creating many market growth opportunities. For instance, Ceva partnered with the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment (INRAE) for R&D to prevent several infectious diseases from animal origin and improve animal health in 2021. Furthermore, Zoetis launched the Poulvac Procerta HVT-IBD vaccine to protect poultry against Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD) in 2021. Thus, this factor serves as a major factor that increases market growth. Key players operating in the Global Veterinary-Animal Vaccines Market include: Bayer AG (Germany) Sanofi (France) Pfizer Inc. (U.S.) GSK plc (U.K.) Merck & Co., Inc. (U.S.) Ceva (France) Cargill, Incorporated (U.S.) Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH. (Germany) Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Japan) Zoetis (U.S.) Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC (U.K.) Hester Biosciences Limited. (India) Elanco (U.S.) Phibro Animal Health Corporation (U.S.) Indovax (India) Recent Development In 2021, Boehringer Ingelheim India launched a single-shot poultry vaccine, VAXXITEK HVT+IBD. VAXXITEK HVT+IBD is a novel recombinant vaccine that offers life-long protection for all producing chickens, including layer, broiler, and breeder chickens. It protects against two important immunosuppressive diseases such as IBD (Infectious Bursal Disease) and Marek's Disease Download the Full PDF Research Report @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/checkout/buy/enterprise/global-veterinaryanimal-vaccines-market The Veterinary-Animal Vaccines Market report provides insights on the following pointers: Competitive Assessment: In-depth assessment of the market strategies, geographic and business segments of the leading players in the market. Market Diversification: Exhaustive information about new products, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments in the Veterinary-Animal Vaccines market. Market Development: Comprehensive information about emerging markets. This report analyzes the market for various segments across geographies. Market Penetration: Comprehensive information on the product portfolios of the top players in the Veterinary-Animal Vaccines market. Veterinary-Animal Vaccines Market Segmentation: Type Porcine Vaccines Poultry Vaccines Livestock Vaccines Bovine Small Ruminant Canine Feline Aquaculture Vaccines Other Animal Vaccines Disease Porcine Poultry Livestock Bovine Small Ruminant Companion Animals Canine Feline Aquaculture Technology Live Attenuated Vaccines Inactivated Vaccines Toxoid Vaccines Recombinant Vaccines Other Vaccines Route of Administration Oral Parenteral Topical End Use Hospitals Clinics To Access Further Insights Into The Market Analysis, Visit https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-veterinaryanimal-vaccines-market Market Regional Analysis/Insights The veterinary-animal vaccines market is analyzed and market size insights and trends are provided by type, disease, technology, route of administration, and end use as referenced above. The countries covered in the veterinary-animal vaccines market report are U.S., Canada, and Mexico in North America, Germany, France, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Russia, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Rest of Europe in Europe, China, Japan, India, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Rest of Asia-Pacific (APAC) in the Asia-Pacific (APAC), Saudi Arabia, U.A.E, South Africa, Egypt, Israel, Rest of Middle East and Africa (MEA) as a part of Middle East and Africa (MEA), Brazil, Argentina and Rest of South America as part of South America. North America is expected to grow during the forecast period veterinary-animal vaccines market due to the increasing occurrences of livestock and zoonotic diseases, resulting in many animal deaths in this region. Furthermore, improvement in animal health expenditure and the wide presence of renowned pharmaceutical companies will increase this region's market's growth rate. Asia-Pacific dominates the market in the forecast period because of the rising livestock population in this region. The increase in the livestock population and government initiatives, particularly in emerging economies, are some of the main factors anticipated to surge the market growth in the region. Veterinary-Animal Vaccines Market Drivers Increasing Research Activities Associated with Veterinary-animal vaccines An increasing number of research activities have been done for the betterment of the market growth. For instance, the U.K. announced the establishment a U.K. Animal Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre in Surrey, aiming to increase vaccine development for livestock and control the spread of viral diseases. The U.K. government will contribute USD 24.79 million, whereas the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will contribute USD 19.43 million to launch this center. Thus, the research initiatives adopted by several market players and huge government support will expand the market growth. This factor leads to the growth of the market. Increasing Demand for Attenuated Live Vaccines The attenuated live vaccines have recently led to huge market growth. Live attenuation is the most traditional vaccination method used in the veterinary field. This method is also under trial for the development of added applications. Some of these options include the development of protein subunit vaccines for swine, which are given intramuscularly. These products help decrease the mortality rate and enhance the life span of disease-affected swine. Thus, this factor helps in the market growth. Restraints/Challenges Side-Effects of Veterinary-Animal Vaccines Several effects are associated with veterinary-animal vaccine products. Local effects such as discomfort and local swelling at the vaccination site, decreased appetite and activity, mild fever, sneezing, a snotty nose, and mild coughing. Thus, this factor impedes market growth. This veterinary-animal vaccines market report provides details of new recent developments, trade regulations, import-export analysis, production analysis, value chain optimization, market share, impact of domestic and localized market players, analyses opportunities in terms of emerging revenue pockets, changes in market regulations, strategic market growth analysis, market size, category market growths, application niches and dominance, product approvals, product launches, geographic expansions, technological innovations in the market. To gain more info on the veterinary-animal vaccines market contact Data Bridge Market Research for an Analyst Brief, our team will help you take an informed market decision to achieve market growth. Table of Contents: Introduction Market Segmentation Executive Summary Premium Insights Global Veterinary Animal Vaccines Market : Regulations Market Overview Global Veterinary Animal Vaccines Market, By Disease Global Veterinary Animal Vaccines Market, By Type Global Veterinary Animal Vaccines Market, By Technology Global Veterinary Animal Vaccines Market, By Route of Administration Global Veterinary Animal Vaccines Market, By End User Global Veterinary Animal Vaccines Market, By Region Global Veterinary Animal Vaccines Market: Company Landscape SWOT Analyses Company Profile Questionnaires Related Reports Access the Detailed PDF Research Report @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/toc/?dbmr=global-veterinaryanimal-vaccines-market Browse Related Reports: Companion Animal Vaccines Market , By Product Type (Attenuated Live Vaccines, Conjugate Vaccines, Inactivated Vaccines, Subunit Vaccines, Toxoid Vaccines, DNA Vaccines and Recombinant Vaccines), Species Type (Canine, Avian, Feline and Equine), Distribution Channel (Veterinary Clinics, Veterinary Hospitals, Veterinary Research Institutes, Retail Pharmacies and Others) Industry Trends and Forecast to 2029 https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-companion-animal-vaccines-market Paediatric Vaccine Market , By Vaccine Type (Monovalent and Multivalent), Technology (Live Attenuated, Inactivated, Subunit, Toxoid, Conjugate and Other Technologies), Application (Infectious Disease, Cancer, Allergy, Pneumococcal Disease, Influenza, Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) and Other Applications) https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-pediatric-vaccine-market Veterinary Clostridium Vaccine Market , By Disease (Swine Pneumonia, Avian Influenza, Rabies, Coccidiosis, Brucellosis, Canine Distemper), Type (Poultry, Livestock, Aquaculture, Porcine, Canine), Technology (Inactivated, Toxoid, Recombinant), Distribution Channel (Veterinary Hospital, Veterinary Clinic, Veterinary Research Institute, Retail Pharmacy), Country (U.S., Canada, Mexico, Germany, Italy, U.K., France, Spain, Netherland, Belgium, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia, Rest of Europe, Japan, China, India, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Rest of Asia-Pacific, Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Israel, Rest of Middle East & Africa) https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-veterinary-clostridium-vaccine-market Porcine Vaccines Market , By Indication (Swine Fever, Porcine Parvovirus, Aujeszky's Disease, Swine Colibacillosis, Porcine Pneumonia, Porcine Pleropneumoniae, Others), Technology (Inactivated Vaccines, Live Attenuated Vaccines, Toxoid Vaccines, Recombinant Vaccines, Conjugate Vaccines, DNA Vaccines), Product Type (Improvac, Suvaxyn, Circumvent, Circovac, Others), Route of Administration (Intravenous, Intramuscular, Others), End Users (Hospitals, Homecare, Specialty Clinics, Others), Distribution Channel (Hospital Pharmacy, Online Pharmacy, Retail Pharmacy, Others), Country (U.S., Canada, Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America, Germany, Italy, U.K., France, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia, Hungary, Lithuania, Austria, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Rest of Europe, Japan, China, India, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Rest of Asia Pacific, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, U.A.E, Kuwait, Israel, Egypt, Rest of Middle East and Africa) https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-porcine-vaccines-market Vaccine Market , By Technology (Conjugate Vaccines, Inactivated and Subunit Vaccines, Live Attenuated Vaccines, Others), Type (Monovalent Vaccines, Multivalent Vaccines), Indication (Pneumococcal Disease, Influenza, Meningococcal Disease, Polio, Rotavirus, Hepatitis, Dengue, Herpes Zoster, Others), Route of Administration (Oral, Parenteral), End-Users (Clinic, Hospital, Others), Distribution Channel (Hospital Pharmacy, Retail Pharmacy, Online Pharmacy) https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-vaccine-market Inactivated Vaccines Market , By Product (Viral, Bacterial, others), Route of Administration (Oral, Subcutaneous, Others), Method of Inactivation (Solvent Detergent, Radiation, pH Concentration, Heat Inactivation, and Others), End-Users (Hospitals, Homecare, Specialty Clinics, Others), Distribution Channel (Hospital Pharmacy, Online Pharmacy, Retail Pharmacy) https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-inactivated-vaccines-market Vaccines Market , By Composition (Combination Vaccines, Monovaccines), Type (Subunit, Recombinant, Polysaccharide, and Conjugate Vaccines, Live-Attenuated Vaccines, Inactivated Vaccines, Toxoid Vaccines, DNA Vaccines), Kind (Routine Vaccine, Recommended Vaccine, Required Vaccine), Age of Administration (Pediatric Vaccine, Adult Vaccine), Diseases (Pneumococcal Disease, Measles, Mumps and Varicella, DPT, Hepatitis, Influenza, Typhoid, Meningococcal, Rabies, Japanese Encephalitis, Yellow Fever, Others), Route of Administration (Injectable, Oral, Nasal), End User (Community Hospitals, Hospitals, Specialty Centres, Clinics, Others), Distribution Channel (Hospital Pharmacy, Retail Pharmacy, Online Pharmacy) https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-vaccines-market Vaccine Production Market , By Classification (Adult Vaccine Production, Pediatric Vaccine Production), Disease Type (Hepatitis B, Malaria, Yellow Fever, Typhoid, Rabies, HIV, Cancer, Influenza, West Nile, Japanese Encephalitis, Pneumococcal, Rotavirus, DTP, Polio, Varicella, Meningococcal, Measles, Mumps, and Rubella, Tuberculosis) https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-vaccine-production-market Poultry Vaccines Market , By Product Type (Modified or Attenuated (Live), Inactivated (Killed), and Recombinants), Dosage Form (Liquid Vaccine, Freeze Dried Vaccine, and Duct (Dry Form), Disease Type (Newcastle Disease, Marek's Disease, Infectious Bronchitis, Infectious Bursal Disease, and Others), Application (Breeder, Broiler, Layer), End-Users (Hospitals, Poultry Vaccination Centres, and Poultry Firms) https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-poultry-vaccines-market Personalized Cancer Vaccines Market , By Cancer Type (Lung Cancer, Breast Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Leukaemia, Prostate Cancer, Cervical Cancer and Glioblastoma), Mechanism of Action Type (Tumour-associated Antigens (TAAs), Tumour-specific Antigens (TSAs), Somatic Mutations in Cancer Pharmacogenomics, Pharmacogenomics towards Genomic Polymorphism), Technology (Dendritic Cells (DC) Cancer Vaccines, Recombinant Cancer Vaccines, Antigen/Adjuvant Cancer Vaccines and Viral Vector and DNA Cancer Vaccines), Bio-maker Type (Pharmacogenomics, Prognostic and Predictive Biomarkers, Immune Checkpoint Biomarkers and Others), Treatment Type (Preventive Cancer Vaccines and Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines) https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-personalized-cancer-vaccines-market About Data Bridge Market Research: An absolute way to forecast what future holds is to comprehend the trend today! Data Bridge Market Research set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavours to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process. Data Bridge is an aftermath of sheer wisdom and experience which was formulated and framed in the year 2015 in Pune. Data Bridge Market Research has over 500 analysts working in different industries. We have catered more than 40% of the fortune 500 companies globally and have a network of more than 5000+ clientele around the globe. Data Bridge adepts in creating satisfied clients who reckon upon our services and rely on our hard work with certitude. We are content with our glorious 99.9 % client satisfying rate. Contact Us: - Data Bridge Market Research US: +1 888 387 2818 UK: +44 208 089 1725 Hong Kong: +852 8192 7475 Email: corporatesales@databridgemarketresearch.com Villanova School Of Business Names New Dean Villanova School Of Business has named longtime economics professor Wen Mao as its new dean, the second female dean in its 100 year history. Wen Mao, a longtime professor of economics and vice dean at Villanova School of Business, has been named the schools new dean. Mao will replace Joyce E. A. Russell as the Helen and William OToole Dean effective August 1. Russell, the first female dean in the schools 100-year history, stepped down in May after leading the school for seven years. The university announced the news today (March 29.) I am grateful for and humbled by the opportunity to serve as the next Helen and William OToole Dean of the Villanova School of Business, Mao says in a release. Villanova is a special place for me. I have great pride for what our community has collectively achieved, and I am eager to continue serving VSB in this new capacity. I look forward to working closely with our faculty, staff, students and alumniall of whom share my deep commitment to our Augustinian Catholic mission and valuesto envision the next great chapter in VSBs history. A VSB CAREER SPANNING NEARLY THREE DECADES Mao has been at Villanova since 1995. Shes held numerous leadership roles, including vice dean, and previously served as associate dean of faculty and chair of the economics department. Her leadership has been instrumental in strengthening student experience at all levels, supporting increased faculty research productivity, and furthering the strategic mission of the school and university, according to the announcement. Villanova School Of Business Names New Dean Wen Mao She earned a BA in management from Shanghai Maritime Institute (Peoples Republic of China) and an MA and PhD in economics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Mao has served as a member of the Universitys Academic Policy Committee, Data Governance Board, Asian Studies Committee, University Council for Information Technology and the Provosts Search Committee. Among other accomplishments noted in the release, Mao has: Story continues Helped recruit and retain dozens of faculty while shepherding through critical improvements in faculty administration. Championed efforts to increase funding research while promoting the schools teacher-scholar model. Helped establish VSBs first study abroad program in Asia, playing a major role in the schools recruitment of underrepresented faculty, staff and students. Mao has also directed the schools Asian Internship program, an immersive learning experience that places VSB students in nine-week internships with global firms in cities such as Singapore and Hong Kong. Maos research focuses on game theory, public finance, micro theory and industrial organization. Her work has been published in leading journals including Managerial and Decision Economics, Journal of Banking and Finance, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Japanese Economic Review and International Journal of Game Theory. Given Dr. Maos long and productive history as a Villanova faculty member, coupled with her deep understanding of Villanovas distinctive Augustinian approach to education, it quickly became clear that she was the right candidate to lead VSB, Villanova University President the Rev. Peter M. Donohue said todays announcement. Provost Patrick Maggitti and I look forward to working with Dean Mao in her new leadership role. VSBS SECOND FEMALE DEAN On August 24, VSB celebrated its 100th First Day of classes, welcoming nearly 1,700 undergrads and 1,000 graduate students back to school. Nearly 54% of them are women, more than 26% are students of color, and they come from all socioeconomic backgrounds, ethnicities, and faiths. Its a far cry from the very first class welcomed in 1922 which were nearly all white, Catholic men. The school didnt admit its first women students until 1968. Today, it has its second female dean. DONT MISS: AFTER COVID RESTRICTIONS, TWO CUTTING-EDGE VILLANOVA LABS GET A REBOOT AND VILLANOVA SCHOOL OF BUSINESS CELEBRATES 100 FIRST DAYS The post Villanova School Of Business Names New Dean appeared first on Poets&Quants. FILE PHOTO: Employee arranges shopping carts in front of the logo of Walmart outside a store in Monterrey By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) - Walmart Inc was sued on Thursday by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency's second lawsuit this week accusing the largest U.S. retailer of discrimination against workers with disabilities. The EEOC said Walmart illegally demoted Calvin Hagan for missing too much work at a Raleigh, North Carolina store because of seizures caused by his generalized convulsive epilepsy, and then illegally fired him for violating its attendance policy. The lawsuit was filed three days after the EEOC sued Walmart for firing Adrian Tucker, a deli worker in a Statesville, North Carolina store, because she had too many "unauthorized" absences related to her Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel condition. Walmart did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Hagan's case. It has said it does not tolerate discrimination and takes allegations of workplace discrimination seriously. Hagan began working at the Raleigh store in June 2012 as a cashier, and rose to become a general merchandise support manager. The EEOC said Walmart demoted Hagan to deli sales associate in April 2018, one year after his seizures began, and fired him four months later after a supervisor had warned him to "watch" his absences. It said the seizures caused Hagan to lose consciousness, bite his tongue or have bowel movements, and the Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer should have accommodated his requests for time off. "Employees with disabilities should be able to seek medical treatment without fear of losing their jobs," EEOC lawyer Melinda Dugas said in a statement. Both lawsuits accused Walmart of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act, and sought back pay and punitive damages. The case is EEOC v Wal-Mart Stores East LP, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of North Carolina, No. 23-00160. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; editing by Edward Tobin) Gary Moore performs in London in 1973. In 1990, the most extraordinary thing happened. In the midst of the death throes of hair metal and the birth of grunge, former Thin Lizzy guitarist Gary Moore released an album that caught everyone by surprise and took the charts by storm. It wasnt commercial, it wasnt cool. And nobody in a million years could have predicted how successful it became The album was Still Got the Blues, a glossy set of originals and covers and, as declared by the title, a very blues-based piece of work. I did Still Got the Blues when I was 37 years old, and I went back to the music that I always loved, Moore explained to Classic Rock in 2007. It wasnt commercial, it wasnt cool. And nobody in a million years could have predicted how successful it became. Moore was a guy from Belfast who had a couple of stints in Thin Lizzy but whose blues influences underpinned his playing rather than directly informed it. Hed first come to attention in the 1970s with a blues-rock band called Skid Row, but it certainly wasnt what was expected from him at the turn of the 90s. Gary Moore performs in Germany in 1993. Its not surprising Moore became fascinated with blues-based music. There was a great blues scene in Belfast, he said. All these guitar players used to come up from Cork, like Rory Gallagher. And then we heard about British blues. Id heard the name Robert Johnson, but the acoustic blues didnt mean anything to me at all Indeed, it wasnt the post-war Mississippi Delta musicians who were influencing Moores guitar playing. I mean, Id heard the name Robert Johnson, he said, but the acoustic blues didnt mean anything to me at all. It wasnt even so much the song and lyrics at first; it was all about the emotion of the electric guitar. And thats really where it all began for the young guitar hero, in particular with John Mayalls 1966 album, Bluesbreakers With Eric Clapton. That album was a real turning point for me, Moore recalled. That was the stuff I really knew about. My friend had the album, and I spent all my time around his house. I was very passionate about this new sound. Story continues I took the guys album and I ruined it by playing it over and over. I came home from school and learned all the sounds, and learned all the songs note for note. I could just relate to it somehow. Gary Moore performs in the Hague, Netherlands in 1999. The fact that Clapton was creating those sounds had a tremendous impact on Moore, not only with respect to his playing but also in his choice of instrument. The first time I heard Clapton play guitar, it changed my life, Moore said. I was already learning to play, but something very profound happened when I heard that record. Within two seconds of the opening track, I was blown away. Even if youre playing the rock stuff, [blues] instills a sense of emotion into you Moore adopted a Gibson Les Paul as his weapon of choice a decision influenced as much by Clapton as by his other blues hero, Fleetwood Macs Peter Green and after a self-imposed apprenticeship with Clapton began to discover the old-school blues players for himself. But by using Clapton and Green as a key influence, Moore took their blues essence and injected it with a high-octane fire that would go on to characterize his playing with Thin Lizzy, where melody is fused with traditional blues lines. He was even more impressive onstage, where the passion was visible in his performance. Thats the thing with the blues, he said. Even if youre playing the rock stuff, it instills a sense of emotion into you, and into your playing. Sadly, Moore died of a heart attack on February 6, 2011, at the age of just 58. Gary Moore 'Still Got the Blues' album artwork Order Still Got the Blues by Gary Moore here. Key Insights Given the large stake in the stock by institutions, Whitbread's stock price might be vulnerable to their trading decisions A total of 19 investors have a majority stake in the company with 51% ownership Recent purchases by insiders If you want to know who really controls Whitbread plc (LON:WTB), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. We can see that institutions own the lion's share in the company with 86% ownership. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn). Because institutional owners have a huge pool of resources and liquidity, their investing decisions tend to carry a great deal of weight, especially with individual investors. Hence, having a considerable amount of institutional money invested in a company is often regarded as a desirable trait. In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of Whitbread. See our latest analysis for Whitbread What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Whitbread? Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing. Whitbread 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. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at Whitbread's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters. Since institutional investors own more than half the issued stock, the board will likely have to pay attention to their preferences. Hedge funds don't have many shares in Whitbread. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is BlackRock, Inc. with 9.0% of shares outstanding. Massachusetts Financial Services Company is the second largest shareholder owning 4.8% of common stock, and The Vanguard Group, Inc. holds about 4.3% of the company stock. Story continues Looking at the shareholder registry, we can see that 51% of the ownership is controlled by the top 19 shareholders, meaning that no single shareholder has a majority interest in the ownership. While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. There are plenty of analysts covering the stock, so it might be worth seeing what they are forecasting, too. Insider Ownership Of Whitbread 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. The company management answer to the board and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board themselves. Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances. Our information suggests that Whitbread plc insiders own under 1% of the company. But they may have an indirect interest through a corporate structure that we haven't picked up on. It is a pretty big company, so it would be possible for board members to own a meaningful interest in the company, without owning much of a proportional interest. In this case, they own around UK5.2m worth of shares (at current prices). It is always good to see at least some insider ownership, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been selling. General Public Ownership With a 10% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Whitbread. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies. Next Steps: It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Whitbread better, we need to consider many other factors. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with Whitbread , and understanding them should be part of your investment process. Ultimately the future is most important. You can access this free report on analyst forecasts for the company. 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here For Americans, its a glass half full when it comes to how they feel about their jobs. Theyre upbeat about the people they work with, including their managers, but are less satisfied when it comes to pay and opportunities for promotions. Job satisfaction also differs by age, income, and race, according to a new Pew Research Center survey conducted in February of 5,188 U.S. adults working part or full time. The findings come after many Americans switched jobs in the last two years and as the job market remains robust, with new pay transparency laws going into effect this year. In light of all the upheaval in the labor market over the past few years with the pandemic, the Great Resignation and the trend toward so-called quiet quitting, we were really curious to see how workers themselves were experiencing their jobs these days, Kim Parker, Pew Research Centers director of social trends research, told Yahoo Finance. Nearly 7 in 10 workers say they are extremely or very satisfied with their relationship with their co-workers (67%), according to Pew Research's new report Getty Creative) High satisfaction with work relationships Jerk bosses and annoying colleagues are few and far between, the study found. Slightly more than half of U.S. workers (51%) say they are extremely or very satisfied with their job overall. More than two-thirds of workers said they are extremely or very satisfied with their relationship with their co-workers, and over three in five said they were extremely or very satisfied with the relationship they have with their manager or supervisor. The bulk of Americans (65%) said they have at least one close friend at work. What we found was that, overall, about half of workers say they are highly satisfied with their jobs, Parker said. Majorities express satisfaction with their relationships with their co-workers and with their manager. In addition, most workers say theyre treated with respect (78%) and feel they can be themselves at work (72%) all or most of the time, and that their contributions matter, Parker said. Overall, more than six in 10 workers said they feel their contributions at work are valued a great deal or a fair amount (62%). And more than four in 10 (44%) were extremely or very satisfied when asked about their opportunities for training or developing new skills. Story continues (Credit: Pew Research Center) Satisfaction differs by group White workers, however, are more likely than Black and Asian workers to be highly satisfied with their relationship with their co-workers (69% vs. 58% and 60%, respectively) and with their manager or supervisor (64% vs. 56% and 54%), according to the report. Job satisfaction also differs by income. A majority (57%) of those with higher family incomes (greater than roughly $131,500) say they are extremely or very satisfied with their job overall, compared with 51% of those with middle incomes ($43,800 to $131,500) and 45% of those with lower incomes (less than roughly $43,800). Those with higher incomes are the most likely to say they find their job to be fulfilling all or most of the time; more than half said this (53%) say this, compared with 47% of those with middle incomes and a smaller share (40%) of those with lower incomes. (Credit: Pew Research Center) Those with more advanced education are seemingly more content. Workers with a postgraduate degree (56%) are also more likely than those with a bachelors degree (47%) and with some college or less education (44%) to say they find their job to be fulfilling all or most of the time. Women, though, are more likely than men to say their job is stressful (31% vs. 26% of men) and overwhelming (24% vs. 15%) all or most of the time. Those who are most satisfied in many aspects of their jobs? Older workers. Those 65 and older are more likely to be extremely or very satisfied with their job overall along with their relationship with their manager or supervisor. More of these workers find their job to be enjoyable and are positive about their day-to-day tasks versus younger cohorts. And they are the most likely to say their employer cares about their well-being a great deal or a fair amount, the survey found. Pessimism about pay When asked about their views on how much they are paid, roughly a third (34%) of Americans said they were extremely or very satisfied, according to new Pew Reearch report. (Getty Creative) There was a dollop of discontent. Theres less satisfaction when it comes to pay and promotions. When asked about their views on how much they are paid, roughly a third (34%) of Americans said they were extremely or very satisfied and just 33% said they were extremely or very satisfied with opportunities for promotions at work. Thats about on par with what the Payscale reported in its bellwether survey, the 2023 Compensation Best Practices Report: Fewer employers are offering pay raises and those that will arent exactly being generous. In our previous research looking into reasons why workers had left their jobs during 2021, these are the two areas that were cited most often, Parker said. The pessimism largely came from those in the lowest-earning and highest-earning tiers. Differences among race and ethnicity also showed up. A larger share of white workers (37%) than Black (29%), Hispanic (29%) or Asian (28%) workers say they are extremely or very satisfied with how much they are paid. Some 41% of Black workers say that at some point they have experienced discrimination or been treated unfairly by an employer in hiring, pay or promotions because of their race or ethnicity (though not necessarily by their current employer). This compares with 8% of white workers, 20% of Hispanic workers and 25% of Asian workers. New pay transparency laws this year could help to advance equity in the workforce, Maggie Hulce, executive vice president and general manager of enterprise at Indeed, previously told Yahoo Finance. In California and Washington state, laws requiring employers to post salary ranges on all advertised job postings went into effect on Jan. 1. A similar one will follow later this year in New York state. Comparable pay disclosure laws are already in place in Colorado and New York City, while Maryland and Rhode Island require salary information to be provided when an applicant requests it. By the end of this year, roughly one in four workers will be covered by a state or local law that requires businesses to be transparent about their pay ranges, according to Payscale data. More employers are also starting to see it as a competitive edge to attract talent in a tight labor market," Hulce said. "And pay transparency can also help close pay gaps that still exist across gender, race, and ethnicity. Kerry is a Senior Reporter and Columnist at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @kerryhannon. Click here for the latest economic news and economic indicators to help you in your investing decisions Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 30, 2023) - World Copper Ltd. (TSXV: WCU) (OTCQX: WCUFF) (FSE: 7LY0) ("World Copper" or the "Company") announces that pursuant to their news release dated March 8, 2023, they have increased the size of the non-brokered private placement (the "Placement") to up to 8,888,889 units (the "Units") at a price of $0.18 per Unit (the "Offering") for gross proceeds of up to $1,600,000. All terms remain the same with each consisting of one common share of the Company (a "Share") and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each whole Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one additional share of the Company for a period of two years from the date of issuance at a price of $0.30 per share. Insiders are participating and finders' fees are payable to qualified arm's length parties that have introduced the Company to certain subscribers participating in the Offering. All securities issued in the Offering are subject to a four-month hold period, during which time the securities may not be traded. Closing of the Offering is subject to the approval of the TSXV. The net proceeds from the Offering are intended for general working capital and development costs. This press release does not constitute an offer of sale of any of the foregoing securities in the United States. None of the foregoing securities have been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") or any applicable state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) or persons in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor will there be any sale of the foregoing securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Story continues ABOUT WORLD COPPER LTD. World Copper Ltd., headquartered in Vancouver, BC, is a Canadian resource company focused on the exploration and development of its copper porphyry projects: Escalones and Cristal in Chile, and Zonia in Arizona. Two of these projects have estimated resources with significant soluble copper mineralization, and each has additional copper porphyry targets with exciting potential to expand the resource base. Detailed information is available at World Copper's website at www.worldcopperltd.com, and for general Company updates you may follow us on our social media pages via Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn. On Behalf of the Board of Directors of WORLD COPPER LTD. "Nolan Peterson" Nolan Peterson Chief Executive Officer and President For further information, or to schedule a Zoom meeting with Management, please contact: Nolan Peterson or Michael Pound Phone: 604-638-3287 E-mail: info@worldcopperltd.com For all Investor Relations inquiries, please contact: John Liviakis Liviakis Financial Communications Inc. Phone: 415-389-4670 For all Public Relations inquiries, please contact: Nancy Thompson Vorticom, Inc. Office: 212-532-2208 | Mobile: 917-371-4053 Follow Us: Twitter: https://twitter.com/WorldCopperLtd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WorldCopperLtd LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/worldcopperltd Neither 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 Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities legislation, including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements with respect to the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates", "plans", "may", "should", "would", "will", "potential", "scheduled" or variations of such words and phrases and similar expressions, which, by their nature, refer to future events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, that market fundamentals will result in sustained copper and precious metals demand and prices, the receipt of any necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in connection with the future development of the Company's projects in a timely manner, the availability of financing on suitable terms for the development, construction and continued operation of the Company's projects and the Company's ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws. 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 differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors include, among others, requirements for additional capital, actual results of exploration activities, including on the Escalones Project and the Cristal Project, the reasonability of the economic assumptions at the basis of the results of the PEA for the Zonia Project, the estimation or realization of mineral reserves and mineral resources, future prices of copper, changes in general economic conditions, changes in the financial markets and in the demand and market price for commodities, lack of investor interest in the Private Placement, accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, delays in obtaining governmental approvals (including acceptance of the Private Placement by the TSXV), permits or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities, risks relating to epidemics or pandemics, including the impact of an epidemic or pandemic on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, title disputes, the timing and possible outcome of any pending litigation, environmental issues and liabilities, as well as the risk factors described in the Company's annual and quarterly management's discussion and analysis and in other filings made by the Company with Canadian securities regulatory authorities under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements in this news release or incorporated by reference herein, except as otherwise required by law. **NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES** To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160596 (Bloomberg) -- After years of wrangling, the worlds most important oil price is about to be transformed for good, allowing crude supplies from west Texas to help determine the price of millions of barrels a day of petroleum transactions. Most Read from Bloomberg The shift is because the existing benchmark, Dated Brent, is slowly running out of tradable oil for it to remain reliable. As such, its publisher S&P Global Commodity Insights better known by traders as Platts has been forced to make a dramatic overhaul. Its switchover was fraught with controversy and caused a lot of stress among physical oil traders. But it was necessary. BP Plc at one stage said that Dated Brent was subject to increasingly regular dislocations. But the future of Dated is now set. From cargoes for June onward, West Texas Intermediate Midland, oil from the Permian will become one of a handful of grades that set the Dated benchmark. Heres a look at what matters as the transition gets closer. 1. Why does it matter? Dated, as its commonly known by oil traders, helps to set the price of about two-thirds of the worlds oil and even defines the price of some gas deals. Oil producing states will often sell their barrels at small premiums or discounts to Dated, so the precise mechanics of how it is formed matter to them. In addition, the benchmark lies at the center of a complex web of derivatives, ultimately shaping Brent oil futures that get traded on exchanges. Dated affects a host of oil prices, so even crude in Dubai could feel the effects, according to Adi Imsirovic, a veteran oil trader and senior research fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. Story continues 2. Exactly whats happening? Traders will be able to offer WTI Midland for sale from the US Gulf Coast. It will be delivered into Rotterdam and then price will be netted back using a freight adjustment factor as if its shipped from the North Sea. By following a careful process, Platts will evaluate if the oil is being offered at a higher or lower level than five existing grades that set Dated Brent, Forties, Oseberg, Ekofisk or Troll. If Platts judges that WTI Midland is the most competitive price on offer or actually sold then it could set Dated. So WTI Midland might then influence the price a seller of an Atlantic Basin barrel charges a refinery in China. 3. How will price discovery work? Imagine the existing Dated grades, which go under the acronym BFOET, are at $80 a barrel. A trader might pick up a cargo of WTI Midland at $79 from a terminal the US Gulf with $2 added delivery cost to Rotterdam more than 6,000 miles and around 17 days sailing away. Platts would need to make that delivered cargo like-for-like against the existing BFOET grades, which are transacted on a so-called Free on Board, or FOB, basis in the North Sea. To do that, it will use what it calls a freight adjustment factor, deducting the estimated cost of transportation across the North Sea to Rotterdam. If that were to be $1 a barrel, then the implied FOB price of WTI Midland in the North Sea would be about $80. The process will place an emphasis on Plattss assessments of tanker costs. 4. Whats the timeline? Some changes are already getting underway. In February, Platts began assessing forward prices based on the new assessment. Real cargoes of crude from the US will be allowed for inclusion from early May. The expiry of the May Brent futures contract at end-March will rely on some trades of a June Brent exchange of futures for physical contract, which will take the changes into account. Those key derivatives tools, along with the futures market, will determine the basis price of physical Dated Brent for June. An important detail in the coming weeks is just how much trading of forward Dated Brent will pick up. So far, twelve entities have conducted transactions based on the new terms, according to Platts. Ultimately these deals will define something called the Brent Index, a once-a-month price published by ICE Futures Europe thats used for the cash settlement of futures. Without a forward market, theres no way to financially settle the ICE Brent contract, said Kurt Chapman, a veteran oil trader and ex-head of crude at Mercuria Energy Group, who retired in 2018 after almost three decades on the front lines of global oil trading. 5. Will the Dated be better? Assuming traders take to the adjustments, it will be transformative in terms of the underlying volume of oil that can be transacted. In March alone, around 60 tankers hauling around 1.8 million barrels a day of oil were expected to arrive in Europe, the highest since 2016, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Something like 1 million barrels a day of WTI Midland will theoretically be eligible for inclusion in Dated, although the volumes may be marginal until the trading of new Dated picks up. 6. What are the main concerns? No two crudes are identical and eventually Platts will have to evaluate precisely how WTI Midland compares with other grades within BFOET. Some say it is superior because of its density and sulfur levels. However, some European traders have also expressed worries that the properties of WTI Midland cargoes may not match up to what was stipulated when it traded. Thats because WTI is actually a blend of different crudes. It would be a problem if a cargo of oil bought or sold with a view to setting a global benchmark underpinning prices globally were found to have a flaw. US terminal operators say theres not much to be concerned about. They say that the 11 terminals approved by Platts that will send crude are all able to assure consistently high quality to suit Dated. Another issue is the cargo sizes that will be allowed to be included. At 700,000 barrels, they do not match up to the reality of current oil trading of US oil. There has been a flood of supertankers bringing 2-million-barrel cargoes across the Atlantic. Those wouldnt qualify for inclusion in setting the Dated. Finally, the BFOET grades all come with their own loading programs with each consignment given its own unique identifier. That gives traders clear visibility on the supply of oil. Thats not yet the case for WTI Midland and could cause some uncertainty about how many cargoes are being offered. --With assistance from Sherry Su and Sheela Tobben. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Consumers' most preferred soup dumpling brand embraces Chinese culture with revamped brand and expands to omni-channel presence SEATTLE, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the modern Chinese brand bringing restaurant-quality dishes into consumers' homes unveils a fresh identity as MiLa, formerly Xiao Chi Jie, and announces a strategic partnership with actor and author Simu Liu. Rooted from the Chinese words for honey (mi ) and spice (la ), MiLa reflects the founders' experiences of being "third culture" kids: both Chinese and American, not either/or. This new name represents the evolution of the street food concept into a national brand positioned to serve consumers across the U.S. "Simu has broken barriers in Hollywood in the same way we want to increase representation of authentic Chinese flavors in grocery aisles nationwide," said MiLa Cofounder Jennifer Liao. "At MiLa we want to celebrate Chinese cuisine in a way that is inclusive, exciting and approachable for people. Together, Simu and MiLa are aiming to amplify understanding and enjoyment of modern Chinese food." As Chief Content Officer, Simu Liu joins MiLa's executive team and will play an active role in the business, partnering on creative strategy and driving major initiatives for the brand. He will also act as the company's brand ambassador, representing MiLa across diverse marketing channels and assisting in its expansion to the retail channel. Liu will champion storytelling that will help bring "third culture" visibility to wider audiences, uniting people through inclusive food experiences rooted in heritage, and crafted for a new generation. "Many Asian kids, like myself, grew up being made fun of for the taste, look or smell of food that wasn't familiar to other kids. MiLa is demystifying Chinese cuisine and creating an inclusive conversation around third culture in a way that I'm thrilled to be a part of," said Liu. "As I grew to know the brand, Jen and Caleb, and their mission to recreate and further evolve the delicious flavors and dishes we all grew up eating, partnering with them felt very natural. Plus, MiLa's soup dumplings got my parents' tough stamp of approval." Story continues "Our new brand identity and partnership with Simu is a continuation of growth for the company this sets us up well for our retail debut further increasing the accessibility and reach of our products," said MiLa Cofounder and CEO, Caleb Wang. MiLa will be hitting shelves close to home in Town & Country, Metropolitan Market and QFC stores in Washington and Oregon in April. In the coming months, the brand will launch in Bay Area Costco locations and will be available at more stores by mid-summer, with additional retailers to be announced. This announcement comes on the heels of MiLa's $22.5 million Series A raise led by Stripes and Imaginary Ventures. Made according to restaurant-quality standards and flavors of Chinese cuisine, MiLa's products are crafted for the ultimate at-home dining experience. Learn more at www.eatmila.com and @eat.mila. ABOUT MiLa MiLa, formerly known as Xiao Chi Jie, is a modern Chinese food brand bringing restaurant-quality dishes, made with premium, all-natural ingredients into consumers' homes. In 2018, the brand started as a brick-and-mortar shop in Bellevue, Washington. After expanding to offering frozen, direct-to-consumer products in 2020, MiLa now offers a range of soup dumplings, noodles, sauces and ice creams. Cofounders Jennifer Liao and Caleb Wang celebrate third culture through the brand's products and flavors, exemplified in its new name, MiLa, which means honey (mi ) and spice (la ) in Chinese, telling their story of being both Chinese and American, not either/or. MiLa products ship directly to doorsteps or are available at select retailers on the west coast. Contact: Kirsten Anderson, mila@krupaconsulting.com Amy McCullaugh, hello@thisisna.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/xiao-chi-jie-rebrands-as-mila-and-announces-simu-liu-as-chief-content-officer-301786230.html SOURCE MiLa LONDON, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- XRP Healthcare has announced its entry into the African Healthcare sector to acquire and merge privately owned healthcare establishments via its subsidiary XRP Healthcare Africa, creating a sustainable premier healthcare network. XRP Healthcare enters Africa to revolutionize the multi-billion-dollar Healthcare industry In a move that will provide easier access to healthcare services and medication, the company is entering pharmerging countries to help revolutionize the healthcare industry. Started by Father and Son duo, Laban and Kain Roomes from the UK, XRP Healthcare is the first Pharma and Healthcare platform to be built on the XRP Ledger. XRP Healthcare Africa will be the vehicle to invest in privately owned clinics, care homes, pharmacies, and hospitals. Entering into the African market operating as a healthcare acquisitions company, XRP Healthcare Africa will foster the creation of a better and more sustainable network via focused investments into privately owned healthcare-related establishments that reside under one roof with access to improved systems, doctors, and medical provisions which will all utilize XRP Healthcare's' developing blockchain technology as well as its native token (XRPH) that is paired with (USDT) for sending and receiving payments. By providing users with a decentralized platform that exists outside centralized banking systems, XRP Healthcare allows for more transparent and secure transactions for those involved. The international expansion is timely as the African healthcare market is estimated to be worth USD 259 billion by 2030, and its population is set to double between 2021 and 2050 to 2.5 billion people, further requiring a solution for quality private care establishments to deal with the changing nature of burden disease. On January 1st 2021 The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) was put into force, meaning the African continent was formed into one common market, with the intention of standardization toward health in trade policies and programs that will lead to an increased level of integration between African nations. Story continues By partnering with selected Ministries of Health and Private Healthcare Professionals XRP Healthcare Africa is perfectly positioned to deliver digital health, medical provisions, and sustainable growth throughout the Private healthcare sector. Chief Medical Officer Dr Marc O'Griofa (who was a part of the NASA NEEMO project CASPER and is a Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine) made this statement: "We aim to create a new industry standard in the private African healthcare sector, combining pharma, crypto, and medicine to help support the already existing systems to be upgraded and open up growth for premium digital health strategies fueled by the (XRPH) token." Brian J. Esposito Chief Strategic Officer of XRP Healthcare says: "It is with great enthusiasm to be rolling out XRP Healthcare Africa throughout one of the most beautiful and natural resource-rich continents in the world. XRP Healthcare was created to help fuel the good health and well-being of humankind through the tools, technologies, blockchain, marketplace, payments, and information we can provide. It is wonderful to announce that we will properly begin to roll out the XRPH platform to the 1.4 billion African Citizens that require this." Kain Roomes, founder of XRP Healthcare stated: "It is amazing to think that in such a short space of time, so much has been accomplished I am extremely proud that as a company we are investing in the deeply fragmented African Healthcare sector to deliver premium and accessible healthcare to all, fueled by our native token (XRPH)." Business Development officer Laban Roomes said: "Our entry into the African Healthcare sector is in line with our vision to provide fast and secure payments, with better access to healthcare facilities for pharmerging countries. I am confident that XRP Healthcare Africa will bring a level of medical relief to our target areas, and save many lives in the process." XRP Healthcare Africa is establishing itself as a trailblazer in the African healthcare industry and seeking to resolve some of the prevailing challenges related to healthcare. The company's innovative investment strategy, international partnerships, and innovative payment system (XRPH) are positioning it to become a global leader in the industry. By utilizing its technology and global partnerships, XRP Healthcare Africa looks to transform the private healthcare sector in Africa, providing more opportunities for everyone across the continent and going a long way in changing the way people access healthcare. You can find out more about XRP Healthcare via www.xrphealthcare.com About XRP Healthcare The first Pharma and Healthcare platform to be built on the XRP blockchain - XRP Healthcare (XRPH) is an innovative, scalable solutions company utilizing Web3 technology to revolutionize the way people access and afford healthcare services globally. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2044584/XRP_Healthcare_Africa.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1983109/XRP_Healthcare_Logo.jpg Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/xrp-healthcare-enters-africa-to-revolutionize-the-multi-billion-dollar-healthcare-industry-301786257.html SOURCE XRP Healthcare (Bloomberg) -- New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli pressed Blackstone Inc. for answers on how it plans to address what he called abhorrent child labor violations at a cleaning contractor owned by the private equity firm. Most Read from Bloomberg DiNapoli, sole trustee of the $240 billion New York State Common Retirement Fund, expressed concern in a March letter to top Blackstone executives that fallout from a government investigation of Packers Sanitation Services could hurt investors. PSSI paid $1.5 million in fines in February after the US Department of Labor said the company illegally employed at least 102 children between the ages of 13 and 17. The alleged practices are abhorrent and could imperil the reputation and financial success of PSSI, DiNapoli said in a letter reviewed by Bloomberg. The comptrollers office has engaged with Blackstone on how PSSI plans to eliminate illegal child labor practices, as well as its plan to implement strict measures to prevent any occurrence in the future, DiNapoli said in an emailed statement. Blackstone Chief Executive Officer Steve Schwarzman has said the firm takes the matter seriously. PSSI didnt immediately respond to requests for comment. The minors worked in meat-packing plants, sometimes on overnight shifts, cleaning saws and head splitters and using hazardous chemicals, according to the DOLs investigation. Kieler, Wisconsin-based PSSI is one of the countrys largest food-sanitation companies, supplying cleaning and other safety services to food plants nationwide. Blackstone and PSSI have been crystal clear from the start, Schwarzman said in a written response to DiNapoli. PSSI has a strong corporate commitment to its zero-tolerance policy against employing anyone under the age of 18, and we all fully share the DOLs objective of ensuring full compliance at all locations. As parents and citizens, we dont want a single person under 18 working for PSSI, period. Story continues Marked Down The exchange between DiNapoli and Schwarzman offers a rare glimpse into how investors and their trustees are asking the worlds largest alternative-asset manager to account for how the firm wields its influence across the scores of companies it backs. New York States pension has pledged billions of dollars to Blackstone, including $300 million for the fund that holds PSSI. Blackstone, meanwhile, is seeking to raise a $25 billion buyout fund at a time when pensions and endowments are already concerned about the strength of the financial system and the threat of a recession. The firm bought PSSI in 2018 in a deal valued at more than $1 billion, according to a person familiar with the matter. At the end of the third quarter, PSSI had a valuation that was roughly double what Blackstone paid for it, but the position has been marked down meaningfully since then, people said. The risk is that potential buyers or banks will become less willing to touch the company, threatening its access to capital and investor returns. Blackstone has mobilized executives to handle the problem. Schwarzman told DiNapoli that PSSI has stepped up audits and training of its workforce, retained a law firm and hired consultants to bolster its compliance department, among other measures. The company agreed to adhere to child labor laws to resolve the matter with the Labor Department. The Blackstone CEO said that the DOL allegations cover 0.15% of the nearly 70,000 individuals PSSI hired across more than 400 plants. Before Blackstone bought the company, PSSI had other private equity owners, including Harvest Partners and Leonard Green & Partners. --With assistance from Erin Fuchs. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Fredericksburg police are hoping that an unspecified cash reward will bring in the information needed to make an arrest in a fatal shooting Sunday of a city teen. Jasiah Smith, 18, a senior at James Monroe High School, was shot and killed Sunday afternoon in Bragg Hill. He was found lying in a parking space in the 400 block of Chadwick Court with multiple gunshot wounds by police and rescue workers responding to a 911 call. City police spokeswoman Sarah Morris said there are five detectives working on the case, but as of Wednesday they had not gotten the information needed to make an arrest. She said police have heard various rumors, but are hopeful that a reward might bring in information from reluctant witnesses. Were asking for the public to come forward and help us bring justice to his family, Morris said. Anyone with information is asked to call city police at 540/373-3122. Anonymous tips can be sent via text to 847-411 with FPDtip followed by the information. The day after proposing a series of dramatic options for closing a potential budget gap that included eliminating school libraries, Spotsylvania schools Superintendent Mark Taylor sent an email to staff stating that he does not want to make any of the cuts, but reiterating a belief that such measures might be necessary. We need everyone to understand the gravity of this financial challenge, Taylor wrote. Sadly, it is to the point where some of the services that we are most proud of and hold dear must be concerned. Taylor presented the possible cuts at a budget work session on Monday, framing them as potentially necessary due to the state budget situation. He said the school division is facing a loss of $5.25 million in state revenue according to the so-called skinny budget approved in February by the General Assembly. That budget was a stopgap measure that included money to fix an accidental calculation error that resulted in school divisions receiving less funding than expected for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30. However, it is not the final budget for next fiscal year. Negotiators from the state House of Delegates and Senate are still working on amendments to the biennial budget that would affect next fiscal years funding for schools, and Gov. Glenn Youngkin told reporters in February that the state has a surplus of more than $3 billion. The General Assembly returns to Richmond on April 12. School divisions in Stafford and Fredericksburg are not at this point projecting a decrease in state revenue for next fiscal year. At this point, we are optimistic that we will receive the same amount of funds that were allotted to us in the Governors proposed amendments, wrote Jennifer Brody, chief financial officer for Fredericksburg city schools, in an email Tuesday. Stafford is still projecting an 8.1% increase in state revenue for fiscal year 2024, based on the governors budget, according to budget documents on the divisions website. Both Brody and Stafford spokesman Hunter Berry noted that projections may change based on the final state budget. Taylors own proposed schools budget for fiscal year 2024, which the School Board approved on Feb. 14 with few changes, calls for $21 million in new local funding and does not include any of the cuts hes now proposing. Taylor said Monday and in his email Tuesday that the school division needs all $19 million in additional revenue that would come from an advertised 10-cent increase to Spotsylvania Countys real estate tax rate. The county has not yet finalized its budget and supervisors on Tuesday expressed confusion and anger over the fact that Taylor proposed drastic cuts before there has even been a public hearing on the county budget. We have a superintendent talking about cuts before we even have the budget hearing, which I dont remember happening before and is a little odd in my opinion, said Supervisor Chris Yakabouski. He implored Taylor and the School Board to set up a joint meeting with supervisors to discuss the budget situation. Supervisor Tim McLaughlin was more pointed in his criticism of Taylors proposed possible cuts. Its ridiculous. If you really had to cut some of your services, would you legitimately go in and say, Im cutting all the libraries out of the school system? he said. This is like a scare tactic. You had 160 positions that werent filled last year why wouldnt you start with them? Thats where legitimate budget cuts start line by line, not with garbage like this. School Board members also largely expressed dismay at the idea of eliminating school libraries, and with the other proposed cuts, which include the International Baccalaureate and Governors School programs, 23 paraeducator positions and 60 teacher positions. But Taylor appeared to double down on the idea of eliminating libraries, saying at different points during Mondays meeting that librarians could be used instead to fill vacant teaching positions, that other school divisions have cut libraries to save money, and that the state does not enforce the standards of quality outlined in Virginia Code that require a certain number of librarians per enrolled students. After the meeting, he told a WUSA9 reporter that, Whole libraries are available on an app that come with instructional resources on how to do research. Spotsylvania school librarian Kim Allen said these statements display a lack of understanding of what librarians do. She said students would not know how to conduct research, cite sources or be good digital citizens without librarians. We are so much more than books. We are teachers, instructional partners, information specialists, program managers and leaders, she said. We are one of the few individuals who work with every single student and faculty member in a school building. The relationships that we build with learners inspire growth, cultivate literacy and create trust. Margaret Baker, executive director of the Virginia chapter of the American Association of School Librarians, said access to online resources is only one of many facets of a school library program. Some in the community have not witnessed the transformation of school libraries from library book checkout locations into student learning and resource centers, Baker said. We welcome visits to public school libraries to witness these amazing learning centers, especially as we begin celebrating April is School Library Month, as proclaimed by Governor Youngkin. In response to a question from The Free LanceStar, Spotsylvania school division spokeswoman Tara Mergener emailed links to stories about divisions in Texas and Washington cutting library positions, as well as to a 2020 Education Week article about similar cuts being proposed around the country as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. A 2021 report released by the School Librarian Investigation: Decline or Evolution (or SLIDE) research project, which is being conducted by Antioch University Seattle and is funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, found that there were 20% fewer school librarians employed in 201819 than a decade prior. The report found that there is no clear relationship between library staffing and school funding. Districts spending $15,000 or more per pupil were most likely to have high levels of librarian staffing, but districts spending $10,000 or less per pupil had better staffing than districts spending between $10,000 and $15,000 per pupil. A different study, published in 2011 in School Library Journal, found a correlation between fewer librarians in schools and lower reading scores. The study tracked data over six years and found that fewer librarians translated to lower performance or a slower rise in scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progresss fourth grade reading test. Baker said there are more than 60 studies showing the positive impact of certified school librarians on student learning. The SLIDE report found that when there is legislation mandating some level of school librarian staffing, districts are more likely to have a librarian in at least one school in the district even if that legislation is not enforced. Sylvia Norton, executive director of the American Library Association, said she is not aware of any other Virginia school community deciding to close or eliminate school libraries, and credited Virginias standards of quality. I have long admired the leadership of [Virginias] school librarians and state regulations to ensure that all learners have a school librarian, Norton said. From my experience, yes, this is the time of year when we hear [that] a school librarian position may be on the table to help achieve a salary savings. That is a reality in any school district, but I am also aware that often those cuts are reconsidered after community advocacy and by the end of the year, the final budget retains those positions. At funeral services at a Chesterfield church to mourn Irvo Otieno, there was also a call to remember him as a symbol of how mentally ill people are treated by law enforcement and the need for change. "The disgrace was not that Irvo had mental problems. The disgrace is how you treated Irvo," the Rev. Al Sharpton told the mourners on Wednesday at First Baptist Church on Iron Bridge Road North. Otieno, 28, of Henrico County, died at Central State Hospital in Dinwiddie County on March 6. Seven Henrico County sheriff's deputies and three hospital workers have been charged with second-degree murder. Standing on a stage overlooking Otieno's bronze-colored coffin, covered in flowers, Sharpton repeatedly reminded the mourners that Otieno was handcuffed and shackled when he died, and reiterated his family's belief that his death was a result of being treated as a criminal and not as a mental patient, and should never have been taken to a jail. "I was already concerned when I saw the tape and saw men -- who were sworn to enforce the law and others who were called upon to deal with the ill -- and they started to stack on top of Irvo," Sharpton said. "I know he (Otieno) had an illness, but what was wrong with them?" Episode 83: At its core, woke is a term that refers to being aware of social injustices and inequalities, particularly related to gender, race and ethnicity. The word originated in African American Vernacular English in the 1940s, but it gained renewed popularity in the 2010s as a term used to describe a heightened awareness and understanding of systemic racism and social justice issues. However, the term has also become a source of controversy and debate, with some criticizing it for being overused and losing its original meaning, while others embrace it as a powerful tool for promoting social change. Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada discuss how this movement has affected society and how our focus on the culture wars often drowns out more important issues facing Americans. About the hosts: Scott Rada is social media manager with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. THURSDAY, March 30, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Pope Francis will remain hospitalized for several days because of a respiratory infection that isn't COVID-19, the Vatican announced Wednesday. In recent days, Pope Francis complained of some respiratory difficulties, and this afternoon he went to Policlinico A. Gemelli for some medical checks, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement. The outcome of these showed a respiratory infection that will require several days of appropriate hospital medical treatment, Bruni added. Easter week, which starts with Palm Sunday this weekend, is the holiest time in the Catholic calendar. It is not yet known if the 86-year-old Pope will preside over the busy week of services leading up to Easter Sunday, including Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil. After his morning audience Wednesday, the pontiff was taken by ambulance to the hospital. The pope had a chest CT scan and other tests, after which his entourage expressed relief at the results, the Italian news agency ANSA reported. Francis blood saturation levels were fine, and tests have ruled out any heart problems and pneumonia. As a young man, the pope survived severe pneumonia and had part of a lung removed, the New York Times reported. The Vatican initially said the hospital visit was planned, theTimes said. The Holy Father has since this afternoon been at the Gemelli for some previously planned tests, Bruni said. He added, Pope Francis is touched by the many messages received and expresses his gratitude for the closeness and prayer. Francis, who has been pope for 10 years, has had health challenges recently. He has commented at various times about how long he expected to serve. When he began, he said he envisioned serving only a few years. At times, he has said he would resign if his health made it impossible to run the church, according to theTimes. He praised his predecessor, Benedict XVI, for having the courage to step down. On a papal plane in 2014, he said, I know this will last a short time, two or three years, and then to the house of the Father. Then, in 2015, Francis said he saw himself serving another five years, theTimes reported. In 2021, after major surgery, the pope told a Spanish-language radio station that he had never thought about quitting because of poor health. He also said recently that the pontificate is a lifelong mission. I believe that the popes ministry is ad vitam, he told a group of Jesuits in the Democratic Republic of Congo last month, using the term for life in Latin. "I see no reason why it should not be so. About retirement, Francis said, Think that the ministry of the great patriarchs is always for life! And the historical tradition is important. In recent years, the pontiff has suffered included knee problems and sciatica. In 2021, he had 13 inches of his large intestine removed because of inflammation that narrowed his colon. These days he sometimes uses a cane or a wheelchair. He uses an elevator to board and get off airplanes while continuing to keep an ambitious travel schedule, according to the Times. Francis takes this all in stride. Im in good health. For my age, Im normal, he told the Associated Press in January. I might die tomorrow, but its under control. Im in good health. More information The National Health System in the United Kingdom has more on respiratory infections. SOURCE: Vatican, news release, March 29, 2023; New York Times, March 29, 2023 The Fremont Fire Department is back to being fully staffed after the Fremont City Council approved hiring two new firefighters at the Tuesday, March 28, city council. In a unanimous vote, the council approved hiring Quinlan Ramsey of Elkhorn and Austin Raue of Fremont as full-time firefighters/EMTs. Im very excited to present them tonight and ask for the councils approval, said Mayor Joey Spellerberg. Fremont Fire Chief Todd Bernt said the hiring of Ramsey and Raue would bring the fire department up to its full-staffing levels of 28 total personnel at the department. Plans to hire six new firefighters are ongoing, Bernt told the council, and the hiring of the two on Tuesday was not a part of that staff expansion. After their hiring was approved, Spellerberg asked Ramsey and Raue to come to the front of the room to be recognized. The two newest additions to the department got a rousing round of applause and posed for celebratory photographs. New fire truck still being repairedBernt said in an interview Tuesday night with the Tribune that the citys newest fire truck is still being worked on and assessed for repairs in Wyoming, Minnesota. A February accident involving a Dodge County sheriffs deputy losing control of his patrol vehicle and hitting the fire truck left the city fire departments newest and most advanced fire truck with significant damages. The accident knocked it out of use for an unknown period of time. No firefighters or paramedics were injured in the accident. The deputy suffered minor injuries. We were already on a personal injury (accident) call and the deputy was responding to that, Bernt said in a February interview. (The deputy) rear-ended Fire Engine 132, which has all of our extrication equipment on it. It is our newest fire engine. We got it just last year. The fire engine was bought with funds from the citys capital improvement plan, which budgeted $571,000 for the vehicle. The engine was constructed by the Rosenbauer Group, a fire-service vehicle manufacturer, and Heiman Fire, its dealer. According to a Dodge County Sheriffs Office press release, the incident happened at about 1:25 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 22, as icy conditions began to worsen across the region as Winter Storm Olive blasted the Midwest. There was already a multi-agency response to a motor vehicle accident with a personal injury at the intersection of U.S. Highway 275 and Business U.S. Highway 30, near the Menards hardware store, officials reported. Space is getting a little safer for satellites providing imagery, communication, weather data and many other commercial services with the creation of a new industry watch center in Colorado Springs. The Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center is getting started just as threats to commercial satellites are ramping up from the countries, such as Russia and China. For example, adversarial nations have launched satellites that can get close enough to listen in on the signals other satellites are sending and, in some cases, threaten those satellites, said Frank Backes, board chairman for the new center and a senior vice president with Kratos. At times, satellites can come within 3 miles of each other dangerous at the high speed of orbital travel. What we are seeing is much more aggressive activity, he said. For private companies to face that threat alone is a big task. So the industry is pooling their resources and expertise into the new center to share information about threats, such as spying satellites or cyberattacks on space systems, Backes said. Our job is to help alert people when threats are coming or what the threats are going to be, he said. Sign Up for Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. The goal is to allow companies to operate through the threats, just as computers can fend off a malware attack, he said. The center has 64 commercial members so far and has partnered with 30 governmental agencies worldwide, according to a news release. It will employ 10 analysts in its facility, the same building as the National Cyber Security Center along North Nevada Avenue, and other analysts from member companies can assist remotely. It is an effort that was four years in the making and started at the request of the White House and the National Science and Technology Council, Backes said. However, some of the main threats the center will tackle have been informed by the war in Ukraine and the attacks on satellites that have happened there, he said. The centers work will help protect the space industry's recent rapid growth by ensuring their services stay available and functional, said board member Kevin Coggins, vice president with Booz Allen Hamilton. If one member company experiences an attack, all the others can address the issue and be more prepared. All of a sudden, you are outpacing the adversary, he said. Colorado Springs is an ideal location for the center, because of the existing space infrastructure, Backes said. Colorado Springs represents the epicenter of operations for space systems. On a global basis, there is more space operations command and control being operated out of Colorado Springs than any other central location in the world, he said. After helming emergency response efforts in almost every natural disaster and health emergency in the region, Jim Reid, director of the Pikes Peak Regional Office of Emergency Management, has announced his retirement. This week, community officials have gathered to celebrate the longtime El Paso County and city of Colorado Springs leader, whose last day of a 20-year-long career in the region is Friday. "Every day is Saturday after that," Reid said, laughing. Most recently, Reid guided the merging of the county's and city's emergency management offices to form the now joint regional office in mid-2018. Before then, Reid served as executive director of the county Department of Public Works beginning in April 2013, where he at the time oversaw a $35 million budget and managed approximately 170 employees that supported 2,100 lane-miles of roadway, 22,000 acres of right of way and over 270 bridges, according to previous Gazette reporting. Reid joined the Air Force in 1980 and served in Germany, Arizona, California, South Korea and Colorado, and served as a firefighter during the 1981 terrorist bombing at Ramstein Air Base in Germany among other first responder roles on global bases, according to a resolution of appreciation passed by the City Council on Tuesday. After retiring from the Air Force and pushed by a passion for firefighting, Reid returned to the state and became Monument's fire marshal in 2000 and in 2003 became El Paso County fire marshal with the Sheriff's Office, most notably guiding the Pikes Peak region through the 2012 Waldo Canyon fire and the 2013 Black Forest fire, which each caused two deaths and burned nearly 350 and 500 homes, respectively. All I ever wanted to do was fight fire ... and preserve life," Reid said. Also Tuesday, county commissioners approved a resolution honoring Reid's work doing just that. During the hearing, county engineer Jennifer Irvine reminisced on Reid's "service above self" while directing the Department of Public Works and told him he'd set the example for future county leaders. "A leader has to be ready to understand change and embrace it and ... has to be optimistic and have courage, credibility, honesty and trust," Irvine said. "But really, leadership is about relationships and those are the things Jim cultivated not only within the county but outside in the community." Reid told The Gazette that out of the many emergencies that arose in his career, the sudden onset of the COVID-19 pandemic caught him the most off-guard. Still, as the Pikes Peak Regional Office of Emergency Management director by that time, he spearheaded coordination efforts with El Paso County Public Health to combat the virus. In several cases, Reid took it upon himself to find a solution for residents personally, including when homeless people needed shelter, said El Paso County Public Health epidemiologist Marigny Klaber during the commissioners' meeting Tuesday. "I cant thank Jim enough for literally hitting the ground on his feet and knocking on doors and going to motels and hotels himself ... to try and meet that need," Klaber said. I appreciate all he has done to support public health, down to pounding on doors. Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. Reid pioneered the county and city joint emergency effort, which became more efficient with the 2018 merge by saving resources, easing communication during crisis, coordinating disaster response in one building location and conducting regional training exercises for all kinds of events, like plane crashes at the municipal airport, active shooter situations, wildfire evacuations and more. The more that we do things together, the stronger we become, and the better we serve the folks of this community," Reid said, recounting his most memorable takeaway from his career. Whoever takes this job over is fortunate, because the cornerstone has been laid and we proved that it works, Reid added. The hard parts over, trust me. When you bring two cultures into one room, its tough. Much of what the Pikes Peak Regional Office of Emergency Management does is "in the background" of first responders and law enforcement -- like providing food and resources to those in the field or rehoming hotel guests during an outage or wildfire victims, as just a few examples -- as its employees coordinate with local agencies as well as the Colorado Department of Transportation, American Red Cross and other organizations before or while a disaster strikes. If you get into this job for notoriety, youre in the wrong job," Reid said. Reid was also praised by commissioners and other officials alike for his humility, lead-from-behind nature and with jest his notable candor. Reid said he's cleaned out his desk and office, spending his last days raising up his next-in-command. He will soon hand in his trusty work cellphone, which he said has at least 1,750 saved contacts just some of the number of people for which he was only ever a short phone call away," county Treasurer Chuck Broerman said Tuesday. Looking ahead, Reid said he and his wife to whom he presented flowers and many thanks Tuesday hope to set out and see the United States in their fifth wheel camper. There are a lot of good people in this country, and I wanna get out and meet them," he said. He's not exactly sure where they'll set up next, but it will be some place warm, like a half-acre in Florida or somewhere along the Texas coast, where "they also have hurricanes," he noted. But, equipped with the mobile camper and his career behind him, he is, after all, more than prepared. In the final days ahead of Colorado Springs' municipal election next week, residents on Thursday evening will have a chance to meet and chat with several candidates for mayor and City Council. Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center is hosting a free, public meet and greet with candidates from 4-6:30 p.m. Thursday at its facility, 530 Communications Circle. Residents can chat with candidates, "with a focus on veteran and military issues," a news release announcing the event states. Ten of the 12 mayoral candidates vying to succeed Mayor John Suthers are planning to attend. They are Sallie Clark, Andrew Dalby, Darryl Glenn, Longinos Gonzalez Jr., Lawrence Joseph Martinez, Jim Miller, Christopher Mitchell, Yemi Mobolade, Tom Strand and Wayne Williams. Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. At-large City Council candidates Jay Inman, Jaymen Johnson, David Leinweber and Roland Rainey Jr., as well as District 3 City Council candidate Michelle Talarico, are also planning to attend, the release states. On Tuesday Colorado Springs residents will cast their votes to elect Colorado Springs' first new mayor in eight years. They will also select three at-large City Council members and will fill an unexpired term for council District 3. Voters also will decide whether to extend the Trails, Open Space and Parks (TOPS) tax for another 20 years. The majority of the proceeds of the dedicated 0.1% sales tax, or 1 cent per $10, is split between parks, trails and open space for acquisition, stewardship and maintenance. An officer-involved shooting in the early hours of March 13 left a man injured with gunshot wounds after officers responded to a residence for reports of a domestic disturbance. Jose Aponte, 52, was shot three times after refusing to comply with officer commands and allegedly raising what is believed to be a metal flashlight as he hid from police in a crawl space, according to a video briefing with body cam footage from the Colorado Springs Police Department. A 911 call on March 12 around 5:30 p.m. reported that Aponte was in a residence in the 1000 block of North Foote Avenue, but he was not allowed to be there due to a restraining order, police said. Police arrived at the residence over four hours later around 9:51 p.m. after a second 911 call from the same caller reported screaming and a man raising his fist at a woman in the home. There were no available officers to respond after the first call, according to Cmdr. Tish Oleszewski with CSPD's Gold Hill Division. Officers conducted a search of the home for Aponte, who had four active warrants, including one felony arrest warrant, police said. They did not find him, but a woman at the residence said he was still there and hiding. On a second search of the home, officers entered a crawl space where Officer Pierre Gutierrez found Aponte hiding under bags and boxes. Let me see your hands, Gutierrez and other officers shouted to Aponte, who responded by allegedly placing his hands behind a trash bag. Oleszewski said officers deployed tasers twice, which were ineffective after being blocked by the trash bag. Aponte raised his hand from behind the bag holding a metal object, later determined to be a metal flashlight found where the encounter occurred, police said. Gutierrez allegedly fired his weapon three times, striking and injuring Aponte, according to police. Officers reportedly rendered medical aid until emergency medical personnel responded and transported Aponte to the hospital. The El Paso County Sheriff's Office is investigating the officer-involved shooting. "Once completed, the investigation will be sent to the 4th Judicial District, District Attorneys Office for a determination on whether the officers use of force complied with Colorado law, Oleszewski said. Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. Court records show Aponte has since been charged with felony assault and violation of a protection order, not related to his encounter with Colorado Springs police officers. Three of the arrest warrants Aponte had at the time of the officer-involved shooting were related to his dangerous dog, which court records show allegedly caused bodily injury at least three times since December 2022. He faced the same charge in May 2019, according to court records but it is not clear if the charge stems from the same dog. Two days before officers responded to the domestic disturbance, Colorado Springs police were asked to assist the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region to remove a dangerous dog at that same address in the 1000 block of North Foote Avenue, according to Oleszewski. Aponte was allegedly not complying with the Humane Society prior to the search warrant. On March 11 at 1:42 p.m., officers conducted the search warrant. While inside the home, the dog, described by police as a large pit bull, bit one officers leg. The officer shot and killed the dog, and the Humane Society removed it from the residence, police said. Aponte was not located at the residence at this time. Aponte has an extensive criminal history in El Paso County dating back to 1989. He was found guilty of felony menacing, attempted robbery, obstructing a police officer and harassment, all in the 1990s. Court documents show his open cases in El Paso County court include charges for dangerous dog ownership, harassment, possessing an illegal weapon, possessing an illegal substance, second-degree assault, violating a protection order and driving under the influence with at least three priors, all since 2019. For the charges of second-degree assault and violating a protection order stemming from the alleged March 12 incident, Aponte is being held on no bond, court records show. There may be additional charges filed later on related to his contact with police on March 13. The city of Monument has appointed Patrick J. Regan as chief of police, effective May 8. Regan, who has 23 years of experience in law enforcement, was named Wednesday after a competitive selection process, according to a news release. He has been in leadership with the Town of Monument for 11 years. Former Police Chief Cristian "Sean" Hemingway retired at the beginning of the year. He was hired as Monument's chief of police in February 2021. Cmdr. Tim Johnson has been the towns interim police chief since Jan. 3, at which time the town had received approximately 75 applications for the position. Regan will take his oath of office at the Monument Town Council meeting at 6:30 p.m. on May 15. Regan has a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice with a minor in Spanish from Northern Arizona University and a Master of Public Administration from Arizona State University. He is a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy and the FBI-LEEDA Executive and Command Leadership Institute. Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. At the Scottsdale Police Department in Arizona, Regan led the departments Special Investigations Division, served in the Drug Enforcement Unit, Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force, Domestic Violence Unit, Internal Affairs Unit and the Special Weapons and Tactics Team. During his career, he has managed a specialized leadership training program, implemented a mental health wellness check-in policy, created citizen bravery and lifesaving award programs, provided more accountability for patrol staffing and instructed undercover operations, according to the news release. "The men and women of the Monument Police Department look forward to working with Chief Regan as they continue to maintain the high quality of life our community enjoys," the town wrote in the release. On March 20, the Town of Monument swore in three new police officers. Kelly Fisher-Goodwin joined Monument police from the Denver Police Department, Joseph Markarian came from Pueblo and Dustin Williams came from Polk County, Iowa. Bob hates Darren, and there is a bill being considered by the state Legislature to codify that fact. More specifically, state Rep. Bob Marshall, D-Highlands Ranch, has a grudge against Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly, a Republican, and he intends to punish him with vengeance legislation that will discriminate against all Colorado sheriffs. HB23-1206 is Marshalls attempt to seek revenge on a Douglas County Sheriffs Office of which he has been critical ever since it failed to jail the Douglas County School Board at his request. The hypocrisy of the bill which bars sheriffs from political activities including endorsements is evident from its first lines. After declaring the obvious truism that law enforcement must be conducted in an impartial and apolitical manner and decrying even the appearance of partisan activity, Marshall excludes every single member of law enforcement from this grudge legislation except sheriffs. Also excluded from the dictates of Marshalls malicious bill are the attorney general, district attorneys and coroners, each of whom is an elected law enforcement officer under Colorado law. Marshall offers no justification for this bizarre disparity. The bill announces it is to serve as a Colorado version of the Hatch Act, a federal law that limits certain partisan political activities by federal and local government employees who work with federally funded program. Ironically, the sheriffs office is covered by the Hatch Act, due to the offices administration of federal funds. Marshalls bill goes well beyond the federal Hatch Act. This bill is also another state usurpation of local control. County sheriffs are subject to the laws and rules established by locally elected county commissioners. Here, Marshalls bill reflects contempt for their decision making and strips from the ability to govern in this area. Meanwhile, the bill leaves untouched the ability for municipalities to regulate the conduct of their chiefs of police or other law enforcement officers. Marshall must think county government is too stupid or corrupt to manage itself. One of the intended results of this begrudging bill is that our hyperpartisan Attorney General Phil Weiser, a Democrat, could endorse a political candidate like Bob Marshall and use his elected title to give the endorsement more credibility, but Sheriff Weekly could not endorse Marshalls Republican opponent using the title sheriff. The bill is drafted so poorly it states that an employee of the sheriffs office shall not use public buildings under exclusive control of law enforcement that are not regularly available to the general public. That language is not anchored to political activities, but is an outright prohibition on the sheriff and sheriffs deputies using the Sheriffs Office. For anything, including their jobs. Period. The bill prevents only the sheriff no other law enforcement executive or employee from using their official position to exert any pressure on anyone to influence that persons political views. That language is so poorly drafted, it appears to prevent sheriffs from testifying before the legislature in uniform to influence [a legislators] political view on a specific bill. That prohibition does not extend to chiefs of police, the chief of state patrol, the AG frankly, anyone else. Only sheriffs. Sign up for free: Gazette Opinion Receive updates from our editorial staff, guest columnists, and letters from Gazette readers. Sent to your inbox 12:00 PM. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. The bill also empowers any person to file an affidavit complaining about (only) sheriffs. There is no limitation as to residency, citizenship or geography. It is far more pernicious than allowing a politically active Boulderite to target sheriffs of more conservative counties. This misguided bill would allow anyone, anywhere including Californians to file affidavits with the DA. The bill would rob DAs of any discretion in investigating or prosecuting these claims. If reasonable grounds exist, the DA would be compelled to prosecute not a crime (because it is not one) but a civil violation. To add insult to injury, the bill inexplicably grants to the AG equal power with the district attorney to prosecute these violations, unnecessarily expanding AG jurisdiction into areas of local control. To subjugate sheriffs to his will, Marshall defines the sheriff as an employee of the Sheriffs Office, which is as ridiculous as calling Marshall an employee of the legislature. Just like Marshall, sheriffs are elected by their respective populations. They are not employees. Nonetheless, the bill creates a super punishment of dimiss[al] from the service of the county Sheriffs Office for any conviction. Any first-year law student would ask who has the authority to dismiss the sheriff? The answer is only voters. Not even a super majority of both houses of the Legislature can change that. It is worth noting that the bipartisan County Sheriffs of Colorado oppose this bill. This is not about partisan politics, it is about bad policy. With Colorado facing surging crime and victimization, one man has set his sights on evening the score with his local sheriff. Marshall should settle his beef at the ballot box, not by turning the law on its head with this discriminatory bill. George Brauchler is the former district attorney for the 18th Judicial District. He also is an Owens Early Criminal Justice Fellow at the Common Sense Institute and president of the Advance Colorado Academy, which identifies, trains and connects conservative leaders in Colorado. He hosts The George Brauchler Show on 710KNUS Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Follow him on Twitter: @GeorgeBrauchler. A movement in America in recent years has taken hold of once common-sense policymaking at the federal level, and its now infected the Colorado Legislature. There used to be topics political parties on each side of the aisle would agree had sensible solutions. An issue such as ensuring safe communities for our citizens didnt seem like such a controversial topic to the legislators before us. Unfortunately, what weve seen in our Colorado Legislature recently sows doubt that we can still agree on rational policies that protect our people, especially our children. Keeping our communities safe by cracking down on criminals has been replaced with sympathy and coddling of the perpetrators with hope theyll be magically cured and with little consideration for the victims. Nothing made this clearer than what happened last week in one of our public committee hearings. We learned that advocating for childrens safety in the criminal code is an issue viewed remarkably differently between Republicans and Democrats. Last Tuesday, the House Judiciary committee heard HB23-1135: Penalty for Indecent Exposure in View of Minors. The introduced bill is intended to update the criminal code in relation to when indecent exposure to a minor is considered a felony. Under current law, a person must commit this offense at least two times before the act can be considered a felony-level offense. Before I go further, lets be clear on this offense. It is important to clearly define the difference between indecent exposure and public indecency. Public indecency is different in that simply exposing oneself is enough to trigger this offense; indecent exposure requires the perpetrator to expose themself with the intent to arouse or satisfy their own sexual desire. This bill is simply saying that a single occurrence of this offense should be enough to justify a felony-level prosecution. The bill would bring the relevant statute in parity with the same offense in a different context, such as a person exposing themself to a minor via the internet. For the average citizen, this would seemingly be a common-sense change to statute that would clearly show Colorado does not tolerate the sexual exploitation of children; period. What we saw in committee was a heated debate among Democrats weighing the burden of prison time for individuals found guilty of indecent exposure versus justice for a sexually exploited child. Multiple members on the Judiciary Committee spent considerable time, through debate and amendments, making the argument that prison time for the convicted individual is a greater burden than the harm inflicted on the child that was forced to watch an adult sexually gratify themself. Sign up for free: Gazette Opinion Receive updates from our editorial staff, guest columnists, and letters from Gazette readers. Sent to your inbox 12:00 PM. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. Rep. Elizabeth Epps, D-Denver, started her rebuttal to the Democrat-sponsored legislation by saying this bill is not a step in the right direction, and went so far as to say that there is nowhere, maybe a war zone, more sexually violent than a cage in reference to a prison cell. Most notably, Epps thought was capped off with stating that putting someone in prison for indecent exposure doesnt keep the person who asked for a misdemeanor or felony safe, perpetuating that the criminals are now the victims. To clarify, the person who asked for a misdemeanor or felony could have been more accurately stated as the child victim. Additionally, I would contend that the sexual exploitation of a child who does not have the mental capacity to fully comprehend the act is considerably more violent, and the child is more worth defending, than focusing on how comfortable a person convicted of indecent exposure feels in a prison cell. I would also contend that the parents of a sexually exploited child would agree with my sentiment without debate. This debate between Democrats on the Judiciary Committee brings light to a common theme of frustration among Republicans; the frustration being that this Legislature has consistently passed policies focused more on easing the burdens felt by criminal perpetrators in the name of mental health, rather than passing policies that definitively advocate on behalf of victims. The discussion around HB23-1135 showed that Democrats see no bounds when weighing the rights or benefits of convicted criminals versus creating clearly defined pathways to justice for victims if that pathway to justice potentially results in prison; even when the victim in question is a sexually exploited child. We often hear arguments that compassion and forgiveness through social support systems are more effective in reintegrating convicted criminals into society than time spent in a prison cell. Compassion and forgiveness certainly have their place in a well-functioning society, but my Republican colleagues and I firmly believe compassion and forgiveness should never come at the expense of the most vulnerable victims. Unfortunately, Democrats pushed a bill intended to provide justice for sexually exploited children through committee without clearly defining unequivocal support for victims of this crime. Mike Lynch, a Republican from Wellington, represents District 65 in the Colorado House, where he serves as minority leader. A couple of weeks ago, my neighbors car was stolen at 4:30 am, a surveillance camera caught the thief backing it out of the driveway, never to be seen again. The police were called, and you can guess the rest of the story. You only need to read about the litany of property crimes in Colorado Springs on the Nextdoor app to get an idea of how bad things are. Although Gov. Jared Polis has set a goal to make Colorado a top 10 safest state in the nation, thats a stretch, considering that we have the fourth highest crime rate, and Denver has earned the dubious distinction as the No. 14 most dangerous place to live. The Democrat-controlled Colorado General Assembly is in session, busily passing bills for the governors signature, so what are they doing to address this crime wave? Unfortunately not much. We are at a critical juncture, as Colorado law enforcement agencies struggle to keep their ranks staffed if you take a look at the current job openings, there are almost 200 statewide. From Montrose to Sterling, agencies are trying their best to find new recruits and lateral transfers, and for the first time since 2017, the Colorado State Patrol opened a rare lateral academy pathway to address their shortfalls. After the riots of 2020, there was an exodus of officers taking retirement, moving out of state or leaving the law enforcement. At the same time, there were calls for defunding the police which led to budget cuts and academies being canceled. After this, the public faced increasing violent and property crime, so there was a call to refund the police, but it was too little, too late. In the wake of the recent East High School shootings, Denver Public Schools wants 160 police officers immediately, but the Denver Police Department doesnt have the people right now, so how do they explain this to the students and their parents? Where is the next generation of Colorado cops going to come from? Consider this working as a cop is one of the most dangerous jobs out there, with 245 line of duty deaths reported nationwide last year. Sign up for free: Gazette Opinion Receive updates from our editorial staff, guest columnists, and letters from Gazette readers. Sent to your inbox 12:00 PM. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. The hours are long, and your contacts with the public might be confrontational and violent. You might be allowed to collectively bargain, but you cant strike, and in Colorado you have no federal workplace protections, because OSHA standards do not apply to public sector employees. Commercial truck drivers and airline pilots have strict hours of service rules, yet no such requirements exist for police, who might be severely fatigued when called to make critical life or death decisions. Low pay, poor working conditions, and the elimination of qualified immunity not only puts the officers jobs at risk, but their financial stability as well. It is admirable that there is anyone who still wants to serve, but many are just waiting it out until they have enough years of service to retire with their pensions. There are some glimmers of hope state funds have been allocated to help pay for academy training for new recruits, and some departments have made plans to give their officers signing and retention bonuses. On the other hand, some agencies have reportedly lowered their standards in an attempt to recruit new officers. We have only to look to the past in Miami in the 1980s, or more recently in Memphis, Tenn., when large scale hiring of officers with substandard qualifications resulted in terrible fallout for those departments. Cops are human, and they make mistakes, so perfection can never be achieved. They must be paid appropriately for putting their lives on the line on a daily basis, and they deserve workplace protections far in excess of what they now have reasonable work and rest hours; two-person patrol cars, and the recognition that violent criminal behavior requires an appropriate use of force. If you dont like the job that cops in Colorado are doing now, you can certainly step up, attend an academy and put on a badge, body armor and a gun belt. Until then, be prepared to have the police not always show up when you call them, and get used to online crime reporting. The people who are still willing to serve need to be treated and valued better, lest we continue to lose these brave individuals, as they quit or move to other states that are more welcoming. Dr. John Williams is a public health physician, board-certified in occupational medicine, as well as a reserve law enforcement officer and academy instructor in southern Colorado. When the Episcopal Church Womens Thrift House opened nearly 65 years ago in Colorado Springs, the idea of reselling clothes and other goods that had taken a few trips around the block but were still spiffy enough for someone elses use was novel. It was one of the few in town, said Penny Bever, a volunteer of more than 30 years. Now theyre a dime a dozen. But the ranks of local charitable thrift shops are being depleted by two. The Episcopal Womens Thrift House is preparing to close its doors likely in April, said Diana Wieger, board president. Itll take that long to get through this months 75% off sale and move the spring merchandise next month, she says. Wieger cites rising costs of doing business and not getting enough business to cover the costs. Beyond that, Episcopal Church Women leaders mention unsavory neighborhood activity as another key reason. Homeless people are keeping customers away from the store and threatening staff and volunteers, Wieger said. Its ironically a population that has benefited from sales from the social enterprise. The thrift house opened in April of 1958 at 2812 W. Colorado Ave., on the citys west side, land now occupied by a small office building. In 1963, the nonprofit operation affiliated with area Episcopal churches relocated to 1027 S. Tejon St., where its been for the past 60 years. Churches helped the organization buy the property in 1984, Bever said. Today, just down the street there's a six-block campus that contains the citys largest homeless shelter and related services. The homeless population camping on the corner and sleeping on the sidewalks has made a lot of our regular customers literally afraid to come to the store anymore, Wieger said. Homeless people have climbed on the stores roof to hang out and use drugs, she said, which necessitated installing razor wire to keep them off the property. On top of that, One guy held an employee hostage in her office, Wieger said. Its been adding up; that and utilities are killing us. Also shutting down is the Academy Spouses Club Thrift Shop, which dates to at least the early 1970s, according to former employee Patty Landon. Sandwiched between Academy Federal Credit Union, the bases post office and the pharmacy inside the Air Force Academys community center, the thrift shop has been a reliable part of our military community, offering affordable clothing and household items for sale and on consignment, said Landon, who had worked as the stores assistant manager. News of the impending closure came as an abrupt blow to workers and volunteers, she said. It isnt based on business being bad we were raising money for the community and had no issues with the shop itself, Landon said. This is a political situation. Tenth Air Base Wing Cmdr. Col. Christopher Leonard announced a few weeks ago that the Academy Spouses Club Thrift Shop would be going out of business. As installation commander, Leonard has authority under Air Force policy to authorize and revoke authorization for private organizations to operate on the federal property, said Academy spokesman Dean Miller. Sign up for free: News Alerts Stay in the know on the stories that affect you the most. Sign Up For Free View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. After evaluating emerging USAFA (United States Air Force Academy) mission and space requirements and upon review of a request by the Academy Spouses Club to pause operations at their thrift shop, the installation commander exercised his authority to cease thrift shop operations in order to best serve USAFA mission needs, Miller said in an email. The Academy Spouses Club executive board would not provide an interview to The Gazette, instead providing a statement about the situation. In revising and updating its bylaws and constitution this year which is required every two years by all private organizations that operate on any military base the groups all-volunteer board discovered that the policies being used to govern ASC Thrift Shop operations were no longer fully compliant with changes made to Colorado and other relevant laws since 2021, the statement reads. After speaking with lawyers, members of the executive board requested from Leonard a pause in thrift shop operations, the statement said, to allow time to remedy the unnamed problems. Leonard told the club that a pause was not possible, and that the ASC Thrift Shop would need to be fully shutdown instead, according to the clubs statement. This response was a surprise to the Academy Spouses Club executive board, members said, adding, However, the board understands the installation commander's decision. Landon said the thrift store raised about $20,000 annually to fund the clubs dependent scholarship awards for military families and provide welfare grants to organization such as the Academys fire department, Douglas Valley Elementary School, Operation Homefront and others. The spouses club will continue fundraising efforts, the executive board said, and try new adventures and look for ways to expand. The thrift shop is returning all consignment items to owners, club members said. Donated stock will either be sold or donated to other charitable organizations, with the date of a final sale still to be determined. The space it occupies will be returned to the 10th Air Base Wing on March 31, club members said. A facility-use board evaluates requests for space on the Academy grounds through a formal process in support of mission requirements, Miller said. That will determine how the thrift store space will be used, he said. A change.org petition calling for the store to be saved has accumulated more than 150 signatures. It was quite a shock and seems completely unnecessary, Landon said. The decision has drawn a mixture of comments, Miller said. Shuttering the Episcopal Church Women Thrift House also will be difficult, say those affiliated with the longstanding nonprofit. In prosperous times, the store raised more than a quarter million dollars yearly, said Bever. The money was donated to a long list of nonprofits that help domestic violence victims, pregnant women, homeless and low-income residents, people needing affordable housing, families of sick children, juvenile offenders, senior citizens, military households, cancer survivors, foster kids and others in need. In the early days, the Thrift House held creative promotions to boost sales, Bever said. The most popular was the Snob Sale, which began in 1963 and occurred every October. Recycled riches were hauled out for the event, which was so in demand that police helped with traffic control because of crowd congestion. It was always considered one of the boutique, upscale thrift stores in town, Bever said. I think its going to leave a hole, yet I understand everything has a cycle, she said. Its just kind of sad overall. A Minneapolis-based nonprofit hopes to start construction in March on a mixed-used, affordable housing project in downtown Colorado Springs that supporters say would enhance the city's arts community by providing low-cost apartments and commercial space for artists, graphic designers and others. Artspace, which has nearly 60 projects in 23 states, recently completed a $1.8 million purchase of land and buildings at 315 E. Costilla St. where the project would be developed, while also finalizing its financing plan. The site is the former home of Rocky Mountain PBS and, before that, headquarters for the Gay and Lesbian Fund for Colorado. The organization, which describes itself as using "the tools of real estate development to create affordable, appropriate places where artists can live and work," bought the site last month from the Downtown Development Authority, the Colorado Springs quasigovernmental agency that promotes downtown's physical and economic growth and with whom Artspace partnered. "This is essential for our creative community, to know that the musicians and artists and chefs and all those folks who make downtown and the city a great place to live will have an opportunity to have a home, a place to be, that's affordable for them, around other creative people," said Susan Edmondson, president and CEO of the Downtown Partnership advocacy group and who wears similar hats with the Downtown Development Authority. Artspace aims to break ground around March 15 and complete the project 16 to 18 months later, said Lucas Koski, the group's property development director. The project will provide "long-term, sustainable and affordable rental options for the creative community in downtown Colorado Springs," he said in an Artspace news release. As planned, a 3,245-square-foot portion of a two-story building along Costilla Street will be demolished. A 1928, Spanish-style 2,500-square-foot portion of the existing building would be preserved, renovated and combined with a newly constructed, five-story building. When completed, the project will feature 51 one- and two-bedroom apartments and 7,500 square feet of community and commercial space, according to the news release. Rents will be priced to serve tenants who make 60% or less of the area's median household income; in general, apartment dwellers will pay hundreds of dollars less than Colorado Springs' average monthly rent, which at one point last year topped $1,570, according to a University of Denver report. Sign up for free: News Alerts Stay in the know on the stories that affect you the most. Sign Up For Free View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. Artspace's preference will be renters who are "working creatives" and artists, as well as their families, though the group follows fair housing practices and apartments will be open to everyone, Koski said. "The kind of ideal tenant is kind of a community minded, creative type," he said. The commercial space, meanwhile, could accommodate studios, galleries and small nonprofits, Koski said. The building, meanwhile, will be built to the National Green Building Standard, a rating system for homes and apartments approved by the American National Standards Institute, a nonprofit that coordinates voluntary standards on products, services, systems and the like. The Artspace project in Colorado Springs, according to the organization, will include photovoltaic capacity and EV-ready parking spaces. Public art, such as murals and sculptures, will be featured on the building's exterior and the site's east side. A rooftop deck, meanwhile, will offer mountain views. The project's cost of about $28 million, which excludes land, is being financed by a combination of sources that include federal American Rescue Plan Act money, federal low-income tax credits and a grant received last year from Colorado Creative Industries, a division of the state Office of Economic Development and International Trade, Koski said. El Paso County-issued private activity bonds will serve as a construction loan, he said. The group also continues to seek philanthropic donations, Koski said. Artspace would be one of the latest apartment projects in downtown Colorado Springs, where thousands of units have been built in recent years, are planned or under construction. Several local and out-of-town apartment developers have targeted downtown, which has attracted growing numbers of renters who enjoy an urban lifestyle and the ability to walk or bike to stores, restaurants, coffee shops, bars and nightclubs. The state Senate on Wednesday began working on the 2023-24 budget, and, at the conclusion of their efforts, blew an $85.5 million hole in the spending plan by, among other actions, allocating millions for a retirement fund and a small amount to pay for replacing Indian mascot imagery at a school. But those changes won't last. Lawmakers are considering a $38.5 billion spending package for the next fiscal year, including $14.7 billion in general fund dollars, an increase of about 8.9% from the current year's budget. Senators tackled Senate Bill 214, plus 32 additional measures intended to help balance that budget. And while two Joint Budget Committee members Sens. Jeff Bridges, D-Greenwood Village, and Barbara Kirkmeyer, R-Brighton jokingly told members last Friday the budget is perfect and needed no tweaking, senators found plenty of things they wanted to change. Senators offered 50 amendments to the $38.5 billion Long Appropriations Bill, adopting 17 of them. All but $520,000 of the $85 million in new spending senators seek is from general fund dollars, which is made up primarily of corporate and individual income tax and sales tax. That's the part of the budget over which lawmakers have the most control. Three amendments from 11 of the 12 members of the GOP caucus attempted to pay off the remaining $321.2 million owed to K-12 from the long-standing debt known as the budget stabilization factor. But JBC members said paying down the debt will come through the State Education Fund, and that will be handled in the School Finance Act, which has not yet been introduced. "We are all committed to paying down the budget stabilization factor," said JBC member Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, the only member of the GOP not signed onto the amendments. Part of the issue is to ensure that the buydown is sustainable, she said, adding that, in the future, she's asking the school finance act be introduced before the budget bill. Republicans also attempted to pay off the debt in its entirety last year through the budget bill. The most controversial amendment of the day came from Sen. Byron Pelton, R-Sterling, who sought to require the state to provide $356,701 in general fund dollars for the costs accrued by the Yuma school district to replace Indian mascot imagery. A 2021 state law, Senate Bill 116, sponsored by Sen. Jessie Danielson, D-Wheat Ridge, said a grant program within the Department of Education would cover those costs. To date, no schools have received any money from that program for their costs. Sign up for free: News Alerts Stay in the know on the stories that affect you the most. Sign Up For Free View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. Pelton later sought a recorded vote on the amendment. Danielson, who sponsored the law, including on how to pay for it, voted against it, arguing that schools had been on notice for at least five years to get rid of the mascots, and for those that didn't, "it's on them that they did not phase out their mascots or choose to put in new floors in the gyms." Indigenous communities did not support using the Department of Education BEST (Building Excellent Schools Together) program money to pay for the changes, Danielson said. It was the only amendment Kirkmeyer supported, pointing out that Yuma's mascot was designed by a native American. She also said the legislation allowed for schools to apply for those grants. The amendment passed on an 18-17 vote. Pelton hugged Kirkmeyer, the deciding vote, afterwards. Some of lawmakers' favored programs also received a spending boost. The Tony Grampsas Youth Services Program in the Department of Human Services, for example, received a $1 million boost in its general fund support, an amendment from Sen. James Coleman, D-Denver. Among the biggest ticket items added to the budget was an amendment from Sen. Chris Kolker, D-Littleton, to pay $30.6 million to the Public Employees Retirement Association and cover interest from a missed $250 million payment several years ago. Another $35 million, from amendments offered by both Democrats and Republicans, would go to the community crime victims grant program in the Department of Public Safety. Sen. Julie Gonzales, D-Denver won support for an amendment putting $14 million into two programs in the Department of Education, with $10 million for a behavioral health care professional matching grant program and $4 million for school counselor corps grant program. Family planning services at the Department of Public Health & Environment also got a $1 million boost. Community groups have been advocating for that addition in the wake of additional caseload, the result of the U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade. The smallest change was $11,727 in general fund dollars for the civil air patrol program, also in the Department of Public Safety, via an amendment from Sen. Kevin Van Winkle, R-Highlands Ranch. Lawmakers also worked through all but one of the 32 orbitals designed to help balance the budget. The measures will be up for a final vote on Thursday, and then the budget bill and its orbitals head back to the Joint Budget Committee, which will strip out all of the amendments and send the bills to the House next week. Being safe isnt something most people think about constantly, but for Gina Lott, who for three years has been homeless and living in her car, in a tent and at Colorado Springs emergency shelters, its been a daily concern. Soon, she wont have to worry as much about safety and will be able to focus on other issues, like her physical and mental health. I started crying happy tears when I heard the news, she said. After applying for housing almost exactly one year ago, Lott received word earlier this month while she was staying at the Salvation Armys local shelter with her nearly 1-year-old baby and 17-year-old daughter that her request is being fulfilled. I hadnt had much interest in trying to put it back together for a while not having a place makes it a big challenge, she said. This is an answer to a lot of prayers. Ill have a safe spot where I can start to put things back together. Its hopefully going to be life changing. Miller is one of 42 families and individuals selected as inaugural residents of a new affordable-housing development for homeless people in Colorado Springs called The Commons, a few blocks north of The Citadel mall. The 50-unit complex is Colorado Springs first permanent, supportive housing complex for families, said Beth Roalstad, executive director of Homeward Pikes Peak, which provides supportive housing and recovery services for homeless people. The campus also is unique in that it will have 24/7 on-site staff and ongoing case management for residents, said Brooke Sulski, Homeward Pikes Peaks lead case manager for The Commons. In general, Im hearing that they dont believe it like its too good to be true, Sulski said. A lot have never had a home, they have bad credit, they have felonies and limited landlords will work with them. Homeward Pikes Peak and Denver-based Rocky Mountain Communities, which will manage the property, built the complex, the first of two that will be erected on the site. Increased costs of building materials and labor pushed the $18.6 million price of the project to $19.9 million, Roalstad said. Residents were supposed to start moving in on March 20, but final walk-throughs showed elements that still need attention, Sulski said. Move-ins should happen in the next two weeks, she said. Lott cant wait. Smiles emerged and tears flowed while she, her two youngest children and her husband Timothy toured the property Wednesday for the first time. Weve lived places that were smaller than the size of this bathroom, Lott said during a peek at a three-bedroom apartment. Im just really excited to finish putting the rest of life back together so we can be self-sustaining again. The gated development provides independent living not lockdown in one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments that come fully furnished, with everything they need to live, from new dishes and cookware to bedding, cleaning supplies and furniture, Sulski said. Its a no-frills building but special touches such as bunkbeds, doorbells, intercoms, a trash chute, a free laundry room on every floor, a fitness center and a food pantry make it welcoming and homey. Eight of the units are set aside for homeless military veterans and are being handled through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Prospective tenants were offered the opportunity to live there after representatives from local agencies that serve the homeless combed through hundreds of names compiled from a registration and management system of indigent people who had signed up for housing. People selected qualify for permanent supportive-housing vouchers, Sulski said. Sign up for free: News Alerts Stay in the know on the stories that affect you the most. Sign Up For Free View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. Under the model, residents are accepted with substance abuse, mental illness, physical limitations, joblessness and other constraints, and include people who are usually rejected elsewhere, she said. Reduced income has prevented Tarin Rahl and her special-needs daughter from getting back into a permanent home, until now. Frequent moves the last two to a homeless shelter, then a transitional housing program in an old motel have exacerbated behavioral and cognitive problems for the 9-year-old girl, her mom said. Shes not medically stable enough for me to work a regular, full-time job, Rahl said. Rahl, 36, says her daughter is excited about having her own bedroom at The Commons a first in her life. We talked about her decorating it and possibly getting a sensory swing, Rahl said. The indoor swing attaches to the ceiling and helps regulate a childs senses and prevents meltdowns, she said. Rahls goal is to have a safe place for my daughter to get stable enough so I can go back to work. In the past, she has been a cook and a behavioral health technician. Tenants pay 30% of their income in rent and can live at The Commons indefinitely, as they receive help with medical and mental needs, employment, counseling, group activities, budgeting, clothing for job interviews and other assistance. Homeward Pikes Peak was awarded a Statewide Supportive Housing Expansion grant so new residents who receive Medicaid benefits can obtain the medical and behavioral health care they need, Roalstad said. This is beneficial because case managers will be able to help clients stabilize, live successfully in an apartment rather than an emergency shelter, doubled up with friends and families, and access food resources and community supports, Roalstad said. Altogether, this will reduce the Medicaid members utilization of expensive emergency room health care or being in crisis all the time. A series of misfortunes in a short period of time, starting with the death of one of her four children and continuing with a family breakdown, her grandson being sent to foster care, the murder of her best friend, her mom being diagnosed with cancer, her boyfriend going to prison and her daughter ending up in juvenile detention and then prison led to Lotts job loss, eviction and homelessness. It was a lot to handle, she said. Lott also got into trouble with the law and went to jail last spring. A month later, in April of 2022, Miller had another baby. I had given up on getting assistance, she said. But while living in shelters she found help from various organizations that supplied bus passes, diapers and baby gear, and legal assistance. Lott has been dedicated in applying for programs and following through with setting and achieving goals to improve her life, Sulski said. You guys deserve this, Sulski told Lott and her family Wednesday. You worked really hard, and you did it. Organizations including Catholic Charities of Central Colorado, Peak Vista Community Health Centers, Diversus and Pikes Peak Workforce Center will have representatives on The Commons campus. The next phase, a 69-unit apartment complex with an estimated price tag of $36 million, is being planned, Roalstad said. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday identified two officers who fatally shot a man when investigators say he tried to stab police during a 911 call in Rio Grande County in south-central Colorado. Monte Vista police Sgt. Michael Martinez and Cpl. David Pino have been on administrative leave since the shooting on March 21 that left an 18-year-old man dead. Officers were sent to 1007 S. Broadway Street in Monte Vista around 12:35 p.m. for a report of a violent suspect in a home who was wielding two knives. A man jumped from a front window of the home and began running at police while swinging both knives, barely missing the officers, according to a news release. Pino deployed his Taser, and Martinez fired his handgun. Pino also fired his gun as he fell backward. The suspect, whose name has not been released, was pronounced dead at the scene. The shooting remains under investigation, according to the CBI. Monte Vista is about 180 miles southwest of Colorado Springs. A wildfire crossing Park and Teller county lines has spread 1,047 acres Thursday, officials said in an 8:41 p.m. update. The 403 fire, initially burning along County Road 403 southeast of Eleven Mile State Park Thursday morning, spread near county lines into the afternoon and evening, prompting several evacuations. Click or tap here for the latest updates from Thursday's wildfires in the Pikes Peak region, including in Park County. Teller County authorities ordered mandatory evacuations for the area stretching from County Road 46 to Wilson Drive and for residents of the Wilson Lakes and Forest Glenn subdivisions. A pre-evacuation warning was later issued for Valley Hi and Florissant Heights subdivisions, according to Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell. Residents in the area are asked to evacuate immediately if in danger. Emergency shelters for evacuees are set up at the Woodland Park Community Center at 800 Valley View Drive. Officials announced at 8:19 p.m. the power and gas will be cut off south of Highway 24 and west Teller 1 to the County line, mainly impacting the subdivisions of Wilson Lakes and Forest Glenn. Click or tap here for the latest updates from Thursday's wildfires in the Pikes Peak region, including in Park County. Park County residents within one mile of County Road 403 and Alpine Meadow Lane were previously ordered to evacuate at 11:39 a.m. The alert said structures in the area are threatened by the grassfire. An alert issued at 11:39 a.m. Thursday orders residents within one mile of County Road 403 and Alpine Meadow Lane to evacuate immediately. The alert said structures in the area are threatened by the grassfire. Although people may have time to gather necessary items, the alert said to do so at your own risk. On March 30, at 11:39 AM residents in the 1 mile area of County Road 403 and Alpine Meadow Lane are advised to evacuate immediately due to a fire in the area. This is a full and immediate evacuation residents are asked to leave immediately. https://t.co/vHqyD59GiL pic.twitter.com/8thfeaWM8X Park County (@ParkCounty) March 30, 2023 A state firefighting helicopter is providing support by air. According to the Teller County Sheriffs Office, smoke is visible in the west part of the county because of the fire burning behind the Florissant Fossil beds. Officials are asking the public to call 911 only if they see active flames, or a plume of smoke. The Department of Public Health and Environment issued an air quality advisory for southeastern Park County and western Teller County. Park County officials advise citizens to remain indoors if smoke becomes too thick in their neighborhood, especially the young, the elder, and those with heart disease, or respiratory illness. For immediate updates, residents can call the evacuation line at 719-836-4200 This article will be updated once more information is received. Merkel's party backs Steinmeier for hotly contested presidency German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) will endorse Social Democrat Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier as a candidate for the presidency, according to sources in the government. GALLERY Although the role of German president is largely ceremonial, the candidate is meant to represent Germany internationally; the presidency is therefore hotly contested between rival parties. Berlin (dpa) - The centre-right CDU, which heads a grand coalition with the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), agreed to back Steinmeier in response to a suggestion from SPD leader Sigmar Gabriel, who is also Merkels deputy."Steinmeier is going to be an excellent president. He represents responsibility, reliability and unity," said Thomas Opperman, the head of the SPDs parliamentary group.The news comes after protracted talks between the leaders of the SPD, the CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU).The CSU hasnt yet officially announced its own endorsement, but its leader, Horst Seehofer, said Monday that the parties were "in agreement."After a candidate is officially put forward, they must be approved by a special constitutional convention on February 12. Each term runs for five years.Although the role of German president is largely ceremonial, the candidate is meant to represent Germany internationally; the presidency is therefore hotly contested between rival parties. CHARLES CITY A Charles City man has been charged with possessing an untraceable machine pistol. Last week, a federal grand jury charged Jamal Brandon Smith, 21, with possession of a machine gun, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime. An ATF agent detained Smith on Friday in Charles City and he was taken to the Linn County Jail in Cedar Rapids to await a court appearance. The charges stem from a June 16, 2022, traffic stop north of Nashua on U.S. Highway 218 in which Chickasaw County sheriffs deputies found a scale, a large amount of marijuana and a 9 mm Polymer 80 pistol with a full-auto switch. The handgun didnt have a serial number. Polymer 80 is a brand of partially completed firearm frame that can be finished with common tools and readily available barrels, slides and trigger sets. Often referred to as ghost guns, the homemade weapons dont have serial numbers and cant be traced by authorities. Last year, new federal regulations went into place to require kit manufactures to add traceable serial numbers, require sales to be through licensed firearms dealers and require purchasers to undergo background checks. The switches are aftermarket accessories that replace the back plate on Glock-style pistols to convert the weapons to full-automatic fire. They are often illegally imported from China. Both ghost guns and switches have been found in local law enforcement investigations in recent years. Severe weather is being forecast for the area today (Tuesday), with the possibility for high winds, hail, rain and tornadoes. Be prepared with the information and items you and your family may need in a disaster. The forecast calls for wind gusts up to 40 mph and light rain in the morning before giving way to thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening. Highs are expected to be around 51 degrees. According to the National Weather Service, rain accumulation is expected to be around a quarter-inch, but some places could see more accumulation if thunderstorms hit the area. There are a number of things to consider when preparing for a disaster. Generally, one should consider: How will I get emergency warnings? Outdoor warning systems are designed to be heard outdoors only. They warn you when to seek shelter. Do not rely on outdoor sirens for weather warnings when inside. Weather radio, local radio and television can give you up-to-date information. Ninety of Iowa's 99 counties use the Alert Iowa emergency notification system. It is an opt-in system that allows you to choose the alerts you receive. Programmable weather radios can be operated on electric current or battery power. Choose one that offers both power sources for accurate information during an event. What is the plan for shelter or evacuation? Disasters and emergency situations can take many forms. Some may require evacuation of your home or business, while others may require you to shelter in place. Have an emergency kit ready for either scenario and know not only the route you will take, but your eventual meeting place if you are separated from or not at the same location as your family or household. How will I contact my family? In some emergency situations, cell service will not available. Make arrangements ahead of time for ways to contact family and friends, especially for the elderly or disabled. Satellite phone service is available from some phone providers and does not require cell towers for use. If you do not have access, have a safe meeting place and a plan to reach it. Do I have what I need? The Cerro Gordo County Emergency Management office's website recommends an emergency supply kit containing the following items: Water and non-perishable food for each person for 3-5 days. First aid kit. Battery-operated flashlight and radio, and extra batteries for each. Extra clothing and bedding (including shoes). Personal hygiene items. Specialty items such as prescription medications, baby formula, diapers and pet supplies. Plates, cups, utensils and a can opener. Copies of important documents such as drivers licenses, birth certificates, insurance policies and financial information. "The most important thing is getting those warnings. There are lots of ways to stay on top of emergency information, especially weather information. We've got apps for the phone, radio, tv, weather radio and outdoor warning systems. Sign up for Alert Iowa, watch for updates on our Facebook and Twitter pages or follow the Weather Service," said Eric Whipple, coordinator for Cerro Gordo County Emergency Management Agency last week. Whipple watches the National Weather Service closely for details on the upcoming storm. Spring thunderstorms can cause localized damage as well as widespread emergency situations. When high winds are predicted, secure outdoor items such as garbage cans, umbrellas and outdoor toys to prevent injury. Photos: Scenes of the devastation from deadly Mississippi tornado DES MOINES Iowa House and Senate lawmakers advanced bills restricting certain instruction and library books in Iowa schools and allowing teachers to remove disruptive students from classrooms on Wednesday. Senate File 496 passed out of a five-member subcommittee along party lines on Wednesday. The bill would put restrictions on Iowa schools when it comes to gender identity, sexual orientation and school libraries, and require schools to provide parents with course materials and the option to opt out of school instruction. Among the bills provisions are: Schools could not provide instruction related to gender identity and sexual orientation in kindergarten through sixth grade Any books that detail or depict sex acts would be barred from school libraries. If any employee in a school district believes a student is expressing a gender identity different from the one assigned at birth, the district would need to inform the parent. If the district believes the student would be harmed by notifying parents, they could notify the Health and Human Services department instead. Schools would need written consent from parents to call a student by a different set of pronouns. Schools would need to list the books in the districts library online and provide a process for parents to challenge curriculum and school library materials. Rep. Skyler Wheeler, R-Hull, who chairs the House Education Committee, said he plans to amend the bill when the committee meets to consider it on Thursday, but he did not say what the amendment would include. The bill passed the Senate last week with only Republican support, 34-16. A few of the bills provisions, like restricting library books and banning instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation, were already passed by the House under separate bills. If the bill passes the House with an amendment, the Senate would need to pass it again before it goes to Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds desk for a signature. Education and LGBTQ rights advocates spoke in opposition to the bill during the subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, bringing up oppositions they have leveled against similar bills throughout the session. Damian Thompson, a lobbyist for Iowa Safe Schools, said requiring parental notification if any employee of the school district reasonably believes a student has expressed a gender identity different from their sex assigned at birth would create problems. We can talk about janitors, cafeteria workers, paraeducators, theyre not trained or have the correct tools to make that determination, Thompson said. A group of parents, many with the conservative activist group Moms for Liberty, supported the bill, saying it would give parents a greater say in their childrens education and keep instruction appropriate for all students. These are all common sense things that should be happening anyways within our schools, but are not, said Pam Gronau, a parent and Moms for Liberty member from Urbandale. Parents have proven this to our legislators by providing countless examples from our schools. Opponents of the bill also argued the provisions dealing with library books, which would disqualify books if they included any in a list of sex acts defined in Iowa Code section 702.17, would ban a range of classic literature. But Rep. Steve Holt, R-Denison, denied that, saying the books the bill targets are explicit and obscene. Republicans and supporters of efforts to restrict what is present in school libraries have pointed to books like Gender Queer, All Boys Arent Blue and the Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian as among the books they want to see inaccessible in school libraries. Last week, Northwest Junior High in Coralville, Iowa received false bomb threats that appear to be in connection with nationwide efforts to cause disruption and panic as well as draw attention to the availability of the book This Book is Gay in school libraries," the school district's superintendent Matt Degner said in an email to families and staff. The district temporarily removed the book from its library shelves as it undergoes a reconsideration process, Degner said. The school was referenced in a tweet by right-wing Twitter account Libs of TikTok, which said the school offers the book that teaches kids about gay sex and encourages the use of sex apps. A school district in New York was evacuated last week because of an emailed bomb threat that referenced the book. Senate advances disruptive students bill Senate lawmakers on Wednesday also advanced a House-passed bill that would set a statewide policy for disciplining disruptive and violent students in public K-12 schools. House File 604 permits teachers to remove disruptive students from a classroom under the supervision of a school resource officer or lead administrator. It would require an in-school suspension and a counseling session after the first two incidents, but a third episode of violent or disruptive behavior would require the school to consider transferring the student to another class or learning environment, including a therapeutic classroom. The bill also sets up a process for educators to report incidents of classroom violence and damage to school property to the State Ombudsman for investigation. It requires the principal or lead administrator to notify the parents or guardians of students responsible for the incident within 24 hours. It also requires notification of parents of guardians of student who are the victim or target of violence. This is a bill that ensures instances of violence in the classroom and the school are handled quickly and seriously, said Sen. Lynn Evans, a Republican from Aurelia who chaired the subcommittee that recommended approval by the full Senate Education Committee. Sen. Claire Celsi, D-West Des Moines, questioned what would happen to students in cases where districts do not have a therapeutic classroom. Evans said the bill remains a work in progress and will be amended on the floor, including addressing concerns about disciplining students for disability-related outburst and behavior that contradicts their individualized educational plan and federal guidance. Evans, too, said the bill will likely be amended to ensure schools have developmentally appropriate options for kids in kindergarten and early elementary grades rather than an immediate in-school suspension after an initial fight or disruption in class. This is not a complete bill, Evans said, but said he believes it important to advance the bill to ensure a safe, conducive learning environment for all students. According to the Iowa Department of Education, there were 63,667 instances of students being removed from classrooms last school year. Of those, approximately 47 percent involved violence, according to an analysis of the bill by the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency. An October report from the Iowa Department of Education report on student violence in Iowa classrooms, though, indicates there were nearly 2,000 assaults during the last school year, causing more than 1,700 injuries. The department also reported more than 1,100 incidents of property damage caused by students during the 2021-22 school year. The bill passed out of the Senate Education Committee unanimously, making it eligible for debate and vote on the Senate floor. PHOTOS: Iowa LGBTQ Rights Rally at Capitol Iowa LGBTQ Rights Rally Iowa LGBTQ Rights Rally Iowa LGBTQ Rights Rally Iowa LGBTQ Rights Rally Iowa LGBTQ Rights Rally Iowa LGBTQ Rights Rally Iowa LGBTQ Rights Rally Iowa LGBTQ Rights Rally Iowa LGBTQ Rights Rally Iowa LGBTQ Rights Rally Iowa LGBTQ Rights Rally Iowa LGBTQ Rights Rally Iowa LGBTQ Rights Rally Iowa LGBTQ Rights Rally Iowa LGBTQ Rights Rally Iowa LGBTQ Rights Rally Iowa LGBTQ Rights Rally The Mountain Valley Pipeline moved one step closer to completion Wednesday, winning approval of a stream crossing permit from an appellate court that it previously said has shown continued hostility to the project. A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found no reason to disturb a water quality certification granted in December 2021 by the State Water Control Board and Department of Environmental Quality. The long-delayed natural gas pipeline needs the permit to finish work on 236 stream and wetland crossings in Virginia. Mountain Valley continues to make significant progress in obtaining the few remaining authorizations needed to complete the MVP and continues to target a late 2023 in-service date, company spokeswoman Natalie Cox wrote in an email. A lawsuit by environmental groups contended that the water board and DEQ acted arbitrarily and capriciously by failing to do three things: consider alternative water crossings for the 42-inch diameter pipe, verify whether each crossing was the least damaging option, and properly assess whether the pipeline complies with water quality standards. In rejecting all three arguments, the court held that there is evidence in the record which indicates that the agencies did not simply rubber stamp MVPs proposed crossing methods. Rather, the agencies asked a number of clarifying questions to ensure they were satisfied that a long and complicated regulatory process had been properly followed, the courts opinion stated. Pipeline opponents said Wednesday that the fight is far from over. This one decision does not weaken our resolve to stop destruction from the MVP, said David Sligh, conservation director of Wild Virginia, which joined other environmental and community groups in challenging the permit. The water quality certification is a prerequisite to a separate permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which has yet to be granted and could face yet another court fight. And a state approval in West Virginia, where the 303-mile pipeline begins, is still under review by the Fourth Circuit. In oral arguments held last year, the same three judges that upheld the Virginia water certification Tuesday had sharper questions about a similar decision by the states counterpart, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. A decision in that case, expected in the coming days or weeks, could mark another setback for Mountain Valley in its on-again, off-again construction that began in early 2018. The pipeline runs through the New River and Roanoke valleys on its way to connect with an existing pipeline near Chatham. Since work started, the Fourth Circuit has thrown out close to a dozen permits issued by state and federal agencies, forcing them to go back to the drawing board and issue new authorizations for the highly controversial pipeline. Mountain Valley is currently awaiting a U.S. Forest Service approval twice rejected by the appellate court for it to pass through a 3.5-mile section of the Jefferson National Forest in Giles and Montgomery counties. Opponents say that running such a large pipeline across steep mountain slopes and through pristine streams and rivers has caused the environmental disaster they predicted from the start. One of the tragedies of the MVP story is the great harm that the pipeline builders have inflicted on the environment and the people along its path, Sligh said, a reference to the companys use of eminent domain to take private land and its record of violating erosion and sediment control regulations. Many of the Fourth Circuits decisions have cited environmental concerns about what will be the largest natural gas pipeline built in Virginia. Last summer, Mountain Valley took the unusual step of questioning the judgment of a three-judge panel chief judge Roger Gregory, Stephanie Thacker and James Wynn that has repeatedly ruled against it. 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, company lawyers said in court papers. Citing the panels continued hostility, they asked the court to randomly select another three judges to hear future cases. The motion was denied. Wednesdays opinion came from Gregory, Thacker and Wynn the same judges that Mountain Valley had earlier sought to avoid. BEI/Caroline Martin (fr. l. to r.) Fernand Wies, alderman of the municipality of Steinsel; Fernand Marchetti, mayor of the municipality of Steinsel; Yuriko Backes, Minister of Finance; Joelle Welfring, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development; Kris Peeters, Vice-President of the Vice-President of the European Investment Bank MECDD Group photo BEI/Caroline Martin Presentation of an agreement to restore the Alzette On Thursday, 30 March, Minister of Finance, Yuriko Backes, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development, Joelle Welfring, and Vice-President of the European Investment Bank (EIB), Kris Peeters, presented a financing agreement between Luxembourg and the EIB to fund the ecological restoration of the Alzette river and its tributary, the Petrusse. The works will cover a section of the Alzette located in the town of Steinsel, and a section of the Petrusse located in Luxembourg City. The project has received an EIB loan for 9 million, granted under the Natural Capital Financing Facility (NCFF), part of the European Union's LIFE programme. On a visit to Steinsel, participants viewed a portion of the river that had already been restored in order to form an idea of the final outcome. Coordinated by Luxembourg's Minister for the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development and its Water Management Authority, the project is part of a larger long-term programme to restore the Alzette river network from Luxembourg City to Mersch. The restoration works for the Petrusse are also part of a large-scale ecological restoration of the Petrusse valley, intended to revitalise its damaged and altered ecosystems. Thanks to this project, to be completed in several phases, heavily urbanised sections of river will resume a more natural course. Their banks will also be restored to create natural habitats for flora and fauna. Planting riverside vegetation and allowing plant life to thrive on the banks will serve to create an ecological corridor. The restoration will let the water flow more naturally and slowly, reducing the risk of flooding. The measure constitutes a nature-based adaptation to climate change risk that will improve flood protection in and downstream of Luxembourg's capital. The project will also serve to reconnect the Petrusse with the Alzette by creating a softer incline at the river junction and adding a crossway for fish. The ecological restoration programme is based on an in-depth study of the natural changes and man-made developments in the Alzette river valley, and is being carried out in close collaboration with the local authorities. The sections of river that have already been restored are now seeing the return of native habitats and species such as beavers. The project is part of the NCFF under the European Union's LIFE programme. This facility supports projects devoted to biodiversity and/or nature-based adaptation to climate change. It has already permitted the successful financing of several programmes to restore rivers in different EU Member States, including this one in Luxembourg, the last project to have been selected before the NCFF was closed. (Financial and technical support will continue to be provided through the InvestEU Advisory Hub.) Following speeches by the ministers and the EIB vice-president, as well as an overview of the feasibility study, the project was explained in detail by civil engineering consultant Micha Bunusevac (see attached PPT). Minister of Finance, Yuriko Backes, remarked, "Today, I am proud to be able to add this agreement to our portfolio of fruitful cooperation with the EIB. Having the financial support of government and local authorities, and of the multilateral community, is essential in order to promote the investments we need to protect the environment. Not only will the works to be financed restore the natural balance of the Alzette with benefits for biodiversity, recreation, flood control and the local landscape but they will ultimately provide opportunities for climate change mitigation and sustainable economic development in the region. Joelle Welfring, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development, continued, "I am delighted at this exemplary and extremely important collaboration to restore our Alzette. This project is a perfect example of what it takes to face the impact of climate change. This ecological restoration will provide better protection against flooding, while the restored wetland areas will also continue to feed into our water tables and riverways, reducing the impact of drought. At the same time, renaturation fosters biodiversity by recreating ecological webs and improving water quality using natural means. EIB Vice-president, Kris Peeters, highlighted, "The efforts made by the Luxembourg authorities and the quality of the projects undertaken for the Alzette and the Petrusse are remarkable. We are pleased to be a part of these investments with strong environmental and climate facets. Their impact will soon be measurable in these ecosystems by the return of biodiversity, and is essential for people living nearby, who will enjoy greater flood risk protection a 'win-win' situation for the environment and inhabitants. And we are all the more pleased to note that this project, now under the LIFE programme label, aligns perfectly with the European Green Deal, which plans for the ecological restoration of 25 000 km of river by 2030. Virginijus Sinkevicius, European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, remarked, "We welcome the commitment of the Luxembourg authorities to the renaturalization of the Alzette and the Petrusse. Fighting the degradation of our ecosystems and reversing their artificialization is essential for the well-being of fauna, flora and citizens. We are therefore pleased that the 'Natural Capital Finance Facility' of the LIFE programme supports such renaturalization projects across Europe. About the European Investment Bank The EIB is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its 27 Member States. It provides long-term finance in support of quality projects to contribute to help achieve key EU objectives in Europe and the rest of the world. Operating in around 160 countries, the EIB is the world's largest multilateral lender to climate action projects. For more information, visit www.eib.org. About the Natural Capital Financing Facility The Natural Capital Financing Facility - NCFF is a joint instrument of the EIB and the European Commission financed under the LIFE programme, the European Union's funding instrument for the environment and climate action. It has supported projects dedicated to biodiversity and/or nature-based adaptation to climate change. It has been financed from the EIB's own resources and benefited from a 50 million guarantee and 10 million of technical assistance under the LIFE programme. The NCFF is no longer open for new projects, however future projects supporting biodiversity objectives may be financed under InvestEU, contributing to achieve the European Green Deal. EIB continues to offer specific advisory support for such projects, through InvestEU Advisory. For more on Financing Conservation and Nature-based solutions, see also: Investing in Nature A Practical Guide for Europe. Press release by the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development and the European Investment Bank (EIB) GREENSBORO A 26-year-old man was taken into custody early Wednesday after police responded to calls about an active shooter at an arcade at Four Seasons mall. Officers from throughout the city responded to Round1 Bowling & Amusement just before 1:30 a.m. in the 100 block of Four Seasons Town Center. The business closes at 2 a.m., according to its website. Police were told a suspect had entered the arcade and that there was potentially one victim inside, Greensboro police said in a news release. While officers were inside conducting a safety sweep, other officers who were arriving on scene saw the suspect leaving in a white Cadillac Escalade. The driver crashed into a parking lot blockade, and officers began issuing commands for the man to step out of the vehicle. After 30 minutes of commands, the man exited the SUV and officers placed him under arrest without further incident, police said. No one was injured inside the business or in the parking lot. Police said Guiliano Salvatore Anthony Postek was transported to a local hospital for evaluation due to the possibility of ingesting narcotics. Postek has charges pending, which police said will include discharging a firearm within an enclosure to incite fear, armed to the terror of the public, discharging a firearm within city limits, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, injury to personal property, injury to real property, simple possession of marijuana, careless and reckless driving and hit and run. GREENSBORO An exhibit featuring UNCG students' designs for spaces to commemorate Guilford County's sole known lynching victim opens Friday at the International Civil Rights Museum in downtown Greensboro. That victim was Eugene Hairston, a Black teenager who was arrested in 1887 after being accused of assaulting a white 17-year-old, then kidnapped from jail and hanged by a mob. The exhibit is called Design Activism: Imagining Spaces for Social Justice, Peace, and Reconciliation. The opening reception for the exhibit will take place from 6-8 p.m. Friday with a program beginning at 6:15 p.m. It is free and open to the public on Friday night and included in the admission price for the museum thereafter. Face coverings are required. Guilford County Community Remembrance Project and UNC-Greensboro's Departments of Interior Architecture and African American and African Diaspora Studies collaborated for the exhibit. The GCCRP is one of hundreds of groups across the country working along parallel paths to confront the legacy of racial terror lynching, as part of a national community remembrance project created by the Equal Justice Institute, a nonprofit organization founded by lawyer Bryan Stevenson. Click the following link for registration for Friday's event: Opening of Exhibit of Museum Designs for Memory & Justice (constantcontact.com) " " Sometimes the ritual of surgery can be as effective as an actual procedure. HRAUN/Getty Images Usually, when we think of a placebo it's a harmless sugar pill, taken in place of an experimental drug. This is common practice, so that medical researchers can compare the results between two groups of volunteers and thus determine if the new treatment is effective. Less common are placebo or sham surgeries. These involve sedation, scalpels and stitches, but just not the actual intervention. Even though they are relatively rare, they are sometimes used to determine in studies how effective a "real" surgery is. For example, a 2013 study out of Finland looked at the results of 146 patients, some of whom had arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (a common knee surgery), and some of whom just had an incision with no actual repair. Researchers concluded that outcomes were no better for the people who received the full procedure, compared with those who underwent the placebo. Advertisement A 2014 study from the University of Oxford in England found that there was essentially no difference between patients who underwent real surgery for shoulder impingement, compared with those who "only" had a hole drilled in. For what it's worth, everyone who signed up for the study knew that they might get a sham surgery, a real surgery or no surgery at all. The study on shoulder impingement surgery was repeated in 2018 in Finland with similar results both groups had equally little shoulder pain two years after the procedure, whether they had received the real or the sham surgery. "With nearly 21,000 decompression surgeries done in the U.K. every year, and ten times that many in the United States, the impact of this study is huge," said adjunct professor Simo Taimela, the research director of the Finnish Centre for Evidence-Based Orthopedics (FICEBO) at the University of Helsinki in a press release. Teppo Jarvinen, M.D., Ph.D., chief surgeon at Helsinki University Hospital and a professor and academic head at the University of Helsinki was one of the researchers in the 2018 study. He says the patients in the placebo group underwent the same procedure as those in the other group except for the critical part, "which is the removal of bone from the acromion (a hook-shaped extension of the scapular bone) to allegedly decompress the passage of the rotator cuff tendons)," he says by email. This was a randomized trial and patients were informed in advance that they could be in either group and if their symptoms didn't improve in six months, they could "cross over" and get the actual surgery if they had been in the placebo surgery group, according to the study. Jarvinen considers performing placebo surgery vital to the success of the study. "Given the large contextual ('placebo') effect of surgery on patients (and also caregivers), both the patients (evaluating the outcome of surgery) and the caregivers and researchers (evaluating the success of surgery from their own perspective and possible influencing patients with their own views) have to be blind to the treatment given to be able to objectively assess the outcome/success of the treatment given." As surgery can be painful, expensive and difficult to recover from, it's easy to see why many people consider placebo surgery to be unethical. "Those kinds of operations are ethically unacceptable," says Dr. Lewis Flint, editor-in-chief of the American College of Surgeons journal, Selected Readings in General Surgery. He notes that this is his personal opinion and not necessarily reflective of any policies with the American College of Surgeons. "When we do medical research we operate under the first 'do no harm' rule and that is what the ethical basis of avoiding placebo surgery is," he adds. The problem that Flint and many other medical researchers have with placebo surgeries is that operations expose patients to risk of complications, however small. In their opinion, this risk is not worth it for comparison's sake. Helena resident Ellen Baumler was presented the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution Woman in American History medal and certificate last month by the Oro Fino Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution for her work on chronicling Montana history and celebrating Womens History Month. Known as the Interpretive Historian at the Montana Historical Society for more than 25 years, she also was host of the show "History on the Go" on Cherry Creek Radio. Baumler was honored by the Montana Association of Museums for excellence and distinction. Since her retirement, folks are calling her Montana Historian Emeritus. Baumler, 74, is an award-winning author of 22 books on Goodreads. Her first book was Montana Moments, her most popular book is Montana Chillers: 13 True Tales of Ghosts and Hauntings and her most recent book is The Life of the Afterlife in the Big Sky State: A History of Montanas Cemeteries. She also has written chapters and forewords in numerous books and countless magazine articles that she describes as often telling the most funny, bizarre and interesting stories from my research into Montana history. She is especially well-known as a storyteller. Her haunted trolley tours and tours of Helena, her knowledge of Montanas history, and her knack of weaving the past with the supernatural have delighted audiences of all ages across Montana. Baumler is a popular member of the Humanities Montana Speakers Bureau and developed tours of historic districts, successfully submitting numerous National Register nominations. She wrote many historical interpretive signs posted along the highways that inform Montanans and tourists on their travels, and she was featured onscreen as a Montana history expert. Baumler enjoyed teaching Montana history in classrooms across the state and says on her Facebook page, I loved teaching GED in so many bizarre places across Pima County and later as supervisor of Eastside Learning Center. Wonderful colleagues and so many memorable students. It was a rewarding experience a lifetime ago! Montana Womens History project began in 2014 as part of a commemoration of the 100th anniversary of womens suffrage in Montana. It was designed to help the Montana Historical Society promote an increased appreciation and understanding of the role of women in the Treasure States past. Baumler continues to be a significant contributor to the videos and blogs that expand information to include homesteaders, bankers, doctors and other women beyond schoolmarms and madams. Also known as a horsewoman, Baumler treasured many hours with horses Chip and Rica, and riding horses with her daughter, Katherine. In 2011, Baumler was honored with the Governors Award for the Humanities and received the 2017 Peter Yegen Award for her involvement in fostering the collection, preservation and interpretation of our heritage and culture. The Montana State Society of Daughters of the American Revolution was honored to have Baumler write the foreword for the 125th anniversary book of DAR and SAR service to Montana, to welcome members and guests at the historical society, and to be the featured speaker at the joint DAR-SAR 125th anniversary gala banquet in 2019 at the Colonial Hotel. She joined the DAR in 2020, a proud descendent of American Revolutionary Patriot Samuel Cobb, a private from South Carolina. Pioneer Cabin at Reeders Alley in Helena often was the subject of Baumlers research. In September 2020, Oro Fino Chapter installed a historic plaque recognizing the local women who preserved the site and held a tea in the cabin yard. Baumler spoke about the history of the cabin and those who lived there, Shirley Lorraine Beaver Herrin told personal stories of visiting and staying at the cabin when her grandparents lived there as caretakers, and Cathy Burwell, then-CEO of the Helena Area Chamber of Commerce, recalled several early contributions of the chamber and brought greetings. Ellen Estes Boddington was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and earned her Ph.D. in medieval studies at the University of Kansas where she was a fourth-generation Jayhawk. She and her husband Mark Baumler live in Helena. John Wick 4 At the Cinemark (R) Grade: B+ Ive often referred to the mythical films of Sergio Leone as blood poetry. Leones Once Upon a Time adult fairytales leave theater carpets squishy after the choreographed showdowns conclude. The John Wick films are worthy exhibits in the gallery of blood poetry cinema. John Wick 4, the final chapter, is a stunning visual achievement. While telling a tale that boils down to six words you kill my dog, you die the 169-minute film manages to keep us glued. One addicted viewer literally ran down the aisle to the restroom, and ran back. He was so speedy, he probably only missed a dozen executions. John Wick, wife and dog gone forever, comes out of retirement to seek revenge. His targets are members of the High Table, a secret society. The member assassins dutifully abide by an honor code. Thieves are never rogues amongst themselves, wrote Cervantes. Before its destructive remodeling, the Continental Hotel served as a safe space for lethal assassins, who sheathed their weapons upon entering. The final showdown at the Trocadero corral is staged as an old-fashioned duel of pistols at 20 paces. Wick will be set free if he wins, buried if he loses. The title fight will be administered by a regal referee, ensuring an honorable death. Thats assuming, of course, both men arrive at dawn, as agreed. A tempting, ever-increasing, bounty on Wick is designed to ensure that hes late, hes late, for his very important date. After dispensing thousands of greedy pursuers, Wick finds himself only 300 steps from fulfilling his mission. As he ascends towards freedom, Wick is thrown down the full length of the Sacre-Coeur stairs, a bouncy setback. Ruffled but unfazed, Wick dusts himself off and prepares for his bittersweet battle with a respected friend, a blind master assassin named Caine (Donnie Yen). Donnie, is, in every way, Keanus equal. Both regret that they must kill a friend to see another dawn. John Wick 4, which begins with a sunrise honoring David Lean, transports us to exotic locations, and into sacred spaces. A church, lit only by candles, bows for a Wick walk. A spectacular French sunrise humbly lights the final service. John Wick 4 demands a big screen for full immersion. The stunts are choreographed as dances, no surprise since director Chad Stahelski is a veteran stuntman and respected martial artist. In center ring sulks the moody anti-hero, Keanu Reeves, the 58-year old Canadian messianic actor who sneers more than he smiles. Somewhere, Leone, now a high plains drifter, sits in his directors chair nodding at this final stanza in the blood poem that is John Wick. The Junior Police Leadership Academy is set to run July 16-22 for Montana youth considering a career in law enforcement. JPLA is for students who are interested in law enforcement and/or being a leader in their community, said Helena Police Department Detective Sean Schoenfelder, who previously attended JPLA. Throughout the weeklong academy, we cover various topics related to law enforcement such as driving, evidence collection, defensive tactics, tactical operations and more. We have instructors from various law enforcement agencies who offer a wide variety of knowledge to the students throughout the week." There are 30 available spots and the program, sponsored by the Montana Association of Chiefs of Police, is free to students. To be eligible to apply, high school students must be going into their sophomore year and up or be recent graduates. Students are given various tasks and asked to work as a team to accomplish said task, Schoenfelder said. Keep in mind this is open to students from across the state so often on day one students dont know one another, and then are asked to work together as a team It can be a long week, but often by the end, there are some good friendships made. Last years JPLA program had 20 students who learned about pursuit driving, had guest speakers, hiked and repelled and went through active-shooter training. At the end of the program each year, JPLA cadets go through tactical operations, various law enforcement scenarios and the Montana Physical Abilities Test (MPAT), and once those events are successfully completed, they graduate on the final day. Interested students must submit a completed application with a typed essay explaining their interest in the criminal justice profession. A signature from a local chief of police or sheriff must be on the application as well. The application can be found at https://bit.ly/mtjpla and the deadline has been moved to May 1. For any questions regarding the application, email info@macop.com. Reach Higher Montana is celebrating Montanas high school class of 2023 with a Senior Send-Off and $40,000 in the form of scholarships and prizes such as laptops, AirPods, iPads and more on April 19. We want to know what the class of 2023 is going to do after high school, whether that is college, military, apprenticeship, or straight into a career field, said Kelly Cresswell, RHM's executive director. These prizes are our way of saying 'congratulations' and giving them some resources to start out on the path to success. All Montana high school seniors are eligible to enter by sending in a short video or photo with an explanation of what theyre plans are after high school. RHM Digital Marketing and Communications Manager Cullen Gilbreath stated that in the past, many videos have been really entertaining. RHM is giving a $500 Reach Higher Montana Choice Scholarship to four participants with the most creative videos voted on by staff. All entries are due by March 31, and the event will be held on April 19 with videos and photos posted the week leading up to the event on RHMs website and social media. RHM is a nonprofit focused on helping Montana students pursue educational opportunities after high school. For more information, visit Reach Higher Montanas website at www.reachhighermontana.org. Submissions can be submitted at https://bit.ly/rhmsendoff. Standing in front of an apartment complex he recently completed, Missoula developer Adam Hertz said Wednesday that because the permitting process with the city took roughly seven months, rising materials prices added an extra $50,000 to the cost of each unit. "That's an extra $700,000 to the cost of the entire project," Hertz noted. Hertz, a former City Council member and state lawmaker who is currently a real estate agent and member of the governor's housing task force, also said that minimum parking requirements, setback rules and other restrictions have constrained developers like him over the years. Hertz joined Gov. Greg Gianforte, former state Rep. Danny Tenenbaum, City Council members Daniel Carlino and Sandra Vasecka and Frontier Institute President and CEO Kendall Cotton at a press conference in Missoula to call for what they say is much needed "pro-housing reform" in Montana. "The housing shortage in Montana is probably the, in my view, the number one issue facing working families," Gianforte said. "Very simply, demand is outstripping supply. That's why we have such a shortage (of housing). This is really a bipartisan issue. We may not agree on everything but we all believe we need more housing units and housing to be more affordable. To address this challenge, we can't just keep doing the same thing and expecting different results." All members of the group have supported bills in the Montana Legislature this session that they say would make it easier for developers to build denser housing, such as the multifamily 14-plex Hertz built, in more areas in cities and towns in the state. Hertz said that he and his development team purchased the lot near a bike trail in central Missoula in late 2020, hoping to break ground in 2021. "Due to permitting, we weren't able to break ground until spring of 2022," he said. "We finished it in winter 2023." In that time frame, building costs increased by about $50,000 per unit, he noted. "So that's a big, significant increase," Hertz said. "And at the same time, we saw rents skyrocket. So we were still able to make it work, and that's part of why rents did skyrocket. These projects wouldn't have been able to happen if they didn't. Hopefully we can mitigate some of that through zoning reform." Gianforte said his administration and the Housing Task Force have had three primary strategies. The first was to increase the construction trades workforce, and Gianforte said the state will now pay half of the tuition for any Montana employer to send people to trades education such as carpentry, plumbing or electrical, at Montana Tech in Butte. Second, the governor touted the Home Ownership Means Economic Security (HOMES) program, or House Bill 825, carried by Rep. Mike Hopkins, a Republican from Missoula. The program would invest $200 million in state funds to expand water and sewer infrastructure with the aim of increasing the housing supply. The bill passed out of the House Taxation Committee on a 16-5 vote earlier this week. "And then the third strategy was really streamlining permitting and to work with local jurisdictions to adopt pro-housing reforms," Gianforte said. He specifically cited Senate Bill 382, the Montana Land Use Planning Act, which would provide a quicker review process for planning reviews of development proposals. Its sponsored by Sen. Forrest Mandeville, a Republican from Columbus. "Cutting red tape at the state is important," Gianforte said. "When I got into office we had almost 500 subdivision applications at (the Montana Department of Environmental Quality) that were overdue. They were stuck in the bin somewhere. We changed leadership in that group, we paid overtime and I'm pleased to report we now have no subdivision permits that are backlogged at DEQ anymore." Gianforte noted that although many local governments have cited "local control" as a reason why they oppose some bills that would allow more housing types in more areas, the Missoula City Council recently voted to reverse their opposition to Senate Bill 323, a bill that would allow duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes in existing city zoning. The asking rent for a small new apartment can be around $1,500 or more in Missoula, so Gianforte was asked how new building can mean more affordable rents for people on the lower end of the income scale. "The bottom line issue is supply," Gianforte said. "And if a community like Missoula says we're only allowing single-family homes and lots have to be a certain size and the average square footage to make that economically viable is much larger, you're going to have more expensive housing. "By allowing multifamily like this and smaller square footage per apartment, and more dense development, costs come down, rents will come down," Gianforte continued. "But until we get increased supply, we're not going to see lower rental (prices)." The governor acknowledged that many local governments and city planners oppose many of the zoning reform bills. "I'd prefer to do these things with carrots rather than sticks," Gianforte said. "But in certain cases, like the multifamily units, we've heard the consequences of not allowing this so we've tried to take a balanced approach. That's why we brought a bipartisan group of folks together to get these things over the finish line." Carlino said that almost the entirety of the University District neighborhood that he represents is zoned for single-family homes only. "Where are students going to live?" he asked. "We need to allow property owners to build two, three and fourplexes and townhomes, that missing middle housing, in all urban areas in the state." He called for the Legislature to pass all the zoning reform bills that are currently being heard. "It's really important that we allow for people to build housing inward and up rather than building out and urban sprawling here in Missoula," he said. Hertz said that in the 1980s, a huge chunk of all new homes were less than 1,400 square feet, but that percentage has fallen drastically. "We need to legalize building affordable homes," he said. "Which means allowing more density, reducing setbacks, setting smaller minimum lot sizes, reducing parking requirements and legalizing housing and mixed-use in commercially zoned areas and there's so many good bills this legislative session that do just that." A group of constitutional referendums cleared out of the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday with support from supermajority Republicans and opposition from Democrats. Referendums are proposals to change the state Constitution that must get 100 votes in the Legislature to then advance to the 2024 general election ballot for approval or rejection by voters. While nearly 70 constitutional amendments were requested, 19 have been introduced. By Wednesday, a handful had either been voted down or not heard in committee. Referendums must clear the chamber they started in by April 4 to meet a procedural deadline. Republican legislators have argued referendums are the most direct form of democracy because voters decide a proposal's fate in the end, but Democrats have been critical of GOP efforts to change Montanas Constitution. Because of the GOP supermajority, a referendum could clear the Legislature without any Democratic support if nearly all GOP lawmakers voted together in support. (It is) the process that has the most checks and balances, said Rep. Jedediah Hinkle during the hearing, adding that referendums are debated both by the Legislature and then decided on by voters. This is a process that has many checks and balances where we can weigh these ideas and ultimately has to go to the people to decide. Hinkle also dismissed the suggestion a large amount of referendums would advance from this legislative session. We may have a few. We may have two, we may have three, we may have four. But let the people of Montana decide that, Hinkle said. Rep. SJ Howell, a Missoula Democrat, said theyd received many messages from constituents and people across the state urging lawmakers to not amend the Constitution or to do so in a frivolous way. I think that when we see multiple amendments stack up when we know we are not thinking seriously about one necessary amendment but rather a literal dozen amendments stacking up to the Constitution, it does feel like a level of unnecessary and troublesome monkeying with the Constitution that has served this state well for the last 50 years, Howell said. On Wednesday the House Judiciary Committee advanced House Bill 372 from Rep. Paul Fielder, a Thompson Falls Republican. The legislation would enshrine the states current methods of hunting, fishing and trapping. During a hearing in mid-March, some groups raised concerns that if the Constitution was changed as proposed in the bill it would conflict with irrigators or other water rights. But before the bill passed on a party-line vote, it was amended to say the right to hunt, fish, trap and harvest would not affect rights to divert, appropriate and use water or establish a minimum amount of water in a body of water. The backdrop there is the fate of two bills passed by the Republican-led Legislature in 2021. One allowed concealed carry of firearms on campus and the other was presented as a protection of free speech for university groups. Since their passage, district court judges and the Montana Supreme Court found both trod over the authority granted to the Board of Regents of Higher Education, which is given full authority over campus matters by the state Constitution. The committee amended the bill to say it could not be construed to allow the Legislature to direct curriculum. The bill also passed on party lines with Republican support and Democratic opposition. Also moving forward Wednesday is House Bill 551, from Rep. Casey Knudsen, R-Malta. It would implement constitutional carry into the Montana Constitution, with approval from voters. There was no discussion on the bill before it passed on a party-line vote. The committee voted down two referendums Wednesday, including one to revise the size and structure of the Districting and Apportionment Commission. That was killed off as another bill GOP legislative leadership supported advanced. The committee also tabled House Bill 405 from Rep. Lola Sheldon-Galloway, which would have asked voters about a constitutional amendment to create citizen grand juries. Just three lawmakers voted for the bill, which was similar to a codification effort that also failed. The National Women's Hall of Fame in Seneca, New York, will induct eight individuals in 2023, including Blackfeet legal activist Elouise Cobell. The 31st induction ceremony will be held on Sept. 30 at 2 p.m. at the Smith Opera House in Geneva, New York. The ceremony will also be live-streamed on the Hall's YouTube channel. Cobell in 1996 was the lead plaintiff in a class action lawsuit, demanding back payment and better accounting on Individual Money Accounts managed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The federal government settled 13 years later for $3.4 billion the largest settlement in U.S. history. Cobell founded the Blackfeet National Bank, the first national bank located on a reservation. Today, the bank serves 31 tribes, has $128 million in assets and provides financing across Indian Country. Cobell died at 65 in 2011, but her legacy lives on through various awards and scholarships. Turk Cobell, Elouise's son, said their family is thrilled. "She rightfully joins a group of fabulous women that have made a positive impact to our country in so many ways," he said. Executive Director of the Women's Hall of Fame Jennifer Gabriel said the Hall lifts "the voices and stories of exceptional women who changed the world." The hall of fame will also be inducting Patricia Bath, Kimberle Crenshaw, Peggy McIntosh, Judith Plaskow, Loretta Ross, Allucquere Rosanne Sandy Stone and Anna Wessels Williams. DECATUR Earlier this year, Decatur Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe joked that she likes when Gov. J.B. Pritzker visits town because "he shows up with money. That's exactly what happened Thursday as Pritzker, joined by state and local leaders at Richland Community College, announced an additional $10 million for the Brush College Road grade separation project. The funds, from the federal government and distributed through the state's Illinois Competitive Freight Program, represent the last funding piece needed for the $75 million project, considered a necessity to unclog a major bottleneck and unlock additional economic development in the city's major industrial corridor. Pritzker said the project and level of coordination by federal, state and local officials that got it across the finish line, "is sending a signal to the nation that Decatur and central Illinois are open for business and getting big things done." "It's good for people, it's good for business," Pritzker said of the project. The overpass will carry traffic over Faries Parkway and the Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks, which are notorious for traffic jams caused by trains working in and around the Archer Daniels Midland Co. plant and the Midwest Inland Port. The $10 million award will leverage additional public and private resources to remove the notorious crossing that averages almost 200 trains a week, blocking traffic for 17 hours while creating congestion and impeding first responders. The project was initially placed out for bid in January 2022, but was indefinitely delayed after the bids came back 43% over the engineer's estimates, creating a $16 million funding gap. The federal government had already committed $34 million towards the project, the Illinois Commerce Commission was in for about $21 million and Norfolk Southern agreed to pitch in $1 million. The city's share was expected to be just over $3 million. With the new state funding along with "cobbling together" funds from other sources, the project will now be able to move forward, Moore Wolfe said. "This is what is really going to make this project happen because now we can go to bid, which until today, we didn't have the money to make it happen," Moore Wolfe said. "And the longer you delay a project like this, the more the costs go up" The project is necessary for the eventual reconstruction of 1.2 miles of Brush College Road, with additional capacity and safety enhancements, a state news release stated. Moore Wolfe said that "this is like the best day ever in this community" as it has the potential to drive further growth in the city's industrial corridor. "Through the efforts of the (Economic Development Corporation of Decatur and Macon County) along with partners at ADM, we just broke ground on Innovafeed, which we'll be building out here. LG Chem is building two plants," Moore Wolfe said. "This is the center of growth the growth corridor for this part of our region." "And with a railroad crossing that is blocked that many hours a week, it's only going to cause more and more problems," she said. Moore Wolfe said the hope is to be moving dirt on the project by this fall. The Decatur funding is one of 22 projects announced Thursday that will share in nearly $200 million to improve the movement of freight throughout the state, creating jobs and economic opportunity while enhancing safety and local quality of life. Administered by Illinois Department of Transportation using federal funds, the Illinois Competitive Freight Program is designed to implement the goals of the Illinois State Freight Plan. Every year, 1.6 billion tons valued at $2.5 trillion of freight flows in and out of the state, making Illinois one of the top three states for freight activity. 16 photos of Decatur's railroad past N&W Blue Bird 1965.jpg N&W Blue Bird 1969.jpg N&W Blue Bird 1970.jpg N&W Blue Bird-2 1970.jpg DOMINANT Wabash Blue Bird 1952.jpg Wabash Blue Bird-2 1950.jpg Wabash Blue Bird-3 1950.jpg Wabash Blue Bird-4 1950.jpg Wabash Blue Bird-6 1950.jpg Wabash Blue Bird-7 1950.jpg SECONDARY Wabash Blue Bird-9 1950.jpg Wabash Blue Bird-10 1950.jpg SECONDARY Wabash Blue Bird-12 1950.jpg LINCOLN Investigators were still working Thursday to determine the cause of a Logan County plane crash that left two men injured and narrowly missed a church where congregation members, including children, were worshipping. The crash took place before 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the parking lot of Open Arms Christian Fellowship, a nondenominational Christian church operating in the former chapel of Lincoln Christian University. The plane, a single-engine Piper Cherokee Six, came to rest, nose-down with a sheared-off left wing and other damage, in a landscaped area of the lot. Clyde Zellers, principal avionics inspector for the Federal Aviation Administration in Springfield, who was at the scene Wednesday night, said the plane came down about a quarter-mile from the Logan County Airport while trying to approach. "We don't know why the airplane came to rest where it is," he said. "We're trying to ascertain that." He confirmed that the two men were taken to Springfield to be treated for injuries that, according to initial reports, were not considered life-threatening. Reached on Thursday, Zellers said the investigation was ongoing. The flight tracking website Flight Aware showed a single-engine plane taking off from the Logan County Airport at 6:23 p.m. Wednesday. Its flight path appeared to circle the community several times, ultimately ending on the communitys southeast side at 7:27 p.m. The Rev. Larry Crawford, co-lead pastor of Open Arms Christian Fellowship, said the church was holding its regular Wednesday evening services for its children's ministry, as well as some adult ministries, at the time of the crash. About 100 to 150 people were inside the building. No one inside was injured, and there was minimal property damage. "Honestly, it's a miracle of God," Crawford said. He said he was inside at the time of the crash and, while he did not hear it happen, arrived on the scene immediately afterward. Church members called 911 and tried to offer assistance to those inside the plane. Crawford praised the fast response of emergency services, as well as church leaders who kept the children away from the situation. "Its a miracle all the way around," Crawford said. "We pray over our city on a weekly basis, really a daily basis. Honestly, its a miracle the way the plane was able to land and where it landed and that everyone was out of the way." The plane came to rest on top of a raised brick flower bed, which it demolished, and surrounded by three trees, some shrubs and a gazebo, all of which appeared undamaged. The church building previously served as the chapel for Lincoln Christian University. Open Arms began to operate out of the building in June and purchased it, along with several other buildings on the university campus, in February, Crawford said. Lincoln Christian University President Silas McCormick confirmed that the church building had been part of the university campus until February, when it was sold to Open Arms. University leaders reached out to the church leaders on Wednesday night to offer any assistance needed in the crash aftermath, he said. The Lincoln Police Department, Lincoln Fire Department and Logan County Emergency Management Agency responded to the scene. Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify the relationship between the church and university. How Midwest grocery prices escalated last month Ham, oranges, and other groceries that rose in price in the Midwest last month #8. Malt beverages (per 16 oz.) #7. Long-grain white rice (per lb.) #6. White bread (per lb.) #5. White potatoes (per lb.) #4. Whole chicken (per lb.) #3. Bananas (per lb.) #2. Navel oranges (per lb.) #1. Ham (per lb.) David Bates Date of Exoneration: 1/12/2015 In 1985, David Bates was convicted of murder in Chicago based on his confession and that of a co-defendant. He was granted a new trial because the confessions were obtained by torture by Chicago police. Bates was acquitted at a retrial in 1995, and pardoned by then Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn in January 2015. Photo caption: David Bates, center, surrounded by attorneys, from left, Randolph L. Stone, Lock Bowman, and Flint Taylor, reacts to a Chicago judge's decision Tuesday, May 2, 2006, in Chicago, to delay releasing a report from a four-year investigation into allegations of torture in the Chicago Police Department. Bates, one of numerous alleged torture victims, wanted the names exposed of everyone involved in the alleged torture by a violent crimes unit led by former Police Lt. Jon Burge. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) DECATUR A man suspected in a stabbing was shot during a confrontation with two Decatur police officers early Thursday morning. Police Chief Shane Brandel said in a news release that officers responded at 3:53 a.m. to a domestic violence call in the 400 block of East Orchard Street where they discovered a 34-year-old female had been stabbed. The officers located the 43-year-old male suspect hiding in a bathroom. As they confronted the suspect and attempted to get him to surrender, a confrontation ensued and two Decatur police officers discharged their firearms, striking the suspect, Brandel said. The suspect sustained multiple gunshot wounds but his injuries are considered non-life threatening. Brandel said the female's injuries weren't considered life-threatening. He also said the the police officers weren't injured during the incident. Brandel said the Illinois State Police have been notified and they will handle the investigation. This story will be updated. DECATUR A Decatur father was arrested Tuesday on a charge of aggravated battery to a child following the death more than year ago of his 7-month-old baby son. Decatur police said Joshua O. Tyson, 19, was apprehended by local officers and members of the United States Marshals Service Great Lakes Regional Task Force at a residence in Decatur. Lt. Scott Rosenbery said police launched an investigation after being called to a house in the 1000 block of West Cerro Gordo Street on Feb. 3 of 2022 in response to a report of an injured child. Upon arrival, officers located a 7-month-old child suffering from head trauma, said Rosenbery in a news release. The child was transported to Decatur Memorial Hospital and later transferred to HSHS St. Johns Hospital in Springfield. The child subsequently died from his injuries February 5, 2022. Rosenbery described police Juvenile Division detectives working diligently on the investigation since the babys death. Varying investigative methods were utilized and numerous interviews were completed, he added. Following an extensive effort, the Decatur Police Department presented the investigation to the Macon County State Attorneys Office. After reviewing the investigation, the states attorneys office issued an arrest warrant for the childs father. Rosenbery said the investigation remained active and urged anyone with information to contact the police at 217-424-2734 or Crime Stoppers at 217-423-8477. A check of Macon County Circuit Court records shows Tyson pleaded guilty to a charge of aggravated battery to a pregnant/handicapped victim when he appeared in court January 12 of this year; further charges of aggravated domestic battery involving strangulation and unlawful restraint were dismissed. Tyson was sentenced to 24 months probation and ordered to undergo anger management classes. He was further ordered to keep away from the female victim and not to go to her home. Macon County Jail records show Tyson remained in custody Wednesday with bail set at $250,000, requiring him to post a bond of $25,000 to be freed. Updated mugshots from the Herald & Review Joseph A. Williams William A. Hosea Randolph Hayes Byron D. Theus Jetrevius O. Jarrett Phillip Gehrken Emmanuel White Aaron L. Hand SPRINGFIELD Last week was a long one in the Illinois House as representatives rushed to meet a self-imposed deadline to pass bills out of the chamber. And the House did in fact pass many, many bills last week 403 to be exact. They wanted to pass more. But the process came to a screeching, theatrical halt late Friday as the House abruptly adjourned just after 10 p.m. The reason? It had became abundantly clear that supermajority House Democrats, who make up 78 of the chamber's 118 members, no longer had enough members present in Springfield to pass legislation on their own. Many skipped town early. Some were tucked away in their offices. Whatever the case, the Democratic side of the chamber gradually hollowed out more and more as the evening progressed. It had been well-known throughout the day that Democrats might have some attendance issues and that there might be some tight votes on some bills. To be clear, it is not uncommon for legislators to walk off the floor for a bit during long session days with a lot of floor action. When they do, fellow lawmakers or legislative staff will often vote their switch for them, hitting the green "yes," red "no" or yellow "present" button depending on the bill. Most of the time, this does not present an issue as, despite popular belief, most bills pass out of the legislature with near-unanimous support. However, that's not the case for every bill. And any member of the chamber can request a verification of the roll call vote. Basically, this means that every member has to vote their own switch and be physically present in the chamber. If not, their vote can be stricken. House Republicans, relegated to the superminority, do not often get to wield influence in the chamber. These attendance issues presented an opportunity. Around 7 p.m., state Rep. Dan Ugaste, R-Geneva, requested a verification of the roll call vote on legislation that would require employers to post salary ranges on job postings. The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Mary Beth Canty, D-Arlington Heights, passed 60-37 but only 58 Democrats were physically in the chamber when the vote was taken. Analyzing lawmakers to be stricken from the roll, Ugaste first called state Rep. Larry Walsh's name. But like clockwork, the Elwood Democrat emerged from a door by the chamber's podium to wide applause from his Democratic colleagues. Ugaste then called state Rep. Will Guzzardi's name. But, in an ending more befitting of a Hollywood movie than a Springfield session day, the Chicago Democrat entered from the back of the chamber, flashing a peace sign. With 60 members in the chamber, Ugaste withdrew his verification request and the bill passed. But it wasn't long before another verification was sought. This time, it was for legislation that would legalize and regulate natural organic reduction, also known as human composting. I mentioned that there might be some gamesmanship today. Rep. Travis Weaver, R-Pekin, requested a verification, meaning each member has to vote their own switch. So, Cassidy filibustered as staff scrambled to get enough Dems to the floor. Weaver subsequently withdrew the request. https://t.co/o84RIce4zs Brenden Moore (@brendenmoore13) March 25, 2023 The bill's sponsor, state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, proceeded to filibuster in her closing statement as if she were a U.S. Senator while staff scrambled and worked the phones to get enough Democrats to the floor for the vote. It worked the verification request was dropped as the bill passed 63-38. The next couple hours went on without a hitch as bills with little opposition flew out of the chamber. But it was becoming more and more clear that a number of Democratic members had gotten a head start on their trip home. The issue came to a head when Rep. Nabeela Syed, D-Inverness, was presenting legislation that would address generic drug pricing. Trying to get through as many bills as possible, the chamber had been operating on short debate, meaning one speaker in favor and one in opposition on each bill. State Rep. Anthony DeLuca, D-Chicago Heights, rose to speak in opposition, meaning that Republicans could not speak on the issue. A request to move to standard debate was denied and a request for a verification was initially ignored and the vote was taken, with 63 in favor and 30 opposed. DeLuca, despite rising in opposition, voted "yes," leading Republicans to charge that the rules had been violated. After a delay, the verification was granted and four Democrats not present in the chamber including DeLuca, who had walked off the floor were stricken from the roll. Republicans, fed up, requested a caucus and walked off the floor. Democratic leadership, knowing they likely did not have 60 members present in Springfield and that more would likely drop off, called it quits and adjourned. Small win for the Republicans. The initial roll was 63-30, but at least four Democrats listed as "yes" votes were not in the chamber during the verification that was eventually granted, bringing it below the 60 needed to pass. @rep_nabeelasyed places on postponed consideration. https://t.co/Nk1iB75WBK Brenden Moore (@brendenmoore13) March 25, 2023 In some ways, it was a disaster waiting to happen. Committee assignments were not made until weeks into the new session and members, many of them new, took their time to work their bills through that process. Many committee chairs let flawed bills out with the promise that changes would be made before a full floor vote. This further slowed down the process as staff worked on amendments. Not to mention the fact that the House did away with its agreed bill list on substantive bills this year, meaning they all need a roll call vote, which takes up even more floor time. Though lawmakers and staff have expressed frustration at colleagues who left early Friday, this all could have been avoided. Many session days in January and February came and went with little action to move the process forward, which inevitably led to a rush as deadline day crept closer. As a creature of deadlines myself, I get it. Many often need the pressure to get stuff done. But knowing they had hundreds of bills to work through, some planning ahead probably could have saved the House some headaches and an embarrassing finish to their deadline week. Senate deadlines Speaking of deadlines, the Illinois Senate is working to meet its own to get bills out of the chamber. Don't expect the same chaotic scene experienced in the House last week. For one, the upper chamber got a head start, passing 67 bills last week. And more than 60 bills are on an agreed bill list, which will save hours of floor time. Plus, there are simply fewer bills, since the chamber is half the size of the House. They will work through Friday, but probably not as late is their House colleagues the week prior. Once they skip town, lawmakers will be on a two-week spring break. Coffee beans Capitol critters no longer have to leave the building to get a good cup of joe. A new coffee stand opened on the second floor of the building Wednesday afternoon, offering a much-needed service for the scores of legislators, lobbyists, journalists and visitors. Coffee will be brewed by Elm City Roastery, which has a brick-and-mortar location in Jacksonville, with pastries provided by Springfield-based Three Twigs & Co. The new coffee station is the result of a request for proposals issued by Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias office, which maintains the Capitol Complex. Elm City was the winning bidder, becoming the first locally-owned and operated coffee stand in the Capitol. The line was already long on its opening day. Giannoulias peaked out to inspect the stand, which like every DMV across the state has his name adorned on front. The secretarys recommendation: the Tanzania single-origin coffee, which, according to Elm City's website, is "sweet and savory with tart acidity, herbal and dark chocolate flavors." New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today Generally cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 68F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Cloudy this evening with showers after midnight. Low 58F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. King Charles III has become the first monarch to speak before Germanys parliament. Charles is on his first foreign trip since becoming U.K. king. Charles and queen consort Camilla arrived in Berlin on Wednesday. Crowds of well-wishers and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier greeted the couple at the capitals iconic Brandenburg Gate. They later attended a banquet in their honor at the presidential palace. The three-day visit has a decidedly political purpose. The U.K. government is trying to mend frayed ties with its continental partners following Brexit. The king also met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday, visited Ukrainian refugees, toured an organic farm outside Berlin and chatted with soldiers of a joint German and U.K. military unit. On Wednesday the FDA approved Narcan for over-the-counter use in the treatment of opioid drug overdoses, a decision which dovetails with newly signed Virginia legislation carried by Sen. Todd Pillion. Pillion, chairman of the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority, praised the federal agency. This is a life-saving decision that will have a profound impact on our ability to enhance access to Narcan, an essential tool in opioid overdose intervention, Pillion said in a written statement. In Virginia, we worked proactively in anticipation of this decision by passing SB1415, which provides for more widespread distribution of naloxone throughout the Commonwealth. Gov. Youngkin signed that bill into law this week, following a fentanyl listening session at Virginia High School last Thursday, where the governor and First Lady participated with more than 300 students in a Narcan training session. I encourage Virginians to consider taking advantage of this opportunity. You never know when you may be in a position to save someones life. Fentanyl abuse currently represents the states greatest drug challenge. In 2007 there were 48 fatal fentanyl overdoses in the Commonwealth. In 2021, there were 2,039, according to the Virginia Department of Health. By comparison, 968 people died on Virginia roadways last year. Thanks to Gov. Youngkin, his administration and the mostly bipartisan work of our General Assembly, I think we were able to make some meaningful progress this year to combat the opioid crisis that continues to plague our nation, Pillion said Wednesday. Senate Bill 1415 addresses the fentanyl crisis specifically. Working with the authority and the Youngkin administration, we passed legislation (SB1415) to develop a statewide fentanyl response plan, funded with dollars that the governor appropriated in his introduced budget. The bill requires our state agencies to coordinate with each other and localities to ensure we have adequate resources to test for fentanyl and respond to overdoses, Pillion said. It also requires us to develop a comprehensive list of organizations that are actively working to reduce the impact of opioids in the Commonwealth. This not only helps to make sure that people can access information related to services available near them; it helps us understand who is doing what so we can enhance opportunities for organizations to work with each other and the state to possibly support efforts that are really producing results and having a positive impact on lives and communities. Another Pillion bill, SB 1414 establishes the Commonwealth Opioid Abatement and Remediation Fund to receive moneys from a direct settlement, judgment, verdict, or other court order relating to consumer protection claims. It is our job to identify and fund projects that will help address the impact of opioid misuse in Virginia and we are required to consider everything from prevention to treatment. Those projects are funded with dollars that come to us from the national opioid settlements so if you hear in the news about an opioid manufacturer or distributor getting sued, a portion of any settlement dollars recovered come to us, which will get reinvested into saving lives and strengthening our communities. We are in the first round of applications now and I am excited to see what opportunities we have to help. I say all of that because we passed legislation this year, my SB1414, to essentially put a lock on the states share of those settlement dollars and make sure that they are used as they are intended when the General Assembly goes to allocate that funding through the state budget, Pillion said. Additional legislation, Senate Bill 1188, designates fentanyl as a weapon of terrorism, because much of it comes into this country from Mexico and China. Its not only a health crisis, its a national security and economic one as well, Pillion said. The bill provides that any person who knowingly and intentionally manufactures or knowingly and intentionally distributes a weapon of terrorism when such person knows that such weapon of terrorism is, or contains, any mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl is guilty of a Class 4 felony. BRISTOL, Tenn. Bristol, Tennessees Haynesfield Pool has seen better days. The public pool that was built in 1964 has deteriorated to the point where its reopening is unlikely and not recommended, Terry Napier, the citys parks and recreation director, made clear during a city council work session Tuesday. Our pool has been done for quite a few years, Napier said. We dont need to open our pool anymore. Napier said the most troubling part of the aged pool is its interior concrete walls are falling apart, and just a few years ago, one section of the pool collapsed and had to be rebuilt. Napier went on to show council renderings of a conceptual design for a new indoor, competition-sized aquatics center with garage doors that could be opened during the warmer months. The preliminary cost estimate for the proposed year-round pool, which Napier called a bare-bones concept, is $6 million, which doesnt include costs for site preparation and potentially land acquisition. No specific location has been proposed for a new pool, though members of council considered the possibility of building one by the splash pad at Steele Creek Park. When asked if they could get one more summer out of Haynesfield Pool, Napier said he would not recommend it. According to Napier, a closure of Haynesfield Pool would be permanent; however, the city is expected to inquire about partnering with Tennessee High to potentially open its pool to the public some in the summer. The president of Germanna Community College has been charged with DUI first offense and reckless driving in an incident earlier this month in King George County. Janet Gullickson, 69, of King George was arrested following a traffic stop at 9:14 p.m. March 16 on State Route 206 (Dahlgren Road), according to King George County Sheriffs Office spokesperson 1st Sgt. Kecia Wharton. Sgt. Z. Johnson was on patrol conducting radar when he observed the vehicle Gullickson was driving traveling at 76 miles per hour in a 55 mph zone, Wharton said. The sergeant then conducted a DUI investigation and placed Gullickson under arrest for DUI, Wharton said. The incident remains under investigation. Police did not release Gullicksons blood alcohol content. She was released on her own recognizance from Rappahannock Regional Jail. Gullickson is scheduled for arraignment April 5 in King George County District Court, according to online court records. Fredericksburg defense attorney Darren Meyer is representing her. He did not immediately return a call from the StarExponent seeking a statement on his clients behalf. There is a pending legal matter with a process that must be followed, said Germanna spokesperson Mike Zitz. Its inappropriate for me to comment further at this time. Gullickson was inaugurated as Germannas first female president in 2017. She previously led Spokane Falls Community College in Washington State. Germanna Community College is the fifth largest community college in Virginia with campuses in Locust Grove, Fredericksburg, Culpeper and Stafford. A prominent member of Catawba Countys arts community has been charged with child sex abuse in relation to an assault reported to have occurred nearly 30 years ago. John Pickens Coffey, 69, of Newton, was indicted on a charge of taking indecent liberties with a child by a Caldwell County grand jury on March 13, according to court documents. The offense was reported in January of 2022, Caldwell County Sheriffs Office Capt. Aaron Barlowe said. Barlowe said the offense was reported to have occurred in the summer of 1993. He said the victim was between the ages of 13 and 15 at the time. Coffey was arrested on March 22 and released on a $10,000 secured bond the following day, according to court documents. District Attorney Scott Reilly said he could not comment on the case further because it is pending. He also said he was not aware of any other pending or potential charges against Coffey. Coffey is a pianist known for his work with local theaters and as a music teacher. He listed the First United Methodist Church in Newton and the Hickory Arts studio in downtown Hickory as his places of employment as part of his application for an appointed attorney. Hickory Arts Artistic Director Jeff Hartman said Coffey was placed on a leave-of-absence. Our position is we just have to stay out of the way and let the investigation play out and see what the courts decide and stay out of it, Hartman said. We dont want to get in the way of anything and we want this to turn out the right way for everyone thats involved. He is currently not affiliated with us. When asked if Coffey would have any involvement with the studio while the case is pending, Hartman said: Absolutely not. First United Methodist Church Pastor Josh Sherfey emailed a statement. John Coffey has been the organist/pianist at First UMC Newton for the last 10 years and his capacity is solely limited to adult music ministry. John is currently on leave of absence from the church until a resolution in this matter is reached. As this is an ongoing investigation, we have no further comment. Coffey is being represented by defense attorney Steven Cheuvront, according to court documents. Cheuvronts office is located in Burke County, according to Google Maps. Cheuvront did not give specifics about the case. I ask folks to hold off judgment until all the facts are in, Cheuvront said. It is still early in the process. Coffey is scheduled to appear in Caldwell County Superior Court on April 10, according to the documents. Coffey is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. A native of Lenoir, Coffey attended Juilliard, the prestigious performing arts school in New York City. He spent the next few decades establishing himself as a major figure in Hickorys art scene. He was the first artist-in-residence for the United Arts Council of Catawba County in the early 1980s and wrote the musical The Streets of Hickory in 1987. Over the years, Coffey has been affiliated with such local artistic institutions as the Hickory Community Theatre, Green Room Community Theatre, Lenoir-Rhyne Playmakers and Foothills Performing Arts. Coffey returned to Hickory in 2011 after spending a decade in New York and went to work as a teacher at Hickory Arts. Gov. Roy Cooper and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo lauded the contributions of two Hickory fiber optic cable manufacturers to expanding broadband during a visit to the city Wednesday. Their first stop was at CommScope, where President and CEO Chuck Treadway announced the company will expand production of fiber optic cables necessary to bring broadband connectivity into underserved areas, including many places in rural North Carolina. Treadway said the expansion will create 250 more jobs and provide at least 500,000 more homes with broadband using the new HeliARC fiber optic cables, which were designed to fit the needs of rural areas. HeliARC is a smaller and lighter-weight cable allowing for faster installation and lower cost of deployment, said a CommScope press release. Its reduced size and weight also lowers shipping costs, permitting more product to move in one shipment, thereby making it a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly product. Treadway said at the conference, We always will be steadfast in our commitment to bring connectivity solutions to everyone, regardless of where they live, and today is a great step forward to that goal. Gov. Cooper also spoke at the event along with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Raimondo. Cooper said the state funding of CommScopes expanded production comes from part of the American Rescue Plan Act funds. With the Biden Administrations help, we will ultimately invest approximately $2 billion in what once, not too long ago, seemed to be a faraway dream, Cooper said. Everyone connected to high-speed internet. During a press conference later in the day, Cooper said there are at least a million North Carolinians who are on the wrong side of the digital divide. Raimondo said the U.S. Department of Commerce will be investing $50 billion to ensure Americans across the nation have access to a high-speed internet connection. At Corning, the officials celebrated the grand opening of the companys manufacturing campus in the Trivium Corporate Center located off Startown and Robinwood roads. Corning CEO Wendell Weeks said the company will have 400 jobs at the campus. The company employs more than 5,000 people in the state, he said. Now North Carolina is home to two of the worlds largest optical fiber and cable facilities, making North Carolina the fiber optic capital of America, Weeks said. Cooper embraced the title as he began his remarks, saying: I just love being governor of the fiber optic capital of America. What a great job. Both Cooper and Raimondo praised Corning for their role in helping expand broadband access. Cooper recalled the assurances he received from Weeks early in the pandemic when there were concerns about supply chain hurdles. He says, Weve got North Carolina covered. Dont you worry, Cooper said. Raimondo said she spoke with Weeks early in her tenure and asked for Corning to be a partner in expanding high-quality internet to rural areas. He said: Ill be there for you and you have been every step of the way, every time Ive called, Raimondo said. She also spoke about the importance of encouraging domestic manufacturing, at one point tapping a spool of wire set next to the stage and pointing to the Made in America label. As the president says, Where is it written that we cant manufacture in America? Where is it written that we cant be the global leader in manufacturing? Nowhere, and anyone who could take a look at this would see why, Raimondo said. HISD Hosts First Community Choose Love Event In Texas Hillsboro Independent School District (HISD) hosted the first-ever Choose Love Community Event in Texas Saturday, March 25, in downtown Hillsboro. Choose Love Movement founder Scarlett Lewis spoke to the group about the mission behind the organization and the curriculum adopted by school districts across the country with a formula of "Courage + Gratitude + Forgiveness + Compassion in Action = Choosing Love. Lewis founded the Choose Love Movement after her son, Jesse, alongside 19 of his first-grade classmates and six educators, died during the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy in 2012. Officers said that Jesse used his final moments to heroically save nine of his friends. For the complete story, see the Thursday, March 30, edition of The Reporter Newspaper. State Comptroller To Speak At Upcoming Hill County Summit Area residents are invited to attend the second annual Hill County Summit next week in Hillsboro. It will be held at the Hill College Vara Martin Daniel Performing Arts Center on the Hill College campus in Hillsboro Wednesday, April 5. This years speaker will be Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Glenn Hegar. He will be updating local residents on the current Texas legislative session and the states record budget surplus. A light lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m. The program will start at noon and conclude no later than 1 p.m. Hegar serves as the states chief finance officer for the worlds ninth-largest economy. He was first elected as comptroller in 2014. For the complete story, see the Thursday, March 30, eiditon of The Reporter Newspaper. " " This lithograph of the Salem witch trials shows how mass hysteria took over Salem Village. Wikimedia/(CC BY-SA 2.0) From the realistically frightful scenes of "The Blair Witch Project" to the decidedly wholesome Glinda the Good Witch in the "The Wizard of Oz," magical mavens are at the center of some of our most enduring and endearing stories. There are also modern-day practitioners of witchcraft, a term used to describe several different groups including Wiccans most of whom focus on positivity and using magic for good. There was a time, however, when being considered a witch was a veritable death sentence. Take Salem Village, Massachusetts, in 1692. Two young girls, 9-year-old Elizabeth Parris and 11-year-old Abigail Williams, began having "fits," which included body spasms and uncontrolled screaming. The town doctor diagnosed them as being afflicted by "black magic" and accused them of practicing witchcraft a notion that didn't sit too well in the Puritan settlement. Advertisement Contrary to legend, however, these so-called witches were not burned at the stake. In fact, none of the men, women or children accused of practicing witchcraft in Salem were killed that way. Most likely, the recounting of the Salem witch trials became intertwined with stories of actual executions by fire in Europe. During European witch trials between the 15th and 18th centuries, people accused of witchcraft were commonly burned at the stake. Occasionally, they were hanged before being burned. The punishment was in accordance with the Holy Roman Empire's "Constitutio Criminalis Carolina" law, which contended that the punishment for witchcraft was death by fire. Church and civic leaders led the charge, executing as many as 50,000 people across Europe in what is now France, Germany, Italy, Scandinavia and Scotland [sources: Andrews]. So what actually happened to the colonists accused during the Salem witch trials? Nineteen died by hanging, their bodies swaying on the infamous Gallows Hill. (Five were hanged on Aug. 19, 1692, alone.) One elderly man died when he was stoned with heavy rocks, and others died in jail while waiting for their day in court. Bridget Bishop was the first to be hanged June 10, 1692, although her exact misdeeds seemed to amount to no more than rumor and speculation. Her case became a template for those that followed. Bishop was accused by the girls "afflicted" with black magic, but she denied their claims. Then a witness came forward to support the accusers, followed by more townspeople who described previous acts of witchcraft supposedly performed by Bishop. Bishop's trial, and those of many others accused of witchcraft, ended with a guilty verdict no matter how improbable the evidence. During the Salem witch trials, more than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft, which amounted to nothing more than a lot of finger pointing in a short timespan. The hysteria lasted little more than a year before the local government deemed the trials a mistake and attempted to compensate the families of those that were convicted and hanged. In 2001, more than 300 years after 19 men and women were put to death during the Salem witch trials, five women were officially exonerated by the state of Massachusetts, including Bridget Bishop and four others: Susannah Martin, Alice Parker, Wilmot Redd and Margaret Scott. The act was approved by the state legislature and signed on Halloween. Advertisement Originally Published: Apr 22, 2015 Hunan Overseas Chinese Federation studies the spirit of the two session. On the afternoon of 16th, Hunan Overseas Chinese Federation held a meeting to convey and study the spirit of the two session, focusing on studying the spirit of the two session and the series of important speeches made by General Secretary Xi Jinping during the two session. Sun Minsheng, secretary of the Party group and vice chairman of Hunan Overseas Chinese Federation, Li Zuyuan, member of the party group and vice chairman of Hunan Overseas Chinese Federation, and Mao Binghua, vice chairman of Hunan Overseas Chinese Federation, attended the meeting. The meeting emphasized that all cadres of Hunan Overseas Chinese Federation should take the new development concept as the action guide for the work of the Federation, further clarify the focus and main direction of work in conjunction with the functions of the various departments of the Federation, give full play to the advantages of the vast number of overseas Chinese resources, and contribute to the construction of a new development pattern and promote common prosperity. By Chen Jianing in Changsha Have you ever heard of this exquisite line from an ancient Chinese poem which depicts a couple's regret that they were not born at the same time, and that they missed the chance to be together in their prime? The poem was actually found on a ceramic vessel from the Tongguan kiln in Changsha, Hunan province. And now it's on exhibition at Changsha Museum. The vessel with the poem You were born before me. The poem expresses the sorrow and longing of a lover who was separated from their beloved by time and distance. The two lines means You were born before me, I was born after you grew old. You regret that I was born late, I regret that you were born early. In ancient times, women respectfully called men or husbands (Jun). So that we can tell, this poem was written from a woman's perspective. The poem used only nine words and never mentioned love, to express the sorrow of being in love with (Jun) despite unable to stay together for life. The vessel with the poem You were born before me. This widely circulated poem, however, is not a masterpiece by a famous poet. The Changsha kiln was a folk kiln that was not recorded in historical books. The various poems written on the hundreds of discovered vessels were mostly popular songs in the streets and alleys, or possibly created by the kiln workers. The vessel with the poem You were born before me is a pot with an open mouth, a handle on the back, and a short spout for pouring wine. It is a classic wine pot style of the Tang dynasty. It can also be used as a tea pot for brewing tea. Vessels decorated by poems are on exhibition at Changsha museum. It is a mirror for observing the society of the middle and late Tang dynasty. Among the porcelain decorations of the same period, only the Changsha kiln used poems as decorations. And the content of the poems on these porcelain pieces not only includes the separation and love of men and women, but also covers philosophy of life, business activities, border wars, landscape scenery, etc. These poems faithfully record the folk customs of that time, and have extremely important corroborative effects for historical research. In addition, dont think that this is a high-end utensil just because there are poems on the wine pot. Current research shows that Changsha kiln porcelain was cheap and mainly aimed at ordinary people. That is to say, the vessel with the poem You were born before me may be a wine pot used in ordinary wine shops and other places, which also shows a glimpse of the life of the people at that time. Australian consumers aren't only concerned about the privacy risks from organisations storing data unnecessarily, they're also worried about the environmental impact and say they would vote with their feet. New research commissioned by multicloud data management specialist Veritas Technologies found that 46 percent of Australian consumers think it's the responsibility of the organisations that store their information online to delete it when it's no longer needed, and 41 percent said they would stop buying from a company if they knew it was wilfully causing environmental damage by failing to control how much unnecessary or unwanted data it is storing. A hefty 57 percent thought local organisations should try harder to control the negative impact of online data storage on the environment, for example by encouraging customers to close unused or inactive accounts and by deleting obsolete information they no longer need or want. According to previous Veritas research, on average half of the data stored by enterprises is redundant, obsolete or trivial, and another 35 percent is "dark" with unknown value. "Beyond the costs of storing data, the hidden costs of its environmental impact should be at the top of every business leader's agenda," said Veritas Technologies chief sustainability officer Rags Srinivasan. "Data centres run 24 hours a day and by 2030 are expected to use as much as eight percent of all electricity on the planet. It's easy to forget that data centres are mostly fossil fuel-powered and generate about the same amount of CO2 as the airline industry." Veritas Technologies ANZ managing director Pete Murray said "Filtering data that is not needed should become a moral imperative for everyone to reduce the environment impact. Besides the cyber security concerns related to unnecessary data hoarding, many consumers also feel passionately about reducing their carbon footprints. Australian companies should consider the environmental impact of poor data management practices, even if they outsource their data storage to public cloud providers. With half of Australians saying that they would stop buying from companies that fail to address environmental challenges, the risk to businesses of ignoring this issue is too significant to ignore any longer." He added "We really need businesses to be aware of the environmental impact their poor data management practices are having. Consumers know it, and regulators are closely monitoring the progress of their ESG strategies. 2023 will be the year companies start losing clients thanks to data pollution." The report is available here. The survey was conducted by 3Gem on behalf of Veritas, and polled 13,000 consumers across Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Singapore, South Korea, UAE, UK, USA and Japan between 1 February and 16 February 2023. New Zealand telecommunications and digital services provider Spark has tapped telecommunications service provider Ciena to implement its second-generation Optical Transport Network (OTN 2.0), a fibre-based network that provides the backbone and core connectivity between all the main cities in New Zealand. Sparks new adaptive network can adjust to unexpected network interruptions such as those caused by natural disasters as well as adjust to meet rising subscriber demands for HD video and other bandwidth-hungry services. With OTN 2.0 close to completion, the network now carries up to seven times more data capacity than Sparks first generation OTN, claimed Ciena. It also connects Sparks network with other service providers and international cable networks. Real-time analytics and advanced automation have been key in helping us build a world-class network that can better serve our customers ever-changing needs. These tools help us with essentially an X-ray of our network, enabling us to visualise exactly what is happening, eliminate the risk of guesswork, localise and address trouble spots and enable the network to self-heal in the process, said Spark New Zealand technology evolution lead Renee Mateparae. For instance, in the event of a disaster, Liquid Restoration delivers resiliency by automatically moving affected services across any available restoration path in the network with the option to adjust optical capacity. PinPoint OTDR localises and address potential trouble spots even over traffic carrying links, which means Spark can initiate in-service OTDR traces from their Networks Operations Centre for proactive maintenance and remotely validate that installation, maintenance, and repairs have been properly executed. Additionally, Spark has used this information to notify cable owners to minimise outage duration and reduce repair times. A recent example of how Spark used these capabilities occurred during cyclone Gabrielle in New Zealand. The impacts of the cyclone included widespread landslips and floodings, affecting key infrastructure and damaging fibre cables at multiple, hard-to-reach places. Within minutes, Liquid Restoration restored traffic using available restoration paths, whilst PinPoint OTDR confirmed the approximate locations of fibre damage quickly and accurately. Spark gains unprecedented visibility with Channel Margin Gauge (CMG) and Photonic Performance Gauge (PPG) CMG gives a real-time snapshot of every active channels performance across its network, significantly enhancing its day-to-day operations. With this tool, Spark can maximise overall network capacity and thus optimise network utilisation by closely matching optical capacity to available channel margin. Currently, Spark can operate its network at a higher than originally planned capacity due to the real time analytics providing its network planners with the confidence sufficient channel margin is available. Sparks network engineers who deploy PPG allows them to detect underperformance or degradation in spans that are contributing the most noise to their network. In addition to using this information for continuous network optimisation, accurate knowledge of network performance is vital for optical restoration, as it allows Spark to validate upfront that any defined restoration paths will work. Advanced analytics apps are changing the way we plan, deploy, operate, and optimise our network. In essence, these tools enable a smarter optical network. They take the risk away by enabling us to accurately keep a close eye on our current network performance and make any adjustments to optimise our network upon deployment, said Mateparae. Sparks OTN 2.0 runs on Cienas 6500 flexible grid colourless, directionless and contentionless (CDC) photonic line system with advanced L0 control plane capabilities, powered by WaveLogic 5 Extreme, WaveLogic 5 Nano coherent optics, and leverages Manage, Control and Plan (MCP) domain control and advanced analytics applications that include Liquid Spectrum. A trial of e-scooters in Melbourne has been extended by six months and private e-sooters have been legalised by the Victorian Government. Following the Victorian Cabinets decision to extend the trial in Melbourne, Hugo Burt-Morris, General Manager at micromobility operator, Lime, said the trial has been a major success, with over 99.99% of its rides ending without a reported incident, world-leading levels of ridership and demand, and deep community engagement. Lime is proud of the work it has done to promote safe and responsible riding and understands the long term success of the program must be built on a foundation of safety., Burt-Morris said. We are committed to building on the success of the program and continuing to focus on safety, especially around footpath riding. Limes mission of building a future where transportation is shared, affordable, and carbon-free aligns with the Citys goal and we are excited to continue to invest in Melbourne for the long term. Burt-Morris said Lime has worked closely with the Department of Transport, local councils, other operators and local leaders to improve its service to meet community needs consistently. Weve focused on safety across the City through hosting numerous First Ride Academy events, expanding participation in programs like our Lime Access equity pricing, free rides to vote through our Lime to the Polls initiative, supporting local events through designated parking areas, as well as educating our riders on safe riding habits and proper parking etiquette. Were grateful to the riders of Melbourne whove taken over 2 million rides with Lime, as well as to Lord Mayor Sally Capp, the Department of Transport and our local city Council Members for embracing micromobility and expanding affordable and sustainable transport options to Melbourne residents. We look forward to continuing to serve Melbourne, helping new riders take their first trip, and the opportunity to expand to new Council areas. Burt-Morris also said the decision to legalise private e-scooters is a positive for the micromobility industry and is proof that the mode is sustainable, safe, reliable and one that is here for the long term, and he cites key aspects of the sucess of the trial including: include_once "/home/jwreview/public_html/$theme/includes/sidebar.php"; ?> The weird merry-go-round involving Twitter's unpaid bills shows no sign of slowing. On this whirl, it is KKR suing the social media company for failing to pay rent on office space in Oakland, California. Already in arrears in Boston, San Francisco and London, the beleaguered bird is now facing a demand for $1.3 million due to the alleged breach of contract. Possibly these are strategic pauses, an effort by Elon Musk to extract better lease terms. Classically, however, failure to make payments under a commercial lease has often signaled that a company has severe cash flow problems. Nowadays, few people remember that for half a century, the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company was the nation's largest retailer. But in 2010, when a much-smaller A&P stopped making lease payments on the space it had left, nobody was surprised that bankruptcy soon followed. During the 1990s, observers knew the end of Home Insurance Co. was near when the onetime industry giant suspended its multi-million-dollar annual lease payments on its classic building at building at 59 Maiden Lane in New York's financial district. (Ironically, the plaza still bears the company name.) Let's be clear: Nobody thinks Twitter is about to go under. Prior to Musk's takeover last fall, the company had been expanding its user base at a steady clip, even among the younger generation. Between 2020 and 2022, the proportion of 12-34 year-olds using Twitter rose from 29% to 42%, according to Edison Research. So what's going on? SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY JWR UPDATE. IT'S FREE. Just click here. Maybe Musk is withholding payment as a move in what is known among scholars as the "holdup game" an opportunistic effort to force better terms from a counterparty who's poorly positioned to resist your demands. Think of a seller about to deliver a generator, who waits until after the buyer has finished renovating the factory according to the seller's specs before demanding a higher price. If that's the move, it's a risky one. The courts and commentators increasingly take the view that the terms of contracts renegotiated under threat of breach should be subjected to special scrutiny. And if indeed holdup is Musk's strategy, the landlords, by suing, are calling his bluff. Small wonder. Theory teaches that one reason commercial leases are lengthy is to make it harder for either side to play the holdup game. For commercial landlords, finding new tenants and renovating spaces to suit their needs can be costly. Were commercial leases of shorter duration, lessees would constantly demand better terms under threat of non-renewal. Long leases also benefit corporate tenants, who face a mirror-image risk. Without them, landlords might demand huge increases, because for a large company it is costly to find alternate quarters, renovate them, and get everyone moved on schedule. In other words, the reason Twitter is stuck with long leases is that, in theory, both sides benefit. That's also the reason that, if Musk's refusals to pay rent are indeed strategic, they're unlikely to work. The Financial Times reported recently that Musk has told Twitter executives worried about unpaid bills to "let them sue." But even though postponing payments to landlords and vendors might stave off the reckoning, it's not an actual plan. An unnamed executive quoted in the same article bemoaned "the very short-term thinking" behind the decision to suspend payments to vendors and landlords. Perhaps Musk is simply displaying his trademark optimism, and plans to catch up on payments, with interest, once advertisers return to Twitter an event whose occurrence he keeps predicting. But "you know we're good for it" is an excuse a counterparty can accept for only so long. After all, landlords have expenses, too. Companies aren't supposed to behave this way not if their plan is to stay in business. A company that stops paying bills takes a significant hit to reputational capital. That hit, in turn, implies that future vendors will charge a premium to insure against the risk that the same thing happens again. When the stakes are large, a company might have no choice. For Twitter, however, the unpaid bills so far reported amount to small beer. The Wall Street Journal estimated last month that the total sought in all the Twitter lawsuits, by landlords and vendors alike, is $14 million a paltry sum for a company just purchased for $44 billion and still valued (by its own CEO) at $20 billion. Yes, the company needs to cut costs, and by all accounts has been busily, and controversially, doing exactly that. But when it comes to paying rent, it's difficult to work out Musk's end game. Today's small savings lead to tomorrow's hefty penalties. A momentary brain freeze by a young conservative writer who stumbled when she was asked on camera to define the term unleashed an avalanche of mockery on the left. "Conservatives have no clue what woke' means and they don't care" was the headline over a lengthy attack piece in the San Francisco Chronicle. Time magazine assured its readers that when Republicans criticize something for being "woke," they are actually sounding a racial dog whistle. A writer for The Hill wagged a finger at the "the GOP's misguided woke police,'" who, he claimed, deride progressive efforts to "confront problems like racism, poverty, environmental ruin, and climate change." The Washington Post's Philip Bump declared disdainfully that "woke' simply describes anything that is inherently alarming to the right." In truth, "woke" isn't hard to define at all. In its most focused sense, it is the belief that America's social and political institutions are engines of racism, sexism, homophobia, and other forms of persecution and that virtually all invidious gaps or distinctions between groups can be explained by such oppression. More broadly, it is the illiberal insistence that group identity and grievances trump freedom of thought and honest debate. In the woke zeitgeist, anyone who prioritizes traditional liberal values, such as merit or colorblindness, over "equity" i.e., proportionately equal outcomes for every group, regardless of credentials, experience, or performance is part of the oppressive hierarchy that needs to be demolished. You don't have to be a conservative or a Republican to object to wokeness. Back in 2019, former president Barack Obama had tough words for those who think the best way of "making change is to be as judgmental as possible about other people." Speaking to a gathering of youths, he deplored the tendency to cancel individuals for expressing heterodox opinions. "This idea of purity and you're never compromised and you're always politically woke and all that stuff? You should get over that quickly," Obama told his audience. "If I tweet or hashtag about how you didn't do something right or used the wrong verb, then I can sit back and feel pretty good about myself, because, man, you see how woke I was?" I don't recall anyone professing to be puzzled by what Obama meant by "woke." Nor were they mystified when James Carville, the Democratic Party strategist, said in 2021 that "wokeness is a problem and everyone knows it." Nor when the liberal commentator Kevin Drum warned that "academic theories of racism and probably the whole woke movement in general have turned off many moderate Black and Hispanic voters." For a current example of woke ideology in action, consider legislation now before the Minnesota Legislature. A sweeping education omnibus bill backed by Democratic Governor Tim Walz was taken up last week at a hearing of the Education Finance Committee. It includes numerous subsections, but one that drew particular attention would require "ethnic studies" in Minnesota's K-12 classrooms. According to the measure's chief sponsor, Representative Samantha Sencer-Mura of Minneapolis, the bill would simply ensure that students are taught about all ethnic "cultures, communities, and histories," not solely about Europe and its influence. In Sencer-Mura's characterization, it is meant to ensure "a curriculum that reflects all students." But that isn't what the bill prescribes. The legislation says next to nothing about the cultures and traditions of diverse peoples. Instead, it explicitly casts "ethnic studies" as an ideological discipline, defining it as: the critical and interdisciplinary study of race, ethnicity, and indigenity with a focus on the experiences and perspectives of people of color within and beyond the United States. Ethnic studies analyzes the ways in which race and racism have been and continue to be powerful social, cultural, and political forces, and the connection of race to the stratification of other groups, including stratification based on gender, class, sexuality, religion, and legal status. That's hardly a mandate to celebrate the many cultural backgrounds represented by students in a diverse classroom. It is a mandate to indoctrinate children with an ideological agenda focused on the centrality of race and racism and to emphasize the overarching importance of group identity in all social interactions. The bill would require every school board to develop a plan to address "institutional racism," which is defined as "structures, policies, and practices within and across institutions that produce outcomes that chronically favor white people and disadvantage those who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color." Among the bill's leading advocates are Brian Lozenski and Jonathan Hamilton, two professors of education at Macalester College in Saint Paul. In a published essay, the two academics argue that "curricula is a primary mechanism of white supremacy in schools" and hail the proposed ethnic studies mandate as "a critical tool in ... Minnesota's struggle for racial equity." This is wokeness distilled to a high level of potency. Opposition to the bill has been heartfelt. Two members of the public who testified at the hearing last week, both Black women, spoke with particular eloquence. "You might ask," began Kofi Montzka, an attorney in the state licensing division and a mother of three, "why in the world a Black person would speak against ethnic studies." Her answer: because the bill under consideration "tells kids of color that they are stuck in a caste system based on their race. It also tells kids that institutions chronically favor white people and disadvantage people of color. I'm sick of everyone denying the enormous progress we've made in this country and acting like it's 1930." She decried the harm caused by drumming such messages into kids' heads: Just last month, in my high schooler's band class, the teacher took 20 minutes to talk about antiracism.' He told the kids to look around. Then he said that the Black boys in the class would likely not live to retirement because of racism and the police. ... If this law is passed, teaching this hopelessness to kids of color will be mandated, starting in kindergarten. I can see why you white proponents of this bill might support it. It's not your kids being told that they can't succeed. And you get to shed some of your white guilt in the process. But you legislators of color, how can you? You made it despite the invisible bogeyman of systemic racism. You were voted in by a majority of white people. You hold some of the most powerful positions in this state. Yet you want to tell my kids and other kids of color that they can't succeed? Hillary Swanson, a lifelong Minnesota resident, agreed. She had read the bill, she told legislators, and was disturbed by its conception of ethnic studies. "It doesn't help kids to tell them that their skin color determines their outcomes in today's society. This bill divides and stereotypes by race. It downplays and erases the strength of people committed to a common goal of being united." Swanson cited the "dismal" record of Minnesota schools at getting students to proficiency in math, reading, and science. "A focus on critical race theory will not improve these numbers," she said. Bristling with emotion, Swanson asserted: "No one is better than me because of the color of my skin. ... I've been Black my whole life and I will not allow anyone to tell me that they have privilege over me because of my skin." She urged the committee to rewrite the legislation with the ideological brainwashing stripped out. "Teach our kids in an uplifting and unifying way," she pleaded. "Raise your expectations and theirs." Alas, wokeness isn't designed to uplift and unify. Its purpose is to tear down and divide. In its quest for power, it denies the legitimacy of any competing values. That is why its messaging is so relentlessly negative and bitter, and so attractive to zealots. It isn't hard to define such zealotry, but defeating it isn't easy. Jeff Jacoby is a columnist for The Boston Globe, from which this is reprinted with permission." SULLIVAN Everything old is new again. The directors at the Moultrie County Historical Society are making sure of that. Artifacts from the free museum were recently moved into a new location at 1303 S. Hamilton St. in Sullivan, that provides more space and resources for families, Moultrie County natives, history enthusiasts and even the curious. A grand opening to celebrate the new location will be Saturday, April 1. The 10,000-square-foot building is split into two resource areas. The library has shelves filled with books, newspapers and other historical materials. The museum features displays dating back to before the time Moultrie County had residents. Formerly a boat shop, the building began transforming into the home of the countys history more than a year ago. Thats when we acquired the building, said Gail Price, museum librarian. Then they all started remodeling. The museum was located at 117 Harrison St., near the Moultrie County Courthouse. When the opportunity to purchase a larger building arrived, the directors took it. The building over there was going to need some major work, said Sue Durbin, assistant director. A neighbor over there wanted to buy the building, so we made a deal. Along with more space for more exhibits, the new building now has other opportunities for the public to research history. Online resources, such as Ancestory.com and Newspapers.com, are available for free. The family search is deeper now, said Pam Wood, museum director. Museum directors have also partnered with educators in providing more in depth displays and resources. We have an education liaison group, Wood said. They have reached out to all of the Moultrie County schools and are making a connection for us. Were trying to get some local history into the kids, Durbin said. Not just the national history. The museum has exhibits similar to galleries in national exhibitions, with reader boards, murals and artifacts. Visitors enter the museum at the beginning of Illinois formation. We talk about the glaciers, Wood said. Then we move onto the Native Americans. Randy Fairs large collection of arrowheads and axes are meticulously categorized and displayed. Theyre stone tools, he said. This is only part of my collection. Other displays feature the importance of transportation in forming Moultrie County, the one-room school houses that dotted the area, life during the Depression and Abraham Lincolns connection to the county. We have a picture-taking opportunity with Abe, Durbin said. Although the museum is filled with authentic artifacts dating back to the people and times, several offer a modern presentation, including a 2D automated teacher. The directors have worked with a consultant from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in creating the display. We have to think outside of the box for the younger generation, Wood said. A military display features personal Moultrie County pieces from various wars, including the Civil War, Korean Conflict and Gulf War. A short film, shown continuously, will star a war, a veteran and its military story. Each window will feature a veteran from Moultrie County, Wood said. We will switch that out probably every six months. The displays also highlight the countys historical importance to the world and outside of Central Illinois. Little Theatre on the Square donated pieces important to the theater world, including costumes and playbills. A smaller version of a Moultrie County courthouse courtroom is set up similar to the past. Items that were once made in the county, such as Sullivan Dairy, will be on display in the business section. A tractor is on display in the agriculture area. And notable citizens, such as doctors, authors and business owners, have their own displays. According to the directors, most of the exhibits are temporary and can be rotated out for the next display. They can also be removed to make room for lectures, discussions and other community events. We move the chairs, the walls, then put tables up, Wood said. In less than a year, the building has been visited by researchers and the curious from around the country. And theyve had a ball, Price said. The trustee for bankrupt United Furniture Industries Inc. is opposing WARN Act lawsuits that seek 60 days of pay and benefits for 530 Triad employees and about 2,700 companywide. United made promotional- to mid-priced upholstered furniture in the U.S. under its brand and the Lane Home Furnishings brand. The manufacturer also imported wooden bedroom and dining furniture. United shut down unexpectedly on Nov. 22, immediately ending employment and health-insurance benefits. United had facilities in Winston-Salem, Lexington, Archdale and Trinity. It was placed into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Jan. 18, allowing the company the opportunity to sell its assets. The majority of companies going out of business, or conducting job cuts affecting at least 50 employees, typically file a WARN notice in which they agree to pay 60 days worth of wages and benefits to affected workers. The filing also serves to alert local and state employment agencies to begin providing assistance to workers who will be unemployed. United has not filed a WARN notice in California, Mississippi or North Carolina the three states where it had operations. Chapter 11 trustee Derek Henderson submitted his motion in opposition to the lawsuits on Wednesday in the federal Northern District of Mississippi. Henderson summed up his opposition by saying that although United did not provide a WARN notice in November, he denies that United violated the act and/or any state law because the shutdown and layoffs were due to unforeseen business circumstances, as well as the inability to obtain financing. Wells Fargo & Co., the manufacturers largest creditor, listed in a Dec. 30 legal filing that United was a $600 million annual revenue business before the abrupt shutdown. The WARN Act lacks enforcement teeth, with several studies showing it has lots of loopholes, and virtually no enforcement authority from federal, state and local officials. In those instances, employees must file a lawsuit in federal court to assert WARN rights. The former employees are requesting class-action status in the six filed WARN lawsuits, some of which have been combined. Henderson claims former employees are barred from claims by the unforeseeable business circumstances exception in the act. At all relevant times, the debtor was actively seeking to obtain financing for the business and the debtor reasonably and in good faith believed that no prior WARN Act notice was required or appropriate, because such notice would have precluded the debtor from obtaining the needed capital, according to Henderson. These efforts at refinancing and to provide alternate means for its continuing in business were suddenly and abruptly rejected, leaving the debtor with no choice but to cease operations. The debtor acted lawfully, in good faith, without intent to deny plaintiffs or any persons alleged to be similarly situated any rights pursuant to state or federal law, including the WARN Act, and without malice or reckless indifference to their protected rights. Wells Fargo claims Wells Fargo has pulled no punches in its court filings in citing its disagreement with the United narrative of its collapse. Wells Fargo said it was given little prior notice on Nov. 21 from United officials that they needed substantial capital immediately, over and above amounts that would be in compliance with the credit facility between the parties, or it would not be able to fund continued operations. Bank officials told United they could not agree to the request ... on such short notice without additional information, including a budget for restructuring purposes and internal credit committee approval at Wells Fargo. The bank said that by United shutting operations immediately, it completely abandoned all of its properties, leaving those facilities without security and without insurance after Nov. 30. Wells Fargo said in a Dec. 30 court filing requesting a Chapter 7 liquidation of United that it is owed $99.21 million in secured debt. The bank has acknowledged it estimates that any recoveries from liquidation of (Uniteds) collateral will result in a recovery equal to a fraction of this amount. It claims United has performed post-shutdown various instances of conduct found to establish a lack of integrity, gross mismanagement, ongoing incompetence, and conflicts of interest involving owner David Belford, and lack of credibility and creditor confidence. Belford made the decision to shut down United. Wells Fargo said Belfords family trust would be a beneficiary of UFIs proposed plan should its bankruptcy case be converted to a proceeding under Chapter 11 ... to the detriment of all creditors. In its own words, UFIs main goal in bankruptcy is to run a sale process for the companys real-estate portfolio which UFI claims to potentially have in excess of $50 million in unencumbered value. Wells Fargo disputes that value assessment. United said in its Jan. 6 response to Wells Fargos petition, that is founded upon false and misleading statements and is premised on inaccurate and grossly misleading allegation. WARN challenges There have been occasional successes in a WARN lawsuit, such as in 2016 when former employees of the closed Yadkinville hospital were able to secure a settlement with the hospitals for-profit operator. The plaintiffs also accuse United management of unjust enrichment and breach of contract. The complaint, as have the other WARN lawsuits, claims that most of the manufacturers 2,700 workers have not been paid their final paycheck. Under the N.C. Wage and Hour Act, United can be liable for civil penalties of $250 per day per employee, up to a maximum of $2,000 per violation. The N.C. plaintiffs are listed as Casia Cordova, Kalvin Hogan, Issael Rangel, Jessica Stacy and Jennifer Wilson. There were four plaintiffs from Mississippi and three from California. The plaintiffs are requesting as permitted by the WARN Act 60 days worth of unpaid wages, salary, commissions, bonuses, accrued holiday pay, accrued vacation pay, and pension and 401(k) contributions, and other ERISA benefits. On Jan. 31, United filed its Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection motion, listing between 200 and 999 creditors. It did not submit a list of individual creditors and claims of what they are owed. It listed having assets and liabilities in a range of $1 million to $10 million. The manufacturer said it estimates funds will be available for distribution to unsecured creditors. According to Investopedia, the United job cuts were among the largest involving U.S. manufacturers in 2022. The largest mass layoffs are among technology and financial services companies. The most recent United workforce count had a combined 245 employees affected in Archdale and Trinity, along with a combined 220 in Lexington and between 50 and 70 in Winston-Salem at its 401 E. Hanes Mill Road facility. In January, Bankruptcy Court judge Selene Maddox issued a memorandum that determined Belford and its board of directors did not rise to the level of bad faith in their decision to shutter operations. However, Maddox wrote that UFI and its management made serious errors in business judgment and displayed clear financial incompetence. Gildan Activewear Inc.s president and chief executive, Glenn Chamandy, received a significant decrease in total compensation for the second consecutive fiscal year, the basic apparel manufacturer reported in a Thursday regulatory filing. Chamandys total compensation was down 14.8% to $9.89 million for fiscal 2022. That followed a 30% decline from $16.58 million in fiscal 2020. The reason for the decline for Chamandy was a 54.6% drop in incentive pay to $1.68 million. Chamandys base salary rose by 0.6% to $1.25 million. As has been the case in recent years, Chamandys largest compensation category was stock awards, which were valued at $6.789 million on the date they were awarded. All other compensation was worth $109,666, which typically represents perquisites and other personal benefits worth about 10% of his base salary. Because Gildan is based outside the U.S., it is not subject to the CEO pay-ratio reporting requirement of U.S-based publicly traded companies. For fiscal 2022, net income was down 10.8% to $541.5 million, while adjusted net income was up 6.8% to $574.7 million. Sales rose 10.9% to a record $3.24 billion. Gildan, based in Montreal, is a major competitor of Hanesbrands Inc. of Winston-Salem. All eight of its yarn-spinning facilities are based in North Carolina, including four in the Triad in Mocksville, Eden, Mayodan and Stoneville. As of March 31, Gildan had created more than 500 jobs at its yarn-production plant in Mocksville well exceeding the initial pledge of 295 as part of expanding domestic production capacity for new and existing products for its Gildan Yarns division. The other listed Gildan executives also received significantly lower incentive pay for fiscal 2022. Rhodri Harries, chief financial and chief administrative officer, received a 3.1% increase in base salary to $820,677, incentive pay of $554,942 and total compensation of $3.62 million, down 13.3%. Benito Masi, president of its manufacturing group, received a 3% increase in base salary to $633,973, incentive pay of $428,693 and total compensation of $2.87 million, down 8.9%. Chuck Ward, president of its sales, marketing and distribution group, received a 14.9% increase in base salary to $614,615, incentive pay of $415,603 and total compensation of $2.73 million, up 25%. Arun Bajaj, chief human resources officer, received a 6% increase in base salary to $487,277, incentive pay of $819,293 and total compensation of $1.66 million, down 2.8%. Gildan will hold a virtual annual shareholder meeting on May 4 in Montreal. There is a shareholder proposal that would require Gildan to review human capital management policies addressing human rights in its supply chain, and to improve safety and reducing workplace risks, particularly for operations in Bangladesh and Honduras. The board of directors recommends voting against the proposal, saying it has engaged with representatives of the BC General Employees Union over the issues. Editors note: To close out Womens History Month, heres the story of the Ellis sisters. This story originally ran in the Winston-Salem Journal on June 25, 1998. The saying A family that prays together stays together has held true for a lifetime for sisters Mildred E. Knox, Dorothy E. Wynecoff and Olivia E. Morgan. Theyve been praying together since as far back as they can remember, when their father, Golden C. Ellis, was an African Methodist Episcopal Zion preacher. One of the things they fondly remember their father preaching both in and out of the pulpit was the importance of education beyond high school. From early on the Ellis girls said they knew that they would be headed to college and pretty much knew that they would be going to Livingstone College in Salisbury. We always knew that we would go to Livingstone, Wynecoff said. Daddy said that kids from the church could go for a nominal fee since the school was supported financially by the church. Fifty years after their graduation, the three women returned to Livingstone to share the stage for another honor. They were inducted into the colleges Golden Anniversary Club, an alumni organization for graduates who are celebrating their 50th alumni year. It was so exciting to go back, to see old friends ... just to be back to see the maples and the oaks, Wynecoff said. This time around, the sisters were decked out in shimmering gold caps and gowns for the honor instead of the schools traditional black and blue colors. The sisters are not triplets, but, seemingly by fate, they all graduated from college at the same time. Knox, started at Livingstone in 1943, Wynecoff and Morgan in 1944. They graduated in 1948. I graduated from Atkins High School in 1942 and worked for a year before beginning at Livingstone, Knox explained. Then I took another year off after my junior year to get married. Wynecoff also worked the first year after high school before going off to college. Morgan joined her sisters directly out of high school. The sisters said they have always been close and gotten along well. That closeness carried over into their college years as well. We were all roommates at one point, until the year that Mildred took off to get married, then it was just me and Olivia, Wynecoff said. The three also renewed their sisterhood by joining the same sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha. Even though their college days are long behind them, the three have continued their camaraderie. All the sisters eventually married and had their own families. With the exception of Morgan who went to be with her husband, who was in the military, for three years during the 1950s the three sisters have always lived in the same city. They are also still praying together. All sisters are members of Goler Metropolitan AME Zion Church, where they have been worshipping since the late 1940s. Now they keep themselves busy working in various church groups. Knox is an assistant organist for the cathedral choir where Wynecoff sings in the soprano section. Morgan has been the superintendent of the Sunday school department. All three are church missionaries, and all remain actively involved with their sorority. The three are now grandmothers, with 13 grandchildren between them. But they still find time to share in each others lives. They occasionally have lunch or get together for birthdays or family reunions. Wynecoff and Morgan say they talk on the phone almost daily. When not on the phone, the three usually get together at Morgans house. The sisters still sound like schoolgirls as they reminisce about their school days, complimenting one another on the different honors each has received over the years. They still speak lovingly of their fathers days as a preacher as they thumb through a scrapbook of his 53 years in the ministry. They still have fond memories of growing up as close sisters. The only difference, Morgan said, is Now were golden girls. Commotion in the hallway Thursday morning at Forsyth Technical Community College caught Chrisann Parr Ricciardis attention. Hurried footsteps and slamming doors just arent normal. I just heard loud noises and I wasnt sure if they were good or bad, said Ricciardi, who teaches communication courses in the Strickland building. A peek at her cellphone shed silenced it for class delivered the alert that every teacher fears: Shelter in place. Active shooter. Her students, most of whom had left the building a few minutes earlier, began to text after getting the same message and confirmed what shed just read. They kept saying Mrs. Ricciardi, are you OK? she said. For the next few minutes, she couldnt be absolutely certain. Ricciardi switched off the lights and barricaded herself in the classroom as best she could. She closed her laptop its screen was visible through glass in the door and moved to a back corner where she crawled under a desk. It was out of the line of sight, she said. And while she waited in fear for what may come, Ricciardi texted her husband Ralph, who was manning the front desk at West End Auto Clinic, his repair shop on First Street. Winston-Salem Prep student shot himself in the hand at Forsyth Tech, leading to lockdown, massive police response. A high school student on a field trip at Forsyth Technical Community College shot himself in the hand on Thursday morning, leading to a lockdo He wasted no time heading toward the school. I had to get to her, he said. She texted me that there was an active shooter on campus and she was alone (in her classroom) in the building where it was happening. Ricciardi, the owner of West End Auto Clinic, said he ran from his building, hopped into his car and followed a police car all the way to campus. Normal rules didnt apply. Not when he was worried about his wife. I figured (the officer) wasnt looking behind him, he said. Ten, maybe 15 minutes passed before Chrisann Ricciardi heard a knock at her door. Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough was helping clear the rooms along with every available deputy, Winston-Salem police officer and state trooper. I came out with my hands up, told him I was a teacher and that I was alone, she said. (Kimbrough) said Come with me, and he led me to another room. There, she was instructed to wait with others as law enforcement hunted the gunmen and located terrified students and faculty members. I think there were consolidating people so they could account for everyone, she said. Another 30 minutes or so passed before police led them outside to where anxious family members had started to gather. Upon seeing his wife, Ralph Ricciardi let out a sigh of relief and listened as she recounted her ordeal. And when he saw the sheriff, Ricciardi reacted with emotion. All I could do was hug him and thank him, Ralph Ricciardi said. They learned, too, that campus would be locked down for the rest of the day as the building would be scoured for evidence Her personal belongings, car keys and computer, will remain in the classroom where she hid until Friday morning at the earliest. But thats OK considering what might have been. She said she never heard gunfire. (Police) asked me that, she said. I never heard any, not while I was in the room by myself or in the other room with the others. The response from law enforcement, regardless of whether shots were fired or what prompted it, couldnt have been better, she said. I really felt they handled it well, she said. They were on top of it. Police and deputies were everywhere with serious guns. I felt safe. And once a few hours had passed, Chrisann Ricciardi allowed herself a moment to reflect. With what just happened in Nashville, everybody is on edge, she said. Its a shame. I do think of these things, the what-ifs. These days you just never know. PHOTOS: Shooting at Forsyth Tech Community College A high school student on a field trip at Forsyth Technical Community College shot himself in the hand on Thursday morning, leading to a lockdown of the school and a massive law enforcement response. The student was identified as Shannon Howard James Pitts of Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy. Police said he had a gun he fired, resulting in the hand injury. Police did not say whether the shooting was intentional or accidental. The shooting occurred about 10:10 a.m. in the Strickland Center, a large building on the south side of the main Forsyth Tech campus. The injured student was found after campus police responded to a report of a shooting in a second-floor restroom of the building, according to Chief Carolyn McMackin, of Forsyth Tech Police Department. I recognize this was a scary situation for all of us, she said. As a chief of police, this is the call that we never want to receive. Capt. Shelley Lovejoy of the Winston-Salem Police Department said that Pitts, who is 18, was taken to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening. After his release from the hospital, Pitts was charged with two counts of having a weapon on educational property and one count of carrying a concealed gun, police said. He was released from the Forsyth County Jail on a $25,000 bond. Pitts was among 600 high school students from the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools and schools in Stokes County who came to the Strickland Center for a Focus event organized to tell students about educational opportunities at the college. The high school students, students at Forsyth Tech and staff inside all the buildings on campus were lockdown until just before 1 p.m. when the all clear was given. During that time, many students huddled in fear, not knowing if there was a school shooter on the loose: An alert sent out to everyone at the college by campus police said early on that two armed and dangerous males were at large. TechAlert: We are experiencing an active shooter situation. Law enforcement is on site. The campus is on lockdown with shelter in place for all students, faculty and staff. Forsyth Tech (@ForsythTechCC) March 30, 2023 That turned out not to be the case, as police announced around 11:30 and confirmed in a 2 p.m. news conference held in a nearby parking lot. Police said they were searching for no suspects and that there was no danger to the community because of the incident. College officials said the text was sent out because that was the preliminary information they had to give. Just so scared The shooting came the same week three students and three staffers will killed in a shooting at a school in Nashville and a day after an unsubstantiated threat was made at Forsyth Tech. Allison Wilson and many other students didnt know there was no active shooter as they tried to figure out what to do to keep themselves safe. It was terrifying, she said, describing how she, two other students and a lab instructor hid in a supply room after learning of the shooting. We were really quiet at first and just so scared, and we didnt know what to do except hide, and get down and turn the lights off. Then they began talking: What could they get their hands on to defend themselves if the shooters came in? How much can (something) protect you against a bullet? She said. With her phone down to 7%, she texted loved ones, not knowing if shed see them again. The Strickland Center houses a variety of student support services, along with labs, classrooms, a bookstore, the admissions office and a conference center. On the other side of the campus from the Strickland Center, parking lots filled to overflowing with anxious parents and others waiting to pick up students. Kyosha King, whose son is an Early College program at Forsyth Tech, said her child was at Mount Tabor High School in August of 2021 when a 15-year-old sophomore was fatally shot near the cafeteria. After that, I would say a prayer to myself every morning for the students safety, King said. I would tell him goodbye and I love him because you dont know 100% that he will come home safe each day. Its just sad their generation has to be aware of where all the exits are at, and pay attention to signs that something may be off, may be wrong. As a helicopter circled overhead, anxious relatives stood by their cars or parked at the National Guard armory, clutching their cellphones and asking anyone they saw what to do next. Jordan Harris, a health care worker whose daughter attends Forsyth Tech, stood in a driveway looking at a first-floor window where her daughter, Ashden, could see her. Because of the mirrored windows, Harris could not see inside. In Gods hands We just have to put it in Gods hands at this point, Harris said. I mean, Im so thankful that my daughter is safe, but I cant imagine getting that phone call that somebody will get that their child is injured or worse. And thats scary. Otis Jordan was in a class when he heard sirens. We had to move to a class that didnt have glass doors, so you had just a lot of confusion. In the early stages of the incident, police and sheriffs deputies cruisers converged on the parking lot of the Strickland Building to block it off. Until reinforcements arrived, Forsyth Tech employee Walt Braxton was standing in jeans and a T-shirt at one parking lot entrance and doing the job single-handedly. Across the street, an officer in plain clothes could be heard telling a woman in a car on the parking lot at Hauser Hall that she had to stay in her car. More and more deputies and police came in, joined by N.C. Highway Patrol troopers and officers on motorcycles. Forsyth Tech student Damon Davis was in Hauser Hall and stepped outside to get something from his car, only to hear a man yelling at him to go back inside. But the building door was now locked and he couldnt get back in. The day before A woman waiting in a car shared a text that had come only the day before, when Joey Hearl, the principal of Early and Middle College of Forsyth, said that Forsyth Tech was among schools at several locations across the state that had gotten a threat by email. Hearl said in the text that the threat was considered unfounded but that people would see more law enforcement officers on campus. Real or not, the text prompted more concern. Tracy Pressley, sitting at the base of a pole, said she was waiting to pick up her daughter Greyson Bowman. This is probably the (most scared) Ive ever been in my life, she said. She was a little relieved when she learned police said no shooter was on campus. About an hour into the lockdown, police cleared the media and other bystanders from the campus and it was harder to tell exactly what was going on. Police set up a command post, and both Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough and Winston-Salem Police Chief William Penn Jr. were both on the campus with their officers. A dramatic moment came around 1 p.m. when law enforcement officers stopped traffic on Silas Creek Parkway so that a parade of school buses carrying students could emerge from the campus. Tricia McManus, the superintendent of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, said that in addition to the 600 Focus students on campus, there were some 400 Early and Middle College students from her system on campus as they are every day. When the lockdown was over, the students were returned to their home schools. Janet Spriggs, the president of Forsyth Tech, praised the students for how they responded to the crisis, and said there would be no classes at all campuses for the rest of the week. Spriggs called Thursday a very difficult day in a statement to students and staff. But as always, we came together, followed the plans we had practiced, and took care of each other in true trailblazer fashion. Theres no school Friday for students in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth system, and next week is spring break. McManus said that when students who were at Forsyth Tech on Thursday go back to school on April 11, counselors will be available to speak with them. Due to what is happening nationwide, I guarantee when you hear theres an active shooter it impacts our children, McManus said. Working as a cook on a U.S. Merchant Marine ship, Don McMillan used to crack four eggs at a time each morning while prepping breakfast for 6,200 sailors. And I thought I cooked a lot of eggs, he said. But its nowhere like this. McMillan stood in a large dining room on Wednesday helping to oversee a massive and meticulous operation, one with direct links to the White House. By Friday, he and his team with The Stocked Pot must have 30,000 eggs boiled, dyed and ready to be eventually shipped to Washington, D.C., for the annual Easter Egg Roll on the White House South Lawn. This years egg roll is April 10. The team is following eggsact orders from the White House, down to the proper shade of the dyes. The location of the operation is being kept under wraps to keep away any rotten eggs interested in spoiling this beloved American tradition or poaching a few eggs for themselves. Braswell Family Farms in Nashville has been donating eggs to the egg roll nearly every year since 1997, said Trey Braswell, the company president. Last year, the American Egg Board, which facilitates the event, asked Braswell Family Farms if it could also dye the eggs. John Watson, the vice president of marketing and sales for the farm, agreed then later forgot he made that commitment. I was like, I got myself in a dilemma, Watson said Wednesday. He reached out to The Stocked Pot, a cooking school and catering company that McMillan started in 1985. McMillans son, Andrew, now owns the company with Andrews wife, Laurie. The farm and The Stocked Pot have teamed in the past, with the farm providing the eggs and Stocked Pot chefs cooking omelets for cancer patients and doctors at area hospitals during Victory Ride to Cure Cancer events. When the farm contacted Andrew McMillan last year, he thought his crew at The Stocked Pot was going to boil and dye 12,000 eggs. I still thought it was a lot of eggs, but I said wed be honored to do this for the White House, Andrew McMillian said. I said give me two weeks, and itll work perfectly. Then the count went up to 14,000, and it became comical. A week before (the event), it went to 18,000. This year, the farm told The Stocked Pot off the bat that the order would be 30,000. On Sunday, a crew of 12 people boiled 10,000 eggs that kids at the egg roll will decorate. From Monday through Friday, a nine-person crew is boiling and dying 4,000 eggs each day with a designated color. Wednesday was green day, by the way. The day starts at 8 a.m., and ends when the daily quota is met. Ninety eggs at a time are boiled in four different vats of water for 10 minutes then bathed in ice water for four minutes. From there, they head to the dying station before getting packed and sent to a cooler. Occasionally, the team will crack an egg to make sure the eggs are fully cooked. Though the days are long, Daphne Fish said she likes thinking about the kids having fun at the White House. I do landscaping so this is easy work for me, Fish said during a break on Wednesday. Braswell got to go to the egg roll as a child when George H.W. Bush was president and has never forgotten the thrill of being at the White House. And now fast forward, and we get to be part of process, and I know the effort were putting into it. Its really cool, he said. PHOTOS: The Stocked Pot dyes 30,000 eggs for the White House Easter Egg Roll Steel Panther, with Crobot, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Bourbon Theatre. Satirical glam rockers Steel Panther have a new album On The Prowl, therefore an excuse to bring their award-winning over-the-top live show to cities like Lincoln. Known for, shall we say, exaggerated stage moves, classic 80s spandex and big hair and songs filled with profane hilarious lyrics, Steel Panther is highly entertaining live and theyre actually pretty good on the music front. Minnesota with Zeke Beats, Oceanz, Nofslinger, 9 p.m. Friday, The Royal Grove. Minnesota is producer/DJ Christian Bauhofer, whos from Santa Cruz, California, not the land of 1,000 lakes. Hes been blowing up on the EDM circuit with high-energy mixes filled with hammering bass. Hell be joined by Australias Zeke Beats, known for his mix of hip-hop and grime. Miss Ivy Ford, 9 p.m. Friday Zoo Bar. Chicagos Blues Kitten Miss Ivy Ford started performing at 13 and has shared the stage with many Windy City greats including Buddy Guy. Ford, who blends some soul and R&B into her sometimes sultry, sometimes dynamic blues is back at the Zoo Friday for the first time in four years where shes always been captivating. Tech N9ne with Joey Cool, Kid Clever, M Shah, Denham, 8 p.m. Saturday, Bourbon Theatre. Rapper Tech N9ne, whose Red Kingdom is the unofficial anthem of the Kansas City Chiefs, got the chance to write a new victory song Tell Everyone to celebrate the Chiefs Super Bowl win. Hell almost certainly do the song Saturday when he returns to the Bourbon Theater, where hes been a regular for years showcasing his powerhouse Chopper style that combines dynamic rhymes and speed rap into a distinctive, his-alone hardcore sound. Yates McKendree, 6 p.m. Tuesday, Zoo Bar. Nominated for the Blues Music Award for Best New Artist, Yates McKendree will make his Zoo Bar Tuesday. Just 21, the Nashville guitarist/pianist/drummer, who was raised in the recording studio by his father Kevin, already has a Grammy Award for his work on Delbert McClintons Tall Dark and Handsome and is what John Hiatt has called my secret weapon. His debut album Buchanan Lane, released last fall remains in the top 10 of the blues charts. And, by the way, he plays straight up traditional blues. Joanna Connor, 6 p.m. Wednesday, Zoo Bar. Joanna Connnor, the widely acclaimed Queen of the Slide Guitar returns to the Zoo Bar for the first time in years Wednesday. Just signed to a new label, Connor who grew up in Massachusetts, moved to Chicago in 1984, where she shared the stage with the likes of Buddy Guy, Junior Wells and James Cotton. Shes released 14 albums since 1989, most recently 2021s 4801 South Indiana Avenue. Demun Jones with Sam Grow, 7 p.m. Wednesday, Bourbon Theatre. Demun Jones was at the Bourbon Theatre in November, opening for Adam Calhoun. Wednesday, the country rapper will be back, this time headlining the show. Best known for his time in the Southern hip-hop ensemble, Rehab, the Georgia native was inspired by N.W.A. as a kid, added Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath to his mix, then Southern rock and has transformed that into autobiographical country rap on his album Jones County. Top Journal Star photos for March 2023 FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) Medical marijuana advocates achieved a long-sought victory Thursday, when Kentucky lawmakers gave final passage to a measure to legalize access to medical cannabis for people suffering from a defined list of debilitating illnesses. In the waning hours of this year's legislative session, the Republican-dominated House voted 66-33 to send the measure to Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear. The governor quickly responded that he was thankful this progress has been made and said he would sign the bill. Supporters pushed the bill over the finish line after years of setbacks, when other versions to open Kentucky to legal medical cannabis died. Medical cannabis is legal in at least 37 states. This is a truly historic day here in the commonwealth and one that many people deserve especially the constituents whove approached me over the years to share their stories, Republican Sen. Stephen West, the Kentucky bill's lead sponsor, said in a triumphant statement after the House vote. Kentuckians with qualified medical conditions will have to wait to gain access to medical cannabis under the bill. Senate Bill 47 specifies that the medical marijuana program won't take effect until the start of 2025, to allow time for state health officials to draft regulations to oversee the program. The governor took executive action last year to relax the state's prohibition on medical cannabis, but he has said its no substitute for outright legalization, which required legislative approval. Beshear's action allows Kentuckians suffering from a number of severe health conditions to legally possess small amounts of medical marijuana properly purchased in another state. Under the bill headed to the governor's desk, medical cannabis could be prescribed for a list of conditions, including cancer, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, epilepsy, chronic nausea and post-traumatic stress disorder. The bill would prohibit smokable cannabis products. We need your help to make us be safer, so we dont have to use all these pharmaceuticals and opioids, longtime medical marijuana advocate Eric Crawford told a House committee that advanced the bill earlier Thursday. Help us not be criminals. Lets legalize this for sick people. Crawford has talked about his use of medical marijuana as an alternative to opioids to deal with pain and muscle spasms from injuries he suffered in a vehicle crash decades ago. Cannabis helps me, he told lawmakers earlier in March. I know what is best for me. I dont want to be high. I just want to feel better. Under the bill, a person would have to be approved for a card allowing its use. A patient under 18 couldnt possess or acquire medical cannabis without assistance from a designated caregiver. The bill gained a crucial breakthrough in mid-March when it was passed by the Senate, where some earlier versions had died in the past. Republicans have supermajorities in both legislative chambers. The bill's opponents kept up their resistance even with the House poised to pass it. Michael Johnson, representing The Family Foundation, told the House committee on Thursday that he's truly sympathetic for people suffering from chronic pain and other debilitating illnesses. But he claimed there's insufficient scientific evidence that marijuana is safe and effective as a medication. Johnson warned that the bill would allow people access to raw plant material, which he said is extremely likely to be smoked, regardless of what the packaging says. Lawmakers opposing the bill raised similar arguments during the House debate. We sometimes give people what they want, not what they need. This is one of those moments, said Republican Rep. Shane Baker. A leading supporter of the bill responded to opponents' claims that the bill is weak on enforcement. You will lose your card if you get caught smoking it, and you will go to jail, as you ought to," said Republican Rep. Jason Nemes. This is not a wink, wink, nod, nod medical program. This is a medical program. The bill's leading proponents said they were open to revisions in next year's legislative session. That includes making it clear that school districts would be allowed to prohibit its employees, including school nurses, from administering medical marijuana products to students, they said. This is a long, complicated bill thats been hammered out over a five-year period," West told the House panel. "Its clear there are going to be technical changes in the future, next year Im sure. A few hours later, once the bill won final passage, supporters were in a celebratory mood. It took a lot of time, deliberation and debate spanning many years, but we did it, West said. ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) Maryland lawmakers gave final approval Thursday to expanding procedures relating to gender-affirming care that are covered by the states Medicaid program. The 93-39 vote by the House of Delegates sends the measure to Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat who has said he will sign the bill. The states Medicaid program currently limits gender-affirming care to a handful of procedures, such as mental health services for gender dysphoria, continuous hormone replacement therapy, and gender reassignment surgery. The Trans Health Equity Act expands coverage to procedures that include hair alteration, voice modification surgery and therapy, alterations to the abdomen, trunk, face and neck and fertility preservation services. Revisions and reversals of prior treatments also would be covered. Under current law, Medicaid covers gender-affirming treatments for people who are 18 and have the capacity to make informed decisions and consent for treatment. People also have to have a diagnosis of gender dysphoria and undergo at least a year of continuous hormonal therapy when recommended by a mental health professional. A person also must have two referrals from qualified mental health professionals who independently assess the individual. The bill enabling expansion of coverage would take effect Jan. 1. Much of the debate by opponents of the legislation has focused on efforts to specifically define in the bill that surgeries would be prohibited for people under 18. But supporters say the measure does not change current Maryland law on that point regarding minors, who are prescribed puberty blockers and hormone treatment instead of surgery. Health care decisions for transgender youth in the state require parental consent. No child is making this decision independently, said Del. Bonnie Cullison, a Montgomery County Democrat, during debate Thursday. Only in very rare occasions would surgery be an option for someone under 18, if a parent, patient and medical providers believed someone would be in danger without that kind of treatment, Cullison said. We would say under no circumstances can we allow an individual who is at risk of self-harm, serious risk for self-harm, to not get the treatment they need, Cullison said. Last year, about 100 people received gender-affirming treatment through Medicaid, according to a state analysis. The analysis said the number of Medicaid enrollees seeking gender-affirming treatment under the bill is estimated to increase by about 25 people a year, according to the Maryland Department of Health. The health department also said that while there appears to be an extremely low prevalence of regret in transgender patients after receiving gender-affirming surgeries, approximately 1% may seek reversal of treatments, according to the state analysis by the Department of Legislative Services. About 24,000 Maryland residents are transgender, and 6,000 are enrolled in Medicaid, according to the Williams Institute at UCLA. The legislation in heavily-Democratic Maryland comes at a time when GOP-controlled states around the nation are considering bans or restrictions to access to gender-affirming care. All of the candidates vying to lead Nebraska's education system want to improve communication, explore academic assessment options and be cautious about school choice. These were some of the priorities three finalists laid out for State Board of Education members Thursday as they interviewed to become the next education commissioner. The board is in the final stages of its search process following the January resignation of Matthew Blomstedt, who was commissioner for nine years. Through months of discussion and working with search firm McPherson and Jacobson, the board ended up with three finalists, all with Nebraska ties. The candidates interviewed Thursday were Melissa Poloncic, superintendent of the Douglas County West Community Schools; Brian Maher, executive director of the South Dakota Board of Regents; and Summer Stephens, superintendent for the Churchill County School District in Fallon, Nevada. The state board originally had a fourth finalist, Lisa Coons, the chief academic officer for the Tennessee Department of Education. In late March, she was appointed by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin as that states superintendent of public instruction. The board asked more than a dozen questions revolving around problem-solving, experience, local control and issues such as assessment and school choice. Some current issues schools are facing, such as staff shortages, weren't mentioned by the board. Each candidate was interviewed for one hour and 45 minutes. The board plans to select its education commissioner at its meeting Friday. Brian Maher Maher, who has worked in Nebraska districts including Kearney, Waverly and Centennial, said he decided to apply for the job because he wants the opportunity to make an impact and be a leader for schools. He said he also wants to be a credible face for Nebraska education. "I see this position as an opportunity to help teachers teach," he said. "I want to break down barriers so teachers can do what teachers do best." Maher said he thinks the state's main strengths include its passion for education, its financing and the efficiency of its federal programs department. One challenge Maher has noticed is the lack of systemic communication plan for statewide and local education officials. "What I found in communication is, generally speaking, there is plenty of info going out. The question is, do you listen?" he said. Maher said he would distribute a memo each Friday to help boost transparency and communication with the state board. Asked to weigh in on Nebraska's assessment system, Maher said he would improve the NSCAS Growth assessment. The effectiveness and design of the state test has been criticized by school officials. "It's falling short in a couple of areas. NSCAS is based on growth, but the growth is grade-level only, so it doesn't allow it to go below or above," Maher said. Maher, along with the other two candidates, cautioned against creating more school choice, a move that is currently under consideration by the Nebraska Legislature with a private school scholarship tax bill. "If I want my kids to have an education that isn't public, I dont know if my kids should get money that is intended for a common good," he said. Summer Stephens Stephens, who has worked for the Bellevue and Norris school districts in Nebraska, said she has spent her entire career thinking about this position. "I believe that many people have extreme integrity and honesty, but that is the cornerstone of who I am," she said. "This is where I can help the most staff and students." Stephens said Nebraska's education system is supreme to other locations. She said the State Department of Education has a solid delivery structure to implement initiatives, laws and policies in districts, while also allowing input and ideas "coming from boots on the ground." One improvement Stephens favors would be to change the state's accountability system, which measures the performance of school districts. "If an accountability system and assessments within it are not seen as useful within the schools, then we are not going to improve," she said. Stephens said she's afraid that if Nebraska creates more school choice, it will take opportunities away from students who need them. "This state, I believe, has done the right thing in not having charter schools," she said. "In (Nevada), charter school staff do not have to have teaching licenses." Stephens differed from the other candidates with her goal of moving Nebraska students to a more personalized, competency-based learning environment. Competency-based education is a method of instruction and evaluation based upon students demonstrating their mastery of a subject, usually at their own pace. Melissa Poloncic Satisfied with her job as Douglas County West superintendent, Poloncic said she hadn't been thinking about moving on to the education commissioner position. "My journey in education has led me to this point," she said. Poloncic said Nebraska's main strength is its passion to educate children. Some issues she's heard of include lower student achievement, more student misbehavior, lack of communication and a contentious political climate that bleeds into education. For communication, Poloncic said she would introduce weekly updates to all education department staff and the state board. She also wants to create routine statewide updates. "I believe schools need a routine of knowing when they will hear from the Department of Education," she said. On the topic of school choice, Poloncic said students already have a lot of education options. She said "it gets messy" when funding is involved. "When you talk about the funding following the child, then you have to (ask), is the accountability the same? Where do the funds go?" Poloncic said. "How do the funds flow to the children or the intention of the legislation? Who is monitoring that?" Poloncic's comments about state assessments like NSCAS were similar to those of the other candidates. She said Nebraska is going to have to find a different way to assess students. "It's not working really well, so now we have to change course," she said. Best public elementary schools in Nebraska Best public elementary schools in Nebraska Nebraska lawmakers went back and forth for hours Wednesday in a debate over a bill that would cut Nebraska's top income tax rate by nearly one-third. LB754 includes the income tax-related pieces of Gov. Jim Pillens tax cut and school aid plan. Those pieces together would reduce state tax revenues by at least $3.3 billion over six years, based on estimates from the legislative fiscal office. Lawmakers debated the bill for more than six hours in a filibuster that stretched into Wednesday evening, with no decision reached by the time the Legislature adjourned for the day. A vote to advance LB754 is expected Thursday morning. The measure ratchets down the top rate for individual and corporate income taxes to 3.99% by 2027, bringing down the rate paid by taxpayers in the top two individual tax brackets and both corporate brackets. The top individual rate is 6.64% this year and the top corporate rate is 7.25%. Both are slated to drop to 5.84% by 2027 under a law passed last year. Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of the Omaha area, who introduced the legislation, said LB754 will encourage more people to stay and move to Nebraska, particularly business owners and other "job creators." She noted that multiple neighboring states offer lower income rates. This argument saw some pushback from lawmakers. Sen. John Fredrickson of Omaha, who was undecided on the bill as of Wednesday afternoon, argued that while tax rates might be a factor in where people choose to move, there are also other factors like a state's education options and the actions of its local government. Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln claimed the majority of people who move states do so for family reasons or job transfers. "We can't act like it's just taxes," Fredrickson said. Other components of LB754 would make Social Security benefits fully exempt from income taxes by next year one year earlier than under current law. Another piece, based on LB318, introduced by Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln, would provide some tax relief to low-income parents and child care providers. That piece would allow up to $15 million a year of tax credits for parents with children in child care, $10 million a year in credits for people who donate to child care programs and another $10 million in credits for child care programs and child care workers. At least half of Nebraska income tax filers could save money with the 3.99% tax rate, but the package would offer little for others. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy calculated that the 20% of Nebraskans with the lowest incomes those making less than $30,000 would save an average of $20 with the package. The next lowest 20% those making $30,000 to $54,000 would save an average of $111. Meanwhile, Nebraska's top earners would save thousands. The 15% of Nebraskans making $138,000 to $259,000 would save an average of $1,625. The 4% of Nebraskans making $259,000 to $603,000 would save an average of $4,431 and the 1% making more than $603,000 would save an average of $25,626. Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha proposed an amendment that would limit the tax rate for the top bracket to 4.99%, which he estimated would save the state about $100 million. The second-highest bracket's limit would remain at 3.99%. Cavanaugh cited the disproportionate savings for the wealthy as his reason for bringing the amendment. Cavanaugh's amendment failed in a 8-32 vote taken Wednesday night. Linehan acknowledged that the rich would see tax cuts under the tax bill, but said middle class Nebraskans are included in the same bracket and thus would also benefit. She argued that Cavanaugh's proposal would leave Nebraska's tax rates higher than those in other states. "We are not competitive," Linehan said. "The goal is to get our top rate to be competitive." Linehan and other LB754 supporters repeatedly pointed to the state's recent high revenues as an argument for seeking lower taxes. Linehan said Nebraska should be giving its extra money back to the people. But opponents questioned whether this plan would be sustainable in future years. Following multiple years of higher-than-average revenue projections, recent projections made to the Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board have been more modest, although officials say that's still not cause for alarm. Linehan has said the property tax measure needs to move in lockstep with the property tax changes incorporated into LB243, introduced by Sen. Tom Briese of Albion. She said the two proposals need to provide equivalent amounts of property tax relief as income tax cuts. As advanced by the Revenue Committee, LB243 would increase Nebraskas two property tax credit programs, cap school property taxes and eliminate almost all community college property taxes. Briese said Wednesday that his support for LB754 was "conditional," in that it's dependent on the passage of LB243. "One does not pass without the other," Briese said. "They are tied at the hip." Pillen's plan also included a $305 million increase in state school funding, paid for with a proposed Education Future Fund that would start at $1.25 billion during the two-year budget period starting July 1. Rapper NF will play Pinnacle Bank Arena on July 16, the fourth show on The Hope Tour supporting a new album, Hope, which will be released April 7. Hope will be the fifth album from the chart-topping, multiplatinum artist who is known for rapping raw, brutally honest lyrics -- that often deal with his battles with mental health -- held over catchy hip-hop beats and cinematic production. One of the fastest rising hip-hop stars, Michigans Nathan John Feuerstein, who uses his initials as his stage name, released a pair of EPs and an album before 2016s Therapy Session broke through into the mainstream, hitting No. 12 on the Billboard Top 200 albums charts. He hit No. 1 with 2017s platinum-selling Perception which included the hit single Let You Down and followed that with 2019s The Search which also hit No. 1 and platinum. A Christian artist, who largely eschews self-promotion and social media, NF won a pair of Gospel Music Awards for Therapy Session, as hip-hop album of the year and the albums lead single Oh Lord for hip-hop song of the year. NF has, in total, generated more than 30 billion streams worldwide, had more than 1 billion spins on iHeart radio stations, and sold more than a half million tickets on his worldwide tours. One of the most anticipated hip-hop albums of early 2023, Hope is expected to follow its predecessors to the top of the chart and set up the 47-show North American tour that starts July 12 and runs through mid-September. Cordae will open for NF on the tour. Tickets for the show start at $49.50 and are being sold through Ticketmasters Verified Fan system. Fans can register for Verified Fan at verifiedfan.ticketmaster.com through Sunday. Fans can visit nfrealmusic.com to access additional pre-sales. Public on-sale will begin at 10 a.m. April 7 at ticketmaster.com and on the Ticketmaster app. Tickets will also be on sale at the arena ticket office from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays beginning April 11. The NF concert is the 10th show announced for or held at the arena this year. The other upcoming shows are: Wiz Khalifa April 21, Shinedown, April 25, Morgan Wallen, April 29, Kenny Chesney, May 13, Shania Twain, May 19 and Zach Bryan, Aug. 29. 10 most memorable concerts at Pinnacle Bank Arena Nov. 9, 2013: Pink Nov. 23, 2013: Elton John July 14, 2014: Paul McCartney Jan. 17, 2015: Fleetwood Mac July 11, 2015: Neil Young March 26, 2016: Carrie Underwood Aug. 18, 2017: Kendrick Lamar Oct. 20, 2017: Garth Brooks March 24, 2018: Lorde Oct. 2, 2018: Odesza Five great opening acts The 2024 Senate map presents a daunting challenge for Democrats. Time will tell if it proves to be insurmountable. The party, which currently holds a narrow 51-49 majority, must defend 23 of the 34 seats up for grabs this cycle. That means Republicans need a net gain of just one or two seats to retake the Senate, depending on which party wins the White House in 2024. The most favorable political terrain for Republicans runs through three states that former President Donald Trump carried by at least 8 points in 2020 -- West Virginia, Montana and Ohio. In all three, Democrats have incumbents with unique political brands who could again have crossover appeal with voters in a reelection race. And Republicans could face messy primary fights in all three states, leaving the eventual nominees weakened heading into the general election. Beyond that, Democrats are defending Senate seats in a handful of pivotal presidential battlegrounds -- Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. All are expected to be fiercely contested, with Arizona offering the potential for an unpredictable three-way race if Democrat-turned-independent Kyrsten Sinema seeks reelection. Given the overlay of the presidential race, these contests are most likely to see outsize attention with high-profile campaign visits, making them more connected to the national crosscurrents. If Democrats are searching for targets to offset potential losses, their options are limited. Florida and Texas -- both red-leaning states -- offer the best opportunities. While Florida Sen. Rick Scott has a history of razor-thin elections, he's won them all. The Sunshine State has also been trending toward Republicans in recent years, especially in the era of Trump and Ron DeSantis. In Texas, Sen. Ted Cruz withstood a tough challenge from Beto O'Rourke in 2018, a Democratic-friendly year. Defeating Cruz in a presidential year could pose an even greater test. As the cycle gets underway, how these Senate races play out could depend on several factors. While all signs point to President Joe Biden seeking reelection, he has yet to formally announce his intentions. The 2024 GOP presidential field is only just starting to take shape, with Trump a clear front-runner for now. Aside from the eventual nominees, the overall environment and mood of the country will also help shape contests up and down the ballot as well as the central campaign issues. The state of the US economy is a constant priority for voters. There are signs that culture issues, including parental rights, are poised to drive the debate within GOP primaries and could emerge as general election flashpoints. Senate Republicans were unable to capitalize on what appeared to be a favorable midterm environment for them in 2022, in part because of flawed candidates, several of whom were elevated by Trump. Already this year, National Republican Senatorial Committee chair Steve Daines and other GOP leaders have sent signals that the committee could get involved in primaries if it means avoiding nominees who could cost the party in the general election. A Douglas County judge dismissed a civil lawsuit brought against Catholic Charities of Omaha by an employee who claims to have been traumatized by a staged active-shooter drill. The case raised a novel legal issue that hadnt been decided in Nebraska: Whether an employee can sue their employer in civil court for a workplace injury if the employer specifically intends to cause harm. Under Nebraska law, Workers Compensation Court is the sole remedy for accidental work-related injuries. Douglas County District Court Judge Timothy Burns dismissed the case, ruling that Workers Compensation Court has exclusive jurisdiction to address mental and physical injuries. But Tom White, an attorney representing employee Sandra Lopez, argued that an exception should exist in cases where the employer specifically intended to create the complained of injury. He said that failing to hold employers accountable for intentional harm sets a dangerous precedent. The case arises from a 2022 incident in which Catholic Charities executives hired John Channels, who is now facing a litany of criminal charges, to provide an active-shooter training to employees. Employees were not notified of the drill, nor were police. Channels reportedly showed up in a dark hoodie and mask and began banging on the windows and firing shots into the air. One person laid on the ground covered in what looked to be blood. Many employees believed that they were in a real-life active-shooter situation. Lopez fled from the building and jumped over a retaining wall, injuring her back in the process. It was only after Lopezs son called her boss to inform them that she was safe that she was told the shooting was play acting. Lopez was also diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the staged attack. In an order issued last week, Burns granted Catholic Charities motion to dismiss the case, finding that Nebraska laws and court precedent dictate that Workers Compensation Court is the exclusive remedy. Burns noted that he does agree with Lopezs claim that the alleged facts show Catholic Charities had a specific intent to injure her. But he relied heavily on a 2013 Nebraska Supreme Court opinion in which the court affirmed the dismissal of a civil lawsuit filed by the family of a grain bin worker who died due to criminal negligence of his employer. In that case, Estate of Teague v. Crossroads Coop Association, the court found that the mans death was still an accident, despite the egregious nature of his employers conduct. Thus, Workers Compensation Court still provided the exclusive remedy. The Nebraska Supreme Court did note in the 2013 opinion that other jurisdictions have adopted exceptions for intentional acts, but declined to do so in the state, saying that any change of that nature must come from the Legislature. Likewise, Burns noted in his order that changing the legislation is the way to address these concerns. (Lopez) must look to the legislature for a change in law, if she so desires, Burns wrote. While this court sympathizes with (Lopez), the fact remains, the Nebraska legislature has not acted to include such an exception as argued. White intends to appeal the courts decision. He said Wednesday that he believes the facts of Lopezs case warrant a different outcome. Four years ago: Photos, videos from catastrophic flooding in Nebraska Flooding in Nickerson, 3.13 Flooding in Wahoo, 3.13 Flooding in Nickerson, 3.13 Flooding in Ashland Area, 3.14 Flooding in Ashland Area, 3.14 Flooding, Ashland Flooding, Hooper Flooding, 3.14 Flooding, 3.14 Flooding, 3.14 Flooding, 3.14 Fremont flooding Rescued in boat Spencer Dam Highway flooding Genoa bridge Stranded cattle Flooding, 3.15 Flooding, 3.15 Tuxedo Park in Crete Platte River flooding at I-80 Flooding near Plattsmouth, 3.16 Peru flooding, 3.17 Peru flooding, 3.17 Peru flooding, 3.17 Peru flooding, 3.17 Peru flooding, 3.17 Peru flooding, 3.17 Peru flooding, 3.17 Peru flooding, 3.17 Rescuing calf in Fullerton Nebraska City flooding Cooper plant Water flowing over levee L575 across the river from Nebraska City in Percival, Iowa Steinhart Grain Terminal at Nebraska City By the numbers While the state Legislature discusses voter ID and allowing concealed weapons, an elephant in the room is mostly ignored. Global warming due primarily to burning fossil fuels and other human activities is reaching a tipping point beyond which there is no recovery. Described in a recent United Nations climate report, if we do not achieve a reduction of global warming to about 3 degrees F above pre-industrial levels by the 2030s, we face a potential existential catastrophe for our human species. This is not a prediction by chicken little about the sky falling, but a result of multiple scientific models that take into account current trends. It reports lack of concern to cut back on burning fossil fuels by the worlds largest polluting countries, including U.S. and China. According to a March 20 Washington Post article, climate disasters will become so extreme that people will not be able to adapt. We already know the effects of rising sea levels on coastal populations in much of south and southeast Asia. In the U.S. our modal response is confined to short-term solutions such as building sea walls in coastal cities. Ignoring the best available science on warming, we forge ahead to rebuild damaged houses in the same locations. These are welcome but inexcusable investments in structures that are likely to fall again in future storms. To solve problems caused by our human desires for short-term gratification and putting band-aids on large systemic, expensive and potentially avoidable challenges, we need to look at root causes and how to address them. The same Post article describes potential solutions to help mitigate current effects of global warming and frequent disastrous storms, two characteristics of climate change. With many coastal areas in the Third World already suffering from unintended effects of warming, large consumers of fossil fuels elsewhere have responsibility to seek immediate solutions to help reduce the problem. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change outlines achievable goals if enough people and governments have willingness to change consumer habits and take global warming seriously. We have all the knowledge, tools, and financial resources to achieve climate goals, but after decades of ignoring scientific warnings and delaying climate efforts, the window for action is rapidly closing." At home we can help reach carbon emission goals. Turning down thermostats and wearing sweaters at home. Car pooling and planning trips minimize fuel use and emissions. Following guidelines to reduce-reuse-recycle raises consciousness and makes us think about our daily habits. Deciding between our needs and our wants could help us consider the environment with every purchase we make. Larger individual choices like installing heat pumps, switching to electric appliances and adding insulation to houses contribute to a better future. Supporting private and government initiatives for green energy sources such as wind power, photovoltaic arrays and geothermal power provide large-scale solutions to help reduce emissions. Learning how to distinguish true progress from greenwashing corporate or political images is every citizens duty. Yard signs to Vote with Climate in Mind are reminders about our fate in the long-term future. We are obligated to find out which candidates share concerns about the environment and many other species who share this space and contribute to balanced ecology. There is growing awareness about the environment and fates for us and other species, and we have the information needed to make meaningful changes. Do we have the willingness to modify behavior? The future is up to all of us. Times change and, with them, city ordinances should, too. In this editorial space, we have talked about how new rules and standards have slowly added to the cost of housing, making what was once affordable much less so. But a simple, recent example by the city -- re-evaluation of the requirement that private swimming pools be fenced in -- shows how it can work the other way, too. It started with the city of Lincoln's plan to annex 445 acres -- 77 acreages of southeast Lincoln -- generally bounded by 70th and 84th streets and Pine Lake and Yankee Hill roads. The City Council approved the annexation on Monday. The issue has raised numerous homeowner concerns, most prominently about fire protection, wrote Journal Star city reporter Margaret Reist. One sticking point, thought, involved swimming pools, and the citys ordinance that requires pools that hold at least 18 inches of water to have at least a 4-foot-high fence with gaps less than 4 inches surrounding them. Although such regulations for swimming pools are common in cities with building and safety codes, fences arent required in the county, said Scott Holmes, environmental health manager with the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department. Technology for pool covers, homeowners say, has changed, making them much safer. The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, which oversees the rules, has agreed to reconsider the fence ordinance. Clearly, the city is attempting to accommodate the soon-to-be Lincoln residents. If they aren't going to be grandfathered in and will be bound by city regulations, at least city officials are willing to listen and consider changes to some of them. Changes in circumstances and technology are driving the pool re-evaluation, but that same open-mindedness should extend to every ordinance on the books to ensure each is still relevant in our ever-changing world. In this case, proposed changes to the ordinance would allow pool covers that meet certain specifications, along with pool alarms, and they would be just as effective as fences. This change won't affect most homeowners. It won't suddenly increase the affordable housing stock in Lincoln. But it's an example of what needs to happen with many ordinances. What rules and regulations no longer serve the public? This will be an ongoing effort, examining situations as they arise, but it's part of the long-term work Lincoln must do to balance quality of life with quantity of places to live. VATICAN CITY (AP) The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the Doctrine of Discovery, the theories backed by 15th-century papal bulls that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property laws today. A Vatican statement said the papal bulls, or decrees, did not adequately reflect the equal dignity and rights of Indigenous peoples and have never been considered expressions of the Catholic faith. The statement, from the Vaticans development and education offices, marked a historic recognition of the Vatican's own complicity in colonial-era abuses committed by European powers. It was issued under history's first Latin American pontiff, who was hospitalized Thursday with a respiratory infection, exactly one year after Francis met at the Vatican with Indigenous leaders from Canada who raised the issue. On Thursday, these Indigenous leaders welcomed the statement as a first good step, even though it didn't address the rescinding of the bulls themselves and continued to take distance from acknowledging actual Vatican culpability in abuses. The statement said the papal documents had been manipulated for political purposes by competing colonial powers to justify immoral acts against Indigenous peoples that were carried out, at times, without opposition from ecclesial authorities. It said it was right to recognize these errors, acknowledge the terrible effects of colonial-era assimilation policies on Indigenous peoples and ask for their forgiveness. The statement was a response to decades of Indigenous demands for the Vatican to formally rescind the papal bulls that provided the Portuguese and Spanish kingdoms the religious backing to expand their territories in Africa and the Americas for the sake of spreading Christianity. Those decrees underpin the Doctrine of Discovery, a legal concept coined in a 1823 U.S. Supreme Court decision that has come to be understood as meaning that ownership and sovereignty over land passed to Europeans because they discovered it. It was cited as recently as a 2005 Supreme Court decision involving the Oneida Indian Nation written by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. During Pope Francis 2022 visit to Canada, where he apologized to Indigenous peoples for the residential school system that forcibly removed Native children from their homes, he was met with demands for a formal repudiation of the papal bulls. Two Indigenous women unfurled a banner at the altar of the National Shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre on July 29 that read: Rescind the Doctrine in bright red and black letters. Before that, Michelle Schenandoah of the Oneida Nation had called for the Vatican to rescind the papal bulls when she delivered the closing remarks of the First Nations delegation that met with Francis during a weeklong visit last year by Native groups from Canada. On Thursday, she called the Vatican statement another step in the right direction, but noted that it didn't mention the rescinding of the bulls themselves. I think what this does is it really puts the responsibility on nation states such as the United States, to look at its use of the Doctrine of Discovery, she said in a interview from Syracuse, New York, where she is a professor of Indigenous law at Syracuse University's College of Law. This goes beyond land. It really has created generation upon generation of genocidal policies directed towards Indigenous peoples. And I think that its time for these governments to take full accountability for their actions. In the statement, the Vatican said: The Catholic Church therefore repudiates those concepts that fail to recognize the inherent human rights of Indigenous peoples, including what has become known as the legal and political doctrine of discovery. Phil Fontaine, a former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations in Canada who was also part of the First Nations delegation that met with Francis at the Vatican, said the statement was wonderful," resolved an outstanding issue and now puts the matter to civil authorities to revise property laws that cite the doctrine. The church has done one thing, as it said it would do, for the Holy Father. Now the ball is in the court of governments, the United States and in Canada, but particularly in the United States where the doctrine is embedded in the law, he told The Associated Press. The Vatican offered no evidence that the three papal bulls (Dum Diversas in 1452, Romanus Pontifex in 1455 and Inter Caetera in 1493) had themselves been formally abrogated, rescinded or rejected, as Vatican officials have often said. But it cited a subsequent bull, Sublimis Deus in 1537, that reaffirmed that Indigenous peoples shouldn't be deprived of their liberty or the possession of their property, and were not to be enslaved. Cardinal Michael Czerny, the Canadian Jesuit whose office co-authored the statement, stressed that the original bulls had long ago been abrogated and that the use of the term doctrine which in this case is a legal term, not a religious one had led to centuries of confusion about the church's role. The original bulls, he said, are being treated as if they were teaching, magisterial or doctrinal documents, and they are an ad hoc political move. And I think to solemnly repudiate an ad hoc political move is to generate more confusion than clarity. He stressed that the statement wasn't just about setting the historical record straight, but "to discover, identify, analyze and try to overcome what we can only call the enduring effects of colonialism today. It was significant that the repudiation of the "Doctrine of Discovery" came during the pontificate of history's first Latin American pope. Even before the Canadian trip, the Argentine pope had apologized to Native peoples in Bolivia in 2015 for the crimes of the colonial-era conquest of the Americas. Felix Hoehn, a property and administrative law professor at the University of Saskatchewan, said the Vatican statement would have no legal bearing on land claims in Canada today, but would have symbolic value. The most that any papal repudiation of the doctrine (or the bulls, for that matter) can do in relation to Canadian law is to apply pressure on the Supreme Court of Canada to renounce the doctrine as part of Canadian law, he said. Beyond that, though, is the hope that the statement could show that the Catholic Church wants to be an ally with Indigenous peoples as they fight for their human rights and their land, and to protect it, said the Rev. David McCallum, an American Jesuit who has worked with Indigenous peoples in the Syracuse area and was consulted during the drafting of the statement. So now for the church to not only acknowledge the damage, but also to repudiate the whole mindset of cultural superiority, of racial superiority to, in a sense, renounce that whole way of thinking and say that forever forward the church wants to be an active ally in protecting Indigenous human rights along with all human rights, I think its a big statement," he said. Melissa Joan Hart says she helped 'tiny kids' flee shooting Actor Melissa Joan Hart says she helped a class of kindergartners that was fleeing the school shooting in Nashville earlier this week. Hart said in a video posted on Instagram Tuesday that her children attend a school next to the private Christian Covenant School. Hart said she and her husband were headed to her kids school conferences Monday when they helped some students get away from the shooting that killed six people. She said they "helped all these tiny little kids cross the road and get their teachers over there, and we helped a mom reunite with her children. Gwyneth Paltrow's ski trial defense leans heavily on experts PARK CITY, Utah (AP) Gwyneth Paltrows attorneys leaned heavily on experts to mount their defense about her 2016 ski collision with a 76-year-old retired optometrist who sued her years later. Her defense team chose to devote their final full day to call witnesses, they questioned four medical experts, who cast doubt on the extent of the injuries claimed by the man suing Paltrow. That man, Terry Sanderson, says that the movie star's recklessness on the slope left him with four broken ribs and years of post-concussion symptoms. Paltrow's defense team is expected to rest their case Thursday and send the decision to the jury. Indonesia stripped of hosting Under-20 World Cup by FIFA GENEVA (AP) Indonesia has been stripped of hosting rights for the Under-20 World Cup amid political turmoil regarding Israels participation. FIFA says Indonesia was removed from staging the 24-team tournament scheduled to start on May 20 due to the current circumstances." The decision comes after a meeting in Doha between FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Indonesian soccer federation president Erick Thohir. Israel qualified for its first Under-20 World Cup in June. Israel's participation in scheduled official draw for tournament groups in Bali on Friday provoked political opposition this month. The draw had to be postponed. Indonesia is the worlds most populous Muslim-majority nation and does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel. Crews work to recover 3 barges that got loose on Ohio River LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) Crews were working Wednesday to remove three remaining barges that got loose on the Ohio River, including one carrying methanol. The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet says a total of 10 barges got loose early Tuesday on the river near Louisville. Most were recovered, but the U.S Army Corp of Engineers says three were pinned against the McAlpine Locks and Dam and the locks are closed to traffic until the barges are stabilized. Kentucky officials say one barge was carrying 1,400 tons of methanol and was partially submerged. Methanol, also known as wood alcohol, is a colorless liquid thats flammable and acutely toxic. Louisville Metro Emergency Services told news outlets they're monitoring air and water, but there is zero evidence of a tank breach or any leaks. How 'swatting' calls spread as schools face real threats A spate of threats and false reports of shooters have been pouring into schools and colleges across the country for months, raising concerns among law enforcement and elected leaders. Schools in Pennsylvania were the latest targeted by so-called swatting. Computer-generated calls on Wednesday made claims about active shooters, but it was all a hoax. One day earlier, nearly 30 Massachusetts schools received fake threats. School officials are already on edge amid a backdrop of deadly school shootings, the latest Monday at a Christian school in Nashville. Dangerous storms, tornadoes may target Midwest, South Meteorologists are warning of a series of severe storms that could rip across America's Midwest and South over the next couple of weeks, with the first and perhaps most dangerous outbreak forecast to strike Friday. They expect tornadoes and damaging winds in a barrage of three or four bursts of storms through mid-April. The weather service says more than 66 million people are at risk for tornadoes and damaging winds Friday. Big cities in the highest-danger area include Memphis, St. Louis, Des Moines and Little Rock. Meteorologists say the weather is stuck in a pattern that makes this one-two-three punch of storms more likely. Latest storm piles more snow on California mountains LOS ANGELES (AP) A cold low pressure system spinning off the coast of California has sent bands of rain and snow across the state. Mountain travel is difficult Wednesday as the storm adds to an epic snowpack. The Mammoth Mountain ski resort in the Eastern Sierra says this has been its snowiest season on record, with 695 inches at the main lodge and 870 inches on the summit of the 11,053-foot peak. Forecasters said the storm was not as strong as the systems that pounded the state all winter. But chains have been required for vehicles on highways through the Sierra Nevada, and gusty winds, hail and brief periods of heavy rain have hit the San Francisco Bay Area. South Africa manhunt for convicted killer who escaped prison JOHANNESBURG (AP) South African police have launched a manhunt for convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester who escaped from a privately-run maximum security prison in the Free State province under bizarre circumstances. Bester, known as the Facebook rapist, was found guilty in 2012 of raping two women and killing one after luring them with the social media platform. In March last year it was reported that he had died in a fire in his cell in the Mangaung Correctional Center, near Bloemfontein. But now it appears Bester escaped from his cell amid the fire and has been living lavishly in Johannesburgs posh Hyde Park suburb. Prince Harry blames royal family for delay in hacking suit LONDON (AP) Prince Harry has blamed the royal family for a delay in bringing his phone hacking lawsuit against the publisher of The Daily Mail. The publisher argued in a London court Wednesday that the Duke of Sussex, Elton John and other celebrities waited too long to sue. They claim that Associated Newspapers Ltd. hired private investigators to illegally bug homes and cars and record phone conversations. The publisher denies the allegations. Harry wrote in a witness statement that the Institution had prevented him from learning sooner about the allegedly illegal activity by withholding information about phone hacking by other tabloids. The Institution is a term he's used to refer to the inner workings of Buckingham Palace. Musk, scientists call for halt to AI race sparked by ChatGPT Are tech companies moving too fast in rolling out powerful artificial intelligence technology that could one day outsmart humans? Thats the conclusion of a group of prominent computer scientists and other tech industry notables such as Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak who are calling for a 6-month pause to consider the risks. Their petition published Wednesday is a response to San Francisco startup OpenAIs recent release of GPT-4, a more advanced successor to its widely-used AI chatbot ChatGPT that helped spark a race among tech giants Microsoft and Google to unveil similar applications. Russia's security service arrested an American reporter for The Wall Street Journal on espionage charges, the first time a U.S. correspondent has been detained on spying accusations since the Cold War. The newspaper denied the allegations and demanded his release. Evan Gershkovich, 31, was detained in Yekaterinburg, Russia's fourth-largest city, about 1,670 kilometers (1,035 miles) east of Moscow. Russia's Federal Security Service accused him of trying to obtain classified information. Known by the acronym FSB, the service is the top domestic security agency and main successor to the Soviet-era KGB. It alleged that Gershkovich was acting on instructions from the American side to collect information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex that constitutes a state secret. The Journal "vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich, the newspaper said. We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family. The arrest comes at a moment of bitter tensions between the West and Moscow over its war in Ukraine and as the Kremlin intensifies a crackdown on opposition activists, independent journalists and civil society groups. The sweeping campaign of repression is unprecedented since the Soviet era. Activists say it often means the very profession of journalism is criminalized, along with the activities of ordinary Russians who oppose the war. Earlier this week, a Russian court convicted a father over social media posts critical of the war and sentenced him to two years in prison. His 13-year-old daughter was sent to an orphanage. Gershkovich is the first American reporter to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since September 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, a Moscow correspondent for U.S. News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB. Daniloff was released without charge 20 days later in a swap for an employee of the Soviet Union's United Nations mission who was arrested by the FBI, also on spying charges. At a hearing Thursday, a Moscow court quickly ruled that Gershkovich would be kept behind bars pending the investigation. While previous American detainees have been freed in prisoner swaps, a top Russian official said it was too early to talk about any such deal. In Washington, the Biden administration said it had spoken with the Journal and Gershkovich's family. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre condemned the arrest "in the strongest terms" and urged Americans to heed government warnings not to travel to Russia. The State Department was in direct touch with the Russian government and seeking access to Gershkovich, Jean-Pierre said. The administration has no specific indication that journalists in Russia are being targeted, she said. Gershkovich, who covers Russia, Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations as a correspondent in the Journals Moscow bureau, could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of espionage. Prominent lawyers noted that past investigations into espionage cases took a year to 18 months, during which time he may have little contact with the outside world. The FSB noted that Gershkovich had accreditation from the Russian Foreign Ministry to work as a journalist, but ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova alleged that Gershkovich was using his credentials as cover for "activities that have nothing to do with journalism. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: It is not about a suspicion, it is about the fact that he was caught red-handed. Gershkovich speaks fluent Russian and had previously worked for the French news agency Agence France-Presse and The New York Times. He was a 2014 graduate of Bowdoin College in Maine, where he was a philosophy major who cooperated with local papers and championed a free press, according to Clayton Rose, the college's president. His last report from Moscow, published earlier this week, focused on the Russian economys slowdown amid Western sanctions imposed after Russian troops invaded Ukraine last year. Ivan Pavlov, a prominent Russian defense attorney who has worked on many espionage and treason cases, said Gershkovich's case is the first criminal espionage charge against a foreign journalist in post-Soviet Russia. That unwritten rule not to touch accredited foreign journalists, has stopped working, said Pavlov, a member of the First Department legal aid group. Pavlov said the case against Gershkovich was built to give Russia trump cards for a future prisoner exchange and will likely be resolved not by the means of the law, but by political, diplomatic means. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov ruled out any quick swap. I wouldnt even consider this issue now because people who were previously swapped had already served their sentences, Ryabkov said, according to Russian news agencies. In December, WNBA star Brittney Griner was freed after 10 months behind bars in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Another American, Paul Whelan, a Michigan corporate security executive, has been imprisoned in Russia since December 2018 on espionage charges that his family and the U.S. government have said are baseless. Our family is sorry to hear that another American family will have to experience the same trauma that we have had to endure for the past 1,553 days, Whelan's brother David said in an emailed statement. It sounds as though the frame-up of Mr. Gershkovich was the same as it was in Pauls case. Jeanne Cavelier, of the press freedom group Reporters Without Borders, said Gershkovich's arrest looks like a retaliation measure of Russia against the United States. "We are very alarmed because it is probably a way to intimidate all Western journalists that are trying to investigate aspects of the war on the ground in Russia, said Cavelier, head of Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk at the Paris-based group. Another prominent lawyer with the First Department group, Yevgeny Smirnov, said that those arrested on espionage and treason charges are usually held at the FSB's Lefortovo prison, where they are usually placed in total isolation, without phone calls, visitors or even access to newspapers. At most, they can receive letters, often delayed by weeks. Smirnov called these conditions tools of suppression. KENOSHA Agatha Christies And Then There Were None a play that debuted in London in 1943 continues Friday through Sunday at the Rhode Center for the Arts, 514 56th St. in Downtown Kenosha Performances are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 31-April 2. Prolific crime novelist Christie wrote the play herself, based on her 1939 novel. Christie did not consider it her best play but did say it was her best piece of craftsmanship. The play made its Broadway debut on June 17, 1944, running for 426 performances. The stage adaptations plot largely follows that of the novel: Eight guests arrive at an isolated mansion located on an island and are greeted by two married staff members, who have prepared the house for their arrival. Soon, the guests start dying one at a time. Who is the murderer? And will anyone survive? I love this story, said Sheri Warren, who plays Judge Lydia Wargrave in the Lakeside Players production. Theres so much action, with someone dying every 10 to 15 minutes. It caters to peoples short attention spans. In the shows program, Warren thanks the director and her fellow cast members for a bloody good time. This play, with the authors signature disregard for the welfare of her characters, set the mold for the murder mystery genre, said Drea Roedel Schroeder, who plays Vera Claythorne and is making her Lakeside Players debut. Overseeing all this mayhem carried out in the British authors genteel yet lethal style is guest director Maggie Speer. This production is Speers first show with Kenoshas Lakeside Players, but shes no stranger to the theater world. She spent some 35 years doing theater in the Chicago area, including stints as the artistic director of the Bowen Park Theatre Company in Waukegan, Ill., and operating her own theater troupe, Azusa Productions. (Their motto: We present stories about everything from A to Z in the USA and beyond.) Speer is no stranger to violence on stage. She has crafted critically acclaimed adaptations of Quentin Tarantinos films Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. She also taught and directed theater for 10 years at Lake Forest College, where her most popular course was Shakespeare to Tarantino: Why Violence Endures and Flourishes in Theatre, Film and Literature. After moving to Kenosha in April of 2022, she got involved in the local community theater. This show, she said, is a great fit for her. Im an Agatha Christie fan, Speer said. Local audience members, she said, enjoyed the shows opening weekend. Heading into the final three performances at the historic theater, Speer said the crowds have been good, and people seem to like the show. The story endures, she said, because Christie is, in a way, our first slasher writer. The tension keeps building and building in this story. Even audience members who know the story will be surprised by elements in this show, Speer said. And you cant improve on Agatha Christie. You dont have to gild the lily at all, because her writing is gold. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students and senior citizens. Go to rhodecenter.org for advance tickets or buy them at the door. As we get closer to Easter on April 9, egg hunts and other family activities are offered in this area: Easter Family Fun Night April 3: Families are invited to some Monday evening Easter crafts, games and fun at Carthage College, 2001 Alford Park Drive in Kenosha. From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on April 3, the activities take place in the colleges Hedberg Library. Children will love following our bunny trail to find Easter eggs and surprises, as well as playing games and making holiday crafts, organizers said. This is a free event and everyone is welcome. Easter Egg Hunt April 6: Racine Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services will host a community egg hunt for ages 14 and younger from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 6, at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, 1134 Dr. Martin Luther King Drive in Racine. There will be an egg hunt, games, childrens activities and food. Starting times for the egg hunts are: 5 p.m. for children ages 5 and younger; 5:30 p.m. for ages 6 to 9; and 6 p.m. for ages 10 to 14. Admission is free. For more information, call the King Center at 262-636-9237. Country Bunny fun April 7-8: Apple Holler, 5006 S. Sylvania Ave. in Yorkville, hosts its Country Bunny activities, at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m. or noon. Activities include interactive storytelling, a Country Bunny Express train ride, Bunnyville egg hunt, pictures with the Country Bunny, a goody bag, visits with farmyard animals, an Easter cookie, apple cider and what Apple Holler calls Farm Park fun. The cost is $15 per person. Reservations are required; go to appleholler.com or call 262-884-7100. Zoo Eggstravaganza April 8: The Racine Zoos annual Eggstravaganza runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 8, at the Racine Zoo, 2131 N. Main St. People are invited to gather the little ones and enjoy an Easter-themed day. Children can bring their own basket for a hunt for cluck-cluck doors throughout the zoo to collect candy, and stop by the trunk hunt with local businesses handing out goodies. Activities will include cookie and egg decorating and egg crafts. Photos with the Easter Bunny will be available for $5 and there will be creature features, bounce houses and $2 choo train rides. The event is free, with zoo admission of $11 for adults, $10 for seniors (62 and older) and $9 for ages 3-15. There is no charge for ages 2 and younger. A day of Easter fun April 8: A day of family-friendly Easter events, hosted by local organizations, takes place on Saturday, April 8, in Wind Lake. The Wind Lake Lions Club will host a Breakfast with Easter Bunny at 9 a.m. at Norway Town Hall, 6419 Heg Park Road. Tickets cost $3 in advance through Norway Parks & Recreation or $5 at the door. Easter games provided by Norway Lutheran Church youth will take place at 10:30 a.m. on the church grounds, 6321 Heg Park Road. Coffee will be provided by NLC Outreach. An Easter egg hunt including three golden eggs with a special prize starts at 11:30 a.m. at Colonel Heg Memorial Park, 6300 Heg Park Road. Several local organizations have come together to create a special family-friendly event for all ages. The Great Easter Egg Hunt April 8: The Kenosha County Teen Task Force is hosting The Great Easter Egg Hunt from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 8, at Kemper Center, 6501 Third Ave. on Kenoshas lakefront. The eggf hunt, starting at noon (doors open at 11:30 a.m.), will feature four Golden Eggs with special prizes inside. Food will be available for purchase. The Kenosha Public Library Bookmobile will also be at the event. Bring your camera to take a photo with the Easter Bunny. The cost is $2 per person. Easter Egg Hunt April 8: The egg hunt starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 8, in the Living Faith Church west parking lot and courtyard, 2915 Wright Ave. in Racine. There will also be cookie decorating, crafts and a visit from the Easter Bunny. Admission is free. Downtown Candy Hop April 22: From noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 22, more than 25 Downtown Racine businesses will pass out candy. There is also a scavenger hunt for kids. Maps of the event are available at Downtown Racine Corp., 245 Main St. This is a free event. Peeps exhibit Racine Art Museum, 441 Main St., is showcasing the 14th edition of a non-traditional exhibition of art made from or inspired by colorful marshmallow Peeps. Open through April 15, the "RAM 14th Annual International Peeps Art Exhibition" features 142 entries that demonstrate the talent of 200 artists from across the country. Go to ramart.org. RAYMOND Four people are running for two positions on the Raymond School board. Amanda Falaschi, Art Binhack, Shelly Kurhajec and Amy Helvick advanced from the February primary to be on the April 4 election ballot. The candidate receiving the most votes will receive a three-year term, and the candidate receiving the second-most votes will receive a one-year term. The seats pay $2,350 per year. Falaschi moved to Raymond in 2014 with her husband and three children. She loved the small-town feel, the values of the community and the school, Falaschi wrote in an email. We have three kids who attend Raymond School. Our youngest is just starting his Raymond journey, and we have many years left at this school. It is important to me to be sure my kids and all Raymond students are receiving the first-class education Raymond is known for. I will always make the best decisions for the students, staff and the Raymond taxpayers. Binhack is running because he wants transparency regarding curriculum taught at the school. The current school board has requested log-ins to the internet portions of the curriculum and has been stonewalled, Binhack wrote in an email. The school has refused to provide the log-ins, effectively hiding portions of the curriculum. Why? As a taxpayer for 22 years, I am a stakeholder in our school. Last year I was surprised to see significant profanity, violence and politics available to young students, and it seems to be a national trend in our public schools. Kurhajec previously served on the board for 13 years and is running again because she wants to truly devote time and energy to the children, staff and constituents in the district, she wrote in an email. I want to make a difference in advancing our students into the future with continued academic excellence. Most importantly, keeping the children number one in all aspects so they succeed in their education and life skills. I also see where our board at the moment is young and not experienced in some matters that we can improve upon, and I am hoping to bring past positive board experiences to help guide them through some of the issues now and in the future. Helvick is running because she loves the Raymond School and wants to help it grow. We are very fortunate to have a school that has consistently received high marks in education from the State of Wisconsin, Helvick wrote in an email. The staff is amazing and dedicated to the students. I am running for a seat on the school board to help support the great foundation and help the school grow for the future. Helvick, who is involved with the Raymond School PTO and Relay for Life of Racine, wrote that her professional and volunteer background, as well as my skills and abilities lend to me being a quality candidate. Falaschi believes she has a unique perspective as a mom of three young Raymond students, an active community member and someone who volunteers time at the school every single week, she wrote. I have experience running a business and making tough decisions. I really believe that Raymond is fortunate to have the most wonderful staff, teachers and families. I want to preserve the close, tight-knit feeling this community has developed. This community has been so important and supportive of our family business for so many years and I want to continue to contribute however I can. Binhack said Raymond is a great school that he wants to help improve. We have committed and dedicated stakeholders working together to make our school a good school, he wrote. It performs in the top 20% of all schools in Wisconsin. In many subjects and grades we are significantly above average in proficiency. But ironically, as funding has increased, proficiency has remained mostly the same. I want to give back to my community to make our school better. To make it great. All of our stakeholders deserve it, especially our children. Kurhajec said the safety of children, staff and the building are her top priority. Another priority is continuing the schools academic excellence. Having community engagement, open communication and the ability to compromise on issues when necessary is a must, Kurhajec wrote. I also have new ideas to stream revenue to help the school budget I understand the concerns of the constituents in the district having lived here so long. My four children all went to Raymond School and now my grandchildren, great-niece and great-nephew will be attending. The school is the heart of Raymond for so many reasons, and that needs to continue. I would also like to see more communication and teamwork between the school and the village. We need to work together for our kids and community. Falaschi said having fewer students at the school who live outside the district is her top priority. She believes smaller class sizes will benefit students and teachers. Another priority is separating our children from politics, Falaschi wrote. I do not agree with implementing political agendas to elementary-aged kids because not all of them have the ability to discern these topics. We need to administer the best environment that we can for the kids and teachers that are at Raymond while providing transparency to our community members. Binhack reiterated that his most important issue is curriculum transparency. He believes all stakeholders should know all the materials being taught to our kids, Binhack wrote. We need to see and read all the curriculum. I do not know, and cannot understand, why we do not have 100% transparency now. If we taxpayers pay for the curriculum, we should have the right to know exactly all the materials being taught. Kurhajec said addressing students mental health is one of her priorities. It is not the job of the school board to micromanage our teachers who are doing a wonderful job but to oversee the district and its needs, Kurhajec wrote. I think that with COVID having happened in the past, I would like to make sure that we are doing everything we can to help not only the academic needs of those students that were involved at that time, but also the mental and social aspects of dealing with everyday issues. Its not only the school boards duty to make sure students are academically prepared but also emotionally prepared to enter the next journey to help them be successful in life. Helvick wrote that trust, communication and transparency are all issues our current board faces and need to be addressed for the future of our district. This school collected 2,000 pounds of food for the Racine County Food Bank BURLINGTON The Burlington Memorial Day Parade is coming back from a three-year hiatus, after veterans groups took it upon themselves to revive the holiday tradition. The resurrected parade is scheduled for 9 a.m. May 29 in Downtown Burlington, starting down Kane Street to Milwaukee Avenue and then heading to Echo Veterans Memorial Park. It will take place on the final day of the Burlington Jamboree festival, which is coming back for a third straight year as the replacement of the defunct Burlington ChocolateFest event. Unlike previous parades organized by the ChocolateFest group, the new Memorial Day Parade is being put together by veterans who were determined not to have another holiday without a parade. I was like, Hey, wait a minute. Weve got to pick up the torch here, said organizer Jeffrey Harm, a member of American Legion Post 79 in Burlington. The parade is a group effort involving the American Legion, VFW Post 2823, Disabled American Veterans and the Marine Corps League. Organizers say the City of Burlington has approved the new parade plan, and the Burlington Community Fund Ltd. has allocated $9,000 in funding for the event. Bil Scherrer, president of the Jamboree organizing committee, said he is happy to see a Memorial Day Parade coming back as part of Burlingtons weekend holiday celebration. Scherrer said that while his group is working to grow and promote the Jamboree festival, he no longer has enough manpower or other resources to handle the parade, too. He expressed appreciation for the veterans who are taking up the cause. Theyre doing it. Its their event, he said. I think its a wonderful thing. I think there should be a parade. The Jamboree is scheduled May 26 to May 29, with four days of live music, carnival rides, food and more on the old ChocolateFest festival grounds at 681 Maryland Ave. For many years, ChocolateFest organizers also presented a Memorial Day Parade in Downtown Burlington as part of the festival. The parade and festival both were canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. ChocolateFest struggled to rebound in subsequent years, partly because the pandemic was continuing and partly because Burlington city leaders were moving away from the communitys longstanding Chocolate City U.S.A. image. When the Jamboree emerged in 2021 as the successor to ChocolateFest, it started out small, without a parade. The new festival grew larger in 2022, but still there was no parade. Veterans groups have continued holding a Memorial Day ceremony each year at Echo Veterans Memorial Park. This year, they decided to bring back the parade, too. Mike Olson, commander of VFW Post 2823, said he hopes the parade resembles past such events when as many as 40 groups and businesses entered floats and created a festive atmosphere along downtown streets. Veterans have missed having a parade, Olson said, and some were disappointed that the event seemed to have been forgotten. The veterans they want it back, he said. And Im glad its coming back. Organizers are seeking floats and other registered participants, and the Burlington Area Chamber of Commerce is trying to help stir up interest. Among the businesses lending assistance so far are Bubbas Brickyard bar and grill, and Mays Insurance Agency. Harm said he enjoyed the parade in its previous incarnation without ever realizing that it was part of ChocolateFest. He assumed veterans groups were involved, and that it would continue year after year. When the parade suddenly disappeared for three years, Harm said, he and other veterans got together and rolled up their sleeves. Some of us got a little more ambitious, and pursued it, he said. Its a collective effort. Funding is coming from the Community Fund group, a private nonprofit that operates the Veterans Terrace event center under a lease with the City of Burlington. Scherrer is promoting the parade, too, as he begins rolling out plans for the 2023 Jamboree. Everybody loves a parade, he said. Olson admitted a little uncertainty, not only because the parade has been gone for four years, but also because it has been even longer since veterans had a hand in planning such an event. Still, he said, veterans deserve a parade, even if it is not quite like everyone remembers it. Its good that were bringing this back, he said. Its coming back to the vets. Photos: Burlington Jamboree patrons enjoy the new holiday weekend festival in 2021 Cotton candy fun at the Burlington Jamboree Worker at balloon game at Burlngton Jamboree Woman rests on giant stuffed animal at Burlington Jamboree Kids on spinning ride at Burlington Jamboree Woman buys a classic funnel cake at Burlington Jamboree Woman and daughter try ring toss at Burlington Jamboree A crowded midway at the Burlington Jamboree Boy, 5, enjoys spinning tea cup ride at Burlington Jamboree Girls share a bumper car at the Burlington Jamboree Girl, 5, with cotton candy at Burlington Jamboree Worker tends the ring-a-duck game at Burlington Jamboree Boys rides flying whale at Burlington Jamboree Woman laughs at target-shooting game at Burlington Jamboree By Dean Weingarten. Mar 29, 2023 In the Fifth Circuit, the entire Court has ruled, en banc, that rights protected by the Second Amendment may not be infringed by mere civil restraining orders. The unconstitutional infringement was placed into law by the infamous Lautenberg amendment in 1996. Hundreds of thousands of lives have been turned upside down and ruined by this infamous and unjust law. In the opinion published by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Circuit Judge James C. Ho writes a particularly well argued and presented concurrence. The concurrence is worth reading. It is quoted below, without the footnotes: 1. Yes. Police officers should be the only ones armed in the council chambers. Period. 2. Yes. Such a ban is allowed by state law, and the city council should consider it . 3. No. The possibility of violence is always present, but disarming everyone isnt the answer. 4. No. Its unwise to change the city ordinance based on one unfortunate incident. 5. Unsure. Some steps must be taken, but its hard to say if a gun ban is necessary. Vote View Results Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. KEARNEY A Kearney mobile home is a total loss after a fire Thursday morning. The Kearney Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to the fire at 5:16 a.m. Thursday at Countryside Mobile Home Park, 1920 15th Ave. in Kearney. When KVFD arrived on the scene, there was heavy smoke and flames coming from the mobile home, said Deputy Fire Chief Jason Whalen. No one was home at the time of the fire, and it is unknown if there were working smoke alarms in the residence. The home was a total loss, and the American Red Cross is assisting the five displaced residents. The Nebraska State Fire Marshal is assisting in the investigation of the cause and origin of the fire. Mobile home fire at Countryside Mobile Home Park in Kearney Mobile home fire at Countryside Mobile Home Park in Kearney Close up of side of home Front and side of the home.jpg Front entrance close up.jpg Back window.jpg Front Entrance.jpg Front window (2).jpg Front window.jpg Kearney police.jpg President Joe Biden speaks during a reception in the East Room of the White House in Washington, March 29, celebrating Greek Independence Day. AP-Yonhap President Joe Biden on Wednesday offered an optimistic outlook on the health of democracy worldwide, declaring that leaders are "turning the tide" in stemming a yearslong backslide of democratic institutions. Opening his second democracy summit, Biden looked to spotlight hopeful advancements over the past year despite Russia's war in neighboring Ukraine and U.S. tensions with China over its military and economic influence in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. The president cited signs of progress across the globe, from Angola's effort to create an independent judiciary, Croatia's move to boost government transparency and the Dominican Republic's anti-corruption steps. At home, Biden pointed to his stalled push for voting protections in Congress as evidence of his administration's commitment to support democracy. "Today, we can say, with pride, democracies of the world are getting stronger, not weaker," Biden said. "Autocracies of the world are getting weaker, not stronger. That's a direct result of all of us." The summits, which Biden promised as a candidate in 2020, have become an important piece of his administration's effort to try to build deeper alliances and nudge autocratic-leaning nations toward at least modest changes. He said the U.S. will spend $690 million bolstering democracy programs supporting everything from free and independent media to free and fair elections around the world. He said he also wanted to use the summit to foster discussion about the use of technology to "advance democratic governance" and ensure such technology is "not used to undermine it." The U.S. also signed a joint statement with nine other countries to deepen international cooperation on countering the proliferation and misuse of commercial spyware. Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, France, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom signed on the agreement. About 40 participants had signed on, as of Wednesday, to a set of guiding principles for how the governments should use surveillance technology, according to a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the agreement before its formal announcement. The guidelines are to be published before the close of the summit on Thursday. The White House announced plans for the U.S. Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency to partner with nine other countries to work on protecting human rights and other activist groups that are at risk of facing transnational cyber attacks. The UK is co-leading the effort and Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Japan, New Zealand and Norway have also signed on. Earlier this week, Biden signed an executive order restricting the U.S. government's use of commercial spyware tools that have been used to surveil human rights activists, journalists and dissidents around the world. President Joe Biden meets with Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, March 29. AP-Yonhap Since Biden's first democracy summit in December 2021, countries have emerged from the coronavirus pandemic and Russia invaded Ukraine, the largest-scale war in Europe since World War II. Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, pushed back at those suggesting it was time for a negotiated settlement with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. "We should get rid of the illusion that compromising with evil can give something to freedom, and enemies of democracy must lose," Zelenskyy told the summit. The Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, said the invasion was a jolting moment for the world's democracies. "For decades, the idea of war in Europe seemed unthinkable. But we were wrong as Russia's brutalization of Ukraine has shown we cannot assume that democracy, freedom and security are givens, that they are eternal," Rutte said. Kenya's president, William Ruto, said building democracy was essential to the growth of developing nations. Ruto was the winner last year of Kenya's close presidential race in which opposition candidate Raila Odinga had alleged irregularities. Kenya's Supreme Court unanimously rejected the challenges. "This is our path to sustainable development," Ruto said. The U.S. hosted the last summit on its own. This time, it recruited four co-hosts Costa Rica, the Netherlands, South Korea and Zambia after ambassadors from China and Russia criticized the first summit and accused Biden of causing a global divide with a Cold War mentality. Still, some countries would rather not get between Washington and Beijing, an increasingly important economic and military player. Pakistan announced, as it did in 2021, that it received an invitation but would skip the summit, a move seen in part as an effort by the impoverished Islamic nation to assuage longtime ally China, which was not invited. Xu Xueyuan, the charge d'affaires of China's embassy in Washington, on Wednesday called the summit "at odds with the spirit of democracy." "The U.S. draws an ideological line between countries, and through its narrative of 'democracy versus authoritarianism,' it has formed factions and caused divisions in the international community," she said. The Biden administration has also expanded its invitation list. Bosnia-Herzegovina, Gambia, Honduras, Ivory Coast, Lichtenstein, Mauritania, Mozambique and Tanzania were invited this year after being left off the list in 2021. The first day of the summit was convened in a virtual format and will be followed on Thursday by hybrid gatherings in each of the host countries. Costa Rica will focus on the role of youth in democratic systems. The Dutch are taking on media freedom. South Korea is looking at corruption. Zambia is centering on free and fair elections The U.S. is no stranger to the challenges facing democracies, including deep polarization and pervasive misinformation. Kenya's President William Ruto arrives for a meeting with European Council President Charles Michel at the European Council building in Brussels, March 29. AP-Yonhap Twenty-eight Chippewa Falls High School art students have created portraits of African students from Nigeria. The portraits are created annually by Chi-Hi students based on photos sent to them of school kids in faraway places. After the portraits are created, they are sent to those overseas students who hail from locations that are impoverished or war torn. Jennifer Handrick, Chippewa Falls High School Visual Arts chair and National Art Honor Society and Art Club advisor, has been working with local students and overseeing these international student portraits for eight years, she said. It does take quite a long time. Usually the kids probably put in about 10 to 20 hours on the portrait that we get from different locations, every year, but theyre always from either war torn or impoverished countries, Handrick said. Handrick said the project focuses on creating connections to overseas students that need some kind of hope, connection to the rest of the world so that they know that other people care about them. Chippewa Falls High School students are each given a childs photograph and then use the image to create artistic portraits, after they have communicated with the foreign child and learned a little bit about them. They know the students name, they know the students age and then they usually know their favorite color. Every once in a while we get a little bit more information. So the art students will sometimes try to incorporate some of those things into their portrait, Handrick said. After Chi-Hi art students create the portraits they trace their hand to the back of the portraits so that the student can put their hand on their hand and kind of hold hands from across the world, which is really neat, she said. Art students who create the portraits also put a picture of themselves into the mailed packages so the overseas school kids can see who made the portrait as well. The portrait-painting initiative is part of the Memory Project. The Memory Project gets its name from its first intention, which was to provide handmade, heartfelt portraits as special memories to children in orphanages. Now its intention has expanded to touch the lives of youth around the world who face many types of challenges, while opening the hearts and minds of the portrait creators, like those in Chippewa Falls. Together we are using art to reach a distant destination: a kinder world in which all youth see themselves in one another regardless of differences in their appearance, culture, religion or circumstances, said Ben Schumaker, founder of the Memory Project which he started as a student at the University of Wisconsin in 2004. For all who believe in that kinder world on the horizon, it is impossible to turn around. Handrick said she and her students get a video of the portraits being distributed across the globe. We get to see the kids getting them and all their excitement and all the thank yous, sometimes even tears. It is really neat to watch them the tears are in my classroom too, Handrick said. It is really powerful. I love it. The kids are great. And Im always just so proud of them. Construction operations are under way to build a C-17 load trainer facility at Fort McCoys Young Air Assault Strip on South Post, said general engineer Gareth Ferguson with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Public Works. Contractor Veteran Range Solutions received a contract for $1,497,609 to build the facility at the air assault strip, Ferguson said. According to the contracts statement of work, it states to construct a C-17 load trainer, complete with ramp and simulated cargo area with tie downs, and house it within a 3,500 square-foot pre-manufactured metal building. Construction is expected to be complete by April, Ferguson said. As of Feb. 10, a large amount of the framework of the facility had already been completed and work remained steady as weather conditions allowed for steady progress. According to the Fort McCoy Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security, having the facility at the airstrip is good for training support operations that already take place there. Many Air Force units utilize the airstrip every year for exercises, touch-and-go landings with C-130 Hercules and C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, and more every year. A work order to have this facility added to the airstrip was first submitted to DPW by the DPTMS Range Branch in November 2020 and now its coming to fruition. According to DPTMS officials, the trainer will provide a unique, realistic loading training for warfighters so they are able to maintain their individual/collectives training and skill sets required to properly upload and download a C-17 Globemaster aircraft. The war-fighters training and skill sets can be accomplished without having the requirement to have an actual C-17 aircraft. The load trainer also will be able to help train loadmasters on weight and balance records and cargo manifests, DPTMS officials said. It will also be able to determine the quantity of cargo and passengers or troops loaded and proper placement in aircraft, compute the load, cargo distribution, weight and balance and determine the amount of weight to be placed in each compartment or at each station within the aircraft. Once completed, the C-17 load trainer facility will add even more training capability to Young Air Assault Strip that has now been offering service members a place to train in austere conditions for 37 years. Young Air Assault Strip, which has also been called Young Field, originally opened in October 1984. It was constructed by the 618th Engineer Company, 360th Engineer Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division. The air strip was named after Pfc. Raphael Young, a member of the 618th who died in September 1984 while training on heavy equipment in advance of the mission to build the airstrip. In a November 1984 article in The Triad newspaper at Fort McCoy, Capt. William Prokopyk, company commander, said that he thought the soldiers were more safety conscious because of the death of their comrade, which explained the lack of injuries during the actual construction process. Construction of the airstrip was good practice for the 618th, which had the wartime mission of construction and repair of air fields. Young Air Assault Strip, however, was of better quality than a wartime construction, Prokopyk said. During wartime, we would probably have less time to complete the mission, and we wouldnt have the soil analysts and survey support that were attached for this mission, he said. The construction cost approximately $86,000 and came in about $11,000 under budget. James Hubbard, chief of the DPTMS Airfield Division said the airstrip continues to be an important part of the training complex at Fort McCoy. There arent many airstrips like Young available for training, so it is highly sought after as a training area for exercises, Hubbard said in a past article in The Real McCoy. The airstrip also features a decommissioned C-130 airframe that is primarily used to train service members to palletize cargo. It was transferred from Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, in October 2015. Justice is a core value of most civil societies and religions. Justice is enforced by laws administered by judges. Judges are to be impartial and to strive properly interpret the meaning, significance, and implications of the law. Judge Janet Protasiewicz supports womens rights to bodily autonomy and reproductive choice. She will review Wisconsins legislative maps for gerrymandered districts unfairly favoring Republicans. She wants voting to be easier for everyone not a series of hurdles for voters to navigate. She would review the Wisconsin Supreme Courts rulings that eliminated absentee ballot dropboxes and rule changes involving absentee voting. She believes that 2020 election was fair, and properly conducted. Judge Daniel Kelly is a conservative. He was paid $120,000 by the Wisconsin State Republican Party and the Republican National Committee as an attorney to work on election issues in 2020. He provided legal counsel to the Wisconsin GOP as part of its scheme to overturn the 2020 Election. Former Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Andrew Hitt said in a deposition that he and Kelly discussed at length the fake elector scheme Wisconsin to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Kelly stated the 2020 election was stolen and traveled around Wisconsin with Michael Gableman on an election integrity tour finding no voter fraud. He opposes womens bodily autonomy and wants all abortions banned. Voters will decide if old white men will control womens bodies, elections, and more or elect a Judge who will advocate for all women. Elections have consequences. Vote On April 4th. Lee D. Van Landuyt, Hillsboro On April 4th voters will be voting in an important Wisconsin Supreme Court election. Voting is important. However, it is often inadequate. On the 4th Viroqua voters get to participate in an important referendum. This is how we Do Democracy. The referendum we are referring to addresses a problem that is destroying our democracy too much money in politics. Some voters might have seen that the 2022 Wisconsin Governors race spent $164 million which smashes the previous record of $93 million, an 80% increase in one election cycle. However, are the voters aware that the last midterm election cost for all federal races was $17 billion even more than the 2020 Presidential election, for the first time in history? Polls that ask citizens if there is too much money in politics, and if this needs to be fixed, show between 80% and 95% yes vote. The citizens want this problem fixed and most of us understand that the citizens are going to have to fix it. This next election gives them an opportunity to demand it be fixed. On April 4th voters will be asked basically if: Only human beings are endowed with constitutional rights; and Money is not speech and must be limited for elections of our representatives. Vote Yes on April 4th. Lets Do Democracy! - together. WI United to Amend supporters - Kent Gallaway, Marilyn Chesnik, Jerry Dorrf, Daniel Yildirim, Debbie Dudek A 50-year-old Loxahatchee, Florida, man is free on a $500 cash bond after he allegedly fled police and crashed his vehicle Sunday. Michael K. Ross was charged with a single felony count of fleeing an officer. He was also issued a citation for first-offense drunk driving. According to the criminal complaint, a police officer in a parked squad car observed a vehicle operated by Ross traveling southbound at a high rate of speed on Second Street in La Crosse before coming to an abrupt stop at a stop sign around 2:30 a.m. Ross reportedly took a wide turn westbound onto Jay Street and deviated from his lane into oncoming traffic. The officer pursued the vehicle and activated emergency lights, but Ross turned north on Front Street at a high rate of speed. The officer then terminated the pursuit. A short time later, the officer located Ross vehicle, which had crashed into a tree just west of the Charmant Hotel. The driver wasnt inside the vehicle, which sustained two flat tires and heavy front-end damage. Another officer found Ross a short time later lying on the ground behind the Century Link building. He was taken into custody without incident and was treated for a head laceration sustained during the crash. Ross bond condition prohibits him from consuming alcohol. His next court appearance is an April 17 calendar call. Authorities say a train hauling ethanol and corn syrup derailed around 1 a.m. Thursday and caught fire in Minnesota. Hundreds of residents within 1/2 mile of the crash were ordered to evacuate in Raymond, about 100 miles west of Minneapolis. But that order was lifted around noon. Railroad company operator BNSF says 22 cars derailed, including about 10 carrying ethanol, and four caught fire. There there were no injuries. CEO Katie Farmer has apologized for the derailment and said the cleanup would begin as soon as the fire was extinguished. Gov. Tim Walz and railroad officials said they weren't especially concerned about groundwater contamination because much of the ethanol will burn off and the ground remains frozen. I support Angela Palmer-Fisher for Vernon County Circuit Court Judge because my years of practice with her have proven that Angela has the broad experience and temperament necessary for the position. I have worked with Angela for most of two decades in my practice as we worked both on opposite and parallel sides of cases, and had the benefit of Angela's appearance as an attorney practicing in my courtroom when I was a circuit court judge. Given my own term as a judge, I know that Angela's broad legal experience across civil, family and criminal cases will help her understand her constituents and provide a fair resolution to the wide variety of disputes that will come before her. The oath of office for Wisconsin Supreme Court justices consists of just 75 simple words, but those words carry a profound promise that I will support the constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state of Wisconsin; that I will administer justice without respect to persons and will faithfully and impartially discharge the duties of said office to the best of my ability. So help me God. Simple words, but powerful meaning. Given that she has proudly professed her partisan opinions on matters certain to come before the court, could Janet Protasiewicz repeat the oath of office and keep a straight face, or at least without a knowing wink to her political handlers? The New York Times reported March 15, In the last three weeks, the Protasiewicz campaign has spent $9.1 million on television advertising, and outside groups supporting her have spent $2.03 million But littering the airwaves with outrageous misrepresentations and abject falsehoods about Daniel Kelly will not deceive reasonable Wisconsin voters. We must ask, will Janet uphold the constitution, or will she succumb to the influence of party czars and the out-of-state radicals that share her extremist views and are funding her campaign? With millions of out-of-state dollars being poured into the Wisconsin Supreme Court election, it is easy to understand the importance of the April 4 election. This is the most expensive race for a state supreme court in United States history. Coulee region citizens need to study the issues, evaluate the candidates, and vote! Justice Dan Kelly is the better candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court. He has been a law clerk for a court of appeals judge and later within the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. He has been a special prosecutor and has a wealth of legal experience in the private sector. He has already been a Supreme Court Justice for 4 years and recently authored a manual on legislative oversight. Justice Kelly understands there is a lot of reading, writing and research required on the Supreme Court and it is not just another courtroom. His opponent is a county circuit judge and was an assistant district attorney. Recent news about his opponent include ethics violations concerning possible future court cases, elder abuse concerning her elderly husband from a nine-month marriage and a racial slur. Justice Kelly is endorsed by Wisconsins three pro-life organizations. Justice Kelly will uphold the written law. He will not legislate from the bench. I watched the recent Supreme Court candidate debate, which confirmed my opinion that Justice Kelly is by far the better candidate. Vote for Kelly like democracy depends on it, and it does! John Christy Sparta I ask voters in the Holmen School District to support Khadijah Islam for the school board. As a 2014 Holmen graduate, I think she would bring a valuable perspective to the district. She has gone on to build her skills in mental health through advanced training in social work. I feel that is a good background to have in forming policy decisions to help our students learn and schools be effective. Khadijah is also impressive as she has a strong service mindset having been an active member of Journey Lutheran Church for many years and served in the ELCA global mission in Rwanda teaching English. I feel confident that she can help the district live up to its motto of belong, serve, succeed as she is an example of that in her own life. Please mark your ballot for Khadijah Islam on April 4. On April 4, residents of Vernon County will vote for our next Circuit Court Judge. I have known and worked with both candidates during my time as a social worker for Vernon County. My vote will be for Angela Palmer-Fisher. I met Angela nearly 20 years ago when she started practicing law and represented individuals with mental health diagnoses. I could clearly see that she cared deeply about the outcome of those she was serving. She always took the time to counsel them on their rights, listen to their concerns and advocate their wishes while remaining steadfastly patient, empathetic and honest. I have always appreciated the level of intelligence she demonstrated in court hearings. She would hold the county to task if they didnt follow proper procedure, but also be reasonable in coming to a resolution that was agreeable and beneficial to her clients. I have seen her calm the outbursts of behavioral clients and hold the hands of those who were anxious and scared. In getting to know Angela outside of court, I can tell you that what you see in the courtroom is what you see outside the courtroom. Shes an honest judge of character, treats everyone with respect and holds herself to the highest of standards and lives by those standards every day. She has an abundant amount of energy that she is willing to use to serve our community. She is the best candidate for Vernon County Circuit Court Judge. Sharon Williams Chaseburg This is a true story that took place in Bee, Minnesota, just 7 miles south of Spring Grove. The town name derived from the city of Bergen, Norway, which was where the family immigrated from and they shortened the name to Bee. Inga was one of four children born to Magnus and Magleis. She attended Normal Training in Fayette, Iowa and graduated as a teacher in 1919 and this is her story... In December 1921 Vivian Hefte was in eighth grade when she and her family moved from Canada to Bee. She was used to open prairies in Canada and she felt penned in at Bee. Five days after their arrival her dad passed away and her teacher Inga became a dear friend. Vivian was the last person to see her teacher alive! Often Vivian helped the teacher after school by doing school duties. When Inga didnt return home the usual time her family began searching for her. Her dad and brother found Ingas crumpled body behind a pillar in the school basement. Who had killed her? Why? Was the killer in the school while Vivian was helping Inga after school? People were scared, angry and outraged as a manhunt was formed to find the killer. Was he still out there? Would he strike again? Bloodhounds joined the search and led men to the Throast family residence. Neighbors reported a stolen saddle and horse. Could Earle Throast be the killer? Where was he? Discussions and fundraising efforts have been ongoing for now over six years in an effort to put together the Never Say Never Playland at Veterans Park in Lake Geneva, in what would be the communitys first inclusive playland. While the process is far from over, a recent big step has been taken in the right direction. Brian Pollard, the president of Fairwyn, the lakes area premier builder, developer and real estate Company, has committed to providing the final $300,000 needed for the Playland. Prior to Pollards commitment, Dusti Grenus, the founder of the non-profit Never Say Never, had secured $300,000 and was still $300K short of the $600K goal for the playland. Dustis group has been doing this since 2016, and when we started our Symphony Bay subdivision in 2018 we had a giveback program, Pollard said. So every time someone buys a home, we have a list of anywhere from 10-to-15 local charities, whatever is in Walworth County, we want to get our residents plugged in to the county and give them a chance to help out. We had given to their organization (Never Say Never) through our giveback program. Then, about a year ago, Dusti and I met and she shared with me that they were about $300,000 short and we want to help them get over the hump on this. Pollard said when the City of Lake Geneva annexes the property (Phase 8 of the Symphony Bay subdivision) with the plan of adding an additional 140 lots, Fairwyn will commit the final $300,000 needed for the Never Say Never Playland. Were not going to wait and do it on a lot by lot basis, he said. It will be our giveback program, were just going to do it up front and add a little bit more cash to it, more than what we typically do. I dont want to wait another eight years and collect $500 at a time. Pollards inspiration for the generous donation comes from one his kids who has special needs and attends Lakeland School in Elkhorn, a special needs school in Walworth County. My family has a heart for special needs and this playland is literally right across the street from where we do our work every day, he said. Dusti has an unbelievable passion and heart for getting this done. Shes a single parent of a special needs kid, which is incredible. Shes not a professional fundraiser. We just looked at this as a win-win for the community and were just excited to be a part of this whole process. This will be the fifth all-inclusive special needs park in the state. Theres parks currently in Kenosha, Franklin, Port Washington and Janesville. The Never Say Never Playland will be a 13,000 Sq. Ft. fenced in park with one entrance made up of composite lumber with a woodland theme of fairies, pirates, mushroom steppers, a clock tower, a mermaid tunnel and a pirate ship. The playland will have an all-weatherized rubberized surface to provide a safe cushion in the event of falls. There will be only accessible ramps with no stairs for children or parents/grandparents to access different levels of the playland, a fully accessible merry-go-round with two wheelchair positions, a Liberty swing (wheelchair swing), an expression swing (parent and baby/toddler can swing together), and therapeutic swings in both areas needed for seated security. There will also be covered seating for resting, relaxing and socializing. All of the equipment is custom built here, according to Grenus. It will replace the 25-30-year-old playground equipment currently at Veterans Park. Were still going to need donations for concrete and stones for the foundation and heavy equipment to come in, Grenus said. Stephanie Klett, Visit Lake Geneva president, is surprised there isnt a park like this in the county already. Walworth County has over 7,600 people with special needs, Klett, said. If we build it, they will come. Theres a need for it. To have one (playland) right here would be a game changer for the community and the county. We look at this as a big first step in a larger conversation. This is tourism development. This park will be for everyone, and Deanna Goodwin, vice president of marketing, communications & development for Visit Lake Geneva, believes thats ultimately what its all about. Its definitely something for people who have special needs children, special needs adults, and its for people of all abilities to play together, she said. When people decide on where theyre traveling, whether it be a day trip, a weekend getaway or week-long trip, something like this can be a catalyst for them in choosing the Lake Geneva area. Its the all-inclusivity of it, its being able to play with others who are not necessarily like them and make everyone feel included. This is bringing together people with special needs with other people, and its a playground for everyone. Grenus estimates that they will need at least 2,000 volunteers, working in four hour shifts over the course of seven days to complete this Never Say Never Playland before winter, a dream she has had for a long time. Leathers and Associates, which specializes in custom-designed outdoor play places and is based out of New York and Florida, will be overseeing the seven day build. My daughter is currently 23, Grenus said. When I started this she was 15 or 16, but she is disabled and also used to attend Lakeland School. From my perspective, theres no reason why we shouldnt already have this because this is a community that has special education in it. But we cant go to playgrounds because she cant walk through pebbles, she cant walk through woodchips, and cant walk upstairs. Having this playland just makes sense. In 2015, I went to the Parks commission, got permission, they said yes and in 2016, we had our 501C3 (non-profit organizations), a board and we rolled with it. This has been a long time coming for Grenus, and while she understands this process is far from over, shes ready for this dream to become a reality. I want this to bring everyone together, she said. I want our kids to have a resource to go play, let energy out and be free with their friends. France's Le Pen to reveal election programme to supporters French far-right leader and presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen was set to lay out her key policies in a speech to supporters on Sunday, ahead of elections beginning in April. GALLERY Le Pen has promised her followers "144 pledges to put France in order," including major strengthening of security forces, withdrawal from the visa-free Schengen area and the reintroduction of a French currency. Lyon, France (dpa) - On the first of two days of events in the city of Lyon over the weekend, the National Front party said it would hold a referendum on the countrys European Union membership if it wins the upcoming presidential elections.Polls predict that the 48-year-old party leader will reach the second round in the elections, although she remains well behind in polls regarding the decisive presidential election in May.Le Pen has promised her followers "144 pledges to put France in order," including major strengthening of security forces, withdrawal from the visa-free Schengen area and the reintroduction of a French currency. Sharon Village President since 2015, incumbent Mark A. Ruosch is facing a challenge on the Tuesday, April 4 spring general election ballot from political newcomer Adam Turnbull. The winner will earn a two-year term as president of the 1,586-resident stateline village. The Lake Geneva Regional News reached out to Ruosch and Turnbull with candidate questionnaires in advance of election day to give voters a profile snapshot on their backgrounds, motivations for seeking office, and thoughts on what they believe to be the top pressing issues facing the community. Their responses follow below: Ruosch Name: Mark A. Ruosch (Inc.) Age: 61 Occupation: Retired insurance agent (36 years). Clinton Fire Protection District Chief. Address: 208 Park Ave., Sharon. Community involvement: Present member of Sharon Fire & Rescue, 30-plus years, Chief for 14 years. Past member and President of the Sharon Lions Club. Past member and President of Christ Lutheran Church. Past member and President of Sharon Chamber of Commerce. Have helped with the July 4th celebration for 30-plus years. Help with the Model A Days celebration and Victorian Christmas. Previous elected experience: Presently Village President since 2015, finished a one-year term of previous Village President. Why do you want to be a member of the board: I want to be able to keep the Village growing in a positive way. It has taken some time but I think we have got Sharon pointed in the right direction. The Village Board and I have made great strides in the past several years. We have been able to help with the downtown district rebirth. I see only growth with the Villages help in obtaining some of the buildings that are vacant and helping with the process of plans for the remodeling of the buildings. What are two of the biggest issues you are concerned about in the community: The Industrial park on the west side of the Village is finally attracting some growth.The Arntzen Corporation is the new tenant and should start production by the end of 2023. It took several years, but the Sharon Green Subdivision is now seeing new homes being built. I believe we still need some multi-family and more affordable housing and I will continue to work in that direction. The Village is in the process of repairing and replacing areas of the sanitary sewer system. There will be new piping placed this summer on Nelson Street. We have been relining and grouting the sewer system throughout the Village since last fall and should be completed this spring. We will be upgrading the sewer plant this summer also. Yes, all this costs money and we had to get a grant and loan from the USDA to accomplish it As a small town we have some large expenses, as some things have been let go for years or the proverbial kicked the can down the road. We have to face the problems and get ahead of them or the cost keeps going up. Anything else you want to add: I will conclude by asking for your vote on April 4th to continue being the Village President of Sharon. Turnbull Name: Adam Turnbull Age: 40 Occupation: Business owner/entrepeneur (Owner of Small Towne Market, Small Towne Lounge, Dynamite Trucking LLC) Address: 181 Prairie St., Sharon, WI 53585 Community involvement: I have been involved in revitalizing downtown Sharon since 2019. As a lifelong resident, I have supported our community organizations for years. Previous elected experience: I am the president of Small Towne Preservations, Inc., a 501(3). Why do you want to be a member of the board: I am running for Village President because I see the dangerous path Sharon is heading down. Out of control spending, corporate needs before residents, ever increasing taxes these are just a few of the reasons I have decided to take this path. We are a small town and we need to maintain our small town values. Those values serve everyone, not just a chosen few. I have the experience in business to know how to make a good deal, how to negotiate a contract, and how to hold people accountable when they need to be. What are two of the biggest issues you are concerned about in the community: The two biggest issues I am concerned about are the absolute out of control spending going on right now. We see tax increases with no increase in services. The second issue is the disregard of quality of life of the residents at the cost of courting big industry to develop in our community. The residents are left holding the bag on the costs associated, while the industry sees all the gains. Our infrastructure is not able to handle the additional load and now is not the time to be spending the money to put it in place. Anything else you want to add: Sharon has been my home for 40 years. Ive traveled around this country and have seen the fate that similar communities have succumbed to when the local government begins to only focus on revenue. We are at that point. We have lost the sense of community and traded it for selling out to corporate and industrial America. I will see Sharon return to its roots as Village President. I will revitalize the downtown and bolster small business growth. I will protect our heritage and our history while showcasing it to the rest of the world. Sharon will be a place people are proud to say they are from. 9 photos from last weekend's Model A Day in downtown Sharon Dressed to the nines Terry Hatch and Trista Hatch look at some classic cars during Model A Day Deb O'Higgins and Clyde Van Every show off a replica old-fashioned horse carriage Judy Beller, left, and Sandi McGinnis display a classic car from the Beller Museum in Romeoville, Illinois Classic cars were the highlight of Model A Day in downtown Sharon Many classic cars lined the streets of downtown Sharon for the annual Model A Day, June 6 Besides classic cars, Model A Day also featured classic firetrucks and other vehicles Many people enjoyed driving their classic vehicles around downtown Sharon, June 6, for the annual Model A Day Model A Day featured vendors selling parts for Model A cars and other classic vehicles Downtown Sharon was a bevy of activity, June 6, as the village conducted its annual Model A Dar This article appears in the March 31, 2023 issue of Executive Intelligence Review. Chinas Two Sessions: Boost Science Research, National Self-Reliance [Print version of this article] View full size Chinese State Council March 22China recently concluded the annual sessions of both its national legislature and of its top national political advisory body; together, they are known as the Two Sessions. The legislature is the National Peoples Congress (NPC) and the policy advisory body is known as the National Committee of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). The National Peoples Congress is made up of 2,900 elected delegates, and the National Committee of the CPPCC has 2,100 elected delegates. Although the Communist Party of China (CPC) has by far the largest number of delegates, representatives from a total of eight political parties are represented. Also included are non-affiliated delegates. The big news coming out of the sessions is a major re-organization of the State Council (Executive Branch Cabinet) departments in order to (1) bolster Chinas self-reliance in science and technology, (2) expand the funding and focus on fundamental science research, (3) increase oversight of the financial sector, and (4) protect intellectual property rights. Included in the changes will be major restructuring of the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and the setting up of a new national financial oversight body. This report will focus on the plans to re-deploy science and re-focus on fostering creativity. Premier Li Keqiang, a longstanding promoter of scientific innovation as the driver of economic progress, delivered the important Government Work Report at the opening session of the NPC. This report sets economic policy for the coming period. Li focused on the need to make China self-reliant in science and technology and to leverage the role of the central government to mobilize the resources to enable scientific breakthroughs. China is now, along with Brazil, Russia, India and South Africathe BRICS group of nationsat the center of a new Global Majority. It is focused on quickly developing, within the still-impoverished former colonial sector, energy-intense science, and advanced industry and the labor force to run it. Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) now includes 149 nations and over 30 international organizations. Sadly, Global NATO, Global Britain, and the current U.S. administration see this fabulously successful economic development policy as a casus belli. A New National Science and Technology System The current escalation of U.S. sanctions against Chinese companies and leaders, the banning of microchip and related technology sales to China by the U.S. and allies, the Wests escalating political and military promotion of so-called Taiwan independence, and the military encirclement of China have now triggered a more intense Chinese response. That response includes policies of both technological self-sufficiency and an increased funding and focus on fundamental research in the physical sciencesrightly seen as the generator of new technologies and thus of national economic advance. Liu Feng, a researcher at the Institutes of Science and Development of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, calls it, a new national science and technology system. The design seeks to accelerate major breakthroughs in manned space flight, lunar and Mars exploration, supercomputing, satellite communication, quantum information technology, nuclear power, aircraft manufacturing, artificial intelligence (AI), and high-end computer chip production and chip lithography machines. [Box: President Xi Launches Global Civilization Initiative] Basic Research: Pushing Forward Human Civilization Basic research is a driving force pushing forward human civilization and it is the origin of innovation in science and technology, according to Wang Rufang, head of the research office and national leader of the Central Committee of the Jiu San Society. The Jiu San Society, an independent political party in China, was founded on September 3, 1945, and is made up of intellectuals in the science and technology field. Jiu San translates as September 3rd, the date of the liberation from Japanese fascist occupation. Wang stated, The more we care about innovation, the more we should dedicate to basic research. This has been proven by the worlds research programs in quantum physics and DNA at the start of the 20th century. View full size Chinese State Council Wang Guilin, director of the Guangzhou Science and Technology Bureau, explained that China achieved its meteoric development over the last 40 years by achieving breakthroughs at three levels, in sequence: production, technology, and then science. However, China cannot become a major pioneering country in manufacturing because its basic science, which lags behind the existing pioneering countries, constitutes the bottleneck for achieving this major breakthrough. To deal with this bottleneck, achieve high-quality development, and become a real pioneering country in manuacturing, China has to take a reverse path: effectively develop its scientific research, then give a push to its technology research and development, and then its high-end production sections. Delegate scientists of both the NPC and the National Committee of the CPPCC made varying detailed proposals to upgrade the national science system. These suggestions included shifting university research policy to change both teacher evaluation and the defining of scientific disciplines to effect an increase in the capacity for original innovation at the college and graduate student level. Yin Jie, an NPC deputy and executive vice president of ShanghaiTech University, called for designing double mentoring teams, in which both industry experts and university teachers jointly would oversee advanced student work. One ongoing deficiency in the quality of the evaluation of scientific work, which has been under discussion since 2018, is the ceiling of the four onlys: papers, titles, education and awards, typically used as the main criteria for an individuals advancement in the world of science. Discussed in the various public sessions was that a new evaluation metric is required. It should measure long-term fundamental science advancewhich cannot be measured by mere numbers of papers published, or awards given. What we can see in these sessions is a detailed debate as to the best science pathway to follow, in both pedagogy and in the executive directing of science, to optimize in the family of scientists creativity itself. View full size CC BY-SA 4.0/Rodrigo con la G A New Chip Law To Promote Breakthroughs In response to Global NATOs ongoing practice of attempting to suppress Chinas development by blatant economic warfare, that is, by banning Chinas purchase of high-end microchips and essential manufacturing equipment, the two sessions debated a multi-pronged campaign to accelerate its chip production capacity. The number of senior scientists and academicians involved in the semiconductor sector who were delegates to the NPC and to the CPPCC had greatly increased this year. Xie Shanghua, a delegate to the consultative council proposed a chip law to support rapid advances in the semiconductor industry. Xie said, The chip policies that have been issued in China are mainly regulatory and departmental rules at the State Council level. Xie called for a law to unify the efforts of the many companies working in the field and to support the research in the production of advanced manufacturing processes at the 7-, 5-, and 3-nanometer level. View full size CNSA As of May 2022, China had 29 universities which had established Integrated Circuit Colleges. Proposals were discussed to increase that number. One of Chinas very top political leaders and economic strategists, Vice Premier Liu He, added his voice to the discussion. He called for immediately increasing the number of Integrated Circuit Colleges, for increasing the recruitment of talent from throughout the world to join Chinas top scientistsreceiving status and support equal to that of Chinas top scientistsand for overall directed support for the semiconductor industry by the central government. What China Knows What was the secret that China knew, which allowed it to move from mass poverty and illiteracy 40 years ago, to become the worlds largest economy today, measured in real terms? What secret did it use to eliminate, by 2020, 100% of extreme poverty within its population of 1.4 billion? What dialogue did it recently have with the leaderships of Saudi Arabia and Iran which allowed it to catalyze the impossible: the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between those two major nations? What secret was discussed at the recent Two Sessions which will allow China to break all foolish economic containment assaults by the West? It was a secret known to Alexander Hamilton, to Friedrich List, to Dr. Sun Yat-sen, to Franklin D. Roosevelt, to Lyndon LaRouche. Human creativity is in exact coherence with the laws of the natural universe. Tap it! This editorial appears in the March 31, 2023 issue of Executive Intelligence Review. EDITORIAL ICC Hypocrisy: Putin Indicted on 20th Anniversary of the Invasion of Iraq [Print version of this editorial] March 24The indictment of Russian President Vladimir Putin March 17 by the International Criminal Court (ICC) provides more evidence that the effort by western governments to use the war in Ukraine to destroy Russia, is a project run by arrogant elitists with no contact with the real world. The announcement, made by ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan, a British attorney, charges Putin, along with Russias Presidential Commissioner for Childrens Rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, with illegally deporting Ukrainian children to Russia. Claims have been made that at least 15,000 children were kidnapped by Russian forceswith one claim by a Ukrainian human rights ombudsman of more than 215,000 children removed! The Russians admit that 1,400 children were moved from the areas of Ukraine annexed by Russia, mostly from orphanages and hospitals in war zones, for their protection. The idea that it is a war crime to move displaced children, whose parents died in the war or cannot be located, to a safe place, is being treated in Russia as unacceptable. Official comments range from Putins spokesman Dmitry Peskov stating that Russia does not recognize the court, to Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia Dmitri Medvedevs less diplomatic suggestion that the indictment is toilet paper and not worthy of response. Lvova-Belova, who adopted one of the orphans, quipped, Its great that the international community has appreciated the work to help the children of our country, a reference to the fact that the children involved come from newly annexed areas of eastern Ukraine. U.S. President Joe Biden called the charges justified and said it makes a very strong point, while acknowledging that, like Russia, the United States does not recognize the ICC as a legitimate authority. The timing of the indictment is replete with ironies, coming on the eve of Chinese President Xi Jinpings summit with Putin in Moscow, and while U.S. media are reporting that military and intelligence officials now believe that Ukraine cannot win, and the time has come for negotiations. An even more profound irony, however, which probably escaped Bidens questionable powers of discernment, is that the indictments came two days before the 20th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. The occasion was marked by multiple articles pointing to the failure to hold accountable any of the military or government officials responsible for that war. Neither the ICC nor any other legal body has prosecuted George W. Bush or Tony Blair for their launching of the war on false pretenses. Their actions are estimated (by the British medical journal Lancet) to have led to more than 601,000 deaths of Iraqis between March 19, 2003 and 2006, and countless more in the following years due to civil society breakdown, and the outbreak of terrorism and religious civil war resulting from the invasion. The justification for the decision to attack Iraq came from the fabricated dossier claiming Iraq had weapons of mass destruction that threatened the West, and the charge that Saddam Hussein was allied with the al-Qaeda terrorists alleged to have been the perpetrators of the 9/11 terror attacks on America. The MI6 September Dossier had been delivered by the Blair government to U.S. officials, and was used by Bushs Secretary of State Colin Powell in his address to the UN to advocate invading Iraq. Powell later admitted he knew the charge was false. Blair used his speech of March 20, 2003, on the launch of the war, to reiterate these lies. Today, he said then, we face a new threat of disorder and chaos born either of brutal states like Iraq armed with weapons of mass destruction or of extreme terrorist groups.... My fear, deeply held, based in part on the intelligence that I see, is that these threats come together and deliver catastrophe to our country and our world. Based on the fabricated intelligence he cited, Blair ordered military action in Iraq, with the mission to conduct regime change, to remove Saddam Hussein from power and disarm Iraq of its [non-existent ed.] weapons of mass destruction. Tony Blair and George W. Bush and their teams of neocon war hawks are correctly seen by most of the world as war criminals, who have inexplicably not been brought to trial for their crimes. Meanwhile the ICC, founded in part through the initiative of George Soros Open Society NGO, has indicted Putin for removing defenseless children from a war zone. This helps to explain why the Global South has refused to join America and NATO in condemning President Putin and arming Ukraine to conduct regime change in Russia. Iran Foreign Minister Goes to Moscow, Advancing Tectonic Shift in Southwest Asia March 29, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian held an extensive meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow today, on several international and regional issues. This occurred in the productive environment of a great shift, punctuated by the March 10 meeting in Beijing, brokered by Chinese President Xi Jinping, in which Iran and Saudi Arabia restored diplomatic relations. One matter that Amirabdollahian and Lavrov discussed was the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in which the International Atomic Energy Agency would monitor Irans nuclear program in exchange, among other things, for sanctions relief. In 2018, then U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the agreement. The window of dialogue is still open and one of the topics of the conversation with Mr. Lavrov is the JCPOA and the return of parties to their commitments, Amirabdollahian said March 28 upon landing in Moscow. After the meeting, Lavrov said, We talked about the situation around the JCPOA on the Iranian nuclear program. We have a common understanding that there is no alternative to this international agreement, which was written down in the unanimously adopted UN Security Council Resolution 2231. We are in favor of the early resumption of the full implementation of this resolution and oppose actions that prevent this, Sputnik International quoted him as saying. Also discussed was U.S. sanctions. At a press conference upon his arrival at the Moscow airport, Amirabdollahian said that U.S. sanctions were a failed policy. He said, We believe that sanction is an economic terrorist instrument against the nations, but the Islamic Republic has managed the situation and has made the most of the opportunity of sanctions for progress in our country. But he added, The [U.S.] policy of sanctions is inefficient, incorrect and a terrorist war against the nation, Tasnim quoted him as stating. Lavrov and Amirabdollahian further discussed economic agreements; Iran-Russia trade which has more than doubled in the last three years; working on finalizing agreement on a comprehensive partnership between Iran and Russia; and Amirabdollahian focused on the International North-South Transport Corridor, a 7,200 km railroad, highway, and sea transport corridor, extending from Russia to India, and involving Iran, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, that can reduce shipment costs by $2,500 per 15 tons of cargo, and connect nations economically and culturally. Meantime, in Riyadh, the Saudi Council of Ministers on March 28, approved a memorandum granting the Kingdom the status of a dialogue partner in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), reported the official Saudi Press Agency. King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud presided over the meeting. On March 21, Sputnik Brazil published an interview with Iranian Economic Minister Ehsan Khandouzi (in Portugese) on why Tehran considers cooperation with the SCO and BRICS so important. Khandouzi told Sputnik, Regional agreements, especially with important regional partners like the SCO and BRICSthat's what the world economy will promote on the shoulders of these economic giants in the coming decades. On Sept. 15, 2022, attending the SCO summit in Samarkand as an observer state, Tehran signed a document confirming its intention to become a full member. In parallel, Al-Monitor reported that the Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Amirabdollahian spoke by phone on March 26 about relations between the two nations, their second discussion in four days. They agreed they would meet sometime during this years holy month of RamadanMarch 22-April 21. With China and Russia serving as anchors, the peace process and economic development are shaping Southwest Asia. Forty African Leaders Attend Russia-Africa Parliamentary Conference in Moscow March 29, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)Any illusions the Anglo-Americans may have been nurturing that they could sway African countries firmly into the unilateralist camp with a Leaders Summit and aggressive diplomacy have been dashed, as the parliamentary leaders of 40 African nations showed up in Moscow for the Russia-Africa Parliamentary Conference, March 19-20. Worse for Washington and London, attendance was higher than in 2019 at the pre-Ukraine summit, at which 36 countries defied the unipolar order. The conference of lawmakers was designed to lay the groundwork for the July 28-29 Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg. With the conference theme being Russia-Africa in a Multipolar World, the contrast between the dying unilateral order and the emerging multipolar world was in sharp focus. In his keynote address on March 19, Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin said, Washington and Brussels seek to take control of Russian and African natural resources. In fact, they continue their colonial policy. They go to any measures, including force and terrorist nature, for their own benefit. According to TASS, the summit brought together representatives of the scientific, educational and expert communities from Russia and African countries, along with representatives from Russian federal and regional political and business communities. Four roundtables included, Parliamentary Support of Scientific and Educational Cooperation; Legislative Response to Economic Challenges; Indivisible Security: Capabilities and Contributions of Parliaments; and Neocolonialism of the West: How To Prevent the Repetition of History. Emphasizing the importance of Africa in the rising new order, Russian President Vladimir Putin took time out from his simultaneous discussions with Chinas President Xi Jinping to personally address the lawmakers. The contrast between the two world orders was best shown by Putins description of Russias fight to feed African nations with Black Sea grain: Let me stress that only if our position is taken into account will the fair and comprehensive implementation of the Black Sea grain deal be ensured, and depending on this, we will decide on our further participation in it. For reference, I can give you the following information. From August 1, 2022, to March 20, 2023, 827 ships left Ukraine, of which only 3 million tonnes of grain were sent to Africa and 1.3 million to the poorest countries in Africa. As I said, almost 45% went to well-fed European countries, despite the fact that this whole deal was presented under the pretext of ensuring the interests of African countries. By the way, let me note that at the same time, despite all the restrictions and limitations on the export of Russian grain, almost 12 million tonnes were sent from Russia to Africa. I would also like to add that if we decide not to extend this deal after 60 days, Russia will be ready to supply the same amount that was delivered under the deal, from Russia to the African countries in great need, at no expense, he insisted, drawing applause. Although not mentioned in his speech, more than one news outlet has reported that Putin has additionally canceled $20 billion in African debt, dating from the Soviet era. It has been being written off for decades, with Sergey Lavrov having put the total figure at $140 billion since 2000. Summit of Hypocrisy Is a Divisive Venture That Is the Proverbial Lead Balloon March 29, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)Chinas Global Times fittingly denounced March 29 the platitudinous, hypocritical, and bone-chillingly boring Summit for Democracy of President Biden for feeding divisiveness. No matter how many fancy words the Biden administration has used to boost the summit, this event, like the first one held in 2021, has been used by the Biden administration as a tool to reaffirm the U.S. leadership in so-called democracy and human rights. Its ambition to pull more countries into its interest camp to contain its rivals, especially China and Russia, has been interwoven into the agenda of the event and is too obvious to hide. The low-point of the conferenceand this was a hotly contested categorywas President Bidens keynote to the conference plenary session. He put forth such pearls of wisdom as, And today we can say with pride that the democracies of the world are getting stronger, not weaker. Autocracies of the world are getting weaker, not stronger. We will spare the reader other messages of genius. What is of more interest is that those who are supposed to be Bidens ideological compatriots openly took offense and attacked the summit. Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations tweeted, The summit for democracy is a bad idea that wont [sic] go away. Beyond the awkward whom to invite issue, American democracy is hardly a model for others. In an op-ed in the Financial Times, U.S. National Editor Edward Luce also makes deep jabs at the event. Contrary to Bidens assertions of democracies getting stronger, Luce cites a report from V-Dem which claims nearly 75% of the world now lives under autocracies, compared to less than 50% a decade ago. In the case of the Middle East, the U.S. success rate has been almost uniformly negative, and the only recent convert was Tunisia, which then suffered a coup in 2021 (and was subsequently not invited to the first summit). The op-ed concludes by saying that the Global Souths consistent demands have been for increased investment, which is something that China has delivered on more than all the West combined. Therefore: The best way of nudging them down that path is to lecture less and listen more. Of particular irony was the address by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (whose name was concealed from the program until the last minute)who is currently attempting an excessive power grab from the judicial branch, sparking possibly the largest protests in Israels history. EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR THURSDAY MARCH 30, 2023 When Democracy Became a Dirty Word March 29, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)Wise nations and peoples know that when the United States begins to lecture others on democracy, the polite thing to do is to quickly go find a toilet before things get ugly. This weeks Summit For Democracy is just such an event. In fact, it is so hypocritical, that even wholly rotten outlets like the Washington Post and Financial Times cringed at the thought. One member of the Council on Foreign Relations went so far as to say that, The summit for democracy is a bad idea that [wont] go away. It doesnt take a highly paid academic to notice this, however. The degeneration and collapse of the liberal Western world is plain for all to see, with poverty, drug addiction, moral indifference, and mass-violence at every turn. Protest movements continue to grow across Europe in opposition to new attempts to privatize and squeeze the population. Green legislation threatens to exacerbate the already deadly energy prices, moves that even some of the most committed believersin the case of Germanyhave begun to reject. Britains King Charles is visiting Germany over March 29-31given the growing ferment there, will he be tossed into the latrine himself? Hypocrisy is an understatement. A better description would be willing accomplicesor perpetrators in crimes of mass-death worldwide. As resistance builds to the Wests proxy war in Ukraine against Russia, amidst an increasingly obvious impossibility to win against Russia on the battlefielda fact even Zelenskyy himself is openly worrying aboutthe U.S. further escalates towards a potential nuclear confrontation with Russia. Whats more, the U.S. intimidates and blackmails those that dont go along, now telling Argentina to stop all collaboration with China, and horrified that Honduras has chosen to break relations with Taiwan. Maybe this is Democracy with Anglo-American Characteristics. In comparison, many will point out that the new paradigm in relations growing out of the China-Russia friendship, along with the BRICS-Plus and SCO, is the true democracy, while the imperial West are the autocracies. This certainly seems to be the case if one looks at the ongoing spinoffs the March 10 Saudi Arabia-Iran agreement is having for the entire Southwest Asia regioncertainly you cannot dictate peaceful relations. The Iranian Foreign Minister is currently in Moscow, furthering this process and signing deep economic and development agreements with Russia. Saudi Arabia also formally approved an MOU to become a dialogue partner of the SCO. In September Iran signed documentation on its application to become a permanent member of the SCO, and now the two are increasingly in dialogue. Additionally, China is hosting the Boao Forum for Asia over March 28-31, an astounding grouping of business and other leaders from every corner of the world meeting to discuss the enormous investment opportunities ahead, as Asian growth rates are aiming to surpass the global average by a factor of three. This followed last weeks Russia-Africa Conference in Moscow, where 40 nations were represented to discuss economic opportunities, in opposition to the assertions that Russia is isolated and desperate. Further in Zambia, President Hakainde Hichilema inaugurated a new hydroelectric dam (built in collaboration with China) which will increase the countrys electricity capacity by a whopping 27%. Despite these examples of true democratic benefit, as opposed to autocratic rule and domination, it is not actually reflective of the real world. Even those most committed to democratic values, and to rejecting authoritarian ones, will fail. This is not actually the principle that is underlying a new paradigm of relations. Perfect democracy will not pave the way to a better futureit cant. Instead of such a failed metric, consider what Helga Zepp-LaRouche wrote in her Ten Principles for a New International Security and Development Architecture on Nov. 22, 2022. She wrote: In order to overcome the conflicts arising out of quarreling opinions, which is how empires have maintained control over the underlings, the economic, social and political order has to be brought into cohesion with the lawfulness of the physical universe. In European philosophy this was discussed as the being in character with natural law, in Indian philosophy as cosmology, and in other cultures appropriate notions can be found. Modern sciences like space science, biophysics or thermonuclear fusion science will increase the knowledge of mankind about this lawfulness continuously. A similar cohesion can be found in the great works of classical art in different cultures. In other words, there is a lawfulness to the universe, and whether we choose to act in cohesion with that is the differencenot the particular form or flavor we use to get there. Towards that end, the explosion of a new system of relations in the world which is taking place around the BRICS-Plus and others is precisely this. Chinas lifting over 800 million people out of poverty, and its commitment to continue such advances in every other country in the world, is in cohesion with natural law, not simply democratic law. To oppose it is to oppose universal principle. The West must wake up and face reality. The opportunities for cooperation around this kind of common aim are endless, and it just might be the only way youre going to save your life. Thousands of Japanese cherry trees are blooming on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. When the trees reach peak bloom, the United States capital city is awash in pink and white. In the 1920s, the average peak bloom date was April 5. That moved up to March 31 in recent years. And the 2023 peak arrived yet a week earlier, the National Park Service said last week. Im feeling like this is going to be the trend because of climate change, said Matthew Morrison. He is the park services urban forester charged with overseeing the trees care. The yearly National Cherry Blossom Festival will run through April 16 this year. It celebrates Japans 1912 gift of 3,020 cherry trees to the city of Washington. Two of those trees were planted by First Lady Helen Herron Taft and Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese Ambassador to the United States, with just a few onlookers present. The average life of a Japanese cherry tree is between 30 and 40 years. Yet the two trees planted by Taft and Chinda and several others are still standing 111 years later. That defies science, said Morrison. He credited the trees long life to a little bit of magic and the year-round care his team provides. Many of the 3,700 trees blooming at the park today come from cuttings from the first trees, Morrison said. Others are regularly donated by the Casey Trees group of Washington. Morrison oversees a team of just three arborists. They are charged with caring for the cherry trees and keeping a personal health record for each. Three years ago, Morrison introduced the practice of mulching trees with large amounts of wood chips to help their growth. As the chips break down, he said, they release fungi and bacteria to help the trees roots. The wood chips also serve as a barrier between the grass and the trees. This prevents accidental cuts caused by lawn equipment. Morrison suggests the same practice for homeowners growing trees in their own yards. When wood chips are applied over the root areas, he said, it would never need any fertilizer, amendments or more water. Even on the hottest days of summer when it hasnt rained, I dig down in the wood chips and find moisture, he said. Morrison said most of the National Malls cherry blossom trees are Yoshino. Its one of the best growers and the best to flower, he said. Kwanzan cherry also is a good grower and gets a little bigger than Yoshino. As for the National Cherry Blossom Festival, there are still several events throughout Washington and its suburbs. They include a Japanese street festival, running events, fireworks, and food festivals. If you cannot make it, there is a Bloom Cam to look at the cherry blossoms. Im Caty Weaver. Jessica Damiano reported this story for the Associated Press. Hai Do adapted it for VOA Learning English. __________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story peak bloom n. the time when cherry blossoms are at their best trend n. the general direction of change for a behavior, activity or development defy v. to refuse to obey; magic n. power that lets people do impossible things arborist n. a person who cares for and knows about trees fungi n. (pl.) a group of living things that are not plants or animals moisture n. a small amount of liquid that makes something wet Political support appears to be growing in the United States for a complete ban on the popular video sharing service TikTok. If such a ban does happen, it could force many TikTok influencers to seek out new ways to publicize their material. An influencer is a person who has a large following on social media and aims to popularize products. Several nations, including the United States, moved in recent months to ban TikTok on official government devices. The governments said they acted because of national security concerns. U.S. government officials have warned TikToks owner, Chinese company ByteDance, could be sharing user data with Chinas government. Critics say China could also use TikTok to spread misinformation and that media on the service can harm the mental health of young users. TikTok has more than 150 million users in the United States and is especially popular with teenagers and young adults. The service, or app, uses machine learning methods to predict what videos users will want to see based on their past choices. TikToks chief executive, Shou Zi Chew, recently testified at a congressional hearing about the governments concerns with TikTok. Chew denied ByteDance shares data with the Chinese government. He noted TikTok had launched a new effort to protect data on American users. He said TikTok plans to store the information on server computers operated by technology company Oracle in the U.S. Cassidy Jacobson is a 19-year-old TikTok influencer who currently has more than 1.5 million followers. She published her first video on TikTok when she was 13 years old. It showed her dancing. She keeps her fans interested with her love of dance and hair care. Jacobson is preparing for the possibility that she may have to take her videos to another service if TikTok is banned in the U.S. She spoke to Reuters news agency about her thoughts on current political pressure to ban the app. TikTok is kind of rocky right now and the goal of a content creator is to grow yourself across platforms to have a solid community, Jacobson said. You dont just want to focus on one app. Jacobson said she is already thinking about ways to diversify her material. For now, she is making sure she expands her video offerings on services like YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Jacobson said she would favor measures to make technology companies responsible for their actions over a complete ban of services like TikTok. There needs to be protection for users on apps, I think the only way is for the government holdingcompanies accountable, whether theyre U.S.-based or theyre based in China, she said. Transgender TikTok creator NaomiHearts has developed a following by sharing her personal story and publishing content that urges people to be true to themselves. NaomiHearts told Reuters she is not sure about moving to other services since TikTok has given her many chances she was not able to find anywhere else. As a trans person in this world, they (society) dont really care about us, so to be able to make six figures a year because of TikTok, and brands reaching out to me because of that app, its wild, NaomiHearts said. TikTok supporters say the app provides benefits beyond its popularity and fans. They believe the service provides influencers with money and establishes a sense of community and new paths to social change. Some experts have urged U.S. officials to take less direct steps against TikTok. Freedom House Research Director for Technology and Democracy Allie Funk told Reuters there are less severe measures the government could take. Funk called on the U.S. Congress to pass a strong privacy law and increase requirements for companies to be more transparent about their operations and practices. Im Bryan Lynn. The Associated Press and Reuters reported on this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the reports for VOA Learning English. Quiz - Social Media Influencers Consider Future amid Possible US TikTok Ban Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story testify v. to talk and give answers to questions especially in a court of law or before lawmakers platform n. a company or service that permits someone to tell a large number of people about ideas or products diversify v. to begin to make new products or offerings accountable adj. required to explain ones actions; required to be responsible for ones actions or decisions transgender adj. used to describe someone whose gender does not match the body they were born with six figures n. (informal) $100,000 or more brand n. a kind of product made by a particular company and sold under a particular name benefit n. a good result or effect transparent adj. clear and easy to understand or recognize _________________________________________________________________ What do you think of this story? We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: Write your comment in the box. Under the box, you can see four images for social media accounts. They are for Disqus, Facebook, Twitterand Google. Click on one image and a box appears. Enter the login for your social media account. Or you may create one on the Disqus system. It is the blue circle with D on it. It is free. Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has created a struggle for control of a religious complex called the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. The Lavra is commonly called the Monastery of the Caves. It contains religious centers, museums, and places for clergy to study and live. The oldest parts date back to the beginning of Christianity 1,000 years ago. The complex has been called the pearl of Ukraine and the Vatican of Ukrainian Orthodoxy. In 1990, the complex was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This week, the government of Ukraine says it is removing the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, or UOC, from Lavra. The dispute The dispute is part of a wider religious conflict playing out at the same time as the war. The government of Ukraine has been cracking down on the UOC over its long, historic ties to the Russian Orthodox Church. Patriarch Kirill, the Russian Orthodox Church leader, has supported Russian President Vladimir Putin in the invasion of Ukraine. The UOC has maintained that it is loyal to Ukraine. The church has denounced the Russian invasion from the start and has even declared its independence from the Russian church. But the government has said the Lavra which houses UOC school and offices, is a center of Russian propaganda. And the Ukrainian parliament is also considering a law on making it impossible to operate in Ukraine religious organizations affiliated with the Russian Federation. Ukrainian security agencies have claimed that some in the UOC have kept close ties with Russia. They presented photos of money, Russian passports and messages from the Russian church leader as proof that some UOC officials support Russia. The Lavra is owned by the government. The agency overseeing the complex told the UOC that as of March 29, it was ending its lease. The government claims that members of the church violated the lease by making changes to the historic complex, and other technical violations. The UOC clergy dispute this and are refusing to leave. But people in civilian clothes were seen removing personal items from the complex. And police officers checked the cars to make sure no one was removing objects that belong to the Lavra. Metropolitan Clement is the head of the UOC press office. He told The Associated Press that lawyers for the UOC asked the Ministry of Culture to provide documents explaining its reasons for ending the lease. But the ministry informed them that such documents will not be provided, Clement said. Rival church organization In 2019, a rival church organization called the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, or OCU, received official recognition from the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. The Patriarch of Constantinople has the top position of honor in Orthodox Christianity but does not have power over all Orthodox churches like the Pope over all Catholic churches. The Russian Orthodox Church leader, Patriarch Kirill, still has not recognized the OCU. The governments removal order does not exactly state that the Lavra complex could be turned over to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. But the OCUs leader, Metropolitan Epiphany, issued a statement directed at the Lavra clergy. He suggested the changes will not put an end to worship at the complex. Metropolitan Epiphany said services will continue in their ancient Slavic language along with modern Ukrainian. Epiphany claimed that the UOC is a tool of aggression against Ukraine. He added the complex will be run by those who know the traditions and life of the monastery. Ukraines Ministry of Culture also sought to offer similar promises that Lavra would still offer religious services. Russia, however, says the removal of the UOC is more proof that Russias actions over the past year in Ukraine are justified. Russia claims it is defending the Orthodox population. And Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church has asked Pope Francis and other religious leaders to take action in the Lavra situation. Im Dan Friedell. Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting by The Associated Press. __________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story monastery n. a place where religious followers known as monks live and work pearl adj. used to describe something beautiful and worthy of appreciation patriarch n. a father figure or leader affiliated adj. a way of describing something that is officially connected with something else lease n. a document that shows an amount paid for the right to use a building or work space rival adj. a group that is different from or competing with another group _________________________________________________________________ We want to hear from you. Do you think the former church leaders will leave the Lavra complex without trouble? We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: Write your comment in the box. Under the box, you can see four images for social media accounts. They are for Disqus, Facebook, Twitter and Google. Click on one image and a box appears. Enter the login for your social media account. Or you may create one on the Disqus system. It is the blue circle with D on it. It is free. Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here. 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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Incentives from the Macau government for the airline industry may further assist in attracting tourists from Thailand to Macau, an AirAsia executive told the Times yesterday. The Thailand-originated airline company held a media event yesterday to officially announce resumption of flights from Macau and Hong Kong to Thailand. The event was co-organized by the Hong Kong Office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Krid Pattanasan, director of government relations of the airlines, made the comment on the sidelines of the event, when he was asked how AirAsia will help attract tourists to visit Macau. The Macau government has deemed the non-Greater China Region as a key source of visitors. Stressing the round-trip nature of commercial air transport, Pattanasan assured that there will be people travelling to Macau from Thailand. To entice more people to take the companys flights, the executive emphasized that awareness and promotional campaigns would be established to encourage more Thai people to visit Macau. He then passed the ball back to the Macau government, saying that if specific policies or incentives are formulated not only for Thai tourists, but also air carriers, we would appreciate [the goodwill]. Although flights between Macau and Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok have been resumed, the frequency has only returned to about 50% compared to before Covid-19, Pattanasan revealed. He expects full resumption to happen by the end of this year. For the time being, the company has only resumed services to a single destination, with two flights per day. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the company had other routes from Macau, such as to Phuket. When asked to forecast the timetable for additional destinations, the executive suggested the end of the year. He explained that the main difficulty of additional services is staffing, which is a challenge across the aviation industry. With recruitment on track, he expects additional services should commence by the end of the year. At the same event, Naparat Vudhivad, head of the TAT Hong Kong Office, predicated that approximately 700,000 Hong Kong and Macau people will visit Thailand this year. A presentation at the event showed that when the Hong Kong government announced the 0+3 mode of health management in September last year, the number of Hong Kong and Macau people visiting Thailand crept towards 10,000 for the month of September. When the Hong Kong government eliminated even the 0+3 mode on Dec. 13, the number soared to over 57,000 people. In the first two months of the year, about 100,000 Hong Kong people have visited Thailand. Vudhivad expects the upcoming Songkran Thai New Year will be even more appealing to tourists from Hong Kong and Macau. After three years of travel restrictions, the Thai official spoke about the Thai governments emphasis on sustainable tourism. For example, the official underlined a series of locations in Bangkok, Phuket and Chiangmai that offer ecological, mountainous and aquatic travel, giving tourists the opportunity to embrace nature. Branding this years tourism promotional campaign as Amazing New Chapters, the official explained, the Thai government aims to create meaningful tourism experiences that will benefit the community and the environment as well. For instance, tourists will be brought underwater to save injured corals and maintain marine biodiversity. A series of events will also be held in Ko Tao Island to observe World Ocean Day. Mountaineers, on the other hand, will be able to enjoy glamping activities, including but not limited to sleeping in a glass hut under the stars along with the smell of nature. Anthony Lam, Hong Kong Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng met with the Ambassador of Portugal to China, Paulo Jorge Pereira do Nascimento, to discuss Macaus facilitating role between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, strengthening economic and trade cooperation, and patrimony linked to Portuguese culture and its conservation. During the recent meeting at the Government Headquarters in Macau, the Chief Executive said that he would lead a delegation to Portugal in April, which will comprise officials of the SAR and local entrepreneurs, in a bid to seek greater avenues for investment and trade between enterprises from the two places. The official also noted that the MSAR Government had always paid special attention to the contributions and cultural heritage of the Portuguese community in Macau. Accordingly, the city has striven to help preserve the communitys unique traditions, language, culture, and customs. Such effort was reflected in the existing legal system, and could also be seen in the citys education system, architecture, and public works, Ho said. Speaking at the meeting, Ambassador Nascimento said the Portuguese Government would offer the utmost support regarding the Chief Executives forthcoming visit. Ambassador Nascimento also said that Macaus platform roles would be helpful for enterprises from Portuguese-speaking countries when it came to investment in, respectively, the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin; the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area; and other cities on the mainland. Staff Reporter Lawmaker Che Sai Wang, linked with the Macau Civil Servants Association (ATFPM), insists that the government should distribute another 8,000 patacas in livelihood subsidy as residents continue to face difficulties resulting from the three-year pandemic period. Ches call for governmental support to citizens was done yesterday in the period before the agenda of the plenary session of the Legislative Assembly. In a spoken inquiry, the lawmaker noted that while the unemployment rate has declined when compared to the peak period of the pandemic, the situation continues to be appalling when compared to the pre-pandemic period, he said, noting that over the period of three years not only many residents lost their jobs but also saw their incomes being reduced while expenses rise. For the lawmaker, the economic recovery, although noticed, it is still a long process, adding, it will take some time before supply and demand for human resources can return to normal. He remarked that given the confidence of the government that the gaming results will hit the target of 130 billion patacas in gaming revenue for this year, the authorities should consider distributing to the population, as soon as possible, the cash handouts of the wealth partaking scheme of this year and continue to distribute the livelihood subsidy in the amount of 8,000 patacas, to consolidate the foundations for economic recovery, allowing residents, micro and small and medium enterprises to effectively sustain themselves while working for the aimed economic recovery. Last year the government has anticipated the distribution of the cash handouts that in the past used to take place during the summer holidays season in the second semester of the year. For this year, the Chief Executive, Ho Iat Seng announced that such a scheme to continue during the policy address for 2023, late last year, but refused to advance on a date for the distribution of the money. China has threatened resolute countermeasures over a planned meeting between Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen and Speaker of the United States House Speaker Kevin McCarthy during an upcoming visit in Los Angeles by the head of the self-governing island democracy. Diplomatic pressure against Taiwan has ramped up recently, with Beijing poaching Taipeis dwindling number of diplomatic allies while also sending military fighter jets flying toward the island on a near daily basis. Earlier this month, Honduras established diplomatic relations with China, leaving Taiwan with only 13 countries that recognize it as a sovereign state. Tsai framed the trip as a chance to show Taiwans commitment to democratic values on the world stage, as she left Taiwan yesterday afternoon to begin her 10-day tour of the Americas. I want to tell the whole world democratic Taiwan will resolutely safeguard the values of freedom and democracy, and will continue to be a force for good in the world, continuing a cycle of goodness, strengthening the resilience of democracy in the world, she told reporters before she boarded the plane. External pressure will not obstruct our resolution to engage with the world. Tsai is scheduled to transit through New York on March 30 before heading to Guatemala and Belize. On April 5, shes expected to stop in Los Angeles on her way back to Taiwan, at which time the meeting with McCarthy is tentatively scheduled. The U.S. stops are the most closely watched of her trip. Spokesperson for the Cabinets Taiwan Affairs Office Zhu Fenglian at a news conference yesterday denounced Tsais stopover on her way to diplomatic allies in Central America and demanded that no U.S. officials meet with her. We firmly oppose this and will take resolute countermeasures, Zhu said. The U.S. should refrain from arranging Tsai Ing-wens transit visits and even contact with American officials, and take concrete actions to fulfill its solemn commitment not to support Taiwan independence, she said. Transit visits through the United States during broader international travel by the Taiwanese leader have been routine over the years, senior U.S. officials in Washington and Beijing have underscored to their Chinese counterparts. In such unofficial visits in recent years, Tsai has met with members of Congress and the Taiwanese diaspora and has been welcomed by the chairperson of the American Institute in Taiwan, the U.S. government-run nonprofit that carries out unofficial relations with Taiwan. Tsai transited through the United States six times between 2016 and 2019 before slowing international travel with the coronavirus pandemic. In reaction to those visits, China lashed out rhetorically against the U.S. and Taiwan. However, the planned meeting with McCarthy has triggered fears of a heavy-handed Chinese reaction amid heightened frictions between Beijing and Washington over U.S. support for Taiwan, trade and human rights issues. Following a visit by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan in 2022, Beijing launched missiles over the area, deployed warships across the median line of the Taiwan Strait and carried out military exercises in a simulated blockade of the island. Beijing also suspended climate talks with the U.S. and restricted military-to-military communication with the Pentagon. McCarthy, R-Calif., has said he would meet with Tsai when she is in the U.S. and has not ruled out the possibility of traveling to Taiwan in a show of support. Beijing sees official American contact with Taiwan as encouragement to make the islands decades-old de facto independence permanent, a step U.S. leaders say they dont support. Pelosi, D-Calif., was the highest-ranking elected American official to visit the island since then-Speaker Newt Gingrich in 1997. Under the One China policy, the U.S. acknowledges Beijings view that it has sovereignty over Taiwan, but considers Taiwans status as unsettled. Taipei is an important partner for Washington in the Indo-Pacific. U.S. officials are increasingly worried about China attempting to make good on its long-stated goal of bringing Taiwan under its control by force if necessary. The sides split amid civil war in 1949 and Beijing sees U.S. politicians conspiring with Tsais pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party to make the separation permanent and stymy Chinas rise as a global power. The 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, which has governed U.S. relations with the island, does not require Washington to step in militarily if China invades but makes it American policy to ensure Taiwan has the resources to defend itself and to prevent any unilateral change of status by Beijing. Tensions spiked earlier this year when President Joe Biden ordered a Chinese spy balloon shot down after it traversed the continental United States. The Biden administration has also said U.S. intelligence findings show that China is weighing sending arms to Russia for its ongoing war in Ukraine, but has no evidence Beijing has done so yet. China, however, has provided Russia with an economic lifeline and political support, and President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met in Moscow earlier this month. That was the first face-to-face meeting between the allies since before Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine more than a year ago. The Biden administration postponed a planned visit to Beijing by Secretary of State Antony Blinken following the balloon controversy but has signaled it would like to get such a visit back on track. MDT/AP To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Basic Law of the Macau Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China, the Macau SAR Government will hold a commemorative conference at the Complex of Commerce and Trade Co-operation Platform for China and Portuguese-speaking Countries today at 10 a.m. Li Hongzhong, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and vice chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress, is invited to attend the Commemorative Conference. The Macau SAR Government will carry out, together with civil associations, a series of activities including seminars, photographic exhibitions, activities related to law popularization for families, and a speech contest. These are awareness-raising and law popularization activities through multimedia, which last for more than nine months, that aim to deepen public knowledge of the Basic Law, including the principle of One country, two systems, and increasing the sense of national identity. The Macao Basic Law Promotion Organization (ADLBM), the Legal Affairs Bureau (DSAJ), the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM), and the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau held a press conference today where they announced the ten commemorative activities that will be gradually launched from this month on. Today at 2:30 p.m., the ADLBM and the DSAJ will jointly host a seminar about the 30th anniversary of the promulgation of the Basic Law of the Special Administrative Region of Macau of the Peoples Republic of China, with speeches from several experienced legal scholars from Mainland China and Macau. A commemorative exhibition about the 30th anniversary of the enactment of the Basic Law of the Macao Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China will take place from April 2 for two consecutive months at the Macau Science Center. There will be more than 350 photographs of significant changes that took place in Macau in the last 180 years, presented to visitors through interactive multimedia, including historical photographs of important moments such as the Sino-Portuguese Negotiations, the signing of the Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration, and the enactment and implementation of the Macao Basic Law, as well as a range of old photographs about Macau. The exhibition also includes itinerant community exhibitions to be held in eight locations in Macau. On Sundays, staff of the Macau Lawyers Association will provide legal consultation services to residents who attend the exhibitions. Other activities include: Me and the Basic Lawlaw popularization and recreational day for families; an speech contest themed I and the Constitution and the Basic Law; training courses on the Basic Law; Growing Up with the Law series activities for teenagers and their families; a contest on programs for promoting the Constitution and the Basic Law in schools; as well as a promotion day for the Commemorative Gallery of the Macao Basic Law. Todays press conference was attended by the following representatives: vice president of and secretary general of the ADLBM, Ho Sio Kam; deputy director of the DSAJ, Lou Soi Cheong; member of the Administration Committee, the IAM, Lam Sio Un; and deputy director of the DSEDJ, Wong Ka Ki. Pakistan announced it will not participate in this weeks U.S.-led Summit for Democracy, a move seen in part as an effort by the impoverished Islamic nation to assuage long-time ally China, which was not invited. The Biden administration has invited 120 global leaders to the summit being held in Washington today and tomorrow [Macau time]. It will be co-hosted by the governments of Costa Rica, the Netherlands, South Korea and Zambia. Pakistans Foreign Ministry in a statement thanked the United States and its co-hosts for the invitation. Pakistan was also not part of the first and only other summit held in December 2021. Pakistan is the fifth largest country in the world with a population of over 220 million. It has a functional democracy, although critics say Pakistan ranks among the worst democracies in the world. Pakistan would engage bilaterally with the United States and co-hosts of the Summit to promote and strengthen democratic principles and values and work towards advancing human rights and the fight against corruption, the statement said. Pakistan did not attend the 2021 summit amid growing tension between the government of then-Prime Minister Imran Khan and the U.S. administration of President Joe Biden. Relations between Washington and Khan were further strained when Khan visited Moscow in February 2022 during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Two months later Khan, who served as prime minister for over 3 1/2 years, was ousted in a no-confidence vote in Parliament by an alliance of major political parties. Since then, Khan has alleged that the vote that removed him was a U.S.-organized plot, a charge that Washington and Khans successor Shahbaz Sharif have denied. In the statement, the foreign ministry under Sharif said Pakistan values its friendship with the United States. Under this Biden Administration, this relationship has widened and expanded substantially. We remain committed to further solidifying this relationship for peace, stability, and prosperity in the region, it said. The summit is taking place days after a leading international rights group in its annual report expressed concern over continued violations of human rights in Pakistan. These include enforced disappearances, curtailments on peaceful assembly, and tightening of controls on freedom of speech. Amnesty International said blasphemy allegations continued to spark violence against both religious minorities and Muslims in 2022. Fawad Chaudhry, a senior leader from Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, at a news conference in Islamabad released a report describing how the current government under Sharif is continuing a crackdown on Khan supporters that began with his ouster in April. He said hundreds of Khan supporters have been detained in recent weeks. Pakistani analyst Imtiaz Gull, executive director at the Islamabad-based Center for Research and Security Studies, said there were multiple factors behind Pakistans decision to skip the summit. One of them is Pakistans desire to assuage concerns from China, which was not invited. While relations between the U.S. and China have been strained, China has been helping Pakistans efforts to overcome its deepening economic crisis, China has invested billions of dollars in Pakistan, much of it in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is a sprawling package that includes everything from road construction and power plants to agriculture. It has an estimated cost of up to $75 billion. The largest component of the CPEC project is a 3,200-kilometer (2,000-mile) road linking China to Pakistans deep-water port of Gwadar in the southwest. Pakistan hopes the project will bring prosperity to this South Asian nation. China has also deposited much-needed millions into Pakistans central bank to boost its fast-declining foreign exchange reserves to save Pakistan from a default amid the countrys worst-ever economic crisis. Talks with the International Monetary Fund for a bailout have been on hold since last year. That has annoyed Pakistan, which has been trying to get help from Washington to influence the IMF into releasing the loan to Pakistan. On Tuesday, Pakistans premier told the parliament that the IMF wants external financing commitments made by several friendly countries to be fulfilled to get the kay $1.1 billion tranche from the $6 billion bailout. Sharif said he hoped that the commitments made by Pakistans friends will be fulfilled. Gull also noted the growing instability in Pakistan amid a widening crackdown on Khan and his political party as a factor for Pakistan to bow out of the summit. It does not happen in democracies what is happening in Pakistan, where the countrys former premier Khan has been implicated in more than 127 cases, and hundreds of his party workers have been arrested on a range of charges, including terrorism, he said. What would you present there if you go to participate in the summit about democracy and democratic values? he said. MUNIR AHMED, ISLAMABAD, MDT/AP FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried was charged with directing $40 million in bribes to one or more Chinese officials to unfreeze assets relating to his cryptocurrency business in a newly rewritten indictment unsealed yesterday [Macau time]. The charge of conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act raises to 13 the number of charges Bankman-Fried faces after he was arrested in the Bahamas in December and brought to the United States soon afterward. The indictment was returned on Monday. The charge also contains language revealing that a fifth arrest was imminent in what U.S. Attorney Damian Williams has repeatedly described as a continuing investigation. That unidentified individual, according to the indictment, participated in the bribery conspiracy with Bankman-Fried and will be arrested in the Southern District of New York. FTX filed for bankruptcy on Nov. 11, when it ran out of money after the equivalent of a bank run on the global cryptocurrency exchange. He has remained free on a $250 million personal recognizance bond that lets him stay with his parents in Palo Alto, California. He has pleaded not guilty to charges that he cheated investors out of billions of dollars before his business collapsed. A spokesperson for Bankman-Frieds lawyers told The Associated Press that they had no comment. MDT/AP Before yesterdays plenary session of the Legislative Assembly, several lawmakers addressed concerns over the integration of local residents in Hengqin. One of the most active in expressing concerns was lawmaker Leong Hong Sai who noted several issues in the integration of residents in the new area. For Macau residents [considering] whether [or not to live] in Hengqin, set up their own business or look for a job, the most important factor is that the Cooperation Zone is a region in mainland China, and most Macau residents are not used to living in Hengqin under the laws of the mainland. Therefore, I propose that priority should be given to the implementation of policies related to the life of the population defined in the Norms, such as health, education, and capacity to make electronic payments, among other things, to allow residents to feel that, after the implementation of the policies, the Macau elements are on their side, attracting residents to live with their families in Hengqin and participate in the construction of the Cooperation Zone, Leong said, adding that there are many aspects that need to be taken care of by the government to attract local residents to move to or work in the Cooperation Zone. Among those are concerns about general health care particularly for the elderly and people taking medication long-term. Education and cross-border electronic payments are other two concerns expressed by the same lawmaker. On the same topic, Ho Ion Sang and Wong Kit Cheng also offered their views, namely on the differences in juridical systems, circulation of people and goods, as well as information. Lawmaker Ho also had concerns about the level of training and recruitment of qualified labor saying that Macau and Hengqin should improve efforts to attract investment and attract large-scale high technology companies to the Cooperation Zone, creating a virtuous circle for increased employment, demographic concentration, and industrial development, adding that, for this purpose, it is necessary to jointly define the strategy and planning of human resources for the Cooperation Zone, continuously review the needs of human resources for the development of the four industries and import an adequate number of qualified staff from abroad, so that, through actions training, [we can] help workers to raise their technical level, to overcome the difficulties of the lack of human resources. The three spoken inquiries came on the same day that the Chief Executive, Ho Iat Seng, published a list of 29 government officials and other civil servants who will take up positions from April 1, 2023 for a period of two years in the Executive Committee of the Cooperation Zone. * Tours not welcome! Lawmakers backing populations objections to group tours * Travel | AirAsia hopes govt incentive attract Thai tourists * Cooperation | Ho meets with Portuguese ambassador to China * Basic Law 30 years: Commemorative activities to include a nine-month multimedia campaign to promote basic legal knowledge among population * Lawmaker Che Sai Wang calls again for another MOP8,000 subsidy * FTX founder charged with paying $40M bribe to Chinese officials * The Conversation DOWNLOAD PDF Thursday, March 30, 2023 edition no. 4218 In the U.S., weve mostly moved on from our military engagements in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. Its the American way not dwelling on our mistakes or engaging in a national discussion about what went wrong. And atonement? We dont do that. But two American Vietnam vets thought differently and became our national conscience, our moral center and our agents of redemption in dealing with the fearsome toll that herbicide spraying and unexploded bombs inflicted on tens of thousands of Vietnamese. Manus Campbell, a Marine from New Jersey, and Chuck Searcy, an Army intelligence analyst from Georgia, have spent the past few decades in Vietnam leading efforts to heal the hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese still suffering from war wounds or diseases linked to herbicide exposure. Thanks to Campbell, Searcy and a small group of scientists and others, the U.S. and others are providing the resources to help find unexploded bombs and treat Vietnamese struggling with diseases likely linked to herbicide exposure. George Blacks reporting for The Long Reckoning is deep and wide he made nine trips to Vietnam and the result is a meticulously reported, extraordinary account of efforts, mostly Searcys and Campbells, to bring medical care in an area most severely affected by herbicides the U.S. military used in Vietnam in an effort to expose the maze of roads and trails the North Vietnamese used to move weapons and supplies to the south. Goodreads counts 323 books written on the Vietnam War. In these books, the stages and characters are different, but the end remains mostly the same. America clung to the belief that its overwhelming military power could bend a people to its will. It could not and in the silence when the shooting and bombing finally ended, Vietnamese confronted a nation in ruins. Millions had been killed or wounded, cities and towns were wrecked and hundreds of square miles had been defoliated by herbicide spray that polluted water supplies and likely caused severe and lingering health problems. This book, however, offers an inspiring epilog to the Vietnam tragedy. I thought we had a moral obligation to help, said Searcy. I wanted to participate in the rebuilding. So did Campbell; both men have spent most of the past few decades in Vietnam, focusing on getting assistance for the millions of Vietnamese still suffering from the wars chemical and explosive legacy. Searcy says he has been overwhelmed by the graciousness of the Vietnamese, and particularly former combatants, which has given him a revelation on America today. If the veterans can come together and make peace, why cant we all? JEFF ROWE, MDT/AP Chinese authorities are investigating the cause of a fire that broke out at an abandoned refrigerated warehouse in the northern industrial province of Hebei, killing 11 people, the local government said. The Cang County government said the blaze started Monday afternoon when the warehouse was being dismantled. Firefighters extinguished the fire at about 11 p.m. and rescuers recovered 11 people, but none showed signs of life, it said in a statement. A relative of one of the victims learned from others who managed to escape that the 11 people were among 14 workers who were demolishing the warehouse, according to Jimu News, part of the Chinese government-owned Hubei Daily Media Group. MDT/AP The Capital of Zhejiang province will hand out cash bonuses to some tourist visitor markets to fuel tourism in the city and strengthen economic recovery. Authorities in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, said in a paper this month that the city would be subsidising travel agencies up to RMB40 a day, per person, if their foreign clients stay in the city for a few days, as cited in a report issued by South China Morning Post. The bonus for recruiting overnight visitors from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan will be worth half as much to agencies, with payouts of up to RMB20 per person, depending on the number of nights stayed, according to the paper. Last week, the local tourism board highlighted Macaus potential as a destination for study tours to a symposium in Zhejiang Province. Passenger flights connecting the mainland and Macau will expand 32.85% over last years number in summer and in autumn, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). Planned weekly passenger and cargo flights between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong are set to grow 35.44% year on year, and those between the mainland and Taiwan will increase 21.52%, CAAC data showed. Staff Reporter GUN VIOLENCE Mass shooters have killed hundreds of people throughout U.S. history in realms like stores, theaters and workplaces, but it is in schools and colleges where the carnage reverberates perhaps most keenly places filled with children of tender ages, older students aspiring to new heights and the teachers planting the seeds of knowledge, their journeys all cut short. If a mass shooting is defined as resulting in the death of four or more people, not including the perpetrator, 175 people have died in 15 such events connected to U.S. schools and colleges from 1999's Columbine High School massacre to Monday's shooting in Nashville, Tennessee. That's according to a database compiled by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University, in addition to other AP reporting: The Covenant School March 2023, 6 dead A 28-year-old female shooter wielding two "assault-style" rifles and a pistol killed three students and three adults at a private Christian school in Nashville. The suspect also died after being shot by police. Robb Elementary School May 2022, 21 dead An 18-year-old gunman opened fire Tuesday at an elementary school in Uvalde,Texas, killing 19childrenand two adults, officials said. Law enforcement killed the attacker. Oxford High School November 2021, 4 dead A sophomore student is accused of killing four people and wounding others at his school in Oxford, Michigan, near Detroit. His parents are charged with involuntary manslaughter; authorities say they failed to secure a gun and ignored the mental health needs of their son before the shootings. Santa Fe High School May 2018, 10 dead A shooter opened fire at a Houston-area high school,killing 10people, most of them students, authorities said. The 17-year-old suspect has been charged with murder. Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School February 2018, 17 dead An attack left 14 students and three staff members dead at the school in Parkland, Florida, and injured many others. The shooter was sentenced to life without parole. Umpqua Community College October 2015, 9 dead A man killed nine people at the school in Roseburg, Oregon, and wounded nine others, then killed himself. Marysville-Pilchuck High School October 2014, 4 dead A 15-year-old used text messages to draw several cousins and friends to his cafeteria table at Marysville-Pilchuck High School in Washington state. He fatally shot four of them before killing himself. University of California, Santa Barbara May 2014, 6 dead A 22-year-old college student frustrated over sexual rejections fatally stabbed or shot six students near the school in Isla Vista, California, and injured several others before he killed himself. Sandy Hook Elementary School December 2012, 27 dead A 19-year-old man killed his mother at their home in Newtown, Connecticut, then went to the nearby Sandy Hook Elementary School and killed 20 first graders and six educators. He killed himself. Oikos University April 2012, 7 dead A former nursing student fatally shot seven people at the small private college in East Oakland, California. He died in prison in 2019. Northern Illinois University February 2008, 5 dead A 27-year-old former student shot and killed five people and wounded more than 20 others at the school in DeKalb, Illinois, before killing himself. Virginia Tech April 2007, 32 dead A 23-year-old student killed 32 people on the campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, in April 2007; more than two dozen others were wounded. The gunman then killed himself. West Nickel Mines Amish School October 2006, 5 dead A 32-year-old man entered an Amish schoolhouse near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, dismissed the boys, bound the girls, and fatally shot five of them before killing himself. Five others were wounded. Red Lake High School March 2005, 9 dead A 16-year-old student killed his grandfather and the man's companion at their Minnesota home, then went to nearby Red Lake High School, where he killed five students, a teacher and a security guard before shooting himself. Columbine High School April 1999, 13 dead Two students killed 12 of their peers and one teacher at the school in Littleton, Colorado, and injured many others before killing themselves. The Illinois murder suspect who fired at Kenosha County Sheriffs deputies and shot K-9 deputy Riggs in the head while attempting to flee from them in Bristol was found guilty of all criminal charges against him Thursday afternoon. Allan M. Brown, 35, was found guilty by a Kenosha County jury of seven men and five women of numerous felonies including three counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm by an out-of-state felon, firing at an animal with a dangerous weapon and causing injury, and mistreatment of a law enforcement animal with a dangerous weapon, among others. Brown, of Countryside, Ill., a Cook County suburb, remained silent as the verdicts were read aloud and he was taken away in handcuffs by sheriffs deputies from Judge Anthony Milisauskass courtroom. On his way out the door he made a crude hand gesture toward deputies. Brown is set to be sentenced May 25. He faces over 70 years in prison on the charges he was convicted of Thursday. Brown still faces two homicide charges against him in Illinois and a handful of felony charges he racked up while being held in the Racine County Jail on a $1 million bond. It took the jury less than an hour to convict Brown, already a convicted felon, on all nine counts against him in Kenosha County. On the morning of Oct. 21, 2021, Brown fired at deputies and non-fatally shot Riggs in the head as they tried to take him into custody on behalf of Chicago police. Deputies had been alerted by Chicago police earlier that morning that Brown was being sought in connection with two homicides there. Brown is still accused of, in the very early morning hours of Oct. 21, 2021, fatally shooting a 25-year-old man he had argued with at a bus stop in Chicago and then shooting and killing a 41-year-old man and stealing his vehicle before fleeing over the state border to Kenosha County. The stolen vehicle Brown was driving was tracked to Bristol via a GPS device and located at the convenience store/gas station at 2000 75th St. (Highway 50). Brown fled on foot and fired at three deputies, striking Riggs in the head, before being taken into custody. Brown was transported to a local hospital for non-life-threatening wounds he sustained when deputies returned fire. The prosecution was led by Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Smathers. Brown was represented by defense attorney Addison Kuhn, who remained mostly quiet throughout the trial and seldom raised objections or questioned the states witnesses. Kuhn did not call any witnesses for the defense and Brown declined to testify on his own behalf. The prosecution called numerous witnesses throughout the four-day trial ncluding Kenosha County deputies, Racine County deputies, Chicago detectives, a state crime analyst and a veterinarian, among others. Jurors were also shown body camera footage and squad car footage showing the moments before, during and after Brown fired at deputies and Riggs. On Tuesday, the jury heard emotional testimony from Riggss handler Deputy Terry Tifft. Riggs also made a brief appearance in court so prosecutors could show the jury where the bullet entered and exited his head. Many in court teared up when he was brought in by Tifft. In December 2021, Riggs was honored with both a Purple Heart and a Silver Star, which are the fourth- and second-highest awards, respectively, presented by the Sheriffs Department. Riggs, who is nearly 10, has since returned to active duty with his partner and handler. Closing statements Smathers said there is absolutely no doubt that the defendant intentionally struck K-9 Riggs with a bullet knowing full well that K-9 Riggs was a working law enforcement animal and that he caused him injury. Smathers also said but for the grace of God K-9 Riggs is still alive today, but he did sustain injuries. She said the states case doesnt leave inconsistencies in digital evidence, and thats why I had you watch the body camera over, and over, and over again. McKinna Quinter, one of Allan Browns attorneys, offered the defenses brief closing statement. Im not here to tell you that you have to approve of Mr. Browns actions, thats not why youre here, Quinter said. Your job is to hold the state to their burden beyond a reasonable doubt. LEGISLATURE LAWSUITS Lawsuits involving the Wisconsin Legislature would be handled by a randomly selected county court under a GOP-authored bill that aims to limit the number of such cases handled by Dane County judges, whom some Republicans have accused of unfair treatment. Under the bill, AB 128, the clerk of the Wisconsin Supreme Court would randomly select one of the state's 69 circuit courts to oversee cases involving the Legislature, which has had strong GOP majorities for more than a decade. Proponents of the measure say the goal is to counter what they call unfair treatment from judges on Dane County's Circuit Court, whom they claim are biased against Republicans. "Unfortunately, the presence of partisan power has become overwhelmingly obvious in cases where the Wisconsin State Legislature is a party to the case," according to a memo seeking co-sponsors for the bill. "Although our legislature represents the broad array of values and viewpoints of all Wisconsinites, court decisions involving the legislature most often represent just one viewpoint, that of the Dane County Circuit Court." Since 2011, state law specifies that, barring some exceptions, "all actions in which the sole defendant is the state, any state board or commission, or any state officer, employee, or agent in an official capacity shall be venued in the county designated by the plaintiff unless another venue is specifically authorized by law." Before 2011, the statute specified that Dane County was the venue for legal actions against the state, according to information provided by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau. Oftentimes lawsuits involving the Legislature, executive office or state agencies start in Dane County due in large part to the court's proximity to the Capitol and department offices. As for lawsuits involving state lawmakers, a 2007 law contained a controversial provision that allows elected officials to be tried in the county where they live rather than the county where the law is believed to have been broken, which critics said gave lawmakers special rights not afforded to ordinary citizens. Bill co-author Rep. David Steffen, R-Green Bay, said the proposal is not in response to any specific court rulings, but rather aligns with his goal of diversifying government beyond Madison, which houses the Legislature, executive branch and state Supreme Court. "By keeping government within a single 80-square-mile area that is generally and almost exclusively, controlled by one thought is probably not good for the state as a whole," Steffen told the Wisconsin State Journal. "If our law is to be impartial and equally applied, I think there should be equal opportunity around the state for the judges who are equally paid, equally certified, equally capable, to rule on these cases, not just those handful that happen to be domiciled in Madison." 'Zero evidence' Attorney Rick Niess, who served as a Dane County Circuit Court judge from 2004 to 2020, including 13 years as the presiding judge of the civil division, objects to the notion that judges in any county regularly rule based on their partisan political beliefs. "Everybody tries to get it right. Judges don't like to get reversed," Niess said. "They're there because they want to be judges. They believe in the oath, they believe in the system, they believe that they need to be independent." There are 17 judges in the Dane County Circuit Court, some of whom were appointed by former Republican Gov. Scott Walker to fill vacancies on the court. Ultimately circuit court judges are elected to six-year terms. Litigants in cases also have the right to request a substitution if they want a different judge to preside over their case, Niess added. Rulings can also be appealed if a party disagrees with a circuit court's decision. "There is zero evidence that the rationale advanced in support of the bill is based on fact," Niess said. "The proposed legislation is instead just a cynical ploy to manipulate the court system for imagined political gain by sowing unwarranted distrust in the circuit courts, particularly those in Dane County." Niess also said assigning cases involving the Legislature all over the state would increase travel costs for lawmakers needing to attend hearings or depositions. Under the bill, any party to a case involving the Legislature as a plaintiff, defendant or intervenor would have the venue randomly selected out of the state's 69 circuit courts. The clerk of the Wisconsin Supreme Court would be responsible for randomly selecting the venue and notifying any involved clerks of courts of the placement. Steffen said the bill would be amended to make it optional for the Legislature to seek a change of venue, rather than mandatory. Once assigned, the venue cannot be changed, and neither the court nor a party in the case may move for a change of venue, under the bill. "If you, by random, are assigned an important statewide case, because it involves the state Legislature, there would be an expectation that you would apply all your skills and experience to handle that case," Steffen said. Long-standing complaint GOP scrutiny over rulings handed down by Dane County Circuit Court judges is nothing particularly new in the state. Most recently, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, criticized rulings in several open records lawsuits filed against the Assembly regarding the Republican review of the 2020 election led by former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman. Earlier this month, Vos said he was not surprised by a ruling by Dane County Circuit Court Judge Diane Schipper, whom Vos called "a liberal Dane County judge," ordering Vos to pay more than $135,000 in legal fees in one open records case. Last spring, Vos pushed back on Dane County Circuit Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn's order holding Vos in contempt of court for failing to provide requested documents related to Gableman's probe, saying at the time, "It's a liberal judge in Dane County trying to make us look bad." "It's apparent there's a problem with Dane County judges continuously siding with liberal activist groups, so the speaker is open to the discussion and looks forward to this proposal going through the legislative process," Vos' spokesperson, Angela Joyce, said Thursday. Judicial decisions For their part, Dane County judges have hardly offered rubber stamp approval for liberal-backed matters. When Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul filed a lawsuit asking the courts to force Fred Prehn to step down from the Natural Resources Board after he refused to do so, Dane County's Bailey-Rihn dismissed the case but faulted lawmakers for refusing to hold a confirmation hearing. In 2020, Dane County Circuit Judge Mario White dismissed a lawsuit seeking to protect the city of Madison's "Democracy in the Park" event, in which more than 10,000absentee ballots were collected by city election officials at various locations. The event was heavily criticized by Republicans, who have tried to pass legislation restricting such events to locations as close as possible to a local clerk's office, but the measure was ultimately vetoed by Gov. Tony Evers. Dane County Circuit Judge Rhonda Lanford last month rejected an effort by Wisconsin criminal justice advocacy groups seeking to block two GOP-authored measures from appearing on the spring election ballot. The offices of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, did not respond to a request for comment on the proposed legislation. Cliff Simmons is opening Willy Street Eats in the former Lao Laan-Xang on Williamson Street and describes it as a comfort food restaurant. Simmons, 52, passed his city-county health inspection Tuesday and plans to open Thursday for dinner. He wants to add lunch soon and by his grand opening the second week of April, he plans to add breakfast and a fuller menu. "I'm doing a soft opening for the weekend, just to test the waters, get the kinks worked out," Simmons said. Because of Saint Patrick's Day, he plans to serve corned beef and cabbage this weekend. He'll also have chicken, fish, ribs and pork chops. With each protein, customers will get a choice of three of eight sides including macaroni and cheese, red beans and rice, collard greens, black eye peas and candied yams. "It's Saint Patrick's Day weekend, so it's going to be busy down here," Simmons said. "People want to be out drinking, partying and celebrating, so I figured it was a great time to go ahead and open up. People are going to get hungry." Simmons, who grew up in the Ida B. Wells public housing project on Chicago's South Side, said he's been cooking since childhood, learning from his grandmother and two uncles who were chefs. Simmons said he plans to be open seven days a week, and has people to help him. He also got help painting and making minor repairs to the building at 1146 Williamson St. He has new furniture and equipment, with a cappuccino machine on the way. He said the ceiling of the building needed work, so he brought in a professional contractor for that job. "We wanted to preserve it and not mess it up in any kind of way." City property records show the building was built in 1889. Simmons owned a food truck called Emery and Eloise's Comfort Food named after his grandfather and grandmother. He plans to change its name to Willy Street Eats and use it in conjunction with the restaurant for catering and weekend events. He said he saved money for the restaurant recently by working full time for almost four months at the Ugly Apple Cafe in the Dane County Courthouse, where his days began at 4:30 a.m. Simmons spent a year and a half with the 10-year-old training program Just Bakery run by the Madison nonprofit JustDane, which helps people with significant barriers to employment prepare for jobs in the food service industry. He said he graduated at the top of his class and then worked for the group, which supports people who've been incarcerated. Simmons said it was hard to avoid gang life growing up in public housing. He had a son in 1993 and moved to Madison the following year to escape his old lifestyle. But he got caught up using and selling drugs and served prison time . Simmons is open about his past. It's the truth. I mean, I'm not running from it. That's what made me who I am today. He said he's still waiting for the sign for his Williamson Street restaurant to get approved. "They're really careful with the things they do because this is a historical area," he said. Simmons said the building's owners, Christine Inthachith, who owned Lao Laan-Xang, and her husband, Larry Fenske, have been extremely helpful as he's planned the business. "They've been there for me 100 percent. I definitely could not have done it without their generosity and their believing in it." Fenske said he liked Simmons' business plan, menu, and the fact that he wanted to give back to the community. He also liked that Willy Street Eats would be a neighborhood place open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. "We want to make him succeed and do whatever we can to help him," said Fenske, who works as a product designer. Fenske said he appreciates Simmons' interesting culinary skill set and is excited to try Simmons' smoked corned beef for Saint Patrick's Day. "How many chefs have as much experience with baked goods as grilling?" He and his wife helped guide Simmons through the often-complicated process of opening a restaurant "so things would fall into place and he wasn't surprised by anything," Fenske said. Inthachith closed the Williamson Street Lao Laan-Xang in March 2022 after 25 years because of staffing challenges, but her family still operates a Lao Laan-Xang on Atwood Avenue. 36 Madison-area restaurant, bar, bakery, coffee shop openings in 2022 Taqueria Los Atlantes Golden Nest Pancakes & Cafe Hot Lunch Zippy Lube Coffee, Donuts, and Fried Chicken Tacos El Capi Good Co. at Pioneer Pointe The Bubbling Teapot Sabores Fusion Grill Nori Sushi & Grill North Shore Pizza and Subs Sookie's Veggie Burgers Turn Key La Pollera Colombiana Restaurant Eno Vino Waunakee BigSur Cantina Amara SASS Sauce + Shells The Borough Beer Company & Kitchen Taza Swagat Sun Prairie Little John's Lunchbox AzTec Taqueria Mishqui Peruvian Cuisine Dirty Dog Taphouse Ollie's Forward Craft & Coffee Jacknife The Ready Set FreshFin Poke Hilldale Mom's Bar Prost! Tucuma Northstreet La Taguara Far Breton Bakery Dagu Rice Noodle GULFOFMEXICO NEWORLEANS Oil companies offered a combined $264 million Wednesday for drilling rights in federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico in a sale mandated by last year's climate bill compromise. The auction was the first in the Gulf in more than a year and drew strong interest from industry giants including Chevron, BP and ExxonMobil. It could further test the loyalty of environmentalists and young voters who backed President Joe Biden in 2020andwere frustrated by this month's approval of the huge Willow drilling project in northern Alaska. Developing the Gulf leases could produce more than 1 billion barrels of oil and more than 4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas over 50 years, according to a government analysis. Burning that oil will increase planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions by tens of millions of tons, the analysis found. Winning bids were up 38% from the last auction and marked the most received in a sale since Gulf-wide bidding resumed in 2017. Chevron USA was the top bidder, offering $108 million for 75 tracts. BP Exploration and Production had $47 million in high bids and Shell Offshore had $20 million in high bids. The next Gulf lease sale is scheduled for September. It's unknown how many more the administration could conduct. The Department of Interior sale comes two days before a deadline set in last year's climate bill that Biden signed into law. The measure prohibited leasing public lands for renewable power unless tens of millions of acres are first offered for fossil fuels. That was a concession to get support from West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin, a fossil fuels industry supporter. The climate law also raised the royalty rate companies must pay on oil they produce. The Biden administration set the rate for Wednesday's sale at the maximum allowed 18.75%, versus 12.5% historically but that did not appear to stifle interest. The parcels offered at the auction covered 114,000squaremiles, an area larger than Arizona. Like past auctions of similar magnitude, only a fraction of the available acreage about 2,600 square miles got bids. Bids from companies were opened Wednesday in New Orleans, in a state that is economically dependent on the oil and gas industry and especially vulnerable to climate change. Since it takes years to develop offshore parcels before crude is pumped, the leases could produce oil and gas long past 2030, when scientists say the world needs to have drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions to stave off catastrophic climate change. WASHINGTON Republican lawmakers accused top bank regulators Wednesday of dawdling as Silicon Valley Bank hurtled toward the second-largest bank failure in U.S. history. Regulators closed the bank March 10, shaking the U.S. financial system and triggering fears of a broader banking crisis. But Federal Reserve supervisors had first raised questions about Silicon Valley's risky practices far earlier in 2021 and had warned the bank's management about the min the fall of that year. "That doesn't sound like a very urgent supervisory process," Rep. French Hill, an Arkansas Republican, said at Wednesday's hearing of the House Financial Services Committee on the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and of New York-based Signature Bank on March 12. Signature Bank's collapse was the third-biggest in the nation's history. A Madison man was sentenced Wednesday to 5 years in federal prison for dealing methamphetamine, authorities reported. Mario Johnson, 38, also was sentenced by Judge William Conley to four years of supervised release after his prison term ends for distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, a charge he pleaded guilty to on Sept. 14, 2022, U.S. Attorney Timothy OShea said in a statement. From May 2021 to August 2021, law enforcement agents conducted four controlled buys of meth from Johnson totaling more than a pound in total, OShea said. Conley at sentencing said that Johnson had become involved in serious drug dealing for financial reasons and noted Johnsons prior criminal history, which included domestic abuse offenses, OShea said. The charge against Johnson was the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Dane County Narcotics Task Force, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Sun Prairie Police Department. The investigation was conducted and funded by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, a multi-agency task force that coordinates long-term narcotics trafficking investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron Wegner and Anita Marie Boor prosecuted Johnson. A fire at a Southwest Side apartment building Wednesday afternoon displaced three residents and caused the deaths of two dogs, the Madison Fire Department said. The fire was reported at 1:15 p.m. at 2341 Carling Drive and firefighters arrived to see smoke coming from a window. When they entered the unit where the smoke was seen, they encountered heavy smoke inside. The fire was found and extinguished within 10 minutes. None of the residents were home at the time. Firefighters found the two dogs dead inside. Firefighters and fire investigators determined that the fire started in a back bedroom, and is believed to be unintentional, Madison Fire Department spokesperson Cynthia Schuster said in a statement Thursday morning. Although the exact cause is undetermined, smoking materials, incense, and candles were recovered in the area where the fire started. Damage was estimated around $30,000. The American Red Cross responded to assist the three occupants who were displaced by the fire. Residents from neighboring units were not displaced. A man was arrested early Thursday after striking three squad cars during a police pursuit from Janesville down into Illinois and back into Wisconsin and Beloit, the Rock County Sheriffs Office said. At about 12:25 a.m., a Janesville officer attempted to stop a vehicle for a traffic violation in the area of Midvale Drive and Wright Road in Janesville, but the driver didnt stop, Capt. Matt Jacobson said in a statement. A Beloit police supervisor noted that the vehicle description matched one stolen recently in Beloit, that the driver possibly was Cory Bendorf Sasseen, and there was probable cause to arrest him for theft, reckless endangering safety, false imprisonment, operating a motor vehicle without owners consent and two counts of fleeing, Jacobson said. The vehicle fled from the Walworth County Sheriff's Office into Illinois and at about 1:15 a.m., it re-entered Wisconsin and stop sticks were successfully used by Beloit police, who then started pursuing the vehicle around Beloit, Jacobson said. Rock County deputies joined the pursuit, and the vehicle eventually left Beloit heading north on Highway D. Deputies used a moving roadblock to slow and then stop the vehicle, which struck three Rock County squad cars during that process, Jacobson said. After stopping on Highway D near Rockport Park Drive, the driver, who was Bendorf Sasseen, was arrested. Deputies noticed the passenger in the vehicle was having a medical event and immediately began rendering aid and contacted EMS. No injuries occurred during the incident, Jacobson said. Bendorf Sasseen was tentatively charged with fleeing, reckless driving, operating after revocation, first-degree reckless endangering safety, two counts of second-degree reckless endangering safety and second-offense OWI. More charges are possible, Jacobson said. Photos: Madison's most dangerous intersections, as seen from space No. 10: Packers Avenue and International Lane No. 9: Zeier Road and East Washington Avenue No. 8: South Park Street and West Badger Road No. 7: Thierer Road and East Washington Avenue No. 6: North First Street and East Washington Avenue No. 5: Buckeye Road and South Stoughton Road No. 4: South Baldwin Street and East Washington Avenue No. 3: North Stoughton Road and East Washington Avenue No. 2: Watts Road and South Gammon Road No. 1: Pleasant View Road and Mineral Point Notice sent via email, title corrected A story about a UW-Madison student's death on Page 3 of Wednesday's front section misstated how the campus community was informed of the student's death and gave the wrong title for Lori Reesor. Students and staff were informed of the incident and available mental health resources through email. Reesor is the vice chancellor of student affairs. A judge has blocked a Wyoming abortion ban based on an ironic instance of unintended consequences: A decade ago, conservative voters in that state, eager to limit the reach of the newly enacted Affordable Care Act, approved a constitutional amendment to ensure that each competent adult shall have the right to make his or her own health care decisions. That line, a judge has concluded, precludes the state from taking that right away from competent adults who happen to be pregnant. Similar challenges are playing out in other red states, where conservatives who were quite concerned about preventing government involvement in health care issues generally under Obamacare have no problem today with the government forcing women to carry unwanted pregnancies to term. This isnt just irony, its hypocrisy. The various Obamacare-era laws protecting health care decisions in states around America are each a little different, but its safe to say not one of them specifically exempted women from those protections. Yet thats exactly what these new anti-choice laws attempt to do. After the U.S. Supreme Court last year struck down Roe v. Wade, states controlled by Republicans rushed to pass abortion bans of varying (but generally draconian) severity. Missouri was the first, enacting a previously passed law literally minutes after the ruling thats as severe as any in the country. It bans the procedure from the moment of conception, even in cases of rape or incest, with medical emergencies being the sole exception. The Wyoming Legislature attempted to enact a similarly strict ban after the Supreme Courts action, but a judge suspended it, ruling that it violated the states own constitutional provision based on the earlier amendment won by conservatives protecting the right of citizens to make their own health care decisions. Lawmakers responded by rewriting the new law to specify that abortion isnt health care. The problem with that argument is that its an ideological one rather than a medical one. Anti-choice activists can chant that abortion isnt health care all they want, but in its legalized form, it has already been treated as such. As District Judge Melissa Owens noted in suspending the latest version of the law, even jurisdictions where abortion is legal require the involvement of doctors. An abortion can only be performed by a licensed medical professional, so what authority does the legislature have to declare that abortion is not health care when our laws only allow a licensed medical professional to administer one? she asked. The response of a state lawyer defending the law I would concede that if you focus just on the pregnant woman, it becomes a little bit easier to say, well, this has to be health care serves to emphasize the fact that fully realized women are an afterthought, if that, to those who prioritize zygotes with these laws. In the fall of 1989, I was doing research into the ways people justify doing harm to others. Sitting in the lower levels of the Johns Hopkins library, methodically working my way through a pile of readings about cruelty, I opened a book by Philip Hallie. There I found a description of a moment that changed his life: I came across a short article about a little village in the mountains of southern France About halfway down the third page of the account of this village, I was annoyed by a strange sensation on my cheeks I reached up to my cheek to wipe away a bit of dust, and I felt tears upon my fingertips. He explained that years of research into cruelty, studying the experiments Nazi doctors had conducted on children in the death camps, had drained away his humanity. Yet, when he encountered the story of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon and the villagers who risked their lives to save thousands of Jewish children during World War II, his body responded to the goodness that his mind had kept walled off. He eventually went on to write the first in-depth account of those heroic events in a book titled, Lest Innocent Blood be Shed. Hallies story caused me to rethink my own research. Maybe I was trying to answer the wrong question. Maybe I should ask instead how people become committed to doing good. Reframing the focus of my research, I began to notice the many ways we attempt to prevent and punish bad behavior instead of nurturing goodness. The average child hears the word no about 400 times each day. Businesses, professional associations and government bodies compose ethics codes consisting entirely of prohibitions. Republican legislators trip over themselves to prohibit teachers from teaching things they regard as harmful. Students at our nations top law schools are more interested in silencing speakers than listening to them. The heroes of our most popular movies, such as John Wick, specialize in killing those who kill. This preoccupation with reacting to the wrongdoers also affects how we view history. Louis Pasteur saved billions of lives, yet students learn much more about Adolf Hitler. For 16 years Ive been involved in Holocaust education, working with colleagues to bring scholars and survivors onto campus to lead a workshop for teachers of history and literature. Many assume that spending time with survivors and hearing their stories must be unbearably depressing, but I have found that what I remember most vividly are the life-sustaining kindnesses both given and received. I remember Nesse Godin, when asked how she managed to be so happy, replied that she could be cheerful during the daytime surrounded by friends, but the nightmares returned when she was alone in the dark. Of course, the darkness was still there, but when she told a roomful of children about the time an old woman in the camp shared with her a precious piece of bread, one could see the light of goodness shining through it. I remember Gerda Weissman Klein telling about the day she was liberated. Two American soldiers pulled up to an abandoned factory where 150 young women, the few survivors of a months-long death march, had been deposited. Gerda saw the soldiers and uttered a word of caution: We are Jewish, you know. The soldier was silent for a long time, then he replied, So am I. He held the door open for her. That was the moment of restoration of humanity, of humaneness, of dignity, of freedom, she said. I remember Magda Herzberger, at 90 years old, dancing about the stage for nearly three hours, reading love poems she had written to an adoring audience. And I remember Peter Feigl, just a few days ago, smiling broadly as he talked about the day he was dropped off alone on a roadside in southern France at the age of 12, and how Daniel Trocme, who ran a boarding school for orphans in Le Chambon, met him and walked with him to the village. He told us about the old woman who, when asked why she and her neighbors risked their lives to help children like Peter, smiled and tapped the Bible in the crook of her arm: I guess we all got caught up in a conspiracy of goodness. We tend to assume that if we root out bad behavior most of our social problems will be solved. But that is a naive assumption. When our attention is focused only on responding to evil, we forget that the chief task of those who would make a better world is not to tear down but to build up. What does it take to create more communities like Le Chambon, where parents and grandparents regard all children as our children? Where kindness and generosity are not regarded as exceptional but just what everybody does every day? Where people feel no need to speak truth to power but speak simply, humbly and honestly to everybody they meet as a matter of course? The day after the workshop I had lunch with Stephen Feinberg, one of the nations top experts in Holocaust education. He had spent the past couple of days lecturing on topics including Nazi racial ideology, propaganda and U.S. relations with Nazi Germany. But we werent discussing those topics during lunch; we were talking about our lives, about what is most important to us. You know, he said, I think what I care most about is friendship. That is how it should be. If we want to be prepared to confront evil when it arises, we cannot wait until it arises to respond to it. The hidden lesson of the Holocaust is that the heroes who rise up in resistance to evil have themselves been raised by communities of people committed to goodness. That is something we need to work at every day. BERLIN (AP) King Charles III arrived in Berlin on Wednesday for his first foreign trip as Britains monarch, hoping to improve the U.K.'s relations with the European Union and show he can win hearts and minds abroad, just as his mother did for seven decades. Charles and Camilla, the queen consort, landed at Berlin's government airport in the early afternoon. The king, dressed in a black coat, and his wife, in a light blue coat and a feather-trimmed teal hat worn at a jaunty angle, paused at the top of their plane's stairs to receive a 21-gun salute as two military jets performed a flyover. The royal couple said in a joint statement, released on their official Twitter account, that it was a great joy to be able to develop the longstanding friendship between our two nations. An hour later, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife, Elke Buedenbender, welcomed them with military honors at the German capital's historic Brandenburg Gate. Soldiers hoisted the British and German flags as the national anthems were played. Steinmeier and Charles then strolled past the cheering, flag-waving crowd, shaking hands and chatting briefly with people. Some took close-up pictures on their phones as Charles and Camilla approached, while others gave them flower bouquets. One woman handed Charles a gift bag. Journalists and security personnel trailed the royal couple and their German hosts as they made their way back to their motorcade. Charles, 74, who ascended the throne after the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September, is set to be crowned on May 6. As Britains head of state, the king meets weekly with the prime minister and retains his mothers role as leader of the Commonwealth. He had initially planned to visit France before heading to Germany, but the first leg of his trip was canceled due to massive protests over the French government's efforts to raise the country's retirement age by two years. Billed as a multi-day tour of the EUs two biggest countries, the trip was designed to underscore British Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks efforts to rebuild relations with the bloc after six years of arguments over Brexit and highlight the countries shared history as they work together to combat Russian aggression in Ukraine. Now everything rests on Germany, where the king faces the first big test of whether he can be an effective conduit for the soft power the House of Windsor has traditionally wielded, helping Britain pursue its geopolitical goals through the glitz and glamour of a 1,000-year-old monarchy. Highlighting the diplomatic importance of the trip, Charles was accompanied by Britains Foreign Secretary, James Cleverley. Charles, a former naval officer who is the first British monarch to earn a university degree, is expected to insert heft where his glamorous mother once wielded star power. During an afternoon reception and again at a white tie evening banquet at Palace Bellevue, the German presidents official residence, Steinmeier remarked on the significance of Charles's first visit taking him to Berlin, calling it a wonderful personal gesture and at the same time an important sign for German-British relations. Steinmeier noted that Britain began the tortuous process of leaving the EU on March 29, 2017. For me personally, this was a sad day, he said. Today, exactly six years later, we open a new chapter. Steinmeier paid tribute to Charles' mother Elizabeth, stressing how much she had done to foster German-British ties. Your family stands for continuity, for stability, particularly in times of change," he said, noting that Charles, too, had visited Germany more than 40 times as a prince. It was a subject picked up by Charles, who said the countries' friendship was of great importance to his mother, who enjoyed immense popularity in Germany. The relationship between Germany and the United Kingdom matters greatly to me too," he said. I am more convinced than ever of its enduring value to us all. It means so much to us that my wife and I could come to Germany for this very first overseas tour of my reign, said Charles. "I can only assure you that throughout the time that is granted to me as King, I will do all I can to strengthen the connections between us. Switching from English to near-flawless German, Charles insisted: Our ties will become even stronger, I'm convinced of that, if we work together for a sustainable future in prosperity and security. The banquet was attended by guests including former Chancellor Angela Merkel and scientist Ozlem Tureci, who co-founded the German company BioNTech that developed the first widely approved coronavirus vaccine. On Thursday, the king is scheduled to give a speech to the Bundestag, Germanys parliament. He will also meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz, talk to Ukrainian refugees, and meet with British and Germany military personnel who are working together on joint projects. In the afternoon he will visit an organic farm outside of Berlin. The royal couple plan to go to Hamburg on Friday, where they will visit the Kindertransport memorial for Jewish children who fled from Germany to Britain during the Third Reich, and attend a green energy event before returning to the U.K. The king was urged to make the trip by Sunak, who during his first six months in office negotiated a settlement to the long-running dispute over post-Brexit trading rules for Northern Ireland and reached a deal with France to combat the people smugglers ferrying migrants across the English Channel in small boats. Sunak hopes goodwill created by a royal visit can help pave the way for progress on other issues, including Britains return to an EU program that funds scientific research across Europe. Britain's senior royals are among the most recognizable people on the planet. While their formal powers are strictly limited by law and tradition, they draw attention from the media and the public partly because of the historic ceremonies and regalia that accompany them and also because the public is fascinated by their personal lives. Elizabeths influence stemmed in part from the fact that she made more than 100 state visits during her 70 years on the throne, meeting presidents and prime ministers around the world in a reign that lasted from the Cold War to the information age. Politicians were eager to meet the monarch for tea, if for no other reason than shed been around so long. Currimao, Ilocos NorteNuevo Solar Energy Corp., a joint venture of MGen Renewable Energy Inc. and Singaporean firm Vena Energy, on Thursday inaugurated the $65-million (P3-billion) 68-megawatt Garcia 2 Solar Project in this town. NSEC held the switch-on ceremony for the solar power plant on Thursday. There is a good synergy between our two companies, and we hope we can expand more, Meralco PowerGen Corp. president and chief executive Jaime Azurin said. Meralco PowerGen is the power arm of power retailer Manila Electric Co. MGen Renewable Energy and Vena Energy Philippines, through Nuevo Solar Energy Corp., inaugurate a 68-megawatt solar project in Currimao, Ilocos Norte. Leading the switch-on ceremony are (from left) Vena Energy Philippines investment head Westin Contreras, Currimao Mayor Edward Quilala, Vena Energy Philippines country head Samrinder Nehria, Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph Marcos Manotoc, Ilocos Norte Vice Governor Cecilia Araneta-Marcos, Meralco PowerGen president and chief executive Jaime Azurin and Meralco PowerGen executive vice president Dan Neil. NSEC said the solar plant would contribute to the attainment of 35-percent renewable energy target mix by 2030 set by the government and provide additional power supply through MPower, Meralcos local electricity supply arm. Today, we embark on a new chapter in our partnership with Vena Energy as we start the commercial operations of NSEC. Powered by our shared aspiration to provide clean and sustainable energy, we are proud to have helped accelerate the countrys energy transition and shall continue investing in clean and sustainable energy sources, Azurin said. ADVERTISEMENT Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph Marcos Manotoc pledged the local governments continued support to NSEC in their further expansion that we are already discussing. We want to make it as easy as possible for NSEC, for we share our over-arching and key goal of the renewable sector, Manotoc said. He said Ilocos Norte is known as the wind energy capital of the Philippines, but solar energy would also play a crucial role to address the growing power needs of the province. We see that these energy issues will only grow. Our energy demand and energy problems will only grow in the near future, and we are happy that we have a partner in NSEC that is addressing this as we speak, Manotoc said. Vena Energy Philippines head Samrinder Nehria the solar project marks a significant milestone in Vena Energys renewable energy portfolio in the Philippines. Nehria said Vena and MGreens joint experience and expertise delivered the project successfully within 12 months. Other officials who attended the event were Mayor Edward Quilala of Currimao, Vice Governor Cecilia Araneta-Marcos of Ilocos Norte and Rep. Eugenio Angelo Barba of the Ilocos Norte second Congressional District. The NSEC solar plant is a part of the larger initiative of MGen to build 1,500 MW of renewable energy projects in the next five years. MGen started its journey towards a balanced, low-carbon energy mix in 2021 through the opening of BulacanSols 55-MW solar plant in San Miguel, Bulacan. More projects utilizing renewable energy are underway including PH Renewables Inc.s 75-MW solar project in Baras, Rizal which is set to commence commercial operations this year. Headquartered in Singapore, Vena Energy is a leading renewable energy company in the Asia-Pacific region that owns, develops, constructs, operates, manages and commercializes a renewable energy portfolio exceeding 40 gigawatts of solar, onshore wind, offshore wind, energy storage and hybrid renewable energy projects. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Paris, FranceBillionaire mogul Elon Musk and a range of experts called on Wednesday for a pause in the development of powerful artificial intelligence systems to allow time to make sure they are safe. An open letter, signed by more than 1,000 people so far including Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, was prompted by the release of GPT-4 from Microsoft-backed firm OpenAI. The company says its latest model is much more powerful than the previous version, which was used to power ChatGPT, a bot capable of generating tracts of text from the briefest of prompts. AI systems with human-competitive intelligence can pose profound risks to society and humanity, said the open letter titled Pause Giant AI Experiments. Powerful AI systems should be developed only once we are confident that their effects will be positive and their risks will be manageable, it said. ADVERTISEMENT Musk was an initial investor in OpenAI, spent years on its board, and his car firm Tesla develops AI systems to help power its self-driving technology, among other applications. The letter, hosted by the Musk-funded Future of Life Institute, was signed by prominent critics as well as competitors of OpenAI like Stability AI chief Emad Mostaque. Canadian AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio, also a signatory, at a virtual press conference in Montreal warned that society is not ready for this powerful tool, and its possible misuses. Lets slow down. Lets make sure that we develop better guardrails, he said, calling for a thorough international discussion about AI and its implications, like weve done for nuclear power and nuclear weapons. Trustworthy and loyal The letter quoted from a blog written by OpenAI founder Sam Altman, who suggested that at some point, it may be important to get independent review before starting to train future systems. We agree. That point is now, the authors of the open letter wrote. Therefore, we call on all AI labs to immediately pause for at least 6 months the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4. They called for governments to step in and impose a moratorium if companies failed to agree. AFP The six months should be used to develop safety protocols, AI governance systems, and refocus research on ensuring AI systems are more accurate, safe, trustworthy and loyal. The letter did not detail the dangers revealed by GPT-4. But researchers including Gary Marcus of New York University, who signed the letter, have long argued that chatbots are great liars and have the potential to be superspreaders of disinformation. However, author Cory Doctorow has compared the AI industry to a pump and dump scheme, arguing that both the potential and the threat of AI systems have been massively overhyped. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. The Bureau of Immigration should ban and declare persona non grata the Manila-based regional director of the World Health Organization for allegedly ridiculing and insulting the intelligence of Filipinos. Former Deputy Speaker Deogracias Victor Savellano, who also headed the influential Northern Luzon Alliance, made the call after the WHO reportedly put on leave its regional director in Western Pacific over alleged racist comments belittling and ridiculing Filipinos. Dr. Takeshi Kasai, a Japanese doctor, was also accused of fostering a toxic atmosphere and a culture of systemic bullying particularly against Filipinos and other Asia-Pacific nations. Enshrined in the 1961 Vienna Convention for Diplomatic Relations, a persona non grata declaration refers to a foreign person whose entering or remaining in a certain country is prohibited by that country. The Philippine government should always uphold and protect the dignity of its people. Why should we be home to an official who has abused our hospitality and insulted our people? We call on the Bureau on Immigrations to ban Dr. Takeshi Kasai from the Philippines and declare him persona non grata or an unwelcome person, said Savellano. ADVERTISEMENT Kasais malicious comments belittling and ridiculing Filipinos and those of other races whom he considered to be inferior are a further disgrace to the WHO, whose credibility has been waning ever since they fumbled the pandemic response. He is a pathetic embodiment of an agency that claims to be for the good of all, but in reality is only for the good of a few, Savellano said. Dr. Kasais dismissal follows an Associated Press investigation that revealed documents and recordings of Kasai hurling derogatory remarks about staff based on their nationalities and blaming the COVID-19 surge in some countries on their lack of capacity due to inferior culture, race and socio-economic level. WHO staffers interviewed by AP said Dr. Kasai repeatedly told them in meetings that the insufficient COVID response was due to a lack of sufficiently educated people in the Pacific. Dr. Kasais leadership ultimately led to the resignation of 55 key officers. Staffers said this led to a lack of cooperation among member-countries that may have led to a surge of COVID-19 within the region. Kasai was also accused of disrespecting WHOs own pandemic guidelines by forcing employees to return to the office during Manilas lockdown period and even providing confidential data to the Japanese government. Dr. Lorenzo Mata, president of tobacco harm reduction advocacy group Quit for Good, said the complaint against Dr. Kasai reflected the WHOs lack of transparency and ineptitude and horrible racism within its ranks. Dr. Kasais dismissal was only the first time a top-ranked regional official has been dismissed by the agency over the years. Dr. Mata said the same lack of transparency could play out once the WHO convenes the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control parties at the 10th Conference of the Parties in November 2023, after repeatedly blocking peoples participation in previous meetings. The FCTC is the global tobacco control treaty under the auspices of the WHO and governed by the COP, which is composed of representatives from all signatory-countries including the Philippines. We dont want a bunch of racist bureaucrats discriminating against marginalized Filipino farmers and poor Filipino smokers who will be deprived of better alternatives, Dr. Mata said. Dr. Mata, one of the leading voices on THR in the Philippines, underscored the WHOs inconsistent stance on smoke-free alternatives to cigarettes like heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes which are regulated in the Philippines. The WHO found itself in the same situation two years ago when their credibility took a hit in the Philippines. They previously stated that e-cigarettes are equally as harmful as cigarettes, but they backtracked during a Congressional hearing when they admitted that e-cigarettes are less harmful, Dr. Mata said. . Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Now that the new values have been sent out, the time for formal appeals during the 2023 revaluation process is fast approaching. Around the beginning of March, property owners got notices of the new values as part of the 2023 revaluation. The notices are required to provide the property owner the new market value as determined by the schedule of values. The schedule, which was adopted last fall, is based on sales data for properties in McDowell County, according to county officials. Tim Cain, consultant on the revaluation, said previously that McDowell County would like face significant value increases due to market conditions. This trend has been seen throughout North Carolina for counties that are also doing revaluations in 2023. McDowell County experienced an approximate 43% increase in property value increase for the entire base (which includes taxable and nontaxable property). The approximate increase in value for taxable properties was approximately 35%, according to Cain. At the regular Monday, March 13, meeting, a boardroom full of upset property owners voiced their anger and concerns to the McDowell County Board of Commissioners about the new values that were sent out as part of the 2023 revaluation. The commissioners urged those who came to that meeting and any other property owners who are worried about the new values to go through the appeals process later this spring. Commission Chairman Tony Brown said at that meeting hes got a problem with a new value for one of his properties and he sympathized with those who are upset. We encourage everyone to appeal if your property value is wrong, said Vice Chairman David Walker at the time. However, some of the people in the room groaned when they heard the commissioners talk about appealing the new values. The appeals process has several phases. As of Thursday, around 1,000 appeals have been submitted to the Tax Assessors Office, said Tax Assessor Tammy Wylie. The first phase was the 30-day period after property owners first received their new values. During that time, property owners could go through the informal appeals process by contacting the county Tax Assessors office. The formal phase will come next. On Monday, April 3, at 5 p.m., the county commissioners will convene for the first meeting as the Board of Equalization and Review. The board will adjourn from that meeting for the purpose of accepting requests for hearing at its last meeting on Monday, April 24, according to a legal ad. Those who did appeal informally will receive a notice that will instruct them on how to appeal formally should they not agree with the new assessed value, said Wylie to The McDowell News. The three-week span from Monday, April 3, through Monday, April 24, will be the time when property owners who have not appealed already can submit their appeals to the Tax Assessors Office, which will schedule the hearings for a later date. The commissioners, as the Board of E&R, will likely hear concerns expressed about the revaluation process. When scheduled, the hearings will be held in the former commissioners boardroom located in the McDowell County Services Building, at 60 E. Court St. That building used to be called the County Administrative Building. The hearings will be held there because the Tax Assessors Office is still located in that building and all the tax records and documents are there, said Wylie. Requests for a hearing must be received no later than final adjournment which is scheduled for Monday, April 24, at 5 p.m. All requests for appeal hearings can be made in person from Tuesday, April 4, through Monday, April 24, between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. or email reval2023@mcdowellgov.om. You can also submit a request in mail to McDowell County Assessing Department, attn. BOER appeal, 60 E. Court St., Marion, NC 28752. ATTENTION: Please email your church news to mcdowellchurchnews@gmail.com or call 527-3175 and leave a message. The deadline is noon on Wednesdays. Please note the change in deadline and phone number. Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church will have a yard sale on Saturday, April 1, from 8 a.m. to noon. The church is located on Jacktown Road in Marion. Redeemed Freewill Baptist Church, of 5079 U.S. 221 S. will be starting a youth program called, The Sprouts, on Wednesday, April 5, from 7-8 p.m., and every Wednesday night thereafter. A meal and a bible lesson will be provided. We would like to encourage parents to bring their children so they can learn the love of Jesus! The congregation and ministry of First Presbyterian Church of Marion invite you to join us in celebration of Christs resurrection. Communion will be served on Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday and all are invited to partake. First United Methodist Church across from Marion Elementary School has Sunday school at 9:45 a.m. and worship at 11 a.m. Our Holy Week schedule includes the program Holy Week Journey Through Scripture and Song at 11 a.m. on Sunday, April 2, followed by an Easter egg hunt for children through fifth grade. Holy Thursday, April 6, will be marked by a special service in the chapel at 6:30 p.m. Good Friday will include a community service held at St. Johns Episcopal Church at noon and a service of meditation and music held at FUMC at 7 p.m. by Howard Smith. Join us on Easter Sunday, April 9, for a sunrise service at 7:30 a.m. followed by breakfast, then the 11 am service that will include special music and a butterfly release. Everyone is welcome! St. Matthews Lutheran Church, of 241 W. Court Street, Marion, invites the community to join us to watch the global film phenomenon THE CHOSEN. Experience the Bible as vividly real on Wednesday at 7 p.m. and each Wednesday thereafter. There will be refreshments and door prizes. First United Methodist Church across from Marion Elementary School invites anyone seeking a church family to join us. On Sunday mornings we have adult Sunday school at 9:45 a.m. followed by worship at 11 a.m., which includes a nursery and childrens church. The United Methodist Men continue to sell their peanuts for $5 a jar. Peanuts are available in regular, light salt, no salt, and Cajun. Contact the church at 652-7010 to place an order. Chapel Hill Baptist Church, of U.S. 221 South, Marion, will have an all-you-can-eat breakfast on the second Saturday of each month from 7:30-10 a.m. for a donation. His Place Worship Center, 1423 U.S. 70 West in Marion will host combined in-person and online meetings at 10 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month. Additional information about the Hickory Lighthouse, including links to the Zoom and Facebook Live meetings, are available at Hickory Aglows website and Facebook page: www.aglownet.org/hickorync and https://www.facebook.com/hickory.aglow. Interested persons may sign up on the website to receive a monthly email newsletter. Readers may receive related Facebook notifications by liking the Facebook page. The Sharing Food Pantry Ministry of Cross United Methodist Church needs donations of coats, sweaters, and blankets for families in the community who may be in need. Donations can be dropped off at 85 W. Cross St. just past Blue Ridge Terrace Apartments in Marion. For more information call 828-460-9257 or 828-559-4047 and leave a message. East Marion Baptist Church, of 660 Baldwin Ave., Marion, will host, The Landing, a 12-step program for teens, every Wednesday from 6-7:30 p.m. For more information, email thelanding@embc.church. North Cove Church of God will have a breakfast sale on every third Saturday of the month. Living Waters Tabernacle of Old Fort is offering a worship service twice a month for college-aged adults called Encounter. The service will be the first and third Thursday of each month from 6:30-7:30 p.m. At each meeting, a new topic will be discussed with a guest speaker; live music will be played; and refreshments will be served. For more information, check out Living Waters Tabernacle of Old Fort on Facebook or email jakanjamison96@gmail.com. The church is at 344 Moffitt Hill Church Road in Old Fort. Cross Mill United Methodist Church has a sharing food pantry for the community. The tiny food pantry is outside the church fellowship building, and is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The nonperishable food items are available for anyone in need. If you would like to donate items to this ministry, you may drop them off at the pantry box or call 460-9257 or 442-8098. Greenlee Baptist Church, 5967 U.S. 70 W. in Old Fort, offers Kids on a Mission each Sunday from 6-8 p.m. Newborns to seniors in high school are invited to join. The church also has a deaf ministry available. Interpreters will be provided for the worship services every Sunday at 10:55 a.m. For information, call the church office at 668-6075 between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Cross Ties Cowboy Church meets every first Thursday at 2365 Bethlehem Road in Old Fort at 7 p.m. in the barn. For more information, call 828-925-2095. Landmark Independent Baptist Church will host a meeting on alcohol and addiction awareness by Gene Sigmon the third Friday of each month at 6:30 p.m. The church is at 225 Huskins Branch Road in Marion. For more information, contact Gene at soundmind16@yahoo.com. Apostolic Restoration Ministries is a new church to the area. If anyone is interested in attending, call Tim Eller at 828-443-2050. Peppers Creek Baptist Church will have a singing on the fourth Saturday of each month at 7 p.m. from January through October. McDowell Childrens Ministry, a ministry for children of the community interested in participating in a life-changing program, meets twice monthly. For more information, call Daniel at 659-0095 during the day or at 738-0733 in the evenings. Cross Mill Pentecostal Holiness Church has a soaking prayer and intercession meeting every Friday at 8 p.m. For information, call the Rev. Doug Beane-Hall at 442-6216. Vision Baptist Church, at 1841 Fairview Road, Marion, is offering Extreme Teens (Club 411) on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 10 a.m. Victorious Couples meet on Sundays at 10 a.m. Additional childrens and adult programs are also available. A high school student on a field trip at Forsyth Technical Community College shot himself in the hand on Thursday morning, leading to a lockdown of the school and a massive law enforcement response. The student was identified as Shannon Howard James Pitts of Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy. Police said he had a gun he fired, resulting in the hand injury. Police did not say whether the shooting was intentional or accidental. The shooting occurred about 10:10 a.m. in the Strickland Center, a large building on the south side of the main Forsyth Tech campus. The injured student was found after campus police responded to a report of a shooting in a second-floor restroom of the building, according to Chief Carolyn McMackin, of Forsyth Tech Police Department. I recognize this was a scary situation for all of us, she said. As a chief of police, this is the call that we never want to receive. Capt. Shelley Lovejoy of the Winston-Salem Police Department said that Pitts, who is 18, was taken to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening. After his release from the hospital, Pitts was charged with two counts of having a weapon on educational property and one count of carrying a concealed gun, police said. He was released from the Forsyth County Jail on a $25,000 bond. Pitts was among 600 high school students from the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools and schools in Stokes County who came to the Strickland Center for a Focus event organized to tell students about educational opportunities at the college. The high school students, students at Forsyth Tech and staff inside all the buildings on campus were lockdown until just before 1 p.m. when the all clear was given. During that time, many students huddled in fear, not knowing if there was a school shooter on the loose: An alert sent out to everyone at the college by campus police said early on that two armed and dangerous males were at large. TechAlert: We are experiencing an active shooter situation. Law enforcement is on site. The campus is on lockdown with shelter in place for all students, faculty and staff. Forsyth Tech (@ForsythTechCC) March 30, 2023 That turned out not to be the case, as police announced around 11:30 and confirmed in a 2 p.m. news conference held in a nearby parking lot. Police said they were searching for no suspects and that there was no danger to the community because of the incident. College officials said the text was sent out because that was the preliminary information they had to give. Just so scared The shooting came the same week three students and three staffers will killed in a shooting at a school in Nashville and a day after an unsubstantiated threat was made at Forsyth Tech. Allison Wilson and many other students didnt know there was no active shooter as they tried to figure out what to do to keep themselves safe. It was terrifying, she said, describing how she, two other students and a lab instructor hid in a supply room after learning of the shooting. We were really quiet at first and just so scared, and we didnt know what to do except hide, and get down and turn the lights off. Then they began talking: What could they get their hands on to defend themselves if the shooters came in? How much can (something) protect you against a bullet? She said. With her phone down to 7%, she texted loved ones, not knowing if shed see them again. The Strickland Center houses a variety of student support services, along with labs, classrooms, a bookstore, the admissions office and a conference center. On the other side of the campus from the Strickland Center, parking lots filled to overflowing with anxious parents and others waiting to pick up students. Kyosha King, whose son is an Early College program at Forsyth Tech, said her child was at Mount Tabor High School in August of 2021 when a 15-year-old sophomore was fatally shot near the cafeteria. After that, I would say a prayer to myself every morning for the students safety, King said. I would tell him goodbye and I love him because you dont know 100% that he will come home safe each day. Its just sad their generation has to be aware of where all the exits are at, and pay attention to signs that something may be off, may be wrong. As a helicopter circled overhead, anxious relatives stood by their cars or parked at the National Guard armory, clutching their cellphones and asking anyone they saw what to do next. Jordan Harris, a health care worker whose daughter attends Forsyth Tech, stood in a driveway looking at a first-floor window where her daughter, Ashden, could see her. Because of the mirrored windows, Harris could not see inside. In Gods hands We just have to put it in Gods hands at this point, Harris said. I mean, Im so thankful that my daughter is safe, but I cant imagine getting that phone call that somebody will get that their child is injured or worse. And thats scary. Otis Jordan was in a class when he heard sirens. We had to move to a class that didnt have glass doors, so you had just a lot of confusion. In the early stages of the incident, police and sheriffs deputies cruisers converged on the parking lot of the Strickland Building to block it off. Until reinforcements arrived, Forsyth Tech employee Walt Braxton was standing in jeans and a T-shirt at one parking lot entrance and doing the job single-handedly. Across the street, an officer in plain clothes could be heard telling a woman in a car on the parking lot at Hauser Hall that she had to stay in her car. More and more deputies and police came in, joined by N.C. Highway Patrol troopers and officers on motorcycles. Forsyth Tech student Damon Davis was in Hauser Hall and stepped outside to get something from his car, only to hear a man yelling at him to go back inside. But the building door was now locked and he couldnt get back in. The day before A woman waiting in a car shared a text that had come only the day before, when Joey Hearl, the principal of Early and Middle College of Forsyth, said that Forsyth Tech was among schools at several locations across the state that had gotten a threat by email. Hearl said in the text that the threat was considered unfounded but that people would see more law enforcement officers on campus. Real or not, the text prompted more concern. Tracy Presley, sitting at the base of a pole, said she was waiting to pick up her daughter Greyson Bowman. This is probably the (most scared) Ive ever been in my life, she said. She was a little relieved when she learned police said no shooter was on campus. About an hour into the lockdown, police cleared the media and other bystanders from the campus and it was harder to tell exactly what was going on. Police set up a command post, and both Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough and Winston-Salem Police Chief William Penn Jr. were both on the campus with their officers. A dramatic moment came around 1 p.m. when law enforcement officers stopped traffic on Silas Creek Parkway so that a parade of school buses carrying students could emerge from the campus. Tricia McManus, the superintendent of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, said that in addition to the 600 Focus students on campus, there were some 400 Early and Middle College students from her system on campus as they are every day. When the lockdown was over, the students were returned to their home schools. Janet Spriggs, the president of Forsyth Tech, praised the students for how they responded to the crisis, and said there would be no classes at all campuses for the rest of the week. Spriggs called Thursday a very difficult day in a statement to students and staff. But as always, we came together, followed the plans we had practiced, and took care of each other in true trailblazer fashion. Theres no school Friday for students in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth system, and next week is spring break. McManus said that when students who were at Forsyth Tech on Thursday go back to school on April 11, counselors will be available to speak with them. Due to what is happening nationwide, I guarantee when you hear theres an active shooter it impacts our children, McManus said. PHOTOS: Shooting at Forsyth Tech Community College This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Increasing the proportion of non-alcoholic drinks on sale in online supermarkets could reduce the amount of alcohol people purchase, suggests a study published today led by researchers at the University of Cambridge. The team used a simulated supermarket that presented shoppers with varying proportions of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and asked them to select drinks to purchase for their next online shop. They found that shoppers who were exposed to more non-alcoholic drinks selected and purchased fewer units of alcohol. The findings are published in PLOS Medicine. Excessive alcohol consumption is a major risk factor for a number of diseases, including cancer, heart disease and stroke. Encouraging people to change their behavior could therefore have significant health benefits at both an individual and population level. There is increasing evidence that people can be "nudged" toward reducing their alcohol consumption by making small adjustments to their environment. For example, scientists at Cambridge's Behavior and Health Research Unit have previously shown that serving wine in smaller glasseseven while keeping the amount of wine in the glasses the sameled to people consuming less alcohol. A recent analysis found that reducing the proportion of unhealthy snacks available can reduce how much of these food products people consume, though the evidence included was limited in both quality and quantity. The Cambridge team wanted to see if a similar approach might work to nudge people towards consuming fewer alcoholic drinks. The researchers recruited 737 adults living in England and Wales, all of whom regularly purchased alcohol online, to take part in the study. Of these, just over 600 completed the study and were included in the final analysis60% were female and the average (mean) age was 38. Participants selected drinks from 64 options in a simulated online supermarket designed to look and function like a real online supermarket. Options included a range of beers, ciders, alcohol-free beer and cider alternatives, and soft drinks. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups, each of which was presented with a different proportion of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. 25% of the drinks seen by Group 1 were non-alcoholic. For Group 2, this increased to 50%, and for Group 3 the proportion of non-alcoholic drinks seen rose to 75%. Those exposed to the highest proportion of non-alcoholic drinks (Group 3) selected fewer alcohol units, 17.5 units, compared to 29.4 units in those exposed to the lowest proportion of non-alcoholic drinks (Group 1)equivalent to a reduction of about 41%. Participants were then asked to actually purchase the same drinks in an online supermarket, Tesco, the largest national supermarket in the U.K. About two-thirds of participants completed this second stage, with 422 participants going on to purchase drinks. The researchers point out that "cart abandonment"where people do not purchase items they put in their shopping cartis common in online shopping contexts. The researchers found that amongst participants exposed to the highest proportion of non-alcoholic drinks, 52% of the drinks purchased were alcoholic, compared to 70% of drinks that were purchased by those exposed to the lowest proportion of non-alcoholic drinks. Lead author Dr. Natasha Clarke said, "We created our simulated supermarket to be as close as possible to an actual online supermarket and found that increasing the proportion of non-alcoholic drinks that shoppers were exposed to made a meaningful difference to their alcohol selection. Though we'd need to confirm these findings using only a real online supermarket, they are very promising." While the current market for alcohol-free beer, wine and spirits represents only a small share of the global alcohol industry, it is rapidly growing. For example, low and no-alcohol beer currently accounts for 3% of the total beer market, but this is forecast to increase by nearly 13% per year over the next 3 years and is the fastest growing drinks segment in the U.K. Senior author Dr. Gareth Hollands said, "Supermarkets typically stock a wider range of alcoholic drinks than non-alcoholic alternatives aimed at adults, but this is slowly changing. Our results suggest that if non-alcoholic options were to become the majority instead, we might expect to see substantial reductions in alcohol purchasing." Importantly, the overall number of drinks that participants selected and purchased remained similar between groups, suggesting that effects were a result of shifting people's choices. This implies overall drink sales and potentially revenues may be relatively unchanged, dependent on the pricing of non-alcoholic drinks. Professor Dame Theresa Marteau, Director of the Behavior and Health Research Unit, said, "We all know that drinking too much alcohol is bad for us, but we're often unaware of how much we are influenced by the environment around us. Making changes to this environmentfrom exposing people to a greater proportion of healthier options through to changing the sizes of the utensils we eat and drink fromcan help us cut down on potentially unhealthy habits. Even relatively small changes can make a difference both to individuals and at a population level." Although some of the non-alcoholic drink options in the current study contained no sugar and were generally lower in calories than the alcoholic optionsan average of 64 calories per non-alcoholic drink versus 233 calories per alcoholic drinkmany soft drinks and alcohol-free alternatives still contain large amounts of sugar and calories. The researchers argue that, given the health risks associated with sugary drink consumption, continued regulation and policies to reduce sugar content and consumption from both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks is needed to mitigate these risks. More information: Clarke, N et al., Impact on alcohol selection and online purchasing of changing the proportion of available non-alcoholic versus alcoholic drinks: A randomised controlled trial, PLOS Medicine (2023). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004193 Journal information: PLoS Medicine This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain It has been a longstanding assumption that birth mode and associated exposure of newborns to their mothers' vaginal microbiome during delivery greatly affects the development of babies' gut microbiome. To test the scientific validity of this assumption, a team of Canadian researchers has now published a study in Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology in which they examined the effect of maternal vaginal microbiome composition on the development of infants' stool microbiome at 10 days and three months after birth. "We show that the composition of the maternal vaginal microbiome does not substantially influence the infant stool microbiome in early life," said Dr. Deborah Money, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of British Columbia and corresponding author of the study. "It does not appear that exposure to maternal vaginal microbiota at the time of vaginal birth establishes the infant stool microbiome." Unpredictable baby gut microbiome For their study, which is one of the largest mother-infant cohort studies to date, the researchers recruited more than 600 Canadian women who planned to deliver both vaginally and via C-section. Maternal vaginal swabs were collected prior to delivery. Stool samples from the babies were collected within 72 hours of delivery, as well as at 10 days and three months after birth. The scientists found that regardless of birth mode and concomitant exposure to maternal microbiome, mothers' vaginal microbiome composition does not predict the composition of babies' stool microbiome at 10 days or three months after birth. "From this study and other follow-up work, we were able to show that transfer of vaginal bacteria to the infant gut is limited, and that the maternal vaginal microbiome is not a large contributor to the bacterial community that develops in a baby's gut after birth," said Scott Dos Santos, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Saskatchewan who conducted the lab work and data analysis. "On the contrary, other maternal sources like breast milk and exposure to the environment likely play a much larger role." The research team is conducting further work to analyze the breast milk microbiome and better understand its relationship with infants' gut microbiome. Antibiotic use may explain microbiome discrepancies Yet, at both 10 days and three months, the scientists found statistically significant differences in microbiome composition by mode of delivery. To investigate how these might be explained, they looked at clinical factors. "The differences we found between infants stool microbiome composition by mode of delivery in early life seemed to be primarily influenced by exposure to antibiotics around the time of birth," explained Money. The researchers' assessment of antibiotic use did not disprove the finding that the maternal vaginal microbiome is not predictive of infant stool microbiome composition. Large dataset for robust results Study participants were recruited from three hospitals across British Columbia to ensure a large, sociodemographically diverse and multi-ethnic study population. It was also vital to recruit enough individuals who planned to deliver vaginally or by C-section to secure appropriate participants for both groups of interest. "This study underscores the need for robust methods with large enough sample sizes to ensure clinical conclusions drawn from human microbiome studies allow one to control for factors affecting natural variability in human microbiomes across individuals," Money stressed. The researchers also pointed to the study's limitations: "We did not plan to, nor did we collect maternal stool microbiome samples, so we cannot draw any conclusions on this as an influence," Money pointed out. More information: Maternal vaginal microbiome composition does not affect development of the infant gut microbiome in early life, Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology (2023). DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1144254 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Imaging mass spectrometry analysis of murine critical-size femur fractures treated with in vitro engineered human stromal cellderived cartilage discs. (A to D) Segmentation maps were generated from the mass-to-charge (m/z) value spectra of whole tissue sections of BMSC-derived (A and B) and ATSC-derived (C and D) transplant groups using an unsupervised bisecting k-means algorithm. Segments with different colors represent distinct proteomic clusters across the whole tissue sections. The first two proteome clusters distinguish between bone (yellow) and muscle tissue (blue). In the bone region, segmentation clustering identified two additional segments in the BMSC group (B) and three segments in the ATSC group (C). The third proteomic cluster (yellow) of the ATSC group corresponds to the fracture region and was not detected in the BMSC group. Additional segmentation of the fracture region revealed two distinct clusters in the BMSC group (B insert magnified as indicated) but only one cluster in the ATSC group (C insert magnified as indicated). (E) Using a bottom-up liquid chromatographytandem mass spectrometry approach, several m/z values were assigned to COL1A1-specific peptides. The peptide mass spectra show the absolute intensity of indicated m/z values in the fracture (black line) and total bone region (gray line). The blue shading indicates COL1A1 peptide (m/z = 2055) that is highly conserved between human and mice, whereas the yellow shading indicates a human-unique COL1A1 peptide (m/z = 2057). (F) Movats 5C staining of the complete mouse femur containing the BMSC-derived cartilage disc transplant in fracture area, magnified in (L). (G) The highly conserved COL1A1 peptide (m/z = 2055) (total = human + mouse; colored green) was distributed throughout the bone of the BMSC group. (H) The human-specific COL1A1 peptide (m/z = 2057; colored red) shows a high intensity distribution exclusively in the fracture region. (I) Merge of the total and the human-specific COL1A1 peptide. (J) Merging the intensity distribution of the human-specific COL1A1 peptide (m/z = 2057) with Movats 5C staining shows that it is colocalized only with the area of remaining hard callus. (K) Magnification of Movats 5C staining of the same fracture region shown in (F), and (L) the corresponding merge with intensity distribution of the human-specific COL1A1 peptide (m/z = 2057). n = 4 biological replicates per group. Credit: Science Translational Medicine (2023). DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abm7477 Bone is the second most commonly transplanted tissue after blood, with about two million bone transplants performed worldwide each yearbut often with only moderate therapeutic success. Cell-based therapies could provide an alternative approach to transplantation. Together with colleagues from Paracelsus Medical Private University (PMU) Salzburg, researchers at the Berlin Institute of Health at Charite (BIH) have now demonstrated that human progenitor cells can regenerate large bone defects and form new mineralized tissue. The researchers have published the findings from their work in the journal Science Translational Medicine. Although most bone fractures heal completely without scarring, particularly large bone defects caused by severe trauma, infection or tumor surgery often do not heal naturally and require bone transplantation. Bone is the second most commonly transplanted tissue after blood, with about two million bone transplants performed worldwide each year. However, the availability of grafts is limited and their regenerative capacity is often low. Cell-based therapies offer a promising alternative. Tissue engineered in vitro from progenitor cells such as multipotent stromal cells (MSCs) could replace standard bone graft treatments. Together with colleagues from Paracelsus Medical Private University (PMU) Salzburg, researchers at the Berlin Institute of Health at Charite (BIH) have now shown that this method works. A crucial factor is that these stromal cells can be obtained from various tissues, such as adipose tissue, skin tissue and bone marrow. Stromal cell origin plays a key role in regenerative capacity Multipotent stromal cells (MSCs) are the progenitor cells in various connective tissues that can differentiate into different cell types like fat, cartilage and bone cells. However, contrary to previous assumptions, the source of stromal cells has a decisive impact on their bone regeneration potential. Unlike cells from white adipose tissue, the umbilical cord or skin tissue, only MSCs from bone marrow have the ability to form functional cartilage. This is due to a so-called epigenetic signature that determines which genes can be accessed during cell differentiation and in which order they are activated. "This hypertrophic cartilage produced in vitro is an important intermediate for the formation of mineralized bone tissue. We were able to show that transplantation of vital human cartilage disks into mice with large (non-healing) bone defects leads to complete healing," says Dr. Geissler, a group leader at the BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies who is one of the study's senior authors. "In the animal, the transplanted human cells in the cartilage disks also form the original bone tissue, which is replaced by mouse-derived cells only at the end of complete healing." New epigenetic mechanism regulates bone healing In their study, the researchers describe a novel epigenetic mechanism that not only underlies the stromal cells' regenerative potential but also regulates bone healing. This involves a complex network of so-called enhancersamplifiers of gene expressionin the cells' DNA. This enhancer network is particularly accessible and active in these cells, thus determining the course and success of tissue regeneration. The researchers call this network the "enhancer landscape." "Our study makes an important contribution to the selection of suitable cells for effective treatment of difficult-to-heal bone fractures. The knowledge gained here about such tissue-specific enhancer signatures may also contribute to the improvement of other cell-based therapies," says Prof. Dirk Strunk, director of the Institute of Experimental and Clinical Cell Therapy at PMU Salzburg and co-senior author of the study. The path to clinical trials Further development steps are necessary to translate this new approach into a reliable therapeutic option for large bone defects in orthopedics and trauma surgery. For instance, the researchers led by Sven Geissler and Dirk Strunk now want to conduct tests to see how cartilage disks can be produced automatically from stromal cells and whether exogenous donor cells are also suitable for the therapy. Patients would otherwise have to wait up to five weeks after having their own cells harvested before the cartilage disks could be produced and implanted. However, there is ample cause for optimism, given the test results achieved so far. More information: Sarah Hochmann et al, The enhancer landscape predetermines the skeletal regeneration capacity of stromal cells, Science Translational Medicine (2023). DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abm7477 Journal information: Science Translational Medicine Provided by Berlin Institute of Health This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: AI-generated image by DALL-E in response to the request "A futuristic image illustrating the impact of generative artificial intelligence on medical education". Credit: DALL-E In a recent interview posted on JMIR TV, JMIR Publications' CEO Dr. Gunther Eysenbach speaks with Dr. Andrew Taylor from Yale University School of Medicine about their paper titled "How Does ChatGPT Perform on the United States Medical Licensing Examination? The Implications of Large Language Models for Medical Education and Knowledge Assessment," published in JMIR Medical Education. The study examined how ChatGPT performed on the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) compared to other AI language models such as InstructGPT and GPT-3. The researchers found that ChatGPT's performance on the exam was comparable to that of a third-year medical student in terms of medical knowledge assessment, but more importantly, it outperformed the other two models because its dialogic component enabled it to provide clear rationales for its answers. ChatGPT's responses were coherent and provided justifiable context. Its accuracy in providing dialogic responses similar to human learners may help create an interactive learning environment for students, supporting problem-solving and reflective practice. Credit: JMIR Publications The interview also discusses the limitations of using ChatGPT, such as the need for structured prompts. In their conversation, Dr. Eysenbach remarked how the rapid growth of ChatGPT, which has made AI accessible to end consumers, could be a major disruption and technological shift in the field of medical education. They also cited some concerns with ChatGPT's accuracy in retrieving information such as lack of source identificationa phenomenon called AI hallucination, and the need for additional training or "grounding" of information sources for reliability purposes. Dr. Eysenbach commented, "There's certainly more work to be done in specifically training ChatGPT on peer-reviewed literature, and perhaps in connecting ChatGPT with more structured databases, which are out there, like PubMed and CrossRef." In conclusion, there is interest in exploring how tools like ChatGPT can be used to improve health care delivery, and Dr. Taylor sees potential in using such AI technology in medical education to create a more dynamic learning process for students and practitioners. "My interest ishow we could potentially use tools like this in the health care system to deliver better and more effective care. And I think we're going to explore potential avenues for that, and I would love to see further development of this in the medical kind of education space, and I think we will.from a student kind of learning standpoint, it becomes much more dynamic that kind of learning process," added Dr. Taylor. More information: Aidan Gilson et al, How Does ChatGPT Perform on the United States Medical Licensing Examination? The Implications of Large Language Models for Medical Education and Knowledge Assessment, JMIR Medical Education (2023). DOI: 10.2196/45312 Provided by JMIR Publications This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The death toll from an outbreak of Marburg virus in Equatorial Guinea has reached nine, the health ministry told AFP on Thursday amid World Health Organization estimates the real toll is double that. The outbreak of the hemorrhagic fever has spread beyond the province of Kie-Ntem, where it caused the first known deaths in January and reached Bata, the economic capital of the west African nation. The ministry raised the confirmed death toll from seven just a day after the WHO urged the country to report all cases over fears transmission may be more widespread. The reported cases are in three provinces 150 kilometers apart, "suggesting wider transmission of the virus", said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday. On March 22, WHO Africa regional headquarters said it knew of 20 further probable cases, all of whom were dead and the organization's alert and response director Abdi Mahamud noted "signs of the wide spread of transmission that are making us (worried)". He added: "This outbreak, as it stands, is larger and may be seen in more provinces. More than the case count number, it's the extent of the geographical spread." The Marburg virus causes severe fever, often accompanied by bleeding and organ failure. It is part of the so-called filovirus family that also includes Ebola, which has wreaked havoc in several previous outbreaks in Africa. Citing nine "laboratory confirmed deaths", the ministry tweeted there were a further 13 positive cases, two of whom had been hospitalized and another who had recovered while "a total of 825 contacts have been followed up". The WHO has warned of a potential large scale epidemic which could spread to neighboring Gabon and Cameroon. Tanzania also announced last week five deaths from Marburg, but insisted it has the spread under control after sending a rapid response team to the northwestern region of Kagera which borders Uganda. The suspected natural source of the Marburg virus is the African fruit bat, which carries the pathogen but does not fall sick from it. There are currently no vaccines or antiviral treatments, but potential treatments, including blood products, immune therapies and drug therapies, as well as early candidate vaccines being evaluated. 2023 AFP Photo: The Canadian Press A protester is led away after police made arrests at the Kentucky Capitol. Wednesday, March 29, 2023, in Frankfort, Ky. Arrests were made as state lawmakers completed an override of a veto of a transgender bill regulating some of the most personal aspects of life for transgender young people from banning access to gender-affirming health care to restricting the bathrooms they can use. (AP Photo/Bruce Schreiner) Republican lawmakers in Kentucky on Wednesday swept aside the Democratic governors veto of a bill regulating some of the most personal aspects of life for transgender young people from banning access to gender-affirming health care to restricting the bathrooms they can use. The votes to override Gov. Andy Beshears veto were lopsided in both legislative chambers where the GOP wields supermajorities and came on the next-to-last day of this years legislative session. The Senate voted 29-8 to override Beshears veto. A short time later, the House completed the override on a vote of 76-23. As emotions surged, some people protesting the bill from the House gallery were removed and arrested after their prolonged chanting rang out in the chamber. The protesters, their hands bound, chanted theres more of us not here as they waited to be taken away from the Capitol. Nineteen people were arrested and charged with third-degree criminal trespassing, Kentucky State Police said. Officers gave each person the option to leave without any enforcement action or be placed under arrest, said Capt. Paul Blanton, a police spokesperson. Republican House Speaker David Osborne later said it was a decision by state police to remove and arrest protesters. I think its unfortunate that it reached that level and certainly they were given, as Ive been told since then, multiple opportunities to either quiet their chants or to leave voluntarily, Osborne said. The bills opponents framed the issue as a civil-rights fight. Democratic Rep. Sarah Stalker declared: Kentucky will be on the wrong side of history by enacting the measure. The debate about the transgender bill will likely spill over into this years gubernatorial campaign, with Beshear's veto drawing GOP condemnation as he seeks reelection to a second term. A legal fight also is brewing. The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky reaffirmed that it intends to take this fight to the courts to try to preserve access to health care options for young transgender people. While we lost the battle in the legislature, our defeat is temporary. We will not lose in court, said Chris Hartman, executive director of the Fairness Campaign, an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization. In praising the veto override, David Walls, executive director of The Family Foundation, said the bill puts policy in alignment with the truth that every child is created as a male or female and deserves to be loved, treated with dignity and accepted for who they really are. Activists on both sides of the impassioned debate gathered at the statehouse to make competing appeals before lawmakers took up the transgender bill following an extended break. At a rally that drew hundreds of transgender-rights supporters, trans teenager Sun Pacyga held up a sign summing up a grim review of the Republican legislation. The sign read: Our blood is on your hands. If it passes, the restricted access to gender-affirming health care, I think trans kids will die because of that, the 17-year-old student said, expressing a persistent concern among the bill's critics that the restrictions could lead to an increase in teen suicides. Bill supporters assembled to defend the measure, saying it protects trans children from undertaking gender-affirming treatments they might regret as adults. Research shows such regret is rare, however. We cannot allow people to continue down the path of fantasy, to where theyre going to end up 10, 20, 30 years down the road and find themselves miserable from decisions that they made when they were young, said Republican Rep. Shane Baker at a rally. The legislation in Kentucky is part of a national movement, with state lawmakers approving extensive measures that restrict the rights of LGBTQ+ people this year from bills targeting trans athletes and drag performers to measures limiting gender-affirming care. At least 11 states have now enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for minors: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Utah, South Dakota and West Virginia. Federal judges have blocked enforcement of laws in Alabama and Arkansas, and nearly two dozen states are considering bills this year to restrict or ban care. The debate among Kentucky lawmakers reflected the impassioned arguments put forth at rallies. We are denying families, their physicians and their therapists the right to make medically informed decisions for their families, Democratic Sen. Karen Berg said in opposing the bill. Berg read what her son, Henry Berg-Brousseau, wrote in advocating for transgender rights shortly before his death late last year at age 24. The cause was suicide, his mother said. Republican Sen. Robby Mills said he supported the bill because of his belief that "puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, when administered to youth under 18 for the purpose of altering their appearance, is dangerous for the health of that child. Transgender medical treatments have long been available in the United States and are endorsed by major medical associations. The Kentucky measure will ban gender-affirming care for minors. It will outlaw gender reassignment surgery for anyone under 18, as well as the use of puberty blockers and hormones, and inpatient and outpatient gender-affirming hospital services. Doctors will have to set a timeline to detransition children already taking puberty blockers or undergoing hormone therapy. They could continue offering care as they taper a youngsters treatments, if removing them from the treatment immediately could harm the child. Parts of the bill dealing with gender-affirming medical care will take effect in about three months. The bill will not allow schools to discuss sexual orientation or gender identity with students of any age. It will also require school districts to devise bathroom policies that, at a minimum, won't allow transgender children to use the bathroom aligned with their gender identities. It will further allow teachers to refuse to refer to transgender students by the pronouns they use and require schools to notify parents when lessons related to human sexuality are going to be taught. Another trans teenager, Hazel Hardesty, said the potential discontinuation of gender-affirming health care would mean my male puberty would continue," which would cause a lot of mental distress. People dont even understand how it feels, the 16-year-old said in an interview at a rally. "Going through the wrong puberty, every day your body is a little bit farther from what feels like you. And eventually you dont even recognize yourself in the mirror. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Important information about cancer drug benefits, and related uncertainties, is frequently omitted from official prescription drug information sources for clinicians and patients in Europe, finds an analysis published by The BMJ today. Despite the commitment of medicines regulators to shared decision making and person centered care, the researchers say better information on the benefits and potential harms of medicines are needed to help inform treatment decisions, especially for patients with time limiting conditions such as advanced cancer. To receive and participate in medical care, patients need high quality information about treatments, tests, and services, including information about the benefits of and risks from prescription drugs. Previous studies have looked at how information on drug risks and adverse effects is communicated to patients, but research on communication of drug benefits is limited. To address this, researchers set out to assess the extent to which information about cancer drug benefits, and related uncertainties, is communicated to patients and doctors in regulated prescription drug information sources in Europe. They reviewed official written and electronic information for clinicians (through a summary of product characteristics), patients (information leaflets) and the public (public summaries) for 29 new cancer drugs approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) during 2017-2019. They then compared the information on drug benefits reported in these sources with the information available in regulatory assessment documents (known as European public assessment reports or EPARs), which contain everything required for drug approval. They found that both patient and public facing information sources were often lacking in relevance. For example, information on drug benefits was not reported in any patient leaflets, while otherpotentially less relevant information for patients (e.g., how a drug works in the body)was consistently included. They also found instances where the reporting of a study design and study findings was inconsistent with the information reported in EPARs and potentially misleading. Important gaps and uncertainties in the evidence base were also rarely reported, particularly those that might be relevant and useful for patients, such as whether a drug extended survival or improved quality of life. Finally, scientific concerns about the reliability of evidence on drug benefits, which were raised by European regulatory assessors for almost all drugs in the study sample, were rarely communicated to clinicians, patients, or the public. The researchers acknowledge that their review may not have captured all information about each trial or drug benefits and uncertainties that might be relevant and useful for patients. What's more, they included only new cancer drugs and it's not clear whether these findings extend to other disease areas. Nevertheless, this was a comprehensive review of documents which they say "identified important shortcomings in the communication of information on drug benefits and related uncertainties in regulated sources." The findings "highlight the need to improve the communication of the benefits and related uncertainties of anticancer drugs in regulated information sources in Europe to support evidence informed decision making by patients and their clinicians," they conclude. The takeaway message from this study is that information about drugs is rarely communicated welland particularly not communicated well to patients, say BMJ editors in a linked editorial. It also raises questions about whether this knowledge gap is interfering with shared decision making and whether new ways to present information such as visual representation of data on benefits and harmsused for COVID-19 vaccinescould be applied to other types of medicines. "The trust between patients and healthcare providers remains pivotal in ensuring that patients are fully informed about benefits and harms of drugs," they write. "But regulatory agencies should pay closer attention to important gaps in information for patients, and further research should aim to determine more precisely where these gaps occur and to work with patients to fill them." More information: Communication of anticancer drug benefits and related uncertainties to patients and clinicians: document analysis of regulated information on prescription drugs in Europe, The BMJ (2023). DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2022-073711 Journal information: British Medical Journal (BMJ) This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Shutterstock New South Wales health authorities have issued a measles alert after a baby who recently returned from overseas, and subsequently visited several sites in Western Sydney, tested positive to the virus. This follows two cases of measles in a family on Queensland's Sunshine Coast who returned from overseas on March 13, and a case in South Australia which was also acquired overseas. Measles is an extremely contagious disease but, thanks to immunization, is now rare in Australia. Here are five things you need to know about the virusand why it's important to get vaccinated. 1. Measles can cause severe illness and death Measles is a viral infection that can cause a variety of complications, including encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain. Before the development of effective vaccines, children's author Roald Dahl gave a harrowing account of the death of his daughter Olivia from measles encephalitis. A feared complication is a type of progressive encephalitis that can occur many years after infection called subacute sclerosing encephalitis. Deaths from measles are much more common in developing countries, where up to one in six infants with measles die from the infection. However, deaths are still reported in Australia. Although deaths due to measles globally have fallen sharply since 2000, in 2018 the World Health Organization estimated there were more than 140,000 deaths due to measles, mostly in children aged under five. Measles can also have indirect impacts on the immune system, with children being more susceptible to other bacterial and viral infections following measles. 2. Measles is highly infectious Measles can spread quickly though susceptible populations. In unvaccinated people, a single case can result in more than 12 to 18 secondary cases. After exposure, around nine out of ten people who are not protected by vaccination or past infection will become infected. A person with measles is infectious even before symptoms developfrom four days before the appearance of a rash to four days after. The measles virus remains infectious in air or on surfaces for up to two hours. This means transmission can occur in a hospital waiting room even after the person with measles has left. 3. The measles vaccine is very effective (though not perfect) The measles vaccine has been estimated to have averted more than 23 million deaths between 2000 and 2018. At a cost of less than US$2 per dose, it is thought to be one of the most cost-effective health interventions available. It is highly effective. An Australian study estimated one dose of vaccine reduced the risk of measles by 96.7%, and two doses by 99.7%. However, there are some limitations. The vaccine is less effective if given under the age of 12 months due to the baby's immature immune system. (In outbreak situations, or when an infant is traveling to a country where measles is common, it is sometimes given from six months of age). Another limitation is the measles vaccine is "live" (meaning it contains a very small amount of livebut weakenedvirus), so pregnant women and some people with weakened immune systems cannot receive it. In Australia, anyone born during or after 1966 should check they have had two doses of measles-containing vaccine, and if not, see their doctor to discuss vaccination. 4. Vaccinating children can also protect those who aren't vaccinated "Herd immunity" occurs where high vaccination coverage stops a disease from spreading far in a population. Because measles is so infectious, the vaccination threshold for herd immunity is high, and is the rationale for Australia's target to vaccinate 95% of children against measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases. Encouragingly, in 2022, 93% of two-year-old Australian children had received their first dose of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine. This high vaccination rate led to Australia being declared free from measles in 2014, reflecting an absence of ongoing local transmission of measles. Maintaining Australia's measles elimination status requires ongoing high vaccination rates, an effective surveillance system to detect imported and locally acquired cases, and a rapid public health response to cases. The World Health Organization can withdraw the measles elimination status of a country or region if local transmission is re-established, as happened to the United Kingdom in 2019. However, even where herd immunity is not achieved, high vaccine coverage tends to increase the average age that unvaccinated children get infected. This is important, as the chance of a baby being exposed to measles virus before they have an opportunity to be vaccinated is reduced. 5. COVID led to a resurgence of infection in many countries The COVID pandemic has disrupted many health services, including immunization programs. This has disproportionately affected countries where systems were under strain prior to the pandemic. One systematic review identified several countries where the number of vaccines given fell by more than 50%. Before the COVID pandemic, global coverage of measles-containing vaccines was increasing. The proportion of children who received one dose of measles vaccine by their first birthday went from 72% in 2000 to 86% in 2018. While these previous gains in coverage have provided some ongoing protection, as the number of unvaccinated younger children accumulate globally, the risk of measles outbreaks increases. Many countries are now reporting outbreaks, including India, Yemen, Somalia, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Zimbabwe and Pakistan. In theory, measles could be a candidate for eradication, like was achieved for smallpox in the 1970s. In addition to the benefits of eliminating deaths from measles, there is a compelling economic argument to eradicate measles, as vaccination would no longer be required. However, this goal seems to be slipping out of reach, and the longer we leave it the harder it will be. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: CC0 Public Domain Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy has transformed cancer treatment, yet relatively few studies have investigated the impact of the therapy on longitudinal patient quality of lifean aspect of care that often suffers from receiving traditional intensive cancer medications, such as chemotherapy. A new study published in Blood Advances demonstrates that some effective cancer treatments do improve quality of life, revealing that patients with blood cancers experienced a significant improvement in their reported well-being six months after receiving CAR T-cell therapy. CAR-T therapies are developed by harvesting a patient's own T cells (the immune system's primary cancer-killing cells), engineering them to target proteins specific to the surface of cancer cells, and reintroducing these modified T cells back into the patient's immune system to kill the cancer cells. "CAR-T has revolutionized the treatment of patients with relapsed and refractory blood cancers. But it remains a unique treatment with unique toxicities, including cytokine release syndrome, which is an inflammatory flu-like ailment, as well as neurologic toxicities. And these complications can take a toll on patients," said Connor Johnson, MD, an oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and lead study author. "Given the relatively new development of CAR-T therapy, there are a limited set of studies that have examined patient reported outcomes in those receiving these treatments." To conduct this study, investigators enrolled 103 patients ages 2390 with a blood cancer diagnosis from April of 2019 to November of 2021. Of these patients, 71% were diagnosed with lymphoma, 28% with myeloma, and 1% with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Patients eligible to receive CAR-T therapy were most commonly administered tisagenlecleucel (34%), lisocabtagene maraleucel (16%), axicabtagene ciloleucel (13%), and idecabtaene vicleucel (12%). The researchers administered self-reported questionnaires measuring quality of life variables at time intervals including prior to CAR-T cell infusion and one week, one month, three months, and six months after CAR-T cell infusion. Quality of life was measured using a 27-item questionnaire, known as the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G), which measures quality of life factors using four different subscales (physical, functional, emotional, and social) at all time points. Psychological distress was measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), which assessed variables designed to measure anxiety and depression symptoms at all time points. Lastly, major depressive symptoms were also measured using the PHQ-9, and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms were measured using the Post-Traumatic Stress Checklist. Researchers also recorded physical symptoms using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System, which assessed pain, fatigue, drowsiness, nausea, appetite, dyspnea, insomnia, trouble swallowing, and well-being over 24 hours. Overall, 76% of patients achieved remission and 33% experienced immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome, a common side effect of CAR-T therapy. Of note, 38% of patients did not survive the length of follow up for the study. Investigators were specifically interested in understanding how CAR T-cell therapy affected patient quality of life. They found that for most individuals, quality of life initially declined in the first week after the administration of CAR T-cell therapy (decreasing from a median baseline of 77.9 to 70.1), a time when treatment related symptoms are typically at their peak, and then significantly increased (to a median of 83.7) by the six-month mark post infusion. Similarly, they found improvements in the physical symptom burden, as well as anxiety symptoms. While most study participants ultimately experienced an improvement in their quality of life, roughly 20% of patients experienced persistent physical and psychological symptoms, which at times were detrimental to quality of life. Dr. Johnson explains that it is important to recognize the burden CAR-T therapy brings to some patients to maximize the effectiveness of these therapies and improve care for all individuals living with hematologic malignancies. "Here we show significant improvements in quality of life among patients with an array of blood cancer diagnoses, receiving a variety of CAR-T products," said Dr. Johnson. "However, we also identify a distinct subset of patients who have persistent physical and psychological symptom burden, even at the six-month post CAR-T time point. And I hope that these findings lead to additional interventions with a goal of improving the overall quality of life trajectory of all patients." More information: Connor Johnson et al, Blood Advances (2023). Journal information: Blood Advances This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: CC0 Public Domain A new UC San Francisco-led study brings scientists closer to understanding the causes of a mysterious rash of cases of acute severe hepatitis that began appearing in otherwise healthy children after COVID-19 lockdowns eased in the United States and 34 other countries in the spring of 2022. Pediatric hepatitis is rare, and doctors were alarmed when they started seeing outbreaks of severe unexplained hepatitis. There have been about 1,000 cases to date; 50 of these children needed liver transplants and at least 22 have died. In the study, publishing on March 30 in Nature, researchers linked the disease to co-infections from multiple common viruses, in particular a strain of adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV2). AAVs are not known to cause hepatitis on their own. They need "helper" viruses, such as adenoviruses that cause colds and flus, to replicate in the liver. Once they returned to school, children were more susceptible to infections with these common pathogens. The study suggests that for a small subset of these children, getting more than one infection at the same time may have made them more vulnerable to severe hepatitis. "We were surprised by the fact that the infections we detected in these children were caused not by an unusual, emerging virus, but by common childhood viral pathogens," said Charles Chiu, MD, Ph.D., professor of laboratory medicine and medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases, director of the UCSF Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, and senior author of the paper. "That's what led us to speculate that the timing of the outbreak was probably related to the really unusual situations we were going through with COVID-19 related school and daycare closures and social restrictions," Chiu said. "It may have been an unintended consequence of what we have experienced during the last two-to-three years of the pandemic." By August 2022, clusters of cases were reported in 35 countries, including the U. S., where 358 cases were under investigation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched an investigation into the causes. Testing for viruses To conduct the study, which was backed by the CDC, researchers used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) along with various metagenomic sequencing and molecular-testing methods to examine plasma, whole blood, nasal swab and stool samples from 16 pediatric cases in six statesAlabama, California, Florida, Illinois, North Carolina and South Dakotafrom Oct. 1, 2021, to May 22, 2022. The specimens were compared with 113 control samples. In genotyping the 14 available blood samples, adeno-associated virus 2 (AAV2) was detected in 93% of the cases and human adenoviruses (HAdVs) were found in all the cases; a specific type of adenovirus linked to gastroenteritis (HAdV-41) was found in 11 cases. Additional co-infections with Epstein-Barr, herpes and enterovirus were found in 85.7% of cases. Chiu noted the results mirrored the findings of two concurrent studies conducted in the United Kingdom, which identified the same AAV2 strain. All three studies identified co-infections from multiple viruses, and 75% of the children in the U.S. study had three or four viral infections. Since AAVs are not considered pathogenic on their own, a direct causal link with the severe acute hepatitis has yet to be established. The study notes, however, that children may be especially vulnerable to more severe hepatitis triggered by co-infections. While infections from adeno-associated viruses can occur at any age, the peak is typically between 1 and 5 years old, and the median age of the affected children in the study was 3 years old. The clusters of acute severe hepatitis in children have recently waned, but Chiu said the best way to protect children from this unlikely outcome is by washing hands frequently and staying home when sick. More information: Charles Chiu, Adeno-associated virus type 2 in US children with acute severe hepatitis, Nature (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05949-1. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-05949-1 Emma Thomson, Adeno-associated virus 2 infection in children with non-A-E hepatitis, Nature (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05948-2. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-05948-2 Frank Tacke, Severe hepatitis outbreak in children linked to AAV2 virus, Nature (2023). DOI: 10.1038/d41586-023-00570-8 Journal information: Nature This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A newly published study paves the way for some patients with testicular cancer to avoid chemotherapy and radiation. Seminoma is a slow-growing form of testicular cancer that, if untreated, typically metastasizes (spreads) to lymph nodes in an area behind the abdomen lining called the retroperitoneum. The standard treatment for patients at this stage is chemotherapy and radiation to shrink and kill the cancerous lymph nodes. While effective, chemotherapy and radiation are associated with long-term side effects, such as cardiovascular disease and secondary cancers, that adversely affect a patient's quality of life. Now, however, the results of a multi-institutional clinical trial recently published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology show that surgically removing the affected lymph nodes in the retroperitoneum is an effective alternative to chemotherapy and radiation with fewer long-term side effects. "We found that the majority of participants in the study were cured with surgery alone, avoiding the toxicities associated with traditional therapies. We are confident that surgery for this disease state will be included into treatment guidelines in the near future," said Sia Daneshmand, MD, a urologic oncologist with Keck Medicine of USC and lead investigator of the clinical trial. Daneshmand is also a member of USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of Keck Medicine. Testicular cancer is generally a treatable cancer that most commonly affects men ages 15-35. When testicular cancer only spreads to the retroperitoneum, it is classified as early metastatic or stage 2 seminoma. The procedure to remove lymph nodes from the retroperitoneumknown as a retroperitoneal lymphadenopathyis an established treatment for metastatic testicular cancer when chemotherapy fails to eradicate all affected lymph nodes. However, surgery has not traditionally been considered a viable stand-alone treatment for early metastatic seminoma. The national study enrolled 55 patients across 12 institutions to investigate if surgery could replace chemotherapy and radiation as an effective treatment, thereby sparing patients the long-term risks associated with the two traditional therapies. Study participants had previously undergone surgery to remove the testicle(s) where the original cancer occurred, and their cancer had progressed no further than to the retroperitoneum. Once enrolled, the patients underwent a retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy by certified surgeons at participating institutions around the country and one site in Canada. Keck Hospital of USC performed 15 of the surgeries. Most of the Keck Medicine patients were able to go home 24 hours after surgery with minimal or no complications, according to Daneshmand. Daneshmand and his colleagues found that 81% of the patients demonstrated a two-year recurrence-free survival rate. The 20% who did experience recurrence of the cancer were successfully treated with either chemotherapy or additional surgery for an overall survival rate of 100%. "A 100% survival suggests that a cure can still be achieved even in patients who experience recurrence after the surgery," said Daneshmand. Daneshmand acknowledges that not all hospitals or medical centers have the expertise or resources to successfully complete retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy. He advises patients to look for an academic medical center to discuss the possibility of surgery over traditional therapies. "Early metastatic seminoma has a very high survival rate; however if treated with chemotherapy and radiation, the cure can come at a high cost," he said. "Surgery gives patients both the opportunity to be cured and experience a high quality of life post-cancer." More information: Siamak Daneshmand et al, Surgery in Early Metastatic Seminoma: A Phase II Trial of Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection for Testicular Seminoma With Limited Retroperitoneal Lymphadenopathy, Journal of Clinical Oncology (2023). DOI: 10.1200/JCO.22.00624 Journal information: Journal of Clinical Oncology This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Fewer than 40% of young Kiwi adults (18- to 24-year-olds) are meeting the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for physical activity, a new study has found. The WHO guidelines recommend adults do at least 2.5 hours a week of moderate intensity aerobic activity as well as muscle-strengthening activity on at least two days each week. "Our research suggests just 37% of young adults are meeting both these recommendations," says Justin Richards, study co-author and associate professor in physical activity and well-being at Te Herenga WakaVictoria University of Wellington. The study found significant differences in physical activity based on gender, with young men more likely to meet the WHO's recommendations than young women. It also found women's participation in physical activity was associated with ethnicity, and their employment and socio-economic status. "Women living in the most deprived areas were 32% less likely to meet the recommendations compared with women in the least deprived areas. In contrast, there were no differences among men based on socio-economic status," Associate Professor Richards says. Young women who weren't in full-time work and those from Asian and Pacific communities were also less likely to meet the recommendations. Co-author Dr. Oliver Wilson, a lecturer in physical activity and well-being at Victoria University of Wellington, says the findings indicate many young adults are not doing enough physical activity to benefit their health. "Taking part in physical activity has important long-term health and well-being implications, including reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and poor mental health. Physical activity generally declines over a person's lifetimeand young adults tend to over-report how much activity they doso our findings raise public health concerns," Dr. Wilson says. "The results also suggest a 'one-size-fits-all' approach to promoting physical activity among young adults would be short-sighted, given the differences identified between different groups. Effective promotion of physical activity has to be tailored to the needs of these groups," he says. The study was based on data from Sport New Zealand surveys carried out between January 2017 and December 2019. Responses from 4,190 adults aged 18 to 24 were used to assess the proportion of young people meeting the WHO's recommendations for both aerobic and muscle strengthening activity. Researchers from the Auckland University of Technology, University of Auckland, and the University of Otago also contributed to the study, published in BMC Public Health. More information: Oliver W. A. Wilson et al, Differences in physical activity participation among young adults in Aotearoa New Zealand, BMC Public Health (2023). DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15063-6 Journal information: BMC Public Health Montana Museum of Art and Culture Director Rafael Chacon received a phone call last winter from someone in Kentucky who said he had something that belonged to the University of Montana. The man, who had been going through his late fathers things, came across a work of art his father had told him years before he wanted returned to UM. When Chacon saw a photo of the piece, he knew immediately it had been missing and thought lost for more than 60 years. He said his father bought the painting at a yard sale in Missoula for $25. No one knows how it ended up in that yard sale, Chacon said. I didnt ask any other questions. I just said thank you. We are just so grateful to have it back. The portrait of a boy wearing a brimmed hat and smoking a cigarette has soft, quick brush strokes characteristic of impressionist works. Painted by Fra Dana inarguably Montanas most gifted impressionist of the early 20th century Portrait of Clifford Breeding went missing without a trace in the 1950s. It was even featured in a 1990 missing arts journal as one of our most important lost artworks at the time. Chacon thought it was lost forever until the man in Kentucky called to tell him what hed found. This is an exciting return, said Chacon. We hope it opens the door for other pieces to come back to our remarkable collection. The discovery and return of this beloved artwork couldnt be timelier as the staff at MMAC, along with community volunteers, graduate students and interns, works to catalog UMs collection in anticipation of the museums move to a new building under construction on the UM campus. Scheduled for completion this fall, the new building will be the first permanent home for a collection with a storied past. The move to this new state-of-the-art facility is the culmination of the hopes and dreams of generations before us who understood the value of this unique collection of art, Chacon said. Established in 1895 with scientific specimens donated by the Smithsonian, the museum was first housed in University Hall (now called Main Hall). But by 1900 the collection had grown so large that curators ran out of space to display it. The lack of space and a dedicated home became the story of the museum at times overshadowing the deep and rich tales of its collection. Throughout its history, the museum has had periods of explosive growth and long periods of neglect, Chacon said. From the better part of the last century, the museum has moved around campus, with display spaces in Main Hall, the Womens Club-Art Building, Turner Hall and storage in the journalism, fine arts and social science buildings, and any suitable place curators could find. While some of the collection was visible in public spaces and offices across the campus and on loan to institutions across the state, large parts were stored in basements, closets and attics, with artwork tucked in out-of-the-way and forgotten places. Over many years, it has been the subject of undocumented loans, disappearances and outright theft. Calls for a new building go back to the early 20th century, Chacon said of the new building, which ultimately will serve as a cultural gateway to campus. But the shared vision of our generous giving community and the university finally made this possible. It is a singular moment for all of us who look forward to years of reflection, education and enjoyment of this collection in its new home. The privately funded project is made possible by the generosity of many donors, including a commitment of $12.5 million from longtime UM donors Patt and Terry Payne. As Chacon and his staff prepare to move the collection for the last time, they are making sure they know precisely what has been stashed in the basement of the Social Science Building, where the museums paintings, sculptures, period furniture pieces and fabric artworks currently are stored. UM students like MFA candidate Dagny Walton are donning white gloves and helping catalog the pieces while getting an education in art history at the same time. It's been a great opportunity to experience the permanence of art, Walton said. I feel like, as a student and as an artist in the oversaturated digital era, Ive accepted that my work certainly wont occupy a permanent spot in history. Its been a pleasure to handle well-known pieces of art that do have that permanence alongside work that is also largely unknown, but still holds a spot in this prestigious collection. That blend has been really satisfying to experience. UMs Megan Foster, another MFA student, said it is a remarkable thing to help catalog MMACs collection at such an important time in the museums history. For me, what has been the most special, aside from just being able to experience the collection in such a personal and hands-on way, is knowing that the work I am doing will enable so many people in our community and outside our community to see the collection as well, Foster said. Its a collection that I feel is very connected to this area and its people while also being a collection of great breadth and depth. Along with Walton and Foster, close to 50 community members volunteered to help process 350 to 400 objects the greatest hits, as Chacon calls them between now and August. One of those greatest hits will be the Dana painting Portrait of Clifford Breeding, home at last. This is a very important portrait for Fra Danas career, Chacon said. Not only do we see her at her most skilled as an impressionist in the way she handles composition, light and color, but we also see her interest in the subjects of the Ashcan School, an American movement from the East Coast at the turn of the century which focused on common subjects in an honest and sincere way. In this sensitive portrait of an Indigenous boy living in two cultures, Dana brings the Ashcan to Montana. It is a powerful statement. While the building is scheduled to open this fall, staff, community volunteers and students who are earning a soon-to-be-launched museum studies certificate will continue to process the rest of the objects over the next two to three years. Well make countless exciting discoveries along the way, Chacon said. Stephen Frears' "The Lost King" is based on one of those real-life stories that's so delightful you can't quite believe it's true: An amateur historian in Edinburgh named Philippa Langley (Sally Hawkins), fascinated by King Richard III, manages to pinpoint the exact location of the monarch's long-lost remains beneath a thoroughly unlovely parking lot in the town of Leicester. It's a tale made for the movies, and a character perfectly suited to the great Hawkins, who specializes in wispy-voiced women with cores of steel. 'THE LOST KING' *** Rated: PG-13 (for some strong language and brief suggestive references) Run time: 1:48 Opens Friday at the Roxy As depicted in the film, Philippa leads a complicated life: She's a divorced mother of two who's on good terms with her amiable ex (Steve Coogan, who also co-wrote the screenplay), struggles to gain respect at her uninspiring job in sales, and copes with the effects of a long-term illness that often leaves her in pain and exhausted. One day, she takes her son to a production of "Richard III," and a spark is lit; soon, she's at a pub joining a meeting of Richard III buffs. (In my dreams, every British pub has one of these meetings in a back corner.) "You sure you want to join this group? You look quite normal," one of them asks her. "I'm not," she says coolly, accustomed to being underestimated. "The Lost King" reunites the team behind "Philomena" (Frears, Coogan and co-writer Jeff Pope), and it has a similarly moving quality; you're instantly on Philippa's side, aching with her every time someone condescends to her, cheering her on as her dream draws closer. And Frears handles the film's one whimsical touch a vision of King Richard (Harry Lloyd), with whom Philippa frequently converses with such refreshingly brisk dryness, we buy it instantly. It's a feel-good film about dreams, about obsession, about believing in yourself when nobody else seems to be doing it for you, and Hawkins carries it with effortless ease. "Hello," she says quietly, looking down at what lies in the excavation she insisted on; there's an entire world in that tiny word. HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman will return to the Senate in April, two months after the freshman Democrat sought inpatient treatment for clinical depression, a person close to Fetterman said Wednesday. The person, who was not authorized to discuss Fettermans plans and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Fetterman will return the week of April 17. It was not immediately clear when Fetterman will leave Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he checked in Feb. 15 after weeks of what aides described as Fetterman being withdrawn and uninterested in eating, discussing work or the usual banter with staff. Fetterman, 53, was barely a month into his service in Washington and still recovering from the aftereffects of the stroke he suffered last May during his campaign when he went to Walter Reed on the advice of the Capitol physician, Dr. Brian P. Monahan. Post-stroke depression is common and treatable, doctors say. Before Wednesday, neither Fetterman nor Senate Democratic leadership had provided a certain timeline for his return. Fettermans return will be welcome news for Democrats who have struggled to find votes for some nominations, in particular, without Fetterman there. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., has also been absent for several weeks recovering from a case of the shingles, and the two absences have made some votes difficult in Democrats single-vote, 51-49 majority. Republicans have also dealt with some absences of their own, notably Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who has been at home recovering from a fall. McConnell could also return as soon as the week of April 17. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington contributed to this report. Follow Marc Levy on Twitter: @timelywriter CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) A protester forcibly removed from a chamber gallery at the West Virginia Capitol and later arrested for disrupting lawmakers as they moved to ban abortion last year will see all charges dropped against her, if she stays out of trouble for the next six months. Lindsey Jacobs, a 38-year-old lawyer with no criminal history, was ordered to perform 25 hours of community service under an agreement made Wednesday at a hearing in Kanawha County Magistrate Court. Charleston-based Magistrate Pete Lopez dismissed two misdemeanor charges for obstructing an officer and willful disruption of governmental processes. Those offenses could have come with maximum penalties of up to either six months or a year in jail each, and hundreds of dollars in fines. Lopez agreed to dismiss a third misdemeanor for disorderly conduct if Jacobs doesn't get convicted for breaking any laws in the next six months. The arrest will be on her record. She'll also have to pay around $175 in court fees. Jacobs called the magistrate's decision the best outcome under the circumstances." I mean, the reason that were here sucks there's not really any way to spin that," she said outside court afterward. "The state should have better things to do than prosecuting women who shouted too loudly for their comfort because their constitutional right was taken away." Jacobs said she has no regrets about her actions that day: Id do that protest every day, all day, for the rest of my life." Jacobs, who runs advocacy programs for a nonprofit legal services organization, was removed from the House gallery last Sept. 13 while lawmakers discussed banning abortions at all stages of pregnancy with few exceptions. The bill was signed into law three days later by Republican Gov. Jim Justice, the same day a warrant was issued for Jacobs arrest. In February, West Virginia's only abortion clinic which had to shutter abortion services following the law's passage filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the ban. It has asked the court to issue an injunction blocking it while providers make their case in court. During the debate, Republican Del. Margitta Mazzocchi said anyone wanting to protect against pregnancy can buy emergency contraceptives known as Plan B pills over the counter at pharmacies. Not if youre poor, Jacobs shouted down at lawmakers, followed by shouts from others in the gallery. Jacobs said she became frustrated, believing Mazzocchi was overlooking the fact that the pills cost between $40 and $50, an amount she called cost prohibitive for a lot of people. House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, who was presiding over the floor session, asked people in the gallery to remain quiet. As shouting continued, he asked security to remove Jacobs. She was dragged out by her arms by Capitol police. Dont just sit there while they take away your rights, she shouted while being led away. Capitol police did not arrest her then, leaving her to walk downstairs where she rejoined protesters rallying outside the chamber for at least an hour until the bill passed. In the days after the bill's passage, a video of Jacobs being dragged out of the gallery began circulating on social media. Jacobs said she was tuning into a morning work call more than a week later at her home in Morgantown some 125 miles (200 kilometers) from Charleston when she heard banging on her door. It was state police, with a warrant for her arrest. Taken to the state police barracks for processing, she was subsequently arraigned by a county magistrate on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond. Another female protester who spoke out while lawmakers were in session was arrested and charged on the spot and escorted out. Rose Winland, a 52-year-old development manager for the ACLU of West Virginia, was handed a $100 fine in January for one misdemeanor willful disruption of governmental processes charge by Lopez, the same magistrate handling Jacobs case. Winland also faced a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct, but that was dropped. Jacobs said before the day of protest that she and other demonstrators felt mounting frustration the public wasnt given enough of an opportunity to voice their opinions about the looming ban. At the only public hearing on the bill, people were given just 45 seconds each to speak. Those who refused to comply where escorted out by security. Ultimately, this is all about bully tactics to intimidate protesters so that they wont speak, she said Wednesday. We need to get really comfortable with civil disobedience because clearly, showing up and protesting isnt making folks uncomfortable enough to keep them from doing these really horrible things to women, to trans people, to poor people. Jacobs said she plans to fulfill her mandated community service hours working for the Morgantown Public Library and Charleston-based Solutions Oriented Addiction Response, an organization that works to support people living with substance use disorder. A graphic and disturbing video of a man being stabbed to death in Vancouver was posted on social media this week, prompting concerns about how to remove the video. Paul Schmidt, 37, moved to Vancouver from Kelowna a few years ago and was stabbed after a brief altercation with a stranger outside a Starbucks at 5:40 p.m. on Sunday. His mother has seen the video that was posted on social media and calls it disturbing. "His wife and daughter witnessed the whole thing. The most disturbing thing is that nobody tried to help, nobody called 911, and nobody called the police. They just sat and watched. I can't get my head around it," said Kathy Schmidt. She claims her son was killed after asking the individual to stop vaping near the stroller his child was in. A GoFundMe fundraiser for Schmidt asks people to respect the familys wishes and not circulate the horrific video footage that has been shared on social media. Vancouver's mayor and Vancouver police issued a similar request. Can there be anything more disgusting and loathsome than seeing a video posted of the stabbing? says Howard Chow, deputy chief of the Vancouver Police Department. "Aside from impacting evidence, have you considered the impact on the victims family and friends? Mayor Ken Sim said it was an awful and tragic story to hear about and nobody should ever feel unsafe walking around our city. Out of respect for them and their loss, please refrain from sharing graphic images or videos of the incident on social media, said Sim. Multiple media outlets have decided not to share the video. We are encouraging people not to share that video, says VPD's Sgt. Steve Addison. "If youve got video, if you are a bystander, if you are a witness, please come forward and speak to our investigators, provide it to our investigators. Twitters own policy states sharing excessively gruesome images or videos, or sharing media depicting a deceased individual for sadistic purposes is also not permitted. "Out of respect for the deceased and those impacted by their death, as well as to decrease the impact of unintended exposure to graphic media, we may ask you to remove images and videos that depict the death of an identifiable person, states Twitters website. Law needs to adapt to advancing technology B.C.-based criminal lawyer Sarah Leamon says the incident highlights a gap in the legal system. "I think that myself, like many other viewers who saw this video, was just absolutely shocked. It's an extremely graphic video and it's something that definitely stays with people after they've seen it, Leamon tells Glacier Media. From a criminal perspective, she says its difficult to find a law that would address the posting of the video. It, of course, gives rise to the question of whether or not we should be considering doing something to fill in what is perceived to be an obvious gap in our judicial system, she says. Leamon adds the law has not adapted to advancing technology. The law is quite slow when it comes to adapting to advances in technology, and particularly so given how prevalent social media is, so it might be due time for the law to catch up in this regard, she says, noting an individual could consider another legal avenue. "It's important to keep in mind that a criminal action doesn't necessarily preclude somebody from also advancing a civil claim as well. There are different standards of proof in each of those types of proceedings, of course, with the criminal standard being the highest burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt," she says. B.C civil litigation lawyer Erik Magraken says the right thing to do is for the individual to take down the video. The family does not want this video up there. And I think theres very good reason to respect the familys wishes, but morals and the law dont always line up, he says. Taking the legal route of getting the video removed would be difficult, he tells Glacier Media. B.C. has privacy legislation. The family can sue, saying this is a violation of their privacy. But thats an uphill battle, probably an unsuccessful battle, said Magraken, noting the privacy act does not survive death and cannot be applied to the deceased. A dead person has no right to say their privacy has been violated, so that in and of itself is a problem. The family themselves can say their privacy has been violated, but this incident occurred in a public setting. Legally, said Magraken, the Schmidt family's privacy has probably not been violated, despite the fact that this is something that they have very good grounds to not want shared, in perpetuity on the internet. Schmidts mother pleads with the people who posted the video to take it down. Its disgusting, we want it down, she says. Let us grieve. Have some respect. Twitter's policy, which was updated in January 2023, states reports can be submitted and Twitter may permanently suspend an account if the majority of one's activity on Twitter is sharing this type of media. As of publication time, the video of the Starbucks stabbing remains on Twitter, three days after it was posted. Glacier Media has confirmed that family and friends spent all day Monday flagging videos posted to social media so they could be removed. In a statement to Glacier Media, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, states it has removed the video and has taken steps to prevent it from being uploaded again. Vancouver police arrested Inderdeep Singh Gosal, 32, shortly after the altercation, and he has since been charged with second-degree murder. ATLANTA (AP) Georgia lawmakers are agreeing to a state budget that will pay full tuition for all college students receiving a HOPE Scholarship while boosting pay for all state and university employees and public school teachers. House and Senate leaders signed an agreement on Wednesday for the $32.5 billion state budget that begins July 1. The Senate voted 54-1 to approve the measure, with the House then approving it 170-3 in the closing hours of the 2023 session. The budget cuts some teaching funds at the state's public universities, but not as much as the Senate had initially proposed. The Senate proposed the cuts as part of a dispute with the House over rules to allow new hospitals to be built and funding of Augusta University's hospital. Counting federal and other money, the state would spend nearly $56 billion. Lawmakers agreed with Gov. Brian Kemp's plans to pay full tuition for everyone receiving a HOPE college scholarship and to give all state employees and public school teachers $2,000 raises. In the agreement, some state law enforcement officers would get $6,000, up from a $4,000 bump sought by the House. The only people in this budget who are getting 100% of what they want are our students on HOPE," House Appropriations Committee Chairman Matt Hatchett, a Dublin Republican, said Wednesday morning as the agreement was signed. The deal would eliminate the current two-tier system of lottery-funded HOPE Scholarships, going back to the original system of paying full tuition for all high school graduates who earn a B average. While Zell Miller scholars who earn higher grades and a minimum standardized test score get full tuition now, others only get 90%. The agreement also boosts the amount for HOPE Scholarship recipients who attend private colleges in Georgia. Georgias budget pays to educate 1.75 million K-12 students and 465,000 college students, house 48,000 state prisoners, pave 18,000 miles (29,000 kilometers) of highways and care for more than 200,000 people who are mentally ill, developmentally disabled or addicted to drugs or alcohol. Work on the budget got tangled with Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones' push for a bill that could allow a new hospital to be built near his home in Butts County. That could financially benefit his family if it's built on land his father owns. The dispute is also linked to an attempt by Wellstar Health System to take over Augusta Universitys hospitals, and to a House push for additional changes to the states mental health system. Senators proposed an $87 million cut in university teaching, as well as an $18 million reduction in university health insurance. The final agreement puts back the health insurance money and cuts teaching by about $66 million, out of a roughly $9 billion University System of Georgia budget. Funding for new initiatives in this budget has to come from somewhere, Hatchett said. Lawmakers said universities should cover the shortfall with some of their roughly $500 million in cash on hand. The percentage were talking about here is much less than other agencies have seen," Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Blake Tillery, a Vidalia Republican, argued during a long discussion with other Republican senators. Augusta University earlier this year was given $105 million, at Kemps behest, to purchase a new electronic medical records system. Jones argues that money was an unfair giveaway to Marietta-based Wellstar Health System, which is in talks to take over Augusta University hospitals. Wellstar owns a small hospital in Butts County and opposes the push for a competing hospital there. Lawmakers somewhat reduced proposed Senate cuts to Georgia Public Broadcasting and Augusta University's Georgia Cyber Center. The public television and radio agency would lose about $1.4 million in state funding, while the Cyber Center would lose about $3.2 million. Lawmakers agreed on more spending for mental health and addiction treatment funding, reflecting lawmakers' continued emphasis on those issues. The agreement will again give $500 bonuses for 54,000 retirees in the state Employees Retirement System. Retirees in that plan have not received regular cost-of-living increases. Lawmakers agreed to pay for home services for 500 more people with intellectual, developmental, or physical disabilities up from the 250 originally proposed by Kemp. The state has thousands on a waiting list for such services. Follow Jeff Amy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jeffamy. WEDNESDAY, March 29, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Congressional leaders introduced a bill on Tuesday that would further restrict access to the veterinary drug xylazine, which is now being added to fentanyl powder. Also known as "tranq," the drug is meant to be a sedative and muscle relaxer for horses and other large animals and is not approved for human use. But the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has warned that it found xylazine in nearly a quarter of the fentanyl powder it seized in 2022. In addition to depressing breathing and causing overdoses, xylazine can even cause severe, necrotic skin ulcerations that may lead to amputation. The Combating Illicit Xylazine Act would reclassify the substance as a Schedule III drug, while declaring it as an emerging threat and allowing the DEA to track manufacturing of the drug. Other Schedule III drugs include ketamine and anabolic steroids. "Drug traffickers are going to great lengths to pad their profits with dangerous drugs like tranq, and we need to empower law enforcement to crack down on its spread in our communities," Rep. Catherine Cortez Masto said in a news release announcing the bill she cosponsored. "This bipartisan legislation will ensure the DEA and local law enforcement have the tools they need to get xylazine off our streets while protecting its important use as a veterinary tranquilizer." Among the other symptoms experienced by people taking xylazine are blurred vision, disorientation, drowsiness, staggering, coma, bradycardia, respiratory depression, low blood pressure, constricted pupils, and high blood sugar. HELENA, Mont. (AP) A Montana bill to deny gender-affirming medical care to young transgender residents passed a final vote in the state Senate on Wednesday, which sends the measure to Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte for his consideration. Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Montana have said they will take legal action if the bill becomes law. Gov. Gianforte will carefully consider bills in their final form as they arrive to his desk, spokesperson Kaitlin Price said when asked if Gianforte had decided how he would act on the bill. At least nine states have enacted similar bans, with those in Alabama and Arkansas blocked by the courts. Other states have considered or are considering such bans. Montana lawmakers seem hellbent on joining the growing roster of states determined to jeopardize the health and lives of transgender youth, in direct opposition to the overwhelming body of scientific and medical evidence supporting this care as appropriate and necessary," Lambda Legal and the ACLU organizations said in a statement last week. The Senate voted 32-17 on party lines Wednesday to approve amendments made in the House the body's final action on the bill that seeks to ban the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgery to treat minors diagnosed with gender dysphoria. The diagnosis requires an insistent, persistent and consistent declaration by someone that they are different from their sex assigned at birth. The treatments including puberty blockers and breast reduction surgery would still be allowed for young cisgender people. I reflect a lot on the way that parents of kids who are not trans have the ability to access exactly this healthcare for their kids," Democratic Rep. SJ Howell said last week before the House Judiciary Committee passed the bill on a party-line vote. If people think the treatment is abuse, the state's health department has an agency to investigate child abuse, they said. It's not protecting kids, and I think that it is discriminatory to its core," said Howell, who is transgender and nonbinary. Bill sponsor Republican Sen. John Fuller and other supporters have said the law is needed to protect children from any pressure to receive harmful, experimental puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones or to undergo irreversible, life-altering procedures," before they become adults. Families, transgender minors and physicians during hourslong and sometimes emotional committee hearings said the bill would ban evidence-based care that can save lives for those who have anxiety and depression because their biological sex does not match their gender identity. The bill also prohibits Montana's Medicaid program from paying for the medication or surgical procedures for transgender minors. Montanas Medicaid program began covering medication treatment for gender dysphoria for minors in 2015, the state health department said in January, and had spent nearly $1.4 million an average of $173,000 a year. Under the bill, health care providers who prescribe puberty blockers, hormones or surgery to transgender minors would have engaged in unprofessional conduct and be subject to discipline including a mandatory one-year suspension of their medical license. If the bill becomes law, it would take effect Oct. 1, ending current treatment for transgender minors. The House amended a section of the bill that would have given transgender people who later regretted their treatment up to a 25-year window to sue their physicians for damages. That timeframe was reduced to four years. Physicians would not be allowed to carry liability insurance coverage to pay for such damages under the bill. COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) About five dozen advocates for transgender youth rallied outside the South Carolina State House as Republican senators joined their conservative counterparts nationwide in advancing a ban on gender-affirming medical care for minors. A South Carolina bill to ban gender-transition surgeries, hormone therapy and puberty blockers for people under the age of 18 passed a Senate subcommittee on Wednesday. The vote along party lines aligns South Carolina with a broader effort in Republican-dominated legislatures across the country. At least 11 states have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for minors: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Utah, South Dakota and West Virginia. Federal judges have blocked the enforcement of laws in Alabama and Arkansas. Nearly two dozen states are considering bills this year to restrict or ban care. South Carolina lawmakers heard testimony twice over the past week at tense subcommittee meetings. Supporters of the bill included two de-transitioning women from other states who chronicled the pain they have felt since regretfully undergoing hormone therapy as adults. Matt Sharp, a senior counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom, a national Christian conservative advocacy group, said it would protect children and parents from being pressured into agreeing to these harmful, experimental gender transition procedures. Research shows such regret is rare, and major medical associations endorse transgender medical treatment for youths. Republican Sen. Josh Kimbrell, one of 25 Republican sponsors, compared the restrictions to other age limits on voting, tattoos, drinking and tobacco purchases. Changing ones gender is significantly more consequential than any of those things, Kimbrell said. "There needs to be a boundary to protect these children from, frankly, whims they may not be able to reverse later. Transgender adults and children challenged those notions. Niko Dittrich-Reed, 11, told rally attendees Wednesday that his transgender identity is not a choice but who I am. Gender-affirming care, he said, provided a light at the end of the tunnel after hours of crying over something he feared he could not change. I am here to represent minors suffering from the law forcing them to be someone else, he said. Other transgender adults detailed the negative impact of going through puberty's physical effects such as breast development or facial hair growth without puberty-blocking medication. South Carolina pediatricians testified that no doctors in South Carolina perform gender-transition surgeries on minors. Evidence-based treatments like puberty blockers, they said, can be reversible and, like other medications, are only prescribed to adolescents after discussions of the side effects. Puberty blockers essentially buy the adolescent time, protecting their mental health while they have the chance to grow, mature and develop the ability to make more adult decisions about their future," said Dr. Deborah Greenhouse, a past president of the South Carolina Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Several parents of transgender youth said the process to obtain such care is all but swift and criticized the bill for limiting what they called the lifesaving treatment options available. David Bell outlined the lengthy process his family undertook to get fundamental healthcare that he said saved his 14-year-old transgender daughter. After meeting with a social worker four times over a three-year period to verify proper treatment and signing many documents, Bell said his daughter began receiving puberty blockers. In the more than two years since, he said his daughter has grown more social after experiencing bullying and lost the suicidal ideation she had previously displayed. We made all these decisions with trusted medical providers every step of the way," Bell said. "No family in South Carolina wakes up one day and has their child immediately prescribed hormone therapy. This is a complicated healthcare and its best decided by a child, their parents and medical professionals. The bill would also require any school employee who suspects or knows that a student has gender dysphoria to share that information with the students legal guardian. Some parents have argued they deserve to know, while others warn it could jeopardize the mental health and physical safety of gender-nonconforming children. The subcommittee also advanced a bill banning changes to the gender marker on a birth certificate after one year, effectively preventing transgender people from updating their official documentation. The process currently requires a family courts approval, which is typically contingent on a physicians affidavit. Critics said transgender people seeking to change their birth certificates should be able to do so without the costs and delays often involved with the court. Advocates on Wednesday instead endorsed the state health departments proposed regulations to streamline the process by removing the family court's involvement. Ivy Hill, the executive director of Gender Benders, a transgender advocacy group in South Carolina, said they have seen firsthand the joy that updated documentation can bring. Having updated identity documents means safety. It means being seen as who you truly are. It means validation of identity, Hill told lawmakers Wednesday. That validation of identity may not mean a whole lot to yall, but it means a whole lot to us. An upcoming procedural deadline threatens either proposal's chances at becoming law this session. Bills that do not pass by April 10 must get two-thirds supermajority approval in the other chamber. With the Senate scheduled to take a break next week, the bills would likely have to get near-unanimous support from House Republicans. Regardless, advocates say the measures' consideration puts a target on the transgender community. Greg Green, the executive director of Transgender Awareness Alliance, said the bills inspire hate. Youre bringing things up that arent necessary, and its definitely creating long-term damage to not just the trans community but to society in terms of people being able to express themselves and be themselves, Green told The Associated Press after testifying last week. - James Pollard is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. The Missoula County sheriff released the name of a man who was found dead along Interstate 90 on March 12. Ian C. Throndsen, 61, of Missoula was identified as the deceased person on Wednesday by Missoula Sheriff Jeremiah Petersen. He was found off the shoulder of the interstate near Bonner, at mile marker 109. According to the sheriff's office, no criminal activity is suspected in the death of Throndsen. A cause of death determination is pending reports submitted by the Montana Department of Justice's Forensic Science Division. A coalition of more than 60 downtown business and property owners in Missoula sent a strongly worded letter to Mayor Jordan Hess late Wednesday night expressing concerns over plans to revamp street configurations and disappointment with Hess' communication with them thus far. "This planning effort needs to better engage the downtown business community in a meaningful, rather than supercial, way," the letter reads. "We also need to have greater involvement from our elected representatives. We, as a group, are weary of how the City and (the Missoula Redevelopment Agency) continue to divide downtown businesses into small groups and present carefully tailored and sometimes inconsistent information. "Additionally, we are concerned that the MRA and the City, in our view, are allowing the parking and trafc plans to be inuenced by climate-change political ideology rather than effective transportation and parking planning," the letter continues. "Lastly, we believe this process needs greater transparency to ALL businesses, not select focus groups in which handpicked participants are presented carefully crafted messages regarding urban planning concepts that may, or may not, be suitable for downtown Missoula." The letter was forwarded to the Missoulian as well as Hess. On Thursday, Hess told the Missoulian he is planning on communicating with the business owners. "We are coming to the table in good faith and we are very interested in feedback," Hess said of city administration. "We're very interested in collaboration and very interested in ensuring this project works for the downtown constituencies. The majority of feedback we've gotten has been positive, but we'll continue to work with people who have questions and concerns." Initial letter The business owners had previously written to Hess on March 6 expressing concerns and asking for a detailed presentation to explain the combined impact of the three plans. "The signatories of this letter are concerned that the Three Plans, when considered together, will have a profound impact on the availability of downtown parking and will create potential traffic flow issues resulting from the elimination of vehicular lanes on Front Street and Higgins Avenue," the first letter states. "Further, we do not believe that the urban planning concepts associated with the Three Plans adequately consider the unique characteristics and behavior patterns of greater Missoula, the lack of people currently living downtown and the Montana climate conditions that exist for six to eight months of the year." The group said they feel that the city "continues to over-emphasize bicycle and pedestrian movement and is discounting the importance of vehicular traffic and associated parking." "Our businesses have made considerable investments to improve our properties, and we pay significant property taxes that are essential to funding the community," the letter reads. "It is businesses that drive the vitality and overall economic health of the downtown area." Hess acknowledged that the city could have done a better job of communicating the plan, but added many business owners have asked for and received small-group meetings on the issue. "First and foremost, this is a safety project," Hess said of the Downtown Safety and Mobility project. "You have a crash rate downtown that is seven times higher than the city average and that's unacceptable. The reason for that is we have old infrastructure that we haven't invested in. It's a postwar design that doesn't meet modern design standards." Parking concerns The business and property owners contend that the parking situation downtown (particularly on Front and Main Streets) is "already dire" and has been made substantially worse by the addition of the three new hotels. While most of the businesses supported the hotels and acknowledge they bring extra customers downtown, they said the 350 new hotel rooms didn't include any meaningful new parking spots. They want the city to pause the planning effort of all three plans. Although they said they didn't have enough information to say whether they fully favor or oppose the three plans, they requested that the city's planning team hold a big presentation with the downtown business community to address the parking loss and the impact of traffic lane adjustments. The Wilma Theater was made available free of charge for the event. Mayor's response On March 14, Hess responded via email. Before becoming mayor and while serving on City Council, Hess was the director of the Associated Students at the University of Montana's Office of Transportation and has long advocated for safe transit and multiple modes of transportation. "Thank you for your letter and for your interest in the Downtown Safety and Mobility (DowntownSAM) project," Hess wrote. "I understand that you and others in the business community have a direct interest in how we make transportation investments in our downtown core. I can assure you that the City intends to continue engaging and partnering with the downtown community as these projects move forward. I can also assure you that I have a personal interest in our downtown remaining a vibrant place to live, work and play." Hess continued that the city cannot "pause" the project but that it is waiting to hear back on a federal grant application. However, he said, there is still a considerable amount of flexibility in the final designs and a lot of opportunity to find common ground over the next few months. "We understand and share your concerns about parking and traffic flow in downtown," Hess said. "The three combined projects are the result of many of years of planning, dating back to the 2008 Downtown Master Plan, which provides a thoughtful framework for public investments that support downtown health and economic success. Recent new federal grant programs provide an unprecedented opportunity to make those public investments." Hess said he would "establish small group meetings with businesses to provide information" and noted that the city will host a "town-hall style" meeting sometime in late April or May to bring all of this work together in a cohesive way. Hess noted that he discussed the issue at a City Club meeting and invited people to come to his Wednesdays with the Mayor public form on March 22 to discuss the topic. "We know we are all at our best when we work together," Hess said. "Federal funding is a tremendous opportunity to build on and enhance the significant private sector investment weve seen, and expect to see, in downtown. We know the DowntownSAM application did not fully meet this value of collaboration, and we will endeavor to do better in the future. Look for more communication in the next several weeks as staff pulls together the information necessary to have a fully engaged conversation." Second letter In the March 29 letter, the business and property owners said they were disappointed with the response. "Instead of responding to the request for details of the Combined Plans, the City and MRA have opted to conduct small-group 'listening sessions' to better 'understand' our concerns," they wrote. "The downtown business community views the meetings proposed by the MRA as unnecessary and likely unproductive." They cited four specific concerns: First, they want to know the specific number of downtown street parking stalls that will be eliminated and want detailed studies and site plans. They noted that some of them have heard they can expect 20-25% of all street parking on Front, Main and Higgins to be eliminated but they've been unable to verify that fact. Second, they want to know the traffic impact of eliminating vehicle lanes on both Front Street and Higgins Avenue. They'd like to see formal traffic studies that demonstrate this will not have a negative impact on traffic or their customers' ability to effectively reach their businesses. Third, they want to see all the bike lanes that will be added and their proximity to other existing bike lanes. "Further, we would like to see specic studies that show that the current volume of bicycle trafc downtown justies this investment and, consequently, justies the elimination of vehicle lanes and street parking," the letter states. Finally, they want to see case studies that show that like-sized communities in cold weather climates benefit from these types of pedestrian and bicycle-centric urban planning changes. They feel the proposed changes do not adequately consider the climate of Montana. Formal response in the works Hess on Thursday said he's working on a formal response to all the concerns but addressed a few items with the Missoulian. First, he explained that the loss of parking spots may be temporary. Many on-street parking spots don't meet ADA standards and have to be removed anyway, he said, and the city is working toward building more parking structures. He hinted that things are progressing in general behind the scenes with getting something built at the Riverfront Triangle. "You can't just say in isolation that we're going to lose some parking through the SAM project," he explained. "We will gain it back in other ways through other projects." Hess also said he does not have a specific case study to show that a redesign similar to SAM has worked in a similar-sized, cold-weather city. "But there is significant research (to show that similar transportation planning has been beneficial in other places)," he said. City engagement The signatories wrote that they are confused why the Missoula Redevelopment Agency is managing these projects, because much of the impacted areas are not in Urban Renewal Districts. "The business owners feel that the City, and our elected representatives, not the MRA, need to be more engaged in this process," they wrote. "While there are good people at the MRA, it is an unelected board, with unelected ofcers that are not accountable to the business constituency." They again requested a big town hall meeting that's open to the public to address their concerns. They also want a pause on planning efforts and asked that the Montana Department of Transportation pause the application process for the federal grant. "We again request that the City and MRA stop conducting small-group meetings in which attendees are handpicked, presented carefully crafted messages and the 'ndings' are 'synthesized' by a City and MRA that appear committed only to the existing approach," the letter concluded. To see the full letter and a list of signatories, visit this story online at Missoulian.com. The Missoula-based outdoor clothing brand Youer is taking steps to make its dreams a reality after learning how to roll with the punches it's been dealt over the last few years. Over the past few months, the brands team of two grew to five in order to do more production and assembly in-house. For Youers latest spring drop, they finished making their best-selling crop tops ahead of schedule and are now working on sewing new long-sleeved shirts while waiting for other products fabricated in California to arrive at the Missoula warehouse. Its been very cool to just go down and touch product and problem-solve immediately, said Youers chief-everything-officer Mallory Ottariano, who started her first clothing brand on a $100 sewing machine years ago. Its been fun to just have a vibrant team and to have co-workers. Youer is an outdoor apparel brand that uses original, colorful designs and patterns displayed on skorts, pants, leggings, hoodies, dresses, shirts and other accessories using sustainable materials made in the U.S. This month, Ottariano released Youers first ever pullover jacket that is vintage-inspired. Like many businesses, Youer took a blow during the pandemic due to supply-chain issues and mismanagement of materials from outside manufacturers. That left her without clothes to sell for nearly seven months, which sparked the idea to create a local factory she dubbed the Youniverse. In fall 2021, Ottariano launched a month-long crowdfunding campaign modeled after Community Supported Agriculture to build a factory and create her clothes in-house. Over the course of the campaign, Youers supporters met the $100,000 goal. But securing a property for a full-blown factory posed its own set of challenges in a cut-throat and inflated real estate market. Despite those hurdles, Ottariano improvised and moved into a larger, leased warehouse space to grow her brand while still searching for the perfect home for the Youniverse. What surprised me which probably shouldnt surprise me is that of course this did not take the trajectory I had thought it would or had planned that it would, Ottariano said. Planning is kind of important, but also we threw so much of it out the window. Although it wasnt what she had originally envisioned, the new warehouse has allowed Youer to grow in new ways. One of the newest additions to the team is Sarah Cabral, who recently moved from Seattle to join Youer as a designer. I love working for Youer, Cabral said. It keeps us busy so Im never bored. Im doing patterns, sewing and just a mix of all the design things that you can do. Im not stuck in one place. Vicky McCarthy and Nat Stockmann also joined the team within the last month as sewers. McCarthy had known Ottariano for years through mutual friends, and Stockmann applied for the job listing on Craigslist while looking for a sewing job in Missoula. I like the sustainability aspect of it, Stockmann said, who hadnt heard of the brand before applying for the job. Its been really fun. Ive already learned a lot. Because this is Youers first crack at making products in-house, they are collecting data to create production timelines in hopes to make more items locally. Eventually, Ottariano hopes to expand their capacity and bring in new equipment to manufacture more technical garments in their product line. Since moving to the new warehouse on Expressway, Ottariano has focused on building community by inviting people into the space for ski movie nights, warehouse sales and more events to come. At this point our Youer community is pretty vast and its fun to connect people to each other, Ottariano said. Now we can do that in other ways and share our space with people. The name of a man killed by law enforcement following an armed robbery and chase that ended in St. Regis was released on Wednesday. Clary K. Anton, 22, of Auburn, Washington, was identified by Missoula County Sheriff Jeremiah Petersen as the suspect who died during the March 18 incident. Several people were involved in an armed robbery at the 76 Gas Station in Osborn, Idaho, earlier that morning, according to the Shoshone County Sheriffs Department. Idaho deputies chased the suspect vehicle to the Montana-Idaho border, where officers from Mineral and Sanders counties and the Montana Highway Patrol got involved. According to the Mineral County Sheriffs release, officers found one of the suspects and arrested that person without incident. But the second suspect, now identified as Anton by the Missoula County Sheriff's Office, took a hostage at the travel center and shot that person when officers arrived on the scene. Officers then fatally shot Anton. The hostage was treated for injuries in Missoula. Two other passengers in the suspect car were also arrested on separate charges and held in Mineral County. Mineral County Sheriff Ryan Funke estimated there were probably 100 law enforcement officers who eventually responded. Witnesses described a terrifying, bloody, chaotic scene at the travel center on March 18. Montanas Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation has taken over the investigation into the incident. A lawsuit alleging that Ravalli County unconstitutionally has charged pretrial fees got the go-ahead to move forward in federal court last week. Equal Justice Under Law, a D.C.-based law firm, filed the suit in August 2021 challenging the countys implementation of pretrial supervision fees for people who cant afford to pay them, contending the county is operating a wealth-based discrimination scheme." On March 21, a federal judge granted the plaintiffs class certification and greenlit the case to move on to the next steps in the legal process. That is, really, from our perspective, a huge victory for our clients and the class because people in Ravalli County are going to have their day in court, Equal Justice Under Law Executive Director Phil Telfeyan said of the judges order. Mitch Young, the attorney representing Ravalli County, declined to comment pending further litigation. The suit focuses on fees that people charged with a crime are required to pay for supervision, including the costs of GPS ankle monitors, Breathalyzers and drug tests. Equal Justice Under Law filed an amended complaint on Aug. 17 on behalf of Teri Lea Evenson-Childs, a houseless person, and Daniel OToole of Hamilton and on behalf of all others similarly situated. U.S. District Judge Dana Christensens March 21 order was two-prong, addressing both the countys motion to dismiss the case and the plaintiffs request for class certification. Christensen granted the plaintiffs motion to certify class status pertaining to people experiencing poverty in Ravalli County who are arrested and placed in the countys Jail Diversion Program and are charged fees prior to being convicted of a crime. That ruling looks at prospective policy changes, Telfeyan explained. All indigent people on pretrial supervision in Ravalli County ordered to pay fees prior to conviction would be entitled to possible relief, if the plaintiffs prove the case. A motion to dismiss the case altogether was filed by the county in December 2021, contending the plaintiffs didnt make adequate legal claims, court filings show. In his order, Christensen partially granted the motion, dismissing Ravalli County Sheriff Stephen Holton and Ravalli County Justices of the Peace Jennifer Ray and Jim Bailey as defendants. But he kept Ravalli County as the sole defendant. So many parts of this ruling are historic for the people of Ravalli County, Telfeyan said. He added his firm has continued to receive letters and calls from Ravalli County residents on pretrial supervision. The system is affecting so many people, he said. A pretrial conference is scheduled for April 12 in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto. It didn't take long for the state Legislature to entertain a debate on repealing recreational marijuana in Montana. Montanans have only lived under full marijuana legalization for a little more than a year, with recreational market launching Jan. 1, 2022. Sen. Keith Regier, R-Kalispell, argued to the Senate Business, Labor and Economic Affairs Committee on Wednesday the legalization ballot measure was faulty because of tax revenue allocations it included in the measure's language. However, supporters and proponents of Regier's Senate Bill 546, which would repeal the legalization measure passed by 57% of voters in 2020, quickly fell back into arguments made over legalization itself. Those arguing adult marijuana use should remain intact said SB 546 would hand the $300 million in marijuana sales providers recorded last year to the black market, adding illicit marijuana is not tested or regulated. "If this bill gets passed the black market would be influxed, so there would be more cannabis getting in the hands of children," said Mariah Bond of Euphoria Wellness. State law restricts providers from selling cannabis to anyone under 21. Bill supporters who said the recreational program should be dismantled described recreational marijuana as a destabilizing force for communities, and said pushing the tax on medical marijuana from 4% to 20% would make up the difference in lost tax revenues. Regier is carrying the bill; Steve Zabawa, a Billings car dealer and head of anti-marijuana group Safe Montana, had a direct hand in its development. In 2021, Zabawa challenged the ballot initiative's passage because of the tax revenue it attempted to direct, but ultimately folded that lawsuit. He told the Montana State News Bureau he believed the regulatory framework lawmakers put in place with House Bill 701 that same year would be sufficient for the time being. He said then he was looking ahead to 2023 to "rectify the great wrong of 2020." Potency is out of control. It is an epidemic, Zabawa said. We need to level the playing field. Right now, they won the last round in 2020 and 2021. This is for our minors, this is for our families, this is for our businesses, this is a workforce issue, he told the committee. Repealing the recreational marijuana program that's generated $50 million in tax revenues will be a high bar to hurdle. Several lawmakers from the majority caucus have proposed different uses of the tax revenues this session. House Bill 462, for example, would have redirected 20% of the revenues to public safety and law enforcement uses. That bill was designed by the Governor's Office, but the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday tabled the measure, instead advancing House Bill 669, which would deliver those tax revenues directly into the general fund. Another bill, to use marijuana tax revenues to repair county roads, has already gotten an early endorsement from the Senate. Pepper Petersen, president of the Montana Cannabis Guild and manager of the Cannabis Corner in Helena, said SB 546 would "erase" the state's tax revenues from marijuana, which is projected to reach $91 million by 2025. "If we erase this legal market, and $300 million in sales, they're not going to just go home," he said. "They are going to continue to purchase marijuana, they're either going to go to a state where it's legal and bring it back here, or they're going to go find someone in state who's selling it illicitly." Regier cited DUI and youth-use statistics from Colorado after that state legalized in arguing public safety should outweigh the benefits of tax revenues. "There is a high cost to making an addictive and dangerous substance a commercial product," Regier told the committee on Wednesday. Several pointed to the voter approval in 2020 as enough reason not to repeal legalized marijuana use. "I just think it's good not to make voters think their voice doesn't count and then they turn away from the whole process," said Kate Cholewa of the Montana Cannabis Industry Association. The committee is expected to vote on SB 546 Thursday morning. Photo: The Canadian Press Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante is expressing her support for the city's Jewish community after a historic synagogue was defaced with antisemitic graffiti. Plante says there's no place in Montreal for discrimination and racism, adding that the city is working hard to ensure everyone's safety. Her comments come after Jewish organization B'nai Brith Canada circulated photos that showed swastikas spray-painted on the 102-year-old Bagg Street Synagogue. B'nai Brith Canada's national director for its human rights league also sent a letter to Plante's administration, asking them to do more to combat antisemitism and a rise in reported hate incidents targeting Jews. Marvin Rotrand says the red-brick property on Bagg Street is the province's oldest active synagogue building and is recognized as a heritage site by Quebec and Montreal. Montreal police say they're aware of the incident, and a number of other Jewish organizations, including Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, have issued statements condemning the vandalism. The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the Doctrine of Discovery, the theories backed by 15th-century papal bulls that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property laws today. A Vatican statement said the papal bulls, or decrees, did not adequately reflect the equal dignity and rights of Indigenous peoples and have never been considered expressions of the Catholic faith. The statement, from the Vaticans development and education offices, marked a historic recognition of the Vaticans own complicity in colonial-era abuses committed by European powers. It was issued under historys first Latin American pontiff, who was hospitalized Thursday with a respiratory infection, exactly one year after Francis met at the Vatican with Indigenous leaders from Canada who raised the issue. On Thursday, these Indigenous leaders welcomed the statement as a first good step, even though it didnt address the rescinding of the bulls themselves and continued to take distance from acknowledging actual Vatican culpability in abuses. The statement said the papal documents had been manipulated for political purposes by competing colonial powers to justify immoral acts against Indigenous peoples that were carried out, at times, without opposition from ecclesial authorities. It said it was right to recognize these errors, acknowledge the terrible effects of colonial-era assimilation policies on Indigenous peoples and ask for their forgiveness. The statement was a response to decades of Indigenous demands for the Vatican to formally rescind the papal bulls that provided the Portuguese and Spanish kingdoms the religious backing to expand their territories in Africa and the Americas for the sake of spreading Christianity. Those decrees underpin the Doctrine of Discovery, a legal concept coined in a 1823 U.S. Supreme Court decision that has come to be understood as meaning that ownership and sovereignty over land passed to Europeans because they discovered it. It was cited as recently as a 2005 Supreme Court decision involving the Oneida Indian Nation written by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. During Pope Francis 2022 visit to Canada, where he apologized to Indigenous peoples for the residential school system that forcibly removed Native children from their homes, he was met with demands for a formal repudiation of the papal bulls. Two Indigenous women unfurled a banner at the altar of the National Shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre on July 29 that read: Rescind the Doctrine in bright red and black letters. Before that, Michelle Schenandoah of the Oneida Nation had called for the Vatican to rescind the papal bulls when she delivered the closing remarks of the First Nations delegation that met with Francis during a weeklong visit last year by Native groups from Canada. On Thursday, she called the Vatican statement another step in the right direction, but noted that it didnt mention the rescinding of the bulls themselves. I think what this does is it really puts the responsibility on nation states such as the United States, to look at its use of the Doctrine of Discovery, she said in a interview from Syracuse, New York, where she is a professor of Indigenous law at Syracuse Universitys College of Law. This goes beyond land. It really has created generation upon generation of genocidal policies directed towards Indigenous peoples. And I think that its time for these governments to take full accountability for their actions. In the statement, the Vatican said: The Catholic Church therefore repudiates those concepts that fail to recognize the inherent human rights of Indigenous peoples, including what has become known as the legal and political doctrine of discovery. Phil Fontaine, a former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations in Canada who was also part of the First Nations delegation that met with Francis at the Vatican, said the statement was wonderful, resolved an outstanding issue and now puts the matter to civil authorities to revise property laws that cite the doctrine. The church has done one thing, as it said it would do, for the Holy Father. Now the ball is in the court of governments, the United States and in Canada, but particularly in the United States where the doctrine is embedded in the law, he told The Associated Press. The Vatican offered no evidence that the three papal bulls (Dum Diversas in 1452, Romanus Pontifex in 1455 and Inter Caetera in 1493) had themselves been formally abrogated, rescinded or rejected, as Vatican officials have often said. But it cited a subsequent bull, Sublimis Deus in 1537, that reaffirmed that Indigenous peoples shouldnt be deprived of their liberty or the possession of their property, and were not to be enslaved. Cardinal Michael Czerny, the Canadian Jesuit whose office co-authored the statement, stressed that the original bulls had long ago been abrogated and that the use of the term doctrine which in this case is a legal term, not a religious one had led to centuries of confusion about the churchs role. The original bulls, he said, are being treated as if they were teaching, magisterial or doctrinal documents, and they are an ad hoc political move. And I think to solemnly repudiate an ad hoc political move is to generate more confusion than clarity. He stressed that the statement wasnt just about setting the historical record straight, but to discover, identify, analyze and try to overcome what we can only call the enduring effects of colonialism today. It was significant that the repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery came during the pontificate of historys first Latin American pope. Even before the Canadian trip, the Argentine pope had apologized to Native peoples in Bolivia in 2015 for the crimes of the colonial-era conquest of the Americas. Felix Hoehn, a property and administrative law professor at the University of Saskatchewan, said the Vatican statement would have no legal bearing on land claims in Canada today, but would have symbolic value. The most that any papal repudiation of the doctrine (or the bulls, for that matter) can do in relation to Canadian law is to apply pressure on the Supreme Court of Canada to renounce the doctrine as part of Canadian law, he said. Beyond that, though, is the hope that the statement could show that the Catholic Church wants to be an ally with Indigenous peoples as they fight for their human rights and their land, and to protect it, said the Rev. David McCallum, an American Jesuit who has worked with Indigenous peoples in the Syracuse area and was consulted during the drafting of the statement. So now for the church to not only acknowledge the damage, but also to repudiate the whole mindset of cultural superiority, of racial superiority to, in a sense, renounce that whole way of thinking and say that forever forward the church wants to be an active ally in protecting Indigenous human rights along with all human rights, I think its a big statement, he said. Montana tribes react The Coalition of Large Tribes, which includes the Blackfeet Nation, Crow Tribe and Fort Belknap Indian Community, applauded the statement by the Vatican. Rep. Marvin Weatherwax, chairman of the coalition and Blackfeet councilman, urged the U.S. to "acknowledge the harm down to Natives by the Doctrine in their hands, especially land dispossession and assimilation in federal Indian boarding schools." Tracy Ching King, vice-chair of the coalition who serves on the Fort Belknap Council, said the doctrine laid the foundation for "war, slaughter, imprisonment and assimilation of Native peoples." "But today's joint statement starts to lift the shackles that we still feel," he said. "It is very good to see this day." Rob Gillies contributed to this report from Toronto. Two Morganton vape shops were targeted in a joint operation between local, state and federal law enforcement in the last few months, court documents show. Morganton Vape, which was located in the Fiddlers Run Shopping Center, and Tobacco World #1, in the Morganton Heights Shopping Center, both had search warrants executed at their businesses in January, according to court documents filed at the Burke County Courthouse. Theyre just two of about 20 smoke shops in total that have been searched since November, with store locations across the state, Lenoir Police Lt. Z. Poythress told The News Herald. Victoria Lucaj is the owner of Tobacco World #1 in Morganton and Hudson Tobacco and Vape on U.S. 321 in Hudson. She told reporters Wednesday she felt she and her colleagues were targeted because they are Muslim. We feel like were being treated unfairly because of the religion we practice, because we have a successful business, Lucaj said. But law enforcement officers investigating the stores said thats not the case. Poythress said it wasnt until months into their investigation that law enforcement identified Lucaj and her colleagues as persons of interest. Search warrants filed in connection with the case indicate the investigation started in March 2022 when the department, alongside the North Carolina Secretary of States Office, started looking into the sale of THC and tobacco products to minors, along with the sale of products packaged to look like commercially available candies like SweeTARTS, Sour Patch Kids and peach rings. An undercover investigator entered one of the smoke shops in question that month, purchasing a couple of packs of gummies in candy-like packaging. He also asked the clerk for flower, which means marijuana, and the clerk pulled out a small container with a substance that appeared to be marijuana, search warrants said. The investigator purchased 3.8 grams of the substance, and when it was field tested later, it tested positive for THC, search warrants said. That meant the substance was not CBD. Several months went by until November, when school resource officers in Lenoir voiced concerns to narcotics investigators about students in high school carrying vapes and THC products. Parents and students told detectives the products had been purchased at H&A Tobacco Store, which is on Blowing Rock Boulevard in Lenoir near Dunham Sports, the search warrants said. That month, state and local law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the store and ended up seizing more than $10,000 worth of items for copyright infringement, along with a large amount of THC products, the search warrants said. They also seized $27,000 in cash they believed had not been claimed on tax filings. It was during the execution of this search warrant that detectives made contact with Lucaj, who said she was the manager of the store. Lucaj told investigators the store owner, Mahmood Aldahabi, was out of the country, according to search warrants. Search warrants said investigators found it odd that Lucaj knew the combinations to all of the safes inside the Lenoir store even though she said she was not the store owner. They also noted in the search warrants that Lucaj gave a Lenoir address, but told investigators she was headed to the store from Hildebran the same town where Aldahabi lived. Investigators said in search warrants that tax documents, along with bulk currency found in the store, led them to believe Aldahabi and Lucaj were trying to move funds without claiming it on their tax filings, sparking further investigation and the involvement of Homeland Security Investigations. HSI, LPD and the Burke County Sheriffs Office executed a search warrant at Aldahabis home in Hildebran. When they knocked on the door, Lucaj answered, wearing nitrile gloves investigators later found in the basement of the home near a conversion lab, search warrants said. Poythress said the gloves werent found anywhere else. The conversion lab was being used to convert THC wax/resin to oil for vape cartridges, according to search warrants. In an interview after waiving her Miranda Rights, Lucaj told investigators the lab was her brothers and that he would buy product in Florida, convert it in the lab, then they would sell the cartridges in their stores in North Carolina, search warrants said. That all led to her brother, Frank David Lucaj, 38, of Del Ray Beach, Fla., getting charged with felony manufacturing a schedule VI controlled substance, trafficking in marijuana, conspiracy to sell/deliver marijuana and continuing criminal enterprise, according to arrest warrants filed at the Burke County Courthouse. Also found during the search of the Hildebran home was a box containing bulk cash. Victoria Lucaj told officers that cash was from cleaning out the stores because she was worried law enforcement would hit them, too, search warrants said. Investigators also revealed in search warrants that BCSO narcotics detectives learned Victoria Lucaj and possibly Aldahabi had purchased several money orders for $1,000 at a local post office. Those money orders were sent to a tobacco and vape shop in Buffalo, N.Y., search warrants said. Search warrants obtained for bank accounts connected to the investigation at Wells Fargo indicated Aldahabi claimed $16,000 when he filed his 2020 income taxes, but investigators with Homeland Security Investigations ended up seizing a total of about $1.5 million in their investigation, according to federal court documents. They also seized a cashiers check for $128,437.41 made payable to US Customs and Border Patrol, search warrants said. Of the products seized during the investigation, all but one were illegal to be possessed in North Carolina, search warrants said, because of the concentration of a specific strand of THC delta 9, according to search warrants. In North Carolina, delta 9 is not legal. Delta 8, another strand of THC, is legal in small amounts. Victoria Lucaj told reporters she believed the testing the products would have undergone would have caused them to show higher amounts of THC than they would through personal use. If a real lab were to test it, of course it would go high because theyre heating it the wrong way, Lucaj said. Delta 8 would be converted to delta 9, of course. But if a delta 8 expert, lab experts, were to do it, its going to be delta 8 for sure. Poythress said law enforcement used a private lab to find out the amount of THC in the products, and lab officials told him heating the products during testing would not cause their chemical makeup to change. Besides Frank Lucaj, no other charges have been issued in connection with the investigation so far. Poythress said state level charges are pending in the case. Federal prosecutors have asked judicial officials for an extension of time to file a forfeiture complaint. Victoria Lucaj said she plans to fight any legal action and wants to get her belongings back. GLEN ALPINE In a program school leaders hope will become a pilot for the rest of the county, Glen Alpine Elementary fifth graders recently learned CPR and received their own CPR education kits to take home and share with their families and friends. On Tuesday, all 52 of the schools fifth graders attended a special training assembly where they were introduced to the kits and taught the basics of using CPR to potentially save a life. Theyre learning the American Heart Association CPR, said Janet French, the Glen Alpine Elementary School nurse. Its a laymans version of CPR and its only hands on, no breaths. During the sessions, students inflated Mini Anne, a personal CPR training manikin and went through the training video. In the video, students saw the three steps they should follow before administering CPR check if the person is responsive, call 911 and use an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) if available. Once they were taught those steps, students practiced chest compressions on their dummies which clicked when they pushed hard enough in the right place. It will click when you push down hard enough, French told the students. It takes a lot more muscle than you think. French said she hopes Tuesdays assembly is only the beginning for her students. On Thursday, at the schools Parent Night, students will be able to take their kits home to share with family and friends. Thats the goal of this program, she said. They take their kits home and they go and teach their family and friends and neighbors the same skills theyve learned today. French has even added a QR code into the kits to help her track every time a student shares what theyve learned with someone. Im keeping track of how many people they are teaching at home and hopefully, in the next six months, well see a lot of Burke County trained in CPR, she said. French also hopes to see the program replicated in other schools across Burke County. This is the pilot program for Burke County, she said. No other elementary schools have done this yet. Were hoping it will spread like wildfire and other schools will jump on board. The kits were purchased from the American Heart Association with money from the schools Title I funding. In addition to Mini Anne, the kits also include an instructional booklet and DVD and a bilingual skills reminder card. The regular price of the kits is $43 each, but Principal Lori Westerfield said the school received a volume discount. We purchased enough for our fifth graders this year and next year, she said. So, this will be at least a two-year program. Westerfield anticipates being able to buy more kits in the future and said she believes its important to keep the program going for future students. I feel like it is very important, she said. Im CPR trained, most of our staff is CPR trained, so if we have students who are CPR trained its really important for them to know what theyre doing in an emergency. Fifth grader Chloe Wiles said she believes the training has given her the skills and confidence to know what to do in an emergency. I really like knowing how to do this so maybe I could save somebodys life someday, she said. It could happen anywhere, on the street, in public or in my house. Its good to know that maybe I could save somebody. DILLON Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks employees came upon a body just south of the Salmon Fly Campground while floating the Big Hole River near Melrose Tuesday morning. Beaverhead County law enforcement, along with FWP wardens, retrieved the body believed to be that of Michael Fontz, 37, of Dillon who was reported missing Dec. 12. The Dillon Tribune reported Wednesday the body was found in 10 feet of water as FWP employees went through their routine fish shock-and-count procedures. "He was wearing a helmet, a full wetsuit and flippers. He was going up the river and got sucked under the ice," Beaverhead County Sheriff David Wendt told the Tribune Wednesday. It appeared he was "river boarding," a river sport. "We never thought he went that far," Wendt added, noting the body was found in an area that had not been searched. "Farther up the river it's really shallow." Fontz was last seen Dec. 9, and his vehicle was found Dec. 14 at the Maiden Rock Campground just north of Melrose. According to a news release at the time of his disappearance, Beaverhead Search and Rescue was activated, along with the Ruby Valley Search and Rescues swift water rescue team and ground searchers from the 15-90 Search and Rescue in Butte. Following colder temperatures and dangerous ice conditions, the search was suspended. However, officials periodically flew drones over the area. According to the Tribune, Wendt and Dillon Police Chief Jeremy Alvarez notified family members and took the body to the Missoula crime lab for final verification, though Wendt said he was "99.9% positive who he is and the cause of his death." A judge encouraged a Butte man to take your treatment seriously Thursday after sentencing him to three years with the Montana Department of Corrections for his seventh DUI conviction. District Judge Kurt Krueger also fined 58-year-old Michael Infanger $5,000 for driving drunk in the area of Texas and Grand avenues the night of Aug. 10, 2021. Prosecutor Ellen Donohue acknowledged 11 years had passed between his last DUI and this one but said they still add up to multiple offenses. Mr. Infanger has been able to show he can maintain a significant period of sobriety. However, he is listed as a moderate risk to reoffend and we have to hold Mr. Infanger accountable, she said. In this case there has to be a measure of punishment when an individual continues to get behind the wheel and drive while impaired. Defense attorney James Dolan said his client was OK with a three-year DOC sentence but noted the many years between DUI convictions and said Inanger has not had a drink since the night of his arrest in 2021. The officer who pulled him over said he could smell alcohol from the open driver window and noticed an open Natural Ice beer can in the center console cup holder. Infanger stated he should not be driving and wished to call a friend for a ride home, prosecutors said in a charging document. He was taken to jail instead. Donohue said Infanger had been to the DOCs WATCH program twice already and it was the agencys decision on where to place him this time. After imposing the sentence, Krueger told Infanger, I hope you take your treatment serious in relation to this and work your program. Because when the latest offense occurred in 2021, the maximum prison or DOC time was five years. There are now much stiffer penalties possible under a bill the Montana Legislature passed in 2021 that took effect on Jan. 1, 2022. Under that, a fifth DUI conviction carries a maximum 10-year prison term, a sixth is punishable by up to 25 years and a seventh or more carries a mandatory five-year term that cannot be suspended, with up to 20 more years possible. Five or more convictions also carry mandatory fines of $5,000 to $10,000. The fun followed the grit and grind of completing each step of the scientific method. The five empiricists, all seniors at Montana Technological University, said they enjoyed testing the strength of the cylinders theyd formed from unique mixes of concrete. The compression testing involved subjecting each cylinder to increasing pressure until it fractured. The goal of the full-year Senior Design Project was to lessen the carbon footprint of concrete production, which is a significant contributor of carbon dioxide. The students tested the performance of concrete with waste products in the mix instead of a full complement of cement in a quest for green concrete. Conventional concrete is a mix of cement, gravel, sand, water and a range of aggregates, a term that can refer to crushed stone, gravel, sand or other construction materials. The interdisciplinary team at Montana Tech included civil engineering students Colton Grange of Philipsburg, Connor Johnson of Whitehall and Gabriel Sims of Billings. In addition, environmental engineering students Nevada Strandberg of Helena and Shyla Wesely of Glasgow brought expertise from their discipline. The students acknowledged it took a while for the varied disciplines to mesh but that teamwork prevailed. I would say the greatest challenge was learning how to work as a team with people from a different engineering department and coordinating final decisions that work for everyone, Johnson said. They tested a few different waste products: tailings from Montana Resources Yankee Doodle Tailings Pond, slag from the former smelter in Anaconda, sludge from the wastewater treatment plant and biochar (black carbon produced from biomass sources such as wood chips, manure and other agricultural waste products). In the end, the concrete mix with tailings replacing a percentage of cement consistently demonstrated the greatest strength, the students said. According to numerous sources, including industry associations, the production of cement and concrete yields a substantial carbon footprint. Among other contributors to that footprint, cement is made by firing limestone, clay and other materials in a kiln. Carbon dioxide is emitted from the energy used to fire the material and the chemical reaction produced from the mixture when it is exposed to heat, according to Princeton University. The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association says each pound of concrete releases about 0.93 pounds of CO2. The Pennsylvania Aggregates and Concrete Association defines green concrete as a form of eco-friendly concrete that is manufactured using waste and residual materials from different industries and requires less energy for production. The Pennsylvania association adds, The aim of using green concrete is to lessen the burden on natural resources and increase dependency on recyclable materials. In addition to greenhouse gases, concrete plant emissions typically include mercury, particulate matter and more. Concrete plants industrial footprint also includes deep and sprawling quarries tied to mining of raw materials. Titan America LLC, headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, is one of many concrete producers that has described intentions to lower its carbon footprint. The Titan Cement Group has committed to deliver net zero concrete by 2050. Expert Market Research, with offices in Sheridan, Wyoming, and New Delhi, India, forecast a bright future for green concrete, with higher demand in Europe and Asia Pacific. According to the company, The global concrete market reached a value of $6.3 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach a value of about $11.5 billion by 2028. The Montana Tech concrete team said theyve been contacted to date by two companies wanting to learn more about their project. Robin Bullock, associate professor of environmental engineering, said Montana Techs Senior Design Course provides students the opportunity to choose a real-world problem, work with other disciplines and get their hands into the build. This project has been excellent for the personal and professional growth of all of us, Grange said. March 29 marked the 30-year anniversary of the devastating arson which destroyed the location of Blue Mountain Clinic in 1993. As we look back at this horrific event, we once again find ourselves in an environment of anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ extremism meant to stoke anger and violence against the providers and the recipients of these essential healthcare services. This anniversary occurs during one of the most heated legislative sessions on record. Blue Mountain Clinic is currently advocating against thirteen egregious bills which seek to significantly restrict abortion access, or which discriminate against LGBTQ Montanans. These bills have been passing mostly along party line; the bills and the legislators who sponsor them perpetuate lies and inflammatory language meant to shame and stigmatize. None of these proposed policies improve health outcomes or increase access to healthcare. The reality is that one in four people who can become pregnant will obtain an abortion in their lifetime. The overwhelming majority of Montanans do not approve of government interference in the practice of medicine. A recent poll conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute found that 64% of Montanans agree that abortion should be legal in all or most cases, which closely mirrors a poll from Breakthrough Campaigns that shows 70% support abortion access free from government interference. Middle Fork Strategies established that 75% of Montanans oppose any changes to our state constitution that restricts access to abortion. Taken together, these polls highlight that the Legislature is not only out-of-step with the will of Montanans, but they are actively and knowingly trying to pass laws which seek to take away our fundamental and constitutionally protected rights. The staff working at Blue Mountain Clinic during the 1993 arson report eerily similar rhetoric from extremists prior to the firebombing three decades ago. Disruptions in the delivery of health services escalated to harassment and violence against providers, and ultimately the firebombing that destroyed the clinic. In archival video following the arson, Willa Craig spoke to the public exuding strength and resilience: To the people most impacted by this act: our prenatal patients, the families that we have served over the years in every way, by delivering their babies and immunizing their children, to the patients of our internist who provides care for our many elderly patients, and our therapist who spends much of her time in adoption counseling. You and they are the real targets of anti-abortion violence. It is you, the community, that must tell anti-abortion terrorists that these doors stay open." And stay open they did. Blue Mountain Clinic was the first clinic in Montana to provide abortion care beginning in 1977, and we were one of the first to provide gender affirming care. We provide person-centered and compassionate healthcare for Montanans from birth through end of life including family medicine, primary and preventative care, mental healthcare, sexual and reproductive healthcare, gender affirming care, and suboxone therapy, all under one roof. As we reflect on the somber 30-year anniversary of the firebombing to Blue Mountain Clinic, we once again find ourselves fighting against obstruction, intimidation, bullying, and harassment. However, our focus has never strayed from prioritizing the care we provide to our patients and to our community. We call on the Montana GOP to end their deceit, their fearmongering, and their use of violence-inciting language against healthcare providers and those who seek essential healthcare. In the words of my fierce predecessors, these doors stay open. By Alex Pologruto | Apr 6, 2023 Philanthropy Week 2023 MURRAY, Ky. Murray State Universitys Nonprofit Leadership Studies program will host its 3rd annual Philanthropy Week April 1721. The week consists of a celebration of generosity in the Murray-Calloway County area, recognizing successful approaches to giving of time, talent and treasures that help make this a wonderful community to live and thrive. Philanthropy Week recognizes and advances the historic partnership among the public, nonprofit and business sectors in the community who are making a difference on the local, state and national levels. This years week-long event will focus on Nonprofits and the environment through presentations and workshops. The 3rd annual Philanthropy Week will be hosted by the Murray State University Nonprofit Leadership Studies program, the Nonprofit Resource Center, the Department of Organizational Communication & Leadership and the Arthur J. Bauernfeind College of Business. The presentations and workshops throughout the week include: Monday, April 17 at 7 p.m. The Nature Conservancy of Kentucky - Shelly Morris, Director of Floodplain Strategies and Murray State alumna. Featured presentation in the Freed Curd Auditorium, IT 231 Tuesday, April 18 at 7 p.m. Environmental Nonprofits Making an Impact - Current Murray State University students. Featured presentations from Murray State students. The location of this event is TBA. The staff of Canopy located in Louisville, Kentucky. Thursday, April 20 Private Workshops facilitated by Canopy from Louisville, Kentucky Canopys mission is to help Kentucky businesses positively impact people, the planet and future. Through education, certification and connection, Canopy helps Kentucky businesses participate and succeed in the Good Business movement. The Canopy Certification provides a continuous improvement framework that guides Kentucky businesses towards achieving measurable social and environmental impact while operating successfully and ethically. Canopy Certified Companies are committed to operating with the best interest of Kentucky and its people in mind as they grow profit and work to solve social, economic and environmental problems. For more information please visit canopyky.org. The workshops facilitated by Canopy on Thursday, April 20 include: 10 a.m. 11:30 a.m. Paducah Beer Werks and the Nonprofit Leadership Studies Program This is a private event. 2 p.m. 3:30 p.m. The Arthur J. Bauernfeind College of Business and the Nonprofit Leadership Program This is a private event. 7 p.m. Keynote Presentation - Canopy This event is open to the public and will be held in the Curris Center Theater. We recognize that employees want purpose, consumers are paying attention to who they buy from, and healthy communities and a healthy landscape are good for business, said Canopy. Our mission is to grow Kentucky businesses to positively impact people, our planet and our future. Canopy's vision is to make Kentucky first in Good Business. A localized, state-wide approach to building a strong Good Business ecosystem is more likely to succeed in Kentucky than a national or global effort. A Kentucky-focused effort includes: Assessment of localized community needs, resources and stakeholders. Social, environmental and economic solutions to local problems are being provided. Harnessing the power of small businesses to improve local communities. Strengthening a powerful network of stakeholders across sectors. Positioning Louisville and Kentucky as the premier ecosystems for Good business. Friday, April 21 at 4:30 p.m. Donna Herndon Award for Civic Engagement Ceremony The ceremony will take place in the Deans Conference Room in the Business Building. The Nonprofit Resource Center is proud to establish the Donna Herndon Award for Civic Engagement. The award was established to recognize recipients who embody Donnas steadfast and compelling commitment to philanthropy and civic engagement. Donnas endeavors have impacted the community beyond measure and will forever play a role in its health and vitality. This award will ensure that Donnas inspiration and impact live on in perpetuity. More so, it will serve as a shining example to students and community members that anything is possible when one gives to benefit others. It will serve as an ideal example that when community issues are met with compassion, creativity and a sense of purpose that through philanthropy and civic engagement anything is possible. Some of the criteria for this award are being selfless with time, talents and resources, being caring and compassionate, serving above and beyond the call of duty, being a visionary leader, being enthusiastic and relentless. These are all qualities that Donna exemplifies. It was an honor for the Nonprofit Resource Center to establish this award and play a small role in giving back to this community in honor of Donna Herndon. For more information on the upcoming Philanthropy Week events please visit bit.ly/40B258m. By Alex Pologruto | Mar 30, 2023 Dr. Esther Malm, associate professor of psychology at Murray State University MURRAY, Ky. Dr. Esther Malm, associate professor of psychology at Murray State University, has been selected for the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program (CADFP), a scholar fellowship program for African institutions in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. The program hosts an African-born scholar to work in projects in research collaboration, graduate student teaching/mentoring and curriculum co-development. Offered by the Institute of International Education, the program is funded by a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY). Malms project seeks to develop a curriculum for medical students at the University of Ghana Medical School (UGMS) that promotes resilience during their program through three main activities: collaborative research opportunities between faculty and students, the development of content for a resilience skill building training program, and the creation of an effective system of program delivery, monitoring and evaluation. The topic of resilience in medical school was a collaborative one between Dr. Dzifa Attah, the host faculty, and Malm, based on the student centered goals of the medical school, and the needs of students. Attending medical school for many is a competitive, mentally strenuous program with a lot of reading, precision and limited free time. Through the curriculum development, the goal is to provide students with practical tools to effectively manage stress and life, while developing the best in them to achieve their goals. Malm holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Philosophy in Psychology from the University of Ghana, and a Ph.D. in Psychology from Georgia State University. Her academic background is in developmental-clinical psychology, with vast experiences in teaching, practice and research across the developmental stages as well as cross-culturally. Malm has also developed and reviewed curriculum, conducted research and mentored students in the psychology program at Murray State. I am passionate about giving back to Africa and Ghana specifically, because my foundations in developmental - clinical psychology were first shaped in Ghana, said Malm, who completed one of her clinical rotations during her masters degree work at the department of psychiatry at UGMS. To serve and collaborate with current faculty at UGMS will be both intrinsically rewarding, and a gift. It will support my passion for intervention and prevention work, and allow me the opportunity to support future healthcare service providers in their own mental health and well-being. Malm will travel to Ghana this summer to carry out the project. After curriculum development, she will collaborate with UGMS faculty for its implementation among cohorts of students, with periodic outcome evaluations. It is hoped that this curriculum in resilience will become mainstream in the training of medical practitioners in Ghana. State and local governments will, over the next nearly two decades, receive billions of dollars from companies accused of sparking the opioid epidemic. KHN recently published an investigation showing these jurisdictions have promised little to no public reporting on how that money is spent. The investigation is based on a detailed analysis of hundreds of written plans, statutes, executive orders, and public statements, first conducted by Christine Minhee of OpioidSettlementTracker.com and bolstered by KHNs reporting. The information has been compiled into an interactive map and a detailed spreadsheet that we hope can help others investigate opioid settlement stories in their communities. KHNs story provides the national perspective. You can run our story in full or use it as context if you pursue a local angle. Please always credit KHN for the reporting and Minhee for the data. Tips to get started: 1. Find out what information your state or local governments are required to report about their use of settlement funds. Start with the interactive map. It shows how your state compares with others on public reporting. Click on a state to see details, including: The percentage of funds an average person would be able to track. The percentage of funds that will be reported to some oversight body but not necessarily shared with the public. To see the language that underpins these numbers including the specific laws and legal documents that require reporting on the money check out this table at OpioidSettlementTracker.com. 2. Access those reports. Once you know what your state is required to report, go find it. If reports are displayed online, links are shown via the interactive map. If reports are kept by an agency, that agency is identified in the table. Reach out and ask for the reports, citing the legal requirements listed in the table if necessary. If you cannot find a report despite it being mandated in legal language that may be a story itself. 3. Dig into the spending decisions. Once you have reports on how the funds were used, dig into specifics. The national settlements came with a list of recommended strategies. Check if your communitys use aligns with them. Ask how these spending decisions were made. Were community members involved in identifying priorities? Was there a fair and open process to apply for grants? The settlement dollars will be paid out over nearly two decades. Do these reports reflect one-off spending decisions or ongoing allocations over that time? Is there a plan to evaluate the impact of the money after a few years and reshape future priorities? 4. If your state or local government has no public reporting requirement, that might be its own story. The KHN investigation found nearly half of all states have not enacted any specific reporting requirements. If yours is one of them, ask why. Some have called settlement funds blood money for those who died of overdoses and feel they have a right to know how the payouts are used. You can use the interactive map to compare the level of transparency in your state to that of similar or neighboring states. Pay attention to not only the public reporting but also the reporting required to an oversight body; ask why that information is not made public as well. Talk to people in recovery, family members who have lost loved ones to overdoses, treatment providers, advocates, and others in the field about what consequences the lack of transparency is having in your community. 5. Check for any reports suggesting your state or local government spent money in ways unrelated to the opioid crisis. Even states that have no reporting requirements of their own are subject to a bare minimum national standard: reporting how much money they use on expenses unrelated to the opioid epidemic. (This can be at most 15% of the states settlement cash.) Reports from state and local governments can be found here. Governments are required to submit reports only if they determine theyve used funds for non-opioid purposes, so you may not see a report from your community. Those that do file reports list only a dollar amount, so youll need to contact the person who signed off for details about how that money was used. New reports are filed approximately every six months. 6. Get help for further reporting. Reporting on Addiction has guidelines, source recommendations, and other tips that can help. Minhee, who analyzed the data for this investigation, has other resources on her site, showing which lawsuits states engaged in and how theyre planning to spend the money. KHN senior correspondent Aneri Pattani is also available to share advice. Reach her at anerip@kff.org. KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation. USE OUR CONTENT This story can be republished for free (details). Photo: The Canadian Press Pope Francis rested well overnight and was progressively improving Thursday, the Vatican said, after he was hospitalized with a respiratory infection that has called into question his participation in Palm Sunday and upcoming Holy Week events. The 86-year-old pontiff, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, ate breakfast, read the newspapers and was working from his hospital room at Romes Gemelli hospital, according to a statement from Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni. Before lunch he went to the little chapel in the private apartment, where he gathered in prayer and received the Eucharist, the statement said. Francis was hospitalized Wednesday after having trouble breathing in recent days and was diagnosed with a respiratory infection that wasn't COVID-19. The Vatican said he would remain for a few days of treatment; his audiences were canceled through Friday. Despite his absence, the Vatican was abuzz with activity Thursday: Two Vatican offices issued an historic statement repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery," the legal theory backed by 15th century papal bulls that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property law today. And there was continued fallout over the sudden resignation of a founding member of the pope's sex abuse prevention board, with Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley pushing back against Rev. Hans Zollner's critiques in his remarkable resignation statement issued the previous day. Francis is scheduled to celebrate Palm Sunday this weekend, and it wasnt clear how his medical condition would affect the Vaticans Holy Week observances, which include Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil and finally Easter Sunday on April 9. His hospitalization was the first since Francis had 33 centimetres of his colon removed and spent 10 days at the Gemelli hospital in July 2021. He said soon after the surgery that he had recovered fully and could eat normally. But in a Jan. 24 interview with The Associated Press, Francis said his diverticulosis, or bulges in the intestinal wall, had returned. Before he was admitted to the hospital Wednesday, the pope had appeared in relatively good form during his regularly scheduled general audience, though he grimaced strongly while getting in and out of the popemobile. Francis has used a wheelchair for over a year due to strained ligaments in his right knee and a small knee fracture, though he had been walking more with a cane of late. Francis has said he resisted having surgery for the knee problems because he didnt respond well to general anesthesia during the 2021 intestinal surgery. Top executives of Chinese e-commerce and financial giant Alibaba say it plans to spin off some of its sprawling e-commerce and finance empire as independent businesses to make them more flexible and maximize their value. Alibaba CEO Daniel Zhang outlined details of a plan announced earlier this week to split Alibaba into six main groups as a prelude toward stock listings of some of its companies. In a conference call, Zhang said Alibaba will become more of a holding company and controlling shareholder of group companies. The restructuring plan marks a new stage in Alibaba's growth after a series of setbacks as regulators cracked down on it and other tech companies. COLUMBUS JUNCTION The announcement that Iowa Wesleyan University in Mt. Pleasant will be closing its doors in May will leave the Columbus Community School District wondering where new teachers will come from. Jeff Maeder, superintendent of Columbus and Winfield-Mt. Union school districts, said that new teachers are hard to come by. Each year both districts host at least one student teacher from Iowa Wesleyan. The biggest impact to the districts will be our pipeline for new teachers, he said. One of their(Iowa Wesleyans) stronger programs was their teacher education program. We have hired a lot of teacher from Iowa Wesleyan over the years. It is going to have some effect in that way. Im not sure how much yet, but certainly a lot of people from southeastern Iowa who are going into teaching look at Iowa Wesleyan. Maeder commented that finding new teachers is challenging. He said the districts still have full-time teacher openings from 2022. Not as many people go into teaching anymore, he said. It has to do with the politics and how society looks at the profession. On Tuesday, the Universitys board of trustees voted unanimously to close the private college at the end of the academic year on May 31. The U.S. Department of Agriculture will take control of the campus after Iowa Wesleyan closes. The college owes the USDA about $26 million in mortgages and loan guarantees to the USDA. Maeder commented the announcement of the closure came as a complete surprise, saying he had no idea the university was experiencing financial issues. He said both the school districts and Iowa Wesleyan have had a close working relationship. He said it is too early to know what the district will do to address the issue of Iowa Wesleyans closure. The Muscatine Community School District and Muscatine Community College had not returned a request for information about the impact of the closure before press time. About 850 Iowa Wesleyan students will be able to finish their degrees through agreements with other colleges. The trustees cited increased operating costs, enrollment trends and a decline in donations as reasons for the closure. They also cited Gov. Kim Reynolds denial of a request for $12 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds. After the announcement, Reynolds said the Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Workforce Development would work with Mt. Pleasant businesses to keep the economy strong. Previously Iowa Wesleyan had to collect $4.6 million in order to remain open through December, 2019. The amount was received through a combination of community donations and leveraging real estate. Here's a look at trending topics for today, March 29: Keanu Reeves Keanu Reeves has found "bliss" with his girlfriend Alexandra Grant. The 'John Wick: Chapter 4' actor doesn't often speak about his personal life but admitted one of his last moments of true contentment was while he was in bed and "connected" with his "honey". Asked his last moment of bliss, he told People magazine: "A couple of days ago with my honey. "We were in bed. We were connected. We were smiling and laughing and giggling. Feeling great. It was just really nice to be together." The 58-year-old actor also admitted he isn't always a regular on the dance floor, but with the right song, he'll be the first one up. Read more about it here: Paul O'Grady Paul O'Grady, one of Britain's most popular TV personalities, has died aged 67. The star, also known for his drag queen alter ego Lily Savage, died unexpectedly on Tuesday evening, according to his husband, Andre Portasio, the PA Media news agency reported. In the statement shared with PA, Portasio said: "It is with great sadness that I inform you that Paul has passed away unexpectedly but peacefully yesterday evening. "We ask, at this difficult time, that whilst you celebrate his life you also respect our privacy as we come to terms with this loss. "He will be greatly missed by his loved ones, friends, family, animals and all those who enjoyed his humor, wit and compassion." Read more about him here: Pope Francis The Vatican says Pope Francis will be hospitalized for several days for treatment of a pulmonary infection after experiencing difficulty breathing in recent days. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni says Francis, 86, does not have COVID-19, but requires several days of therapy. He said Wednesday that Francis had been suffering some breathing trouble in recent days and went to the Gemelli hospital for tests. The tests showed a respiratory infection (COVID-19 infection excluded) that will require some days of medical therapy, Bruni's statement said. Pope Francis went to a Rome hospital on Wednesday and canceled his audiences for the next two days to undergo previously scheduled tests, the Vatican said. Find out more here: *** Get more of today's trending topics here: TikTok banned Nashville shooting vigil Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand, the lone Democrat to hold statewide office, said if Republicans want to target him directly, they should hurl insults, not advance legislation he said that will increase fraud and jeopardize federal funds the state receives. A House subcommittee Wednesday voted 2-1 to advance Senate File 478 to consideration by the full House State Government Committee. The bill, which passed the Senate earlier this month on a party-line vote with Democrats opposed, would place limits on what personal information the state taxpayers watchdog could demand during an audit. John McCormally, Sands chief of staff, and Deputy Auditor of State Ernest Ruben said the bill would hinder the state auditors ability to conduct investigations in an independent, nonpartisan fashion and likely result in increased fraud, the loss of federal funding and a lower bond rating that would increase state borrowing costs. Sen. Michael Bousselot, a Republican from Ankeny, has said the legislation was designed to protect the privacy of Iowans personal information and to clarify questions that were raised during a 2021 Iowa Supreme Court case that pondered the auditors authority. However, a bipartisan coalition of state auditors and national organizations that represent state auditors and accounting professionals have said the proposal would hamper the offices ability to root out and prevent waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars. McCormally called the bill a fix to an imaginary problem, noting Iowa Code and federal law already maintains the strict confidentiality of information and records obtained during the court of an audit, including medical and student education records. Auditors as well are subject to the same restrictions and penalties as the custodian of records for improper disclosure. Ruben warned that if agencies withhold information, the Auditors Office may not be able to complete investigations and mandated audits, which would jeopardize potentially billions in federal funding for some state programs, including funding for education, student loans, medical assistance, unemployment insurance and food assistance. Rep. Amy Nielsen, D-North Liberty, called the bill crazy inappropriate and a bleak mark that personally targets Sand and not the office. Subcommittee chairman Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton, disputed the allegation. This has nothing to do with the individual holding the current office, from my personal perspective, Kaufmann said, adding that he acknowledges there are issues with bill that need to be addressed, but felt it important enough to advance to full committee for consideration. I look forward to working with everyone that spoke today on a potential amendment moving forward, but I do think this is something that deserves the full committees discussion, he said. Sand, talking to reporters afterward, said hes happy to work with anybody to stop bad things from happening. Asked whether he shares Nielsens view that the bill specifically targets him, Sand said: If people want to target me, they should insult me and lie about me and say terrible things about me. If theyre targeting me, this bill harms taxpayers. I dont think its very effective targeting. Lawmakers: Put the phone down and drive Using a cellphone while driving would be illegal unless in hands-free mode under a bill lawmakers passed out of a House committee on Wednesday. Senate File 547 would ban the use of a cellphone or other electronic device while driving for any reason, except in a voice-activated hands-free mode. Under current law, it is illegal to send a text or other message while driving, but making a call or using a phones GPS is allowed. Its not the first time lawmakers have attempted to pass tighter restrictions for using a device while driving, but the bill is now closer to law than it has been in the past. If passed by the House, the bill would be eligible to be signed into law by Gov. Kim Reynolds. Supporters of the bill said it would make Iowas roads significantly safer, noting a large percentage of crashes in the state are due to distracted driving. Law enforcement officers have said it is hard to prove if a person was texting while driving, making the texting ban difficult to enforce. The fine for using an electronic device while driving would be $100 under the bill, and violators would receive a written warning between the effective date and Jan. 1, 2024. The bill passed the House Transportation Committee 19-2, with Democrats Jeff Cooling of Cedar Rapids and Rick Olson of Des Moines opposed. Behind-the-counter birth control Iowa women would be able to receive an initial three-month supply of birth control medication, then another 12-month supply before needing to visit a physician under legislation that advanced in the House. The provision is an amended version of a proposal made by Gov. Kim Reynolds to make birth control more accessible to Iowa women. But while the proposal, Senate File 326 advanced out of the Houses Health and Human Services Committee and thus survived this weeks funnel deadline, the bill was not without its detractors, even from some majority-party Republicans who voted for the bill in committee. Rep. Steven Bradley, R-Cascade, said he is not crazy about this bill, but said he voted for it in committee because he had discussions with the governors office and received assurances it will be amended before a floor vote. If it is not altered, Bradley said he will not vote for the bill if and when it is debated by the full Iowa House. Other Republicans on the committee expressed similar reservations. Highest-paying jobs that don't require a degree Highest-paying jobs that don't require a degree #50. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment #49. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers #48. Real estate brokers #47. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants #46. First-line supervisors of correctional officers #45. Crane and tower operators #44. Insurance appraisers, auto damage #43. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door #42. Media and communication equipment workers, all other #41. Stationary engineers and boiler operators #40. Wellhead pumpers #39. Railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers #38. Railroad conductors and yardmasters #37. Boilermakers #36. Fire inspectors and investigators #35. Police and sheriff's patrol officers #34. Transit and railroad police #33. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators #32. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians #31. Chemical plant and system operators #30. Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators #29. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers #28. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers #27. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers #26. Pile driver operators #25. Gambling managers #24. Electrical and electronics installers and repairers, transportation equipment #23. Athletes and sports competitors #22. Gas plant operators #21. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers #20. Electrical power-line installers and repairers #19. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers #18. First-line supervisors of nonretail sales workers #17. Locomotive engineers #16. Transportation inspectors #15. Postmasters and mail superintendents #14. Signal and track switch repairers #13. Power plant operators #12. Subway and streetcar operators #11. Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels #10. Ship engineers #9. Detectives and criminal investigators #8. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay #7. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers #6. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers #5. Power distributors and dispatchers #4. First-line supervisors of police and detectives #3. Commercial pilots #2. Nuclear power reactor operators #1. Makeup artists, theatrical and performance CHICAGO (AP) A Cook County jury awarded nearly $5 million Wednesday to the family of an 84-year-old retired teacher who was killed when a police cruiser crashed into a police van and careened into a car in which she was a passenger. The jury awarded $4.75 million to the estate of Verona Gunn and $180,000 to be divided among three other people in the car with her when the collision happened, for their physical injuries and emotional suffering, the plaintiffs' attorneys said in a statement. The verdict is one of the highest in the state of Illinois for the death of someone in their eighties, it added. Today, this jury honored their oath and made the City of Chicago accountable for the tragic and untimely death of Mrs. Verona Gunn, plaintiffs attorney Andrew Stroth said. Gunn was being driven home after a family cookout when the crash occurred on May 25, 2019, and she died hours later on an operating table. Her daughter, a family friend in the passenger seat and the friends 9-year-old grandchild next to Gunn in the back were injured, as were 10 police officers. The city's law department did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment Wednesday. In a similar case, the Chicago City Council last September approved a $15 million settlement to the family of a woman who was killed when a police cruiser ran a red light and slammed into her SUV after officers allegedly ignored repeated orders to end their high-speed pursuit of a carjacking suspect. DECATUR. Ill. (AP) Police in central Illinois shot a man suspected of stabbing a woman early Thursday, authorities said. Two Decatur police officers shot the man after he charged at them while armed with a knife, Decatur Police Chief Shane Brandel said in a news release. The officers were responding to a domestic vioplence call shortly before 4 a.m. and discovered a 34-year-old woman had been stabbed in her back, an arm and a hip and had a cut on her chest. Brandel said. She was released from a hospital Thursday, Brandel said. The man was shot in both hands and his right arm, Brandel said. He was taken to a hospital. Brandel identified the man as Steven L. Hirstein, 43. after his hospital release, Hirstein will be charged with attempted murder, aggravated domestic battery and aggravated assault, Brandel said. The officers werent injured. Brandel didn't identify them but said one is an eight-year veteran and the other recently completed his first year as an officer. It wasn't clear whether Hirstein has an attorney who might comment on his behalf. The Illinois State Police will investigate the shooting and forward their findings to prosecutors for review, Brandel said. It is entirely likely that Vladimir Putin may never be held fully accountable for his crimes. But the possibility of eventual justice grew somewhat brighter with the international criminal courts decision recently to issue an arrest warrant for overseeing the abduction of Ukrainian children. The compelling evidence of the forced transfer of thousands of children for adoption or to reeducation camps is appalling. But this is only one of many horrors Putin has unleashed on Ukraine. Support is growing for prosecuting him for the invasion itself, which would require the creation of a special tribunal because the crime of aggression is not within the ICCs scope. These calls are made in part because it is usually hard, if not impossible, for war crimes investigators to prove that those at the top sanctioned atrocities on the ground. Putin can, however, be clearly linked to the abductions. Russia's commissioner of childrens rights, Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, who was indicted alongside the president, appeared on television thanking him for her adoption of a 15-year-old boy from Mariupol. This is the beginning of the case against Putin, not necessarily the end. For now, it is more of an annoyance than a threat or even a serious obstacle to him. Russia is not a signatory to the Rome statute, the courts founding document, and does not recognize its jurisdiction. The warrant may hinder his travels -- member countries are supposed to arrest Putin if he visits -- but governments have sidestepped such requirements in the past. As the ICCs chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, observed, justice will be a matter of stamina. It may eventually catch up with the Russian president, as it did for Slobodan Milosevic, if he falls from power. Most importantly, it may weigh in the minds of his officials and military leaders in the coming months. Any deterrent effect, however limited, can only be welcomed. The ICC cannot succeed alone, however. It needs more support, including but not limited to greater financial backing. It has 40 investigators on the ground in Ukraine, yet funding has not increased accordingly. And though the Biden administration rescinded sanctions imposed on it by former President Donald Trump over the investigation of war crimes in Afghanistan by the U.S. and others, the Pentagon is reportedly blocking cooperation on Russia because it fears a precedent which could lead to the prosecution of Americans in future. The U.S. has long maintained that the court does not have jurisdiction over non-signatories, even if the alleged crimes occurred in a country that is party to the treaty, such as Afghanistan. While 123 countries are party to the Rome statute, the U.S., like Russia and China, refused to join, undercutting the courts credibility. Signing up would be the moral course, but is politically unfeasible. But legal experts and some U.S. officials argue that the administration could and should still cooperate. Even if its citizens were indicted by the ICC, the U.S. could argue that the court should only prosecute when countries are incapable of bringing cases satisfactorily in domestic courts. American military and civilian courts have prosecuted soldiers for atrocities in Iraq, for example, though far from as frequently or effectively as needed. Adopting this pragmatic course of cooperation with the ICC without full support would be an imperfect solution. But every support possible must be enlisted for an institution that, as Mr. Putins case shows, is doing essential work. A Russian judge has ruled that American journalist Evan Gershkovich must remain behind bars on espionage charges. The case is part of a Kremlin crackdown on dissent and press freedom during the war in Ukraine. Appearing in public for the first time in weeks, the 31-year-old Wall Street Journal reporter stood in a defendants glass cage in Moscow City Court, wearing blue jeans and a navy blue gingham checked shirt. He paced at times and occasionally smiled as he acknowledged the other journalists in the courtroom. Gershkovich is the first U.S. correspondent since the Cold War to be detained in Russia on spying allegations. Gershkovich, his employer and the U.S. government deny the charges and demand his release. Study streaming provides companionship for lonely students Xinhua) 16:32, March 23, 2023 CHONGQING, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Even after 10 p.m., a video meeting between a group of students is still going strong. For these students, who are devoted to self-study, this virtual meeting is akin to being in the library. The virtual study room has become an increasingly popular silent space to work alongside other students. The pandemic further cemented its popularity by necessitating social distancing measures. A video titled "I'm studying with 100 thousand people" on Bilibili, a quality-video sharing platform targeting young people, has garnered over 880,000 views. The eight-hour video, posted in early March, presents the study rooms of many top Chinese universities, including Tsinghua University and Xiamen University, and has become a warm harbour for people in pursuit of an academic atmosphere. "Initially I was just looking for a partner to prepare for the IELTS exam together. I never expected it to be so well-received," said Yue Yetu, who started an online study stream. "It amazed me that over 150 people were simultaneously online ahead of the Chinese national postgraduate entrance examination held in December 2022." The participants, Yue said, include both teenagers and adults, most of whom were preparing for upcoming examinations. Greatly motivated, Yue has kept the virtual study room running even after she passed her exam. "They don't have to turn on the cameras in the room. However, many would still prefer to fire up the webcam because it reminds them not to distract," Yue said. Yue also set up a chat group, where dozens of members shared their learning process and ups and downs in life. "I received a lot of support from it, and I was deeply moved," said Chen Yihan, an attendee. Wang Lingli, psychological counselor of the First People's Hospital of Chongqing Liangjiang New Area, explained that the craze for online study can be attributed to a psychological concept called social facilitation. It relates to the tendency for the presence of others to improve a person's performance on a task. "Humans are social beings. People may feel anxious and experience self-doubt due to the huge pressure of studying alone for examinations. Companionship and support from others with similar experiences can help relieve loneliness and surmount negative emotions," noted Wang. For all the benefits online study rooms may bring, drawbacks also loom. "The online meeting is accessible to everyone, so there are chances that some will insult others through messages or their behavior," Yue said, adding she has encrypted the virtual meeting room to reduce the occurrence of such behaviors. Speculators also emerge, setting up paid such rooms with embedded games and chatting services yet implementing barely any supervision. "I paid more than 50 yuan (about 7 U.S. dollars) to purchase a so-called supervision service, only to find that no one cared what you were doing in it," complained a user. "It needs to be regulated." To Yue, her virtual study room has far-reaching significance. A pair of siblings on a winter day showed up in her room, reading in the dingy light. "Both of them wore fingerless gloves and I could even see their breath, which indicated it was quite cold there," she noted. She therefore decided to keep the room running 24 hours. "They made me realize the meaning of creating such an online space," she said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Photo: The Canadian Press Federal Security Service building in Lubyanskaya Square, Moscow. Russia's security service arrested an American reporter for The Wall Street Journal on espionage charges, the first time a U.S. correspondent has been detained on spying accusations since the Cold War. The newspaper denied the allegations. Evan Gershkovich was detained in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg while allegedly trying to obtain classified information, the Federal Security Service, known by the acronym FSB, said Thursday. The service, which is the top domestic security agency and main successor to the Soviet-era KGB, alleged that Gershkovich was acting on the U.S. orders to collect information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex that constitutes a state secret. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Wednesday: It is not about a suspicion, is it about the fact that he was caught red-handed. The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich, the newspaper said. We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family. The arrest comes at a moment of bitter tensions between the West and Moscow over its war in Ukraine and as the Kremlin intensifies a crackdown on opposition activists, independent journalists and civil society groups. The sweeping campaign of repression is unprecedented since the Soviet era. Earlier this week, a Russian court convicted a father over social media posts critical of the war and sentenced him to two years in prison while his 13-year-old daughter was sent to an orphanage. Gershkovich is the first American reporter to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since September 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, a Moscow correspondent for U.S. News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB. Daniloff was released without charge 20 days later in a swap for an employee of the Soviet Union's United Nations mission who was arrested by the FBI, also on spying charges. At a hearing Thursday, a Moscow court quickly ruled to keep Gershkovich behind bars pending the investigation, according to the official Telegram channel of the capital's courts. While previous American detainees have been freed in prisoner swaps, a top Russian official said it was way too early to talk about any such deal. There was no immediate public comment from Washington, although a U.S. official indicated the U.S. government was aware of the situation and awaiting more information from Russia. Gershkovich, who covers Russia, Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations as a correspondent in The Wall Street Journals Moscow bureau, could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of espionage. Prominent lawyers noted that past investigations into espionage cases in the past took a year to 18 months during which time he may be held with little contact with the outside world. The FSB noted that Gershkovich had accreditation from the Russian Foreign Ministry to work as a journalist, but ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Gershkovich was using his journalistic credentials as a cover for "activities that have nothing to do with journalism. Gershkovich speaks fluent Russian and had previously worked for the French agency Agence France-Presse and The New York Times. His last report from Moscow, published earlier this week, focused on the Russian economys slowdown amid Western sanctions imposed when Russian troops invaded Ukraine last year. Ivan Pavlov, a prominent Russian defense attorney who has worked on many espionage and treason cases, said Gershkovich is the first criminal case on espionage charges against a foreign journalist in post-Soviet Russia. That unwritten rule not to touch accredited foreign journalists, has stopped working, said Pavlov, a member of the First Department legal aid group. Pavlov said the case against Gershkovich was built in order for Russia to have trump cards for a future prisoner exchange and will likely be resolved not by the means of the law, but by political, diplomatic means. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov ruled out any quick swap. I wouldnt even consider this issue now because people who were previously swapped had already served their sentences, Ryabkov said, according to Russian news agencies. Ryabkov added that the U.S. citizens swapped in the past were behind bars on quite serious charges while the Russians in the American custody had found themselves in the millstones of the American system of persecution. Gershkovich's arrest follows a swap in December, in which WNBA star Brittney Griner was freed after 10 months behind bars in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Another American, Paul Whelan, a Michigan corporate security executive, has been imprisoned in Russia since December 2018 on espionage charges that his family and the U.S. government have said are baseless. Jeanne Cavelier, of press freedom group Reporters Without Borders, said Gershkovich's arrest looks like a retaliation measure of Russia against the United States. "We are very alarmed because it is probably a way to intimidate all Western journalists that are trying to investigate aspects of the war on the ground in Russia, said Cavelier, head of Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk at the Paris-based group. The Western powers should immediately ask for clarifications on the charges, because as far as we know he was just doing his job as a journalist. Russian journalist Dmitry Kolezev said on the messaging app Telegram that he spoke to Gershkovich before his trip to Yekaterinburg. He was preparing for the usual, albeit rather dangerous in current conditions, journalist work, Kolezev wrote. He said Gershkovich asked him for the contacts of local journalists and officials in the area as he prepared to arrange interviews. Another prominent lawyer with the First Department group, Yevgeny Smirnov, said that those arrested on espionage and treason charges are usually held at the FSB's Lefortovo prison in Moscow, known for its stringent conditions. It was Moscow's Lefortovo District Court that ruled behind closed doors to keep Gershkovich in custody. Smirnov said espionage suspects are usually held in a total isolation, without phone calls, visitors or even access to newspapers. At most, they can receive letters, often delayed by weeks. Smirnov called these conditions tools of suppression. Smirnov and Pavlov both said that the investigation could last for 12 to 18 months, and the trial would be held behind closed doors. According to Pavlov, there have been no acquittals in treason and espionage cases in Russia since 1999. Most recently, Smirnov and Pavlov defended Ivan Safronov, a former Russian journalist turned an official with the federal space corporation Roscosmos who was convicted of treason. A 24-year-old man has been charged in a Nairobi court for allegedly threatening to kill his mother. Ethan Chege allegedly issued death threats to Anastacia Ndunge at her house in Ruai within Njiru Sub County in Nairobi on March 6 this year. The court heard that the accused uttered the words, nitakukatakata kama mboga (I will cut you into pieces like vegetables) to his mother, words which the prosecution believes were death threats. On the said date, Chege is said to have returned home and found his mother with other relatives and told them that he did not want to see anyone around. He allegedly threatened his mother before disappearing, forcing her to flee her house and seek refuge in her neighbours house. Ms Ndunge reported the matter to the police and rented a house elsewhere fearing for her life. In court, Chege was also charged with creating a disturbance in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace contrary to Section 95 (1) of the Penal Code where he is accused of chasing Ms Ndunge from her home on the same date. Jacque Maribe and Jowie Irungu must answer for the murder of businesswoman Monica Kimani, the High court has ruled. Justice Grace Nzioka on Wednesday afternoon said the Prosecution had produced enough evidence to put the former lovers on defense. I am satisfied that the prosecution has adduced evidence requiring to put each of the two accused persons on their defence, Justice Nzioka ruled. She delivered the ruling virtually from her current workstation in Naivasha High Court. Jowie Irungu, through his lawyer Hassan Nandwa, informed the court that he will call one witness to defend him. Jacque Maribe on her part plans to call four witnesses. She will also take the stand. So far, the court has heard testimonies from over 30 witnesses. The matter will be heard on May 11 and 12, 2023. President William Ruto has asked the Organization for African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) to improve relations with the European Union to unlock trade and investment opportunities for its members. The President said delays in signing of Key agreements, like the Post-Cotonou Partnership (Samoa) Agreement, have stalled numerous opportunities for member states and asked the organization to engage the EU to establish a win-win structure. Our relationship with the EU is stagnated. We need to make it work for the benefit of the citizens of our nations, he said. He spoke during a meeting with the bureau of the committee of ambassadors of the OACPS led by Secretary General Georges Rebelo Pinto Chikoti. President Ruto also urged OACPS to unite its member states to enhance the regions bargaining position. We should consolidate our relationship as members of the bloc in order to bargain for trade and investment with the EU and other organizations. Our position is stronger when we are united, he said. He raised concern over the socio-economic impact of European Green Deal legislation on exporting countries. The President said the legislation will lead to increased compliance costs and general trade deterioration leading to increased poverty. I therefore recommend that the OACPS fraternity continues to engage with the EU to accord more time for local sensitization, compliance, setting up necessary infrastructure and providing capacity building support, he said. Ambassador of the Republic of Mauritius and Chair of the OACPS Committee of Ambassadors, Mr. S. Gunessee, Ambassador of the Republic of Cameroon and Dean of the Committee of Ambassadors, Daniel Evina Abee, Cabinet Secretaries Alfred Mutua (Foreign and Diaspora Affairs), Susan Nakhumicha (Health), Njuguna Ndungu (Finance), Soipan Tuya (Environment) and Kipchumba Murkomen (Roads and Transport) were also present. Belgium will support Kenyas development agenda through partnerships in trade and investment, health and renewable energy, the Presidential Communication Service (PCS) has said. It will also back peace and security plans in the region and climate adaptation. President William Ruto and Prime Minister of Belgium Alexander De Croo signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Political Consultations that will provide a framework for engagement on partnerships. Speaking at FPS Chancery of the Prime Minister in Brussels, Belgium, Prime Minister Croo committed to supporting Kenyas food security agenda. On health, Kenya will work with Belgian Biotechnology companies to establish insulin, vaccine and cancer drug manufacturing companies in the country. Belgium will also support Kenyas quest to maintain peace and stability for the sake of the regions prosperity. The two leaders agreed to work together to advance the growth of the renewable energy sector in Kenya and promote carbon credit management. Other areas of partnership discussed include port management, the digital economy and Kenyas position on the Ukraine war. Cabinet Secretaries Alfred Mutua (Foreign and Diaspora Affairs), Njuguna Ndungu (Finance) and Soipan Tuya (Environment) were also present. Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has slammed his Kisumu County counterpart Anyang Nyongo over plans to ferry Azimio protesters to the capital on Thursday. Nyongo on Wednesday said the planned Azimio demonstrations in Kisumu had been indefinitely suspended to allow residents to travel to and join the Nairobi protests. All public demonstrations within Kisumu County have from today been suspended indefinitely so that we can join demonstrations in Nairobi, Nyongo said. The Kisumu governor said the decision was arrived at after consultations with the Azimio national leadership and the Kisumu County Executive Committee. But Sakaja opposed the plans saying Nairobi has already borne the brunt of the mass protests. The Governor of Kisumus idea that he can export his demonstrations to Nairobi and make our county the capital of demonstrations and associated mayhem is preposterous and totally unacceptable, Sakaja said Wednesday. He added: In the spirit of devolution, I would advise the Governor of Kisumu, Prof Anyang Nyongo to keep his demonstrations to his county. Governor Sakaja declared that further protests shall not be allowed to take place within Nairobi County. It has been decided that further protests and demonstrations shall similarly no longer take place in any part of the city, he said. Sakaja noted that Nairobi dwellers have patiently put up with Azimio demos and are not ready for further disruptions. My administration is working round the clock to enable the city county serve not just Nairobi but the people of Kenya in realising their aspirations which is why we are obliged to protect lives and livelihoods, he said. The year was 2019! Kikuyu Member of Parliament Kimani Ichungwah had apparently had enough of then-President Uhuru Kenyatta and decided to cut ties by blocking his phone number. For more than three years now, the two have never spoken, with Ichungwah now in the spotlight over his alleged involvement in the invasion of Uhuru Kenyattas Northlands farm in Ruiru, Kiambu County on Monday, March 27. Speaking about the straw that broke the camels back, Ichungwah said in October 2018 he made a contribution in Parliament about the lucrative betting industry in Kenya, remarks that did not sit well with Uhuru Kenyatta. The president then told me I had become arrogant, and that I was targeting him. Sometime in 2019, the former president called and asked why I was antagonizing him. He told me that I had to choose between him or Ruto. In his own words, if I can remember vividly, he said: Ichungwah, why are you fighting me? the National Assembly Majority leader narrated. Ichungwah told The Standard that this was around the time he was seen to be inclining towards the then-Deputy President William Ruto. It was then that I decided to block him (Kenyatta) on phone. That was in 2019. For more than three years now, I have never spoken with the former president. He has never tried to reach me using another line and I have never called him too, said Ichungwah. The Kikuyu MP also spoke about his perceived bitterness toward Uhuru saying: We (politicians from Mount Kenya) made him president, but he turned his back on us. He thought he made us (MPs and senators) who we are politically, but it was the other way round. He was elected because of us, we campaigned for him. Ichungwah added: I dont exactly know why Kenyatta was so much against me. Maybe, in his mind, he was thinking that I was out to wrest Mount Kenya kingship from him. I remember telling him that I never had any ambitions to be deputy president, senator or governor. I was, and Im still okay being an MP. Speaking about the Northlands Invasion, Ichungwah said he first heard about it on social media. I do not know anything about the invasion of the Kenyattas land. I first saw on social media the reports claiming that unknown people had invaded the former presidents farm. That was around 11:30 am. I had to wait for mainstream media to verify and file accurate reports. It was after a local TV station aired live footage of what was happening at the farm that I got to know that the incident had indeed taken place, he said. Asked if his March 20 comments might have triggered the invasion, Ichungwah said: I am a resident of Central Kenya, and I know what the people there are saying about the former first family. On March 20, I only relayed what the people of Mount Kenya had long been saying about the Kenyattas. On March 20, Ichungwah spoke about the Kenyattas expansive property, among them Northlands Fram. My brother, the former president Uhuru Kenyatta, if you want to be respected, then respect other people first. Respect other peoples property. If you dont respect other peoples property, then we, the people of Mount Kenya, will ask you many questions about the huge tracts of land that you occupy, starting with your land on Thika Road near Ruiru, the MP said. Wed, thereafter, ask you about your land in Taita Taveta and Nakuru. When a Kenyans property is invaded, then we will also invade your land, and ask homeless Kenyans to settle on them. Dont think that only the ordinary Kenyan will lose property [during the demos]. Even you, will pay a price. That is my message to none other than Uhuru Kenyatta. Ichungwah now says his remarks were not meant to incite looters to raid Kenyattas land. If I am guilty of anything, then it is voicing what Central Kenya constituents think about the Kenyattas. He mentioned that he is open to investigations over his alleged involvement in the raid. Im flattered to hear that people think I have a lot of money. If anyone suspects that I had a role to play in the Northlands farm invasion, then Im open to investigations. The police can access my phone to establish who I spoke to, if I did any mobilisation, or which places I visited on or before Monday, March 27. Im ready to have an investigations file opened against me. Ichungwah said. United States of America Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman was full of praise for President William Ruto describing him as a hands-on leader. She mentioned that the Head of State is strategic and strong and easy to work with. The new President, William Ruto, is very strong. He is smart, strategic, and gets things done, she said. He understands that economic growth and development is the way forward and has set a vision for accelerating Kenyas drive to achieve upper middle-income country status by 2030, Whitman added. The envoy lauded President Ruto in a letter inviting entrepreneurs to attend the American Chamber of Commerce Regional Business Summit being held in Nairobi from March 29 to 30. Whitman also noted that Ruto has been key in fostering peace and security in East Africa. The Ambassador also described Rutos Cabinet team as strong and noted that the President is undertaking policy reforms to improve the business environment in the country. Whitman at the same time said she was super impressed with how Kenya conducted the August 9 elections. It (Kenya) held the freest, fairest, and most transparent elections in the countrys history this past August, she said. St. Helenas enforcement of its ordinance banning gasoline-powered leaf blowers will begin on Saturday. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. The change to city code, which the City Council approved in October, took effect on Jan. 1, but St. Helena Police has not issued citations or fines during the first three months of the ban, focusing instead on education and compliance. The ordinance requires leaf blowers used within city limits to be powered by batteries or electricity. Electrically operated blowers may be used on parcels along Main Street between Pine Street and Grayson Avenue during the following hours: - 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays - 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays - 10 a.m. to noon Sundays In other parts of St. Helena, the legal hours for using blowers are: - 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays - 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays - 10 a.m. to noon Sundays According to a city news release, St. Helena Fire staff have provided bilingual flyers to homeowners and landscaping firms that have used gas-powered blowers. Outreach efforts will continue after Saturday, but citations and fines also may be issued starting on that date. To support residents and business owners through this transition, St. Helena has established a rebate program to assist in the purchase of new battery or electric-powered leaf blowers. More information on the ordinance, enforcement, and rebate program can be found on the St. Helena city website: cityofsthelena.org/administration/page/2023-leaf-blower-ordinanceupdate Napa Countys jobless rate dropped slightly in February. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. The unemployment rate in Napa County was 3.7% in February, down from a revised 3.9% in January, and below the year-ago estimate of 4.0%, the California Employment Development Department reported. That compares with an unadjusted jobless rate of 4.8% for California and 3.9% for the nation during the same period, the EDD said. Year over year, Napa County industries with increased hiring included construction, beverage manufacturing, transportation, warehousing and utilities, administrative support services, and accommodation and food services. The number of food services jobs rose 14.3% from February last year to this February. In that same period, the number of transportation and warehousing jobs went up 13%. However, state and federal government jobs in Napa County saw slight declines year-over-year. At the same time, Napa Countys labor force rose from 69,500 to 71,700 workers. Napa, Placer and Alameda counties tied for the eighth lowest jobless rate in the state. To compare neighboring counties, Solano County ranked 23rd, Sonoma County seventh and Lake County 35th. San Mateo County had the lowest jobless rate among California's 58 counties just 2.8%. ST. HELENA Family and friends are mourning the death of Andre Minor, a 38-year-old St. Helena grape grower, math teacher and father to a newborn daughter. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. Scores of mourners recently packed the former St. Helena Catholic School gym to remember Minor, who managed his familys Ritchie Creek Vineyard and had just become a father in December when he was killed by a falling tree limb on Feb. 11. After the Glass Fire destroyed the Minor home in 2020, Andre and his wife, Tina, designed a new one on the same footprint. Construction was just weeks away from completion when Andre died. He worked so hard to build a future for us, Tina Minor told mourners at the March 11 memorial. We had so many plans. Family members say Minor, an experienced outdoorsman trained by his late father, Pete Minor, was on the familys Spring Mountain property cutting down a tree that had burned during the Glass Fire. He cut down the tree correctly and it was falling away from him when a falling branch hit him on the head. Minor earned a Ph.D. in math and taught at Sonoma State University, but family members say he shared his fathers passion for grape growing. While attending UC San Diego, he would return home during summers and long weekends to tend to the family vineyards. He always liked getting his hands dirty, recalled his mother, Maggie Minor. Like many small wineries established in the 1970s, Ritchie Creek was a family affair, with relatives pitching in to help with pressing, crushing and labeling. According to Maggie Minor, Pete taught his kids the value of a hard days work followed by a hearty family meal, and Andre carried on with that way of life after his father died in 2018. We came in at the end of the golden age of the wine business, where neighbors were friends and everything still had that family feel, said Andres sister, Beth Minor. We wished wed enjoyed more of that era. That may have been part of Andres desire to recreate it. Maggie Minor called her son a natural educator with a knack for teaching people about grape growing. When Pete experienced dementia in his later years, Andre would sit him in a chair in the vineyards and talk to him while he tended to the vines. (Ritchie Creek stopped making wine in the early 2000s.) Andre taught me throughout my life, whether he was helping me with an exam or teaching me about viticulture, said his longtime friend Tyler Brooks. Just like his dad, Andre was always explaining his work in the vineyard planting, fertilizing, irrigation, erosion control. Andre was born into a family of musicians and played the flute and guitar, writing musical paeans to advanced math and even proposing to Tina in song. Friends also recalled him as an avid gamer, beating all comers at Mario Kart. Friends and family say Andre was also a good neighbor. While the Glass Fire was scorching Spring Mountain and destroying the Minor family home, Andre cut firebreaks, offered to remove valuables from neighbors property, and cleared downed trees from neighbors driveways. Ed Clary, a former Georgia resident whos lived next to the Minors for 3 1/2 years, greatly respected Andres devotion to his family, his love for Tina, and his knowledge of grape growing. He recalled swelling with pride when Andre praised his irrigation as Ritchie Creek good. My life is better for having known Andre, he said. PHOTOS: Sheep graze on the NVC vineyard Grazing sheep 2 Grazing among the vineyards Grazing sheep 3 Grazing sheep 4 Grazing sheep 5 Grazing sheep 6 Grazing sheep 7 Grazing sheep 8 Grazing sheep 9 Grazing sheep 10 Grazing sheep 11 Grazing sheep 12 Grazing sheep 13 Grazing sheep 14 Re. Beverley Ryder's letter Stereotyping the poor (Castanet, March 24) I am in support of some of her thoughts and ideas, just as I support some of the ideas and thoughts of some male contributors. I may not agree with everything said but I choose to not respond with an attacking diatribe against the writer. I personally experienced a very negative attack from a regular contributor. He did not like the ideas I presented and rather then keep the written conversation open and try harder at reading between the lines, he chose to fire back at me paragraph after paragraph. (Castanets letters section) gives people the ability to express their thoughts and feelings but it should not allow contributors to engage in negative and abusive responses. Personally, I think there is a real lack of respect in some submissions and the editor could do a better job choosing not to post them. Carol Lissa For most of us, the human experience follows the 1/99 percent rule, which is we know a lot about 1% of stuff and nothing or very little about the other 99%. My 1% includes wine, of course, and the Golden State Warriors. My 99% includes stuff I either enjoy or have to muddle through and do the best I can (insurance, finance and technology, for example). As hard as I try to avoid it, I must make the occasional trip down the 99%s rabbit hole and either succeed or flail. And that brings me to Burgundy wine, an intimidating subject by most standards, and one that falls into most folks 99%. I put on a Burgundy tasting at Outer Space Wines last week. The tasters fell into two broad groups. I had folks who came specifically for Burgundy because they know it, drink it, love it. They regaled me with memories of trips there, restaurants visited and wines enjoyed while they tasted. The rest, the majority, tried their best to assimilate my, and we also have a Burgundy tasting if youd like to give them a try. This group mostly opted for the local flight. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. I fight my wine myopia every day. Like any good wine merchant, I assess my customers wine interest and knowledge, find the right level to have a wine discussion, and have a good time talking about wine and who knows what else. Sometimes I imagine my customer feels as I would in, oh I dont know, a plumbing supply store, where Im pretty much lost and doing the best I can. With this attitude, Ill walk you through the basics of Burgundy wine, perhaps the most intimidating of all the wine subjects. Ill tell you what I think you really need to know. Ill leave out all the exceptions to the rules, and no looks down the rabbit hole let alone free-falls. This is all the information you need for my next Burgundy tasting, whenever that is (probably in the fall). Or when you come in to see me for a bottle of Burgundy. 1. Burgundy is a place, a region of France. Wine that is made in the Burgundy region is called Burgundy wine. In French: Bourgogne. This is assuming the winery follows the French government rules for Burgundy wine, the most important being 2. Grapes used to make the wine. Red wine is made from Pinot Noir. White wine is made from Chardonnay. Dont worry about the exceptions to this rule for now. 3. Look at Burgundy on a map. It starts 120 miles south of Paris at the village of Chablis, after which theres an 80-mile gap before Burgundy resumes at the city Dijon. From there, it runs continuously south for around 100 miles. Its a narrow area, 1 to 5 miles wide depending where youre at. 4. Theres a reason Burgundy makes uniquely wonderful wine. The soil, climate and aspect combine to make growing conditions worthy of Goldilocks. (Sounds like Napa, doesnt it?) What exactly these conditions are is for another lesson or a Google search. 5. Some say that in Burgundy, location is everything. While this is true for some aficionados, in Burgundy 101 just being aware of the idea will do just fine. Envision a pyramid with the bottom being labeled simply Bourgogne (sometimes they also say Pinot Noir or Chardonnay for the U.S. market). Bottom of the pyramid equals most cases made, lowest price, lowest level of quality. Move up five levels to the top of the pyramid and you get to the Grand Cru vineyards: very rare and extremely expensivethese are the best wines. However 6. If you want to dive into Burgundy, focus on producers more than locations. And since most producers make multiple levels of Burgundy, youll get your share of that pyramid above without adding the variable of winemaking. Producer is more important to quality than location; Ill drink a Bourgogne (bottom of pyramid) wine from a great producer over a Grand Cru wine from a mediocre producer, thank you very much. 7. Vintage matters a lot in Burgundy. Unlike California, Burgundy has all sorts of weather through the summer and early fall, making for more variation in quality. There are very good wines made in every vintage, but some vintages, like 2019, have more consistently good wines than others. I love 2019 vintage Burgundies, by the way. Look up vintages, or ask about them when youre tasting or buying Burgundy. 8. Burgundy doesnt have to be expensive to be good. Due to more good winemaking now than 20-30 years ago and climate change (hows that for a silver lining?) there are more delicious Burgundies for $25-$35 than ever before. In fact, its easier for me to find a very good red Burgundy than California Pinot Noirs to sell for under $30. Considering import fees, taxes and shipping costs, thats crazy! What next? There is so much more to know about Burgundy a few big subjects and a galaxy of little factoids. Im happy to lead you down that rabbit hole if you want, but starting simple, with a bottle, a wine glass and a map, is the first step. Maybe its the only step you want to take. Were lucky to have a few wine shops and restaurants in Napa Valley that can provide you a bona fide Burgundy introduction. Im always happy to teach you about Burgundy at Outer Space Wines. Wine Shops in the Napa Valley When Miljenko "Mike" Grgich turns 100 on Saturday, it will be one more milestone in a life of extraordinary achievements. Or, as Mike would say, "One more miracle." Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. The first time I talked to him, he had already achieved a legendary status. It was in the early 2000s, not long after I had returned to the valley where I had grown up to find it had changed dramatically, from a quiet little place known more for its state mental hospital than its wines, to a world-renowned winemaking region. This transformation was due, he said, to the work of many, but in no small part was driven by a wine he had made in 1973 as winemaker at Chateau Montelena. That Chardonnay had gone to Paris for the now-famous Judgment of Paris, the blind tasting of French and California wines in which French judges astonished the world by giving the top scores to a red and a white wine from Napa Valley, Warren Winiarski's Cabernet and Mike Grgich's Chardonnay. But on that day when we met at the winery that Mike had founded with Austin Hills in 1977, we didn't talk about wine as much a miracles. He believed in them, Mike said; they had shaped his life. There was the miracle that had allowed him to escape from Croatia, where he was born in 1923, when it was part of Communist Yugoslavia; the miracle that had got him to Napa Valley in the 1950s, when it was waking from its Prohibition-induced slumber; and the miracle that had allowed him to achieve his lifelong dream of owning his own winery, today called Grgich Hills Estate Winery. It was some years later, in 2014, that he called me back up to the winery to talk. "Do you remember when we talked about miracles?" he asked. He had in mind another one: He was going to write a book. He had been bothered by the 2008 movie "Bottle Shock," a popular if fictional account of the Judgment of Paris, from which he had been largely eliminated except for a glimpse of a man in a black beret, which had become his trademark. But more than just setting the record right, he decided to share his life story. I began, once a week, driving up to his Calistoga home, which he had built overlooking a vineyard of old-vine Zinfandel, and along with his friend and companion, Maria Luisa Morena Reyes, we embarked on his newest project, the book. A consummate storyteller, he kept us entertained for hours as he filled in the details of his life from a remarkable memory. Born in the Croatian village of Desne, he was the youngest of 11 children. His family was poor, he said, "but our life was good." His father made wine, and Mike was stomping grapes almost as soon as he learned to walk; and he drank wine diluted with water, bevanda, a healthier option than drinking water from the cistern. "When you live close to nature like we did, making wine, growing your food, taking care of your animals, you learn things you would not learn in school," he said. "We all knew about the rain and wind and snow and sun, and about working and trading with people. You have a strong connection with others, and most of all with Mother Nature." It was something, like his faith, that guided him all his life. His parents, especially his mother, were determined that Mike would get an education and when his village school ended at fourth grade, he went to live with his older sister in the town of Metkovic, where he could study until he was 14. "My papa was sad to see me leave home," Mike said. "He had tears rolling down his face as he said goodbye to me. 'Son, I have no money to give you, but I have advice,' he said. 'Try to always be with people who are smarter than you and learn from them. What you do every day, do your best. Make at least one friend every day. After a year, you will have 365 friends, a value no money can buy. Remember if you have a friend in every village, you will always have somewhere to sleep.' "I took his words with me when I left home, and I have kept them with me all my life," Mike said. When he returned home at 14, his cousin who owned a shop in another village opened one in Desne, and Mike became the manager. Their plan, however, was upended when World War II broke out and Italian soldiers, from the Axis powers, arrived in Desne. Twice he was taken prisoner. Once with a truckload of village men, they went to a site where the soldiers had dug a grave for them. "I looked at the sky ... and at the grave in front of me and the thought came into my mind, 'I am going to die, but how will I know when I am dead?'" The execution was halted, however another miracle. Even when he was telling us harrowing tales of war, his sense of humor rang through. Like the time the occupying soldiers decided to loot his cousin's store, aided by the town bully, one Josip Gnjec, who began beating him up when he tried to resist. "I had to help," Mike recounted. He wasn't big enough to fight Gnjec, so he grabbed a stick and began hitting Gnjec. "I hit so hard, I knocked his ear off! He was shocked, but so was I. It did stop the fight." "Afterwards a surprising thing happened. The people began coming to my shop bringing me gifts a basket of eggs, a chicken all because I had accidentally knocked off the ear of the bully, Josip Gnjec." With the end of the war came the arrival of the Communist state and new trials. Mike had planned to work as an accountant, which he did for a year at the local co-op. At the end of one year, he said, 'I looked at what I had achieved. I had filled two cabinets with papers. I thought, 'If I work for 35 years, what would I have accomplished then? I would have 70 cabinets filled with papers. "Was this the life I wanted? No, I concluded, it was not. But what life did I want? I searched my soul to find my answer and decided I would return to the work my father had done. I would carry on my family's tradition. I would go back to the instincts that had guided all the generations before me. I would make wine." To Zagreb "My papa had taught me the art of winemaking," Mike said, but he also wanted to learn the science and technology "because great wine is the result of both art and science." He went to Zagreb, to the university because "education was free, which was the only good thing about Communism." He said, "By 1954, the Communist grip on life in Yugoslavia was beginning to ease up. People were allowed to travel and one of my professors went to California on a sabbatical leave for six months. When he returned, we were bursting with questions ... but Professor Serman was afraid to talk for fear the Communists would hear his opinions. But finally one day, we found him alone in a room and we asked him, 'Tell us: What was it like in this place, California?'" And the professor whispered, "California is Paradise." That day, Mike decided, "Why should I wait to die to go to Paradise? Why not walk to Paradise while I am alive?" Mike began to make his plans. There was an opportunity for students to participate in a United Nations program and work for a summer in Germany. He began gathering black-market dollar bills. He had 32 when he learned that he was being followed by the secret police. He had not received his degree, but he said, if he had, he would not have been permitted to leave. He had a shoemaker hide the bills in his shoe, packed his winemaking books in the cheapest suitcase he could find, and caught his train for Germany. "I did not think I would ever return to my country, or ever again see the people left behind me," he said. "How did I feel? I felt free." When his summer program ended, he went to the U.S. consulate to apply for asylum, and on learning that it could be years before he would get a visa, he went next to the Canadians, where he learned he could leave right away if he agreed to take a job for which workers were needed; and the diminutive but dauntless Miljenko Grgich, 5 feet 4 inches at his tallest, agreed to become a lumberjack in British Columbia. Westward and on So it went week after week, listening to Mike's stories. I would come home with my tapes, and my daughter, Ariel, helped me transcribe and begin to shape them into a narrative. I'd send the chapters back up to Maria in Calistoga, and she and Mike would review them. Ariel began going with me to the weekly meetings; a linguist, she was in charge of making sure we kept the storyteller's voice. Listening to his stories, I crossed the Atlantic with him and went by train west across Canada. Unsure of his English and worried about his dollars, he often went hungry on the journey. Except for one day when he was sitting next to a woman with a basket of fried chicken; reading his wistful expression, she shared chicken with him. "I never forgot that woman," he said. "And her chicken." On his arrival in British Columbia, no one met him to take him to be a lumberjack. Instead he ended up washing dishes trying to figure out how to get to that Paradise called California. It finally happened when a winemaker in a place called Napa Valley agreed to hire him. This was Lee Stewart, founder of Souverain on Howell Mountain. "I could hardly believe that four years after I had left Croatia with my little cardboard suitcase filled with books, I was finally going to use them in California." The year was 1958 when he arrived in St. Helena by bus; and when Stewart was not there to meet him, he was horrified that he would have to pay $2 a night to stay at the St. Helena Hotel. He did connect with Stewart, however; and he calls Stewart one of the unrecognized great figures of the Napa Valley wine renaissance. He also went on to work with other pioneers, Andre Tchelistcheff and Robert Mondavi among them. His father's advice about making friends served him well. He left with Mondavi's blessing to work at Chateau Montelena, one of the old ghost wineries of the valley purchased by Jim Barrett, who offered Mike a percentage of ownership and brought him one step closer to a dream he'd been nurturing during nearly 20 years of working in the valley: owning his own winery. The triumph of Paris and the founding of Grgich Hills didn't end his adventures. With the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe, he was able to return home to a free Croatia in 1990 and even collect his college degree. He said, "I, Miljenko Grgich, from the village of Desne, sat down to lunch with the president of Croatia. 'What can I do for Croatia?' I asked. "'What do you do in America?' President (Franjo) Tudjman asked me. "'In America, I make wine,' I replied. "'Then perhaps you can make wine here, too,' the president replied." Mike not only established Grgic Vina winery in Croatia, he went on to become a major supporter of Roots of Peace, a nonprofit established to help remove land mines from war-torn countries around the world, including his own Croatia. At one of our last meetings, we sat overlooking the old vines and, in the distance, Mount Saint Helena, which he said reminded him of Babina Gomila, the mountain where as a 5-year-old shepherd, he had watched over his family's sheep. "I let these vines grow the way my father did in his vineyards in Desne," he said. "These vines have just one stake to lean on if they need it. They are not tied up because vines, like people, have to be free." With that, he had written the introduction to the manuscript that told the story of his life. We had 400 pages. "I like it," he said. "And what I really like is you didn't change a word I said." From there, his daughter Violet, now president of Grgich Hills, took on the task of turning the words into a book. He called it "A Glass Full of Miracles." "And what's next?" I asked him. "Now I am going to live to be 100," he said. And so he has. 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Scenic Scenic Karekin II: Azerbaijan's goal is to de-Armenianize, take over Karabakh US Congressman Adam Schiff to introduce bill recognizing Karabakh independence, sovereignty Karabakh MFA: Any proposal to discuss Azerbaijans illegal demands is tantamount to condoning its genocidal policy Karabakh president pays tribute to Armenian Genocide victims Catholicos visits Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan Armenia ex-President Sarkissian: We must be able to move forward without retreating from our identity, history Armenia army General Staff chief: We are doing positional improvement work at Tegh village Nathalie Loiseau: No one should approach risk of new violence against Armenians lightly 108 years after Genocide Armenia MFA: Armenians in Karabakh are facing danger of genocide, ethnic cleansing even today Netherlands ambassador expresses support to Armenians in the words of great poet Hovhannes Tumanyan (VIDEO) Georgia Armenians hold torchlight procession in Tbilisi PM Pashinyan, other state officials visit Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan (PHOTOS) Kristina Kvien: No US sanctions against Azerbaijan at the moment MFA: France condemns setting up of Azerbaijani checkpoint at Lachin corridor, demands to reopen corridor Karekin II: Fight for just cause of Armenians, contribute to prevention of genocidal acts and crimes Armenia ex-President Serzh Sargsyan: Bloody scimitar which has now become Bayraktar hangs over our people again Armenia PM: This is best moment to think about past, present, future Armenian Genocide Memorial entrance closed 108 years later: It is Armenian Genocide victims commemoration day State minister: People of Karabakh have right to demand from players to make clear assessments, take steps US 'deeply concerned' by Azerbaijan's checkpoint in Lachin corridor Edmon Marukyan: Peaceful Armenians of Artsakh taken hostage by Azerbaijan Kanaani: Iran's military program is solely defensive Ministry of Defense of Armenia: The Ministry of Defence of Azerbaijan has spread disinformation Erdogan: Putin to take part in fuel delivering ceremony to Akkuyu Security Council of the Republic of Artsakh makes a statement Kosovo Serbs boycott local elections An Armenian serviceman was lethally wounded in a position in Sotk Armenians in Great Britain remember Armenian Genocide victims Azerbaijan establishes checkpoint on Lachin-Stepanakert road Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day rally in Berlin Azerbaijan blocks Hakari bridge on Artsakh-Armenia border Faro Palace in Marseille in Armenian tricolor Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates Green Sunday AK Party office in Istanbul attacked Spain shipping Leopard 2 to Ukraine Teenager hit by Toyota car Russian citizens evacuated in Khartoum Turkey represents Iranian interests in Albania US military evacuates diplomats from Sudan Armenian PM Pashinyan visits memorial Fire breaks out in Martuni town The Foreign Ministry of Artsakh: The Ministry of Defence of Azerbaijan released another provocative statement Blackout threat at major events in France Young men lost in Artsakh found Baku "worries" for Armenia Updated Turkey earthquake death toll Greek City Times: India and Greece conduct exercises Earthquake hits Greece Trump: I have 'very good relationship' with Putin NATO delegation arrives in Azerbaijan Facebook bans Armenian Genocide memorial frames ARF Hay Dat European Office prepares lawsuit Armenia Ombudsperson delivers welcome speech at CoE RA Ombudsperson receives CoE delegation Head of Armenian Community of Georgia attacked in Tbilisi MEP Kovatchev: Baku must stop aggression against Armenia Pashinyan stressed the importance of launching Nvidia Research Center in Armenia Armenia's representative presents objections to Azerbaijan's case before the International Court of Justice Albania cancels visa-free travel for Russian citizens UN worker killed in Sudan clashes 1 dead after small-engine plane crashes in Lithuania European Union has already trained 16 thousand Ukrainian soldiers: Josep Borrell Health ministry: Planned surgeries partially resume in Karabakh Armenia deputy PM Mher Grigoryan attends Eurasian Economic Commission Council meeting in Moscow MOD: No Armenia military convoy, escorted by Russian peacekeepers, entered Karabakh Armenia, Lithuania sign Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in technology, innovation (PHOTOS) Yerevan theater, cinematography institute has new rector Israel to deliver 2 satellites to Azerbaijan Parliament vice-speaker: Armenia stated that Karabakhs right to self-determination is limited by Azerbaijans wish Ruling force MP: You should close doors of Armenia ARF organization Chris Skinner to Lead Digital Transformation Workshops for Armenian Businesses Caucasus Muslims Board chair calls Armenian Church for friendship shamshyan.com: There are dead, injured after SUV falls 350 meters into canyon in Armenia Quake occurs in Caspian Sea Azerbaijan army incursions, criminal acts are video recorded in Armenias Tegh village (VIDEO) Stoltenberg: NATO, allies discussing matter of sending various planes to Ukraine China MFA: No one has right to interfere in Beijing-Moscow relations Iran, Jordan FMs to meet to normalize relations Trump calls North Koreas Kim Jong Un very smart, cunning, ruthless PM: There is plan to build National Stadium of Armenia in Academic City Sweden FM wants to cancel Armenian Genocide commemorative events to please Turkeys Erdogan Prosecutor General: 37,612 crimes recorded in Armenia last year US State Dept.: Ensuring cessation of hostilities, particularly in Karabakh, is of great importance to Blinken Economy minister: Armenia does not in any way try to help Russia to circumvent sanctions Armenia PM congratulates several Arab countries leaders on Muslim holiday Eid Al-Fitr Karabakh FM holds online meeting with Russian political analysts, experts Armenia to have new state foundation for construction, management of Academic City Armenia PM: Government has invested $1.2bln in provinces since 2018 Newspaper: 71 properties belonging to Armenia MOD are put up for sale Armenia authorities in hurry to build customs office on Turkey border Armenia introducing system of mandatory military service for women on voluntary basis Azerbaijan MFA sends note of protest to Russia foreign ministry Istanbul governorate bans holding Armenian Genocide commemoration Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened fire at Armenian combat positions in Verin Shorzha CSTO chief announces risks related to situation in Karabakh, on Armenia-Azerbaijan border More than 600 people have already been killed in Sudan conflict Russia MOD: Ceasefire violation recorded in Karabakh Storm hits earthquake-hit Turkish city: one dead, more than 30 others injured Shots fired at Erdogan's party office At the end of the plenary session of the second Summit for Democracy, a Declaration was adopted, to which Armenia joined with a reservation, the Armenian PM's office informs. In particular, this declaration does not reflect all conflicts and crises in comprehensive and inclusive manner and fails to address the fact of Azerbaijan's acts of aggression against the sovereign territory of Armenia and occupation of the certain parts of the sovereign territory of Armenia. Below is the text of this reservation: The Republic of Armenia refrains from the following Paragraph: We reiterate our firm resolve to support countries and people around the world that adhere to the values of freedom and democracy, against direct or indirect attempts or threats to undermine them. We recognize the fundamental principles of the UN Charter that all states shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state and shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means. We recognize the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense of States consistent with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations. We underscore the need to reach, as soon as possible, a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine in line with the principles of the UN Charter. We deplore the dire human rights and humanitarian consequences of the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, including the continuous attacks against critical infrastructure across Ukraine with devastating consequences for civilians, and express our grave concern at the high number of civilian casualties, including women and children, the number of internally displaced persons and refugees in need of humanitarian assistance, and violations and abuses committed against children. We are deeply concerned by the adverse impact of the war on global food security, energy, nuclear security and safety and the environment. We demand that Russia immediately, completely, and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders and call for a cessation of hostilities. We also call for the parties to the armed conflict to adhere to their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law. We call also for the complete exchange of prisoners of war, the release of all unlawfully detained persons and the return of all internees and of civilians forcibly transferred and deported, including children. We strongly support accountability for the most serious crimes under international law committed on the territory of Ukraine through appropriate, fair and independent investigations and prosecutions at the national or international level, and to ensure justice for all victims and the prevention of future crimes. since this Paragraph does not reflect all conflicts and crises in comprehensive and inclusive manner and fails to address the fact of Azerbaijan's acts of aggression against the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia and occupation of the certain parts of the sovereign territory of Armenia. Last week, the developments around the Lachin corridor connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia are as follows: Azerbaijan not only continued the illegal blocking of the Lachin corridor, but also carried out another invasion into the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this at Thursdays Cabinet meeting of the Armenian government. "The fact of the invasion was also recorded by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation with an official message (...). Thus, we can record that Azerbaijan not only does not fulfill the decision of the International Court of Justice, but also further exacerbates the situation in Nagorno-Karabakhby taking steps aimed at blocking internal transport communication as well, Pashinyan noted. According to the Armenian premier from the height of 2,054 meters, Azerbaijan has taken under direct monitoring the dirt road connecting Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) capital Stepanakert as well as Hin Shen, Mets Shen, and several other villages. "Azerbaijan explains this, allegedly, by the transfer of military cargo and personnel from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh; this is completely untrue information. But if it were only like this, perhaps the issue would not deserve special attention. The information about the military transports is a propaganda lie, the purpose of which is to create legitimacy for a possible escalation [of the situation]," said the Armenian PM. Pashinyan insisted that Armenia does not carry out military transports to, and does not have an army in, Nagorno-Karabakh. The activity of the Defense Army in Nagorno-Karabakh is explained by one thing: Azerbaijan carries out obvious preparations to subject the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians to genocide. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this at Thursdays Cabinet meeting of the Armenian government. "The Lachin corridor is closed [by Azerbaijan] for more than 100 days already, the [natural] gas and energy supply [from Armenia] to Nagorno-Karabakh has been stopped, people and agricultural equipment carrying out agricultural work in Nagorno-Karabakh are fired upon on a regular basis by the Azerbaijani armed forces, Azerbaijan's aggressive rhetoric continues," the Armenian PM. Pashinyan stated that it is necessary to consistently continue to inform the international community about this and work towards the launch of corresponding international mechanisms. Nevertheless, premier insisted that the Armenian government tirelessly reaffirms its commitment to the peace agenda. "We hope that in the near future there will be concrete changes in both Stepanakert-Baku and Armenia-Azerbaijan negotiation formats. Armenia is ready for such work, and we hope that there will be a similar disposition in the Stepanakert-Baku formatby both Baku and Stepanakert. It is clear, of course, that in this context, the implementation of proper international mechanisms and guarantees is extremely important," the Armenian premier added. Azerbaijan has violated the ceasefire again, and the targets are Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) civilians again, Artsakh Police inform Armenian News-NEWS.am. At around 8:30am on Thursday, Senorik Alaverdyan and Genadi Sargsyan, residents of Berdashen village of Martuni region of Artsakh, were targeted by soldiers serving in the adjacent Azerbaijani combat position while carrying out agricultural work in a vineyard of the aforesaid village. These solders opened fire at these Artsakh civilians, as a result of which their agricultural work was stopped. On the same day, at around 10:40am, sporadic shots were fired from the combat positions of the Azerbaijani army in the direction of Taghavard village residents Artur Firyan, Ararat and Shura Allaverdyan, Oleg Harutyunyan, Arsen Khachatryan, and Novik Gabrielyan while they were carrying out agricultural work in a wheat field of the aforementioned village. As a result, their agricultural work was stopped. This information has been passed on to the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Artsakh. From March 30 to April 7, Arun Venkataraman, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets and Director General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service, will travel to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia, where he will advance existing and new commercial partnerships between the United States and these countries, especially in the areas of energy, infrastructure, supply chains, telecommunications and the digital economy, as per the statement posted on the website of the US Embassy in Georgia. Assistant Secretary Venkataraman will participate in bilateral meetings with senior government officials and with diverse U.S. and local companies to learn more about their operations, highlight commercial engagements and partnerships, and hear about their experiences with the local business environment. In Istanbul, Turkey, Venkataraman will participate in a series of engagements with the American and Turkish business communities to receive updates on U.S. private sector support for Turkeys recovery efforts, AmCham Turkeys efforts to bolster womens economic empowerment and women-led entrepreneurship through its Women Executive Mentorship Program, and meet with businesses looking for investment opportunities in the United States. In Baku, Azerbaijan, Venkataraman will meet with senior officials responsible for the countrys renewable energy transformation and participate in the U.S.-Azerbaijan Clean and Green Energy Forum, which focuses on green energy strategies and opportunities for the region and provides immense opportunities for U.S. renewable energy companies. In Tbilisi, Georgia, Venkataraman will meet with senior government officials to discuss Georgias economic and infrastructure goals. He will also meet with business leaders and Special American Business Internship Training (SABIT) alumni to learn about their experiences and see how to strengthen this important program. He will also attend a reception with the local business community and U.S. investors, where he will provide remarks and announce the winner of the SelectUSA Pitch Competition. Lastly, in Yerevan, Armenia, he will meet with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and give keynote remarks at the U.S.-Armenia Strategic Dialogue, during which he will underscore the United States interest in deepening commercial ties and promoting commercial partnerships between both countries, particularly in the energy sector. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov was received by Israeli President Isaac Herzog within the framework of his official visit to Israel. The Azerbaijani mass media, citing the foreign ministry, report that the current matters on the bilateral and multilateral cooperation agenda between Azerbaijan and Israel, including the regional and international situation, were discussed at the meeting. Bayramov informed Herzog about the situation in the region in the post-war period, about the large-scale construction that Azerbaijan is carrying out in the occupied Armenian territories. Herzog noted that Israel, as a strategic partner, attaches great importance to the development of relations with Azerbaijan. The parties expressed confidence that the opening of the Azerbaijani embassy in Israel will play an important role in the further development of bilateral relations. California State Assembly member Chris Holden made a case for holding Azerbaijan accountable for the 100+ day Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) blockade in testimony before the Judiciary Committee while considering his measure, AJR 1, reported the Armenian National Committee of America. The measure condemns Azerbaijan's blockade of Artsakh and calls on the US government to take immediate measures to help Artsakh Armenians. Since December 12, 2022, Azerbaijan continues to completely blockade the only road that connects Armenia with the ethnic Armenian region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is the homeland of more than 120 thousand ethnic Armenians, said Holden. The blockade completely cuts off Artsakh's only humanitarian lifeline to Armenia, hindering the transportation of food, fuel, medicine, and other important humanitarian supplies to the region, he noted. The politician added that California is home to a large Armenian community, many of whose relatives and friends are suffering from the ongoing blockade. Following successful Judiciary Committee passage, the California State Assembly will vote on this measure on Thursday. The first staff talks on the preparation of joint military exercises with the collective forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) scheduled for 2023 took place at the joint headquarters of the CSTO, the press service of the headquarters reports. These staff talks took place from Tuesday to Thursday. The representatives of the respective ministries and agencies of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, as well as the representatives of the CSTO Secretariat and the Joint Staff took part in these talks. In 2023, training will be held with CSTO troops (Collective Forces) in the form of the Combat Brotherhood joint operational-strategic exercises, which is considered the highest form of joint training in the format of the CSTO. All elements of the collective security system will be involved in various regions of the CSTO zone of responsibility. A complex of events is planned within the framework of the Combat Brotherhood 2023 joint operational-strategic exercises. "For the first time in the territory of the Republic of Belarus, a special exercise will be held with the joint formation of Barrier 2023 radiation, chemical, and biological protection and medical support," the CSTO press service noted. This topic is a subject of discussion during high-level contacts both in Moscow and Yerevan. Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian foreign ministry, announced this at Thursday's press briefing, and with respect to Armenias possible joining the Rome Statute. "I do not consider it necessary to disclose the details of those contacts. Of course, we assume that this issue will be settled in an allied and mutually acceptable manner," said Zakharova. As reported earlier, on March 24, the Constitutional Court of Armenia issued its decision, "Regarding determining the matter of compliance of the obligations stipulated in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court with the Constitution [of Armenia]." And the Constitutional Court ruled that the obligations stipulated in the declaration on the retroactive recognition of the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court comply with the Constitution of Armenia. The matter was discussed in a written procedure. The decision is final and takes effect from the moment of its being issued. At the end of 2022, the Armenian government had petitioned to the Constitutional Court on this matter. Reflecting on the matter of recognition of the Rome Statute, according to the government, is due to the fact that an opportunity arises to call Azerbaijan to account for its war crimes. The Rome Statute was signed on July 17, 1998, but Armenia had not ratified it until today because in 2004, the Constitutional Court of Armenia had considered the obligations of this agreement as contradicting several provisions of the then-constitution of Armenia. The Constitutional Court, in particular, had decided that the obligation laid down in the agreement on the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, according to which the International Criminal Court complements the domestic criminal jurisdiction bodies of Armenia, does not comply with Articles 91 and 92 of the Constitution of Armenia. According to Article 91 of the 2004 Constitution of Armenia, justice in Armenia is administered only by courtsand in accordance with the constitution and laws. And in the cases provided by the law, trial is carried out with the participation of jury. And Article 92 stipulated that the courts of first instance, the appeal courts, and the Court of Cassation are the courts of general jurisdiction of Armenia. Earlier, the pretrial chamber of the International Criminal Court made a decision to arrest the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, and Russia's commissioner for children's rights, Maria Lvova-Belova. They are suspected of participating in the illegal deportation of children from Ukraine. It is very important to listen not to those who have never been mediators in the issue of settlement, who have never brought additional value, and who have not achieved any practical results, but it is important to listen to Baku and Yerevan. Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian foreign ministry, announced this at Thursday's press briefing, commenting on the statement by Markus Ritter, the head of the EU Mission in Armenia, that if there is no attack by Azerbaijan this spring, it can be said that the EU mission has been successful. You see, this is the central story of this whole issue. It is necessary to listen, listen and act based on the interests of both countries. Yes, we perfectly understand that the two countries have different views, sometimes diametrically opposed. Yes, we perfectly understand that there are periods of extreme complications, exacerbations, etc. But at the same time, we point to the fact that the parties can come to an agreement. The main thing is to create an appropriate atmosphere for them, an appropriate basis for such agreements, mutual understanding, and to contribute to that mutual understanding, and not the other way around. Now to the question about the opposite: These statements only confirm the validity of our conclusions regarding the destructive intentions and actions of the European Union in this region. Brussels is clearly not interested in the formation of trust and rapprochement between Azerbaijan and Armenia. And with its incompetent, constant, unprofessional, unwise, dishonest actions, they provoke disagreements between Baku and Yerevan. And, in my opinion, we all see it, and it is simply not possible to hide it," said Zakharova. Also, she expressed the opinion that there is no example of successful mediation in not only difficult, but the most complicated conflicts between the West and the EU. "Of course, it is unfortunate that the EU does not think about what unpredictable consequences of irresponsible policies can have for peace and stability in Transcaucasia. We call to abandon such confrontational scenarios. And I want to remind that it was with the efforts of the Russian Federation that it was possible to stop the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the fall of 2020, in September of 2022. For the improvement of relations between Baku and Yerevan, there is no alternative to the full implementation of the tripartite agreements of the leaders of the Russian Federation, Azerbaijan, and Armenia of November 9, 2020 and subsequent agreements, said the official representative of the Russian foreign ministry. Photo: The Canadian Press A private member's bill that would create specific carve-outs for farmers in Canada's carbon pricing scheme has passed in the House of Commons. The bill would exempt farmers from paying for emissions from natural gas and propane they use for certain activities performed on their farms, such as drying grain, preparing feed, irrigating and heating barns. It passed with the support of Conservative, NDP, Bloc Quebecois and Green Party MPs, with a few Liberals, including agriculture committee chair Kody Blois, joining the opposition parties to vote in favour. The private member's bill introduced by Conservative MP Ben Lobb in February 2022, which would not exempt farmers from the carbon price for activities performed off-site, will now be debated in the Senate. Farmer groups have said they are facing rising production costs, and the proposed law would give them critical financial relief from rising costs. The Agriculture Carbon Alliance, which was created by industry groups in 2021 in response to the federal Liberals' climate policies and advocates for sustainable farming, celebrated the bill's progress on Thursday. This legislation will provide farmers with the resources to invest in innovative and sustainable on-farm practices, while ensuring the stability of our food supply," said Dave Carey, the group's co-chair, in a statement. The executive director of one of its members, the Grain Growers of Canada, said the law will offer significant relief if it is passed. "As long as we don't have an alternative to fossil fuels, then there is no sense in punishing Canadian farmers for growing food," Erin Gowriluk said. Not all are celebrating the law's advancement, however. Tim Gray, executive director of the advocacy group Environmental Defence, said the law would weaken the government's response to climate change. "Exempting these high-emission activities from carbon pricing for farmers will only further encourage other sectors to demand similar treatment," he said in a statement. "This is already a problem as many industries, especially the oil and gas sector, have successfully lobbied for, and achieved, favourable treatment, which allows them to pay a much lower carbon price than others, regardless of their lack of actual degree of being energy intensive and trade exposed." Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau maintains that the federal government is helping farmers reduce their carbon footprints and ease financial burdens through a $3.5-billion sustainable agricultural partnership with provinces. The federal carbon price already features an exemption for gasoline and light fuel oil costs used in tractors and trailers. But farm groups have long contended that further exemptions are needed, and have at times disputed the federal government's characterization of how much the carbon price is costing producers, especially when it comes to drying grain. Grain must be dried before it can be stored and sold, particularly during wet harvests. The bill that will now be debated in the Senate would only carve out exemptions for farmers who dry grain on their properties, and would not apply to off-farm activities. The law also includes a sunset clause that would allow a government to add, remove or renew the exemptions in eight years. A previous bill introduced by a Conservative MP and widely supported by farm groups, which would have carved out similar exemptions, died on the order paper prior to the 2021 federal election. Bibeau responded to farmers' concerns at the time by announcing dollars to help producers make their own grain-drying operations more environmentally sustainable. The federal government says it is now spending $37.1 million on 99 grain drying projects as part of its $495.7 million Agricultural Clean Technology program. Gowriluk said that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has had an impact on the way that federal politicians discuss agricultural policy, arguing that the conversation to focus on what Canada can do to help internationally. A significant part of that is to "grow as much as we possibly can," she said. "There's an increasing recognition from Canadian politicians that this isn't easy, and if there's anything they can do to alleviate the burden, and help keep farmers in the green rather than the red, then they're prepared to step up and do that." A second private member's bill focused on the Liberals' climate policy passed in the House of Commons during the same sitting this week, with support from Liberal MPs and ministers. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May proposed the law, which would require the government to develop a national strategy to address environmental racism within two years of its passage. A previous version of the bill, introduced by former Liberal MP Lenore Zann, also died on the order paper in 2021 prior to the election. May acknowledged this week during debate about the bill that the law will require the government to play ball. "It will then need to have the support from the government of the day and the support of the finance minister to fund the programs, so that communities of colour, Indigenous communities and poor communities are not left without access to environmental justice," she told MPs. Kuwait sentences alleged 1MDB mastermind in absentia The whereabouts of Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low, have long been the subject of speculation. File photo: AP The alleged mastermind behind Malaysia's 1MDB scandal has been sentenced in absentia to 10 years' hard labour in Kuwait for laundering over US$1 billion. Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low, was sentenced alongside a Kuwaiti sheikh and three other accomplices in the latest international case stemming from the multi-billion US dollar scam. The five men laundered "343.7 million Kuwaiti dinars (US$1.1 billion) while knowing that these sums came from the plundering of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) sovereign wealth fund", said the criminal court of Kuwait. Sheikh Sabah Jaber Mubarak al-Sabah, the son of a former Kuwaiti prime minister, and his business partner both received 10 years' hard labour, while a Kuwaiti lawyer was jailed for seven years. Low who maintains his innocence and Mohammad Kiwan, also a non-Kuwaiti, received their 10-year terms in absentia. The convicted men have the right to appeal. According to the court, Sheikh Sabah received the money for a fictitious construction scheme and it was then transferred to different accounts, including in tax havens, using complex financial transactions. The 1MDB scandal saw billions of dollars in Malaysian public money used to bankroll a global spending spree in everything from art to yachts and real estate, and even funded the 2013 movie "The Wolf of Wall Street" starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Former Malaysian leader Najib Razak was voted out of office in 2018 following the fraud allegations. Convicted in 2020, he is currently serving a 12-year jail term. But other suspects remain at large including the bespectacled Low known for partying with Hollywood A-listers who is accused of orchestrating the scam. The looting of 1MDB has triggered money-laundering investigations across the world including in Switzerland, Singapore and the United States. This month, former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng was sentenced to 10 years in prison by a New York court over a US$1 billion bribery scheme related to 1MDB. Low was named as a co-conspirator in the case. Low's whereabouts have long been the subject of speculation. In July 2020, China denied harbouring the fugitive after Malaysian police said he was hiding in Macau. Low, who has also been charged in Malaysia over 1MDB but denies wrongdoing, has previously been rumoured to be in other locations including the United Arab Emirates. (AFP) Turkey ratifies Finland's membership of Nato Officials expect the process to be completed as early as next week. Photo: AFP Turkey on Thursday became the final Nato nation to ratify Finland's membership of the US-led defence alliance in the wake of Russia's assault on Ukraine. Lawmakers unanimously backed the Nordic country's accession two weeks after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan publicly blessed the bid. "This evening, we are keeping the promises we made to Finland," ruling party lawmaker Akif Cagatay Kilic said moments before the vote. Turkey's approval leaves Finland which has a 1,300-kilometre border with Russia with only a few technical steps before it becomes the 31st member of the world's most powerful military bloc. Officials expect the process to be completed as early as next week. Finland and its neighbour Sweden ended decades of military non-alignment and decided to join Nato last May. Their applications were accepted at a June alliance summit that was designed to show the Western world's desire to stand up to Russia in the face of Europe's most grave conflict since World War II. But the bids still needed to be ratified by all the members' parliaments a process that stalled with Turkey and Hungary. Erdogan put up stiff resistance to Sweden's candidacy because of a series of long-standing disputes. He first signalled his more supportive stance on Finland's membership in January a position that forced the Nordic neighbours to bow to the diplomatic pressure and break up their bids so that both applications were not delayed. The Hungarian parliament ratified Finland's Nato membership on Monday. It was expected to approve Sweden's accession during the current session ending June 15. But a spokesman for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Wednesday called on Sweden to "clear the air" and address "an ample amount of grievances" for the vote to go ahead. Sweden has upset Orban one of Europe's closest allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin by expressing alarm over the rule of law in Hungary. It has also angered Turkey by refusing to extradite dozens of suspects that Erdogan links to a failed 2016 coup attempt and a decades-long Kurdish fight for an independent state. Stockholm still hopes to join the alliance in time for a July summit in Vilnius. Most analysts believe that Turkey will only vote on Sweden's candidacy after the country's May general election. (AFP) SIU Geologists Day celebration set for Sunday Find an interesting rock and wonder about its history and pedigree? Southern Illinois University Carbondale this weekend will celebrate Geologists Day with an informational clinic at the home of the universitys geology program. The Rock and Mineral Clinic is set for 1-4 p.m. Sunday at Parkinson Building, Room 101F, on the SIU campus. Daniel Hummer, assistant professor of geology, along with the SIU Geology Club, will host the program. Free parking will be available in the lots No. 2, 10 and 13 near to the eastern campus entrance on South Illinois Avenue, U.S. 51 and adjacent to the Parkinson Building, 1259 Lincoln Drive. Members of the public can bring in any rock, mineral or geological sample they want to have identified and if interested, can also learn the basic common examination techniques that Hummer and the geology students use. All ages are welcome to this free, family-friendly event. One thing I notice every time I talk to the public is that everyone has a rock story, Hummer said. Rocks and minerals just seem to be universally admired, and I encourage people to both appreciate them, and learn where they come from and how they can be identified. National Geologists Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of April each year. Established in April 1966 by scientists in the former Soviet Union, the day honors and recognizes the work of geologists, geophysicists and geochemists who study the history of the Earth and the composition of rocks, soil, water, minerals and other materials. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh on Thursday said that the Bhutan-India relationship is facing a Chinese challenge, which also poses a threat to the Siliguri Corridor - the land bridge to the northeastern states. "Bhutan and India's so far unshakeable relationship is facing a challenge from an aggressive China. We urge the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) to not hide behind smokescreens and ensure that this very long-standing partnership with Bhutan remains strong and is further deepened," he said in a statement. He said the Modi government presented the 2017 Doklam standoff as a "major victory", but since then the Chinese have engaged in an unprecedented military infrastructure buildup in the area, and also built villages and roads adjacent to the Doklam plateau many kilometres inside Bhutanese territory. "It is well-known that the adjacent Chumbi Valley poses a potential threat to India's strategic Siliguri Corridor, the so-called Chicken's Neck that connects the seven northeastern states with the rest of the country. In this context the remark by Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering that 'there is no intrusion' into Bhutan by China and that Beijing has an 'equal' say in any discussion over its illegal intrusions raises several concerns." The Congress leader also questioned if there a dilution in the unwavering Indian and Bhutanese contention that the tri-junction of India, China, and Bhutan lies at Batang La, and not at Mount Gipmochi as the Chinese claim? This could cause a serious problem for the security of the Siliguri Corridor, he warned. The recent Chinese construction reportedly includes an all-weather road in the Amu Chu river basin inside Bhutan moving south towards the Jhamperi Ridge that overlooks the Siliguri Corridor. "Is China eyeing the coveted Jhamperi Ridge from a new angle? What is India doing to defend Bhutan and to prevent the Chinese from reaching this important geographical feature? "When will the Modi government respond to China's renewed verbal, geographical and military aggression?" Ramesh asked. --IANS miz/vd ( 335 Words) 2023-03-30-19:36:05 (IANS) Seventeen passengers were left stranded at the Vijayawada international airport on Wednesday after an Air India Express flight to Kuwait took off three hours before the departure time mentioned on their tickets. The passengers were shocked when they reported at the airport at 11 a.m. but were told that the flight had left at 9.55 a.m. The departure time of the IX695 flight was 1.10 p.m., as per the tickets booked by these passengers two days ago. The passengers complained that they had no prior information about the change in the departure time, adding that they were asked to report at 11 a.m., but were not informed about the new departure timing. When the passengers approached the airline staff at the airport, they were told the change in timing was intimated in various websites where tickets were sold. "How can they expect us to check with the websites for changes in the departure timing," asked Paul, one of the passengers who missed the flight. Only those passengers who booked after the rescheduling boarded the flight. The flight reached Vijayawada from Trichy at 9 a.m. and left for Kuwait at 9.55 a.m. It was earlier announced that the flight will reach Vijayawada from Trichy at 12.15 p.m. and take off for Kuwait at 1.10 p.m. Airport officials said the airline had rescheduled the departure due to some issues that are not uncommon in international operations. They also claimed that the airline provided alternative to some of the passengers. --IANS ms/arm ( 266 Words) 2023-03-29-23:18:03 (IANS) The Arunachal Pradesh government has decided to hand over five terminated hydropower projects with a generation capacity of 2823 MW to two Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs), as the the Cabinet on Wednesday approved the memorandum of agreement (MoA) to be signed with the CPSUs. The MoA would be signed soon with the two CPSUs. Officials said that the state Cabinet at its meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pema Khandu approved the MoA to be signed with the CPSUs for the development of hydropower in the state. "This would pave the way to unlocking potential five hydropower projects with an installed capacity of 2820 MW. This will spur huge investment in the state and generate employment," a state government official told the media. According to the official, these five projects would require an investment of Rs 40,000 crore in the next five to seven years. Of the five projects, two hydropower projects -- Naying (1,000 MW) and Hirong (500 MW) -- would be handed over to the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO); and Emini (500 MW), Amulin (420 MW) and Minundon (400 MW) to the Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited for development. These projects would provide revenue of around Rs 500 crore per year and around Rs 100 crore for local area development (LAD), the official said. He said that an action plan has been prepared to commence work on 13 priority projects with 12,343 MW generation capacity. This would lead to an investment of Rs 1.5 lakh crore and would provide revenue of Rs 2,000 crore to the state and around Rs 350 crore per year for LAD. It said that Arunachal Pradesh, through its hydropower, would contribute majorly towards India's commitment of increasing non-fossil energy capacity to 500 gigawatt. The Cabinet also approved that revenue generated by the state government from the power sector be invested in the government bonds which would be used for the development of Arunachal Pradesh. --IANS sc/arm ( 339 Words) 2023-03-29-23:28:02 (IANS) New Delhi [India], March 30 (ANI/GPRC): Studywoo.com is a leading education news and career guide portal of India. We are providing correct, sufficient, and quality information in one pool. We provide the whole and satisfactory information from various colleges and universities in India with their courses, admission procedures, placements, and related information. Studywoo.com is an awesome place to find material like "career after 12th" and "career after graduation". We are striving continually to update the latest and finest information about education in India and support the particular to find a career and higher studies. Our website, Studywoo.com is designed in the easiest way. Anyone can understand the simple language and operating mechanism/navigation to find the desired destination. Our specially designed website is easy to access on mobiles and tablets as well. We feature the material and information about education and career after doing a complete data analysis and research. Here, we have the listing, rating and reviews of colleges and universities in India. Mr Ankur Srivastav, CEO of Studywoo, says, as a university and college information provider, Study Woo understands the importance of selecting the right college or university. This decision can have a significant impact on your career and personal growth, and it's important to carefully consider all your options before making a choice. For that Studywoo Launching a "One stop solution for your education needs!" To start, it's essential to understand the different types of colleges and universities available to you. There are public and private institutions, as well as community colleges and trade schools. Each type of institution has its own unique benefits and drawbacks, so it's important to do your research and understand what each type of institution offers. Next, it's important to consider the programs and majors available at each institution. Different colleges and universities specialize in different fields of study, so it's important to select an institution that offers the program or major you're interested in pursuing. You should also consider the reputation of the institution and its faculty in your chosen field of study. Another important consideration is the location of the institution. Do you prefer a small college town or a big city? Do you want to study close to home or are you willing to travel further away? These are all important questions to consider as you select the right institution for you. Finally, it's important to consider the cost of attendance and the availability of financial aid. College and university can be expensive, but there are many options available to help you pay for your education. Scholarships, grants, and student loans are just a few of the options available to students, and it's important to research and understand each option before deciding. At our university and college information provider, Studywoo is here to help you make the best decision for your future. Our website offers a wealth of information on colleges and universities across the country, including information on programs, majors, and costs. For more information please visit: https://studywoo.com/ This story is provided by GPRC. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/GPRC) Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 30 (ANI/NewsVoir): The Indian Institute of Freight Forwarders (IIFF), the training arm of the Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations of India (FFFAI) has announced a major initiative to help upskill the employees of its member companies across India, as well as to skill and onboard prospective employees for the industry. FFFAI has partnered with 21CC Education to develop and host e-learning modules that will explain the fundamentals of logistics and transportation, as well as the many tasks freight forwarders perform as the linchpins in the industry. 21CC Education is driven by the mission to make learning fast, fun, gamified, and to the point with "Learn anywhere, anytime" being their motto. The transportation and logistics industry in India has been witnessing constant growth at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5% between 2019 to 2021. This growth is leading to a very strong demand for new employees to enter the industry. Additionally, factors like growing digitization, changing consumer preferences, and the expansion of e-commerce, as well as enabling government policies like the National Asset Monetization Pipeline and PM Gati Shakti Yojana are steering the transformation, modernization, and development of the logistics industry in India. As the guardian of the broader interests of the freight forwarding community in India, the FFFAI plays a critical role in ensuring the long-term health of the industry through a robust skilling and upskilling program. Mr Shankar Shinde, Chairman of FFFAI and Managing Director of Global Express Multilogistics Pvt. Ltd., said, "The transportation and logistics industry is a great industry in which to make a career. The diversity of work is only increasing year upon year, with ample opportunities in India and abroad. In order to make sure that our member companies can attract the right talent, it is critical that we proactively skill and train that talent for our industry." Sanjay Tiwari, CEO of 21CC Education, who has first-hand experience working at companies such as Maersk and KLM Cargo, expressed his pleasure at being selected to partner with IIFF in this significant endeavour and remarked, "Indian Institute of Freight Forwarding (IIFF) and 21CC hope to create a learning program that can help to upskill the approximately 45,000 employees of FFFAI members across India and skill graduates from colleges as prospective entrants into the industry." Acquiring skills in freight forwarding and logistics will help employees to better manage their career growth while also ensuring that companies have a constant inflow of well-qualified talent. India's logistics sector is projected to expand at a CAGR of more than 10 per cent, from $200 billion in early 2020 to at least $320 billion in 2025. It is well known that logistics is the backbone of any industry. With future growth and opportunity in mind, one must leverage technology effectively to support business growth and drive operational efficiency and productivity and this is where skilling plays the most crucial role. Shinde said in closing, "A large part of making India Atma Nirbhar is to ensure that we create the talent pool that will populate and run our industry for decades to come. This joint initiative with 21CC Education represents a first and vital step in that direction." The 21CC Skilled app, available on Android and iOS, not only offers online training but also matches qualified candidates with the right employers. This story has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) New Delhi [India], March 30 (ANI/BusinessWire India): NIIT Limited, a leading global talent development corporation, has been recognized as the 'Best Digital Adoption Partner for Indian Enterprises' at the 11th Edition Future of L&D Summit & Awards 2023 held by UBS Forums. This prestigious recognition has been awarded to NIIT's Enterprise Business India division for its commitment to provide innovative and cutting-edge upskilling and reskilling solutions to help businesses stay competitive in today's ever-changing market. The award was received by Nilanjan Kar, Sr. Vice President, NIIT Ltd. at a recent ceremony held in Mumbai. NIIT's Enterprise Business India division works with enterprises across sectors to solve complex talent and workforce capability-related challenges. Its purpose-built, outcome-driven, and practitioner-led learning interventions have helped many organizations build a contemporary workforce in technology, digital, business and customer-facing roles. Speaking on this recognition, Bimaljeet Singh Bhasin, President - Enterprise Business India, NIIT Ltd. said, "NIIT is at the forefront of driving growth and innovation for enterprises across multiple industries, leveraging the power of technology. With a deep focus on engineering, manufacturing, consumer businesses, and healthcare, NIIT is committed to enabling significant performance improvement by enhancing technology capabilities, promoting cognitive thinking, building sustainable talent pipelines, and unlocking the full potential of its people to maximize workplace productivity. We, at NIIT, are delighted to be recognized as a leader in digital adoption at scale and provide comprehensive solutions to businesses seeking to enhance their technology capabilities. Through its cutting-edge programs and training initiatives, NIIT empowers individuals and organizations to stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. By fostering a culture of innovation and continuous learning, NIIT enables businesses to achieve long-term success and sustainable growth." The award is a testament to NIIT's commitment to narrowing down the skills-demand gap across industries through its talent-building and training initiatives. With a deep understanding of the needs of businesses across sectors, NIIT is well-positioned to drive digital transformation for organizations across the country and beyond. The 11th Edition Future of Learning and Development Summit & Awards 2023 by UBS Forums is a premier event that brings together industry experts and thought leaders to discuss the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in the field of learning and development. It recognizes outstanding achievements and innovations in the field of learning and development. *Please note: The Future of L&D Summit and Awards 2023 is an event organized by UBS Forums that aims to create and bring around transformational leadership for individuals and industry, and in no manner is related to NIIT Ltd. This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India) Bangalore (Karnataka) [India], March 30 (ANI/PNN): The Times 40 Under 40 honoured the achievements of young entrepreneurs, leaders, and change-makers who have made significant contributions in their respective fields. The event was held at the prestigious Hotel Four Season Embassy One in Bengaluru on March 24th, 2023. Vishal TM, CEO & Co-Founder of Videogyan and VG Minds, felicitated at the Times 40 Under 40 ceremony by the well-known Bollywood actress Rakul Preet Singh. Speaking after being felicitated, Vishal TM responded, "I am grateful to the Times Group for recognising Videogyan and me and providing a platform to celebrate the achievements of young individuals. Thank you for fostering a culture of excellence and inspiring us to dream big and work hard towards our goals. Your contribution to the media world is invaluable, and I feel privileged to have been a part of it in some small way." Videogyan and VG Minds are leading the way in the digital content space for children. As the co-founder of both companies, Vishal TM is dedicated to providing high-quality content that is both entertaining and educational for children. The company specialises in producing informative and entertaining videos for children. They work closely with child psychologists and educators to ensure that their content is fun and provides value in learning and development. Their videos cover various topics including nursery rhymes, moral stories, slapstick comedy and educational content. While Videogyan creates video content, VG Minds, on the other hand, develops interactive apps to engage and educate children. These apps are built with cutting-edge technology and customised to meet the needs and interests of different age groups. The apps are designed to develop pre-writing skills, early mathematics concepts, listening, reading and vocabulary. Videogyan and VG Minds have received several recognitions for their contribution to the field of digital content for children. Vishal has been invited as a speaker at many animation, media and education events. The success of Videogyan and VG Minds can be attributed to their commitment to creating enriching and entertaining content for children. In addition, the company's focus on quality and innovation has helped them to establish a loyal following among parents and educators. The importance of high-quality digital content for children cannot be overstated, as the world continues to become more digital. Videogyan and VG Minds are at the forefront of this movement, providing children with content that is not only enjoyable but also educational. By offering a unique learning experience for children, VG Minds strives to emerge a leader among early childhood development apps. The wide range of easy-to-use apps which prioritise children's usability and learning are a favourite among little ones and parents alike. The company's commitment to excellence has led to partnerships with several leading brands, expanding their reach and impact globally. As a result, millions of children worldwide have viewed their content, and the company continues to grow and evolve with the changing needs of its audience. In conclusion, Videogyan and VG Minds are pioneers in the digital content space for children, providing high-quality, engaging, and educational content that has positively impacted the lives of millions of children worldwide. As the company continues to innovate and expand, its commitment to excellence remains unwavering, and we can expect great things from them in the years to come. This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN) Salman will not have to appear in Andheri court now. A television journalist has filed a complaint against Salman Khan on charges of abuse, assault and robbery in 2019. The case was filed before the Metropolitan Magistrate court in Andheri. Neeraj Gupta, the lawyer of the senior journalist said that his client was attacked by Salman and later the actor abused the journalist. "My client who is a senior journalist was attacked by Salman on April 24, 2019. The actor snatched my client's cell phone and deleted the data in it. When my client tried defending himself, he was abused by Salman badly," Gupta said. Gupta added, "My client tried to file a complaint but police officials did not pay any heed to the matter." The Metropolitan magistrate court has accepted the complaint and has given July 12 as the date for further arguments and order. The complaint has been filed under section 323 (causing hurt) 392 (robbery), 426 (Punishment for mischief), 506 (criminal intimidation) part 2 read with section 34 of IPC. (ANI) Compared to many other states ruled by the BJP in the country, corruption seems to have emerged as a major issue among the potential voters in Karnataka, which goes to the polls on May 10, according to an exclusive survey conducted by ABP-CVoter in the state in late March 2023. The most important issue flagged by potential voters in the survey is unemployment (29.1 per cent), followed by infrastructure problems like electricity, roads and water (21.5 per cent). Corruption is the third most important issue with 12.7 per cent respondents singling it out. The number may not appear very big, but looks significant in the context. In Gujarat too, voters had identified unemployment and infrastructure as the two most important issues before the Assembly elections held late last year. Corruption was way behind with just about 6.5 per cent of the voters flagging it. Even in Tripura, which went to the polls recently, corruption was not considered to be a very serious issue. The ABP-CVoter survey, which interacted with around 25,000 respondents across demographics, age groups and identities, reveals that persistent allegations of rampant corruption against the BJP government seem to have struck a chord with the voters. Just recently, BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa was arrested by the Karnataka Lokayukta police on bribery charges after the high court denied him anticipatory bail. His son Prasanth Madal was caught red-handed accepting a bribe of Rs 4o lakh. Over the last two years, many private contractors and businessmen have publicly accused officials and ruling party functionaries of demanding bribes. The Congress seems to have mounted a successful campaign against the BJP on this issue with the use of catchy slogans and innovative political tactics. Perhaps the last time a BJP government in a state faced serious allegations of corruption that resonated with the voters was in Jharkhand in late 2019, when Raghubar Das was the Chief Minister. He had lost his own Assembly seat in the fallout during elections. As per the survey, Congress will probably win a majority of seats in the 224-seat Karnataka Assembly. According to an analysis of the survey data, the vote share of the Congress could rise from 38 per cent in 2018 to 40.1 per cent this time. Compared to 80 seats in 2018, the survey projects the Congress to win between 115 and 127 seats. The survey also reveals that the party is leading over rivals BJP and JD(S) in all regions of Karnataka. Even in the old Mysore region, which has been a stronghold of the JD(S), the Congress is projected to edge ahead of its rival, while the BJP is projected to perform very poorly in this region. --IANS san/arm ( 460 Words) 2023-03-29-19:18:06 (IANS) Urban apathy and money power are the two major issues in the Karnataka Assembly polls, the schedule for which was announced by the Election Commission of India on Wednesday. The 244-member Karnataka Assembly will go to the polls on May 10, while the counting of votes will be taken up on May 13. After announcing the poll schedule, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar said that urban apathy and money power are the two major challenges in the poll-bound southern state. Talking about urban apathy, the CEC said that voter turnout in some urban pockets has been lower than the state average in the past polls. Kumar highlighted that the lowest voter turnout was recorded in the Bengaluru area - BBMP (South), BBMP (North), BBMP (Central), and Bangalore Urban - in the 2013 and 2018 state elections. These four districts in India's IT hub had recorded much less turnout than the state average. He also mentioned the low voter turnout in the urban areas in the 2019 general elections, and more recently in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections. The CEC underscored the need for focused interventions to create awareness through electoral literacy clubs in schools and colleges, and voter awareness fora in organisations and resident welfare associations (RWAs). Keeping this in view, voting in the Karnataka polls has been scheduled on Wednesday (May 10), and not on Monday or Friday as parts of the urban population use these days as their extended weekends. Moreover, measures to engage professionals in the IT corridor and the knowledge industry have been planned, via an event similar to the Hackathon. To curb the misuse of money power, the CEC informed that the ECI has made adequate arrangements and multiple agencies will be working in close coordination like the excise department, police, and commercial tax department, among others. "We are strengthening our team in Karnataka to curb the use of money power in elections. There will be 2,400 static surveillance teams to keep strict vigil on 171 inter-state checkposts in 19 districts (sharing borders with other states)," he said. As per the poll panel, there will be strict vigilance on bribery. Air intelligence will be deployed to keep vigil on unscheduled and chartered flights. Intelligence units will also monitor suspicious transactions in blind spots in cooperative banks and payment wallets. Comprehensive instructions for the purpose of effective monitoring of the election expenditure of the candidates have been issued, which include deployment of expenditure observers, assistant expenditure observers, formation of flying squads, static surveillance teams, video surveillance teams, video viewing teams, accounts teams, media certification and monitoring committee etc. --IANS kvm/arm ( 449 Words) 2023-03-29-20:02:01 (IANS) With the Election Commission declaring assembly elections in Karnataka on May 10, leaders of BJP, Congress and Janata Dal-Secular exuded confidence of their performance in the southern state which is among the bigger states that will go the polls this year. The Karnataka verdict will be crucial for national ambitions of BJP and Congress for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. BJP rules the southern state and Congress also has several senior and strong leaders in Karnataka. The elections are also significant for Congress as party chief Mallikarjun Kharge hails from Karnataka and the party has launched a major attack on the BJP over a range of issues including disqualification of Rahul Gandhi, Hindenburg-Adani row and misuse of central agencies. In his remarks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that BJP is committed to furthering the growth journey of Karnataka and to empower the poor and marginalised sections of the society. He said Karnataka is a powerhouse of development thanks to the hardworking people of the state and the BJP will seek votes based on the party's development agenda. PM Modi made the remarks in response to tweet by Karnataka BJP. "BJP is committed to furthering the growth journey of Karnataka and to empower the poor, marginalised and downtrodden. We will seek people's blessings based on our development agenda," he said in a tweet. The BJP in Karnataka expressed confidence of its victory in the polls. "The date of lotus blooming in the state is fixed! Kannadigas are eager to bless with a clear majority. The cadre of workers is ready to work day and night from today to bring the party to power. Karnataka will win," the party said in a tweet. Karnataka assembly has 224 seats. The ruling BJP has 119 MLAs, Congress has 75 and Janata Dal-Secular has 28 seats. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai also exuded confidence of winning the polls. "BJP is an ever-ready party with strong organisation and we are prepared for the polls. We have done a lot of campaigns where the response of the people was tremendous. The double-engine government has done a good job in terms of infrastructure and others. People cutting across all sections have shown a great deal of support. I am sure that on May 13, BJP will get an absolute majority," Bommai said. Bommai accused Congresss of spreading a canard that a community will be dropped from the SC list and categorically said "there is no question of removing any community from the list." In his remarks, Kharge expressed confidence of Congress victory in the state. "Congress is making efforts to highlight the corruption of the BJP government. Our workers have worked at the booth level. We have all possibility of us winning the elections which is why the Prime Minister is sending his cabinet ministers to Karnataka and he himself and the Home Minister is visiting the state," he said. Priyank Kharge, Chittapur MLA, said that Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi want the party to secure at least 150 seats in the state. "We are winning this election. The people of Karnataka are fed up with the 40 per cent government, BJP playing the caste politics, and unemployment is at its highest. This time it is going to be Congress all the way. Khargeji and Rahulji want 150 seats delivered from Karnataka. The chief minister will be decided by the party high command later," he said. Congress leader BK Hariprasad hit out at the BJP and alleged it is the "mother of corruption" in the country. "We're ahead of BJP in the state as we started our election campaign exercise three years ago after DK Shivakumar took over as the party's state president. The exercise to select election candidates has been underway for the past six months. The party's screening committee will finalise everything soon," he said. "BJP is the mother of corruption in the country. It does not believe in development programmes but in the purchasing of MLAs," Hariprasad alleged. Janata Dal (Secular) leader and former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said both BJP and Congress will be rejected and the people will elect a regional party. "This time, Kannadigas have decided and are mentally prepared to elect a regional party, and both the national parties will be rejected. Both BJP and Congress are saying that we are the B-Team of the other, but I would like to say that we are the B-Team of Kannadigas," he said. Congress general secretary KC Venugopal accused the BJP of "use and throw" formula for former chief minister BS Yediyurappa "Yediyurappa is the tallest leader of the BJP (in Karnataka). But they used him only to get some Lingayat votes. Why did they unseat Yediyurappa just a year before the election? They told him to resign. Why? Now they are saying Yediyurappa is our biggest leader. Where is the logic in this? People will understand the 'use and throw' policy of BJP," Venugopal told ANI. He said the Congress party is confident of forming the government on its own in the upcoming polls. "We are very confident of forming the government on our own strength. We have been in the field over the last one year, garnering public support ahead of the Karnataka elections. Karnataka is being ruled by one of the most corrupt governments ever. People are saying that this government is 40-per cent corrupt. There is definitely a wave in favour of the Congress. We will win Karnataka hands down," he said. The Congress leader added that the previous government led by former chief minister Siddaramaiah had provided a clean administration. "We gave the most progressive, development-oriented and inclusive government to Karnataka. We will continue in a similar vein if voted back and, in fact, take it a notch above. We aren't just going for negative campaigns. We are focussing on our poll promises, topping which is to strive to make Karnataka one of the best states," Venugopal said. He added that party leader Rahul Gandhi will also campaign for the party in the poll-bound state. "All our senior leaders will campaign in Karnataka. We should have a clear campaign plan. Rahul Gandhi will, in all certainty, campaign for Karnataka polls," he added. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, who hails from Karnataka, expressed confidence of BJP victory. "BJP is ready for Karnataka elections. The party will form the government with an absolute majority once again in the state," Joshi told ANI. The Election Commission of India announced the schedule for the Karnataka Assembly elections. The polling will take place in a single phase on May 10, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said on Wednesday. The counting of votes will be done on May 13. The CEC said the state has 5.21 crores the number of 100 plus voters is 16,976.He informed that over 58,000 polling stations would be set up across the state. (ANI) A division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad sought response from the Centre, the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the varsity, filed as Public Interest Litigation (PIL). Senior advocate Arun Bhardwaj and Advocates Akash Vajpai and Ayush Saxena appeared for law student Akansha Goswami. The reservation is sought in view of the provisions of Constitution (One Hundred and Third Amendment) Act, 2019 under Article 15(6) of the Constitution. It is the petitioner's case to implement the letter UGC had, on January 18, 2019, issued requesting Vice Chancellors of all Central universities, including Jamia Millia Islamia, to implement 10 per cent of EWS reservation at the time of admission from the academic year 2019-2020. Goswami's PIL claims that Jamia Millia Islamia issued a press release on February 5, 2019, refusing to implement the reservation quota for EWS students "citing its status as Minority Institution" under Article 30 of the Constitution. The plea seeks direction on the varsity to withdraw its admission prospectus it had issued for the academic year 2023-2024 for undergraduate and graduate courses without making any provision for the 10 per cent EWS reservation and issue it afresh after making provisions for EWS reservation. Jamia lost its identity by its conversion into the central university which was established by the Jamia Millia Islamia Act, 1988, the plea said. "It is evident from the fact that Jamia Millia Islamia Act, 1988, had dissolved Jamia Millia Islamia Society and its memorandum of association and incorporated those provisions in the act which were completely different from its earlier MOA," the plea states. --IANS spr/vd ( 322 Words) 2023-03-29-20:30:03 (IANS) The father of Darshan Solanki who committed suicide last month on Wednesday wrote to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM-Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar alleging that his family is facing harassment from the police for registering an FIR into the death of his son. Ramesh Solanki, Darshan's father further requested the authorities to take action against the police. The 18-year-old allegedly committed suicide at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay in Mumbai by jumping off the seventh floor of a hostel building located on the campus on February 12 this year, a day after his semester exams ended. Powai police registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and started further investigation. Solanki was originally from Ahmedabad and was pursuing B Tech at the IIT Bombay in Mumbai. As soon as the information about the suicide was received, the police reached the spot and took him to the hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead. Solanki's family earlier alleged foul play in his death and claimed that he faced discrimination at the IITB for belonging to a Scheduled Caste (SC) community. Following demands for a detailed probe by his parents, on February 28, the case was transferred to the city crime branch SIT. However, on March 3, the SIT stumbled upon a "suicide note" in his hostel room in which the deceased Darshan Solanki accused one student of harassing and threatening him. Mumbai Police SIT found a suicide note in which the deceased (an 18-year-old student of IIT Bombay) accused one student of harassing and threatening him. "After the investigation, SIT revealed one of the reasons behind his suicide is caste remarks on him, police will question the students whose names are there in the suicide note," Mumbai Police said. As per the state police, the Statements of 25 people have been recorded so far, in which it has emerged that Darshan had arguments with his fellow students a week before the suicide. (ANI) Youth Congress national president BV Srinivas on Wednesday sent a legal notice to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) IT cell chief Amit Malviya over the controversial tweet. Advocate Mareesh Sahay in his legal notice, said that it is a well-known fact that the comments made by Amit Malviya on social media for abusing and tarnishing the image of BV Srinivas publicly based on wrong facts and with malicious intent. "That the said statements made by you not only are of bad taste, and ill-willed but violate the provisions of Section 66E, 66A, 67 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and Section 499, 34, 44, 120, 500 of IPC, 1860," he added. The notice was sent after Malviya tweeted a video of Srinivas, accusing the Karnataka-based leader of using sexist remarks against Union Minister Smriti Irani. "This uncouth, sexist man is President of the Indian Youth Congress. Darling bana kar bedroom mein... This is the level of discourse, when referring to a woman minister, just because she defeated Rahul Gandhi from Amethi. A frustrated Congress is hurtling down the path of irrelevance [sic]," Malviya in a tweet on March 27 had said. The tweet was shared with a video clip of BV Srinivas. Malviya, through the legal notice, was also asked to publicly apologise to BV Srinivas over the tweet. The Youth Congress said it would otherwise make a legal move. The alleged remarks were made by Srinivas at the Sankalp Satyagrah organised by the Congress at the Rajghat to protest against the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as Lok Sabha MP following a Surat court in a defamation case against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Reacting to his tweet, Srinivas tweeted the legal notice sent to Malviya and said, "It's high time to install anti-malware to fight against the World's biggest Fake news factory and its chief." However, the legal notice sent to Malaviya said that Srinivas is a well-known politician and enjoys a considerable reputation owing to his work during the Covid pandemic. "He is also known as the 'Oxygen Man of India. It is a well-known fact that the comments made by you on social media are based on wrong information and were made with malicious intent," the notice further stated, adding that the statements made by Malaviya violate provisions of Section 66E, 66A, 67 of Information Technology Act 2000 and Section 499, 34, 44, 120, and 500 of the IPC. The notice also accuses Malviya of aiming to defame Srinivas in connivance with other members of his party, the BJP and of having made baseless claims on social media platforms, like Twitter earlier also. After his remarks about Smriti Irani stirred up a controversy, Srinivas BV on Monday said that when the price of a gas cylinder was Rs 400, she used to talk about 'mehangayi daayan' and now when the price has reached Rs 1,100, that 'daayan' has now become a darling adding that this is what he said and what was wrong in it? (ANI) Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday said that the 'Sanatan' dharma doesn't need any "certificate" as it has been proven true to the test of time. "Today you are taking the resolve to enhance the prestige of the saffron colour by donning it. The one that is 'Sanatan' doesn't need any certificate. In English, they say, "time proven". It has proven to stand true to the test of time," RSS Chief said while addressing an event of 'Sanyas Diksha' in Uttarkhand's Haridwar. He further said that the Sanatan dharma, which started earlier, exists today and will also be there tomorrow. "Everything else changes. It started earlier, exists today and will be there tomorrow as well. We will have to explain 'Sanatan' to people through our conduct," Bhagwat said. Bhagwat reached Rishigram and performed the Chaturveda Parayan Yagya on the eighth day of the Sannyas festival in Patanjali Sannyas. Swami Ramdev who was also present at the event said that after 75 years of independence, Patanjali is fulfilling the dream of Maharishi Dayanand, Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi and all the revolutionaries of the Swadeshi education system. "The country became independent but the education and medical system is not its own. The rituals and symbols of slavery have to be eradicated. Only sannyasins can do this work," he said. On Thursday on the occasion of Ramnavami, Swami Ramdev will perform 'Pratishthan sanyas' by giving Diksha to 150 youths. Union Home Minister Amit Shah will also inaugurate the newly constructed building of Patanjali University. The aim is to train future leaders with the vision of the ancient sages, a key element for India to lead a world that lives in service for the good of all creation. (ANI) The stalled talks between Meghalaya and Assam over the inter-state border disputes will resume next month-end or in the first week of May, officials said here on Wednesday. The talks suffered a setback since the firing incident of November 22 last year, which left six persons, including five Meghalaya villagers, dead. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma is in regular touch with his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma to expedite the border talks and resolve the disputes at the earliest. The six areas of Meghalaya to be taken up for discussion in the second phase of talks include Langpih in West Khasi Hills, Borduar, Nongwah-Mawtamur, Desh Doomreah and Block-II in Ri-Bhoi district and Block-I and Psiar-Khanduli in West Jaintia Hills district. Last week, the Meghalaya government had reconstituted three regional committees headed by ministers to examine the present status of the remaining six disputed areas with Assam in the state's West Khasi Hills, Ri-Bhoi, and West Jaintia Hills districts. Officials said that the committees would submit their reports to the Meghalaya government within 45 days after visiting the border villages and studying the differences based on the agreed yardsticks of historical perspective, ethnicity of the local population, administrative convenience of local people, contiguity with the boundary, and the perception of the people living in the area. Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh, and Urban Affairs Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar would head the three different district committees. The ruling National People's Party (NPP) and its ally BJP, in their election manifestos for the February 27 Meghalaya polls, had promised to solve the border disputes with Assam and establish permanent outposts to promote safety, security and rule of law. The Supreme Court had put on hold the Meghalaya High Court's order staying the MoU signed by the Chief Ministers of Assam and Meghalaya on the border disputes. In December last year, the high court while hearing a petition filed by four citizens of Meghalaya had passed an order staying physical demarcation or erection of boundary posts on the ground, pursuant to the MoU signed on March 29 last year. The MoU was signed by Sangma and his Assam counterpart in the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah, "resolving" six of the 12 disputed areas in the first phase. --IANS sc/arm ( 395 Words) 2023-03-29-21:06:02 (IANS) The Crime Branch of Delhi Police said on Wednesday that it has arrested two wanted criminals who were evading court trials in a number of cases and had non-bailable warrants isused against them. According to a senior police officer, the accused have been identified as Krishna alias Kinna and Ravi alias Pappy. "We got a tip-off that Kinna, who is wanted in several criminal cases, would come to Singhalpur village in Shalimar Bagh. A trap was laid which led to his arrest," the officer said. Kinna was previously arrested in two cases before being released on bail. When he didn't turn up for court proceedings after his release on bail, a non-bailable warrant was issued against him. "In another operation, we arrested Pappy, who is wanted in several criminal cases, from Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar in Samaypur Badli after getting a tip-off. Pappy was also previously arrested in two cases and skipped court trials after being released on bail. He has been declared a proclaimed offender," the officer said. --IANS atk/arm ( 183 Words) 2023-03-29-22:04:03 (IANS) Even as the 2024 Lok Sabha elections are more than a year away, political parties in Tamil Nadhu have commenced preparations for it. Chief Minister and DMK President M.K. Stalin has urged party workers to win all the 39 seats in the state and to wrest the lone seat in Puducherry from the AIADMK. His party also appointed observers for all 234 Assembly constituencies and is in the process of strengthening booth committees. In a similar vein, its ally, the Congress has also commenced organisational work at the grass root level to win the seats allocated to it in the next Lok Sabha polls. The Congress had contested 9 seats in Tamil Nadu and one seat in Puducherry in 2019, winning 8 of the 9 seats in Tamil Nadu with the lone loser being veteran leader and former Union Minister, E.V.K.S. Elangovan who lost from Theni constituency to O.P. Raveendranath, son of O. Panneerselvam. Talking to IANS, state Congress President K.S. Alagiri said: "The Congress is a commendable force in Tamil Nadu and our alliance with the DMK is intact. The people friendly schemes of the DMK government and the relentless struggle by our leader Rahul Gandhi has increased the stakes of the Congress in the state." He said that the party would strive to win all the seats from Tamil Nadu and the grass root work for the same has begun. The Congress leadership has chalked out a strategy wherein the party will also appoint full-time observers for each Assembly constituency and will put special care in the assembly constituencies where the AIADMK or the BJP had won. The issue pertaining to the disqualification of Gandhi from the Lok Sabha has become a major subject for the party to motivate its grass root cadres and already the party has conducted agitations and protest marches at the booth levels in the state. The Congress state leadership has also taken up several programmes to highlight the "anti-people" policies of the Central government and is conducting meetings at the grass root level for creating awareness against its policies and programmes that were affecting the public. A senior Congress leader, who did not want to be named, said that the party is highly rejuvenated in Tamil Nadu and is certain to repeat the victory it had in 2019, winning 8 of the 9 seats. "This time our focus is to win all the 9 seats which is not a big task to do." --IANS aal/vd ( 428 Words) 2023-03-29-23:16:03 (IANS) An Assam Rifles official said that the para-military troops accompanied by the Customs preventive force recovered 235 cases of foreign cigarettes from an abandoned area near Melbuk refugee camp at Zokhawthar in Champhai district along the Myanmar border. "Smuggling of illegal items is a major cause of concern for the state of Mizoram. Assam Rifles have been successful in launching such operations against smuggling activities in Mizoram," an Assam Rifles statement said. Mizoram's 510 km unfenced international border with Myanmar, especially in the bordering Champhai district, is a major hotspot of smuggling. Besides various illicit drugs, foriegn cigarettes, a variety of other contrabands like gold, as well as arms and ammunition, exotic animals, and areca nuts are often smuggled from Myanmar into the northeastern states, especially Mizoram and Manipur. --IANS sc/arm ( 169 Words) 2023-03-29-23:20:02 (IANS) Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Wednesday said former INC president Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from the Lok Sabha will be one of the key issues to corner the Narendra Modi-led BJP government in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Chavan said this here while addressing a press conference on the recent political developments following the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from the Lower House of Parliament. "The matter will not end... and the Congress will take this issue to the people during the general elections," he said. Notably, the All India Congress Committee on Wednesday organised as many as 35 press conferences in all states and major cities. The former Maharashtra Chief Minister said Rahul Gandhi was targeted for questioning the relationship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and business tycoon Gautam Adani. "If Rahul Gandhi raised questions and demanded an investigation into the Adani group, did he do anything wrong? The entire episode is happening at the behest of PM Modi. Even BJP leaders accept that wrong things are happening... but they are unable to express their thoughts openly," Chavan said. The senior Congress leader also asserted that Rahul Gandhi is likely to face more attacks from the BJP in coming days. Chavan said that "first, the BJP got Rahul Gandhi disqualified and to justify its decision, the party has created a false impression that Rahul Gandhi has insulted the OBC community with his Modi surname comments". "The defamation case in which Rahul Gandhi was convicted was closed. The complainant had himself written to the district court to put a stay on his complaint in a Surat court. However, the case was reopened with the permission of Gujarat High Court just nine days after Rahul Gandhi exposed PM Modi," Chavan claimed. Meanwhile, the Congress' Madhya Pradesh unit criticised Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for "suddenly" calling a press conference at 3 a.m. -- the same time when Chavan's interaction with the media was scheduled to begin. State Congress' media head K.K. Mishra said: "CM Chouhan should respect the protocol of a former chief minister who is also from another state. What CM Chouhan did today, proved that there is no respect for Constitutional values. We condemn his act of calling a press conference at the time when a former CM was already scheduled to address the press. The Congress will also write a letter to him on this matter." --IANS pd/pgh ( 417 Words) 2023-03-29-23:24:04 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Wednesday remarked that there cannot be a separate rule for a lawmaker and common people on the issue related to the suspension of conviction and sentence in a criminal case while hearing a matter pertaining to Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal plea. A bench of justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna made this remark while it was hearing petitions related to the case against Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal. "If prima facie opinion based on materials before the court reflects that it is a case of acquittal then suspension of conviction can be argued," the court said. "There cannot be a different rule for a Member of Parliament and Member of Legislative Assembly for suspension of conviction and sentences," the court said. The court remark came after it noted the Kerala High Court while suspending his conviction and sentence observed that Faizal was an elected representative and that if his conviction has not stayed, the seat will be vacant and polls would cost the exchequer. The court has asked the UT to furnish the deposition of all the relevant witnesses and listed the matter in April. Meanwhile, the court has apprised of the fact that Faizal Lok Sabha's membership has been restored. The court was hearing the Union Territory of Lakshadweep's plea challenging the interim impugned order dated January 25, 2023, passed by the High Court of Kerala at Ernakulam. Earlier, Kerala High Court suspended the conviction and sentence of Lakshadweep MP and Nationalist Congress leader (NCP) leader PP Mohammed Faizal and three others in a case of an attempt to murder. Kerala HC passed the order on a plea of Faizal and others challenging a trial court's order at Lakshadweep in an attempt to murder case. Faizal filed the application seeking to suspend the 10-year imprisonment. Earlier, the Kavaratti Sessions Court had convicted four persons, including Faizal. Thereafter, The UT Administration of Lakshadweep moved the Supreme Court challenging the Kerala High Court order, which suspended the conviction of Lakshadweep MP Faizal in the attempt to murder case. In the plea, the Union Territory of Lakshadweep challenged the interim impugned order dated January 25, 2023, passed by the High Court of Kerala at Ernakulam. Through the impugned interim order, the High Court has suspended the conviction and sentence imposed on Mohammed Faizal by the Sessions Court, Kavarthi, Union Territory of Lakshadweep, till the disposal of the criminal appeal. The High Court has also suspended the sentence of imprisonment of other accused till disposal of the appeal. Earlier, the Kavaratti Sessions Court had convicted four persons, including Faizal for committing offences punishable under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections143, 147, 148, 307, 324, 342, 448, 427, 506 read with 149 relating to offences relating to rioting, attempt to murder, violence, kidnapping. They were all sentenced to undergo 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and were also directed to pay a fine of Rs 1 lakh each for allegedly attempting to murder Padanath Salih, the son-in-law of former Union Minister PM Sayeed in relation to a political controversy during the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. The UT Administration of Lakshadweep, in the plea, said that the consequence of Faizal's conviction by the Ld. Sessions Court, Kavarthi on January 11, 2023, was that by operation of Article 102(1)(e) of the Constitution read with Section 8(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the respondent, who was an elected Member of Parliament from Lakshadweep Constituency, stood disqualified by the operation of law from the date of conviction and the Lok Sabha Constituency of Lakshadweep stood vacated. The Lok Sabha Secretariat had issued a Notification dated January 13, 2023, to the same effect in terms of Article 102(1)(e) of the Constitution of India read with Section 8, of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, i.e. by virtue of conviction of the Faizal, stood disqualified as a member of Lok Sabha representing Lakshadweep Parliamentary Constituency of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep. Pursuant to this disqualification, the Election Commission of India issued a press note dated January 18, 2023, deciding to hold bye-elections to fill the vacancy in the Parliamentary Constituency of Lakshadweep on February 27, 2023. However, by the impugned interim order dated January 25, 2023, the High Court has suspended the conviction and sentence of the respondent for offences including Section 307 IPC where the punishment of 10 years rigorous imprisonment was imposed and the sentence of the accused was suspended. The administration said that the impugned interim order has suspended the conviction of the respondent, only on the basis of consequences of an election, which are totally irrelevant to the entire issue. "Section 389 CrPC for the purposes of suspension of conviction does not envisage the ground that was referred by the High Court while passing the impugned interim order," the UT said. It added that the principles of democracy, purity of elections and decriminalisation of politics have all been accepted and acknowledged by the High Court but ignored by the High Court while passing the interim impugned order. The UT stated in its plea that the High Court has ignored the object and spirit of Section 8(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and Article 102(1)(e) of the Constitution. That in the entire impugned interim order, there is no iota of discussion on the suspension of sentence, especially when the respondent No. 1 to 4 (accused persons) have been convicted under Section 307 IPC". (ANI) The Urology and Nephrology department of SCB Medical College and Hospital (MCH), Cuttack, has successfully transplanted two kidneys retrieved from a brain-dead donor in two recipients with high priority score in Odisha. According to an official release, the deceased donor, Tanuja Kar (57) of Tarol of Jagatpur in Cuttack, was under treatment in CTVS Department of SCBMCH and was declared brain dead by the Brain Death Declaration team of the hospital after she could not be revived despite all measures. "As per the recipient list of the state prepared by SOTTO, two recipients having high priority score were selected for a kidney transplant. The matter was shared with ROTTO and NOTTO. The Apollo Hospital Bhubaneswar cooperated in performing all laboratory investigations required. After cross match of donor and recipient the kidneys were retrieved and transplanted to two eligible recipients, who are stable," it added. The recipients were identified as Alok Bodak (36) of Brajaraj Nagar in Jharsuguda and Saurjya Ranjan Sahoo (48) of CDA in Cuttack. Notably, the first cadaveric kidney transplant in Odisha was carried out by a team of doctors at SCBMCH and Apollo Hospitals in Bhubaneswar in 2020. After a surgery of six hours, the team of doctors in Apollo Hospitals successfully conducted one of the transplants. The other kidney harvested was transported to SCBMCH for transplant.(ANI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and said that Wayand MP neither has knowledge about the country nor its policies, adding that he has become inauspicious `Rahu' for the party. CM Chouhan made the remarks while addressing the media persons in the state capital. "Rahul Gandhi is such a leader who neither has knowledge about the country nor about the national policies. Rahul Gandhi ji, the country runs on the Constitution, not on the words. The people of the country know that Congress is the problem for the country and Congress's problem is Rahul Gandhi," Chouhan said. Gandhi has become 'Rahu' (ill-fated) for the Congress. That's why Amrit Kaal is going on in the whole country but 'Rahukaal' is going on in the Congress, Chouhan said. The 'slave leaders of the Gandhi-Nehru family' (referring to Congressmen) are determined to forcefully make him (Rahul Gandhi) a national leader, while the reality is that Rahul Gandhi is the most unsuccessful, weakest, irresponsible, careless and arrogant leader of the Gandhi-Nehru family, the CM said. Referring to the tearing up of an ordinance on electoral disqualification law issued by the Manmohan Singh government in 2013, he asked whether it was not an "act of egotism" by Rahul Gandhi. "Deep in arrogance, Rahul Gandhi insults different classes and castes. Rahul Gandhi knows that the backward classes cannot challenge him, so say anything. In arrogance, Gandhi has abused the backward people and the abuse is such that he has called the entire category a thief, if this is not arrogance, then what is this, Rahul Gandhi should tell," Chouhan said. "After this, Rahul Gandhi is saying that he will not apologise. Today, I am saying today, the backward classes are saying that we will neither forgive Congress nor Rahul Gandhi. Now only the MP membership and the bungalow have been removed. If the Congress tries to tussle with the backward class, then one day the existence of the Congress will also be faded," the Chief Minister said. He added that it has been the history of the Congress party that they neither respect the decisions of the court against their leaders, nor ever respected Dalits or backward people. There were many examples of the same. The whole country knows how late Rajiv Gandhi overturned the decision of the Supreme Court in the Shah Bano case. Besides, the country has seen how a leader like Sitaram Kesari was treated with disdain during his last days, even his belongings were thrown on the streets. In such a situation, it cannot be expected from Rahul Gandhi that he will respect the judicial system or respect the backward classes and backward society, Chouhan said. The CM further said, "I want to ask the Congress that neither Rahul nor the party is apologising either outside the court, or inside the court or not even apologising in the House." The court pronounced the sentence, they (Congressmen) are telling conspiracy in this too and calling it the murder of democracy. Along with this, it is the Congress whose leaders are saying that there should be a separate law for the Rahul Gandhi family, Chouhan said. Chouhan also said, the Congress, which announced Satyagraha on the issue of Rahul Gandhi, would have to answer why it was patronising Rahul Gandhi's insulting statement of the OBC class? Congress should leave its arrogance and apologise to the OBCs and instead of satyagraha, Rahul Gandhi should take out a nationwide apology yatra. (ANI) "CM urged the Home Minister to release the pending amount of Rs 36,625 crore under Resource Gap Funding for fiscal 2014-15," an official statement said. According to the statement, Andhra CM further urged Shah to enhance the credit limit of Rs 17,923 crore which was reduced from Rs 42,472 crore post-Covid-19 pandemic. "CM urged to Union Minister to expedite several issues which remained unresolved even nine years after the unscientific bifurcation pushing the residual Andhra Pradesh backwards in terms of development and revenue," the statement added. The Chief Minister also appealed to Shah to release Rs 10,000 crore immediately on an ad-hoc basis to expedite the project construction beside another Rs 2020 crore to fill the scourge pits formed at the main dam site due to the washing away of diaphragm wall in the flash floods. According to the statement, he also sought reimbursement of the arrears of Rs 2600.74 crore incurred by the state government on the Polavaram Project and accept the Technical Advisory Committee's revised estimates of Rs 55,548crore and treat the drinking water supply component as its part. Jagan Mohan also apprised Shah that Andhra Pradesh has incurred a financial burden of Rs 5,527 crore on supplying ration to 56 lakh families under the PMGKAY due to the irrational selection of beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act. "To compensate for this, unused ration stocks should be allotted to AP as recommended by NITI Aayog," CM told Shah. (ANI) The clash broke out on the intervening night of March 29 and 30. According to the Commissioner of Police (CP) of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Nikhil Gupta, stones were also pelted during the clash. "Stones were pelted, and some private and police vehicles were set on fire. Police used force to disperse the people and now the situation is peaceful," Gupta said. He further said that police will take strict action against the miscreants. (ANI) Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty on Wednesday reiterated that it would continue the practice of admitting students to the class at the age of 5. Union Education Ministry directed all states and Union Territories to admit students to Class 1 only at the age of six. "The minimum age for first standard admission in the state will remain as 5. The prevailing practice in the country is to enroll children at the age of five in the first standard. The age limit can be increased only by taking the people into confidence and convincing them. Therefore, it has been decided to provide an opportunity for parents who want to enroll their children in the first standard at the age of five," Shivakutty told the reporters. He further said that there is no need to change Kerala's education system as a "role model" for the whole country. "The parents, who want to enrol their children in Class 1 at the age of five can do so in the next academic year (starting June)," he added. "We have got the benefits of adopting such an approach. All children in the school-going age get enrolled in schools and their uninterrupted schooling is ensured up to Class 12," he said. The Department of School Education and Literacy under the Union Education Ministry has recently directed all states and UTs to "align their age of admission with the policy and provide admission to Grade-I at the age of 6+ years". "In line with the recommendations of the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) for strengthening of learning of children at the 'foundational stage' as a national priority for the country, Education Ministry has reiterated directions to all the State Governments and UT administrations to align their age to admission with the policy and provide admission to Grade-I at the age of 6 years," the Union Education Ministry said in a statement earlier in February. "This can only be done by ensuring accessibility to three years of quality preschool education for all children studying in Anganwadis or Government or Government-aided, private and NGO-run preschool centres," it added. (ANI) "Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj will hold a meeting with the officers and specialist doctors associated with the health department this afternoon," officials said. The Special Secretary, Health Department, Director of General Health Services, Nodal Officer for Oxygen and Testing and Medical Directors of several hospitals including Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) will be present in the meeting. Delhi recorded 300 fresh Covid-19 cases and two deaths on Wednesday, marking a sharp uptick in infections over the last 24 hours. According to a bulletin issued by the Delhi Health department on Wednesday, the capital registered two deaths from Covid over the last 24 hours. The national capital currently has 806 active Covid cases, with the infection rate at 13.89 per cent, the bulletin stated. Further, according to the bulletin, as many as 2,160 swab samples were tested over the last 24 hours, of which 300 tested positive for Covid-19. Further, according to the release, a total of 4,07,85,433 Covid tests have been conducted so far. It stated further that a total of 163 Covid patients recovered from the virus in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of recoveries to 19,82,029. Earlier, on Tuesday, the national capital recorded 214 new Covid infections. The total number of active cases was recorded at 671 while the positivity rate jumped to 11.88 per cent. According to a bulletin issued by the Health department on Tuesday, 81 Covid patients recovered from the virus in the city, taking the total number of recoveries to 19,81,866. India's active caseload currently stands at 11,903 with a rate of 0.03 per cent per day and with a recovery rate currently standing at 98.78 per cent. (ANI) On the basis of profiling done by the officers of the Customs AIU batch, a passenger coming from Abu Dhabi to Kochi by flight 6E 1404 was intercepted at the green channel. During the examination of the said passenger, 4 capsules of gold in a compound form totally weighing 1063 grams concealed inside his body were recovered and seized. The accused has been identified as Muhammed, a native of Kunnamkulam in the Thrissur district. Further investigation is underway. Earlier on March 11, AIU seized 489 grams of gold worth Rs 21.5 lakhs at Kochi airport. On the basis of profiling done by the officers of Kochi Customs AIU batch and Special Intelligence and Investigation Branch (SIIB), a passenger coming from Sharjah to Kochi Airport was intercepted at the green channel. The accused was identified as Nassar, a native of Valanchery in the Malappuram district. "During the examination of the passenger, one rectangular strap containing gold compound weighing 224 grams and one capsule-shaped packet containing gold in paste form weighing 265 grams concealed in the rectum were recovered," the customs official said. (ANI) The matter came to light on Wednesday after the AIMIM leader posted a picture offering prayers on her Twitter handle. DCP, Central Zone, Aparna Rajat Kaushik, said Uzma had falsely shown the place of offering prayers to be Vidhan Bhawan which is misleading. "Just to create hype on social media," the official said. "A case under charges of IPC 153 A (promoting enmity), IPC 200 (giving false information), and IPC 283 (obstruction of public way) 66 IT act has been registered against Uzma," said the DCP. After the police action, Praveen tweeted in Hindi that a mountain is being made out a molehill and alleged that police was following the media personnel in doing so. She further wrote on Twitter that she was following her religion. On August 24, 2022, a large gathering of people offered namaz under Chhajlet PS limits in Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad. According to police, there was no mosque there, only two houses. "On August 24, a huge number of people gathered to offer namaz under Chhajlet PS limits; there was no mosque there, only 2 houses. After receiving a complaint, a case was registered against the owners of both houses," Moradabad SP SK Meena had said. In July last year, an FIR was registered against six persons for offering Namaz at Lucknow's swanky Lulu mall. (ANI) More than 20 people, including women and children are feared trapped, following the collapse of the roof of a stepwell at a temple in Madhya Pradesh''s Indore on Thursday. The incident took place during Ram Navami celebrations at the Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal Temple in the Patel Nagar area. Police and locals were seen trying to rescue the devotees trapped inside the well. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to state that he has spoken to chief minister Shivrak Singh Chouhan on the mishap. "Extremely pained by the mishap in Indore. Spoke to CM @ChouhanShivraj Ji and took an update on the situation. The State Government is spearheading rescue and relief work at a quick pace. My prayers with all those affected and their families," PM Modi said. Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that he has taken cognizance of the incident and termed the incident "unfortunate". He said that 10 people have been rescued so far while nine of them continue to remain trapped inside the stepwell. "It''s an unfortunate incident. A rescue operation is underway. 10 people were rescued safely while nine are still trapped and will be rescued. Efforts are underway to rescue other people", said the chief minister according to a statement from his office. The chief minister''s office had in a statement earlier said the eight people were evacuated and rushed to the the hospital while local administration including police, district administration, SDRF were involved in rescue operation. "Several ambulances were also deployed at the site", it said "Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan has taken cognizance of the incident and discussed it with Indore''s Collector and police Commissioner over phone and instructed to speed up the rescue operation. Apart from that Chief Minister''s Office is also in constant touch with the Indore district administration," the statement read The incident occurred at around 12 PM when devotees were offering prayers during a hawan at the temple on the occasion of Ram Navami. (ANI) German foreign ministry on Thursday said that they have "taken note" of Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha triggering a war of words between Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju and Congress leaders. In a tweet, Rijiju today stated, "Thank you Rahul Gandhi for inviting foreign powers for interference into India's internal matters. Remember, Indian Judiciary can't be influenced by foreign interference. India won't tolerate 'foreign influence' anymore because our Prime Minister is:- Shri @narendramodi Ji". Rijiju's remark was in response to senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh's tweet thanking the German foreign affairs ministry for "taking note of how democracy is being compromised through persecution of RahulGandhi". Taking to Twitter, Digvijaya Singh said, "Thank you German Foreign Affairs Ministry and Richard Walker for taking note of how the Democracy is being compromised in India through the persecution of Rahul Gandhi." During a press briefing that was aired on German state-owned international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW), a German ministry spokesperson stated that her country "expects that the standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles will apply in the case." "We have taken note of the verdict of the first instance against the Indian opposition politician Rahul Gandhi as well as the suspension of his parliamentary mandate. To our knowledge, Mr Gandhi is in a position to appeal the verdict," she is heard saying in the clip of the briefing shared with English subtitles on Twitter by Richard Walkar the Chief International Editor of DW. The German ministry spokesperson added, "It will then become clear whether this verdict will stand and whether the suspension of his mandate has any basis." Earlier this week US Department of State Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said that the US is watching Rahul Gandhi's case in Indian courts. Patel, responding to a question on Rahul Gandhi's disqualification said that the US engages with the Indian government on a shared commitment to democratic values, including freedom of expression. On March 23, Rahul Gandhi was convicted by a Surat district court and sentenced to two years imprisonment in the 2019 defamation case over his 'Modi surname' remark made in 2019 during an election rally in Karnataka. The criminal defamation case against Rahul Gandhi was filed by BJP MLA from Surat West Purnesh Modi. After being convicted by the court, Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from the Lok Sabha. The sentence of two-year imprisonment has been suspended for 30 days before which Rahul Gandhi has to appeal against the conviction. The disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from Lok Sabha has been one in a series of flashpoints between the Congress party and the ruling BJP, uniting the opposition parties who have been accusing the Centre of diverting attention from the Adani issue. Both houses of Parliament witnessed unruly scenes and continuous disruptions since the second leg of the Budget session started on March 13 with the opposition demanding a joint parliamentary committee while the BJP hit back demanding an apology from Rahul Gandhi over his "maligning the institutions" remark in London. (ANI) Team leader Bhattacharya said, "The team, which set off from Kolkata on March 26, reached Visakhapatnam today. They will cover more than 7000 km of coastline from Kolkata to Delhi via Visakhapatnam, Chennai, and Rameswaram." He said that a total of 36 Naval personnel including women officers participated in the expedition "The expedition will conduct awareness campaigns in cities and villages enroute with the aim to provide information about employment opportunities in the Navy, including the 'Agnipath' scheme," Bhattacharya said. Earlier on Sunday, Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval Command from Visakhapatnam flagged off an Indian Navy-organised car expedition covering the entire 7,500-km coastline to encourage sea consciousness. (ANI) As many as 13 persons have died so far after the roof of a stepwell of a temple collapsed in Madhya Pradesh's Indore district on Thursday, state home minister Narottam Mishra said. The incident occurred at Beleshwar Jhulelal Mahadev Temple located in Patel Nagar locality in the city at around 11 in the morning during a Havan puja going on in view of the Ram Navami festival. Mishra said, "Around 30 people were trapped in the stepwell out of which a total of 19 people were rescued. According to the latest information, 11 bodies have been recovered which includes 10 women and one man. Of the 19 people who were rescued, two persons died. So, a total of 13 have died so far. Order has been given for a probe into the incident." Talking to ANI over phone, Indore Collector Ilayaraja T said, "11 dead bodies have been recovered so far and the rescue operation is still going on." Police, Municipal Corporation, district administration SDRF (State Disaster Response Force), QRF (quick reaction force) and ambulances were present on the spot and the rescue operation was on. On the other hand, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 5 lakh to be given to next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 would be given to the injured. Besides, free treatment arrangements will be made for the injured. Earlier, Indore Collector Dr Ilayaraja T said, "So many people assembled near a stepwell to do 'hawan'. The overcrowding surrounding the stepwell could be the reason that led to the collapse of the floor. Around 25 people fell into the well, 15 have been rescued so far, an operation to rescue the rest of them is underway. There is a possibility of casualties." Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed sorrow over the incident and he took to Twitter to state that he spoke to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on the mishap. "Extremely pained by the mishap in Indore. Spoke to CM @ChouhanShivraj Ji and took an update on the situation. The State Government is spearheading rescue and relief work at a quick pace. My prayers with all those affected and their families," PM Modi said. CM Chouhan said that he took cognizance of the incident and termed the incident "unfortunate". After the incident, speaking to ANI, he had said, "It's an unfortunate incident. A rescue operation is underway. 10 people were rescued safely while nine are trapped and will be rescued. Efforts are underway to rescue other people." Former CM Kamal Nath also wrote on twitter, "A sad news was received that 25 people fell into the stepwell during Havan at Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal Temple in Indore. I pray to God that all the devotees come out safely. May Lord Ram protect everyone." (ANI) The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday arrested a neurosurgeon of Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi and four others for allegedly being involved in illegal activities and accepting money in exchange for medical advice. The arrested persons have been identified as Dr Manish Rawat, associate professor in the neurosurgery department, Safdarjung hospital; Avnesh Patel, Manish Sharma, Deepak Khattar, proprietor of a shop, and Kuldeep. "It was alleged that the neurosurgeon in conspiracy with other accused, who were acting as middlemen, a proprietor of a surgical shop, was indulging in illegal activities and taking money for giving medical advice and conducting surgery of the patients and bypassing laid down rules regarding treatment in the Safdarjung Hospital," officials said. It was further alleged that the neurosurgeon directed the patients through these middlemen to purchase the instruments required for surgery from the Kanishka Surgical shop, owned by another accused Deepak Khattar. The accused persons compelled the patients to pay an amount for the instruments higher than the actual price and used to get a share in the overbilling by the said shop. It was further alleged that bribes of Rs 1,15,000, Rs 55,000 and Rs 30,000 were taken recently in three different instances from the attendants, patients of Dr Rawat, through a private person in the bank account of the other accused. "The same was done on the directions of the neurosurgeon," the officials added. It was also alleged that the accused neurosurgeon was laundering his illegally earned money through companies being managed by a private person. "Besides this, searches were conducted at various places including in the national capital and Uttar Pradesh, which led to the recovery of incriminating documents, digital devices etc.," officials added. The arrested accused will be produced before the court in Delhi on Thursday. (ANI) Nadda will arrive at the Hyderabad airport on Friday afternoon and will head to Sangareddy, about 60 kms from Hyderabad, where he will inaugurate new party offices. From Sangareddy, he will virtually inaugurate other district unit offices at Bhupalpally, Warangal, Jangaon, and Mahbubabad in Telangana and Anantapur and Chittoor in neighboring Andhra Pradesh, stated an official release by the party on Thursday. Later, on Friday, he will hold a meeting with the BJP's state office-bearers, district presidents and district in-charges at Shamshabad, on the outskirts of Hyderabad, the release added. Further, according to sources, Nadda will also chair a meeting on April 4, whicn will feature, among others, the BJP's national general secretary BL Santosh. At the meeting, a broad strategy for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections will be chalked out, sources added. Telangana will go to polls this year and the BJP has set sights on wresting the reins of the state from the K Chandrashekhar Rao-led BRs government. In the last Assembly polls in 2018, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) secured a resounding mandate, bagging 88 out of 119 seats, while the Congress had to settle for just 19. The BJP could win just a lone seat. (ANI) Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday said the government would take strict action against pharma companies found to be involved in the manufacturing of spurious medicines across the country. "Pharma companies who are found involved in the manufacturing of spurious medicines will not be spared," Mandaviya said. During a visit to Jan Aushadhi Kendra in Dehradun, the health minister stressed that the issue of medicines is definitely linked with public health. The minister on a two-day visit to the state interacted with health workers and beneficiaries on this occasion. "The issues of medicines are definitely linked with public health. Medicine is a public health issue," he said. He informed that there were over 10,500 pharma companies dealing with the manufacturing of medicines in the country. "We have taken action against erring companies in the past". Mandaviya said, today, these centres are making cheap and quality medicines available in every corner of the country. He wrote on his Twitter handle: "Visited Janaushadhi Kendra in Dehradun. People who came to buy medicines at the centre said that their out-of-pocket expenses have decreased considerably due to the Jan Aushadhi Kendra". The Union Health Minister will lay the foundation stone of three Critical Care Blocks (CCB) for infectious diseases in Uttarakhand on Friday. He will also lay the foundation of a 500-bedded hospital at New Block at Doon Medical College. The Central government approved the proposal of the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI) to invite online applications for the opening of new Janaushadhi Kendras in 651 districts of different states and union territories in January earlier this year. PMBI is the implementing agency of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP). PMBJP was launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers with the objective of making quality generic medicines available at affordable prices to all. The Government has set a target to increase the number of Jan Aushadhi Kendras to 10,000 by March 2024. (ANI) The deal for the third and fourth regiments of the missile system has been signed with BDL and would cost over Rs 6000 crore. "This would be the upgraded versions of the missile system with seekers and give more accuracy to Indian Army while taking out any offensive enemy aircraft or drone on the border," top defence sources told ANI. The clearance of these two missile regiments can be considered to be a victory for Make in India initiative as these were earlier planned to be imported from abroad but the Narendra Modi government decided to induct the indigenous weapon system only. The upgraded Akash missile systems have been enabled to be effective on high altitude frontiers such as the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in north. In comparison to the existing Akash System, the upgraded version is equipped with an indigenous active Radio Frequency (RF) seeker for improved accuracy. Other improvements also ensure more reliable performance under low-temperature environments at higher altitudes. A modified ground system of the existing Akash weapon system has also been used. The Akash system has further enhanced the confidence of the users (Indian Army and Indian Air Force). The missile can be deployed at heights up to 4,500 metres and can take down targets at a distance of around 25 to 30 km. (ANI) Taylor's Tacos now has its own brick-and-mortar shop located in the 1500 block of Taylor Street in Chicago. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) Chicagoans from Lena Waithe to Chance the Rapper to this critic have been salivating over Taylors Tacos for years. In 2021, it landed on my list of best new tacos, even though the concept didnt technically have its own restaurant. Instead, owners Taylor and Maya Mason worked out a deal with Docks Fish in Bronzeville to offer a limited menu, while handling large catering orders out of The Hatchery on the West Side. Advertisement Two years later, the married couple is thrilled to finally have their own bricks-and-mortar restaurant in Little Italy (1512 W. Taylor St.), which will soft open April 4. We are stoked, Taylor Mason said. We have a fantastic team, and all the tools are ready for us to build something great. Taylor Mason, who started Taylor's Tacos as a catering and pop-up operation in 2016, now has her own bricks-and-mortar shop in the 1500 block of Taylor Street in Chicago. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) Two kinds of tacos inspired the idea for the concept, Mason said. The first is traditional Mexican street-style taco, the ones with corn tortillas and freshly grilled meat, topped with salsa, cilantro, onion and lime juice. But she was also influenced by the tacos she grew up eating in the predominantly Black West Side of Chicago. A Black taco starts with a flour tortilla, seasoned meat, thats usually ground, she said. Then its topped with lettuce, tomato, cheese and definitely sour cream. If you dont have the sour cream, its not a Black taco. Advertisement At Taylors Tacos, she hopes to create tacos that straddle between those two. We use corn tortillas, but fry them a bit for texture, but not too much, she said. And we have a secret salsa that has a crema base. Taylor's Tacos, in the 1500 block of Taylor Street in Chicago on March 24, 2023. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) After numerous trips to Mexico, Mason said shes also excited to serve a number of vegetable tacos. I dont know why vegetable tacos are neglected in the U.S., Mason said. We treat them with the same care and respect as we treat the meat. Her catering customers caught on quickly. In fact, the asparagus taco has been their No. 1 seller for catering orders, even though its only available seasonally. When its not in season, we serve sweet potato tacos, and we also have a portobello mushroom taco, Mason said. Her tacos use smaller tortillas, about 4 -inches across, so guests can put together a balanced meal by ordering a few meat tacos and a few veggie tacos. You can create a full meal with tacos, she said. Along with Taylors Tacos, Taylor and Maya Mason also own Taylored, an event space at 2451 S. Oakley Ave. Asked if it was intentional that Taylors Tacos found a spot on Taylor Street, Mason said it just happened to work out that way. But when we found it, we couldnt pass up the chance to open up on Taylor Street, Mason said. Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > 1512 W. Taylor St., 773-615-0947, taylorstacoschicago.com More notable new restaurants, listed in alphabetical order: Daisies 2.0 The Logan Square pasta-focused restaurant reopened at a larger location Wednesday after shuttering its original spot this month. Jean Banchet Award-winning pastry chef Leigh Omilinsky joins the team to round out the restaurants rebrand and will prepare Passover and Easter pastries including kosher lemon sponge and flourless chocolate cake, coconut macaroons, cinnamon roll kouign amann and strawberry cream scones. 2375 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773-661-1832, daisieschicago.com Herbivore After doing pop-ups at Kimski and working out of a shared kitchen in Humboldt Park, chef Max Musto opened Herbivores first bricks-and-mortar restaurant in Bridgeport this month, in the former Pizza Fried Chicken Ice Cream Space adjoining Marias. The plant-based menu includes Mustos cult-favorite burger The Bix Max, a vegan Italian beef called The Don, buffalo and sweet soy wings, chkn Caesar salad, as well as desserts, including Oreo or carrot cupcakes. 964 W. 31st St., 773-801-0486, herbivorechicago.square.site Advertisement Sephardic Sisters From the owners behind the former vegan restaurant Kalish, Sephardic Sisters is now open in Uptown. The restaurant celebrates plant-based Middle Eastern cuisine with Sephardic and Israeli influences. Find fattoush salad topped with pomegranate syrup, red lentil soup and baklava cheesecake, as well as laffa flatbreads and specialty hummus plates. 1313 W. Wilson Ave., 773-293-7768, instagram.com/sephardic_sisters The Corned Beef Factory Stickney The longtime Chicago sandwich maker has a new suburban outpost. Get your corned beef fix, or try their Tom & Jerry combo: corned beef and pastrami on rye. Italian beef and hot dogs are also on the menu. 6817 W. Pershing Road, Stickney; 312-666-2536; cornedbeeffactory.com The Understudy Coffee and Books Opening last weekend in Andersonville, the bookstore and cafe serves fresh beans and all the drama after being under construction for the past year. Co-owners Adam Todd Crawford and Danny Fender aim for the shop to be a welcoming space for Chicagos theatre community. The coffee shop serves pastries and brews with coffee from Metric Coffee and teas from Sprit Tea and The Coffee & Tea Exchange. 5531 N. Clark St., theunderstudy.com lazu@chicagotribune.com; nkindelsperger@chicagotribune.com Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee President Nana Patole on Thursday said that the Supreme Court's remarks on hate speech are a big slap to the Shinde-Fadnavis government adding that the state government has no right to continue in power and should "resign immediately". The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Maharashtra government to respond to a contempt plea filed against it for failing to control hate speeches by rightwing organisations despite the orders of the top court. "We are hearing the contempt petition because states are not taking action in time. This is because the state has become impotent, powerless, and does not act in time. Why should we have a state at all if it is silent," the SC said on Wednesday. Slamming the state government, Patole said, "Expressing displeasure, the Supreme Court has said that the Maharashtra government is impotent, it is not doing anything, therefore religious disputes are deepening. The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP)-led Shinde government in the state has dealt a major blow to the image of Maharashtra." "Religious disputes are increasing in the state due to provocative speeches of some organizations, but the Shinde-Fadnavis government is not taking any action on it," the Maharashtra Congress chief added. Righting the anger expressed by the Supreme Court against the Shinde-Fadnavis government, the Congress state president said, "There is no such thing as law and order in the state. The MLAs and MPs of the ruling party do bullying openly. There are attacks on former ministers and MLAs but they are ignored. Even if the MLA of the ruling party sets fire, then action against him is avoided." "An organization has been taking out marches, holding meetings and making inflammatory and provocative statements in various state districts for the past few months, thereby threatening social peace," Patole added. The State Congress chief further alleged that some organizations have complained to the police but the police's hands are tied. He said, "Maharashtra is a progressive and advanced state. Mumbai and Maharashtra have great reputations all over the world. Some organizations are working to defame it in the name of religion. The government should stop such organizations immediately, but the government itself does not have the willpower and such organizations are flourishing." "The word used by the Supreme Court for the Maharashtra government has not been used for any government to date, which shows how serious the situation is," Patole further remarked. During the hearing on Wednesday, a bench of Justice KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna posted the matter for hearing on April 28 and said, "Hate is a vicious circle and the State will have to initiate action." A contempt petition was filed by Kerala-based Shaheen Abdullah over a news report that said, "At least 50 rallies were held in the State in the last four months where hate speeches were allegedly made." Meanwhile, the apex court also allowed applications filed by Hindu bodies citing incidents where hate speeches were made against Hindus. (ANI) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath while greeting the people of the State on the occasion of Mahanavami of Vasantik Navratra and Ramnavami, the birth anniversary of Lord Shri Ram, said that one should not mistake religion for just a medium of worshipping, said a press release. "Religion gives a sense of duty. Religion connects us with virtue, duty and moral values and leads us towards a positive and creative tendency by walking on the right path," he said, added the press release. CM Yogi addressed the media after completing the rituals of Kanya Pujan and Shri Ram Janmotsav in Gorakhnath temple. He said that the gaiety and enthusiasm seen in Sri Rama Navami show that virtue and creativity in society have progressed rapidly. "New India is being formed with positivity and creativity under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," said Yogi, as per the press release. He went on to say that the whole world is realizing the power of a strong and powerful India. The concept of Ramrajya is also being realized in 'Samarth Bharat'. According to Ram Rajya, the benefits of the schemes of governance are reaching every section of society without any discrimination. The Chief Minister said that the whole world has seen the strength and sensitivity of India during the global pandemic Covid-19. Many public welfare programs are in front of everyone. The needy were given free-of-cost accommodation, toilet, cooking gas connection, and electricity connection without any discrimination. Not only this, the free ration was also made available to every poor in times of crisis. Efforts are being made to bring about comprehensive change in the life of every citizen. Describing the leadership of G-20 as a pride for the country, he said that the theme of G-20 is the contribution of the Indian sage who explained the vast form of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam". Praying to Mother Jagatjanani Bhagwati and Maryada Purushottam Lord Shri Ram for a happy and prosperous life for all citizens, the Chief Minister said that along with the worship of Mother Siddhidatri on Navami Tithi, the birth anniversary of Shri Ram is being celebrated with enthusiasm. Grand programs have been organized at different places of the state. There is a lot of enthusiasm at every temple in Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Shri Ram. Since yesterday, more than 15 lakh devotees have visited Hanumangarhi and Shri Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya after bathing in the holy Saryu river. Lakhs of devotees are worshiping the Siddhidatri form of Mother Bhagwati, the mother of the world, in all the Shaktipeeths. The state government has also ensured the organization of Durga Saptshati and Akhand Ramayana recitations at all religious places. CM Yogi said that elaborate arrangements have been made for the safety and convenience of the devotees at all places in the state. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also participated in the birth anniversary of Prabhu Shri Ram organized at Muktakashi stage of Gorakhnath temple complex. He also performed the aarti. (ANI) In an effort to deal with cyber frauds, the central government has approved a scheme as part of which assistance would be provided to states and the Union Territories (UTs) in developing high-quality forensic science facilities with modern machinery and equipment, including cyber-forensics, the government informed the Parliament recently. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the move is aimed at "modernizing the forensic capacities" of India in view of glaring spotlight on scammers capable of invading a variety of apps, from Facebook and Messenger to OLX, with the sole objective of swindling the gullible users out of their money."The government has approved a scheme for modernization of Forensic Capacities, which, inter-alia, will provide, assistance to states and UTs to develop high-quality forensic science facilities with modern machinery and equipment, including cyber-forensics," Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs, Ajay Kumar Mishra, informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply. The minister said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has provided financial assistance under the 'Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children (CCPWC)' scheme, to the states and UTs for their capacity building. So far, Mishra said, cyber forensic-cum-training laboratories have been commissioned in 33 States and the UTs. A National Cyber Forensic Science Laboratory (NCFSL) has been set up at the Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Hyderabad to investigate important cases of digital fraud and cyber forensics, said the MoS, adding "this laboratory acts as a Model Laboratory for other Central and State Forensic Science Laboratories in the country." The NCFSL, Hyderabad provides the necessary forensic support in cases of evidence related to cybercrime, he said. "Setting up of new facilities and division is an ongoing process and a function of demand and requirements in each state and UT," Mishra said. The seven Central Forensic Science Laboratories have disposed of 1,856 cases of cyber fraud in 2022-23 till February 2023, the minister revealed in his reply, maintaining that "information on disposal of cases in FSLs of states and UTs is not maintained centrally." The Ministry of Home Affairs has provided financial assistance to the States and the UTs to the tune of Rs 122.24 crore from the financial year 2017-2018 to 2022-2023 under the Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children Scheme (CCPWC) for their capacity building like setting up of Cyber Forensic-cum-training laboratories, hiring of junior Cyber consultants, the MoS later said. "Further, in order to strengthen the Cyber Forensic and DNA Division in State Forensic Science Laboratories, Rs 175.32 crore have been released from the financial year 2018-2019 to 2022-2023 under Nirbhaya Fund," added the minister. (ANI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy called on Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman here on Thursday and urged her to release the NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme) arrears of Rs 2,500 crores due to the State besides increasing its credit limit. The Chief Minister appealed to the Finance Minister to enhance the credit limit of Rs 17,923 crore which was reduced from Rs 42,472 crore in 2021-22 for no fault of the State Government and take steps to ensure that the Telangana Government clears Rs 7,058 crore outstanding from the TS Discoms to APGENCO for the power supplied between 2014 and 2017. The CM further urged Sitharaman to release the pending amount of Rs 36,625 crore under Resource Gap Funding for fiscal 2014-15 to the State, sanction Rs 10,000 crore immediately on an ad-hoc basis to expedite the construction of the Polavaram Project and another Rs 2,020 crore to fill the scourge pits formed at the main Dam site due to the washing away of diaphragm wall in the flash floods. "Andhra Pradesh has so far spent Rs 2600.74 crore on Polavaram Project from its exchequer," the CM said and sought the reimbursement of the same from the Central funds and accept the Technical Advisory Committee's revised estimates of Rs 55,548 crore on the Polavaram Project. The Chief Minister also urged Sitharaman to implement the promise of granting Special Status to the State. (ANI) The accused identified as Muntzeer was absconding for more than three years in a case of MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act). Muntzeer was also declared proclaimed offender and two more cases of abduction and extortion are registered against him in Delhi. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Alok Kumar said, the police were informed about the movement of Muntzeer Tyagi, who was frequently changing his hideouts in Uttar Pradesh to avoid arrest. The arrested accused along with other associates of his gang is involved in several cases of murder, attempt to murder, assault, abduction, extortion, robbery, hurt, criminal intimidation, Arms Act etc. in Delhi, the DCP said. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday went for a surprise visit to the New Parliament Building, sources said. They said he spent more than an hour and inspected various works. He observed facilities coming up at both the Houses of the Parliament and also interacted with the construction workers. In July last year, the Prime Minister had unveiled the National Emblem cast on the roof of the New Parliament Building. He had also interacted with workers. The National Emblem is made of bronze with a total weight of 9,500 kg and is 6.5 m in height. It has been cast at the top of the central foyer of the New Parliament Building. A supporting structure of steel weighing around 6,500 kg has been constructed to support the Emblem. The Prime Minister had laid the foundation stone of the New Parliament Building in December 2020. The new building is an intrinsic part of the vision of 'AatmaNirbhar Bharat'. The Central Vista project is poised to strengthen governance infrastructure by building new facilities for India's Parliament and an efficient and sustainable Central Secretariat to house all the ministries of the Government of India. The Central Vista Development and Re-development Master Plan includes construction of new Parliament building, redevelopment of Central Vista Avenue and construction of Common Central Secretariat Buildings. The New Parliament Building will have extensive usage of wooden structuresfor creation of interior as well as exterior decor, rooted in traditional motifs and elements. It will also have handknotted carpets from Bhadohi in Uttar Pradesh. (ANI) Congress party launched the "first-time youth voters" campaign on Thursday ahead of the Karnataka Assembly elections in May. "Celebrate your Vote" is the campaign theme coined by the Grand Old Party. While launching the campaign, Congress leader Abhishek Dutta also announced that state youth Congress president Raksha Ramaiah will be overall incharge of this "first-time youth voter" campaign. The campaign is focused on the 18 to 23 age group, especially first-time voters. Inaugurating the website dedicated to this unique campaign, Abhishek Dutta said, "The youth Congress workers will visit each and every college and university and prevail upon the youths the importance of participating in the democratic process." "Your vote is your right is what we are going to tell the youth voters. We will hold skits, interactive sessions and workshops to create awareness among the youth about the importance of voting," Raksha Ramaiah said. Abhishek Dutta said that his party has announced providing Rs 3,000 to unemployed youth for two years and Rs 1,500 to diploma holders. "Youths are not getting jobs due to the BJP government's lopsided policy. The unemployed youths are becoming a burden on their parents. Our scheme to provide Rs 3,000 per month will help the family to a great extent," Dutta added. Raksha Ramaiah said, "The Congress government will fill up the 2.50 lakh vacant posts in the government and also create employment opportunities to the extent of 10 to 15 lakhs per year in the private sector." When asked if he is contesting the assembly elections, Raksha Ramaiah said, "My focus is to carry the party's message to each and every youth." "But if the party asks me to contest, I will contest. I am a loyal and disciplined soldier of the party," he added. The Election Commission of India announced the schedule for the Karnataka Assembly elections. The polling would take place in a single phase on May 10, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said on Wednesday. The counting of votes will be done on May 13, the CEC said in a press conference here. Detailing the data of the electors, the CEC said that there are a total of 5.21 crores in the state and the number of 100 plus voters is 16,976. He informed that over 58,000 polling stations would be set up across the state. (ANI) Delhi Power Minister Atishi on Thursday alleged that her department was being "pressurised" by BJP leaders and Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena in a bid to stop Aam Aadmi Party government's power subsidies to farmers and advocates. "Today morning, I received a file from the Power department, which stated a proposal to discontinue the free electricity scheme for farmers and lawyers' chambers of the Delhi government," Atishi said. Delhi Power minister said that upon inquiry, the department's officials said there is a lot of pressure from L-G Saxena and BJP leaders to stop power subsidies to farmers and advocates, provided by the Delhi government. "This proposal has been prepared under pressure from the L-G. I want to say to him that you hate AAP and Arvind Kejriwal, but I request you not to hate us so much that you also start hating the people of Delhi, including farmers and lawyers," she said. Earlier, on Monday, the minister alleged that a conspiracy was being hatched to stop the free electricity scheme of the Kejriwal government. Addressing a press conference, Atishi said, "The scheme, which has been a huge success, is being obstructed by some officials in connivance with the Lt Governor." "Why is the file related to free electricity not being shown to the elected government of Delhi? Are the L-G and the officials conniving with the power companies and hatching a big conspiracy against us?" she questioned. "The Kejriwal government has been providing free electricity to the people of Delhi and it has been one of the major drivers of our success. The government has been working hard to ensure that this scheme is continued and the people of Delhi get to derive the benefits that they are entitled to. The special audit will uncover the truth behind the conspiracy to stop the free electricity scheme and bring those responsible to justice. The people of Delhi can rest assured that the government will do everything in its power to ensure that they continue to receive free electricity," she said further. Meanwhile, on the question of the subsidy scheme, Atishi said, "Those who applied for free electricity in October last year, may avail this benefit till March 31, 2024." In October 2022, the Delhi government announced a new voluntary subsidy scheme (VSS), making it mandatory for the people of Delhi to opt-in for the subsidy to continue getting electricity at subsidised rates, beginning October 1, 2022. (ANI) President Droupadi Murmu expressed condolences over the death of 11 people in the stepwell collapse at a temple in Madhya Pradesh's Indore on Thursday. President Murmu prayed for the quick recovery of those injured in the incident "I am deeply saddened by the news of the death of many people in the accident in Indore. I express my deepest condolences to all the bereaved families and wish a speedy recovery to the injured," read the tweet of Rashtrapati Bhavan translated from Hindi. As many as 11 persons have died so far after the roof of a stepwell of a temple collapsed in Madhya Pradesh's Indore district on Thursday, state home minister Narottam Mishra said. "Nineteen people rescued alive. 11 bodies were recovered. The condition of a few among those rescued is critical...Chief Minister announced Rs 5 Lakhs each ex-gratia for deceased and Rs 50,000 each for injured..." Narottam Mishra told ANI. The incident occurred at Beleshwar Jhulelal Mahadev Temple located in Patel Nagar locality in the city at around 11 in the morning during a Havan puja on the occasion of Ram Navami. Police, Municipal Corporation, district administration, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), QRF (quick reaction force) and ambulances were present on the spot and the rescue operation was underway. Meanwhile, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team also reached the spot for the rescue operation. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 5 lakh to be given to next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 would be given to the injured. Besides, free treatment arrangements will be made for the injured. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed sorrow over the incident and he took to Twitter to state that he spoke to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on the mishap. "Extremely pained by the mishap in Indore. Spoke to CM @ChouhanShivraj Ji and took an update on the situation. The State Government is spearheading rescue and relief work at a quick pace. My prayers with all those affected and their families," PM Modi said. Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed condolences over the loss of lives in the Indore mishap. "The accident that happened in Indore, Madhya Pradesh is very sad. I express my condolences to the bereaved families. Local administration is engaged in rescue work. NDRF is also reaching the spot soon. I pray to God for the speedy recovery of the injured," tweeted Shah. Former Chief Minister Kamal Nath also wrote on Twitter, "A sad news was received that 25 people fell into the stepwell during Havan at Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal Temple in Indore. I pray to God that all the devotees come out safely. May Lord Ram protect everyone." (ANI) The Defence Ministry on Thursday signed contracts for procuring improved Akash Weapon System and 12 Weapon Locating Radars WLR Swathi (Plains) for the Indian Army at an overall cost of over Rs 9,100 crore in another boost for Make in India initiative. A Defence Ministry release said the contract for procurement of improved Akash Weapon System (AWS) for third and fourth regiments of Army Air Defence, comprising live missiles and launchers with upgrades, ground support equipment, vehicles and infrastructure was signed with Bharat Dynamics Limited for over Rs 8,160 crore. The AWS is a Short Range Surface to Air Missile (SRSAM) Air Defence System, indigenously designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation. In order to meet aerial threats, two additional regiments of AWS with upgradation are being procured for Indian Army for the Northern borders. Improved AWS has Seeker technology, reduced footprint, 360 engagement capability and improved environmental parameters. The project will give a boost to the Indian missile manufacturing industry in particular and the indigenous defence manufacturing ecosystem as a whole. The project has overall indigenous content of 82 per cent which will be increased to 93 per cent by 2026-27, the release said. "The induction of the improved AWS into the Indian Army will increase India's self-reliance in Short Range Missile capability. This project will play a role in boosting the overall economy by avoiding outgo of precious foreign exchange to other countries, increasing employment avenues in India and encouraging Indian MSMEs through components manufacturing," it said. The ministry said that around 60 per cent of the project cost will be awarded to the private industry, including MSMEs, in maintaining the supply chain of the weapon system, creating large scale of direct and indirect employment. The contract for WLR Swathi (Plains) was signed with Bharat Electronic Limited (BEL) at a cost of over Rs 990 crore. "It is an indigenously designed WLR which is capable of locating guns, mortars and rockets firing own troops, thereby facilitating their destruction through counter bombardment by own firepower resources. This will enable troops to carry out their operational tasks without any interference from the enemy and also provide them safety against enemy fire," the release said. Induction is planned to be completed in 24 months. This project is a big opportunity for the defence industry to showcase its capability and will be a step in the direction of achieving the goal of 'Aatmanirbharta' in defence, the release said. (ANI) A swift, bright 77 minutes not counting end credits, the South London-set Rye Lane (streaming on Hulu from March 31) has two fantastic faces at its center and a wealth of vibrant visual detail in every frame. The movie, director Raine Allen-Millers feature debut, takes its cue from Yas, the aspiring costume designer played by Vivian Oparah. Everything this blur of creative energy wears or carries is a riot of primary color and clashing texture; as photographed by Olan Collardy, the movies like that, too. Even when the screenplay favors an arch quality when we wouldnt mind a looser, easier-going touch its as stylized and storybook-ish a vision of modern London as the delightful Paddington films the actors, chiefly Oparah and David Jonsson, make for highly engaging company. Advertisement Designer Yas and accountant Dom (Jonsson) meet in an art gallery unisex washroom, Dom weeping alone in a stall. He wants to be left alone for his private moment, but Yas, from the other side of the stall door, cant help but ask whats up, how hes doing, and why hes crying. Both people have recently been through relationship breakups with controlling, difficult partners, played mostly for laughs though, when it counts, also played for authentic hurt. From the art gallery, Dom and Yas start walking and talking and strolling to Rye Lane Market. They head over to Brixton for burritos; Yass favored takeaway is called Love Guactually, and a famous Love Actually alum pops in for a cameo. The jokes bounce and weave, much like Yas. Shes a free spirit on the outside, at least, belonging to a long tradition of romantic-comic female leads predating even 1967s Barefoot in the Park. Doms the uptight one, along for the ride. The actors are often filmed in separate, isolating shots so when they share the frame, the warmth and sparkle truly register. Advertisement The plot is just enough: Yas wants to break into her exs apartment to retrieve a Tribe Called Quest LP, which involves purloined keys and a visit with the exs mums. Dom, reeling from a six-year relationship he thought was The One, now lives back home with his parents. Both characters are navigating what it means to be lurching toward something like adulthood, without preconceptions about the love around the corner or in their case, the love staring each other in the face. A lot of its amusing. At a backyard party, Dom is forced by a guest to share his musical playlist and the resulting shuffle menu of depressing heartbreak songs (Bette Midlers The Rose, et al.) grinds the festivities to a dead halt. The script by Nathan Bryon and Tom Melia lives and breathes for the next quip and retort, generously spreading the wit around. There are limitations: Rye Lane has a brittle, tightly sprung rhythm recalling lots of early 21st century American rom-coms including Juno, Nick and Norahs Infinite Playlist and (500) Days of Summer. But theres an obvious distinction at work here. The three films cited above, and a few million more besides, belong to the big mainstream rom-com realm of the familiar. Rye Lane celebrates Black romantic adventure, simply by finding new avenues (literal and figurative) to explore. Director Allen-Miller works extensively in commercials, and it shows, but her compositional eye is very effective. And as the compulsive but tender joker and the straight arrow looking to fly, Oparah and Jonsson activate whats there and provide, between the lines, what isnt. Rye Lane 3 stars (out of 4) MPA rating: R (for language, some sexual content and nudity) Running time: 1:22 How to watch: Streaming premieres March 31 on Hulu. Advertisement Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic. mjphillips@chicagotribune.com Twitter @phillipstribune Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday lashed out at the Congress party after party leader Digvijay Singh thanked the German Foreign Affairs Ministry for taking note of Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha. The Union Minister said that it is apparent that the grand old party wants foreign interference in "our" affairs. Referring to Digvijay Singh's tweet, Sitharaman took to Twitter and said, "Apparent that @INCIndia wants foreign interference in our affairs. Sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Communist Party of China with opaque contents. During interactions abroad, plead for help to change government. Thank them when help forthcoming. Any more proof needed?" she added. Digvijay Singh's tweet stirred up a controversy after he thanked the German Foreign Affairs Ministry and Richard Walker for taking note of how Democracy is being compromised in India through the persecution of Rahul Gandhi who was recently disqualified as a member of the Lok Sabha. German Foreign Ministry spokesperson recently made comments on Rahul Gandhi's disqualification episode and stated that "It is taking note of verdict, suspension from parliament, appeal will show whether verdict stands and suspension has basis and expects standards of judicial independence and democratic principles to apply". Earlier this week US Department of State Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said that the US is watching Rahul Gandhi's case in Indian courts. Patel, responding to a question on Rahul Gandhi's disqualification said that the US engages with the Indian government on a shared commitment to democratic values, including freedom of expression. On March 23, Rahul Gandhi was convicted by a Surat district court and sentenced to two years imprisonment in the 2019 defamation case over his 'Modi surname' remark made in 2019 during an election rally in Karnataka. The criminal defamation case against Rahul Gandhi was filed by BJP MLA from Surat West Purnesh Modi. After being convicted by the court, Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from the Lok Sabha. The sentence of two-year imprisonment has been suspended for 30 days before which Rahul Gandhi can appeal against the conviction. Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from the Lower House of Parliament triggered a massive political row with the BJP stating that the Congress leader was "a habitual loose cannon" and the Congress alleging that he was "deliberately disqualified" as the ruling party was afraid of his questions on Adani issue. (ANI) Rajasthan Minister Pratap Singh Khachariawas on Thursday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring a bill in Lok Sabha to ensure capital punishment for terrorists. Pratap Singh's reaction followed the Rajasthan High Court order on Wednesday acquitting four men who were given the death sentence by a lower court for the 2008 serial Jaipur blasts that killed 71 people. "Only the gallows have been made for the terrorist. The High Court changed that sentence, so I cannot comment on it because it's a court decision, but the Prime Minister should take the initiative and bring a bill in Lok Sabha so that terrorists can be hanged," said the minister. "Who so ever is involved in terrorist activities, be it a person of any caste, or religion he must be punished and once a law is made, then no court will be able to change the decision. For this, all parties in the Lok Sabha should come together and unanimously make this a law," he added further. Jaipur was rocked by a series of blasts on May 13, 2008 when bombs went off one after another at Manak Chawk Khanda, Chandpole Gate, Badi Chaupad, Chhoti Chaupad, Tripolia Gate, Johri Bazar and Sanganeri Gate. The explosions in the evening left 71 people dead and 185 injured. Further talking about principle of Lord Ram, Khachariawas urged the politicians of the country to rise above the BJP and Congress and talk about the country. "There is no place for hatred in this country where Lord Ram and Krishna were born. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Parsis all should take pledge that they will follow the path shown by Lord Rama and Krishna. (ANI) A Delhi Court has convicted a father-Son duo of rioting, vandalism and setting a shop on fire in the Khajuri Khas area during Northeast Delhi riots in February 2020. The court said the convicted duo was part of an unlawful assembly of a mob that indulged in rioting. A case was registered at Khajuri Khas police station on the basis of a complaint filed by Amir Hussain. Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Pulastya Pramachala of Karkardooma Court held Mithhan Singh and his son Jony Kumar guilty and convicted them under sections related to rioting, vandalism, and setting a property on fire including others. "I find that the prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt that both the accused persons, in this case, were members of unlawful assembly, which in defiance of a proclamation made under section 144 Cr.P.C., indulged in riot, vandalism and set ablaze shop of the complainant in Khajuri Khas, Delhi," the judge said in the judgement delivered on March 28. "Hence, accused Mithhan Singh and Jony are held guilty and convicted for an offence punishable under Section 147/148/427/436 IPC read with Section 149 IPC; as well as for an offence punishable under Section 188 IPC," the judge ruled. On March 4, 2020, an FIR was registered at Khajuri Khas police station on a written complaint by Aamir Hussain filed on March 2, 2020. In his complaint, he alleged that on February 25, 2020, around 11 am, some rioters came onto the street and started vandalism and arson. They damaged his shop at Khajuri Khas and set it on fire along with all the articles kept therein, he alleged. He claimed further to have suffered a loss of Rs.1.95 lakh in the vandalism and arson. After investigation, the accused were charge-sheeted by the police for having committed offences punishable under sections 109, 114, 147, 148, 149, 188 and 436 of the IPC. These accused were identified by constables Pradeep and Kalik at the police station while they were being interrogated in another case. On the point of unlawful assembly, the court found the testimonies of public witnesses trustworthy. In respect of unlawful assembly and riot, the relevant evidence can be found in the testimonies of public witnesses who were residents of Gali of the complainant, the court said. The court noted that all the residents and two police officers deposed about a mob assembling in this 'galli' lane and indulging in vandalism and arson in the houses and propertiessituated therein. A public witness, in his deposition, said he heard a commotion around 10-11 am. Another witness deposed about a mob coming from the 'galli' side around 8-9 am. He also claimed that the mob raised "Jai Sri Ram" chants and set ablaze houses and shops in the lane, the court further noted. The third witness also claimed the same slogan being raised by the mob around 11 am before they indulged in vandalism and arson. The fourth public witness said he was also at his home and saw the mob around 12 noon setting a mosque ablaze in the lane. Another witness claimed to be present at the mosque when a mob of about 100 persons allegedly stormed the shrine and vandalised it. The court said in order to prove that both the accused persons belonged to the mob that was behind the incident, the prosecution relied on depositions of residents in the lane as well as police officers. However, none of the public witnesses or residents of this lane, including the complainant, supported the case of the prosecution to identify the accused persons as members of this riotous mob, the court observed. All of them took the plea that they did not see the rioters and hence, could not identify the accused persons, it added. The court considered the statement of the police witness, who identified the accused persons. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an ex-gratia from Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the kin of the Indore accident victims, said a press release by Prime Minister's Office on Thursday. A tweet on the official handle of the Prime Minister's Office read; "An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh (each) from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased in the unfortunate tragedy in Indore today. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000 (each): PM." Expressing sorrow over the incident, PM Modi took to Twitter to say that he spoke to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, offering all help and assiatance in the ongoing rescue and relief work. "Extremely pained by the mishap in Indore. Spoke to CM Chouhan Shivraj and took an update on the situation. The State Government is spearheading rescue and relief work at a quick pace. My prayers are with all those affected and their families," PM Modi tweeted earlier. At least 13 persons died after the roof of a stepwell of a temple collapsed in the Indore district on Thursday, state home minister Narottam Mishra said. The incident occurred at Beleshwar Jhulelal Mahadev Temple located in Patel Nagar locality in the city at around 11 in the morning during a Havan puja going on in view of the Ram Navami festival, as per the statement. Police, Municipal Corporation, district administration SDRF (State Disaster Response Force), QRF (quick reaction force) and ambulances were present on the spot and the rescue operation was on. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 5 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each for the injured. Besides, free treatment will be provided to the injured, the CM added. Earlier, Indore Collector Dr Ilayaraja T said, "Many people assembled near a stepwell to do 'hawan'. The overcrowding surrounding the stepwell could be the reason that led to the collapse of the floor. Around 25 people fell into the well, of whom 15 have been rescued so far and an operation is underway to rescue the others. There is a possibility of multiple casualties." CM Chouhan said he took due cognisance of the incident, terming it "unfortunate". Speaking to ANI, the CM said, "It's an unfortunate incident. A rescue operation is underway. 10 people were rescued safely while nine more are trapped and will be rescued." (ANI) Highlighting the rising stature of India in the global dais, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought glory to the symbols of Indian culture and faith. Shah attended the inauguration ceremony of Patanjali Vishwavidyalaya and Sanyas Diksha Mahotsav as the chief guest at Haridwar, Uttarakhand on Thursday. Many dignitaries, including the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami, were present on the occasion. Addressing the event, Shah said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done the work of making India, Indians and India's knowledge respected across the world by becoming its brand ambassador for the last nine years." He said that Prime Minister Modi had proposed to the United Nations to celebrate International Yoga Day on December 27, 2014 adding that "our forefathers had acquired such knowledge which could keep the human body healthy without any medicine." Shah said that the whole world accepted the proposal of PM Modi and today International Yoga Day is celebrated all over the world. "Knowledge acquired by our sages is not only for us but for the welfare of the entire universe," Shah said. He said that by getting acceptance for Yoga Day in the United Nations, Prime Minister Modi took forward the thousands of years of work done on the science of yoga and gave this tradition a global platform. The Union Home Minister said that PM Modi did many things to take our country forward in every field. He said PM Modi has brought back idols from different places across the world, which were stolen from India during the period of slavery, and restored them to their original places in India. "Apart from this, from the rule of Mughals, many symbols of our religions, cultures and nation's pride were lying ignored, all such places of importance were once again rejuvenated by Prime Minister Modi," stated Shah. The minister said that the issue of Ram temple was stuck since the time of Babur, but just after the Supreme Court order, Prime Minister did Bhumi Pujan and in the next Ram Navami, Lord Rama will be in his grand temple in Ayodhya. He said be it the Ram temple, the reconstruction of the Kashi Vishwanath corridor, Kedarnath and Badrinath, or be it reconstruction of the Somnath temple in Gujarat with gold, PM Modi has brought glory to the symbols of Indian culture and faith. He said our freedom struggle was confined around one family, but Prime Minster Narendra Modi worked to immortalize Sardar Patel by making the Statue of Unity, which is the tallest statue in the world. (ANI) Amid rising Covid cases in the national capital, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj on Thursday said there was no need to panic as the government was closely tracking the situation. Speaking to reporters after chairing an emergency meeting on the Covid situation in the Capital, on Thursday, Bhardwaj said "there is no need to panic as of now, but we are monitoring the situation." He said, "There were indications of a rise in covid in Delhi also, as cases were increasing in other states. Yesterday, Kejriwal-ji called and directed me to hold an emergency Covid review meeting. I chaired the meeting today. Health Department officials, virologists, DGHS and the entire team have handled Covid in Delhi so far." He added, "The infection rate is definitely more than ten per cent but the number of tests is very less. We will increase testing, as the situation demands. Hospitals are advised to test all suspected Covid patients." "We have also been sending samples for genome sequencing and, so far, the situation is not worrying. Patients do not need to be hospitalised. Even 10 per cent of the oxygen that is available now is not being used." Bhardwaj added. The minister informed, "We are not issuing any new advisory. The earlier advisory will be applicable. In the meeting, we said masks have to be made mandatory at hospitals. But there is no such proposal to make masks mandatory for all people. Currently, we are monitoring the situation in other states where Covid cases are increasing rapidly." On whether the government was cosidering issuing a Covid alert, the Health minister said, "If the system is put on high alert for Covid, then other treatments will be affected. There is no such indication that warrants special steps to be taken for children. But doctors have advised the elderly and people woth comorbidities to take precautions, like wearing a mask." On the vaccination drive in the country, Bhardwaj said, "Threre is still a lack of public awareness on the vaccination drive across the country. We will talk to the Central government if there's a need to increase awareness." On whether an advisory should be issued for international passengers, Bhardwaj said, "As per central government guidelines, two per cent random testing is mandatory at the airport. We do not think the prevailing situation warrants us to increse it." "Tomorrow, Kejriwal-ji will also hold a review meeting with the Health department. He will review the prevailing situation (in the Capital)," he added. (ANI) Founder Chairperson of Reliance Foundation Nita Ambani performed traditional puja on Ramnavmi on Thursday to seek the Almighty's blessings on the eve of the launch of Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC). India's first-of-its-kind, multi-disciplinary cultural space, the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, is set to open on Friday with an exquisite showcase of the best of India across music, theatre, fine arts and crafts to audiences from India and the world. The Centre will mark another definitive step in strengthening India's cultural infrastructure and bringing to fruition the best of India and the world in the sphere of arts. The launch programming features a specially curated art and craft exposition called 'Swadesh' along with three blockbuster shows - a musical theatrical called The Great Indian Musical: Civilization to Nation'; a costume art exhibition called 'India in Fashion' and a visual art show called 'Sangam/Confluence'. Together, the programming is and exploration into the diversity of India's cultural traditions and their impact on the world, while also showcasing the diversity of spaces at the Cultural Centre. Speaking on the occasion, Nita Ambani said, "Bringing this Cultural Centre to life has been a sacred journey. We were keen to create a space for both promoting and celebrating our artistic and cultural heritage in cinema and music, in dance and drama, in literature and folklore, in arts and crafts and in science and spirituality. A space where we showcase the best of India to the world and welcome the best of the world to India." The Centre will be highly inclusive with free access for children, students, senior citizens, and the differently abled, and will strongly focus on community nurturing programmes including school and college outreach and competitions, awards for Arts teachers, in-residency Guru-shishya programs, art literacy programs for adults. The launch programming has been imagined to highlight India's immense cultural impact and provide a platform where the artist meets the audience. The one-of-its-kind art and craft exposition called 'Swadesh' celebrates unique and iconic Indian regional artforms including eight stunning crafts that the Reliance Foundation has supported over the years, such as Pichwai, Banarasi weaving, Pattachitra, Sozni embroidery, Blue Pottery, Kal Baffi, Paithani and candles made by the visually impaired. The Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre is a first-of-its-kind, multi-disciplinary space in the sphere of arts, within the Jio World Centre, located in the heart of Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex. The Cultural Centre is home to three performing arts spaces: the majestic 2,000-seat Grand Theatre, the technologically advanced 250-seat Studio Theatre, and the dynamic 12S-seat Cube. It also features the Art House, a four-storey dedicated visual arts space built as per global museum standards with the aim of housing a shifting array of exhibits and installations from the finest artistic talent across India and the world. Spread across the Centre's concourses is a captivating mix of public art by renowned Indian and global artists, including 'Kamal Kunj' - one of the largest Pichwai paintings in India. (ANI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will attend the Combined Commanders' Conference-2023 in Bhopal on April 1. In a tweet, Singh said, "Today, I shall be reaching Bhopal to attend the 'Combined Commanders' Conference-2023'. The three-day conference of the Military Commanders will be held from 30th March to 1st April 2023 on the theme 'Ready, Resurgent, Relevant'. Look forward to it." Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the Combined Commanders' Conference-2023 in Bhopal on April 1, said an official press release here on Thursday. The statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office said, "At around 10 AM, Prime Minister will attend the Combined Commanders' Conference-2023 at the Kushabhau Thakre Hall in Bhopal. Thereafter, at around 3:15 PM, Prime Minister will flag off the Vande Bharat Express train between Bhopal and New Delhi at Rani Kamlapati Railway Station, Bhopal." According to the release, the three-day conference of Military Commanders will be held from March 30 to April 1, 2023 on the theme 'Ready, Resurgent, Relevant'. During the Conference, deliberations will be held over a varied spectrum of issues pertaining to national security, including jointness and theaterisation in the Armed Forces. Preparation of the Armed Forces and progress in the defence ecosystem towards attaining 'Aatmanirbharta' will also be reviewed. The conference will witness the participation of commanders from the three armed forces and senior officers from the Ministry of Defence. Inclusive and informal interaction will also be held with soldiers, sailors and airmen from Army, Navy and Air Force who will contribute to the deliberations, as informed by the officials. "Vande Bharat Express has redefined the passenger travel experience in the country. The new train being introduced between Rani Kamlapati Railway station, Bhopal and New Delhi railway station will be the eleventh Vande Bharat train in the country," read the statement. Reportedly, the indigenously designed train set of Vande Bharat Express is equipped with state-of-the-art passenger amenities. It will provide a faster, more comfortable and more convenient travel experience for rail users, boost tourism and promote economic development in the region. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Bhopal on April 1. At around 10 AM, Prime Minister will attend the Combined Commanders' Conference-2023 at the Kushabhau Thakre Hall in Bhopal, said a press release by Prime Minister's Office on Thursday. Thereafter, at around 3:15 PM, the Prime Minister will flag off the Vande Bharat Express train between Bhopal and New Delhi at Rani Kamlapati Railway Station, Bhopal, added the press release. The three-day conference of Military Commanders will be held from 30th March to 1st April 2023 on the theme 'Ready, Resurgent, Relevant'. During the Conference, deliberations will be held over a varied spectrum of issues pertaining to national security, including jointness and theaterisation in the Armed Forces. Preparation of the Armed Forces and progress in the defence ecosystem towards attaining 'Aatmanirbharta' will also be reviewed, as per the statement. The conference will witness the participation of commanders from the three armed forces and senior officers from the Ministry of Defence. Inclusive and informal interaction will also be held with soldiers, sailors and airmen from Army, Navy and Air Force who will contribute to the deliberations. Vande Bharat Express has redefined the passenger travel experience in the country. The new train being introduced between Rani Kamlapati Railway station, Bhopal and New Delhi railway station will be the eleventh Vande Bharat train in the country. The indigenously designed train set of Vande Bharat Express is equipped with state-of-the-art passenger amenities. It will provide a faster, more comfortable and more convenient travel experience for rail users, boost tourism and promote economic development in the region. (ANI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah will reach Bihar on April 1 to participate in two BJP events, newly-appointed state President Samrat Chaudhary said on Thursday. Shah will attend two events in Sasaram and Nawada districts on April 2 with the aim of strengthening the party structure in Bihar ahead of Lok Sabha election 2024. "Amit Shah will come to Patna on April 1. He will stay the night and go to Sasaram city in Rohtas district the next day. After that event, he will also go to Nawada as well. Ahead of the Lok Sabha election, his visit is important and it will give fresh energy to the BJP workers," Chaudhary said. After the formation of Mahagathbandhan government in Bihar, this is Amit Shah's fifth visit to Bihar. "We are preparing a plan to win all 40 seats. The visit of the Home Minister is related to it. He will come from time to time and assess the situation," Chaudhary said. "We are organising an event to celebrate Emperor Ashoka's birth anniversary in Sasaram. Amit Shah is coming here to participate in this event. We are expecting a large number of people to come to the event," he said. Chaudhary also slammed Chief Minster Nitish Kumar for taking credit for making a convention hall in the name of the Emperor in Patna. "I want to say that the Emperor Ashoka Convention Hall was constructed due to the BJP. We have planned to construct a Samrat Ashok convention hall in every district headquarter but when Nitish Kumar separated from us, he changed the name. Whatever he said on Samrat Ashok was absolutely false," he claimed. --IANS ajk/vd ( 291 Words) 2023-03-30-19:24:05 (IANS) Charles Fullers A Soldiers Play, a murder mystery set on a segregated U.S. Army base in 1944, had an unusually long path to Broadway following its premiere by the Negro Ensemble Company in 1981. After winning a Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1982 and being adapted into an Academy Award-nominated film in 1984, the show finally debuted on Broadway in January 2020 in a Roundabout Theatre Company production that won a Tony Award for best revival of a play. A Black playwright and screenwriter from Philadelphia, Fuller lived long enough to see his work on Broadway but died in October 2022, two months before the national tour of Roundabouts production began performances. This tour comes to the CIBC Theatre for two weeks in April with the lead role played by Norm Lewis, a Broadway star whose lengthy resume includes The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Once on This Island and Porgy and Bess. Advertisement Speaking to the Tribune ahead of the shows Chicago run, Lewis said Fuller is underrated very much so. When presented with the opportunity to appear in this play, under the direction of his longtime friend Kenny Leon, his answer was a definite yes. He considers the tour to be in honor of Fuller: I never got a chance to meet him, but Im so proud and honored to be saying his words. A Soldiers Play opens with the murder of Sergeant Vernon C. Waters, a Black noncommissioned officer on an army base in Louisiana. Lewis plays Captain Richard Davenport, a lawyer who graduated from Howard University and now serves in the military police. When he is assigned to investigate the homicide, Davenport represents the first Black officer that most of the men on base, Black or white, have ever seen. Advertisement Structured as a police procedural, the show centers on Davenports interrogations, which are interspersed with flashbacks to the events leading up to Waters death. But the play is much more than a crime drama; it sheds light on the history of segregation and racism both on a systemic and individual level in the U.S. Army and broader American society. An army veteran himself, Fuller often focused on African American history in his works; some are based on actual events while others, including A Soldiers Play, are fiction with deep historical roots. The story itself is told through Black eyes, said Lewis. I think that thats one reason why its so important to get this message out around the country, because it is telling our story. Without giving away too much of the plot, he noted that there are many parallels between the plays themes and current events. History repeats itself, he said. You have to understand the history to move forward. People right now are trying to erase our story, which is upsetting. And also, theres a lot of self-loathing thats within this story trying to be what someone thinks they should be in order to be accepted so this show goes really deep within many different elements of what Black people go through in our society. The cast of "A Soldiers Play," in Chicago at the CIBC Theatre. (Joan Marcus / HANDOUT) Lewis hopes bringing this show around the country will increase understanding and spark important conversations. He recalls that when he was in college, many of his white classmates had never spoken with a Black person until they met him. Theyd seen people in their community, but theyd never gone up to them and talked to them, and they were shocked by how I spoke or how I acted. A lot of people are still going through that, he continued. There are pockets around this country [where] people dont experience each other culturally. This show will give you just a little sense, just a little taste, of what people have gone through what they continue to go through. Lewis also shared a quotation from Eugene Lee, who plays Sergeant Waters on the tour and was also part of the original Negro Ensemble cast, alongside a young Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson. One of his most quotable lines is that You cant hate anything that you understand, Lewis said. So, if you come to this show with an open heart and an open mind, hopefully, you will understand a little bit better. The cast feels the weight of sharing this history onstage, and they have bonded through the process. In theater, you open your whole soul and your heart on that stage and during the rehearsal period, Lewis explained. You become close very quickly. Offstage, the ensemble continues to develop a strong sense of community, and they pray before going onstage. Theres a sense of responsibility of telling the truth and honoring these men, he said. We hold each other accountable to do that. Leons beautifully crafted staging features more music than the original production, said Lewis. The script calls for one of the enlisted men, Private C.J. Memphis (Sheldon D. Brown), to sing and play the guitar, but Leons ensemble of soldiers also sings work songs that were typically sung by imprisoned Black men. This music reflects the nature of Black soldiers status in the army during this period, noted Lewis. Instead of being properly trained in preparation for combat, they were assigned to clean up details and other menial tasks. It was kind of like being a prisoner, he said. Advertisement Leon helped the cast push through some difficult moments in rehearsals, particularly the white actors who play racist characters. When they rehearsed offensive lines one actor has to say a racial slur nine times per show Leon encouraged them to use every privilege that you have because thats how people were at that time, Lewis recalled. You have to bring the truth to this audience and to this story, Leon told them. Ultimately, Lewis would like audiences to come away from A Soldiers Play with a sense of hope. Despite the virulent racism and tragic events depicted in the play, theres still a lot of hope, he said. And the way that Kenny ends the show he melds the two worlds together of 1944 to 2023. Its wonderful. It really is. A Soldiers Play runs April 4-16 at the CIBC Theatre, 18 W. Monroe St.; tickets start at $35 at 800-775-2000 and broadwayinchicago.com Emily McClanathan is a freelance critic. On Ram Navami day, independent MP from Amravati, Navneet Ravi Rana attempted to needle her bete-noire, former Chief Minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray, here on Thursday. Almost a year after the famous 'Hanuman Chalisa' row which saw Navneet Rana and her MLA husband Ravi Rana cooling their heels in jail, the woman MP on Thursday hit back. Posters of the actress-turned-politician Navneet Rana proclaiming her as a 'Hindu Sherni' (Hindu Tigress) were seen near Thackeray's home 'Matoshri' in Bandra east, Thane, Amravati and other places. Drawing comparisons with Lord Ram's 14-year exile, Navneet Rana (37) is shown sporting a saffron colour sari on the posters which said 'Rajdroh & 14 days in jail'. She also announced that on April 6 on Hanuman Jayanti Day, a 111-feet tall grand statue of Lord Hanuman would be unveiled in Amravati followed by a mass recital of 'Hanuman Chalisa' there. The posters have an image of Lord Ram at the top right corner and photos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and her husband Ravi Rana, and one picture of Lord Hanuman's statue to be inaugurated next month. Earlier in the morning, Navneet Rana set the tone for Ram Navami celebrations by riding a Bullet motorcycle, sporting a stark black salwar-kurta suit with a bright orange headgear, raising full-throated slogans of 'Jai Shri Ram' and 'Jai Hanuman', several times, while speeding carefree on a deserted road on the power-bike in her hometown. It may be recalled that last year in April, Navneet Rana and her husband Ravi Rana and their supporters attempted to chant 'Hanuman Chalisa' outside Thackeray's Bandra home, much to the chagrin of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi government then in power. However, the MVA regime did not permit the Ranas to have their way, they detained the law-makers, arrested them and shunted them to jail amidst a huge row that went on for several days even as the Thackeray government fell after barely three months in June 2022. Later, the Ranas were granted bail by a special court. --IANS qn/uk/ ( 366 Words) 2023-03-30-19:36:04 (IANS) Under sharp attack from the BJP, the Congress on Thursday sought to distance itself from remarks of party leader Digvijaya Singh over the German Foreign Ministry's remarks on the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from Lok Sabha, saying that the party firmly believes that India's democratic processes themselves have to deal with the "threats posed to democracy". Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Kiren Rijiju and Anurag Thakur strongly reacted to Digvijaya Singh's remarks. Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said the Indian judiciary cannot be influenced by foreign interference. "Thank you Rahul Gandhi for inviting foreign powers for interference into India's internal matters. Remember, Indian Judiciary can't be influenced by foreign interference. India won't tolerate 'foreign influence' anymore because our Prime Minister is:- Shri @narendramodi Ji," Rijiju said in a tweet over Divijaya Singh's remarks. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said it is apparent that Congress wants foreign interference in India's domestic affairs. "Apparent that @INCIndia wants foreign interference in our affairs. Sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Communist Party of China with opaque contents. During interactions abroad, plead for help to change the government. Thank them when help forthcoming. Any more proof needed?" she said in a tweet. Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said Congress and Rahul Gandhi don't believe to fight India's "democratic, political and legal battle within country" "Disgrace to nation, @INCIndia & @RahulGandhi don't believe to fight India's democratic, political & legal battle within country, hence, invite foreign powers to interfere in our internal matter. But New India headed by @narendramodi Ji will not tolerate any foreign intervention," Thakur said. Digvijaya Singh, MP and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister on Thursday thanked Germany for "taking note" of Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Parliament as Lok Sabha MP. "Thank you German Foreign Affairs Ministry and Richard Walker for taking note of how the Democracy is being compromised in India through the persecution of Rahul Gandhi," Digvijaya Singh said in a tweet, reacting to another tweet about German Foreign Ministry spokesperson's comments. During a press briefing that was aired on German state-owned international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW), the spokesperson stated that her country "expects that the standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles will apply in the case." "We have taken note of the verdict of the first instance against the Indian opposition politician Rahul Gandhi as well as the suspension of his parliamentary mandate. To our knowledge, Mr Gandhi is in a position to appeal the verdict," she is heard saying in the clip of the briefing shared on Twitter by Richard Walkar the Chief International Editor of DW "It will then become clear whether this verdict will stand and whether the suspension of his mandate has any basis," the spokesperson added. Earlier this week US Department of State Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said that the US is watching Rahul Gandhi's case in Indian courts. Patel, responding to a question on Rahul Gandhi's disqualification said that the US engages with the Indian government on a shared commitment to democratic values, including freedom of expression. Seeking to contain political damage over Digvijaya Singh's remarks, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the Congress and opposition parties will fight the Modi government fearlessly. "@INCIndia firmly believes that India's democratic processes themselves have to deal with the threats posed to our democracy by Mr. Modi's assault on our institutions & his politics of vendetta, intimidation, threats & harassment. INC & Oppn parties will take him on fearlessly," Jairam Ramesh said in a tweet. Rahul Gandhi was convicted by a Surat district court on March 23 and sentenced to two years imprisonment in a criminal defamation case over his 'Modi surname' remark made during a rally in 2019. He was later disqualified from Lok Sabha. The sentence of two-year imprisonment has been suspended for 30 days by the court to enable Rahul Gandhi to move higher courts. Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from the Lower House of Parliament triggered a massive political row with the BJP stating that the Congress leader was "a habitual loose cannon" and the Congress alleging that he was got "deliberately disqualified". It is not the first time that Congress has distanced itself from Digvijaya Singh's remarks. In a press conference in Jammu and Kashmir during Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi had referred to Digvijaya Singh's remarks about need of proof concerning the surgical strike as "ridiculous thing". "I do not agree to what Digvijaya Singh said. We have full trust on our Army. If Army takes action, there is no need of proof. I personally disagree with his statement and Congress official position is also that this is his personal opinion," Rahul Gandhi had said. Digvijaya Singh had said the government talks of surgical strikes. "They claim to have killed so many people but no proof is given," he had said. Rahul Gandhi had said Digvijaya Singh's views were outlying views. "I would like to assure you that Digvijaya Singh's views are outlying views. They are not views that are held by the centre of the party. We are absolutely crystal clear that the armed forces do a job. They do a job exceptionally well and they do not need to be providing proof for anything...I am sorry to have to say this about a senior leader, he said a ridiculous thing," Rahul Gandhi had said. (ANI) A transgender rights activist, Grace Banu has filed an "Intervention Application" before the Delhi High Court, seeking permission to support the court in a plea seeking hiring of transgender people in public appointments. Representing Banu, Senior Advocate Jayna Kothari submitted that she wanted to assist the court in the present case. The bench of Justice Prathiba M. Singh allowed the intervention application, but refused any impleadment in the case. The court noted: "In terms of the previous order affidavit were to be filed by the respondents. However, it is stated that the Union of India received the petition only on March 24." Thus, the court directed all the respondents to file their affidavits. The court added: "Let the paper book be given to the Union of India, so that they can reply on the affidavit in 6 weeks. List the matter for August 4." The court was hearing a plea filed by one Jane Kaushik, a transgender person living in the national capital. Being a qualified individual with degrees in B.A. (General), M.A. (Political Science), B.Ed., and a two-year diploma in Nursery Teacher Training (NTT), which is also known as Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), since 2019, Kaushik had been looking for employment in Delhi government schools, but to no avail. The Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board (DSSSB) advertised a position, but Kaushik was unable to apply since the online application registration system (OARS) did not contain "transgender" as an option for identification. As a result, she filed the current plea. Kaushik in her plea stated that various positions advertised required a "specific gender" of the candidate, either male or female. She has sought directions through the current plea in order to develop a policy for the hiring of transgender people for all positions with the Delhi government. She also sought relaxations for transgender persons by Clause 9 of the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) guidelines issued by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) and sought effective implementation of the provisions of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019. The court had sought the Centre's response to the current plea in January. The Ministry of Home Affairs of the Central Government was to be included as a party to the plea, the court had directed. The Delhi government's counsel subsequently informed the court that the DSSSB had already taken the necessary actions to instantly alter the portal. After considering the arguments, the court had clarified that Kaushik would be permitted to apply for positions at any time, regardless of the gender indicated in the job posting. --IANS spr/pgh ( 446 Words) 2023-03-30-21:16:03 (IANS) YouTuber Manish Kashyap who was caught for allegedly circulating false and misleading information about purported attacks on migrant labourers working in Tamil Nadu, has been sent to police custody for three days. Kashyap was also produced before the Madurai court in Tamil Nadu on Thursday. YouTuber Manish Kashyap was arrested from Bettiah in Bihar Earlier on March 18. According to the Bihar police, the accused surrendered at Jagdishpur police station in Bettiah while the Bihar Police and Economic Offence Unit (EOU) was in the process of attaching his house. "Kashyap, wanted by Bihar Police and Tamil Nadu Police in fake news matter of labourers issue in the southern state, surrendered before the police on Saturday fearing arrest and attachment of his belongings," an official statement issued by the EOU of Bihar Police had said. The EOU has registered cases against Kashyap and others on the charges of "indulging in spreading fake videos of migrants being killed and beaten up in Tamil Nadu on social media". Earlier, four people, including two members of the Hindu Munnani outfit, were arrested and sent to judicial custody for allegedly assaulting migrant workers in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore city, Tamil Nadu police said. Notably, the issue over the alleged 'attacks' on migrants emerged after unverified reports on social media claimed that migrant labourers were targeted in Tamil Nadu. It triggered unrest among workers from other states and chief minister Stalin had to reassure that the state was safe for them. Earlier this month, a team from Bihar led by Balamurugan IAS also visited Tamil Nadu to take stock of the matter. The team visited Tiruppur and met the district administration and police officials to know about the actions taken so far in the case. Officials of the Bihar government also interacted with Bihar-based migrant workers in Chennai. On March 9, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin attacked BJP accusing it of spreading rumours about the attack on migrant labourers. The Chief Minister further said that there are no such incidents in Tamil Nadu and the delegates from Bihar who visited the state returned with full satisfaction. Stalin had also spoken to Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar in a telephone call and reassured his Bihar counterpart about the safety of migrant workers. The alleged assault on Bihari migrants in Tamil Nadu had stirred massive political ruckus in both states. LJP chief had launched an attack on the Bihar CM on the issue. (ANI) New Delhi [India], March 29 (ANI) With a view to ensuring quality health support to pilgrims, the Ministry of Minority Affairs is collaborating with the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare for comprehensive health arrangements for pilgrims planning to visit Mecca for the Haj pilgrimage. Each year, Saudi Arabia hosts around 25 lakh to 30 lakh pilgrims from across the globe to visit Mecca and India sends the third largest contingent of Haj pilgrims in the world. Such a large number of pilgrims also pose unique public health challenges, and the medical requirements of the pilgrims in Mecca, Medinah, and Jeddah must be well-cared for. While the number of pilgrims had shown a decreasing trend in the last three years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this year a larger number of Indian pilgrims are expected to visit Mecca. For the present year, a quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims has been allotted to India. With a view to ensuring comprehensive and quality services to the pilgrims, the Minister of Minority Affairs & Minister of Health has undertaken a series of meetings accompanied by officials from both ministries. In the last three months, more than 10 meetings have been organized on the subject between both ministries and a detailed plan of action has been finalized. Ministry of Health accordingly issued directions to all States on March 21st, wherein States have been advised to provide Medical Screening & Fitness Certificates for applicant pilgrims and a detailed format for such screening has been sent to the States. With a view to aid the applicants, this year the Medical Screening & Fitness Certificate by the applicant can be issued by any Government allopathic medical doctor in the States/UTs. This will ease the process of getting medical screening certificates across the country. Moreover, Health & Vaccination Camps have been directed that states and district health authorities will also set up Camps for the selected pilgrims wherein the pre-departure detailed Medical Examination and Vaccination will also be provided. A Health Card for all the pilgrims will also be issued in these camps which will examine the selected pilgrims for their present health status, and the existing diseases/co-morbidities, if any. It is planned that the health status will be made available to the Medical Teams in Saudi Arabia through digital means for timely health service delivery in case of any emergency. Each State has accordingly been advised to nominate a Nodal Officer for coordinating the activities in collaboration with the State Minority Welfare Department. Ministry of Health will procure and provide the required number of Quadrivalent Meningococcal Meningitis Vaccines (QMMV) & Seasonal Influenza Vaccines (SIV) to the pilgrims. Further, Health Desks will also be set up at all departing airports for coordinating the health needs of the pilgrims during the departure. With a view to planning the requirement of health infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare is also sending a team of senior clinicians during the first week of April 2023, to plan for the requirement of temporary hospitals, dispensaries, pharmacies & camps as needed in Mecca, Medinah, Jeddah, Arafat and at the core ritual site of Mina. The team will assess the requirement of specialists, doctors and paramedical staff based on their field assessment. The team will examine the need for medical equipment and medicines for these health facilities and the same will be procured and made available by the Ministry of Health. To ensure quality, the available medicines from Jan Aushadhi stores will be procured and provided in these facilities. Ministry of Health has also addressed all States & UTs to also obtain the list of willing Government medical and paramedical professionals who will be selected based on the criteria of their experience, specialization & desirable qualifications for manning these health facilities. The selected health professionals will also be extensively oriented on the expected health needs of the pilgrims to ensure quality health service delivery. The pilgrims will be screened for a wide range of medical issues in order to tackle any emergency effectively and quickly, which may arise during the pilgrimage. The collaborative efforts by the Ministry of Minority Affairs and the Ministry of Health are expected to ensure easing the process of obtaining Medical Screening Fitness Certificates and vaccination besides timely and quality healthcare services from point of embarkation till their return back to India. (ANI) As Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday embarked on a 10-day visit to Central America, which will include transit in the United States, China has warned the Taiwanese President against meeting US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that the US side keeps conniving to support the separatist forces of Taiwan independence and asked Washington to stop committing "dangerous acts that underline the political foundation of the two countries' relations." As she departed on a diplomatic mission to Central America, Tsai Ing-wen said that Taiwan has every right to "connect with the world," CNN reported. Ahead of Tsai's departure, China hit out against the trip pledging on Wednesday to "resolutely fight back" if the Taiwanese President met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a move Beijing would consider a violation of its sovereignty. China also criticized the US as Tsai Ing-wen was en-route with the Chinese Foreign Ministry urging Washington to stop committing "dangerous acts that underline the political foundation of the two countries' relations." "It is not the Chinese side that overreacts, but the US side that keeps conniving to support the separatist forces of Taiwan independence," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said as per the CNN report. Tsai Ing-wen departed from Taiwan on Wednesday for a 10-day trip, which will include stopovers in New York City and Los Angeles on either side of official visits to Guatemala and Belize, according to CNN. "External pressure won't stop our determination from moving toward international society," Tsai Ing-wen told reporters before taking off. "We're calm, confident, uncompromising and unprovocative," Tsai further said. The trip has gained attention after reports claimed that Tsai Ing-wen will meet US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy during one of her unofficial stopovers in the US, as per the CNN report. Taiwan is yet to confirm the meeting between the two leaders. In March, McCarthy said he would meet Tsai while she was in the US. However, he did not mention any date. After her New York City stopover, the Taiwanese President is expected to visit Guatemala on April 1 and Belize on April 3. She will transit in Los Angeles before she travels back to Taiwan on April 7, CNN reported citing Taiwan's Presidential Office, as per the news report. Last year, China fired multiple missiles and launched military drills around Taiwan after then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island. Her visit also strained the bilateral ties between US and China. (ANI) The second G20 Sherpas meeting under India's G20 Presidency is set to take place in Kumarakom village of Kerala from March 30-April 2. The meeting will be chaired by India's G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant and will witness participation by over 120 delegates from the world's 20 largest economies, nine invitee countries, and international and regional organisations. The event, according to an official statement, will work on a range of issues of global concern. The delegates will hold multilateral discussions on G20's economic and developmental priorities as well as on addressing contemporary global challenges during the four-day gathering. The deliberations will focus on policy approaches and concrete implementation, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in the press release. The second Sherpas meeting will work on a range of issues of global concern and will encompass the work being done under the 13 Working Groups within the Sherpa track. The deliberations of the Sherpa meetings will take forward the outcomes of various Sherpa Track and Finance Track meetings. The deliberations will form the basis of the Leaders declaration, slated to be adopted at the summit set to take place in New Delhi in September 2023, according to the press release. Furthermore, 11 engagement groups and four initiatives - Research and Innovations Initiative Gathering or RIIG, Empower, Space Economy Leaders' Meeting or SELM and Chief Scientific Advisers Roundtable or CSAR are also making policy recommendations from the perspectives of the civil society, private sector, academia, women, youth, scientific advancement and research. The second G20 Sherpas meeting will begin on March 30 with two high-level side events on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and Green Development, according to MEA press release. Organised in partnership with NASSCOM, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Digital Impact Alliance (DIAL), the Digital Public Infrastructure side-event will begin with an immersive digital experience for all G20 delegates. It will be followed by multiple panel discussions on global challenges and opportunities for creating a growth-oriented and inclusive DPI. The Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) side event will be addressed by Infosys Technologies Limited Co-Founder and Chairman Nandan Nilekani, Commissioner for International Market of the European Union Thierry Breton, Digital Impact Alliance Managing Director and non-resident fellow at the Brookings Institute Priya Vora as well as CTO of EkStep Foundation, and ex-Chief Architect of Aadhaar Pramod Verma. The side event on Green Development is set to be organized in partnership with the UN Resident Coordinator's Office in India (UNRC) and Observer Research Foundation (ORF). The side-event will provide in-depth perspectives on global efforts required to drive a new vision of green development, one that maximizes synergies in efforts to achieve developmental and environmental goals through a conducive and revamped international environment and a policy framework that is adaptive, proactive, and responsive to the needs and challenges of developing countries. The Green Development side event will be addressed by Jeffrey Sachs, Director, Centre for Sustainable Development, Columbia University; Avinash Persaud, Special Envoy to the Prime Minister of Barbados on Investment and Financial Services and member, Independent High-Level Expert Group on Climate Finance and other panelists. India's G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant will also lead discussions with the G20 Troika comprising India, Indonesia and Brazil. He will meet with G20 Sherpas and heads of delegations of G20 members, invitees and international organizations, including the Emerging Market Economies (EMEs) to discuss issues pertinent to the Global South and from the Advanced Economies (AEs) on shared priorities and mutually beneficial ways forward. The delegates will be hosted for 'Charchayum Aaharavum' (Conversations over Dinner) and cultural programmes, a mini Thrissur Pooram experience, a traditional Onam Sadhya lunch, and Chaya Vallom (Tea on Boat) among other experiences. These experiences will give the G20 delegates a unique opportunity to enjoy the rich cultural heritage and diverse cuisine of Kerala. The MEA in the press release noted that India has selected its G20 priorities considering the diverse global challenges of the day, the concerns of developing countries and the need for greater momentum for collective action to take forward the shared international agenda, especially the development and environment agenda. India's G20 theme "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" - "One Earth. One Family. One Future" encapsulates the shared vision of the G20 for galvanising wide support and reaching decisive, ambitious, inclusive and action-oriented outcomes. These outcomes require the G20 to come together and act as one family to instil hope. Ongoing deliberations during India's G20 Presidency include Green Development, Climate Finance and Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE), accelerated, inclusive and resilient growth, accelerating progress on sustainable development goals (SDGs), technological transformation and digital public infrastructure, multilateral institutions for the 21st century and women-led development. These priorities demonstrate the needs of the Global South which were articulated by 125 participating countries at the first-ever Voice of Global South summit, according to MEA press release. The Voice of Global South Summit was hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January 2023. Notably, the first G20 Sherpa meeting was held in Udaipur in December. The meeting witnessed active participation by G20 Members, nine guest countries and 14 international organizations. The first G20 Sherpa meeting had set the tone for forthcoming meetings in 32 different G20 workstreams, including the Sherpa Track, Finance Track and Engagement Groups, according to MEA press release. The substantive discussions on prevailing global challenges, and the warm hospitality with the motto 'Atithi Devo Bhava', resonated throughout the G20 Sherpas meeting and were highly appreciated by all delegates. (ANI) Three men have been arrested in connection with violent brawls that broke out between pro-Khalistani supporters and Indian demonstrators in late January in Melbourne, Australian state Victoria's police said on Thursday. The arrests were made by the Melbourne East Neighbourhood Policing Team "in relation to an alleged affray" at the Federation Square on January 29, Victoria Police said in a statement today. With the latest arrests, police have so far rounded up five suspects in connection with the incident. "Police were in attendance at a Khalistan Referendum event at Federation Square on 29 January when it's alleged two fights broke out, one at about 12.45pm and the other at about 4.30pm," it stated. Police said that the investigation remains ongoing and they are making enquiries to identify and apprehend any further alleged offenders from the day. According to Victoria Police during the fight it is alleged flag poles "were used by several men as weapons which caused physical injuries to multiple victims." Two victims, one with a hand laceration to their head and another with a hand injury, were treated at the scene by paramedics. Several other victims sustained injuries and required medical treatment. In both alleged incidents, police said it quickly responded to separate and disperse the crowd. OC spray (pepper spray) was used in the second incident as per the police statement. Earlier this month the Victoria police had released images of six men seeking assistance from the public to identify them Victoria Police today said that two men were arrested on the day of the incident itself, with a further three arrested this week. Those arrested this week include a 23-year-old man from Kalkallo who has been charged with affray and unlawful assault, a 39-year-old man from Strathtulloh and a 36-year-old from Craigieburn, both charged with affray and violent disorder. All the above three charged this week have been bailed to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on August 8. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had during his visit to India earlier in March had said that his country won't tolerate any extreme actions and attacks that took place in religious buildings, and that there is no place for such action against Hindu temples. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Anthony Albanese had discussed disturbances created by pro-Khalistani outfits in Australia and the Australian Prime Minister assured that his government will take all necessary measures to ensure that peace and harmony prevail. (ANI) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked nine Chinese military aircraft and four naval vessels around Taiwan between on Monday, March 27 and Tuesday, March 28, reported Taiwan News. Of the nine People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, three were tracked in Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND. One CH-4 reconnaissance drone crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the northeast sector of the ADIZ, while two Shenyang J-11 fighter jets entered the southwest corner of the identification zone. In response, Taiwan sent naval ships and used land-based missiles to monitor the PLA aircraft and vessels. So far this month, Beijing has sent 325 military aircraft and 101 naval vessels around Taiwan. Since September 2020, China has increased its use of grey zone tactics by routinely sending aircraft into Taiwan's ADIZ, reported Taiwan News. Grey zone tactics are defined as "an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one's security objectives without resort to direct and sizable use of force." In a similar incident last week, Taiwan tracked 10 Chinese military aircraft and 2 naval ships around the country, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND), reported Taiwan News. The military aircraft and naval vessels were tracked around Taiwan between 6 am on Monday (March 20) and 6 am on Tuesday. Taiwan sent aircraft, and naval ships, and used land-based missiles to monitor PLA aircraft and vessels. Of the 10 People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, three were tracked in Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND. One Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane and one Harbin BZK-005 reconnaissance drone entered the southwest corner of Taiwan's ADIZ, while one Harbin Z-9 anti-submarine warfare helicopter was monitored in the southeast sector of the identification zone, reported Taiwan News. No PLA aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line during this time. Last Wednesday, MND tracked 28 Chinese military aircraft and four naval vessels around Taiwan. So far this month, Beijing has sent 292 military aircraft and 76 naval vessels around Taiwan. Since September 2020, China has increased its use of grey zone tactics by routinely sending aircraft into Taiwan's ADIZ, reported Taiwan News. Grey zone tactics are defined as "an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one's security objectives without resort to direct and sizable use of force. "China stepped up their military action in early August 2022 and held its live-fire drills in six locations around the country after the US White House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan on August 2-3, 2022. (ANI) 24 Ore System's editorial staff denounced the repeated publication of advertorials, disguised as legitimate articles on the benefits of investing in China, inside the influential paper. On Tuesday, the union of journalists working at 24 Ore system often considered "Italy's Financial Times", issued a public communique criticising the publication of covert Chinese propaganda in Sunday's paper, Decode39 wrote. Similar incidents have already occurred, leading the editorial staff to call out the "aggravating recidivism" of the group's advertising arm, 24 Ore System. After past protests, the editorial staff had been assured of advance notice of the publication to take action in good time. This commitment, however, "was obviously disregarded." The communique referred to the four-page advertorial, titled "Focus China", appearing as a legitimate-looking special. Its formatting and styling are "highly ambiguous," stressed the journalists, as they could neither clarify it's actually paid advertising nor could they clearly identify the client, Decode39 reported. Those, according to the editorial staff, are "even more serious," as they lavish praise on China's economic health and detail why Italian investors should channel their money into it. Headlines range from "In 2022, China's GDP hit a new record" to "Foreign companies are still betting on investment in China" and "China, a hotspot for foreign investment." In short, note the journalists, it's "pure propaganda to attract investment from Italy to China" - which "we find unspeakable, given that it puts the pages of the newspaper at the disposal of an economic system and a State (the permeability, if not the identity, between one and the other, is absolute) that are characterised by the absence of the basic elements of a democracy." "In other words, 24 Ore System has lent itself to beating the drum for a dictatorship, which in addition to the traditional absence of political pluralism, freedom of opinion and expression, and respect for minorities, is today increasingly entrenched in a pro-Putin foreign policy." Another charm offensive. The "Focus China" advertorial is the latest instance of Beijing's efforts to influence the perception of Italians through the media. The People's Republic, which was once granted wide access to the Italian media through Belt and Road-sanctioned deals, had switched tactics and is focussing on business to push its messaging. The Belt and Road Memorandum of Understanding is up for renewal in 2024. However, Giorgia Meloni's government has signalled its intention to "move in concert" with the European Union and NATO on all matters regarding China. (ANI) Nothing is more important than a true friend 10:19, March 29, 2023 By He Yin ( People's Daily While delivering an important speech at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Center in Tanzania on March 25, 2013, during his first visit to Africa after assuming the Chinese presidency, Xi Jinping expounded on China's policy of working with Africa to pursue peace and promote development in the new era. Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Center in Tanzania, March 25, 2013. (Photo from Xinhua) He announced that China will continue to treat its African friends with sincerity, aim to achieve real results in its cooperation with Africa, follow affinity in strengthening China-Africa friendship, and honor good faith in solving problems arising from cooperation. During the visit, Xi proposed for the first time the principle of pursuing the greater good and shared interests. Today, the principle of pursuing the greater good and shared interests and the principle of sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith have become the defining feature of China's Africa policy, as well as a general guideline for China to strengthen solidarity and cooperation with all developing countries. China has always been a true friend and reliable partner for developing countries and will always remain so. It will always breathe the same air, share the same future and grow with fellow developing countries. China has stood in solidarity with other developing countries amid an evolving international environment, global volatility, and multiple crises, and worked together to uphold international justice and promote common interests, forging a new paradigm of equality, sincerity and mutual assistance among developing countries. China believes that all countries, big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor, are equal members of the international community. China upholds justice and opposes the practice of the big bullying the small, the strong lording over the weak, and the rich oppressing the poor, just as it opposes interference in others' internal affairs. China firmly safeguards the international system with the United Nations at the core and the international order underpinned by international law, practices true multilateralism, stands for developing countries and reinforces mutual support with other developing countries on issues involving core interests and major concerns of either or both, so as to make global governance system fairer and more equitable. Xi stressed that China's vote in the UN will always belong to developing countries. With China's promotion and the active response from all parties, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has witnessed steady development, the "BRICS Plus" cooperation has deepened and expanded, and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the New Development Bank and other mechanisms have grown into significant multilateral financial organizations, serving as important platforms of cooperation for developing countries. China has taken the lead in publicly supporting the inclusion of the African Union in G20 and has continued to encourage Africa to play a bigger global role. China always believes that Africa belongs to the African people. In developing relations with Africa, all countries should respect Africa's dignity and independence. In developing relations with other developing countries, China never interferes in their internal affairs, but supports their endogenous growth and helps them strengthen their capability to independently solve their own problems and regional problems. China has proposed the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, worked with others to promote development and safeguard security, and advanced exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, which fully indicates its respect and sincerity to other developing countries. If implemented fully, the BRI could lift 32 million people out of moderate poverty globallythose who live on less than $3.20 a day, a World Bank report said. On international and regional hotspot issues, China has always made objective and fair judgments on issues based on their own merits, injecting more certainty into addressing the root causes of international conflicts and solving security challenges facing humanity. There is no one-size-fits-all model for development in the world. It is important to respect the diversity of civilizations and development paths. Photo shows a China-aided demonstration center of husbandry technologies in Mauritania. (Photo provided by the demonstration center) The development of the international situation once again proves that intervention from the outside and so-called democratic transformation entail nothing but harm. Developing countries are more determined to take their destiny firmly in their own hands. Chinese modernization presents a new model for human advancement, expands the channels for developing countries to achieve modernization, and provides a Chinese solution to aid the exploration of a better social system for humanity. China advocates inclusiveness, dialogues and harmonious coexistence among different civilizations and social systems, and respects each country's right to choose its own development path and model. Beninese President Patrice Talon said that China has become a non-negligible force. He noted China's models, its efforts on itself and good governance are "elements that should inspire the underdeveloped countries a lot, that development is within everyone's reach." Nothing is more important than a true friend. Changes of the world, of the times and of history are unfolding today in ways like never before. Developing countries need to strengthen solidarity and cooperation and jointly cope with challenges more than ever. China will keep standing with other developing countries and be their true friend, sharing weal and woe. It will make the pie of cooperation bigger, build the force of progress stronger, and make greater contributions to world peace, stability, development and prosperity. (Web editor: Hongyu, Du Mingming) A crew of at least four people in a gray sedan went on a robbery spree that began about 4 a.m. Thursday on the Near West Side, Chicago police said. The first robbery occurred in the 700 block of West Jackson Boulevard. Two men, ages 57 and 51, were walking when two vehicles pulled up, and four people exited and approached the victims brandishing a firearm and demanding their belongings. Advertisement One of the robbers struck the younger man in the face, and the other robbers took his property before returning to their vehicles and fled east. Both victims refused medical treatment at the scene. Twenty minutes later, police said a gray four-door sedan approached a 69-year-old man who was walking in the 800 block of West Wolcott Avenue. Four robbers exited the vehicle displaying a firearm. The robbers pushed the victim to the ground and took his belongings, police said. The robbers got back into the sedan and fled south. Advertisement Around 4:40 a.m., a 34-year-old man was in his vehicle in the 1500 block of North Talman Avenue when a gray/silver colored sedan, possibly a Hyundai Elantra, approached and four robbers exited brandishing firearms. The robbers took his belongings, then got back into the sedan and fled north, police said. Ten minutes later, a 45-year-old man was inside his vehicle in the 1600 block of North Talman Avenue when the gray/silver sedan approached and four robbers got out with firearms and demanded his belongings. The victim handed over his things, and the robbers got back in their sedan and fled north, police said. About 5 a.m., a 22-year-old man was in the 1600 block of North Leavitt Street when a gray sedan approached and three robbers got out, and pushed the victim to the ground and took his property. No weapon was brandished. The robbers got back into the sedan and fled south. The victims belongings were recovered nearby, police said. The victim refused medical help at the scene. No one was in custody and detectives were investigating. On March 15, at least five different robberies occurred in the early morning hours on the Southwest Side. American reporter for Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Evan Gershkovich was arrested in Russia on espionage charges, Russia's top security agency said on Thursday, reported Al-Jazeera. WSJ in a statement said, "The Wall Street Journal is deeply concerned for the safety of Gershkovich." The Federal Security Service (FSB), top KGB successor agency, said that the WSJ reporter was detained from the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg while he allegedly tried to obtain classified information. In a statement, FSB said, "Gershkovich acting on the instructions of the American side, collected information constituting a state secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex," read a WSJ report. The FSB has also alleged that Gershkovich "was collecting classified information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex that constitutes a state secret," according to Al-Jazeera. The local media stated that he was covering the war in Ukraine and the Wagner mercenary group before getting detained. The mention of the date of arrest was not there in its statement, however, Gershkovich could be imprisoned for about 20 years if he gets convicted of espionage. Ever since the Cold War, he is the first journalist from an American news organisation to be detained in Russia on suspicion of espionage, and his detention comes at a time of intense international concern due to the conflict in Ukraine, according to Al-Jazeera. Gershkovich covers Russia and Ukraine and was duly accredited as a journalist as a correspondent for the Wall Street Journal's Moscow office. His most recent assessment, which was released last week, concentrated on the stagnation of the Russian economy in the face of Western sanctions. The Wall Street Journal hired Gershkovich, 31, who was formerly employed by AFP in Moscow. Before, he worked as a reporter for The Moscow Times, according to his bio in Wall Street Journal. Gershkovich speaks Russian as his parents are from the Soviet Union but now reside in the United States, Al-Jazeera reported. (ANI) Pakistani authorities have resorted to temporarily shutting some businesses run and frequented by Chinese nationals as they work towards preventing terrorist attacks, Nikkei Asia reported. As per Nikkei Asia, Chinese interests in Pakistan have become a prime target for separatists and other militants in recent years, including several deadly attacks. This has been a thorn in bilateral ties, with Beijing urging its cash-strapped South Asian partner to do more to protect its interests. Pakistan is witnessing a sharp increase in terrorist attacks. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs' consular department in February issued a fresh warning to citizens that they may be at high risk. Karachi police, faced with pressure from China, limited resources and individuals who do not always take sufficient precautions on their own, in mid-March sealed off some businesses after receiving intelligence alerts about possible attacks. "Despite repeated warnings, several Chinese-owned businesses failed to implement security protocols, leading to their sealing until satisfactory security arrangements are made," a senior police officer in Karachi told Nikkei Asia. He said it was difficult to give a precise number of affected places because police were closing and reopening establishments. According to Karachi police handouts seen by Nikkei Asia, authorities closed businesses including a Chinese restaurant, a supermarket and a marine product company. Officials said the entities failed to comply with standard security protocols issued under the Sindh Security of Vulnerable Establishments Act, a provincial law that ensures security arrangements for places that could be targeted. The law defines such precautions as "effective physical and technical security arrangements including installation and proper functioning of closed circuit television cameras, biometric system, walkthrough gates, security alarm and other modern gadgetries". Karachi has seen its share of attacks aimed at Chinese as separatists have broadened their targets beyond Pakistani state institutions and personnel. One of the highest-profile attacks was the April 2022 suicide bombing near the Confucius Institute at the University of Karachi, which killed three Chinese teachers and a Pakistani driver. There was also an attack in June 2020 on the building that houses the stock exchange, partly owned by a Chinese consortium, and a 2018 attack on the Chinese Consulate in Karachi. The Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for all three, according to Nikkei Asia. A gunman in September killed a cashier at a dental clinic and injured the dentist and his wife. All three victims were ethnic Chinese. A Sindhi rebel group is believed to have been behind the shooting. (ANI) There have been multiple stampede incidents across Pakistan due to the unorganised distribution of free flour, and the latest such incident in Multan left 14 people, including two police personnel, injured at the spot, The News International reported. In Multan, hundreds of people were involved in a stampede after they gathered to get free flour at a distribution point on Wednesday. The Rescue Control Room received a panic call during the free flour distribution centre near Jamia-ul-Uloom near Madni Chowk, Rescue 1122 officials said. The Rescue immediately alerted the motorbike staff on the spot and sent more ambulances and motorbikes from the nearby station. They found 12 people and two police personnel injured on the spot. Two of them were found critical, as per The News International. Earlier, in Punjab province, an old woman and a man died while 56 people, including 45 women, were injured in stampedes at free flour centres in Sahiwal, Bahawalpur, Muzaffargarh and Okara districts of the province, as the mismanagement in distribution continues since the government announced free disbursement and people started scrambling to distribution points, reported Dawn. An elderly woman, who came to collect free flour, died in a stampede while 45 women received injuries at a free distribution centre at the Quaid-i-Azam Stadium in the wee hours of Tuesday. In Rahim Yar Khan, a 73-year-old man was trampled in a bid to get free flour while several others were injured. Anwar Deen died at the Ayamin Gate, according to The News International. Women in Jhang staged a protest against the alleged torture of an old woman at a flour disbursement point at the Government Graduate Boys' College. The women alleged that a discriminatory attitude was being adopted by the staff while disbursing flour bags. They said caretaker Punjab CM Mohsin Naqvi had promised to provide them with flour bags in an honourable way, but the situation at the disbursement centres was otherwise. In Nankana Sahib, people complained of facing severe problems due to mismanagement at free flour distribution points. They staged a protest at Morkhunda and blocked the Jaranwala-Lahore Road by burning tyres. They said the staff was benefiting favourites while they had to stand in long rows for hours just to get one bag of flour and even then they did not get it. People also demonstrated at Warburtton, according to The News International. Recently, the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Darband tehsil chapter demanded that flour be made available to people all over the nation at subsidised prices and accused the government of humiliating and demeaning the poor, especially women, at free distribution points. At a press conference, the JI tehsil emir lamented that women were "disgraced" since they had to spend hours waiting in long queues to get a bag of 10 kg flour, according to The News International. (ANI) St. Petersburg International Economic Forum director Alexey Valkov on Thursday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' initiative while saying that Russia and India should cooperate more closely. "In 2017, when Prime Minister Modi was the main guest of St Petersburg International forum, we got the exposition of Make in India and we were glad to and huge delegation of Indian Companies. I see it is great that you (India) have such an initiative and we should cooperate more closely," Valkov told ANI. St. Petersburg Forum director added that he sees a very bright future in trade between India and Russia because in the present year, a huge amount of business took place between both countries. Valkov claimed that economic sanctions against Russia has had no impact on his country, saying, "We have seen European and American companies stop doing business with Russia. Now, there is an opportunity for Indian companies to do business here, across sectors, and cooperate with Russia. We are strong, our currency is strong and there are opportunities manifold." Labelling the prevailing relationship between India and Russia as warm, he stated that his country has emerged as a great partner of India. Valkov made the remarks while addressing the Russia-India Business Forum in the national capital on Thursday. This forum aims to unite business leaders, entrepreneurs, government officials, and media representatives from Russia and India to explore opportunities for technological alliances in IT, cybersecurity, industry and manufacturing, smart cities, transport and logistics, and healthcare sectors. This event will also serve as a platform for Russian companies to enter new markets in India and pave the way for Indian companies to do business with Russia. (ANI) China's approach and tactics to develop its border areas, particularly along its borders with India, raises serious concerns from both the security and strategic perspectives, reported Political Research Foundation (PRF). China has labelled its border area development efforts in terms of developing 'xiaokang' villages, an innocuous concept for its largely malign intentions and with clear external policy goals centred on coercion and encroachment. In contrast, India's 'vibrant' villages model has been an effort oriented towards greater integration of the border areas with the mainland of the country and raising the standard of living of people residing in the border areas, reported PRF. The insidious Chinese designs are in sharp contrast to India's recent efforts to promote economic development in the villages along its northern borders. India's focus on providing economic support to its border villages and prioritising infrastructure development has got focused attention in recent years. In 2022, a major impetus for the economic development of India's border villages came from the announcement of the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) announced by the Finance Minister in the Budget Speech 2022-23. The VVP programme "envisages coverage of border villages on the northern borders having a sparse population, limited connectivity and infrastructure, which possibly have often got left out from the development gains" accruing to the rest of the nation, reported PRF. The key outcomes of the initiative would be improving the people's standard of living in these areas by providing "connectivity with all-weather roads, drinking water, 24x7 electricity-solar and wind energy, mobile and internet connectivity, tourism, health and wellness centres." Such efforts by China to build infrastructure around the India-China border areas precede those of India by several decades. While the stated goals appear overtly noble, the underlying reasons have been clearly malicious for a number of reasons. Firstly, these xiaokang villages are located very close to the India-China and Bhutan-China borders. Some of the villages are even being developed in the contested area around the Doklam Plateau. The capture of disputed territories by stealth appears to be China's tactic here, reported PRF. Secondly, in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) region, the traditional inhabitants are Tibetans. However, in the guise of 'xiaokang villages, China aims to settle Han Chinese, preferably the retired military personnel from the People's Liberation Army (PLA), in these villages. This serves four strategic purposes for China: 0ne, the retired PLA personnel would serve as the eyes and ears of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and PLA; second, enhance cultural exchanges and intermingling between the Han Chinese and Tibetans which in the long term would keep a check on pro-Dalai Lama and other hostile elements among the Tibetans; third ethnic cleansing of the indigenous population in XUAR (Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region) and Tibet; and fourth, all the above can be a force multiplier for strategic purposes, should the need arise, reported PRF. In other words, through such efforts, China is gradually ensuring the implementation of its 'Sinicization' plans and improving the legitimacy of the CCP-approved Lamas like the Panchen Lama. Alternately, by populating these remote and contested locations with the Han Chinese, 'xiaokang' villages serve as a cover for Chinese efforts to make future territorial claims based on the argument of not disturbing 'settled populations' along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), as agreed upon in the 2005 Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for the Settlement of the India-China Boundary question, reported PRF. In sharp contrast to the all-pervading Chinese State and PLA that dictates activities in the 'xiaokang villages,' the 'vibrant villages' in India are envisaged under a 'hub and spoke' model wherein the local district administration and the gram panchayats would be drawing out the 'Vibrant Village Action Plans,' with the role of the Union Government being limited to disbursal of funds. Unlike the Chinese tactics of uprooting the local Tibetan population, 'vibrant villages' would be working to prevent the out-migration of people from their homes to the interior urban settlements of India and provide them with modern-day opportunities at their doorsteps, reported PRF. In addition to the VVP, the Indian Government has also been taking steps for all-round development of the border regions. Implementation of the 'Aspirational Districts' programme across the country since 2018 that focuses on socio-economic aspects like "health and nutrition, education, agriculture and water resources, financial inclusion and skill development and basic infrastructure," included some of the less developed districts in the border areas as well. Large infrastructure projects that have been either announced or are already under implementation include the Frontier Highway Project, Frontier Railway Project, hydropower projects like those in Dibang and Kameng, an airport at Donyi Polo etc. All of these projects are an essential component of Gross Budgetary Assistance (GBA) amounting to about Rs 11,000 crores (approx. USD 1.3 billion) for the holistic development of the northeastern region. Unlike China, India has been consistently furthering its policy on protecting and promoting distinct tribal identities, their language and culture and taking effective steps to bring them to the forefront, reported PRF. (ANI) A campaign to destroy poppy fields has begun in Afghanistan's Herat, TOLO News reported, adding that the campaign will be conducted in each village in the province by the Taliban. The campaign begins at a time when poppy fields' harvest season is approaching. "Our operation is underway and hundreds of acres of land has been cleared of poppy in different districts," Hayatullah Rouhani, head of the counter narcotics department of Herat, told TOLO News. According to Taliban officials, special forces accompany the employees of the counter-narcotics office to ensure the security of the campaign to destroy poppy fields. "We will accompany the employees of the counter-narcotics department in Herat province," Mohammad Asif Mohammadi, head of the special force of the counter-narcotics office, told TOLO News Farmers have, meanwhile, called on the government to help them by providing alternative crops for poppy cultivation. "We asked the government to help us with alternative crops for poppy," said Ghulam Mohammad, a farmer. Besides Herat, the campaign is being conducted in Ghor, Badghis, Nimroz and Farah provinces. It is expected that poppy fields in the west of the country will be destroyed ahead of the harvest season, reported TOLO News. The UK's Cranfield University recently released a statement indicating a research partnership with the United Nations (UN) to help the UN develop artificial intelligence (AI) to support the monitoring of illegal opium production in Afghanistan, Khaama Press reported. Under the program, the researcher will use AI to interpret satellite imagery, which will help them trace where in Afghanistan, crops are being used for drug production. According to Daniel Simms, a Cranfield University lecturer, the partnership between the University and the UN would last until July 2023. The report shows that Afghanistan is still the largest producer of poppy cultivation globally. The total poppy cultivation area is estimated at 233,000 hectares, mainly concentrated in the southwestern parts of the country, approximately 73-80 per cent, as reported by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in 2022, according to Khaama Press. The process will be automated using AI which will enable the monitoring of the extent and evolution of poppy cultivation in the country and help the government tackle the issue of these crops. (ANI) The cabinet of Saudi Arabia's government has approved a memorandum granting the country the status of a dialogue partner in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, according to Saudi Gazette, citing Saudi Press Agency. The Cabinet, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman at Al-Salam Palace on Tuesday, approved the cooperation agreement between the Presidency of State Security in the Kingdom and the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in India for combating terrorist crimes and its financing. According to the Saudi Gazette, the cabinet has amended article 4 of the provisions regulating the National Tobacco Control Committee to, "The committee shall have a secretariat based in the Public Health Authority in Riyadh." At the beginning of the session, the Cabinet reviewed the details of telephone conversations between the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Salman and the president of the Republic of France, the prime minister of the Republic of Iraq and the president of the People's Republic of China. The discussions centred around relations, areas of partnership, and opportunities to strengthen cooperation with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, reported Saudi Gazette. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session, Minister of Media Salman Bin Yousef Al-Dosari said that the Cabinet also reviewed the outcomes of the 155th Session of the Ministerial Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and discussed the developments in joint Gulf action and political issues in the regional and international arenas. The Cabinet reviewed the latest international developments. It condemned attempts to burn copies of the Holy Qur'an. It stressed the need to consolidate the values of dialogue, tolerance, and respect and reject everything that spreads hatred and extremism. The Cabinet has also authorised the minister of energy, and chairman of the board of directors of King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy to discuss and sign with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) a draft agreement between King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy and the International Atomic Energy Agency regarding the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Program. (ANI) The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) on Wednesday expressed deep concerns over ongoing arbitrary arrests in Afghanistan including the recent detention of a girls' education activist, journalists and media workers by the Taliban, Afghanistan based Khaama Press reported. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) called on the Taliban to immediately release activists detained for advocating women's rights. OHCHR Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence in a statement said: "No one should be detained for speaking out in defense of their fundamental rights and the rights of others." The Taliban has since the start of 2023, arrested several civil society activists, journalists and women's rights advocates for speaking up about their fundamental rights and the rights of others. On March 27, unidentified men arrested Matiullah Wesa, head of PenPath, a civil society organization campaigning to reopen girls' education, whose whereabouts remain unknown. Following Wesa's detention, the UN Human Rights Office, and other rights groups have repeatedly called on the ruling regime to release the education activist, however, no progress has been seen in this regard so far, Khaama Press reported. According to the OHCHR website, "Other activists and journalists have also been detained with no clear information as to their whereabouts, well-being, or any charges against them. Among those held are Nargis Sadat, Zakaria Osuli, Sultan Ali Ziaee, Khairullah Parhar and Mortaza Behboudi." According to Khaama Press, since the return of the Taliban to power in August 2021, the group has deepened restrictions on journalists, media and social activists, according to which individuals or groups are not allowed to criticize the ruling regime or speak against the Taliban members. Afghanistan is a party to the international human rights treaties under which the de facto authorities are obliged to respect and ensure the rights to freedom of expression, opinion and freedom of peaceful assembly, as well as to provide access to education and work. (ANI) Russia is all set to lead the United Nations Security Council in April and will ensure the body's efficient operation in the interests of finding political and diplomatic solutions to acute crises. Taking to Twitter, Russia's Foreign Ministry said, "In April, Russia will chair the UN Security Council. Russia will do its utmost to ensure this body's efficient operation in the interests of finding political and diplomatic solutions to acute crises and maintaining global stability." Earlier on Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov chaired a high-level open debate at the UNSC on effective multilateralism in defence of the organization's Charter principles, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing, according to TASS, the Russian state news agency. "Another key event of the Russian presidency will be a high-level open debate of the Security Council on 'Effective multilateralism through the protection of the principles of the UN Charter'. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will chair this meeting," she said. Zakharova said Russia will assume the presidency of the Security Council in April. She said this issue is becoming more and more relevant against the backdrop of increasingly active attempts by a number of countries to subordinate the UN exclusively to their interests, and in the future to "completely undermine the UN-centric system of international relations," replacing it with the odious concept of "a rules-based world order." "Let me remind you that no one has ever seen the rules," the diplomat said, as per TASS news agency. (ANI) In its weekly bulletin, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said that its foreign exchange reserves have decreased as of the week ended March 24, which will provide an import cover of less than a month. The net forex reserves held by commercial banks stand at USD 5.6 billion, USD 1.3 billion more than the SBP, bringing the total liquid foreign exchange reserves of the country to USD 9.8 billion, the statement mentioned, reported Geo News. Pakistan struggles to secure external financing to pull the country out of the economic crisis. Pakistan's USD 350 billion economy continues to dwindle amid financial woes and the authorities struggle to strike a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The Washington-based lender has been in talks with the Pakistani authorities since end-January to resume the USD 1.1 billion loan tranche held since November, part of a USD 6.5 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) agreed upon in 2019, reported Geo News. The IMF funding is critical for Pakistan to unlock other external financing avenues to avert a default on its obligations. Meanwhile, IMF's Director of Strategic Communications Julie Kozack has said that timely financial assistance from external partners is critical to support the authorities' policy efforts and ensure the successful completion of the review with Pakistan, reported Geo News. Moreover, gold prices in Pakistan saw an uptick after the investors decided to stay on the sidelines to judge the market direction. According to the data released by All-Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association (APSGJA), the price of gold (24 carats) rose by Rs 100 per tola and Rs 85 per 10 grams to settle at Rs 208,000 and Rs 178,326, reported Geo News. Investors remained cautious as the IMF wants external financing commitments fulfilled from friendly countries before it releases bailout funds; however, the delay is negatively impacting the currency market, bolstering the demand for gold. (ANI) Pope Francis is helped to his car at the end of the weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on March 29, 2023. (Alessandra Tarantino/AP) Cardinal Blase Cupich urged Catholics across the Archdiocese of Chicago to join him in prayer for the swift and complete recovery of Pope Francis, who was hospitalized in Rome for a respiratory infection on Wednesday. The 86-year-old pope, who had part of one lung removed decades ago due to a previous respiratory infection, began experiencing breathing difficulties and tests confirmed an infection. The illness is not COVID-19; Francis will remain at Gemelli Hospital in Rome for several days of treatment, according to the Vatican. Advertisement Francis was scheduled to celebrate Palm Sunday this weekend, the beginning of Holy Week services that will culminate with Easter Sunday on April 9; he has canceled all audiences through Friday, but it wasnt clear whether he will be able to keep his plans for Holy Week observances. President Joe Biden told reporters Wednesday afternoon that he had just learned of Francis health problems, adding that he was concerned about his dear friend. Advertisement Francis had celebrated the 10th anniversary of his election on March 13, making history as the first Latin American pope, following the 2013 retirement of Pope Benedict XVI. Cupich had called upon Catholics to take part in a global effort to commemorate this 10-year anniversary by saying the Hail Mary prayer 10 times for Francis, who frequently asks the faithful to pray for him. Cupich nodded to that project in requesting prayers for the popes health on Wednesday. Over the past month, people around the world prayed millions of Hail Marys to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Holy Fathers election to the chair of Peter, he said in a statement. We responded then to Pope Francis often-repeated request to pray for him. Let us continue our prayers, this time for the return of this extraordinary shepherd to good health and to his work of spreading the joy of Gods love and mercy. The Associated Press contributed. Owing to a low percentage of positive results from sampling at airports, Japan is considering scrapping a requirement of a negative Covid-19 test for those travelling from China, Kyodo News reported. According to the relaxed restrictions, which may go into effect in early April, as long as they have received at least three doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, passengers from mainland China will no longer be required to produce documentation of a negative coronavirus test done 72 hours or less before departure. The Japanese government began requiring Covid-19 testing of all arrivals from the Chinese mainland, including those who had been there within the previous seven days, at the end of the last year, according to Kyodo News. Early in January, Japan added a requirement for confirmation of a negative test further to tighten border inspections for visitors from the Chinese mainland. However, the authorities decided to test only passengers on particular aircraft departing from China in March after observing a decline in the amount of Covid-19-positive tests. The relaxations came a day after Japan's audit board had requested the health ministry to provide supporting documentation for contracts with the US and British coronavirus vaccine manufacturers after finding a weak basis for ordering a total of 882 million doses in fiscal 2020 and 2021, Kyodo News reported. The report released on Wednesday by the Board of Audit of Japan also found that at least 30 per cent of the doses were either cancelled or disposed of after expiring. In Japan a total of 33,458,345 people have tested positive as of 7:30 pm, March 29 (Japan time), reported Kyodo News. The coronavirus vaccination rate in Japan is as high as 68.57 per cent of people being administered the third dose, 46.33 per cent fourth and 24.16 per cent fifth as of March 29. Notably, three years back in March 2020, Japan imposed stricter travel restrictions for visitors from South Korea and China, as part of enhanced efforts by the government to contain the coronavirus outbreak. (ANI) The United States strongly condemned Myanmar's military Junta's decision to dissolve 40 Political parties, including the National League for Democracy. Taking to Twitter, US State Secretary Antony Blinken said, "We strongly condemn the Burma military regime's decision to dissolve 40 political parties, including the National League for Democracy. Any future election without the participation of all stakeholders in Burma would not represent the will of the Burmese people." This comes after Myanmar's military-controlled election commission said ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi's party would be dissolved for failing to re-register under a new electoral law, Al Jazeera reported citing state television. The National League for Democracy (NLD) party was among 40 political parties that were unable to meet the ruling military's registration deadline for an election, Al Jazeera reported citing Myawaddy TV. On Wednesday, US Department of State Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel also "strongly" condemned the Myanmar military's decision to abolish 40 political parties. Addressing a press briefing on Wednesday (local time), Vedant Patel said that the elections will not be considered "free or fair" without the participation of all the stakeholders in Myanmar. He made the remarks in response to a question regarding the Myanmar military's decision to dissolve political parties, including Aung San Suu Kyi-led National League for Democracy (NLD). "We strongly condemn the Burma military regime's decision to abolish 40 political parties, including, as you so noted, the National League for Democracy. Any election without the participation of all stakeholders in Burma would not be and cannot be considered free or fair," Patel said. "And given the widespread opposition to military rule, the regime's unilateral push towards elections likely will escalate instability. We continue to support efforts by all of those working to establish genuine and inclusive democracy in Burma," he added. In response to a question regarding upcoming elections that the Myanmar army plans to hold, Patel said, "if you are going to remove 40 parties from their ability to participate in those elections, essentially having elections without the participation of all of the appropriate stakeholders, then yes, that is an election that would not be considered free and fair. And given, as I said, the people and public's opposition to the military rule, the regime's unilateral push towards elections will, unfortunately, lead to increased instability." In November 2020, the NLD secured victory in Myanmar's parliamentary elections. However, less than three months later, the Myanmar military carried out a coup and imprisoned Aung San Suu Kyi. She is serving a prison sentence which totals 33 years. As per the news report, Aung San Suu Kyi has been convicted in a series of politically tainted prosecutions brought by the military. (ANI) Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday ordered Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar to withdraw the curative review reference filed against Justice Qazi Faez Isa of the Supreme Court, Dawn reported. Sharif termed the actions taken by the previous government as "flimsy" and on "baseless grounds." Taking to his official Twitter handle, Shehbaz Sharif stressed that the curative review petition against Justice Qazi Faez Isa was based on "ill will" and meant to harass the judge. He tweeted, "On my direction, the government has decided to withdraw the Curative Review Petition against senior most Judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Qazi Faez Isa. The Curative Review was based on ill-will & meant to harass & intimidate the honourable Judge at the behest of Imran Niazi." Issued by Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Shehbaz Sharif said that Justice Isa and his family were "harassed and defamed" in the name of the reference, according to the Dawn report. "This was not a reference, but a vendetta by Imran Khan Niazi, a vindictive person, against a fair-minded judge who followed the path of the Constitution and the law," the statement quoted Shehbaz Sharif as saying. Shehbaz Sharif said that the reference was a nefarious conspiracy to divide the independence of the judiciary. He recalled that his party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and alliance parties had condemned the move even when they were in the opposition. "Imran Niazi misused the constitutional office of the president for this criminal act and President Arif Alvi became an instrument in the attack on the judiciary and an accomplice to a lie," Pakistan PM said as per the Dawn report. The PMO statement further said that lawyer organisations had opposed the reference. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government had filed a reference against Justice Isa in May 2019, alleging that he acquired three properties in London on lease in the name of his wife and children between 2011 and 2015, as per the news report. However, he did not give details regarding them in his wealth returns. Justice Qazi Faez Isa contested the allegation and said that he is not a beneficial owner of the flats. On June 19, 2020, a 10-member SC bench threw out the presidential reference against Justice Isa and termed it "invalid". However, seven of the 10 judges on the bench ordered the Inland Revenue Department and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to seek explanations from the judge's wife and children on the nature and source of funding for three properties. In 2021, Justice Isa secured a win in a case which set aside the Supreme Court's aforementioned directive after which the entire exercise carried out by the FBR was rendered null and void. Even after the reference was finally quashed, the PTI government instituted a curative review, which was still pending before the Supreme Court. (ANI) The European Union Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell on Friday condemned the Russian detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. Taking to his official Twitter handle, he stressed that journalists must be allowed to exercise their profession freely. Josep Borrell tweeted, "The EU condemns the detention of @evangershkovich, a journalist and U.S. citizen, in Russia. Journalists must be allowed to exercise their profession freely and deserve protection. The Russian authorities demonstrate yet again their systematic disregard for media freedom." Borrell's remarks come after American reporter for Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Evan Gershkovich was arrested in Russia on espionage charges, Russia's top security agency said on Thursday, Al Jazeera reported. WSJ in a statement said, "The Wall Street Journal is deeply concerned for the safety of Gershkovich." US State Department Secretary Antony Blinken on Thursday expressed concern over the detention of an American journalist in Russia. He requested the Americans living in Russia to leave the country "immediately." Taking to his official Twitter handle, Blinken said, "We are deeply concerned over Russia's announcement it has detained a U.S. citizen journalist. The @StateDept's highest priority is the safety and security of U.S. citizens abroad. If you are a U.S. citizen living or travelling in Russia - please leave immediately." Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also expressed concern over the arrest of Evan Gershkovich in Russia. She also stated that last night, White House and State Department Officials spoke with Gershkovich's employer, the Wall Street Journal. "We are deeply concerned by the troubling reports that Evan Gershkovich, an American citizen, has been detained in Russia," Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. She further said, "Last night, White House and State Department Officials spoke with Mr. Gershkovich's employer, the Wall Street Journal. The Administration has also been in contact with his family. Furthermore, the State Department has been in direct touch with the Russian government on this matter, including actively working to secure consular access to Mr. Gershkovich." The Federal Security Service (FSB) said that the WSJ reporter was detained from the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg while he allegedly tried to obtain classified information. In a statement, the FSB said, "Gershkovich acting on the instructions of the American side, collected information constituting a state secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex", read a WSJ report. As per the Al Jazeera report, the FSB alleged that Gershkovich "was collecting classified information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex that constitutes a state secret." (ANI) Female students in Afghanistan have said that they are seeking to study abroad as universities continue to remain closed for women in the country, TOLO News reported. Female students have said that they have applied for scholarships abroad for virtual and campus institutions. However, they are facing problems in travelling due to the lack of a male person to accompany them. Taliban has announced that no female can travel without a male accompanying them. Azada Bakhshi, a student, said that there are some scholarships for which female students can apply. However, the Taliban has imposed restrictions on travelling without a male accompanying them, as per the TOLO News report. The female students urged the Taliban to reopen universities for women. Women's rights activist has said that the closure of universities is damaging Afghanistan's education sector, as per the news report. "The doors of the university for girls have been closed. The girls have no choice but to find another country for a scholarship and go to overseas for making their future," TOLO News quoted Sharifa as saying. Arizo Khurasani, a women's rights activist, said, "This is a big blow to the educational system of Afghanistan." Khurasani called on the Taliban to reopen the schools and universities for girls. Khatira Hissar, a women's rights activist, said that the Taliban does not permit women to travel without a male accompanying them. Hissar said that the Taliban also has problems with passports. Khatira Hissar called on the Taliban to review its policies and permit Afghan girls to study in Afghanistan. As per the news report, it has been nearly one month since the start of the educational year. However, female students have not been yet allowed to attend universities. On March 25, female students of secondary schools in Badakhshan urged the Taliban to reopen schools to allow them to pursue education as the new school year has started, TOLO News reported. In order to prevent anxiety and depression, several girls have started learning carpet weaving in a workshop. Breshna, a student, said that they are facing mental health problems after being deprived of schooling. Farzana, another student, said that they are ready to wear hijab if the Taliban allows them to go to school. "We have faced mental health issues after being deprived of schooling," TOLO News quoted Breshna as saying."If they want Hijab we will wear it and we will accept any conditions. They should only let us go to schools," TOLO News quoted Farzana as saying. Notably, secondary schools have remained closed for girls for nearly two years. The international community, including the UN agencies, have called for the reopening of schools for females. (ANI) Pope Francis showed a "clear improvement" on Thursday after he was given intravenous antibiotics for a bronchitis infection, CNN reported. The pontiff could be released from the hospital in the next few days, according to the Vatican. Pope Francis was admitted to Gemelli hospital in Rome on Wednesday after he complained of breathing problems. After the clinical check-up and tests, the doctors said that Pope Francis had bronchitis and were administering antibiotic therapy to treat him. In a statement, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said, "Based on the predictable outcome, the Holy Father could be released in the next few days." He further said that Pope Francis rested well during the night. According to Bruni, Pope Francis took a rest, prayed and did some work during the afternoon. According to CNN, Matteo Bruni said, "His Holiness Pope Francis rested well during the night. The clinical picture is progressively improving and the planned treatments continue. This morning after breakfast, he read some newspapers and went back to work." He further said, "Before lunch, he went to the little chapel of the private apartment, where he gathered in prayer and received the Eucharist." Pope Francis took to his official Twitter handle to express gratitude for the prayer and messages he received. He tweeted, "I am touched by the many messages received in these hours and I express my gratitude for the closeness and prayer." After his weekly general audience in St Peter's Square on Wednesday, Pope Francis was taken to the hospital to undergo a number of tests. The Vatican in a statement said that the visit and tests were planned. Shortly after, Matteo Bruni said that the pontiff's schedule for Thursday had been cleared "to make space for the continuation of tests should that be necessary," as per the news report. Later, Matteo Bruni in a statement said, "In recent days Pope Francis complained of some respiratory difficulties and this afternoon he went to Policlinico A. Gemelli for some medical checks." He further added, "The outcome of the same showed a respiratory infection (excluding Covid-19 infection) that will require a few days of appropriate hospital medical therapy. Pope Francis is touched by the many messages received and expresses his gratitude for the closeness and prayer." Pope Francis, who as a young man suffered from severe pneumonia and had part of a lung removed has had a history of health issues, as per the CNN report. He was often seen using a walking stick and is sometimes using a wheelchair due to pain in his right knee. In 2022, Pope Francis cancelled his trip to Congo and South Sudan after doctors said he might also have to cancel his later trip to Canada unless he agreed to have 20 more days of therapy and rest for his knee, as per the news report. He also suffers from diverticulitis, a common condition that can cause inflammation or infection of the colon. In 2021, he underwent surgery to remove a part of his colon. (ANI) The Turkish Parliament on Thursday voted unanimously in favour of Finland's application to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), clearing the last hurdle in the accession process, while also continuing to block Sweden from joining the military alliance, CNN reported. The vote in the Parliament fulfils Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's "promise" to allow Finland to become part of the military alliance, as per the news report. Turkey was the last NATO member to approve Finland's accession. Following the vote, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said his country is "ready to join NATO." He further said, "All 30 NATO members have now ratified Finland's membership. I want to thank every one of them for their trust and support," according to CNN report. Sauli Niinisto stressed that "Finland will be a strong and capable ally, committed to the security of the Alliance." As per the news report, he said, "We look forward to welcoming Sweden to join us as soon as possible." NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the decision of Turkey. Taking to his official Twitter handle, Stoltenberg stated, "I welcome the vote of the Grand National Assembly of #Turkiye to complete the ratification of #Finland's accession. This will make the whole #NATO family stronger & safer." In 2022, Finland and Sweden submitted applications to join NATO. A majority of NATO members welcomed the applications of Finland and Sweden except for Turkey and Hungary. Turkish President Erdogan accused Finland and Sweden of housing Kurdish "terrorist organizations." Meanwhile, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that Finland and Sweden were disseminating "outright lies" about his country's rule of law record, as per the CNN report. Later, the two nations softened their stance on Finland's accession. However, Hungary and Turkey continue to remain opposed to Sweden becoming part of NATO. On Monday, the Hungarian Parliament voted 182 to six in favour of Finland's application. On Wednesday, Hungarian government spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs said there was "an ample amount of grievances that need to be addressed" before Sweden's bid to join NATO would be approved by Hungary. (ANI) Doctors can inject Botox in places that aren't the face to treat a variety of medical conditions. Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty Images Botox is far from just a wrinkle-reducer. The neurotoxin relaxes your muscles, which can help a number of conditions like an overactive bladder and teeth grinding. Here are 10 unexpected places, like the eyes and vagina, doctors can inject Botox into to treat medical conditions. Botox isn't just for the face. Doctors inject Botox in many parts of the body, including some patients' feet and vaginas but for medical reasons, not to make them prettier. Botox is a brand name for the neurotoxin "botulinum toxin," which, when injected, prevents nerve signals from reaching the muscles. The blocked signal keeps muscles from contracting, which is why Botox keeps facial muscles from tensing up and creating wrinkles. But there's other muscles in the body that could use some neurotoxin-induced relaxing, particularly when they are causing other health problems. Botox in the bladder can help people who frequently need to pee; Botox in the jaw can keep you from grinding your teeth at night. Here are eight other surprising applications of Botox: Botox in your armpits is a common treatment for excessive sweating. Botox on the feet, armpits, and scalp can treat unwanted sweating. Getty Images Botox injected into the armpits and feet can help people who sweat too much and for no reason. The Food and Drug Administration has approved Botox to treat hyperhidrosis, the medical term for abnormal or excessive sweating not caused by heat and exercise. Hyperhidrosis is caused by the over-activity of the nerves that send signals to your sweat glands, and inflicts nearly 3% of Americans. "Sweating is controlled by glands that are wrapped in muscles so Botox touching these 'sweat gland muscles' will stop the production of sweat," Lesley Rabach, a board certified facial plastic surgeon at LM Medical, previously told Insider. Botox can be injected in any sweaty area, like the scalp, armpits, groin, hands, or feet. Botox can offer temporarily relief to people with an overactive bladder. A urologist can inject Botox into the bladder to help people who often feel a sudden urge to pee. Getty Images The FDA has approved Botox to treat overactive bladder (OAB), a common condition where the bladder walls contract frequently and at the wrong time causing people to feel sudden and difficult-to-control urges to pee, and might cause involuntary loss of urine. Story continues The condition afflicts one in 11 people in the US, and is more common among women and people over 65, Insider previously reported. Using a cystoscope, urologists inject Botox into the wall of your bladder, which should cause muscles to relax and contract less frequently, according to Cleveland Clinic. Though largely effective for people with OAB, Botox might not take effect until 12 weeks after the procedure and wears off after about six months. Botox can help kids and adults who suffer from excessive drooling, particularly when it's causing other problems. Botox injected straight into the salivary glands can prevent excessive drooling. Getty Images Botox can prevent drooling, particularly when it's becoming a health concern. Drooling is common among people with Parkinson's disease, a nervous system disorder that causes tremors and slow, imprecise movement. Verywell Health reported up to 78% of people with Parkinson's say they drool, possibly because the disease can make swallowing more challenging. Kids, too, can drool too much before oral-motor function is fully developed, per Royal Children's Hospital in the Australia. Aside from being uncomfortable and causing embarrassment, excess drooling can cause skin irritation, bad breath, and even pneumonia if accidentally ingested. For this application, a doctor injects Botox directly into the salivary glands to stop them from producing too much saliva, Verywell Health reported. The procedure is minimally invasive, but it might cause dry mouth and only lasts three to four months. Botox can treat a disease that causes cold hands. Doctors at the University of Chicago use Botox to treat a condition that causes cold hands. Getty Images Raynaud's disease, or Raynaud's phenomenon (RP), is when blood vessels in your fingers and toes narrow abnormally, causing the skin to turn white, numb, become cold, or swell. The sensation typically occurs when a person with Raynaud's disease is stressed or exposed to cold environments. There is no cure for Raynaud's disease, but studies, including one 15-person, 3-year trial, indicate Botox can reduce symptoms. The University of Chicago has injected people with Raynaud's disease in their hands, which paralyzes nearby muscles and allows blood vessels to become bigger and circulate blood more effectively. Some doctors treat a condition that causes painful sex with Botox. Botox may help people with vaginismus, though the FDA hasn't approved it as a treatment yet. Crystal Cox/Business Insider Vaginismus is a condition where muscles in the pelvic area contract involuntarily during vaginal penetration, causing extreme pain during sex and tampon insertion. Though the FDA hasn't approved using Botox for vaginismus, research suggests the injection can help people with the condition. As Insider previously reported, a comprehensive report published in 2017 in the journal Sexual Medicine found a combination of Botox, therapeutic counseling, and other treatments resulted in pain-free intercourse for 71% of the 241 participants. Botox might lessen acne and improve acne scars, but only temporarily. Botox can improve acne and acne scarring. av_antropov/Shutterstock Regular Botox injections might lessen acne by reducing the your face's ability to produce oil, Medical News Today reported. Botox injections can inhibit the growth of sebaceous glands, which produce an oily substance that coats and protects the skin. Too much of the substance can mix with dead skin cells and other dirt to block pores and cause acne. Botox might also help with acne scars, per Mayo Clinic, particularly when the skin around acne scars puckers or tightens up. Botox can relax the surrounding skin, but results last only a few months. Botox might help people who clench and grind their teeth. Injecting Botox to the muscles in your jaw can help alleviate teeth grinding. BUNDITINAY/Shutterstock The Atlantic reported that demand for Botox injections to the muscles in the jaw responsible for chewing increased during the pandemic. The injection can treat symptoms of bruxism, or teeth grinding, which afflicts one in five adults and can cause long-term enamel loss and receding gums. Like most every condition treated with Botox, the results are not permanent but they can work better than nightguards, which worsen teeth grinding for some users. Botox was actually approved to treat crossed-eyes before wrinkles. Ophthalmologists can inject Botox directly into the eye to help with misalignment. VCG / Contributor / Getty Images Believe it or not, the FDA approved Botox first as a treatment for strabismus, or when the eyes are misaligned. Doctors inject Botox directly into the eye muscle, per the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Though eyes can become misaligned again after 3 to 4 months, repeated treatments can cause the effect to last longer. In the 1990s, an ophthalmologist treating people with tight eyelid condition began noticing their wrinkles were going away, which led to dermatologists first using Botox off-label, Insider's Lydia Ramsey Pflanzer reported. Botox injections to the head and neck can treat migraines and stop muscle spasms. The FDA approved Botox injections to the head and neck as a treatment for migraines and a condition that causes involuntary head movement. peepo/Getty Images The head and neck popular sites for Botox injections, as the FDA has approved Botox in those areas to treat chronic migraines and cervical dystonia, a painful condition that causes your neck muscles to contract and jerk your head around. To treat migraines, Botox injections to the head and neck can weaken facial and scalp muscles, releasing tension that can cause migraines, Insider previously reported. Botox injections in the stomach are thought to help with weight loss, but researchers doubt the treatment is effective in the long-term. Botox injections in the stomach may keep the organ from contracting, slowing digestion. Brian Snyder/Reuters Botox injected into the stomach might help some patients lose weight. When injected into the stomach using an endoscope, Botox immobilizes the muscles of the stomach wall to prevent them from contracting, which keeps food in the stomach longer, slows digestion, and helps the patient feel full for longer, according to Johns Hopkins. Results after this treatment are mixed. A 2016 study of 20 people with obesity found most participants lost weight through Botox injects in the stomach, following three treatments over the course of 18 months. But a 2017 review of prior research, published by doctors at Weill Cornell, found no evidence stomach botox injections in patients with obesity leads to effective long-term weight loss. (AbbVie, the company that produces and sells Botox, did not respond to Insider's request for comment.) Read the original article on Insider Alexander Spatari/Getty Images Florida dominates the list of US cities that Americans want to relocate to, according to Redfin. Miami topped the list. Four other Florida cities, including Tampa and Orlando, made the top ten. Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Sacramento, California also attracted a lot of interest from Redfin users. Florida dominates the list of US cities that Americans are looking to relocate to, according to a report by Redfin. Miami was the most popular destination for Americans looking at property listings in a different metro area to where they currently lived, the report said. Four other Florida cities Tampa, Orlando, Cape Coral, and North Port-Sarasota also made it to the top ten. Overall, between December and February, the top five states homebuyers searched to move to were Florida, Texas, Arizona, Tennessee, and South Carolina, Redfin said. The top five metro areas were Miami, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Sacramento, California, Tampa. Listings in Miami, Tampa, and Orlando attracted more people from New York City than from any other city. Cape Coral and North Port-Sarasota, meanwhile, attracted the most people from Chicago. The report's findings backed trends established during the pandemic, with the rise in remote work driving people to move away from expensive office cities in favor of areas with low taxes, cheap housing, and a sunny climate. "Relatively affordable Sun Belt metros perennially top the list of places people are looking to move, due mainly to their comparatively cheap housing and warm weather," Redfin said in its report. "While homes in these places cost considerably more than pre-pandemic, they remain comparatively affordable," Redfin said in the report. "The typical home in most of the popular destinations is less expensive than the typical home in the top origins." It noted that, for example, the typical Miami home sold for $485,000 in February and the typical Phoenix home sold for $425,000, compared to $640,000 in New York City. Story continues Redfin based its findings on how many more of its users looked at listings between December and February for properties in an urban area than the number of people looking to leave. The data excludes rental listings and only includes people looking to buy homes. The top ten destinations for Americans looking to relocate outside their metro area, according to Redfin, are: Miami, Florida Phoenix, Arizona Las Vegas, Nevada Sacramento, California Tampa, Florida Orlando, Florida Cape Coral, Florida, Dallas, Texas North Port-Sarasota, Florida Houston, Texas Some people, however, are bucking the trend by moving out of the Sunshine State. Factors including low wages, the stifling heat, and dangerous critters are pushing people out of the state. One person previously told Insider that after a while the feeling that you're on vacation "wears off." She moved back to Virginia just five months after relocating to Florida. Climate change is also forcing people out of the state, with violent storms destroying homes in the Keys. Between July 1, 2020 and July 1, 2021, around 220,890 more people moved to Florida from elsewhere in the state, US Census estimates show. Florida the US' third-most populous state saw its population grow by 14.6% between 2010 and 2020, according to US Census data. This is double the rate of overall US population growth, and some critics argue that this rate could be unsustainable if the state isn't able to develop the infrastructure to support the huge inflows. Read the original article on Business Insider Andi Peters has praised ITVs daytime programming for championing diversity on screen in leading roles. On Tuesday (28 March), Peters was the recipient of a RTS Programme Award for Loose Men, a special all-male edition of daily chat show Loose Women. The episode aired in October to mark Black History Month, with Peters hosting alongside panellists Jordan Banjo, Ore Oduba and Shaun Wallace. Appearing on Good Morning Britain on Thursday (30 March), Peters showed off the award while praising ITV for their commitment to diversity on stage and joking that white presenters Susanna Reid and Richard Arnold were outnumbered. Can I just say one thing very quickly? he asked. I just think on ITV daytime, we have celebrated diversity. Look at the desk right now. Youre outnumbered. Doesnt happen all the time. There are three people of colour sitting at this desk right now. That is important for every single kid or young adult watching right now, who thinks, I want to work in television but theres never going to be an opportunity. Cant be what you cant see, Reid responded, with Peters continuing: This is the opportunity. Look at this desk right now. 10 years ago, it wouldnt have looked like that. I genuinely think ITV daytime have championed diversity on screen in leading roles. Congratulations to the #LooseMen on their Best Daytime RTS Award! @andipeters who was on the panel recalls how it felt winning the award as he praises ITV Daytime for celebrating diversity. @DiversityJordan | @OreOduba | @TheShaunWallace | @loosewomen pic.twitter.com/8l6ARPdEHx Good Morning Britain (@GMB) March 30, 2023 After receiving the award, Oduba said that Loose Men had totally changed my life, because without having the chance to talk about my issues that I was going through, I probably still would be dealing with them on my own. It gave us a platform that we could share The legacy of it, what it means for everyone who watched it, is really important. A person was pronounced dead, and at least four others were injured Wednesday night during a chain-reaction traffic accident in the Ashburn neighborhood, Chicago police said. Around 9:15 p.m., officers responded to an accident involving four vehicles in the 3600 block of West Columbus Avenue. Chicago Fire Department officials responded to a call of a high-speed crash on Columbus near 83rd Street. Advertisement The Fire Department sent at least five ambulances to the scene. Police said a black Nissan Frontier was traveling north on Columbus when it struck a black Mazda sedan head-on at 83rd Street. Advertisement An investigation revealed the Nissan was attempting to make a left turn. The driver of the Nissan was taken in serious condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. Two men in the Mazda were both taken in critical condition to Christ Medical Center where one of them was pronounced dead. A third vehicle involved in the crash contained two women who suffered minor injuries. Both were taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, and listed in fair condition, police said. The driver of a fourth vehicle suffered minor injuries after striking vehicles in the intersection. He was taken to the Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park and listed in good condition. As of Thursday morning no citations had been issued. The Major Accident Investigation Unit was investigating. Kate Winslet. Fred Duval, Ian Gavan/Getty Images While there are plenty of redheaded celebrities out there, not all of them are natural. Having naturally red hair is very rare, which is why some celebs choose to go red to stand out. Amy Adams has said that dyeing her hair red helped her stand out from all the blondes in Hollywood. Being a redhead instantly makes you stand out from the crowd less than 2% of the world's population has the gene. A redhead. Edward Berthelot/Getty Images While being a blonde is also rare (4% of American adults are naturally blonde), one in three women dye their hair blonde. These 13 celebrities dyed their hair red for personal or professional reasons such as for a role but have become known for their auburn hair. Keep scrolling to see which iconic redheads are actually blonde. Emma Stone first became known as a redhead in movies like "Superbad" and "Easy A," but in reality she's naturally blonde. Emma Stone. Steve Granitz, Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images According to Stone's longtime colorist Tracey Cunningham, the reason that Stone wears red so well is that she "looks like a redhead," she told Refinery29. "I think there's something about those genetics that make the red shade look so gorgeous with her skin tone and her eyes." Julia Roberts has been every color under the sun, but first became America's Sweetheart with her red curls in "Pretty Woman" and "My Best Friend's Wedding." Julia Roberts. Barry King, Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Roberts' natural hair, in her own words, is "kind of a dark blonde." But in two of her most beloved roles, she rocked auburn curls. Bella Thorne has said that going back to her natural blonde hair makes her cry. Bella Thorne. TheStewartofNY/Getty Images; Michael Tran/FilmMagic/Getty Images "A lot of people don't know I'm not actually a redhead," Thorne told Allure in 2014. "I'm a blonde. I dyed it for 'Big Love.' It started off more of a deep red, and Disney was like, 'Why don't we take Bella all the way to blonde again?' I don't know why, but I had a breakdown and so overreacted. I wanted to go back to red." These days, she's basically a hair chameleon. Christina Hendricks began dyeing her hair red before "Mad Men," but it became part of her character's identity. Story continues Christina Hendricks. Jason LaVeris/Getty Images In 2015, after almost two decades as a redhead, Hendricks left behind her fire-engine-red hair, according to People. "It reminds me of when I was a kid half my life I was blonde. It's a bit nostalgic and there's this sort of youthful feeling about it to me," she told People. She's since returned to a more fiery shade. Sophie Turner dyed her hair red to play Sansa Stark, but she's a natural icy blonde. Sophie Turner. Jason Merritt, Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images At one point, Turner was dyeing her hair twice a week to make sure no blonde strands were peeking out while filming "Game of Thrones," but after a few years switched to red wigs. "With my red, I feel very empowered, because with every character that I've played that has red hair, they've been such a strong and powerful character. I love it for that," Turner told Refinery29. Amy Adams credits part of her initial success to switching from blonde to red when she moved to Hollywood. Amy Adams. John Phillips, J. Vespa/Getty Images "The minute I went red, it was like, 'quirky' instead of flirtatious and dumb. It was really fascinating to see just one element of yourself change people's perception and that became a very powerful tool for me, even in my acting," she said in 2016, according to Allure. Gillian Anderson dyed her hair red for her role in "The X-Files." Gillian Anderson. SGranitz, John Phillips/Getty Images For the 2015 revival, however, Anderson wore a wig, although not by choice. She told EW in 2015 that she "was really looking forward" to dyeing her hair Scully-approved red, but her hair stylist told her that she was "risking a catastrophe" if she went red for the summer. Cynthia Nixon's iconic red hair did not come naturally during "Sex and the City." Cynthia Nixon. Evan Agostini, Walter McBride/Getty Images "I am not a redhead, I'm a blonde," Nixon told Marie Claire in 2010, when she appeared on the red carpet for "Sex and the City 2." "Right now, this isn't my natural blonde color. I had to dye it in order to get the red out of it," she continued. Deborah Ann Woll first hit it big as a redhead, but more recently she's embraced her natural blonde tresses. Deborah Ann Woll. Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images for AFI; Jonathan Leibson/WireImage/Getty Images Woll appeared on "True Blood" with red hair until the show's end in 2014, though she had started dyeing her hair red years before. "As a fair-skinned blonde, I disappeared into the background. I've always been a loner, so I suppose dyeing my hair red was a way to say, 'I'm here, I exist, I'm a human being and you can't just push me aside,'" she told Elle in 2009. Kirsten Dunst played one of the most iconic redheads of all time when she starred as Mary Jane Watson in the first "Spider-Man" trilogy. Kirsten Dunst. James Devaney, Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images Dunst told Lucky Magazine in 2011 that she attracts "a different kind of boy when my hair's red. I get more quality men like a more thoughtful, nerdy dude," according to Hollywood Life. Kate Winslet's breakout role was the redheaded Rose in "Titanic," but that's not her natural shade. Kate Winslet. Fred Duval, Ian Gavan/Getty Images According to InStyle, "It was quite damaged from all those water scenes and from re-dyeing it red so many times," said Winslet. Brittany Snow rocked red hair for the "Pitch Perfect" movies, but she wasn't a fan. Brittany Snow. Rob Kim, Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images Snow told Yahoo! Style that she identifies as a blonde, though she's most famous for her redheaded character in "Pitch Perfect." She says red is her least favorite shade. "I think my least favorite hair color was the hair color that I had in 'Pitch Perfect 2.' They really wanted me to be dark red and I wanted to be lighter like I was in the first movie, but they didn't want that. But I rocked some light red for a year, after it faded," she said. Lucy Boynton looks totally different with her two hair colors. Lucy Boynton. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images; Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images The "Bohemian Rhapsody" star debuted her new look on the red carpet for the Netflix film "The Pale Blue Eye" in December 2022. "It's all about COPPER and I'm LOVING this look," her hairstylist Mark William Selley wrote on Instagram. In another post he wrote, "Obsessed with this look sometimes a little change is what's needed." Read the original article on Insider From Curtis Sittenfeld's 'Romantic Comedy' to David Grann's 'The Wager,' these are the best new books to read this month. Credit - April is a month for the memoir, it seems: Maggie Smiths lyrical You Could Make This Place Beautiful illustrates the end of a marriage and the beginning of a new chapter. Nicole Chungs A Living Remedy recounts her parents deaths and the inequalities inherent in American society. And Ava Chins Mott Street takes the reader along as the author unearths her own hidden family history in Manhattans Chinatown. Beloved fiction writers also return this month: Gayl Jones is back with Butter, a collection of luminous short stories, and a posthumous translation of Izumi Suzukis work, titled Hit Parade of Tears, embraces the weird and the wonderful. Here, the best new books to read this April. A Living Remedy, Nicole Chung (April 4) TIME contributor Nicole Chungs second memoir dovetails with her first, All You Can Ever Know, which was published in 2018. While best seller All You Can Ever Know recounts Chungs search for her birth parents, Korean immigrants in Seattle, A Living Remedy details how she coped with the successive deaths of her adoptive parents, a white couple from rural Oregon. In 2018, Chungs father died of diabetes and kidney disease at age 67. Less than a year later, her mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and later died during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. A Living Remedy lambasts the American health care systemand its lack of equitable accesswhile gently unpacking Chungs heavy grief. Buy Now: A Living Remedy on Bookshop | Amazon Enter Ghost, Isabella Hammad (April 4) The title of Isabella Hammads anticipated second novel (following The Parisian in 2019) is a play on a stage direction from Hamlet. It can also be read to mirror protagonist Sonia Nasirs homecoming to Palestine after leaving her failed marriage behind in London. Sonia visits her older sister, Haneen, and meets Haneens friend, the spirited theater director Mariam. Soon, Sonia has joined Mariams production of Hamlet alongside a troupe of actors from across historic Palestine, and before she knows it, shes playing a lead role. Enter Ghost offers an example of its own themes, using art to illuminate lifeand tenacityunder occupation. Story continues Buy Now: Enter Ghost on Bookshop | Amazon Butter: Novellas, Stories, and Fragments, Gayl Jones (April 4) A year ago, Gayl Jones novel Palmaresher first in two decadeswas a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize. Now, shes back with her second collection of short fiction, including two novellas and 10 stories. The titular novella chronicles a reunion between a British war photographer and her mixed-race daughter, a photographer in her own right, as the latter prepares to photograph the former. The other novella, Sophia, follows a narrator by the same name as she leaves the U.S. for Spain, where she remembers her time among leftist revolutionaries in Mexico. Butter tells singing stories of characters navigating multiracial, multicultural societies. Buy Now: Butter: Novellas, Stories, and Fragments on Bookshop | Amazon The Lost Wife, Susanna Moore (April 4) Susanna Moores eighth novel, set in 1855, follows 25-year-old Sarah Browne as she flees an abusive husband in Rhode Island and heads west to the Minnesota Territory, where she hopes to find a childhood friend. By the time she arrives, her friend has died, and Sarah must start fresh. She quickly does so, marrying the town physician, having two children, and befriending the women on the nearby Sioux reservation. When the Sioux Uprising of 1862 eruptsafter the federal government never fulfills its promise of payments to the tribeSarah and her children are captured, but protected by the Sioux. Sarah sympathizes with her captors, and slips into the gap between her two worlds. In envisioning the tribes plight, The Lost Wife illustrates the devastating outcomes of oppression. Buy Now: The Lost Wife on Bookshop | Amazon Romantic Comedy, Curtis Sittenfeld (April 4) Curtis Sittenfield follows 2020s Rodham, an alternate history of Hillary Clintons life, with a rom-com novel aptly titled Romantic Comedy. In it, we meet 36-year-old Sally Milz, a writer for The Night Owls, a late-night sketch comedy show clearly based on Saturday Night Live. Sally has given up on love, settling into a comfortable routine with her career instead. Enter: pop star Noah Brewster, a musical guest and host on the show, who upends Sallys understanding of romance and social hierarchy. Surrounded by average-looking men on the show who keep dating standout women, Sally always assumed the reverse would never happen for women. Now, shes not so sure that double standard exists at all. Buy Now: Romantic Comedy on Bookshop | Amazon The People Who Report More Stress, Alejandro Varela (April 4) After becoming a 2022 finalist for a National Book Award for his debut book, The Town of Babylon, Alejandro Varela is back with a collection of interconnected short stories, The People Who Report More Stress. The titular stressed-out people are those who live on the margins, treated as peripheral. In Midtown-West Side Story, thats Alvaro, a struggling restaurant worker who turns to selling stolen luxury clothing to provide for his family. In The Man in 512, its Manny, who takes care of the children of a privileged Swedish family. These stories artfully pinpoint the inequities within American society and highlight the frustration inherent in being unable to adequately address them. Buy Now: The People Who Report More Stress on Bookshop | Amazon Life and Other Love Songs, Anissa Gray (April 11) This rhythmic novel, by The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls author Anissa Gray, hinges on the disappearance of Ozro Armstead on his 37th birthday. Ozro leaves behind his wife, Deborah, and daughter, Trinity, as well as his brother, Tommy, and mother, Pearl. The cause of his sudden absence remains murky as time creeps on, both for the family and for the nation at large. Slowly, Deborah and Trinity piece together their livesand a fuller portrait of who Ozro might have been. Life and Other Love Songs explores one familys reckoning with the social and political factors that drove them first to Detroit and then to New York as part of the Great Migration. Buy Now: Life and Other Love Songs on Bookshop | Amazon You Could Make This Place Beautiful, Maggie Smith (April 11) You Could Make This Place Beautiful, the title of Maggie Smiths sixth book, is also the last line of her poem Good Bones, which went viral eight years ago. The title of that poem, in turn, refers to how realtors describe rundown housesand how Smith describes the world to her children, despite its many flaws. Smiths children reappear in this new memoir, which documents the unraveling of her marriage and the hurt that follows. In telling that story, Smith unveils a heartbreaking portrait of womanhood and rocky, gendered power dynamics in even the most liberal of households. Buy Now: You Could Make This Place Beautiful on Bookshop | Amazon Breakup: A Marriage in Wartime, Anjan Sundaram (April 11) An unconventional memoir, given its twin settings, Breakup: A Marriage in Wartime is a firsthand account of ethnic cleansing in the Central African Republicand the irreparable personal damage wrought by the authors choice to report on it. Shortly after the birth of his first child, Anjan Sundaramwho previously wrote the memoirs Stringer (2013) and Bad News (2016)decided to fly to Africa to resume his career as a wartime correspondent. While there, he documented details of the conflict, from mass graves to everyday heroes. When he returned home, though, he found his marriage in tatters, and reckoned with weighing professional calling over familial duty. Buy Now: Breakup: A Marriage in Wartime on Bookshop | Amazon Hit Parade of Tears, Izumi Suzuki (April 11) Japanese writer and actress Izumi Suzuki is back, nearly four decades after her death. Her latest collection to be published in English comprises 11 short stories translated by Sam Bett, David Boyd, Daniel Joseph, and Helen OHoran. Suzukis work is richly steeped in science fiction, fantasy, and 70s counterculture. In one piece, a woman with newfound magical powers teaches her wayward husband a lasting lesson. In another, a Tokyo high-rise fills with salmon roethe byproduct of a time warp. Throughout, Suzuki empathizes with those who feel alien, other, or ostracizedespecially women and girls battling patriarchy and misogyny. Buy Now: Hit Parade of Tears on Bookshop | Amazon The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder, David Grann (April 18) Its hard to believe that The Wagerwritten by the author of The Lost City of Z and Killers of the Flower Moonis a true story. David Grann tells the riveting tale of the British ship the Wager, which embarked from England on a secret mission against Spain in 1740. Two years later, 30 ragged men from the Wager landed ashore in Brazil. Six months after that, three more Wager sailors washed up in Chile. The two groups accused each other of mutiny, eventually going on trial in England. The Wager reads like a thriller, tackling a multilayered historyand imperialismwith gusto. Buy Now: The Wager on Bookshop | Amazon Biting the Hand: Growing Up Asian in Black and White America, Julia Lee (April 18) This unfiltered memoir is a far cry from Julia Lees other books: two works of academic criticism and a romance novel published under a pen name. In Biting the Hand, Lee explains how writers like James Baldwin and Toni Morrison guided her toward evaluating where her identity and upbringing as a Korean American in Los Angeles fit into Americas racial stratification. The 1992 Los Angeles riots, which took place when Lee was 15, opened her eyes to the privilege she held. Asian Americans are the beneficiaries and the victims of white supremacy, she writes, but we have a choice. We can uphold the power structure or we can dismantle it. Buy Now: Biting the Hand on Bookshop | Amazon Mott Street: A Chinese American Familys Story of Exclusion and Homecoming, Ava Chin (April 25) In this vivid memoir, Ava Chin, a fifth-generation Chinese American and the only child of a single mother, searches for her father. Once she finds him, she goes on to discover a six-story building on Mott Street in Manhattans Chinatown that, over time, was home to multiple generations from both sides of her family. In the pages of Mott Street, Chin masterfully braids together the roots of her own family tree with the history of Chinese marginalization in Americaspecifically, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which was only repealed during World War II, forcing migrants like her family members to forge new identities. Buy Now: Mott Street on Bookshop | Amazon Monsters: A Fans Dilemma, Claire Dederer (April 25) In a realm beyond cancel culture, full of nuance and necessary questions, lies this book of criticism and memoir by essayist Claire Dederer. Monsters further develops the ideas raised in What Do We Do with the Art of Monstrous Men?, Dederers viral 2017 essay in the Paris Review. From Hemingway to Picasso to Miles Davis, the author grapples with artists who have been accused of monstrous things and asks whether we canor shouldseparate their art from their acts. The way you consume art doesnt make you a bad person, or a good one, she posits. Youll have to find some other way to accomplish that. Buy Now: Monsters on Bookshop | Amazon A 15-foot red spoon statue vanished from an Arizona Dairy Queen just three weeks after it opened. Don & Melinda Crawford/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images A 15-foot red spoon statue vanished from a Dairy Queen in Phoenix just three weeks after it opened. The store's owner told Fox Business its manager called the police after being unable to spot the statue. Whoever returns the spoon will get free Blizzards as a reward, the owner said. A 15-foot red statue of a spoon has disappeared from outside a newly-opened Dairy Queen restaurant in Phoenix, Arizona, and its owners are offering free ice creams to whoever helps track it down. The spoon disappeared from outside the store last week between Friday evening and Saturday morning, Phoenix Police Department public information officer Sgt. Brian Bower told Insider. Raman Kalra, who owns the store along with his wife, told Fox Business that the location had only opened on March 6, "and we were all excited," with lots of people taking pictures with the spoon. Kalra told the outlet that after noticing the statue was nowhere to be seen, the store's manager had driven round the neighborhood "to see if somebody just left it around there" and had called the police after being unable to find it. Whoever returns the spoon can have a Blizzard in each flavor from Dairy Queen's summer menu as a reward, Kalra said. "The whole neighborhood is waiting for it to come back," he added. Bower told Insider on Thursday that no suspects had yet been identified. Dairy Queen told Fox Business that the giant red spoons only adorn the exterior of restaurants built or renovated in recent years. Dairy Queen restaurants built or renovated in recent years feature giant red spoons on their exterior. Dairy Queen Kalra said that he and his wife owned 34 Dairy Queen stores, but only two had spoon statues outside and this figure has now been reduced to one. "I'm pretty sure it was the first one in Arizona," he said. Read the original article on Business Insider A fleet of Lafayette police SUVs parked in front of a Romney Meadows Apartment in the 500 block of Westchester Lane on Tuesday, March, 28, 2023. A 1-year-old child was shot and killed inside one of the apartments. LAFAYETTE, Ind. Police in Indiana are investigating the death of a 16-month-old boy shot by his 5-year-old sibling, who found a gun in a Lafayette apartment, this week. Tippecanoe County Coroner Carrie Costello said Isiah Johnson died in the incident. Wednesday's autopsy determined the boy died from one gunshot wound. The manner of death, however, is pending completion of the police investigation and toxicology reports, Costello said. The boy's 5-year-old sibling got a hold of a handgun inside the apartment and and shot Johnson, according to a Lafayette police news release published late Tuesday. No arrests have been made as of Wednesday morning, police said. Nation: 9 soldiers dead after two Army Black Hawk helicopters crash during training in Kentucky USA TODAY Investigations: A popular, but noxious, piping fix is sickening people. And it's throughout America's sewers. The case remains under investigation, police said. When finished, the case will be sent to the prosecutor's office for review to determine if charges might be filed. Police received a 911 call about the shooting about 3 p.m. Tuesday, police said. A Lafayette police SUV is parked behind an apartment in the 500 block of Westchester Lane in Romney Meadows Apartments on Tuesday, March 28, 2023. A 1-year-old child was shot and killed inside an apartment behind the police tape. "There was one adult and two children inside the apartment," Lafayette police Lt. Matt Gard said. The 911 call reporting a child not breathing came from someone outside of the apartment, Gard said. "When I arrived on scene, I don't believe any life-saving measures were taken," Gard said. Lafayette is located about 60 miles north of Indianapolis. What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day. Follow Ron Wilkins on Twitter: @RonWilkins2. This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: 5-year-old fatally shoots 16-month-old sibling in Indiana apartment Seventeen towering palm trees in Beauforts most well-known park will likely need to be removed and replaced but the city is awaiting a report from an expert to confirm the prognosis before proceeding. The trees, which are Washingtonia palms, are located in Waterfront Park, home to the citys most prominent festivals and a tourist Mecca. Unfortunately theyve become diseased and those are prone to pass the disease from one tree to another and now all 17 of our trees are pretty well gone, City Manager Scott Marshall said of the Washingtonia palms. Were having that confirmed in writing by an arborist and were waiting on a written report. Once we get that written report we anticipate that we will need to go ahead and take those trees out for safety reasons. Michael Murphy, a local arborist, will be inspecting the trees for the city on Friday. The health issues of the trees is definitely weather-related, Murphy said. These trees, they are marginal at best because of the lack of cold hardiness, Murphy told the Beaufort Gazette and Island Packet. This is what happens to them when we get these periodic freezes that we always get. The particularly harsh cold snap in December killed hundreds of Washingtonian palms across the region, Murphy said. The city Beaufort is waiting on an arborist report to confirm that several Washingtonia palm trees will need to be removed from Waterfront Park. The fronds or leaves of the palms are faded or falling off the trees at Waterfront Park. Several Washingtonian palms are located near the parks pavilion. Others are located near the day dock. Washingtonia robusta, known by the common name as the Mexican fan palm, is not native to South Carolina. A city tree committee has recommended that the Washingtonians, if removed, be replaced with Sabal palmetto trees, the state tree of South Carolina and a native, said Marshall, who updated the City Council on the situation Tuesday. The Sabal palmetto the popular name is cabbage palmetto has appeared on the state seal since the Revolutionary War and on the state flag since 1861. We want to go ahead and get those replaced as soon as we can, Marshall said of the Washingtonia palms. Weve got a lot of events coming up this summer. Wed like the park to look nice. Story continues With views of the Beaufort River and Woods Memorial Bridge, Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park in downtown Beaufort serves as both a local marina and gathering spot for visitors and locals alike. Its the location of several festivals and events throughout the year. The city is awaiting a report from an arborist on several Washingtonia palm trees in Waterfront Park that are in tough shape. The city may remove the trees and replace them with native Sabal palmetto trees. Once the city receives the arborists report, it will let the public know which trees are affected and where, and what the timeline is for removal and replacement, said Kathleen Williams, a city spokesperson. Washingtonia palms were advertised as a new landscaping choice several years ago, Murphy said. The problem is they can grow very large quickly and are more susceptible to extreme cold, he said. Our Sabals can take every bit of freezing that happens here and they come out looking like a champ, Murphy said. Some community architectural review boards and gated communities have since recommend against planting Washingtonias, which have a more tender growing point that hasnt adapted to cold weather, Murphy said. They are kind of on everybodys everybody who is doing their homework hit list, he said. An ancient public cemetery filled with tombs and cultural relics was unearthed in China, archaeologists say. Experts with the Baoji Municipal Institute of Archaeology said they discovered 77 tombs 45 of which date to the Western Zhou dynasty and 328 cultural relics, including porcelain, pottery and bronze and jade items. The institute said the site, known as the Dongshahe West Road cemetery, was a public cemetery during the Western Zhou dynasty which lasted from 1046 B.C. until 771 B.C. according to Britannica. Archaeologists determined the cemeterys age based on the tomb shape, burial style and writing on the tombs. Among the relics were painted pottery, jade used for religious ceremonies and a bronze disk used in astronomy, experts said. Aspects of the relics show a resemblance to other cultures throughout China at the time, indicating a significant degree of cultural expansion. Cultural expansion and migration in ancient China The Zhou people were not believed to have crossed paths with any ancient cultures located in the east, according to established migration routes, but the newly discovered artifacts indicate otherwise, experts said. For example, some of the pottery pots unearthed at the cemetery resemble patterns that are present on pottery from the Dawenkou culture, the institute said. The Dawenkou culture was a Chinese Neolithic culture that existed from 4500 B.C. until 2700 B.C, according to Britannica. Patterns found in the potterys design resembled patterns used by other cultures, including the Dawenkou culture, the institute said. A bronze xuanji which was a device used for astronomy also resembled Dawenkou culture, drawing a cultural connection between the Western Zhou site, archaeologist Xue Feng told the Global Times. Xuanji ornaments were used by emperors to observe celestial phenomena, experts said. There were also connections found to the Liangzhu culture another Neolithic state that existed from about 3,300 B.C. until 2,300 B.C. on Chinas southeastern coast at the site, the institute said. As cultural expansion took place in China, relics like this jade cong became more widespread, the team said. A jade cong discovered at the Western Zhou site has Liangzhu origins and is another example of the westward expansion of ancient Chinese culture. Cong were used in religious ceremonies, according to the Global Times. Story continues The Liangzhu culture expanded northward to meet the Dawenkou culture, and the Dawenkou culture further expanded westward, Hu Wanglin, an associate researcher at the Baoji Institute of Archaeology, told the Global Times. The jade cong unearthed from the tomb in Baoji shows Chinese cultures westward development. Google Translate and Baidu Translate were used to translate news releases from the Institute of Archaeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. 4,000-year-old city along Chinese river is a breakthrough for understanding ancient life Trove of Chinese pottery from more than 1,000 years ago unearthed in tomb. Take a look 800-year-old brick tomb unearthed in China. Look at the elegant burial for three A North Carolina couple was arrested on drug and child cruelty charges after deputies pulled them over and found a 6-month-old baby in the car unrestrained and drugs in the car. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Towns County deputies said they were doing a routine safety check in the Gumlog area on March 23 when a K-9 alerted on a vehicle. Amber Lynn Rogers, 27, and Brett Andrew McCray, 32, were in the car. The couple is from North Carolina. TRENDING STORIES: Deputies searched the car and confiscated methamphetamine. The car also tested positive for fentanyl and marijuana. They also found a six-month-old baby who was not in a car seat. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Both Rogers and McCray were charged with several felony drug charges and felony cruelty to children. The baby was turned over to family members. A Black Hawk military helicopter. guvendemir/Getty Images A pair of US military helicopters crashed into each other over Kentucky on Wednesday night. An Army statement said that the incident had occurred during a "routine training mission." Nine soldiers were killed in the incident, a US Army official confirmed to Insider. A pair of US military helicopters crashed into each other over Kentucky on Wednesday night, killing all nine soldiers aboard, a US Army official confirmed. The two HH60 Black Hawk helicopters collided at around 10 p.m., the US Army Fort Campbell base said in a statement to Insider early Thursday. It said the flights were part of a "routine training mission." A spokesperson for the 101st Airborne Division confirmed to Insider on Thursday morning that nine of their soldiers all of whom were based at Fort Campbell were killed in the crash. The two helicopters which were medical evacuation variants were flying a training progression in "multi-ship formation" under night-vision goggles, a US Army official told reporters at a press conference on Thursday. One helicopter was carrying five soldiers during the mission, and the other held four. The official said it's believed that the accident occurred when the helicopters were flying, not during medical evacuation drills. He added that after the accident, the helicopters crashed into an open field across from a residential area. A safety team from Fort Rucker in Alabama is on its way to Kentucky to investigate the crash, the official added, noting that the team is expected to arrive at some point on Thursday. It is not immediately clear what led to the incident. "Everything we do, safety is integrated into this," the official said. "When we do any training but especially aviation training they do very, very detailed planning, very detailed rehearsals." "Safety is a primary focus for us," he added. After the crash, the 101st Airborne Division quickly confirmed that there were several casualties and said it was focused on "caring" for the service members and their families. Story continues Kentucky politicians, including the state's governor Andy Beshear and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, wrote on social media asking for prayers in support of the soldiers involved. "Kentucky, join me in praying for our service members and their families after an incident at Fort Campbell last night. @GovAndyBeshear is traveling there now, and we will share more information as available," the state's Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman tweeted Thursday morning. The division is based at southeastern Kentucky's Fort Campbell, which is located in Trigg County along the Kentucky-Tennessee border, about an hour's drive from Nashville. The 101st airborne is the only specialized air-assault division in the US Army and has in recent years been deployed in operations in Iraq and Syria. According to the US Army, the H60 is used in assaults, medical evacuations and special operations and can carry around 11 people. Read the original article on Insider Two firefighters were seriously injured early Wednesday when they were struck by a minivan while responding to a vehicle crash on Highway 101 in Gaviota, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. Six other people were injured and taken to area hospitals, fire Capt. Scott Safechuck said. The initial crash, a single-vehicle rollover with minor injuries, happened at about 5:15 a.m. in the southbound lanes near the Highway 1 off-ramp. About 25 minutes later, a Nissan Quest driven by Modesta Zaragoza, 46, of Santa Maria approached the crash scene at an unsafe speed for roadway conditions, according to CHP Officer Michael Griffith. Zaragoza lost control of the vehicle, which traveled across the left-hand lane into a left-turn lane, then veered to the right while rotating clockwise, Griffith said. The minivan then traveled onto the right highway shoulder, where CHP officers and fire personnel were standing. Two firefighters, a captain and an engineer from Station 31 in Buellton, were standing on the side of the highway when they were struck by the minivan, Safechuck told Noozhawk. The minivan continued onto the dirt shoulder and overturned, the CHP said. Both firefighters suffered moderate to major injuries, and were taken to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital one by AMR ambulance and the other by a county Air Support Unit helicopter. Their names were not released. The fire captain was reported in serious but stable condition Wednesday afternoon in an intensive care unit, while the engineer was treated and released, Safechuck said. Zaragoza and three passengers in her vehicle sustained minor injuries. One patient with minor to moderate injuries was taken by ambulance to Cottage, and four patients with minor injuries were transported to Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria. A CHP officer sustained minor injuries when he dove out of the way of the minivan, Griffith said, and was taken to Santa Ynez Cottage Hospital. Its unknown whether Zaragoza was cited after the crash. Story continues The southbound Highway 101 lanes were reopened around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday after being closed for hours between Buellton and Gaviota. Check the Caltrans Quickmap for highway condition updates. Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com . Nine U.S. military members have died after a crash involving two military helicopters in Western Kentucky Wednesday, according to officials with the military. The crash happened in Trigg County and was reported at approximately 10 p.m., according to military officials. It involved two HH60 Black Hawk Helicopters that were performing a routine training mission, military officials said. Today is a tough and tragic day for Kentucky, for Fort Campbell, for the 101st, said Gov. Andy Beshear, who was in attendance for a press conference outside the 101st Airborne Division. The Marshall County Rescue Squad, which assisted at the scene of the incident, reported that nine soldiers were killed in the crash. The number of deaths was further confirmed by military officials during a press conference Thursday morning. The command is currently focused on caring for its servicemembers and their families, officials said. What to know about Fort Campbell. Kentucky military base is home to rare air assault unit Investigators have arrived on scene Maj. Daniel Mathews with the 101st Airborne Division told the Herald-Leader Friday morning that a U.S. Army aviation safety team from Fort Rucker, Ala., arrived on scene Thursday night. The team plans to conduct a thorough investigation of the incident, Army officials said previously. Mathews also provided more context on the crash, saying that four helicopters were participating in the training exercise when two of them crashed. One helicopter had stopped to refuel when the crash occurred. The fourth helicopter wasnt involved in the crash, but landed and made efforts to rescue victims of the crash before calling out for help, Mathews said. Soldiers were conducting training when crash occurred The helicopters were flying in multi-ship formation under night-vision goggles when the crash occurred, according to Brig. Gen. John Lucas, deputy commander for 101st Airborne Division. The Black Hawk aircraft were a form of medical evacuation helicopters. Story continues Lucas said they dont believe the helicopters were performing medical evacuation drills when the crash occurred. There were no signals for distress prior to the crash. Five soldiers occupied one helicopter while four other soldiers occupied the second helicopter. Lucas said thats routine for the training exercise they were conducting. There were no survivors from the crash, Lucas said, and the crash happened in an open field. An Army aviation safety team from Fort Rucker, Ala., will conduct a thorough investigation into the accident, Army officials said. All of the victims were based in Fort Campbell with the 101st Airborne Division, according to Lucas. The identities of the victims were still withheld Thursday morning, as the Army was still working to notify family members. Lucas said no one was transported to the hospital from the scene of the crash. Beshear said he would be in Fort Campbell to support service members and their families. First responders assess the scene of a military helicopter crash in Trigg County on March 29, 2023. Military officials reported there were several casualties due to the incident. We will share more information as available. Please pray for all those affected, Beshear said. Weve got some tough news out of Fort Campbell, with early reports of a helicopter crash and fatalities are expected. @kystatepolice, @KentuckyEM and local officials are responding. We will share more information as available. Please pray for all those affected. Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) March 30, 2023 Since 2018, there have been an average of seven aviation flight mishaps per year, according to the Army. An average of five servicemen per year are killed in those incidents. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said he was devastated to learn about the helicopter crash. My team is in contact with the Army and authorities on the ground. Please pray for our servicemembers and their families as we learn more, McConnell said in a tweet. I am devastated to learn about the Army helicopter accident over Kentucky involving our brave 101st Airborne. My team is in contact with the Army and authorities on the ground. Please pray for our servicemembers and their families as we learn more. Leader McConnell (@LeaderMcConnell) March 30, 2023 Kentucky State Police and Kentucky Emergency Management responded to the scene, according to Beshear. State police said theyre working with U.S. Army officials to assess the scene. We can confirm two aircraft from the 101st were involved in an accident last night resulting in serveral casualties. Right now the focus is on the Soldiers and their families who were involved. pic.twitter.com/eG5ndWVvbT 101st Airborne Div. (@101stAASLTDIV) March 30, 2023 Retired lieutenant general: Night vision goggles present challenges In an interview with CNN, Retired Lt. General Mark Hertling said a number of factors could have contributed to the crash, including the night vision goggles. Hertling said Wednesday evenings moonlight was satisfactory, but seeing through the night vision goggles can still be challenging. The problem is its a limited scope of being able to see, because youre literally reduced to the two soda straws of your binoculars, Hertling said. Hertling mentioned that a wire or tree strike strike couldve contributed to the crash. Hertling also said the two aircraft couldve hit each other. This is a developing story and will be updated. Nashville police Officer Rex Engelbert body camera footage of police responding to a shooting at The Covenant School, March 27, 2023. (Metropolitan Nashville Police Department) One of the police officers who stopped the shooter who killed six people at The Covenant School in Nashville on Monday morning is from Chicago. And those who know Rex Engelbert including his brother, who called him a gentle giant were not surprised to learn of his heroics. Advertisement Engelbert, an officer with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, was part of the five-person team that entered the small, private Christian school just south of downtown Nashville after receiving an active shooter call about 10:15 a.m., police spokesperson Don Aaron told The Associated Press. Hearing shots being fired on the second floor of the building, two officers opened fire in response, killing the shooter about 10:27 a.m. [ What we know about the Nashville Christian school shooting ] According to the department, those officers were Engelbert and Michael Collazo. Advertisement The person who killed the six people three of whom were students was identified by police as 28-year-old Audrey Hale. MNPD Officers Rex Engelbert, a 4-year veteran, and Michael Collazo, a 9-year veteran, were part of a team of first responders to the Covenant campus Mon morning. They fired on the active shooter, who was killed. This is their body camera footage. https://t.co/17qsZM6bNp pic.twitter.com/g4b0nMTFRD Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) March 28, 2023 The incident was captured on bodycam video, which was released by Nashville police. Engelbert grew up in the citys Forest Glen neighborhood. He attended Queen of All Saints School in Sauganash and graduated in 2010. Emily Carlson, Queen of All Saints principal, referred to him as a police hero in a statement she released. We are proud of Officer Engelberts response to the tragedy in Nashville, Carlson said. His career as a police officer and his response to yesterdays horrific events exemplify Queen of All Saints school creed, which encourages students to act with charity, putting others above themselves. Queen of All Saints teachers, Stacia Kuchuris and Sherry Penkala, remember Rex as a kind, respectful student from a faithful, community focused family. The Queen of All Saints community joins the nation in prayer for the Nashville school community as well as all first responders. Metro Nashville Police Department Officer Rex Engelbert, a four-year veteran, was part of a team of first responders to the Covenant campus on March 27, 2023. The officers shot and killed the shooter. (Metro Nashville Police Department) Following his time at Queen of All Saints, Engelbert attended Loyola Academy in Wilmette. He graduated in 2014. We recognize the important role Loyola Academy alumnus Rex Engelbert, (Class of) 14, played in the quick response to this tragic situation and pray for him and all our first responders who are called to a life of service to others every day, the school said in a statement released by spokesperson Lynn Eagan. Advertisement Loyola Academy joins the nation in mourning the tragic loss of life at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, the statement said. Our community stands wholly against violence. May our prayers, and the prayers of so many, be a source of strength and comfort for the families who are experiencing unimaginable loss. We stand in solidarity with The Covenant School community, first responders, and law enforcement officers who acted swiftly and courageously to save lives. According to a Nashville Police Department tweet, Engelbert has been with the department for four years. Engelberts older brother, Kevin, said Rex has always been a gentle giant and compassionate toward neighbors and friends. He said his brothers courage likely comes from their mother, who taught her children to always be brave. Kevin Engelbert said hes nothing but proud of his brother. Advertisement Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > His bravery was shown in his actions, Kevin Engelbert told the Tribune. I wouldnt expect anything less. Video from Rex Engelberts bodycam shows a woman telling police outside the school that the children were locked down, but we have two kids that we dont know where they are. Three officers armed with rifles, including Engelbert, search rooms one by one, according to the video. Officers are shown climbing stairs to the second floor and entering a lobby area. A barrage of gunfire follows and an officer twice yells, Get your hands away from the gun. Then the shooter is shown motionless on the floor. The Associated Press contributed. An earlier version of this story misstated the neighborhood Engelbert grew up in. Advertisement oalexander@chicagotribune.com Workers at the 2 Sisters chicken processing plant in Llangefni, on Anglesey, left for the last time A chicken processing plant has closed its gates for the last time after more than 50 years, causing 700 job losses. The 2 Sisters poultry giant announced plans to shut down operations at Llangefni, Anglesey, in January. Despite a taskforce setup in a bid to save the factory, its owners confirmed it would shut at the end of March. Some workers said the closure was a "crying shame" but others remain optimistic the local economy will grow in other sectors creating new jobs. When the decision was first made in January, Anglesey council's leader, Llinos Medi described the move as a "devastating blow". Local Conservative MP Virginia Crosbietold BBC Radio Wales: "The Island needs hope and I am determined to do everything I can to help. It is a really sad day for the workers of 2Sisters. "It isn't just the employees that are impacted, it is the families, the communities and the supply chains. "So many companies really stepping up and trying to employ the staff that have lost their jobs." Des Edwards has worked at 2 Sisters for a decade and will be out of work It is a view shared by Des Edwards, who has worked night shifts as a hygiene operative for the past 10 years. He said: "It's a crying shame - it really is." Now 58, he said he was trying for other work, but it was all off Anglesey. "There's nothing whatsoever on the island. It's really getting worse, as time goes by," he said. "Who's going to employ someone who is 58 years of age that's going to retire at 67. They'd rather employ someone young." Mr Edwards fears there will be "nothing on the island whatsoever" for his two young grandchildren once they reach working age. Vince Williams said he now needs to open a new chapter in his life at the closure Friend and colleague Vince Williams has been a mechanical fitter at the factory for two years. "In the beginning I was a bit gutted, but at least we know what is happening. You've just got to go on with life," said the 55-year-old from the town. "Life doesn't stop because 2 Sisters has finished. You've just got to get on with it, and go to the next chapter in your life." Story continues Like others, he has concerns for what the future holds for the island. "So many big companies have closed over the last 20 years," he said, pointing to Anglesey Aluminium at Holyhead and the Eastman Chemical Company at Peboc among others. He said the island needs new investment if the economy is to survive. During the official consultation period, the union Unite accused 2 Sisters of failing to engage with the Welsh government, UK officials and the union to actively save the plant from closure. But the company insisted the Llangefni site remained unviable. The site was opened in 1970 by JP Wood & Sons - known for their Chuckie Chicken brand Chuckie was the biggest poultry brand in the UK at the time "The facts of the matter are the site is old - it's over 50 years old. It's small, it's inefficient, the transport costs are too high," said 2 Sisters chief executive Ronald Kers, when the decision was first taken back in January. "If there was an easy solution, we would have definitely explored it in more detail." The company has offered to relocate some of the workforce to its other sites, including its largest poultry factory at Sandycroft on Deeside in Flintshire. It says 54 people have been redeployed, with the hope more will be taken on in the coming weeks. 2 Sisters said a further 113 of those losing their jobs have found other work on Anglesey and other parts of north Wales. The firm added: "Whilst we acknowledge this can be no substitution for the closing of the site, we remain committed to doing all we can and are offering additional support for a further month after this week's closure." Coleg Menai principal Aled Jones-Griffith says the college can help with finding new roles and skills for those without work An employment and advice hub has been running at the nearby Bryn Cefni Business Centre since the consultation started. Coleg Menai specialises in vocational training, especially in engineering, technology and health and social care. It is part of the taskforce set up to help workers. "Our hearts go out to the families that have been affected by the sad closure," said the college principal, Aled Jones-Griffith. "We will work with them to see if we can identify new opportunities for them, or if we can identify re-skilling opportunities for them." He is convinced there are opportunities on Anglesey, saying it is not "all doom and gloom". It is a view shared by some of the younger students on the campus. Cai Pritchard wants to work in the creative industries - and thinks career opportunities are out there Cai Pritchard is 18, and studying TV and film production at Coleg Menai. "Young people tend to choose jobs and careers that are more relevant to their interests - rather than skills that have been pointed out by other people," he said. "Recently, there's a studio opened, Aria (in Llangefni), and that means there will be a bunch of film productions coming up which doesn't normally happen in north Wales. "It means creative opportunities for young people." Health and social care student Carly Hughes says work out there whatever your age Carly Hughes, 20, wants a career in health and social care. She said it was a profession that is in great demand. "The 2 Sisters food group is devastating, especially for Llangefni, because there are a lot of jobs that have gone. "But I do think there are various job opportunities on the island for people. I do think the future is brighter." Holyhead has been named as one of Wales' two new Freeports. In just the past week, the decision was taken to name Holyhead as one of Wales' two new Freeports, projects that are setting out to create 20,000 jobs and investment worth 5bn. Last year, Stena Line UK acquired the former site of Anglesey Aluminium for plans to boost its operations at the Port of Holyhead. Work is also continuing on developing a hydrogen energy hub on the island. Off-shore, the Morlais tidal energy project is continuing to progress - it received one of the last EU grants worth 31m last year. These are all projects with the potential to provide a new generation of high-skill, well-paid jobs in years to come. But that may come as little comfort to many of those walking out of the gates of 2 Sisters on Friday, without work and wondering what the next few weeks will bring. The 20-year-old driver accused of involuntary manslaughter in the Raleigh Christmas Parade death has been released from jail. According to the Wake County Detention Center, Glass was released at 11:49 a.m. on Thursday. On Wednesday, Glass appeared in court to surrender to the recently elevated involuntary manslaughter. On Nov. 19, he was driving his white pickup truck in the Raleigh Christmas parade when he lost control of the vehicle and struck and killed 11-year-old Hailey Kaye Brooks. Hours later Glass was charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle, careless and reckless driving, improper equipment, unsafe movement and carrying a firearm in a parade. Last week, Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman announced that Glass would no longer be charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle, and instead would face a more severe charge: involuntary manslaughter, a Class F felony. At Wednesdays hearing, Judge Keith Gregory set a $250,000 secured bond for Glass and required that he would be subject to electronic monitoring after his release from jail. Gregory also banned him from driving in North Carolina without being properly licensed. Glass must drive a vehicle that has been properly inspected. Although he is no longer in jail, Glass is now under electronic monitoring by Wake County Superior Court, a form of house arrest. When Michelle Yeoh made history at the Oscars this month, she offered a clarion call for women of her generation while taking a shot at a certain CNN personality. Ladies, do not let anyone ever tell you you are past your prime, said Yeoh, 60, as she accepted the Academy Award for best actress becoming the first Asian woman ever to win the prestigious award for her performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once. The remarks were notable given the victories at the Oscars by Yeoh and 64-year-old Jamie Lee Curtis, who took the supporting actress Oscar for the same film. But they resonated much further than Hollywood, particularly in the context of CNN host Don Lemons highly publicized remarks about GOP presidential hopeful Nikki Haley not being in her prime at the age of 51. Lemon, 57, angered his co-workers, infuriated his boss and sparked a national conversation about the ageism women face with his remarkable comments. I would just like to let Don know that I have a lot more coming, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), 52, told The Hill, adding, Dont let the silver hair fool you. I dont care if you are 18 or 80 every woman contributes, whether its in her own home, whether it is in a small business, as a small business owner, or, for heavens sake, maybe as president of the United States, Ernst said during an interview for The Hills Womens History Month event Women Out Front last week. According to a 2021 survey conducted by executive coach Bonnie Marcus and Out-Wit Inc., 80 percent of all women surveyed said they have experienced some form of gender-based ageism. Among women between the ages of 59 and 64, the survey found that number reached 88 percent. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) was one of a number of high-profile women who hit back at Don Lemons remark about Nikki Haley not being in her prime. (Annabelle Gordon) Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the first woman to hold the highest office in the House, has also noted the double standard in politics for men and women. Story continues Age is a relative thing, but I will also say this: Many times women go to Congress after theyve started their families and the rest, so they have a late start, said Pelosi during remarks at the University of Chicagos Institute of Politics earlier this month. So my running in my 40s was the equivalent of men running in their 30s, really, because it wasnt the equivalent but by the time I got to be a senior on a committee, I would be in my 50s. Theyd be in their 40s. Dont come around and ask me about my age because Im a woman when Im winning elections, and [Senate Minority Leader] Mitch McConnell [R-Ky.] is losing elections and you never asked him about his age, which is comparable to mine, she added. For men, aging seems to be something that is celebrated, with terms like silver fox becoming commonplace. Conversely, a quick online search for phrases to describe older woman brings up granny and old dame, among others. Look at most television news stations, said veteran U.S. broadcast journalist Elizabeth Vargas, 60. Youll see a man in his sixties paired with a woman in her thirties. In 2022, veteran Canadian journalist Lisa LaFlammes contract at CTV News was not renewed by its parent company Bell Media. Reports later surfaced that the head of CTV News had raised questions about LaFlammes hair, which had gone gray during the pandemic. As a society, we put a lot of pressure on women to look a certain way, to act a certain way, to dress a certain way and particularly in television news, men are allowed to go grey and wrinkly and they have gravitas, and women are often showed the exit, Vargas said. Vargas, who is gearing up for the Monday premiere of her NewsNation show, Elizabeth Vargas Reports, on Monday called for a massive cultural shift in which womens life and professional experiences are honored. NewsNation and The Hill are both owned by Nexstar Media Group Inc. I really wish as a society that we would value and honor womens experience and womens aging the same way we do as men, because right now, it is definitely an uneven and unfair playing field, Vargas said. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), has talked about the difference in how she and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell are spoken about, drawing attention to the double standard in politics for women. (Greg Nash) Experts say much of the ageism older women face can be traced back to the physiological changes women go through as they age, known as perimenopause and menopause. Lemon initially doubled down on his comments about Haley, saying that if you Google when is a woman in her prime, itll say 20s, 30s and 40s. And while he faced even more backlash after that remark, his argument is not completely out of the ordinary. Its the male point of view, and it comes from a sexual point of view, said Lesley Jane Seymour, founder of the CoveyClub, an online community for women older than 40. What they mean is not their prime in business, what they mean is sexual prime. According to an Ipsos survey released last year, 53 percent of U.S. adults men and women said they were comfortable talking about menopause, while 23 percent said they were not comfortable broaching the subject. The margin widens considerably when broken down by gender. Only 33 percent of U.S. men said they were comfortable talking about menopause, compared to 72 percent of U.S. women who said they were comfortable addressing the topic. This is something that happens. This is super normal, said Gwendolyn Floyd, CEO of Wile, a health and wellness company geared toward perimenopausal and menopausal women. Why does everyone know we get our periods, but then we cant talk about how this other hormonal shift happens to every single woman? Floyd noted a deity archetype in neopaganism known as the Triple Goddess, which is made up of a womans three stages of life: maiden, mother and crone. The maiden represents youth and innocence, while the mother quite obviously represents maternity. The crone has a less flattering meaning. The Cambridge English dictionary describes a crone as an unpleasant or ugly old woman. But Floyd and scores of women are working to erase that narrative of the crone, arguing that this third stage of a womans life is actually her prime. Its when we know ourselves. We have a career under our belts or a family, she said. Its a time in our lives where we are best primed to have maximum impact. Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) noted during The Hills Womens History Month event that she believes she is in her prime at 39 years old, citing her status as a working mother. When I hear people like Don Lemon saying that women are not in their prime, I think I am in my prime because I am a working mom and a member of Congress, Hinson said. Its not easy, but am I proud of it and the example it sets for my kids? Heck yes. Don Lemon attends the 15th annual CNN Heroes All-Star Tribute Despite the backlash around Don Lemons comment about Nikki Haley, the point he was making about womens abilities as they age is not uncommon. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) However, many say corporate America and the media have yet to adopt the message that women can reach their prime when they are older than 40 or 50. Seymour was previously the editor-in-chief of More, a womens lifestyle magazine that was geared toward women over 40 until it that ceased publication in 2016. She said the magazine, which boasted more than 1 million readers, ended because no one could convince advertisers that women 40-plus had money to spend and they did. In fashion and beauty, there is such a fear of aging, Seymour said. The worst thing you can be is old. I had a very important designer sit me down when I took over More, she continued, recounting the conversation, which took place during the Great Recession in 2008. He said, You know Lesley, the only thing keeping my stores open are women 40-plus, but I cant advertise to them because then the 20-year-olds wont come in. Groups working to recruit women to run for office from both major parties are pushing back against the narrative that pits older and younger women against one other. For us, when you talk about ageism, that is really an effort to ignore competency, to ignore experience, to ignore knowledge, said Sara Spain, national press secretary at the Democratic group EMILYs List. We focus on electing Democratic pro-choice women to office. So as we think about the tolls that they face to break down barriers, thats why we prioritize supporting our endorsed candidates at every step of their political journey, she said. Annie Dickerson, the founder and chairwoman of Winning for Women, a group that works to elect Republican women, said there is an opportunity for older and younger women to learn from each other in the political sphere. I think we both need one another, Dickerson said. Older people need youth and their bubbliness and energy and their striving and their constant vision, but the young people really, seriously need somebody who is wise. In order for somebody to be a CEO of, lets say, a Fortune 500 company or the CEO of your district, or the CEO of the United States in the form of the presidency, dont we want somebody thats a little bit wise? she said. But younger women say they are also facing ageism in the workplace. Its a bit of a double-edged sword, really. As a society, we have been trained to go after the shiny new thing, wrote Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin, millennial women and co-founders of theSkimm, a media company geared toward women, in an email with The Hill. Then when we have it, we quickly change the narrative to show the lack of experience. While they are being offered these opportunities, once they get them, Gen Z and younger millennials are left feeling like they arent taken seriously due to their age and experience, they continued. Women across the age spectrum maintain that some men in workplace seek to divide them in the workplace. That is a caricature that has been promoted to try and split women apart from each other. The problem is not the older women, the problem is the men, said Kathy Spillar, executive director of the Feminist Majority Foundation and executive editor of Ms., a feminist magazine founded by Gloria Steinem. Weisberg and Zakin said the caricature is already losing its influence with louder calls for a greater presence of women in the workplace. As we start to unpack the way women were pitted against each other, women no longer feel like they need to compete for these roles and rather, come together to uplift each other, they stated in their email to The Hill. From when we were younger to now, we are already seeing a change in how women are supporting each other and recognizing that advancement for one means opportunities for many others. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. With spring cleaning in full swing, arm yourself with eco-friendly cleaning products and your body will thank you. Turns out, over the course of four to five days, the average person spends between 5 and 10 hours scrubbing and dusting away, according to the latest Spring Cleaning Survey by Thumbtack, a home care app. That means if youre sensitive to harsh chemicals in multisurface cleaners and other foaming cleaning solutions, dealing with grime in your house can be quite a headache, literally. Whats more, some disinfectant sprays and wipes release toxins, potentially triggering allergies. Thats one of the reasons Devon Holmes, a Thumbtack pro with Uncommon Solutions, switched over to making his own cleaning products. The traditional formulas tended to irritate his skin and throat after a long day of cleaning. These days, his cleaning supplies use basic ingredients. For example, baking soda is a great odor eliminator and whitener, Holmes says. When mixed with white vinegar, it is also a powerful cleaning combination for many purposes. All in all, the most anyone truly needs for everyday cleaning is vinegar, alcohol, baking soda, dish soap, and some cleaning tools. He also adds essential oils to his eco-friendly cleaning formulas since they have disinfecting and antibacterial properties and add a nice natural scent to the cleaning experience. One of his favorite DIY products is a glass cleaner, which consists of alcohol, white vinegar, distilled water, and essential oils. For those who prefer not to concoct cleaning solutions but still want the eco-friendly version, AD has been on the hunt for cleaning products you can feel good about using at home, especially if you have little kids or pets. We found ready-to-use earth-friendly products that will get the job done without harsh chemicals. And we are not the only ones interested in sustainable, plant-based ingredients that can KO a serious mess. According to research from Google Trends, people are searching for eco-friendly cleaning products: The top searched term in the US this past year is eco-friendly laundry detergent and other top trending terms include eco-friendly disinfectant and eco-friendly carpet cleaner. Search interest in biodegradable soap in the category of cleaning supplies and services more than doubled in the past year. Story continues We did our homework and put dozens of natural cleaning productssans parabens, phthalates, and phosphatesto the test by wiping smudges off a glass dining room table and windows in a playroom, scrubbing away stubborn stains on countertops, and running load after load of dishes to find a perfect dishwasher detergent that will get rid of grease without leaving a chalky residue. The following 21 green cleaning products are our favorite biodegradable formulas in reusable or compostable containers that wont end up in a landfill. Plus, tools to give your home-maintenance routine even more sustainability. Happy and healthy cleaning! Best eco-friendly cleaning products for the kitchen 1. The ultimate multisurface cleaner Safely - Universal Cleaner $10.00, Amazon This aromatic multisurface cleaner is hands down the best smelling product we tested. Just a few spritzes of Safely Universal Cleaner leave the kitchen a fragrant bouquet that isnt too citrusy or too floral. The cleaning brand, founded by Kris Jenner and Emma Grede, uses plant-based ingredients such as coconut oil and mineral salt to power through grime. We love to use it at the end of the day to get rid of fingerprints on the stainless steel fridge and to wipe away splatters off of countertops with a Cloud Paper bamboo paper towel or a Swedish cloth. But really, it smells so good you will want to spray it everywhere. 2. The super scrubber AspenClean Green Powder Cleaner SuperScrub $12.00, Aspen Clean Mix this biodegradable powder with a bit of water to make a paste that banishes stuck-on stains with the power of plant-based ingredients like lavender and tea tree essential oils. (Tea tree oil is know to be a disinfectant). We used it to to get rid of a tea stain on a laminate countertop and as a floor cleaner to lift stuck-on spots around the stove. Bonus points: The EWG gave AspenClean SuperScrub an A and it comes in a 100% recycled bottle, not a single-use plastic destined for a landfill. A true hero of sustainable cleaning. 3. Earth-friendly dishwasher tablets Total Clean Dishwasher Detergent Packs $12.00, Grove Collaborative A lot of dishes went into testing dishwasher products without harsh chemicals. We love Grove Co. Total Clean Dishwasher Detergent Packs for dealing with food stains, even stuck-on oatmeal and greasy pots used to make dumplings. Unlike some natural cleaning products that tend to leave a chalky residue on glass, these lemon-and-eucalyptus scented pods left dishes sparkling clean. It also comes in a fragrance-free formula. These are also cruelty-free and come in recyclable aluminum packaging. 4. Dreamy dish soap Koala Eco Dish Soap $19.00, The Container Store Koala Eco Lemon Myrtle and Mandarin dish soap is the essence of clean thanks to its fragrant bounty of essential oils. Its Aromatherapy at its best because youll actually want to wash the dishes. And oh, yeah, its foaming power cuts through grease without having to rely on phthalates or phosphates. 5. A cleaning solution for oven racks Dr. Bronner's 18-in-1 Hemp Pure Castile Liquid Soap $28.00, Amazon Dr. Bronners soap is made with organic oils and fair trade ingredients. It works on basically everything: house and body. You can dilute it in a bucket of water and use it as a floor cleaner or make a cleaning spray for windows and other household surfaces. We love to use it to rejuvenate oven racks. All you need to do is fill up a bathtub with hot water, then add Dr. Bronners fragrance-free castile soap, and soak the dirty oven racks for at least two hours. Use steel wool to remove the brown residue. (It helps if you put old towels on the bottom so you wont have to clean the tub after). This variety pack, a great introduction to the brand, lets you sample their seriously amazing scents (including almond, peppermint, tea tree, lavender, and eucalyptus). 6. The unsung hero: baking soda Arm & Hammer Baking Soda, 12 Pack $13.00, Amazon This wouldnt be an eco-friendly cleaning products story without baking soda. It can do just about anything. You can use it to remove rust stains, clean a mattress, polish brass, wipe down kitchen countertops, deep-clean your oven, and more. You can also leave it your fridge or freezer and it will absorb any odor. You can even use baking soda for pest control. Halle Cottis, author of Natural Solutions for Cleaning & Wellness, suggests placing a mixture of equal parts baking soda and powdered sugar in a saucer. The powdered sugar attracts the ants, and the baking soda will kill them, she explains. 7. A dish brush starter set SUPERWASH PLUS Bamboo Scrub Brush $17.00, Amazon The compact scrub brush starter set of four is your answer to a zero-waste kitchen. Two of the brushes are made from stiff coconut fiber bristles that work great on cast iron pans, stuck-on messes, and as a tool to brush off dry food plates before placing them in the dishwasher. The other two are made from a gentler sisal fiber, which wont scratch non-stick cookware and glass. We use them instead of sponges to erase coffee stains from mugs. 8. A swap for paper towels Cloud Paper Reusable Dish Cloth $15.00, Amazon A paper towel works great in a pinch, but it is no secret that sustainability is not its forte. On the other hand, cellulose sponge cloths (also known as Swedish dishcloth) can be used to wipe up messes again and again. Each reusable cloth can last up to six monthsjust wash it with your clothes or in the dishwasher. Its safe on everything from marble to tile to stainless steel to wood surfaces. Best eco-friendly cleaning products for the bathroom 9. A better sponge Coconut Scouring Pad $5.00, Grove Collaborative There is a sponge and then there is the sponge. The Grove Collaborative coconut scouring pad is your answer to dealing with stuck-on toothpaste and other sink issues. It suds up the cleaning products but wont scratch the surface, whether its your marble vanity countertop or the inside of a porcelain sink. 10. The soap scum fighter Tub & Tile Cleaner Refills $6.00, Brandless Now that you have the right sponge, get your hands on the Brandless Tub & Tile Cleaner to deal with soap scum on both shower tiles and the glass. Our favorite part about this cleaning spray is that the refill packs are about two inches, so they will never take up precious cabinet storage space. When youre ready to reload, just drop a pack into a 32-ounce bottle and start up your bathroom cleaning routine once again. 11. The streak-free mirror cleaner Safely Glass Cleaner, 28 Fl Oz $10.00, Amazon A beauty routine is no good if you have a cloudy, streaky, or splattered mirror. Safely Glass Cleaner will banish all with the help of coconut oil, a plant-based ingredient that helps reduce static and wipes away smudges with ease. Simply spray on the surface and wipe away with a lint-free material, such as a microfiber cloth or an old newspaper. 12. The all-natural grime buster BISSELL SteamShot Deluxe Hard Surface Steam Cleaner with Natural Sanitization $41.00, Amazon The Bissell SteamShot is the darling of TikTok, and for good reason: the high-temperature steam machine can tackle the most stubborn spots, from dirty grout to hard-to-reach areas behind the sink faucetall without the use of harsh chemicals. 13. A grout cleaner that works like magic Branch Basics Oxygen Boost, 4 lbs $22.00, Branch Basics Weve been turning to brands like Branch Basics, a female-founded cleaning supply company that makes a plant-and-mineral-based concentrate for cleaning pretty much every part of the house. We appreciate the BPA-free, reusable spray bottles and the biodegradable, non-harmful formula. The Branch Basics Oxygen Boost powder is a favorite, not only does it work on laundry stains without having to rely on bleach, ammonia, fragrances or dyes, use it to make a paste that will banish yellow and moldy stains from grout. 14. Non-toxic toilet bowl cleaner BLUELAND Toilet Bowl Cleaner Starter Set $29.00, Amazon In between scrubs, you can pop these toilet bowl cleaner tablets into your tank. With every flush, the tablet releases a bit of bleach into the tank, providing constant cleanings. Swap them out every two to three months. Best eco-friendly cleaning products for the living room 15. The do-it-all cleaning wipes L'AVANT Biodegradable Cleaning Wipes Pkg/30 $10.00, The Container Store LAvant wipes are one of those natural cleaning products you want to buy by the dozen. The wipes are made with a mesh material that is penetrated with powerful plant-based ingredients that work overtime on everything, from removing dust from baseboards to stains on wall surfaces in high-traffic areas and pet foot prints. You can also feel good about using them around your kids as these are fragrance-free and contain no parabens, phosphates, phthalates, chlorine, or articolors. Pets love them too, these wipes are Leaping Bunnycertified as cruelty-free. 16. The best friend for all your glass surfaces Koala Eco Peppermint Essential Oil Glass Cleaner $14.00, Koala Eco We tested this on a glass dining table and a glass coffee table, as well as windows, and the results were spectacular. The Koala Eco Peppermint Glass Cleaner dealt with icky, filmy messes by polishing away smears and fingerprints in seconds. The biodegradable formula also removes bacteria and smells amazing so your house is ready for guests. And it will certainly enhance your cleaning routine when the entertaining is all done. 17. The dusting solution Cleancult All Purpose Cleaner Refills $35.00, Amazon Discouraged by the lack of transparency around ingredients in his laundry detergent, Ryan Lupberger and his cofounder, Zachary Bedrosian, decided to take on the cleaning industry. Cleancults products lean heavily on the antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties of coconuts, and the company is committed to carbon-neutral shipping. Use the all-purpose cleaner to tackle dust and more. 18. Dont forget the floor Method Squirt + Mop Almond Wood Floor Cleaner $6.00, Target This no-wax, nontoxic, plant-based wood floor cleaner is super easy to use, dries quickly and doesnt require any rinsing. Its also one of the best things weve ever smelled. Its available in three scents: almond, spearmint sage, and lemon ginger. (Theyre all delicious, but almond is our favorite.) Its also available in a spray bottle, which is perfect for when you just need to clean a spot on your floor rather than the whole thing. Best eco-friendly cleaning products for the laundry room 19. The most aromatic laundry detergent Dirty Labs Bio-Liquid Laundry Detergent $28.00, Amazon Dirty Labs products are 1,4 dioxane-free, California Prop 65 chemical-free, and are hypoallergenic. But thats not the only reason we love them, the scent Magnolia (with notes of bergamot, and cedar) and Murasaki (inspired by the early spring green tea harvest in Japan with notes of jasmine, matcha, and vetiver) will make you want to wash your sheets, along with everything else, nonstop. 20. The stain buster AspenClean Unscented Oxygen Bleach Powder $20.00, Amazon The zero-plastic compostable container is one reason to up the sustainability factor in your cleaning routine. AspenClean Oxygen bleach laundry powder is also void of harsh chemicals but still works as a super stain remover thanks to mineral-based and plant-based ingredients. We also love that it is safe to use on color. 21. The alternative to dryer sheets Wooly Heroes Dryer Balls $33.00, Amazon It should also be noted were major proponents of the dryer ball. These Wooly Heroes are by far the cutest way to minimize static and lint as your laundry goes into the dryer. Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest More Great Stories From AD Lance Junck made close to $35,000 in just three months selling his ChatGPT course on Udemy. Courtesy of Lance Junck/Udemy Lance Junck, 23, earned $35,000 in just three months selling his ChatGPT course on Udemy. Junck's has enrolled over 15,000 students in his seven-hour "ChatGPT Masterclass." He has no doubt the course will keep selling as people start to recognize "the power of the tool." Workers are turning to OpenAI's ChatGPT to make their jobs easier and one guy is raking in tens of thousands of dollars teaching people how. In late December, Lance Junck, 23, launched an online course on education platform Udemy that teaches people to use ChatGPT. In just three months, Junck has enrolled more than 15,000 students from around the world in his "ChatGPT Masterclass: A Complete ChatGPT Guide for Beginners," raking in $34,913 in profits so far, according to screenshots of his sales dashboard reviewed by Insider. When the Austin-based, full-time brand strategist first used ChatGPT last November, he was "blown away" by its impressive generative capabilities. Junck said he wanted to make the bot accessible to everyone and saw an opportunity to teach people how to use the tool with an online course. "There is an incredible learning curve to ChatGPT," he said. "I think people are kind of afraid of ChatGPT, so I tried to make it warm and exciting and approachable." Junck admits that he's self-taught: He said he spends hours on the bot every day, asking it to do things like write an introduction to a novel or product descriptions for certain foods to better understand how to prompt the bot. On top of that, he said he consumes "every piece of ChatGPT content" on the internet, including articles and posts on LinkedIn, GitHub, and Reddit. The 'ChatGPT Masterclass' has enrolled more than 15,000 students globally The course, which is more than seven hours long and is now priced at $20, includes 50 lectures aimed at beginners and took Junck three weeks to film. It starts with how to write your first ChatGPT prompt, then moves into specific ChatGPT applications for businesses, students, and programmers. It also includes tutorials on how to make art with AI image generator DALL-E 2, suggestions on the best ChatGPT plug-ins, and even an introduction to GPT-4, OpenAI's newest language model. Story continues Within a week, 90 students enrolled in the course, Junck said. Since then, the course has enrolled between 200 and 250 new students each day. 15,250 students have taken the course as of the time this article was written, according to Udemy. Students, he said, are anywhere from 20 to 50 years old, and include college students and working professionals. While the majority come from the US, Junck's course has attracted students in India, Japan, and Canada. Students from Venezuela, Russia, and parts of the Middle East countries where ChatGPT isn't available have also flocked to the course, he said. Junck credits the demand for his services, in part, to his expertise in marketing and SEO, which he said is why his course is one of the first to appear amid 1,266 results when searching for ChatGPT on Udemy. He also promoted the course on LinkedIn. Some students didn't like the course, but the demand continues to rise While the responses to the course has been mostly positive it has a 4.5-star rating on Udemy some students said his course is too surface-level and not any better than free ChatGPT-instruction videos on YouTube, according to course reviews on Udemy. Still, demand continues to rise, and Junck has even expanded his ChatGPT instruction beyond Udemy to target companies. He's taught startups like ClearDesk how to implement ChatGPT into their marketing, human resources, and operations teams. He has gotten paid speaking opportunities to teach companies like CEO advisory firm Sage Executive Group and tech news site HPCwire how to use ChatGPT, according to emails reviewed by Insider. Jerry Rollins, the chairman of Sage, told Insider that Junck's services were "very informative and insightful." Tom Tabor, a spokesperson for HPCwire, told Insider that "Lance has a current grasp of the GPT space and the possibilities of the technology." "We needed his insights of the tech so we could understand how to integrate it into our business processes," Tabor said. Jeff Amon, the cofounder of ClearDesk, told Insider that his company has been working with Junck for months and is "excited" about how ChatGPT is being integrated into the business. Junck, who has no formal AI training, admits that he's had doubts around whether the course would sell. He said he's wondered whether there's "some kid at Cornell getting his PhD in large language models" teaching ChatGPT that would "blow me out of the water." Still, given the meteoric rise of generative AI tools, Junck believes there will be an even greater need for AI courses in the near future. As of April, Udemy has enrolled 417,212 students across more than 429 ChatGPT classes on the site an increase of 47% from the previous month, Callie Kaminski, a Udemy spokesperson, told Insider. Junck, who is running his business on top of his full-time job at an e-commerce company, said he plans to add lectures on how to use other generative AI tools like Microsoft's new Bing and Google's Bard when they are officially launched to the public. He also wants to focus on striking larger deals with companies, he said. Have you used ChatGPT or other AI chatbots in an interesting way? Email the reporter at amok@insider.com Read the original article on Business Insider A body found in Alabama was identified as a 34-year-old who was missing for a month, officials say. Sandrea Taylors body was found Monday, March 27, in Macon County, according to a news release from District Attorney Mike Segrest. Officials identified the body as Taylor on Wednesday, March 29, and determined her cause of death was homicide. Taylor was last seen Feb. 26, her twin sister, Andrea Taylor, said in a Facebook post. Since then, her family and officials have been trying to locate her. Family members last heard from Sandrea Taylor on Friday, Feb. 24, her mom told The Outlook. That day, Sandrea Taylor was supposed to go to her moms house after work, but she never showed. Officials said they are continuing to investigate and asked anyone with information to contact law enforcement. Loved ones shared tributes for Sandrea Taylor on social media. Sandrea will be coming home just not in the way we all hoped and prayed, Andrea Taylor wrote on Facebook. The fight is not over. We will get her justice! This sweet soul did not deserve anything like this, one person wrote on Facebook. She was such a good person and would help anyone she could! So incredibly sad, another person wrote. Such a sweet girl! Macon County is about 130 miles southeast of Birmingham. Teens riding ATV discover body in creek near North Carolina-Virginia border, cops say Woman on walk finds missing mans body on rural California trail, police say Charred human remains found in trunk during search of abandoned vehicle, NC cops say Mark Milley Theyre conducting combat operations right now in Bakhmut primarily, Milley told the U.S. House Armed Services Committee alongside U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Its probably about 6,000 or so actual mercenaries and maybe another 20,000 or 30,000 recruits that they get, many of whom come from prisons. And they are suffering an enormous amount of casualties in the Bakhmut area; the Ukrainians are inflicting a lot of death and destruction on these guys. Read also: Ukrainian army conducts successful operation near Bakhmut, UK intelligence Earlier, the spokesman for the Eastern Group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Serhiy Cherevatyi, said that Russias Wagner private military company is not able to independently provide offensive operations in the Bakhmut area and is forced to ask for the support of the Russian regular army. He said that the Russian military has been trying to capture Bakhmut for nine months. However, the Ukrainian military says it is continuing to stabilize the situation at the front. The intensity of Russian assaults and artillery attacks has lessened noticeably in several areas, the military says. Read also: If Bakhmut fell to Russia, Putin would sell this victory to the West, says Zelenskyy Moreover, several days ago footage of Ukrainian tanks operating in built-up areas in the front-line city of Bakhmut emerged, bolstering claims by some military experts and media that Russian invasion forces are short of anti-tank weaponry. Some military commentators have said these signs point to the Russian winter offensive having reached culmination the point when the attacking side no longer has the resources or strength to continue attacking. Ukraine is widely expected to launch its own offensive in spring or early summer. Military experts, both Ukrainian and foreign, have said this offensive is likely to be decisive in determining the outcome of the war. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine LOS ANGELES Seven California Highway Patrol officers and a nurse have been charged in the 2020 death of a man who was held down and complained he couldnt breathe, Los Angeles Countys district attorney said Wednesday. The CHP sergeant and six officers are charged with one count apiece of involuntary manslaughter and assault under the color of authority in the death of Edward Bronstein, who had been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, District Attorney George Gascon said. A registered nurse was charged with involuntary manslaughter. Bronstein was held down after he initially refused a blood draw, officials said. The eight people charged were identified as Sgt. Michael Little; Officers Dionisio Fiorella, Dustin Osmanson, Darren Parsons, Diego Romero, Justin Silva and Marciel Terry; and registered nurse Arbi Baghalian. Edward Bronstein is held down by CHP officers. (CHP) Gascon called an 18-minute video of the incident, which was shown at a news conference Wednesday, difficult to watch and hear as Mr. Bronstein pleads for his life. Mr. Bronstein screams I cant breathe over and over and pleads for help while officers continue to restrain him, Gascon said. DUI traffic stop Bronstein, of Burbank, was pulled over on Interstate 5 on March 31, 2020, on suspicion of driving under the influence, Gascon said. At a CHP station in Altadena, in the Los Angeles area, Bronstein initially refused a blood draw, and a judge issued a warrant authorizing his blood to be taken by a nurse, the CHP said. The video, which a federal judge ordered released last year as part of a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by Bronsteins family, shows an officer telling Bronstein that if he didn't comply, youre going facedown on the mat, and were going to keep on going." As officers move to restrain him, Bronstein says Ill do it willingly repeatedly and screams as several officers hold him down. He is told too late, the video shows. Bronstein screams and says I cant breathe repeatedly before he falls silent, and the procedure continues, the video shows. Story continues Gascon said six minutes pass from Bronsteins last scream to when he is turned over completely lifeless. He is sat up and officers tilt his head back, and the officers holding him are instructed to keep his airway open and his name is called, but Bronstein doesnt respond, the video shows. CPR begins 13 minutes after his last scream, Gascon said. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiners Office lists the cause of death as acute methamphetamine intoxication during restraint by law enforcement. A manner is undetermined. Gascon said that these officers had a legal duty to Mr. Bronstein and that he was in their custody. "We believe that they failed their duty, and their failure was criminally negligent, causing his death, he said. Family reacts to charges Tim M. Schuler, an attorney who represents Baghalian, the nurse, in the civil suit, called the manslaughter charge against the nurse outrageous. He said Baghalian was there to do a legal blood draw. "I am not aware of anyone who has opined that the nurses conduct in any way caused or contributed to this unfortunate death," Schuler said. Criminal defense attorneys for the CHP officers and Baghalian didnt appear to be listed in online court records Wednesday evening. Attorneys representing the CHP officers in the wrongful-death civil suit didnt immediately respond to requests for comment. The charged CHP officers face a maximum of four years and eight months in prison if convicted, and the nurse faces a maximum sentence of four years in prison if convicted, Gascon said. Attorney Michael Carrillo, who represents the Bronstein family in the civil suit, said the family was glad charges have been brought, although he believes the defendants could have been charged with second-degree murder. "Its a little bittersweet. The family is glad, and were glad theyre finally being held accountable and being charged," Carrillo said. The civil suit is pending. Bronsteins father, Edward Tapia, said at Wednesdays news conference that no one else should go through what his son went through. I think if you see the video, youll understand, he said. I miss my son so much. CHP says it made changes CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee extended his condolences to Bronsteins family in a statement Wednesday. Our agencys top priority is protecting the safety and well-being of all Californians, and I am saddened that Mr. Bronstein died while in our custody and care, Duryee said. Any death in custody is a tragedy that we take with upmost seriousness. The CHP said that after Bronstein's death, it updated policies to prevent officers from using techniques or transportation methods that carry risks of positional asphyxia. The highway patrol also said it has increased training about medical distress and is exploring other ways to do chemical tests when people arrested on suspicion of DUI refuse them. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com [Source] Seiichi Sano, the 89-year-old Japanese man who was recognized as the oldest male to surf by Guinness World Records, says he will continue to catch waves until he is 100 years old. Sano, who turns 90 this year, changed his life at 80 by climbing Mt. Fuji after years of being a busy company owner. To Sano, conquering Japans highest peak was not enough to stop him from taking on new challenges. In July 2022, Sano was named the oldest male to surf. He was inspired by a tanned employee at his local bank who didnt look like a typical banker. More from NextShark: NYC man pleads guilty to killing senior can collector because hes Asian I think it would be interesting to try to surf until Im 100, Sano told The Associated Press. I dont consider myself an old man. I have never thought of myself as an old person. I always feel that I can still move forward. I can still do it. I can still enjoy it. Sano said that physical activity and his goals allow him to take better care of himself. Even now, I take better care of myself than I did before, he said. More from NextShark: Karaoke Bar Waitress Sues NYPD Officer for Pointing a Gun at Her Head While Drunk The 89-year-old lives close to Yokohama. On most weekends, he travels to a beach near Enoshima to surf. His 46-year-old surf instructor Kazuto Shimizu was initially surprised by his age. I was most worried that he would get injured. I did not know how fit he was, physically. So when I heard he was 80, I thought it would be a bit tough to think about whether my own grandfather could surf. I was surprised he was able to do it as well as younger people. More from NextShark: Texas man accused of killing wife days after she signed a $250,000 life insurance Sano does a stretching routine before going out into the water. Although he still runs a business that supplies timber to construction companies, surfing appears to be his stress reliever. "I can only say that I just enjoy myself and do what I want without stressing out. So if you try to be too good at it, or think that you have to do it this way or that way, I think you lose the fun," he told The Associated Press. "I enjoy being swept up in the wave. I am not a good surfer. So I call myself a 'small-wave surfer' out of respect for those who surf well. People often say that surfing is life, itself. If I describe it in one word, I think it really applies to me right now. More from NextShark: UPDATE: Korean Siblings Who Lost Dad, Grandma to COVID-19 Still Waiting on Lung Transplant at USC The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced this week that it had awarded Geiger Brothers a $9.9 million contract to build the K-25 Viewing Platform at the East Tennessee Technology Park in Oak Ridge. Construction on the new facility is scheduled to begin in May. It is slated for completion in late 2024. This artist rendering shows the exterior of the K-25 Viewing Platform. Geiger Brothers is a full-service construction and engineering firm headquartered in Jackson, Ohio with offices in Columbus, Ohio and Knoxville, according to the news release. United Cleanup Oak Ridge (UCOR) and its subcontractor Smee + Busby Architects designed the K-25 Viewing Platform and will provide engineering support to USACE and its contractor during construction. The K-25 Viewing Platform will be adjacent to the recently opened K-25 History Center and provide visitors a complete view of the buildings massive 44-acre footprint. Through an interagency agreement signed last year, the U.S. Department of Energys Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) provided the funds for this project, while the USACE will oversee its construction. This is an artist's rendering of what the interior of the K-25 Viewing Platform at the site of the former K-25, Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, will look like. The Corps of Engineers is honored to continue our long-standing partnership with the Department of Energy at Oak Ridge as we award the K-25 Viewing Platform contract, Lt. Col. Joseph Sahl, commander for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District, is quoted as saying in the release. This project has special meaning to us due to our history with the Manhattan Project construction, and we are excited to manage this project, working with our partners in the Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management. The platform's construction is one of the final components of a multi-project agreement OREM signed in 2012 to commemorate the history of the former Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, where the K-25 Building was located. OREM completed the other elements in previous years, which included construction of the K-25 History Center and a grant to preserve the historic Alexander Inn, which is now an assisted living facility. Story continues We are thankful for insight, skills, and experience the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers brings to this partnership, OREM Manager Jay Mullis stated in the release. Theyve enabled this project to move forward, and we are looking forward to completing this much anticipated facility that will offer so much to visitors at the site. The history While the K-25 History Center focuses on the men and women who built and operated the Oak Ridge Diffusion Plant during the Manhattan Project and Cold War, this facility will help visitors understand the scope and magnitude of the former K-25 Building. Originally constructed in 1944, the K-25 Building was the largest structure in the world and carried an equally immense and important mission to help end a global war by producing uranium for the worlds first nuclear weapon. Yet despite its size and urgent work, the public would not learn of its existence in Oak Ridge until the end of World War II. Uranium enrichment operations ceased in 1985, and the site was permanently shut down in 1987. Afterward, DOE committed to and began a massive environmental cleanup effort to transform the site into a multi-use industrial park for the community. That effort involved tearing down five massive enrichment facilities, including the K-25 Building, and 500 other structures that supported operations at the site. OREM and its contractor UCOR completed demolition of the K-25 Building in 2013 and finished all demolition at the site in 2020. The transformed site, now called the East Tennessee Technology Park, already has private businesses onsite along with large conservation areas and a national park. The K-25 Building footprint is within the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, a unit of the National Park Service that contains sites in Oak Ridge; Los Alamos, New Mexico; and Hanford, Washington. This article originally appeared on Oakridger: $9.9M contract awarded for K-25 Viewing Platform construction Weeks after a man shot a security guard during a Loop bank robbery, officials tracked him down and say that his flirting led to charges, federal authorities said Wednesday. The criminal complaint, made public Wednesday, reveals new details of the March 9 bank robbery and shootout and shows the suspect, Jawad H. Hakeem, was identified by authorities in part because he stopped to flirt with a woman in an alleyway before holding up the Fifth Third Bank at 1 S. Wacker Drive. Advertisement Hakeem was charged in the complaint with bank robbery. He is currently in the custody of the Lake County sheriffs office after being arrested in Waukegan. Hakeem pointed a gun at two bank employees as he walked in at 2:59 p.m. Advertisement Im robbing you! Get down! There is a bullet in the chamber, he yelled before tossing a plastic bag at the employees, according to the complaint. The man looked at the employees badges. He wanted $100,000 in $100 bills and wanted them to hurry, he told them as he said their names. He would kill them if they didnt, he added, according to the complaint. Meanwhile, a third employee in a break room saw the robbery unfolding in the lobby through a live video feed and called 911 and pressed a panic button, the complaint said. [ Shootout between bank robber, security guard leaves guard wounded in Loop: FBI ] At the same time, a security guard who was standing outside the bank with his back to the window turned and saw Hakeem, the complaint said. The alleged robber was still pointing his gun. He seemed to see the guard just as the guard saw him, according to the charges. The FBI released this image of a gunman from a bank robbery in the first block of South Wacker Drive at about 3 p.m. on March 9, 2023. A 59-year-old security guard was shot during the heist, the FBI said. (FBI) The plastic bags had been filled with around $23,900. Hakeem grabbed the bags and rushed to the banks exit, according to the complaint. The security guard drew his gun, a .38-caliber revolver loaded with seven rounds. The robber pointed his gun at the guard as he approached the revolving door and the two men began firing at each other, the complaint said. The security guard took cover to reload. He had been shot in the hand by one of the nine 9 mm bullets the robber had apparently fired. The 59-year-old suffered a graze wound and declined to be taken to a hospital, police said at the time. The robber lost his balance and dropped some of the money, then briefly knelt to scoop the cash from the ground and stuff it into his plastic bags. Then, just two minutes after the robbery began, the man fled, according to the complaint. Advertisement But as dramatic videos of the shootout spread, he couldnt get far enough away. His penchant for smooth-talking women proved vital to the charges he will now face, the complaint shows. A woman, who came forward as the robbers image circulated, said she had seen the man black coat, red knit cap, bluejeans and black and blue ski gloves in a nearby alleyway just 15 minutes before the robbery. She had been smoking a cigarette when he approached her and struck up a conversation, the woman said. He asked her for a smoke and told her that he was a sugar daddy, adding that he was going to run for president in 2024, according to the complaint. The woman couldnt see the mans face, but he gave her his phone number, even telling her a mnemonic device so she could easily recall it, according to the charges. Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > After the woman shared the easy-to-remember number with police, the shared digits led authorities right to Hakeem, the complaint said. A database search showed the number belonged to him and led authorities to his Facebook page. There, Hakeem made the same boast he made to the woman that helped turn him in: Jawad HaShem Hakeem will be the next President of the United States of America, he said in a post in which he also shared his address, email, phone numbers, birthday and shoe size, according to the charges. Advertisement The information matched contact information on a Chicago Police Department report related to a theft from the week before and a Waukegan Police Department report related to a Feb. 13 arrest. He repeated his sugar daddy advertisement in another post. In the photos Hakeem shared of himself, he appeared to match the height, weight and skin tone of the robber. Information Hakeem shared with Waukegan police after he was arrested March 13 on an active warrant and theft charges showed he had rented Room 254 at a Best Motel in the Woodlawn neighborhood on Chicagos South Side shortly after the bank robbery, according to the charges. The investigators tracking him down in relation to the bank robbery visited the motel. He didnt check out the day he was arrested, they learned. But when hotel employees had walked in that same day, they found his clothes and a gun, the charges said. The clothes, including a pair of black and blue striped ski gloves, matched the outfit worn by the bank robber. The gun was consistent with the nine shell casings left at the scene, according to the complaint. Nine soldiers are dead after a crash involving two Black Hawk helicopters out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky, on Wednesday night, a training accident that is one of the deadliest in Army history. "This is a truly tragic loss for our families, our division and Fort Campbell," Brig Gen. John Lubas, deputy commander of the 101st Airborne Division, said at a press conference Thursday morning. On Wednesday night, a pair of 101st Airborne Division Black Hawks were conducting routine training in southwestern Kentucky. The pilots were using night vision, a common practice for units to practice flying in low visibility. There was no hazardous weather, according to National Weather Service data. Read Next: 'We've Got a Ways to Go': Pentagon Seeks Massive Ammo Boost as War in Ukraine Rages On It's unclear what caused the two Black Hawks to crash, but the pilots were able to bring the aircraft down in an open field, away from a nearby residential area, according to Lubas. None of the soldiers on the two helicopters survived. An investigation team from the service is set to arrive at the crash site Thursday afternoon. It marks one of the deadliest days for the Army outside of combat since the 1994 Green Ramp disaster in which 24 soldiers at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, died after a F-16 fighter jet collided with a C-130 with the wreckage hitting a C-141 and igniting jet fuel and ammunition next to a group of paratroopers. Five soldiers have died in on-duty aviation incidents per year on average since 2018, according to data from the Army Combat Readiness Center, which tracks training mishaps. The bulk of those incidents involved Black Hawks, which are produced by defense giant Lockheed Martin. In February, two chief warrant officers with the Tennessee Army National Guard died when their Black Hawk crashed near Huntsville, Alabama. Last year, Lockheed was awarded a $2.3 billion contract to build at least 120 H-60M Black Hawks as the Pentagon works on plans for its next generation helicopter. Story continues In 2021, after a series of Black Hawk crashes, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., called on the Pentagon to review the safety of the aircraft. "I ask that you take all necessary steps to promptly investigate these incidents to determine if they fit a larger pattern of malfunction with the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter," Gillibrand said in a statement at the time. The investigation into the crash is likely to take months, with high-profile accidents also typically getting intense scrutiny from Congress and the media. The Navy's investigation into the deadly sinking of a Marine Corps amphibious assault vehicle in 2020, which left nine service members dead, went on for more than a year and concluded with a report more than 800 pages long and a dozen officials reprimanded or fired. -- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon. Related: Navy Investigation into Deadly AAV Mishap Finds Issues But No Direct Link to the Sinking of Landing Craft Easter is still a week away, but there are plenty of Spring-related activities this weekend so you can hop on celebrating. See our top 9 events happening this weekend below: MegaCon Break out the cosplay, because MegaCon begins Thursday and runs through Sunday at the Orange County Convention Center. Read our full MegaCon guide here. READ: Celebrities, superheroes & artists unite: MegaCon Orlando convention kicks off Thursday Burger Week Orlando Burger Week kicked off Wednesday and runs through April 12. Enjoy $10 gourmet burgers at more than 30 locations across Central Florida. Click here for details. Helicopter Egg Drop The Celebration Among the Oaks helicopter egg drop returns Saturday at VanderLey Park. Thousands of eggs will drop from the sky via helicopter. Click here for more information. READ: Heads up: Helicopter egg drop returns to Oakland this weekend Drag Saved My Life onePULSE will host Drag Saved My Life: A One-Woman Show. Pulse survivor Angelica Sanchez will share her story of how she got to live her truth and do what she loves to do. The event is free but you can reserve your seats ahead of time. Click here for details. Easter Fest Get a jump start on Easter. Outpouring Orlando will host Easter Fest at Downey Park beginning at noon on Saturday. Click here for information. Maitland Jazz & Blues The Maitland Jazz & Blues Festival takes place Friday and Saturday in downtown Maitland. Click here for details. READ: Universal Orlando offering Florida residents buy a day, get 2 days free deal Walk for Parkinsons Take a one-mile walk around the lake at Cranes Roost Park for the 9th annual Walk for Parkinsons. The event, set for Saturday morning, is wheelchair and walker friendly. Click here for tickets and information. The Monkees Celebrated by Micky Dolenz Enjoy the sounds of the Monkees with original band member Micky Dolenz Saturday night at Plaza Live. Click here for details. Story continues Kadan & Brooklyn Rockett Kadan & Brooklyn Rockett, some of the youngest professional magicians/illusionists in the world who got their start on Americas Got Talent, will wow audiences at The Ritz Theater in Sanford Sunday at 3 p.m. Click here for details. READ: Enter for your chance to win a trip to Walt Disney World Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. One evening in January, James Holtzclaw called 911 after being involved in a minor car accident. I was put on hold for four minutes before I even got to speak with anyone, said Holtzclaw. It was 6 p.m. when the accident happened. By the time I called a second time since no officer came, it was a bit past 8 p.m., said Holtzclaw. He was placed on hold again, but this time for over six minutes. He was told the dispatcher was still trying to find an available officer. I was getting frustrated I was out all day and was wanting to go home, said Holtzclaw. I couldnt imagine what it would have been like if someone was seriously injured. People in Charlotte expect to receive immediate help in an emergency when calling 911, but some are met with long wait times. In a life threatening situation, a few minutes can make all the difference. In October 2022, dispatchers answered 60% of calls in 10 seconds or less, according to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department. The industry standard set by the National Emergency Number Association is to answer 90% of calls within 10 seconds. CMPD has hired nine more dispatchers since November 2022, and it is now closer to meeting the industry standard. Dispatchers now answer 85% of calls in 10 seconds or less, according to CMPD. While CMPD is answering 911 calls faster, there is still room for improvement, according to Daniel Redford, CMPD officer and president of the Charlotte Fraternal Order of Police. In some cases, people are still being placed on hold for minutes before speaking to an operator. The first thing I heard was we are having higher than average call volumes right now, please wait, said Holtzclaw. Each year, CMPD dispatchers answer nearly one million calls, and that number continues to rise. Staff shortages among dispatchers and officers as well as an increase in call volume are just a few of the many challenges CMPD faces. An average of about 84 people moved to Charlotte each day from 2020 to 2021, according to the United States Census Bureau. Now in 2023, an average of more than 100 people move to Charlotte each day. The increase in population has brought a rise in crime and car accidents, said Redford. Story continues Mecklenburg County now has more than 1.1 million residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. CMPD is responsible for everything within the city limits, as well as some unincorporated parts of Mecklenburg County. Staff shortages following the COVID-19 pandemic have been a challenge. Since the beginning of the pandemic, hiring new recruits has been difficult, said Redford. CMPD is allocated 126 telecommunicators and is allowed to hire 20 more during the busiest times of the year. CMPD did not respond when asked how many of those positions are vacant. Retaining dispatchers is also difficult, partly because of the low pay and high stress of the job, according to Redford. For 911 operators in North Carolina, the mean salary is $35,190 or $16.92 an hour, according to 911dispatcherEDU.org. The salary also doesnt compensate for the extreme emotional exhaustion that comes along with being a dispatcher, said Redford. Operators for 911 are vulnerable to post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression, according to Presbyterian Psychological Services, which provides local counseling to first responders. Youre hearing people call in at their worst times, Redford said. Unless it becomes a news story, the dispatcher may not know the outcome of the call theres no follow through with that. Hiring more dispatchers wont solve the problem entirely, as there is still a staffing shortage among CMPD officers available to respond to emergencies. Charlotte is short roughly 300 officers, Redford estimates. The dispatcher is able to collect the information and enter it into a dispatching system, but then its going to be held in a pending queue because we dont have enough officers, said Redford. He said the department needs several hundred more officers to do the job properly. Its frustrating, Redford said. Theres people that can die, and Im sure theres people that have died because theyve called and theres been a delay in the response. CMPD says it has improved service by increasing pay and bonuses, authorizing overtime pay and assigning some officers to help field calls. It has also set up automated options for callers to select whether they need police, fire or MEDIC -- a step designed to reduce the number of calls coming into CMPD. Redford acknowledges that CMPD works hard on recruiting, but questions whether enough has been done to retain officers and dispatchers. More should be done to help dispatchers deal with the stresses of the job, he said. Were not asking ourselves, Why are these people leaving? said Redford. Sam Carnes of Apex, North Carolina, is a student in the James L. Knight School of Communication at Queens University of Charlotte, which provides the news service in support of community news. Witnesses are sworn in at a hearing on the "weaponization" of the federal government on Thursday. (Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images) House Republicans held their third hearing Thursday regarding what they claim is the weaponization of the federal government by Democrats. The hearing featured three Republican witnesses who alleged that the Biden administration has coerced social media companies to remove information it does not like, but Democrats protested when two of the witnesses left the hearing before taking any questions from committee members. Here are the key takeaways: Allegations of censorship by the Biden administration Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri. (Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images) Former Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry and former Louisiana Solicitor General John Sauer all presented opening statements that alleged what Schmitt called the largest speech censorship operation in recent American history. Schmitt, who was elected to the Senate last fall, filed a lawsuit last year during his campaign for Senate against the Biden administration. The lawsuit has enabled Schmitt to obtain and release internal communications between Biden administration officials and employees of Facebook and Twitter that Schmitt said show Biden officials asking and pressuring the social media companies to decrease the reach or remove content that they said was false, much of it regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. Similar governmental pressure was revealed in the so-called Twitter Files, which demonstrated that before the Biden administration asked Facebook and Twitter to restrict misinformation around the pandemic, the Trump administration did so as well. Schmitt, like committee chairman Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and many Republicans, have portrayed these requests from government officials as First Amendment violations. If the government engages in activity to stop media outlets from speaking, thats a First Amendment violation, Missouri attorney Bevis Schock told St. Louis Public Radio in an October interview. Micki Witthoeft, center, the mother of Jan. 6 rioter Ashli Babbitt, with Sen. Eric Schmitt, left, and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images) The question, then, is whether the Biden and Trump administrations blocked or coerced these companies from engaging in protected speech. The communications from government officials were typically appeals to the social media companies to find that the contested content violated the companies own policies. This route of appeal to the social media companies is available to all Americans, not just presidential administrations, and the companies receive requests from many different people and institutions. Story continues Nonetheless, government officials have significant power, and analysts and experts have expressed concern about the lack of transparency regarding government communications with private social media companies. The Twitter Files raised a valid question on what the role of the government should be in identifying and reporting people and content, Katie Harbath, a former public policy director for Facebook who began her career as a Republican political operative, wrote in January. On the other hand, analysts and experts have made clear that social media companies have a responsibility to limit the spread of information that is false or could incite real world violence. Anyone whos honest will say that these platforms shouldn't just let actual lies and misinformation rip and that they should have some moderation policies, Bari Weiss, one of the independent journalists who was allowed access to the Twitter Files by Twitter CEO Elon Musk, said in a January podcast. In the past, however, when social media companies engaged in speech that former President Trump did not like affixing fact-checking labels to his messages he threatened to close them down. Republican witnesses left the hearing and avoided questions Jeff Landry, attorney general of Louisiana. (Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images) Schmitt and Landry both gave opening statements in which they made sweeping accusations about the Biden administration, but then left the room before Democrats could question them. Since the standard procedure for congressional hearings is for witnesses of fact to answer questions from members of the committee, Democrats protested vigorously. These two witnesses presented evidence that I believe is false, and I would like the opportunity to cross-examine those witnesses, Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass. Those witnesses arent here, Mr. Chairman, Jordan responded before the committee devolved into verbal squabbling. They have scurried away! Lynch said to Jordan following a prolonged debate. This is a mockery and a disgrace! Lynch asked the committee to strike the testimony of Schmitt and Landry. Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., said this would be censorship. Lynch responded that cross-examination of witness testimony ensures that we can test the veracity of their statements. We eviscerated the very process here that would ... protect the integrity of this hearing, to elicit the truth, Lynch said. Jordan said that Schmitt was allowed to leave the hearing without undergoing questioning because he is now a senator. But Democrats noted that Schmitt was giving testimony about a lawsuit he filed as a state attorney general. Democrats pointed to the Republican witnesses involvement with the plot to overturn the 2020 election Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., showed a phone message sent out by a nonprofit arm of the Republican Attorney General Association (RAGA) on Jan. 5, 2021, urging Trump supporters to go to the Capitol the next day to stop the steal of the 2020 election. At 1 p.m., we will march to the Capitol building and call on Congress to stop the steal. We are hoping patriots like you will join us to continue to fight to protect the integrity of our elections, said the robocall of the Rule of Law Defense Fund. Under questioning from Wasserman-Schultz, Sauer acknowledged he had attended RAGA meetings. The Democrat then said the robocalls were a use of state resources to collude with political groups to block the peaceful transfer of power, and that Sauers attendance at Rule of Law Defense Fund meetings in the fall of 2020 made him complicit. Thank you for bringing a witness before us who has actually weaponized the government, Wasserman-Schultz said to Jordan, the committee chair. Sauer denied the characterization by Wasserman-Schultz, and Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., dismissed the inquiry by the Democrat as personal accusations. But Rep. Gerald Connolly, D-Va., also noted that all three Republican witnesses signed their names to the lawsuit after the 2020 election that relied on a number of easily disproved allegations about the election to seek to stop its certification. Denys Kyryliuk flew more than 80 sorties The brigade gave no further details. According to information available to NV, Kyryliuk performed over 80 combat flights, including 70 during the time of the Russian full-scale invasion. He was also the deputy commander of the brigade. Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded Kyryliuk the order "For Courage" III degree for "his personal courage and selfless actions displayed during the protection of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and adherence to the oath of allegiance." Lower is shown a photo of him with the order "For Courage." The Wild Weasel symbol is seen on his arm badge the U.S. Air Forces code name for aircraft tasked with the suppression of enemy air defenses. Kyryliuk was also noted for protecting Ukrainian skies before the Russian full-scale invasion: for his heroic deeds and exemplary performance on military duty, he was awarded the Presidential Decoration for Participation in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (Ukraine's name for the Russian war against Ukraine in 2014-22) and a firearm from the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. In 2007, Kyryliuk graduated from Chernihiv Lyceum with enhanced military and physical training, the institution said. In 2011, he graduated from the Kharkiv National University of the Air Force named after Ivan Kozhedub. He lived with his family near Myrhorod in Poltava Oblast. He was married and had a daughter. His son was born 19 days before his death. "It was impossible to wipe the smile off his face," Valentyn Panchuk, who knew the pilot well, said of the pilot's joy over the newborn. "Today Denys's wife, his little daughter and newborn son are left alone. Denys Kyryliuk against the background of the Grand Canyon in the USA Kyryliuk had been fond of airplanes since he was a child, Panchuk said. "He (also) loved fishing and constantly showed off his catches to his family and friends," he said. Panchuk said that the pilot defended the Ukrainian sky relentlessly and offered to help his family by leaving their card details: wife's card for help: 4966804010091204 - Alyona card of a fellow soldier to help the family: 5375411205203164 - Oleksiy Story continues His colleagues from the 831st Brigade, Chernihiv Lyceum, where Kyrylyuk studied; and Vitaliy Diakivnych, head of the Myrhorod District Military Administration have expressed their condolences to the family and friends of the fallen pilot. "Ukraine has lost another patriot and its defender. It is bitter that the best of the best are giving their lives for us in order that we can have a peaceful sky above our heads," Diakivnych said. "Ukraine has lost another experienced pilot while it waits for F16s, and residents have spent another night sheltering from Russian drone attacks. Major Denys Kyryliuk leaves behind his wife, small daughter and baby. He died protecting Ukraine. Send the jets already, Maxim Tucker, assistant foreign editor of UK newspaper the Times, wrote on Twitter. Read also: Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine SAN MARTIN JILOTEPEQUE, Guatemala (AP) The last Ana Marina Lopez heard of her husband, the 51-year-old Guatemalan migrant told his family that he was being detained by Mexican immigration agents at the U.S.-Mexico border. That was two days before a fire in an immigration detention center in Ciudad Juarez claimed the lives of at least 39 migrants and left more than two dozen injured. Then his name appeared on a government list of the fire victims, but not specifying whether he was among the dead or the hospitalized. That has left Lopez and her daughter back in their small western Guatemalan town clinging to hope that he may be alive. And they aren't the only ones. As images of the devastating blaze consume news broadcasts and social media, families scattered across the Americas are reeling in agony as they await news of their loved ones. The pain and uncertainty felt by families underscores how the effects of migration ripple far beyond the individuals who embark on the perilous journey north, touching the lives of people across the region. In Juarez, Mexico, a sister waits for news of her Venezuelan brother who's been sedated and intubated in a hospital. In Honduras, families sit stunned after watching video of guards hurrying away from a growing cloud of flames and smoke in the immigration detention center. And in Guatemala, Lopez cradles a photograph of her husband in a cowboy hat unsure if he is alive or dead. This shouldnt be able to happen. (Migrants) are people, they are humans, Lopez said, her voice shaking. What I ask for is justice. They arent animals and cant be treated as such. Little is known about the cause of Monday night's fire, and authorities are investigating eight people, including a migrant, who may have started it. When Lopez's husband, Bacilio Sutuj Saravia, departed on his journey north in mid-March, he told her he was going to Mexico for tourism. Sutuj, who ran a small transport business with two pickup trucks, waited until he was in Mexico to tell her that his intention was to cross to the U.S. to see their daughter and two sons. Story continues However, he never had the chance. Getting off a bus in Juarez's station on Saturday, immigration agents detained him. Lopez learned of the fire from television news reports. Their children had been unable to reach Sutuj since a brief call he made Saturday saying he had been caught. The authorities should be there watching them and taking care of them, not fleeing and leaving them locked up and burned. That pains me," Lopez said. In the rolling coffee-dotted mountains of western Honduras, the three families horrified by the surveillance video are awaiting confirmation of the fates of their sons. The three friends had set out together for the United States from their small town of Proteccion. Like many in the rural area, the men planned to work and send money back to support their families. They met a smuggler in San Pedro Sula, a major point of departure in northern Honduras, who took them to Mexico. On Tuesday the three men's names Dikson Aron Cordova, Edin Josue Umana and Jesus Adony Alvarado were among those to appear on the governments list of victims without any details of whether they were alive. You want to be strong, but these are hard blows. Theyre unbearable, said Jose Cordova Ramos, father of 30-year-old Cordova. Were waiting for real news that would be the first and the last, as they say, if they are alive or dead. Their concern is matched by anger from watching guards run away from growing flames and thickening smoke rapidly encapsulating migrants. Another father rambles off questions: Who started the fire? How did they get fire in there? Did a guard give a lighter to someone inside? They didnt want to do anything," Jose Cordova said of the guards. In Ciudad Juarez at the U.S.-Mexico border, 25-year-old Venezuelan nursing student Stefany Arango Morillo has been left with the same pit in her stomach. She and her brother Stefan Arango Morillo, both single parents, migrated from their northern Venezuelan city of Maracaibo in February, leaving behind three young children between them with their mother in hopes of claiming asylum in the U.S. Joining a rising wave of Venezuelans heading to the U.S. border, the siblings traversed seven countries in a months time to reach Ciudad Juarez. Together, they attempted unsuccessfully each day to register through a smart-phone app for an appointment to apply for asylum in the U.S. But their quest came to an abrupt halt Monday, when Stefan was detained by Mexican immigration authorities and placed behind bars in the detention center that hours later would turn into an inferno. Stefany, searched desperately for her 32-year-old brother, fearing the worst when she received a text from his phone inside a private hospital. He was alive, but his injuries from smoke inhalation made it nearly impossible for him to talk. In the hospital, Stefan's health deteriorated, and the aspiring physical education teacher was transferred to the hospital emergency room in a coughing fit. Hours later, his sister pushed into the bustling hospital and planted a kiss on her brothers forehead shortly before he was sedated and intubated. Hes playful, but also has a strong will, she said. In the hospital waiting room she cries as she calls relatives in Venezuela, delivering the news. But as she waits, she clings to hope that she can bring him back home. This is a like a life lesson," Stefany said. "And believe me that I know and have faith that my brother, that hell get out of there and also keep fighting for our dream. ___ Lee reported from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and Escalon from Proteccion, Honduras. Associated Press writer Megan Janetsky contributed to this report from Mexico City. Naomi Davis, the founder of Blacks in Green, speaks to a crowd in downtown Chicago at a March 27 protest of Peoples Gas proposed rate increase. CHICAGO Consumer advocates, environmentalists and Chicago residents gathered in front of the Chicago offices of Peoples Gas this week to call on the Illinois Commerce Commission to reject a proposed rate increase from the gas utility. Several advocacy groups, including the Citizens Utility Board, Blacks in Green and Illinois PIRG participated in the protest. Honored: For Meares, anticipation replaces trepidation in trip back to Springfield The event drew around 100 people, including Valerie Carroll, a resident of West Englewood. In February, 37 percent of residential gas customers of the majority Black neighborhood were more than 30 days late on their bill, according to the companys filings with the ICC. I need the ICC to say no. Dont raise these prices. Our paychecks are not going up, but our bills are, Carroll said. We cant afford it. The reality of it is we cant afford it. I have my granddaughters at home and when they go to bed, they have to put on their onesies with socks just so I can manage. Is that fair to them? No. But I cant do anything about it. I can't afford it. Peoples Gas petitioned the ICC to raise gas rates in January. This began a regulatory process in which representatives of the company will make their case to the ICC as to why the rate increase is necessary. Several interest groups have already filed petitions in the case, which is expected to last until late this year. The proposed increase is the largest in state history and would raise the cost of gas for Chicago customers by $11.83 per month, on average, according to an analysis from the Citizens Utility Board. CUB is an independent nonprofit organization created by the Illinois General Assembly which intervenes in ICC cases on behalf of utility consumers. This would be the first traditional rate increase for Peoples Gas in nine years, although during that time, other factors have resulted in increases to consumer bills. One of those factors is the qualified infrastructure plant charge, an automatic increase to bills that the state approved in 2013. The law allowing Ameren Illinois, Nicor Gas and Peoples Gas to levy QIP charges is scheduled to expire at the end of the year. Story continues Peoples Gas said in a January news release that the increase would not affect a typical customers bill due to falling natural gas prices. The release also noted that the increase will help pay for infrastructure improvements, particularly upgrades to the pipes that carry natural gas around the city. Gun rally: Crowd marches in Springfield for annual gun owner lobby day Many of the pipes are from the 1800s, Peoples Gas spokesperson David Schwartz said in an email. Modernization is crucial for safety, for the reliable delivery of energy to keep Chicagoans warm, and to stop leaks that harm the environment. The companys ongoing pipe replacement program, which originated with a federal push for infrastructure upgrades more than a decade ago, is the subject of sharp criticism from watchdog groups. Illinois PIRG Director Abe Scarr said the program has been mismanaged and that it hasnt reduced risk in proportion to its cost. Year after year, Peoples Gas busts its budget and falls woefully short of its pipe replacement goals, Scarr told the crowd on Monday. Illinois PIRG and CUB, which oppose the rate increase, have both filed motions to intervene in the ongoing ICC case, meaning they will offer their perspective to regulators and offer testimony supporting their positions. Nicor Gas meters are seen on May 3, 2022, in Loves Park. Downstate rate increases The request for gas rate increases in Chicago comes alongside similar requests from the states largest utilities. Peoples Gas, North Shore Gas, Nicor Gas and Ameren Illinois, which together serve more than 4.2 million gas customers around the state, are all currently seeking rate increases. These cases were all filed in January and come with similar estimated increases in gas costs. Nicor customers could see a $9.28 monthly increase, North Shore customers could see a $6 monthly increase and Ameren gas customers could see a $6.68 monthly increase, according to CUB. CUB director David Kolata called this an unprecedented rate-hike barrage in early February. He also noted that CUB will fight each of these increases. In an email to Capitol News Illinois, Ameren Illinois echoed Peoples Gas claim that falling gas prices will result in most consumers bills not increasing. The company also echoed Peoples Gas reasoning for the rate increase, saying that the money will go to infrastructure improvements. With global energy challenges and increasingly volatile weather patterns, investments in natural gas infrastructure are needed to maintain a resilient and reliable energy delivery system, meet federal pipeline safety regulations, and prepare for the transition to cleaner, renewable energy technologies, Ameren spokesperson Tucker Kennedy said in an email. The legislatures role Some advocates and lawmakers think that more consumer protections are needed. Now is the time to take action with legislative and regulatory changes, Blacks in Green founder Naomi Davis told the crowd on Monday. Davis and other members of her organization were in Springfield last week to advocate for House Bill 2172, which advocates call Peoples Utility Rate Relief Act. The bill would make energy rates more affordable, create stronger protections and improve oversight, in the words of the bills sponsor, Rep. Will Davis, D-Homewood. Sen. Cristina Pacione-Zayas, D-Chicago, was there on Monday alongside other Democratic Chicago lawmakers including Reps. Will Guzzardi and Kam Buckner. This is not just about blocking these rate hikes, said Pacione-Zayas. Its about how we live up to the intent of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act and move away from fossil fuels into decarbonization. When asked if she expected to see any legislative action taken on utilities and affordability, Pacione-Zayas said that heating affordability intersects with, among other things, affordable housing and post-pandemic changes to welfare programs. All of this is on the table, and I think a lot of it will come up with budget discussions, she said. Although Guzzardi said that he is working with other lawmakers to introduce legislative reforms, he noted that ultimately, utility rates are up to the ICC. We created a body to govern these rate hikes and thats the Illinois Commerce Commission, he said. Weve got some great new appointees in the Commerce Commission so Im really hoping those folks step up, take their jobs seriously and take a closer look at this rate hike. Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide, as well as hundreds of radio and TV stations. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Advocates call on Illinois regulators to reject natural gas rate hikes A virtual reality demonstration at a police conference, in Dubai, on March 9, 2023. (The New York Times) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates A brain wave reader that can detect lies. Miniaturized cameras that sit inside vape pens and disposable coffee cups. Massive video cameras that zoom in more than a kilometer to capture faces and license plates. At a police conference in Dubai in March, new technologies for the security forces of the future were up for sale. Far from the eyes of the general public, the event provided a rare look at what tools are now available to law enforcement around the world: better and harder-to-detect surveillance, facial recognition software that automatically tracks individuals across cities and computers to break into phones. Advances in artificial intelligence, drones and facial recognition have created an increasingly global police surveillance business. Israeli hacking software, American investigation tools and Chinese computer vision algorithms can all be bought and mixed together to make a snooping cocktail of startling effectiveness. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Fueled by a surge of spending from Middle Eastern countries such as the United Arab Emirates, the conferences host and an aggressive adopter of next-generation security technologies, the event pointed to how tools of mass surveillance once believed to be widespread only in China are proliferating. The rising use of the technologies signals an era of policing based as much on software, data and code as officers and weaponry, raising questions about the effects on peoples privacy and how political power is wielded. A lot of surveillance could ostensibly be benign or used to improve a city, said Daragh Murray, a senior lecturer of law at Queen Mary University in London who has studied police use of technology. But the flip side of the coin is it can give you incredible insight into peoples everyday lives. That can have an unintended chilling effect or be a tool for actual repression. The gold rush was evident at a convention center in the heart of downtown Dubai, where uniformed police representatives from around the world browsed drones that could be launched and powered up remotely. Chinese camera makers showed software to identify when crowds gather. American companies like Dell and Cisco had booths offering police services. Cellebrite, an Israeli maker of systems to break into mobile phones, exhibited inside a government zone blocked off from the rest of the conference. Story continues Other companies sold facial recognition eyeglasses and sentiment analysis software, in which an algorithm determines a persons mood from facial expressions. Some products, like a Segway with a rifle mount, pushed the limits of practicality. Nowadays, the police force, they dont think about the guns or weapons that theyre carrying, said Maj. Gen. Khalid Alrazooqi, the Dubai Polices general director of AI. Youre looking for the tools, the technology. With its deep pockets, serious security challenges and autocratic government, the UAE, an important U.S. ally in the Middle East, has become a case study in the potential, and risks, of such policing technologies. The tools can help stop crime and terror attacks but can also become an undemocratic buttress of political power. Under the leadership of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, often referred to by his initials MBZ, Emirati authorities have surveilled critics and activists. Amnesty International and other groups have accused the oil-rich country of human rights abuses against adversaries, including using the Pegasus phone spyware made by the NSO Group of Israel. Protests and free expression in the authoritarian monarchy are severely limited, part of what the government has said is an effort to combat Islamic extremism. One tech firm based in the UAE with ties to the countrys leadership, Presight AI, sells software nearly identical to products that are popular with the Chinese police. At the conference, its software used cameras and AI to identify people, store data about their appearance and track their routes as they wandered the event. A lack of transparency and oversight for the way surveillance technologies are used opens up the potential for abuse, said Marc O. Jones, author of the book Digital Authoritarianism in the Middle East and a professor at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar. The region has become so securitized, and under MBZ, the UAE has become so focused on security theres almost this fetishization of technology, he said. Cameras are especially prevalent in the UAEs two largest cities, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Dubai, which is flashier and more freewheeling, has cameras tucked away in unassuming corners. In Abu Dhabi, the more conservative center of political power, cameras dominate the cityscape. Grey metal towers that support them shaped like Ts and Ls hang over roads at predictable intervals. Alrazooqi said in an interview that the cameras were part of a yearslong campaign to become a global leader in police technology even though the city, which has a population of about 3.5 million, is known for low crime. In recent years, Emirati officials visited police departments and companies in China, Europe and the United States for ideas. The consulting companies KPMG and Gartner were hired to help with the process, Alrazooqi said. Dubai bought facial recognition systems from Chinese companies including Hikvision and Huawei. KPMG, Gartner, Huawei and Hikvision declined to comment. We pick what is the best practice in each country and to try to perfect and inject it in the system that we have, Alrazooqi said. He added that the Chinese are the best at computer vision and facial recognition. The Middle East has become a petri dish of different actors, with China, Russia and the United States vying for influence through their technologies, Jones said. The heavy presence of Chinese technologies most cameras visible on the streets are Chinese is a sign of the countrys rising influence in the Gulf. Dubais police run next-generation systems from a sprawling headquarters north of the citys downtown skyscrapers and malls. One of those systems, a citywide facial recognition program called Oyoon Arabic for eyes can pull the identity of anyone passing one of at least 10,000 cameras, linking to a database of images from airport customs and residents identification cards. Police have also required businesses to provide video from their security systems to a centralized government database. Its monitoring the whole city from once you enter at the airport to when you leave, Alrazooqi said. He said the systems served the polices customers a catchall term for the public. People, they are happy about it, he said. The technological capabilities were on display in a police command center, where Dubais officers could view live camera feeds and the locations of all emergency vehicles on a giant screen. With technology and smart cameras, if you committed a crime within a minute I will know which direction someone is going, said Lt. Col. Bilal Al Tayer, acting director of the command and control center. One advanced tool was predictive policing software built by engineers from Dubai with machine learning that identifies where thieves might strike next. Officials said its 68% accuracy rate doubled that of an older model. Inside some patrol cars, mapping software gives officers specific routes to drive based on crime data. Another algorithm, built on the records of automobile accidents, predicted the roughly 4,000 most dangerous drivers in Dubai, who will receive reminders via text message to drive carefully. The most-represented category of bad drivers was older Emirati men, followed by older South Asian men. (Nationality is a factor for the algorithm.) At the Dubai police fair, officials from the UAEs Ministry of Interior, which oversees state security and has access to all police cameras, demonstrated how, with a tablet, they could scan the irises of conference attendees and pull up information about when they had entered the country, complete with a recent customs photo. Also displayed was a headset that is said to detect when a part of the brain concerning memories is activated, something a ministry official said is useful during interrogations to determine if a suspect is lying. Walking among the booths at the conference was Lt. Gen. Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, the Dubai Polices commander in chief. The new capabilities on display, however intrusive, were a means to achieve a long-elusive, utopian goal of zero crime, he said. We dont break the privacy of the people, he added. We are just monitoring. c.2023 The New York Times Company Vinod Khosla, an early investor in OpenAI, predicts AI could one day "free humanity from work." Steve Jennings/Getty Images for TechCrunch The future of AI could "free humanity" from work, according to OpenAI investor Vinod Khosla. The venture capitalist predicted that 80% of jobs could be completed by AI in 25 years. Khosla warned the technology is likely to create major disruption and global competition. The future of artificial intelligence could "free humanity from the need to work," according to Vinod Khosla, the cofounder of Sun Microsystems and an early investor in ChatGPT creator OpenAI. But it's a future that Khosla warns won't come without major disruption or global competition. In an interview with Semafor, the venture capitalist predicted that 80% of jobs could be completed by AI in 25 years. "This large transformation is the opportunity to free humanity from the need to work. People will work when they want to work on what they want to work on," Khosla told Semafor. Khosla is the founder of VC firm Khosla Ventures, which has invested in companies including DoorDash, Instacart, Impossible Foods, Wattpad, and more. Back in 2014, Khosla told Semafor, he started thinking about a future with AI, even predicting that eventually most media would be created by AI in the future and that AI will disrupt teaching. Still, any transition to offloading most jobs to AI won't be seamless, Khosla said. "That's a utopian vision. But getting from here to that utopia is really disruptive and it is terrible to be the disrupted one," he said. "So you have to have empathy for whoever's being disrupted. And the transition is very messy. It hurts people, hurts lives, destroys lives." A spokesperson for Khosla did not immediately respond to Insider's request for any additional comment ahead of publication. A study from researchers with OpenAI and the University of Pennsylvania found that AI tools, like ChatGPT, will likely impact up to 80% of the US workforce, reported Insider. AI jobs in tech, mathematics, accounting, and communication fields will be especially at risk, the researchers found. Story continues Goldman Sachs researchers recently estimated that 300 million full-time jobs across the globe could be disrupted by AI. The report also highlighted that US workers in legal and administrative positions are especially vulnerable. Khosla said more research is needed to aid in the advancement of the recent boom in AI especially as more global powers race to gain the upper hand in AI. Khosla said there are some countries, citing Rwanda and Brazil, that may not be able to fund their own AI. That stands in contrast to China, he said, which has buckled down on AI with a five-year plan to dominate in this technology. Read the original article on Business Insider Research laboratory Midjourney has paused free trials of its image-generation software after users cranked out realistic deepfakes including of former US president Donald Trump getting arrested and Pope Francis in a puffer jacket. Midjourney responded to a request Thursday for a trial with a message saying it could not be provided and to try again another day. The imagery created using the artificial intelligence platform, particularly those of Trump and the pontiff which went viral, have put a spotlight on the San Francisco-based lab. "Due to a combination of extraordinary demand and trial abuse we are temporarily disabling free trials until we have our next improvements to the system deployed," Midjourney founder David Holz said in a post this week on the company's Discord channel. The service generates realistic looking images based on written prompts made by users. It launched in test mode in mid-2022, with the independent lab consistently upgrading the software. Users have praised a freshly released version of Midjourney for improved realism in produced images. Along with putting the brakes on new free trials, Midjourney banned certain words, such as "arrested," from being used to prompt image creation. On Thursday Midjourney denied a request by AFP to generate an image of the former president being arrested in front of Trump Tower in New York. "The word 'arrested' is banned," a message from Midjourney stated. "Circumventing this filter to violate our rules may result in your access being revoked." Billionaire mogul and Twitter owner Elon Musk and a range of experts called on Wednesday for a pause in the development of powerful artificial intelligence systems to allow time to make sure they are safe. An open letter, signed by more than 1,000 people so far including Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, was prompted by the release of artificial intelligence platform GPT-4 from Microsoft-backed firm OpenAI. Canadian AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio, who signed the letter, warned during a virtual press conference in Montreal that "society is not ready" for this powerful tool, and its possible misuses. "Let's slow down. Let's make sure that we develop better guardrails," he said. gc/mlm A Chicago man was exonerated Wednesday after spending almost three decades behind bars for two 1994 murders a conviction he and his lawyers claim was based on a false confession he signed after a grueling, abusive 14-hour interrogation by three Chicago detectives. David Wright, 46, was arrested when he was 17 in August 1994 in the slaying of two friends, 16-year-old Tyrone Rockett and 26-year-old Robert Smith. They had been shot in Smiths backyard after returning from a convenience store. But according to Wrights lawyers, no forensic evidence linked him to his friends killings, and no eyewitness identified him as the perpetrator. Advertisement I was 17. I was a kid. I still had a lot to figure out, and I still have a lot to learn, Wright told reporters after his conviction was thrown out by Cook County Judge Carol Howard at the Leighton Criminal Court Building on Wednesday. But that dont make me guilty of a crime. After a decade of litigation, Wright was released from prison in September 2022, weeks after his conviction was vacated and shortly before his 46th birthday. Since his release, Wright has been making up for lost time by spending time with his family and studying to take a GED test. On Wednesday, he said it felt good to be exonerated, but that he still has mixed feelings. Advertisement People are going to sit in jail for another 30 years on the credibility of dirty police, he said. Now, I understand that everybodys trying to do their job, I understand everybody is trying to do the best they can. ... But unfortunately, their best is not enough when you got people in prison whose families have died and they cant grieve. David Owens, a lawyer with the Exoneration Project, said he was assigned Wrights case on his first day as an attorney over a decade ago. It took a long, long way to get here and a lot of litigation, he told reporters. And we faced a lot of obstacles at every juncture. Lawyers from the Exoneration Project said in a news release that retired Chicago police Detectives James Cassidy, Kenneth Boudreau and John Halloran have a well-documented pattern and practice of generating false confessions out of the innocent, conduct that they say has tainted over 40 cases. The numbers are staggering. According to the Exoneration Project, at least 25 people have had their convictions overturned and charges dismissed following convictions based on the three detectives conduct; at least 10 people who the officers claimed confessed were acquitted at trial; and in at least eight cases, charges were dropped before trial despite an alleged confession. Boudreaus alleged history of obtaining dubious confessions was detailed in a 2001 Tribune series. Over the years, he got confessions from defendants with mental disabilities, a man who was in custody at the time of the slaying and from inmates who were later cleared by DNA evidence. In 2019, a Cook County judge granted Arnold Day a certificate of innocence for his 1994 conviction in a murder and armed robbery case. Day had long alleged that he was coerced into falsely confessing by Chicago detectives under the command of former police Cmdr. Jon Burge, who was convicted in 2011 after allegations that he and his crew tortured criminal suspects for two decades, coercing dozens of confessions. The Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission reported that, during Days interrogation, Boudreau stood by as another detective choked and threatened to throw Day out the window. Day was released after 26 years in prison when special prosecutors dropped charges against him in December 2018. In 2017, the commission had found credible evidence that Chicago detectives had tortured five people sentenced to lengthy prison terms into confessing to murder. One of the men was Anthony Jakes, who was 15 when Boudreau and another detective allegedly punched and kicked him and threatened to throw him out a window during a 16-hour interrogation for a 1991 armed robbery and slaying, according to the commissions report. Advertisement Without a parent or lawyer present, Jakes signed a four-page confession to the slaying. Jakes was convicted and sentenced to 40 years in prison and was paroled in 2017. He was present at Wrights hearing Wednesday. Boudreau has repeatedly denied ever beating a single suspect he questioned over his lengthy career. Testifying in a 2000 federal lawsuit, Cassidy denied that he threatened or coerced an 11-year-old boy into confessing the murder of an 84-year-old woman in 1993. The boy said years later he didnt kill the woman and only confessed under duress. Cassidys methods of interrogation have come under scrutiny since 1998 when he said two boys, ages 7 and 8, admitted throwing a rock and killing 11-year-old Ryan Harris. Murder charges against the two were later dropped after forensic tests linked the crime to Floyd Durr, a convicted sex offender, who later plead guilty to the murder. Cook County will conduct an audit of investigations involving Cassidy, Boudreau and others stemming from the wrongful convictions of the Englewood Four Terrill Swift, Harold Richardson, Michael Saunders and Vincent Thames who were convicted of raping and killing a South Side woman in 1994 and cleared when DNA evidence linked the crime to a convicted killer. A Cook County judge found that Halloran and another officer under Burges supervision tortured Marcellous Pittman in 2001, when he was 18, over a shooting that injured a police officer. Like Jakes, Pittman was present at Wednesdays hearing where Wright was exonerated. According to Exoneration Project lawyers, appellate courts have recognized, again and again, that the mountain of evidence of systemic abuse by these detectives warrants relief for people such as Clayborn Smith and George Anderson who remain imprisoned. Advertisement Smith was convicted in the 1992 murders of his grandfather and great aunt, and in 2011 submitted a claim to the Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission, saying that his confession was false and the product of physical abuse at the hands of Boudreau, Halloran and another detective. And just a few weeks ago, an Illinois appeals court ordered new trials for Anderson who had been convicted of killing an 11-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl in 1991 because they found his claims of being tortured into confessing were credible. Anderson accused Boudreau, Halloran and another detective of beating him into confessing to the slaying of the boy. Both Boudreau and Halloran have taken the stand to deny the allegations against them. Yet, the state of Illinois continues to stand behind these officers, the Exoneration Project news release said. The state could have confessed error in these cases long ago, but they drag on, causing further harm to those wrongfully convicted, the families of crime victims, and the taxpayers of Cook County. This is why were not excited, Owens, Wrights attorney, said. Were not jumping up and down, having a party, because systemic change is impossible until they admit what happened. Exoneration Project lawyers have pointed out that the justice system has been undoing some of the harm caused by alleged misconduct of Chicago police, such as in the case of disgraced former Sgt. Ronald Watts and former Detective Reynaldo Guevara. In an unprecedented move in August, judges overturned seven murder convictions in a single day all tainted by Guevaras alleged misconduct, which reportedly included manipulating witnesses and fabricating evidence. Similarly, in October, a judge threw out convictions of eight people with cases connected to Watts. Advertisement But its still not enough, lawyers from the Exoneration Project say. Meanwhile, the state stands behind the conduct of white detectives whose misconduct was arguably more pervasive, the Exoneration Project news release said. Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > Family of Robert Smith, one of the 1994 murder victims, was present in the courtroom Wednesday. Sabrina Morgan, his sister, drove from Wisconsin with her mother and another sister to attend the hearing. She said her mother had only been notified of the possible dismissal of charges Sunday night. They have every right to wonder what happened. Whos the person who did this? That person is still out there, Owens said. Thats another trauma from the system, is that those families, their grief is incomplete. Friday marked the 29th anniversary of the double murder, Morgan said, which meant that a lot of feelings have come flooding back for her family. Theres no winners, Morgan said. Now what? (Wright) was sentenced to life in prison. Be that as it may, theres no one being punished, no one serving time for my brothers and Tyrones deaths. Advertisement As for whats in store for the three retired detectives, Owens said its hard to tell what will happen. Political winds have to change for them to be charged. And thats essentially what it is: Is there political will for cleaning house when it comes to corrupt officers, or are you gonna be held hostage by the FOP (Fraternal Order of Police)? Thats a question for somebody else, he said. adperez@chicagotribune.com Akron Police Chief Steve Mylett is interviewed Wednesday evening by members of the media before a community conversation at New Hope Baptist Church. Akron Police Chief Steve Mylett faced a skeptical and occasionally critical audience during a two-and-a-half hour meeting Wednesday night on developments in the Jayland Walker shooting case. About 100 attendees came to the first in a series of community conversations, prepared with questions that remain unanswered 10 months after Walker was shot and killed in a hail of gunfire. Akron City Councilwoman and mayoral candidate Tara Mosley asks a question Wednesday while seated in the audience during a community conversation on grand juries, use of force, and protesting peacefully at New Hope Baptist Church. More: Akron preparing for grand jury in Jayland Walker's death to be seated April 10 The meeting took place at New Hope Baptist Church following last week's announcement that a special grand jury will review evidence in the June 27, 2022, shooting of Walker. Walker, 25, was fatally shot more than 40 times by eight Akron police officers after a car and foot chase. He was unarmed during the shooting, but police said he fired a shot from his vehicle, and that a handgun was found in the vehicle. More: What we still don't know in the Akron police killing of Jayland Walker Kimberlee Vaughn, whose husband Mohammad Isaifan was shot by Akron Police in 2019, talks about the incident during a community conversation Wednesday at New Hope Baptist Church. Answers in Jayland Walker case limited by ongoing investigation "Why wasn't the decision made not to pursue?" asked Felisha McCray, an Akron resident who described herself as a close friend of the family. Mylett said he is not privy to details of the investigation, which was handled by the Ohio Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Some questioners expressed frustration when the police chief said he was unable to answer queries for that reason. Akron Chief Prosecutor Craig Morgan talks to a community conversation gathering Wednesday at New Hope Baptist Church. McCray said after the meeting she wasn't satisfied with the answer. "We still haven't gotten anything answered," she said. "How much longer is this going to take?" A special grand jury will be chosen in Summit County Common Pleas Court on April 10 to decide whether charges are warranted in Walker's death. The Ohio Attorney General's Office will represent the state in the proceedings. Questions about the grand jury process Wednesday's meeting, which was open to the public, started with Akron Chief Prosecutor Craig Morton discussing the grand jury process that would take place. Story continues "The grand jury is the beginning of the process," he said. "It's not the end." The grand jury, he said, will have nine members with alternates. The evidentiary standards they use will differ from those used by a trial jury. Only seven of the nine jurors needs to vote for a defendant to be charged. "They just decide whether or not there's probable cause," Morgan said. The jury will be chosen from among Summit County residents 18-years-old or older and registered to vote. "They'll bring a bunch of people in, and then they'll do a selection process," he said. Morgan said grand jury members can question witnesses, unlike their trial jury counterparts. "After the grand jury hears all that evidence ... then they will take a vote on various offenses," he said. The defense attorneys are not involved in the process, he said. Akron resident Paula Jones said she came to the meeting to learn more about what the grand jury would do in a case that shocked her. "We see it on the national news all the time and then, boom! it's in our front yard," she said. She said the presentation helped her understand what would occur come April 10. "It was a very emotional, highly emotional room," she said. Questions about officers under investigation Akron City Council members Russel C. Neal and Tara Mosley attended the meeting, and both questioned the police chief on aspects of the case. "At what time will the officers' names be released in the community?" Neal asked. "We need to be intentional to make sure the (grand) jury reflects the community where the (shooting) took place." Mylett said the officers' names won't be released until the grand jury makes a decision on charges. "If an officer is indicted, their name will be released," he said. "If not indicted, their names will not be released." Either way, Mylett said, his department will follow up on the case. "One way or another, there's going to be an internal investigation," he said. Other attendees returned to the status of the eight officers who shot Walker. "Since it's under investigation, why are those officers back at work?" said Chyna Lott, a Barberton resident. Mylett said the department was down about 50 officers and he had to make a decision. He said he delayed his decision to return the officers to duty as long as he could. "I was at the point I was considering dismantling units," he said. Homeless advocate Sage Lewis, a Ward 8 City Council candidate, suggested the department needed further work on its relationship with the community it serves. "From our perspective down here," he said, "it looks like us vs. you." Protests a sore spot for some Some questioners were upset that the police chief brought up the subject of protests, saying he anticipated there would be some after the grand jury decision. "Why are we now having a conversation about protesting?" asked Desha Oanska of Akron. The police chief said his department has learned from last year's protests and would follow new procedures if they arise this year. "Last year we had no prep time," he said. "It was like a tornado came in." Mylett said after the meeting that he came prepared for difficult questions. "It was something I was prepared for," he said. "There is a lot of hurt in this city." Leave a message for Alan Ashworth at 330-996-3859 or email him at aashworth@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @newsalanbeaconj. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron police chief fields questions on Jayland Walker case in meeting An Alabama police department was not horsing around after they arrested and charged an adventurous pony that got loose and trotted around the city at night. The department charged the pony, which they playfully dubbed "Ginuwine," with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct after corralling it following a two-hour ordeal. The Tuscaloosa Police Department received a call around 10 p.m. on March 20 about a small pony hanging out in the Alberta City suburb of Tuscaloosa. Tuscaloosa police say they received a call around 10 p.m. March 20 about a small pony wandering around near 30th Avenue East and First Street East in the Alberta City suburb. "He was extremely unwilling to go with the officers at first, and not at all interested in the pizza crusts or peppermints they offered," the department said in a Facebook post Tuesday night. Three officers "engaged in a low-speed foot pursuit" with Ginuwine, who trotted up and down residents' driveways and backyards for nearly two hours. HAWAII MAN CITED AFTER ALLEGED HARASSMENT OF HUMPBACK WHALE, DOLPHINS "He eventually allowed himself to be caught, and was happy to get pets and pose for selfies," the department said. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP In the body camera footage, law enforcement are seen attempting to corral the escaped pony and catch him with a lasso. "Not gonna lie, this is the best problem tonight," one officer is heard jokingly saying. Ginuwine led Tuscaloosa Police Department personnel on a chase for nearly two hours. Police released a "mugshot" of Ginuwine, indicating that the pony was "charged" with third-degree criminal trespassing and resisting arrest. Despite his bond being set at $800, officers gracefully allowed the pony to be free but were searching for his owner. CALIFORNIA SEA OTTERS KILLED BY RARE PARASITE THAT COULD ALSO THREATEN HUMANS Ginuwine was eventual brought in on charges of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. "Hes in a safe place now, and weve arranged a permanent home in case we dont find his owners," the department said. Several days later, the pony's owners were located. Ginuwine's real name is Knight, and he's approximately 4 years old. Ginuwine/Knight will now live at the Therapeutic Riding of Tuscaloosa (TROT), where he's been since his arrest. The pony, named "Ginuwine" by Tuscaloosa police, has been identified as 4-year-old Knight. Ginuwine/Knight will provide riding therapy for children and adults with disabilities at TROT. "TROT has been AMAZING since taking our phone call in the middle of the night and caring for him since. The nonprofit organization will keep him at their farm in Cottondale, where they offer riding lessons as therapy for children and adults with disabilities," the department said in a Facebook post. All "charges" against Ginuwine/Knight have been dismissed. PATERSON The New Jersey Attorney Generals Office on Wednesday confirmed that it is reviewing a mid-February encounter between Paterson police officers and teenagers in which social justice activists say a cop used excessive force against one of the juveniles. It was not clear whether state authorities had been investigating the incident before Monday, when Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced that his office was taking control of the day-to-day operations of the Paterson Police Department. Black Lives Matter leader Zellie Thomas, who has posted a video recording of the incident on social media, said the footage from Feb. 15 shows one of the officers assaulting a juvenile, who already had been tackled to the ground, by striking the teen in the head three times with his knee. NJ Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announces on the steps of Paterson Police Department that the Attorney Generals office is taking control of the department in Paterson, NJ on Monday March 27, 2023. Thomas said at Tuesday nights City Council meeting that the officers involved in the incident should be charged with crimes, asserting that knee strikes constitute excessive force that can cause serious injury or even death. Thomas provided the recordings to the ACLU of New Jersey last month. That group on Feb. 19 sent letters to the Attorney Generals Office and the United States attorney for New Jersey asking for an investigation of the incident. The videos appear to depict a serious incident of police violence that occurred this week in Paterson, New Jersey, Alexander Shalom, ACLU-NJs supervising attorney, said in his letter. We are deeply disturbed by these videos, which show both retaliation against young people for recording police officers in violation of the First Amendment and brutal excessive force used against one of those young people, with an officer repeatedly kneeing one of the children in the head, Shalom wrote. Mike Kelly: If Paterson wants a new police force, it must look to Camden More from Paterson Press: What will state's Police Department takeover mean for Paterson? Investigation underway The Attorney Generals Office told Paterson Press on Wednesday that it contacted the Passaic County Prosecutors Office about the incident and that the state is reviewing what happened. Story continues Thomas said he personally did not record the three videos but sent ACLU-NJ copies of the footage last month. Thomas said he does not know the name of the teen he says was assaulted. The officers involved were part of the Paterson Police Departments Street Crimes Unit. The videos show a group of young men standing in the street in the early-evening darkness and using their phones to record an apparent arrest near Patersons main library. A marked police SUV pulls up between the teens and the arrest scene, and officers approach the juveniles, including one cop who shoves an onlooker toward the sidewalk. The teens then begin walking along the sidewalk and are trailed by the police, the video shows. Suddenly, four of the officers surround the last youth and one cop grabs the teen from behind, tackling him to the ground. The video does not give a clear depiction of what, if anything, happened between the juvenile and the officers to prompt his being taken to the ground. Earlier: NJ AG takes control of daily operations of Paterson Police Department While the teen is on the ground, an officer in the group moves his knee several times toward the area of the youths head, the video shows. Paterson Press on Wednesday asked ACLU-NJ if authorities contacted the group about its letter. An ACLU spokesperson would say only that the organization doesnt have any new information to release. Thomas made his comments during a raucous, 8-hour City Council meeting that started Tuesday night and ended early Wednesday morning. No-confidence vote fails Early in the meeting, Councilman Alex Mendez tried to convince his colleagues to take a no-confidence vote on Mayor Andre Sayeghs handling of the recent Police Department controversies. But Mendezs motion failed. More than 40 people spoke during the public portion of the meeting. They included Casey Melvin, a member of the Paterson Healing Collective, the organization for which Najee Seabrooks was an outreach worker. Melvin said he was heartened by the attorney generals takeover Monday of the Paterson Police Department. "We had the officers' names revealed the first week, the second week the bodycam footage, and now the third week the takeover of the department that's what I called a rapid response," Melvin said. "I'm upset we didn't get that from our immediate government. Joe Malinconico is editor of Paterson Press. Email: editor@patersonpress.com Darren Tobia is a contributing writer for Paterson Press. This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Paterson NJ: New police excessive force allegations under review Editor's note: USA TODAY partners with Sanctuary to provide daily and monthly horoscopes to readers. On your next trip to Starbucks, you can now leave the fate of your coffee order ... to the stars. Sanctuary, a mobile horoscope app is teaming up with Starbucks this spring to offer coffee-lovers a zodiac-infused guide to the menu. The astrological collaboration runs from March 20 to April 20 and offers users a personalized drink recommendation, as well as a horoscope, a set of power words, a spring color, and a spring flower to match their sign. Customers at Starbucks will be introduced to a new interface with a carnival-style wheel. After setting it to the correct Zodiac sign, and electing whether you are a morning or afternoon coffee drinker, a small slideshow against a light green background plays out, telling you about yourself. Being a Virgo, my words were "determined, insightful, and thoughtful" not too shabby, if true. My spring shade was "serene celadon" which I learned is a jade green color, and my flower was a chrysanthemum. The most important data point, the drink, came as a bit of a surprise. My recommendation was a Passion Tango Tea Lemonade. Refreshing, yes, but a little odd to start off the morning. Happy Aries Season: Everything to know about the 'headstrong' Zodiac sign What's my sign? Find out what the stars say about you Which zodiac sign am I compatible with?: Let the stars have a say in your relationships Not all recommendations are so spring-centric though. A companion of mine on the morning coffee run, who is an Aries, was encouraged to order a Caramel Macchiato. To find out which pairing is right for you, you can visit Sanctuary's new interface. Once the drink recommendation is generated, it automatically links out to an option to begin an order. Learn more about each Zodiac sign Pisces | Aquarius | Capricorn | Sagittarius | Scorpio | Libra | Virgo | Leo | Cancer | Gemini | Taurus | Aries This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Starbucks astrology drinks? New collab bases coffee order on your sign A Facebook post claims to show a collage comprising pictures of senior federal officials from Amhara in Ethiopia wearing traditional Oromo symbols of power. The individuals are also purported to be the first to graduate with a specialist Oromo education called Gada. These claims are false: each photo has been digitally altered. The post plays on existing ethnic tensions in government between political leaders from Amhara and Oromia regions. The post has been shared more than 280 times since it was published on March 19, 2023. The accompanying image shows top officials from the Amhara ethnic group who are serving in the federal government. The Amharic caption in the picture translates to: "The first batch of graduates from Gada higher education". Screenshot of the false post, taken on March 27, 2023 The individuals in the collage, from left to right, are Temesgen Tiruneh, the director general of Ethiopias National Intelligence and Security Service; Agegnehu Teshager, the speaker of the House of Federation; Labour Minister Nigusu Tilahun; Temesgen, again; and finally Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Demeke Mekonnen. Flags of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), an opposition party in Oromia region, can be seen in the background of two images. Gada is an indigenous democratic system practised by Oromo people in Ethiopia and included in the list of UNESCOs Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2016 (original page archived here). The traditional political leader is Abba Gada, who usually ties kallacha, traditional headgear that symbolises power, on his forehead (archived here). Screenshot of Guyo Goba, the 70th Abaa Gada of the Borana Oromo, wearing kallacha headgear; taken on March 28, 2023 Each person in the collage also appears to be wearing kallacha. The post intends to give the impression that the Amhara officials recognise the purported superiority of the Oromo identity and political system, and it coincides with rising tensions between the countrys two largest ethnic groups, especially in the governments upper echelons. Ethnic division The Prosperity Party has ruled Ethiopia since 2019. Abiy Ahmed, the countrys first Oromo prime minister, rebranded the party when he merged the former ruling coalition of ethnic parties. Story continues The merger intended to tone down ethnic divisions which have been a source of instability in Ethiopia. However, local reports revealed that divisions within the ruling party have widened recently over ethnic conflicts and controversies that followed the creation of a new city named Sheger comprising four towns on the outskirts of Addis Ababa. International media also covered the return of old conflicts and rivalry between Amhara and Oromo ethnic groups, posing significant security challenges to the country. However, the photo in the false post does not show Amhara officials wearing kallacha after graduation. Altered photos AFP Fact Check conducted reverse image searches and established the individual pictures in the collage all have been digitally altered. The first image of Temesgen originally showed him in military uniform and a matching hat, with sofas behind him. In the altered image, his attire has been replaced and the background changed to a frame hanging on the wall. Kallacha has also been added. Screenshot of original photo of Temesgen, captured on March 28, 2023. In the second image, Agegnehu is seen wearing kallacha and a traditional Oromo outfit with black, red and white colours. In the original, however, he has nothing on his head. Screenshot of the original photo Agegnehu, captured on March 28, 2023. Although Agegnehu is Amhara, it is common practice for federal and regional officials to wear traditional outfits from different regions to promote unity and diversity. The third and the fourth images once again show Nigusu and Temesgen, respectively. Unlike in the altered pictures, neither man has the OLF flag behind him in the original pictures, nor were they wearing kallacha. Screenshot of original photo of Nigusu captured on March 28, 2023. Screenshot of original photo of Temesgen, captured on March 28, 2023. Finally, the fifth image of Demeke originally shows him standing beside the flag of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. It was taken in February 2021 by the Ethiopian New Agency (ENA), a government-owned news organisation. Screenshot of original photo of Demeke, captured on March 28, 2023 However, the flag was cropped out in the altered image and kallacha added to his head. Photograph: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters Alvin Braggs official biography describes him as a son of Harlem who became Manhattan district attorney after a lifetime of hard work, courage and demanding justice. In obtaining a grand jury indictment against Donald Trump over his hush money payment to Stormy Daniels in 2016, the Democrat has now carved himself a place in history, as the man behind the first vote to criminally indict a former president. Related: Donald Trump indicted over 2016 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels Now 49, Bragg is a Harvard-educated former assistant New York state attorney general and assistant US attorney in the southern district of New York. In 2021, he was elected as the first Black Manhattan DA and only the fourth permanent occupant of the post in 80 years. In office, his biography says, he has focused on protecting everyday New Yorkers from abuses by the powerful, and correcting past injustices by vacating wrongful convictions. The biography also highlights the creation of a Special Victims Division, handling extremely sensitive cases in a trauma informed and survivor centered manner, and an expansion of a Hate Crimes Unit. Bragg has prominent critics, however. Chief among them is Mark Pomerantz, an experienced New York prosecutor who joined an investigation of Trump begun by Braggs predecessor, Cyrus Vance Jr, but resigned in February 2022. In his resignation letter, Pomerantz said Trump was guilty of numerous felony violations in his business and political affairs and called Braggs initial decision to stop pursuing an indictment a grave failure of justice. The two men exchanged shots in the press. Last month, Pomerantz published a book in which he described efforts to make Trumps hush money payment to Stormy Daniels a viable path to prosecution. Pomerantz called the Daniels payment a zombie case because it would not die. A month later, it emerged that Bragg was homing in on a Trump indictment in the very same case. Braggs official biography now highlights a six-count indictment against the Trump ally Steve Bannon for fraud, and the conviction of Allen Weisselberg, the Trump Organization chief financial officer, for tax evasion. Story continues Bragg has also faced criticism for his approach to crime, not least from the New York City police commissioner, Keechant Sewell. In early 2022, Bragg issued a memo instructing prosecutors to avoid seeking prison time for all but the most serious crimes. In a city where crime is always a key political issue, and in an atmosphere of heightened concern fueled by the disruptions of the Covid pandemic, Sewell told NYPD officers she was severely troubled. Bragg said the memo had been misunderstood. After a meeting, he and Sewell agreed that police and prosecutors would weigh the individual facts and circumstances of each case with a view toward justice and work together to keep New Yorkers safe. Later in 2022, the issue of crime and punishment in New York flared forth again. After a Hispanic Harlem shopkeeper stabbed a Black assailant, Bragg charged the shopkeeper with second-degree murder. After an outcry, the charges were dropped. (AP) Former president Donald Trump fired out three furious all-caps posts on his Truth Social page on 18 March, invoking images of burning cities and World War III while stoking unrest with a call for his supporters to protest, protest, protest what he predicted would be his arrest in New York. Alvin Bragg the Manhattan district attorney whose office is overseeing a criminal investigation into the former presidents business practices following long-running allegations of fraud issued a memo to his staff in response, stressing that he does not tolerate attempts to intimidate our office or threaten the rule of law in New York. His internal message did not mention the former president by name or his incendiary rhetoric, but he referred to public comments surrounding an ongoing investigation by this office. Mr Bragg has been tight-lipped about the case and his offices work, ensuring in his recent memo that, as with all of our investigations, we will continue to apply the law evenly and fairly, and speak publicly only when appropriate. On March 30, a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Mr Trump, the first former president to ever face criminal charges. Right-wing opponents, meanwhile, have bombarded Mr Braggs office with claims of election interference or raised baseless conspiracy theories, including antisemitic and racist attacks, that accuse Mr Bragg of leading a politically motivated case against the 2024 candidate for president. Mr Trumps allies and right-wing pundits have baselessly accused Manhattan prosecutors of mounting a politically motivated investigation while ignoring violent crime. Last year, homicides in New York City fell by 12 per cent while shootings dropped by 17 per cent compared to 2021, the lowest rates since 2019, and significantly lower than massive surges in 1980s and 1990s. Spikes in robberies and burglaries drove a 22 per cent overall jump in so-called major crimes, and overall crimes dropped precipitously in February with significant decreases in murders, shootings and subway crimes, continuing what New York City Police Department officials report as a downward trend. Story continues The former president and other right-wing conspiracy theorists have also placed Mr Bragg at the centre of antisemitic and racist conspiracy theories, alleging Jewish billionaire philanthropist George Soros is directing Mr Braggs investigation at the expense of the lives of Black New Yorkers. On 19 March, Fox News programme Fox & Friends said that the Black prosecutor has to pay his master back by prosecuting Mr Trump. Manhattans first-ever Black district attorney was overwhelmingly elected to the role in 2021 with 84 per cent of the boroughs vote. A criminal investigation into Mr Trumps business empire includes a hush-money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels and long-running allegations that he inflated the value of his properties and assets to fraudulently obtain loans and defraud his lenders, which also is at the centre of a separate civil lawsuit from the office of the New York Attorney General. Mr Bragg inherited the case from his predecessor Cy Vance, who began his investigation into Mr Trump while he was still in the White House. The 49-year-old former state attorney and federal prosecutor from Harlem has been involved with lawsuits against the Trump administration more than 100 times. As the chief deputy attorney general for the state of New York, Mr Bragg led a lawsuit against the Donald J Trump Foundation, which resulted in then-president Trump admitting that he used the organisation for political purposes and for his business under an alleged scheme that the office of New York attorney general called a shocking pattern of illegality. The foundation agreed to pay out $2m to charities and agreed to dissolve. In November 2021, Mr Bragg handily defeated Republican opponent Thomas Kenniff in a general election for New York County District Attorney. He was sworn into office on 1 January 2022. In addition to being the first Black district attorney, I think Ill probably be the first district attorney whos had police point a gun at him, Mr Bragg said during a victory speech after his election. I think Ill be the first district attorney whos had a homicide victim on his doorstop. I think Ill be the first district attorney in Manhattan whos had a semi-automatic weapon pointed at him. I think Ill be the first district attorney in Manhattan whos had a loved one re-enter from incarceration and stay with him, he added. And Im going to govern from that perspective. An early memo from Mr Braggs office said he would only seek jail time for the most serious offences with a goal to keep non-violent or first-time offenders out of jail, stressing that locking people up does not stop or slow crime. After widespread criticism from police groups and public officials, he later clarified that prosecutors ultimately have that discretion. But the pledge outraged right-wing tabloids and Republican officials; Mr Braggs policy likely would have had a significant impact on hundreds of people routinely sent to jail for non-violent crimes, an effort that has increasingly seen bipartisan support. (REUTERS) Right-wing media and Republican officials routinely painted New York City as lawless and crime-infested, pointing the blame at recent laws aimed at reforming the money bail system. New Yorks Division of Criminal Justice Services, however, has reported that the re-arrest rate is nearly identical since the reforms were implemented in 2020. Criminologists have not made any meaningful connections between crime rates and so-called progressive prosecutors. Mr Braggs office and investigations were roundly criticised by Republican candidates across the country in last years elections, including by then-candidate for New York governor Lee Zeldin, a campaign that the GOP hoped would chip away at the states reliable Democratic firewall ahead of 2024. Mr Zeldin accused the district attorney of abandoning his duties and refusing to enforce the law after Mr Bragg pledged that his office would limit the kinds of cases for which prosecutors would seek prison sentences, a line of attack that echoed across the country as candidates pounced on progressive prosecutors to advance a tough on crime message. (Mr Zeldins campaign also aired a violent advert telling voters to cast their ballots like their lives depended on it.) While in office, Mr Bragg also opened a new Special Victims Division to focus on sex crimes, human trafficking and domestic violence. The offices hate crimes unit also has expanded with additional prosecutors and investigators. After he was repeatedly asked that year whether an investigation into Mr Trump and his Trump Organization was still ongoing, Mr Bragg said: It is. Prosecutors are going through documents, interviewing witnesses and exploring evidence not previously explored, he added. Mr Trumps former personal attorney Michael Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to a federal charge relating to a $130,000 payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels two years earlier in the run up to 2016s presidential election. Notably, the case from federal prosecutors during the Trump administration who outlined Cohens actions made in service of then-President Trump. The payment allegedly intended to buy Ms Daniels silence before she spoke publicly about an alleged affair with then-candidate Trump. Cohen was allegedly repaid the money he gave to her in payments that could be grounds for felony falsification of business records. Mr Trump has continued to deny the affair. Mr Trump appears to have been the only person to have leaked news of his predicted arrest. He made similar claims during a federal law enforcement search of his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida, publicising that a raid was underway before law enforcement agencies did. It's one thing to debate issues academically. Passions can boil even when questions of life and death are only hypothetical in the moment. But sometimes debates become real in real time, which happens far too often with gun violence in America. And that's exactly what happened Monday for two brave groups of students in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Austin, Texas. Braver Angels (for which I work and which is Americas largest grassroots, bipartisan organization focused on political depolarization) held two student debates Monday focused on gun control and the Second Amendment. The debates were conducted in alliance with the American Council of Trustees and Alumni and the bipartisan student group Bridge USA. Braver Angels Debates, popular on college campuses across America, unfold according to a particular ethos. Designed by April Lawson of Braver Angels (formerly of the Aspen Institute and The New York Times), these are parliamentary debates meant to emphasize intellectual humility and the communal pursuit of truth. Opinions in your inbox: Get exclusive access to our columnists and the best of our columns Speakers are welcome to marshal their evidence. Facts and data are great. But they are also welcome to share their personal experiences with the issue at hand to give a human face to the things that divide us (and a basis for empathy). Those who take part in Braver Angels Debates are invited to be open about their certainties, but also their doubts. Debate, well done, ought not be about victory after all, but about truth. What we have learned at Braver Angels is that the pursuit of truth is a collaborative exercise. Debates took place in the shadow of Nashville shooting On Monday, tragedy settled like a dark cloud over the students, staff and volunteers who had been preparing for the debates at St. Edward's University in Austin and at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Earlier that day, a heavily armed shooter stepped into a Christian elementary school in Nashville and opened fire. Six people, including three children, were killed in what is only the most recent shooting massacre to scar the conscience of the American people. Story continues Mourners write messages on memorial crosses at an entry to The Covenant School in Nashville, Tenn., on March 28, 2023. The motivation behind this vicious act remains unclear. What is clear, however, is the all-too familiar fallout where thoughtful discourse dissolves into social warfare. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, pundits and activists frothed on social media, trading invectives. People somehow believed that, at a moment of devastating loss, the proper reaction was to mock the ineffectiveness of thoughts and prayers after a shooting at a Christian school. Others somehow thought it was OK in response to the shooting to condemn transgender people because the shooter reportedly was a transgender man. One thing I have noticed in my years building space for thoughtful civic engagement is that when the temperature of our debates rises, thoughtful voices step away to keep from getting burned. Thankfully, that is not what happened Monday night at the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy in Knoxville or at the Bridge Hilltop chapter of Bridge USA in Austin. Instead, conservative, progressive and moderate students came together to discuss a set of issues that threatens to tear America apart. A shooting happened next to my classroom: How do you teach after violence like that? Want fewer shootings?: Pass tougher gun laws. Our research shows lax laws fuel violence. The debate in Austin was moderated by 24-year-old Chandler Skinner, a native of Texas, where the right to bear arms traditionally has been almost sacred. Skinner grew up in a military family that places a high value on responsible gun ownership. The resolution before the audience was whether to ban assault weapons, and students on all sides of this debate reported that they learned a lot from each other. Progressive students, for instance, said they learned that the term "assault rifle" is too vague given the variety of firearms that could be covered by such a description. That's important knowledge in a policy discussion. Students found common ground on gun regulation Students who lean conservative said they hold a good deal of common ground with their left-leaning peers on policy ideas, including background checks and training requirements for gun ownership. In important ways, the students were not as far apart as they may have believed. Can anything still unite us?: Americans increasingly don't value God, country or children Ashley Judd: Americans thought child labor was a travesty 'over there.' That myth has been shattered. Meanwhile, a pall descended on the debate in Knoxville. The campus lies only 180 miles to the east of Nashville, and faculty met briefly to consider whether they should cancel the event in the aftermath of the shooting. But it was never really a question. Braver Angels Debates are about confronting hard questions. Students would be told, as is usually the case at these events, that emotions could run high, and participants were encouraged to step out of the room to take a walk if they needed to compose themselves. The organizers also told the students that they believed these young men and women could handle the conversation, which centered on the proposition that the Second Amendment does more harm than good. Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store. Students brought passion to speeches given in opposition and support of the resolution, and they questioned each other rigorously. Debate chair Sadie Webb, a 23-year-old from rural New Mexico who grew up familiar with guns but wrestles with concerns surrounding gun violence, said she did not envy those who weathered intense cross-examination from their classmates on each side. And yet they did so marvelously, debating the concept of rights themselves, including whether they are inalienable or actively given and whether they ethically can be taken away. After a student said the Second Amendment is a God-given right, the philosophical collision went to another level, with students exploring the role of faith in each others thinking. Some students surprised others with their positions, including a conservative student who deeply cherishes gun ownership but who thinks the Second Amendment does more harm than good because gun regulation should be an issue left to the states individually rather than prescribed to the country as a whole. John Wood Jr., a columnist for USA TODAY Opinion, is a national ambassador for Braver Angels, a former nominee for Congress and former vice chairman of the Republican Party of Los Angeles County. The experience was powerful and edifying. One student summed it up by saying they proved that despite their differences, two people, and a group of people, can still have a reasonable conversation. But can America? I believe we can. But only if we stop following the lead of those who would divide us and instead follow the examples of the brave young people on campuses in Austin, Knoxville and beyond who are showing us what it means to debate with compassion and dignity in an era of cynicism and disdain. John Wood Jr. is a columnist for USA TODAY Opinion. He is national ambassador for Braver Angels, a former nominee for Congress, former vice chairman of the Republican Party of Los Angeles County, musical artist, and a noted writer and speaker on subjects including racial and political reconciliation. Follow him on Twitter: @JohnRWoodJr More from John Wood Jr. Love your enemies: What Martin Luther King Jr. can teach us about healing toxic polarization I tried to talk about the hard issues America faces. Then the social media storm erupted. America's culture wars are a losing fight for Democrats and Republicans alike You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Americans talk past each other on guns. How to have that conversation. Sex workers marched through Amsterdam on Thursday to protest against plans to move them from the famed red light district to a huge "erotic centre" on the outskirts of the city. Wearing masks to hide their identity and waving red umbrellas and banners including "Save the Red Light", dozens of demonstrators walked to city hall where they confronted the mayor. Amsterdam authorities say they want to move the sex workers to reduce crime and nuisance behaviour in the city, which this week launched a campaign to keep rowdy British tourists away. "We really don't agree with the solutions that they are offering, that they're imposing. They're not even negotiating with the sex workers' organisations," sex worker Sabrina Sanchez told AFP. Sex workers were also protesting against plans for earlier closing times in the red light district, where the municipality in February also announced it was banning the smoking of cannabis. "We don't want to be moved, not to an erotic centre or anywhere else," said another sex worker wearing a hood and sunglasses, who wished to remain anonymous. "Do something about the drug traffickers, do something about those who behave disrespectfully," she added, reading out a petition in front of mayor Femke Halsema. - 'Stay away' - The mayor has long opposed the centuries-old red light district, known as De Wallen, with its neon-lined windows in canalside houses where sex workers stand waiting for customers. "You are not the cause, it's a result of too much tourism, criminality and other problems," Halsema said. "But the situation in the city centre is becoming very problematic and we have to find a solution." Amsterdam city council has earmarked three possible sites for the erotic centre, which would have 100 rooms for sex workers along with spaces for breaks from work and other activities. Residents near the red light district have long complained about the quality of life in the area, which draws huge crowds of tourists. Story continues But the European Medicines Agency expressed outrage after it emerged one possible site for the erotic centre was near its headquarters, saying it could affect the safety of people working late at the office. The agency, which approves Covid vaccines for the EU amongst other drugs, moved from London to Amsterdam after Brexit on the back of a major bidding war by the Dutch capital. The latest step in Amsterdam's efforts to transform its image as a party capital came on Tuesday when it launched a "stay away" campaign to discourage stag nights and boozy tourists. The campaign caused a stir in Britain after the council said it would start by targeting young British men aged 18-35. It involves showing video adverts to people who search for stag parties or pub crawls, featuring negative effects such as drunkenness and jail time. cvo/dk/imm By Elizabeth Pineau PARIS (Reuters) -President Emmanuel Macron's drive to ram through legislation raising France's retirement age despite mass protests is creating rifts between ministers and his allies amid frustration that the government has not resolved the standoff, insiders say. Ministers and lawmakers are trading blame for the failure to build broader support for Macron's flagship policy, and some members of his own party are uneasy with his move to use executive powers to push the bill through parliament. Polls suggesting voters want a cabinet reshuffle are putting further pressure on Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, with some of her colleagues likely to be eyeing to take her place should she be forced to resign over her government's handling of the crisis. What started out in January as a union-led protest against Macron's plans to raise the retirement age by two years to 64 has spiralled into a broader movement with mass demonstrations held across France that frequently turn violent. No minister has publicly broken rank on the pensions reform or the government's approach to its delivery, but sources close to Macron's camp say that behind the scenes government officials and lawmakers are engaged in a damaging blame-game and infighting as some no longer bother to hide frustrations. With no sign of the protests abating, insiders question whether Borne's government has lost control of the political messaging necessary to appease the street. "We've got two or three days to get control of the messaging again and get everybody back on the same page," one government source said. The situation has deteriorated considerably since Macron decided on March 16 to adopt the reform using special constitutional powers to bypass parliament. While fiercely criticised by oppositions parties as undemocratic, the move has also sat uneasily with some lawmakers in Macron's Renaissance party and its allies, after some of them have seen protesters vandalise their offices in their constituencies. Story continues When asked about the divisions, the president's office said the majority of Macron's camp remained strong and united. Meanwhile protesters are increasingly turning their wrath on Macron for chipping away at what they see as a cherished cornerstone of France's social contract, if banners waved in demos on Tuesday are anything to go by. Some at protests in Paris read "Should we cut off his head? Yes - Maybe" and "Thanks Macron for sparking the flame of revolution". Not even a year into his second five-year term, Macron has failed to shake off his image among voters as an aloof CEO of a rarefied elite deaf to the common people's concerns. In a poll published on Thursday, 76% of those surveyed said that the pension reform episode had left them with a bad opinion of Macron, and nearly two thirds want a reshuffle. IN THE HOT SEAT Macron sought to turn the page on the pension crisis with a TV interview last week in which he refused to back down. Although this further outraged protesters, a second government source said it was an effort to move on and some ministers should follow the president's example. "There are still ministers who are saying 'we should have done this or that', No!," the source lamented. "They need to carpet-bomb on their patch and push new subjects that eclipse the pension reform." An official in Borne's office said the prime minister had made efforts to preserve unity among ministers and lawmakers. "Are there lawmakers who have regrets, yes, she (Borne) continued to see them, to reunite them to get past this episode," the official said. Meanwhile, the reform has kept ministers from getting out and defending their work, the official said. "There's frustration." French prime ministers have often taken the heat for presidents when the going gets tough. But the blast from the anti-Macron rage has reached a point that Borne, a mild-mannered career technocrat, can do little to deflect criticism from him. Borne has offered to meet with union leaders next week for the first time since presenting the unpopular reform to them in January, but she shot down a union proposal to seek mediation, even though allies like the centrist Modem party offered to play go-between. Meanwhile, sources in the government's inner circle downplay the growing dissonance as a normal side-effect when tensions mount, but also acknowledge the situation is critical. In what has become a rare appearance on the domestic stage, Macron said during a visit to the Alps on Thursday on the theme of water conservation that work had to go on despite the protests. DEEP MALAISE Renaissance lawmaker Patrick Vignal said that there is a deeper malaise because too many in Macron's camp are failing to convince voters and get potential allies on side. "When you hear the ministers and the lawmakers talk, often it just doesn't fly. The French can tell when it's sincere or not," Vignal told Reuters. Against that background, government and party officials say infighting and backstabbing is rife with knives drawn for Borne as some ministers try to position themselves for her job if Macron decides a reshuffle is the best hope for turning a page. "Since the situation is tense, it's normal that sparks are flying. People want to be heard," the first government source said, adding that badmouthing Borne to the press would not win any favours from Macron. While a ministerial reshuffle could be a way of showing that Macron is not deaf to people's frustrations with the government, any boost would be at best limited, said political analyst Frederic Dabi, who heads the Ifop polling institute. Macron could yet get a face-saving chance to tweak the reform without caving into opponents if the constitutional council finds fault when it rules on April 14 whether the law is in line with the constitution in its current form. Otherwise few other options are available as simply scotching the reform would weaken Macron for the rest of his term and his party could lose more seats if he calls new legislative elections. "The executive branch seems to be adrift, there's a feeling it has hit a roadblock," Dabi said. (Additional reporting by John Irish, Michel Rose, Juliette Jabkhiro, Leigh Thomas, writing by Leigh Thomas, Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) Rapidly melting Antarctic ice is causing a dramatic slowdown in deep ocean currents and could have a disastrous effect on the climate, a new report warns. The deep-water flows which drive ocean currents could decline by 40% by 2050, a team of Australian scientists says. The currents carry vital heat, oxygen, carbon and nutrients around the globe. Previous research suggests a slowdown in the North Atlantic current could cause Europe to become colder. The study, published in the journal Nature, also warns the slowdown could reduce ocean's ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The report outlines how the Earth's network of ocean currents are part driven by the downwards movement of cold, dense saltwater towards the sea bed near Antarctica. But as fresh water from the ice cap melts, sea water becomes less salty and dense, and the downwards movement slows. These deep ocean currents, or "overturnings", in the northern and southern hemispheres have been relatively stable for thousands of years, scientists say, but they are now being disrupted by the warming climate. "Our modelling shows that if global carbon emissions continue at the current rate, then the Antarctic overturning will slow by more than 40 per cent in the next 30 years - and on a trajectory that looks headed towards collapse," study lead Professor Matthew England said. "If the oceans had lungs, this would be one of them," Prof England, an oceanographer at Sydney's University of New South Wales, told a news briefing. Dr Adele Morrison, who contributed to the report, explained that as ocean circulation slowed down, water on the surface quickly reached its carbon-absorbing capacity and was then not replaced by non carbon-saturated water from greater depths. The 2018 Atlas Study found the Atlantic Ocean circulation system was weaker than it had been for more than 1,000 years, and had changed significantly in the past 150. Story continues It suggested changes to the conveyor-belt-like Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (Amoc) could cool the ocean and north-west Europe, and affect deep-sea ecosystems. A sensationalised depiction of the Amoc shutting down was shown in the 2004 climate disaster film The Day After Tomorrow. But Dr Morrison said a slowdown of the southern overturning would have more of an impact on marine ecosystems and Antarctica itself. "Overturning brings up nutrients that have sunk down to the bottom when organisms die to resupply nutrients for the global ecosystem and fisheries," she told the BBC. "The other larger implication that it could have is a feedback on how much of Antarctica melts in the future. It opens a pathway for warmer waters which could cause increased melt, which would be a further feedback, putting more meltwater into the ocean and slowing down circulation even more," she added. Scientists spent 35 million computing hours over two years to produce their models, which suggest deep water circulation in the Antarctic could slow at twice the rate of decline in the North Atlantic. "[It's] stunning to see that happen so quickly," said climatologist Alan Mix from Oregon State University, a co-author of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment. "It appears to be kicking into gear right now. That's headline news," he told Reuters. The effect of Antarctic meltwater on ocean currents has not yet been factored in to IPCC models on climate change, but it is going to be "considerable", Prof England said. The Heritage Foundation this week asked the Office of Congressional Ethics to open an investigation into Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., for "falsely accusing" and "defaming" the creator of the Libs of TikTok Twitter account, Chaya Raichik. Heritages complaint notes that in a Feb. 8 hearing at the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, Ocasio-Cortez claimed that Raichik lied in a 2022 tweet by saying Boston Childrens Hospital is "now offering gender affirming hysterectomies for young girls." That tweet was a response to a video of a doctor who was talking about hysterectomies, although the doctor never discussed the age of the patients. "Are you aware that from August 11th to August 16th that account posted false information about Boston Childrens Hospital claiming that they were providing hysterectomies to children?" Ocasio-Cortez asked a former Twitter executive about Raichiks tweet. AOC RIPPED FOR POSTING ON TIKTOK AFTER HOUSE HEARING: THIRSTY FOR ATTENTION Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., accused Libs of TikTok creator Chaya Raichik of lying about transgender surgeries at Boston Children's Hospital. "And are you aware that this lie was then circulated by other prominent far-right influences?" Ocasio-Cortez asked. Heritages complaint argues that with those and other statements, Ocasio-Cortez violated a House ethics rule by "knowingly and intentionally defaming Chaya Raichik, creator of the viral Libs of TikTok account, falsely accusing her of lying and disseminating disinformation" READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP The nine-page complaint defends Raichiks view that Boston Childrens Hospital performs gender affirming hysterectomies on young girls. Aside from being the "premier pediatric hospital," Heritage noted that the hospitals website notes that it performs gender affirmation surgery to "eligible adolescents," and that the Journal of Clinical Medicine has documented that the hospital has "performed 65 double-mastectomies on minors over the course of three years." Other material collected by Heritage shows that gender affirmation surgery has been performed on patients as young as 15, and that the hospital "quietly changed its website to reflect that genital surgeries are only performed on patients age 18 and older." Story continues FORMER TWITTER SAFETY CHIEF: REGRETTABLY LIBS OF TIKTOK ACCOUNT REMAINS ON PLATFORM Chaya Raichik, creator of the TikTok account Libs Of Tiktok, delivered the ethics complaint to Ocasio-Cortez's office this week, with help from the Heritage Foundation. Photographer: Anna Rose Layden/Bloomberg via Getty Images "Rep. Ocasio-Cortezs accusation that the tweet contained false information is itself outrightly false on its face," Heritage argued. "Rep. Ocasio-Cortez knowingly made this allegation in bad faith." It added that Ocasio-Cortez "recklessly blamed Ms. Raichik and her tweet for the actions of other people reacting to Boston Childrens Hospitals video, claiming that it fueled threats and harassment towards the hospital and its staff and incited violence against trans and LGBT people." Heritage argued that the Office of Congressional Ethics should reprimand Ocasio-Cortez, remind lawmakers they have a duty to refrain from making false accusations, strike the accusations from the record and press Ocasio-Cortez to apologize to Raichik. This week, Raichik delivered the complaint directly to Ocasio-Cortezs office, and asked a House staffer to "stop lying about American citizens." Raichik then ran into Ocasio-Cortez in the Capitol. AOC SLAMS HOUSE OVERSIGHT HEARING ON HALF-FAKE HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP STORY "I just delivered an ethics complaint to your office because you lied about me in a committee hearing," Raichik said. "Youre actually super transphobic and I never want to share a space with you," Ocasio-Cortez said when she realized who Raichik was. Ocasio-Cortezs office did not immediately respond to a Thursday morning request for comment on the filing. What are you planning for this year's April Fools' Day? (Getty Images) Whether youre tentatively sipping your tea or stealthily tiptoeing around every corner, you can be forgiven for feeling a bit cautious on April Fools' Day. Every year on 1 April people from all over the world compete to play practical jokes on one another a rather unusual annual celebration if you think about it. But while nobody knows exactly where the quirky event originated from, there are multiple theories that certainly help to put pieces of the puzzle together. In earlier centuries, the practical jokes were aimed mainly at children but of course nowadays, everybody gets in on the action. Read more: Men are funnier than women, research suggests You might want to team up for your April Fools' prank this year... (Getty Images) What does April Fools Day mean? Simply speaking, on April Fools Day people play pranks on each other with the aim of 'fooling' the recipient of the prank. If the person youre pranking is fooled by your practical jokes then theyll be known (on 1 April at least) as an 'April Fool'. You'll likely be familiar with someone gleefully screaming "April Fools'!" at you after successfully tricking you. Where can we trace the day back to? There are plenty of theories about the day, but perhaps you might think some are more believable than others. When Pope Gregory XIII decided to change over to a new yearly calendar the Gregorian calendar (adopted in Great Britain in 1752) people struggled to adjust to the new year. You see, before the Gregorian calendar, New Years Day was celebrated on 1 April, but the change saw people celebrating it on 1 January (as we now know it). During that transition period, those who celebrated on the wrong day were branded as fools which in turn encouraged the start of April Fools Day. Get your pranks in before 12pm in the UK or they won't count. (Getty Images) Another credible theory is that the day comes from Dutch origin. Its sometimes attributed to the Dutch victory at Brielle in 1572. When the Spanish were defeated in this battle on 1 April, a saying surfaced: Op 1 april verloor Alva zijn bril. The translation of this is: On the first of April, Alva lost his glasses. Story continues The saying is actually a pun because bril means both the battle of Brielle as well as bril which in Dutch means glasses. How is April Fools Day celebrated around the world? Theres a prank element to every countrys celebrations, but each place puts their own twist on the tradition. In France, for example, children will prank each other by taping paper fish to each others backs. They do this because 1 April used to be seen as an easy day to catch fish in streams and lakes in France. But interestingly, France isnt the only country to trick people in this way. In fact, many people believe the 'kick me' signs taped to peoples backs originated in Scotland for the purpose of April Fools Day. Read more: What is laughing gas and what does it do to your body when inhaled? You might want to stick to age-old traditions or be a little more inventive with your pranks. (Getty Images) What are the rules? Anything goes as far as pranking is concerned, but one strict rule in the UK you might not be aware of is that it only lasts until noon any pranks after that time dont count. If youre in any other country, though (apart from Canada who follow the same rule as the UK) you can enjoy April Fools Day all day long, perhaps something we're lucky not to have this side of the pond. Watch: How do different countries celebrate April Fools' day? A woman died in Arizona earlier this week after she plummeted 20 feet off a cliff in the Coconino National Forest near Camp Verde, authorities said Wednesday. Search and rescuers responded to a call from a woman on Monday stating her friend had fallen from a cliff in an area known as "The Bluffs" and was no longer visible, the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office said. The area is about 200 feet above West Clear Creek, officials said. Multiple volunteer services, along with the fire department and a Department of Public Safety helicopter, were called to help search the steep and treacherous terrain, according to the sheriff's office. NEW YORK HIKER FOUND DEAD AFTER 3-DAY SEARCH OF NATURE PRESERVE A view of the West Clear Creek from the eastern end of West Clear Creek Wilderness. A woman died after falling 20 feet off a cliff on Monday. As the dangerous conditions made the search for the fall victim difficult, deputies eventually located the woman using binoculars. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP The woman, identified as 44-year-old Jennifer Petri, was located at the base of a cliff just above the water's edge. The woman reportedly fell from an area known locally as "The Bluffs," located about 200 feet above West Clear Creek, authorities said. The helicopter crew lowered a trooper to Petris location and determined she was dead. The body of Petri was airlifted out of the canyon, officials said. HIKER DIES ON ARCHES NATIONAL PARK TRAIL IN UTAH, SECOND DEATH WITHIN A MONTH It was not immediately clear how Petri fell from the cliff. Detectives are investigating the circumstances of Petris death. West Clear Creek carves its way through the West Clear Creek Wilderness, a 13,600-acre area located on the Red Rock and Mogollon Rim Districts of the Coconino National Forest, the U.S. Forest Service says. The lower areas of the canyon that the creek cuts through are popular recreation sites for swimming, hiking, trout fishing and wildlife watching, according to the agency. West Clear Creek is located about 60 miles south of Flagstaff near Camp Verde. Two Black Hawk helicopters on a training mission in southwestern Kentucky crashed late on Wednesday, killing all nine service members on board. The crash occurred in a county about 25 miles northwest of Fort Campbell, a military installation on the Kentucky-Tennessee border. At approximately 10 p.m. yesterday two 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) helicopters crashed in Trigg County, Kentucky, read a statement from the division. The statement added that it was a routine training mission and that commands focus was on caring for service members and their families. A resident who lives about a mile from the crash, Nick Tomaszewski, told the Associated Press that the helicopters fly around their residence often, but never so low and close together. There were two back to back. We typically see one and then see another one a few minutes later, and we just saw two of them flying together last night, Tomaszewski said We saw what looked like a firework went off in the sky, he continued. All of the lights in their helicopter went out. It was like they just poofedand then we saw a huge glow like a fireball, he added. Please pray for all those affected, wrote Governor Andy Beshear in a tweet shortly after midnight on Thursday. Members of the Kentucky Senate also stood for a moment of silence Thursday morning in honor of the crash victims. The incident follows a similar Black Hawk helicopter crash in Alabama in February, which left two Tennessee National Guard pilots dead. More from National Review By Daina Beth Solomon and Raul Cortes MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Five people have been arrested for alleged roles in the deaths of 39 people after a fire at a Mexican migrant detention center this week, authorities said Thursday, as pressure mounts to understand why victims appeared to be left in their cells as the area filled with smoke. As part of the homicide investigation, Sara Irene Herrerias, head of the attorney general office's human rights unit, said warrants had been issued for three officers at the government's National Institute for Migration (INM), two private security officers, and the person accused of starting the fire. She did not clarify which of the six arrest orders remained pending. A private company, Grupo de Seguridad Privada CAMSA SA de CV, was responsible for security at the center in the northern border city of Ciudad Juarez, said Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez. CAMSA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Several irregularities were found when investigators looked into CAMSA, Rodriguez said, adding the government has asked the migration institute to withdraw its contract with the company. She had said investigators were looking into how members of the private security company were trained. Federal agents will take over security at migrant centers in the state of Chihuahua, where the center is located, Rodriguez said. Rodriguez said there had been a failure of oversight by government officials in various areas, including those who approved contracts "without checking what they really consist of." A complaint filed with federal prosecutors on Wednesday, seen by Reuters, alleges that the state's top migration official, Salvador Gonzalez, had been alerted to the fire and ordered the migrants not be released. Jorge Vazquez, the lawyer who filed the complaint, told Reuters the information came from his clients who were familiar with what occurred. He declined to give the names of his clients, saying it would put them in danger. Story continues Gonzalez told Reuters the allegations were untrue. He said he did not order the migrants remain locked up, and added that he does not communicate directly with the managers of detention centers. A short video circulating on social media - appearing to be security footage from inside the center during the blaze - showed men kicking on the bars of a locked door as their cell filled with smoke. Three uniformed people can be seen walking past without trying to open the door. Investigators have said the video is part of the probe. Authorities have said they believe the fire, which killed male immigrants from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela and Colombia, was started by migrants setting mattresses on fire as a form of protest. The fire is one of the deadliest migrant incidents in recent years. (Reporting by Daina Beth Solomon and Raul Cortes; Writing by Kylie Madry; Editing by Stephen Eisenhammer, Brendan O'Boyle, David Gregorio and Gerry Doyle) Russian security forces near the Kremlin, March 20, 2023 Meanwhile, Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on March 27 that the Ukrainian army may launch a counter-offensive in April or May, depending on the weather, the ISW wrote. He added that the GS would consider the use of recently received modern heavy equipment such as Leopard 2 and Challenger 2 talks. Read also: Ukraine has already received dozens of modern tanks and armored vehicles The United States has also stepped up the pace of delivery of Abrams tanks and Patriot missile systems to Ukraine. Although modern technologies will support a future Ukrainian counter-offensive, there is a time gap between the arrival of this equipment to Ukraine and its deployment at the battlefield, experts said. Two Rosgvardia commanders were recently accused of corruption. Russian National Guard naval department head, Colonel Sergey Volkov, was arrested on March 29 for purchase of low-quality and at the same time overpriced radar systems (Orel-UAV complexes - ed.). Deputy Commander of Rosgvardia's Central District, Major General Vadim Dragomiretsky, was detained on March 20. This massive corruption investigation is notable for the absence of any precedents of dismissal or arrests among Russian military commanders since the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It shows Putin might be concerned about the reliability and loyalty of Rosgvardia, as well as about corruption within his military machine. Read also: Chechen fighters believe Russia may collapse sooner or later Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov's demonstrative reaction to the assault of a police station in Gudermes late on March 28 suggests he is strongly concerned about the stability of his rule in the region. Kadyrov brought his 15-year-old son to the scene to show him the bodies of two killed unknown assailants and captured videos for TikTok. There is also an extremely violent video of Kadyrov's mercenaries mocking the dead bodies. In such a way, he wants to prove to be a "strong" leader that deals relentlessly with any resistance, the ISW speculated. Story continues "The fact that Kadyrovs response to the attack was so immediate and heavy-handed suggests that he is concerned about the potential for internal resistance within Chechnya to undermine his authoritarian rule of the autonomous republic," the message reads. It seems Russia and Iran deepen their ties. Thus, Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian met in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on March 29. The ISW believes they discussed the further military supply of the Russian army in Ukraine with Iranian-made weapons, as well as finalised the deal to sell Russian Su-35 air-defense fighter to Iran. Read also: Russian propagandists preparing public for possible Ukrainian counter-offensive Iranian Pouya Air Transport resumed regular flights between Tehran and Moscow on March 29 likely to support weapons transfer, the Ukrainian Resistance Center reported. Private military company Wagner has also agreed the supply of Shahed-131 suicide drones to fight in Ukraine, however there is no evidence of them using these drones yet, the ISW noted. The ISW has already noted Russian-Iranian military cooperation in the full-scale war against Ukraine. Some Iranian personnel were highly likely in Ukraine in order to support the attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure. It seems, Iran intends to maintain bilateral relationships with Russia in regard to military issues. Some other key conclusions of the ISW for the past day are the following: Wagner Group owner Yevgeny Prigozhin grabbed the chance to ameliorate his own personal image, stating that the recent two-year prison sentence for Aleksey Moskalev for his 12-year-old daughters antiwar drawing is unfair, despite the fact that Prigzhin himself had lobbied the legislation that considers discrediting the armed forces as criminal offenses. Russian troops launched a limited offensive in the area between Kupyansk, Svatove, and Kreminna. Occupying Russian troops are continuing their offensive efforts near Bakhmut and Avdiyivka. The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi, paid his second visit to the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. Russia is continuing its efforts to integrate Ukrainian occupied regions. Belarus announced the conscription "planned measures" for military training, as well as retraining of reserve servicemen. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine An Ashburnham prep school entered lockdown mode Thursday morning after a suspect fled when Winchendon police attempted to stop them in their car. Winchendon Police requested assistance from Massachusetts State Police shortly before 8:30 a.m. after the suspect reportedly assaulted a Winchendon officer during a traffic stop. The suspect then fled and drove into the woodline across from Cushing Academy on School Street and refused to exit the vehicle. The MSP Special Tactical Operations Team and Crisis Response Unit are assisting local police. The school lifted the lockdown after the suspect finally left his vehicle shortly after 11:00 p.m. Cushing Academy is a co-ed college preparatory boarding school for students in grades 9-12, according to the schools website. Our Special Tactical Operations Team and Crisis Response Unit are assisting with a suspect who fled a #Winchendon Police car stop and drove into the woodline on Rt101 #Ashburnham across from Cushing Academy. Suspect refusing to exit vehicle. School is locked down. Ongoing. Mass State Police (@MassStatePolice) March 30, 2023 This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Artist's rendering of the new James Brown Arena and the Bell Auditorium renovation and expansion project. This is the last day of the year for the state House and Senate to consider bills absent a special session. While there are some major issues that are still waiting to be worked out statewide, many of the local bills for the Augusta area have already headed through both chambers or failed for the session. James Brown Arena funding passes The state Senate passed a bill on Monday that would allow a local sales tax requested by the coliseum authority for the new James Brown Arena, pending a ballot initiative. The bill, HB 230, passed 43-11 in the Senate. Earlier this month it passed the House by 165-7. It then passed the Senate again on Wednesday with a minor amendment from the House. The 0.5% sales tax would provide funding for the renovations. In November 2021, Augusta residents voted down a property tax increase for the arena and other related projects. State Sen. Harold Jones II, D-Augusta, said that he had to work with Sen. Max Burns, R-Sylvania, to get the measure passed. We both had to work on that one because there were some concerns about the funding mechanism on that, so we had to work both sides," Jones said. More: Bill allowing referendum on Augusta mayor vote passes Georgia House, heads to Kemp's desk Mayoral vote referendum already passed Legislation that would give Augusta's mayor a seat and a vote on the Augusta Commission, pending a ballot referendum, passed the House on March 14 with a vote of 99-70. Currently the mayor presides over the meetings of the commission, but can only cast a vote in the case of a tie. The bill, SB 231, made it through the state Senate on Crossover Day on a party line vote of 32-22 with Republicans backing the proposal and Democrats voting against. New funding for the Augusta judicial circuit possible A bill to add a Superior Court judge for the Augusta Judicial Circuit died prior to Crossover Day. This bill, SB 5, would have raised the number of judges from five to six. The Senate version of the state budget initially included funds for a new judgeship and an additional district attorney position for the Augusta Circuit effective Jan. 1, 2024. The positions were not in the budget presented by Gov. Brian Kemp or by the House, and was removed by a joint House-Senate conference committee set up to reconcile the two versions of the budget. Story continues More: Georgia General Assembly passes Izzy's Law, heads to governor's desk Jones said after the budget passed that usually three positions get funded at a time and that Augusta was fourth on the list. We were able to get it in the Senate budget, which does tell us that we should be in a very good position next year to get that done," he told the Chronicle. Israel "Izzy" Scott, 4, died in June after drowning during a swim lesson in Augusta. "Izzy's Law" passes both chambers A swimming safety law is headed to the desk of Gov. Brian Kemp after passing the Georgia House on Monday. It previously passed the state Senate, and then passed it again on Wednesday with an amendment. Named after 4-year-old Israel "Izzy" Scott, who drowned during a private swim lesson in Burke County on June 14, 2022, the legislation, SB 107, requires the Department of Public Health to develop a model safety plan for private swim lessons and for instructors to implement a safety plan before offering lessons. Burns praised the entire Augusta delegation for their work on the bill. "We worked hard to make sure that we never have another drowning of a young child," he said. Food insecurity yet to be voted on State Sen. Harold Jones II, D-Augusta, for a second year introduced legislation to create the Georgia Food Security Advisory Council to recommend policy proposals to address food insecurity. The bill, SB 177, passed the Senate 52-1 on Crossover Day, but as of Tuesday has not yet been voted on in the House. A similar proposal introduced by Jones last year passed the Senate but did not make it through the House. More: Soil amendment bill, adding more local control, must wait another year for House vote Soil amendment bill waiting for next year A Georgia House bill that would give counties some options in regulating and enforcing the spread of soil amendments did not make it out of committee this session before Crossover Day. Soil amendments, often wastewater from animal product processing, are marketed as a way to improve agricultural land, but many local communities say they are being applied improperly and allowed to stink or attract pests. The proposed bill, HB 477, would allow counties to collect information on what amendments were being spread where, and issue cease and desist orders for egregious violations of the law. Gas station accessibility resolution not yet voted on The late Augusta representative Wayne Howard advocated for better accessibility at gas stations for people with disabilities. Howards brother Karlton Howard replaced him in the House, and along with other members of the House introduced HR 184. The resolution honors the late Wayne Howard's work and encourages gas stations to use a decal to help disabled drivers access assistance. As of Tuesday, the resolution had not been voted on in the House. In August 2021, Wayne Howard had worked with then-Agricultural Commissioner Gary Black to add a blank spot at the bottom of gas pump inspection stickers issued by the Department of Agriculture. Gas stations can use the blank space to add their phone number, and if a customer needs assistance with pumping gas they can call the number. This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Augusta local bills move forward in Georgia General Assembly (Bloomberg) -- Australian companies with more than 100 employees will have to reveal their gender pay gaps as part of new income equality legislation passed by the nations Parliament on Thursday. Most Read from Bloomberg While Australia currently requires firms to report the disparity to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, which then publishes results by industry, individual companies will now have to disclose the pay gaps on a yearly basis under the new law. The measure is intended to speed up workplace equality in Australia where the pay gap between men and women is still higher than the OECD average, after gains stalled during the pandemic. The legislation follows a review of the 2012 gender equality framework and comes after a broader international push on wage transparency. Similar policies are in place in the European Union and the UK. In the UK, companies with more than 250 employees have been required to report their gender pay gap since 2017, though there has been limited progress in narrowing it. Among Australian firms that operate there, Macquarie Group Ltd. and Telstra Group Ltd. already report the figures. At Macquarie UK, women earn 91% of what men do on an hourly basis while Telstras disparity was wider at 26%, according to 2020 data. Australias gender pay gap is currently 13.3%, according to the Australian Bureau for Statistics, which is a record low for the country but still above the OECDs 11.9% average. The gap is even wider according to data from the WGEA, which said improvements stalled at a 22.8% gap last year. On average, the WGEA said women earn A$26,596 ($17,780) less than men, including bonuses and other financial incentives. Story continues As most of Australias blue chip companies dont have a big enough footprint in the UK to have to comply with the disclosure mandate, the local legislation will be the first time their employees will see how wide the disparity is. In Japan, companies with 301 or more employees face new wage reporting standards, while the US has a nationwide salary transparency movement to tackle gender and racial wage differences. Last year, the World Economic Forum said it would take another 132 years to close the global gender pay gap. Worldwide, women are paid about 20% less than men, the International Labour Organization estimates. Australia ranks 43rd on the Global Gender Gap Index where Iceland, Finland, Norway and New Zealand lead the list. According to the WGEA, Australias worst industries for pay inequality are health and science, while public administration was on the other end, with a gender pay gap of 6%. This is a critical reform, Minister for Finance and Women Katy Gallagher told the Senate last week. Women have waited long enough for the pay gap to close, and they shouldnt have to wait another quarter of a century to see their work equally valued. --With assistance from Janet Paskin and Chris Bourke. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. By Renju Jose SYDNEY (Reuters) - The Australian government on Thursday took the first formal step towards holding a referendum to recognise Indigenous people in the constitution and set up an Indigenous "Voice to Parliament" to advise lawmakers on matters that impact their lives. Introducing the bill in parliament, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the referendum, to be held between October and December, would be an opportunity to acknowledge history and help Australians come together "for a more reconciled future." "We will all stand with a clean heart and a clean conscience and we will know our country is on the path to a better direction," Dreyfus said. Australians will be asked if they want to change the constitution to create an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice - a consultative committee providing non-binding advice to parliament on matters that affect them. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last week revealed the question the government wants to set in the referendum and urged Australians to back what he described as a long overdue vote. Australia's Aboriginal people, making up about 3.2% of the near 26 million population, track below national averages on most socio-economic measures and are not mentioned in the 122-year-old constitution. They were marginalised by British colonial rulers and not granted voting rights until the 1960s. The government proposed the bill be referred to a joint select committee for consideration and is hoping to pass it by the end of June. The main opposition Liberal party has not yet decided if it would support the proposed constitutional amendments but its junior coalition partner, the rural-based National Party, has said it would oppose them. The left-wing Greens party and some independent lawmakers have promised to support the "Yes" campaign. A Guardian poll last week showed public support for the referendum was down 5% but was still backed by a majority, with 59% in favour. Any constitutional alterations in Australia require a national referendum. To succeed a referendum requires a national majority of votes as well as a majority of votes in at least four of the six states. (Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Stephen Coates) CANBERRA, Australia (AP) The Australian Parliament created landmark new laws Thursday that will make the nations biggest greenhouse gas polluters reduce their emissions or pay for carbon credits. The center-left Labor Party administration said the so-called Safeguard Mechanism reforms are essential to Australia reaching its target of reducing its emissions by 43% below 2005 levels by the end of the decade and net-zero emissions by 2050. Set to take effect July 1, the reforms create a ceiling on the nations emissions and force Australias 215 most polluting facilities to reduce their emissions by 4.9% a year or reach the target with carbon credits. The laws create Australias first price on carbon since a former Labor government created a carbon tax in 2012. A conservative government repealed that tax in 2014 and has since rejected any climate policies that would make polluters pay. The bills passed the Senate on Thursday by a vote of 32 to 26, with Labor senators supported by the minor Greens party and unaligned legislators. The Greens, who represent 11 senators, began negotiations with Labor with a demand that no new coal and gas extraction projects be allowed. But the Greens are satisfied that an agreement to strictly cap emissions would mean that half of the 116 new coal and gas projects proposed in Australia would not go ahead. The Liberal Party and the Nationals party, which formed the conservative coalition government that was voted out of office in 2022 after almost a decade in power, opposed the legislation. Opposition climate change and energy spokesperson Ted OBrien said capping emissions would drive Australian industrial investment offshore to China and India while increasing costs for Australians. This is a tax that will see prices go up in the midst of a cost of living crisis where every household across this country is feeling the pain of prices going up, O'Brien told Parliament, referring to unusually high inflation and interest rates in Australia. Story continues The government argues that without the mechanism, Australia would only reduce its emissions by 35% by the end of the decade. Emissions wont be able to exceed Australias current pollution level of 140 million metric tons (154 million U.S. tons) a year, and that cap will decrease over time. Big polluters would be able to buy carbon credits to help achieve their emission reduction targets, but polluters that use carbon credits to achieve more than 30% of their abatement would have to explain why they were not doing more to reduce their own emissions. The reforms would reduce Australias greenhouse gas emissions by 205 million metric tons (226 million U.S. tons) by 2030, equivalent to taking two-thirds of Australias cars off the road in the same time, the government said. The conservative parties created the Safeguard Mechanism when they were in power in 2016. But the emission limits were so high that the 215 major polluters, which account for almost 30% of Australias emissions, were able to increase their emissions by 4%. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his party was voted into power at 2022 elections to take action on climate change. Todays a big step toward repaying that faith, Albanese told Parliament. Passing this legislation has put Australia on a realistic path to net-zero emissions by 2050 and a 43% reduction by 2030. The previous government had set a less ambitious target of reducing Australias emissions by 26% to 28% below 2005 levels by 2030. The Climate Council, a leading climate communicator, described the reforms as the first Australian legislation in a decade that would regulate greenhouse gas pollution. The Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association, which represents oil and gas producers, said the reforms make it harder for gas to be used to transition Australia away from more harmful coal and provide reliable backup for renewable energy. The House of Representatives, where Labor holds a majority of seats, passed Senate amendments 89 votes to 50 later Thursday. The House had passed the original draft of the laws on Monday. ___ Find more of APs Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific Police image showing seized imitation firearm Australian police have charged a man who was seen allegedly carrying what seemed to be an AK-47 assault rifle but which turned out to have a rather different purpose. Officers rushed into action after a flurry of emergency calls from north-west Sydney on Wednesday evening. A helicopter joined the search before CCTV led police to a parked car. A "gun" was recovered, but police soon realised it was in fact a bong - a device used to smoke marijuana. A 50-year-old man was later arrested in connection with the incident, police said. "A search of [a] vehicle by police allegedly located an imitation AK-47 assault rifle. With the assistance of Polair [helicopter], officers found a man in nearby grassland," a New South Wales Police statement said. The man was later charged with possession of an unauthorised firearm and intimidation. He has been remanded in custody and his case will be heard in April. Police will allege in court that the seized item was a bong, a water-filled filtration device used to smoke marijuana and other herbal substances, local media reported. NSW drugs laws state that it is an offence to "sell, supply or display for sale a bong or the component parts, whether or not [it] is intended to be used to administer a prohibited drug". Designed as a cheap and reliable weapon for the Soviet army by Mikhail Kalashnikov in the 1940s, some 100 million actual AK-47s are estimated to have been manufactured over seven decades. Jeremy Renner has spoken about the moments leading up to his horrific snowplough accident and the lengthy recovery period after, in his first interview since the accident. On New Years Day, the Avengers star, 52, was rushed to hospital after being run over by a 14,000-pound snowplough outside his home in Nevada. Months after the near-fatal incident, Renner spoke with ABC news anchor Diane Sawyer in an exclusive sit-down interview for a special segment, A Story of Terror, Survival and Triumph. In a preview of the interview, which airs on Thursday 6 April on ABC at 10pm EST, the actor told Sawyer he has no regrets about what happened. Id do it again! he said. Because it was going right at my nephew. At the time, Renner had been using the PistenBully snowcat to rescue his truck from the snow near his home. When he got out to speak to his nephew, the snow groomer began sliding causing Renner to exit the vehicle without setting the emergency brake, according to police reports obtained by CNN. When Renner attempted to stop or divert the Pistenbully to avoid injury to [his nephew], he was pulled under the vehicle by the track and run over, the report said. Speaking to Sawyer separately, Renners nephew described finding his uncle in a pool of blood coming from his head. I ran up to him, and I didnt think he was alive, he said. Sawyer then read the extensive list of Renners injuries: Eight ribs broken in 14 places, right knee, right ankle broken, left leg tibia broken, the left ankle broken, right clavicle broken, right shoulder broken, face, eye socket, the jaw, the mandible broken, lung collapsed, pierced from the rib bone, your liver, which sounds terrifying. Yep, the actor confirmed, before he recalled wondering what his body looked like and whether he was just gonna be a spine and a brain like a science experiment. Later, Sawyer shared that I heard that you had in sign language said to your family I am sorry, nearly bringing Renner to tears. I chose to survive. Its not going to kill me, no way! Renner said. Ive lost a lot of flesh and bone in this experience but Ive been refuelled and refilled with love and titanium. Jeremy Renner: The Diane Sawyer Interview A Story of Terror, Survival and Triumph airs on ABC, Hulu and Disney Plus on Thursday 6 April. Former "Bachelorette" Ali Fedotowsky understands all too well what Taylor Swift was referencing in her song about Jake Gyllenhaal. The reality-star and former E! News correspondent is opening up about her experience on the red-carpet, sharing it "ate away" at her self-confidence, and exposing one celebrity who wasn't particularly kind. "Sorry Jake Gyllenhaal, I'm gonna Taylor Swift you right now," Fedotowsky joked. "I've never talked about, like, celebrities that were mean to me before cause I always thought like, Aw, I shouldn't What if they just had a bad day?' But like, c'mon, if Taylor's gonna write a whole song about it, it's gotta be bad," she said, referencing Swift's song "All Too Well," presumably written about Gyllenhaal. "Jake Gyllenhaal shows up [on] the red carpet, again, my first red carpet for E! News. I'm like, Im gonna kill it. I'm gonna be so good,'" she remembered thinking. "I practiced, I rehearsed all my questions, I was so ready to go. He walks up, I'm shaking in my heels, which I'm horrible in heels, and I say to him, Hi Jake whod you bring tonight like for a date. Who's your date tonight?' "He goes, Buh-bye, and walks away from me." TAYLOR SWIFT SINGS RUMORED JAKE GYLLENHAAL BREAKUP SONG 'ALL TOO WELL' ON 'SNL' Jake Gyllenhaal was called out by former "Bachelorette" star Ali Fedotowsky for his behavior on a red carpet many years ago. Fedotowsky remembers being flabbergasted and confused by the exchange. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "I looked back at like the camera and my producer and I started crying. Because I was like, Oh my gosh, this is my first red carpet, Im gonna lose my job, because I didn't get any of the questions, he's the star of the film,'" she explained on the "Women on Top" podcast. Ali Fedotowksy recalls Jake Gyllenhaal not answering a single question of hers on the red carpet for one of his films. Although she did not reference Gyllenhaal's particular movie, the reality star finished the sixth season of "The Bachelorette" in 2010. Fedotowsky reinforced how easy it is to be nice to interviewers on red carpets, saying, "It is so easy to be nice, especially if a crazy question is asked." JAKE GYLLENHAAL SAYS JENNIFER ANISTON CRUSH MADE LOVE SCENES TORTURE Story continues "I went from walking the red carpet, and like I had walked so many red carpets because of The Bachelorette,' right? And done countless interviews and I know how easy it is to be nice, right? I mean people used to ask me things like Whod ya screw last week?'" The 38-year-old recalls Gyllenhaal's behavior continuing down the carpet. Jake Gyllenhaal was reportedly curt with more than one reporter on the red carpet. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER "There's an interviewer next to me her question to him was, So if you dont get an Oscar for this film, like those tattoos totally should, cause he had, he was like all tatted-up . And he goes Bye and walks away. Because he is a serious actor and these personal questions For my question, he could have just been like, My mom. Or like, Wouldnt you like to know.' Or Nobody,' or Next question. Anything else!" A representative for Gyllenhaal did not immediately return Fox News Digital's request for comment. Fedotowsky says the job took a toll on her, eventually leading to burnout. "When I started that job I was this bright flame I was like making my way in Hollywood, and having jobs, and I was like, Oh my gosh. Like I never expected that for my life. And then every carpet I did, and every like celebrity interview that made me cry that flame just like dimmed and dimmed and dimmed and dimmed." Despite her fair share of negative experiences, Fedotowsky was able to recall a few people in Hollywood who were effortlessly kind. "Tom Hanks, nicest guy ever," she said of the Hollywood legend. "Kris Jenner love that woman. She is the kindest, nicest human being. She's so smart All the Kardashians. All of them. Kim! They're so kind," she said, before adding that "Reality stars in general are so nice." Ali Fedotowsky was complimentary of all the Kardashians, but in particular, matriarch Kris Jenner. "The actors are hit or miss," she said. Bad Bunny is opening up about his very cool first on-screen kiss with a man. On Tuesday, the Grammy winner shared details about the moment he locked lips with his Cassandro co-star in an interview with Time magazine. My first kiss for a movie and it was with a man, the Reggaeton star, who plays the love interest of actor Gael Garcia Bernal in the upcoming drama film, told the outlet. He quipped, Thats the penalty I get for being with so many women during my life. Cassandro follows an openly gay Mexican wrestler from El Paso, Texas, named Saul Armendariz who dreams of becoming a famous luchador. The film sees the queer wrestler win over the hearts of fans of the notoriously homophobic sport. The Puerto Rican rapper, born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, added that he didnt feel uncomfortable at all about the smooch because its all a part of acting. When they asked me for that, I said, Yes, Im here for whatever you want. I think it was very cool; I didnt feel uncomfortable, the 29-year-old singer said. Bad Bunny at the Los Angeles Premiere of Bad Bunny at the Los Angeles Premiere of "Bullet Train." If youre acting, youre being someone youre not, the Diles crooner continued. Over the years, Bad Bunny hasnt been one to shy away from pushing back on traditional masculinity and has shown ample support of the LGBTQ+ community. Last year at the MTV VMAs, the musician made headlines after kissing a male dancer during his performance. Just two years before, he donned several drag looks in the music video for his song Yo Perreo Sola. Directed by Roger Ross Williams, Cassandro also stars Roberta Colindrez, Perla de la Rosa, Joaquin Cosio, Raul Castillo and El Hijo del Santo. Cassandro first premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival in January and will debut on Amazon Prime Video later this year. Coming up for Bad Bunny, hes also set to star as Marvels first Latino lead in a live-action Spider-Man spinoff called El Muerto, which will hit theaters on Jan. 12, 2024. Related... DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Prosecutors in the Arab Gulf nation of Bahrain on Thursday have handed down yearlong prison sentences to three people for debating Islamic theology in a series of blog posts and online videos. The three are part of a local cultural society called Tajdeed, Arabic for Renewal, that says it questions traditional Islamic scholarship and jurisprudence but not the religion itself. Critics, including prominent Shiite clerics in the kingdom, have accused the group of attacking the foundations of Islam and have waged a campaign of incitement against them. The case has divided the majority Shiite community in Bahrain, which is ruled by a Sunni monarchy. The public prosecutor's office said the three defendants were guilty of infringing on the foundations of the Islamic faith and insulting its prophets, in part by dismissing purported miracles as popular myths. It did not name the defendants, but activists have identified them as Jalal al-Qassab and Redha Rajab, who were summoned to court, and Mohammed Rajab, who lives in Britain. They are free on bail pending appeal. Islam, like other world religions, has a rich tradition of theological debate going back to its earliest days. But in modern Muslim-majority countries both political and religious authorities often enforce a conservative orthodoxy, and reformers are censured and in some cases targeted with violence. Prosecutors specializing in cybercrimes referred the three defendants to a criminal court last month, accusing them of deliberately undermining the basics of the Islamic religion on which all Muslims and sects agree, the state-run Bahrain News Agency reported. Human Rights Watch has called on authorities to drop the charges. Despite putting on an appearance of religious and political tolerance in the country, Bahraini authorities continue to target and suppress speech that does not conform to their own views, Niku Jafarnia, a Bahrain researcher for the New York-based rights group, said in a statement last month. Story continues The members of Tajdeed are being persecuted for doing nothing other than researching and questioning religious texts and speaking openly about their beliefs, HRW said. Prominent Shiite clerics in Bahrain have inveighed against Tajdeed in Friday sermons, accusing them of undermining Islam and calling on the faithful to ostracize them. Tajdeed says it does not question the Quran, Islam's holy book, or the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, which are at the heart of the faith, but rather the opinions of religious scholars and others who came later, including modern-day clerics. Bahrain was rocked by pro-democracy protests led by the Shiite majority against the Sunni monarchy in 2011. Authorities quashed the protests by force with aid from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, but Bahrain has continued to see low-level unrest over the years. The small island nation off Saudi Arabia is also home to the U.S. Navys 5th Fleet. Russian ammunition warehouse burns after it was hit by Ukrainian forces in Bakhmut - @30brigade/Newsflash Americas top general said the city of Bakhmut has become a slaughter-fest for the Russians and that Vladimir Putins forces are getting hammered by Ukraine. In Ukraines eastern Donetsk region fighting in recent months has concentrated on Bakhmut, with Kyiv saying it is holding out in the urban hub to exhaust Russian troops. General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Congress around 6,000 Wagner Group mercenaries were fighting in Bakhmut. He said: Theyre conducting combat operations right now in Bakhmut primarily. Its probably about 6,000 or so actual mercenaries and maybe another 20,000 or 30,000 recruits that they get, many of whom come from prisons. They are suffering an enormous amount of casualties in the Bakhmut area. The Ukrainians are inflicting a lot of death and destruction on these guys. Gen Mark Milley - Jose Luis Magana/FR159526 AP He said the Russians had made no progress whatsoever for the last 21 days and it had been very costly. The general added: So its a slaughter-fest for the Russians. Theyre getting hammered in the vicinity of Bakhmut and the Ukrainians have fought very, very well. Colonel Yevhen Mezhevikin, a Ukrainian commander in Bakhmut, said he was confident Ukraines forces could hold the city and push the Russians back. He told the New York Times: The enemy exhausted all its reserves. The density of assaults dropped by several times. Before, they could assault in all directions simultaneously and in groups of not less than 20, 30 or 40 people, but gradually it is dying down. Avdiivka targeted Meanwhile, the nearby city of Avdiivka has reportedly been levelled by Russian attacks, with more than 80 per cent of its houses destroyed. Vitalii Barabash, head of the Avdiivka City Military Administration, said its infrastructure had been completely ruined. He said: It is impossible to restore or repair, but only to demolish and rebuild. There is not a single house left standing. The city probably hasnt had a single building standing since summer. Story continues Having so far failed to capture Bakhmut, Russia has in recent weeks switched its focus to Avdiivka. Gen Milley also warned about growing links between Russia, China and Iran. He said: I wouldnt call it a true full alliance in the real meaning of that word, but we are seeing them [Russia and China] moving closer together, and that's troublesome. Then, if you add in Iran, those three countries together are going to be problematic for many years to come I think. [Source] Thailand secured the most number of entries at the 2023 Asias 50 Best Restaurants Awards, including the very top spot taken by an eatery in Bangkok. Thai modern kitchen Le Du by renowned chef Thitid Ton Tassanakajohn climbed three places from its fourth position last year to be crowned Asias Best Restaurant in the 11th edition of the annual honors. Tassanakajohn, who was inspired by his mothers and grandmothers cooking, pursued a career in culinary arts after studying at the Culinary Institute of America. In the U.S., he worked at renowned establishments, such as the former Worlds Best Restaurant Eleven Madison Park in New York. According to the award platform's website, Tassanakajohn's restaurant reached the top of the list because it "showcases refined modern Thai cuisine based on the countrys extraordinary agricultural heritage and centuries-old culinary techniques and its unique style of food has wowed critics and diners from across the continent." More from NextShark: Topps Sparks Outrage With Sticker Showing BTS Beaten Amid Anti-Asian Attacks The latest list features nine restaurants from Bangkok in total, including one of Le Dus latest venues, Nusara, at the third spot. Chef Gaggan Anands restaurant Gaggan Anand, which has topped the list for a record four times, settled for the fifth spot, while chef Supaksorn Ice Jongsiris traditional Southern Thai restaurant Sorn ranked ninth. Suhring, owned by twins Thomas and Mathias Suhring, placed at No. 22, while Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh, another Anand venue, placed at 33. More from NextShark: California Representative Who Tested Positive for COVID-19 Claims It's a Good Way to Lose Weight Singapore also captured nine spots, while Tokyo earned seven on the 2023 list. Tokyo restaurants Sezanne and Den (last years first place), took the second and fourth spots, respectively. The awards, which were based on a list compiled by over 300 food writers, critics, chefs and restaurateurs from Asias 50 Best Restaurants Academy, were given to the winners at a ceremony held at Singapores Resorts World Sentosa on Tuesday. Im so honored that Im standing among the (best) chefs in Asia in this room and this is more than a dream come true, said Tassanakajohn in his trophy acceptance speech. 50 Best is something very special to my heart and not just because of the ranking but because of everyone in this room. That is the most important thing. Im so lucky to be included in this family with you all, with all my chef friends, my brothers and sisters. Story continues More from NextShark: Kim Jong-un sends rare praise to outgoing South Korean President Moon in 'letters of friendship' exchange Winners of the events special awards included Jakarta restaurant August, which won the "One to Watch Award" and Manilas Toyo Eatery, which won the "Sustainable Restaurant Award." Individual awards went to Philippines-born head chef Johanne Siy of Singapore restaurant Lolla, who won "Asias Best Female Chef Award" and Louisa Lim of Odette, Singapore, who won "Asias Best Pastry Chef Award." More from NextShark: UConn Student's 'Chinese People Eat Bats' TikTok Sparks Anger in the College Community NEW YORK Sam Bankman-Fried, the disgraced founder of the cryptocurrency platform FTX, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to additional charges alleging that he committed bank fraud and bribed Chinese officials. Bankman-Fried, who flew from his parents home in California where he is under house arrest, appeared in a Manhattan courtroom and entered the plea in response to the five new charges that federal prosecutors recently unveiled . He now faces a total of 13 criminal counts. His attorney, Mark Cohen, indicated that he plans to challenge the new charges, which prosecutors filed after Bankman-Friend was extradited from the Bahamas. In the newest charge, prosecutors alleged on Tuesday that the former billionaire bribed Chinese officials after his trading firm, Alameda Research, was locked out of trading accounts on two of Chinas crypto exchanges. After the officials received an initial $40 million payment and unlocked the accounts, Bankman-Fried directed his employees to transfer tens of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency to complete the bribe, according to court documents. Bankman-Fried nervously nodded and smiled at reporters as he entered the courtroom. He did not answer questions. Cohen said he plans to challenge the charges based on extradition rules. Because extradition treaties are cooperative agreements between two countries, both countries must agree to the charges and rules surrounding the surrender of a defendant. Cohen could argue that federal prosecutors skirted Bahamian authorities when bringing the additional charges. Bankman-Fried did not challenge his extradition, but handed himself over to U.S. authorities in December. His criminal trial is scheduled to begin in October. Former FTX chief Sam Bankman-Fried pleaded not guilty Thursday to five criminal charges recently added by US prosecutors in the government's sprawling case against the former cryptocurrency wunderkind. Bankman-Fried, known as "SBF," had in January entered a "not guilty" plea to eight other criminal charges from his original indictment, including fraud. Among the newest charges -- included in a superseding indictment filed Tuesday by US Attorney Damian Williams -- were allegations that Bankman-Fried authorized bribes of at least $40 million to Chinese officials. FTX and its sister trading house Alameda Research went bankrupt in November, dissolving a virtual trading business that at one point had been valued by the market at $32 billion. The China case stemmed from a move by Chinese authorities to freeze Alameda accounts as part of what Bankman-Fried understood as a probe of an Alameda trading counterparty. Bankman-Fried ultimately directed multi-billion dollar bribes to unfreeze the assets, according to the indictment, adding that the accounts were unfrozen. Extradited to the United States in December from the Bahamas, Bankman-Fried faces potentially dozens of years in prison. His trial is scheduled to begin in October in New York. Besides bribery and fraud, the United States has charged Bankman-Fried with conspiracy, money laundering and election finance violations. Prosecutors allege he cheated investors and misused funds that belonged to FTX and Alameda Research customers. Bankman-Fried had once appeared on the covers of magazines, drew in huge investments from prominent fund managers and venture capitalists, and was touted as a future Warren Buffett. But his world imploded sensationally in November when a media report said Alameda's balance sheet was heavily built on a token created by FTX with no independent value. tu-jmb/bfm A Steuben County man with a prior sex offense conviction faces up to 20 years in federal prison for possessing child pornography. Joshua Wormley, 38, of Bath, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford this week to possession of child pornography, according to Trini E. Ross, United States Attorney for the Western District of New York. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, said the plea followed an investigation by the FBIs Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and the Yates County Sheriffs Office. In February 2021, investigators seized approximately 800 images and two videos of child pornography from a cell phone belonging to Wormley, McGuire said. Investigators said some of the images and videos depicted prepubescent minors. More: Former Steuben County assistant DA facing child pornography charges For subscribers: Hornell Tim Hortons plan unveiled: Where it will be, opening date and job opportunities Albany: Housing mandates, bail changes? 5 issues to watch as NY budget deadline nears The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in federal custody. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 16. Wormley was convicted in July 2017 of attempted possession of a sexual performance of a child, the federal prosecutors office said. Neal Simon on Twitter @HornellTribNeal. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. This article originally appeared on The Leader: Bath man pleads guilty to possession of child pornography Ukrainian soldiers fire a self-propelled howitzer towards Russian positions near Bakhmut, the site of the heaviest battles, Donetsk region, Ukraine, on March 7, 2023. AP Photo/Libkos Russia's efforts to take Bakhmut have become a "slaughter-fest" for its troops, Gen. Mark Milley said. He said Russia has not made progress for around 20 days, and they are being "hammered" by Ukraine. Russia likely wants a symbolic victory in Bakhmut, but its progress there has been slowing. The battle for the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut has turned into a "slaughter-fest" for Russian forces, according to US Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Milley was asked at a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Wednesday about Russia's failure to capture Bakhmut, despite months of fighting to take it. Bakhmut is considered the bloodiest battle of the invasion so far. Milley said in response that he believes "Russians are struggling in a big way" there with command issues, logistics, basic tactics, and troop training. "They are getting slaughtered, the Russian troops are" he said. Milley added for the last 20 or 21 days "Russians have not made any progress whatsoever in or around Bakhmut." "The Ukrainians are doing a very effective area defense that is proving to be very costly to the Russians," he said. Russia first started shelling the city in May last year, with fighting ramping up in August. Russia has slowly inched forward, but has failed to capture the city. Milley went further, describing Bakhmut as a "slaughter-fest for the Russians. They are getting hammered in the vicinity of Bakhmut and the Ukrainians are fighting very, very well." Experts say that Russia considers the city a chance for a symbolic victory, after it failed to make significant territorial gains in recent months. But Bakhmut doesn't hold much strategic importance, experts told Insider. Western officials estimate that between 20,000 and 30,000 Russian troops have been killed or injured in the city, while NATO predicted that Russia was losing five soldiers for every Ukrainian killed. Ukraine says that it is using the fighting there to grind down Russia's forces. Story continues Milley said on Wednesday that Russia is "suffering enormous amounts of casualties in the Bakhmut area." The UK Ministry of Defence said last week that Russia's progress in Bakhmut appeared to have slowed. In recent weeks Russian forces have also turned their focus to the nearby town of Avdiivka, the UK ministry said. But they are losing considerable resources there, too. Read the original article on Business Insider The fight over a proposed police training facility in Atlanta has escalated in recent months, with a series of confrontations including one that resulted in the police killing of an anti-deforestation activist signaling a potential violent new front in clashes between radical environmentalists and law enforcement. Last year, the city began preliminary construction of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, or Cop City, on 85 acres of the South River Forest. The project has drawn a broad, overlapping coalition of opponents on the left, from anarchists to anti-police brutality activists to environmentalists opposed to the deforestation. Confrontations between those opponents and law enforcement have intensified and grown violent in recent months, leading to a number of protestors being charged with domestic terrorism and to the first known police killing of an environmental activist in the U.S. On Jan. 18, Georgia State Patrol officers raided an encampment in the forest, shooting and killing Manuel Esteban Paez Teran, a nonbinary anarchist and environmental activist who went by Tortuguita, during the confrontation. Police officials have said the activist shot first, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), which is investigating the shooting, has said a loaded handgun belonging to Tortuguita was recovered at the scene that matches an officers wound. However, Atlanta police body camera footage of the aftermath of the shooting depicts an officer saying you fed your own officer up? while another officer later in the recording asks, Did they shoot their own man? An autopsy commissioned by Tortuguitas family indicated they were shot 14 times and that, at the time of death, their hands were raised, with the palms turned inward toward their upper body. The state patrol does not wear body cameras and the GBI has said no footage exists of the shooting itself. Story continues The Hill has submitted a request for the incident report under Georgias open-records law, which has not been answered as of this writing. The killing puts the fight over Cop City in unknown territory, because there are very few, if any, examples in U.S. history of police killings of environmentalist activists, said Keith Mako Woodhouse, an associate professor of history at Northwestern University and author of the book The Ecocentrists: A History of Radical Environmentalism. While no further fatalities have occurred, police detained 35 people in early March after a free concert in the forest protesting the construction became a confrontation, in which police claimed they were attacked with rocks, bricks and Molotov cocktails and that attendees damaged construction equipment. Twenty-three of the detainees have been charged with domestic terrorism, including a legal observer from the Southern Poverty Law Center, the only one offered bond. The charges have been levied based on state law, because there is no federal domestic terrorism statute, said Daryl Johnson, a former intelligence analyst for the Department of Homeland Security. Georgia broadened the scope of its domestic terrorism law in 2017, expanding it to cover purposeful damage to critical infrastructure with the intention to alter, change or coerce government policy. In addition to the arrests, DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond issued an executive order last week closing Intrenchment Creek Park near the site to the public, claiming police have discovered booby traps including boards with nails protruding from them covered by underbrush. Johnson said direct action of this kind by environmentalists has been largely dormant since the early 2000s, largely because of new laws enabling law enforcement to crack down on it more aggressively. In 2006, Congress passed the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, which expanded the Justice Departments powers to prosecute crimes committed in the name of animal rights, Johnson noted. This was followed a few years later by Operation Backfire, an FBI-led investigation that ensnared a number of leaders of groups like the Earth Liberation Front and the Animal Liberation Front. The combination of the two kind of wiped out [environmental extremists] capabilities, Johnson said. Since then, he said, outside of the Dakota pipeline protests, weve had a few rail sabotages out in the Pacific Northwest, but there hasnt been a widespread arson campaign or campaign of violence thats been sustained. But, he said, were kind of overdue for the sort of action taking place in Atlanta. The protests in the city come amid a broader resurgence in environmental demonstrations in recent years, according to Woodhouse. Weve seen an uptick in direct action over the last decade or so to varying degrees of success, he said. It seems like we are seeing the slow and steady proliferation of various forms of direct action. In the case of the Cop City project, environmental activists have been spurred to protest over concerns that deforestation could expose the area to harsher weather and pollution. Atlanta has the most forest cover of any major U.S. city, with one 2010 study estimating the tree coverage as more than half of the city. The forest itself is a hugely important resource for the city and the surrounding counties [and] one of the more sort of critical pieces of climate infrastructure in the area, Hannah Riley, communications director at the Atlanta-based Southern Center for Human Rights, told The Hill. The forests also act as a bulwark against runoff and flooding after storms, she said, and prevent the urban heat island effect, in which lack of green space makes urban centers hotter than surrounding areas. Moreover, the facility is set to include a weapons testing area uphill from a creek that drains into a tributary of the South River, raising concerns around potential contamination. The Hill has reached out to DeKalb County for comment. Particularly in the wake of Tortuguitas death, theres going be a period of real mourning and anger for a long time, [but] the focus is still very much there for environmental acitivists, Riley said. She added that while much of the national attention has been on civil disobedience and property damage, frustration is building among more moderate environmentalists as well over what they see as a dismissive attitude from the city. I dont think that even the folks approaching with this very mainstream environmental-concern aspect have felt like [Mayor Andre Dickens] administration has really listened to them and sat down with their concern and meaningfully addressed that, she said. I would say this is the Dickens administrations first real fight with environmental activists in this way, and its not going well. Woodhouse predicts that the coming years will bring more conflict between law enforcement and environmentalists like the kind that have been seen in Atlanta. While its impossible to say for sure whether confrontation between police and radical environmentalists will lead to further deaths, he said, such clashes are likely to increase in number and to intensify along with the climate crisis. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Beavercreek High School Air Force Junior ROTC Bombers Drill Team has earned state and national awards. The Bombers recently competed in the state champion drill meet at the Tecumseh Regional Drill Meet. The team competed against drill teams from Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Out of fourteen teams, the Bombers placed first and were awarded State Campions for Ohio. >> Army: 9 killed when Black Hawk helicopters crash during training This past weekend, the Bombers traveled to Wright State Universitys Nutter Center and participated at the Air Force Nationals, where the best of the best compete. The team competed against other drill teams from California, Colorado, Iowa, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Germany. The Bombers placed in two competition divisions, the Armed Division placing first and Unarmed Division placing third. >> Counterfeit Alert: Richmond PD reports increase in fake bills circulating The accomplishments reflect the cadets hard work, parent involvement, and the unwavering support of the school district. These accolades are significant accomplishments considering Beavercreeks AFROTC program is only five years old and it is only the second time the teams participated in the event. Congratulations to both teams and the district!, a spokesperson for Beavercreek City Schools said. Hourly workers at closing Bed Bath & Beyond locations are slated to receive a new retention bonus of up to $500 if they stay with the job until their store's closure is complete. Ted Shaffrey/AP Bed Bath & Beyond will give workers at closing stores $500 to stay until the end, sources tell Insider. Many locations were suffering from staffing challenges after the company elected not to pay severance. Store leadership teams were previously offered retention bonuses worth roughly one week's pay. Hourly workers at closing Bed Bath & Beyond locations are slated to receive a new retention bonus of up to $500 if they stay with the job until their store's closure is complete, multiple sources have told Insider. The sources current and former employees at locations in five states say the incentive was announced on Friday and appears to address staffing challenges that have arisen in recent weeks. The sources have requested to remain anonymous, but Insider has confirmed their identities. A spokesperson said the company's practice is to not comment on "employee matters and related decisions." Sources tell Insider that workers in many stores were quitting before their store's liquidation process was complete, complicating efforts to shut down more than 400 retail stores. "I don't think it was out of the goodness of their heart," one employee in Pennsylvania said in regard to the bonuses. "They were losing a lot of people." In filings with the US Securities Exchange Commission Thursday, the company acknowledged that its challenges with retaining store personnel posed a material risk to its business. It also reported preliminary fourth-quarter sales of $1.2 billion, down by 40% to 50% from the same period the year before, and noted continuing operating losses. For some workers, the only incentives to stay on the job are team solidarity and eligibility for unemployment after the position is terminated, one former manager in Texas told Insider. While the $500 bonus for hourly workers is new, store leadership teams were previously slated to receive a retention bonus equal to about one week's earnings if they stay until the last day of their employment. Those bonuses will now be increased by about $250. Story continues Store managers are now expected to receive $2,250, assistant managers should see $1,750, and supervisors should receive $1,000, multiple store managers told Insider. The figures are consistent with reports from other media outlets. Employees of already closed stores are not eligible to receive the new bonuses, Insider's sources say. Unlike prior rounds of job cuts and closures, Bed Bath & Beyond is not offering severance payments to store employees, sources confirmed to Insider after Bloomberg first reported the news earlier this month. Multiple workers also told Insider the company said it will no longer match 401k contributions for 2022. In addition to the retail store closures and layoffs, deep cuts are being made in Bed Bath & Beyond's home state of New Jersey, where nearly 1,300 layoffs are slated to be completed at warehouses and corporate offices one day before sweeping new layoff rules take effect there. If you are a current or former employee of Bed Bath & Beyond or Harmon who would like to share your story, please get in touch with Dominick via email. Responses will be kept confidential, and Insider strongly recommends using personal email addresses and non-work devices when reaching out. Read the original article on Business Insider Named one of the state's 'most endangered' buildings by Preservation Massachusetts, a statewide historic preservation group, the New Bedford Orpheum Theatre first opened its doors the same day the Titanic met its tragic end. Since 1912, the once-grandeur theatre has sat at 1005 South Water Street. The now neglected and dilapidated structure, that had its final curtain close in 1958, has remained untouched for decades. Sitting as an eyesore on Route 18, previous attempts to restore the theatre by numerous advocacy groups have been unable to secure costly funding. This piece of history is now back on the market. What is the Orpheum Theatre? The Orpheum Theatre was designed by New Bedford architect, Louis E. Destremps, who notably also designed the Star Store in New Bedford, the Notre Dame de Lourdes Church and District Courthouse, both in Fall River; as well as being supervising architect on the St. Anthony of Padua Church in New Bedford and St. Anne's Church, in Fall River. According to Cinema Treasures, the Orpheum Theatre is a Beaux-Arts-style building that was constructed by a French-Canadian Benevolent Organization known as Le Club des Francs-Tireurs or The French Sharpshooters Club. The massive building not only featured the beautiful Vaudeville and movie theatre but also contained a grand ballroom, various offices and meeting spaces, a gymnasium, and retail space on the lower level. Part of the structure was also a shooting range used by the French Sharpshooters to train recruits in marksmanship for WWII. The Orpheum Theater in New Bedford, circa the 1950s. Opening its doors on April 14, 1912, it offered New Bedford residents a place to enjoy films, socials, dances, parties, and weddings in the magnificent building, a symbol of the cultural diversity of early twentieth-century America. A Standard-Times article reminisced how moviegoers paid 15 cents to go to The Orpheum Theatre, and with their tickets, they would receive free plates and dishes. What does the building look like now? A BBC crew shoots an episode of the science show Horizon at the Orpheum theater in the south end of New Bedford featuring Harvard University professor Avi Loeb speaking on the origins of the universe. Since closing 65 years ago, the Orpheum has remained virtually untouched, a time capsule of a different era. Although, crumbling in many areas you can still see the elegant structures of a time long forgotten with many of the original seating looking as though they are still waiting for patrons to sit and enjoy a show. Story continues The outside still features detailed carvings of filigree and faces, the ceilings still showcase stunning moldings and even covered in dust and debris the theatre still has a commanding presence. How much does it cost to own this relic? A worker places some dishes onto a pile on the side of the corridor of the old Orpheum theater in New Bedford, MA. Have you ever wanted to own your own landmark right here in New Bedford? Well, it's your lucky day because this majestic building is on the market and could be yours. Re/Max Vantage has listed 1005 South Water Street for sale describing it as a "unique opportunity for investment in retail/warehouse space 16,385 sq. ft. on first floor. The second floor is a theater built in 1912, previously an opera house. Open your imagination and creativity." The commercial property sits on 0.53 acres and has been listed for $599,900. Do you have the imagination and creativity to turn this once spectacular multi-purpose property into a showstopper once again? If you think you do you can, contact Re/Max real estate agent Ana Faria at (508) 971-2949. This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: A piece of history is for sale in New Bedford NEW BEDFORD A top lieutenant in the Orlando Badillo Fentanyl Drug Trafficking Organization, which was dismantled in 2019 as a result of a year-long multi-agency investigation led by Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn IIIs office, was sentenced to prison last week. Maria Carrion, 46, of New Bedford, pled guilty in Fall River Superior Court last Friday to indictments charging her with Trafficking Fentanyl and Conspiracy. The defendant was one of the organization's distributors and runners. The defendant was sentenced by Judge Raffi Yessayan to serve four to six-and-a-half years in state prison, to be followed by two years of supervised probation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Steve Butts, who also coordinated the investigation, dubbed Operation Ghost. Large-scale fentanyl trafficking ring In June of 2018, a Dartmouth Police Department detective and a Massachusetts State Police Trooper from DA Quinns State Police Drug Unit developed credible information that Orlando Badillo was operating a large-scale fentanyl drug trafficking organization throughout the greater New Bedford area. This information sparked Operation Ghost, a year-long multi-agency effort to stop the trafficking ring. As their investigation progressed, other local and federal law enforcement agencies joined the probe, including New Bedford Police, DEA, Homeland Security, and the Bristol County Sherriffs Office. In March 2019, a Superior Court Judge authorized investigators to lawfully intercept the cell phone conversations and text messages going to and from the cell phones used by Badillo and other top members of his organization. Between March 5, 2019, and April 30, 2019, investigators gathered additional evidence, via the wiretap, that explained in detail the intricate workings of the Badillo Drug Trafficking Organization and confirmed the roles played by the various members of the organization. During the wiretap, investigators intercepted numerous calls between Badillo and Luna wherein they discussed Badillos drug distribution business and what types of methods could be utilized to improve it. Story continues This defendant was part of the drug organization that sold large amounts of fentanyl in the greater New Bedford area. The defendant and others profited from the distribution of fentanyl, heroin, and other narcotics to drug users in our communities, District Attorney Quinn said in a release. The defendant has a prior drug dealing conviction and I am pleased she was held accountable for her role in distributing Fentanyl as part of this organization. The conspiracy indictments relate to an April 27, 2019 phone call involving the defendant and Badillo. During the call, the defendant agreed to take possession of and maintain 350 grams of fentanyl with the understanding that she would turn those drugs back over to him when he was ready to sell them. The Trafficking in Fentanyl indictment relates to the April 30, 2019 execution of a search warrant at her home when investigators seized 367 grams of fentanyl mixed with heroin, along with digital scales, cutting agents, and other items associated with the packaging of fentanyl for distribution . This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: New Bedford woman involved in fentanyl trafficking pleads guilty Disney union members tallied up the vote, and more than 12,500 cast members, or 97%, said yes to a pay raise. Cast member Nicole Mischer is a mom of six and has been a Disney cook since 2014. Her raise brings her salary from $19 to $23.10. But for her, its more than just the numbers. It means being able to say yes a little bit more, being able to breathe and not having to work a lot of overtime to make ends meet, Mischer said. Right now, we have to work a maybe 50-60-hour week in order to make ends meet, in order to make sure all the bills are paid. READ: Power play: Disney handicapped new Reedy Creek board before handing over control Negotiations had been going on for more than 210 days. Disney previously offered $20 an hour minimum wage, but that wouldnt kick in until five years. What were being paid may seem like a lot of money to some people. However, its not a lot of money when you have to qualify for an apartment and make three times that amount, Mischer said. Its not a lot of money when you have to choose between medicine and paying your rent, medicine and maybe paying your car payment. Mischer said she has lung issues at the beginning of the year, and one of her medications cost over $900. READ: Disney workers, Disney World reach tentative agreement on wage increase In a prepared statement Jeff Vahle, President of Walt Disney World Resort, said: Our cast members have always been at the heart of the Walt Disney World experience, and we are thrilled that, with the support of the union, they have overwhelmingly approved this new five-year agreement that significantly increases wages, alongside our leading benefits program that includes affordable medical coverage and more. Frontline employees also have access to 100 percent paid tuition for higher education through the Disney Aspire program. READ: 7,000 Disney layoffs begin, company shutters Metaverse division Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Most mock drafts send the Cincinnati Bengals a tight end or offensive tackle in the first round and call it a day. Who could blame them? The arrival of Irv Smith Jr. doesnt rule out tight end in the first round. Right tackle is still a massive question with Lael Collins rehabbing and the Jonah Williams trade saga. The latest seven-round effort from ESPNs Jordan Reid isnt much different. There, Reid has the Bengals grabbing one of the best tackles in the class with Ohio States Dawand Jones: The makeover at offensive tackle for the Bengals continues. After they signed Orlando Brown Jr. in free agency to play on the left side, the hole at right tackle remains. Lael Collins battled injuries and was inconsistent during his first season in Cincinnati, and Jonah Williams has requested a trade. That leaves room for 6-8, 374-pound Jones, who is the sixth offensive tackle in this Round 1 projection. The Bengals like blockers with bigger bodies who can wall off the inside of the pocket and create elongated edges for pass-rushers. This fit makes a lot of sense for them. The rest of the picks in the mock: Round 2: Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa Round 3: Isaiah McGuire, Edge, Missouri Round 4: Riley Moss, CB, Iowa Round 5: Sean Tucker, RB, Syracuse Round 6: Dante Stills, IDL, West Virginia Round 7: Mohamoud Diabate, LB, Utah Of major note is that even after the signing of Sidney Jones and possibly bringing back Eli Apple still, theres merit to the idea the Bengals seek out a prospect who could be another long-term solution at a premium position. They do that here in Round 4, plus add to the running back room where the Bengals remain in a holding pattern with Joe Mixon after losing Samaje Perine. As a whole, getting possible instant starters over the first two rounds and rotational players who will contribute right away through Round 5 makes for a nice projection. More Latest News! Sean McVay happy to see Nick Scott join Bengals in free agency Will Jonah Williams only wanting to play LT hurt Bengals' trade talks? Unlike Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd won't change Bengals jersey number Story originally appeared on Bengals Wire When we think of springtime travel, many people picture that classic spring break trip to a beach in Florida or the Caribbean. But this season is also a great time to explore the vast beauty of our national parks system. Many national parks are bursting with colorful floral blooms around March, April and May. You also get the benefit of milder temperatures and fewer crowds around this time of year. Of course, some parks are better suited for springtime visits than others. We asked experts to share the national parks they believe are best to explore during the spring season. Keep scrolling for nine stunning destinations. Joshua Tree National Park in California Sumiko Scott via Getty Images Joshua Tree National Park in California "With the amount of rainfall that Southern California has had this year, the wildflower bloom at Joshua Tree National Park is going to be one of those 'once in a century' events," said Joe Yogerst, travel expert and author of National Geographics 50 States, 500 Campgrounds. And in contrast to the magnificent but short-lived blooms like Washington, D.C.'s cherry blossoms, the flowering at this national park offers a longer window for people to take in the beauty. "The great thing about Joshua Tree is the fact that its always a progressive bloom, the flowers bursting out at lower elevations in March and April and continuing in the higher elevations all the way through June," Yogerst said. Mount Rainier National Park in Washington Rene Frederick via Getty Images Mount Rainier National Park in Washington "The flowers are totally different from Joshua Tree, but Mount Rainier is another national park with a progressive bloom," Yogerst said. In the springtime, look out for wildflowers toward the bottom of your hikes. Although peak bloom doesnt take place until the summer, he noted that some flower species start to bloom at lower elevation areas like Longmire and the Carbon River valley as early as spring. Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona Dean Fikar via Getty Images Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona A great national park to visit in the spring is Grand Canyon National Park," said Will Pattiz, co-founder of More Than Just Parks. "As one of Americas most visited national parks, its a great park to visit in a shoulder season, and spring is really the best time, especially April and early May." Plan a springtime trip for a more peaceful experience without the tourist rush and risky conditions of summer. "During this time of year, temperatures will be pleasant with highs in the 70s, meaning you can recreate without fear of heat exhaustion," Pattiz said. "Another pro is that you wont have to compete with the tour bus crowds that arrive in the summer." Story continues Redwood National Park in California HadelProductions via Getty Images Redwood National Park in California "Atmospheric rivers aside, Redwood National Park in Northern California is a fantastic spot to visit in the spring," said Jim Pattiz, the other co-founder of More Than Just Parks. "In early spring, the heavy summer tourist season is still a long way off and wildflowers can be found dotting the forest floor alongside new [shoots] of green on the ferns and young redwood trees. Misty mornings and sporadic rain only add to the beauty of these majestic forests containing the tallest trees in the world." He urged springtime visitors to pack a rain jacket, waterproof boots and some way to make hot coffee for themselves. "Theres nothing quite like a hot cup of coffee or tea after a morning hike through the mist and rain in one of the most beautiful forests on earth," Pattiz said. Shenandoah National Park in Virginia John Baggaley via Getty Images Shenandoah National Park in Virginia Nestled in the stunning Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah National Park is an excellent springtime destination. "Spring brings a tapestry of wildflowers, from large-flowered trillium, wild geraniums to pink azaleas and much more," said Janel Jensen, product manager for REI Experiences. "There is great birdwatching in Shenandoah as migratory birds arrive at this time. Baby animals are starting to frolic, and you might catch a sighting of black bears and their cubs and white-tailed deer." Enjoy the plants and wildlife without all the extra people who will inevitably arrive come summer. "Sweeping views are more accessible on hikes with [fewer] leaves on the trees after the long winter, and the prolific waterfalls are running strong," Jensen added. "I love to hike to Overall Run Falls and Whiteoak Canyon Falls." Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas Abaseen Afghan / EyeEm via Getty Images Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas "Hot Springs National Park is more than a series of historic turn-of-the-century bathhouses," said Derek Wright and Amy Beth Wright, outdoor enthusiasts and creators of Parks and Points. "The Ouachita Mountains are a sweeping expanse of green in spring, and the park contains over 5,000 acres of public land and 26 miles of hiking trails. Beautiful scenic drives along West Mountain Scenic Drive and Hot Springs Mountain Scenic Drive wind through and around the mountains and offer stunning views of spring in full effect, with many serene picnic areas and viewpoints." The Wrights recommended exploring the park's many trails and scenic routes by car or bicycle to see the flowering trees and wildflowers around this time of year. "For spectacular spring views of the park and mountains, climb Hot Springs Mountain Tower an elevator is an option as well," the Wrights said. "Along with other satisfying hikes, the Sunset Trail Loop wraps around the entirety of the park. Its also a perfect time to camp at the Gulpha Gorge Campground, an official NPS campground located in the park, though reservations are required." And of course, don't forget to spend time at the famous bathhouses, whether for a spa treatment or just to soak. There's even local beer crafted from the thermal spring water. Zion National Park in Utah Nico De Pasquale Photography via Getty Images Zion National Park in Utah "One of the best national parks to visit in the early spring is Zion National Park for two main reasons smaller crowds and beautiful weather," Will Pattiz said. "Zion is the second-most-visited national park in the country, which means be prepared for massive crowds in the peak season of late spring through summer." He recommends going as early in spring as possible to beat the crowds ideally late March or early April. "During this time of year, youll find high temperatures in the mid-70s and low temperatures in the mid-40s which means warm enough but not hot days, and cool enough but not freezing nights," Pattiz added. National parks travel expert Mikah Meyer echoed his recommendation to visit Utah's national parks like Zion in the springtime before the summer rush of crowds. "April in particular is one of the best months because the crowds are more chill than when college students start finishing their semesters in May and K-12 begins releasing students for summer break in June," he said. "That not only means an easier and cheaper experience getting hotel rooms, but less time spent sitting in your car in traffic. It also means the trails will be less crowded, so you can do the treacherous Angels Landing hike in Zion National Park while having way fewer fellow hikers to contend with along the chain-lined narrow pathways." Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee Mint Images via Getty Images Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee "Americas most visited national park puts on a dazzling display in the spring as the old mountains burst with life again," Jim Pattiz said. "Wildflowers abound in the forests and valleys while the parks ubiquitous mountain laurel and rhododendron delight visitors with their beautiful blooms and sweet smells." He recommended checking the spring break schedule for local schools and avoiding Great Smoky Mountains during those weeks, as the roads will likely be clogged and the parking scarce. But if you get the timing right, expect a magical experience. "The delightful songs of the spring peepers and chorus frogs are the welcome band for springs opening, followed by the most wildflowers of any National Park in the spring 1500 of them!" Jensen said. "Theres a whole event dedicated to it called the Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage. The weather is quite mild in the spring, ranging from snowcapped mountains to pleasant hiking temperatures in the lower elevations. Rain is common, so the many streams are full, and the waterfalls are overflowing. This is also when bears come out of their winter homes, and you may get sightings of tiny, adorable cubs!" New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia Cyndi Monaghan via Getty Images New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia "One of our nations newest national parks, New River Gorge National Park is a great spring destination," Jensen said. "Epic cliffs, stunning gorge views and cascading waterfalls are just a few of the highlights you will see in any season, but spring brings mild temperatures for the perfect hiking and camping conditions, not to mention [fewer] crowds than the summer months." She recommended looking out for the region's wealth of floral diversity, from the Dutchmans breeches to flame azalea to Catawba rhododendrons. "Rafting the New River Gorge in the spring is the most exciting time as the runoff from snowmelt makes for great whitewater conditions," Jensen added. "The Upper New River Gorge is more relaxing [for] family-friendly paddling, and the Lower New River Gorge makes for an adrenaline-packed whitewater experience." Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and style. Related... DES MOINES, Iowa A conservative nonprofit group founded by former Trump administration Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said it poured about $9 million into state elections last year, backing nearly 200 candidates. Now, some of those candidates are pushing a wave of legislation boosting DeVos longtime goal: subsidizing private schools with public dollars. Using at least $2.5 million from DeVos and her husband, the American Federation for Children has played a pivotal role in getting what supporters call school choice policies passed into law in at least three states and introduced in several more, according to current and former GOP legislators, lobbyists for teachers unions and academics. The nonprofit group has found success amid a 20-year low in approval for the K-12 education system and after two years of protests over lessons involving race and LGBTQ identity. It is now on the verge of ushering in a transformation in how large swaths of the country fund schools. Theyve been quite strategic, Patrick Wolf, an education policy professor at the University of Arkansas, said of the group. Theyve particularly targeted rural Republicans who are opposed to school choice. They just had to take out a few marginal incumbents, and thereby put the fear of God into the rest of them. Its difficult to determine whether the laws would have been enacted without the American Federation for Childrens involvement; other groups supporting the same school choice policies also targeted lawmakers with campaign ads last year. Each states political landscape is unique and subject to myriad factors. But the federations spending preceded a marked increase in both the scale of private school subsidies on the table at the state level and the rate at which the laws have been enacted. In Florida, where the American Federation for Childrens state political action committee spent $1.7 million during last years elections, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law Monday that will allow more families to receive public funds to pay for private education, regardless of their financial need. Story continues In Iowa and Arkansas, where the organizations PAC put money into ousting incumbent Republicans who had resisted past proposals to subsidize private education, GOP governors signed sweeping legislation this winter to offer money for school tuition for every child in their states. And in Texas, where the American Federation for Childrens PAC spent $1 million during last years election cycle, and in Georgia, where it spent $380,000, bills recently advanced in the GOP-controlled legislatures to create programs to fund private schooling. Were doing a lot of winning Im almost getting tired of winning so much because were winning all across the country, Corey DeAngelis, a senior fellow at the federation, said in a Twitter Space on Sunday. DeVos and other conservatives have long advocated for financially supporting families who want to move their children from public schools to private ones, calling these policies school choice, and arguing that they would help poor children get a better education. Opponents, including teachers unions, educators and Democrats, have pushed back, arguing that such policies would siphon students and money away from public schools. DeVos, a billionaire philanthropist, was unsuccessful in pushing for school choice bills in Congress during her time in the Trump administration and was stymied in attempts to reroute federal dollars toward private education, but the political winds among the GOP base have changed since then. Republican lawmakers in over a dozen states have recently cited complaints about liberal ideology in public schools as a reason to support helping parents pay for private education. That shift in strategy has been hailed by organizations like the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank that helped spur parent protests over lessons about racism. And it has helped cement funding for private schooling as a benchmark of Republican governance. DeVos said in a June 2022 C-SPAN interview that parent protests had driven increased interest in education freedom policies, and that this was having an electoral impact. Importantly, weve seen this issue really inform many of the primary races this year in states where there havent been programs and where theres been legislation introduced in the past but there simply hasnt been enough support, she said. But this issue has really popped to the top of the list for many states. And so I think in this next year or two, were going to see some major gains. Tommy Schultz, CEO of the American Federation for Children, said the group targeted 69 incumbents in state legislatures last year and ousted 40 of them. The group is willing to beat opponents of either party who oppose the desires of parents who want these educational options, Schultz said in a statement. Especially after 2020 and the chaos created for parents by the teachers unions and the education establishment, he added, parents are now winning one of the most important domestic policy issues of our time: school choice. Removing incumbents is a move that sends a strong signal, said Maurice Cunningham, a University of Massachusetts-Boston professor who studies the impact of dark money groups: Get in our way, and youll be gone. Politicians are rational, Cunningham said. It intimidates people. Who wants to be next after that? DeVos left her role as chairman of the American Federation for Children when she joined the Trump administration, but she remains one of its largest financial backers. She and her husband, Dick, gave at least $2.25 million to the nonprofit groups national PAC and $250,000 to its Texas PAC last year. The organizations national political arm also drew $1 million from Cleveland Browns co-owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam for its national election efforts. Jim Walton, a billionaire banker and son of the Walmart founder, put in $100,000 toward the groups work in Arizona last year. The American Federation for Children helps make sure whats best for students comes first by ensuring parents, not just the unions, have a seat at the table when it comes to education policy, Nate Bailey, DeVos chief of staff, said in an email. The Haslams said in a statement that they support the American Federation for Childrens efforts to help students from all different areas and backgrounds have a chance for a quality education and a brighter future. Walton did not respond to requests for comment. Perhaps nowhere has the federations impact been more evident than in Iowa. Proposals to direct taxpayer money to cover the cost of attending a private K-12 school floundered in the Iowa Legislature for several years. Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, pushed for this funding as a way to help students from low-income families get a better education. But Democrats uniformly opposed it, and many rural Republicans did, too, worried that the shift in funding would hobble public schools and cost the state too much money. The proposals Reynolds advocated for in previous years were limited in scope. They would have provided state dollars to families to pay for private school if their child had special needs, or went to poor performing public schools, and included income caps. A majority of Iowans opposed them, according to polls. Last year, Reynolds endorsed supporters of her education proposals in nine state legislative primaries, including primary challengers running against incumbent GOP lawmakers. The American Federation for Children Action Fund spent $254,000 during the primaries, targeting some of the same legislators, including Dustin Hite, a Republican who chaired the Iowa House Education Committee. Hite faced a challenge from Helena Hayes, a mother who home-schooled her children and had no political experience before the primary. Hayes said she didnt realize groups like the American Federation for Children had gotten behind her until she received supportive flyers in the mail with her picture on them. The nonprofit group also sent out mailers that linked Hite to liberal teachers unions and blamed him for blocking school choice proposals. Hayes said that she was grateful to the American Federation for Children, and that the money the group poured into my campaign, enabling and helping me win that primary, was what boosted her chances. Hite said he had opposed previous proposals to fund private education because the vast majority of his constituents in a district of small towns outside of Des Moines told him they did not support them. He didnt expect a sitting governor of the same political party, or national conservative groups, to campaign against him in the primary. That probably made the difference, Hite said. Because what I was starting to get as the campaign wore on was reactions from people over mailers they would see or advertisements they would hear. Hite spent $43,000 before the June primary, while Hayes spent just $4,000. The American Federation for Children Action Fund put $64,000 into the race significantly more than either candidate. To see one entity dump that much money into the primary is unheard of, said Melissa Peterson, lobbyist for the Iowa State Education Association, a teachers union that donated $2,500 to Hite last year. The American Federation for Children financed mailers that tied Republican legislators to liberal groups. Hayes took Hite's seat in the House, and six other candidates backed by the American Federation for Children also won, helping to give the GOP an expanded majority in the Iowa Legislature. In January, Iowa Republicans passed a seismic bill that will, within three years, provide up to $7,598 for every family to pay for private school expenses, with no income cap. After the bill cleared both chambers, lawmakers hugged the federations DeAngelis, and Reynolds clasped his hands in jubilation, according to photos and video captured by reporters. The mailers also promoted GOP candidates who supported offering funding for private schools. That school choice bill was won back in the primaries, said Hayes, who voted in favor of it. Reynolds, who did not respond to a request for comment, later promoted the new law as a way to financially pressure public schools to drop contentious lessons on race and policies to accommodate transgender children, because parents who dont support those lessons and policies can now easily move their children to private school. However, the new law appears unpopular. Sixty-two percent of Iowans said in a Des Moines Register poll this month that they disapprove of it, including 51% of Republicans. Many of the bills moving forward this year create education savings accounts, in which parents whose children do not attend public school receive money for approved expenses related to private schooling, including books, supplies and tutoring. These accounts which a former Heritage Foundation fellow proposed, modeling the idea off of health savings accounts differ slightly from vouchers, in which states pay private schools directly for childrens tuition. Some states have already used education savings accounts, but in the past have limited them to children with disabilities or those from poor families. Arizona was the first state to implement universal education savings accounts last year, opening up a decade-old program to all families. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat who was elected governor in November, has said she wants to roll back this expansion because too much money otherwise reserved for public schools has gone toward wealthy families. But that will be a hard sell in the Arizona Legislature, where the American Federation for Childrens state PAC spent $512,000 to help Republicans hold slim majorities. The organization also worked against activists who were collecting signatures in an attempt to force a voter referendum on the new universal education savings account program. When Save Our Schools Arizona, a public school activist group, held signature drives, counter-protesters showed up with signs reading Do Not Sign Anything from SOS Arizona. The bottom of the signs included a disclosure: Paid for by the American Federation for Children. The push for a referendum failed. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com EXCLUSIVE: The Biden administration has led "the largest speech censorship operation in recent history" by working with social media companies to suppress and censor information later acknowledged as truthful," former Missouri attorney general Eric Schmitt will tell the House Weaponization Committee Thursday. Schmitt, now a Republican senator from Missouri, is expected to testify alongside Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry and former Missouri deputy attorney general for special litigation, D. John Sauer. LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST BIDEN, TOP OFFICIALS FOR 'COLLUDING' WITH BIG TECH TO CENSOR SPEECH ON HUNTER, COVID The three witnesses will discuss the findings of their federal government censorship lawsuit, Louisiana and Missouri v. Biden et alwhich they filed in May 2022 and which they describe as "the most important free speech lawsuit of this generation." The testimony comes after Missouri and Louisiana filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration, alleging that President Biden and members of his team "colluded with social media giants Meta, Twitter, and YouTube to censor free speech in the name of combating so-called disinformation and misinformation." The lawsuit alleges that coordination led to the suppression and censorship of truthful information "on a scale never before seen" using examples of the COVID lab-leak theory, information about COVID vaccinations, Hunter Bidens laptop, and more. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP THESE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION AGENCIES HAVE ADMITTED COVID LAB LEAK IS PLAUSIBLE The lawsuit is currently in discovery, and Thursdays hearing is expected to feature witness testimony that will detail evidence collected to show the Biden administration has "coerced social media companies to censor disfavored speech." "Discovery obtained by Missouri and Louisiana demonstrated that the Biden administrations coordination with social media companies and collusion with non-governmental organizations to censor speech was far more pervasive and destructive than ever known," Schmitt will testify, according to prepared testimony obtained by Fox News Digital. Story continues This aerial view shows the P4 laboratory (centre L) on the campus of the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on May 27, 2020. Missouri and Louisiana have been able to gather documents and depositions from federal officials as part of the discovery processincluding a deposition of Dr. Anthony Fauci, in which they questioned him on the COVID lab-leak theory, efficacy of masks, vaccines and more. Social media companies flagged any COVID posts from users that cautioned against receiving vaccines; discussed the lab-leak theory; or discounted the efficacy of masks. FLASHBACK: TWITTER TO EXPAND COVID-19 VACCINES POLICY TO COMBAT 'HARMFUL,' 'MISLEADING' TWEETS Since then, the FBI and the Department of Energy have admitted that COVID-19 may have originated from a Chinese lab leak, despite outrage during the pandemic that dismissed that theory as a conspiracy. Missouri and Louisiana also deposed an FBI agent about the Hunter Biden laptop story, which revealed that the FBI "deliberately planted false information about hack-and-leak operations in advance of the Hunter Biden laptop story in order to deceive social media platforms into censoring the Hunter Biden laptop story." Hunter Biden's lawyers are going on offense against hi s critics. Fox News first reported the existence of some type of investigation involving Hunter Biden in October 2020, ahead of the 2020 presidential election. It became known then that the FBI had subpoenaed the laptop purportedly belonging to Hunter Biden in the course of an existing money laundering investigation. HUNTER BIDEN PROBE: 2022 MARKED FOURTH YEAR AND COUNTING OF INVESTIGATION Hunter Biden confirmed the investigation into his "tax affairs" in December 2020, after his father was elected president. The investigation is being led by Trump-appointed Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss. Meanwhile, Landry, in his prepared testimony, obtained and reviewed by Fox News Digital, wrote that, through the lawsuit, they have "uncovered a censorship enterprise so vast that it spans over a dozen significant government institutions." Republican Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry speaks during CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) Texas 2022 conference at Hilton Anatole. Those government institutions, according to Landry, include the White House, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the National Institutes of Health. "Publicly, these federal actors have justified their deeds in the name of protecting the public against misinformation and disinformation, when in fact it is done to suppress disfavored views," Landry will say. Government officials cannot "circumvent the First Amendment by inducing, threatening, and/or colluding with private entities to suppress protected speech," Landry will say. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., attends the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing titled Strengthening Airline Operations and Consumer Protections in Russell Building on Thursday, February 9, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) "Shockingly, this is exactly what has occurred through this federal censorship enterprise," he will explain. And Sauer is expected to say that evidence collected shows White House officials "badgering social-media platforms in private to censor speech that contradicts the White Houses preferred narratives;" and federal officials "routinely flagging social media posts by ordinary Americans for censorship." Sauer will tell the committee that evidence shows federal officials "orchestrating elaborate plots of deception to dupe platforms into censoring disfavored speech," and engaging in meetings with content-moderation officials of major social media platforms to discuss disinformation and censorship. STEFANIK SAYS CENSORSHIP OF HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP STORY WAS 'ELECTION MEDDLING BY FBI ON BEHALF OF DEMOCRATS' Sauer will also testify that federal officials have "relentlessly" pressured social media platforms by "threatening them with ruinous legal consequences if they do not increase censorship of disfavored speakers and viewpoints." "Federal censorship stifles the voices of ordinary Americans and places the modern public square in elite control," Sauer will say. "And freedom of speech does not harm people. On the contrary, censorship inflicts lasting harm on Americans by distorting and impeding the quest for truth in a free marketplace of ideas." By Blake Brittain (Reuters) - The Biden Administration told the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday that it should agree to hear a patent appeal over drug labels involving Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc and GlaxoSmithKline LLC that could have significant ramifications for the generic-drug industry. The U.S. Solicitor General said Teva's generic version of GSK's heart drug Coreg could not have violated GSK's patent rights because Teva omitted the infringing use of the drug from its labeling. Such "skinny labels" typically allow generic drugmakers to launch their products earlier while avoiding liability for infringing brand-name drugmakers' patents. A Teva spokesperson said Thursday that the company was pleased with the Solicitor General's recommendation on an "important issue impacting both the pharmaceutical industry and U.S. patent law." GSK declined to comment on the brief. The Solicitor General's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. GSK sued Teva for patent infringement in Delaware federal court in 2014 over its generic version of Coreg. Teva argued that it followed U.S. Food and Drug Administration instructions to "carve out" a patented method for using the drug to treat heart failure from its label. A jury sided with GSK and awarded it $235 million in 2017. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed in 2021 that Teva's label, combined with its marketing materials, encouraged doctors to prescribe the generic in an infringing way. In its petition to the Supreme Court last year, Teva said the ruling would cause "havoc" for skinny labels, which it said are "extraordinarily common" and "save patients and the federal government billions." GSK countered that the case does not threaten generic drugmakers that "operate properly under the law." The Biden Administration backed Teva on Wednesday, arguing generic drugmakers should be entitled to rely on the FDA's carve-out instructions, which are based on brand-name drugmakers' own statements to the agency. "The decision below subverts the balance struck by Congress, creates significant uncertainty for FDA and generic manufacturers, and invites gamesmanship by brand-name manufacturers," the government's brief said. (Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington) Russia's detention of an American journalist is sparking sharp condemnation from the Biden administration and Capitol Hill. Evan Gershkovich from The Wall Street Journal was detained in Ekaterinburg, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said Thursday. The intelligence agency has accused Gershkovich of spying and collecting "state secrets." The Kremlin took a sharper tone, saying Gershkovich was caught "red-handed." Gershkovich has pleaded not guilty. The American faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. His case is marked "top secret." MORE: Russia-Ukraine live updates: Russia detains Wall Street Journal reporter on spying charge "In the strongest possible terms, we condemn the Kremlin's continued attempts to intimidate, repress, and punish journalists and civil society voices," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. "These espionage charges are ridiculous. The targeting of American citizens by Russian government is unacceptable. We condemn the detention of Mr. Gershkovich in the strongest -- in the strongest terms," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said But Jean-Pierre declined to characterize the Gershkovich's detention as a hostage situation when asked by ABC News' Stephanie Ramos. "I mean, he's being wrong he's being detained and, and we have been very clear, there's, you know, there's no reason to believe that those charges are accurate, the espionage are accurate," she said. PHOTO: White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre holds the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 30, 2023. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters) Although, when asked to definitively state that Gershkovich has never worked for the U.S. government, Jean-Pierre merely repeated herself. "What I can say is the charges against him are ridiculous. We've been very clear about that. I'm not gonna get into more specifics. We've been very clear in my stopper. I was very clear in my statement, that those are ridiculous, and they're not accurate," she said The White House said Thursday it was in contact with the Wall Street Journal and Gershkovich's family, and that the State Department has been in touch with the Russian government and is working to secure consular access to Gershkovich. Story continues It will "likely be several days" before the U.S. will get consular access, State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Petal told reporters, because of "Russia's administrative procedures and security requirements." The State Department and White House reiterated guidance that Americans, even journalists, not travel to Russia. Our best tool to prevent this is to make sure that we are discouraging anybody to travel to Russia, White House press sec. Jean-Pierre tells @sramosABC after arrest of U.S. reporter. This is a tactic they have been using for some time. https://t.co/sVNedJZX2Z pic.twitter.com/ZyFMXi517k ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) March 30, 2023 President Joe Biden has been briefed on the situation, White House spokesperson John Kirby said. PHOTO: Reporter for The Wall Street Journal, Evan Gershkovich, appears in an undated portrait. (The Wall Street Journal via Reuters, FILe) Gershkovich covers Russia and Ukraine for the WSJ. The newspaper "vehemently denies" the spying allegations brought against their reporter and is seeking his immediate release. The U.S. has previously negotiated to secure the release of wrongfully detained Americans abroad. Last year, WNBA star Britney Griner was released in a prisoner exchange with Russia following a monthslong saga after her detention on drug charges. MORE: Brittney Griner release: How the White House says it happened But Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov downplayed any suggestion of an exchange, saying it's too early for such talks. "I wouldn't raise a question on this now, because you yourself understand that some exchanges that took place in the past took place for people who were already serving sentences," Ryabkov told reporters. Gershkovich's arrest comes amid the worsening relationship between Russia and the United States. Asked if there were any indication that this was retaliation by Russia, Kirby said he couldn't say as an investigation is ongoing. "We do not know right now," he said. "We are still trying to gain as much information and context as we can. It's early hours, so I can assure you we're all working as hard as we can, but we don't know any more than what I've been able to share with you in my opening statements." When asked Thursday if he was concerned the reporter's detention was an escalation on Russia's part, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said yes. "Putin plays all these little games with bluffing and brinkmanship and this is another," Schumer said in a press conference. "To have an innocent journalist held hostage for that is really despicable. I am urging the administration to do everything they can to get him free." House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, R-Md., responded to Gershkovich's detention by stating a free press is "absolutely essential." "The Russian people need to know the truth, which is why they want to arrest reporters who tell people -- they would not be for this carnage that Putin and his dictatorship has affected and the tragedy and war crimes that are being committed," Hoyer told reporters. ABC News' Patrick Reevell, Joseph Simonetti and Molly Nagle contributed to this report. Biden officials condemn 'in strongest possible terms' Russian detention of US journalist originally appeared on abcnews.go.com WASHINGTON President Joe Biden will not try to stop Congress from ending the treatment of COVID-19 as an emergency weeks earlier than he'd planned. Despite his opposition to the faster time frame, Biden won't veto a bill the Senate passed Wednesday ending the national emergency declaration first issued by former President Donald Trump in March of 2020. The administration has been winding down authorities over the last few months after announcing in January that emergency powers would end May 11, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday. The congressional action won't "impact our efforts to do so in an orderly way," she added. "We are in a different place and time than we were in January," she said. The Biden administration plans to end both the COVID-19 national emergency and the public health emergency on May 11, 2023. The emergency declaration freed up disaster money to fight the spread of the virus and reduced health regulations that could slow action. For example, hospitals were allowed to screen patients for COVID-19 off campus. A separate public health emergency declared in late January 2020 is also set to end in May. Actions tied to the public health emergency are more expansive and include Title 42, a Trump-era pandemic policy that allows the federal government to rapidly expel migrants. When House Republicans introduced legislation in January to immediately end both emergencies, Biden stopped short of issuing a veto threat. But the administration said an abrupt end to the emergencies would "create wide-ranging chaos and uncertainty throughout the health care system." Some of those concerns were tied to the public health emergency termination which passed the House in January but has not been considered in the Senate. The resolution ending the national emergency passed the Democrat-controlled Senate 68-23 Wednesday after it passed the GOP-led House by a vote of 229-197 in February. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, who championed the effort in the Senate, said Biden no longer needs powers to act quickly in a pandemic. Story continues "Its time for Biden to do what he should have done months ago and end the COVID national emergency," he tweeted. The COVID emergency is ending: What it means for tests, vaccines, treatment More: Here's why Medicaid coverage and free COVID tests, treatments will soon change Opinion: COVID-19 public health emergency may end, but need remains for lifesaving treatments This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: White House says Biden won't veto bill to end COVID-19 emergency (Bloomberg) -- The Justice Department special counsel investigating whether President Joe Biden mishandled classified documents has brought on two former Trump administration officials to help. Most Read from Bloomberg Special Counsel Robert Hur hired Marc Krickbaum, a former US attorney in Iowa, and Daniel Loveland, who served as counsel to former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, according to people familiar with the situation who requested anonymity to discuss personnel matters. Hurs team also includes Virginia Bruner, a former career federal prosecutor who worked with Krickbaum in the US attorneys office in Des Moines, as well as detailed assistance from the Maryland US attorneys office, the people said. The people said it was possible that Hur had other attorneys and FBI agents on his team as well. The Justice Department opened a preliminary investigation late last year into Bidens handling of sensitive government records after the White House reported to the National Archives that documents with classified markings had been found at an office Biden used in Washington. A spokesperson for Hurs office declined to comment. Bruner, Loveland, and Krickbaum didnt immediately respond to messages seeking comment. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on Jan. 12 that Hur, a former Trump-era US attorney in Maryland, would oversee that probe as a special counsel given the extraordinary circumstances. Hur officially started in February. The Biden probe is unfolding in parallel to an investigation by another Garland-appointed special counsel, Jack Smith, into whether former President Donald Trump or anyone else mishandled classified information or obstructed the governments inquiries after leaving the White House. Story continues The scale, tone, and facts at play in the two investigations significantly differ. Biden has pledged cooperation while Trump has gone on the attack. The Biden probe so far appears to involve far fewer documents than the hundreds of files with classified markings seized by FBI agents during a court-authorized search last summer at Trumps Mar-a-Lago estate. Garland originally asked the US attorney in Chicago, John Lausch, to conduct an inquiry into Bidens handling of classified material before appointing Hur. One person who was interviewed by Lauschs team, Bidens former executive assistant Kathy Chung, has not been asked to provide more information or for another interview since Hur started, her attorney Bill Taylor said. Chung is scheduled for an interview before the House Oversight Committee next month, according to CNN. Hurs first official day, Feb. 1, involved an FBI search of Bidens home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. A Biden attorney said at the time that agents didnt find documents with classified markings, but did take records and notes from his time as vice president. Classified documents have been found at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement in Washington and Bidens private home in Wilmington, Delaware. Fully Cooperative The White House declined to comment on Hurs recent staff moves, or whether they have resulted in an increase in investigative requests. Bidens representatives have previously said the president and his staff are working with Hurs office. Weve been fully cooperative. The president has been fully cooperative. His lawyers are in direct discussions with the Justice Department. And thats going to continue, White House spokesman Ian Sams told reporters on Feb. 1. The hires to date dovetail with Hurs background. He served early in the Trump administration as the principal associate deputy attorney general under Rosenstein, overlapping with Loveland. Hur was confirmed in 2018 as the US attorney in Maryland and Loveland joined that office soon after. Loveland most recently has been an attorney in the Justice Departments Antitrust Division. Krickbaum served as the US attorney for the Southern District of Iowa from 2017 until the end of Trumps presidency in January 2021; he was a career prosecutor before that appointment. People familiar with Krickbaums hiring noted the two men could have crossed paths when Hur worked for Rosenstein or when they overlapped as US attorneys. Bruner spent nearly seven years as an assistant US attorney in Des Moines, including Krickbaums time as the US attorney. In 2020, Bruner led the offices election day program, which included overseeing the handling of complaints about election fraud and voting access. As Trump pushed false fraud claims, she was one of 16 election officers from US attorney offices who pushed back on a memo from then-Attorney General Bill Barr that gave prosecutors the authority to investigate fraud claims before the 2020 results were certified. Bruner and Krickbaum left positions at private law firms McGuireWoods LLP and Winston & Strawn LLP, respectively in February to work on Hurs team. --With assistance from Jordan Fabian. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. President Joe Biden will travel to Mississippi to survey recovery efforts and meet with state and local officials a week after a wave of tornadoes swept through the state, the White House announced Wednesday. In a statement, the White House said Biden and first lady Jill Biden will visit Rolling Fork and meet with first responders and official from affected communities. Tornadoes ripped through Mississippi and neighboring Alabama on Friday, killing 25 people in Mississippi and a man in Alabama. A coroner in Sharkey County, Mississippi, said at least 13 people died in the small town where Biden is headed. A pickup truck rests on top of a restaurant cooler at Chuck's Dairy Cafe in Rolling Fork, Miss. (Rogelio V. Solis / AP) The White House said the trip was part of an effort to reaffirm its commitment to supporting the people of Mississippi as long as it takes. Biden told reporters on the tarmac at Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina on Tuesday that he planned to visit Mississippi, where Republican Gov. Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency in affected areas at the beginning of the week. On Sunday, Biden approved a major disaster declaration in Mississippi, making federal funding available to people affected by the tornadoes in Carroll, Humphreys, Monroe and Sharkey counties. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com President Biden will travel to Rolling Fork, Miss., on Friday to survey the damage from the massive and deadly storms that tore through the state over the weekend. First lady Jill Biden will also join the president on the trip. They will assess recovery efforts and reaffirm their commitment to supporting the people of Mississippi as long as it takes, the White House announced on Wednesday. The Bidens also plan to meet with first responders, state and local officials, and communities impacted by the storms. The president on Sunday declared an emergency to aid recovery and clean-up efforts in Mississippi, making federal funds available for a number of counties that were ravaged in the state. Multiple tornadoes ripped through Mississippi on Friday, with one of the more devastating ones striking 60 miles northeast of Jackson. Biden on Saturday called Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) and lawmakers from the state, including Republican Sens. Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson. On those calls, the president expressed his condolences for the lives lost and the damage resulting from the tornadoes and asked how he can be most supportive. The president typically visits sites of natural disasters and other incidents to survey damage and meet with first responders, local leaders and those impacted. He faced backlash last month for not visiting Ohio in the wake of the train derailment in East Palestine. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan went on behalf of the administration. Manwhile, former President Trump also visited the site. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden wont veto a Republican-led measure to end the national COVID emergency, despite having expressed strong objections against it earlier this year, ensuring the bill is on an easy path to becoming law. It marks the second time in the new Congress that the Biden administration has signaled opposition to a Republican measure, rallying most Democrats in Congress to vote against it, only to soften its stance and let the legislation eventually become law. Just weeks ago, Biden stunned many fellow Democrats when he declined to veto a Republican-led bill to upend a new criminal code for the District of Columbia he and others in the president's party opposed, allowing the GOP's tough-on-crime push into the local government to become law. Republicans celebrated the turn of events Wednesday as a sign of their newfound influence in divided Washington, while Democrats quietly complained that the Biden administration had shifted its views. But the White House stood firm, and the Senate gave final approval, 68-23, sending the bill to Biden's desk. A White House official said that when the House Republicans were first preparing to vote on the bill at the start of the year, it would have lifted the national emergency declaration for the coronavirus pandemic in February. But now, it's much closer to the White House's own plan to wind down COVID national emergency status on May 11. The president still strongly opposes the legislation, said the official, who was granted anonymity to discuss the situation. But if this bill comes to Biden's desk, he will sign it, the official said. Ahead of voting, Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., one of the bills main sponsors, said he hoped that the rumors are true that the president will finally sign this legislation. The legislation is a simple one-line measure saying that national emergency declared on March 13, 2020, is hereby terminated. It comes from one of the more conservative Republicans in the House, Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, and draws on Republican-led opposition to mask mandates, lockdowns and others precautions that were put in place to stem the spread of the virus during the pandemic. It was among the early bills the new House GOP put forward at the start of the year. Story continues At the time, the administration warned the proposal would cause chaos. More than 197 Democrats in the House voted against it. An abrupt end to the emergency declarations would create wide-ranging chaos and uncertainty throughout the health care system for states, for hospitals and doctors offices, and, most importantly, for tens of millions of Americans, the administration said in a formal statement of administrative policy. In the days leading up to the House vote, the Biden administration announced its own plan to wind down emergency status on May 11, three years after the virus outbreak. The administration's announcement meant the federal coronavirus response would be treated more as an endemic threat to public health that could be managed through agencies normal authorities, rather than pandemic status. Just a few weeks ago Biden signed another Republican-led bill into law that would nullify the District of Columbia's revamp of its criminal code. The administration had previously said it opposed that bill. On Wednesday, Republicans on the House Oversight Committee voted to overturn a police reform package passed by the D.C. Council. ___ Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report. 10 years on, BRI shares opportunities with world Xinhua) 08:10, March 30, 2023 This photo taken on March 27, 2023 shows a fountain square in front of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) International Conference Center in Boao, south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Fan Yuqing) BOAO, Hainan, March 29 (Xinhua) -- When Lin Guangming came to south China's Hainan Province, he was fascinated by the massive opportunities presented by the fledgling free trade port and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Lin, an overseas Chinese with Singaporean citizenship, came to Hainan in 2020 and became the chief planner for the Yangpu Economic Development Zone management committee. "Thanks to the BRI, people like me have the chance to show their talents," Lin said. "I am doing practical city planning work and serving the cities along the Belt and Road." Having been engaged in urban planning and construction for years, Lin aims to transfer Singapore's philosophy and good practices to Chinese cities and he has worked in many cities along the Belt and Road, such as Chongqing and Chengdu. "Practice has proven that the BRI is a success in terms of project cooperation, policy communication, fund circulation and others," said Lin. Borrowing the idea of the ancient "Silk Road" that once linked Asia and Europe with vibrant trade, China envisioned the BRI as a framework connecting countries around the world through trade, investment, infrastructure development, and people-to-people exchanges, among others. As a primary hub along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, Hainan has made use of favorable supporting policies and its unique advantages to pioneer the country's high-level opening up. At the ongoing Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2023 held in Hainan, the BRI is again a keenly-discussed topic. Mongolian Minister of Economy and Development Chimed Khurelbaatar, said the BRI brings benefits and common prosperity for its participating countries. Statistics show that over the past decade, 151 countries and 32 international organizations have joined the initiative. It has generated nearly a trillion U.S. dollars in investment, established over 3,000 cooperation projects, created some 420,000 jobs in countries along the routes, and helped lift nearly 40 million people out of poverty. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) World Bipolar Day commemorates the birthday of iconic bipolar artist Vincent van Gogh on March 30 each year. I have embraced the moniker, Bipolar General, taking great pride and gratitude in the fact that I have survived more than 20 years of bipolar disorder, a brutal disease of the brain that included thrilling mania, hopeless depression and terrifying psychosis (delusions and hallucinations). I survived bipolar hell. Im on a miraculous journey of recovery, rebuilding my bipolar-shattered life into one of health, happiness and purpose. From my teens through most of my career, I was at the low end of the bipolar spectrum, experiencing hyperthymia, a state of near-continual mild mania. It surely enhanced and boosted my natural talents as a student, athlete and leader, giving me extra energy, enthusiasm, drive, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and more. This condition was below the level of actual bipolar disorder, and was a blessing. This run lasted from high school, through West Point and Army Ranger School, graduate school at MIT, and throughout most of my Army career, up to the rank of colonel, and even into the first years as a general officer. My hyperthymia was like a natural miracle drug that worked wonders, until it went too high, morphing into actual bipolar disorder, with my genetic predisposition for the disorder triggered by the intense stress, thrill and euphoria of leading soldiers in combat during the invasion of Iraq in 2003. What I learned in Ranger School helped me through a mental health crisis For the first several years of the full-on disorder, my high-performing mania enhanced my performance. But as it progressed as yet undiagnosed my mania took me ever higher and my depression and psychosis plunged me lower. In 2014, as President of the National Defense University in Washington D.C., I went into full-blown mania and became so disruptive and over-the-top, that I was forced to resign and retire, thus ending my Army career. Story continues Within months, I crashed into hopeless depression and terrifying psychosis, including delusions and hallucinations, and slogged through two years of bipolar hell, where vivid visions and hopes of death were my constant companions. It took Gods grace, my own will to recover and an army of angels to lift me up and launch me on a journey of recovery: my loving wife Maggie, my devoted battle buddy retired Col. Bill Barko, and the team at the VA hospital in White River Junction, Vermont. Lithium, psychotherapy and a move to bright, warm, sunny Florida were also key. Seven years into this recovery journey, I am living a wonderful new life of health, happiness and purpose, but with bipolar disorder ever lurking in my brain, threatening to take me down again. I am fighting a forever war that requires constant vigilance. Ive had two dangerous episodes near misses in the past two years which could easily have launched a relapse back into full-blown bipolar disorder. I was fortunate. But while recovering, my hyperthymic personality has mostly returned, and I am a lot like my old, pre-bipolar disorder self: energetic, enthusiastic, driven, creative and happy. After helping me to achieve the rank of two-star general, my bipolar disorder ended my career and nearly destroyed me and all that I value. My crash and recovery have made me a better person more humble, kind, generous and empathetic, as well as even more of a people-person. I live in a wonderful place, with a vibrant circle of friends, with an inspirational life purpose of sharing my bipolar story to help stop the stigma, alleviate suffering, and save lives. I write, speak and confer on bipolar disorder and mental health. Ive written my first book. I enjoy my wonderful family. My life is rich and full. After decades of bipolar benefit, then years of bipolar destruction and hell, my life today on the bipolar spectrum is once again my friend. But over the span of my lifetime, its been both a blessing and a curse. Gregg F. Martin, PhD, is a 36-year Army combat veteran, retired two-star general, and bipolar survivor and thriver. A former president of the National Defense University, he is a qualified Airborne-Ranger-Engineer and Strategist, and a graduate of West Point and MIT. His new book, Bipolar General: My Forever War with Mental Illness, is available at Amazon. For more information, see www.generalgreggmartin.com. These views are solely those of the author, and do not purport to be the views of the Department of Defense or the U.S. government. Have an opinion? This article is an Op-Ed and as such, the opinions expressed are those of the author. If you would like to respond, or have an editorial of your own you would like to submit, please email us. Want more perspectives like this sent straight to you? Subscribe to get our Commentary & Opinion newsletter once a week. SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has compared the policies of the Bosnia Serb separatist leader to those of Russian President Vladimir Putin following his moves to curb dissent and LGBTQ rights. Blinken tweeted late Wednesday that Milorad Dodiks attacks on basic rights and freedoms in Republika Srpska show he is on President Putins authoritarian path. Republika Srpska is the name for the half of Bosnia that is dominated by the country's Serbs. Dodik is the entity's president and leading politician who has repeatedly advocated for the breakup of Bosnia and clashed with Western officials in the Balkan country. Earlier this month, Dodik's government faced criticism from the U.S. and the European Union for pushing forward with a law to recriminalize libel and insult offences, which was seen as an attack on the freedom of expression and independent media. Dodik also announced a law in the upcoming months to prohibit access for LGBTQ activists to kindergartens, schools and universities. This came only days after a group of hooligans attacked LGBTQ activists and journalists in Banja Luka, Republika Srpskas administrative center. Dodik, who is staunchly pro-Russia, has rejected Western criticism and said his entity would break off relations with the U.S. and British embassies in Bosnia. He has dismissed the need for U.S. support and blasted Washington's engagement in Bosnia, including continued financial backing. It would have been better if they (U.S.) hadn't given a single dollar, if they hadn't gotten so involved, he tweeted on Thursday. Washington and London have imposed sanctions on Dodik and his close associates for his policies of undermining Western efforts to promote reconciliation and democracy in Bosnia following the devastating ethnic conflict. Dodik has traveled often to Moscow and met with Putin there. Blinken said that the U.S. represented by Amb. (Michael) Murphy, continues to advocate for the democratic and prosperous future that all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina deserve. Bosnia's 1992-95 ethnic war erupted when Serbs launched a rebellion to break away from the countrys Bosniaks, who are mainly Muslims, and Croats. More than 100,000 people died in the conflict before the U.S. brokered a peace agreement in 1995. The deal divided Bosnia in two entities but kept them together by joint institutions. Fears have grown since the war in Ukraine that Russia could seek to stir trouble in Bosnia and elsewhere in the Balkans to avert attention from its full-scale invasion. Crews on Wednesday night found the body of a man reported as possibly drowning a day earlier on Lake Wylie. First responders were first called to the Catawba Yacht Club for a potential drowning around 7:40 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Steele Creek Fire Department. The caller told authorities a motorboat hit a rowboat, according to dispatch audio obtained through Broadcastify. Crews determined one person missing after an accident involving a rowing-style boat during sunset, Capt. Bob Fredrickson confirmed. Five agencies were involved in the two-day search. Crews left the area around 10 p.m. Tuesday and had returned before 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, according to Fredrickson. After a planning a grid search, they used sonar devices to locate a dead person they believe was the missing boater. Officials have not released the identity of the boater, but a co-worker told WBTV the missing boater was a experienced boat racer and member of the Catwaba Yacht Club. North Carolina Wildlife will take his body to the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiners Office. The first piloted flight of Boeing's Starliner astronaut ferry ship is slipping from late April to at least July 21, officials said Wednesday, to allow more time to close out paperwork and to carry out an additional test of the spacecraft's parachute deploy system. Running years behind schedule, the Crew Flight Test, or CFT, mission will carry two veteran astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita Williams to the International Space Station to verify the ship's readiness to begin regular service ferrying crews to and from the lab complex, alternating with SpaceX's already operational Crew Dragon. Boeing engineers attach a Starliner crew capsule to its propulsion and service module in preparation for the company's first piloted test flight of the astronaut ferry ship. That flight, carrying two NASA astronauts, is now targeted for launch no earlier than July 21. / Credit: Boeing NASA Commercial Crew Program manager Steve Stich said there's nothing wrong with Starliner's parachute system and "when we look across the vehicle, the Starliner spacecraft is in really good shape. ... The Atlas Launch vehicle is ready for flight." But reviewing the paperwork needed to officially clear the spacecraft for flight, along with the addition of another ground test and fitting the flight into a busy East Coast launch schedule, combined to push the long-awaited mission from spring to the mid-summer timeframe. "When we look at all the different pieces, most of the work will complete in April for the flight," Stich said. "But there's one area that's extending out into the May time frame. And this really has to do with the certification products for the parachute system. "And so, when we were looking at where to head with the (launch) date, trying to thread the needle at the (Space Force) Eastern Range and then the manifest considerations for ISS, we've decided that the best launch attempt is no earlier than July 21." Boeing and SpaceX were awarded contracts in 2014 to build commercial crew ships that could carry NASA and partner agency astronauts to and from the space station. SpaceX, under an initial $2.6 billion contract, designed a crewed version of its Dragon cargo ship that would ride into orbit atop the company's Falcon 9 rocket. Story continues Boeing designed its own capsule Starliner under a $4.2 billion contract, relying on United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rockets for the trip to orbit. After a successful unpiloted test flight, SpaceX launched a two-man crew to the space station in May 2020. The company has now launched nine piloted Crew Dragon missions, seven for NASA and two privately funded flights, ending the nation's sole reliance on Russian Soyuz spacecraft for access to low-Earth orbit. Boeing had hoped to launch its first crew in 2020 as well, but the company ran into major software problems during an unpiloted test flight in December 2019. After resolving unexpected trouble with corroded propulsion system valves, another test flight was launched in May 2022. Boeing's Starliner closes in on the International Space Station during an unpiloted test flight in May 2022. / Credit: NASA This time around, the Starliner completed its major objectives, robotically docking with the space station as planned. At that point, NASA was aiming for a piloted launch later that year. But additional analysis and reviews pushed the flight into 2023 and, after several more slips, it's now moved out to July, assuming the necessary work can be completed in time and planners resolve a launch date conflict with another Atlas 5 mission. As for the Starliner's parachute system, Stich said "there are really no issues or concerns. Those parachutes are installed in the vehicle, they're in good shape, it's just a matter of going through all that data and making sure we're really ready to go fly safely." The additional ground test was added to make sure a protective heat shield at the top of the spacecraft will deploy properly under high-stress abort conditions to enable release of the parachutes needed to slow the vehicle during its descent to landing. "We're going to do a test at the highest possible (stress) regime that they could see in an abort," Stich said. "And so we'll do that test on the ground, just to make sure that system can deploy properly." Assuming the Crew Flight Test goes well and the Starliner wins NASA certification, the agency plans to launch two commercial crew flights to the space station each year, one using SpaceX's Crew Dragon and the other Boeing's Starliner. With two operational crew ferry ships available, NASA astronauts will have assured access to the space station even if problems ground one of the two spacecraft. "Getting a second crew transportation capability for the space station is hugely important to us," Stich said. "And so we've been working really hard on that." CHP officers and nurse charged with involuntary manslaughter for 2020 death Olympian Briana Scurry on gender gap in head injury treatment Storm to bring severe weather to much of the U.S. After Food Network hype man Guy Fieri traveled to Boise with a production crew in February, clues trickled out about which restaurants might be featured on his series, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Now its time to pull up a chair and eat. The first restaurant to get reality-TV recognition from the recent visit will be Alyonka Russian Cuisine, 2870 W. State St. The small, locally owned operation will be highlighted on episode 12 of season 45. The half-hour show, A World of Meats, airs at 10 p.m. Friday, March 31. (Confirm that time with your TV provider.) The Food Network blurb: Guy Fieris digging into meaty mashups, starting in Boise, Idaho, where a Russian joint is servin lights-out lamb, and a Pakistani spot is cooking flavorful goat. In Ocala, Florida, a barbecue pro is puttin his spin on brisket mac and cheese-stuffed sausage. How do we know that the Russian joint is Alyonka? Because owner-chef Elena DeYoung wrote on social media that her restaurant would appear in the episode. But whats this second Boise place? The Pakistani spot serving flavorful goat? Lets just say it might be Taj Mahal, 150 N. 8th St. After all, the downtown Indian and Pakistani destination posted a Guy ate here photo on Facebook last month, thanking Fieri and Food Network. The restaurant had closed temporarily the prior week for a special event an indication that a film crew could have been on location. But heres what really gets a guy strokin his goat beard. Taj Mahals menu happens to include goat biryani. In all likelihood, Alyonka and Taj Mahal wont be the only two Treasure Valley restaurants hyped on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives in the near future. Sunshine Spice Cafe, an Afghan eatery at 6911 W. Fairview Ave., is Fieris cup of tea. He posted an Instagram photo of his son, Ryder, and himself there explaining that they were filming. And based on its own brief shutdown and some online scuttlebutt Argentinian restaurant Tangos Empanadas, 46 E. Fairview Ave. in Meridian, looks like another strong candidate. Building heights. Parking requirements. Neighborhood markets. Lot sizes. Transit. Mixed-use complexes. The details of a zoning code are often technical, filled with minutiae and dry specificity. But together, they add up to something large: the look, layout and feel of a city. In Boise, a years-long process of rewriting the citys zoning code for the first time in 60 years is wrapping up, and the citys Planning Department has submitted a final draft to the Planning and Zoning Commission, which plans to hold public hearings in late April. Many of the changes outlined in the more than 600-page document are drawn from the citys comprehensive plan, a 2011 document that laid out goals for sustainability, mixed-use districts, establishing incentives and changing parking requirements. In an interview with the Idaho Statesman, the citys planner, Tim Keane, discussed what the biggest changes would be and explained how Boise hopes to avoid the pitfalls of sprawl, unaffordability and car reliance that many other cities have faced. Weve got this chance to avoid that and build more affordability and a greater diversity of things as were growing, versus having to go back and try to repair all the damage later, he said. Plan would encourage more housing units Under the current zoning law, Boise has residential zones, which differ in the number of units they allow. Most of the citys neighborhoods like the North End and Northwest Boise, much of the Bench and West Downtown are zoned residential. The new zoning laws would let developers raise the number of units allowed on a parcel if they designate a portion of the units as affordable and use sustainable materials during construction. While current zoning allows single-family homes or duplexes, a developer could build four dwelling units doubling the density if one of three or two of four of the units were designated to be rented to households making no more than 80% of the area median income, or sold to households making no more than 120% of the area median income. Story continues In Boise, a two-person household making 100% of AMI earns $70,026 per year. The affordability requirements would last for 50 years. Lot sizes in most of the citys residential areas would also decrease, meaning that multiple, smaller homes could be built in areas where there is now only one home. Those projects would also have to meet several sustainability criteria, including using only electric or geothermal energy within the building and consuming 15% less energy and saving 15% more water than would otherwise be required. Other incentives would allow builders to go up to between three and 12 units if they are near a mixed-use district. And they would have to meet a set of other criteria, including: at least 55 feet of street frontage; use of a vacant lot or structures that add up to no more than 25% of the propertys value; no demolition permit for a primary structure within three years, to avoid demolition of existing housing; and new parking would have to be situated in the rear. Infill sites could add affordable housing On busier residential streets, developers would be allowed to build more housing if they use a vacant lot or reuse an existing building, up to four units on a lot where there is now only one. If one of those were designated as affordable housing, they could build between five and eight units, and as high as nine to 12 if two of them are affordable. Infill sites within neighborhoods could also reduce their parking requirements and build more density if a portion of units are designated as affordable. Zoning laws would add mixed-use districts The new zoning laws create mixed-use districts, which would allow for much denser development along public transit corridors, like the planned bus hub along State Street, and in activity centers, like the intersection of Emerald and Orchard streets on the Bench, Hyde Park and the Boise Towne Square Mall. These areas would likely see large apartment complexes going up, with mixes of retail commercial space and apartments. The city would also allow developers to increase the heights of their buildings if they made portions of the units affordable and designed more sustainable buildings. Though the parking requirements for high-density mixed-use zones would remain in place, builders could qualify for a 50% reduction in parking if a quarter of the homes are designated for households earning less than 60% of area median income. As many cities look to reduce the necessity of driving and make urban environments more pedestrian friendly, some have moved to nix parking requirements altogether. Boise is choosing a different approach, which Keane said was a compromise between those who want no parking requirements and those who see a need for even more parking. The new plan seeks to make reductions where we felt like it would be helpful, and provide single-family zones with more flexibility because there is often on-street parking, Keane said. In mixed-use districts with large developments, the city decided it would make more sense to keep the requirements as they are, just with added incentives. If we could kind of surgically replace some of those spaces and give you more room to build affordable (units), that was the thinking, Keane said. Some residents have objected to the proposal and argued that it would significantly change neighborhoods. A group called Reject Boise Upzone criticized the increased density in neighborhoods and lack of public hearings for some applications. Dave Kangas, a spokesperson for the group, told the Statesman that larger buildings on neighborhood streets would change how they feel. He said homebuyers usually buy a home because you liked the looks of the neighborhood and its uniformity. Its not so much an objection to having more units or even getting some affordability, its trying to blend in the architecture and the buildings that are here and people that are here, Kangas said. He added that he worries the Bench and West Boise would have the largest density increases because of their proximity to transit corridors. A neighborhood market, called Hollywood Market, sold groceries on 8th Street and Resseguie in Boises North End until it closed in 2008. In decades past, the citys historic North End had many neighborhood grocery stores. Proposal would encourage neighborhood cafes Historic neighborhoods in Boise, like Hyde Park, have cafes and coffee shops near residential streets. Other parts of Boise, for the most part, do not. The new zoning laws would allow such establishments, called neighborhood cafes, to be built, so long as they are small and have limited hours. They would have to serve food and be allowed to sell retail items and alcohol. Drive-throughs are prohibited, and the establishments would need to provide two parking spaces, including a spot for disabled people, as well as bicycle parking. The cafes could be up to 2,000 square feet in size, and could only be open between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. If they have outdoor seating, it would have to be less than the indoor seating capacity. On residential street corners, the cafes would be allowed outright. Within blocks, applicants would need to apply for a conditional use permit, which requires a public hearing. Not everyone is sold on the idea. The Upzone groups website called the neighborhood cafes idea intrusive, and said that the effects of the new law would be immediate, significant, and permanent. Some applications wont require hearings While many of the zoning revisions relate to allowed uses themselves, Boise is also planning to streamline application processes for projects that planners want to see. Under existing law, city planning staff have authority to approve certain minor applications, such as accessory dwelling units, duplexes and home-based businesses. More substantial applications, like conditional use permits, planned unit developments and rezones require a public hearing before a commission. The new law would instead separate land-use decisions into four types, with different review standards for each. Type 1 and Type 2 applications would be made by the Planning Department. Type 3 decisions would include conditional uses and more complex applications and would be made by an appointed body, like the Planning and Zoning Commission. The most significant applications would be Type 4, which would include changes to the zoning map. Those decisions would be made by the City Council. City planners aim to use the code to incentivize the types of projects they want to see. The citys proposal makes it easier for developers to pursue projects with higher density in transit corridors. If the developer planned to build a low-density, single-story commercial building with a surface parking lot, the project would require a hearing, which is a change from current law. But a higher-density, six-story apartment building with first-floor retail would be categorized as a Type 2 project and would not require a hearing. Type 2 applications could be appealed and reviewed by a newly created hearing examiner, who would take testimony and rule on the facts of the application and ordinance. State code requires public hearings on subdivisions, conditional use permits, variances, annexations and rezones all of which would still be required under the new system. Keane said the citys engagement with the community has led to the laws overhaul, and that the hearing process would encourage developers to build what the community wants. We want to make those things easier, he said. We want the community helping us make sure this ordinance is successful. Thats why we designed it this way. He also noted that the city now has a community development tracker, which allows residents to track whats going on in their neighborhood. Kangas, who objects to the rewrite, said he is concerned the city will lose leverage with developers by allowing greater density outright. Under current law, Boise often uses development agreements which are legally binding documents to require builders to add in infrastructure or otherwise support community interests when they apply to construct buildings that exceed a zones allowances. If those developers dont need a variance, though, Kangas said the city wouldnt have the opportunity to add restrictions. Boise planner calls affordability criticism utterly wrong Fred Fritchman, a past president of the Southeast Neighborhood Association, wrote in a recent guest opinion in the Statesman that the new law would result in the demolition of affordable housing and would strip mine local neighborhoods by allowing more density in them. Keane said the idea that the new zoning law would reduce affordable housing is utterly wrong. For decades, Keane said that in most U.S. cities, rising property values from increased demand has caused modest-sized homes to get demolished and replaced with mansions. Thats what our ordinance right now gets us, he said. The new code is designed to avoid that pattern, he added, by allowing smaller units and creating an incentive for developers to build units designated to be affordable. Under the new law, Boise would go from having no protection for affordable units to measures in place that would prevent their replacement and encourage new ones, Keane said. When residents in existing neighborhoods object to changes, growth gets pushed into the desert, farmland and Boise Foothills, causing sprawl, harming nature and leading to more expensive housing, Keane said. This doesnt work. Weve proven it for 50 years in this country, he said. This idea that the zoning of the 60s and 70s is a way towards protection of affordable housing hasnt worked once. So why is it going to work here suddenly? In the future, a need to build more public transit The citys plans to focus density in transit-oriented parts of the city highlights the focus on public transportation, which now has limited ridership and frequency in Boise. Kangas told the Statesman that he thought designing neighborhoods for transit without first having in place the needed investment is putting the cart before the horse. Keane said that while the region will need significantly more investment in transit in the future, it all starts with development. Cities with zoning codes dating from mid-century require people to spread out and be served by highways, Keane said. Phoenix and Salt Lake City were built that way, rendering efficient public transit difficult to design. If Boise wants to grow differently, it needs to be built differently, he said. The thing that comes first is the development pattern, he said, referring to the citys layout. If you dont have the development pattern, youll never have a transit system. By focusing on transit corridors now, Keane hopes for development to be focused in areas that have existing routes. And along State Street, designs for a more robust transit corridor are underway. But the citys needs will require further investment, he said. Its going to require not just the city but the region and the state to acknowledge that in order for us to be mobile, and have economic development, and be a growing place, were going to have to invest in something other than highways, he said. Which means public transportation. Hearings before the Planning and Zoning Commission are scheduled from April 24-27, with City Council hearings to follow. Residents can also submit comments online or by email to zoningrewrite@cityofboise.org. Kennesaw police are seeking the publics help in locating a missing man. Robert Corry, 91, was last seen in the Kennesaw area at around 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 30. He was driving a black 2014 Toyota Camry with Georgia tag WLI525. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] If you have any information on his whereabouts, please contact Detective Bright with Kennesaw police at 770-429-4533. TRENDING STORIES: [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: The former president of Brazil is back in his home country Thursday after spending time in Central Florida. Jair Bolsonaro shook hands and took pictures with supporters at Orlando International Airport on Wednesday. He is scheduled to attend a reception Thursday near his home in Brazil. Read: Brazils Bolsonaro turns in undeclared jewels to authorities The former president spent the last three months in Florida after his failed reelection bid. The former president said in his first speech after touching down that his leftist successor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and his allies will not do whatever they want to the fate of our nation and added that the left will only keep power for now, for a little while. Watch: Brazils ex-president hospitalized in Central Florida during the countrys political riots The Brazilian leader said his three months in Florida had helped give him a vision for the future. Everything we saw there is what we want to implement here. The most important thing is liberty. A portion of this report was produced by The Associated Press. Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Three months after leaving for the United States in the final hours of his term, Brazil's ex-president Jair Bolsonaro returned home Thursday to reenter politics -- complicating life for his successor and nemesis, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The far-right ex-army captain, who skipped town two days before Lula's inauguration on January 1, arrived back in Brasilia on a commercial flight from Orlando, Florida. Scores of supporters waving the Brazilian flag -- one of Bolsonaro's symbols -- were at the airport arrival area to welcome him, shouting and singing the national anthem, despite authorities' moves to block a planned welcome rally. "We've been waiting for this moment for a long time. We've been looking forward to it since January 1," Eva Melgaco, a 46-year-old beautician, told AFP. However, Bolsonaro left discreetly through another exit. Flashing a thumbs-up to TV cameras, he entered a motorcade that headed for the headquarters of his Liberal Party (PL), flanked by police cars. The homecoming is a high-stakes bet for Bolsonaro, who faces legal trouble on various fronts in Brazil -- notably for his alleged role in inciting supporters who invaded the halls of power on January 8 in a failed bid to oust Lula, the veteran leftist who beat him in a divisive election in October. Tension was high in Brasilia, where the exuberant crowd of around 200 supporters at the airport was guarded by a heavy police deployment. Authorities said if necessary they were prepared to lock down the central plaza that is home to the presidential palace, Congress and the Supreme Court, where Bolsonaro backers rioted on January 8. Bolsonaro, 68, is set to start a new job next week as honorary president of the Liberal Party, earning 41,600 reais (around $8,000) a month. The ex-president (2019-2022), who recently rented a house in a gated community in Brasilia, has said he plans to criss-cross Brazil "doing politics" and "upholding the banner of conservatism." Story continues But "I'm not going to lead any opposition," Bolsonaro told CNN Brasil as he prepared to board his flight. "You don't have to oppose this government. It creates the opposition by itself." - Return of the 'Messiah' - The Liberal Party appeared ready to keep the arrival low-key, saying Bolsonaro would travel from the airport to party headquarters, where his wife, Michelle, party president Valdemar Costa Neto and "other authorities" would be waiting to greet him in a closed-door event. But hardline Bolsonaro backers had made viral calls on social media for supporters to turn out en masse to welcome the man they call "Messiah" -- or "Messias," Bolsonaro's middle name. Some supporters called for one of the ex-president's trademark motorcycle rallies, vowing: "Brasilia will come to a halt." "Let's pave the way for Bolsonaro's return to the presidency," YouTube star-turned-Congressman Gustavo Gayer said in a video, calling for a massive turnout. Bolsonaro's return could reenergize the opposition, which has been weakened by his self-imposed exile and the widespread backlash to the violence and destruction of the January 8 riots. "We've had five months of a basically dismantled opposition. Now, Bolsonaro's return to Brazil looks set to unite the right," political analyst Jairo Nicolau of the Getulio Vargas Foundation told AFP. "That could make a big difference. Lula will have to govern with a united opposition." - Legal trouble - But Bolsonaro faces numerous legal woes. They include no less than five Supreme Court investigations that could potentially send him to jail -- including for allegedly inciting the January 8 riots -- and a recent scandal over allegations he tried to illegally import and keep millions of dollars' worth of jewelry given to him and his wife by Saudi Arabia in 2019. Police summoned Bolsonaro Wednesday to give a deposition in the Saudi jewels case on April 5, officials told AFP. He also faces 16 cases before Brazil's Superior Electoral Tribunal (TSE), which could strip him of his right to run for office for eight years, taking him out of the 2026 presidential race. Bolsonaro has admitted he could face trouble. Assessing his odds at a meeting with Brazilian business leaders in the United States earlier this month, he acknowledged he could be declared ineligible to run for office. "But they won't send me to prison, unless there's some kind of arbitrary decision," he said. bur-msi/jhb/mtp By Anthony Boadle and Ricardo Brito BRASILIA (Reuters) -Brazil's far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro returned from three months in the United States on Thursday and was welcomed back by hundreds of chanting supporters at the Brasilia airport before heading straight into meetings with his political party. The turnout was considerably smaller than expected by police, and a minister in leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula's cabinet called the reception a "flop" that showed his weak leadership. Bolsonaro, who never formally conceded defeat in last year's election, has vowed to lead the opposition to Lula's government, raising the stakes for the new administration after a highly polarized election. Supporters with Brazil flags draped around their shoulders sang the national anthem and chanted "legend" at the arrivals area of the airport amid tight security. The 68-year-old former president in a live webcast from the headquarters of his Liberal Party said conservatives controlled Congress and Lula's minority government would not be able "to do what it liked with the future of our country." Bolsonaro defended himself from accusations he tried to keep jewelry from the King of Saudi Arabia worth $3.2 million without declaring the gift, a scandal that has tarnished his claim to be an incorruptible politician. Bolsonaro left for the United States two days before he was due to hand over the presidential sash to Lula on Jan. 1. He said he needed rest but critics say he was avoiding the risks of over a dozen legal investigations he may face in Brazil. Legal probes have focused on his attacks against Brazil's voting system and alleged role in encouraging supporters to storm government buildings in Jan. 8 riots that recalled the 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol. Bolsonaro in his webcast said the riots were spontaneous and denied they had been planned, as his critics maintain, as an attempt to provoke a military coup against Lula. Story continues Bolsonaro, who holds former U.S. President Donald Trump as his political idol, attended the Conservative Political Action Conference this month in Washington where he questioned the result of the October election narrowly won by Lula and said his mission in Brazil was "still not over." His return to Brazil has been eagerly awaited by PL leader Valdemar Costa Neto, who wants Bolsonaro to lead the party into municipal elections next year. Costa Neto has said that Bolsonaro was losing political capital by staying in Florida and expects his party to triple its slate of elected mayors across Brazil with the help of the former president, who can draw crowds by firing up anti-Lula sentiment. "Bolsonaro will lead the opposition and travel around Brazil preaching the party's ... values and helping the PL grow," he told Reuters, outlining a plan for a right-wing comeback in the 2026 presidential elections. PROBES Mobilizing the 58 million voters who backed him last year will not be an easy task for the former army captain, according to political analysts. Plenty of potential rivals on the right will have the advantage of holding public office in coming years. "If Bolsonaro cannot quickly show that he can lead, the right will look for other leaders, like the governors of Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais," said Andre Cesar at Hold Legislative Advisors, a public policy consultancy. Bolsonaro has also hurt his standing with many center-right parties after the Jan. 8 riots and probes into his attacks on Brazil's democratic institutions, said Leonardo Barreto at Vector Consultancy in Brasilia. Bolsonaro must also calibrate his plans with the popularity of his wife Michelle, who is emerging as a charismatic figure running PL outreach to women. Barreto said her ambitions may provide an outlet for the ex-president's supporters if legal probes lead electoral authorities bar him from seeking office. (Reporting by Anthony Boadle and Ricardo Brito; Editing by Brad Haynes, Steven Grattan and Mark Porter) Jair Bolsonaro waved as he arrived at Brasilia International Airport Brazil's ex-president, Jair Bolsonaro, has returned from his self-imposed exile in the United States. The far-right former leader landed in the capital, Brasilia, on a commercial flight from Florida, where he spent the past three months. Supporters draped in Brazil's flag shouted "legend", but the former leader was led out by a side exit. It is the first time he is back in his home country since his supporters stormed Congress on 8 January. He faces an investigation into whether he incited the rioters. There had been much speculation about how many people would turn out to greet the former leader after his 89-day absence. Following the rioting caused by his supporters on 8 January, police have taken precautions, such as cordoning off the main esplanade in the capital. Security was also tight at the airport. Brazilian news site O Globo said that when his plane touched down at 06:37 local time (09:37 GMT), there were more police officers in attendance at the airport than supporters. His fans had hoped to catch a glimpse of the former president, but they have now started leaving the premises after Mr Bolsonaro's son Eduardo told them his father had left for the headquarters of the Liberal Party, of which he is a member. There, he briefly addressed other Liberal Party politicians and took a swipe at the government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, saying: "Those people who are in power now, won't be able to just do what they like." Bolsonaro supporters were waiting for his arrival at the airport The Liberal Party leader has said that he is keen for Mr Bolsonaro to campaign on behalf of the party ahead of local elections next year, but Mr Bolsonaro told CNN before leaving Florida that he would not lead the opposition to the current president, who is known as Lula. Analysts have pointed out that during his three-month absence, other conservative politicians have come to the forefront of Brazilian politics. Mr Bolsonaro left Brazil on board a Brazilian air force plane on 30 December, just two days before he was due to hand over the presidential sash to his rival, Lula. Story continues Lula narrowly beat Mr Bolsonaro in a presidential run-off on 30 October, a defeat the far-right leader never publicly recognised. Many of his supporters also refused to acknowledge Lula's victory, camping out in front of army barracks in the hope of swaying the military to depose the newly elected president. With Brazil's institutions, including the military, backing the democratic handover of power to Lula, Mr Bolsonaro disappeared almost completely from the public scene, rarely leaving the presidential palace and keeping uncharacteristically quiet on social media platforms. His supporters, though, were anything but quiet, rampaging through key government buildings in Brasilia just a week after Lula took power. More than 1,500 people were arrested. While Mr Bolsonaro was in Florida when Brazil's Congress was stormed, investigators argue his rhetoric - repeatedly questioning the validity of the election result and saying that only God or death could remove him from office - incited the rioters. CCTV footage shoed the rioters inside Congress The investigation into alleged incitement is not the only legal challenge he faces. There is also a probe under way into whether he tried to illegally import and keep millions of dollars' worth of jewellery he and his wife were given by Saudi Arabia in 2019. Mr Bolsonaro has been summoned to testify in that case in less than a week's time. Bong Joon Ho has long been one of South Koreas best filmmakers thanks to acclaimed movies such as Memories of Murder, Mother, and The Host, but it wasnt until 2019 that Bong become a worldwide cinema superstar. With Parasite, Bong vaulted himself into the topmost echelon of the worlds best directors working today. Parasite premiered to the world at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, where it made history as the first South Korean film to win the prestigious Palme dOr. The months that followed brought Bong to nearly all of awards seasons biggest festivals (Telluride, Toronto, NYFF) and ceremonies (Golden Globes, SAG Awards, DGA Awards, Critics Choice, etc.). Bongs incredible journey with Parasite culminated in six Oscar nominations and historic wins for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature. The drama is the first foreign-language movie to win Best Picture, and Bong is the first South Korean filmmaker to win Best Director. His influence, particularly as it relates to the acceptance of subtitled films by American audiences, is as difficult to conceptualize as it is to overstate. More from IndieWire Mickey 17 is Bongs next movie: a sci-fi epic starring Robert Pattinson as an expendable human clone sent to colonize a distant planet. Although audiences have already received a small tease for the film, its not due out until March 29, 2024 and remains generally under wraps. Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo, and Naomi Ackiealso star. Bong is a great director, but hes also an avid cinephile who loves talking about films and raising awareness for some of the best Asian filmmakers who came before him, including Kim Ki-young, Shohei Imamura, and Keisuke Kinoshita. Check out a handful of Bongs favorite movies below, listed in no particular order. This includes a couple of new picks from his 2022 Sight & Sound Greatest Films of All Time ballot, in which Bong reiterated his established love for classics (like Alfred Hitchcocks Psycho) but also shouted on some new favorites (namely, Kim Ki-youngs Hanyo and Luchino Viscontis Rocco and His Brothers. Story continues With editorial contributions by Zack Sharf. [Editors note: This list was first published in February 2020, and has been updated multiple times since.] Best of IndieWire Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Soldiers of the State Border Service of Ukraine killed two groups of Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) mercenaries in Bakhmut. Source: State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Quote: "The first group of invaders was killed by mortars according to the coordinates provided by aerial reconnaissance. The fire stopped the invaders on the approach to the contact line. The second Wagner PMC group was restrained by the State Border Guard Service soldiers in close combat in a suburban building, targeting the enemy with grenade launchers and small arms." Details: In total, Wagnerites lost 14 people: 6 were killed, and 8 were injured. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! The author and her now husband. Courtesy of Anastasia Chernikova My boyfriend and I dated for two years before I pressured him with marriage and kids. He said he was not ready and left for Europe after we broke. Two months later, he showed up at my apartment in NYC with an engagement ring. On a hot July day, I was making my way to a friend's party when my phone beeped with an invitation to join a lunch at a restaurant near the "Friends" building in New York City. Thinking I had some time to spare before the party, I decided to drop by. Upon arrival, I found two unfamiliar guys. One of them had driven from Philadelphia for the weekend. He had rented a car for a month and wanted to travel around. I didn't have a driver's license and was melting from the heat. We hit it off, and within 10 minutes, decided to take a trip outside the city together. We set off for Montauk, on Long Island, two weeks later and spent the day together before heading to separate sleeping spots. He drove me back, and I showed him my favorite neighborhood, Brooklyn's Williamsburg, before he took off for Philly at 2 a.m. Another two weeks passed, and he expressed an interest in moving to New York to learn more about the city. The best places seemed to be in Williamsburg, he said, and so he rented an apartment in my neighborhood. He told me he wasn't ready for anything serious Though we felt romantic, I sensed he was holding back on any relationship progression, often claiming he was too busy with work or tired to stay over. Two months later, he told me he wasn't ready for a relationship, which I interpreted as a cue to end. In my head, something either moves forward or backward, so I pulled out. We didn't text each other for a week. I was coping by meeting with my girlfriends and drinking cocktails. Then one afternoon, he texted me and asked to give it another try. He explained that he was hesitant to commit because he was recently coming out a marriage and wanted to focus on his career. I didn't mind, I said, but we would either be in a relationship, or I'd rather not spend more time on casual dating. So we started to date again. Story continues Despite my gut feeling of him being, as my friend put it, "good marriage material," he was often talking about something that he had missed and things he had to try before committing to something serious. A yearlong relationship was already serious, I thought. I was confused, but I loved him, so we kept going. I wanted to know if we were headed toward having a family together When we hit a year and a half, I wanted to know whether we were headed toward having a family or not. I needed to set a deadline for when he would commit to marriage and having a kid together. I chose August 2022, which would mark two years of our relationship. I was also afraid of losing my guy, so I began pushing him harder to commit to marriage. I became fixated on that idea, and every time we were watching a show where people would get married or have kids, I would burst into tears. As my behavior became more erratic, my boyfriend started pulling away. At this point, I gave him an ultimatum: Either we get married, or we break up. Although I don't like playing ultimatum games, I didn't know what else to do. He wasn't ready. After a week of depression, he packed up his belongings and left for Europe. We didn't speak for two months, during which time I decided to download dating apps. I made it a rule to go on at least one date a week to move on from my ex and find someone who shared my family plans and values. My therapist had helped me outline the qualities and values I was looking for, and I could weed out all the guys that didn't fit. He proposed at my front door The dates were great, but I did not feel any chemistry. So when my ex showed up out of the blue two months later, my goosebumps and warm feelings for him immediately returned. He was standing at my door in a gray sweater that I bought for him, with a huge bouquet of red roses, apparently confident that there was no chance I could have moved on and there was someone else in my room. He got down on one knee and pulled out a ring. I said yes. He told me he had to leave to figure out what he wanted, without my pressure. At first, he tried to imagine his life without me and went on a couple of dates in Europe. But he missed me and always thought about me, he said. Once he had the space to think about it, he was ready for commitment. My now husband has never been so stable in his work and our relationship. He talks about getting a house together, kids, and building our future more than I do. Last week, he came home from a tough negotiation meeting. He said when he looked at the ring on his finger, he felt strength and support. "This marriage has been my best decision," he said. And kissed me on the lips. Anastasia Chernikova is the founder of Vivid Minds, a newsletter-based media company dedicated to stories about how leaders overcome challenges and move forward. Follow her on Linkedin. Read the original article on Insider Bradenton Police Chief Melanie Bevan Bradenton Police Chief Melanie Bevan was cleared of power abuse allegations, leading to the Thursday firing of the officer who made complaints against her and command staff. Former Bradenton Police Officer Patrick Mahoney was one of four officers who filed complaints against Bevan in August, claiming she encouraged an unlawful search, improper procedure and stealing from an officer. She was cleared of the unlawful search allegation in September. More: Bradenton Police Chief Melanie Bevan cleared of charges following investigation In case you missed it: Four more Bradenton police officers file complaints against the chief of police On March 22, North Port Police Capt. Brian Gregory conducted a separate investigation into the truthfulness of the other allegations that were put forward by the officers. Gregory wrote in a report that several of the allegations lacked credible evidence, including Mahoney's. "Due to facts and evidence obtained during the investigation, Gregory recommends further investigation be completed against Mahoney regarding potential BPD policy violations and violations surrounding untruthfulness," Gregory said in the investigation summary. Bevan said in a statement that most of the allegations of power abuse came from a special unit that was under investigation for department policy violations. She added that four members of the unit no longer work at the police department, not because of a "personal vendetta," but because they either resigned or were terminated for lying, engaging in unbecoming behavior, using excessive force or violating department policy. "Throughout this process, the Southwest Florida PBA has continued to stand behind these disgruntled former employees and propagate their negative agenda, despite having full access to the results of the investigations which clearly exonerate everyone accused," Bevan said in a statement. Mahoney filed a lawsuit two weeks ago against Bevan to "expose the rampant pattern of corruption committed by Chief Bevan and her underlings," according to a statement from Mick McHale, Southwest Florida Police Benevolent Association. Story continues McHale argued that Mahoney's claims were protected by the 14th amendment and that his firing was retaliation for the lawsuit. If there remained any doubts about whether Chief Bevan is out to destroy the careers of the dedicated men and women of her own police department, todays termination of Patrick Mahoney should remove all doubt," McHale said in a written statement. Gregory found the other allegations put forward about command staff regarding alleged theft of an officer's phone to also be without credible evidence. The allegation came from Sgt. Joseph Kelly who believed his wife, a police dispatcher, was having an affair with former Deputy Chief Paul McWade. She took her own life after resigning from her job. Kelly said that command staff worked to take his wife's phone to remove evidence of the affair. "Due to the many quotes listed in Kelly's affidavit and the absence of credible evidence, there is suspicion that Kelly may have improperly quoted individuals in his own sworn affidavit," Gregory wrote. "These facts should be investigated to determine if there are any BPD administrative or criminal violation." Gregory suggested that the two other officers who came forward with allegations against command staff of improper procedure while investigating Tara Reily's murder to also be investigated for potential untruthfulness, criminal violation or an FDLE administrative hearing. This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Police union president calls Bradenton officer firing retaliation Some patients at Suncoast Behavioral Health are being notified this week that their personal information may have been involved in a data breach in 2021. The psychiatric facility in Bradenton has inpatient, outpatient and residential services for children and teens. Suncoast started mailing letters to patients Wednesday and sent a news release to media Thursday. The compromised information includes full names and some or all of the following: facility name, age, patient account number, admission and discharge date, insurance carrier and balance information. No financial information was included, such as Social Security or credit card numbers. The breach happened Nov. 5, 2021, at Adelanto HealthCare Ventures, a company that works with one of Suncoast Behavioral Healths business associates. Suncoast did not identify the business associate. Two employees at Adelanto had their email accounts accessed through a phishing scheme, which is when scammers send emails that look like theyre from a company or official source and ask for personal information. Adelanto did not initially believe any personal information was compromised, Suncoast said, but that changed in August 2022 when the business associate learned that personal information may have been involved. The business associate launched an investigation, which was not completed until Dec. 27, 2022. They notified Suncoast on Jan. 28, 2023, and Suncoast began notifying patients March 29. There is no evidence to date to suggest that the PHI (personal health information) was copied or misused, Suncoast said in the news release. Adelanto is expanding its security measures in light of the incident and assessing additional training and security reminders for its employees. Suncoast said affected patients are being offered 12 months of free internet surveillance and identity restoration services through Experian. Those who havent received a letter but would like to see if theyre affected, as well as any patients with questions, can call (800) 910-4035 and provide the engagement number B087604. Adelanto HealthCare Ventures is based in Austin, Texas, and specializes in helping health care providers get reimbursements from Medicaid. The company was the largest 2022 contract for one of the most successful lobbying firms in Florida, Capital City Consulting, Florida Politics reported. Suncoast Behavioral Health was previously named Manatee Palms Youth Services. BRASILIA (Reuters) -Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro said on Wednesday he will not lead the opposition to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, but will collaborate with his political party, the conservative Liberal Party. Bolsonaro spoke to a CNN Brasil journalist at an airport in Florida before boarding a flight to Brazil, where he is returning to for the first time since losing reelection in October. "I will not lead any opposition. I will help my party as a person with experience," he said. Bolsonaro added he plans to travel across Brazil in an effort to help his party in local elections next year. (Reporting by Maria Carolina Marcello; Editing by Sarah Morland and Brendan O'Boyle) A 20-year-old Bremerton man has been arrested and charged with 10 federal felonies in connection with a crime known as swatting, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington Nick Brown announced in a news release on Thursday. Swatting involves making false reports to emergency services to bring a large police response to a location. Often, the caller falsely claims a victim has committed a crime, causing officers to surround or enter their home with weapons drawn. According to legal documents, during a three-month period last year, Ashton Connor Garcia gathered personal information about his victims and then threatened them, including threats to make swatting calls that would send police to their homes. He demanded money, credit card information, virtual money or sexually explicit photos from some of his victims, who lived in Washington, California, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, the indictment said. In some cases, he made swatting calls at the request of his friends. Every time Mr. Garcia is alleged to have made one of his false reports to law enforcement, he triggered a potentially deadly event sending heavily armed police officers to an address where they mistakenly believed they would confront someone who was armed and dangerous, Brown said in a news release Thursday. Authorities said Garcia used fake identities and voice over internet technology to make false reports to police that would garner a large response, such as claims that he and others had placed explosives at an airport. He also falsely accused his victims of committing such crimes as murder, rape and kidnapping, and told police the people who committed the crimes were armed with weapons like knives, guns and explosives. Garcia often made false claims that he was being held hostage by his father, that he had shot his parents, that his father stabbed his mother, and that his father had raped female family members, court documents said. He is charged with extortion, threats and hoaxes, hoaxes regarding firearms, interstate threats, hoaxes regarding aircraft, and threats and hoaxes regarding explosives. His case is being investigated by the FBI. LONDON The British Army will buy Swedish Carl-Gustaf M4 recoilless rifles to plug a gap in anti-armor capabilities left by donating similar equipment to Ukraine. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace announced the deal, worth 4.6 million ($5.7 million) plus a little more for a package of ammunition and training, during a March 29 meeting here with his Swedish counterpart, Pal Jonson. The ministry said in a statement the Saab-made weapons would be used to replenish munition stocks handed over to Ukraine in its defense against Russia. No details of delivery times or weapon numbers have been made available by the British. Earlier versions of the Carl-Gustaf were operated by the British military between the 1970s and 1990s before being withdrawn. The British deal wasnt the only success for the recoilless rifle announced by Saab this week. The Swedish arms manufacturer said March 30 that it had also signed framework agreements with the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) for the Carl-Gustaf M4 and the AT4 anti-armor weapon. The NSPA has placed a purchase order for Carl-Gustaf ammunition with deliveries planned 2023-2025 as well as a similar deal for AT4 missiles with deliveries planned 2023-2024. The Carl-Gustaf order from Britain will help boost anti-structure capabilities left diminished by stockpiles of NLAW next generation light anti-tank missiles run down by the UK governments donation of thousands of weapons to Ukraine. The missile is credited by the Ukrainians with playing an important role in halting Russian armored attacks over the last 13 months. Designed by Saab, Thales UK produces the NLAW weapon at a site just outside Belfast, Northern Ireland. The British have ordered 600 copies for delivery this year. While struggling to put together a supply chain for the out-of-production weapon, officials announced a further deal with Saab in December 2022, worth 229 million, to supply a large number of weapons starting next year, with deliveries finishing in 2026. Story continues The Carl-Gustaf deal was part of wide-ranging talks by Wallace and Jonson, which included British support for Swedens stalled effort to join NATO. The two sides also signed a letter of intent to deliver 14 BAE Systems Bofors-built Archer 155mm wheeled guns to replace British Army AS90 tracked artillery vehicles donated to Ukraine. The Archer vehicles are meant as an interim measure until Britain acquires a new fleet of guns planned to be in operation by the end of the decade. Future potential collaboration in support of Ukraine was also on the agenda of the two defense ministers, the British MoD said in its March 29 statement. A spokesperson declined to elaborate on the nature of the possible tie-up, but it is thought the two sides are exploring how they can work together to meet urgent Ukrainian requirements for support. British analysts have published a report entitled Preliminary Lessons from Russia's Unconventional Operations during the Russian-Ukrainian war, February 2022 February 2023, in which they have analysed the actions of the Russian secret services in implementing the Kremlin's plans to occupy all of Ukraine. Source: BBC News Russian, referring to a report by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) Quote: "The British defence think tank maintains that since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian security and intelligence services have achieved much greater success than the army. However, there are also fundamental shortcomings in the work of the special services, which have significantly contributed to the failure of Russias plans to invade Ukraine." Details: The analysts believe one of these shortcomings is the desire to please the president of the aggressor country, Vladimir Putin, in every possible way. The Russian military considered the internal destabilisation and disorganisation of Ukraine as one of the main mechanisms of their military operation; this was supposed to disable the system of management and military command and control, undermine public confidence in state institutions, reduce the country's stability and minimise assistance to Ukraine from international partners. In these circumstances, Moscow did not anticipate serious resistance, as evidenced by failures in logistics at the first stage of the operation, the report says. The small group of planners expected to repeat the success of the 2014 Crimean operation, which also made no sense from a military point of view and was planned based on the absence of military resistance from Ukraine. According to the RUSI, the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) was deeply involved in planning the invasion, and was ordered to prepare plans for the occupation of Ukraine in July 2021. This required the training of numerous FSB agents, so in autumn 2021, Russian agents in Ukraine began to go on brief holidays to resorts in Turkiye, Cyprus and Egypt, where they met with their handlers. Story continues The report's authors pay considerable attention to the methods used by the Russian secret services, noting that they prefer to minimise the running of agents from Russia, recruiting agents in place who manage their networks instead. In the case of Ukraine, the report says this role was played by several high-ranking officials and politicians who had had ties to Russian intelligence agencies for decades. The authors also note the importance of the Russian Orthodox Church as the one body of ideologically committed agents of Russian influence. Since relations between the state and religious institutions are sensitive, even after the invasion, the Ukrainian authorities could not immediately constrain the activities of these parts of the Russian support apparatus. Russian agents were also supposed to provoke full-scale protests in Ukraine. The authors of the report note that senior Russian intelligence officials recommended delaying the invasion until summer 2022; in their opinion, the conditions for a quick victory in early 2022 had not yet developed at the time. However, Moscow decided to proceed, because the Kremlin believed they understood Ukrainian politics. The report's authors consider the hasty and underprepared invasion as evidence that Russian agents had exaggerated the extent of their influence. The secret services had been ordered to facilitate the occupation within the established time frame, not to assess its viability. The authors consider this institutional culture of following orders to be one of the reasons for the failure of the original plans for the invasion of Ukraine. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Brooklyn Beckham is defending his decision to cook bolognese sauce with a wine cork. Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Wendy's Brooklyn Beckham defended his decision to cook a bolognese sauce for pasta with a wine cork. After he was criticized, Beckham shared an article saying wine corks can ensure "a more tender dish." But Italian chef Barbara Pollastrini told Insider that Beckham's technique doesn't work. A great bolognese includes ground beef, pancetta, onions and a wine cork? So says aspiring chef Brooklyn Beckham, who shared an Instagram picture of himself whipping up the pasta sauce on Wednesday. Beckham's followers were quick to spot a wine cork floating on top of the pot. And many were very, very confused. "When someone told you to 'put a cork in it Brooklyn,' they meantstop talking," one person wrote. "Only here for the comments pointing out the cork," another added. Their criticism didn't go unnoticed by the eldest son of Victoria and David Beckham, who frequently posts videos of himself cooking on Instagram. Beckham, 24, took to his Instagram story to share an excerpt from an article that read: "The addition of wine corks added to the cooking liquid ensured a more tender dish." Beckham defended his use of a wine cork by sharing this excerpt from a 2016 article about cooking octopus. Brooklyn Beckham/Instagram The excerpt is from a February 2016 article written by Doris Reynolds for Naples Daily News called, "Let's Talk Food: Wine corks ensure more tender octopus." In the article, Reynolds details how, in her quest to cook a great octopus dish, she was surprised to find multiple recipes that "included wine corks in the instructions." "Experts have argued about this method but most chefs and those who regularly prepare squid and octopus swear that there are enzymes in the corks that ensure a more palatable dish," she wrote. "Other experienced chefs also use wine corks when cooking such meats as short ribs and other tough meat." Beckham is the eldest son of Victoria and David Beckham. David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images Reynolds' article does not mention pasta or bolognese sauce, and Italian chef Barbara Pollastrini told Insider that adding a wine cork to a bolognese won't do anything to help soften the meat. Story continues "The problem is that people trust this food influencer and are without any knowledge," she said. "The only way to have a fantastic ragu is to cook it for at least three hours. This is the only way to have soft meat." Pollastrini doesn't believe that the wine cork method ever works, even when it comes to cooking octopus. "No evidence exists that octopus softens its meat by boiling it with cork," she said. "The real reason the fishermen (called polpari) of the South put corks in their enormous pots where the octopus was cooked to be sold on the street is that the cork was attached to a string to which the octopus was tied while cooking." "The floating cork allowed the fisherman to find the octopus immediately, without much searching in the pot of boiling water," she added. If you're looking for a great bolognese recipe, we love Gordon Ramsay's version with sausage or Ina Garten's favorite weeknight recipe. Representatives for Beckham did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Read the original article on Insider Two brothers have been arrested for attempted murder after a man was shot in Merced on Wednesday, according to authorities. Brothers Israel Rodriguez, 23, and Elijah Rodriguez, 21, were arrested Wednesday in connection with the shooting, according to a Merced Police Department news release. Police said the shooting happened around 9:30 a.m. on the 2400 block of East Gerard Avenue. Police said the victim believed he was targeted due to previous gang affiliation. The victim was transported to a regional trauma center and is expected to survive, according to the release. Police said detectives and crime scene personnel assisted with the investigation and the brothers were identified as suspects and arrested. The two men were booked into Merced County Jail on suspicion of multiple felony charges including attempted murder and participation in criminal street gang activity, according to jail records. Police ask anyone with information regarding the incident to contact Detective Steven Odom at 209-388-7814 or by email at odoms@cityofmerced.org. Some crimes can be reported through the Merced Police Department website and anonymous tips can be submitted by calling 209-385-4725. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to law enforcement through the Merced Area Crime Stoppers website. Its massive. Its eccentric. Its everything youd ever assume a French mansion would be as it charms with its gaudy elegance. Only its in the Lone Star State. The height of luxury and palatial opulence await you in this exclusive estate on well-known Carnarvon Drive, the listing on Douglas Elliman says. Discover a grandeur and ambiance unlike any other. Interior design, contributed by renowned David Easton, is a modern neoclassical property with impressionistic French design that would evoke classic, timeless elegance for all who visit. The eight-bedroom, 12-bathroom estate is listed for $36 million in Houston, and while the exterior has a sophisticated design that catches the eye, the inside is an entire different world of wow with its cathedral-like ceilings, marble floors suited for Marie Antoinette or a Texas oil baron with money to burn. Features in and around the homes 26,401 square feet include: Pillared grand archway Columns Ballroom-like halls Terrace Spa bathroom Guest apartments Parisian styled pool The photos paint a vivid picture of royalty with ethereal rooms, almost all fitted with chandeliers, one more dramatic than the next. The mansion made an appearance on Friday Night Zillow, a Twitter segment run by Bloomberg reporter Steven Dennis that highlights unique houses for sale. Have you ever wanted to live in Versailles but in, like, Houston? Well, have I got the mansion for you! Buckle up! 8BR, 12BA & and an exhausting 26K sf. for an eye-watering $36M, Dennis started his Twitter thread with as he posted photos of different rooms. This is in somebodys *house.* Like, people live here. Looks more like a national museum, he said. Youd get your 10,000 steps per day in, easy peasy, someone joked. This is the closest Ive seen to America getting old Europe right. Its pretty amazing, another noted. The listing is held by Gigi Huang and Konrad Adam Molski. This jaw-dropping $5 million castle could be your dream house in Oregon. Take a look House on estate where Godfather II was shot is for rent in Tahoe, but itll cost you Charlie Simpson (centre) said being famous was "entirely different" now because of social media Social media has made being a pop star "an entirely different thing", according to Busted's Charlie Simpson. The musician was speaking ahead of a tour to celebrate the pop-punk boyband's 20th anniversary. Busted, formed in Southend, Essex, in 2000, split in 2005 with Simpson's departure but reformed in 2016 for a stadium tour and new album. Simpson told BBC Radio Suffolk it was "easier to be famous" in the early Noughties before social media. The musician, who grew up in Woodbridge, Suffolk, said the band was "super pumped" about the new tour and connecting with fans again. Busted, including musicians Matt Willis and James Bourne, sold five million records at the beginning of the millennium, scoring hits with Year 3000 and What I Go To School For. The band released another album in 2019 and Simpson said the tour will be a "big celebration of everything people loved about Busted in the beginning". Busted, from left, James Bourne, Charlie Simpson and Matt Willis, first found fame in 2002 More than 20 years after their formation, Simpson said he thought the music industry had changed a lot and being famous was "much worse now". "I feel like it was easier then but we had a great time - it was a whirlwind," he said. "We came out in 2002 and the music industry was a very, very different place back then. "But it was it all happened pretty fast and it was an amazing time. We got to tour the world and it's amazing meeting fans now, because you sort of see the connection it had then and feel like it sort of stayed with them." The new UK tour is due to kick off in Plymouth on 2 September. They will also be releasing an album of revamped tracks which will feature collaborations with McFly, All Time Low, Simple Plan and others. Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) The federal government is spending more money on improvements at Dallas-Fort Worth International and other airports that officials say will increase safety by reducing the number of times that planes on the ground must taxi across active runways. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stood before a bulldozer and mountain of dirt Thursday as he announced that DFW, the nation's second busiest airport behind Atlanta, will get $29 million more for a new end-around taxiway. DFW officials say that when work is completed in 2025, it will eliminate the need for planes to taxi across two of the airport's main runways. Every time a plane has to cross an active runway to get to where it's going, that's a source of risk, Buttigieg told reporters. Buttigieg said the most serious runway incursions when planes or ground vehicles are too close together are happening twice a month now instead of once a month. We want to get that to zero, and so there is also a paradigm shift of treating the close calls with the same level of seriousness that we treat actual incidents," he said declining to even utter the word accidents. Plans for the new taxiway were in the works before the recent spate of close calls between planes at airports around the country. And it won't prevent incidents like the one in January at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, when an American Airlines crew took two wrong turns and crossed a runway in front of a departing Delta Air Lines jet. But Buttigieg and the Federal Aviation Administration are eager to show the public they are responding to increasing concern about air safety. The FAA's acting administrator, Billy Nolen, held a safety summit of airline-industry groups two weeks ago and called for more data about the recent close calls. Nolen followed that with an alert to pilots and everyone else in aviation in effect, telling them to pay more attention to safety procedures. At DFW Airport, the FAA has promised to provide $180 million for a recently completed taxiway on the north side of the terminals and the new one on the south side. Officials say they will reduce the amount of time passengers must spend in planes taxiing between gates and runways. DFW is one of four airports Buttigieg is touring this week to tout infrastructure projects supported by the Biden administration. The others are Charlotte, North Carolina, where a similar end-around taxiway is being built; Little Rock, Arkansas; and Oklahoma City. Fifty years ago, five Latinos came together to create the first ever Chicano Legislative Caucus. At the time, the lawmakers, all male and of Mexican descent, made up 4% of the Legislature. Though a small group, the establishment marked a turning point for Californias then-14% Latino population. Over the next five decades, the caucus grew, diversified and became an influential group in the Capitol. That progress coincided with the Latino community exploding to 40% of the state population. The group, now at a record 38 members, has since been renamed the Latino Caucus. It has racked up a series of major wins since its founding, including pushing back against anti-immigrant legislation in the 1990s and building a social safety net for the states undocumented community. The work is not over however, said current chair and Assemblywoman Sabrina Cervantes, D-Riverside. We have to continue pushing forward and ensuring that we uplift the nearly 16 million Latinos in California and fighting for our vast contributions and the needs of our humanity, said Cervantes. Senadora Maria Elena Durazo, D-Los Angeles y presidente del Caucus Legislativo Latino de California, en la Clinica Sierra Vista el martes 27 de julio de 2021 por la manana en Fresno, CA. 2023 Legislative Priorities Cervantes recently spearheaded the caucus annual tradition of announcing its legislative priorities for the upcoming year. This year, caucus members voted to prioritize 14 bills spanning health, housing, education, environment and immigration. Several members spoke at Tuesdays press conference to present their measures. Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula, D-Fresno, presented his legislation first. Assembly Bill 4 continues a push to extend full Medi-Cal coverage to more undocumented residents. In recent years, the caucus has successfully won legislation for some undocumented residents to join Medi-Cal. AB 4 would broaden the income eligibility for undocumented adults. Sen. Lena Gonzalez, D-Long Beach, vice chair of the caucus, authored another healthcare measure, Senate Bill 616, which aims to increase the amount of paid sick leave days that an employer is required to provide from three to seven. She cited the COVID-19 pandemic as an example of why employees, particularly essential workers, need additional time to care for themselves and others. Story continues Furthermore it can reduce employers overall cost by containing potential disease outbreaks and allowing workers to recover faster and return to work more productively in the fourth largest economy, Gonzalez said. Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Gomez Reyes, D-Colton, led the presentation of education-focused legislation with AB 278. The measure would establish dream resource centers in high schools across the state. These centers provide services to support the undocumented student population. The end of Tuesdays press conference centered on further bills to improve the social safety net for the states roughly 2.3 million undocumented residents. Its past time that the state acknowledged how important they are to California, said Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, D-Los Angeles. Durazo spoke about her legislation, SB 227, which would provide workers who are excluded from unemployment insurance, due to immigration status, with $300 per week for up to 20 weeks in 2025. Assemblymen Juan Carrillo, D-Palmdale, and Miguel Santiago, D-Los Angeles, presented bills that would secure monthly cash assistance for undocumented seniors and expand food benefits to all undocumented immigrants. These measures likely face an uphill battle as the state seeks to close a projected $22.5 billion deficit without cutting programs that are already providing services to Californians. Last January, Newsom released a proposed state spending plan that would delay the food assistance timeline for undocumented seniors by two years. Santiago referenced the delay in his comments. Now were talking about budget cuts and the first thing that comes off the table is Food for AllPeople cant wait two years when theyre hungry, said Santiago. Looking back on 50 years Cervantes calls herself a reflection of the caucus diversification and progress. She is the first LGBTQ+ Latina caucus chair and marks the third consecutive woman who has led the group. At 21 members, Latinas are now the caucus majority. But the progress didnt come easy. It took until 1982 before the first Latina, Gloria Molina, was elected into the Legislature. Another 23 years passed until former member Martha Escutia became the first female chair. When Escutia joined the Assembly in 1992, the caucus only had six members and was on the brink of facing a series of racially charged measures. Proposition 187 came in 1994, which sought to ban immigrants from receiving social services, health care and education. Other measures followed including Proposition 209, prohibiting affirmative action, and Proposition 227, an effort to end bilingual education. We were playing defense with only six members in the middle of anti-immigration hysteria, Escutia said. But the anti-immigrant rhetoric and bills inspired young Democrats, particularly Latinos, to get involved in politics. Eventually, Escutia said the caucus used this momentum to create support and solutions for the states immigrant population. The first big breakthrough for undocumented Californians came in 2001, when a law passed allowing undocumented students to pay in-state tuition at Californias public universities. Then in 2015, former Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law allowing residents to apply for drivers licenses regardless of immigration status. More changes have come in the last few years with the state extending Medi-Cal eligibility. California began allowing undocumented children to join Medi-Cal in 2015. Four years later, eligibility broadened to those younger than 26. And last year, the state started covering people aged 50 and over. Next year, all low-income undocumented residents would become eligible for the state-subsidized insurance. The Latino Caucus has made California more progressive and thats a good thing, said Escuita. The caucus has also advocated for equal representation in state government and beyond. The group now is 30% of the Legislature and seeing former members and non-members take up higher positions. Most recently, the caucus pushed for the appointment of Patricia Guerrero as chief justice of the California Supreme Court and the states first Latino U.S. Senator Alex Padilla. I am honored to stand on the shoulders of great Latino leaders that came before me, and I look forward to the next 50 years, Padilla said in a statement. Floodwaters surround homes and vehicles in the community of Pajaro, in Monterey County, earlier this month. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) It took a major disaster and the prolonged displacement of hundreds of farmworkers, but the small Monterey County community of Pajaro is finally getting the help and attention of federal, state and local lawmakers its residents have sought for decades. On Tuesday, California lawmakers sent a letter to Michael Connor, assistant secretary of the Army for Civil Works, urging him to speed construction on a levee that failed earlier this month, flooding the small town, and to provide immediate emergency relief funds to shore up the damaged infrastructure. In addition, Gov. Gavin Newsom requested a presidential major disaster declaration that, if approved, could bring support and relief to the more than 2,000 residents who had to evacuate as the Pajaro River poured onto their streets and into their homes. "[W]e ask that you take immediate steps to provide emergency relief to the towns of Pajaro and Watsonville and to accelerate construction of the federally authorized levee project," wrote Democratic Sens. Alex Padilla and Dianne Feinstein, along with Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) and Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley Village). In an interview Wednesday, Padilla said there are many communities throughout the state and nation that sit at this interface of natural disaster, economic disadvantage and crumbling infrastructure. What happened in Pajaro was "surprising but not shocking," and it is this kind of inequity that spurred him into public service, where he could try to make change "so that disadvantaged communities, more broadly throughout California and throughout the country, aren't continuously left out," he said. For decades, state and federal officials had known the levee in Pajaro was inadequate. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which built the levee in 1949, had rejected plans to rebuild it because, as one official told The Times, it never penciled out: Its a low-income area. Its largely farmworkers. ... Therefore, you get basically Bay Area construction costs but the value of property isnt all that high. Story continues In 2021, just days before leaving office, R.D. James, President Trump's assistant secretary of the Army for Civil Works a political appointment penned a memo directing the corps to expand the criteria for project consideration by giving equal consideration to "economic, environmental and social categories." The directive enabled the corps to go beyond economic justifications and use these other categories when deciding where to allocate money and effort, said Stu Townsley, the Army Corps of Engineers deputy district engineer for project management for the San Francisco region. Last fall, after decades of inaction, the corps, along with state and local agencies, was finally able to secure the roughly $400 million required to rebuild the levee. Construction was targeted to begin in 2025. "Unfortunately, Mother Nature didn't wait," said Padilla, who had been in Pajaro in October to celebrate the funding. This spring, a series of strong storms pummeled the Central California coast and saturated the land within the Pajaro River watershed. That surfeit of water fed the typically trickling river into a torrent overtopping and weakening the 75-year old earthen levee. Now, as residents are beginning to assess the damage, lawmakers are pleading with Army Corps officials to fast-track the repairs and construction potentially getting it started by the end of this year, or early next year. "I've gotten assurances from Michael Connor (the Army Corps assistant secretary) for him not just to be responsive, but to kind of see himself as part of the assessment, so what can be done to send people back to a better standard than what was before," said Padilla. "A lot of times these emergency funds are only eligible to restore what was in place. So clearly, we saw the levees aren't good enough. Heaven forbid we get another significant storm this year ... we're going to need a better levee infrastructure and a capacity that's improved from the current situation," he said. However, getting it done quickly can prove challenging, said Townsley, noting the project already was on an expedited track. Townsley and others noted the federal and state permitting required for a major infrastructure project such as this, as well as the soliciting and bidding for contractors. Padilla said those kinds of bureaucratic constraints could be addressed. "Everybody seems to understand that" something needs to happen quickly, he said. "If you have to change some rules, create some flexibility and even leverage the flexibility that's afforded us through the major disaster declarations ... in the short term, we have to do what we have to do." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Heres a rare example of where Republicans and Democrats in Washington largely agree: Middle and lower income parents should get a bigger federal tax break. President Joe Biden is pushing a plan to those families to claim up to $3,600 per child on their income tax. Some Republicans like the idea of an even bigger credit. Current credit is $2,000 per qualifying child. But the two sides also have some serious disagreements, notably on whether a parent should have to work, and how the government would fund all this. The Biden proposal would mean savings for about 8 million California taxpayers with 6.5 million children, according to an analysis from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a liberal-leaning Washington tax research group. It would mean an average savings of $4,230 this year for the bottom 20% of California income earners with children, or taxpayers making less than $29,200. For those with children and making $29,200 to $55,000, the next 20% of earners, the average break would be $2,810. Amounts would diminish as incomes go up, since the credit becomes phased out for most couples with adjusted gross incomes of $150,000 and most single people making $112,000. Parents in the middle and upper class range, with incomes of $55,000 to $165,900, would save $2,120 to $2,180 this year. Bidens break for parents The Biden plan revives the expanded child tax credit of 2021, a COVID-inspired relief effort that permitted families with children ages 5 and under to claim up to a $3,600 annual credit. Those with children ages 6 to 17 could receive up to $3,000. At one point in 2021, the credit was paid in monthly installments. The 2021 credit expansion was a tremendous success for working families, slashing poverty for millions and providing financial security for millions more, said Joe Hughes, federal policy analyst at ITEP. In particular, the expanded credit significantly decreased the number of children experiencing poverty across several race and Hispanic origin groups, the Census Bureau found, and nationally, child poverty rates were cut in half. Story continues Efforts to continue the bigger benefit died last year for several reasons, including disagreement on how to pay for it. As a result, this years credit reverted to the $2,000 per child that had been in effect prior to 2021. But theres sentiment from both parties to find a way to boost the break. GOP child tax credits Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, has led a group of GOP senators in promoting the Family Security Act, which would have provided credits of $4,200 per child under 5 and $3,000 for those age 6 to 17. The breaks, he said, would help promote marriage, reduce child poverty and establish a firm national commitment to all of Americas families. Families could be eligible for the credit four months before a pregnant womans due date. Romney said Tuesday discussions continue with colleagues about how to proceed. His plan has a shot this year, he said. In the House, Rep. Jason Smith, R-Missouri, chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, said last month Congress should consider a Child Tax Credit that promotes the benefits of work to families. The idea of tying the benefit to a work requirement, though, troubles a lot of Democrats and their supporters. Data do not support claims that the child tax credit has negative employment effects that offset its documented reductions in poverty and hardship, a study of the 2021 credit changes by Columbia Universitys Center on Poverty & Social Policy last year found. Smith offered other data that showed that once the 2021 credit, which did not have work requirements, ended, significant numbers of people entered the labor force in the following two months. The other, and probably more significant, hurdle for any expanded benefit involves cost. One way Romney would pay for the changes would be by ending the tax deduction for state and local taxes. He argues that for lower and middle income families, losing the deduction, as well as implementing some other cuts, would benefit them since they could get the bigger child credit. Such cuts are likely to be unpopular with Democrats in high-tax states such as California, who are already upset that the 2017 tax cut law limited how much constituents could deduct. Without offsetting spending reductions, conservatives have concerns. Some credits are worthy of support if offset elsewhere in the federal budget, said Andrew Lautz, director of federal policy at the National Taxpayers Union.. There is the potential for finding the sort of common ground that has eluded the two parties constantly this year. In the end, Lautz said, a smaller expansion benefiting lower income families, simply may be more manageable from a budgetary perspective. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) speaks with Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) during a House committee hearing Wednesday. (Cliff Owen / Associated Press) It's a horrible, horrible situation, and we're not going to fix it. There you have it: With that throwaway line to reporters on the Capitol steps Monday, Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee summed up the Republican Partys deliberate impotence against an epidemic of gun violence and mass shootings that distinguishes this nation from just about all others. Six of Burchetts fellow Tennesseans three 9-year-olds and three adults roughly his age had just been slaughtered at a private Presbyterian school in Nashville by the latest killer wielding assault weapons. The congressman was saying that we cant fix the problem of record shootings. Yet wont applies as well to Republicans. Predictably, theyve stuck to their two-pronged agenda on gun massacres: thoughts and prayers. (Perversely, Republican Rep. Barry Moore of Alabama, has another idea. His bill, which he unveiled at a gun store, would designate the AR-15 as the National Gun of the United States.) Cant, wont the fact is the Congress can do something and once did do something, to demonstrably good but short-lived effect. In 1994, a Democratic-controlled Congress and President Clinton banned mass murderers weapon of choice, military-style assault rifles, along with the high-capacity magazines that so horribly compound the guns lethality. It should try to do so again, as President Biden has urged for the umpteenth time. That a Republican-majority House insists it cant or wont act is all the more reason to bring nationwide pressure on Congress to try. The assault weapon ban enacted three decades ago was a personal victory for Californias then-freshman Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who was motivated by a 1993 attack at a San Francisco law firm that left eight people dead, as well as by the 1989 shootings at a Stockton schoolyard that killed five kids and injured 27, plus a teacher. But to secure enough votes back then, proponents had to compromise by exempting the assault-style rifles and magazines Americans already possessed. And, alas, they also had to agree that the ban would lapse after 10 years unless a future Congress and president extended it. Which, in 2004, a Republican-controlled Congress and President George W. Bush refused to do. Story continues Yet the nations 10-year experiment with a limited ban on assault weapons and magazines left us with the evidence to argue today that such action works. Mass-shooting fatalities were 70% less likely to occur during the federal ban period, one review of evidence showed in 2019. And heres what has happened with military-style assault weapons since the U.S. ban was lifted: record sales and record deaths. Gunmakers manufactured and marketed AR-15s like never before, making it the best-selling rifle in the United States. Together with the gun lobby and their Republican cheerleaders, they capitalized on a post-9/11 fascination with the kind of tricked-out long guns used by American troops. They stoked gun nuts fears after Barack Obamas election that the first Black president would confiscate their firearms. And they played to gun owners (toxic) masculinity, with one manufacturer promoting sales of its AR-15 the model used by the assassin of the Sandy Hook Elementary School first-graders this way: CONSIDER YOUR MAN CARD REISSUED. Its sickening. And it must stop. After the annihilation of those 20 first-graders and six of their school guardians in Newtown, Conn., in 2012, many of us had some hope that federal action would follow. Instead, while manufacturing and sales grew, a proposed assault weapons ban died in the Senate, opposed by every Republican but one and more than a few swing-state Democrats. Of the 17 deadliest mass shootings in the U.S. since Sandy Hook, 12 have been carried out with assault weapons, according to the Post, just as in the case in the Covenant School killings. Assault weapons should be the pariahs of the gun industry; polls consistently show that most Americans want to outlaw them. Unlike bullets from typical handguns, the blast effect of an AR-15s shots fans out within a victims body, pulverizes tissue and leaves gaping holes on exiting. In other words, just as the military originally intended, the weapons are all-but-guaranteed killers. The Washington Post, in new series on the AR-15, and with the permission of the victims families, used animation to show the unsurvivable wounds to 6-year-old Noah Pozner at Sandy Hook and to 15-year-old Peter Wang at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., in 2018. Yet the guns have only become more popular, iconic even for millions. Some Republicans in Congress walk around with pins of mini-AR-15s on their lapels. And the number of real assault weapons has spiked from an estimated 1.5 million at the time of the 1994 ban to as many as 20 million today, according to the Post. That stunning number is a real problem, of course, if the weapon is ever to be banned. But short of confiscating Americans AR-15s, an all-but-impossible task, a law prohibiting future sales and importation should include some provision for the government to buy owners guns and magazines as Biden has proposed. Another big problem is the Republican-packed Supreme Court. In a decision last June, the six conservative justices expanded gun rights so broadly that the president of one far-right group hailed it as a 4-ton wrecking ball against limits on firearms. Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, for whose confirmation the National Rifle Assn. spent millions, once took umbrage at the use of the phrase assault weapon, to the gun lobbys delight. Yet just as the opposition of Republicans in Congress shouldnt be a deterrent to advocating a national assault weapons ban, neither should the high courts pro-gun bias hold back advocates. Leave it to the Republicans like Burchett to claim theyre powerless. @jackiekcalmes This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Queen Camilla's blue outfit Queen Camilla's blue outfit delighted fans as Her Majesty and King Charles touched down in Germany today on March 29 as they attended their first state visit of the country since Queen Elizabeth II's passing. Queen Camilla and King Charles arrived in Germany on March 29. The royal couple looked spectacular on their first state visit since becoming the highest-ranking members of the Royal Family. In other royal news, Princess Anne shows off 'high-class tailoring' in recycled khaki coat and leather gloves for Suffolk trip. Queen Camilla's blue outfit has delighted royal fans who loved seeing Her Majesty's bold look as she arrived in Berlin with her husband. The Queen consort looked fantastic as she wrapped up warmly in a turquoise coat that she has worn on other occasions and was made by couture designer, Bruce Oldfield. The Queen paired this chic coat with a blue hat - designed by Philip Treacy - in a slightly darker teal shade which was adorned with beautiful long navy feathers. Keeping to this blue theme, Camilla also wore a beautiful flower-shaped brooch made from diamonds and aqua blue stones. Queen Camilla This brooch is a particularly sentimental piece for the Queen consort as it is thought to be a gift passed down from the late Queen Elizabeth II. Per Express, it is thought that this brooch was a gift that the late Queen received from Queen Mary when she had her confirmation in 1942. It appeared that this was a sweet way that the Queen consort could pay tribute to the late Queen on this trip. Camilla also wore pearl drop earrings with this look. This style of earrings have become a trademark of the Princess of Wales and this isn't the first time Camilla has stolen Catherine's timeless style by accessorizing with pearl drop earrings. It seems that Kate Middleton's pearl earrings have become a staple for the Princess and other members of the Royal Family who love wearing this simple yet regal accessory to royal engagements. Queen Camilla The Queen consort also paired this look with black leather accessories which were perfectly designed to keep Her Majesty warm and to not distract from the bold colors in her outfit. Story continues The Queen wore black leather gloves and held a small black leather handbag in her hand. She also wore knee-high black boots that added a chic edge to her otherwise classic royal look. Queen Camilla Images showed the King and Queen in Berlin, soon after they landed, chatting with First Lady Elke Buedenbender and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The couple arrived at the Brandenburg Gate for a ceremonial welcome to mark the beginning of their state visit. The couple will only stay in the country for a short spell but will visit Berlin, Brandenburg, and Hamburg, before they head back to the UK on Friday, March 31, 2023. Bryan Miller, accused of murdering two young women in Phoenix three decades ago, was never violent toward his ex-wife, she testified Wednesday, other than in their sex life, where she went along with bondage, piercing and knife play even though she didn't enjoy it. Amy Miller told the Maricopa County Superior Court that her former husband never hit, slapped or pushed her, and she never saw him use violence toward their daughter. On the day they separated in 2005, Amy said, she left their young daughter with Miller, confident she would be safe. Amy returned to the stand Wednesday in her ex-husband's double murder trial, which has been underway since October. She last testified on March 9, her time in court broken up by expert witnesses and several scheduled days off. On that day, Amy said she eventually left Miller because she feared he would hurt or kill her. The violence in their sex life had escalated, she said, and she had gone from enduring it because she thought it was her duty as a wife to putting up with it because she was scared of upsetting Miller. Amy testified Wednesday that when she left the marriage, she was already with another man, something she felt was necessary for her safety. "I didnt believe he would stand up to another male in order to hurt me," she said under questioning from the state. Under cross-examination, she said on the day she left Miller, he was at work and she told him their daughter was sick and they couldn't go to church. Then, she said, the man she was seeing, one of her co-workers at McDonald's, took her and her daughter out on a date to Denny's and a movie. When they got home, Miller was there, and Amy told him where they had been. She said he yelled at her and then went out into the yard, where he kicked and threw things. She agreed her date whom she went on to marry had dropped her off at the house and she had confronted Miller alone. The murders Miller is charged with kidnapping, murdering, and attempting to sexually assault 21-year-old Angela Brosso in November 1992 and 17-year-old Melanie Bernas in September 1993. Story continues Each woman suffered a fatal stab wound to the back and were mutilated as or after they died. Brosso's body was subject to a frenzied knife attack and decapitated, her head found 11 days after her body, and Bernas had cuts to her neck and chest. Both women were out riding their bikes along Phoenix canals when they were attacked, and the murders were labeled the "canal killings." Though DNA was recovered from semen swabs on both women, detectives couldn't match it to a suspect and the case went cold for two decades. Miller, now 50, was arrested in 2015 after fresh DNA analysis led police to him. When he was arrested, he was still living in Phoenix with his teenage daughter, whom he gained full custody of when she was around 8. He has pleaded not guilty for reasons of insanity. 'Canal killings': Miller 'walled off' experiences of childhood abuse, expert testifies Amy Miller feared her husband would hurt her Amy and Miller married in August 1997, after a courtship that lasted less than a year. He was the first man she had ever dated, she said. The couple moved to Washington state and had a daughter together before returning to Arizona. Their divorce was finalized in 2006. Earlier this month, Amy testified that Miller was the "epitome of a gentleman" on their first date. On their third date, she said, he told her he had been in juvenile detention, but was light on detail and she assumed it was for something minor. It wasn't until 2002, when Miller was arrested in Washington state for an unrelated crime, that she discovered he had been incarcerated at 16 for stabbing a woman at Paradise Valley Mall in 1989, she said. Amy agreed under questioning from the defense that she didn't remember Miller actually telling her on their third date that nobody was hurt in his juvenile crime. She had assumed it was something like shoplifting because he was so polite, she said. When Miller was incarcerated following his 2002 arrest he was accused of stabbing a woman and eventually acquitted he wrote Amy letters, many of which detailed sex acts he wanted to perform on her, the court has been told. Amy agreed that in some of the letters Miller was asking permission for things he wanted to do, writing things like "Can I put needles in your breast?" She agreed she could have told him she wasn't comfortable with needles or bondage. Asked if it was true Miller had no way of knowing she wasn't into it if she hadn't told him that, she said "I suppose so." After his release from custody, Amy said, she realized her being in pain was arousing for Miller. My pain and fear, turned him on and made sex a lot more enjoyable for him, she said. Asked if she agreed that Bryan was under the impression she enjoyed the violent sex acts, she said "I don't know." 'Thousands' of Hot Wheels cars Part of Miller's insanity defense rests on a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, which his attorneys say contributed to an inability to understand his actions were wrong. Various defense experts have pointed to Miller's social awkwardness and intense interest in Hot Wheels cars and other collectibles as signs of his autism. Amy said Miller was obsessive about Hot Wheels to the point where it caused problems in their marriage. "Wed spend hours at toy stores looking at Hot Wheels and then spending a lot of money that we didnt have on them," she said. We would end up with boxes and boxes of cars just sitting in our living room or our dining room. A couple of times that became an issue with Child Protective Services. "There were probably thousands of them." She agreed her ex-husband was socially awkward and a poor communicator. His worst trait, she said, was that he seemed incapable of seeing things from someone else's point of view. His best, she said, was that he tried to treat people fairly and he loved their daughter the best he could. Her testimony will continue Monday. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: In 'canal killings' trial, ex-wife says accused wasn't violent toward her A 10-week campaign for a single-district Columbia City Council special election raked in more than $308,000 for a pair of candidates who wound up competing for about 3,400 votes this week. In both the victory margin and the amount spent on the race, there was a gulf between the candidates. The winner, Peter Brown, spent more than twice as much per vote as his opponent, Beatrice King. Brown won with about 57% of votes in Tuesdays election, where fewer than 17% of the more than 20,000 voters in the district turned out. Heres how the candidates spending breaks down and how it compares to the money race is past council elections. How much did each candidate raise? The two candidates combined raised nearly $308,000. Brown raised most of it, with $196,115 worth of contributions, according to campaign finance reports. King raised $111,821. How much did each candidate spend? Brown spent more than three times what King spent on the race, with $139,871 worth of expenses. King spent $40,537. How many people voted? Just over 3,400 people voted in the special election Tuesday, which is less than 17% of the more than 20,000 registered voters in District 4. Brown won the election with 1,967 votes. King received 1,464. Brown spent roughly $71 per vote received, while King spent roughly $28 per vote she received. What did candidates spend on? Television ads and general political consulting were the biggest bills for candidates. Part of Browns expenses included paying local political consultant Walter Whetsells firm more than $85,000. Whetsells Starboard Communications Agency provided consulting services; produced, shot and bought a television advertisement; and handled the campaigns website and social media, according to campaign spending reports. Whetsells former clients include S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster and Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann. King also had a television ad produced, spending just over $15,000 on its purchase and production. She used companies based in Maryland and Washington, D.C., for that work. Story continues King also worked with a newer Columbia-based firm for political consulting, Watershed Consulting Group, which previously assisted Columbia Councilman Will Brennans most recent bid for council. Both candidates also spent on yard signs and other printed material, but Brown made a more substantial investment, spending more than $10,000 on mailings, palm cards and door hangers. Are these normal costs for City Council races? Its not atypical for candidates for city council to spend tens of thousands of dollars, even $100,000 and more on their campaigns. At-large City Councilwoman Aditi Bussells spent $145,588 to win her seat in 2021. Her top competitor for the seat, Tyler Bailey, spent $138,105 on that race. It was a contentious race that went to a runoff before Bussells was officially named the winner. District 1 Councilwoman Tina Herbert raised $75,665 and spent $66,949 in her 2021 race. Herberts challenger, Christa Williams, spent just over $8,000 on that race. When District 3 Councilman Brennan won his seat in 2019, ousting sitting member Moe Baddourah, Brennan spent roughly $62,439. Baddourah spent about $30,000 on the race. Canton Police CANTON City police are searching for a suspect involved in a shooting Monday that injured a pregnant woman. Canton detectives are looking for 42-year-old Charles Edward Turner III, who they said fired several rounds at a vehicle, injuring the front-seat passenger. The shooting occurred at 6:40 a.m. Monday in the 500 block of Shorb Avenue NW, according to a news release from the Canton Police Department. More: Canton man, wife charged in shooting that seriously injured 36-year-old man The victim, who was struck in the back, transported themselves to Aultman Hospital in serious condition. The victim was also approximately seven months pregnant. Detectives have obtained an arrest warrant for the suspect for felonious assault. Turner also has unrelated active warrants for aggravated robbery and disrupting public services. He is being sought by the Adult Parole Authority for a parole violation allegation. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with any information regarding the incident or whereabout of the suspect should contact the Canton Police Detective Bureau at 330-489-3144. Anonymous tips can also be sent through Tip411 or the Stark County Crime Stoppers. Sign up for Tip411 at www.cantonohio.gov/police. This article originally appeared on The Repository: Canton police searching for suspect in shooting of pregnant woman By Ryan Suppe, State Politics Reporter After two days of negotiating, lawmakers yesterday voted to override Gov. Brad Littles veto of House Bill 292, a sweeping property tax relief bill. The Republican governor raised concerns over the bills effect on the states bonding ability and the provision prohibiting school districts from holding bond and levy elections in March, by far the most successful month when schools ask local taxpayers to fund construction and staffing costs. While there may be differing opinions on how to address this issue, our goal is aligned to help Idahoans, Senate Majority Caucus members said in a news release. Todays vote will make a significant difference in the lives of those facing financial hardships due to rising property taxes. The Legislature passed a trailer bill yesterday that seeks to account for the bonding issues while maintaining the March election prohibition. House Bill 376 ensures that $80 million will still be available for road project bonds. Altogether the two bills direct $117 million to property taxpayers in the upcoming fiscal year, according to a state economists analysis, Madison Hardy, Littles spokesperson, told the Idaho Statesman by email. Read my full story here. Republicans push bill to clarify abortion restrictions House Republicans yesterday cleared a bill meant to clarify that medical treatment for miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies are allowable under the states abortion ban. House Bill 374 also would allow exceptions to felony criminal abortion when the life of the mother is in danger or if the pregnancy was the result of incest or rape. Currently, the law grants affirmative defenses to prosecution in those instances. The purpose of the legislation is to provide additional clarity, House Majority Leader Megan Blanksma, R-Hammett, who co-sponsored the legislation, told the House State Affairs Committee yesterday. It is tangible language thats within this bill, things that people can focus on and things that people can understand. Story continues The committee and the House passed the bill along party lines over a few hours yesterday. Representatives of the medical community reluctantly supported the bill, although they also hoped it would include a hotly debated exception for pregnancies that cause immediate and long-term health risks. Doctors told the House committee that theyre scared to treat complicated pregnancies over fears of prosecution. And, they said, health care providers are struggling to recruit and retain obstetricians because of the restrictive abortion ban. House Democrats refused to vote on the bill, walking off the House floor after debating against it. The law still would force a pregnant person to carry an nonviable pregnancy to term, said Rep. Brooke Green, D-Boise. This legislation does not fix that, Green told the committee. I, for one, will never insert myself in between a doctor and a mom. The bill heads to the Senate. What to expect today 8 a.m. Senate State Affairs. A public hearing on House Bill 374, dealing with abortion ban clarifications, is on the docket, and Republicans will introduce two new proposals on drag shows. Track other bills Keep track of high-profile bills as they go through the legislative process. You can find yesterdays updates here. If you like this newsletter, forward to a friend or colleague, and they can sign up here. Washington Jacob Chansley, the Capitol rioter known as the "QAnon Shaman" and arguably the most recognizable Jan. 6 defendant, has been transferred from a federal prison complex to a halfway house in Arizona, several months before he was initially set to be released. Federal prison records indicate Chansley is currently at a "residential reentry management" facility in Phoenix, with a release date of May 25. He was originally projected to be released in July 2023, but federal prisoners can earn reductions in sentences over the course of their time behind bars. Chansley was sentenced to 41 months prison in November 2021, two months after he pleaded guilty to a federal charge of obstruction of an official proceeding. He also spent time in jail prior to his guilty plea and sentencing. Chansley is among the highest-profile of the roughly 1,000 criminal defendants who have been charged for their roles in the Capitol attack, in part due to his unique outfit, which included animal fur and horns. He was also among a smaller subset of rioters who went into the Senate chamber, where he sat at the desk of the Senate president. According to prosecutors, Chansley proceeded to take pictures of himself on the dais and refused to vacate the seat when asked to do so by law enforcement. Instead, he stated that "Mike Pence is a f***ing traitor" and wrote a note on paper on the dais that read "It's Only A Matter of Time. Justice Is Coming!" Jacob Chansley, known as the A Bureau of Prisons spokesman wouldn't comment specifically on Chansley's case, but noted in a statement to CBS News that the 2018 law known as the First Step Act changed how frequently federal inmates can earn sentence reductions, with credits last calculated in March. Chansley regained prominence this month, when his case was the subject of a series of programs on Tucker Carlson's primetime Fox News show. At his sentencing hearing in 2021, Chansley called his actions "indefensible" and said he had "no excuse." Story continues "I am in no way shape or form a dangerous criminal. I am not a violent man. I am not an insurrectionist. I am certainly not a domestic terrorist," Chansley told the judge. "I am nothing like these criminals that I have been incarcerated with." Jury finds Gwyneth Paltrow not at fault in ski crash Grand jury votes to indict former President Trump in case linked to Stormy Daniels Jim Nantz opens up on his career and calling his final NCAA Tournament PANAMA CITY BEACH A Beach Police officer will soon join the 1% of law enforcement officials who have attended a prestigious FBI training program. Capt. John Deegins of the Panama City Beach Police Department is among the approximately 250 officers from across the world selected to participate in session 286 of the FBI National Academy, an extensive 10-week training course that will be held in Quantico, Virginia. Deegins, who has about 25 years of experience with the Beach Police, is scheduled to leave Friday and return home in early June. Capt. John Deegins of the Panama City Beach Police Department was selected to participate in session 286 of the FBI National Academy. "I'm certainly honored that the city has the faith to send me to this very challenging training," he said. "I plan on learning as much as I possibly can to bring back to this city and to our community. .... This is such an amazing opportunity. It's going to be a challenging opportunity also, but I look forward to that challenge." Public safety: Panama City Beach Police Department arrests more than 480 so far this spring break season Protecting privacy: Panama City Beach moves to restrict the flying of drones over public, private properties According to Chief J.R. Talamantez of the Beach Police, Deegins will become the fourth officer from the department to attend the FBI training course. Talamantez was the last to participate in 2019. He said the FBI hosts the training academy a few times a year, and its purpose is to "combine law enforcement executives from all walks of life to help figure out problems that are plaguing not only our country, but the world." "We're strengthened by our brothers and sisters in the amount of information we can leverage from each other," Talamantez said. "The biggest thing in law enforcement is we do nothing alone. It's always a partnership in everything we do. Having the ability to call somebody on their cell phone and run something by them from another state, another country to get their perspective on things provides us the ability to make more well-informed decisions. Story continues During the academy, Deegins will live in a barrack-style building and participate in physical training, as well as training in other areas such as active shooter situations, national threats and cyber security. "This is the most premier law enforcement training in the country, if not the world," Talamantez said. "It's very difficult to get a spot. We're fortunate. Our partnership with the federal government and our partnership currently with the bureau has played a large part in that, and it just shows how we are trying to stay with modern times here at the Beach Police." This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City Beach Police officer to attend FBI training academy The police have stopped a car that was removing an icon from the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (Monastery of the Caves). Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Details: A Radio Liberty journalist witnessed the police refusing to let the car pass, as it was carrying an icon from the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. , - . pic.twitter.com/7M0rrH1IHN (@ukrpravda_news) March 30, 2023 According to the journalist, when the police find such items in cars, a representative of the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy or the National Reserve evaluates the item and decides whether it is allowed to leave or not. This time, permission was granted, but the police nevertheless sent the car back to the territory of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Background: In March 2023, the National Reserve Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra terminated the agreement with the UOC-MP on the free use of the monastery in Kyiv. The monks were supposed to leave the monastery and all its buildings on 29 March. The priests of the UOC-MP should have left the monastery on 29 March after holding their last service there. But the Lavras abbot, Metropolitan Pavlo, said he did not intend to do that and filed a lawsuit against the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve. He also openly threatened Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and said Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko was "possessed by an unclean spirit". On the evening of 29 March, the UOC-MP website reported that the Kyiv Commercial Court had opened proceedings in a case brought by the Holy Dormition Monastery against the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve over the termination of the lease agreement by the National Reserve. Oleksii Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, gave assurances that UOC-MP clergy would not be evicted from the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra by force. On 30 March, the Ministry of Culture commission which was to have carried out an inventory of the property of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve was refused entry to the Lavra by UOC-MP parishioners. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Carol Vorderman has opened up about the all-star version of I'm A Celebrity. (Getty Images for Paramount Pictures) Carol Vorderman has admitted that the Im A Celebrity All-Star spin-off was pretty brutal. The Countdown star is one of several former campers who have headed back into the jungle for the special series of the show, this time in South Africa instead of Australia. The contestants had been under wraps for months but at the weekend hosts Ant and Dec spilled the beans on Saturday Night Takeaway, revealing that celebs including Vorderman, actor Helen Flanagan and supermodel Janice Dickinson were among the line-up. Read more: I'm a Celebrity: South Africa all-star line-up revealed Speaking on ITVs Lorraine, Vorderman revealed it was a challenging experience. Shaun Ryder, Helen Flanagan, Phil Tufnell, Jordan Banjo, Carol Vorderman, Paul Burrell, Amir Khan, Janice Dickinson and Fatima Whitbread: I'm A Celebrity: South Africa (ITV/Lifted Entertainment) We filmed it all last autumn, like people do Great British Bake Off or The Apprentice or whatever," she told host Lorraine Kelly. And then obviously I didnt know who else was going to go in but every one of the people who go in had been on it before so there are a number of Kings and Queens of the Jungle who are also in it. There are a lot of head to head trials and things like that. But it is brutal. I'm A Celebrity: South Africa (ITV/Lifted Entertainment) When Kelly asked if it was harder than when she first did Im A Celebrity in 2016, Vorderman groaned and said: Oh, like, another level. Another level. Ant and Dec have previously teased that there will be differences between the All-Star version and the usual series, with campers competing to become the first ever I'm A Celebrity Legend of the Savannah." Ant and Dec present the all-stars show. (Getty Images) Speaking earlier this year, Ant said: It's good, and it's slightly different to the show we do in Australia because they go head to head in trials and whoever loses leaves, so it's quite brutal. Read more: Carol Vorderman sings 'Happy Birthday' to herself to mark 40 years in TV The other campers who have been revealed so far also include cricket star Phil Tufnell, Olympian Fatima Whitbread, boxer Amir Khan , Diversitys Jordan Banjo, former royal butler Paul Burrell and Happy Mondays star Shaun Ryder. Watch: Carol Vorderman denies going to the races with Matt Hancock The Spinning Gold actress opens up about boyfriend Casey Affleck to PEOPLE at the film's premiere Cindy Ord/VF23/Getty Images for Vanity Fair Caylee Cowan can't help but gush about being in love with boyfriend Casey Affleck. "It's the best thing," she tells PEOPLE of her relationship with Affleck at the premiere of Spinning Gold in Los Angeles Wednesday. Cowan, 25, shares that the romance has had a wider impact in her life. "Being in love is just makes your whole world just colored and beautiful," she says, adding that it's made her "fall in love with the little things again." She raves about her boyfriend, who she's been on set with in Boston while he's filming The Instigators alongside Matt Damon, calling him "everything." "He was in a fireman's outfit, and I was just like, 'Uh oh,' " Cowan recalls of a scene in the forthcoming film. "If this man was a fireman, if this man was homeless, if this man had any other career, I'd [still] be like, 'Mm, that's the one.' " Cindy Ord/VF23/Getty Images for Vanity Fair Affleck and Cowan went public in November 2021, with Affleck, 47, making their relationship Instagram official and calling her "my love" who "always shows up when it counts." Since going public, the two have been open about their love for each other. In January 2021, Cowan who stars in Spinning Gold as Farrah Lee in the biopic about Casablanca Records co-founder Neil Bogart described Affleck as "the other half of my heart" in a post celebrating the one-year anniversary of their meeting. "You make me feel safe in this world. The shelter of your embrace gets me through the toughest days. In Vietnam, it is said that a nickname for one's life partner is 'my home' and that is what you've become for me. A home. Caleb Casey Affleck, I love you!" Related:Casey Affleck Shares Videos of Flowers Blossoming to Celebrate Girlfriend Caylee Cowan's Birthday 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. The Manchester by the Sea actor similarly gushed about his girlfriend as they marked a year of knowing each other at a bakery in Budapest. "A year ago, we met. A few months ago, I got smart. Thank God, it wasn't too late," he wrote on Instagram. Story continues "My girl, you make me a better man every day. You could push me and you could drag me and you could carry me, but instead you just walk with me and talk with me and make me laugh," Affleck continued. "While it beats, you have a place in my heart. I hope you stay that long." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. The Community College of Allegheny County will now be offering free college credits to high school students. The college announced on Thursday that students in their second and third years of high school can apply to take the classes. Eligible high school students can choose to take any class in a CCAC program. Courses will be tuition-free and will be offered for the summer 2023 and fall 2023 semesters. Students who want to take the CCAC classes have to register by June 30. They can begin applying on April 15 and will be able to register if they meet course legibility requirements. CCAC continues to expand its role in addressing social and economic challenges in the community, and we are excited to provide, through the EITC program, dually enrolled high school juniors and seniors in Allegheny County the opportunity to earn college credits prior to their high school graduation, said Dr. Tiffany Evans, CCAC Dean of Students and Interim Enrollment Services Lead Administrator. Students who want to register for the program can do so on CCACs website. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Thats all I felt, sheer terror: Parents, students react to active shooter hoax at local schools Owner of auto repair shop in Cranberry Township accused of driving, renting out customer vehicles Hoax active shooter calls prompt heavy police response at Pittsburgh area schools VIDEO: Damar Hamlin takes mission to give schools AEDs, CPR training to D.C. DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts Motsi Mobuse on March 29, 2023 Motsi Mabuse and her husband Evgenij Voznyuk met King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort the Schloss Bellevue presidential palace on March 29, 2023 in Berlin, Germany, and Mabuse wore an elegant caped gown for the occasion. (Getty Images) Strictly Come Dancing judge Motsi Mabuse, attended a banquet held in Berlin for King Charles during his state visit to Germany on Wednesday. The professional dancer and her husband Evgenij Voznyuk, were invited to the state banquet held at Bellevue Castle, the residence of the German president, during Charles landmark first official visit as monarch. Mabuse chose a floor-length white caped gown for the formal event, and took to Instagram to express her gratitude for the invitation. About last night, she wrote, life can certainly lead you to places you could have never imagined. A very special experience, she added. The elegant figure-hugging gown featured a caped detail and floral applique at the bust, with a nude tulle fabric over her shoulders a nod to her dancing outfits perhaps? As Strictly's Motsi Mabuse meets King Charles in Germany, we look back at what celebrities have worn to meet the Royal Family, from several Spice Girls members to arguably one of the most famous British-royalty-meets-pop-royalty photographs of all time, when a sunglasses-clad Kanye West was seen partying with Princes Harry and William back in 2007. Houses under construction near Thanksgiving Point and Silicon Slopes in Lehi on March 14. New U.S. Census Bureau data shows Utah County led the state in numeric growth in 2022, though Tooele County topped it in percentage increase growth. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News A new county emerged as the fastest growing in Utah, according to new population estimates data released by the U.S. Census Bureau. Tooele County, at 4.2%, led all 29 of the state's counties in percentage growth between July 1, 2021, and July 1, 2022, besting Daggett County's 3.8% increase, according to the bureau's Vintage 2022 estimates. Utah County, which led the state in that category in the 2021 report, retained its title as the state leader in absolute growth, adding over 16,000 new residents to push the countywide estimate over 700,000 people for the first time. The report adds that Salt Lake County remains Utah's most populated county with nearly 1.19 million residents, even though it was one of only three counties to lose residents last year. However, local experts say that differences in how the Census Bureau and how the Utah Population Committee calculate data may explain why the trends are vastly different from a state report that came out in December. Utah's growth in 2022 The Census Bureau initially reported in late December that Utah's growth slowed down a bit in 2022. The Beehive State gained about 41,687 residents from July 2021 to July 2022, a 1.2% increase. That was enough to land 10th in percentage increase among the 50 states. Utah led the country in percentage growth between the 2010 and 2020 censuses and placed second in the 2021 estimate. Utah counties cracked the top 10 in either absolute or percentage growth this year, according to the report. Tooele County's 4.2% jump was no match for Whitman County in eastern Washington, which rose 10.1% over the past year. Daggett (3.8%), Iron and Washington (3.2% each), and Juab (3.1%) counties rounded out Utah's top five. Utah County's absolute growth of 16,628 people helped its population grow by 2.4%. Washington (6,204), Tooele (3,200), Weber (2,973) and Cache (2,744) counties rounded out the top five, according to the Census Bureau. "Even though the growth has slowed a little bit, we still have the same trend of Utah County and Washington County really driving the statewide growth," said Emily Harris, a senior demographer at the University of Utah's Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, as she reviewed the data. "Those two counties account for more than half of the statewide growth, so those are counties that we're always watching." Story continues This map shows population percentage changes based on July 2021 and July 2022 population estimates. Most of Utah's counties experienced growth over the past year, as did other counties in the West and South. | U.S. Census Bureau Maricopa County, Arizona, had the largest numeric population increase in the U.S., gaining 56,831 people. While the growth slowed down a bit, 25 of Utah's 29 counties, or 86%, experienced natural increases, meaning more babies were born than people who died. That bucks a national trend, where nearly 3 out of every 4 U.S. counties ended up with natural decreases in 2022. Utah County's natural increase of 8,662 is the highest among Utah's counties but nowhere near Harris County, Texas's 2022-leading natural increase of 30,117. Carbon, Emery, Garfield and Piute counties all had natural decreases; however, the total decline there was only 61 people among the four counties combined. What's the ongoing deal with Salt Lake County? The Census Bureau data indicates that growth in Salt Lake, Utah's most populous county, is stagnant. It listed the county's population at 1,186,257, down 183 people from the 2021 estimate. It finds the county's natural increase of nearly 7,000 people was wiped out by more people moving out than moving in, otherwise referred to as net migration. That's contrary to the Utah Population Committee report, which found that Salt Lake County gained nearly 10,000 residents in 2022, reaching 1.2 million overall. The two sides also found different trends in their respective 2021 reports. So, why are these numbers so widely different? It goes into how both estimates are calculated. Both methods take a population base and use available data to determine natural increase and net migration to come up with a new population base; however, they use different statistics to get these numbers. The Census Bureau's report uses a mix of different National Center for Health Statistics reports to come up with an estimate on births and deaths. It primarily relies on Internal Revenue Service, Medicare enrollment and Social Security Administration information to piece together migration estimates. The Utah Population Committee sprinkles in other readily available datasets like building permits and student enrollment information. It's more detailed and possibly more precise because the committee only has to track 29 counties, not the more than 3,000 that the Census Bureau tracks, Harris explained. She added that they've spoken with experts in other U.S. counties, such as King County in Washington, who have also spotted discrepancies in local and federal data. "They have to do more of a one-size-fits-all approach; whereas the Utah Population Committee, we tend to use more local data and we have local data experts who can help provide context for what we're seeing in the data," she said. "We have a lot of confidence in the (committee) estimates for Salt Lake County." It's not just Salt Lake County that the two sides don't agree on: The Utah Population Committee's 2022 estimate is almost 20,000 higher than the Census Bureau's estimate. Had the two agreed, Utah would have tied Idaho for third in percentage increase growth. The estimates, of course, don't carry the same weight as the actual decennial census, so there's no influence on a state's congressional representation or funding apportionment as compared to the 2020 census. US trends inch closer to 'pre-pandemic' status The Census Bureau's 2022 state report found that Texas and Florida's growth far surpassed any other states, while New York, California and Illinois suffered from some of the biggest population declines. Thursday's report offers a slightly better picture of what's happening. The numbers show that the heaviest declines are among the country's largest counties. Los Angeles County, California, for example, lost more than 90,000 residents between 2021 and 2022 that is over 20,000 more residents lost than Cook County, Illinois, which placed second. The two are home to Los Angeles and Chicago. The next three counties on the list are all in the New York City area. Again, local data in those three cities could be different. That said, it's not really a change from trends that were already emerging before the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, Dr. Christine Hartley, Census Bureau's assistant division chief for estimates, said this year's report finds county migration and growth patterns "edged closer to pre-pandemic levels this year." The largest rises came around Phoenix, Houston and Dallas, with counties near Orlando and San Antonio not far behind. It shows that Southern and Western regions continue to attract the nation's growth. Higher education is another major driver of population change. Harley pointed out that students returned to campuses and it helped some of the fastest-growing counties between 2021 and 2022. Whitman County's 10.1% increase is likely the result of students coming back to Washington State University, which has an enrollment of over 27,000 students. But the primary reasons why people move to certain counties over others aren't clear just from the population estimates, Harris cautions. There could be several factors, one being housing affordability. Many people flee to areas with more housing availability because of lower home prices. That could explain some of the trends in Utah, as well. "We definitely hear anecdotal evidence of that," she said, of housing affordability in Utah specifically. "There's a lot of correlation, but we don't know if it's causation ... but we do see a lot of that when people are talking about making moves." The exact causes will likely be studied by experts further as a result of the newly released data. A packed audience at Fresno City Hall on Thursday took turns praising and criticizing the Fresno City Councils March 9 vote to rename a significant 10.3-mile stretch of road for late farm labor leader Cesar Chavez. Backers of the move hailed it as a long overdue for the founder of the United Farm Workers who sought to organize farm laborers in an effort to improve pay and working conditions after a fledgling attempt at naming a street for Chavez stumbled 30 years go. Opponents, however, said that while they recognized Chavezs work on behalf of farmworkers, that recognition need not come at the expense of roads with long-established histories in Fresno dating back decades before the birth of the farm labor movement. The March 9 vote called for renaming Kings Canyon Road, Ventura Avenue/Ventura Street and California Avenue from Temperance Avenue in southeast Fresno to Marks Avenue in the southwest part of the city to Cesar Chavez Boulevard. Almost 20 speakers addressed the council during its morning session, with many more forced to wait until later in the afternoon after the council finished its regular business agenda. But the street renaming wasnt on the councils list of official business, and the lead sponsor of the name change said the hue and cry is unlikely to sway the city council into reconsidering its 6-1 vote at a future meeting. I applaud Cesar Chavez, but what I do not understand is how anyone could agree to tear down something thats established and historic and a legacy to uplift someone else, said Sharon Williams, a lifelong resident of southwest Fresno. California Avenue, she added, is part of our legacy for the citys Black community. Historical is in stone. We feel as African Americans that were being erased off the map and not being considered, Williams said. She added that years ago, the city renamed a portion of Fig Avenue in southwest Fresno for slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. a two-mile stretch from California Avenue south to North Avenue. But now youre talking about 10 miles, Williams said. Story continues Hester Hensley, another southwest Fresno resident, said it was absolutely ridiculous to change the name of streets that already have established names. This doesnt even make sense that we are fighting over street names when weve got so many other things that we should have on our minds, she said. Hensley added that her African-American family came to Fresno in the 1940s and worked the fields, picking cotton and grapes into the late 1960s. The only reason we left the fields is because Cesar Chavez wanted to charge us union dues to work where wed been working for years. When you say he did a whole lot, we all did a whole lot, Hensley said. Each person who spoke in opposition to the name change was greeted by applause from part of the audience, while those who supported it cheered speakers backing the change waving green mock street signs bearing Chavezs name and sometimes shouting Si se puede, Spanish for Yes we can. One of those supporters was Al Romero, a resident of southeast Fresno who said he lives a few blocks south of Kings Canyon Road. Turning it into Cesar Chavez Boulevard is a great thing for us, Romero said. Our community is a lot of farm workers, and we support Cesar Chavez and we support the name change. We need something that represents our community, our culture and our people. Paul Garcia told council members Thursday that he would like to see the city do more than rename the streets for Chavez. I would like to bring to the councils attention the significance of the address 1405 E. California Ave. here in Fresno, Garcia said. It was actually 60 years ago that Cesar Chavez founded the National Farmworkers Association at that address. At that time it was the Edison Social Club; it doesnt exist there any more. That significant event 60 years ago led to some very significant improvements in farm labor conditions, he added. Hopefully sometime soon we will come to the City Council and ask you to approve designating that site as a site of significance in the city of Fresno. The lead sponsor of the name change is Councilmember Luis Chavez, whose southeast Fresno district includes the Kings Canyon Road portion of the renamed street. Chavez told The Fresno Bee that he understands the concerns of those who oppose the move. He added, however, that he does not believe a majority of his council colleagues are likely to vote to reverse the action after a process that began more than a year ago. Under typical rules of parliamentary procedure, it would require one of the six council members who voted in favor of the change to ask for the body to formally reconsider the issue. Councilmembers Miguel Arias, Mike Karbassi and Nelson Esparza were absent after the council returned from closed session and heard another hour of public comments, most on the street renaming. With no more speakers present in the council chambers or online, council President Tyler Maxwell ended the meeting at 6:05 p.m. A Charlotte man accused in a multimillion dollar Ponzi scheme had new charges tonight in the case against him. A grand jury just indicted Wynn Charlebois on eight new charges, including wire fraud. He pleaded not guilty and wants a jury trial. PREVIOUS STORIES: Prosecutors said from 2015 up until October 2022, he defrauded at least 39 investors out of more than $5.3 million. He is accused of using his companies to get funds from investors as loans, subscription agreements, co-investments, and participation investments, the court records show. Investigators said the money wasnt used as promised in the agreements made with investors. Authorities said Charlebois allegedly spent the money to make Ponzi-style payments to other investors, and also used it on personal expenses such as private school tuition, travel, restaurants, and other personal purchases. (WATCH PREVIOUS: Charlotte man accused in multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme pleads not guilty) Charles Bronson's failed bid to be released from prison after almost 50 years has prompted outrage from his supporters, all of whom are posting the same question to social media: "Why are murderers and paedophiles free while Bronson is behind bars?" Dubbed 'Britain's most notorious prisoner', Bronson's original conviction was for armed robbery, he later added time to his sentence for numerous violent incidents during his time in prison most notably hostage taking, prison rioting and smearing himself in margarine for a prison "rumble" he described as "f****** brilliant". His violent offences largely took place in prison, with a prison psychologist telling the Parole Board during a public hearing that Bronson had previously romanticised prison brawls and had lingering post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from his time behind bars much of which has been spent in solitary confinement. Read more: Charles Bronson: Parole board explains why it wont release notorious prisoner Bronsons ex-wife Irene Dunroe told the PA news agency she was devastated and shocked by the decision, adding: Its disgusting and very, very upsetting. I cant believe it. Lawyer Dean Kingham, who previously represented Bronson told GBNews during the parole hearing that he believed Bronson was a "political prisoner" and questioned why he had been described as the country's most notorious inmate. "If you really strip it all down and look at this case he hasn't been convicted of murder, he's never raped anyone, he's never offended against children and it begs the question is he really Britain's most notorious prisoner when we have the killers of Lee Rigby, Levi Bellfield and Ian Huntley to name but a few?" Kingham said. Charles Bronson has been in prison for 48 years. Nonetheless, the Parole Board said in a decision on 30 March that they were not satisfied Bronson who changed his name to Salvador in 2014 was suitable for release. Story continues After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress that Mr Salvador has made while in custody and the evidence presented at the hearings, the panel was not satisfied that Mr Salvador was suitable for release," the Parole Board said in a document detailing their decision published. Read more: Charles Bronson loses latest appeal to leave prison Nor did the panel recommend to the secretary of state that he should be transferred to an open prison. During the hearing Bronson was described as holding anti-authoritarian views and being suspicious of the motives of others. None of the prison and probation officials who gave evidence at the parole hearing said he was ready to be released. But Bronson has a number of loyal supporters, who immediately questioned why he had served such a long sentence compared to other notorious prisoners in the UK. The Charles Bronson situation is weird when we let out rapists, pedophiles, murders, double murderers after very little time comparatively. As far as I'm aware he hasn't committed any of those serious offences. Surely 50yrs behind bars is enough for him?? Simmo (@Alfiebiggs) March 30, 2023 @hmpps @DominicRaab how is it a man jailed for 7 years in 1974 is still on prison & has never raped or murdered anyone? Notorious by name but not the most dangerous to still be behind bars. Its a joke. Gary glitter was roaming the streets after a few years. Free Charles bronson gary cole (@mrgarycole) March 30, 2023 For me the correct decision but more importantly a pathway has clearly been identified for him - namely that he moves onto normal prison location and out of segregation. Only one person has the power to accept that pathway and make it happen - will he? https://t.co/HnzxNgC8xw Prof David Wilson (@ProfDavidWilson) March 30, 2023 We're supposed to believe in rehabilitation but Charles Bronson at 70 can't make parole, meanwhile murderers, rapists and pedophiles get laughable sentences and are out after a couple of years. I don't understand. Cookie (@MissDonnaCooke) March 30, 2023 In its assessment of Bronson, the panel acknowledged that Bronson's behaviour had improved during the course of his imprisonment, but suggested that because he spends around 23 hours per day in his cell as a result of staff shortages it is not known how he would fare in a more open prison or release environment. "Most witnesses at the oral hearing did not recommend Mr Salvadors release or his progression to an open prison," the pale document said. "The panel was told that the current sentence plan was for Mr Salvador to move to another prison where he can show how he manages himself in a more open unit with less restrictions on his behaviour." A Charlotte chef has moved on to the final round in the prestigious James Beard Awards. RELATED: Two Charlotte chefs, one bar named semifinalists in James Beard Awards Sam Hart, who is behind fine-dining restaurant Counter- in west Charlotte, has been named a 2023 finalist in the Best Chef in the Southeast category. The James Beard Foundations coveted awards program recognizes exceptional talent in the culinary and food media industries, as well as a commitment to racial and gender equality, community, sustainability and building a culture where all can thrive. It is often likened to the Academy Awards of the culinary world. Read the full story here. Two Charlotte chefs, one bar named semifinalists in James Beard Awards Vladimir Putin and Ramzan Kadyrov during a meeting on March 13, 2023 Thats according to Islam Belokiev, the spokesman for the volunteer Chechen force in Ukraine fighting Russian invasion forces, the Sheikh Mansur Battalion, who was speaking to Radio NV on March 29. The fact that a lot of Kadyrovites are buying real estate outside Russia, e.g. in Arab countries, in Turkey (a very large amount of real estate is bought by Kadyrovites), already indicates that they believe that Russia will collapse sooner or later and they will have to flee somewhere, he said. Yes, maybe (theyre discussing this issue). But this is being done in very narrow circles and with very trusted people. Read also: The realistic scenarios of Russian collapse we should be prepared for The secretary of Ukraines National Security and Defense Council, Oleksiy Danilov, in an earlier interview to Radio NV claimed the existence of a sound library with conversations between members of the Russian elite. A recording of an alleged phone conversation in which Russian music producer Yosif Prigozhin and billionaire and former Russian senator Farkhad Akhmedov slur Russian dictator Vladimir Putin went public in late March. In the recording, Prigozhin and Akhmedov agreed that Putin has destroyed Russias future and that his regime has effectively collapsed. Putins inner circle was also mentioned in the conversation. In particular, Prigozhin says that the Kremlin blames Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu for the failure of the Russian army. Prigozhin and Akhmedov, in panic, ask what can be done next. They perceive the collapse of Putins regime as a fact that has already happened, but they are afraid of further events in Russia. Read also: Ukraine recognizes the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria On the one hand, there will be Kadyrovites (Chechen mercenaries), Prizhynites (Wagner Group mercenaries), and oprychniks (the dictators personal guards), Akhmedov said.They will start to wave daggers and sledgehammers. The interlocutors openly call the Kremlin authorities criminals and accuse them of depriving the country of future. Story continues Prigozhin, when approached for comment, said he could not remember the conversation, and implied that the recording had been faked. Current technologies, neural networks, they let people fabricate not only voices but a whole conversation, he said, Russian media reported. Akhmedov has not yet commented on the recording. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Gun-related hospital visits rose all across America, but children suffered the biggest increase The number of visits children made to the emergency room due to firearm injuries surged during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a new study. The number of hospital visits for gun injuries increased among Americans of all ages during 2020 and 2021 compared to pre-pandemic levels, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found. But the uptick was largest for those ages 0 to 14. The results are worrying, experts said. In addition to physical injuries, more exposure to gun violence could lead to an increased risk of mental health issues like anxiety and depression during a time when children and young adults are already battling more mental health challenges, said Robin Gurwitch, a psychologist at Duke University Medical Center. "Gun violence really does shake core beliefs of how we see the world and the people in it and the systems that are supposed to be designed to protect us," she said. The new report comes on the heels of a school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, this week, which left three children and three adults dead. The number of mass shootings in the US - including at schools - has been on the rise in recent years. The most recent report from the CDC released on Thursday found weekly visits to the emergency department for firearm injuries among all Americans began to increase at the start of the pandemic in March 2020, surging 37% for that year overall compared to 2019. That increase was sharpest for girls ages 0 to 14, who had 69% more weekly hospital visits in 2020 compared to 2019, while visits for boys ages 0 to 14 were up 36%, according to researchers, who used health records data from the US National Vital Statistics System. Though weekly hospital visits fell in 2022 for all age groups compared to the height of the pandemic, hospital admissions still remained higher than in 2019. The study authors say a range of factors related to the pandemic may have led to the uptick in visits among young children, including disruptions to daily routine and schooling; increased time at home where firearms might be present; more housing and financial insecurity and less parental supervision. Story continues Efforts to improve the physical environment of communities, to enhance safe storage of firearms and to strengthen social and economic supports could help combat firearm injuries, researchers said. Teachers, school personnel and other caregivers also have an opportunity to intervene, said Ms Gurwitch. She said children need at least one person they can trust to discuss abuse at home, mental health issues and other potential risk factors for violence. "That seems to be one of the key features that comes up in research over and over: Is there a trusted adult in that child's life?" she said. "We are failing children by not looking at that piece, too." China warned that it was closely monitoring Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wens visit to the U.S. after she arrived in New York on Wednesday, saying it would resolutely safeguard our sovereignty and territorial integrity. China firmly opposes any form of official interaction between the U.S. and Taiwan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters at a daily briefing on Thursday. China will continue to closely follow the situation and resolutely safeguard our sovereignty and territorial integrity. Tsai will travel from New York to Central America, and then she is expected to make another stop in California next week on her way back to Asia. In California, she is slated to meet with Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). The meeting between the two is not officially confirmed. McCarthy holds the highest office in the House, is the highest GOP officeholder in the country and is second in line to the presidency after Vice President Harris. China claims Taiwan, a self-governing democracy of 23 million people, as part of its territory. The U.S. dynamic with Taiwan, of which it is one of the chief military supporters, is one of the most divisive issues in American-Chinese relations. The stopover in the U.S. by Tsai comes after then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) made a trip to Taiwan last year, sparking a response from China that included the launching of missiles, deployment of warships and the restriction of official communications with the U.S. Tsai said that the visit to the U.S. and Central America is meant to thank democratic partners for supporting Taiwan. By making this trip, I want to thank our democratic partners for supporting Taiwan, Tsai said in remarks on Wednesday. I also want to tell the world that democratic Taiwan stands firm in defense of our values of freedom and democracy. We will continue to act as a force for good in the international community, to continue the virtuous cycle, and to strengthen democratic resilience worldwide. Tsai embarks on the visit as a dwindling number of countries officially recognize the nation diplomatically. Earlier this week, Honduras shifted its diplomatic relations to Beijing, leaving just 13 countries that have formal ties to Taiwan. The U.S. maintains only unofficial relations with Taiwan. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. China has said that its military is ready to work together with the Russian military to strengthen strategic communication and coordination. Source: Reuters with reference to the Ministry of Defence of China Details: Tan Kefei, a spokesman at the Chinese defence ministry, said at a regular press conference that China and Russia "would work together to implement global security initiatives." Tang said the two countries would deepen "military trust" and jointly safeguard "international justice and fairness". Background: The Chinese authorities verbally support the territorial integrity of Ukraine, but are not ready to condemn the invasion of Russia and actually oppose the war. Instead, China offered its "peace plan", and its leader Xi Jinping visited Moscow, where he negotiated with Vladimir Putin to deepen the partnership between two states. The US warns China against transferring weapons to Russia amid the war against Ukraine. On 19 February, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said he was concerned that Beijing was considering strengthening its partnership with Moscow by providing "lethal military aid" to the Russian military. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China denied intentions to provide military aid to Russia. On 24 March, US President Joe Biden said that China has not transferred weapons to Russia yet. China and the US also have grievances with each other over the Taiwan issue. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! (Bloomberg) -- The global business community could be forgiven for getting nervous about a possible war over Taiwan as China increases its military aggression. Most Read from Bloomberg Premier Li Qiang, who became Chinas No. 2 leader earlier this month, sought to dispel those fears on Thursday with some of Chinas strongest words yet on its commitment to peace. In front of business and government leaders at the Boao Forum for Asia, an event often compared to the World Economic Forum in Davos, he called for nations to firmly safeguard the hard-won peaceful environment. In this uncertain world, the certainty China offers is an anchor for world peace and development, Li said in one of his first major public appearances since becoming premier. This is the case in the past and will remain so in the future. The speech underscored Beijings push to counter growing perceptions in boardrooms of foreign companies that China is becoming too risky in the face of increased geopolitical tensions. The US and its allies have imposed a range of sanctions and export controls on China, creating more headaches for businesses to operate in the worlds second-biggest economy. Underscoring the risks are fears that China may one day act on threats to seize Taiwan by force. A recent survey from the American Chamber of Commerce in China shows the country is no longer one of the top three investment priorities for US firms, with almost half of them already in the market planning no new investments. Geopolitical risks and peoples fear of a potential war, or their concern that becomes a fat tail risk, are the biggest road block hindering economic and trade cooperation with China, said Becky Liu, head of China macro strategy at Standard Chartered Plc. Its very hard to attract more foreign inflows or foreign collaboration just with the growth story. Story continues In his speech Thursday, Li maintained Chinas economic recovery was picking up pace, saying March will likely produce a better outcome than the first two months of the year due to stronger consumption, investment and sentiment. A China thats stable and dedicated to development, he said, would be a pillar for the world economy in a time of uncertainty. We do have the confidence and ability to sail the giant ship of the Chinese economy steadily ahead against all winds and waves, and make even greater contributions to the global economy, he added. Stocks Rise Chinas benchmark CSI300 Index of stocks closed 0.8% higher on Thursday, the biggest gain in a week. Net inflows into mainland shares via a trading link with Hong Kong exceeded 4.8 billion yuan ($697 million), which is also the most since Thursday last week. Chinese shares listed in Hong Kong rose 0.6%. Economists are forecasting growth of 5.3% this year, up from just 3% in 2022. Morgan Stanley was even more bullish in a report Thursday, predicting 5.7% expansion for the year as the government restores confidence in private businesses with the return of Jack Ma to China and the swift announcement on Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.s restructuring. Foreign direct investment into China continued to climb through the pandemic despite an initial drop in 2020. In the first two months of this year, inbound investment was up 6.1% from a year earlier. Still, geopolitical tensions between the US and China were top of mind among speakers at the four-day Boao Forum on the Chinese resort island of Hainan. Economic imperatives are being overshadowed by national security concerns, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said. Countries are pursuing self reliance and resilience by onshoring, or friend-shoring, their supply chains. Next week will provide a key test for China, with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen set to meet with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in the US around the same time Xi is expected to host French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Beijing. Last year, China conducted unprecedented military exercises around Taiwan after former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island. China has recently been on a charm offensive to court overseas investment and bolster its diplomatic efforts to portray China as a responsible geopolitical actor. Xi has sought to emphasize his role as a neutral mediator, helping to broker a key agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran and putting forward a blueprint for a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine. Rightfully Proud China is rightfully proud of its tangible diplomatic accomplishment in brokering an agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, said Drew Thompson, a visiting senior research fellow at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore. The peacemaker theme is credible and intended to resonate with a wary business community that has been whipsawed by policy reversals and unfulfilled promises. Still, he said, foreign firms in China have other problems to worry about not least the unexpected policy shifts under Xi over the past five years. Stringent Covid controls led to logistical challenges and curbed consumer spending. A series of sweeping crackdowns on the technology, education and property industries damaged confidence over the future role of the private sector. Foreign companies also must contend with security risks. Japan is seeking the release of an employee of drugmaker Astellas Pharma Inc. who was recently taken into custody by Chinese authorities, one of 17 Japanese citizens detained since 2015. Five local employees at the American due diligence firm Mintz Group were detained last week, according to the New York Times, with Chinas Foreign Ministry saying the company is suspected of engaging in unlawful business operations. While strained China-US relations rarely came up during the China Development Forum earlier this week, the mood at a closed-door panel was somber, said Scott Kennedy, a China specialist at the Center for Strategic & International Studies. At the session, which didnt include Li or other senior officials, some Chinese participants complained about a reflexive American opposition to Chinas success, while US participants expressed concern over an unintentional crisis erupting, Kennedy said. Li on Thursday repeated Chinas usual criticisms of the US without mentioning the country directly, calling on the world to avoid a new Cold War and arguing against protectionism. Chaos and conflicts must not happen in Asia, he said. Otherwise the future of Asia would be lost. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. A couple kisses next to an installation display of red roses before Valentine's Day on February 13, 2023 in Beijing, China. Hou Yu/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images Nine colleges in China say they're giving students a week off to "go fall in love" in April. They've been asked to keep travel diaries, film videos of their trips, and write growth reports. The new theme for these students' spring break comes as China faces plummeting birth and marriage rates. Nine vocational colleges in China want their students to go forth and find love during a weeklong spring break in April. The schools, run by the Fan Mei Education Group, announced on March 23 that they are going on a break from April 1 to 7, and tasked students with enjoying themselves. "The school implements the spring break system in the hope that students can learn to love nature, love life, and enjoy love," said Liang Guohui, deputy dean of the Mianyang Aviation Vocational College, in a statement. "Walk out of campus, get in touch with nature, and with your heart feel the beauty of spring," the school said in its statement. The participating colleges are all vocational schools for jobs in the aviation industry, such as pilots, flight attendants, air traffic controllers, and airport security staff. The schools have been giving students and teachers a week off in the spring since 2019. But this year's theme, "enjoy the blossoms, go fall in love," places a special emphasis on romance. The announcement comes amid a push in China to bolster rapidly declining birth and marriage rates. Local companies, provinces, and townships have been experimenting with ways to get people to tie the knot, like offering 30 days of "marriage leave" or launching campaigns asking city women to date rural older bachelors. Liu Ping, deputy dean of Sichuan Southwest Aviation Vocational College, told China News Network that the school started its spring break program in response to feedback from students, who asked for a fixed time to learn outside of campus, make new friends, and "experience the beauty of love." Story continues Students are still assigned homework, but their tasks are to write travel diaries, pen reports on their own growth, make handicrafts, or film videos of their travels, reported China Youth Daily, the newspaper of the Communist Party's youth league. "We've decided to go holidaying to Lijiang for four or five days, then use the last two days to prepare for class," Yang Hanyue, a student at the college, told China News Network. Liu Yingzhi, another student, told the outlet she was going to visit her grandparents and take them to see flowers, and that she was given a homework assignment to take photos of the elderly couple. Some of the colleges' announcements went viral on Weibo, or China's version of Twitter. Sichuan Southwest Aviation Vocational College's notice received nearly 130 million views in the two days after it was posted, per data seen by Insider. "Can this not be popularized for the rest of the country?" one user wrote in a top comment. "Sichuan is really strong at boosting the fertility rate!" another person on Weibo wrote. The week-long spring break is an expansion of China's one-day national holiday for tomb sweeping day also known as the Qingming Festival on Wednesday, April 5. There's a catch: The colleges are holding make-up classes on weekends to make up for lost time. Their goal, the schools said, is to give students and teachers a "concentrated" time to rest. It's a common practice in China, where some companies enforce blocks of vacations to give employees more time to travel with their families. Workers, in turn, make up for the days they've spent out of the office by reporting for work on the weekends. Representatives for the Fan Mei Education Group did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Read the original article on Insider SHANGHAI According to a recent report from Barclays, a healthy luxury consumption rebound in the Middle East will be partly fueled over the coming months by Chinas reopening. We expect Chinese tourists to provide a boost to Middle East luxury sales over the next six to 12 months, which should be visible from the second quarter onward, Barclays wrote in the report. More from WWD We estimate that Chinese tourism contributed around 10 to 15 percent of luxury sales in Dubai pre-pandemic, the report continued. Looking at flight data, it is clear that travel from mainland China toward Dubai is recovering at a much faster pace than toward Europe since year-to-date, thanks to higher flight capacity and targeted marketing campaigns from the city toward Chinese tourists. According to Barclays, in 2019, Chinese shoppers were the fifth-largest spenders in Dubai. A packed agenda of major events in the Gulf this year, including Formula 1 Grand Prix races in March and October, and Expo 2023 in Doha, Qatar, launching in October, will become primary drivers of tourism this year. To lure more travelers, Saudi Arabias Red Sea Project, an ambitious tourist hub with bewildering landscapes and hyper-luxury hotels, will also begin to open in phases this year. The Barclays report said the hard luxury sector, in particular companies such as Compagnie Financiere Richemont and Swatch Group, will benefit the most from incoming tourism in the region, as prices for jewelry and watches tend to be 10 percent cheaper compared to Europe. A watch dealer based in Riyadh recently told us that he continues to see very strong demand for high-end watches among Middle Eastern collectors, who are among the most enthusiastic in the world, Barclays said. The report pointed to Richemont-owned brands Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpel for their growth momentum in the Middle East, reflecting a rapid change of tastes, which is seeing local consumers turn toward branded jewelry, particularly among younger consumer cohorts, the report said. Story continues As for the local clientele, Ramadan, the monthlong sacred holiday that began on March 22, will be a key sales driver. Some notable brand initiatives include Dior Mens first Ramadan collection and Valentinos first exhibition in Doha. This past week, the Italian luxury fashion house organized a whirlwind trip for its Chinese VIP clients before the exhibition closes on Saturday. Best of WWD Click here to read the full article. [Source] The LaFargeville, New York, man who identified himself as the Chinese Zodiac Killer in dozens of threatening letters sent to multiple states in the Northeast has been sentenced to 16 months in prison. Jesse Bartlett, 46, delivered the disturbing letters between April 2021 and May 2022 to various locations in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Vermont and the District of Columbia. Private businesses, houses of worship, media outlets and government offices including the White House received his messages. In his letters, Bartlett claimed to murder his supposed victims and eat their flesh. He also threatened to kill more, including an unnamed bus driver. Aside from calling himself the Chinese Zodiac Killer presumably mimicking the moniker of the 1960s California murderer, who was actually proven to have killed his victims Bartlett signed some of his letters as Aleister Crowley, apparently referencing the late British occultist. Investigators determined during a home search that he had an interest in black magic. More from NextShark: 7-Year-Old Girl Shot and Killed by Myanmar Forces While Running to Her Father Bartlett pled guilty last December to a charge of mailing threatening letters. On Wednesday, he was sentenced to 16 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Just last week, Bartlett was also indicted on third- and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession. The charges are linked to five rifles, two shotguns and a high-capacity magazine that were found in his home during a police search. More from NextShark: Korean American Rap Group Drops Powerful 'Viral' MV on Contagious Racism Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Veterans Help Catch Thief Who Stole Elderly Womans Phone in SF Chinatown Federal authorities bust Queens-based gang that sex trafficked, brutally beat Chinese women Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) said he is tired of hearing former President Trumps grievances in his latest media appearance this week. I think that no leader who is backward looking is a leader who can be victorious, Christie said on The Hugh Hewitt Show on Thursday when asked about Trump. And Im tired of hearing about his grievances. Christie, once a friend and former ally to Trump, has kicked his attacks against the former president into high gear this week as he considers a potential bid for the White House. He also said during the Thursday appearance that Trumps first official 2024 campaign rally in Waco, Texas, was a snoozer, noting that his act is getting very old. Hewitt additionally asked Christie what his thoughts were on claims that those who are jailed due to their involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol are political prisoners. Christie rejected that characterization, saying the idea that somehow this is a political action is just, to me, wrong. He continued: The idea somehow that this is a group of people who are praiseworthy, who were participating in the violence, you know, doesnt make any sense to me at all. When asked if some Republicans were trying to legitimize the Jan. 6 riot, Christie responded that Trump was attempting to do so. Well, I think Donald Trumps trying to do that, Christie said. And I think that the more oxygen hes given on this issue, the more he tries to mainstream his particular point of view. The former governor also told Hewitt that he no longer considers himself as a friend to Trump, adding that he has not talked to the former president since December 2020. Christie made an unsuccessful run for the GOP nomination in 2016. He went on to lead Trumps 2016 transition team but was fired over bad blood with Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner. The former governor was later a contender to become Trumps chief of staff in 2018 before he took himself out of the running; he again aided Trumps campaign in 2020, helping him with debate prep. Story continues Christie has become a full-blown critic of Trump since the former president left office, however, and he told Axios this week that he just cant back Trump for the presidency again. Christie, along with other potential candidates for the 2024 Republican nomination, made a trip to New Hampshire this week to speak at Saint Anselm College on Monday. He said to students there that whoever runs against Trump needs the skill to debate the former president on stage, pointing to himself as an example. You better have somebody on that stage who can do to him what I did to Marco [Rubio] because thats the only thing thats gonna defeat Donald Trump, he said. Christie said earlier this week that he would decide on whether he will run for president within the next 60 days. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The newly released state budget proposal hits on far more education issues than just raises for teachers and school employees. The plan released by North Carolina House Republican leaders touches on a wide-range of education topics, such as requiring lesson plans to be posted online, changing who approves charter schools and setting new class-size rules. Other items include preventing COVID-19 vaccination mandates in schools and expanding the N.C. Teaching Fellows program. Heres a look at some of the many education-related budget items. Class-size limits The budget would cap class sizes in elementary schools at 24 students for both fourth and fifth grades. This comes after state lawmakers previously capped class sizes in K-3, which school leaders have blamed for forcing them to increase class sizes in the other grades. Rep. Jeffrey Elmore, a North Wilkesboro Republican and an art teacher, said that fourth graders have been having difficulty transitioning into larger classes. He said theyre seeing that reflected in math proficiency. One solution is to cap the class size in fourth grade, as well as provide funding to fourth-grade teaching assistants to help with the transition. When we picked this (cap of) 24, we felt like most of the (school) systems were compliant, Elmore told The N&O after a news conference Wednesday. There were some that were running over. And you know, class size stuff ebbs and flows. So some systems that might not be at this cap right now, next year, it might be a little bit different because some classes are bigger than others as they move through, Elmore said. Asked if it could lead to staffing problems in some schools, Elmore said: I feel like in this very moment, no, but as we move forward, possibly. The class size cap would go into effect in the new school year that starts this summer and fall, he said. Hodge Road Elementary teacher Angela Homer reads a story to her fourth-grade class at the school in Knightdale in this 2016 file photo. The N.C. House budget would cap 4th-grade class sizes at no more than 24 students. Some elementary schools have seen class sizes rise to 30 or more students in the upper grades. The states class size rules have also reduced how many students elementary schools can hold, which Wake County school leaders say is why so many campuses cant take new students. Story continues Charter school changes The budget would take away the State Board of Educations power to decide on charter school applications and whether to renew or shut down existing charters. Lawmakers would transfer the power over charter schools to the N.C. Charter Schools Advisory Board, which would be renamed the N.C. Charter Schools Review Board. The state board would be limited to setting general rules about charter schools and reviewing appeals of decisions made by the review board. Members of the review board are mainly appointed by the GOP-led state legislature. In contrast, the majority of the members of the State Board of Education are appointees of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. The state board recently rejected two charter school applications recommended by the advisory board. Another change would allow the states two existing virtual charter schools to stay open through the 2025-26 school year and to increase their enrollment even though theyve been low-performing since they opened. Changing social studies standards? State lawmakers also want to change how standards for different courses are set following complaints about social studies standards approved in 2021. The state board said the new standards are more inclusive, while critics said it was too negative about American history. Under the budget, a newly created Standard Course of Study Advisory Commission would recommend the standards that would be used for each subject. The budget directs the commission, whose members would be appointed by lawmakers, to make recommended changes to the social studies standards by Jan. 1, 2025. The State Board of Education could adopt or reject the recommendations but would not be allowed to make substantial changes if it approves them. If the recommendations are rejected, reasons would have to be given and the commission would send revised recommendations. The state board could adopt its own standards if it rejects the revised recommendations. No COVID-19 vaccination requirement The budget would bar K-12 public schools, community colleges or the UNC System from requiring students to receive the COVID-19 vaccination or to show proof theyve received the shot. The COVID-19 shot is not among the required vaccinations in the state. No state agency, county, city or municipality would be allowed to require employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccination or show proof they had received the shot. This medical freedom rule would apply to school employees. The proposal comes as Republicans have filed multiple Medical Freedom bills to block any COVID-19 mandates. School meal debt The budget provides up to $7.8 million to help schools cover rising meal debts from students being unable to pay for their food. School meals were free last school year as part of a federal pandemic-related waiver. But the waiver ended, so students who are not eligible for subsidized meals have to pay again. School meal debt has already risen to more than $3 million statewide this school year. Its strapping school budgets and causing some students to not get meals. Teaching Fellows expanded The budget would restore an expanded version of the North Carolina Teaching Fellows program in an effort to attract more teachers. Under the program, students who agree to teach in the states schools can get forgivable college loans. The budget would expand eligibility to include teachers in all subjects, all UNC System schools and up to four private colleges. GOP lawmakers had previously eliminated the program. They later restored it, but limited it to eight colleges statewide and to teachers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields and special education. A high school student uses a vaping device near a school campus in Cambridge, Mass. Cleveland County is joining a statewide effort to prevent teens from smoking and vaping. Counties across North Carolina are pushing to raise the legal age to 21 to buy tobacco and vape products. Jamie Todd, Cleveland County Drug Free Communities project coordinator, said the Substance Abuse Coalition recently solicited around 75 letters of support from local agencies calling for a change in state law. The Cleveland County Public Health Board also recently passed a resolution supporting these efforts. Todd said its critical because the majority of people who pick up cigarettes after 21 are less likely to smoke on a daily basis. The issue is being tackled on two fronts. Bottom line it's really a two pronged approach, Todd said. They want to not only raise the age but also require retail permitting, similar to whats in place for alcohol sales. Todd said vape addictions among youth are running rampant, and North Carolina does not have a 21 year old tobacco policy that would match federal law. It is one of only 10 states that doesnt. He said they want to put a retail permitting process in place that would require establishments to have permits to sell tobacco and vape products. Then the state will come in, and local law enforcement will do compliance checks and make sure they sell responsibly and are not selling to underage and if they do sell to underage, they would face fines, he said. He said they could potentially look at losing their license if they are habitually noncompliant. Currently, if a clerk is caught selling to someone underage, only the clerk faces a minimal fine and not the store. Theres really not a whole lot of deterrents, Todd said. Its an issue in our community. Tobacco establishments are selling at a high rate. That's really why this retail permitting system is so important. He said vaping is out of control and according to the North Carolina Youth Tobacco Survey, tobacco use among youth has increased in the past decade, with especially alarming trends in the use of e-cigarettes. Story continues From 2011 to 2019, North Carolina saw more than a fivefold increase in e-cigarette use among middle schoolers and more than a tenfold increase among high schoolers, according to Community Impact North Carolina. In addition to tobacco, many youth are being exposed to THC products through vaping with many vape stores selling to underage teens. Todd said they are seeing 14 and 15 year olds with difficult to kick nicotine addictions. The letters for support were sent to the school system, behavioral health, health care, law enforcement, Cleveland County Minority Council and others. Those signed letters were sent to state legislators Friday to show them there is a strong desire to make changes in state law. He said its up to the state legislators after this. Although North Carolina is one of only 10 states who havent raised the age to 21, Todd said there are benefits to taking their time and creating a strong policy. He said other states that rushed to raise the age have weak laws susceptible to loop holes. Theres a lot of people in Cleveland County who support this, he said. At the end it's just another means to support our kids. Reporter Rebecca Sitzes can be reached at rsitzes@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on The Shelby Star: Cleveland County fighting to raise tobacco age to 21 BARCELONA, Spain (AP) In his more than a decade battling wildfires, firefighter Manuel Rubio had never seen a blaze like the one that raged for the past week in eastern Spain. Not this early in the year. The forest fire that that broke out last Thursday near the village of Villanueva de Viver surprised Rubio and fire experts by displaying an unusual ferocity for spring, when in previous years lower temperatures helped keep fires manageable. That doesn't bode well for a country that led Europe in burned land during a record-hot 2022. I was expecting a fire like the ones we normally see in March, which can consume 100, 200 hectares, not the more than 4,300 hectares (11,600 acres) that this one has burned, Rubio, 39, told The Associated Press hours before going back into the fray. We are dealing with weather conditions appropriate for the summer and have a fire that is behaving like a summertime fire. The Mediterranean region is warming faster than the global average due to climate change caused by the release of greenhouse gases. The effects, European and Spanish officials agree, are already being seen in the multiple heat waves and the prolonged drought that Spain has endured over several months. Those conditions have turned Spains vast expanses of woods into a tinderbox just waiting for the random lightning strike, spark from a tractor or saw, negligently cast cigarette, or act of arson to ignite the landscape. Some 267,000 hectares (666,000 acres) burned last year in Spain, making 2022 its worst year of fire destruction since 1994, government statistics say. That was three times the national average for the past decade of 94,000 hectares (232,000 acres). According to the European Unions Copernicus satellite observation service, Spain accounted for 35% of all burned land in European wildfires in 2022. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned of worse to come unless some desperately needed rain comes to the rescue, on his visit to the countrys first major fire of the year. Story continues Unfortunately, over the last few years these fires are becoming normal. What is not so normal is that we see them in March, Sanchez said on Monday. This has a lot to do with the climate emergency that the world is facing. The fire has forced the evacuation of nearly 1,400 people from their homes in Villanueva de Viver and other small villages in the hilly, rural area of Castellon province, which has a shrinking, and aging, population like many areas of Spains interior. Some 4,600 hectares of forest that authorities deem of high ecological value have gone up in huge plumes of smoke. Five hundred firefighters, supported by 20 water-dumping aircraft, battle on to protect a nearby nature reserve. To make things tougher for Rubio and his fellow firefighters, the area is full of tiny villages that are surrounded by trees, making them difficult to protect. So far, they have been saved from the flames. A generation ago, the lands were tended to by the villagers. Now that those agricultural jobs, which included collecting firewood, have largely been abandoned by their children, the land is overgrown with dense foliage, which when dry is fuel for fires. Rubio said that the areas vegetation, mainly made up of small pine trees typical of the Mediterranean, and brush, which is very dense, combined with abnormally high temperatures and well-under-average rainfall produced the perfect conditions for the fire. In this part of Castellon, only 20 millimeters (0.8 inches) of rain fell during the winter months, when the average is over 100 (4 inches). France, too, saw surprisingly early forest fires this year, after having several major fires in 2022 like Spain. Amid a record-breaking stretch of winter drought across France, wildfires broke out in February near Avignon in the southeast, in the Pyrenees region in the southwest, and the Charente-Maritime region on the Atlantic coast. Spains weather service spokesman Ruben del Campo warned on Wednesday that higher temperatures, reaching 5-10 degrees Celsius (9-18 degrees Fahrenheit) above average, are in store for Castellon and the rest of eastern Spain over the coming days. He said these are temperatures normally seen in mid-to-late May. The rising temperatures combined with westerly winds, which reach the Mediterranean hot and dry, cause the relative humidity to fall, and the risk of wildfires goes up dramatically, Del Campo said. The situation north of the fire in Spains Catalonia, which borders with France, is also incredibly delicate, and authorities are bracing for the worst. The region home to Barcelona is suffering its worst drought on record and temperatures beat yearly averages by a full 2.7 degrees Celsius (4.9 degrees Fahrenheit) last year. The director of Catalonia weather service, Sarai Sarroca, said Wednesday that their climate models hadn't expected such a huge surge in temperature until the year 2050. Sarroca said that one cause of the drought is the collapse of strong, humid winds that usually blow over the Pyrenees Mountains and help produce snow and rain in the winter. For Juli Pausas, a specialist in fire ecology who researches desertification for the Spanish National Research Council, this was all sadly predictable. He said that with temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius (84 degrees Fahrenheit) during the Castellon fire and a lack of rainfall, we now have 20th century vegetation in a 21st century climate." We are in climatic conditions that favor big fires, Pausas told the AP. We have known for a long time that the climate is changing, and we have known that this would have consequences, including more wildfires, yet we haven't done enough to stop it. ___ Follow APs climate and environment coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment Clover High School will have a new principal, as Rod Ruth moves to a new role in the growing Clover School District. Ruth will become the new chief student services and secondary education officer. According to a district release, Ruth will finish the year at Clover High and take on the new role this summer. Superintendent Sheila Quinn said Ruth will aid district leadership in planning for a second high school and third middle school. His strengths as a former middle and high school principal will make him an excellent mentor and leader of academic programs at the secondary level, Quinn said. Ruths time at Clover High includes both personal and school accolades. Ruth began in 2015 and last year was named 2023 South Carolina Secondary Principal of the Year. Earlier this year Clover High was named a finalist for the Palmettos Finest designation, a top state award no tri-county school has won in two decades. The school also has one of five statewide teacher of the year finalists, in engineering instructor Wayne Williams. The school board in Clover approved the change earlier this week, and Ruth informed school staff Wednesday. The hiring of a new high school principal will include stakeholder meetings with students, staff and parents, according to the district release. The district would like to name the new principal in May. A shark attacked a 10-year-old Colorado boy while he played knee-deep in the water during a family vacation in Cancun, Mexico. The shark was caught in a large wave and tore into Dillon Armijo's leg on March 17, a family friend wrote on GoFundMe to help with medical bills and physical therapy. Armijo was airlifted to a U.S. hospital, where he underwent several surgeries to repair two broken bones, extensive nerve damage, severed tendons and a torn meniscus, wrote the fundraiser organizer, Kari Flauding, who identified herself as a friend of the boy's family. "You always say this won't happen to you, but it unfortunately did," Flauding wrote. Dillon Armijo, 10, is a Colorado boy who was attacked by a shark during a family vacation to Cancun, Mexico. His older brother and lifeguard mother rescued him and rushed him to a hospital. He spent several days in the hospital in Mexico, but the damage was too extensive, so he was airlifted to Children's Hospital Colorado in Aurora, Colorado. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP NORTH CAROLINA'S OUTER BANKS GREETED BY 13-FOOT GREAT WHITE SHARK NAMED BENTON Denver7 had an exclusive interview with Dillon from the hospital. "We went to the beach and wanted to swim or jump in waves and then like, five minutes after that, like a shark just came into like, a wave and just bit my leg," Dillon told Denver7. Cancun beach during summer. The latest on Dillon's condition came on March 24, when Flauding said all his surgeries were a success. "Dillons final surgery was today, and they successfully repaired almost all the damage from the shark bite thanks to an amazing surgical team and a tissue donor," she wrote. "He will walk again in time but will require a lot of physical therapy. He should be discharged and resume his care at home this coming week." A local attorney involved in some of Columbus more prominent criminal cases has been arrested after visiting the Muscogee County jail, authorities said. Allen Jones, 51, is accused of taking prohibited items into the facility. Sheriff Greg Countryman said Jones was arrested Wednesday for taking packages of drugs and other contraband into the jail, and faces 10 felony counts. Investigators said Jones used several small envelopes to smuggle the items into the jail, and also brought in cell phones, a coveted item among inmates. Cell phones will sell for about $2,000 in the jail, the sheriff said. The packaged items Jones brought in were marked for specific inmates, the sheriff said. Jones met with an inmate who was not his client, Countryman said: The attorney made a transaction with the inmate and immediately left the jail. Investigators seized the contraband and got warrants for Jones arrest, he said. Besides drugs and cell phones, they found tobacco and rolling papers, and strips of paper saturated with a substance that also may be a drug, said sheriffs Investigator Michael OKeefe. Jones is charged with seven counts of having prohibited items in the jail, and one count each of possessing ecstasy with the intent to distribute it, possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it, and crossing a jail guard line with prohibited items, the sheriff said. Jones law practice is based in Phenix City, but hes licensed in both Alabama and Georgia. Among the more serious cases he has handled was a double homicide last year on the Phenix City Riverwalk. He has been representing Damon Daniels Jr., whos accused of gunning down Darrelyn Darren Harris and John Arthur Burkus on Dec. 3. Russell County District Attorney Rick Chancey said Daniels is set for arraignment on April 26. The suspect has a second attorney, Joshua Fleitas, so that hearing wont have to be postponed, he said. Jones other cases wont proceed to trial in Russell County until his status is clear, Chancey said. Columbus District Attorney Stacey Jackson said Jones may be allowed to continue practicing law until the state bar takes action to suspend him. Work on the long-discussed museum and cultural center at the site of the Poindexter Village public housing complex on the Near East Side might begin this summer. So far, $3.9 million in state and city money has been raised to help fund the redevelopment of the two remaining Poindexter Village buildings. And on Saturday, April 29, a volunteer group will be hosting a fundraiser for the effort at the King Arts Complex, 835 Mount Vernon Ave. The museum would not only tell the the story of Poindexter Village Columbus' first public housing complex and dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940 but would also be the city's first Black history museum. "This story connects a bigger Great Migration story," said Shelbi Toone, project manager for the Poindexter Village Museum and Cultural Center, referring to when millions of Black residents left the South in the early 20th century to find jobs in the industrial North, including Columbus. Neil Thompson, spokesman for the Ohio History Connection, said it's too early to say what the total cost will be. "We're still in the planning stages, still getting partners," he said. The Ohio History Connection owns the property after purchasing it from the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority. Michael Roberts, who chairs the board of the James Preston Poindexter Foundation, said about $4 million will be needed to complete the work. In October, the Columbus City Council approved a $1.4-million grant for the effort. The state approved $1.425 million in 2020, then another $1 million as part of its capital budget passed in 2022, plus $65,282 in capital grants for 2023, according to Casey Rife, spokesperson for the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus. "Weve begun spending the money," Toone said, including on new windows. The Poindexter Village museum would be the Ohio History Connection's 59th historic site. State Sen. Hearcel Craig, a Columbus Democrat, introduced the legislation for that designation. Story continues "I felt it was really important because of its geographical location in the community," Craig said. "It was certainly representative in many ways of diverse and affordable housing for the city of Columbus." Local historian Reita Smith lived at Poindexter Village and fought to preserve all of Poindexter Village's 35 buildings. Crews began demolishing 33 of the buildings in 2013, but Smith and others were able to save two for the museum. "All our plans were derailed by the pandemic. Of course, we're in a make-up time now," Smith said. "Hopefully, we will move forward." Other prominent residents were artist Aminah Robinson, whose artwork included depictions of Poindexter Village, and former WBNS-TV/Channel 10 anchor Angela Pace. Aminah Robinson's "Christmas at Poindexter Village" at the Columbus Museum of Art. Conestoga, a volunteer fundraising arm of the Ohio History Connection, is holding the April fundraiser. Laura Ecklar, a Conestoga volunteer, said her group has raised about $24,000 so far. Roberts said the goal is to raise $40,000-$45,000 by April through this effort, while approaching other sources for donations to pay the total cost. Ecklar said that Conestoga members decided its annual fundraiser should be for Poindexter Village after hearing more about it and its place in the city's history. "We just realized how important it is to preserve, historically and culturally, to Columbus," Ecklar said. "It will be a great asset to Columbus and Ohio when its completed. A great cultural center and educational center," she said. Kate Curry-Da-Souza, who leads the Near East Area Commission, said it is important for the historic buildings to be maintained. She said the neighborhood welcomes the museum and is open to what else it could be used for, perhaps meeting space. Kathleen Bailey, a longtime Near East Side resident who used to lead the area commission, said she hopes the museum could bring people to the neighborhood, much like the Paul Laurence Dunbar House in Dayton, a museum for the renowned Black writer that Bailey has visited. "It would be an excellent place for teachers for trips," she said. Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin said the museum could also draw visitors to the Mount Vernon Avenue and East Long Street corridors, helping to drive economic development. "There's so much rich African-American history we want to be shared," he said. For information on the fundraiser, go to: ohiohistory.org/get-involved/donate/conestoga. mferench@dispatch.com @MarkFerenchik This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Work on Columbus' first Black history museum should start this summer Ileana Gutierrez attends a service for her daughters, who were shot by their father despite her pleas for protection. "The principal person who did this is no longer here," she says, "but many people didn't do their job well." (Jose Luis Villegas / For The Times) The three little graves are covered in artificial turf, bright green on a cold winter evening. The gravestones are hand-painted in swirls of purple and a darker green, with cloth butterflies centered above the names: Samarah, 9; Samantha, 10; and Samia, 13. Three little butterflies dead and buried, shot by their father, David Mora, with a homemade "ghost gun" one year ago. Their mother, Ileana Gutierrez, stands behind those graves. Her body is rigid with grief until the pain breaks free of her control. Then, it consumes her and everyone around her, a palpable force like the night wind whirling around us, impossible not to feel. Gutierrez wants people to remember her daughters. Samia, 13, wanted to be an architect. Samantha, 10, wasn't afraid to stand up for herself. Samarah, 9, loved to help people. (Jose Luis Villegas / For The Times) Gutierrez invited me to this memorial service in a suburb of Sacramento because she is tormented not just by her unfathomable loss, but also by the knowledge that those who were charged with helping her instead failed her with this horrible and unforgivable consequence that her children were left unprotected from a man she knew was dangerous. "The principal person who did this is no longer here, but many people didnt do their job well," she told me at her kitchen table the day after the service. "I just want people to take it seriously a mental health problem, domestic violence, the protection of kids, and that people can get guns so quickly and so easily." She doesn't want your pity. She wants you to feel her anger. She wants you to not let it happen again. And yet, her lost family has become another statistic with no accountability. She is just one more victim of domestic violence whose warnings were ignored, her voice further muted by her undocumented status. Friends of Samia Gutierrez mourn the deaths of Samia and her sisters. "Samia was always a bright light in my life," says Gabriela Martinez, second from right. "I will always remember her as my best friend." (Jose Luis Villegas / For The Times) California does a terrible job preventing domestic violence and protecting victims from abuse once it has occurred. That is mostly because we don't take it seriously. Gutierrez is not the only proof. Last year, the state auditor examined intervention programs for domestic abusers and found "systemic failures," from court oversight to probation monitoring. I checked in with some of those authorities and was told they're working on changes, coming soon, but nothing yet. Just the kind of brush off the system is best at. Story continues Because somehow putting "domestic" before "violence" makes us treat it as less deadly or harmful than a random attack by a stranger, though about three women are killed every day by an intimate acquaintance in the U.S. In the five years ending in 2022, the Trace, a news organization that investigates gun violence, found that at least 866 kids were shot in domestic violence incidents, a number that includes the Gutierrez girls. Domestic violence is also strongly linked to mass shootings. Why, you may wonder, is domestic violence such an unchecked crisis when there are so many laws on the books? Those who work to stop domestic violence day in and day out know those laws are often applied haphazardly, and that those in charge of administering justice judges, police, probation officers, district attorneys, even advocates often have trouble keeping the rules straight, or even finding enough time in overburdened courts to try. Often, help comes down to what judge you get, what officer shows up to the door, or how well a district attorney understands the complexities of abuse and escaping from it. Underneath it all remains the bias that women are lying or somehow complicit or a shoulder-shrugging resignation that violence against women and children is inescapable, so entwined in our casually misogynistic culture that its destructive thread can't be pulled from the fabric of society. But it is not inevitable, state Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer told me. Ileana Gutierrez "did everything right" in trying to protect her family, says Faith Whitmore, head of the Sacramento Regional Family Justice Center. "This case still haunts us," Whitmore says. (Jose Luis Villegas / For The Times) This year, Jones-Sawyer, a Los Angeles Democrat, is helping a coalition of organizations push the Legislature to include $50 million in the budget to prevent and end domestic and sexual violence, a much-needed boost in ongoing funding. Of that, $2 million would be used to create a single entity to oversee all of California's efforts, instead of allowing half a dozen state departments and hundreds of local efforts to run without cohesion a critical missing piece to fix a chaotic system. If we do nothing else, we should demand the money, and that this leadership position be funded. Jones-Sawyer knows firsthand that abusive behavior can be stopped. He knows because he used to be verbally abusive, he told me learned behavior from his own childhood. An "ugly" divorce made him realize he "did a lot of screaming," and he said that led him to change those destructive patterns he internalized as a kid. It is to his great credit that he speaks about his past so openly, because it is a reminder that abuse hurts everyone involved, even the perpetrators. That doesn't excuse their actions, but offers hope for breaking generational cycles. "I realized that even verbal [abuse] can be as damaging and harmful as physical, and long lasting," Jones-Sawyer said. "That is the insanity of domestic and sexual violence, that you dont know it was poured into you" as a child. He also knows that the system needs to do a far better job of protecting the many women trying to disentangle their lives from lethally abusive men who have no interest in changing. Gutierrez "did everything right," Faith Whitmore, the head of the Sacramento Regional Family Justice Center, told me. Her organization helped Gutierrez get a restraining order against Mora. Gutierrez told me Mora had for many of the 15 years they were together been volatile and possessive. He hated for her or the girls to socialize outside the narrow circle of their church, and was easily angered by any perceived wrong. Gutierrez believes David Mora killed their children to punish her. She can't understand why judges dismissed her warnings that Mora was dangerous. (Jose Luis Villegas / For The Times) In the past, he had choked her a massive red flag for later homicide attempts. Women who have experienced a strangulation attempt by an intimate partner are 750% more likely to be killed by that partner than those who have not been choked. In April 2021, Mora became more violent toward her and "wouldn't control himself in front of the kids," she said. One day, he called her into the garage and said he was suicidal and wanted to admit himself into a hospital. He told her he didn't want her to continue to work shucking tamales while he was gone, and when she said she needed to, he grew furious. He threw a ball at her and grabbed her hard enough to leave a bruise. The girls were scared and crying. She called members of their church for help, and Mora left. A deeply faithful woman, Gutierrez said she asked God for guidance and felt him speaking to her that this was her moment to leave. A woman from the church offered her home as a place to stay, and Gutierrez and her daughters left. Soon after, Gutierrez received a call from a psychiatric hospital that Mora was there on an involuntary hold. Gutierrez said the hospital staff recommended she file a police report, which she did despite fears about her immigration status, and that of the girls, who were also born in Mexico. Gutierrez said sheriff's deputies told her to try to get a restraining order. Whitmore's organization helped her fill out the paperwork, and the court approved a restraining order banning Mora from contact with Gutierrez and the girls for five years. But Mora fought her efforts to keep him from any interaction with the kids, writing in court documents that I want a healthy relationship with my children." Mora testified that he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, Gutierrez said. She testified she was afraid of him and the restraining order cites the past strangulation attempt. But during court hearings, Gutierrez said she felt frustrated and helpless "because you don't know the law." At least two judicial commissioners, the equivalent of judges in family court who should have seen the combined warnings of choking and serious mental illness instead granted Mora visitations. Whitmore said it's common for judges to grant fathers time with kids even with a restraining order. Mora received four hours on weekends to be overseen not by a trained professional, but by a volunteer from their church. Mora also killed that man, Nathaniel Kong, when he fired 17 shots from a semiautomatic rifle, then fatally shot himself. Gutierrez said that after the first two visits, the girls didn't want to see their father anymore. "He wanted to know everything," she said. "He would pressure them." But she made them go, afraid of what the judge would do if she didn't follow his orders. Then, last year, days before Samantha's birthday, the girls were late coming home from their visit. Gutierrez could see from the location of Samia's phone that they were still in church. But when she tried calling, there was no answer. Worry turned to fear. A woman from the church called to ask whether she had seen the news. Gutierrez called another church friend and asked him to go see what had happened. What he told her ended life as she knew it. Gutierrez believes Mora killed their children as an act of vengeance against her. She feels rage that no one believed her when she said Mora was dangerous, that no one took her seriously enough to keep him away from the children until there was certainty that his mental illness was stabilized, that his violence was under control. She wants to know whether there will ever be accountability for the judges. Sitting with her, I don't have the courage to tell her it is unlikely. During the investigation, it came out that Mora had been arrested in a nearby county days before the shooting and was out on bail on charges of resisting arrest, battery on a police officer and driving under the influence. None of that was flagged, none of that stopped him. "This case still haunts us," Whitmore said. It should haunt us all because the lost promise of the Gutierrez girls is buried in the hard dirt, three little butterflies with their wings ripped off by our indifference. As darkness fell at the memorial service, a video montage of the girls played on the wall of a white tent. The wind punched at its sides, warping the photos into blurry, distorted ghosts riding bikes, laughing, fragile and innocent. Gutierrez walked away. The sound of her crying echoes in my heart. She wants people to remember what her daughters were like. Samia, the oldest, wanted to be an architect and design her own home. She loved to draw and paint, and had bright red hair that unexpectedly runs in Gutierrez's family. Samantha was fierce, and loved defending her ideas. She wasn't afraid to stand up for herself, or others. She had the red hair too. Samarah, the baby, had a shy smile. She loved to help people her classmates, her teachers. Every night, after Gutierrez tucked her in with a prayer, Samarah would come into her mom's room to give her that same blessing, that same comfort before they closed their eyes. Somehow, Gutierrez still has her faith. She believes that God has a purpose for everyone and that this happened to her daughters "so it doesn't happen to other people." My faith is more frail. I fear it will happen again. Because we let it. Because killing a loved one is somehow different from killing a stranger. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a law to require more information from the oil industry in an attempt to limit spikes in gas prices. (Adriana Heldiz / Associated Press) Gov. Gavin Newsom did something new for him. He got aggressively engaged behind the scenes, negotiating with legislators. And it paid off. Personal, hands on, face-to-face engagement the kind thats uncharacteristic of this governor. As a result, Newsom won a huge political and policy victory over Big Oil, as hell undoubtedly be reminding Californians and telling all of America for years to come. The governor didnt get all he originally asked for. The Legislature spurned his initial idea. But he wisely backed off and settled for less. Actually, what Newsom got was more practical and much superior to what he first wanted. This is 10 times better, he acknowledged at a bill-signing ceremony in the state Capitol rotunda Tuesday. We proved we can actually beat Big Oil. Theres a new sheriff in town. ... We brought Big Oil to their knees. Among liberal Democrats who rule California state government, the oil industry has replaced Big Tobacco as the No. 1 bogeyman. Tobacco has become so politically weak theres no longer much gain in attacking it. The California Democratic Party wont accept contributions from oil interests. But moderate Democratic candidates will. One independent committee funded by four oil companies spent more than $8 million on legislative races in last years election. So the oil lobby still packs a punch in the Legislature. But polls show the public is becoming increasingly concerned about climate change and greenhouse gas emissions spewed by gasoline automobiles. Climate and record-high gas prices last year along with the knowledge that Californians at one point were paying $2.60 more per gallon than the national average provide strong public support in the Capitol for battling the oil industry. But it wasnt enough support for legislators to buy into Newsoms initial request. In a typically passionate announcement in September, he called for punishing greedy Big Oil with a windfall profits tax. Story continues The T-word ultimately was switched to penalty to make it seem more like a fee. A fee would require merely a simple majority legislative vote rather than a two-thirds supermajority. Theyre ripping you off, Newsom said. With the Legislature, were going to pass a price-gouging penalty to hold Big Oil accountable. Not so fast. Legislators balked. Neither they nor the governor had evidence that oil companies were gouging. And they didnt have the expertise to determine when a profit became an unwarranted windfall. How do you do a profits tax? Nobody has been able to do that in the United States or in the world, one senior legislative aide told me. But Democrats loyal to the governor wanted to provide him with some victory. So, Newsom shifted gears and offered a better plan: Bump the whole thing to the California Energy Commission. Create a new independent investigative division, require oil refineries to share long-hidden data with the unit and allow the experts to determine whether theres gouging and windfall profiting. The energy commission then could establish a cap on justifiable profits and punish refineries that exceeded it. The punishment presumably would be a fine or a job-killing tax, if youre a Republican supporter of the oil industry. After that, Newsom didnt just pontificate and rail. He rolled up his sleeves and worked with skeptical legislators to write a finished bill. This governor has earned a reputation for overpromising and not delivering making grandiose pronouncements but not following through. Dumping proposals on the Legislature, but aloofly standing back and not helping to get them passed. That irked legislators. Starting his final term, however, Newsom seems to now realize that if hes going to produce landmark achievements, time is growing short. This year and the next are crucial. Nothing much is likely to be accomplished in his lame-duck final year, 2026. Newsom went to the mat on this one, says Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog, an activist organization that pushed hard for the legislation. He met with more than a dozen stakeholders groups. More important, he dealt with lawmakers. The governor for the first time weighed in at a level Ive never seen of him, says a top legislative advisor who asked for anonymity. He met with individuals, small groups, both Democratic caucuses. He owned it completely. He said, This is mine. I want to see it through. He spent significant amounts of time. Ive never seen this governor go all in like this before. It was all hands on deck. Newsom had wanted the Legislature to enact a penalty that would hit refineries from Day One. Lawmakers refused. Now, penalizing windfall profits whatever they are could take up to a year. That was the main compromise. That and getting the whole thing out of the Legislatures hair. The governor realized he was better off with the energy commission anyway. After all, he appoints the five members. The results: Party-line votes of 52 to 19 in the Assembly and 30 to 8 in the Senate. Its a big step in the right direction, says Severin Borenstein, faculty director of the UC Berkeley Energy Institute and an expert on gasoline production. Moving the debate about a penalty or tax to an organization that can actually do analysis is a much better way to go. Youve got to admire the governors pivot. ... Hes positioned himself as someone taking on the oil industry. He also did that last year by signing legislation banning new oil drilling within 3,200 feet of a residence, school or park. But the oil industry spent $20 million qualifying a repeal measure for the 2024 ballot. So that fights not over. The latest anti-oil legislation fits what seems to be Newsoms primary criteria for enacting any policy: Its the first in the nation. But mainly for the governor, its a big win to start his second term. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Twitter's San Francisco offices on Nov. 1, 2022, a few days after the company was acquired by Elon Musk. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) Sometimes malls are fun. Sometimes, they die. These days, our longtime social media hangout Twitter moulders somewhere between: Longtime anchor tenants have left, others carry "Everything must go!" banners, and the local boys who keep coming around neither expect nor fear adult supervision. The mannequins in the old department store stand naked. I have followed thousands of accounts on Twitter over the years, and while most of the profile pages are still there, many of the humans behind them are long gone. I don't even know what I'm not seeing anymore. Earlier this week, I asked a couple of my longtime Twitter fellow travelers where they planned to go if the place finally collapsed. They had no idea. Other platforms exist, certainly; there are upstarts like Mastodon that hope they can rekindle Twitter's magic without all of Twitter's downsides, which were slowly strangling the service even before Musk arrived last year. But the reality is we don't have and may never again have another one-stop watering hole where many of the planet's most interesting celebrities, politicians, activists, scientists, journalists, comedians and other assorted smart people will rub elbows with one another and also with you. Twitter, in its heyday, revealed that brilliant and well-informed people are everywhere, most of them aren't famous, and sometimes they'd appear in your mentions in the dead of night. Sometimes you'd see talented people simply ruining themselves. There are surely books that don't exist because smart people were tweeting so much instead of working. The service was lively, authentic and substantive enough to serve as a de facto assignment editor for working journalists sometimes too often. Now that peculiar experience is fading away. We'll have to work harder to seek out the brilliant, for reasons that are more subtle than you'd think. Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Tesla Inc., left, arrives at court in San Francisco on Jan. 24, 2023. (Bloomberg via Getty Images) On Saturday, Twitter owner and human-we-keep-hearing-from Elon Musk is expected to start doing away with the old "blue check" symbols for noted and "verified" accounts, which include the celebrities, companies, government officials and media figures who used to more frequently visit the site. Now, for $7 or $8 a month, the once-exclusive blue check which was kind of vaguely implemented and embarrassing, but which was created to prevent impersonation will become like a plastic sheriff's badge that signals you're willing to pay to generate content for one of the world's wealthiest people. You'll see fewer ads and can access the kind of features that the previous ownership might have offered for free. Story continues Even more momentously, Musk is planning to more heavily feature tweets from those paying accounts on the app's increasingly important "For You" landing page, where Twitter's algorithm takes a far heavier hand in deciding what you see. Meaning that, as of April 15 or so, every user you encounter with a blue check will be a verified clout hustler who's paying to be first hog at the trough. Like a lot of people, I post on social media in my free time to satisfy an admittedly mortifying existential desire for recognition. However, also like a lot of people, I have more dignity than to ever pay a single cent to Musk to publicly indulge that impulse. I'd rather hang out somewhere that actually wants to have people like me around. But where? We're getting something like two decades deep into our international social media experiment, and a lot of us aren't satisfied with the results. Congress' recent trashing of ultra-hot video app TikTok has been interestingly bipartisan, with critiques going beyond the company's ties to China in ways that implicate all our major platforms. The very mass of the platforms themselves poses unusual systemic risks for our democracies, especially in terms of their ability to structure debate both online (through content moderation) and offline (through lobbying and political mobilization). It was Twitter's mass, its strong network effect, that made it such a valuable service for many years. Twitter was kind of like a Silicon Valley Bank for newsmakers and news followers; you could deposit almost all your time into Twitter knowing others like you were doing it too. And now that the place seems to be imploding, it seems like the systemic risks were a little bigger than we expected. Consider how the world worked before Twitter's creation in 2006. A lot of Americans lived in places that had well-staffed and profitable local newsrooms, magazines, radio stations and other independent media outlets that served as cultural and intellectual portals to the world, with the nascent internet giving a huge boost to the variety of your average consumer's options. Survey data nonetheless showed more people reading a newspaper more often than getting news from the internet. As much as we love newspapers and magazines around here, even your trusty L.A. Times writer knows consumption habits are far different now and won't be going back, so there's no point in getting sentimental about it. But the point is that a hypothetical world without Twitter in 2023 is far different from the world without Twitter in 2006 we are now missing a whole middle layer of cultural institutions that helped provide the fiber for how we intellectually process the chaos of the world. Countless journalists who interrogated the political, cultural and social issues of the day no longer work in the industry, especially in suburban and rural communities. Many newspapers, magazines, alt-weeklies and other journals simply no longer exist; many more exist as mere shadows of themselves. Knowledge work has been deindustrializing itself from its geographic constraints and offshored to the internet, where the labor is cheaper and often free. Now that labor is yours. If you're leaving Twitter today, you are going to have to really sweat to find the same quantity and quality of thinkers who interest you. They might be secluding themselves on Instagram or LinkedIn, or experimenting with the visual anarchy of TikTok. They might have started a Substack and are charging a subscription rate that might have once bought you a whole magazine's worth of writers. They could have started a podcast, though it's possible their show might be on the chopping block. Maybe they're on Mastodon, but, then again, maybe not. YouTube? Facebook? There's only so much the New York Times op-ed page can say to us. Maybe Google will create a Twitter-killer and fix all this. But right now Silicon Valley's biggest intellectual project is to create artificial intelligence models that learn from us so perfectly, we'll never need to seek out other thinkers at all. The machine has already read everything that's been written; it will tell you everything you need to know. Just enter a prompt, and watch this ad. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Top officials at the Miami Transplant Institute said this week they halted nearly all adult heart transplants at the urging of the U.S. organ transplant network, which has opened an investigation into its heart operations. Anonymous internal complaints about the heart program had also arisen. In a letter to the Miami Transplant Institute, run by Jackson Health System, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) pushed for the pause until a peer-review team could review the units operation. UNOS, established in the mid-1980s, oversees the entire U.S. transplant system. A few days after receiving that letter, Luke Preczewski, vice president of the Miami Transplant Institute, announced the programs suspension in a staff Zoom meeting. He said in the meeting that the shutdown would not be publicly announced. The Herald learned of it independently. The following day, March 21, in a statement to the Herald, Jackson said it voluntarily placed its adult heart transplant program on temporary inactive status while it undergoes an in-depth review of our care. The statement did not mention the behind-the-scenes pressure from UNOS. That pressure was revealed to Herald journalists on Tuesday during an interview with Miami Transplant Institute physicians as well as Jackson administrators. Under Floridas public records laws, the Herald has requested the UNOS letter from the publicly operated Jackson, which thus far has not provided the letter while not yet citing an exemption from public records laws. Anonymous complaints In the wide-ranging interview with the Herald on Tuesday, doctors and administrators at the Miami Transplant Institute said they had been receiving anonymous complaints about the adult heart transplant program and wanted to put together a stronger team to operate it. They did not disclose details about those complaints. Transplant programs are judged on a variety of metrics, which can range from survival rates to length of time spent on waiting lists. Administrators provided survival rates for various programs at the Tuesday meeting. Story continues As of January 2023, Jacksons patients had to wait three times the U.S. average for a heart transplant, according to the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, which collects data on all U.S. transplant centers. How quickly a heart can be delivered is a major factor in survival of the transplant patient. Jackson officials acknowledged that the adult heart transplant program has not been performing as well as the kidney, liver and other organ transplant programs at Jackson and that they plan to make major personnel changes a process that began six months ago with a decision to search for a new leader of the heart transplant division. We have to find out why there is a discrepancy between every other transplant program and heart, said Dr. Rodrigo Vianna, director of the Miami Transplant Institute and the chief of Liver, Intestinal and Multivisceral Transplants. Obviously, people have different opinions why this happens. So, I think it was a good time to say you know what, lets fix that. Dr. Rodrigo Vianna, director of the Miami Transplant Institute and Chief of Liver, Intestinal and Multivisceral Transplant. Dr. Chris Ghaemmaghami, executive vice president at Jackson Health, said there has been some internal concern about the adult heart transplant program. Were hearing some feedback internally about concerns about the way things are being operated and being run as a complex team, said Ghaemmaghami, who is also the chief physician executive and chief clinical officer at Jackson. How do we address that before safety issues become significant? The shutdown was referred to as a partial shutdown at the Tuesday briefing. Two currently hospitalized patients with an urgent need for a new heart will still receive transplants at the institute if a compatible organ can be found, Vianna said. Others on the adult heart transplant waiting list 15 people will not be able to get a transplant at the institute while the program is suspended, Jackson said. They could choose to go to another transplant center. UNOS, the Richmond-based nonprofit that has been running the U.S. organ network since Congress enacted the 1984 National Organ Transplant Act, said it plans to investigate the Miami Transplant Institutes heart program in an on-site peer review in April. Sources familiar with the complaints said the agencys concerns dealt with adult heart patient outcomes. Officials at Jackson and the Miami Transplant Institute, which uses doctors from the University of Miami health system, would not provide details of the complaints, but sources said they had received them internally and externally since December. Jackson and institute officials said they immediately began investigating those. Once the peer review is completed, which Jackson estimates could take six to eight weeks, a decision will be made on when to reopen the program. Vianna and the other Jackson and Miami Transplant officials reiterated Tuesday the program will reopen. The Institutes pediatric heart transplant and mechanical heart device programs are not impacted. Replacing chief of heart transplant program Several months before UNOS alerted Jackson and Miami Transplant officials, they decided to replace the chief of the heart transplant program, Dr. Matthias Loebe, 64, who started with the Institute in 2015. He had come from the Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center. Dr. Matthias Loebe, who until the end of February, was the Chief of Heart Transplant and Ventricular Assist Devices at Miami Heart Institute. On Oct. 13, 2022, the Institutes director, Vianna, told Loebe in a letter that you will no longer serve in the role of Chief of Heart Transplant and Ventricular Assist Devices effective February 13, 2023. As discussed, we believe it is in the best interest of the Miami Transplant Institute to search for a new leader for these programs, Vianna wrote, adding that your administrative supplement of $150,000 will [be] removed effective February 28, 2023, in accordance with University of Miami policy. A senior Jackson spokesman, Matthew Pinzur, characterized the personnel change as a demotion, adding that Loebe would remain as chief until his replacement is found and stay on as a surgeon on the heart transplant team. Pinzur said the plan to replace Loebe is part of an effort to rebuild the heart program, but he would not comment on whether it was linked in any way to the peer review. Contacted by the Herald, Loebe said: I dont agree that it is a demotion. Rather, Loebe said he began discussing the idea of stepping down as the heart transplant chief last fall in order to maintain continuity and lighten his duties after eight years in the demanding position. He said that he is serving on the search committee for his successor. The timing of this decision has absolutely nothing to do with the performance review by UNOS, said Loebe, who added that hes totally convinced they will find there is nothing wrong. Our [patient] outcomes are on target, he said, and were constantly trying to improve them. Florida among top heart transplant states Currently, there are 221 people in Florida on a waiting list for a heart, according to the Organ Procurement & Transplantation Network. Ten Florida hospitals operate transplant programs for various organs. In South Florida, transplants are performed at Memorial Regional of Hollywood, Joe DiMaggio Childrens Hospital, both part of Memorial Healthcare System, and Cleveland Clinic Florida in Weston. Jackson operates one of the largest public hospital transplant centers in the country. In 2022, the Institute performed 721 organ transplants. Most of those involved kidneys and livers, however. Only 12 were adult heart procedures and five pediatric heart surgeries. We have one of the best kidney and one of the best liver programs in the nation. You know, A+. All of our programs should be there. So if we get these kinds of signals on a low-volume program before things start going in the wrong direction, I think its really good practice for us to manage this very proactively, said Ghaemmaghami, Jacksons chief physician executive. The Institute has seen a decrease in heart transplants over the past several years, partly due to more patients receiving a mechanical heart pump, known as a ventricular assist device, or VAD. Previously, VADs were used to keep patients alive while they waited for a transplant. Now, some patients are surviving with the devices, Ghaemmaghami said. And while the heart programs performance appears to be on par compared to similar programs at other transplant centers, according to records provided at Tuesdays briefing, hospital leaders said the program needs to do better. The dream of a transplant physician is that nobody should die on the waiting list, I think thats what we want, and for that, theres a lot we got to do to it, Vianna said. Vianna and others say because Jackson Health System is a public hospital, it accepts all patients, including those who are very sick and are considered to be high risk. Private hospitals, they said, will turn down patients. The Miami Transplant Institutes adult heart transplant program ranks No. 7 out of the states 10 adult heart transplant programs in terms of time duration before a transplant occurs, according to the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. We as an organization are absolutely committed to offering heart transplants. We are adamant that we want not only to have these programs, but to have them performing at the highest possible level, said Preczewski. Thats what we do. Thats why we constantly evaluate them. We are absolutely committed to doing what it takes to get there. No question. Congressional lawmakers weighed in Thursday on whether companies should pause advanced artificial intelligence training in the wake of an open letter signed by Elon Musk and other tech leaders. "I think Elon Musk is rightfully being cautious," Rep. Brian Mast, a Florida Republican, told Fox News. "I appreciate that he's looking to put the brakes on, and I agree with it." Elon Musk and other tech industry leaders signed an open letter calling for a six-month pause on training new, advanced artificial intelligence systems. ELON MUSK, APPLE CO-FOUNDER, OTHER TECH EXPERTS CALL FOR PAUSE ON 'GIANT AI EXPERIMENTS': 'DANGEROUS RACE' Musk, 2020 presidential candidate Andrew Yang, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and several other tech leaders urged AI labs to pause development of advanced systems in a recent open letter titled "Pause Giant AI Experiments." "AI systems with human-competitive intelligence can pose profound risks to society and humanity," warns the letter, which has been signed by more than 1,400 people. The letter asks developers to halt training AI systems more powerful than GPT-4 for at least six months. San Francisco startup OpenAI's GPT-4 is the successor to the popular AI chatbot ChatGPT. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP WATCH MORE FOX NEWS DIGITAL ORIGINALS HERE Rep. Victoria Spartz said she's less concerned with Musk's opinion and more concerned with protecting Americans' data and online privacy. "We as the government have a duty to protect people rights and rights to life, liberty and property and we do not have good definitions on who owns your data," the Indiana Republican said. "Big Tech companies are really abusing that and using unlimited immunity to suppress people's rights. And I think that's very dangerous." Rep. Marcus Molinaro said innovation is important, but so is protecting privacy. "I would hope we could find some area of common ground to establish the appropriate guardrails," the New York Republican said. To hear more from lawmakers, click here. A conservative federal district judge in Texas notorious for his rulings against the Affordable Care Act has struck down a requirement that private insurers cover a variety of preventive services for free. Under the ruling, which came down Thursday, insurers and employers who run plans for employees will have discretion over whether and how to cover certain routine screenings, exams and tests. A provision of the Affordable Care Act has required insurers to cover these services, with zero out-of-pocket costs, since 2011. Its not clear exactly what this will mean in practice, because of the decisions complexity and uncertainty about how or when insurers and employers will react. Among other things, the ruling applies only to some preventive services. But at least in principle, plans could soon require $100 copayments for colorectal or cervical cancer screenings under at least some circumstances or they could decide to stop all coverage for PrEP, the drug that prevents HIV infection. The broad effects might not be immediate, but over time, tens of millions of people could end up paying more for preventive services, with many as a result not getting the care, Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy at the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation, told HuffPost. The possibility of removing coverage for PrEP is a very real one, because it was a central issue in this case. A challenge to those specific provisions came from employers who said the requirement violates their religious principles, which condemn homosexuality and sexual activity outside of marriage between a man and a woman. Arguments from the plaintiffs found a sympathetic ear in Judge Reed OConnor, a 2007 appointee of former President George W. Bush who has issued multiple rulings striking down elements of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. The best-known of those rulings did not survive on appeal, including a 2018 decision to invalidate the entire law that the Supreme Court later rejected by a lopsided 7-2 vote. The Biden administration is sure to appeal Thursdays ruling as well and, more immediately, to seek a stay that would prevent OConnors order from taking effect until higher courts can rule on the dispute. Story continues Whether such a stay request succeeds is likely to depend, in part, on whether the government can convince judges that OConnors ruling would mean quick and dramatic changes to the insurance coverage that so many millions have. OConnors decision to apply his ruling nationwide is quite aggressive, Nicholas Bagley, a law professor at the University of Michigan who has followed the case closely, told HuffPost. But Bagley noted that the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which would hear the appeal, is quite conservative as is the Supreme Court, which, given the merits of this particular case, may be more inclined to uphold OConnors ruling than it would have been in the past. There will be an appeal, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) told HuffPost. The Trump nominees to the courts have so infected the judiciary that the normal predictions no longer hold true. Normally I would say its an aberration, but with the 5th Circuit, its totally unpredictable. A Popular ACA Feature With Multiple Benefits The Affordable Care Acts preventive services requirement is one of the laws better-known features, and one that its champions have long touted for its impact on millions of Americans. It establishes a core set of services that every insurance plan must cover, and requires insurers to cover these services free of charge. The federal government has estimated that the requirements apply to 150 million Americans with private insurance in other words, nearly half the countrys population. Free preventive coverage makes it easier for Americans to pay their medical bills. And even experts who think high out-of-pocket costs can be a useful way to discipline health spending tend to support free preventive care, because it encourages people to get the screenings and routine care that can keep them healthier or to catch more serious problems early, when treatment is more effective and frequently cheaper too. Just this month, a Morning Consult survey found that people said they were less likely to get preventive services if they required cost-sharing. Over the years, the general idea of better coverage for preventive services has not been especially controversial or partisan. But theres always been the question of what services to include and who gets to make that decision. The Affordable Care Act leaves those decisions to three separate organizations, one of which is an independent organization called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, or USPSTF. That choice and its consequences are among the key issues in this case. The USPSTF is a voluntary panel of experts who are appointed by a federal official but who operate independently and without oversight. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit argue that, under the Appointments Clause of the Constitution, the federal government cannot relinquish authority over defining insurance benefits to such a group. The Biden administration countered that this sort of delegation is common, and indeed necessary, given the complexity of an issue like figuring out what medical services need coverage. OConnor sided with the plaintiffs. An Argument About Religion OConnor also agreed with a second argument, from plaintiffs who say that requirements to cover PrEP and HPV vaccines violate their religious beliefs as Christians, in violation of the Religious Restoration Freedom Act. Preventive care such as PrEP drugs, the HPV vaccine, contraceptives, and screenings and behavioral counseling for STDs and drug use would make them complicit in facilitating homosexual behavior, drug use, and sexual activity outside of marriage between one man and one woman, some of the plaintiffs argue. The ramifications of that part of OConnors decision are unclear, legal experts say, because its separate from the ruling on USPSTF recommendations that OConnor said applies to the entire country. But it is the latest in a series of cases in which plaintiffs have claimed that federal regulations or laws violate their Christian beliefs and conservative federal judges have sided with them, all the way up to the Supreme Court. The Uncertainty Going Forward Another reason its hard to predict what happens next is that OConnors ruling about the Appointments Clause applies only to recommendations the USPSTF made after 2010. Thats because Congress effectively approved every USPSTF requirement from before that time when it passed the Affordable Care Act. Among the pre-2010 requirements were many standards relating to cancer screenings, for example. But the USPSTF has updated some of those requirements in the years since issuing them, by making them available at different ages. The task force has also introduced some new rules, including a 2016 requirement to support breastfeeding assistance and a 2018 requirement that insurers offer free coverage of anxiety screening for adolescents. The other big source of uncertainty is how employers and insurers will react. Preventive services are frequently inexpensive and can, over the long run, actually reduce spending. In an October 2022 survey from the Employer Benefit Research Institute, 80% of human resource managers at major employers said they would maintain free preventive care, at least in principle, even if the requirement doesnt survive the courts. But 8% of human resource managers said they would begin to impose out-of-pocket costs, while another 12% said it depends. And its always possible that more will reconsider coverage guarantees in the future, especially if they decide scaling back benefits will make them more money in the short run. Just because the preventive services mandate is struck down doesnt mean that theyre going to immediately drop coverage, Bagley said. There are a couple of surveys out there suggesting that, actually, a lot of these employers are just going to stick to what theyve been doing. But whether theyll actually do that once they take a cold hard look at the math is another question. Congress could address the ruling by passing a law enacting the recommendations the USPSTF has already made. Bagley has proposed a simple, one-line statutory fix. Democrats on Thursday sounded eager to restore the preventive services guarantee, one way or another. This decision is deadly, said Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.). Preventive services detect diseases early on, allowing Americans the opportunity to seek out treatment or preventive health services before a diagnosis becomes a death sentence. ... This decision must be undone immediately lives are at stake. But passing legislation would require agreement from the Republican-controlled House, where its not clear that support for such a measure exists. Igor Bobic contributed reporting. Related... (Getty/iStock) As soon as former president Donald Trump announced, without evidence, that the Manhattan District Attorney planned to indict him, a consensus emerged that the charges would actually boost his re-election prospects in 2024. Senator Marco Rubio told The Independent that for Democrats its counterproductive, politically. I think its gonna backfire. Shortly after Mr Trump blasted out the missive in an furious all-caps post, Twitter owner and Tesla executive Elon Musk tweeted: If this happens, Trump will be re-elected in a landslide victory. For eight years, Mr Trump has upended everyones expectations of politics and earned himself the reputation of Teflon Don. He called war hero and Senator John McCain a loser and won the Republican nomination anyway (even if he did go on to lose Arizona in the 2020 general election). He won the presidency in 2016 weeks after audio of him bragging about sexually assaulting women leaked. An overwhelming majority of Republicans opposed impeaching him after he incited a riot at the US Capitol. Many are convinced that the former president has a way of turning every perceived disadvantage into an advantage. But despite conservatives confidence, pollsters and analysts tell The Independent that the future is not so clear this time around. Its a very dangerous proposition to try to predict the future, says Patrick Murray, director of Monmouth Universitys polling institute. But what we tend to say about what weve seen so far is that Trumps base support has stood with him through thick and thin. Mr Murray believes most Trump supporters are exercising what he calls a politics of grievance, rather than a devotion to any particular idea. That slice, he says, represents about a third of the Republican electorate, and everything indicates they will likely stick with the former president. At the same time, he thinks that the news of the arrest and indictment is unlikely to move enough voters because fewer swing voters exist these days: So the swing voters really are few and far between. Now, having said that, the fact that we are such an evenly divided electorate means that those small number of swing voters could have a significant impact. The problem from a polling perspective is that there's so few, and it's very difficult to get a clear read on them. Story continues While Mr Trump might survive a Republican primary after an indictment, that doesnt mean that it will move any voters toward him in the way he might have hoped when he called for protests and used his supposedly imminent arrest to stir up controversy. If you see anything about our political divide, it's just gotten wider, and both sides have moved closer to the wings of the respective parties, Mr Murray adds. Still, Mr Trump has leaned heavily into the grievance politics Mr Murray mentioned. For those who have been wronged and betrayed, of which there are many people out there that have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution, Trump said at a recent rally in Waco, Texas. We will take care of it. We will take care of it. The town is the site of a deadly standoff with the federal government decades ago, a conflict which often comes up in far-right online conversation. Such a choice of venue was telling. It seems to imply that the former president is still pursuing a particular subset of radical Republicans, rather than attempting to widen his appeal. Former U.S. President Donald Trump prepares to depart after speaking during a rally at the Waco Regional Airport on March 25, 2023 in Waco, Texas. (Getty Images) Theres this temptation with Trump to attribute method to some of the madness, and I just dont think its there, Zac McCrary, a Democratic pollster at Impact Research, tells The Independent. I think, myself included, a lot of us have been more wrong about Trump than right about Trump going back nearly a decade. Mr McCrary said that he thinks an indictment would ultimately be a wash for Mr Trump since it will allow him to overshadow all of his potential opponents in terms of media coverage. Trump, as we saw in 16, just continues to block out the sun and the Republican universe revolves around Trump, Mr McCrary said, adding there is not a lot of opportunity for these other candidates to get traction to tell their own story, unless its purely in opposition to Trump, which is just not a way to run and win tough races. But that is not necessarily a winning recipe for voters who dont fit into the far-right niche. Supporters of former President Donald Trump react as he speaks at a campaign rally at Waco Regional Airport, Saturday, March 25, 2023, in Waco, Texas. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) I think its nearly impossible when Trump is now sort of landlocked with these voters, he says. And the sentiment is only hardened by making him even more out of step with what a lot of these sort of Romney-style Republicans would look at. Gunner Ramer, the political director of the anti-Trump Republican Accountability Project, sees a short-term advantage for the former president that doesnt translate into long-term success. I think, in the short term, there could be a rally around Trump, he says. But I think the real open question is, long term, is the consequence of an indictment another sort of point for Republican primary voters to look at? And its a sign of political baggage. Ramer says that after the January 6 select committee hearings, support for the former president diminished as die-hard supporters started seeing their family and friends move away from his toxic brand. That changed after the FBI executed a search warrant for documents from Trumps residence at Mar-a-Lago, which led to a rally around him. But the bump was short-lived, and support fizzled out again when his hand-picked candidates flopped in the 2022 midterms. And again, it was this political calculation that Donald Trump has too much baggage. I still very much like him, but enough people dont, Mr Ramer adds. Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at Waco Regional Airport Saturday, March 25, 2023, in Waco, Texas. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard) If anything, Ramer thinks, a potential indictment could serve as a boon to Mr Trumps biggest political threat: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is expected to announce his 2024 campaign this summer. Mr DeSantis numbers have taken a dive in recent weeks. There was a mixed response when he called the war in Ukraine a territorial dispute, and Mr Trump took advantage of the downturn by hammering his former protege. In Waco, the former president spent just as much time attacking Mr DeSantis as he did the other investigations into him, including the indictment. Mr DeSantis is in need of a boost, and this could be it. They very much like Ron DeSantis, but they see Ron DeSantis in relation to Trump, Ramer says, of the Florida governors supporters. They see him as someone fighting the culture wars, and, as people said, Trump without the baggage. Trump not on steroids. [Source] Self-proclaimed stir-fry guru Grace Young was named one of USA Todays Women of the Year, an award given to women by the outlet for their significant impact on their communities and the country. Young, the 67-year-old author of cookbooks "Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge," "The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen" and "The Breath of a Wok, was recognized for her advocacy for restaurateurs and business owners in Chinatowns across the U.S. amid the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. As a national honoree, Young joins Nicole Mann, the first Native American woman in space; Sandra Day OConnor, the first woman to serve in the U.S. Supreme Court; and former first lady Michelle Obama. Speaking to USA Today, Young said she would have completely collapsed if she had not focused her attention on helping New York City's Chinatown, as the city saw 700 to 800 deaths per day at the height of the pandemic. More from NextShark: Women on Weibo call out men who said they wanted to take in attractive Russia-Ukraine war refugee girls Rather than focus on hearing the sound of the sirens in the distance and reading the headlines and the news, that by just trying to do as much good as I could for Chinatown actually saved me, she said. Young worked with several projects that helped Chinatowns across the country recover from their losses, including the James Beard Foundations social media campaigns #SaveChineseRestaurants in 2020 and #SupportChinatowns in 2022. "In 2020, I reached out to the James Beard Foundation and asked them if we could partner in a social media campaign called Save Chinese Restaurants. That's because at that point, Chinatowns across the United States were seeing their business drop 80% or more," she said. More from NextShark: Vintage Sonic the Hedgehog game sold for astronomical $430,500 Young also supported activist Don Lees Stir-Fry Meals on Wheels, which delivered food to Chinese seniors' homes in New York City after all senior centers were forced to close their doors during the pandemic. Story continues In all of her efforts, Young admitted to USA Today that she started her advocacy to help Chinatowns in the U.S. without any plans. Despite all the campaigns created to help struggling small businesses, Young said she cannot help but feel worried as the foot traffic in some U.S. Chinatowns is still low. I'm still worried about San Francisco's Chinatown, New York City's Chinatown, Boston, Philly they're all struggling, she said. All the Chinatowns are reporting that they just don't have the foot traffic they used to have. More from NextShark: Two Chinese Olympians claim their gold medals are peeling, IOC responds Young received several awards for her activism during the pandemic, including the IACP 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award and a spot on "Good Morning Americas" Inspiration List for Whos Making AAPI History in 2021. In 2022, she received the Julia Child Award and the James Beard Humanitarian of the Year Award. She was also nominated for a Webby Award for her video comedy Wok Therapist, among other nominations related to her cooking career. When I received the James Beard Humanitarian Award and the Julia Child Foundation's Julia Child Award, those were two absolutely unreal, unfathomable experiences in my life, she told USA Today. More from NextShark: Vietnamese Influencer Puts Makeup On in the Hospital Before Her Boyfriend Visits For Young, saving Chinatowns in the U.S. is important as they represent the American dream. There's no other place in America that actually shows us the immigrant story, she said. And in New York's Chinatown, 98% of the businesses are mom-and-pop. In San Francisco's Chinatown, there are a thousand family-owned businesses. Young noted that the U.S. used to be made up of mom-and-pop businesses which, at one point, served as the backbone of the country. However, times have changed. Using Manhattan south of 96th St. as an example, Young said the Chinatown there is "the only neighborhood left that is predominantly mom-and-pop." And so it behooves us to support the American dream by supporting these businesses, she added. When you go to Chinatown, it's a reminder of what it means to have human connections, and that enriches our lives immeasurably. A police officer didnt touch the trigger of his holstered pistol when a bullet fired, striking his partners leg at a crime scene investigation in Wisconsin, a federal lawsuit says. The Milwaukee Police Department officer never intended for the weapon a P320 pistol from gun-maker Sig Sauer to go off when it struck fellow officer Charles Laskey-Castles left thigh on Sept. 10, according to the lawsuit. The immediate blood loss, nerve and tissue damage from the gunshot has caused Laskey-Castle to have issues walking, running, sitting and standing as he once did, as well as severe emotional trauma, the complaint says. The Sig Sauer pistol is no longer used by the Milwaukee Police Department, which recently transitioned to using a Glock instead, a spokesperson told McClatchy News in a statement on March 30. They confirmed that at the scene of a hit-and-run, an officers firearm inadvertently discharged in their holster, hitting a nearby officer on Sept. 10. Dozens of other gun users, including police officers, federal agents, Army veterans and trained civilians, were similarly and unexpectedly shot by the P320 pistol deemed dangerously defective in the lawsuit. Laskey-Castle is one of 20 people who filed the lawsuit against Sig Sauer, Inc. in New Hampshire federal court on March 27. Twelve plaintiffs and victims of the Sig Sauer P320 pistol. The lawsuit comes after twenty separate individuals similarly sued Sig Sauer over the P320 pistol in November, McClatchy News previously reported. Both cases are represented by the Saltz Mongeluzzi & Bendesky P.C. law firm and Benjamin T. King of Douglas, Leonard & Garvey, P.C. law firm, according to a news release, which says theyve learned of over more than 125 separate occasions when the P320 pistol unintentionally discharged/ing. After every lawsuit that we have filed, more and more users have contacted us regarding their injuries from unintended discharges of their P320s, attorney Robert J. Mongeluzzi said in a statement. Every complaint adds to the avalanche of evidence regarding the danger of this product. Story continues Sig Sauer spokeswoman Samantha Piatt told McClatchy News in a statement on March 30 that the pistol is designed to fire when the trigger is pulled and includes internal safeties that prevent the firearm from discharging without a trigger pull. She denied the accusations made in the complaint. Most dangerous pistol sold in the United States market The 20 plaintiffs whose lives were upended by the P320 pistol are from several states including Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, Texas, Maryland, Nevada and more, according to the complaint. The complaint, which demands a trial by jury, describes the weapon as the most dangerous pistol sold in the U.S. Meanwhile, the company says careless and improper handling of any gun can cause the weapon to unintentionally fire and that the P320 pistol meets U.S. safety standards online. Pistol goes off in its holster Plaintiff Marcos Hernandez was issued a P320 pistol as a Virginia state trooper, according to the complaint. On Jan. 24, as Hernandez entered a state police office building, his holstered pistol suddenly went off and a bullet hit his right thigh, the complaint says. Due to his injuries, he will likely never be able to return to his pre-incident form as a result of diminished physical capacity, the complaint says. Plaintiff Erin Cooper, a D.C. Metro Transit Police Department officer, was issued a P320 pistol before it unexpectedly fired in her holster and hit her right leg on May 17, 2021, the complaint says. The weapon went off as she put on her duty belt, causing a bullet to burn her right thigh, according to the complaint. The incident led to tinnitus a ringing sensation heard in one or both ears and emotional trauma, the complaint says. Plaintiff Johnny Davis, who has 26 years of law enforcement experience, was issued a P320 from Puerto Rico State Police, according to the complaint. On Nov. 16, when Davis fixed his waistband, his pistol fired in its holster and a bullet hit his testicle and left thigh, the complaint says. Similar to the other plaintiffs, he says his injuries are likely to be long-lasting. We are calling on Sig Sauer to do what it should have done long ago - recall the P320 weapon and redesign the gun with the types of safeties used by its competitors, attorney Robert Zimmerman, whos also representing the plaintiffs, said in a statement. The lawsuit seeks to recover damages for the plaintiffs. Dad of 2 dies in jail from neglect after wife begs staff to check on him, lawsuit says Son of mass shooting victim sues gun maker over glorified marketing, CT lawyer says Woman ends up shot by officer as her friend struggled with police in NY, lawsuit says LinkedIn/San Jose Police Officers Association The executive director of the San Jose Police Officers Association (SJPOA) is accused of importing massive amounts of fentanyl and other illicit prescription drugs into the U.S.even using her organizations official UPS account as part of the alleged schemethen blaming it all on her housekeeper when confronted by the feds. For eight years up until January, Joanne Marian Segovia, 64, used her home and work computers to get multiple-kilogram shipments of medications, including Zolpidem, Tapentadol, and Tramadol, sent to her home and office from China, India, and other far-flung locales, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday in federal court. The packages were labeled as Wedding Party Favors, Gift Makeup, Chocolate and Sweets, and Health Product, the complaint states. Segovia, who has been with the SJPOA since 2003, was swept up in a broader investigation by Homeland Security agents into a trafficking network shipping Indian-produced drugs into the San Francisco Bay Area, according to the complaint. When investigators searched and decrypted a network operatives smartphone, they discovered two messages that identified a J Segovia, with an address in San Jose, it says. Agents then found dozens of parcels had been sent to Segovias home, according to the complaint. On Feb. 1, Homeland Security agents interviewed Segovia for the first time. She insisted that she had ordered supplements, and that there was nothing unusual or out of the ordinary about it, the complaint states. She also allegedly claimed to work for the police department, and told the agents that she had no idea why her name and address were found in the phone of a suspected drug trafficker, it says. However, Segovia, who was about to leave for vacation, refused to show agents her CashApp transaction history, the complaint states. U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California When Segovia returned, she called investigators and left a voicemail saying she had information that could be helpful, the complaint continues. She later told them the orders were for another woman whom she identified as a family friend and housekeeper who suffered from a substance abuse disorder, the complaint says Story continues [I]t all leads to her, Segovia allegedly said, telling the agents that the notion occurred to her like a light bulb after the previous Homeland Security interview. Segovia also claimed the housekeeper had impersonated her on WhatsApp, which had been used to facilitate the deals, and was able to do so because she knows so much about me, according to the complaint. Segovia said she was reluctant to throw [the housekeeper] to the wolves, but told the agents she wanted to be honest with them. Later in March, Segovia agreed to let agents look at her WhatsApp account. In it, they found messages about ordering prescription drugs and hundreds of images of pills, receipts, and shipping labelsamong them, a UPS receipt with Segovias signature and a return address of 1151 North Fourth Street, the address of the SJPOA, according to the complaint. In an Oct. 2021 chat detailed in the complaint, Segovia said, Sorry, i had 50 new officers starting today so if Ive been tied up all morning. Ill be back on the office within an hour and Ill take care of all of it! Any news on the soma?? In a May 2022 conversation, she allegedly said, Im so sorry, im on a business trip because we had 2 officers that got shot! I should be home tomorrow night so ill get them shipped as soon as i can. Last July, the feds say she wrote, So i need to send you $900 for the orange pills that are on their way, are they on their way?? My [family member] is going on vacation so i want to give her enough to last but that is going to make me short, do you know when they are coming? U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California Even as she was being interviewed by investigators throughout March, Segovia continued to have pills shipped into the country, according to the complaint. Then, on March 15, investigators were notified of a package seized in Kentucky that was addressed to Segovias home and was labeled CLOCK. The package, from China, contained a disassembled clock kit with white adhesive stickers or patches on which a fentanyl-related substance was found, the complaint says. I believe that Segovia stopped ordering controlled substances from her previous supplier (apparently based in India) after HSI Agents interviewed her in February 2023 and began to order controlled substances from a new supplier, who is shipping from China, an agent wrote in the complaint. Just over a week later, agents raided Segovias home and the San Jose Police Officers Association office, seizing hundreds of pills and a UPS receipt in her office file cabinet related to a shipment of pills she allegedly sent to a woman in North Carolina. Agents also discovered a CashApp transaction from March 23 they believe was drug-related, according to the complaint. U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California Segovia, who has retained counsel according to court filings but does not have a lawyer listed on the docket, is charged with attempting to unlawfully import the synthetic opioid valeryl fentanyl. She did not immediately respond to a voicemail The Daily Beast left on her phone seeking comment, or messages sent to her work email. If convicted, Segovia, who is due to appear in court on Friday, faces up to 20 years in prison. In an interview Thursday with NBC Bay Area, SJPOA President Sean Pritchard called Segovia the grandma of the POA, and said the accusations do not sync up with the person weve known, the person who has worked with fallen officers families, organized fundraisers for officers kids. On Wednesday, the SJPOA issued a statement saying federal authorities notified it last Friday about the Segovia investigation, and the union has been fully and completely cooperating. No other individual at the POA is involved or had prior knowledge of the alleged acts, the statement said. The POA immediately placed the civilian employee on leave and as is standard procedure cut off all access to the POA. The Board of Directors is saddened and disappointed at hearing this news and we have pledged to provide our full support to the investigative authorities. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. One day, a roommate found Corinne Foxx balled up on the bathroom floor in the grips of menstrual pain. Since she started her period, Foxx experienced intense pain, nausea, chronic fatigue and bladder discomfort during menstruation. She thought thats simply what a period was like. I had a roommate tell me, Corinne, this is not normal, Foxx, producer, actor and daughter of Jamie Foxx, tells TODAY.com. That was the moment for me where it just changed the trajectory of my life. And then I went on this journey to start figuring out, Well, if its not normal, then what is it? Foxx, 29, later learned she had stage 4 endometriosis, which occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows in other places in the body and forms lesions. The condition impacts 11% of women between the ages of 14 to 44, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office on Womens Health. This isnt a uniquely American kind of thing. This affects upwards of 200 million women worldwide and about 6 and a half million here in the U.S., Dr. Tracey Haas, executive director of the Endometriosis Foundation of America, told Foxx during a March 28 Instagram Live. (Endometriosis) can be mistaken for lots of odd, different things. Its common (to have) seven to 10 years of a delay from the first symptom to actually getting a diagnosis. For Foxx, doctors dismissed her concerns, and she visited five or six doctors who told her she had everything hormone imbalances to possible bladder cancer, she recalls. It was really a terrifying process and a frustrating process, she says. Theres a lot of medical gaslighting that goes into this journey. I think women of color, especially, are often silenced or not believed when they come in with symptoms. Corinne Foxx at the screening of Still, she kept searching for help. You just have to keep showing up for yourself. I learned that no ones going to fight for my health more than me, she says. That really empowered me in the long run despite being discouraged. Story continues Eventually, Foxx visited a doctor who knew what was causing her symptoms. Finally, a doctor had said, I think this is endometriosis, she says. I didnt even really know what that meant. The doctor told her she could schedule surgery without giving her any information about what the surgery was or what having endometriosis meant. At first, receiving that diagnosis didn't feel validating because she felt unsure what it was and what surgery she needed. I look back at that period of my life, and as difficult as it was, it was super empowering because I had to trust myself. I had to listen to my gut, literally, she says. I came out stronger. Foxx began reading medical journals, following online groups and listening to podcasts to learn more about endometriosis. I did my own research and learned about the disease and learned about the right surgery that I needed, Foxx says. Then I got a specialist, Dr. Iris Orbuch, who ended up doing my surgery and ended up elevating so much of the disease for me. In October 2018, she underwent excision surgery with Orbuch. Considered the gold standard treatment for endometriosis, per the Endometriosis Foundation of America, the minimally invasive surgery involves specially-trained surgeons who remove the endometriosis lesions. The surgery reduced Foxxs pain and symptoms. Im feeling so much better. The surgery I got changed my life, she says. Im in semi-pain free endo has a mind of its own sometimes and somedays arent the best but for the most part, Ive done so much better and its such a privilege. Raising awareness of endometriosis Through her doctor, Foxx learned about director Shannon Cohns hope to make a documentary, Below the Belt. Foxx became an executive producer of the film, which was released in 2022. I (told Shannon), Ill do everything I can to help illuminate your new film and get it in front of as many people as possible, Foxx recalls. The film focuses on four women with endometriosis and the struggles they encounter. We have women at different places in their lives, Foxx says. We have a young woman who is still in high school. We have a woman who wants to have a baby. Endometriosis commonly causes infertility. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, anywhere from 30 to 50% of women with it experience infertility. Cohn and other producers, including actor Rosario Dawson, recently screened the film for members of the U.S. Senate. Whats really special about this is that we are getting bipartisan support, Foxx says. The goal of the film is education and awareness and also advocacy to get more research dollars for endometriosis so that we can find more affordable treatments, more affordable and effective imaging so you dont have to do a surgery to find out if you have endometriosis. MRIs and ultrasounds do not always detect endometriosis, so definitive diagnosis is provided with surgery, according to the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Some insurances do not cover excision surgery, making it unattainable for many. I am advocating for making these surgeries more accessible. My surgery, I had to pay out of pocket, she says. Not a lot of people can afford that. Where I see theres a lot more room for change is just making the treatment available and accessible to all people. Foxx also feels passionate about educating others about endometriosis and will serve as an ambassador to the Endometriosis Foundation of America's ENPOWR program, which will teach school-age children about the condition. If I had this information when I was learning about periods in my fifth grade health class, it would have made a world of difference for me, she says. Foxx tries talking to her sisters, who are 14 and 15, about it, but they often don't pay attention to their "so not cool" older sister, she says. After her diagnosis, Foxx learned she had an aunt and grandmother with endometriosis. Its something that was uncomfortable to talk about. Of course, its an intimate area of your body, she says. I want to (shed) light on reaching out within your own family and seeing if there is family history. The Endometriosis Foundation of America honored Foxxs work advocating for people with endometriosis as an ambassador with a Blossom Award during its Blossom Ball on March 20. She says listening to Lena Dunham and Halsey's speeches when they received the Blossom Award helped her when she was trying to understand what an endometriosis diagnosis meant. I felt so seen and I felt like, Wow these incredibly successful women also have endometriosis, and maybe this isnt the death sentence Im thinking it is, she says. For me to be standing on that same stage and sharing my story, its very emotional, and I just hope to be able to inspire women the same way that I feel inspired. Endometriosis and mental health Foxx also serves as an ambassador for the National Alliance on Mental Illnesses (NAMI), and she combined her two passions into one by hosting an Instagram Live on March 28 about endometriosis and mental health. Theres a mental component to it that we should be having a conversation about, she says. Weve been working on a form of a campaign to illuminate the relationship between chronic pain and mental health. There is trauma, there is depression, there is anxiety. So much goes hand-in-hand with living with chronic pain. Dr. Christine M. Crawford, associate medical director of NAMI, notes that often people who experience chronic illness and pain also experience worsened mental health. Its (fairly common) to see an overlap with symptoms of depression, anxiety and chronic pain-related conditions like endometriosis, she told Foxx during the Instagram Live. Its important jut to clarify what depression is because a lot of people tend to confuse it with symptoms of sadness or low mood. Crawford also encourages people to share how theyre feeling with loved ones. Oftentimes we feel as though because what were experiencing whether that be emotional or physical pain is not readily visible to everyone and that reinforces the sense that we have to keep it to ourselves, she said. People who have good, strong and reliable social connections do well overall in terms of their physical and mental wellbeing. We wouldnt want those types of social ties to be disrupted because youre keeping everything to yourself. Even discussing endometriosis among friends and family can go a long way to help others. Teach one person today what endometriosis is. We have to spread awareness. We have to decrease the stigma, Haas said. These types of conversations are so helpful for women who may not have the words or the language to say whats happening. Foxx hopes her experience helps people of color with endometriosis feel less alone. I am aware that me sharing my story is going to impact people who look like me and I hope that people see themselves in me and see a woman of color talking about her experience, she says. My hopes for being an ambassador with Endo Found is to make someone elses journey a little bit easier. Throughout the month of March, TODAY.com is celebrating women across generations who have made history and continue to move the conversation forward by breaking stigmas, sparking dialogue and inspiring the next generation. This article was originally published on TODAY.com Spartanburg County Coroner Rusty Clevenger reported Wednesday night his office was called to investigate a death at the Spartanburg County Detention Facility earlier in the afternoon. This is the third reported inmate death of 2023 at the jail. Clevenger said in a press release to the media that the decedent is Jimmy Lee Hill, 41, of Spartanburg. Renee Wunderlich of South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) confirmed the agency is investigating Hill's death. Wunderlich said no further details could be released. Clevenger issued an update Thursday morning stating a forensic autopsy had been completed. "There are no signs of external force or injury attributable to his demise," Clevenger said. "We will be following through with a toxicology analysis before making a final determination on cause and manner of death." Hill was being held in the SCDF for weapons charges, including possession of a stolen pistol, possession of an illegal firearm and unlawful carrying of a pistol. He was also being held on a first offense charge for distributing methamphetamine and a misdemeanor of improperly displayed license plate. Calls made for DOJ investigation: Spartanburg jail had 18 deaths between 2015 and 2021. The Herald-Journal previously reported on the death of Forrest Edward Taylor, 42, earlier this month. His was the second death at the jail this year following the death of Casey Michelle Tate, 33. Wunderlich confirmed that SLED's investigation into Taylor's death is open and active. Two weeks ago, the family of Lavell Lane, a man who died inside the facility in early Oct. 2022, and Darius Holcomb, a man who was shot and killed in an encounter with Sheriff's Deputies, both gathered outside the jail, to protest what they called a lack of transparency and accountability in their respective investigations. The press conference, organized by civil rights group Racial Justice Network, included a letter to the Department of Justice, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, and SLED Chief Mark Keel, requesting a DOJ investigation into the facility. Story continues This protest came weeks after a report, spearheaded by a professor at the University of South Carolina Law School, which found that the Spartanburg jail had 18 deaths between 2015 and 2021. That total is more than any other county jail in the state. There were five deaths at the jail in 2022, according to Clevenger. Check back for updates. Chalmers Rogland covers public safety for the Herald-Journal. Reach him via email at crogland@shj.com. This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Spartanburg County jail reports third inmate death in three months At the National Review Institutes Ideas Summit on Thursday, Senator Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) suggested the U.S. should send Ukraine long-range weapons while speaking on the importance of supporting the country in its fight against Russia. Cotton, who served in the U.S. Army as an infantry officer, joined National Review executive editor Mark Wright for a wide-ranging conversation about the U.S. military. Wright asked Cotton what the U.S. can do to help Ukraine force Russia to the negotiating table. I wish we could get the time machine to go back two years and arm Ukraine to the hilt so we wouldnt have the invasion, he said. Or arm Ukraine to the hilt in February/March of last year so it wouldnt be fighting to reclaim so much territory. Cotton went on to suggest the U.S. should supply Ukraine with cluster munitions, a kind of artillery that has lots of small bombs on it. We have an almost unlimited supply and we wont provide it to Ukraine, he said. Why? well, because the progressives in the White House are worried about offending European sensibilities and people who signed the Arms Control Treaty. But Russia is using cluster munitions in Ukraine and Ukraine wants to use cluster munitions in Ukraine, so why would we care if they use cluster munitions in Ukraine? the senator said. He said Ukraine also needs longer-range missiles and rockets. Im not talking about allowing Ukraine to reach Moscow or St. Petersburg or Vladivostok, but we cannot have a situation where Russia is allowed to drive its artillery right up to the Ukrainian border and fire into Ukraine, killing innocent civilians, setting back their military, blowing up critical infrastructure, and Ukraine cant strike back at those firing points, he said. Those moves alone would help Ukraine get back on the front foot, according to the Arkansas Republican. Cotton also said the Biden administrations weakness in 2021 gave Vladimir Putin the kind of temptation to do what he always want to do. Story continues And then for the last year, [President Bidens] been pussyfooting around, refusing to supply Ukraine with the weapons they need in the volumes they need, not just to avoid losing the war, not just to avoid Russia overrunning them, but to actually win the war, take back Ukrainian territory, and put Russia on the back foot, he said. Cotton warned the U.S.s behavior in Ukraine will send a message to Chinese President Xi Jinping, and could serve as either a deterrent or a go-ahead for China to invade Taiwan. If China sees the U.S. and the rest of the Western world abandon Ukraine after just 13 or 14 months, it will believe there is no chance the United States and its allies would come to Taiwans defense. Cottons comment comes amid an ongoing fight among some Republicans about the United States support of Ukraine. In February, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R., Ga.) reintroduced legislation to audit the military aid the U.S. has sent Ukraine in the year since Russia first invaded. She told Fox News that the United States continued investment in Ukraine could lead the U.S. into World War III. Greene was one of ten Republican lawmakers to co-sponsor legislation by Representative Matt Gaetz (R., Fla.) last month to end U.S. aid to Ukraine. On the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion, the Biden administration announced a $10 billion aid package to support the Ukrainian government in addition to $2 billion in military aid. America was spending just under $7 billion a month in Ukraine as of November, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Ukraine has also emerged as an early wedge issue in the 2024 race. Florida governor Ron DeSantis, who has not declared a run but is widely considered a likely contender, came under fire from Democrats and Republicans alike recently for suggesting the conflict there amounts to a territorial dispute. Despite that comment having come in a written statement, DeSantis later claimed his position had been mischaracterized but restated his belief that there is no vital U.S. interest at stake that requires further American involvement. Former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley, for her part, penned an op-ed earlier this month saying it gets things backward to suggest the conflict is a mere territorial dispute or that the U.S. should ignore Ukraine so we can focus on China. More from National Review Story at a glance Maricopa County, Ariz., home to Phoenix, saw the largest population growth in 2022. Six counties in Texas and three in Florida rounded out the top ten areas with the largest gains in population. Despite being the most populous county in the country, Los Angeles, Calif., experienced the largest population decline. The latest U.S. Census Bureau population estimates show Americans are flocking to suburban areas and small- and mid-sized metropolitans in the South and West. The findings come as the country eases back into routines more closely resembling pre-pandemic times. Some of the urban counties in New York and San Francisco that saw significant domestic outmigration and population decline in 2021 had population growth in 2022, said Christine Hartley, assistant division chief for estimates and projections in the Census Bureaus population division, in a statement. Similarly, many counties with large universities saw their populations fully rebound this year as students returned. Overall, populations in suburban counties and small and midsize cities grew by 0.7 percent last year, a Wall Street Journal analysis of the data found. America is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news. Meanwhile, more immigrants moving in, more babies being born and fewer deaths helped slow population declines in larger cities. Whitman County, Wash., home to Washington State University, was the fastest growing county in the nation from 2021 to 2022, while half of the top ten fastest growing counties were in Texas, data show. Counties in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina were also among the fastest growing in the country. But Maricopa County, Ariz., saw the largest population growth, adding 56,831 new residents in 2022, a gain driven by domestic migration, according to Census data. The county is home to the states capital, Phoenix. Six counties in Texas also saw some of the greatest population gains. Collectively, Harris, Collin, Denton, Fort Bend, Bexar and Montgomery counties gained 209,182 residents. Story continues Three counties in Florida Polk, Lee and Hillsborough were among the top ten that saw the largest population growth as well. Lee County is home to Fort Myers, and Hillsborough is home to Tampa. The United Statess most populous counties are increasingly located in the South and West, Census figures show, a trend that reflects long standing regional population shifts, according to the Bureau. Los Angeles County, Calif., experienced the largest population decline of any county in 2022, losing 90,704 residents. Despite this, it remains the most populous county in the country, followed by Cook County, Ill., and Harris County, Texas. Other counties that saw the greatest numeric declines in population included Cook County, Queens County, New York, and Kings County, New York. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Placer County officials approved a $28 million sewer line Tuesday that will connect to the new Placer One development north of Roseville, which is the future home of Sacramento States Placer Center. The development covers 2,213 acres and includes a mix of homes and businesses that will accompany the university, which anchors the project. The university is a partnership between Sacramento State and Sierra College and is expected to allow students of both systems to attend classes in a blended learning environment, the county said. Im very excited to see progress on the infrastructure to Placer One, a future university and the rest of the Sunset Area, said Supervisor Shanti Landon in a statement, who represents the region. This part of west Placer is going to drive the economy with high-paying jobs, higher education, housing and many other amenities for our residents. The project broke ground last fall. The first phase of the project will lay the groundwork for residential lots, roadways, and parks. The development will eventually feature seven villages, according to the master plan, which will be neighborhoods with varying lot sizes. Eventually and network of bike trails will connect the neighborhoods with the university and the 200-acre town center that will house retail stores, office space and apartments. The sewer line is an important backbone to the project, the county said Wednesday. The initial $17 million for the line will come from the county, with the remaining $11 million to be provided through sewer connection fees as homes and businesses are built within the project. Mecklenburg County is settling a lawsuit with an anti-abortion protester. Court documents show the county will pay David Benham $20,000 for attorney fees. ALSO READ: HGTV cancels series featuring local brothers amid controversy Benham sued Mecklenburg County and the city of Charlotte after he was arrested in April 2020 for violating a COVID-19 restriction barring gatherings of more than 10 people. Benham was protesting on the sidewalk outside an east Charlotte clinic at the time. Benham sued because he said his First Amendment rights were violated. Meck County is paying David Benham $20,000 to settle his lawsuit. Benham was arrested in April 2020 for violating Covid protocols when gatherings of 10+ were banned. Benham was protesting outside the abortion clinic in ECLT and sued saying his first amendment rights were violated pic.twitter.com/iSCEQWwKX3 Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) March 30, 2023 In addition to the $20,000, the county has agreed to say First Amendment and religious activities are exempt from COVID-19 orders. The $20,000 will go to attorney fees. Benham was represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom. The government can protect public health and safety and still respect the constitutionally guaranteed freedoms Americans have, ADF Senior Counsel Denise Harle said. People of faith cant be singled out for their religious beliefs or because their form of speech happens to be prayer or pro-life counseling. We commend Mecklenburg County officials for finally agreeing to respect the free speech rights of Mr. Benham and the other pro-life citizens and for acknowledging their freedom to pray and speak in the public square, and we invite the city of Charlotte to follow suit. All charges against Benham were dropped, ADF says. Mecklenburg County declined to comment on the settlement. Benhams lawsuit against the city is still ongoing. VIDEO: Local womens clinics feel impact from NCs reinstated abortion restrictions Janey McGill and David Monaghan have a long distance relationship and say they are happy in their 'digital coexistence'. (SWNS) A couple who live a five-hour drive away from each other have shared how they make their long-distance relationship work, saying it has "kept the honeymoon period going". Janey McGill, 41, originally met her partner, David Monaghan, 46, in Bologna, Italy, in September 2020 while on a photography work trip. Monaghan had been living in Italy since July 2020, but has since moved back to his hometown Hayle, Cornwall, a five-hour trip from McGill's house in Banbury, Oxfordshire. While the distance could have been an issue, the couple say they would "resent each other" if they had to leave their current homes and move in together, and are happy in their "digital coexistence". They describe being "well-suited" to their long-distance partnership because they are both "independent" and respect each other's professional and personal ambitions. "A lot of people want to own somebody," Monaghan explains. "People think of love as a kind of ownership which they have to hand all the time so you've just got to accept what it is, you've not got the person in your pocket all the time." Read more: Good conversation is more likely to get you a second date over physical intimacy, study finds The couple live five hours apart. (SWNS) Both partners say living separately allows them to pursue their interests and careers while also enjoying each other's company, when possible. "I suppose we're good at living long distance because we're both quite adaptable," McGill explains. "If I made him move in with me he would be unhappy and resentful towards me for having to leave Cornwall behind, so he just wouldn't do it. "And if he made me leave Oxfordshire I would be resentful. We're happy with those mutual boundaries in place. "We're fine digitally co-existing without being on top of each all the time." Read more: How to get over a break-up Living separately also allows Monaghan, a network architect, to spend time surfing and enables McGill to travel the UK and abroad for her freelance photography and film work. Story continues "We're cut from the same cloth, so we both understand how obsessive we can become over things and the need to be good at what we do," McGill says. "I enjoy seeing him grow and I fully support it, and it's important for him to see me doing well in my work," she continues. "He understands where I need to be and what I've got to do. "I get more work living in Oxfordshire, because there are more opportunities down here than there would be in Cornwall. "I have my life here with friends and family here, and my dogs." David adds: "Both of us are very driven with what we do. "In the past we both can be quite obsessive and focused which has been a constant issue in my relationships which have fallen apart. "But with Janey because we're both living apart we have the time to do things ourselves without having to attend to the other person." Watch: The solution to long-distance relationships? A virtual kissing machine McGill and Monaghan initially met at a business dinner in Italy but got to know each other when they had some time off work during McGill's trip. "I liked exploring all the little nooks and crannies and seeing where he lived, which was a beautiful place with frescos all over the walls and ceilings," she explains. Monaghan adds: "I knew a little bit about her because we had seen each other on dating apps, but in person she was very beautiful, easily outgoing, calm, but very open." The budding romance developed over the week they shared together before McGill returned to the UK and the couple were apart for two months. "We would just spend time together by hanging out on FaceTime or calls," McGill says of the period. "He would be playing guitar or we would just get on with our own things." In December 2020 Monaghan came back to England for three weeks for Christmas, but when the coronavirus lockdown closed international borders, the couple ended up living together for three months. "We're both easy-going and laidback so we get on very easily," McGill explains. In August 2021, however, Monaghan decided to move to Hayle, Cornwall after buying his father's house and loving the area, leaving McGill at home in Oxfordshire. Read more: How long does it take the average person to say 'I love you' in a relationship? New survey reveals all The couple have revealed the secrets behind the success of their long distance relationship. (SWNS) The frequency of their visits varies from month to month, with the longest period apart lasting three months between December 2022 to February 2023. However they manage to speak to each other every day either by text, phone calls, or over FaceTime. The low-key pair say they do not plan virtual dates, preferring to just make coffee on a Saturday morning or quietly sit in each other's company online. "It's just very easy," McGill says. "We'll just hang out in the evening doing whatever we're doing without intense conversations." Despite both being happy in their relationship there are no immediate plans to move in together. "We like our lives how they are," McGill explains. "I've got two dogs, but we both don't want children." Read more: Can a 'together-apart' relationship really work? Alexandra Burke only sees footballer boyfriend twice a week Though they are clearly making their long-distance romance work, both admit to experiencing some challenges. "They're there on the end of the phone but they're not there," explains Monaghan. "You can't sit on the sofa and be together properly so there is good and bad to that. "You have to take one step at a time and have to be honest with the other person as well." Fortunately, their relationship does offer proof that distance can make the heart grow fonder. "It has kept the honeymoon period going, because I still get super excited to see him and catch up," McGill says. "Of course there can be a few difficult times. Sometimes if you are feeling insecure for whatever reason and then you just want a cuddle," she continues. "But we just talk about it, and because we're both open it works really well." Additional reporting SWNS. Houston South project map. Another ruling has delayed the start of a vegetation management plan in the Hoosier National Forest that calls logging and controlled burns on more than 15,000 acres over 10 to 15 years. Four agencies Indiana Forest Alliance, Monroe County Board of Commissioners, Hoosier Environmental Council and Friends of Lake Monroe filed this second lawsuit against the U.S. Forest Service in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana on Jan. 25. This followed a different lawsuit filed in May 2020 that is currently with the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, where both the plaintiffs and defendants appealed the original court decision. On March 29, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana granted a preliminary injunction that stops any actions by the U.S. Forest Service as part of the Houston South Vegetation Management and Restoration Project. More: Environmental groups file second suit in opposition to Hoosier National Forest project Where in the Hoosier National Forest is the Houston South project? The Houston South Vegetation Management and Restoration Project is in the Hoosier National Forest and includes more than 15,000 acres in Jackson and Lawrence counties south of Lake Monroe. What was planned in the Houston South project and when was it to begin? The Forest Service plan includes cutting trees, road building, and using herbicides and controlled burns over the next 10 to 15 years. The first phase was to begin on or about April 1 with controlled burns in three sections on 3,500 acres. Trees on about 4,300 acres would be cut over more than 10 years. The burning and logging would take place on portions of the land, not all of it. Herbicide application was scheduled to begin in late summer and the timber harvest was to begin in mid-October. What did the 7th District Court rule in its injunction? The injunction stops the Forest Service from implementing the Houston South controlled burn set to begin on April 1 and also orders the Forest Service to halt all activities related to the project until it can give sufficient evidence of how the project will not adversely affect Lake Monroe. Also, the District Court ruled the plaintiffs must post a bond of $11,596. Story continues Why do the plaintiffs want to stop the Houston South project? The Houston South project area is within the Lake Monroe watershed, which means streams, creeks and runoff from the area drain into the lake, which provides water for more than 120,000 people, including Bloomington. The plaintiffs believe sediment from the project will adversely affect the water quality of Lake Monroe. What happened with the first lawsuit concerning Houston South? A lawsuit, filed by Indiana Forest Alliance, Hoosier Environmental Council and the Monroe County Board of Commissioners, was filed in May 2020 to halt the Houston South project. On March 30, 2022, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana issued a summary judgment that stated the Forest Service failed to evaluate the potential impact of the project. The judge ruled the Forest Service did not violate the Endangered Species Act, with the claim dismissed. The judge also dismissed claims that the Forest Service did not consider reasonable alternatives. Both the plaintiffs and defendants appealed and it is currently with the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Court injunction halts Houston South project Hoosier National Forest Residents in another Charlotte neighborhood want speed bumps along their street after several close calls and a recent crash. Those who live along Covecreek Drive in Hampshire Hills, near Eastway, say multiple drivers speed down their long and curvy street every day and many have experienced close calls. Its a road that many drivers use as a cut-through to The Plaza. RELATED STORIES: Its just becoming very unsafe, said Jamie Wildgoose, who lives along the street. A car rammed into his front yard in February after he said the driver was likely speeding and lost control, slamming into his retaining wall and sending bricks everywhere. It was pretty bad. The car was flipped over, he added. He gave Channel 9 several pictures showing the mess the crash made. Today at 5:30PM on @wsoctv: After multiple close calls along a neighborhood street in Northeast Charlotte - residents want action from the city. This is the latest crash after a car was likely speeding around a curve. Tonight, the solution the city just told me about. pic.twitter.com/j55tfmJLTP Hunter Saenz (@Hunt_Saenz) March 30, 2023 I was speechless. I didnt have a lot of words, I was more in shock, Wildgoose said. Its the latest accident on a street that Wildgoose said is notorious for dangerous driving. He said hes nearly been hit while walking his dog, and several accidents have damaged light posts, trashcans and fences. Its why he and other neighbors want the City of Charlotte to put multiple speed humps along the street in an effort to slow drivers down who exceed the 15 miles per hour speed limit. Story continues I just hope that the city is listening to the residents, Wildgoose said. Because we do want that safety. His neighborhood isnt the only one thats requested speed bumps. Channel 9 reported spoke with residents in Enderly Park last year who said dangerous, speeding drivers have caused crashes and nearly hit pedestrians in their neighborhood. The city put a stop sign at a nearby intersection in an effort to slow drivers down, but not a speed bump. Neighbors in Enderly Park say people still drive erratically. Back in Hampshire Hills, Wildgoose hopes safety measures or at least a traffic study will be implemented by the city before someone gets hurt. In the meantime, he wants drivers to think about the consequences that could happen and just slow down. Just think about others, Wildgoose said. I think at the end of the day, we all need to get somewhere. If youre a couple minutes late, you know, just say, Hey, Im sorry, Im a couple minutes late, because I was respecting the rules of the road. Channel 9 reached out to Charlotte Department of Transportation to ask if theyve received the speed bump requests from the neighborhood and if anything will be done about it. At the time of this article, we had not yet heard back from CDOT. >> To request speed bumps in your neighborhood, click here. (WATCH BELOW: City of Charlotte to receive money to crack down on speeding) Croatian Defence Minister Mario Banozic said on an unannounced visit to Ukraine on Wednesday that Zagreb is currently considering providing Kyiv with Mi-8 helicopters and assistance with mine clearance. Source: Banozic at the press conference in Odesa, reports European Pravda Details: Speaking about ways to support Ukraine, the Croatian Minister of Defence mentioned the more than 25 years of experience in humanitarian mine clearance that his country has gained as a result of the 1992-1995 Serbian-Croatian war. "Our experience of the war in the 90s is the reason why we know what is happening [in Ukraine ed.] and why you are right. It also includes care for veterans and post-war activities such as mine clearance," he emphasised. When asked whether Ukraine could expect to receive Mi-8 helicopters from Croatia, Banozic said that the issue is currently being considered. "From the very beginning, the Croatian government has been supporting Ukraine financially, technically and materially and has been providing political support. And one of the steps to this political support is a decision that is currently being considered by our government. One of the points of this decision is helicopters, and I hope that in the near future, we will be able to transfer them [to Ukraine ed.]," he said. On his Facebook page, Banozic separately wrote that he had presented his Ukrainian counterpart, Oleksii Reznikov, with a model of the Vukovar water tower and a part of the missile body that was fired during the war at his hometown of Vinkovci as "a symbol of understanding the horrors of war and a symbol of the suffering and freedom of the Croatian people". Croatia has consistently supported Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale war, but because of the pro-Russian opposition and President Zoran Milanovic, for example, it did not join the European Union mission to train the Ukrainian military. Story continues In January, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic promised to continue supporting Ukraine despite the parliament's refusal to approve the participation of Croatian troops in the EU training mission. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! (Bloomberg) -- Terraform Labs Pte co-founder Do Kwon is in a jail in Montenegro, but his ultimate destination will likely be the US or South Korea. Both countries have charged him in connection with an alleged cryptocurrency fraud that wiped out $40 billion in market value. Most Read from Bloomberg But which country will get first crack at the TerraUSD creator? US and South Korean prosecutors have both said they will request Kwons extradition. Montenegros justice minister, Marko Kovac, said Wednesday a judge would decide how to proceed. Consideration will be given to the gravity of crimes, location of committed offenses, sequence of requests, as well as citizenship of the suspects, Kovac said. He also said Kwon might need to serve time in Montenegro, where he was arrested for traveling on fake documents, before hes extradited anywhere. Who actually gets Kwon into a courtroom first on crypto fraud charges will likely depend on both legal and political considerations. What is extradition? Extradition is the legal process by which one nation turns over a person to another nation to face prosecution or punishment. The rules are typically spelled out in bilateral or multilateral treaties. Such agreements define the legal process the nations will follow, what offenses are covered, and how someone can appeal. Do the US and South Korea have extradition treaties with Montenegro? Neither the US nor South Korea have direct extradition treaties with Montenegro, but both have access to other legal mechanisms to get their hands on Kwon. Fugitives have previously been sent to the US under Montenegros Law on International Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters. South Korea and Montenegro are both signatories to the European Convention on Extradition. Story continues How does Montenegro handle competing extradition claims? Under Montenegrin law, if two or more countries are seeking extradition, the court will consider the seriousness of the offenses charged by the countries, where the alleged crimes were committed, when each country made its extradition request, the nationality of the fugitive and other factors. Kovac echoed that on Wednesday. Who has the stronger claim to Kwon? Many legal experts think South Korea would have priority because Kwon is a citizen of that nation and was first charged there. South Korean prosecutors brought a case against Kwon in September, while their US counterparts only indicted him on March 23, hours after he was arrested. So does that settle it? Not necessarily. Though South Korea may have stronger legal footing, the decision could be influenced by politics and diplomacy. Both Montenegro, a NATO member, and South Korea, a US defense treaty ally, may want to avoid directly challenging the US over the matter. Could the countries reach a deal? Yes. The US could argue that it has a better ability to prosecute Kwon and also seize any of his assets around the world. The US could agree to share the proceeds of those seizures with victims from South Korea. They could also agree that one country or the other will proceed first. Even if Kwon is sent from Montenegro to South Korea, that country could then decide to send him to the US for the first trial. In the 1MDB case, Malaysia released ex-Goldman Sachs Group Inc. banker Roger Ng from custody so he could be prosecuted and sentenced in New York first. Can Kwon challenge extradition? Most countries, including Montenegro, only allow extradition for offenses that are crimes in both countries. Kwon could try to focus on differences in the nations statutes to argue that he cant be extradited. In some cases, extradition disputes carry on for months, even years. But Kwon might also consider where hed spend all that time. His fellow crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried initially said he would fight extradition to the US on fraud charges but changed his tune after he was taken from his luxury penthouse and locked up in a notorious Bahamian prison. Hes now awaiting trial at his parents house in California while free on a $250 million bail package. --With assistance from Chris Strohm. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. To get a roundup of TechCrunchs biggest and most important crypto stories delivered to your inbox every Thursday at 12 p.m. PT, subscribe here. Welcome back to Chain Reaction. If you thought last week was crazy with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission clamping down on major crypto companies like Coinbase and Tron, you should buckle up for this weeks news. Binance, the worlds largest crypto exchange by volume, its CEO Changpeng Zhao and Chief Compliance Officer Samuel Lim are being sued by the U.S. Commodity Futures and Trading Commission (CFTC), according to a filing on Monday. The company, Zhao and Lim are being sued for allegedly breaking trading and derivatives rules. The CFTC filing alleges the exchange never registered with it in any capacity and has disregarded federal laws for U.S. financial markets, including laws that implement controls to prevent and detect money laundering and terrorism financing, among other elements. After launching in June 2017, the exchange became the largest crypto exchange globally within 180 days and has held that ranking since. Binance has spent $80 million on external partners like KYC vendors, transaction monitoring, market surveillance and investigative tools to support its compliance programs, a spokesperson for the company shared with TechCrunch. This filing is unexpected and disappointing as we have been working collaboratively with the CFTC for more than two years, the spokesperson added. Nevertheless, we intend to continue to collaborate with regulators in the U.S. and around the world. The best path forward is to protect our users and to collaborate with regulators to develop a clear, thoughtful regulatory regime. The CFTC probably doesnt agree with that stance, as its filing stated Zhao and other involved parties in Binances senior management have failed to properly supervise Binances activities and those actions have actively facilitated violations of U.S. law. Story continues In response to the CFTC announcement, Zhao tweeted 4, which refers to a previous tweet of his from January that uses the number to tell others to ignore FUD, fake news, attacks, etc. FUD is an acronym for fear, uncertainty and doubt and usually references when a company feels theyre being put at a disadvantage. This action comes at a time when the crypto industry -- especially big players -- is facing a lot of U.S. regulatory action, which some view as a good thing for clarity purposes, but others see as unfair or stifling for innovation. Whether this action will have a positive impact on the U.S. crypto ecosystem will be determined in the long run. But even after a number of regulatory enforcements, the cryptocurrency market seems unaffected. The total crypto market cap slightly increased from $1.15 trillion to $1.18 trillion on the week, according to CoinMarketCap data. At the time of writing, bitcoin and ether were up about 4% and 3%, respectively, within the same time frame. This week in web3 Binance CFTC suit shows that regulators will keep regulating and regulate more (TC+) Keeping with the theme from above, TechCrunch dove into what the Binance lawsuit from the CFTC means for the greater crypto industry -- and the impact could be far-reaching. Crypto is under attack, Yankun Guo, partner at Chicago-based law firm Ice Miller, told TechCrunch+. The past six months has seen a wave of complaints and enforcement actions against blue-chip names including Coinbase, Kraken and KuCoin, and it was only a matter of time until Binance had their turn. The ultimate impact on Binance could send shockwaves through the global digital asset market, another market player noted. Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried charged for allegedly bribing Chinese officials Another crypto exchanges (former) exec also was in the news this week, but for different reasons. U.S. prosecutors filed a superseding indictment against former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried alleging he bribed Chinese officials. According to court filings from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, in or about 2021, Bankman-Fried authorized and directed a bribe of at least $40 million to one or more Chinese government officials. Are cryptocurrencies commodities or securities? Depends on which US agency you ask (TC+) Its a confusing time to be a crypto company. The markets are volatile and trading activity is shaky right now, but the biggest problem for crypto firms seems to be that theres no clarity at the moment around the laws theyre supposed to be in alignment with. In CFTCs latest lawsuit against Binance it alleged that some cryptocurrencies were commodities -- a viewpoint that diverges from another major U.S. government agency, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which views most crypto assets (aside from Bitcoin) as securities. US, South Korea both seek Do Kwons extradition to face charges Do Kwon, the founder of Terraform Labs, which operated the TerraUSD stablecoin and its sister token LUNA, was arrested in Montenegro last week while trying to board a flight to flee to Dubai with falsified documents. Whats next? We dont know which country Kwon will be sent to, as he now faces criminal charges in the U.S. as well as his native country, South Korea. And both countries appear to be seeking Kwons extradition. Coinbase execs weigh in on the cryptos future in US amid regulatory scrutiny (TC+) Coinbase was issued a Wells notice from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission last week, and executives from the company took to Twitter Spaces to discuss the decision and what Coinbases next steps will be to make legal frameworks for the crypto world. Regulators should come up with the rules, tell everybody the rules and we follow them, CEO Brian Armstrong said during the conversation. The current laws are not clear and we would like to get more clarity. The latest pod For last weeks episode, Jacquelyn interviewed Emin Gun Sirer, founder and CEO of Ava Labs. Ava Labs has raised a total of about $640 million, according to Crunchbase, and is backed by firms like a16z and Polychain Capital. In recent months, Ava Labs has announced a number of partnerships with major brands and companies, like Amazon Web Services, which TechCrunch covered exclusively. Ava Labs created the layer-1 blockchain Avalanche, a platform that lets developers build multifunctional blockchains and decentralized applications with a focus on speed and low transaction costs. We talked about Gun Sirers background; why he launched the layer-1 blockchain, Avalanche, in 2020; whether the space has too many L1s; and how blockchains can scale more efficiently. We also discussed: How the layer-2 vision is broken U.S. regulatory crackdown on crypto Ava Labs growth in Asian markets The blockchains partnerships and business development Ava Labs focal point for 2023 and beyond Subscribe to Chain Reaction on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite pod platform to keep up with the latest episodes, and please leave us a review if you like what you hear! Follow the money Crypto wallet company Ledger raises another $108 million Web3 protocol Polytrade raises $3.8 million to improve global trade Blockchain startup Fetch.ai grabs $40 million to provide monetization and other tooling for AI-generated information Aptos-based protocol Econia Labs raises $6.5 million to build decentralized order books Eigen Labs closes $50 million Series A round led by Blockchain Capital This list was compiled with information from Messari as well as TechCrunchs own reporting. A commission of the Ministry of Culture which is supposed to be transferring property of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra to the state, and was to have started the process of inspecting items at the shrine on 30 March, could not get into the first building because it was closed. Source: Suspilne, citing Mariana Tomin, a representative of the commission and Director of the Department of Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture Quote from Tomin: "We arrived with the commission and were supposed to go to building 111 and start the inspection. Since people are praying and singing, for reasons that are as yet unknown, which we will now establish, the building is closed; that is, the church is closed. So now we will record all these things and continue our work." Details: Tomin said the commission consists of 15 people, including three from the UOC-MP Lavra monastery. Representatives of the church had been warned about the inspection. The commission now plans to contact law enforcement agencies regarding the obstruction of its work. They want to find out why the building was closed. Tomin also urged the monastery's members to allow the commission to do everything required by the law and within the limits of its authority. The Ministry of Culture representative said the commission should be working at the Lavra for a total of three months. For reference: The Ministry of Culture commission is to conduct an inventory of 79 items that were transferred to the monastery for use free of charge in 2013. They are to be inspected and a deed of transfer and acceptance is to be drawn up. Previously: Despite having been requested to leave the shrine on 29 March, representatives of the UOC-MP still remained in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra as of the morning of 30 March and even held a service in one of the churches. The Ministry of Culture commission which was supposed to conduct an inventory of the property of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve was refused entry to the monastery by UOC-MP parishioners. They were encouraged to do so by the monasterys Abbot Pavlo himself. Story continues He also threatened to beat journalists with a stick. Background: In March 2023, the National Reserve Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra terminated the agreement with the UOC-MP on the free use of the monastery in Kyiv. The monks were supposed to leave the monastery and all its buildings on 29 March. The priests of the UOC-MP should have left the monastery on 29 March after holding their last service there. But the Lavras abbot, Metropolitan Pavlo, said he did not intend to do that and filed a lawsuit against the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve. He also openly threatened Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and said Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko was "possessed by an unclean spirit". On the evening of 29 March, the UOC-MP website reported that the Kyiv Commercial Court had opened proceedings in a case brought by the Holy Dormition Monastery against the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve over the termination of the lease agreement by the National Reserve. Oleksii Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, gave assurances that UOC-MP clergy would not be evicted from the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra by force. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo weighed in on gun control in the wake of a mass shooting in Nashville where three children and three adults were killed at an elementary school, arguing that assault-style weapons arent needed for self defense and should be banned. Even the National Rifle Association (NRA) supported the countrys 1930s move to outlaw machine guns, Cuomo said in an interview with John Catsimatidis, because we as a society said, Its too dangerous to take the risk. Maybe somebody who is mentally ill could get a machine gun and could be on the corner and could kill 100 people before anyone could do anything. So, we outlawed machine guns. Why cant we bring that same intelligent, rational thought today? A machine gun and an assault weapon are basically the same issue Why run the risk of having weapons that are so dangerous? You dont hunt with an assault weapon. You dont need it for self-defense, Cuomo said. A 28-year-old shooter killed three nine-year-olds and three adults in their 60s at The Covenant School in Nashville on Monday, shooting through the schools locked doors and wielding two assault-style weapons and a handgun. Police have said the shooter legally purchased seven guns at five different local gun shops and hid them at home ahead of the attack. The massacre adds to the growing list of deadly school shootings in the U.S. and has again stoked contentious talk over gun control. Audrey Hale, who was killed by officers on scene, had been under a doctors care for an emotional disorder, police said, and is believed to have been a former student at the school. Evidence indicates Hale surveilled and drew maps of the building in preparation for the attack. The motive is unknown. The opposition will say, well, its the person who pulled the trigger. And thats the problem, mental health, etc. Yeah, its a mental health problem and an assault weapon, right? Is not a mental health problem and a stone. Its not a mental health problem and a bow and arrow. Its a mental health problem and an assault weapon that has a magazine capacity of 20 or 30 bullets, Cuomo said. The former New York governor pushed for a federal ban because state bans are limited: You can drive to another state, buy a gun, put it in your trunk and drive. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A Norfolk County Grand Jury indicted Brian Walshe for the murder of his wife, Ana Walshe back in January. This really is the most important step. Because it means Brian Walshes case gets transferred to felony courts, Superior Court, which is the court that has the authority to put him in prison for the rest of his life, said attorney Wendy Murphy. Attorney Michael W. Morrissey announced on Thursday that three indictments against Walshe, 48, of Cohasset, were issued including the murder of his wife, for misleading a police investigation/obstruction of justice, and for the improper conveyance of a human body. Brian Walshe entered a plea of not guilty to the charge of murder at his Quincy District Court arraignment in January, District Attorney Morrissey said. This indictment moves the case to the Norfolk Superior Court, where it will be arraigned anew in the coming weeks. That date has not yet been set. Prosecutors have alleged that Walshe killed his wife, 39-year-old Ana Walshe in their Cohasset home on New Years Day. The couples three young boys were reportedly home at the time. The Walshe children remain in DCF custody after their father is charged with mothers murder Investigators suspect that Anas discarded remains may have been incinerated in a trash facility. There is a preponderance of a lot of things here that really point in one direction, said Peter Raider, who was friends with Ana Walshe. There are so many unanswered questions. Raider, who met Ana through their work in the real estate industry, is anxious to see how the case unfolds. Everybody who knew and cared about Ana is really watching this thing, he said. She had this genuine heart of gold that she wanted to spread around the world. Prosecutors have already said that Brian Walshe made more than a dozen disturbing Google searches on his sons iPad, including 10 ways to dispose of a dead body if you really need to and how to stop a body from decomposing Story continues The state has already presented evidence collected from 10 trash bags that were reportedly disposed of in a dumpster at the Swampscott apartment complex of Brian Walshes mother. Some of that evidence includes a piece of a necklace that Ana had been wearing, a Prada purse, a COVID vaccine card with her name and other items containing both Brian and Anas DNA. At some point in the investigation, prosecutors could bring all of the evidence gathered to a grand jury. 25 Investigates: Brian Walshes damaging digital footprint, according to prosecutors The returns on the search warrants, the stuff they found, both sides are going to be very focused on that. Because thats the whole case: What they found when they went searching, not only whether a murder happened but whether they can prove it. Whether there is enough evidence to prove that she is in fact, dead, said Murphey. District Attorney Morrissey said his office would provide the arraignment date as soon as it was finalized by Norfolk Superior Court. Walshe remains held without bail. In Massachusetts, a conviction of murder in the first degree carries a mandatory life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole. Ana Walshe murder: An in-depth look into where the case stands and what comes next This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW After 22 years of searching for the suspect that entered the room of a 13-year-old Cambridge girl and raped her, authorities have made an arrest. Roger Reddick Jr. 41, of Cambridge, will be arraigned on three counts of rape of a child with force Thursday, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said. A male intruder entered the victims Cambridge in the early morning hours of October 18, 2000, Ryan said. Officials say the alleged assaulter entered the victims room, covered her mouth with his hand and ordered her to be quiet. During the ensuing sexual assault, the intruder asked the victim how old she was, the DAs office says. The victim was eventually able to escape and ran out of the bedroom, screaming for help. The intruder ran out of the home. Cambridge police searched the area around the home but were unable to find the attacker. Inside the home, investigators recovered a fingerprint on a jewelry box. In 2009, police were able to identify the fingerprint as belonging to Reddick but still did not have sufficient corroboration to charge the man, the DA said. A pair of green mens boxer shorts were also found in the bedroom, but investigators were unable to develop a DNA profile until investigators began a renewed examination with new technologies in September of last year. At the time of the crime, Reddick was a resident of Cambridge who lived less than half a mile from the victims house. This case is every parents nightmare a violent stranger entering your home in the middle of the night and assaulting your child in their bed. When I started the Cold Case Unit, I made a commitment that we would take every opportunity to use advances in technology to proceed with previously uncharged cases. This case is a perfect example of that work and I am grateful that we are able to begin the process of holding the defendant accountable for the events of that evening, said Ryan. This case represents how committed the Cambridge Police Department is to bringing justice to survivors and their families, and how diligent we will work with our partners to ensure violent criminals are identified and apprehended, no matter how long it takes, said Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine Elow. We will always be here for survivors and will never give up trying to find and prosecute the people behind such horrendous acts. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Daisy May Cooper has fiercely condemned one of Londons most famous theatre schools, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (Rada). The creator and star ofThis Country and Am I Being Unreasonable? trained at the institution in the mid-2000s. Ive not known bullying like what I experienced in that school, in any f***ing workplace, she told the Evening Standard in a new interview. I dont think that I realised that it was real bullying until I started talking to other people from my year, or other people that went That [kind of] bullying does not need to exist anywhere. Its not like, Were trying to shape you into the best people that you could be, so weve got to be mean. Thats not going to get the best out of people, thats going to leave [them] with scars that they can never fix. She said that the problem was the teaching approach, telling the publication: They were getting people to talk about miscarriages that theyd had, or rapes that theyd been through and then thered be no aftercare. Youd just cry about it and theyd go, Thats really good, you managed to get somewhere then. And Im sorry, I dont give a f***, acting is pretend, thats what we do. Theres no reason that youve got to bring up a rape just to get congratulated for being a good actor. Its dangerous. You were so desperate because it was like, If I dont do this course, Ill never get seen by an agent, so this is the rest of my career youd put up with anything. Daisy May Cooper attends The BRIT Awards 2023 (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images) The Independent has contacted Rada for comment. In an apology published in the Standard interview, a representative for the school said: We are very sorry to hear about Daisy May Coopers experiences at Rada when she trained here, and would not tolerate the practices she describes in our present teaching environment. The wellbeing of our students is critical to us, and our wellbeing team works closely with students while they are exploring challenging material, and afterwards. We are also committed to a zero-tolerance policy on any discrimination, harassment or bullying. Story continues Coopers new comments echo those she made to The Independent in 2020, in which she said: I was terrified every day. I would do monologues and our tyrannical teacher would say, Thats dreadful. You cant act, why are you even on this course? It was such a headf***, and if you had a bad class, the rest of your peers would ostracise you. It was unbelievably stressful 15-hour days where you were just told how s*** you were all the time and pushed to your absolute limit. It was toxic. Daisy May Cooper in Rain Dogs (BBC) She was adamant that Rada is not the only way in for aspiring actors. Young people need to be f***ing encouraged, she said. Selin Hizli, who starred with Cooper in Am I Being Unreasonable? and also co-wrote the show, also had negative experiences at Rada. She told The Independent in 2022: We had this teacher who was really intense and exacting. I needed a really gentle, soft touch and thats not what that was. That little voice in my head that was already there saying I dont think youre quite right for this was now being projected at me externally. Rada robbed me of any instinct I had about acting. It was also one of the least creative places Ive ever been. It was a star factory. Rada has many, many famous graduates, including Anthony Hopkins, Cynthia Erivo, Alan Rickman, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Imelda Staunton and Tom Hiddleston. In the same interview, Cooper said she has a phone phobia because of debt collectors, revealing that she doesnt own a phone because she expects every call to be bad news. Daisy May Cooper can next be seen in the BBC One drama Rain Dogs, which begins on Tuesday 4 April. Daisy May Cooper has revealed that she doesnt own a phone because she has a phobia of them. The Gloucestershire-born actor and writer, 36, is best known for her West Country comedy series This Country, which she wrote and starred in. In a new interview with the Evening Standard, the Am I Being Unreasonable? actor opened up about the poverty she experienced as a child. I dont actually own a phone any more, she said. She explained that she got a phobia of phones while she was growing up, because debt collectors would be constantly ringing her house phone. Ive got a phobia of them because [growing up] the house phone was just constantly ringing from debt collectors, she said. The actor continued: Now, every time I get a call, I assume that its bad news. I had to get rid of it. Alternatively, she communicates with people via her iPad, through emails or Instagram direct messages. Daisy May Cooper is best known for her roles in This Country and Am I Being Unreasonable? (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images) Elsewhere in the interview, she recalled a time she went to an audition in London and her shoes fell apart. The only pair of shoes that I had were these sandals that had broken apart, she explained. And I only had 9 in my account which is exactly what I needed to get a return National Express ticket to London [she was living with her parents in Cirencester at the time]. It meant I couldnt get the Tube, Id have to walk all day so I just wrapped my sandals in parcel tape. The actor previously opened up about being told she wasnt funny any more after losing weight. Cooper said that shed lost weight because she was unhappy with her health, but found herself receiving unexpected messages afterwards. Im so for body positivity but when I was at my biggest I was at my most miserable and I had a massive food addiction, she said. I wasnt healthy. I couldnt breathe when I was walking up the stairs. I was so unhappy. Ive had some messages like, Well, now youve lost the weight youre not funny any more. What the f***? Why do women have to be f***ing fat to be funny? That makes me so angry. The Dallas Police Department is asking the public to come forward if they have any information regarding the 2021 murder of a 20-year-old man. On March 3, 2021, at around 1:20 a.m., police responded to a shooting call in the 1500 block of Elk Creek Road. The victim, Jason Izaguirre, was found in the back yard at his home with a gunshot wound, according to police. Dallas Fire-Rescue responded and pronounced the victim deceased at the scene. The investigation is ongoing, and the motive is unknown at this time. No arrests have been made. A note that reads, Ay morras con Los Lira no se juega ha ha, in Spanish is believed by the Dallas Police Department to have been left behind by a suspect wanted in the 2021 murder of Jason Izaguirre. A photo taken by police shows a note at the scene that is believed to have been left behind by the killer. The note reads in Spanish, Ay morras con Los Lira no se juega ha ha. The Dallas Police Department is asking anyone with information regarding this investigation to contact Homicide Detective Christopher Walton at 214-701-8453 or by email at christopher.walton@dallascityhall.com, referencing the case number 036103-2021. F-16 fighter jets Danilov, while speaking on national television on March 30, said that Ukraine didn't have many Western weapons at the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion, but it has them now. Read also: Ukraine needs F-16 fighters for its defense, says Zaluzhnyi "No one believed we would get Patriots (missile systems), Leopards (tanks) and many other weapons that are already in Ukraine. We will definitely get aircraft soon," the Ukrainina security council secretary said. U.S. President Joe Biden and Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz both have both said they will not supply aircraft to Ukraine at this time. Read also: Ukrainian and U.S. Air Force commanders discuss supply of F-16s to Ukraine However, Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov believes it's a matter of one or two months before Western leaders come round to the idea of providing Ukraine with a modern multi-role fighter to protect its skies. Ukrainian pilots can master F-16 fighter jets in less than half a year, Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, General Serhiy Holubtsov, said on March 20. Ukraine says it needs F-16 fighters to support its coming offensive against Russian invasion forces, and to counter the latest escalation in the war by Russia the bombing of Ukrainian border towns with guided aerial bombs released by Russian warplanes flying outside the range of Ukrainian air defenses. Read also: Ukraine working to build aviation coalition to get fighter jets, Kuleba says Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine The Hood Museum at Dartmouth College (Photo: Dartmouth Website) Dartmouth College has unknowingly been using the bones belonging to Native American ancestors to teach with as recently as fall 2022, the college announced this week. The discovery came about during an internal collections review between the anthropology department and the schools Hood Museum of Art in November 2022. Museum staff realized that acquisition numbers for the human remains documented in their collection for eventual return matched numbers cataloged by the anthropology department, where at least 23 individualsand as many as 123were used as teaching materials for classes on bones. In some cases, the bones of individual Native American ancestors were split between the department and the Hood museum. At least three individuals had already been returned to their tribal nations in the late 1990s. College faculty are unclear about how the ancestors came to the anthropology department because documentation is limited or nonexistent over the universitys two-and-a-half century history, according to Jerry DeSilva, Dartmouths Chair of Anthropology. Most of the material from the anthropology departments roughly 3,000-bone teaching collection including professionally prepared bones purchased from biological supply companies; and bones from local cadavers who donated their remains to sciencewas acquired from alumni donations since the college was founded in 1769, DeSilva told Native News Online. One of the mistakes that we are reckoning with right now is that we were teaching with materials when we didn't know where they were from, DeSilva said. We still thought it was OK to teach with them. That's never going to happen again here, and it shouldn't happen anywhere. The only way to teach bone biology and skeletal anatomy would be with bones of individuals who willingly donated their bodies for this purpose. Dartmouth paused its human osteology class on Tuesday and removed every bone from its teaching collection. We are not teaching human osteology until we, from scratch, develop an ethically sourced teaching collection, DeSilva said. Thats underway. Story continues Additionally, Dartmouth Provost David Kotz on Tuesday announced the formation of a task force to address institution-wide issues of the handling and repatriation of ancestral remains, including non-Native American human remains from other countries that were also part of the teaching collection. The college will also hire a project manager to work with anthropology, Dartmouths Hood Museum of Art, and the Division of Institutional Diversity and Equity on the identification and return of Native American ancestors and their artifacts. The discovery The discovery came about by museum staff cross-comparing new inventories of the anthropology department, Jami Powell (Osage Nation), curator of Indigenous Art at the Hood, Museum told Native News Online. Powell was hired five years ago and immediately prioritized a re-inventory of the museums collection of human remains and burial objects, a process she said brought forward more questions than answers. In the early 90s, Congress passed a law that required all universities and museums receiving federal funds to catalog and return Native American human remains in their collections. Dartmouth reported a collection of 15 Native American human remains originating from Alaska, California, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, and New Mexico that have yet to be repatriated. They also cataloged 46 sacred burial items, the vast majority of them originating from Cochise county in Arizona. The college has repatriated ten additional Native American ancestors and 36 burial objects to their tribal nations, including one Native Hawaiian organization, since it completed its inventory in 1996. Five of those repatriations happened in 1996, and the last in 2016, according to federal documents. In their re-inventory, Hood Museum staff working with a forensic anthropologist found that the minimum number of human remains had been miscounted. There were 27, not 15, and some of the ancestors had no information about where they were taken from at all, Powell said. Around the same time of the Museums re-inventory, the anthropology department conducted its own re-inventory of its osteological teaching collection in preparation for a move to a different floor in its building, DeSilva said. Through this process, staff flagged the parts of 23 individuals who had accession numbers, or numbers assigned to items when they are added to a collection.They an additional 100 bones as potentially problematic for showing signs of having been dug out of the ground. When the departments shared their inventory lists with one another, the items unique accession numbers from the anthropology department teaching collection corresponded to accession numbers for Native American human remains at the museum some of which were already repatriated to their tribal nations, or listed as missing in museum records. We knew exactly what those numbers were and that they corresponded to things that were listed as missing or withdrawn in our record, Powell said. The 23 ancestors from the anthropology department includes: Partial remains of five individuals previously listed as missing or withdrawn from the Hood Museums records. Partial remains of five individuals matched to unrepatriated ancestors already in the Hood Museums collection. Partial remains of ten individuals that had National Park Service accession numbers. Partial remains from three ancestral individuals that were repatriated by the college in the 1990s. We are actively working with those tribal nations and Native Hawaiian organizations as well as the National NAGPRA Program to correct these unfortunate errors and to return these remains as soon as possible, Powell said. The Native Ivy Dartmouth administration met with the schools Indigenous population before the news went public on Tuesday. Dartmouth Collegewhich has a reputation among Ivy League schools for being the most inclusive of American Indianscurrently has around 200 students who self-identify as Native American, Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian on campus, or 4% of the total student body. Thats significantly higher than most Ivies, where the American Indian population makes up less than one-half of one percent, according to Indian Country Today. By comparison, Harvard University this year has 331 Harvard students that self-identify as Indigenous out of about 25,000 studentsmaking up about 1% of its student body population. My immediate reaction was disappointment that the college had used bones that they didnt know what the origins were, said Ahnili Johnson-Jennings, a Dartmouth senior and a member of the Quapaw, Sac and Fox, Choctaw, and Miami tribes. Shes also the co-president of Native Americans at Dartmouth, a group supporting the Indigenous student body on campus. I felt that that was irresponsible. Although Johnson-Jenningsa government and Native American studies dual major never took an anthropology class herself, her government classes were housed in the same building as the anthropology department. It was shocking to think, in a building I go to for class pretty regularly, there were those remains in that building, she told Native News Online. She said that some of her Indigenous classmates are anthropology majors, and had likely unknowingly handled the remains of possibly even their own ancestors. It was hard for students to hear, Johnson-Jennings said. Its hard when its Dartmouth College. To us, that means somewhere that supports Native students. To us, that means somewhere that supports our culture and us being here on campus for a large span of history. We are the Native Ivy and to hear that, it was a hard thing to grapple with when you see your school as being so supportive. Shannon OLoughlin (Choctaw), chief executive and attorney for the Association on American Indian Affairs, told Native News Online that its not surprising that one division of a university does not know what another division of a university is doingits just particularly upsetting given Dartmouth's positive reputation throughout Indian Country. At Dartmouth, this is more egregious considering that Dartmouth holds a special place in the eyes of so many Native students and alumni that have held Dartmouth in such high esteem and as a safe place and community, OLoughlin said. The schools Indigenous staff have arranged for a medicine man to clean the space where the bones were kept, and have organized community gatherings for students throughout the week. The goalpost keeps moving Dartmouth is not alone in its recent discovery of Native American human remains. In the past year alone, a handful of universities and museums have made similar discoveries of Native American human remains in their long forgotten or never recorded catalogs. In August 2022, The University of Alabama completed its inventory of more than 10,000 Native American human remains in its possession, the largest number of human remains ever reported in a single notice. That same month, the University of North Dakota (UND) announced it discovered dozens of Native American human remains and several hundred objects taken from Indigenous communities that the school failed to ever report under NAGPRA. In September 2022, staff at Kansas Universitys natural history museum discovered 380 culturally unaffiliated human remains and 554 associated funerary objects. Although the ancestors and belongings had been reported in the 90s under NAGPRA, the university had never returned them, and eventually they fell through the cracks. Earlier this month, ProPublica reporters Mary Hudetz (Crow Tribe) and NBCs Graham Lee Brewer (Cherokee Nation) published an investigative reportpart of a larger repatriation project into University of California Berkeleys longtime anthropology professor who taught his students using bones that likely belonged to Native American ancestors. In 1995, museums reported a collection of more than 208,000 Native American human remains. But in the past 32 years, not even half have been returned. Today, institutions still hold roughly 108,000 human remains, according to the federal governments database. As institutions like Damrouth re-inventory and re-prioritize NAGPRA, that number grows each year, said Melanie OBrien, who directs the National NAGPRA program, which is responsible for facilitating the return of certain ancestors and their belongings. The goal post for returning Indigenous ancestors back to their homelands after decadesand often centuriesaway keeps getting further and further, OBrien said. The solution, as she sees it, is twofold. The department feels that we can get close to the goalposts, but at least dealing with the human remains we do know about that have been reported, she told Native News Online. There's 108,000 ancestors that we know about, so let's at least resolve those, and then the process can continue with the additional ones that are found. Additionally, she said museums and institutions should focus their efforts on updating their inventories, which will very likely result in the discovery of additional ancestors. I think that the increased attention could highlight cases like that at Dartmouth, where if a university administration puts out a call to be sure that everything is reported and identified, then there might be more identified than had previously been thought. For Powell, the curator at the Hood Museum, the discovery demonstrates the importance of institutions re-examining their own holdings and inventories done decades before. The reason that I (became) an anthropology major and later got a PhD in anthropologyas ambivalent as I often feel about it, because of these historieswas from my freshman year of college when I learned about NAGPRA and the work that needed to be done within institutions to return our ancestors home, she said. I think this is an important moment for Dartmouth as an institution to reckon with that history, and it's been affirming for me to see the level at which my colleagues are taking this seriously and wanting to make this right and moving forward in a good way. About the Author: "Jenna Kunze is a staff reporter covering Indian health, the environment and breaking news for Native News Online. She is also the publication's lead reporter on stories related to Indian boarding schools and repatriation. Her bylines have appeared in The Arctic Sounder, High Country News, Indian Country Today, Tribal Business News, Smithsonian Magazine, Elle and Anchorage Daily News. Kunze is based in New York." Contact: jkunze@indiancountrymedia.com Philadelphia inventor Hymen L. Lipman rushed heroically to the aid of mistake-prone schoolchildren, draftsmen and artists everywhere when he secured the patent for the pencil with eraser on this day in history, March 30, 1858. "Be it known that I, Hymen L. Lipman, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Lead-Pencil and Eraser;" the visionary wrote in his patent application. "I make a lead-pencil in the usual manner, reserving about one-fourth of the length, in which I make a groove of suitable size and insert in this groove a piece of prepared India rubber (or other erasive substance) secured to said pencil by being glued at one edge." ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, MARCH 29, 1982, MICHAEL JORDAN HITS WINNING SHOT IN NCAA FINAL, LAUNCHING LEGEND The eraser, he noted in his application, "is particularly valuable for removing or erasing lines, figures, etc., and not subject to be soiled or mislaid on the table or desk" as if the purpose of an eraser was unknown to mid-19th century consumers. Lipman was born to a Sephardic Jewish family in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1817. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP He immigrated to the United States at age 21 and like sliced-bread inventor Otto Rohwedder set about reimagining everyday objects for the better. "Lipman was also Americas first envelope manufacturer, and it was he who had the idea of adding adhesive to the back flap, so as to make sealing easier," reports Haaretz.com of Israel. "He devised a method for binding papers with an eyelet that preceded the stapler by two decades. And Lipman was the first to produce and sell blank postcards in the United States, in 1873." His pencil with eraser marked perhaps America's greatest contribution to pencilcraft. Sheep walking along the Honester Pass of Borrowdale Valley in the Lake District, Cumbriam England, circa 1925. Graphite discovered in Borrowdale in the 1500s proved useful for marking sheepskins and fueled the rise of the pencil industry. The earliest writing tool, a stylus made with lead, dates back to antiquity, including the Egyptian and Roman Empires. Pencils gained widespread popularity with the discovery of graphite deposits in the Borrowdale Valley in northern England in the 16th century. Story continues MEET THE AMERICAN WHO INVENTED SLICED BREAD: OTTO ROHWEDDER, HARD-LUCK HAWKEYE "Although (graphite) resembled coal, it would not burn," reports the University of Waterloo (Canada) Earth Sciences Museum. "It did, however, prove to be an excellent marker of sheepskins." Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862). The American author wrote his most famous and enduring work, "Walden, or a Life in the Woods," in 1854, in Concord, Massachusetts. He "was also renowned for his pencil-making prowess," according to Pencil.com. Graphite also boasted one major advantage over the lead used in earlier pencils: graphite is not no poisonous. "A market for it opened up around the end of the sixteenth century. German miners from Keswick in the early sixteenth century had made more progress mining the graphite from this site," the university notes. MEET THE AMERICAN WHO INVENTED THE ZIPPER, ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST USEFUL DEVICES: WHITCOMB JUDSON Although commonly referred to as the lead pencil, even in Lipman's patent application, they are actually made of non-toxic graphite. "Nuremberg, Germany, was the birthplace of the first mass-produced pencils in 1662. Spurred by Faber-Castell (established in 1761), Lyra, Steadtler and other companies, an active pencil industry developed throughout the 19th century industrial revolution," reports Pencil.com, published by pencil-wood supplier California Cedar Products Co. The pencil with eraser was patented in the United States by Hymen Lipman, an immigrant from Jamaica, on March 30, 1858. "Early settlers depended on pencils from overseas until the war with England cut off imports. William Monroe, a Concord, Massachusetts cabinet-maker, is credited with making Americas first wood pencils in 1812." Famous Concord resident Henry David Thoreau, whose transcendentalist tome "Walden" remains essential to American letters more than 150 years after it was published, "was also renowned for his pencil-making prowess," states Pencil.com. The site highlights several other prominent figures in the history of pencildom. Italian artist and scientist Leonardo da Vinci, Founding Father Benjamin Franklin and American explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were all well-documented pencil aficionados. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER Yet before Lipman of Philadelpha, none apparently had the foresight to attach an eraser. "Despite the usefulness of the innovation Lipmans new product did not fly off the shelves at first," pencil enthusiast and blogger Patrick Murfin wrote in 2018. Pencil with eraser, attached by metal grommet. Hymen Lipman's original U.S. patent for the pencil and eraser called for it to be attached with glue. The start of the Civil War in 1861 reportedly changed the fortunes of the pencil with eraser and the fortunes of Mr. Lipman, too. "War, as it often does, offered an exploding market for pencil manufacturers," added Murfin. "Millions would be needed by the military, industry, and government bureaucracy. Entrepreneur Joseph Reckendorfer recognized the potential and in 1862 bought the patent rights from Lipman for a then astonishing $100,000, more than $2 million in current dollars." He went on, "Lipman walked away a very wealthy man." Debbie and Guy Biechele, of Athol drove the 150-mile round trip to the Statehouse Wednesday to advocate for gun violence reduction measures. Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly quoted Jennifer Robinson of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. BOSTON - Some people attending the annual advocacy day to reduce gun violence at the Massachusetts Statehouse Wednesday were there because their lives had been changed by gun violence. Others were there because of an overarching concern with the level of gun violence in the United States. Its a question of public safety, said Debbie Biechele of Athol, who drove the 150-mile round trip with her husband, Guy, because of her concerns with the increase in gun-related violence. People need to feel safe in public places, in churches, schools, while shopping. As a mother who raised two children, she felt she had to speak up, not just because of her concern for her own family but because of her concern with all families. A former worker in social services, she is familiar with gun violence and the havoc it can wreck on lives. Legislators have to hear from the people, have to pass laws, common sense laws, to reduce gun violence, Bichele said. Its not a question of banning all guns, rather its a question of being safe and keeping guns out of sensitive areas. Just two days after the latest school shooting, more than 150 advocates packed the Gardner Auditorium at the Statehouse to show support for bills filed this session. Robinson said the day of advocacy was a yearly event, not related entirely to the incident in Nashville, Tennessee. However, the Massachusetts chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America was born following the Newtown, Connecticut, shooting in 2012. We want the legislature to pass an omnibus bill that addresses gun violence prevention, said Jennifer Robinson of Moms Demand Action. We want legislation to close loopholes, keep up with technology and amplify already strong laws. Scituate resident Jennifer Robinson discusses Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and its goal of reducing gun violence at advocacy day Wednesday, March 29. The state did take steps last year to counteract what could have resulted in challenges to Massachusetts laws when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the New York Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen case. The court declared local police do not have discretion when deciding whether to issue a concealed carry permit, ruling that local discretion violates a citizens Second Amendment right to bear arms. Story continues Other measures range from allowing victims of gun violence to sue the firearms industry, to legislation regulating ghost guns defined in the legislation as untraceable, do-it-yourself, homemade firearms. The advocates also want Massachusetts to finally quantify crime gun data, information about firearms used in crimes, it has been collecting for years. Other measures include requiring applicants for gun permits be required to take gun safety lessons from how to shoot and how to safely store a weapon as well as a provision that would have applicants practice using the weapon before purchasing one. Despite stringent laws, gun violence remains an issue Majority Leader Sen. Cynthia Creem, D-Newton, recognized that Massachusetts has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation. However, she also recognized that gun violence is still a fact of life in the state. We still make headlines, Creem said. She said gun violence is a public health issue and the state must focus on reducing violence, while increasing funding and support for programs that deter youth and at-risk adults from violence. Majority Leader Sen. Cynthia Creem, D-Newton, urges commonsense measure to address gun violence in Massachusetts at the advocacy day for Moms Demand Action, a gun violence reduction organization, on Wednesday in Boston. Rep. Michael Day, D-Stoneham, touted his ongoing listening tour of Massachusetts where he engages in discussions about gun regulations and gun violence. This will result in legislation, Day promised the crowd. He said he was not yet aware of what the legislation would look like but predicted the state would take steps toward gun violence prevention during this 193rd legislative session. Weve been on the Cape, in Plymouth, Worcester. Weve learned about street violence, gun collectors, hunters, ghost guns, Day said. Advocates of reducing gun violence in the United State hand out information about proposed legislation at the Massachusetts Statehouse during the groups advocacy day Wednesday. The Mothers Demand Action group hosting the event and its coalition partners discussed the need to continue collecting but also analyzing data, as well as the need for funding to support victims of gun violence, survivors of domestic violence and survivors of homicide. Laverne Gordon, a survivor of domestic and gun violence, spoke of her mothers experience with an abusive partner and of her own. Children witness abuse, Gordon said, explaining that those children tend to become victims or perpetrators of domestic violence. In college, Gordon said, she was trapped in an abusive relationship that she was too ashamed to admit to, even when an emergency room doctor pointed out that injuries being treated were not consistent with her story - that she fell in the shower. He asked me if I needed help, Gordon said. That question precipitated a reaction of shame and fear. Afraid that if she sought help, she would be ousted from her college and fired from her job, that her family would learn she was in a violent relationship. Junction of gun, domestic violence It was when her former partner started harassing her, broke into her home, stalked her at work, at school and in her neighborhood that she acted. Gordon urged the state to address that intersection of gun violence and domestic violence and ensure that applications for firearms permits continue to include information about mental health histories and past violence. Jim Wallace, executive director of the Gun Owners Action League, said the organization works closely with the state and has pushed for a top-down, section-by-section review of the states myriad gun laws. He called them a "devil's snare." We are hoping to have a legitimate discussion about legislation, Wallace said. The group started working closely with legislators in 2014, shortly after the Newtown school massacre, to draft criminal laws and school safety laws. He said some of those measures have yet to be implemented. The group requested the state use state police to promulgate information about safe storage of firearms, on firearm safety training and how to sign up for programs. Wallace said that those requests haven't been implemented on a statewide basis. Before we draft new laws, lets implement laws that are on the books already, Wallace said. There are so many laws in place, that disentangling the Gordian knot is challenging. It will be a commonsense law when you can hand an explanation to the average person and they can figure it out and comply. To improve Massachusetts firearms safety measures, Wallace would like to see the state allocate funds to support its firearms training mandate. Massachusetts has a 32-step process for people who want to purchase a firearm including mandatory trainings. Its not a question of walking into a retailer and throwing cash on the counter, Wallace said, adding that while the state "talks a great game" when it comes to firearms safety, there's no money where its mouth is. There's no funding for firearms safety training, for safe storage training or even information on how to signup for training programs, Wallace said. This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Mothers Demand Action rally, urge state lawmakers to revisit gun laws A major non-profit is investing millions in addressing food and health inequity and a groundbreaking was held Thursday afternoon in Dayton. Homefull is building a needs campus called a Homefull Health Living, at a 16-acre site in the in the 800 block of South Gettysburg Avenue. >>PHOTOS: Grocery store groundbreaking in Dayton to address food and health inequity News Center 7s Mike Campbell says this new project is expected to be make the space an asset to the community. It will include a grocery store, a Kettering Health Network primary physician office and pharmacy run by Ziks Pharmacy. The 16-acre site used to be the home of a Dayton Public elementary school and then sat vacant as a field for many years. Now, this project will again make the space an asset to the community. City and county leaders were in attendance for the groundbreaking on Thursday. Lisa Rucker, President of the Pine View Neighborhood Association, said this new grocery store will be in a place that sorely needs it. Again, man-made food desert in this area, she said. She tells Campbell this full-service grocery store with health choices is very welcome. The grocery store marketplace is definitely needed, especially for those who are not able to travel, said Rucker. The transportation is limited. So, to get the food supply health food that they need, the marketplace will be just wonderful. >>Dayton City Commission votes to fund Homefulls plan for grocery store, health facility Judy Dodge, Montgomery County Commissioner, was in attendance with for the groundbreaking Thursday and agrees that this is needed. This area has been a food desert for too long, she said. Dodge told Campbell both the county and city contributed money to this project but there are private partners as well to address more than just food needs. It is food, healthcare, and jobs. Kettering Health Network plans to build primary care physician offices here and a popular west side business, Ziks Pharmacy, also plans to have a pharmacy location here. Story continues When it comes to our communities, we should never say never, said Tim Dutton, Homefull board chair. >>Dayton Gets Real: Second Chances The board chairman said making positive changes requires the long-term approach and perseverance. The project represents more than 30 years of work and commitment in the Dayton community that Homefull has participated in, Dutton told Campbell. They promise certain things and we want to see it, Rucker told Campbell. They have 100% support and well encourage others to support it. Rucker said a minority community that has seen food and health inequities for long periods of time is always going to take a wait and see approach. She trusts Homefull and is optimistic. >>Two Brookville women reported missing found alive and well in New Mexico national forest She also hopes other developers will take notice of what is happening. For those that are hesitant to invest in West Dayton to take a second look, Rucker said. Campbell said the ceremonial groundbreaking took place Thursday but construction is underway at this site. It is expected to be completed and opened in about 18 months. Photo from: Mike Campbell/Staff Photo from: Mike Campbell/Staff Photo from: Mike Campbell/Staff Photo from: Mike Campbell/Staff Photo from: Mike Campbell/Staff Photo from: Mike Campbell/Staff Photo from: Mike Campbell/Staff Photo from: Mike Campbell/Staff Photo from: Mike Campbell/Staff Photo from: Mike Campbell/Staff Photo from: Mike Campbell/Staff Photo from: Mike Campbell/Staff Photo from: Mike Campbell/Staff Photo from: Mike Campbell/Staff Photo from: Mike Campbell/Staff Photo from: Mike Campbell/Staff Photo from: Mike Campbell/Staff Photo from: Mike Campbell/Staff Photo from: Mike Campbell/Staff Photo from: Mike Campbell/Staff Photo from: Mike Campbell/Staff Photo from: Mike Campbell/Staff Photo from: Mike Campbell/Staff Photo from: Mike Campbell/Staff Photo from: Mike Campbell/Staff Photo from: Mike Campbell/Staff Photo from: Mike Campbell/Staff Photo from: Mike Campbell/Staff More than five decades after her capture, the 5,000-pound killer whale known best by her stage name, Lolita, may finally be returned to her natural habitat in the coming years. The orca, once a star performer while in captivity at the Miami Seaquarium, is now 57 and retired from exhibition shows as of last spring. Answering to growing pressure from animal rights activists who have long called for Lolita's release from the aquarium where she is confined to a tank that reaches a maximum depth of about 20 feet officials announced "historic" plans on Thursday to transfer the animal back to "home waters" in the Pacific Northwest. The announcement came during a news conference held by the Miami Seaquarium, the Florida-based non-profit organization Friends of Toki and Jim Irsay, a philanthropist and the owner of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts football team. Previously called Friends of Lolita, the non-profit organization changed its title to reflect the whale's indigenous name Tokitae, or Toki for short. Co-founded by environmentalist Pritam Singh, the organization is spearheading efforts to release the orca back into the wild. Although releasing Lolita from captivity will involve a number of hurdles, like re-training the animal to hunt and physically moving her across the country, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said at Thursday's conference that completing the transfer largely depends on the health of the aging whale. Lolita has received consistent veterinary care since late last year. "To all of you who care, we want to thank you for your care and concern of Loki," Cava said. "The most important thing is Toki's long-term wellbeing, and together, guided by the experts, we will continue to do what's best for her." This 1995 photo shows trainer Marcia Hinton with Lolita during a performance at the Miami Seaquarium, in Miami. / Credit: Nuri Vallbona, AP The proposed plan will likely be expensive and could take up to two years, said Irsay, who has committed to financing Lolita's transfer and estimated that the move may cost between $15 and $20 million. It involves creating a sequestered area, with netting, in the ocean off the coast of Washington and moving Lolita there along with two dolphins that currently live with the orca in captivity. Hired trainers would then be tasked with teaching the whale how to fend for herself. Story continues "We have to teach her how to catch fish again," Irsay said, noting that Lolita "doesn't know how to do that anymore" because "she's been in captivity too long." Freeing Lolita came after a deal was reached between the Miami Seaquarium and Friends of Toki. Under the terms of the "binding agreement," the aquarium has pledged to do what it can "to bring to life the dream of returning Lolita to an ocean sanctuary," officials said in a news release introducing the transfer plan. "Today, March 30th, for the first time ever, a private company with marine mammals under human care, and a non-profit animal welfare organization, executed a binding agreement with one goal - return the beloved Lolita to her home waters," the Seaquarium wrote in a separate statement, adding that the orca "will receive the highest quality care as the team works to make relocation possible in the next 18 to 24 months." The Dolphin Company, which owns the Miami Seaquarium and posted the statement to its Twitter page on Thursday afternoon, said it was "proud to share" news of the Seaquarium's binding partnership with Friends of Lolita, a non-profit organization based in Florida, "to change Lolita's future." We are proud to share that the @MiamiSeaquarium has entered into a formal and binding agreement with Friends of Lolita to change Lolitas future. pic.twitter.com/oWWvbIgkFK The Dolphin Company (@TheDolphinCo_) March 30, 2023 Eduardo Albor, the CEO of the Dolphin Company, said at Thursday's conference that he was personally dedicated to releasing the orca after taking his daughter to one of Lolita's performances. His daughter told him that she could not stay to watch the show because Lolita's tank was so small, Albor said. "It has always been our commitment at The Dolphin Company that we place the highest priority on the well-being of animals, above all else," Albor said in a written statement. "Finding a better future for Lolita is one of the reasons that motivated us to acquire the Miami Seaquarium," the statement continued. "With the help of Jim Irsay and Pritam Singh, we are bringing that dream, the dream of returning Lolita to her home waters, closer than ever." New York grand jury indicts former President Donald Trump Parents receive gift that makes them scream Co-workers throw expecting grandfather a "grandpa shower" Reactions and condolences were abundant Thursday morning after a fatal crash involving two Army Blackhawk helicopters at Fort Campbell that killed nine military members. Many Kentucky political leaders from the local to federal level on both sides of the aisle took to social media, said they were deeply saddened and offered their thoughts and prayers. Military officials confirmed Thursday morning that nine people were killed in the crash, which happened during a training routine in Trigg county Wednesday night. The Kentucky Senate held a moment of silence for the victims before it began its last day of business for this years legislative session. Gov. Andy Beshear called the accident tragic on Twitter, and announced his plans to travel to Trigg County to support the troops and families affected. Updated: 9 people dead after Black Hawk military helicopters crash in Western Kentucky The Kentucky House Democrats also offered prayers to troops, who they said risk so much to keep us safe and to protect freedom here and around the world. We will never forget their willingness to serve and the sacrifices they make on our behalf, the tweet said. Members of the GOP including several Republican candidates for governor echoed similar statements. The Republican Party of Kentucky said it was mourning the loss of soldiers and praying for their families. Like others, Attorney General Daniel Cameron said he was deeply saddened about the tragedy, and extended thanks to law enforcement on the scene. I am grateful to the law enforcement and first responders who responded and assisted at the scene. Our prayers are with their families, he said. Weve got some tough news out of Fort Campbell, with early reports of a helicopter crash and fatalities are expected. @kystatepolice, @KentuckyEM and local officials are responding. We will share more information as available. Please pray for all those affected. Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) March 30, 2023 This morning I will be traveling to Fort Campbell to support our troops and their families after last nights tragic incident. More information will be released later this morning. ^AB Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) March 30, 2023 Kentucky, join me in praying for our service members and their families after an incident at Fort Campbell last night. @GovAndyBeshear is traveling there now, and we will share more information as available. ^JC Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman (@LtGovColeman) March 30, 2023 The Republican Party of Kentucky joins the entire Commonwealth in mourning the loss of our soldiers in this tragedy. We are praying for their families. https://t.co/OvvC84FhHu Republican Party of Kentucky (@KYGOP) March 30, 2023 Deeply saddened this morning to learn of multiple deaths following a helicopter crash last night out of Fort Campbell. I'm grateful to the law enforcement and first responders who responded and assisted at the scene. Our prayers are with their families. https://t.co/gBqOWyVBD9 Attorney General Daniel Cameron (@kyoag) March 30, 2023 I am devastated to learn about the Army helicopter accident over Kentucky involving our brave 101st Airborne. My team is in contact with the Army and authorities on the ground. Please pray for our servicemembers and their families as we learn more. Leader McConnell (@LeaderMcConnell) March 30, 2023 My heart goes out to Kentuckys Fort Campbell, servicemembers, and families affected in this mornings Army helicopter accident. As we continue to gather more information and work with authorities, please pray for this strong community. Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) March 30, 2023 I am deeply saddened to learn of the tragic helicopter accident at Fort Campbell late last night. Please join me in praying for the families of the nine servicemembers who lost their lives in faithful service to our great country. Rep. Andy Barr (@RepAndyBarr) March 30, 2023 Saddened by the news of two aircraft from the 101st Airborne accident. Our hearts and prayers are with the servicemembers and their families. https://t.co/GEO4gefgpC Kelly Craft (@KellyCraftKY) March 30, 2023 microscopic image of "syringe" proteins that look like thin, tubular nail-like shapes against a blue background Scientists have developed a molecular "syringe" that can inject proteins, including cancer-killing drugs and gene therapies, directly into human cells. And the researchers did it using an artificial intelligence (AI) program made by Google's DeepMind . The AI program, called AlphaFold, previously predicted the structure of nearly every protein known to science . The team modified a syringe-like protein naturally found in Photorhabdus asymbiotica, a species of bacteria that primarily infects insects. The modified syringe, which was described Wednesday (March 29) in the journal Nature , has not yet been tested in humans, only in lab dishes and live mice. But experts say, eventually, the syringe could have medical applications. "The authors show that this approach can be tuned to target specific cells and to deliver customized protein cargoes (payloads)," Charles Ericson and Martin Pilhofer , who study bacterial cell-cell interactions at ETH Zurich in Switzerland and were not involved in the research, wrote in an accompanying commentary . "These re-engineered injection complexes represent an exciting biotechnological toolbox that could have applications in various biological systems," they wrote. Related: DeepMind scientists win $3 million 'Breakthrough Prize' for AI that predicts every protein's structure P. asymbiotica bacteria normally grow inside roundworms called nematodes and use the worms as Trojan horses to invade insect larvae. It works like this: a nematode invades the larva's body and regurgitates P. asymbiotica; the bacteria kills the insect's cells; and the nematode feasts on the dying larva's flesh. Thus, the nematodes and bacteria enjoy a beautiful symbiotic relationship. To kill the insect cells, P. asymbiotica secretes tiny, spring-loaded syringes, scientifically known as "extracellular contractile injection systems," that carry toxic proteins inside a hollow "needle" with a spike on one end. Small "tails" extend from the base of the syringe imagine the landing gear of a space probe and these tails bind to proteins on the surface of insect cells. Once bound, the syringe stabs its needle through the cell membrane to release its cargo. Story continues In previous studies, scientists isolated these syringes from Photorhabdus bacteria and also discovered that some could target mouse cells, not just insect cells. This raised the possibility that such syringes could be modified for use in humans. black and white microscopy image shows tube-like proteins binding to the surface of a cancer cell To test whether this idea might be feasible, the team first loaded the syringe's hollow tube with proteins of their choosing. Then, they used AlphaFold to better understand how the syringes hone in on insect cells, so they could be modified to target human cells instead. They used the AI system to predict the structure of the bottom of the syringe's landing gear the part that first makes contact with the target cell surface. They then altered this structure so it would latch onto surface proteins found only on human cells. Without AlphaFold, the researchers would have had to conduct this analysis using advanced microscopy techniques and crystallography, meaning detailed studies of the landing gear's atomic structure, Joseph Kreitz , a doctoral student at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT and first author of the study, told Live Science in an email. "This could have taken many months," Kreitz said. "With AlphaFold, we were able to obtain predicted structures of candidate tail fiber designs almost in real-time, significantly accelerating our efforts to reprogram this protein." The researchers then used their modified syringes to tweak cells' genomes in lab dishes. Specifically, they delivered components of the powerful CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing tool into cells to cut and paste sections of DNA into their genomes. The team also used the syringes to insert tiny DNA-snipping scissors called zinc-finger deaminases into cells. RELATED STORIES AI system solves 50-year-old protein folding problem in hours Meta's new AI just predicted the shape of 600 million proteins in 2 weeks DeepMind cracks 'knot' conjecture that bedeviled mathematicians for decades They also used the system to deliver toxic proteins into cancer cells in lab dishes. And finally, they injected the syringes into live mice and found that their cargo could only be detected in the targeted areas and did not spark a harmful immune reaction. For this last experiment, the team used AlphaFold to design their syringes to specifically target mouse cells. These experiments demonstrate that the syringes can serve as "programmable protein delivery devices with possible applications in gene therapy , cancer therapy and biocontrol," the authors concluded. In contrast to therapies that deliver genetic instructions, like DNA or RNA, into cells, these protein-carrying syringes could provide "better control over the dose and half-life of a therapeutic inside cells," Kreitz and the study's senior author Feng Zhang told Live Science in an email. That's because genetic instructions prompt cells to build proteins for themselves, whereas the syringes would come with a premeasured dose of protein. This precise dosing would be useful for treatments involving transcription factors, which tweak a cell's gene activity, and chemotherapy, which has toxic effects at high doses, they said. The tiny syringes could also potentially be programmed to fight disease-causing bacteria in the body, Ericson and Pilhofer wrote. And in the future, it may be possible for scientists to connect multiple syringes to form multi-barrelled complexes. "These might enable more cargo to be delivered per target cell than with a single injection system," they suggested. "However, we note that this system is still in its infancy; further efforts will be required to characterize the behavior of this system in vivo before it can be applied in clinical or commercial settings," Kreitz and Zhang told Live Science. The team is now studying how well the syringes diffuse through different tissues and organs, and continuing to examine how the immune system reacts to the new protein delivery system. Two opposing US congressmen drew crowds of onlookers as they engaged in a blazing argument over gun control in the wake of the Nashville school shooting. New York Democrat Jamaal Bowman had been giving a furious speech to reporters in a corridor outside the House of Representatives on Wednesday evening, accusing the Republicans of inaction. "They're cowards. They're all cowards! They won't do anything to save the lives of our children," yelled Mr Bowman, a former school principal. Kentucky GOP representative Thomas Massie then tried to butt in, prompting a shouting match between the two men. "You know, there's never been a school shooting in a school that allows teachers to carry [guns]," Mr Massie said. Rep. Thomas Massie then came off the House floor and the two members began to have a heated exchange over guns. Calm down? Children are dying. 9 year old children, Rep. Bowman told Rep. Massie pic.twitter.com/aGfFNHSppP Lalee Ibssa (@LaleeIbssa) March 29, 2023 "Carry guns?" Mr Bowman responded. "More guns lead to more death! Look at the data. You're not looking at the data. You're carrying water for the gun lobby. States that have open carry laws have more deaths... are you listening to what I'm saying?" Mr Massie largely ignored his points, repeatedly asking if he would co-sponsor a bill to repeal the federal ban on carrying guns in schools, before telling him: "Calm down." "Calm down? Children are dying!" exclaimed Mr Bowman. "Have you ever worked in a school? Have you every worked in a school?" Three children and three staff members were killed when gunman Audrey Hale opened fire at a private Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee on 27 March, marking the 17th school shooting in America this year. Story continues Reps. Jamaal Bowman and Thomas Massie in a shouting match outside the House chamber on gun violence pic.twitter.com/dGmU25S3nz Ellis Kim (@elliskkim) March 29, 2023 Tennessee is one of 25 US states that allows people to carry concealed guns without a permit. Democrats and gun safety activists have argued passing stricter laws would reduce the violence, whereas Republicans and gun rights advocates argue that arming teachers would act as a deterrent. Days after yet another massacre in December 2021, Mr Massie came under fire for posting a Christmas photo of his family posting with a huge trove of firearms, including semi-automatic rifles, submachine guns, and an M60 machine gun a military weapon typically fired with the aid of a bipod, tripod, or vehicle mount. As the confrontation in Congress escalated on Wednesday, Mr Massie broke off and turned to reporters, telling Mr Bowman: "I'm not talking to you anymore. You're just screaming... go over there and scream." He claimed that arming teachers was equivalent to having armed guards in Congress, saying of Mr Bowman: "He doesn't believe that kids should have somebody to protect them." Meanwhile, Mr Bowman jockeyed to get in between his opponent and reporters' cameras, saying: "I worked in a school for twenty years. I was a teacher, I was a school counselor, I was a middle school principal, I was in cafeterias, protecting kids every day of my career." Afterwards, Mr Bowman tweeted: "Republicans wont do S*** when it comes to gun violence, but try to tell me to calm down. NO. We cant calm down. People are dying every day while we wait." Commentary: U.S. is making a mockery of democracy Xinhua) 08:17, March 30, 2023 The U.S. Capitol building is seen a day after supporters of former U.S. President Donald Trump stormed it in Washington, D.C., the United States, Jan. 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) BEIJING, March 29 (Xinhua) -- At a time when the world yearns for unity, the so-called "Summit for Democracy" co-hosted by the United States is sowing division, estrangement and hatred by blatantly drawing an ideological line between countries. The purported aim of the second edition of this summit is to "address emerging challenges to democracy." However, it is evident that this gathering has little to do with genuine democracy and, in fact, is antithetical to democratic values. Democracy is a universal right, not an exclusive right of a few countries. The summit has created a conspicuous division between countries deemed "democratic" and those labeled "non-democratic" by the United States. However, in today's diverse and interconnected global landscape, such a simplistic black-and-white dichotomy is neither pragmatic nor beneficial. Whether expressed through grandiloquent rhetoric or maneuvers driven by hidden agendas, neither can mask the real intention of the United States to sustain its hegemony by playing bloc politics and using democracy as a tool to achieve its political objectives. Such a summit is a ludicrous spectacle that flagrantly disregards the spirit of democracy and exposes Washington's attempt to maintain its dominance under the guise of promoting democracy. If democracy, a shared value of humanity, is likened to coffee, then it is evident that the world offers a diverse array of blends, and Americano is by no means the only option. Furthermore, the United States' own track record on democracy is far from impeccable, and as such, they lack the moral high ground to lecture others on the subject. Despite facing turmoil and chaos in its own democratic system, Washington continues to assert itself as the epitome and beacon of democracy for the world. However, Uncle Sam's qualifications as a democratic role model are highly dubious at best. Americans themselves, actually, are becoming increasingly disenchanted with their democracy. The pride of Americans in their democracy has plummeted from 90 percent to 54 percent over the past two decades, according to a joint survey by the Washington Post and the University of Maryland. The Brookings Institution concluded in a 2022 report that the once proud American democracy is facing a systemic crisis and is accelerating its decline. The impact is spreading to all fronts in domestic politics, the economy and society, posing a mortal threat to the legitimacy and health of capitalism. In addition, the U.S. elections are actually the "game of the rich." This was vividly illustrated by the 2022 midterm elections, which had a price tag of more than 16.7 billion U.S. dollars, breaking the 2018 record of 14 billion dollars, as found by Reveal, an online platform tracking the flow of political donations in the country. The nature of American politics has become increasingly apparent as money-driven, with power being concentrated among the wealthy and politicians serving their own interests. The proverbial phrase "All roads lead to Rome" reminds us that every country has the right to chart its own course. Unfortunately, the United States has often caused tragic outcomes by attempting to impose its own form of democracy on other nations. The American style of democracy has not only been seriously questioned domestically but also gained notoriety overseas, and the second "Summit for Democracy" is just another U.S. tool to maintain its hegemony. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, left, and Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images, left, and Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman and GOP Rep. Thomas Massie got in a heated exchange over gun violence. Massie, who once shared a Christmas photo of his family toting guns, told Bowman to "calm down." Bowman shot back: "Calm down? Children are dying! Nine-year-old children!" Video captured a heated exchange between Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie on Wednesday, two days after an attacker shot and killed six people, including three children, at a school in Nashville, Tennessee. The Covenant School shooting on Monday reignited debates over gun violence in the halls of Congress. A video shared by Bowman, who represents New York's 16th district, showed him shouting "they're freaking gutless, they're cowards" before Massie, who was walking by, asked what he was talking about. "I'm talking about gun violence," Bowman replied. Each lawmaker proceeded to talk over each other as they commented on open carry laws and allowing teachers to carry firearms. At one point, Massie who represents Kentucky's 4th district and once shared a Christmas photo of his family toting guns told Bowman to "calm down." The New York representative then shot back: "Calm down? Children are dying! Nine-year-old children!" Congressman Jamaal Bowman (@RepBowman) March 29, 2023 Bowman tweeted the video of the exchanged and wrote: "Republicans won't do SHIT when it comes to gun violence, but try to tell me to calm down. NO. We can't calm down. People are dying everyday while we wait." A representative for Bowman did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. "Rep. Bowman was challenging Republicans to a debate. Congressman Massie accepted the challenge," a representative for Massie told Insider, citing the arguments Massie made in the exchange. "When confronted with the facts, Mr. Bowman tried to shout Rep. Massie down." Massie, wagging his finger at Bowman, told him that there hasn't been a school shooting in the schools that allow teachers to carry guns and asked if he would co-sponsor a bill. Story continues "Carry guns?" Bowman screamed. "More guns lead to more death! Look at the data. You're not looking at any data. You're carrying the water for the gun lobby." An analysis by the Giffords Law Center found nearly 100 publicly reported incidents of mishandled guns at schools, including a teacher unintentionally firing a gun in class during a safety demonstration in 2018. Bowman, a former middle school principal, repeatedly asked Massie, "have you ever worked in a school?" He spent 20 years in public education and founded a middle school in the Bronx before being elected to Congress in 2020. Massie, meanwhile, has consistently worked to expand gun rights and co-chairs the Congressional Second Amendment Caucus with far-right conservative Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado. After the exchange with Bowman, another video showed Massie's response to a question about whether there's a role for Congress to do anything on guns. "Yeah, absolutely," he said. "Next week, I'm reintroducing a repeal of the federal Gun-Free School Zone Act. It's the deadliest bill that's ever been passed." The photo Massie posted on Twitter in 2021 showed him with his family members, each holding a weapon and smiling, around a Christmas tree. "Merry Christmas!" he wrote. "ps. Santa, please bring ammo." He posted the photo days after a shooting at Oxford High School north of Detroit left four students dead and several others injured. Republican Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee, who represents the district where the Nashville mass school shooting happened, posted a similar gun-filled family photo for Christmas in 2021. Read the original article on Business Insider The indictment of former President Trump by a Manhattan grand jury rocked Capitol Hill on Thursday, with Democrats hailing the decision and Republicans blasting what they described as a political witch hunt. The indictment of a former president is unprecedented. But so too is the unlawful conduct in which Trump has been engaged, tweeted Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who served as lead impeachment manager during Trumps first impeachment trial. A nation of laws must hold the rich and powerful accountable, even when they hold high office. Especially when they do. To do otherwise is not democracy. Some Democrats, including House Financial Services Committee Ranking Member Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), expressed their excitement on Twitter. SO Trump finally got indicted! I predicted he would and I predicted that Stormy Daniels would get him! Sometimes justice works! Waters said. Others stressed letting the legal process play out and that no one is above the law. There should be no outside political influence, intimidation or interference in the case, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said. I encourage both Mr. Trumps critics and supporters to let the process proceed peacefully and according to the law. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) tweeted that No one is above the law, and everyone has the right to a trial to prove innocence. Hopefully, the former President will peacefully respect the system, which grants him that right. We must allow the judicial process to continue unimpeded and free from any form of political interference or intimidation, said Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.). Republicans, meanwhile, jumped to criticize Bragg, with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) pledging to hold Alvin Bragg and his unprecedented abuse of power to account for this injustice. Alvin Bragg has irreparably damaged our country in an attempt to interfere in our Presidential election, McCarthy tweeted. As he routinely frees violent criminals to terrorize the public, he weaponized our sacred system of justice against President Donald Trump. Story continues Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), chair of the House Judiciary Committee and an ally of Trump, summed up the Republican reaction in a one-word tweet: Outrageous. And Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) the chair of the Senate GOP campaign arm called the indictment a political prosecution. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), chair of the Senate GOP Conference, called the indictment a politically-motivated prosecution by a far-left activist. If it was anyone other than President Trump, a case like this would never be brought. Instead of ordering political hit jobs, New York prosecutors should focus on getting violent criminals off the streets, Barrasso said in a statement. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) similarly called the indictment a sham and accused Democrats of weaponizing government to attack their political opponents. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), chair of the House Republican Conference and the only member of House GOP leadership to endorse Trump, called the move unprecedented election interference and a dark day for America, adding that it would fuel support for Trump in 2024. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) took a more aggressive approach, seeking revenge. Our side chants lock her up and their side is going to get a mug shot based on a witch hunt. Its time to change that. Gloves are off, Greene tweeted. The Manhattan grand jury voted on Thursday to indict Trump on criminal charges stemming from his role in organizing a hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election, a source familiar with the proceedings confirmed to The Hill. The specific charges, however, remain unknown. The indictment marks the culmination of a winding investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D), and the end of a days-long waiting game that began when Trump publicly predicted he would be indicted in the case last week. A trio of House Republican committee chairs sent a letter to Bragg last week after Trumps social media announcement demanding that he sit for a transcribed interview about his investigation. The lawmakers also asked that Bragg provide documents and communications regarding the probe. Jordan who also chairs the Judiciarys Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government expanded the congressional investigation into Bragg days later, requesting testimony from two prosecutors who resigned from the Manhattan case because of disagreements with Bragg. Its Trump derangement, Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) said leaving his Capitol Hill office Thursday evening. Its an illness of hatred that just it shouldnt be in American politics. I dont feel that way toward anybody. Wilson said House Republicans will move immediately to uncover the details of Braggs probe, and he has confidence that GOP investigators notably Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wis.), chairman of the Administration Committee who signed the letter to Bragg last week will demonstrate that Braggs prosecution has been politically motivated from the start. Were going to find out, from the inside, as to their correspondence and communications, he said. Democrats, meanwhile, Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), who served as an impeachment manager during Trumps first impeachment, said Thursday was a somber day for our nation. Former President Trumps indictment reminds us that no one is above the law and that we are all afforded due process and equal protection under the law, he added on Twitter. Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) tweeted that the New York indictment is only the beginning of being held accountable for his crimes. Trump attempted to illegally overturn election results in Georgia and worked to incite the insurrection at the Capitol, both in an effort to overthrow our government to advance his fascist cause, Bowman said, calling for Trump to be banned from running for public office again. Trump is also the subject of investigations by the Fulton County, Georgia district attorneys office which is looking into his efforts to influence the outcome of the 2020 presidential election and the Justice Department, which is probing the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol and the mishandling of classified documents. Attorney General Merrick Garland in November appointed a social counsel to oversee the Justice Department investigations related to Trump. At least one lawmaker took a softer approach to the news that Trump had been indicted on Thursday, noting that the Manhattan grand jury has not formally announced its decision to charge Trump in the matter. Just a reminder that there is no rule that you have to express your opinion before reading the indictment, Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) wrote on Twitter. Mike Lillis and Al Weaver contributed. Updated at 8:20 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Lawmakers in the highly-polarized 118th Congress appear to be finding some common ground with regard to artificial intelligence (AI). Several have indicated they would like to see some kind of regulation to rein in the fast-moving sector on the heels of a stunning warning from tech industry leaders. "I think what you have to do is, to identify what is not allowed in terms of ethics and illegal activities, whether it is AI or not you impose on AI activities the same level of ethics and privacy that you do for other competencies today," Sen. Mike Rounds, a leader of the Senate AI Caucus, told Fox News Digital. Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee Chair Gary Peters, D-Mich., pointed out to Fox News Digital that his committee had recently held a hearing on the "pros and cons" of AI technology. "I intend to have a series of hearings in Homeland Security and Government Affairs taking up AI and what we should be thinking about," Peters added. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 'GODFATHER' ON AI POSSIBLY WIPING OUT HUMANITY: IT'S NOT INCONCEIVABLE It comes on the heels of a dramatic letter signed by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and other tech giants calling for a six-month pause to advanced AI developments, citing "profound risks to society and humanity." READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., who sent a letter to tech company leaders last week calling for them to consider the safety of children when rolling out AI systems such as chatbots, suggested that an agency could be created to regulate the relatively restriction-free AI industry "in the long term." For now, however, the senator said these companies have to police themselves. "I think we do have a role to play," he said when asked if Congress should step in to regulate AI. "In the long run, I think what we could do is set up, you know, an agency here. They can negotiate on behalf of the American people, so we can actually have a negotiation about privacy In the near term, I think its going to be important for tech to police itself." Story continues AI EXPERTS WEIGH DANGERS, BENEFITS OF CHATGPT ON HUMANS, JOBS AND INFORMATION: DYSTOPIAN WORLD Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat from Michigan and chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, gavels in during a hearing in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 17, 2022. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, shared a similar suggestion, pointing out that he co-led legislation in the previous Congress aimed at enacting more barriers on AIs growth. "Congress has to sink its teeth into what to do about it. We've worked with [Retired Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio] to establish a law for AI, a commission for AI in government," Schatz told Fox News Digital. "I think we should do something broader for AI throughout the private sector. But I think the first step is to recognize that this is a legitimate area for federal policy." However, in his earlier comments, Rounds questioned whether existing laws were enough to cover the fast-moving sector. "So if you're in a business, you know that there are certain rules you can't break," Rounds said. "Those same things need to be applied to AI. The question is, do we have the appropriate language in the law today to address the things that AI might create, that we haven't thought about in our existing law?" Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, attends the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing titled Strengthening Airline Operations and Consumer Protections in Russell Building on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. Over on the House side, Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., a leader in the efforts to crack down on Big Tech, also urged Congress to take the reins. "With the emergence of AI comes both opportunity and challenges. We have seen the impact and consequences of a decade of inaction on Big Tech. Congress cannot afford to be caught sleeping at the wheel again. AI has great promise but left unscrutinized could be used to spread propaganda, dangerously restructure our economy, and increase the size of current Big Tech monopolies," Buck told Fox News Digital. Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, however, broke from his Senate colleagues to caution them to not rush into action before understanding the complicated technology. "It's way too early to say what role Congress should take. I think right now, we need to understand this a little bit better. And, you know, look were in the very early days of this process," Vance said. "So I wouldn't want to commit to a congressional strategy before we even understand the problem." Nobody wants to see Russians at the tournaments We came to the conclusion that unfortunately we cant go through with it, said the head of the Danish Fencing Federation, Jan Sylvest Jensen. We cant do it when the rules are as they are now, with the Russians and Belarusians being allowed to participate. Read also: International Fencing Federation officials in China try to take banner about Ukrainian athletes killed by Russia video Earlier, the FIE had supported the return of athletes from Russia and Belarus to international competitions, despite their countries being classified as aggressors. In response, the National Fencing Federation of Ukraine made the decision not to participate in tournaments where Russian and Belarusian athletes would be present. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Colombia said Wednesday it was making progress on the transfer of 70 hippos to overseas sanctuaries, but mitigating the havoc caused by this unusual legacy of deceased drug lord Pablo Escobar carries a hefty price tag: $3.5 million. The cocaine baron brought a small number of the African beasts to Colombia in the late 1980s. But after his death in 1993, the so-called "cocaine hippos" were left to roam freely in a hot, marshy area of Antioquia department, where environmental authorities have been helpless to curb their numbers which now stand at about 150 animals. Authorities said they plan to capture and move nearly half of the hippopotamuses in the coming months, with 10 bound for the Ostok Sanctuary in northern Mexico and 60 destined for an as-yet unnamed facility in India. "The whole operation should cost around $3.5 million," Ernesto Zazueta, owner of the Ostok Sanctuary, told reporters. In this file photo from Feb. 4, 2021, hippos float in the lake at Hacienda Napoles Park, once the private estate of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar who imported three female hippos and one male decades ago in Puerto Triunfo, Colombia. / Credit: Fernando Vergara / AP He and governor Anibel Gaviria, of the Colombian region that is home to the hippos, say they plan to lure the animals with bait into pens where they will remain confined before being put in special crates for the transfer. Colombia had tried a sterilization program to control the population, but it failed. The environment ministry declared the hippos an invasive species last year, which opened the door to an eventual cull. But the hippo transfer plan is seen as a life-saving measure. Independent journalist Audrey Huse, who has lived in Colombia for eight years, told CBS News last week that in the 1980's, Escobar imported just four hippos and now there are nearly 150 of them. "Because they have no natural predators here, as they would in Africa, the population is booming an it's affecting the local ecosystem," Huse said. "Because they are such large animals, they consume considerable amounts of grassland and produce significant waste, which then poisons the rivers." The result is that the hippos end up killing fish and threatening endemic species like manatees, otters and turtles, she said. Story continues In 2021, after the Colombian government was sued over its plan to sterilize or kill the animals, a federal court ruled that the hippos can be recognized as people or "interested persons" with legal rights in the U.S. But the order doesn't carry any weight in Colombia where the hippos live, a legal expert said. The area where they roam is a paradise for the animals who have no predators and ample food and water, CBS News correspondent Manuel Bojorquez reported in 2019. Locals call them the "village pets," but a local biologist told Bojorquez the "dangerous" and "territorial" species is anything but. Last year, Alvaro Molina, 57, said he supports the hippos even though he is one of the few Colombians to have been attacked by one. He was out fishing one day when he felt a movement beneath his canoe that spilled him into the water. "The female attacked me once the first pair that arrived because she had recently given birth," he said. Locals say the hippos sometimes come out of the water and walk through the streets of the town. When that happens, traffic stops and people keep out of their way. Pope Francis hospitalized with respiratory infection ahead of Holy Week Parents rally for gun control at Tennessee Capitol The Shade Room founder shares her story Two Northern California high school campuses were closed Thursday after a teenager was found dead at one of the campuses in what law enforcement officials are investigating as an apparent suicide. Deputies with the Yuba County Sheriffs Office responded shortly before 7 a.m. to Lindhurst High School in Olivehurst to reports of a death at the campus, Sheriff Wendell Anderson said during a news conference. A 14-year-old girl believed to be a student of Lindhurst High was found dead, Anderson said. The teen had been reported to sheriffs dispatchers as a juvenile runaway earlier Thursday and was the subject of a search by deputies that began about 5:40 a.m., the Sheriffs Office said in an afternoon news release. It does appear to be a suicide, the sheriff said. Its an active, ongoing investigation. The superintendent of Marysville Joint Unified School District, Fal Asrani, said classes were canceled Thursday at Lindhurst High School and adjacent South Lindhurst Continuation High School, and will be canceled Friday as well. Asrani said the Lindhurst High campus would be open both days to provide counseling services. Today is traumatic for the whole community, Asrani said. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides confidential assistance to anyone in crisis and their loved ones through a live chat and free 24-hour hotline: 988. WellSpace Health operates the Sacramento regions 24-hour hotline: 916-368-3111 or text HOPE to 916-668-4226. A Rutherford County Sheriffs deputy was flown to the hospital after he was shot by a suspect, authorities say. Breaking Rutherford Co- on the scene of an officer involved shooting. A deputy has been airlifted to the hospital after police say he was shot by a suspect from Virginia wanted for shooting three people. Officers returned firekilling the suspect. Watch channel 9 for updates pic.twitter.com/zz9pVwihEl Dave Faherty (@FahertyWSOC9) March 30, 2023 It happened early Thursday morning in Rutherford County south of Forest City, near the intersection of Old Henrietta Road and Providence Road. Police told Channel 9s Dave Faherty officers returned fire, killing the suspect. Faherty was told the hurt deputy underwent surgery at a hospital in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and was recovering Thursday afternoon. ALSO READ: Police: Suspect killed by Gastonia officers after shooting man, assaulting woman Authorities told Faherty the suspect, Tiye Adam Washington II, was wanted out of Henrico County, Virginia and was accused of shooting two women and a child in a domestic-related incident on Tuesday. Deputies had been warned by Virginia authorities that Washington was believed to be armed and dangerous. Law enforcement had already been in the area Wednesday. They said they found Washington after his car was spotted in southeastern Rutherford County. By noon, the shooting scene, about a quarter of a mile from where the car was found, was still active, even though it had happened 9 hours prior. Trey Hawkins lives near where Washingtons car was found. Forest City is pretty small and rural area, Hawkins said. Its kind of crazy that something like this would happen in this small town. ALSO READ: 1 shot at Forsyth Tech Community College, police say Community members told Faherty local churches are reaching out and asking for prayers for the hurt deputy. Story continues Witnesses said they saw a law enforcement helicopter, an armored police vehicle and drones flying near where the car was found late Wednesday. Michael Conner lives just down the street and woke to the sound of the gunfire. He had seen deputies and ATF agents in the area for much of the day looking for Washington. The shot actually woke us up, he said. Conner hopes the deputy makes a full recovery. My thoughts and prayers go out to the deputys family. I will keep him in my prayers, he said. I dont know his name but the Lord does. Channel 9 is working to learn which agency was the one that returned Washingtons fire. This is a developing story. Check back for updates (WATCH BELOW: 3rd suspect arrested after shooting of Statesville teens) . Photo Illustration by Kelly Caminero / The Daily Beast / Getty Get more news and opinions in the twice-daily Beast Digest newsletter. Dont miss the next big story, sign up here. Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida is off to Israel next month having voiced no concern about a three-fold increase in antisemitic incidents during his time in office. DeSantis last visited Israel in 2019, shortly after he was first elected. He prayed at the Wailing Wall and signed a bill in Jerusalem outlawing antisemitism in Floridas public schools. The wife of now-deceased GOP megadonor Sheldon Adelson introduced DeSantis at an event there just as he likes to imagine himself. Ron is a warrior, Miriam Adelson said. In the ensuing years, the self-anointed culture warrior did battle against whatever he deemed woke as if the future of the American way of life was at stake. An ad during his re-election campaign in 2022 began with the voice of the Almighty saying, And on the 8th day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, I need a protector. So, God made a fighter. But DeSantis failed to show that fighting spirit when a band of neo-Nazis staged a series of demonstrations in Orlando in January of last year. A passing motorist named Luke Denton tweeted a widely circulated video of figures wearing swastika armbands giving Nazi salutes as they shouted, Heil Hilter!... No more Jews! White Power! Theres a Jew, look at him! Denton wrote, I really cant believe were seeing Nazis in 2022. FYI: I am of Jewish descent and a large portion of my family was killed in the holocaust. Heres the original video that I took that day is Eastern Orlando. I really cant believe were seeing Nazis in 2022. FYI: I am of Jewish descent and a large portion of my family was killed in the holocaust. #HateSpeech #hatersgonnahate #orlando #Florida #Antisemitism pic.twitter.com/lmUPTjHw65 Luke Denton (@Ekulnotned) January 30, 2022 DeSantis said not a word about it for more than a weekuntil he was asked directly during a press conference about the Everglades. This God-sent protector and warrior mildly described the swastika-waving, hate-spewing antisemites as just some jackass doing this on the street. Story continues In a tweet that she subsequently deleted, a DeSantis spokesperson asked, Do we even know theyre Nazis? DeSantis tried to turn the whole thing around by contending that those who criticized his initial silence were trying to use this as some type of political issue, and smear him. Were not playing their game, DeSantis said. DeSantis cited his support for the Jewish community, which included the antisemitism bill he signed in Jerusalem, funding for Jewish schools, and sanctions against companies that boycott Israel. That was all true, but even as DeSantis delivered a passionate anti-woke speech at a Turning Point USA gathering at the Tampa convention center that July, he made no comment about neo-Nazis who waved swastikas and distributed antisemitic leaflets right outside. DeSantis Country, read a flag one of them waved. Cant get enough from The Daily Beast? Subscribe to the twice-daily Beast Digest newsletter here. DeSantis again remained silent when the white supremacist organization Goyim Defense League sought to spread antisemitic hate through Volusia County, with Nazi banners and leaflets and venomous epithets. It was Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood who responded as DeSantis should have. As @VolusiaSheriff, I will use every legal measure in my power to crush these antisemitic, racist cowards. I hope they keep their cameras rolling and get it all on video, he tweeted. Were going to send a message that Volusia County doesnt tolerate hate. In an online chat, a man whom Chitwood called a keyboard commando spoke about shooting him in the head. The sheriff addressed the threat at a press conference. These scumbags came to the wrong county, he said. I stand with my Jewish friends and Im honored to be on your hit list. Its an honor to be sought after by a bunch of punk thugs like you. Chitwood played a number of videos of the Goyim Defense League in action in Volusia and other counties in Florida. One showed them harassing people with a megaphone outside a South Orlando synagogue on Feb. 17. Look at that horse-faced Jew! The video was shot a dozen miles from Disney World, which had roused DeSantis to vengeful retaliation when its top executive dared to speak out against the governors Dont Say Gay legislation. DeSantis has so far taken no action in response to a report issued by the Anti-Defamation League found that antisemitic incidents in Florida have spiked since DeSantis became governor and made that first trip to Israel. There were 64 incidents in 2019. And it was up to 214 last year. As this years total keeps climbing, DeSantis has decided to return to Israel. The trip will be part of a quest for the presidency, which he has not yet formally announced, but which will require votes from the Jewish community. He will also need the votes of the far right, which encompasses antisemites of various manifestations. Meanwhile, as reported by The Daily Beast, Chitwoods investigators tracked down and arrested the New Jersey man who allegedly made the chatroom threat. Chitwood was waiting at the airport when the man was extradited and transported to jail in a part of Florida where at least one elected official has made it clear that neo-Nazis and other such scumbags are not welcome. Sign up for the Beast Digest, a twice-daily run down on each days top stories. Dont miss out, sign up here. Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Hydrogen will be produced by solar and wind power A hydrogen production project in Devon is one of 20 that could get financial support from the government. Carlton Power plans to produce and store hydrogen produced by renewable electricity at Langage Energy Park, near Plymouth. Langage Green Hydrogen is part of the government's strategy Powering Up Britain, which plans to cut greenhouse gases by investing in renewable energy. Carlton Power said it was aiming to start commercial operation in 2025. The plant is on a shortlist of 20 projects that could get financial support through the government's Hydrogen Business Model. Hydrogen would be produced by solar and wind power, said Carlton, with hydrogen offered to local firms instead of natural gas or other energy sources. Carlton said the site, which had planning permission, would be included in the Plymouth and South Devon Freeport area which offers tax advantages to businesses. Carlton Power's hydrogen projects director Eric Adams said the plant would be a "beacon project for the West Country's green economy". South West Devon Conservative MP Gary Streeter called it "fantastic news for our region" and said the plant would "create jobs, boost innovation and help us meet our climate targets". Follow BBC News South West on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk. A bill that beefs up screening and disclosure requirements of teachers who have been accused of sexual misconduct will not be passed this legislative session despite unanimous approval in the House and a Senate committee, the bills sponsor said this week. Rep. James Tipton, R-Taylorsville, said House Bill 288, which would make it more difficult for teachers accused of sexual misconduct to move to a different school district, will not get a vote before the full Senate. Tipton said this week Senate leaders have told him HB 288 needs more work and further vetting. I have been told that the Senate may not hear the bill this session, Tipton said. They have some concerns they want to work on. Tipton said he had been told by Senate leadership that there may be unintended consequences as a result of the legislation, but he said he hopes to return in the 2024 legislative session with a similar bill. I am disappointed, Tipton said. I will continue to work on this issue over the interim. The legislation would ban nondisclosure agreements about teacher misconduct involving minors, including sexual misconduct. The bill would also increase disclosure requirements about past misconduct. Applicants for jobs must disclose if they have been the subject of an investigation in the prior four years. It would also require that investigations into school employee sexual misconduct be completed before a teacher resigned. The reality is that there will be kids who suffer over the next school year because of this failure to act on such a common sense and urgent piece of legislation, Kentucky Youth Advocates executive director Terry Brooks said in a Thursday statement. HB 288 would have strengthened a schools ability to prevent child abuse and keep kids safe from adults with allegations or substantiations of sexual misconduct. Tipton said during a March 9 Senate Education Committee meeting the bill was in response to a Lexington Herald-Leader series of stories on teacher sexual misconduct and the impact across the state. Tipton is the chairman of the House Education Committee. Story continues The bill passed unanimously out of the Senate Education Committee. It had previously received unanimous approval in the House Education Committee and the House. The bill has the backing of the Kentucky Department of Education. School districts must check with all previous schools a teacher has been employed at before hiring an individual, the bill says. School districts would not be sued for releasing information about a teachers prior misconduct, according to the bill. The original bill would require the results remain in the teachers permanent record, including exonerations. During the March 9 committee meeting, some senators raised questions about how long an allegation would stay in a teachers file. In addition, the bill would also require teachers receive training on appropriate boundaries and conduct between teachers and students every five years. Currently, Kentucky requires teachers to have training on sexual abuse but that training is not specific to misconduct between school staff and students. Criminal background checks would be required every five years. Currently, teachers get a criminal background check when they are hired but there is no requirement school districts continue to check on a teachers criminal history. In a September series, the Herald-Leader obtained 194 cases of teachers who voluntarily surrendered or had their license revoked or suspended from 2016 to 2021. Of those, 118 61% lost their license due to sexual misconduct. The overwhelming majority of those cases involved male teachers and teenage girls. The Herald-Leader also found instances where teachers who had previously been accused of sexual misconduct moved to other school districts and were accused again of misconduct. Walt Disney World Joe Raedle/Getty Images Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' (R) culture war against the Walt Disney Co. took another surprising turn Wednesday. Point: Mouse. Weeks before a group of Republicans handpicked by DeSantis took over the board of the special administrative district surrounding Walt Disney World, the Disney-appointed board approved a raft of binding agreements that ties the hands of the board for the next 30 years, the DeSantis-appointed board said at a public hearing Wednesday. The new board, renamed the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District in legislation DeSantis pushed through the GOP-led state Legislature, threatened a prolonged legal fight. The former board, called the Reedy Creek Improvement District, unanimously approved the "declaration of restrictive covenants" on Feb. 8, at a public meeting held the day before the Legislature approved the bill giving DeSantis control of the board. The 151-page agreement gives Disney final say over many building projects and development rights in the district, and bars the new board from using the Disney name or any "fanciful characters" owned by Disney, including Mickey Mouse, the Orlando Sentinel reports. The package of agreements is valid until "21 years after the death of the last survivor of the descendants of King Charles III, king of England living as of the date of this declaration," the document states. "Such so-called royal lives clauses have been inserted into legal documentation since the late 17th Century, and they are still found in some contracts in the U.K., though rarely in the U.S," BBC News notes. "This essentially makes Disney the government," new GOP board member Ron Peri said Wednesday. "This board loses, for practical purposes, the majority of its ability to do anything beyond maintain the roads and maintain basic infrastructure." "We're going to have to deal with it and correct it," said board member Brian Aungst Jr. He said he hopes Disney will work with the board to correct the agreement in a "very collaborative manner." But the board also approved hiring four law firms, including high-powered conservative D.C. firm Cooper & Kirk which has already earned $2.8 million from the DeSantis administration and will bill $795 an hour in this case, the Sentinel reports to try and void the agreements. Story continues DeSantis engineered the takeover of the Reedy Creek district in retaliation for Disney's opposition to his law restricting gender and sex ed in schools. In a statement, DeSantis spokeswoman Taryn Fenske said "an initial review suggests these agreements may have significant legal infirmities that would render the contracts void as a matter of law." Disney disagreed. "All agreements signed between Disney and the district were appropriate and were discussed and approved in open, noticed public forums in compliance with Florida's government in the Sunshine law," the company said in a statement. You may also like How to watch 5 planets align in the night sky on Tuesday The snowmelt in California could cause a long-lost lake to re-emerge 'Rewilding' animals could help combat climate change, study finds Abused for years by her ex-husband who broke all of her teeth, Marwa has retreated into hiding with her eight children after being told her divorce had been revoked. Marwa was one of a small number of women who, under the previous US-backed government, were granted a legal separation in Afghanistan, where domestic abuse is widespread. When Taliban forces swept into power in August 2021, her husband claimed he had been forced into the divorce and persuaded local commanders to order her back into the marriage. "My daughters and I cried a lot that day," Marwa, 40, whose name has been changed for her own protection, told AFP. "I said to myself, 'Oh God, the devil has returned.'" The Taliban government adheres to an austere interpretation of Islam and has imposed severe restrictions on women's lives that the United Nations called "gender-based apartheid". Lawyers told AFP that several women, in the immediate months after the Taliban seized power, have reported being dragged back into abusive marriages after being told by local commanders that their divorces had been annulled. The Taliban authorities say this is not an official government policy. AFPs investigation revealed that isolated cases like these happened during the aftermath of the countrys takeover. For months Marwa endured a new round of beatings, locked away in the house, with her hands broken and fingers cracked. "There were days when I was unconscious, and my daughters would feed me," she said. "He used to pull my hair so hard that I became partly bald. He beat me so much that all my teeth are broken." Gathering the strength to leave, she fled hundreds of kilometres (miles) to a relative's house with her six daughters and two sons, who have all assumed fictitious names. "My children say, 'Mother, it's okay if we are starving. At least we have got rid of the abuse,'" said Marwa, sitting on the cracked floor of her bare home, clasping a string of prayer beads. "Nobody knows us here, not even our neighbours," she said, fearing her husband would discover her. Story continues - 'Islam permits divorce' - The United Nations mission in Afghanistan says that violence against women in Afghanistan is widespread. "Globally, 1 in 3 women have experience physical or sexual violence, mostly by an intimate partner," the mission said in a statement in November 2021. "Afghanistan has one of the highest rate of violence against women globally, with nine out of 10 women experiencing at least one form of intimate partner violence in their lifetime." Divorce, however, is often more taboo than the abuse itself and the culture remains unforgiving to women who part with their husbands. Under the previous US-backed government, divorce rates were steadily rising in some cities, where the small gains in women's rights were largely limited to education and employment. Women once blamed their fate for whatever happened to them, said Nazifa, a lawyer who successfully handled around 100 divorce cases for abused women, but who is no longer permitted to work in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. As awareness grew, women realised that separating from abusive husbands was possible. "When there is no harmony left in a husband and wife relationship, even Islam permits a divorce," explained Nazifa, who only wanted to give her first name. Under the ousted regime, special family courts with women judges and lawyers were established to hear such cases, but the Taliban authorities have made their new justice system an all-male affair. Nazifa told AFP that five of her former clients have reported being in the same situation as Marwa. Another lawyer, who did not want to be identified, told AFP she recently witnessed a court case where a woman was fighting against being forcefully reunited with her ex-husband. She added that divorces under the Taliban government are being granted when a husband was a classified drug addict or has left the country. "But in cases of domestic violence or when a husband does not agree to a divorce, then the court is not granting them," she said. The Taliban authorities insist divorce is allowed according to sharia. A nationwide network of shelters and services that once supported women has almost entirely collapsed, while the Ministry of Women's Affairs and the Human Rights Commission have been shut. - 'Knock on the door' - Sana was 15 when she married her cousin, 10 years older than her. "He would beat me if our baby cried or the food was not good," she said as she prepared tea on a gas stove at a home where she has been living in secret. "He used to say that a woman does not have the right to talk." With the help of a free legal service project she won a divorce from her husband in court -- but her relief was shattered when local officials came knocking. Threatened with losing custody of her four daughters, she returned to her ex-husband who by then had also married another woman. She escaped after he announced the engagement of her daughters. "My daughters said, 'Mother, we will commit suicide,'" Sana said. She was able to gather some money and escape with her children, and with the help of a relative found a one-room house, furnished only with a gas stove and some cushions for sleeping. "Whenever there's a knock on the door, I fear that he's found me and come to take the kids away." - Ordeal for children - A Taliban official told AFP the authorities would look into such cases where previously divorced women had been forced to return to their ex-husbands. "If we receive such complaints, we will investigate them according to sharia," said Inayatullah, spokesman for the Taliban supreme court, who like many Afghans goes by one name. When asked whether the Taliban regime would acknowledge divorces granted under the previous government, he said: "This is an important and complex issue." "The Dar al-Ifta is looking into it. When it arrives at a uniform decision, then we will see," he said, referring to a court-affiliated institution that issues rulings on sharia. For Marwa and her daughters, who survive by sewing clothes, the trauma has left deep psychological wounds. "I'm afraid I won't be able to get them married," said Marwa, looking at her daughters. "They tell me, 'Mother, watching how bad your life has been, we hate the word husband.'" ash-lsb-est-jd/ecl/mel/kma In an effort to address complaints about an exodus of Idaho physicians, who fear felony charges for providing pregnancy care, an Idaho bill would add exceptions to the states abortion ban. But pregnancies that cause health risks isnt one of them. House Bill 374, which lawmakers cleared Thursday, would clarify that medical treatment for miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies are allowable under the states abortion ban. An ectopic pregnancy is when a fertilized egg grows outside of the uterus, making the pregnancy non-viable. The bill also would allow exceptions to felony criminal abortion when an abortion saves the life of the mother or if the pregnancy was the result of incest or rape. The exception applies only if the incest or rape was reported to police. Currently, the law grants affirmative defenses opportunities to present evidence in court that negates charges in those instances. Additionally, exceptions for rape and incest would be narrowed to apply only in the first trimester of pregnancy. The purpose of the legislation is to provide additional clarity, House Majority Leader Megan Blanksma, R-Hammett, who co-sponsored the legislation, told the House State Affairs Committee on Wednesday. It is tangible language thats within this bill, things that people can focus on and things that people can understand. House Democrats protested a vote on the bill over the lack of exception for the health of the pregnant patient. They argued the bill is not a real fix because the clarifications already are law. The Idaho Supreme Court last year ruled that the abortion ban does not apply to ectopic and other non-viable pregnancies. If this is supposedly the fix, then the women of Idaho are in real trouble, House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, said during a Wednesday debate. I dont want to be a part of a charade that fixes nothing. Representatives of the medical community reluctantly supported the bill, although they also hoped for a health exception. Story continues The bill heads to the governor. Idaho physicians fear prosecution under current law Idaho Republicans banned abortion in 2020. The law wasnt triggered until the U.S. Supreme Courts decision last year to overturn longstanding federal protection for the right to obtain an abortion. Since the Idaho Supreme Court upheld the states abortion ban in August, Idaho doctors have been fearful of providing treatment to pregnant patients, said Dr. John Werdel, medical director of womens health care services at St. Lukes Health System. Every week, dozens of St. Lukes patients with wanted pregnancies have complications that may require abortions for a myriad of reasons, Werdel told the House committee. Meanwhile, the health system has struggled to recruit and retain doctors specializing in pregnancy treatment amid threat of prosecution, he said. A doctor can face up to five years in prison for providing an illegal abortion. Physicians second-guess their decisions, but they ultimately have to make a diagnosis and provide treatment, which they believe, really, is in the best interest of the patient, Werdel said. But theyre left wondering whether they could be prosecuted. Werdel told lawmakers he could muster only lukewarm support for House Bill 374. The clarifications on miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies as well as adding explicit exceptions represent a small step forward to provide safe care, he said. Bonner General Health in Sandpoint last week announced it would stop delivering babies, in part because treating complicated pregnancies opened doctors to prosecution under Idahos abortion ban. A news release from Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates said the bill masquerades as expanding exemptions while narrowing the window for rape and incest exceptions. The truth is that this bill being brought forward is a direct result of the sloppy, ill-informed lawmaking done by this body just a few years prior, Mistie DelliCarpini-Tolman, Idaho director for the group, said in the release. At the expense of the health and safety of Idahoans, its clear that lawmakers are incapable of listening to anything other than the sound of their own self-righteousness and pats on each others backs. Medical, anti-abortion groups negotiate language The Idaho Medical Association in recent months negotiated with lawmakers and Idaho Chooses Life, an anti-abortion group that authored the abortion ban, to make exceptions clearer. The physician group reluctantly supported House Bill 374, although it hoped for an exception for the health of the mother, said Ken McClure, a lobbyist representing the nonprofit trade group. There is more good that we would like to see done, McClure told the House State Affairs Committee. And its, in our view, a disappointment that this bill does not do that. Republicans on the committee rejected additional language clarifying that abortions as treatment for life-threatening conditions are exempt. Rep. Julianne Young, R-Blackfoot, told the committee Wednesday that the language was too broad. The list was endless when we began considering the decisions that would fall under that language, she said. David Ripley, executive director of Idaho Chooses Life, told the Idaho Statesman that the stakeholders ran out of time before they could agree on the language. If we were going to do anything to respond to the medical communitys concerns, we had to just set it aside, Ripley said. The decisions made by the Idaho Legislature have real world impact almost immediately. So theres a lot of due diligence that is now required that wasnt true in the past, before Roe was overturned. Gwyneth Paltrow testifies during her ski collision trial on March 24 in Park City, Utah. Gwyneth Paltrow testifies during her ski collision trial on March 24 in Park City, Utah. If youre into celebrity news, legal analysis or just anything involving rich people and drama, odds are youve been following Gwyneth Paltrows ski collision trial in Utah. The Goop founder is being sued by a retired optometrist who claims she crashed into him and skied away at the upscale Deer Valley Resort in 2016. Perhaps the most captivating moment in the court case thus far was when Paltrow herself took the stand to answer questions about the incident, which the plaintiff claims caused a severe brain injury and psychological issues. As she spoke to attorneys, viewers of the trial livestream were quick to analyze the actors word choices and body language. And many couldnt help but remark on her blinking, which seemed rapid and excessive at times. Watch from :18 to :30 If you believe blinking is a tell, then Gwyneth be guilty. https://t.co/990ugGYzOq WGY Mornings with Doug Goudie (@WGYMornings) March 24, 2023 As posts from social media users indicate, theres a common belief that if someone is blinking a lot while they speak, theyre probably not telling the truth. But is excessive blinking actually a sign of lying? Why do people have this association? Is Paltrow coming off as dishonest? HuffPost asked psychology and body language experts to discuss how blinking relates to lying and share their thoughts on the nonverbal signals in Paltrows testimony. Why do we associate excessive blinking with lying? Blinking is our bodys response to a wide variety of stressors, said Paul Hokemeyer, a psychotherapist, body language expert and author. Its a neurophysical reaction that occurs below the level of our conscious thoughts. From an evolutionary standpoint, he said, blinking is a part of humans flight, fight or freeze response to apparent threats. Story continues It enables our eyes to visually perceive dangers and quickly find ways out of dangers path, Hokemeyer said. Its also tied to our heart rate. Research shows that there is a corresponding increase in blinking when our heart rate increases in response to an external stress. Because of these connections, increased blinking is frequently attributed to lying in the face of a perceived threat to ones safety and well-being. Empirical studies have also indicated a connection between blinking and deception. Researchers have found that after the telling of a lie, the rate of blinking will unconsciously and spontaneously increase, Hokemeyer said. This is because blinking is a function of our sympathetic central nervous system, which governs our bodily responses that exist independent of our conscious thoughts and are responsible for our ability to survive in threatening situations. So while the conscious mind may be able to tell a lie with conviction, the unconscious mind feels the lie as a threat and responds accordingly. But does it actually indicate dishonesty? So if you notice someone blinking a lot as they speak, does that automatically mean theyre lying? The answer is that it depends, said Traci Brown, a body language expert and the author of How To Detect Lies, Fraud and Identity Theft. Everyone has their own unique blink rate, she added. The important thing is when it changes significantly while answering potentially incriminating questions. Pay attention to shifts in patterns rather than the specific behavior of rapid blinking. The average adult blinks from 17-20 times per minute in a pretty regular rate, Brown said. Stress can change that. It can go as high as 160 and as low as three. Blinking can also flutter in irregular patterns under stress. Patti Wood, a body language expert and the author of Snap: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language & Charisma,said that blinking rates under ordinary circumstances can vary widely depending on the person, such that 40 blinks per minute might also be a typical rate. So the key is to analyze what someones baseline is in different contexts. As stress increases, blink rate goes up to 70 blinks per minute or higher, Wood said. So, for example, you look at what a persons blink rate is in a courtroom setting: How are they blinking most of the time? What is their baseline in that situation? Then you look at how their baseline rate changes due to certain factors for example, when they ask a question and theyre stating their response, or when someone on the stand is saying something about them. If youre trying to assess how someones blinking rate can change during questioning, Wood recommended mixing in more difficult questions with easier, fact-based inquiries. You may even ask the same tough question multiple times to get a better comparison. If their blinking pattern changes, you might want to get to the bottom of what theyre truly thinking. For example, in a job interview situation, you would ask them whats making them uncomfortable about answering the question, Wood said. You should come from a place of integrity and curiosity. The goal should be to create connection, establish a relationship with people so they feel comfortable telling you the truth, rather than have to fear everyone is lying and expend the energy trying to catch them. Research shows that people who [think they] are in the presence of an honest person with integrity, they are more likely to feel comfortable telling the truth. And remember that a change in blink pattern doesnt necessarily mean someone is lying, so give people grace. There are many reasons why someone could have rapid blinking, Wood said. Despite those studies showing some link between blinking and dishonesty, thats not the whole picture, especially in a courtroom setting. After all, a persons excessive blinking may simply stem from the stress of taking the stand in front of so many people. Blink rate is linked to a change or sudden shift in emotion. Now we have to accept that for any person, going into court with cameras present, reporting on every word we say, would be stressful.Darren Stanton, a psychologist and body language expert What else might cause rapid blinking? While excessive blinking may be a sign of lying, it can also be a function of a host of other neurological disorders, eyesight strain, environmental stressors such as dry air, and pollutants such as pollen, Hokemeyer said. Around this time of year, many peoples allergies act up, leading to dry eyes and extra blinks. Wood pointed to factors like general nervousness and lighting as well. The first week I began doing nightly TV interviews for CNN, I noticed that I had a high blink rate because I both was nervous about being on TV and the bright white lights in my eyes made me blink, she recalled. I also noticed that I blink for the first 30 seconds or so of the interview, but once I calm down I dont blink. So what about Paltrows blinking? When she takes a stand to give evidence, her blink rate increases dramatically, said psychologist and body language expert Darren Stanton, referring to Paltrows behavior at trial. Blink rate is linked to a change or sudden shift in emotion. Now we have to accept that for any person, going into court with cameras present, reporting on every word we say, would be stressful to most people. However, with her, she is used to being in the limelight in front of the cameras. Though Hokemeyer didnt believe Paltrows experience as an actor would necessarily make testifying any more comfortable, he too suggested that the situation could say something about her truthfulness. Gwyneth Paltrow is a seasoned and talented actress, he said. Her conscious mind is highly trained to be articulate and persuasive in environmentally and emotionally stressful situations. But unlike a courtroom setting, the stress of being an actress can be contained through the medium of a fictional character. In the courtroom under oath, however, actors need to find and be their authentic selves. If they cant or are limited in this regard, their unconscious minds and sympathetic nervous systems will emerge and indicate their truths. In any case, its not surprising Paltrows blink rate would change in the context of being on the stand. It seems that Gwyneths pattern is to blink a lot when she wants to emphasize something, Brown said. She blinked a lot when she said she took her kids to Taylor Swifts concert. So again, everyone has their own unique pattern. Its important to take the time to baseline the people youre watching so you can get the real pattern and not just assume that one piece of physiology means deception. Brown said she did not think Paltrows blinking was an indication of deceit. I believe that shes being truthful in the clips I saw, Brown said, adding that shes very congruent with her answers. When Paltrow is shown saying that shes sorry for using profanity at the scene of the collision, her apology is real, Brown argued. We can see her bite her bottom lip thats self punishment, added the body language expert. Although onlookers may never know the exact level of honesty in Paltrows statements, its clear that blinking and other facial cues play a significant role in conveying trustworthiness. Some say the eyes are the windows into the soul, but in trials like this, perhaps theyre simply the key to a favorable verdict. Related... A dog made a gruesome discovery, leading deputies to a body in a South Carolina creek bed, officials said. Now, mystery lingers as officials try to determine the identity of the person who was found dead Wednesday, March 29. The Oconee County Coroners Office said the human remains of a female were discovered at about 4:45 p.m. near the town of Salem. They were found about 10 miles south of Lower Whitewater Falls, a popular hiking spot. Deputies were called to the scene after the property owner found a human forearm and hand apparently brought onto the property by a dog, the coroners office wrote in a news release. Then, deputies reportedly searched the area and spotted human remains nearby. While officials hadnt confirmed the persons identity as of March 30, an autopsy scheduled for the following day could help provide clues. Based on the preliminary examination of the deceased, the coroners office and sheriffs department has been in contact with the family of a missing Salem woman, officials wrote. The family has provided additional information which will be helpful in establishing a positive identification. Salem is roughly 40 miles west of Greenville. Skeletal remains may date back to 1890s. Now, SC officials seek mans descendants Body washes up on island with ID belonging to man missing since April, SC cops say I grew up hearing that only two things in life were certain: death and taxes. Mind you, I also grew up hearing that ostriches buried their heads in the sand, George Washington wore wooden dentures and the rest of us should never begin a sentence with yet, and or but. Yet, I do. And, I dont care. But, lets get back to death and taxes. As near as I can tell, death isnt so bad. Its no picnic, either. But, you only have to do it once. Taxes, on the other hand, have to be paid over and over again. Then, every year, you have to tell the government all about it with a special emphasis on adjusted gross income, below the line deductions, capital gains and blah blah blah. More: NJ ANCHOR property tax relief rebate payments to start coming on Tuesday More: 'Slam the Scam Day': Don't fall for these and other scams this tax season Frankly, the whole thing is a grind. And, by Dec. 31, when youve forgotten that tax season ever happened, it starts all over again. Every January, my mailbox begins to clog up with official-looking envelopes that purportedly contain IMPORTANT TAX DOCUMENTS. Every February, I tell myself and anyone within earshot that I am going to collect all these IMPORTANT TAX DOCUMENTS and file my returns early. Then, March rolls around. Then, April. And, thats usually when I realize that these IMPORTANT TAX DOCUMENTS are scattered all over my house in New Jersey, my apartment on Long Island, and assorted locations in between. Last year, I couldnt find one of my W-2 forms until April 6, when it turned up in the glove compartment of my SUV, under a pile of brown eco-friendly napkins that I appropriated from Chipotle. (Just between us, what I really wanted to appropriate from Chipotle was a big bottle of that green salsa verde stuff, but stealing is morally wrong. And, its illegal. And, I didnt wear a jacket with pockets that were large enough to hide the bottle.) If you have spent any time with me, you probably know that I have a psychotic aversion to paperwork. Story continues A good part of this has to do with my nasty habit of transposing numbers. This problem is believed to be part of what some neurologists and other medical professionals call dyscalculia, an umbrella phrase that includes several conditions related to achievement or, rather, non-achievement in mathematics. According to dyscalculia.org, about 6 percent to 7 percent of the population has severe dyscalculia. And I guess that number includes weird, wonderful me. Should you care, I am also left-handed, which affects about 10 percent of the population. And I am cute as a button, which affects 12 percent of the population. More: From skirts to shirts to going topless, men's fashion is confusing Ervolino Dyscalculia is why I entrust all of my tax junk to my old friend Danny. He and I worked part time as waiters back in the 70s to earn extra dough while making names for ourselves in our chosen professions. In 1976, I went to work for a newspaper and he became an apprentice accountant. Then he bought out his bosss practice, expanded it, opened a larger office and became a CPA. And, Im Still working for a newspaper. One might think that toiling away for crumbs for so many years would make doing my taxes easy. But, its never been easy. Two years ago, after listening to Danny scold me for three years in a row because I didnt bring in any receipts, I showed up with a Hefty bag filled with papers: restaurant receipts, grocery receipts, bills from the dog groomer, losing lottery tickets, an entire handful of fortune cookie fortunes. What is all this junk? Danny yelled. And these receipts! Some of them go back to 1998! Oh, thats OK, I told him. Just cut off the tops where the dates are. Theres no way theyre going to check all this stuff. Do you have scissors? Then, he REALLY yelled. Are you crazy? Our session went on for two hours as he tried to stitch together my return. And what are all these things? Danny asked. Twelve parking receipts, all with the same date and time? Oh, yeah, that was my cousins anniversary party in New York. I asked a few of the guests to give me their parking receipts. He tore them to shreds and tossed them into the trash. Eventually, the return was done and Danny told me to sign here, here and here. And dont ever come back! I thought everything ended up fine and I did get a decent refund a few weeks later. Danny, unfortunately, had a nervous breakdown and was hospitalized for a week before going into rehab. When I finally visited him, he seemed all right and eager to leave. There are a bunch of forms my doctor needs to release me, he said from his bed. Could you take them and fill them out for me? Anyway, that was four years ago, and hes still there. Im not good with paperwork. This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: April 15 is tax day. Don't use Bill Ervolino's method to file taxes Former US President Donald Trump will be charged over hush money payments made to a porn star just before the 2016 presidential election. The details of the case against him have not yet been released. A grand jury has voted to indict him after investigating a $130,000 pay-out to Stormy Daniels in an attempt to buy her silence over an alleged affair. Mr Trump, 76, denies wrongdoing. He is the first serving or former US president to face a criminal charge. The office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who has been pursuing the investigation, confirmed that it had contacted Mr Trump's attorney to "co-ordinate his surrender" on unspecified charges. The ex-president, who lives in Florida, is expected to fly to New York on Monday and be arraigned in court on Tuesday, two sources familiar with the matter told CBS News, the BBC's US partner. The charges in the indictment will be read to him at the hearing, which is set to last about 10-15 minutes. The United States Secret Service - which is tasked with protecting serving and former US presidents - will be in charge of security for the court appearance. In 2016, adult film star Stormy Daniels contacted media outlets offering to sell her account of what she said was an adulterous affair she had with Donald Trump in 2006 - the year after he married his current wife, Melania. Mr Trump's team got wind of this, and his lawyer Michael Cohen paid $130,000 to Ms Daniels to keep quiet. This is not illegal. However, when Mr Trump reimbursed his lawyer, the record for the payment says it was for legal fees. Prosecutors say this amounts to Mr Trump falsifying business records, which is a misdemeanour - a criminal offence - in New York. Prosecutors could also potentially allege that this breaks election law, because his attempt to hide his payments to Ms Daniels were motivated by not wanting voters to know he had an affair with her. Story continues Covering up a crime by falsifying records would be a felony, which is a more serious charge. Even advocates for prosecution acknowledge that either way, this is by no means a clear-cut case. There is little precedent for such a prosecution, and past attempts to charge politicians with crossing the line between campaign finance and personal spending have ended in failure. Mr Trump now faces the prospect of having his fingerprints recorded and his mugshot taken, like all defendants in criminal cases. In a statement, Mr Trump lashed out at the Manhattan district attorney. He called the prosecutor a "disgrace", and accused him of "doing Joe Biden's dirty work". "The Democrats have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to 'Get Trump,' but now they've done the unthinkable - indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant Election Interference," he said. Mr Trump has repeatedly slammed the investigation in his hometown of New York as a political "witch hunt" led by his opponents. Mr Bragg, who is a registered Democrat, has denied pursuing a political vendetta against Mr Trump. "We evaluate cases in our jurisdiction based on the facts, the law, and the evidence," he tweeted earlier this month. Mr Trump's lawyer, Susan Necheles, said in a statement: "He did not commit any crime. We will vigorously fight this political prosecution in court." Following the indictment, Ms Daniels thanked her supporters. "I have so many messages coming in that I can't respond... also don't want to spill my champagne," she tweeted. Mr Trump denies having an affair with Stormy Daniels (pictured) The criminal case could shape the 2024 presidential race. Mr Trump is currently the front-runner among all declared and potential contenders for the Republican White House nomination. But there is nothing in US law that prevents a candidate who is found guilty of a crime from campaigning for, and serving as, president - even from prison. His campaign sent out fundraising emails on Thursday evening, citing the indictment. Top congressional Republicans are rallying behind Mr Trump. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy said: "Alvin Bragg has irreparably damaged our country in an attempt to interfere in our Presidential election. "As he routinely frees violent criminals to terrorize the public, he weaponized our sacred system of justice against President Donald Trump." But Democrats welcomed the indictment, arguing it showed no-one was above the law. Congressman Adam Schiff said: "The indictment and arrest of a former president is unique throughout all of American history. "But so too is the unlawful conduct for which Trump has been charged." Mr Trump is also being investigated in several other cases. They include probes into his role in the US Capitol riot of January 2021, his efforts to overturn his loss in the state of Georgia in the 2020 election, and his handling of classified documents after leaving office. Mr Trump - who served as president from 2017-21 - was twice impeached by the House of Representatives. He was acquitted by the Senate both times. Former President Donald Trump on Thursday became the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges after a New York grand jury voted to indict him. Though the charges were not made public, the grand jury has been investigating hush money payments to two women who claimed to have had affairs with him. Details of those payments were made public only after he was elected as president in 2016. Trump, who has said an indictment would not deter him from running for president, has already denied the charges, calling his accusers liars and threatening in a social media post that there would be "potential death & destruction" if charges were filed against him in the case. What happens next? Here's what we know: Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Make America Great Again Rally in Waco, Texas, Saturday, March 25, 2023. Has Trump been indicted? A grand jury has voted to indict Trump. The former president is under investigation for money payments to two women who claimed to have had sex with him, including a $130,000 payment made just before the 2016 election to silence adult film star Stormy Daniels for a past affair. Federal investigators ended their own inquiry into the payment in 2019. What is an indictment? An indictment is not the same as an arrest; it's a formal charge of a crime, while an arrest is when a person is taken into custody. An arrest of Trump is not likely, said former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti. Mug shot? Perp walk? Will Trump go to jail? Glenn Kirschner, a former prosecutor, told USA TODAY that authorities often negotiate the surrender of a high-profile defendant like Trump to avoid the spectacle of a perp walk in which the person is paraded before the media as they enter the courthouse or police station. There will be no reason to cuff him and walk him into police headquarters to be booked," Kirschner said. There will still be a mug shot, fingerprints and lots of paperwork filled out as part of the booking process. So we will see a mug shot of a former president of the United States, but I do not think we're going to see a perp walk. Story continues Will the indictment cause pro-Trump protests? Kirschner said authorities should take seriously Trumps call to action, saying it could result in the kind of widespread rioting that occurred at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. This is a play right out of Trumps playbook, Kirschner said. We started with Stand back, stand by. We then moved to Come to D.C. on January 6 , itll be wild. Now we have Come to Manhattan for my arraignment. Protest, take our country back." But Kirschner said he doubts Trumps effort will have the same result this time. On January 6, people were aggrieved because they had been told their vote was stolen. So they took it personally. Here. I don't think there's that kind of personal motivator the way there was on January 6. Donald Trump's statement Trump's campaign called the vote to indict "political persecution and election interference at the highest level in history." What does this mean for the Secret Service? With Trump facing possible criminal charges, W. Ralph Basham, a former Secret Service director, said the prospect raises unprecedented questions for the Secret Service and the boundaries of the agency's obligation to provide lifetime protection for the former president. Basham, who served during the George H.W. Bush administration, said he was unaware of any provision that would allow the agency to drop its protection obligation, even if a protectee was sentenced to a prison term. "We are in uncharted territory here," Basham said. "I'm sure the attorneys are scrambling to find answers to those questions." "I'm not aware of anything ... that would preclude them (Secret Service agents) from escorting a former president to a detention center in the event of a conviction and prison sentence," Basham said, adding that the agency would then have to consider "establishing a presence" at a detention center for the duration of any sentence. "I just don't know," he said. "The lawyers are going to have to figure this out." Who is Stormy Daniels? Stormy Daniels, an adult film star whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, is central to the case Manhattan prosecutors are building against the former president. Daniels alleges that in 2006 she had consensual sex with Trump, months after Melania Trump gave birth to the couple's son, Barron. Trump has denied the affair. In October 2016, Trumps then-attorney and personal fixer, Michael Cohen, made a wire transfer of $130,000 to Daniels' attorney after she said she was willing to go on record about the alleged affair with Trump. Who is Michael Cohen? Cohen, Trump's former lawyer and a convicted felon, is another key figure in the Manhattan case. He has testified at least 20 times on the former presidents alleged illegalities. Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to concealing personal income from the IRS and "causing $280,000 in payments to be made to silence two women who otherwise planned to speak publicly about their alleged affairs with a presidential candidate, thereby intending to influence the 2016 presidential election," according to Justice Department documents. Cohen told USA TODAY Trump's indictment is only the beginning of a new chapter in the former president's legal saga. "Now that the charges have been filed, it is better for the case to let the indictment speak for itself," Cohen said in a written statement. "The two things I wish to say at this time is that accountability matters and I stand by my testimony and the evidence I have provided." Who is Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg? Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is the first prosecutor to ever charge a former president. This isnt Braggs first time dealing with Trump. His office made headlines last December for convicting two of Trump's companies on charges related to a criminal tax fraud scheme. After the convictions, Bragg alluded to Trumps status as a former president, saying the verdict underscores that here in Manhattan we have one standard of justice for all. Dig deeper: Contributing: Kevin Johnson This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump indictment: What we know about NY hush money case Philippines Ferry Fire A coast guard ship tries to extinguish flames on the MV Lady Mary Joy near Basilan, southern Philippines, early Thursday, March 30, 2023. Credit - Philippine Coast Guard/AP Search and rescue efforts are still underway Thursday for passengers of a commercial ferry that caught fire in the southern waters of the Philippines, Wednesday evening, killing dozens and injuring many more. At least 205 passengers and 35 crew members were on board the MV Lady Mary Joy 3 when it went up in flames off the coast of Baluk-Baluk Island in Basilan, an archipelagic province some 580 miles south of the Southeast Asian nations capital. Initial figures the Philippine Coast Guard in Zamboanga gave to TIME say 201 people have been rescued as of Thursday afternoon local time. Provincial Governor Jim Hataman-Salliman told the Associated Press that the death toll has climbed to 31, but differing reports from Coast Guard Commodore Rejard Marfe have only confirmed 28 casualties so far. Authorities believe more people were aboard the ferry than those listed in the manifest, and the search and rescue operation is expected to continue through Friday. The passenger ferry left the Zamboanga port at 8:30 p.m. headed for Jolo in the southernmost province of Sulu. Coast guard officials said they received a report of the fire at around 10:40 p.m. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire. Arsina Kahing-Nanohthe mayor of Hadji Muhtamad, the municipality nearest where the ship went ablazetold CNN Philippines that a rescued passenger said they heard an explosion before the fire. The ship is currently moored in Baluk-Baluk. The Philippines history of accidents at sea Sea transport in the Philippines is plagued by several issuesfrom dangerous weather to poor maritime industry regulations to lack of ship maintenance and overcrowdingleaving ships prone to accidents. Latest statistics from the countrys Maritime Industry Authority showed that they investigated 214 accidents at sea in 2021the most in five years and more than double the number investigated the year before. Story continues In December 1987, the MV Dona Paz, a passenger ferry bound for Manila, collided with an oil tanker carrying 9,000 barrels of combustible petroleum products, sinking the ferry and resulting in more than 4,300 fatalities in one of the worlds deadliest maritime disasters. A 2011 study of the MV Dona Paz tragedy and other maritime incidents in the country said ships in the Philippines often ply routes with unpredictable or hazardous travel conditions, often worsened by typhoons. Lack of maritime infrastructure often forces seafarers to rely on experience and instinct. In 2018, the Philippines finalized a 10-year maritime industry development planwith the enhancement of maritime safety among one of its eight key programs. Accidents, however, continue to happen. Seven people died last year after a high-speed Philippine ferry carrying 134 passengers caught fire just as it was about to approach its destination. The fire reportedly came from the engine room. And just last month, a tanker that capsized off the coast of Oriental Mindoro, some 110 miles south of Manila, caused an oil spill that spread to other parts of the 7,600-island archipelago, threatening local coastal livelihoods and important marine environments. Philippine Senator Grace Poe filed a bill earlier this month to create a board governing transportation safety. Even before reparations are done on an incident, another tragedy strikes claiming lives and harming the environment, she said in a statement Thursday. At least 28 people have been killed and 230 rescued after a passenger ferry caught fire in the Philippines. The blaze began in the ship's air-conditioned cabins on Wednesday night but it is unclear how, officials said. Among the dead were at least three children, including a six-month-old baby. Earlier, officials said the number of people missing was uncertain because an exact passenger count was not known. Just 205 were listed on a manifest. The Philippine Coast Guard said search and rescue operations were ongoing and there were no signs of overloading on the ship. The initial death toll amounted to less than a dozen people - these were thought to have drowned as they jumped into the water without life jackets. However authorities then discovered another 18 bodies on the vessel that were "totally burnt", said Commodore Rejard Marfe of the Coast Guard. He added that "chaos" resulted when the fire broke out, as most of the passengers were sleeping at the time. The captain eventually ran the vessel aground so that it would be easier for those onboard to swim to shore. Authorities said earlier that 14 people were injured and another seven missing. The MV Lady Mary Joy 3 caught fire around 22:40 local time (14:40 GMT) off Baluk-baluk island in Basilan province. It had been travelling to another island. Mayor Arsina Kahing-Nanoh told CNN Philippines that one of the rescued passengers said an explosion could be heard before the blaze broke out. She added that more explosions were heard as the ship ran aground. The coast guard said it would assist with an investigation and safety assessment, and check for oil spills. The Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,600 islands, has a poor maritime safety record. Vessels are often overcrowded, with many ageing ships still in use. Last May, at least seven people died after a fire in a high-speed ferry carrying 134 people. In 1987, around 5,000 people perished in the world's worst peacetime shipping disaster, when an overloaded passenger ferry collided with an oil tanker off Mindoro island. Dr. Charles Smith sits with some of his artwork at the Kohler Art Preserve in Sheboygan. When Dr. Charles Smith sold hundreds of his works to the Kohler Foundation, the outspoken artist made one thing clear: "You're buying art, not me," he said. "That way, you can't tell me to stop saying what I'm saying." Far from stopping Smith, the Sheboygan-based John Michael Kohler Arts Center may be giving the 81-year-old artist a wider forum for preaching his message. Smith is one of the few living artists represented in Kohler's Art Preserve, which opened in 2021, a combination of museum, study center and working conservation space. The Kohler Foundation gifted more than 200 of Smith's sculptures to the JMKAC, giving it the largest institutional collection of his art. The Art Preserve houses large collections from artist-built environments, like those of Mary Nohl, the late Fox Point creator, and Nek Chand, who made hundreds of human figures from rocks and stones in India. MORE: From Mary Nohl's tools to chicken-bone thrones, Kohler's new Art Preserve houses works from 'artist-built environments' Kohler has forged a relationship with Smith, who now lives in Hammond, Louisiana, but fashioned many of the works in the Art Preserve at his former home in Aurora, Illinois. In October, he visited the Art Preserve to help curators arrange his work there, and to meet and talk with groups and visitors, including members of the African American Art Alliance, a Milwaukee Art Museum support group. Like many of the creators included in the Art Preserve, Smith's work gains in power from seeing it en masse. During his recent visit, Smith worked with curators on a plan that eventually will lead to the installation of his concrete and mixed-media figures in the historical arc of Black experience, from Africa through the Middle Passage, slavery, plantation life, the early 20th century, the civil rights movement to the present. "Art is designed to leave a message of education, to inspire," Smith said, repeating what he told members of the visiting art alliance. Story continues "I had no art skills but when God gets in your life and calls you, there's going to be some action." Called to make art about Black history Born in New Orleans, Smith grew up in Chicago after the death of his father in what Smith believes was a racially motivated murder. His mother took him to view the body of the murdered Emmett Till in 1955. He served as a Marine infantryman during the Vietnam War, an experience that left him injured, depressed and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. He said he began making art in 1986 after God told him to do so to counter his anger and depression. He also dubbed himself "Dr." to honor the wisdom he has acquired through life experience. Dr. Charles Smith works on a sculpture at his home in Hammond. La. "My job as a minister, as an artist, as a person serving in the community, is tell them the truth. That's all God requires of me," said Smith, seated in the middle of a semi-circle of his sculptures. His abiding preoccupation is the importance of knowing Black history. A male figure with his arm raised represents the Amistad, the Spanish schooner where slaves revolted in 1839, leading to a U.S. Supreme Court decision that affirmed the freedom of the former slaves. Smith points out figures of house slaves and field slaves, noting the latter can be easily identified by scarring on their backs. A group of prone figures represent graves in a Canadian cemetery. "That's why they're on the floor looking up, letting people know who pass through they didn't get a chance to do what you're doing." Smith said. Another grouping honors Black intellectual leaders including Ida B. Wells, Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois "that made a difference in our lives." A site view of the African-American Heritage Museum + Black Veterans Archive created by Dr. Charles Smith in Aurora, Il., from 1985-'99. More than 200 works from this site are now at the Art Preserve in Sheboygan. Pointing to a figure, Smith said it's Stokely Carmichael, the activist and Black Power leader of the 1960s. The artist identifies that time period as the point when the Black American community lost its way. "My thesis is in April of 1968 when Dr. (Martin Luther) King died, that's when we died, because there's not been a movement forward since then," he said. Immediately after King was shot, the movement's leaders should have gathered in that motel room in prayer, asking God "who should lead us now? But they didn't, and that's why they're scattered and confused an all over the place," he said. A strong proponent of Black self-empowerment, Smith isn't shy about criticizing institutions. "One hundred years NAACP has been in existence ... how is it that Black Lives Matter can come along and do more in less than two years than you have done in 50 years?" he asked rhetorically. But he was happy to speak to a group from Milwaukee, he said, because Milwaukee has a Black-owned bank. Kohler's Art Preserve in Sheboygan has more than 200 artworks by Dr. Charles Smith, whose abiding preoccupation is Black history. Smith's contemporary figures embody the stern symbolism of a prophet. A young female figure is 13 years old and pregnant. "Nowhere to go, just living with her mother. Look at the damage and trauma she's brought to that family," he said. A boy depicted in chains has "been before the judge a number of times and told to change his life, change his ways, or else you're going to wind up in prison." Smith believes the tradition of elders teaching young people about their culture and how to live has been broken. He sees his work as an effort to help fill that educational gap. Smith has made more than 500 figures in his artistic lifetime. When he makes a new work, his process often includes "a lot of reading," he said. A recent work began with the inspiration to take a five-gallon plastic jug of water, placing a child on one side, a baby in front and the mother behind a reference to the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. "I let the spirit guide me just like it told me (to get) that water bottle," Smith said. "All I do is let God lead me in what to do." Dr. Charles Smith sits with some of his artwork at the Kohler Art Preserve in Sheboygan. As stern as he can be, Smith calls himself optimistic about the future, because he has talked to so many people who are "sincere about change and looking for change, that just need direction." He exhorts young people to stay in school and stay focused. One of his figures is dominated by a large clock. Everybody has a clock and when it runs out, you die, he said, underlining his memento mori. As long as he can, he will keep following his calling. "I'm still the guy in the corner trying to figure out why this killing's going on, why the family's broken, " he said. The Art Preserve is at 3636 Lower Falls Road, Sheboygan, about 3 miles from the John Michael Kohler Arts Center. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursdays; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Entries will be timed. The Kohler suggests making reservations at jmkac.org/art-preserve or by calling 920-453-0346. Admission is free; donations will be accepted at the front desk. All visitors are required to wear a mask. Contact Jim Higgins at jim.higgins@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @jhiggy. Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal. DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Charles Smith finds home for Black figures at Sheboygan's Art Preserve Dunbar High School was on lockdown Thursday morning due to a social media threat of an active shooter, according to Principal Carl Burnside's email to parents. Burnside said the social media meme circulating claiming there is an active shooter on campus is not true and that students are safe. More: Arming school staff? Lee County schools considering it More: Third South Fort Myers High School student arrested for gun on campus. Here's what we know "Out of an abundance of caution, the school is on a lockdown while the Fort Myers Police Department investigates the source of this meme," Burnside said. Around 9 a.m. Thursday morning, the Fort Myers Police Department tweeted about the lockdown and said they were on the scene with a "large police presence" while they conduct an investigation. At 9:30 a.m., officials tweeted they were investigating the threat that was shared via text message and the school remained in lockdown. The lockdown was lifted around 10 a.m., according to officials. "This investigation remains very active," The Fort Myers Police said in a tweet. "We take the safety of each of our students and staff very seriously and we continue to investigate to get to the source of this terrible hoax." This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Dunbar High on lockdown after social media active shooter threat Schools in northeast Pennsylvania are investigating threats made the day after a rash of hoax threats were made against schools across the commonwealth. The investigation into threats against Wallenpaupack Area School District concluded Thursday afternoon. "We were made aware of an anonymous threat made on a social media site yesterday and began working in collaboration with the state police to investigate the concerns. Parents were notified last evening of this concern. The presence of local and state law enforcement agencies was requested, and substitute school police officers and district administrators were placed within the high school to augment the current staff. The investigation went through the night and into this morning and concluded with threats being unfounded. Both the online post and the potential threat listed on the post were found to be not credible." Wallenpaupack Area School District Superintendent Keith Gunuskey said in a statement to reporters. According to Gunuskey, school attendance was impacted "negatively" due to the situation. "The fact is that this type of issue has followed most school shootings across the country, and we are not immune." He continued. "Posting third party statements and reports on social media sites about dangerous acts or threats ... is not an effective way to report such a problem. We have more hotlines, apps, and reporting sites than ever before for individuals to make their concerns known without causing community anxiety and frustration. "We take all potential threats seriously and will follow up on any and all leads. We are asking families to help guide their children in making responsible reports by contacting the school or using Safe2Say." Gunuskey said. "Safety is our number one priority." The threat was made the same day a series of phone calls were being made to 9-1-1 centers throughout Pennsylvania involving threats of active shooters or bombs. Calls were made to several schools in different counties, PSP notes, though all have had similar content. Police are investigating and responding to all of these calls. Story continues Lockdowns and evacuations were reported across the state, along with responses from police and emergency services. Trooper Robert Urban of PSP Troop R reported no threats or lockdowns to school districts had been made throughout their coverage area, which includes Wayne, Pike, Lackawanna and Susquehanna counties. East Stroudsburg Area School District investigates Safe2Say tip The East Stroudsburg Area security team search bags as students walk through metal detectors at the South high school on the morning of March 30,2023. Stroud Area Regional Police, Stroud Twp. Police, Pennsylvania State Police and school police were reportedly investigating a Safe2Say tip regarding a potential threat against East Stroudsburg South high school on Thursday morning. Students and visitors were subject to metal detector screening and bag searches as a result. "Multiple Pennsylvania school districts have been impacted by threats of violence against schools over the past two days." The district said in a statement released via Facebook. "Nonetheless, in all situations, a threat is treated as an emergency until law enforcement determines its credibility. Therefore, we follow our polices, procedures, and protocols for responding to such threats." East Stroudsburg Area School District grappled with another threat in February, after a reports of a handwritten message threatening a school shooting were investigated by police. PSP Trooper Anthony Petroski noted the school reached out to state police for assistance in that situation, and a student was found to be responsible for the messages, which were deemed "not credible." That student will face a juvenile allegation essentially a criminal complaint for minors for terroristic threats. ESASD school board president Richard Schlameuss said he trusts the security staff to ensure the safety of the district's children. ESASD security and members of law enforcement search bags as students walk through metal detectors at the South high school on the morning of March 30. Stroud Twp. police, Stroud Area Regional Police, and state police were all on hand as the school investigated a threat that came in via an anonymous Safe2Say tip. "I know they are absolute professionals and they take every threat seriously. The Safe2Say program is incredibly helpful and is absolutely viewed and action is taken by our security staff when we receive any anonymous tips." Schlameuss said. "Not only am I the school board president, but I am also a parent of children that saw the threat at school and questioned 'am I safe at school?'" "Not only do I have to reassure them, but I also need to reassure myself." He continued, noting that students walked through metal detectors and bags were searched. "If anything had been found or staff felt any concerns that couldn't be handled, a decision would have been made to close the school. The school was safe. I have faith and confidence in our security and our district staff." What is Safe2Say? Safe2Say Something, Pennsylvania's school threat reporting program, was first rolled out in early 2019. The program's website, located at safe2saypa.org, allows concerned citizens to make anonymous tips to protect young Pennsylvanians. Safe2Say also has its own smartphone app. After a tip is made, a crisis team evaluates the threat and may or may not reach out to the tipster for more detail. All threats are submitted to school districts and law enforcement for proper intervention. You can follow up on a tip by entering in a report ID. The program received 26,174 tips in the 2021-2022 school year, excluding false reports and test tips. The program's annual report for the school year measured tips made at Intermediate Units in Pennsylvania. Colonial IU 20, which serves Monroe, Northampton and Pike counties, reported 1700 tips made. Only three other IU schools reported more tips. During the 20212022 school year, the Safe2Say Something Program received a total of 1,053 tips that were deemed to be false reports or prank tips. Pocono Record writer Brian Myszkowski contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: East Stroudsburg, Wallenpaupack Area schools investigating threats QUITO (Reuters) -Ecuador's opposition has compelling evidence to present against President Guillermo Lasso at his impeachment hearing, a lawmaker said on Thursday, including irregularities in a crude oil shipping contract, accusations Lasso vehemently denied in a televised message. The Constitutional Court gave the green light on Wednesday night to begin impeachment hearings for alleged embezzlement in the National Assembly, where Lasso does not have a majority and has clashed with legislators. "The evidence is compelling, it is irrefutable, and we are going to present it," opposition lawmaker Viviana Veloz, who filed the impeachment petition alongside 59 others in mid-March, told a local TV channel. Opposition lawmakers allege that Lasso was reportedly warned by the former manager of the oil fleet FLOPEC, Johnny Estupinan, about irregularities in a contracting process for oil transportation with Amazonas Tanker Pool Company LLC. Estupinan was removed from the position in March 2022 for trying to unilaterally terminate the contract, and a new contract was signed with the same company in July 2022, against the recommendations of the country's comptroller, the file sent to the court said. Lasso protested his innocence, saying the alleged incident took place before he became president, accusing his detractors of character assassination. "I'm experiencing a systematic and mafia-like attack, they are trying to smear my name and that of my home. That's called an attempt to assassinate my reputation," Lasso said in a televised statement broadcast late on Thursday. Supporters of the move to oust Lasso will need 92 votes from the 137-member assembly if the process reaches the final stage. The government criticized the political trial against Lasso, but said it would respect the decision of the court. The court's decision to start impeachment proceedings could prompt Lasso to dissolve the assembly and call early elections. Lawmakers backed a report earlier this month accusing Lasso of involvement in possible crimes against state security and public administration, assertions rejected by the government. (Reporting by Alexandra Valencia; Writing by Valentine Hilaire; Editing by Bill Berkrot) Sheriff's Cmdr. Jason Wolak tours the outmoded and dangerous Men's Central Jail in 2019. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) This is the day Los Angeles Countys dungeon was supposed to close. But Mens Central Jail appears to be no nearer to shutting down than it was on March 30, 2021, when county officials appointed by the Board of Supervisors presented a two-year timeline to get people out of the dangerous building, now 60 years old, and begin tearing it down. Failure to meet the schedule is an affront to human decency and a discredit to the supervisors and the sheriff, who ultimately are responsible for the jail and the tragedy that unfolds inside on a daily basis. The notorious jail is among the nations cruelest. Its 1963 design is shockingly outmoded, preventing deputies from seeing inside cells without first walking the corridors and becoming targets for the human waste thrown at them by the occupants, a large portion of whom suffer from mental illness and receive insufficient care and attention while they await court hearings or transfer to medical facilities. There is a dearth of functioning equipment to meet basic health and sanitation needs, and too little opportunity for exercise, contributing to physical and mental decline. Like the countys Inmate Reception Center a newer adjacent facility in the massive jail complex on the north end of downtown Los Angeles Mens Central Jail is plagued by deaths, including three in the last two weeks. None of the three deceased men had been sentenced. The jail has operated under court oversight since 1978 due to health and safety problems but continues to be the subject of new lawsuits for continuing failures. The supervisors lost precious time over the last 20 years debating how many people they should be able to lock up in a replacement facility and finally agreed correctly not to build a new jail at all. Instead they supported providing more humane and effective custody or diversion focused on mental health and substance use disorder treatment with a goal of stemming the return flow of former jail occupants back to incarceration, or into hospitalization or life on the streets. Story continues In the meantime, though, despite creating an implementation team to meet the two-year timeline, Mens Central Jail is still here and, for all practical purposes, still full. The 2021 closure plan centered on reaching a population target for an entire county jail system that in the past has exceeded 19,000. If the number can be brought to fewer than 8,500, there would be enough capacity throughout the rest of the system to absorb Mens Central Jail occupants and it could safely close. For a short time the county was on target, due to efforts to stem the spread of COVID-19 inside the jails. Courts limited the pretrial population people who were arrested and either awaiting trial, release on bail or a plea bargain by resetting bail at $0 for people accused of nonviolent and less serious crimes. By mid-2020, the jail systems population dropped below its rated capacity of 12,404 for the first time in years. The 8,500 target was within reach. But money bail for most people accused of crimes returned last year, and the jail population last week was back up to nearly 14,000. The largest segment of those occupants that can be safely reduced is pretrial. The county must work harder to keep people out of jail who are there only because they are too poor to pay bail. Officials have taken too long to create a comprehensive, functioning pretrial services system that ensures people charged with crimes come to court on their appointed dates and, in the interim, provides the treatment and oversight to protect their neighbors and themselves. The county has to recommit itself to that work and step up the pace. It should stop fighting a challenge to the bail schedule the subject of an ongoing hearing that is due to return to court on Tuesday. To understand the consequences of continuing failure, one need only look at the countys juvenile justice facilities, where conditions have become so abysmal that state officials are likely to close them and force the county to find alternative accommodations for nearly 400 offenders. Mens Central Jail, the Inmate Reception Center and other parts of the adult jail system are under similar scrutiny because of deadly conditions. As with federal court orders to reduce the state prison population more than a decade ago, the county has a choice: Select the people to release and where they will be housed and supervised instead, or allow the courts to release people without alternative housing and deal with the consequences for public safety. Men's Central Jail will close either because the county closes it after securing alternative placements for thousands of people who don't need to be there, or because a court orders it to shut to protect life and safety. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Police officers carry an injured migrant following a fire that killed and injured dozens of migrants, in the immigration station in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua state, on March 28. (Herika Martinez / AFP/Getty Images) The deaths of at least 39 migrants at a Mexican detention center near the U.S.-Mexico border this week shows that immigration policies in Mexico and the U.S. are failing miserably in addressing the historic number of migrants escaping oppressive regimes. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Wednesday vowed that his government would conduct a thorough investigation and punish those responsible for the deaths and possible human rights violations of detainees at the migrant detention center in Ciudad Juarez. This is a necessary move, especially given that a video authenticated by Mexicos Interior Minister shows two guards abandoning detainees in a locked room as a fire rapidly spreads at the detention center. In addition to an investigation into the fire, these migrant deaths call for government officials on both sides of the border to reexamine the restrictive immigration policies that played a role in this tragedy. Unstable governments in countries such as Guatemala, Venezuela and Haiti are prompting a record number of migrants to seek safety and work in other countries, with many intending to arrive in the United States. The number of migrants apprehended by the U.S. authorities at the southern border has increased from more than 977,000 in 2019 to more than 2.3 million in 2022. These figures are prompting Republican lawmakers to call for ever more restrictive border policies, though that approach has failed to deter migrants. The U.S. government in recent years has enacted policies with the goal of dissuading migrants from arriving at the border by severely curtailing who can apply for asylum. The most notorious is Title 42, a health order that gives government officials the power to bar migrants to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. It was first used by former President Trump at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and expanded by President Biden. Those who dont qualify for asylum are ejected to Mexico. Such an agreement requires the cooperation of the Mexican government, though the country is ill-equipped to deal with the influx of migrants. Story continues Mexico detains tens of thousands of migrants every year in what is one of the largest immigration detention systems in the world, according to the Geneva-based nonprofit migrant advocacy group Global Detention Project . In response to U.S. pressure, the Mexican government has increased detentions of migrants. In recent months, thousands of migrants hoping to cross the border have strained resources and shelter in Ciudad Juarez. Migrants look for work, or sell gum and other small items at the border, but some must beg for money and sleep on the streets. Mexican authorities regularly round up migrants to take them to detention centers, where conditions are overcrowded, according to migrants in the city. Before the investigation had been conducted, the Mexican president seemed to blame the migrants for the tragedy by starting the fire to protest conditions at the detention center, which he said is run by government migration officials and a private security company. On Wednesday, following the release of the horrific video, Lopez Obrador struck a different and more appropriate tone, offering his condolences. Most of the migrants killed in the fire were from Guatemala, where corruption, violence, extortion and poverty are the top reasons for migration, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development . Policies on both sides of the border are placing migrants in dangerous situations and violating their right to seek asylum. With Title 42 slated to end in May, a more effective and humane approach to the high levels of migration would be for governments in both countries to create a more orderly immigration process. In the U.S., policymakers should ensure that such a system is well-staffed to allow migrants to apply for asylum and to determine in a timely manner whether they qualify, so they are not stuck in dangerous limbo at the border. Otherwise, it will be a matter of time before another tragedy claims the lives of migrants. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The Senate passed a GOP-led resolution Wednesday night to end the COVID-19 national emergency, and President Biden has riled Democrats with his plans to sign it. Experts say the end of the emergency will have a limited impact, despite the White House warning earlier this year it would create wide-ranging chaos and uncertainty throughout the health care system. The resolution will end a number of waivers for federal health programs Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP, however many of the changes to healthcare regulations have become largely irrelevant as COVID-19 precautions have been relaxed. The Biden administration had already set an impending deadline for both the national emergency and the public health emergency to end. In January, a May 11 deadline was announced, giving states the go-ahead to begin winding down the measures enacted under the emergencies. The COVID emergency also provided the power for former President Trump and later Biden to pause student loan repayments. However, Bidens student loan forgiveness plan is now being challenged at the Supreme Court, and student loan repayments are set to begin either 60 days after the Supreme Court ruling or 60 days after June 30. The ending of the national emergency declaration, should the President sign the resolution passed by the Senate, would have a limited impact, Jen Kates, senior vice president and director of global health and HIV policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation, said in a statement to The Hill. Trump declared a national emergency concerning COVID-19 in March 2020, granting the Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary emergency authority to temporarily waive or modify certain requirements of the Medicare, Medicaid, and State Childrens Health Insurance programs over the course of the emergency declaration. Under the national emergency, HHS issued blanket waivers for federal conditions including certain requirements for Medicare provider enrollment; requirements for in-person meetings between providers and patients; as well as requiring out-of-state Medicare and Medicaid providers to be licensed in the state where they are providing services. Story continues States and territories were also allowed to request additional, time-limited, flexibilities for their Medicaid and CHIP programs. Providers were given the flexibility to administer services in alternative settings like unlicensed facilities and temporarily enrolled providers were allowed to forgo requirements like paying application fees or undergoing criminal background checks. As these waivers were issued at the start of the pandemic, around the same time when lockdowns were being ordered, many of the rules were loosened to reduce the number of people leaving their homes for medical services, expand the capacity of critical care hospitals and ensure that patients could still receive care. There are only a limited number of flexibilities tied to the national emergency declaration, such as waivers of some state Medicaid provider requirements, Kates said. It is also likely that states using such flexibilities have already ended them or are preparing to do so given the May 11 date. The bottom line is that the public is unlikely to experience any noticeable changes due to the ending of this declaration a month before the PHE. Still, Biden signing the legislation marks a stark reversal for the president. Almost 200 House Democrats had voted on Feb. 1 against the Republican proposal for an immediate repeal of the emergency designation after the White House sounded its warning about the resolution. The presidents shift was particularly galling for the partys frontliners facing tough reelection contests next year. Its frustrating, said Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.). At best its [an] unacceptable lack of clarity in their message to us. I find it surprising and Id like to see a little more consistency, said Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas). For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Enslaved people made the bricks for Davidson Colleges original buildings, farmed the campus land and served its students and faculty. Nearly two centuries later, the private liberal arts college is taking another step toward reconciling with its past. Davidson President Doug Hicks announced plans Thursday morning for a memorial to honor the enslaved and exploited people who helped build the college. A bronze sculpture two large, work-worn hands will sit among four campus buildings fashioned from those bricks in the mid-1800s. The memorial, named With These Hands: A Memorial to the Enslaved and Exploited, will be visible from Main Street. Work on the sculpture is expected to take two years, with a targeted completion in spring 2025. Its a place of refuge, a place of honor, to commemorate, to grieve, to celebrate and to be accountable, Virgil Fludd, who graduated from Davidson in 1980, is a college trustee and serves on the commemoration committee said in a news release. The hands transcend Davidson, from its beginnings to today to the future, Fludd said. Fludd says the sculpture is a collaboration between Charlotte architectural firm Perkins&Will and artist Hank Willis Thomas, and an important way to pay homage. Honoring the people who created the institution we endearthat we care so much aboutis the very least we could do, he said. Still work to do Fludd, a South Carolina native, was one of the few Black students on campus when he started in 1976. He often felt like he didnt belong and considered leaving. That hes a trustee now represents how much Davidson evolved, he says. Davidson back then was a far different place, Fludd said. It was not the warm, welcoming, diverse environment that it is today. Fludd led the process that culminated in the selection of With These Hands. Davidsons class of 2026 is 33% domestic students of color, according to information provided by the college. Hicks told The Charlotte Observer last week the college has work to do when it comes to diversifying the student body. Story continues Tyler Yvette Wilson, a 2014 graduate of Davidson, teaches at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. Shes an artist whose work focuses on the exploitation of Black and brown communities. Her art has appeared in public venues that include highway billboards in Baltimores art district. To make a declaration of this magnitude of this permanence and invest in it financially is huge, Wilson said in a news release. This is not performative, its taking real steps to rectify what happened in the past, and that takes a lot of guts. Black hands built the college Davidson resident Bernetta Graham served on the committee that recommended Thomas, of Brooklyn, New York, to create the sculpture. She hopes it will prompt discussions about what transpired and inspire new efforts to help Black residents better understand the legacy of slavery. This is a start, Graham said. I liked the idea of the Black hands because Black hands built the college. So many of our children dont know about slavery and dont understand what was done to our people. Hopefully, this will be educational, to let them know where they came from, and where they can go in the future. Fludd wants the memorial to be a lasting symbol. I want it to be a boomerang, not just a one-time experience, but where people feel compelled to learn more, Fludd said. The college should feel like its made a tremendous statement, that it has brought to light things that were not exposed or revealed in the past and that theres more work to be done. Starting with an apology Davidson College apologized in 2020 for supporting slavery during its first 30 years in the 19th century and for what the college called its embrace of the racist laws and policies in subsequent decades, The Observer reported. The apology followed a two-year examination of the colleges ties to slavery and racist policies by a campus commission Davidson alumnus Anthony Foxx, the former Charlotte mayor and U.S. Secretary of Transportation, headed. At the same time, nearly 1,000 supporters signed a Change.org petition calling for Davidson to rename the Chambers building located in the center of campus. Maxwell Chambers, the slave owner for whom the building is named, left $260,000 to the college when he died in 1855 the largest donation at the time to an antebellum college in the South, according to the Davidson College Archives & Special Collections website. Davidson has yet to change the buildings name. Colleges who have acknowledged their role in slavery Davidson is one of multiple colleges and universities in recent years to acknowledge their past role in slavery. In 2021, Virginia lawmakers passed a bill requiring the five public universities built before the Civil War ended that used enslaved laborers to address their history with slavery including searching for enslaved people and their descendants. They were required to make reparations through scholarships or community-based economic development and memorial programs starting in 2022, according to the University of Virginias news release. Harvard University released a report last year detailing its ties to slavery and plans for reparations. In 2021, Yale University held a three-day conference where Yale researchers and other people discussed discoveries the university had slavery ties. While an increasing number of colleges have recognized they benefited from slavery, only a few have built memorials, says Jody Allen, a professor at The College of William & Mary and an expert on commemoration efforts across the country. William & Mary, Brown University and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill are among schools that have memorials. Acknowledgment is extremely important, Allen said. We must acknowledge them as human beings with lives and desires and dreams. Their contributions helped build this country and these institutions. They need to be remembered. Eurovision is somehow looming just around the corner now that the Oscars have been and gone and Everything, Everywhere All at Once triumphed big time. Now, its time for Eurovision everywhere all at once. But what is the Eurovision Song Contest? Heres a handy little guide to help you out. What is the Eurovision Song Contest? The Eurovision Song Contest is an international song competition organised every year by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). The contest is made up of various European countries that perform a song and compete for the publics votes in each country as well as the points of the judges (more on that later). More from GoldDerby The first edition of the contest was held in 1956 and was won by Switzerland with the song Refrain by Lys Assia. Since then, 69 songs from 27 countries have won the contest as of 2022 (in 1969, four countries won Spain, UK, Netherlands, and France). Ireland holds the record for most wins with seven while Sweden is close behind with six. France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the UK have five wins each. Where does the Eurovision Song Contest take place? The contest takes place in the country that wins the competition the year previously. So, Azerbaijan won in 2011 and then hosted the 2012 edition of the contest, for example. Last years winner, however, was Ukraine the contest cant be held there due to the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War. Instead, the 2023 competition will be held in the UK, which finished second last year. Specifically, it will be held in Liverpool the home of The Beatles. Who is in the Eurovision Song Contest? The previous years winner automatically qualifies for the next years competition while the Big Five also qualify automatically. The Big Five are made up of France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and the UK and they get this privilege because they are the highest-paying EBU members who contribute the most money to funding the event every year. Story continues The rest of the countries have to compete in two semi-finals. The top 10 countries from each semi-final then qualify for the final. Australia is also in the Eurovision Song Contest, which might not make much sense given that, well, they arent in Europe. The country was allowed to compete in 2015 to commemorate the 60th Eurovision Song Contest and theyve remained in the contest ever since, although they do have to qualify like all the other countries bar the Big Five and the previous winner. How does the Eurovision Song Contest final work? Once all the countries have qualified from the semi-finals, they each perform in the final in a lengthy, colourful, and often hilarious broadcast. Once everyone has performed, the phone lines for voting are opened in every country. Then, a representative from each country (usually a celebrity) appears on the broadcast to announce the voting results from that country. The results are made up of a combination of the publics votes and a jurys decision. Each country awards 1-8, 10, and 12 points to its favorite song from the competition. The most favorite song is awarded 12 points. Once every participating EBU country has voted (and this counts for all EBU members, not just the countries that qualified for the final), the votes are tallied up and made into a league table. The league table is updated constantly as the points come in, so it makes for tense viewing. Last year, there were 25 countries competing Ukraine finished top of the table with 631 points, the UK finished second with 466, and Spain finished third with 459. If there happens to be a tie at the end of voting, the country that received the most public votes is declared the winner. When is this years Eurovision Song Contest? This years competition will be held in Liverpool in the UK. The two semi-finals will take place on May 9 and May 11, respectively. The grand final will take place on May 13 at 20:00 BST. Stay tuned for more Euro updates. Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Dont miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why? SIGN UP for Gold Derbys free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby Sign up for Gold Derby's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Recep Tayyip Erdogan The first Turkish nuclear power plant in the Mediterranean town of Akkuyu was built and mostly funded by Russia's state nuclear energy company Rosatom. Upon completion, it is said that it will cover about 10% of the country's power needs. "Maybe there is a possibility that Mr Putin will come on April 27, or we may connect to the inauguration ceremony online and we will take the first step in Akkuyu," Erdogan said. Read also: German ambassador confirms that Putin would be arrested if he entered Germany General elections are scheduled to take place in Turkey on May 14 this year alongside presidential elections. The International Criminal Court (ICC) on March 17 issued an arrest warrant for dictator Putin over charges that he oversaw the illegal abduction of children from Ukraine. However, Turkey has not ratified the Rome Statute, so it is not obliged to arrest the dictator. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks after signing the decision on Turkish presidential and 28th Term Parliamentary Elections in Ankara, Turkey on March 10. Credit - Aytac UnalAnadolu Agency/ Getty Images Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was mayor of Istanbul when a devastating earthquake hit Izmit in 1999, killing more than 17,000 people and devastating the countrys economy. The governments shambolic response to the natural disaster created an opportunity for Erdogan to burnish his credentials as a capable and compassionate leader, setting the stage for his election as premier in 2003. Erdogan has maintained an iron rule ever since, outliving economic downturns, refugee crises, corruption scandals, protests movements, and even a coup attempt. But with the May 14 presidential and parliamentary elections just around the corner, seismic shifts both literal and figurative are threatening to upend the presidents grip on power for the first time in two decades. The most obvious challenge to Erdogans reelection is his botched response to the earthquakes that rocked Turkey and Syria in February, which claimed over 45,000 lives and internally displaced some two million people across ten provinces. Accounts from the ground broadcast over social media told a story of overwhelming government incompetence, from delayed rescue efforts and assistance to affected areas to misuse of available resources to an inability to quell unrest and establish public order. Many Turkish citizens also blame Erdogans consolidation of power and populist policies for allowing shoddy construction to grow unchecked. While the president may be able to weaponize his control of the media and government spending to contain the immediate political fallout, the damage to his credibility as a steady hand is already done. Read More: How Erdogans Obsession With Power Got in the Way of Turkeys Earthquake Response The second and perhaps more significant challenge to Erdogans rule is a main opposition bloc that is for the first time in ages united behind a joint presidential candidate, Peoples Republican Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu. Kilicdaroglu has surprised everyone by managing to consolidate much of Turkeys notoriously fractious opposition under the umbrella of the Nation Alliance, which comprises social-democrat, center-right, right-wing, and Islamist parties, at the same time as hes expanded support for the bloc. Story continues To have a shot at beating Erdogan, Kilicdaroglu needs to win over the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) and its left-wing Labor and Freedom Alliancethe elections kingmakerswithout alienating his biggest coalition partner, the Turkish nationalist and conservative Good Party (IP). This is a tricky balancing act but one hes proving capable of pulling off. The CHP leader successfully mended his relationship with the IP after a public row over his engagement with the HDP, and the HDP has already signaled its support for Kilicdaroglu by refraining from fielding a candidate of its own. Recent polls accordingly show Kilicdaroglu leading the president, although neither candidate likely to attain a first-round win. As things stand, the HDP is also likely to hand the anti-Erdogan Nation Alliance a slim majority in parliament. Critically, an opposition victory in the parliamentary elections would boost Kilicdaroglus chances in the second round of the presidential contest. Of course, its too early to say whether Kilicdaroglu will be able to hold the coalition together and sustain his momentum. For example, the HDP could make demands that are non-starters for IP such as cabinet posts or regional autonomy, which would undermine opposition unity. Erdogan is also a skilled politician with ample experience leveraging his bully pulpit. Having already dismantled or hollowed out most independent checks on his power, including the military, the judiciary, and the media, the president will use any means at his disposalhowever heavy-handed or anti-democraticto tilt the scales in his favor. At a minimum, he will ramp up state-financed handouts to buy votes and try to link the HDP with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) to paint his chief rival as a terrorist sympathizer. Should he feel cornered enough, he could jail opposition leaders under false pretenses and criminalize dissent. Yet nothing he does at this point is likely to earn the president much genuine support outside of his core voter baseeven if fear tactics and repression help him secure another term. One thing is clear: In the 20 years hes been in power, Erdogans political fortunes have never been on shakier footing. Erie police have charged a 15-year-old boy as an adult in a Saint Patrick's Day shooting on the city's east side that was partially captured on surveillance video. Detectives with the city police bureau's Juvenile Unit also used surveillance video to track suspects in the shooting, eventually leading them to a Parade Street residence where a search warrant was served and a handgun was recovered earlier this week. Jameir R. Mickel, 15, was taken into police custody on Wednesday morning on first- and second-degree felony counts of aggravated assault, as well as felony counts of possession of a firearm prohibited and carrying a firearm without a license, in the March 17 shooting. More: Police sent to Erie High on bogus school shooting report as hoaxes hit other Pa. schools Mickel was charged under the Fisher Bill, a state law that permits juveniles accused of committing violent crime to be charged as adults. He was placed in the Edmund L. Thomas Adolescent Center with bond set at $100,000 following his arraignment by Erie 2nd Ward District Judge Ed Wilson late Wednesday afternoon. Erie police have charged a 15-year-old boy as an adult in a March 17, 2023, shooting in an eastside neighborhood. Police accuse Mickel of being one of several suspects involved in the shooting, which happened shortly before 1:30 p.m. on March 17 in the area of East 13th and Wallace streets. No one was reported injured in the shooting. Officers were initially called to the 500 block of East 12th Street after callers reported hearing gunfire and seeing three people running through the area, according to investigators. Officers found five spent 9 mm shell casings near East 13th and Wallace streets. They also obtained surveillance video that showed three people running through the area before another group appeared in the video and one person in the second group got into a shooting stance and fired gunshots toward the fleeing group, investigators reported. Through additional surveillance video, police said investigators were able to get descriptions of three suspects and tracked them south from the shooting scene to the area of East 22nd and German and Parade streets. Detectives applied for a search warrant for a residence in the 2200 block of Parade Street on Tuesday, and during the search they recovered a 9 mm pistol in the basement along with clothing worn by two of the suspects, according to police. Story continues Mickel was also located in the residence, investigators reported. Detectives are working to identify other suspects in the ongoing investigation into the shooting. Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNhahn. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie PA police charge boy, 15, as adult in St. Patrick's Day shooting The European Union reached a deal Thursday to almost double the share of renewables in the 27-nation bloc's energy consumption by 2030 amid efforts to become carbon neutral and ditch Russian fossil fuels. The provisional political agreement, which was reached after nightlong negotiations between the EU parliament and states, seeks to raise the share of renewable energy to 42.5 percent, from 22 percent today. The EU has set an ambitious target to become a "climate neutral" economy by 2050, with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. The move also comes as it has sought to slash dependence on Russian fossil fuels after Moscow cut gas supplies last year and the bloc placed bans on seaborne crude and other petroleum products from the country. "Renewable energy will... contribute to our energy sovereignty by reducing fossil fuel imports," European Commission vice president Frans Timmermans said, adding it would also mean cheaper energy for consumers and business. But environmental groups criticised the agreement, saying it did not go far enough. "A mandatory 45 percent target would already be weak and outdated... anything lower than 45 percent simply shows European disunity and lack of ambition," said Cosimo Tansini, policy officer for renewable energy at the European Environmental Bureau. - Cutting red tape - The deal is a compromise between the 45 percent share for renewables that was sought by EU lawmakers and the European Commission, the EU's executive branch, and the 40 percent preferred by the states. The previous target for 2030 had been set at 32 percent. The deal says member states should, however, make every effort to achieve 45 percent. The proposed directive also seeks cutting red tape for renewable energy projects. The goal is to "fast-track the deployment of renewable energies" as part of the EU's plan "to become independent from Russian fossil fuels, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine", said a statement from the Council of the EU which represents the bloc's governments. Story continues Companies have complained that red tape has slowed the development of such infrastructure. - Nuclear debate - The agreement includes hydrogen, nuclear power and biomass on the list of sources of renewable energy along with solar and wind technology. Biomass derives from organic material such as trees, plants and urban waste, and includes the burning of wood to produce electricity. Scandinavian countries defend the practice, but it is criticised by environmental groups over concerns about its impact on forests. Pascal Canfin, chairman of the European Parliament's environment committee, said the agreement sets strict rules on using biomass. "The use of biomass is better regulated even if the parliament wanted to go further," Canfin, of the centrist Renew political group, said. Markus Pieper, of the right-wing European People's Party, said the agreement makes biomass "100 percent green". Canfin said the deal also "recognises the specific role of nuclear (energy) which is neither green nor a fossil fuel". The inclusion of nuclear power was hotly debated in recent weeks. Major nuclear energy producer France and its allies wanted "low-carbon hydrogen", which is made using nuclear energy, to have the same status as hydrogen made from renewables such as solar and wind pwoer. A group led by Germany had been opposed to including hydrogen produced from nuclear power over concerns it would slow investments in renewables. A deal was finally reached after Sweden, which holds the rotating EU presidency, proposed a compromise. Canfin said the deal means that France will be able to use nuclear energy and not be forced to build renewables infrastructure to produce hydrogen for industry and transport. "It was an absolute condition for France to support the final agreement," Canfin said. jug/raz/del/lth By Philip Blenkinsop BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A hardening of China's position from an era of reform and opening to one of security and control requires Europe to "de-risk" diplomatically and economically, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday. Ahead of next week's visit to China with French President Emmanuel Macron, von der Leyen delivered a sober assessment of Chinese policies, acknowledging that relations with Beijing have become "more distant and more difficult" in the last few years. Given China's economic size and global influence, the European Union's management of this relationship would be a determining factor for EU economic prosperity and security, she said. Von der Leyen said China, whose President Xi Jinping pledged closer ties with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin last week, bore responsibility for advancing a "just peace" to end the war in Ukraine that required the withdrawal of invading Russian forces. "How China continues to interact with Putin's war will be a determining factor for EU-China relations going forward," von der Leyen said in a speech in Brussels. China, she said, was becoming more repressive at home and more assertive abroad, replacing an era of reform and opening with one of security and control, where companies in China were required to assist state intelligence-gathering operations. Von der Leyen said it was not viable to decouple from China, but it was vital to focus on reducing the risks posed to Europe. On the diplomatic front, this meant working with partners on global issues and reinforcing the existing international order and institutions rather than rival Chinese ones. At the same time, Europe need to continue dialogue with China to raise difficult issue, but also to see how to cooperate in fields such as climate change and nature protection. "This is part of the reason why I will be visiting Beijing together with President Macron," she said. Story continues Economically, the European Union needed to "rebalance" the relationship and reduce its reliance on China for key inputs, such as lithium and other critical minerals. The EU, von der Leyen said, already had a range of measures to counter economic distortions and protect its security interests, but the bloc should also look at the high-tech it shared with a changing China. The European Commission, she said, would present ideas later this year on measures to control outbound investments in certain sensitive technologies to ensure they do not enhance the military or intelligence capabilities of a systemic rival. Since 2019, the European Union has officially regarded China as a partner, economic competitor and systemic rival. (Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop and Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Alex Richardson) A private jet. RaptTV/Getty Images A study from Greenpeace analysed a database of Europe's private jet flights over the last three years. It found that 55% of them were under 466 miles long, and launched a campaign to ban private jets. Over 1,300 flights on one UK route could have taken a 35-minute train for less than $20 instead. Private jets in Europe made over 300,000 flights under 466 miles in length last year, as the aviation industry returned to pre-pandemic levels. The study published by climate campaigners Greenpeace uses research from CE Delft, which built a database on all private flights in the European Union, plus Norway, Switzerland, and the UK. 55% of those were shorter than the distance between New Orleans, Louisiana and Nashville, Tennessee. Greenpeace says there's less excuse for that in Europe because public transport systems are well-developed. The most popular route for private fliers in 2022 was London to Paris about the same distance as New York City to Washington DC despite a maximum 2 hours 37 minutes train connection with up to 10 daily trips each way. According to the Transport and Environment campaign group, private jets are 50-times more polluting than trains. The data also shows that over 1,300 private flights went between London and Farnborough, England a 30 mile train journey which you could travel in 35-minutes for less than $20. Last year, that route emitted 2,692 tonnes of carbon dioxide the equivalent of 183 Americans' yearly output, per data from The World Bank. Greenpeace also raised concerns about the total number of private flights increasing 380% between 2020 and 2022, but it's not clear how much of this was caused by COVID-19 lockdowns because the study doesn't include data from before the pandemic. "The alarming growth of private jet flights is entirely at odds with all the climate science that tells us to bring down CO2 emissions immediately in order to avert total disaster," said Greenpeace campaigner Klara Maria Schenk, per CNBC. And Thomas Gelin of Greenpeace EU added: "Pollution for wasteful luxury has to be the first to go," as the group launched a petition to outlaw private jets. Read the original article on Business Insider Eva Marcille and Michael Sterling Michael Sterling, who is married to Americas Next Top Model winner and former The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Eva Marcille, said he isnt giving up on his marriage, despite his wife filing for divorce. The post Eva Marcilles Husband Michael Sterling Declares Hes Not Letting His Marriage Fail So Easily appeared first on Blavity. On Tuesday, the internet was shocked when media outlets reported that Marcille filed for divorce after almost five years of marriage with the attorney. The two share three children, their two sons Michael Todd Sterling Jr. and Maverick, and the actress daughter, Marley Rae, from her previous relationship with music artist Kevin McCall. Theres a ton of speculation about why she wants to leave the marriage, as there hadnt been any hints publicly there was trouble in paradise for the couple, being that the two posed for a cute, cozy photo that Marcille posted on Instagram for Valentines Day with the caption, Happy Valentines Day forever and ever @miketsterling #US. According to The Jasmine Brand, court documents state Marcille wants out because the marriage is irretrievably broken with no prospects for a reconciliation. She filed the petition in Georgia, where they share a home, at the Superior Court of Fulton County on Thursday, March 23. Sterling broke his silence on Wednesday, sharing where he currently stands after the news went viral. He said in a statement that he would do everything in his power to make his marriage work because he didnt want to lose his wife. I am not going to lose my wife. I am going to fight for her with every fiber in my being. I love her and I plan to show her how much I love her and that our love is strong enough to get to the other side, he told The Jasmine Brand. At the time of publication, Marcille has not responded. (Reuters) - A Moscow court was due to hear an appeal by U.S. reporter Evan Gershkovich on Tuesday against his arrest and detention on espionage charges. WHO IS GERSHKOVICH? Hired by the Wall Street Journal shortly before Moscow's invasion of Ukraine last year, Gershkovich had been reporting on Russia for more than five years at the time of his arrest. The 31-year-old is a fluent Russian-speaker, the son of emigres who left the Soviet Union for the United States during the Cold War. WHAT WERE THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF HIS ARREST? The FSB security service said on March 30 it had arrested him for trying to gather secrets about Russia's military-industrial complex during a trip to Yekaterinburg, 1,400 km (880 miles) east of Moscow. His newspaper said it last heard from him the previous day when he arrived at a steakhouse in the city. He was brought back to the capital and charged with espionage, for which he faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. He has denied the charge, which is also rejected by his newspaper. WHAT DO THE UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA SAY ABOUT THE CASE? President Joe Biden has called Russia's treatment of Gershkovich "totally illegal". The United States last week officially designated him as wrongfully detained, effectively saying that the spy charges were bogus and the case was political. The Kremlin says Gershkovich was "caught red-handed", but Russia has yet to publish any evidence to support that. WHERE IS HE BEING HELD? Gershkovich is in pre-trial detention at Moscow's Lefortovo prison, where the FSB and its predecessor, the Soviet KGB, have traditionally held those suspected of spying or other grave crimes. U.S. ambassador Lynne Tracy was able to visit him there for the first time on Monday but gave few details, except that he was healthy and bearing up well. In a handwritten letter dated April 5 to his parents, Gershkovich said he was reading, writing, taking exercise and "not losing hope". Story continues WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? Tuesday's hearing is essentially procedural - about how Gershkovich should be detained as he awaits trial, not about the substance of the charges. Investigators are still working on the details of the case, which could drag on for months or years if the example of fellow American Paul Whelan is anything to go by. Whelan, a former Marine, was arrested in December 2018, held for 18 months in Lefortovo and jailed for 16 years in June 2020 on spying charges. He too is designated by Washington as wrongfully detained. (Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Angus MacSwan) BOSTON (AP) A former Boston police officer was arrested Thursday on charges that he assaulted a police officer after storming the U.S. Capitol with the mob of President Donald Trump supporters on Jan. 6, 2021. Joseph Robert Fisher is accused of pushing a chair into a Capitol police officer inside the building as the officer was running after another rioter who deployed pepper spray, according to court documents. Moments later, Fisher also engaged in a physical assault against the officer, which ended with Fisher on the ground, an FBI agent wrote in the court papers. A current Boston police officer helped investigators identify Fisher in photographs, the agent wrote. The 52-year-old was arrested at his home in Plymouth, Massachusetts and released on conditions after an initial court appearance Thursday. Fisher retired in 2016 after serving more than 20 years in the police force, including as part of the K-9 unit, a department spokesperson said. He's charged with assaulting an officer, obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder and other crimes. The Associated Press sent an email to an attorney who represented Fisher for his initial appearance in Boston. Fisher is among several people charged in the riot who were working or previously worked in law enforcement on Jan. 6. The rioter who received the longest sentence so far 10 years in prison was a retired New York City police officer who used a metal flagpole to assault an officer. Also on Thursday, authorities arrested a Colorado man who prosecutors say was part of a group of rioters who violently pushed against officers desperately trying to defend the Capitol from the angry mob in a tunnel. Jonathan Grace, of Colorado Springs, faces charges including felony civil disorder. The 49-year-old is also supposed to appear in court on Thursday in Denver. No attorney was immediately listed for him in court records. Surveillance video shows Grace entering a tunnel where officers were lined up as they tried to beat back the mob. Grace can be seen putting his head down and using his body to push in unison with other rioters against the police line, authorities say. As the rioters pushed, one of officers screamed in pain while being crushed between a shield and a door frame in one of the most harrowing scenes from the riot, according to court documents. Story continues After officers at one point managed to clear rioters out of the tunnel, Grace watched as other rioters dragged a D.C. police officer out of the tunnel and brutally attacked him, authorities say. He then re-joined the rioters pushing against the police line and retreated only after officers sprayed a chemical irritant at the crowd, according to court documents. They join roughly 1,000 people who have charged with federal crimes in the riot that halted the certification of President Joe Bidens victory and left dozens of police officers injured. All of the cases are being prosecuted in Washington D.C.s federal court and authorities continue to make new arrests practically every week. More than 540 defendants have pleaded guilty. Dozens more have been convicted by judges or juries after trials. More than 440 have been sentenced, with over half getting terms of imprisonment ranging from seven days to 10 years. ___ Associated Press writer Michael Kunzelman contributed to this report. ___ Follow the APs coverage of the Capitol riot at https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege. A former Sedgwick County Jail deputy is headed to prison for having illegal sexual contact with two inmates and ignoring others who vandalized and trafficked contraband into a jail cell last year. Sedgwick County District Judge Tyler Roush on Thursday ordered Dustin Burnett, 22, of Maize, to serve five years, eight months, Sedgwick County District Attorneys Office spokesman Dan Dillon said in a news release. Burnett entered an Alford plea on Feb. 10 to three counts of unlawful sexual relations and two counts of official misconduct, all felonies. The plea allowed him to maintain innocence while acknowledging that prosecutors have enough evidence to potentially win a conviction. Burnett, who worked for the jail from January to July of 2022, was fired after his arrest. Authorities say he had sexual contact with two women housed at the jail last summer and solicited a third for sex while he was working as a detention deputy. In Kansas, its illegal for for jail employees and others in positions of power over inmates to have sexual or romantic relationships with them, regardless of their age. Burnett also stood by in July 2022 as inmates burned a fist-sized hole into a jail cell window and caught others sneaking banned items into the facility, authorities have said. The Fox News producer fired after she sued the network this month told NBC News she was being set up as the fall guy in Dominion Voting Systems massive defamation lawsuit against Fox. Abby Grossberg, who worked for hosts Maria Bartiromo and Tucker Carlson in her time at Fox, described in the interview a toxic work environment where she was bullied by Fox lawyers into protecting the conservative network by giving misleading answers in her deposition for the Dominion case. She corrected some of her answers in the deposition earlier this month. Theyre a big corporate machine that destroys people, Grossberg said of her former employer. I sat in those meetings, she continued. I heard them laugh about tearing apart politicians. Now I know that in those meetings, theyre talking about me. The full interview will air Thursday evening on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Fox News told HuffPost that Grossberg was fired for publicly disclosing privileged information about the Dominion suit. Our attorneys advised Ms. Grossberg that, while she was free to file whatever legal claims she wished, she was in possession of our privileged information and was not authorized to disclose it publicly. We were clear that if she violated our instructions, Fox would take appropriate action including termination, a spokesperson said. Ms. Grossberg ignored these communications and chose to file her complaint without taking any steps to protect those portions containing Foxs privileged information. Grossberg told NBC that the culture at Fox was deeply misogynistic, recalling how colleagues had pinned up photos of Nancy Pelosi in a bathing suit and openly talked about female politicians sex appeal. She said that working there took such a toll on her mental health that she contemplated self-harm, leading her to take medical leave earlier this year. Dominion is suing Fox News for $1.6 billion for promoting the false theory that its systems were used to rig the 2020 presidential election for Joe Biden. Story continues Grossberg sat for her deposition in September. She told NBC that beforehand, Fox lawyers had threatened her by implying that they might have evidence of criminal activity on her phone or in her emails. She said she complied with the lawyers, and colleagues praised her by celebrating Abby Day. I made the decision to keep my job so that I can keep paying my bills, Grossberg told the outlet. She added that it was really, really terrifying to think that you could be the fall guy in perhaps the biggest media case the countrys ever had. Fox News disputes that its lawyers ever pressured Grossberg into giving false testimony. The assertion that Ms. Grossberg was coached or intimidated into being dishonest during her Dominion deposition is patently false, the spokesperson said. We will continue to vigorously defend Fox against her unmeritorious legal claims, which are riddled with false allegations against the network and our employees. Grossberg said executives were also angling to throw Bartiromo under the bus. Copies of Fox executives emails and other communications in court records have already provided evidence that the networks leadership knew the accusations against Dominion were baseless. But with newer right-wing networks like Newsmax threatening Foxs ratings, executives appeared willing to give their viewers the type of content they craved no matter the cost, according to the lawsuit. The defamation trial is scheduled to begin with jury selection on April 13, although Dominion has asked a Delaware judge to issue a summary judgment in its favor. Related... By Sarah Morland (Reuters) - "I said I would hand myself in, but the police kicked down the gate," Tamara Davila, a formerly jailed Nicaraguan activist on Wednesday told regional diplomats looking into allegations of abuses by President Daniel Ortega's government. Davila is one of 222 political prisoners who were flown to the United States last month in a mass release, after which many were stripped of their Nicaraguan citizenship. She testified after a U.N.-appointed team of human rights experts on March 2 accused Ortega's government of crimes against humanity. Davila told the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington that her daughter, aged five at the time, was present when police ransacked their home, officers beat her until she bled and dragged her into a patrol car. "I didn't know where they were taking me," Davila said at the OAS meeting, which was streamed online. She said her daughter, who remains in Nicaragua, had believed she was dead. "Hundreds of children and families in Nicaragua have lived this horror." Davila said prisoners had suffered physical and psychological torture, and their families continue to receive threats and reprisals. "The dictatorship is holding our families hostage," she said, adding that she and many others had lost property, pensions, academic records and been "struck off the civil registry itself, as if we did not exist." Nicaragua's government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. OAS ambassadors from across the Americas criticized Ortega's order to strip his critics of their citizenship and called for remaining political prisoners to be freed. Ricardo Perez, president of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR), who also testified, said Ortega has repeatedly disregarded court rulings, accusing the court of seeking to remove his government. These include an order shortly after Davila's 2021 arrest demanding her immediate release. Story continues U.S. Ambassador to the OAS Francisco Mora said last month's mass release did not resolve underlying human rights concerns, and the move to strip people's citizenship "negates almost any goodwill this release may have generated." Ortega, now aged 77, first came to power as a leader of the left-wing Sandinista guerrilla has been in and out of office over the years but took power again in 2007 and has ruled since. (Reporting by Sarah Morland; Editing by David Alire Garcia and Grant McCool) By Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will veto a Republican-backed bill to overturn police reforms in Washington, D.C., if it passes in Congress, a White House official said on Thursday. "Congress should respect D.C.'s right to pass to pass measures that improve public safety and public trust," said the official, who was not authorized to be named. "The president will veto this resolution if it reaches his desk." The local law, passed by the District of Columbia council over the objections of the city's police union, is set to go into effect this May. It includes provisions that match some police reform measures that Democrats have unsuccessfully tried to pass nationwide in Congress since the killing of George Floyd, the Black man who died under the knee of a Minneapolis officer in May 2020. Some Republicans say the Washington, D.C., law is hostile towards the police. The official said that, "while he does not support every provision in the D.C. policing bill," Biden also does not support congressional Republicans overturning "common sense police reforms" like a "chokehold" ban, limits on the use of deadly force, releasing footage from cameras worn by officers and new officer training. Biden took heat from within his own party for signing a Republican-led bill last week that blocked a D.C. law lowering penalties for some crimes. At the time, the administration said that Biden stood by his view that Washington, D.C., should be a state that sets its own laws, free from interference from Congress, but that he was opposed to some of the provisions in the bill like lowering penalties for carjackings. Congressional oversight of Washington, D.C., is written into the U.S. Constitution, and the city's 700,000 residents do not have voting representation in Congress. Tensions often flare between Republican lawmakers and the heavily Democratic city, including over policing, criminal code and voting reforms just this year. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt, editing by Deepa Babington) By Marianna Parraga and Matt Spetalnick HOUSTON/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Valero Energy Corp, the second-largest U.S. oil refiner, is seeking Washington's permission to import Venezuelan crude, according to four people close to the matter, hoping for a repeat of the approval granted to Chevron Corp in November after a four-year ban. President Joe Biden's administration has eased some U.S. sanctions on the OPEC-member nation in an effort to encourage a political dialogue with the country's opposition. That has led to further pressure from U.S., European and Asian energy firms, but Washington has resisted any additional major steps for now. Venezuelan oil resumed flowing to the U.S. in January under a Treasury Department license granted to Chevron that allowed it to expand output there and export the oil. Refiners including Valero and Phillips 66 have bought cargoes from Chevron, according to U.S. Customs and shipping data. The Chevron decision came as part of negotiations for humanitarian aid and a presidential election. But efforts to fund the aid by releasing Venezuela's frozen money abroad have stalled and no new talks have been scheduled since that time. Colombia's President Gustavo Petro tweeted this week that the U.S. has agreed to attend an international conference on Venezuelan democracy to be held in Bogota. CHEVRON-STYLE EXEMPTION Valero is asking the Treasury for a Chevron-style exemption from sanctions and allow it to directly purchase crude from Venezuela's state-run oil company PDVSA, said one of the sources, who is based in Washington. Other details of the Valero request were not immediately known. No decision appears imminent, the source said, signaling that the U.S., for now, does not want to be seen further easing Venezuela sanctions until President Nicolas Maduro makes political concessions to Venezuela's opposition. Before oil sanctions were imposed on PDVSA in 2019, Valero was among the U.S. top three receivers of the South American country's crude through long-term supply contracts that have not expired. Story continues A Valero spokesperson said the company has not contacted the U.S. Treasury Department for permission to import Venezuelan oil. "I am told that we have not applied for a license," said spokesperson Lillian Riojas. PDVSA did not reply to requests for comment. The Treasury Department declined comment. The U.S. has banned all cash payments to Maduro's administration under its easing of sanctions. Chevron's license - and approvals granted to European firms Eni and Repsol - allow only for oil or debt swaps. 'NO NEW LICENSES' "The United States provided targeted, time-limited sanctions relief to support efforts to restore democracy and alleviate the suffering of the Venezuelan people," said a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, referring to the six-month license granted to Chevron in November. "We have no new licenses to announce or preview," the spokesperson added. Chevron's resumption of Venezuelan crude imports has not led to an increase in the country's overall exports this year, according to PDVSA schedules and Refinitiv Eikon data. The No. 2 U.S. oil company exported some 86,000 barrels per day of Venezuelan oil in February. PDVSA's new boss Pedro Tellechea in January suspended most oil supply contracts while reviewing payments for past shipments. That suspension has recently brought Venezuela's exports almost to a halt, with only four customers - Chevron, Iran, Cuba and Hangzhou Energy - authorized to lift cargoes. The investigation into payments and disclosure of $21.2 billion in commercial accounts receivable since 2020 this month prompted the resignation of powerful Oil Minister Tareck El Aissami and the arrest of top PDVSA officials. (Reporting by Marianna Parraga in Houston, Matt Spetalnick in Washington and Deisy Buitrago in CaracasEditing by Marguerita Choy) Exercise can counter some of the negative effects of sleeping too little or very long, according to a new study that assessed over 90,000 adults. While previous studies have revealed that both sufficient exercise and healthy sleep can prolong life expectancy, it has remained unclear how physical activity interacts with sleep duration to promote health, said researchers, including those from Guangzhou Medical University in China. The new research, published recently in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, examined the joint effects in 92,221 adults between 40 and 73 years of age in the UK who wore an accelerometer wristband for one week in 2013-15. Scientists classified sleep duration per night as short (less than six hours), normal (six to eight hours), or long (more than eight hours), and divided physical activity data into either low, intermediate or high. During a median follow up of seven years, 3,080 participants died 1,074 from cardiovascular disease and 1,871 from cancer. In those with low amounts of exercise, short sleep was linked to 16 per cent and long durations of sleep was associated with 37 per cent raised risks of all-cause death. Scientists noted a 41 per cent raised likelihood of all-cause death in participants with intermediate amounts of exercise and too little sleep. They also found sleep duration was not linked with risk of death in those with a high amount of exercise. Short sleepers with a low volume of exercise had a 69 per cent elevated risk of death from heart disease, which disappeared when exercise increased to moderate or high volumes, scientists said. Our findings suggest that health promotion efforts targeting both physical activity and sleep duration may be more effective in preventing or delaying premature death in middle-aged and older adults than focusing on one behavior alone, said study co-author Jihui Zhang from the Guangzhou Medical University. In an ideal scenario, people would always get healthy amounts of both sleep and physical activity. However, our study indicates that getting sufficient exercise may partially offset the detrimental impact of missing a good nights sleep, Dr Zhang said. By Carien du Plessis JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Lesotho legislators are debating a motion that proposes reclaiming large parts of South African land that Dutch settlers seized from the small mountain kingdom in a series of territorial wars in the 19th century. Even if the motion passes, its economically and militarily more powerful neighbour South Africa - which completely envelops Lesotho - is unlikely to cede the land. To do so would violate an agreement between African countries in the 1960s to respect the borders laid down by colonialists during centuries of exploitation of the continent. WHAT DOES THE MOTION PROPOSE? It suggests that Lesotho should reclaim all of Free State province, which at 130,000 square kilometres is more than four times the size of the kingdom, as well parts of four other provinces bordering the landlocked state. Large parts of the population in these areas are from the same Basotho nation which also makes up Lesotho's 2 million-strong population. In fact, there are around twice as many Basotho in South Africa as in Lesotho. WHO IS PROPOSING IT AND WHY? The motion was brought by Tsepo Lipholo, a minor opposition leader who occupies the opposition Basotho Convenient Movements only seat in the 120-seat parliament. "History has a record of what was taken from our people and that people were killed in the process. It is time to correct that," he told parliament on Wednesday. "It's time for what is ours to be returned to us". Historically, the seizure of Basotho land by Dutch settlers -- whose descendents, Afrikaners, now own most of the land in Free State -- is well-attested. Lesotho became a British protectorate in 1868, after the then king Moshoeshoe I appealed to British imperial authorities to prevent any more land being seized. The borders of current-day Lesotho were established by a treaty signed between Britain and the Dutch settlers the following year, and it was later annexed and then run by Britain until independence in 1966. Story continues Lipholo promised to reclaim these lost territories in his election campaign last year last year. He bases his case on a 1962 United Nations resolution that recognized the right to self-determination and independence for the people of Basotholand. COULD IT WORK? Unlikely. The motion to return the land is not especially popular amongst the inhabitants of Lesotho, who are more concerned with economic problems like widespread poverty, unemployment and crime. Even though the issue emerges periodically as a talking point, it doesn't appear to have the majority support in parliament necessary to become a law. In the 1964 Cairo Declaration by the Organisation of African Unity (now the African Union), African leaders agreed that their newly independent countries will recognise the borders inherited from colonial powers to avoid stirring future conflicts -- so South Africa has a strong case to reject any claim from its neighbour. Eswatini's King Mswati III has in the past similarly claimed that big parcels of neighbouring South African land were historically part of his kingdom and should be returned, but has never realised them. (Reporting by Carien du Plessis; Editing by Tim Cocks and Toby Chopra) WASHINGTON The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will receive a slate of hardware and software upgrades known as Technology Refresh 3 a year later than originally expected, the three-star general in charge of the program told lawmakers Wednesday. The F-35 Joint Program Office now estimates TR-3 intended to load the jet with improved displays, computer memory and processing power will arrive in April 2024, Lt. Gen. Michael Schmidt, the F-35s program executive officer, said during a March 30 hearing before a House Armed Services Committee subpanel. That would be a year later than the original due date of April 2023, said the chairman of the Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee, Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va. The F-35 is currently planning to achieve full operational capability status after the full TR-3 and block 4 capabilities of the aircraft are fielded in 2028 27 years after the program began, Wittman said. That is by any measure unacceptable. Schmidt said Lockheed Martin, the F-35s primary manufacturer, believes TR-3 will arrive this December, and he suggested the actual arrival of TR-3 could fall in the window between those two dates. The F-35 needs the TR-3 improvements which will allow the fighter to store and process more data as well as run advanced software before it can receive a modernization known as block 4, which will include new sensors, the ability to carry more long-range precision weapons, more powerful data fusion, increased interoperability with other platforms and advanced electronic warfare capabilities. Wittman criticized the F-35 program for delays and for TR-3 running about $700 million over budget, saying the program has to do better. The delayed delivery of TR-3 is starting to hit existing fighter squadrons that are retiring older legacy fighters, Wittman said. Those squadrons wont receive F-35As with the capabilities they need in time to avoid gaps in aircraft after their older planes are retired. Story continues We currently are paying for a great capability, but were currently only getting a good capability fielded, Wittman said, quoting an unnamed Air Force official. Schmidt acknowledged to lawmakers that we are behind. Driving up costs The hardwares development lagged and initial production was slow, Schmidt said, but the hardware has now matured to the point where it is proving reliable and passing flight safety requirements. Schmidt said software integration also proved to be a challenge and got off to a late start. The Government Accountability Office in 2022 said the greater-than-expected complexity of TR-3 was driving up the costs of the block 4 modernization effort. The Air Force conducted the first test flight of an F-35 with some TR-3 capabilities at Edwards Air Force Base in California on Jan. 6, and Schmidt said it has now flown 25 times. The next software drop will come in about a month, Schmidt added, and will be a critical update that unleashes most of the tactical capabilities in there so the military can do more thorough flight tests. Europe Mobile Show Things To Watch (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Executives at Facebooks parent company Meta are reportedly considering a complete ban of political advertising on its platforms in Europe. The company-wide policy comes amid concerns that Facebook and Instagram will not be able to comply with new laws coming into force in the EU that aim to target online campaigning. Two people familiar with the matter told the Financial Times that chief executive Mark Zuckerberg believes it may be simpler to ditch political ads altogether rather than attempt to meet the new European regulation. Political adverts on Facebook proved controversial in the wake of the 2016 US presidential election and the UKs referendum on European Union membership, with allegations that foreign interference influenced the results of the elections. Facebook data acquired by consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica in the build up to the US elections was used to target voters with political advertising, investigations found, though Facebook has always denied that such campaigns were effective during the Brexit referendum. Figures from research group Insider Intelligence suggest that Meta generated nearly $800 million in revenue from political advertising in the US alone between 2019 and 2020, however this represented less than 1 per cent of its total ad revenue during this time. The company has previously paused political advertising during build ups to major elections, including the 2020 US presidential election. The new European regulation will require Big Tech companies like Facebook to provide far greater transparency when it comes to political ads, with platforms forced to show who paid for them, how much was paid, and how many people viewed them. The new rules are expected to be agreed by the European Commission, European parliament and EU member states by 5 June. The Independent has reached out to Meta for comment. The claim: Images show Russian President Vladimir Putin being arrested A March 28 Facebook video (direct link, archive link) shows a series of images of Russian President Vladimir Putin being led away in handcuffs by police and sitting behind bars in a jail uniform. "Putin has been arrested," reads the video's caption. "Breaking news, Putin has been arrested." A different post with the same video was shared more than 1,400 times and viewed more than 1.9 million times before the caption was edited to read, "Putin was not arrested." Follow us on Facebook! Like our page to get updates throughout the day on our latest debunks Our rating: Altered There have been no credible reports that Putin has been arrested. Multiple experts examined the images and found evidence that they are not authentic. Images provide clues that they're fake, experts say The video has "all the hallmarks of a deepfake," V.S. Subrahmanian, a computer science professor at Northwestern University, told USA TODAY. "The clips showing a handcuffed Putin are unrealistic with the handcuffs not visible in places where they should be visible," Subrahmanian said. "The clip showing Putin in a suit shows inconsistent lighting on his suit and hands." The fact that the images are presented in a video with "a lot of compression artifacts" is also suspicious, said James O'Brien, a computer science professor at the University of California, Berkeley. Video compression is a process meant to reduce the file size of a video, though that often means the quality of the video is reduced. Fact check: Photos showing Trump arrested by law enforcement are computer-generated "Its always possible that someone sets their video encoding parameters to lower quality for some good reason, but often its for the reason of using compression artifacts to hide problems in a forged image," O'Brien said. There are other signs that the images aren't authentic. The image of Putin in a jail cell, for example, includes strangely twisted metal bars and an unrealistic depth of field, O'Brien said. Story continues "The depth of field appears implausible," he said. "Putins face is close enough to the bars that he could be leaning on them, yet his face is clear and the bars are very blurry. At the same time, the bars in the background are nice and crisp despite a much bigger relative difference in depth with his face." Arrest warrant issued for Vladimir Putin over war crimes by International Criminal Court The image of Putin in a gray suit being restrained by uniformed officers, meanwhile, appears to show only three fingers on his left hand, a common issue with images generated by artificial intelligence. "These images also have a lot of other issues that look like the smoothing and lighting artifacts generative AI images often have," O'Brien said. "However, the lossy compression masks a lot of those effects." All of the images have a watermark identical to the username associated with a March 22 TikTok video that shows the same images and includes the caption, "funny picture," followed by three laughing emojis. No credible reports of Putin's arrest The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin on March 17, claiming he was involved in the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia. But there have been no credible reports of Putin's arrest, and he continues to be spotted in public. Putin visited Crimea on March 18 to mark the ninth anniversary of the region's illegal annexation from Ukraine, stopping at an art school and a children's center, according to the Associated Press. That same day, Putin went to the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Mariupol. Fact check: Israel has given humanitarian aid to Ukraine but isn't fighting there Putin's meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Moscow during the week of March 20 was also covered by multiple media outlets. USA TODAY reached out to the social media user who shared the post for comment. PolitiFact also debunked the claim. Our fact-check sources: Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Experts say images showing Putin's arrest are fake The claim: A TikTok ban has passed A March 27 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) claimed one of the most popular phone apps is no longer accessible. TikTok ban has passed, reads the post. I am heart broken. Ive learned so much being on there YouTube it is. The post was shared more than 300 times in two days. Follow us on Facebook! Like our page to get updates throughout the day on our latest debunks Our rating: False TikTok is still available in the U.S., though some employers and schools around the nation have banned it on their devices. Some legislators are advocating for a nationwide ban on the app because of security concerns due to its links to China. TikTok remains in US, but future unclear amid security concerns TikToks app and website were still accessible in the U.S. as of March 30. Its future in the country is unclear, however, as some legislators are pushing for a ban over its ties to China. Lawmakers have proposed multiple bills that would ban TikTok in the U.S. More: A US TikTok ban is gaining support in Congress. Why some say that would hurt free speech. The Chinese company ByteDance owns TikTok, which has triggered concerns from the U.S. government that TikTok could give Americans' user data to the Chinese government or be subjected to Chinese propaganda, as reported by USA TODAY. The U.S. has threatened to ban the app unless it is sold and no longer under the purview of Chinese owners. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified before Congress on March 23 and asserted the company is not owned or controlled by the Chinese government, as reported by the Washington Post. He touted Project Texas, an initiative by the company that he said works to protect U.S. user data from "unauthorized foreign access." People gather for a press conference about their opposition to a TikTok ban on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on March 22, 2023. Though a nationwide ban has not gone into effect, some employers and schools have taken steps to restrict TikTok's use on their respective devices or campuses. Story continues That includes the U.S. government, which banned federal employees from using the app on government-issued phones, and an array of states that have enacted a similar ban on state-owned devices, according to the Associated Press. The University of Wisconsin System has also banned the app on school-owned devices, the outlet reported. The Florida Board of Governors on March 28 approved a regulation that would allow the state to ban TikTok on public university campuses, as reported by the Tampa Bay Times. A slew of other public universities around the nation have implemented similar measures, NBC News reported. USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the claim for comment. Our fact-check sources: Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: No nationwide TikTok ban as of March 30 By Praveen Menon SYDNEY (Reuters) - The Australian government on Thursday took the first formal step towards a referendum to recognise Indigenous people in the constitution and set up an Indigenous "Voice to Parliament" to advise lawmakers on matters that impact their lives. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who represent about 3.2% of Australia's nearly 26 million people, are not mentioned in the constitution. Here are five things to know about the referendum: PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE CONSTITUTION Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has proposed adding an additional chapter to the constitution. The new chapter will read as follows: In recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia: 1. There shall be a body, to be called the Aboriginal andTorres Strait Islander Voice; 2. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice may makerepresentations to the Parliament and the Executive Governmentof the Commonwealth on matters relating to Aboriginal and TorresStrait Islander peoples; 3. The Parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, havepower to make laws with respect to matters relating to theAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, including itscomposition, functions, powers and procedures. WHAT IS THE PROPOSED REFERENDUM QUESTION? Albanese said last week the referendum question would be: "A Proposed Law: to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Do you approve this proposed alteration?" HOW DOES THE REFERENDUM WORK? The government on Thursday introduced a bill in parliament outlining the proposed changes to the constitution. This will be scrutinised by a parliamentary committee. Once approved in parliament, it will be sent to the governor general, the representative of head of state King Charles, who issues a writ for a referendum. The government plans to hold the referendum between October and December. Story continues HOW MANY VOTES ARE NEEDED? To change the constitution, the government must secure what is known as a double majority in the referendum. That means more than 50% of voters must vote in favour nationally, plus a majority of voters in a majority of the states must back the change. Votes of people living in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), the Northern Territory regions, and any of Australia's external territories, count towards the national majority only. Poll turnout will be high as voting is compulsory. HOW HAVE PAST REFERENDUMS FARED? There have been 44 proposals for constitutional change in 19 referendums, and only eight of these proposals have been approved. In the last referendum in 1999, Australians voted against changing the constitution to establish the Commonwealth of Australia as a republic with the monarchy and governor-general being replaced by a president appointed by a two-thirds majority of members of parliament. (Reporting by Praveen Menon in Sydney; Editing by Alasdair Pal and Lincoln Feast) Tourists visit the exhibition, titled "The Legend of China's Qin and Han Dynasties," at the Archaeological Museum of Alicante in Spain, March 28, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua] The Archaeological Museum of Alicante opened on Tuesday a unique exhibition of China's renowned Terracotta Warriors, known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World." The exhibition, titled "The Legend of China's Qin and Han Dynasties," and which opens to public between Wednesday and January 28, 2024, showcases more than 120 pieces from nine Chinese museums. The exhibition is divided into three galleries showcasing the history of the unification of China by Emperor Qin Shi Huang, his tomb, and the mysterious Terracotta Warriors. The museum uses advanced technology to create an immersive exhibition space using light, music, and scent. Curator of the exhibition Marcos Martinon-Torres, an archaeologist and professor at the University of Cambridge said the exhibition would provide an "unforgettable experience" for thousands of visitors. The exhibition is part of a series of activities for the China-Spain Year of Culture and Tourism. Apart from the 10 life-size Terracotta Warriors and horses, it also features gold and silver, bronze, pottery, and jade cultural relics. At the opening ceremony on Tuesday, Carlos Mazon, president of Alicante provincial council, called the exhibition "a historic moment." He said his province "will become a cultural center in Europe in the next ten months, because it is the first time that the Chinese Terracotta Warriors have been exhibited abroad since the (COVID-19) pandemic." Local people and visitors from all over the world will have "a unique opportunity to appreciate the beauty of these archaeological achievements in one of the best museums in Europe," he added. A Fall River woman will spend the next 25 years in prison for repeatedly molesting two children she babysat a 7-year-old and a 2-year-old toddler and using them to produce child porn she shared with a boyfriend. Nichole Cyr, 27, of Fall River was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Boston to 25 years imprisonment and five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to two charges of sexual exploitation of children. Cyr was arrested in July 2020 after a tenant in her apartment building found Cyrs misplaced iPhone and discovered it contained several photos and videos of children being sexually abused and raped. John Joseph Moakley Courthouse in Boston on Monday, March 7, 2022. Child pornography conviction: Swansea man sent to prison for having child porn. He won't be free for many years. Cyr's arrest and the investigation The tenant and landlord contacted Fall River police, who arrested Cyr and interviewed her. Prosecutors said Cyr admitted that the phone was hers and that she babysat the two children depicted in the photos and videos on multiple occasions; she further admitted to touching the childrens genitalia and performing sexual acts on the children, and to sending explicit images of herself doing so to a man with whom she had a sexual relationship. The victims parent confirmed that based on the photo evidence, the abuses appear to have taken place in the childrens home in New Bedford. Cyr sent the photos and videos to Paul Weddington of Boston, a man with whom prosecutors in a pre-sentencing memo described Cyr as having an apparent master/slave relationship. 'Cult murders' case: Woman convicted in Fall River 'Satanic cult' killings denied parole here's why A Fall River woman was sentenced to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to two charges of child exploitation. Images in Weddingtons possession revealed that he and Cyr had engaged in video calls in which Cyr abused the 2-year-old child. Weddington, 51, was convicted in June 2022 of receiving child pornography and sentenced to 12 years in prison and five years of supervised release. He is currently serving his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut. Story continues U.S. attorney calls case 'every parent's nightmare' The crimes committed by Ms. Cyr are unconscionable and every parents nightmare, said U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. While a trusted babysitter, she sexually exploited two defenseless children who were two and seven years old at the time. ... Todays sentence ensures that this dangerous predator is exactly where she belongs removed from our community and behind bars. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti, chief of Rollins Major Crimes Unit, prosecuted the case. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin presided over Cyrs proceedings. Nichole Cyr was trusted to care for a child and betrayed that trust in the most egregious manner, said Michael J. Krol, acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. The sexual abuse and exploitation of a child has long-term and far-reaching impacts on the life of the child and their family. We at Homeland Security Investigations hope that this sentencing offers some peace and a measure of justice as they move forward. Dan Medeiros can be reached at dmedeiros@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News today. This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Fall River woman Nichole Cyr sentenced for child exploitation, porn Area police departments are investigating what appears to be a swatting incident Thursday morning. Shortly after 10 a.m. Thursday, Rome police were called to Rome Free Academy for reports of shots fired, authorities said. At the same time, the Oneida County 911 Center also reported shots fired at Proctor High School in Utica. Authorities believe the same caller made both calls. Herkimer police also planned to maintain an increased presence at Herkimer Jr./Sr. High School Thursday, after a similar call was made to its 911 center. In Rome, responding officers communicated with the school resource officer and searched the building, determining there was no active shooter. In Utica, police advised officials that several school districts across the state had received calls that an active shooter was at the school, according to a statement from the Utica City School District. Proctor was placed under a lock-in until authorities were able to determine the school was safe and the call was a hoax. School activities returned to normal, though some parents did take their children out of school for the remainder of the day, school officials said. Herkimer Police Department and the Herkimer County Sheriff's Office conducted a search at the high school and cleared the building, which was placed under a "hold in place." The incidents are under investigation. Anyone with information about this case can contact the Rome Police Department TIP line at (315) 339-7744, or Mohawk Valley Crime Stoppers at 1(866)730-8477 or www.p3tips.com. This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: False shooter reports across NY impact Rome, Utica, Herkimer schools At least a dozen Westchester school districts and one in Putnam received bogus phone calls Thursday morning warning of school shootings, drawing emergency responses from police and forcing schools to go on temporary lockdowns. Westchester County Executive George Latimer said districts received calls from different individuals, at least some of whom sounded credible because they seemed to have knowledge of school layouts. "This is not a prank, a kid showing off," he said. "This is something deeper and a lot darker." Latimer said he was concerned that those behind the calls were measuring the response of schools and law enforcement, possibly in preparation for something else. "Someone could be trying to set us up for a future activity," Latimer said. "I hope I'm wrong." Westchester County did not yet have a complete list of districts that received the calls. Yonkers, Pleasantville, Chappaqua and Putnam Valley were among districts that received threats, according to communications from the districts and law enforcement. The Putnam County Sheriff's Office, in a Facebook post, said it was investigating the calls, "and extra patrols have been dispatched throughout the county to ensure the safety of students and faculty." Numerous school districts that did not receive direct threats also imposed lockdowns for several hours, until police confirmed that schools were safe. As our nation reels and mourns schoolchildren lost in yet another mass shooting, todays incidents are a new low in callousness and depravity," said a statement from New York State United Teachers. "These swatting attacks endanger our brave members of law enforcement, terrorize children, educators and parents, and waste valuable resources." Threats across the state and country In recent days, police across the country have been dealing with what's known as "swatting" calls to schools calls warning of fake threats. Calls warning of an active shooter were made to schools in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Iowa. Story continues The nation has again been on edge about school shootings after a shooter Monday killed three students and three staff members at a private school in Nashville. New York State Police said on social media Thursday they are working with federal and local partners to investigate the threats. Several districts in the Albany region also received swatting calls. Yonkers police reported getting a call saying shots were fired inside of Gorton High School. "Within one minute the first police officer arrived on scene - officers proceeded to search the school which was placed into lockdown and determined that no shots were fired and the school was safe; the call was a hoax," police said. In Chappaqua, Horace Greeley High School went into lockdown Thursday morning after New Castle police received an anonymous call saying there was a shooting there, according to a note on the district's website. "This phone call was made with the intention to alarm and scare people, causing unnecessary panic and concern," the note said. "We take these incidents very seriously and our priority is always to ensure the safety and well-being of our students and staff." In Pleasantville, Superintendent Tina DeSa sent a series of emails to the community saying the high school was in lockdown while police investigated "what we think is a swatting call." In at least two emails, she assured people that everyone was safe. "We are almost clear. All are safe," one note said. "There are multiple calls across Westchester." Contact Diana Dombrowski at ddombrowski@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @domdomdiana. Gary Stern is a veteran editor/writer covering K-12 education in the Hudson Valley. Reach him at gstern@lohud.com. Twitter: @garysternNY. This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Westchester, Putnam police respond to swatting calls to schools Holly Porter will believe that shes getting a home, with a door that locks and a roof that doesnt touch her nose every time it rains and blows, when the key is in her hand. In the nearly 2 years shes lived in a tent in Sacramento while almost completely unable to move, after the sepsis during childbirth that took her unborn son and so much more, her attitude of expecting the worst while hoping for at least a little something better has yet to be proven too pessimistic. Two days after I wrote about Holly the last time, in January, she received visits and promises from representatives of the city and the county, nonprofits and adult protective services. But housing for the disabled is nearly nonexistent, so even their desire to avoid more unwelcome news coverage didnt keep her from spending another harsh winter outside in her hospital bed in one of the richest states in the richest country in the world. Holly Porter, who is functionally quadriplegic, watches from the hospital bed in her tent as Tracey Knickerbocker with Hope Cooperative talks to Justin Smith of Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance on a mobile phone held by care navigator Nate Guerra in February. They were giving Porter a video tour of a possible apartment which she decided not to take. Now, finally, there is reason to hope that Hollys key-in-hand moment is not far away. But as she continues to wait, through storms that even some of us who do have homes find disquieting, I want to tell you about the way her friends at Camp Resolution the self-governing matriarchy of an encampment at Arden Way and Colfax Street in North Sacramento have mobilized for her, because its a real love story. Last Friday, a property management representative working with a site where she hopes to be placed through Sacramento Steps Forward met with Holly and her mother to go over their application for a rent-reduced two-bedroom apartment. Opinion The guy couldnt have been kinder. Only, nothing is ever simple when you cant move, so Holly had to be raised out of bed with a hydraulic Hoyer lift, used to help people with mobility problems, for the meeting. That process took almost an hour, and then she was left hanging up in the air, literally, for another hour while she waited to meet him, because hes not supposed to go into a tent or encampment. Story continues Holly Porter waits in a hydraulic lift at Camp Resolution as Tracey Knickerbocker, right, of Hope Cooperative, explains why a property management company representative was late meeting with her to sign paperwork for housing on Friday. She was hoping to sit in the wheelchair gifted to her by Loaves and Fishes, but the armrest prevented her from using the chair. Even while left hanging, she hung in there She was also left dangling there since she couldnt fit into the spiffed-up used motorized wheelchair that Loaves & Fishes had just given to her; the chairs extra-wide armrest made sliding her in impossible, and Googling gave no good answer about how to adjust it. Then, the lift started listing with her in it, and her mother and brother, in keeping with the history of mothers and brothers, yipped at each other under the stress of trying not to let Holly fall. Holly Porter, 40, stops her brother Mike Porter from placing her in a donated wheelchair Friday when the armrest prevented her from sliding into it. Because she couldnt use the wheelchair, Porter had to sign her housing application while in the hydraulic lift, since the property management representative was not allowed inside her tent for insurance reasons. She normally relies on her electric bed to keep her from staying in one position for an uncomfortably long time, and being stuck up in the lift like that threw her back into a painful spasm. Yet even as she was hanging on a string, she also hung in there, maintaining her dignity and outward calm in a hideous situation. And just as impressive as her grit was the way others in the encampment stayed in constant motion on her behalf, changing her sheets, sweeping the area around her tent, and calling out encouragement. Holly, you rock! yelled Joyce Williams, one of the leaders of Camp Resolution. Holly is the reason that Camp Resolution exists, Joyce told me, since it was Joyces worry about getting her off of the river before the rains came that gave her the idea that they should just go ahead and occupy the fenced-in, city-owned site, which is on high ground, and which at one point was supposed to be used for tiny homes for homeless folks. Joyce Williams proudly shows off a sign on Friday representing the solidarity of the residents of Camp Resolution, a self-governing homeless encampment in North Sacramento. She and her partner Sharon Jones, along with other residents, have rallied together to take care of Holly Porter. After some city officials opposed that plan, it was going to be a safe parking site, with half of the area paved and half used for showers and other amenities. Last April, the 106 people who had been living on the property were pushed out by the city and were told they could come back in a couple of weeks, after the site had been paved. But then, after spending $617,000 to fence the site and pave just half of it, the city locked and abandoned the place and the people, saying oops, it would not help enough of them to justify spending any more money to pave toxic ground, so never mind. In October, Joyce saw that Hollys mother was getting more and more anxious about where theyd go when they had to move off the river for the winter. This lot was just sitting here, Joyce said, so in they came, to make sure that she was safe for the winter. Or safer, anyway, than down on the parkway. Here, even through the storms, her tent hasnt fallen, and she hasnt had to stress about that, which is all that matters. We saved 50 lives this winter Joyce, her wife Sharon Jones, and the other residents have been negotiating with the city on leasing the property ever since Sacramento canceled plans to sweep the place in November. And they have always said that any deal had to include permanent housing for Holly and her mother, Deborah Casillas. The way they run the place, where 57 people live in RVs and tents, could and should be a model for other such communities: The women who are in charge here clean the common areas constantly, take turns on security duty all through the night, and keep new residents from moving in, though with sweeps happening elsewhere, that isnt easy. They get a little cranky, but it cant happen, says Joyce, who usually only goes to sleep when its morning, after keeping watch all night. Were predominantly women and we all come together and just say no. As a result, we saved 50 lives this winter. I want this camp to be successful and look sharp doing it. Were trying to take a negative and turn it into a positive. When I ask Holly about the community thats come together to support her, she groans: You know Im not good at that stuff. Talking about her feelings, she means. But OK, I love Sharon and Joyce to death, and if I need anything, just about anybody in here will help me. Were better than a community; its a family we created. If no, when she does get a place, wont she miss that family? It will be a little transition, but am I going to miss being outside? No! I have no reservations, and she is counting on staying connected. What shes most looking forward to is the physical therapy she cant get here, which she hopes will let her have more of a life outside this bed. And the more thats possible, the more she can lobby for others in this situation. When Holly was on the river, she says, shed hear another disabled woman in a nearby tent scream and cry every day in pain, and it killed me that there was nothing for her. The women of Camp Resolution see beyond their own suffering, and thats what makes it feel safe. Jair Bolsonaro waves to supporters at Brasilia International Airport (Ton Molina /Reuters) Brazil's former president, Jair Bolsonaro, has returned from three months in the United States welcomed back by hundreds of chanting supporters at the Brasilia airport before heading straight into meetings with his political party. The turnout for the far-right leader was considerably smaller than expected by police, and a minister in leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula's cabinet called the reception a "flop" that showed his weak leadership. Mr Bolsonaro, who never formally conceded defeat in last year's election, will be a leading voice in the opposition to Mr Lula's government, raising the stakes for the new administration after a highly-polarised election. Supporters with Brazil flags draped around their shoulders sang the national anthem and chanted "legend" at the arrivals area of the airport amid tight security. The 68-year-old former president said in a live webcast from the headquarters of his Liberal Party (PL) that conservatives controlled Congress and Mr Lula's minority government would not be able "to do what it liked with the future of our country." Mr Bolsonaro left for the United States two days before he was due to hand over the presidential sash to Mr Lula on 1 January. He said he needed rest, but critics say he was avoiding the risks of over a dozen legal investigations he may face in Brazil. Legal probes have focused on his attacks against Brazil's voting system and alleged role in encouraging supporters to storm government buildings in 8 January riots that recalled the 2021 assault on the US Capitol. Supporters ofJair Bolsonaro wait to greet his return (Adriano Machado/Reuters) Mr Bolsonaro said in his webcast that the riots were spontaneous and denied they had been planned, as his critics maintain, as an attempt to provoke a military coup against Mr Lula. Mr Bolsonaro, who holds former US President Donald Trump as his political idol, attended the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) this month in Washington where he questioned the result of the October election narrowly won by Mr Lula and said his mission in Brazil was "still not over." Story continues His return to Brazil has been eagerly awaited by PL leader Valdemar Costa Neto, who wants Mr Bolsonaro to lead the party into municipal elections next year. Mr Costa Neto has said that Mr Bolsonaro was losing political capital by staying in Florida and expects his party to triple its slate of elected mayors across Brazil with the help of the former president, who can draw crowds by firing up anti-Lula sentiment. "Bolsonaro will lead the opposition and travel around Brazil preaching the party's... values and helping the PL grow," he told Reuters, outlining a plan for a right-wing comeback in the 2026 presidential elections. Jair Bolsonaro attends a meeting with members of Liberal Party (PL) and allies after returning to Brazil (Natanael Alves/Partido Liberal via Reuters) Mobilising the 58 million voters who backed him last year will not be an easy task Mr Bolsonaro, according to political analysts. Plenty of potential rivals on the right will have the advantage of holding public office in coming years. "If Bolsonaro cannot quickly show that he can lead, the right will look for other leaders, like the governors of Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais," said Andre Cesar at Hold Legislative Advisors, a public policy consultancy. Mr Bolsonaro has also hurt his standing with many centre-right parties after the 8 January riots and probes into his attacks on Brazil's democratic institutions, said Leonardo Barreto at Vector Consultancy in Brasilia. Mr Bolsonaro must also calibrate his plans with the popularity of his wife Michelle, who is emerging as a charismatic figure running PL outreach to women. Mr Barreto said her ambitions may provide an outlet for the ex-president's supporters if legal probes lead electoral authorities bar him from seeking office. Reuters VIENNA (Reuters) - Lawmakers from the pro-Russia, far-right Freedom Party walked out of the lower house of Austria's parliament on Thursday during a speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, protesting that it violated Austria's neutrality. Zelenskiy addressed the chamber via video link, thanking Austria for its humanitarian aid and help with projects such as clearing land mines. Austria says its neutrality prevents it from military involvement in the conflict and while it supports Ukraine politically it cannot send the country weapons in its fight against the Russian invasion. The Freedom Party (FPO), however, had warned days before that it would hold some form of protest against Zelenskiy's address. Its lawmakers attended the start of the speech and then left. "It is sad that the FPO is the only party in parliament that takes our ever-lasting neutrality seriously, thereby also standing up for peace," FPO leader Herbert Kickl said in a statement on Tuesday. Lawmakers who walked out of the chamber left small placards on their desks featuring the party logo and either "space for neutrality" or "space for peace". Of the five parties in parliament, the FPO has the third-biggest number of seats in the lower house. It currently has a slight lead in opinion polls over the opposition Social Democrats and Chancellor Karl Nehammer's conservatives, who govern in coalition with the left-wing Greens. The current parliament runs until autumn of next year. (Reporting by Francois Murphy, Editing by Angus MacSwan) Fast Fire Watch Co. is a reputable and professional security company that provides event security, fire watch security guards, and hot work watch services. 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This school district believes it is entitled to compensation for its efforts and resources expended to address and treat the mental health challenges caused by social media, a resolution from the Fayette school board said when members unanimously voted Monday. Public schools in Kentucky have been significantly impacted by the crisis from overexposure to social media because school districts are one of the main providers of mental health supports and services for school-aged children, the Fayette school board resolution said. In addition to Fayette and Jefferson, the Breathitt, Bullitt, Clark, Estill, Jessamine, Larue, Madison, Martin, and Wolfe school boards have voted to pursue litigation, said Ronald Johnson, the attorney who is handling the Kentucky cases. Johnson, and his law firm, Hendy Johnson Vaughn & Emery of Louisville will file the civil actions in Kentucky. A number of other school districts in Kentucky are considering filing lawsuits, Johnson said. Several other school districts in the United States have filed similar lawsuits in recent weeks, including the Chathams School District in New Jersey which in February sued Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Google and YouTube, according to CBS News. Those are also the defendants that Johnson said he intends to name in his lawsuits. Snapchat officials responded to the Herald-Leader Wednesday, saying they cant comment on ongoing litigation. However, a spokesperson said, Nothing is more important to us than the well being of our community. At Snapchat, we curate content from known creators and publishers and use human moderation to review user generated content before it can reach a large audience, which greatly reduces the spread and discovery of harmful content, the spokesperson said.. Story continues Snapchat officials said they work closely with leading mental health organizations to provide in-app tools for Snapchatters and resources to help support both themselves and their friends. They said they were constantly evaluating how to make the platform safer, including through new education, features and protections. The other social media companies did not immediately respond to the Herald-Leader. But they told CBS News that they create safe experiences and work with mental health professionals. According to CBS News, the New Jersey district said social media companies exploit children and schools have to spend additional money to prevent suicidal thoughts, depression and anxiety. Johnson said the Seattle Public Schools was the first to file and some school districts in Florida had also filed a lawsuit similar to that planned by the Kentucky districts. The Washington Post said after the Seattle school district filed in January, lawsuits from schools in California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Florida followed. CNN reported Wednesday that the state of Arkansas has sued TikTok, its parent ByteDance, and Facebook-parent Meta over claims the companies products are harmful to users. The Fayette school district wants to help reduce the negative impact of social media on the mental health of students, its resolution said. Research has shown that excessive use of social media can be harmful to the mental, behavioral, and emotional health of young people. Schools spend a significant amount of time and resources addressing students mental health challenges, the Fayette resolution said. Many children are burdened by mental health challenges, and many young people face unprecedented learning and life struggles that can be amplified by the negative impacts of increased screen time, unfiltered content, and potentially addictive properties of social media, the resolution said. School district officials have not yet said how much money the Fayette County district received from a settlement with the e-cigarette company Juul. Johnson also filed that lawsuit. With both lawsuits, Johnson said, Fayette schools was not seeking a revenue stream, but was trying to recover money they lost. He said there are costs the school district has borne that were caused by the social media and e-cigarette companies. The school district does not want pass the costs on to the taxpayers. Instead, the companies that caused the problem should pay, Johnson said. Sam Bankman-Fried appeared in Manhattan federal court on Thursday. Amanda Perobelli/Reuters. Prosecutors said they're struggling to analyze a laptop for their case against Sam Bankman-Fried. It has so much data that it's taking weeks to just extract information, they said on Thursday. Sam Bankman-Fried pleaded not guilty to federal prosecutors' new criminal charges against him. Prosecutors have run into a roadblock while trying to analyze reams of data in their criminal case against Sam Bankman-Fried. In a hearing in Manhattan federal court Thursday morning, Assistant US Attorney Nicholas Roos said the FBI was struggling to extract data from a laptop they obtained from the FTX founder. It takes weeks to extract just Slack messages from the laptop, Roos said, and longer still for the rest of the data on the device. Because of its size, he said, the device needs to be taken apart "virtually" and extracted in pieces for prosecutors to analyze. Because of the device's size, the Justice Department has not even been able to begin its privilege review to determine what kind of data prosecutors are even permitted to use in its criminal case against Bankman-Fried. The FBI, who had a representative in attendance during the hearing, did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment ahead of publication. Mark Cohen, an attorney representing Bankman-Fried, told US District Judge Lewis Kaplan that he was "concerned" about how prosecutors would handle the contents of the laptop, and may revisit the issue with the judge. "That relates to a cooperating witness, who may be a witness at trial," Cohen said. Prosecutors have already produced around 6 million pages' worth of discovery material to Bankman-Fried's legal team, Roos said at the hearing. Bankman-Fried was in court Thursday to enter a plea on new charges unsealed this week, in which prosecutors had accused him of trying to bribe Chinese officials with more than $40 million in cryptocurrency in 2021. He pleaded not guilty to all of them. Prosecutors previously hit Bankman-Fried with a fleshed-out indictment in February, outlining their story of how the former crypto billionaire negotiated his status atop a crypto empire. He leaned on executives at FTX to help direct political donations across both sides of the aisle, prosecutors alleged, saying that he did so in order to sway potential crypto industry regulation in his favor. Story continues In the latest 13-count indictment, prosecutors added a count for conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, alleging that Bankman-Fried had engaged in the scheme to try to free up trading accounts of his other company, Alameda Research, that had been frozen in China. On Thursday, Cohen said in court he would challenge the government's right to bring additional charges after Bankman-Fried had already been extradited to the US. "As Mr. Cohen said in court, we will be challenging the new charges when motions are filed," a representative for Bankman-Fried told Insider. The charges that Bankman-Fried faces carry maximum penalties totaling more than a 100 years. Kaplan has scheduled his trial to take place in October. If Bankman-Fried is convicted, any actual sentence will ultimately be Kaplan's decision. Federal judges look to sentencing guidelines articulated by a pre-sentence department, part of the US probation office that works for the federal court. Federal prosecutors have developed their case quickly since FTX filed for Chapter 11 in November, unveiling a short indictment in December, and bringing more charges as they pursued the investigation. They have also secured plea deals with FTX co-founder Gary Wang, Alameda's former CEO Caroline Ellison, and former FTX chief engineer Nishad Singh. Read the original article on Business Insider Pistol shots ring out and carbide lingers in the air at the gun range of an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank, as Tomer Gal completes the final stage of his firearms licence assessment. Like many Israelis increasingly fearful of surging violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Gal decided to get a gun licence -- a lengthy process that firebrand National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has sought to rapidly fast-track. "It's for my security, but also for my household," said the 35-year-old, an electrical contractor from Rehovot in central Israel, after firing his 9mm handgun under the watchful gaze of an instructor. Gal, whose employees include Palestinians from the West Bank, works on construction sites in Israel which he called "not the safest places". While Gal began his application over a year ago, his visit to the Givat Zeev settlement's shooting gallery came weeks after the deadliest gun attack on Israeli civilians in more than a decade. On January 27, a Palestinian shot dead seven people outside a synagogue before being killed by police in the Jewish settlement of Neve Yaakov, in annexed east Jerusalem. Israel's police commissioner responded to the attack by calling on those eligible to carry a firearm to do so, and in the days that followed Ben-Gvir, head of the extreme-right Jewish Power party, said he would speed up licensing. - 'Cut the bureaucracy' - The synagogue attack was "an excellent example of the necessity and importance of civilians armed with guns", the national security ministry said, while lamenting a massive backlog in licence applications. At the time, more than 17,000 applications were still being processed. Ben-Gvir said it was his "duty to expedite the process and dramatically cut the bureaucracy", ordering official working hours increased to boost monthly licence clearances from 2,000 to 10,000. Former military officers were also exempted from requiring an interview as part of the process, a temporary measure expiring in May. Story continues Attacks and security incidents traditionally increase interest in gun licences, an Israeli official told AFP, without providing further details on the recent hike in new applications. The Israeli authorities' plan to further arm the population has sparked concern in some quarters. Volker Turk, the United Nations human rights commissioner, responded to Ben-Gvir's proposal with a warning that greater gun ownership will "only lead to further violence and bloodshed". Turk called on Israel's authorities to "reduce the availability of firearms". "We know from experience that the proliferation of firearms will lead to increased risks of killings and injuries of both Israelis and Palestinians," he said. Under current laws, prospective owners must either live or work in West Bank settlements, or undertake a job exposed to potential danger or friction with Palestinians. Retired officers from Israel's security forces also potentially qualify. Applicants undergo police and medical screenings, followed by an interview at the national security ministry's firearms licensing department. Only then can they purchase a gun, complete training, and then finally get a licence. - 'Not Switzerland' - Gal's decision to buy a firearm came "around a year ago", following an 11-day war in May 2021 between Israel and Hamas militants in the coastal Gaza Strip. The aftermath of the conflict saw a spate of knife attacks against Israelis and violent riots in mixed Jewish-Arab towns in Israel. "It wasn't directly because of the terror wave, but it affected things," Gal said. After the 2021 violence eased, Gal said he considered letting the licence application drop -- but when an Arab Israeli was accused of rape near his home, he bought his pistol. "It was mainly pressure from my wife," he said. "She really felt insecure." Yair Yifrach, 57, who owns the Givat Zeev shooting range, said recent violence had generated a rise in enquiries about gun ownership. "After the Neve Yaakov attack, there's again... a rise in purchases, questions and phone calls," he said. Yifrach, who has carried a gun for 35 years, believes firearms used responsibly can increase security. "We don't have a police officer for each and every civilian in Israel," he said. After the 2021 conflict between Israel and Hamas, people "woke up" about the need to own a gun, Yifrach said. "Even those who didn't want one realised they needed one. We're not in Switzerland." jjm/pjm/mj/noc/dv/lb/it The film "The Best is Yet to Come" opened in theaters on the Chinese mainland on March 24. During a screening on Tuesday, director Wang Jing said the film aims to oppose discrimination against hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers and calls for greater public awareness and understanding of the disease. Inspired by real events from 2003, the film depicts journalist intern Han Dong's reporting and efforts to call for fair treatment of HBV carriers in job seeking and education. His work won wide public attention and helped lead to the introduction of government policies, which changed the lives of 100 million HBV carriers. China issued notices and guidelines in 2007 and 2010 to cancel mandatory HBV testing as a requirement for employment and education. This marked a significant change in situations of HBV carriers, said Cheng Zhuo, a leader of an HBV patient organization. However, social prejudice against HBV carriers has persisted, largely due to misunderstandings of the disease as well as a lack of knowledge about how the virus is transmitted, said Zhuang Hui, an epidemiology expert and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. Zhuang Hui (L2), an epidemiology expert and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, speaks about hepatitis during a screening in a movie theater in Beijing on March 28, 2023. [Photo provided to China.org.cn] The three major ways of transmission for HBV are mother-to-child transmission, transmission through blood, and transmission through sexual contact, which means that everyday activities that do not involve exposure to blood would not result in transmission of the virus, Zhuang explained. He called for people's better understanding of the disease to reduce discrimination, and encouraged hepatitis B infected patients to receive treatment. China has made great efforts to curb hepatitis in the past two decades, reducing the prevalence of HBV from 9.75% in 1992 to 6.1% in 2022, equivalent to 40 million fewer patients. The World Health Organization (WHO) has initiated a plan to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030, and reduce new hepatitis infections by 90% and deaths by 65% between 2016 and 2030. Still, there is a long way to go to achieve these two goals proposed by the WHO, as only 22% of HBV carriers are diagnosed and 15% being treated in China, Zhuang said. He suggested more screenings of hepatitis so as to diagnose and treat the disease as early as possible. "I hope that through the movie, more people could understand more about hepatitis and care for HBV carriers, in a bid to create a friendlier social environment," said Jin Fangqian, vice president and China general manager of Gilead Sciences, a pharmaceutical company that supported the film. Gilead Sciences strives to build a better and healthier world by advancing R&D, introducing innovative medical treatments, as well as fulfilling social responsibilities, Jin said. The company has introduced 11 medical products for treating hepatitis, HIV, and cancer since it began operation in China in 2017. Gilead's medicines have helped hundreds of thousands of patients with hepatitis in China, Jin said. Federal Judge Reed O'Connor On Thursday, a federal judge in Texas ruled that Obamacares requirement that health insurance cover preventive health care at no cost is unconstitutional and struck it down nationwide. The ruling affects PrEP for HIV, cancer screenings, mammograms, and some prenatal care including screenings for gestational diabetes and preeclampsia. (It does not affect the birth control coverage mandate, as the judge dismissed that part of the lawsuit, and it also doesnt affect the HPV vaccine, coverage of which plaintiffs also objected to in their original claim.) Some insurance companies will continue to cover these services cost-free as it makes financial sense to do so, but others may decide to go back to charging deductibles or co-pays. All of these changes could lead to people not getting adequate health care and getting sick and dying. Preeclampsia, for instance, can be imminently life-threatening for pregnant people, who are now subject to abortion bans in almost 20 states. Read more How did we get here? Two Texas companies sued the Department of Health and Human Services in 2020, claiming that they wanted to provide health insurance to employees that didnt cover PrEP drugs because they objected to it on religious grounds. The judge summarized their bigoted argument like so: Each claims that the preventive care mandates requiring compulsory coverage for those services violates their religious beliefs by making them complicit in facilitating homosexual behavior, drug use, and sexual activity outside of marriage between one man and one woman as a condition of purchasing health insurance. Of course, that reasoning ignores that even monogamous, heterosexual people who dont use intravenous drugs can and do get HIV. The companies argued more generally that its unconstitutional for the government to let medical agencies decide what health insurance has to cover without cost-sharing. And they also wanted the option to impose copays or deductibles for other preventive care. Story continues On Thursday, Judge Reed OConnora George W. Bush appointeeruled that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), an agency that decides what preventive care should be covered, doesnt have the constitutional authority to do so. He said that any recommendations made by the USPSTF were no longer valid. OConnor had previewed his opposition to requiring PrEP coverage back in September, but didnt issue a nationwide injunction at that time. The case is Braidwood Management Inc. v. Xavier Becerra and the plaintiffs lawyer is none other than Jonathan Mitchell, the architect of the Texas bounty-hunter abortion ban and a strident homophobe. Braidwoods owner is Republican megadonor Steven Hotze, who, in 2016, compared gay people to termites that eat away at the very moral fabric of the foundation of our country. Hes also been charged for bankrolling a 2020 election fraud scheme. Experts noted after Donald Trump won in 2016 that his administration could target the preventive care mandate; while he didnt do that, he did litter the federal court system with ideologue judges in the mold of OConnor that have lifetime appointments. OConnors decision comes as we await a ruling from a different Texas judge in a case where anti-abortion groups sued the Food and Drug Administration to revoke approval for a key medication abortion drug. The Biden administration will likely appeal the Obamacare ruling but, as I wrote last year, the road ahead looks bleak: Since the case is filed in Texas, an appeal to any verdict would land in the lap of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, the same venue that upheld the Texas abortion ban last September. Next stop after that? The 6-3 conservative supermajority Supreme Court which hasnt considered an Obamacare challenge since Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined. I predict a big ole mess. We live in the worst timeline. More from Jezebel Sign up for Jezebel's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. WASHINGTON A federal judge in Texas blocked enforcement Thursday of no-cost preventative health care mandates included in the Affordable Care Act, setting up the latest legal brawl over Obamacare and threatening to curb access to HIV-prevention pills, screenings for cancer and other services. U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor ruled that preventative requirements set by a federal task force violated the law because the members of the panel had not been appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. More than 150 million people benefit from the coverage generally, according to government estimates. "Providing insurance coverage for screenings and interventions that prevent disease saves lives period," said Jack Resneck, president of the American Medical Association. "Invalidating this provision jeopardizes tools physicians use every day to improve the health of our patients. The decision will almost certainly be appealed and may eventually wind its way to the Supreme Court. Experts predicted insurers are unlikely to drop coverage for the services if the decision is upheld, but they may require patients to pay for them. What did O'Connor rule in the latest Obamacare case? The U.S. District Court imposed a nationwide prohibition on the requirement that insurers cover certain preventative services. Those mandates were challenged by Texas businesses who said the requirements violated their religious beliefs. O'Connor, who was nominated by former President George W. Bush, said that the Preventive Services Task Force that created those recommendations was not appointed legally so its recommendations were invalid. Those recommendations led to no-cost access to screenings for breast cancer, cervical cancer, and diabetes, among other things. The Biden administration is likely to appeal the decision and O'Connor's ruling may be placed on hold while that appeals process unfolds. A Justice Department spokesperson said officials are reviewing the decision. The decision Thursday was not a surprise: O'Connor ruled against the preventative mandates on the merits last fall but until now had left the practical result or the remedy of his decision unresolved. O'Connor has repeatedly found violations in the Affordable Care Act, including a decision in 2018 that the law's coverage mandate was unconstitutional. That ruling was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2021. Story continues The Affordable Care Act may be headed to the Supreme Court. What is the preventative care at issue in the case? The business owners who filed the suit had objected, on religious grounds, to coverage of contraception as well as screenings for sexually transmitted diseases. But the Preventive Services Task Force has included many other procedures and treatments in the list of preventive care that insurers must cover at no additional cost, including screenings for diabetes and certain types of cancer. Another major issue in the case was a debate over drugs that prevent the transmission of HIV, known as PrEP drugs. PrEP, short for preexposure prophylaxis, is a drug that reduces the likelihood of HIV infection during exposure. Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, as well as transgender women who have sex with men, are among the groups at the highest risk for HIV infection, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Black and Hispanic Americans are disproportionately affected by the virus. The drew a swift reaction from several medical groups and the White House. "This case gets between patients and their doctors," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. "It's yet another attack on the ability of Americans to make their own healthcare choices." Contributing: Maureen Groppe, Cady Stanton This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Federal judge in Texas slaps down Obamacare preventive health mandates WEST PALM BEACH A year and a day after the crash that killed Paul Donner, a judge sentenced a Lake Worth Beach man to four years in prison in the 71-year-old's death along South Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach. Jesus Santizo Sarmiento pleaded guilty to charges of DUI manslaughter and leaving the scene of a crash involving death. During a March 27 hearing at the Palm Beach County Courthouse, Circuit Judge Cymonie Rowe also ordered that he serve three years of probation once he completes his prison sentence. West Palm Beach police charged Santizo Sarmiento with driving under the influence of alcohol when his 2007 Chevrolet Impala struck and killed Donner before dawn on March 26, 2022, on South Dixie Highway just south of Barnett Street. Mercy or murder? Marine vet who assisted ailing wife's suicide pleads guilty to manslaughter 'Sometimes things are really accidents': Man arrested after Boca fatal crash avoids prison Fatal Delray Beach wreck: His pickup struck a minivan at 100 mph, killing 4 family members in 2018. Here's how he'll pay. Investigators say Santizo Sarmiento had blood alcohol levels of 0.188 and 0.189 at the time of the crash, more than double Florida's legal threshold for intoxication of 0.08. Shortly after the crash, a city police sergeant spotted him traveling south on South Dixie and pulled him over near Forest Hill Boulevard. An officer noted that Santizo Sarmiento's breath smelled of alcohol and described his speech as slurred. As Santizo Sarmiento got out of the Impala, he had trouble maintaining his balance. He told investigators he felt a "bump" as he was driving but was not aware that he had hit anyone, the report said. He also said he had been driving with a suspended license. The Palm Beach County Public Defender's Office represented Santizo Sarmiento in the proceeding. Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on Twitter at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Driver sentenced in 2022 crash that killed West Palm Beach man, 71 Coronation Street character Ryan (Ben Thompson) in the aftermath of his acid attack (ITV) Adele Bellis was waiting for a bus when she had acid thrown over her. She was 22 years old at the time. The man who did it had been paid by her ex-boyfriend, who said he wanted to stop her being attractive to other men. Bellis ran into the road as the corrosive substance burnt through her clothes. I felt like I was melting to the ground, she tells me today, nine years after her attack. I remember looking down and my bra was melted. All my clothes were burnt and stuck to me. Belliss ex received a life sentence, her attacker two years in jail, reduced from a 14-year sentence. She was left partially bald and lost her right ear. When she went to hospital for treatment on the day of her attack, Bellis was one of four people being treated for acid burns. Alarmingly, the UK has the highest rate of acid attacks in the world, and in 2021 there were more than 420 reported incidents of its kind, according to Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI). Those statistics also inspired the writers of Coronation Street, which this week launched a storyline in which a character, Ben Thompsons Ryan, is left permanently scarred in an acid attack. Monday nights episode, in which the attack occurred, made for harrowing viewing. Fans have watched in recent months as Charlotte Jordans character Daisy Midgeley was stalked and harassed by delivery driver Justin (Andrew Still). On her wedding day, Daisy is attacked by Justin while hes armed with a corrosive substance. His plan goes awry, however, when Ryan who is working as Daisys wedding driver gets caught in the crossfire and burnt in the face. Viewers saw the acid eat through Ryans clothes as he writhed on the ground in agony. While the show has faced some criticism over the storyline, specifically claims made by Twitter users that its subject matter is too dark for a pre-watershed audience, those behind the show tell me that the storyline was introduced to raise awareness of an increasingly frequent method of violence. Globally, acid attacks disproportionately affect women, and are often linked to domestic violence and motivated by a desire to permanently alter a womans appearance. In the UK, however, men are more likely to be harmed in acid attacks. We always approach these stories with utmost seriousness, says Corrie producer Iain MacLeod. Not least because many thousands of people in our audience have been through it themselves. We want to make sure that were not doing a disservice to their real-life experiences of survivors. Story continues Special care was taken as to how much of Ryans face was shown in the attack, too. You want to portray the reality of it, but not to the extent that it becomes voyeuristic or gratuitous, MacLeod adds. We used obscured shots so that you could see the redness and the burn, but it was not overly shocking or too gory for a pre-watershed audience. At one point in the episode, Daisy drags Ryan into the shower and uses water to try and wash the corrosive substance off his skin. She then finds a pair of scissors and cuts his corroded clothes off of him. We were also keen to show the proper way to triage somebody whos been subjected to a burn of this type, explains MacLeod. The burns need to be irrigated with water as much as possible, and the shower was the obvious way to do that. The team also worked extensively with charities to put the storyline together, notably the ASTI and the Katie Piper Foundation. Piper, a popular TV personality, was attacked by a man hired by her ex-boyfriend, and she set up her foundation to support adult survivors of burns while in recovery. I always say that its worse than murder sometimes, because the survivors have got to live with the effects Reflecting on the shower scene, Bellis hopes members of the public will take note of how to respond if they see someone whos been attacked. Nobody knew what to do when it happened to me, she says. Someone threw water over me when it happened but it wasnt enough water, so it just made the reaction worse and my hair went up in smoke. We need to show members of the public what to do because people dont know. In the event of an attack, the NHS advises reporting the incident by dialling 999, removing contaminated clothing carefully and rinsing the skin immediately using running water. This advice is freely available online, but doctors and survivors have both urged for lessons in schools on acid attacks and how to deal with them, particularly amid the rise in attack rates. As the Corrie storyline continues into the coming weeks and months, viewers will see Ryan confront his facial disfigurement and experience social isolation, with people beginning to treat him differently. Bellis recalls similar experiences. I was a 22-year-old woman with all these scars, I had lost my hair and had my head shaved, she says. I remember looking in the mirror and feeling like I had lost my identity. It wasnt until she visited a treatment centre in France and was left completely alone in a room that she finally processed what had happened to her. I always say that its worse than murder sometimes, because the survivors have got to live with the effects. Its a life-changing injury. Like today, its nine years since I got attacked and Im on my way to the hospital for more surgery. Its a constant thing I have to deal with. She also expresses some anxiety about the future response to the Corrie story. Its great to raise awareness but they really need to show deterrents as well to stop people from doing it in the first place, she says. She tells me she hopes that future episodes will show the repercussions of Justins actions, and ideally that hell receive a long prison sentence. People need to be put off from doing things like this. The Corrie team worked with Katie Pipers foundation while researching the storyline the TV presenter survived an acid attack in 2008 (Getty) Ian Kershaw, who wrote Monday nights episode, hopes that the storyline will also help destigmatise facial differences in society. When I was a kid in the Seventies, you would stop and look, he says, explaining that people often tended to gawp at others who have burns or scarring on their skin. It would be nice to have somebody with a facial disfigurement in our living rooms three times a week and for Ryan to become part of the fabric of our world and just to normalise it. MacLeod adds that the storyline will end up showing Ryan learning to love himself and accepting his new appearance. This resonates with Bellis when I tell her about it. I would never wish for the acid attack, she says. But I would never change my scars now. Coronation Street is broadcast by ITV at 8pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, you can call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge, on 0808 2000 247, or visit their website here. As dangerous drugs become more prevalent in the Texas drug supply, theres still no legal way for people to check and see whether a drug sample could increase their risk of overdosing. Last week, the Texas state health department cautioned that a new drug xylazine had been detected in the drug supply in West Texas. Xylazine can legally be used by veterinarians as a tranquilizer for animals. But now, its being mixed with other drugs, like fentanyl, the well-known synthetic opioid that has caused more than 2,000 Texans to overdose in one year, according to the most recent available data. Xylazine has contributed to at least four reported deaths in Texas, according to the health department. And in other parts of the country, it has become increasingly common in the illegal drug supply. Currently, using a test strip to detect either fentanyl or xylazine is illegal in Texas. That could change during the legislative session: Gov. Greg Abbott said he supports legalizing fentanyl test strips, which can detect the presence of fentanyl in a drug sample. Multiple bills being considered by lawmakers this session would explicitly legalize the use of fentanyl test strips. One of the bills, House Bill 362, has passed out of committee. But the bills being considered by lawmakers would only legalize test strips that could detect fentanyl, and wouldnt decriminalize ones that could detect the newer xylazine, which is on its way to become the latest threat infiltrating Texas drug supply. Katie Harris, a fellow in drug policy with Rice Universitys Baker Institute for Public Policy, has urged lawmakers to broaden the bills language. If we look at the trajectory of fentanyl across the country, we can expect xylazine to do the same thing, she said. Which means that we have the potential now to get people these kinds of test strips so that they can test their drugs and avoid this drug. We have the potential to be proactive, she said. Xylazine test strips only became available for commercial use recently, when BTNX, the company that manufactures the test strips, confirmed that the strips would be sold for $2 a piece. The test strips availability was first reported by Stat News. Story continues The Texas legislative session ends May 29, and lawmakers could still amend bill language to legalize xylazine test strips in addition to the fentanyl strips. Advocates for harm reduction say legalizing tests for xylazine now, before the drug becomes commonplace in the Texas drug supply, could allow it to have greater impact. The theory behind drug testing strips works like this: If someone who uses opioids tests to see whether their supply has fentanyl in it, a positive result could help them decide to get rid of their drugs or use them more safely, like doing so with other people present who can call 911 in the event of an overdose. Jackie Goldman, a researcher with the Brown University School of Public Health, interviewed dozens of people in Rhode Island about fentanyl testing strips. Goldman and their colleagues concluded that the people found the test strips easy to use, and that the strips helped them make decisions. A 20-year-old man who participated in Goldmans study threw away his drug supply after he tested it for fentanyl and it came back positive. In an interview with researchers, the man said that you could save your life by using this. Or you could not use it and do what youre going to do and be dead. Goldman said testing strips are particularly useful given how much the drug supply in the U.S. has changed. Increasingly, drugs are mixed with other additives, like fentanyl or xylazine, that can make them more dangerous and leave people using drugs with little knowledge about what theyre actual ingesting. Like any tool, fentanyl and xylazine test stripes arent enough to prevent overdoses, deaths, or substance use disorder more generally. But advocates say they are help people who use drugs to make safer choices and reduce the risk of overdose. The list of states that prohibit test strips are dwindling every legislative cycle, Goldman said. While theyre not going to solve all of our problems, they are extremely important...and theyre going to save lives. Hopefully legislators take note of that. Sens. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) introduced a bill Thursday to further expand rail safety requirements in the wake of the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment. The Railway Accountability Act, Fettermans first piece of legislation, aims to build on a slew of rail safety overhauls included in a bipartisan bill introduced earlier this month. Fettermans bill would bolster train inspection requirements and direct the Federal Railroad Administration to study the cause of wheel derailments and offer regulatory solutions, among other measures. Communities like Darlington Township and East Palestine are too often forgotten and overlooked by leaders in Washington and executives at big companies like Norfolk Southern who only care about making their millions, Fetterman said in a statement. Pennsylvania and Ohio communities are still grappling with the aftermath of last months Norfolk Southern train derailment, which caused toxic chemicals to leak into the air and water. Fetterman said that the newly unveiled bill makes clear that senators are doing everything we can to prevent a disaster like this from happening again. Fetterman aims to return to the Senate by mid-April following a lengthy hospital stay. The East Palestine incident and numerous train derailments following it sparked outrage in Washington, but so far lawmakers have yet to agree on a solution. The bipartisan Rail Safety Act, introduced by Brown and Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), would increase safety requirements for trains carrying hazardous materials, hike fines for safety violations and require more frequent inspections of rail cars, among other measures. That bill has strong support from Senate Democrats and some Republicans. But its drawn opposition from the railroad industrys top lobbying group and conservative advocacy groups, which argued that more regulation would be costly and wouldnt prevent derailments. Norfolk Southern Railway CEO Alan Shaw declined to endorse the bipartisan legislation during a hearing last week, but said hed support some aspects of the bill, such as funding for hazardous materials training for first responders. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. (Bloomberg) -- Senator John Fetterman will return to the US Senate the week of April 17, two months after checking himself into a hospital for depression, according to a person familiar with the Pennsylvania Democrats plans. Most Read from Bloomberg Fetterman, 53, entered Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, on Feb. 15. A spokesman previously said the senator was on a path to recovery, and receiving daily visits from relatives and his staff. The former lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania won election to the Senate last fall despite suffering a stroke shortly before the Democratic primary and being sidelined for much of the campaign. Shortly before entering Walter Reed, he was hospitalized after feeling lightheaded. Depression is common following a stroke, according to the American Stroke Association. Fettermans office said the senator had experienced depression throughout his life but it became more severe in the past year. Fetterman has missed nearly 80% of Senate votes since being sworn in. With Democrats controlling the upper chamber with a narrow 51-49 margin, his return would help the party form a working majority especially as Joe Manchin, a conservative Democrat from West Virginia, and Arizona independent Kyrsten Sinema sometimes side with Republicans. Another Democrat, Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, has also faced health problems. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. When Russia invaded Ukraine, a new iron curtain severed once-close ties between Moscow and Helsinki -- something Ari Joronen can see with his own eyes from his farm in eastern Finland. "The trees have been cleared because of the new border fence," he says, overlooking part of his property in the town of Imatra that adjoins the Russian border, a few hundred metres from his house. Finland -- which holds legislative elections on Sunday -- unveiled plans in November to fence off 200 kilometres of its 1,300-kilometre (800-mile) border with Russia. "The war in Ukraine has been a turning point. Finns have had to rethink their relationship with Russia," said Johanna Vuorelma, a researcher at University of Helsinki. So close to the border he can hear a firing range on the other side, Joronen's property is currently separated from Russia by just light wooden livestock fences, like the rest of the Finnish-Russian border. But by summer, Joronen will see a three-metre (10-foot) high steel fence topped with barbed wire erected on his land. The whole fence is due to be completed by 2026. "It is good for the future. At some point, it will probably be needed," Joronen says. The project is just part of Finland's massive turnaround in its relations with its eastern neighbour. Finland ceded around 10 percent of its territory to the Soviet Union during World War II, but even at the height of the Cold War it never erected a wall -- though it did submit to a period of forced neutrality under Moscow's watchful eye called "Finlandisation". Following the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991, Finland remained militarily non-aligned and had high hopes for a new era with its powerful neighbour. Helsinki hoped to become a hub for trade and diplomacy between the West and Russia. More than a century after its independence from Russia and three decades after joining the EU, the country of 5.5 million people is now forging a new foreign policy identity -- cementing its ties with the West as it takes its final steps toward NATO membership. Story continues - Historical trauma - On the military island of Santahamina in Helsinki, young reservists fill their assault rifle magazines with their bare hands in temperatures dipping to minus 15 degrees Celsius (5 degrees Fahrenheit), as the white snow reflects the blinding sunlight. In the most visible sign of this new era, Finland ended its decades-long policy of military non-alliance when it applied to join NATO in May 2022. Reservist Aleksi Heino, an engineering student, says the war in Ukraine brings "a sense of reality" to his training. Colonel Vesa Laitonen, who leads the exercise, says motivation among conscripts and reservists is at a record high "because of the situation in Ukraine." A grand duchy since 1809, Finland declared independence from Russia in 1917 -- only to find itself repelling a Soviet invasion in 1939 in what is called the Winter War. Finns now are keen to defend their country. "That legacy comes from decades ago, perhaps from the spirit of the Winter War", Laitonen suggests. Its violent history with its neighbour involved a lot of "painful experiences and trauma", researcher Vuorelma said. The new government voted in at the weekend will have to forge a new path. - 'Special relationship' - President Sauli Niinisto once prided himself on his close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but now he and Prime Minister Sanna Marin are among Europe's most vocal opponents of Moscow. In the past, Helsinki pursued a "special relationship with Russia" and a policy to "maintain good relations, both economically and politically," Vuorelma explained. The flip side of this "economy first" thinking was to ignore "negative developments in Russia", she said, with foreign and security policy issues overshadowed by economic arguments. It was thought that "good economic relations with Russia are in Finland's interests, but at the same time they tie Russia to democratic development", Vuorelma added. But when Finns discovered this didn't work, they were left disappointed and betrayed, she said. Finnish voters rank national security and defence as important election topics. The brunt of the new iron curtain is borne by Finns living in border towns like Imatra, with close ties to Russia, and which are dependent on the country for tourism and trade. Like others in the region, Joronen used to visit Russia regularly for work and groceries -- but now the visits have stopped. "I haven't been there as long as the war in Ukraine has been going on," he says. ehu/po/rox/ach The first baby born at HCA Virginia Johnston-Willis Hospital in Richmond nearly 30 years ago had her own baby recently at the same facility on Thursday, March 16. Victoria Matthews, 28, was the first baby born at Johnston-Willis on July 2, 1993, shortly after the hospital opened its labor and delivery unit that year. A plaque commemorating her birth still hangs in a waiting room. MISSISSIPPI COUPLE WELCOMES RARE QUINTUPLETS AFTER FERTILITY BATTLE: THE BIGGEST BLESSING Since that time, over 50,000 babies have been born at Johnston-Willis, according to hospital records. Matthews had a baby of her own, Emma Matthews, at the same hospital this month. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Victoria Matthews gives birth to her first baby at the same hospital she was born in nearly 30 years ago. Her choice of hospital to deliver her firstborn was an easy one, Matthews said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. "I dont think I could have delivered anywhere else it would have been like cheating on you guys [Johnston-Willis]," said Matthews, who married her high school sweetheart a year ago next month. The couple lived in Washington, D.C., until last August when they moved back to Richmond. ALABAMA BABY BORN ON SAME DAY AS MOM AND DAD: 1 IN 133,000 CHANCE "Im doing the work this time around at the hospital," Matthews said. "Its a little bit different. Its been a great experience." "I dont think I could have delivered anywhere else it would have been like cheating on you guys [Johnston-Willis]," Victoria Matthews joked. Carolyn Perrin, 68, is a labor and delivery nurse who started working at Johnston-Willis just a month after Victoria was born in 1993. "It got very, very busy, very, very quickly," Perrin told Fox News Digital, "because it was the first hospital in Chesterfield County at that time. So, that was a really big deal. It was such an exciting time for the unit because everything and everyone was brand new." Johnston-Willis Hospital has been in Richmond for over 100 years, but it's moved to several different locations over time. It settled in Chesterfield County in the early 1980s. FIRST-TIME VA MOM, BORN A PREEMIE HERSELF, WELCOMES OWN MICRO-PREEMIE DAUGHTER: FULL CIRCLE STORY Story continues The obstetrics department in the hospitals current location opened in 1993 with a labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum (LDRP) model, which was cutting-edge at the time, according to the hospital. Perrin herself born at Johnston-Willis in 1954, in one of its earlier locations attended Johnston-Willis Nursing School. She said she'd always been intrigued by the plaque commemorating the hospitals first baby. "The doctor who delivered her has been a good friend of mine for years," Perrin said. "His name is David Reutinger. He was amazing." NORTH CAROLINA WOMAN WINS LOTTERY AND GIVES BIRTH ON SAME DAY: 'IM SO THANKFUL' Reutinger retired last year after a 35-year career at the hospital. Vanessa Matthews (shown as a newborn in the inset photo) was the first baby delivered at HCA Virginia Johnston-Willis Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, in 1993. "There are still a few people like me who have not chosen to retire yet," Perrin said. She made it a point to care for the plaque commemorating the hospitals first birth, said Perrin. If there were renovations or a new coat of paint in the works, she placed it in her office for safekeeping. When Perrin heard that very baby Victoria Matthews was due to deliver at the hospital where she was born, she knew it was something special. BABY BORN ON 2/22/22 AT 2:22 AM IN ROOM 2: BLESSING FOR HER FAMILY "The stars had to align for this to happen," she said. "There are so many different outcomes that could have [happened]. She could have moved, she could have picked another hospital, she could have not had children. So many things just fell into place perfectly." Victoria Matthews and baby girl, Emma Matthews, were both born at HCA Virginia Johnston-Willis Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, nearly 30 years apart. The hospital rolled out the red carpet, sending Matthews flowers and arranging interviews about her experience. "It's a really big deal in the market today, for someone to choose you to have their baby," Perrin said. "You don't always get to choose where you have your gallbladder out but most people choose where they have their babies," she said. "We don't take that lightly, and we appreciate when anyone chooses us, and we want to give them the best experience they can have." CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER Matthews said she would give the doctors and nurses a "12/10 for bedside manner." Wisconsinites will have the final say Tuesday in a consequential state Supreme Court election that will determine the high courts ideological makeup and its expected decisions on key issues such as abortion and redistricting. Though the judicial election is technically nonpartisan, voters must decide between Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz identified as a liberal candidate and former state Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly a conservative candidate. Protasiewicz and Kelly were the two top vote-getters in last months primary, which was the first leg of the race to fill the open seat vacated by conservative Justice Patience Roggensack. The race has become one of the most expensive and closely watched contests in the country, as the court could weigh in on the states 1849 abortion ban, redistricting, and possible future election result disputes. Here are five things to know about the Wisconsin Supreme Court race ahead of next Tuesday: Its a battle between a liberal candidate and a conservative Protasiewicz and Kelly are advancing to the April 4 election to determine who will replace Roggensack on the high court. The race is understood to be nonpartisan in name only. Protasiewicz has been outspoken on several issues, including her support for abortion rights, and notably called the states legislative maps rigged. Shes also received support from Democratic names and groups like Hillary Clinton, NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation and Emilys List. Kelly has been less clear during the race about how hed rule on some issues like abortion, though he has been backed by several prominent anti-abortion groups in the state. The Associated Press reported Kelly has done some work for Wisconsin Right to Life, though the group has said he was not on their payroll. Past clients of his have also included the state GOP. Both candidates used their first and only debate last week to suggest they would be fair and impartial judges. Kelly said hes made no commitments to abortion opponent groups that have supported him, particularly regarding the 1849 law that would criminalize abortion with few exceptions. Story continues Protasiewicz has said shed recuse herself from cases relating to the state Democratic Party. Abortion, redistricting loom over the race A lawsuit that could determine abortion rights in Wisconsin for years to come is expected to make its way up to the state Supreme Court following Tuesdays election. Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul (D) filed a lawsuit last June to block the states 173-year-old ban on abortion, arguing the 1849 law conflicts with modern abortion legislation. The ban, which offers very limited exceptions for the medical procedure, was triggered after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to access abortion. Kelly has received endorsements from groups opposed to abortion rights, such as Wisconsin Right to Life; while Protasiewicz has received the backing from proponents of abortion rights including Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin. Experts also believe that legal challenges to Wisconsins legislative maps could be brought to the state Supreme Court if Protasiewicz wins the election. Protasiewicz has previously denounced the state maps. saying in a debate, I dont think anybody thinks those maps are fair. Anybody. Former Attorney General Eric Holder, who chairs the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, has also backed Protasiewicz and will be campaigning for her ahead of the election, according to NBC News. The Republican State Leadership Committees (RSLC) judicial arm, the Justice Fairness Initiative, also spent six figures on an ad buy for Kelly. Another test on attitudes toward crime While theres been plenty of focus on abortion and redistricting in the race, Kellys campaign and outside GOP groups are looking to garner voter turnout by campaigning on crime. One ad launched by Kellys campaign includes several law enforcement officers backing the former Supreme Court justice and targeting Protasiewicz on her record of criminal sentencing as a judge. Another ad, launched by WMC Issues Mobilization Council, accuses Protasiewicz of giving lenient sentencing to a criminal defendant accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl. The Milwaukee County circuit judge defended her record on criminal sentencing during the pairs only debate, arguing I have sentenced thousands of people. And its interesting that a handful of cases have been cherry-picked and selected and twisted, and insufficient facts have been provided to the electorate. Money is pouring into the race Millions of dollars are being spent in the race, with Protasiewiczs campaign vastly out fundraising that of Kellys. Campaign filing reports published on Monday found Kellys campaign had raised roughly $2.2 million between Feb. 7 and March 20, while Protasiewiczs campaign had raised close to $12.4 million in that same time frame. One analysis of the race by WisPolitics.com published on Wednesday suggests that spending in the race is approaching close to $45 million when spending from outside groups are factored in. The sheer amount of money being spent in the race underscores Wisconsins status as among a handful of pivotal battleground states for both Democrats and Republicans. Party control has remained divided within the state, though Republicans enjoy a legislative edge. Wisconsin has a Democratic governor, and both parties in the Senate. The state also has a GOP-dominated state legislature, and Wisconsins congressional delegation in the House has a 6-2 Republican majority. National spotlight on Wisconsin race While state judicial races tend to receive more attention at the local or state level, the Wisconsin Supreme Court race has dominated the national spotlight. Former President Obama has encouraged Wisconsinites to head to the polls, and Hillary Clinton has notably endorsed Protasiewicz. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) has donated $20,000 to Protasiewiczs campaign, according to campaign documents filed on Monday. Leonard Leo, the co-chairman and former executive vice president of the Federalist Society, has donated $20,000 to Kellys campaign. While the state Supreme Court elections could have implications for issues like abortion and redistricting, the high court could also hear potential lawsuits challenging the 2024 presidential election results. In 2020, the Wisconsin Supreme Court narrowly upheld President Bidens win in Wisconsin and rejected legal challenges from former President Trump to contest the results. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. This photo taken on March 29, 2023 shows the groundbreaking ceremony of a major chemical project, a joint investment initiative by China and Saudi Arabia, in Panjin City of northeast China's Liaoning Province. [Photo/Xinhua] Construction of a major chemical project, which is a joint investment initiative by China and Saudi Arabia, commenced on Wednesday in Panjin City of northeast China's Liaoning Province. The total investment of the project is 83.7 billion yuan (about 12.2 billion U.S. dollars), of which Saudi Aramco holds a 30 percent stake while the North Huajin Chemical Industries Group Corporation and Panjin XinCheng Industrial Group hold 51 and 19 percent, respectively. After it is put into operation, the project is expected to become a world-class petrochemical and fine chemical industry base in China. The joint venture Huajin Aramco Petrochemical Company (HAPCO) will be completed in 2025 and is expected to have an annual oil refining capacity of 15 million tonnes, and an annual production capacity of 1.65 million tonnes of ethylene and 2 million tonnes of P-xylene (PX). According to Yan Zhe, deputy general manager of Norinco Group, the parent company of the North Huajin Chemical Industries Group Corporation, the project will generate an annual income of over 100 billion yuan, with a total profit of more than 10 billion yuan and tax revenue of over 20 billion yuan, upon completion. "This complex is an important cornerstone of our efforts to support a world-class, integrated downstream sector here in China," said Mohammed AI-Qahtani, executive vice president of Saudi Aramco, at the groundbreaking ceremony. The city of Panjin has built a 100,000-tonne widened deep-water channel, a 300,000-tonne crude oil wharf, and a sewage treatment plant with a treatment capacity of 60,000 tonnes a day to support the project. Eight special wharf berths and dedicated railway lines have been reserved for the project. Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert! LAWSUIT ALLEGES FLETCHER SEXUALLY HARASSED, ASSAULTED WOMAN Last weekend, Democratic San Diego Supervisor Nathan Fletcher announced he was dropping his State Senate campaign and entering long-term treatment for combat-related PTSD, childhood-related trauma and alcohol abuse. At the time, Fletcher was praised by many for the courage it took to admit he needed help. But was Fletcher just trying to get ahead of a damaging news story? That story dropped Wednesday, as a former San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) employee named Grecia Figueroa filed a lawsuit alleging that Fletcher sexually harassed and assaulted her. The lawsuit, a copy of which was shared by NBC San Diego, contends that Fletcher began stalking Figueroas Instagram account before engaging in increasingly aggressive behavior, including allegedly sexually assaulting her on multiple occasions. In the lawsuit, Figueroa alleges she was fired from her job the same day Fletcher announced his bid for Sen. Toni Atkins Senate seat. Ms. Figueroa is informed and believes and thereon alleges that MTS terminated her employment because she was sexually harassed by Defendant Fletcher, the lawsuit contends. Fletcher previously served as chair of the MTS board of directors. Before news of the lawsuit spread Wednesday, Fletchers Twitter account shared a statement from both Fletcher and his attorney, Danielle Hultenius Moore. . The simple truth is that Ms. Figueroa pursued my client, their interactions were consensual and Mr. Fletcher does not and never had authority over her employment, Moore said in a statement. Moore vowed to fight this lawsuit in court. Fletcher admitted to making a terrible mistake that violated the trust of his marriage to Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, a former assemblywoman and current head of the California Labor Federation. I made it clear it could not continue or advance and desperately hoped I could leave this mistake in my past. However, this individual and an attorney demanded millions of dollars from me and my family with the threat of not only embarrassment but a willingness to lie about the circumstances and nature of the interactions, Fletcher said in a statement. Story continues According to the statement, Fletcher is at an out-of-state treatment center. CALCHAMBER RELEASES CURRENT LIST OF JOB KILLER BILLS The California Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday released its most recent list of 13 so-called Job Killer bills, measures that the pro-business group alleges would damage Californias economy. CalChamber President Jennifer Barrera said in a statement that while private employers account for more than 17 million jobs and $1.6 trillion in annual wages, the bills on the groups list will stifle job creation, reduce investent in our economy, and drive outward migration. Job killing policies make California unattractive both to current employers and entrepreneurs who, incidentally, generate the preponderance of the states tax revenue, and to those who might want to come here to invest in our future economy, she said. The bills all of which have Democratic authors include AB 259 and ACA 3 by Assemblyman Alex Lee,D-San Jose, which would create a tax on Californias richest residents. You can see the list of bills here. QUOTE OF THE DAY Coward. - Gov. Gavin Newsom, referring to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who refused to answer questions about how to respond to the Nashville school shooting, via Twitter. Newsom once avoided overtly criticizing the Bakersfield Republican, but has begun doing so more frequently since McCarthy took up the speakers gavel last January. Best of The Bee: Flo Rida Rapper Flo Ridas 6-year-old son was injured after falling out of a 5-story window in Jersey City, New Jersey. As reported by News 12, Zohar Dillard, who has autism, suffered severe injuries earlier this month. The post Flo Ridas 6-Year-Old Son In ICU After Falling From 5th Story Window Of Jersey City Apartment appeared first on Blavity. The 6-year-old is in the ICU after suffering a shattered pelvis, left metatarsal fractures, grade 3 liver laceration, internal bleeding, and collapsed lungs after the fall, Bossip reported. Dillards mother, Alexis Adams, has since filed a lawsuit against the apartment building, claiming the windows posed a hazardous condition, which allowed her son to fall and land on the concrete below. As a single mom to a special needs child, this feels like a nightmare. My heart is broken into a million pieces. I am devastated, angry and struggling to come to terms with the fact that my only child has suffered severe injuries due to willful negligence of our landlord and others involved in failing to take necessary safety measures, Adams wrote in a statement, per Bossip. It is devastating to see my child go through such pain and trauma knowing that this couldve been avoided. Adams claims she made multiple requests to her landlord to install window guards but was ignored. In the lawsuit, Adams demands damages, together with interest, attorneys fees, costs of suit, payment of all medical bills, and any other relief the court deems just. The mother of rapper Flo Rida's son sued her landlord Monday, alleging her 6-year-old son fell out of a fifth-story window after multiple complaints about faulty window guards. Zohar Dillard was seriously injured after he fell out of the window onto hard concrete on March 4, according to a lawsuit his mother, Alexis Adams, filed in New Jersey Superior Court. The suit alleges that Zohar "suffered severe and permanent injuries" that will affect his ability to perform "his usual functions" in the future. He remains in a full-body cast at the hospital, and it is unclear when he will return home, Adams' attorney Steven Haddad said. Zohar Dillard. (Courtesy attorney Steven P. Haddad) Adams said in a statement that it has been devastating to watch her son go through such "pain and trauma" that could have been prevented. "As a single mom to a special needs child this feels like a nightmare. My heart is broken into a million pieces," Adams said. "I am devastated, angry and struggling to come to terms with the fact that my only child has suffered severe injuries due to the willful negligence of our landlord and others involved in failing to take necessary safety measures." Representatives for Flo Rida, whose legal name is Tramar Dillard, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Adams alleges that she had filed multiple requests with her landlord for adequate window guards for her Jersey City apartment. One of the defendants named in her suit, Pitch Perfect 74 LLC, did not have contact information listed in public records. Goldberg Management, a real estate company also named in the suit, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com A Florida Amber Alert has been issued by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for a missing 2-year-old boy who is believed to be in danger. Taylen Mosley is reported missing after his 20-year-old mother, Pashun Jeffery, was found dead in her apartment at Lincoln Shores in St. Petersburg. Mosley was reported as missing since Thursday. He is described as Black with brown hair and brown eyes, 2 feet tall and 30 pounds. He was last seen in the 11600 block of 4th Street in St. Petersburg. Anyone with information about Mosleys whereabouts or the homicide investigation is asked to call St. Petersburg police at 727-893-7780. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. Florida deputies were tasked earlier this week with checking in on an elderly person at a home who had not been seen. A man told them they were in another county, but that turned out to be a lie, officials said. What authorities found next was called sadistic by a Florida sheriff. James Frederick Queen, 59, is facing charges of attempted murder, kidnapping with the intent to inflict bodily harm, aggravated battery on a person 65 or older, felony battery by strangulation, false imprisonment and hindering communication to law enforcement. He is being held at the Citrus County Detention Facility without bond. It is unthinkable that someone could be so violent toward such a vulnerable member of our community, Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast said. The cruel and inhumane actions of Queen in this case are utterly sadistic. On Monday, Citrus deputies were called to perform a well-being check at a home for the elderly victim, who was not identified. Queen was believed to be taking care of them at the house in Homosassa, Florida, but he told deputies the victim was in another county, the sheriffs office said. Authorities quickly disproved this, and Queen eventually told deputies the victim was at the home. Queens lies multiplied when he unsuccessfully tried to explain to deputies that the victim had multiple self-inflicted injuries and was too embarrassed to call for help, the sheriffs office said. When deputies stepped inside, they found the victim ruthlessly brutalized. They told authorities that Queen had repeatedly and savagely beaten them for days and stopped them from leaving or calling for help, the sheriffs office said. Not only did Queen torture and terrorize the victim, but he deliberately kept them from seeking law enforcement and medical assistance, Prendergast said. Queen was arrested and the elderly victim was taken to a trauma center. Its unclear what condition they are in. CCSO is dedicated to protecting our elderly citizens and removing brutalizers like Queen from our society, Prendergast said. Deputies in Florida were "in the right place at the right time" on Monday when they discovered a missing 75-year-old man with Alzheimers while searching for a robbery suspect in the woods, authorities said. Deputies had responded to the 100 block of E. Bearss Avenue in search of the fleeing suspect and began canvassing the woods along I-275, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday. Aerial footage from a sheriffs helicopter shows the chopper crew leading deputies through the trees toward an individual who appeared to be crawling on the ground. Deputies believed they had located the suspect, but as they inched closer to the individual, they realized he was an elderly man who had been reported missing a day earlier near the University of South Florida, the sheriffs office said. FLORIDA FIRST RESPONDERS RESCUE ELDERLY MAN, 2 DOGS OUT OF SINKING SUV Deputies were searching for a robbery suspect along I-275 when they entered a wooded area. "That is wild," a deputy in the helicopter says, adding, "That's amazing. Great job everybody." READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP A helicopter crew directed deputies on the ground toward an individual located in the woods. The 75-year-old man, who suffers from Alzheimers, was safely rescued and reunited with his family, according to officials. Deputies realized the man they found was not the suspect, but an elderly man with Alzheimer's who went missing a day earlier. OFF-DUTY ORLANDO FIREFIGHTER HONORED AFTER SAVING DEPUTY FROM BURNING PATROL CAR: HEROIC ACTIONS "What a wonderful example of being in the right place at the right time," said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "Our deputies were working diligently doing their job to apprehend a suspect, and were able to recognize a citizen in need of help. Were grateful that this was able to end in a safe return for the missing person and his family." The 75-year-old was safely rescued after deputies located him crawling on the ground of a wooded area along I-275. It was unclear whether the deputies were able to locate the robbery suspect. In a stunning report that may spark new hostilities between the Biden administration and Gov. Ron DeSantis, Floridas statewide prosecutor Thursday explicitly accused federal immigration authorities of human trafficking in their oversight of unaccompanied migrant children in the state. The Statewide Prosecutors Office released an acerbic, 46-page grand jury report that denounces the federal Department of Homeland Securitys Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), for leaving vulnerable migrant children with unvetted caregivers, or sponsors and then abdicating all oversight of their welfare. The report suggests the policy amounts to criminal child neglect. The Statewide Grand Jury, which is an arm of Attorney General Ashley Moodys office, also accuses the federal government of covering up its alleged misdeeds. The public is led to believe that the process described by our federal government in documents and popular media accounts at least resembled the truth, the report said. ORR asserts that children fleeing from danger are adequately identified, properly cared for, and reunited with their family here in this country. In reality, ORR is facilitating the forced migration, sale, and abuse of foreign children, and some of our fellow Florida residents are (in some cases unwittingly) funding and incentivizing it for primarily economic reasons. READ MORE: Proposed child-shelter rules could cost agencies that care for immigrant children millions Like the governor, Moody has been a strong critic of federal immigration policy. In March, a federal judge ruling in a case filed by Moodys office ordered the Biden administration to vacate and review a policy that has granted parole to tens of thousands of undocumented migrants. The grand jury report, called a presentment, which was supervised by Statewide Prosecutor Nick Cox, is the latest salvo in a long-ranging dispute between DeSantis and other statewide leaders and federal immigration administrators over the custody and care of mostly Central and South American children who cross the southern border without any family or adult supervision. Story continues In recent months, hundreds of unaccompanied Cuban children have crossed the southern border seeking residence here, as well. More than 13,000 children sent to Florida Last budget year, the report said, the U.S. Border Patrol took custody of 127,447 unaccompanied migrant children a nearly fivefold increase from the number of such children in 2015. Of those, 13,195 were released to sponsors in Florida. In December, DeSantis ordered state child welfare administrators to cease issuing or renewing licenses to facilities that shelter migrant children under contract with the federal government a move that shelter operators warned might force them to relocate thousands of children. The order left in place existing licenses. DeSantis asked the state Supreme Court to empanel a statewide grand jury to investigate undocumented migrants last June. The purpose of the grand jury will be to investigate individuals and organizations that are actively working with foreign nationals, drug cartels and coyotes to illegally smuggle minors, some as young as 2 years old, across the border and into Florida, DeSantis said at a news conference in Pensacola. Attacking the Biden administrations record on border security has been a staple of the GOPs national strategy, and DeSantis, who is expected to be a candidate for the Republican nomination for president, has called the Democratic presidents border policies an abject failure. By incentivizing illegal migration, the grand jury wrote, the Biden administration has encouraged children to undertake and/or be subjected to a harrowing trek to our border, ultimately abandoning significant numbers of those who survive the journey to an uncertain fate with persons who are largely unvetted. This process exposes children to horrifying health conditions, constant criminal threat, labor and sex trafficking, robbery, rape, and other experiences not done justice by mere words, grand jurors added. The report decries the states inability to exercise influence over immigration policy, which is the sole province of the federal government, but suggests the state can and should regulate those living among us who seek out the responsibility of raising a child not their own. Grand jury makes recommendations The presentment issues a series of recommendations, though they are likely to draw little resistance from a Legislature, currently in session, that enjoys a GOP supermajority and has evidenced an immense loyalty to DeSantis, whose two terms as governor have seen a dramatic increase in Republican clout. Among the recommendations: Requiring shelters and sponsors to report all unaccompanied children living in the state to child welfare authorities, and to initiate legal proceedings to determine legal custody of the youngsters. Failure to do so would be a felony offense, with investigation of such crimes spearheaded by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and prosecuted by the Office of Statewide Prosecution. Requiring organizations that place undocumented migrant children with a purported biological parent to document the relationship with either a birth certificate or DNA testing. Lawmakers should create new criminal penalties for harboring undocumented immigrants a recommendation that the Republican-led Legislature is considering this year with the backing of the governor. In addition to the grand jurys recommendation, the legislative proposal seeks to increase penalties for businesses that hire undocumented workers, would require law enforcement agencies to collect DNA samples from migrants who are in detention facilities, and would require hospitals to collect data on whether patients are undocumented. The proposal is moving slowly in the Legislature, but it is expected to gain traction in the coming weeks, even as religious groups say the legislative proposal would be an attack on their religious freedom as it would affect the services they offer to migrants. Bryan Griffin, the governors press secretary, said this about the grand jurys work back in December: We appreciate and continue to monitor the work of the Twenty-First Statewide Grand Jury, and we expect more presentments to be issued in the future. We concur that the statutory language on human smuggling needs to be updated to be much stronger and therefore a greater deterrent to this criminal activity. We look forward to additional recommendations from the Grand Jury. The governor is committed to acting within his authority to counteract Bidens border crisis and reducing the burden of the administrations neglect of duty at the border on the people of Florida, he added. A Florida man accused of burglary found himself in an "itchy situation" after authorities said he tried to hide from deputies by burying himself under a pile of home insulation. According to the Lee County Sheriffs Office, deputies were called to a home burglary in progress in North Fort Myers, Florida on Sunday, March 26. Lee County Sheriff's Office shared images of 44-year-old Bruce Davis who was found under a pile of insulation is a home's attic. In an unusual turn of events, the alleged thief scampered up to the attic and hid from authorities under a pile of home insulation, with his face near an air duct, so he could breathe. MAN INDICTED IN DEATH OF STILL-MISSING MISSISSIPPI STUDENT When authorities arrived they heard, "someone walking in the homes attic." Police also found a five-gallon bucket and insulation debris on the floor below the attic access, and quickly pieced together the mystery of where the alleged burglar disappeared to. Bruce Davis was found in a Florida home's attack after allegedly attempting to steal from the home. When the suspect refused come down, deputies used non-lethal gas to try to flush him out of the attic, the sheriffs office said. When the suspect still refused to come down, deputies entered the attic with a K-9 unit who quickly discovered 44-year-old Bruce Davis under a pile of insulation. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP ALABAMA POLICE CHARGE ELUSIVE PONY GINUWINE WITH RESISTING ARREST, DISORDERLY CONDUCT Photos shared by the sheriffs office show the suspect buried under a pile of insulation, with his hands poking up. Police shared that they found, "a broken window, appliances in use, and tools scattered throughout the residence," during Davis' attempted robbery. Bruce Davis was booked the Marceno Motel and charged with burglary and resisisting an officer. Bond was set at $31,500, according to records. Davis was arrested and charged with burglary and resisting an officer. He was later booked in the Marceno Motel. Policed share that Davis has a lengthy criminal history including theft, and multiple drug charges. Bond was set at $31,500, according to records. The second year of a pilot feeding program designed to reduce starvation among Florida manatees has ended with officials reporting giving out nearly 400,000 pounds of lettuce in a popular lagoon that the giant sea cows congregate in during the winter months. The program was initiated in late 2021 after hundreds of manatees died along Floridas east coast, setting a record for deaths. Biologists characterized the deaths as an Unusual Mortality Event and attributed the starvation to the die-off of important seas grasses an essential nutrient for the herbivores. So far, in 2023, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reports 215 sea cows have died, which is the lowest rate in more than two years. "The rescue and carcass response along the coast were well below what we experienced the past two winters. This could be due to multiple factors. Late last year, we had a seagrass survey that showed some slight recovery in Mosquito Lagoon, which continues to be a high-use manatee area and in December, we worked with USGS and did some research captures in the Indian River Lagoon, and those animals looked like they were pretty decent body condition," said, Andy Garrett, an FWC marine mammal stranding coordinator. FLORIDAS MANATEE DEATH TOLL FALLS SHORT OF RECORD LEVELS BUT REMAINS ALARMINGLY HIGH Additionally, the usage of the temporary feeding site in Central Florida is believed to be playing a role in the reduction of starvation, but agencies say they do not have a complete understanding of its impacts. State and federal agencies are currently monitoring the animals as they migrate from winter habitats back to other warm water locations and will use the summer and fall to conduct assessments and determine what additional actions may be needed to aid the threatened species. "With winter coming to an end and manatees dispersing along the coast, we anticipate normal live and dead stranding levels along the Atlantic coast. And although this risk of starvation for manatees decreases as you move into summer, were still going to have, but theyre still going to be faced with traditional threats like watercraft, collisions and entanglements," said Garrett. Story continues RED TIDE TRACKER: FLORIDA BEACHES FACE RED TIDE THREAT AS TRAVELERS HEAD SOUTH IN SEARCH OF SUNSHINE Despite lower levels of red tide being observed along Floridas Gulf Coast, the sea cow population continues to feel the impacts of the harmful algal bloom. Experts say the microscopic algae produce toxins that can be harmful to fish, mammals and birds and can reduce oxygen levels in waterways. According to the FWC, at least 20 cases of dead manatees along the Florida coast from St. Petersburg southward to Marco Island are suspected to be from red tide. Additionally, several others of these giant mammals are in centers across the state in a recovery stage. "These cases are particularly challenging because manatees must be kept in extremely shallow water when they first come in. And until that neurotoxin clears, and they become stable, and they cant be released back to the wild until red tide clears and the area where they were rescued," said Terri Calleson, the Florida manatee recovery lead for the USFWS. Unlike with the Unusual Mortality Event impacting manatees on Floridas east coast, biologists say the impacts associated with the red tide event were expected, and preparations have been underway for months. Rescue organizations across the state have added containing pools and additional resources for the influx of animals and their long recoveries. ONLY IN FLORIDA: WATCH A MANATEE CHASE AN ALLIGATOR AT A FLORIDA PARK A manatee not impacted by either the red tide event along the states west coast or mass starvation along the states east coast is a mother who was nicknamed Reckless. Reckless and her calf were rescued in May 2022 with what were described as catastrophic boat strike injuries to the mother. SeaWorld Orlando says during the nearly year-long stay at its facility, veterinarians performed nine lifesaving procedures to repair her injuries. Some of the unprecedented procedures included a complete pectoral flipper amputation, cold laser therapy, abscess removal and a gastroscopy. "When we first saw her, she was in one of the worst conditions our team had ever seen. She had massive open wounds, an exposed shoulder blade, protruding bones and other serious ailments. All of us felt like her chances of survival, even with help, were very low," Dr. Stacy DiRocco, a senior veterinarian at SeaWorld Orlando, said in a statement. Without the care from the SeaWorld team, it is widely thought among experts that neither the mother nor her calf would have survived in the wild. The prognosis for the manatee's recovery is considered good, and the SeaWorld team plans to release both animals in the Florida waters. With their annual migration season underway, officials warn boaters to be cautious of the endangered species, and if they see an animal in distress, let the FWC know about it by calling 888-404-3922. Four neighborhoods in Florida were named among the best places to live in the United States in a new study. Niche, a platform that connects parents and students with schools and colleges, analyzes cities and communities around the United States using federal and local government data. It then compares its findings to resident ratings. And what the analysis for 2023 showed is that two communities in Tampa and two in Orlando were among the top 25 neighborhoods in the country. No Miami-Dade or other South Florida cities were mentioned. The study, which examines metrics in the areas of public schools, housing, crime and safety, nightlife, diversity and whether the neighborhoods are family-friendly, highlighted the waterfront neighborhood of Hyde Park-Spanishtown Creek near downtown Tampa (No. 4) and nearby Harbour Island (11). The median home price in Hyde Park is $469,284, and the median rent is $1,673, while the median home price in Harbour Island is $498,990 and average rent is $2,348. This beachfront Florida town was just voted one of the best small towns in the U.S. In Orlando, Niche praised the more affordable North Quarter community (8), where the median home price is $171,100 and median rent is $1,423 and Audubon Park (20), which has a median home price of $342,693 and a median rent of $1,644. The best neighborhood in the country, Niche reports, is the Philadelphia suburb of Chesterbrook. Niche also broke down the top 25 cities to live in, calling Cambridge, Massachusetts, the best city in the country. No Florida cities made the list. The study also listed the best places to live in South Florida, and Pinecrest was named the best neighborhood in Miami, up from No. 2 last year. Brickell, 2022s best neighborhood, dropped to No. 4, after Coral Gables (2) and Coconut Grove (3). Pinecrest scored highly in the areas of public schools, diversity, being good for families and nightlife (yes, were a bit puzzled by that one as well). It earned good ratings regarding crime and safety and only faltered in the area of housing. Niche reports the median cost of a home in Pinecrest is $937,600. This is not exactly easy affordable living. The rest of the top 10 cities in the Miami area include cities from Miami-Dade and Broward counties: Palmetto Bay (5); Highland Beach (6); Weston (7); Parkland (8); Rio Vista in Fort Lauderdale (9); and Key Biscayne (10). These Florida spots, one in the Keys, made the best beaches list. Miami was snubbed Chinese businesses operating in Europe are urging authorities in the European Union to quickly resume the approval process for the China-EU Comprehensive Agreement on Investment, or CAI, and expedite its signing, said a report released by China's top foreign trade and investment promotion agency on Wednesday. The report Business Environment of the European Union 2022/2023 provided by the academy of the Beijing-based China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said that a favorable business environment is a common expectation of foreign-invested businesses, and will create greater attraction for Chinese companies. The study found that 28.7 percent of surveyed domestic companies will expand their investments in Europe if the EU relaxes its foreign investment review. About 40.87 percent will increase their investments in Europe if the CAI is signed and implemented. China and the EU reached an agreement in principle for the CAI in December 2020 after 35 rounds of talks spanning seven years. The European Commission described the CAI as "the most ambitious agreement that China has ever concluded with a third country" and one that "will ensure EU investors achieve better access to a fast-growing 1.4 billion consumer market and competition on a more level playing field in China". However, the European Parliament blocked the ratification of the CAI due to political reasons in March 2021. Since 2022, the EU has implemented a number of policies to make it more difficult for foreign companies to invest, acquire and participate in public procurement within the EU. The deterioration of the EU's business environment has affected normal production and operation activities of foreign companies in this market, said Zhao Ping, vice-dean of the CCPIT's academy. According to the report, 33.04 percent of surveyed Chinese companies believe that the business environment in the EU has worsened, an increase of 5.86 percentage points from the previous year. "We look forward to the EU's continued improvement of the business environment, allowing foreign companies to play a greater role in promoting the EU's economic growth and employment, as well as creating a broader space for China-EU cooperation," said Zhao. Bilateral trade between China and the EU grew 2.4 percent on a yearly basis to $847.3 billion in 2022, with China and the EU being each other's second-largest trading partners. Chinese companies' investment flow to the EU reached $7 billion and their investment stock in the EU reached $102.9 billion, the CCPIT said. The top five EU member states with the best business environment, according to surveyed enterprises, are Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, said the CCPIT report. As the CAI is considered a balanced, high-level and win-win agreement that benefits China, the EU and the world, China has been keen to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with the EU, maintain stable and unimpeded global industrial and supply chains, and create a sound environment for European companies to maintain robust growth in its market, said Zhang Yongjun, a researcher at the Beijing-based China Center for International Economic Exchanges. Echoing that sentiment, Jean-Pascal Tricoire, chairman and CEO of French multinational Schneider Electric SE, said that after operating in China for 36 years, the group is confident and firmly committed to its long-term development in China. "We will continue to strengthen our 'China hub' strategy and enhance our advantages in innovation and collaboration, and better enable local partners and customers to accelerate their digitalization and decarbonization transformation," he said. In terms of boosting China's foreign trade, Wang Linjie, spokeswoman for the CCPIT, said the agency to date has received 519 applications, submitted by domestic organizers for overseas exhibitions this year. These trade fairs will be held in 47 countries, including the United States, Germany, France, Japan, Thailand and Brazil. Ruby Nell Bridges at age 6, was the first Black American child to attend William Franz Elementary School in New Orleans after Federal courts ordered the desegregation of public schools Ruby Nell Bridges at age 6, was the first Black American child to attend William Franz Elementary School in New Orleans after Federal courts ordered the desegregation of public schools ParentsinFloridas Pinellas School District are apparently outraged over the screening of Disneys Ruby Bridges, a film that depicts the true story of a 6-year-olds brave and historical integration in the 1960s at a predominantly white elementary school in New Orleans, Louisiana. The film, an essential part of the districts curriculum for the past decade, is now at the center of controversy thanks to two sets of parents who filed complaints to the school district. They reportedly asked for the film to be removed from the Black History Month lesson plan, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The reasoning behind this attempt at irrational censorship: Emily Conklin, a parent of one of the children, claimed the film might teach second graders that white people hate Black people. Conklin pointed to racial slurs in the movie, the Guardian reports, including a scene where actors scream, Im going to hang you! at Rubys character. Sigh. Where do we even begin here? The heaviest irony of this argument is that this film provides students of all ages with the context and language needed to discuss something most of them already know: Race-based hate exists, and it is bad. As a Black person, no matter your age, you are not protected, nor can you opt out. Children are not stupid, and this should go without saying teachers are not screening this film without discussing the implications. But ignorance wins more than it should. Despite pushback from organizations aimed at protecting Black students, the districts administration responded by banning the movie at North Shore Elementary School until a review committee can assess it, Tampa Bay Times reports. Unfortunately, the painful reality is the more we shove documentation of this countrys racism under the rug, the easier it is for certain people to deny it ever existed. Story continues Removing a teaching tool such as this film from the curriculum is a form of erasure. It snuffs out an opportunity to discuss the truth about anti-Blackness. It also eliminates the opportunity for children of other races to understand how they experience and benefit from systemic racism daily, shielding them from an understanding of their role in perpetuating (or stopping) racist violence. This is the latest move in the states Republican lawmakers culture war, where books on LGBTQ+ issues and race have been banned, such as Rosa Parks biography. As a nation, we can no longer afford to feed into this false notion of protection because even our understanding of protection is rooted in inflicting harm on Black people. Those who truly understand the reach of systemic racism know that as long as we avoid these conversations, no one is safe. The best we can do is be honest with ourselves so that we can be honest with our children. Related... A high school principal in Florida has resigned after attempting to send $100,000 from the schools account to a person claiming online to be Twitter CEO Elon Musk. Principal Jan McGee of the Burns Science and Technology Charter in Oak Hill, Florida, acknowledged at a school board meeting Tuesday that she cut the check. I am a very smart lady. Well-educated. I fell for a scam, McGee said in a speech live-streamed on Facebook. She claimed to have been groomed by the scammer for the past four months. Grooming is when you talk to somebody and you believe in them, and they get you to trust them that this is really real, and so I fell for it, she said. McGee said the person she believed to be Musk had pledged to match the funds, and would reciprocate by donating several million dollars to the school. According to NBC affiliate WFLA, other school board administrators repeatedly told McGee she was interacting with a scammer, and not with one of the richest men in the world. When the person instructed her to make out the check to someone other than Musk himself, she proceeded, believing she was sending the money to Musks right hand man. The schools business manager, Brent Appy, canceled the check before it cleared. Related... For decades, the US army's haphazard use and disposal of toxic substances have been the root cause of enduring health consequences for veterans and military families. Though largely unintentional, countless individuals who served and lived on contaminated bases were exposed to a cocktail of chemical hazards known to trigger debilitating and life-threatening diseases. Although recent bipartisan legislation has sought to address a broad range of service-related toxic exposure issues, such as those of the extensively contaminated Camp Lejeune, experts have noted that certain hazards and their associated risks may be overlooked. Some of these "emerging contaminants" have been found on bases throughout Pennsylvania in excessive amounts due to the long-term use of fire suppressants. Camp Lejeune veterans' struggles North Carolina's Camp Lejeune is often pointed out as the poster child for the army's extensive contamination issues, and not without merit. For over thirty years (1953 1987), nearly 1 million of the base's residents were unwittingly exposed to over 60 toxic contaminants leaching into drinking water sources, with some of the more potent hazards including trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene, benzene, and vinyl chloride. In 1989, the EPA listed Camp Lejeune as a military Superfund site, but the decade-long contamination would incur a heavy toll on former residents for years to come. Exposure to the bases toxins has been linked to a host of diseases like cancer, leukemia, liver and kidney dysfunctions, neurobehavioral effects, and reproductive issues. In 2012, Congress passed legislation meant to improve Camp Lejeune victims' access to adequate medical benefits and disability compensation. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was subsequently tasked with drafting eligibility guidelines and employed "subject matter experts" to review claims. However, an investigation found that many of the VA's alleged experts weren't qualified to diagnose or evaluate Camp Lejeune-related conditions, only being licensed in preventive and general medicine. By 2016, claim approval rates throughout the county plummeted to under 5%. From 2011 to 2019, about 75% of the claims filed in Pennsylvania were rejected. In 2017, eight illnesses were recognized as presumptive of service-related exposure, yet veterans have insisted that the list should be expanded to cover more afflictions linked to the base's toxic hazards. According to the VAs Inspector General, between 2017 and 2021, the Department's underprepared staff misprocessed 37% of claims, totaling $13.8 million in unpaid benefits. Story continues Of interest: Carbon County event highlights need for veterans mental health services in Poconos 'Forever chemicals' on Pennsylvania bases Despite its reputation, Camp Lejeune isn't the only base where hazardous chemicals placed unsuspecting service members at risk. The army's use of firefighting solutions like aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) since the 1970s has been the source of justified concerns due to mounting clinical evidence of its ingredients' potential for long-term harm. AFFF was primarily comprised of per/polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of synthetic compounds dubbed "forever chemicals" for their resilient molecular makeup. However, since they don't decompose naturally and are formidably resistant in the environment, PFAS can accumulate in the organism over the years and trigger adverse effects and conditions like cancer, high cholesterol, thyroid issues, low birth weight, decreased vaccine efficiency in children, and high blood pressure (preeclampsia) in pregnant women. In 2016, the EPA set (non-binding) health advisories for the most common PFAS compounds (PFOA and PFOS) of just 70 parts per trillion (ppt). PFAS contaminants have been confirmed on over 700 military installations across the US, ten of which are located in Pennsylvania. The most affected bases in the Keystone State include Horsham (239,500 ppt), North Penn (33,270 ppt), Warminster (22,400 ppt), ANG Pittsburgh (6,073 ppt), the Air National Guard Station at Harrisburg International Airport (2,215 ppt), Willow Grove (1,080 ppt), Letterkenny Army Depot (1,009 ppt), and Fort Indiantown Gap (324 ppt). To a lesser extent, "forever chemicals" were also found at the Carlisle Barracks and the Tobyhanna Army Depot in the Poconos. Notably, PFAS from military sites have extended beyond base grounds in communities near Horsham, Warminster, Warrington, and Pittsburgh. A Waterkeeper Alliance study published last year also found high amounts in the Lower Susquehanna River. Still, since these compounds were believed to be benign or inert ingredients, exposure to "forever chemicals" was never really accounted for in the VA's long-term considerations of veterans' health. PFAS chemicals were found at Tobyhanna Army Depot. Congressman Matt Cartwright, whose district includes Tobyhanna, submitted the Honoring Our PACT Act, which was signed in 2022. The act provides veterans with benefits and compensation for a range of toxic exposures incurred during military service. The PACT Act and the growing tide of PFAS regulations After President Biden assumed office, the new administration sought to finally address the army's enduring contaminant issues. In August 2022, the Honoring Our PACT Act was adopted with near-unanimous bipartisan support, providing veterans with improved benefits and compensation for a broad range of toxic exposures incurred during service. The bill also incorporates the Camp Lejeune Justice Act submitted by Pennsylvanian democratic senator Matt Cartwright. Overall, the PACT Act is regarded chiefly as a long-overdue development of veterans' rights, yet legal experts have pointed out that the bill could benefit from several amendments. While Camp Lejeune veterans will once again be able to file toxic exposure claims, bypassing the statute of repose that formerly barred such actions, the ability to do so is restricted to a narrow 2-year timeframe, effectively ending in August 2024. More: Senate passed the PACT Act. Here's how it could help Pennsylvania veterans Another contentious issue surrounding the bill is its seemingly insufficient coverage of the risks that emerging contaminants represent. Although more than 20 new illnesses are now considered presumptive of service-related exposure, diseases linked to PFAS, such as prostate and thyroid cancer, aren't afforded the same status. Despite the ongoing challenges, the growing awareness of PFAS' health risks has determined wider institutional involvement. The National Defense Authorization Act will eliminate AFFF from military use by late 2024 and finance cleanup efforts on the most contaminated bases. Meanwhile, legislative proposals such as the VET PFAS Act aim to have PFAS-related afflictions recognized as presumptive conditions. In January 2023, Pennsylvania adopted stringent drinking water limits for PFAS that reflect the EPA's broader efforts to establish federally-enforceable standards this fall. Toward this end, the EPA updated its advisories for PFAS, significantly cutting down acceptable concentrations to 0.004 0.02 ppt. Jonathan Sharp is the Chief Financial Officer at Environmental Litigation Group PC, a law firm established in 1990 in Birmingham, Alabama, which specializes in toxic exposure cases and assists veterans who were injured by hazardous substances. This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Opinion: Was the PACT Act too little too late for Pennsylvania vets? A former Boston K-9 police officer was arrested Thursday for assaulting a law enforcement officer during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Joseph Fisher, 52, was taken into custody by the FBI and charged with a litany of offenses, including a felony charge of assaulting a law enforcement officer, for his alleged role in the violent attack on the nations Capitol. As police worked to move back the mob ignited by former President Donald Trump, Fisher was captured on video assaulting an officer, according to court records. A U.S. Capitol Police officer was chasing after a rioter who had used a chemical irritant on police when Fisher allegedly pushed a chair into the officer, according to the records. Joseph Fisher, 52, was charged with assaulting a law enforcement officer on Jan. 6, 2021. Joseph Fisher, 52, was charged with assaulting a law enforcement officer on Jan. 6, 2021. After the officer was hit with the chair, Fisher engaged in a physical assault against the Victim, which ended with Fisher on the ground and out of the camera frame, the affidavit said. The former K-9 officer was identified by online sleuths, NBC News reported. Fisher joins a list of severalotherformer cops charged for their role in the Capitol attack. A former Boston police officer has been arrested for his involvement in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. According to FBI Boston Joseph Fisher, 52, of Plymouth, Mass. was arrested on felony charges, including assaulting a law enforcement officer during the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Fisher is charged with the felony offenses of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers, and obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder. According to FBI Boston, on January 6, 2021, at approximately 2:24 p.m. Fisher entered the U.S. Capitol Building through the Senate Wing Door on the North side of the Capitol. Former Boston police officer arrested for involvement in January 6 attack on the Capitol At approximately 2:38 p.m., Fisher was in the Capitol Visitor Centers Orientation Lobby where an altercation began between a U.S. Capitol Police Officer and other rioters. A U.S. Capitol Police Officer pursued a rioter who had deployed pepper spray, Fisher pushed a chair into the officer and then left the building Fisher is also charged with the misdemeanor offenses of: entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, acts of physical violence the Capitol grounds or building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building, according to FBI Boston. He is expected in court later today. Since January 6, 2021, more than 1,000 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol. Over including 320 people have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation into the January 6 Capitol riots is ongoing. Former Boston police officer arrested for involvement in January 6 attack on the Capitol #BREAKING: Today, the FBI arrested former @bostonpolice officer Joseph Fisher on felony charges, including assaulting a law enforcement officer during the 1/6/21 breach of the U.S. Capitol, bringing the total # of people we've arrested from our area to 22. FBI Boston (@FBIBoston) March 30, 2023 This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW A man who pleaded guilty to killing a Lexington mother was sentenced to 16 years in prison Thursday. Kevin Velasco-Gomez, 28, accepted a plea deal in February for charges of first-degree manslaughter and evidence tampering in relation to the death of his girlfriend, 33-year-old Elaine Castillo, according to court documents. Velasco-Gomez had originally been charged with murder. Thursday afternoon, Fayette Circuit Judge Kimberly Bunnell ordered a sentence of 15 years for manslaughter and one year for evidence tampering. Two of Castillos sisters and her daughter gave victim impact statements at the sentencing hearing. Her sisters confronted Velasco-Gomez about the pain he caused. I will never understand how you could do such a thing to someone that you had only known a few months and with a child in the next room, said Olivia Morales, Castillos sister. A child you spent time with, laughed with, watched movies with. ... I guess that says a lot about who you are as a person. Louisa Boone said the day before her sisters murder, she and Castillo were sharing their excitement about Boones pregnancy by rubbing her belly. I knew your intentions were evil the first time I met you but I didnt know you would take her life, Boone said. Was it worth it, taking a mother from her children? An aunt from her nieces and nephews? Are you sorry for what you did? Or are you just evil? How could you brutally murder my sister? You are sick this wasnt an accident. You knew what you were doing and you did it because you wanted to. Lexington police found the body of Castillo in a home in the 2200 block of Alexandria Drive with the direction of her juvenile son who said his mother was covered in blood. She was found with lacerations to her hands and major blunt force trauma to her skull, police previously said. Castillo and Velasco-Gomez began arguing hours before she was found, according to previous police testimony. The two were reportedly fighting because she caught Velasco-Gomez with another woman and kicked him out of the house. Story continues At the time of his arrest, Velasco-Gomez said Castillo pulled a knife on him. He told police he remembered Castillo being covered in blood and knew she was dead. Velasco-Gomez was alleged to have fled the scene in Castillos green Ford Expedition, which was pulled over in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Police allowed the car to go, but later found it abandoned. Witnesses later saw Velasco-Gomez in a white van in Simpson County stopped at a restaurant. Kentucky State Police identified and arrested Velasco-Gomez. A former Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools student who says her report of being raped in a high school bathroom in 2016 wasnt properly investigated will drop a federal complaint against the district and end her relationship with the attorney who filed it. Serena Evans, a former Myers Park High student, filed a notice of voluntary dismissal in her case, her attorney Christina Graziano confirmed to The Charlotte Observer. Graziano said Evans filed the dismissal March 17 without prejudice, meaning she has a year to find new counsel and refile if she chooses. I have terminated my relationship with Ms. Evans and will not be participating in any future claims or lawsuits she files, Graziano, of Maryland-based KBA Attorneys, said. Evans, now 21, and Graziano filed a lawsuit in June 2022 in the U.S. District Court for North Carolinas western district seeking damages in excess of $75,000 for each of five counts. Evans alleged school leaders, and by extension CMS, violated her rights under Title IX. Title IX requires public schools to methodically investigate reports about possible harassment or sexual violence as well as take steps to prevent further victimization or harm. A trial date was set for April 15, 2024, after settlement talks werent successful. In the complaint, Evans alleged CMS failed to protect her in 2016 from sexual harassment and assault, ignored multiple other reports of sexual violence on the Myers Park campus and retaliated against Evans for reporting her alleged assault. She was 15 at the time of the alleged attack, and one of many former students, the Observer has reported, to share stories of harassment or sexual violence on the Myers Park High campus. Serena is the mouthpiece for all of the other survivors across CMS, Graziano told The Charlotte Observer in June. Shes sending the message to them that yes, you can come forward. CMS board in August asked the court to partially dismiss Evans federal lawsuit, and U.S. District Judge Max Cogburn Jr. in January dismissed four counts because the district lacked jurisdiction over certain claims, according to a court filing. Story continues Neither CMS nor the school board had any comment Thursday, said Charles Jeter, the executive director of government affairs, policy, and board services. Kay Mayes, Evans mom, said she was unable to comment Thursday. CMS cleared in earlier decision The dropped lawsuit comes nearly three months after a federal jury in Charlotte cleared CMS of wrongdoing in another case involving a former Myers Park High student, Jane Doe, who claimed school officials failed to prevent or properly investigate her 2015 sexual assault claim. Doe, a pseudonym used in the lawsuit and during the trial to protect her identity, claimed she was sexually discriminated against by CMS when Myers Park High officials inadequately responded to a violent assault she says she endured on Nov. 3, 2015, by another Myers Park student. The jury decided Doe and her attorneys did not prove CMS and Myers Park High were deliberately indifferent to her assault claims an essential element of proving discrimination claims such as Does that are filed under Title IX. Doe and her attorney, Laura Dunn, in February filed an appeal to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. David Hoyle Former North Carolina state Sen. David Hoyle, a powerful force on taxes, economic development and education within state government when Democrats last controlled the General Assembly, died on Wednesday at age 84. Hoyle died at his home in Dallas, where he had once elected been mayor in his 20s. His health had been declining since he suffered a stroke several years ago, according to his son, David Hoyle Jr. Hoyle served nine terms in the Senate, where he was a longtime co-chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. Hoyle and Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand were considered top lieutenants to then-Senate leader Marc Basnight of Dare County. Hoyles hands were involved in most every major tax and finance effort in North Carolina over a 15-year period. A Gaston County native, Hoyle graduated from what is now Lenoir-Rhyne University in 1960. He became the Dallas mayor in 1967. He was a longtime real estate investor who served on boards of textile, banking and construction interests. Hoyle served on the state Board of Transportation and later joined the Senate in 1993. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who served briefly with Hoyle in the Senate until 2000, said in a tweet that Hoyle brought his practical business experience and compassion for the people of his district to the legislature, and North Carolina is a better place for his work. His willingness to challenge the status quo plus his warmth and wit made him a strong senator and mayor and a great friend, Cooper added. Hoyle announced he wouldnt seek reelection in 2010, and in September of that year Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue appointed him state revenue secretary, where he served through the remainder of Perdues single term. Republicans took over the state House and Senate in 2011. David was a champion for the business community and college accessibility, said current Senate leader Phil Berger, who also served with him in the chamber. Rand and Basnight died in 2020. Story continues Hoyle was credited as being the driving force in widening U.S. 321 into a multi-lane divided highway between Gastonia and Hickory. The road is now named in his honor. Our heartfelt prayers are with Davids family and his loved ones, Board of Commissioners Chairman Chad Brown said in a press release Wednesday. He was a man who cared deeply about this community, and his many years of service at a critical time in our history helped make Gaston County the top-tier county that it is today. Hoyle was credited as being the driving force in widening U.S. 321 into a multi-lane divided highway between Gastonia and Hickory. The road is now named in his honor. Our heartfelt prayers are with Davids family and his loved ones, Board of Commissioners Chairman Chad Brown said in a press release. He was a man who cared deeply about this community, and his many years of service at a critical time in our history helped make Gaston County the top-tier county that it is today. In addition to his son, Hoyles survivors include his wife, Linda; a daughter, Lonnia Beam; three grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. Funeral arrangements were incomplete Wednesday. Editor Diane Turbyfill contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Former N.C. senator, tax secretary Hoyle dies at 84 Former South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius was reportedly denied parole Friday. Pistorius, who was convicted of murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in 2013, was eligible for parole after serving half of his 13-year sentence. An attorney for Steenkamp's family, Tania Koen, told reporters Friday that Pistorius' parole was denied and that he will be able to reapply for parole in 2024. Koen said they did not know the reason for the denial, according to Sky News. Pistorius, a double-amputee nicknamed "Blade Runner" who drew fame for his Olympic and Paralympic appearances, shot Steenkamp multiple times through a bathroom door in his home. A model and law school graduate, Steenkamp was 29 years old. Pistorius, now 36, claimed he shot her with his licensed pistol by mistake, thinking she was a threatening intruder. He was initially convicted of manslaughter in 2014 and sentenced to five years in prison at the Atteridgeville Correctional Centre in Pretoria. A year later, the conviction was overturned by a higher court and amended to murder, which increased his sentence to six years. In 2017, the prosecution successfully appealed the amended sentence and it was increased to 13 years and five months. According to South Africa's news24, that sentence was amended last month to account for time served. Olympic and Paralympic track star Oscar Pistorius could be released from South African prison. (REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/Files) Pistorius was last up for parole in 2021, but his request was denied. Pistorius needed to have met with Steenkamps' family, as South Africa incorporates the concept of "restorative justice" in its legal system. Reeva's parents, Barry and June Steenkamp, have since met with Pistorius and do not fully support his release. "Only Oscar knows the true story," Barry Steenkamp told GMB last month. "All June and I wanted to know was the truth, what we feel was the truth: that he actually killed her because of anger." A New York grand jury on Thursday voted to indict former President Donald Trump, making him the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges. Trump will be asked to surrender to authorities, according to The New York Times. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The indictment remained sealed Thursday afternoon, but prosecutors have said they intended to bring the indictment against Trump in connection with so-called hush money payments made during his 2016 presidential campaign. The charges come following a grand jury investigation into business-related matters involving Trump, including his alleged role in payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels, according to The Washington Post and The New York Times. Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and accused prosecutors of targeting him for political reasons. Trump released a statement, saying: This is Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history. From the time I came down the golden escalator at Trump Tower, and even before I was sworn in as your President of the United States, the Radical Left Democrats - the enemy of the hard-working men and women of this Country - have been engaged in a Witch-Hunt to destroy the Make America Great Again movement. You remember it just like I do: Russia, Russia, Russia; the Mueller Hoax; Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine; Impeachment Hoax 1; Impeachment Hoax 2; the illegal and unconstitutional Mar-a-Lago raid; and now this. The Democrats have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to Get Trump, but now theyve done the unthinkable - indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant Election Interference. Never before in our Nations history has this been done. The Democrats have cheated countless times over the decades, including spying on my campaign, but weaponizing our justice system to punish a political opponent, who just so happens to be a President of the United States and by far the leading Republican candidate for President, has never happened before. Ever.Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, who was hand-picked and funded by George Soros, is a disgrace. Story continues Rather than stopping the unprecedented crime wave taking over New York City, hes doing Joe Bidens dirty work, ignoring the murders and burglaries and assaults he should be focused on. This is how Bragg spends his time!I believe this Witch-Hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden. The American people realize exactly what the Radical Left Democrats are doing here. Everyone can see it. So our movement, and our Party - united and strong - will first defeat Alvin Bragg, and then we will defeat Joe Biden, and we are going to throw every last one of these Crooked Democrats out of office so we can MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! In 2018, The Wall Street Journal reported that Michael Cohen, a former longtime attorney for Trump, paid Daniels $130,000 to keep her from talking publicly about a sexual encounter she had with Trump years earlier. Cohen subsequently confirmed that he had made the payment and expected to be reimbursed, the Post reported. Paying hush money is not a crime, though federal prosecutors have said Trump could face a misdemeanor charge for falsifying business records by marking the reimbursement to Cohen as a legal fee, The Associated Press reported. The charge could be a felony campaign finance violation if prosecutors determined Trump falsified records to conceal another crime, according to the AP and Spectrum News NY1. Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to violating campaign finance laws by submitting false invoices to the Trump Organization to get reimbursement for unlawful campaign contributions made in the form of payments to Daniels and former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal. He said in federal court that he coordinated with Trump to make the payments, which were aimed at keeping the women quiet prior to the 2016 presidential election. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Daniels claimed she had sex with Trump in 2006, more than a decade before he became president. Her attorney, Clark Brewster, said she met with prosecutors at their request earlier this month and that she agreed to make herself available as a witness, or for further inquiry if needed. Cohen in a statement obtained by ABC News said Trump is the first current or former United States president to be indicted. I take no produce in issuing this statement and wish to also remind everyone of the presumption of innocence; as provided by the due process clause. However, I do take solace in validating the adage that no one is above the law; not even a former president. Todays indictment is not the end of this chapter; but rather just the beginning, Cohen said, according to ABC News. Now that the charges have been filed, it is better for the case to let the indictment speak for itself. The two things I wish to say at this time is that accountability matters and I stand by my testimony and the evidence I have provided DANY. Trumps son, Eric Trump, released a statement on Twitter. This is third world prosecutorial misconduct. It is the opportunistic targeting of a political opponent in a campaign year, Eric Trump said. Trump Grand Jury in Fulton County: Trump is also potentially facing charges that he tried to interfere with the 2020 election in Georgia. In January, a Fulton County grand jury presented a final report to District Attorney Fani Willis after an intensive, eight-month investigation. Willis has yet to announce whether or not Trump will be indicted in that case. She issued a statement to Channel 2 Action News about the Manhattan case declining to comment. The Fulton County grand jury investigated everything from the now infamous phone call from former President Donald Trump to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, to the false allegations of voter fraud made by former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani in a state Senate subcommittee, to the meeting of false electors inside the state capitol. RELATED STORIES: Over the past year, a parade of witnesses have come to Fulton County to testify, from Rudy Giuliani to Michael Flynn to Brad Raffensperger. Only a small section of the report has been released. We find by a unanimous vote that no widespread fraud took place in the Georgia 2020 election that could result in overturning that election, the report said. According to the released parts of the report, a majority of the jurors believed perjury may have been committed by one or more witnesses and recommended Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis seek appropriate indictments. Earlier this month, Trumps Georgia attorneys filed a lengthy motion demanding both the judge and district attorney overseeing the special purpose grand jury be disqualified and that the grand report be tossed out. The motion, which is 483 pages long, said the former president doesnt think a special purpose grand jury, the district attorney, or the judge overseeing it were fair. The Chinese government's efforts to maintain economic growth and keep improving people's lives are major factors behind the high level of trust in China's government among the nation's citizens, a level that has once again surpassed those of other countries surveyed. Among Chinese citizens interviewed by Edelman, a leading global public relations consultancy, 89 percent said that they trust their government the highest percentage of all the countries surveyed. About 32,000 respondents from 28 countries participated in the online surveys in November. The China report of the 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer, an annual trust and credibility survey, was released on Wednesday. The percentage of Chinese who said they trust their government has consistently remained at the top of the list in Edelman reports in recent years. Edelman Global President and Chief Operating Officer Matthew Harrington said there is a sense of understanding and appreciation for China's government that focuses on the continued growth and prosperity of the population. The government worked hard to protect its citizens during the COVID-19 epidemic over the past three years, which also resulted in trust from the population, he said. Fan Hong, director of the National Image Communication and Research Center at Tsinghua University, said the high level of trust showed that in the face of a challenging external environment, the Chinese government has continued to take positive actions. Efforts were made by the government in solving social issues, promoting economic development, improving people's lives and creating a green environment, and this has won recognition and trust from the people, she said. The report indicated that economic optimism is flagging around the world, with 24 of 28 countries seeing all-time lows in the number of people who think their families will be better off in five years, while Chinese respondents remained optimistic about the economy. "China remains an extraordinarily important economic force in the world economy," said Harrington, adding that people around the world, as well as institutions ranging from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to economic think tanks, are optimistic about China's economic growth this year. The optimism could be seen in the recent visits to China by many foreign business people, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, who spoke at the recent China Development Forum about the importance of China to his company's future. Given the economic growth prospects, the Chinese government and the business community have the opportunity to deliver on the hope that Chinese families have for better lives in the coming years, he said. He added that China "has done a good job of helping lift up all of society, and it hasn't resulted in some of the wide gaps that exist elsewhere in the world where there are others being left behind". The results are consistent with the findings of another recent global survey. According to the Global Happiness 2023 report released recently by Ipsos, a leading global market research company, China has the highest level of happiness, at 91 percent. Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a news conference this month that "people's sense of happiness is like a mirror. It tells us the values that drive the nation and the competence of its government." Over the past 10 years, China has implemented a people-centered development philosophy. The goal is to meet the people's ever-growing need for a better life and deliver a stronger sense of fulfillment, happiness and security to the people, he said. Edelman's reports in recent years have shown a wide gap in the respective trust levels of China and the United States. The most recent report shows that about 42 percent of US respondents said that they trust their nation's government, which is 47 percentage points lower than the results for China. Harrington said the low trust in government in the US is due to the economy in the past decade and the gap between haves and have-nots, which has resulted in polarization, leading to a trust gap. Former Trump financial chief Allen Weisselberg cut ties with defense lawyers at the urging of the former presidents firm in the face of mounting concerns the attorneys were willing to entertain overtures from Manhattan prosecutors seeking the executives cooperation in their investigation of Donald Trump, two people familiar with the matter said Thursday. The move comes as a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict the former president in a long-running investigation into a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the final weeks of the 2016 presidential campaign to silence her about an alleged affair years earlier. Trump's lawyers confirmed late Thursday Trump had been charged in a sealed indictment and vowed to challenge the first prosecution of former president in U.S. history. Weisselberg is viewed as a pivotal witness in that inquiry in which former Trump attorney Michael Cohen has asserted that Trump directed Cohen and Weisselberg to arrange the payment. Trump Org. trial judge to preside over Trump arraignment: Juan Merchan, judge in Trump Organization trial, expected to preside at Trump arraignment Alvin Bragg v. Donald Trump: Inside Manhattan DA's latest legal tangle with former president Stormy Daniels, an adult film star whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, is central to the case Manhattan prosecutors are building against former President Donald Trump. The former Trump executive remains jailed after pleading guilty for his role in a tax scheme as part of a deal with Manhattan prosecutors in which Weisselberg's testimony helped secure the December fraud convictions against the Trump Organization and the Trump Payroll Corporation. Weisselberg's plea deal was arranged by his now- former legal team, led by white-collar defense attorney Nicholas Gravante, resulting in a five-month jail sentence, saving him from a possible 15-year prison term. Allen Weisselberg: Former top Trump financial lieutenant Allen Weisselberg sentenced to 5 months in jail The plea bargain, according to one source familiar with the matter, first ignited a rift between the Gravante legal team which was paid by the Trump Organization and Trump firm officials who objected to a defense decision to allow prosecutors to prepare Weisselberg for his testimony before he appeared in court. Story continues Gravante's team was replaced about three weeks ago after the attorneys and Weisselberg discussed recent overtures from Manhattan prosecutors who were weighing the possibility of bringing another criminal case against Weisselberg while also expressing interest in obtaining his cooperation in the hush money inquiry, the source said. Trump investigation key players: Alvin Bragg, Stormy Daniels, Michael Cohen: Meet the key players in Manhattan DA's Trump case The ouster of Weisselberg's legal team and the Trump Organization's role in it was first disclosed by The Daily Beast, which also reported that attorney Seth Rosenberg is now representing Weisselberg. Rosenberg declined comment Thursday. Trump Organization attorney Susan Necheles said claims that Weisselberg was "pressured...to switch attorneys are inaccurate." "Nick Gravante and Mary Mulligan did an excellent job representing Allen Weisselberg," Necheles said. Trump investigation: Is Donald Trump likely to be arrested soon? Will he be indicted? What we know "It appears that someone is trying to feed the public a false narrative because they are unhappy that Weisselberg switched lawyers. I have no idea why Weisselberg left Nick Gravante but his decision to do so was entirely his own, a decision which I understand Mr. Weisselberg made in consultation with his family. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office declined comment. Former President Donald Trump campaigns on March 25, 2023, in Waco, Texas. Anticipation of a charging decision intensified earlier this month when Trump falsely declared that New York authorities were planning to arrest him March 21. Since then, at least one additional witness has testified before the grand jury empaneled in the investigation, while Trump has railed against District Attorney Alvin Bragg and urged his supporters to stage protests against any law enforcement action. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg speaks at a press conference after the sentencing hearing of the Trump Organization at the New York Supreme Court on January 13, 2023 in New York City. The call for demonstrations echoed the former president's appeal to descend on the Capitol two years ago and prompted law enforcement officials to bolster security at key locations in New York and Washington, D.C., to guard against any potential violence. It was unclear whether any push for Weisselberg's cooperation was factored in the timing of a decision to charge the former president. In interviews with USA TODAY, and in his 2020 book, Disloyal: A Memoir: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump, Cohen said Weisselberg was a key participant in the hush money payoffs, and the only eyewitness to some of the discussions with Trump about how to silence his accuser. Cohen described how an angry Trump wanted to make sure Daniels was paid off so his wife Melania wouldnt find out, and so it wouldnt torpedo his chances of winning the 2016 election, which was just days away. Other countries have charged leaders: Charges against Trump would be a first in US. But other countries? They routinely charge leaders. "It's only $130,000," he sighed finally. "Go talk to Allen and figure it all out,'" Trump told Cohen, according to the book. Cohen went to Weisselberg's office just down the hall, and within a minute we were discussing how to pay Daniels the money in the most discreet and untraceable way possible. It was obvious that he'd been briefed on the matter, so there was no need to explain that background, Cohen wrote. Did the Boss approve payment? Weisselberg asked, according to Cohen. Yes, I just left his office," he replied. Karen Friedman Agnifilo, a former chief deputy prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorneys Office, said there are guardrails in place to try and protect people like Weisselberg from undue influence from lawyers or third parties who may try to influence what they say to investigators or a grand jury in a criminal case. Agnifilo told USA TODAY that the law and legal policy isnt clear about whether the Trump Organization could seek to influence lawyers they hired to represent Weisselberg to also be protecting the companys own interests especially if that comes at the expense of their client. Is it ethical of them? I don't know the answer to that" because corporations are bound by less stringent guidelines than lawyers, said Agnifilo, who served as the chief assistant district attorney until late 2021, just before current District Attorney Bragg took office in January 2022. But, she added, "I'm sure that that could happen." But I don't know that that would make a difference. They could want that, she said of the Trump Organization. But that doesn't mean it would happen. That's just not how lawyers work. Agnifilo said most legal retainer agreements contain language saying that even if someone else pays for a clients legal fees, that the lawyers are there to represent that client and that client only. Itll say that whoever is paying have nothing to do with this case and everything I do is in your interest only, she said. So it sounds like the lawyers were doing exactly what they should have been doing. And I think the new lawyers will do the same thing. Unless you're a corrupt or unethical lawyer, you're not going to represent the interests of the Trump Organization at the expense of the person they are paying you to represent," she said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ex-Trump Organization exec Allen Weisselberg cuts ties with attorneys Former Vice President Mike Pence became the first 2024 Iowa caucuses contender to visit deep-blue Johnson County, attending a fundraiser Wednesday with the county's Republican central committee. Pence spoke to a room of about 60 people at the annual Johnson County Republican Central Committee Ronald Reagan Dinner fundraiser just after 6:30 p.m. at the Coralville Radisson Hotel & Conference Center. Pence didn't stay for dinner or speak to reporters after his speech, but he spoke for more than 20 minutes and often invoked the 40th president as he weighs an attempt to become the nation's 47th. "You all know the job you have to do here in Iowa. The unique responsibility that you accept to choose a standard bearer for our party. The only thing I want to encourage you to do is to look no farther than Ronald Reagan," he said. Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks at the Johnson County Republicans Reagan Dinner fundraiser, Wednesday, March 29, 2023, at Radisson Hotel & Conference Center in Coralville, Iowa. Pence told the crowd the story of the first time he met Reagan when he first ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. House of Representatives from Indiana in 1988 when he was 29. He said that instead of reading from a card given to him by his staff, asking for better infrastructure for his district, he thanked the president who he said inspired him to join the Republican Party Throughout the evening, Pence encouraged the embattled members of the Johnson County GOP who struggle to find success in elections within the county of over 140,000 people. Past Republican candidates for county supervisor Phil Hemingway and Jammie Bradshaw attended the dinner alongside members of the central committee and Republican National Committee member for Iowa Tamara Scott. The county party did find some success in Johnson County in 2022, sending more than one Republican to the Iowa Legislature for the first time in over a decade in seats that represent portions of Johnson County and the entirety of its more conservative neighbors in Washington and Iowa counties. Unlike some past out-of-state Republican visitors, Pence did not mention Johnson County's reputation or its nickname as "The People's Republic of Johnson County." Story continues "I'm here in Iowa to say to each and every one of you, it is never more important for Iowa to choose the right leadership of the Republican Party to lead us out of the failed policies of the Biden-Harris administration," Pence said. Coralville was stop No. 3 for Pence on a breakfast, lunch and dinner tour of Iowa on Wednesday. Pence spoke at the Westside Conservative Club in Urbandale Wednesday morning at The Machine Shed Restaurant and at the Cedar Rapids Country Club for the Linn Eagles, a Republican fundraising group. In Urbandale, Pence said he "has nothing to hide" from a Justice Department investigation into former President Donald Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election. A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Pence must testify to a federal grand jury as part of a special counsel investigation into Trump's actions to overturn the result of the 2020 election, including the events of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Pence didn't speak about the events of Jan. 6 in Coralville, but he touted the accomplishments of the Trump administration during his four years as vice president. Former Vice President Mike Pence greets guests at the Johnson County Republicans Reagan Dinner fundraiser, Wednesday, March 29, 2023, at Radisson Hotel & Conference Center in Coralville, Iowa. Pence also spoke about his family and personal life he's gotten to enjoy more now that he isn't carrying out his duties as vice president. He said that while a lot has changed in his life since then, including becoming a grandparent, his deep conviction hasn't changed and he is still inspired by Reagan, who he said was the reason he joined the Republican Party. "The ideals at the heart of the Republican Party of a strong national defense, a limited government and an unwavering commitment to the traditional moral values is the foundation of the Republican Party today and is the pathway for American renewal," he said. More: Where and when are presidential candidates visiting Iowa? George Shillcock is the Press-Citizen's local government and development reporter covering Iowa City and Johnson County. He can be reached at (515) 350-6307, GShillcock@press-citizen.com and on Twitter @ShillcockGeorge This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Mike Pence speaks at Coralville, Iowa, GOP fundraiser A federal judge in Fort Worth has ruled that a mandate requiring health insurers to pay the full cost of preventive health care is unconstitutional. The ruling could threaten access to dozens of health services, including lung and skin cancer screenings and the HIV prevention drug known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP. U.S. District Judge Reed OConnor issued a ruling Thursday that struck down a key component of the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare. The landmark 2010 health care law required insurance companies to cover the cost of preventive care in full, with no charge to insured patients. In effect, the law required that anyone with health insurance couldnt be charged for a service considered preventive, like screenings for cervical cancer, flouride varnishes for young childrens teeth, and tests for syphilis infection in pregnant women, among other services. OConnors ruling says that some of these services dont have to be covered in full, meaning that patients could be charged co-payments by their insurance companies. OConnors ruling applies nationwide. Over time, millions of people could end up paying more for prevention if this ruling stands, said Larry Levitt, the executive vice president for health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation. KFF, a health policy think tank, has estimated that in a given year more than 100 million people will get free preventive health care through their insurance plans. A lot of these services are really widely used, said Allison Hoffman, a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Manly people are going to feel the effects of this ruling. What does this mean for preventive health care if I have health insurance? OConnors ruling focused on recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. The task force is an independent, volunteer group of national experts in primary care medicine. Under the Affordable Care Act, any preventive service given an A or B rating from the task force meant that health insurance companies had to cover the cost of that service in full, with no charge to the patient. Story continues OConnor ruled that the task force doesnt have the authority to make these recommendations, and ruled that any recommendation the task force has made since 2010 doesnt have to be covered in full by health insurance, Levitt said. If this ruling stands, it effectively locks in coverage of evidence-based prevention as of 13 years ago, Levitt said. Levitt and his colleagues have interpreted the ruling to apply only to recommendations from the task force from 2010 and later, meaning that services like mammograms and colonoscopies should still be paid for in full by insurance companies. But changes to recommendations, or new recommendations that have come out in the last 13 years, are unlikely to be covered. This includes taking statins to prevent heart disease for adults who are at risk of developing heart disease, a recommendation that was issued in August 2022. Also included in the newer recommendations are lung cancer screenings for adults with a history of heavy smoking. Although OConnors ruling is effective immediately, health plans are unlikely to change their policies until new plans begin next year. And, experts said, some health plans might still decide to cover the cost of certain services in full. Most of the services in question will still be covered by health insurers, but individuals might have to pay a co-pay or deductible. Whether or not you have to pay for a service will depend on the fine print of your insurance plan, said Alina Salganicoff, the senior vice president and the director of Womens Health Policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation. Thats whats going to determine what its going to cost for the services that are no longer included, said Hoffman said that because this years health plans are already in effect, most people with health insurance likely wont see any changes until next year, after theyve picked new plans either through their employer or the Affordable Care Act marketplace. And some insurance companies might still decide to cover the full cost of these services, because of their popularity among consumers. In a public opinion poll from March 2022, 62% of those surveyed said free preventive care was a very important piece of Obamacare, and that it needed to be kept in place. Although the ruling could have major implications, it is not the death blow to the health care law that some court watchers had expected. The plaintiffs in the case had asked OConnor to overturn all preventive care coverage, including access to contraception, vaccines, and testing for sexually transmitted infections. This ruling does not affect access to birth control or vaccines. What is the cases connection to Fort Worth? The case was brought by multiple Tarrant County residents, including Fort Worth orthodontist John Kelley, as well as Dr. Steven Hotze and his company Braidwood Management Inc. The plaintiffs were opposed to the laws preventive care mandate because it required insurance companies to cover the cost of care including birth control, testing for sexually transmitted infections, and antivirals like PrEP. The plaintiffs said they didnt want to offer health insurance as employers, or buy it as individuals, because they were morally and religiously opposed. Kelley, a member of the Christ Chapel Bible Church in Fort Worth, is a Christian, and he is therefore unwilling to purchase health insurance that subsidizes abortifacient contraception or PrEP drugs that encourage homosexual behavior and intravenous drug use, according to the lawsuit, which was filed in 2020 in U.S. District Court in Fort Worth. The original lawsuit sought to end cost-sharing for all types of preventive care, including free vaccines and birth control. OConnors ruling invalidated just those recommendations from the preventive services task force, leaving recommendations from the other two main bodies the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the Health Resources and Services Administration in effect. Hotzes company is based in the Houston area, where it sells supplements like colloidal silver, which is used in jewelry and dental fillings, as a diet supplement. (Health experts and drug regulators including the Food and Drug Administration have long said that humans should not ingest any products containing colloidal silver, as they can have dangerous side effects.) The physician was recently asked to leave a hearing at the Texas Capitol after he repeatedly referred to trans people as pedophiles. In 2018, OConnor ruled the entire Affordable Care Act unconstitutional, setting off years of litigation before the law ultimately made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2021, the nations highest court disagreed with OConnor, ruling that the health care law could remain in effect and upholding it for the third time since it was signed into law in 2010. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. A 2-year-old girl will have "long-term complications" after she suffered severe head injuries that left her hospitalized last month and which doctors initially thought she would not survive. The girl's fosters parents, 30-year-old Angel Foster-Burks and 34-year-old Clayton Burks, are facing child endangering charges. Foster-Burks was arrested on Wednesday, while Burks remains at large. Around 10:30 p.m. on Feb. 4, the girl was taken to Nationwide Children's Hospital in cardiac arrest. Homicide detectives were initially tasked with investigating the circumstances of the girl's injuries because doctors did not expect her to survive. The investigation determined that Foster-Burks and Burk were the foster parents for the 2-year-old and several other children, believed to be her siblings, at a home on the 300 block of Glenwood Avenue in Franklinton. According to court records, the 2-year-old had multiple brain bleeds, "abusive head trauma," bruising to her forehead, temples, cheeks and eyes, as well as injuries to her back and knees. "Evidence suggested Mr. Burks caused the abuse while Ms. Foster-Burks was a passive participant," court records said. Doctors have now determined the girl, who was only identified by her initials, will survive but will have severe and long-term complications from the injuries she sustained. Police said the other children have been removed from the home and are safe. Additional information about the other children was not available. In addition to child endangering, Foster-Burks is also facing animal cruelty charges related to the care of multiple animals that were found in the Glenwood Avenue home. The day after the 2-year-old was hospitalized, on Feb. 5, investigators from Columbus Humane went to the home and found three dogs who had live fleas and fecal and urine stains, as well as being significantly underweight. It appeared the dogs had not been fed for at least several weeks and potentially for several months. Story continues Three cats were removed from the home as well. Those animals also had visible health concerns. Foster-Burks is being held on a $100,000 bond in the Franklin County jail. Anyone with information on Clayton Burks' location is asked to call police at 614-645-4730 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS. bbruner@dispatch.com @bethany_bruner This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Foster parents of 2-year-old girl charged after severe head injuries found Four Russian An-124 Ruslan aircraft were recorded in Belarus "Did the Russians bring a new batch of missiles to Homiel? Four Russian Air Forces An-124 Ruslan heavy transport aircraft arrived at Homiel airport from March 25 to March 30, 2023," the message reads. Read also: Russia may send more troops to Belarus for training Belarusian Hajun The Hajun project has reported this aircraft activity before. A convoy of military equipment consisting of five truck tractors (probably KamAZ) without registration plates was spotted in the Homiel district this morning, Belarusians wrote. They could have been carrying four missiles for S-300/400 air defense systems. Accompanied by the Belarusian road police, the convoy was moving toward the Zyabrivka airfield, where Russian military personnel and S-300/400 air defense systems were located, locals said. Read also: Belarusian factories producing military equipment for Russian military, reports Belarusian Hajun The Belarusian Hajun project is a local resistance movement monitoring Russian and Belarusian military activity in Belarus. Among other information, it provides advanced warning to Ukraine about launches of aircraft that could threaten Ukraine with missile strikes. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine PHOENIX (AP) In Arizonas most populous county, elected officials are bracing for what could happen when it comes time to replace its $2 million-a-year contract for voting equipment. Officials in Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, say they have no concerns about their current vendor, Dominion Voting Systems. The problem is that the company has been ensnared in a web of conspiracy theories since the 2020 presidential race that have undermined public confidence in U.S. elections among conservative voters, led to calls to ban voting machines in some places and triggered death threats against election officials across the country. I have concerns over my own personal security if we re-enlist Dominion, Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, a Republican elected in 2020, said in a court filing. It went from a company that nobody had heard about to a company that is maybe one of the most demonized brands in the United States or the world. That sudden turnabout in fortunes for the Colorado-based voting machine company is at the heart of a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit it has filed against Fox News, with the trial scheduled to begin in mid-April. Dominion claims Fox defamed it by repeatedly airing false claims about the companys voting machines and software. Court records and testimony revealed that several Fox hosts and executives didnt believe the claims pushed by former President Donald Trump and his allies since the 2020 election but continued to air them, in part because they were worried about losing viewers. Fox has argued the network was reporting on allegations that were newsworthy as Trump and his Republican allies contested his loss to Democrat Joe Biden. The network has said Dominion has been overstating its value, could not have suffered damages in the amounts it is claiming and has played down security concerns about its machines. Fox lawyers also argue that documents produced in the case show Dominion is in a solid financial position. Story continues The case has no merit, and the outrageous damage claim only highlights its naked attempt to suppress legitimate speech protected by our Constitution," Fox said in a statement. Dominion has been presenting evidence that it says shows lost contracts and business opportunities over the past two years. It cites misinformation as the reason officials in some counties in Nevada, Pennsylvania and Tennessee have terminated their contracts with it while counties in Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey and Ohio have opted against renewing. One expert, in a report submitted by Dominion in November as part of its lawsuit, estimated the company had experienced nearly $16 million in lost profits from customers that either terminated their contracts early or decided not to renew. The same estimate projected Dominion has already suffered $72.3 million in lost opportunities, which includes potential contract extensions, additional equipment sales and service contracts with existing customers, and new business. Overall, the expert estimated the company had experienced a $920 million decline in value, which includes the estimated taxes the company would have to pay if it were awarded damages. The expert also estimated additional future lost opportunities that have yet to be detailed publicly. The evidence will show that Dominion was a valuable, rapidly growing business that was executing on its plan to expand prior to the time that Fox began spreading and endorsing baseless lies about Dominion voting machines, Stephanie Walstrom, a Dominion spokeswoman, said in a statement. The company's challenges havent ended, as conspiracies about the last presidential election have permeated much of the Republican Party. Trump allies continue to travel the country meeting with community groups and holding forums to promote election conspiracies. The conspiracies have been cited by some county officials, who say they are responding to constituent concerns, as justification for refusing to certify election results and have fed attempts to decertify or ban voting equipment. People arent acting rationally, said Lawrence Norden, an election security expert with the Brennan Center for Justice, which has advocated for more voter access and money for election offices. They are canceling contracts at great expense to their taxpayers. Not included in the Dominion experts report are more recent actions, including in Shasta County, California, where the board of supervisors terminated its contract with Dominion early. At a meeting in January, the board cited a loss in public confidence in the machines, which are used in the county to tabulate paper ballots marked by hand. In 2020, Trump won Shasta County with 65% of the vote. Dominion has to prove to me that we have a free and fair election, said Board of Supervisors Chair Patrick Henry Jones, who led the effort to end the contract. Just because were all sitting up here and elected doesnt mean we had free and fair elections every single time. The board is now pursuing a plan to count ballots by hand, a process experts consider to be less accurate and more time-consuming in all but the smallest of jurisdictions. Trump ally Mike Lindell, the MyPillow CEO, has promised to support their efforts to get rid of their voting machines. In an interview, Lindell said he was prepared to help cover the costs of any lawsuits Shasta County might face. They are within their rights of going to paper ballots and a hand count, Lindell said. They have to be courageous, or we are not going to get rid of these machines. Cathy Darling Allen, the elected Shasta County clerk and registrar of voters, has defended the voting equipment and blamed disproven conspiracy theories for undermining the countys election system and staff. She has warned the county was in danger of not being able to conduct elections. Their actions have placed the security of our elections at risk and created a dangerous precedent encouraging outsiders to undermine our elections at the county level, Darling Allen wrote in testimony to Congress this month. She estimated that hand-counting all ballots in a presidential election with 50 contests on the ballot would cost at least $1.6 million and require hiring nearly 1,300 temporary employees. The county has more than 111,000 registered voters. Election security experts were concerned that the market for voting machines already was limited before the 2020 election, dominated by three companies. One Dominion competitor, Election Systems & Software, has not reported contract cancellations but has also been forced to defend its reputation amid the voting machine conspiracies. In a recent hearing, Erin Murphy, an attorney for Fox, told the Delaware Superior Court judge presiding over the defamation case that Dominion has a real speculation problem regarding its claims for damages and said Dominions lost-profits argument appears to be based on the presumption that it would have won every contract it sought had it not been for Foxs coverage of the election fraud allegations. That ignores the fact that Dominions rivals have sometimes offered lower bids or more attractive technology, Murphy said. Fox has highlighted internal communications, including a chat in which one Dominion employee said, God our products suck, as well as a federal advisory outlining potential vulnerabilities reported in a Dominion system. Arizona's Maricopa County has been at the forefront of the conspiracy theories about Dominion. The GOP-controlled Legislature in 2021 used its subpoena power to seize the countys voting equipment and hired a firm run by Trump supporters to comb through it in search of evidence the machines were compromised. The firm found none, and Doug Logan, who oversaw the project, conceded in a private text message that surfaced in an unrelated lawsuit that the Dominion machine is actually quite precise." Nevertheless, distrust remains rampant. Dominions executive vice president of sales, Waldeep Singh, said in a court filing that the situation in Arizona has made it impossible to do business there. He blamed conspiracy theories for scuttling the companys chances of winning business in Yavapai County, a conservative rural county north of Phoenix. All I can tell you is, based on my experience and our trajectory at the time in Arizona, we were trending in a very positive direction, Singh said. Now, he said, I dont think well win anything in Arizona again. ___ Cassidy reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writers Randall Chase in Wilmington, Delaware; David Bauder and Jennifer Peltz in New York; and Nicholas Riccardi in Denver contributed to this report. A new Fox News poll released Wednesday showed former President Donald Trump widening his lead over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a hypothetical GOP primary race. Trump was the top pick for 54 percent of respondents, who were asked to choose from a list of potential 2024 Republican presidential nominees. DeSantis who has yet to declare his candidacy, though he is widely expected to came in as a distant second pick, with 24 percent of the vote. Its a slight drop in support for the Florida governor, who nabbed 28 percent to Trumps 43 percent in a Fox poll conducted late last month. The month-to-month gain for Trump comes at a time when some Republicans fear support for Trumps expected leading challenger is faltering. Trump has been ramping up attacks on the likely 2024 contender. On Wednesday, he posted three new videos on Truth Social, the social media company he helped found, criticizing the governor for both his past policy decisions and his falling poll numbers. The Fox poll was one of a handful released in recent days that show the former president widening his lead over DeSantis. In a Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday, Trump had the support of 47 percent of Republican and Republican-leaning voters, well above DeSantis 33 percent. A Morning Consult survey from earlier this month showed Trump with a 54-to-26 percent lead over DeSantis among potential GOP primary voters. Trumps growing lead in the polls comes amid a flurry of news over a potential indictment of the former president in a case related to a $130,000 hush money payment made to porn actress Stormy Daniels in 2016. Though an indictment appeared imminent earlier this month, it was reported Wednesday that the Manhattan grand jury investigating the allegations isnt expected to hear additional evidence in the case for the next month. In the Fox GOP poll, former Vice President Mike Pence drew 6 percent, followed by former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley at 3 percent each, with other Republicans trailing behind. The poll also showed President Joe Biden with an approval rating of 44 percent, same as last month. Fox polled 1,007 randomly selected registered voters from March 24 to March 27. The margin of error of the poll was plus or minus 3 percentage points, though that margin was slightly larger plus or minus 4.5 percentage points for the results of the Republican primary ballot. President Emmanuel Macron announced new water-saving measures for France on Thursday as he sought to brush aside weeks of political turmoil after he imposed a deeply unpopular pensions reform. Protesters calling for him to resign had gathered in the Alpine town of Savines-le-Lac ahead of his announcement, as he faces the biggest challenge of his second term in office. Two people were arrested before he even arrived on the shores of western Europe's largest fresh-water reservoir. "There is contestation over a reform, but it doesn't mean everything else should grind to a halt... We need to continue working," Macron told reporters to the backdrop of snow-capped mountains. After a devastating heatwave last summer and record low rainfall this winter, Macron said he wanted to reuse 10 percent of all water in France by 2030. "We have decided to launch 1,000 projects in five years to recycle and reuse water," he said. "We want to reuse 300 million cubic metres, or... 3,500 bottles of water per French person per year," he said. Last summer was Europe's hottest on record. Winter has also been particularly dry in France, with a record dry spell of 32 days without significant rainfall earlier this year. The country's groundwater levels were 80 percent lower than average on March 1. People around France are still outraged over Macron's pensions plan, which includes raising the retirement age from 62 to 64. "Manu, we have a lot to worry about if you're going to manage water like you did pensions," read one protester's poster in Savines-le-Lac on Thursday, addressing the president with an informal nickname. - 'Unacceptable violence' - Macron's government on March 16 triggered widespread anger when it invoked a controversial executive power to ram through the bill without a parliamentary vote. After two months of largely peaceful mass protests, spontaneous demonstrations erupted on a daily basis, with some angry protesters clashing with security forces. Story continues The authorities have blamed the unrest on violent "troublemakers" bent on damaging public property, but rights groups have criticised the police's disproportionate use of force in dealing with the crowds. The unrest has also trickled into protests not directly related to the pensions reform. Two men are fighting for their lives in hospital after clashes on Saturday at a rally against giant water "basins" in the southwestern village of Sainte-Soline. Campaigners there were trying to stop the construction of the pools to irrigate crops, which they say will distort access to water amid drought conditions. "There have been scenes of unacceptable violence these last few weeks," Macron said. There were peaceful protesters in Sainte-Soline, the president said, but also "you had thousands of people who simply came to wage war". France's highest constitutional authority will rule on the pensions reform on April 14. burs-ah/sjw/gw Frank Gehry says he wont retire, but he might just leave one day and not tell anybody about it." Credit - Vivek Vadoliya for TIME Frank Gehry wants to build a park in Los Angeles. Not just a normal park on empty land; thats for lightweights. Gehry wants to take chunks of the legendarily unlovely Los Angeles River, a 51-mile engineered waterway mostly lined with concrete, and suspend parks over them. It sounds like a pipe dream, or in this case more of a channel dream; its expensive, unprecedented, structurally complex, and anathema to many of the locals. But Gehry, 94, has made a career of overcoming such obstacles and, in the process, transforming cities. Skepticism was also the initial response of officials in charge of selecting the architect for the Guggenheim Museum in the northern Spanish town of Bilbao, upon seeing the extremely rough models Gehry presented in 1991, in one version of which a tower was represented by an old bottle. There was a lot of Oh my God, what? says Juan Ignacio Vidarte, the director general of the gallery, who was at the meeting where Gehry made his pitch. But after trying to understand, there was the unanimous decision that this was the right project. Gehry won the competition with a design that looks from some angles like a silverized Spanish galleon and from others like a prayer circle of titanium nuns. The finished building not only put Gehry on the map globally, and Bilbao on the map globally, but also became that very rare thing: a cultural artifact that was a classic as soon as it appeared. The officials behind the plan to revive Bilbao had hoped to get 500,000 people a year to visit. In the first three years after its 1997 opening, they got 4 million, and have had 21 million in the years since. Revisiting the museum that started it all, the 94-year-old architect reflects on his methods, his influence, and his ambitious new projects Vivek Vadoliya for TIME Partly because of that museum, and partly because of his string of pioneering edifices that followed, Gehry is now regarded as the most significant North American architect of his era, and perhaps the most celebrated living architect in the world. He has buildings on almost every continent, and shows no sign of stopping. He still heads into the officeand swimsevery day. Construction will soon begin on his tallest building ever, in his birthplace of Toronto, and has just finished on one in Santa Monica, Calif., his home since the 60s. A recent study in the Harvard Business Review claims he is the only architect whose buildings deliver the promised return on investment. And hes got plenty of fire left, talking smack about how Santa Monica builds a lot of high-level crap, leading that ambitious charge for the riverway, and hopping on a plane to Bilbao for a fiesta. Story continues I think its a lot of happenstance, Gehry says of his success. Hes not particularly interested in being an oracle; he leans into his Canadian diffidence, perhaps to disarm clients who are expecting a starchitect. Hes not invested in the complex geometry he favors becoming the prevailing style. His working theory of how to create worthwhile structures is simple: I dont think you have to spend egregious amounts of money to make buildings that are good for the community, good for our world, that are interesting, and that are humanly accessible, he says. I dont think you have to pay a lot extra. You just have to want to do it. Nevertheless, standing on the third floor of the Guggenheim during its 25thanniversary celebrations in October 2022, even Gehry seemed a little awed. When you look at your old buildings, youre very critical of every little detail, he says, looking around. And I love it, I think. I find I love it. Even more, he loves how vibrant Bilbao now is, compared with when he first visited in 1991. The streets are buzzing. Theres a whole feeling of life thats different, he says. It makes me feel good that we contributed to that. Even 30 years ago, Gehrys success seemed very unlikely. In 1991, the year he won the Guggenheim commission, he was known for his quirky home in Santa Monica, a bunch of fish sculptures he now calls kitsch, and some oddball local structures. His most promising project, a new concert hall for the Los Angeles Philharmonic paid for by the Disney family, was in the limbo Hollywood calls turnaround. Bilbao changed everything. They were making accusations that [Disney Hall] was unbuildable, says Vidarte. So we said, Well, we can prove them wrong. Every great movement starts with discontent, and Gehrys was that he couldnt figure out how to build what he could draw. I was looking for a way to express movement, he says. He found Modernism cold and postModernism reductive. Inspired by fish, he landed on curves. I got into fish because they are millions of years old, they express movement, and they have an architectural quality, he says. But fish are slippery; hed send builders detailed plans and mathematical calculations for sinuous walls and theyd follow them closely, yet the two halves wouldnt meet. While traveling, he wondered how the curves of plane fuselages were fabricated, which led him to CATIA, the software the French aerospace company Dassault used to design aircraft. Digital Project, the software that Gehrys office developed out of CATIA, now used by many of his peers, enables his team to iron out any wrinklesor in Gehrys case, add thembefore the builders break ground. His 135-person office (Gehry barely knows how to use a computer) produces sometimes hundreds of digital iterations before they arrive at the combination of shapes and forms that meet all the necessary criteria. Having crunched the input from each of the projects many consultants, Digital Project then breaks those shapes into buildable structural elements, and produces data to allow factories to fabricate those elements. When the process is complete, and it can take a while, there are no surprises during construction. Gehry loves music. He has always had artists as friends, but his circle has expanded to musicians, including Gustavo Dudamel, Herbie Hancock, and Daniel Barenboim. He especially likes the way jazz players improvise around themes. His design process could be likened to structural jazz; he messes around with form over and over, getting the building to turn this way and that, iterating until he finds the version he wants to put down. The software also enables Gehry to control costs. Once he has broken down the structural elements, he has a method for estimating how much the building will cost, based on volume, floor area, and exterior surfaces. Much has been written of the totality of Gehrys visionas one Bilbao Guggenheim employee put it, they cant change so much as a fork in the restaurant without the approval of his officebut his obsession with costs is an equal plank of his success. Thats my ego; I gotta do that, says Gehry about bringing things in on budget. It may be that he learned the hard way that if he wants people to embrace his design ideas and way of building, he has to have a spotless budgetary record. Hes still smarting over Disney Hall cost overruns. I have a letter from the county people that we delivered the building for [its budget of $207 million], he says. Several board members that tried to control it wasted $150 million. Thats all documented now, but I got blamed for it, as you can imagine. Gehrys are among a tiny proportion of projects0.5%, according to figures collected by Bent Flyvbjerg, a management professor at Oxford University and IT University of Copenhagenthat deliver on time and on budget and provide the economic benefit that they were intended to, whether it was to bring in more foot traffic, make transport more efficient, or elevate a city among tourists, investors, or developers. What Frank Gehry accomplished in Bilbao and elsewhere is astonishing, says Flyvbjerg, whose book on the economics of building projects, How Big Things Get Done, analyzed cost data on 16,000 built structures from the past 87 years, including very mundane projects. Nobody is doing what hes doing. Nobody has done these crazy things with materials. The budget for the Guggenheim was $100 million, and it cost $97 millionand thats with a titanium exterior. Vidarte puts that down partly to Basque industriousness, but also to the fact that the local builders learned to trust Gehrys methods and he learned to trust that local officials werent trying to cheap out. The Bilbao model, however, may not be replicable. Dozens of eager civic officials have come to the region since 1997 to find the secret lever that would catapult their once industrial cities into desirable cultural destinations. Pioneering buildings have been commissioned across the globe, in such underloved metropoles as Ordos, China; Dresden, Germany; Valencia, Spain; and Cincinnati, hoping to catch some of the Bilbao magic. None have had as much success. While Gehrys memory for names sometimes fails himhe has a right-hand architect, Meaghan Lloyd, who acts as his memory bankhis curiosity does not. When he was very young, Gehrys grandfather used to read to him from the Talmud. The religious part never stuck, he says, but the way of looking at the world did. The first word in the Talmud is Why? he says. That whole religion is based on curiosity. I love that about what that meant for what I was gonna do. Long in a position to be picky about his clients, Gehry now tends to choose those who both pique his curiosity and give him a high level of autonomy. He finds houses to be taxing. (I like people; I just dont like being in the middle of their personal lives.) And big commercial developers are too inflexible. (Its very hard to convince them to work the way I work.) If he gets his way, Gehry Partners will not carry on under his name once his curiosity peters out. He hopes the people who work at the firm, who include his son Sam, 44, will forge their own paths. But Gehry has no plans to retire. I suppose the clock will stop when it wants to, he says. In the meantime, hes going to surround himself with the folks he likes bestthe disciplined improvisors. I love hanging out with people that dont know what theyre doing or why, he says. And then they do it. A professional deep free diver is suing Netflix over a movie he says defames him by suggesting he killed his wife, according to court documents. Francisco Ferreras Rodriguez, better known as Pipin Ferreras, who holds 23 world records in deep free diving, according to his Instagram profile, filed suit against Netflix, French movie company Nolita Cinema and California writer-director David M. Rosenthal, over the movie No Limit. Free diving is a sport that involves a diver holding his or her breath and diving deep underwater. The French-language movie is a fictionalized film that tells the story of a woman who has a contentious relationship with a world-renowned free diver and becomes a champion in the sport herself. She dies while trying to break a world free-diving record after a scene that appears to show her partner tampering with her equipment. A beginning film credit says it was inspired by real events. Ferreras, who was married to Audrey Mestre, a French free diver who died in 2002 while trying to break a world record, accuses Netflix and the other defendants of defaming him for dramatic purposes by making the protagonists too similar to himself and his wife and falsely implying he was responsible for her death, the lawsuit says. The movie, which was released on Netflix in September, contains an In memory slide before the end credits with a photo of Mestre and a line describing her death. Netflix, Nolita Cinema and Rosenthal did not immediately respond to requests for comment from McClatchy News. Rosenthal told Variety that the film was vetted by lawyers before it went to production. This is a fictionalization of stories that were very much on the public eye from documentaries to many articles and books about this, Rosenthal told the outlet. What I wrote is fiction, with fictional charactersIm sure hes trying to make a buck here by suing Netflix. Striking similarities The film seeks to present itself as a fictional work, but there are a large number of striking similarities between the fictional story and real-life facts and people, the complaint says. Story continues Ferreras and Mestre met while Mestre was a university student and was studying Ferreras lung physiology as the subject of her thesis, according to the complaint. She later left her studies and began free diving with Ferreras. In 2000, she broke the female world record for free diving, the lawsuit says. Around 2002, Ferreras stopped free diving because he began experiencing blackouts underwater. He suggested Mestre attempt to break a new free-diving world record, and the two traveled to the Dominican Republic with a dive team, the lawsuit says. On Oct. 12, 2002, she descended to 561 feet, but the air tank on her sled, which is a piece of equipment designed to help free divers ascend quickly to the surface, did not inflate. She was brought unconscious to the surface and was later pronounced dead at a hospital, the lawsuit says. Authorities in the Dominican Republic, as well as the International Association of Free Divers, determined her death was accidental, the complaint says. In No Limit, the female protagonist, Roxana Aubrey, is a university student with physical features that are similar to Mestres, the complaint says. She meets the male protagonist, Pascal Gautier, after seeing a poster promoting his diving class. In the movie, the character Gautier begins to black out underwater and suggests that Aubrey try to set records instead of him, the complaint says. When she tries to set a new record in the Caribbean, a scene shows Gautier hovering over her equipment after final safety checks were completed, according to the complaint. During Aubreys dive, she tries to come back to the surface but her equipments air tank does not inflate, and she dies. The film contains a message saying any resemblance with reality is coincidental, but the complaint contends that the filmmakers intentionally made their movie resemble Ferreras and Mestres lives. The film is a thinly veiled account of the events surrounding the death by drowning of Ferreras wife, the complaint says. Filmmakers made a deliberate decision for dramatic purposes to defame Ferreras, the complaint says. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of defamation and false light invasion of privacy, which is the act of portraying someone in an unflattering and false manner. Storm of online abuse After the movies release, viewers directed a storm of online abuse at Ferreras, according to the complaint. People have called him a monster and a killer and said things such as, You should be in ... prison, murderer, the complaint says. This has caused him personal humiliation, distress, and anguish, as well as damages to his earnings and/or potential earnings, the complaint says. Ferreras has had his reputation tarnished on top of living with the grief of losing his wife in such tragic circumstances, the complaint says. The lawsuit is seeking damages in excess of $75,000. Honeymooning couple abandoned at sea by snorkel tour boat, Hawaii lawsuit says Woman accused of helping steal Lady Gagas dogs is suing for the reward to return them Hospital released violent patient, then he attacked woman with rock, OR lawsuit says Contemporary art exhibition kicks off in Beijing Xinhua) 09:10, March 30, 2023 Tourists visit the contemporary art exhibition "WAVELENGTH: A Momentary Spring" at Beijing Times Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, March 29, 2023. The event kicked off here on Wednesday, displaying contemporary art installations from 16 international artists. It will last until July 1. (Xinhua/Ren Chao) A tourist visits the contemporary art exhibition "WAVELENGTH: A Momentary Spring" at Beijing Times Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, March 29, 2023. The event kicked off here on Wednesday, displaying contemporary art installations from 16 international artists. It will last until July 1. (Xinhua/Ren Chao) A child visits the contemporary art exhibition "WAVELENGTH: A Momentary Spring" at Beijing Times Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, March 29, 2023. The event kicked off here on Wednesday, displaying contemporary art installations from 16 international artists. It will last until July 1. (Xinhua/Ren Chao) A tourist visits the contemporary art exhibition "WAVELENGTH: A Momentary Spring" at Beijing Times Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, March 29, 2023. The event kicked off here on Wednesday, displaying contemporary art installations from 16 international artists. It will last until July 1. (Xinhua/Ren Chao) Tourists visit the contemporary art exhibition "WAVELENGTH: A Momentary Spring" at Beijing Times Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, March 29, 2023. The event kicked off here on Wednesday, displaying contemporary art installations from 16 international artists. It will last until July 1. (Xinhua/Ren Chao) Tourists visit the contemporary art exhibition "WAVELENGTH: A Momentary Spring" at Beijing Times Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, March 29, 2023. The event kicked off here on Wednesday, displaying contemporary art installations from 16 international artists. It will last until July 1. (Xinhua/Ren Chao) Tourists visit the contemporary art exhibition "WAVELENGTH: A Momentary Spring" at Beijing Times Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, March 29, 2023. The event kicked off here on Wednesday, displaying contemporary art installations from 16 international artists. It will last until July 1. (Xinhua/Ren Chao) Tourists visit the contemporary art exhibition "WAVELENGTH: A Momentary Spring" at Beijing Times Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, March 29, 2023. The event kicked off here on Wednesday, displaying contemporary art installations from 16 international artists. It will last until July 1. (Xinhua/Ren Chao) Tourists visit the contemporary art exhibition "WAVELENGTH: A Momentary Spring" at Beijing Times Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, March 29, 2023. The event kicked off here on Wednesday, displaying contemporary art installations from 16 international artists. It will last until July 1. (Xinhua/Ren Chao) A tourist visits the contemporary art exhibition "WAVELENGTH: A Momentary Spring" at Beijing Times Art Museum in Beijing, capital of China, March 29, 2023. The event kicked off here on Wednesday, displaying contemporary art installations from 16 international artists. It will last until July 1. (Xinhua/Ren Chao) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Hospitals in some Chinese cities are being required to report pregnancies involving girls under the age of 14 to law enforcement. The People's Procuratorate of Huai'an, East China's Jiangsu province, launched the reporting system recently together with the local health commission. When a girl under the age of 14 is found to be pregnant, a red alert will automatically remind the attending doctor to report it to local police or prosecutors in the city. The compulsory reporting system can help avoid problems such as doctors not knowing how to report, or feeling afraid to report, according to the procuratorate in Huai'an. Han Xuejiao, deputy director of the seventh procuratorial department of Huai'an People's Procuratorate, said that the reporting system contains two separate subsystems, with one urging doctors to report and the other allowing every resident to report such cases. The first subsystem has a three-color alarm system. When teenagers from 16 to 18 years old are found to be pregnant when receiving treatment, the system will give an alarm in yellow on the attending doctors' screens. An orange alarm will be given when the girls are between 14 to 16 and a red alarm will be given when girls under 14 are diagnosed to be pregnant. "It is against the law to have sex with a girl under the age of 14 and those violating the law will be convicted of rape," said Han. "For girls from 14 to 16 years old who are pregnant, we must make sure that the sex happened after they reached 14 years old. And for girls aged 16 to 18, we must confirm that they were not forced when they had sex." Some people, especially legal professionals, expressed concerns that the reporting system might violate the privacy protection of children. Some also argue that some parents, though not many, might be unwilling to report the abuse to avoid possible discrimination against their children who may have already suffered. "We have considered the privacy protection of children and their parents' concerns," Han said. "The reporting system is operated by the hospitals, the police and the procuratorate, which all have obligations to protect the privacy of the victims. Hospital workers who have access to the reporting system will sign a confidentiality agreement to make sure that they will not violate the victims' privacy." The other reporting subsystem, installed on the city's frequently used government mobile app, allows anyone who registers to report information about abuse against teenagers. Those who often have close contact with children during work are especially encouraged to report any abuse they have noticed. In May 2020, the Supreme People's Procuratorate and nine other departments jointly issued an opinion in favor of establishing mandatory reporting of such abuse. "The reporting system echoes with the opinion and enables the doctors to have proper channels to fulfill their reporting obligations," said Han. The cities of Yixing and Lianyungang in Jiangsu have also installed the reporting system in their hospital medical records systems. By Jennifer Hansler and Jack Forrest, CNN (CNN) -- Paul Rusesabagina, who inspired the Hollywood film "Hotel Rwanda" and was freed from prison in Kigali last week, returned to the United States on Wednesday, arriving at the US Army's Brooke Army Medical Center at Joint Base San Antonio, according to a State Department official. "The U.S. government is focused on ensuring that Mr. Rusesabagina and his family's well-being are prioritized, and that all assistance available is offered in an appropriate and timely manner," the official said. The official declined to provide additional details, citing "privacy reasons and out of respect to the family." Carine Kanimba, Rusesabagina's daughter, confirmed her father's return in a post on Twitter. "PAUL RUSESABAGINA IS FREE," she wrote, along with a smiling photo of her father. "Dad has just arrived in San Antonio, Texas." "Thank you to EVERYONE who worked soooo hard to bring him home," she continued. "Our Family is finally reunited today." Rusesabagina is best known for saving hundreds of Rwandans during the country's 1994 genocide by sheltering them in the hotel he managed. A US congressional aide familiar with Rusesabagina's case said he is expected to participate in the Department of Defense program known as PISA (Post-Isolation Support Activities). Many recently freed US wrongful detainees have participated in the program -- the length of which varies but has a 19-day maximum -- to help them acclimate back to normal life. Rusesabagina, a US legal resident who had been designated by the US State Department as wrongfully detained, was released from prison in Rwanda last week after his sentence was commuted by President Paul Kagame. The commutation came after he asked Kagame for a pardon in an October 2022 letter. "If I am granted a pardon and released, I understand fully that I will spend the remainder of my days in the United States in quiet reflection," he wrote in part. "I can assure you through this letter that I hold no personal or political ambitions otherwise. I will leave questions regarding Rwandan politics behind me." Story continues Rusesabagina, who is a dual Rwandan and Belgian citizen, was slated to be released along with 19 other people that had been convicted alongside him, CNN previously reported. He had been arrested by Rwandan authorities while he was traveling internationally in 2020 in what his family has claimed was a kidnapping. Rusesabagina was found guilty on terrorism-related charges in September 2021 and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. At his trial, Rusesabagina was said to be part of a terror group called MRCD-FLN and two 2018 attacks in which nine people died were a particular focus, according to a previous government statement. The Clooney Foundation for Justice, however, had described the verdict as a "show trial," and claimed that Rusesabagina's conviction lacked sufficient guarantees of fairness "required by international and African standards." A senior US official previously told CNN that "there was no particular concession made by us as a government here" that led to Rusesabagina's release. Rather, there was "a sequence of steps that were worked out involving the Rwandan government, US government and of course Paul himself," the official said, adding that "it took months to reach that sequence in a manner agreeable to all those involved." The-CNN-Wire & 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. Kostyantyn Zhevago, owner of Ferrexpo The request for the extradition of Zhevago was filed by the Office of the Prosecutor General and the State Bureau of Investigations (or DBR) as part of a criminal investigation into alleged misappropriation of funds from Finance and Credit Bank. Read also: Poltava Mining's accounts blocked, depriving thousands of wages, says Ferrexpo Zhevago called the actions of law enforcement officials persecution and believes that it contains a political motive and obvious signs of a PR campaign by state law enforcement agencies. This fair decision by the French court confirms the absence of sufficient grounds for extradition and proves the unfoundedness of the allegations made, said Zhevago. I hope that the State Bureau of Investigations and the Prosecutor Generals Office will finally listen to my arguments and adhere to the law in further consideration of this case. Last December, Kostyantyn Zhevago was detained in Courchevel, a ski resort located in the French Alps. The next day, he was placed under extradition detention by a French court. Read also: Exiled oligarch Zhevagos Ferrexpo comments on ruling to seize assets The State Bureau of Investigations accuses Zhevago and a number of top managers of Finance and Credit Bank of organizing a scheme for the embezzlement of $113 million, causing damage to the interests of the state and banks depositors. According to the DBR, property of the suspect and related legal entities, including shares of his companies worth hundreds of millions of hryvnias, 26 real estate objects, 14 property complexes, 21 parts of property complexes, 30 non-residential premises, and 10 apartments have been seized to date. Recently, the DBR seized Zhevagos helicopter. The Pechersk District Court in Kyiv issued a decision to detain Zhevago at the end of 2019, and an international warrant for his arrest was issued in the summer of 2021, although his lawyers denied this fact. Meanwhile, Zhevago himself denies all accusations, claims a political subtext to the case, and calls on Ukrainian law enforcement to take his testimony in France. Story continues The businessman stated that any decision of the French court on his extradition would be appealed against. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine A French court on Wednesday handed a four-year jail term to an arsonist for starting a fire that severely damaged a Gothic cathedral in the city of Nantes in 2020. Emmanuel Abayisenga, a 42-year-old Rwandan, is also facing legal action for a separate incident in which he allegedly killed a priest in western France in 2021. The court ruled that Abayisenga was not mentally sound at the time of the fire at the Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul when it handed down the sentence. The court also banned Abayisenga from bearing weapons and staying in the western Loire-Atlantique region, where Nantes is located, for five years. His lawyer, Meriem Abkoui, said her client's answers in court occasionally "lacked coherence" and that his criminal responsibility was questionable. She added that she was waiting for the results of psychiatric tests in the other legal proceedings against him, saying his trial for the priest murder could take place late next year. Abayisenga, who arrived in France in 2012 and had been a volunteer for the local diocese, had admitted causing the blaze at the start of the hearing. He said he had entered the cathedral to pray but then "lost control" after passing by a location in the building where he suffered a violent attack in 2018. Speaking through an interpreter, he said he regretted what happened and asked for forgiveness. Abayisenga has a history of unsuccessful asylum claims and received an order to leave France in 2019, which was said to have deeply troubled him. The court acknowledged the defendant's health issues, including hearing difficulties, incontinence, lung problems and eating disorders. Prosecutor Veronique Wester-Ouisse said the defendant set fire to the cathedral knowingly due to "huge anger and a feeling of revenge linked to his administrative situation". Firefighters were able to contain the blaze quickly and save the main structure, but its famed 17th-century organ, which had survived the French revolution and bombardment during World War II, was destroyed. Story continues Also lost were priceless artefacts, paintings and stained-glass windows that contained remnants of 16th-century glass. The cathedral's owners estimated the damage at more than 40 million euros ($43 million). The blaze in Nantes came 15 months after the devastating fire at the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, which raised questions about the security risks for other historic churches across France. cor-ban/dch/imm/mca VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) France's top diplomat said Thursday that she hoped the NATO applications of Sweden and Finland would be ratified quickly as the Turkish parliament was expected to vote soon on whether Finland should join the 30-member alliance. French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna referred to an upcoming NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital in July when she said that we hope this summit will be a success and that there will be 32 countries at the Vilnius summit. The applications of Sweden and Finland should be ratified quickly, she told a news conference. Both Sweden and neighboring Finland applied to join NATO in May 2022, abandoning decades of nonalignment in the wake of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine. NATO requires the unanimous approval of its members to take in new countries. On Monday, Hungarian lawmakers ratified Finlands request to join NATO. However, the approval of Swedens bid has stalled because of opposition from Turkey and Hungary. The Turkish government has accused Sweden of being too soft on groups that it deems to be terror organizations. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Ankara needs further assurances before it will give its final approval. Members of Hungarys governing party said they would wait for the government in Stockholm to clear up lingering disagreements before scheduling a vote in parliament. The government in Budapest alleges that some Swedish politicians have made derisive statements about the condition of Hungarys democracy and played an active role in ensuring that billions in European Union funds were frozen over alleged rule-of-law and democracy violations. In Vilnius, Colonna said that Russia should reconsider a recently announced plan to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, which has close military ties with Russia and was a staging ground for Moscow's invasion of neighboring Ukraine last year. France condemns Russias plans as they are related to the destabilization of Europe. We want this decision to be reconsidered, and it would be very good if (Russian President) Vladimir Putin revoked that decision, Colonna told reporters. Story continues The move by Russia to station tactical atomic weapons in Belarus came in response to the Wests increasing military support for Ukraine. Putin announced the plan in a television interview that aired Saturday, saying it was triggered by a U.K. decision this past week to provide Ukraine with armor-piercing rounds containing depleted uranium. Colonna was in Vilnius to meet with Lithuanian counterpart Gabrielius Landsbergis to discuss the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius on July 11-12. She also was scheduled to meet with Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte and visit French troops currently deployed in the Baltic country as part of the NATO air policing mission. ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine Russians have enhanced pressure on Crimean residents, with FSB officers conducting so-called filtration procedures in the occupied city of Krasnoperekopsk. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 06:00, 30 March 2023 Quote: "Russian invaders are continuing to apply pressure on Ukrainian citizens and violate human rights in some settlements of the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. In particular, FSB officers are conducting active counterintelligence activities with humiliating filtration procedures, strip-searches, interrogations with beatings of civilians, etc. in Krasnoperekopsk." Background: In early March, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that FSB employees had arrived in some settlements in the occupied part of Kherson Oblast, enhancing filtration measures in Ukraine's south. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! By Luc Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters) -Sam Bankman-Fried, the disgraced founder of the now-bankrupt FTX cryptocurrency exchange, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to new U.S. charges of conspiring to violate campaign finance laws and bribe Chinese authorities. The 31-year-old Bankman-Fried entered his plea to a new, 13-count indictment through his lawyer, Mark Cohen, at a hearing before U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan federal court. Bankman-Fried previously pleaded not guilty to eight counts of fraud and conspiracy for allegedly stealing billions in FTX customer funds to plug losses at his hedge fund, Alameda Research. The former billionaire could spend decades in prison if convicted at a trial set to start on Oct. 2. Bankman-Fried was arrested in December and extradited from the Bahamas, where FTX was based. The exchange collapsed in November after a flurry of customer withdrawals spurred by concerns about commingling of funds between FTX and Alameda. In an unusual post-arrest blog post, Bankman-Fried admitted that FTX had inadequate risk management but said he did not steal funds. Cohen said he planned to challenge by a May 8 deadline the campaign finance and China-related charges because they were brought after Bankman-Fried's extradition. Under an extradition treaty between the United States and the Bahamas, Bankman-Fried may only be tried and punished for charges he faced at the time of his extradition, unless the Bahamas government consents to the new charges. Representatives of the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan and the Bahamas Ministry of Foreign Affairs had no immediate comment. Bankman-Fried's original indictment contained few details about his alleged scheme. A 12-count indictment filed in late February elaborated on the fraud charges, and accused Bankman-Fried of illegally contributing tens of millions of dollars to U.S. political campaigns through straw donors, to buy influence in Washington. On Tuesday, yet another indictment accused Bankman-Fried of orchestrating a $40 million bribe to Chinese authorities to regain access to $1 billion of cryptocurrency in frozen Alameda accounts. Story continues Three former members of Bankman-Fried's inner circle - former Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison, former FTX technology chief Zixao "Gary" Wang, and former FTX engineering director Nishad Singh - have all pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. Apart from his court appearances, Bankman-Fried is confined to his parents' Palo Alto, California, home as a condition of his $250 million bail package. Kaplan on Tuesday approved bail modifications designed to prevent Bankman-Fried from tampering with witnesses. (Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Additional reporting by Jasper Ward in Washington; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Daniel Wallis) Prakazrel Pras Michel, center, a member of the 1990s hip-hop group the Fugees, accompanied by defense lawyer David Kenner, right, arrives at federal court for his trial in an alleged campaign finance conspiracy, Thursday, March 30, 2023. AP Photo/Andrew Harnik The conspiracy and fraud trial of American rapper Pras Michel kicked off on Thursday. Prosecutors alleged that Michel was involved in an international scheme to influence the US government. Michel is accused of working with Malaysian businessman and fugitive Jho Low. An award-winning American rapper and producer allegedly involved in an international fraud scheme to influence the US government was "willing to break any laws necessary to get paid," a federal prosecutor said during opening arguments on Thursday, according to several news reports. Pras Michel, a 50-year-old musician best known as a member of the 1990s hip-hop group Fugees, is on trial for several criminal charges, including conspiring to make and conceal foreign campaign contributions and witness tampering. Michel stands accused of funneling millions of dollars in payments from Malaysian businessman and fugitive Jho Low and covering up the source of that foreign money by using straw donors to contribute to President Barack Obama's 2012 reelection. Federal law prohibits foreign nationals from contributing to US elections. Prosecutors also allege that Michel and Low, who has been accused of stealing more than $4 billion from his country's sovereign wealth fund, conspired to lobby President Donald Trump's administration in 2017 to drop an investigation into Low's finances and remove a Chinese dissident, Guo Wengui, from the US. Guo was arrested earlier this month on fraud and money-laundering charges. In Washington, DC's federal district court, prosecutor Nicole Lockhart told jurors on Thursday that Michel's case is "filled with political intrigue, backroom dealingburner phones and lies," NBC News reported. "Low had money to burn and the defendant was willing to cash in at any turn," Lockhart said. Michel has pleaded not guilty. His lawyer, defense attorney David Kenner reserved his opening statement until after prosecutors rest their case, NBC reported. Kenner's previous clients include celebrities like Snoop Dogg and Suge Knight. Story continues The trial, which is expected to last at least a month, could feature high-profile witnesses including Trump's former White House chief of staff John Kelly and former national security advisor H.R. McMaster, casino mogul Steve Wynn, and actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who starred in the 2013 film "The Wolf Of Wall Street" that Low helped fund. If convicted, Michel could face up to 20 years in prison. Read the original article on Business Insider A firebrand fugitive Sikh separatist has posted a video taunting Indian authorities after a fruitless almost two-week manhunt involving thousands of police and internet shutdowns. Amritpal Singh has risen to fame in recent months demanding the creation of Khalistan, a separate Sikh homeland, the struggle for which sparked deadly violence in the 1980s and 1990s. Punjab police have been hunting Singh since March 18, cutting off mobile internet in the Sikh-majority northern state of 30 million people for days, arresting more than 100 of his followers and banning gatherings of more than four people in places. After reported sightings in Delhi, in the video posted on social media on Wednesday, Singh called the police operation an "attack on the Sikh community". "I was neither afraid of arrest earlier, nor am I now. I am in high spirits. Nobody could harm me. It is the grace of God," he said. There has been no independent verification of the video but there were few doubts that it is genuine. The manhunt has sparked protests by Sikhs outside Indian consulates in Britain, Canada and the United States, with demonstrators smashing windows in San Francisco and reportedly vandalising a Gandhi statue in Ontario. India has summoned top US, British and Canadian diplomats in New Delhi to complain and press for improved security at Indian missions in their countries. Singh's video was posted on Twitter accounts based in Britain and Canada, which the social media company took down in India following government requests, reports said. Twitter has also blocked for Indian users the accounts of several prominent Sikh Canadians who criticised the crackdown, including MP Jagmeet Singh, as well as several journalists, according to the reports. Punjab -- which is about 58 percent Sikh and 39 percent Hindu -- was rocked by a violent separatist movement for Khalistan in the 1980s and early 1990s in which thousands of people died. India has often complained to foreign governments about the activities of Sikh hardliners among the Indian diaspora who, it says, are trying to revive the insurgency with a massive financial push. ja-stu/qan A Woodstock man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison after a woman he lived with found him in bedroom with one of her children. John Bennett, 38, pled guilty to multiple charges of sexual abused of two children who shared his home as well as a third child who visited the residence. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The childrens mother reported Bennett on March 26, 2022. When Bennett learned that someone had called police, he left his home in Woodstock and went to Mississippi, where he was captured the next day. After his arrest, he tried to commit suicide, which left him paralyzed from the waist down. The children, who were between the ages of 11 and 13, described multiple acts of aggravated child molestation, rape and child molestation to investigators. TRENDING STORIES: One victim said Bennett would bribe the children, offering money or gifts in exchange for sex acts. This defendant weaseled into the lives of innocent children, then violated them in unspeakable ways, manipulating and betraying them, Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Rachel Hines said. Then, when he was caught in the act, he ran away, like a coward, afraid to accept responsibility for his actions. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] At the plea hearing, Bennett admitted to all of the charges he faced, including aggravated child molestation, statutory rape, child molestation (5 counts), criminal attempt to commit aggravated child molestation, and failure to register as a sex offender. Franklin County Judge Kimberly Cocroft said the victim impact statement by family of slain Christopher Santiago was 'one of the most moving' she has even seen since joining the bench in 2009. Christopher Santiago's family says they have forgiven Shaulette Drain for her role in Santiago's 2020 killing, and they requested she get probation in what two people experienced in Franklin County Common Pleas Court say was an amazingly empathetic victim's impact statement. It was one of the most moving victim impact statements Ive ever heard, said Common Pleas Court Judge Kimberly Cocroft, who first joined the bench in 2009 and who presided over the hearing Wednesday. At her sentencing hearing Wednesday, Santiagos father acknowledged that Drain, 42, of Gahanna, easily could have died from the gunshot wounds she also sustained the night his son was killed. Santiago's father encouraged Drain to work toward turning her life around, Cocroft said. In accordance with the wishes of the slain victim's family, Cocroft sentenced Drain to four years of community control and ordered her to be placed in a treatment program to help her address her problems with substance abuse. "In my 30 years of doing this, I have never seen a victims family so compassionate, understanding and empathetic with their statement and their view of what happened, said Mark Collins, Drains defense attorney. This hopefully will allow her the chance to earn the forgiveness that they gave her by beating her addiction. Christopher Santiago Drain has already spent more than 400 days in jail, and she will remain there until she can be placed into an inpatient treatment program. Mental health and court: Franklin County's mental health court helps felons RISE up while holding them accountable Drain pleaded guilty in September to involuntary manslaughter. In return, Franklin County prosecutors dropped murder charges. Prospect of a drug deal led to shooting On Jan. 15, 2020, Drain was found with Santiago inside Santiagos vehicle, which had crashed into a pole in the 1400 block of Loretta Avenue in North Linden. Santiago was pronounced dead at the scene from gunshot wounds. Drain had been shot seven times and was taken in critical condition to OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital. Story continues Daniel Ratliff, 27, admitted to the shooting on Tuesday when he accepted a deal with Franklin County prosecutors and pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and felonious assault to avoid a murder charge. Collins said Drain and Santiago were attempting to buy drugs from Ratliff. Drain had heard the two men had beef, Collins said, but her judgment was clouded by her focus on obtaining drugs. The shooter used her to get the guy there, Collins said. Past reporting: Second person arrested in connection with January homicide According to court records, Drain had Santiago go to the area of Aberdeen and Cleveland avenues, where Ratliff began chasing them in an SUV. Ratliff shot at Santiago's vehicle multiple times, causing Santiago to crash into a pole, according to records. Ratliff got out of the SUV and shot Santiago and Drain multiple times, authorities said. Judge Cocroft will sentence Ratliff on April 27. Ratliff faces up to 27 years in prison. Ratliffs defense attorney, Owen Kalis, did not return a request for comment on Thursday. jlaird@dispatch.com @LairdWrites This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Judge sentences Gahanna woman to probation for involuntary manslaughter Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, visits the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, on Wednesday. [Photo/Xinhua] Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, on Wednesday visited the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders, and expressed deep condolence for the compatriots who lost their lives in the massacre. The history shall never be forgotten, Ma said during a visit to Nanjing, the capital of east China's Jiangsu Province. The Nanjing Massacre took place when Japanese troops captured the then-Chinese capital on Dec. 13, 1937. Over six weeks, they killed approximately 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers in one of the most barbaric episodes of World War II. After paying silent tribute to the victims, the former Taiwan leader and a delegation led by him visited the exhibition in the memorial hall. As Chinese, no matter from which side of the Taiwan Strait, we should be independent and self-reliant, and should fight back with courage when bullied and humiliated by foreign powers, Ma said in an interview. The Memorial Hall was inaugurated in 1985. Its collection comprises nearly 4,000 photographs, almost 10,000 artifacts, and over 260 pieces of footage, all of which present indisputable facts about the massacre. Ma arrived in Shanghai on Monday. His mainland trip itinerary includes Nanjing, Wuhan, Changsha, Chongqing and Shanghai. By YP Rajesh and Rupam Jain NEW DELHI (Reuters) - For the first time in years, India's splintered opposition is sinking its differences to take on strongman Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which could extend to a substantial challenge in national elections due in 2024. That is if the disparate groups can stay united, which is far from certain. Since Modi came to power in 2014, he has dominated Indian politics, and trounced the opposition in two successive general elections. But his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) party does not get a majority of the vote and could be in trouble if it comes up against a united opposition. The opposition has come together after this month's conviction of opposition leader Rahul Gandhi of the Congress party on a charge of defamation and his disqualification from parliament. Opposition politicians say Gandhi's shock disqualification, and possible jail time, is the latest evidence of the Modi government's strongarm tactics and follows investigations and legal troubles faced in recent months by other opposition parties. A day after Gandhi's conviction, 14 political parties jointly petitioned the Supreme Court, saying opposition groups were being selectively targeted by federal investigative agencies. The court has agreed to hear the plea on April 5. "We are realizing that this atmosphere is very, very dangerous and we have to come out of this evil atmosphere," K.C. Venugopal, Congress MP and a close aide of Gandhi, told Reuters. "It is too early to announce any coalition...but we are trying to get together and now we are very comfortable with each other." On Wednesday, Mamata Banerjee, chief minister of the eastern state of West Bengal and the head of Trinamool Congress party the fourth largest in parliament called for a unified opposition to challenge Modi's right-wing BJP in the 2024 elections. Banerjee had previously said her party would contest alone. "The Modi government's fascist steps have given a new chance for opposition parties to be united," Trinamool MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, told Reuters. Story continues There was no immediate response from the prime minister's office but Modi has himself responded to some of the charges. "When the agencies take action against those who are involved in corruption, the agencies are attacked. When the court gives a decision, the court is questioned. Some parties have together launched a campaign to save the corrupt," he said this week. The opposition parties say they will also protest jointly in and outside parliament, court arrest and draft plans to counter the BJP across the country in coming weeks. MAJORITY OF VOTES The 14 main opposition parties accounted for 39% of the national vote at the last election in 2019 and won 160 seats in the 542-member parliament. BJP alone got 38% of votes but won 303 seats in the first-past-the-post system. But there are signs that forging a lasting unity will be difficult. A senior leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which rules the national capital territory of Delhi and the northern state of Punjab, said Congress was not in a position to be the main opposition "helmsman". It will have to cede space and support other groups in an alliance, said the leader, who requested anonymity since he was not authorised to speak to the media on a politically sensitive issue. The Samajwadi party, the main opposition in India's largest state, Uttar Pradesh, has expressed similar opinions. The party's alliance with Congress in 2019 did not fare well. Other opposition leaders who spoke to Reuters said their unity would depend heavily on Congress being willing to accommodate regional political parties and take a back seat in states where it no longer enjoys popular support. The solitary success for a united opposition was in the 1977 general election, when the then ruling Congress was ousted by a coalition of parties across the political spectrum. Still, the coming together of key parties such as Trinamool, Samajwadi, AAP, and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi in the southern state of Telangana, is a political turnaround as these parties have long opposed Congress on a range of issues. Modi, however, remains hugely popular with high approval ratings after nine years in power and has been expected to easily win a third term in the face of a so-far divided opposition. "Anti Modi-ism or anti BJP-ism cannot be the glue that brings together disparate opposition parties with different aspirations and ambitions and positions," said Nalin Kohli, the BJP's national spokesperson. "There have been different times when they have sought to portray a united front in parliament but...that has never lasted beyond a short period or a maximum of a few weeks." (Reporting by YP Rajesh and Rupam Jain in NEW DELHI, additional reporting by Subrata Nagchoudhury in KOLKATA and Saurabh Sharma in LUCKNOW; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) Donald Trump was indicted by a New York grand jury on Thursday for charges relating to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election, a source told The Independent. The indictment, which has not been revealed publicly, marks the first time a current or former US president has been hit with criminal charges. Audible gasps let out in Fox News' studio as they announce the Trump indictment news pic.twitter.com/FFyx2mvPUp Brennan Murphy (@brenonade) March 30, 2023 The news was met with apparent shock at Fox News, where a crew member appeared to be caught on a hot microphone gasping and saying, What? as the indictment was announced on air. The network played a prominent role in the rise of Mr Trump, and continued to air many of his false 2020 election claims, though emails in a defamation suit against Fox suggest top newsroom leaders knew these claims were false. In a statement to The New York Times, the former president called the indictment Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history. In recent days, Mr Trump, who previously publicly announced he thought he would soon be arrested, began telling members of the press that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg had dropped what he called the fake case. Many shared with Fox News the apparent surprise that the former president was charged. Its really on, former US attorney Preet Bharara wrote on Twitter on Thursday. Others celebrated the indictment. Congressman Jamaal Bowman, who represents a district near Manhattan, said in a statement that the reported New York indictment is only the beginning of Donald Trump being held accountable for his crimes. Trump attempt to illegally overturn election results in Georgia and worked to incite the insurrection at the Capitol, both in an effort to overthrow our government to advance his fascist cause, Mr Bowman, a Democrat, continued. His continued calls for protests following his arrest are just another dog whistle to his folloers: destroy our democracy. Story continues On the Republican side, Trump ally Jim Jordan of Ohio called the indictment outrageous. Texas congressman Ronny Jackson, the former presidents White House physician, said the charges would inspire revenge. This is a dark day in American history, he wrote on Twitter. President Trumps only crime was MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! These cowardly Democrats HATE Trump and HATE his voters even more. When Trump wins, THESE PEOPLE WILL PAY!! Donald Trump, Jr, wrote on Truth Social that the indictment marked a weaponisation of our [government] against their political enemies. Michael Cohen, the former presidents former attorney and fixer, who facilitated the hush money payments to Ms Daniels and another woman, both of whom claimed affairs with Mr Trump, wrote in a statement on Thursday he takes solace in validating the adage that no one is above the law; not even a former President.Todays indictment is not the end of this chapter; but rather, just the beginning, he added. A college student in Georgia is warning other "Swifties" to beware of scammers and identity theft before buying last-minute tickets to Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour. Kennesaw State University student Rachel Anderson said she jumped at the chance to get tickets for a sold-out show after someone who claimed to be in her criminal justice class messaged her through a group chat saying he had an extra ticket. Taylor Swift performs onstage at the opening night of The Eras Tour at State Farm Stadium in Swift City, Arizona, on March 17, 2023. "The Eras Tour is a once in a lifetime," Anderson told FOX 5. Her purported classmate requested Anderson's personal information, including her school ID and the pin, along with hundreds of dollars for the ticket. Hours later, after not receiving the promised tickets, Anderson began getting threatening texts from seemingly random people. FLORIDA PLASTIC SURGEON MAY HAVE MURDERED MISSING LAWYER IN LAW FIRM BATHROOM: POLICE READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "They said things like, 'I gave you 500 bucks. Where are my Taylor Swift tickets?" Anderson said. Ticketmaster ticket for Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour. Another said, "If I don't get my money back, I am filing a police report, a lawsuit and submitting a complaint to the university." The college student could not "shake off" the threatening messages, so she contacted local police. The Kennesaw Police Department quickly realized that Anderson's identity had been stolen by her fake criminal justice classmate. The suspect had allegedly used her personal information to hack into her email and advertise for available Swift tickets. Taylor Swift performs "Enchanted" onstage at the opening night of The Eras Tour at State Farm Stadium in Swift City, Arizona, on March 17, 2023. Eager Swifties jumped at the opportunity to participate in the record-breaking stadium tour and shelled out hundreds of dollars for tickets, only to receive nothing in return. FORMER VERMONT POLICE OFFICER ACQUITTED OF ASSAULT CHARGE FROM 2019 STUN GUN INCIDENT "He ended up taking over her email and sending out an ad with that contact information for Taylor Swift tickets. Scammed a few people for Taylor Swift tickets when none of them ever existed," Kennesaw Police Officer David Buchanan told FOX 5. Police said similar scams are growing in popularity across the country. Story continues Officials at Georgia Tech University said they have a case that is similar to the case in Kennesaw. DNA FROM HALF-EATEN BURRITO TIES EX-WISCONSIN DOCTORAL STUDENT TO PRO-LIFE CENTER FIRE-BOMBING ATTACK Taylor Swift performs onstage at the opening night of The Eras Tour at State Farm Stadium in Swift City, Arizona, on March 17, 2023. Police said scammers know who to target and, right now, they're targeting Swifties. "The popularity of Taylor Swift, people having problems getting tickets and concerts are selling out quick, so they're taking advantage of that," Buchanan said. Anderson said she feels badly for those who got scammed and hopes the suspect is caught by authorities. Following the incident, authorities warned people to only purchase tickets from official websites. Photo: Getty Images Since Sen. John Fetterman (D-Penn.) checked into Walter Reed Hospital for treatment for clinical depression in February, the senator has faced an onslaught of attacks and conspiracy theories from right-wing critics. But many of the attacks have also been aimed at his wife, Gisele Barreto Fetterman, who has become one of Fox News favorite scapegoats and targets. In an essay for Elle, published Wednesday, Fetterman wrote that the attacks she faced escalated shortly after she took her kids to Niagara Falls amid Johns hospitalization: Read more I was surprised to find that this time the vast majority of the harassment wasnt directed toward Johnbut at me. On social media, people accused me of kidnapping the kids and running away to Canada. They promoted conspiracy theories claiming I was an ambitious, power hungry wife, secretly plotting to fill his Senate seat. Even before her husbands hospitalization, Fetterman has been characterized as power-hungry for her supportive role in Johns campaigneven though shes stayed fairly busy with her own work in community-based nonprofits and volunteer fire-fighting. Through all of the attacks shes faced, Fetterman wrote that shes been told to simply grow a thicker skin. But the constant, often very personal harassment has taken a toll, she said, and telling women like her to be strong isnt a solution to aggressive sexist harassment. When we demand that women steel themselves in the face of unending attacks, we teach the next generation to normalize and accept harassment, Fetterman wrote. In the end, it only puts the blame on women once again; telling us to toughen up or ignore it reasserts the idea that we need to accept when were treated poorly, instead of questioning why society permits abusive behavior. She continued, It makes us feel like were the problem for feeling pain when were held over a live fire. Story continues In the end, it only puts the blame on women once again; telling us to toughen up or ignore it reasserts the idea that we need to accept when were treated poorly, instead of questioning why society permits abusive behavior. Gisele Barreto Fetterman (@giselefetterman) March 30, 2023 Praise for strong women and advice to public-facing women to simply rise above misogyny and abuse are often well-meaning. But Giseles writing speaks to a problem with this language that often goes unexamined: that we shouldnt have to be this strong. Why should we collectively put the onus on women and girls to be stronger, rather than on our society to dial back its misogyny? Gisele has certainly been the subject of intense public misogynymore so than a lot of the wives of political figures in recent memory. Nonetheless, she found the courage to write about her experiences, and hopefully, it prompts more people to question all that we ask of women in exchange for a mere pat on the back for being strong. When our family first started getting national attention, a lot of people told me... I should toughen up. Well, I dont want a thicker skin, Fetterman wrote. Ultimately, Fetterman concluded that she shouldnt have to change herself in the face of public scrutiny: I like my big feelings; the ability to feel so deeply is beautiful. My empathy drives my career and provides me with purpose and hope. More from Jezebel Sign up for Jezebel's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Image: Clay Mclachlan (Reuters) An Indian tribunal has upheld a $162 million fine imposed on Google by the countrys fair trade regulator for abusing its Android dominance to promote its payment service. The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) yesterday (March 29) rejected Googles plea that the Competition Commission of Indias (CCI) probe into a 2018 complaint from Android users had violated natural justice. Read more In October 2022, CCI fined the US company, ordering a halt on its various unfair business practices. Googled appealed against the fine with NCLAT in January this year. It defended itself saying we believe it (the CCI decision) presents a major setback for our Indian users and businesses who trust Androids security features, and potentially raising the cost of mobile devices. NCLAT has, however, upheld CCIs decision now and directed Google to deposit the penalty amount in 30 days. The tech behemoth can still appeal against the ruling to the Supreme Court of India. Story continues Why Alphabets Google is in trouble in India? The penalty was a result of a long-drawn investigation by CCI. The probe concluded that Indian Android developers find it difficult to place their apps on smartphones. Google licenses its Android operating system to smartphone producers at a relatively low cost. In India, all major smartphone companies, including Samsung or Xiaomi, use Android. Around 95% of the 750 million smartphones used in the country are based on this operating system. Prominent apps, therefore, come pre-installed with Android devices and these cant be uninstalled. Some app developers claimed that Googles policies had driven them out of business. CCI found, therefore, that the US giants practice undermines fair competition and stifles innovation. More from Quartz Sign up for Quartz's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. A photo of an Android figurine This still gives Android users in India more control over Android than U.S. users. Google will not have to host third-party Android app stores in the Indian version of its Play Store, following antitrust rulings from January. The company is still facing a $161 million fine from Indian regulators, though they have eased up on how Android should function in the country moving forward. This comes in the wake of global legal action against Googles anti-competitive actions across its entire business, as well as an EU ruling that might require Google and Apple to allow for more open markets down the line, including potentially making way for third party app stores. A few months back, Google was under antitrust fire when the Competition Commission of India (CCI) ruled that the company had to be more permissive to third-party app stores and payment methods on its platform. It also ruled that Google could no longer withhold a license for the Android OS based on whether a manufacturer included Google branded apps pre-installed on the device. Read more Google has since appealed the decision and will receive some relief through relaxed enforcement of four of the ten directives. The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), which handles these kinds of appeals in India, is still requiring Google to pay the penalty fees. But Google wont have to host third-party Android app stores in the Play Store. Instead, users will still have to sideload an APK just like the olden days. This has been a practice on Android pretty much since its inception, and its rumored that it might be how both Google and even Apple gets around a recent EU ruling requiring more open markets when it starts to go into effect next month (or so the rumors foretell). The directive was meant to diversify Androids offerings in a market where it is the dominant operating system by over 90%. Google feared the directive because allowing Indian Android users to go through other app stores for app downloads and other content meant less time spent inside Googles virtual shops, as well as fewer opportunities for Google to take a cut on paid content. Story continues Google offered a statement to TechCrunch: We are grateful for the opportunity given by the NCLAT to make our case. We are reviewing the order and evaluating our legal options. Google has agreed to other changes on the Android platform as it exists in India. Android will allow for more user choice on default search engines and even in-app billing, so that the company isnt always taking a 30% cut with each in-app transaction. It has also loosened its requirements for which Google apps are installed by default. Indian OEMs will be allowed to pick and choose the apps as they please rather than be required to include the whole kit and caboodle. Google continues to face legal concerns over its growing business elsewhere in the world. In the EU, it racked up a whopping $9.7 Billion in fines over anti-competitive practices. And in the U.S., Alphabet is butting heads with the Department of Justice over its ad-tech business. Its currently unclear how strictly the EUs Digital Markets Act will affect Android, and if it will have to make similar appeals there to the ones it did in India. But given that the EU is forcing Apple to adopt USB-C, its worth keeping track of legal restrictions placed on Google and Android in their largest international markets, as its often cheaper for these companies to change how their products work everywhere rather than make concessions on a country by country basis. More from Gizmodo Sign up for Gizmodo's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. WASHINGTON Congressional Republicans are floating a longtime goal getting more people off federal assistance and into the workforce as a tradeoff theyd accept in exchange for avoiding a default on the nations debts. President Joe Biden has said lawmakers have an obligation to make sure the nations bills get paid and he wont negotiate conditions. Passing tougher work requirements will be a difficult haul for Republicans who only control the House. But, after getting pummeled by Biden over who will better protect Medicare and Social Security, Republicans may be hoping the issue will resonate with the working-class voters Biden has been courting as he prepares to run for re-election. Or, it could backfire if the White House successfully charges Republicans with going after the poor after cutting taxes for corporations and the wealthy during the Trump administration. But House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., reminded Biden Tuesday that hes supported work requirements in the past. And House Republicans held hearings Wednesday to promote the idea. We should be exploring every possibility to get our fellow Americans back into the labor force, including strengthening work requirements across all government programs, said Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. 'On the clock': McCarthy urges Biden to restart talks on debt ceiling as default looms House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., talks to reporters at the Capitol on Friday, March 24, 2023. What have Republicans proposed? There were no specifics in the letter McCarthy sent Biden Tuesday in which he listed strengthening work requirements as one of four ways to reduce the national debt. But Republicans have recently introduced legislation to restrict the ability of states to reduce work requirements for food stamp recipients and to expand who has to work to get help. For example, the age limit for work requirements on able-bodied adults without dependents would be raised from 49 to 65. GOP Reps. Jake LaTurner of Kansas and Mary Miller of Illinois dropped a bill this month to require able-bodied adults to work or volunteer for at least 20 hours a week to remain eligible for Medicaid. Story continues And at a House hearing Wednesday, Republicans said states are abusing loopholes to get around work requirements for cash assistance under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. Has Biden supported work requirements in the past? As a senator, Biden voted for President Bill Clintons overhaul of Americas welfare system that included a lifetime limit on cash assistance and a requirement that able-bodied adults work after two years of help. The culture of welfare must be replaced with the culture of work, Biden said in 1996. But in recent years, Biden has opposed GOP efforts to expand work requirements. When the Trump administration tried to tighten work requirements for food stamp recipients, Biden called the administration morally bankrupt. As president, he opposed adding a work requirement to an enhanced child tax credit he wants to renew and make permanent. All these people are working anyway, Biden said in 2021. Also, Biden ended the permission slips the Trump administration gave some states to add work requirements to Medicaid. President Joe Biden speaks about his administration's plans to protect Social Security and Medicare and lower healthcare costs, Feb. 9, 2023, at the University of Tampa in Tampa, Florida. Are Republicans likely to be successful? There is probably more potential for compromise on some of the other GOP policy priorities McCarthy mentioned to Biden, such as repurposing unspent pandemic funding. Plus, Republicans were not able to get tougher work requirements for food stamp recipients through both the House and the Senate when they controlled both chambers in 2018. But apart from the fight over the debt ceiling, work requirements will be an issue as lawmakers debate legislation needed to continue food stamp and cash assistance programs beyond this year. What are the arguments for and against work requirements? Republicans argue too many people are being paid to sit at home while employers are desperate for workers. We must end the era of dependency for able-bodied adults, encourage labor force participation, and restore the dignity of work, Texas Rep. Jodey Arrington, the GOP chairman of the House Budget Committee said Wednesday when he opened a hearing on the state of the nations finances. Opponents say most working-age adults receiving food stamps or health benefits are already working or are temporarily between jobs. Most of those who arent, according to the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy priorities, are caring for family members, going to school or cant work because of health problems. If the goal is to address a shortage of workers, said Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill., a better solution is providing child care and paid family and medical leave. They need childcare. They need a safe place to live, food to eat, reliable transportation, good education and health care, he said at the Ways and Means hearing. If we want to support work, that's where we need to start. What does this have to do with whether the government defaults on its debt? House Republicans say they wont vote to raise the limit on how much the nation can borrow without cutting spending. The nation could default, as soon as June, on the bills its already racked up unless Congress raises the debt limit. Biden has said he wont sit down to discuss potential cuts with McCarthy until Republicans release a counterproposal to the budget plan Biden released this month. Dig Deeper Debt ceiling explainer: What happens if the US hits the debt ceiling? Here's what to expect if we reach debt limit. Biden's budget: Takeaways from Biden's $6.9 trillion budget proposal: Tax the rich. Cut the deficit. Take on the GOP. Negotiations: Amid debt ceiling standoff, why Joe Biden is refusing to negotiate with Republicans This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Republicans want work requirements for welfare to cut federal spending Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley were seemingly stumped by questioning from Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who questioned the top military leaders about drag shows on military bases, during a House Armed Services Committee hearing. "I'd like to take a look at those myself and find out what actually is going on there because that's the first I'm hearing about that kind of stuff," Milley said Wednesday in response to Gaetz after the GOP lawmaker read several headlines about drag shows on military installations, according to Military.com. "I'd like to take a look at those, because I don't agree with those. I think those things shouldn't be happening." Drag shows on military installations, which promoters say are designed to show support for LGBTQ service members, have increasingly made headlines, most recently in the case of a planned "Drag Queen Storytime" that was scheduled at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, but canceled amid GOP criticism of the event. PENTAGON LEADERS DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT DRAG QUEEN STORY HOURS ON MILITARY BASES: MATT GAETZ Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., left, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley. A spokesperson for Milley later told Military.com that Milley does not support taxpayer-funded drag shows on military installations, although most drag shows on military bases have been funded by private organizations. Meanwhile, Austin made clear that drag shows on bases do not receive Pentagon funding. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "Drag queen story hours is not something that the department funds," Austin said during the hearing. SERVICE MEMBERS SOUND ALARM AGAINST 'EXTREMELY WOKE' MILITARY Nicole Schwegman, a Defense Department spokeswoman, later clarified that Austin does not support the shows on military bases. "Just as Secretary Austin said during the House Armed Services Committee hearing yesterday, the DOD does not fund or support drag queen shows or story hours," Schwegman said. The first drag show on a military base likely took place in 2014 at Kadena Air Base, Japan, according to Military.com, while a Nellis Air Force Base spokesperson defended that Nevada installation's hosting of a drag show in 2021. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin "Ensuring our ranks reflect and are inclusive of the American people is essential to the morale, cohesion and readiness of the military," the spokesperson told Yahoo! News at the time. "Nellis Air Force Base is committed to providing and championing an environment that is characterized by equal opportunity, diversity and inclusion." Photo Illustration by Kelly Caminero / The Daily Beast / Shutterstock Two weeks before the 2016 Iowa caucuses, Donald Trump proclaimed he could shoot someone on Manhattans Fifth Avenue in broad daylight and not lose a single one of his supporters. Eight years later, Trump has become the first former president in U.S. history ever to face a criminal indictment. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has brought charges stemming from allegations Trump paid porn star Stormy Daniels to remain silent about their affair ahead of the 2016 election. The potential offense is hardly akin to firing on someone on a busy street. But it marks uncharted territory in American politicsand the reaction to the news is proving the enduring truth underneath Trumps infamous 2016 boast. Since Trump has already teased his own indictment, Republican officials and operatives have already argued that the unprecedented situation will only empower Trump as he makes a third straight bid for the White House. McCarthy Says Americans Shouldnt Protest Over Potential Trump Arrest Trumps basewhich has held firm at around one third of GOP voters, surviving two impeachments, an attempted coup and attack on the Capitol, a lackluster 2022 midterm cycle and all the restis going nowhere, they say. If Trump gets indicted, it will only strengthen his standing in the primary, one GOP strategist without a horse in the race told The Daily Beast. Weve seen this with impeachment and the raid at Mar-a-Lago. Voters rally around him when they believe he is being unfairly targeted by political opponents within the justice system. At a recent conservative conference in South Carolina, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told a crowd that the prosecutor in New York has done more to help Donald Trump get elected president than any single person in America today. Even former Vice President Mike Pence, a likely 2024 rival who has gradually scaled up his attacks on Trump over the Jan. 6 insurrection, recently argued the Daniels case was too frivolous to merit charges against his former boss. Story continues The fact that the Manhattan DA thinks that indicting President Trump is his top priority, I think just tells you everything you need to know about the radical left in this country, Pence told Jonathan Karl of ABC. On CNNs State of the Union with Jake Tapper, Marc Short, Pences former chief of staff, said what many Republicans have been worrying about privately when it comes to Trump being prosecuted for something unrelated to his attempts to subvert the 2020 election. I do think that this probably benefits the president in the short term, because it does rally Republicans around him, saying he's once again the object of an unfair prosecution, Short said, adding that Trump would use the Manhattan case to cast doubt on far more serious probes on the state and federal level related to 2020 and Jan. 6. Trump Tries to Derail Georgia Grand Jury Investigation If he can create this notion they're all politically based, Short continued, I think it helps him politically, and certainly, that's what he's trying to do. From the Russia investigation to Trumps first and second impeachments, Republicans of all stripes have long warnedor concern-trolledthat efforts to hold the ex-president accountable would inevitably only make him stronger. In 2019, Graham, for example, cast doubt on Trumps first impeachment by predicting it would only lead to his second term. Instead, Trump became the first president in 40 years to lose reelection. The problem for Republicans is that while a criminal case could make Trump even more toxic among the broader electorate, it's Republican voters who have the power to make him the partys presidential nominee for a third straight election. The true battleground of the 2024 primary will unfold in the increasingly contested ground between the MAGA bloc and the traditional Republican voter base. As the primary challenges to Trump from figures like former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haleyand potentially Florida Gov. Ron DeSantisshow theres certainly some appetite among GOP primary voters across the board to move past Trump. Whats not being said is Republicans want a generational change and fresh approach, a veteran GOP strategist said, specifically of the non-MAGA factions within the party. They are sick of old bags and Trump drama. An early primary state Republican operative said the Manhattan case should be another nail in Trumps coffin among GOP voters he turned off by 2020 and 2022, but Teflon Dons track record still made them pause. Seems like it should be a slam dunk, but my gut tells me otherwise, the GOP presidential primary veteran told The Daily Beast. How an Offer to Testify Before a New York Grand Jury Signals Trouble for Trump While the indictment of a former president and current presidential candidate is historically significant, it comes amid decades of retrenchment from mainstream institutions among GOP voters and a skepticism of the justice system going back to Waco. Trump allies have been beating the drum of Bragg carrying a weak case against the former president despite not seeing the evidence yet, as The New York Times recently explained. The unprecedented indictment posed an opportunity for the leading Trump alternative at this early stage of the primary: DeSantis. Concerns remain that the Florida governorwho has not officially launched a campaigncould take that mantle. Given his past hesitancy to criticize Trump over his legal issues, the longtime GOP strategist said they saw a potential post-indictment window as an opportunity the DeSantis team will likely overlook. Already, DeSantis has exuded caution in his response to the indictment news, particularly in the face of taunts and loud complaints from Trumpworld that he has not sufficiently denounced Braggs efforts. Speaking publicly recently, DeSantis largely punted on the issuethough he worked in a minor dig at the ex-president. I dont know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair, DeSantis said at a Panama City press conference in the middle of an answer mostly dedicated to attacking Bragg on crime in New York City. I just, I cant speak to that. Trump-DeSantis Feud Over Heeled Boots Spills Into Real Life The governors hesitance also leaves an opening for someone else to go on offense against Trump across media outlets DeSantis wont touch. Haley has taken a pass on any sort of Trump offensive, focusing her messaging on President Joe Bidens dealings with China and Russia. Republican New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, another likely candidate who has been an unabashed Trump critic at times, instead described the looming indictment as building a lot of sympathy for the former president. And while DeSantis made sure to let the terms hush money and porn star linger for effect in his press conference, he focused his message on Bragg as a stand-in for the Democratic Partys approach to crime, throwing red meat to the base by calling him a Soros-funded prosecutor. Legal proceedings in Manhattan could drag out for months or even years, meaning that Trumps GOP foes will likely have to navigate the story line for the duration of the primary. As one early primary state Republican operative put it, a lot of us have been waiting for the other shoe to drop for quite some time. Those waiting for the other shoe, they added, were never coming back to Trump in the first place. When asked which prospective candidate would benefit most from a Trump indictment, the second GOP strategist went with none of the above. Who benefits from an indictment of Kim Jong Trump? America. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. The Polestar 3 electric SUV. Tim Levin/Insider The Polestar 3 is one of the coolest new electric SUVs. The SUV costs $83,900 to start, and you'll start seeing them on the streets in late 2023. The futuristic EV boasts a sustainable interior, more than 500 horsepower, and 300 miles of range. You may not have heard of Polestar yet, but just give it time. The Polestar 3 electric SUV. Tim Levin/Insider The fresh-faced electric-vehicle brand has been quietly growing since its launch in 2017, and it's about to drop its most important model yet. The Polestar 3 electric SUV. Tim Levin/Insider The Polestar 3 will be the startup's very first SUV when it hits streets later this year. The Polestar 3 electric SUV. Tim Levin/Insider It'll be crucial for snagging the attention of US buyers, who, as we all know, love their SUVs. The Polestar 3 electric SUV. Tim Levin/Insider Read more: Review: The $155,000 Polestar 1 is unlike any car on the road and a collector's item waiting to happen Polestar brought the 3 to Manhattan for its US debut this week, where Insider was among the first to get up close and personal with the striking SUV. The Polestar 3 electric SUV. Tim Levin/Insider Here's a tour of the $83,900 Polestar 3 and all it has to offer: The Polestar 3 electric SUV. Tim Levin/Insider The Polestar 3 follows up the Polestar 1 (a $155,000 hybrid two-door) and the Polestar 2 (a wonderful electric sedan) as the company's third model. The Polestar 3 electric SUV. Tim Levin/Insider It'll be built in China to start (Polestar is jointly owned by Volvo and its Chinese parent company, Geely) and additional production will start in South Carolina in 2024. The Polestar 3 electric SUV. Tim Levin/Insider Read more: The $45,900 Polestar 2 is the coolest new electric car you've never heard of It doesn't look like your everyday SUV. The Polestar 3 electric SUV. Tim Levin/Insider Just like the Polestar 2, the Polestar 3 is defined by sharp angles, chunky features, and exaggerated proportions. The Polestar 3 electric SUV. Tim Levin/Insider It's remarkably long, squat, and wide almost more like a lifted station wagon than a tall, conventional SUV. The Polestar 3 electric SUV. Tim Levin/Insider Read more: I drove Toyota's first real Tesla rival, the $52,000 bZ4X, and found one glaring flaw. Take a tour of the electric SUV. Unique touches like a front wing (for aerodynamics) make the Polestar 3 all the more eye-catching. The Polestar 3 electric SUV. Tim Levin/Insider Read more: See the $84,000 Polestar 3, the high-tech, minimalist electric SUV taking on BMW and Tesla Story continues But the Polestar's distinct styling isn't just for turning heads. It's also for reducing drag and boosting range. Despite all the boxy edges, the SUV slips through the air better than a Porsche 911, Gregor Hembrough, head of Polestar USA, told Insider. The Polestar 3 electric SUV. Tim Levin/Insider Polestar is all about minimalist design chalk that up to its Swedish DNA which means its cars don't come with all the busy badging you'd normally expect. The Polestar 3 electric SUV. Tim Levin/Insider There are just a couple of cryptic logos and some teeny-tiny stickers that give more details. It adds to Polestar's mysterious allure. The Polestar 3 electric SUV. Tim Levin/Insider Read more: I drove luxury Tesla rivals from BMW and Mercedes here's why I'd buy the BMW iX over the competition The all-wheel-drive EV makes an impressive 489 horsepower and 620 pound-feet of torque, allowing for a breezy 0-60-mph time of 4.9 seconds, according to the brand. The Polestar 3 electric SUV. Tim Levin/Insider Buyers who opt for the $6,000 Performance Pack can expect even more power and torque, plus a slightly quicker sprint to 60 mph. The Polestar 3 electric SUV. Tim Levin/Insider Polestar pegs range at around 300 miles, but that hasn't been EPA-verifed yet. The Polestar 3 electric SUV. Tim Levin/Insider Inside, the Polestar 3 offers five roomy seats with a cool, perforated design. The Polestar 3 electric SUV. Tim Levin/Insider Read more: The 17 longest-range electric cars you can buy in 2023, from the Lucid Air to the BMW i4 Faux-leather upholstery comes standard, or buyers can upgrade to leather and wool (which Polestar says are vetted for their sustainability). The vehicle I saw had the latter. The Polestar 3 electric SUV. Tim Levin/Insider There's generous headroom and legroom thanks to a flat floor. But you sit low and stretched out, rather than upright like in most SUVs. The Polestar 3 electric SUV. Tim Levin/Insider Up front, the driver gets a small display instead of regular gauges. The Polestar 3 electric SUV. Tim Levin/Insider And they get a big, 14.5-inch touchscreen running a Google-developed operating system, which is remarkably easy to read and use. It helps the interior feel uncluttered and open. The Polestar 3 electric SUV. Tim Levin/Insider Read more: I charged a Kia at a Tesla Supercharger and saw how Elon Musk can make EV charging suck less for everybody Polestar packed the 3 with all sorts of other advanced tech, like interior radar sensors that detect "sub-millimeter movements" and ensure you don't accidentally leave your pet or child inside. The Polestar 3 electric SUV. Tim Levin/Insider Powering its driver-assistance and safety tech are five exterior radars, five cameras, and 12 ultrasonic sensors. Much of that is housed in the "SmartZone" on the Polestar 3's nose. The Polestar 3 electric SUV. Tim Levin/Insider Lidar technology, which creates a 3D map of the environment surrounding a vehicle, will be an option and should help Polestar offer "unaided driving on the highway," as Hembrough puts it. No US cars currently offer lidar, though Mercedes is also introducing it soon. The Polestar 3 electric SUV. Tim Levin/Insider Read more: Electric-vehicle startup Fisker will begin delivering its flagship SUV this year see the $37,500 Ocean Despite the emphasis on cutting-edge tech, Hembrough said he doesn't expect the brand to get rid of buttons altogether. There's still a nice, big volume knob, which customer surveys said was a must. The Polestar 3 electric SUV. Tim Levin/Insider The Polestar 3 should be in customers' hands toward the end of 2023, and a cheaper model is on the way after that. The Polestar 3 electric SUV. Tim Levin/Insider Read the original article on Business Insider Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Lipid Innovation Center, Bonnie Tully (President North America Evonik), Christopher Fuchs (German Embassy Washington), Michael Angelastro (ASPR/BARDA), Christian Kullmann (CEO Evonik), Eric Holcomb (Governor Indiana), Harald Schwager (Deputy CEO Evonik), Johann-Caspar Gammelin (President Nutrition & Care Evonik), Thomas Riermeier (Head of Health Care Evonik), Daniel Fricker (Site Head Tippecanoe Laboratories), Wednesday, Mar. 29, 2023, in Lafayette, Ind. LAFAYETTE, Ind. Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb joined Evonik executives Wednesday to break ground on the company's new $220 million Lafayette facility. Evonik's CEO Christian Kullmann and executive board members of the company celebrated the beginning of construction on the Tippecanoe County lipid production facility. In June 2022, the Germany-based drug delivery technologies company announced that it would be investing in its Lafayette campus to build a new lipid production facility aimed at studying mRNA-based therapies. What are mRNA-based therapies? Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines, as described by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, teach our cells to produce a protein that boosts our immune system and were key to the development of COVID-19 vaccines. Our new Lipid Innovation Center will secure the health innovations of tomorrow. Through this investment we reinforce our leading position in the pharmaceutical industry. We are privileged to support the U.S. with pandemic preparedness and enable the development of cutting-edge medicines, Kullmann said. The new lipid facility is expected to create more than 80 highly skilled jobs in the Greater Lafayette region. Over the project life cycle, its expected to bring in an additional 300 contractor positions. The construction of the facility is expected to be completed by 2025, with production starting that same year. Evoniks decision to build this new facility, and add 80 high-paying jobs, in Indiana is reflective of our states highly trained workforce and the business-friendly environment we have worked to create, Holcomb said. We are proud to support this life science-related project. A 3-D rendering of Evonik's lipid production facility in Lafayette, Ind. Playing a key role during the COVID-19 pandemic During the COVID-19 pandemic, Evonik was a leading vaccine producer when it came to making sure pharmaceutical lipids were available. In novel mRNA vaccines, lipids protect the messenger RNA (mRNA) and ensure its safe delivery into the cell. Story continues Lipids play an important role when it comes to the development of mRNA technology in infectious disease control, cancer immunotherapy, protein replacement and gene therapy. As part of the total $220 million invested into this new facility, the U.S. government has entered a cooperative agreement with Evonik for a cost share of up to $150 million through its Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). BARDA promotes the advanced development of medical countermeasures to respond to health security threats and coordinated acquisition assistance with the Department of Defense (DOD) Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND). Evoniks strategic expansion at Tippecanoe is fantastic news for the entire Greater Lafayette region, said Scott Walker, president and CEO of Greater Lafayette Commerce. The Town of Shadeland, Lafayette, West Lafayette, Tippecanoe County, the Purdue Research Foundation, and Greater Lafayette Commerce all supported this effort and not only look forward to the high-value jobs it will create, but also the important role the new Lipid Innovation Center will play in our nations vaccine preparedness. This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Gov. Holcomb breaks ground at Evoniks $220 million expansion Photograph: Joe Skipper/Reuters A grand jury has voted to indict Donald Trump in New York over a hush money payment made to the adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election. No former US president has ever been criminally indicted. The news is set to shake the race for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, in which Trump leads most polls. This evening we contacted Mr Trumps attorney to coordinate his surrender to the Manhattan DAs Office for arraignment on a supreme court indictment, which remains under seal, said a statement from Manhattan district attorney Alvin Braggs spokesperson. Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected. Related: Why did a grand jury vote to indict Trump and what does it mean for him? Trump was expected to appear in court for his arraignment on Tuesday, Trumps lawyer Susan Necheles said. At that point he would enter a plea on the charges. New Yorks police have been told to all report for duty on Friday and be prepared to deal with unusual disorder, according to a memo seen by NBC. It is unclear whether Trump will be handcuffed at his appearance but he will be fingerprinted, photographed and processed for a felony arrest. His legal team is expected to vigorously fight the charges, and a timeline for a potential trial remains unclear. Trump, who is reportedly facing up to 30 counts of business fraud, attacked Bragg, and Democrats in a statement released shortly after the news broke, claiming the indictment amounted to political persecution. I believe this witch hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden, Trump said. Our movement, and our party united and strong will first defeat Alvin Bragg, and then we will defeat Joe Biden. Democrats responded to claims of persecution, saying that if Trump broke the law, he should face charges like any American. Democratic Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer added: There should be no outside political influence, intimidation or interference in the case. I encourage both Mr Trumps critics and supporters to let the process proceed peacefully and according to the law. California Democrat Adam Schiff said: The indictment of a former president is unprecedented. But so too is the unlawful conduct in which Trump has been engaged. Story continues Related: He is a bad-ass: Fox News makes amends with Trump as he faces indictment Within hours of the news, Trumps campaign sent out fundraising pleas to counter what it called the darkest chapter in American history. It accused the Democrats of weaponising the justice system to punish a political opponent. Top Republicans swiftly denounced the indictment, jumping to Trumps defense. Kevin McCarthy, the Republican speaker of the House, accused Bragg of having irreparably damaged our country. The American people will not tolerate this injustice, and the House of Representatives will hold Alvin Bragg and his unprecedented abuse of power to account, McCarthy said on Twitter. Mike Pence, a potential Trump rival for the Republican presidential nomination, told CNN the indictment sent a terrible message to the world about what he called a two-tiered US justice system. Pence declined to say whether Trump should drop out of the nomination race if he is convicted or if that should disqualify him from being the Republican nominee. I dont want to talk about hypotheticals, he said. Republican senator Lindsey Graham, a longtime Trump ally, called it a shocking and dangerous day for the rule of law in America and one of the most irresponsible decisions in American history by any prosecutor. Graham said it would end with Trump winning in court and at the ballot box. Floridas governor, Ron DeSantis, called the indictment un-American and claimed the legal system was being weaponized. He said Florida would not assist with any extradition requests regarding the case. Trump was in Florida when the news broke and it is thought the announcement took his team by surprise. Related: Trumps indictment will probably hurt him with the electorate. But how much? | Lloyd Green Stormy Daniels celebrated news of the indictment, tweeting: Thank you to everyone for your support and love! I have so many messages coming in that I cant respond also dont want to spill my champagne. Michael Cohen, Trumps one-time lawyer and fixer, told CNN: This is his [Trumps] biggest fear, that he will be mug-shotted, that he will have an F [for felon] next to his name. This is not what Trump imagined for himself. Thursdays indictment is not the only legal woe for Trump. He also faces jeopardy over his election subversion and incitement of the January 6 attack on Congress; his attempts to overturn the 2020 result in Georgia; his retention of classified records; his business dealings; and a defamation suit arising from an allegation of rape by the writer E Jean Carroll, which Trump denies. Daniels claims an affair with Trump in 2006. Trump denies the affair but has admitted directing Cohen to pay Daniels $130,000 for her silence. Cohen was also revealed to have arranged for $150,000 to be paid to Karen McDougal, a Playboy model who claimed to have an affair with Trump. That payment was made by David Pecker, the publisher of the National Enquirer tabloid newspaper, which squashed the story. Trump has admitted reimbursing Cohen with payments the Trump Organization logged as legal expenses. Related: Who is Stormy Daniels the adult film star who got Trump indicted? Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016 and was president from 2017 to 2021. News of the payment to Daniels broke in January 2018. Cohen pleaded guilty to violating campaign finance law, contributing to a three-year prison sentence handed down in December 2018. Investigations of the Daniels payment have dragged on. Earlier this year, Mark Pomerantz, an experienced New York prosecutor who resigned from Braggs team then wrote a book, called the payment a zombie case which would not die. Earlier this month, Cohen testified before the grand jury in the Manhattan hush money case. Hope Hicks and Kellyanne Conway, former White House aides, reportedly spoke to prosecutors, as did Daniels, Pecker and Jeffrey McConney, senior vice-president and controller of the Trump Organization. Trump did not testify. He denies wrongdoing, claiming the payments represented extortion. Earlier this week, a Trump lawyer, Joe Tacopina, told MSNBC Trump had simply taken advice from his lawyer, Cohen, which was not a crime. Tacopina also said the payments to Cohen were simply legal fees. Trumps lawyers are expected to seek to delay the case. A grandfather from Maryland won two huge lottery prizes during his birthday month, officials said. The 63-year-old retired carpenter won his first prize in late March, according to a March 30 news release from the Maryland Lottery. While playing Racetrax, a horse-racing game, he scored $25,696. About a week later, the man, a daily lottery player, walked to a convenience store in a suburb of Washington, D.C., to play Keno, Racetrax and other games. Once at the store, he purchased several scratch-off tickets. One of them had a prize of $100,000. I scanned it and saw all those zeros, he told the Maryland Lottery. I just couldnt believe it, so I handed it to the cashier who double-checked it for me. After his big win was verified, he walked back to his home in Hyattsville to tell his wife. He intends to use the winnings to travel to the Dominican Republic, his native country. He will also use it to pay off a loan and will share some with his wife, as well, according to the Maryland Lottery. Lottery player wins big prize in Washington then has to convince his wife its real Driver tries to help woman they hit with car, TN cops say. Then shes run over again Crews spot arm sticking out from debris of demolished womens shelter, Ohio cops say Madison Thompson as Susan, Charlotte Kavanagh as Rosemary, Ari Notartomaso as Cynthia Zdunowski, Cheyenne Wells as Olivia Valdovinos, Josette Halpert as Dot, Tricia Fukuhara as Nancy Nakagawa, Kallie Hu as Peg and Marisa Davila as Jane Facciano in Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies (Photo Credit: Eduardo Araquel/Paramount+) Nostalgia classic Grease is getting a prequel musical TV series, and there isn't long to wait until you can watch it here in the UK. Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies will be set at Rydell High in 1954, four years before the events of the film that starred Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta. Read more: Everything new streaming on Paramount+ in April 2023 The series is set to air on the streaming service Paramount+ and will be available to UK subscribers from this Friday, 7 April, the day after it premieres in the US. Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies begins streaming in April. (Paramount+) Who will star in Rise of the Pink Ladies? This hotly-tipped Grease prequel series will star Marisa Davila as Jane, Cheyenne Isabel Wells as Olivia, Ari Notartomaso as Cynthia, Tricia Fukuhara as Nancy, Shanel Bailey as Hazel, Madison Thompson as Susan, Johnathan Nieves as Richie, Jason Schmidt as Buddy, Maxwell Whittington-Cooper as Wally, and Jackie Hoffman as assistant principal McGee. Read more: The most exciting TV coming up in 2023 Meanwhile, the series will also feature a host of newcomers including Charlotte Kavanagh as Rosemary, Victor Lau as Floyd, Josette Halpert as Dot, Kallie Hu starring as Peg, Matt Kennedy as Orson and Nicholas McDonough as Gil. As mentioned above, the musical series takes place a number of years before the events of the original Grease movie, which was released in cinemas in 1978 but was set in 1958. What is the plot of Rise of the Pink Ladies? Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies centres on the rise of the Pink Ladies, the female rivals to the all-male T Birds which featured heavily in the original movie and consisted of Rizzo (Stockard Channing), Jan (Jamie Donnelly), Marty (Dinah Manoff), Frenchy (Didi Conn) and later, Sandy, played by Newton-John. The prequel series takes place in 1954 before rock n roll ruled, before the T-Birds were the coolest gang in school and back when four fed-up outcasts dared to have fun on their own terms, sparking a moral panic that changed Rydell High forever. Story continues Throughout 10 episodes, we'll find out how these teens from the fringes rose up to become Rydell High's first all-singing, all-dancing clique and the key moments that inspired their creation. Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta in the 1978 film Grease. (Paramount+) Is there a trailer for Rise of the Pink ladies? Yes! A newly released trailer shows some classic movie moments recreated as the four friends walk the corridors of Rydell High in their iconic Pink Ladies jackets, and the T-Birds are briefly shown in their boiler suits dancing in the motor workshop. The trailer also shows scenes from big group songs and dances that will be included in the musical series. Watch it below: Grease also got a sequel movie in 1982, Grease 2, which starred Michelle Pfeiffer and Maxwell Caulfield. The prequel was originally announced by Paramount as being in development in 2019 and was first called Summer Lovin' but has now been retitled Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies. Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies is available to watch on Paramount+ from 7 April. Guy Pearce issued an apology statement on Twitter after appearing to suggest that non-trans actors should be able to play trans characters. Pearce, whose breakout role came playing a drag queen in 1994s The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, tweeted on Monday (27 March): A question if the only people allowed to play trans characters r trans folk, then r we also suggesting the only people trans folk can play r trans characters? Surely that will limit ur career as an actor? Isnt the point of an actor to be able play anyone outside ur own world? When people in his replies pointed out that there were few trans roles available and that those out there should go to trans people, Pearce responded (via MovieMaker): Ok, so if this debate is actually about Trans actors not getting the opportunities to work like other actors do then lets be clear about that & state that precisely. Thats a very different point. Good to be exact, I say. In his statement issued Tuesday, Pearce said he has deleted the offending tweets. I see that raising the question of gender identity within the casting process on a platform like Twitter was not a good idea, he wrote. For that, I apologise, enormously. I acknowledge it has only stirred up and inflamed attitudes and made us all dig our heels in. Guy Pearce as Kim Philby in A Spy Among Friends (Sam Taylor/Sony Pictures Television) The Australian actor continued: The point I wanted to raise was one about defending the definition of acting and nothing more. Throwing the subject onto one minority group in particular was unnecessary, especially from a man like me, with a Full House of privilege. Pearce stipulated that he still believes to suggest acting can only come from our own lived experience annihilates our imagination. I wouldnt want that restriction placed on a minority actor or any actor for that matter, myself included, he said. Pearce is the latest actor to weigh in on the debate over whether actors should play roles outside their lived experience. Story continues In 2021, Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne said it was a mistake to play a transgender woman in the 2015 drama, The Danish Girl. The bigger discussion about the frustrations around casting is because many people dont have a chair at the table. There must be a levelling, otherwise we are going to carry on having these debates, Redmayne said. Pearce most recently appeared in ITVXs limited series, A Spy Among Friends alongside Damian Lewis, which came out last Christmas. In a three-star review for The Independent, Nick Hilton described the big-budget adaptation as a slug of hot mulled wine. Photo Illustration by Kelly Caminero / The Daily Beast / Reuters / Getty Ask an ordinary civilian what she might wear if she had to go to court, and an understandable response might be that she hopes shell never have to find out. If such a situation arose, shed probably dress to fly under the radar. Gwyneth Paltrow, currently in the midst of a ski accident collision trial versus plaintiff Terry Sanderson, is no ordinary civilian. She talked about getting rectal ozone therapy a couple of weeks ago on a wellness podcast. Accused of crashing into Sanderson on the slopes of Utahs Deer Valley resort in 2016, breaking four of his ribs and concussing him, the Goop founder, Oscar winner and divisive lifestyle influencer has testified in her own defense, conspicuously swigging from a bottle of $35-a-case spring water in a drab Park City courtroom over the past week. Shes done so dressed in a series of profoundly tasteful, conservatively-un-conservative ensembles compiled from her own label, The Row, Celine, Prada and other upscale brands. Photo Illustration by Kelly Caminero / The Daily Beast / Reuters / Getty At first glance, these are under-the-radar looks. Modest sweaters, long skirts, collars buttoned to the neck. But look againat the quality of the fabric, the harmony of the color schemes (navy, cream, brown), at the contrast of the tailored suiting with Paltrows loose, beautifully blown out, oh-so-Gwyneth hair (because a chignon would obviously render the overall effect too severe). Paltrow is dressing to be noticed, but only by the right people. The impression, which has built steadily, to the glee of Twitter, over several days, is that of a woman whos blithely at ease in an uncomfortable setting, buoyed by the security of a sterling legal team and decades of consistent, highly-specific celebrity branding. Put another way, its one-woman avant-garde improv. I think its interesting to see someone whose platform is about controlling taste down to the most minute detail operate in a setting she has no control over, Dirt Media CEO Daisy Alioto told The Daily Beast. Treating the trial like background or a theater to set off the character she wants to convey is the choice of a canny media operator. Story continues Gwyneth Paltrow Gets Unwanted Defense From O.J. Simpson On day one, Paltrow rolled up to the courtroom in an olive green trench coat, reportedly by The Row. That label was founded by those queens of understated luxury, the Olsen Twins, who brilliantly engineered lives of fashion-centric anti-celebrity after weathering overexposed childhoods. Both the white turtleneck sweater and the wide-legged brown pants Paltrow wore as she sat through opening statements were reportedly made by Goop, her own label, and retail for $595 and $425, respectively. The outfit had conspicuous apres-ski energy. Photo Illustration by Kelly Caminero / The Daily Beast / Reuters / Getty You could tell me that that was what she was spotted wearing at the Goop office, and I would believe you, Sarah Spellings, Fashion News Editor at Vogue, told The Daily Beast. I think thats what makes it so fun. We think of everyone having to dress up for court, but Gwyneth just dresses like she would on any other day, and it works. Gwyneths trial style is very similar to her everyday stylistic decisions, Leah Krouse, an NYC-based fashion analyst whos been ID-ing Paltrows trial designer choices on Twitter, agreed. Shes taking an elegant and classic yet boyish approach to respectful dressing. Dark color palettes, menswear silhouettes, conservative decisions. It demonstrates a sense of seriousness toward the court, yet its genuine. I think shes loving appearing in court, and its probably actually selling clothes on Goop right now, Natasha Stagg, author of Sleeveless: Fashion, Media, Image, New York 20112019, told The Daily Beast. Goop declined to comment on the record. You could tell Anna Delvey was trying for this kind of influence with her court looks, but actually getting the clothes was much more difficult for her, and she also wasnt profiting from the searches that came up afterwards, Stagg said. Anna Delvey, Felicity Huffman, and Lori Loughlin Show the Serious Business of Dressing for Court Court is sort of the last existing place we have where youre really expected to wear something specific, Stagg added. If youre religious, there are those spaces that require a kind of conservative dress, but in terms of office appropriate and cocktail attire or even red carpet in America, at least, one can and does really do whatever they want. In another context, Gwyneths court outfits might seem boring, but here, they are perfect. Its more inspiring than a runway showthose have been done to death. Paltrows shoe choices for the duration of the trial have been strikingly rugged. On day one, she went with chunky brown Celine boots with a worn-in hiking vibe ($1,700). On day 5, to top off a truly viral ensemble that included a starched, white-collared shirt by The Row, a fitted black cardigan, and a long black skirt, also by The Row, Paltrow went with black, $1,450 Prada Monolith boots which, according to the brand, emphasize the concept of duality. Theyd perhaps look ironically at home on someones feet at enduring Dimes Square haunt Clandestino, but on Paltrow in Utah, they felt like her most pointed choice yet. Theyre aggressive. I think theyre boots that you could see someone wearing out to dinner in in Park City, Spellings said. They make a lot of sense for the location of the trial, if not the courtroom itself. This prompted a thought: Is it at all possible, I hazarded, that Paltrow is shamelessly planning trial looks that transition from day to night, perhaps for a post-courtroom whiskey? (She only drinks one per week.) On the day she testified, for example, Paltrow wore head-to-toe Pradalong navy skirt; slightly darker, fitted, button-down top; soft bootsand I immediately scrambled to her website, hoping to recreate the look for myself. Photo Illustration by Kelly Caminero / The Daily Beast / Reuters / Getty Its an outfit thats clearly not at all courtroom-specific, and would work beautifully at a cozy library study session, or at a fancy dinner, or if you wanted to be the most put-together girl at a vaguely sketchy after-hours partyliterally wherever. There is something transitional about the wardrobe, Spellings said. If I were going into court, I would have a very specific outfit that I wore to attend that wouldnt wear in many other situations, and I think its probably a celebrity specific-thing, to have outfits that can take you from court, to dinner to, you know, apres-ski, and that just adds to the deliciousness of watching it. Ultimately, Alioto said, [Paltrow] has the privilege not to dress toward innocence or credibility, as many other people have had to do when dressing for court. Instead, she has chosen to signal quiet superiority by being the most distilled version of herself and her brand. Gwyneth Paltrow Accused of Lying Under Oath During Ski Trial Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Terry Sanderson, left, is suing Paltrow in Summit County, Utah. AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, Pool The man who sued Gwyneth Paltrow over a 2016 ski crash took the stand again on Wednesday. His testimony was the final one in the case, and he reiterated that he thought Paltrow was at fault. He also apologized for calling the actress "King Kong," claiming he meant another character. The man suing Gwyneth Paltrow and claiming she bore responsibility for a 2016 ski collision in Utah reiterated his stance in a final testimony, offering a parting apology for calling the actress "King Kong," in a 2019 press conference. Sanderson took the stand for the last time on Wednesday, a day before jurors found Paltrow not liable for the collision, in a verdict that placed the fault for the crash on Sanderson. The retired optometrist again attributed his injuries and mental anguish after the crash to Paltrow, but also made clear that he didn't think that Paltrow sounded like the Gorilla "King-Kong" but instead the female protagonist from the film, Ann Darrow. During cross-examination, Paltrow's attorney Steve Owens asked Sanderson, "did you compare my client to King Kong coming out of the jungle?" in reference to a 2019 press conference where Sanderson announced the lawsuit. Sanderson agreed that he used the moniker and explained himself during direct questioning by his lawyer Kristin Van Orman. "My apologies to Ms. Paltrow, my intention was to say it sounded like the lady getting chased by King Kong out of a jungle," Sanderson said, referring to the noise Paltrow allegedly made ahead of the crash. "The silence was broken by a hysterical scream, the very best hysterical scream you've ever heard." Last week, Paltrow was defiant as she took the stand, claiming that Sanderson, "categorically" hit her at the Deer Valley ski resort in Utah. Sanderson and his lawyers have maintained that he was downhill from her, and that she hit him from behind, breaking three of his ribs and leaving him with a traumatic brain injury. Her children supported her claims through depositions read in court, as did a ski instructor teaching Paltrow's son Moses Martin that day. Story continues After Sanderson sued the "Goop" creator in 2019, Paltrow countersued Sanderson for negligence as well, alleging that he crashed into her. The trial is centered around the dueling negligence claims, where Sanderson originally sought $3 million in damages and Paltrow is seeking $1, plus reimbursed attorney fees. On Wednesday, Sanderson was grilled about trips he took to Morocco, the Netherlands, Peru, and to several states around the US in the months after the crash. "Part of the healing process was that I was told to get back to your routine," Sanderson said, adding that he no longer traveled alone after the crash. He was asked by Owens if he understood that his personal life was being broadcast as a consequence of him bringing the lawsuit against Paltrow. "Well I can never go on another dating site again, I've been fleshed out," Sanderson said, cracking a wry smile. "It's the pain of trying to sue a celebrity." Read the original article on Insider Gwyneth Paltrow is not liable for an accident on a swanky US ski slope, a jury ruled Thursday, as it dismissed a claim from a retired optometrist. Terry Sanderson, 76, had alleged a collision in Utah with the star left him with four broken ribs and lasting psychological damage, injuries his lawyers said were worth $3.3 million. Paltrow countersued for a symbolic $1. After an eight-day civil trial, the jury in Park City unanimously found the "Shakespeare in Love" actress did not cause the 2016 crash, a position she had maintained all along. "I felt that acquiescing to a false claim compromised my integrity," Paltrow, 50, said after the verdict. "I am pleased with the outcome," she added. The live-streamed hearing sparked headlines around the world, and became a hot topic on social media, generating memes and making perhaps-unwitting stars of the lawyers involved. The Oscar-winner was in court every day, listening attentively to evidence, including Sanderson's claims that she had run into him with such force that he went airborne. "I got hit in my back so hard and it was right at my shoulder blades, a serious, serious smack. I've never been hit that hard, and I'm flying," he told the jury earlier. "Last thing I remember, everything was black." The plaintiff said the crash, which happened at the tony Deer Valley resort, had left him with permanent brain damage and had altered his personality such that he could no longer enjoy life. "These are golden years," attorney Lawrence Buhler told the jury Thursday before they began their deliberations. "These are the most valuable years when you can enjoy your retirement and actually do things like travel. "Terry doesn't want to be brain injured. He wants to live life to its fullest," Buhler said. "He's got this issue that a big part of him was left up on that... ski run." Buhler asked the jury to award Sanderson $33 for every waking hour since the incident and continuing until his death, which actuarial tables indicate might come in 10 years. Story continues That amounts to "$3,276,000 for the 17 years that Terry has to deal with this permanent brain injury." Sanderson had originally sued for $3.1 million, but the suit was later adjusted to a legal minimum of $300,000. However from the beginning of the proceedings last week, his lawyers had put the figure they were seeking at $3.3 million. - Defied physics - Paltrow's defense team assembled a bevvy of experts who testified that Sanderson's version of the crash defied the laws of physics. They said that evidence showed he had run into the back of her while she was on the slopes with her children, Apple and Moses. Others noted that several of Sanderson's medical complaints -- including problems with executive functioning -- existed before the crash. They also noted that he had previously suffered a stoke and had poor vision in one eye. In a dramatic afternoon of testimony, lawyer Stephen Owens produced a raft of photographs posted on Sanderson's social media accounts after the incident showing him travelling all over the world, and even skiing. The jury was sequestered for around two hours before they returned to completely deny Sanderson's claim, and to award Paltrow the $1 that she had asked for. As she left the courtroom, Paltrow bent over to speak to Sanderson. He later told reporters that she had "wished me well." The judge will later rule on the question of legal fees, with Paltrow claiming Sanderson should meet her costs. One of the jurors on the panel, which found unanimously that Sanderson was 100 percent at fault for the crash, told ABC News the case had been "a little shocking." Samantha Imrie said her mind had changed several times as the evidence was presented, but ultimately, she thought Paltrow's testimony to be more convincing. "I think there was, in the back of my mind, yes, this woman's an actress and I took that into account, but I didn't feel she had a reason to lie under oath," Imrie said. "She's always in the spotlight so she always has to be honest." hg/bgs Gwyneth Paltrow sits in court. Closing arguments have ended and the jury is deliberating in a civil trial over a 2016 ski collision involving US actress Gwyneth Paltrow. Retired optometrist Terry Sanderson, 76, alleges Paltrow crashed into him, leaving him with life-changing injuries. He is seeking $300,000 (245,000) in damages. Ms Paltrow, 50, blames him for the accident. Her lawyers argue he is exploiting her celebrity status. The Oscar winner is countersuing for $1 plus legal fees. Ms Paltrow has been present in court every day of her civil trial in Park City, in western Utah. The room - courtroom B at Park City's Third District Court - was full on Thursday with people waiting to hear closing statements. Graphic showing the two versions of what happened: jurors must decide who was higher up and therefore to blame for the collision but both Sanderson and Paltrow claim to have been further downhill Mr Sanderson claims the accident at the upmarket resort left him with brain damage and broken ribs and damaged his relationships with his family. Ms Paltrow denied being responsible for the accident during her testimony last week. Thursday's proceedings kicked off half an hour later than usual and were beset with technical difficulties. Dr Richard Boehme, the prosecution's final rebuttal witness, testified virtually via Zoom while on holiday - but was forced to move to a less effective method of testifying via speakerphone. Dr Boehme argued the defence's biomechanics expert on ski collision had "mischaracterised" the nature of the accident, but also conceded he had not skied in decades and had no expertise in ski accidents. In their closing argument, Mr Sanderson's lawyer said that Ms Paltrow was "a good person" and "not a liar" but that her version of events did not hold up to scrutiny. "Terry went out for a fun day of skiing," Robert Sykes said. "He never came back that night as the same person." His colleague, Lawrence Buhler, added that the defence had skewered his client over his pre-existing health issues but that "he was healthy enough to ski and now he doesn't". Mr Sanderson's lawyer argued the retired optometrist's life changed and that, in many ways, he was "still on the mountain". Story continues In their own turn, defence lawyers said Ms Paltrow had been "pounded like a punching bag" by a man who "likes to be in the spotlight". "He hit her, he hurt her and he's not entitled to sue her," said Steve Owens. His colleague James Egan added that it was hard for Mr Sanderson "to accept the decline he is experiencing" and had "grabbed on to the collision to explain it". "Ms Paltrow wants him off the mountain too," he said, "but she should not be responsible for the cost". Gwyneth Paltrow leaves the court during the lawsuit trial of Terry Sanderson vs. Gwyneth Paltrow at the Park City District Courthouse in Park City on Tuesday, March 28, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News Answers are coming. The closely, even obsessively, watched trial over a 2016 collision between actress-turned-wellness guru Gwyneth Paltrow and retired optometrist Terry Sanderson appears to be coming to a close on Thursday. Related Paltrow and Sanderson both claim the other is at fault for the incident. Sanderson is suing Paltrow for $300,000 in damages. Paltrow countersued for $1, per the Deseret News. Attorneys are expected to give their closing arguments to the eight-member jury on Thursday morning, reports The Guardian. A verdict could come as soon as Thursday afternoon. Sandersons attorney called Dr. Richard Boehme, a neurologist and biomechanical engineer, to the stand on Thursday morning as the final witness of the trial, according to The Associated Press. Boehme claimed his analysis of Sandersons injuries suggested the force necessary to fracture four ribs could come from Paltrow colliding into Sanderson from behind. Boehme testified that blunt force caused the accident. Something had to fall on top of him to cause those ribs to fracture in an otherwise healthy male. Any human weighing greater than 100 pounds falling on Mr Sanderson would qualify as a traumatic event, Boehme explained to the jury, per the Daily Mail. On Wednesday, Paltrows defense team called a string of medical experts to the stand to testify. Dr Robert Hoesch, a neurologist, claimed that Sandersons symptoms were a result of the trial. My job is to help the patient and family gain acceptance that this mild event seven years ago isnt causing all these problems that hes having now, Hoesch testified, per the Daily Mail. Suing somebody, going through a trial, a trial that has national recognition, can bring on a lot of anxiety and if youre prone to that, its going to make it worse and its going to slow your recovery. Story continues Depositions from Paltrows two children who were with her on the slopes that fateful day were read in court this week. Related Paltrows son, Moses Martin, who was 9 years old at the time of the collision, said he did not see the actual collision happen but he recalled seeing his mother and a person behind her who had crashed on the ground, per Good Morning America. Gwyneth Paltrow attended every day of her ski collision trial. Her outfits have been closely watched by fans and critics alike. Getty/Ap/Ap Gwyneth Paltrow's courtroom looks have taken social media by storm. Insider spoke to former celebrity stylist Sandra Okerulu about Paltrow's courtroom fashion. She said Paltrow's looks have gained so much attention because she's wearing comfortable attire. For the past two weeks, Gwyneth Paltrow has been in court in Utah, fighting a lawsuit from a retired optometrist who claims the actress crashed into him on a beginner slope at Deer Valley Resort in 2016. Paltrow wore a preppy navy suit jacket and brown trousers for the final day of her ski collision trial in Utah. Rick Bowmer/AP Paltrow's courtroom looks have taken social media by storm, with The New York Times even labeling it "courtcore." On the penultimate day of her ski collision trial, Paltrow opted for a dark turtleneck while clutching the blue $250 notebook she has jotted in throughout the case. Rick Bowmer/AP Insider spoke to former celebrity stylist Sandra Okerulu, who weighed in on Paltrow's courtroom fashion and the message she might be trying to convey to the jury and the world at large. Paltrow opted for a more feminine look on the sixth day of her ski collision trial, wearing a $425 pink pussy-bow blouse from her own G. Label by Goop. Jeffrey D. Allred/The Deseret News via AP, Pool Okerulu said she believes Paltrow's style choices have gained so much attention because she's not conforming to the usual business formal attire one would expect a celebrity to wear to a trial. Perhaps Paltrow's biggest statement piece throughout the trial has been her $1,450 Prada combat boots. She's pictured above on the fifth day of the trial. Rick Bowmer/AP "On average, when celebrities are getting ready to go into a courtroom, they're wearing the sharpest suit, the tailored pants, a really cinched dress suit. She didn't do that," Okerulu said. Paltrow wore this look to take the stand during the fourth day of the trial. Rick Bowmer/AP Instead, Paltrow's outfits have skewed more comfortable, while still being dressed up and conservative for the courtroom. Okerulu noted the rolled up sleeves on her suit jacket here, and the fabric that seemed more relaxed than typical suit material. A common theme among Paltrow's courtroom looks were the masculine silhouettes. Paltrow is pictured above on the third day of the trial. Jeff Swinger-Pool/Getty Images "She's not trying to impress the jury," Okerulu said. "I think Gwyneth Paltrow is really focused on just being herself. It's just another day in the office." Paltrow wore a belted white cardigan with a statement necklace for the second day of the trial. Rick Bowmer/AP Okerulu said Paltrow's choices may have a long lasting impact on how people dress for court. "You don't have to recreate your whole image to prove your innocence. You can just be yourself." Paltrow is seen leaving Park City, Utah court on the first day of her ski collision trial. MEGA/GC Images via Getty Read the original article on Insider A top priority in Iredell County is affordable housing. Habitat for Humanity held a meeting on Thursday morning in Mooresville to discuss the affordable housing crisis and its impact on North Mecklenburg and Iredell Counties. The meeting was made up of landlords, developers, and those struggling to find long-term or permanent affordable housing. Habitat for Humanity says it is putting in lots of extra work to keep up with the high demand. Laura Belcher, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region, told Channel 9s Anthony Kustura that the community is underbuilt and they have the challenge of remodeling decades of work. We have underbuilt as a community and as a society in this country for several years and decades, and that is a challenge now that we need to try and unwind, Belcher said. Because of Iredell Countys location on Lake Norman, home affordability is impacted. Home values increase year after year, driving out current residents and keeping away first-time homeowners. ALSO READ: Construction begins on Habitat for Humanitys 39-home development in west Charlotte In 2022, Habitat for Humanity invested almost $2 million to build 19 new homes. This year in Mooresville, the nonprofit is working hard to get more land to build a dozen affordable townhomes. With vacant lots of land being hard to come by, Habitat for Humanity is also looking to repair existing homes. Rhonda Wilson, a Mooresville native, told Kustura that her 50-year-old home was in need of a facelift or else she would be kicked out. With help from Habitat for Humanity, Wilsons home repairs will be finished later this summer. I wasnt able to afford it anymore because I lost my job, Wilson explained, and its kind of scary, you know, so Im thankful for Habitat for Humanity for helping people in need. The nonprofit says it will continue its hard work because it believes everyone is entitled to a safe and affordable place to live. Were trying to work both ends; were trying to build new homes and preserve existing homes to allow people to stay in the community they know and love, Belcher said. Story continues To access Mooresvilles Housing Needs Survey, please click here. (WATCH BELOW: Need for affordable housing increases as availability decreases, Meck County reports) WASHINGTON Foreign hackers are targeting contractors to the U.S. government not only for their intellectual property and non-public information, but also to find furtive avenues into Pentagon networks, according to the director of the Defense Information Systems Agency. Lt. Gen. Robert Skinner on March 29 told Congress that hackers backed by China, Russia and other adversaries are applying very high levels of effort to digitally infiltrate, surveil and make off with plans or intelligence closely held by suppliers to the Department of Defense. Also on their radar are means of going upstream, he said at a Senate Armed Services subcommittee hearing. Some of them see the defense industrial base as a soft underbelly, said Skinner, who also serves as the commander of the Joint Force Headquarters-Department of Defense Information Network. Thats why our work with [Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification] 2.0 and our work day-to-day with our defense industrial base partners is critical moving forward, because thats where the adversary is really targeting. CMMC 2.0 is a framework launched in 2021 to protect the defense industrial bases sensitive unclassified information from frequent and increasingly complex cyberattacks. In October, the National Security Agency, FBI and other federal entities said hackers managed to infiltrate a defense industrial base organization, maintain persistent, long-term access to its network and abscond with sensitive data. They did not identify the victim. Years prior, Chinese-sponsored cyberattacks breached a Navy contractors computers, jeopardizing info tied to secret work on an anti-ship missile, Defense News reported. US sent hunt-forward team to Albania in wake of Iranian cyberattacks The Pentagons fiscal 2024 budget blueprint seeks $13.5 billion for what it described as cyberspace activities. They include zero-trust a cybersecurity paradigm in which networks are assumed already breached, thus requiring constant validation of users and devices as well as supply chain risk management. Story continues The latest cyber request is up 20.5% from the FY23 ask. The spending is needed to keep the Pentagons virtual pipelines thickly insulated, according to Pentagon CIO John Sherman, who testified alongside Skinner. All of our systems, be they for weapons, enterprise IT, command and control, business systems or defense critical infrastructure, must be equipped with the most modern cyber defenses that can stand up to savvy and determined state and non-state actors, Sherman said. The Biden administrations national cybersecurity strategy labels China as the No. 1 cyber threat, capable of siphoning data and contorting information for its own authoritarian gain. Russia, the strategy says, remains a significant cyber threat and is refining its espionage and influence skills. As weve seen in Ukraine, todays battlefields are increasingly digital and connected, with all the opportunities and vulnerabilities that environment presents, Sherman said. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries blasted Republicans on Thursday for refusing to engage in gun safety discussions after six people were killed in a mass shooting at a school in Nashville, Tennessee. The New York Democrat told reporters that GOP House leaders should allow debate on whether to restore a ban on assault-style weapons. Extreme MAGA Republicans should bring the bipartisan universal criminal background check legislation to the floor, and should also bring to the floor an assault weapons ban so we can have a debate out in [the] open, in front of the American people, as to whether weapons of war have any place in a civilized society, Jeffries said. Were confident in our position. Stop hiding your position, he continued. And lets debate this issue of gun safety in front of the American people. Weapons of war which are not used to hunt deer, but are used to hunt human beings and slaughter innocent children do not belong in our communities. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries calls on Republicans to debate a ban on semi-automatic rifles on the floor pic.twitter.com/9qRAW6rLmE The Recount (@therecount) March 30, 2023 Jeffries remarks come just days after three 9-year-old children and three staff members were shot to death at The Covenant School in Nashville. The shooter legally purchased seven firearms, including two assault rifles and a pistol used in the attack, according to police. Officers fatally shot the suspect at the school. Our classrooms have become killing fields, Jeffries said. Is that acceptable in America? Following the Monday massacre, gun control activists, concerned parents and teachers, and Democratic lawmakers swiftly called for gun safety legislation, including the assault weapons ban. But Republicans, many of whom receive money from the gun lobby, refuse to budge. Story continues Republicans won't do SHIT when it comes to gun violence, but try to tell me to calm down. NO. We can't calm down. People are dying everyday while we wait. pic.twitter.com/38mYYW9cgs Congressman Jamaal Bowman (@RepBowman) March 29, 2023 On Wednesday, Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) got into a heated argument with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) over the GOPs opposition to gun safety, after imploring journalists on Capitol Hill to ask Republicans what their plan is to address the gun violence epidemic. Massie, who chairs the gun-loving Second Amendment Caucus, stepped in to propose that teachers should be armed at schools. Carry guns? More guns lead to more death, Bowman repeatedly shouted before Massie told him to calm down. Calm down? Children are dying, said the Democratic lawmaker, who spent decades as a teacher. The solution is not arming teachers. On Thursday, Jeffries said he has not yet spoken to Bowman about the argument, but understands passions are running high on the issue. Our children are being slaughtered in the streets of America, the House Democratic leader said. No other country has this problem. The House passed a ban on assault weapons in July, when it was led by Democrats, but the bill was never introduced on the Senate floor. With Republicans now in control of the chamber, its unlikely that such a ban will get to President Joe Bidens desk. In the wee hours before sunrise, friends and families pack tables at IHOP on Route 46 in Totowa to chow down on omelets, pancakes and hash browns before they start their daily fast during Ramadan. For Muslim Americans, the breakfast-anytime chain is a popular destination during the holy month, because they can fill up on hearty dishes for the pre-dawn meal called suhoor. Now they have another reason to make the trip. Just in time for Ramadan, IHOP in Totowa has introduced a new halal menu, meaning it will serve items permissible under Islamic law. For Muslims, that means they can finally have turkey bacon with their omelets and chicken with their cheesy quesadilla. For Muslim diners looking to have a meal before the sunrise during the month of Ramadan, a halal menu is available at the Route 46 IHOP in Totowa, NJ. Im Muslim myself, so its something I always wanted to do, said Suhaib Jubran, partner and manager at the restaurant, who also goes by Abe. It makes the community feel like they are back at home, especially in the New Jersey area, where they have all Arab traditions and foods. Now they have halal American foods. The announcement, made on the restaurants social media pages, quickly attracted attention from New Jersey residents who liked and shared the news. But they also had questions, wanting to know about menu items and how they would be cooked. Most non-meat items are already considered halal. Jubran is taking extra steps to ensure that every ingredient is fully compliant. For instance, he makes sure cheese products are free of pork enzymes and that foods do not contain gelatin, which may be made with pork collagen. Fresh Berry Crepes is on the halal menu, which available to diners at the Route 46 IHOP in Totowa, NJ. We have to read and contact companies and check every single ingredient, he said. Even if I have a question, I take it off the list. Foods that are halal do not contain pork products or alcohol. Some Muslims avoid non-halal restaurants altogether, concerned about cross-contamination if food is cooked on the same equipment. Jubran has invested in a new grill so staff can cook food separately. Jubran also trained workers on halal food practices. Story continues The menu, unveiled last week, features popular dishes like chicken fajitas, grilled chicken with salad, and turkey bacon with pancakes made from halal poultry slaughtered and prepared according to Islamic law. More: 'Proud and historic': Two hijab-wearing women sworn in as judges in NJ Sameer Sarmast, the popular Instagrammer behind Sameers Eats, an online show about halal foods, said he was eager to go with friends to check out the new halal menu. At IHOP, he often orders omelets and pancakes without meat. Now, he looks forward to a heaping side of turkey bacon. Being an American, born and raised, Ive always been intrigued by having American foods halalified, Sarmast said. That a mainstream chain is doing this is huge and exciting." Jubran said the new menu, unveiled last week, is already drawing even bigger crowds to the Totowa eatery. There are more than 1,600 IHOP locations in the U.S., but only a handful have halal menus, including in Tujunga and Fullerton in California and one in Burke, Virginia. For Muslim diners looking to have a meal before the sunrise during the month of Ramadan, a Halal menu is available at the Route 46 IHOP in Totowa, NJ The Totowa location is open 24 hours from Tuesday through Sunday, and 12 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Mondays. More: 30 Bergen towns will celebrate Ramadan this year. Here's how it happened With hours that fit their schedule, the chain has become a huge draw for Muslims during Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month on the Islamic calendar, when Muslims believe the Quran, Islams holy book, was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. During this time, Muslims focus on prayer and charity and fast from sunrise to sundown. For Muslim diners looking to have a meal before sunrise during the month of Ramadan, a halal menu is available at the Route 46 IHOP in Totowa, NJ. Traditionally, families have meals together during Ramadan, both suhoor and the fast-breaking meal called iftar. But for a growing number of Muslims, especially young people, eating at diners has become a beloved tradition. In New Jersey, they may crowd one of many local 24-hour diners to indulge in hearty meals. Others eat at Middle Eastern restaurants that adapt their hours to open for suhoor. And many will go to IHOP. For Muslim foodies like Sarmast, its a big deal for a place like IHOP to add halal foods to the menu. He feels it is part of a larger trend of businesses and municipalities being more inclusive toward Muslims. They are understanding the demographic makeup of this country, he said. Recognizing Muslims is a huge part of that. This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Totowa NJ IHOP launches halal menu, in time for Ramadan Trump at a rally at the Waco Regional Airport on March 25. Brandon Bell / Getty Images MANHATTAN Former president Donald Trump has been indicted by a grand jury in New York over his role in a hush payment made to an adult film star during the 2016 election an unprecedented and monumental development that is certain to rattle US politics as the country gears up for another election. In a statement, Trump said the indictment is "political persecution" and "election interference at the highest level in history." "The Democrats have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to 'Get Trump,' but now they've done the unthinkable indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant election interference," the statement reads. The indictment spearheaded by the Manhattan district attorneys office, which confirmed the indictment on Thursday, marks the first time in US history that a president former or current has been criminally charged. It also comes as Trump, who has so often seemed to escape real consequences over his many scandals and wrongdoings, makes another run for the White House. Trump will now need to be formally arrested and arraigned like any other defendant a stunning fall from grace for someone who was once one of the most powerful people on the planet. But unlike others who appear in court, Trump will be accompanied by Secret Service agents as he does so. As of Thursday, Trump was reportedly at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, and a spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said his office was working with Trump's attorneys to coordinate his surrender and select a date for arraignment. News of the indictment, while staggering, was not unexpected. For weeks, legal and media observers had been preparing for the possibility that Trump would be charged as the grand jury in Manhattan heard evidence about the $130,000 payment to adult performer Stormy Daniels , whose real name is Stephanie Clifford and who alleged she had sex with Trump in 2006 a claim he has denied. DA Alvin Bragg leaves court after the Trump indictment. Takes no questions from press. Sirens blare as his motorcade leaves 11:15 PM - 30 Mar 2023 Outside the Manhattan courthouse, the media and Trump critics gathered to witness history. Some people had signs, including one that read "Lock him up and throw away the key," and another that read "Trump is over." Story continues New York resident Jennifer Hobbs told BuzzFeed News she was happy about the indictment. "Id like to see him in handcuffs," Hobbs said. "Id like to see a mugshot. ... This is a man whos a misogynist. Its a serious crime, and it was happening moments before he was elected." Robert Hoatson of New Jersey said hes been waiting for this moment for years. "I was getting frustrated that it didnt seem like they could penetrate whatever circles him," he told BuzzFeed News. "He seems to have dodged all kinds of trials and tribulations and arrests, but now its done." David Mack / BuzzFeed News On Thursday evening, Daniels thanked her supporters and said orders for her #TeamStormy merch were "pouring in." Thank you to everyone for your support and love! I have so many messages coming in that I can't respond...also don't want to spill my champagne #Teamstormy merch/autograph orders are pouring in, too! Thank you for that as well but allow a few extra days for shipment. 11:42 PM - 30 Mar 2023 Daniels's lawyer, however, tweeted that the indictment is "no cause for joy." "The hard work and conscientiousness of the grand jurors must be respected," he tweeted. "Now let truth and justice prevail. No one is above the law. #teamstormy" The indictment of Donald Trump is no cause for joy. The hard work and conscientiousness of the grand jurors must be respected. Now let truth and justice prevail. No one is above the law. #teamstormy 10:02 PM - 30 Mar 2023 In recent weeks, even Trump himself had seemed to acknowledge that the walls were closing in and used the impending charges to fundraise for his 2024 bid . THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE AND FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK, Trump wrote in a March 18 prediction (which did not come to pass) on his website Truth Social. PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!Those words, which echoed the calls for action Trump made to his supporters immediately before they stormed the Capitol in DC over his false claims of election fraud, prompted authorities in New York to heavily increase security around the Manhattan courthouse and district attorney's office. We do not tolerate attempts to intimidate our office or threaten the rule of law in New York, Bragg wrote in an internal memo to staff. It is not immediately clear what charge or charges Trump is facing. Under New York law, falsifying business records can be a felony if it is done to conceal evidence of another crime in this instance, a violation of federal election campaign finance laws. Prosecutors began presenting evidence to the grand jury in January and reportedly offered Trump an opportunity to testify in March, which observers said was a sign that he could soon be indicted. Prominent Republicans, including some who seem likely to compete against Trump for the 2024 presidential nomination, have previously criticized the case as being politically motivated. Former vice president Mike Pence called it a politically charged prosecution, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Bragg was pushing a "political agenda."I dont know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair," DeSantis added in comments on March 20, evidently relishing the opportunity to needle his main rival . "I cant speak to that."Speaker Kevin McCarthy also said he wanted Congress to investigate whether federal funding was used to "subvert our democracy by interfering in elections with politically motivated prosecutions." Stormy Daniels in 2018 Markus Schreiber / AP The charges are the outcome of a yearslong investigation by New York prosecutors into the payment, which was first reported in January 2018.Clifford alleged that she had a sexual relationship with Trump in 2006 and that, after the 2016 release of the Access Hollywood tape in which he brags about grabbing women by the pussy, she wanted to speak out about her experience with the thenpresidential candidate.When his campaign caught wind of her plans to go public, Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen paid her $130,000 as part of a nondisclosure agreement to keep quiet about the alleged affair, Clifford said. Trump initially denied knowing anything about the payment but later admitted that he reimbursed Cohen for the money. Still, he has denied the allegations that he had sex with Clifford and said the payment had nothing to do with his campaign. Cohen later pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges and served time in prison for facilitating the payment and for other crimes related to his work for Trump. He sat for several days of grand jury testimony in mid-March after Trump declined to do so himself. Cohen has been cooperating with authorities in multiple investigations into his former boss. "This is an important day for America and it's a very important day for justice and also for accountability," he told MSNBC on Thursday. The investigation into Trumps role in the hush payment is one of several ongoing probes into the former president for which he may also face charges. A special counsel for the Department of Justice is investigating Trump's actions related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, as well his handling of classified documents . And in Georgia, authorities are investigating whether Trump interfered in the 2020 election in what is seen as one of the most significant legal threats hes facing as he gears up for his 2024 presidential campaign. More on this Amsterdam's red light district. Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images Amsterdam wants British men traveling to the city for drug-fueled parties to stay away. The city launched a campaign targeting "messy" young British men, telling them to "stay away." British tourists have been caught urinating in public, vomiting into canals, and fighting, per the BBC. Amsterdam's government has a message for party-happy British men who only plan to take drugs and make a scene in the city: Stay away. The city's new campaign involves running online advertisements that specifically target British men aged 18 to 35. The video-based ads will be prompted by search terms like "pub crawl Amsterdam," and "cheap hotel Amsterdam," per a statement released by the city's council on Tuesday. These videos are specifically designed to warn tourists of the consequences of bad behavior. One clip shows an inebriated man getting handcuffed by the police, along with ominous background music. The text on the video says: "Coming to Amsterdam for a messy night + getting trashed = 140 fine + criminal record = fewer prospects." It adds: "So, coming to Amsterdam for a messy night? Stay away." The campaign will target British men aged 18 to 35 for now, per the city's statement. It will be expanded in the next year to repel all manner of "nuisance visitors" from other countries in the European Union. "Visitors will remain welcome, but not if they misbehave and cause nuisance," Amsterdam's deputy mayor Sofyan Mbarki said in the statement. "In that case, we as a city will say: rather not, stay away." Mbarki added that while Amsterdam is a bustling city, restrictive measures need to be taken to keep the city "liveable." Amsterdam welcomes an estimated 20 million tourists every year, per Statista. This includes around a million visitors from the UK, per the BBC. The red light district accounts for 10% to 15% of its tourism, per CNN. Amsterdam is also a cheap getaway for tourists from the UK. They can find return plane tickets to the city for $62, the BBC reported. Story continues British tourists, lured by "steak and strip" nights and free-flow booze on canal boat cruises, have been caught urinating in public spaces, vomiting into canals, fighting, and public nudity, per the BBC. Adding to the mix is the widespread availability of marijuana. Amsterdam is one of the only cities in Europe which sells the drug legally. But steps have been taken by the local government to sanitize the city's image. Smoking weed in the red light district will be banned come May, per CNN. This was after residents living around the area experienced a "lot of nuisance from mass tourism and alcohol and drug abuse on the street," This is not the first time that Amsterdam has tried to curb rowdy tourists from tearing up its streets. In 2021, the city kicked off a similar campaign that aimed to keep out "nuisance visitors." But this campaign did not specifically target British men. Representatives of the city's government did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment sent outside regular business hours. Read the original article on Insider Credit - On Oct. 7, 1492, Christopher Columbus, aboard his ship the Santa Maria, had been at a complete standstill for 21 days, trapped in a very strange sea which he would later name the Sargasso Seasargazo in Spanish meaning gulfweed. Today, the Sargasso Seaan elliptical expanse in the southwestern Atlantic at the center of which lies Bermudais six times the size of France, and is the only sea in the world with no shoreline. There was great anxiety among Columbuss sailors as their already heavily rationed food supplies dwindled the longer they remained stuck. Not the slightest wind, not the slightest wave, only this tangle of seaweed as far as the eye could seeit felt as though the Santa Maria was destined to stay bogged down in the golden mass forever. But finally, a light breeze came and helped bush them through towards the shores of the Bahamas. As far back as 2,000 years ago, people were warned of the impenetrable Sargasso Sea. What caused such a mass of seaweed likely remained a mystery to Columbus. But today we have a better picture of whats causing this phenomenon. The incredible accumulation of algae over millions of square miles is linked to a vortex created by the convergence of three great marine currents of the Atlanticthis clockwise circulation, generated as the ocean currents collide with one another, is known as the North Atlantic gyre. That vortex, and an excess of agricultural nutrients and chemicals that leak into the sea, is to blame. The resulting massive blobs of sargassum (a type of brown seaweed, also known as golden tides) are a growing challengeas Florida is right now experiencingbut this seaweed also presents a multitude of untapped opportunities. The first golden tides noticed in the U.S. were reported off the coasts of Texas and Florida in the 1980s. And since 2011, the proliferation of sargassum in the Caribbean has accelerated exponentially, multiplying its biomass tenfold in the space of a few years. The Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt now covers an area from Central America to the coast of West Africa. From Texas to Abidjan, these huge rafts form a strip of nearly 5,600 miles. Story continues Read more: The Ocean Farmers Trying to Save the World With Seaweed In the open sea, sargassum contributes to biodiversity by providing a refuge for turtles, crabs, and fish. But when their proliferation takes them near the coasts at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, they prevent light from penetrating which causes the corals and seagrasses to die. Once dead, the coral and seagrasses decompose and absorb all the oxygen, creating deserted areas on the shoreline to the detriment of fish, crustaceans, and turtles. On land, however, they cover the shores for several miles in heaps over three feet thick, releasing a stench similar to rotten eggs as they decompose. The hydrogen sulfide they emit causes eye irritation, nausea, sore throat or ears, or itchy skin. This phenomenon destroys all tourist activities in disadvantaged areas where this income is essential to the population. The seaweed also clogs the propellers of fishing boats, preventing fishermen from working. These mountains of seaweed are not exclusive to the Sargasso Sea. Today, much of the seaweed originates from a more southerly region, opposite Brazil, at the mouth of the Amazon. The banks of the worlds largest river have been suffering for years from the ravages of intensive agriculture and deforestation, and are spitting out an incalculable amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and other waste into the ocean. Exhausted and leached soils regurgitate hundreds of thousands of gallons of pollutants and wastewater and act on the seaweed like oil thrown onto a fire: the seaweed proliferates and accumulates by millions of tons. In 2011, there were 10 million metric tons of sargassum, in 2018, this figure reached 20 million metric tons. The problem with the sargassum is theyre incredibly difficult to eradicate, especially as their routes through the sea are almost impossible to predict. Studies are underway into offshore booms or boats specifically built to harvest them alive offshore, but the difficulty in predicting the location of the seaweed and the dates of its proliferation makes it complicated to implement these innovations. There are also some proposals to develop a means of sinking the seaweed in the open sea in order to sequester the carbon from its biomass in the marine sediments for thousands of years to come. Read more: How Seaweed Helps Cows Become Better Climate Citizens Rather than get rid of the seaweed, though, some people hope to transform it into something more useful. The most profitable potential at present seems to be in its alginate, which can be processed into biomaterials. Local investors in places such as Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and France are demonstrating a growing interest in using sargassum in biodegradable packaging. Other entrepreneurs are starting to manufacture building bricks using this sargassum. In 2018, a Mexican company built a house in two weeks from sargassum harvested on the coast of Puerto Morelos. It was dried and mixed with wet raw earth to form bricks which then hardened in the sun. According to studies by scientists from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), a house made from these bricks can withstand earthquakes and strong winds. The bricks obtained by incorporating this brown seaweed provide much more resilience than traditional ones. These solutions arent without their challenges. Industrial processing plants enabling these applications would be a possibility, but working out where to put them is complex given the imprecise location of the algal bloom from year to year. And the stakes are high. If no solution is found, then the very sargassum that struck terror into Columbuss sailors could destroy the coastal resourcesboth biological and economicof Central America and even Africa in the years to come. Unfortunately, there is no indication right now that the countries bordering the Amazon River are committed to taking action to limit deforestation, pollution, and the influx of nutrients and minerals into the ocean. After all, we must remember that sargassum is not the cause of our problemsit is a symptom. Seaweed is too often perceived as a risk. On the contrary, it represents an opportunity. Its bad reputation is linked to the economic and ecological damage caused throughout the world by tides of seaweed that weve been unable to control or fully understand. So we must ask ourselves: What keys to progress might be hidden in seaweed and in our capacity to rediscover the ocean today? The Seaweed Revolution by Vincent Doumeizel, translated by Charlotte Coombe, published by Hero in Hardback and ebook. Published in the U.K. on April 25, 2023 and in the U.S. on Sept. 5 2023. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex launched Archewell in October 2020 The Duke and Duchess of Sussexs charity received $13 million from two anonymous philanthropists in its first year of operation, tax records have revealed. Archewell Foundation received $10 million from one unknown individual donor and $3 million from another, alongside $4,470 in public donations. The organisation has never asked the public for donations and it operates on the basis of making partnerships and investing millions of dollars across the non-profit space for sustainable programs and campaigns. The tax returns of the Duke and Duchesss non-profit organisation listed the couple as working one hour per week each for the charitable arm of their company, but this is standard practice for directors in the US for these forms. Archewell Foundation is understood to have filed its tax returns on time for the fiscal year 2021, which was the charitys first full year of operation after it was established in October 2020. Charity spent $163,085 on salaries The document, which is a 990 tax form, is an overview of all revenue, expenditure and donations for tax-exempt organisations. It also showed that the non-profit spent $163,085 on salaries, which the Duke and Duchess do not take. James Holt, the chief executive of the foundation, was listed as working for an hour a week and received a $59,846 salary as well as $3,832 in other benefits. The two other salaries on the tax return are $40,867 for program service and $22,811 for management and general expenses. Other expenses total $727,666, which includes $427,110 on legal fees, over $69,000 on conferences, meetings and conventions, and just over $12,000 on travel. A total of 16 staff members have left Archewell since it was founded, with the most recent including Ben Browning, internal content head of Archewell Productions, the filmed content arm, and Fara Taylor, who led Archewells marketing team. Those departures, announced in January, followed the earlier announcement that the couple would take full lead of their company after Mandana Dayani, who ran Archewell for less than 18 months, stepped down. Story continues The organisation, which is based in Beverly Hills, includes the couples business and their non-profit ventures and was founded after they stepped down as working members of the Royal family. Its name originates from the Ancient Greek word arche, meaning source of action, and the English word well. Three million dollars donated The tax returns come after the foundations first Impact Report was released in January, showing that the Sussexes non-profit organisation donated $3 million of the $13 million raised. The money raised was given away to causes including refugee resettlement and humanitarian relief centres. For example, it went towards providing 50,000 meals through a partnership with World Central Kitchen and rescuing more than 7,400 people from Afghanistan through a partnership with Human First Coalition. The couples focus for the charitys next year will include building a better online world, restoring trust in information, and uplifting communities. In its first year, the charity expensed a total of $3,987,070, with just over $3 million going as various grants to over 40 organisations across key focus areas including vaccine equity, relief centres, refugee resettlement and building a better online world. The remaining $369,925 covered administrative expenses including employee compensation, benefits and taxes, legal fees, events, and travel. This ratio of program services to administrative expenses is standard practice for an organisation of its size. The Trans Resistance Network mourned the death of Audrey Hale, the mass shooter responsible for the deaths of six people, including three children, at a Christian private elementary school in Nashville. The group, which describes its mission as defending the long-term survival and well-being of gender diverse people in a more extreme environment, released an official statement on Monday insisting that todays incident in Nashville, TN is not one tragedy by two. The first tragedy is the loss of life of three children and adults, the self-described collective wrote. The second and more complex tragedy is that Aiden or Audrey Hale, who felt he had no other effective way to be seen than to lash out by taking the life of others, and by consequence, himself. "Hate has consequences." Radical #trans activist group, the Trans Resistance Network, has released a statement mourning the death of the #Nashville Christian school mass shooter. The statement says there were two tragedies, the murder of the children & school staff, & also that pic.twitter.com/XkbEeqfb7j Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) March 28, 2023 We do not claim to know the individual or have access to their inner thoughts and feelings. We do know that life for transgender people is very difficult, and made more difficult in the preceding months by a virtual avalanche of anti-trans legislation, and public callouts by Right Wing personalities and political figures for nothing less than the genocidal eradication of trans people from society, the collective noted. All of these factors contribute to a population that is medically under-served and who often face anti-trans bias while accessing care leading to significant physical and mental health disparities. Hate has consequences, the group warned near the bottom of the news release. Story continues The services offered by the Trans Resistance Network include relocating people to a safer state and providing access [to] care out of state. The group also has a protected social-media account with over 3,000 followers. Earlier this month, the group made a similar call to action, which investigative journalist Andy Ngo revealed. Cis-gendered people are OFFICIALLY INVITED to do literally ANYTHING to oppose trans genocide, a tweet from March 4 reads. The group that posted a statement mourning the death of the #Nashville transgender mass shooter had recently posted a graphic calling for others "to do literally ANYTHING to oppose trans genocide." Posts like this are their dog whistles to political violence. Like terrorist https://t.co/WlnYOXwmi0 pic.twitter.com/x4ZuegjAy9 Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) March 29, 2023 Representative Andy Ogles (R., Tenn.), who represents the district where the attack to place, condemned the statement. Any attempt to turn a mass murderer into a martyr is beyond disturbing, the Tennessee representative told Fox News Digital. The notion that someone would try to justify this atrocity disgusts me to my core. March 27, 2023, was not a dual tragedy as this radical group wrote. It was a targeted attack on children attending a Christian school, perpetrated by a hate-filled domestic terrorist. There is no place for accepting or justifying the actions of The Covenant School shooter. More from National Review FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is pushing for answers from the Department of Homeland Security over its controversial "CBP One" app which allows migrants to make appointments to enter the U.S. and which he dubbed a "concierge service" for illegal immigrants during a fiery exchange with DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas earlier this week. "Under your leadership, the Department is marketing a new phone app, called CBP One, that allows unauthorized migrants to reserve a time to cross the border, like making a restaurant reservation. How convenient," Hawley said in a letter to Mayorkas obtained by Fox News Digital. In January, the Biden administration expanded the use of the CBP One app, which has first been released in 2020 as a portal to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) services, to allow migrants at the southern border to schedule appointments at ports of entry. BIDEN ADMINISTRATION'S CBP ONE APP TO MANAGE MIGRATION PLAGUED BY LOW STORE RATINGS, TECH ISSUES "The CBP One app is an innovative solution we are using to facilitate the safe and orderly arrival of noncitizens who believe they meet certain vulnerability criteria and are requesting a humanitarian exception to the CDCs Title 42 Order," Mayorkas said in January. "When Title 42 eventually lifts, this new feature will join one of the many tools and processes this Administration is providing for individuals to seek protection in a safe, orderly, and humane manner and to strengthen the security of our borders." The new app process sees migrants have their photo taken and submit information via the app, while scheduling an appointment up to 14 days in advance to met with a CBP official at a port of entry. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Hawley grilled Mayorkas on the matter at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing this week, when he called it a "concierge service" for illegal immigrants. "It's like a concierge service for illegal immigrants. My question is, you didn't think the border crisis was bad enough that now we're going to have an app that allows illegals to schedule their appointments and come and be admitted to this country" he said. Story continues TEXAS SEN. CORNYN TEARS INTO MAYORKAS OVER FENTANYL, BORDER CRISIS: YOU SHOULD BE FIRED Mayorkas accused Hawley of "mischaracterizing" the applications use and said that currently being used for those who claim an exception to the Title 42 expulsion authority which is due to end in May. "So instead of them coming in between the ports of entry to claim that urgent medical condition, that extraordinarily acute humanitarian cause, we allow a limited number to arrive at our ports of entry and seek the emergency relief that they need," he said. Hawley, in his letter, pushed back against Mayorkas description of a "limited" number. "You told me at the hearing that the app was available to a limited number of persons. But you also said tens of thousands of migrants have used it. And your Department has pledged to "expan[d] access to the app in Central Mexico"so even more migrants can schedule their border crossing," he said. "That is far from limited." Hawley also cited reporting from the Texas Monthly that found that users are not asked whether they are seeking to claim asylum, and that migrants are not interviewed or asked questions about why they are seeking to enter the U.S. -- and are instead "simply released into the country on official parole." "Nothing in this new program requires you to actually seek asylum somehow. We decided to punish those who arrive at the border without the app who may be seeking asylum. But we just let in anybody who may or may not have any particular reason to seek asylum so long as they've made an appointment on your Ticketmaster app," Hawley said in the hearing. "Senator, it's a complete mischaracterization of the program that we announced and are implementing," Mayorkas responded, later calling Hawleys characterization "confusing and erroneous." In his letter, Hawley continued his criticism as he called the spending on the app "baffling." He also noted that migrants released into the U.S. are unlikely to see removal for years, if ever. "Migrants who use CBP One to get across the border are unlikely to face consequences for years: frivolously claiming asylum ensures that an illegal migrant can stay in the United States almost indefinitely, while their asylum claim remains caught up in a massive backlog. And even if they ultimately lose their asylum cases, DHS wont deport them anyway," he said, a reference to data showing a continued drop in deportations under the administration. Hawley calls the app "a full-on institutionalization of an open border and the abuse of our asylum laws" and seeks answers to a number of questions so that Congress can consider legislation. Hawley is seeking the number of individuals who have sought to claim "vulnerable" status through the app, how many are expected to use it after Title 42 ends, and whether it will be updated to ask users if they are seeking asylum. He also wants to know the cost of the development of the app, any use of third-party contractors and if there are national security risks posed by migrants abusing the app. MP Nigel Mills said it was "terrible news" for employees An MP has confirmed staff working at a food factory, suspected of supplying processed meat wrongly labelled as British, have been made redundant. Derbyshire Police and the National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) made an unannounced visit to Loscoe Chilled Foods, near Heanor, on 22 March. Three people were arrested and have now been released under investigation. Amber Valley MP Nigel Mills said he had seen a letter confirming the "terrible news" for employees. Mr Mills said the letter was sent to staff confirming they were being made redundant effective last Friday. He said: "The confirmation of the closure, with all staff being made redundant, is terrible news for employees involved and a blow for the town. "I've spoken to other local employers who are keen to take people on. "I would urge everyone affected to contact the Job Centre to ensure they get any help they're entitled to and for support in finding a new role." The products in question were pre-packed sliced meats and deli products The NFCU said it was investigating how the supermarket Booths was supplied with products labelled as British, that were actually sourced from South America and Europe. The products were pre-packed sliced meats and deli products. There is no suggestion that any of the company's meat products were unsafe to consume. Booths has previously said it was made aware of the potential issues in 2021. The retailer said all relevant products were removed from sale and it ceased trading with the supplier as soon as it was made aware of the potential issues. It has emphasised that it is not under investigation. The BBC has attempted to contact Loscoe Chilled Foods for comment. Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk. Ohios teachers unions are pushing back against Gov. Mike DeWines attempt to make phonics-based science of reading methods the only way to teach reading in Ohios schools but DeWine and state education officials are holding their ground. The presidents of both the Ohio Education Association and Ohio Federation of Teachers praised DeWine for making literacy a priority in a new state budget bill. But both object to DeWines attempt in that same bill to make Ohio one of the first states to ban teachers using cueing having young students figure out what a word is through context or pictures in reading lessons. That strategy is a large part of long-used teaching approaches like whole language or balanced literacy. Help The 74 secure a bright future. Your donation will help us produce journalism like this. Please give today. I would strongly, strongly urge the house to consider removal of language that explicitly bans any particular instructional practices, OEA President Scott DiMauro told an Ohio House subcommittee considering DeWines plan last week. DiMaruo said if the state offers training and teaching materials for science of reading, theres no need for the heavy hand of the state government to single out any specific instructional practices. OFT President Melissa Cropper said limiting teachers to one approach would take away other methods that may work best for some students. Banning certain methods opens the door to politically-charged attacks that can limit a teachers ability to choose the most appropriate method for meeting a students needs, she told the subcommittee. But DeWine, acting state education superintendent Stephanie Siddens and legislative leaders in the states Republican majority, which has often dismissed union concerns, are not deviating from DeWines plan to join Arkansas and Louisiana in banning cueing in favor of phonics-based lessons. Teachers still hope ongoing discussions with DeWine and his staff can help shape the final bill. Story continues DeWine has been promoting science of reading at events in Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati, including a discussion Thursday in which former Mississippi state Superintendent Carey Wright came to Columbus to tell how changing to science of reading approaches helped students there leap from 49th in 4th grade reading nationally in 2013 to 22nd in 2022 on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Siddens called three-cueing counter-productive for students after that event, in which Wright and others dismissed that approach as having children guess at words. You cant guess your way into reading, Wright said. You have to be taught explicitly how to read. Former Mississippi state Superintendent Carey Wright speaks at a Columbus, Ohio, panel discussion on literacy. She credited Science of Reading lessons with greatly improving reading skills of her states children. (Patrick ODonnell) DeWine, when told after that meeting that teachers had called his plan too limiting, disagreed: The science of reading is not one size fits all. Look at what the state of Mississippi did, he said. They did it, frankly, by being very strong in regard to the science of reading. So the evidence is just there. Related: After Steering Mississippis Unlikely Learning Miracle, Carey Wright Steps Down Andrew Brenner, the Republican chairman of Ohios Senate Education Committee, said he sees such strong support for DeWines plan he sees less need to file a separate bill to require phonics to be taught. We believe that the governors plan will get through the budget mostly intact, he said. He dismissed teachers objections about banning cueing, asking if teachers prefer the low reading scores of many third graders on state tests, which DeWine has cited as a reason for his push. Cropper said blaming any teaching approach for low scores is an unsafe assumption. There has been no analysis done on which districts are using which teaching methods or curriculum, she said. Many other factors contribute to students academic success including their socioeconomic status. More than half of all states have passed laws encouraging or incorporating science of reading in classrooms, as the so-called reading wars have ramped up over the last 10 years. Ohio has made science of reading part of the states recommended literacy improvement strategy since 2018, but has not required schools to use it. DeWines proposed ban would go much further. Similar legislation has been filed in Indiana (SB 402), New Hampshire (HB 437), Florida (SB 758), West Virginia (SB 274), and Texas (HB 2162) with experts expecting more soon in Nevada, Oklahoma, and South Carolina. Mississippi, however, did not have such a ban to achieve the results DeWine praised. After DeWine and Carey spoke at the same event last week, the OFTs Cropper asked Carey from the audience if Mississippi needed a ban or just focused on promoting and teaching science of reading. Carey said there was no such ban, but the state continually told schools and teachers to avoid cueing and that teachers were often glad to be trained in science of reading methods, for which they received continuing education credits. Both Cropper and DiMauro testified they would prefer promoting science of reading over any bans or mandating training for all teachers as DeWine wants. They praised DeWine for setting aside money in the budget for training, stipends for teachers doing the training, and for books and other curriculum materials for districts wanting to change. But they raised concerns over DeWines aim to have the entire state change by the fall of 2024 and forcing even high school science and math teachers to do training. They noted that the state department of education doesnt have a training plan yet, doesnt know how long such training would need to be, how many teachers already have strong science of reading training and how well state teacher training programs are teaching it. We ask that all of you seriously look at, not just what does it take to implement or impose some state level mandates in terms of literacy instruction, but to truly get buy-in and meaningful implementation of that program, DiMauro said. We know there are many unanswered questions right now. DELRAY BEACH A welfare check at a suburban Delray Beach home led to the discovery of a deceased man Wednesday morning, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office reported Thursday. A statement from PBSO did not disclose the man's name or say how he was killed. An autopsy by the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner's Office revealed the man was the victim of a homicide, PBSO said. Deputies were sent at about 5:30 a.m. Wednesday to a home on the 15000 block of Summer Lake Drive, in the Waterways at Delray community along Atlantic Avenue south of Florida's Turnpike. Upon arrival, they found the man dead inside. No death penalty: Jury convicts Larry Darnell Young of manslaughter in teen girl's fatal shooting School safety: Wellington High student faces charges after Instagram post threatened violence at school Plane crash report: Plane that crashed, killing 2, was 'constantly smooth' approaching Lantana airport, NTSB says There was no known motive or information regarding a person of interest as of Thursday morning, PBSO said. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-458-TIPS (8477), or by downloading the PBSO smartphone app and using the 'See Something" feature. Tips may be submitted anonymously. Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him atjwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on Twitter at@JuliusWhigham. Help support our work:Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: PBSO investigates homicide after man is found dead near Delray Beach Honeybee on flower. Martyn Large / 500px /Getty Images Analyzing honeybees could provide key insight into a city's microbiome as well as the health of its people, according to a study published in the journal Environmental Microbiome. It explains that "honeybees may be effective collaborators in gathering samples of urban microbiota," due to their foraging habits. "Honeybees will gather a vast number of microbes day to day, far beyond things they are seeking out," said Kevin Slavin, who worked on the report. "They've been optimized by evolution to do everything that the swabs do." The research team collected samples from hives and hove debris in New York City, Melbourne, Venice, and Tokyo. They found that each city had its own "unique genetic signature," per The Independent. "It didn't feel like a disjointed metric from all of the other things that we know about these cities," said Elizabeth Henaff, lead author of the report. "It actually kind of felt like a puzzle piece that we didn't even know existed." A microbiome is "the unseen communities of microbes, fungi, viruses, and bacteria that live inside and around us," as defined by Bloomberg. Research has shown that exposure to a diverse microbiome generally leads to better health outcomes. "For those of us who live in cities which is more than half of the global population at this point it is important to be able to characterize the microbiomes of the cities that we live in, and work in, and sleep in," commented Henaff. This analysis could be used in the future to quantify differences in health among various groups as a result of environmental inequality. "We tie that, currently, to things like pollution or even shade, [but] the idea is in part just to collect as much data as we can ... to better understand what produces healthier neighborhoods, and can it be measured," explained Slavin. You may also like The snowmelt in California could cause a long-lost lake to re-emerge The Gwyneth Paltrow ski crash trial's 8 strangest moments, from Taylor Swift to King Kong 33 swimmers in Hawaii accused of 'pursuing, corralling, and harassing' dolphin pod Native American people integrated horses into their communities much earlier than European colonial records suggest, according to an innovative study Thursday that combined archaeological and genetic analysis with Indigenous oral traditions. The study is the first using both Western science and traditional knowledge to be published in the prestigious Science journal, the researchers said. Based on European records from colonial times, historians have long contended that Native American people did not interact much with horses in the American West until the late 1600s. Scholars often say the turning point was the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, when Indigenous people staged an uprising against Spanish colonisers in what is now New Mexico, releasing many European horses in the process. However the new research, which traces the spread of horses from the American Southwest into the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains regions, contradicts this widely accepted theory. The team analysed hundreds of horse remains using radiocarbon dating, DNA sequencing and other tools to demonstrate that the animals had spread widely across the American West in the early 1600s. They also showed that the horses were raised, received veterinary care, and used for transport by Indigenous communities during that time. This meant that horses were part of Native American social and ceremonial traditions "before any documented European presence in the Rockies or the Central Plains," the study said. - 'Historic' - The findings are consistent with a range of Indigenous oral histories that have long challenged the European account. "Before this study, there was literally no place for Indigenous peoples in the Americas, or the horses we lived alongside and protected, in this conversation," said Yvette Running Horse Collin, a member of the Oglala Lakota Nation and co-author of the paper. "This is due to the systems put in place by colonisation," she told a press conference in the southern French city of Toulouse. Story continues Rather than one "scientific system dominating another," the research showed that "science can be utilised to heal and to unite rather than divide," she added. William Taylor, an archaeologist at the University of Colorado and the study's first author, said that "a myopic, narrow focus on European perspectives has unfortunately limited our understanding collectively of the integration of horses into Indigenous societies". Ludovic Orlando, a study co-author and paleogeneticist at France's national scientific research centre CNRS, said the research was "historic". "We've brought traditional science to the cover" of Science, he told the press conference. - 'Mutual language' - While horses are known to have inhabited the Americas more than 12,000 years ago, Orlando said there is an "absence of fossils" between that time and the 1600s, the reason for which is not known. The fossils from the 1600s covered by the research had Spanish or Portuguese ancestry, genetic analysis showed. That would "fit well with acquisition from the conquistadors," Orlando said, adding that the discovery of more fossils could disprove this theory. Orlando, who has previously used genetic analysis to disprove longstanding theories about the history of horses, was contacted by Lakota researchers in 2018. Running Horse Collin then moved to the south of France for two years to work at the Centre for Anthropobiology and Genomics of Toulouse. "I, as an Oglala Lakota scientist, was not asked to change my methods, methodology and conclusions," she said. Orlando said that different theoretical approaches sometimes led him to reflect on how he communicated, which "was really not easy at several moments". But he said they found "a mutual language" and intend to continue their scientific collaboration. Study co-author Carlton Shield Chief Gover, a member of the Pawnee Nation, said in a statement that admiration for horses extends across borders. "We can talk to one another through our shared love of an animal," he said. stg-elr-dl/rl A heated debate erupted on Capitol Hill when Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman, a former middle school principal, yelled at his GOP colleagues Wednesday and repeatedly called them cowards for not supporting stricter gun measures in the wake of the Nashville school shooting. The exchange between Bowman, D-N.Y., and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., occurred just outside the House chamber and was widely circulated on social media after several journalists posted video of it. Bowman, a former principal at Cornerstone Academy for Social Action in the Bronx, can be heard yelling: Theyre all cowards! They wont do anything to save the lives of our children at all! Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., speaks about gun violence off House floor at the U.S. Capitol, on March 29, 2023. (NBC News) He continued: Pressure them, force them to respond to the question: Why the hell wont you do anything to save Americas children? Let them explain that all the way up to Election Day on 2024. Several lawmakers walk by Bowman without engaging, before Massie stops in front of him and says there has never been a shooting at a school where teachers were allowed to carry guns. More guns leads to more death, Bowman responds. Look at the data. Youre not looking at any data. Massie, who in 2021 tweeted a holiday photo with family members holding guns and text asking Santa to please bring ammo, then asks Bowman whether he would co-sponsor legislation he introduced last year to repeal a federal ban on guns in school zones. Massie has pointed to data from a controversial gun researcher to argue that such bans are ineffective. At one point in Wednesday's exchange, Massie can be heard telling Bowman to calm down. Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., speaks about gun violence to Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., from left, at the U.S. Capitol, on Wednesday. (NBC News) Calm down? Children are dying," Bowman responded. "Nine-year-old children. The solution is not arming teachers." Six people, including three children, were killed at a school in Nashville, Tennessee, on Monday. Three 9-year-old students, a custodian, a substitute teacher and the head of school were killed. Police said the suspect shot through the locked doors of The Covenant School and was later killed in a confrontation with officers. Story continues Congress has not advanced any new gun bills since the shooting, and Republicans have largely opposed any Democratic-backed measures to address gun violence. A spokesperson said in an email that Massie had accepted the challenge from Bowman and explained the data he has used to argue for a repeal of gun-free school zones. "When confronted with the facts, Mr. Bowman tried to shout Rep. Massie down," the spokesperson said. Bowman's office declined to comment. In a tweet posted after the exchange, Bowman posted the video and used an expletive to say Republicans will do nothing to address gun violence. "We can't calm down," he said. "People are dying everyday while we wait." This article was originally published on NBCNews.com House Democrats are sounding off against the White House after President Biden indicated hell sign legislation to lift the national emergency declaration surrounding COVID-19 a move that came less than two months after Democrats had opposed the same measure en masse at the administrations request. Almost 200 House Democrats had voted on Feb. 1 against the Republican proposal for an immediate repeal of the emergency designation, after the White House warned it would create wide-ranging chaos and uncertainty throughout the health care system. Administration officials said they needed a longer wind-down window, and would remove the designation unilaterally on May 11. It passed the House 229-197 with 11 Democrats voting in favor. Yet Senate Democrats on Wednesday brought the same repeal proposal to the floor, where it passed easily by a vote of 68 to 23, and a White House official said Biden would sign it into law. The presidents shift in position caught House Democrats off guard, and a number of lawmakers particularly frontliners, who are facing tough reelection contests next year were quick to air their frustrations when they learned the news Wednesday evening. Its frustrating, said Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.). At best its [an] unacceptable lack of clarity in their message to us. I mean, if theyre gonna take the position that they didnt explicitly say he would veto it in the [Statement of Administration Policy], you know, thats not good. This is a problem. And, you know, weve got to have some conversations because this theyve got to do better. I find it surprising and Id like to see a little more consistency, said Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas). The White Houses flip-flip on Wednesday brought back memories for some members of a similar situation at the beginning of the month, when Biden said he would sign a resolution to block Washington, D.C.s revised criminal code despite the administration putting out a statement earlier that said it opposed the measure. Story continues A total of 173 House Democrats had already voted against the legislation, a position they thought was in line with the White House. The announcement sparked howls among House Democrats who felt blindsided by the White Houses change-in-tone. Some Democrats said the problem with the COVID-19 resolution isnt the practical implications of passing the bill, since Biden was planning to repeal the emergency designation in less than a month and a half. Rather, theyre frustrated with what they see as a lack of communication between the White House and its allies on Capitol Hill. Clearly were going to need a better line of communication, said another Democrat. You should talk to some of the frontlines; the frontlines are the ones whose heads explode. The Hill talked to some frontliners, and while no heads exploded, there was plenty of frustration bubbling up. Its obviously frustrating to put us on the spot unnecessarily, said one of those lawmakers, who requested anonymity to criticize an ally. Declared in March of 2020, the national emergency designation empowered the Trump administration, and later the Biden administration, to tap special powers under the National Emergencies Act for the purpose of fighting COVID-19. Biden had used that authority to help states and localities fight the virus, largely through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and to launch his controversial effort to forgive student loans, which is currently tied up in court. The national emergency is distinct from the public health emergency designation, declared in January of 2020, which grants the administration additional powers and access to resources a designation that fueled the Title 42 authority to expel migrants arriving at the Southern border. The administration is expected to sunset the public health emergency on May 11. Washingtons emergency response to the pandemic has been an explosive issue on the campaign trail, where Republicans have bashed Biden for overreaching in his response at the expense of individual liberties and the nations fiscal health. And GOP operatives wasted no time on Wednesday highlighting the House vote in hopes it becomes a liability for vulnerable Democrats at the polls next year. Once again, House Democrats are showing voters how extreme they really are, while House Republicans continue keeping their promises to the American people, Courtney Parella, spokeswoman for the Congressional Leadership Fund, a Republican PAC, said in a statement. Republicans were similarly quick to use the D.C. crime bill vote as a way to paint House Democrats as soft-on-crime. The code would in-part eliminate most mandatory sentences and lower penalties for a variety of offenses, including carjackings and robberies. The National Republican Congressional Committee announced a new ad campaign less than one week after the presidents announcement, targeting 15 House Democrats for their vote in opposition. Murderers given reduced sentences. Carjackers given slaps on the wrist by pandering politicians. Not just the DC City Council, the ad says. 173 House Democrats voted for reduced sentences for violent crimes. So crazy even President Biden wont support the anarchy. Whats next? Defund the police, it continued. Democratic leadership, for its part, is brushing off the recent dust-up as a non-issue because of the looming COVID-19 national emergency expiration date, which the administration announced earlier this year. Its almost April, my understanding is the Biden administration had set out May 11 as the date. So I think from a time perspective it just doesnt really matter because whether its May 11 or sometime in April, its all around the same, said Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), the vice-chair of the House Democratic caucus. Doggett said the COVID-19 national emergency and D.C. crime bill situations were very similar, but a second House Democrat suggested that they were not blindsided this time around because of the prior episode. Blindsided would imply that its completely unexpected; given this most recent experience with the D.C. crime bill I guess Im not overly shocked but just disappointed, the lawmaker said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. House Republicans panned Washington Democrats who say that "crime is down" in the District of Columbia by sharing a video of a recent blatant carjacking at the Navy Yard in broad daylight. The Republican Conference in the U.S. House of Representatives shared the video to Twitter on Wednesday. The clip, which appears to have been originally shared in an online group titled "Navy Yard/Barracks Row/Cap Hill Community," showed someone behind the wheel of a paralleled-parked Jeep ram the vehicle into the car at its front and then behind. The person recording the video from a building window nearby showed a police vehicle on the street and officers seemingly trying to approach the suspect. But the driver backs up and then steers forward, slamming into another two parked cars on the opposite side of the street before peeling off with ease just blocks from the Capitol. "'ThErE iS nOt A cRiMe CrIsIs iN wAsHiNgToN, d.C.' Democrat D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson," the House GOP tweeted, mocking Mendelson's testimony before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday. "Meanwhile, a carjacking was happening less than a mile away in WASHINGTON DC." DC COUNCIL CHAIR CLAIMS THERE IS NO CRIME CRISIS IN NATION'S CAPITAL DAYS AFTER SENATE STAFFER STABBED D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson were mocked over their claims about crime in Washington after a video showed a blatant daylight carjacking at the Navy Yard just blocks from the Capitol. In appearing before the committee, Mendelson insisted "there is not a crime crisis in Washington, D.C." READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "With regard to crime, yes, there is considerable concern. But while perception is important, the reality is less concerning. Let me be clear: People should feel safe, and it is a problem that many residents of the district don't," he told lawmakers. "I know this belies the common belief and when it comes to crime, how people feel is important but there is not a crime crisis in Washington, D.C." In response to the House GOP tweet, Rep. Anthony D'Esposito, R-N.Y., tweeted ironically, "Nothing to see here. Crime is down." "The radical DC City Council would rather coddle criminals than seriously tackle Washington's crime crisis. This lack of action by the Council forced House Republicans to step in, lead the charge to reverse the city's disastrous soft-on-crime criminal code, and safeguard our Nation's capital," D'Esposito's office added in a statement to Fox News Digital. Story continues "I'm counting the hours until I'm on a plane back to the Free & Safe State of Florida! It's a shame to see criminals running roughshod in the nation's capital with little to no accountability from the Democrat officials elected to keep its people safe," Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., tweeted in response to the video. "This is what happens when you support the Defund the Police movement and soft-on-crime policies," Rep. Mark Alford, R-Texas, added. DC COUNCIL CHAIRMAN WITHDRAWS CONTROVERSIAL CRIME BILL, BUT SENATE MAY STILL CONSIDER IT "Think about how emboldened criminals have become in D.C. that they are willing to carjack a car in broad daylight, right in front of cops. D.C.'s elected officials' incompetence have failed this entire city," wrote Michele Perez Exner, who helps coordinate communication for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Another Twitter user remarked, "police looked helpless here. Why didn't they shoot the tires? Would that have resulted in more gunfire or something?" Mendelson was supporting D.C.'s policing reform bill that House Republicans have threatened to overturn through Congress' authority to strike down city laws. According to Mendelson's written testimony, D.C.'s crime bill passed as a response to the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020 "promotes police accountability by codifying our Use of Force Review Board, enhancing auditing capabilities, strengthening training requirements, and prohibiting the hiring of officers who have a history of misconduct. It also enhances our police chiefs ability to strengthen the force by firing officers who engage in egregious misconduct or commit serious offenses. If Congress tosses these measures aside, it will be a dramatic setback in the Districts efforts to address longstanding concerns about officer misconduct and make it harder to hold bad cops accountable." Striking down the bill would hamper efforts to promote accountability in the Metropolitan Police Department, Mendelson said. D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson testifies before the House Oversight Committee, March 29, 2023, on Capitol Hill. Mendelson stated that crime in the district is lower so far in 2023 than at the same point in 2022, and he testified that "the number of violent crime incidents in 2022 was 45% lower than the number of violent crime incidents in 2012." "My message is clear: the state of Washington, DC is strong," D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, tweeted Wednesday. D.C. communications specialist Natalie Johnson shared the Navy Yard video in response. "Meanwhile, today in Navy Yard. Thank god for our no-chase law, right @MayorBowser?" Johnson wrote to her more than 43,000 followers. Fox News' Thomas Phippen contributed to this report. The House held a moment of silence on Thursday to honor the victims of the school shooting in Nashville, Tenn., on Monday. Three students and three adults were killed this week when a gunman opened fire at The Covenant School, a private Christian school in Nashville that offers preschool through sixth grade. The three students Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney and Hallie Scruggs were all nine years old. Katherine Koonce, 60, the head of the school died in the shooting, in addition to Mike Hill, 61, a custodian, and Cynthia Peak, 61, a substitute teacher. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), surrounded by other members of the Tennessee congressional delegation, led the moment of silence on the House floor. Lawmakers stood for roughly 15 seconds. Tennessee Republican Reps. Tim Burchett and Andy Ogles both of whom have come under scrutiny in the aftermath of the shooting were present on the House floor for the moment of silence, and Burchetts presence in particular was pointed out by Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-Fla.). We were just in there, and there was a moment of silence, which I really respect. But one of the members who were up there during that moment of silence was the same member where a couple days ago, asked about the shooting, said theres nothing we can do about it, Frost, who before coming to Congress was the national organizing director for the gun control advocacy group March for Our Lives, told reporters, adding that a moment of silence is important, but what you do after also matters. Faith without works is dead; without working on this issue our children will also be dead, he added. We live in a country where parents are losing their children to being shot up and mowed down by an AR-15 during their school day, dying in a pool of their own blood. And so what we do next matters. Its not enough to just have a moment of silence, we know about the thoughts and prayers. We need action and were gonna do what needs to be done. Story continues Burchett drew headlines this week when, speaking about gun violence, he told reporters were not gonna fix it. Criminals are gonna be criminals, he added. The congressman doubled down on his remarks later in the week, telling NBC News if you think Washingtons gonna fix this problem, youre wrong. Theyre not gonna fix this problem; they are the problem. Ogles, whose congressional district includes Nashville, has also been the target of criticism following the shooting after a photo from 2021 resurfaced that showed him and his family wielding firearms. Cohen delivered remarks on the House floor Thursday honoring the six victims. On Monday, the horror and the terror, the insanity of mass shootings came to our capital city, Nashville, Tennessee, and most directly, Covenant Presbyterian School, he said. Six innocent victims passed. Three were children: Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney, Hallie Scruggs, all nine years old, all loving students, friends, brothers, sisters, parents. And three adults: Mike Hill, a beloved custodian of 14 years and a father and a grandfather, Katherine Koonce, the headmaster whos been referred to as a saint, and Cynthia Peak, a substitute teacher who had a light that whenever she appeared, he added. In addition to the six individuals who were killed, the congressman mentioned the other victims of the shooting, the classmates, the friends, the staff at Covenant Presbyterian, and the city of Nashville. I ask that we have a moment of silence in their memory and in their honor, he added. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Some employers in Washington would no longer be allowed to discriminate against applicants for their cannabis use outside of work under a Senate bill passed by the House on Wednesday. Senate Bill 5123 is sponsored by Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Des Moines, and passed the House Wednesday with a 57-41 vote. Rep. Shelley Kloba, D-Kirkland, spoke to the legislation before the bills final passage. She said that cannabis is legal in Washington, and that workforce issues continue to be problematic with employers struggling to find enough people to fill positions. But some employers continue to require pre-employment drug tests. The emphasis of this bill is that a job applicant cannot be discriminated against because of legal behavior that they engaged in before they were hired, Kloba said. She noted that the bill does not apply to certain safety-related jobs. Law enforcement and first responders, for example, would still have to take pre-employment screenings under an amendment that was adopted on the House floor during the debates. Kloba said that the bill doesnt regulate cannabis screenings after an individual has been hired, so employees can still be tested if an employer suspects any impairment. And, she said, it doesnt impact an employers ability to maintain a drug-free work policy. The bill passed the Senate in February, and will now have to be sent back to the Senate for consideration of the amendments adopted Wednesday by House lawmakers. If the Senate concurs, the bill can be signed by Gov. Jay Inslee. Rep. Suzanne Schmidt, R-Spokane Valley, spoke out against the bill prior to the bills passage, saying that she feels like rights are being taken away from employers with the legislation. This is a real safety issue, Schmidt said. Still under L&I, the Department of Labor and Industries, it is the employers responsibility to provide a safe work environment and we feel that this bill is taking that ability away from the employer. Story continues However, several Republicans voted in favor of the legislation Wednesday. Washington became the first state to legalize recreational cannabis for adults 21 and older through an initiative on the ballot in 2012. The state is one of 21 states where recreational cannabis is legal. Tetrahydrocannabinol, more commonly known as THC, can be detected through urine tests for several days, sometimes even weeks, after use, depending on how much a user consumes as well as other factors such as body fat percentages. THC is the compound in cannabis that gets users high. Washington would become one of three states including California and Nevada to ban the practice of pre-employment screening, if the bill is signed by Inslee. If signed by the governor, the bill would go into effect Jan. 1, 2024. WASHINGTON The Republican-controlled House voted Thursday to pass legislation they say would reduce energy costs for families and restore American energy independence. The bill passed 225-204 along party line votes. The legislation comes as the GOP negotiates with the Biden administration on raising the United States' borrowing limit as the country is set to default this summer. In a letter House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., sent to to President Joe Biden earlier this week asking to restart budget negotiations, the speaker called for measures to lower energy costs and make America energy independent. I would like this to be part of a debt ceiling negotiation," House Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., said Tuesday of the bill. Republicans say the legislation, dubbed the Lower Energy Costs Act, will reduce energy costs for American families by restoring energy independence. It targets the Biden administration's energy strategy, which the GOP has dubbed a "war on domestic energy production." Scalise introduced the legislation. It has nearly 50 Republican cosponsors. Stay in the conversation on politics: Sign up for the OnPolitics newsletter What's in the bill? The Lower Energy Costs Act speeds up energy projects, eliminates or reduces certain fees related to developing federal energy resources and removes some funding for incentives to decrease emissions and greenhouse gases. The bill would also waive environmental review requirements to expedite the development, importation and exportation of energy resources. The Republican-backed legislation eliminates restrictions on importing and exporting oil and natural gas and prohibits a sitting president from declaring a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, also called fracking, or from restricting or delaying development of energy on federal land. Other provisions in the bill direct the Department of Interior to conduct sales for the leasing of oil or gas resources on federal lands. Story continues There is no reason we should be getting energy from foreign countries when we can make it here. Cleaner, more efficient, and at a dramatically lower cost than anywhere else in the world," Scalise said Tuesday. More: House passes Strategic Production Response Act in GOP effort to limit oil reserve withdrawal Biden administration: Bill would 'take us backward' US President Joe Biden pauses before answering a question after speaking about strengthening energy security and lowering cost in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on October 19, 2022. President Joe Biden said he will veto the bill if it comes to his desk in its current form. According to a statement, the bill will take the country "backward" and replace "pro-consumer policies with a thinly veiled license to pollute," raising costs for families by repealing household energy rebates. The Biden administration claims the legislation will "pad" oil and gas company profits while undercutting public health. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: House GOP passes bill targeting Biden energy agenda Stanford University's campus in Stanford, Calif. (Noah Berger/Reuters) A confrontation this month between a conservative judge and left-wing students at Stanford Law School may mark a turning point in the free speech debate, said a prominent legal writer and analyst who has covered the controversy closely. According to David Lat, who writes about legal issues in his Substack newsletter, a 10-page memo responding to the incident released last week by Stanford Law School Dean Jenny Martinez should have a lasting impact. There have been ringing defenses of academic freedom and free speech over the years but I'm not aware of anything as comprehensive as the Martinez memo, at least within the past three to five years, Lat, a former federal prosecutor, or assistant U.S. attorney, in Newark, N.J., told Yahoo News. Lat compared Martinezs memo to several other pronouncements in the realm of campus free speech issues that he said have acquired canonical status over the last few decades. And now we have a new addition to their august ranks: the Martinez Memo. This is what leadership looks like, he wrote on his Substack. Stuart Kyle Duncan testifies at Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, November 2017. (Senate judiciary Committee ) The Martinez memo laid out a detailed legal argument for why the Stanford protesters behavior was not protected by the Constitution and was in violation of school policy. It also clearly rebuked an administrator for failing to enforce these standards. Martinez said Stanford Law students will be required to attend a training session on free speech this spring. The imbroglio is the latest in a string of similar incidents over the last several years on college campuses. Yet this one appears to have hit a particular nerve, with conservative media outlets quickly jumping on the story and the debate spreading to major media outlets and talk shows. Martinez, who served as a law clerk for former liberal Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, had already apologized to Kyle Duncan a federal judge on the U.S. Fifth Circuit for the actions of Stanford students when Duncan addressed the campus branch of the Federalist Society, a conservative legal group, on March 9. Story continues But in her memo, Martinez explained her view that the First Amendments free speech protections did not apply to the actions of the students, who protested Duncan and repeatedly interrupted him as he attempted to give his remarks. Some students have argued that the disruptive protest of the event was itself constitutionally protected speech. Of course, protests are in some instances protected by the First Amendment, but the First Amendment does not give protestors a hecklers veto, Martinez wrote. Jenny Martinez (L), Dean of Stanford Law School and Donna Newman, lawyers for detained U.S. terrorism suspect Jose Padilla, speak in front of the U.S. Supreme Court April 28, 2004 in Washington, DC. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images) While the First Amendment bars regulation of speech on the ground that listeners might find its content disturbing the First Amendment permits the regulation of speech that substantially impairs the effective conduct of a meeting, Martinez wrote. Modern First Amendment law does not treat every setting as a public forum where a speech free-for-all is allowed. To the contrary, First Amendment cases have long recognized that some settings are limited public forums, where restrictions on speech are constitutional so long as they are viewpoint-neutral and reasonable in light of the forums function and all the surrounding circumstances, the dean noted. Martinez wrote this memo after students in a constitutional law class, upset that she had apologized to Duncan, covered the walls of her classroom with fliers arguing that the protesters had been exercising their First Amendment rights. Martinez forcefully rejected this argument, and her lengthy memo cited numerous legal opinions and legal experts, including a Washington Post op-ed on the hecklers veto written last year by the dean of the Berkeley Law School, Erwin Chemerinsky, and Howard Gillman, chancellor of the University of California, Irvine. Freedom of speech does not include a right to shout down others so they cannot be heard, Chemerinsky and Gillman wrote. Berkeley Law School Dean Erwin Chemerinsky in 2019. (Jeff Chiu/AP Photo) Chemerinsky and Gillman made the same distinction that Martinez did between broader, bigger, more public settings and the more focused purpose of a smaller meeting on a college campus. In public parks, nothing stops opposing parties from shouting at each other until no one can be heard. But this is never tolerable at colleges when members of the campus community have organized events for the purpose of hearing particular points of view, Chemerinsky and Gillman wrote. Colleges and universities must be clear and emphatic that attempting to shut down such events will not be tolerated and those engaging in it face disciplinary action. Critics of the Martinez memo have argued that Duncan was not barred from speaking, and so was not subject to a hecklers veto. [Martinez], and the Federalist Society grifters she's now carrying water for, have consistently overlooked the fact that Duncan was not prevented from speaking. Instead Duncan, like a petulant child, decided not to give his speech and instead went straight to the [question-and-answer period], Elie Mystal, justice correspondent for the Nation, told Yahoo News. What Martinez is doing is a trick more common to politicians and columnists than educators: She's describing a situation that didn't happen and then explaining how that situation would be wrong, Mystal said. Protesters at a Federalist Society dinner for former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley in New York in 2020. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) Lat obtained audio of Duncans appearance at Stanford and published it on his Substack. From the beginning of his speech, the protestors booed and heckled continually. For about ten minutes, the judge tried to give his planned remarks, but the protestors simply yelled over him, Lat wrote. Duncan then became angry, departed from his prepared remarks, and laced into the hecklers, Lat wrote. He called the students juvenile idiots and said he couldnt believe the blatant disrespect he was being shown after being invited to speak. His pushback riled up the protesters even more. At this point, Duncan asked if there was a school administrator in the room who could restore order. Thats when Tirien Steinbach, Stanfords associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion, came forward. Steinbach read from a typewritten set of remarks for roughly six minutes, in which she told Duncan that for many people here, your work has caused harm. She told Duncan that you are absolutely welcome in this space but said that the way to address speech that feels abhorrent, that feels harmful, that literally denies the humanity of people, that one way to do that is with more speech and not less. Steinbach also questioned whether what Duncan had to say was worth the pain that this causes and the division that this causes. The Stanford University campus. (Jeff Chiu/AP Photo) Many of the anti-Duncan protesters applauded Steinbachs remarks and then walked out of the room. At that point, Duncan came back to the podium. I didnt see how I could continue, so after the partial walkout, I dispensed with my prepared remarks and opened the floor, he wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. He also said that on his way into the room, one of the protesters had yelled at him that they hoped his daughters would be raped. For about 18 minutes, he engaged in a contentious back-and-forth with students in the room. He ended the session by saying, Thanks to the Federalist Society for inviting me. As for the rest of you people, whatever. Martinez, the law school dean, has been openly critical of Steinbachs handling of the incident, and Steinbach is now on leave. When a disruption occurs and the speaker asks for an administrator to help restore order, the administrator who responds should not insert themselves into debate with their own criticism of the speakers views and the suggestion that the speaker reconsider whether what they plan to say is worth saying, Martinez wrote. That imposes the kind of institutional orthodoxy and coercion that the policy on Academic Freedom precludes. The Hoover Tower at Stanford. (David Butow/Corbis via Getty Images) Martinez said she stood by her March 11 letter of apology to Duncan, which said that our disruption policy states that students are not allowed to prevent the effective carrying out of a public event whether by heckling or other forms of interruption. Staff members who should have enforced university policies failed to do so, and instead intervened in inappropriate ways that are not aligned with the universitys commitment to free speech, Martinez wrote in her initial letter. As for student protesters and critics who said that Duncan who has been a lightning rod of controversy for years conducted himself unprofessionally and that his behavior escalated the situation, Martinez said these arguments misunderstand the nature of the disruption policy. The policy would not be meaningful to protect the carrying out of public events and the right of attendees to hear what is said if it applied only when a speaker said things protesters in an audience found agreeable, Martinez wrote. The cycle of degenerating discourse wont stop if we insist that people we disagree with must first behave the way we want them to. Nor will it stop if we try to shame each other into submission. The cycle stops when we recognize our responsibility to treat each other with the dignity with which we expect to be met. It stops when we choose to replace condemnation with curiosity, invective with inquiry. I remain dedicated to cultivating these norms in our community, she said. Martinez said Stanford Law will hold a mandatory half-day session on the topic of freedom of speech and the norms of the legal profession. Day 14. Dean Martinez has announced who will be held accountable for disrupting a speaking event in violation of the SLS's rules and the rights of the speaker to speak and listeners to hear. Nobody. No investigation. No disciplinary proceedings. Lofty rhetoric; no accountability. Robert P. George (@McCormickProf) March 23, 2023 Martinez has been criticized by some figures on the right for not punishing individual students involved in the protest. But she said Steinbach and other Stanford administrators in the room had failed to administer clear and specific warnings, sent conflicting signals about whether what was happening was acceptable or not and even appeared to endorse the disruptions. All this made disciplinary sanction in these particular circumstances problematic, Martinez said. Steinbach defended herself in a Wall Street Journal op-ed of her own last week. I stepped up to the podium to deploy the de-escalation techniques in which I have been trained, which include getting the parties to look past conflict and see each other as people, she wrote. One of the most scathing critiques of all involved came from criminal defense attorney Ken White, who writes about legal affairs at his Substack, The Popehat Report. White said that Duncans appearance at Stanford was deliberately provocative, that he was invited by the Federalist Societys Stanford chapter because he was, and remains, a culture warrior because hes controversial. But, White wrote, arguments that Duncan was not shouted down are unconvincing. The protesters, he wrote, played their role in the conservative pantomime perfectly. It was as if they arrived with a giant gift basket and magnum of champagne to wish Judge Duncan a bon voyage on his cruise of right-wing grifty victimhood, White wrote. The protestors we get to say who talks and who listens reception at Stanford will be hot-burning fuel in the right-wing engine that seeks to use the force of law to restrict expression on college campuses to suit conservative tastes. White linked to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Educations list of states in which legislatures have recently passed legislation banning ideas they dont like from college campuses. As for Lat, he told Yahoo News that he is on the whole optimistic about the state of free speech on campuses going forward, based largely on the strong public reaction against things like attempted shout-downs of speakers. He acknowledged, however, that polarization in our broader society, which is driving a lot of what you see on campuses, doesn't seem to be abating. As a result, he argued, the university incidents are used by partisan media to fan the flames, which fuels further polarization. Protesters demonstrate during the Rally of Parents and Kids to End Gun Violence at the State Capitol in Nashville, Tenn., on March 30, 2023. Protesters demonstrate during the Rally of Parents and Kids to End Gun Violence at the State Capitol in Nashville, Tenn., on March 30, 2023. Credit - George Walker IVThe Tennessean/AP Hundreds of people of all ages gathered at the Tennessee Capitol on Thursday to call for stronger gun laws in the state, three days after a shooter killed six people at a Christian elementary school, including three nine-year-old children. Protestors gathered during the first legislative session since the shooting as lawmakers were set to begin considering bills. Videos of the demonstration showed chaos, with some claiming on social media that things turned hectic when police had to make way for lawmakers to walk through the crowds. In videos posted to social media, people could be heard chanting What do we want? Gun control! in the halls of the Nashville building as protestors gathered both in and outside of the capitol. Scores of parents and children wearing orange held signs with phrases like The lives of my students matter more than your guns and Is your AR-15 worth their lives? At the same time, Democratic lawmakers caused a temporary shutdown as they yelled, Power to the people over a megaphone, according to CBS News. Protesters gather inside the Tennessee State Capitol to call for an end to gun violence and support stronger gun laws in Nashville, Tenn. on March 30, 2023. Seth HeraldGetty Images The protest was spearheaded by Metro Nashville Public Schools Parents, in addition to other community groups like ForwardTN, East Nashtivists, The Equity Alliance and Third Man Records, in response to Mondays school shooting. On Monday, a 28-year-old former student of The Covenant School in Nashville entered the school after shooting out glass doors and opened fire. Audrey Hale, who has been identified as the shooter, was later shot and killed by police. Prayer is the first thing we should do, but its not the only thing, said Tennessee Governor Bill Lee in a video statement after the shooting, though he did not elaborate. Last year, the governor said he did not support firearm restrictions. We cant control what we cant control, Lee said after the Uvalde school shooting last year. Just two days after Mondays shooting, a federal judge also dropped the minimum age to carry a handgun publicly in the state from 21 to 18. The Nashville school shooting was the 130th mass shooting thus far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Hundreds of people rallied at the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville to demand stricter gun regulations on Thursday, in the wake of the latest US school shooting that left six people dead in the city this week. School shootings are strikingly common in the United States, as are calls in the aftermath for action on gun control, a hot-button political issue in the country. The crowd of demonstrators swarmed up the steep steps of the capitol building -- its flag at half mast for the victims of the shooting -- in central Nashville. "Protect our children, not guns," read signs held up by protesters who also flooded the marble rotunda, according to images published by local media. The crowd sang "power to the people" and chanted slogans demanding immediate action on gun control. The protest was peaceful, with some parents bringing their children -- but some demonstrators shouted and jostled in around lawmakers as Tennessee Highway Patrol members cleared paths for them to enter the House chamber, The Tennessean reported. Members of the public in the chamber gallery and some Democratic lawmakers called for gun control to be discussed in the session, according to the report. "We're here because we still believe that we can make change. We can. It's a tough state, I get it," said organizer Maryam Abolfazli, cited by local station WKRN. Republican-led Tennessee has in recent years loosened gun laws. In 2021, Governor Bill Lee championed a law passed that year allowing anyone aged 21 and up to carry a firearm, both openly and concealed, without a permit. The United States, a country of around 330 million people, is awash with some 400 million guns. Gun control efforts have tackled access to assault rifles, two of which were carried by the heavily armed shooter who broke into the private Christian Covenant School on Monday, killing three staff and three young children before being gunned down by police. Nashville police chief John Drake said on Tuesday the suspect legally purchased the weapons. Story continues There were more than 24 million AR-15-style assault weapons circulating in the United States by mid-2022, according to the NSSF firearm trade association. President Joe Biden again urged Congress to reinstate the national assault rifle ban, which existed from 1994 to 2004, after the Nashville attack. Efforts to ban assault rifles have run up against opposition from Republicans, staunch defenders of the constitutional right to bear arms. The political deadlock endures despite an uproar over recurring school massacres, including last year when a shooter in Uvalde, Texas, killed 19 students and two teachers. On Thursday at the Tennessee capitol, demonstrators targeted the powerful weapons in their protests. "Is your AR-15 worth their lives?" one sign read. sw/st A bill in Idaho would make it a crime for an adult to aid a minor in undergoing an abortion or obtaining abortion pills across state lines with the intent to conceal their purpose from the minors parents or legal guardian. Idaho House Bill 242 calls the crime abortion trafficking, and adults convicted of obtaining abortion pills or of recruiting, harboring, or transporting the pregnant minor for a procedure across state lines and without parental consent would face up to five years in prison, according to the bill text. Idaho borders several states where abortion is legal, including Oregon, Washington, Montana and California. Oregons Department of Justice launched a legal helpline for abortion access earlier this year, which the states Attorney General noted as important because we share a border with Idaho, which has a near-total abortion ban. The proposal passed the Idaho House and is now before the state Senate. If it passes the GOP-majority chamber, it would head to Republican Gov. Brad Littles desk for signature. The bill would add to Idahos abortion laws, already some of the most restrictive in the country. Its among a number of states that moved to ramp up abortion restrictions after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade last summer, turning the regulation of abortion over to the states. Earlier this year, the Idaho Supreme Court upheld several abortion restrictions, green-lighting a near-total abortion ban, a bar against abortions after the detection of electrical activity and a provision allowing family members of the fetus to sue for damages. Imagine receiving a prison sentence for helping a young family member in need travel out of state to get an abortion. Anti-abortion politicians in ID are about to make this a reality, Planned Parenthood Action said on Twitter Wednesday, urging opposition to the bill. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A proposal asking voters to make the ballot initiative process more difficult will not appear on the 2024 election ballot. The Idaho House on Thursday rejected Senate Joint Resolution 101, which would have asked voters to amend the state constitution and require 6% of voters from each of Idahos 35 legislative districts to sign a petition triggering a ballot initiative. Currently, 6% of voters in 18 legislative districts is the benchmark. Most House Republicans supported the change, but it fell eight votes short of the required two-thirds majority. Some pointed to confusion in the language of the proposed change. The sponsor of the resolution, Sen. Doug Okuniewicz, R-Hayden, previously described the amendment as requiring 6% of voters who participated in the most recent election. But the proposed amendment would have required 6% of legal voters in each district, which could be interpreted to mean registered voters. That could mean twice as many signatures would be required, Rep. Britt Raybould, R-Rexburg, told the full House. It creates a threshold much higher than, I think, was intended by the bill sponsors, Raybould said. Other House members opposed the change regardless of the language uncertainty. They said the initiative process is used sparingly and to hold state officials accountable. Successful initiatives created Idaho Fish and Game and the homeowners exemption and expanded Medicaid eligibility when lawmakers declined to do so. This is the tool that people have to check on our power, said Rep. Colin Nash, D-Boise. This bill doesnt expressly do away with the referendum process. But what Im concerned about is constructively repealing the referendum process in our state. Rep. Mark Sauter, R-Sandpoint, told the House that hes received an overwhelming number of calls and emails opposing the resolution. During public hearings on the proposal, Idaho residents from across the state slammed it. Theres much more pressing issues right now that need to be addressed, Jean Gerth, of Sagle, told the Senate State Affairs Committee last month. I view it as a distraction, and I think its been presented, possibly, to do that, to distract us from other things. Idaho prosecutors disclosed an internal affairs investigation to college student murders suspect Bryan Kohberger's defense this week that could be completely unrelated to the quadruple homicide investigation, experts say. Latah County Prosecuting Attorney Bill Thompson's office informed Magistrate Judge Megan Marshall and Kohberger's team this week that it would be disclosing "potential Brady/Giglio material" related to a police officer involved in the massacre probe but that doesn't mean there is a connection with the stabbings of four University of Idaho students in November. Brady material is information that could potentially prove a defendant's innocence, experts tell Fox News Digital. Giglio material is damaging to the integrity of a witness in this case, one of the officers involved in the investigation. Marshall granted Thompson's request for a protective order that will withhold the materials from the public, based on the argument that they are part of a personnel file, which is exempt from disclosure. IDAHO PROSECUTORS DISCLOSING INFO ABOUT INTERNAL AFFAIRS INVESTIGATION RELATED TO OFFICER ON KOHBERGER CASE Latah County Magistrate Judge Megan Marshall speaks during a January 2023 hearing for Bryan Kohberger, inset, the suspect in the stabbing deaths of four students near the University of Idaho. "This is not uncommon," Paul Mauro, attorney and former NYPD inspector, said of the disclosure. Defense attorneys are entitled to the information through discovery, while the prosecutor is asking that whatever is turned over remain sealed due to the exemption under state law. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Giglio materials may be used by the defense to undermine an investigator's credibility, Mauro said, but they don't have to be related to the student stabbings. "This is a case that you know is going to go up on appeal because of mandatory appeals in death penalty cases," explained Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor. "So you just want to disclose everything, so you dont get a death sentence overturned on appeal because you didnt comply with your constitutional obligations." Madison Mogen, top left, smiles on the shoulders of her best friend, Kaylee Goncalves, as they pose with Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle,, and two other housemates in Goncalves' final Instagram post, shared the day before the four students were stabbed to death. Furthermore, he said, prosecutors likely won't even call the impeachable officer to testify anyway and will build their case around unimpeachable evidence. Story continues It comes as the city, its police department and several officers face a federal lawsuit from a church group in town alleging violations of constitutional rights in connection with a crackdown on protests over COVID-19 restrictions, Wilson et al v. Moscow et al. IDAHO'S MOVE TO RESURRECT FIRING SQUAD MAKES SENSE AS QUICKEST, SUREST DEATH PENALTY OPTION, EXPERT SAYS The disclosures might be related to the federal lawsuit, or they could be related to something else entirely, experts say. If it's anything from the lawsuit, it might be the allegation that police withheld crime scene video for a year, Rahmani said. "This is all kind of speculation," he explained. "It literally could be anything." It doesn't even have to be anything illegal just something that could impeach the officer's character. Investigators look for clues in Moscow, Idaho, on Nov. 21, 2022, after four University of Idaho students who were found slain in the house on King Road. "It could be beating your wife, smoking weed, getting pass-out drunk at a bar, misusing your authority, lying to protect another officer, excessive force, it's not just illegal conduct, it's anything unethical, embarrassing, anything that says you're a liar," he said. "Lying on your taxes. I've seen these, and it can range, anything that can potentially impeach you. Think about all these things that can be used to cross-examine and impeach a police officer. Such a wide range of possibilities." IDAHO MURDERS: PROSECUTOR SAYS VICTIM'S FAMILY POTENTIAL WITNESSES AS DEFENSE OPPOSES GAG ORDER APPEAL One of the officers named in the lawsuit was reportedly among the first Moscow police personnel responding to the King Road home on Nov. 13, hours after Kohberger allegedly snuck inside with a knife and stabbed four friends to death in the middle of the night. The attack killed 21-year-old best friends Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, along with their housemate, Xana Kernodle, and her visiting boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, both 20. All four had been stabbed multiple times. Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle, both 20, were the other two victims. Kernodle lived in the home with Goncalves and Mogen. Chapin, her boyfriend, was spending the night and lived about 200 yards away in the Sigma Chi fraternity house. Only some suffered defensive wounds suggesting the 4 a.m. ambush began with some of them sleeping. Kohberger is being held without bail at the Latah County Jail. His preliminary hearing was scheduled for the week of June 26. Fox News' Paul Best contributed to this report. When Dr. Chavone Momon-Nelsons daughter was younger, she took her out for a celebration of sorts. The OB-GYN bought herself and her daughter matching bracelets and gifted her a decorative box filled with various period supplies. Over the years, Momon-Nelson had discussed menstruation with her daughter, backing off when she seemed uncomfortable. Still, she wanted her daughter to be prepared when her period arrived. I took her out on a date because I said, Lets do it away from home, and we went to a movie, and we went out to eat, and I gave her an opportunity to ask questions, and I shared some more information. I continued to build upon this expanding conversation weve had since she was a little girl, Momon-Neslon tells TODAY.com. I said when the time comes, we have this box here with all of the things you will potentially need. When her daughter finally got her first period, she came to Momon-Nelson with questions about the various products in the box and the changes she experienced. When it happened, we had all the tools, she says. It was very helpful. It took a lot of stress off the situation, and I feel that she was less embarrassed when it finally happened. Florida bill could ban discussion of periods before grade 6 Many parents feel uncertain when to bring up menstruation to their children, Momon-Nelson says, adding that conversations about periods should be ongoing and start earlier than they might think. Florida's House of Representatives is considering legislation that would ban discussion of periods in schools before grade 6, along with other topics related to human sexuality and sexual health, NBC Miami reported. The bill's sponsor, Republican Rep. Stan McClain, said its intent is to make sex education more uniform in Florida's 67 school districts and make it easier for parents to object to what young children are being taught if they find it inappropriate. McClain confirmed that girls who start menstruating prior to 6th grade would not be allowed to discuss it in school but said the goal of the legislation is not to target young girls, per NBC Miami. Story continues Banning the discussion on something that is normal and natural that happens to a young woman can negatively impact (her), Momon-Nelson says. She wonders if children might not be able to find books about puberty or visit the nurse to ask for period products. And it could lead to some feeling embarrassed, she says. Talking about periods should not be a bad or stigmatized or taboo thing, Dr. Rula Kanj tells TODAY.com, calling the potential ban a "restriction on talking about whats normal biologically. Its very disappointing. Rep. McClain's office did not immediately respond to TODAY.com's request for comment. Kanj and Momon-Nelson share how they talk to their children about menstruation. Identify body parts by their name Kanj is already teaching her 4-year-old daughter the proper name of her body parts, such as vagina or vulva. Shes learning the name of body parts, and shes known them since she was 2 because I want her to understand the different parts of her body and be able to tell me if something is different or something is bothering her, Kanj, director of pediatric and adolescent gynecology at Northwell Health, says. If they know the body parts that early, when theyre little kids, its just a normalized thing that leads us more easily to talking about periods or puberty. Momon-Nelson agrees. It starts with really and truthfully calling the female genitalia what it is and even calling a period what it is and not giving it nicknames, she says. Dont call it 'the pocketbook' or 'Aunt Flo.' Call it what it is when they are little, then build upon that conversation. Try to discuss menstruation in neutral terms Some people consider their periods a curse or talk about it as dirty or embarrassing. The experts recommend taking a biological approach to discussing it. Periods, theyre not something to be ashamed or embarrassed about. Menstrual blood isnt dirty. Its not your bodys way of clearing out toxins, Kanj says. Its just the lining of the uterus being shed. Momon-Nelson says she felt inspired to have a girls day with her daughter to mark the milestone as a positive instead of a curse. The focus of the narrative needs to change to express really the special milestone in a young womans life and that is not a bad thing, she says. Its not something to be embarrassed about or shameful about, but its almost like a welcome, congratulations you have stepped into a new chapter of your life. Ask for help if you dont have the answers Kanj and Momon-Nelson recommend parents find books to help them and their children learn more. American Girl has a two-volume set called The Care & Keeping of You that both doctors say they like. Momon-Nelson gave it to her daughter, now 17, and encouraged her to read the book at her convenience and ask questions when she had them. I remember when my daughter had told me that one of her classmates had her period, and I remember asking her, 'So what does that mean?' Momon-Nelson says. She understood it but she said, 'I went back and looked at my book. Parents can also ask their childs doctor how to approach the topic, too. Both Momon-Nelson and Kanj say that they often ask to speak to their patients alone to answer questions they might have but feel uncomfortable asking with their parents in the room. I start having one-on-one conversations with the kids and that's part of my regular care, Kanj says. Sometimes Ive had kids say, Nothing is going on. Im not dating or anything like that. And I say, OK, are there other questions or things you want to ask me before we bring your parents back in? Thats when patients might mention a change they've noticed, such as a discharge or painful cycles. More often, though, it helps her build trust with her patients so that Kanj can answer questions accurately when they have them. Foster an open-door policy When Kanjs step-daughter got her period, she approached Kanj, who explained how to use a tampon. She understood that Kanj wanted to help her. Its good for parents to check in, she says. They can be like, How do you feel? and, If there are any questions you have, you can ask me. Im here we can figure it out together. Dont be embarrassed. She says often children feel embarrassed because theyre not sure what is normal or not. Thats why parents need to start conversations. None of us have all the answers or can predict the exact appropriate timeline to ask our kids about things, she says. I know that having a communicative relationship where they encourage kids to tell them whats on their mind, what theyre curious about and listening non-judgmentally can pay off. Talk about whats normal Sometimes people experience heavy bleeding, intense pain during menstruation or stop getting their periods. These changes can be signs of endometriosis, fibroids or polycystic ovarian syndrome. Sharing factual, judgment free information about periods means children and teens understand when somethings wrong and feel comfortable discussing it. Reducing the stigma around periods means we can talk about normal and abnormal period, meaning ... bleeding through menstrual products, sometimes through their clothes, if they have severe pain or are curled up in bed and they have other really bad symptoms, Kanj says. We have treatments for those things. They dont have to suffer. Its not just part of being a girl or a woman. This article was originally published on TODAY.com A worker returns voting machines to storage at the Fulton County, Ga., election preparation center on Nov. 4, 2020, in Atlanta. Testing before and after elections shows the voting machines accurately tally the ballots, contradicting unfounded conspiracy theories. (John Bazemore / Associated Press) On the third day of the Conservative Political Action Conference this month, two men demonstrated experts biggest concerns about attempts to access election machines after the 2020 election. Using copies of election software that was improperly taken from multiple counties and that has been circulating among election deniers, they presented unfounded claims that they had discovered evidence of fraud and foreign interference. They also discussed their goals of securing jobs as election officials and building a team of computer experts to access elections systems in more than 60 counties in order to prove their theories. This is exactly the situation that I have warned about, Kevin Skoglund, chief technologist for Citizens for Better Elections, said of the presentation during CPAC. Having the software out there allows people to make wild claims about it. It creates disinformation that we have to watch out for and tamp down. Skoglund is among the election security experts concerned that bad actors are using the time between the 2020 and 2024 elections to study election systems and software in order to produce disinformation during the next presidential election, such as fake evidence of fraud or questionable results. Described as an election integrity presentation, the event wasnt on the official conference agenda or sanctioned by CPAC, but took place in a guest room at a nearby hotel. Some CPAC sponsors plan and produce their own sessions on the conferences sidelines. Only a small number of people attended the presentation in person, but at least 2,800 people watched it live online through a far-right broadcast, according to that shows host. That broadcast included commentary from election deniers before and after the presentation. In the weeks after the 2020 election, and for at least the first six months of 2021, supporters of former President Trump arranged to gain access to federally protected election machines and copied sensitive information and software. What they intend to do with the information is not entirely clear. Story continues In two instances, courts or state lawmakers granted access to the election systems. Trump supporters also persuaded election officials or law enforcement to give them access to election machines in Mesa County, Colo.; Coffee County, Ga.; Fulton County, Pa.; and several Michigan counties. It is unknown how many other election systems across the country were accessed, copied and shared. Skoglund and other experts in cybersecurity and elections say a full investigation into who accessed election machines in 2020 and 2021, who paid for the efforts and how those involved intend to use the information is necessary to prevent misuse. While the FBI has assisted in some local-level inquiries, it does not appear to be conducting a national investigation, feeding election experts concerns that federal law enforcement is not connecting the dots between the breaches. The quality of the so-called evidence put forward in the CPAC-adjacent presentation was comparable to what was submitted in dozens of lawsuits that lawyer Sidney Powell filed on behalf of Trump after the 2020 election, Skoglund said. Of the 62 lawsuits from Powell and her allies, all but one failed. Many judges dismissed the lawsuits, citing the plaintiffs lackluster evidence. They find something that looks strange and assume the worst, Skoglund said of election deniers. Thats not how you do credible research, he continued. If you find something that looks strange, you have to follow it all the way through to make sure theres not some other explanation for it. The presentation during CPAC was immediately dismissed even by the far-right commentators who broadcast it. Nonetheless, Skoglund was alarmed that it took place. The next one may be more potent than this was, he said. The presentation was emblematic of the broader effort to perpetuate a narrative about the potential for election fraud across the country, said Harri Hursti, a cybersecurity expert who works with state-level election officials to test vulnerabilities in voting machines. Several people who aided the efforts to access election machines after the 2020 election are still meeting with states lawmakers, local officials and the public, trying to persuade them to abandon electronic voting. In California, the Shasta County Board of Supervisors canceled its contract with Dominion Voting Systems in February, and on Wednesday it decided to count votes by hand in the future. Hursti said the presenters from the event during CPAC had contacted him beforehand and asked him to look at what they had found. He told them there was a simple explanation for the purported vulnerabilities they believed they had uncovered: It was code from an antivirus program used to identify common bugs that attack computers, he said. I was saying to them, You know, you should have taken a look to your own computer and see if you find the same malicious code in your own computer, because guess what? Its there, Hursti said. One of the presenters, Joshua Merritt, acknowledged the criticism that followed the presentation. He told The Times he intended to pose questions through the presentation in hopes someone would watch the event and help answer them. Were just trying to do the right thing to make sure people have secure elections, said Merritt, whose affidavit alleging possible foreign interference in the 2020 election was cited in suits Powell filed in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin. And thats been my only motivation behind it. The other presenter, former Florida congressional candidate Jeff Buongiorno, did not respond to The Times requests for comment. He said during the presentation that the information referenced came from copies, called forensic images, of production servers from three counties. He would name only one: Coffee County in Georgia. We have multiple counties forensic images, he said during the presentation. Were not going to name the counties. Some of the images came from evidence in court cases, and he and Merritt obtained others on their own, Buongiorno said. Sometimes you have good Samaritans on the inside who care, he said. Merritt told The Times his portion of the presentation was based only on images taken of the Mesa County election system, which were disseminated at an August 2021 cybersymposium held by Trump ally and MyPillow Chief Executive Mike Lindell, and can still be found online. At the event during CPAC, Merritt did not dispute Buongiornos assertions that their presentation used information from multiple counties, including Coffee County. Little is known about who has the information taken in Coffee County, which included copies of every component of the Georgia countys voting system. Skoglund, who is an expert witness in an ongoing case involving Georgias voting machines that uncovered the improper access to the countys system, said he was previously unaware that Merritt and Buongiorno had access to information from that system. They were not on the list of people that I knew had had that software until then, Skoglund said. Which just shows that it has spread further than the dozen people or so that had it. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Independence officers who shot and killed a 39-year-old man last year may have mistaken a pill bottle hidden in the victims waistband for a pistol, according to Missouri State Highway Patrol investigation transcripts released by the familys attorney. The incident has come under scrutiny in recent weeks as video footage of the shooting shared by the attorneys shows Independence police struggling to determine whether Tyrea Pryor, 39, was reaching for a weapon before his death. Thursday, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said in a statement that it was indisputable Pryor did not have a gun in his hand, but, due to the reasonable belief that a threat was being posed to police, the case will not be criminally prosecuted. Loved ones of Tyrea Pryor, a Black man killed by Independence police, stood in front of the Jackson County Courthouse on March 23, 2023, to criticize prosecutors decision not to charge the officers.. Pryors family has rallied against the decision. Last week, their attorneys formally requested the U.S. Department of Justice investigate the case. Independence officers recalled their experience responding to the fatal shooting on March 11, 2022 in interviews with Missouri State Highway Patrol as part of an investigation into the incident. The interviews with investigators describe Independence Officer Jamie Welsh peeking into the shattered window of the vehicle and warning police that Pryor had a pistol hidden in his waistband. It looked like he was pulling back towards his body, and I observed a gun in his hand. His hand was wrapped around the pistol grip, Welsh said to investigators at Missouri State Highway Patrol. I believed it was going to be pointed at me. And at that point in time I yelled, Gun! Officers then fired more then 20 shots into the vehicle, according to a letter to the family explaining Prosecutor Jean Peters Bakers decision not to prosecute. Pryors legs were still pinched in the floorboard area of the drivers side as bullets flew, the Missouri State Highway Patrol report documented. Independence Officer Jacob Pope and Officer Welsh then dragged his body into the passenger seat to look for signs of life, but were unable to find any. While Officer Pope did uncover a bulge near Pryors waistband, it was determined to be a pill bottle and not a hand gun, documents said. Story continues The only gun I knew about... was a rifle The events leading to the fatal police shooting started just before 8 p.m. on March 11, 2022, when Officer Hunter Soule was called to 803 East College Street on reports of a man and two women pounding on the door of the 911 caller. In a statement, one of the women said she had gone to the residence to get items back for the other woman. But an argument ensued. As Officer Soule set off his sirens, the man and two women jumped into their white vehicle to flee. Officer Soule said he witnessed the man, 39-year-old Tyrea Pryor, grab an unknown item from the back of the vehicle before taking off, according to interviews with Missouri State Highway Patrol investigators. By then, Independence Officer Jamie Welsh had also arrived. But the car sped away before they could get a closer look. Shortly after, the officers witnessed the white vehicle crash into another car at the intersection of 24 Highway and Noland Road. The pair said they worked quickly to respond to injuries. Two other Independence Officers, Jacob Pope and Alex Steele, arrived and attempted to pull one of the women from the backseat of Pryors vehicle to examine her injuries. Officer Pope also spoke to the woman in the front passenger seat, who had blood running down her face following the car crash. She complained of chest pains, Officer Pope said to investigators. He swung her legs outside the vehicle and she fell to the ground, where she lay clutching her face. Both Officer Soule and Officer Welsh held Pryor at gunpoint, unable to open the drivers side door due to damage from the crash, according to interviews. Officer Soule said he repeatedly told Pryor to keep his hands up, but he continued to dip his hands down and reached down toward his waistband, according to interviews. Officers said they also worried that they could not clearly see Pryors hands from looking through the drivers side window since the airbags had been deployed and the window glass was shattered. Officer Steele climbed into the backseat of the vehicle to assess Pryors injuries and determine whether he had a gun. You could clearly see that he was stuck in the car because of such heavy damage, Steele said to Missouri State Highway Patrol investigators. He later saw that a silver assault rifle was wedged between Pryors leg and the vehicles center console. When he noticed Pryors arm reach for the gun, Steele told Pryor: Hey, quit reaching or Im going to shoot you. At that point, he said Pryor stopped reaching for the gun. Officer Steele attempted to remove the firearm from the vehicle, but struggled to pull it from his seat. Then he heard someone say: Hes reaching again, Hes reaching again. Officer Welsh, who was standing in front of the windshield, which had been shattered from the crash, said he believed he saw Pryor pulling a gun from his waistband and yelled Gun! It happened so quick, he told investigators. Basically Im seeing a black object pistol grip, with a trigger, and then its coming up towards the drivers side window. Officer Steele was still in the car as shots were fired. He ducked under the seat and eventually was able to crawl out the back door, according to interviews. The only gun that I knew about, at that point, was a rifle, he told investigators. I dont know if hes got another gun on his lap. Pryor was shot about 15 times. Emergency medical personnel declared him dead at the scene. As Officer Pope pulled him from the vehicle, he noticed there was a bulge in his underwear, which was determined to be a pill bottle with baggies of some sort. Officer Christopher Walker, who was also at the scene, remembered police saying in the aftermath I dont know if the pistol went somewhere else. I have no clue. None of the five officers interviewed reported seeing a handgun in the vehicle after the shooting. Prosecutor opts against charges In a press conference last Thursday, the family rallied against the Jackson County Prosecutors Offices decision not to send the case to a grand jury and have the officers potentially be held criminally responsible. This is not a case where its a close call, said the familys attorney Harry Daniels. They know they messed up. The Jackson County Prosecutors Office responded with a letter also sent to the family, explaining that due to the deployed airbags and shattered glass, officers had an obstructed view when monitoring Pryor, but they had reasons to believe he was a threat. A family photo of Tyrea M. Pryor, left, and his sister Crystal Leggs is displayed on a coffee table at her home in Kansas City on Tuesday, March 15, 2022. Pryor was fatally shot last Friday by Independence police officers when they saw him allegedly display an AR-style rifle following a police pursuit and crash, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said. ... The law would not afford the State an opportunity to charge for belief that was later demonstrated to be wrong even if that mistaken belief ended in tragedy as here, the statement reads. They maintained the officers are covered under Missouris use of force law due to their perception of a threat. Independence Police Chief Adam Dustman also released a statement regarding the fatal shooting, saying, The men and women of the Independence Police Department are sworn to keep people safe and when there is a fatality, it weighs heavily on all of us. All officer-involved shootings are reviewed by an external agency before being evaluated by the Prosecutors Office. Attempts by the familys attorney to engage the Department of Justice in an investigation of the shooting are still ongoing. By Krishna N. Das NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian authorities have cancelled or suspended licences of some domestic drug companies as part of action taken against 76 pharmaceutical firms this month for selling adulterated or fake products, a government source said on Thursday. India is known as the 'pharmacy of the world' and its pharmaceuticals exports have more than doubled over the past decade to $24.5 billion in 2021-22. But that image has been dented by the death of at least 70 children in Gambia and 19 children in Uzbekistan last year linked to drugs made by India-based pharmaceutical companies. Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya confirmed a crackdown but did not give details of companies against which action had been taken. "There are more than 10,500 pharma companies in the country. Companies who make spurious medicine will not be spared," Mandaviya told reporters at an event. Licences of some Indian drug companies have been canceled, some were suspended while others have been put on notice during the past 15 days, the source, who had direct knowledge of the matter, told Reuters. The source, who did not want to be identified as they were not authorised to speak to the media, declined to reveal the names of the companies. The federal government has said it will spend $79.6 million on strengthening its drug regulatory system after the World Health Organization raised concerns about domestically produced cough syrups being linked to the death of children in Gambia and Uzbekistan. (Writing by Sudipto Ganguly; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel and Muralikumar Anantharaman) New Delhi At least 35 people died Thursday when the floor of a Hindu temple in central India collapsed under the weight of faithful who had flocked to the site to mark a holy day. Dozens of people in the Beleshwar Mahadev temple in Madhya Pradesh state's Indore city fell into the stairwell of a walk-in "stepwell" when the floor underneath them collapsed Thursday morning. Rescue and security personnel carry out a Hindu devotee who was injured after the floor covering a stepwell collapsed at a temple in Indore, India, March 30, 2023. / Credit: AFP/Getty The incident took place as Hindu devotees marked Ram Navami, celebrated as the birthday of the Hindu god Ram. "So far 35 bodies have been recovered from the stepwell," senior district official Dr. Ilayaraja T told Indian media on Friday. Police said Thursday that at least 17 people were rescued from the well. Stepwells were common architecture in India until the 1800s. The structures vary greatly in size and ornateness, with some of the larger ones among India's biggest tourist attractions. Most of those rescued Thursday were brought to a local hospital and treated for injuries. Rescuers and others engage in frantic efforts to save people who fell into the stairway of a walk-in well after a floor collapsed under the feet of Hindu worshipers at the Beleshwar Mahadev temple in Indore city, in India's Madhya Pradesh state, March 30, 2023. / Credit: ANI/Reuters Police and rescue teams used ropes and ladders to bring people up off the stairwell. The state's Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan called the collapse "unfortunate." On Friday he said he'd ordered a formal inquiry into the accident. He also announced that the families of people killed in the collapse would receive the equivalent of about $6,100 each in government support, and the families of those injured about $610 each. The rescue operation had ended by late afternoon local time on Thursday. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "extremely pained by the mishap," adding that he had spoken with the state's chief minister for an update on the situation as the state government was "spearheading rescue and relief work at a quick pace." Modi, who is Hindu, said his prayers were with the families of those affected. Neil Diamond on his life becoming a Broadway musical Nashville parents describe fears after school shooting 2023 CMT Music Awards co-hosts Kelsea Ballerini and Kane Brown discuss music and the big show Update: The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department identified the officers who fired shots as 6-year veteran Officer David Yohe and 5-year veteran Officer Donovan Hankins. Update: Indianapolis police on Thursday identified the suspect as 33-year-old Michael Barnes. He was arrested on a violation of probation warrant out of Grant County stemming from a 2018 case, in which he was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, possession of a narcotic drug, possession of methamphetamine, theft and possession of marijuana. Police said Barnes will be arrested in connection with the carjacking-turned-car chase that occurred Wednesday. The Marion County Prosecutor's Office will determine charges. Indianapolis police officers shot a man Wednesday at the on-ramp from Kessler Boulevard to the southbound lanes of Interstate 65. The shooting happened about 4:30 p.m. and the person shot was taken to the hospital in critical condition. No officers were hurt. The events leading up to the shooting began just after 4 p.m. when Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers were dispatched to a crash in the 5600 block of Georgetown Road. Before officers arrived, a passenger in one of the damaged vehicles carjacked a black four-door Chevrolet Impala that was uninvolved in the crash, IMPD said. The carjacking led to a vehicle pursuit within minutes, police said in a news release, in which the vehicle stopped at the I-65 onramp at Kessler Boulevard. Police approached the Impala at the same time a man exited the vehicle, turning toward officers with a gun in his hand. Police said two officers made a "split-time" decision and fired their weapons, critically injuring the man. No one else was hurt in the shooting. Officers applied first-aid until emergency medical services took the man to the hospital in critical condition. He was listed to be in stable condition at around 7 p.m., according to IMPD. Story continues Detectives found a handgun near the carjacking suspect, police said. He was arrested on an unrelated warrant from Grant County and charges in the carjacking are pending the review of the Marion County Prosecutors Office. The officer's body-worn cameras were activated at the time of the shooting, IMPD said. The Marion County Prosecutors Office will assist in the investigation and an investigation will be made by the IMPD Internal Affairs Office, which are standard procedures with officer-involved shootings in Indianapolis. Investigators would be in the area for quite some time, said Officer William Young, who asked people to avoid the scene. Eastbound 38th Street was closed at 38th Street and Kessler Boulevard. Police asked drivers to find alternate routes and avoid the area. The suspect involved in this OIS was transported to an area hospital in critical condition. At this time, Eastbound 38th St. is CLOSED at 38th St. at Kessler Blvd We ask drivers to find alternate routes and avoid the area. https://t.co/SZYkPh0xOM IMPD (@IMPDnews) March 29, 2023 This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis police shoot carjacking suspect who is in critical condition Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a possible Republican presidential candidate, slammed the indictment of former President Donald Trump leading off a wave of anger among Kansas and Missouri Republicans. A New York grand jury voted to indict Trump on Thursday. The exact nature of the allegations werent immediately public, but the former president was under investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, over allegations of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. CNN reported Trump faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud, suggesting an expansive case. The Manhattan DA is undermining Americas confidence in our legal system. Bragg is the same Soros-funded prosecutor who refuses to prosecute violent crimes and who has downgraded more than half of all felonies to misdemeanors, Pompeo, a former Wichita congressman who served in Trumps Cabinet, said on Twitter. Pompeos reference to billionaire George Soros, a favorite target of conservatives, has been a common talking point from Trumps allies in recent days. Soros did not directly donate to Braggs campaign, but he contributed $1 million in 201 to Color of Change, a progressive group, which spent $500,000 in support of Braggs candidacy, according a fact check from The New York Times. Prosecuting serious crimes keeps Americans safe, but political prosecutions put the American legal system at risk of being viewed as a tool for abuse. DA Bragg - spend taxpayers money and your energy protecting law-abiding citizens, Pompeo said. Not playing politics. Sen. Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican and a former state attorney general, called the indictment an assault on our democracy, pure and simple. Tonights indictment of Donald Trump isnt about the law. Its about power. Raw power. Its the Democrat Party telling the nation they will stop at nothing to control the outcome of the next presidential election, Hawley said on Twitter. Story continues Hawley and Sen. Eric Schmitt, a Missouri Republican, both played a role in supporting attempts to overturn the 2020 election in Trumps favor. Hawley was the first senator to say he would object to certifying Bidens victory and raised his fist in solidarity with crowd of Trump supporters outside the Capitol ahead of the riot. Schmitt, as Missouri state attorney general, supported litigation to overturn the presidential election results in four swing states that went for Democratic President Joe Biden. This is purely a partisan case against President Trump, Schmitt said on Twitter Thursday evening. Schmitt also invoked Soros and said Bragg campaigned on prosecuting Trump while violent crime in NYC rages on & violent criminals walk free. New York City has a significantly lower crime rate than Missouris two largest cities, St. Louis and Kansas City, which have struggled with two of the highest murder rates in the country in recent years, including during Schmitts tenure as attorney general. U.S. Rep. Mark Alford, a Republican who represents an area east and south of Kansas City, called the indictment nothing short of political persecution. Alford, who was endorsed by Trump, said Bragg had decided to follow through on an illegitimate charge. Were President Trump not be running for re-election, this would not be an issue. This DA will clearly dig up old parking tickets if that means Donald Trump cannot run for President, the Missouri congressman said. Democrats from the Kansas City region struck a cautious note in the immediate wake of the New York indictment. Zac Donley, a spokesperson for U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, who represents most of the Kansas side of the Kansas City metro, said Davids has faith in the American justice system and will learn more, along with the public, as details are released. Rep. Davids has said many times before that no one is above the law, including elected officials, Donley said in a statement. Davids twice voted to impeach Trump during his presidency. A spokesperson for Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly declined to comment, saying the governor is focused on Kansas. Trump released a statement Thursday calling the indictment Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history. In addition to the New York case, Trump remains under criminal investigation in Georgia over whether he interfered with the states presidential election. An Atlanta-area prosecutor overseeing the case hasnt announced whether she will seek a grand jury indictment. In Missouri, top GOP officials had sharply criticized the looming indictment against Trump in recent days as it became the grand jury was nearing a final decision. The reported upcoming arrest of President Trump by hyper partisan Soros prosecutor Alvin Bragg is some Third World Banana Republic lunacy and a very, very dangerous road to go down, Schmitt said on Twitter earlier this month, referencing the businessman and philanthropist George Soros, a frequent target of Republican attacks. Trump last week questioned, without naming him, how Bragg could charge him knowing that potential death & destruction in such a false charge could be catastrophic for our Country? The former presidents critics saw that as a threat as the country still grapples with the fallout of the attack on the capitol in January of 2021 by a mob of Trumps supporters. Neither Schmitt, nor Hawley commented in the wake of that post. (Photo: All Events in Denver) A Denver charter school focused on Indigenized curriculum will be closing its doors at the end of a school year due to low enrollment. The American Indian Academy of Denver (AIAD) began enrolling middle and high schoolers in fall 2020, teaching them a curriculum specifically designed to address the unmet needs of American Indian and Latino students in the Denver metro area, according to the schools website. But as their three-year contract renewal approached, the schools board of directors voted to give up the charter contract with the district. It was obviously a pretty tough decision, said Nicholas Martinez, co-chair of the AIAD Board of Directors. It really boils down to the fact that we didn't have the enrollment to sustain the school. As of November 2022, AIAD had enrolled 134 students in grades six through 10. In its 2018 application the school had predicted an enrollment number of 400 students in sixth to twelfth grade. This year, Martinez said, the school should have been enrolling between 250 to 300 students. The Board of Directors also listed significantly lower than expected revenue; and significantly higher than expected costs, as part of the several challenges leading to the school closure, according to the resolution. In the schools amended budget adopted Jan 30, 2023, the board had approved $3 million in expenditures. Martinez said there were a number of factors working against them since opening the school, including the fact that they opened during the pandemic, and that a large portion of the schools budget went to renovating a DMV facility to create their existing school building. Had there been an opportunity to be in an existing school, or share a campus, or occupy some sort of other building rather than renovating our own, we might have been able to do something different with budget, Martinez told Native News Online. But ultimately, its a numbers game. We just didn't have enough kids enrolling and ultimately that affected our ability to create a sustainable and solvent budget. Story continues Students came from more than 30 different zip codes to attend the charter school. Unfortunately, there is no school similar to what we're offering, he said. Most of our students will probably go back to their home districts back to whatever school they are zoned for based on their residence. About the Author: "Jenna Kunze is a staff reporter covering Indian health, the environment and breaking news for Native News Online. She is also the publication's lead reporter on stories related to Indian boarding schools and repatriation. Her bylines have appeared in The Arctic Sounder, High Country News, Indian Country Today, Tribal Business News, Smithsonian Magazine, Elle and Anchorage Daily News. Kunze is based in New York." Contact: jkunze@indiancountrymedia.com By Ismail Shakil and Anna Mehler Paperny OTTAWA (Reuters) - Officials tasked with reviewing Canada's worst mass shooting called for sweeping police reforms, stricter gun safety regulations and better public communication on Thursday after an investigation found many shortcomings in authorities' response to the 2020 incident. In April 2020, 51-year-old Gabriel Wortman, disguised in a police uniform and driving a fake police car, shot and killed 22 people in a 13-hour rampage in the Atlantic province of Nova Scotia, before police killed him at a gas station about 90 km (60 miles) from the site of his first killings in Portapique. The rampage shocked a country where mass violence is rare, and a Mass Casualty Commission was set up to conduct a public inquiry. The commission, which offered 130 recommendations in a report with more than n over 3,000-page report, recommended an external review of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and potentially restructuring the agency, which it said may entail a new approach to federal financial support for provincial and municipal policing services. The commission's recommendations are not binding. Calls for reforming the RCMP are not new and there have been similar public inquiries and reviews in the past that resulted in recommendations that have not yet been implemented, the report said. It found the RCMP was unprepared and untrained to handle the scale of the incident, and mismanaged internal as well as public messaging. In one example, the commission noted the only information RCMP released to the public was posted on Twitter about 90 minutes after the first killing and underplayed the seriousness of the threat. There were no public communications for more than eight hours after that. "While we acknowledge and commend the individual actions and courage of many first responders, the overarching approach and response by the RCMP as an institution had many shortcomings," said commissioner Leanne Fitch, one of the three officials who conducted the inquiry. Story continues Interim RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme, who said he had not read the report, promised to act on the recommendations "in a manner that is transparent to the victims, survivors and their families." The commission recommends increasing the RCMP's transparency and accountability for oversight. HOPEFUL Scott McLeod, who lost his brother Sean in the incident, welcomed the report's recommendations. "I think everybody's always going to have that bit of skepticism about whether it'll get done properly or not but ... I'm hopeful with everything I've heard so far," he said. Commission chair Michael MacDonald told Reuters he believes there is political will to adopt the changes recommended in the report. "I think we are at a moment in history where all levels of government have to realize they have to work together," he said. The inquiry also found that Wortman illegally owned at least five firearms, including three smuggled into Canada from the United States, that could have been prevented with better police oversight. Canada has stricter gun laws than the United States, but Canadians can own firearms with a license. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government has been trying to tackle gun violence through measures introduced after the Nova Scotia shooting, including a handgun freeze announced last year. The commission recommended that possessing ammunition and buying firearm magazines should require a license and that the federal government should establish limits on the stockpiling of ammunition. "I hope today's report is one of the many steps toward ensuring a tragedy like this never happens again," Trudeau, who was in Nova Scotia for the release of the report, said in a statement. (Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Jonathan Oatis) SOUTHWEST, England Five weeks ago, Sergyy a young artist and painter from Dnipro, Ukraine, swapped out his brush for lessons with a high-powered rifle. It was not the path that he chose, but one he felt compelled to take. Behind his dark green mask and camouflage-covered helmet, he has not had time to think about what comes next only the rigorous drills to accomplish each day. He is one of the more than 14,000 Ukrainians participating in training in the U.K. The military program, designed to quickly bring new recruits of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and within 35 days, provides them a set of skills critical to their survival on the front lines. Representatives from nine other allied countries are providing trainers and resources as part of the project which projects to train 20,000 soldiers by the end of this year. Upon successful completion, Sergyy and his other classmates will deploy back to their home country, expected to be ready to join in the fight immediately. "I feel confident in the logistics I've learned, the training, and how the instructors teach us here," he said through an English interpreter. Standard British army recruits get an initial 14 weeks of basic training. Ukrainian personnel hold a Ukrainian flag as they stand on a Challenger 2 tank during training at Bovington Camp, near Wool in southwestern Britain, Feb. 22, 2023. UK CLAIMS SOME 220,000 RUSSIAN CASUALTIES IN WAR AS UKRAINE PREPARES COUNTEROFFENSIVE "The learning curve is steep," Second Lt. Badger of the British Army said. "You know, it's five weeks that they arrive having no skills at all, and they leave very motivated and ready which is an amazing thing to see". Fox News was provided access to an undisclosed location in England, where reporters were able to observe live fire exercises and conduct drills in trench warfare. The course includes target shooting, medical aide, NATO standards of armed conflict and operating armored vehicles or drones. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP The time limitations present challenges as well as communication issues. One trainer from Australia, who was not permitted to provide his name, said the language gap can hinder their limited time and found the bigger challenge was ensuring they understood why certain skills are critical. Story continues Some 20,000 Ukrainian soldiers will be trained in the UK by the end of 2023. "Sometimes they might think things aren't relevant, but they take them on board, and then they will take them in and learn them over a period of time. And then it will like kind of click near the end, so they can learn and understand why they're actually doing the skills." New recruits arrive every two to three days, and the urgency to get them the knowledge and skills is compounded by rumors of an imminent Ukraine counteroffensive. Ukrainian soldiers training in the United Kingdom. SWEDEN BECOMES 'LEGITIMATE TARGET' BY JOINING NATO, RUSSIAN ENVOY SAYS In a recent post on his Telegram Chanel, Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraines ground forces commander, hinted as much in discussing the long and deadly battle of Bakhmut. "Very soon, we will take advantage of this opportunity, as we once did near Kyiv, Kharkiv, Balakliia and Kupiansk," This operation is just one of the many programs designated to get Ukrainians the skills they need, mostly on western technology. Sixty-five Ukrainian soldiers recently finished training on the PATRIOT Missile Defense system at Fort Sill in Oklahoma. The U.S. is also currently training 3,900 Ukrainian soldiers in Germany. Since the war began, the United Kingdom has spent more than $2.5 billion in military aid, including a squadron of 14 Challenger 2 tanks which arrived in Ukraine earlier this week, as well as AS90 self-propelled guns. Training is also ongoing for a series of combat aircraft. Federal safety investigators are examining a natural gas pipeline for fractures and other damage as they gather evidence on the cause of last weeks deadly explosion at a Pennsylvania chocolate factory, a spokesperson said Wednesday. The National Transportation Safety Board opened a probe into Fridays blast at R.M. Palmer Co. that killed seven people, wounded several others and leveled the building in West Reading, a small town about 50 miles northwest of Philadelphia. Autopsies preliminarily revealed that all seven died of blast injuries, the coroners office said as it released the victims names. Federal investigators have said natural gas was involved in the explosion. NTSB is continuing to gather evidence about how the building was supplied with natural gas and point of ignition, interview witnesses, examine the pipeline for fractures, any damage to pipeline, a chronology of events leading up to the explosion, among other issues that may come up as the investigation continues, agency spokesperson Keith Holloway said by email Wednesday. A preliminary report on the explosion could be available in about three weeks, whereas the final report could take up to two years, he said. Pennsylvania State Police are also investigating the cause. Some workers had told relatives they smelled natural gas before the blast, although the gas utility, UGI, said it had received no reports of a gas leak. UGI said it is cooperating with the probe. The family that owns the candy company said in a statement Wednesday that the loss of their employees will be felt forever. My family and I are deeply saddened and heartbroken by the devastating loss of several colleagues and friends as a result of last weeks tragic incident at the West Reading facility, said the statement from Richard Palmer Jr. and his family. The Berks County coroners office on Wednesday released the identifies of five of the people who were killed: Xiorky Nunez, 30, of Reading; Susan Halvonik, 63, of Upper Providence Township; Michael Breedy, 62, of Marion Township; Diana Cedeno, 44, of Reading; and Judith Lopez-Moran, 55, of Reading. The names of the other two people killed, Amy Sandoe, 49, of Ephrata, and Domingo Cruz, 60, of Reading, were previously released. All seven victims appear to have died of blast injuries, Berks County Coroner John Fielding said at a news conference. The manner of death is pending further investigation by other agencies, he said. A former oral surgeon who admitted to tampering with and diluting hundreds of doses of the painkiller fentanyl was sentenced Wednesday to 24 months in prison. Andrew Hartwig, a licensed Iowa dentist since 1993, was found in 2019 to have siphoned fentanyl from at least 299 vials, some of which were later administered to patients. Federal prosecutors say he took the stolen fentanyl himself and suffered from a "serious drug addiction." According to court filings, a nurse at the Oral Surgery and Dental Implant Center of Iowa City, where he worked, reported a box of fentanyl vials appeared to have been opened and then taped shut. After the other surgeons working there changed the security code and installed a new security camera outside the practice's drug safe, Hartwig contacted the Iowa Dental Board to report he had "skimmed" fentanyl from his office to deal with chronic low-back pain. The tampering took place over at least a three-month span in 2019, but prosecutors note in court filings there were other reports of possibly misappropriated fentanyl at the practice dating back years, in one case involving the discovery of a stash of vials with expiration dates as early as 2015. According to court filings, Hartwig would use a syringe to partially empty fentanyl vials and then refill them with other liquids. Federal Drug Administration testing of 14 random samples found the adulterated vials contained solutions of anywhere from 5% to 99% fentanyl, and six of the 14 were contaminated with bacteria. Prosecutors say the practice did not receive any patient complaints of infection or insufficient pain management related to the watered-down drugs. For subscribers: A Des Moines woman died from fentanyl bought on Snapchat. Her parents are suing the app. Hartwig's license suspended by state Court records and Iowa Dental Board documents show Hartwig's license was suspended due to the allegations in 2019, but that the suspension was stayed and he was instead put on probation so he could take part in the Iowa Practitioner Program, a monitoring program for health practitioners with impairments such as substance use disorders or physical limitations. Story continues In August 2022, the board revoked the stay, indefinitely suspending Hartwig's license, after learning he was out of compliance with the program. Two months later, prosecutors charged Hartwig with felony tampering with consumer products. He pleaded guilty the same day under a deal calling for a sentence of no more than 36 months in prison. Prosecutors 'sympathetic' but ask for prison Prosecutors sought a 30-month sentence and a $15,000 fine for Hartwig, in line with the sentence for a Des Moines hospital worker who pleaded guilty in 2018 to tampering with large quantities of fentanyl. "The government is sympathetic to Defendants struggle with substance abuse but his egregious conduct while tending to patients as an oral surgeon warrants a term of imprisonment," prosecutors wrote in court filings. Instead, U.S. District Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger sentenced Hartwig to 24 months in prison with a $50,000 fine. He will also serve two years of supervised release after leaving prison. September 2022: This new website aims to help Iowans access treatment for opioid use disorder In an emailed statement, defense attorney Leon Spies said his client appreciated the support of his colleagues and looks forward to turning things around. Although this was a sad day for Dr. Hartwig and his family, hes very grateful for the support and encouragement he has received from his professional colleagues, friends and others many who themselves have battled substance issues," Spies said. "There has never been a question about his skill and dedication to his craft. He looks forward to using his many talents to serve the community in the days ahead. Spies said Hartwig is hopeful that he will be able to restore his dental license, but referred further questions to Hartwig's counsel in the Dental Board proceedings, who could not immediately be identified. William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com, 715-573-8166 or on Twitter at @DMRMorris. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa oral surgeon who stole fentanyl from practice sentenced to prison You are here: World Flash A fresh Israeli missile attack targeted military sites near Damascus, the Syrian capital, early Thursday, according to the state-run TV. The targets are yet to be known, but the attacks triggered Syria's air defenses, which were clearly heard in Damascus. No further details were immediately available. Copyright 2023, Des Moines Register and Tribune Co. Ron Dickerson stepped up to the microphone at a recent meeting of the Dallas County Republican Party to demand answers from U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst for a series of votes she took late last year that have troubled some Republicans across the state. Dickerson wanted to know why Ernst voted for the Respect for Marriage Act, which many feel directly went against the platform of the Iowa Republican Party. He wanted to know why she supported sending additional money to Ukraine when our own southern border is being invaded. And he wanted to know why she voted for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which he worried had triggered red flag laws that might impinge on 2nd Amendment rights. All of it has earned her a D rating from the Conservative Reviews Liberty Score, which tracks congressional members votes. The question is, ma'am, how do you rank the importance of the priorities of your constituents when deciding how to vote on a bill? Dickerson concluded. More: Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst defends gay-marriage vote as GOP county groups move to censure her The exchange encapsulated the surge of conservative angst that has bubbled up across the state in the wake of those votes, dogging Ernst at events and triggering more than a dozen votes of condemnation or censure by local GOP chapters across the state. Despite those broad shows of frustration, Ernsts job approval rating has actually ticked up since last year, a new Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll shows, suggesting the backlash is contained to a relatively small but passionate minority. Even so, Ernsts approval ratings and favorability numbers lag those of her Republican colleagues, U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley and Gov. Kim Reynolds, among several key constituencies. Kelley Koch, chair of the Dallas County Republican Party, said Ernsts votes on marriage and gun laws were very tense, heated issues for her members last fall. Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks Saturday, March 18, 2023 during a panel discussion with U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, about Americas strength and leadership abroad. The event, organized by The Bastion Institute, was held at The River Center in Des Moines. She invited Ernst to speak at one of the partys meetings in January to address members concerns directly a meeting that was, at times, combative. But Dallas has not been among the county parties to approve any kind of formal reprimand. Story continues People are now looking more forward to presidential (politics) and maybe not so much backward, Koch said. I don't think they'll forget (these votes). But I think the emphasis is now focused on Joe Biden and the White House. Dickerson told the Register he would support a primary opponent running against Ernst in 2026. I don't have any feeling one way or another towards Joni Ernst, other than the fact that I feel that she has let conservatives down over the last year and a half, he said. More: 18 GOP senators helped pass a $1.7 trillion spending plan. Why Grassley and Ernst voted no Sen. Joni Ernsts job approval ticks up, even as GOP county parties condemn her marriage vote Since October, Ernsts approval rating has ticked up by 3 percentage points. Now, 47% of Iowans approve of Ernsts job performance up from 44%. And 39% now disapprove down from 45% last year. Another 15% are not sure. Selzer & Co. of Des Moines conducted the poll of 805 Iowa adults March 5-8. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. Being a conservative myself, I like her values, said John Zobeck, a 60-year-old Adel resident and poll respondent. And the laws that she votes on and stuff align with my family and my family's values. Although Zobeck said he disagreed with Ernsts same-sex marriage vote, he still broadly approves of the job shes doing in Congress. I think overall, when you take the whole spectrum of her voting record and what she stands for, I think overall she's doing a good job, he said. The rise in approval stands in contrast to the shows of dissatisfaction from some members of the party that followed Ernsts vote for the Respect for Marriage Act last November. Ernst was one of 12 Republicans to join with Democrats in voting for the legislation, which requires states without marriage equality laws to recognize same-sex marriages from other states. It does not codify the right to same-sex marriage in federal law, and it includes protections for religious institutions. Grassley opposed the bill. Former Maryland governor Larry Hogan gets greeted by U.S. Senator Joni Ernst during a panel discussion about Americas strength and leadership abroad and its importance organized by The Bastion Institute at The River Center on Saturday, March 18, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. Since then, at least 17 county parties have voted to condemn or censure Ernst over the vote. Page County Republicans this month called for her resignation and promised to oppose her in a primary if she does not step down. I would say that those two votes, in particular, have bothered a lot of people that have supported her in the past, and they are hoping that she will find her way back to the GOP policies of Iowa, Page County Republican Party Chair Bryan Whipp said. The state party platform says marriage is between a man and a woman, and it says the party supports public policy that reflects that belief. Whipp said the Page County vote is intended to communicate members frustration to Ernst, since she is not up for reelection for several more years. I think it's basically a wakeup call that we would like to see some more conservative viewpoints coming from our senator, he said. Ernst has repeatedly defended the vote. "I don't agree with the censure," she told reporters in December. "But I will say that I stand by my vote, and I hope that more people will actually read the bill and understand we have just improved upon religious liberty protections, not just in Iowa, but across the United States." Shes downplayed the effects it will have on Iowa, where gay marriage has been legal since a 2009 state Supreme Court case established marriage equality. It does not require a state to provide for same-sex marriage, and it does not provide a federal right of same-sex marriage, she said in Dallas County. That is state law. More: For first time in decades Iowa has an all-Republican congressional delegation. Here's what they want to do Ernst has been gaining ground among Republicans since a July 2022 dip in approval According to the Iowa Poll, Ernst experienced some choppy waters with Republicans in July 2022, just after she voted for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act the most significant gun control bill in decades. The legislation provides incentives to states that adopt red flag laws, which allow authorities or family members to petition the court to have guns taken away from someone who they believe represents an imminent danger. Many Republicans view such laws as an infringement on Americans Second Amendment rights. The legislation does not require states to adopt red flag laws. For states that dont have them, the funding can be used for other crisis-intervention programs. Grassley opposed the bill, citing concerns about due process. Ernst defended that vote in the Dallas County GOP meeting, calling it a "states rights bill" that allows states to make their own decisions. Iowa, she said, would likely never enact red flag laws, and the bill does not create them. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) and GOP Presidential candidate Nikki Haley discuss foreign policy at an event hosted by the Bastion Institute in Clive, Friday, March 10, 2023. In the July 2022 poll, just after that vote, Ernsts approval rating among Republicans was 70%, dropping from 77% in March of that year. But shes been gaining ground back. In October 2022, her approval rating among Republicans rose to 73% and today its up to 75%. Her approval rating among evangelical voters is also trending upward. In July 2022, 57% of evangelicals approved of Ernsts job performance. That rose to 62% in October 2022 and to 64% today. In July 2022, 15% of Democrats approved. That dropped to 12% in October and has now bounced back even higher at 19%. Among independent voters, Ernst appears to be holding steady. In July 2022, 40% approved of her job performance. That rose to 42% in October 2022 and returned to 40% now. Jerry Hale, a 72-year-old Sioux City resident and poll respondent, said he has previously been a fan of Ernst but now counts himself among those who disapprove of her job performance. He often thinks of himself as an independent, though he tends to vote for Republicans. I think she waffles on a lot of the issues, and I don't think she's a real dyed-in-the-wool conservative, Hale said of Ernst. He said it bothers him a lot to see Ernst, who is a member of the GOP Senate leadership team, standing behind Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell at news conferences. She seems to follow the lead of Minority Leader Mitch McConnell down to a T, he said. And McConnell definitely doesn't have our best interests at heart. Ernst underperforms other Iowa Republicans among GOP base Even as Ernst is gaining back support, she underperforms both Grassley and Reynolds with Republicans and Evangelicals. Ernsts 75% approval rating among Republicans is 6 percentage points lower than Grassleys 81% approval rating, and its 11 percentage points lower than Reynolds 86%. Ernst earns a 64% approval rating with evangelicals 11 percentage points short of the 75% that both Grassley and Reynolds achieve. Among Republicans, she is viewed favorably by 71% down from 75% last October. That number also lags Grassley, who is viewed favorably by 80% of Iowa Republicans, and Reynolds, who is viewed favorably by 87%. Among all Iowans, Ernst is viewed favorably by 45% a number that is unchanged since October. She is viewed unfavorably by 44%, down from 45%. Sen. Chuck Grassleys approval rating back above water Grassley saw his worst showing in an Iowa Poll last October, with more Iowans disapproving of his performance than approving. According to that poll, 44% approved while 48% disapproved. Now, hes reversed those numbers with 49% approving and 41% disapproving. Grassley was in the midst of a relatively tough reelection battle last fall. Though he easily won a primary, Republican state Sen. Jim Carlin won more than a quarter of the vote by arguing he was more conservative on issues like the border and the Second Amendment. Many Iowa Republicans also expressed concerns about Grassley, at 89, seeking an eighth term in office, the Iowa Poll showed. Grassley ultimately defeated Democrat Mike Franken by a comfortable 12 percentage points, though it was still his closest margin in decades. U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley shakes hands with Rep. Ross Wilburn on the first day of the Legislative session, Monday, Jan. 9, 2023. FAQs: How is the Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll conducted? We answer your top questions. With the 118th Congress well underway, Grassleys approval ratings have bounced back among several demographics. Among Republicans, 81% approve better than the 77% who approved in October. Independent Iowans are now evenly split with 45% approving and 45% disapproving. In October, 36% approved while 52% disapproved. The share of evangelical Iowans who approve of Grassleys job performance has risen from 65% to 75%, and the share of Iowans living in northwest Iowas conservative 4th Congressional District who approve has risen from 51% to 64%. Today, Grassley is viewed favorably by 51% of Iowans and unfavorably by 41%. He was at 47%-46% in October. Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Register. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on Twitter at @brianneDMR. About the Iowa Poll The Iowa Poll, conducted March 5-8, 2023, for The Des Moines Register and Mediacom by Selzer & Co. of Des Moines, is based on telephone interviews with 805 Iowans ages 18 or older. Interviewers with Quantel Research contacted households with randomly selected landline and cell phone numbers supplied by Dynata. Interviews were administered in English. Responses were adjusted by age, sex and congressional district to reflect the general population based on recent American Community Survey estimates. Questions based on the sample of 805 Iowa adults have a maximum margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. This means that if this survey were repeated using the same questions and the same methodology, 19 times out of 20, the findings would not vary from the true population value by more than plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. Results based on smaller samples of respondents such as by gender or age have a larger margin of error. Republishing the copyright Iowa Poll without credit to The Des Moines Register and Mediacom is prohibited. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa Poll: Sens. Joni Ernst, Chuck Grassley approval ratings improve An Israeli court on Thursday acquitted a man convicted of murdering a schoolgirl in 2006, with her mother vowing to find the real killer in the case that has gripped the country. The verdict reignited the mystery around the case that inspired conspiracy theories, books and movies, including a documentary that aired on Netflix. "The Nazareth district court today acquitted... defendant Roman Zdorov of the murder of Tair Rada," the court said in a statement. Rada was found with a slit throat and in a pool of blood in a bathroom stall of her school in Katzrin, a town in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, in December 2006. She was 13 years old. Zdorov, a Ukrainian resident of Israel who had been working in construction at the school, was arrested days after, and charged at the same Nazareth court based on evidence and a confession he later retracted. He was convicted in 2010 and sentenced to life in prison. Expert opinion on the knife used saw the supreme court order a retrial, and in 2014 the Nazareth district court once again found him guilty, a ruling the supreme court upheld the following year on appeal. In 2021 a supreme court judge granted Zdorov the right to another retrial at the Nazareth district court, releasing him to house arrest for the duration of the process that ended Thursday with two of three judges ruling him innocent of Rada's murder. The judges cited "firm and reasonable doubt" in Zdorov's guilt, and that "the prosecution failed to prove the defendant's guilt", according to the verdict. Sitting with his wife and son in the courtroom, Zdorov burst into tears when the head of the panel acquitted and freed him more than 16 years after he was first imprisoned. - No 'alternative scenario' - In brief remarks to the media after the proceedings ended, Zdorov thanked his supporters. "The truth has emerged victorious," said the man now in his mid-40s. Rada's mother, Ilana, who for years had doubted Zdorov's guilt, pointed a finger at the state prosecution, who she claimed built a case around the wrong man. Story continues "For the first time justice has been made," she said of Thursday's ruling. "The next stage is to start looking for the murderers, and we know where to go," she added, without elaborating. Zdorov's verdict generated huge interest in Israel, featuring on the front pages of all the major newspapers and in television broadcasts, with the court providing rare live footage of the session. The justice ministry said its conduct was professional. It quoted the minority judge who rejected Zdorov's innocence as saying that the evidence justifying the retrial "did not present even a remote alternative scenario to the murder." "We did everything in our power to conduct a professional, honest and fair trial," the ministry said in a statement, adding the state attorney's office may appeal the verdict. - 'Loyalty to truth' - The murder and its seemingly endless legal proceedings have gripped Israel for years, with books and films professing Zdorov's innocence or guilt, as many questions surrounding the case remain unresolved. The case featured in a popular four-part Netflix docuseries called "Shadow of Truth", which won an Israeli award in 2017. The latest ruling, days after Israel's coalition announced it was suspending work on a controversial judicial overhaul, has been cited as evidence by both supporters and opponents of the divisive proposals. Simcha Rothman, head of the parliament's law committee and one of the main forces behind the reform package, retweeted a statement from a conservative think tank claiming the Zdorov acquittal was the result of "no independent review system" overseeing prosecutors' work. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -- who is on trial for corruption charges he denies -- and his allies in government argue the legal system has become politicised and advocate diminishing some of its powers. Opposition member Merav Michaeli hit back in a tweet saying the verdict was proof of "the system's loyalty to the truth". "This is the great merit of an independent and apolitical court system," the centre-left Labor party leader said. jjm/ami By Maytaal Angel JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli prosecutors indicted two Jewish settlers on Thursday for what the indictment described as a terrorist assault on Palestinians in a flashpoint village in the occupied West Bank that has been a focus of international concern. The suspects were among a group who, during the Jewish festival of Purim on March 6, attacked cars and their occupants in Huwara, Israel's Shin Bet internal security service said. It said the two, both men in their 20s, were indicted in Central District Court for grievous bodily harm - to which prosecutors added a terrorism designation - and vandalism. Huwara was the scene of Feb. 26 rioting by settlers to avenge the killing of two Israeli brothers by a Palestinian gunman as they passed through in their car. A local Palestinian was shot dead and dozens of cars and homes were set alight during the rampage, over which Israel has conducted several arrests. Those incidents overshadowed a Jordanian-hosted meeting of Israeli and Palestinian security officials meant to calm the West Bank. A far-right Israeli minister's later comment that Huwara should be "erased" only stoked Western concern. The two settlers indicted on Thursday were accused of attacking Palestinians parked outside shops, including with an axe and by throwing rocks at them, while shouting "Death to Arabs!". Two Palestinians were wounded, the indictment says. A lawyer for the suspects said they had yet to enter a plea, and that he would ask next week for their release on bail. Grievous bodily harm can carry a maximum jail term of 20 years in Israel, vandalism a maximum five-year jail term. Violence has soared in the West Bank, among territories where Palestinians seek statehood. Israel's settlements there - deemed illegal by most world powers - see frequent friction. According to Israeli watchdog group Yesh Did, 93% of investigations into alleged settler violence between 2005 and 2022 were closed without indictments. (Reporting by Maytaal Angel; editing by Jonathan Oatis) A Shavit rocket launches the Ofek 13 radar spy satellite to orbit on March 29, 2023. A Shavit rocket launches the Ofek 13 radar spy satellite to orbit on March 29, 2023. Israel launched the newest addition to its Ofek series of spy satellites early Wednesday (March 29), according to an overnight press release from the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMoD). That release identifies "a test site in central Israel" as the launch site for the satellite , which likely refers to Palmachim Airbase, about 9 miles (15 kilometers) south of Tel Aviv. Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who attended the launch, praised Israel's standing among space-faring nations. Related: Q&A with Israel space chief Uri Oron A Shavit rocket carrying Israel's Ofek 13 radar spy satellite arcs toward orbit on March 29, 2023. "The successful launch of the satellite is yet another important example of the Israeli defense establishment's groundbreaking innovation. Israel has already proved its diverse space capabilities many times and is one of very few countries to possess such capabilities capabilities that we continue to develop and strengthen," Gallant said in the press release . Ofek 13 was manufactured by the government-owned company Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and launched atop a Shavit rocket on a westward trajectory, over the Mediterranean Sea. Israel's Shavit small-satellite launcher debuted in 1988, when Ofek 1 was placed in orbit. Since then, the nation has been steadily improving the spacecraft series' capabilities. "The Ofek 13 is the most advanced of its kind, with unique radar observation capabilities, and will enable intelligence collection in any weather and conditions of visibility, thus enhancing strategic intelligence," IAI President and CEO Boaz Levy said in the IMoD press release. Related stories: Israel will aim for the moon again in 2024 with Beresheet 2 mission SpaceX launches Israeli reconnaissance satellite, lands rocket in final flight of 2022 Israel signs Artemis accords for moon exploration The launch came amid unrest in Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been stoking tensions recently throughout Israel's legislative bodies and populace with his attempts to overhaul Israel's judicial system. Nationwide protests against Netanyahu and members of his government have heightened, some escalating to violence. Story continues Gallant is among those who has resisted the proposed changes, prompting Netanyahu to publicly fire him over the weekend. (Gallant still seems to be serving as Defense Minister, however.) Netanyahu's previous terms as prime minister were accompanied by investigations into fraud, bribery and breach of trust allegations against him. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and other agency leadership welcomed a delegation of Israeli representatives to NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C. on Monday (March 27). NASA posted an album of photos of the visit to the agency's Flickr account , including a photo of Nelson with Ofir Akunis, Israel's Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology. JERUSALEM Israel has sent its Ofek 13 military intelligence satellite into space from a site in central Israel using the countrys Shavit launcher, the Defense Ministry said this week. The successful launch of the satellite is yet another important example of the Israeli defense establishments groundbreaking innovation, said Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who was present during the launch. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently fired Gallant from his post for challenging a judicial overhaul plan, but it appears Gallant is still in the position. The ministry hasnt provided an update to his status. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, center, was present at the launch of Ofek 13. (Israeli Defense Ministry) Israel sent the satellite into orbit on March 29, and it has begun transmitting data, the ministry said. Ofek 13 will complete an initial series of inspections before it is declared operational in the near future, the ministry added in its statement. The ministry described the Ofek 13 satellite as a synthetic aperture radar operating in low Earth orbit. This type of system tends to have an orbit period as short as 90 minutes. The Space and Satellite Administration, which falls under the purview of the ministrys Directorate of Defense Research and Development, conducted the launch, which was carried out in coordination with the Israel Defense Forces and local company Israel Aerospace Industries. The launch was successful, according to plan, said AvI Berger, who leads the Space and Satellite Administration. Initial indications from the satellite are also very good. Within the coming weeks, we will complete technical tests and receive the first pictures before delivering the satellite for operational use by the IDF. Daniel Gold, head of the R&D directorate, said the satellite is equipped with the utmost advanced abilities at the peak of global technology and constitutes a leap forward in operational and technological abilities for the preservation and improvement of Israels standing in space for the coming decades. Story continues The satellite will be used by Israels Unit 9900, a classified branch within the IDF involved in analyzing, interpreting and understanding satellite images and maps. Brig. Gen. Erez Askal, who commands the unit, said the launch positions Israel as a regional and international space power. Our units soldiers and commanders will continue to work around the clock to ensure the satellites successful operation and to provide a full operational intelligence picture, the officer added. Israeli has launched its Ofek series of satellites since 1988. Israels Air Force has previously described the satellites as a tool that allow us to look beyond the horizon, to see and investigate all of our areas of interest, and best deal with the theaters and threats. The satellites are a power multiplier and produce a great amount of product for the IAF. Ofek 11 was launched in 2016, and Ofek 16 in 2020. The latter carried a Jupiter camera designed by Elbit Systems. The Defense Ministry has not explained the numerical logic behind naming the satellite that came after 11 as 16, and then returning to 13 this year. The Ofek 13 satellite is sent into space on March 29, 2020, in the early morning hours. (Israeli Defense Ministry) IAI was the prime contractor for the development of the satellite, the launcher and the ground station monitoring system. The launch engines were developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Tomer, a government-owned company. The head of IAI, Boaz Levy, praised the Ofek 13s groundbreaking intelligence capabilities and unique radar observation capabilities that enable intelligence gathering in any weather and visibility conditions. Israeli statements on the launch did not elaborate on the satellites capabilities. We will continue to prove that even the sky isnt the limit for the Israeli defense establishment and that we continue to enhance its capabilities in every dimension in the face of various challenges, Gallant said at the latest launch. By Emma Farge GENEVA (Reuters) - Israel's government is "on a rampage" against human rights, the new head of Human Rights Watch said on Thursday and urged the United States and other allies to do more to hold it accountable for alleged abuses and persuade it to change course. A planned overhaul of the judiciary by Israel's religious-nationalist government would be "a disaster" for human rights, HRW Executive Director Tirana Hassan told Reuters. She called on Washington to follow through after it issued a rare reproach over the move. "With the current state of the Israeli government and the attacks on the judiciary in particular, we see that this is not a human rights-compliant government," Hassan said. "This is a government that's actually on a rampage against human rights domestically against its own people in Israel..." The chief spokesman for Israel's Foreign Ministry, Lior Haiat, said: This is an amazing example of how biased she and the organization are. "Israel is a strong and vibrant democracy. The demonstrators over the last few months are an impressive example of it. Hundreds of thousands of people are manifesting in the streets. No violence. Protected by the police. This is how a real democracy works. "It is yet another example of an organization that targets Israel on anything, without a minimum understanding or fairness. So sad. The government's plan to enable parliament to override Supreme Court decisions and control judicial appointments has triggered some of the biggest street protests in Israeli history, with critics calling the move a threat to democracy. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his supporters say the plans would ensure a proper balance between the elected government and the judiciary and not endanger individual and minority rights. Earlier this week Netanyahu paused legislative steps to implement the plan and has begun talks with the political opposition on a compromise. Story continues Hassan, a lawyer who has represented asylum seekers, said she hoped U.S. President Joe Biden's administration would "leverage their relationship and their power to ensure that Israel sort of steps back from the brink which is where they are now when it comes to human rights. "We expect the U.S. ... to be holding Israel to account for abuses with the same rigor that they are prepared to hold China to account for their abuses," she added. Human Rights Watch labelled Israel's treatment of Palestinians and the decades-long Israeli occupation of the West Bank as "apartheid" in a 2021 report. Some pro-Israel groups, including prominent Jewish organisations in the United States, have said HRW and other rights groups have shown bias against Israel in their reporting. The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights has reported a record 152 killings of Palestinians by Israeli security forces last year in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and said Jewish settler violence against Palestinians had also intensified. The increased Israeli army operations followed an upsurge in attacks by Palestinians over the past year in which at least 45 people have been killed, according to Israeli foreign ministry figures. In separate comments at a meeting at the United Nations in Geneva on Thursday, Francesca Albanese, a U.N. Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied territories said the situation there was deteriorating. "I've seen increasing forms of humiliation and indignities that are imposed on the Palestinians, a strengthening of the suffocating architecture..," she said. (Reporting by Emma Farge with additional reporting by Maytaal Angel and Dan Williams, editing by Mark Heinrich and Howard Goller) TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) The Israeli historian, philosopher and best-selling author Yuval Noah Harari said Thursday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may go down in history as the man who destroyed Israel. Harari, who has been vocal about his opposition to a proposed judicial overhaul by Netanyahus right-wing government, said the long-serving prime minister has divided the country to preserve his political longevity. This has caused rifts that will be difficult to heal, Harari said. If Netanyahu had retired after two terms in office or after, say, eight years. I think even though I didnt like many of the things he did, I think he would have retired as one of the great leaders of Israel," Harari said during an interview with The Associated Press in Tel Aviv. Now, his legacy is he is the certainly the divider of Israel, the person who divided the Israeli nation against itself. And I hope ... we dont get there," he said. But he could go down in history as the person who destroyed the state of Israel. Harari is among the scores of academics, business leaders and military figures, both active and retired, to speak out against the judicial overhaul. Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption charges, says the plan is needed to rein in the powers of an interventionist judiciary. But critics say it will push the country toward authoritarianism by weakening an independent court system and concentrating power in the hands of Netanyahu and his allies. Among the proposed changes: giving Netanyahu's governing coalition control over the appointment of judges and authority to overturn Supreme Court decisions. Following especially heavy protests, Netanyahu this week froze the plan and launched negotiations on a compromise with his political opponents. Harari said Netanyahu, who is in a coalition with ultra-Orthodox and ultranationalist parties affiliated with the West Bank settlement movement, could move toward a dictatorship if the plan is passed, and sounded the alarm for Israels Western backers. If this kind of power falls into the hands of an autocratic regime, which is also a fundamentalist religious regime with expansionist aims and with this belief in Jewish supremacy, it will set the whole Middle East on fire, Harari said. Harari, 47, is known for such books as Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, a best seller recommended by well-known figures, including former President Barack Obama and Microsoft founder Bill Gates, and Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow. TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Thousands of Israelis came out in support of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plan on Thursday, blocking a highway in Tel Aviv after months of anti-government protests convulsed the country. "The nation demands legal reform!" chanted some of the demonstrators, carrying Israeli blue-and-white national flags. Police said they were responding to a group who blocked the Ayalon freeway, the scene of almost weekly stoppages by protesters who see in Netanyahu's plan a threat to judicial independence. Netanyahu, on trial on corruption charges he denies, says reforms are needed to balance out branches of government. Beset by the domestic upheaval and expressions of concern and disapproval in Washington, Netanyahu on Monday paused the overhaul to allow negotiations on a compromise between his religious-nationalist coalition and opposition parties. (Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Howard Goller) JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The Israeli defence minister whose dismissal by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu brought the country's constitutional crisis to a boil this week may still keep his job, two sources told Reuters on Thursday. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant came out on Saturday against the pace of the government's hotly contested push to overhaul the judiciary and spurred Netanyahu to announce his dismissal on Sunday, triggering a surge in street protests and foreign alarm. But aides said Gallant never received a formal dismissal letter from Netanyahu, who has since faced rare public censure from the United States over the justice drive. Two sources familiar with the situation said lawmaker Aryeh Deri, leader of the Shas party in Netanyahu's nationalist-religious coalition government, was working to keep Gallant in office. His dismissal and the fury it caused underlined the concern among many in Israel that the crisis around the justice overhaul is opening up social divisions, including in the military, that are posing a serious risk to Israel's future. The government's plan to enable parliament to override Supreme Court decisions and control judicial appointments has triggered some of the biggest protests in Israeli history, with opponents calling the move a threat to democracy. One of the sources said Deri, a longtime Netanyahu ally, was looking to stabilise the government and calm domestic anger. The second source said officials in Washington and within the Israeli defence establishment were troubled by Gallant's dismissal and the ensuing upheaval at a particularly sensitive time in the region. Netanyahu's office declined to comment. Spokespeople for Deri and Gallant could not be reached for comment. In a sign he was conducting business as usual on Thursday, Gallant's office said he raised a Passover holiday toast with domestic security officials and distributed a photo of himself smiling at the event, where he said Israel's security was at a "complex" point in time. Story continues "As those who have chosen to dedicate their lives to the security of the state, we have a duty to calm emotions in Israeli society and create an inclusive, unifying discourse," Gallant said, according to the statement. On Wednesday, Netanyahu voiced confidence he would find compromise with the political opposition over the judicial overhaul after the move drew a strong reproach from U.S. President Joe Biden. Talks between Netanyahu's delegates and the opposition to reach broad agreements over judicial reforms began on Tuesday. Now in his sixth term, Netanyahu straddles a religious-nationalist coalition whose far-right members have stirred worry in the West for the future of long-stalled peacemaking with the Palestinians and the ability to coordinate strategies on Iran. (Reporting by Maayan Lubell and Dan Williams, editing by Mark Heinrich) I've taken four overnight train rides Amtrak in the US, and Nightjet in Europe. I made mistakes on these rides that kept me from getting comfortable or making the most of my trips. I wish I brought my own pillow and regret not splurging for a comfier accommodation on two rides. I've spent more than 80 hours traveling 2,800 miles on overnight trains in the US and in Europe. The author lays in the top bunk of a roomette on an Amtrak train. Joey Hadden/Insider Read more: I'm a seasoned train traveler. Here are 5 new trains and routes around the world that I want to take in 2023. It all started in October 2021, when I took two 30-hour Amtrak rides between Miami and NYC. The author exits a train in Miami after a 30-hour ride. Joey Hadden/Insider Read more: 14 things that surprised me the most about overnight Amtrak rides after spending 60 hours in sleeper cars A year later, I spent a total of 24 hours on two overnight trains while traveling from Berlin to Vienna, and Vienna to Venice on OBB Austrian Federal Railway's Nightjet trains. The author exits a Nightjet train in Venice. Joey Hadden/Insider Read more: I've traveled over 950 miles on business-class trains in the US, Canada, and Europe. Here's how they rank from best to worst. Looking back, I could have been more comfortable and gotten more out of all these rides if I avoided a few big mistakes. The author wakes up in an Amtrak bedroom Joey Hadden/Insider For one thing, when I booked my Amtrak rides, I could have saved money for future rides had I joined Amtrak's rewards program. An Amtrak sleeper train stopped in Miami. Joey Hadden/Insider After my trip, I learned that Amtrak has a loyalty program that rewards passengers with two points for every $1 spent. Points may be used for tickets, hotels, shopping, and dining, and it's free to join. A screenshot of the rewards program on the Amtrak website. Joey Hadden/Insider Source: Amtrak If I signed up, I would have earned 3,000 points toward my next Amtrak adventure. I missed out this time, but next time I book, I'll be sure to take advantage of this opportunity. The author in front of an Amtrak sleeper train. Joey Hadden/Insider Source: Upgraded Points And once on my first overnight train from Miami to NYC, I messed up by forgetting medicine for motion sickness. The ride was very bumpy, and I found myself feeling sick for the majority of it. A view out the train window gives an idea of its motion. Joey Hadden/Insider For all my overnight rides since, which have been similarly bumpy, I haven't forgotten to pack my medicine. Story continues The author's medicine for motion sickness in Europe. Joey Hadden/Insider Another mistake I made on that first trip was choosing to sleep in the top bunk. I thought it made the ride feel even bumpier. The author sits in the top bunk in a roomette. Joey Hadden/Insider When I tried sleeping in the bottom bunk on my way home from Miami, it felt less bumpy, which made it easier to sleep. So when I later traveled to Europe, I made sure to select a bottom bunk. The author relaxes on the bottom bunk in an Amtrak bedroom. Joey Hadden/Insider Another mistake I made was not always splurging on the most comfortable space available. On Amtrak, for example, sleeper trains typically have a variety of accommodations, from regular seats to private rooms. The author in an Amtrak bedroom (L) and roomette (R). Joey Hadden/Insider I traveled from NYC to Miami in a $500 roomette, which is a 20-square-foot enclosed private space with a fold-out table, two chairs that fold out into a bed, and an additional bed that pulls down from the ceiling. The author stays in a roomette on an Amtrak train traveling from NYC to Miami. Joey Hadden/Insider Read more: I spent $500 for a 20-square-foot room on a 30-hour Amtrak ride, where no space was left unused. Take a look inside. On my way back to NYC, I spent 30 hours in the next level up, a bedroom accommodation. It cost $1,000 for twice as much space as the roomette, with a private bathroom. The author relaxes in an Amtrak bedroom traveling from Miami to NYC. Joey Hadden/Insider Read more: I spent $1,000 for a 30-hour Amtrak ride in a private bedroom. Take a look inside the 45-square-foot space with its own bathroom. After these rides, I thought that the roomette felt more cramped and realized spending twice as much money for double the space in the bedroom was totally worth it. The author felt cramped in a roomette. Joey Hadden/Insider I made a similar mistake on my first overnight ride in Europe. My sleeper trains did not have private accommodations like Amtrak, but rather, shared cabins. I learned some are more comfortable than others. A private roomette accommodation on an Amtrak train. Joey Hadden/Insider The Nightjet routes I booked had a choice of regular assigned seats in enclosed seating carriages of six, or shared sleeper cars with bunks of four or six. I tried both. A seating carriage (L) and a shared cabin (R) and Nightjet trains in Europe. Joey Hadden/Insider Source: Nightjet For my ride from Berlin to Vienna, I booked a $40 regular seat inside a seating carriage with six seats facing each other. A seating accommodation on a Nightjet train. Nightjet - OBB/Harald Eisenberger Read more: I booked the cheapest sleeper accommodation on an overnight train in Europe. I got zero rest and wouldn't do it again. Though the seats reclined, they didn't lay fully flat, and the small space felt like a tight squeeze for six people with limited legroom. I didn't sleep at all. A seating carriage onboard a Nightjet train traveling from Berlin to Vienna in October 2022. Joey Hadden/Insider "The quality of travel depends not only on the carriages, but also on the route," OBB Nightjet wrote in a statement to Insider. "We recommend the sleeper or couchette car for night travel. There is enough space to stretch out. Seated carriages are recommended for shorter journeys." An OBB Nightjet train. Nightjet - OBB/Harald Eisenberger A few days later, I slept in a bunk inside a shared sleeping cabin for up to six people when traveling from Vienna to Venice for $84. Inside a shared sleeper cabin on a Nightjet train. Nightjet - OBB/Harald Eisenberger Read more: I bunked with 3 strangers in a shared cabin on an overnight train in Europe. It was bumpy, cramped, and I wouldn't do it again. I still felt cramped in the 74-square-foot space, but having a lay-flat bed made it a bit easier to sleep. I thought it was worth the higher price tag. The author in her bunk in a shared cabin on a Nightjet train traveling from Vienna to Venice. Joey Hadden/Insider Read more: I spent 11 hours with 3 strangers in a shared cabin on a sleeper train in Europe. 6 surprises made me regret my choice. Another mistake I made was when I traveled on Amtrak and didn't check if my ticket included access to the Metropolitan Lounge at NYC's Penn Station, where I departed. The entrance to the Metropolitan Lounge at NYC's Penn Station. Joey Hadden/Insider The Metropolitan Lounge is a quiet waiting area that is free for first-class and sleeper cabin Amtrak customers. It has comfortable seats and free snacks and drinks. Inside the Metropolitan Lounge. Joey Hadden/Insider Source: Insider Since I didn't realize my ticket included access to the lounge, I waited in the seating area for all passengers and was less comfortable than I could have been. The Amtrak waiting area at Penn Station in NYC. Joey Hadden/Insider I also made the mistake of not bringing my own pillow. No pillows were given in the seating carriage as an OBB Nightjet representative told Insider this cabin is not recommended for overnight rides. The other rides included pillows, but I thought they felt too thin. Pillows in sleeper accommodations on Amtrak (L) and Nightjet (R) trains. Joey Hadden/Insider Next time I travel by overnight train, I'll pack one of my fluffy, dense pillows from home in a vacuum-sealed bag to make my trip more comfortable. Vacuum-sealed clothes, duvets, blankets, and sheets save space. Giacinto Canini/Getty Images Overnight train rides can feel exhausting, but I think avoiding these mistakes in the future will make me feel cozier and get more rest on my next sleeper train adventure. The author at a train station during her Amtrak trip. Joey Hadden/Insider Read the original article on Insider You are here: World Flash Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said late Wednesday that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin may travel to Turkiye on April 27 to attend the inauguration ceremony of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant. Erdogan told news channel ATV-A Haber in an interview that Putin may either travel to Mersin in person or attend the ceremony via teleconference. The project, located in the southeastern Turkish province of Mersin, is Turkiye's first nuclear plant. It is expected to produce 35 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually and will meet about 10 percent of domestic electricity needs. It is the world's first nuclear power plant project implemented through a build-own-operate model. Under a contract, Russia's Rosatom firm has agreed to provide the power plant's design, construction, maintenance, operation and decommissioning. Photo of Jack Dorsey holding microphone Jack Dorsey, former Twitter CEO and current Block CEO, is contesting allegations of rampant fake accounts on Cash App. Block, the Jack Dorsey-owned parent company of Cash App, is contesting accusations of fraud and rampant fake accounts with a new data disclosure. In a Thursday memo to investors, the company claimed that 44 million of Cash Apps total 52 million active monthly accounts have been authenticated via its Identity Verification (IDV) program. Further, the company stated that about 39 million of those users represent unique Social Security numbers as of December 2022. Assuming that means that, minimum, 39 million users are real people with real U.S.-issued SSNs, then the newly released data runs counter to known short-seller Hindenbergs claims from last week. Read more On March 23, the investment research firm released a report alleging that between 40% and 75% of Cash App users are fake, involved in fraud or that the numbers were simply the result of users holding multiple accounts. Block denied the accusations in a public blogpost, and said it would explore legal action against Hindenberg. Nonetheless, following the short sellers report, Blocks stock value nosedived by more than 20%, according to Bloomberg Markets. In response, Dorseys company was apparently compelled to release more details on its user base. In addition to the numbers on verified users, Block also addressed transaction specifics. It estimates the overwhelming majority of incoming transferssome 97%are from verified account activity, per the memo. Though, its unclear how the company got to that estimation. Cash App is only available to users in the U.S. and United Kingdom. The company allows individuals to hold multiple different accounts, but says thats a feature, not a bug. Cash App is built to support customers who may want to maintain multiple accounts. For example, customers can maintain a separate business and personal account or can also maintain multiple personal accounts (e.g., one for everyday personal use and one to set aside funds for budgeting), the company noted in the Thursday memo. Story continues It further claims that its approach to compliance is consistent with other financial services platforms. Following Blocks disclousure, the companys stock is still far from a full recovery, but it is trending slightly upwards. Shares have risen about 3% in afternoon trading, as of publication time. More from Gizmodo Sign up for Gizmodo's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Jacksonville Sheriffs Office is still investigating a shooting incident from February of an attempted robbery. During the robbery attempt a person was shot. Investigators have determined the a suspect that was wearing a black hoodie with grey joggers and a camo hat. He has a tattoo on his neck. If you have information on this individual, please call us at 904-630-0500 or email JSOCrimeTips@jaxsheriff.org. To remain anonymous and potentially receive a cash reward, you can call Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Read: Man who escaped prison was found 10 days later in a Lake Butler home Read: Jacksonville Sheriffs Office reported an undetermined death in Sherwood Forest [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. Bond 26 remains shrouded in mystery. (MGM/Sony) After the release of No Time To Die in 2021, which marked Daniel Craig's exit as 007, conversation immediately turned to James Bond 26. Bond 26, the codename for the twenty-sixth film in the 60-year-old spy movie series, has not yet been officially announced, but its release is as inevitable as 007 enjoying his martini shaken and not stirred. Bond's co-owner MGM was acquired by Amazon in 2022, and long time 007 producer Michael G Wilson assured fans that the character will return. Its a whole new world," he said in 2022. "Weve got to see what happens with Amazon. But therell always be a Bond. Read more: The James Bond films ranked Tabloid rumours about the next Bond movie are a time honoured tradition in the UK, but should always be read with a liberal pinch of salt. So here, to sort the fact from fiction, is everything we know about Bond 26 so far. Who will be the next James Bond? Daniel Craig as James Bond in Casino Royale. (MGM/Sony) This is the big question. More men have walked on the moon (12) than have played Ian Fleming's James Bond 007 on the big screen (six), making it one of the most coveted and career-defining roles in Hollywood. Daniel Craig and the events of No Time To Die has ruled himself out of making a sixth film as Bond, thus leaving the door open for a new actor to play the role, but who it will be remains unknown at this stage. Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson, the decision makers behind the Bond films, have shared a few hints about what to expect from the seventh actor to play 007. Talking about the type of actors they will consider to play Bond, Wilson told Variety in 2020: You think of him as being from Britain or the Commonwealth, but Britain is a very diverse place. He can be of any colour, but he is male, added Broccoli. Nobodys in the running, Broccoli later told Deadline in June 2022. Were working out where to go with him, were talking that through. There isnt a script and we cant come up with one until we decide how were going to approach the next film because, really, its a reinvention of Bond. Story continues "Were reinventing who he is and that takes time." Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson at the World premiere of No Time To Die. (Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP) Later that year, speaking again to Deadline, Wilson added: "Weve tried looking at younger people in the past. But trying to visualise it doesnt work. Remember, Bonds already a veteran. Hes had some experience. "Hes a person who has been through the wars, so to speak. Hes probably been in the SAS or something. He isnt some kid out of high school that you can bring in and start off. Thats why it works for a thirty-something. Bond casting director Debbie McWilliams explained to Radio Times why the next Bond won't be in his twenties after they toyed with the idea for Casino Royale: "We did look at a lot of younger actors. and I just don't think they had the gravitas, they didn't have the experience, they didn't have the mental capacity to take it on, because it's not just the part they're taking on, it's a massive responsibility. "So we kind of scrubbed that idea and went back to the drawing board and started again." Read more: Idris Elba doesn't want to play James Bond Many names have been bandied around by fans including Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, Tom Hiddleston, and Rege-Jean Page, but the most credible rumour to date is that Kick-Ass star Aaron Taylor-Johnson could be the next actor to play Bond. Aaron Taylor-Johnson on the red carpet at the 75th Locarno International Film Festival, 2022. (Keystone via AP) Initial rumours published by The Sun were backed up by industry professional Matthew Belloni, who wrote for The Puck: "The Aaron Taylor-Johnson rumours are true he sat with producer Barbara Broccoli, and the meeting went well, per sources. But while Taylor-Johnson fits the bill great actor, British, fits the younger direction the Broccolis want to go, accomplished but not particularly famous hes about to be a much bigger star." Former Superman star Henry Cavill, 39, also seems a likely choice having come close to landing the role in 2006's Casino Royale. He lost out then for being too young (22), but could miss out this time around for being too old. Read more: Who is Aaron Taylor-Johnson? Regardless of which actors the rumour-mill decides to spotlight in the tabloids, we can only know for sure who the next James Bond will be when the producers are ready to confirm it. When will Bond 26 be released? Daniel Craig in No Time To Die. (MGM/Universal Pictures/EON) Production on No Time To Die wrapped in 2019, but the film was delayed several times before it was finally released in November 2021. As such Daniel Craig remained the official Bond of record until the promotional circuit for the film was completed deep into 2022. It's safe to assume Bond 26 is currently in development at EON Productions, the film company behind Bond, but there's been no official word on when we can expect to see it in cinemas yet. The closest hint came in September 2022 when Broccoli told Variety about the next Bond film: "Its going to be a couple of years off." This points to 2024 or 2025 as the possible release window for Bond 26. However, once they pull the starting pistol, you can expect Bond 27 and beyond to follow. "When we cast Bond, its a 10-, 12-year commitment," Broccoli said in the same interview "So hes probably thinking, Do I really want that thing? Not everybody wants to do that. It was hard enough getting [Daniel Craig to do it]. Daniel Craig with Barbara Broccoli (L) and Michael G Wilson (R) as he was unveiled as the new actor to play James Bond 007 in the 21st Bond film Casino Royale. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images) Speaking on the Empire Podcast in 2022, Broccoli and Wilson said they would 'probably' get the ball rolling on Bond 26 by working with long time writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade as a first port of call. One thing we can be sure of: When Bond 26 hits cinemas: it will be released by Universal Pictures. Bond's co-owner MGM signed a two-film deal with the studio to distribute No Time To Die and Bond 26. Read more: How each of the six Bond actors shaped the role Despite MGM's acquisition by Amazon, producers say the Bond films will never go straight to streaming. We focussed on making the films for theatrical release and I think thats our position," Broccoli told Sky in 2021. "[Amazon] certainly have told us that the films will be theatrical films in the future. And well see what happens. Bond 26 rumours While who will be the next James Bond is the most persistent conversation around Bond 26, there have been a number of rumours around the movie that have generated headlines around the world. Denis Villeneuve is 'frontrunner' to direct Bond 26 Denis Villeneuve on the set of Dune with former Bond villain Javier Bardem. (Warner Bros Pictures) Instagram rumour-mongerers Deux Moi claim "Denis Villeneuve is the #1 target for Bond producer Barbara Broccoli" which is not outside the realm of possibility. In 2018, Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve was on the shortlist to direct No Time To Die. He ruled himself out in favour of making Dune, but has long admitted a desire to direct a Bond film one day. In 2021, he said on the Happy Sad Confused podcast: "I would deeply love to one day make a James Bond movie. Read more: Denis Villeneuve would've loved to direct Bond 25 (Indiewire) "Its a character that Ive been with like everybody since my childhood. I have massive affection for Bond. It would be a big challenge for people to try and reboot it after what Daniel did." "Its true that it would be a dream to do 007," the Sicario director added. "I dont know if such a thing would happen, but it would be a privilege. At the end of the day, that would be pure cinematic joy. Villeneuve is currently in post-production on Dune: Part Two which will arrive in cinemas in November, 2023, so there's a chance the stars could align in time for production to begin on Bond 26. Phoebe Waller-Bridge is the 'first choice' to direct Bond 26 Phoebe Waller-Bridge at the Oscars 2023. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) On 1 April, 2023 The Mail On Sunday published a story that claimed that the Fleabag creator had been in 'early discussions' with Bond producer Barbara Broccoli and was now her 'number one choice' to direct Bond 26. "Barbara believes Phoebe is a huge talent and brings a fresh, modern take to Bond," an unnamed source reportedly told the tabloid. "They've already had very early discussions, but there are lots of variables in the equation, including Phoebe's increasingly packed schedule." To date, Waller-Bridge has one directing credit to her name: Phoebe Bridgers' Savior Complex video. Daisy May Cooper will be the new M Daisy May Cooper at the Brit Awards 2023. (Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP) In March 2023, The Sun published a sensational scoop that claimed the Bafta-winning creator of This Country "is in talks to join the Bond franchise as spy chief M." An unnamed insider claimed: "Bosses hope the 36-year-old would bring a comedic and quirky edge to the role," as the producers make the films "a bit lighter and more comedic going forwards". However, Cooper has already dismissed this claim saying "the only M I'll ever be is Mental." Phoebe Waller-Bridge will write Bond 26 Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) and Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) in Lucasfilm's Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. (Lucasfilm) In September 2019, when No Time To Die was in post-production, trusted Bond insider Baz Bamigboye wrote for the Daily Mail that the Fleabag creator and co-writer of No Time To Die was being 'wooed to help write a future James Bond film. "The award-winning writer and actress is being wooed to contribute to the script for Bond 26, which is still years away," he claimed. "How much shell actually work on Bond 26 will depend on who directs it." Bond 26 may not be filmed at Pinewood Daniel Craig giving the then-Prince of Wales a tour of Pinewood in 2019. (Getty Images) In 2019, Disney signed a deal to lease Pinewood Studios the home of Bond and the location of the fabled 007 Stage in a years-long deal. With Disney's crowded production slate, this could mean the next Bond film may need to find a new home. The BBC reported though that a deal could be made between EON and Disney to ensure Bond 26 still has a home at Pinewood: "Despite the Disney deal, it is believed that there is a possibility that, given its history, future James Bond films will still be filmed there." Jacob Elordi might be in the running to play Bond Jacob Elordi attends the 94th Annual Academy Awards. (David Livingston/Getty Images) In March 2022, Instagram rumour-mongerers Deuxmoi claimed that Australian Euphoria actor Jacob Elordi was being considered as the next 007. This was based on an anonymous tip sent to them that said "There has been interest in Jacob Elordi becoming the next James Bond. The franchise wants a younger leading man for the reboot. But it's very early days". You can probably chalk this one up to thirsty fans of the 25-year-old star of Netflix's Kissing Booth series. Who will direct Bond 26? Cary Fukunaga (Director), Daniel Craig (James Bond) and Lashana Lynch (Nomi) on the 007 sound stage at Pinewood Studios. (MGM/Universal) The conversation and speculation around who would direct the next James Bond film only really began during the Pierce Brosnan era. Prior to Michael Apted directing 1999's The World Is Not Enough, Bond films had traditionally been helmed by journeymen directors such as John Glen, who directed all five 007 films released in the 1980s, or Guy Hamilton (four Bond films) and Lewis Gilbert (three). However, since then, the series has sought out increasingly more acclaimed directors as the series evolved into the prestigious, award-winning franchise it is now. Landing Sir Sam Mendes for 2012's Skyfall gave the series a new level of artistry previously unseen, and he returned for 2015's Spectre, before Oscar-winner Danny Boyle was hired to take on No Time To Die. Read more: 16 actors who could be the next James Bond Boyle left the production early on and was replaced by Emmy-winner Cary Joji Fukunaga who delivered the finished film, and later expressed an interest in directing another Bond film, telling Yahoo in 2021: "I would never say never." Beyond Fukunaga (who seems unlikely to be asked back), it's worth looking back at the other directors linked with Bond 25 before Danny Boyle was signed up. Yann Demange ('71), Susanne Bier (The Night Manager), David Mackenzie (Hell or High Water) and Denis Villeneuve (Dune) were all mooted as possible directors, so could be back in the frame for Bond 26. Christopher Nolan on the set of his new film Oppenheimer. (Universal) The name most fans would like to see in the chair is Christopher Nolan who has previously stated an interest in directing a Bond reboot. In 2012, while promoting The Dark Knight Rises, he told Empire about directing a Bond film: "It would have to be the right situation and the right time in their cycle of things." Then, talking to Playboy in 2017 while promoting Dunkirk, he cited Bond as one of his moviemaking white whales: "Ive spoken to the producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson over the years. I deeply love the character, and Im always excited to see what they do with it. Maybe one day that would work out. Youd have to be needed, if you know what I mean. "It has to need reinvention; it has to need you. And theyre getting along very well. Nolan's next film Oppenheimer is in cinemas from July 2023. If a Bond 26 director isn't announced by then, expect Nolan to field the question many times on the press tour. Bond 26 does not yet have a release date. Watch: The best Bond films ever ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) More than a decade after last throwing a pitch for the Tampa Bay Rays, right-hander James Shields returned to Tropicana Field to symbolically retire from a club he helped transform from perennial loser to playoff contender. Shields, who spent parts of seven seasons with the Rays before being traded to the Kansas City Royals in December 2012, threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Thursdays season opener against the Detroit Tigers. The 41-year-old was a draft pick of the Devil Rays in 2000 and led a pitching staff that was key to the team's surprising run to the World Series in 2008 the year the franchise dropped the word Devil from their nickname and made the playoffs for the first time. Shields still ranks as Tampa Bays all-time leader in starts (217), wins (87) and losses (73). He played parts of 13 seasons overall with the Rays, Royals, San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox from 2006-2018, going 145-139 with a 4.01 ERA. Shields return comes as the Rays, who wore throwback Devil Rays jerseys on Opening Day, launch a celebration of their 25th anniversary. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports (Bloomberg) -- OpenAIs ChatGPT made its debut in Japanese parliamentary deliberations, with the premier fielding questions from an opposition lawmaker that were drawn up with the help of the chatbot. Most Read from Bloomberg Kazuma Nakatani, of the Constitutional Democratic Party, said in a session of parliament Wednesday that he asked ChatGPT: What kind of questions would you ask the prime minister if you were a member of the lower house of parliament? He then used those responses to form questions for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a discussion around a draft amendment related to Covid-19 pandemic policy. Among the questions drawn up by ChatGPT were: On the bill about Covid policy revision, do you think you have listened to the opinion of local government and health-care workers enough? And could you tell us how those people involved are responding to it? While the use of the chatbot may have been a whimsical inclusion of novel technology in otherwise extremely regimented proceedings, there is growing concern about the pace at which artificial intelligence is being adopted. AI experts and industry leaders, including Elon Musk, University of California Berkeley computer science professor Stuart Russell and Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Wozniak, this week called on developers to hit the pause button on training powerful AI models. More than 1,100 people in the industry signed a petition calling for a six-month break from training systems more powerful than the latest iteration behind ChatGPT, in order to allow for the development of shared safety protocols. Musk, Tech Leaders Urge Halt to Training Powerful AI Systems Japans parliamentary sessions are highly orchestrated affairs. Questions are submitted in advance, with the premier and most Japanese government ministers usually relying on reams of prepared text that they carry with them and from which they read in response. Story continues Kishida responded to the ChatGPT-assisted questions with text prepared with the help of relevant government officials. (Updates with background on AI petition) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. [Source] A Japanese civil servant was fined around 1.44 million yen (approximately $10,900) for smoking on the job more than 4,500 times in over 14 years. On March 20, authorities in Osaka fined the 61-year-old employee and two of his colleagues in the prefectures finance department for smoking while on duty despite receiving warnings against it. The authorities enforced a 10% pay cut for six months. In Osaka, a total ban on smoking cigarettes on government premises was introduced in 2008. Government employees are no longer allowed to smoke during work hours, a ban that started in 2019. The three employees were first warned by their supervisor in September 2022 after their human resource office received an anonymous tip regarding their actions. More from NextShark: VinFast cuts EV lease prices for first US buyers During a follow-up interview in December 2022, the trio allegedly lied about no longer smoking. The 61-year-old director-level employee was said to have violated the duty of devotion under Japans Local Public Service Act. According to the prefectural government, he clocked around 355 hours and 19 minutes of smoking time during work hours. More from NextShark: Former Factory Worker Becomes Japan's New Prime Minister In addition to his pay cut, he is required to return 1.44 million yen (approximately $10,900) of his salary. Following the news, several netizens said the fine was too much. Some of them argued that taking breaks to chat and have tea and snacks could also be considered as wasting time during work hours. More from NextShark: Chinas Foreign Ministry Accuses the U.S. of Bringing Coronavirus to Wuhan Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Salutatorian Faces Racist Bullying After Applauding 'Middle Eastern Peers' in Speech Jason Ritter said he was struggling with alcoholism when he met his wife, Melanie Lynskey, and thought he didnt deserve her. The Parenthood actor (who secretly appeared on The Last of Us as an infected clicker) shared his story on Wednesdays episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, appearing alongside Last of Us and Yellowjackets star Lynskey. I knew how incredible Melanie was early on, Ritter told Barrymore of meeting his now-wife a decade ago. Its not as cute of a story as you would like to think. It was messy and interesting and weird. But mixed in the mix, [I was] dealing with some alcoholism issues. At a point, I knew how amazing she was, and I thought she would be incredible for someone who deserved her, basically, he continued. And I didnt feel like I was that person. I thought [I was] a little bit too crazy. Ritter said that it was maybe a year after he stopped drinking alcohol that he started thinking he was ready for a relationship. He described that process as a slow burn and told Barrymore he was working on himself to become a reliable partner. He did so much work on himself, said Lynskey. Im so proud of him. Melanie Lynskey said she was Melanie Lynskey said she was "proud" of her husband, Jason Ritter, for the "work on himself" he's done. Barrymore said she related to the narrative that a person dealing with substance abuse cant be with someone, and that its difficult to accept being someone whos right not to be with someone for their sake. The Charlies Angels actor recently revealed she used alcohol to cope with her 2016 divorce from Will Kopelman and that her therapist ended their relationship because of her addiction. Barrymore told The Los Angeles Times she stopped drinking in 2019. Ritter and Lynskey met while filming The Big Ask in 2013 and went on to star in Well Never have Paris (2014) and The Intervention (2016) before tying the knot in 2020, according to People. Ritter hasnt shied away since from praising his talented wife. Story continues Its so satisfying, its so incredible, Ritter recently told E! News about Lynskeys success. Shes just been so wonderful for so long and she never really put a lot of thought process into anything else aside from her work. That was always the most important thing to her. Ritter expressed his gratitude for being in Lynskeys life while thanking Barrymore for inviting them. Thank you @DrewBarrymoreTV for having us!! And for the space to talk about things like this! Ritter tweeted Wednesday. And thank you @melanielynskey for having me in the first place. Need help with substance use disorder or mental health issues? In the U.S., call 800-662-HELP (4357) for the SAMHSA National Helpline. Related... Jason Ritter revealed he struggled with alcoholism in the early days of his relationship with Melanie Lynskey. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Melanie Lynskey and Jason Ritter are one of Hollywoods sweetest couples, but apparently their romance wasnt always so picture perfect. On Wednesdays episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, the couple stunned Barrymore when they opened up about the messy reality of their origin story. Lynskey called their initial pairing a mysterious thing and said that theyd met numerous times over the course of several years, having mutual friends and running in the same circles, but that Ritter never seemed to remember her. They were cast in the 2013 dramedy The Big Ask, and Ritter was two hours late to the table read. He introduced himself to Lynskey again, even though she had hosted an actors brunch with him at the Sundance Film Festival the month prior. She finally showed him a photo of the two standing together and he said Whoa! Ritter said he was struggling with alcoholism at the time. "We were both going through very difficult times in our lives. We were both going through breakups," Lynskey shared. "It was a very tumultuous time." Ritter, 43, said that he knew how "incredible" Lynskey, 45, was early on, but he didn't feel like he deserved her. "It's not as cute of a story as you would like to think. It was messy and interesting and weird," he said of dating Lynskey. "In the mix, I was dealing with some alcoholism issues. At a point, I knew how amazing she was, and I thought she would be incredible for someone, someone who deserved her, basically, and I didn't feel like I was that person. I felt a little bit too crazy." Ritter started to get choked up at this point. He said that it took a year of not drinking to reconsider and eventually he found himself thinking, Oh, maybe I can promise some things to someone else, maybe I can be this person ... it was a slow burn, he said as he and Lynskey both teared up. "So I knew that she was incredible. It was working on myself to think that maybe I could be the one for her too." The "Yellowjackets" star wiped tears from her eyes and said, "He worked so hard. He did so much work on himself. I'm so proud of him." Story continues Barrymore then opened up about her struggle with alcoholism, and how it had affected her ability to have romantic relationships. She shared that she hasn't had a drink in nearly four years and looks forward to dating someday. The actor-turned-host then asked Lynskey how she knew Ritter was one to take a chance on. "This is the best person in the world," Lynskey said, holding her husband's hand. "Even though mistakes were made, he always had such a good heart." Lynskey credited Ritter's willingness to communicate, accept responsibility and evolve, saying the "Parenthood" actor was always "so present." Lynskey said in the early days of their relationship, she knew Ritter was the one after witnessing the way he took care of her dog that had slowed down due to old age and health issues. "Jason would get up with her every single time, take her outside, go back to sleep, get up and take her outside. And I think that's when I was like, 'I could have a child with this man. I could really do this.' The infinite patience and kindness and love," she recalled. "I was like, 'I think this is a good person.'" After the episode aired, the Emmy-nominated actor tweeted a vulnerable clip from the show and said, "So proud of my husband and of Drew for their vulnerability and openness here. These are two of the kindest, strongest, best people I know." So proud of my husband and of Drew for their vulnerability and openness here. These are two of the kindest, strongest, best people I know. https://t.co/TJchHR1kao Melanie Lynskey (@melanielynskey) March 29, 2023 Ritter also shared the moment on Twitter writing, "Thank you @DrewBarrymoreTV for having us!! And for the space to talk about things like this! And thank you @melanielynskey for having me in the first place." The couple received an outpouring of love in the comments from fans and fellow actors. "The Walking Dead" star Jeffrey Dean Morgan commented, "So good. All of it. Love wins," and "You n me both. Congrats on all of it jason. You deserve all the good stuff. Both of you do. Xxjd" Emmy-winning casting director Jen Euston replied, "oh, Mel this was so special. you know how much i adore you bothand ive loved that kid since he walked into my office when he was a freshman in college. im so proud of you @JasonRitter and i love you so." And Glee actor Dot-Marie Jones tweeted, "I could not love you more sweet boy." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Jason Watkins doesn't want other parents to lose their children to sepsis in the same way he did. (Getty Images) Jason Watkins has opened up on the avoidable pain of losing his two-year-old daughter Maudie to sepsis. Appearing on Thursday's episode of Good Morning Britain alongside wife Clara Francis, the grieving parents spoke out about how they weren't aware of the symptoms for the condition. "It's hard for us as parents... that's one of the painful things, 'Did we do everything we could?' and it's easy to blame yourself and I suppose I still do because I was there when she was discharged a second time." Francis added, "I think we always will because I think it is that instinct thing, 'If I had just been more demanding,' even though I didn't know [she had sepsis]." But the pair with their new documentary Jason & Clara: In Memory of Maudie airing tonight on ITV at 9pm are selflessly campaigning to help others be more aware of often hard-to-spot signs of sepsis. "Those symptoms often hide behind what we call 'presenting symptoms', so it might be a cold or a chest infection, that the sepsis could be lurking underneath," said Watkins. "So in a way, one has to ask, 'Could it be sepsis? Let's rule this out first and then start looking at those presenting symptoms'. "But it is a very complicated... infant A&E is complicated." Read more: Student was left fighting for her life after mistaking sepsis for freshers' flu .@Jason__Watkins and @clarabetsy open up about their daughter's death in a new documentary. They tell the emotional story of their daughter Maudie, who died suddenly of sepsis aged just two and a half in 2011. Jason & Clara: In Memory of Maudie airs tonight on @ITV at 9pm. pic.twitter.com/Svfk6GvfRX Good Morning Britain (@GMB) March 30, 2023 They explained they took Maudie to the emergency department two days in a row and were sent home both times because they had misdiagnosed her with croup, a childhood condition that affects the windpipe, airways to the lungs and voice box. Story continues "She did have a cold," said Francis. "Because I believe sepsis is a secondary illness. So, she had flu and she had a rasping cough... we were very reassured, we took her to the hospital, and were sent home twice. "I think at that stage, before your child dies, you believe what you're told when a doctor tells you... I was incredibly reassured. "I was like, 'My instinct is that she's really not well but if they're telling me she's okay and they've sent her home and they haven't asked to keep her in overnight then fine.'" With the parents visibly emotional, Watkins stepped in, "When we drove Maudie to the hospital for the second time," added Watkins, "she was having breathing difficulties, and those are the things that are classic symptoms of sepsis. "It's what's called a stridor where your child is fighting for breath, and her eyes were rolling into her head. "When we came into the A&E department, I wanted to say to all the healthcare professionals, 'Did you not see what she was like when she came in?'" They hope that more discussion of the condition will help with diagnosis. Presenter Sarah McMullan previously dismissed her sepsis symptoms. (Supplied/@SarahMcMullanTV) Sepsis can be hard to spot in any age. One BBC Scotland presenter wasn't aware she was suffering from signs of the condition despite having interviewed a woman who nearly died from it, a month earlier. Sarah McMullan started feeling "really cold" during a morning shift but waited more than 36 hours to phone NHS 24 (the Scottish 111), the BBC reported in November, going on to spend nearly a week in hospital with a temperature reaching highs of 40 degrees. "If you suspect #sepsis don't hesitate to get help. I should've acted sooner," the 30-year-old wrote on Twitter at the time. Read more: As Kate Garraway shares husband's sepsis battle, signs and symptoms of the condition A month after doing this interview, I ended up very unwell with sepsis myself. Resulting in an A and E visit, a week in hospital and a couple more weeks of tablets and rest. These are the symptoms. And if you suspect #sepsis dont hesitate to get help. I shouldve acted sooner. https://t.co/dwZakazdza Sarah McMullan (@SarahMcMullanTV) November 6, 2022 Her illness in early October followed a television segment she did for Sepsis Awareness Month for BBC Scotland's The Nine on 1 September. Kimberley Bradley, the interviewee, spoke about her experience of being in an induced coma for eight days after contracting what is known as meningococcal septicaemia, which had developed into sepsis. "A month after doing this interview, I ended up very unwell with sepsis myself. Resulting in an A and E visit, a week in hospital and a couple more weeks of tablets and rest," McMullan's Tweet also explained. Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland's Drivetime, she said, "She [Bradley] spoke through all of the symptoms and what to look out for and what to remember and when to get help and I did not remember them well enough." It was just a few weeks later when she was in the studio in Glasgow for a morning shift one Wednesday that McMullan stated to notice something wasn't right. This included feeling cold with goosebumps, physically shaking, her lips turning blue, pale skin with chalk white hands, and feeling spaced out. "It was hard to make sense of what was happening. It crossed my mind, 'Am I having some sort of panic attack?'" she said. "It felt like something mentally might be happening to me because I was so confused and quite weepy actually." Read more: 'We thought Mum was just exhausted. A few days later, she was gone.' Watch: Kate Garraway reveals Derek Draper's sepsis battle But as someone young and healthy, she disregarded how she was feeling as potentially being due to not having breakfast or the start of a cold. The next day after work, she went to bed for a while, but when she woke again that afternoon she had similar symptoms and finally called NHS 24 in the early hours of Friday morning. McMullan was in tears, not knowing what was wrong with her, while battling spiking temperatures. After spending five hours in A&E, she was moved to a ward, where doctors told her she was lucky she was there on a quiet night with less patients. "Had I had a longer time to wait I cannot imagine how much more unwell I would have felt," she said McMullan spent six days in total in hospital, but focused on the positives. "It could have been a lot worse. That's what I was told on several occasions," she said. "The doctors kept saying to me 'You have been very lucky here.'" Posting a photo of herself feeling better and back to work after the ordeal, McMullan was also keen for everyone to be aware of the key symptoms of sepsis. She told Drivetime, "If you suffer any of these symptoms, like the spike in temperature or the uncontrolled shivering, just make the phone call and get help. "It really is the difference between it being life or death in some instances." What is sepsis? Anyone can get sepsis, but older people are among those more likely to get an infection that causes it. (Getty Images) Sepsis, sometimes called septicaemia or blood poisoning, is a life-threatening reaction to an infection, according to the NHS. It occurs when your immune system overreacts to an infection, starting to damage your body's tissues and organs. Anyone with an infection can get sepsis. But some people, including babies; over 75s; people with diabetes; people with a weakened immune system; those who've recently had surgery or a serious illness; and women who've just given birth, had a miscarriage or an abortion, are more likely to contract it (due to being more likely to get an infection in the first place). You can't catch it from another person. Read more: Differences between flu and COVID-19 symptoms ahead of so-called 'twindemic' Sepsis symptoms Confusion is one of the signs of sepsis. (Getty Images) Sepsis symptoms can be tricky to spot because they are also associated with conditions like flu or a chest infection. Early symptoms might include: high temperature (fever) or low body temp chills and shivering fast heartbeat fast breathing Urgent symptoms in adults include, include: acting confused, slurred speed and not making sense blue, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue a rash that doesn't fade when you roll a glass over it difficulty breathing, breathlessness or breathing fast Urgent symptoms in a baby or young child include: blue, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue a rash that doesn't fade when you roll a glass over it difficulty breathing, breathlessness or breathing fast a weak, high-pitched cry that's different to usual not responding like they normally do, or not interested in feeding or normal actives being sleepier than normal or hard to wake Read more: Early menopause may increase dementia risk and other things you need to know Sepsis can be harder to spot in babies and people with health conditions or learning disabilities. (Getty Images) Call 999 or go to A&E if you, your baby or young child has any of these symptoms of sepsis. It can be particularly hard to spot in babies and young children, people with dementia, people with a learning disability, and those who have difficulty concentrating, so be extra vigilant. You can also call 111 for advice if you, your child or someone you look after feels very unwell or like there's something wrong, hasn't urinated all day, keeps vomiting and can't keep food or milk down, has swelling pain around a cut or wound, has a very high or low temperature. For more information on sepsis and how to prevent infections, see the NHS website. For support for survivors, visit The UK Sepsis Trust. Jennifer Aniston believes that audiences have shifted and that a whole generation now finds Friends offensive. The actor said as much during a recent red carpet appearance for Murder Mystery 2, her Netflix comedy co-starring Adam Sandler. She told AFP that Gen Z viewers are far more sensitive than their millennial counterparts. Theres a whole generation of people, kids, who are now going back to episodes of Friends and find them offensive, Aniston told AFP. There were things that were never intentional and otherswell, we should have thought it through. But I dont think there was a sensitivity like there is now, she continued. Anistons perspective spurred severe criticism on social media, with some claiming the actor was merely fabricating straw men to appear edgy. Aniston, who maintained a successful career after Friends ended in 2004, was certainly steadfast in her point. Now its a little tricky because you have to be very careful, which makes it really hard for comedians, she told AFP, because the beauty of comedy is that we make fun of ourselves, make fun of life. [In the past] you could make a joke about a bigot and laugh. That was hysterical, Aniston continued. And it was about educating people on how ridiculous people were. And now were not allowed to do that. Aniston said comedy used to be Aniston said comedy used to be "about educating people on how ridiculous people were." Aniston said comedies are important to culture. Everybody needs funny! Aniston said. The world needs humor! We cant take ourselves too seriously. Especially in the United States. Everyone is far too divided. Some newcomers to the show have found elements of Friends offensive, and at least one actor who appeared on the show seemed to agree. Kathleen Turner, who portrayed Chandler Bings parent, reflected on playing a transgender character on Friends in an interview with The Guardian earlier this year. There was no question of casting a trans person or a drag person. It never crossed my mind that I was taking a role from someone, Turner said, before pondering if shed accept it today. Probably not. Story continues Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman expressed regret last year when asked about Turners character. We kept referring to [her] as Chandlers father, even though Chandlers father was trans, Kauffman told the BBCs Conversation podcast in July. Pronouns were not yet something that I understood, so we didnt refer to that character as she. That was a mistake. Related... Flash Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) shakes hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian during a joint briefing following talks in Moscow on March 29, 2023. [Photo/Russian Foreign Ministry] Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian agreed on Wednesday to continue joint efforts to further increase practical cooperation. Particular attention was paid to strengthening trade, economic and investment ties, and to implementing key projects in the nuclear energy, fuel and transport sectors, Lavrov said during a joint briefing following talks with Amir-Abdollahian. Despite the illegal sanctions of the United States and its allies, Russia-Iran trade reached a record of 4.86 billion U.S. dollars last year, more than 20 percent higher than in 2021, Lavrov noted. Speaking of international and regional issues, Lavrov said that "both sides reaffirmed our rejection of the West's destructive policy aimed at replacing international law and the UN-centered architecture with the U.S. 'rules-based order.'" Moscow and Tehran are convinced that there is no alternative to the Iran nuclear deal and the world is still waiting for the United States to return to its obligations under the pact, Lavrov said. At the briefing, Amir-Abdollahian said that both sides held "very good" talks, adding that Iran and Russia had made significant progress in developing bilateral ties in a range of spheres. [Source] Mandopop sensation JJ Lin and Afro-Korean musician Anderson .Paak have joined forces for the first time by producing a song for the forthcoming East West Bank documentary film The Bridge. Their new collaborative single, In the Joy, celebrates the Asian American Pacific Islander community and will be the theme song for "The Bridge, directed by Evan Jackson Leong. The sixth-generation Chinese American filmmaker is best known for his 2013 Jeremy Lin documentary Linsanity. "The collaboration between Lin and Paak demonstrates a bridge between the East and the West, bringing communities together to celebrate the joy in life, unity, and understanding," a recent press release stated. The Bridge is expected to debut later this year and will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of East West Bank, which was originally created to serve the Chinese American community of Southern California. Lin recently wrapped up the North American circuit of his JJ20 World Tour and will head to Australia and Europe for the next quarter of his world tour. His newest album is slated for release on April 21 and will include a Mandarin-language version of In the Joy. More from NextShark: Celebrity chef Melissa King wears Chinese dynasty-inspired nail guards to the Met Gala In December 2022, .Paak, who makes up one half of the Grammy-nominated musical duo Silk Sonic, featured on BTS leader RMs solo album Indigo for the song Still Life. More from NextShark: S. Korean a capella group's cover of 'Coco' song goes viral Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! 'Attack on Titan' creator pleads with fans ahead of his convention appearance: 'Be kind to me' Mother of 'Terrace House' star who died by suicide after online bullying to sue producers President Joe Biden condemned a wave of state-level attempts to strip gender-affirming care from transgender Americans and celebrated trans and nonbinary people as some of the bravest people I know in his proclamation recognising Transgender Day of Visibility. The International Transgender Day of Visibility, recognised annually on 31 March, seeks to celebrate trans people and bring attention to violence and discrimination against trans people worldwide. We see them, they belong, and they should be treated with dignity and respect, Mr Biden said in his proclamation on 30 March. Their courage has given countless others strength, but no one should have to be brave just to be themselves. Every American deserves that freedom. There are nearly 2 million people living in the US who identify as transgender, representing fewer than 1 per cent of all Americans. Yet states are increasingly engaged with legislation and policies to restrict or eliminate access to gender-affirming medical care and other support systems, terrifying families and hurting kids who are not hurting anyone, Mr Biden said. At least 10 states have enacted laws or policies banning gender-affirming care for young trans people, and more than a dozen others are considering similar measures. More than half of all trans youth in the US between the ages of 13 and 17 are at risk of losing access to age-appropriate and medically necessary gender-affirming care in their home state, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Trans people are also four times more likely than cisgender people to be the victim of a violent crime, including rape and assault, according to a 2021 study from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law. The killings of trans people have more than doubled from 2017 to 2021, when at least 59 trans people were killed in homicides, according to Everytown for Gun Safety. An epidemic of violence against transgender women and girls, in particular women and girls of colour, has taken lives far too soon, said Mr Biden, pointing to last years mass shooting inside a Colorado Springs LGBT+ nightclub as another painful example of this kind of violence a stain on the conscience of our nation. Story continues The presidents proclamation urges Congress to pass the Equality Act to extend long-overdue civil rights protections and federal antidiscrimination rules to LGBT+ people. Transgender Americans shape our nations soul proudly serving in the military, curing deadly diseases, holding elected office, running thriving businesses, fighting for justice, raising families, and much more, Mr Biden added. As kids, they deserve what every child deserves: the chance to learn in safe and supportive schools, to develop meaningful friendships, and to live openly and honestly. As adults, they deserve the same rights enjoyed by every American, including equal access to healthcare, housing, and jobs and the chance to age with grace as senior citizens. But today, too many transgender Americans are still denied those rights and freedoms, according to the proclamation. His pointed to his administrations executive actions supporting LGBT+ people in schools and in the military and his approval of the Respect for Marriage Act into law, which enshrines marriage equality protections affirmed by the US Supreme Court. Together, we also have to keep challenging the hundreds of hateful state laws that have been introduced across the country, making sure every child knows that they are made in the image of God, that they are loved, and that we are standing up for them, he added. The statement comes one day after Republican lawmakers in Kentucky and West Virginia passed state bans on gender-affirming care, and as GOP officials and far-right activists seize on the mass shooting inside a Nashville school to amplify anti-trans rhetoric and build support for legislation targeting LGBT+ people. Critics of podcaster Joe Rogan were surprised to see the former comedian and combat sport aficionado praise Barack Obama, calling him "the best of all time." During a recent episode of his show, Rogan offered high praise of Mr Obama as a statesman and the public face of the United States. He didnt come through on a lot of things, Rogan said of the former president on Wednesday. But as far as, like, a representative of the United States, who better than Obama? Hes the best of all time the most educated and eloquent and even-keeled. And he was a statesman and the way he spoke inspired confidence that truly the wisest amongst us is the king. Rogan has come under fire from liberals in the past for holding conservative viewpoints on certain issues and promoting conspiracy theories on his show. He has stated he is a fan of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, disagrees with trans athletes participating in sporting events that match their expressed gender, and was a vocal anti-vaxxer during the Covid-19 pandemic, during which he frequently boosted the drug hydroxychloroquine, among other conservative beliefs. His comments on Mr Obama earned him some tepid praise from liberals and progressives on social media. Even a broken clock is right twice a day, one user wrote. Another criticised the podcasters fans, saying there goes the racist demographic of his listener base. One user criticised Rogan from the left, saying Mr Obama was the best ever at blowing up kids maybe, referencing the former presidents robust and highly criticised drone program that killed numerous civilians in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Well there goes the racist demographic of his listener base. Bailey B. (@Blue93B) March 30, 2023 Even a broken clock is right twice a day Eli Wash (@getchusummm) March 30, 2023 However, despite his reputation as another right-wing media pundit, Rogan's political stances, while often conservative, are better described as inconsistent. Story continues While he opposes strict gun control and has blamed "mental health" as the reason for the US' numerous mass shootings, he has also defended abortion rights in the wake of the overturning of Roe v Wade. You dont have a right to tell a 14-year-old girl, she has to carry a rapists baby," he told conservative commentator Seth Dillion on his show. "Like, you dont have the right to tell my 14-year-old daughter, she has to carry her rapists baby. You understand that? He has also voiced support for universal healthcare, acknowledges that income inequality is a serious issue facing everyday Americans, and formerly said he would support progressive Senator Bernie Sanders in a presidential election. Despite popular belief, Rogan has stated he is not a supporter of former President Donald Trump and has turned down his attempts to appear on his podcast which consistently sits at the top of most popular podcast lists claiming he is not interested in helping [Mr Trump], according to Forbes. If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call or text the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 any time day or night, or chat online at 988lifeline.org. Additional mental health resources can be found at the end of this article. WASHINGTON Sen. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat who has been hospitalized for depression since February, will return to the Senate after the April recess, according to a source close to Fetterman. He will return the week of April 17, when Congress resumes after a two-week recess and about two months after Fetterman checked himself into Walter Reed Medical Military Hospital with clinical depression. In recent weeks, his wife, Gisele Fetterman, and chief of staff, Adam Jentleson, have shared photos of the senator and messages that he was recovering. We can do hard things when we do them together, Gisele Fetterman said in a tweet March 10. Jentleson shared photos on March 6 of a productive morning at the hospital, where they discussed rail safety legislation, a farm bill and other Senate business. John is well on his way to recovery and wanted me to say how grateful he is for all the well-wishes, Jentleson said at the time. Previous coverage: Sen. John Fetterman checks into hospital for clinical depression, his office says How John Fetterman helped national conversation on mental health November 9, 2022: Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, waves to supporters after addressing an election night party in Pittsburgh. Fetterman defeated Republican Mehmet Oz to win the Senate seat. When Fetterman was hospitalized, well wishes poured into his office, his staffers said. Some politicians and political analysts said that publicly sharing his treatment for depression was one of his best accomplishments as a leader. For as common as depression is, a politician publicly acknowledging it and sharing their treatment for it is not. Despite millions who receive treatment, millions more suffer in silence, often afraid to reach out for help, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. "Sen. Fetterman will do more for people by being honest about this than anything else he'll do this year in Congress," former Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., told USA TODAY this month. Story continues Opinion: Sen. John Fetterman and the bravery in asking for help when you need it Kennedy said he struggled with addiction and related mental health challenges but hid his treatment. He and other current and former lawmakers came forward to share their stories of mental illness after Fetterman publicly shared his. "The stigma is not yet broken, but it's breaking," Rep. Ritchie Torres told USA TODAY this month. 'Stigma is not yet broken': Lawmakers share stories on mental health with Fetterman hospitalized Fetterman stroke recovery ongoing Fetterman raised awareness last year about stroke victims, gaining cross-party support in the midterms from others in recovery. His treatment for depression came as he was still recovering from a stroke in May that required closed captioning to help him communicate on the campaign trail and now in the Senate. "After what he's been through in the past year, there's probably no one who wanted to talk about his own health less than John," Gisele Fetterman said in February. "I'm so proud of him for asking for help and getting the care he needs." Fetterman also was hospitalized in early February after feeling lightheaded. Doctors at George Washington University hospital determined he had not had another stroke. Midterm coverage: As Fetterman prepares to debate Dr. Oz in Pennsylvania Senate race, stroke survivors see themselves in him Mental health resources: If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call or text the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 any time day or night, or chat online at 988lifeline.org. National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 or text LOVEIS to 22522. Trans Lifeline: 1-877-565-8860 (para espanol presiona el 2). Veterans Crisis Line: 988, then select 1, or text: 838255. Support Line for Physicians: 1-888-409-0141 physiciansupportline.com. Help for Native American people: StrongHearts Native Helpline: 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483) or chat online. Resources for Black people: 988lifeline.org/help-yourself/black-mental-health. Ayuda en espanol: 988lifeline.org/help-yourself/en-espanol. Find treatment: findtreatment.gov Candy Woodall is a Congress reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at cwoodall@usatoday.com or on Twitter at @candynotcandace. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: John Fetterman to return to Senate week of April 17 GettyImages-1244804125-1 - Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images A spokesperson for John Fetterman has indicated that the Pennsylvania Senator will be returning to Congress after more than a month-long hospitalization to treat clinical depression. Fetterman, who suffered a life threatening stroke shortly before the 2022 midterm elections, has been conducting his business in the senate while an inpatient at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. According to reports from multiple news outlets, Fetterman has scheduled his return for the week of April 17. More from Rolling Stone Fetterman checked himself into Walter Reed on February 17 of this year. In a statement released at the time, Fettermans Chief of Staff wrote that while John has experienced depression off and on throughout his life, it only became severe in recent weeks, and that the senator had agreed to enter treatment on a voluntary basis. After what hes been through in the past year, theres probably no one who wanted to talk about his own health less than John. Im so proud of him for asking for help and getting the care he needs. pic.twitter.com/SfuwWTSUcG Gisele Barreto Fetterman (@giselefetterman) February 16, 2023 Fetterman is not the only senator currently on leave for medical treatment, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) was hospitalized earlier this month after a fall that left him with a concussion and a minor rib fracture. McConnell was released from hospitalization earlier this week, but is expected to remain in his home for additional recovery. The return of Fetterman and McConnell to the Senate chambers is expected to coincide with negotiations to raise the national debt ceiling in coming weeks. Story continues Best of Rolling Stone Click here to read the full article. Keanu Reeves has reportedly gifted customised T-shirts to John Wick: Chapter 4s stunt crew. The 58-year-old actor, who has often been called the nicest guy in Hollywood, gifted the films stunt performers T-shirts that bore the number of times they had died over the course of the entire film. For some, the number was over 20. Fight coordinator Jeremy Marinas, discussed scenes from the film with The New York Times, including one which takes place on a flight of steps leading up to the Sacre-Cur Basilica in Paris. Its like, of course thats what you want, he said of the scene which involved 35 stunt performers. You want 100 guys falling down the stairs and you want me to make every reaction and fall different. Of course you do. It was like we were just [at] another day at work. We all know how hard it is just to walk up stairs when we dont want to, Marinas said. Just to think about how well Keanu not John Wick Keanu was able to do shooting upwards while stepping. Its hard enough to be a marksman on flat ground. The staircase fight took seven nights of shooting, according to the outlet, and each stuntman was probably killed four or five times. At the end of the shoot Reeves made T-shirts for the stunt performers emblazoned with the number of times they were slain over the course of the entire movie, the coordinator said. ( 2022 Lionsgate) This isnt the first time Reeves has gifted something to his stunt team. After the actor finished filming on the fourth instalment of the action franchise, he decided to share his appreciation of the team by giving them a personalised Rolex each. In 2021, Vanity Fair reported that Reeves invited the four stuntmen to dinner in Paris where he gave them all their own watch, one of which is said to cost just under $10,000 (7,000). Each watch, gifted to Jeremy Marinas, Dave Camarillo, Li Qiang and Bruce Concepcion, shared an engraving of a unique message from the actor. An Arkansas man has been found guilty of shooting a mural of Johnny Cash on a small towns water tower, causing a crude-looking leak that caught national attention, news outlets reported. In May 2022, the town of Kingsland Johnny Cashs birthplace awoke to find their water tower, painted with a mural of Cash, had sprung a leak, McClatchy News previously reported. Betty Graham, Kingslands water office manager, assumed it was just routine overflow when she arrived at the office before dawn on May 11. But as the sun rose, revealing the tower and the relentless flow of water from the murals crotch, it became clear that a vandal had struck. Specifically, someone with a gun had taken aim at the Man in Blacks most private area and fired a shot. For days, it appeared Cash was relieving himself on his hometown. Kingsland had recently completed a $300,000 renovation on the tower. Word spread as the town sought the sharpshooting suspect, earning widespread attention, condemnation and plenty of jokes. However, the alleged shooter was recently brought before a jury and found guilty of causing the leak seen around the world, TV station KARK reported on March 29. The man, a Kingsland resident, was convicted on charges of first-degree criminal mischief and interrupting operation of a vital public facility, the station reported. He is accused of firing a scoped .308 rifle and hitting the water tower from a distance of 150 yards, the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported. After hearing testimony, the jury convicted Sled on both counts after just seven minutes of deliberation, the newspaper reported. Odd clue left on door of vandalized church leads police to suspect, Virginia cops say Accused robber targets man in wheelchair finds out hes an armed veteran, TX cops say Man tosses woman wrapped in blanket off 4th-story balcony, Oklahoma cops say Infant kidnapped from familys home by fake protective services worker, Ohio cops say Jonathan Majors was recently arrested in New York on charges of strangulation, assault and harassment. (Richard Shotwell / Invision / AP) Jonathan Majors' attorney has released text messages allegedly sent after his arrest by the woman he is accused of assaulting. In a screenshot provided to TMZ that has not been verified, the woman identifies Majors as her "partner" and tells him that officers "had to" arrest him according to protocol because they "saw the injuries" on her and knew they "had a fight." She says she is "angry" that the actor was arrested and that the police did not have her "blessing" to press charges. The woman allegedly sent the texts immediately after she got out of the hospital, according to the screenshot. The "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" and "Creed III" star was charged with several counts of misdemeanor assault and harassment shortly after New York police arrested him March 25. According to a complaint from the Manhattan district attorney's office, the woman accused Majors of striking her "about the face with an open hand, causing substantial pain and a laceration behind her ear. Majors also allegedly grabbed the womans hand, causing swelling, bruising, and substantial pain to her finger, and put his hand on her neck. The NYPD said in a statement over the weekend that Majors was involved in a domestic dispute with a 30-year-old woman who told police she was assaulted. She was transported to a local hospital with what police called minor injuries to her head and neck. In the unverified text messages publicized by Majors' attorney, the woman says she told the police the incident was her "fault" for "trying to grab" Majors' phone. In a follow-up text, she says she told the authorities "this was not an attack" and that strangulation "did not occur and should be removed" from the case file "immediately." The screenshots show that the woman allegedly texted Majors she would "make sure nothing happens about this" and that she knows he has "the best team and there's nothing to worry about." "I just want you to know that I'm doing all I can [on] my end," the unverified text message reads. "I also said to tell the judge to know that the origin of the call was to do with me collapsing and passing out and your worry as my partner due to our communication prior. Out of care." Story continues In a statement provided Sunday to the Los Angeles Times, Majors' attorney claimed that her client is completely innocent and provably the victim of an altercation with a woman he knows. Read the complete alleged text exchange between the woman and Majors below. Unknown date and time Woman: There's no note. Just you knowing what happened. March 25, 8:58 a.m. Majors: Did you leave the keys? Majors: Goodbye [redacted] March 25, 6 p.m. Woman: Please let me know you're okay when you get this. They assured me that you won't be charged. They said they had to arrest you as protocol when they saw the injuries on me and they knew we had a fight. I'm so angry that they did. And I'm sorry you're in this position. Will make sure nothing happens about this. I told them it was my fault for trying to grab your phone. I only just got out of the hospital. Just call me when you're out. Woman: I love you March 25, 9:32 p.m. Woman: They just called again to check on me and I reiterated this was not an attack and they do not have my blessing on any charges being placed. I read the paper they gave me about strangulation and I said point blank this did not occur and should be removed immediately. The judge is definitely going to be told this. She ensured this to me. I know you have the best team and there's nothing to worry about I just want you to know that I'm doing all I can [on] my end. I also said to tell the judge to know that the origin of the call was to do with me collapsing and passing out and your worry as my partner due to our communication prior. Out of care. She promised all will be relayed. Times staff writers Alexandra Del Rosario and Teresa Watanabe contributed to this report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The judge who presided over the Alex Murdaugh murder trial in South Carolina said he was not surprised the jury took just three hours to arrive at a guilty verdict. Judge Clifton Newman, speaking to students and faculty at his alma mater Cleveland State University on Tuesday, said the jury was paying close attention to the trial and 75 witnesses, so just three hours for deliberation was not surprising. When they go back to deliberate, they dont want to look at those 800 exhibits. They dont want to spend their time combing through everything they have laboriously sat there and listened to for that period of time, Mr Newman said. Earlier this month, Murdaugh was sentenced to life in prison for the heinous double murder of his wife Maggie and son Paul. The disgraced attorney was handed two life sentences without parole in a case that captivated the United States for the best part of two years. Jurors took less than three hours to reach their unanimous verdict, deciding, beyond any reasonable doubt, Murdaugh had killed his wife and son that night. On 7 June 2021, Maggie and Paul were brutally gunned down at dog kennels inside the powerful familys vast 1,700-acre Moselle estate. Murdaugh shot his son, 22, twice with a 12-gauge shotgun while he stood in the feed room of the dog kennels. The second shot blew his brain out. Prosecutors said after killing Paul, Murdaugh grabbed a .300 Blackout semiautomatic rifle and opened fire on Maggie as she tried to flee. She was shot five times, twice in the head, after she fell to her knees. Once the defendant takes the stand and testifies almost everything is fair game at that point. Well see where it goes, the judge said. Im told the person who is killed will haunt, will come back, and theyll never be able to get over the moment in time that they took that persons life, Mr Newman said and added that he did not know if this was a spiritual belief or just my view of the world. A Tarrant County district judge has granted a Lubbock developer's motion to merge two wrongful death lawsuits filed against him in connection with a deadly November 2021 shooting in south Lubbock. Senior District Judge R.H. Wallace issued an order consolidating two wrongful death lawsuits filed against Kyle Carruth by the family of Chad Read. Both lawsuits will be heard in the 237th District Court in Lubbock, with a tentative trial date set for next year. Wallace was assigned to the case after 237th District Court Judge Les Hatch recused himself from the case. No charges for Kyle Carruth in Chad Read shooting With the lawsuits consolidated the court can now schedule other proceedings including a hearing on a motion Carruth filed to move the lawsuit out of Lubbock County. Carruth's attorneys argued that the publicity from the case would make it difficult to assemble a fair and impartial jury in Lubbock County to hear the case. The two lawsuits, which were filed separately in December 2021 by Read's widow, Jennifer Read, and his mother, Jinx Read, accuse Carruth, a land developer and ex-husband of then 72nd District Court Judge Anne Marie Carruth, of negligently causing Read's death during an Nov. 5, 2021, argument that ended with gunshots on Kyle Carruth's property in the 2100 block of 90th Street. Widow releases video of Chad Read's fatal shooting in South Lubbock The lawsuits also list Carruth's businesses, which are located at the same address, as defendants in the case and argue that Carruth's use of deadly force was unwarranted and negligent. In a news conference more than a month after the shooting, Jennifer Read told reporters that she and her husband went to Carruth's property to ask Read's ex-wife Christina Read, who is Carruth's employee and girlfriend, where one of their sons was as Chad Read was supposed to have him for that week as part of their custody agreement. Jennifer Read also provided a video of the shooting as part of an intervening petition she filed in Chad and Christina Read's child custody case to get sole custody of her step-children. However, that case was dismissed upon Chad Read's death. Story continues The Lubbock County Courthouse. In his response to the lawsuit, Carruth's attorney, H. Grady Terrill, stated his client was forced to use deadly force "to defend himself, his property and others, which caused the death of Chad Read." Terrill also asked the court to delay the civil suit arguing that it could interfere with his client's defense in a pending criminal case. In April 2022, a Lubbock County grand jury specially empaneled to review the shooting, declined to return an indictment charging Carruth with a crime in the shooting. However, a technical issue about which judge would preside over the civil also bogged down the civil lawsuits. The district judges in Lubbock agreed to recuse themselves from any case arising out of the shooting. Jennifer Read's lawsuit, which was filed in November 2021, was assigned to the 237th District Court. Jinx Read's lawsuit, which was a few weeks later, landed in the 72nd District Court which was at the time was presided over by Carruth's ex-wife Ann Marie Carruth. Senior District Judge Sid Harle out of San Antonio, who also presided over the grand jury proceedings in the criminal case, was initially assigned by Ninth Administrative Judge Ana Esteves assigned to preside over both civil cases. However, Jinx Read's attorney objected to the assignment and Wallace was assigned to preside over the case filed in the 72nd District Court. Meanwhile, Carruth's attorneys filed a motion in the 237th District Court to consolidate the cases and change their venues. Consolidated cases would typically be handled in the court where the first lawsuit was filed, meaning Harle would have presided over it. However, Jinx Read's earlier objection to Harle's appointment prevented him from ruling on Carruth's motion to consolidate. And Wallace was unable to rule on the motion since it was not filed in the 72nd District Court to which he was assigned. The issue was resolved when Esteves appointed Wallace to both lawsuits and all parties agreed to merge the cases. A tentative trial has been set for April 1, 2024. This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Wrongful death lawsuits against Kyle Carruth merged deadly shooting Corporate America has grown silent on gun violence: CNN Xinhua) 09:23, March 30, 2023 Passersby walk past the gun-free zone signage near Times Square in New York, the United States, Sept. 1, 2022. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Xinhua) Guns are among the hottest hot button issues right now. In a polarized era, most companies still prefer to avoid these sorts of questions. NEW YORK, March 29 (Xinhua) -- U.S. biggest companies once rushed to strengthen their gun safety policies over one after another mass shooting, but the groundswell of corporate action on guns has ended, with most of them declining to speak out in the aftermath of the latest massacre at a school in Nashville, Tennessee, reported CNN on Tuesday. "Much of Corporate America has grown silent on guns," said the report, noting that "few major companies have changed their policies related to guns in recent years. Their efforts to curb gun violence have run into fierce pushback from Republican lawmakers that oppose both gun restrictions and corporations taking on social roles." Gun safety advocates say businesses have a civic responsibility to keep their customers and employees safe from gun violence. They have called on retailers to ban firearms in their stores, invest in communities plagued by gun violence and end political donations to lawmakers with ties to National Rifle Association, according to the report. "Some companies, including gun manufacturers, have financial reasons to fight gun restrictions. Other businesses may not believe is their responsibility or role to weigh in on America's gun debate," said the report. "And some companies are staying on the sidelines of gun issues for fear of political blowback and antagonizing gun rights supporters." Guns are "among the hottest hot button issues right now," Julian Zelizer, a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University and a CNN political analyst, was quoted as saying. "In a polarized era, most companies still prefer to avoid these sorts of questions." (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Flash Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday called for efforts in Asia to uphold the vision of a community with a shared future for humanity and inject more certainty into world peace and development. Joint efforts should be made to build an Asian community with a shared future, and make Asia an anchor for world peace and stability, a powerhouse for global growth and a new highland for international cooperation, Li said while delivering a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2023 held in south China's Hainan Province. Heads of governments and international organizations as well as over 1,500 representatives from political, business and academic circles from more than 50 countries and regions attended the opening ceremony. Instability, uncertainty and unpredictability have become normalcy in the world today, and people yearn for more and greater certainty, said Li. President Xi Jinping proposed the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity a decade ago, and went on to put forward the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, he said. Noting that China has achieved a series of major achievements in advancing and building a community with a shared future for humanity in the past decade, the premier said the vision has become "a flag that leads times and human progress" and has provided strength of certainty for sustained world peace and common prosperity. Li called on the Asian community to jointly safeguard a peaceful and stable environment for development, build more dynamic growth centers, broaden effective ways to achieve solidarity and cooperation and promote solid and sustained people-to-people exchanges, in order to bring more certainty to the volatile global environment, the global economic recovery, the global governance undergoing profound changes and the convergence of different civilizations. In a world of uncertainties, the certainty China has provided is the mainstay of global peace and development, Li said, noting that the goals and outlook of China's development in the future are certain. China will adhere to reform and opening-up and innovation-driven development, no matter how the world changes, Li said. With its long-term stability, commitment to development, concrete and courageous actions to achieve progress, confidence and openness as well as willingness to share, China is bound to be a powerful force behind global prosperity and stability, he said. At present, the country has strong impetus and momentum in economic growth, Li said, noting that China has the confidence and ability to advance the economy to brave the wind and waves, maintain steady and sustained growth and make a greater contribution to world economic development. Li underscored the importance of solidarity, cooperation, and promoting open and inclusive development, which he said will inject more certainty into Asia and the world. Speaking at the opening ceremony, dignitaries and business representatives voiced opposition against bloc confrontation, protectionism, disorderly competition and economic fragmentation, while calling for the international community to join hands to address global challenges. They also praised China's support for multilateralism and regional cooperation, welcomed the country's continued opening up, and hoped to seize the opportunities flowing from China's robust economic growth in the post-COVID era to inject impetus into global investment and trade recovery and to promote regional and world peace and development. More than a decade after the body of his wifes lover was found tortured, disfigured and burned, former Presidente Supermarket executive Manuel Marin was found guilty on Thursday of orchestrating the kidnapping and events that led to the mans death. After almost five hours of jury deliberation, Marin was found guilty of kidnapping, conspiracy to kidnap and the manslaughter of Camilo Salazar, the owner of a window blinds installation company who had an on-again, off-again affair with Marins wife, Jenny Marin, for about 11 years. State prosecutors had been seeking a second-degree murder charge. And though jurors opted for the lesser manslaughter count, it still likely means the 69-year-old will spend the rest of his life in prison. Marin whos been imprisoned the past five years and who spent seven years on the lam in Europe after the killing stood stoic in a blue blazer and white dress shirt unbuttoned at the neck as the verdict was read by Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Miguel de la O. Family and friends on benches behind the defense table, did the same. It contrasted sharply with the other side of the courtroom, where relief and tears flowed as Salazars wife Daisy Holcombe hugged family members and lead state prosecutor Justin Funck. Still, the family hurried out of the courthouse, ignoring a gaggle of press hoping to hear from them. Were happy the family finally has justice, was all Funck said. Marins defense attorney Jose Quinon was equally as brief, saying Marin intended to appeal the decision. We may disagree with it [the jurys decision], but we respect it, he said. Miguel Marin stands alone in the courtroom Thursday as the guilty verdict is read in Judge Miguel de la Os courtroom. Manuel Marin was accused in a murder-for-hire plot that killed Camilo Salazar, whose body was found partially burned on a dirt road in the Florida Everglades in 2011. After the verdict, Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said in a prepared statement that jurors seemed to fully realize Marins jealous rage. Marins years-long flight to Spain only extended the agony of Salazars family as they awaited the justice that finally arrived today, the state attorney said. OTHERS HAVE ALREADY PAID PRICE Marin was the last of four men involved in the killing to face a jury. Three others were previously convicted and imprisoned in the murder, with prosecutors charging that they had been recruited by Marin to abduct and kill Salazar. Story continues Though prosecutors had no witnesses placing Marin at the murder scene and no accounts of any type of agreement to kill Salazar, there was other compelling evidence linking him to his romantic rivals last hours. Jurors believed the scenario developed by Miami-Dade Assistant State Attorneys Funck and Jonathan Borst, largely based on cellphone-tower tracking that put Marin near the murder site at the edge of the Everglades. Though jurors didnt speak after the verdict, it was likely the inability to physically place Marin at the murder scene that led them to the manslaughter charge. He was initially charged with second-degree murder. Jurors also heard testimony from star witness Ariel The Panther Gandulla, a Mixed Martial Arts fighter who accepted a three-year prison sentence in return for testimony at the trial. Gandulla placed Marin with Latin Kings gang member Roberto Isaac already convicted of killing Salazar on the day of Salazars death and just hours before the murder. Marin orchestrated a plot, according to Funck and Borst, that involved the recruitment of friend and former Cuban Olympic wrestler Alexis Vila Perdomo, Gandulla and Isaac. They said that on the day Salazar was murdered, Perdomo organized the events on his cellphone from Las Vegas, while Isaac and Gandulla cornered an unsuspecting Salazar in Coconut Grove near his wifes office, detained him in plastic handcuffs and stuck him in the backseat of a rented pickup truck. They then drove to Isaacs Wynwood home, before dragging Salazar inside for several hours. When Salazar was returned to the truck, his feet were bound as well. From there, and after contacting Marin by cellphone on Isaacs 53rd attempt of the day, they drove Salazar to a Fort Lauderdale office park where, Gandulla told jurors, they met Marin, who with Isaac then transferred the victim into the hatchback of Marins blue Mercedes. As Salazar was being moved, Gandulla, they said, saw his chance and took off in the pickup, driving back to his Kendall apartment. Using Sunpass coordinates and cellphone-tower tracking, prosecutors said Marin and Isaac drove Salazar to a West Miami-Dade field on the edge of the Everglades, where they bashed in his head, broke his jaw, slit his throat and set the lower extremities of his body on fire with gasoline. Prosecutors told jurors that Isaac showed up later that night at Gandullas apartment to retrieve the truck, smelling like gasoline. Marins wife testified during the trial that her husband returned home the same evening wearing the same baseball cap that Gandulla said he saw him wearing when Isaac was transferred into his Mercedes. A year after the murder Miami-Dade Police caught up with Gandulla at his sisters home in Orlando and told him of Salazars death. Frightened, Gandulla fled with his family to Vancouver, Canada. He returned in 2019 after a visit from Miami-Dade Police and state prosecutors. Perdomo and Isaac were found guilty of the murder in 2019. Perdomo is currently serving a 15-year prison sentence. Isaac is serving life. Marin, who owned several supermarkets in South Florida and New Jersey, gave up a luxurious lifestyle when he decided to flee South Florida just a few days after Salazar was murdered. Along with his Lighthouse Point mansion and yacht docked out back, he turned over the keys to his business empire to a son he had with his first wife, prosecutors said. The son, who was also given power of attorney, worked out a divorce agreement with Jenny Marin for his father in which she got to keep the Lighthouse Point home and collected $30,000 a month in child support and alimony for three years. Jenny Marin testified that after not hearing much from her ex-husband for several years, she rented a home and flew to Cuba with her two children in early 2018, where they met their father. A few months later, Manuel Marin, a wanted fugitive for four years, walked into the U.S. Embassy in Madrid and turned himself in to the FBI. Elon Musk. Noam Galai/Getty Images for Heidi Klum Elon Musk overtook Barack Obama on Thursday to become Twitter's most followed account. Five months after buying the social-media platform, Musk has over 133 million followers. The Twitter CEO posted 72 times on Monday, and has his tweets boosted by engineers, per Platformer. Elon Musk became Twitter's most-followed account on Thursday, overtaking Barack Obama's 133 million followers by about 40,000 at the time of writing. It comes five months after Musk bought the social-media company for $44 billion, beginning a reign full of controversial changes. Musk's ascent to Twitter's follower peak comes two days before Twitter removes the blue checkmarks for "legacy verified" accounts those who were given the symbol to distinguish them from impersonators, as opposed to users who subscribe to Musk's flagship Twitter Blue service. According to the follower-tracking site SocialBlade, Musk saw the biggest increase last April the month he first offered to buy Twitter gaining 9.7 million followers. The month after taking over the company, his follower count rose by 6.9 million. The Twitter CEO became the sixth-user to cross the 100 million mark last June, according to The Verge, which first reported the news. While Obama only tweeted 24 times in the last month per SocialBlade, the Twitter CEO's daily average is 26 including 72 tweets on Monday. In February, Musk fired one Twitter engineer who suggested his tweets might be getting less traction because of declining public interest in him, per Platformer. The tech newsletter also reported that Musk asked engineers to find new ways to promote his tweets after President Joe Biden's post about the Super Bowl received more likes than the Twitter CEO's. Musk blamed a "disgruntled employee" for leaking the information, and said it was actually caused by a glitch. But the Twitter CEO is also among 35 VIP users a list also including LeBron James, Ben Shapiro, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez whose views are being secretly boosted, Platformer reported this week. Story continues Twitter Blue is due to shake things up on the platform again from April 15, when only paying subscribers will be able to vote in polls or appear in users' "For You" feeds. Insider contacted Twitter for comment. The company responded with an automated message that didn't address the inquiry. Read the original article on Business Insider The protesters deny causing a public nuisance after climbing the QEII Bridge near Dartford, which saw traffic being stopped by police A Just Stop Oil protester has told jurors he climbed the Dartford Crossing bridge to deliver a "warning message". Morgan Trowland, 40, of Islington, north London, and Marcus Decker, 34, of no fixed address, are on trial accused of causing a public nuisance. The court has heard the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, linking the M25 in Essex and Kent, was closed between 04:00 BST on 17 October and 21:00 the following day. Mr Trowland said the bridge was chosen for its proximity to three fuel depots. "We climbed it to deliver a warning message - to put up a banner saying 'Just Stop Oil' and to speak that message through interviews with journalists," he told Basildon Crown Court. He said the group's goal was to get the government to stop licensing oil and gas production, and said the media only reported things that "cause trouble". Mr Trowland said he used ropes and other climbing equipment to shuffle 200ft (60m) above the road. Prosecutor Adam King has already said the demonstration cost small businesses "hundreds of thousands of pounds" and some people "missed loved one's funerals". 'Unsinkable ship' Mr Trowland, standing in the witness box on Thursday, compared climate change to an iceberg. "Think back to the story of the Titanic; why did they get into such a dangerous situation?," he said. "Everyone was in a fantasy that they were in an unsinkable ship." Prosecutors said the pair came down from the bridge at 17:30 on 18 October "with the help of police and a very tall cherry picker crane". The defendants deny the charges and the trial continues. Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk Kamala Harris and Nana Akufo-Addo Vice President Kamala Harris has spoken out for LGBTQ+ rights while visiting Ghana, where legislation that would impose harsh punishments for LGBTQ+ identity and advocacy is pending. I feel very strongly about the importance of supporting the freedom and supporting the fighting for equality among all people, and that all people be treated equally, Harris said Monday at a joint press conference with Ghanian President Nana Akufo-Addo. "I will also say that this is an issue that we consider and I consider to be a human rights issue, and that will not change. Under the proposed bill, introduced in 2021, advocates of the LGBTQ community would face up to a decade in prison; public displays of same-sex affection or cross-dressing could lead to a fine or jail time, and certain types of medical support would be made illegal, CNN reports. VP Harris, in Ghana, addresses human rights amid anti-LGBTQ efforts in Africa www.youtube.com The legislation would also ban marriages for people who have had gender-confirmation surgery, make it illegal for news outlets to distribute material the government considers pro-LGBTQ+, and require people in the country to report suspected LGBTQ+ residents. It could force intersex people into surgery and LGBTQ+ people into conversion therapy. Ghana already has anti-sodomy laws, but they are not often enforced. At the news conference, Akufo-Addo said the bill is being made less restrictive. My understanding is that substantial elements of the bill have already been modified as a result of the intervention of the attorney general, he said, according to CNN. However, one of the Parliament members who sponsored the legislation, Samuel Nartey George, said on Nigerian TV that it remains as tough and as rigid as it was. When the president says the bill has been watered down, he doesnt know what he is talking about, George added. Activist Danny Bediako said life is already difficult for LGBTQ+ Ghanians, with 27 violent homophobic or transphobic attacks reported this year, and passage of the pending legislation will only make the situation worse. Its going to make it difficult for the community to exist, he told CNN. They are just trying to erase the community through this bill, so it will definitely lead to an increase in attacks. Story continues The nations information minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, told CNN the bill may change as it goes through debate in Parliament, and it is not one of the governments priorities. We are not pressured in any way to focus on things that are not essentially within our main priorities, he said. Our priority number one is getting the Ghanaian economy on track, and thats what were focused on. China has invested heavily in Ghanaian business, and Harriss visit is widely seen as a way for the U.S. to counter Chinas economic influence in Ghana and elsewhere in Africa. She is scheduled to go to Tanzania and Zambia this week as well. Those countries also have anti-LGBTQ+ laws. Harriss time in Ghana included a visit to the Cape Coast Castle, where women were held before being placed on ships to the Americas, with enslavement awaiting them. She laid flowers there and walked through the Door of No Return, as the Africans did on their way to the ships. Tearing up, the vice president said, Being here was was immensely powerful and moving. She also denounced moves by American politicians to censor school curricula regarding the historic oppression of African-Americans. It cannot be denied, she said. It must be taught. History must be learned. Three months after a wave of accusations publicly surfaced against Coterie Theaters former producing artistic director Jeff Church, the theaters board of directors says an internal investigation confirmed multiple occasions when he engaged in nonconsensual sexual acts against adults. The investigators, hired by The Coterie, found that those sexual acts occurred mostly at private social gatherings at Churchs place of residence. Thirty-five people were interviewed, including people who worked with Church for decades, and internal documents were reviewed to draw those conclusions. The accusations against Church, a long respected figure in Kansas Citys arts scene, rocked the local theater community, as some say they knew of Churchs behavior for years. Others, including current supporters, say the allegations do not align with the man they knew. A longtime attorney and friend of Church told The Star on Wednesday he was skeptical of the investigation and viewed The Coteries statement as attempting to improve its reputation. While several witnesses did not observe any inappropriate behavior, The Coterie said, the investigation found credible those witnesses who reported that Church forced himself on non-consenting adults. Allegations concerning sexual misconduct involving children were not corroborated. The Coterie also concluded, based on the investigators findings, that no one on the board knew of the allegations previously and that no alleged misconduct happened under The Coteries roof or at sponsored events. On Wednesday, The Coteries Board of Directors shared the findings on the theaters website. The investigation was conducted by Fine Line HR Consulting, a Kansas City-based firm. Absent from The Coteries statement were many specifics regarding the way the investigators made their determinations. The report itself was not being released out of respect for the privacy of witnesses who asked to remain anonymous, The Coterie said. Story continues Jeff Church, Coterie producing artistic director, and Joette Pelster, executive director, in 2013. Losing his close friend Pelster, who died in November, stressed Church, his lawyer said. Theresa Stoker, president of The Coteries board, called Churchs actions heinous and said they left board members feeling deeply troubled. We want to thank all of those who came forward to share their very personal and painful stories. It took a great deal of courage, Stoker said in a statement, adding: We are determined to foster an environment where creatives can do their best work to entertain and delight our young audiences. Church, 63, died by suicide on Dec. 24, just days after accusations of sexual misconduct were widely shared over social media. Over his 30-year career, accusers said, Church groomed, abused and assaulted young men. One of the first to publicly accuse Church was KKFI 90.1s Mark Manning, who wrote in a Facebook post that Church assaulted him 31 years ago when he was 27. Several people, including Manning, said they know of others. Actor KC Comeaux also accused Church of assaulting numerous young men over the course of 30+ years. Myself included. Jeff Church, artistic director of the Coterie theater, with actors in 1997. Meanwhile, supporters of Church, including longtime friend and attorney Larry LaVigne II, believe he never engaged in sexual misconduct and that his accusers were consenting adults. In a statement Wednesday, LaVigne, who is representing the family and Churchs estate, said they sympathize with victims of rape. But the estate vehemently maintains that Jeff Church did not engage in sexual misconduct, with children or adults. LaVigne cast doubt on the findings of the investigation, saying he and others were not invited to participate in the process. He also challenged the assertion by The Coterie that the investigation was independent, adding that the process seemed to be devoid of legal principles. The plan to keep the report private bodes well for the Coterie, because a public release would show that the investigators process was shoddy, lacked direction, and failed to fully involve parties with knowledge of relevant events, LaVigne said in the statement. To date, the estate has not seen or heard any concrete evidence of Jeff Churchs sexual misconduct. The Stars Lisa Gutierrez and Kynala Phillips contributed to this report. The Kansas Senate narrowly approved three bills Wednesday targeting vaccine requirements and the power of local and state health officials despite low chances the policies could become law. The upper chamber voted 24 to 16 to prohibit the Kansas Department of Health and Environment from requiring COVID-19 vaccines in schools or child care centers something KDHE Secretary Janet Stanek has said she does not plan to do. The Senate also approved bills removing the state-level meningitis vaccine requirement in Kansas colleges and blocking any schools or employers from questioning the validity of a religious exemption request for vaccine requirements, and stripping state and local health officials of their power to adopt rules and regulations preventing the spread of infectious diseases. Under the anti-vaccine bill colleges would still be permitted to maintain a meningitis vaccine requirement but would not be mandated to do so. Support for all three bills fell well below the 27 votes needed to override a veto from Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. House leaders have also indicated they are unlikely to pursue most of the policies. Rep. Brenda Landwehr, a Wichita Republican who chairs the House Health and Human Services, said she would only be interested in limits on COVID-19 vaccine requirements. She said she lacked sufficient information on the proposed limits to public health officials. The bills represent a continuation of a string of bills targeting the authority of public health officials in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Conservative Republicans in Kansas have insisted that public health officials at the state and local level overstepped their authority. Decisions on vaccines, they say, should be left to individual Kansans rather than institutions. In 2021, Republicans successfully passed a bill blocking employers from questioning religious exemptions to COVID-19 vaccine requirements by employers. Efforts to go further have been largely unsuccessful. Story continues No one has the right to question or challenge my individual beliefs, Sen. Renee Erickson, a Wichita Republican, said while advocating for broad vaccine exemptions on the Senate floor. Speaking on the House floor Tuesday, Sen. Pat Pettey, a Kansas City Democrat, said expanded vaccine exemptions would be dangerous to Kansas youth and adults. Theyre going to jeopardize the health of our children and the ability of our parents to go to work, she said. Andy Marso, a University of Kansas graduate who contracted meningitis before the university required a vaccine, said in a text message that he was disappointed but not surprised to see the Senate approve the bill. It will be an ongoing tragedy if deadly diseases like meningitis come roaring back because of internet-driven misinformation, said Marso, who worked as a reporter for The Star from 2017 to 2019. Marsos 2013 memoir Worth the Pain recounts his recovery from meningitis. The language the Senate passed regarding public health officials was already approved by the chamber in a separate bill last month. After the House did not act on the bill, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee voted to add the bills language to a separate bill that aimed at creating a board to review drug overdose deaths in the state. The committee also removed language legalizing fentanyl test strips, a tool which advocates say will help prevent overdose deaths, from the bill. The strips are currently illegal in Kansas as drug paraphernalia. The Kansas House has passed three bills this year with language to legalize the test strips but the Senate has not voted on the language. Rep. Stephen Owens, a Hesston Republican, said the third bill represented the Houses last effort to legalize the test strips this year. The bill, which the House approved Wednesday, included test strips alongside several other changes to criminal code and prosecutorial power. Im optimistic that when they see everything that weve put together that maybe there will be enough good in there for them to overlook some things that maybe they dont agree with or, at a minimum, allow it to go to a vote in the Senate, Owens said. Katherine Heigl explained this week that she moved to Utah several years ago because she believed it would be a good place to raise her children. "I didn't know how to raise them in L.A.," she told E! News of Naleigh, 14, Adelaide, 10, and Joshua, 6. "So I felt like I could do it here. I could be more on top of things that scare me and I could be more on top of the kinds of friends they have and places they're going, the kind of activities they're involved inand what the hell they're doing on their phones!" The "Life As We Know It" actress lived in Los Angeles for two decades while working her way up in the industry before deciding she needed to slow down. She and musician husband Josh Kelley made the move to a ranch outside Park City, Utah, after she left "Greys Anatomy" in 2010. JOSH DUHAMEL DEFENDS KATHERINE HEIGL OVER BAD RAP: SHES GREAT' Katherine Heigl made the move to Utah after leaving "Grey's Anatomy" in 2010. "I could kind of decompress and let that hustle part of me goa little bit," she said of her Utah home. "I don't know that in any career you can ever completely stop hustling, but being able to separate it a little bit and choose those times of hustle versus just being in it constantly was really important to me." READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP The family has eight dogs and three cats in their home, as well as chickens, goats, horses and other animals at their ranch. She told the outlet that when she goes on location for a movie or show, her kids stay at home. "I can't easily anymore take them out of school systems and put them into whole new cities and environments," she said. "I had to live with that aspect of what I do for work, I have to leave my family I call the kids probably two, three nights a week. I'm not FaceTiming every dayI'm at work, having crap cell service or terrible Wi-Fi. You have to be able to let it go." "I'm sure I'll be paying for their therapy, and mine," she joked. However, she said when she is back at home in Utah, she is "hyper-focused" on her family. Story continues "My manager, my agent, my lawyer, they're all like, 'Hey, you should probably read that script we sent you two weeks ago...'" Heigl said. "I'm like, 'Right, right, right, right...' I just hyper-focus on the world I'm in now." Heigl, who has finished shooting the final season of her Netflix show "Firefly Lane," said, "At the moment, it's solely about [her] dog food [brand Badlands Ranch], the children, the animals." MARK WAHLBERG LEFT HOLLYWOOD FOR NEVADA TO GIVE HIS KIDS A BETTER LIFE: THIS MADE A LOT MORE SENSE FOR US Katherine Heigl and Josh Kelley have three children, including Naleigh (pictured) who is now 14. In 2014, the "27 Dresses" actress told Good Housekeeping she and her husband were loving the "quiet life." "Neither of us likes the traffic and the chaos of Los Angeles. It's overwhelming," she said. She and Kelley had their wedding in Deer Valley two days before Christmas in 2010, which she described as "Narnia, a winter wonderland. It was magic." She was also raised in the Mormon faith, although she does not practice anymore. "That structure and discipline was really good for me," she said. "I had a childhood that was a childhood. I listened to my parents. I respected the rules." She added at the time that her daughters love the ranch. Her son was not born yet. "They are really content to stand at the river and throw rocks in and feed the chickens," she told the magazine. "Naleigh is good at feeding the horses and holding out the hay, though she won't get on [a horse]." Heigl said while she was on "Greys Anatomy" she was working too much, which caused her priorities to be "messed up." "I was putting so much time and energy into just my work, but I was raised that family comes first," she said, adding that she and Kelley "had big dreams of expanding our family, moving to the mountains and having a quieter life." She continued, "Utah is spectacularly beautiful, the people are wonderful and kind, it's an easy commute from L.A. and there's no traffic!" Keanu Reeves on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" and in 1990. Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images "John Wick" star Keanu Reeves was told his name was "too ethnic" at the start of his career. The star said he nearly changed his name to Casey Reeves. Reeves recalled the experience during a recent episode of the "SmartLess" podcast. Keanu Reeves has collected a number of iconic roles under his belt over the last 30 years, starring in the likes of "Bill and Ted," "Speed," and "The Matrix," to name a few. Audiences are currently lavishing praise on the star for his return as the titular stoic assassin in Chad Stahelski's "John Wick: Chapter 4," in which he goes up against new characters played by Donnie Yen and Bill Skarsgard. Because of his lengthy career, Reeves has also looked back on the past during the "John Wick" press tour, and during a recent appearance on the "SmartLess" podcast, he recalled what it was like when he first started acting in the mid-1980s. During the interview, Reeves revealed how his agents at the time asked him to change his name because it was "too ethnic." Reeves said: "I got my first car when I was 20, and I drove to Hollywood. Of course, when I got here, they wanted to change my name. Yeah, they were like, 'Keanu, it's too ethnic.'" He added that he was pretty annoyed about the remark, saying: "I remember I had driven across the country and I remember they told me... I was driving up and down along the beach in Santa Monica going, 'What the fuck?'" The "Point Break" and "Constantine" actor said he tried a different name using the initials of his first and middle name: Keanu Charles. Reeves explained: "I was like, 'OK, well, what's my name going to be?' And I was like, 'Templeton?' So, eventually, I came up with my first and middle initial, so I was Casey Reeves. Oh, my god." However, the Canadian star said the name didn't stick because he didn't even respond to it during auditions. Story continues He said: "But then I had auditions and they'd be like, 'Casey?' and I like wouldn't even look up. Eventually, I went back to my agents and I was like, 'I can't change my name.'" "One of the first plays I ever did, I was playing John Procter and one of the lines is like, 'Because it is my name, because I can have no other,' and that was just running through my head," Reeves added. Reeves previously opened up about changing his name for Hollywood when appearing on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" five years ago. The actor explained that he did some soul-searching by the ocean to figure out a new name. He said: "I go to the ocean, because this is a big deal for me, right? It's my name. It's my name!" Reeves then joked that the ocean gifted him a new name: "Chuck Spadina!" Reeves pointed out that his managers weren't impressed, and that he tried again with Templeton Page-Taylor, but they didn't go for that either. Read the original article on Insider The Republican-led Kentucky Legislature on Wednesday voted to override the governors veto on a bill that would restrict the lives of transgender youth, including barring access to health care and school bathrooms they feel safe using. The bill SB150, deemed by many as one of the nations most extreme anti-transgender legislation, will ban gender-affirming health care for transgender minors under the age of 18, prohibit discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in K-12 schools and bar transgender students from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity. Teachers would also be allowed to refuse to use a students preferred pronouns. The move by Republicans effectively allowed the bill to become state law on Wednesday. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) vetoed the bill on Friday, stating that it permits too much government interference in personal health care issues while ripping away the freedom of parents to make medical decisions for their children. SB 150 also turns educators and administrators into investigators that must listen in on student conversations and then knock on doors to confront and question parents and families about how students behave and/or refer to themselves or others, Beshear said in his official veto statement on Friday. But his veto was met with pushback from Kentuckys Republican lawmakers, who occupy a majority in both legislative chambers. Sen. Max Wise (R), the bills sponsor, said parents should see this veto as a slap in the face. It should come as no surprise that Governor Beshear put his partys politics over the people of Kentucky, as he has done his whole political career, Wise said, according to the Louisville Courier Journal. With a Republican majority in both of Kentuckys legislative chambers, many feared the possibility of lawmakers overriding the governors veto, prompting hundreds of LGBTQIA+ youth and allies to protest at the states Capitol on Wednesday. But Kentuckys Senate and House voted to override the governors veto of the bill, solidifying it as state law. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Kentucky pointed out in a statement that the bills health care ban provisions wont go into effect until late June 90 days after the legislature adjourns, during which the organization and others will likely take legal action against the bill. Story continues Trans youth can still receive care until that portion of the bill takes effect. And we intend to take this fight to the courts to make sure Kentuckians right to that care will continue, Amber Duke, the ACLU of Kentuckys executive director, said in a statement on Wednesday in response to the override of the bills veto. The states legislation joins the 435 anti-transgender bills and ongoing efforts from lawmakers nationwide to restrict the rights of transgender and LGBTQ+ people through bans on gender-affirming care, drag shows and more. Beshear emphasized in his veto on Friday that the bill would endanger the children of Kentucky and result in an increase in suicide among the states transgender youth. According to the Trevor Projects national survey, 45% of LGBTQ youth considered suicide, and 14% attempted suicide in 2022. Recent data also shows that anti-trans bills have negatively impacted the mental health of transgender and nonbinary youth in the U.S. Experts predict that as more anti-transgender policies are passed in states, transgender and LGBTQ youth will have limited resources to address their worsening mental health. Related... Nine U.S. military members died late Wednesday in a crash involving two military helicopters in Kentucky, officials said. The crash, which involved two HH60 Black Hawk helicopters performing a routine training mission out of Fort Campbell, occurred in Trigg County at roughly 10 p.m. Wednesday, according to military officials. Brig. Gen. John Lucas, deputy commander for the 101st Airborne Division, said there were no signals of distress prior to the crash. As of Thursday afternoon, the victims had not been publicly identified. Wednesdays crash is far from the first fatal collision to come out of Fort Campbell. Heres a brief overview of the installations past incidents. 17 dead in 1988 crash Seventeen U.S. Army officers and soldiers died following the collision of two Black Hawk helicopters during a nighttime training mission out of Fort Campbell March 8, 1998. According to The Washington Posts archive, the first helicopter in a line of three Black Hawks, believed to have been carrying 13 people, slammed into another carrying four while navigating toward a fixed point. At the time, Army helicopter pilots told the newspaper such a maneuver is routine by daylight, but riskier at night. Army officials said there was no indication of a mechanical malfunction in the collision. At the time, the 1988 Fort Campbell crash was the Armys worst aviation disaster since December 1985, when nearly 250 soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division were killed when a chartered passenger plane crashed at Gander, Newfoundland. Two crashes in 1996 A pair of fatal helicopter collisions out of Fort Campbell captured headlines in 1996. The first crash occurred March 7 when five soldiers out of Fort Campbell were killed when an MH-47E Chinook helicopter crashed on a training mission, The New York Times reported. Shortly after the crash, Army officials released a report blaming the crash on the error of a pilot who was not familiar with the crafts instrument display. Story continues The pilot became disoriented during the turn and inadvertently placed the aircraft into an unusual attitude that neither he nor the instructor pilot could recover from, the Times reported. Another crash occurred when two Army transport helicopters collided June 19, 1996. The collision transpired just before soldiers aboard were set to carry out a mock rescue of others who pretended to be injured on the ground below. Army officials said the incident occurred when the two helicopters main rotor blades hit each other. As they fell from treetop level, the two crafts narrowly avoided crashing directly onto the area where soldiers were staged for the mock rescue mission, though some soldiers and civilians were still injured. Six people were killed in the collision, and at least 30 more were injured, the Times reported. Seven dead in 1999 wreck Another fatal crash thrust Fort Campbell into the national spotlight in 1999. A Black Hawk helicopter with 11 people aboard crashed during a training mission April 22, 1999, according to the CBS News archives. The wreck killed seven people and injured four more, putting two in critical condition shortly after the incident. Three of the dead soldiers were from A Company, 5th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, while the four others hailed from Pathfinder Company. The crash occurred in a nearby wooded area during a routine training mission, reports at the time said. The soldiers were practicing getting either on or off the craft when it crashed. Smaller crashes in the 2010s Though incidents at Fort Campbell quieted down for nearly a decade and a half after the incident in 1999, a series of crashes smaller in scope occurred in the mid-2010s. A crash Dec. 2, 2015, killed two pilots during a training exercise out of Fort Campbell. Detailed reporting from the Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle found improperly installed equipment prompted the crash, which downed the helicopter roughly 12 miles south of the installation. Four soldiers out of Fort Campbell were injured Jan. 31, 2017, when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed and caught fire during a training exercise, the Leaf-Chronicle reported. Two soldiers died in an AH-64E Apache helicopter crash during a training exercise at Fort Campbell April 6, 2018, Reuters reported. Both soldiers were from the 101st Airborne Division. What to know about Fort Campbell. Kentucky military base is home to rare air assault unit About Fort Campbell Fort Campbell serves as a major maneuver installation for the Army. It is located along the Kentucky-Tennessee border between Christian and Tigg counties, as well as Tennessees Montgomery and Stewart counties. Most of the base is located in Tennessee. Originally established in 1942 to serve as an armor training center and mobilization camp during World War II, Fort Campbell has an active military population of more than 27,000 as of 2021, the military said. It was named after William Brown Campbell, the former Tennessee governor who served as a Union general in the American Civil War. The post supports more than 250,000 people, including family members, civilians and retired service members, though more than half of the installations assigned soldiers live off-post. Today, Fort Campbell is home to several major military divisions, including the 101st Airborne Division, the Armys only air assault division. It has called the installation home since 1956 and works to provide forcible entry and other worldwide unified land operations through the air, according to the divisions website. Do you have a question about the military in Kentucky for our service journalism team? Wed like to hear from you. Fill out our Know Your Kentucky form or email ask@herald-leader.com. FRANKFORT, Ky. After a decade of failed attempts in the state legislature, a bill to legalize medical marijuana in Kentucky received final passage Thursday just hours before the adjournment of the 2023 session. Gov. Andy Beshear signed it into law Friday morning before a bipartisan crowd of legislators and advocates, making Kentucky at least the 38th state to legalize medical cannabis. The actual implementation of the state program will not go into effect until the beginning of 2025. Beshear also signed into law House Bill 551 at the ceremony to legalize sports betting another bipartisan bill that passed the Senate just 12 minutes after the House passed SB 47 Thursday saying it showed that a Democratic governor and GOP supermajority legislature can still "get those tough things, important things that Kentuckians really want done." Gov. Andy Beshear signed a bill into law that makes Medical Marijuana legal in Kentucky. He would later sign and make legal Sports Betting. March 31, 2023 Senate Bill 47 passed the House by a bipartisan 66-33 vote shortly after it cleared a House committee, with most Republicans and all but one Democrat voting to legalize and regulate the drug. More: Sports betting bill passes Kentucky legislature in late charge The passage was a celebration for those who had pushed for legalization in Frankfort over the past decade, coming very close in recent years. The House had passed a medical marijuana bill two out of the last three years, only to have it die in the Senate due to lack of sufficient support in the socially conservative Republican caucus. This year the bill started in the Senate, passing through that chamber for the first time two weeks ago by a significant margin. In the committee meeting, longtime legalization advocate Eric Crawford a quadriplegic since a vehicle accident 30 years ago told legislators how marijuana is the only drug that has effectively treated his severe pain and spasms without side effects, saying he and others with serious medical conditions should not have to live in fear of obtaining and using a drug that works. "We need your help to make us be safer, so we don't have to use all these pharmaceuticals and opioids," Crawford said. "Help us not be criminals. Let's utilize this for sick people." Story continues Eric Crawford talks about the medical marijuana bill during House Committee on the last day of the session. He has been a longtime advocate of legalization. More: Kentucky's anti-trans bill SB 150 is now law: Here's what happens next Under SB 47, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services would be responsible for the implementation, operation, oversight and regulation of the program and its cultivators, dispensaries and producers. Patients with at least six medical conditions would be eligible to receive a medical marijuana card in Kentucky's program. The conditions include: Any type or form of cancer regardless of stage Chronic, severe, intractable, or debilitating pain Epilepsy or any other intractable seizure disorder Multiple sclerosis, muscle spasms, or spasticity Chronic nausea that has proven resistant to other conventional medical treatments Post-traumatic stress disorder A patient also could be eligible if diagnosed with a medical condition or disease and the newly established Kentucky Center for Cannabis at the University of Kentucky determines they could be helped by use. The center would determine through data and research that the patient is "likely to receive medical, therapeutic, or palliative benefits." Card holders would have to be 18 years old or a caretaker for an eligible child. Patients receiving medical marijuana at a dispensary would not be able to smoke it, but would be able to consume it through vaporizing or edible and topical products. In committee, Rep. Jason Nemes, R-Louisville, a supporter who was the lead sponsor of medical marijuana bills in sessions past, warned that under the bill, patients who smoked marijuana instead of consuming it by other methods would be breaking the law and subject to losing their medical cannabis cards. "You will lose your card if you get caught smoking and you will go to jail, as you ought to," Nemes said. "This is not a wink wink, nod nod medical program." Opponents of the bill said there have not been enough studies proving the efficacy and safety of using marijuana as a medical treatment, with Rep. Matt Lockett, R-Nicholasville, saying they have more time to improve the bill and pass it next year, as it does not go into effect until 2025. "Why would we pass a bill that we know is not in its right form, that we know that has issues, that we know has problems?" Locket asked. Sen. Steve West, the lead sponsor of Senate Bill 47, said medical marijuana is a deeply personal and important issue to thousands of Kentuckians." Sen. Steve West, R-Paris, the lead sponsor of SB 47, said the passage of the bill "is a truly historic day here in the commonwealth and one that many people deserve especially the constituents whove approached me over the years to share their stories." This is a deeply personal and important issue to thousands of Kentuckians who have called for safe options for their medical care and treatment. For that reason, its important to me." In a tweet Thursday, Beshear cheered the passage of HB 551, noting that he signed an executive order last year to help some individuals with certified medical conditions avoid prosecution for possessing and using marijuana partly out of frustration with the legislature and as an incentive for them to pass it into law. "Today the General Assembly finally took action and passed a bill to legalize medical cannabis something the majority of Kentuckians support," Beshear wrote. "I am thankful this progress has been made, and I will proudly sign this bill into law tomorrow." In the signing ceremony in the Capitol rotunda Friday morning, Beshear and Republican legislators spoke about the historic nature of the moment and praised each other for pushing it into law celebrating the fact that thousands who are in pain and suffering will be helped. Nearly choking up, Nemes said "there are thousands and thousands of Kentuckians who just want to be and want to feel better, and this will help them with that." Reach reporter Joe Sonka at jsonka@courierjournal.com and follow him on Twitter at @joesonka. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Medical marijuana bill passes in Kentucky, signed by Beshear Kentucky Rep. Pamela Stevenson and Protesters Republican legislators in Kentucky have overridden Democratic Gov. Andy Beshears veto of one of the strictest anti-LGBTQ+ bills in the nation, making it law. Senate Bill 150 includes a ban on all gender-affirming care for minors plus a prohibition on public school instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity at all grade levels. It also requires school districts to at a minimum bar trans students from using the restrooms comporting with their gender identity and mandates that school personnel tell parents about confidential discussions with students about sexual orientation or gender identity, essentially forcing the outing of these students. It further lets teachers ignore students chosen pronouns. Kentuckys Republican-majority House and Senate overrode Beshears veto by large margins in voting Wednesday, and the law goes into effect immediately. During debate and voting, the House gallery was filled with protesters, 19 of whom were arrested on charges of third-degree criminal trespassing, the Associated Press reports. They chanted slogans including Trans kids are under attack what do we do? Stand up, fight back! Several Democratic legislators spoke out passionately against the bill, as journalist and activist contributor Erin Reed and other sources report. None of us said we would come here to hurt people! said Rep. Pamela Stevenson, adding, Somebodys going to have to atone! Rep. Josie Raymond called the measure cruel and inhumane and decried out-of-state hucksters who had come in to drum up support for it. \u201cOne of the most surreal videos of the entire resistance to anti-trans laws this year. Members of the gallery get arrested while shouting "trans lives matter" as Rep. Stevenson delivers a scathing rebuke on the House Floor. "Somebody will have to atone!" https://t.co/DDhD4kcm5p\u201d Erin Reed (@Erin Reed) 1680186095 Civil rights activists immediately condemned the override and promised legal action against the new law. While we lost the battle in the legislature, our defeat is temporary. We will not lose in court, Chris Hartman, executive director of the Fairness Campaign, Kentuckys statewide LGBTQ+ group, said in a statement. And we are winning in so many other ways. Thousands of Kentucky kids came to the Capitol today to make their voices heard against the worst anti-trans bill in the nation. They are our hope for a Kentucky future that is more fair, more just, and more beautifully diverse and accepting than ever before. The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky also vowed to take this fight to the courts, the AP notes. Story continues Cathryn Oakley, the Human Rights Campaigns state legislative director and senior counsel, released this statement: Kentuckys legislators show no shame. This discriminatory bill which they snuck through the legislature in the final hours of session is nothing but a desperate and cruel effort by extremist politicians in Kentucky to stigmatize, marginalize and erase the LGBTQ+ community, particularly transgender youth. These politicians have no place inserting themselves in conversations between doctors, parents, and transgender youth about gender affirming care; they have no place inside a middle school bathroom stall either. This bill would terrorize transgender youth in schools, in doctors offices, and even could put them in danger at home. Gov. Beshear heard the voices of transgender kids, their families, and medical experts and chose to treat transgender children with dignity and respect. But Kentuckys legislators are instead ignoring their pleas and are continuing their discriminatory attacks on vulnerable children. Kentucky Democratic Sen. Karen Berg also released a statement through HRC. Trans children exist and trans children deserve to be allowed to exist, she said. Today, Kentuckys legislators have chosen to promote hate and disinformation instead of standing up to it." Bergs transgender son, Henry Berg-Brousseau, died by suicide last December at age 24. He had been an HRC employee. Sen. Berg has often delivered impassioned speeches against anti-LGBTQ+ bills. Other states that states have outlawed most or all gender-affirming care for trans minors through legislation are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Mississippi, South Dakota Tennessee, Utah, and West Virginia. Florida has put a ban in place through its medical boards and is considering a bill for an even stricter measure. The Alabama and Arkansas bans are temporarily blocked by court action. Bans are pending in several other states. Pamela Stevenson speaks out. Pamela Stevenson speaks out. A protester is arrested. A protester is arrested. Protesters in the gallery The Republican supermajority in Kentuckys legislature has overridden Governor Andy Beshears veto of a bill that bans gender transition procedures for children, among other things. The motion to override the governors veto passed 29-8 in the Kentucky Senate and 76-23 in the House on Thursday. Over ten states now have laws that set guardrails on gender transition for minors. Senate Bill 150 goes further than some other states, banning gender-reassignment surgery for anyone under 18, as well as the use of puberty blockers and hormones. The bill also holds that children are not to be instructed in gender identity and sexual orientation in all grades. Teachers are not required to use preferred pronouns and students are required to use the bathroom or locker room that corresponds to their sex. Furthermore, the bill strengthens parental notification. Republican Sen. Robby Mills told the Associated Press he supported the bill because of his belief that puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, when administered to youth under 18 for the purpose of altering their appearance, is dangerous for the health of that child. Republicans have positioned themselves as the ones protecting parental rights. However, Beshear, a Democrat, adopted a curious rhetorical posture in his veto message, arguing against government interference and for parental rights. He explained he thought the bill allows too much government interference in personal healthcare issues and rips away the freedom of parents to make medical decisions for their children. Senate Bill 150 further strips from parents to make personal family decisions on the names their children are called and how people should. The parts of the bill relating to gender transition will take effect in about three months. The veto override was one of the last actions of the Kentucky General Assembly, with their legislative session about to end. Beshear is currently in an election year and has picked his battles carefully, signing anti-ESG legislation last week. More from National Review NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) Kenyas opposition leader Raila Odinga has led thousands of protesters in a third round of anti-government demonstrations on Thursday as the government warned that no more violent protests would be tolerated. The opposition is blaming President William Ruto for the rising cost of living and alleges he illegally manipulated his election in last years polls, although the Supreme Court has upheld the validity of the election results. Odinga says the protests will only stop after the government lowers the cost of basic food items and allows access to the 2022 election results from the electoral commission's main computers. Ruto, who on Thursday arrived back in the country from a four-day trip in Belgium and Germany, has remained adamant that the ongoing protests are illegal. Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki, who is in charge of the police, on Wednesday said no more violent protests would be tolerated, stating we must halt the descent. U.S Senator Chris Coons on Wednesday met Kenyas Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua for what the Kenyan leader described as strengthening ties. Coons also met opposition leader Odinga for talks about upholding the constitution and the rule of law, according to the Kenyan politician. Police have been using force to disperse protesters and so far four people are reported to have died since the protests started last week. Odinga said the protests will be held twice every week until the oppositions demands are met. A governor from Odingas stronghold of Kisumu county had banned protests in the area but quickly rescinded and local government officials joined in Thursdays demonstrations. The protests have sparked counter violence against opposition targets. Last Monday saw the destruction of private property at former President Uhuru Kenyattas family farm outside the capital, Odingas gas cylinder manufacturing firm near the central business district and the burning of shops in Odingas stronghold of Kibera slums. Story continues The independent Policing Oversight Authority is investigating four incidents of police shooting and killing protesters as well allegations that police failed to respond to a report on the damaging of private property. The authority has urged police to abide by the law while protecting life and property. Civil society groups that include Amnesty Kenya and the Kenya Human Rights Commission have expressed concern over the abuse of human rights by the police during the protests and urged police to uphold their service to humanity. The African Union has called for calm and dialogue among stakeholders recalling a successful conduct of the general elections and confirmation of the outcome by the Supreme Court. Western diplomatic missions in Kenya expressed concern over the violence and damage to places of worship and private property. The Media Council of Kenya said that journalists have been attacked in the demonstrations and said it would work closely with the police to ensure perpetrators face the law. WASHINGTON House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said legislation alone cant prevent school shootings and that the U.S. must also have some kind of serious talk. McCarthy suggested Congress look into getting all the information about the recent shooting at an elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee, but that lawmaking alone cant solve the problem of mass shootings. I would say to the nation as a whole that the problem that we are today is not just going to be a legislation, McCarthy said. We got to have a severe conversation here with this country. Weve got to deal with mental illness. The Nashville shooter, armed with military-style assault rifles, killed three 9-year-olds and three teachers before police shot her dead on Monday. It was the deadliest school shooting since a gunman slaughtered 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, last year. This week Democrats renewed their calls for criminal background checks on all gun buyers and a ban on assault weapons like the AR-15. Congress previously enacted a ban on such firearms but allowed it to expire in 2004. House Democrats believe that weapons of war which are not used to hunt deer but are used to hunt human beings and slaughter innocent children do not belong in our communities, Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said, saying Republicans should air their views on the House floor. McCarthy has largely avoided talking about gun control in the wake of the shooting. On Thursday, reporters pressed McCarthy on an assault weapons ban, but he suggested he didnt think it would work. I dont think one piece of legislation solves this, he said. I think a nation together, working together, solves a problem thats much bigger than us. Of course, its evident that few Republicans in the House would support any gun control measures, much less a revival of the assault weapon ban. There is no gun violence, just like theres no automobile violence, no airplane violence, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) told HuffPost on Thursday, repeating a saying one of his colleagues used this week. Its people violence. This is a mental illness issue. The people that commit this kind of horrible crime, its a mental illness. Story continues Gun violence was the leading cause of death among children in the U.S. in 2020, and mass shootings are rarer in countries with less gun ownership than in the U.S. Related... House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Thursday randomly mocked President Joe Biden for being old as he appealed to meet with him to discuss raising the debt ceiling. I would bring lunch to the White House. I would make it soft food, if thats what he wants, McCarthy, 58, said during a GOP press conference, as Republicans standing next to him laughed at the gratuitous jab. It doesnt matter. Whatever it takes to meet. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), 57, and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), 62, were among those laughing along with McCarthy. When HuffPost asked Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), who was among those speaking at the press conference, what sort of soft food McCarthy might bring to Biden, she laughed uncomfortably. Oh, youll have to ask Kevin about that, she said. A White House spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. Speaker Kevin McCarthy made a gratuitous crack about President Joe Biden being old as he appealed for a meeting with him. Not a great sign for the state of debt ceiling negotiations! Speaker Kevin McCarthy made a gratuitous crack about President Joe Biden being old as he appealed for a meeting with him. Not a great sign for the state of debt ceiling negotiations! McCarthy took a shot at Biden, who is 80, as he argued that Republicans have been trying to meet with him for months for debt ceiling negotiations. The Treasury Department will exhaust its emergency measures to prevent a debt default between July and September unless Congress votes to raise the ceiling. The House GOP is vowing not to raise it without concessions. We have been reasonable, responsible, McCarthy said of Republicans threatening not to raise the debt limit and potentially crash the economy without Biden agreeing to their demands for trillions in spending cuts. The president has said hes happy to host McCarthy to talk about the debt ceiling as soon as McCarthy releases the GOPs budget. The California Republican has not done this. In a recent interview with the conservative podcast Ruthless, McCarthy made fun of Biden for offering him cookies when they met privately earlier this year. Story continues Then he asked me if I wanted a cookie. Oh no, he was very excited. I fixed the border, then at the end, Do you want a cookie? Ill get you a cookie, he said. He was very proud of his cookies, McCarthy added. Hes apparently taken a different tone when the cameras are off, though. Privately, Mr. McCarthy has told allies that he has found Mr. Biden to be mentally sharp in meetings, The New York Times reported last week. Arthur Delaney contributed reporting. (Bloomberg) -- Colombian President Gustavo Petros bid to reform the health system is at risk after after two allied parties removed their support Wednesday, the second of his major initiatives to face significant pushback this month. Most Read from Bloomberg The Conservative Party and the U Party late Wednesday evening walked out of a meeting where the government was presenting the most recent version of the text to be sent to Congress. Investors are paying close attention to Petros strength in Congress as he seeks to reform the countrys economic model. His pension reform bill, in particular, is viewed as negative for Colombian assets since it would cut the flow of money to private pension funds that are among the biggest players in the local market. U Party President Dilian Francisca Toro said in a tweet that the government failed to uphold previously agreed commitments and that the bloc would present an alternative proposal. Conservative leader Efrain Cepeda said his party wouldnt agree to more meetings with the government as they were just a waste of time, El Tiempo newspaper quoted him as saying. The powerful Liberal Party on Tuesday had also pulled its backing for the health reform, which seeks to slash the role of private insurers in the countrys health system. The Petro administration wants hospitals and professionals to receive payments directly from the government. Without those votes, the government lacks enough support to approve the initiative. The Conservative Party has already said it would not back the Petro-proposed labor reform that seeks to increase workers benefits with extra payment for late shifts and force companies to abolish temporary contracts. Story continues The U Party said a change to the labor legislation needs to include incentives for job creation, which the bill doesnt incorporate. The parties worry the initiative will hurt the labor market and affect business competitiveness. Congress has yet to begin debating the the pension reform bill. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Khloe Kardashian responded to a troll on Instagram. NBC / Contributor /Getty Images On Wednesday, Khloe Kardashian posted a filtered video of her workout routine on Instagram. A troll commented asking if she missed her "old face," and Kardashian replied, "No." Kardashian previously attempted to remove all traces of an unedited photo of herself from the internet. Khloe Kardashian didn't hold back when a troll took aim at her appearance on a recent social-media post. On Wednesday, Kardashian posted an Instagram video of her extensive workout routine, which included clips of her working with a trainer and a cameo from her daughter, True. The reality TV star spoke directly to the camera multiple times in the post, filling the frame with her face and highlighting that she used a filter when filming the video. The video attracted thousands of comments as most of Kardashian's posts do, with some users making observations about the exercise regimen or Tristan Thompson liking the post. But other users in Kardashian's comments section took aim at her appearance, with several remarking that they "could barely recognize her." One user, in particular, wrote, "Do you miss your old face?" Kardashian replied to the post with a simple, "No." Khloe Kardashian responded to the comment. Instagram/Khloe Kardashian Over 2,500 people have liked Kardashian's comment as of Thursday. Around the same time she replied to the comment, Kardashian posted a quote from Amber Lyon on her Instagram story about the importance of speaking kindly to others. "If you knew your words would attract more of what they spoke would you choose to speak differently? The words we speak become the world we live in," the quote said. "Whatever follows 'I am' we actively invite into our lives. Speak from a place of love and compassion for yourself and others." Kardashian's looks have changed drastically as her family has risen to fame, which she has said didn't happen accidentally. In 2018, on her show "Revenge Body," Kardashian revealed that her sisters said she needed to lose weight because her size was "hurting" their "brand." Story continues She also told InStyle on March 10 that she was "obsessive" about her weight when she filed for divorce from Lamar Odom in 2013. Khloe Kardashian in 2012. Jason LaVeris/Getty Images T. Makana Chock, a media psychologist who is a communications professor at Syracuse University, previously told Insider that it's not surprising influencers and celebrities use filters on their social-media posts, as it's a form of currency, particularly for those who literally make money off of their posts. "As an influencer who wants to be successful in what is essentially business, you are expected to appear in a certain way, to have a certain appearance," she said. "They're playing a role, and to some extent, their image actually helps them to create and define this role," Chock added. Kardashian's control over her appearance has come to be one of her most powerful tools as her fame has grown, and this isn't the first time she's taken action when that control was threatened. Khloe Kardashian attends the 2022 CFDA Awards on November 7. Taylor Hill/FilmMagic via Getty Images In April 2021, her team worked to remove all traces of an "unauthorized" and unedited photo of her in a bikini from the internet. "The color edited photo was taken of Khloe during a private family gathering and posted to social media without permission by mistake by an assistant," the chief marketing officer for KKW Brands, Tracy Romulus, told Page Six at the time. "Khloe looks beautiful but it is within the right of the copyright owner to not want an image not intended to be published taken down." Kardashian later shared a statement on the matter to Twitter, writing, "The pressure, constant ridicule and judgment my entire life to be perfect and to meet other's standards of how I should look has been too much to bear." Representatives for Kardashian did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Read the original article on Insider Khloe Kardashian had a one-word response on Wednesday to an Instagram commenter who asked her do you miss your old face? No, the Good American founder answered bluntly in the comments under a video about her workout. She also responded to another commenter who asked her to video herself without filter, replying, What does a filter have to do with the workout, queen? The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star first publicly admitted to undergoing plastic surgery in 2021 during a Kardashian-Jenner special hosted by Andy Cohen. Everyone says, Oh my gosh, shes had her third face transplant, Kardashian said. But Ive had one nose job [by] Dr. Raj Kanodia. And everyone gets so upset, like, Why dont I talk about it? She said shed never talked about it because no ones ever asked me. Youre the first person in an interview thats ever asked me about my nose, Kardashian told Cohen. Ive done, sure, injections. Not really Botox. Ive responded horribly to Botox. Kardashian again spoke about her nose job during The Kardashians: An ABC News Special with Robin Roberts last year. Ive always wanted my nose done, forever, Kardashian said. But its in the middle of your face and its scary to think about. But I finally got the courage and I did it and I love it. She later told a follower on Twitter that her only regret is that I didnt do it sooner. Related... When he learned his kidney was a match for his father-in-law, state Sen. Kelly Hancock, Greg Cox said he didnt hesitate. I think the lord has stuff for you in your life, and I think this is just one of those things, Cox said, standing outside the Senate chamber at the Texas Capitol. When I found out I was a match, I didnt think twice. Cox in July donated the organ to Hancock, who has for years had a chronic kidney disease called igA nephropathy Bergers disease. Now, the North North Richland Hills Republican senator is working to educate Texans on becoming a living organ donor. A senate committee on Wednesday is hearing a bill that would require the Texas Department of State Health Services to create a living organ donor education program to help people learn more about the need for living organ donors. The bill was laid out Wednesday and public comment is expected later. The program would include information about how to register with the National Donate Life Living Donor Registry through Donate Life America as a potential donor. The program is currently under development, having completed its first pilot phase in October 2021 in Texas, with plans to grow it nationwide, according to Hancocks office. It is primarily for kidney donations, but there are opportunities to donate parts of other organs, said Chad Carroll, executive director of Donate Life Texas. The information from the education program would be posted online on the websites for DSHS and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Currently drivers license applicants can register to be an organ donor after death. Nationally, more than 100,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant, according to Donate Life America. Until youve gone through it, until youve had a family member go through it, you really dont know ow far weve come with surgery and healthcare, said Hancock, who said he was close to having to go on dialysis before getting a kidney transplant. Story continues Cox, who is an attorney founding principal at law and public affairs firm Clearfork Strategies, said he thinks its important to let people know they have an ability to save a life and help another person. Hancock said hes doing great since the surgery. There are things Ill do the rest of my life: Do my vitals every day for the rest of my life. Ill take medicine the rest of my life, but I also have my life, he said, adding that going on dialysis would have totally changed things for him. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. San Francisco International Airport, where a Northern California man attempted to enter customs with animal corpses in 2018. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) A Northern California man who attempted to enter San Francisco airport customs with eight full or partial animal corpses in his personal baggage was indicted last week on allegations of conspiring to violate the Endangered Species Act. Jason Keith Bruce, 49, of Galt, Calif., was also charged with making false statements and smuggling goods into the United States. Similar charges were handed down against Pir Danish Ali, 43, who runs a hunting outfitter and guide company in Pakistan. U.S. Atty. Phillip A. Talbert announced the charges on March 23 after Bruce was taken into custody that morning. If convicted on all charges, Bruce and Ali could each face up to 26 years in prison with a fine of $550,000. The most serious of the charges is smuggling, which carries a maximum of 20 years and $250,000. Talbert said in a news release that at least 25 hunters contracted Ali between 2013 and 2018, presenting forged documents to import at least 97 trophies into the United States. The U.S. attorneys office said Bruce paid Ali $50,000 to hunt a Ladakh urial, an endangered horned sheep, in Pakistan. The goal was to ultimately smuggle the trophy either the entire body or a part into the United States. Ali informed Bruce, a recreational big game hunter, that a recent survey showed there were only 180 urials in the area where they hunted. Urials are listed as endangered on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Environmental Conservation Online System. Fish and Wildlife Inspector David Yake said urials are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, known as CITES. The treaty was signed by the United States, Pakistan and 184 nations worldwide. CITES isnt an international law, but an understanding among countries that they will use national laws to enforce and protect endangered animals, Yake said. In the case of the U.S., even though the urial was killed in Pakistan, were allowed to use the Endangered Species Act to prosecute. Story continues Yake said urials have the highest order of protection" on CITES' website, meaning a hunter would need permission and permits from both the United States and Pakistan to hunt and export the animal. Ali and Bruce agreed to rely on bribery and false documents, the U.S. attorneys office alleges, to import the animal. The plan was to declare the animal to Customs and Border Patrol as another species and use forged or fake documents for backup. Bruce flew into San Francisco on March 29, 2018, with the eight trophies and was stopped by the customs office, which handed him over to Fish and Wildlife. The agency seized Bruces trophies. The U.S. attorneys office said both men conspired to lie about their catch with Fish and Wildlife Service officials. Lauren Horwood, spokesperson for the U.S. attorney's office, said the indictment was the culmination of a five-year investigation conducted by the Fish and Wildlife Services Office of Law Enforcement. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. LSU coach Kim Mulkey has been largely quiet regarding Brittney Griners arrest and eventual release from Russian custody in recent months which many thought was strange, considering Griner helped lead Baylor to a national championship under Mulkey. On Thursday, ahead of LSUs appearance in the Final Four in Dallas, Mulkey was asked about Griner and if shes spoken to her former player since she was released by Russia in a prisoner exchange in December. No. But Im glad shes back, Mulkey said, via NOLA.com. Im glad shes safe, shes sound. I think everybody is. But no, I have not [talked to her]." Griner was arrested in a Moscow airport on Feb. 17, 2022, after authorities there claimed they found a cartridge of hashish oil in her luggage. She was detained there for almost a year before the United States struck a deal for her release in December. Griner, 32, is preparing to play with the Phoenix Mercury this season. Griner played at Baylor from 2009-13. The Lady Bears won a national championship during her junior season after going a perfect 40-0. Griner was eventually selected by the Mercury with the No. 1 overall pick in 2013. Mulkey coached at Baylor from 2000-21. She won three national titles there and made the Final Four four different times. She joined LSU last season. The Tigers will square off against No. 1 Virginia Tech in the Final Four on Friday. Kim Mulkey was largely quiet about Brittney Griners arrest and detainment in Russia despite them winning a national title together at Baylor. (AP/Tony Gutierrez) Griner and Mulkey had a falling out near the end of her collegiate career. Griner came out publicly as gay before the 2013 WNBA Draft, and said she was encouraged to keep quiet about her sexuality while at Baylor, which is a private Baptist university. Griner has not called out Mulkey specifically, but did mention Baylor and her struggles there in her 2014 book, In My Skin. Mulkey was asked specifically about Griner in September, when she was still in Russian custody, by The Daily Advertisers Cory Diaz. Mulkey cut Diaz off mid-question to shut him down. "I just want to get your thoughts on the Brittney Griner situation," Diaz said. "I don't think I've seen anything from you on that and just Story continues "And you won't," Mulkey said. "I'll answer the first one for ya." That drew plenty of criticism from some of her former players and others. Mulkey issued a brief statement about Griners release in December to ESPNs M.A. Voepel. "God is good. Prayers are powerful," Mulkey said. "Brittney is on her way home where she belongs. Our prayers remain with her and her family as they recover and heal together." Given their history, and the fact that Griner and Mulkey haven't reconnected in the month's since her return, it doesn't sound likely that the two will speak again anytime soon. (Bloomberg) -- While the US has long demanded North Korea give up its nuclear weapons, the regimes biggest display of warheads let the world know that Kim Jong Un has no intention of abandoning his atomic arsenal. Most Read from Bloomberg North Koreas propaganda apparatus released photos for the first time in several years of Kim inspecting warheads designed for missiles to strike US allies in Asia and deliver a nuclear bomb to the American mainland. Weapons experts said the images published this week indicate Pyongyang has made progress in miniaturizing its warheads, which increases its ability to deliver a nuclear strike. The warhead display comes as Kims regime has shifted from one-time tests of a missile to evaluate performance to exercises that show it can deliver a coordinated nuclear strike on short notice. At this point, North Koreas nuclear capabilities may have reached a stage where the US may not be able to offer enough incentives to roll them back. Kim has conditioned the international community into accepting his countrys nuclear weapons, to the point that these missile launches have become routine and part-and-parcel of dealing with North Korea, said Soo Kim, a former Korea analyst at the CIA who is now a policy practice area lead at US-based management consulting firm LMI. As odd as it sounds, its reached a point where its hard for us to fathom life without North Korean nuclear weapons now, she added. The Biden administration has repeatedly told Pyongyang the door is open to resume long-stalled nuclear talks. But Kims regime has rebuffed the offers and stepped up its provocations to levels not seen since the fire and fury days of nuclear and missile tests in 2017 as it demands the US halt joint military drills with its allies in the region. Story continues North Koreas ability to deliver a nuclear strike has grown to the point that there are calls by some policy experts to declare the country a nuclear weapons state. The change would lead to a revamp of a decades-old US policy aimed at preventing that from happening, while seeking the complete, verifiable and irreversible end of its atomic arsenal. Theres no sign the Biden administration would make such a declaration. In the meantime, North Korea has pressed forward. In March it started testing mock nuclear devices affixed to missiles that could reach all of South Korea and western parts of Japan. It has released photos of detonations several hundred meters above a target, saying the tests verified the operational reliability of nuclear explosion control devices and detonators. To be sure, while North Korea has demonstrated its missiles could fly as far as the US, there are questions as to whether the warheads would remain intact upon atmospheric re-entry and reach their targets. North Korea is estimated to have about 80 to 90 warheads, the Seoul-based Korea Institute for Defense Analyses said in a paper released in January, adding that Kim Jong Un was looking to have between 100 to 300 over the long term. The arsenal is the smallest among states that have declared they have nuclear weapons, but Kim has been modernizing his missiles and delivery systems to ensure his bombs could reach their targets. The recent warhead display showed size improvements and possibly design advances - over prior North Korean nuclear weapons, according to George William Herbert, an adjunct professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. In addition, it appears North Korea is looking to repackage its weapons designs so that they can be mounted on its latest missiles, he said. Having one design that is adaptable to many different delivery platforms is a very efficient engineering step, and one they likely can continue in the future, Herbert said via email. North Korea also released a photo of Kim standing in front of a poster showing the various missiles for which the warheads could be used. The particular weapons in that room were probably all mockups, but their assertion that theyre building many and will deploy them on the many types of delivery systems is credible, he said. One area of worry could come from North Korea making advances to miniaturize its peanut-shaped thermonuclear device, which could be mounted in more types of weapons and increase the detonation power of a nuclear blast. Another worry would be an imminent test of the new nuclear devices. North Korea has been the only country this century to conduct physical detonations of nuclear weapons. Other nuclear powers use computer simulations for testing the efficiency of their devices. Satellite imagery has indicated for more than a year that North Korea is ready to hold a nuclear test at its mountainous Punggye-ri site, where it has conducted all six of its previous tests. But Kim has held off perhaps for technical reasons or perhaps not to pile pressure on his states biggest benefactor, China, which has received calls from around the world to rein in Pyongyang after previous tests. The US, Japan and South Korea have all pledged a tough and coordinated response to any nuclear test. But years of sanctions have done little to slow North Koreas weapons program and its hard to see what leverage really remains. Japans foreign minister is planning to visit China this weekend in the first such trip in about three years, Kyodo News and other local media reported, for talks that could include discussions about North Korea. Theres also little chance Russia or China, which have veto power at the UN Security Council, would support any measures against North Korea, as they did in 2017 following a series of weapons tests. Kims visit to the warhead facility may indicate a test could come sooner rather than later. When the North Korean leader made a similar visit to a warhead facility in August 2017, his state set off its most powerful nuclear device just a few days later. Yang Uk, a research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in South Korea, said the newly revealed nuclear warheads appear to be extremely compact and much lighter than the ones from the previous tests. So, a verification process is still necessary to confirm if they can function properly in real situations, he said. North Korea needs to confirm this for themselves while enhancing their strategic visibility by showing it to the outside world. (Updates with reported visit to China by Japans foreign minister.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Britain's King Charles III gives a speech at the Bundestag (lower house of parliament) in Berlin, on March 30. Britain's King Charles III gives a speech at the Bundestag (lower house of parliament) in Berlin, on March 30. King Charles was well and truly welcomed in Germanys parliament on Thursday, after he delivered a speech to lawmakers in both English and German. As part of the monarchs first overseas trip since inheriting the throne last September, Charles was meant to be visiting both of the EUs largest countries France and Germany this week. But, violent protests over pension reforms in France there meant his trip there was postponed. So, Germany had the honour of being the first nation to host him as the UKs sovereign instead and it seemed parliamentarians were particularly happy about it. His speech on Thursday, a day after he touched down in the country, was already highly-anticipated because it made Charles the first British monarch ever to address the German parliament. And, as CNNs Max Foster noted on Twitter, he also received an epic standing ovation which lasted a whopping one minute and 42 seconds for his speech. Epic standing ovation for King Charles after the first address by a British monarch to a session of the German parliament (1 min 42 secs to be precise) pic.twitter.com/2a32r1fEjD Max Foster (@MaxFosterCNN) March 30, 2023 Considering theres (allegedly) a growing list of pop stars who have turned down the chance to play at his coronation in May, his row with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is nowhere near being resolved and hes even had eggs thrown in his direction in the UK, this was a remarkable success for Charles. His speech, which seemed to be mostly in German, emphasized the commitment to the friendship between the two countries and how touched he was by Germanys response to his late mother the Queens death. The monarch also emphasized how united Europe is against Russias aggression towards Ukraine, and he even joked that the countries have laughed at each other and with each other this got a wave of laughter from the parliamentarians. Story continues In terms of soft power, the trip was also meant to help reset UK relations with EU member states in the aftermath of Brexit and to celebrate PM Rishi Sunaks recent success in re-negotiating Northern Ireland protocol. While Charles dodged any direction mention of that (and the negotiations which tied up both the UK and the EU for years), he repeatedly spoke of the unity between Berlin and London. There were also fears that Prince Harrys unexpected appearance in London for his court hearing against Associated Newspapers Ltd on Monday and Tuesday would overshadow Charles trip. But, the Bundestags ovation seems to prove that the King was still a success. This isnt the first time Charles has shown off his language skills to woo over an international audience. Fans of Netflixs The Crown will remember one part (which was accurate) where the then Prince of Wales learnt Welsh just for his 1969 investiture a move which allegedly helped to quieten some republican sentiment at the time. He speaks four languages to different levels of fluency English, French, German and Welsh, although it was his father, the late Prince Philip, who was known for being completely fluent in German. Related... If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Robb Report may receive an affiliate commission. A few years ago, Knob Creek brought the nine-year-old age statement back to its flagship bourbon. And now, for the first time ever, the whiskey brand is adding an age statement to its rye whiskeyfrom here on out, Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey will be a minimum of seven years old. More from Robb Report Of course, age is not always an indicator of quality in whiskey, but when Knob Creek removed the age statement from its core bourbon in 2016, whiskey fans were displeased (admittedly, it doesnt take much to set that crowd off). The brand, part of the Jim Beam Small Batch Collection (which also includes Bookers, Basil Hayden, and Bakers), brought back the nine-year-old age statement to the label in 2020. The reason for this, according to Beam Suntory, was that there was now enough whiskey to ensure that every drop was aged for that amount of time, something the company said was in short supply just a few years before. Whatever the story, apparently theres enough seven-year-old rye whiskey aging in the warehouses at the James B. Beam Distilling Co. nowadays to add that to the label. Beam doesnt reveal the Knob Creek mashbill, but its likely in the barely legal Kentucky-style category, meaning somewhere just around or above the minimum 51 percent rye required by law. The company does say that Knob Creek Rye is made in a pre-Prohibition style, a relatively vague term that sounds evocative, and it is bottled at 100 proof like nearly all the other expressions from the brandsippable, but definitely made for using in a cocktail. The old Knob Creek Rye was great, but this is even better with notes of leather, vanilla, tobacco, and dried fruit on the palate, mingling with a bit of black pepper and baking spice but still retaining some nice sweetness. Story continues Age statements have become a mark of the Knob Creek brand over the past few years, with 12, 15, and 18-year-old bourbons joining the lineup (in limited numbers). This new version of the rye bears the youngest age statement of the bunch, but it seems like thats just about enough time in the barrel. Knob Creek 7 Year Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey is rolling out nationwide now with an SRP of $37, and can be found at online retailers like ReserveBar in the coming weeks. Best of Robb Report Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. The two HH60 Black Hawk Helicopters that crashed Wednesday night in Trigg County, causing nine deaths, belonged to a rare military unit that is based in Western Kentucky. The soldiers were part of the 101st Airborne Division, the U.S. Armys only air assault division. That division been based at the Fort Campbell army post since 1956, according to official U.S. military websites. The unit provides the United States the ability to provide forcible entry and other worldwide unified land operations through the air, according to the divisions website. There are several other major units that call Fort Campbell home, such as the 5th Special Forces Group, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and the 52nd Ordnance Group. Operations at the Fort Campbell military base The Fort Campbell army post is a major maneuver installation for the U.S. Army located along the Kentucky-Tennessee border in Christian and Trigg counties, according to the U.S. military. The post also spans into in Montgomery and Stewart counties in Tennessee. The majority of the base is in Tennessee, according to Millie, an organization that helps military members move. The posts mission is to support expeditionary forces by providing equitable & efficient services that sustain Fort Campbell and enhance the well-being of the military community, according to the U.S. military. Fort Campbell is home to many major military divisions, including the 101st Airborne Division, and has an active military population of more than 27,000 as of 2021, according to the military. The post itself supports more than 250,000 people, including family members, civilians and retired military members, but over half of the assigned soldiers live off-post. Fort Campbell was originally established in 1942 as an armor training center and mobilization camp during World War II, according to Military Installations. It was named after William Bowen Campbell, a former Tennessee governor who served as a Union general in the Civil War. Story continues The post became a permanent post eight years after its establishment. According to the military, it was home to a top-secret nuclear weapons storage and modification facility between 1948 and 1965. Other military bases in Kentucky Kentucky is home to the Fort Knox and Fort Campbell military bases, but the state also hosts other military properties. Updated: 9 people dead after Black Hawk military helicopters crash in Western Kentucky Dr. Matthew Friedman will replace Quakertown Community School District's current superintendent when the academic year ends. Dr. Bill Harner, who is retiring at the end of the school year, has been with the district for nearly a decade. The school board approved Friedman for a four-year contract on a unanimous vote at a special meeting March 28. Friedmans hiring comes after a 4-month national search, which included a community survey, multiple interviews with the school board, and feedback from parents, community leaders, principals, administrators, teachers, professional staff and support staff, the district said. Dr. Matthew Friedman, pictured with his wife, Rebecca, and their three kids, Hannah, 11, Ethan, 6, and Rachel, 9, was hired to replace Dr. Bill Harner as superintendent of Quakertown Community School District. I am honored to serve as the new Superintendent of the Quakertown Community School District. I look forward to partnering with our students, parents and families, staff, school board and our community in accomplishing the Districts mission and vision. Friedman said. This prepares our students for life after graduation as well-rounded, responsible individuals and engaged citizens in contributing their knowledge and skills to our global community. When will Matthew Friedman start at Quakertown and what is his salary? The board also voted Tuesday to approve the four-year employment contract with Friedman, effective July 1, which outlines an annual base salary of $207,000. Each year of the following years, he will be eligible for a 2.5% minimum increase to his base salary, given a proficient rating on his yearly evaluation. Who is Matthew Friedman and what experience does he bring? Friedman is the superintendent of Ocean City School District in New Jersey, which has about 2,000 students between its three Cape May County schools. He was hired in June 2022 and will continue serving Ocean City until starting his new position at Quakertown. Friedman is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University and other distinguished universities. He began his career 24 years ago as a teacher before obtaining his first administrator role in 2003. Story continues For subscribers: How drivers are fighting, and winning, automated ticket technology on Bucks County school buses In a news release, school board president Glenn Iosue said Friedman was the best for the district, calling him a visionary leader and passionate educator. "His track record of stellar academic performance, and his desire to help students, families and staff, demonstrates his capability to succeed in this new role. Prior to joining Ocean City, Friedman most recently worked at South Orange Maplewood School District in New Jersey for two years as assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction and three years as chief academic officer with Downingtown Area School District, according to his LinkedIn profile. He currently lives in Downingtown with his wife, Rebecca, and their three children, Hannah, 11, Rachel, 9, and 6-year-old Ethan. William Harner's retirement from Quakertown leaves lasting impression Harner originally started with Quakertown in 2014 when he was appointed interim superintendent following former Superintendent Lisa Andrejko's retirement in 2014. Later that year he signed a contract with the district, making him her official replacement. Quakertown Superintendent William E. Harner makes remarks during graduation ceremonies Wednesday, June 08, 2022 at Alumni Memorial Field. In December, the district issued a news release announcing his retirement at the end of the school year, touting him for his numerous contributions throughout his time of service. According to the release, Harner created a "culture of trust" through communication and transparency; pushed initiatives for Pre-K, full-day kindergarten, gifted curriculum and expanded world language opportunities; and his work was recognized by the World Affairs Council of Harrisburg, which gave him the Torch of Global Enlightenment award in 2020. More: Quakertown Superintendent Bill Harner lauded by World Affairs Council In the release, school board president Jon Kern said the district made unbelievable strides under Harners leadership. His forward-thinking approach to building a team that exhibits camaraderie and a drive for excellence is second to none. Dr. Harner spearheaded an approach to break down silos that were in place across the various buildings and departments an almost unheard of tactic in public school systems. Quakertown Community School District would not be in the good place it is today were it not for Dr. Harner, he said.Adam Schmucker, principal of Trumbauersville Elementary School, described Harner as an unequaled educational leader.His guidance over the last nine years in the Quakertown Community School District has been extensive and transformational. Under his leadership, our district has been recognized across the nation and the state. More on Harner's retirement: Quakertown superintendent announces retirement for end of school year In Quakertown: Frederick's Meats is closing. How owner's son plans to carry on the family business This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Matthew Friedman hired by Quakertown Community School District Kaye Monk-Morgan remembers being in the fifth grade and attending Riverfest for the first time in the early 80s with her family. We went for Mothers Day and so that was the gift we gave my mom, Monk-Morgan said. I got to pick what the gift was. Monk-Morgan, a third generation Kansan, holds Riverfest near and dear to her heart. She has been involved with the festival for about 15 years serving on committees, building out the festival, being on the board of directors for six years and chairing the board for a year. This year, Monk-Morgan will serve the festival in a different capacity. She has been named the festivals 49th Admiral Windwagon Smith, the official ambassador for the festival. She is the first black woman and third woman overall to be awarded the role. The Riverfest crew is lucky to have Kaye at the helm this year, as our admiral and official ambassador, said Nancy Duling, president and CEO of Wichita Festivals. Her years of service to WFI and Wichita well qualify her to host Kansas largest community celebration. Monk-Morgan will don the traditional red coat worn by Admiral Windwagon Smith for this years Riverfest that will run June 2-10. I am honored to have been selected to represent Wichita and our largest celebration in the community, Monk-Morgan said. Not everyone gets to do it, so its a real gift. Kaye Monk-Morgan was named Wichitas Riverfest 49 Admiral Windwagon Smith Wednesday. Besides her long-time devotion to Riverfest, Monk-Morgan has a extensive background in education and civic engagement in Wichita. She is the president and CEO of the Kansas Leadership Center and serves on boards for Emprise Bank, Kansas African-American Museum, NXTUS and the Ulrich Museum of Art at Wichita State. I do a lot to support our community and so these are the things that keep me busy when Im not at work, Monk-Morgan said. Monk-Morgans fondest memory of the festival is from 2022, a performance from artist Fred Hammond during Gospel Fest. That was my absolute most favorite memory, Monk-Morgan said. To have talent of that caliber came out and minister to our city. Story continues As admiral, Monk-Morgan will visit children at hospitals, speak to civic organizations and help host events during Riverfest. She will be assisted by the 2023 Prairie Schooner Mates, a group of high school juniors selected by their schools to represent Riverfest. Three things to know about Kaye Monk-Morgans Riverfest favorites: Food choice: funnel cake with powdered sugar and no extra stuff... kind of classic. Favorite event: Sundown Parade Favorite year of Riverfest: 2022 with performance from Fred Hammond, Grammy award winning gospel artist Monk-Morgan takes over the admiral role from Barry Schwan, president and founder of House of Schwan Inc., the 48th admiral. Striking Employees Block The Opening Of The Louvre Museum Striking employees of the Louvre Museum in Paris set up a picket line on March 27, 2023 in protest against the pension reform. Credit - Vincent KoebelNurPhoto/Getty Images Travelers hoping to visit the Louvre Museum in Paris were in for a surprise on Monday: instead of the Mona Lisa, they saw a crowd of protestors blocking museum entrances amid ongoing protests by union workers sweeping the city. The protests are the latest disruptions for those traveling to Europe this spring, as aviation, railway, and bus workers continue to strike over poor pay, working conditions, and other government policies. Travel experts advise international travelers to expect and prepare for the disruptions well in advance of a busy travel season in Europe. While its unlikely the strikes will wipe out your travel plans entirely, there are ways you can circumvent unexpected roadblocksstarting with checking if your flights, hotel reservations, and itineraries overlap with any planned industrial action. The most important thing for travelers to pack when going to Europe this spring is their patience, adds Michael Holtz, Founder, and CEO of SmartFlyer. Where are the strikes happening and why? Industrial action is expected to ripple across Europe on multiple days and in many countries. The latest disruption for passengers occurred in France due to air traffic controller strikes, where workers have joined an unprecedented wave of industrial action against President Emmanuel Macrons unpopular reforms for pension, which will raise the age of retirement from 62 to 64. Additionally, tens of thousands of people are striking in various French cities as part of their workers unions, which includes train, metro and bus drivers. European airlines have warned this may delay planes landing, taking off, or flying over French airspace. While French law dictates domestic flights must continue during strikes, international flights entering French airspace are not similarly protected. RyanAir, Europes biggest airline, is asking customers to sign a petition urging the European Commission to keep the skies open. Story continues Read More: Protests Sweep France After Pension Reform Is Forced Through by Macron In Germany, two of the countrys largest unions went on strike earlier this week to demand higher pay at airports, ports, railways, underground services, and buses, leading Lufthansa Airlines to ground its flights through March 28. The airline advised travelers via email not to go to the airport unless they have a confirmed booking for a flight. It also urged those who were planning to take a domestic flight to travel by train instead. More flight cancellations are expected this summer. In the U.K., nearly a thousand border officers have striked on several occasions. At Londons Heathrow Airport Terminal 5, a 10-day strike over a pay dispute has been announced by security guards during the Easter holiday period beginning March 31, although Heathrow stated it will continue to be open and operational during this time. Visitors to Italy are also advised to keep checking if strike announcements overlap with their travel dates as strikes are expected to disrupt transport across the country, with gas station workers taking to the streets to protest against the high prices of petrol. In Spain, 17 airports are affected, including Madrid, Barcelona and Tenerife, as ground staff working for Swissport Handling continue to strike over pay and working conditions until mid-April. (The planned action doesnt impact major airlines like Ryanair or easyJet.) How can you plan your travel during a strike? In most cases, an agreement is usually reached before strike action goes ahead, which means that travelers can hopefully avoid disruptions, says Sean Tipton from the ABTA, a trade association for the U.K. travel industry. That said, some strikes will go ahead. So the next thing to do is to put an efficient contingency plan in place, said Tipton. After the warning strike in rail and air traffic, many passengers were on the move in Bavaria, Munich, on March 28, 2023. Felix HorhagerGetty Images Know all the details: Often, strike notices are posted weeks in advance. In most cases, the airlines or train operators will share critical information over email or text messages, but you should also do your own research on whether your trip might be affected by strike action. Check local news sites and airport authority websites as many will post a calendar of proposed strike action. If possible, avoid dates when strike action is planned. But if traveling on those days is necessary, figure out alternate routes to reach your destination and take detours to avoid areas that may be impacted by the protests. Plan for your safety, too. For example, U.S. travelers can register for the State Departments Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to get current safety information and be contacted by the embassy in emergencies. And finally, its always good travel discipline to have a backup plan, said Tipton. That can include figuring out alternate routes or means of travel; chalking up a different sightseeing itinerary; or planning what to do in instances where you may have to wait for the next available flight or train. Usually, airlines or train operators are obligated to arrange alternatives for passengers affected by delays or cancellations. Being a member of frequent flyer clubs may enable you to access extra benefits like lounge access through your airlines. Experts also suggest packing everything in your hand luggage: That way, you can avoid baggage control issues, Tipton said. What can you do if your flight or train is delayed or canceled? In the worst-case scenario where your flight or train is canceled due to strike action, most airlines and train operators will arrange a replacement train or flight or issue a refund. In the instance of overnight transit, the airlines will also pay for your accommodation. Youll likely have to purchase food or other necessary items, so Tipton advises keeping all your receipts so that you can claim reimbursements from your airlines. Another hack from Tipton is to purchase a through ticket where possible, which means booking all flights to your destination in one go, rather than through multiple, separate bookings. By law, through tickets protect customers by ensuring customers reach their final destination despite unexpected changes or delays. Thats a good protection if youre flying long haul, and where your travel involves separate flights, he said, Holtz at SmartFlyer also recommends booking through a travel advisor, which can arm travelers with local fixers on the ground in case of disruptions or emergencies. Even if you hit a snag on your way to a sunrise hot air balloon ride over the Loire Valley and your agent is still sleeping, youve got a local contact who can step in to help, he said. Finally, think about taking out travel insurance. Some credit cards automatically entitle you to insurance that covers labor disruptions, but its helpful to check exactly what is covered and what the cards limits may be. Then, you can determine if you need to purchase additional coverage. You should always take out travel insurance, said Tipton, because without it, you could end up with potentially horrendous bills in case of medical or other travel emergencies. In every instance, Tipton says the most important thing is to be aware of your rights. At the very least, you are entitled to ask for your money back if your flight was canceled, he said. Travelers can read more about their rights under the European Union rules, which also apply to travelers from Britain (which is no longer part of the E.U.). Other tips and tricks to make your travel smooth and enjoyable Holtz says that post-pandemic, travel has adapted to become slower in all the best ways. This means that creating room for flexibility and spontaneity is key. By planning for a longer length of stay versus trying to combine too many things, you set yourself up not to be too stressed if the unexpected happens, he said. And Tiptons last piece of advice might sound surprising: dont over-prepare by arriving at the airport earlier than necessary. Last summer, travelers worried about lining up in long queues at U.K. airports arrived six or seven hours in advance, which in turn created more chaos. Suddenly, an airport that wouldve otherwise been empty became full. Its a self-fulfilling prophecy, Tipton warned. Starting in April, Russia will chair the UN Security Council for a month "The Russian UN Security Council presidency (starting) on April 1 is a bad joke, Kuleba wrote. Russia has usurped its seat; its waging a colonial war; its leader is a war criminal wanted by the ICC for kidnapping children. Read also: At UN Security Council, Ukraine calls for support and promotion of Zelenskyy peace formula Kuleba added that the world wouldn't be a safe place while Russia is a member of the Security Council of the UN. The current president of the UN Security Council in March 2023 is Mozambique, which is present on the council for the first time. On March 31, an urgent security council meeting will be held to discuss the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's threat to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. Read also: Ukraine calls for emergency UN Security Council meeting over Russias plans to move nukes to Belarus From April, Russia is scheduled to take over the security council presidency. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on March 17 for Putin and Russias childrens ombudsman, Maria Lvova-Belova, for their involvement in unlawful removal of children from Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022. Read also: Kremlin already looking for Putin replacement after ICC arrest warrant HUR The Kremlin dictator can be arrested in any of they 123 countries that ratified the Rome Statute, Prosecutor General of Ukraine Andriy Kostin has confirmed. The ICCs decision means that no negotiations with the Kremlin or a cessation of sanctions against Russian are possible, Ukraines Office of the President has said. Russia reacted as expected, opening criminal cases against judges and prosecutors of the ICC. Read also: ICC reacts to Russias retaliation over Putins arrest warrant Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine (Bloomberg) -- A judge will decide whether Do Kwon will be extradited to the US or South Korea, Montenegros justice minister said, but the Terraform Labs co-founder may first have to serve time in the Balkan state if hes convicted of traveling on fake documents. Most Read from Bloomberg Kwon is wanted by the US in a case of alleged fraud that wiped out at least $40 billion in market value with the collapse of Terraforms TerraUSD stablecoin, which shook crypto markets last spring. Consideration will be given to the gravity of crimes, the location of committed offenses, the sequence of requests, as well as the citizenship of the suspects, Montenegrin Justice Minister Marko Kovac said in the capital Podgorica on Wednesday. Kwon and Terraforms chief financial officer, Han Chang-joon, were arrested on March 23 in the former Yugoslav republic as they tried to fly to Dubai using falsified travel documents, authorities have said. Kwons lawyer, Vojislav Zecevic, said his client maintains his innocence and denies traveling on forged documents. If hes convicted in Montenegro of doing so, that suits my client perfectly, Zecevic said by phone, without elaborating. Billed as an instrument that would maintain a value of $1 per token via a mix of algorithms and trader incentives involving its free-floating partner token Luna, Terra was advertised as a haven of volatility in the broader crypto market. Both Luna and Terra unraveled last May, rippling across the crypto sector and contributing to the failures of firms like Three Arrows Capital, Voyager Digital, and, most prominently, FTX and its affiliated trading firm, Alameda Research. The US attorney in Manhattan has indicted Kwon on fraud charges that include deceiving investors about aspects of the Terra blockchain, making false and misleading statements, and engaging in market manipulation to alter the market price of TerraUSD. Story continues If hes sent to New York, the 31-year-old Kwon will be facing prosecution by the same office overseeing a criminal case against another major figure in the crypto world, FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried, who was himself extradited from the Bahamas. South Korean authorities have been searching for Kwon since September, when they issued an arrest warrant on allegations including illegal market activity. Last month, they said they were looking for him in Montenegros Balkan neighbor Serbia. Kwon will remain in quarantine under Montenegrin Covid-19 protocols until April 3 and can visited only by his lawyer or doctor during that period. He and Han are under investigative detention that lasts up to 30 days. (Updates with comments from Kwons lawyer starting in sixth paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. People attend a vigil Tuesday for the victims of a fire at an immigration detention center that killed dozens in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. (Fernando Llano / Associated Press) Grief mixed with indignation is churning into fury among many Central American activists in Los Angeles this week as they pored over images of the Monday night inferno that engulfed Mexicos National Migration Institute in Ciudad Juarez, killing at least 39 immigrant detainees. Southern California activists condemned the behavior of guards who, in a surveillance video, can be seen fleeing the holding area as flames licked at cell doors, and demanded justice for the victims and their families. The Mexican government has said that the fire was caused by detainees igniting their mattresses in protest because they faced deportation. But activists on both sides of the border have questioned that account and rebuked Mexicos president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. I want to tell the Mexican government not to be so inhumane, said Cecilia Rodriguez, president of the Honduran Alliance of Los Angeles and a native of Choluteca, a province in southern Honduras. This government of Mexico is a hypocrite. It doesnt even help its own citizens. It seems to me that it is part of the mafia. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has to understand that these people do not want to live in Mexico, they just want to go through and get to the United States. Mexican authorities have reported that 68 people of various nationalities were being detained at the center when the fire broke out, including migrants from Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela, El Salvador, Ecuador and Colombia. In recent years, tens of thousands of migrants from Latin America and the Caribbean have been stranded in Mexico as the U.S. government under successive administrations has pressured Mexico to block people from crossing into the United States. Amarilys Ortiz, general secretary of the Guatemalan American Assn., believes that Lopez Obrador does not care about immigrants because, in her view, he has not done enough to curtail the drug- and human-trafficking cartels that exploit those fleeing poverty and violence in their homelands. In 2020, Lopez Obrador acknowledged having ordered the release from a Mexican prison Ovidio Guzman, son of Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, the drug trafficker and head of the powerful Sinaloa cartel. Story continues This should reach the United Nations organization and the large organizations that defend human rights because this becomes part of a criminal structure that the Mexican government defends, Ortiz said, referring to Mondays deadly conflagration. National and world leaders should speak out about what is happening in Mexico. Although Lopez Obrador initially said that the detainees had set the fires, the foreign minister of Guatemala, Mario Bucaro, blamed human smugglers, so-called coyotes, for the chain of events that culminated in this weeks deaths. In the opinion of Rosa Posada, advisor to the Union of Emigrant Guatemalans in Los Angeles, the deaths of the migrants could have been avoided if the economic and social conditions in the countries that expelled them were improved. The majority of Central and South Americans who cross Mexican territory leave their loved ones behind while hoping to find work in Mexico, the United States and Canada. The people come to look for something to feed their children and their family, said the native of Escuintla, an industrial city in Guatemala centered on sugar agribusiness. It is really sad that the governments seeing this do not worry, they do not pay attention to this situation. The truth is that it is sad for the children who stay behind, the wives, parents and family. As the United States and Mexico have cracked down on immigration in recent years, Posada believes that the costs and the dangers of leaving home have risen dramatically. She said that the Mexican government must respect peoples right to migrate and take more responsibility for avoiding situations that lead to tragedies such as that in Ciudad Juarez. We energetically protest because there are so many arbitrary acts that occur against migrants [on Mexican soil], no matter where they are from, said Leoncio Velasquez, president of United Hondurans of Los Angeles. A native of Tegucigalpa, the Honduran capital, Velasquez said that a protest will be held at 4 p.m. Friday in front of the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles, followed by a procession to 7th and Alvarado streets in the MacArthur Park area. There, participants will light candles and hold a vigil in memory of the Ciudad Juarez fire victims. We are going to protest in front of the consulate to demand that the Mexican authorities respect the rights of migrants, Velasquez said. Mexico has to respect anyone on the migration route. Meanwhile, officials at the various Central American consulates in Los Angeles have said they will provide assistance and information to any of their compatriots regarding the Ciudad Juarez tragedy. In case there is a need or a family member appears, through the consular protection area we will put them in contact with the authorities in Guatemala, said Jose Arturo Rodriguez, Guatemalan consul general in L.A. Guatemalan migrants can call (213) 900-1098 and dial option No. 2 to access an emergency number. Hondurans living in the United States may reach their consulates call center at (470) 751-9077. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Novelist and journalist Carribean Fragoza, in Claremont in 2021, is now at work on her first novel. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) When a phone call from an unidentified number turned up on Carribean Fragoza's cell, she immediately assumed it was a spammer and didn't pick up. But the phone kept ringing, so she finally answered. "Don't hang up," she remembers the voice on the line telling her. "This is the Whiting Foundation." They were calling to let her know that she had been selected for a 2023 Whiting Award, a $50,000 unrestricted grant for emerging writers. Fragoza says she ended up "crying on the phone." Fragoza, a writer whose short story collection, "Eat the Mouth That Feeds You," received wide acclaim when it was published two years ago, is one of 10 authors to receive the prestigious prize this year and the only one from the Los Angeles area. Fragoza was among 10 Whiting Award winners announced Wednesday evening during a ceremony in New York. Over its 38-year history, the prize has frequently served as a harbinger of future literary success. Past winners have included novelists Colson Whitehead and Victor LaValle, playwright Suzan-Lori Parks and poet and novelist Ocean Vuong. In addition to Fragoza, this year's recipients include dramatists Mia Chung and Emma Wipperman (who is also a poet), fiction writers Marcia Douglas and Sidik Fofana, graphic novelist R. Kikuo Johnson, poets Tommye Blount and Ama Codjoe, and journalists Linda Kinstler and Stephania Taladrid. Fragoza is a fiction writer, essayist and journalist from El Monte who attended UCLA and CalArts. Over the years her writing regularly appeared in publications such as LA Weekly and the L.A. Review of Books. (I came to know her through art circles more than half a dozen years ago, when she was a regular contributor to KCET's Artbound, writing on topics including art and gentrification.) In early 2020, with three other writers Alexa Sayf Cumming, Ryan Reft and Romeo Guzman (a historian who is also Fragoza's husband) she co-edited the essay collection "East of East: The Making of Greater El Monte," a kaleidoscopic portrait of life in a Latino L.A. exurb that doesn't generally get much air time. "Eat the Mouth That Feeds You," released a year later, immediately drew plaudits for its deadpan surrealism and its focus on the lives of young Chicanas. The New York Times hailed her as "a forceful new voice in American literature." Story continues On Monday, Fragoza took time out of her schedule she currently teaches at CalArts to talk about the prize and the writing life. In this conversation (which has been condensed and edited for clarity) she talks about the novel she would really like to finish and why she is so intrigued by the dark recesses of women's minds. Where does the novel stand? And will the Whiting help? I worked on it a bunch during the winter break and I felt if I could spend one solid semester working on it, I could do it. It was hard to know when I would get that time. Now that I have this grant, Im going to try to work on it this summer and into the fall. I think I can do it by the end of this year. I've been saying that for a while, but this year I mean it. What can you tell us about it? It's about a girl who disappears briefly. Her mother is looking for her. The police don't take her seriously. She thinks horrible things might have happened because of the reality of girls of color disappearing and the police not taking it seriously. But the daughter has joined an environmentalist group of radical birdwatchers and they take over a natural reserve. At the center of the book is this mother and daughter and this complicated relationship. And it's set in an immigrant working-class neighborhood a lot like El Monte. What first drew you to fiction? I lived in a very small house with my siblings and my parents. Living in a small house, there's not a lot of space to grow. Books gave me that space, and fiction, in particular, gave me the space to explore. I started writing stories as a kid. Also important were those stories that your family tells you. I grew up on La Llorona and the Chupacabra, that oral tradition of storytelling from my cousins, my tias, my grandparents. What was the first Carribean Fragoza short story? It was fantasy. It was this princess and she was really frigid, everyone was trying to warm her up and pierce through her icy heart. The project was to write a story and illustrate a book. I bound my own book in glittery purple paper. My mom has it still it's in the garage. Artist and journalist Carribean Fragoza. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) You've talked about creating your own canon as a Chicana. Who inhabits your canon? From the earliest days, Helena Maria Viramontes and "The Moths" [from the collection "The Moths and Other Stories"]. Then Gabriel Garcia Marquez, of course. And Salvador Plascencia, an El Monte writer who was a huge discovery for me to find his book and see those elements of magical realism but recast in my neighborhood. It's called "The People of Paper." It's a cool, strange magical book. There's also those weird stories by Leonora Carrington. She has these bizarre stories that I really dig. How do you feel about the label of magical realism being applied to your work? It can be a freighted term often applied to any Latino writer who channels a bit of the otherworldly. It's an imperfect label. I think it serves a purpose. It's a fast and easy way for people get a really general idea of the magical aspects and the surreal aspects in the work and I guess I'm OK with that. If a reader is willing to continue entering the work and know that it's not going to be a Gabriel Garcia Marquez work, that it's going to be its own thing, that's fine. I don't get as mad about it as other folks. There are terms that have been tossed at my book like "speculative" and I don't think that sticks. Labels aside, Im interested in exploring the possibility of strange things happening in daily life. It's about looking at daily life and the mundane, but through the lens of the weird. I would love to know about your process. What's the genesis of a story for you? A character? A setting? It's usually a voice. If I can hear and write the voice pretty clearly, then I follow that voice. Sometimes, it's not a specific voice but an idea. "Ini y Fati," the story I wrote about the child martyr/saint that befriends a little girl, that came from the idea of a virgin child who was murdered several hundred years ago and comes back for vengeance on the ass of the world. I wanted to imagine what that would look like. Your stories center women and girls. What aspects of female interiority are you intrigued by as a writer? Two things: I'm thinking of the interior life of girls, of young women, teenagers, and also the interior lives of mothers. It's vastly overlooked. Girls, even if theyre not sexually active, theyre exploring what their sexuality is and that can scare people. And maybe it's the goth-iness in me, but I'm interested in the darkness. I don't mean that in a malevolent way. Just the darker, more complex emotions of girls. Its not all sunny bows. I am fascinated by the scowl, the unsmiling aspect of little girls, when they're young enough that they can't be made to smile if they don't want to. I'm interested in protecting that. Then there is the aspect of mothering. What is the interior life of a mother? That was a mystery before I became a mother. And it's a mystery to me now. I did have a good relationship with my mother, but there were limits of understanding to what her experience was and what her mother's experience and my great grandmother's experience was. It is not always talked about our challenges and emotional lives. It's still a process of discovery for me. What are you reading right now? And what will you be reading next? I recently read Marytza Rubio's collection of short stories. She's a chica from Santa Ana and her book is called "Maria, Maria and Other Stories." Someone called it tropi-goth and that is suitable. I also recently returned to Leonora Carrington. And there's a collection by Yuri Herrera that's about to come out that I'm really excited about, ["Ten Planets: Stories"], and Vickie Vertiz has a new collection of poems that came out ["Auto/Body"]. I'm also itching to read "Nightcrawling" by Leila Mottley. I heard her talk at AWP, [the Association of Writers & Writing Programs Conference & Bookfair], and she's brilliant. Those are the things I'm really excited to read. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. LOS ANGELES - Jonathan Hatami, the Los Angeles deputy district attorney known for convicting child killers in high-profile cases, including those of Gabriel Fernandez and Anthony Avalos, announced on Wednesday a campaign challenge against his boss, George Gascon. Gascon, a controversial progressive Democrat who has been accused of soft-on-crime policies that protect criminals and not the public, has faced sharp criticism from his own office and is involved in several lawsuits against his own deputies, including more than a dozen for allegations of unlawful retaliation. "Because of George, L.A. is the hate crime capital of America," Hatami said at a rally in the Los Angeles suburb of Whittier, where he initially pledged to stand up to Gascon two years ago. "Fentanyl deaths are skyrocketing and killing our children, crime on public transportation has dramatically increased, and gun violence in our streets has affected so many of the most vulnerable in our communities. These arent just statistics they are real people!" LA DA ANNOUNCES RESTRUCTURING OF SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT DAY AFTER YEAR-OLD LEAKED MEMO ASKED FOR MORE STAFF Prosecutor Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami speaks with the media after Heather Barron and Kareem Leiva were convicted of murdering 10-year-old Anthony Avalos at the Criminal Justice Center on March 7, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. On Wednesday, Hatami announced that he will run for district attorney in Los Angeles County. Hatami gained prominence in 2017 as the lead prosecutor in the Gabriel Fernandez case an 8-year-old boy who was abused and murdered by his own parents. And earlier this month, he secured convictions against 10-year-old Anthony Avalos' mother and her boyfriend, who had tortured and killed him in 2018. If elected, he promised to roll back dozens of directives initiated by Gascon that critics have cited as coddling criminals and putting crime victims last. Some include not charging underage offenders as adults and preventing prosecutors from attending parole hearings. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "The victims feel like they're abandoned," Hatami told Fox News Digital. "They feel like George Gascon cares more about the criminal and his actions say that." Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon speaking in a June news briefing in which he defended his policies amid criticism following reports that the deceased suspect accused of killing two El Monte, California, police officers, was out on probation. He made his campaign announcement flanked by the parents of crime victims and families who have lost loved ones to what he called "fentanyl poisoning and street takeovers," as well as the relatives of fallen police officers. Story continues And he slammed Gascon for announcing his own campaign in 2019 outside the city jail. He also noted that Gascon has never tried a case in court, in Los Angeles or in San Francisco where he was also the top prosecutor there. Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp blasted Gascon during Hatami's announcement for not prosecuting fentanyl dealers for murder. She noted the Los Angeles County DAs office, the largest in the nation, impacts what happens in other parts of the state. "For him to have the control that he has sends ripples of terror through the rest of the state," she said. "When I talk about him and I write him letters, I call him Mr. Gascon because he is not a district attorney." Prosecutor Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami speaks with the media after Heather Barron and Kareem Leiva were convicted of murdering 10-year-old Anthony Avalos at the Criminal Justice Center on March 7, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. PROGRESSIVE LOS ANGELES DA OFFERING FREE SHUTTLE SERVICE SO STAFF CAN GET TO WORK SAFELY Hatami is the latest challenger to Gascon from within the DA's own office. John McKinney, a former major crimes prosecutor who recently secured a conviction against Eric Holder Jr., the man who killed rapper Nipsey Hussle, announced his campaign last month. Critics note Gascon, who has worked in California law enforcement for decades, has never tried a case himself or been a beat cop while a member of the Los Angeles Police Department. He took the stand in a civil lawsuit last month, brought by another deputy district attorney who has accused him of retaliation. "He just doesn't know what we go through as deputy district attorneys," Hatami said. "He's unwilling to bend. He's unwilling to collaborate. He's unwilling to meet with people who have experience to help him understand how things go. It's absolutely shocking that we voted for somebody that has no experience in the job whatsoever." He admitted he'd never directly handled a felony prosecution and was unfamiliar with how the state law works governing attempted assault. Editors Note: The following article was published by Project Syndicate on March 30, 2023, and has been republished by the Kyiv Independent with permission. The opinions expressed in our op-ed section are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent. SEOUL/THE HAGUE If democracy had its own doomsday clock, it would be at two minutes to midnight. According to the most recent analysis by Varieties of Democracy (known as V-Dem), 72% of the worlds population lived in autocracies last year, compared to 50% a decade ago. For the first time in more than two decades, there are more authoritarian regimes than liberal democracies and we are not doing enough to address this threat. The reversal has been stunning. In the Philippines, Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos, Jr., won last years presidential election, 36 years after a popular revolt overthrew his fathers dictatorship. In Brazil, millions still refuse to accept former president Jair Bolsonaros defeat to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Russias invasion of Ukraine has forced its citizens to rise up against a genocidal occupier. And in Egypt, the last vestiges of resistance to autocracy have been forced into the shadows. On every continent, illiberal politicians are portraying democracy as an impractical historical relic. We must do more to stop this rapid democratic backsliding. During World War II, when democracy was similarly threatened, the free world came together to bring about a more peaceful international order. The multilateral system that was established in 1944 at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, and by the creation of the United Nations the following year, led to decades of relative stability and international cooperation on human rights. Jakub Kalensky: The information war against the Kremlin is far from over Editors Note: The opinions expressed in the op-ed section are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent. There have been many optimistic takes claiming that Russia is losing or has already lost the information war against the West. This optimism is Kyiv IndependentJakub Kalensky Story continues We are at a similar moment today with an important twist. The current conflict between autocracy and democracy is fought not only on the battlefield and in the political arena but also on social media and broadcast TV. If democracy is to prevail, credible, independent news media will be essential. Without trusted, impartial media, we cannot have shared facts; without shared facts, we cannot have political accountability or fair elections; and without fair elections, democracy cannot survive. And yet, just when we need it most, fact-based, public-interest journalism is dying out. The ongoing demise of advertising revenue has severely limited news outlets ability to inform citizens, hold the powerful to account, and tell important stories. The failure of journalisms business model has led to two decades of collapsing revenues, cost-cutting, and layoffs. Thousands of news organizations across the world have shut down, while political actors have acquired others as a vehicle for spreading propaganda. China alone has spent an estimated $6.6 billion since 2009 on strengthening its international media influence, and Russia spent at least $1.5 billion last year on similar efforts. International efforts to support independent journalism have been paltry in comparison. According to a 2022 report by the Center for International Media Assistance, such funding amounted to $385 million in 2019 roughly 0.3% of overseas development assistance and has not grown since then. This is woefully insufficient. Public and private funders must increase support for media organizations to at least 1% of global development assistance, thereby providing an additional $1 billion a year to support public-interest journalism. Its a cult-like mentality: Historian Ian Garner on the militarization of Russian society In the second year of Russias full-scale war against Ukraine, Moscow has shown its intent to fight and win the war without regard for the lives of its servicemen, or the damage caused to Russias economy and social fabric. The Kremlins choice to announce partial mobilization in Kyiv IndependentFrancis Farrell The defining challenge of our time, saving democracy, must be a collective effort. Today, U.S. President Joe Bidens administration will hold its second Summit for Democracy, which aims to make democracies more responsive and resilient. The first summit took place (virtually) in December 2021 and ended with several heads of state including Biden, then-New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and French President Emmanuel Macron committing to provide support to the International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM). IFPIM is a first-of-its-kind multilateral institution seeking to boost the economic resilience of news outlets and usher in a new paradigm for public-interest journalism within the next decade. Today, we will announce that IFPIM has received financial contributions of almost $50 million from 16 donors, including seven governments and nine firms and philanthropies. Many of these funders are contributing meaningfully to global media support for the first time. We will also announce our first cohort of grantees: since the last summit, IFPIM has funded 11 news outlets in ten countries, including Brazil, Ukraine, Niger, Tunisia, and Colombia. And yet our funds are still only a fraction of the billions autocrats spend on strengthening their networks for disseminating disinformation. At todays summit, and throughout this year, democratic states must step up and commit significant funds to scale up the fight for independent media. Wealthy democracies that have long understood the importance of a free press, including the G7 countries, must mobilize their vast resources to support the creation of a global information ecosystem that is more resilient to disinformation. Private firms, which rely on accurate information to thrive, must take a prominent role in this effort by committing capital to fix the market failure that has weakened public-interest journalism. Support for public-interest media is not nostalgia for some halcyon era. The ability to access real-time, accurate information is essential to a well-functioning democracy. To defend against the rising tide of authoritarianism, fact-based news must be readily accessible to all. Liberal democracys doomsday clock is edging closer to midnight. We must act now or regret our indecision during the long tyrannical darkness that follows. Investigators can be seen scouring the scene of the Route 91 Harvest music festival, the site of the October 2017 mass shooting. The Washington Post / The Washington Post via Getty Images Just a few weeks before a man killed 60 people and injured more than 400 in the single deadliest mass shooting in the US, he lost $38,000 gambling at a Las Vegas casino, according to documents made public this week by the FBI. The shooter would spend up to 18 hours a day gambling in casinos, according to the documents, often winning large sums. According to the documents, casinos used to give high-earning gamblers like the shooter free penthouse suites, trips on cruises, and more incentives. About three years before the mass shooting, they stopped this practice and even banned the high-earners from gambling at their casinos. The shooter was banned from several Vegas casinos because of the money he won, according to the FBI documents. "[The shooter] was very upset with the way casinos were treating him and other high rollers," the document reads. It goes on to say that another gambler who knew the shooter said that he was also stressed about the treatment of "high rollers" and "believed the stress could easily be what caused [the shooter] to 'snap.'" The shooter opened fire out the window of his room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay resort on Oct. 1, 2017, striking the crowd that had gathered for the last day of the 91 Harvest music festival. He killed himself in his hotel room about an hour after the massacre. Authorities said he acted alone, and in early 2019, the FBI concluded there was "no single or clear motivating factor" for the shooting. The FBI's 2019 report implied that the shooter was inspired by his father, who was also a high-stakes gambler as well as a bank robber and fugitive who was on the FBI's 10 most wanted list in 1968. However, investigators uncovered that the shooter's bank accounts had dropped by roughly $1.5 million between September 2015 and September 2017, which "could have been a contributing factor," Joe Lombardo, then the Clark County sheriff, said during a news conference in January 2019. The 2019 investigation also revealed that he might have been planning on committing a mass shooting because in the year leading up to the massacre, he had purchased 55 firearms, mostly rifles, and searched on the internet for "Biggest open air concert venues in USA" and "How crowded does Santa Monica Beach get." Story continues The shooter's doctor also told investigators that he might have had bipolar disorder, but he refused to take antidepressant medications. "An interview with his doctor indicated signs of a troubled mind, but no troubling behavior that would trigger a call to law enforcement," Lombardo said in 2019. "Without a manifesto, or even a note to answer questions, the totality of the information that has been gathered leaves us to only make an educated guess as to the motives of [the shooter]." The FBI did not respond to BuzzFeed News' request for additional comment. More on this Laura Ingraham on Wednesday pivoted from the Nashville mass shooting to downplaying the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot as old ladies walking through the halls of Congress taking selfies. (Watch the video below.) The Fox News host mocked President Joe Bidens plea for Congress to pass an assault weapons ban in the wake of the 19th school shooting this year. A shooter killed three children and three staffers at The Covenant School in Nashville on Monday. Ingraham segued to blaming Democrats and Black Lives Matter for soft-on-crime policies. She then showed an edited clip of Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) appearing to say that the 1,000-plus arrests from the pro-Donald Trump riot may have affected Washington, D.C., crime statistics. Democrats believe that old ladies walking through the halls of Congress taking selfies are a bigger threat than murderers and repeat violent offenders, Ingraham said. Americans deserve the straight facts, not hidden agendas. This would be the same Laura Ingraham who reportedly texted then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows during the Jan. 6 violence to urge action from lame-duck Trump. Mark, the president needs to tell people in the Capitol to go home. This is hurting all of us. He is destroying his legacy. Her plea reportedly was not the only one from a prominent Fox News host that day. The conservative channels on-air denial of Jan. 6 has steamed forward more than two years later. Earlier in March, host Tucker Carlson showed cherry-picked security video clips of the insurrectionist mobs mundane moments and likened it to a tourist visit. Rioters injured about 140 police officers, according to the Justice Department. At least 325 of those arrested were charged with assaulting, resisting or obstructing cops or workers. Related... Members of Congress are calling for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to ramp up efforts to fight against the surge in the use of the drug xylazine, also known as the zombie drug or tranq. Xylazine is an animal tranquilizer meant to be used by veterinarians. The DEA says when xylazine is mixed with fentanyl, it makes an even deadlier combination. Xylazine is a non-opiate sedative, meaning the effects cannot be reversed with Narcan. Its a deadly, skin-rotting zombie drug thats bringing a horrific wave of overdoses across the country, said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) during a press conference on Thursday. Schumer announced he sent a letter to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram urging the DEA to increase resources for state and local agencies to fight against the drug. Schumer also called on the DEA to report on the manufacturing, prevalence, and risk of xylazine, especially when mixed with fentanyl. Only 18 months ago, xylazine was reported in 36 states. Today, that number has risen to 48 states, Schumer wrote. We must know more about where this drug originates, how much of the illicit supply of this drug is diverted from the legal supply, how xylazine is being diverted to and through the United States, and whether there are any analogues to the drug that could be of risk to Americans. Earlier this month, the DEA released a public safety alert warning about the danger of xylazine. Its a concern that has bipartisan calls for action. In January, several House Republicans sent a letter to the DEA and to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) about concerns over the growing use of xylazine. It was signed by Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX), and Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL). While the Food and Drug Administrations issuance of a nationwide four page xylazine alert to clinicians in November was a good first step, the response to this growing threat remains wholly inadequate, the GOP lawmakers wrote. Xylazine must be recognized as the threat it is and be scheduled by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). WASHINGTON The U.S. Navys plan to decommission three amphibious warships ahead of schedule has drawn ire from some legislators, who last year put into law a requirement for the service to maintain a fleet of at least 31 ships for the Marine Corps to use. The Navy in its fiscal 2024 budget request asked to decommission three Whidbey Island-class amphibious dock landing ships the Germantown, Gunston Hall and Tortuga which it tried to decommission last year and Congress voted to save. Vice Adm. Scott Conn, the deputy chief of naval operations for warfighting requirements and capabilities, explained during a Tuesday hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committees sea power panel that these ships are not viable options for overseas operations given their poor condition. The vessels have not reached the end of their planned 40-year life span. Conn said the ships original service life was meant to be 35 years, but in the 1990s the Navy changed that to 40 based on the assumptions the ships would operate in six-month deployments and be properly maintained along the way. Throughout the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we operated those ships much longer than six-month deployments, Conn said. We know we didnt put the resources [toward] those ships to be able to sustain them. So now were in a position where we have some hard choices to make. An assault amphibious vehicle assigned to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit transits the well deck of the amphibious transport dock ship Green Bay in 2019. (MC2 Anaid Banuelos Rodriguez/U.S. Navy) As the Navy watches their performance in ongoing maintenance availabilities, we dont have the confidence, as were seeing growth work and new work, that those ships will get out of the maintenance phase, be able to get through a work-up cycle which is a year long, and then go on deployment. Why keep them if we cant get them away from the pier, Conn wondered. It would cost about $3 billion to keep the Whidbey Island amphibious ships and cruisers the Navy wants to decommission, but Conn argues that money would be better spent on other ships. Additionally, decommissioning the ships rather than continuing their unsuccessful maintenance availabilities would free up sailors for other ship assignments at sea and would free up repair yards to work on ships that are more badly needed by the fleet. Story continues Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, who serves in the Marine Corps Reserve, told Conn the Navys plan to decommission these ships brings the fleet lower than the now-statutory requirement for 31 ships. This is not a suggestion, its a law, he said. You have a law, we passed it and the Navy comes out and says: Eh, well just blow off those silly U.S. senators. Conn told him that having 31 ships, of which three of them may be tied to a pier for the next five years, is not really 31. Proud Boys march in support of President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., Dec. 12, 2020. Proud Boys march in support of President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., Dec. 12, 2020. Over the course of their violent, seven-year history, the Proud Boys have faced plenty of consequences: Theyve been slapped with criminal charges throughout their ranks, admonished by Congress, labeled as domestic terrorists in two countries, and publicly scorned. Yet they continue to mobilize, committing acts of bigoted political violence and leading a surge of extremist activity across the country. Now, a historic Black church community in Washington, D.C., is hoping its $22 million lawsuit against the far-right street gang will finally bring an end to their campaign of terror. The lawsuit was filed against the Proud Boys organization and five of its leaders and allies, including the groups chairman, Enrique Tarrio. The suit stems from a Stop the Steal rally in D.C. on Dec. 12, 2020, when a throng of Proud Boys vandalized several historic Black churches, tearing down their Black Lives Matter banners and destroying them in the street. Proud Boys, white supremacists, and Trump supporters rip a #BlackLivesMatter sign down from Metropolitan AME church in D.C. During the Jim Crow era, they burned crosses. Today they seek to terrorize by targeting Black churches. pic.twitter.com/8FznBGUz6e Kristen Clarke (@KristenClarkeJD) December 13, 2020 On Wednesday, more than two years after they filed suit, the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal community finally got its day in court against the gang. Parishioners and congregants testified in D.C. Superior Court that theyre suing in part to deter the Proud Boys from future attacks. We wanted to make a statement, that we will not shrink in the face of this, Rev. William Lamar told Judge Neal Kravitz. We know that this [Proud Boys] activity continues and we have an opportunity to be clear that this is unacceptable, it is illegal, and it cannot continue. Story continues For Lamar, the Proud Boys attack was no act of petty vandalism, but a continuation of the kind of white supremacist violence and anti-Black intimidation that the Metropolitan AME community has been fighting for more than 200 years. The scene on Dec. 12 a racist gang of mostly white men desecrating symbols of Black solidarity outside churches was familiar to this congregation. Its more than doing violence to a sign they seek to continue the violence their ancestors visited upon our ancestors, Lamar said on a conference call with congregants the day after the attack. A video of the call was played in court Wednesday. They dont want to just ruin signs. They want to destroy lives. They want to destroy hope. They want to erase history. We wont let them do that. It appears unlikely that Kravitz will award Metropolitan AME the full $22 million in damages, but bankrupting the Proud Boys is only one part of the battle. The legal team for the Metropolitan AME community at the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law hopes the case will also shed light on the Proud Boys assets and finances, which remain largely murky and secretive. Tarrio has long maintained that the Proud Boys organization is broke, and that he personally carries few assets. But multiple journalistic investigations over the years suggest the gang is pulling in substantial sums of cash from various sources. Theyve collected hundreds of thousands of dollars from online fundraisers set up to support their ongoing rallies and criminal cases (including $375,000 from 11 GiveSendGo campaigns in the wake of the 2021 Capitol attack), they collect dues and travel fees from their membership through Venmo payments, they maintain a number of shady LLCs, and they continue to mobilize large groups of people and considerable amounts of equipment across the country for their bloody rallies. Painting a clear picture of the gangs financial structure is one of the chief goals for the Lawyers Committee. The ultimate goal of this is not a monetary windfall. Its to stop the Proud Boys from being able to do what they do, Arthur Ago, director of the criminal justice project at the Lawyers Committee, told HuffPost. They continue to raise money ... and that moneys being used to do the things we saw on Dec. 12, Jan. 6, and now at drag queen story hours in Ohio and New York and Maryland. Thats what we want to stop. The case appears likely to move in favor of Metropolitan AME. The Proud Boys have failed to respond in any significant way to the litigation, and didnt appear to defend themselves in court on Wednesday. The church has already won default judgments against Proud Boys International, LLC, and the rest of the individual defendants, including Tarrio. Members and affiliates of the gang will have opportunities to defend themselves when court resumes on April 7, and the defense team will have a chance to cross-examine witnesses. But overall, the Proud Boys opportunities to advocate for themselves in this case are dwindling. Related... Hes suing the Raleigh police department, but first, he will take center stage at a local HBCUs graduation ceremony. This week, North Carolina Central University announced that renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump will be the schools keynote speaker at this years commencement. Crump is known for representing families in high-profile civil rights cases. In recent years, he has garnered widespread attention for his work on cases without household names: Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. But most recently, Crump has taken up a case in the Triangle. In February, he announced that he would represent the family of Darryl Williams, a 32-year-old man who died after Raleigh police officers tased him three times, in their fight for criminal charges against the officers involved. Body camera footage from Williams death shows him being stopped by police on Jan. 17 near Rock Quarry Road in Raleigh. Despite telling officers that he had a heart condition after he was tased twice, Raleigh police tased Williams for a third time when he lost consciousness. Williams never woke up. We are here in the capital of our home state, here in Raleigh, North Carolina, fighting for justice for Darryl Tyree Williams, Crump said in February when he took on the case. We come here to disturb the peace and the fact that we dont want everybody to sleep comfortable saying we can just kill Black people unnecessarily and unjustifiably. Crump, 53, is originally from North Carolina and was born in Lumberton in Robeson County. He eventually moved to Florida to attend high school, college and law school, according to a 2012 story about his life from CBS8. He earned his law degree from Florida State University, according to his law firm biography. He will speak at NCCUs commencement on May 6. At least 31 people are dead after a fire broke out on a ferry in the southern Philippines and raged overnight for eight hours, officials said Thursday. About 250 passengers and crew were aboard the boat Wednesday night when the blaze broke in the sea off Baluk-Baluk Island, said Gov. Jim Hataman of the southern island province of Basilan. Rescuers were still searching Thursday for at least seven missing people, he said. Many of the more than 200 people who survived the fire jumped off the MV Lady Mary Joy 3 and were rescued from the dark sea by the coast guard, navy, a nearby ferry and local fishermen. Who is Evan Gershkovich? What we know about WSJ reporter arrested by Russia for espionage In this photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Coast Guard personnel plucks a survivor from the waters near a burning MV Lady Mary Joy at Basilan, southern Philippines early Thursday March 30, 2023. The Provincial Government of Basilan extended financial assistance to passengers aboard the vessel, according to a government Facebook post. Gov. Jim Salliman visited the survivors at the passengers' terminal in Isabela City early Thursday morning. The ferry was traveling to Jolo from the southern port city of Zamboanga when it caught fire off Basilan close to midnight, Hataman said. At least 23 people on board were injured and taken to hospitals, officials said. In this photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard, survivors rest after being rescued from the still burning MV Lady Mary Joy at Basilan, southern Philippines early Thursday March 30, 2023. In this photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard, a Philippine Coast Guard ship trains its hose as it tries to extinguish fire on the MV Lady Mary Joy at Basilan, southern Philippines early Thursday March 30, 2023. The burned ferry was towed to Basilans shoreline, the governor said, where the bodies of 18 of the 31 victims were discovered in a budget section of the passenger cabin. These victims perished on board due to the fire, Hataman told The Associated Press by telephone. He said more people may have been on the ferry who were not listed on its manifest. The ferrys skipper, however, told coast guard officials that he tried to run the burning ferry aground on the nearest shore to allow more people to survive or be rescued, regional coast guard commander Rejard Marfe said. The fire raged for about eight hours, he said. In this handout photo provided by the Philippine Ports Authority Zamboanga, rescuers assist a survivor of the MV Lady Mary Joy fire as some of the survivors arrive in Zamboanga, southern Philippines Thursday Mar. 30, 2023. In this handout photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), PCG members check the remains of the MV Lady Mary Joy that caught fire in Basilan, southern Philippines early Thursday, March 30, 2023. Passengers roused from sleep Hataman said some of the passengers were roused from their sleep due to the commotion caused by the fire. "Some jumped off the ship, he said. Story continues The steel-hulled ferry could accommodate up to 430 people and was not overcrowded, Marfe said. According to the manifest, it was carrying 205 passengers and a 35-member crew, he said. In addition, it had a security contingent consisting of four coast guard marshals and an unspecified number of soldiers who were not listed on the manifest for their protection, Marfe said. He said officials are investigating whether the 33-year-old ferry was seaworthy, if there were passengers not listed on the manifest, and whether the crew properly guided passengers to safety. This handout picture taken on March 29, 2023 and released by the Philippine Coast Guard shows the Philippine Coast Guard spraying water on a fire onboard the Lady Mary Joy 3 during a search and rescue operation in waters off Baluk-Baluk Island in Basilan province. Contributing: The Associated Press Natalie Neysa Alund covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Philippines ferry fire: At least 31 dead, passengers missing In this photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard, a Philippine Coast Guard ship trains its hose as it tries to extinguish fire on the MV Lady Mary Joy at Basilan, southern Philippines early Thursday March 30, 2023. Multiple people died and others were missing after an inter-island cargo and passenger ferry with more than 200 passengers and crew onboard caught fire close to midnight in the southern Philippines, a provincial governor said Thursday. | Philippine Coast Guard via Associated Press At least 31 people were killed when a ferry in southern Philippines caught fire Thursday. The fire raged overnight for eight hours, impacting an estimated 250 people that included passengers and crew members who were onboard, The Associated Press reported. A large number of the survivors in the incident had jumped ship and were then rescued by either the coast guard, navy and nearby ferry and fishermen, per the AP. Search and rescue efforts for missing people onboard the MV Lady Mary Joy 3 continue and are somewhat challenging because the number of missing people isnt exactly known at this point. The number of people onboard the ferry is also not completely clear as of yet. What happened with the Philippines ferry fire? The ferry was on its way from southern port city Zamboanga to Jolo Town when the fire started around midnight. The ferry was ultimately towed to the Basilan shoreline. Some residents on the shore witnessed the fire and jumped into action to try to help, CNN reported. Some of the passengers were roused from their sleep due to the commotion caused by the fire. Some jumped off the ship, Gov. Jim Hataman of the southern island province of Basilan told the AP. The cause of the fire has not been clear or disclosed at this time. Some passengers were alerted by an explosion and jumped off the boat. What other maritime incidents has the Philippines experienced? According to BBC, the Philippines has experienced other maritime issues in the past. Vessels are often overcrowded with many ageing ships still in use. Last year, a fire on a high-speed ferry killed at least seven people, BBC reported. A ferry crashed into a fuel tanker in 1987 off Philippine shores, killing more than 4,300 people making it the worlds worst peacetime maritime disaster, per the AP. The Los Angeles Lakers have had a hard time catching a break when it has come to injuries over the last couple of years. It has seemed like both LeBron James and Anthony Davis have seldom been healthy enough to be in the lineup together, and a number of other key players have also missed time due to injury. James returned on Sunday after missing a month with a right foot tendon injury, and there was some doubt that he would be able to play on Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls. In addition, DAngelo Russell has already missed eight games since being traded to the Lakers in February. But both James and Russell will be available to play versus the Bulls in Illinois on Wednesday. LeBron, AD and Russell are all officially available tonight at Chicago. Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) March 29, 2023 As is the case with every game at this point, this contest carries a high level of importance for the Lakers, as they sit in ninth place in the Western Conference and have had trouble climbing the standings despite some very solid play lately. More Latest Lakers News! Lakers vs. Bulls: Lineups, injury reports and broadcast info for Wednesday Story originally appeared on LeBron Wire About 400 people gathered at the desert site north of Idaho Falls on Tuesday to celebrate the achievement of a major milestone in the effort to remove nuclear waste from Idaho. It should be cause for all Idahoans to celebrate. It means Idahos water is safer than it was before, and it demonstrates that we have a consistently improving ability to handle the byproducts of nuclear energy, a vital source of carbon-free electricity that we desperately need to combat climate change. The Idaho Cleanup Project successfully moved the last canisters of spent nuclear fuel old uranium fuel rods from nuclear reactors at Idaho National Laboratory and the nearby Naval Reactor Facility from wet storage to dry storage earlier this month. If you walk through the doors behind me you would actually see the site of the empty pool, said Connie Flohr, the Department of Energys manager of the Idaho Cleanup Project, at the event. That is a testament to the hard work, vision and collaboration of all of you in this room. Dry storage is safer than wet storage for a few reasons. In wet storage, fuel rods can corrode and contaminate the water that houses them. So the water has to be actively treated continuously to keep it clean. In dry storage, waste is sealed off in canisters that can be more or less left alone. The shift to dry storage also eliminates the possibility of contaminated water leaking into the East Snake Plain Aquifer, the main source of irrigation and drinking water for residents and agricultural operations from St. Anthony to Twin Falls. And the move to dry storage is also an important step toward shipping the waste out of the state, a core commitment Idaho won from the Department of Energy under the leadership of former Govs. Cecil Andrus and Phil Batt. The task was completed nine months ahead of the Dec. 31 deadline set forth in the 1995 Settlement Agreement, which outlines plans for the U.S. Department of Energy to remove its waste from the Gem State. Story continues Nine months early is never something I get to say. You have made this possible, said Assistant Secretary Kathryn Huff, who leads the Office of Nuclear Energy, to the large group of gathered employees. Gov. Brad Little noted he has been coming out to the lab since the 1980s. The one constant is the dedicated people who do the hard work day in and day out to get this mission accomplished, said Little. I want to commend everybody for what youve done. Attorney General Raul Labrador lauded the accomplishment, as well. This is just fantastic for Idaho, Labrador said. INL Director John Wagner said the project also sends an important message. Its important to the nation, in terms of demonstrating how to responsibly manage our spent nuclear fuel and related materials, he said. Tuesdays celebration is the latest in a string of success for the Idaho Cleanup Project. Less than a year ago, the Accelerated Retrieval Project celebrated its completion 18 months ahead of schedule. But hard problems do remain. One is getting the Integrated Waste Treatment Unit, a facility meant to solidify about 900,000 gallons of liquid radioactive waste so it can be shipped out of the state, up and running. The unit uses novel technology, and it has faced chronic technical difficulties that have caused past deadlines to be missed. Flohr said in an interview that the Cleanup Project hopes to begin a new round of testing at IWTU next month. The other major hurdle is getting spent fuel in dry storage shipped out of the state. The waste from the Accelerated Retrieval Project is being shipped to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico, but the spent nuclear fuel has no available destination. It was originally planned to be shipped to Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository, but that facility has never opened (and likely never will open) due to political opposition. But the recent successes give a reason for hope and to look back on the long, hard work it took to get here. At the beginning of March, Little was meeting with cleanup officials to discuss progress on the wet-to-dry storage transfer milestone. I was looking forward to updating Gov. Batt on where we are. Because those of us that know him he was naturally a skeptic of everything, Little said in an interview. Little planned to give Batt an update on his 96th birthday, he said. Unfortunately, that was the day Batt died. But his work to remove nuclear waste from Idaho wont be forgotten. I want everyone to know that his legacy is alive and well, Little said. Bryan Clark is an opinion writer for the Idaho Statesman based in eastern Idaho. State legislators this week moved a bill forward that would require government agencies that administer housing assistance programs to give preference to Arizona residents. The Arizona Republic raised the issue in a March story about how people from across the U.S. were competing for spots on Glendales housing choice voucher waitlist. When Glendale opened its voucher waitlist in 2021, more than 11,000 households from 48 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico applied. Because the waitlist was populated by a random lottery, many out-of-state applicants were picked for the waitlist, while some Glendale residents were not. Housing assistance "waitlist shopping" is a nationwide phenomenon. The increasing scarcity of affordable housing in the U.S. has meant more poor families are willing to move far from home for subsidized housing. We want to give preferences to housing voucher programs for Arizona residents. They should not be competing with someone in Illinois to be on the waitlist. We need to take care of Arizonans first, Sen. Steve Kaiser, R-Phoenix, said at Tuesdays House Commerce Committee meeting. The bill, drafted by Rep. Analise Ortiz, D-Phoenix, also includes two other provisions. The first provision would require municipalities with a population of more than 525,000 to allow by-right development of low-income apartment complexes on land near public transit and already zoned for commercial, mixed-use or multifamily residential development. The second provision would require municipalities to publish reports assessing their housing needs every five years. The proposed legislation moved out of the House Commerce Committee with a bipartisan 7-3 vote. High demand: Affordable housing crisis has 'waitlist shoppers' across US vying for few Arizona vouchers The Arizona Housing Coalition supports the bill because it is a targeted solution to the affordable housing crisis, lobbyist Lourdes Pena said at the hearing. Story continues But Phoenix, Tucson and the League of Arizona Cities and Towns oppose the bill because it would permanently expand property rights for developers over residents, for a temporary issue ... of housing affordability, said lobbyist Nick Ponder. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which funds the housing choice voucher program and other affordable housing programs, does not allow municipalities to limit their applicant pools to locals. Allowing people to apply to waitlists wherever they want gives them freedom and a shot at upward mobility and can decrease racial discrimination, according to HUD. Juliette Rihl covers housing insecurity and homelessness for The Arizona Republic. She can be reached at jrihl@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter @julietterihl. Coverage of housing insecurity on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Arizona Community Foundation. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Legislation proposes housing aid programs must prioritize Arizonans As a public service, The Tennessean has made this content free. The Covenant School shooter on Monday used two assault-style rifles. Even under ordinary circumstances, the weapon is so powerful and destructive the shooter used it to blow quickly through two sets of locked school doors, before moving upstairs to spray bullets so lethally into a half dozen human bodies, large and small. For children, a pediatric surgeon said, such wounds are almost unsurvivable There is, in my view, a straight line connecting those awful murders and ugly terror at The Covenant School on Monday to the day in 2021 when Gov. Bill Lee and Republican legislators celebrated giving the gun industry what it wanted: Cancellation of handgun permitting for adults in Tennessee. Hear more Tennessee Voices: Get the weekly opinion newsletter for insightful and thought provoking columns. Congress must act to ban assault weapons Tennessees Republican regime will deny this connection, of course. But dont you believe them. Those Tennessee policymakers were boastful at the time, crowding into the official photo in fact. Gov. Bill Lee is flanked by Republican members of the state legislature Wed., June 2, 2021 during a ceremonial bill signing of his permitless carry legislation. All were eager to take credit, with Lee, for relaxing Tennessees gun laws, to suit the gun lobby and over the objections of law enforcement. Blood is on their hands in the capital city. On Monday afternoon, Nashvilles Police Chief John Drake said The Covenant School shooter purchased seven guns at local area gun stores (though brought only three of them in the attack at the school). Two of those three guns were semi-automatic combat-type weapons, and the Monday attack was one more reminder that such menacing firepower, originally designed for military and law enforcement uses, should not be in the hands of civilians at all. Congress should firmly re-instate the federal ban on such weapons now. Sign up for Black Tennessee Voices newsletter:Read compelling columns by Black writers from across Tennessee. Politicians hope the media will look away Words matter, but we are not hearing any helpful words from state leaders in the wake of The Covenant School carnage that has devastated a half-dozen families in our town and terrified and alarmed thousands more. Story continues What we dont need are more of those vacuous thoughts and prayers from our elected officials. We need action now. Anymore, those thoughts and prayers dodges have cheapened our language, in service to their agenda of avoidance. Its a lazy politicians empty rhetoric thats become Republican code for doing nothing, out of political fear, hiding behind evasive piety that is irreligious and certainly non-Christian. The people who say those words, in my view, just want the news cameras to look the other way. Sign up for Latino Tennessee Voices newsletter:Read compelling stories for and with the Latino community in Tennessee. Please save us and our children What we do need, in this wretched moment, is for every lawmaker, from Tennessees Capitol Hill in Nashville to the U.S. Congress in Washington, to do their jobs. Its not enough to parrot the gun lobbys propaganda about the Second Amendment. Please save us and our children from too much bad policy. Keel Hunt This must start with straight talk and candor about life and death, and how lax guns laws put everyone at risk and small children terribly so. Just as we were all called on Monday night to help our children through the day and evening with what to make of the murders, our elected officials need to hear our own straight talk now. A good example was the comment on Monday from state Sen. Heidi Campbell, a Democrat. She said of gun violence and lax gun laws: It doesnt matter whats in your head or heart; its whats in your hand. Guns should not be so prevalent in our state and culture, and automatic weapons should be banned everywhere. Take away the tools of death and human suffering, think about the defenseless children in Uvalde, Texas, and Parkland, Florida, and now The Covenant School, and dont be deterred by anything or any special interest from doing the right thing in this moment. We all and our elected representatives must rise to this moment. Remember how you felt on Monday when you heard the news of young lives lost, and the three adults who also didnt make it home to the dinner table that night. Hold that feeling strong in your heart until politicians, state and federal, do what is right. Before next Election Day, they are counting on you to forget. Keel Hunt, columnist for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee, is the author of four books on politics and culture. Read more at www.KeelHunt.com This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What lessons do we take from The Covenant School shooting? Rep. James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, speaks during a hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023. House Republicans plan to grill former Twitter executives over their alleged cooperation with the FBI to squelch the story of Hunter Biden's laptop, the opening salvo in their probe into the Biden family finances. Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) is the chair of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, which, under Republican control, has pivoted to investigations of President Joe Biden and his messy son Hunter in the lead-up to the 2024 election. A recent New York Times profile chronicled Comers transformation from an affable country boy who voted to certify the results of the 2020 election to MAGA attack dog. The profile also resurfaced disturbing allegations that Comer physically assaulted an ex-girlfriend in college and later tried to discredit her claims. That woman, Marilyn Thomas, claimed the anti-abortion congressman took her to get an abortion in the 1990s. The anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony List has given Comer an A+ rating. Read more Jezebel contacted Comers office for comment and did not hear back by publication time. Thomas declined the Times request for comment. The reports of Comers alleged domestic abuse first came to light in 2015, when a local blogger published them during Comers unsuccessful run for governor in Kentucky. In Mary 2015, as the blogs circulated and reporters hounded her, Thomas sent a letter to a Louisville Courier-Journal reporter in which she said she was upset about people online calling her a liar and opportunist. The four-page letter went on to recount her experiences with Comer in devastating detail. Thomas said they dated for two years in Western Kentucky University in the 1990s and claimed that Comer not only hit her, but was a toxic, abusive, and controlling partner who isolated her from family and friends. Thomas heavily implied that Comer impregnated her and said he took her to an abortion clinic in November 1991 when she was 19, and was enraged when she listed his real name as the person escorting her home. Thomas said she kept documentation of the abortion given to her by the clinic. Story continues The Courier-Journal reporter published a story quoting her letter two weeks before the 2015 Republican gubernatorial primary. Thomas told the reporter the abortion documents were in a security deposit box in Kentucky that she couldnt immediately access. Wendy Curley, her college roommate, told the reporter Thomas would come home with bruises that she chalked up to clumsiness, and corroborated Comer taking Thomas to an abortion clinic and bringing her back to the dorms after. In response to the Courier-Journals report, Comer said he and Thomas only dated for four months and denied the other allegations. But the disclosure prompt[ed] Mr. Comer to resort to hardball tactics, per the Times, which included him suggesting that one of his opponents had paid Thomas to come forward, and leaking some of the bloggers emails to suggest the blogger was secretly working with one of his opponents. Comer went on to lose the primary to Matt Bevin (who later became governor), but was elected to Congress the following year. In last weeks Times profile, Comer again denied Thomas allegations, admitted that he leaked the bloggers emails in an attempt to discredit Thomas story, and implied that hed gotten them from a stolen email server. This man is now in possession of Hunter Bidens potentially illegally obtained laptop server. Heres the passage from the Times: The rumor whispered around Kentucky political circles at the time was that Mr. Comer had swiped the emails from the computer server for the husband [of the running mate of another candidate]s former law firm and leaked them to the newspaper. In an interview with The Times, Mr. Comer confirmed, for the first time, that he had been behind the leak and strongly hinted he had gotten them from the server. Ive had two servers in my lifetime, Mr. Comer said when asked about the emails. Hunter Bidens is one, and you canIm not going to say who the other one was, but you can use your imagination. It ended up in my lap, Mr. Comer added of the information. Ill put it like that. The Times said it obtained Thomas four-page letter but did not print it. Louisvilles WHAS11 News first published the letter in full in May 2015 with her permission, and Jezebel is sharing it here. In it, Thomas refers to Comer as Jamie, which people in Kentucky still call him. House Republicans are investigating Hunter Bidens laptop as part of their desperate effort to paint the Presidents family as corrupt with tenuous links to Chinese businessmen. Comer himself spoke on a panel at the 2023 Conservative Political Action Conference titled The Biden Crime Family. Its all certainly convenient timing, when former President Donald Trump is facing multiple criminal and civil investigations. Keep these allegations in mind when you see Comer and his committee trying to tie the Biden family to crimes with evidence from a dubious email server. More from Jezebel Sign up for Jezebel's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. A police vehicle drives under a sign in downtown Salinas, Calif., on March 15. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) To the editor: How sad that the Salinas Californian's only sign of life is the paid obituaries that run in the Gannett-owned newspaper, which no longer employs any reporters. The free press enabled Colonial radicals to a new form of government. Our republics founders were brilliant in including protection of freedom of the press. It was the only industry that they specifically protected in the Constitution. They knew this innovative government needed informed citizens. When the Salinas Californian and hundreds of other newspapers stop providing local news, the American experiment comes closer to its end. In a time of new technology, we must find new ways to protect local newspapers. One way is to tell California legislators to enact Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks' (D-Oakland) California Journalism Preservation Act and members of Congress to enact the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act of 2022. We need foundations to support weak papers, a fund to provide free newspapers to students, and free tuition for journalism students. Yes, democracy dies in darkness. We need a healthy press and informed citizens. Lloyd A. Dent, Northridge .. To the editor: What a sad story about the demise of journalism at the Salinas Californian. My family and I lived in Salinas in the late 1950s, and I delivered that paper to local residents Monday through Saturday (no Sunday paper was published). The paper was always easy to deliver from my canvas bags hooked on the handlebars of my bike and thrown from the sidewalk. The only exception was the huge edition published when the rodeo was in town. For that, my dad and brothers had to help me fill several cardboard boxes. The paper had to be delivered to each porch by hand from the back of my dads station wagon. Its tough to lose something at the center of such a great memory. Dave Schwien, Seal Beach This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The Dewey Hotel in Los Angeles, a Skid Row Housing Trust Property, is closed because of a recent fire. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) To the editor: I've been fortunate to meet many people whose lives were transformed for the better by the work of Skid Row Housing Trust. So, it is very disheartening to read about the organizational mismanagement and horrible conditions of many of the trust's buildings. Even as organizations like the trust have built more supportive housing and placed more people into permanent housing in recent years than in previous decades, we haven't paid enough attention to funding for long-term operations and support for residents. Until policymakers come up with sufficient funding well beyond the tax credit financing system, we will see similar challenges for other organizations that could create turmoil for leadership, staff, investors and most importantly the residents who have found healing and transformation in this housing. Bill Pitkin, Los Angeles The writer is a senior policy fellow at the Urban Institute. .. To the editor: The issue of homelessness has always been and always will be about human beings who cannot care for themselves. A roof, a toilet and a kitchen are not enough. This is not a problem that can be solved on the streets, in hospitals or in nursing homes in the long term. The question is, when will fully functioning citizens acknowledge this and establish enough settings for people with disabilities or mental illness to be cared for? In the wealthiest nation in the world, the burden should not fall on nonprofits such as the Skid Row Housing Trust. It also should not be the responsibility of California or any other state to create programs and fund the care of the disabled and unhoused. This essential endeavor should be the responsibility of the federal government. We need to demand from our representatives a federal program and national safety net, with treatment facilities in every state. We need housing, support and other resources for all Americans who cannot care for themselves. Stephanie Kirschner, Agoura Hills This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. You may not find anything strange with Levis newest female model, dressed in a simple white tee and iconic branded overalls. But in reality, she doesnt exist at all the model is a product of an artificial intelligence program created by Lalaland.ai, which is collaborating with the top denim dynasty in the world. Levis described Lalaland.ai as a digital fashion studio that builds custom models from scratch. Models could be male, female, Black, white, Asian or have any other custom characteristics. We are planning tests of this technology using AI-generated models to supplement human models, increasing the number and diversity of our models for our products in a sustainable way, Levis said in a news release. In an effort to diversify their modeling pool using AI, Levis ended up in the hot seat when it came to Twitter critics, who asked the company why it wouldnt just pay real minorities to model, instead of funding AI technology. We hope to see more human models who are authentic and diverse, Lotus Solutions, a company that centers itself around diversity in the workplace, said on Twitter. Its super easy to create actual equity and diversity by hiring real humans across a spectrum of ages, hair types, skin tones, body shapes, disabilities gender expressions etc, Multimedia manager Brigette Supernova added. They were two of the dozens of questions and biting remarks aimed at Levis for the announced partnership but Levis responded that it had no intention of reeling back their real-life models. We hope to see more human models who are authentic and diverse. Read @LEVIS to Use AI Models to 'Increase #Diversity and #Sustainability' at https://t.co/oA7uMwmJnV. pic.twitter.com/ioEiDUzCRA Lotus Solutions LLC (@LotusSLLC) March 28, 2023 Now why does @LEVIS feel generating fake diverse models with AI serves and represents diversity? Is that not avoiding any way to pay people of color. kali (@KaleshaNicole) March 30, 2023 Another way to phrase this: @LEVIS is using AI generated people as a way to avoid hiring and paying models who arent white https://t.co/tBQmEJ1mF6 Paul Fischer (@tencents77) March 25, 2023 Our recent announcement of a partnership with Lalaland.ai did not properly represent certain aspects of the program. For that, we take responsibility, Levis said in a March 28 response statement. We do not see this pilot as a means to advance diversity or as a substitute for the real action that must be taken to deliver on our diversity, equity and inclusion goals and it should not have been portrayed as such. Story continues It added that the company would not be minimizing live shoots, live model use or collaboration with diverse models in the future. The spotlight on Levis decision to incorporate AI in its company is one instance in a growing trend of AI encroaching on workplaces and professions. Other forms of art and media, including photography, are eyeing the technology warily as it spreads, McClatchy News previously reported. One major concern as highlighted by how realistic Lalaland.ais models are is the fact that technology can create fake people. I also think that were not ready for the social implications of being able to spoof people at scale ... The idea that you could do this for anyone is sort of a new phenomenon, University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School professor Ethan Mollick told NPR after making a fake video of himself giving a lecture. According to Lalaland.ai, no physical samples are needed to create a lifelike model in less than five minutes, and its 90% faster than an average photo shoot. Even so, Levis stressed that it considers AI a tool to improve their approach to modeling not a replacement for real people. While AI will likely never fully replace human models for us, we are excited for the potential capabilities this may afford us for the consumer experience, Dr. Amy Gershkoff Bolles, global head of digital and emerging technology strategy at Levi Strauss & Co, said in the release. We see fashion and technology as both an art and a science. We asked ChatGPT to write an article about itself. Heres why the response is worrying Racist, ominous video of principal was really student-made deepfake, NY school says Woman hires AI to make photos of her but something isnt quite right, TikTok shows Native American remains wrongfully used in colleges teaching labs, NH school says Japanese LGBTQ activists and supporters on Thursday held an inaugural Pride 7 Summit in Tokyo, where they called on Group of Seven governments to promote and strengthen support and legal protections for LGBTQ people and urged Japan's government to enact an anti-discrimination law before it hosts this years G-7 summit in May. Japan is the only G-7 country that does not recognize same-sex marriage or provide other equal rights protections for LGBTQ people. Participants at the Pride 7 Summit called on the G-7 to protect the rights of LGBTQ people and prohibit discrimination throughout society. The Pride 7 engagement group will finalize the wording of a draft communique and submit it to each G-7 nation by the end of April, said Kanae Doi, Japan director of Human Rights Watch and a P-7 organizer. P-7 was established in March to make policy proposals to step up efforts ahead of the G-7 summit, which will be held in Hiroshima. While momentum is on the rise ahead of the G-7, experts say legalizing an anti-discrimination law for LGBTQ people would have to wait some time if they miss this chance. Makiko Terahara of the equal rights group Marriage for All Japan who is on the executive committee for Pride 7 said LGBTQ people have been fighting to achieve legislation for anti-discrimination, marriage equality and gender recognition without inhuman requirements including the removal of reproductive organs. Terahara said that Japan, as the only G-7 nation in Asia and chair of this year's summit, should lead efforts to address these issues including the enactment of an anti-discrimination law. The necessary legislation is not only a minimum requirement for them to be able to live as they are, but also a symbolic step toward eliminating underlying discrimination and prejudice against them, Terahara said. Thursday's summit was attended by consuls and other senior officials from G-7 nations and the European Union, and lawmakers and representatives from economic organizations, labor unions and other organizations. Story continues Rights activists say Japan's conservative government has stonewalled the push for equal rights supported by the general public. Support for LGBTQ people in Japan has come slowly, but recent surveys show the majority of Japanese support legalizing same-sex marriage. Support among the business community has rapidly increased. Moriaki Kida, chairperson and CEO of EY Japan, an affiliate of the global accounting and consultancy firm, said Japan has been losing talented people to other economies because it doesn't have an equality law and due to its refusal to recognize same-sex marriage. Patrick Jordan of Coca-Cola (Japan) Co. said when he moved to Japan his husband was not recognized as his legal spouse, even though his heterosexual friends' husbands and wives were recognized. I wish I did not have to experience this discrimination, he said, adding that the experience prompted him to believe that Japan would benefit greatly by recognizing equal rights for LGBTQ people. Kishida has insisted that allowing same-sex marriage would change Japans family values and society and that it requires careful consideration. He has not clearly expressed his view and is seen as indecisive as he governs the ultra-conservatives in his party who object to a law spelling out anti-discrimination against LGBTQ people. LGBTQ activists and their supporters have increased their efforts to achieve an anti-discrimination law following discriminatory remarks in February by a former Kishida aide, who said he wouldnt want to live next to LGBTQ people and that citizens would flee Japan if same-sex marriage were allowed. Following national outrage over the remarks, Kishidas governing Liberal Democratic Party and other non-partisan lawmakers have begun preparing legislation to promote awareness of LGBTQ rights, but some conservatives have shown resistance and progress is uncertain. Ralph Norman's life was changed forever almost 13 years ago when a stray bullet left him paralyzed, launching him into a world of depression and fears of stigma as part of the ever-growing list of US victims of gun violence. On their way to celebrate high school graduation, Norman and his friends stopped at a gas station outside New York, when they got caught in the crossfire of a nearby shooting. Norman was hit in the neck, and after 14 hours in the operating room, awoke to a new reality as a quadriplegic. He can only move his shoulders a bit along with his head, and relies 24 hours a day on assistance to eat, brush his teeth, comb his hair, bathe and lie down. Someone must also empty saliva that accumulates in the tube that helps him breathe. For a long time, he hid the reason that he was using a wheelchair. "Until the last two years, I have never told I was shot by a bullet. I was always saying, oh, car accident because I was ashamed because when I first got hurt, I was judged of being in a gang," Norman told AFP. "When you mention gun violence, you get some stigma," he said. After years of depression, he decided to seek help and support. He's now able to use a computer via a device operated with his mouth, and every evening participates in a video chat with other gun victims from across the country. They share their experiences and discuss the realities and limitations they face. They also frequently discuss the news, including the school shooting on Monday in Nashville, Tennessee, in which three children and three adults were shot dead. "I don't understand what is going on in their heads," Norman said. - Under-discussed issue - In 2020 alone, gun violence left more than 45,000 people dead, according to official data more than half of them by suicide. The economic impact of such violence in the United States costs tens of billions of dollars in medical costs and lost productivity, authorities say. But there's little discussion of the survivors of such violence. Story continues Between 2009 and 2017, firearms caused double the injuries than deaths, according to a study by Elinore Kaufman, a doctor in the trauma division of Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia and an ardent critic of the proliferation of guns, of which some 400 million are circulating across the United States. At the Pennsylvania facility, seven out of 10 firearm victims arrive with injuries due to assaults or shootings, while two out of 10 are due to suicide attempts. "I don't think it is a problem that is nearly as well-known as it should be," Kaufman said. Victims can end up with wounds that are "absolutely life altering and permanent." "We see up to half of our patients develop post-traumatic stress disorder or depression, which is just as bad as what we see in our military veterans." - Racism and poverty - According to Kaufman, homicide rates among young Black populations are ten times higher than the next highest demographic. "Violence is really concentrated in communities that we as a larger society have put at risk by depriving them of opportunities and by allowing firearms to be readily available," she said. "Firearm violence particularly interpersonal firearm violence, assaults and homicides is very heavily determined by structural racism and poverty and lack of opportunity." When he was 10 years old, Oronde McClain was declared officially dead for two minutes and 17 seconds. He was shot in the back of the head as he tried to take cover during a shooting in Philadelphia. McClain had to relearn how to walk and talk. His right hand was partially paralyzed, which caused him trouble at school, particularly due to teasing from his peers. "I tried to commit suicide 22 times because I didn't know what to do in this world," he told AFP. But the now father of five finished high school and college, and decided "I'm gonna give back to my community." "When I'm helping another victim or help another survivor, that's helping me." McClain's head is heavily scarred, and he suffers from migraines and tremors. But "it's memories that hurt the worst," he says. He, like so many people in the United States, believe stricter regulation is a necessity: "We all have to work together as a team, politicians, police, everybody." "We work together, we can stop this." af/mdo/des Barbara Elmer, who is unsheltered, is sick while sitting on the Nomad Alliance bus temporarily parked outside a meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that is not in use on Wednesday, March 8, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Kseniya Kniazevas attention is trained on the gathering storm clouds on the western horizon. There are two consecutive days of rain and snow in the forecast and she needs to find a new place to park the Nomad Alliance bus. The bus has served as a warming center on wheels for people experiencing homelessness since the bitter cold of late January and early February, some nights sheltering 20 people from frigid temperatures. The 2001 bus, a repurposed food truck, is no frills. There are no passenger seats and it has a wood-burning stove for heat that is also used for cooking. Except for a couple of hammocks, the self-described nomads sleep in sleeping bags with thin foam pads and a few rugs to shield them from the cold metal floor. Most of the residents are shelter resistant, said Kniazeva, Nomad Alliances founder and executive director. Everyone here has been damaged in some way by shelters and victimized by shelters. They will absolutely not go into a shelter, she said. There are many reasons people experiencing homelessness dont want to stay in emergency shelters. They worry their property will be stolen, that there are few options for couples without children, or there are people who are struggling with mental illness and chronic illnesses who do not want to be in a congregate setting. Some people in substance abuse recovery do not want to be around people who use drugs. Others dont want to abide by shelter rules that limit smoking to designated areas and prohibit use of narcotics. Utahs State Homeless Services Coordinator Wayne Niederhauser said he and his wife regularly volunteer with outreach workers who serve unsheltered Utahns. There isnt a person Ive ever met thats unsheltered that doesnt have high anxiety, right? Its either what has happened to them, or whats happening to them, or both. Being unsheltered creates all kinds of anxieties, Niederhauser said. And then what we do is ask them to come to shelter where its a congregate shelter and theres multiple people in a room, and then we wonder why they dont want to stay there and it creates all kinds of triggers. Story continues But many other people do elect to stay in homeless resource centers, which operate near capacity, he said. On Sunday, March 26, for instance, the Geraldine E. King Womens Resource Center and the Gail Miller Resource Center operated at 95% and 93% capacity, respectively, while the Pamela Atkinson Mens Resource Center was at 100%, according Salt Lake Citys housing stability dashboard. Mike Trigger Garcia, who is unsheltered, stands outside of the Nomad Alliance bus in Salt Lake City. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News The Nomad Alliance bus took a number of people experiencing homelessness off the streets during the harshest winter in recent memory. At least seven people died from exposure this winter, said Rep. Steve Eliason, R-Sandy, although it is unclear if the deaths were directly tied to lack of a shelter option. People experiencing homelessness interviewed for this story say they believe the number is much higher between the cases widely reported by Utah media and people who succumbed to illnesses or chronic conditions made worse by exposure to single-digit temperatures. On the rolling warming centers inaugural night, Jan. 30, Kniazeva posted this on the Nomad Alliances Facebook page: 21 people in here now, cozy with the wood burning stove. Were chatting...Bellies full from pizza. A composting toilet on the deck out back, with a privacy tarp surrounding. Robert West, who regularly stays on the bus, said he is thankful for it. If it wasnt for the bus, I dont know where me and my dog would be, he said. Pets are allowed in homeless resource centers owned by the nonprofit Shelter the Homeless, which provides 72% of all emergency shelter beds in Salt Lake County and they are also welcome at Lantern House in Ogden. Laurie Hopkins, executive director of Shelter the Homeless, also notes the nonprofits homeless resource centers were built with locking storage facilities to secure belongings of people who stay there. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News The Nomad Alliance bus is no barrier, meaning it takes all comers, though its tenants, as Kniazeva calls them, are expected to help keep the bus clean, provide and prepare meals, stoke the wood-burning stove and tidy up the area where the bus is parked. Tenants are allowed to smoke on the bus, which Kniazeva said is permitted because smoking and milling about outside can provoke complaints from neighbors. The bus has limited space so if one of the tenants is ill, theres no room to socially distance. Theres a bucket toilet on a platform on the back of the bus and water barrels on the upper deck for hygiene and other uses. Its close quarters for a handful of tenants and a tight fit for the 20 or so people who packed the bus in its early days. Tenant Barbara Elmer describes herself as the bus mother because she has managed the bus the past six weeks, doing the cooking, cleaning, conflict resolution and making sure the tenants property isnt stolen. Elmer said there are no hard and fast rules about the community, but the nomads self-police. Nomads dont call the police. We are the police, she explained. Kseniya Kniazeva, Nomad Alliance founder, reacts as AJ Lonewolf returns to the Nomad Alliance bus. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Mainstream homeless services providers, advocates and government officials acknowledge that limited shelter beds, services, permanent supportive housing and a lack of deeply affordable housing in Utah leaves service gaps. These groups are trying to fill a void that exists in terms of our current lack of sufficient overflow, particularly on the coldest nights and insufficient outreach from clinical outreach workers, who attempt to build relationships with people who are shelter resistant with the eventual goal of moving them into housing, said Eliason, R-Sandy. But challenges abound with the Nomad Alliance bus model, starting with where to park. Earlier this month, the bus was parked in the parking lot behind a meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that is currently not in use. Church officials confirmed that permission was granted on the understanding that the bus needed a temporary place to park. The church didnt issue any complaints, but police were called to the area three times in one week, according to redacted police records obtained by the Deseret News, presumably by area residents. A fire truck also responded to a call regarding the bus, which had been operating a wood-burning stove. Police asked the group to move the bus. The Salt Lake County Health Department has no record of complaints, but Salt Lake City police reports included complaints from unidentified concerned callers about a homeless camp directly behind church in a large blue bus ... has a fire going on top of the bus ... unsure if its threatening ... being very noisy and pounding on things. A post on the alliances Facebook page about the calls commented: Were learning so much. Especially how inhospitable people are to the homeless. The bus was not visible to anyone driving by the meetinghouse but was parked along the rear of the property where there are residences on the other side of the fence. Barbara Elmer rests on the lap of Mike Trigger Garcia on the Nomad Alliance bus. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News From there, the bus moved to the Chesterfield neighborhood of West Valley City, stopping along the way to refuel and unload refuse. After arriving in Chesterfield, a West Valley City police officer determined the current owner of the bus has never titled that bus. Its not registered. Its not licensed and its not insured, said Samuel Johnson, West Valley Citys communication director. After that interaction, the city had no further contact with the bus, Johnson said. The officer told alliance members that state code authorized him to impound the bus, but the officer opted instead to give them the opportunity to take care of those issues right away, Johnson said. When asked about the registration, licensure and insurance, Kniazeva said the alliance had 45 days from date of purchase to register it in its name. We just passed emissions and inspections and yes, it is insured in our name. I have an appointment tomorrow with the DMV to switch the registration over. This week, she texted photos of the emissions test and registration to the Deseret News, both dated March 20, 2023. The bus moved to a private avian sanctuary in West Valley City for nearly a week before returning to Salt Lake City. Finding a place to park the bus is a constant challenge. In Salt Lake City, at least, a city ordinance limits vehicle parking on any street to no more than 48 hours. Camping on public grounds is also unlawful and the city does issue citations, but officers try to work with people camping to relocate to other options and seek to avoid issuing citations, said Andrew Johnston, Salt Lake Citys director of homeless policy and outreach. Violating the ordinance is a misdemeanor offense. However, most times, we will utilize outreach teams first, then clean with police support because the public health issues tend to be relevant whenever there is camping. And most people do relocate when given some notice, Johnston said. On private property, overnight camping is not allowed generally, unless the private property is in a zoning district that allows outdoor recreation uses, such as the Salt Lake City KOA campground on North Temple. The Nomad Alliance bus. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Kniazeva said the alliances initial plan was to purchase a bus and turn it into a rolling internet cafe to help people experiencing homelessness and others obtain documents they need to apply for jobs, obtain state identification cards or drivers licenses, or apply for public assistance programs and housing. The alliance had planned to keep the bus in service as an overflow shelter until April 3 but will extend its operation due to rain and snowstorms forecast over the next 10 days with low temperatures in the 30s, she said. Kniazeva acknowledges that much about operating a rolling warming shelter was learned on the fly because the bus was acquired in late January and immediately pressed into service when winter temperatures dipped into the single digits. We had no plan other than getting people out of the cold and meeting their basic needs, said Kniazeva, whose professional background includes working on congressional campaigns and fundraising for nonprofit organizations. Once the bus is no longer hosting overnight stays, time spent remodeling it will also allow for the alliance to plan its next steps, she said. Mike Trigger Garcia, who is unsheltered, suffers from a four-day headache on the Nomad Alliance bus. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Unsheltered people and volunteers secure cargo before the Nomad Alliance bus. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Jamey Lopez and Jade Garcia volunteer on the Nomad Alliance bus. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Kseniya Kniazeva, Nomad Alliance founder, chops vegetables while preparing dinner for unsheltered people staying on the Nomad Alliance bus. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Volunteer Robert Loard serves dinner to unsheltered people staying on the Nomad Alliance bus. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Bear Eagle stops the Nomad Alliance bus and waits as Kseniya Kniazeva, Nomad Alliance founder, does a final sweep, picking up trash before the bus leaves a parking lot. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Kseniya Kniazeva, Nomad Alliance founder, looks at the $134 cost of diesel fuel they just put in the Nomad Alliance bus, which provides shelter and warmth to unsheltered people, at Flying J in Salt Lake City. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Kseniya Kniazeva, Nomad Alliance founder, does a final sweep, picking up trash before the Nomad Alliance bus leaves a parking lot. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Bear Eagle shakes hands with Steve Cardwell as they celebrate the Nomad Alliance bus making it to a new parking location in West Valley City, on Monday, March 13, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Robert West strings up lights and an extension cord on the Nomad Alliance bus. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News It is not yet clear where the bus will fit into the continuum of sheltering or emergency services after the Utah Legislatures passage of HB499, sponsored by Eliason and recently signed into law by Gov. Spencer Cox. HB499 authorizes the Utah Department of Health and Human Services to issue code blue alerts when temperatures dip to 15 degrees Fahrenheit or below. Under a code blue designation, homeless resource centers are able to expand capacity by 35%. It also permits other entities to open temporary winter response shelters such as the movie nights at First United Methodist Church, organized earlier this year by advocates for unsheltered individuals. Starting in December, the Methodist church opened its doors in the evenings to get people out of the weather, feed them, screen movies and allow them to sleep in the church overnight. Such options werent legally sanctioned but will be permissible through HB499 under a code blue designation. Volunteer Taylor Burke tries to secure a tarp during a windy snow storm so that an unsheltered female will be able to have some privacy in the designated bathroom area on the back of the Nomad Alliance bus. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News What the bill does HB499 says temporary winter response shelters and indoor facilities owned by a private organization, nonprofit organization, state government entity, or local government entity may be used to provide temporary shelter, but it does not specifically mention motorized vehicles. HB499 also sets an Aug. 1 deadline for city leaders to create a plan for winter overflow, which should help ensure more people have somewhere to go when temperatures fall to the point their lives are at risk, said Niederhauser. The Legislature also increased the state mitigation fund that helps cities that host homeless shelters or winter overflow facilities. But it also requires cities with camping bans on the books to enforce them unless theres not enough beds in the shelter, said Niederhauser. So theres this functional capacity issue thats addressed in statute, and that is, if there arent enough shelter beds, then there isnt the requirement to enforce strictly because where do people go? You got to have a place for people to go. We have to answer the question, Where do people go? If theres a place to go, they have to enforce it, he said. Meanwhile, the states new strategic plan to address homelessness in Utah leans heavily on developing housing both to prevent people from becoming homeless and to increase availability of permanent and permanent supportive housing with priority on people experiencing chronic unsheltered homelessness. The plans targeted outcomes by 2027 include: Create or identify 574 housing opportunities for people experiencing homelessness. Increase supportive service interactions by 20%. Reduce the number of people becoming homeless each year by 20%. Reduce homelessness by 7% for vulnerable subpopulations of chronically homeless, veterans, survivors of domestic violence, youth and people with disabilities. (AP) Her high school principal in Florida was shot and killed by a disgruntled former teacher. Her cousin murdered his ex-fiance with a gun before taking his own life. And now, this week, three adults and three children were mowed down at school by a heavily-armed former student in the same city where shes raising her family. Thats why 34-year-old mother Jen, who asked that only her first name be used, decided to attend her first rally on Thursday, joining hundreds of people clamoring for change on the grounds of the Tennessee Capitol the same building where lawmakers in the staunchly pro-gun state continue to uphold laws that leave assault rifles in the hands of the public. Honestly, this is my first rally; Ive never done this stuff before, she told The Independent, holding a poster that featured a family Christmas photo from Republican Rep. Andy Ogles that shows his family holding weapons. Our society does have a moral issue, she wrote alongside the photo of the politician, who represents the district where former student Audrey Hale killed six at The Covenant School on Monday. I felt compelled because Im a mom, and Ive dealt with gun violence directly, she said, adding that the rash of school shootings is a disgrace. Originally from Florida, the mother of two said that she is not against people having guns do what you want with your hunting rifle or whatever. A 34-year-old Nashville mother holds up a poster featuring the Christmas card of Republican Rep. Andy Ogles, which depicts his family armed with weapons (Sheila Flynn) But theres no reason why we should have ARs, absolutely zero reason, referring to the AR-15 assault rifle. Protestors halted downtown traffic on Thursday morning as they made their way towards the Capitol, with about 200 making it into the rotunda outside the chambers for state representatives shouting at lawmakers for red flag laws and other reforms. Outside, attendees chanted and waved signs picturing school shooting victims and emblazoned with enraged slogans. Linda Herrell, who went to the rally with her 17-year-old daughter and friends, held a poster that read BAN ASSAULT WEAPONS. Story continues There absolutely needs to be pressure on the lawmakers, because especially our representatives from Tennessee have no interest in protecting any of their citizens from gun violence, Ms Herrell told The Independent. They're all NRA supporters, and they believe that assault weapons are fine, and our state legislators are actively trying to reduce the age of gun ownership. They want permitless carry. They want anybody who wants a gun to have a gun -- and it makes no sense. It's completely illogical. The 54-year-old grew up in a hunting community where almost every family had guns, she said. I've never felt like just having a gun made somebody violent but people never had automatic weapons and assault weapons, she said. And at some level, it feels like because our government is so divided now that people ... especially on the far right, feel like if they give an inch, they'll lose all their access to having a gun. And so I think there's a lot of fear and mistrust that the government is trying to take over their ability to own a weapon, she said. But that's misguided, because what's happening is their children are being murdered at school, or at the grocery store, or when they go out to dinner; police officers are being attacked. She pointed out that responding officers on Monday quickly killed shooter Audrey Hale, ending the attack in less than 15 minutes as opposed to the tragic response last year in Uvalde, Texas -- when dozens of heavily armed officers in protective gear waited for over an hour to stop an attack that left 19 students and three teachers dead. Linda Herrell, 45, holds a BAN ASSAULT WEAPONS sign as she stands next to her 17-year-old daughter, Eleanor, and friends after a Thursday rally at the Tennessee State Capitol (Sheila Flynn) In Nashville, Ms Herrell, pointed out, officers ran straight into harm's way and they shouldn't have to do that. Their job is hard enough without having to run into situations like that and cope with that. American adamance about owning assault rifles, she said, is fear-based... theyre just afraid that if they give any inch, that all their guns will go away. Her daughter, a high school junior, pleaded for lawmakers to pay attention and understand the visceral terror of students like herself. Kids are just fighting to be able to keep going to school and have their safety and not have to have the fear that one day they might die in a place that they really love and where their friends are, Eleanor Herrell said. Like many her age, she was angry on Thursday; her entire life has been marked by news of school shootings across the country, and this week one happened in her backyard. SKaila Colbert, 28, was in high school when the Sandy Hook massacre happened -- and, more than a decade later, is clamoring for change to ensure her own childrens safety (Sheila Flynn) Nothing concrete has been done by the adults in power who are charged with protecting America and its children. Its important to have the vigils and have the prayers and have the support, but its also important to make change because, I mean, it keeps happening, the Nashville teen told The Independent. You see it every day in the news. I mean, Im wearing a Virginia shirt right now; there was a shooting there just a few months ago ... it just feels like every aspect of life is just taken up by this kind of stuff. SKaila Colbert, who works at a nonprofit helping women and children, was in high school at the time of the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012. That was over 10 years ago and so, to still feel those same emotions and that same heartache attached with an issue that has been ongoing for years and years and years, I felt it very important to be here, Ms Colbert said. I have a six-year-old, and I cant imagine him hearing those alarms and him feeling that threat. And I want it to be something that he never experiences, as well as any other child. Children shouldnt have to go through that. No one should have to go through that. Teachers shouldnt have to experience that. She said: I would love to see some police change, some gun reform and I think, really, it just comes down to having a heart, to look at the safety and the well-being of the people of the state, of the children of this state, and listening to the people. We are asking for what we want. Today, weve made our voices heard and known. So I really think that its on policymakers now to heed the people, to listen to the people. WARSAW, Poland Lithuanias chief of defense, Lt. Gen. Valdemaras Rupsys, has announced the countrys military aims to acquire up to 54 tanks to strengthen the combat capacities of the Lithuanian land forces. We are proposing to transform one mechanized infantry battalion into a tank battalion, Rupsys said, as quoted by local broadcaster TV3. The defense chief said that relevant recommendations had been submitted to the Lithuanian government as part of the nations efforts to create a division-sized unit within its armed forces. The unit will operate infantry fighting vehicles and tanks, among others. The latest declaration comes as numerous Eastern European allies are pursuing tank acquisitions in the aftermath of Russias invasion of Ukraine. In April 2022, Poland signed a deal worth about $4.75 billion to purchase 250 M1A2 Abrams SEPv3 tanks from the United States. In January 2023, the countrys Ministry of National Defence inked a second contract, valued at some $1.4 billion, to purchase 116 second-hand M1A1 Abrams from the U.S. In addition to the Abrams, last year, Warsaw ordered some 1,000 K2 Black Panther tanks, of which 180 units will be manufactured by Hyundai Rotem in South Korea, and a further 820 tanks in the K2PL variant are to be jointly made by the two countries defense sectors. In Romania, the Ministry of National Defence aims to buy a battalions worth of Abrams from the U.S. Bucharest could acquire as many as 54 units to replace some of its Armys outdated Soviet-times tanks. Meanwhile, the Czech Republic is advancing plans to purchase new Leopard 2A7+ tanks from Germany. Last May, Czech Defence Minister Jana Cernochova suggested the nation could buy up to 50 tracked vehicles for its land forces. Local women helping local women in need. A couple of Boston-area business owners are collaborating on a project to help provide healthy, nutritious meals at a Boston shelter. Every day at the Womens Lunch Place on Newbury Street, plenty of nutritious and hearty meals are prepared. Having a good meal in your stomach allows you to think, start thinking about finding a job, start thinking about housing, said Allegra Marra, and volunteer and the Womens Lunch Place Corporate Relations Manager. Without that good meal, you really cant process any of that. Volunteers not only serve healthy foods, the daytime shelter also offers women a place to get whatever they needfrom doing laundry to working on their resume. Relying solely on donations, the Womens Lunch Place is always looking for helpand thats where two local entrepreneurs stepped in. Lets make something fun, lets do what we do best, but do it in a way where we can give back to our community, said Brittany Di Capua, the founder of Boston Food Journal. And then together we chose the give back to the Womens Lunch Place, said Lindsay Tia, the Owner of Reilly Laine and The Cue. Lindsay Tia has used her Reilly Laine candle manufacturing company to donate to several causes, so when Brittany Di Capua, the founder of Boston Food Journal, called her up to create a Meals on Heels candle to benefit the Womens Lunch Place during Womens History Month, it was a no-brainer. I think the most important thing for me as a business owner is to give back what people have given me an opportunity and to pay it forward, said Tia. And being able to do that for women in our community is the most important thing to me. Every day, anywhere from 100 to 175 women walk through the doors at Womens Lunch Place in search of a nutritious meal. With the Meals on Heels campaign for every candle sold, it will provide a healthy breakfast. Last year, we actually served the most meals weve ever served, said Marra. It was 111,000 meals to our guests. Story continues With a growing need, Lindsay and Brittany hope their candles sell out. Were almost there, but were we want to close out the month with, like a home run, said Tia. Even when their campaign ends, their other goal is to spread awareness and support for the shelter. Let people know what it is and how it helps the community so that even if you dont purchase a candle, maybe you can get involved in another way down the line and just know what this great organization is doing for the community, said Di Capua. If youd like to purchase a candle to help support the Womens Lunch Place, you can click here. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW WWII veteran Erle Donaldson Bartlesville area WW II veteran Erle Donaldson and his son, Vincent Erle Donaldson of Owasso, who served in Vietnam, are two of 67 Oklahoma veterans who will take an all-expenses-paid Oklahoma Warriors Honor Flight April 18 to visit the war memorials in Washington, D.C. The senior Donaldson served in the U.S. Army from 1945-48, while his son served in both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Navy from 1974-2016. We are honored to have the opportunity to take these courageous veterans to visit their war memorials in Washington D.C., said Vic Wheeler, president of the Oklahoma Warriors Honor Flight. It is a privilege to be able to offer this experience to those who have given so much for our country. We could not do this without the support of our community, and we encourage everyone to get involved and show their support. Vietnam veteran Vincent Erle Donaldson The veterans and guardians will begin their journey with a welcome ceremony, dinner and overnight stay April 17 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tulsa. Hard Rock is a sponsoring partner with Oklahoma Warriors Honor Flights. The veterans will be transported early the next morning to Tulsa International Airport to take a chartered American Airlines plane to Washington, D.C., and will return that evening. To learn more about volunteering with Oklahoma Warriors Honor Flight, visit www.OklahomaWarriors.org or call 877-422-6943. This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Local veteran and son to take Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. ROSEVILLE The Muskingum County Sheriff's Office is continuing to investigate an incident of a family of four being lost in the woods early Thursday morning. The sheriff's office said about 2:45 a.m. Thursday it received a phone call of a man, woman and their two children who lost in the wooded area around Jeff's Park on Fultonrose Road, about two miles from Ohio 93 in Roseville. Authorities said they became lost after something happened to the off-road vehicle they were in. Deputies found the family shortly after 4 a.m. They were reported uninjured. Names of those involved have not been released. This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Lost family found in woods A structures mechanic for Boeing stopped to get gas and lottery tickets before work one morning in Washington. When Jesse Carrillo from Snohomish got to work early, he scratched his Mega Cash Scratch tickets, Washingtons Lottery said in a March 29 news release. Then Carrillo realized he won a big prize from one of them $200,000. He quickly called his wife to tell her about his win, but she didnt believe him. Once he convinced her of his win, she raced to his work to grab the ticket and keep it safe, lottery officials said. Carrillo went to the regional lottery office in Everett the next day to claim his prize. He told lottery officials he plans to use the money for a family vacation and a car for his daughter. Hes also been looking at new homes. If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website. Mom thought the machine malfunctioned when it revealed her big Maryland lottery win 53-year-old lottery player knew ticket was a winner right away, Maryland officials say Grooms crude wedding vows shock mom and horrify TikTok. Downright disrespectful Louis van Gaal speaks to Marcos Rojo at Manchester United Louis van Gaal is notoriously a strict taskmaster, keeping his players in check with his precise methods both on and off the pitch - and nowhere is this more evident than during his time at Manchester United. Marcos Rojo spent seven years at Old Trafford, Van Gaal signing the defender from Sporting Lisbon in the summer of 2014. At the end of his first season as a Manchester United player, Rojo headed to Chile to play in the 2015 Copa America with Argentina. Not that Rojo could foresee what would happen, but reaching the final would ultimately provide him with a hefty fine from his Manchester United manager. "The national team needed my papers so I could go to the 2015 Copa America," Rojo told FourFourTwo. "We reached the final, I came home, and United said I had to report to the United States for pre-season. It took too long with my passport and my visa, and I couldnt go. It was a terrible fine: 300,000. Van Gaal was so angry!" Rojo couldn't even lift his spirits with the memory of winning the South American tournament either, because Chile beat them 4-1 on penalties after a 0-0 draw in the 120-minute game. While he can see the funny side of it now, the 33-year-old definitely didn't enjoy the huge fine at the time. "I laugh now, but it hurt then. Its scary if you dont know him. He seems serious, but when youre with him, hes a caring guy strict, but fair if youre respectful and do what he demands. Im very grateful to him." Eventually, issues with his passport and visa didn't prove too costly, as Manchester United went on to win the 2016 FA Cup final, Van Gaal's last game in charge of the club. Rojo stayed for another five years after that, but injury problems under both Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer limited his time on the pitch. He played just one game on loan at Estudiantes in his home country in the 2019/20 season as a result, before he moved to Boca Juniors permanently in February 2021. A pet dog in China has captured the hearts of netizens after a video circulated online of the dog visiting its owner in the hospital every day. (Photo credits: Baidu) A loyal pet dog from Sichuan province in Southwestern China who has been visiting its owner in the hospital every single day has melted hearts on the Internet The fur owner fell ill with an undisclosed condition, and since then, the doggo has been making the daily trip to the hospital. In a video report by Star Video, the dog makes the trip every day accompanied by a family member to a local hospital after its owner became ill, leaning forward in the handrail of the hospital bed and staring at its owner as it snuggles its head on its owners body. So sweet, right? But it's not only that, there's more! During a later visit, the dog was so excited to see its owner getting better and walking around that it started jumping and wagging its tail before pressing its head against her owner. Although the dog's age is unknown, it has reportedly lived with the elderly woman since it was a puppy, and the two have formed a very close bond. This story has touched the hearts of so many people on social media, with netizens wishing for the continued recovery of the owner to finally be at home with her pet dog. 'So sweet!' Some have even commented, "No regrets in life, no regrets in the dog's life." Others have said, "Dogs know everything, they just can't speak." Others remarked that the dog is so sweet while another said, The caring of children for their parents might not be as intense as pets for the elderly but one could absolutely feel it, and the way the dog shows its affection to its owner is heartwarming. One netizen also said that without the owner saying, the dog knew that there was something wrong with its owner and that its owner would need its love and support to recover quickly. Dog stories in China Heartwarming stories showing how much pets can care for their owners like this always manage to get the attention of online users in China. Another story that recently trended on social media is about a rescue dog who did not want to leave the side of its toy teddy bear friend also warmed the hearts of netizens. Story continues In a 35-second video, the dog is seen kissing and licking the stuffed animal, as if saying to its rescuer that its toy friend needs saving too. As a humourist Josh Billings once said, A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself. Marvin Joseph Ang is a news and lifestyle writer who focuses on politics, the economy, and pop culture. Follow him on Twitter at @marvs30ang for latest news and updates. Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube. (Bloomberg) -- French President Emmanuel Macron criticized mounting violence at recent protests against his plan to reform the pension system, calling on opposition political leaders to join him in condemning it. Most Read from Bloomberg There have been unacceptable scenes of violence these last weeks, he said during a trip to the Alps to set out a nationwide plan to preserve water as the country braces for another summer of droughts. Violence is becoming a sort of habit among some people, he said. We must show great firmness in combating it. Nothing justifies violence in a democratic society. A backlash against Macrons plan to raise the minimum retirement age by two years to 64 has escalated since the government said on March 16 it would bypass a vote on the bill in the National Assembly, leading to clashes between protesters and riot police. Frances Constitutional Council plans to rule on the legislation on April 14. Referring to violent clashes in western France last weekend over the construction of large water reservoirs that campaigners say will provide irrigation for the agriculture industry at the expense of the water table, aggravating droughts, the president condemned the events. You have thousands of people who simply came to wage war, Macron said. Its unacceptable. A survey of 940 adults via Internet on March 27-28 by pollster Ifop for Paris Premiere showed that 35% consider its sometimes necessary to resort to violence to protest. --With assistance from William Horobin. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. A highly anticipated cobalt mine in the mountains near Salmon has been put on hold just as it was about to go into production. The mine would have been the only primary cobalt mine in the country. Jervois Global Limited, of Melbourne, Australia, announced Tuesday that it would halt construction at its mine because of falling cobalt prices and the effects of inflation on construction costs. The companys decision came just prior to the start of the mines production of cobalt, and months after Idaho Gov. Brad Little, the Australian ambassador to the U.S. and other dignitaries visited the site to herald its arrival in the Salmon River Mountains. Were disappointed, of course, Tammy Stringham, executive director of the Lemhi County Economic Development Association, told the Idaho Statesman by phone. This cobalt project has been in the works for close to 20 years. It has had many starts and stops over the years. A series of companies have owned this mines rights, and other companies are exploring deposits in the area. Jervois acquired eCobalt Solutions, a Canadian company that had owned the mining rights, in 2019. Jervois has invested more than $100 million in the mine since purchasing it. The company had predicted that the mine would employ up to 180 people. Last fall, there were about 240 people, including building contractors, on site as prep work was underway to launch the mine. On a mountain in the Salmon-Challis National Forest, Jervois has built a water treatment plant, buildings for milling and a mine camp for workers. The company has now halted production. In an announcement on Twitter, Jervois said it expects to resume efforts over the medium term, once the price of cobalt rises. Cobalt prices have fallen by more than half since early last year. The Idaho mine had been welcomed by U.S. officials, who have ramped up efforts to secure domestic supplies of what are known as critical minerals, and which are used in batteries for electric vehicles and cellphones. The minerals are in high demand as the U.S. economy shifts away from fossil fuels. Though not a large mine by global standards, the Jervois operation near Salmon had been expected to supply about 10% of current U.S. cobalt demand, which would power about 400,000 new electric vehicles per year. Story continues Roads at the Jervois site connect mine buildings, tailings ponds and the mine itself, unpictured and on the right. China, which many leaders in Washington view as the greatest threat to national security, controls most of the worlds production and refining of cobalt. There are no cobalt refineries in the U.S., and Jervois had planned to ship the Idaho cobalt to a refinery in Brazil. Idahos congressional leaders saw the Jervois mine as a step toward gaining independence from China, and opening up a supply of the mineral for the U.S. and its allies. Chinas the issue in national security and in foreign relations for the rest of the century, U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, a Republican, previously told the Statesman in an interview. They are a near-term competitor for us now, economically, militarily and culturally and they have a lock on a lot of the critical minerals that are needed around the world. The concern always is that you have to treat them with kid gloves when youre dealing with them, because they can just cut you off. The Statesman reached out to both Rischs and Littles offices for comment Thursday but did not hear back immediately. In announcing its suspension, Jervois noted that the company applied for government grants to accelerate drilling in the area and to study the potential construction of a refinery on U.S. soil. The company said the further study can proceed as planned despite (the mines) suspension. Mining near Salmon has a fraught environmental history. The Blackbird Mine, a cobalt mine that operated in the 20th century, poisoned fish and vegetation in a nearby creek. As Jervois prepared to begin production, a former U.S. Forest Service employee raised concerns about whether the government was requiring the company to provide enough funding to clean up the ecological damage the mine could cause. In Salmon, residents are familiar with the ups and downs of mineral economies, Stringham said. She said mine officials told her they expect to keep fewer than 30 people employed at the site for the time being, and she hoped they would try to keep locals employed. We all had high hopes for this one, it seemed like it was going to go, it was so close, she said. This communitys pretty resilient. Theyve been through the boom and bust cycles before. This community always seems to find a way to survive. A man already facing charges that he sexually assaulted a 9-year-old girl in an Irvine library has been arrested in a second, unrelated case, California police say. Christopher Eduard, 53, of Los Angeles now also faces a sexual battery charge in a previously unsolved 2021 case inside a Target store, Irvine police said in a news release. Eduard, who had been released from jail on bail in the library case, was re-arrested at his home in the 2021 case, police said in the Wednesday, March 29, news release. 9-year-old girl sexually assaulted in childrens area of library, California cops say Eduard approached a 9-year-old girl in the childrens section at the Irvine Heritage Park branch of the Orange County public library Tuesday, March 21, McClatchy News reported. He asked her to help film a video, gave her his phone and had her read from cue cards, police said. He then exposed himself and sexually assaulted her, according to police. Police arrested him Friday, March 24, on charges including sexual assault of a child, production of child pornography and false imprisonment of a child to produce child pornography. At the time of his arrest, police asked other potential victims to come forward. He was released Saturday on bail. Eduard is now also accused of following an 11-year-old girl shopping with her family in a Target store in May 2021, police said. After the girl stepped away from her family to go to another aisle, Eduard groped her from behind and fled to his vehicle outside when she ran to find her family, police said. Police ask anyone with information on these or other cases to contact detective Gavin Hudson at 949-724-7168 or ghudson@cityofirvine.org. Irvine is a city of 310,000 people about 45 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Police union executive led scheme to smuggle opioids marked party favors, feds say Driver dies after leaping from stolen police cruiser in chase, California cops say 6-year-old dies days after crash with driver fleeing cops kills his mom, CA police say A man died after he fell off a parking garage in downtown Fort Worth on Thursday morning, according to police and medical examiner records. Officers were dispatched to the parking garage at 200 W. 6th St. between Houston and Throckmorton shortly after 10:30 a.m., according to a police report. A 911 caller stated that a man had fallen off the parking garage. Someone reported jumped or fell from the parking garage earlier this morning. https://t.co/ecJjisj6ZH DFW Scanner (@DFWscanner) March 30, 2023 According to the Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office, the 50-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:43 a.m. Authorities have not provided an update on whether the fall was accidental or intentional. Police confirmed to the Star-Telegram around 11:15 a.m. that they were investigating the incident but did not provide more information. The Dallas ISD employee shot and killed by a DeSoto police officer Monday morning was wielding a homemade edged weapon, similar to a knife, police in Grand Prairie said in a Wednesday news release. Grand Prairie police, investigating the shooting as an independent, outside agency, said Michael Christopher Nunez, 47, lunged at the officer with the weapon and the officer, fearing for their life, shot him. The officers identity has not been released. Police said he has been placed on administrative leave, per department policy. The shooting happened as DeSoto police were responding to a 911 call about a suspected burglary around 11:40 a.m. Monday in the 300 block of Polk Street, according to police. Authorities from Grand Prairie said officers and paramedics both tried to perform life-saving first aid after the shooting but were unsuccessful. Nunez was pronounced dead at the scene. On Tuesday, police in DeSoto said Nunez was a teacher at Moises E. Molina High School in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas. They did not say which subject he taught, how long hed been at the school or if the district had any records of problems with his conduct. The school district did not immediately respond Wednesday to an after-hours request from the Star-Telegram for more information on Nunez. When a resident of the home called 911, they told police a man had entered the residence with an unknown item, DeSoto police said Tuesday. When they arrived, officers found Nunez outside the home armed with the homemade knife-like object. The Grand Prairie Police Departments Officer-Involved Shooting Investigation Team and the Dallas County District Attorneys Public Integrity Division were contacted by DeSoto police to conduct the investigation involving the officer. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) issued a warning to the Biden administration this week, threatening a lawsuit if an anticipated guidance from the Treasury Department seeks to circumvent restrictions that he added to a law on electric vehicle tax credits. Manchin told reporters this week that if the guidance, expected Friday, goes off the rails or otherwise goes around what he intended, Ill do whatever I can and that means going to court. The Democrats climate, tax and healthcare bill eliminated a cap on how many electric vehicles could be eligible for consumer tax credits. However, it also included new stipulations on which vehicles are eligible for the credit. It specified that a new vehicle will be eligible for half of the $7,500 credit if a portion of its battery components are manufactured or assembled in North America and the other half if a portion of the minerals in its battery are refined or processed in countries with which the U.S. has a free trade agreement. Those restrictions were expected to pose a heavy lift for automakers, especially in the early years. One auto industry source told The Hill last year that they didnt believe there were any electric vehicles on the market that met the battery minerals requirement. Those restrictions were expected to go into effect along with the extended credit at the start of this year, but the Biden administration said in December that it would delay them until it issued a guidance in March. At the time, Manchin condemned the announcement, saying that it was clearly inconsistent with the intent of the law, which called for the guidance to be issued not later than December 31. Its not clear what exactly the guidance will say, but Reuters reported this week that it is expected to cause fewer vehicles to get some or all of the credit. A Treasury Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions from The Hill. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A Manhattan grand jury voted Thursday to indict Donald Trump in connection with a hush-money payment made to porn actress Stormy Daniels, an attorney for the former president said, making Trump the first former president in U.S. history to face criminal charges. This evening we contacted Mr. Trumps attorney to coordinate his surrender to the Manhattan D.A.s Office for arraignment on a Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal, District Attorney Alvin Braggs office confirmed in a statement on Thursday. Trump is expected to appear in court on Tuesday for his arraignment, per CNN. Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina maintained the former presidents innocence. He did not commit any crime. We will vigorously fight this political prosecution in court, Tacopina said in a statement. The indictment accuses Trump of falsifying business records in relation to the hush-money payments. Daniels claimed in the final days of the 2016 presidential election that she had previously had a sexual affair with Trump. Trumps former fixer, Michael Cohen, paid Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about her claims. Prosecutors claim Trump falsified internal business records to conceal the reimbursement payments to Cohen as legal expenses. Cohen claims Trump was aware of the misleading record keeping. Trump reacted to the news in a statement on Thursday calling the indictment Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history and warning this Witch-Hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden. Never before in our Nations history has this been done, Trump said. The Democrats have cheated countless times over the decades, including spying on my campaign, but weaponizing our justice system to punish a political opponent, who just so happens to be a President of the United States and by far the leading Republican candidate for President, has never happened before. Ever. The American people realize exactly what the Radical Left Democrats are doing here, he added. Everyone can see it. So our Movement, and our Party united and strong will first defeat Alvin Bragg, and then we will defeat Joe Biden, and we are going to throw every last one of these Crooked Democrats out of office so we can MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! Story continues The indictment comes after Trump said earlier this month that he would be arrested on March 21 and urged his supporters to protest outside the courthouse in Manhattan. The NYPD erected steel barricades outside Manhattans Criminal Court on March 20, signaling a big event could in fact be coming, but the day came and went without a Trump arrest. Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur who is challenging Trump in the 2024 GOP primary, criticized the indictment in a statement on Thursday. The politically motivated indictment of the 45th President of the United States marks a dark moment in American history, he said. This indictment will undermine public trust in our electoral system and our justice system. It is un-American for the ruling party to use police power to arrest its political rivals. Principles go beyond partisanship. The American people should decide who governs, not politically ambitious prosecutors. Ahead of the formal indictment, former vice president Mike Pence said the investigation smelled of politically charged prosecution. Im taken aback at the idea of indicting a former president of the United States, at a time when theres a crime wave in New York City, Pence said on ABCs This Week on Sunday. The fact that the Manhattan DA thinks that indicting President Trump is his top priority, I think . . . just tells you everything you need to know about the radical left in this country. Republican Senator Rand Paul said earlier this month that Bragg should be locked up for dereliction of duty if Trump is indicted. A Trump indictment would be a disgusting abuse of power. The DA should be put in jail, the senator tweeted. CNN previously reported that the president would likely present himself in Manhattan following the formal charges and he had expressed an interest in delivering a speech afterwards. Trumps advisers have urged him not to call for protests, according to the report. Trump, meanwhile, has been fundraising off of the situation. If this political persecution goes unchallenged, one day it wont be me theyre targeting . . . Itll be you, an email from Trumps campaign warned on Sunday, echoing Trumps 2024 kick-off speech in which he promised to act as his supporters retribution. The indictment could be the first of several, as Trump faces investigations into his alleged mishandling of classified materials, his involvement in efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and his involvement in the January 6 Capitol riot. A federal judge ruled earlier this month that special counsel Jack Smiths team had enough evidence to support the claim that Trump intentionally concealed the existence of classified documents in his possession from his attorneys, ABC News first reported. U.S. Judge Beryl Howell said that prosecutors had made a prima facie showing that the former president had committed criminal violations, therefore dismissing the attorney-client privileges invoked by two of his lawyers. The judge ordered Trump attorney Evan Corcoran to testify before the grand jury investigating the documents case. More from National Review Protesters support indicting Donald Trump Pablo Monsalve/VIEWpress A grand jury impaneled by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg voted to indict Donald Trump on Thursday, marking the first time in American history that a former president has been charged with a crime. The exact nature of the charges against Trump has not been publicly disclosed at this time. News of the indictment comes after weeks of speculation over Bragg's investigation into alleged hush-money payments from Trump to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign to hide their sexual affair. Trump himself prematurely predicted Thursday's indictment on his Truth Social account in mid-March, urging followers to "PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!" and setting off an intense round of political posturing ahead of Bragg's ultimate decision. On Thursday evening, Trump's lawyer, Susan R. Necheles, said her client is expected to turn himself in on Tuesday for arraignment in Manhattan. Trump has reportedly told advisers that he wants to be handcuffed publicly as part of his arrest in order to create a "spectacle" that would help garner sympathy and support from the public. While Thursday's indictment is itself a historical first for the nation, it is not the only legal peril Trump faces as he embarks on his third presidential campaign. He is also being investigated in Fulton County, Georgia, by District Attorney Fanni Willis, over his alleged attempts to subvert that state's 2020 election results. Federal prosecutors led by special counsel Jack Smith are also investigating Trump for both his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, and alleged mishandling of classified documents recovered at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida once he'd left the White House. This is a developing story and will be updated as new information is made available. You may also like The snowmelt in California could cause a long-lost lake to re-emerge The Gwyneth Paltrow ski crash trial's 8 strangest moments, from Taylor Swift to King Kong 33 swimmers in Hawaii accused of 'pursuing, corralling, and harassing' dolphin pod Former President Donald Trump's indictment by a Manhattan grand jury will test his legal and political power. Brandon Bell/Getty Images A Manhattan grand jury voted to indict former President Donald Trump on March 30, 2023, for his alleged role in paying porn star Stormy Daniels hush money. Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina confirmed the indictment. The New York Times reported that it is not yet clear what exact charges Trump will face, but a formal indictment will likely be issued in the next few days. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is the first prosecutor ever to issue an indictment against a former president. Trump is still the center of several ongoing investigations regarding other alleged criminal activity, including actions he took while in office. American history is rife with presidents who have used their office to extend executive authority. Presidents are not kings. George Washington once reflected on this distinction, saying, I had rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world. But American politics and presidency scholars including me have long worried about the idea of an imperial presidency meaning, a president who tries to exert a level of control beyond what the Constitution spells out. Trump was just another example of a president acting as if he was king by just another name. People protest in Manhattan in April 2022, demanding the indictment of former President Donald Trump. Pablo Monsalve/VIEWpress Expanding role of the presidency While some early presidents, notably Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln, expanded the executive branch, most were constrained by the dominance of the legislative branch in their day. The growth of the executive branch in terms of size and power began in earnest during the 20th century. Franklin Roosevelt attempted to pack the Supreme Court to overcome opposition to his New Deal legislation, a series of public works and spending projects in the 1930s. Roosevelt wanted to add a justice for every existing judge on the court who did not retire by age 70 but it was a transparent attempt to alter the courts composition to favor his agenda, and the Senate shot it down. Richard Nixon decided to impound money authorized for programs simply because he disagreed with them. Nixon had vetoed the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 but was overridden by Congress. He still withheld money, which eventually culminated in a 1975 Supreme Court case, in which the court ruled against Nixon. Story continues Other presidents tried to unduly influence more mundane aspects of life. In August 1906, for example, Theodore Roosevelt issued an executive order forcing the Government Printing Office to begin using the new spellings of 300 words including although and fixed in order to simplify them. Following broad public criticism of this plan, Congress voted to reject these proposed spelling improvements in 1906. Richard Nixon speaks with journalist David Frost in 1977, three years after Nixon resigned. John Bryson/Getty Images Trumps turn Trumps actions and words throughout the presidency also suggest he believed that the office gave him overarching power. For example, Trump reflected on his power over states to force them to reopen during the COVID-19 crisis, saying in April 2020, When somebodys president of the United States, the authority is total. But governors actually maintained the control over what remained open or closed in their states during the pandemic. Trump has also treated the independent judiciary as an inferior branch of government, subject to his control. If its my judges, you know how theyre gonna decide, Trump said of his potential judicial appointees in 2016. Chief Justice John Roberts rejected Trumps view on this issue in 2018, saying, We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges. What we have is an extraordinary group of dedicated judges doing their level best to do equal right to those appearing before them. Its classified There is a rigorous procedure if presidents decide to declassify information. This complex process involves all classified material being reviewed by appropriate government agencies and experts at the National Archives. But Trump claimed at one point any documents he took home were already declassified. He later asserted, There doesnt have to be a process, as I understand it. Youre the president of the United States, you can declassify just by saying its declassified, even by thinking about it. These comments help substantiate Trumps belief in his absolute authority. There are specific procedures in place to manage declassification that do not involve psychic powers. One real superpower If the American presidents have one superpower, it is the power of the pardon. American presidents can pardon people, and the legislative and judiciary branches cannot prevent it. Past presidents have used pardons largely in the service of justice, but at times to also reward personal friends or connections. But Trump took it even further, using this power seemingly as a way to reward his loyal supporters and says he will seriously consider pardoning the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol rioters if he is reelected. Trump also apparently considered granting himself a pardon as a way to avoid any prosecution for his involvement with the Capitol attack. A self-pardon would also potentially place any president in constitutional murky water. A 1919 Supreme Court ruling declared that a pardon carries an imputation of guilt and acceptance of a confession of it. So, if Trump had pardoned himself for anything, he would have admitted to having committed a crime for which he could still potentially be impeached or investigated under any applicable state law, which is not covered by a presidential pardon. Private communications about presidential pardons are shown during a hearing of the Jan. 6 committee in June 2022. Mandel Ngan-Pool/Getty Images After office Since leaving office, Trump has attempted to claim post-presidential executive privilege, independent of the current administration. But President Joe Biden who must first give Trump this privilege never extended it to his predecessor. Trumps defense that he was allowed to store classified documents at Mar-a-Lago as a result of executive privilege has largely been unsuccessful in the courts. Trump has also used his time as president to avoid any lawsuits that emerged after he left office. In January 2023, a federal judge shot down Trumps attempt to dismiss a 2022 defamation lawsuit filed by the writer E. Jean Carroll, who says Trump raped her in the 1990s. Trump denied the rape in 2019. In court, Trump argued that anything he said as president should be protected and he should be given immunity during that period. Though a ruling is still pending, Carroll has argued in court that immunity would apply only if Trump were referring to presidential matters, and not personal ones. Former President Donald Trump speaks at an event in his Mar-a-Lago home in November 2022. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Everyone is held to the same rules American presidents serve a limited amount of time governing before they return to the general populations ranks. Those privileged enough to hold the top office in the U.S. are still citizens. They are held to the same laws as everyone else and, the founders believed, should never be held above them. Throughout history, many presidents have pushed the boundaries of power for their own personal preferences or political gain. However, Americans do have the right to push back and hold these leaders accountable to the countrys laws. Presidents have never been monarchs. If they ever act in that manner, I believe that the people have to remind them of who they are and whom they serve. This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. Like this article? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. It was written by: Shannon Bow O'Brien, The University of Texas at Austin. Read more: Shannon Bow O'Brien does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. The grand jury hearing evidence in the Manhattan District Attorneys investigation into former President Donald Trump will not sit on the case again until April 24, a court administration source told Fox News. The source said the grand jury will sit next week on Monday and Wednesday afternoon, but is not expected to meet on the Trump investigation. When proceedings are complete Wednesday, the source said the grand jury will be off for two weeks. When asked for an explanation for the two-week hiatus, the source said: "It is a six-month grand jury they are told upfront what the schedule would/may be. That is standard." MANHATTAN GRAND JURY WILL NOT MEET ON TRUMP CASE FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK: SOURCES The secret grand jury wrapped its proceedings Monday afternoon without voting on Trumps case, sources told Fox News on Monday. The proceedings were canceled for Wednesday. Monday's meeting came after the grand jury proceedings were canceled twice last week by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Former President Donald Trump speaks during a 2024 election campaign rally in Waco, Texas, on Saturday. Trump held the rally at the site of the deadly 1993 standoff between an anti-government cult and federal agents. Bragg has been investigating the $130,000 hush-money payment that then-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford. That payment was made in the weeks leading up to the 2016 presidential election in exchange for her silence about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Cohen has said Trump directed the payments. Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 through his own company and was later reimbursed by Trump's company, which logged the payments as "legal expenses." Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and has repeatedly said the payments were "not a campaign violation" but rather a "simple private transaction." The Trump Organization "grossed up" Cohens reimbursement for Daniels' payment for "tax purposes," according to federal prosecutors who filed the 2018 criminal charges against Cohen for the payments. TRUMP-MANHATTAN DA: GRAND JURY WRAPS MONDAY PROCEEDINGS WITH NO VOTE IN TRUMP PROBE Story continues Federal prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York decided not to charge Trump related to the Daniels payment in 2019, even as Cohen implicated him as part of his plea deal. The Federal Election Commission also tossed its investigation into the matter in 2021. Over the weekend, Trump suggested the case had already been dropped against him. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, left, speaks at a press conference after the sentencing hearing of the Trump Organization at the New York Supreme Court in New York City on Jan. 13, 2023. "I think they've already dropped the case," Trump told reporters aboard his plane after appearing at his first 2024 campaign rally in Waco, Texas. When asked for comment about Trumps claim the case has been dropped, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung told Fox News Digital: "This has been dropped because everyone knows this was a partisan witch-hunt by a radical, leftist DA that sought to politically weaponize the justice system to influence an election." Meanwhile, Bragg has slammed House Republicans who have called for him to testify on Capitol Hill about the investigation. "We evaluate cases in our jurisdiction based on the facts, the law, and the evidence. It is not appropriate for Congress to interfere with pending local investigations," the Manhattan District Attorneys Office said in a statement. The office told Fox News Digital that Bragg stands by his previous pledge to publicly state the conclusion of the investigation, "whether we conclude our work without bringing charges, or move forward with an indictment." TIED TO TRUMP: NEW YORK DA'S ACTIONS HAVE SOME REPUBLICANS RALLYING TO THE FORMER PRESIDENT The Manhattan DAs investigation into Trump began in 2019 by then-District Attorney Cyrus Vance. The probe was focused on possible bank, insurance and tax fraud. The case initially involved financial dealings of Trumps Manhattan properties, including his flagship Fifth Avenue building, Trump Tower, and the valuation of his 213-acre estate Seven Springs in Westchester. The investigation last year led to tax fraud charges against the Trump Organization and its finance chief, Allen Weisselberg. Grand jury deliberations and votes are secret proceedings, and an indictment typically remains under seal until an arraignment. The elephant is the largest existing land mammal on Earth, weighing anywhere from 4,000 to 10,000 pounds. There are three species of elephants: the African bush elephant (also known as the African savanna elephant), the African forest elephant and the Asian elephant. In 1930, approximately 10 million wild elephants were in Africa, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Since then, elephant populations have dwindled due to various threats, including habitat loss and illegal poaching. Today, these declines continue. Here's what to know about elephants to protect their populations. How many elephants are left in the world? According to the WWF, there are approximately 415,000 African elephants left in the world. There are around 40,000 to 50,000 Asian elephants left. As previously stated, the ivory trade, habitat loss, poaching and elephant-human conflict pose threats to elephant populations. Since 1979, the habitat of African elephants has been reduced by over 50%, while Asian elephants only have about 15% of their original range. Habitat loss is due to human expansion, infrastructure and agriculture development on elephants' regions. Additionally, illegal poaching for the ivory trade has dramatically impacted elephant populations. In 1989, the international commercial trade of elephant ivory was banned. Even though poaching did decrease following this, it started back up around 2010. Where do tigers live? Tigers have a diverse range of habitats. Here's what to know. Where do pandas live? The giant panda and red panda habitat, plus other facts about the animals Are elephants endangered? The Asian elephant and African bush elephant are endangered, while the African forest elephant is "critically endangered." Where do polar bears live? Get to know more on the Arctic habitat of the 'sea bear.' Where do penguins live? Learn more about the habitats for several penguin species. Where do elephants live? African bush elephants can be found in all of sub-Saharan Africa except for central Africas dense tropical forests, according to the WWF. The dense tropical forests are home to the African forest elephant. Story continues African bush elephants live in 23 countries with the majority located in southern and eastern African countries, such as Botswana, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya, Namibia, Zambia and South Africa. Just curious?: We're here to help answer life's everyday questions As for the African forest elephant, its largest populations are in Gabon and the Republic of Congo, while smaller populations remain in other countries, such as Cameroon, Liberia and Ghana. The Asian elephant's primary habitats are dry to wet forests and grasslands. They can be found in 13 countries in south and southeast Asia. Where do lions live? What you need to know about the big cats' habitat. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How many elephants are left in the world? View population numbers [Source] Emmy and Grammy-nominated comedian Margaret Cho is joining the cast of the upcoming romantic dark comedy Evilou. According to Deadline, Cho, 54, will star alongside DJ Qualls (The Man in the High Castle) and Marise Alvarez (Obi-Wan Kenobi) in the directorial debut of Andrew Zappin, who also wrote the film's script. "Evilou" revolves around Lou Vile (Qualls), a cynical podcaster who vehemently opposes love. When he develops romantic feelings for an enchanting single mother (Alvarez), he willingly undergoes a medical procedure that changes his personality so that he can capture her heart. Cho will portray the boss of Earwig Media, Lous desired workplace that initially rejects him before his transformation occurs. More from NextShark: K-pop boy group CRAVITY make a New Wave with fourth mini-album The film is currently in production in Los Angeles and will be released in 2024. Producer David J. Phillips expressed his excitement to Deadline about the film. Andrew Zappin has written an incredibly unique and refreshing script that captures the absurdity of the human condition. And were delighted that the incredibly underrated DJ Qualls is the films lead. Coupling his talent with the rooted emotional range of Marise Alvarez and now the comedic genius of Margaret Cho puts us in perfect position to bring Andrews fun and thought-provoking script to its full potential. More from NextShark: Amazon Prime Video drops Citadel trailer starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas Cho is set to appear in the upcoming Disney film Prom Pact with Doogie Kamealoha, M.D lead Peyton Elizabeth Lee. The film premieres on Thursday on Disney Channel and on Friday on Disney+. Cho is currently on her multi-city comedy tour Live and Livid, which will conclude in Irvine, California, in September. More from NextShark: MC Jin, Wyclef Jean Call For an End to Violence in 'Stop the Hatred' Music Video Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! South Korean singer Zion. T creates new company for creators The cruise line just introduced a limited supply of passes that will expire by the end of this year. Courtesy of Margaritaville at Sea Fans of Jimmy Buffett and Margaritaville will now have an unlimited opportunity to soak up the sun and celebrate that it is 5 OClock Somewhere. Margaritaville At Sea, a cruise line that describes itself as a "floating island vacation," will soon offer a unique, unlimited cruise subscription for trips to the Bahamas. Titled the Ultimate Paradise Pass, the package starts at $899 and allows travelers to cruise as many times as they want on board the Margaritaville At Sea Paradise on non-consecutive two-night stays throughout 2023. The pass expires on December 31. A limited quantity of 500 passes are now on sale. Perhaps specifically made for travelers with a flexible schedule, "Ultimate Paradise Pass" voyages can only be booked 24-72 hours in advance. This is completely new to the cruise industry. Now, passengers can buy a season pass to paradise and enjoy long walks on the beach throughout the year, Margaritaville at Seas President and CEO Kevin Sheehan, Jr. said in a statement provided to Travel + Leisure. Thanks to our unique two-night itinerary, the groundbreaking 'Ultimate Paradise Pass' will give avid cruisers a new way to experience unlimited getaways to The Bahamas." Passengers who purchase the Ultimate Paradise Pass, will also get added benefits on board such as welcome amenities, and 10% discounts on upgrades and onshore excursions. The pass is valid for use of a double-occupancy ocean view or inside stateroom, and includes a guest fare. The pass does not include taxes, fees, or port expense for the pass holder or guest. The ship has 658 cabins themed with the tropical flair associated with the Margaritaville brand. Guests can experience a variety of on-board dining, swimming pools, and themed amenities such as the St. Somewhere Spa, and Fins Up! Fitness Center. For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Travel & Leisure. Mark Wahlberg joined the ongoing celebrity exodus from Hollywood last fall when he moved his family to Nevada. The 51-year-old actor, who recently celebrated the opening of his second Wahlburger's restaurant location on the Las Vegas Strip, says he relocated to provide a better life for his children. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Walhberg raved about the move's positive impact on them. "It's really giving the kids a chance to thrive," the "Father Stu" star said. "It just has the best of both worlds. I know a lot of people, when they think Las Vegas, they think the Strip. But just about 15, 20 minutes away, there's a whole lot of other amazing areas that are all about family and community." MARK WAHLBERG, JULIA ROBERTS AND MORE STARS WHO HAVE MOVED OUT OF HOLLYWOOD Wahlberg shares daughters Ella, 19, and Grace, 13, and sons Michael, 17, and Brendan, 14, with his wife Rhea Durham, 44. In April 2022, he listed their lavish Beverly Hills estate for $87.5 million and later purchased a home in the exclusive enclave of The Summit Club in Summerlin, just outside of Las Vegas. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP The Boston native told Fox News Digital the move was "really about giving the kids an opportunity to pursue their goals and dreams." "My daughter's an equestrian," he added. "My son's a golfer. My oldest daughter, now she's off to college. My son's a junior. "There's lots of opportunity here as well for me. We're trying to create a studio. We're trying to build the shoe factory. We want to create lots of jobs here." During an appearance on "The Talk" last October, Wahlberg revealed his ambitious plans for his new home city. "I moved to Nevada where, after this gubernatorial election, hopefully it will go to legislation and get a bill passed so we can get a tax credit for the state build a state-of-the-art studio here and make this Hollywood 2.0," he said. Mark Wahlberg told Fox News Digital that moving to Las Vegas has given his four kids a "chance to thrive." The "Boogie Nights" actor, an investor in the sneaker resale marketplace, StockX, also shared his aspirations to build a shoe factory in Sin City and a factory for his apparel line, Municipal. Story continues Wahlberg told Fox News Digital he was excited about his future in Las Vegas. "We're always looking for new opportunities and new adventures," he said. "I hope to create of a lot of opportunity here. And I moved to California originally to make movies. I've made three movies in the last 15 years in LA. So, as you know, it's been difficult. "The kids are really happy, and it's all about them." The former "Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch" star said it was still "absolutely" his goal to turn Vegas into "Hollywood 2.0." In addition to his on-screen film and TV career, Wahlberg has also enjoyed success behind the camera. He served as executive producer for five HBO series, including "Entourage," "Boardwalk Empire," "How to Make It in America," "Ballers" and "McMillions." Wahlberg explained that he was hoping to enlist the help of Nevada's newly elected Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo to further his plans for a Vegas-based film studio. "There's lots of opportunity for growth here," he said. "And the government, especially our new governor, is really looking for opportunities to create jobs outside of gaming. So we're looking to create 10,000 jobs on the studio alone. The average salary would be $100,000 more than what it is now. We want to train people both in front of and behind the camera, create jobs, most importantly, first and foremost, for locals. "And then, after that, I think we can attract a lot of people," he said. "The housing market is great." Wahlberg detailed some of the advantages of residency in income tax-free Nevada, where the cost of living is cheaper than California. He cited the personal experiences of a group of his employees who moved to Vegas with him. "When I moved here, I brought probably like 15 or 20 people that work with me also moving here," Wahlberg said. "They went from three-bedroom houses that they were really struggling to pay rent for. And now they have a six-bedroom house. And it's, you know, half the cost." MARK WAHLBERG'S KIDS ARE 'TERRIBLY EMBARRASSED' BY HIS 'MARKY MARK' '90S FASHION Wahlberg and his brothers Chef Paul and Donnie recently opened their second Vegas Wahlburgers location on the Strip. "And, you know, they walk their dogs," he continued. "They're in a gated community. They've got the school right there two blocks down the road. "It's just a much better lifestyle here and more affordable." On Monday night, Wahlberg hosted a red carpet event for the grand opening of the second Vegas Wahlburgers location at the Shoppes at Mandalay Place inside the Mandalay Bay Hotel. The casual dining burger restaurant and bar chain was founded by Wahlberg and his brothers Donnie Wahlberg and Chef Paul Wahlberg in 2011. In 2016, the first Las Vegas Wahlburgers opened at the Grand Bazaar Shops at the Horseshoe, which was formerly Bally's. On the red carpet, Wahlberg and Chef Paul were presented with the Key to the Strip. Ahead of the celebration, Wahlberg told Fox News Digital opening the restaurant at Mandalay Bay was "really exciting." "It's actually a location that I happened to find with some of my friends that worked both at MGM and Mandalay Bay," he said. "Our first restaurant in Vegas, the Horseshoe, is our largest revenue earner in all of our 90 something restaurants in the portfolio. So it's a great market for us. "What we find is that people from all over the country and people from all over the world who have had Wahlburgers and want a taste of home end up gravitating towards those locations. So it's really exciting." Wahlberg credited his brother Chef Paul, left, with "creating the quality that people have come to know and expect" from Wahlburgers. Wahlburgers now boasts almost 100 locations across the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. From 2015 to 2019, Wahlberg starred alongside his brothers and other members of their family, including Durham and Donnie's wife Jenny McCarthy in the A&E reality series "Wahlburgers." The show followed the development of the business and the lives of the Wahlberg family for 10 seasons. In his interview with Fox News Digital, Wahlberg reflected on whether he knew the chain would become so successful. "I did, and I didn't," he admitted. "I obviously had a huge belief in my brother Paul as a chef and his culinary skills, which is why we decided to do the restaurants in the first place. MARK WAHLBERG SAYS GAINING 30 POUNDS FOR FATHER STU BY DRINKING OLIVE OIL REALLY TOOK A TOLL ON ME "Having 97 locations we're now in Australia, New Zealand it's hard to predict that kind of growth," he added. "I mean, we have a huge business with our retail beef at home. The show was obviously a great marketing tool for us to not only kind of show what we were trying to create as a family, but also it really gave people an opportunity to feel like they were a part of the growth of the business from its infancy and to where it is today. It was great to build the brand, great to have that kind of brand recognition." Despite his involvement with numerous other business ventures, the two-time Academy Award nominee said he's always keeping an eye out for great acting projects. Wahlberg said he has had the same attitude toward working to prove himself as an actor since Penny Marshall gave him his first lead Hollywood role in "Renaissance Man." Wahlberg said he would still love to work with "the Steven Spielbergs of the world, the Meryl Streeps of the world, but also the next generation." "I'm always looking for the next generation of filmmakers and talent. There's so many amazing, talented people out there. I'm always constantly looking at small films, foreign films, independent work, and I'm trying to find the next thing." Though Wahlberg has established a decades-long career as an actor, he told Fox News Digital he is willing to audition for roles and prove himself. "I don't mind auditioning, proving that I'm the right guy for the part, but hopefully somebody will give me a job and give me a chance," he said. Mark Wahlberg and family "I've had the same attitude since the late great Penny Marshall gave me my first job," he said. The late director and "Laverne & Shirley" star has been credited with launching Wahlberg's Hollywood career when she cast him as a lead in her 1994 comedy "Renaissance Man." "If anybody's willing to take a chance on me, then I promise you I'm going to do everything that I can to be the most prepared and deliver the best. What they're looking for, what my ideas and vision for the material might be, and hopefully then that just leads me to getting another job. "But I've had that same kind of work ethic that I've had since the very beginning, and it's worked for me. My kids are like, 'Wow, Dad, you don't have to work so hard,' or somebody else is like, You know, why don't you take it easy? I'm like, 'You know what? I'm very, very appreciative of what I have, and I don't want to change what I've done to get here.'" A Florida congressman is standing by his top adviser on military issues after The Intercept reported Wednesday evening that he is a convicted war criminal who was found guilty of murdering an unarmed civilian. Matt Gaetzs office issued a statement defending the aide, former US National Guard member Derrick Miller, who was convicted in 2011 for an act that occurred during a combat mission that Millers unit conducted in Afghanistans Laghman province in the fall of 2010. According to court documents first reported by The Intercept, Miller detained a 27-year-old Afghan man whom he accused of crossing his units defensive perimeter. After a brief field interrogation during which Miller pinned the unarmed man on the ground, Miller shot him in the head. Miller has maintained throughout his trial and subsequent sentencing that he was acting in self-defence, and that the slain Afghan man, Atta Mohammed, went for his gun during the incident. But other soldiers in his unit did not back up that claim. Miller and his unit then further desecrated the remains of the dead civilian by leaving them in a latrine, according to military officials. I shot him. He was a liar, Miller told his unit after the murder, according to prosecutors. Mr Gaetzs office is not the first on Capitol Hill to employ Miller; he previously worked for Rep Louie Gohmert of Texas, another right-wing Republican. Miller was sentenced to life in prison for the act, but astonishingly served less than a decade behind bars for the charge of premeditated murder before a parole board cleared him for release. He now walks the halls of Congress, having worked for two members of the House as well as executive director for the Congressional Justice For Warriors Caucus, an official congressional caucus that seeks to clear the names of US service members convicted of crimes committed while deployed abroad. The congressmans spokesperson issued the following statement regarding Millers conviction: We proudly stand with our Military Legislative Assistant Derrick Miller. He was wrongfully convicted and served our country with honor. Over the course of nearly a decade, members of Congress, multiple advocacy groups, and over 16,000 individuals on a petition have all signaled their support for clearing his name and recognizing him as innocent of charges imposed by a weaponized military injustice system under President Obama, they continued. Mr Miller advises our office on many matters, including ways to make the military justice system consistent with our constitutional principles and values. Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida on January 3, 2023. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images A legislative aide who works for GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz is a convicted war criminal, The Intercept reported. The aide, Derrick Miller, spent eight years in prison after murdering an Afghan civilian, the report said. Gaetz's office defended its decision to hire Miller, saying he was "wrongfully convicted." A legislative aide who advises Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz on military issues is a convicted war criminal, according to The Intercept. The report said that the aide, Derrick Miller, previously served in the US Army and spent eight years in prison after he was convicted at court-martial of murdering an Afghan civilian, Atta Mohammed, during a 2010 interrogation. A spokesperson for Gaetz defended the decision to hire Miller, saying the former sergeant was wrongly convicted and now advises Gaetz's office on issues including laws governing the military justice system. According to The Intercept, Miller shot Mohammed in September 2010. Spc. Charles Miller, a National Guard member and an eyewitness to the incident, testified that he heard Miller threatening to kill Mohammed if he didn't tell the truth. Miller then sat atop Mohammed, who was 27 years old, and shot him in the head, according to Charles Millers' testimony. "Immediately following the event the accused said, 'I shot him. He was a liar,'" Maj. Matt Calarco, the prosecuting lawyer, said during Miller's trial in 2011. Afterward, Mohammed's body was left in a latrine, in violation of military standards. Miller's lawyer argued that he had acted in self-defense and that Mohammed had tried to take Miller's weapon during the interrogation. "We proudly stand with our Military Legislative Assistant Derrick Miller," Joel Valdez, a spokesperson for Gaetz, said in a statement to The Intercept. "He was wrongfully convicted and served our country with honor." He added: "Over the course of nearly a decade, members of Congress, multiple advocacy groups, and over 16,000 individuals on a petition have all signaled their support for clearing his name and recognizing him as innocent of charges imposed by a weaponized military injustice system under President Obama. Mr. Miller advises our office on many matters, including ways to make the military justice system consistent with our constitutional principles and values." Story continues Insider reached out to Miller for comment without reply Thursday. Gaetz, meanwhile, is one of the most vocal anti-interventionist Republicans in Congress and has advocated for scaling back US support for Ukraine, breaking with most colleagues on the House Armed Services Committee. He's a close ally of former President Donald Trump, who pardoned war criminals and has said some of them have been "treated very unfairly." In 2020, Gaetz surprised fellow Republicans when he voted in favor of a war powers resolution to limit Trump's ability to take military action against Iran without congressional approval. The Florida congressman also repeatedly criticized the war in Afghanistan before President Joe Biden withdrew US troops in 2021. After the withdrawal, Gaetz said he supported Biden's decision but criticized the "strategy and tactics" surrounding the pullout as "horrific and incompetent." More recently, Gaetz pushed for resolutions to pull US troops from Syria and Somalia. Read the original article on Business Insider House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Thursday issued a statement supporting Benjamin Netanyahu as the Israeli prime minister finds himself embroiled in an unprecedented democratic crisis. Prime Minister Netanyahu is an Israeli patriot, statesman, and most importantly, a great friend of the United States of America, McCarthy said in a statement. Free societies have vigorous and open debate. Israel is no exception. I support Prime Minister Netanyahu, and Americas support for Israels strong, vibrant democracy is unwavering. Now is an important time for Americans to stand together in support of our long, mutually respectful, and important friendship with Israel. The Speakers statement follows extraordinary warnings from President Biden and his most senior officials, who welcomed Netanyahu pausing his pursuit of judicial reforms that have drawn widespread opposition on the streets of Israel. While administration officials reinforced their ironclad commitment to Israels security, they had in recent weeks issued warnings publicly and privately that Netanyahus pursuit of overhauling Israels judiciary was a direct threat to the U.S. and Israel relationship. Critics say the so-called judicial reforms are an unacceptable overhaul that would destroy Israels democracy by removing any semblance of checks and balances giving the executive branch effective power to appoint court judges and overrule Supreme Court decisions. Biden on Tuesday said he hoped Netanyahu walks away from the plans for the judicial overhaul and added that he had no intention of welcoming the Israeli leader to the White House in the near term. Like many strong supporters of Israel, Im very concerned, and Im concerned that they get this straight. They cannot continue down this road, Biden told reporters after a speech in North Carolina on the economy. Hopefully the prime minister will act in a way that he can try to work out some genuine compromise. But that remains to be seen, Biden added. Story continues Both Democrats and Republicans have watched closely in recent weeks as Netanyahu and leaders in his far-right governing coalition have sought to push forward the highly controversial reforms to Israels judiciary. But the parties have differed in their approach, with Democrats publicly vocalizing their concerns and opposition while Republicans have carefully couched their criticisms in support for Israels democratic process to work itself out. The administration, if theyre going to convey a message, it ought to be doing it through secure channels and not being so public about it, Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told The Hill on Wednesday. An ally like Israel that absolutely needs a friend like the United States as part of its deterrence, we want to, in no way convey any no matter whos prime minister diminution of support. Talk it out on a secure phone or in a meeting, dont do it through the press. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. When the North Carolina House voted Tuesday to require sheriffs to cooperate with federal immigration authorities the third time in four years it has passed such a bill three Democrats joined Republicans in supporting the measure. One of those Democrats was Tricia Cotham, a Mecklenburg Democrat who represents Mint Hill and parts of east Charlotte. House Bill 10 would require sheriffs to notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement if they cant determine the citizenship status of someone charged with certain high-level offenses, such as murder, rape or violations of a domestic violence protective order. It would also require sheriffs to honor voluntary detainers issued by ICE. If a person subject to an immigration detainer is in the sheriffs custody, the sheriff would be required to take them before a state judge, who would order the person to be held for 48 hours or until ICE picks them up. The bill is opposed by more than 120 local, regional and national organizations as well as a number of county sheriffs, including Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden. McFadden has vowed not to cooperate with ICE since his election in 2018; ending the countys 287(g) agreement was one of his biggest campaign promises. Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed previous iterations of the bill in 2019 and 2022. But this time, the legislation passed the House with enough votes to potentially override a veto. Opponents of the bill say it would jeopardize trust between law enforcement and immigrant communities and could lead to overpolicing. Rep. Laura Budd, another Mecklenburg Democrat whose district neighbors Cothams, said in committee that the bill is a smokescreen for racial profiling. She read aloud a statement from McFadden voicing his opposition to the bill. I remain steadfast in my belief that the people of each county as reflected by the decisions of the Sheriff whom they elected should retain the ability to decide within the clear confines of the law as to what extent local law enforcement might cooperate with federal immigration authorities, McFadden said in that statement. Story continues Mecklenburg Countys 287(g) program sent more than 15,000 people into deportation proceedings between 2006 and 2018, The Charlotte Observer previously reported. But that doesnt mean that cooperation with ICE was protecting Mecklenburg County from 15,000 violent criminals. Even minor, non-violent offenses can send people into deportation proceedings, and in some cases ICE mistakenly detains people who are already U.S. citizens. The bills opponents also say ICE may sometimes issue detainers without probable cause. House District 112, which Cotham represents, has one of the highest concentrations of Latino voters of any House district in the state. More than a fifth of the districts residents identify as Hispanic or Latino, according to 2020 population data. Since being sworn in as a member of the House earlier this year, Cothams actions have disturbed some Democrats. On Wednesday, Cotham was one of three Democrats whose absence allowed Republicans to override one of Coopers vetoes for the first time in years. The successful override will result in a loosening of North Carolinas gun laws. Cotham said in a statement that she missed the vote because she was in the hospital receiving treatment for long COVID but is opposed to the pistol permit repeal. Stefania Arteaga, co-executive director of Carolina Migrant Network, pointed out that Mecklenburg County voters overwhelmingly rejected cooperation with ICE when they elected McFadden in 2018 and 2022. We are outraged by Rep. Cothams decision to vote in favor of HB 10, Arteaga said. Her decision to vote in favor of the bill is a slap in the face to voters, students and families who have seen up close how collaboration between sheriffs and ICE harms our community and makes us less safe due to fear of deportation. Why did Cotham vote for a bill that could potentially harm her constituents or their families? Why did she vote for a bill that her countys sheriff does not support? If she isnt representing them, then who is she representing? Cotham did not respond to multiple requests for comment asking why she voted for the bill. But elected officials are meant to be held accountable, and at the very least, she owes her constituents an explanation. Paige Masten is a Charlotte-based opinion writer and member of the Editorial Board. Gov. Andy Beshear says he will sign a bill legalizing medical marijuana in Kentucky on Friday. The Kentucky House gave final passage to the measure Thursday the 30th and final day of the General Assembly on a 66-33 vote. It had already passed the Senate on a 26-11 vote two weeks earlier. Today the General Assembly finally took action and passed a bill to legalize medical cannabis something the majority of Kentuckians support, Beshear, a Democrat seeking re-election this year, tweeted shortly after Senate Bill 47s passage. I am thankful this progress has been made, and I will proudly sign this bill into law tomorrow. Beshear has been a vocal advocate for the legalization of medical marijuana since early in his term and has previously called out the GOP-dominated legislature for its failure to act on the measure. Several Republican lawmakers expressed concerns this bill would expose children to marijuana and set Kentucky down a path toward recreational legalization. But many others in the GOP did vote for the bill, and its strongest advocate in the House, Rep. Jason Nemes, R-Louisville, has been pushing for this legislation for years. Nemes has been adamant this wont lead to full marijuana legalization, as some of his colleagues fear. This is not a wink, wink, nod, nod, medical program, Nemes said at a committee meeting. This is a medical program. Im against recreational, and so if you smoke this, youre violating the law, youre gonna lose your card and youre going to jail. The bill, which legalizes the substance with several restrictions, was sponsored by Sen. Stephen West, R-Paris. This is a deeply personal and important issue to thousands of Kentuckians who have called for safe options for their medical care and treatment, West said in a statement. For that reason, its important to me. Earlier this year, Beshear signed an executive order to allow Kentuckians to use medical marijuana that was legally purchased in other states. When Beshear signs Senate Bill 47, Kentucky will join more than half of all states in legalizing marijuana for medicinal use. Story continues Chief among the restrictions in Senate Bill 47 is that users are not allowed to smoke the substance. Further, it would not be accessible until 2025. The bill, as amended in a committee substitute, lists off qualifying medical conditions that would make Kentuckians eligible to use medical marijuana. Those include: Arizona is known for its Mexican food. But not every burrito is created equal. Over the last several weeks, metro Phoenix burrito lovers have diligently voted for their favorites each week in The Arizona Republic's 2023 Burrito Bowl. The final round of voting is now open, and the competition has come down to two family-owned, longtime Phoenix restaurants: The Original Carolina's Mexican Food and Rito's Mexican Food. The Original Carolina's was opened in 1968 by Carolina Valenzuela and her husband, Manuel. The restaurant has become a beloved hotspot for burritos in Phoenix, known by fans for their slogan "the best tortillas in town." Carolina's is up against another longtime Valley favorite, Rito's Mexican Food. The original Garfield location opened in 1977 inside Rosemary and Rito Salinas' house. Despite a lack of clear signage or a parking lot, it's never been uncommon to see cars lined up and down the street, waiting to get a taste of their burritos, according to general manager Daniel Hansen, the grandson of the original owners. Hansen and Josephine Hernandez of Carolina's shared with The Republic what being finalists mean to them after all these years. Dining to-do list: 100 essential restaurants in metro Phoenix The Original Carolina's Mexican Food Josephine Hernandez, left, a co-owner at The Original Carolina's Mexican Food, and Supervisor Felix Corona, pose for a portrait at the restaurant's 1202 E Mohave Street location in Phoenix on March 28, 2023. The Original Carolina's has remained a family-owned and operated business for over five decades. Josephine Hernandez is now the co-owner alongside her two sisters, Angela and Jennifer. Being a finalist in The Republic's Burrito Bowl is a huge honor, Hernandez said. "It makes me proud and happy that we're still here. I want to cry at the same time, because it's just it's been a lot of challenges," Hernandez said. Despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic and other factors, Carolina's is still going strong thanks to support from the restaurant's community of die-hard fans. Cinthia Villela, a cook at The Original Carolina's Mexican Food, makes burritos at the restaurant's 1202 E Mohave Street location in Phoenix on March 28, 2023. Carolina's burritos stand out from the rest because of Carolina's famous homemade flour tortillas, which can be enjoyed wrapped around chorizo-stuffed breakfast burritos or amped up three ways with red chile, green chile and beans. Story continues 25 must-try Arizona burritos: Best burros in Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff, Yuma and beyond Rito's Mexican Food Charlotte Hansen, 60, owner of Rito's Mexican Food, poses for a portrait outside the Crown location on Seventh Street on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, in Phoenix. Hansen took over the business from her parents and founders Rito and Rosemary Salinas in 2012. Their green chili burrito, one of their signature items, is a recipe from her mother. Daniel's mother, Charlotte Hansen, became the owner of Rito's in 2012, but she grew up working in the original location alongside her mother ever since the restaurant and market opened when she was in eighth grade. The mother and son duo said they are both thrilled to have been voted one of Phoenix's favorite burritos. "I'm so thankful for the support and love. It just makes me feel good that my mom and my dad found something that made people happy," Charlotte said. Rito's burritos started with founder Rosemary's signature green chile recipe, which has been passed down in the family ever since. Charlotte said her mother made a green chile that was similar to what she would cook at home, meant to be appealing to customers of all backgrounds. The green chili burrito at Rito's Mexican Food Crown location on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, in Phoenix. "Not very many people know about Rito's Mexican Food. It's very nice, the following that we have. There's not enough ink on your guys' printers to type out how thankful we are of all of it," Daniel said. Visit the best Phoenix burrito 2023 contenders and vote for your favorite Vote for your favorite burrito at burritobowl.azcentral.com. Voting ends Sunday, April 2 and the winner of the 2023 Phoenix Burrito Bowl will be announced Monday, April 3. The Original Carolina's Mexican Food: 1202 E. Mohave St., Phoenix. 602-252-1503, carolinasmex.com. Rito's Mexican Food: 907 N. 14th St., Phoenix. 602-262-9842. Other locations at ritosmexicanfood.com. For dessert: According to TikTok, this chef makes the 'best cheesecake in Arizona' Reach the reporter at endia.fontanez@gannett.com. Follow @EndiaFontanez on Twitter. Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Meet the Phoenix Mexican restaurants named 2023 Burrito Bowl finalists Tatiana Casiraghi attends the Monaco National Day Celebrations on November 19, 2016. Pascal Le Segretain/Corbis via Getty Images Tatiana Casiraghi, the granddaughter of a brewing tycoon, was once the richest citizen in Monaco. She was born in New York, attended boarding school in Switzerland, and went to university in London. Her husband, Andrea Casiraghi, is fourth in line to the throne of Monaco. Monaco is known across the globe for its wealthy residents, luxurious yacht shows, and for being the home of one of Europe's longest-ruling royal families. Port Hercule in Monaco. John Greim/LightRocket/Getty Images Although Monaco is one of the smallest countries in the world with an area of just 0.78 square miles it is also one of the richest per capita. According to Fox Business, Monaco had a wealth per capita of $2.1 million in 2019. The principality also has the highest GDP per capita in the world, according to the World Bank Group. Described as the Billionaire's playground, Monaco has a zero-income tax policy that attracts the super-rich to its shores. One member of the Monegasque royal family who is well-known within high society and the fashion elite is 39-year-old Tatiana Casiraghi. Tatiana Casiraghi. Pascal Le Segretain/Getty The American-born heiress had a net worth of $1.7 billion as of March 2019, Forbes reported. That same year, Casiraghi was recognized as the richest citizen of Monaco, though she has since fallen off Forbes' real-time billionaires' list. Here's everything we know about the uber-wealthy socialite and member of the Monegasque royal family. Even as a member of one of the world's elite royal families, the heiress leads a relatively private life. Andrea Casiraghi, Pierre Casiraghi, Tatiana Santo Domingo and her father Julio Mario Santo Domingo Jr. during Paris Fashion Week in 2006. Michel Dufour/WireImage Tatiana Casiraghi was born as Tatiana Santo Domingo on November 24, 1983, in New York City. Her grandfather, beer-brewing tycoon Julio Mario Santo Domingo, was named the second-richest man in Colombia by Forbes in 2011, before his death that same year. At the time of his death, his net worth was $8.4 billion. As the owner of Bavaria, one of the largest breweries in South America, he later traded his ownership for a 15% stake in SABMiller, making the entire Santo Domingo family extremely wealthy. Story continues When he died in 2011, one-sixth of his enormous wealth was left to Tatiana, according to Hello! magazine. The American-born heiress attended Institut Le Rosey, an exclusive boarding school in Switzerland. The Institut Le Rosey Gstaad winter campus. Harold Cunningham/Getty Images The elite boarding school is one of the most expensive boarding schools in the world. The price to attend is reportedly as much as $130,000 annually for tuition and boarding. The school is also the oldest in Switzerland. One of the campus buildings, the Chateau du Rosey, was built in the 14th century, while the school was founded in 1880. Tatiana Casiraghi received her bachelor's degree from The American University of London in 2005, before the university lost its accredited status in 2007. Tatiana Casiraghi. Pascal Le Segretain/Getty She majored in visual communications, with a concentration in photography. She is perhaps best known for her place in the Monegasque royal family. Tatiana and Andrea Casiraghi attend the Monaco National Day on November 19, 2022. David Niviere/SC Pool/Corbis/Getty Images She is married to Andrea Casiraghi, nephew of Monaco's reigning monarch, Prince Albert, and the grandson of American actress-turned-royal Grace Kelly. At the time of his marriage to Tatiana in 2013, Andrea Casiraghi was second in line to become the Prince of Monaco. In 2014, with the birth of Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene's twins, Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques, the line of succession changed, making Andrea Casiraghi fourth in line to the throne. Tatiana and Andrea Casiraghi started dating in 2006. Tatiana Santo Domingo and Andrea Casiraghi in 2006. Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty Images Casiraghi gave birth to her first son, Alexandre Andrea Stefano Casiraghi, a few months before the royal couple married on August 31, 2013. As they were not married when their first son was born, he was not originally given a place in the Monegasque line of succession. According to the Constitution of the Principality of Monaco, legitimate heirs must be related by birth to the ruler, and their parents must be married. However, when the two wed in 2013, Sacha became fifth in line to the throne. Their wedding was a small yet high-society affair. Workers decorate with flowers at the entrance of the Saint Nicolas' church where Tatiana and Andrea wed. BORIS HEGER/AFP/Getty Images According to Vogue, the bride wore a V-neck Missoni dress with three-quarter-length sleeves and flat silver sandals, while her bridesmaids wore designer dresses from Dolce & Gabbana and Valentino. Members of the Missoni family attended the wedding, as did Greek shipping heiress Eugenie Niarchos, according to Hello! The couple had a civil ceremony at the Prince's Palace of Monaco in August 2013 followed by a religious ceremony in Gstaad, Switzerland, six months later. Tatiana and Andrea Casiraghi now have two more children: daughter India, 7, and son Maximilian Rainier, 4. India Casiraghi, Tatiana Santo Domingo, Sacha Casiraghi, and Andrea Casiraghi appear at the palace balcony during the Monaco National Day on November 19, 2022. Stephane Cardinale/Corbis/Corbis/Getty Images Maximilian was named after Rainier III, the late Prince of Monaco and husband of Grace Kelly. Most of Casiraghi's rare public appearances revolve around the fashion industry. Tatiana Casiraghi. Victor Boyko/Getty Images Casiraghi has worked in the fashion industry for years. She previously held a position at the Aeffe fashion house in New York under creative director Giovanni Biancho. She also held a position at Vanity Fair. Italian fashion heiress Margherita Missoni is a member of Casiraghi's inner circle, and the two have been spotted together at multiple fashion shows and industry events. The billionaire heiress turned royal runs her own ethical fashion company, Muzungu Sisters, with Dana Alikhani, an advocate for human rights. Dana Alikhani and Tatiana Santo Domingo in June 2022. David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images According to W Magazine, Alikhani has held positions at the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and at the Human Rights Watch in New York. She's also served as a Middle East political analyst for a global business risk consultancy in London. Founded in 2011, Muzungu Sisters collects and resells sustainable and ethically sourced goods from 20 artisan communities across the world. The brand's website claims that purchases "stimulate local economies" in India, Morocco, Peru, South Africa, Colombia, and more. Dresses, tops, and skirts on the site hover around $250 to $900, while the brand's iconic basket bags go for around $350. Casiraghi is a regular at Paris Fashion Week and has been photographed in the front row of shows for Chanel, Christian Dior, and Valentino. Tatiana Casiraghi, Diane Von Furstenberg, and Talita Von Furstenberg attend the Giambattista Valli Haute Couture Spring Summer 2017 show. Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Here the socialite is pictured at the Giambattista Valli Haute Couture Spring Summer 2017 show with Diane Von Furstenberg and her granddaughter Talita Von Furstenberg. Casiraghi lives with her husband, their three children, and the family's two dogs. Andrea Casiraghi, Sasha Casiraghi, India Casiraghi, and Tatiana Casiraghi in May 2019. Arnold Jerocki/FilmMagic/Getty Images When she's not attending fashion industry events or spending time with her royal family members, Casiraghi enjoys visiting her favorite haunts in New York, Paris, and London. In 2015, the heiress revealed to W Magazine that her favorite spots for going out on the town were Bar Pitti and Indochine in New York, Ferdi in Paris, and Maggie's Club in London. Read the original article on Insider The Meridian Fire Department has issued cease-and-desist orders to four businesses and a chiropractor for using oxygen devices that fail to comply with state and federal regulations. The oxygen devices, called hyperbaric chambers, are pressurized chambers in which users breathe a higher concentration of oxygen. Soft-sided hyperbaric chambers have been advertised by some wellness centers as a way to treat autism, Lyme disease and cerebral palsy, though theres no scientific proof they work for those conditions. The cease-and-desist orders were issued to Meridian businesses using the soft-sided hyperbaric chambers, which dont comply with regulations because of their fire hazards and risks of suffocation. Many of the centers that use them do so without accreditation. The businesses were also provided with copies of a bulletin issued by Idaho State Fire Marshal Knute C. Sandahl in January. The bulletin said that hyperbaric chambers must satisfy the requirements outlined by regulatory agencies, including those related to fire suppression, fire alarms and emergency planning. Sandahl noted the bulletin does not apply to the use of the devices in private dwelling units, but is recommended. Which businesses received the notices? Joe Bongiorno, deputy chief of fire prevention at the Meridian Fire Department, delivered the bulletin and cease-and-desist letters to Restore Hyper Wellness, Karlfeldt Center, Idaho Brain and Body Institute and Scott Gibbons of BridgeTower Chiropractic, according to information obtained by the Idaho Statesman through a public records request. If you have (soft-sided hyperbaric chambers) in your facilities in Meridian, please have them removed, Bongiorno said in the letters. Restore Hyper Wellness, Karlfeldt Center and Idaho Brain and Body Institute did not respond to requests for comment from the Statesman. Gibbons, a doctor of chiropractic care, told the Statesman by email that his business sold the soft-sided hyperbaric chamber it was using upon receiving the cease-and-desist letter. Story continues The Statesman reported in August that a complaint to local fire authorities over safety concerns named Restore Hyper Wellness, a rapidly expanding company with locations in Meridian and Boise, and the Karlfeldt Center in Meridian. What regulations do the chambers violate? Hyperbaric chambers are regulated by the 2018 edition of the International Fire Code as adopted by the state of Idaho, according to the bulletin Sandahl issued. Section 609 of the IFC requires hyperbaric facilities to be inspected, tested and maintained in accordance with the National Fire Protection Association Standard 99, which defines a hyperbaric facility as a building, structure or space that houses hyperbaric chambers. Sandahl wrote that hyperbaric chambers should comply with the NFPA Standard 99, a code established to minimize the hazards of fire, explosion and electricity in health care facilities. The cease-and-desist letters delivered by Bongiorno said that soft-sided hyperbaric chambers do not meet NFPA 99 and the 2018 IFC. Martin Gresho, a fire protection engineer consultant for Restore Hyper Wellness, previously said in a public comment on fire safety standards that the companys services are therapeutic, not medical, and so the code should not apply. What are the safety concerns? Soft-sided chambers, which are inflatable and sealed with a zipper, are at risk of explosions because of their high concentration of oxygen. A power disruption could also cause the chambers to deflate, suffocating the person inside. Hard-shell chambers, on the other hand, have much higher concentrations of oxygen but are manufactured to meet U.S. regulations. The soft-sided versions are also not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in hyperbaric oxygen therapy except when treating people with altitude sickness. The portable chambers were originally designed for divers and mountain climbers to use temporarily until they could be taken to a hard-shell hyperbaric chamber for treatment, according to the National Hyperbaric Treatment Center. Wellness centers claiming to use them for other ailments are providing off-label treatments. In 2009, a soft-sided hyperbaric chamber in Florida caught fire and killed a 4-year-old with cerebral palsy and his grandmother, resulting in a $2 million settlement and leading the Florida Board of Medicine to revoke the medical licenses of five physicians. And in 2011, a 19-year-old autistic man in North Carolina suffocated after falling asleep inside a soft-sided hyperbaric chamber used at home. The chamber was shipped to his home from a nearby clinic for temporary use. Fire marshals across the country have halted the use of such chambers, including in Utah, Georgia and South Carolina, said Tom Workman, recently retired director of quality assurance and regulatory affairs for the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society. The nonprofit supports hyperbaric medical research and has a hyperbaric facility accreditation program. What are the chambers approved for? Dr. Jason Quinn, an emergency medicine physician at the Saint Alphonsus Health System, previously told the Statesman that the biggest difference between medical and mild hyperbaric therapy is the pressure. Hard-shell hyperbaric chambers, which are capable of reaching pressures much higher than their soft-shell counterparts, are typically used by physicians in hospitals and other medical clinics to treat conditions like decompression sickness, carbon monoxide poisoning and diabetic foot ulcers. Only four hospital-affiliated wound care and hyperbaric centers are accredited by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society in Idaho: the Saint Alphonsus Wound Healing & Hyperbaric Medicine program in Boise, St. Lukes Health System in Meridian, Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello and Saint Alphonsus Medical Center in Nampa. Wellness centers, on the other hand, often tout mild hyperbaric therapy as treatment for a wide range of ailments, according to the FDA. What are they not approved to treat? If you are considering the use of a (hyperbaric oxygen therapy) device for yourself or a loved one, be aware that some claims of what it can do are unproven, the FDA says. The FDA notes on its website that the devices are not proven to cure cancer, Lyme disease, autism, Alzheimers disease or COVID-19. However, some wellness centers claim the opposite. The Statesman reported in August that the Karlfeldt Center in Meridian received a warning letter from the Federal Trade Commission in 2021 for unsubstantiated claims for coronavirus prevention and treatment. The letter cited advertisements and social media posts made or reposted by the center that said mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy could treat COVID-19. Soft-sided hyperbaric chambers deliver 24% oxygen to the person inside, while hard-shell hyperbaric chambers deliver 100% oxygen, according to the National Hyperbaric Treatment Center. The idea behind hyperbaric oxygen therapy and its success as a treatment option depend on flooding the body with higher levels of oxygen, to the National Hyperbaric Treatment Center said on its website. Unfortunately, you see that soft-sided chambers dont really offer much more than the air you naturally breathe. Soft-sided hyperbaric chambers are significantly cheaper than hard-shell hyperbaric chambers, making the soft-shell chambers a more affordable option for wellness centers to buy. Theyre claiming to treat all kinds of things under the sun that theres really no data for, Quinn previously told the Statesman. I would encourage patients to get the facts. The next North End? A new Pendleton store. 618-home project. Coming near you Corporate greed in the most extreme: Boise residents oppose 24% rate hike for water Amazons new layoffs brings job cuts to 27,000. The Idaho impact? Heres what we know The company's Menlo Park campus has a history of offering workers extravagant benefits. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images Meta has bought in a DJ to play during lunch at one of its cafes, an employee told The Information. Meta has been encouraging employees to return to its California headquarters in recent months. The company's Menlo Park campus has a history of offering workers key benefits. Meta has brought in a DJ to play music in its Menlo Park campus cafe, an employee told The Information. The company has been encouraging people to return to the California headquarters in recent months, pointing to an early analysis that suggested early-career engineers who joined in person performed better than those working remotely. In a comment provided after publication, a spokesperson for Meta denied to Insider that a DJ had been brought in. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has also hinted that the company's remote-work policy may change. In an all-hands meeting earlier this month, he told employees that while the company plans to "continue to support remote work," it would analyze performance data and potentially update the policy. Some employees may be lured back to the office by Meta's in-person perks. The company's Menlo Park campus has a history of offering workers generous benefits, such as on-site doctors and dentists. Meta has cut back on some health perks, however, amid mass layoffs, Insider reported. The company also scrapped its Lyft subsidy so employees would no longer get free rides. Meta announced two weeks ago that it was embarking on a second round of cuts. Most of the 10,000 employees affected wouldn't find out if they were being laid off until April or May, the company said, per the Information. The uncertainty has left people feeling vulnerable and created a sense of paralysis in certain areas of the company, Meta employees told the publication. March 30, 2022: This story has been updated to include a comment from a Meta spokesperson that denied a DJ had been hired. Read the original article on Business Insider Barges against the dam just south of downtown Louisville on Tuesday, March 28, 2023 Concern in Louisville and in other nearby communities that border the Ohio River was raised this week after several barges got loose along the waterway including one carrying 1,400 metric tons of methanol, a chemical with various uses. While the barge carring the methanol is "partially submerged," there is currently "zero evidence of a tank breach or any leaks," according to a Tuesday night release from the city in the aftermath of the incident, and state officials are monitoring air and water quality moving forward. Louisville's water is safe to drink, officials from several local agencies said. Methanol is also known as "wood alcohol," according to the U.S. Department of Energy. It's a versatile chemical used in hundreds of products, including motor fuel, synthetics and paint, and is also used in manufacturing other chemicals. More headlines:How The Courier Journal changed sportswriter Dave Kindred's life during Hall of Fame career Read more:When a Kentucky athletic trainer taught CPR to a team's coaches, he saved a life - his own Methanol can be dangerous if consumed. Drinking small amounts of the chemical can be fatal, according to the Methanol Institute, a trade association for the industry, although methanol poisoning is generally treatable at a hospital if diagnosed between 10-30 hours of ingestion. Symptoms of methanol poisoning can include nausea, vomiting, blurred or complete loss of vision, abdominal pain, seizures and comas. Still, city officials said there is no evidence the chemical had spilled into the Ohio River as of Tuesday evening, with more information to be released Wednesday. The loose barges hit the McAlpine Dam, which is downriver from the Louisville Water Co.'s water intake, and company officials said no impact to Louisville's water quality is expected "Your water is safe to drink," company spokesperson Kathleen Speicher said Tuesday. While no methanol is believed to have spilled at this time, there is some good news either way the chemical is "fairly volatile," according to Henderson Water Utility treatment superintendent Josh Thompson, and even large amounts would likely dissipate quickly in a waterway as large as the Ohio River. The nearest water intake location along the Ohio River in Kentucky is in Henderson, about 200 miles west of Louisville. Officials in that city are monitoring the situation, Thompson said Tuesday, but were not concerned about water quality in the city at that time. Reach The Courier Journal's breaking news team at lounews@courier-journal.com. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: What is methanol? What to know about chemical on Ohio River barge The New Mexico district attorney overseeing the Rust shooting case involving Alec Baldwin said she would follow a judges order to step down as a prosecutor. Baldwin and the movies armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed have pleaded not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter in the 2021 death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who died after being hit with a live round fired from a prop gun held by Baldwin. First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies confirmed she was stepping aside from the case Wednesday (29 March) after Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer on Monday said the district attorney should not serve as both co-prosecutor and special prosecutor. In a statement from her office (via Reuters), Carmack-Altwies named New Mexico attorneys Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis to serve as the new special prosecutors in the case. Baldwins attorney had previously called for Carmack-Altwies to be disqualified from the case, claiming as she was too distracted by her role as a state legislator. The original special prosecutor, Andrea Reeb, resigned earlier in the wake of missteps in the filing of initial charges against Baldwin and objections that Reebs role as a state legislator created conflicting responsibilities. This aerial photo shows the movie set of Rust at Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) Carmack-Altwies subsequently had been preparing to appoint a new special prosecutor and also guide the complex case as co-counsel. Hutchins died shortly after being wounded on 21 October 2021, during rehearsals for the Western film at a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe. A defense attorney for Gutierrez-Reed objected to Carmack-Altwiess earlier plans to serve as co-counsel, arguing it would be illegal under New Mexico law and fundamentally unfair to a 25-year-old defendant with limited financial resources. Carmack-Altwiess spokesperson Heather Brewer said said the appointment of Morrisey and Lewis, with their extensive experience and trial expertise, will allow the state to pursue justice for Halyna Hutchins and ensure that in New Mexico everyone is held accountable under the law. A weekslong preliminary hearing in May will decide whether evidence against Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed is sufficient to proceed to trial. Additional reporting from The Associated Press (Bloomberg) -- The fire in an immigration facility in northern Mexico took the lives of 39 of the migrants trapped inside after both private security and federal agents failed to allow them to exit, Mexicos top security official said Wednesday evening. Most Read from Bloomberg They werent capable of opening a gate. Thats whats being investigated, Public Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez said at a press conference. Who was it that didnt allow these people to exit? Clearly, we have a serious crime here. Authorities have identified eight people as likely responsible for the deaths during the fire at a detention center in the border city of Ciudad Juarez on Monday night, Rodriguez said. The eight include two federal agents, a state-level migration officer and five private security employees, she said. None of the individuals opened a door to allow the migrants to escape during the fire, which was set by some of the detainees, according to Sara Herrerias, a human rights official at the prosecutors office, who spoke alongside Rodriguez. The deaths of the migrants who were protesting in the facility has highlighted the tension over Mexicos efforts to crackdown on migrants trying to reach the US. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador had said earlier that the detainees were protesting against their impending deportation. The migrants were from Venezuela, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia and Ecuador. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. The deaths of at least 39 migrants at a Mexican migrant facility just south of the U.S. border are being investigated as homicides and arrest warrants are expected Thursday. At a press conference Wednesday, Mexico's Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez said prosecutors identified eight people suspected of being responsible for the deaths at the migrant center in the city of Ciudad Juarez, located across the Rio Grande less than eight miles south of El Paso, Texas. Rodriguez said they include two Mexican federal agents, a Chihuahua state migration officer and five members of a private security firm, Reuters reported. "There is obviously a grave crime," Rodriguez reportedly said. "These were human lives. Its unforgivable." MEXICAN IMMIGRATION GUARDS DIDN'T RELEASE MIGRANTS AS DEADLY FIRE RAGED, VIDEO APPEARS TO SHOW Video circulated on social media showed one male detainee inside a cell kicking on bars as the flames worsened. Uniformed guards appeared to leave amid the blaze without helping detainees get out. Officials said part of the investigation examines whether a key was available to open the cell or if there was another way to break the lock. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "Who didn't let these people out? Clearly, there is a serious crime," Rodriguez said, adding the surveillance footage was part of the probe. "They weren't capable of opening a gate." At the same event, Sara Irene Herrerias, leader of the human rights unit at Mexico's Attorney General's Office, said no arrests had been made yet but warrants were expected to come Wednesday evening and into Thursday, according to Reuters. Herrerias said a probe was opened "for the crime of homicide and damage to property," though other possible offenses are being weighed, The Guardian reported. "None of the public servants or the private security personnel took any action to open the door for the migrants who were inside," she told reporters. Rodriguez said the migrants held at the facility had been rounded up off the streets earlier in the day as neighbors complained about panhandling, the Los Angeles Times reported. Story continues Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has promised there would be "no impunity" over the tragedy. "There is no intention to cover up what happened, no intention to protect anyone," Lopez Obrador told reporters, according to the Times. "In our government we dont permit violation of human rights or impunity." FIRE AT MEXICAN MIGRANT FACILITY THAT KILLED 38 STARTED IN DEPORTATION PROTEST, PRESIDENT SAYS Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection Rosa Icela Rodriguez spoke of the deaths of 39 migrants in a fire during a press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City on March 29, 2023. Lopez Obrador said some of the migrants held at the center are believed to have started the fire themselves in protest over expected deportations. "They put mats at the door of the shelter and set them on fire as a protest, and did not imagine that it would cause this terrible tragedy," he said Tuesday, according to Agence France-Presse. Still, the Mexican president insisted those responsible for "causing this painful tragedy will be punished in conformity with the law." The victims were all men and mostly from Guatemala, but others who died were from Honduras, Venezuela, El Salvador, Colombia and Ecuador, according to Mexican authorities. The Times reported that the death toll increased from 28 to 39 Wednesday, while others remain hospitalized, including 17 in critical condition, nine listed as "delicate" and two as stable. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres demanded a "thorough investigation." Tensions between authorities and migrants had apparently been running high in recent weeks in Ciudad Juarez, where shelters are full of people waiting for opportunities to cross into the U.S. or for the asylum process to play out, The Associated Press reported. The high level of frustration in Ciudad Juarez was evident earlier this month when hundreds of mostly Venezuelan migrants tried to force their way across one of the international bridges to El Paso, acting on false rumors that the United States would allow them to enter the country. U.S. authorities blocked their attempts. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Police officers say they have arrested a woman who was running an unlicensed cosmetic surgery recovery home near Miami International Airport after finding eight convalescing women and medical waste inside her residence. Maidelys Sanchez, 38, was charged with felonies that include operating an assisted living facility without a license and illegally disposing hazardous waste, court records show. The Miami-Dade County woman has bonded out of the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, with bail totaling $13,500. According to a police report, the Miami-Dade Police Departments human trafficking unit got a tip Tuesday that an unknown woman from another state had cosmetic surgery and was being held against her will in an apartment at 7711 NW Seventh St., Sanchezs permanent address. When detectives arrived, they found eight women in different stages of post-operative recovery. The women told detectives that the owners and employees of the facility had helped them with their personal care, including dressing and eating, as well as medication, transportation and using the bathroom, investigators said in the report. That was later confirmed by three of Sanchezs employees who said they were being paid in cash, police noted. The women also said they had been charged between $1,600 and $2,100 for the services they received. Further investigation revealed the facility had large plastic bags in the kitchen, garage and bathrooms with used bandages and pads that contained human fecal matter, blood and urine. The medical waste, detectives said, was being illegally dumped at 12420 SW 95th Ter., a house near Kendall. Police noted Sanchez wasnt using biohazard bin containers nor did she hire a licensed biohazard waste company to remove the soiled bandages and pads. On Tuesday afternoon, police arrested Sanchez at her apartment and took her to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Her attorney information wasnt available Thursday afternoon. Story continues Her first formal appearance in court on the charges is set for April 27. Sanchez, police said, had previously received three notices of unlicensed activity from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Any facility in the state that provides assistance to people with their daily personal care, including dressing, toileting, feeding and grooming, must be licensed. In 2022, the agency issued a little over 30 notices of violation for operating an unlicensed assisted living facility in the state, of which 22 were in Miami-Dade, AHCA online records show. Steve Gallon IV, the son of a prominent Miami-Dade School Board member and civil rights activist, pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempted second-degree murder of a law enforcement officer Thursday, then asked the judge for a hearing to determine if he could bond out of jail. During the arraignment, the handcuffed 32-year-old looked on from the jury box in a red jump suit, as Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Alberto Milian told his attorney he had 30 days to file the motion requesting bond. Attorney Rod Vereen also asked the judge to release his clients impounded vehicle. Milian said he wanted to make sure it was cleared by police before granting the request. Gallon IVs trial was tentatively set for June 30. Gallon IV is the son of Steve Gallon III, who was first elected to the Miami-Dade County School Board in 2016 after defeating incumbent Wilbert Holloway for the District 1 seat in the countys most northern end. He was reelected in 2020. Gallon IV was taken into custody on March 10 after coming out of a home in the Allapattah area during a massive manhunt following the shooting of an undercover MIami-Dade police officer. Police said the officer was about to conduct a traffic stop and was involved in some type of drug investigation when he was spotted by the driver, Atiba Moore, 30. Police believe Moore then contacted Gallon IV and drove away, leading the officer to the home where Gallon IV was staying. When they arrived, police said Gallon IV came up behind the officer and shot him. The bullet only grazed the officers neck. He was released from the hospital the next day. Attorney Vereen said Gallon IV had no way of knowing the man he shot was a police officer, because he was working undercover and had not identified himself. Also arrested and charged with being accessories after the fact for harboring Gallon IV after the shooting were Kendrick Jose Watkins, 33, Frederick Lee Watkins, 27 and Andre Darrell Copeland, 47. Moore was also arraigned Thursday on a charge of solicitation to commit first-degree murder. He pleaded not guilty. His trial date was also tentatively set for June 30. GOSHEN - A Middletown man pleaded guilty to murder Thursday in connection with the October stabbing death of a town of Wallkill man, Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler announced. According to Hoovler, Damante T. Stansberry, 24, of Middletown pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, a felony. Stansberry was accused of the stabbing death of Jeffrey Harris, 53, of Wallkill. Prosecutors allege that at about 5 p.m. on Oct. 30, 2022, Stansberry arrived at the home of Harris, who had been repairing a fence in his backyard, and repeatedly stabbed him. Harris' body was later found stabbed multiple times in the detached garage at his home. Neither police nor prosecutors have said what the relationship between Stansberry and Harris was, nor have they commented on a motive for the murder. After the stabbing, Stansberry then concealed a mask, rubber gloves, a hooded jacket and a shoe he had been wearing by stuffing them into a storm drain, prosecutors said. Fatal shooting: NY AG releases body cam footage showing the death of Daniel McAlpin of Wawarsing Fiery crash: 16-year-old driver in crash that killed 5 children in New York wasn't licensed Tax breaks: State Senator James Skoufis launching probe into Orange County IDA Stansberry was arrested on Nov. 1, 2022, following an investigation by town of Wallkill police, who were assisted by state police, the FBI Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, the Orange County Sheriff's Office, the Hudson Valley Crime Analysis Center and Hoolvler's office. Stansberry's next scheduled court appearance is June 12. "There is no place where people should feel safer than in their own homes," Hoovler said in a statement released by his office. "My deepest condolences go out to the family and loved ones of the victim in this case, who was senselessly killed while working in his own backyard on a Sunday afternoon." Stansberry's attorney, Randy Ira Siper, could not immediately be reached for comment. Mike Randall covers breaking news for the Times Herald-Record, Poughkeepsie Journal and The Journal News/lohud. Reach him at mrandall@th-record.com or on Twitter @mikerandall845. This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Guilty plea entered for the stabbing death of a Wallkill man Photograph: Guillermo Arias/AFP/Getty Images The deaths of at least 39 migrants in a fire at a Mexican detention centre are being investigated as suspected homicides, a prosecutor has said, accusing those in charge of doing nothing to evacuate the victims. Authorities faced mounting scrutiny of their handling of the disaster after video surveillance footage appeared to show guards leaving as flames engulfed a cell with migrants locked inside. An investigation was opened for the crime of homicide and damage to property, though other possible crimes will also be considered, Sara Irene Herrerias, a prosecutor specialising in human rights, said. Related: Theyre killing us: anger grows after deadly fire at Mexican migrant center None of the public servants or the private security personnel took any action to open the door for the migrants who were inside, she told reporters. Eight people have been identified as allegedly responsible for the failure, the security minister, Rosa Icela Rodriguez, said at the same news conference. They are two federal agents and a state immigration official, as well as five members of a private security company. Prosecutors have already requested several arrest warrants, Herrerias said. The Mexican president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, earlier vowed there would be no impunity over the tragedy in Ciudad Juarez near the US border. Those found to have been responsible for causing this painful tragedy will be punished in conformity with the law, he added. Lopez Obrador said on Tuesday that the migrants were believed to have started the fire themselves in a protest against deportations. In a widely shared surveillance video, whose authenticity was confirmed by the government, three guards seem to hurry away leaving migrants in their cell as flames spread and smoke rapidly fills the building. El Salvador, which said some of its citizens were seriously injured, demanded that the people in charge of the facility be punished since the video showed migrants were left inside the cells without any chance of getting to safety. Story continues In Washington, the White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, described the video as heartbreaking and offered condolences for the tragic loss of life. She said officials from the two countries had been in contact, and raised the possibility that some of the injured might be allowed to receive medical assistance in the United States. Dozens of migrants spent the night outside the National Migration Institute (INM) facility in Ciudad Juarez waiting for information about their relatives and friends. The dead and injured included people from Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela, El Salvador, Colombia and Ecuador, Mexican authorities said. President Joe Bidens administration has been hoping to stem the record tide of migrants and asylum seekers undertaking often dangerous journeys organised by human smugglers to get to the United States. About 200,000 people try to cross the border from Mexico into the United States each month, most of them fleeing poverty and violence in Central and South America. On Wednesday night more than a thousand migrants in Juarez surrendered to US border authorities in El Paso, directly across the Texas-Mexico border, frustrated by recent asylum policies, and shaken by the fatal fire. In a statement late Wednesday, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said it was expelling migrants under the Covid-era order known as Title 42 which is set to expire on 11 May and beginning removal proceedings for other migrants whose countries of origin mean they are not expelled directly under the measure but lack legal status. Migrants continued to complain that a new US government app meant to streamline the process of securing asylum appointments from outside the US is dysfunctional. Carrying children and belongings, groups of migrants moved briskly on Wednesday afternoon toward a gate at a section of the US border wall on the frontier, which has become a destination for asylum seekers and smugglers trafficking them. Now, with Gods favor, well make it there, said Carlos Garcia, pulling his young daughter at a jog as he tried to get his name on a list supposedly granting access to the US. A false rumor circulated on social media on Wednesday that migrants surrendering at a specific spot at the border would be able to freely cross into US territory. Edgar Naranjo, 27, a migrant from Maracay, Venezuela, told the Guardian on Thursday that this was not the first time false rumors have misled migrants into surrendering to US authorities. Wednesday evening, Naranjo was with a group of migrants looking for a what they hoped would be a legal entry route to US territory. But he grew increasingly suspicious as he approached the border and decided to turn back, fearful of arrest. When were in a situation like this, we dont know whats happening or what will happen next, Naranjo said. Were victims of everything, including these rumors. By late afternoon hundreds had formed a line along the steel barrier on US soil. By early evening, CBP agents had begun processing migrants through a door intended for maintenance workers. Two dozen migrants interviewed by Reuters said they were fed up with daily discrimination and violence in Mexico, with some saying they feared suffering a similar fate to the 39 men who died in Mondays fire. I came to live, not to die, said Juan Velazquez, a 22-year-old migrant. Thats why I want to leave here now. Mexico is not a place for us. Ive already been there, he added, referring to the detention center. They treat us like criminals. By the border, a young Venezuelan mother prayed alongside her two daughters visibly tired and wearing torn, dirty clothes. God, help us, she said over and over. As they waited for a chance to cross the border, border patrol agents and Texas national guard troops blocked the massive metal gate, while a US security helicopter flew overhead. Miley's New Year's Eve Party - Season 1 - Credit: Vijat Mohindra/NBC/Getty Images Hayer Elementary School, located in Waukesha, Wisconsin, was meant to feature Miley Cyrus and Dolly Partons collaboration Rainbowland during a spring concert, but a teacher revealed earlier this week that the song was pulled from the lineup. In an email to Wisconsin Public Radio, Waukesha Superintendent James Sebert stated: The question was around whether the song was appropriate for the age and maturity level of the first-grade students. But the Happy Hippie Foundation, a non-profit founded by Cyrus in support of young people in the LGBTQ+ community and those facing homelessness, knows that the need for self-acceptance has no age. More from Rolling Stone To the inspiring first grade students at Heyer Elementary, keep being YOU, the organization tweeted on Wednesday. We believe in our Happy Hippie heart that youll be the ones to brush the judgment and fear aside and make all of us more understanding and accepting. Happy Hippie Foundation will also be making a donation to Pride and Less Prejudice, an organization providing pre-K through 3rd grade classrooms with LGBTQ-inclusive books. Read out loud, read out proud, their mantra reads. We are rainbows, me and you Every color, every hue Let's shine on through TOGETHER WE CAN START LIVING IN A RAINBOWLAND. When our founder @mileycyrus and her fairy godmother @dollyparton wrote these words together, they meant it. pic.twitter.com/zRjTkcWttm Happy Hippie Foundation (@happyhippiefdn) March 29, 2023 On Rainbowland, Cyrus and Parton imagine a utopia without the kind of hurt or hate that would find malice in a song about happiness. Wouldnt it be nice to live in paradise/Where were free to be exactly who we are/Lets all dig down deep inside, they sing. Brush the judgment and fear aside/Make wrong things right/And end the fight/Cause I promise aint nobody gonna win. Story continues In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Sarah Schindler, a mother of a first-grader at Heyer Elementary, shared that Kermit the Frogs Rainbow Connection from The Muppet Movie was also pulled from the concert lineup, swept in with what the school administration had deemed controversial. But Kermit was eventually reinstated in the list, while Cyrus and Parton are still on the outs. I know, Miley Cyrus kind of has a past, in the spotlight with, you know, talking about drug use, and sexuality, and all of that. And Dolly Parton supports drag queens, and you know, thats another thing going about in our country these days, Schindler added. It feels like, because of these extreme policies that have been put into place by our school board in the past year or two, that administration, principals, and teachers are now starting to second-guess all of their choices. Best of Rolling Stone Click here to read the full article. (Bloomberg) -- The rising probability of military action near a Russian-occupied nuclear plant in Ukraine is forcing international monitors to shelve a proposed security zone around the site and instead concentrate on making its reactors more resilient to attack. Most Read from Bloomberg There are signals that new fighting may break out soon near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said late Wednesday. Grossi crossed the battle line separating Ukrainian and Russian forces to bring a new rotation of monitors into Europes biggest nuclear power plant. There is a significant increase of troops in the region, he said. There is open talk of offensives and counteroffensives. That threat is prompting the IAEA to focus now on protecting Zaporizhzhias six reactors, Grossi said. The Vienna-based agencys earlier plan to erect a security perimeter around the facility was shelved after months of diplomacy between Kyiv and Moscow failed. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told Grossi the initiative was doomed to fail as long as Russian forces remained at the facility. Grossi said hes now working with officials on both sides to develop a plan focusing more on the protection itself and the things that should be avoided to protect the plant, rather than the territorial aspects. The Zaporizhzhia facility has been subject to sporadic shelling for months, raising concern of a radiological accident. Strikes in November damaged two reactor buildings, while others short-circuited electrical cables critical for keeping the plant safe. There were visible signs of damage and destruction, Grossi said. It is obvious this area is facing a more dangerous phase in terms of the ongoing conflict. We have to step up our efforts at the plant. Story continues Employees from Russias state-led Rosatom Corp. are currently running the plant, and Grossi confirmed hes in contact with the operators. The Kremlins IAEA envoy told diplomats earlier this month theyve constructed new shielding to protect on-site nuclear fuel from attack. The IAEA will evaluate those measures, Grossi said. Ukraines top nuclear official has suggested Kyivs forces could seize back control of the Zaporizhzhia plant after a push toward the southern city of Melitopol takes place. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Score one for voting rights. With the gerrymandered map adopted by the former conservative majority of the Board of Supervisors on its way out, Republicans will no longer have an unfair advantage. For that, we can thank a group of citizens who had the gumption to act. They banded together to form San Luis Obispo County Citizens for Good Government, hired an attorney and sued the county to force a judicial review of the map that was manipulated to give conservative candidates an edge in future elections. The League of Women Voters of San Luis Obispo County later joined the lawsuit. The case is a textbook lesson on the important role the public can play in overturning undemocratic decisions. Now, however, some members of the far right are insinuating that these citizens are minions of Supervisor Bruce Gibson, whose district was eviscerated by the map named after Arroyo Grande resident Richard Patten, the man who proposed it. Dont fall for that. As weve said before, weve rarely seen such a diverse group of citizens so righteously angry and disgusted by an action taken by the SLO County Board of Supervisors. While their opinions on the Patten map align with Gibsons, that does not make them left-leaning puppets. In fact, the leadership of the citizens group includes two retired chiefs of police not exactly hair-on-fire radicals. And the League of Women Voters, a minion? Please. A good outcome This case was never a slam-dunk for the county. In an early hearing, a San Luis Obispo Superior Court judge ruled that the Board of Supervisors erred when it failed to consider evidence that the adopted map favored or discriminated against a political party. In non-legal parlance, the old board blew it. The supervisors should have at least considered the political party data, even if they had no intention of acting upon it. Instead, the old board majority stuck its head in the sand and refused to even look at the numbers. That left the county in legal jeopardy. Story continues It made sense to settle at this stage, even though the county is out nearly $650,000 in legal fees, including $300,000 to cover the plaintiffs costs. That bill could have been far higher had the case dragged on. Whats next? To replace the Patten map, the Board of Supervisors will reconsider three maps presented during the last round of redistricting talks, although it could also choose an entirely new version. Heres what we hope to see: Create districts that are competitive as possible Under the current, gerrymandered map, only two districts 2 and 4 are somewhat balanced. As of the most recent reporting period, Republicans had 1,354 more registered Republicans than Democrats in District 2, and 1,522 more in District 4. The remaining three districts are hugely lopsided. In District 1, Republicans lead by 4,528 voters, while Democrats lead by a whopping 8,460 voters in District 3 and 6,853 voters in District 5. By packing Democrats into Districts 3 and 5, Republicans managed to retain their comfortable majority in one district while giving themselves an edge in two others. Not that it helped them any. They still managed to lose those two districts where they held narrow leads, after voters saw through their underhanded charade. Nevertheless, the new board should do some unpacking and create competitive, more balanced districts. Reunite the North Coast The North Coast stretch that includes Los Osos, Morro Bay, Cayucos, Cambria and San Simeon never should have been split up. There is no question that these communities have common interests especially now that offshore wind energy development is on the horizon. The project will require major infrastructure that will affect all coastal communities. It makes sense to have one county supervisor as the point of contact, rather than three. Include Cal Poly in a SLO district Supporters of the Patten map insisted again and again that Cal Poly should not be in the same district as Atascadero, since the two have very little in common. It would make sense to keep Cal Poly in a district south of the Cuesta Grade, if possible. After all, students have stronger ties to San Luis Obispo than its neighbor to the north. But this should not be a deal-breaking concern as Cal Poly is state property over which county supervisors have no jurisdiction. Split up SLO With the Patten map, we saw the dreadful consequences of keeping the city of San Luis Obispo relatively whole. The move necessitated splitting up the North Coast, wound up creating a Democratic super-majority in District 3 and, as a result, gave Republicans a countywide edge. Whats more, state law never required that the city be whole. Heres what the law says: To the extent practicable, the geographic integrity of a city ... shall be respected in a manner that minimizes its division. Supporters of the Patten map conveniently glossed over that to the extent practicable phrase. The fact is, in a county the size of San Luis Obispo County, it is not practical to keep the county seat in one district. On the contrary, a worthy argument can be made that its a good thing for multiple supervisors to have a stake in the countys biggest city, so they dont become too parochial. Listen to Oceano residents In another move that aided the Republican Party, Oceano, which is mostly Democrat, was moved from District 4 to District 3, even though many residents requested to remain in District 4. If thats still their desire, supervisors should make it happen. Transition to an independent redistricting commission Finally, while we expect the new board to be far more judicious in redrawing district lines, we remain convinced that redistricting should be handled by an independent, bipartisan commission. That would go a long way toward removing even the appearance of a conflict of interest. We strongly urge the current board to join other California counties and cities that are pursuing that alternative, so a commission can be in place when the process repeats in 2031. We greatly appreciate what SLO County Citizens for Good Government accomplished, but private citizens should not have to take their counties to court every 10 years to ensure something as basic as fair representation. At the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (Monastery of the Caves), parishioners belonging to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) have blocked entry to a Ministry of Culture commission which was supposed to be conducting an inventory of the property of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Reserve. Source: Radio Liberty on Telegram Quote from Radio Liberty: "The Commission of the Ministry of Culture was refused entry to the Lavra." Details: Radio Liberty has reported that UOC-MP believers began to argue with members of the commission. , "- ", . " " pic.twitter.com/3jmPukrXmE (@ukrpravda_news) March 30, 2023 Pavlo (Lebid), Abbot of the Kyiv Lavra, told parishioners that the commission "may not work under any circumstances". Quote from Lebid: "You stand quietly, humbly, and pray. But under no circumstances can any commission work [here]. They don't have permission, they have no right to do this. Why? Because of martial law, they should not break any agreements. And when the war is over, they should not communicate with us until four months later. They don't have a court ruling either." Details: The abbot also encouraged parishioners to film the journalists who came to cover the events at the Lavra, noting however that they should not break the law, since media representatives are "breaking in" and filming everything. Pavlo added that "journalists are strange people, they know nothing about either culture or behaviour", adding "May the Lord reward them and their children." Previously: Despite having been requested to leave the shrine on 29 March, representatives of the UOC-MP still remained in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra as of the morning of 30 March and even held a service in one of the churches. Story continues The commission was supposed to have inspected two of the monastery buildings on 30 March. Representatives of the Ministry of Culture said that if they are hindered in the future, they will call the police. Background: In March 2023, the National Reserve Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra terminated the agreement with the UOC-MP on the free use of the monastery in Kyiv. The monks were supposed to leave the monastery and all its buildings on 29 March. The priests of the UOC-MP should have left the monastery on 29 March after holding their last service there. But the Lavras abbot, Metropolitan Pavlo, said he did not intend to do that and filed a lawsuit against the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve. He also openly threatened Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and said Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko was "possessed by an unclean spirit". On the evening of 29 March, the UOC-MP website reported that the Kyiv Commercial Court had opened proceedings in a case brought by the Holy Dormition Monastery against the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve over the termination of the lease agreement by the National Reserve. Oleksii Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, gave assurances that UOC-MP clergy would not be evicted from the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra by force. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine commission, which was to have carried out an inventory of the property of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve, was unable to begin its work, so the Ministry turned to the police. Source: Oleksandr Tkachenko, Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, on Facebook Quote: "We have to admit that due to physical obstruction by UOC-MP [Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate ed.] parishioners, the inventory commission of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve was unable to start its work today. The representatives of the monastery from the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra who are part of the Commission were not able to explain who has the key to the building the inspection of which was planned. Moreover, numerous unknown individuals kept the members of the Commission from entering the building. On the fact of the obstruction of the work of the Commission, a lawsuit was filed with the police." Details: Tkachenko remarks that the rude behaviour of the UOC-MP clergy towards the members of the Commission deeply contradicts their calls to God. Herewith, the Minister added that the Commission will continue its work anyway. Background: The UOC-MP clergy was still in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra on 30 March in the morning and even held service in one of the temples despite the requirement to leave the monastery. On 30 March, the Ministry of Culture commission which was to have carried out an inventory of the property of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve was refused entry to the Lavra by UOC-MP parishioners. The Lavras abbot, Metropolitan Pavlo, himself encouraged them to do that. Surrounded by supporters, Pavlo, the abbot of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), has threatened journalists with violence and prevented them from doing their work. The Union of Journalists of Ukraine is reporting mass violations of journalists' rights near the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (Monastery of the Caves) and will turn to the police. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! (Independent) Hundreds of Minnesota residents have been evacuated from their homes after a train carrying ethanol and corn syrup derailed overnight, sparking a large fire. Kandiyohi County Sheriffs Office said in a press release that the Burlington Northern Santa Fe cargo train derailed at around 1am on Thursday morning in the town of Raymond, Minnesota. Several train cars carrying mixed freight including ethanol and corn syrup burst into flames, the sheriffs office said. Multiple fire departments and first responders were deployed to the scene where they have been battling to bring the blaze under control. Local residents were told to evacuate their homes in the nearby area, with a half-mile evacuation zone set up around the crash site. So far, there have been no reported injuries. An emergency collection site has been set up at the Central Minnesotan Christian School in nearby Prinsburg for evacuated residents in need of a place to go. As of around 5am, the sheriffs office said that the site remained active as the fire was being contained. Members of the public have been urged to stay away from the town of Raymond until further notice. Invitations to a drag show hosted during Pride Fest at Forsyth Technical Community College, featuring a sexualized lap dance, went out to students as young as 14 years old. Footage obtained by the social-media account @libsoftiktok on Tuesday showed a drag queen straddling and gyrating on an unidentified student. The show was hosted by the community colleges local Pride Club. Two high schools are attached to Forsyth Technical, located in Winston-Salem, N.C. Fliers advertising the performance, posted across campus, did not include any minimum-age requirement to attend. The college administration maintained that it had done nothing improper, though it failed to ensure that minors were not present at the performance. Forsyth Tech is committed to being a place of promise for our students. In order to fulfill that promise, we have clearly spelled out our mission, vision and equity statements, the school noted in an official statement provided to Libs of TikTok. These students, like all college students, are open to attend any student event. Growing media pressure on the community college in the wake of the now-viral lap dance eventually prompted the schools chief officer of student success, Paula Dibley, to confirm that the North Carolina college would revise campus policies following the blowback. Parents of children under 18 were not notified of this event in advance, Dibley told Fox News on Wednesday. We have been in close contact with our early college school leadership and are talking with both leaders and parents about how we can revise campus policies and procedures regarding early and middle college students attendance at campus events, Dibley added. One of the events co-sponsors, Prevent Ongoing Spread of STIs Everywhere (POSSE), consequently walked back its earlier support for the event. Our staff was aware that there would be drag performances but was not involved with planning the event and had no information regarding the age of the attendees, Forsyth Technicals public-health director, Joshua Swift, told Fox News. We spent $58 on supplies from the departments operational budget which is funded locally and in part by the State of North Carolina. We do not condone the actions that allegedly took place during the event. Story continues A source for the outlet confirmed that high schoolers were emailed invitations to the drag race and that some minors were seen tipping drag performers during the event. More from National Review Russia, Iran pledge to deepen cooperation Xinhua) 09:27, March 30, 2023 Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) shakes hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian during a joint briefing following talks in Moscow on March 29, 2023. (Russian Foreign Ministry photo) Particular attention was paid to strengthening trade, economic and investment ties, Lavrov said. MOSCOW, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian agreed on Wednesday to continue joint efforts to further increase practical cooperation. Particular attention was paid to strengthening trade, economic and investment ties, and to implementing key projects in the nuclear energy, fuel and transport sectors, Lavrov said during a joint briefing following talks with Amir-Abdollahian. Despite the illegal sanctions of the United States and its allies, Russia-Iran trade reached a record of 4.86 billion U.S. dollars last year, more than 20 percent higher than in 2021, Lavrov noted. Speaking of international and regional issues, Lavrov said that "both sides reaffirmed our rejection of the West's destructive policy aimed at replacing international law and the UN-centered architecture with the U.S. 'rules-based order.'" Moscow and Tehran are convinced that there is no alternative to the Iran nuclear deal and the world is still waiting for the United States to return to its obligations under the pact, Lavrov said. At the briefing, Amir-Abdollahian said that both sides held "very good" talks, adding that Iran and Russia had made significant progress in developing bilateral ties in a range of spheres. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) FIRST ON FOX: Rev. Franklin Graham, CEO and president of Samaritan's Purse as well as head of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, visited the tornado-stricken towns of Rolling Fork and Silver City, Mississippi, on Wednesday to see for himself the damage that's been wrought and to bring comfort, faith and hope to residents there, many of whom lost everything they owned as a result of a recent tornado. The area was hit by an EF4 tornado on March 25. Faith-focused and concerned for devastated families, Rev. Graham also spent time at several of the work sites where Samaritans Purse disaster relief volunteers and staff are toiling to help victims of the storm recover from the damage, the organization shared with Fox News Digital. BOY BURIED ALIVE FOR OVER A WEEK BROUGHT TO SAMARITAN'S PURSE FIELD HOSPITAL "It is just heartbreaking to see these towns that are decimated and these people who have lost everything they owned," said Rev. Graham in comments shared with Fox News Digital. He thanked the volunteers on the ground who have left behind personal comforts and schedules to help those in severe need. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "This is what its all about being the hands and feet of Jesus Christ," Rev. Graham said to those helping out, Fox News Digital was told. "We cant do it without people like you." Many storm survivors in the impoverished rural area of Mississippi did not have insurance and the amount of cleanup and rebuilding that's now required is "massive," said the organization. Rev. Graham said, "Were going to be here for quite some time helping people." Samaritans Purse which helps people all over the world deployed immediately to Mississippi after Friday nights catastrophic storms, the group said. Rev. Franklin Graham in prayer in Mississippi as Samaritan's Purse helps those suffering from a devastating tornado earlier in the week. The organization set up two different disaster response sites. Hundreds of volunteers have signed up to serve people in the hard-hit towns of Rolling Fork, Silver City and Amory. In addition, 16 crisis-trained chaplains with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team have also deployed alongside Samaritans Purse. Story continues FRANKLIN GRAHAM ON 5TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS FATHER BILLY GRAHAM'S DEATH: I MISS HIM The chaplains are providing spiritual and emotional care to those who are suffering, said the group. In one area where a large mobile home park stood just a week ago, there are now just piles of twisted metal and debris, the group reported. Scores of volunteers with Samaritan's Purse are on the ground in Mississippi to help those in need; Rev. Graham met and prayed with many of them. One tornado survivor personally told Rev. Graham that she rode out the tornado by sheltering in the walk-in freezer of her restaurant. Today, that freezer is the only thing left standing where the restaurant had been, the group reported. Rev. Graham also prayed with a couple on Wednesday whose roof was blown off their home, Samaritan's Purse shared. They rode out the storm by hunkering inside their linen closet. Separately, President Biden will be visiting Mississippi on Friday, Fox News Digital reported. The White House announced on Wednesday that Biden and first lady Jill Biden will travel to Rolling Fork, Mississippi, on Friday. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER The tornado began near Rolling Fork and continued 30 miles northeast through Silver City, Fox Weather reported, with first responders reporting damage in both cities. In a statement, the White House said that Biden and Jill Biden will "visit with first responders, state and local officials, and communities impacted by the devastation." Adam Sabes of Fox News Digital contributed reporting. A Gulfport, Mississippi, woman was arrested this week after allegedly firing a gun into a car full of children, according to reports. The Gulfport Police Department, as reported by FOX 8 in New Orleans, said two women got into a fight on Monday evening on 6th Avenue. Labrittani Watts of Gulfport, Mississippi was arrested after allegedly firing a gun inside a vehicle filled with children During the fight, one of the women attempted to get into her vehicle and escape the scene with her three children inside. ALABAMA POLICE CHARGE ELUSIVE PONY GINUWINE WITH RESISTING ARREST, DISORDERLY CONDUCT But the other woman, Labrittani Watts, 22, allegedly brandished a gun and started shooting at the vehicle. As Watts fired the gun, the other woman jumped out and into the path of the vehicle before getting run over. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Police (iStock) Although the woman was injured by getting run over by her own vehicle, no one was struck by Watts' gunfire, according to police. MAN INDICTED IN DEATH OF STILL-MISSING MISSISSIPPI STUDENT Watts was arrested on felony charges of aggravated domestic assault and three counts of aggravated assault one for each child. She was booked into the Harrison County Jail and held on $400,000 bond. The suspect also had warrants out for her arrest from Biloxi and Mobile for charges such as credit card use with intent to defraud and petit larceny. The investigation is active and police encourage anyone with information to contact the Gulfport Police Department at 228-868-5959 or Mississippi Coast Crime stoppers at 877-787-5898. Missouri lawmakers are using the states roughly $50 billion spending plan to wade into culture war battles over diversity programs and to cut public library funding as part of a battle over book content. The budget, approved by the Missouri House on Thursday, includes Republican-led amendments to every state agencys budget that prevent state money from paying for staff, vendors, consultants and programs associated with diversity, equity (and) inclusion. House Republicans also agreed to cut the entire $4.5 million in state aid that libraries were slated to get next year in retaliation for a lawsuit on behalf of two library groups challenging a new state law that bans certain materials in school libraries. Thursdays budget debate was largely dominated by the fight over the amendments barring diversity programs and staff. It illustrated an ongoing push by Republicans nationally to target initiatives designed to attract and retain minority hires. House Democrats on Thursday excoriated Republicans for hijacking the states spending plan with the amendments targeting diversity programs. They said it would have far-reaching consequences, pointing to numerous companies with diversity initiatives that would be barred from working with the state. We wont be able to have Coke in our vending machines, because I assure you Coca-Cola has diversity, equity and inclusion in their mission, state Rep. Peter Merideth, a St. Louis Democrat, told reporters. We wouldnt be able to have our lights on because Ameren has diversity, equity and inclusion in their mission and staff associated with it. Its absolutely bonkers. State Rep. Doug Richey, an Excelsior Springs Republican who successfully added the amendments to every budget bill, including the budgets for colleges and K-12 schools, defended the measures on Thursday. Richey posted on Twitter that Republicans were holding the line to prevent the woke, divisive, marxist, DEI agenda from being paid for by MO taxpayer $s and spreading throughout state bureaucracy. Story continues But even some Republicans sympathetic to the push against DEI initiatives have raised concerns about the financial impact of Richeys proposal. Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden, a Columbia Republican, said on Twitter Friday morning that the language is is overly broad and would result in billions of dollars in cuts to hospitals, health care facilities, colleges and universities, and the Missouri House of Representatives itself. State Rep. Justin Hicks, a Lake St. Louis Republican and the only Black Republican in the Missouri General Assembly, defended the amendments. He said they were intended to shift the conversation away from race and put everyone on an equal playing field. The language in here is meant to unite people and say, Were not going to talk about these things. Were not going to have government involved in issues that deal with race, he said. Black Democrats in the Missouri House painted Richeys amendments as racist, saying they would hurt efforts to promote equality in the workforce. If these things are allowed to happen, were going right back to the Jim Crow laws, said state Rep. Marlene Terry, a St. Louis Democrat who chairs the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus. The debate also boiled over when House Republicans agreed to sustain the cut to public libraries. The funding cut was in response to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri, on behalf of the Missouri Library Association and Missouri Association of School Librarians, challenging a state law passed last year that bans sexually explicit material from schools. I feel like were starting to live in a dystopian future from like 1984, Meredith told reporters. The Missouri Library Association, in a statement posted on social media, said the funding cut was unconstitutional, pointing to a provision in the state constitution that requires lawmakers to support public libraries. This tactic, meant to bully MLA into submission, instead directly harms public libraries who rely on those funds, especially the smaller, more rural libraries, the association said. The states spending plan will still need to be approved by the Missouri Senate before it heads to Gov. Mike Parsons desk. Democrats said they were hopeful that the Senate would remove the language barring funding for diversity programs. We do continue to acknowledge that this is likely to be removed in the Senate, Meredith said. But we cant guarantee anything. This story was updated to include Friday comments from Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden. Starbucks founder and former CEO Howard Schultz testifies before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee where he faced questions about the companys actions during an ongoing campaign for an employee union, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, March 29, 2023. | J. Scott Applewhite, Associated Press While calling out his Senate colleagues over their lack of job-creating experience, Utah Sen. Mitt Romney expressed support for former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz after he was grilled by Democratic senators Wednesday over his companys attempts to keep unions from organizing employees. At the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., accused Schultz and Starbucks of engaging in union-busting, calling the companys campaign aggressive and illegal. Employees at close to 300 Starbucks stores across the country have formed unions affiliated with labor giant Service Employees International Union. In response to the unions campaign, the company has given extra benefits and perks to nonunion employees, and has worked to persuade workers not to unionize. Schultz, who is still one of Starbucks largest shareholders, defended the company and said it had not broken the law. Romney expressed support for Starbucks and Schultz at the hearing, while pointing out the two dont share much in common politically. I recognize at the outset theres some irony to a non-coffee drinking Mormon conservative defending a Democrat candidate for president in perhaps one of the most liberal companies in America, said Romney. That being said, I also think its somewhat rich that youre being grilled by people who have never had the opportunity to create a single job, and yet they believe that they know better how to do so and whats best for the American worker and whats best for the American economy whats best for growth. Romney also said Democratic senators may have a conflict of interest on the issue because unions donate large amounts of money to their political campaigns. Unions typically donate hundreds of millions of dollars to fund political campaigns, with most of those donations going to Democrats. While saying Starbucks may have legitimate reasons for not wanting unions to organize, Romney said he believes workers have a legal right to unionize, and that unions are necessary to protect the rights of workers when employers are not good employers. Story continues Sen. Mitt Romney speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. | Mariam Zuhaib, Associated Press During Romneys questioning, Schultz spoke about a Vermont Starbucks store where employees voted to form a union, but out of 21 employees only six participated in the union vote, and of those six only four voted in favor of the union. Since six people voted to (form) the union, of the seven stores in Vermont, this particular store has twice the level of attrition, and the majority of the people have left the store, Schultz said. The Vermont thing is not a proxy. The Vermont thing is exactly whats going on around the country. Romney also asked Schultz about what the company does with its profits. Where does all that profit go? Does it go to pay you and the senior executives? he asked. Profits go toward infrastructure, building new stores, shareholders and compensation, Schultz said. Support local journalism. Unlock unlimited digital access to floridatoday.com Click here and subscribe today. Tarionn "Tari" Hanner loved water parks, stuffed animals and sunshine in fact, his family kept no blinds on the windows or sliding-glass door of their Palm Bay home so the sun's rays could stream inside. Tari's life unexpectedly ended six days after Thanksgiving. The 13-year-old special-needs child choked to death on a latex glove while he was left unsupervised at Angels on Earth, a Suntree daycare for medically complex children, his family's attorney said. "Healing hasn't even begun. It's been a horror story," Tari's mother, Kiyana Durham, said during a Thursday press conference outside Angels on Earth, flanked by relatives and friends. More: FDOT: Drive safer in Brevard's No. 1 crash zone on U.S. 192 in Melbourne, West Melbourne More: Florida Tech chooses U. of New Orleans leader John Nicklow as new university president Tarionn "Tari" Hanner choked to death on a glove at age 13 in November at Angels on Earth in Suntree, his family attorney said. Durham filed a wrongful death negligence lawsuit against Angels on Earth in January, seeking damages of more than $50,000 and information on her son's death. Litigation remains ongoing. Douglas McCarron, the family's Coral Gables attorney, said his firm is working to determine who was in the room when Tari died, who was supervising during that shift, and what events led to his death. McCarron said surveillance video exists from inside the care center, but he has not yet seen the footage. "They can't do the basic fundamentals of care. And it's just an outrageous case. We want answers. The family wants answers," McCarron told the assembled media. A family press conference took place March 30 regarding the death of Tarionn "Tari" Hanner, a 13-year-old with special needs who choked to death after putting a latex glove in his mouth at Angels on Earth in Suntree. Messages seeking comment were left Thursday with an Angels on Earth phone receptionist and the company's Miami defense attorneys in the wrongful death lawsuit, Michele Morales and Karina Quinteiro. "While our hearts go out to the grieving family, we are unable to comment on the pending litigation," Morales said in an email. Angels on Earth also operates daycare centers in Orlando, Lakeland and Haines City. The Suntree daycare center was closed Thursday, and the company website was not functioning. The press conference took place just outside the Suntree facility's front door. Nearby, six white vans emblazoned with Angels on Earth imagery were parked in the Pineda Plaza lot. Story continues In a twist last week, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody announced Angels on Earth administrator Carlos Cabrera had been arrested and charged with Medicaid provider fraud, a first-degree felony. Cabrera is accused of bilking Florida Medicaid out of at least $422,353 from July 2021 through December 2021 by submitting fraudulent claims for services that should have been provided to children with medically complex conditions, according to a March 22 press release and an arrest warrant. This defendant used vulnerable children and their families for his own financial gain by overbilling and stealing from a taxpayer-funded program," Moody said in the press release. Cabrera, who lives in Orlando, entered a not guilty plea Tuesday in Orange County Circuit Court. A woman who answered the phone at the Orlando office of Jay Rooth, Cabrera's defense attorney in that case, said they were not interested in commenting. More: 'War zone': Melbourne cracks down on decrepit nuisance house inhabited by squatters More: FDOT: Drive safer in Brevard's No. 1 crash zone on U.S. 192 in Melbourne, West Melbourne Tarionn "Tari" Hanner and his mother, Kiyana Durham, in a family photograph. The Suntree Angels on Earth facility has been licensed since October 2020 with the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration as a prescribed pediatric extended care center. PPECs provide continual care for children with medically complex conditions in a nonresidential setting. Tari attended Lockmar Elementary in Palm Bay, Shiloh Christian Academy in Melbourne, and Bread of Life Christian Academy in Palm Bay. "I'm so hurt. I've been depressed. I didn't even know what depression was until this happened," Tari's father, Tarence Hanner Sr., told the media. "It's awful. It's something I'm going to have to live with for the rest of my life," he said. Durham said she is fighting her hardest "just to stay sane" since her son's death. "What helps me the most is just thinking about the good times. His smile. His unconditional love that he displayed to each and every person that he came in contact with," Durham said. Kiyana Durham and her son Tarence, 19, were supported by family and friends during the March 30 press conference in front of the Angels on Earth location in Suntree. Rick Neale is the South Brevard Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for more of his stories, click here.) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @RickNeale1 Support local journalism. Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Mother sues after special-needs son chokes on glove at Angels on Earth A cell block at the Monroe County Correctional Center after being cleaned and repainted by jail staff and inmates. Because this cell block houses those with mental health struggles, jail staff consulted with a social worker on the most soothing color palette. It's the little things, like a functioning wall clock or television remote control, that can make the biggest difference in the lives of those incarcerated at the Monroe County Correctional Center. That's what Sheriff Ruben Marte has been prioritizing in his first few months in office clean, humane living and working conditions for both the inmates and jail employees. Sometimes, an improvement may be small, like updating the antiquated television set into a flat screen in a common room or picking up trash and debris littering the floors. Oftentimes, though, it has required a long overhaul, like grinding down the concrete floor and resealing it because the years of grime and residue would blacken bare feet after one short stroll. 'Paralyzed': ACLU lawyer Falk tells Monroe County jail committee 15 years is long enough At an event organized by the Bloomington Young Republicans, Marte and Chief Deputy Phillip A. Parker spoke with around a dozen concerned residents about ongoing efforts at the current jail. While jail staff are in the midst of an extensive clean-up operation, Marte emphasized the need for a new building, a plan for which is slowly making its way through the local bureaucratic process. Ruben Marte Now, are we going to clean it up and keep it clean and sanitized? Yes," Marte said. "But can we do better as a community? Oh, absolutely. Monroe County jail clean-up in two blocks so far, efforts ongoing While the jail population averages about 160 people, this week's count places the number around 190. Most of the people incarcerated have felony convictions. Parker said most inmates do not stay at the Monroe County jail beyond a year, though there are some exceptions. A screen shot of images taken inside the Monroe County Jail Before recent updates, some inmates didn't even have mats to sleep on. In some photos shared by Marte at a January county committee meeting, nine recently arrested men were crowded inside a dirty first-floor holding cell with a urine-filled floor drain. Several were lying on the cement and tiled floor, with two propping their heads on plastic cups as makeshift pillows. Story continues At the Bloomington Young Republicans meeting, Parker asked the attendees to imagine what that sort of treatment would do to a person. The intake center at the Monroe County Correctional Center prior to recent sanitization efforts. "They had no mats to sleep on. Can you imagine sleeping on a concrete floor for two weeks? You're gonna get a sour attitude with that," Parker said. According to Parker, staff was having four to six physical confrontations with people incarcerated in that particular area while trying to accomplish minor, routine things, like transferring them to court. "After we just cleaned it up and gotten them mats, we went for six weeks and didn't have one single instance of a use of force in that one little room," Parker said. The intake center at the Monroe County Correctional Center after cleaning efforts were recently completed. While physical confrontations still happen, it is not at the level that it had been. Use of force: Inmate injured and corrections officer fired after Monroe County Jail brawl After the Monroe County Council appropriated $40,000 toward sanitization and repainting, staff and inmates have worked together to improve the daily conditions. So far, the intake room, sally port and a cell block have been cleaned and updated, with another cell block soon to be completed. The J-Block houses those incarcerated who also struggle with mental health issues. Before, the block was dimly lit, with grime-soaked staircases and debris-cluttered cell rooms. Now, the area is bright and clean, with accents of yellow and baby blue on walls and furniture. According to Marte, the sheriff's department consulted with a social worker to choose the new palette, selecting soothing hues. "We're trying to do different things to try to make it very humane, Marte said. In another block, the color scheme of deep blue was selected, with inmates participating in the painting themselves. At the tables, inmates typically play cards together or share their artwork scribbled on a notepad. A cell block at the Monroe County Correctional Center after being cleaned and repainted by jail staff and inmates. "It still looks like a jail, but it doesn't look like a dungeon," Parker said. After their cell is sanitized, it is now up to the inmate to keep it that way, according to Marte, in line with giving the person responsibility over their own space. Having this new leaf has done wonders for morale. A cell block at the Monroe County Correctional Center after being cleaned and repainted by jail staff and inmates. One small improvement was installing working, digital clocks around the jail. "You wouldn't believe how important time is for the individual. It's very crucial. That's something that we take for granted," Marte said, noting time is important for inmates to schedule phone calls with their loved ones or attorneys. It also just gives them a sense of grounding while being in a restricted building with little to no natural light to inform them whether it is daylight or nightfall outside. Before, when everyone was in their cells, screams and kicks against doors would reverberate throughout the building. With these updates, that has gotten better, Marte and Parker said. The common theme that they will tell us pretty regularly is we appreciate you treating us like we're human, Parker said. A cell block stairwell prior to sanitization efforts at the Monroe County Correctional Center. Major improvements are still needed. In total, the jail has eight large and two small blocks, in addition to various ancillary spaces that also need cleaning and upkeep. The laundry room, where low-level offenders work around high-voltage electrical equipment, has a major leak. Right now, the water is caught by a draped tarp, with a hose at the bottom that runs the water into a sink. That set-up is only a temporary solution for a large problem. In a showering room, used by people who work with food, the ceiling is rusted over, with the air and steam filtration system severely dysfunctional. Marte said staff will continue cleaning while also keeping an eye on the plan for a new site, which is still desperately needed. Sheriff: Bigger jail to add more programs, not more people When Marte brings up the topic of a new jail, he said he's often given a side eye from people. When someone brings up a bigger jail, the typical argument is raised are you wanting a bigger space so you can incarcerate more people? That's not the case at all, Marte said. "At the present time, we want to provide more programs, (but) we don't have the space. Think about it. We just don't have the space. With a new facility, we'll have the space for better programs," Marte said. For example, more kitchen space would help inmates gain work skills that they can then translate to life outside once they are released. Expanding medical care is also a priority. Currently, the jail is limited in what it can provide. The current site has one classroom and one worship service space, which could be expanded with more room. If those incarcerated are treated well in a safe environment, with more opportunities to better themselves or sharpen life skills, they are less likely to return into the correctional system, Marte said. Reach Rachel Smith at rksmith@heraldt.com. This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Monroe County sheriff Ruben Marte speaks about unsafe jail conditions Linda Varela Adams knew something was very wrong when her son didn't call on her birthday in July. The Billings, Montana mom said that's just who Jance Varela is: the kind of son who calls his mom for Mother's Day, her birthday and the holidays. The kind of son more worried more about others than himself. Adams reported Varela missing right away. Nine months later, he's still missing. Though police opened a missing persons file and assigned an investigator in July, they've never launched an active search for Varela. So what happens when your only son goes missing and the police decide not to pull out all the stops to find him? If you're Adams, you take charge of the search yourself. Jance Varela pictured with his mom Linda Varela Adams in Billings, Montana around 2018. Last confirmed sighting in June The last confirmed sighting of Varela was at a bowling alley on June 1 in Fort Collins, Colorado, about 50 miles north of Denver and the area he moved to from Montana in 2018. Adams' 60th birthday was July 1, something she said her son wouldn't have missed. She told police that her son had been diagnosed with a brain tumor in May and that may be affecting his cognitive function. Varela also struggled with homelessness and opioid addiction following a surgery, Adams said. Adams also told them that her son is not the type of person to abandon his family. "He was a very loving person," she said. "He was the one that made sure people had a place to stay and food to eat." Jance Varela has been missing in Colorado since July. Police response From the beginning, police determined that an active search for Varela wasn't warranted, said Kate Kimble, a spokeswoman for the Larimer County Sheriff's Office. "There was no indication of foul play, there was no indication of any imminent risk to safety, and he's an independent adult," she said. "We have to balance those things ... Sometimes people decide to make a change in their life and cut ties with family or friends." She said there was no evidence that Varela was cutting ties with family. On Tuesday, nearly nine months after Varela disappeared, the department issued its first news release about his case, saying that new information investigators received about Varela has raised "concern about his wellbeing." Story continues Kimble declined to elaborate but said the news release is intended to cast a wider net and drum up new leads. "We recognize that it's concerning for family that it's been months since they've heard from him." she said. "Our hearts are certainly with family." A mother takes charge A missing persons poster created for the mother of Jance Varela after she took charge of the search for her son. From the start, Adams was frustrated at the lack of an active search for her son. "I just didn't know what to do," she said. "I tried to generate any kind of law enforcement, action, which was just not going to happen initially." So, for the first time in her life, Adams joined social media and made a Facebook page dedicated to finding her son. She built a network of people who also became invested in finding Varela, including Justice Takes Flight, a local group that's been helping the families of missing people since 2018. Since Adams began looking for Varela, she and volunteers have conducted vigils and ground searches, and continuously distributed fliers. One of Adams' Facebook followers from Florida has paid for several billboards about Varela's disappearance, a woman from Australia helped update fliers about him, and a Colorado woman recently held up a poster about Varela on the Colorado Senate floor for National Missing Persons Day. "I just never knew there were so many wonderful people in the world that are just like, 'Hey, I'll help you. Just because," Adams said. A missing person billboard for Jance Varela is pictured in Colorado. It was paid for by a donor in Florida who sympathized with Varela's family's dogged search for him. A familiar line Adams' determination stands out among families of the missing, said Brittany Workman, founder and executive director of Justice Takes Flight. "She's just been an amazing advocate for her son," Workman said. "Most families of missing persons are actively looking for them and trying to get answers, trying to get the picture and name out and everything. But she's on the next level." At some point, many families can't take the emotional toll and take breaks from their search, sometimes for weeks or months. Not Adams. "She's done it daily, even though it breaks her heart daily," Workman said. "It's really hard to watch because you really just want her to get the answers that she's looking for." Linda Varela Adams uses a photo of herself and her son on her Facebook page to help get the word out about his case. Workman said that police often are too quick to dismiss the cases of runaway teens, those experiencing homelessness and those suffering from addiction. She recalled one case her group handled involving a man who walked outside for a cigarette and never returned. "Police were like, 'Oh, he probably just took a ride somewhere,'" she said. "They wouldn't search around the property. The family found us after day two, we were up there by day three, and we found him dead within 15 minutes." She said that's why her group is so passionate about on-the-ground searches and never giving up hope. "There needs to be more support," from police, she said. "There needs to be more effort than just, 'He might have decided to go missing.'" A group volunteers with Justice Takes Flight, including executive director Brittany Workman (second from left) and a search dog, are pictured during a search of Jance Varela. 'It's very hard.' Kimble said the department hasn't dismissed Varela. "People are coming from all sorts of circumstances in their life," she said. "It's not a deciding factor whether or not we're going to look for someone. Those deciding factors are foul play and the sense of imminent danger." Adams said part of her understands where police are coming from when they tell people their loved ones might not want to be found. "But I think family knows more about that person," she said, adding that it's been frustrating at times to be the main source for tips about her son. "Whatever comes to me, I pass on to them, and they do follow up on it. But it's very hard." Linda Varela Adams holds a light and an orange ribbon during a candlelight vigil for her son in Colorado on Nov. 19, 2023. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Montana mom takes on manhunt for son, Jance Varela, missing since June PEORIA The Peoria housing market is once again getting national attention thanks to Peorias unofficial ambassador, Angie Ostaszewski. The New York Times interviewed Ostaszewski, along with a few of the 300 people she helped bring to Peoria by highlighting the citys affordable housing market on TikTok. Im trying to show people that they can move here and actually have a reasonable mortgage, while building on the progressive community that is here, Ostaszewski told the Times. More: Promoting Peoria on TikTok: Woman recruits new residents with tours of historic homes Ostaszewski, who is of Filipino and Polish descent, markets Peoria as a progressive community. Im bisexual, and Im a woman of color. Ive been able to find a lot of community here through both of those aspects of my identity, she told the Times. The Times also interviewed Mariela Munguia, a former Seattle resident who moved to Peoria with her partner in 2020 after seeing a $50,000 house on one of Ostaszewskis TikTok videos. The idea of a $50,000 house was not anywhere on my radar. It was not something that I knew could even exist, said Munguia, 30. I showed my partner and was like, Hey, would you ever consider moving somewhere else? More: How Peoria became a progressive sanctuary for these LGBTQ people, out-of-state residents The Times article provided a history of Peorias housing market, explaining why the median home price, $128,100, is considerably lower than the national average of $328,600. The story also delved into the citys political leanings, pointing out the fact that the population is more liberal than those of surrounding communities. Two local politicians weighed in on the fact that Ostaszewskis efforts may be making the city even more liberal. I dont care what side people are leaning to. If theyre going to come in and help rebuild neighborhoods and be good neighbors, I think thats great, former Peoria City Councilman Jim Montelongo told the Times. Story continues Republican state Rep. Ryan Spain also said hes not worried about a wave of liberal transplants. I think Peoria is an attractive place, whether youre a Republican or Democrat, a conservative or progressive. ... Really, an ideal community is one that you would have people of diverse views." Leslie Renken can be reached at (309) 370-5087 or lrenken@pjstar.com. Follow her on Facebook.com/leslie.renken. This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria's affordable housing market gets more national attention UPDATE (MARCH 30, 2023): According to court documents, it has been approved for Forma Brands, the parent company of Morphe and others to be acquired by lenders. In mid-January, Forma Brands filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. During this time, the company entered a deal where lenders would acquire all of the company's assets, wholesale operations and online platforms. The proposed agreement that received court approval was $690 million USD in debt relief. Still, the most significant component is whether Ariana Grande's r.e.m. beauty will also be under the acquisition. Stay tuned as we work to bring you more as the story develops further. ORIGINAL STORY (January 12, 2023):As Morphe Cosmetics recently announced its decision to close all of its U.S. stores, its parent company, Forma Brands filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the state of Delaware. The overarching company houses makeup brands such as Morphe, r.e.m beauty, Jaclyn Cosmetics and many more within its portfolio. Forma has reached a deal with lenders Jefferies and Cerberus Capital Management. Creditors will take over the wholesale operations from Forma and all its assets while providing $33 million USD of capital. "We will have additional financial resources available to invest in our multi-category portfolio, product launches, and innovative brand and marketing strategy as we advance our vision to inspire creativity, promote inclusivity, and connect with consumers around the world through beauty." Simon Cowell, President of Forma brands, stated in a press release. As we know it, Forma Brand's most significant piece of buttered brands comes from Ariana Grande's brand, and there are no signs of slowing down as r.e.m. beauty has been running full steam. While there are no other words on what will happen to all of the other existing companies, we will stay tuned as the story develops. After the 6-year-old son of rapper Flo Rida fell from an apartment complex, the boy's mother filed a lawsuit accusing the buildings' managers of negligence. (Nick Wass / Associated Press) The mother of Flo Rida's 6-year-old son has filed a civil lawsuit against the managers of a New Jersey apartment complex accusing them of negligence that allegedly resulted in her young son falling from a fifth-floor window earlier this month. Zohar P. Dillard, the son of the "Low" and "Wild Ones" rapper, fell to the concrete pavement below the Jersey City rental property on March 4 and sustained "serious bodily injuries," according to the lawsuit filed Monday by his mother, Alexis Adams, in the Superior Court of New Jersey. Adams' and Dillard's attorney, Steven P. Haddad, accused the building's management company, construction company and window installers of maintaining the premises "in a negligent, careless and reckless manner creating foreseeable and dangerous conditions and activities on the premises," according to the complaint obtained Thursday by the Los Angeles Times. (Flo Rida, real name Tramar Dillard, is not named as a party in the lawsuit. ) Haddad said that the defendants installed windows "that posed a hazardous condition" and gave Adams "a false sense of security," accusing the defendants Pitch Perfect 74 LLC, Goldberg Management, Carlos Machado and several unnamed building and construction companies of installing "incorrect sized guards" on the windows that allegedly caused Dillard's fall and led him to be "seriously injured." The complaint said that Dillard has incurred and will incur expenses for treatment of injuries, has been disabled and will "not be able to perform his usual functions," and has been caused great pain and suffering, as well as "great physical and mental pain and suffering." Adams is said to be suffering from emotional distress and will incur expenses for her son's care, treatment and therapy due to the fall. The attorney also demanded that the defendants disclose whether there are insurance policy agreements to satisfy all or parts of a future judgment, which they are seeking from the parties along with punitive damages with interest, legal fees and other relief deemed just by a jury. Story continues In a Thursday statement to The Times, Haddad said that the young boy is out of the intensive care unit but remains hospitalized for bodily injuries that include a shattered pelvis, fractured toes, a liver laceration, internal bleeding and collapsed lungs. "He has demonstrated tremendous strength and fight as he recovers from his traumatic injuries," Haddad said, and he faces "a long and challenging road ahead." "[The defendants] ignored my clients repeated requests for window guards and when they put in a window safety bar, it was the wrong device and wrong size, allowing Zohar to fall right through the window," he added. Haddad told TMZ that Dillard fell at least 50 feet, and doctors believe it's a miracle that he survived. The boy is reportedly in a full-body cast and has to learn how to walk again. The boy was reportedly diagnosed with autism and a brain disorder prior to the accident. As a single mom to a special needs child, this feels like a nightmare, Adams told New Jersey's Daily Voice. My heart is broken into a million pieces. It is devastating to see my child go through such pain and trauma knowing that this couldve been avoided. The defendants have not yet filed a response to the lawsuit but have a month to do so, Haddad said. Representatives for Flo Rida did not immediately respond Thursday to The Times' requests for comment. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. After decades of public pressure, the owners of Miamis Seaquarium have finally committed to releasing Lolita, the world-famous performing orca, from captivity. But the historic agreement to return a massive creature held in a small tank in Miami to its home waters across the country in the Pacific Northwest also raised questions that have been swirling for years about the ethics and logistics of such a move. Finally, Lolita may go free. Historic deal clears way to move killer whale from Miami tank How do you move a whale cross country? The first step is building a special travel aquarium tank that fits on the back of a flatbed truck, said Pritam Singh, co-founder of the nonprofit Friends of Lolita. Its got to be big enough to hold the 22-foot-long, 5,000-pound whale comfortably and safely. From there, the tank would get loaded into the belly of a giant airplane, something like a Boeing 747 or a Lockheed C-130 Hercules, like the U.S. Air Force uses, and flying her to an airport in Washington state. Then, the orca would be transferred back to another flatbed truck and shipped to the coast. Finally, Lolita may go free. Historic deal clears way to move killer whale from Miami tank The tank would get moved again, this time onto a barge. Once the boat arrived at a yet-to-be-built netted sea pen that Lolita would call home, the final step would be to use a crane to carefully slip her into the water. Its a wild endeavor, Singh said. Every step of the way will also require permits from all levels, from Miami-Dade County to Florida to Washington state to an alphabet soup of government agencies, including perhaps the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency. A group of children from Ozark, Missouri, watch Seaquarium training manager Heather Keenan interact with Lolita after their afternoon show on Sept. 1, 2010. Will she survive the move? This is the No. 1 question dividing many marine scientists and whale advocates in the decades-long debate over Lolitas fate. The Friends of Lolita group, along with PETA and other marine mammal and animal rights groups, argue that Lolita will be fine after a years-long transition period in a sea pen with trainers teaching her how to survive in the wild. Story continues But in the only example of the technique so far, the orca Keiko who inspired the film Free Willy, only lived for five years after leaving its tank. Four of those years were spent in a sea pen. Keiko died of pneumonia one year after a full release in the wilds of Norway. Lolita may never go free. And that could be whats best for her, scientists say A 2009 review of his case published in a peer-reviewed journal concluded his release was not successful. The study found that Keiko kept swimming back to the caretakers boat, even as they encouraged the whale to swim on its own and ignored it. The release of Keiko demonstrated that release of long-term captive animals is especially challenging and while we as humans might find it appealing to free a long-term captive animal, the survival and well-being of the animal may be severely impacted in doing so, the study said. Marine scientists also worry that the pollution and diseases in the open ocean may be too much for the immune system of a whale that has spent half a century in an 80-foot-long by 35-foot-wide by 20-foot-deep tank. Cora Potter, 3, attends a protest with her mom, Jennifer Potter, outside of the Miami Seaquarium on Tuesday. The Potters came from Maryland to join a small group pushing to free the killer whale called Lolita. However, there are challenges to living in captivity too. Hugo, Lolitas onetime mate, died in 1980 of a brain aneurysm after repeatedly ramming its head into the side of their tank. And the whale slated to be moved to the wilds next, Canadas last captive orca, Kiska, was set to move this month. But Kiska, 47, died from a bacterial infection on March 9. Is Lolita too old to move? According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, male killer whales can live up to 60 years in the wild, with an average lifespan of 30 years. Female killer whales typically live around 50 years but can last up to 90. Orcas typically live shorter lives in captivity. Lolita was captured on August 8, 1970, at 4 years old,. The whale is now 57. What did Lolita look like through the years at the Miami Seaquarium? See for yourself Friends of Lolita said Thursday that the orca they believe may be Lolitas mother is still swimming with a wild pod in the Pacific Northwest. She is 89 years old. So, if the other considerable challenges could be met, Lolita could potentially have years or decades left to live in the wild. Miami Seaquarium manager of animal training Marni Wood kisses Lolita the killer whale at the Miami Seaquarium on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Key Biscayne. How long will it take to be free? Friends of Lolita and the Seaquarium estimate it could take up to two years before Lolita is truly swimming freely off the coast of the Pacific Northwest. Jim Irsay, owner of the Indianapolis Colts and a wealthy philanthropist, is bankrolling most of the estimated $15 million to $20 million move. On Thursday, he said the cross-country move part of the equation could take place in six to nine months, with the rest of the time dedicated toward slowly acclimating Lolita to the wild in a sea pen. We dont have a locked-in timeline, he said. Obviously the sooner, the better, but were not rushing like a fire drill. The mules have arrived in Columbia, signaling the official start of this year's Mule Day festivities. Several riders, drivers, campers and vendors began to show up in anticipation for Columbia's biggest week, with crowds of spectators showing up Wednesday to watch the Mule Day Wagon Train make its way down Hampshire Pike and into Maury County Park. Mule Day's traditions date back nearly 200 years, when Columbia was known as the top mule trading post in the world. The festival was later revived in 1974 after taking several years off due to World War II. The mule train arrives by way of Hampshire Pike for Mule Day in Columbia, Tenn. on Mar. 29, 2023. Mule Day is an annual event in its 49th year that celebrates Columbia's history as a world renowned mule trading post. More: Plan your Mule Day schedule here with new, favorite events Though Thursday marks the start of this year's events and competitions, Maury County Park was abuzz with activity Wednesday, from campers setting up their sites for the week to organizers making any of the necessary final touches. Mule Day's first few days are also marked with the opportunity for visitors new and old to reunite, share stories of Mule Days past and what it is they are looking forward to this year. It was also a time for some of Mule Day's original founders of the festival's 1974 revival to reflect on those early years, and just how far Mule Day has come in nearly 50 years. "The first year was very difficult, because none of us really knew what we were doing," Harvey Spann, one of the original organizers, said. "We had some good people to help, really energetic people that wanted to help. Anytime you start a new endeavor, there's going to be a learning phase, and that's what we all had to do." Harvey Spann, an original organizer of Mule Day, says that he's most excited to see friends that he doesn't get to see all year at Maury County Park in Columbia, Tenn. on Mar. 29, 2023. Spann has been helping to organize Mule Day since 1973, before the event was given its name. Spann added that although Mule Day has experienced its share of ups and downs over the years, returning for the second year since the COVID-19 pandemic is very exciting, and he looks forward to seeing returning faces, catching up with old friends, and possibly making a few new ones. "We've had some green years, some of which we're still working to recover financially," Spann said. "What's great is that there is a family atmosphere with the people you meet at Mule Day. You won't see them for a year, and so it's always nice to see them again, like visiting with family you haven't seen in a long time." Story continues Three teenage girls on horseback ride around Maury County Park for Mule Day in Columbia, Tenn. on Mar. 29, 2023. Mule Day is an annual event in its 49th year that celebrates Columbia's history as a world renowned mule trading post. Mule Day is also the type of event to attract visitors from all over the world, from places like Georgia, California, Alabama and other countries. John Kougher of Ohio said he has been bringing his family to Mule Day for 10 years. As someone who raises multiple mules, Kougher said coming to Mule Day is a celebration of how reliable and tough the animal is on the farm, but like many, he loves the atmosphere and seeing the people most. "We have about 18 mules back at the house and we do mule races, and I used to pull mules," Kougher said. "I've quit pulling, but we still come down here to do everything. This is a great, family-oriented thing, and we just love messing with the mules. It's why we keep coming." Other first arrivals spent the afternoon either on horseback or riding in old-fashioned covered wagons, getting the lay of the land with their animals, watching vendors and RVs set up their sites for the week, as well as wait in anticipation for the Wagon Train's arrival. Two mules stand attached to the wagon of Phillip Brasfield in Maury County Park in Columbia, Tenn. on Mar. 29, 2023. Mule Day is an annual event in its 49th year that celebrates Columbia's history as a world renowned mule trading post. Phillip Brasfield of Lynnville, who has been coming to Mule Day for more than 30 years, caught up with The Daily Herald as he was leading his two mules, Kate and Nail, through the park's grounds. Like most other Mule Day veterans, one of the big highlights is seeing old friends, saddling up the mules and having a week of fun times and celebration. This is especially true when he gets the chance to welcome friends to Mule Day for the first time. Phillip Brasfield laughs as he trots his mules through Maury County Park in Columbia, Tenn. on Mar. 29, 2023. Mule Day is an annual event in its 49th year that celebrates Columbia's history as a world-renowned mule trading post. "A lot of my friends come every year, and I've got a few friends that are coming here Thursday and Friday to ride," Brasfield said. "That's basically what we do these days. And they've never been here before, but have heard about it." And as with most years, sometimes the biggest surprises lie in the weather, which can often be completely different from day-to-day, or even hour-to-hour. "Sometimes it'll be raining, or too cold, and I hear there might be some flooding Friday evening that could roll over into Saturday," Brasfield said. "I like for it to be pretty like today, because that's when a lot of people like to go out and watch everything." This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Mule Day: Wagon Train arrives to warm welcome at Maury County Park WKDZ Radio via Reuters The nine service members who died when two U.S. Army helicopters crashed in Kentucky on Wednesday night were conducting nighttime medical evacuation drills, officials say. The deaths came when two HH-60 medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) Black Hawk helicopters flown by the 101st Airborne Division were taking part in what was described as a routine training mission when they crashed in Trigg County at around 10 p.m., an earlier Fort Campbell statement read. The command is currently focused on caring for the servicemembers and their families, the statement said. U.S. Army Col. John W. Lubas said the service members were conducting drills in special medical evacuation aircraft, but we believe that the accident occurred when they were doing flying, not deliberate medical evacuation drills. They were flying in multistep formation with two ships under night vision goggles at night, he said. It was typical for four to five service members to be on each aircraft for such drills, including a pilot, co-pilot, and medics, he said. Despite our losses, we were lucky because they were able to land in an open field across from a residential area, Lubas said. So thankfully, there were no additional casualties. Investigators will examine the aircrafts black boxes to get a better understanding of how they crashed, he said. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear made a separate comment on his Twitter account late Wednesday. Weve got some tough news out of Fort Campbell, with early reports of a helicopter crash and fatalities are expected. Kentucky State Police and the states Division of Emergency Management were responding to the incident, Beshear added. We will share more information as available. Please pray for all those affected. WKDZ radio in Cadiz, Kentucky, reported that a witness living half a mile from the crash site heard a pop and two booms, while others at the scene said several military helicopters had been flying over the area in recent nights. Story continues Fort Campbell, one of the biggest Army bases in the U.S., is described as a major maneuver installation by the Department of Defense. The installation, positioned on the Kentucky-Tennessee border, has a population of over 27,000 personnel. The aircraft involved in the crashes are variants of the Black Hawk helicopter, according to the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center (USAASC), which describes the chopper as the Armys utility tactical transport helicopter. Last month, a Black Hawk helicopter operated by the Tennessee National Guard crashed near Huntsville, Alabama. Two people were killed in the accident, which also took place during a training flight, Alabama authorities said. In 2018, two U.S. soldiers died when their Apache helicopter crashed in a training area of Fort Campbell. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. MOUNT HOLLY A Medford man is accused of killing his wife and then telling police she was napping. Babu Natarajan, 40, is charged with the murder of Angammal Babu, 41, at their Regent Court home, the Burlington County Prosecutors Office said Thursday. More: Appeals court ruling Man charged with 1990 rape of slain woman in Wildwood can't be tried. Here is why An investigation began on the afternoon of March 21, when Medford police responded to a 911 call reporting an unconscious and unresponsive woman at the home, the prosecutors office said. Medford woman slain They found Angammal Babu on the bed in the upstairs master bedroom. The 911 call was placed by the defendant, who indicated to responding officers that his wife had taken a nap because she was tired, the statement said. An autopsy concluded the woman died due to compression of her neck, it said. Natarajan was arrested at his house on a murder charge Wednesday. The charge is only an allegation. Natarajan has not been convicted in the case. Natarajan was being held in Burlington County Jail, pending a detention hearing in Superior Court, Mount Holly. An attorney for Natarajan could not be identified. Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal. This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Medford NJ murder: Wife killed by husband, who said she was napping EXCLUSIVE: Two Republican congressmen are demanding that the Department of Justice investigate Monday's shooting that left six dead at a private Christian school in Nashville as a hate crime. The Nashville Police Department said that Audrey Hale entered The Covenant School by shooting through a locked glass door around 10:13 a.m. on Monday morning and was armed with two rifles and a handgun. Three students, all 9-years-old, were killed during the shooting: Hallie Scruggs, Evelyn Dieckhaus, and William Kinney. Three employees at the school were also killed: headmaster Katherine Koonce, 60, substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61, and custodian Mike Hill, 61. Hale, a 28-year-old transgender who was a former student at The Covenant School, was killed after she began firing at responding officers. NASHVILLE'S COVENANT SCHOOL REELING FROM 'TERROR THAT SHATTERED OUR SCHOOL AND CHURCH' Law enforcement officers found writings and hand-drawn diagrams of the school which indicate that the shooting was "calculated and planned." READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, and Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn. said that the Department of Justice needs to open a hate crime investigation into the shooting at The Covenant School. A police officer comforts a mourner outside The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee on Tuesday, March 28, 2023. On Monday, six people - three adults and three children - were killed inside the school in a mass shooting. "This week, America watched while a mentally ill shooter brutally massacred Christian schoolchildren in Nashville, Tennessee. This murderer, identified by law enforcement as Audrey Hale, shot and killed six peoplethree students, Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, and three employees Cynthia Peak, Katherine Koonce, and Michael Hillwhile they studied and worked at The Covenant School. Police reports confirmed what many Americans already suspected. This attack was a targeted assault on American Christians," the congressmen wrote. The pair of congressmen also called it "appalling" that one hasn't been opened yet. NASHVILLE COVENANT SCHOOL HEADMASTER HAILED AS HERO IN WAKE OF SHOOTING: SHE PROTECTED HER CHILDREN Story continues Representative Lance Gooden, a Republican from Texas, speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, Texas, U.S., on Sunday, July 11, 2021. The three-day conference is titled "America UnCanceled." "Federal law is clear, acts of violence against individuals based on religious affiliation are hate crimes," Gooden and Ogles wrote in the letter. "The [shooter] was a former student at Covenant school and specifically chose to terrorize this school because of their Christian faith. It is appalling that you have not yet committed to opening a hate crime investigation despite the shooters motive being as clear as day," they wrote. NASHVILLE SCHOOL SHOOTING: AUDREY HALE POLICE BODYCAMS RELEASED Rep.-elect Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., right, and Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala., arrive for the House Republicans leadership elections in the Capitol Visitor Center on Tuesday, November 15, 2022. "We urge you, as head of the Department of Justice, to immediately offer the full resources of federal law enforcement to the victims and community of this attack and open a hate crime investigation. Additionally, we urge you to forcefully condemn anti-Christian bias to send an unambiguous message to all Americans that discrimination against any community is unamerican and will not be tolerated. Further, we would ask that you update us regularly as to what steps the Department has taken to address our concerns. Thank you for your attention to this important matter," they added. Gooden said that the shooting should be labeled a "crime of hate." "The direct targeting of Christian schoolchildren must be labeled for what it is: a crime of hate designed to mutilate and massacre believers in Christ and chill religious practice in America. The full weight of the federal government must be unleashed, and determinations made about how this crime took place, and who influenced this deranged transgender individual to cut down America's Christian children at their desks," Gooden said. Ogles described the shooting as a "senseless slaughter." "The shooter at The Covenant School in Nashville committed a heinous hate crime that should not be tolerated. She specifically targeted the Christian place of education she once attended and stole the lives of six innocent people," Ogles said. "Attorney General Garland and the Department of Justice need to act swiftly to investigate this disturbingly senseless slaughter. This was not a cry for help, it was an act fueled by hate." Garland said during a Tuesday Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing that it's too early to establish a motive, which determines if an incident is a hate crime. "As of now, motive hasnt been identified, and the police chief said at his last press conference that they dont yet have a conclusion with respect to motive," Garland said. "We are certainly working full time with them to determine what the motive is, and of course, motive is what determines whether its a hate crime or not." In a Tuesday statement, The Covenant School said that their "community is heartbroken." "We are grieving tremendous loss and are in shock coming out of the terror that shattered our school and church. We are focused on loving our students , our families, our faculty and staff and beginning the process of healing," said the Covenant School. The Department of Justice didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. MAHMUDIA, Romania Romanias navy led multinational military drills in the Black Sea region Thursday that brought together U.S. and NATO troops as the 30-nation alliance looks to boost security on its southeastern flank amid Russias war in Ukraine. The sea and air exercises are part of a series of drills known as Sea Shield 2023 that involve some 3,400 military personnel from 12 NATO member countries and some partner nations. Romanias navy said Thursdays drills in the Mahmudia region of the Danube Delta, which flows into the Black Sea, would demonstrate how the combined forces would neutralize an enemy air landing in an area adjacent to such a waterway. Servicemen walk on the deck of a warship sailing on the river Danube during a Romanian Navy led exercise outside Mahmudia, Romania, Thursday, March 30, 2023. (Andreea Alexandru/AP) More than 30 naval ships, 14 aircraft and 15 fast intervention boats and other patrol vessels are taking part in Sea Shield 2023, which started March 20 and runs until April 2. Anti-explosive divers have participated in drills, as have chemical, biological, and nuclear defense specialists. In response to Russias February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, NATO bolstered its presence on Europes eastern flank by sending additional multinational battlegroups to alliance members Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Slovakia. Romania, which joined NATO in 2004, has played an increasingly large role in the alliance throughout the war, including hosting a NATO meeting of foreign ministers in November. Last month, U.S. and French troops that are part of a NATO battlegroup in Romania held joint combat drills at the Black Sea training range in Capu Midia. The drills involved some 350 battlegroup troops who practiced firing live ammunition from a U.S.-made multiple rocket launcher. Ukraines military has used the HIMARS system in the fight against Russia. A Navy doctor pleaded guilty Tuesday to ripping off the VA by faking or exaggerating servicemember injuries to obtain insurance payouts, the 10th defendant to plead to their roles in the scheme, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of California announced. Cmdr. Michael Villarroel, 51, and other co-conspirators ended up getting about $2 million in bogus payments through the Servicemembers Group Life Insurance Traumatic Injury Protection program, also know as TSGLI. The Department of Veterans Affairs program is funded by the monthly premiums paid by servicemembers enrolled SGLI. While the program works to provide financial support for troops recovering from severe injury, Villarroel personally pocketed more than $180,000 from the program as part of the scheme, the attorney generals office said in a release announcing his plea. As part of the plea to conspiracy to commit wire fraud charge, Villarroel acknowledged he knew the claimed injuries were false or exaggerated but signed off on applications for a share of the insurance payments, the feds said. These military healthcare dollars, which were intended to benefit injured and traumatized service members, instead funded a fraudulent windfall, U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman said in a statement. Former sailor pleads guilty in $2 million insurance fraud scam Several of the conspirators, including Villarroel, were assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Expeditionary Support Unit 1 in Coronado, just outside San Diego. Villarroel admitted that from 2012 to at least December 2015, he conspired with Christopher Toups, a former Navy chief, and Kelene Meyer, Toups wife and a nurse. As part of the conspiracy, Toups prodded other service members to submit claims, told them to provide medical records to Meyer, requested part of the insurance payment in return and distributed shares to Meyer and Villarroel, the attorneys office said. Villarroel admitted to claiming medical records were qualified and, at times, falsely stating that he had interviewed the claimant. Story continues At other times Villarroel gave Meyer medical records belonging to others to use in fabricating claims, according to the attorneys office. Toups paid Villarroel in cash and by cashiers check and, at points, Villarroel conducted transactions in amounts under $10,000 to evade currency transaction reporting requirements. Villarroels attorney did not respond to a request for comment by Navy Times deadline. Service records show he remains in the Navy and has been assigned to the Coronado EOD unit since 2018. Villarroel is scheduled to be sentenced on June 16 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and $250,000 in fines, forfeiture and restitution. When you pick a college to attend, youre probably interested in the qualities and characteristics of a school that will affect your life as a student from academics to campus life and more. But what about after you graduate? How much money will you be projected to earn as a graduate of that university, and how does that amount compare to other colleges? Will attending the school increase your economic mobility? A new interactive tool from The New York Times, released Monday, is allowing users to pick the factors they value most to generate individualized rankings of the best American colleges for you. Using the tools interactive sliders, users can assign weights to 10 separate factors that consider campus life, academics, cost of attendance and post-graduation income earnings, among other factors. The Times analysis and interactive tool include rankings of nearly 900 colleges in the U.S., including 26 in North Carolina, both public and private. Wondering how much money graduates of North Carolina colleges make after graduation? Weve broken down The Times rankings here. NC colleges with highest earnings after graduation The Times high earnings factor was calculated using the median income of people who attended the school 10 years ago and who received federal aid. The figures are from 2020, The Times said in an explanation of its methodology for creating the rankings. Of the 26 North Carolina colleges included in the rankings, students who attend Duke University in Durham have the highest median income 10 years after graduation, at $93,115, The Times tool says. Duke also ranks No. 15 nationally for this factor. The Times full ranking of North Carolina colleges based on high earnings 10 years after graduation is: Duke University ($93,115 median income 10 years after attending) Wake Forest University ($74,968 median income 10 years after attending) Davidson College ($71,671 median income 10 years after attending) Elon University ($64,238 median income 10 years after attending) UNC-Chapel Hill ($61,915 median income 10 years after attending) N.C. State University ($61,353 median income 10 years after attending) Queens University ($52,880 median income 10 years after attending) UNC-Charlotte ($52,252 median income 10 years after attending) UNC-Wilmington ($49,739 median income 10 years after attending) High Point University ($48,534 median income 10 years after attending) East Carolina University ($47,403 median income 10 years after attending) Wingate University ($46,233 median income 10 years after attending) Appalachian State University ($45,602 median income 10 years after attending) Lenoir-Rhyne University ($45,457 median income 10 years after attending) UNC-Greensboro ($44,195 median income 10 years after attending) Meredith College ($43,646 median income 10 years after attending) Barton College ($43,613 median income 10 years after attending) Western Carolina University ($43,366 median income 10 years after attending) Gardner-Webb University ($42,248 median income 10 years after attending) Pfeiffer University ($42,121 median income 10 years after attending) UNC-Asheville ($42,027 median income 10 years after attending) N.C. Wesleyan College ($41,989 median income 10 years after attending) Johnson & Wales University ($41,977 median income 10 years after attending) Lees-McRae College ($39,051 median income 10 years after attending) Winston-Salem State University ($38,584 median income 10 years after attending) Warren Wilson College ($30,703 median income 10 years after attending) Story continues NC colleges that provide best economic mobility The Times rankings also include an economic mobility factor, which is based on a 2017 analysis that tried to determine which schools in America were most successful at helping students from low-income families reach the upper classes, The Times methodology explains. The specific factor listed in the interactive tool is the probability that a student from a family in the bottom 40 percent of household income would eventually reach the top 40 percent. In simpler terms, The Times interactive tool describes the factor as more students start low-income and end up high-income. The rankings show that Winston-Salem State University, a public, historically Black university, is the best university in North Carolina for this factor. The full ranking of North Carolina colleges based on the economic mobility factor is: Winston-Salem State University N.C. Wesleyan University Johnson & Wales University Pfeiffer University High Point University UNC-Charlotte Barton College Lenoir-Rhyne University UNC-Greensboro Western Carolina University East Carolina University Gardner-Webb University Queens University UNC-Asheville N.C. State University Wingate University Meredith College UNC-Wilmington UNC-Chapel HIll Lees-McRae College Appalachian State University Duke University Warren Wilson College Elon University Wake Forest University Davidson College See full NYT rankings of NC colleges Want to create your own rankings of colleges and universities using The New York Times interactive tool? Visit nytimes.com/interactive/2023/03/27/opinion/build-your-own-college-rankings.html. Additional information about The Times methodology in creating the toll is available at nytimes.com/2023/03/27/opinion/how-build-your-own-college-rankings-was-built.html. Heres how NC college campuses could change with proposed state budget There are lots of factors to consider when choosing a college to attend, including how much it will actually cost you to go there. Colleges typically list a sticker, or advertised, price of attendance for students, which generally includes tuition, fees and housing. But after financial aid and other grants are factored in, the net price students pay to attend each college may be lower sometimes by a significant amount. A new interactive tool from The New York Times, released Monday, is allowing users to pick the factors they value most to generate individualized rankings of the best American colleges for you. Using the tools interactive sliders, users can assign weights to 10 separate factors that consider campus life, academics, cost of attendance and post-graduation income earnings, among other factors. For students who know that their family probably wont be offered much aid, using the sticker price may yield more results in line with their priorities, The Times explanation of its methodology used to create the tool says. But if they expect to receive some funding from the state government, the federal government or the institution, then the net price should be a better metric. The Times analysis and interactive tool include rankings of nearly 900 colleges in the U.S., including 26 in North Carolina, both public and private. Wondering which North Carolina colleges and universities have the lowest cost of attendance? And what do students actually pay after financial aid and grants are factored in? Weve broken down The Times rankings below. NC colleges with lowest sticker advertised price Western Carolina University in Cullowhee has the lowest sticker price, or the listed and advertised price of tuition, fees and housing for students. For in-state students, WCU lists the price of those fees as $19,018, The Times interactive tool says. WCU also ranks No. 3 nationally for this factor. The Times full ranking of North Carolina colleges based on the listed price of attendance is: Story continues Western Carolina University ($19,018 in-state) UNC-Greensboro ($20,404 in-state; also ranks 8th nationally) Appalachian State University ($20,799 in-state; also ranks 11th nationally) UNC-Asheville ($21,231 in-state; also ranks 17th nationally) Winston-Salem State University ($22,603 in-state) East Carolina University ($23,215 in-state) UNC-Charlotte ($23,716 in-state) UNC-Chapel Hill ($24,770 in-state) N.C. State University ($24,986 in-state) UNC-Wilmington ($25,855 in-state) Lees-McRae College ($42,640) Gardner-Webb University ($46,990) Barton College ($47,750) N.C. Wesleyan College ($47,789) Pfeiffer University ($48,254) Warren Wilson College ($54,080) Johnson & Wales University ($54,540) Queens University ($55,498) Elon University ($55,647) Wingate University ($55,780) Meredith College ($56,034) Lenoir-Rhyne University ($58,910) High Point University ($59,408) Davidson College ($73,200) Duke University ($79,860) Wake Forest University ($79,886) NC colleges with lowest net price of attendance The Times also ranked colleges based on the net price of attendance, or the price that students who receive scholarships and financial aid actually end up paying after those grants and aid are factored in. Each college was ranked on their average net price for students. According to The Times, UNC-Greensboro has the lowest net price of any college or university in North Carolina, at $11,629 for in-state students. The Times full rankings of North Carolina colleges based on net price of attendance is: UNC-Greensboro ($11,629 in-state) Winston-Salem State University ($12,415 in-state) UNC-Chapel Hill ($12,469 in-state) UNC-Asheville ($12,551 in-state) Western Carolina University ($13,924 in-state) Appalachian State University ($13,989 in-state) N.C. State University ($16,411 in-state) East Carolina University ($16,550 in-state) N.C. Wesleyan College ($16,679) UNC-Charlotte ($17,634 in-state) Lenoir-Rhyne University ($18,772) UNC-Wilmington ($19,136 in-state) Gardner-Webb University ($20,776) Wingate University ($20,827) Davidson College ($21,042) Barton College ($23,005) Lees-McRae College ($23,347) Meredith College ($24,362) Warren Wilson College ($24,696) Johnson & Wales University ($26,181) Queens University ($27,026) Pfeiffer University ($32,342) Duke University ($32,459) Wake Forest University ($32,845) Elon University ($38,122) High Point University ($39,475) See full NYT rankings of NC colleges Want to create your own rankings of colleges and universities using The New York Times interactive tool? Visit nytimes.com/interactive/2023/03/27/opinion/build-your-own-college-rankings.html. Additional information about The Times methodology in creating the toll is available at nytimes.com/2023/03/27/opinion/how-build-your-own-college-rankings-was-built.html. The House budget bill moves one person into a more lucrative retirement system at a cost of $642,000. The budget proposal that came out Wednesday evening would move the executive director of the Conference of District Attorneys, a position currently held by Kimberly Spahos, into a different state pension plan. The News & Observer obtained an actuarial note from the Retirement Systems Division, which is under the Department of the State Treasurer, explaining the cost. The Conference of District Attorneys director would be moved into the Consolidated Judicial Retirement System, retroactive to August 2021, from the Teachers and State Employees Retirement System, according to the document. The accrual rate for the judicial system is higher than the state employees system. The retroactive date of August 2021 is tied to Spahos hiring date. If the provision on page 276 of the House budget becomes law, it would place all future district attorneys conference directors in the new, better benefit-paying system as well. According to the letter, the estimated cost of the move is $642,000 for the judicial retirement system, which would mean an annual cost that amounts to 0.04% of the judicial pension systems payroll. Other people who are part of that retirement system include judges, district attorneys, clerks of superior court and public defenders. The Conference of District Attorneys is made up of the states elected DAs, who meet twice a year. The director is responsible for developing programs and materials and consensus-building, according to its website. The letter also makes note of a concern about a legal challenge. Signed by Michael Ribble and Elizabeth Wiley of Buck actuarial and pension consulting firm, the letter includes a section labeled Administrative Concern. The Retirement Systems Division also notes to us that enacting benefits especially retroactively that affect only one person or a very small group of people can carry an additional legal risk to the System stemming from taxpayer litigation, they wrote. North Carolinas constitution bans exclusive emoluments. As interpreted by the state Supreme Court in combination with other constitutional protections, that embodies a fundamental democratic principle: Equal rights and opportunities to all, special privileges to none, the letter adds, quoting John Orth in the North Carolina Law Review. The Buck actuarial letter goes on to say that the results of the data are not intended to be in favor nor against the proposed change. North Carolina residents would have to deal with the Division of Motor Vehicles less often under a provision in the House version of the state budget released this week. Instead of requiring drivers to renew their licenses every eight years, the House is proposing that licenses granted to drivers age 18 to 65 not expire for 16 years. Starting at age 66, drivers would still need to renew their licenses every five years, as they do now. The renewal period for commercial drivers licenses would remain at five years, or three years for school bus drivers. The budget also proposes that drivers be able to renew their licenses online every time, rather than being required to visit to a DMV office every other renewal as they do now. The changes are meant to benefit both drivers and the DMV, says Rep. Frank Iler, a Republican from Brunswick County who chairs the House Appropriations Committee for transportation. Drivers wont need to worry about renewing their licenses as often and would be less likely to need to visit a DMV office when they do. Lengthening the renewal period would also mean less work for DMV, Iler said. In particular, reducing the number of times people are required to visit a DMV office would help the agency make the most of its limited supply of license examiners, he said. About a third of drivers license examiner jobs at DMV are vacant, as the agency struggles to hire and keep them. Its not clear how much money the DMV would save under the changes. The DMV wasnt aware of the Houses budget bill proposal until it was announced late Wednesday, said spokesman Marty Homan. DMV is currently reviewing the bill, analyzing potential impacts to customers, and clarifying the bills intent, Homan wrote in an email. If the proposal passes and is signed into law, North Carolina would have the longest renewal cycle for drivers licenses in the country, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a research and education organization supported by the insurance industry. In only two states are drivers licenses good for more than eight years, according to the institute. Arizona and Montana have 12-year-renewal periods; licenses in 22 states are good for six years or less. Story continues North Carolina has increased the time between license renewals before. In 1993, as a cost-saving measure, lawmakers gave drivers an extra year, making renewals due every five years. They later increased the number to eight years for drivers age 18 to 53, then included drivers age 54 to 66 in 2010. Iler said the idea of extending the renewal period originated with leaders in the House and Senate appropriations committees. They decided to keep the five-year renewal period for drivers age 66 and older because of eyesight and other infirmities, he said, but dont see any reason not to let younger drivers go 16 years before renewing. Theres not a safety issue that were aware of or thats been mentioned by DMV or DOT, Iler said. But I know that the next legislature can make a change if something doesnt seem right or if its not working. Republicans and Democrats across North Carolina began reacting almost immediately to news reports that former President Donald Trump had been indicted in a case related to hush money he allegedly paid to a porn star prior to his 2016 election. Trump began teasing a possible indictment nearly two weeks ago. But attention around the courthouse relaxed after news broke earlier this week that the Manhattan grand jury which was hearing evidence in the case would recess until mid-April. Then on Thursday, as Congress wrapped up its week in Washington for its own two-week vacation, the New York Times and others reported that Trump had been indicted. Trump becomes the first former U.S. president to face an indictment. Within 30 minutes, Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican from Huntersville, put out a written statement saying that the indictment doesnt pass the smell test. Last week, Tillis had said he questioned Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs timing and said evidence would reveal whether Bragg was politically motivated to indict Trump or if new information had come to light that led to a prosecution. He took a strong position following news that an indictment had been issued. The Department of Justice already looked into the facts and decided there was no case to be made against President Trump, Tillis said Thursday. This is the same District Attorney who is notorious for letting violent crimes off the hook in Manhattan, but has been laser-focused on pursuing a politicized prosecution of a former president. Politics should never tip the scale of justice, and Congress has every right to investigate the conduct and decision-making of the Manhattan D.A.s office. Tilliss colleagues tweeted out their own messages similarly criticizing Bragg as being soft-on-crime, but holding a political grudge against Trump. Sen. Ted Budd, a Republican from Davie County, whose endorsement from Trump in the 2022 election helped him win his promotion from the U.S. House to the U.S. Senate, also weighed in. Story continues The Manhattan DAs partisan prosecution of President Trump is a disgrace, Budd tweeted. NYC has a real problem with violent crime. Instead of spending so much time targeting his political enemies, Alvin Bragg should focus on doing his job to keep the people of NYC safe. Rep. Richard Hudson, who lives in Southern Pines and leads the National Republican Congressional Committee, tweeted his thoughts on the news. Extreme partisan Democrats are weaponizing our judicial system against President Donald Trump in an unprecedented abuse of power, Hudson wrote. History will remember this as a dark day. Rep. David Rouzer, a Republican from Wilmington, echoed Hudsons words. This indictment is the most recent occurrence in what has become a disturbing pattern of weaponizing our government and legal institutions for political purposes, Rouzer wrote. Its interesting this is the same District Attorney who refuses to prosecute legitimate crime in NYC, yet indicts a former President on the basis of partisanship eroding the trust of the American public even further. Former Rep. Madison Cawthorn, a Republican from Hendersonville who moved to Florida and who once said he considers Trump a father-figure, simply tweeted: Banana Republic. He later added Free him. All of the Republicans who reacted have been endorsed by Trump in previous elections. But Rep. Alma Adams, the lone Democratic member of Congress from North Carolina to make her thoughts known, tweeted that no one is above the law and added that those words are as old as the United States. The representative from Charlotte also said Trump is entitled to due process. The State of New York has spent years meticulously building their case, and they secured an indictment not from political power brokers or the media, but from a grand jury of ordinary citizens, Adams said. Make no mistake, this is a sad day for our country. Justice doesnt celebrate, justice isnt vengeful and it doesnt find joy in accountability. Nevertheless, I am proud of our democracy and our legal system for renewing and refreshing our faith in our legal system of justice. No one, not even a president, is above the law. Its not yet clear what charges Trump faces. The indictment remains sealed and he still needs to be served. It is believed that Bragg was building a case that Trump falsified business records to classify a legal fee as a settlement to actress Stormy Daniels, as part of allegedly paying her off to keep her quiet about a tryst. It could be escalated to a felony if its connected to another crime, which would likely be a campaign finance violation. Matthew Rhys. JSquared Photography/Getty Contributor Matthew Rhys stars in the HBO reboot of the beloved legal drama "Perry Mason." Rhys spoke with Insider about the show, his connection to the character, and some of his favorite extracurricular activities. "What I love about Matthew is he brings a sense of confidence but also humility," "Mason" showrunner Michael Begler said of the actor. If Matthew Rhys has any regrets, it may be buying a wooden boat six years ago. The Ernest Hemingway aficionado was sipping whiskey and surfing eBay one evening when he stumbled on a listing for a 1930s Wheeler Playmate for just $30,000 the same kind of yacht Hemingway once owned and used to fish off the warm waters of Key West, Florida. It seemed like a dream opportunity. But then the Welsh actor's personal passion project ballooned into a money pit, requiring almost three years, tens of thousands of dollars, and countless hours of manual labor to restore. "If there's one thing I learned, I do not ever need again a personal passion project that takes that amount of effort, hours or time, or strain on my family," he told Insider over the phone from his Brooklyn home, which he shares with wife Keri Russell and their three kids. Rhys now lets small groups mostly a mix of Hemingway and Rhys fans charter the boat for cruises around New York Harbor. He occasionally appears as a deckhand, serving cheese plates to passengers and making mai tais, daiquiris, and mojitos. For most, though, it's easier to catch the Emmy award-winning actor nowadays in HBO's reboot of "Perry Mason," where he plays the show's titular character, a damaged war veteran-turned-defense attorney with his own righteous sense of justice. Rhys describes Perry Mason as a lawyer who's finding his way Matthew Rhys in HBO's "Perry Mason" HBO "He just has a very simplistic notion of what's right and what's wrong and how you go about, you know, making sure whatever is wrong is righted," Rhys said. Season two picks up six months after Perry's client Emily Dodson, who's accused of murdering her one-year-old son, gets off on a mistrial. This season, the attorney gets sucked into a case defending a pair of Mexican brothers charged with murdering Los Angeles businessman and philanthropist Brooks McCutcheon (Tommy Dewey). Story continues Production for the second season of the show began in January 2022 and wrapped seven months later, employing a crew of roughly 200 to recreate 1930s LA with shooting locations spanning Santa Clarita, Pasadena, and San Pedro, California. The show returned in early March with some changes: Michael Begler and Jack Amiel, creators of "The Knick," were brought in as showrunners. With Perry's origin story now out of the way, season two relies more on its protagonists Perry and his colleague Della Street (Julie Rylance) and explores how Perry's chosen profession as a defense attorney plays to his strengths and weaknesses. "I kept reminding myself that Perry is finding his way as a trial lawyer it's only been six months," Rhys said. "He's not battle-weary or battle-hardened. What I tried to do is put him in a place where it's not some polished performance." As one of HBO's high-budget prestige dramas, "Perry Mason" soars. The show is a handsome, absorbing noir that's hard to shake and sly enough to savor. Part of this reboot's appeal is how it balances the past and the present. Its setting, pace, and style all evoke seductive aspects of a bygone era, while its serialized elements and unflinching honesty in its portrayal of people's lives, in its view of a broken institution cater to a modern audience's sensibilities. This reimagined "Perry Mason" isn't a case-of-the-week anymore, but one case per season. Instead of neatly wrapping everything up in an hour, the show chooses cases that raise compelling, sometimes haunting, questions about America's criminal justice system. Without giving too much away, season two ends with Perry facing the consequences of his actions. He's disregarded the law, is caught, and is punished. It's a cliffhanger that leaves you wondering what the character will do next. "I think he'd have to really take stock of what's happened because if he thinks that's the price of ultimate justice, where does it leave you?" Rhys says. "Are you willing to sacrifice that much every time there's a trial or if the system is that corrupt? Is it even worth it?" Rhys' colleagues describe him as a 'dream scene partner' Matthew Rhys wins an Emmy for lead actor in a drama series in 2018. Steve Granitz/Getty Contributor As much as Rhys is seen as an actor's actor, he's also quick to crack jokes something you'd know if you caught "The Wine Show" in 2016. The series about, well, wine, saw him romp around Italy drinking with his friend Matthew Goode. (The two first met on the World War I flick "Deathwatch" and became friends after working together on the 2013 BBC miniseries "Death Comes to Pemberley.") He also showed off his lighter side earlier this year, appearing in the film "Cocaine Bear" as Andrew Thornton, a former cop-turned-drug smuggler who dumps about 200 pounds of cocaine out of a plane over Georgia. But Rhys usually gravitates towards gritty, dramatic characters: a successful gay lawyer in the family drama series "Brothers & Sisters," a Russian spy in the period drama "The Americans." "I'm not even sure how that's evolved," admits Rhys, who honed his acting chops at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He says he was attracted to playing Mason because he "feels so different to me. He has a very-old fashioned romantic notion of justice, and he kind of lives by that very simple rule, which is why he always gets caught up in the nonsense of the judicial system." Julie Rylance Begler, who was a "massive" fan of Rhys and "The Americans," recalls first meeting the actor on a Zoom call before production of season two started. The two worked closely to perfect the show's courtroom scenes, including the trial's closing argument, which underwent several rewrites. "What I love about Matthew is he brings a sense of confidence but also humility," Begler says. "He is so expressive in his eyes that sometimes he can do things without words. He can play a scene where he's so commanding, but the next scene, he can also play vulnerability. And I think that is, to me, a true gift of an actor who can do both those things." Rylance describes Rhys as a "dream of a scene partner," a kind, encouraging actor with an unwavering desire to find the heart of a scene. Off-camera, she says Rhys was always the first to bound into the trailers in the morning, the first to greet everybody with a grin and gently hurry everyone to set. "Matthew's curious about what it means to be human, what it means to explore the human condition, and I think that curiosity is so compelling," she explains. "I think that it is that sort of almost Shakespearean quality to him, of someone who's holding sort of bounding joy and deep sorrow within the same breath. It's my favorite quality in an actor." Rhys and his wife Keri Russell follow a 'hard and fast rule' to maintain equilibrium in their relationship Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell. Paul Bruinooge/Getty contributor Rhys' versatility landed him an Emmy for lead actor in a drama series for his star turn in "The Americans." The drama, which ran from 2013 to 2018, featured Rhys and Russell as Russian spies who infiltrate America and raise a family. (Rhys previously told Forbes in March he was open to possibly revisiting "The Americans.") In real life, the two actors met over 20 years ago in a parking lot after a kickball party hosted by Jennifer Grey and eventually fell in love on the set of the show. They now share three kids, including their youngest Sam, who they welcomed in 2016. Parenting is a juggling act for Rhys and Russell. Since "The Americans" ended, they've lived by a "hard and fast" rule that has served them well. "When one of us works, the other one doesn't," Rhys explains. "There's always one balancing parent around. We've always tried to adhere to that." When Rhys shot the second season of "Perry Mason" in Southern California, Russell stayed behind, and when Russell filmed her upcoming Netflix series, "The Diplomat," in the UK, Rhys looked after the children. The couple also managed to sync their schedules to appear in episodes of the new Apple TV+ series, "Extrapolations," an all-star affair with Meryl Streep, Kit Harrington, Sienna Miller, and Marion Cotillard about the long-term effects of climate change. Matthew Rhys reading to one of his children. Matthew Rhys/Twitter The odds of "Perry Mason" getting renewed are high. Season two has been largely well-received by critics, who pointed to Rhys' riveting performance as an essential ingredient to the show's success. While he's content to don Perry's worn fedora for another season, if Rhys could have his way, he would get what sounds suspiciously like another personal passion project made: a film about the overthrow of Edward II, the first English "Prince of Wales," in the 14th century. It's a plot that, for better or worse, resembles Mel Gibson's "Braveheart." "When 'Braveheart' came out, I remember being very depressed, because I was like, 'Oh shit, Mel Gibson has beaten us to it he's got the story out,'" Rhys recalls. "Edward II was doing the same to Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. So there's basically a Welsh 'Braveheart' that I would love to do that I've been trying to get made for the last 12 years. But every time [any] one reads it, they just go, 'Well, this is 'Braveheart.'' I go, 'I know! But it happened to us, too!' Read the original article on Insider If you caught Tuesdays episode of Wheel of Fortune, you might have seen one of Delawares own grace the stage with show host Pat Sajak. Derrick T. Lewis, 44, of Newark, competed on the popular game show this week as part of the shows WWE Week special. Lewis is a WWE announcer and avid fan of the industry, so WWE Week was a fitting theme for his stint on the game show. More details: Delaware's latest game show contestant is a Newark man on 'Wheel of Fortune' Derrick T. Lewis, 44, of Newark, will be on "Wheel of Fortune" on March 28, 2023, for one of their WWE Week episodes. He is paired with WWE Superstar Sonya Deville. Through the end of this week, contestants competing in this special edition of the show will pair up with WWE Superstars to compete for the chance to win cars, cash and WWE-themed prizes. Lewis said the biggest surprise of the experience was when his partner was revealed to be WWE Superstar Sonya Deville, an old friend who he didnt know would be on the show until they were paired up, he said. Although Lewis and Deville didnt win Wheel of Fortune, he previously told Delaware Online/The News Journal that the experience was still a great opportunity that resulted in lots of success in other ways. Derrick T. Lewis is from Newark, Delaware and will appear on "Wheel of Fortune" on March 28, 2023, for a WWE Week episode. As a lifelong fan of the show, Lewis described his time onstage spinning the big wheel and meeting Sajak as surreal, adding that the other contestants quickly became good friends due to their shared love of WWE. And Lewis didnt come home completely empty-handed. He won $7,550 in cash! After Thursday nights winning duo is crowned, the three biggest winning pairs will come back on the show during this weeks final installment to battle for a VIP trip to WrestleMania 39 and the title of WWE Wheel of Fortune Tournament Champion. Previous 'Wheel of Fortune' winner: Smyrna 13-year-old wins 'Wheel of Fortune' for his great-grandmother during Teen Week Got a tip or a story idea? Contact Krys'tal Griffin at kgriffin@delawareonline.com. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: 'Wheel of Fortune' contestant from Newark takes home cash on WWE Week Twitter Frank Somerville had a rough 2021and hes finally ready to talk about it on camera. The veteran Bay Area newsman, whose awful year culminated in drunkenly slamming his Porsche into another vehicle on Dec. 30, sat down with San Francisco outlet KRON4 to speak for nearly 30 minutes about the months leading up to the crash. It all came to a head when I got the DUI, he said. Somerville is a well-known face in the Bay Area, having begun broadcasting on his longtime station KTVU in 1992, ascending to become a co-anchor by 2008. In June 2021, though, he gave a broadcast in which he noticeably slurred his words, leading to a viral clip, national headlines, and a leave of absence. In a Facebook post reflecting on the situation more than a year later, Somerville claimed for the first time that as messed up as I was I didnt drink on the air. Instead, he said, hed accidentally taken two powerful sleeping pills. How I even made it home that night is beyond me, he wrote. It was a claim he reiterated on Wednesday in his KRON4 interview. I was taking what I thought was one of my prescription drugs; instead, it was two Ambien, he said. The anchor went on to acknowledge long-standing issues with substance abuse, saying hed used drugs and alcohol almost every night at the height of his addiction. I was so sad and lonely from the divorce and missing my kids and the pandemic sure as hell didnt help because now, I was all alone, he said. I was a total mess. After more than two months of what a spokesperson for his parent network called medical leave, a period which Somerville said he spent in a rehabilitation facility, he was back on the air. But in September, he was suspended indefinitely after disagreeing with the station bosses about how to cover the Gabby Petito murder, which was then a missing-person case. Somerville, who has a Black daughter, wanted to add a 46-second tag to an update on the Petito story that recognized the racially disproportionate media coverage of Black and white crime victims. The tag was cutover Somervilles protestationsby producers after newsroom editors expressed misgivings about it, a source told the San Francisco Chronicle at the time. Somerville was suspended the next day. Story continues I thought the coverage across the country of Gabby Petito was insane, he told KRON4. There was no reason for it other than she was a cute white kid. But for some reason, I was suspended over that. I still, to this day, am not sure why. For a while, his fate seemed suspended, but in November, Somerville told the Bay Area News Group that he was never going to anchor at KTVU again. His contract with the station expired in 2022. Then, a month later, came the crash. After rear-ending another vehicle and plowing through a busy intersection, pushing the other car into a pole, the dazed anchor was booked on DUI charges, with court charging documents showing that his blood alcohol concentration was 0.24 percent. (The legal limit in California is 0.08 percent.) Somerville has absolutely no recollection of the accident, he told KRON4. I was close to as comatose as you can be, he said. 10 P.M. TONIGHT: Renowned Bay Area anchor Frank Somerville became the story himself in December 2021, when he was involved in a DUI crash that was caught on video and went viral. Now, he opens up to KRON4 in his first TV interview since the arrest. https://t.co/LPhWcLtvzF pic.twitter.com/JQKekShtaJ KRON4 News (@kron4news) March 29, 2023 The anchor said that hed spent much of the evening drinking himself into a near-stupor. It was Christmastime, he said. I was away from my family. I didnt see them at all over the holidays. It was just a really sad time, and so I gotI got trashed. Theres no other way to say it, I got trashed in my apartment. Then, hungry for Taco Bell, he climbed into his Porsche. I had absolutely no business at all to driveat all, he told KRON4, adding later that he wishes he could apologize to the other driver, who was slightly injured in the crash. Somerville told the Chronicle on Wednesday that he is currently focused on his recovery and staying sober from drugs, though he told KRON4 he still has the occasional alcoholic drink. Its a work in progress, he added. As for his future, Somerville said, he may try teaching, or go back to television news, though he acknowledged that a return may not be totally up to him. It all depends on a station hiring me, which requires a station taking a chance on me, he told the Chronicle. I come with a background. I made a huge mistake. At the same time, he added after a pause, Im a damn good anchor. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. This is an excerpt from Incoming, BuzzFeed News morning newsletter dedicated to making sense of this chaotic world we live in. Join the club. Narcan, the lifesaving drug that can reverse an opioid overdose, can soon be bought over the counter Narcan nasal spray is administered via a nasal atomizer. The medication binds to receptors in the nervous system, blocking or reversing the effects of opioids in an individual's system. John Minchillo / AP The Food and Drug Administration has approved Narcan, a naloxone nasal spray that can reverse opioid overdoses and save lives, for over-the-counter use . First approved as a prescription drug by the FDA in 2015, Narcan is a quick-acting opioid antagonist that reverses the effects of opioids like heroin, fentanyl, codeine, and OxyContin. It's dispensed when someone is showing signs of an overdose like nodding off, choking, and exhibiting constricted pupils and is stunningly effective; one study found that 93.5% of people who were given naloxone survived an overdose. Narcan can currently be purchased at pharmacies in most states without a prescription, but the product is typically sold behind the counter, and some states have additional restrictions that make it more difficult to obtain . Manufacturer Emergent BioSolutions said it expects Narcan to be available over the counter by late summer. Opioid overdose-related deaths in the US have ballooned in recent years , especially during the pandemic. More than 101,750 people died of an overdose from November 2021 to October 2022, primarily because of synthetic opioids like fentanyl. "People don't want Narcan in schools, people are worried that this encourages drug use those things are not true," Ryan Marino, a medical toxicologist with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, told BuzzFeed News . "This is like putting EpiPens, defibrillators out in the community. It's not something you ever want to use, but everyone should be glad that it is available because the alternative would be far worse." Conservative pundits and politicians are linking the Nashville shooting with anti-trans rhetoric The Nashville shooting suspects gender identity is being used by Republicans to attack trans people. However, "transgender people are rarely the perpetrators of mass shootings, which are overwhelmingly carried out by cisgender men, according to criminal justice experts. And trans people are more likely to be victims of violence than cisgender people, multiple studies have shown," Fenit Nirappil reports for the Washington Post. Story continues SNAPSHOTS An uncensored chatbot shows what happens when AI is programmed to disregard human decency. FreedomGPT spews out responses sure to offend both the left and the right. Its makers say that is the point. Here's what the world's most heavily guarded photo archive looks like. Roughly 11 million historical images, including photos of Marilyn Monroe, the moon landing, and Albert Einstein, are kept tightly locked by armed guards in the famed Bettmann Archive. Jeremy Renner said he has no regrets about risking his life to save his nephew in a nearly fatal snowplow accident. Ive lost a lot of flesh and bone in this experience but Ive been refueled and refilled by love and titanium, Renner said in an interview with Diane Sawyer. Ted Lasso stars Brett Goldstein and Juno Temple explained Roy and Keeleys heartbreaking storyline. I don't think he thinks he deserves love or he deserves someone like Keeley, Goldstein told BuzzFeed News . Kentucky is now the 12th state to ban gender-affirming healthcare Students in Frankfort, Kentucky, met outside the Capitol building to protest the passage of SB 150 on March 29, 2023. Lexington Herald-leader / Getty Images The Republican-controlled Kentucky Legislature on Wednesday overrode the Democratic governors veto of a sweeping anti-trans bill which includes bans on young peoples access to gender-affirming care to the ability to use the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity. SB 150 dubbed an omnibus anti-trans bill by opponents bundles numerous restrictions to the autonomy of transgender youth under the guise of parental rights. The bill also bars discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools and gives teachers the right to refuse to use transgender students correct pronouns. SB 150 goes against the recommendations of all major medical associations. Outside the Legislature chambers yesterday, hundreds of Kentucky students rallied in protest of the bill. Inside, only four Republicans voted in opposition, including state Sen. Danny Carroll, who spoke about how he could not forget the story told by a pediatrician at a previous hearing about a trans girl experiencing suicidal ideation because she could not transition. Were taking away an option. Were not doctors. I trust them to make the right decisions. If it made a difference in that one girl, then its worth it, Carroll said. Most of the bill goes into effect immediately, and the ban on gender-affirming care will begin in late June. The ACLU of Kentucky has already signaled that it is prepared to challenge the law . IMAGE OF THE DAY Students from the nearby Harpeth Hall School pray while visiting a memorial after a deadly shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville on March 29, 2023. Cheney Orr / Reuters The thirst trap is about intimacy now A carousel of photos posted by Sanjna Selva. BuzzFeed News; Courtesy Sanjna Selva The modern thirst trap is meant to make you a little delusional, Steffi Cao writes . Dont you wish you were here with me? they seem to suggest. Long gone are the days of washing out your entire feed in filters, taking birds-eye footage of your cleavage. Blurry photos are en vogue now. Mirror selfies that completely cover up your face , showing off your perfectly decorated room, have usurped the posed duck-face reflection pic. A seductive pic can be hidden amid a photo dump of your dinners, travels, and fun nights out. The money angle is no longer that sultry Snapchat video of your lips and decolletage , but straight-on to emphasize the body-ody-ody . Theres nothing casual about the curated photo dumps or artfully messy bedrooms. But the desire we have for intimacy to post intimately with our audience, to appear intimately familiar with ourselves, to consume content that also makes us feel like were receiving a look into someone elses life has meant the content we post has also reflected that wish. Still reading, eh? Seems like you might want to get this in your inbox. No pressure though. Just some food for thought. An antler shed hunter stumbled upon skeletal remains that belonged to a missing Oregon woman, deputies said. The remains were identified as 36-year-old Megan Dyanne Wendel of Roseburg, the Douglas County Sheriffs Office said in a March 27 news release. Wendel disappeared from Roseburg and was reported missing in July, deputies said. The antler hunter first discovered human remains Feb. 16 near the Thunder Mountain area in Glide, deputies said. His father called authorities and reported the discovery. Those remains were then identified as Wendel, deputies said. Her death is being investigated as suspicious, authorities said. Fly high my beautiful daughter Megan Wendel. You are now a beautiful angel watching over all of us. Rest in Peace, her mother, Deborah Pfeuffer Blondell, wrote on Facebook. She was a bright beautiful soul that got her wings (too) soon and went to heaven. ... She will be missed by so many, according to a GoFundMe page set up to raise funeral and memorial expenses. Glide is about 85 miles south of Eugene, and Roseburg is about 70 miles south of Eugene. Remains found in storage shed identified as former police chief, Illinois cops say Teens riding ATV discover body in creek near North Carolina-Virginia border, cops say Missing woman found dead in woods weeks after she disappeared, Georgia police say A Georgia teen searching for friends was allegedly "hazed and tortured" by a group of teens at parties on affluent St. Simons Island during two separate incidents, police said. Trenton Lehrkamp, 19, was water-hosed and bound to a chair unconscious while he was covered in spray paint, according to pictures circulating on social media and Glynn County police. After the second incident on March 21, Lehrkamp ended up connected to a ventilator in the intensive care unit at Brunswick-area hospital fighting for his life. At a news conference on Wednesday afternoon, Interim Glynn County Police Chief O'Neal Jackson said that 11 juveniles participated in the water hosing and 9 juveniles participated in the chair incident. Some juveniles participated in both incidents, he said. Jackson said the incidents were "revealed on social media." Graphic images posted on Facebook show Lehrkamp unconscious and bound to a chair with four boys standing behind him. Some are giving the middle finger to the camera. A video shows Lehrkamp in a chair with his head down while someone is spraying him with a water hose. Jackson said that police have identified all the juveniles involved in the two incidents. "There were lots of juveniles at these incidents and nothing was spoken while it was occurring," said Jackson, who believed the hazing might have never been reported if the "victim didn't end up in the hospital." The FBI and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are assisting with the investigation but Jackson cautioned the public "not to rush to judgment." No charges have been filed or arrests have been made, police said, and the investigation is ongoing. The police might not be able to secure hazing charges, he said, because the events didn't happen in connection with public institutions. Lehrkamp, 19, was picked up from his house last Tuesday evening expecting to have a "casual night out with friends," friends wrote on a GoFund me page set up to pay for medical expenses. Story continues Hours later, around 8:30 p.m. local time, a white Jeep four-door Wrangler pulled up to the local hospital emergency room, according to a police report. Three teens got out and said Lehrkamp, who was in the back seat became unresponsive after drinking vodka and taking antidepressants, according to a police report. He was breathing shallowly, his clothes were soaked in urine and he had spray paint all over his body and hair, the police report said. There was a small bruise on his shoulder, the police report said. The teens wrote down their names and numbers before leaving, the police report said. Medical staff said Lehrkamp could not breathe independently, so they placed him on a ventilator, the police report said. His blood alcohol level was at .464, the report said. The legal BAL in Georgia is .08. His father arrived at the hospital and told police that there were other incidents. On March 17, Lehrkamp came home covered in WD-40, vomit, paint, glue and egg yolk, a police report said. His father said Lehrkamp always comes home distressed and "never returns normal" but keeps going over to hang out with the teens because he has no other friends and thinks the teens "accept and care for him," the police report said. Hundreds of supporters gathered to demand justice for Lehrkamp on Monday night, according to local media. CHP officers and nurse charged with involuntary manslaughter for 2020 death Olympian Briana Scurry on gender gap in head injury treatment Storm to bring severe weather to much of the U.S. HOPEWELL TWP. As teens filed out of Hopewell High School Wednesday afternoon, many clung together consoling one another. Parents, some in tears, watched anxiously from behind police lines, eager to embrace their kids. Just hours prior, students and parents feared Hopewell may be the latest school to endure an active shooter incident. Police ultimately determined the report was fake part of a spate of swatting calls made to elicit a large police presence and stir chaos but the community's terror in those moments was real. It was scary sitting at home and not knowing if my friends and peers were safe, or even alive, said senior Gillian Morse, who had gone home sick earlier that day. I know I bear a very light load of trauma, but I was absolutely terrified. It's not easy thinking about having to go to your friends funerals at 18. When Aliquippa police received reports of an armed gunman and casualties at Hopewell Senior High School Wednesday morning, first responders were on the scene within minutes. Other incidents reported: Hoax swatting calls bring police, lockdowns to schools throughout Pennsylvania. What we know Police soon learned the school was one of many in Pennsylvania targeted by swatting calls falsely reporting an active shooter inside the building. Several districts in western Pennsylvania, including New Castle Junior-Senior High School, treated these threats as credible and told students to shelter in place or evacuate when possible. It was the most terrified I have ever been, Denise Pascia, whose daughter attends Hopewell High School It truly sickens me that this is a situation kids my age and younger have to fear every single day, said Bella Leseiko, a senior from Hopewell Township. We as a society should feel safe in our school systems. It was easily one of the worst situations Ive ever been in and I wouldnt wish this on absolutely anybody. A police officer set up outside Hopewell High School March 29, 2023. Reports of an active shooter at the school was part of a wave of hoax calls throughout the state. False threats cause panic among families The out-of-state, computer-generated hoax calls, now under investigation by Pennsylvania State Police, alarmed staff, students and families. Story continues At Hopewell, students and staff were placed on lockdown just before 10:30 a.m. with little information. As a result, families outside the school assumed the worst as reports from police scanners indicated a potential shooter in the building. Students said they were "terrified," but some still asked their family members to avoid the area to stay safe. As students evacuated the building, many could be seen holding each other close. More: Police sent to Erie High on bogus school shooting report as hoaxes hit other Pa. schools "People are having such different responses to the whole situation," said Giovanni Krebs, a senior at Hopewell High School. "Even though it was extremely stressful, I am more than glad no one was injured. All I could think about the entire time was if my sister was safe. When a classmate showed me a text saying there were 'six shot' I prayed it wasn't her. To find out it was all a hoax, nobody was injured and that we all had to go through that for a prank call honestly makes me angry more than anything." Children at Hopewell High School being led to a safe meeting spot March 29, 2023, after a lockdown was ordered because of an active shooter call that turned out to be a hoax. For parents, it was a gut-wrenching morning. It was the most terrified I have ever been, said Denise Pascia, a Moon Township preschool assistant whose daughter attends Hopewell High School. I cant even explain the feeling of that. Parents unable to be at the scene Wednesday scrambled for credible information early on. Charissa Yoko-Schwartz, a Hopewell Township parent and employee at UPMC Children's Hospital, first received word about reports of a shooter at Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh before hearing about the incident in Hopewell Township. "When a coworker said Hopewell was 'under attack,' too, I thought it was odd for two schools in the area to have active shooters," Yoko-Schwartz said. "However, my emotions ran high until I heard from my son and knew he was safe. Not knowing was difficult, and waiting to hear from the school was frustrating, but the logical side of me kept saying the authorities needed time to sweep the building, and the longer it took the more likely it was a hoax. If there were casualties, there would have been more chatter, more reporting, more online posts." UPMC Children's Hospital staff remained ready for a potential emergency situation, but no calls came to the medical center. Just days after an active shooter killed six people, including three children, at a Nashville, Tenn., private school, Hopewell students and their parents said Wednesday marked "one of the scariest days" of their lives. "I've never been so afraid," said Ambridge resident Brittany Williams, who waited outside the school Wednesday for information about her daughter who attends Hopewell Junior High. "I felt like I couldn't take a full breath, I was just in terror. I'm just glad everyone is OK." Photos from Hopewell lockdown: Hopewell High school locked down by hoax active shooter call First responders address false reports and 'swatting' Hopewell Area Superintendent Jeff Beltz said Aliquippa police received a call from someone claiming to be locked down in a bathroom at the high school Wednesday morning. The school was locked down and cleared by police. Senior high students had initially evacuated to Hopewell Junior High, but were later moved to Margaret Ross Elementary as the junior high was cleared. Once both schools were cleared by early Wednesday afternoon, remaining students were moved to the Hopewell Shopping Center to be transported home following an early dismissal as police continued to investigate the scene. School buses pick up students outside of the Hopewell Shopping Center on March 29, 2023, after a swatting hoax caused a lockdown at the school district. The New Castle City Police Department received a call from a male threatening to shoot up New Castle High School around the same time Hopewell responded to the threats, but upon further investigation found many other schools received fake threats involving active shooters or potential bombs. New Castle High was immediately put on lockdown following the threats, with police officers clearing the school within minutes, officers said. Swatting is a term used to describe false reports made to law enforcement to elicit a heavy police response. Often, those who facilitate swatting hoaxes use technology to make it appear as if the call is coming from a victims phone. Beaver County District Attorney David Lozier said Hopewell was the only district in the county to receive the call, which falsely reported "six casualties" in the building. Officers received the call around 10:20 a.m., Lozier said, with Beaver County SWAT and local police responding very fast. Within 15 minutes, it was pretty clear there were no reports of an actual event or casualties, Lozier said. Police were keeping people at bay March 29, 2023, during a lockdown at Hopewell High School from an active shooter report. Nearby school districts, including Rochester, Aliquippa, Blackhawk, Ambridge and Riverside went on lockdown as police investigated the scene at Hopewell. Central Catholic High School and Oakland Catholic in Pittsburgh were also targeted by the computer-generated swatting calls, according to Allegheny County Emergency Services. Allegheny County received calls reporting an active shooter in three separate schools. Farrell Area School District in Mercer County was targeted, too. Students call for action For many families, the incident and recent events in national news continue to prompt questions about student safety and school shootings in the United States. As over 89 gun-related incidents have occurred on school campus in 2023, those scared by Wednesday's events want to see some form of change to prevent a serious incident from happening. Mass shootings database: Mass killing database: Revealing trends, details and anguish of every US event since 2006 Im angry that there isnt more being done to mitigate incidents like these, Morse, the Hopewell senior, said. Mass shootings have been a problem for years and so many lawmakers dont seem to care enough. I, a high school senior, shouldnt have to walk into school every day worrying if Im going to make it to the end of the school year because someone decides to take other people's lives. This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Districts throughout Pennsylvania targeted by wave of swatting calls Wednesday Richard "Alex" Murdaugh was given two consecutive life sentences Friday following a guilty verdict in a trial in Walterboro, South Carolina, where he was accused on murdering his wife and son. Coincidentally, Netflix on Feb. 22 released its three-part docuseries, "Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal," that tapped into interest in the case. . The project, directed by Julia Willoughby Nason and Jenner Furst, the team behind Amazon's "LuLaRich" and Netflix's "The Pharmacist," centers on the scandals and criminal allegations surrounding the disbarred attorney and the fall of his disgraced family dynasty. Prison time: Former South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life after murder convictions "For over a century, the Murdaughs were law and order here in the 14th Circuit," USA TODAY Network journalist Michael DeWitt Jr., who has covered the story for years, says in the trailer. Here's what to know ahead of your "Murdaugh Murders" binge. Alex Murdaugh with Morgan Doughty, who dated Paul Murdaugh and Maggie Murdaugh. Paul and Maggie were killed on June 7, 2021. What does 'Murdaugh Murders' cover? While other true-crime documentaries have explored the Murdaugh saga, Netflix's series explores the fatal February 2019 boat crash involving Murdaugh's younger son, Paul; the unsolved 2015 homicide of Hampton County teen Stephen Smith that has been linked to the Murdaugh family by state police; and the June 2021 murders of Paul and his mother, Maggie, for which Alex Murdaugh was charged, along with more than 100 other crimes. The Murdaughs were one of South Carolinas most prominent families, but the death of teenager Mallory Beach in a drunken boating accident began the unraveling of their legacy. When Paul Murdaugh the alleged driver of the boat and his mother were found murdered two years after the crash, a century of corruption, power and cover-ups is brought to light. What the docuseries says about Maggie and Paul's murders The deaths of Richard Murdaugh's wife and their son are addressed in the docuseries' second episode, "Murders at Moselle." Murdaugh told investigators he woke up from a nap at home at 7:31 p.m. on June 7, 2021 and didn't see either of his family members. He then texted his wife and son that he was going to visit his ailing parents. Story continues Murdaugh says he returned after 10 p.m. and discovered his wife, 52, and son, 22, had been shot near the dog kennels on their property. A sobbing Murdaugh called 911 to report their deaths. Some wondered if the killer might have been motivated by a desire to avenge Beach's death. The third episode of the docuseries presents evidence that Alex Murdaugh was at home at the time of Paul and Maggie's deaths. The presence of high-velocity impact spatter on Murdaugh's clothes indicates that he was with one of the victims at the time of their death. And a video taken at 8:44 p.m. on Paul's phone captures Murdaugh's voice about 15 minutes before the murders are thought to have occurred. Though that doesn't prove Murdaugh is responsible, it does dispute his account of the evening. In July 2022, Alex Murdaugh was indicted on murder charges. That month, he pleaded not guilty and was denied bond. Murdaugh did not respond to requests for an interview from the filmmakers. Updates on the Alex Murdaugh trial Murdaugh's double murder trial in the deaths of his wife and son began Jan. 23. Murdaugh's surviving son, Buster, took the stand to open the session. While his testimony was emotional at times, it offered no real insight or new evidence. Buster, who is nicknamed after his great-grandfather, the former longtime 14th Circuit Solicitor, said that June 7, 2021, was just a normal day with normal conversations and text messages between family members, until his dad called him about 10:30 that night to tell him his mother and brother had been shot and killed. After listening to more than five weeks of testimony from over 75 witnesses including Murdaugh himself and visiting the crime scene, the jury took less than three hours on March 2 to find Murdaugh, 54, guilty of two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon in the commitment of a violent crime. Murdaugh must then stand trial on more than 100 other criminal charges. Trial dates and locations have not been set in these cases. Along with the criminal charges, a slew of civil court cases have been filed against the disbarred South Carolina attorney. Murdaugh has already signed a $4.3 million confession of judgment in one lawsuit involving the Gloria Satterfield Estate. The wrongful death suit of Mallory Beach could be heard as early as this summer, according to The State newspaper. Trial dates have not been set for the remaining civil suits against Murdaugh. Alex Murdaugh's son Buster Murdaugh testifies at his fathers trial in Walterboro, South Carolina on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. More specials about the Murdaugh saga Last fall, HBO Max and CNN released specials on the tragedies. HBO Max unveiled its three-part docuseries, "Low Country: The Murdaugh Dynasty," in November. In October, CNN aired The Murdaugh Murders: A Twisted Tale of Power and Money, featuring roundtable discussions with journalists, attorneys and alleged victims of the Murdaughs. It's available on CNN.com and CNN apps. More on the Murdaughs This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: 'Murdaugh Murders': Netflix doc timed to Alex Murdaugh guilty verdict Gov. Roy Cooper (D-N.C.) is applauded as he speaks during a bill signing to expand Medicaid coverage, at the North Carolina Executive Mansion in downtown Raleigh, N.C. on March 27, 2023. (Eamon Queeney/The New York Times) The government benefits began their existence as objects of partisan rancor and harsh criticism. Eventually, though, they became so popular that politicians of both parties promised to protect them. It was true of Social Security and Medicare. And now the pattern seems to be repeating itself with Obamacare. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Consider what has happened recently in North Carolina: Only a decade after the states Republican politicians described the law as dangerous and refused to sign up for its expansion of Medicaid, Republicans and Democrats came together to pass such an expansion. The Republican-controlled House in North Carolina passed the bill 87-24, while the Republican-controlled Senate passed it 44-2. Wow, have things changed, Jonathan Cohn wrote in a HuffPost piece explaining how the turnabout happened. Obamacare the countrys largest expansion of health insurance since Medicare and Medicaid in 1965 is still not as widely accepted as those programs. North Carolina became the 40th state to agree to expand Medicaid under Obamacare, which means that 10 states still have not, including two of the largest, Texas and Florida. In those states, more than 3.5 million adults lack health insurance as a result. But the list of states signing up for the program seems to be moving in only one direction: It keeps growing. Humiliation In its growing acceptance, Obamacare resembles other major parts of the federal safety net: When Congress was considering Social Security in 1935, conservatives and many business executives bitterly criticized it. One Texas newspaper described Social Security as a huge sales tax on everybody on behalf of the oldsters. A Wall Street Journal editorial predicted that the law would eventually be reason for Congress to look back in humiliation. Not exactly: Social Security is so popular that it is known as a third rail in American politics. When Congress was debating Medicare in the 1960s, Ronald Reagan then an actor with a rising political profile attacked the program as a step toward socialism. If it passed, Reagan warned, We are going to spend our sunset years telling our children and our childrens children, what it once was like in America when men were free. As president, Reagan praised and supported the program. After Congress created Medicaid a health-insurance program primarily for low-income households in 1965, some states did not initially join it. Arizona became the last to do so, in 1982. Roberts and McCain In the initial years after Obamacares passage in 2010, it was similarly divisive. Blue states embraced it, while many red states rejected its voluntary Medicaid expansion. In Washington, congressional Republicans and Donald Trump tried to repeal it. Some Republican-appointed judges invalidated parts of it, and every Republican appointee on the Supreme Court except Chief Justice John Roberts voted to scrap the law. Twice, it survived by a single vote first, by Roberts 2012 Supreme Court vote, and then by Sen. John McCains late-night vote against its repeal in 2017. Since then, however, Obamacare has been gaining Republican support. The next year, voters in Idaho, Nebraska and Utah red states, all passed ballot initiatives expanding Medicaid. Oklahoma, Missouri and South Dakota have since done so. Montanas state legislature has also approved an expansion. In 2019, Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky, a Democrat, narrowly won election in a Republican state by pledging to protect an earlier Medicaid expansion. In North Carolina, Roy Cooper, also a Democrat, became governor in a 2016 upset partly by campaigning in favor of an expansion and was able to sign one this week. Story continues These developments are a sign of the laws growing popularity. And that popularity isnt especially mysterious: In a country with high levels of economic inequality and large numbers of people without health insurance, Obamacare has increased taxes on the affluent to subsidize health care for poor and middle-class families. At root, it is an effort to reduce inequality. Winning the Middle Even with its flaws including its often complicated process for signing up for insurance the law has achieved many of its aims. The number of Americans without health insurance has plummeted. In states that have refused the Medicaid expansion, by contrast, rural hospitals are struggling even more than elsewhere because they do not receive the laws subsidies for care. Greenwood Leflore Hospital in the Mississippi Delta is an example. It recently closed its intensive-care unit and maternity ward, as The New York Times Sharon LaFraniere has reported. Nationwide, states that did not quickly accept Medicaid expansion have accounted for almost three-quarters of rural hospital closures between 2010 and 2021, according to the American Hospital Association. Similar problems in North Carolina were a reason that Republicans there reconsidered their opposition to Medicaid expansion. We had these people coming down to Raleigh, farmers, business owners, people from rural areas, they were advocating, telling stories, one Republican state representative told HuffPost. Many Republicans still oppose Obamacare, and some hard-right members of Congress also favor cuts to Medicaid as well as to Medicare and Social Security. In a country as polarized as the United States, there isnt much true political consensus. But Obamacare has won over the political middle more quickly than seemed likely not so long ago. c.2023 The New York Times Company A Mississippi man has been indicted by a grand jury in the suspected death of Jimmy Jay Lee, a student at Ole Miss who has been missing since July, police said. Sheldon Timothy Herrington Jr., 22, was indicted on capital murder charges after just over a day of testimony, according to a news release from the Oxford Police Department on March 29. Police said Herrington Jr. was served by the Lafayette County Sheriffs Department on the morning of the 29th, and remains under a previous bond. Jimmy Jay Lee, a 20-year-old student at the University of Mississippi, was last seen leaving Campus Walk apartments at around 6 a.m. on July 8, according to a joint news release from the Oxford police and University of Mississippi Police. Lees vehicle was later found at an impound lot on July 11 after it had been removed July 8 from another apartment complex where police said they believed Lee had been visiting. Lee was described as well-known on campus and that this behavior was unlike him, as reported by WLBT. Hell talk to anybody, hes kind of the life of the party, hes real sweet so its just unfortunate something like this has happened to him, a neighbor of Lee told WLBT. The search for Lee continued, and on July 22, Oxford police said they had arrested Herrington Jr. on murder charges, according to a news release, though a body had not been found. Law enforcement agencies are still working to locate Lees body. This is still an ongoing investigation, the release said. On Aug. 9, Herrington Jr. appeared in a bond hearing where prosecutors said he was one of Lees classmates and that Lee identified as part of the LGBTQ+ community, WLBT reported. In the hearing, Oxford police detective Ryan Baker testified that Herrington Jr. and Lee were messaging on Snapchat and talked about hooking up, WLBT reported, and Herrington Jr. had admitted to a sexual relationship with Lee during an interview with Oxford police. Based on the information collected to date, our investigators believe this crime represents an isolated incident stemming from the relationship between Jay Lee and Tim Herrington Jr. We do not believe this incident reflects a larger threat to our LGBTQ+ community, Oxford police and University of Mississippi Police Department said in a joint news release on Aug. 12. Story continues Herrington Jr. was denied bond in August. In October, Herrington Jr. filed a lawsuit against the Lafayette County Sheriffs Department, saying he was being held in jail illegally, as reported by WMC. He said there was no direct evidence against him for Lees death after detectives tracked Lee and Herrington Jr.s communications over social media and surveillance footage, and used cadaver dogs to search around Herrington Jr.s apartment, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit said the dogs were used to bring a murder charge, but no body had been found and detectives could not say whether human remains had been found by the dogs. In December, Herrington Jr.s defense team made an agreement with the district attorney that surrendered his passport and required him to wear an ankle monitor, and Herrington Jr. was released on a $250,000 bond, WMC reported. Friends of Lee created an Instagram account to follow the progress of Lees case and to advocate for protections for LGBTQ+ people. The Oxford Police Department presented its case against Herrington Jr. to the grand jury on March 27, and an indictment ruling was made. Lees body has not been found. Oxford, Mississippi, is about 90 miles southeast of Memphis, Tennessee. If you are struggling or thinking of harming yourself, you can reach out to a counselor with the Trevor Project, the worlds largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning) young people. Text START to 678-678 or call 1-866-488-7386. Woman facing murder trial tries to get fellow inmates to kill witness, Florida cops say Sexual assault at Walmart leads cops to 3 men involved in charity scam, NC police say Deputy preyed on girl after responding to call at her house, Florida cops say ALTOONA, Pa. (WTAJ) Police agencies were on the scene at multiple schools in Pennsylvania after getting calls about an active shooter on Wednesday. Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) have confirmed these to be swatting calls fake calls meant to draw a large police presence and theres no known threat to any surrounding schools at this time. All calls were said to have had similar content, and were made to multiple counties around Pennsylvania. Police had swarmed Altoona, Hollidaysburg, Bishop Carroll, Bellefonte, and other schools across Pennsylvania just after 9 a.m. Wednesday, March 29. The Altoona Police, and later the Pennsylvania State Police, confirmed that the calls were false alarms. All schools involved have been cleared or are in the process of being cleared by law enforcement, the Pennsylvania State Police said. First lady Jill Biden to go to Nashville to mourn victims of shooting Many Pennsylvania schools went into lockdown, even if no call was made specifically about their campuses, citing an abundance of caution. University of Pittsburgh also took that precaution after a call was made about a shooter at a nearby school. The Cambria County District Attorney asked all Cambria County schools to lockdown out of an abundance of caution as well. It was reported by police that the calls came from out of state, and the FBI will be getting involved in the investigation. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A water company employee is out of a job after he was seen peeing in the water supply at a Louisiana treatment plant, parish officials said. The 57-year-old was arrested and charged with two counts of contaminating water supplies and criminal damage to critical infrastructure after the unauthorized leak at a Donaldsonville water plant, WBRZ and The Advocate reported. Video of the March 19 incident shows the employee adjust the camera up so that the lower half of his body is out of frame before hes heard urinating in one of the water tanks. He walks away then returns a short time later to move the camera to its original position, according to video obtained by McClatchy News. Ascension Parish President Clint Cointment said officials were told of the incident days later, adding that he was extremely disappointed. An investigation confirmed the allegations and the worker was fired. At no time was the public in danger, Cointment wrote in a statement dated March 22. All water samples taken to date are in good standing and meet all safe water drinking requirements. The man, described as a long-tenured employee, was accused of relieving himself in the water tanks on at least two separate occasions in a months span, The Advocate reported, citing sheriffs deputies. The plant is equipped with two restrooms, including one on the floor where the employee worked, according to the newspaper. The case has since been turned over to the district attorneys office, parish government officials said. State and federal authorities were also notified. This incident is now in their jurisdiction as an ongoing investigation, Cointment said. Ascension Parish is about 25 miles southeast of Baton Rouge. Deputy preyed on girl after responding to call at her house, Florida cops say Father gets fired for using family leave to bond with baby, care for spouse, feds say Worker dies after he falls into concrete mixer and gets trapped, Florida deputies say [Source] A 23-year-old Swedish man who ran a criminal network selling pornographic images and films of over 4,000 young girls and women in Thailand has been sentenced to four years and six months in prison. The unidentified man from Stockholm was arrested in January 2022 following a joint investigation between Swedish and Thai authorities. He was reportedly charged with serious child pornography offenses and illegal invasion of privacy. According to Swedish police, the victims, who were mostly 13 to 17 years old, said they were contacted by men who offered money for explicit content. The victims, who had sent nude photos and videos of themselves, were never paid. More from NextShark: Pakistani brothers return home after being held almost 20 years at Guantanamo Bay without charges The sent materials, which consists of nearly 75,000 images and 20,000 videos, were instead resold without the girls knowledge or approval. The Swedish man sold the pornographic content to closed groups, which reportedly had between 20,000 and 30,000 paying members, on the Russian social media platform VK. Before his conviction, the man had collected over 2 million Swedish kroner (approximately $192,000). According to prosecutor Anneli Tirud Wallin, the accused had caused great damage. More from NextShark: Top Italian Music School Suspends All 'Oriental Students' from Classes Over Coronavirus Fears They did not know that they were recorded and that the content was then sold and distributed. In several cases, information about the victims has been shared. Information such as which school they attend along with their profile picture on Facebook or Instagram. Henrik Olsson Liljia, the 23-year-olds lawyer, said the man admitted to some of the charges and denied others. Thai police reported the case years ago, revealing several people who paid for the explicit material. They have reportedly been arrested and sentenced. More from NextShark: Elderly Oakland Victim Speaks Out After Being Robbed and Dragged By Car Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Canada's Chief Doctor Tells People to Wear Masks During Sex for Safety White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Tuesday called on Republicans to show political courage and act on gun violence following the deadly school shooting in Nashville the previous day. When you hear elected officials say its another talking point when the president is saying that we need to do more thats actually devastating to hear because thats what youre also saying to those families who lost loved ones, to those parents who lost three 9-year-olds, Jean-Pierre said on CNN. They lost their kids yesterday and thats what were saying? We should not be saying theres nothing else to do. We should be trying to figure out what else there can be to do, she added. The shooting took place at a Christian elementary school in Nashville, with a 28-year-old suspect opening fire and killing three children all 9 years old and three adults before being fatally shot by police. The suspect, identified as Audrey Hale, moved through the school armed with three guns, two of which were assault-type weapons. Hale identified as transgender and was killed by two officers on the scene. Jean-Pierre told MSNBCs Morning Joe on Tuesday that Republicans will have to answer to parents who have lost loved ones in mass shootings. What are you going to say to those parents? she said. We need Republicans in Congress to show some courage, Jean-Pierre added. This is what they owe these parents, this is what they owe these family members who are losing their loved ones. They need to show courage. We need gun safety laws, comprehensive gun safety laws. We need to ban assault rifles. Those weapons of war do not belong on our streets, do not belong in schools. The GOP-led House Judiciary Committee earlier postponed a scheduled markup of a resolution to nullify a federal pistol brace rule following the Tennessee shooting, with Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) telling The Hill on Monday evening that Democrats were going to turn this tragic event into a political thing. Story continues President Biden renewed his call for an assault weapon ban on Monday after the shooting. The White House has argued the president has taken steps to act on gun safety and now its up to Congress to move on a ban. Our messaging here is very clear, its enough, enough, enough, Jean-Pierre told MSNBC. We have had a president who has acted on this. This president has taken more executive actions on gun violence safety than any president before him and he has done that in two years, she added. Earlier this month, Biden signed an executive order that aims to increase the number of background checks conducted before gun sales. The order builds on the bipartisan gun legislation that Biden signed into law in June, which was the most comprehensive gun safety bill Congress passed in decades. Biden frequently calls for Congress to pass an assault weapons and high-capacity magazine ban. With the Republican majority in the House, such legislation would be an uphill battle. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A woman was arrested after she shot and killed a 28-year-old while on Facebook Live, Mississippi deputies say. Lowndes County deputies said they charged Kadejah Michelle Brown, 28, with murder. She was arrested just before 8 a.m. on Saturday, March 25. Brown and the man had an argument that turned physical before she shot him, deputies said in a Facebook post. Video and audio of the altercation was captured on a Facebook Live. The 28-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene, according to deputies. Officials said the two had a history of domestic violence. Brown is being held at the Lowndes County Adult Detention Center. The investigation is ongoing, deputies said. Lowndes County is about 120 miles west of Birmingham, Alabama. Woman tied to steering wheel was fatally stabbed on Facebook Live, Louisiana cops say Man admits killing ex-girlfriend on Facebook Live. But spree wasnt over, MD cops say Husband kills man he suspected was in a relationship with his wife, Minnesota cops say Two green hydrogen projects in Northern Ireland have won government grants in the first round of the UK Net Zero Hydrogen Fund. Green hydrogen is made by using renewable electricity to separate water into oxygen and hydrogen - a process called electrolysis. The grants will be used to help fund the construction of electrolysers. One will be at the Mannok cement plant in Fermanagh, the other at Wrightbus in Ballymena. Details of the Wrightbus project were first announced earlier this year. Hydrogen does not produce carbon emissions when it is burned, so is considered a likely replacement for fossil fuels in heavy vehicles and industries such as steel and cement making. However, most hydrogen currently sold in the UK is produced by splitting it from natural gas, a process which emits carbon dioxide. The government is trying to encourage more green hydrogen production as part of its strategy to radically reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. In all, 15 projects across the UK will be awarded grant funding of 37.9m to support the development and deployment of new low-carbon hydrogen production plants. The amount of funding going to each project has not been disclosed. "We are delighted to have won funding for this hugely important project, alongside many other schemes which will support the hydrogen economy going forward," Rob Best, director of egineering at Wrightbus, said. North Antrim MP Ian Paisley said: "It is testimony to the forward thinking of the company to make Ballymena the hub for hydrogen here and secures Northern Ireland's role in green tech, engineering and energy production. It is imperative that the company and country builds on this significant foundation". Energy Security and Net Zero Minister Graham Stuart added: "Today's announcement will create opportunities for Northern Irish businesses to export their expertise around the world and set the standard for a clean, secure and prosperous future". Story continues There has been some controversy about the best ways to use hydrogen, particularly whether it should have a role in home heating. Last year the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee suggested it is likely to be best suited to applications or places which are: Hard to electrify - such as some parts of the rail network Uses that do not require the creation of an extensive refuelling network - such as local bus services operating out of a fixed number of depots Users who are adjacent to, or accessible to, places where hydrogen is produced, such as industrial clusters. It added that: "Essential questions remain to be answered as to how in future large quantities of hydrogen can be produced, distributed and used in ways that are compatible with net zero and cost efficiency". Nine soldiers were killed during a collision between two United States Army Black Hawk helicopters during a training mission over Kentucky on Wednesday night. The Washington Post reports that a spokesperson told the outlet about the deaths following earlier reports that fatalities were expected after the crash in Trigg County, in the southwest of the state. Nondice Thurman, a spokesperson for Fort Campbell army base told the Post in an email that further updates would be given later on Thursday in a news briefing. It is understood that everyone on board the two aircraft perished in the incident. ABC News confirmed the deaths and reported that Kentucky State Police are currently working with Fort Campbell officials, Kentucky Emergency Management, and local officials at the scene. The debris field is sizeable and troopers and first responders have secured a large area and set up a roadblock in the area as the investigation continues. The helicopters involved were from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) which confirmed the crash on Twitter and said initially that it resulted in several casualties. Earlier, army base officials had said in a statement: The status of the crew members are unknown at this time. The command is currently focused on caring for the servicemembers and their families. I am devastated to learn about the Army helicopter accident over Kentucky involving our brave 101st Airborne. My team is in contact with the Army and authorities on the ground. Please pray for our servicemembers and their families as we learn more. Leader McConnell (@LeaderMcConnell) March 30, 2023 Right now our focus is on the soldiers and their families who were involved, it added. The incident is under investigation, the statement from Fort Campbell said. Kentucky governor Andy Beshear tweeted: We have got some tough news out of Fort Campbell, with early reports of a helicopter crash and fatalities are expected. Story continues Please pray for all those affected, he said. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who represents Kentucky, said: I am devastated to learn about the Army helicopter accident over Kentucky involving our brave 101st Airborne. My team is in contact with the Army and authorities on the ground. Please pray for our servicemembers and their families as we learn more. Crewmembers were flying two HH60 Blackhawk helicopters during a routine training mission when the incident occurred at around 10pm on Wednesday. Monique Murzda was with Curtis Bucchi when he was found unresponsive in a Falls motel last year. Bucchi, 52, had fatally overdosed on drugs that Murzda purchased for the two of them. She stayed at the scene, and later cooperated with investigators, who were able to identify the two who provided her with the drugs that caused Bucchi's death. "Without Monique, this serious crime, this loss of a life would be another unsolved crime," Falls Detective John Vella said. On Thursday, Murzda, of Jersey City, was sentenced to three years of probation for her role in Bucchi's overdose death. Her drug dealers, Darrell Coasey, 46, and Shari Beth Abend, 46, both of New Jersey, were sentenced earlier to years in prison. Murzda and Bucchi were in a relationship and had been staying at the New Falls Motel on Lincoln Highway for several months when Murdza bought crack cocaine and fentanyl from Coasey and Abend the night of Feb. 25, 2022. Bucchi died the next day from a mixture of fentanyl and Xlyazine, which is typically used by veterinarians to sedate large animals. It is a cutting agent for heroin and fentanyl. The drug also known as "tranq" is on the rise in Bucks County, officials said. Experts warn of 'tranq': Deadly 'tranq' drug is Narcan-proof and on the rise in Bucks County Assistant District Attorney Catherine Pirolli told Judge Raymond McHugh that Murdza had been helpful in the investigation because she wanted to do right by Bucchi. Without her cooperation, Vella said, detectives would have nothing. "The victim and his family would have no justice whatsoever," he said. Investigators coordinated a drug purchase from Coasey and Abend using Murdza's phone on the day of Bucchi's death. Coasey and Abend were arrested after selling her drugs later that day, court documents state. Murdza charged: Three now face charges in man's overdose death at Bucks County motel Charges filed for two: Two charged in Falls Township drug overdose death Story continues Murdza, who struggled with drugs, has been sober for several months and remains in treatment. She's kept in contact with Vella, who said he was one of her biggest champions for her progress, weekly since Bucchi's death. Pirolli, who has interacted with Murdza several times since Bucchi's death, commended her for her progress. "She looks so much better," she said. Murdza apologized, and said she will work to make sure what happened never happens again. "It should have been me," Murdza told the judge as she wiped away tears. "It shouldn't have been him." Murdza, Coasey and Abend were all charged with drug delivery resulting in death and related offenses in May. Murdza pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, possession of drugs with intent to deliver, and conspiracy to commit those offenses. Coasey, of Hamilton, and Abend, of Trenton, pleaded guilty to drug delivery resulting in death and conspiracy to commit that offense. Coasey was sentenced to seven to 20 years in prison, and Abend was sentenced to six to 12 years in prison. What is drug delivery resulting in death in Pennsylvania? For subscribers: Drug delivery can lead to homicide charge in PA. Why aren't all prosecutors doing it? Someone may be charged with drug delivery resulting in death if investigators believe someone provided drugs that led to another person's death. Between 2017 and 2021, Bucks County accounted for 5% of the total drug delivery resulting in death cases statewide, according to a state courts report. There were 64 people charged with the offense during that five-year period. Opioid usage has been an issue in Bucks County and nationwide for several years. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is cheaper and more potent than heroin, remains the main drug problem in Bucks County. This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: NJ woman gets probation in Falls motel drug death Russia will try to disrupt the Ukrainian counter-offensive with missile strikes He said Russia will probably try to disrupt the Ukrainian counter-offensive and will instead attack military facilities with missiles. In addition, the invaders will strike at supply routes and everything related to preparations for the liberation of the Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine, he said. Read also: Russian propagandists preparing public for possible Ukrainian counter-offensive At the same time, Yusov warned that the threat to civilians will not disappear. This is due to the fact that the Russians mostly have inaccurate intelligence, and because they are running out of high-precision weapons. Therefore, it is still civil infrastructure that will suffer the most from their attacks. The intelligence representative also emphasized that no one should expect that the Russian army will run out of missiles, since they still have thousands of S-300 missiles and the production of Kalibr missiles is also being stepped up. Read also: Next six months to be decisive in Russia-Ukraine war, says NATO official But such amounts cannot even compensate for what they have already spent, he said. There are completely different indicators (for) the interval between the strikes, and the number of missiles used, that we see now compared to the beginning of the missile terror. Russia launched another massive missile barrage against Ukraine overnight on March 9. Explosions rocked several cities and regions, including the capital city of Kyiv. Casualties were reported as a result of the attack, as well as damage to energy infrastructure facilities. However, while there are have several overnight attacks by Russias Iranian-made suicide drones since then, these have been largely ineffectual. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Cinnamon and Felix are besties. Wake County Animal Center On March 13, an unlikely pair of friends were taken to an animal shelter in North Carolina. Staff soon realized Felix the dog and Cinnamon the goat were inseparable. Thankfully, a nearby farm agreed to foster them as a pair. Cinnamon, a brown goat, and Felix, a black-and-white American-bulldog mix, couldn't seem more different. But as the staff of Wake County Animal Center in North Carolina found out, these two are actually bonded for life. On March 13, the City of Raleigh Animal Control brought the duo to Wake County Animal Center after their owner was unable to care for them, and it immediately became clear to staff that the pair does everything side-by-side: They eat, sleep, and play together. "Goats are social animals and so are dogs, so when they're put together it makes sense they would find friendship," said Wake County Animal Center Director Dr. Jennifer Federico, according to a press release shared by Wake County's press office. "In many cases of inter-species friendship, the species are not normally seen together, and sometimes, one is of a species that ordinarily preys on the other in nature whatever the reason for these two bonding, it's clear what would be best for their well-being is to keep them together," she continued. Cinnamon and Felix. Wake County Animal Center Staff soon learned they couldn't separate the duo Cinnamon the goat followed Felix wherever he went, Federico told The Washington Post, and was "very upset she was bleating and calling out to the dog" when they were separated. "She was so stressed and frantic that we realized this pair had to be kept together," she added. Cinnamon and Felix's owner failed to claim them after 10 days, leaving the rescue center responsible for them, and staff knew they would have to find a way to rehome them together. "It's a weird duo, but it works for them," Federico added. "Who are we to judge? They obviously love each other." Cuddling. Wake County Animal Center The two gained internet fame when a Facebook page, Friends of Wake County, posted about them and their need for a new home on March 25. Story continues "We have a VERY unique situation and we need your help to find a RESCUE who can take this bonded pair and find them the perfect home," the post said. "They are best buds and are truly bonded; they even sleep together and have been kept together 24/7 except when they eat." The post was shared more than 3,700 times and dozens of animal lovers called the rescue to offer their help, according to Wake County's press office. The best friends have now found a new home together Thankfully, a foster family in Johnston County is taking both of these furry friends home. The family has a herd of goats perfect for Cinnamon, and they have previously fostered many dogs. The new owner, Jacqui Bankes, told Wake County Animal Service, "We are so blessed to be able to foster Felix and Cinnamon! As their forever foster, we are excited to keep them together and also integrate them with our other goats and dogs, after appropriate testing and quarantine." Read the original article on Insider North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) on Thursday vetoed a bill that would have prohibited public school teachers and staff from referring to students and other staff by pronouns that do not match their sex assigned at birth. In a letter expanding on his decision to the North Dakota Senate president, Burgum argued the bills ambiguity would invite lawsuits and put teachers in the precarious position of trying to determine how to refer to students without violating law. The teaching profession is challenging enough without the heavy hand of state government forcing teachers to take on the role of pronoun police. Parents, teachers and administrators using compassion, empathy and common sense can address individual and infrequent situations that may arise, Burgum said. The bill now heads back to the state Senate, but the legislature could reverse the governors veto with a two-thirds vote in either chamber. Burgum said hed have had no objections to signing the bill if it included only Senate Bill 2231s first section, which asserts a state government employee cant be required to use a colleagues preferred pronouns. Existing free speech protections, Burgum said, already shield against compelled speech. The governor took issue with the second section, which would have barred public school teachers from using a transgender students preferred pronouns without permission from both a school administrator and the students parents. Section 2 infringes on local control by unnecessarily injecting the state into rare instances most appropriately handled at the parent, teacher and school district level. This section removes discretion from school boards, schools and teachers in determining how to accommodate the needs of all students in public schools, Burgum wrote. Victory! Senate Bill 2231, legislation [that] wouldve prohibited schools from adopting inclusive policies that acknowledge the gender identity of their students, has been VETOED by Governor Burgum, wrote the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of North Dakota on Twitter. For trans youth, especially those who cannot be safe at home, school may be one of the few places to be themselves, a North Dakota ACLU spokesperson told The Associated Press. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By Hyonhee Shin SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea executes people for drugs, sharing South Korean media, and religious activities as it stifles its citizens' human rights and freedom, its rival, South Korea, said in a report on Thursday. South Korea's Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, based the 450-page report on testimony collected from 2017 to 2022 from more than 500 North Koreans who fled from their homeland. "North Korean citizens' right to life appears to be greatly threatened," the ministry said in the report. "Executions are widely carried out for acts that do not justify the death penalty, including drug crimes, distribution of South Korean videos, and religious and superstitious activities." Reuters could not independently verify the South Korean government's findings but they were in line with U.N. investigations and reports from non-governmental organisations. North Korea has rejected criticism of its rights conditions as part of a plot to overthrow its rulers. The report gave details of rampant state-led rights abuses in communities, prison camps and elsewhere, including public executions, torture and arbitrary arrests. Deaths and torture regularly occur in detention facilities and some people were summarily executed after being caught trying to cross the border, the ministry said. The report came as South Korea seeks to highlight its isolated neighbour's failure to improve living conditions while racing to boost its nuclear and missile arsenals. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said the report should better inform the international community of the North's "gruesome" abuses, saying North Korea deserved "not a single penny" of economic aid while it pursues its nuclear ambitions. The approach by the conservative Yoon is a distinct departure from that of his liberal predecessor, Moon Jae-in, who faced criticism for his less outspoken position on the North's rights as he sought to improve ties and build rapport with its leader, Kim Jong Un. Story continues The Unification Ministry is required by law to make an annual assessment of the North's rights situation. Nearly 34,000 North Koreans have settled in South Korea but the number of defectors has fallen sharply because of tighter border security. North Korean arrivals hit an all-time low of just 63 in 2021, amid COVID-19 shutdowns, before edging up to 67 in 2022, ministry data showed. (Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Robert Birsel) CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) Mike Pence is best known as Donald Trumps vice president, someone who, apart from one dramatic rejection of his boss s effort to overturn their 2020 election defeat, served as a steadfastly loyal, mostly uncontroversial No. 2 during his four years in the White House. But as Pence approaches a likely 2024 run for president, hes hoping to project the record of a conservative fighter, opening up to audiences about the parts of his career before he served as Trumps vice president -- his 12 years as a congressman and four years as Indiana governor. While traveling the country and visiting early nominating states such as Iowa, Pence doesn't hide his time in the former president's White House. But the new emphasis on his earlier years in politics marks an effort to flesh out his profile as he moves closer to taking on Trump himself. He wants to make sure voters know there's a lot more to him. I'm well known but not known well, he said in an interview this week. If we choose to run, he said, well have ample opportunity to show who we are. That was after he met with eastern Iowa Republican activists in Cedar Rapids. He notes the fact that I fought for conservative principles against leaders of my own party when I was a member of Congress, the fact that we advanced a strong conservative agenda as governor. During political stops, Pence leads with his role boosting Trump's policy agenda, which remains popular among Republicans, even as he says the country seeks new leadership. During stops Wednesday in the Des Moines area and Cedar Rapids, Pence tied his own record as a rising Indiana U.S. House member and later as Indiana governor to today's Republican priorities. He reached back to his six terms as an ambitious House member to note his opposition to Medicare expansion to provide prescription drugs, calling it an unaffordable entitlement though it was supported by President George W. Bush and most Republican members. Story continues That fits with Pence's call for overhauling entitlement programs for younger adults. Without that change, Pence said during a stop at the Westside Conservative Club breakfast in suburban Des Moines, our country could be facing, in 30 years, the largest debt the world has ever known. Later in Cedar Rapids, he praised Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds for signing an expansive school choice measure, while noting that, as a governor himself, he doubled Indiana's charter school program. Education has taken on new political resonance in recent years, with conservative parents seeking more control over policy, notably related to race teaching and gender. The new tack of building out his political biography underscores what some Iowa Republicans say is a liability for Pence in a party still dominated by the former president. One thing that might work against him is Trump loyalists probably dont like the fact that he came to some conflict with the president, said Arlan Ecklund, a former GOP chair in conservative Crawford County, Iowa, who says he likes Pence. And on the other hand, some who arent Trump loyalists maybe see him as a Trump loyalist." Barbara Schoeben, who attended a Pence event in Cedar Rapids on Wednesday, didn't know he was among the first in Congress to seek eliminating federal funding for Planned Parenthood, a regular target of abortion rights opponents. Likewise, she was unfamiliar with Indiana's expansion of adoption access, a priority for abortion rights opponents like Pence, during his governorship. I like him and completely connect with his deep feelings about faith, said Schoeben, a 64-year-old graphic designer. I had hoped to hear more from him about his record, and I was glad I did. Still, Pence finds himself in a difficult position even before he enters the race. He is viewed unfavorably by 26% of Republicans in Iowa, according to a Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll taken in early March. That's a higher unfavorable rating than Trump and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, who have already announced their bids, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to jump into the race. The findings are similar to the partys feelings nationally about Pence. A Quinnipiac University poll taken last month showed 32% of Republicans nationwide viewed him unfavorably worse than Trump, DeSantis and Haley. Pence on Wednesday dismissed the poll findings but acknowledged he had work to do providing the full picture of his career to voters. I think whats been encouraging to me over the last six months, since my book came out and the opportunity to really be out speaking about our background, our experience, our family and my career long before I was vice president, he said in the interview, Ive come to the conclusion Im well known, but not known well. Wednesday's visit was Pence's eighth trip to Iowa since the 2020 election. Republican activists in the state describe him as a respected social conservative who perhaps lacks the magnetism of some of his potential rivals. People seem to highly respect him and know that he's a good man," said Jeanita McNulty, county Republican chair in Scott County, an eastern Iowa mini-metro area along the Mississippi River. Tony Shepherd, who manages a popular steak restaurant near the Des Moines airport, attended the breakfast event in the western suburbs and said Pence comes across as very sincere. He has a very reassuring presence, said Shepherd, 47, of Ankeny. I'm just not seeing much charisma. There are also those who see Pence's Trump years as inseparable, no matter how he presents himself. Ann Trimble Ray, a veteran Republican activist from conservative northwest Iowa, says Pence's years serving under Trump, whom she never supported, disqualify him from her support in the state's leadoff presidential caucuses. My view of Pence is that its guilt by association a big issue for the never-Trumpers, said Trimble Ray, a longtime ally of former U.S. Rep. Steve King. Such impressions appear to have little influence on Pence's deliberations. More than a decade ago, he had weighed running for president, but I just wasn't ready," he said in the interview. But now? I stood next to the job for four years. I purposed to be ready every day for four years," Pence said. "And I know if, by virtue of the will of the American people and God's grace, I ever have that position in the future, I'd be ready to serve. Notorious prisoner Charles Bronson has lost his bid to be freed from jail following a public parole hearing. The 70-year-old, who is one of the UKs longest-serving prisoners, appeared before a panel of parole judges at the beginning of March for a three-day hearing on whether he should remain behind bars. In a document detailing the decision published on Thursday, the Parole Board said: After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress that Mr Salvador has made while in custody and the evidence presented at the hearings, the panel was not satisfied that Mr Salvador was suitable for release. Nor did the panel recommend to the Secretary of State that he should be transferred to an open prison. Bronson has spent most of 48 years behind bars - for a string of thefts, firearms and violent offences, including 11 hostage takings - apart from two brief periods of freedom where he reoffended (PA) Responding to the decision, Charles Bronsons son George Bamby said: I would have loved Charlie to have been released but completely respect the decision of the Parole Board. Members of the press and public watched the proceedings taking place in HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes on a live stream from the Royal Courts of Justice in central London. This made him the second inmate in UK legal history to have his case heard in public after rules were changed last year in a bid to remove the secrecy around the process. Dubbed one of Britains most violent offenders, Bronson whose real name is Michael Peterson and changed his surname to Salvador in 2014 after the artist Salvador Dali was jailed for armed robbery in 1974. He has spent most of the following 48 years behind bars - for a string of thefts, firearms and violent offences, including 11 hostage takings - apart from two brief periods of freedom where he reoffended. Victims included governors, doctors, staff and, on one occasion, his own solicitor. Bronson - who has previously been diagnosed with anti-social personality disorder - was handed a discretionary life sentence with a minimum term of four years in 2000 for taking a prison teacher at HMP Hull hostage for 44 hours. Since then, the Parole Board has repeatedly refused to direct his release. Story continues Notorious prisoner Charles Bronson loses his eighth bid for parole (PA Wire) This was his eighth bid for parole after violent attacks on prison staff and inmates has led to his original seven-year sentence being extended multiple times. At the hearing, Bronson appeared on camera sat opposite three parole judges - who have not been publicly named - wearing a black suit, white shirt and dark glasses. When asked if he wished to give evidence, Bronson - who could be heard frequently swearing and sighing loudly - replied: Oh yes, certainly. Charles Bronson (left), appearing via video link from HMP Woodhill, during his public parole hearing at the Royal Courts Of Justice, London (Elizabeth Cook/PA Wire) Over the course of the three days, there were many bizarre revelations and expletives from the prisoner, including his likening his experience in front of the Parole Board to being on BBC programme The Apprentice. As the judges were told that there are 500 people on a mailing list who write to Bronson in jail, the prisoner interjected: Bloody hell, I cant reply to all of them. He also said in his opening statement: Its no secret I have had more porridge than Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and Im sick of it. Ive had enough of it, I want to go home. The panel heard how he is locked in his cell for 23 hours a day, and is allowed to leave for just one hour for exercise and other activities due to prison staff shortages. He is in a unit of eight inmates, and has time out of his cell with three others, one of whom he does not like and avoids. A supporter of notorious inmate Charles Bronson outside the Royal Courts Of Justice (Aaron Chown/PA Wire) A psychologist told the panel Bronson has post-traumatic stress disorder after facing some brutal and unacceptable treatment behind bars. He has been held in solitary confinement for much of his time in jail. During the hearing he was described as holding anti-authoritarian views and being suspicious of the motives of others, as well as having a romanticised view of violent incidents in the past. None of the prison and probation officials who gave evidence at the parole hearing said he was ready to be released. More will follow on this breaking news story.... Twenty-two people died in April 2020 in Canada's worst mass shooting in modern history Police missed multiple "red flags" and failed to respond quickly to the worst mass shooting in Canada's history, a report into the response has found. A gunman posing as a police officer killed 22 people in Nova Scotia over a two-day period in April 2020. An inquiry into the shooting heavily criticised the police response, and said that lives could have been saved. It concluded that Canada's federal police force needs a significant overhaul in the aftermath. "Our recommendations call for transformative change, they call for collaboration, they call for leadership," said Michael MacDonald, chair of the Mass Casualty Commission charged with overseeing the independent inquiry into the shooting. The 3,000-page document outlines 130 recommendations that call for a fundamental change to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to prevent a similar mass-casualty event from occurring in the future. It criticises the RCMP for failing to address previous behaviour of the gunman, who was revealed to have been abusing his long-term partner for years. "Many red flags about [the gunman's] violent and illegal behaviour were known by a broad range of people, and have been brought to the attention of police and others over a number of years." Mr MacDonald said. It also called out the police for their lack of preparedness for a mass-casualty event, their initial response to the shooting and the police's communication with the public during and after the shooting. The report added that police discounted eyewitnesses who said the gunman was posing as an RCMP officer as the shooting unfolded - a fact that was only communicated to the public 12 hours after the shooting began - and that they "seriously understated the threat" presented by the gunman to the public. The commissioners said it is critical that the RCMP implement their recommendations. "Canadian society is at a critical juncture with respect to the future of policing," commissioner Leanne Fitch said. Story continues How the Nova Scotia shooting unfolded Police first responded to the shooting around 10 p.m. local time on 18 April, 2021 at a quiet cul-de-sac in the small, seaside community of Portapique. The gunman, Gabriel Wortman, first attacked his partner, Lisa Banfield, who managed to escape. He went on to kill 13 people in the area and burn down several houses, including his own. Wortman, who was driving a replica of an RCMP cruiser, managed to remain undetected overnight by police. The next day, he killed nine more people, including a pregnant woman and an RCMP officer. The rampage ended when the gunman was fatally shot by two RCMP officers at a gas station located more than 90km south of where the shooting began. Cst Heidi Stevenson with the RCMP died during a confrontation with the gunman. Map of locations of Wortman's shooting What the inquiry into the shooting heard The inquiry heard from more than 200 witnesses between February and September 2022, including police officers, survivors and families of victims. Testimony revealed that the RCMP were notified the gunman had a fake police car during the first 911 call at around 10:00 p.m. local time. Despite this, police only warned the public about the replica cruiser 12 hours later on Twitter. Families of some of the victims said the police car caught their loved ones unaware. The initial scene of the rampage was also described as a "warzone" by the first responding officers, who said they were unsure how or what they were heading into as they navigated pitch-dark woods and chased the sound of gunfire. The officers said they were out there alone for 90 minutes, as the RCMP was unable to track them on site with GPS and there was concern police could accidently shoot each other. In that time, Wortman managed to escape using a private dirt track with access to a nearby highway. The inquiry also heard from Ms Banfield, the gunman's former partner, who testified that she had been abused by him for many years. The report added that police need to better address domestic violence and its victims to prevent a similar tragedy from occurring. "(The gunman's) pattern and escalation of violence could and should have been addressed," the report said. The head of the RCMP at the time, commissioner Brenda Lucki, also testified before the inquiry, and acknowledged that changes need to be made in light of how her police force responded to the shooting. "I can't undo the past, but I surely can change the future," Ms Lucki said. She retired from her post in March. EDITORS NOTE: This reporting is part of ongoing Charlotte Observer coverage about gun violence, its impact on families and communities and relevant public policy. Kids and guns. Guns and kids. Its a combination of words put together more and more often, but it still never seems to soften what it really means. Like the story The Charlotte Observer published recently about a 16-year-old arrested for shooting and killing another 16-year-old (and a 21-year-old) on The Plaza. Or when six people including three children were shot and killed in Nashville earlier this week. And statistics show that combination of kids and guns is having rising deadly and life-altering consequences. From 2012 to 2021, the rate of North Carolina youth killed by firearms rose from 1.6 to 5.3 per 100,000 minor-aged residents, according to data from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. The rate for those ages 15, 16, and 17 rose from 8.6 in 2019 to 21.5 in 2021. From 2019 to 2021 the number of minors killed by guns more than doubled to 121. The deaths in 2021 include about 30 suicides and 12 accidental killings. Shootings stole the most lives. Gun violence is taking the lives of a growing number of kids. And then theres the ones who are shot and survive. What happens to the ones who sustain non-life threatening injuries, as police reports often state? Kids like 13-year-old Aalayah Fulmore, who nearly died after a bullet tore into her abdomen when she was sitting in her Concord bedroom last July. Or 18-year-old Chrishaun Hough, who was paralyzed three years ago when he was shot while sitting in a car that was ambushed in Wadesboro. Neither of the assailants has been caught, and both Aalayah and Chrishaun are living with injuries that will affect them for the rest of their lives. Last summer, in its news conference regarding midyear crime statistics in the area, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police specifically pointed to gun violence among the citys youth as a headline and implored parents and caregivers to be more accountable for their children and to properly secure any guns they own. Story continues In the first half of 2022, according to CMPD, 482 children under age 18 were the victims of gun violence, and 118 juveniles became suspects in gun-related crimes. We need active parents, Maj. Brian Foley said during the news conference. CMPD needs the support, the participation and the partnership of active parents, to negate this youth violence. Atrium Health, meanwhile, launched a hospital-based violence intervention program last year in response to internal data that showed a steady rise in patients admitted with gunshot wounds in recent years. According to Atrium, the system treated 703 people with injuries from gun violence in 2021 (up from 457 in 2017); of those, 9% were between age 15 and 19 and 5% were younger than 15. By contrast, in 2017, 7% of patients were 15-19, and only 2% were 14 or younger. As part of the program, when a violence intervention specialist interviews the patient, We ask them whether they have insight into what caused them to be a victim of violence, David Jacobs, director of Atriums program, said in a statement recently. Are they engaging in high-risk behaviors, like buying or selling drugs? Then we set about formulating options ... that will hopefully minimize their chances of becoming a victim of violence again. A spokesperson for Novant Health said it is currently working to secure a grant to pursue a hospital-based violence intervention program of its own. This is not a problem unique to Charlotte. Reporting from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a sharp rise in gun-related deaths among children during the pandemic seven per day in 2021; and a jump in gun-related injuries among young people from 9.9 per 100,000 in 2010 to 15.5 per 100,000 in 2020. Obviously, though, numbers alone dont fully illustrate the problem. The toll gun-violence incidents take on young people and their families in the days, weeks, months and years that follow can be tremendous. The Observer is showing you the everyday impact of what these numbers mean. John Muir in California nature, 1902, left, and Robert Underwood Johnson, associate editor of the Century Magazine, at his office on Union Square in New York City. Their complementary skills helped carve out Yosemite National Park. (Courtesy of the Library of Congress; Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons) John Muir and Robert Underwood Johnson were unlikely allies in the war to preserve Yosemite. Muir, son of a Scripture-quoting Scottish immigrant father, was raised poor on a Wisconsin farm, but he wrote and spoke with the fervor of a prophet, and his craggy visage, tough constitution and unshakable devotion to the natural world drew admirers like a magnet. The urbane and cultured Johnson was an insider with a vast network of contacts in publishing and politics. The editor of one of the countrys preeminent magazines, Johnson hosted New York literary salons, mingled with Americas elite and eventually became the U.S. ambassador to Italy. It was improbable that they even met Muir was on the West Coast, Johnson on the East. But on one memorable journey into the California kingdom now known as Yosemite National Park, the two agreed to pull together to wage the nations first great environmental war, battling through the administrations of seven presidents to save Yosemite. Its fair to say that the valleys matchless terrain and fragile ecosystem would have been logged, plowed and plundered without their relentless efforts. Veteran nonfiction writer Dean King tells their story in Guardians of the Valley: John Muir and the Friendship that Saved Yosemite. The Three Brothers, taken just east of El Capitan, by Carleton Watkins, ca. 1865. "A sharp earthquake shock at 7:30 a.m.," Muir wrote in his journal on January 5, 1873. "Rotary motion tremored the river. . . . A boulder from the second of the Three Brothers fell today." (Courtesy of the Library of Congress) Muir arrived in California in 1868, after years of wandering and barely two decades after the Gold Rush opened the floodgates to white settlement of California. He headed straight for Yosemite. Abraham Lincoln had signed legislation giving the state authority to preserve the valley, but soon it was under assault anyway giant trees cut down so tourists could get a better view, virgin wildflower meadows denuded by herds of grazing sheep. By 1889, Muir was a nationally known author and activist. When Johnson arrived in San Francisco to edit a series on the Gold Rush for the Century magazine, he wanted to meet Muir, and he wanted to see Yosemite. They hiked, climbed and camped together, and on the journey Muir shared his gloom about Yosemites fate. The valley was already getting 5,000 visitors a year, and he feared its decimation was inevitable. Story continues Johnson had other ideas. He had experienced Muirs powerful charisma firsthand, writing that In the wilderness, Muir looked like John the Baptist. He was spare of frame, full-bearded, hardy, keen of eye and visage, and on the march eager of movement. Johnson had edited the likes of Mark Twain and Ulysses S. Grant, and he believed that Muirs transcendent prose could help save Yosemite. The two joined forces. In Kings telling, this odd couple largely drove the movement to turn Yellowstone into a national park: Muir the Poet, heart and soul of their two-man preservation movement, and Johnson the ringmaster. Muir wrote magnificent paeans to Yosemite; Johnson published them. Muir took Teddy Roosevelt camping; Johnson watched Congress and timed Muirs articles for maximum influence. The duo and their allies initially had spectacular success; first getting Congress to preserve the park, then moving the portion of Yosemite Valley ceded to California by Lincolns grant into federal control. Under national supervision, Yosemite began to recover. But local interests had little input into any of this, and after the San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906, a new threat emerged. The citizens of San Francisco had watched buildings burn for lack of water to douse the fire, and a groundswell of support emerged for the city to dam and flood Yosemites Hetch Hetchy Valley to guarantee San Francisco a plentiful and pure supply of water. Networking among Americas elites had helped save Yosemite National Park well-connected graduates of Yale and Harvard adopted Muirs cause as their own, introduced Muir to presidents and lobbied Congress. But support for their movement was thin among Californians in the business and working classes, and when it came to flooding the Hetch Hetchy, Yosemites defenders faced far more determined local resistance. Guardians of the Valley tells several stories, some captivating, others instructive. Muirs adventures in an almost virginal Yosemite will entrance park lovers, outdoor enthusiasts and California history buffs, the narrative swept along by Muirs shimmering, deftly excerpted prose. Larger-than-life characters Roosevelt, Ralph Waldo Emerson make star appearances. King vividly re-creates both the San Francisco earthquake and fire and the titanic political fight that would consume both the proponents and opponents of the plan to flood the Hetch Hetchy. Though general readers may tire of Kings blow-by-blow account of legislative efforts to save Yosemite, the book will resonate with students of environmental policy and bring to bear on stories making California headlines every day. In our era of scarce resources, wrenching cycles of flood and drought and painful cost-benefit calculations, every argument and counterargument for flooding the valley echoes even louder. But theres one story King mostly sidesteps the troubling question of Muirs legacy. He makes the lightest of passes through the controversy that has consumed environmental advocates in the 21st century: Muirs denigrating comments about Native Americans, Black people and other humans he considered cast in an inferior mold. This issue demands attention: One reason Muir could walk, hike and climb Yosemite in relative solitude was that its Native inhabitants had recently been driven out. In 1851 a band of vigilantes known as the Mariposa battalion rampaged through Yosemite, burning the homes and food of Native Americans living there and killing male members of Yosemite tribes. Muirs attitudes changed over the years, and his comments about Native Americans reflected his emerging admiration of them. Like all of us, he was a person of his time and place and yet dramatically ahead of his time, King writes of Muir. That is inarguable, and we can never repay what we owe Muir, both for founding the environmental movement and for beginning the process of establishing American national parks. Todays environmentalists have the daunting job of both preserving Muirs efforts and dismantling the attitudes of elitism and exclusion that marked the movements early days, bringing the wilderness experience to a more populous, more diverse and far more complicated nation. Today Yosemite National Park gets from 3 to 4 million visitors a year. John Muir and Robert Underwood Johnson walked virtually alone through the wilderness, and their passion preserved it. Now, environmentalists must figure out how to share it. Gwinn, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who lives in Seattle, writes about books and authors. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The Duke of Sussex arrives at the Royal Courts Of Justice on Thursday - Victoria Jones The High Court judge overseeing the Duke of Sussexs privacy claim against the publishers of the Daily Mail said it is a slight oddity that the key witness did not reveal he had given contradictory statements to both sides. At the High Court on Wednesday, Mr Justice Nicklin asked Associated Newspapers Ltd how private investigator Gavin Burrows explained conflicting evidence he gave in two statements. On the final day of the preliminary hearing on Thursday, Adrian Beltrami KC, for the defendants, said the newspaper was unaware of the existence of a 2021 admission Mr Burrows had given to the Dukes legal team when he later provided a denial of the allegations. In one written document submitted to the court, Mr Burrows strongly denied being commissioned or instructed by the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday to gather information unlawfully. However, in an earlier statement provided in 2021, Mr Burrows appears to have made detailed admissions that he was commissioned by the Mail on Sunday to target celebrities by hacking phones and bugging cars. Mr Justice Nicklin asked how private investigator Gavin Burrows explained conflicting evidence he gave in two statements Mr Beltrami told the court the second witness statement from Mr Burrows was in response to the claims made by the claimants, and not his original 2021 statement. Mr Justice Nicklin said: It is a slight oddity that when asked to provide a statement to the defendants, he didnt say: I provided a statement to the claimants two years ago. The Duke, 38, is one of seven high-profile figures who are suing Associated Newspapers Ltd, alongside Sir Elton John, 76, and his husband David Furnish, 60; Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon, 70, the mother of Stephen Lawrence; the actresses Sadie Frost, 57, and Liz Hurley, 57; and Sir Simon Hughes, a former Liberal Democrat MP, 71. Mr Furnish was in court for the final morning of the hearing, with Baroness Lawrence arriving later. David Furnish was the only one of the celebrity claimants to be in court on Thursday - AP/Alastair Grant In his first statement, Mr Burrows admitted targeting hundreds if not thousands of private individuals over a number of years, including the Duke and Sir Elton. Story continues In the second statement, he categorically denied the claims made by the Duke and the others taking action against the media group. Associated Newspapers Ltd has applied to have the claims dismissed without a trial on two grounds. The first argues that they are too old to be considered by the court. The second alleges that some of the financial documents relied upon by the claimants were confidentially supplied by the Daily Mail to the Leveson Inquiry and were being used in breach of a restriction order and confidentiality undertakings. David Sherborne, representing the claimants, said the attempt by the Daily Mails publisher to have the privacy case dismissed without trial is as ambitious as it is unattractive. He rejected comments made by Mr Beltrami KC that the case is generic, saying that analysis of the claims is quite wrong. Mr Sherborne said the case focused on individual and specific unlawful acts that the claimants discovered were carried out against them personally. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) Snowcapped mountains in the Southwestern U.S. signal a possible delayed start to the wildfire season for some higher elevations, but officials in New Mexico and Arizona warned Wednesday that dry, windy conditions in other areas are increasing wildfire risks and prompting red flag warnings. With leaves crunching under her feet and the wind starting to kick up, New Mexico's governor warned that if the state wants to avoid a historic wildfire season like last year's when more than 1 million acres (400,000 hectares) burned, she said everyone will have to be prepared. You can start to think about the landscape in New Mexico and the extreme drought here, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham told those gathered at the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park. We are at extreme risk. New Mexico is coming off a devastating wildfire season that included the largest blaze in the state's recorded history a conflagration sparked last spring by the U.S. government as forest managers were trying to clear out dead and overgrown vegetation in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. A pair of prescribed burn operations went awry and fierce spring winds fueled the flames, displacing thousands of people and resulting in Congress approving nearly $4 billion in recovery funds. New Mexico lawmakers also recently passed legislation creating a low-interest loan program to help communities repair or replace public infrastructure damaged by wildfires or subsequent flooding. The governor noted that Alaska was the only state to have more acres burn in 2022 than New Mexico. New Mexico already has seen more than 100 fires this year, and officials in neighboring Arizona have reported responding to dozens of starts over the last month, all human-caused. We hope thats not an indication of whats to come, but with the heavy grass crop down there, we are staying vigilant and on alert, Tiffany Davila with the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management said of the southern part of the state. Story continues New Mexico State Forester Laura McCarthy didn't want to predict the kind of season the Southwest might see. If were learning anything from last year, its that the past is not really a good indicator of whats coming in the future, she said. And I think that if we get two, three or four weeks of really hot, dry weather with winds, were right back in it." Aside from preparing firefighters and homeowners, McCarthy said state and federal land managers have a growing challenge to cut and remove overgrown brush and trees on a scale weve never done before that will include more prescribed burns and thinning projects. The U.S. Forest Service, following a review last year, is implementing new policies and procedures for its prescribed fire operations. The planning process now includes a new template that calls for plans to be validated and updated to ensure that the information is current and the most recent science and modeling is incorporated. For areas with a healthy snowpack, any fire activity in the high country may be delayed until late May into mid-June, which means the window for wildland fires could be shortened, Davila said. Still, Davila joined New Mexico officials in urging caution, especially in those areas still mired in drought. Even with all of the snow and rain the state received, it is a temporary fix to a long-term drought issue, she said. U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, tweeted one word when news was released Thursday about the indictment of former President Donald Trump - 'outrageous.' Ohio Republicans swiftly condemned the indictment of Donald Trump on Thursday, the first time in American history a former president has ever been criminally charged. A New York grand jury voted to indict Trump on unspecified criminal charges. The grand jury had been investigating a hush money payment that Trump's attorney made to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election after she claimed she had an affair with him. Trump denied the charges and accused Democrats of "weaponizing our justice system to punish a political opponent." He previously said he wouldn't exit the 2024 presidential race if indicted. More: Grand jury indicts Donald Trump in New York, first time a former president is charged criminally U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, one of Trump's strongest supporters in Congress, tweeted just one word when news of the indictment came down: "Outrageous." Jordan is one of three GOP House committee chairs who called on Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to testify about the investigation. The Republicans said they had concerns that Braggs investigation of Trump would become a politically motivated prosecutorial decision." Outrageous. Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) March 30, 2023 Democrats said Trump deserves the same treatment as any other American. In the months to come, lets hope our judicial system does what its intended for to deliver justice for ALL," U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Columbus, said. "Today shows that no person not even a former President is above the law!" U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Cincinnati, called Trump a "chaos machine" and encouraged people to move on from the former president. "From the Stormy Daniels thing to storming the Capitol, Trump only does chaos and extremism," Landsman said. "The rest of us Republicans, Democrats, Independents we have to keep our attention on the actual work of leading this country: fixing our economy, getting wages up, costs down, keeping our children and families safe, restoring freedom, strengthening our democracy and voting rights." Story continues A spokesperson for U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, did not respond to a request for comment. Ohio Republicans jump to Trump's defense Ohio's junior senator, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance who secured Trump's endorsement during the 2022 Senate race accused Democrats of playing political games and cast the case as a "baseless misdemeanor charge." "Donald Trump is the former President of the United States, the leader of our nations political opposition, and the presumptive Republican nominee in 2024," Vance said. "Alvin Braggs decision to indict him is blatant election interference and a direct assault on the tens of millions of Americans who support him." J.D. Vance shakes hands with former President Donald Trump during a rally at the Delaware County Fairgrounds in April. U.S. Rep. Max Miller, R-Rocky River, who worked in the Trump White House, called the indictment "politically motivated." U.S. Rep. Mike Carey, R-Columbus, claimed Bragg is more focused on a "witch hunt" against Trump than addressing crime in New York. New York saw a drop in shootings and homicides in 2022 but an increase in robberies and burglaries, the New York Times reported. "He's making a mockery of our legal system," Carey said. "The people of NYC deserve better and the American voters deserve better." Potential Ohio U.S. Senate candidates weigh in The indictment also trickled into the race to challenge Brown for Ohio's U.S. Senate seat in 2024. State Sen. Matt Dolan, R-Chagrin Falls, who announced his bid for the GOP nomination in January, accused Democrats of using the investigation to distract from larger problems. "We need a Republican nominee that will defeat Sherrod Brown, not someone who willfully plays into his hands," Dolan said. "My focus is on offering solutions to the challenges confronting Ohio. Period." More: Alvin Bragg v. Donald Trump: Inside Manhattan DA's latest legal tangle with former president Dolan is the only Republican who has officially entered the race, but other candidates are expected to join the fray. Among them is Cleveland businessman Bernie Moreno, who compared the indictment to "political persecution you see in 3rd world banana Republics in South America." "This is un-American & corrupt to the core," Moreno tweeted. "Dems are weaponizing the power of govt. to try to stop Trump from running again." Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who is seen as a likely Senate candidate, also went after crime rates in New York. "Record-setting crime wave tearing Manhattan apart, but this is the DA's focus?" LaRose tweeted. "What a joke. This is what happens when liberal activists take over the mechanisms we use to deliver justice. America is fed up." USA TODAY contributed to this report. Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Jim Jordan, other Ohio members of Congress react to Trump indictment Five months ago, Sacramento Sen. Angelique Ashby won her election with millions of dollars in support from an oil industry political action committee. On Tuesday at the Capitol, she stood next to a Holding Big Oil Accountable sign, joining lawmakers in celebrating Gov. Gavin Newsoms signature on the bill that could penalize the industry for high California gas prices. Ashby never accepted direct oil contributions and denounced the PACs independent expenditure ads. But her embrace of the bill, alongside colleagues who also benefited from significant sums of oil cash, was a stark demonstration of the limits to the industrys power. I really havent changed my position, Ashby said. I said back when the governor called for the special session that it was a really good idea. For me, the focus here isnt the oil companies and it isnt a campaign thats over with and it isnt the governor. Its the people of California. The gas prices were too high. It happens each year. We need to do something about it. So did the millions in oil money and lobbying have any impact on the final version of Newsoms oil accountability bill? Depends who you ask. Industry representatives say they were ostracized. Consumer advocates see oils fingerprints on the final product. State Sen. Angelique Ashby, D-Sacramento, attends the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee hearing on Gov. Gavin Newsoms plan to penalize oil companies for alleged gas price gouging in February. An oil political action committee spent millions on an independent expenditure ad campaign backing Ashby ahead of the 2022 election, even though she denounced the support. Oil money flows During the last four years, oil and gas companies and their interest groups spent nearly $72 million lobbying the state government primarily the legislature records from the California Secretary of States office show. Fifteen large oil companies gave about $3 million to individual state Assembly and Senate candidates from 2019 through 2022, according to a Bee review of Secretary of State campaign finance data. The selected companies contributed to more than 110 different candidates, donating at least $5,000 to most. Dozens of lawmakers received more than $30,000 during the 2019-2020 and 2021-2022 election cycles, and a handful got more than $80,000. The Western States Petroleum Association alone spent nearly $25 million lobbying during this period. Chevron and its affiliates spent nearly $19 million. All told, 11 different oil and gas companies or organizations spent at least $1 million each lobbying state government. Story continues Those figures largely exclude additional tens of millions spent on committees created primarily to support or oppose ballot measures. Millions more were donated to political action committees or political parties not tied to particular candidates. But oil dollars did not stop the governor from attacking oil companies after Californians struggled with especially high gas prices during the summer and fall of 2022. Newsom last October called for a special legislative session to pass a windfall tax on oil companies for allegedly collecting excessive profits while Californians suffered from high gas prices. But, along the way, his anti-oil crusade was pruned back to focus on requiring transparency from the industry. Rather than enacting a cap and penalty on oil refinery profits, the law instead creates an independent watchdog group at the California Energy Commission and demands more information from the industry. Oil companies will be subject to extensive reporting requirements, including information on refinery maintenance. The Division of Petroleum Market Oversight will have the authority to establish penalties if maximum profit margins are exceeded. Gov. Gavin Newsom hands a signed bill aimed at addressing gas price gouging to author state Sen. Nancy Skinner, while surrounded by other legislators and state officials, after signing it in the Capitol rotunda on Tuesday, March 28, 2023. The California Assembly passed the bill Monday. Oil stains on the bill? The oil industry is one of the California Capitols biggest spenders, but the evolution of Newsoms accountability legislation shows a mixed picture of its influence. Newsom kicked off the special session in late 2022. But initial language for Senate Bill X1-2, authored by Berkeley Sen. Nancy Skinner, was vague and contained no specific numbers for a profit cap or penalty. The Newsom administration came together with Senate and Assembly working groups to hammer out the bill behind the scenes during the ensuing months. Those negotiations ramped up in recent weeks. The full Legislature first saw the final language on March 20, and Newsom signed the bill just over a week later. Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) president and CEO Catherine Reheis-Boyd said her organization and other industry players were entirely excluded in recent weeks. She said the reporting requirements and refinery restrictions will impose undue burdens, and the association is developing amendments for future consideration. This is something that the governor wanted and got (legislative) leadership and the deal was done, Reheis-Boyd said. The whole process occurred with no input from us in a very short amount of time. Yet Reheis-Boyd acknowledged playing a key role in scuttling Newsoms initial idea for a windfall tax. The governors office and lawmakers pushed the final version through quickly to avoid a propaganda misinformation campaign, said Jamie Court, Consumer Watchdog president. The industry had its way in some respects, he said. Production data will be kept from the public eye and companies will have the opportunity to air concerns at Energy Commission hearings. Even lawmakers sympathetic to the industrys point of view said companies simply charged too much last year, at a time when high gas prices could threaten progress on state climate goals, Court said. The oil industry spends an inordinate amount of money on both campaign contributions and lobbying, Court said, suggesting that has kept the oil industry more opaque than other key markets like electricity and natural gas. It completely influences debate because they just now got to the place they should have been 10 or 12 years ago, when we first started to see this gap with U.S. gas prices. Now their influence is being limited. Currently, theyre not getting everything they want. Gov. Gavin Newsom is surrounded by legislators and state officials including state Attorney General Rob Bonta, left, and state Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, right as he speaks before signing a bill at the Capitol on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, aimed at addressing gas price gouging. Limits of oil influence Experts and lawmakers who worked on the bill say oil industry input was limited, and they are happy with the final product. Severin Borenstein of UC Berkeleys Energy Institute, considered the states leading independent analyst of gasoline price trends, said the evolution of a profits cap to transparency law indicated that lawmakers were trying to avoid unintended consequences, not industry influence. I dont think this is a case of them squashing a good idea with their political might, he said of the oil industry. I think there was a debate and most of the Legislature came to the conclusion that going straight into a price-gouging penalty written in law would be a bad idea. Assemblyman Alex Lee, D-San Jose, in March 2022 attempted to establish an oil windfall tax by gutting and amending a bill from former Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, R-Rocklin, that would have suspended the states gas tax. The bill did not advance. But Lee said he was surprised when he later heard Newsom push the idea of a really aggressive proposal like a windfall tax. Lee was a member of the Assembly working group that negotiated the final bill language, which included elements not in the governors original proposal, such as refinery monitoring. Lee agreed Western States Petroleum was successful in pushing back against the original windfall tax, saying people get very iffy about that. As for members who receive oil campaign contributions, that could make them more reticent and more skeptical, he said. I think it makes you more resistant to it, Lee said. But I really dont think anything that WSPA wanted is in our bill. Court artist sketch of Thomas Cashman, who has been found guilty at Manchester Crown Court, of murdering nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel - Elizabeth Cook Residents in the community where Olivia Pratt-Korbel was murdered are so frightened of gun crime that some have even started wearing makeshift bullet-proof vests to go to the shops. A deadly arms race across Merseyside has seen feuding gangs resorting to military grade weapons as they vie for superiority and territory in the lucrative drugs trade. Nine-year-old Olivia was gunned down in her home by a stray bullet fired by gangster Thomas Cashman as he recklessly pursued a rival on August 22 last year, 15 years to the day since 11 year old Rhys Jones was shot and killed while walking home from football practice in Croxteth. Olivia Pratt-Korbel, with her father John Francis Pratt - Family Handout The strength of feeling in Merseyside about Olivia's death led to the trial being moved out of Liverpool to Manchester, after Cashman's lawyers claimed the reporting of the incident meant he may not have received a fair trial if it had been held in the city. But the shooting that killed Olivia was just one of 49 on the streets of Liverpool in 2022, with five of the incidents resulting in fatalities. The rise in the number of innocent people being caught up in the crossfire has resulted in some people taking drastic action. Elle Edwards was shot in the head on Christmas Eve while dancing at the Lighthouse pub in Wirral - Merseyside Police/PA One resident of Dovecot, where Olivia lived, said: They nearly hit my husband in the head when they were shooting the other day. It hasnt been better since Olivia. They are still shooting randomly. Its not only happening in their world anymore its hard working people who are getting caught. I wear a helmet sometimes and a vest that my husband made me. Going to the shops is dangerous. They dont care and neither do the police. Asked why Liverpool was seeing a rise in the number of innocent people being caught in the crossfire, Detective Chief Superintendent Mark Kameen, head of investigations at Merseyside Police, said weaponry was changing. Cashman's girlfriend and family leaving Manchester Crown Court on Thursday - Peter Byrne He added: We had 49 discharges last year, five of those were homicides. When we look at the other 44 they were injury discharges and damage to property. Anyone of those could have resulted in another homicide. Story continues We had people firing at cars driving past, putting bullets through windows or peoples front doors - anyone could be behind. Thats just the madness and complete lack of moral compass these people have we are dealing with. The other factor is some of the weaponry is changing. Merseyside Police said Czech-manufactured Skorpion machine pistols had been used by criminals in the UK over the past two years - National Crime Agency Mr Kameen said Czech-manufactured Skorpion machine pistols had been used by criminals in the UK over the past two years. The weapons are capable of discharging 850 rounds a minute. He continued: If you start bringing that sort of battlefield military weaponry into communities and discharging it... You add that to the chaotic nature, lack of training, no moral compass, thats where you get now the last three times a Skorpion has been used in Merseyside someones been killed every single time. Is it any wonder when this guns firing 12 or 13 rounds in less than a second? Neither of the firearms used in the shooting of Olivia, a glock pistol and a 0.38 calibre revolver, have yet been recovered. HUNTSVILLE, Ala. If the U.S. Armys future warfare planners have their way, Motor Pool Mondays may never look the same. Army Futures Command leader Gen. James Rainey and the director of the Synthetic Training Environment Cross-Functional Team, Brig. Gen. William Glaser, have said the service wants to integrate the simulation environment directly into its combat vehicles. I dont think we need to have [both] the combat vehicle and the simulator, Rainey said Wednesday morning at an Association of the U.S. Army event. I believe the technology exists that we should be able to train on platform. Later that day, Glaser described the onboard simulators as a panacea. A platoon leader can wake up in the morning, do [physical training], go to the motor pool to do command maintenance, [go] to lunch, [and] they can come back and actually train on the same piece of equipment he has been maintaining, the simulations officer hypothesized. Harnessing the capabilities under development at his Orlando, Florida-based center, Glaser detailed a potential future where units in garrison can perform collective simulated training right there in the motor pool. Combing the Synthetic Training Environments One World Terrain project with onboard simulators could revolutionize pre-combat rehearsals for deployed soldiers on a virtual version of the ground theyre preparing to fight over, Glaser suggested. One World Terrain, one of the cross-functional teams most heralded capabilities, has already helped commanders plan real-world missions. When it gets to the point where commanders are demanding this tech capability while theyre deployed so they can actually use it as a rehearsal capability before putting soldiers in harms way [that] is really what were trying to look for as we move out to 2040, Glaser said. But both generals cautioned that onboard simulations in the motor pool, no matter how large or integrated with other capabilities, will never replace live training events. That only gets you so far, Rainey said. Youve got to get out in the dirt and do the combined arms maneuver. The woman shot and killed in a Wednesday night shooting in Kershaw County has been identified. Jordan Privette, 20, died after the shooting in Bethune, the Kershaw County Coroners Office has confirmed. Her autopsy will be performed at 1:30 p.m. Friday. A man who was shot in the same incident remained in critical condition late Thursday, the Kershaw County Sheriffs Office said in a Facebook post. That victim has not been identified. This is still an active investigation, Sheriff Lee Boan said in a statement. We will release more information as it becomes available. Our intent is to release facts, not assumptions. Please be patient as facts do not always come quickly. Sheriffs deputies responded to an overnight shooting late Wednesday in which Privette was killed and another man was critically injured. Deputies responded to the shooting at Wateree Grove Lane in Bethune, the sheriffs office said at about 10 p.m. Wednesday in a news release. No other injuries were reported. There was no word on a motive for the shooting, or if more than one person fired a gun. No arrests have been reported, but the sheriffs office said it doesnt believe anyone involved in the shooting is at large. We do not feel there are any threats to the community at this time, the sheriffs office said. In addition to the sheriffs office and coroners office, the shooting is being investigated by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. This is a developing story, check back for updates. Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech in Moscow, Russia, on March 16, 2023. Contributor/Getty Images Armenia, a longtime Russia ally, has been increasingly distancing itself from Vladimir Putin. Its ruling party said that if Putin visited Armenia, he would get arrested, Moscow Times reported. The party was referring to an international arrest warrant for Putin issued earlier this month. Armenia, a longtime ally of Russia, said that Russian President Vladimir Putin would be arrested if he visited the country, according to local media. In an interview with the news outlet Factor.am, Gagik Melkonyan, the deputy of the Armenian National Assembly the country's ruling party said this week that if Putin were to travel there, "he should be arrested," according to a translation by The Daily Beast. "It is better for Putin to stay in his country," Melkonyan said, according to the translation. "If we enter into these agreements, then we must fulfill our obligations. Let Russia solve its problems with Ukraine." A spokesperson for the Kremlin did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Armenia is among a growing group of countries that have said they would enforce an international warrant issued by the International Criminal Court earlier this month. The ICC accused Putin of ordering the abduction of children in occupied parts of Ukraine which would be considered a war crime. Germany, Ireland, Austria, and Croatia have already said they would enforce the warrant, while the UK and France welcomed ICC's decision, but did not comment on whether they would commit to arresting the Russian leader. Despite being a signatory to the Rome Statute the treaty that established the ICC Russian ally Hungary said last week that they would not arrest Putin, Reuters reported. Melkonyan's comments are yet another sign of tensions growing between Armenia and Russia. Earlier this year, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that he had canceled joint military drills, calling them "inappropriate in the current situation," the Associated Press reported. Story continues In a Collective Security Treaty Organization summit last year, Putin was repeatedly snubbed by Pashinyan, including when the Armenian prime minister refused to be photographed in close proximity to him. The CSTO is a Russian-dominated alliance of post-Soviet nations, which includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan The fall-out is largely also the result of a domestic dispute. Pashinyan has previously accused Russian peacekeepers of failing to take a more active role around the disputed separatist region of Nagorno-Karabak. Nagorno-Karabakh has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces since a separatist war there ended in 1994. Azerbaijani activists have recently been blocking a free corridor linking Armenia to the region. Read the original article on Business Insider Hi there, OnPolitics readers! House Republicans voted today to pass the Lower Energy Costs Act, which the nearly 50 GOP cosponsors say will reduce energy costs for families and restore American energy independence amid House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's call to restart budget discussions with President Joe Biden. The legislation also targets the Biden Administration's energy policy, which the GOP has dubbed a "war on domestic energy production." Biden has said he will veto the bill if it comes to his desk as is, also stating that the bill would take the country "backward" in a statement. What's in the legislation? Keep reading: House Republicans pass energy bill targeting Biden agenda as debt ceiling talks continue In case you missed it: 'On the clock': McCarthy urges Biden to restart talks on debt ceiling as default looms Get this newsletter in your inbox: Don't miss our politics coverage. Sign up for OnPolitics. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: OnPolitics: House GOP passes energy bill as Biden promises veto The sights and sounds of progress were readily apparent Wednesday morning at the site of the coming Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant in Columbias BullStreet District. Drills and power saws whirred inside what will be the dining room of the restaurant. Mechanical lifts carried workers up to the ceiling for wiring and other tasks. Forklifts and other heavy equipment beeped as they backed up and then lurched forward, carefully unloading brewing equipment from large trucks and into the under-development brewery. It was a like a symphony conducted by an orchestra in hardhats. And in the middle of it all was Mark Edelson, Iron Hills co-founder and vice president of beer. Edelson, who lives in Pennsylvania where Iron Hill is headquartered, was on site as the new restaurants brewing equipment arrived. The BullStreet Iron Hill Brewery will be the companys 21st location across the U.S., and Edelson said the Columbia restaurant is aiming for a June 1 opening. Edelson said the Iron Hill team is excited about landing in BullStreet. The brewery project has been years in the making at the development, having initially been announced in 2020. Addressed at 945 Sabal St., the brewery and restaurant is located on the northwest part of the sprawling, 181-acre development, fronting Bull Street. Its next door to the Starbucks coffee shop there. There is a lot of excitement here, Edelson said. Every time Im down here, people are really enthusiastic about the (BullStreet) project. The Columbia Iron Hill will be 7,500-square feet with inside and outside seating for more than 400 people. There is a large, sweeping patio that faces out toward Bull Street, with big bay windows that open up to a bar where bartenders will be able to serve customers both outside on the patio and inside the restaurant. Iron Hill will brew a number of its own house brand beers on-site. Some of its top sellers include the Philly Phavorite IPA, Pig Iron Porter, Sweet Leaf IPA and an offering called The Cannibal, which is a Belgian strong golden ale. Story continues Weve been brewing beer for 27 years, Edelson said. Each of our locations has a brewery. Its an important part of the vibe and the atmosphere of it. ... Well have about 16 beers on at any one time. He noted there will be seasonal beers throughout the year, as well. Tanks and other brewing equipment began arriving on Wednesday, March 29, 2023 at Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant at the BullStreet District. It plans to open in June. The company also has a robust food menu that will include burgers, Philly cheesesteak egg rolls, Baja-style fish tacos, Voodoo chicken pizza, fish and chips and much more. Iron Hill will be arriving at a time when the BullStreet District, where the city of Columbia and Greenvilles Hughes Development are shepherding an overhaul of the former State Mental Hospital site, is riding momentum. The Columbia Fireflies are beginning their season at nearby Segra Park on April 6, construction is well underway on the Bennet at BullStreet apartment complex just east of Iron Hill, and work continues to convert the historic Babcock Building into apartments. Some residents already are living at Babcock. And last week Tupelo Honey Cafe, the Asheville-based chain known for its menu of Southern favorites, announced it would open a location at BullStreet in 2024. It is evident to us that (BullStreet) is a very important thing for the city, Edelson said. Theres a lot of talk about it, a lot of buzz about it and, we feel, a lot of support. Everything we are doing, from licensing and all of that, everybody has been great. Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant was founded in 1996 by Edelson, Kevin Finn and Kevin Davies. Its 21 restaurants are located across Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Georgia and South Carolina, including a spot on Haywood Road in Greenville. Michelle Budge, Deseret News The American founders framed a republic reliant on informed engagement by citizens. But they were nervous that their experiment in liberty would require individuals to know the constitutional system and feel the responsibility to civically engage in a healthy and active manner. Then and now, it also requires that we respect the freedom to disagree across differences. These founding principles are embodied in good civics education. Civics education is experiencing a renaissance in Utah. Since 2021 the Utah Legislature has supported a number of crucial efforts to bolster our knowledge of and participation in civic life. We thank the 2023 Legislature for continuing this arc in its efforts in the just-concluded session. Will this new and much-needed spending be a one-time investment, or will Utahns encourage legislators to keep civics education a priority? Alarmed about our nations increasing polarization and the spread of misinformation and civil unrest, the 2021 Utah Legislature formed the HCR15 working group to study how civics is taught in our state. The groups recommendations have since prompted the Legislature to invest more than $5 million in civic-education support in the last two years. This legislative action is timely. The World Values Survey reported a decline across several American generational cohorts that rank it as essential to live in a democratically governed country. Respondents were asked what sort of government they would prefer, and more than half (52%) said they favor a strong leader who does not have to bother with parliament or elections, up from 38% in 2009. And less than one-third of Americans born in the 1980s think democracy is vital. Should we be surprised by these results after generational disinvestment in civics education? Related How did this come about? During the Cold War, taxpayers heavily funded math education programming to respond to the Soviet launch of Sputnik. In the No Child Left Behind era of President George W. Bush, federal education funding was distributed based on test scores in math and reading. In response, educators focused on these areas instead of social studies. The Obama administrations education plan, Race to the Top, also emphasized innovation in student performance in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). Story continues As a result of these generational trends, for every five cents of federal funds spent per pupil on civics education, nearly $55 is invested in STEM, according to Ted McConnell, executive director of the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools. While literacy and the STEM fields are important for our continued innovation and prosperity, if we neglect civics education we may lose the constitutional infrastructure that makes every other success possible. In context of these broader national trends, the Utah Legislature passed HB327 in 2021, which allocated a one-time $1 million appropriation to create the Civic Thought and Leadership Initiative (CTLI) at Utah Valley Universitys Center for Constitutional Studies. In 2022, that one-time appropriation became an ongoing source of funding. Then in 2023, the Legislature generously increased that funding, enabling CTLI to continue supporting K12 teacher professional development in civics; offering civic fellowships for UVU undergraduates; conducting Utah-focused research on civic knowledge, skills and dispositions among adults and youth; and providing regional training for civics educators and leaders. Each of these activities is raising public consciousness about the importance of civics education in Utah. In addition to CTLI, Utah has promoted civics in other important ways. For example, HB274 created a $1.5 million fund distributed through the Utah State Board of Education for Utah schools to request funding support for innovative civics projects. Distribution of these funds reflects legislative emphasis on local control, where schools identify interests, design projects and request funding. Projects are now in motion and range from supporting the development of student simulation programs, such as We the People and mock trials, to interdisciplinary programs for students to identify misinformation, to professional development for teachers in the civics competencies of constitutional literacy, media literacy and academic service learning. The HCR15 working group recommendations, which led to these measures, offered important caveats. Any skill-building or civic engagement must be deeply informed by an abiding knowledge of the Constitution and the foundations of our democracy. Fortunately, that is a requirement that both sides of the aisle can get behind in Utah. These legislative moves are exciting, but will they last? Lawmakers at the state and national level tend to react to current events or increased pressure from constituents. As the ones with our hands on the spigot, will we as Utahns keep civic education front and center for our legislators? Data suggest that with every new generation, fewer and fewer Americans believe in and are committed to these ideas. Like the founders, we now have our own reasons to be nervous. If we continue on this path, with our constitutional republic on the line, failure is not an option. We Utahns owe it to ourselves and those who follow after us to keep investing in civic education. Eleesha Tucker is a civic research fellow with the Civic Thought and Leadership Initiative in the Center for Constitutional Studies at Utah Valley University. She teaches the required general education course American heritage, which aims to inform undergraduate students of our foundational ideals and inspire them to fulfill their civic responsibilities. Sometimes even Donald Trump has a point. This time, its his claim that he has been singled out by the Manhattan District Attorneys office for conduct that would probably not have been charged as a crime against anyone else. The indictment of the former president in New York is an undeniably historic event the first ever criminal prosecution of a former U.S. president but it has also defied many peoples expectations that he would be arrested for a crime related to his time as president. The case, after all, is not about Trumps efforts to overturn the 2020 election or his retention of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, which are both under investigation by the Justice Department. The investigation by the Fulton County district attorney concerning Trump and his allies effort to manipulate the 2020 election results in Georgia also still remains underway, and people have been eagerly awaiting the results ever since a special grand jury completed its investigative work in February. The case brought by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, instead reportedly charges Trump for events that took place before he was president and uses a highly unusual legal theory based on a highly unusual set of facts Trumps payment of hush money to the adult film star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of the 2016 election to cover up an alleged affair that the two had while he was married. At the time of this writing, the charge(s) in the indictment against Trump have not been publicly confirmed, but for weeks, media outlets have reported that the alleged crime at issue would be Trumps participation in falsifying his companys business records to obscure the reason for the payment, which was characterized within the company as a legal retainer for Michael Cohen Trumps onetime lawyer turned mortal enemy following his stint in prison. The unusual charge from the Manhattan DAs office that is apparently at issue has already prompted a broad consensus among conservative politicians and commentators that Trump is the victim of a political prosecution a witch hunt, to use Trumps preferred phrase. A Trump campaign email sent recently to supporters last week claimed that prosecutors in New York chose their target first and have been hunting for a crime ever since. Before the indictment came down, conservative legal commentator Andrew McCarthy, who is no fan of Trump as a political figure, argued that its undeniable that no one who wasnt Donald Trump would ever be charged for this. Law professor Alan Dershowitz likewise said on Megyn Kellys show that Nobody in their right mind would believe that Bragg would be going after John Smith or even John Edwards on a case like this. Its obviously an example of Get Trump the name of Dershowitzs latest book, in case you missed the promotional tie-in and its so, so dangerous. The claim is likely to be a central part of Trumps defense, both in the public and legal arenas, and it is not likely to go away anytime soon particularly since there is good reason to believe that its true. The investigation by the DAs office was reportedly spurred by news of the payment to Daniels all the way back in 2018 under Braggs predecessor, Cy Vance. According to a Supreme Court filing during the offices fight to get Trumps tax returns, the office put its investigation on hold at the request of the Justice Department around the time of Cohens guilty plea to a variety of federal charges, including campaign finance violations related to the payment to Daniels. Prosecutors in Manhattan picked the investigation back up in the summer of 2019 after they learned that the federal investigation had been closed without further charges. In the intervening years, the office obtained Trumps tax returns, charged and convicted both Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg and the Trump Organization on narrow tax-related fraud charges, and pursued a broader criminal case against the former president based on the alleged manipulation of the value of his assets in submissions to lenders, insurers and government authorities. Last year, Bragg declined to approve an indictment on those grounds, concluding that the proposed case was not strong enough. That led the two prosecutors leading the effort at the time to resign, and one of them, a lawyer named Mark Pomerantz, proceeded to launch a highly unusual media campaign one that resulted in a book and an appearance on 60 Minutes last month assailing Bragg for refusing to charge Trump. That book provided a very incomplete and misleading account of the strength of Pomerantzs proposed case, but setting that aside, pretty much everything about it seemed designed to shore up Trumps claim that he was the victim of a legal vendetta by the office. Pomerantz, who was tasked with leading the investigation, comes off as singularly obsessed with charging Trump with anything that he can come up with no matter how obscure or bizarre the legal theory and heavily motivated by his belief that Trump is a uniquely dangerous political figure who has done tremendous damage to the country. It is no surprise that Trumps lawyers and congressional Republicans have become fond of citing the book in his defense. After Pomerantz and his colleagues resignation early last year, Bragg was assailed by many Democrats and legal commentators. He insisted that the investigation would continue, which it evidently did, but apparently the only viable case that the office felt comfortable bringing after all that was based on the payment to Daniels. We are likely to hear a lot of cliches from the legal commentariat in the coming days about how Bragg and his prosecutors are simply following the facts and the law, about how no one is above the law, and so on. That is all well and good, but the reality is that this particular criminal case probably never would have been brought for anyone but Trump. In fact, the investigation probably would not have begun in the first place for anyone else, but at the time, Trump was still in office, and given the Justice Departments policy against indicting a sitting president, the Manhattan DAs office was a convenient outlet and prosecutorial avenue for people who wanted to see Trump criminally prosecuted. There is also no indication at the moment that the case against Trump has any real precedent in New York or elsewhere. Perhaps prosecutors will demonstrate that that is wrong as they defend the case in court, but thus far, no one seems to be able to identify a comparable case brought by a local prosecutors office. Trump, of course, is not the first president or presidential candidate to engage in an extramarital affair. Democrat John Edwards was indicted by federal prosecutors in connection with a scheme to obtain nearly $1 million in funds from donors to conceal a mistress and child while he ran for president in 2008, but the Justice Department was unable to convict him. Former president Bill Clinton famously had an affair while in the White House, but as a matter of realpolitik, it is hard to believe that he would be criminally charged by a local prosecutor for that conduct even if he were to have done it recently. It is worth being honest about all this particularly as the public begins to grapple with the momentous development of Trumps indictment even though it does not mean that the case against Trump should be thrown out or is somehow invalid. It is possible that Braggs team closely scrutinized all of the evidence that had been gathered along with the available charges against Trump and concluded that they had just one viable case, albeit a sufficiently compelling one as a matter of law, based on the payments to Daniels. There is nothing inherently wrong about that. Luck, both good and bad, plays an undeniable role in who gets the attention of prosecutors and who gets charged in the criminal justice system. I once had a foreign national who was a subject in one of my fraud investigations arrested because she happened to travel to the U.S. for a birthday party, and she was eventually indicted, convicted and sentenced to prison. Sometimes an unusual case emerges out of nowhere for reasons that prosecutors could not have anticipated, and they have to deal with it the best way they can, even if the result is relatively modest and not as explosive a charge as the defendants detractors would want to see. Likewise, sometimes prosecutors conduct expansive, wide-ranging investigations, but when all is said and done, they are not able to establish the most damning allegations and instead are left with a relatively small case. It is not particularly surprising that something like this would happen to Trump of all people a man who has spent much of his adult life flirting with the line between lawful and unlawful conduct in ways that would be inconceivable to pretty much anyone else. He also does awful things fairly regularly, so he hardly deserved the benefit of the doubt when news of the payment to Daniels first became public, which also happened to come in the context of a swarm of allegations concerning Trumps mistreatment of other women. Trump and his defenders may claim that the indictment should be dismissed because he is the victim of selective or malicious prosecution, but at the moment, a legal argument along those lines appears likely to fail. The reason is that the law generally requires robust evidence that the defendant has been singled out for an improper reason and that other, similarly situated people have not been criminally charged for similar conduct. Perhaps we will come to find out that plenty of other New Yorkers have allegedly paid off women they slept with to keep quiet, and that they did so in the middle of a federal election, but that seems unlikely and that, in turn, is likely to doom any effort by Trump to get the case tossed on those grounds. Finally, it is worth bearing in mind that although Trump is an undoubtedly high-profile defendant, this is a relatively modest prosecution as a legal matter, exposing Trump if the reporting to date has been accurate to a maximum four-year term of imprisonment and, perhaps, no time at all even if he is convicted. That would be up to the sentencing judge, and we are a long way off from that scenario. In the meantime, Trump is likely to try to make this process as inflammatory and painful as possible for the country, but there is no need for us to indulge his endless grievance-mongering or his self-serving account of the case against him. Gov. Tina Kotek signed two bills into law Wednesday afternoon aimed at addressing the state's ongoing housing and homelessness crisis. The $200 million affordable housing and emergency homelessness response package represents a "down payment" on the session's efforts to address the ongoing crisis and a shared sense of urgency across party lines, the governor said at the billing signing ceremony for House bills 2001 and 5019. Kotek said the day was a "significant moment" that honored the commitment she made on her first full day as Oregon governor, when she signed three emergency declarations related to the housing and homelessness crisis. I want to say firmly, this is just the beginning, Kotek said. My recommended budget expands on the investments in this early session package and I will continue to urge legislative action to deliver the ongoing support our communities need to make real progress. Read more: Kotek signs executive orders aimed at homelessness, declares state of emergency House Speaker Dan Rayfield, D-Corvallis, thanked lawmakers for coming together across both chambers to pass the package within the first 60 days of the legislative session. "Today demonstrates that we can deliver on some of the biggest and most important issues facing Oregonians," Rayfield said. Other speakers at the bill signing ceremony included Sybil Hebb with the Oregon Law Center and Ernesto Fonseca, CEO of Hacienda CDC, a Portland based nonprofit that provides affordable housing support. Kotek read prepared remarks from Oregon Senate President Rob Wagner, D-Lake Oswego. Dianne Lugo covers the Oregon Legislature and equity issues. Reach her at dlugo@statesmanjournal.com or on Twitter @DianneLugo. This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek signs housing, homelessness aid bills Schools nationwide received federal COVID-19 relief money to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students at the height of the pandemic. But those funds expired in the summer of 2022 when Congress failed to extend school meal waivers. Now, individual states are figuring out how to move forward. Oregon has taken a few steps forward and a few steps back this legislative session when it comes to plans to feed the states 550,000 students. Help The 74 secure a bright future. Your donation will help us produce journalism like this. Please give today. House Bill 3030 would have created a permanent pot of money for universal school meals but it was reduced to a task force before its first hearing, with lawmakers claiming not all schools could scale up that quickly. Rep. Courtney Neron, D-Wilsonville, who chairs the House education committee and is one of the bills seven chief sponsors, said it was difficult to curtail the proposal. We understand how critical it is for all children to have adequate nutrition, and we want to make that (happen) as soon as possible, she told the House committee earlier this month. As it stands, the bill calls for a recommendation by the task force by September 2024 of how to implement universal meals statewide. It is scheduled for a committee vote on Wednesday. The Oregon Department of Education estimates it would cost between $145 million to $377 million to do so in the 2023-25 biennium. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Agriculture last week announced a new proposal that could significantly increase the number of Oregon schools that qualify for federal reimbursements for meals. Importance of meals The Oregon Food Bank estimates more than 114,000 children in Oregon live in households that struggle to afford food. Having access to enough nutritious food can have a big impact on a childs ability to socialize, focus on their studies and perform academically. Decades of research shows that students who eat breakfast and lunch at school do better, said Matt Newell-Ching, senior policy manager for the Oregon Food Bank, when testifying to state lawmakers on March 15. Its kind of odd that we treat school meals differently than we treat other key educational elements within the school environment. Story continues Oregon has been a leader among states when it comes to food access in schools, and in recent years, its doubled the number of students who get it. In the past, about 25% of Oregon schools provided free breakfast and lunch to all students. They did so because they qualified for federal assistance. Now 55% do, thanks to the passage of the states Student Success Act in 2019, which is partly dedicated money for meals. In some cases, entire districts feed students. Salem-Keizer Public Schools the second largest district in Oregon with more than 40,300 students is the largest district in the state to offer universal meals. About 84% of Salem-Keizer students are considered to be economically disadvantaged. But proponents of these programs say helping all students reduces the stigma around hunger and poverty. Other states Some states Colorado, California and Maine have permanent, universal school meal programs. And at least 21 states are drafting similar legislation this session, including Minnesota lawmakers, who advanced their bill through the state Senate the day before Oregons first hearing for House Bill 3030. Additionally, starting in the 2023-24 school year, Oregon students participating in Medicaid will automatically qualify for free or reduced-price school meals. But what Oregon lawmakers and advocates are paying the most attention to is the U.S Department of Agricultures new proposal, released last week, which would expand the number of schools that are eligible to get federally reimbursed for providing meals via the Community Eligibility Provision, also known as CEP. The provision allows the nations highest-poverty schools and districts to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students without needing applications. Schools are reimbursed using a formula based on the percentage of students eligible for free meals because of their participation in other benefit programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced several actions to expand support for and access to school meal programs, including awarding $10 million in grants for schools to expand nutrition education and a proposed rule that would lower the threshold for schools to gain access to federal funding. Advocates say these changes could allow hundreds more schools in Oregon to provide universal meals, but the state will still need to pay more to cover the gap between what the districts, state and federal governments each contribute. Proponents such as the Oregon Food Bank are support an omnibus spending bill, House Bill 5014, to allocate more money from the states general fund to the Oregon Department of Education to help cover these costs and incentivize schools to take advantage of the new offerings. House Bill 5014 had a public hearing last Thursday before the joint subcommittee on education. It is not yet scheduled for a work session. I have lots of optimism that there is momentum growing for universal school meals in Oregon, Newell-Ching told the Capital Chronicle. Its no longer a question of if well get there, but (when). Oregon Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oregon Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Lynne Terry for questions: info@oregoncapitalchronicle.com. Follow Oregon Capital Chronicle on Facebook and Twitter. Most people have loved ones. And when one of those loved ones goes missing, its always a family emergency. Its also a crisis for the entire community except when law enforcement signals that it doesnt really care. The disappearance and death of 18-year-old Oscar E. Cabral is the latest instance of what appears to be subjective concern on the part of the Kansas City Police Department. Last week, Cabrals body was found by utility workers off a wooded trail near Swope Park. Police cite suspicious circumstances surrounding his death, and have opened a homicide investigation. For decades, people of color have expressed outrage over the disproportionate amount of police violence directed at them, with particular emphasis on profiling and targeting of minority groups. Because of those patterns, its no wonder those communities dont always view police as a trusted source of protection. And recent revelations show why. The KCPDs own data shows that force is deployed disproportionately against people of color. A longtime Kansas City traffic enforcement officer has sued the department in Jackson County Circuit Court, alleging that he was instructed to target Black neighborhoods to write more tickets. The U.S. Department of Justice has launched an investigation into whether Black police employees are discriminated against here. And those are just the public reports of how law enforcement treats Kansas Citians of color unequally. On top of that are the anecdotal, generational instances that can make even the most law-abiding minority residents feel insecure. All of this contributes to a shaky trust when our neighbors in marginalized communities have to initiate interactions with the police. When Oscar went missing on March 3, loved ones worried and looked for him the way most people do when someone they care about disappears. Family members finally reported his disappearance to authorities on March 18. Police are supposed to assist us in distress and protect us from harm. In making the report, those concerned about Oscars well-being put their trust in law enforcement. Story continues The department took the report, but didnt bother posting Oscars photo on social media or sending out a news release to ask for the publics help in finding him. The police have criteria to meet before they initiate an active missing person case, and they say this one didnt meet those guidelines. But as The Stars Glenn E. Rice and Matti Gellman have reported, the KCPD has a very real confidence deficit with the Black community built up over many years based on concerns about how seriously reports of disappearances are treated. Critics claim the department doesnt follow best practices to inform neighbors and enlist their help. After all, people who know the missing might be best equipped to help bring them back home. The bottom line is that the police have more subjectivity than they want to admit. What are the solutions to making sure that Kansas Citians and law enforcement are on the same page? For one, put less choice into the equation or at the very least, more clearly define the bar someone has to jump over to report a missing person. Social media is free and widely used. The department should be willing to post and revise information quickly in these cases. A KCPD policy of promptly adding names to the Justice Departments National Missing and Unidentified Persons System clearinghouse should be an automatic must-do, too. Finally, creating a public dashboard of data about local missing person cases and their investigations could go a long way toward transparency and reassuring the community that everyones safety really matters to the police. Oscar Cabrals death is a tragedy for everyone who knew and loved him. The police departments apparent indifference to their plight only added to the heartache and it certainly didnt help reassure Kansas Citys minority communities that law enforcement is always on their side. CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) Former Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius has applied for parole and is expected to attend a hearing on Friday that will decide if he can be released from prison 10 years after killing girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp by shooting her multiple times through a toilet door in his home. Pistorius, who was convicted of murder in Steenkamp's Valentine's Day 2013 killing, could leave the Atteridgeville Correctional Centre in Pretoria on Friday if his parole is granted, although the Department of Corrections said the process may take days to finalize if his application is successful. Barry and June Steenkamp, the parents of Reeva, have said they oppose Pistorius' release and are allowed to address the parole board at his hearing. A submission by a victim's relatives is one of numerous factors taken into account. "He is a murderer. He should remain in jail," Barry Steenkamp said in an interview with Britain's Daily Mail newspaper published last month on the 10th anniversary of his daughter's killing. The Department of Corrections declined to give details on Pistorius' hearing, saying it was an internal matter like any other parole hearing. According to guidelines, the board will consider the offense Pistorius was convicted of, his conduct and disciplinary record while in prison, whether he took part in educational or other training courses, his mental and physical state, whether he's likely to relapse into crime and the risk he poses to the public. Of all the factors, legal expert Neo Mashele said that generally speaking, the behavior of the offender is the most important consideration." Pistorius parole lawyer, Julian Knight, has previously said Pistorius has been a model prisoner. Knight didnt respond to requests for comment this week. Neither did a lawyer for the Steenkamps. Pistorius, who is now 36, was ultimately convicted of murder after prosecutors appealed against an initial conviction for culpable homicide, which is comparable to manslaughter. He was eventually sentenced to 13 years and five months in prison for murder in 2017, again after a prosecution appeal against a lighter sentence. Story continues Offenders in South Africa convicted of serious crimes must serve at least half their sentence before being considered for parole. Pistorius has done that after taking into account the time he served in jail from late 2014 while the appeals in his case were heard. A number of options are available to the parole board: Pistorius could be released on full parole or placed on day parole, where he would be allowed to live and work in the community during the day but have to return to prison at night. He could also be placed under correctional supervision, which means he would be released but have to spend some of his time during the week at a correctional center. Pistorius' parole could be denied, where the board usually asks the offender to reapply at a later stage. A double-amputee runner and multiple Paralympic champion once hailed as an inspirational figure, Pistorius' murder trial and downfall captivated the world. His crime eventually led to him being sent to the Kgosi Mampuru II maximum security prison, one of South Africa's most notorious. He was moved to the Atteridgeville prison in 2016 because that facility is better suited to disabled prisoners. Pistorius had both his lower legs amputated as a baby and walks with prosthetics. There have been glimpses of his life in prison, with reports claiming he had at one point grown a beard, gained weight and taken up smoking and was unrecognizable from the elite athlete who competed against able-bodied runners on his carbon-fiber blades at the 2012 London Olympics. He has spent much of his time working in an area of the prison grounds where vegetables are grown, sometimes driving a tractor. His father, Henke Pistorius, said in a 2018 interview that he was running bible classes for other inmates. There have also been flashes of trouble. Pistorius sustained an injury in an altercation with another inmate over a public telephone in 2017. A year earlier, Pistorius received treatment for injuries to his wrists, which his family denied were a result of him harming himself. Pistorius has been seeking parole since 2021 but a hearing that year was canceled partly because he hadn't yet met with Barry and June Steenkamp in a process known as a victim-offender dialogue. It is required in South Africa if victims or their family want the meeting before an offender can be considered for parole. Pistorius claims he shot 29-year-old Reeva Steenkamp by mistake with his licensed 9 mm pistol because he thought she was a dangerous intruder. He met face-to-face with her father last year in a meeting which convinced Barry Steenkamp that Pistorius should not be released, he said in the Daily Mail interview. I told Oscar directly that he had shot my daughter deliberately and he denied it, Steenkamp said. He stuck to his story that he thought it was an intruder. After all these years we are still waiting for him to admit he did it in anger. That is all we wanted. If he told me the truth," said Steenkamp, "I would have let the law take its course over his parole." Former President Donald Trump was indicted by a New York grand jury Thursday on unspecified criminal charges in a case that marks the first time a former president has been charged criminally. Although the charges were not made public, the grand jury had been investigating hush money payments to two women who claimed to have had sex with him. The outline of those payments became public only after he was elected in 2016 and more details were revealed in sworn testimony as Trump served in the White House. There have been plenty of presidential scandals, both financial and political, from Warren Harding's Teapot Dome to Ulysses Grant's Whiskey Ring to Harry Truman's "mess in Washington" to Ronald Reagan's Iran-Contra scandal. In a number of cases, aides to presidents were sent to serve prison sentences after they either pleaded guilty or were convicted of crimes. HISTORIC: Grand jury indicts Donald Trump in New York, first time a former president is charged criminally The Nixon pardon: It was negotiated by a Boynton Beach lawyer. Did it leave a road map for Trump post-presidency? FRANK CERABINO: Dear Mar-a-Lago Club members: My indictment is going to cost you Mar-A-Lago, former President Donald Trump's residence on Thursday, March 30, 2023, in Palm Beach, FL. On Thursday, a grand jury in Manhattan voted to indict Trump in connection with an alleged payment of hush money to adult actress Stormy Daniels in 2016. Still, no former U.S. president has ever faced criminal charges. But we have come close. Five things to know about allegations of presidential wrongdoings and misdoings. 1. Watergate prosecutor: Nixon would have been indicted except ... In this undated photograph from the Palm Beach Post photo archives, President Richard Nixon appears at an event in West Palm Beach. After resigning in disgrace, former President Richard Nixon was braced for an indictment in the summer of 1974. But on Sept. 9, 1974, his successor, President Gerald Ford, issued Nixon a full and complete pardon for any offenses he may have committed. So that was that. The pardon ended the more than two-year Watergate scandal and investigation into Nixon for his role, although others in his inner circle and administration either were convicted or pleaded guilty and served prison terms. More: 5 things to know about the Boynton Beach man who secretly negotiated Nixon pardon Story continues Former Watergate investigator Jill Wine-Banks said in an interview with The Palm Beach Post in 2019 that she and the other lawyers on her team believed they had enough evidence to indict and convict Nixon. But once the pardon was issued, a criminal charge against Nixon was off the table. She's not the only one who feels that way. "I believe the timing of the pardon was a mistake," said Timothy Naftali, a historian at New York University and former director of the Richard Nixon presidential library. "But for the sake of the country it would have been better to wait and at least indict the former president. I think it would have been a very good precedent." A Nixon indictment would have resolved any questions about the constitutionality of criminal charges against an ex-commander in chief, Naftali added. Plus, he said an indictment would have "provided one clear summation" of all the allegations against Nixon. "And President Trump would have known for sure that he'd be indictable," Naftali added. "We'll never know what kind of restraint that knowledge might have had on Donald Trump but it might have been helpful for the country as a whole had President Trump known in advance, because of Nixon's experience, that he could be indicted. But of course, given the Ford pardon of President Nixon, that precedent had not been established." In exchange for the pardon, Nixon offered a statement of some contrition in which he said: "Looking back on what is still in my mind a complex and confusing maze of events, decisions, pressures, and personalities, one thing I can see clearly now is that I was wrong in not acting more decisively and more forthrightly in dealing with Watergate, particularly when it reached the stage of judicial proceedings and grew from a political scandal into a national tragedy." The storm: Stormy Daniels strip tour comes to West Palm Beach, yards from Trump's Mar-a-Lago club 2. Bill Clinton: Sexual affair may not be a crime, but lying in a deposition is Yes, it's been 25 years since news broke of then-President Bill Clinton's romance with a White House intern, Monica Lewinsky. Clinton lied to the nation in the now infamous finger-wagging press conference in which he defiantly said, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky." Ultimately, Clinton admitted his untruths and after being only the second U.S. president to be impeached, he was acquitted in a U.S. Senate trial and finished his second term. The problem is Clinton also lied in a deposition in a sexual harassment lawsuit, which is a felony. And the special prosecutor handling the case, Robert Ray, was considering indicting Clinton once he left the White House in January 2001. In this October 2016 image, former President Bill Clinton and the late U.S. Congressman Alcee Hastings wave to an audience at the Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center in Belle Glade. But in the final hours of his presidency, Clinton and Ray came to an agreement in which the outgoing president admitted that he gave false testimony under oath and vowed not to seek reimbursement for any legal bills. Clinton also came to an agreement with Arkansas officials in which he paid $25,000 in fines and acceded to a five-year suspension of his license to practice law. "I tried to walk a fine line between acting lawfully and testifying falsely, but I now recognize that I did not fully accomplish this goal and that certain of my responses to questions about Ms. Lewinsky were false," Clinton said in a statement and added: "I hope my actions today will bring closure and finality to these matters." 3. George W. Bush: The War on Terror and war crimes President George W. Bush, or "43," faced international legal exposure over the conduct of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. More precisely, U.S. policies for interrogating prisoners and terrorism suspects and allegations of torture. A number of global organizations have, over the past decade or so, called for Bush to be charged with war crimes over the treatment of prisoners. The most serious episode was in 2011 when the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights and the New York Center for Constitutional Rights prepared criminal complaints against Bush on behalf of two detainees. Nothing came out of the cases, but at the time more than a decade ago Bush canceled a trip to Geneva sparking speculation that the former president wanted to avoid protests or even being served with the complaint while in Switzerland. 4. Trump: He sets record for investigations while in White House and after There have been plenty of presidential scandals, from Warren Harding's Teapot Dome, Ulysses Grant's Whiskey Ring and even Harry Truman's "mess in Washington." But Trump, who was impeached a record-setting two times, was by far the most investigated U.S. president. And his scandals have followed him into his post-presidency and White House comeback political campaign. There's Fulton County, Georgia, where a special grand jury is investigating whether Trump and his allies illegally meddled in the 2020 election in Georgia. Possible indictments could come soon. Then there's Trump's family business, the Trump Organization, which was convicted by a jury of fraud late last year. And Trump is currently under investigation for his role in the violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Also, the U.S. Department of Justice is probing Trump's possession of classified and top-secret documents. Former President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, are seen inside the Mar-A-Lago ballroom on New Years Eve on Saturday, December 31, 2022, in Palm Beach. Since that probe became public with an FBI raid at Mar-a-Lago in August of last year, President Joe Biden and former Vice President Mike Pence have also revealed they had classified materials in their possession. But unlike Trump, both voluntarily turned them in after acknowledging they had them in their possession. By contrast, Trump refused numerous requests to return the materials, falsely claiming he owned them and that he had personally and arbitrarily declassified them. 5. One last thought about presidential pardons ... You know there is always a Florida connection. And the Watergate scandal had its share of Florida links, not least of which is that the Sunshine State was the home to a number of the burglars who were arrested during the break-in at the Democratic Party headquarters in June 1972. But Florida was also the home of the man who ultimately ended the Watergate scandal, lawyer and Ford fixer Benton Becker. Other Watergate coverage: 5 things to know about the Boynton Beach man who secretly negotiated Nixon pardon It was Becker who quietly researched the constitutionality of the Nixon pardon and then secretly negotiated it with the 37th president at his San Clemente, California estate right after Labor Day 1974. Becker later moved to South Florida to teach law at universities here. He lived in Boynton Beach until his death in 2015. Antonio Fins is a politics and business editor at the Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at afins@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Trump indictment: No other president has been indicted for a crime By Lizbeth Diaz CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (Reuters) - More than a thousand migrants in northern Mexico surrendered to U.S. border authorities, frustrated by recent asylum policies, and shaken by a fire at a nearby migrant detention center that killed dozens this week. A Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesperson said the agency was processing over a thousand migrants who turned themselves in on Wednesday in El Paso, Texas, reachable on foot from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. In a statement late Wednesday, CBP said it was expelling migrants under a COVID-era order known as Title 42, and beginning removal proceedings for other migrants who cannot be returned under the measure and lack legal status. Migrants said a new U.S. government app meant to streamline the process of securing asylum appointments from outside the United States has left them feeling fed up and helpless. Carrying children and belongings, groups of migrants moved briskly Wednesday afternoon toward a gate at a section of the U.S. border wall on the frontier, which has become a destination for asylum seekers and smugglers trafficking them. "Now, with God's favor, we'll make it there," said Carlos Garcia, pulling his young daughter at a jog as he tried to get his name on a list supposedly granting access to the United States. A false rumor circulated on social media Wednesday that migrants surrendering at a specific spot at the border would be able to freely cross into U.S. territory. Some migrants turned back, fearful of arrest, but by late afternoon hundreds had formed a line along the steel barrier on U.S. soil. By early evening, CBP agents had begun processing migrants through a door intended for maintenance workers. Two dozen migrants interviewed by Reuters said they were fed up with daily discrimination and violence in Mexico, with some saying they feared suffering a similar fate to the 39 men who died while detained at a government migrant center on Monday. Story continues "I came to live, not to die," said Juan Velazquez, a 22-year-old migrant. "That's why I want to leave here now. Mexico is not a place for us." "I've already been there," he added, referring to the detention center run by Mexico's National Migration Institute (INM). "They treat us like criminals." Mexican prosecutors said on Wednesday they were investigating the fire at the migrant center as a possible homicide and had identified eight people who may have been responsible: two federal agents, a state migration officer and five members of a private security firm. A short video circulating on social media - appearing to be security footage from inside the center during the blaze - showed men kicking on the bars of a locked door as their cell filled with smoke. Three uniformed people can be seen walking past without trying to open the door. Investigators said the video was part of the probe. By the border, a young Venezuelan mother prayed alongside her two daughters - visibly tired and wearing torn, dirty clothes. "God, help us," she repeated. As they waited for a chance to cross the border, Border Patrol agents and Texas National Guard troops stood motionless in front of the massive metal gate, preventing them from getting through. A U.S. security helicopter flew overhead. Multiple migrants said they tried unsuccessfully to obtain a virtual appointment to start the asylum process in the U.S. Since the Biden administration rolled out the app in January, asylum seekers have complained of glitches, high demand, and a lack of appointments. "The application doesn't work. They need to find another way to help us, if that's really what they want," said Carlos, a 28-year-old migrant who said he spent upwards of 10 hours a day on the app, without success. "It's trash." U.S. officials have defended the app, saying early glitches have been resolved and that issues are mainly down to the huge number of people using it to access a limited amount of appointments. (Reporting by Lizbeth Diaz; Additional reporting by Kristina Cooke; Writing by Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) A package of Narcan nasal spray in San Francisco, on March 29, 2023. A package of Narcan nasal spray in San Francisco, on March 29, 2023. Credit - Justin SullivanGetty Images The opioid overdose epidemic, which caused 80,000 deaths in 2021, can often seem like an unrelenting tragedy, but on Wednesday, there was cause to celebrate. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it has approved Narcan, a nasal-spray form of the opioid-overdose-reversing drug naloxone, without a prescription over-the-counter. This is a major win, because Narcan works as first aid, and must typically be administered by someone else to an overdosing person. Over-the-counter Narcan could mean that more people have the medicine on hand during the crucial minutes of an overdose. At the same time, public health experts say that efforts to improve naloxone access cannot stop with over-the-counter access when it becomes availablewhich manufacturer Emergent BioSolutions projects will be in late summer. Going forward, they warn, two obstacles which have prevented people from buying Narcan in the past could remain barriers going forward: high cost and stigma against drug users. While Emergent BioSolutions has not yet commented on the price of over-the-counter Narcan, theres reason to be wary that the drug could be costly: prescription Narcan can cost over $100 for two doses at some pharmacies, according to GoodRx. Chelsea Shover, an epidemiologist and assistant professor at the University of California-Los Angeles notes that many of the people shes provided Narcan to for freeincluding teenagers and people living in street encampmentswouldnt be able to afford it on their own. Also uncertain is whether insurance companies, which have historically covered most of the cost of Narcan, will cover an over-the-counter drug. Narcan was covered by many kinds of insurance at no or very low cost to the consumer. Now that its available over the counter, I worry about losing that coverage, says Shover. The other challenge, says Lucas Hill, a clinical associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy, is that theres persistent stigma about needing Narcan. This stigma, he says, can impact every step of buying the medicine, including making opioid prescribers or pharmacists hesitant to recommend that a patient buy Narcan, in the worry that they might offend patients by the suggestion. In particular, he says, he fears that high cost of Narcan and prejudice against drug users will converge and lead many grocery stores and pharmacies to lock it up or keep it behind the counter, which would require customers to request it. Story continues Even though the [over-the-counter] transition could theoretically allow Narcan nasal spray to be sold at a gas station, I think its unlikely that were going to see it next to the Pringles chips anytime soon, he says. But overall, Hill says that hes optimistic that over-the-counter Narcan will greatly improve access. Even if the drug remains costly, it is still expected to be less expensive for people without insurance than the prescription version. Indeed, in Hills view, the FDA should make all forms of naloxone, including the injectable dose, available over the counter, because that could potentially lower the cost of the drug overall as manufacturers are forced to compete on price. Until that day, the other formulations of naloxone will still be prescription onlywhich means that people with insurance will still be able to obtain those other formulations through their coverage. Meanwhile, people without insurance and who cannot afford the over-the-counter drug will still likely be available to obtain it through other avenues. Naloxone is often available through non-profits and community organizations for free, in part because they can purchase Narcan at a discounted rate, or by distributing less-costly injectable forms of the medicine. Emergent BioSolutions told TIME that it plans to continue the program to discount Narcan for public interest customers. Going forward, experts say that health care workers will play a vital role in reducing stigma about naloxone and opioid use disorder. Dr. Michael W. Champeau, president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, says that doctors should routinely spread the word about naloxone, especially if a patient has a prescription for opioids. I think that incorporating questions about the presence and availability of narcotics in the home, stressing the importance of having naloxone available, are going to be increasingly perceived as part of being a good physician, no matter what specialty you practice, says Champeau. Hill hopes the recognition that some people overdose when they dont even know theyre using an opioid will help to reduce stigma about carrying Narcan, especially as people realize they could help save someone else. Decreasing the stigma associated with illegal drug use and drug poisonings is the long haul. And weve got quite a ways to go, says Hill. Before a Texas familys truck was stolen from their home, authorities said they tagged it with a GPS tracking device. The family was then able to track the stolen vehicle with the Apple AirTag hidden within it, San Antonio police officer Nick Soliz said in a news briefing recorded by KSAT. By tracking the AirTag, a man and two family members found the stolen truck in a shopping center parking lot on Wednesday, March 29, police said. It looks like they tried to confront the suspect who they saw in their vehicle, Soliz said. I dont know if an argument happened, but we know that one of the victims of this stolen vehicle gets out of the car, goes around (and) attempts to contact the suspect in the truck. As the man was doing so, he said he saw the person in his truck pull out a gun, according to police. He responded by firing his own gun, Soliz said. The man in the truck believed to be in his 30s was killed. The San Antonio Police Department has not publicly said if the man in the truck had a firearm with him during the incident. Police believe the shooters family did call police when tracking the vehicle, but they did not wait for help to arrive. The truck was reported stolen prior to the shooting. An investigation is ongoing, and no arrests had been made as of the news conference. If you are to get your vehicle stolen, I know that its frustrating, but please do not take matters into your own hands like this, Soliz said. ... its never safe to take matters into your own hands as you can see ... by this incident. Dad tracked mother of his child by hiding AirTag in her vehicle, Texas sheriff says Woman tracks her stolen Hyundai to gas station and shoots two dead, Missouri cops say Women say exes used Apple AirTags as weapon of choice to stalk them. Theyre suing AirTag tracks airline worker accused of stealing $15k in goods from luggage, cops say PAHOKEE Authorities have extradited a 25-year-old Pahokee man from Central Florida to face Palm Beach County charges in a February fatal shooting, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office reported. Investigators say Sheldon Miles Jr. shot a 28-year-old man in the head, fatally wounding him, during an early-morning confrontation Feb. 4 on the 100 block of Carver Place, off South Lake Avenue in Pahokee. An arrest report did not disclose the deceased man's name. According to a PBSO report, investigators tracked Miles to the residence of a family member who lives in Orlando. Law enforcement booked him into the county jail March 24 on charges of first-degree murder and discharging a firearm in public. 'Sometimes things are really accidents': Man arrested after Boca fatal crash avoids prison The court rules: His car struck and killed a driver stranded along Florida's Turnpike. Here's his penalty. Homicide investigation: Man dead, woman injured after early-morning shooting in Loxahatchee Groves Witness said threat of violence preceded fatal shooting Circuit Judge Maxine Cheesman ordered Miles held without bail the next day. Cheesman also appointed Miles a public defender. As a policy, the Palm Beach County Public Defender's Office does not comment on open cases. A witness told investigators Miles and the shooting victim had argued on the evening prior to the shooting outside the Muck Tavern, a Pahokee restaurant near Lake Okeechobee that is less than a mile from the shooting scene. One witness told investigators Miles made a threat during the argument, telling the other man, "You're going to die tonight." A second witness described hearing gunshots and seeing Miles run past them a short time later. The witness said they learned of his identity when a friend showed the witness his Instagram page. License-plate reader helped deputies track man to Orlando Further investigation linked Miles to a BMW that a license-plate reader detected at State Road 80 and State Road 715 about 30 minutes after the homicide, the report said. Deputies estimated it to be about a 25-minute drive from the homicide scene to the license-plate reader's location. Story continues According to the arrest report, investigators tracked the BMW to Orlando and, with the assistance of Orlando police, began surveillance of the vehicle. Deputies obtained a warrant to seize and search the vehicle. During the search, a live round identical to a shell casing found at the homicide scene was located, PBSO said. A cooperating witness also viewed a photo lineup and identified Miles as the shooter. Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on Twitter at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Man tracked to Orlando to face charges in Pahokee fatal shooting New Hampshires highest court on Wednesday turned away the latest attempt to get a sentence reduction for Pamela Smart, who is serving life in prison for plotting with her teenage lover to have her husband killed in 1990. Smart, 55, was a 22-year-old high school media coordinator when she began an affair with a 15-year-old student who later shot and killed her husband, Gregory Smart. He was freed in 2015 after serving a 25-year sentence. Though she denied knowledge of the plot, she was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and other crimes and sentenced to life without parole. Having exhausted her judicial appeal options, Smart returned for a third time to an elected state council, seeking a sentence reduction hearing last year. The five-member Executive Council, which approves state contracts and appointees to the courts and state agencies, rejected her latest request in less than three minutes, prompting another appeal to state Supreme Court. The justices dismissed the petition Wednesday, saying it would violate the separation of powers to order the council to reconsider a political question. This ruling by the New Hampshire Supreme Court is a continuing disappointment that devastates our hopes for Pamela Smart finally receiving reasonable and fair process in the State of New Hampshire, Smarts spokeswoman, Eleanor Pam, said in an email. She added that Smart has never been given the opportunity to be heard or allowed to make her case directly. Pamela Smart is fully rehabilitated and is no danger to society. The state attorney generals office has opposed commutation for Smart, saying she has never accepted full responsibility for the crimes. Smart, who has earned two masters degrees behind bars, tutored fellow inmates, been ordained as a minister and is part of an inmate liaison committee, said in her latest petition that she is remorseful and has been rehabilitated. She apologized to Gregory Smarts family, though relatives said she has failed to take full responsibility. Story continues A cousin of Gregory Smart was glad to hear of the courts dismissal. She has had more than her fair share of being heard, Val Fryatt said. It is not easy for us. We are coming up on 33 years without Gregg, and never once has she admitted her part, so I am unsure how she is rehabilitated. Gregg is the true victim in all of this. Pamela needs to admit what she did not only for my familys sake but for her familys sake, as well. Smarts longtime attorney, Mark Sisti, argued that the elected council brushed aside her chance at freedom, spending no time discussing her voluminous petition which included many letters of support from inmates, supervisors and others before rejecting her request. We will not stop our attempts to free Pam Smart, Sisti said in a statement. Smart can refile a petition with the council every two years. As governor, Chris Sununu brings forth matters for the council to consider, and did put the commutation request on the agenda, argued Laura Lombardi, senior assistant attorney general. She said there is no requirement for the governor and council to create rules regarding the process. The trial was a media circus and one of Americas first high-profile cases about a sexual affair between a school staff member and a student. Joyce Maynard wrote To Die For in 1992, drawing from the Smart case. That inspired a 1995 film of the same name, starring Nicole Kidman and Joaquin Phoenix. The killer, William Flynn, and three other teens cooperated with prosecutors, served shorter sentences and have been released. In February, several of Smarts supporters traveled to New Hampshire to hear the court discuss the case, wearing pink T-shirts with the words Enough is Enough. Kelly Harnett, 41, who designed the T-shirts, did time with Smart at the maximum security Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in New York. She said Smart helped her through legal and personal setbacks, and deserves a hearing. Vanessa Santiago also met Smart in 2003 as a fellow inmate, working with her as a teachers aide and participating with her in an arts rehabilitation program. They stayed in touch after Santiagos release from Bedford in 2020, and she too supports her petition. Pamela is like an icon in a sense, meaning, she has life with no parole, and when things are tough, you remember Pamela, Santiago said. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW At some point in our lives, all of us have had to follow while someone else leads. Whether it be a parent, a teacher or a supervisor at work, we all learn from a young age that taking direction is a prerequisite for our own growth and success. Likewise, each leader leaves a lasting impression many times motivating and inspiring our respective character development. Ask any adult to recall their favorite grade-school teacher and most will easily remember their name even if decades have passed since their last encounter. While it might be easy enough to know if we did or did not like an individuals leadership style, identifying the characteristics that differentiate an effective leader from one more lackluster can pose a challenge. A closer review of the story of the Jewish holiday of Passover, which will be celebrated this year beginning on the evening of April 5, provides tremendous insight into understanding the composition of one highly effective leader. The holiday, one of the most celebrated and symbolic Jewish holidays that occurs annually, recounts the story of the exodus of ancient Jews from Egyptian enslavement. At the helm of this momentous event is Moses, the man who risked his life to negotiate the Jewish peoples freedom. Based on his upbringing alone, Moses would seem like an unlikely choice for a leader of the Jewish people. Born a Jew, fortuitous circumstances facilitated his prince-like upbringing in the Egyptian Pharaohs palace. It was when he became a young adult that he was confronted by the horrific oppression of the enslaved Jews, that we see his character begin to shift. The pinnacle of his identity development comes when he witnesses a Jewish slave being beaten by an Egyptian master. Moses intervened, killing the Egyptian to save the Jewish slave, and set in motion a sequence of events that severed his ties to Egyptian royalty, exiled him from the only society he ever knew and positioned him to rejoin his people delivering them from captivity as G-ds messenger on earth. Story continues You would think that such a leader, one recognized as perhaps the greatest Jewish leader of all time, would have earned multiple mentions in the celebratory recounting of the Passover story. In truth, he is only mentioned once during the multiple-hour celebratory recounting of events. Even then, it is after all the miracles that led to the exodus from Egypt, as the Jewish people sat on the banks of the Red Sea as the Egyptian cavalry closed in. The celebration of Passover starts with a Seder meal, a 15-part festivity remembering and recounting the story of the exodus. The celebration of Passover starts with a Seder meal, a 15-part festivity remembering and recounting the story of the exodus. Meant to be shared in groups with friends and family, the gathering features a smorgasbord of symbolic foods representative of both slavery and redemption: four glasses of wine and Matzah, the cracker-like flatbread that reminds seder participants that in their hasty escape, their ancestors did not have time to let the bread rise. Guided by a special text called the Haggadah, it only mentions Moses once. While among Jewish sages there are a variety of explanations for this, one thing is clear: a great leader is not in search of personal recognition but rather justice for all. Moses did not try to be anything other than a piece of the puzzle of Jewish liberation. In contrast to Moses humility, the villain of the tale, Egypts Pharaoh is described by every history book on ancient Egyptian civilization as having been preoccupied with achieving everlasting notoriety. Pharaohs built enormous pyramids, had grandiose burial plots and some even tried to convince the populace that they were not humans, but gods. While history certainly might only remember some of the names of the pharaohs who really excelled at building their legacies, it is very apparent that they are being remembered not for being great leaders, but rather for their opulence. In direct contrast, every person familiar with any of the Abrahamic faiths can identify Moses and his great accomplishments. The story of the Exodus outlines different leadership qualities. Pharaohs focused on building huge structures to canonize their personal legacies while Moses built his legacy by serving as a leader devoted to the greater good of his people. Rabbi Benny Berlin is the rabbi of BACH Jewish Center in Long Beach, New York. Rabbi Benny Berlin This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Passover 2023: Moses and lessons in leadership A prince, two prime ministers and a rabbi take a plane ride together. No, this is not the start of a joke. Rather, this unusual 1995 journey brought Prince (now King) Charles, British prime minister John Major, future prime minister Tony Blair and Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks together on a flight from London to Tel Aviv, for the funeral of Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin. It was going to be a long flight, and Rabbi Sacks brought a Hebrew Bible with a variety of commentaries to use this time to study. Prince Charles and Tony Blair were intrigued by this unusual book and asked Rabbi Sacks to tell them more. Rabbi Sacks explained that when Jews study the Bible, they never study the text alone; rather, Jewish core texts are always accompanied by the commentaries of the leading scholars of various eras. Jewish study is based on a conversation between generations, in which each new generation builds on the wisdom of their predecessors and contributes a new layer of interpretation of its own. Rabbi Sacks then invited his esteemed companions to join him, and to add their voices to this conversation. Thus began a deep friendship among these men that lasted until Rabbi Sacks' passing in November 2020. The impact of a conversation between generations teaches us that there is a place in civil societies for different interpretations and opinions. When discussions are conducted with respect and understanding, they enable us all to benefit. This is an important lesson as we usher in the Passover holiday in a few days. Rabbi Sacks was one of the most inspirational Jewish leaders of our time. He was an intellectual giant, a prolific writer, broadcaster and teacher. One of his most influential publications was his commentary on the Passover Haggadah, the central text read at the Passover Seder night meal, when Jews gather to remember the story of the exodus from Egypt and commemorate the birth of a nation freed from slavery. It recalls that fateful moment when Moses is sent by God to Pharaoh with the command to: Let my people go! Story continues A collection of Haggadah for Passover Seders. At the Passover Seder, too, Jews do not simply recite the ancient story set out in the Haggadah; each person, each generation, retells the story adding their own interpretation, and their own perspectives, adding new layers to the story. Rabbi Sacks argued that this retelling of the story is the very foundation of the Jewish nation, reinforcing the Haggadah text itself, which states: Every person must see themselves as having been liberated from Egypt. This means that everyone gathered at the Seder meal must tell the exodus story from their unique perspective. Participants imagine themselves as slaves in Egypt, being liberated by God that very night each celebrates their own story of freedom. Why is there this emphasis on personalizing an ancient story? How can that be crucial to the identity of the nation? Rabbi Sacks teaches that: Freedom is not born overnight; it needs patience and training, and carefully acquired skills. It needs an education in freedom. Without it, a society can all too quickly lapse into chaos or conflict, rivalry, and war. Freedom can only be built on an ongoing conversation about the meaning of freedom and human dignity, and that conversation must be constantly refreshed. Our stories of becoming a free nation are not only foundational narratives but should be an inspiration to every person to continue to fight for a world of freedom. A free nation is built on the stories of its people. But there lies the danger; it is all too easy to tell one story, a story that does not simply celebrate the uniqueness of a people, but also denies the unique stories and perspectives of others who are also a part of that story. The Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie reminds us that if we hear a story about people, places or situations from only one point of view, we risk accepting one experience as the whole truth. While this single story may not be untrue, it will not capture the whole truth. Today, conversations around the foundational stories of the United States, and our countrys role as a beacon of freedom are controversial and increasingly divisive. These narratives are rightly seen as sacred, but there is a danger in allowing national foundational stories to become rigid. Passover teaches us that our foundational stories must be constantly renewed and refreshed, understood through the lenses of multiple perspectives. The facts remain the same but, through interpretation, they are made newly relevant and meaningful to each new generation. Jewish tradition offers a powerful way to do that create spaces and rituals that allow people to gather to tell their stories of independence, each from their own perspective. Rabbi Sacks' conversation with Prince Charles, John Major and Tony Blair serves as a model for us, as a nation, to provide opportunities to share our foundational stories while leaving room for different voices and interpretations. The ultimate freedom and unity of our nation is the prize, and it is well worth fighting for. A 20-year veteran Jewish educator and administrator, Rabbi Jeremy Bruce currently serves as the Rabbi Sacks Legacys executive director for North America. Rabbi Jeremy Bruce This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Passover 2023: Lessons on freedom, civil discourse Paul OGrady was planning to lead a campaign calling on the police to apologise for historic persecution of the LGBT+ community, one of his friends has said. The TV presenter and comedian died unexpectedly but peacefully on Tuesday (28 March) night, his partner Andre Portasio announced. The news prompted an outpouring of support as fans remembered OGrady, also known as his drag queen persona Lily Savage, for his work as both an entertainer and an activist. Appearing on Radio 4 on Wednesday (29 March) campaigner Peter Tatchell, of whose foundation OGrady was a patron, said that OGrady was going to lead a forthcoming campaign asking for an apology from the police. He was a fierce opponent of the Thatcher government over its attacks upon the LGBT+ community, particularly Section 28, and he was appalled by the levels of police harassment that were still going on right through the 1990s, he said (via BBC News). In January 1987, OGrady was performing at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in south London when the dressing room was entered by a rude and aggressive police officer. OGrady had assumed the officer was a stripper, but when he went out on the stage, the place was heaving with police, who were wearing rubber gloves. And of course I said, Oh good, have you come to do the washing up? OGrady recalled in a 2021 interview at the venue. It was pandemonium. People were scared. Tables and chairs were going over. The police were extremely aggressive. In 2021, Paul OGrady visited The RVT with @PT_Foundation and spoke about the now infamous poppers raid which took place when Lily was performing on our stage in 1987 at the height of the AIDS crisis. A true hero to LGBTQ+ people, thank you Paul. pic.twitter.com/Bw3j56ViBD Royal Vauxhall Tavern (@thervt) March 29, 2023 I went upstairs to Breda, the landlady, to tell her. The next thing, theres a load of coppers in the front room dragging her out, leaving the children behind. God knows, to this day, why they raided it There was no need for it. OGrady blamed homophobia within the police force and the Aids pandemic for providing the perfect excuse for them all to come in and cause trouble. He added: But police have apologised all around the world for their behaviour years ago, and I think its about time the British police did the same thing; came down here and said, Were so sorry for what happened. Because it was unneccessary and it was just a homophobic act. Paul O'Grady as Lily Savage on stage at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in 1990 Paul O'Grady, who has died at the age of 67, became a star for his comedy and presenting - not to mention his love of dogs. But one pre-fame story shows his role in fighting for LGBT rights. O'Grady was preparing to go on stage as his drag alter ego Lily Savage at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in south London one Saturday night in January 1987, when a police officer burst into his dressing room. At first, he thought it was a male stripper. But it was the real thing. "He was so rude and so aggressive," O'Grady later recalled. "When I came out on the stage, the place was heaving [with police] and they were all wearing rubber gloves. "And of course I said, 'oh good, have you come to do the washing up?'" What might have seemed like a throwaway line has gone down in history as an example of deadpan defiance in the face of suspicion and often hostility towards gay people. Lily Savage performing for a packed crowd at Manhattans' first birthday in 1990 "This is a time when HIV was rampant, and the police had the bigoted view that if you touched a gay man, you'd get HIV," campaigner Peter Tatchell told BBC Radio 4 on Wednesday. Around that time, newspapers were warning about the use of amyl nitrite, also known as poppers. It was described in the Sunday Telegraph as "the new danger drug in the pub, as easy to buy as crisps", which could make "users more vulnerable to the killer Aids virus". It wasn't illegal, and the suggestion it made people more vulnerable to Aids had already been debunked. But in December 1986, the Metropolitan Police raided the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, a long-standing gay pub, and confiscated 22 bottles as a "noxious substance". The following month, 35 officers returned - with their rubber gloves. "It was pandemonium," said O'Grady, who was a fixture at the venue for eight years. "People were scared. Tables and chairs were going over. The police were extremely aggressive. "I went upstairs to Breda, the landlady, to tell her - and the next thing, there's a load of coppers in the front room dragging her out, leaving the children behind. God knows to this day why they raided it." Story continues 35 years ago at the height of the AIDS crisis, 35 policemen raided The RVT wearing rubber gloves. Lily Savage was on stage at the time, and she said: Well well, it looks like weve got help with the washing up. pic.twitter.com/olWTfMIUX7 Royal Vauxhall Tavern (@thervt) January 31, 2022 He said he could only put it down to police homophobia, with the Aids pandemic giving them "the perfect excuse for them all to come in and cause trouble". "Funnily enough that week, I went up to Manchester and worked another club, and there was another raid the same week. So it seemed to be the fashion at the time," he said. O'Grady told the Observer he was carried out of the Vauxhall Tavern "saloon girl-style, kicking and screaming". Eleven people were arrested and two customers were injured. O'Grady was reportedly among those arrested. According to one version of events, when the desk sergeant asked for a name, he gave it as "Lily Savage". When the officer asked for a "real" name, he replied: "Lily Veronica Mae Savage." Theres a story, possibly legend, about Lily. Its said that when the police raided the Vauxhall Tavern during the AIDs crisis Lily was carted down the station. The copper asked Lily her name. Lily Savage The copper asked for her real name. Lilian May Veronica Savage pic.twitter.com/dOV49fzsHp Myra DuBois (@myradubois) March 29, 2023 According to the National Archives, police wanted to strip the venue of its late-night licence by gathering evidence of drunkenness, "lewd conduct" or going over the capacity of its licence. But no complaints of drunkenness had been made by local residents, and indeed the licence was renewed the following month. The raid sparked a backlash from the LGBT community and landlords of other gay pubs, while the Campaign for Homosexual Equality wrote to the home secretary to say they were worried "that some officers of the Metropolitan Police are embarking on a deliberate policy of harassment of gay pubs". The local MP even got involved, asking the home secretary about the number of officers involved, the cost, and "the grounds on which protective clothing was worn by officers". The reply from a junior minister came that the raid was a "routine operation". Disposable gloves were used "to protect officers from the risk of infection by Hepatitis B or Aids as a result of accidental injury from any drugs paraphernalia which might have been found on individuals searched during the operation", he said. O'Grady's small act of resistance was one reason why he was held up as a hero by many in the LGBT community. Tatchell said: "He began in gay clubs and bars at a time when social homophobia was at its height... this was an ugly, dangerous and very unpleasant time for LGBT+ people." O'Grady was "fierce in his beliefs and principles", he added. "He was a fierce opponent of the Thatcher government over its attacks upon the LGBT+ community, particularly Section 28, and he was appalled by the levels of police harassment that were still going on right through the 1990s." O'Grady was a patron of Tatchell's foundation and was planning to lead its forthcoming campaign for the police to apologise for their historic persecution of the LGBT+ community, the campaigner said. Stephen Richards, a drag queen from that era who performs as Lola Lasagne, told BBC London: "Lily was one of those people who just went, 'No, I'm not having it', and and stood there and fought for us. "As we all know, we eventually moved through those times... but it's down to people like Lily and Paul who made that possible, certainly in our scene. "The entire nation today is mourning because of For the Love of Dogs, the chat show, the radio show, everything. "But for our community, we've lost one of our own, and one of our originals, and we owe him a lot." Paul Rusesabagina's daughter tweeted a photo of him smiling Paul Rusesabagina, an outspoken critic of the Rwandan government, has arrived in the US after being freed from prison in Kigali, the White House says. He rose to prominence after being portrayed as a hero of the 1994 Rwandan genocide in the 2004 film Hotel Rwanda. In 2021, he was sentenced to 25 years on terrorism charges by a court, in what supporters called a sham trial. His release earlier this week followed US government diplomatic pressure and talks brokered by Qatar. "Our family is finally reunited today," his daughter Carine Kanimba tweeted about her father's arrival in San Antonio, Texas, along with a photo of him looking tired, but smiling. "Thank you to EVERYONE who worked soooo hard to bring him home," she said. White House National security adviser Jake Sullivan said Mr Rusesabagina's family and friends "had long waited for this day to come". "I'm grateful to those we worked closely with in the Rwandan Government to make this possible," he wrote on Twitter. The former hotel manager was allowed to return to the US - where he is a permanent resident - after his sentence was "commuted by presidential order", the Rwandan government said upon his release. In recent years, he had become a fierce critic of Rwanda's President Paul Kagame and in a 2018 video message, Mr Rusesabagina called for a change of government. He was arrested in 2020 when, according to his supporters, a private jet he believed would take him to Burundi instead landed in the Rwandan capital Kigali. In September 2021 he was found guilty of backing a rebel group behind deadly attacks in 2018 and 2019 in Rwanda. The Rwandan genocide lasted 100 days from April 1994, when 800,000 people, mostly from the Tutsi ethnic group, were massacred by extremists from the Hutu community. Mr Rusesabagina left Rwanda in 1996 and his story remained largely unknown for a decade, while he worked as a taxi driver in the Belgian capital, Brussels. Story continues He was featured in a 1998 book about the genocide, but it was the 2004 Hollywood blockbuster, where he was played by Don Cheadle, that brought him global fame. The then hotel manager protected some 1,200 people from the violence after they sought shelter. More about the Rwandan genocide: WEST PALM BEACH The Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office have formed a task force to help federal investigators arrest and prosecute people suspected of filing fraudulent claims for federal loans intended to help businesses survive the COVID-19 pandemic. State Attorney Dave Aronberg said Wednesday that four investigators from the agency's Sober Homes Task Force will join two investigators specifically tasked with investigating fraud in the Paycheck Protection Program in forming the new task force. Federal authorities are currently investigating a dozen local cases that will be transferred to local authorities and prosecuted in the state courts. "We don't know how many cases there will be, but we will go where the evidence leads us," Aronberg said at a news conference, describing the federal program as one rife with fraud. "We anticipate dozens of cases in a short period of time. (Paycheck Protection Program) money was easy to get and had to be spent quickly, so it was a recipe for fraud. Fraudsters thought they could get away it, but they were wrong." No death penalty: Jury convicts Larry Darnell Young of manslaughter in teen girl's fatal shooting Lantana airport deaths: Plane that crashed, killing 2, was 'constantly smooth' on approach, NTSB says Chemical cloud forms: Nine taken to hospitals after leak at Belle Glade agricultural building In white-collar fraud cases, 'we follow the money,' investigator says Congress passed the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security or CARES Act in March 2020. The economic stimulus bill was intended to help businesses suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Part of the bill created the Paycheck Protection Program, a Small Business Administration-backed effort providing small businesses with money to pay up to eight weeks of payroll costs, including benefits. The program ended in May 2021. Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg arrives at courtroom 10B prior to the start of a pre-trial hearing in the case of the Wellington 'clown murder' at the Palm Beach County Courthouse on Friday, October 21, 2022, in downtown West Palm Beach, FL. In recent months, the South Florida U.S. Attorney's Office has charged dozens of people with defrauding COVID-19 loan programs out of more than $150 million. The Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office assigned an investigator to a local FBI task force. Story continues "It then became apparent that the fraud was so widespread that they needed additional assistance," Aronberg said Wednesday. "And that's why we have established our own task force with PBSO." Ted Padich, chief investigator for the Sober Homes Task Force, explained the overlap of his group with the Paycheck Protection Task Force, saying that both crimes involve a form of white-collar fraud. The Sober Homes Task Force was formed in 2016 as part of a countywide effort to crack down on fraudulent activity by drug-treatment centers and health care providers. State law makes it illegal for a health-care provider or a laboratory either to offer or provide any form of compensation to a drug-treatment center or a sober home for the referral of patients. Those with private health insurance have proven especially valuable to some providers. Court records show they have ordered multiple urine tests each week for these patients and then billed their insurance companies for thousands of dollars in reimbursement payments. The providers then have kicked back some of that reimbursement money to whoever made the referral. "As a matter of course in our investigations, we go through a lot of bank records," Padich said. "We go through insurance records, we get medical records and we have bank records. As in every white-collar fraud investigation, we follow the money." Task force won't target businesses that struggled despite PPP loans The Paycheck Protection Program task force announced its first arrest, with a 33-year-old Boynton Beach man being charged this month with obtaining more than $440,000 through the Paycheck Protection Program and other government programs provided by the CARES Act. According to an arrest affidavit, Brandon Howard Sr. submitted fraudulent loan applications that included a variety of false statements, including his company's number of employees and monthly payroll amounts. Authorities alleged that Howard submitted applications for a limited-liability corporation bearing his name, indicating that the company had 35 employees and paid $1.9 million in wages in 2019. Howard has pleaded not guilty to two counts of organizing a scheme to defraud and single count of money laundering. His next court hearing is scheduled for April. An attempt to reach an attorney listed for Howard in court papers was not immediately successful. "It's a good example of what lot of these cases will look like," Aronberg said. "A large loan is funded in the (Paycheck Protection Program), reportedly for keeping the business open, keeping the employees paid, and we find out that there are no employees. In many cases, there is no operating business at all." Chief Assistant State Attorney Al Johnson said the new task force will also look into fraud reports submitted by the county's Inspector General's Office. In his fiscal 2022 report, Inspector General John Carey identified seven instances of CARES Act fraud totaling $131,478, including an alleged incident of a tenant forging documents to receive money for rental assistance. Aronberg noted that the county loans and grants are separate from the Paycheck Protection Fund dollars provided by the Small Business Administration. He said the task force won't target businesses that were unable to repay federal loans because of financial hardships. Thats not what this is about, Aronberg said. This is about intentional fraud. These are people who went into this to try to deceive the government and steal taxpayer money by claiming they had a business that didnt exist, by claiming it was for something that never occurred. Thats blatant fraud." Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on Twitter at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Task force targets Paycheck Protection Program fraud in Palm Beach County A Philadelphia teen was shot and killed on his way to school earlier this week, shortly after telling his mother that he loved her. Devin Weedon, 15, was shot in the chest while walking to Simon Gratz High School on Monday morning. The high school sophomore was reportedly in an altercation with three male suspects. "He was an all-around good kid, he didn't cause trouble, he didn't bother anyone," Devin's mother Wytina Burnside told FOX 29 Philadelphia. "He was trying to start his own athletic club for the youth." "'I love you mom, have a good day.' That was the last thing he said to me," she added. PHILADELPHIA RESIDENTS ADVISED TO DRINK BOTTLED WATER SUNDAY AFTERNOON FOLLOWING CHEMICAL SPILL, OFFICIALS SAY Devin Weedon, 15, told his mother he loved her shortly before he was killed in an altercation. Devin's father Gary Weedon believes that his son, who was an excellent student, was defending himself during the altercation. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "I know why they shot himbecause he got the best of them. When you get the best of three dudes, you know, your feelings and emotions get involved," Weedon said. PENNSYLVANIA CHOCOLATE FACTORY EXPLOSION LEAVES FIVE DEAD, TWO MISSING: REPORT Devin Weedon (left), 15, was shot in the chest while walking to Simon Gratz High School in Philadelphia. "People are dying, kids are getting killed," the grieving father added. "I'm telling everybody, you got kids, wife, grandkids, whatever, give them a hug and tell them you love them every morning, cause you never know when you're never gonna see them again." Police are searching for the three suspects involved in the shooting. The Philadelphia Police Department is searching for the three suspects involved in the fatal altercation. Fox News Digital reached out to the Philadelphia Police Department for more information, but has not received a response. Police A Phoenix high school teacher was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of attempting to lure children into engaging in sexual activity with him, according to court documents. Samuel Bauman, a 30-year-old teacher employed by Phoenix Coding Academy High School, was arrested by undercover authorities after they say he used the social media apps Kik and Grindr to find young children with the intent of engaging in sexual activity, according to a probable cause statement. The Maricopa County court documents stated an anonymous source tipped off law enforcement about Bauman's sexual interest in children, prompting an undercover investigation. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigators (HSI) was the lead agency over the investigation and arrest, according to Sgt. Brian Bower, a spokesperson for Phoenix Police Department. According to arrest records, Bauman was a U.S. citizen. According to court documents, Bauman engaged in a conversation with an undercover officer posing as the father of a young boy who was willing to solicit his son to other adults for sexual intercourse. Bauman expressed his interest in the young boy to the undercover officer, court documents say. The conversation then moved from Grindr, a dating app, to Kik, a messaging app that allows people to chat with usernames. During the conversation on Kik, nonsexual photos of Bauman and the young boy were exchanged and Bauman stated he was a teacher. Court documents say Bauman made plans with the undercover officer to drive to an undisclosed location in Scottsdale to meet and have intercourse with the young boy, who he thought to be real. Officers used facial recognition technology to confirm Bauman's identity prior to the meeting date. Bauman had previously been employed by Mesa Unified School District as an English teacher for gifted students, according to court documents. Bauman arrived at the undisclosed Scottsdale location with several sex toys just after 5 p.m. on Thursday, according to the documents. The Phoenix teacher was then arrested by the undercover authorities. Story continues Bauman currently faces one count of sexual exploitation of a minor. His bail is set at $200,000 while he awaits a preliminary hearing on April 3. The court documents did not provide any indication of whether Bauman ever actually engaged in sexual activity with a child. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix teacher arrested on charges of sexual exploitation of a minor A color guard posts the colors during a ceremony to recognize and honor Vietnam War veterans at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. The Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs and Vietnam Veterans of America hosted the ceremony. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News An overflow crowd paid tribute to Vietnam War veterans during a ceremony on Wednesday at the Capitol in Salt Lake City. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. A military color guard posted the colors during a ceremony, hosted by the Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs and Vietnam Veterans of America. Speakers shared their feelings and appreciation, while members of the different branches of the military were recognized. Gov. Spencer Cox also proclaimed the day Vietnam War Veterans Day in Utah, noting that nearly 28,000 Utahns left their homes to serve, and that an estimated 45,000 Vietnam veterans live in the state today. The declaration stated ... we as Utahns come together to show our gratitude and commitment to never forget the heroism and service of our veterans of the Vietnam War. Laura Seitz, Deseret News Laura Seitz, Deseret News Laura Seitz, Deseret News Laura Seitz, Deseret News Laura Seitz, Deseret News Laura Seitz, Deseret News TEHRAN, March 29 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed in Tuesday's flash flood in the southeastern Iranian province of Kerman, the official news agency IRNA reported on Wednesday. The bodies of the victims, who were trapped in a sedan when the flood hit, were found on Wednesday morning, Hamid Salkhordeh, director general of Kerman's Crisis Management Department, was quoted as saying by IRNA. He noted that five people were in the sedan, of which two managed to get out of the car before it was washed away by the deluge. Salkhordeh added that Tuesday night's heavy rainfall has led to flooding in a number of villages in Jiroft county, stressing that the flood has damaged bridges, farmlands and houses. According to IRNA, the heavy rainfall has caused a part of the floodwall in Jiroft county to break. Those purchasing a handgun in North Carolina via a private sale no longer need a background check or permit from their county sheriffs office. Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden on Wednesday said his office would stop processing any pistol purchase permit applications that were already in process, due to the new state law. He said his office does not have the statutory authority to refund the $5 fee applicants paid. On Wednesday, the Republican-controlled state legislature voted to override Gov. Roy Coopers veto to pass Senate Bill 41. The law immediately repeals pistol purchase permits. Before, anyone wishing to buy a pistol would have to apply for the permit and be approved after background checks that included mental health-related court orders. Gun rights advocates celebrated the passage of the law, while gun control activists and the Mecklenburg County Sheriffs Office condemned it. I fully support the second amendment, but I believe removing local sheriffs offices from the approval process puts our communities in danger for the sake of convenience, McFadden said Wednesday afternoon in a statement. The National Rifle Association thanked lawmakers for overriding the veto, according to reporting by The News and Observer. D.J. Spiker, the NRAs state director for North Carolina, said the bill replaces onerous laws that have served no public service. Requiring a permit to purchase a handgun is a burdensome impediment to gun ownership law-abiding residents should not have to ask the government for permission to exercise their Second Amendment rights, Spiker said. Moms Demand Action, a non-profit organization advocating against gun violence, issued a statement saying the law creates a dangerous loophole. The handgun background check law had been on the books in North Carolina since 1919, and provided sheriffs with the authority to deny permits to people who could be a threat to public safety, the organization said. Now the repeal of the bill creates a gap in background checks. Following this veto overrule, the state will create a loophole between state and federal gun laws in which a person would be able to purchase handguns at gun shows or from strangers they meet online with no background check, and no questions asked, the organization said. Licensed firearm dealers, if selling at gun shows, are still required to do background checks under federal law. Concealed handgun permits are also still required. Hey, everyone! Drew here. Its Friday Jr.! Many people help make a school run well. We want to honor those unsung heroes in the Charlotte area. Have someone in mind? Let us know! Were looking for public, charter and private school employees or volunteers in Mecklenburg, Gaston, Lincoln, Catawba, Iredell, Rowan, Cabarrus, Stanly, and Union counties in North Carolina. On to your news. A long line of people stood in front of the Mecklenburg County Sheriffs Office on Thursday morning, May 12, 2022, as they waited to get their fingerprints taken for their gun permits. Those purchasing a handgun in North Carolina via a private sale no longer need a background check or permit from their county sheriffs office. Yesterday, the Republican-controlled state legislature voted to override Gov. Roy Coopers veto to pass Senate Bill 41. The law immediately repeals pistol purchase permits. Gun rights advocates celebrated the passage of the law, while gun control activists and the Mecklenburg County Sheriffs Office condemned it. Kallie Cox details how the law went into effect. Davidson College is recognizing the enslaved workers who helped build the campus with a memorial, sculpture and plaza, it announced Thursday morning. Enslaved people made the bricks for Davidson Colleges original buildings, farmed the campus land and served its students and faculty. Nearly two centuries later, the college is taking another step towards reconciling with its past. Davidson President Doug Hicks announced plans earlier today for a memorial to honor the enslaved and exploited people who helped build the college. The memorial, named With These Hands: A Memorial to the Enslaved and Exploited, will be visible from Main Street. Anna Maria Della Costa shares more on the plans for the memorial. James Holtzclaw, a Charlotte resident, returned to the accident location on South Boulevard where he waited on hold with 911 for several minutes. People in Charlotte expect to receive immediate help in an emergency when calling 911, but some are met with long wait times. In a life threatening situation, a few minutes can make all the difference. Local dispatchers answer 85% of calls in 10 seconds or less, according to CMPD. Thats up from 65% of calls in October 2022. Story continues While CMPD is answering 911 calls faster, there is still room for improvement, according to Daniel Redford, CMPD officer and president of the Charlotte Fraternal Order of Police. Sam Carnes explains. Aalayah Fulmore, left, and her mother Stacy, at a welcome-home party for Aalayah last September. Today, her leg still isnt fully healed. And her family still wants the perpetrator brought to justice. It was early in the morning on Friday, July 8, when Aalayah Fulmore was nearly killed after being struck in the abdomen by a stray bullet that came through the wall of her mothers apartment. Among other things, it caused damage to Aalayahs large intestine and to a major artery affecting blood flow in her leg. She was rushed to the hospital and went into surgery when her heart stopped beating. Doctors were able to get her heart functioning again, but only after cutting open her chest. She wasnt out of the woods just yet. Theoden Janes has more on Aalayahs recovery. 5. Some more stories to read --- Thats it for now. Thanks for reading! If you dont already, subscribe to the Charlotte Observer here. If youre already a subscriber (thanks!), download our iOS or Android app to stay connected. Find more updates at charlotteobserver.com, and follow along on Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok to see more from us. Enjoy your day! Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can sign up here. Pit bull lovers of Miami: You may soon be able to own your dream dog legally and free of fines. Miami-Dade Countys pit bull ban could end with the passage of Florida legislation that would bar local governments and public housing authorities from banning dogs of a specific breed, weight or size. Two lawmakers from South Florida are behind the bill: Sen. Alexis Calatayud, R-Kendall, and Rep. Busatta Cabrera, R-Coral Gables. The proposal, however, allows local governments to adopt policies to prevent attacks as long as they dont single out a breed. Miami-Dade banned pit bulls after a 7-year-old girl was mauled in 1989. Melissa Moreira, the girl attacked, was helping unload groceries after a weekend getaway when a pit bull came out of nowhere, knocked her down and ripped off most of her lip, she told Miami Herald news partner CBS News Miami. Moreira underwent more than eight reconstructive surgeries on her face. It would completely change the way I would interact outside of my home knowing that anyone could have a pit bull next door to me, she told the station. After the attack, the county enacted a $500 fine for anyone who insisted on keeping one of the stocky, steel-jawed dogs. The issue may reach court, and the dog could be removed, according county law. But the muscular breed, feared by many but defended by their owners, have remained commonplace in Miami-Dade. In September 2022, several county officials, including Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, expressed interest in removing the ban. In February in Broward County, a little girl was mauled by a pit bull at a Hallandale Beach playground. A woman and a boy, in a separate incident, were attacked by a pit bull in Pompano Beach that same month. In a statement, Miami-Dade Animal Services reminded residents that county law requires dogs are leashed when off their owners property, with exceptions for areas like dog parks. It is important for the community to keep in mind that any dog can bite, the statement said. Many tragedies can be avoided if owners abide by the leash law. If passed, HB 941 and SB 942 would go into effect on Oct. 1. The House bill has been voted favorable in two subcommittees but will now be heard in the State Affairs committee. The Senate bill was approved in the Community Affairs and Agriculture committees but is now pending review by the Rules committee. Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik released a statement after Pope Francis was sent to the hospital with an infection. RELATED COVERAGE >>> Pope Francis hospitalized with pulmonary infection On Thursday, Zubik asked for people to pray for the pope and reminded the public to remember others who may be suffering from similar health issues. As our Holy Father Pope Francis undergoes hospital treatment for a respiratory infection, I ask your prayers for his swift and full restoration to health. He would certainly ask us to also pray for those without his access to health care for the homeless, the migrants, people who lack insurance or live far from clinics, said Zubik. The bishop also released a prayer for Pope Francis that read: God Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: We thank you for your gift of Pope Francis to the Church and the world. We ask that you strengthen him in body and spirit, guide his physicians and grant him rest and recovery. And, as we pray for him, we ask you also to bring healing to all those who are in need of your help. Amen. Pope Francis has been improving since he was sent to the hospital. RELATED COVERAGE >>> Vatican: Pope improving since hospitalization with infection It is still unclear if the pope will be able to participate in Palm Sunday and upcoming Holy Week celebrations. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Thats all I felt, sheer terror: Parents, students react to active shooter hoax at local schools Owner of auto repair shop in Cranberry Township accused of driving, renting out customer vehicles Hoax active shooter calls prompt heavy police response at Pittsburgh area schools VIDEO: Damar Hamlin takes mission to give schools AEDs, CPR training to D.C. DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts A woman armed with a pogo stick was shot in the chest in North Carolina, officials told news outlets. The injured woman was taken to a hospital after she was shot in self-defense, the Winston-Salem Police Department told WXII. Officers said they were called to a shooting at about 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday, March 29. At the scene south of downtown, police told news outlets they found a shell casing, handgun and a pogo stick a toy that lets people jump up and down. Police believe that the shooting happened after a fight broke out between several people in a parking lot. During the fight, a 29-year-old woman grabbed a metal pogo stick and charged at a 21-year-old, according to WFMY. The 21-year-old fired a single shot in self defense, striking the 29-year-old in the chest, police told news outlets, which didnt share the severity of the womans injuries. An investigation continues, and no charges are expected after an initial investigation. People with information about the case are asked to call police at 336-773-7700, Crime Stoppers at 336-727-2800 or contact officials in Spanish at 336-728-3904, WGHP reported. The Winston-Salem Police Department didnt immediately share additional information with McClatchy News on March 30. Driver fatally shot in chest crashes into apartment, injuring resident, NC cops say Housekeeper shot in chest after knocking on hotel room door, North Carolina cops say Britain's King Charles III (L) receives Poland's President Andrzej Duda during an audience at Buckingham Palace in London The grand ceremonial welcome Germany afforded the King and Queen when they arrived in Berlin yesterday was designed to demonstrate that, despite all the friction caused by Brexit, the Germans still value Britain as an important ally. From providing an escort of German Eurofighter Typhoons for the RAF Voyager carrying the royal party to the 21-gun salute and flypast when the couple landed at Berlins Willy Brandt airport, the German authorities went out of their way to show their respect and appreciation for the royal visitors. Initially, the Kings first state visit since becoming monarch was supposed to include both France and Germany, widely seen as a charm offensive designed to underscore Rishi Sunaks efforts to rebuild relations with Europes major powers post-Brexit. The French leg, of course, had to be postponed because of the nationwide rioting provoked by President Emmanuel Macrons pension reforms. So it was left to the Germans to demonstrate that the major European powers continue to hold Britain and its royal family in high esteem. But while the Germans have clearly gone out of their way to make the King, a German-speaker who is said to cherish his own German ancestry, feel at home, it is questionable whether, as Britain seeks to rebuild its ties with Europe, Germany and France will in the future still deserve to be the focus of our diplomatic effort. It is not just that both Berlin and Paris have gone out of their way to exploit Britains exit from the European Union to their advantage, such as sidelining the City of London as the continents financial hub or doing very little to stop the Channel boat crossings. It is the more alarming reality that, on all the big global issues of the day, from the Ukraine conflict to China, Germany and France invariably find themselves on the wrong side of history. Now, they no longer engender the respect they previously enjoyed when the likes of Helmut Kohl and Francois Mitterrand strode the European stage. Story continues These days, if you want to engage with European countries that fully comprehend the challenges we face, Britains interests would be far better served by expanding ties with Poland and Slovakia. While Berlin and Paris remain conflicted about how best to help the Ukrainian cause, Warsaw and Bratislava have been forthright in their support for Kyiv in its desperate fight against Russian aggression. Their geographical proximity to the Russian border does provide them with an acute understanding of the threat that Vladimir Putins revanchist ambitions pose to European security. They have been unstinting in their backing for the Ukrainian cause, to the extent that, while other European capitals have resisted Kyivs appeals for heavy armour and warplanes, Poland and Slovakia have shown no qualms about sending their fighter jets to assist Ukraines war effort. If the dozen or so Russian-made MiG-29 fighters they are supplying are modest compared with the billions of dollars of weapons being donated by the US and other allies, their gesture nevertheless underscores a vital point for the West: if Ukraine is to prevail on the battlefield, then the Western powers must give the country the weapons it requires to be an effective fighting force. Thanks to the Biden administrations constant equivocation on the Ukraine issue, many Western leaders find themselves in the uncomfortable position of supporting a policy whereby Russia loses the war, but Ukraine does not win. This has led to a marked reluctance by the likes of Germany and France to give Kyiv the help it needs to inflict a comprehensive defeat on Moscow. The hesitancy of these hitherto major European powers to support Ukraine, together with their decidedly ambivalent attitude towards the emerging threat posed by China, means that as Europe prepares for the challenges that lie ahead a new centre of gravity is emerging within the Western alliance one where Central European countries like Poland are more willing to assume a leadership role at the expense of traditional powers such as the French and Germans. The decision by Sweden and Finland to forswear their long-standing neutrality in favour of Nato membership a direct response to Russian aggression against Ukraine supports this trend, together with the contribution of the Baltic states. They, too, are under no illusions about the scale of the threat Russia and other rogue states pose to Europes security. The move to give Nato more backbone would be significantly strengthened if Ukraine were ever to be granted full membership of the alliance, an issue that should no longer be avoided for fear of upsetting Moscow. Having allowed 13 Central and Eastern European states despite Russian objections to join Nato following the end of the Cold War, there will be no justification for denying Ukraine entry, especially if, against the odds, Kyiv succeeds in defeating its Russian foe. Homicide detectives on Thursday arrested a suspect in the killing of a woman whose body was found last week under a bridge in Fort Worth. Joseph Aparicio, 29, was booked on suspicion of murder in the death of Janeecia Mason, 19. Mason was discovered dead about 9 a.m. on March 23 under a bridge at 350 Precinct Line Road, Fort Worth police said. The Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office has not released the cause of Masons death. Police have not released an account or date of the killing, information on the location where they allege it occurred, or described what they allege motivated Aparicio. Masons sister wrote on March 20 in a Facebook post that Mason, who was known as Nene, was missing and was last seen getting into a car on March 17 in the Dallas area. If Texas or federal authorities at some point determine that criminal charges against the mother or stepfather of missing 6-year-old Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez are appropriate, issuing a warrant would make one or both of them fugitives. If that happens, law enforcement could begin the process of extradition from India, police said at a news conference this week. Noel hasnt been seen by family or friends since November, but authorities werent notified that he was missing until they received an anonymous tip on March 20. His mother, who has full legal custody of Noel and lives in Everman, did not cooperate with investigators and lied to them about where her son was, according to Everman police. Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez, a 6-year-old boy with severe disabilities, hasnt been seen since November 2022. He is considered an endangered missing person. She boarded a flight with her husband and six other children from Dallas-Fort Worth Airport bound for Turkey and connecting to India two days before an Amber Alert was issued, authorities said. Police have confirmed that Cindy Rodriguez-Singh and her husband, Noels stepfather Arshdeep Singh, made it to India after initially flying to Istanbul. On Tuesday, Everman Police Chief Craig Spencer said that while investigators have still not been able to find any physical evidence as to what happened to Noel, circumstantial evidence was piling up. The mother initially told police that Noel was with his biological father in Mexico. Homeland Security verified that there is no record of Noel crossing the border into Mexico, Spencer said. The biological father is cooperating with the investigation and has not seen Noel, according to police. Spencer said authorities are concerned that the family might not return to the U.S. to answer questions. They issued warrants for Rodriguez-Singh on a misdemeanor charge of filing a false report and on a probation violation. She was sentenced to 10 years of probation in 2020 on a repeat offense of driving while intoxicated, according to Tarrant County court records. Its unlikely that authorities would try to extradite the mother back to the U.S. on those charges, Spencer said. If the investigation leads to more serious charges, that would lead to fugitive status and federal authorities could help with extradition, he said. Story continues But there are still some boxes authorities would have to check before they could extradite anybody from India. Police said they had no significant updates on the investigation to release Thursday. Please rest assured that as soon as we have something substantial to update, we will happily do so, the department said in a Facebook post. Investigators are not working on a clock and will continue looking for Noel until they find out what happened to him, the police chief said. Requirements and process for extradition from India In order for a crime to be considered extraditable under the treaty between the United States and India, the charges have to be severe enough to warrant punishment for at least one year, no matter if the law or one similar exists in India or if that law is considered as severe there. If that is met, Everman police, or any agency wanting to extradite a suspect from India, would have to work with federal authorities to submit an extradition request through diplomatic channels, by the terms of the treaty. India would require the U.S. to provide evidence, statements, documents, a copy of the warrant, and such information as would justify the committal for trial of the person in the requested state, according to the website for the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C. Indian authorities would review those documents and decide whether to approve or decline the extradition request. In cases of urgency, American authorities can request a provisional arrest while the extradition is being processed. Have U.S. suspects been extradited from India before? Government documents from India indicate that from 2002 to 2015, the latest compiled information readily available, at least 11 people were extradited from India to the United States. The crimes of which the extradited people were accused included murder, terrorism, sexual abuse of a child, fraud, financial fraud and economic offenses. In April 2019, Indian national Hitesh Madhubhai Patel, 42, was extradited to Houston to face charges of general conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy for his role in running a call center to scam people, according to U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement. He was found guilty of scamming U.S. victims out of millions of dollars and sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. In 2014, Mahfuz Huq was returned to the U.S. to stand trial on murder charges after he was accused of murdering a romantic rival in the 1989 slaying of 19-year-old Todd Kelley in Hamilton, Indiana, the South Bend Tribune reported at the time. The Associated Press reported in 2014 that Huq, a naturalized American citizen, pleaded guilty and was sentenced under the terms of a plea agreement to 40 years in prison. Fox News reported in 2014 that Huq appealed to the Indian government not to extradite him. That appeal was shot down by Indian authorities. A man is facing an attempted murder charge after allegedly kicking a person into an MBTA train pit Tuesday, hours before police say he stabbed a man in the face and head in Whitman. Kedrian Deavonni Perry-Marshall, 23, of Whitman violently kicked a train rider waiting on a State Street Station platform around 2 p.m. Tuesday, transit police said in a tweet. The victim was not injured. 3/28 2PM at #MBTA State Street Sta. a male violently kicked an unsuspecting individual into the pit. After an intense investigation TPD detectives on 3/29 arrested Kedrian Perry Marshall, 23, of Whitman for Attempted Murder. The victim declined medical services/not injured. pic.twitter.com/afoax3KTqV MBTA Transit Police (@MBTATransitPD) March 30, 2023 Perry-Marshall was arrested by transit police at 4:00 p.m. Whitman police tell Boston 25 News that the attacker is the same individual behind the stabbing at a Whitman apartment complex later that night. Officers responding to a report of a stabbing at an apartment complex on Myrtle Avenue around 8:15 p.m. found a 27-year-old man suffering from multiple stab wounds to head and face, according to the Whitman Police Department. Whitman police applied for and were granted an arrest warrant for the stabbing charges. Police say the victim went to his neighbors house asking for help. The alleged attacker ran from the area. .@WhitmanPolice are searching for this man who they say stabbed another man in the face and head. It happened Tuesday night at an apartment complex on Myrtle Ave. The suspect was last seen on West St. @boston25 pic.twitter.com/orTueR8noH Kelly Sullivan (@ksullivannews) March 29, 2023 Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW The executive director of the San Jose Police Officers' Association has been charged with the illicit importing of synthetic opioids to the United States, according to a federal criminal complaint filed by the Northern District of California, U.S. Attorney's Office. Joanne Marian Segovia, 64, had been charged with attempting to import valeryl fentanyl, an analogue of the synthetic opioid that has driven the overdose crisis in the United States, said the U.S. Attorney's office in a news release. Segovia came under investigation in late 2022, officials said in the complaint, which was unsealed on Tuesday. Segovia was apprehended as part of an ongoing Homeland Security investigation that was looking into a network shipping controlled substances into the Bay Area from abroad, the complaint alleged. Her information was found in the phone of another network operative, but no further information was available in the complaint or news release. Segovia was first interviewed by federal investigators in Feb. 2023 and continued to allegedly order controlled substances after that. She was interviewed again on March 14, 2023, where she tried to blame her housekeeper for the packages, WhatsApp messages and cash transactions. An investigator said he believed Segovia had "provided false information" to investigators. The complaint alleges that Segovia used her personal and office computers to order thousands of opioid and other pills to her home address. Segovia also allegedly agreed to distribute the drugs in the United States. Between Oct. 2015 and Jan. 2023, Segovia allegedly had at least 61 shipments mailed to her home, the complaint said. In addition to using her home to receive packages, Segovia allegedly used her office at the San Jose Police Officers' Association to distribute the pills. According to her LinkedIn page, Segovia was the executive director of the association for over 19 years, beginning in July 2003. On its website, the association says it represents members on matters like wages, benefits and working conditions. Segovia is no longer listed on the website and it is not clear what her role entailed. Story continues The association did not answer multiple calls placed by CBS News on Thursday morning. At the time of publication, the association had not responded to two e-mail inquiries sent by CBS News. At least one shipment was made using the UPS account of the police association, federal officials said. The packages were sent from overseas, including Hong Kong, Hungary, India and Singapore. Shipping manifests for the packages described them as "Wedding Party Favors," candies, or makeup products, the complaint alleged, but between July 2019 and Jan. 2023, officials intercepted and opened five packages and found that they contained "thousands of pills of controlled substances." The pills included the synthetic opioids Tramadol and Tapentadol, and some parcels held thousands of dollars' worth of drugs, federal officials said. Segovia also allegedly used encrypted messages on WhatsApp to plan the reception and sending of pills, including a three-year period during which she allegedly exchanged hundreds of messages with someone using an India country code, the complaint said. Those messages discussed details for shipping and payment and contained hundreds of pictures of shipping materials, payment receipts and confirmations, and pills and tablets, the complaint said. On Mar. 13, 2023, federal agents seized a parcel in Kentucky that was addressed to Segovia. It contained valeryl fentanyl and originated from China three days prior and the contents were declared to be a "clock." Segovia faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison if convicted. Her first court appearance is scheduled for March 31. Stocks close higher as banking fears subside Texas judge strikes down Affordable Care Act requirement Aaron Judge hits home run on baseball's opening day after breaking American League record TEHRAN, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Iranian foreign minister said on Wednesday that Tehran will host a meeting in the coming days among senior diplomats from Iran, Turkiye, Russia and Syria to bring the views of Damascus and Ankara closer to each other. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks at a joint press conference after meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, according to Iran's official news agency IRNA. Amir-Abdollahian noted that the meeting will be held at the level of deputy foreign ministers, during which a common framework would be defined during the upcoming quadrilateral meeting. The next one will be held at the level of foreign ministers, he added. The minister denied U.S. accusations of "Iran-affiliated groups' attacks" or "strikes by Iranian drones" on its bases in Syria, saying they are "baseless." For his part, Lavrov stressed that all "illegal" sanctions imposed by the United States and its allies against Iran should be lifted, saying the trade between Moscow and Tehran is expanding. "We have a special attention to expanding our trade and economic relations with Iran despite the U.S. sanctions. In 2022, trade between Moscow and Tehran grew 22 percent (year on year)," he added. The Russian foreign minister also noted that there is no replacement for the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, from which the United States withdrew in 2018, calling for the agreement's revival as soon as possible. He emphasized that Russia will not support the West's "destructive" approach which is aimed at changing the world's structure, saying the U.S. rules are based on its own regulations. The executive director of a California police union faces federal charges of running an opioid-smuggling scheme, federal officials say. Joanne Marian Segovia, 64, works for the San Jose Police Officers Association, the U.S. Attorneys Office for Northern California said in a Wednesday, March 29, news release. A criminal complaint accused Segovia of using her home and work computers to arrange at least 61 shipments containing thousands of synthetic opioid pills to her home over the course of about seven years, the release said. The opioids, intended for distribution across the United States, were falsely marked as wedding party favors, gift makeup and chocolates and treats, prosecutors said. In one instance, she is accused of arranging a shipment of fentanyl from China, listed as a clock, that was intercepted in Kentucky after investigators questioned her in February, the release said. Segovia used encrypted WhatsApp communications to plan the logistics of receiving and shipping the drugs, the release said. She exchanged thousands of messages on the app with someone in India between January 2020 and March 2023, discussing shipping and payment details, prosecutors said. If convicted, Segovia would face a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. The San Jose Police Officers Association said in a statement that no one in the union knew about Segovias illicit activities, KTVU reported. The Board of Directors is saddened and disappointed at hearing this news and we have pledged to provide our full support to the investigative authorities, union spokesperson Tom Saggau told the station. The US opioid crisis Overdoses are a leading cause of injury-related death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2021, there were nearly 51,000 overdose deaths in the country, according to CDC data. In the past 21 years, drug overdoses have killed more than 932,000 people, the CDC reported. 33 swimmers accused of harassing pod of dolphins, Hawaii officials say 81-year-old says he killed family to save them from miserable life, Colorado cops say Driver dies after leaping from stolen police cruiser in chase, California cops say Tri-City leaders say law enforcements hands are tied when it comes to dealing with increasing drug use on public sidewalks, street corners and business doorways. Following a state Supreme Court ruling that forced changes to the enforcement of drug possession laws, police say many have been left with the impression that there are no criminal consequences for public drug use. Washington state law currently aims to reduce drug convictions by requiring police to refer offenders to treatment first. But Tri-City leaders who think the possession laws are ineffective believe they now have a way to put teeth back into drug enforcement. And while the Legislature is considering some legal changes this year, many cities dont think the proposals go far enough and arent waiting to fill in the expected gaps. Kennewick and Richland are among the first of a growing number of cities flexing their ability to go beyond state law to criminalize using drugs in public. Pasco is waiting to see what the Legislature passes before considering local ordinances of its own. The pressure on lawmakers may already be working, with state senators now pushing to adopt portions of the ordinances that some cities are passing in their proposals. But the American Civil Liberties Union is throwing up a warning flag. The adoption of these ordinances is a political strategy to keep pressure on Olympia to pass a law this session.... Its not good policy, said ACLU Washingtons political strategies director Alison Holcomb. Washingtonians deserve a coherent, science-based public health response to substance use disorder and the nationwide overdose epidemic, not a patchwork of different laws across the state. New city drug laws New city ordinances in Kennewick and Richland allow police to charge a person using drugs in public or having drug paraphernalia with a misdemeanor rather than referring them to treatment the first two times theyre caught. Richland police Commander Jon Schwarder said that the ordinances were a response to concerns from residents and will help police ensure there are consequences for using drugs in public and discarding drug paraphernalia such as needles or fentanyl-laced foil. Story continues Kennewick police found drugs and drug paraphernalia inside a car after getting a report of a couple using while parked next to a Clearwater Avenue fast food restaurant. There are some flaws in the referral system, Schwarder said. (The ordinances) definitely address the problem of people using illegal drugs in open public places. Thats better for businesses, its better for quality of life for people who live and work in our city, and it definitely shores up holes in our system. Schwarder said that the current referral system has gaps because not all agencies use the same software, so if someone is referred in Richland then gets caught in Yakima or Seattle, then officers in those areas may never know there have been multiple referrals already. He also said the current resources for treatment in the area arent enough for every drug contact to be sent to referral. But with an arrest or ticket, prosecutors can try to direct someone into drug court. The current law for drug possession is set to expire in July if a replacement is not passed this legislative session. While the consumption ordinance excludes cannabis, which already has restrictions on public use, the new rules could potentially impact marijuana users under paraphernalia littering laws. The ordinances as written use current definitions, which include common cannabis paraphernalia. Ineffective law Schwarder said the littering portion of the ordinance has become particularly important because of the high number of calls police receive about residents finding discarded needles or foil with fentanyl residue in public places and near parks. He said they were particularly concerned with discarded items used to consume fentanyl because of the residue or partial pills left, because even a small amount is dangerous if accidentally ingested. They believe it also will help police because simply warning someone away or attempting to trespass them from a public space is difficult to enforce. Private property would be a different story, but the current referral system was just ineffective at preventing people or discouraging open drug use, he said. He hopes that the new ordinances will begin to correct the wrong perception by some that drug use is legal in Washington. Kennewick and Richland are among a growing number of municipalities across the state looking to tighten drug laws after the state Legislature moved to a more treatment-oriented response after old drug possession laws were found unconstitutional. Richlands ordinance was based on a move by Kents city council. Schwarder said that these efforts have been largely prompted by local concern, and encouraged people to speak to their city councils and county commissioners when there are crime and safety issues theyre concerned about. A Drug Free Zone sign is posted near the parking area at the Kenneth Serier Memorial Pool on West Sixth Avenue in downtown Kennewick. The city has passed a new law to fight public drug use. After speaking with community members, they approached the city attorney to see if Kents new ordinance could work in the Tri-Cities. We saw a huge amount of support when we published this on our Facebook page, he said. It makes an impact on the rising tide of drug use and on crime. Sometimes an arrest is actually the beginning of sobriety, once theyre incarcerated they have a huge opportunity to get sober, and we can help direct them to resources, like offering them entry into mental health court or even veterans court. But with limited openings in those courts, State Office of Public Defense Director Larry Jefferson told the Herald there needs to be more investment in treatment options. We just dont seem to be using our full arsenal to move people out of the public spheres, we dont have enough civil beds, he said. To me, the answer is lets build more civil beds instead of (increasing criminalization) but I think a city needs to give their citizens safety in a public space. I think that we just dont need to call folks criminals, he said. We need to be realizing that we have not created the infrastructure to help folks with their addiction needs, thats what we need to increase, Jefferson said. When we add peer support, social workers and a place to go, you can work miracles ... It is possible to put in the investments, and its relational. If people dont feel like they belong they continue to use. A Drug Free Zone sign is posted on the building of the Kenneth E. Serier Memorial Pool on West Sixth Avenue in downtown Kennewick. Similar measures Kennewick and Richland arent the only cities deciding that they cant wait for other options to catch up. Schwarder said Toppenish also has adopted a similar ordinance. And Lakewood also passed a drug use ordinance recently, alongside a ban on overnight camping in public places. The camping ban is directly aimed at the homeless population, with a requirement that police can only enforce it if there are no available beds at homeless shelters within 15 miles. If there are open beds and they refuse to go to a shelter, police could then enforce the ordinance. Those will go into effect within 30 days, according to the Tacoma News Tribune. While the Tri-Cities ordinances dont specifically target the homeless population, previous discussion during a recent Kennewick council workshop centered heavily around examples such as drug use in homeless encampments and by transients near businesses. Schwarder said their intent isnt to target unhoused people, just individuals engaging in drug use in public. The cities argue that state law only refers to possession of a dangerous substance, not consumption, so they have a legal right to fill in that gap. Kennewick City Council approved the ordinances unanimously March 21, and its already taken effect. Richland had a first reading of the ordinance Jan. 3 and approved it Jan. 17 with no public discussion by Richland council members at either meeting. It took effect Jan. 24. Kennewick Assistant City Attorney Laurencio Sanguino said that through March 21, Richland had enforced the ordinances seven times. Six for drug use and once for littering, according to information presented to the Kennewick council last week. A member of the Tri-Cities Metro Drug Task Force holds a bottle of fentanyl pills. Kennewick drug cases Data presented by Kennewick police showed that of 337 referrals in the past 10 months, 22 suspects were referred twice and only two people were referred more than twice. None were charged. Sanguino told the council that he pulled the data from police drug encounters and found that of 585 total encounters, 582 would have led to felony prosecution under old laws. That means Kennewick police responded to drug use or littering calls about twice a day during the 10-month period. Drug possession under the current law is now a misdemeanor, and there is a requirement to refer suspects to treatment programs for at least the first two offenses. Sanguino said that while they can pull data from Richlands encounters because they use the same systems, they cant pull other areas in the state, which could lead to people avoiding prosecution. He said that in most cases officers are seizing and destroying fentanyl and methamphetamine. In some cases both, from the same suspect. There are several suspects who we are prosecuting for property crimes, who were repeatedly referred for consumption or overdose, Sanguino told the council. Theres a direct impact, now that they know theres no possibility of them getting charged, theyre no longer reluctant to use in public places. Mayor Pro Tem Gretl Crawford asked if the police would need to see the consumption themselves or if a business owner could just turn someone in. Kennewick police Commander Randy Maynard said officers need to witness the use, but he believes the ordinance will help the department combat growing issues with drugs, especially fentanyl. Crawford also asked about whether the littering portion of the paraphernalia ordinance could be used in some way to precipitate contact with unhoused people living in abandoned or rundown RVs off Railroad Avenue based on the debris and trash scattered around. Apparent abandoned RVs have become a likely homeless camp site on Railroad Avenue just east of North Fruitland Street in downtown Kennewick on Thursday February 23, 2023 Our belief is it would help us, it would help us in lots of different ways, through contacts with the public, especially with the people we know are possessing personal amounts. The Blake decision when it came out really hamstrung our ability to charge any narcotics related offenses outside of the felony distribution. We struggle with the personal amounts incidents. People such as those that may occupy those abandoned RVs down along the railroad, those residents dont have the thousands of fentanyl pills, they may have a couple that would get them through the night, that would help us with them. Another concern raised was dangerous items discarded near homeless encampments. Sanguino said the most likely charges to come from the new ordinance will be for discarding paraphernalia, especially foil used in smoking fentanyl. This could help police make contact with homeless people if they see signs of drug use. Sanguino said police would need to document any drug related items or use in order to prosecutors to make a case. Fentanyl deaths reached a record high in the Tri-Cities in 2022. Councilman Loren Anderson said, Allowing public consumption of drugs in our community is very harmful to our community ... I dont know the craziness behind the idea to legalize all these things in a public place, but to me, if in order to protect our community, if we can circumvent that, going away from possession to consumption, Im all for it. Proposed possession law The proposed Washington law that Sanguino expects to be passed would make possession a gross misdemeanor, create pretrial diversion programs, require courts to vacate the charge once a defendant completes drug treatment programs and encourages, but does not require, prosecutors to refer offenders to treatment. Defendants who fail the program or refuse treatment would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 21 days in jail on the second offense and 45 days on the third. Sanguino said the difference between a misdemeanor and a gross misdemeanor is that misdemeanors have a maximum sentence of three months in jail, while gross misdemeanors can carry sentences up to one year. The state Senate proposed amendments this week to add public drug use to the bill. The House version would reduce the charges to regular misdemeanors. The bill now goes back to the House to reconsider. File photo. A Kennewick officer reportedly found drugs and drug paraphernalia inside the car, which was parked next to a fast-food restaurant on Clearwater Avenue. What the ordinance says The consumption ordinance would make it unlawful for anyone to intentionally use any dangerous drug in an area generally visible to public view, except with a prescription or as permitted by state law. The discarding of paraphernalia ordinance would make it unlawful for anyone to knowingly thrown on the ground or into any body of water any dangerous drug or drug paraphernalia. Blake decision State v. Blake was a Washington Supreme Court case that effectively declared the states drug possession laws unconstitutional because they did not contain a provision for the suspect to have known they were in possession of an illegal substance. After that decision, the Legislature passed a law that would lower possession of drugs from a felony to misdemeanor and required that suspects be referred to treatment the first two times they are caught. Treatment could come in the form of participating in drug court, veterans court, mental health court or other similar therapeutic courts that require a defendant to meet criteria for treatment and recovery. Benton County has a mental health, drug and veterans courts, but they have a low capacity for the number of participants. The council is expected to get an overview of those courts in April. MEXICO-MIGRATION-FIRE Migrants complain to Mexico's Human Rights Commission Visitor Raul Arturo Ramirez (R) outside the immigration detention center where 38 migrants died during a fire in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua state, Mexico on March 29, 2023. Credit - GUILLERMO ARIASAFP/Getty Images) Video footage circulating online of guards appearing to leave migrants behind after a fire broke out at a detention center in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico late Monday shocked the world, with the tragedy killing at least 39 people and leaving another 28 seriously injured. At least one migrant allegedly lit a foam mattress on fire to protest after they were informed they would be deported, according to Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Scores of people have temporarily settled in the border town as they await the May ending of Title 42, a U.S. policy which prevented migrants from being granted asylum due to concerns that they would increase the COVID-19 public health risk. Ciudad Juarez has become a popular destination for thousands of asylum seekers who hope to enter the United States through El Paso, Texas. Tensions have been rising among officials and residents and there have been reports of agents inhumanely rounding-up people into detention centers. An open letter signed by 210 migrant advocacy organizations on Tuesday reported a lack of water, ventilation and medical access. Mexicos migration policy kills, they wrote. Migration policy experts in the U.S. agree that the incident was completely preventable and was the culmination of inadequate migration policies. This is an example of the type of tragedies we invite with the type of deterrent and barrier policy that our government keeps gravitating towards, says Javier Hidalgo, Director of Pre-Removal Services at immigration nonprofit RAICES. How did U.S. migration policies play a role in the fire? Migrants have been barred from entering the U.S. under Title 42. The policy, which began under former President Donald Trump during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, used the public health emergency as reasoning to expel more than 2.5 million migrants who were seeking asylum. Story continues The policy is set to end on May 11. While the Biden administration has proposed another set of asylum restrictions that could limit the number of migrants who can enter the country, Ariel Ruiz Soto, a policy analyst at the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute, says that proposal is unlikely to roll out due to criticism from international organizations that it is unlawful. Thousands of migrants have perceived that there may be an opening for them, Ruiz Soto says, and are waiting for that policy shift to seek refuge in the U.S. Cities like Ciudad Juarez, have become a holding pen for a lot of migrants, Rachel Schmidtke, senior advocate for Latin America at nonprofit Refugees International, says. Tijuanas shelters, for instance, have a capacity for 5,600 people, per the New York Times, but there are currently some 15,000 migrants overcrowding the city. Many of these asylum seekers are in limbo as new entry point regulations require them to make an appointment with the CBPOnea mobile app that provides services to non citizens who are entering through the southern borderwhich has been riddled with problems, as migrants struggle to be able to make appointments on the app, since its rollout. And Mexico, which has seen the number of migrants substantially increase in the last few years, has not done much to address the needs of their current system. I think also without resources being delegated to where they need to go, the system is going to continue to be overwhelmed and these things will continue to happen, Schmidtke adds. Mexicos Inaction When the fire happened, there were 68 men in the migration center. Most of the men were Guatemalan, with the remaining from Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras and Venezuela. Police have already issued four arrest warrants and identified eight suspectsincluding two federal agents, one state immigration agent, and one migrant who may have started the fire, Mexican authorities said during a press conference on Wednesday. But as the individual actions of the officers fall under question, so too do the broader policies of Mexicos migration system. The Mexicos National Migration Institute (INM)which regulates the entry and exit of migrants in the country Schmidtke says, has a long history of human rights abuses at migration stations. I know the Mexican government uses words like shelters, and says that theyre rescuing migrants, but really what theyre doing is detaining them, Schmidtke adds. If the Mexican government had really held the INM accountable and really tried to improve conditions in these migration stations or amend its detention policies, then this wouldnt have happened. The INM has also recently been under fire by its adjacent citizen council that oversees their operations and makes proposals for the institutes improvement. In a letter released on Tuesday, the council said they documented the deficiencies of migration centers in 2017. Although the INM was aware of failures in their policies, no action had been taken prior to the incident, according to the letter. Mexico now has to plan how to receive migrants who will be sent back from the U.S., though it will notably be a much more diverse population of people than the country has experienced prior to the Title 42 restrictions. What is different today is that one, they have a very diverse population of migrants that are no longer primarily Mexican. And two, that they are different compositions, Ruiz Soto says. (Mexico previously agreed to take in Mexican nationals and citizens from the following seven countries: Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, who were turned away from the U.S. border under Title 42 restrictions.) Some of them are families. Some of them are unaccompanied children. Some of them are single adults. This composition needs to be a central component of how Mexico reconsiders and revises its response or when people return, Ruiz Soto says. That response involves accommodating detention centers for the number of migrants expected, and figuring out how to provide legal services for migrants who may want to seek asylum in Mexico and more, Ruiz Soto adds. Are these types of incidents common? While this does not mark the first time protests have occurred in Mexican migration centers (there was one last October in Tijuana, Mexico and another in the southern Mexican city of Tapachula) experts say the protests are a reflection of boiling pressures and frustrations among migrants [at] the U.S.-Mexico border. Ruiz Soto notes that the city has the resources to deal with this sort of emergency and should have done better. If this type of event occurred in an urban hub with relatively significant resources to prevent these types of catastrophesit may show the possibility of something else like this happening in other [cities] that are less equipped to provide this type of assistance, Ruiz Soto says. Videos of migrants complaining about inhumane conditions and treatment have also been circulating online. Hidalgo tells TIME that while these conditions grew prevalent during the pandemic, they are not dissimilar from what weve been hearing over the years about these facilities. Migrants, many of whom are escaping persecution, are susceptible to maltreatment from migration officials and smugglers as they travel north. A lot of those people are fleeing pretty dire conditions, Schmidtke says. There is a lot of desperation because theyre seeking safety and a better opportunity for themselves and for their families. Theyre not committing any crime, Schmidtke adds.They are simply trying to survive and sell goods on the streets so they can have a livelihood, so they shouldnt really be treated like criminals. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz was among the first Texas officials to weigh in on former President Donald Trumps Thursday indictment on social media, calling it utter garbage. The Democrat Partys hatred for Donald Trump knows no bounds, Cruzs tweet reads. The substance of this political persecution is utter garbage.This is completely unprecedented and is a catastrophic escalation in the weaponization of the justice system. Trump, who is seeking election in 2024, was indicted on Thursday, according to multiple reports. Hes accused of paying hush money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels ahead of 2016 election. Trump has denied the allegations. He is the first former president to be charged with a crime. The potential indictment loomed over a Waco campaign rally on March 25 Trumps first rally of his 2024 presidential bid. On Saturday, his campaign announced a Texas Elected Leadership Team. Members include U.S. Rep. Roger Williams, U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham and Attorney General Ken Paxton. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas The Democrat Partys hatred for Donald Trump knows no bounds. The substance of this political persecution is utter garbage. This is completely unprecedented and is a catastrophic escalation in the weaponization of the justice system. Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 30, 2023 U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Amarillo This is a dark day in American history. President Trumps only crime was MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! These cowardly Democrats HATE Trump and HATE his voters even more. When Trump wins, THESE PEOPLE WILL PAY!! Ronny Jackson (@RonnyJacksonTX) March 30, 2023 I cant believe this is happening in America. President Trump is the GREATEST President Ive ever seen, but because he fights for YOU, they want him BEHIND BARS! Well have the last laugh. President Trump will be BACK in the White House!! Ronny Jackson (@RonnyJacksonTX) March 30, 2023 The hateful Deep State wants this country to BURN. Today they didnt just indict President Trump, they attacked EVERY ONE of his supporters. Were not going to back down. We will NEVER stop supporting Trump!! Ronny Jackson (@RonnyJacksonTX) March 30, 2023 Former U.S. Rep. Mayra Flores, R-Los Indios The case against President Trump is a legal disaster and weaponizing the justice system against a political opponent. The only reason charges are being brought up against President Trump is because he is running for the GOP 2024 presidential nomination. Mayra Flores (@MayraFlores2022) March 30, 2023 Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton As Republicans across the country push and pass voter suppression measures, the reality is that registered voters in the Kansas City area suppress themselves simply by not voting. In fact, local voter turnout numbers are appalling. Will that be the case again on April 4 when Kansas City, Jackson and Clay counties and a few area municipalities hold elections? It doesnt have to be. Although its now too late to register to vote on April 4, those already registered have several options to help them know who and what is on the ballot. They include local news media, the League of Women Voters, Ballotpedia, the Kansas City Board of Election Commissioners, other area election boards and the campaigns themselves. The Stars voter guide, which includes extensive City Council candidate questionnaires, is an excellent place to start. How low is voter turnout here? Its shameful. For example, in the April 2022 elections to choose school board members in several area districts and fill a slot on the Metropolitan Community College board, just 7.04% of registered voters showed up. That looks like a typographical error for 70.4% (which itself should be an unacceptably low number), but its really 7.04%. The election was about educating our children, but more than 9 out of 10 registered voters simply didnt vote then, even though from the nations beginning people have died defending our right to vote. What about the commonly expressed idea that its understandable when few people vote in elections that arent national in nature, dont concern some major issue? Thats an excuse without merit. The local turnout even for so-called important elections is appalling, too. For instance, the Kansas City Board of Election Commissioners reports that for the 2022 midterm elections last November, only 38.47% of those registered voted. Yes, local voters did better in 2020 when there was a presidential race but even then, just 60.53% of Kansas City voters cast a ballot. Story continues Sometimes Kansas voters do better at showing up, but even there the numbers are low. Figures kept by the office of the Kansas Secretary of State show that only 34.2% of registered voters cast ballots in the 2020 primary, though that more than doubled to 70.9% in the general election that year. Still, that means almost 3 out of 10 registered voters failed to do their civic duty. One reason for such disappointing numbers may be that efforts to educate the local electorate fall short of what could and should be done. In fact, there is much to learn about this from Oregon. There, the secretary of states office produces for each election a nonpartisan voter guide as well as election manuals and tutorials. And that material is widely distributed. Does that make a difference? Well, instead of 38.47% of registered voters in Kansas City voting in the 2022 midterm election, 66.9% percent of Oregon voters cast ballots then. But, of course, even that means that one-third of registered voters failed to cast ballots in that election. So the no-show problem isnt just a Kansas City thing. At the base of all of this is the question of whether schoolchildren are taught civics to help them understand how government works and what responsibilities they have as citizens. The National Education Association says that until the 1960s, it was common for public high school students to have three courses in civics and government, but those have been severely cut back due to an increased emphasis on core subjects tied to standardized testing. Beyond that, a study by the Brown Center for Education Policy at the Brookings Institution says many remaining social studies classes are just book learning with little active civic engagement by students. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver is so concerned about this that he has introduced what he calls the Civics Learning Act of 2023. While we arent endorsing this specific legislation, theres no question this is a conversation we need to have to ensure the future strength of our democracy. Whatever the causes of voter apathy, one result is government many people deride as untrustworthy and ineffective. And thats government no one can afford. Polk county residents who lost their licenses due to unpaid traffic tickets will now have the opportunity to reapply for them through the Polk County Attorney's Office. The License Reinstatement Program provides a pathway for residents to get their licenses reinstated by making monthly payments. The payments, including one made up front and others on a monthly basis, will be calculated based on the applicant's income levels, according to the Polk County Attorney's Office. A suspended license prevents people from legally driving to work, driving their kids to school or daycare, driving to medical appointments and more, Polk County Attorney Kimberly Graham said in a news release. Dangerous drivers should lose their licenses, but not people who simply cannot afford to pay a traffic ticket. These changes will allow people with low incomes to get their licenses reinstated and prevent them from receiving future citations for driving with a suspended license. The office temporarily suspended the program due to staffing shortages. Previously, the program required applicants to pay at least a $100 initial fee and a monthly payment of at least $50 to reinstate their licenses. In reinstating the program, the office chose to institute an "ability-to-pay" model based on an applicant's income level. The new version of the program also cuts down wait times for status updates on applications. It now will take no more than 10 days to get an update, down from as long as six weeks, according to the release. Due to the temporary suspension of the program, the Polk County Attorney's Office recommends residents reapply if they originally applied to the program between Dec. 15 and Jan. 19. Residents whose licenses have been suspended for other offenses, including OWIs, should contact the Iowa Department of Transportation to see if they are eligible. Those who owe child support payments, victim restitution or civil fines are not, according to the release. Francesca Block is a breaking news reporter at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at FBlock@registermedia.com or on Twitter at @francescablock3. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Polk County Attorney's Office reopens license reinstatement program Pollution Water companies will be forced to take money off bills if they pay out large bonuses to bosses while harming the environment, under plans by the regulator. Water companies paid out 14.7 million in bonuses, benefits and incentives last year, despite their records on pollution hitting new lows. Under proposed new rules, companies will still be able to make payouts - but Ofwat, the regulator, will assess whether they match performance, including on the environment. If it deems payouts should not have been made, water companies will be ordered to cut customers bills so that households are not paying for bonuses. Average bills could still rise, to reflect other pressures including the need to fund new infrastructure. Emma Clancy, chief executive of the Consumer Council for Water, said the rule change would need to make a clear difference for customers. Customers dont want chief executives to be rewarded for failure, so we look forward to examining the detail of Ofwats proposals on bonuses, she said. Our research shows that people want to see evidence bonuses have been earned by companies delivering on commitments to their customers and the environment. People also want far greater transparency on pay. We want chief executives to explain to their customers who are not able to switch supplier why their salaries are justified. Water firms being made 'more accountable' Ofwat is now consulting on how the new rules will work. David Black, its chief executive, said: In too many cases, bonuses paid do not reflect the reality of company performance. Customer trust is damaged when executive bonuses are not aligned to water company performance for customers and the environment. We said that if companies did not address this we would take action, and that is exactly what we are doing. Alongside our new rules on dividend payments, this is part of our ongoing work to make companies more accountable for their actions. Earlier this month, Ofwat announced new licence conditions prohibiting water companies from paying dividends to investors if their financial resilience is at risk. Story continues The regulator has been criticised in recent weeks for not doing enough to stop water companies releasing sewage into rivers and beaches, or cracking down on leaks. In a decision last October, Ofwat forced 11 of 17 water companies to cut their bills by a total of 150 million after they missed targets on sewage pollution and flooding peoples homes. Responding to the Ofwat announcement, Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said: "This is pathetic. The Government should ban all water company exec bonuses today. Instead, we have a weak regulator calling on feeble committees to consider reducing bonuses. What a complete farce. "Water company execs pocket millions in bonuses every year while pumping our rivers and beaches full of disgusting sewage. They are raking in the cash while the British public is left to swim in filth. Frankly, the whole thing stinks." Rome The Vatican said Thursday that Pope Francis had "rested well" overnight after being hospitalized with a respiratory infection, and that "his clinical picture is gradually improving and he is continuing his planned treatment." "This morning after breakfast, he read some newspapers and resumed work. Before lunch, he went to the little chapel of the private [hospital] apartment where he prayed and he received the Eucharist," Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement. The Vatican said late Wednesday that the pope had checked into Rome's Gemelli hospital complaining of difficulty breathing, and that the 86-year-old pontiff would need a few days of treatment at the facility. He does not have COVID-19, according to the Vatican. Pope Francis meets children at the end of his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, March 29, 2023. / Credit: Alessandra Tarantino/AP As CBS News correspondent Chris Livesay reported, Francis' hospitalization brought a wave of sympathy from around the world, including from President Biden, who urged people to "say an extra prayer for him." Just hours before he was admitted for treatment, the pope appeared to be in good health at his general audience in St. Peter's Square as he greeted the faithful, but afterward he was seen wincing in pain as he climbed back into the "Popemobile." Pope Francis is helped to get back into his vehicle at the end of weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, March 29, 2023. / Credit: Alessandra Tarantino/AP In a tweet on his official "Pontifex" account, Francis said he was "touched by the many messages received in these hours and I express my gratitude for the closeness and prayer." Francis has often relied on a wheelchair to get around since he tore a knee ligament last year. When he does walk, he has a pronounced limp. The mobility issues have forced him to cancel both Vatican celebrations and overseas trips. I am touched by the many messages received in these hours and I express my gratitude for the closeness and prayer. Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 30, 2023 Outside the Gemelli hospital, the faithful have kept vigil since Francis was admitted, much as they did in 2021, when he was hospitalized for 10 days for colon surgery. He was treated for diverticulitis, a painful condition that, Francis revealed in January, had returned. Story continues The health problems have fueled persistent rumors that Francis, now a decade into his papacy, could decide to resign, as did his predecessor Pope Emeritus Benedict. CBS News Vatican consultant Father Anthony Figuereido told us recently, however, that Francis had "certainly made it clear - unless he's impeded from being a pope, maybe through some minor difficulty, some illness of the mind, he will continue to be that pope." Earlier this year, Francis became the first pontiff in modern history to preside over the funeral of his predecessor. Francis championed Benedict's "brave" decision to retire at the age of 85, a year younger than the current head of the Catholic Church is now. U.S. added 236,000 jobs in March, Labor Department says How to online-date safely in a post pandemic world Vice President Harris meets with ousted Tennessee lawmakers It hit Kaylie Marley in school. A strong, epoxy-like odor that nauseated her and dozens of classmates and teachers at Spooner Middle School in Wisconsin. By the time they evacuated, Kaylie was feeling lightheaded. She passed out and was rushed to the hospital by ambulance. A similar odor struck David Walsh when he returned home from work. It reminded him of fiberglass resin a strong, sickening scent that assaulted his nostrils and made his head pound. His wife and two children, who had spent the day in the familys home in Shoreline, Washington, complained of nausea and headaches. They soon felt so unwell that they packed their bags and left. Rob Shoaff also was at home when he detected it. The smell, which he likened to plastic model cement, originated in the basement but soon spread to multiple floors of his three-story house in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It irritated his nose and gave him headaches that lingered even after the smell was gone. David Walsh and his family had to flee their Shoreline, Washington, home after noxious gas from a nearby cured-in-place-pipe sewer project seeped into their house in late 2020. Dozens of similar incidents coast to coast have not only triggered headaches, nausea and evacuations but also sparked claims of lasting injuries and even death caused by noxious fumes from an increasingly popular pipeline rehabilitation procedure. Cured-in-place pipe lining creates a new pipe inside an old one by inserting a soft, resin-soaked liner into a damaged pipe, inflating it with pressurized air, then heating it so it hardens. It costs about eight times less than a traditional pipe rehabilitation project and eliminates the need to dig up streets, reroute traffic or haul away debris. And it has been used on hundreds of millions of feet of underground infrastructure a figure expected to grow as the nation races to rehab its aging water and sewer lines. Those efforts are accelerated, in part, by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, which is providing $50 billion to local governments for water and sewer improvements. Many of those dollars already are flowing to cured-in-place pipe lining projects. Story continues Yet the process carries an inherent public health risk that the industry has downplayed, and government regulators have all but ignored, even as the list of exposures continues to grow, a USA TODAY investigation found. Members of an Insituform CIPP installation crew feed resin liner into an old sewer pipe in south Shreveport, Louisiana, in 2017. Volatile organic compounds released during the heating process can escape as a chemical plume traveling out of the manholes and through the lateral connections linking the main pipe to the properties it serves. Inside that plume can lurk styrene, benzene, methylene chloride and phenol, along with bits of uncured resin, partially cured plastic and hazardous air pollutants, according to scientific research funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Styrene, in particular, is considered a probable carcinogen that, when inhaled, can irritate the eyes, nose and throat. It can also impair the nervous system, inducing dizziness, headaches, slowed reaction times, loss of balance, nausea and unconsciousness, according to the CDC. Several people told USA TODAY their symptoms lasted weeks. In some cases, they never went away. Susan Dosier said she developed permanent hearing loss and a ringing in her ear after standing near a pipe lining cloud by her house in Bend, Oregon, in late 2018. Kaylie, the middle school student, has suffered recurring headaches since the incident at her school in November 2021. Sometimes she gets them twice a week, said her mother, Lauren Marley. Walsh said his daughter also has had frequent headaches since their episode in 2020. At least three workers in two pipe-lining incidents have died after exposure to the chemicals. One of them was 22-year-old Brett Morrow, who entered a pipe in 2017 to free a stuck, resin-soaked liner. Overcome by styrene, he passed out and drowned, his death certificate shows. In October, a Florida woman settled a lawsuit with a contractor she blamed for her 71-year-old mothers death. Nancy Loft alleged that fumes from a 2015 cured-in-place project infiltrated her mothers Deerfield Beach home, knocked her out and touched off a series of health complications that claimed her life a year and a half later. Yet the cured-in-place pipe-lining industry is completely unregulated when it comes to public health. No state or federal agency actively monitors work sites or requires safety protocols to eliminate or prevent harmful emissions from leaking into the environment. Its sort of the Wild West, said Matt Belcher, a Chicago-based attorney who represented Morrows family in a lawsuit against several defendants, including the liner manufacturer, that was settled for $3 million in 2021. Nobody is policing these things. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration does regulate the industry with regards to worker safety. It fined Morrows employer $77,604 after determining the company violated 15 regulations in connection with his death inside a cured-in-place pipe. But its oversight doesnt protect the general public. That leaves the industry responsible for policing itself. And while it has adopted voluntary guidelines to control worksite emissions, it has vigorously rejected evidence of widespread public health risks. Susan Dosier says she developed permanent hearing loss and a ringing in her ear after standing near a CIPP cloud by her house in Bend, Oregon, in November 2018. In 2017, the National Association of Sewer Service Companies, whose membership includes cured-in-place pipe contractors, publicly denounced a peer-reviewed study led by Purdue researcher Andrew Whelton that determined the process releases noxious emissions into the air. The association at the time vowed to fund an independent study to challenge and/or confirm the information. It paid the University of Texas at Arlingtons Center for Underground Infrastructure Research and Education, whose board includes cured-in-place industry members, to review published reports of the process health risks. The group concluded in 2018 that the methodologies of those reports were flawed and their results non-conclusive. Whelton said those criticisms lack merit and noted that his team has published numerous peer-reviewed papers about the pipe emissions, some of which received funding from state and federal agencies, including the CDCs National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. His Purdue-sponsored CIPP Solutions Group website also maintains a list of human and environmental incidents, with more than 100 entries across 35 states, many of them related to schools and day care centers. Sheila Joy, executive director of the National Association of Sewer Service Companies, said in an email to USA TODAY that her group continues to fund research evaluating health risks from cured-in-place pipe emissions and updates its safety guidelines based on those studies. Recent updates include a recommendation to establish a 15-foot perimeter around the manholes where emissions exit and to provide additional personal protective gear for people who work closely with the chemicals. Help USA TODAY investigate the cured-in-place pipe industry USA TODAY is reporting on noxious fumes from cured-in-place pipe projects. If you have been affected as a worker, a member of the public or in some other capacity, we want to hear from you. We will not use your information without your permission. Contact investigative reporter Emily Le Coz: elecoz@usatoday.com. Contact us Joy also pointed to a one-page document the group created for the general public explaining how to eliminate or minimize fumes from such projects. Called Whats That Odor, the document seeks to reassure people by noting that styrene occurs naturally in the environment and says that just because you can smell it, doesnt mean its dangerous. But Whelton said his research shows otherwise. Both styrene resin and non-styrene resin emissions pose health risks to humans and animals, he said. If the industry wont invest in technology to contain the fumes, he said, the government needs to step in and order it. There are ways to use CIPP responsibly and safely, but currently, cities, municipalities and the industry embrace this dirty process for allowing waste to leave the worksite and harm other people, he said. The practice is inherently dangerous because there are no controls. Are you going to get a car with a seatbelt or no seatbelt? From a mushroom farm to the sewer Cured-in-place pipe lining started, oddly enough, on a mushroom farm. A leaky air duct over a bed of growing fungi didnt easily lend itself to repair. So English agricultural engineer Eric Wood decided to create a new duct inside the old one by inserting a resin-soaked liner, inflating it with air and leaving it to cure. Woods solution worked so well that he patented the process and started a company, Insituform from the Latin phrase to form in place. Its first municipal project was in 1971 in East London, where Wood rehabilitated a 230-foot-section of a century-old sewer for the Thames Water utility company. Since then, the industry has exploded into a constellation of major contractors and countless mom-and-pop operations. Today, they comprise a global market that was valued at nearly $2 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $3 billion by the end of the decade with the United States its biggest customer base. Clients have included the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which contracted the relining of a 120-inch storm sewer underneath McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey; Culver City, California, for the relining of an aging wastewater pipeline; and the Maryland Transportation Authority, for the restoration of the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel fire suppression system. Members of an Insituform CIPP installation crew prepare to feed a resin liner into an old sewer pipe in Shreveport, Louisiana. The process involved in these projects is largely the same, although the specific types of resins, fabrics and curing methods can vary. The most popular of these materials and methods, though, are also the most prone to harmful fumes. Polyester-resin soaked liners contain more volatile organic compounds than other resins and, during the curing phase, release more hazardous air pollutants. But polyester resin is cheaper and works just as well as other resins for most sewer and stormwater projects, so its typically the top choice. SUBSCRIBE: Help support quality journalism like this. And of the three main curing methods UV light, hot water and steam steam dominates the market because of its easier setup, quicker drying time and stronger finished product. It also produces the most emissions. That these emissions dont automatically infiltrate every dwelling is thanks to a plumbing feature commonly called the P-trap. This U-shaped bend in the pipes under most sinks and toilets is designed to trap enough water from daily washes and flushes to effectively block fumes from the sewer from entering a structure. Drains arent the only way for fumes to enter a building. They can seep in through cracks in the foundation, doors, windows and air intakes. But even drains are not a fail-safe. Some older buildings lack these U-shaped traps. And water can evaporate from the traps of rarely used sinks, toilets and bathtubs, clearing the path for fumes to enter and spread. Even when the traps are full, pressurized steam or liquid from cured-in-place pipe projects can blow the standing water out of toilets and drains. Thats what happened to Courtney Hirsch, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, during a pipe relining project in January 2020. Multiple times during the project, Hirsch said, a sudden rocket of water would blast up from her toilet and spray water and old toilet paper everywhere. Her house smelled like burnt plastic for weeks, she said, causing her severe headaches, nosebleeds and eye irritation. They told us to put water in our drains, but that didnt work, she said. They also told us the odor was safe, but if Im experiencing all these symptoms, I dont think its safe. 'Sweep it under a rug' People may get little to no warning of the dangers. Mailers, door hangers and FAQs alerting residents to these projects tend to omit, deny or downplay the potential health threats, according to a USA TODAY review of more than a dozen such communications. A public notice issued last year by the Town of Canton, Connecticut, said ahead of a sewer relining project that a glue or fiberglass odor may get into the building through improper or clogged venting, dry traps, or, in some older homes, floor drains that are connected to the sanitary sewer. If you detect an odor, please ventilate your home by opening a window. A public notice issued last year by the Town of Canton, Connecticut, told residents the odor was not harmful. Then, in bolded and underlined text, it continued, The odor is not harmful and will dissipate quickly. A door hanger left in 2015 by Insituform in Deerfield Beach, Florida, advised residents to pour water into floor drains and rarely used sinks, tubs and toilets to prevent odors from entering the home. If that doesnt work, it said, the trap may require repair. You may need to temporarily place plastic bags filled with water over the drain to prevent the backflow of odors or open windows to allow ventilation, the door hanger said. If you continue to smell odors, please call the Insituform representative. When people do call the company, theyre typically told not to worry, said former Insituform employee Anthony Perez, who spent about three years on a crew in Littleton, Colorado. He remembers counseling residents there about the chemical smell. We were told to tell the person that you may get a headache, but were around it every day, and were OK, he said, adding that was what the company told its employees, too. They basically just said, Its safe. The culture seemed to be: Were tough, we can handle it. Dont be the one to whine about its effects. Since leaving the industry, though, Perez, now 40, has developed severe emphysema and COPD despite having never smoked cigarettes. He said doctors cant figure out why his lungs are visibly scarred and failing. But he believes his problems were caused by regular exposure to high concentrations of styrene and other chemicals on the job, which required him to crawl into manholes when the pipe was still hot to cut the ends of the line. Former Insituform employee Anthony Perez developed severe emphysema and COPD that he believes were caused by regular exposure to high concentrations of styrene and other chemicals on the job. I can remember times being in the manhole where the vapor was so thick I couldnt see my hand in front of my face in there with no respiratory protection, he said. The industry is like, Sweep it under a rug. Aegion Corporation, the parent company of Insituform, did not respond to emails and voicemails seeking comment for this story. A FAQ from the Sacramento Area Sewer District said that while unpleasant for some, the odor from a cured-in-place pipe project is not harmful and air emissions associated with the project meet all local, state, and federal requirements for the protection of public health. Thats at odds with a 2017 California Department of Health safety alert noting that the emissions contain potentially toxic chemicals and advising that cities and contractors should not tell residents the exposures are safe. Persons who detect an odor and experience health symptoms near CIPP installation sites should contact their medical provider and local health department, the alert said. The Florida Department of Health issued a similar statement in a fact sheet in 2020. Yet when Rob Shoaff called his health department after pipe-lining fumes filled his Harrisburg home, he said, nobody there knew what he was talking about. They werent sure how they could even do anything, said Shoaff. I was asking them if they could come out and test and document it. There was nobody testing. That was my biggest gripe no one was monitoring it to find out to what extent it was affecting people. The work was part of a sewer pipe rehabilitation project contracted out by the municipal utility authority, Capital Region Water. After Shoaff and several other residents complained about the strong smell, the utility issued a notice saying the odor does not pose a significant risk to human health. It advised them to add water to their drains and open their windows even though temperatures that January hovered around 40 degrees. When opening the windows didnt work, Shoaff said, he called Capital Region Water again. The utility sent representatives to his house and brought in a portable air filtration device called an air scrubber to try to eliminate the odor, records show. It also issued a temporary stop order on the work to investigate the situation, and afterward it decided to not use the same type of steam-cured resin liner in the future, the utilitys community relations manager, Steven Early, told Shoaff in a March 2020 email. Shoaff said he was thankful for the remediation efforts but astounded by what he considered a lack of planning. Most of this neighborhood is older houses designed way back when there were no traps to seal out any smells, Shoaff said. They could have researched that. Utility spokeswoman Rebecca Laufer told USA TODAY that Capital Region Water considers public health and safety, as well as industry best practices, when planning pipe rehabilitation projects. Its construction coordinator also obtained training and certification in so-called trenchless pipe technology to be able to understand and inspect projects. After a few days with the air scrubber running in his house, Shoaff said, the odor disappeared and eventually so did his symptoms. Sometimes, though, an air scrubber wont cut it. Family told to get out of the house Nestled along the Puget Sound just north of Seattle, the city of Shoreline, Washington, hired Insituform in June 2020 to repair more than a half-mile of damaged stormwater pipe. Five months later, on Nov. 4, a crew appeared at a manhole outside the Walsh residence and began blowing steam into a polyester resin-soaked liner snaking through the pipe under the neighborhood. A strong odor soon filled the house. While David Wash and his wife, Eilee, stuck it out at home, their children couldnt stand the smell and spent the night at friends houses. The next morning, Eilee called the city, which sent an employee. He didnt smell anything, city records show. But the Walshes smelled it. On the second day, Eilee contacted an industrial hygienist who told her to get out of the house. Eilee immediately relayed the information to city project manager Lea Bonbrake. David Walsh pointing out the sewage drain outside his home in Shoreline, Washington. He and his family spent two months living out of hotels and Airbnbs while the city of Shoreline conducted numerous air tests and hired professional cleaners to try to eliminate the odor. Shoreline hired the work to put the chemical into the system, the city caused the problem, and the city should protect our health until the odor is gone by putting us up in another place to live, Eilee told Bonebrake in an email Nov. 6, 2020, obtained through a public records request by USA TODAY. Shoreline agreed, but neither party had anticipated the time, cost or effort it would require to properly decontaminate the familys home. For the next two months, the Walshes stayed in a series of hotels and vacation rentals while the city employed a variety of methods to fully mitigate the odor. It hired a company to run air scrubbers in the house. It sent in professional cleaners to remove the odor from the rugs and furniture. It had charcoal filters installed. It sprayed pressurized water into the newly refurbished pipe to see if that would reduce the smell. Shoreline also hired a certified industrial hygienist, Barbara Trenary, to conduct several rounds of air testing in the home. The first test, which was done the day of Eilees Nov. 6 email to Bonebrake, showed styrene concentrations that hit the limits of the air detector at 58 parts per billion. The actual concentration is significantly above the value reported, the analytical report noted. The level, however, was below the long-term exposure ceiling set by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the federal agency that makes recommendations to prevent work-related injuries. It deems safe styrene concentrations under 50 parts per million for long-term exposure and 100 for short-term. Thats also the limit set by the industry itself. David Walsh says his cat, Zak, may have given the family early signs that something was amiss. The Walshes had been in the house for two days. Before they left, Eilee had started to experience vertigo and was feeling intoxicated, she told the city in an email. Even the family cat had trouble keeping its balance, she said. The next air test, done six days later, showed the styrene concentration had dropped to 21 ppb. The city agreed to continue paying for the familys lodging while doing more cleaning. Each subsequent test done 10 days to three weeks apart revealed a continual drop: first 6.7 ppb, then 1.3 and finally, three days after Christmas, 0.4. In emails, the city used the results to encourage the Walshes to return home. But the family wouldnt budge until the city paid for an independent consultant to review the results and declare the levels safe. There was a lot of back-and-forth about it, a lot of, Oh, were not going pay for your lodging after such-and-such a date, and it was like, we said, No, were going to get our own lawyer if you dont take care of this, David Walsh said. At one point, he even emailed the mayor requesting a meeting to ensure the city would honor its obligations. The request was denied. City officials, meanwhile, consulted with their own legal team and a third-party environmental firm. That firm, Floyd|Snider, reviewed the testing results and, on Jan. 5, 2021, gave the Walshes the green light to return home. The ordeal cost Shoreline more than $75,000 in lodging, testing, cleaning, consulting and legal fees, according to city invoices. Thats on top of the nearly $400,000 contract with Insituform. It was the first and only time the city had a situation like that, said Shoreline spokesman Eric Bratton. Previous cured-in-place projects had generated a handful of odor complaints, he said, but not to the same degree. Asked if Shoreline has done any cured-in-place projects since then, Bratton said no. David Walsh called the ordeal a good case study for why the process needs regulation. This was an unacceptable health and safety exposure to my family, he said. So, yeah, I think it needs to be regulated really, really needs to be regulated and needs to be regulated by probably a federal agency, not at a local or even a state level. 'I urge you to prevent harm' The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for protecting the public from harmful emissions, and it already regulates one industry that uses the same chemicals found in cured-in-place pipe lining: boat manufacturing. Fiberglass boat manufacturing in particular uses resins that contain styrene, which is emitted into the environment during three phases: mixing, application of a gel coat and curing. The EPA has long recognized styrene as a hazardous air pollutant, belonging to a group of polymers and resins that can cause reversible or irreversible toxic effects following exposure. Under its National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants rule, boat manufacturers must limit styrene emissions to a threshold calculated for each operation. They also must demonstrate compliance by monitoring, testing, record-keeping and reporting their results to the EPA. Boat manufacturing is a fixed-place operation, which makes it more feasible to regulate than the countless cured-in-place pipe projects happening across the country on any given day. Contractors from AEGION use cones to redirect traffic in Palm Beach, Fla., as they work to reline a sewer on Jan. 17, 2023. Sewer relining or pipe relining is a trenchless sewer repair method that creates a brand new pipe directly inside the old one using an epoxy lining. In boat manufacturing facilities, its always the same, day after day, and you always have a street address, said Whelton, the Purdue researcher. For CIPP, you drive around the country going to different cities and encounter different environments. The EPA typically does not regulate temporary sources of air pollution, agency spokeswoman Melissa A. Sullivan told USA TODAY in an email, adding that its not clear that cured-in-place pipe processes would meet the definition of a major stationary source, such as boat manufacturing. The Cured-In-Place-Piping (CIPP) process does not appear to be covered by any current source categories of national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants, Sullivan said. However, Whelton said the EPA has authority under the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act to force standards upon these pop-up operations. He urged EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan to regulate the industry in a pair of letters sent in March 2021 and again in February 2022. He said an EPA employee later suggested he contact the CDC instead, but when he did, the CDC told him its a local issue. In the absence of EPA oversight, municipalities hiring these contractors wont impose their own rules because it can cost them money, Whelton told Regan in his letters, which he also shared with several members of Congress. I urge you to prevent harm to bystanders and the environment, Whelton wrote in one of the letters before ticking off a list of styrene exposures that have affected the health of children. Among them was the Spooner Middle School incident that had sickened Kaylie. Work on that project was done by Michels Corporation, a Wisconsin-based construction company with a global footprint and owned by a politically connected family. One of its three co-owners, Tim Michels, ran for governor of Wisconsin last year on the Republican ticket, winning the endorsement of former President Donald Trump but losing in the general election. Spooner was not the first school-related incident linked to Michels Corporation. In October 2018, fumes from a job site sickened two teachers at Riverview Elementary in Vancouver, Washington, according to an incident report. Both sought medical treatment after feeling lightheaded and vomiting. None of the children reported symptoms. Workers from Michels said they had never had any problems and were surprised to hear about the problems at the school, the report noted. When it happened three years later at Spooner, the impact was more severe. Sixty-four students and teachers fell ill after the odor seeped into the building around 9:30 a.m., triggering pandemonium and ultimately an evacuation. Parents showed up after school to pick up their kids, only to scramble to find them. So many had been taken to the hospital, even across state lines, and we werent told, said Kaylies mother, Lauren Marley. When I finally located her, my baby was incoherent, hooked up to machines. She didnt even recognize me; she looked lifeless. Officials closed the school building for more than a month as officials first tried to identify the source of fumes, then spent weeks airing it out and testing for safety. Since then, several parents, including Marley, have hired Milwaukee-based attorney Randall Rozek to represent them against the school, the city and the contractor for injuries they blame on the exposure. Those injuries include frequent headaches, anxiety and possible brain damage, according to a notice of a claim sent to the defendants. The lawsuit has not yet been filed, however, the attorneys office told USA TODAY. Spooner Fire Chief Darren Vik said a multi-agency investigation was unable to determine the source of the odor, which had dissipated by the time testing occurred. The city never had problems with the procedure in the past, said Spooner Administrator William Marx, and officials just opened bids this week on another cured-in-place project. Michels Corporation did not respond to emails and voicemails seeking comment for this story. Spooner Area School District Superintendent David Aslyn declined to comment, citing the litigation. While the city has moved on, Marley said she and her daughter cannot. She said shes upset that nothing has been done to prevent these situations from happening and that her daughter is paying the price. Im pissed off that that shes not OK and still has headaches, Marley said. Were worried about the long term. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cured-in-place pipelining sickens scores of people as popularity grows An abortion-rights rally on June 29 in Kent. The Portage County Democratic Party will host a reproductive rights petition signing from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Old Kent Jailhouse at Fred Fuller Park, 497 Middlebury Road, Kent. The event is part of a statewide effort by abortion-rights advocates to collect 413,446 valid signatures from 44 counties to put a reproductive rights constitutional amendment on the ballot. Such an amendment would ultimately reverse Ohio's so-called "heartbeat law," which bans all abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected. The law is undergoing legal challenges and has not taken effect. Christopher Clevenger, vice chairman of the party, said the event is one of several the Ohio Democratic Party has organized to collect 800,000 signatures statewide. The signatures, he said, must come from voters in half of Ohio's 88 counties. Although the event is to collect signatures primarily from Portage County voters, people from other counties can sign petitions as well. More: Reproductive Rights Petition Signing Those who are not registered to vote can fill out a form to register and sign the petition the same day. More than 1,600 voters were purged from the voting rolls by the Ohio Secretary of State's Office, the League of Women Voters recently reported. Residents can check whether they are still registered to vote at the Portage County Board of Elections website in advance. If approved by voters, Ohio lawmakers and state officials could not ban abortion until after fetal viability, which is the point in a pregnancy when physicians say a fetus can survive outside of the womb. That is typically about 23 to 24 weeks into pregnancy. Current Ohio law prohibits doctors from performing abortions after cardiac activity is detected, which is about six weeks into pregnancy. That law, signed by Gov. Mike DeWine in 2019, is currently on hold by a court order. Ohio Senate Republicans, meanwhile, hope to amend Ohio's constitution to make it less likely that the amendment will be approved. They're pushing forward with a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would require constitutional amendments - like the one on abortion rights - to gain 60% support from voters to pass instead of 50%. They also hope to change Ohio's voting rules to push forward with that change in an August special election. The USA TODAY NETWORK Ohio Bureau reporter Jessie Balmert contributed to this report. Reporter Diane Smith can be reached at 330-298-1139 or dsmith@recordpub.com. This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Portage Dems collecting signatures for abortion-rights amendment UN Security Council demands end of advances by M23 rebels in DR Congo Xinhua) 09:29, March 30, 2023 UNITED NATIONS, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Wednesday adopted a presidential statement, demanding the end of any further advances, and withdrawal from all occupied areas by the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The council strongly condemns the increase in attacks by the M23 in the country's North Kivu province in recent months and the advances of M23, which are worsening security and stability in the region and further exacerbating an extreme humanitarian situation, said the statement. The Security Council demands the immediate and full implementation of commitments on the cessation of hostilities, the end of any further advances by the M23, and its withdrawal from all occupied areas as agreed through the African Union-endorsed Luanda Process, it said. "The Security Council further demands that all external parties immediately cease their support to Security Council-sanctioned M23 and withdraw from the DRC," it added. The council also strongly condemns increased attacks by certain other armed groups against civilians in Ituri and North Kivu, demanding that all members of armed groups immediately and permanently disband, lay down their arms, end and prevent violations perpetrated against women and children, and release children from their ranks. Further, the Security Council underlined the importance of a political resolution of the current crisis, urging all Congolese armed groups to participate unconditionally in the Eastern African Community-led Nairobi process. "The Security Council reiterates its support to regional efforts through the East African Community-led Nairobi Process and the Luanda Process to rebuild trust, resolve differences through dialogue and to continue to make use of existing subregional organisations and mechanisms," the statement said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) ADEN, Yemen, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of people were forced to leave their homes as the fighting between the Yemeni government and the Houthi militia continues to escalate in the country's oil-rich province of Marib, a military official said on Wednesday. Key areas in Marib have been engulfed in armed confrontations over the past few days, leading to a large number of casualties on both sides, the local military official said on condition of anonymity. He said that the situation has become increasingly dire for the civilians caught in the crossfire in Marib's district of Harib, as many have been forced to leave their homes and belongings behind in search of safer places. "The ongoing battles prompted a mass exodus of people from several villages in Marib and Shabwa provinces, causing overcrowding in temporary shelters and refugee camps with limited resources," said the official. From March 19 to 25, approximately 235 families, comprising 1,410 individuals, were forced to leave their homes in Marib, Hodeidah, and Taiz, according to a statement issued by the International Migration Organization (IOM) on Tuesday. The total number of families that had been transferred to various provinces in Yemen since January was 2,030, consisting of 12,180 individuals, according to the IOM. The recent Houthi attacks against government troops in Marib and other regions have shattered hopes for a lasting peace pact. The UN-brokered truce, which lasted from April to October last year, provided a momentary respite in the war-torn country. Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating civil war since 2014, with the Houthis fighting against the internationally-recognized government and its allies, which include a Saudi Arabia-led coalition. The years-long war brought the Arab world's poorest country to the brink of collapse, causing famine and widespread suffering as well as disrupting the country's food supply chain, leaving millions of people without access to adequate nutrition. An Instagram post with thousands of likes opposes plans for a Gardasil 9 vaccine mandate in California, claiming the jab is dangerous because it contains aluminum and polysorbate 80. This is misleading; the small doses of those compounds have been tested for safety, and public health authorities approved the shot as an effective way to prevent cervical cancer and other diseases caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). "AB659 would require children 8-12th grade to receive the HPV (vaccine) in order to attend school. Gardasil is the ONLY available HPV (vaccine) in the US," says a March 17, 2023 Instagram post from California Freedom Keepers, a group that advocates against health mandates. Text in the post's three-slide carousel claims the Gardasil 9 vaccine contains "toxic aluminum" and polysorbate 80, which "has been shown to cause cancer in animals." Other Instagram accounts reshared the claims, racking up hundreds of additional interactions. Screenshot of an Instagram carousel taken March 29, 2023 The post followed the California legislature's introduction of the Cancer Prevention Act (AB-659) in February 2023. If the bill is passed it would require all students at public and private schools to receive the HPV vaccine before eighth grade. Merck's Gardasil 9 vaccine helps prevent diseases caused by nine types of HPV, the most common sexually transmitted infection. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Health Canada and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have all approved the shot. The vaccine does contain aluminum and polysorbate 80, but not at levels that experts say would be harmful. And the jab has been continually monitored for safety. "The overwhelming body of scientific evidence -- which includes more than 20 years of research and development -- continues to support the safety and efficacy profile of our HPV vaccines," Merck said in a statement emailed to AFP on March 30. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says on its website that a 2019 study published in the journal Pediatrics did not identify any unexpected safety concerns with Gardasil 9. The most common side effect is "pain, swelling, and redness in the arm where the shot was given," according to the CDC. Story continues Allergic reactions, some serious, are possible following any vaccine. Gardasil 9 is not recommended for those allergic to yeast or people who have previously had allergic reactions to vaccines. AFP took a closer look at three claims in California Freedom Keepers' Instagram post. Aluminum Claim: "Gardasil 9 contains 500 micrograms of toxic aluminum in the form of amorphous aluminum hydroxyphosphate sulfate." Amorphous aluminum hydroxyphosphate sulfate (AAHS) is in Merck's HPV vaccine, according to the FDA. But calling the amount in a single dose "toxic" is false. AAHS is included as an adjuvant, an ingredient that can trigger a stronger immune response. Vaccines in the US have contained aluminum adjuvants for six decades -- and federal regulations indicate they are safe if the dose is 1.25 milligrams or less. The package insert for the Gardasil 9 vaccine says each dose "contains approximately 500 mcg of aluminum (provided as AAHS)" -- well within the limit. Other ingredients in Merck's shot include "proteins of HPV Types 6, 11, 16, and 18, yeast protein, sodium chloride, L-histidine, polysorbate 80, sodium borate, and water for injection," according to the FDA. Polysorbate 80 Claim: "Polysorbate 80 has been shown to cause cancer in animals and linked to numerous autoimmune issues and infertility." This is misleading. Polysorbate 80 (P80) is an emulsifier used in foods including ice cream to help hold ingredients together. Its inclusion in vaccines is a regular target of misinformation. Andrew Gewirtz, a professor at Georgia State University who researches the effects of emulsifiers such as P80, said he has found links to cancer. But he dismissed claims that vaccine recipients would be at risk. "I don't think the chronic daily administration we used in mice and humans would be informative (regarding) occasional exposure," he told AFP in a March 23 email. Gewirtz added that his team found "impacts of emulsifiers was reversible within a month or so after consumption ceased, suggesting any impacts of the P80 from the injection would likely be temporary." Merck told AFP there has been "no causal association made between HPV vaccination and either autoimmune issues or infertility." Other studies have found P80 in vaccines is safe. One examination of pneumococcal vaccines with and without P80 detected no safety concerns. Another study of adjuvants found "no compelling evidence" linking them to autoimmunity. Research on the effects of Tween 80, another name for P80, on fertility is often cited in claims that vaccines with the compound are harmful. But the amount given to rats in the trial was significantly larger than what humans receive from a shot. Both the Michigan Mott Children's Hospital and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia have refuted claims that the use of P80 in vaccines could cause infertility. Blood-brain barrier Claim: "Polysorbate 80 makes the blood brain barrier more permeable and allows chemicals that otherwise would not be allowed into the brain to cross through the barrier." This is also misleading. Zhenpeng Qin, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Texas at Dallas who helped develop a technique to open the blood-brain barrier temporarily to deliver medication to the brain, said getting through the network of blood vessels and tissue "is not easy." There is research supporting the use of P80 for delivering drugs to the brain, he said March 23, but only in "very specific formulations" or when administered intravenously in large quantities. For vaccines injected into muscles, he said it is "very unlikely that the tiny amount of polysorbate 80 is going to have any observed impact on the blood-brain barrier." Cosby Stone Jr, an assistant professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University, has also dismissed that possibility. "If you work really hard at it you can attach other things to polysorbate 80 that do make it cross the blood-brain barrier," he told AFP in 2021. "But by itself, just as a stabilizer in a vaccine, that's not something that I'm concerned about at all." More of AFP's reporting on vaccine misinformation is available here. March 30, 2023 Paragraph 14 of this article was corrected to reference the package insert for Gardasil 9 instead of Gardasil. A false claim that Malaysian housewives are entitled to a cash handout of 480 Malaysian ringgit ($108) has been shared repeatedly on social media. While some of the posts sharing the claim make reference to a real scheme where the government would deposit money into eligible housewives' provident accounts to encourage them to make more voluntary contributions, the scheme required them to make payments before the money would be disbursed and it was not made as a cash payment. The body responsible for managing Malaysia's provident fund system also told AFP in late March 2023 that the incentive scheme had been suspended "until further notice". The video was shared here on TikTok on February 11, 2023, where it has been viewed more than 632,000 times. The 15-second video shows an image of a woman and two children, with Malay text that says: "Application for RM480 assistance for housewives" -- which is equivalent of $108. The picture also has the Malaysian coat of arms and the logo of "Malaysia Madani" (Civil Malaysia) -- Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's policy framework. The Malay-language sticker text reads: "Assistance for housewives 2023", while the caption repeats what is said in the video. Screenshot of the misleading post, taken on March 27, 2023 The claim was also shared elsewhere on TikTok here and here, racking up more than 372,000 times. A similar claim was shared on Facebook here, here and here. Some of the misleading posts share links to blog articles about the purported assistance, such as this, this and this. However, the Malaysian government has said it has not offered such aid. 'Fake news' The Malaysian finance ministry called the claim in the TikTok post "fake news" on Facebook on March 2, 2023. "Fake News! The Ministry of Finance (MOF) would like to emphasise that there is no assistance for housewives of RM480 that has been shared on Tiktok," the ministry said on its Facebook page. It includes the screengrab of the misleading post, with a red stamp that reads: "FAKE" in Malay. Story continues The same image was reposted by the Ministry of Communications and Digital on the same day with the same clarification. Although all the headlines of the blog articles suggest that the "aid is for housewives", the content mentions "i-Suri", part of Malaysia's retirement saving scheme Employees Provident Fund (EPF). Insentif Suri, or i-Suri, was launched in August 2018, during the administration of then prime minister Mahathir Mohamad. It was an initiative of Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Anwar's wife, who at that time served as deputy prime minister and minister of women, family and community development. While workers and companies are required to contribute to the EPF monthly, the i-Suri programme encouraged housewives and single mothers included in the government's National Database on Poverty to make voluntary contributions to their own EPF accounts. According to the EPF's website, the government would deposit 40 Malaysian ringgit ($9) into the EPF accounts of those that had signed up for i-Suri and contributed at least five Malaysian ringgit ($1.15) monthly. However, on March 24, 2023, the EPF told AFP that the i-Suri programme had been suspended "until further notice". In their final days of controlling the Reedy Creek improvement districts board, Disney executives and attorneys found a way to poison the authority of the incoming members appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and effectively oversee the areas development. STORY: Continued issues at Jacksonville baseball park despite several maintenance requests, neighbors say On Feb. 8, 2023, as the Florida House was passing legislation to give DeSantis his new power, Reedy Creeks board members signed a development agreement with the company that allowed Disney maximum developmental power over its territory for the next 30 years. According to the new board members, who are now known as the Central Florida Tourism Oversight board, and their attorneys, Disney is allowed the maximum possible density and building heights inside Walt Disney World. Other property owners will need Disneys permission to expand within the district, and they and Reedy Creek leaders will need to seek Disneys approval if they made any aesthetic changes to their properties within the district. The district is also not allowed to permit advertisements of any companies that compete with ones that operate within Reedy Creek, board members said. STORY: Clay County Schools superintendent offering scholarships to one senior, one kindergartener We lose control over everything other than to maintain the roads and maintain the infrastructure, one board member said. Board members said they found out about the agreement after their appointments. Both they and their newly appointed attorneys called the agreement various synonyms of insane and extreme, and said its sheer scale should make it null and void. STORY: Train derails in Minnesota; residents order to evacuate town Particular focus was paid to one section that board members said places certain restrictions on the district until 21 years after the death of the last surviving descendant of King Charles, or until Disney abandons the resort. Story continues We gave governmental control to Disney, Brian Aungst summarized. Other board members were harsher in their assessment. STORY: Targeted launch date for crewed Starliner flight announced Disney tried to be king for a day, Chairman Martin Garcia said, referencing the companys most famous park. Board members hired multiple politically-connected law firms to represent them and analyze the agreement, and discussed bringing on as many as four different firms to battle the deep-pocketed company as they attempted to unwind it. Garcia referenced taking it all the way to the United States Supreme Court if necessary. Some board members said they hoped Disney executives and attorneys would be willing to come to the table and reach a compromise agreement before any legal steps were taken, though others werent as optimistic. STORY: Army: 9 killed when Black Hawk helicopters crash during training Disneys communications team did not answer multiple questions sent to them about whether theyd compromise or fight, and whether this was the reason the company chose to hand over control of Reedy Creek without a fight. However, they did email a requested statement summarizing their position: All agreements signed between Disney and the District were appropriate, and were discussed and approved in open, noticed public forums in compliance with Floridas Government in the Sunshine law, a spokesperson said. WFTV worked with an independent attorney who specializes in government law to analyze the agreement Wednesday morning. Upon initial review, the attorney said the agreement appeared to be valid. STORY: Jacksonville Sheriffs Office reported an undetermined death in Sherwood Forest Im struggling to find a reason why its unlawful, the attorney said, noting the type of agreement struck was normal between large developers and governments, it was properly noticed and Reedy Creeks leadership willingly entered into it. In a follow-up conversation Wednesday night after additional review of the documents, the attorney agreed with the board that the separate covenant restrictions Reedy Creek agreed to that last until the kings descendant dies were unusual and potentially illegal. STORY: First southern-style Italian restaurant opens in Orange Park The attorney cautioned they could not predict a judges interpretation of the law but said the agreement would likely be fought in federal courts, which would be viewed as friendlier to Disney than the DeSantis-influenced Florida justice system. They also said Reedy Creek and Florida lawmakers could run into constitutional issues if they tried to undo the agreement since governments cant impair existing contracts. Despite setting the initial stages of a legal battle, some Reedy Creek board members said their focus was on upholding democracy and the will of the voters, not fighting Disney. Were not taking an adversarial position to Disney, Aungst said. We are defending ourselves and were defending the people, and were going to be prepared for what the next steps are. My hope is that those next steps are collaborative. STORY: Recall alert: Hand sanitizers recalled over methanol concerns WFTV contacted DeSantis office to ask if his team was aware of the Feb. 8 agreement before the appointments were made. A senior staff member in the governors office said they were not aware of this agreement until Reedy Creeks lawyers recently notified them of their findings, and the office views the agreement as legally void. They said they had been somewhat caught off-guard by Disneys willingness to comply with handing the district over, and they werent surprised the company had made a move under the radar. They added taxpayer money would not be used in this battle, as the district is funded by taxes Disney and other companies in the district pay. STORY: Russia arrests Wall Street Journal reporter on espionage charges Taryn Fenske, communications director for the Office of Governor DeSantis, released the following statement: The Executive Office of the Governor is aware of Disneys last-ditch efforts to execute contracts just before ratifying the new law that transfers rights and authorities from the former Reedy Creek Improvement District to Disney. An initial review suggests these agreements may have significant legal infirmities that would render the contracts void as a matter of law. We are pleased the new Governor-appointed board retained multiple financial and legal firms to conduct audits and investigate Disneys past behavior. CLICK HERE to read the original WFTV article. STAY UPDATED: Download the Action News Jax app for live updates on breaking stories Social media has been captivated by Gwyneth Paltrows ski collision trial, as she takes to the stand this week to testify in the civil case brought by Terry Sanderson. Paltrow, 50, is accused of crashing into Sanderson, 76, while they were skiing at the Deer Valley resort in Park City, Utah, in February 2016. The retired optometrist is seeking more than US$300,000 in damages. Meanwhile, Paltrow claims it was Sanderson who crashed into her. Her team has accused him to trying to exploit her fame and wealth, and is countersuing for a symbolic US$1 and for her legal fees to be covered. In true Paltrow style, the trial has been full of wild and meme-able moments. From the Goop founders friendship with Taylor Swift to her saying she lost half a day of skiing because of the crash, its little surprise that social media is obsessed. But theres another element of the trial that is being paid close attention: Paltrows wardrobe. The Iron Man star has gained praise and raised eyebrows for her classy looks in the courtroom, with fashion magazines poring over her stealth luxury and rich mom outfits. She wears a mix of feminine garments toughened with black or brown boots, as well as layers of expensive jewellery. We round up all the moments Paltrows courtroom style made us sit up and take notice: Day One Actor Gwyneth Paltrow leaves the courthouse, Tuesday, March 21, 2023, in Park City, Utah (AP) Paltrow chose a cosy ensemble for her first appearance in court, donning a chunky knitted turtleneck jumper in white, brown wide-leg trousers and tan leather boots from Celine that retail for US$1,200. When she stepped outside, she wrapped up warm in a long olive green coat, believed to be from The Row, and accessorised with US$248 Ray-Ban aviators. Day Two Gwyneth Paltrow enters the courtroom (POOL/AFP via Getty Images) As the trial continues, Paltrow upped the ante by choosing a cream cardigan with a waist tie and plenty of chunky gold jewellery that would be the envy of Successions Shiv Roy. According to People, her necklaces and bracelets are from luxury jeweller Foundrae and her own G Label by Goop. Story continues Day Three Gwyneth Paltrow enters the courtroom after a lunch break (Getty Images) Paltrow has somehow made a suit look comfortable and casual, after she wore a slouchy but not ill-fitting double-breasted grey blazer with matching trousers on day three of the trial. Underneath the blazer, she wore a ribbed tank top in the same grey shade, but avoided looking too laid-back by layering lots of jewellery around her neck and wrists again. Day Four Gwyneth Paltrow enters the courtroom for her trial (Getty Images) A polo shirt may have been a step too far in the casual direction, but Paltrow pulled the look back by wearing a fitted black polo shirt with long sleeves tucked into a flowing navy midi skirt. But all eyes were on her footwear, which were US$1,450 black Prada combat boots. Day Five Gwyneth Paltrow enters the courtroom for her trial (AP) The chunky Prada boots made another appearance on Wednesday (27 March), but this time Paltrow shifted the vibe by wearing a pristine white collared shirt under a black buttoned V-neck cardigan and an even flowier black maxi skirt. Day Six Gwyneth Paltrow enters the court during her civil trial over a collision with another skier (Getty Images) A pale pink blouse with a pussy bow gave Paltrow a softer appearance as she entered the sixth day of her trial. However, the look was toughened up with structured black trousers and her tan leather boots, which made an appearance on her first day in court. Paltrows trial is expected to run until 30 March. (Getty Images) Premier League clubs have agreed to bring in tougher rules to its owners and directors test - including disqualification for human rights abuses. The clubs unanimously approved a number of changes to the assessment process around new ownership, which will come in with immediate effect. It follows the publication of the governments white paper last month, with its recommendations including the introduction of an independent regulator. Under its changes, the Premier League added a number of new disqualifying events for prospective owners and directors - including human rights abuses, based on Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations 2020. The Premier League said annual due diligence will be undertaken on current owners and directors to ensure ongoing compliance with the rules. More follows President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will travel to Rolling Fork, Mississippi, on Friday to meet those impacted by last weeks massive storm that ripped through more than a half-dozen towns, the White House announced Wednesday. The Bidens plan to visit with first responders, community members and state and local officials and survey recovery efforts. The White House said the president would reaffirm the administrations commitment to support the people of Mississippi for as long as it takes. Biden issued an emergency declaration for Mississippi earlier this week, making federal funding available to hardest hit areas. The storm hit so quickly that the sheriffs department in Rolling Fork barely had time to set off sirens to warn the community of 2,000 residents. US President Joe Biden will begin a five-day visit to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in Belfast on 11 April, it is understood. Irish-broadcaster RTE reports Mr Biden will travel to Dublin the following day before leaving Ireland on 15 April. During the visit Mr Biden is expected to meet Irish President Michael D Higgins. Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar, is also set to host a reception at Farmleigh House in Dublin. During their St Patrick's Day meeting in Washington DC, Mr Varadkar told the president his trip to the island of Ireland would be a visit like no other and that he would "roll out the red carpet". Following a meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in March, Mr Biden said he intended to visit both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland as part of the Good Friday Agreement 25th anniversary commemorations. President Biden has been a vocal supporter of the peace deal signed on 10 April 1998, which brought an end to the worst of the violence after three decades of conflict in Northern Ireland. President Biden told reporters "they can't keep me out" During his time in Ireland, Mr Biden is also expected to visit counties Louth and Mayo, where his ancestors hail from. In 2016, he visited the area during his time as Vice President. Full details of the president's visit are yet to be confirmed, but the White House said the increased terrorism threat level in Northern Ireland would not affect the plans. On Tuesday Mr Biden told reporters "they can't keep me out". What is the Good Friday Agreement? Also known as the Belfast Agreement, it was a political deal designed to bring an end to 30 years of violent conflict known as the Troubles. Signed on 10 April 1998 and approved by public votes in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, it is based on the idea of co-operation between communities. It helped to set up a new government for Northern Ireland, representing both nationalists and unionists. The 25th anniversary of the deal will fall on 10 April 2023, which will be Easter Monday. Story continues Read more: What is the Good Friday Agreement? What are NI's plans for the 25th anniversary? More details of Mr Biden's visit are expected in the coming days. Former US President Bill Clinton, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern are among those expected to visit Northern Ireland for commemorative events. Both Queen's University Belfast and Ulster University are hosting events to mark the anniversary. Large, silent video portraits of the 14 politicians who negotiated the peace deal will be displayed at UU's Belfast campus from 15 to 20 April. The university is also launching a new leadership programme, a tourism summit and an education project based on journalist Lyra McKee's legacy. She was shot dead by the New IRA while observing rioting in Londonderry in 2019. Year '98 branding header Declan Harvey and Tara Mills explore the text of the Good Friday Agreement, scrutinising the deal's wording and hearing from some of the people who helped get it across the line. Click here to listen on BBC Sounds. Prince has returned to court for his ongoing case against the publisher of the Daily Mail, just as his father Charles visits Germany in his first overseas visit as king. After missing the third day of the hearing, the Duke of Sussex reappeared at the High Court on Thursday, as his lawyers resisted an ambitious and unattractive bid by the publisher to end the legal action. Earlier in the day his father - who it was reported would not be seeing his US-based son during his surprise visit to the UK - gave a historic address to the German parliament. Prince Harry returned to court for the last day of the hearing (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) Harry and other high-profile individuals accuse Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) of having concealed wrongdoing over the alleged unlawful gathering of their private information. ANL, which denies the allegations, says a judge should rule in its favour without a trial because the legal challenges against it are brought far too late. The publishers lawyers have argued the group, which includes Sir Elton John, his husband David Furnish and Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon, could have used reasonable diligence to discover they had a potential worthwhile claim earlier. Lawyers for those bringing legal action say they were thrown off the scent and not aware of being targeted, having believed categorical denials from ANL over involvement in unlawful activity. On the final day of a preliminary hearing in London on Thursday, David Sherborne, representing Harry and others, said ANLs challenge to their legal action was ambitious as it is unattractive. King Charles addressing the Bundestag on Thursday (Reuters) He accused the publisher of seeking an impermissible mini-trial or worse before further documentation and evidence was secured in the cases. The barrister said the group, which also includes actresses Sadie Frost and Liz Hurley and ex-Liberal Democrat MP Sir Simon Hughes, had a compelling case. Mr Sherborne said ANL was alleged to have commissioned 19 different private investigators to carry out a series of unlawful acts from 1993 to 2011 and beyond, which in some instances informed articles. Story continues He told the court the group were thrown off the scent by the way in which the articles were written. Harry was not expected to see his family during his trip to the UK (AP) Mr Sherborne later read out extracts from Baroness Lawrences witness statement in which she said she felt played for a fool by the Daily Mail, believing the newspaper really cared about the injustice of the murder of her son Stephen Lawrence. The baroness said she learned a journalist allegedly instructed a private investigator to target her, saying that she never thought to blame the newspaper. They were supposed to be our allies and friends, the good people, not the bad, she said, adding that she had believed that information in articles about her came from the police. Mr Sherborne told the court: That is nothing short of gaslighting Baroness Lawrence, thats the form of concealment we are talking about. Baroness Doreen Lawrence arriving at the Royal Courts Of Justice (PA) In written arguments, he added there were vociferous and prolific denials of any wrongdoing by the defendant, made on oath to the Leveson Inquiry by its senior executives, and repeated ever since, which the duke and others were entitled to and did believe, and which prevent the publisher from arguing that material could have been discovered earlier. He said the group had since uncovered concealed and systemic wrongdoing by the defendant through information allegedly provided by private investigators and in new documents. Mr Furnish was present in court again on Thursday, following visits this week from his husband, Ms Frost and Baroness Lawrence a campaigner and mother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence. Adrian Beltrami KC, for the publisher, previously told the court: The claims are rejected by the defendant in their entirety as are the unfounded allegations that are repeatedly made that the defendant either misled the Leveson Inquiry or concealed evidence from the Leveson Inquiry. The lawyer said the legal action against it has no real prospects of succeeding and is barred under a legal period of limitation. The duke and others allege that ANL hired private investigators to place listening devices inside cars, blag private records, and access and record private phone conversations. Six of those bringing cases against the publisher have referred to alleged confessions by private investigator Gavin Burrows in their claims, but ANL has highlighted a later contrasting witness statement from Mr Burrows in which he denies being commissioned by its newspapers to conduct unlawful information gathering. The hearing before Mr Justice Nicklin is due to conclude on Thursday, with a ruling expected at a later date. The scammer impersonated Elon Musk, who has previously expressed interest in investing in Florida's Space Coast. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue A Florida principal resigned after sending $100,000 of school money to someone posing as Elon Musk. Jan McGee said she believed Musk would invest millions in her school if she sent $100,000 upfront. She'd talked with the scammer for at least 4 months despite being warned by school staff, per WESH. A charter school principal in Florida has resigned after sending a $100,000 check of the school's money to a scammer posing as Elon Musk. Jan McGee was the principal of Burns Science and Technology Charter School in Oak Hill, Florida, since the school opened in 2011. At a school board meeting on Tuesday where she resigned, McGee said she believed the tech billionaire would invest millions of dollars in the school in exchange for $100,000 upfront, according to a local news station, WESH. "I put myself into this position and into this mess and I made a bad decision," McGee said, per WESH. "I am a very smart lady. Well-educated. I fell for a scam." Although other school staff warned her the person was a scammer, McGee had talked with the person for at least four months, according to WESH. The school's business manager ultimately stopped the check before it cleared. McGee apologized at the meeting, but several school administrators said that she contributed to creating a toxic work environment. Administrators said that they would rather quit than keep working for her, prompting McGee to resign, per WESH. "I love this school more than anything else. If it means your administration is going to stay, I'm turning in my resignation," she said. The school and McGee did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider. Read the original article on Business Insider Priyanka Chopra has spoken candidly about her decision to freeze her eggs and how the choice left her with so much freedom. The 40-year-old actor opened up about her husband, Nick Jonas, and their one-year-old daughter, Malti, during Mondays episode of Dax Shepards Armchair Expert podcast. During the conversation, Chopra also recalled how, before shed met Jonas and become a parent, shed decided to freeze her eggs, and that it ultimately shaped her personal and professional life for the better. Egg freezing, or oocyte cryopreservation, is a process in which a womans eggs are extracted, frozen and stored as a method to preserve reproductive potential in women of reproductive age, according to hospital UCLA Health, which notes that the process is carried out in the same way as in vitro fertilisation (IVF). I felt such a freedom. I did it in my early thirties, the Love Again star said of her decision to freeze her eggs. I could continue on an ambitious warpath that I wanted to achieve. I wanted to get to a certain place in my career. According to Chopra, who married Jonas in 2018, her single relationship status at the time of the procedure was also one of the factors that influenced her decision. I also hadnt met the person I wanted to have children with or I didnt see that, she added. Thats anxiety-inducing. [I was] 35, and my moms an OB-GYN whos like: 36, just do it. During the conversation, Shepards co-host, Monica Padman, also shared that she recently froze her eggs and that it hadnt gone well. In response, Chopra encouraged her to do it again, before noting why she feels the biological clock is real. It gets so much harder to get pregnant after 35 and to carry to term and all of that, especially with women that have been working all our lives. But science is at such an amazing place right now, she said, while acknowledging that one downside of the procedure is that it is expensive. However, the actor noted that, although freezing your eggs can be costly, women can opt to do it as a gift to themselves. Story continues Its the best gift youll give yourself because youre taking the power from your biological clock, and you can work until however long you want. Your eggs will still be the same age as when you froze them, she said. Although prices vary by fertility centre, a single cycle of egg freezing can cost between $4,500 and $8,000, according to Dr Mindy Christianson, medical director of the Johns Hopkins Fertility Center, who spoke to The New York Times. While Chopra said that she always knew she wanted children, she wasnt sure how Jonas, who she began dating officially in early 2018, felt about being a parent, as he was still in his twenties. It was one of the big reasons I didnt want to date Nick at that time because I was like: I dont know if he wants kids at 25, she explained. But Ive always wanted kids. I love kids. Last year, Chopra and Jonas welcomed their daughter, Malti Marie, via surrogate. In May 2022, the couple revealed that their newborn was finally going home from the hospital, after spending 100 plus days in the NICU. During an interview with British Vogue earlier this year, Chopra also opened up about her motherhood journey and experience with surrogacy. I had medical complications, the Quantico star said. [Surrogacy] was a necessary step, and Im so grateful I was in a position where I could do this. Our surrogate was so generous, kind, lovely and funny, and she took care of this precious gift for us for six months. The producer went on to address online trolls who questioned her decision to use a surrogate. You dont know me, she said. You dont know what Ive been through. And just because I dont want to make my medical history, or my daughters, public doesnt give you the right to make up whatever the reasons were. She also pointed out how painful it was to see people on social media criticise her daughter, after she and Jonas announced their babys arrival. Im like: Keep her out of it. I know what it felt like to hold her little hands when they were trying to find her veins, she added. So no, shes not going to be gossip. Ive been really protective of this chapter of my life with my daughter. Because its not about my life only. Its hers too. QINGDAO, March 30 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese naval fleet returned to east China's port city of Qingdao in Shandong Province on Thursday after completing its mission of escorting civilian vessels in the Gulf of Aden and in the waters off Somalia. The 42nd fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy, comprising the missile destroyer Huainan, the missile frigate Rizhao and the supply ship Hoh Xil, escorted 29 Chinese and foreign ships during the mission. Setting sail from Qingdao on Sept. 21, 2022, the escort squad travelled over 100,000 nautical miles during its 191-day voyage. In December 2008, China began dispatching naval ships to carry out vessel protection operations in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia. Priyanka Chopra Jonas said that she froze her eggs in her early 30s. Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP Priyanka Chopra said that she "felt such a freedom" when she froze her eggs in her early 30s. She said that she was able to "continue on an ambitious warpath that I wanted to achieve." "I wanted to get to a certain place in my career," she said on the podcast "Armchair Expert." Priyanka Chopra Jonas opened up about the "freedom" she felt when she chose to freeze her eggs in her early 30s so she could continue working toward her career goals. "I tell all my younger friends, the biological clock is real," Chopra Jonas, 40, said on an episode of the podcast "Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard," released on Monday. "It gets so much harder to get pregnant after 35 and to carry to term, especially with women that have been working all their lives," she continued. "But science is at such an amazing place right now." Priyanka Chopra Jonas said she "felt such a freedom" when she froze her eggs. Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP Egg freezing, an in-clinic procedure in which a person's eggs are retrieved from their ovaries and preserved for future use, has become an increasingly popular method for women. A woman's fertility begins to rapidly decline when she is 35 and a round of egg freezing costs on average between $6,000 and $10,000, Dr. Jane Frederick, a board-certified fertility expert in California, previously told Insider. For Chopra Jonas, who appeared in dozens of Bollywood films before making the jump to Hollywood with a starring role on the ABC drama series "Quantico," freezing her eggs allowed her to continue working while minimizing the pressure of her biological clock. "I felt such a freedom," she said. "I did it in my early 30s. I could continue on an ambitious warpath that I wanted to achieve. I wanted to get to a certain place in my career. And I also hadn't met the person I wanted to have children with or I didn't see that. That's anxiety-inducing." She said she was "35, and my mom's an OB-GYN, who's like, '36 Just do it.'" Chopra Jonas said she encourages "everyone" to freeze their eggs, especially if they can afford to save up money for the procedure. Story continues "It's the best gift you'll give yourself because you're taking the power from your biological clock, and you can work until however long you want," she said. "Your eggs will still be the same age as when you froze them, for people who want kids." Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Nick Jonas welcomed their first child together in 2022. Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP During the interview, the "Citadel" star also said that she "always knew" that she wanted kids, which is why she was hesitant about being in a relationship with Nick Jonas, who's 10 years younger than her and was 25 when they started dating in 2018. Chopra Jonas married Jonas months after they got engaged and the couple's first child, a daughter named Malti Marie, was born via surrogate in January 2022. In honor of Mother's Day that year, Jonas opened up about the "rollercoaster" experience of parenthood in an Instagram post and revealed that their baby spent more than 100 days in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) before being released to their home. In her cover story for the February 2023 issue of British Vogue, Chopra Jonas said that she "had medical complications" and surrogacy "was a necessary step." Read the original article on Insider After campaigning on fighting for democracy, the Arizona Democratic Party is reportedly suing to stop a third-party organization from accessing the state's presidential ballot in the 2024 election. The lawsuit targets No Labels, a centrist group that aims to give voters a non-extreme presidential option next year and has secured ballot access in three states, including Arizona. Democratic officials will file a complaint Thursday in state court in Phoenix alleging that Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, erroneously accepted signature petitions from the group, The Washington Post reported. The lawsuit claims that accompanying affidavits from proposed electors were signed before all the petitions were gathered, in violation of state statute. "As a result, the Arizona Democratic Party claims the affidavits purporting to verify the petitions should be considered false and the petitions invalid," the Post reported. Arizona Democrats also claim that No Labels, a registered 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that is not required to disclose its donors, has failed to comply with federal election laws governing political parties, including donation limits and donor disclosure. NEWEST POLITICAL PARTY ON BALLOT IN THREE STATES HAS DEMOCRATS TERRIFIED The Arizona Democratic Party will file a lawsuit Thursday against Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and No Labels seeking to block the third-party group from gaining ballot access in the 2024 presidential election. "No Labels is not following the rules for political party recognition, while attempting to be placed on the ballot alongside actual, functioning political parties who do," Arizona Democratic Party spokeswoman Morgan Dick told The Washington Post. "Arizonans deserve better and voters deserve to know who is behind this shadowy organization and what potentially nefarious agenda they are pushing." READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Ryan Clancy, the chief strategist for No Labels, blasted the lawsuit and accused Arizona Democrats of acting hypocritically. "This undemocratic and unscrupulous lawsuit is a disgrace," Clancy said in a statement. "Next time you hear this crowd talking about protecting democracy, remember what they are really doing is protecting their turf." Story continues GROUP QUIETLY MOBILIZING BIPARTISAN 2024 UNITY TICKET AS BIDEN, TRUMP MOVE CLOSER TO ANNOUNCING CAMPAIGNS Former President Donald Trump, left, is running for the Republican presidential nomination to challenge President Biden in 2024. An attorney for No Labels in Phoenix expressed confidence to The Washington Post that the court will uphold the secretary of state's decision to certify the group's ballot filing. Democrats fear that No Labels' efforts to gain access to the ballot in Arizona and other states could spoil President Biden's expected campaign for re-election. But No Labels insists its "unity ticket" would draw support "equally" from Republican and Democrat-leaning voters. Formed in 2010 as a bipartisan group focused on solutions to the nation's problems, No Labels says a moderate candidate could win the White House by securing electoral votes from purple and swing states across the country. MARYLAND GOV. HOGAN TO CO-CHAIR CENTRIST NO LABELS GROUP AMID 2024 SPECULATION Larry Hogan, former governor of Maryland, has not ruled out a third-party presidential bid if Joe Biden and Donald Trump are the Democratic and Republican nominees in 2024. "At some point in the future, it could become clear that the public doesn't want an independent ticket or that there is no path for one to win. Or we could find that there are no candidates with broad appeal or the courage to take on this challenge. If that happens, No Labels will not offer our ballot line to any presidential candidate," the group said in a statement earlier this month. Various moderate or independent officials have been floated as potential candidates on a No Labels ticket. The group has courted centrist lawmakers in Washington, D.C., among them Sens. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. Manchin and moderate Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine attended a February conference that No Labels hosted in Florida, where the pair praised centrism as a way to approach legislating in a divided government. Larry Hogan, a former two-term Republican governor of deep-blue Maryland and honorary co-chairman of No Labels, has also been named in discussions about third-party candidates. Hogan has said he wouldn't rule out a third-party presidential bid if Biden and Donald Trump are the Democratic and Republican nominees in 2024. Fox News' Thomas Phippen contributed to this report. [Source] An external investigation found that Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) did not deliberately delay notifying students of their National Merit recognitions, the school district announced this week. The countys Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) regarded as one of Americas top high schools has been embroiled in controversy since late December after its administrators were accused of concealing certifications of National Merit from Commended Students in order to spare the feelings of those who were not recognized. Details of the allegation emerged in a City Journal piece by author and journalist Asra Q. Nomani, whose own son had not been notified of being a Commended Student on time for college applications. Nomani noted that at least 1,200 students had been affected by the supposed concealment, most of whom were Asian. The controversy soon prompted Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares to launch an FCPS-wide investigation. Shortly after, principals from two other FCPS schools Langley High School and Westfield High School emailed parents of Commended Students to apologize for the delay in their own announcements, saying they were deeply and sincerely sorry. More from NextShark: Hong Kong teen with alleged triad links arrested for possession of $3.6 million worth of cocaine On Wednesday, FCPS reported the findings of Sands Anderson, a law firm that it directed in January to independently investigate the allegations. According to the school district, Sands Anderson found no evidence that the high schools in question intentionally refrained from notifying Commended Students of their National Merit recognitions, nor that the process or timing for student notifications were impacted in any way by racial considerations or any effort to minimize or fail to celebrate students achievements. Sands Anderson reportedly conducted 29 interviews with principals, administrators, staffers, IT leaders and parents throughout its investigation. The law firm also had unconstrained access to documents and records, FCPS said. Story continues More from NextShark: Immigrant Activist Arrested For Protesting at ICE Director's Home, Littering The investigation found that all 23 FCPS schools had notified their Commended Students. Of these, 15 sent notifications before Nov. 1, 2022 an early admission deadline for some colleges while the remaining eight sent theirs after the date. The delays, as per the investigation, came as a result of logistical issues that varied from school to school, as well as the districts lack of any uniform, division-wide policy, process, or deadline for providing such notice. The probe also pointed to the fact that the National Merit Scholarship Corporation itself does not provide direct notice to Commended Students and also provides no specific guidance regarding how or when students should be notified. More from NextShark: Asian man beaten over sexual assault allegations in viral video says he 'never forcibly touched' anyone This is not a school-specific concern at this point. Rather, this is a system concern around the policy and procedures that need to be in place to prevent this from happening again, Superintendent Michelle Reid said at a public meeting Wednesday, according to CNN. For now, school staff members have drafted a new regulation to ensure the timely announcement of National Merit recognitions, Reid said. Meanwhile, the Attorney Generals Office will reportedly continue its own investigation. More from NextShark: 'Parasite' Director Bong Joon Ho Reveals How Hollywood Can Respond to Anti-Asian Racism Battle lines are forming between progressives as they look to take down the more establishment-aligned Rep. Adam Schiff in Californias Democratic Senate primary. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) was the latest high-profile progressive to weigh in on the race, endorsing Rep. Barbara Lee (D), who along with Schiff and Rep. Katie Porter (D) is seeking to fill the rare opening created by retiring Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D). Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), meanwhile, has backed Porter, her longtime ally from academia. Progressives see the race as a chance to elevate their policy platform as other Democrats shift to the center ahead of 2024, though its also once again shining a light on some of the old alliances between those on the left. Lee is the closest to what we were trying to accomplish, said Nina Turner, who co-chaired Sen. Bernie Sanderss (I-Vt.) presidential campaign in 2020 along with Khanna. Im not surprised, she added about the development that some of his boosters are coalescing around the long-standing congresswoman. Khannas endorsement adds a new dimension to the race, with two progressives in the mix. While many California Democrats thought Khanna, who represents Silicon Valley, may be eyeing a Senate bid himself, he said that Lee is ultimately the best choice to compete for an elevated role in the upper chamber, and that the most exciting place for him, for now, is in the House. Im honored to be co-chairing Barbara Lees campaign for the Senate and endorsing her today, Khanna said in an appearance on CNN, taking on the same title he held for Sanders. His support made official what has been mounting behind the scenes since the beginning of the primary, where candidates are looking to draw meaningful distinctions despite having much in common. Lees bid has been attracting Sanderss allies, with former campaign hands weighing new opportunities with the Oakland progressive. Some say theyre drawn to Lee because her progressive bona fides are unique even among those representing the states mostly liberal electorate. Khanna mentioned Lees anti-war record as an asset to the Senate, having stood against the Iraq War when others in her party voted for military action. Story continues Other California progressives point to recent history to indicate what kind of left-wing candidate might be able to catch on in a crowded cycle. In the last presidential nominating contest, both Sanders and Warren competed in the delegate-rich state, where they were also running against several centrists, including then-candidate Joe Biden. In that primary, Sanders won by a landslide, earning nearly three times the amount of votes as Warren. While the Vermont Independent hasnt yet weighed in on the Senate race, some are looking to his own past victory in the state for clues on the electorates appetite. That 2020 Democratic primary is so meaningful because its really the only statewide election over the last decade where you had true competition across viable well-funded candidates from all different parts of the political spectrum on the center to the left, said Joe Sanberg, a Los Angeles-based entrepreneur and anti-poverty activist who endorsed Sanders in 2020. It tells us a lot about what happens when you put all different kinds of Democrats in front of an electorate, he said. Liberals are often accused of veering to the left in primaries, much to the chagrin of moderates, who say that isnt always practical in swing states and tough districts. But in California, thats less of an issue. The seat is expected to be solidly blue, which makes the general election calculus less daunting and provides room for multiple progressives to show degrees of policy nuance. In this heavily Democratic state, Im not worried about losing our Senate seat to the Republicans, said Michael Kapp, a member of the California Democratic Partys executive board, who is currently neutral in the race. But it would be unfortunate if CA Democrats were denied a once-in-a-generation opportunity for a full discussion on which Democratic candidate would be the best to represent California. Progressives are focused on making sure that doesnt happen. Part of the draw for the primary, they say, is to hear the partys most liberal issues be elevated more visibility than in smaller district or local-level races. The tough part is that Lee and Porter agree on a lot of positions. They both support cracking down on the pharmaceutical industry, transitioning to green energy sources and tightening regulations for banks which they say could have prevented the most recent failures in Silicon Valley. Those similarities make it less likely that voters will choose their candidates strictly over substantive differences in policy, rather than turning to other factors when making their decisions, Democrats in the state argue. I dont think theres much ideological distinction between Congresswomen Lee and Porter, Sanberg said. Porter has a ton of enthusiastic backers who voted for Bernie Sanders. I think Lee has a ton of enthusiastic supporters who voted for Elizabeth Warren, he said, noting that the lines arent as clean as the old Sanders-Warren divide. While Lees most recognizable distinction, her foreign policy record, makes her stand out, some on the left say shell have to prove that she can define herself in a more robust way, especially when faced against another well-regarded progressive in the House. Lee benefits from her reputation as the lone brave congressional vote against the blank check for endless war right after 9/11, said Norman Solomon, a leading progressive activist in California. But in recent years, growing numbers of progressive activists in California have become aware of her refusals to strongly challenge foreign-policy bellicosity, especially when a Democrat is in the White House. It remains to be seen whether Lee can convincingly distinguish herself as an independent voice willing to really challenge President Biden on foreign policy. To the extent she stays away from doing so, her ability to make the case that she appreciably differs from Porter will be limited among progressives, he said. Indeed, some Democrats say that between the two left-wing choices, Porter may be able to convince more voters shes poised to take on some of the states most current and relevant challenges. She got an early start and fundraising surge by announcing her campaign ahead of other candidates well before Feinstein officially said she was retiring and quickly got Warrens backing. In the past few weeks, the two Capitol Hill confidants have worked to introduce legislation to help prevent future banking fallouts. Some progressives close to Warren who supported her presidential campaign and are backing her Senate reelection believe Porter is well-poised to speak about that, having spent considerable time focusing on regulatory and consumer work. While its still early, with nearly a full year until the general election, Porter also has a slight polling advantage over Lee. A Quinnipiac University poll released earlier this month shows that Schiff and Porter have close favorability ratings, with 31 percent and 30 percent respectively among registered voters in the state. Lee comes in lower, at 18 percent. Still, some caution that Porter has a way to go in some parts of the state. While shes become more visible in the Orange County district that she represents, shes a lesser-known entity in other areas. Aside from her impressive whiteboard performances, Porter is not well known in Northern California, said Solomon, noting one area where she could fall behind. Other Democrats argue, however, that theres plenty of time to establish name recognition and crystalize positions. And while Porter and Lee are both working to develop their pathways, Schiff is also a viable contender who voters know from his grilling of Republicans aligned with former President Trump, as well as his regular media appearances. We have three candidates with strong Democratic credentials, said Kapp, emphasizing that its not just a two-person primary. Amie Parnes contributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Idaho homeowners will soon see relief from rising property taxes, but school districts will lose their most important bond and levy election date. After two days of negotiating, lawmakers Wednesday voted to override Gov. Brad Littles veto of House Bill 292, a sweeping property tax relief bill. The Republican governor raised concerns over the bills effect on the states bonding ability and the provision prohibiting school districts from holding bond and levy elections in March, by far the most successful month when schools ask local taxpayers to fund construction and staffing costs. While there may be differing opinions on how to address this issue, our goal is aligned to help Idahoans, Senate Majority Caucus members said in a news release. Todays vote will make a significant difference in the lives of those facing financial hardships due to rising property taxes. The Legislature passed a trailer bill Wednesday that seeks to account for the bonding issues while maintaining the March election prohibition. House Bill 376 ensures that $80 million will still be available for road project bonds. Altogether the two bills direct $117 million to property taxpayers in the upcoming fiscal year, according to a state economists analysis, Madison Hardy, Littles spokesperson, told the Idaho Statesman by email. Gerald Hunter, president and executive director of the Idaho Housing and Finance Association, in a letter to Little last week wrote that House Bill 292 was jeopardizing bonded road projects by reshuffling sales tax distributions. The trailer bill ensures that road projects funding will have priority. Little said Wednesday that hes pleased lawmakers addressed his concerns on bonding. Idahoans are clamoring for additional tax relief, and the Legislatures actions are a step in the right direction on this longstanding issue, he said in a news release. The process worked, and we are getting real property tax relief done for Idahoans. Story continues House Bill 292 leverages the states projected $1.4 billion surplus and sales tax revenue for ongoing property tax credits and aid for school districts to pay down debt backed by property taxes. A previous independent analysis of House Bill 292 estimated 20% would come off an average property tax bill, but less state funds will go to relief after this weeks changes. Education leaders told lawmakers in recent weeks that March bond and levy elections are crucial to funding schools when state appropriations fall short. By eliminating the March school election date, the most important on the calendar for the passing of school bonds and levies, this legislation risks destabilizing public school finances and puts childrens learning at risk, Layne McInelly, president of the Idaho Education Association, the statewide teacher union, said after Mondays veto. Hardy said its unfortunate we lost some local control in school funding. Gov. Little remains committed to supporting education as his top priority in the years ahead, she said. A bail bonds sign Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images Should cash bail be eliminated? The practice of allowing a person who has been arrested to pay money to be released from jail before their trial or hearing has long been controversial. Lately, it has become a point of sharp political contention. Republicans are pushing to enact reforms that would make it more difficult for defendants to get out of jail while waiting trial, arguing that such reforms would help keep criminals off the streets. Democrats have countered that the practice of cash bail release is inherently unfair, and could violate people's civil rights. On Jan. 1, Illinois became the first state to do away with cash bail completely, allowing defendants to leave jail and await trial without paying any money, and others may follow. What are the benefits and drawbacks of ending the practice? Pro: Ending cash bail would benefit people of color and poor communities Cash bail is "unfair, unjust, and it disproportionately hurts communities of color and poor communities," Maggie Germano writes for Forbes. Indeed, "communities of color are actually over-policed," which leads to increased arrests, Civil Rights Corps' Katherine Hubbard told Germano. As a result, "bail often has nothing to do with the crime you're accused of, and certainly doesn't depend on how much you can afford to pay." "You'll have cases where a wealthy person can go free, but an innocent, poor person could not, and that's not justice," said Illinois state Sen. Elgie Sims Jr. People also "commonly plead guilty to crimes that they didn't commit" because they don't want to "spend weeks or months in jail waiting for trial" after not meeting bail, Will Snowden, the New Orleans director of the Vera Institute of Justice, noted in a separate Forbes column. Con: It could let criminals roam free Ending cash bail and allowing defendants to leave jail without paying any money "will have serious ramifications for law-abiding citizens and give drug cartels free rein on Illinois' streets," former Illinois state Rep. Jim Durkin wrote for the Chicago Tribune. Because defendants will only be detained pre-trial if they face non-probational felonies, the change is a "slap in the face to victims and neighborhoods desperately seeking safety." Story continues Pro: It does not lead to an uptick in crime Despite Republican assertions, "there is no evidence linking cash bail reform to high crime rates," Allie Preston and Rachel Eisenberg wrote for the Center for American Progress. On the contrary, in areas where bail reforms have already been implemented, "those who await their trial in the community are no more likely to be re-arrested after bail reform was passed than before," the pair added. For example, in New Mexico and Yakima County, Washington, a larger percentage of people completed the pretrial process without a new arrest after cash bail reform was implemented, according to Prison Policy Initiative. Making defendants pay bail to be released also does not "lower homicide rates," attorney Trisha Triglio argued for the ACLU, noting that many areas that rely on cash bail have some of the country's highest murder rates. Con: Ending cash bail ignores the root of the problem An Illinois Supreme Court commission that studied cash bail in 2020 found that "simply eliminating cash bail at the outset, without first implementing meaningful reforms and dedicating adequate resources to allow evidence-based risk assessment and supervision, would be premature." Separately, Illinois' Brown County State's Attorney Mike Hill, Sheriff Justin Oliver, and Mount Sterling Police Chief Brandon Norris told the Jacksonville Journal-Courier that while bail shouldn't depend on someone's ability to pay, eliminating the practice was "never the answer." Pro: It would correct a due process violation The ACLU has alleged that cash bail is actually unconstitutional because it violates "due process and equal protection under the 14th Amendment, the prohibition against excessive bail found in the Eighth Amendment, and the right to a speedy trial guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment." Indeed, said Constitutional Accountability Center President Elizabeth Wydra, bail was never "intended to keep the accused locked up until trial." This violates the principle of "innocent until proven guilty," and should not be allowed. Con: Cash bail reform would limit judges' purview Judges are often the ones who decide the amount of someone's bond, and they "typically have broad discretion to raise or lower" the defendant's amount, the Brennan Center for Justice notes. A judge could even decide to cancel someone's bail entirely and remand them to custody, or release them on their own recognizance by waiving their bail. Justia adds that while the "Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits 'excessive bail," it "does not state that courts are required to allow bail." Ending cash bail could put a dampener on the ability of judges to make informed decisions about defendants. You may also like The snowmelt in California could cause a long-lost lake to re-emerge The Gwyneth Paltrow ski crash trial's 8 strangest moments, from Taylor Swift to King Kong 33 swimmers in Hawaii accused of 'pursuing, corralling, and harassing' dolphin pod Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has taken heat from some conservatives for taking a bit of a swipe at former President Donald Trump and his potential indictment. But DeSantis a likely 2024 GOP presidential candidate has been in lockstep with other Republicans in his criticism of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, accusing him of "pursuing a political agenda" and branding him "a Soros-funded prosecutor." The attempt to tie Bragg to the liberal mega-donor George Soros has been an oft-repeated talking point on the right, in an attempt by Republicans to weaken and remove prosecutors. Few people know this strategy better than Andrew Warren. In 2020, Warren, a Democrat, won re-election as Hillsborough County state attorney in 2020 with the support of 53% of his constituents. But in August 2022, DeSantis indefinitely suspended Warren because he had indicated that he would not enforce restrictions on abortion and gender therapy. The governor claimed Warren had flagrantly violated his oath of office. Warren's legal efforts to get reinstated have so far been unsuccessful. Warren said that part of this new GOP script is that Republicans feel freer to go after prosecutors they perceive as enemies. This has become part of the authoritarian playbook, Warren said in an interview with NBC News. Where rather than solving problems, youre fanning the flames. In the realm of criminal justice, we have problems that we need to address. How do we reduce gun violence? How do we make our system more efficient and keep our neighborhoods safe? And rather than helping solve those problems, Warren continued, DeSantis and Trump are attacking their political enemies with false narratives. Thats something youd expect to see in Russia. Not in the United States, he added. Soros supported Braggs campaign for Manhattan D.A. through the Color of Change PAC. Warren, in 2020, acknowledged that Soros may have helped his first successful campaign four years before. Story continues Theres tremendous hypocrisy, Warren said, pointing to DeSantis decision to suspend him because of what the governor claimed was his refusal to enforce laws while also seeming to suggest that Bragg shouldnt prosecute any alleged crimes by Trump. He was claiming I wasnt going to prosecute abortion cases and that I wasnt going to prosecute violations of a transgender law that didnt exist, Warren said of DeSantis. But at the same time hes suggesting that the D.A. should not be prosecuting Trump because that crime to him is not important. He said Trump and DeSantis attack prosecutors who don't make culture war issues a priority, "but are OK with prosecutors not enforcing the law when it hurts members of their own political party." Responding to questions from NBC News about Warrens latest comments, Jeremy Redfern, a spokesman for the Florida governor, said, Mr. Warren remains suspended from the office he failed to serve. DeSantis himself is a former military prosecutor who has commented on selective prosecution. Although he has consistently taken aim at social justice activists, liberal big-city prosecutors and other elected officials for decriminalizing certain actions through what he considers nonenforcement of the law, DeSantis has walked a fine line in staking out his specific philosophy when it comes to selective prosecution and applying the law equally to public figures, as NBC News has reported. While a prosecutor can decline to prosecute cases, such declination must be the result of an individualized determination about the merits of the individual case, not due to a blanket policy of non-enforcement, DeSantis wrote in his recently released political memoir. While DeSantis appears to make an implicit distinction between nonenforcement policies related to certain criminal actions and individual cases, he nevertheless is clear that there is a duty of the prosecutor to follow the law. Earlier in his career, when he was a member of Congress, DeSantis introduced a constitutional amendment that would have required that all laws apply to lawmakers the same as they do to other people a proposal Warren noted is in contrast to how the governor has responded to him and to Trump. This is hypocrisy, Warren said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com A south King County man was charged with first-degree murder, for a homicide that happened last October in Seattles Yesler Terrace neighborhood. Seattle police say they arrested 45-year-old Aaron Javan Mitchell last week after tracking him down to his girlfriends home in Federal Way. According to court documents, he took extraordinary steps to evade capture. Last fall, investigators say Mitchell reacted to two people trying to steal his car by chasing the two in another vehicle, then repeatedly firing a handgun at them, as they sped through Seattle neighborhoods. After he disabled their car, investigators say he got out of his car and shot both victims. One man, 27-year-old Joshua Blackwood, died. Another 53-year-old man was shot but survived. According to court documents, Blackwood was shot in the back and pistol-whipped in the head. Detectives say the car Mitchell was driving to chase the two men was found less than 24 hours later in Auburn. It was torched nearly beyond recognition. Court documents say after the murder, Mitchell never returned to his apartment. He had his girlfriend clear out the space. He also didnt show up to meetings where he was expected. Once detectives got a court order to ping his girlfriends cell phone location, they found them at a home in Federal Way. Both were arrested. Mitchell was charged with one count of 1st-degree murder and one count of second-degree attempted murder. Prosecutors requested his bail be set at $3,000,000 dollars. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) used up some of her time during a House committee meeting on Wednesday to ask a series of rambling questions on urinating in public. The conspiracy theorist lawmaker seemed to think she was setting up Washington, D.C., Council member Charles Allen on revisions to city laws that she said would decriminalize public urination. Except, as Allen noted, none of that is true. Did you or did you not decriminalize public urination in Washington, D.C.? Boebert demanded. No we did not, Allen replied. Did you lead the charge to do so? she pressed. No, he said. The revised criminal code left that as a criminal charge. Did you lead the charge to decriminalize public urination in Washington, D.C.? Boebert asked again. No Maam, he said. Did you ever vote in favor of decriminalizing public urination in Washington D.C.? she asked yet again. Allen said the new code keeps public urination a criminal offense, but Boebert pressed on anyway, suggesting in multiple ways that peeing in public was decriminalized. And each time, she got the same answer: Its still a crime. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) later slammed the hearing for its degraded, tawdry discourse on public urination. On Twitter, Boeberts critics stepped in to tell her that line of questioning was all wet: More Boebert cringe. My takeaway: public urination is a criminal offense. Luckily for Lauren, public humiliation is not. https://t.co/kyLiUlR1wZ Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) March 30, 2023 if you think lauren boebert's obsession with people peeing in dc is new, well, urine for a surprise https://t.co/e4EH2JHtb7 Aaron Fritschner (@Fritschner) March 29, 2023 Narrator: "Well, she really pissed that one away" Michael Muscato (@michael_muscato) March 29, 2023 I dont want to #KinkShame anyone but Congresswoman @laurenboebert sure seems to be a little obsessed here #Boebert Gets Ridiculed For Inaccurate D.C. Urine Tirade https://t.co/YZq9Ldr2pk Senator Paul Strauss (@SenPaulStrauss) March 29, 2023 Pussy Riots Nadya Tolokonnikova has been placed on Russias most-wanted list for allegedly offending against religious feeling. The news was first reported by the Russian news outlet Mediazona, which is founded by Pussy Riot. The report confirms that Tolokonnikova, 33, is facing criminal charges, but does not specify any details of the case. Earlier this month, Russian human rights attorney Pavel Chikov said that Tolokonnikova is being charged with offending against religious feeling, according to Meduza. The news was reported a few days after Pussy Riot released footage of their latest protest video called Putins Ashes. In the video, Pussy Riot burned a painting of the Russian president and then stabbed the earth while watching his ashes fall. According to documents verified by Pitchfork, Tolokonnikova is under investigation for some images on her Instagram account that the Russian government deems offensive to Christianity. They also called the Pussy Riot NFT an expression of obvious disrespect in relation to the icon image the Virgin Mary, depicted in an obscene form, so that the image is perceived as outwardly similar to the anatomical details of the female external genitalia. (Getty Images for ABA) Tolokonnikova has been a long-time activist and critic of Vladimir Putin and the Russian regime. In August 2012, Tolokonnikova was one of three members Pussy Riot sentenced to spend two years in a remote penal colony. Their crime had been to protest Putins return to the Russian presidency by walking into Moscows Cathedral of Christ the Saviour and dancing around the altar to the strains of their punk prayer, a song titled Mother of God Drive Putin Away. In 2014, Tolokonnikova went to the Winter Olympics in Sochi to perform an anthem: Putin Will Teach You to Love the Motherland. Soon after that, Pussy Riot was attacked by the Cossack militia and beaten with horsewhips. In 2022, Pussy Riot created UkraineDAO, an NFT of the Ukrainian flag that raised more than $7m two days after Russias first military invasion of the country. Read Tolokonnikovas 2022 interview with The Independent here. Ghanaian students participate in a job fair held in the University of Ghana, Accra, capital of Ghana, March 29, 2023. In a week-long job fair organized by the University of Ghana in partnership with the Confucius Institute starting Wednesday, the prospective young Ghanaian graduates who studied the Chinese language have become the sought-after talent of many Chinese and local enterprises. (Photo by Seth/Xinhua) ACCRA, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese language teachers both from China and Ghana have voiced their confidence in the career prospects of Ghanaian graduates majoring in Chinese as the China-Africa cooperation prospers. In a week-long job fair organized by the University of Ghana in partnership with the Confucius Institute starting Wednesday, the prospective young Ghanaian graduates who studied the Chinese language have become the sought-after talent of many Chinese and local enterprises. Grace Selassie, a Chinese language teacher at the Confucius Institute, told Xinhua that students majoring in the Chinese language have many options for successful careers. "This fair is organized to help students, especially final-year students who are looking for job opportunities. The Confucius Institute is also part of the project as we are recruiting students who have studied Chinese and want to become teachers, as well as students who want to do their internship in different companies," said Selassie. Selassie, once a Chinese language major student, recounted how beneficial studying the Chinese language has been for her. "The training from the Confucius Institute has been very helpful to me. I can now speak Chinese fluently, and teach other people Chinese." Wang Jimin, Chinese director of the Confucius Institute, said the institute has always served as a platform to provide job opportunities for young Ghanaians aspiring to make a difference in the future. "Renowned Chinese enterprises in Ghana need people who are eloquent in the Chinese language so that they will be able to communicate with them," said Josephine Dzahene Quarshie, Ghanaian director of the Confucius Institute, urging students at the university and other tertiary institutions to take advantage of studying the Chinese language because of the opportunities it offers. She added that Chinese language education in the country is of great significance in that regard and will further deepen the friendly relations between Ghana and China. Ghanaian students participate in a job fair held in the University of Ghana, Accra, capital of Ghana, March 29, 2023. In a week-long job fair organized by the University of Ghana in partnership with the Confucius Institute starting Wednesday, the prospective young Ghanaian graduates who studied the Chinese language have become the sought-after talent of many Chinese and local enterprises. (Photo by Seth/Xinhua) Turkish President Recep Erdogan has said that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin may visit Turkiye on 27 April to attend the opening of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant, which has been built by Rosatom. Source: Erdogan's interview with ATV TV channel Quote: "Putin may fly to Turkiye on 27 April for the opening ceremony [of the nuclear power plant ed.] or take part in the ceremony online." For reference: Turkiye has not ratified the Rome Statute, and therefore does not recognise the decisions of the International Criminal Court. In the event of Putin's visit, Turkish law enforcement officers will not be obliged to comply with the decision of the ICC, which issued an arrest warrant for the Russian president. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Last year, executives with MultiCare and Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup petitioned the Washington Department of Health to permit a new tower. Its a great idea to serve more patients, but whos going to take care of them? Already, nurses are being stretched to the limit, and theyre leaving at an alarming rate. The staffing crisis is worse now than it was during COVID. I got into nursing because of a personal experience in my own life when I was just 16. There was one nurse who was there for me when I needed it most and, unfortunately, a nurse who only made things worse. I wanted to be the nurse who made a positive difference. Even when I have a difficult patient, I always remind myself to treat them with kindness and compassion, because this could very well be the worst day of their life and I could be the one person making it bearable for them. But thats hard to do when Im running from patient to patient without even a chance to go to the bathroom, and it breaks my heart. I have questioned many times if I got into the right field, because nursing is not what I thought it would be. I wanted to take care of people and help people, and these days I often go home feeling defeated because I wasnt able to give my patients the care I wanted to give them the care I was trained to give them. I want to do more than the bare minimum. Heres what it comes down to: I worry about where healthcare is going and the safety of people who are really sick and in a hospital. Too many patients could mean that a nurse isnt able to do thorough assessments, monitor patients frequently enough, or intervene in a timely manner to prevent a deteriorating state. Ask yourself, would you be OK with a family member in an emergency department hallway for three or four days, not getting the medical treatment and care they deserve? Nurses are leaving Good Samaritan rather than put up with working conditions that have become unbearable. They are leaving and not looking back. If the hospital wants to retain them and hire enough to staff a new tower, the work of nurses needs to be bearable. Story continues We dont have a shortage of nurses. Really, what were experiencing is a shortage of nurses who are willing to work in these conditions. If the hospital wants to stop nurses from leaving, it needs to give nurses better working conditions and competitive pay. And if the hospital wants to hire new nurses, it has to offer the same or better than a nurse could get a few miles away. Without that commitment on the part of the hospital, I dont see how a new tower will ever be staffed. Right now, Good Samaritan is failing to adequately staff the beds it already has. Ashley Eubank is a registered nurse at Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup and has been there since October 2020. The Phoenix man who took part in the raid of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, with a painted face and wearing a fur hat topped with horns has been moved by federal authorities out of prison and into a halfway house. Jake Angeli, the 35-year-old who became known as the QAnon Shaman, was moved out of prison on Tuesday and into "community confinement," a spokesperson for the Bureau of Prisons said in an email. The agency said his residential confinement would either be at a facility or at his home, but would not confirm which. The attorney who handled his criminal trial, Albert Watkins, said in a news release Thursday that Angeli was in a halfway house. He confirmed to The Republic on Thursday that Angeli was at a facility and not confined to his home. The Bureau of Prisons website showed Angeli with a release date of May 25. Angeli had been held at the federal prison in Safford. Angeli was sentenced in November 2021 to 41 months in prison. He pleaded guilty to a felony count of obstructing a civil proceeding. Jake Angeli, known as the "QAnon Shaman," stands outside Veterans Memorial Coliseum during President Donald Trump's rally in Phoenix on Feb. 19, 2020. Angeli, who was charged under his legal name of Jacob Chansley, was not accused of any acts of violence or vandalism while in the U.S. Capitol. But prosecutors said he played a key role in the riot by goading on the crowd through shouts through his megaphone. Angeli had made himself, and his megaphone, a fixture at protests in the Phoenix area since at least 2019. He participated in all manner of protest marches and rallies, including becoming a leader at rallies outside the Maricopa County election headquarters in late 2020 protesting the defeat of President Donald Trump. During these protests, Angeli would be shirtless, showing off elaborate tattoos on his arms and torso. He carried a spear with a heavy blade, to which he sometimes affixed the U.S. flag. He would paint his face, sometimes black and white, but he switched to red, white and blue after the 2020 election. More Jan. 6 news: Former VP Pence must testify about conversations with Trump before Jan. 6, federal judge says Story continues Angeli would also carry a sign that read: "Q Sent Me." He told The Arizona Republic he wore his garb to attract attention to the wide-ranging conspiracy involving Q, who adherents believed was an anonymous federal official posting cryptic clues to hidden truths on online bulletin boards. The central and false theory was that Trump would dismantle a global conspiracy of elite leaders and celebrities engaged in crimes against children. Angeli drove to Washington D.C. to attend a speech by Trump on Jan. 6, 2021. He then joined others marching to the U.S. Capitol. Video showed him among the first to enter after windows were broken. A judge said that Angeli "quite literally spearheaded" the breach of the U.S. Capitol. With his eye-catching get-up, Angeli attracted attention. He was seen in multiple videos and photos of the riot. He became the face of the riot, with his iconic look being mocked on late-night talk shows. During his time inside the Capitol, Angeli strode into the U.S. Senate chambers and, ignoring the pleas of the sole police officer there, took the dais. He left a note for Vice President Mike Pence that said, Its only a matter of time. Justice is coming! After Trump sent a video message through Twitter asking his supporters to leave the Capitol, Angeli was seen on video using his megaphone to blast Trumps wishes to the crowd, asking them to clear the building. At his sentencing, Angeli took responsibility but said he was not a danger to society. "I may be guilty of this crime, absolutely," he said. "But I am in no way, shape or form a dangerous criminal. I'm not a domestic terrorist. I'm not an insurrectionist. "I'm a good man who broke the law," he said. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'QAnon shaman' Jake Angeli released from prison to halfway house Its estimated that about a third of all food produced worldwide every year, which is approximately 1.3 billion tons, is estimated to be wasted. Aravita, a Brazilian artificial intelligence startup, thinks that supermarkets are the best place to start fixing this problem. Marco Perlman, co-founder and CEO, started the company with Aline Azevedo and Bruno Schrappe in 2022 to tackle waste in the fourth-largest food producing country in the world where 33 million Brazilians have some type of food insecurity. Aravita is developing an AI-powered solution for supermarkets that looks at variables, including climate, seasonality, consumer behavior and economic scenario, to manage the purchasing of fresh food mainly fruits and vegetables to reduce the instances of surplus items and lost sales due to waste. At the same time, the software increases the availability of items in demand. Supermarkets are our target audience because they are a great place to drive the first wedge of data availability, Perlman told TechCrunch. They have point-of-sale consumer data, and this is the data that we need to start making the predictions for low-demand forecasting. Unlike other parts of the supply chain, where the data is much harder to get a hold of, eventually we think that this will be digitized. Aravita is still in the very early stages: It has a conceptual prototype and started a pilot with a mid-sized supermarket chain near Sao Paulo and has the first set of algorithms developed. It is also in the process of integrating the first database of historical data into that model. However, that first pilot didnt come easy. Perlman recalls that potential customers were initially worried that startups were having difficulty raising money, hiring and surviving, and were uncomfortable giving store data to a company without financial resources that could stick around. Aravita supermarket food waste Marco Perlman, Aline Azevedo, and Bruno Bruno Schrappe Aravita co-founders, Marco Perlman, Aline Azevedo and Bruno Schrappe. Image Credits: Aravita Story continues So the trio started reaching out to investors and was able to secure a $2.5 million investment earlier this year, co-led by Qualcomm Ventures and 17Sigma. Fresh food management is highly fragmented and complex, said Michel Glezer, director of Qualcomm Wireless GmbH and director at Qualcomm Ventures, in a written statement. Aravitas solution enables retailers to optimize inventory management, helping increase efficiencies and reduce waste. Joining those two firms were Bridge, DGF Investimentos, Alexia Ventures, BigBets, Norte Capital and a group of angel investors, including ClearSale partner and CEO Bernardo Lustosa and Flavio Jansen, former CEO of LocaWeb and Submarino. Aravita is now in good company among other startups tackling food waste that also recently attracted venture capital, including Divert, which is trying to stop food before it reaches landfills; Diferente, also in Brazil, that is finding places for imperfect produce; and food resale app Recelery. They join other companies like Shelf Engine, Apeel, OLIO, Imperfect Foods, Mori and Phood Solutions. The next steps are to develop the solution over the next few months and add a second pilot customer, Perlman said. He expects to have product-market fit next year and the ability to step on the gas to accelerate Aravitas business model into other supermarket departments, including baked goods, pastry, cold cuts, fish and meat. The new capital enables the company to hire additional employees and for future innovation, including inventory management, point-of-sale integration and technology development like AI and computer vision for process automation. The Queen pictured in September last year, shortly before she died. (Getty) A former police officer has claimed a private investigator who allegedly hacked phones for the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday boasted he could access the Queens medical records. In a witness statement released this week as part of Prince Harry's privacy claim against the publisher of the Daily Mail, Derek Haslam claims a private investigator named Jonathan Rees boasted about a range of criminal activities, including access private information about the Queen. Haslam is a retired police officer and undercover operative who says he infiltrated Rees's private investigator's firm, Southern Investigations, for the Metropolitan Police between 1997 and 2006. Haslam's signed statement, which has been seen by Yahoo, says: I heard Rees boast about the unlawful work he did for the Mail newspapers. This involved phone tapping (meaning the interception of live telephone calls), computer and phone hacking, bribing police officers and a whole range of other unlawful activities, including burglaries to order. Prince Harry arrives at the High Court in London. (Reuters) Rees liked to boast about the information he could get. 'We can get the Queen's medical records,' he once said. Read more: Prince Harry accuses Daily Mail of hacking phone call with William over photograph of their dead mother From what I saw of... his operations I firmly believed that nothing in terms of private information was beyond Rees and Southern Investigations reach using illegal means. Haslam goes on to say that Rees frequently admitted to working for the papers. According to a BBC report from 2011, Rees said at the time he never sold or provided information obtained illegally to any journalist. The claims emerged amid accusations by Prince Harry and other high-profile individuals that Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) have concealed wrongdoing over the alleged unlawful gathering of their private information. ANL, which denies the allegations, says a judge should rule in its favour without a trial because the legal challenges against it are brought far too late. Story continues Baroness Doreen Lawrence also attended more than one day of the hearing. (PA) The publishers lawyers have argued the group, which includes Sir Elton John, his husband David Furnish and Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon, could have used reasonable diligence to discover they had a potential worthwhile claim earlier. Lawyers for those bringing legal action say they were thrown off the scent and not aware of being targeted, having believed categorical denials from ANL over involvement in unlawful activity. Haslams witness statement was used in the final of a four-day preliminary hearing in which ANLs lawyers argued to secure a summary judgment which would mean the claims dont go to trial. Prince Harry said in his witness statement for the claim that he believed if the most influential newspaper company can successfully evade justice, then in my opinion the whole country is doomed. He also accused the Daily Mail and Mail on Sundays journalists of being criminals with journalistic powers which should concern every single one of us and that he was deeply concerned by the unchecked power, influence and criminality of Associated. Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of Baroness Doreen Lawrence and Prince Harry during the hearing. (PA) ANL said in a statement they deny the claims which are "unsubstantiated and highly defamatory [and] based on no credible evidence". ANLs legal team has argued two main points to get Harry and the other claimants' case thrown out. Firstly, they say that some of the evidence the claim relies upon is restricted material which they allege was leaked from the Leveson Inquiry. Public inquiries such as Leveson usually seek to make as much evidence available to the public as possible, but some evidence is designated as restricted to ensure candour from the participants. Harry's legal team refutes this and says the burden is on ANL to prove it was leaked. Read more: Prince Harry's subtle nod to wife Meghan Markle as he appears in court ANL's second argument is that the claimants' have passed the six-year statute of limitation for this type of invasion of privacy allegation, so any case is too late. Sir Elton John leaving the Royal Courts of Justice after the first day of the hearing. (Getty Images) The last two days of the hearing saw both sides argue on this point, with ANL claiming that because certain articles where private information of the claimants were misused were published some years ago, means the fact that the defendant was misusing the private information was not concealed. The claimants' legal team pushed back on this and used witness statements including Haslams to show that the claimants gained new information after the time limit had passed in 2016, which led them to realise they had a worthwhile claim rather than speculative one. At the conclusion of the hearing, Justice Nicklin said he would not be handing down a judgment at this stage and would only circulate a draft judgment to counsel because of the high-profile nature of the case, they will have to make representations to him to even share it with their clients. A dog was left at a shelter with her beloved toys and sweaters, capturing the hearts of thousands on social media. Abby a 12-year-old beagle that many Facebook users said was clearly loved also had a framed portrait, dog bed and years of vet records with her. But her owner had major life changes and couldnt keep her as a pet, according to a rescue organization in Virginia. We see bringing her to the shelter with all of her favorite things as well as her detailed medical records as a kindness, Adri Yancey, president of Sanctuary Rescue, told Southern Living. Im sure it wasnt easy for anyone involved. Now, weeks after the organization shared Abbys emotional story, shes up for adoption. Everybodys favorite senior beagle is described as a quiet dog that enjoys walks and playing with puzzle toys, according to an adoption listing shared Monday, March 27. Abby is set to find a new family after the organization took to Facebook on March 3 to write that it rescued her. A week earlier, the sweet dog had been dropped off at a shelter with her belongings. From what we understand from the shelter there were some major life changes that prevented them from keeping their pets at this time and it wasnt necessarily something a gofundme would fix, Sanctuary Rescue wrote. Shes in a wonderful foster home now that has a lot of senior dog experience. The rescue, located in the Richmond suburb of Midlothian, said it hopes to keep a reminder of Abby. Were thinking of hanging the dogs portrait in our office to remind us to be humble, to give grace, to spend energy on loving instead of judging, and to always help where and when we can because you just never know what the future holds and what curveballs life might throw at you, the rescue wrote. Those words resonated with many on Facebook, including some who shared stories of owners who could no longer care for their beloved pets. I have to believe that her former family loved her very much, thus the beautiful hand drawn picture of her, and all the sweaters that kept her warm in cold weather, one person commented. Story continues How heartbreaking it must have been for the owners to part with their dog and how confused the poor baby must be, another Facebook user wrote. I hope she gets the love and care she needs for her remaining years. Sanctuary Rescue said it recognizes that some people considered Abbys story to be sad, but it interpreted the circumstances in another way, Southern Living reported. Although we are sure it was painful to have to surrender a beloved pet to the shelter, we think Abbys former family would be relieved and happy to know that she quickly found a soft place to land and she will be comfortable and well taken care of in her favorite sweaters with her favorite toys, Yancey told the magazine. Goofy dog had no adoption inquiries for months. Then shelter shared desperate plea Sadie the cat was missing 7 years, Virginia shelter says. Now shes home with family My mom loves me but cant afford me: Heart-wrenching note left with abandoned dog IRVINE, Calif. The most radical thing about Asa Hutchinson is how traditional he sounds. On foreign policy in particular, the former Arkansas governor and 2024 candidate-to-be argues for compassionate internationalism with a hard edge that former President George W. Bush might have emphasized before 9/11, but that today is outside his partys mainstream. Hes a longshot for the nomination, but he is practically alone in his worldview within the broader 2024 field. That could give him a chance to shape a debate over why the party has abandoned its global-minded principles and sneak a bit more Ronald Reagan and a little less MAGA into the GOP. Speaking to a 70-person audience at the Nixon Presidential Library last week, Hutchinson made his case: Its important to welcome refugees to the United States because they love freedom and love America. The U.S. should assert global leadership. Cooperation with allies is key to solving global issues. America cant abandon international organizations because, otherwise, China and Russia fill the vacuum. And the future of U.S. foreign policy points not only to Asia, but also southward into Latin America. At the end of his prepared remarks, delivered in front of a painting of the former president and two American flags, an elderly docent of the library turned to her neighbor and said he makes a lot of sense. Hutchinsons views are a sharp contrast to his rivals for the Republican nomination, who talk unabashedly about prioritizing homefront concerns and securing U.S. interests worldwide regardless of what others want or who America partners with. For many of them, its America First or America Only. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis openly trashed the idea of supporting small-d democrats abroad: Does the survival of American liberty depend on whether liberty succeeds in Djibouti? he wrote in his book, The Courage to be Free. And in his first major statement on the war in Ukraine, DeSantis described it as a territorial dispute that wasnt in the vital American interest to address, though he has since walked back the comments by calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal. Story continues Nikki Haley, citing her experience as a U.N. ambassador, has said the U.S. will be taking names of countries, including allies, that dont align with Americas foreign policy aims. Former President Donald Trump openly floated an overhaul of the U.S. national security bureaucracy and a reevaluation of NATOs purpose and NATOs mission. The concept of America doing what it wants, including among a neo-isolationist cohort, has grown inside the Republican Party for years. Its come into sharp relief with the 2024 race for the nomination. Hutchinson argues he can be the one to reorient the GOP back to caring about the rules-based international order. He may instead represent the last gasp of a Republican internationalism that is less and less in favor within his party. In short, theres little room for a presidential candidate to espouse middle-of-the-road foreign policy views and expect to triumph. Voters arent usually animated to pull the lever for a candidate based on their foreign policy views. But they do select someone who reflects them, and so far, Hutchinson isnt resonating. The Arkansan isn't featured in polls of the top 11 Republican candidates for the nomination. His name recognition is nowhere near the levels of Trump, DeSantis, Haley, Mike Pence and Mike Pompeo. Even in solidly Republican areas, Hutchinson draws small crowds of like-minded people who typically skew older, with some saying they came to see him out of curiosity. During his speech at the Nixon Library, when he said he would decide on a bid for the presidency in April, most of the room erupted in surprise not recognition before clapping at the news. The Hutchinson foreign policy vision is also losing. The most recent Chicago Council on Global Affairs poll, conducted last year, showed that 55 percent of Republicans want the U.S. to take an active role in the world the lowest total in the surveys 50-year history. Only 9 percent of Republicans said the most important foreign policy priority was leading international cooperation on global problems. By contrast, 48 percent of GOP respondents said ensuring the physical defense of our country was the top issue. Hutchinson believes if he gets his message out there, he can move Republicans away from Trumps vision and toward a Reagan-cum-Bush 2 worldview. The hope is his affable, oh, shucks southern charm endears him to people wistful for the era he represents and encourages those pining after political comity to join his campaign. It's really a post-Trump phenomenon that you have this wing of the party that is more isolationist, and that is dangerous for America, is dangerous for our freedoms and dangerous for stability and peace in the world, he said, chowing on cereal during an interview in a hotel lobby before his library address. It makes sense to me for America to be part of a global discussion and sharing of information on matters that impact us, Hutchinson added, suggesting the U.S. remain in the World Health Organization and learn lessons from the global response to the Covid-19 pandemic. And we want to continue to invest in regions of the world that impact us. In this era, his old-schoolness feels like a creative solution in a field full of conservative internationalists and nationalists. Whenever Hutchinson makes foreign policy proclamations, the governor claims the audience he attracts laps it up. We need to have multiple voices in a 2024 race for ideas, but also so that we can better define what the GOP is, stands for, and how we're going to solve problems for our country, he said. One of Hutchinsons strengths in his not-yet-announced campaign is that hes mainly alone in his foreign policy lane and he knows it. But the problem for him is that others likely vying for the nomination might try to swerve into it. Isolationist policy isnt going to do it, former House Intelligence Chair Mike Rogers asserted in an interview. History has punished us for that policy. If we surrender to the siren song of those in this country who argue that America has no interest in freedoms cause, history teaches we may soon send our own into harms way to defend our freedom and the freedom of nations in our alliance, Pence told an audience at the University of Texas in February. Hutchinson argues his experience will see him climb up the rankings, pointing out that hes the only one with an inclination to run who actually served in the Reagan administration. Later, under the younger Bush, he led the Drug Enforcement Administration and was the top border security official at the Department of Homeland Security qualifications he expects will resonate with voters who care about immigration and fentanyl. But where his views match up with the Republican mainstream, Hutchinsons policy prescriptions dont stand out from other candidates. China is the big threat, he said, telling the Nixon Library audience that the U.S. may have no choice but to engage in a Cold War with the Asian power. The U.S. should help Ukraine win quickly. And it behooves any administration to label Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations so that more resources can be devoted to defeating them. But its less about specificity and more about strategic orientation for Hutchinson. Unless and until his party returns to its Reaganesque roots with a cooperative global outlook, the United States will be less safe and the world less stable. Over breakfast, he declared: I don't think what I'm outlining takes the party back. I think it moves the party forward. By Alexandra Schwarz-Goerlich and John O'Donnell VIENNA (Reuters) -Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) took aim on Thursday at "morally arrogant" critics of its dealings in Russia, though said it was considering spinning off its business there anyway amid mounting pressure. The Austrian lender is now the most important Western bank in Russia, offering a lifeline to people and businesses there seeking to make international payments, but it is under growing pressure from Western officials and investors to quit. Chairman Erwin Hameseder accused critics of "black and white moral thinking" from a "risk free zone of comfort", and said most Western businesses had not left Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine, a war he decried as unjustified. "That is reality," he told the Austrian bank's annual general meeting (AGM). However, CEO Johann Strobl told the meeting the bank would pursue a possible sale or spin-off of its Russian business. He said it would continue to reduce activity in Russia while it pursued those options, but would keep some business there to maintain its bank licence. He was heckled by a member of the audience. "RBI will pursue possible transactions that can lead to a sale or a spin-off of Raiffeisenbank Russia and its deconsolidation from the RBI group," Strobl said. In January, the U.S. sanctions authority launched an inquiry into Raiffeisen over its business related to Russia. Earlier this month, people familiar with the matter told Reuters the European Central Bank was pressing RBI to unwind its highly profitable business in Russia. The pressure comes after a top U.S. sanctions official raised concerns about RBI's business in Russia on a visit to Vienna last month, another person said. A senior Raiffeisen executive said the bank was in talks with two potential buyers, including one from Russia, but any spin off would take four to seven months. At the AGM, Hameseder singled out "journalistic critics sitting in the sidelines", saying the bank was helping diplomatic missions in making payments and pointed to U.S. lenders, including Bank of America, still active in Russia. Story continues That echoed recent remarks by Austria's foreign minister, Alexander Schallenberg, who defended the country's second-biggest bank, saying it was unreasonable to single it out when so many other Western firms were still in Russia. RBI has been sharply rebuked by investors after participating in a Russian scheme to grant loan payment holidays to troops fighting in Ukraine. During Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen's visit to Kyiv last month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy criticised Austrian businesses still operating in Russia, singling out RBI. Although the stakes are high, some Austrian officials hope they can hold out long enough for a negotiated resolution to the war, allowing for a resumption of normal business with Russia, people familiar with the matter have told Reuters. RBI made a net profit of roughly 3.8 billion euros ($4.1 billion) last year, thanks in large part to a 2-billion-euro-plus profit from its Russian business. Russian savers have lodged more than 20 billion euros with the bank. ($1 = 0.9193 euros) (Reporting by John O'Donnell; Editing by Miranda Murray and Mark Potter) Two Republican senators clashed over TikTok Wednesday, widening a free-speech fight in the party as Congress and the White House consider outright bans of the social media app. Missouri Sen. Josh Hawleys efforts to fast-track a ban on TikTok nationwide, with his "No TikTok on United States Devices Act, were blocked by Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul. We should act decisively to ban TikTok directly, said Hawley on the Senate floor, arguing the app's possible connections to the Chinese government call for swift action from Congress. But Paul objected, striking down Hawley's efforts and saying that banning the app would violate the First Amendment. This legislation not only violates the First Amendment of those who own TikTok, many of whom are actually Americans, not Chinese, said Paul. But it also violates the First Amendment rights of the millions of young Americans who use this social media app. Stay in the conversation on politics: Sign up for the OnPolitics newsletter Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., speaks during a hearing with former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on March 29, 2023 in Washington, DC. Where TikTok ban stands in Congress Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have increasingly expressed support for banning the app due to the platforms Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance, and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chews high profile testimony to the House Energy and Commerce Committee earlier this month. In his testimony, Chew was grilled by skeptical lawmakers over whether the app is conducting surveillance for the Chinese government and how the app collects and stores user data. Related: Nuclear warfare? China arming Russia? Fears of new Cold War rise. Chew denied any sort of allegation that the Chinese government could use the app for its own purposes, but to no avail, with lawmakers becoming even more grounded in their opposition to TikTok. But the app has found some defenders on Capitol Hill, first in progressive House Democrats such as New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman, who says that banning the app would be an attack on the First Amendment since the app is used by millions of Americans. Story continues TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testifies during a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, on the platform's consumer privacy and data security practices and impact on children, Thursday, March 23, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. What else did Paul and Hawley say? Pauls objection to a ban on TikTok is a sign that banning the app isnt a one-sided effort from the platforms opponents. In addition to First Amendment concerns, Paul argued that banning the app wouldnt protect American user data, considering other U.S.-based tech companies have failed to secure its data before. Every accusation of data gathering thats been attributed to TikTok could also be attributed to domestic big tech companies, said Paul. Not only that, Paul warned his GOP colleagues that banning the app could have electoral consequences considering the apps wide user base. If Republicans want to considerably lose elections for a generation, they should pass this bill to ban TikTok. Paul said. A social media app used by 150 million American people. Hawley responded to Pauls objections, saying that the First Amendment does not protect the right of the Chinese government to spy on Americans. Scour the First Amendment, I promise you, you wont find any right to espionage, you wont find any right to spy, Hawley continued. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., departs the chamber during the vote to confirm former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti as the next ambassador to India, more than a year and a half after he was initially selected for the post, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, March 15, 2023. Dig deeper: Tick-tock, TikTok: As Biden sets deadline for ban of social media app, here's what we know Cybersecurity pro: TikTok may be fun, but you should consider removing it Related: Lawmakers say TikTok hearing validated security concerns. But TikTokers aim criticism at Congress This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rand Paul blocks Josh Hawley efforts in Senate to ban TikTok Scheana Shay, left, no longer faces a restraining order brought against her by Raquel Leviss. (Charles Sykes / Bravo via Getty Images) The Los Angeles Superior Court pumped the brakes on reality TV star Raquel Leviss' pursuit of a restraining order against "Vanderpump Rules" co-star Scheana Shay. According to legal documents obtained by The Times, a judge dismissed Leviss' temporary restraining order against Shay, 37, after Leviss did not appear in court for a hearing Wednesday. Earlier this month Leviss, 28, filed for a restraining order seeking protection from Shay, whom she said shoved her "against a brick wall and punched her in her left eye," TMZ reported. The alleged altercation came after the discovery of an affair between Leviss and co-star Tom Sandoval by co-star Ariana Madix, Sandoval's longtime girlfriend. Madix and Sandoval broke up almost immediately. Following the dismissal, Shay's attorney Neama Rahmani who refers to Leviss by her given name, Rachel said in a statement Wednesday that her "Vanderpump Rules" client is in the clear. This isnt reality TV. This is the real world and Rachels actions have real consequences. Rachel filed a false police report, a false medical report, and a frivolous petition for a restraining order," Rahmani said, denying Leviss' claims of Shay's alleged violent behavior. Leviss did not immediately respond to The Times request for comment Wednesday. In a video interview after the hearing, Shay told TMZ that Leviss' legal move "was all a PR stunt from the beginning" and a distraction from Leviss' alleged affair with Sandoval. She slammed Leviss for her "abuse [of] the court system." When asked if it was possible that she and Leviss could become friends again, Shay replied, "Hell no. That's a hard no." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. MANILA, March 30 (Xinhua) -- A ferry carrying more than 200 people caught fire in southern Philippines late Wednesday night, killing at least 10 passengers, a local official said on Thursday. Citing an initial report, Nixon Alonzo, the chief of disaster reduction and management office in Basilan province, told a local radio that seven passengers who jumped into the sea remained missing. At least 195 passengers and 35 crew have been rescued. He said rescuers found four bodies on the vessel, while six were brought to the shore. "The passengers died from drowning after jumping into the water. Some suffered burns," Alonzo said. Alonzo said the ferry, M/V Lady Mary Joy, was headed to Zamboanga City from Jolo when it caught fire in the waters off Baluk-Baluk Island in Hadji Muhammad town of Basilan province past 10 p.m. local time on Wednesday. The Philippine Coast Guard confirmed the incident, saying it deployed personnel and its vessel to help in the search and rescue operations but did not give details about the casualties. (Reuters) - Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury after a probe into hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels, becoming the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges. The charges from an investigation led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg come as Trump seeks the Republican nomination to run again in 2024. Below is reaction to news of the indictment: TRUMP IN A STATEMENT SAID HE WAS "COMPLETELY INNOCENT": "This is Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history." FLORIDA GOVERNOR AND POTENTIAL CHALLENGER FOR THE 2024 REPUBLICAN NOMINATION RON DESANTIS ON TWITTER: "The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head. It is un-American," he wrote. "Florida will not assist in an extradition request given the questionable circumstances..." TRUMP'S FORMER VICE PRESIDENT AND POTENTIAL CHALLENGER FOR THE REPUBLICAN NOMINATION MIKE PENCE ON CNN: "I think this is an outrage but I also think at a time when the American people are struggling so much, that this will only further serve to divide our country." U.S. SENATE MAJORITY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER, A DEMOCRAT, IN A STATEMENT: "Mr. Trump is subject to the same laws as every American. He will be able to avail himself of the legal system and a jury, not politics, to determine his fate according to the facts and the law." "I encourage both Mr. Trumps critics and supporters to let the process proceed peacefully and according to the law." TRUMP'S FORMER U.N. AMBASSADOR AND CANDIDATE FOR THE REPUBLICAN NOMINATION NIKKI HALEY ON TWITTER: "This is more about revenge than it is about justice." TRUMP'S FORMER LAWYER RUDY GIULIANI ON TWITTER: "The 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, has been indicted by a Grand Jury in New York following District Attorney Alvin Bragg's irresponsible and politically-motivated efforts to take him down. A sad day for America." Story continues FORMER U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI, A DEMOCRAT, IN A STATEMENT: The Grand Jury has acted upon the facts and the law. No one is above the law, and everyone has the right to a trial to prove innocence. Hopefully, the former President will peacefully respect the system, which grants him that right. DEMOCRATIC U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ADAM SCHIFF ON TWITTER: "The indictment of a former president is unprecedented. But so too is the unlawful conduct in which Trump has been engaged. A nation of laws must hold the rich and powerful accountable, even when they hold high office. Especially when they do. To do otherwise is not democracy." MICHAEL COHEN, FORMER LAWYER TO TRUMP, ON MSNBC: "Today's indictment is not the end of the chapter, it is just the beginning ... Accountability really matters." REPUBLICAN U.S. SENATOR TED CRUZ ON TWITTER: "The Democrat Partys hatred for Donald Trump knows no bounds. The 'substance' of this political persecution is utter garbage. This is completely unprecedented and is a catastrophic escalation in the weaponization of the justice system." (Compiled by Costas Pitas and Anna Driver) A newly declassified report by a panel of experts convened by U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that commercially available devices known as directional loudspeakers or acoustic lasers are the most plausible technology behind the unexplained health incidents causing what has become known as Havana Syndrome. This new information adds to the confusion regarding the incidents, becoming public just weeks after the U.S. intelligence community released an assessment concluding Havana Syndrome was not caused by an energy weapon or device used by a foreign adversary. The experts panel convened by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the CIA authored a study titled Anomalous Health Incidents. Analysis of Potential Causal Mechanisms. The report says the devices that may have been used to target U.S. personnel in Havana and other places could use commercial off-the-shelf technology, are easily portable and concealable, and can be powered by electricity or batteries. Parametric acoustic arrays also referred to as directional loudspeakers or acoustic lasers are the most plausible technology, although other ultrasound technology may be at play, the experts wrote. The panel said some of these technologies could cause the Havana Syndrome effects without generating much heat and without a clear line of sight of the victims, two major objections that others have cited to refute the energy weapon theory. The experts, whose identities were not released, had security clearances to access classified information and represented a variety of fields, including biochemistry, physics, ionizing radiation and acoustics. They said they interviewed a large group of people affected by the incidents. A summary of the panels findings was released in February 2022, also stating that pulsed electromagnetic energy, particularly in the radiofrequency range, and ultrasound could cause the brain injuries and inner-ear disorders seen in many of those affected, although information gaps exist. Story continues The full report, first obtained by Salon, is dated September 2022 and became public for the first time Wednesday after it was received by the James Madison Project, a nonprofit promoting government accountability that had requested it under the Freedom for Information Act. Since the first instances in Havana in late 2016, cases of Havana Syndrome affecting U.S. personnel and some Canadian officials abroad have been reported in several other countries, including Russia and China. The Biden administration set in motion several investigations to understand the incidents and what could cause them. But different government agencies and several experts involved in the effort have at times reached opposing conclusions. The experts panels findings appear to contradict a U.S. Intelligence Community assessment released earlier this month stating that there is no credible evidence that a foreign adversary has a weapon or collection device that is causing Havana Syndrome. The experts panel believes that electromagnetic energy, particularly pulsed signals in the radiofrequency range, or ultrasound, plausibly explains the core characteristics of the incidents, which include sounds or pressure sometimes only in one ear or one side of the head that come from a specific direction, and other symptoms such as vertigo, loss of balance and ear pain. The incidents and the associated symptoms also share another thing in common: They cannot be explained by known environmental factors or medical conditions, the report concludes. Even if there are different ways electromagnetic waves could be used to trigger the symptoms in humans, in each case, the experts said, there is known technology that could generate the required stimuli, are concealable, and have moderate power requirements. Using nonstandard ... antennas and techniques, the signals could be propagated with low loss through air for tens to hundreds of meters, and, with some loss, through most building materials. In the case of ultrasound, they said, the device must be in close range to cause the effects. The required energy can be generated by ultrasonic arrays that are portable, and produce a tight beam, the report states. It is unclear whether the unnamed U.S. intelligence agencies that issued the early March assessment excluded parametric acoustic arrays from their analysis because the commercial devices using that technology are not considered weapons or collection devices. The experts panel and a National Academies of Sciences study commissioned by the State Department reached similar conclusions that the Havana Syndrome symptoms, described as a new disorder, were consistent with the effects of directed, pulsed radiofrequency energy. The two expert groups were not asked to consider who was responsible for the attacks. But the Intelligence Community assessment released earlier in March concludes that, because the intelligence agencies could not find evidence of a foreign actor targeting American officials, the symptoms reported by U.S. personnel were probably the result of factors that did not involve a foreign adversary, such as preexisting conditions, conventional illnesses, and environmental factors, National Intelligence Director Avril D. Haines said in a statement after the assessments release. A U.S. government official said the experts panel looked at plausibility and contributed to the intelligence community assessment. The March 1, 2023, Intelligence Community Assessment is the result of rigorous investigations that pulled together the expertise of the entire U.S. government, including outside experts and members of the Intelligence Community Experts Panel, a U.S. intelligence official said. Intelligence officials at the time portrayed that assessment as the most authoritative analysis so far. But a closer view reveals that some of the agencies involved in that effort disagree on key aspects of it. For example, of the seven agencies that put together the assessment, three had moderate confidence that deliberate causal mechanisms are unlikely to have caused Havana Syndrome and two had low confidence in this conclusion because they judge that radiofrequency energy is a plausible cause for [Havana Syndrome] based in part on the findings of the I.C. Expert Panel and the results of research by some U.S. laboratories. All agencies acknowledge the value of additional research on potential adversary capabilities in the [radiofrequency] field, the assessment adds, in part because there continues to be a scientific debate on whether this could result in a weapon that could produce the symptoms seen in some of the reported ... cases. Which analysis is correct remains in question, since much of the information remains classified. The March 1 assessment has a larger, classified version not available to the general public. Likewise, the experts panel report contains several redactions, including paragraphs about detection devices, technical details of the directed energy devices that could cause Havana Syndrome and most of the section addressing potential causal mechanisms. Also not available are other sections related to Defense Department research programs and responses to CIA Director William Burns and Haines regarding the range needed to affect a target with these devices as well as other technical questions about how a buildings materials could shield an individual from the effects. Several expert panel recommendations also remain classified. Trump Supporters Hold "Stop The Steal" Rally In DC Amid Ratification Of Presidential Election Jacob Chansley, also known as the "QAnon Shaman," screams "Freedom" inside the U.S. Senate chamber after the U.S. Capitol was breached by a mob during a joint session of Congress on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. Credit - Win McNameeGetty Images Jacob Chansley, the convicted Jan. 6 rioter who was dubbed the QAnon Shaman thanks to viral photographs of his outlandish getup, has been released from prison and transferred to a halfway house more than a year before he was initially set to be released. His former attorney and legal experts say it has nothing to do with Tucker Carlson, or the Fox News hosts broadcast of footage of Chansley seemingly being led through the hallways of the U.S. Capitol by police. Federal prison records indicate that Chansley, a self-described shaman and a follower of the QAnon conspiracy theory, entered a residential reentry management facility in Phoenix, Ariz. on Tuesday with a release date of May 25around 14 months ahead of his scheduled release. The Bureau of Prisons has not commented on the reason for his early release, but noted that recent changes to the First Step Act allows inmates to earn up to 54 days of good conduct time for each year of the sentence imposed by the court. Federal and state prison inmates often earn sentence reductions over the course of their time behind bars. More from TIME Chansley, 35, pleaded guilty in September 2021 to one felony count of obstruction of an official proceeding and was sentenced to 41 months in prison. He was perhaps the most visible rioter to storm the Capitol, carrying a spear and wearing a horned fur hat and face paint on Jan. 6. He was also one of a small number of rioters to make it to the floor of the Senate Chamber, where he used a bullhorn to rile up the mob, calling former Vice President Mike Pence a fing traitor. Chansley also left a note on paper that read Its Only A Matter of Time. Justice Is Coming! The imposing images of him on the Senate floor were broadcast around the world, becoming a symbol of the Jan. 6 attack. Story continues A pro-Trump mob confronts U.S. Capitol police outside the Senate chamber of the U.S. Capitol Building on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC. Win McNameeGetty Images Chansleys case recently regained national attention this month when Carlson aired previously unseen video surveillance footage of Chansley walking through the Capitol hallways accompanied by police officers, who at some moments appeared to be escorting himeven opening a Senate-wing door. But the four-minute clip provided no context about his interactions with law enforcement and omitted the most incriminating aspects of his conduct. Albert Watkins, the attorney who handled Chansleys plea and sentencing, tells TIME that the new footage did not play any role in his former clients release. Absolutely no, he says. I have seen no indication of any filings related to the new footage. There are no docket entries indicating the same. He notes that the plea agreement and sentencing imposed by the court permitted reduced time if Chansley undertook certain programs and behaved well while confined. The early release, he says, is most likely based on a host of factors routinely taken into consideration by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. Erica Zunkel, a law professor and associate director of the University of Chicagos Federal Criminal Justice Clinic, tells TIME that the early release seems to be the product of routine federal prison policy rather than a decision based on the potential new evidence. It would be completely inappropriate if the Tucker Carlson video played a role in his early release, she says. They dont have the authority to consider things that happen after someone is sentenced except in very limited circumstances. This is what the Bureau of Prisons does when people are being released. They calculate good time credit, she adds. At Chansleys sentencing hearing in 2021, he described his own actions as indefensible and said he had no excuse. I am in no way shape or form a dangerous criminal. I am not a violent man. I am not an insurrectionist. I am certainly not a domestic terrorist, Chansley told the judge. I am nothing like these criminals that I have been incarcerated with. So far, more than 1,000 people have been arrested for storming the Capitol, with charges ranging from obstruction of an official proceeding to assault. But 27 months after the attempted insurrection, a significant number of rioters are still awaiting their sentencing. Around 42% of those arrested420 individualshave received criminal sentences, while the rest are waiting for their trials or havent yet reached plea agreements. According to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia, 220 defendants were sentenced to periods of incarceration, with longer prison terms for those who engaged in violence or threats. So far, the median prison sentence for the Jan. 6 rioters is 60 days, according to TIMEs calculation of the public records. An additional 100 rioters have been sentenced to periods of home detention, while most sentences have included fines, community service and probation for low-level offenses like illegally parading or demonstrating in the Capitol, which is a misdemeanor. The U.S. Attorneys Office declined to comment for this story. Chansleys current lawyersJohn Pierce and William Shipleydid not respond to TIMEs request for comment. Watkins says his former client served 11 months in solitary confinement before being sentenced. He called Chansley a gentle and intelligence young man, and says he believes Chansley will lead a law-abiding life after release. He adds: I applaud the decision of the U.S. Bureau of Prison in this regard. By Olena Harmash KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's president said on Thursday the past year had been "the most horrific" in the lives of many residents of the Kyiv region, where Russian troops are accused of committing war crimes before withdrawing a year ago. The Ukrainian military recaptured the small towns of Irpin and Bucha outside the capital, Kyiv, in late March last year. International investigators are now collecting evidence in Irpin, Bucha and other places where Ukraine says Russian troops committed large-scale atrocities. Russia denies the allegations. "For many residents of the Kyiv region, the past year has become the most horrific in their entire lives. And the liberation of the Kyiv region has become a symbol of the fact that Ukraine will be able to win this war," President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wrote in English on the Telegram messaging app. "Events that could not be imagined in the 21st century have become a reality in the satellite cities of Kyiv Bucha and Irpin. Russian troops marched on the Ukrainian capital from the north and brought death and destruction." Zelenskiy wrote his Telegram post under video footage showing heavily damaged buildings and vehicles that had been destroyed in Bucha and Irpin. The video also included interviews with survivors recalling their experiences during the occupation, and footage of corpses lined up on the ground in black body bags. The video, compiled by the Ukrainian fundraising initiative UNITED24, put the civilian death toll in areas of the Kyiv region liberated from Russian forces at 1,137, including 461 killed in Bucha alone. The Russian forces that invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 last year were halted outside the capital and later pulled back, but the Kyiv region is still frequently the target of missile and drone strikes as battles rage elsewhere. (Reporting by Olena Harmash, Editing by Timothy Heritage and Angus MacSwan) Maybe its not appropriate to try to save a parking spot for someone by pulling a gun. And maybe citing a Stand Your Ground defense wont fly if you do. As Florida edges further and further into Wild West territory legislators in Tallahassee have pushed ahead with a permitless-carry law for guns there are still occasional flickers of common sense, like the case of a gun-toting Broward County woman who this week dropped her self-defense claim in a dispute over a Fort Lauderdale beach parking place. Earlisha Harris pleaded no contest Monday to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported. Under a plea deal, shell spend two years on probation and attend a 13-week anger-management course. Also, even though she had a permit to carry a concealed weapon, she wont be able to carry a gun during that probationary time. Thank goodness. The flaw in her self-defense argument, it seems, wasnt that she stopped victim Mariam Rashwan from parking in one spot and then a second spot, though that seems pretty egregious. It was that although she claimed to feel threatened theres the Stand You Ground part when Rashwan began nudging Harris with her car, she didnt pull her gun out until the car had stopped moving. And then, for good measure, she apparently took the butt of the gun and hit the drivers side window with it, though it failed to shatter. That anger-management course sounds like a good idea. Its not like Harris is alone. Stand Your Ground is pulled out for every conceivable reason. A Friday-night spring break shooting on Miami Beach earlier this month resulted in one man dying and another being injured and another possible Stand Your Ground claim. Video circulated on social media showed people dispersing in all directions after the gunfire. The Florida law, in case youve forgotten, was the first of its kind when it was passed in 2005. The law, which was backed by the National Rifle Association, eliminated a citizens duty to retreat before using deadly force to counter a threat of death or great bodily harm. It also gave judges an easier path to grant immunity to someone they deem to be acting in self-defense before trial. Its the same shoot-first law that came into play in the Trayvon Martin case 10 years ago. And now we have a law that seemed greased to go through the Republican Legislature and is now headed to Gov. DeSantis desk that would remove requirements for a permit or training in order to carry a concealed gun. The same lawmakers who dont trust teachers to use good judgment when talking to kids about issues of race, sexuality or gender have no issue trusting every hothead out there with a concealed weapon and no training. That makes no sense. Florida already has enough of a problem with anger and guns and parking places, apparently. Despite that bit of common sense that prevailed in the Broward case, Florida seems intent on embracing its image as the Gunshine State. And this proposed new law will no doubt add to our dangerous reputation. Several hours after another traffic fatality in Delaware, state leaders held a press conference Wednesday to introduce six proposed laws designed to improve safety on the roads. Gov. John Carney and Transportation Secretary Nicole Majeski led the announcement at the Delaware Highway Memorial Garden at the Smyrna Rest Area, a place of remembrance dedicated to those who have died on Delawares roads. We have a crisis on our roadways and we need to act now, Gov. John Carney said. This package of legislation, along with the current activities and protection measures, will expand safety measures for all Delawareans and travelers. Gov. John Carney and Transportation Secretary Nicole Majeski announce the package of proposed laws to try to reduce traffic fatalities at the Delaware Highway Memorial Garden at the Smyrna Rest Area Wednesday, March 29, 2023. Traffic fatalities in the state have increased from 117 in 2020 to 139 in 2021 to a record-tying 165 last year. More on last year's fatal crashes: Delawares 165 traffic fatalities in 2022 tie a record set in 1988 This year more than 30 people have died in traffic crashes, Majeski said. Many causes were mentioned, but speeding topped the list. "Speeding is a problem," said Rep. Frank Cooke, D-Dunleith. "I travel Route 1 all the time. They're going past 90 miles per hour, no doubt about it." Rep. Frank Cooke, D-Dunleith, talks about the law he's sponsoring with Sen. Kyra Hoffner, D-Leipsic, left, to increase the penalty for speeding 90 mph or more Wednesday, March 29, 2023, at the Delaware Highway Memorial Garden at the Smyrna Rest Area. He said in his career as a police officer, he investigated many fatal vehicle crashes, and he felt sorrow for the victims and their families, especially the children. "These people speeding need to be held responsible because it's destroying our highways. It's destroying lives," Cooke said. More on Wednesday's fatal collision: Man killed in early morning crash after hitting police vehicle on Kirkwood Highway What are the proposed laws? Speeding A speeding violation of 90 mph or more automatically results in a reckless driving charge as well. Alcohol Open containers of alcohol would be prohibited in most vehicles except for buses, taxis, limousines, living quarters of motor homes or trailers. The penalty would be a civil penalty that wouldnt go on a driving record. Delaware is one of five states that hasnt prohibited open containers of alcohol in the passenger area of a vehicle. Alcohol was a factor in 26% of the states fatal crashes in 2021. Story continues "Move over law The law requiring drivers to move a lane away from stopped emergency vehicles and tow trucks would be expanded to require drivers to change lanes or reduce their speed while approaching any stopped vehicle on the shoulder or roadway displaying warning signals including flashing lights, traffic cones or caution signs. Last year, 13 people were killed while in or near stopped vehicles on Delaware roads. Motorcycle helmets Helmets would be required for motorcyclists in the first two years after receiving their motorcycle license. Now, motorcycle helmets are required for ages 18 and under and by motorcyclists in their initial permit period. The new helmet requirement would also apply to mopeds and tripeds. Over the past five years, 35 motorcyclists were killed and 143 were seriously injured on Delaware roadways while not wearing helmets. Child safety seats The safety seat law now requires an appropriate car seat or booster. The law would be revised with specific requirements: Children under 2 and under 30 pounds would need to be in a rear-facing safety seat with a five-point harness. Children under 4 and under 40 pounds would need to be in either a front-facing or rear-facing safety seat with a five-point harness. Children 4-16 would need to be in a booster seat until reaching the maximum height and weight limits and then use a seat belt. If the new law passes, enforcement would start after a yearlong awareness campaign. Improved snowplow lights The law would allow revolving or flashing green lights on state-owned snowplows to increase visibility. At the Delaware Highway Memorial Garden at the Smyrna Rest Area, bricks line the sidewalk in memory of those who have died in traffic crashes on state roads. Safety programs underway in response to fatalities The Delaware State Police and Delaware Department of Transportation are already involved in programs to improve safety and crack down on violations, including: Increased enforcement for speeding and distracted drivers. Increased intersection safety measures to catch drivers running red lights and blocking intersections. Investments to improve traffic intersections and pedestrian crossings and add sidewalks and bicycle lanes. Increased enforcement of illegal truck parking. A trial program of warning signs and lights to notify wrong-way drivers before they enter a road against oncoming traffic. Funding proposed for more patrols on problem roads Carneys recommended budget for the 2024 fiscal year includes $2.7 million from the Transportation Trust Fund to create a traffic education and enforcement unit. The unit would include 11 officers to patrol the roads that have the most incidents, to try to cut down on speeding and other driving violations. Reach reporter Ben Mace at rmace@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: After record year for deaths on Delaware highways, new laws proposed Across the internet Wednesday and Thursday, attorneys rejoiced that a little-known legal concept forced upon them in law school was finally having a real-life application. Disneys move to undercut the power of the new DeSantis-appointed Reedy Creed Improvement District board, now known as the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board, was multi-faceted as it sought to have maximum impact. There was a development agreement granting the company the most possible leeway to develop its properties that lasts 30 years. Secondary, though and admittedly, generating the most headlines were the covenant restrictions imposed on Reedy Creek and other property owners that lasted much longer: in perpetuity, unless that violated the Rule Against Perpetuities. In that case, to observers delight, the restrictions would be in effect until 21 years after the death of the last surviving descendent of King Charles of the United Kingdom of the people who were alive as of Feb. 8, 2023. Its fun to watch folks learn about rule against perpetuities. Its one of those things in law school that feel lawyerly but youll likely never encounter. Why the lawyers are all geeking out today. Heres my best (but not a property expert explanation) for those interested: Whitney Merrill (@wbm312) March 30, 2023 Its one of those things in law school that feel lawyerly but youll likely never encounter, attorney Whitney Merrill wrote. Why the lawyers are all geeking out today. So, what is this rule, and why did Disney choose King Charles III? The companys lawyers may have their own reasons, but analysts believe the answer is more cloaked in history. In short, attorneys say the Rule Against Perpetuities makes sure no one can control their land forever. Since land is a stable and limited resource, it prevents every single property from having weird restrictions put on them from someone who owned it hundreds of years in the past. Story continues Read: Power play: Disney handicapped new Reedy Creek board before handing over control The rule varies, but most dictate that a person may only influence their land for the life of a living person at the time of a restrictions creation, plus 21 years. In this case, Disney chose the last living descendent of Charles, which will more than likely be one of his young grandchildren, George, Charlotte, Louis, Archie or Lilibet. Disneys use of the rule invoked what is known as the Royal Lives Clause, which is a historical use of the rule and says, as the company did, the restriction in question will be valid until the lifetime plus 21 years of the last living descendent of the current British monarch. Read: What will Disneys new Reedy Creek district look like? The legal corners of social media have been buzzing as attorneys refreshed on both the rule and the clause, cheered that both seemingly now have real-life applications. The Reedy Creek situation has already been added to the Wikipedia article for the Rule Against Perpetuities, joining two other cases. The article for Royal Lives Clause has also been updated include its first and only real example. Attorneys are still debating whether Disneys use of the rule and clause to handicap the new boards authority is legal, in a case that will most likely be decided in court. Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Indian hyperlocal delivery startup Dunzo is in late-stage discussions to secure about $50 million in a new financing round, two sources familiar with the matter told TechCrunch, as the Bengaluru-headquartered startup scrambles for comfort amid a funding winter for younger firms. Reliance Retail and Google, the company's two existing backers, are among those in discussion to invest in the new round, the sources said, requesting anonymity as the information is private. The funding deliberations are currently moving ahead largely with existing backers, the sources said. The startup has been in the market to raise capital for several months and was looking to raise at least $70 million and as much as $150 million, according to Indian newspaper Economic Times. Kabeer Biswas, co-founder and chief executive of Dunzo, declined to comment. Google and Reliance Retail did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Dunzo competes with Swiggy's Instamart, YC Continuity-backed Zepto, Tata-owned BigBasket and Zomato's BlinkIt, all of which are attempting to take a slice of India's retail market, which is estimated to grow to over $800 billion by 2025, according to estimates by brokerage firm Bernstein. Delivery startups, typically among the most cash-guzzling businesses, are unsurprisingly finding it especially challenging to raise new financing rounds amid the globally weakening economy. Karthik Gurumurthy, the head of Swiggy's Instamart business, said on Friday he is leaving the role. Building Instamart has been "arduous with a lot of compromises on physical and mental wellbeing," he wrote in a LinkedIn post. It's a dynamic that is playing out globally. Europe's rapid delivery market has consolidated down to three companies. Instacart has cut its internal valuation to $10 billion, down from $39 billion in March 2021. Story was updated with more details on Instamart. Further reading: Reliance JioMart shutters its quick delivery service 'Express' (Economic Times) Colombia said Wednesday it was making progress on the transfer of 70 hippos to overseas sanctuaries, but mitigating the havoc caused by this unusual legacy of deceased druglord Pablo Escobar carries a hefty price tag: $3.5 million. The cocaine baron brought a small number of the African beasts to Colombia in the late 1980s. But after his death in 1993 the animals were left to roam freely in a hot, marshy area of Antioquia department, where environmental authorities have been helpless to curb their numbers which now stand at 150 animals. Authorities said they plan to capture and move nearly half of the hippopotamuses in the coming months, with 10 bound for the Ostok Sanctuary in northern Mexico and 60 destined for an as-yet unnamed facility in India. "The whole operation should cost around $3.5 million," Ernesto Zazueta, owner of the Ostok Sanctuary, told reporters. He and governor Anibel Gaviria, of the Colombian region that is home to the hippos, say they plan to lure the animals with bait into pens where they will remain confined before being put in special crates for the transfer. Colombia had tried a sterilization program to control the population, but it failed. The environment ministry declared the hippos an invasive species last year, which opened the door to an eventual cull. But the hippo transfer plan is seen as a life-saving measure. jss/lv/mlm/des Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) tore apart Republicans social media posts on Wednesday and called out Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), chair of the House Judiciary Committee, for looking the other way when he showed a controversial post from former President Donald Trump. Swalwell, during a Judiciary subcommittee hearing, criticized the House Judiciary GOP account overseen by Jordan and slammed him on several other matters, including the weaponization of government subcommittee and Jordans co-authored letter criticizing Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs investigation of Trump. He mocked Jordans response to Trumps Truth Social post last week that referred to potential death and destruction if the former president is indicted in the New York investigation of payments made to an adult film star right before Trumps 2016 election. Mr. Jordan said he would need his glasses. He was looking the other way, said Swalwell in front of a poster with an enlarged screenshot of Trumps post. Im going to leave this up here in probably 200 font so Mr. Jordan doesnt need his glasses to read it. Swalwell: Jordan was presented with this post that calls for death and destruction and Jordan said he would need his glasses. He was looking the other way. Jordan. Looking the other way Im going to leave this up here in 200 font so Jordan doesnt need his glasses to read it pic.twitter.com/o6AohEDzaW Acyn (@Acyn) March 29, 2023 The California Democrat later brought up the House Judiciary Committee accounts since-deleted Kanye. Elon. Trump. tweet, which stayed up until Ye praised Adolf Hitler during his antisemitic media tour in late 2022. Jewish community, theyre hurting, they say, Please dont ... put this tweet up. It stays up, Swalwell said. He questioned Republican lawmakers over inviting a witness to a hearing last week who had tweeted fuck cops, then he highlighted defund the FBI merchandise advertised by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) on social media. Story continues We went from backing the blue to backing the coup, Swalwell said. You can watch more clips from Swalwells criticism of the GOP below. Swalwell just dragging Republicans with their own tweets and posts pic.twitter.com/KOFjSOpudG Acyn (@Acyn) March 29, 2023 Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) at House Judiciary subcommittee hearing: Well, here we are. Another partners meeting of Insurrection LLC. Thats what this is. This is the newly formed largest law firm in Washington D.C. Only has one client former President Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/CRKRCQs2qu The Recount (@therecount) March 29, 2023 Related... A ship from the Philippine Coast Guard tries to put out the fire of the burning M/V Lady Mary Joy 3 along the coast of Basilan Province, the Philippines, March 30, 2023. A ferry carrying more than 200 people caught fire in the southern Philippines late Wednesday night, killing at least 10 passengers, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Thursday. (Coast Guard Station Basilan/Handout via Xinhua) MANILA, March 30 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from the fire that broke out on a ferry carrying more than 200 people in the southern Philippines late Wednesday night has risen to 28, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Thursday. The M/V Lady Mary Joy 3, a passenger and cargo vessel, was headed to Jolo from Zamboanga City when it caught fire in the waters off Baluk-Baluk Island in Hadji Muhtamad town of Basilan province around 10:40 p.m. local time on Wednesday. Commodore Rejard Marfe, the commander of the PCG District in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said 18 torched bodies were found in different parts of the ferry, while another 10 bodies were plucked out from the sea and 230 people were rescued. "We continue to search the boat for possible casualties," Marfe added, noting that the fire was put out after nine hours. Nixon Alonzo, the chief of disaster reduction and management office in Basilan province, told a local radio that authorities are verifying reports that seven more passengers who jumped into the sea are missing. "The passengers died from drowning after jumping into the water. Some suffered burns," Alonzo said. Hadji Muhtamad Mayor Arsina Kahing-Nanoh posted pictures of the vessel on the beach of Baluk-Baluk Island and some of the rescued passengers on social media. Authorities are looking into the cause of the fire, which reportedly started in an air-conditioned cabin in the vessel. Most of the passengers were asleep when the fire broke out. The PCG said it deployed personnel and its vessel to help in the search and rescue operation, which continues at the time. The burning M/V Lady Mary Joy 3 is seen along the coast of Basilan Province, the Philippines, March 30, 2023. A ferry carrying more than 200 people caught fire in the southern Philippines late Wednesday night, killing at least 10 passengers, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Thursday. (Coast Guard Station Basilan/Handout via Xinhua) The damaged M/V Lady Mary Joy 3 is seen along the coast of Basilan Province, the Philippines, March 30, 2023. A ferry carrying more than 200 people caught fire in the southern Philippines late Wednesday night, killing at least 10 passengers, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Thursday. (Pilas Island Local Government/Handout via Xinhua) The damaged M/V Lady Mary Joy 3 is seen along the coast of Basilan Province, the Philippines, March 30, 2023. A ferry carrying more than 200 people caught fire in the southern Philippines late Wednesday night, killing at least 10 passengers, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Thursday. (Pilas Island Local Government/Handout via Xinhua) The damaged M/V Lady Mary Joy 3 is seen along the coast of Basilan Province, the Philippines, March 30, 2023. A ferry carrying more than 200 people caught fire in the southern Philippines late Wednesday night, killing at least 10 passengers, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Thursday. (Pilas Island Local Government/Handout via Xinhua) The exchange between Bowman and GOP Rep. Thomas Massie comes after Mondays killings at the Covenant School in Nashville, where three children and three adults were shot dead. A Capitol Hill exchange between two lawmakers about gun control led to some name-calling on Wednesday. Democratic New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman and Republican Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie were leaving the House floor when, in a hallway outside the chamber, Bowman passionately told assembled media of his GOP colleagues: Theyre cowards! Theyre all cowards! USA Today reports. They wont do anything to save the lives of our children at all. Cowards. Massie walked out to Bowmans elevated voice and asked what he was talking about before the heated dialogue continued, according to The Hill. Democratic New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman called Republicans cowards when he left the House floor Wednesday. (Photo: Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AP) Im talking about gun violence, Bowman replied. The conversation comes after 28-year-old Audrey Hale stormed The Covenant School in Nashville killing three children and three adults on Monday. Question them. Force them to respond to the question, Bowman continued. Why the hell dont you do anything to save Americas children? And let them explain that all the way up until 2024. In a videotaped recording of the encounter, Bowman is heard asking Massie if hes ever worked in a school before mentioning his own 20-year career in education: Bowman spent time as a teacher, school counselor and middle school principal. I was in cafeterias, he told Massie, protecting children every day of my career. Massie continued telling Bowman that he was screaming and to calm down. Bowman responded, Calm down? Children are dying! The Kentucky congressman believes that arming teachers is the answer. Massie says hes reintroducing the federal Gun-Free Schools Act next week, The Hill reports, which would eliminate the universal ban on guns in school zones. He claims theres never been a shooting at a school that allowed teachers to arm themselves, not even an accidental discharge at any of the schools. Story continues According to NPR, 74 people were killed or injured by guns in American schools this year. The federal government reportedly does not capture the specifics of school shootings. TheGrio is now on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post Rep. Jamaal Bowman calls Republicans cowards during heated argument outside House floor appeared first on TheGrio. Shelia Jackson Lee Rep Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) announced on Monday that she is running for Mayor of Houston. The announcement is the latest in a long line of high-profile moves by the Congresswoman from Texas, and it adds another dimension to what promises to be a lively mayoral race in Houston. The post Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee Running For Mayor Of Houston appeared first on Blavity. ABC 13 reports that Rep. Lee made the announcement of her run for Mayor of Houston during an appearance at City Cathedral Church on Sunday; her remarks were later shared online Sheila Jackson Lee wants to come home to be your mayor for the city of Houston, Jackson Lee said during her church appearance, referencing her early political career, in which she served as a municipal judge and then a city councilor for Houston. In a statement to ABC 13, Jackson Lees camp stated that for some time, there has been much positive feedback in Houston about the prospects of Congresswoman Jackson Lee running for Mayor of Houston, leading her to decide to run for the office while currently holding onto her seat in Congress. Since moving to Houston, Jackson Lee has served the city in a variety of roles. She has represented the city and the rest of Texas 19th Congressional District since 1995. In her nearly 30 years in Congress, Jackson Lee has made a name for herself in a variety of ways. In 2000 and 2004, she was one of a handful of representatives to object to the election of President George W. Bush. For years, Jackson Lee has lead efforts in the House of Representatives to pass H.R. 40, the bill to explore federal reparations for slavery. Jackson Lee was one of the members of Congress to lead the effort to have Juneteenth declared a national holiday. She has fought against white supremacy, and even presided over the closing of the session that .certified President Joe Bidens electoral win after that certification was disrupted by the January 6, 2021 insurrection. Jackson Lee enters a crowded field to replace Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, who is retiring from the position due to term limits. Turner has been one of the most high-profile Black mayors in the country, connecting with celebrities such as Beyonce, Megan Thee Stallion and 50 Cent and leading the city at a time when Black politicians were in charge of many of the largest cities in the country. Jackson Lee will likely benefit from Houston voters who want to see the city remain under strong Black leadership, while her progressive stances may create challenges for winning over less liberal constituents. Jackson Lee faces a tough race in the heavily Democratic city. At least six other candidates are currently running for the position of Mayor of Houston, including State Senator John Whitmire. Houstons mayoral election will be held on Nov. 7. Rep. Ryan Zinke grills Interior Secretary Deb Haaland (Photo/YouTube screenshot) WASHINGTON Interior Secretary Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) was on Capitol Hill Tuesday to defend the Biden administrations $18.9 billion 2024 budget request for the agency that manages most federal lands, natural resources and programs for Native Americans. The President is asking for a nearly $2 billion increase for the Interior's budget next year. While Haaland traveled to the House Interior, Environment Appropriations Subcommittee to talk about the budget, Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT) wanted to talk to her about the Interior Departments current stance on policies he supported as Interior Secretary during the Trump administration. Zinke, who held the position for less than two years before resigning under pressure, used his allotted time to grill Haaland on the Interior shift in mining policies that he had supported at Interior. He also questioned Haaland about her recent decision to withdraw a land exchange in Alaska between the Interior Department and King Cove Corporation that was signed by his successor, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, in July 2019. After the hearing, in an apparent effort to extend an olive branch, Zinke told Haaland: "I may wear a hat but it's not cowboys and Indians, I hope you know that." Haaland laughed. Zinke later accused Haaland of not being able to answer his questions. His congressional office posted on its website the following exchange: ZINKE: Are you aware that China produces more emissions than any other country on the planet? HAALAND: I probably read that somewhere, ZINKE: Are you aware that China produces 90% of plastic from four rivers? HAALAND: Ill take that to be true. ZINKE: Are you aware that by multiple studies, that in order to satisfy the present requirement of EV and critical minerals, it would take an increase of 2,000% in minerals needed in the next twenty years? HAALAND: Thank you for that information. ZINKE: Are you aware that Northern Minnesota is home to those critical minerals? Story continues HAALAND: I am not sure. ZINKE: Can you pick any place in the United States that youve identified to fast-track so we are not vulnerable to China and Russia both In defense and EV? HAALAND: We are working on identifying those critical minerals. ZINKE: You would agree that not having the critical minerals identified and produced in this country is a security problem and prevents us from moving ahead on multiple issues, and makes us vulnerable to China? HAALAND: Energy independence is a priority to President Biden. In defense of the Interiors Departments 2024 budget increase request, Haaland told the Republican-led committee that $4.7 billion would be appropriated to the Interior Departments tribal programs, which would provide an increase of $690 million over 2023 spending. While maintaining tribal needs, including land management, law enforcement, and health care, are nonpartisan priorities for the committee, the subcommittee Chairman Mike Simpson (R-ID) said the Interior Department would not be immune from the GOP-led Houses efforts to slash domestic spending. "We need to have a serious discussion about how to do more with less," Simpson told Haaland. "We'll be looking for ways to increase efficiencies, reduce duplication and ensure that federal dollars are spent wisely with a demonstrated benefit. Haaland defended the requests by saying the Interior Department is understaffed and the request for additional funding is justified. 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 Former President Donald Trump listens as he speaks with reporters while in flight on his plane after a campaign rally at Waco Regional Airport, in Waco, Texas, Saturday, March 25, 2023, while en route to West Palm Beach, Fla. | Evan Vucci, Associated Press A Manhattan grand jury voted Thursday to indict former president Donald Trump for alleged hush money payments in the lead-up to the 2016 election, per a report from The New York Times. The Times reported one of Trumps lawyers said the former president would turn himself in on Tuesday for arraignment. Trump said in a statement the indictment is Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history. Although the charges wont ban Trump from running for president in 2024, this will mark the first time in history a former president of the United States of America is formally charged with a crime. Details of the sealed indictment are not known but are expected to be read publicly when Trump surrenders to New York authorities. The Times said it anticipates the indictment to be announced publicly in coming days. A spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg released a statement through Twitter Thursday that said they had contacted Trumps attorneys to coordinate his surrender to the Manhattan D.A.s Office for arraignment on a Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal. Further information will come once the arraignment date is set, the statement said. Trump published a statement on Truth Social shortly after reports on the grant jury vote were published. He condemned the charges as illegitimate but did not provide any more details on what the charges entailed. Even before I was sworn in as your President of the United States, the Radical Left Democrats - the enemy of the hard-working men and women of this Country - have been engaged in a Witch-Hunt to destroy the Make America Great Again movement, Trump said. He continued by accusing Bragg of ignoring the murders and burglaries in New York City and instead doing Joe Bidens dirty work. Story continues Trump vowed earlier this month to keep running for president despite an indictment. His statement Thursday ends with the same conclusion: Our movement, and our Party - united and strong- will first defeat Alvin Bragg, and then we will defeat Joe Biden. The grand jury met for weeks, its deliberations shrouded in secrecy as it contemplated potential charges against Trump related to hush money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels by Trumps former personal attorney Michael Cohen. Trump has denied any wrongdoing despite Cohen reportedly testifying that Trump directed him to make the payments. Trump has also denied having an affair with Daniels. But Cohens former attorney, Robert Costello, said he testified to the grand jury that Cohen is a totally unreliable witness, according to NBC New York. Previously, federal prosecutors in New York in 2019 and the Federal Election Commission in 2021 decided not to pursue charges against Trump regarding the payments to Daniels, according to Fox News. Unlike a criminal trial jury which needs unanimity to convict, a grand jury only needs a majority of members to recommend pressing charges. It is not known what the vote total was. A grand jury also only needs to believe there is probable cause to believe Trump committed a crime, while a trial jury will need to remove any reasonable doubt before voting for conviction. When will Trump be arrested? Braggs office is expected to negotiate surrender terms with Trumps attorneys before he shows up in court to be booked and arraigned. It is expected Trump will surrender in the coming days or weeks. Booking arraignment consists of posing for a mug shot, taking finger prints and appearing in court before a judge. It is unclear how the Secret Service will take part throughout the process. With Trump standing before a judge, the grand jurys indictment will then be unsealed by district prosecutors and read publicly to the former president. He will then be asked if he pleads guilty or not guilty. The judge will then set a trial date and Trump will most likely be able to return to his home in Florida. The prospect of Trump handcuffed and walked into a police station in front of the media is possible, but will depend on the terms of surrender negotiated by his attorneys. A virtual arraignment for non-violent, white collar crimes has been used in the past, but sources told Fox News that Bragg is opposed to it in this case. This will require Trump to surrender in person at the Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City. Potential for Protests Trump predicted he would be indicted last week and called for his supporters to PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK. New York City and Washington, D.C. law enforcement set up barricades last week in anticipation of protests. The commanding officer of the New York Police Department told his uniformed police divisions to be prepared for mobilization at any time, according to local press reports. The U.S. Capitol Police in D.C. have also set up barricades around the Capitol and made preparations in case of any civil unrest. Although Trump asked supporters to protest, Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other GOP members have said there is no need. McCarthy tweeted his condemnation of the indictment Thursday and said he would hold Bragg accountable for an abuse of power. Alvin Bragg has irreparably damaged our country in an attempt to interfere in our Presidential election. As he routinely frees violent criminals to terrorize the public, he weaponized our sacred system of justice against President Donald Trump. The American people will not Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) March 30, 2023 In the tweet, McCarthy pledged to investigate Bragg. The American people will not tolerate this injustice, and the House of Representatives will hold Alvin Bragg and his unprecedented abuse of power to account, he said. WASHINGTONThe biggest debate on Capitol Hill Wednesday played out in a hallway not the House floor. After voting wrapped up, Rep. Jamaal Bowman, a New York Democrat, was just getting started. "They're all cowards! They won't do anything to save the lives of our children. Cowards," Bowman said to reporters assembled outside the House chamber. "They're gutless." Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, started to walk by and asked Bowman what he was talking about. "I'm talking about gun violence!" Bowman shouted. Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., joined by the popular app's supporters, leads a rally to defend TikTok at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, March 22, 2023. "You know, there's never been a school shooting in a school that allows teachers to carry," Massie said. Their dispute came days after the Nashville school shooting Monday, when three 9-year-old students and three staff members were killed. 'We're not going to fix it': Why lawmakers see no chance of major gun law changes after Nashville Lawmakers fight in the hallway about gun control Feb 7, 2023; Washington, DC, USA; Rep. Thomas Massie, R-KY, arrives ahead of the State of the Union address from the House chamber of the United States Capitol in Washington. Bowman grew more outraged, saying more guns lead to more deaths and accused Massie of "carrying the water for the gun lobby." Rep. Steny Hoyer, -D-Md., attempted to intervene, but ultimately walked away. Bowman continued to yell at Massie to "look at the data," claiming states with open carry laws have more deaths. Massie told Bowman to calm down. "Calm down? Children are dying!" he said. Nashville school shooting live updates: Officers Engelbert, Collazo seen in body cam video hailed as heroes Congress unlikely to change gun laws after Nashville The argument in the hallway is another sign of how far apart some House Democrats and Republicans are on gun control and shows why any movement on legislation is unlikely. President Joe Biden has called on Congress to pass an assault weapons ban, but Democrats and Republicans in both chambers have said there's not enough support to do it. Candy Woodall is a Congress reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at cwoodall@usatoday.com or on Twitter at @candynotcandace. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jamaal Bowman, Thomas Massie have shouting match on guns at Capitol Former President Donald Trump at Waco Regional Airport on March 25 in Waco, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images) CHICAGO There may be a Trump Tower right in the middle of Chicago, but voters here are no more amenable to Donald Trumps brand of politics than the residents of his native New York. In 2020, Trump won only a single ward in the city, the 41st, on Chicagos northern edge. One of the more surprising of the 558,269 votes for Trump in Cook County which includes Chicago and some of its suburbs came from the South Side, a majority-Black area that is among the most reliably Democratic sections of the city, as well as the onetime home of former President Barack Obama. It came courtesy of Devin R. Jones, who heads the Southside Republicans, an organization he founded in 2000. Fix Where We Live goes the organizations motto, alluding to decades of official disinvestment and neglect. A native South Sider who served in the Navy, Jones is unapologetic about his conservative beliefs. If anything, he thinks that many Black Americans would benefit from Republican policies, if only the national GOP stopped waging culture wars and focused instead on economic empowerment and policies. Republican politics is especially moribund in Chicago, whose most famous GOP candidate for many years was simply known as Spanky. At the same time, Black voters are showing signs of disenchantment with Democrats. If that trend holds, Chicago could present an opportunity for Republicans to court Black voters. Yahoo News spoke to Jones with the Chicago mayoral runoff looming. Moderate Paul Vallas is facing off against progressive Brandon Johnson, in a race widely seen as having national implications. The conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity. Devin R. Jones. (Southside Republicans) What made you start this organization? Being a native South Sider, I had never had an option. Oftentimes, there werent even Republicans on the ballot. And so I felt that, as Americans, we deserve, at the very least, a two-party system. We deserve options. Some people would say that the Republican Party, despite becoming more diverse in recent years, is mostly attuned to white concerns. People would say that, but its a party that was founded for Black liberation. Frederick Douglass was a huge Republican. Booker T. Washington. Ida B. Wells, who was a native Chicagoan and Second Amendment rights proponent. Story continues Even [former President Richard] Nixon won with a sizable Black vote. Do the Democrats take the Black vote in Chicago for granted? Absolutely. And the Republicans allow it to happen. There are no policies from the Republican Party in the state that address Black people. Do the Democrats deserve the Black vote? A man casts his ballot at the United Center in Chicago on Nov. 3, 2020. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images) No, no, no. Not in this city, not in this state. When you go through the South Side, you go to Bronzeville, Englewood, Roseland, the depth of poverty and destruction, the disinvestment, the institutional racism they have allowed it. We havent had Republicans running this area for 100 years. How would you describe the mood of this city ahead of next weeks election? People are nervous. A lot of people dont know what to make of this election. People are tired. They are not feeling hope from either camp. Theres no sense of hope. Its just like, Whichever one we get, well just figure out how to deal with, and thats a terrible place to be. [Mayor] Lori Lightfoot said that she lost because she is a Black woman. I think some of the attacks on how she looks were because she is a Black woman. But who cares? I dont think she lost because people hate Black women. I think she lost because she was not able to win the battlefield of ideas. She was not able to prove why her policies were best. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot at an election night rally on Feb. 28 in Chicago. (Kamil Krzaczynski/Getty Images) Some have said the crime issue has been exaggerated. Its not exaggerated. The numbers dont lie. Are you afraid for your safety and your property? Im not afraid. I carry. [Jones clarifies he is a legal gun owner.] Do you know a lot of Black people who carry? I know more who carry than who dont. We have seen crime for so long in the Black community, we just know we need to carry. To you, the Second Amendment is empowering. That was instilled in me by my grandparents. They grew up in the Jim Crow South, outside of Vicksburg, Miss. They had shotguns to keep the Klan from coming back. I know a lot of people who have similar stories. Jordan Landis, a gun collector, examines a pistol in EJBs Gun Shop in Capitol Heights, Md., on March 14. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images) Democrats claim theyre fighting for equity and social justice. The only thing that will allow for the movement of Black people and we have seen this throughout history is for the government to move out of our way. Did you vote for Trump? I voted for him the second time. I did not vote for him the first time. Thats odd, because there are people who voted for him the first time but not the second. I saw his policies. I saw what he wanted to do. I saw his Platinum Plan, which I dont think went far enough. But it was more than what the other side offered. Democrats offered lip service and no tangible policy. Will you support Trump next year? [Laughing] No. Absolutely not. Why not? He produced a lot of good policies. I just dont see where hes going this time. Hes reverted back to his reality TV personality. We have serious political work that needs to be done. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at a GOP town hall in 2021. (Pedro Portal/El Nuevo Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) What do you think of [Florida Gov.] Ron DeSantis? I like many of Ron DeSantiss policies. I am still iffy on his approach to attacking critical race theory. I think, oftentimes, what Republicans do is, they throw the baby out with the bathwater. We have never had Black history taught with American history. So many Americans dont know that Crispus Attucks, a Black man, was the first person that died in the Revolutionary War. Many people dont know how impactful Frederick Douglass was on the Republican Party and on Abraham Lincoln. DeSantis says Florida is where woke goes to die. What do you hear? Anti-Blackness. Woke [is] originally a term for Black people waking up. Republicans could be woke. Theres a lot of Republicans that are woke. I think I just found your presidential slogan. Whom are you going to support in 2024? Just based on whos out there now, it would probably be DeSantis. Im leaning towards DeSantis. But I am so undecided. Definitely not a Democrat. I want to ask you about a couple other national figures. Ill say the name and you give me your impression. Lets start with [South Carolina Sen.] Tim Scott. If I had to choose between DeSantis and Tim Scott, itd be Tim Scott. I like his policies. He has offered criminal justice reform. Hes staying true to what it means to be a conservative. You dont really hear him getting into the culture wars. Hes very policy-focused. If he ran, hed be my top choice. Sen. Tim Scott at a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on Tuesday. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images) [Former Vice President] Mike Pence. I like Mike Pence. We have a similar vision of faith. Ive been a fan of Mike Pence since I was a kid. [Virginia Gov.] Glenn Youngkin. Hes doing a good job in the state of Virginia. I like his lieutenant governor, Winsome Sears, a lot more. Id like to see them switch. Should we be supporting the war in Ukraine? We need to completely cut that off. That is not for the defense of the United States. That is not our fight. We have too much going on at home. That money should stay at home. We can pass bills to send billions of dollars to another country. And then we have a debate about whether Englewood deserves a water system without lead in it. We need to reallocate resources. Concertina wire covering the U.S.-Mexico border fence in Nogales, Ariz., in 2019. (Ariana Drehsler/AFP via Getty Images) Do we need a border wall? I think there should be whatever is going to close that border to illegal substances and people crossing. Take the entire United States Army and put it across that southern border. People would say youre not being an ally to immigrants. We dont allow people from Africa to come the way we allow them to from Central and South America. We dont allow Haitians. I mean, how Haitian migrants are treated when they come illegally is abysmal. Mexico is not going to allow me to come down there and roam around, homeless. Theyre gonna send me back after I spend time in prison. Lexington Herald-leader / Getty Images The Republican-controlled Kentucky Legislature on Wednesday overrode the Democratic governors veto of a sweeping anti-trans bill aimed at targeting multiple aspects of the lives of transgender youth from access to gender-affirming care to the ability to use the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity. Republican lawmakers in both the Statehouse and the Senate were successful in sidestepping Gov. Andy Beshears veto on the penultimate day of the legislative session, despite his plea that the bill allowed too much government interference in personal healthcare issues and would turn teachers into investigators of transgender youth. SB 150 dubbed an omnibus anti-trans bill and one of the most extreme in the nation by opponents bundles numerous restrictions to the autonomy of transgender youth under the guise of parental rights. The bill also bars discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools and gives teachers the right to refuse to use transgender students correct pronouns. Most of the bill goes into effect immediately, and the ban on gender-affirming care will begin in late June, but advocates have signaled they plan to file a lawsuit seeking to block it before the summer. At the beginning of debates about overriding the veto on Wednesday, the bills sponsor, Republican state Sen. Max Wise, defended it, saying, The goal is to strengthen parental engagement and communication in childrens education while protecting the safety of our children. Its passage comes as more than 470 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced across state legislatures so far this year, according to the Human Rights Campaign . Late Wednesday, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice signed a bill banning gender-affirming care, bringing the number of states that have restricted care to more than a dozen. The law, which goes against the recommendations of all major medical associations, is just one of several anti-trans bills introduced in Kentucky despite efforts from vocal Democrats to halt restrictions of gender-affirming care. Story continues Among them was state Sen. Karen Berg, who has for months made passionate pleas to her colleagues to protect youth access to gender-affirming care since her son, transgender rights advocate Henry Berg-Brousseau, died by suicide in December. Berg, a Democrat and physician, read from the last news release her son wrote for the Human Rights Campaign, where he worked as the deputy press secretary, about the rise of anti-trans extremist rhetoric and the role of legislation in fueling the fire. Days before he died, Berg remembered how Henry, then 24, called her and said, Mom, this is getting really scary. In front of the Senate, Berg asked her colleagues, Why are we here? To say this is a bill protecting children is completely disingenuous. To call this a parents rights bill is a despicable affront to me personally. Karen Berg speaks to supporters on March 14. Jon Cherry / Getty Images She urged trans youth who were listening to the legislative session not to lose hope. Keep marching, keep fighting, keep writing, keep forcing people to listen to you, Berg said. Do not hurt yourself while we as adults figure out where we went wrong and what we need to do to fix it. Only four Republicans voted in opposition, including state Sen. Danny Carroll, who spoke about how he could not forget the story told by a pediatrician at a previous hearing about a young trans girl who was experiencing suicidal ideation because she could not transition. Were taking away an option. Were not doctors. I trust them to make the right decisions. If it made a difference in that one girl, then its worth it, Carroll said. Outside of the chambers, hundreds of Kentucky students rallied in protest of the bill. The sound of them shouting Shame! could be heard in the background as the lawmakers debated. Earlier Wednesday, students, who had walked out of school to attend the protest, met on the steps of the capitol building in Frankfort. Joined by a handful of Democratic lawmakers, the students urged the Legislature to listen to them. How heartless do you have to be to lie to kids that they will be alright, when youre actively working against them? one student from Danville High School asked. LISTENJune Wagner of Danville HS: Its eating away at meIve missed so much school to attend rallies and hearingsI even talked to Sen. Bledsoebegging, please oppose this bill. You looked in my eyes and told me it was nothing to worry about. Then, you voted for it. 03:04 PM - 29 Mar 2023 The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky has already signaled that it is prepared to challenge the law. To all the trans youth who may be affected by this legislation: we stand by you, and we will not stop fighting. You are cherished. You are loved. You belong. To the commonwealth: we will see you in court, the civil rights organization said in a statement on Wednesday. Angela Cooper, the communications director at the ACLU of Kentucky, said that the impacts of the bill are innumerable and reprehensible. We know that social acceptance is key to trans kids well-being, and taking away social supports and medically proven interventions is dangerous and deadly, Cooper said. To say nothing of the Kentucky families who will be forced to flee the state to keep their children safe. More on this EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans say a new Fox News Digital report revealing that Hunter Biden's former business partner frequented the White House more than a dozen times when President Biden was vice president presents further evidence against the Biden family and the investigation into whether they sold White House access to foreign adversaries. Fox News Digital reported this week that Hunter's former business partner, John Robinson "Rob" Walker, appeared to have visited the Obama White House at least 16 times during Joe's vice presidency. This is the same Rob Walker whom Republicans say paid out more than $1 million to Hunter, James Biden and Hallie Biden with alleged funds connected to a Chinese Communist Party-tied company. "Its no surprise that another Biden family associate frequently visited the Obama-Biden White House," Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, told Fox News Digital. "We already know that another associate visited the White House almost 30 times when Joe Biden was Vice President. This is more evidence showing the Biden family enterprise centered around Joe Bidens political career. Americans deserve answers about the Biden familys business schemes, and we will keep pressing for transparency and accountability." The office of Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said the committee would be working closely with Comer to investigate any possible Chinese influence in President Biden's political career. House Oversight chair James Comer, R-Ky., is leading a probe into the business dealings of Hunter Biden and other members of the Biden family. HUNTERS BUSINESS PARTNER WHO PAID BIDEN FAMILY $1M WAS FREQUENT WH VISITOR DURING BIDEN VICE PRESIDENCY "Chairman McCaul takes the Foreign Affairs Committees duty to conduct oversight into Chinese interference with U.S. officials and affairs seriously," McCaul's office said. "He looks forward to collaborating with Chairman Comer and learning more about payments from Chinese state-owned energy company HK Limited to Robinson Walker, LLC. and then to various Biden family members." Story continues READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Comer said he obtained records after subpoenaing Bank of America that revealed the three Biden family members received lucrative payments from a bank account belonging to Walker, who worked with Hunter, James, their business associates James Gilliar and Tony Bobulinksi in a failed joint-venture called Sinohawk Holdings, which was meant to be a partnership with now-bankrupt energy firm CEFC, a CCP-linked company. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said Walker's financial records would be under "strict review" as a result of the findings. "We are investigating whether Rob Walker is among the cutouts and passthroughs used by the Biden family and the Chinese Communist Party to facilitate bribes," Gaetz told Fox News Digital. "Mr. Walker's financial records will be under strict review, and we are evaluating the depth and breadth of Rob Walker's influence network." Rep. James Comer and President Joe Biden. "No one should be surprised that a primary bagman of the Biden familys corruption was so often welcome in the Obama-Biden White House to meet with the Vice President," said Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Thats why multiple committees of this Congress must stay on this case: The more weve investigated, the more weve revealed the Biden family and its associates peddling influence and selling access at the highest levels." "Were tracking a lot of suspicious money moved through the Biden family bank accounts," said Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La. "Many banks and overseas accounts. Shell game money laundering stuff. Transactions that involved millions of dollars and triggered 150 bank inquiries called SAR, suspicious activity report. The Oversight Committee will judiciously reveal so many instances of highly suspicious financial transactions by the Biden Crime Family, the DOJ will be forced to take action, and Joe Biden will no doubt conveniently decide to withdraw from a reelection run." TOP TIKTOK LOBBYIST PREVIOUSLY ADVISED TECH EQUITY FIRM WITH CLOSE TIES TO HUNTER BIDEN Fox News Digital reached out to the White House multiple times seeking confirmation with over a dozen dates that show a John R. Walker visiting the White House during the Obama-Biden administration, but they did not respond. According to visitor logs reviewed by Fox News Digital, John R. Walker, a former Clinton administration official and husband of Betsy Massey Walker, who was a top aide to then-second lady Jill Biden, was listed visiting the White House twice in 2009, five times in 2011, four times in 2012, twice in 2013 and once in 2014, 2015 and 2016. On May 13, 2011, Walker is listed as visiting the White House to meet with David Lane, then-President Obama's assistant and Counselor to his chief of staff. A Fox News Digital review also found that Lane is a longtime associate of Walker, Hunter, and Hunter's longtime business partner Eric Schwerin, who visited the White House during the Obama-Biden administration at least 27 times respectively. Hunter Biden invited David Lane, who was serving as an assistant to then-President Obama, to a BBQ at his house 2 days before his business partner Rob Walker met with him at the White House in 2011. Two days before Walker met with Lane at the White House, Hunter invited Lane to a BBQ at his house, prompting Lane to reply, "Looking forward to it, Hunter. See you soon." Fox News Digital inquired about the nature of the meeting and whether there were discussions at the BBQ about the upcoming White House meeting, but Lane did not respond. Walker and his wife also did not respond to requests for comment. The following year, Schwerin floated Lane's name in an email to Hunter Biden as a potential reference for Rosemont Seneca Technology Partners (RSTP), an affiliate of Hunter's now-dissolved Rosemont Seneca Partners, to use for prospective clients when they practice their due diligence. In a July 2012 email from John DeLoche, one of the RSTP partners, to Walker, Schwerin, and Hunter, he says, "One thing that is important on which we could be stronger in this list is references from formerly or sitting elected officials to show depth of Washington relationships. For example, having a name like John Kerry on this list is fantastic." In a July 2012 email from John DeLoche, one of the RSTP partners, to Walker, Schwerin, Hunter, and other partners, he says, "One thing that is important on which we could be stronger in this list is references from formerly or sitting elected officials to show depth of Washington relationships." Hunter Biden's longtime business partner Eric Schwerin floated Amb. David Lane's name as a potential reference for prospective clients of Rosemont Seneca Technology Partners (RSTP) to reach out to to vouch for Hunter Biden, Schwerin, and Rob Walker. "I think Devon [Archer] adding John Kerry to the list wasn't helpful as far as the expectations now on our end but what about adding Amb. David Lane (not sure if it is kosher given his position but he was a former employer of ours so it would seem legitimate)," Schwerin told Hunter, appearing to refer to the Department of Commerce, where they both likely met Lane in the late 1990s under then-President Clinton. Walker, who acknowledged in a 2017 email that he has been "acting as a surrogate for H[unter] around the country and abroad pursuing opportunities" would go on to email a list of references to the group email, including Lane and saying Lane would be a reference for Walker, Schwerin, and Hunter. It is unclear whether Lane, who was just sworn in less than two weeks earlier as Obama's U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Agencies for Food and Agriculture, fielded any calls on their behalf vouching for them. In addition to the White House visit with Lane, seven of the visits were listed as tours of the White House grounds, and two of the visits have no reason listed. Other potential visits included attending a holiday reception on December 2009, a reception at the Executive Office of the President (EOP) in December 2013, and attending what appeared to be the July Fourth celebrations on the South Lawn in July 2011 and 2014. The White House official associated with the July 2011 visit appears to be Ashley Williams, who has served in multiple roles in the Biden and Obama administrations. INVESTMENT FIRM OF FORMER OBAMA-BIDEN OFFICIALS HOSTED MULTIPLE CCP-TIED COMPANIES AT 2015 LUNCHEON Months later, in October 2011, Walker attended a staff dinner at Joe Biden's vice presidential residence (VPR), according to the visitor logs. Emails from Hunter Biden's infamous abandoned laptop show that Walker's wife worked for the Office of the Vice President as second lady Jill Biden's personal aide until at least 2013 based on her government email being used. First Lady Jill Biden lists Walker's name in her 2019 book. US President Joe Biden(R) is comforted by his son Hunter Biden and First Lady Jill Biden after being sworn in during the 59th presidential inauguration in Washington, DC on the West Front of the US Capitol on January 20, 2021 in Washington, DC. The revelations come after House Oversight Committee Republicans demanded Walker give a transcribed interview after they say they obtained records through a subpoena of Bank of America that a bank account belonging to Walker and his company Robinson Walker LLC received $3 million from State Energy HK Limited, which was affiliated with CEFC. The Republicans said Walker then paid out more than $1 million to Hunter, President Biden's brother James and Hallie, the widow of President Bidens son Beau who was romantically involved with Hunter. When confronted about the bank records by a reporter on the White House lawn May 17, President Biden denied that the payments were made. "That's not true," the president said. Hunters legal team accused Republicans of pushing a "baseless right-wing conspiracy theory" with a spokesperson stating the capital was part of "good faith seed funds." "Here we go again as Rep. Comer takes something old and tries to make it new by wrapping it in a wild and baseless right-wing conspiracy," a spokesperson for Hunter Bidens legal team said. "Hunter Biden, a private citizen with every right to pursue his own business endeavors, joined several business partners in seeking a joint venture with a privately-owned, legitimate energy company in China," the spokesperson said. "As part of that joint venture, Hunter received his portion of good faith seed funds which he shared with his uncle, James Biden, and Hallie Biden, with whom he was involved with at the time, and sharing expenses." The spokesperson, though, confirmed the payments: "The accounts so dramatically listed by Rep. Comer belonged to Hunter, his uncle and Hallie nobody else." Sen. JD Vance of Ohio is among the Republicans raising concerns about the RESTRICT Act, which has been endorsed by the White House. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images Republicans generally support banning TikTok, but they're beginning to disagree on how. Several are alarmed by the RESTRICT Act, which they say goes both too far and not far enough. Sen. Rand Paul has also come out against a TikTok ban, blocking a bill from Sen. Josh Hawley. Republicans are among the most fervent advocates of banning TikTok. But as the conversation has begun to heat up on Capitol Hill, fissures are emerging within the GOP over how to enact a ban and whether to go through with it at all. This week, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky became the first Republican lawmaker to definitively oppose banning the popular video-sharing app, arguing that it would amount to a "national strategy to permanently lose elections for a generation" and that a ban would only make America more like China. Paul even rose to object to the passage of fellow Republican Sen. Josh Hawley's bill to ban TikTok on Wednesday night, lambasting the idea for more than 11 minutes in a floor speech. Lawmakers from both parties have raised concerns that the app could be a vector for malign foreign influence because it's owned by ByteDance, a Chinese technology company. But even among Republicans who favor a TikTok ban, there are growing concerns about the RESTRICT Act arguably the most prominent proposal put forward to deal with the issue. "So, I think we should ban TikTok. I'm a little bit more concerned with the RESTRICT Act," said Sen. JD Vance of Ohio. "One group of people is very worried that it's too weak on the TikTok issue," said Vance. "Another group of people is very worried that you're creating, effectively, a PATRIOT Act for the digital age," referencing a controversial law passed in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks that granted vast new surveillance powers to the federal government. 'It's never about what they say it is' The RESTRICT Act short for "Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology" Act was put forward this month by Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia and Republican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota. Story continues It's already garnered broad bipartisan support, including 13 Republican co-sponsors, along with the backing of the White House. But while other proposals would simply ban the video-sharing app, the RESTRICT Act essentially kicks that decision to President Joe Biden, granting the executive branch new authorities in the process. Specifically, it gives the Commerce Department the authority to identify and block transactions that involve "foreign adversaries" including China, Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Russia, and Venezuela while not explicitly mandating that TikTok be banned. Hence the critique from the right that it's both not good enough and goes too far at the same time. "If we're gonna ban it, ban it," said Hawley, saying the RESTRICT Act "just doesn't get there, it doesn't do it, and [grants] a lot of open-ended authority." Conservative opposition to the bill began to bubble up this week, particularly after Fox News host Tucker Carlson devoted a monologue on Monday night to his objections to the bill. "This bill is not really about banning TikTok, it's never about what they say it is," said Carlson. "Instead, this bill would give enormous and terrifying new powers to the federal government to punish American citizens and regulate how they communicate with one another." Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky blocked the passage of Hawleys bill on Wednesday. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images On Capitol Hill, some Republicans largely echoed that argument. "That legislation has very broad grants of government power that could prove quite harmful to free speech and could extend far, far beyond just TikTok," said Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. "It's worse than banning TikTok, because it can be applied to lots of other companies," said Paul. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a co-sponsor of the RESTRICT Act, got caught in the crossfire on Wednesday night when Jesse Watters, another Fox News host, characterized the bill as the "federal government [wanting] to watch anything you do on the internet," leaving Graham flummoxed over whether he actually supported the legislation. Broader free speech concerns It's not just Republicans prominent outside experts are warning that the RESTRICT Act is too broad as well. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a digital rights organization, argues the bill would give the executive branch extremely far-reaching authority to ban information and communications technology with little input from Congress. Some experts have also raised concerns that the RESTRICT Act could affect virtual private networks (VPNs) and other digital security technologies. The bill's authors, for their part, have insisted that the bill wouldn't target individual users of any technology, including a VPN. Ken Paulson, the director of the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University, told Insider in an interview that the bill doesn't sufficiently protect individuals as it stands now. "It needs a clause that specifically says that a resident of this country accessing these services through a VPN or alternative method would not be prosecuted," he said. Rachel Cohen, a spokeswoman for Sen. Warner, previously told Motherboard that "the threshold for criminal penalty in this bill is incredibly high too high to ever be concerned with the actions of someone an individual user of TikTok or a VPN." But more broadly, Paulson, EFF, and other experts say that all of the existing proposals for banning TikTok raise free speech concerns, arguing that the government hasn't shown that a ban would be narrowly tailored to serve a specific government interest in this case protecting Americans' privacy and preventing Chinese disinformation efforts. For example, a federal court in California ruled in 2020 that former President Donald Trump's attempt to ban the Chinese messaging platform WeChat would violate First Amendment rights. "The problem we have right now is that no one has made clear why TikTok poses a problem for national security," said Paulson. "Under the First Amendment, any limitation on speech has to have a genuine justification, and it has to be as narrowly tailored as possible." Read the original article on Business Insider Train Derailment-Minnesota Firefighters stand near piled up train cars, near Raymond, Minn., on March 30, 2023, the morning after a BNSF freight train derailed. Credit - Kerem YucelMinnesota Public Radio/AP A small city in central Minnesota is under an evacuation order after a train derailed and burst into flames on Thursday. The Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway train was carrying a form of ethanol and corn syrup when it came off the tracks at around 1 a.m. local time, according to the Kandiyohi County Sheriffs Office. About 22 rail cars reportedly derailed, with several tank cars catching on fire. Read More: Why Train Derailments Are More Common Than You Think The Raymond Fire Department initially doused the train cars with thousands of gallons of water and said it is now letting the fire burn out. No injuries have been reported but parts of the city of Raymond, population 782, have been evacuated and people are being advised against traveling around the area. Train cars pile up near Raymond, Minn. after a BNSF freight train derailed, on March 30, 2023. Kerem YucelMinnesota Public Radio/AP BNSF confirmed the derailment Thursday morning on Twitter, adding that an estimated time for reopening the line is unavailable and that the cause of the derailment is under investigation. The train track was blocked as of Thursday. An evacuation area of mile was established around the crash site and law enforcement officers and other EMS assisted with that evacuation, the Sheriffs Office statement said. Residents were instructed to leave their homes and an emergency collection site for those with nowhere to go was established at the Central Minnesota Christian School building in nearby Prinsburg, Minnesota. Displaced residents have also been redirected to a church in Prinsburg that was hosting 50-60 people late this morning, according to WCCO. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg confirmed on Twitter Thursday, that they are tracking closely as more details emerge and his office will be involved as the investigation unfolds. Buttigieg told CNN that his department had been in touch with the governor. He added that Federal Railroad Administration personnel were on the ground and that the Environmental Protection Agency was headed to the site as well given the hazardous material situation. Story continues The most important thing for anyone in the affected area to know is that youve got to pay close attention to any instructions coming from first responders regarding the evacuation or anything else local officials are telling you, Buttigieg added. That is for your safety. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz tweeted Thursday morning that he would be heading to the scene to meet with local officials soon. The Minnesota Department of Transportation said that Highway 23 is also temporarily closed at Raymond from Kandiyohi CR 1 to Chippewa CR 1, estimating that the closure will remain until midnight. PHNOM PENH, March 30 (Xinhua) -- The National Assembly of Cambodia on Thursday began its ninth plenary session of the sixth legislature after a three-month recess. Some 105 lawmakers took part in the session. Nation's King Norodom Sihamoni sent a royal message to mark the opening session, praising the legislators for adopting 109 draft laws in the sixth legislature (2018-2023). After the opening session, the National Assembly also ratified the treaty on the delimitation of the state border between Cambodia and Laos. The National Assembly comprises 125 lawmakers, all from the ruling Cambodian People's Party. VATICAN CITY (AP) The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the Doctrine of Discovery, the theories backed by 15th-century papal bulls that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property laws today. A Vatican statement said the papal bulls, or decrees, did not adequately reflect the equal dignity and rights of Indigenous peoples and have never been considered expressions of the Catholic faith. The statement, from the Vaticans development and education offices, marked a historic recognition of the Vatican's own complicity in colonial-era abuses committed by European powers. It was issued under history's first Latin American pontiff, who was hospitalized Thursday with a respiratory infection, exactly one year after Francis met at the Vatican with Indigenous leaders from Canada who raised the issue. On Thursday, these Indigenous leaders welcomed the statement as a first good step, even though it didn't address the rescinding of the bulls themselves and continued to take distance from acknowledging actual Vatican culpability in abuses. The statement said the papal documents had been manipulated for political purposes by competing colonial powers to justify immoral acts against Indigenous peoples that were carried out, at times, without opposition from ecclesial authorities. It said it was right to recognize these errors, acknowledge the terrible effects of colonial-era assimilation policies on Indigenous peoples and ask for their forgiveness. The statement was a response to decades of Indigenous demands for the Vatican to formally rescind the papal bulls that provided the Portuguese and Spanish kingdoms the religious backing to expand their territories in Africa and the Americas for the sake of spreading Christianity. Those decrees underpin the Doctrine of Discovery, a legal concept coined in a 1823 U.S. Supreme Court decision that has come to be understood as meaning that ownership and sovereignty over land passed to Europeans because they discovered it. Story continues It was cited as recently as a 2005 Supreme Court decision involving the Oneida Indian Nation written by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. During Pope Francis 2022 visit to Canada, where he apologized to Indigenous peoples for the residential school system that forcibly removed Native children from their homes, he was met with demands for a formal repudiation of the papal bulls. Two Indigenous women unfurled a banner at the altar of the National Shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre on July 29 that read: Rescind the Doctrine in bright red and black letters. Before that, Michelle Schenandoah of the Oneida Nation had called for the Vatican to rescind the papal bulls when she delivered the closing remarks of the First Nations delegation that met with Francis during a weeklong visit last year by Native groups from Canada. On Thursday, she called the Vatican statement another step in the right direction, but noted that it didn't mention the rescinding of the bulls themselves. I think what this does is it really puts the responsibility on nation states such as the United States, to look at its use of the Doctrine of Discovery, she said in a interview from Syracuse, New York, where she is a professor of Indigenous law at Syracuse University's College of Law. This goes beyond land. It really has created generation upon generation of genocidal policies directed towards Indigenous peoples. And I think that its time for these governments to take full accountability for their actions. In the statement, the Vatican said: The Catholic Church therefore repudiates those concepts that fail to recognize the inherent human rights of Indigenous peoples, including what has become known as the legal and political doctrine of discovery. Phil Fontaine, a former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations in Canada who was also part of the First Nations delegation that met with Francis at the Vatican, said the statement was wonderful," resolved an outstanding issue and now puts the matter to civil authorities to revise property laws that cite the doctrine. The church has done one thing, as it said it would do, for the Holy Father. Now the ball is in the court of governments, the United States and in Canada, but particularly in the United States where the doctrine is embedded in the law, he told The Associated Press. The Vatican offered no evidence that the three papal bulls (Dum Diversas in 1452, Romanus Pontifex in 1455 and Inter Caetera in 1493) had themselves been formally abrogated, rescinded or rejected, as Vatican officials have often said. But it cited a subsequent bull, Sublimis Deus in 1537, that reaffirmed that Indigenous peoples shouldn't be deprived of their liberty or the possession of their property, and were not to be enslaved. Cardinal Michael Czerny, the Canadian Jesuit whose office co-authored the statement, stressed that the original bulls had long ago been abrogated and that the use of the term doctrine which in this case is a legal term, not a religious one had led to centuries of confusion about the church's role. The original bulls, he said, are being treated as if they were teaching, magisterial or doctrinal documents, and they are an ad hoc political move. And I think to solemnly repudiate an ad hoc political move is to generate more confusion than clarity. He stressed that the statement wasn't just about setting the historical record straight, but "to discover, identify, analyze and try to overcome what we can only call the enduring effects of colonialism today. It was significant that the repudiation of the "Doctrine of Discovery" came during the pontificate of history's first Latin American pope. Even before the Canadian trip, the Argentine pope had apologized to Native peoples in Bolivia in 2015 for the crimes of the colonial-era conquest of the Americas. Felix Hoehn, a property and administrative law professor at the University of Saskatchewan, said the Vatican statement would have no legal bearing on land claims in Canada today, but would have symbolic value. The most that any papal repudiation of the doctrine (or the bulls, for that matter) can do in relation to Canadian law is to apply pressure on the Supreme Court of Canada to renounce the doctrine as part of Canadian law, he said. Beyond that, though, is the hope that the statement could show that the Catholic Church wants to be an ally with Indigenous peoples as they fight for their human rights and their land, and to protect it, said the Rev. David McCallum, an American Jesuit who has worked with Indigenous peoples in the Syracuse area and was consulted during the drafting of the statement. So now for the church to not only acknowledge the damage, but also to repudiate the whole mindset of cultural superiority, of racial superiority to, in a sense, renounce that whole way of thinking and say that forever forward the church wants to be an active ally in protecting Indigenous human rights along with all human rights, I think its a big statement," he said. ___ Rob Gillies contributed to this report from Toronto. From his home in Providence, Rhode Island, Dominican Republic native Juni Rafael Jimenez-Martinez ran a multi-million-dollar drug ring supplied by the two biggest rival super cartels, CJNG and the Sinaloa Cartel. A twice-deported Dominican Republic native settled into Providence, Rhode Island, and leveraged his connections with two Mexican cartel powerhouses to supply a four-state region with millions of dollars in deadly drugs. Juni Rafael Jimenez-Martinez, known as "Rafa," relied upon a close network of Dominicans throughout the northeast to help pick up kilograms of drugs in New York City, delivering some loads to customers there and taking others to southern New Hampshire and drug hub Lawrence, Massachusetts, less than an hour's drive northwest of Boston. He also eventually built a customer base in the Providence area. "Rhode Island is both a transit point between New York, Massachusetts and points north and now perhaps in the other direction, and we're also a state with a persistent longstanding and growing opioid problem," Rhode Island U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha told The Courier Journal in March. "There is a market here," he said. Jimenez-Martinez sometimes bought cocaine from Colombia and also established ties to both the infamous Sinaloa Cartel, once headed by notorious drug lord "El Chapo," and its top rival the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion, known as CJNG. Both cartels, the main drug suppliers to the U.S., have been known to murder other traffickers for doing business with their enemies, typically viewed as a betrayal. This case involved a disturbing trend: pressing fentanyl into fake prescription pills, a top danger for young adults experimenting at parties and others who think they're taking legitimate pain medicine. The case also is emblematic of a Mexican cartel tactic to team with Dominican-lead drug rings in the northeast to quickly capitalize on the deadliest drug epidemic in American history. More like this: He reached 'kingpin' status by selling Mexican cartel-supplied drugs. But betrayal awaited "The Mexicans are much more loyal, and they install their family in positions of trust," according to an investigator who worked on the case while a member of a DEA Rhode Island task force. Story continues "Dominicans are looking for who's gonna give the best price. They just move it so quickly, it's not hard for them to get a source" of supply, said the investigator, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The DEA warned in its 2020 National Drug Threat Assessment that "Dominican [drug trafficking networks] dominate the distribution of cocaine and white powder heroin in the Northeastern corridor of the United States" and dominate wholesale distribution of fentanyl in certain areas of the Northeast, using New York City as the main drug hub. Dominican Republic police officers toss packages of cocaine to be burned at a military base in Santo Domingo, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2009. At least 2,800 lbs (1,270 kilogram) of cocaine, marijuana and heroin were destroyed after being confiscated by the Dominican anti-drugs agency. (AP Photo/Kena Betancur) The Dominican drug traffickers are often supplied by Colombian and Mexican suppliers, the report stated. Mexican cartels were drawn to Jimenez-Martinez because of his ability to rapidly move a load of drugs, which includes picking it up, delivering it to its destination and selling it. "The speed at which he could get rid of product was unbelievable," the task force officer said. In one instance, he said the Jimenez-Martinez crew accepted a load of 20 kilograms in New York City, transported it to Massachusetts and had the drugs sold all within eight hours something that typically takes other drug rings days. "We wanted to grab it, but we didn't know the route he was going," said the investigator. "By the time we figured it out, he was already done." Drug cartel, gun supplier connected: This small-town Oregon bricklayer had a side hustle: Gun supplier for Mexican drug cartel Using acid to hide his identity To learn about the scope of this drug ring, a Courier Journal reporter interviewed state investigators and federal prosecutors and read hundreds of pages of court records. This report is part of a cartel project launched in 2019 with a trip to Mexico to learn more about CJNG, a global cartel powerhouse and major supplier of the drugs fueling the deadliest drug epidemic in U.S. history. Members of the violent CJNG cartel based in Jalisco, Mexico. Drug investigators first identified Jimenez-Martinez, who had been deported to the Dominican Republic, as a drug trafficker 14 years ago. Agents arrested him and others for trafficking cocaine and heroin through New York in 2008. He pleaded guilty, and a federal judge in New York sentenced him to serve five years and five months in prison. When he was released in 2014, he was deported again, but when he slipped back into the U.S., he took several precautions. Previously, he lived in Boston, but it became "hot" with too many drug investigators. He decided to move to neutral turf, living in Providence but doing business in New York and Massachusetts. Several of his associates also settled in Providence, and they eventually built a customer base there, too. Jimenez-Martinez took other steps to avoid detection by investigators, including dipping his fingertips in acid to burn off his fingerprints, according to the task force officer. He used several aliases, including "Ismael," "Carlos" and "Junior." He also took steps to blend in, using a car with New Jersey tags when he or his associates picked up drugs in New York, and another car with Massachusetts tags to make deliveries to Lawrence. He understood the importance of fostering relationships within Dominican social circles throughout the Northeast, leveraging his own ties to his native homeland. Jimenez-Martinez and at least four members of his Rhode Island drug ring were from Bani near the south coast of the Caribbean Sea and about an hour's drive southwest of Santo Domingo. Related: Cartel flooded coastal Oregon town with drugs, left grisly warning for those who might talk A federal judge approved wire taps in March and April 2019, allowing investigators with the DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Rhode Island State Police to listen in on calls between Jimenez-Martinez and his associates, who mainly lived in Providence. Drug ring members took orders from Jimenez-Martinez and chatted in Spanish about drugs deals involving heroin, cocaine and fentanyl, according to the criminal complaint. Investigators arrested Jimenez-Martinez in Providence in 2019. He pleaded guilty in 2021 to trafficking cocaine, but denied any involvement with fentanyl. In June, a judge in Rhode Island sentenced Jimenez-Martinez, 47, to serve a 15-year sentence in federal prison for drug trafficking. His attorney lobbied in court documents for leniency, claiming Jimenez-Martinez has regretted his crimes and greatly missed his children during the three years in jail awaiting sentencing. According to the defense sentencing memo, he has a 10th-grade education but can find legitimate work once he serves his prison stint and is deported back to the Dominican Republic, where he has a strong family support system. Jimenez-Martinez organized the daily distribution of cocaine and fentanyl, prosecutors argued, and it's impossible to know the full extent of drugs that made it to drug users. Prosecutors claim the 18 kilos of fentanyl alone that police seized from one of the drug ring members could hold 9 million potentially lethal doses. "The defendant sought to distribute volumes of fentanyl that had the potential to wipe out the entire populations of Rhode Island and Massachusetts," according to the government's sentencing memo. Jimenez-Martinez also had a pill press to shape fentanyl into fake prescription pain medicine and he often was searching for the right shade of blue dye, according to a investigator on the case. DEA lab tests show that 6 out of 10 fake prescription pills containing fentanyl on the streets today contain a potentially lethal dose, according to the DEA's "One Pill Can Kill" campaign. The Rhode Island-based drug ring supplied the region with kilos of cocaine as well as deadly fentanyl, often pressed into blue pills to mimic legitimate prescription pain pills. Often, local drug dealers and customers are unaware of the danger. Just two milligrams of fentanyl, about the size of a pencil tip, can kill. On average, 150 people die in the U.S. each day from a synthetic opioid overdose, often from fentanyl, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Trafficking drugs fronted by cartel leads to dangerous situation More overdoses were likely thwarted by a routine traffic stop near the Illinois-Missouri border in 2019. The seemingly minor traffic stop in March of that year caused a major headache for Jimenez-Martinez. An Illinois state trooper pulled over a driver in a Nissan Armada SUV for speeding eastbound on U.S. 70 in Madison County, Illinois, four hours south of Chicago near St. Louis. The driver seemed nervous, so the trooper asked for permission to look inside the SUV. He found a duffle bag stuffed with 15 individually wrapped packages of fentanyl and heroin, according to the criminal complaint against Nelson Pichardo-Reyes, brother-in-law of Jimenez-Martinez. More: US drug czar wants India to stem flow of chemicals used by Mexican cartels for fentanyl The driver admitted to Illinois investigators that he was a courier who had followed Mexican suppliers' orders to pick up drugs in California, and he was taking them to a buyer in New York. He expected to get $10,000 for this drug run. The courier, listed only in court documents as "CS" or as Confidential Source, agreed to work with investigators and call drug ring members to arrange details to drop off about more than 14 kilos of fentanyl and one kilo of heroin. The courier admitted to working for Mexican suppliers for three or four months, having made two prior trips to deliver money. Police and military patrol Culiacan, Sinaloa state, Mexico, Friday, Jan. 6, 2023. The government operation on Thursday to detain Ovidio Guzman, the son of imprisoned drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, unleashed firefights that killed 10 military personnel and 19 suspected members of the Sinaloa drug cartel, according to authorities. (AP Photo/Martin Urista) Agents followed along as the drug courier headed north toward the Bronx, but the drug buyer got nervous and was a no-show. Investigators listened in as the drug courier called a cartel member in Mexico for further instructions. The courier was sent to meet the initial buyer's associate, Pichardo-Reyes. They met in a commercial parking lot in Fort Lee, New Jersey, on March 24, 2019, and agents pounced, arresting Pichardo-Reyes and seizing the drugs. Agents took him to the DEA office in New York and talked to him with the aid of a Spanish translator. He said he followed orders to meet the courier, and he thought he was picking up five kilograms of cocaine destined for Boston, according to the statement of facts in his case. The Sinaloa Cartel had "fronted" the drugs, meaning they allowed the Jimenez-Martinez ring to take the drugs and pay for them later. So, the police seizure created a $100,000 debt. Police listened in as Jimenez-Martinez complained to cartel members that he shouldn't have to pay because police took the drugs before he got them. He said he felt he had been set up by the cartel's drug courier. The cartel wanted its money. This back and forth went on for about 30 minutes. The cartel sent someone to his elderly mother's house in the Dominican Republic and they sent someone to the New York house shared by his sister and Pichardo-Reyes, according to the investigator. "They were trying to scare him," the veteran lawman said. "There were some threats there." Jimenez-Martinez ended up paying the $100,000 debt. And a judge in Illinois sentenced Pichardo-Reyes in 2020 to eight years and four months in federal prison. Jimenez -Martinez remains in a low-security federal prison in Allenwood, Pennsylvania, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. His expected release date is April 2032. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Drug trafficking: Rhode Island man linked to CJNG and Sinaloa Cartel RICHMOND, Ind. A decade after she was sentenced to 60 years in prison for the starvation death of her three-month-old son, a Richmond woman is pursuing a new trial. A Wayne County jury in February 2013 found Amy R. Hockett guilty of murder and neglect of a dependent. Khaiden Dwight Michael Lee Hockett-Pierson died on Feb. 5, 2012. Wayne County Prosecutor Michael Shipman said during the trial the baby had weighed more than eight pounds at birth, the previous November, but was only six pounds when he died. The infant's cause of death was determined to be dehydration due to starvation. Emergency responders who viewed the baby called him "very, very, very, very skinny," with "dry and leathery" skin. Hockett and the baby's father, co-defendant Joseph Pierson, had three older children. A court document would describe the family's home as "dim, filthy and messy, with trash overflowing, clothing and dog feces on the floor... and feces smeared on the walls and windows." Testimony at her trial reflected Hockett ingested heroin in the weeks after Khaiden's birth. The judge who sentenced her, Gregory Horn, found she showed "a complete lack or remorse amounting to disdain or recalcitrance." In a petition for post-conviction relief filed in recent weeks, Hockett who is now 32 claims her convictions came as a result of "ineffective (assistance) of counsel, media misuse, judicial misconduct" and a refusal to grant her a change of venue. The Richmond woman wrote that "publicity (concerning her case) was so bad that I had to be taken to (and) from the courthouse by vehicle in a bulletproof vest." She also alleged Judge Horn "has a bias against (drug) addicts." A hearing on her petition is set for May 1. The Indiana Court of Appeals upheld Hockett's conviction in February 2014. Incarcerated at the Indiana Women's Prison in Indianapolis, Hockett has a projected release date in April 2041, when she would be 50 years old. Story continues The same Wayne County jury that convicted Hockett found Joseph Pierson guilty, but mentally ill, of charges including neglect of a dependent resulting in death. He was later sentenced to 37 years in prison. Now 35, Pierson is incarcerated at the Westville Correctional Facility, and has a projected release date in August 2031. Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Richmond Palladium-Item: Mother convicted in Richmond baby's death pursuing a new trial The White House on Thursday rejected espionage charges made by Russia against Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, calling the claims ridiculous. What I can say is the charges against him are ridiculous, we have been very clear about that, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Thursday. Those are ridiculous and theyre not accurate. Jean-Pierre would not answer a question about whether Gershkovich has ever worked for the United States government. Russia has claimed Gershkovich was acting on orders from the United States to collect information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military industrial complex that constitutes a state secret. The Journal has also rejected the allegations that Gershkovich was conducting espionage. Jean-Pierre said a process conducted within the State Department would determine if Gershkovich would be designated as wrongfully detained. We have to make sure that we get the information. The most important thing at this moment is to get a counselor to Evan, and thats what were working on, she said. Gershkovich was arrested by the Russian Federal Security Service, the main successor agency to the Soviet-era KGB, in Yekaterinburg, where he was allegedly trying to gain access to classified information, according to Russian authorities. White House National Security spokesman John Kirby said earlier on Thursday that the Biden administration is working to gain access to Gershkovich and to get more information about the arrest. Were doing the best we can to glean as much information as possible. And certainly to get access to Evan, thats where our heads are, Kirby said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The City Charter calls for the removal of suspended L.A. City Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas after he was convicted of several felony counts. Ridley-Thomas is shown arriving at the federal courthouse in early March. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Veteran Los Angeles politician Mark Ridley-Thomas' felony convictions bring new shock waves to a City Hall that had been settling into relative normalcy after months of upheaval. For nearly a year and a half, Ridley-Thomas had been in a kind of limbo suspended from the City Council but not permanently removed. But after five days of deliberation, jurors found Ridley-Thomas guilty of federal corruption charges on Thursday an outcome that dictates his removal from the council, per the City Charter. Ridley-Thomas' ouster is a stunning coda to the career of a long-illustrious politician. It also means that the city's 10th Council District will once again be without a voting representative, at least for the time being. If Ridley-Thomas had been acquitted, he would have returned to his seat at the completion of the trial, supplanting interim appointed Councilmember Heather Hutt. But Hutt was appointed only to fill a temporary vacancy a status that no longer applies since Ridley-Thomas' conviction renders the vacancy no longer temporary. Reappointing Hutt to the seat she's held for the past six months will require a vote of the council, which is currently on its spring recess. Council President Paul Krekorian called on his colleagues to do just that in a statement Thursday evening, saying constituents in the 10th District deserve to be represented "without further disruption and disenfranchisement." He also designated Hutt as a nonvoting caretaker for the seat in the meantime. The council could also opt to hold a special election to fill the seat through the remainder of Ridley-Thomas' term, which runs through December 2024. Ridley-Thomas 2020 election to the City Council was a homecoming of sorts: He began his political career at City Hall, serving from 1991 to 2002. On the same stomping grounds where he had once been a political rookie, Ridley-Thomas returned as a lion of local politics a power broker who'd led county efforts on homelessness and was revered by many for the ways he'd empowered Black L.A. Story continues The gravity of his fall weighed heavily Thursday at City Hall, with a kind of staggered sadness permeating corridor conversations and elevator small talk. Along with the mistakes Ridley-Thomas had made, some spoke of the righteous fights he had waged over the years and their own muddled feelings. "I think this is the most complicated thing I've encountered thus far on the job," said one council staffer who'd worked in the building only a few months. Questioned by reporters, Mayor Karen Bass looked anguished as she discussed the verdict. "For decades, Mark Ridley-Thomas has been a champion for our city, a civil rights activist, a thought leader, and a policy maker who made a real impact on the city," she said, noting their 40-year history. The mayor dodged a question about whether the jury had made the right decision in convicting her longtime friend on bribery and conspiracy charges. Most of the council remained silent in public, though three members had issued statements by Thursday evening. Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson called the conviction "difficult news to consider or accept" and praised Ridley-Thomas' leadership through the years. Krekorian was "deeply saddened that a career of extraordinary public service and achievement has been brought to a close in this way," he said. Councilmember Bob Blumenfield said the guilty verdict "leaves no room for ambiguity," adding that he was "disappointed and saddened by the reality that he is the third City Council colleague to either plead or be found guilty of corruption," Blumenfield said. Ridley-Thomas' conviction which stems from actions taken while he served on the County Board of Supervisors, not the City Council follows that of two other recent members of the council, Jose Huizar and Mitchell Englander. Huizar pleaded guilty in January to charges of racketeering and tax evasion, admitting that he extorted at least $1.5 million in bribes from real estate developers. Englander was convicted in a sprawling City Hall corruption case in 2020, admitting he schemed to prevent federal investigators from learning about cash and other freebies he received from a Southern California businessman. Times staff writer David Zahniser contributed to this report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Suspended L.A. City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas leaves court Monday with his attorney Daralyn Durie. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) Mark Ridley-Thomas, one of Los Angeles Countys most prominent politicians, was found guilty Thursday of federal corruption charges related to special benefits his son received at USC. The verdict, which jurors reached in their fifth day of deliberations, marks a devastating fall for a man who for more than 30 years was a power broker in L.A. politics and a vocal advocate for civil rights and racial justice. Ridley-Thomas, 68, now faces the possibility of years in federal prison and the permanent loss of his seat on the L.A. City Council, from which he has been suspended for 17 months. Of the 19 counts against Ridley-Thomas, jurors found him guilty of seven: conspiracy, bribery, honest services mail fraud and four counts of honest services wire fraud. The split, according to the jury foreperson, stemmed from differing views among the jury about the illicit conduct in the case. There was disagreement over whether admission of Ridley-Thomas' son to USC, his scholarship or his job was part of the alleged scheme. Ultimately, the foreperson said, the routing of money through USC and Ridley-Thomas' emails about the transaction persuaded jurors to convict. "Many of the jurors believed that there was no connection between [Ridley-Thomas] and the USC things, and it came back to the $100,000 donation," said Kirsi Kilpelainen, 36, who served as foreperson for the jury. The verdict is the most high-profile in a string of victories for a team of public corruption prosecutors in the U.S. attorneys office in Los Angeles. That team secured guilty pleas from two other L.A. City Council members and won the conviction of U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry in an illegal campaign contribution case. It has also unraveled a corruption scheme involving L.A.s Department of Water and Power and sent a wealthy and connected Beverly Hills developer to prison for bribery in a case involving leases with L.A. County government. Thursday's verdict also validates the work of FBI Special Agent Brian Adkins, a well-regarded public corruption specialist whose investigative steps were repeatedly attacked by Ridley-Thomas defense attorneys as they sought to sow doubt in jurors' minds about the case presented to them. Story continues To convict Ridley-Thomas, prosecutors and the FBI pored over reams of emails, phone records and internal USC documents to stitch together a timeline of the lawmakers dealings with Marilyn Flynn, the former dean of USCs social work program. Prosecutors outlined a conspiracy that began around May 2017, when Ridley-Thomas son Sebastian Ridley-Thomas, then a member of the state Assembly, began expressing interest in attending USCs graduate social work program. In emails, Flynn expressed eagerness to enroll Sebastian, describing her plan to give him free tuition and saying she did the same for Karen Bass full scholarship for our funds. Prosecutors found the email about Bass, now L.A.'s mayor, a brazen example of Flynns agenda using scholarships as a means to secure government contracts. Its not rocket science what Marilyn Flynn is looking for here, Assistant U.S. Atty. Lindsey Greer Dotson told jurors in her closing argument last week. Bass was never charged, but as a member of Congress representing L.A. at the time, she had sponsored a bill that, if passed, would have expanded federal funding to social work schools. To show Ridley-Thomas' role in the conspiracy, prosecutors weaved together months of emails, phone calls and other correspondence between Flynn and Ridley-Thomas, who was then a member of the L.A. County Board of Supervisors. The prosecutors pointed to a June 2017 meeting in which the pair discussed USCs requests for action on key issues before the board. Flynn later memorialized the meeting's discussion in a confidential letter she had hand-delivered to the politician's office. To prosecutors, the letter was the blueprint for the conspiracy proof that Sebastian's path at USC was discussed in the same breath as Flynn's wish list for government business. A plan marked by winks and nods between Flynn and Ridley-Thomas turned to pushes and shoves in December 2017, prosecutors said. That month, a sexual harassment investigation into Sebastian Ridley-Thomas was launched by lawyers at the state Capitol. With scandal threatening to blight the Ridley-Thomas political machine, prosecutors argued that he leaned on Flynn and she in turn moved quickly to supply Sebastian with extraordinary benefits. Among them were admission and a full scholarship before he had even finished his application; a part-time professor's position; and later, the funneling of $100,000 through USC to a nonprofit run by the younger Ridley-Thomas. Through the duration of the alleged conspiracy, Mark Ridley-Thomas voted on three agenda items before the Board of Supervisors that directly related to USCs social work program and were coveted by Flynn. Her verbal responses to these votes were among the most damning evidence against Ridley-Thomas. MRT is really trying to deliver here, said one email from Flynn to another USC colleague about a matter Ridley-Thomas later voted on. I met with the supervisor recently, Flynn told a colleague before another vote, adding, This is exactly what I had hoped would happen. Defense attorneys sought to chip away at prosecutors elaborate and detailed outline of the case, emphasizing that Sebastian Ridley-Thomas had resigned from the Assembly for legitimate health reasons. The first witness for the defense was Sebastian's physician, who vouched for his illnesses and said he recommended his patient find another career. Sebastian, they said, was also qualified in his own right to attend USC and receive a scholarship. Defense attorneys pointed out that he had been thrice elected to the state Assembly before the age of 30 and had sponsored dozens of bills in Sacramento making him a shoo-in for admission and a marquee student in USC's graduate program. Next, the defense team attempted to establish that there was no need for or upside to bribing Ridley-Thomas. They emphasized that the lawmaker's longstanding and public support for the key votes in the case on a reentry center for those recently released from prison; a probation training program; and a remote mental health clinic all aligned with the politician's key policy goals. The defense wanted jurors to contemplate why anyone, let alone a social work dean, thought they had to offer bribes to accomplish these measures. Ridley-Thomas did not testify in his defense, and throughout the trial, he quietly watched testimony and occasionally gestured to dozens of supporters who filled the courtroom each day. As jury deliberations continued this week, he greeted and hugged friends and former staffers in the halls and cafeteria of the 1st Street U.S. Courthouse. Flynn, who was ousted as dean of USC's social work program in 2018, pleaded guilty in September to one count of bribery. She did not testify during Ridley-Thomas trial and is awaiting sentencing. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Riverdale is the last show you might expect to tackle the rippling effects of the Emmett Till murder, but thats exactly what the show did in its seventh season premiere. The post Riverdale Addresses Emmett Till Murder In Premiere For 7th And Final Season appeared first on Shadow And Act. The show that has taken the classic Archie characters from the present day to the past via a mystical comet has now invoked one of the most turbulent times in American history by having the characters discuss Tills case and the effects it has on the wider world. According to Decider, the episode follows Toni Topaz (Vanessa Morgan) and Tabitha Tate (Erinn Westbrook), who have just come back from the trial of Tills murderers and want to address the case in the school paper. While Betty (Lili Reinhart), the papers editor, is all for it, the principal isnt. However, after Topaz and Tate take over the morning announcements to read Langston Hughes poem Mississippi-1955, a kind teacher allows his class to talk about how the case made them feel. Showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa told Decider that he and the writers decided to tackle the big issues of the 1950s in order to address the reality of the time, not the fantasy. You know it was funny, when we first talked about doing the 50s, one of the big questions that we talked about a lot in the writers room, and I talked a lot about with the cast was, are we going to play the reality of the 1950s? That for a certain kind of teenager they were great and super fun; and for the more marginalized groups, the characters of color, the queer characters, it was in fact a very repressive, racist, homophobic, horrible time, he said, adding that the research the team did of the 1950s led them to juxtapose the death of James Dean (addressed in the sixth season) with Tills death. [W]hen we were doing research all around the time of the death of James Dean we realized there was another story that was obviously shaping the country, and that was the trial of the Emmett Till murderers, he said. And two stories about two teenagers, completely different, that spoke to the time period. That was the idea behind that. Story continues The episode ends with Tabitha giving a quote from Martin Luther King about the arc of justice, something Aguirre-Sacasa felt was poignant to do. [W]e had established that Martin Luther King Jr. was one of Tabithas heroes in this series, he said. The idea was that in the 50s it was a big turning point. It was before the Civil Rights Movement exploded. It was before the counterculture erupted, it was before Vietnam, it was before all these seismic changes happened. So we thought if we could tee up that our characters [are] on the cusp of all these social, racial, cultural, seismic shifts that were about to come, it would give the series a bit more thematic gravitas and allow us to tell more meaningful stories, along with all the fun trappings of the 1950s. The storyline seems to be part of Aguirre-Sacasas mission to right the wrongs of how Black characters and stories were initially treated on the show. The discrepancy was brought to light by Morgan, who wrote in a tweet in 2020, Tired of how black people are portrayed in Media, tired of us being portrayed as thugs, dangerous or angry scary people. Tired of us also being used as sidekick non dimensional characters to our white leads. Or only used in the ads for diversity but not actually in the show. She also tweeted how she felt that the series was using her for both Black representation and LGBTQ representation within her storyline, but [t]oo bad Im the only black series regular but also paid the least. Aguirre-Sacasa addressed Morgans statements, writing on social media, We hear Vanessa. We love Vanessa. Shes right. Were sorry and we make the same promise to you that we did to her. We will do better to honor her and the character she plays. As well as all of our actors of color. CHANGE is happening and will continue to happen. Riverdale will get bigger, not smaller. Riverdale will be a part of the movement, not outside it. All of the Riverdale writers made a donation to @BLMLA, but we know where the work must happen for us. In the writers room. Other Black actresses before and after Morgan also complained about pay, poor storylines and dealing with racist fans. Authorities arrested a Norwood man for allegedly stabbing a shuttle bus driver in a road rage incident Wednesday afternoon. 27-year-old Charles Wilkerson Jr. turned himself into police later that night around 9 p.m. and was charged with assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon. Officers responding to the area of 3841 Washington Street around 4:46 p.m. found a Brigham and Womens shuttle bus driver with a stab wound to his leg, according to Boston Police. Officials say the stabbing originated from a road rage fight between the victim and suspect, later identified as Wilkerson Jr. Police were advised he took off from the scene in a white pickup truck. There were multiple passengers on the bus at the time. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital with non life threatening injuries and has since been released. It appears this was a random act of violence that occurred off property while the Shuttle Bus was stopped in traffic, a spokesperson from Brigham and Womens Hospital said. There are no concerns regarding employee or patient safety in connection with the incident at this time. Wilkerson Jr. is expected to be arraigned in West Roxbury District Court on Thursday. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Four policemen were killed by a roadside bomb as they scrambled to protect a police station under siege by Taliban militants in northwest Pakistan, officials said Thursday. Pakistan has witnessed rising attacks by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) since the Afghan Taliban retook Kabul in 2021, and police are increasingly on the frontline of Islamabad's bid to quell the movement. TTP fighters launched a heavy-weapons assault early Thursday on a police station in Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which abuts the border with Afghanistan. Four officers, including a deputy superintendent, were killed by a bomb as they rushed towards the fight in a "planned act of terrorism", senior local police official Muhammad Ashfaq told AFP. Deputy superintendent Iqbal Mohmand was known as an "exceptional poet", Ashfaq said. "He was always the centre of attention during poetic festivals," he said. The TTP claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on Thursday and accused Mohmand of "brutally" killing its fighters. It said there were no TTP casualties. The TTP is a separate movement from the Afghan Taliban, however they share a common lineage and ideology. Senior local administration official Tariqullah, who goes by one name, said the bomb pierced the armoured personnel carrier that was carrying the officers around 3 kilometres (2 miles) from the police station. Five officers at the station, as well as the driver of the personnel carrier, were wounded, Tariqullah said. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Twitter the attack "has left my heart heavy with sorrow". "Our police officers and soldiers have made unforgettable sacrifices in the war against terrorism," he said. The TTP have long targeted law enforcement officials, who they accuse of conducting extrajudicial executions. The TTP was founded in 2007, when Pakistani militants fighting alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan splintered off to focus attacks on Islamabad as payback for supporting the US invasion after the 9/11 attacks. Story continues They controlled swaths of northwest Pakistan at the height of their power but were largely routed by the military after a 2014 school raid that killed nearly 150 people, mostly pupils. Attacks have been steadily rising since the Afghan Taliban's return in Kabul, and Islamabad says the TTP are launching assaults from Afghan soil. A shaky six-month ceasefire between the TTP and Islamabad failed in November. In January, more than 80 officers were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up in a mosque inside a police compound in the northwestern city of Peshawar. la-zz/jts/pbt Roku isn't done cutting jobs in a bid to turn its fortunes around. The streaming company has warned that it will lay off another 200 workers, or about six percent of its current headcount. It also plans to either close or sublease offices that aren't in active use. The layoffs will help the firm limit its expenses and focus on projects that will have a "higher return on investment," Roku says. The device and platform creator expects to pay between $30 million and $35 million to handle the layoffs and building closures. Most of those costs should be paid in the first quarter, or by the end of this month. The layoffs should be finished by the end of Roku's second quarter, or June. In November, Roku said it would eliminate 200 jobs in response to rough "economic conditions." It expected a year-over-year drop in revenue, and had already been struggling with slowing revenue growth in the second half of 2022. Like fellow internet video rivals Disney and Netflix, Roku is grappling with the combination of a looming recession and the end of a pandemic-era boom that kept many people at home watching TV. The company wasn't helped by the failure of Silicon Valley Bank earlier this month it said it could have lost over 25 percent of its cash if regulators hadn't stepped in to protect deposits. Roku is far from the only large tech company laying off staff this year. Alphabet, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft have all slashed their workforces, among numerous others. However, Roku's reductions come at a pivotal moment. It just released its first self-made TVs, and it's facing stiff competition in hardware and services from the likes of Amazon, Apple and Google. Roku is under pressure to invest heavily in its technology to keep up with its frequently wealthy challengers. Rosie Perez at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) As a Latina whose critically acclaimed acting career has spanned more than three decades, Rosie Perez knows she is in rare company. And to her, that's the problem. A few of us have come through, and Im very grateful for that, she said in a Variety profile published Wednesday. But its just not enough." Nominated for an Emmy in 2021 for her performance as Megan Briscoe in the HBO Max series "Flight Attendant," Perez said the stories Latinos do get to tell in Hollywood are often stifled by "some executive who knows nothing about who we are as a people." "And then theyre like, Can you spice it up a little bit?" she added. "You want to punch these people in the face. And then if its too real, theyre, Could you pull it back, cause we dont want the audience to feel offended. And people are getting sick of it." Perez's career took off after she starred in Spike Lee's influential 1989 film, "Do the Right Thing." She gave another memorable performance in 1992's "White Men Can't Jump," alongside Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson. The Variety article touched on Perez's departure from ABC's "The View" after a brief stint on the show in 2015, which some questioned as racist. A report from the time of her exit suggested that among the reasons for her departure was her alleged trouble reading the teleprompter, a detail that drew sharp criticism from Latina leaders. Questioning a womans intelligence is an old stereotype that is sexist and in this case, also racist, dozens of Latina leaders "from a wide range of professions" said in a joint letter calling on ABC to apologize. When you disparage the only Latina on 'The View' you disparage all Latinas." Perez, who received a daytime Emmy nomination for her turn as a co-host on the daytime talk show, did not call for an apology amid the controversy. In the profile, she declined to comment on it. Story continues Perez went on to praise the success of "Everything Everywhere All at Once," a comedy sci-fi film with a majority-Asian cast, which nabbed seven Academy Awards, including best picture and three of four top acting honors. "I think thats the reason why Everything Everywhere All at Once was such a big winner," she said, referring to the disparity of roles and stories that speak to one's culture. Perez was nominated for a supporting actress Oscar for her performance in the 1993 film "Fearless." And even though she was happy Brendan Fraser won the top male acting award, she would have supported a win for Colin Farrell, who was nominated for the Irish film "The Banshees of Inisherin." Why? Because "he did something specific to his culture ... How many other movies has he done that were specific to his culture? Thats what were asking for as Latinos," she continued. "We want to do things that are specific to our culture, to our story. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. KINGSTON A Ross County woman has been charged with one count of aggravated arson, according to the Ohio Department of Commerce State Fire Marshal's Office. Candy Taylor, 52, of Kingston, is accused of starting a March 27 fire that destroyed a garage and a residence at 7 Second St. and damaged a residence at 11 Second St. The structures were occupied at the time of the fire and multiple mutual aid departments were called to assist. "The arrest of the suspect in the arson case is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the Fire & Explosion Investigations Bureau and their local partners, said State Fire Marshal Kevin S. Reardon. We will continue to work tirelessly to bring those responsible for such crimes to justice and ensure the safety of our communities." The State Fire Marshal's Office was called to investigate the fire, and during the course of their investigation, Taylor was identified as a suspect. She was subsequently arrested and charged. The case will be presented to the Ross County Prosecutors Office for additional charges. Information provided by the State Fire Marshal's Office. This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Ross County woman charged with arson In the increasingly bitter battle for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination that is currently dominated by declared candidate and former President Trump and likely contender Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, there is a new player on the field. With Trump, who views DeSantis as his chief rival for the nomination as he runs a third time for the White House, ramping up attacks on the Florida governor as his own legal troubles have mounted amid looming indictments, a recently formed DeSantis-aligned super PAC is returning fire. The committee, called the Never Back Down PAC, this week went up with a video titled "Waco Crickets" which highlighted media reports indicating the loud and boisterous crowd at the Trump rally this past weekend in Waco, Texas, turned mostly quiet when the former presidential repeatedly attacked the Florida governor. The video, which was shared first with Fox News, was the first shot by Never Back Down toward Trump. Multiple sources say that the super PAC has the tacit blessing of the Florida governor, who while currently sitting on the 2024 sidelines is expected to launch a presidential campaign later this year. DESANTIS ALLIES CLAIM FLORIDA GOVERNOR LIVING RENT-FREE IN TRUMP'S HEAD What makes the storyline more fascinating and complicated is that the super PAC is staffing up with a slew of heavyweights from the political operative class, some of whom are Trump campaign or White House veterans. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Ken Cuccinelli, a former Virginia attorney general and the 2013 GOP gubernatorial nominee who later served as acting deputy homeland security director during the last two years of Trump administration, is chairing the super PAC. THE WEEK THAT DESANTIS STARTED PUNCHING BACK AT TRUMP Two veterans of Trumps 2020 re-election campaign, Erin Perrine and Matt Wolking, have joined Never Back Down over the past week in top communications positions. Trump loyalists from the former president's political orbit belittled the new hires in the pro-DeSantis PAC. Story continues "Theyre basically getting the people from 2020 who lost the campaign, whereas our campaign has people from 2016 who won the campaign," said a political operative in Trumps political world who asked for anonymity to speak more freely. Another strategist in Trumps orbit, who also asked to remain anonymous, said "I think theyre going to be in for a rude awakening." When asked by Fox News for his reaction to the growing list of former Trump administration officials and campaign aides joining the super PAC, Trump 2024 campaign spokesman Steven Cheung answered: "Who?" But Trump - in tweets sent during the 2020 cycle - congratulated or praised both Perrine and Wolking. FORMER TOP TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL SHARES MISSION OF NEW PRO-DESANTIS SUPER PAC Cuccinelli shared in a Fox News Digital interview earlier this month that he gave Trump a heads-up he was going to chair the new pro-DeSantis super PAC. "We texted back-and-forth. He texted me the night before we announced it, which tells me that wasnt likely a coincidence. It was friendly, and I was very forthright with him about what I was doing and why in simple terms," Cuccinelli said. But he added, "I havent heard since then" from Trump. Wolking, who steered the Trump 2020 campaigns rapid response and war room teams, explained his move in a tweet, saying that "Trump was the president we needed 8 years ago, but to make America great again, our movement needs a disciplined leader who wins instead of loses, never backs down, fights smart, and puts the mission before himself. On each count, Governor Ron DeSantis is the strongest choice." Perrine, Trump 2020 director of press communications, told Fox News "the policies pursued by President Trump were worthy of four more years at the time, but after losing the White House, and House and Senate races since then, its time for change." WHO'S IN AND WHO'S ON THE SIDELINES YOUR GUIDE TO THE 2024 GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION RACE "Governor Ron DeSantis never backs down from conservative principles. He has a record of success and a personal story of service that puts him heads and shoulders above anyone in the 2024 field. Governor DeSantis is the only person who can beat Donald Trump and beat Joe Biden to make sure Americans can again be unapologetic for our nations greatness and success," she emphasized. The new super PAC connections expand beyond Trump world. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas speaks at a donor conference hosted by the conservative group the Club for Growth, on March 3, 2023 in Palm Beach, Florida. Jeff Roe, a veteran GOP strategist who heads up the formidable Axiom Strategies, joined the Never Back Down PAC last week as a senior adviser. Roe, a longtime political adviser to Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, served as the top campaign consultant when the conservative firebrand senator fiercely battled Trump for the 2016 GOP nomination, ending up as runner-up to the former president. WHAT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLL SHOWS IN THE 2024 GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION RACE Chris Wilson, a veteran Republican pollster who served on the Cruz 2016 campaign, will lead Never Back Downs data efforts. While Cruz initially flirted with another White House run in 2024, he has made it clear since last autumn that he is running for re-election in the Senate next year. Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaks on behalf of GOP Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia at a Kemp re-election rally on Sept. 27, 2022 in Alpharetta, Georgia. Roe is also a top political adviser to Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, and Roe and Axiom Strategies were instrumental behind the scenes in Youngkins 2021 gubernatorial election victory, which helped transform the first-time candidate from the business wing of the GOP an instant Republican superstar. Wolking also worked on Youngkins 2021 campaign and Kristen Davidson, another top Axiom consultant who also serves at a leading Youngkin adviser, has also joined Never Back Down. Pundits have viewed Youngkin as a potential contender for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, but the moves by Roe and Davidson in joining the super PAC have raised further doubts of the Virginia governors national ambitions. Youngkin has repeatedly said that hes hyper focused right now his duties steering Virginia and in hoping to win GOP control of the state Senate in this Novembers elections. Additionally, those close to Youngkin say his former consultants' moves should not be taken as a sign of what the Virginia governor may (or may not) do in terms of the 2024 race. The Premier League will now consider human rights abuses as part of a strengthened owners and directors test (Richard Heathcote/PA) (PA Wire) Individuals found to have committed human rights abuses will be unable to be an owner or director of a Premier League club under new rules approved by the English top flight on Thursday. Human rights abuses, based on the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations 2020, will now be one of a number of additional disqualifying events under a beefed-up owners and directors test (OADT). The league also now has the power to block people from becoming directors where they are under investigation for conduct that would result in a disqualifying event if proven. The Premier League has faced strong criticism in the past from Amnesty International in particular for allowing Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund (PIF) to lead a takeover of Newcastle, despite the countrys appalling human rights record. Under the new rules approved by clubs on Thursday, a person or a company being subject to Government sanctions is now also a disqualifying event, while the range of criminal offences which could result in disqualification has been extended to include offences involving violence, corruption, fraud, tax evasion and hate crimes. The league has also voted to widen the group of regulatory authorities where an existing suspension would result in disqualification, to now include the Charity Commission, the Financial Conduct Authority, the Prudential Conduct Authority and HMRC. Rupert Murdoch. (Amanda Edwards / WireImage) Rupert Murdoch's disdain for former President Trump's actions after the 2020 election came out again in evidence presented in the $1.6-billion defamation suit against Fox News. "Trump insisting on the election being stolen and convincing 25% of Americans was a huge disservice to the country," Murdoch wrote to Fox News Media Chief Executive Suzanne Scott, according to recently unredacted evidence. "Pretty much a crime. Inevitable it blew up on Jan. 6th." Murdoch, the executive chairman of Fox Corp., also acknowledged in his deposition testimony given in January that he told Scott to stop putting Trump on the network. That ban has since ended as Trump, who is leading in most polls for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, gave a lengthy interview to Fox News host Sean Hannity that is running in multiple parts this week. Murdoch's comments surfaced in a slide deck of points by Dominion Voting Systems that were made public this week in its lawsuit against Fox. The presentation included a number of statements and communications by executives at Fox News and its parent company that were previously redacted. Dominion, a maker of voting machines, claims Fox News deliberately ran Trumps false allegations of voter fraud in the 2020 election to placate its viewers, who were fleeing the network in anger over how it called the state of Arizona for then-candidate Joe Biden. Guests on Fox News made false claims about Dominions ownership and said its machines manipulated votes to favor Biden. Fox News has maintained that the allegations were newsworthy and that its reporting is protected by the 1st Amendment. These documents once again demonstrate Dominions continued reliance on cherry-picked quotes without context to generate headlines in order to distract from the facts of this case," a Fox News representative said in a statement. Evidence and depositions filed in the case expected to go to trial in mid-April have revealed deep misgivings among executives, producers and hosts about Trump's assertions, while expressing concerns that denouncing them completely would turn off its audience. Story continues The evidence revealed in the slide deck also included documentation from the "brain room" a research unit within Fox News that alerted executives and producers that there was no evidence of voter fraud. The unit made clear that claims made by Trump's lawyers about Dominion's machines flipping votes from Trump to Biden were false. Trump's camp said Dominion deleted 2.7 million Trump votes nationwide and switched Trump votes to Biden votes in several key states. "Election officials from both political parties have stated publicly that the election went well and international observers confirmed there were no irregularities," according to one memo from the research group. David Clark, senior vice president for weekend programming and news at Fox News, agreed in his deposition that the brain room said the Dominion charges were false and never should have run. But Trump's legal team of Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani, who amplified the claims without evidence, continued to appear on Fox News and Fox Business Network after the fact-checks were provided. A Nov. 30, 2021, message from Fox News producer Alexander Hooper said "any day with Rudy and Sidney is guaranteed gold," referring to the ratings lift Fox Business Network host Lou Dobbs would get when the lawyers were booked as guests. Even Tucker Carlson, the most strident prime-time host on Fox News, expressed his disgust with Powell and her inability to back up her claims. In a Nov. 17, 2020, message to Powell, Carlson told her it was "reckless and cruel" to keep presenting the allegations without hard evidence. "You keep telling our viewers that millions of votes were changed by the software," Carlson wrote. "I hope you will prove that very soon. if you don't have conclusive evidence of fraud at that scale, it's a cruel and reckless thing to keep saying." On Nov. 21, 2020, Carlson wrote to Trump attorney Jenna Ellis and told her that it was "shockingly reckless" to keep making the allegations about Dominion using software to manipulate votes without providing evidence. In a text to an unknown recipient, Carlson who expressed skepticism about Powell on his program said it was a "shame we have to pretend the case has any shot at all." Anchor Maria Bartiromo, who had Sidney and Giuliani as guests on her "Sunday Morning Futures" show three times after the election was called for Biden, was told by then-House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Nov. 6, 2020, that there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud and that the Democratic victory was fair. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Russias arrest of an American journalist on Thursday sparked outrage in the U.S., escalating fears that Moscow may attempt to take additional hostages as tensions reach new heights during the war in Ukraine. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, part of the newspapers Moscow bureau, was detained by Russian authorities in the city of Yekaterinburg on charges of espionage, accused of collecting a state secret about the Russian military-industrial complex. The White House has indicated that its too early to say if Gershkovichs arrest will lead to more incidents and noted Thursday the motive for the move was unknown but journalism groups are already sounding the alarm. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) warned that Moscows overall goal could be to stamp out foreign journalists in Russia from publishing information critical of the Kremlin, after cracking down on Russian journalists over the past year. The group said that Russia is likely to draft fabricated information in Gershkovichs case. Russia managed to eliminate free press in the last 12 months or so. And now it could be the next stage to deal with foreign media, said Gulnoza Said, CPJs Europe and Central Asia program coordinator. Its all about Russias attempt to control reporting. She also warned that Gershkovichs case could become a long, diplomatic battle. Because Russian trials deny the accused basic rights and are often conducted in secret, Said said Gershkovichs chances of freedom hinge on negotiations between the U.S. and Russia, which is seeking to benefit from the arrest. What Russians usually do, its like playing chess [with] many moves ahead, and they try to benefit with every move, Said explained. When I woke up and I heard this news, my immediate question was, Which high-profile or even not very high-profile Russian is in an American jail? Because I think that is going to be the way its going to be resolved eventually. Story continues Meanwhile, the White House said it is focused on getting access to Gershkovich before assessing the threat level in Russia for journalists. Its too soon to know or to be able to indicate that this is some sort of larger movement afoot here, national security spokesman John Kirby said on Thursday. Were focused on Evan. Were focused on getting consular access to him as soon as we can so that we can assess for ourselves the condition that he is in and we can keep his family informed. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also said the administration doesnt have any specific indication that journalists would be targeted. The Russian Federal Security Service, the main successor agency to the Soviet-era KGB, arrested Gershkovich for allegedly trying to gain access to classified information and claimed he was acting on orders from the U.S. Jean-Pierre, during a press briefing with reporters, would not answer a question about whether Gershkovich had ever worked for the U.S. government while lambasting the charges against him as ridiculous. The Journal has rejected the allegations against him and called for his release. The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich, the newspaper said in a statement. We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family. Washington condemned the arrest of Gershkovich, who made an initial court appearance in Moscow and pleaded not guilty before he was ordered held until May 29. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he was deeply concerned about the arrest. In the strongest possible terms, we condemn the Kremlins continued attempts to intimidate, repress, and punish journalists and civil society voices, Blinken said in a statement. President Biden was briefed on Thursday morning about Gershkovichs detention, and representatives from the Journal spoke with officials from the White House and State Department on Wednesday evening. Other press advocacy organizations have condemned the detention, including the National Press Club, which on Thursday called on the State Department to designate Gershkovichs detention as an unjust detention. For many Americans, the case is a reminder of the arrest and trial of WNBA star Brittney Griner last year. Griner was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony last summer but was released in a prisoner exchange in December. The U.S. traded convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout for Griner, who was detained for carrying cannabis vape cartridges. Russia has also detained former U.S. Marine and American citizen Paul Whelan since 2018 on espionage charges. When asked if there is a concern that Russia was encouraged to arrest more high-profile Americans after Griner was released, the White House said the detention of foreigners and particularly Americans was not new for the Kremlin. This is not a new tactic for Mr. Putin and for Russian officials, Kirby said. Its not new for them to detain Americans, and its certainly not new for Mr. Putin to strike back against a free and independent press. Gershkovichs detention is also reminiscent of the arrest of U.S. News & World Report journalist Nicholas Daniloff, who was accused of espionage in 1986. Former President Reagans administration argued that his arrest was in retaliation for the U.S. arresting of Gennadi Zakharov, a Soviet working at the United Nations. The arrest of Gershkovich comes about four days after the U.S. charged a Russian national, Sergey Cherkasov, as an agent of the Russian Intelligence Service. Cherkasov, who is being held in Brazil, is also accused of bank and fraud charges. Russia passed a law shortly after the invasion of Ukraine last year that prohibits the publication of information related to discreditation of the military. About 170 people have been arrested or charged in relation to the crackdown since February 2022, according to the International Press Institute. Gershkovich has worked as a reporter in Russia since 2017 and joined the newspaper in January 2022, according to The Wall Street Journal. He most recently wrote about the impact of Western sanctions on Russia, Chinese leader Xi Jinpings visit to Moscow and tensions in the Kremlin involving Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin. Maria Zakharova, director of the press department for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement on Telegram that Gershkovichs arrest has nothing to do with journalism. Unfortunately, this is not the first time that the status of a foreign correspondent, a journalistic visa and accreditation are used by foreigners in our country to cover up activities that are not journalism, the statement read. U.S. lawmakers on Thursday expressed their outrage over Gershkovichs arrest, stressing concerns over Moscow using Americans as leverage. Once again, Russias desperate authoritarian regime has taken a U.S. citizen hostage simply for being an American reporter. Russia must release Evan Gershkovich and other unjustifiably held Americans immediately, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on Wednesday. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), the co-chairman of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, said the arrest marks an escalation not seen between our two countries since the days of the Soviet Union and the Cold War. I am deeply concerned that this detention is the latest salvo in Putins efforts to use Americans as leverage in his conflict with Ukraine, Quigley said in a statement. He failed to successfully use [Brittney] Griner to degrade our support for Ukraine and he will fail again now. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Daniil Berman, the lawyer of arrested Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, speaks to journalists near the Lefortovsky court, in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, March 30, 2023. Russias top security agency says an American reporter for the Wall Street Journal has been arrested on espionage charges. The Federal Security Service said Thursday that Evan Gershkovich was detained in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg while allegedly trying to obtain classified information. | Alexander Zemlianichenko, Associated Press Russia arrested a Wall Street Journal reporter on Thursday, claiming allegations of espionage against the country. The reporter, Evan Gershkovich, who was working as part of the news organizations Moscow bureau, denies wrongdoing and seeks immediate release from Russian custody. Gershkovichs arrest marks the first time a U.S. correspondent has been detained on spying accusations since the Cold War, The Associated Press reported. Why did Russia arrest Wall Street Journals Evan Gershkovich? Russias Federal Security Service, known by the acronym FSB, detained Gershkovich in Yekaterinburg, claiming he tried to obtain classified information, per the AP. The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich, The Wall Street Journal said. We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family. Upon his arrest, the Federal Security Service has yet to reveal any evidence to back espionage claims, per NBC News. In a statement surrounding the arrest, per The Washington Post, the Federal Security Service said: The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation stopped the illegal activities of the correspondent of the Moscow bureau of the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal, Evan Gershkovich, born in 1991, who is suspected of spying for the American government. It was established that Gershkovich, acting at the request of the American side, collected information constituting a state secret about the activities of an enterprise of the Russian military-industrial complex. The foreign national was detained in Yekaterinburg while attempting to obtain classified information. What will happen if Wall Street Journal reporter is convicted in Russia? If Gershkovich is convicted of the charges, he could face up to 20 years in Russian prison a country known for having a rocky justice system where espionage trials are typically held in secret, according to the Post. Story continues Recently, Gershkovich has reported on the Wagner Group, a mercenary contract company with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin that has played a key role in the war in Ukraine, CBS News reported. Who is Evan Gershkovich? The 31-year-old Gershkovich and his family immigrated from Russia to the United States when he was a child and still speaks fluent Russian, per CBS News. He has been covering Russia, Ukraine and the former Soviet Union for The Wall Street Journal, and he previously reported for Agence France-Press, the Moscow Times and worked as a news assistant at The New York Times, per his bio on the Journals website. Russia has detained a Wall Street Journal reporter on charges of espionage, which the newspaper has denied. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), the main successor agency to the Soviet-era KGB, said on Thursday that Evan Gershkovich was arrested in Yekaterinburg, located in the Ural Mountains, where he was allegedly trying to gain access to classified information. The agency claimed Gershkovich was acting on orders from the United States to collect information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military industrial complex that constitutes a state secret. Gershkovich covers Russia, Ukraine and other former Soviet countries as part of the Journals Moscow bureau. The Journal rejected the allegations that Gershkovich was conducting espionage and called for his release in a statement following his arrest. The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich, the Journal said. We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family. Gershkovich could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of espionage. Russias justice system, which has more than a 99 percent conviction rate and does not allow for fair trials, has been internationally criticized. The Russian state-run news agency TASS reported that Gershkovich pleaded not guilty on the charges he is facing. A law enforcement source told the outlet that the case is classified as top secret because of the information relating to the case. The state-run agency RIA reported that Gershkovich was ordered to be detained until at least May 29. Gershkovichs arrest marks the first time since the Cold War that a U.S. correspondent was detained on allegations of spying, and he is the first U.S. reporter to be arrested in Russia on espionage charges since 1986. The Russian Foreign Ministry alleged that Gershkovich used his accreditation as a journalist to engage in activities that have nothing to do with journalism. Story continues Gershkovich most recently reported on the effects of Western sanctions on the Russian economy following Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine. NBC News reported that a senior Biden administration official said U.S. officials have been in contact with the Journal about Gershkovichs arrest. The U.S. engaged with Russia for months to free WNBA star Britney Griner, who was detained on drug charges that the U.S. said were trumped up just ahead of the start of the invasion in February 2022. The two countries eventually agreed to a prisoner swap in December in which Griner was released after almost 10 months in jail for convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout. The U.S. has not been successful in securing the release of Paul Whelan, a Michigan corporate security executive and former U.S. Marine who was arrested in 2018 on espionage charges. Whelans family and the U.S. government have rejected the charges, and the Biden administration has said it is trying to secure his release. The Associated Press contributed to this report, which was updated at 9:53 a.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Evan Gershkovich in a file photo supplied by The Wall Street Journal. The Wall Street Journal The Russian FSB says it arrested a Wall Street Journal reporter. The reporter, Evan Gershkovich, has been accused of espionage. The case adds more tension to US-Russia relations as Putin's invasion enters its second year. Russia's internal security service said it detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and accused him of "espionage in the interests of the American government." The announcement came in a statement published by Russian state media early Thursday morning. The Wall Street Journal issued a statement denying the allegations and demanding Gershkovich's immediate release. According to the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), Gershkovich was detained in Yekaterinburg, a city in the Ural mountains. At the Journal, Gershkovich contributed to daily coverage on Russian President Vladimir Putin's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The headquarters of the Federal Security Service (FSB) in central Moscow on February 25, 2021. ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty Images In an interview on the website of Bowdoin College, from which Gershkovich graduated in 2014, the reporter described the experience of reporting from Moscow during the pandemic. He recalls working for an Asian nonprofit, then as a news assistant at The New York Times, before moving to Russia to report for The Moscow Times. The son of Soviet emigres, Gershkovich told Bowdoin that he grew up in New York and spoke Russian at home. "When you start reporting in Russia, you often hear that it will be very hard to get people to talk," he told Tom Porter, who works at Bowdoin. "And while that may be true of Russian officialdom though not all of it I have found that if you go looking for the right people, many of them want to tell their stories." The last American journalist to be arrested in Russia was Nicholas D. Daniloff, whom the Soviet Union's KGB agency accused of espionage in 1986, five years before the end of the Cold War. The Reagan administration was able to secure his release in less than a month after agreeing to release of an employee from the Soviet mission to the United Nations, who also faced spying charges. Story continues The West has responded to Russia's invasion of Ukraine by ramping up pressure on suspected Russian spies, arresting some and expelling their handlers. The Kremlin has reacted by seeking its own leverage. It successfully negotiated the release of a notorious arms dealer, Viktor Bout, in exchange for WNBA star Brittney Griner, who'd been sentenced to a nine years in a penal colony for possession of a small amount of hashish oil. A deal for another detained American, Paul Whelan, who was convicted on espionage charges he denies, broke down over Russian officials' insistence he only be exchanged in return for a convicted assassin who wasn't even in American custody. Read the original article on Business Insider The Wall Street Journal / Reuters A reporter for the Wall Street Journal has been arrested in Russia and accused of spying. Evan Gershkovich, a US citizen, was detained on Thursday in Yekaterinburg by Russias Federal Security Service (FSB), which claimed he was trying to obtain classified information, according to the Associated Press . The FSB claimed that Gershkovich was acting on the U.S. orders to collect information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military industrial complex that constitutes a state secret, per the AP. Espionage carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years. In an article about the arrest, Gershkovichs employer, the Wall Street Journal, said it vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich. It added, We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that US officials have spoken with Gershkovichs employers and family, and was working to get consular access to Gershkovich. In a statement , Secretary of State Antony Blinken added that the US government was deeply concerned by Gershkovichs detainment. In the strongest possible terms, we condemn the Kremlins continued attempts to intimidate, repress, and punish journalists and civil society voices, Blinken said. The Administration has also been in contact with his family. Furthermore, the State Department has been in direct touch with the Russian government on this matter, including actively working to secure consular access to Mr. Gershkovich. 04:37 PM - 30 Mar 2023 Gershkovich has lived in Moscow for the past six years as a reporter for the Wall Street Journal focusing his coverage on Russia, Ukraine, and the former Soviet Union. He is accredited as a journalist by Russias foreign ministry, the Wall Street Journal reported. His last article , published Tuesday, was about the possible forthcoming decline of Russias economy. Story continues Gershkovichs arrest comes at a time the Kremlin is cracking down on dissent and criticism during its ongoing war in Ukraine, which the international community has condemned . In September 2022, Russian police arrested 1,300 people at anti-war protests after President Vladimir Putin announced that citizens would be drafted for the fight against Ukraine. More recently, a Russian father was sentenced to two years in prison after his 13-year-old daughter made pro-Ukrainian art with the slogan Glory to Ukraine. Russia is also cracking down on media. After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Putin signed a law making it a crime to report fake news about the war with Ukraine including merely referring to it as a war leading to many international organizations suspending reporting from the country. Outlets that remained have done so under censorship , with restricted language and punishment for contradicting the government. According to Reporters Without Borders, journalists have also been targeted with attacks while reporting from within Ukraine, and eight were killed within the first six months of the war. Russian authorities have made high-profile arrests of US citizens before, often on inflated or spurious grounds. On Feb. 17, 2022, shortly before Russias invasion of Ukraine, Russian authorities arrested WNBA player Brittney Griner after vape cartridges with a small amount of hashish oil were found in her luggage. Griner later pleaded guilty to drug charges and was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony. The case was widely seen as a political move to put pressure on the United States, which had promised aid to Ukraine. Griner was later released in a prisoner swap with Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. The Biden administration strongly condemned Russia's detention of a Wall Street Journal reporter on espionage charges Thursday and said it was working to provide American Evan Gershkovich with consular access. The Federal Security Service (FSB) detained Gershkovich, 31, in the eastern city of Yekaterinburg earlier Thursday. "The targeting of American citizens by the Russian government is unacceptable," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. "We also condemn the Russian governments continued targeting and repression of journalists and freedom of the press." The Journal denied the spy allegations, issuing a statement requesting the immediate release of "our trusted and dedicated" Moscow-based reporter. We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family, the statement said. Russian state media said a Moscow court ordered Gershkovich, who faces up to 20 years in prison on espionage charges, held until May 29 pending investigation. Espionage trials are generally conducted in secret and as with all Russian trials acquittals are almost impossible to obtain. Gershkovich, who reports on Russia as part of the Journals Moscow bureau, is accredited to work as a journalist in Russia by its foreign ministry, the agency said. He is the first reporter for an American news outlet to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia in decades. It comes as the Ukraine war has driven relations between Washington and Moscow to a low not seen since the Cold War. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Gershkovich's realease and condemned "the Kremlins continued attempts to intimidate, repress, and punish journalists and civil society voices." The FSB said in a statement it had "thwarted the illegal activities" of Gershkovich. "It was established that Evan Gershkovich, acting at the request of the American side, collected information constituting a state secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex," the statement said. "While trying to obtain secret information, the foreigner was detained." Story continues WHO IS EVAN GERSHKOVICH?: What we know about WSJ reporter arrested by Russia on espionage charges Journalist Evan Gershkovich on July 24, 2021. NUCLEAR TENSIONS: US not told Russia intends to halt nuclear weapons communication; Zelenskyy invites China's Xi to visit: Ukraine war updates Developments: Ukraine Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Estonian TV that the much-discussed spring counteroffensive will involve several areas, that more occupied land will be wrested from Russia and that the world will see positive changes for Ukraine." The Ukraine military accused Russia's security officers in the Crimean town of Krasnoperekopsk of undressing, interrogating and beating civilians. Russia seized Crimea in 2014; Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed to take it back. The Biden administration hasn't seen any evidence of "egregious misconduct" in the management of the billions of dollars in security assistance sent to Ukraine, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said. Britain's King Charles III speaks with Ukrainian refugees as they visit the Ukraine Arrival Center at the former Tegel airport in Berlin on March 30. Russian diplomat backtracks, says talks about nukes with US will continue A top Russian diplomat is backtracking from remarks he made Wednesday indicating the Kremlin was halting all communication about nuclear weapons with the U.S. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Thursday that Russia will continue to give the U.S. advance notice about its missile tests despite suspending the last remaining nuclear arms treaty between the two countries, the 2011 New START pact. Ryabkov said Russia will live up to its pledge last month to continue notifying the U.S. about missile tests in line with a 1988 U.S.-Soviet agreement. His comments Wednesday raised alarms about the possibility either of the countries could mistake a test launch for a missile attack, especially at a time of heightened tensions between them. The State Department said Wednesday that it had not received any notice indicating a change. Ryabkov's comments that day came as Russia deployed mobile launchers in Siberia, an apparent show of the countrys huge nuclear capability. In late February, Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended participation in the New START treaty, but Kremlin officials emphasized it wasnt withdrawing from the pact altogether and would continue to respect the caps on nuclear weapons the pact set. Finland gets Turkey's OK, final step before getting accepted into NATO Finland received the final approval it needed to join NATO when Turkey's parliament voted unanimously in favor Thursday, days after Hungarys parliament also endorsed Helsinkis accession. They were the last two holdouts in the way of Finland's membership, and they remain the only ones among NATO's 30 nations yet to accept Sweden's application despite expressing support for expansion. Alarmed by Russias invasion of Ukraine a year ago, Finland and Sweden abandoned their decades-long policy of nonalignment and applied to join the Western military alliance, which requires unanimous approval. This will make the whole NATO family stronger & safer, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg tweeted in response to Turkeys decision. Americans should stay away from Russia, U.S. officials reiterate The U.S. State Department has been warning Americans against traveling to Russia since late January 2022, and followed that in early March of last year by urging U.S. citizens to leave the country after it invaded Ukraine. That's not always easy for those who make a living in Russia, as has been the case with Gershkovich, but officials are reiterating the message in light of the journalist's detainment. "Americans should please heed the U.S. government's warning not to travel to Russia,'' National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters Thursday. "U.S. citizens residing or traveling in Russia should depart right away, as the State Department continues to advise. Journalists sometimes need to take security risks in performing their jobs, and even more so those covering a country engaged in war. Kirby acknowledged that reality. "We respect that,'' he said. "But it doesn't change our deep concern about the presence of Americans being in Russia. Rebecca Morin Fugitive of Russian thought police captured in Belarus A Russian fugitive escaping from a conviction for discrediting the military after his daughter drew an antiwar sketch in school was detained in neighboring Belarus, an ally of the Kremlin. Alexei Moskalyov, 54, was captured in the Minsk province, Russian and Belarusian media reported Thursday, after fleeing from house arrest before his conviction was revealed Tuesday in his hometown of Yefremov, about 200 miles south of Moscow. Reuters reported that Moskalyov, who was sentenced to two years in a penal colony, may have given away his location by turning on his cell phone. His plight made news internationally as an example of the Kremlin's crackdown on dissent after the invasion of Ukraine. Moskalyov was convicted over antiwar social media posts he denied were his. Moskalyov, a single father, came to the authorities' attention after his then-12-year-old daughter, Masha, drew a picture at school depicting Russian missiles being fired at a woman and child with the words, No to war and Glory to Ukraine. Earlier this month, she was placed in an orphanage. Who is Evan Gershkovich? Gershovich has worked as a reporter in Russia since 2017. His most recent article was published Tuesday, focusing on the Russian economic slowdown amid Western sanctions. He previously worked at Agence France-Presse and the Moscow Times. Earlier, he was a news assistant in New York for the New York Times, according to a biography on the Journal website. He is a graduate of Bowdoin College in Maine, the Journal said. Gershovich was taken into custody in Yekaterinburg, Russia's fourth-largest city with 1.5 million people, about 1,000 miles east of Moscow. The city made global news last year as home to the women's basketball team that Brittney Griner played for when the WNBA star was arrested at a Russian airport on drug charges. Could Gershkovich be freed in a prisoner exchange? Griner was ultimately released in a deal that freed notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout from a U.S. prison. Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was asked about the possibility of a prisoner exchange for Gershkovich. I would not even raise the question right now because he has not been convicted, Ryabkov was quoted by state media. Well see how this story develops further. Report: Russia may be trying to add 400,000 more troops Russian media reporting suggests the Kremlin is preparing to start a major military recruitment campaign with the aim of signing up another 400,000 troops, the British Defense Ministry said in its latest assessment of the war. Russia is presenting the campaign as a drive for volunteer, professional personnel, rather than a new, mandatory mobilization, the ministry said. "Russian authorities have likely selected a supposedly volunteer model to meet their personnel shortfall in order to minimize domestic dissent," the ministry said. "It is highly unlikely that the campaign will attract 400,000 genuine volunteers." Russia also needs more munitions and military equipment supplies than it has available, the ministry said. Former Swiss bankers convicted of aiding Russians, Putin Four former bankers with the Swiss affiliate of Russia's Gazprombank have been convicted in Zurich of failing to properly check accounts opened in the name of Russian cellist Sergei Roldugin. Roldugin has longtime ties to President Vladimir Putin, and the U.S. Treasury Department describes Roldugin as part of a system that manages President Putins offshore wealth. All four defendants denied the charges, which include allegations of violating Swiss anti-money-laundering law. Documents filed when the accounts were opened listed expected transactions of $12.2 million. The indictment noted how Putin has enormous assets managed by people close to him. Gazprombank maintained the accounts despite abundant media reports about Roldugins relationship to with Putin, including that he was godfather to one of Putins daughters, the indictment said. Contributing: The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine war live updates: Russia detains Wall Street Journal reporter On Thursday, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) detained a Wall Street Journal reporter and U.S. citizen, accusing him of espionage. Evan Gershkovich, a member of the Journals Moscow bureau, is accredited to report in Russia by the State Ministry but was detained in the eastern city of Yekaterinburg. The FSB said in a statement that the reporter, acting on the instructions of the American side, collected information constituting a state secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex. Gershkovich is believed to be the first American reporter to be held on the accusation of espionage since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Journal demanded his immediate release in a statement. The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich. We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family, the statement read. The detainment was not a unilateral action by the FSB, with the Kremlin and the Foreign Ministry quick to endorse the move. In a daily call with reporters, as quoted in the New York Times, Putins spokesman, Dmitri Peskov said were not talking about suspicions. He was caught red-handed. What an employee of the American publication the Wall Street Journal was doing in Yekaterinburg has nothing to do with journalism, explained Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. Just on Wednesday, Gershkovich posted an article with fellow Journal reporter Georgi Kantchev covering the economic situation in Russia, entitled Russias Economy is starting to Come Undone. For a period after it was published, it was the most widely-read article on the Journals page. As the war continues into its second year and Western sanctions bite harder, Russias government revenue is being squeezed and its economy has shifted to a lower-growth trajectory, likely for the long term, the article read. Story continues Gershkovich, 31, is a graduate of Bowdoin College. He was previously a reporter for Agence France-Presse and the Moscow Times and a news assistant at the New York Times. Putin has launched an internal war on Russian dissidents like opposition leader Alexei Navalny and foreign and domestic news agencies that dont parrot propaganda. Reporting in Russia for even major international publications like the Journal has consequently become difficult. Putin has also sought to codify laws to counter fake news, or any information that might be damaging to the state. One change to the criminal code instituted last year says anyone found guilty of knowingly disseminating false information and data about the use of Russias armed forces would be punished by a prison sentence of up to 15 years or a fine of up to 1.5 million rubles, equivalent to about $14,000, the Journal reported last year. Reporting data on Russias military casualties not provided by the Russian Defense Ministry would also be considered a violation. Russian sources differ markedly on the number dead compared to Ukrainian and international sources. Social-media platforms such as Facebook have also been restricted. Several news agencies like the BBC and Bloomberg decided to suspend reporting in Russia as a result. Others who have remained have faced increasing pressure and the detainment of Gershkovich is likely to be a culminating point. Russia has detained other U.S. citizens like former WNBA star Brittney Griner and Marine Paul Whelan. Griner, who was arrested on a minor drug charge, was released in a prisoner swap that freed a notorious Russian arms dealer, Viktour Bout. Whelan was also charged on what the U.S. considers to be sham espionage charges and he was later sentenced to 16 years. He is still languishing in a Russian prison. Conversely, Russia has granted asylum to Edward Snowden, accused by the U.S. Department of Justice of espionage, among other things. More from National Review Evan Gershkovich was preparing a material about Wagner's PMC, he was detained in Yekaterinburg Kremlin-controlled Russian news agency TASS reported later on March 30 that Gershkovich had been ordered to be held in custody by the Lefortovsky Court of Moscow. The FSB had earlier detained Gershkovich in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg 900 miles to the east of Moscow. The FSB claimed that on the instructions of the United States, (Gershkovich) was collecting classified information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military industrial complex. It is the first case of a U.S. correspondent being arrested on espionage charges in Russia since the Cold War. A PR manager from Yekaterinburg, Yaroslav Shyrshykov, wrote on Telegram that people from London got in touch him after they lost contact with Gershkovich, who had left Moscow to Yekaterinburg. The editorial office had Shyrshykov's contact, just in case. Gershkovich was collecting materials about the Wagner Group, Shyrshykov said to Russian local Yekaterinburg news 66.ru. "He came on a big expedition. He was mainly interested in the attitude toward PMC (private military company) Wagner in particular and "special operation" in general. Our emigrants had named the people he could talk to in Yekaterinburg," he said. Gershkovich didn't mention his trip to anyone else, the PR manager said. "I took him behind the scenes to see different speakers, and we managed to avoid provocation. He was happy with the trip in general," he said and added that contact with the journalist had been lost for the past 24 hours. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) organisation said it was concerned about the detention of Gershkovich, speculating it could have been a case of revenge-taking. "Journalists must not be targeted!" the organisation wrote on Twitter. Wagner Group mercenaries have been fighting in Ukraine since 2014 and have taken an active part in the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine. A Russian oligarch and a close ally of the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, admitted that he created Wagner Group in 2014 to fight in Ukraine. Story continues About 50,000 of his mercenaries are involved in the war in Ukraine, according to UK intelligence's estimations. The United States in early 2023 declared Wagner Group to be a transnational criminal organization. The last time a foreign journalist was arrested in Russia on espionage charges was 37 years ago, according to Russia's Memorial human rights organization, which is now banned from working in Russia. On Sep. 2, 1986, the KGB arrested Nicholas Daniloff, who worked as Moscow correspondent for UPI and U.S. News & World Report. He had worked in the capital of the Soviet Union since the 1960s. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) has not left the territory of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (Kyiv Monastery of the Caves), despite the fact that its lease agreement for the churches expired on 29 March; as of the morning of 30 March, UOC-MP priests are still holding worship in the monastery. Source: live-streaming of the worship on Facebook; journalists on air of the national joint 24/7 newscast Details: The UOC-MP is holding and streaming the worship live on social media. Journalists of the national newscast reported that the worship would last until 10:00. Screenshot from broadcast of UOC-MP At 10:00 (Kyiv time), a commission is to arrive at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and begin the process of transferring the monastery's property to the state. The priests of the UOC-MP were to leave the monastery on 29 March, having held their last worship there. However, the abbot of the Lavra, Metropolitan Pavlo, said that they did not plan to do so and were filing a lawsuit against the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve. He also openly threatened Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and called Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko "possessed by a devilish demon." On the evening of 29 March, the UOC-MP website reported that the Kyiv Economic Court opened proceeding in a case brought by the Holy Dormition Kyiv Cave Lavra (Monastery) against the National Reserve Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra over the termination of the lease agreement by the National Reserve. Background: In March 2023, the National Reserve Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra terminated the agreement with the UOC-MP on the free use of the monastery in Kyiv. The monks were to leave the monastery and all buildings on 29 March. Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksii Danilov assured that the clergy of the UOC-MP would not be forced out of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! UK Defence Intelligence believes that Russia will not be able to recruit another 400,000 people to the army voluntarily, as it has declared. Source: UK Defence Intelligence update from 30 March 2023 Details: UK Defence Intelligence noted that Russian media reporting suggests the authorities are preparing to start a major military recruitment campaign with the aim of signing up an additional 400,000 troops. Quote: "Russia is presenting the campaign as a drive for volunteer, professional personnel, rather than a new, mandatory mobilisation. There is a realistic possibility that in practice this distinction will be blurred, and that regional authorities will try to meet their allocated recruitment targets by coercing men to join up." According to UK Defence Intelligence, Russian authorities have likely selected a supposedly volunteer model to meet their personnel shortfall in order to minimise domestic dissent. It is highly unlikely that the campaign will attract 400,000 genuine volunteers. However, rebuilding Russias combat power in Ukraine will require more than just personnel, UK Defence Intelligence noted; Russia needs more munitions and military equipment supplies than it currently has available. Background: According to Bloomberg, Russia plans to increase its army by 400,000 people this year; it is reported that in 2022, the occupiers likely recruited more than 500,000 people. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un stands in front of a long-range artillery sub-unit this month. It is not known if this is a weapon sought by Russia Russia is sending a delegation to North Korea to offer food in exchange for weapons, US national security spokesperson John Kirby has said. Mr Kirby said any arms deal between North Korea and Russia would violate UN Security Council resolutions. The US has previously accused North Korea of supplying arms to the Russian military in Ukraine and the Wagner group of Russia mercenaries. Pyongyang earlier denied the claims. Mr Kirby told a news conference the US had new information about a deal. "We also understand that Russia is seeking to send a delegation in North Korea and that Russia is offering North Korea food in exchange for munitions," he said. The security spokesperson said the US was monitoring the situation, and the alleged deal, closely. North Korea is one of the poorest countries in the world and has experienced chronic food shortages for decades, including a devastating famine in the mid-to-late 1990s. In February, experts warned the country, which has one of the most authoritarian governments in the world, was facing a critical food crisis due to a significant drop in production - worsened by poor weather, strict border controls and the effect of international sanctions. Satellite imagery from South Korean authorities shows that the North produced 180,000 tonnes less food in 2022 than in 2021. Earlier on Thursday, the US Treasury blacklisted a Slovak man in a separate case - for acting as a broker between Russia and North Korea. The treasury said Ashot Mkrtychev, 56, had arranged sales and organise deals that would enable North Korea to ship weapons to Russia in late 2022 and early 2023. In return Pyongyang received cash, commercial aircraft, commodities and raw materials, they said. Featuring on the sanctions blacklist means American businesses cannot have dealings with Mr Mkrtychev, and it freezes his US assets. Western sanctions have significantly affected Russia's ability to replace used up or destroyed weapons in its war on Ukraine. The sanctions have prompted Russia to turn to other countries to source weapons. In December last year the US said Iran had become Russia's top military supporter. Ukrainian servicemen fire with a D-30 howitzer at Russian positions near Bakhmut, eastern Ukraine, on March 21, 2023. Photo by SERGEY SHESTAK/AFP via Getty Images Russia is once again seeking weapons from pariah states like North Korea to fuel its war in Ukraine. Moscow is offering Pyongyang food in exchange for munitions, the White House says. North Korea has battled food shortages in recent years while Moscow faces weapons shortages. Russia is offering North Korea food in exchange for weapons, a top White House official said on Thursday, marking the latest instance where Moscow has turned to Pyongyang for help as it struggles to wage war in Ukraine. White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that Russia is seeking additional weapons and munitions from North Korea as part of the proposed deal. The US has previously accused North Korea and other isolated countries like Iran of backing Russia's campaign by providing it with military assistance. "We also understand that Russia is seeking to send a delegation to North Korea and that Russia is offering North Korea food in exchange for munitions," Kirby said, according to multiple reports. North Korea has battled crippling food shortages in recent years, a problem that even the country's leader Kim Jong Un has acknowledged. Russia's embassy in Washington, DC did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Earlier on Thursday, the US Treasury Department slapped sanctions on a Slovakian national for trying to broker arms deals between Russia and North Korea. The Treasury Department said during this past winter, Ashot Mkrtychev worked with North Korean officials to provide Russia with more than two dozen different types of weapons and munitions. In exchange, Moscow would send Pyongyang various items that include commodities, raw materials, and commercial aircraft. "Russia has lost over 9,000 pieces of heavy military equipment since the start of the war, and thanks in part to multilateral sanctions and export controls, Putin has become increasingly desperate to replace them," Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen said in the statement. Story continues "Schemes like the arms deal pursued by this individual show that Putin is turning to suppliers of last resort like Iran and the DPRK," she added, referring to North Korea's official name the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, toasts with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un after talks in Vladivostok, Russia. AP/Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo US State Department Secretary Antony Blinken said Washington will continue to "identify, expose, and counter" Russia's efforts to secure military aid from North Korea or any other countries. He added that the sanctions are part of an effort to prevent Pyongyang from acquiring revenue that it can use to develop its weapons and missile programs. Russian forces fighting in Ukraine have relied on security assistance from pariah states like North Korea and Iran to fuel the war effort as it has battled weapons and munitions shortages over the past few months which US officials slam as acts of desperation from Moscow. Earlier this year, the White House revealed intelligence that it said showed North Korea providing rockets and missiles to the Kremlin-linked Wagner Group, a notorious paramilitary organization. Russia also reportedly sought ammunition from North Korea. Iran, meanwhile, has provided Moscow with explosive suicide drones that have been used to terrorize Ukrainian cities and the country's civil infrastructure. A top UK envoy said in December that Russia offered Iran unprecedented military support in exchange for ballistic missiles. Read the original article on Business Insider John Kirby "We have new information that Russia is actively seeking to acquire additional munitions from North Korea," said Kirby. Read also: North Korea making winter uniforms for Russian soldiers in Ukraine "We also understand that Russia is seeking to send a delegation to North Korea. And that Russia is offering North Korea food in exchange for munitions." He added that arms dealer and Slovak citizen Ashot Mkrtychev was working to broker this deal between Russia and North Korea, bypassing Western sanctions. Read also: Ukraine to launch long-range strike drones On March 6, Ukraines Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said that Russia is prepared to pay any price for artillery shells, drones, and missiles for the war effort. Read also: North Korea supplies Russias Wagner mercenaries, US says In January, Ukrainian intelligence reported that Russian forces have decreased their artillery shell expenditure from 60,000 to 20,000 rounds per day, which could indicate looming ammunition shortages. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Moldovan President Maia Sandu has stated that Russia wants to use her country against Ukraine like the Kremlin uses Belarus. Source: Moldovan news agency Newsmaker, as reported by European Pravda Details: Sandu said Russia is trying to undermine and overthrow the government in Chisinau, and the Moldovan authorities have evidence of such actions. Quote: "It is clear that Russia is trying to install a pro-Russian government in Chisinau to use Moldova against Ukraine, as is the case, for example, with Belarus," the president said. Details: She recalled the recent statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding his intention to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. "This is exactly what Russia wants to do in the case of Moldova. However, today Moldova has an independent government, elected by its citizens, which works for the benefit of its people and Moldova, so it cannot be used in the way the pro-Russian leadership would use it," Sandu said. Background: Earlier, Moldova urged the EU to impose sanctions on oligarchs it believes are cooperating with Russia in fomenting violence and overthrowing the government. Several EU foreign ministers, including France and Estonia, have since echoed Chisinau's call. Moldova's statement came amidst the Kremlin's revealed plan to destabilise the situation in the country, which included control over the political sphere, energy blackmail, and increased tensions in Transnistria [an unrecognised breakaway state that is internationally recognised as a part of Moldova]. Officially, Moscow denied the "plan to destabilise Moldova", saying that these were "absolutely groundless" accusations. See also: Coup Attempt in Moldova: Sandu Nominates New Prime Minister Facing Russia's Threat Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Viktor Orban and dictator Putin The diplomat said, Hungary has signed up to all the anti-Russian sanctions packages of Brussels and is forced to comply with them. Read also: Hungary would not arrest Putin, says Orbans chief-of-staff Therefore, it has been classified the Kremlin as an unfriendly country, he said. However, Stanislavov said that Hungary adheres to a pragmatic position which it is not going to abandon yet even under the pressure of its allies in the European Union and NATO. On July 22, 2022, Russia included Greece, Denmark, Slovenia, Croatia, and Slovakia on the list of unfriendly countries. Read also: Kremlin pulls economic strings to influence Viktor Orbans regime in Hungary Earlier in March 2022, Russia expanded the list at the behest of the countrys dictator, Vladimir Putin, by adding all EU countries, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and about 20 other countries. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has repeatedly made pro-Russian statements regarding Russias war against Ukraine. In particular, he has recently said that his country borders the Russians in the east. In fact, Hungary does not border any Russian territory. Read also: Hungarian leader Orban accuses Germany of heading war camp Orban also supported Chinas controversial peace plan, which has been criticized by Ukraine, the United States and the European Union. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has new information that Russia is actively seeking to acquire additional weapons from North Korea in exchange for food aid, the White House said on Thursday. "We remain concerned that North Korea will provide further support to Russia's military operations against Ukraine," White House national security spokesman John Kirby said. "And we have new information that Russia is actively seeking to acquire additional munitions from North Korea." Kirby's comments came after the United States imposed sanctions on a Slovakian man for trying to arrange the sale of more than two dozen types of North Korean weapons and munitions to Russia to help Moscow replace military equipment lost in its war with Ukraine. "We also understand that Russia is seeking to send a delegation in North Korea and that Russia is offering North Korea food in exchange for munitions," Kirby said. Any arms deal between North Korea and Russia would violate a series of UN Security Council resolutions, he said. Kirby also noted North Korea's recent statements that they will not provide or sell arms to Russia. "We are continuing to monitor this closely," he added. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Rami Ayyub and Bill Berkrot) Russia is set to take the chair position of a United Nations Security Council meeting as it continues to wage its yearlong war on neighboring Ukraine, drawing criticism from Ukrainian leaders. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrovs confirmation to the top Security Council slot during an April meeting in New York a bad joke, as the International Criminal Court (ICC) has a warrant out for the arrest of Russian President Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes. Russian UN Security Council presidency on April 1 is a bad joke. Russia has usurped its seat; its waging a colonial war; its leader is a war criminal wanted by the ICC for kidnapping children, Kuleba said on Twitter. The world cant be a safe place with Russia at UNSC #BadRussianJoke #InsecurityCouncil. The 15 member states of the U.N. Security Council take turns in the presidency position every month. Only five seats on the council are permanent those held by the U.S., the U.K., France, China and Russia. Ukraines ambassador to the U.N. highlighted comments from the international bodys Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calling the day of Russias invasion the saddest moment in his tenure as U.N. chief. In fact the saddest in UN history until April 1, 2023 when, unless justice prevails, [Russia] assumes presidency of [the] Security Council. Stop raping justice & quashing UN Charter! Accountability now! Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya wrote on Twitter. Ukrainian diplomat Olexander Scherba called Russia taking over the Security Council a bit like Jack the Ripper taking over at the ministry of health. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Thursday that the administration expects Russia to continue to use its seat on the council to spread disinformation and urged the country to conduct itself professionally during its time with the presidency, according to Reuters. Story continues Unfortunately, Russia is a permanent member of the Security Council, and no feasible international legal pathway exists to change that reality, Jean-Pierre said. Russias permanent seat on the council and with it, the power to individually veto any resolution that passes through the international body has long been a topic of concern that was stoked by Moscow invaded its neighbor. Last February, Russia vetoed a Security Council resolution that would have called on Moscow to cease its attack on Ukraine and withdraw all troops. The Security Council president is responsible for setting the bodys agenda and calling meetings, though the state gains no additional power over what gets through. Russia held the rotating presidency last February, the month of its invasion. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Russia has arrested journalist Evan Gershkovich in Yekaterinburg over allegations of spying in the interests of the American government (YouTube/ France24) Russias top security agency says it has arrested a reporter for The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) over alleged espionage. Journalist Evan Gershkovich was arrested in Yekaterinburg on spying charges, according to Russias Federal Security Service (FSB) the successor to the KGB. The arrest is the most serious public move against an international journalist since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year. Espionage charges against someone from an American news outlet have not been seen since the end of the Cold War with the detention coming amid a bitter war of words between Moscow and Washington over the Ukraine war. If convicted, Mr Gershkovich could face up to 20 years in prison. The WSJ said in a statement it was "deeply concerned" for Mr Gershkovich's safety and that it "vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter". The US has been full-throated in its support of Kyiv, with Russias President Vladimir Putin having repeatedly hit out at Washington and the wider West for the weapons it is providing Kyiv. Mr Putins rhetoric has only grown more inflammatory as his invasion has faltered amid months of intense fighting in Ukraines eastern regions. Moscow has a habit of using detainees for political leverage. Basketball star Brittney Griner, who was caught arriving in Moscow with cannabis oil a week before the invasion of Ukraine began and was freed in a prisoner swap in December. Russias deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, told the the state RIA news agency that it was too early to talk of a possible prisoner swap for Mr Gershkovich. Another American, Paul Whelan, a Michigan corporate security executive, has been imprisoned in Russia since December 2018 on espionage charges that his family and the US government have said are baseless. As for US correspondents being detained by Russia, Nicholas Daniloff, based in Moscow for US News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB in September 1986. The US believed he had been detained in retaliation for the arrest by the FBI of an employee of the Soviet Unions United Nations mission. Mr Daniloff was released without charges 20 days later, with the UN worker also allowed to leave the US. Story continues The FSB said it had stopped the illegal activities of US citizen Gershkovich Evan, born in 1991, a correspondent of the Moscow bureau of the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal, accredited at the Russian foreign ministry, who is suspected of spying in the interests of the American government. The Kremlin has claimed the reporter had been "caught red-handed". It was not immediately clear when the journalist was arrested. The FSB claims Mr Gershkovich had been tasked by the American side with gathering information on the activities of one of the enterprises of the military-defence complex believed to be a factory. It did not name the factory or say where it was, but said it had detained the 31-year-old journalist in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg as he was trying to procure secret information. It did not provide documentary or video evidence of his guilt. Mr Gershkovich was reportedly visting Nizhny Tagil, the site of the Russian battle tank producer Uralvagonzavod, according to Russian news website Meduza, which is based in Latvia. Dozens of companies producing weapons are based in the city. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova claimed Mr Gershkovich's activities in Yekaterinburg were "not related to journalism". The Kremlin said other journalists working for the U.S. publication in Russia could remain in post provided they had the right credentials and were carrying out what it called "normal journalistic activity". A diplomatic source told Reuters that the US embassy in Moscow had not been informed about the incident and was seeking information from the Russian authorities about the case. The Reporters Without Borders group said it was alarmed by the arrest of Mr Gershkovich and that it "looks like a retaliation measure of Russia against the United States. Andrei Soldatov, an author and expert in Russia's security agencies who is outside the country, said on social media: "Evan Gershkovich is a very good and brave journalist, not a spy, for Christ's sake. It [his detention] is a frontal attack on all foreign correspondents who still work in Russia. And it means that the FSB is off the leash." Russias Kommersant newspaper reported that the journalist would be transported to Moscow and held in the capitals Lefortovo prison, an FSB pre-trial detention facility. Mr Gershkovich covers Russia, Ukraine and the former Soviet Union for the WSJ. He has previously worked with news agency Agence France-Presse, The Moscow Times and The New York Times. Russia has tightened censorship laws since the start of the Ukraine invasion, bringing in jail terms for people deemed to have "discredited" the military. This has curtailed all independent Russian news outlets but authorities have continued to accredit some foreign reporters. The definition of what constitutes a state secret, particularly in the military sphere, has been broadened too. In Mr Gershkovichs last report, Russias economy is starting to come undone, Gershkovich reported that the countrys economy felt the heat of Western sanctions and faced a slowdown, adding that the Russian governments revenue is being squeezed. The news report said the Russian economy was entering a long-term regression. Public relations expert Yaroslav Shirshikov told The Moscow Times that he received a phone call overnight from a WSJ employee, saying they were unable to contact the reporter. [Gershkovich] was online yesterday at about 15.00 for the last time. He arranged to do an interview with me, Mr Shirshikov told 66.ru. Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report President of Moldova Maia Sandu It is clear that Russia is trying to install a pro-Russian government in Chisinau in order to use Moldova against Ukraine, as is happening in the case of Belarus, said Sandu. Read also: Four Russian An-124 Ruslan planes spotted coming to Belarus Sandu recalled the recent statement by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin about Russias intentions to deploy tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus. "You have seen the Kremlin's recent statements that they will deploy nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus, she said. Read also: Moldovans condemn Russian aggression against Ukraine, says Sandu This is exactly what Russia wants to do in the case of Moldova. Today, however, there is an independent authority in Moldova, so it cannot be used in the way that a pro-Russian government would be used." On March 25, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin announced plans to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus. He claimed that he was "forced to react" to UK promises to provide Ukraine with depleted uranium rounds for Challenger-2 tanks. Read also: Kremlin has plans to turn Moldova into Russian satellite, investigative media reveals UK Defense Ministry subsequently said that Putin deliberately spreads misinformation and noted that depleted uranium ammunition has nothing to do with nuclear weapons. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine The aviation of the Russian Federation drops dozens of bombs in the front-line area every day He said that enemy aircraft drop guided air bombs without entering the territory covered by Ukraines air defense systems. This is a new tactic of Russian invaders that needs to be fought against, but for that,Ukraine needs Western multirole jet fighters, Ihnat added. This is a new threat that has emerged before us... 500 kilogram bombs flying dozens of kilometers... he said. Something needs to be done about this. Not only with air defense systems that we are waiting for, but still to increase pressure and work with Western partners to create an aviation coalition and provide Ukraine with fighter jets. Ten Russian Su-35 fighters launched 11 guided air bombs and one Kh-31P missile on Sumy Oblast on March 24. During the night of March 28, Russian armed forces also dropped an air bomb on Bilopillia in Sumy Oblast. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Russia launched attacks against eight Ukrainian oblasts in the past 24 hours, killing three civilians and wounding 11 more, Ukraine's Defense Ministry media center reported on March 30. Russian attacks were reported in Donetsk, Kherson, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, and Luhansk oblasts in the east, south, and north of Ukraine. According to the report, Russia struck a total of 92 settlements using mortars, tanks, artillery, S-300 missiles, multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), and tactical aviation. Forty-eight infrastructure facilities have been hit, the media center added. Spokesman for Ukraines military intelligence directorate Andriy Yusov said the existence of a Russian state based on autocracy is not sustainable in the current format of the Russian Federation. Therefore, the federations disintegration is a logical finale and this transformation is inevitable. After that, according to Yusov, the issue of Russias demilitarization will been the agenda for the sake of the security of Ukraine, Europe and the whole world. In particular, its denuclearization, as well as the issue of the creation of a certain security zone around the borders of Ukraine, Yusov said. When asked what will happen to Russias buffer zone, i.e. the regions bordering Ukraine, the intelligence representative said that the main task is to restore the borders of 1991. Regarding security guarantees, Yusov said they would ensure that a large-scale attack would not happen again. This will involve the absence of weapons, forces and means at a certain distance around Ukraine, he said. Ukraine will work on this. Earlier, Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief General Valerii Zaluzhnyi said that a victory for Ukraine means the creation of conditions where Russia will never be able to attack again in the future. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Russia's military casualties in Ukraine exceed 220,000 troops Wallace UK Defence Minister Ben Wallace has revealed the latest US assessment of Russia's military casualties in its full-scale war with Ukraine has topped 220,000 troops, SkyNews journalist Deborah Haynes said on Twitter on March 29. Russia abducted over 19,500 Ukrainian children from occupied territories, Reintegration Ministry says Invading Russian forces have kidnapped 19,514 children from temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory, the Ministry of Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories reported on Facebook on March 28. Ukraine needs air defense, armored vehicles and missiles, not planes Austin Pentagon head Lloyd Austin named the main types of weapons that Ukraines Armed Forces need to fight against Russian aggression. Ukrainian intelligence refutes fake Russian video of alleged Ukrainian attack on civilian car A video posted online on March 27 purportedly showing a person in a Ukrainian military uniform shooting at a civilian car with a woman and child inside has been refuted as a fake used for Russian propaganda, the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraines Defense Ministry said on Telegram on March 28. Will Putin dare put nukes in Belarus? Danilov explains Will the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin dare station nuclear weapons in Belarus? Ukrainian Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (RNBO) Oleksiy Danilov, shared his views with Radio NV on March 28. Putins renewed nuclear saber-rattling embarrasses Beijing, Bloomberg says Russian dictator Vladimir Putin undermined the authority of Chinese President Xi Jinping by announcing the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons to Belarus, Bloomberg reported on March 28. Ukraines State Property Fund plans to privatize confiscated assets of Russian stakeholders in 2023 The State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPFU) plans to privatize assets confiscated from their Russian stakeholders in Q2 or Q3 2023, SPFU head Rustem Umerov said in an interview with Forbes Ukraine on March 29. Story continues Ukraine likely to succeed in spring counteroffensive, Defense Secretary Austin says The Ukrainian military has good chances for a successful counteroffensive this spring, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said during a U.S. Senate public hearing on March 28. Russia preparing provocations on Ukraine-Belarus border, intercept shows Ukraines SBU security service has released an intercept of a phone conversation between two Russian military service members, apparently discussing Russias attempts to stage some kind of provocations on the border between Belarus and Ukraine, SBU reported via Telegram on March 29. Poland to bar Russian athletes from attending European Games Contrary to the recommendation made by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Russian and Belarusian athletes will be prohibited from entering Poland, thereby preventing them from participating in the 2023 European Games in Krakow, representative of the events organizing committee, Marcin Nowak, said in a statement on March 29. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Oleksandr Neradko Read also: Ukraines SBU special forces destroy Russian Tor missile system with suicide drone video According to the message, Neradek helped Russian Defense Ministry to transfer troops to the Ukrainian border and Crimea. He ordered four Russian airlines to provide their aircraft to ferry troops, weapons, and ammunition. The SBU alleges that from September to November 2022, Neradko enabled Moscow to transfer more than 3,000 soldiers and ammunition to airports in Rostov Oblast and Crimeas Simferopol. These forces then reportedly entered battle against Ukrainian troops in southern Ukraine. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine The Moscow court has ordered to detain until 29 May a Wall Street Journal journalist, Evan Gershkovich, who has been arrested in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg under suspicion of espionage. Source: Joint press service of Moscow courts on Telegram; Russian media outlet Mediazona; Kremlin-aligned news agency TASS, citing its sources; CNN Details: The Lefortovo District Court of Moscow remanded Gershkovich in custody for 1 month and 29 days under Art. 276 of the Russian Criminal Code. He faces 20 years in prison. Mediazona reports that the journalist was taken to court around 14:00 Moscow time. Before that, all visitors were forced to leave the court building. Lawyer Daniil Berman came to Gershkovich with a warrant to represent him. However, the attorney was not allowed to see his client. The bailiff said that the journalist "already had a lawyer". The bailiffs then blocked the fifth-floor wing of the court, where several courtrooms are located. When the lawyer asked the bailiff to enter the courtroom, he threatened to bring in the Russian Guard. Background: Gershkovich is the first American journalist to be arrested in Russia for espionage since the end of the Cold War. The last time, Nick Daniloff was detained on a similar charge in 1986. He spent several weeks in isolation until the US ex-President Reagan's administration negotiated his release. Daniloff said that his arrest followed the detention of a Soviet citizen in New York. Both he and the Soviet citizen, he said, were released through negotiations. The Kremlin did not answer whether Gershkovich's arrest was a "response" to the arrest last week in the United States of Sergei Cherkasov, who is accused of espionage. Background: The detention of the Wall Street Journal journalist was reported on the morning of 30 March. The FSB believes that the journalist "was collecting intelligence constituting a state secret about the activities of one of the facilities of the Russian military-industrial complex on behalf of the US side". Story continues The media outlet rejected Russia's accusations of espionage and demanded the journalist's release. Dmitry Peskov, Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation, claims that Gershkovich was caught "red-handed". As Maria Zakharova, Russias Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, claimed, Gershkovich was engaged in work in Yekaterinburg that "has nothing to do with journalism". Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Russian occupation forces carried out an attack on Kharkiv late on Thursday, 30 March. An all-clear has not been given yet. Source: Ihor Terekhov, Kharkiv Mayor, on Telegram; Oleh Syniehubov, Head of Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration Details: Terekhov said the city has been attacked. Syniehubov added that Russian occupation forces were attacking both the city of Kharkiv and the rest of Kharkiv Oblast. Quote from Syniehubov: "Enemy forces are once again attacking Kharkiv. The city has been hit at least six times; S-300 [missiles were deployed] according to the available information. The attack has been undertaken from the direction of Belgorod [Russia - ed.]. Information about casualties and the extent of destruction has yet to be confirmed. Remain in shelters until an all-clear is given." Details: According to Terekhov, information about casualties and injuries is being clarified. Air-raid warnings have been issued in Kharkiv, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy and Poltava oblasts. The Kyiv City State Administration said there was a "threat of a drone attack". Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Russian occupiers carried out 45 attacks on Kherson Oblast throughout 29 March, killing one person and wounding another one. Source: Oleksandr Prokudin, Head of the Kherson Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram Quote: "The enemy carried out 45 attacks, launching 216 shells over the past day. Kherson Oblast was under fire from Russian aviation, Grad multiple-launch rocket systems and artillery." Details: According to Prokudin, a civilian was killed and another person was wounded in the Russian attack. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) has detained Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, in Yekaterinburg, and a criminal case has been opened against him for espionage. Source: Radio Liberty; Meduza; Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti Details: Gershkovich had travelled there to write about the attitude of Russians to the war and the recruitment of residents to the Wagner Group Private Military Company (PMC). On the trip, he was accompanied by local activist Yaroslav Shirshikov. On 29 March, the Yekaterinburg edition of Vechernye Vedomosti (Evening News) reported that people in civilian clothes had detained a man by pulling a sweater over his head near the Bukowski Grill restaurant, where Shirshikov and Gershkovich had previously met. Shirshikov suggested that this could have been the American reporter. An unofficial Telegram channel of the Sverdlovsk Oblast Governor's office also wrote about Gershkovich: "Yesterday, Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich was detained in Yekaterinburg. The situation is dire." A source among the Western journalists who work in Moscow told Meduza media outlet that in addition to Yekaterinburg, Gershkovich had visited Nizhniy Tagil, where Uralvagonzavod, a military industry company, is based. Gershkovich has lived in Moscow for about six years, covering events in Russia and Ukraine for the Wall Street Journal. He previously worked for Agence France-Presse, The Moscow Times and the New York Times. The Wall Street Journal posted its latest article by Gershkovich on 28 March. Later, Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation, said that the journalist was caught red-handed. "The only thing I can say is that, as far as we know, he [the WSJ journalist ed.] was caught red-handed," he said. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! The Russian military taunted civilians as they tried to evacuate The soldier was found guilty of violating the laws and customs of war (Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). Read also: Court sentences Russian pilot to 12 years in prison for dropping bombs on Kharkiv TV tower During the Russian occupation of settlements near Kyiv in early March 2022, he committed unlawful acts against civilians, prosecutors proved. It happened near the village of Buzova on the Zhytomyr highway in Bucha District of Kyiv Oblast. The invader stopped a car with civilians that was part of an evacuation convoy. He was drunk and threatened the people in the car with a firearm. Read also: Ukrainian court passes first sentences under war crimes law against former Crimean security officials The Russian soldier ordered a married couple to get out of the car and forced the man to take off his clothes above the waist. The invader hit the victim in the head with a rifle butt and threatened to shoot him. After the Russian invading forces fled the Kyiv Oblast at the end of March 2022, the world saw evidence of Russian army atrocities, which resulted in hundreds of people being murdered. In Bucha, Irpin, and along the Zhytomyr highway the bodies of civilians tortured and killed by Russians were found by liberating Ukrainian forces. The Ukrainian government declared on April 14, 2022, the actions of the Russian army to be genocide of the Ukrainian people. Read also: Five faces of Russian killers involved in the murder and rape of Ukraines Bucha As of September, 422 bodies of murdered civilians had been found in Bucha after the town had been liberated. In total, over 1,300 dead civilian victims were found in Kyiv Oblast, the regions police have reported. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Russian soldiers may have delivered a new batch of missiles for S-300/400 anti-aircraft missile systems to Belarus. Source: Belaruski Hajun, an independent Belarusian military monitoring media outlet, Quote: "From 25 to 30 March 2023, four An-124 Ruslan heavy transport aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces arrived at Homiel [Gomel] Airport. We have already drawn attention to this activity." Details: In the morning, several military vehicles consisting of five truck tractors (presumably KamAZ) without registration plates, which could carry four missiles for anti-aircraft systems each, were reportedly spotted in the Homiel district. Eyewitnesses said the vehicles were moving in the direction of the Zyabrawka airfield, where Russian troops and anti-aircraft missile systems are stationed. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Anadolu Agency via Getty Russian draftees in the countrys Perm region have been given protection candles instead of much-needed equipment and told to light them in the heat of battle to cast out evil spirits. This is some fucked-up shit. Im more and more astonished by these gags. They gave such candles to everyone in the squadron. What jackass is going to light this in battle, this candle of protection? They somehow cant issue new uniforms or combat boots on time, but distributing candles is no problem, one soldier told local outlet Perm 36,6. A photo he provided of one of the candles in question shows that it came with instructions featuring the Russian Orthodox cross and advice to light the candle in battle in order to dispel fear and make bullets not scary. The instructions also unironically featured the pro-war slogan, We dont abandon our own. Other men called up to fight in Ukraine from the region also recently complained of being issued uniforms that smell like they were pulled off corpses and given to us. Russian troops have routinely complained of equipment and weapons shortages since the start of the full-scale war, and some have publicly appealed directly to President Vladimir Putin in a publicity nightmare for the Kremlin. Just last weekend, several troops in the Donetsk region released a damning video appeal saying they were facing execution by their own army after their brigade suffered staggering losses. Prigozhin Says Hell Check His Graveyard and Torture Cellar for Detained U.S. Reporter Theyre not letting us go anywhere at all, one soldier said of military brass, who he said had installed anti-retreat units to shoot them dead if they tried to retreat. We were threatened with execution if we dont go forward They want to destroy us on the way out as witnesses of the negligent criminal leadership, he said. In recent weeks, troops across the entire country have also complained theyre being stiffed on payments they were promised by the Defense Ministry. Story continues My husband was called up on Oct. 21, 2022 Hes asking about payment, but they are only making promises. The commanders say to wait, but theres no money already for two months, the wife of one soldier told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. I have a young child, a mortgage, and no relatives. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree setting out the routine spring conscription campaign, calling 147,000 citizens up for statutory military service, Tass news agency said on Thursday. Last September Putin signed an order calling up 120,000 people for the autumn campaign. At the time, Tass quoted the defence ministry as saying the conscription was not in any way related to the special military operation, Russia's official term for the war in Ukraine. All men in Russia are required to carry out a year's military service between the ages of 18 and 27, or equivalent training while in higher education. On average, in recent years, around 130,000 people have been called up in each of the spring and autumn campaigns, Tass said. (Reporting by David Ljunggren; editing by Jonathan Oatis) Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, got into a heated back-and-forth with Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) on Wednesday over Sanderss net worth as the panel questioned Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz. I take offense to the chairman pointing out that all CEOs are corrupt because theyre millionaires. Its bothering to me because, Mr. Chairman, you yourself have been very successful. Rightfully so. Glad you have. Youve been in office for 28 years and you and your wife have [amassed] a wealth of over $8 million, Mullin said of Sanders during the hearing. If you can be a millionaire, why cant Mr. Schultz and other CEOs be millionaires and be honest too? The Oklahoma senator also took a knock at Sanders for his best-selling book as he defended Schultz from criticism. Why is it that Mr. Schultz, who actually creates jobs a best seller of a book isnt creating any jobs why is it that hes corrupt and youre not? Why is it that all CEOs are corrupt because theyre wealthy? And yet our chairman, who is wealthy and Im glad you are youre not? he asked Sanders. Sanders parried back that Mullin had hit an all-time record of misstatements in his critiques. Youve made more misstatements in a shorter period of time than I have ever heard. Well, if Im worth $8 million, thats good news to me, Sanders said. Im not aware of it. Thats a lie. When Mullin countered that hed learned the figure from public records, the committee chairman responded that he was probably looking at some phony right wing internet stuff and encouraged Mullin to read beyond that. Sanders has acknowledged that he hit millionaire status a few years ago, attributing his wealth to book sales. The Independent senator has long been critical of wealthy CEOs and billionaires in the U.S. Today in America, we have more income and wealth inequality than weve ever had with the top 1 percent owning more wealth than the bottom 90 percent, with CEOs now making 400 times more than their workers, and with 3 people on top now owning more wealth than the bottom half of American society. Thats the economic reality that exists today, Sanders said in prepared remarks before the hearing. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. June 14, 2022, is a day that will live in infamy for the elite establishment of the South Carolina Republican House Caucus. It was on that night when the Republican primary totals came in that the caucus members began to panic. Rob Harris, a devout follower of Jesus, an operating room nurse, a Constitutional conservative, and a political newcomer had defeated a sweet establishment darling with 24 years of experience, the chair of the powerful House Education Committee, 54%-46%. Harriss victory caused establishment eyebrows to raise. But that wasnt the only establishment upset. April Comer, also a political novice from Anderson County, destroyed the incumbent establishment elite and former chair of the House Ways and Means Committee 60%-40%. On the same day, another conservative newbie, Thomas Beach, beat the incumbent in his district, 50%-32%, in a three-person race. Full-scale panic! Could it be that the three-month-old Freedom Caucus had won races against the smarter, more well-funded elite establishment? In July, the power brokers met. They needed a plan to destroy the Freedom Caucus. On December 6, 2022, at the first Republican Caucus meeting of the new legislative session, the elite establishment executed step one of its plan to bring the Freedom Caucus to its knees. At that meeting, they adopted a never before rule that House Republican Caucus members must sign an oath to adhere, abide by and comply with Rule No. 16, which says you will not campaign against any incumbent Republican representative who Is running for reelection. Paraphrase: Give up your First Amendment right to free speech! They knew that no Freedom Caucus member who took seriously their First Amendment rights would sign such an oath. Those who did not were kicked out of the State House Republican Caucus. Following the first meaningful vote of the 2023 legislative session, Rob Harris, the most vocal pro-life, anti-abortion member of the legislature, and two other Freedom Caucus legislators were attacked in texts sent to their constituents saying their vote against a Supreme Court candidate would kill more babies. Story continues The next week, every Freedom Caucus member who voted in favor of a compassionate amendment to a crime bill (an amendment that did not pass) was attacked, claiming we wanted dangerous felons to own guns. When the South Carolina Freedom Caucus sued the House Ethics Committee to protect our First Amendment right to be recognized as a caucus, our constituents received texts claiming we were evil men and women who are attacking the state government. When some of us questioned the state spending $1.3 billion to lure Scout Motors to South Carolina, while never giving small businesses similar legislative concerns, we were attacked, again by texts to our constituents saying we were against jobs and anti-business. After the final session before furlough when we voted to approve the 2023-24 state budget, a vote in which some Freedom Caucus members voted for and some voted against texts were sent to our constituents saying we were against fiscal responsibility, education, law enforcement, you name it! Let me just say, if you are walking in the woods and see something that looks like poop, if you pick it up, and it smells like poop, do not taste it. It is poop. Pray that God-honoring, hard-working, America-loving, men and women will stand up. Pray that Freedom Caucus men and women will not grow weary in doing good. State Rep. Joe White, a Republican from Newberry, represents House District 40. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley will hold a rally April 6 outside of Lexington as she campaigns for the 2024 Republican nomination for president, her campaign confirmed to The State Media Co. The rally is a homecoming of sorts to the county where she kicked off her political career. Before being elected governor in 2010, Haley was first elected to the S.C. House in 2004, representing a Lexington County House district. The rally is scheduled for 6 p.m. April 6 at the Grove on Augusta in Gilbert. Doors will open at 5 p.m. The former ambassador to the United Nations during former President Donald Trumps administration launched her 2024 campaign in February in front of a packed crowd in Charleston. Since, she has spent time in Iowa and New Hampshire, states that lead off the Republican presidential nominating contests. The April event will be Haleys third campaign rally in South Carolina, which holds the first-in-the-South presidential primary. Haley last held a rally in South Carolina March 13 in Myrtle Beach. The campaign did not say who would be joining Haley at her Gilbert event. Since formally entering the race, Haley has polled in single digits in national polling of the GOP race. A Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday of Republican registered voters had her at 4%, trailing Trump at 47% and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence at 33% and 5%, respectively. So far Haley, Trump and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy are the only major GOP candidates to announce a 2024 run for the White House. When Haley, who touts how she has never lost an election, spoke at the Vision 24 conference hosted by the conservative Palmetto Family Council earlier this month, she was confident her poll numbers would improve. The poll numbers you see today are not going to be the poll numbers you see a year from now, Haley said at the forum. Fighter jets engage in real-combat flight training China Military Online) 09:32, March 30, 2023 Fighter jets attached to a brigade of the PLA Air Force Xi'an Flying College taxi on the runway to get ready for a real-combat flight training exercise in mid-March, 2023. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Cui Baoliang) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 30) Strengthened presence in global value chains will make economies in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) less vulnerable to challenges, such as pandemics, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said in a report released Thursday. The call came following the results of its report ASEAN and Global Value chains: Locking in Resilience and Sustainability, which found that global value chains proved more resilient to the impact of COVID-19 than expected. The 10 ASEAN member states are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. According to ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa, members of ASEAN must pursue measures in a greener and more sustainable way to have a strong rebound from COVID-19 and become resilient against future headwinds. This report proposes concrete measures that governments and businesses can adopt to decarbonize global value chains. Investments in renewable energy and improved efficiency, incentives to reduce trading costs for climate-smart goods, and the acceleration of digitalization can all contribute to greener and more sustainable value chains in ASEAN and beyond, the official said. ADB said there is also a need to equip workers with new technology and technological skills as digital tools are now being tapped to upgrade global value chains. It likewise backed policies promoting decarbonization as this strengthens cross-border networks. The Manila-based multilateral lender also stressed that these economies must boost trade cooperation in Asia and with other regions. WASHINGTON While most people look to artificial intelligence, or AI, for quick answers to complex problems, a growing number of school districts are turning to the technology to keep their students and staff safe. A school district in Charles County, Maryland, roughly an hour from Washington D.C., is in the process of installing software and hardware which would allow their current security cameras to detect a potential active shooter. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 'GODFATHER' ON AI POSSIBLY WIPING OUT HUMANITY: IT'S NOT INCONCEIVABLE "This artificial intelligence has the ability to be able to identify a weapon, to assess whats going on and how that person is acting," said Jason Stoddard, Director of School safety and Security for Charles County Public Schools. The district, through a state grant, is in the process of installing AI gun detection technology at all of its campuses. The cameras, which were installed years prior, will now communicate with a third party monitoring center if a gun is detected. The OpenAI website ChatGPT about page on laptop computer arranged in the Brooklyn borough of New York, US, on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023. Microsoft Corp. is in discussions to invest as much as $10 billion in OpenAI, the creator of viral artificial intelligence bot ChatGPT, according to people familiar with its plans. Gabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty Images "It plays the role of the human being that might or might not be monitoring," said Dave Fraser, CEO of Omnilert, which is one of a handful of companies offering the gun detection technology. "The system is designed to allow for monitors to determine if a threat is real and if so, alert local police and school authorities within seconds." TENNESSEE SCHOOL SHOOTING: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT COVENANT SCHOOL IN NASHVILLE ZeroEyes, a Pennsylvania-based AI gun detection company, told Fox News its seen a surge of interest in recent years following multiple mass shootings on school campuses nationwide. The company told FOX it proudly employs law enforcement experts, people whove severed on the front lines, to faster assist schools when reviewing threats. A customer holds a Glock 17 pistol for sale at Redstone Firearms, in Burbank, California, US, on Friday, Sept. 16, 2022. While White men still represent the largest group of gun owners in the US, women, and specifically Black women, represent a growing share of the market. Photographer: Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images "We have 135 employees and 80% of them come from the veteran community," said Mike Lahiff, CEO of ZeroEyes in an interview with FOX on Wednesday. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "It's not replacing the pillars that we have, which are building relationships and positive cultures inside our schools by having a well-trained staff and student body," added Stoddard. Longtime Starbucks leader Howard Schultz defended the coffee chain's confrontational approach to unionization Wednesday, while insisting it had not violated US labor law in countering the campaign. The hearing, which got contentious at some points, was convened by progressive Senator Bernie Sanders, focusing on what the independent from Vermont called "illegal union busting." In his testimony, Schultz said he understood that workers have the right to unionize. But he argued that management-led efforts to persuade employees otherwise were also protected. "I have the right and the company has a right to have a preference, and our preference is to maintain a direct line with partners," Schultz told the panel. The company has seen about 300 stores vote in favor of Starbucks Workers United following an initial successful campaign in Buffalo, New York in late 2021. But the hearing featured a former Starbucks employee who testified that he was fired for union activism. Sanders depicted the coffee chain as an "egregious" corporate villain against its workers, pointing to numerous complaints from staff that were confirmed as labor law violations by officials at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). "The fundamental issue we are confronting today is whether we have a system of justice that applies to all or whether billionaires and large corporations can break the law with impunity," he said. Starbucks is fighting the complaints and challenging adverse rulings, characterizing the findings as allegations. The ex-employee, Jaysin Saxton, a disabled veteran, described being surveilled by managers in his Augusta, Georgia store during a campaign in which workers ultimately voted to be represented by Starbucks Workers United. "I was fired for supposedly being 'disruptive,'" said Saxton, who has filed an unfair labor practice charge with the NLRB. "I did not receive any write up or discipline - there was no investigation." Saxton added that he was drawn to the union to address unpredictable scheduling and to press for better pay and health benefits, noting that he was forced to sometimes turn to the veterans' health care system because of deficiencies in Starbucks' coverage. Story continues - No labor contract yet - Schultz, who is still on the Starbucks board after stepping down as interim CEO this month, said he was unaware of cases where workers were fired or relocated to other stores because of union activity. "These are allegations and Starbucks has not broken the law," said Schultz. He also said the company had not threatened activist workers with lost health benefits or surveilled them electronically, responding to questions from senators. But Schultz acknowledged the company had left out unionized shops from a pay increase announced in May amid the burgeoning campaign, and other recently announced benefits at non-union stores such as the potential to receive customer tips digitally. The longtime Starbucks chief said the company was committed to bargaining in good faith with unions in stores that had voted with organized labor. But he said the process has been hindered because the company will only bargain in-person, rejecting virtual gatherings that can be taped and pose safety risks to company staff. Schultz declined to agree to a timetable to reach contract agreements with unionized stores. Late Wednesday, Starbucks disclosed that a majority of investors at the company's March 23 annual meeting had voted for an independent review of the corporation's actions on workers rights. The review should include "steps to remedy practices inconsistent with Starbucks' stated commitments," according to the proposal. Starbucks had urged shareholders to reject the measure, saying it was unnecessary and not in "the best interest of Starbucks, its shareholders, or its partners." But about 52 percent of shareholders still voted in favor of the measure. jmb/des The extinct protein was revived to show the potential of lab-grown meat. Courtesy of Vow The wooly mammoth is having a bit of a moment, which is extra-impressive, considering that its been extinct for several thousand years. In late 2021, a biotech startup called Colossal announced its ambitious plan to try to resurrect the massive mammals. And just this week, an Australian cultivated meat company debuted an oversized mammoth meatball at a museum in the Netherlands. George Peppou, the founder of Vow, said that it was "no small undertaking" to try to create an Ice Age-era appetizer. In a blog post, he explained that the process started by identifying the gene sequence involved in a mammoth's myoglobin, which is a protein found in muscle cells. "When it comes to meat, myoglobin is responsible for the aroma, the color and the taste", James Ryall, Vow's Chief Scientific Officer, told Reuters. (He compared the process to "the movie Jurassic Park," and that film definitely wasn't a cautionary tale about messing around with nature, right?) Related:What Longtime Vegetarians Think About the Plant-Based Meat Boom To fill in the "number of gaps" in that genetic code, they swapped in the gene sequences from the African elephant. That "mammoth" gene was then implanted in stem cells from sheep, and the meatball was grown from there. Interestingly, Professor Ernst Wolvetang from the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology at the University of Queensland, told The Guardian that Vow's original plan was to create lab-grown dodo meat, but that long-gone bird's genetic information isn't available. Vow isnt just interested in creating prehistoric snacks: this whole mammoth thing just serves to highlight the possibilities of cultured meat. The company has already looked into producing "meat" from over 50 different species. It has already sought regulatory approval in Australia to begin producing cultivated quail products. Vegconomist reports that it plans to launch Morsel, its line of products based on a rare Japanese quail, in Singapore later this year with availability in Australia to potentially follow in 2024. Story continues Courtesy of Vow Until then, there's the meatball. Before you ask, no, nobody knows how it tastes. "We havent seen this protein for thousands of years," Professor Wolvetang said. "So we have no idea how our immune system would react when we eat it." (Cue Homer Simpson saying, "Mmm... forbidden meatball.") But the meatball has been baked, and while it was being hand-finished with a blowtorch, the smell was described as being close to cooked crocodile meat. "[It's] super fascinating to think that adding the protein from an animal that went extinct 4,000 years ago gave it a totally unique and new aroma, something we havent smelled as a population for a very long time," Vow co-founder Tim Noakesmith told the Associated Press. The Mammoth Meatball has been given to the NEMO Science Museum in Amsterdam. The museum does have a restaurant, in case all this talk about eating extinct animals makes you hungry. For more Food & Wine news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Food & Wine. Joe Dituri in the Jules' Undersea Lodge's underwater habitat. Courtesy of Thane Milhoan/ MarineLab Joe Dituri is living underwater to research prolonged compression on the human body. Jules' Undersea Lodge is an underwater habitat located 22-feet deep in a Florida lagoon. Created for research purposes, the lodge is also a bed & breakfast, starting at $1,125 per night. Joe Dituri is a biomedical engineer and a retired saturation diver for the US Navy. On 1 March, he grabbed his wetsuit and scuba tanks and dove 22 feet deep into a lagoon in Key Largo to reach the Jules' Undersea Lodge underwater habitat. Joe Dituri gives a high five through the glass to all the divers who swim down to the lodge to greet him. Courtesy of Thane Milhoan/MarineLab The Jules' Undersea Lodge is accessible through a 'moon pool.' Dituri will live in the lodge until 9 June, for 100 days total, breaking the world record for the longest time anyone has spent underwater in a fixed environment currently set at 73 days. Joe Dituri and Jason Sonners, a certified hyperbaric practitioner, access the lodge through its moon pool. Dituri will host many visiting scientists during his stay at the lodge. Thane Milhoan/MarineLab Joe Dituri and Jason Sonners, a certified hyperbaric practitioner, access the lodge through its moon pool. Dituri will host many visiting scientists during his stay at the lodge. Jules' Undersea Lodge is a 20-foot wide and 50-foot long barge that was originally built for research purposes and located 300 feet deep on the edge of the continental shelf, off the coast of Puerto Rico. "You get down there and you hear the roar of the air going out," Ian Koblick, founder of Jules' Undersea Lodge, told Insider. Courtesy of Joe Dituri "You get down there and you hear the roar of the air going out," Ian Koblick, founder of Jules' Undersea Lodge, told Insider. Source: Project NEPTUNE 100. In 1985, after being towed from Puerto Rico to Florida, divers Ian Koblick and Neil Monney turned the habitat into an underwater bed & breakfast and research space. The lodge is named after Jules Verne, writer of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas. Thane Milhoan, habitat operations manager at Jules' Undersea Lodge, photographed from outside the habitat. Courtesy of Thane Milhoan/MarineLab Jules' Undersea Lodge. Guests can spend the night for $1,125 per single occupancy, or $ 1,687 per couple. Spending the night at the lodge is popular among sports divers, who come to get married, or to celebrate anniversaries. Courtesy of Thane Milhoan/MarineLab 'It's not a five-star hotel by any wild stretch of the imagination," Dituri told Insider. "It is bare and meager living quarters for scientists. It's for people who are looking for a zest for life." The Jules' Undersea Lodge hosts educational field trips for kids through its MarineLab program. The lodge is equipped with wifi, and a television. Courtesy of Thane Milhoan/MarineLab The Jules' Undersea Lodge hosts educational field trips for kids through its MarineLab program. The lodge is equipped with WiFi and a television. Story continues The lodge is equipped with all the things you can find in a regular, over-the-surface apartment, including a television, WiFi, fridge, and kitchen. Food is transported to the lodge in sealed, pressure-proof containers. Courtesy of Joe Dituri Food is transported to the lodge in sealed, pressure-proof containers. A pizza delivery dinner is included in the one-night fee. "Sometimes it comes up a little wet," Dituri said. "But it's the story of living underwater." Thane Milhoan, the habitat operations manager, delivers pizza to the Jules' Undersea Lodge. Courtesy of Thane Milhoan/MarineLab Aside from breaking a world record, Dituri has two goals for his project NEPTUNE 100: raising awareness of marine research and conservation, and studying the effects of prolonged compression on the body Microbial ecologist Hunter Hines with Joe Dituri. Courtesy of Joe Dituri The pressure inside the lodge is approximately 10 pounds per square inch more than on the surface. The increase in pressure can crush an empty jar, or squish an overly ripe banana. Plastic jar crushed by the pressure. Courtesy of Joe Dituri Dituri showcases how bananas get squished by the pressure in an Instagram video. Because of the prolonged compression, Dituri himself anticipates shrinking about one inch in the 100 days he's underwater. The inch will come back over time once he resurfaces. "I mean, I'm six one, I really don't care," he told Insider. Dituri photographed with an Explorer's Club flag. Courtesy of Joe Dituri Dituri is the chairman of the Florida chapter of the Explorers Club, and he brought one of the club's flags inside the habitat with him. The Explorers Club only has 222 flags, which it gives to its members when they go on expeditions that are anticipated to bring scientific results. Once the expedition ends, the flag has to be returned to the club. The scientist's anticipated shrinking is the exact opposite of what happens to astronauts, who grow in space. And the confined, isolated environment is analogous to a space flight. Joe Dituri in the lodge at night. Courtesy of Joe Dituri "The lodge has never generated a single dollar of profit in 30 years," founder Ian Koblick told Insider. "Why do I keep it going? Because it's the only place in the world where you can take people as close to going to space as you can get on this earth." Scientist Harrison Albert observes an angelfish from inside Jules' Undersea Lodge. Thane Milhoan/MarineLab Plus, Koblick says educating kids about marine conservation is key. He calls the kids that come and visit the lodge "marine conservation warriors." "If we could get more people to experience these kinds of things, we would have more people out trying to support saving our ocean," he told Insider. Young students access the lodge through the moon pool. Jules Undersea Lodge At the end of his 100 days, Dituri will emerge from the lodge and gradually make his way up, swimming around the lagoon. "I can tell you when I resurface that I'm going to go see the sunset because that's the one thing I miss the most," he told Insider. Joe Dituri takes a selfie with a diver. Courtesy of Joe Dituri Read the original article on Business Insider "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World" (2010). A Scott Pilgrim based anime series is headed to Netflix and Twitter users are already losing their minds. On Thursday, Netflix announced that the 2010 live-action Scott Pilgrim vs. The World cast would reunite to reprise their roles, bringing the whole gang back together in the upcoming series. THE RUMORS ARE TRUE! Scott Pilgrim the anime series is coming to Netflix. From the mind of Edgar Wright, Bryan Lee O'Malley, and BenDavid Grabinski, and animated by Science Saru. pic.twitter.com/IdW1hxU5i8 Netflix Anime (@NetflixAnime) March 30, 2023 Based on the beloved Scott Pilgrim graphic novels, the Universal Pictures cult classic Scott Pilgrim vs. The World follows a young man who must defeat his new girlfriends seven evil exes one by one to win her heart, according to the films synopsis. The still-untitled anime show was first announced in January 2022, and Netflixs first-look trailer is teasing its star-studded cast and giving fans some serious Sex Bob-Omb vibes. The series animation will be helmed by Science Saru, the studio behind popular anime series like Devilman Crybaby and Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!. Bryan Lee OMalley, who created the original Scott Pilgrim comic nearly two decades ago, is stepping in as an executive producer, writer and showrunner. Edgar Wright, who co-wrote and produced the live-action film, will also serve as an executive producer. After the announcement that the original films cast would return for the new anime adaptation literally even Chris Evans, too Twitter users couldnt contain their excitement. WERE GETTING A SCOTT PILGRIM ANIME AND ITS GONNA BE VOICED BY THE 2010 CAST OMFGGGGGG pic.twitter.com/FQ70QgNmHq Lo (@radiantlylo) March 30, 2023 SCOTT PILGRIM ANIME JUST ANNOUNCED pic.twitter.com/SrN0pQbRMB bryce thomas (@LORDLONELYY) March 30, 2023 WE GETTING A SCOTT PILGRIM ANIME? pic.twitter.com/gGd31Stz0K noctis. (@itsNXCTIS) March 30, 2023 The fact they got so many of the actors in on the Scott pilgrim anime is so great like Fucking Chris Evans????????? Brie Larson????? Like?????? SLOMPY SLAM (@Likefiftychai) March 30, 2023 THE OG CAST FROM SCOTT PILGRIM ARE COMING BACK FOR A NETFLIX ANIME ADAPTION pic.twitter.com/eVuCO4PM26 andy (@_Andjin_) March 30, 2023 I can't believe that Brandon Routh is coming back as Todd Ingram for the Scott Pilgrim anime series, I used to pray for times like thesepic.twitter.com/FbpIFuI5sL Ericka (@NeonTravesty) March 30, 2023 The whole cast, of course, includes Michael Cera (Scott Pilgrim), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Ramona Flowers), Satya Bhabha (Matthew Patel), Kieran Culkin (Wallace Wells), Chris Evans (Lucas Lee), Anna Kendrick (Stacey Pilgrim), Brie Larson (Envy Adams), Alison Pill (Kim Pine), Aubrey Plaza (Julie Powers), Brandon Routh (Todd Ingram), Jason Schwartzman (Gideon Graves), Johnny Simmons (Young Neil), Mark Webber (Stephen Stills), Mae Whitman (Roxie) and Ellen Wong (Knives Chau). Story continues Doubling down on the wave of excitement, Wright tweeted on Thursday: This is not a drill! This is happening! He added: After much musing over the years about there being potential for an anime adaptation of Scott Pilgrim, Im thrilled to say one is IMMINENT, with the whole cast back together and you are going to lose your minds. A release date for the upcoming Scott Pilgrim anime series has yet to be announced, but Netflixs trailer promises its coming soon. Related... By Max Hunder and Yurii Kovalenko KYIV (Reuters) -Scuffles broke out outside a Kyiv monastery on Thursday after a Ukrainian branch of the Orthodox Church that the government says has ties with Russia defied an eviction order. Tensions over the presence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) at the 980-year-old Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery have risen since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year. Kyiv accuses the UOC of maintaining ties with the Russian Orthodox Church, which has supported Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. The UOC says it broke all links with the Russian Church in May 2022. Hours after a deadline to leave the monastery passed at midnight on Wednesday, members of the UOC refused entry to representatives of a government commission who wanted to inspect buildings in the gold-domed monastery's sprawling complex. Shortly afterward, scuffles broke out in which a Reuters reporter was hit and shoved by an unidentified man and another reporter was pushed away by a cleric as she tried to approach him. No one was hurt. Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko later condemned the "brutal" treatment of the commission members. He said in a statement that the government had filed a complaint with police and that efforts to inspect the buildings would continue on Friday. The UOC is Ukraine's second-largest church, though most Ukrainian Orthodox believers belong to a separate branch of the faith, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, formed four years ago by uniting branches independent of Moscow's authority. Russia condemned Kyiv's push against the UOC as an outrage and a crime. "Such actions are increasingly plunging Ukraine into the Middle Ages in the very worst sense of the word," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on the Telegram app. The deputy head of a Ukrainian state body responsible for the monastery earlier this month said that a government commission was being established to make decisions on questions related to the UOC's tenancy agreement at the monastery. The government says the UOC broke the terms of its tenancy and constructed buildings at the monastery illegally. The UOC denies this. (Additonal reporting by Olena Harmash and David Ljunggren; Writing by Max Hunder; Editing by Timothy Heritage and Mark Porter) The N.C. Museum of Art is hosting two exhibitions this spring and summer by artists exploring the pain and triumph of the Black experience in different but complementary ways. In a show that opened earlier in March, Michael Richards sculptures and drawings show African Americans fighting, failing and rising to fight again to defy cultural forces. An exhibition of Ruth E. Carters costume designs that opens this weekend portrays black culture as its own formidable force. The showing of Carters work is especially timely since on March 12, the designer became the first Black woman to win multiple Oscars. In 2019 she was the first Black woman to win for costume design, for her work on the Marvel Comics Black Panther film. She won this year for the costumes in the series second film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design features her work from the film Coming 2 America. Roots to Selma to Black Panther The traveling exhibition, which came to Raleigh from Seattle, is a sampling of Carters work so far for film, television and online gaming, which she began in the 1980s. It includes pieces from Coming 2 America, Im Gonna Git You Sucka, Malcolm X, Shaft, Roots, Selma, Amistad, Lebron James Fortnite, Dolemite Is My Name, Do the Right Thing, Black Panther, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and The Butler. The dozens of garments displayed show Carters inventiveness in using shape, texture, color, historical reference and futurism to create characters and tell stories. Born in Massachusetts in 1960, Carter has said she learned to sew from spending after-school hours at the Boys & Girls Club and practicing on her mothers home sewing machine, a White brand cabinet model thats part of the exhibition. She graduated from Hampton University, a Virginia HBCU, with a degree in theater arts and a plan to pursue acting, but instead became immersed in costuming. She was living in Los Angeles designing for theater productions and dance studios when she met filmmaker Spike Lee and agreed to design the costumes for his second movie, School Daze. Story continues Ruth Carter on stage during the 95th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday, March 12, 2023, in Hollywood. Early on, Carter set about creating believable clothing that would visually inform a scene without overpowering it: for historical movies or shows, styles that arent replicas but could have existed in the time and place they represent, and for those set in centuries yet to come, Afrofuturistic designs that carry ancient traditions to fanciful futures. Maya Brooks, assistant curator of contemporary art at the museum and the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, helped coordinate the Carter exhibition, fitting the displays to the available space and arranging the layout to make the most of the juxtapositions of costume groups. For instance, Brooks said, having the Roots TV miniseries costumes directly opposite those from the movie Selma lets the viewer see the Black experience in the U.S. from slavery to emancipation through the 1960s struggle for Civil Rights. Ruth Carters relentless research As with those from other productions on display, the clothing silently conveys clues about characters roles in the stories and in the worlds and times from which they are drawn. Carter, a relentless researcher, learned that slaveholders would buy large bolts of fabric, often a plain or printed cotton muslin or a rough wool, to use to clothe the people they enslaved, meaning that the same fabrics might appear in different forms in the garments of men, women and children. Women and girls of the slaveholders households, meanwhile, were more likely to have elaborate dresses made of imported silks, taffeta, brocade or velvet, historians say. Beyond the choice of fabrics, Carter uses details such as construction, trim and wear to tell the viewer more about a characters life, such as the sweet cotton frocks worn by the young Black women in Selma versus the tuxedo and beaded satin ivory gown worn by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife, Coretta Scott King. Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design features her work from the film Malcolm X. Brooks said the Carter exhibition will draw a range of visitors, including movie fans from the two generations spanned by Carters career, as well as history buffs, fashion fans and textile enthusiasts. For this kind of show, people will gravitate first toward the visuals, Brooks said, such as the bright colors and rich textures or the beads and the bits of leather and metal. But as they walk through the exhibition and see, for example, Malcolm Xs evolution from street hustler to Islamist leader as it plays out in his attire, There is a whole story that happens there, Brooks said. Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design features 60 original costumes from films the Oscar winner has worked on, including Black Panther. Echoes of Sept. 11 in Michael Richards art The Michael Richards exhibition in a neighboring gallery at the museum tells another story, both of the artist and his work. Richards was a rising star in the art world when he was killed in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. He is believed to have been in his studio on the 92nd floor of the North Tower when it was struck by a plane, the first building hit in the attack. At the time, Richards had been working with the N.C. Museum of Art to include two of his sculptures in an exhibition to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers first flight in North Carolina. When the show opened in 2003, it featured Richards Tar Baby vs. St. Sebastian and Winged. Tar Baby has been on continuous display at the museum since 2003 and is part of the new, larger show. It is jarringly prescient; its a cast of Richards body dressed in the uniform of a Tuskegee Airman being pierced by the tips of incoming aircraft. Sculptors Michael Richards Tar Baby vs. St. Sebastian will be shown at the North Carolina Museum of Art in 2023 as part of Michael Richards: Are You Down?, described as the largest-ever solo exhibition and retrospective of the artists work. Winged is back for the exhibition as well, along with a video of Richards creating the form for the piece by repeatedly piercing his own arm and suspending feathers on strings from his flesh. Though hes gone, Richards or likenesses of his body in whole or part can be found throughout the new show, which includes pieces not pulled together in one collection before. Richards returns to favorite themes in his works, particularly using images of flight to explore the ways in which humans soar and fall, literally and figuratively, in the face of social injustice and oppression. Michael Richards with his work, Tar Baby vs. St. Sebastian, 1999. The exhibit of Richards work at N.C. Museum of Art, Michael Richards: Are You Down? runs through July 23. The show is named for one of the last sculptures Richards completed called Are You Down? that consists of three downed pilots, all cast from Richards body. To appreciate the pieces, visitors have to look down at them or squat on the ground at their level. In a catalog describing the piece, the museum quotes Richards as saying, The pilots serve as a symbol of failed transcendence and lost faith, escaping the pull of gravity but always forced back to the ground, lost navigators seeking home. About the exhibits Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design runs April 1 through Aug. 6. Its free for members and those ages 21 and under; $20 for adults; $17 for seniors and members of the military. Michael Richards: Are You Down? runs through July 23 and is free. Both are the East Building of the N.C. Museum of Art. A pair of Seacoast chefs named semifinalists for prestigious James Beard Foundation Awards in 2023 have fallen short of advancing to the final round. David Vargas, owner of Vida Cantina in Portsmouth and Ore Nells Barbecue in Kittery, was a semifinalist for Outstanding Chef in America. Paul Callahan, executive chef of Exeters Vino e Vino, was a semifinalist for Best Chef Northeast. David Vargas is owner and chef at Vida Cantina, a Mexican cuisine eatery in Portsmouth. Finalists for the James Beard Foundation Awards, regarded widely as one of the premier honors in the culinary industry, were named on Wednesday morning, with just five in each category. Vargas and Callahan had been named semifinalists for the awards in late January. More: Seacoast Breweries Bracket down to final two: Vote here to crown the champion. Vargas was also a semifinalist for Best Chef Northeast three times in the past four years. This year was the first time he was a semifinalist for the nationwide award. Vargas has owned Vida Cantina since the summer of 2014. Four years later, he and Portsmouth restaurateur Jay McSharry partnered to open Ore Nells. A resident of Brentwood, Callahan has been the executive chef at Vino e Vivo, a 24-seat wine bar, since July 2021 after previously working at Ceia and Brine in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Chef Paul Callahan, of Vino e Vivo, is one of 20 semifinalists for best chef in the northeast in the 2023 James Beard Awards. The Outstanding Chef award, as described by the James Beard Foundation, is a chef who sets high culinary standards and has served as a positive example for other food professionals, while contributing positively to their broader community. New England is represented in the finalist round for the title of Outstanding Chef in America with chef Rachel Miller of Nightshade Noodle Bar in Lynn, Massachusetts, chosen for the final five. Award winners will be celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony on June 5 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Seacoast chefs nominated for James Beard Awards fall short of finals Days after a shooting at a house party in Macomb killed one person and injured several others, a second arrest has been made. Demond E. Wilson Jr., 25, of Calumet Park, Illinois, was taken into custody and is being held in the McDonough County Jail. Wilson Jr. has been charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm, police announced Thursday. Wilson Jr.'s bond has been set at $750,000. More: Police: House party shooting leaves one dead, multiple hurt in Macomb The shooting happened early Saturday morning in the 500 block of North Johnson Street. Jerman Beathea, 26, of Chicago, died at the scene, police said. A total of ten people were shot, according to the police department, including six Western Illinois University students. Many of the victims have recovered, police announced. Donnell Williams, 23, of Macomb, was arrested on Monday. The shooting is still under investigation. This article originally appeared on Galesburg Register-Mail: Police: Second arrest made after fatal house party shooting in Macomb A federal judges secret order on Tuesday requiring Mike Pence to testify about aspects of Donald Trumps bid to subvert the 2020 election was also an unprecedented ruling about the vice presidency itself. It is the first time in U.S. history that a federal judge has concluded that vice presidents like presidents are entitled to a form of immunity from prying investigators. But unlike presidents, who draw all their power from the executive branch, vice presidents get their immunity from Congress, Chief U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg ruled. Thats because vice presidents while commonly perceived as mere agents of the president are constitutionally required to serve as president of the Senate. And officers of Congress, like lawmakers and their aides, enjoy immunity rooted in a provision of the Constitution known as the speech or debate clause, meant to safeguard Congress from law enforcement inquiries related to their official duties. The vice presidents role as Senate president has become almost entirely ceremonial, with the occasional exception of casting tie-breaking votes and every four years presiding over the count of electoral votes after a presidential election. Vice presidents have long suggested they should enjoy the legal protections afforded to Congress, but Boasbergs ruling is the first time a court has extended so-called speech-or-debate immunity to the vice presidency. Experts say the ruling which remains under seal but was described to POLITICO by a person familiar with its contours is an important foray into thorny, unresolved questions about vice presidential power. Any such movement is significant, as it sets a precedent that potentially can expand at a later time, in a different circumstance, said Mark Rozell, a George Mason University political scientist who specializes in executive power. The vice president is now acknowledged to possess a form of privilege by virtue of his or her legislative role, something that a president cannot claim. Story continues The ruling is the latest example of how Trumps multi-year stress test on the norms and mechanics of the federal government has forced courts to answer long-dormant questions about the separation of powers. The immunity question arose from special counsel Jack Smiths bid to force Pence to testify before a Washington D.C. grand jury investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Trump opposed the subpoena on executive-privilege grounds, a position Boasberg rejected. Pence did not join Trumps fight but mounted his own, claiming that his role presiding over Congress on Jan. 6 should afford him speech-or-debate immunity. Boasberg, the chief judge of the federal district court in Washington, agreed with Pence, at least to a limited extent: Pence must testify, he ruled, but the speech-or-debate immunity may allow him to avoid answering questions about his legislative role on Jan. 6. Pence praised the ruling on Wednesday, even as he is considering whether to appeal it for not going far enough. For the first time ever, a federal court has recognized that these protections extend to a vice president, Pence told supporters in Iowa, acknowledging the sealed ruling but saying he was limited in how much he could say about it. I am pleased that the judge recognized the Constitutions speech and debate protection applies to my work as vice president. The drafters of the Constitution included the speech-or-debate clause to guard against executive-branch efforts to coerce lawmakers with the threat of investigation or compelled testimony. But until this week, a court had never decided whether vice presidents who are not members of the Senate but are officers like the parliamentarian are covered by the protection. The Supreme Court has said that immunity under the speech-or-debate clause covers legislative activities, such as voting on bills and giving speeches on the floor of Congress. For decades, the courts particularly in Washington D.C. have interpreted the clause to cover a broad range of activities connected to those duties, including the actions of congressional aides and officers who help facilitate the work of lawmakers. The immunity, however, does not extend to purely political activities. So while Boasbergs ruling may allow Pence to avoid testifying about his presiding role on Jan. 6, he might still have to testify about conversations he had with Trump leading up to that day, and he has indicated he is willing to do so. Before Jan. 6, Trump pressed Pence to use his perch as president of the Senate to refuse to count Joe Bidens electoral votes, either declaring Trump the victor or sending the election back to the states an action Pence viewed as unconstitutional and refused to abide. He later returned to the chamber to complete the count of electors, all but sealing the Biden presidency. Trump famously attacked Pence on Twitter amid the chaos at the Capitol, an escalation that Jan. 6 committee investigators cited as a dangerous turning point in the days violence. Two of Pences top White House aides chief of staff Marc Short and counsel Greg Jacob testified to the grand jury in October after then-Chief District Court Judge Beryl Howell rejected Trumps similar bid to block their testimony via executive privilege. Although Boasbergs precise reasoning remains a mystery because of the secrecy surrounding the grand jury proceedings, legal experts called it a precedent-setting decision that could reshape the understanding of the vice presidency. Without seeing the opinion, hard to say much about it beyond the fact that it is clearly in my view correct that the VP enjoys speech-or-debate clause immunity when acting in her capacity as president of the Senate, said Josh Chafetz, a Georgetown University constitutional law professor. It's also the case that the courts have consistently taken far too narrow a view, in my judgment, of what activities by members are protected under the clause, so I suspect that Boasberg ruled that Pence has to testify about some stuff that I would think ought to be privileged. Stan Brand, who helmed the House counsels office for Tip ONeill and today represents top Trump aide Dan Scavino, said applying the speech-or-debate clause to a vice president for the first time is a victory for the independence of Congress against an overreaching DOJ. The Justice Department has at least three times argued that vice presidents should enjoy speech-or-debate protection for their role presiding over the Senate including in the context of Jan. 6, 2021, when the department adopted the position to fend off a lawsuit from then-Rep. Louie Gohmert and a separate Utah-based lawsuit filed in 2021. The precise contours of the departments position in the secret proceedings with Boasberg were not immediately clear. The Pence immunity decision underscores the extraordinary volume of precedent-setting rulings that are being issued in secret the result of the typical confidentiality afforded to the grand jury process in criminal investigations. Howell, whose seven-year term as chief judge expired on March 17, issued dozens of secret rulings in Trump-related matters that may have sweeping implications for the separation of powers. Brand noted that some of the most significant rulings that have shaped the boundaries of the presidency, vice presidency and Congress have emerged in these sorts of proceedings as a result of national crises from Watergate to Whitewater to the Vietnam War to Abscam. We are in the midst of another such episode, he said. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 30) The proposed establishment of a $250-million waste-to-energy facility in Clark, Pampanga gained the support of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) to avert a possible garbage crisis. BCDA President and CEO Aileen R. Zosa said the project would complement efforts to make New Clark City a sustainable and efficient community. We want to ensure that our garbage is efficiently collected and disposed of, Zosa said. Undersecretary Juan Miguel Cuna of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said the DENR wants to see similar projects as this would mean more green investments pouring into our country. Apart from creating jobs, we are also looking at lengthening the lifespan of sanitary landfills and improving our environmental outlook, he said. The Metro Clark Waste Management Corporation, operator of a 100-hectare disposal facility in Clark, is the project proponent, with its foreign partner Plambeck Emirates. Once operational, it would be the countrys first waste-to-energy plant. Holger Holst of Plambeck Emirates said the country is in the middle of a solid waste crisis as it generates solid waste at the rate of 40,000 tons a day. The White House sees no evidence to suggest that Ukraine is misusing US military aid. Source: John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House, quoted by Ukrinform news agency Quote: "When it comes to the use of military assistance provided to Ukraine, we have not seen any evidence of any blatant violations." Details: Kirby also said that Ukraine shares the US concerns about ensuring proper accountability and transparency in the use of US equipment. "We all want as much oversight and accountability as possible. Ukraine receives equipment and systems purchased at taxpayer expense, but this is war. During a battle, it is impossible to perfectly predict the movement of every piece of equipment a soldier takes with him into battle," Kirby added. Background: American auditors arrived in Kyiv in January to ensure the accountability of US military and financial aid. US Agency for International Development (USAID) reported on 29 March that inspectors have found no signs of serious violations in this regard. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! (Trump state of mind) Ever since Donald Trump predicted hed be placed under arrest last week, America has been on tenterhooks. Every single New York City police officer was ordered to report to work in full uniform to deal with possible civil disturbances from Mr Trumps fans in the event his prediction were to come true. And some, but not many, of the twice-impeached ex-presidents supporters showed up to protest outside the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, the man who has now become be the first prosecutor to ever obtain an indictment against a former president for his investigation into a 2016 hush money scheme to keep adult film actress Stormy Daniels from spilling the beans about a decade-old liaison before voters went to the polls. A Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Mr Trump on Thursday 30 March. Recent reporting in The New York Times and other outlets noted that the former president has said he relishes the idea of being arrested and paraded before the press in a perp walk spectacle because he believes it will juice his support in the Republican presidential primary and solidify his chances of returning to the White House after next years general election. But multiple people who have been close to Mr Trump in the past and understand his way of thinking say the confidence he projects in interviews and in public appearances belies a complete inability to grasp what it means for him to become a defendant in a criminal case. These former Trumpworld insiders told The Independent the ex-presidents decades of evading responsibility for his actions and his past ability to neutralise legal jeopardy with a combination of bluster and litigation tactics has left him incredibly ill-equipped for what lies ahead of him now that the Mahattan grand jury has votes for an indictment. Mary Trump, clinical psychologist and niece of former president Donald Trump, appears on MSNBC. (Screenshot / MSNBC) One such ex-insider is Mary Trump, the bestselling author and trained clinical psychologist who happens to be Mr Trumps niece. Dr Trump, who in her 2020 tell-all Too Much and Never Enough said her uncles pathologies are so complex and his behaviors so often inexplicable that coming up with an accurate and comprehensive diagnosis would require a full battery of psychological and neuropsychological tests that hell never sit for, told The Independent in a phone interview that the bravado he might be presenting to receptive journalists will vanish once he is actually charged with a crime. Dr Trump spoke to The Independent ahead of the charges against the former president. Story continues I think a large part of what he does is that he preamps and he deflects his ego is very, very fragile, and much of what he does is in service to protecting it, and one of the greatest dangers for him is to be humiliated, she said. She also called reports that her uncle relishes the idea of a perpwalk absurd. I don't care who you are, that's an incredibly vulnerable place to be. And it's not like they walk you through it, and then you can decide [you] don't want to do this. There's no agency there, it will be the most vulnerable and powerless he's probably ever been in his life, she said. And last, I checked, being fingerprinted, and having your mugshot taken is not a sign of strength. Given Mr Trumps status as an ex-president and his full-time Secret Service protective detail, the experience of being charged with a crime wont be the same as your average criminal defendant. While hell still be fingerprinted and photographed, its unlikely that hell be placed in handcuffs, and his attorneys have already indicated that hell voluntarily present himself to New York authorities after charges rather than force an extradition fight in Florida courts. Still, Dr Trump said her uncles psychological disposition makes it impossible for him to understand that the charges against him are real, rather than just something political that can be willed away with sheer bluster. Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Waco, Texas. (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) Part of the problem for him right now, is that there's this extent to which this is all incomprehensible, she said. She noted that for many of his foes, it has always appeared as if the walls are closing in on him and accountability is just around the corner, only to see him slip away from being called to account for his behaviour. She added that his ability to evade consequences has left him ill-prepared for what is to come. He has to prepare for something hes never experienced before. Its alien to him, and it also embodies the one thing that is the most terrifying to him being humiliated. But on the other hand, he cant possibly process that its going to happen because its never happened. So hes at a real deficit right now, she said. That Mr Trump has spent decades avoiding becoming embroiled in criminal prosecutions is beyond dispute. That ability to evade the laws reach was supercharged during his presidency by a longstanding Department of Justice policy forbidding federal indictments of sitting presidents, which is why the special counsel who investigated his campaigns contacts with the Russian government, ex-FBI Director Robert Mueller, twisted himself in knots in his written report and congressional testimony on the matter of whether the then-president obstructed justice by trying to thwart the investigation in multiple ways. But Mr Trump is no longer president, and despite suggestions by Republicans in the House of Representatives that its somehow improper to charge a former president or presidential candidate with a crime, the shield from accountability he once enjoyed has vanished. Multiple federal courts have also made clear in recent weeks that his attempts to claim some form of executive privilege to keep former aides from testifying before a pair of federal grand juries overseen by Mr Smith arent worth much under Supreme Court precedents dating back to the Watergate era. Attorney George Conway, ex-husband of former Trump White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway, speaks at Georgetown Law School in this frame grab from handout video shot in Washington, U.S., March 8, 2019. Picture taken March 8, 2019. Georgetown Law/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. (REUTERS) George Conway, the conservative attorney who Mr Trump once asked to run the Justice Departments civil division, told The Independent Mr Trumps supposed eagerness to become a martyr by facing indictments is complete bulls***. You can see the terror in his Truth Social posts he is absolutely out of his mind about this. And it may turn out that he does want to make a spectacle of it in order to rally his troops to appear tough. It will look weak for him to be hauled into court in handcuffs. So, you know, he's got a lose-lose proposition, he said. Mr Conway, who gained significant notoriety as a critic of the ex-president while his then-wife Kellyanne Conway was serving as a senior aide to Mr Trump, said usual tactics of delay and intimidation that the ex-president has deployed in civil proceedings are not going to fly when the ex-president is on the wrong end of a criminal case against him. The veteran litigator also noted that as a criminal defendant, Mr Trump will have to deal with something else hes never before encountered a judge with the power to impose conditions of pre-trial release that could limit his ability to travel and speak freely about his case, or even take his freedom entirely should he decide to flout any restrictions that are imposed on him. While both New York and the federal court system default to releasing defendants before trial, a judges decision to release a defendant almost always comes with conditions. In the federal system, this means Mr Trump will almost certainly be required to notify courts of his travel schedule in advance, and he may possibly need permission to travel. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) One person who spoke with The Independent about the ex-presidents mindset a former associate who enjoyed a close relationship with the Trump family for years but who asked not to be named because of Mr Trumps tendency to lash out and send his followers after his critics said it will be nigh-impossible for the former president to abide by even the most lenient conditions because he doesnt understand the law like normal people. The former Trump family confidante said Mr Trumps moral compass is so non-existent that he cant fathom how and why a judge would be able to tell him what to do, what he can and cant say, or where he can go. Add to that the ex-presidents contempt for the very idea that he would be held to account by prosecutors in the first place, and you get a high probability that Mr Trump ends up on the wrong side of a gag order or worse. Mr Conway, who spent most of his career practicing law in New York courts, told The Independent it would take a certain amount of courage on the part of whatever jurist is assigned Mr Trumps case to keep him from using his usual tactics of intimidation and bluster to poison any potential jury pool and incite his supporters against prosecutors, jurors, or even the courts. But he said there are judges who are fully capable of dealing with the ex-presidents conduct, citing the example of the New York federal judge who recently issued an order permitting the jury in writer E Jean Carrolls defamation and rape lawsuits against Mr Trump to remain anonymous. A New York City Police police officers with the Emergency Service Unit truck stand guard outside the Manhattan Criminal court, Wednesday, March 22, 2023, in New York. A New York grand jury investigating Trump over a hush money payment to a porn star appears poised to complete its work soon as law enforcement officials make preparations for possible unrest in the event of an indictment. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) That judge, Lewis Kaplan, is not taking any crap in Ms Carrolls lawsuit, he said, adding that Judge Kaplan or someone like him would be the perfect candidate to hear any case against the ex-president. I think that in order to keep this guy under control, from fomenting violence, a judge is going to have to show some real cojones, he said, while still balancing the former presidents First Amendment rights with the need to protect the integrity of the court system. Because he's a criminal defendant, and [he] can affect that the jury, a judge can muzzle [him] but its a very tricky position. Each of the former Trump associates who spoke to The Independent agreed that its entirely possible that the former presidents quickest path to incarceration runs through violating a judges order between his indictment and trial. Former Trump Attorney Michael Cohen arrives at the district attorney's office to complete his testimony before a grand jury on March 15, 2023 in New York. (AFP via Getty Images) But one former confidante, Mr Trumps ex-lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, said his former client would do more than push the envelope on what hes allowed to say and do once hes indicted. When reached by text message, he said Mr Trump is incapable of processing accountability. Becoming a criminal defendant and having to be processed and mug-shotted poses a direct conflict to his inflated self-image and fragile ego, he said. Cohen, who spent more than a year in federal custody and two more years on home confinement after pleading guilty to charges stemming from the same hush-money scheme Mr Bragg charged the ex-president over, said Mr Trump fully understands that his usual methods of threats, delays and shouts about alleged witch hunts arent working, and suggested that knowledge makes him more dangerous. It is the reason he has ramped up attacks on anyone and everyone he deems a threat, he said. The former attorney, who may be a key witness in any case Mr Bragg brings against Mr Trump, also said his former employer wont react well to any judge placing any conditions on him. Cohen testified before the Manhattan grand jury on more than one occasion. Donald will play the victim and call on his supporters to protest in solidarity with him. He will lie to his supporters, grift off the situation and call for civil unrest, he said. Donald would rather see the country burn than accept responsibility. The Oklahoma Senate on Thursday approved tax credits for families of private-school and home-school students, a major goal of school choice supporters but legislation the leader of the House said will require more negotiation. Senators also approved a public school funding increase and a teacher pay raise in a separate bill. The education bills were originally advanced by the House with a warning from House Speaker Charles McCall that any changes by the Senate would be dead on arrival when they returned to his chamber. But the Senate altered almost every key component of the bills, including adjustments in the funding amounts and the addition of an income limit on use of the tax credits. More: Behind the 'grassroots' movement for Oklahoma school vouchers championed by Ryan Walters House Speaker Charles McCall and Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat both support private school tax credits but disagree on the amounts and the use of a household income cap. Minutes after the vote, McCall said the Senates version falls short but he denied they were already dead in the House. We have room to negotiate with the Senate, McCall, R-Atoka, said, taking a softer stance than he had in previous weeks. Senate imposes income cap on tax credits; House leader objects The House version included a $2,500 pay raise for teachers and a $300 million funding increase for public schools, although $2 million would be the most a single school district could receive, giving smaller school districts a greater proportional increase. The Senate increased the teacher pay raise to $3,000 to $6,000, depending on experience, and removed the $2 million limit in order to spread the $300 million school funding evenly across the state based on student enrollment. Speaker of the House Charles McCall speaks at a pro-school choice rally in March on the south steps of the Oklahoma state Capitol. House Bill 2775, which included the funding increase and teacher pay raise, received bipartisan support with a 45 to 2 vote in the Senate. But the tax credit bill House Bill 1935 was opposed by Democrats who spent nearly two hours debating the proposal. This is a reckless bill. This bill has no real accountability built in, and is a taxpayer (money) giveaway, Sen. Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City, said. Story continues The bill would give families a $7,500 refundable tax credit for each private school student, while home-school families would receive a $5,000 refundable tax credit, an increase over the Houses version. The Senate also set a $250,000 household income limit for families to utilize the tax credits, which McCall objected to. Earlier in the legislature: Oklahoma House, Senate at impasse over education bills on teacher pay, tax credits Sen. Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City, and other Senate Democrats voted against a tax credit proposal for families with private-school and home-school children. The problem with the income cap ... is that not every student and not every parent wins that way, McCall said after the Senate's vote. But Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat said the income cap was necessary to get enough votes in his caucus. I had to find a sweet spot that made the most policy sense and garner the votes to pass it, Treat said. The Senate estimates around 12,000 private-school students and 5,000 home-school students would utilize the tax credits, costing the state around $98 million. Governor joins parents at rally calling for more school choice Thursday's vote in the Senate means a majority of lawmakers have now voted in favor of teacher pay raises, classroom funding increases and tax credits for school choice. But both chambers will have to agree on the exact figures before a bill can be sent to Gov. Kevin Stitt, who has said he would sign any school choice bill that comes to him. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt speaks with Kazin Galberth and other students from Crossover Preparatory Academy, of Tulsa, during a pro-school choice parents rally Thursday on the south steps of the Oklahoma state Capitol. With two months left on the legislative calendar, theres still time for compromises and political bargaining, a common feature of the sessions homestretch. Tax credits would fall short of the school voucher plan Stitt has promoted in recent years, which would allow families to use public tax dollars for private school tuition. But while voucher bills failed to gain traction this year, tax credits would still be a significant step forward in the governor's push for expanded school choice. More: Rules impacting school libraries, LGBTQ+ students advance in Oklahoma State Board of Education Nathanael Nichols, 12, of Edmond, attends a pro-school choice parents rally Thursday on the south steps of the Oklahoma state Capitol. "I called for action to create more options, and the people spoke loud and clear at the ballot box (last year) for my vision, said Stitt, who spoke Thursday morning at a pro-school choice rally outside the Capitol. About 200 parents, along with private and charter school officials gathered at Thursdays rally, with most urging the state Legislature to pass some version of a tax credit bill for private-school and home-school families. Many in the crowd wore green T-shirts from Americans for Prosperity, a conservative advocacy group. The shirts bore the slogan Fund Students, Not Systems, a phrase the governor has embraced in recent years. Philip Abode, executive director of Crossover Preparatory Academy, a Tulsa private school, told the crowd his school was performing miracles by helping underprivileged children who had been stuck in low-performing public schools. Ryan Walters, Oklahoma state Superintendent of Public Instruction, leads a pro-school choice rally Thursday on the south steps of the Oklahoma state Capitol. "It shouldn't take miracles for good schools to exist in our community, Abode said. We really need our Legislature to work together ... for parent choice. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma Senate advances a bill for private school tax credits The Senate on Wednesday passed a GOP-led resolution that would end the COVID-19 national emergency that has been in place since 2020. The measure passed the upper chamber 68-23. A similar resolution sponsored by Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) passed the Senate last year, but it did not advance in the Democrat-controlled House. This year it passed the House 229-197, with 11 Democrats joining all Republicans. President Biden last year threatened to veto the measure. This year, he did not threaten a veto but issued a statement of administration principles before the House vote objecting to the resolution. On Wednesday, however, he said he would sign the measure. The President strongly opposes HJ Res 7, and the administration is planning to wind down the COVID national emergency and public health emergency on May 11. If this bill comes to his desk, however, he will sign it, and the administration will continue working with agencies to wind down the national emergency with as much notice as possible to Americans who could potentially be impacted, a White House official said. The national emergency is different from the public health emergency, though the White House will end both on May 11. Under federal law, Congress has the power to ask for periodic votes to terminate a national emergency. President Biden used the powers under the national emergency declaration as the underpinning for his student loan forgiveness plan, which is currently tied up in court. The initial declaration allowed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to mobilize personnel to support state and local agencies as they worked to combat the virus. The move also allowed FEMA to access billions of dollars. Ending the national emergency early could also terminate some of the flexibility that COBRA has been able to exercise. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By Diadie Ba DAKAR (Reuters) -Senegal's leading opposition politician and presidential aspirant Ousmane Sonko on Thursday received a two-month suspended prison sentence for libel in a case involving the tourism minister, the minister's lawyer El Hadji Diouf said. The sentence will not prevent him from running in elections next year - an apparent effort by authorities to defuse a stand-off with his supporters, who have repeatedly taken to the streets to denounce what they say is a politically motivated campaign. "It is a verdict of appeasement," said another lawyer also representing the tourism minister, Pierre-Olivier Sur. "The sentence is moderate to the extent that it does not remove his (Sonko's) civil and political liberties and the right to remain in the political debate." In a statement, Sonko's party, Pastef, dismissed the court proceedings as a "show trial". Sonko, 48, had been charged with libel for accusing the tourism minister of embezzlement. He denied wrongdoing and previously said the charges against him were a tactic to eliminate him from the presidential race. The government denies this accusation. In addition to the suspended sentence, Sonko was ordered to pay 200 million CFA francs ($332,000), Diouf told Reuters. The libel trial, and another separate case in which Sonko is charged with sexual abuse, have spurred violent protests across the country. Sonko has also denied wrongdoing in the sexual abuse case. He called for nationwide protests on Wednesday and Thursday - the day the libel case was set to resume - as well as on April 3. These sporadic, sometimes violent demonstrations have taken place over the past two years in support of Sonko, who has become the focus of anger at President Macky Sall's failure to rule out running for a third term in elections next year. Particularly violent and deadly protests broke out over the sexual abuse case in 2021, shaking the usually peaceful West African nation. Story continues Authorities have since banned most planned protests in Dakar and dispersed gatherings with tear gas and stun grenades, including the latest on Wednesday. Sonko and his supporters say Sall, 61, is using the trials to eliminate competition ahead of the polls. Some of the president' other opponents faced judicial proceedings in the run-up to the last election in 2019 and were unable to run against him as a result. Sonko, who came third in 2019, has clout among Senegal's disenfranchised urban youth, frustrated by joblessness and poor economic prospects. Anger has also risen around fears Sall will use a recent change to the constitution to reset his mandate, which ends in 2024, allowing him to run for a third term. Sall has avoided all questions about this, neither confirming nor denying the claim. ($1 = 602.0000 CFA francs) (Reporting by Diadie Ba; Writing by Sofia Christensen; Editing by James Macharia Chege, Alessandra Prentice, William Maclean and Sonali Paul) Jaime Talamantes LAS CRUCES A Las Cruces man pled to lesser charges Tuesday as part of a plea deal in the shooting death of his brother. Jaime Talamantes, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to a news release for the 3rd Judicial District Attorney's Office, Talamantes received a 13-year sentence from Judge Richard Jacquez for the three charges. Prosecutors initially charged Talamantes with first-degree murder along with aggravated assault and felon in possession of a firearm. According to a criminal complaint, police believe Talamantes killed his older brother, Juni Talamantes, on May 22, 2020. Police said Talamantes got into an argument with his brother outside a house on the 500 block of Mulberry Street. Police did not state the reason for the dispute in the affidavit. However, at some point, police said the argument spiraled into a fight with Talamantes on top of his brother. Juni Talamantes' girlfriend then intervened in the fight and separated the two men, police said. Police said Jaime Talamantes then pulled out a handgun and fired several times into his brother's body. Police said Jaime then got into a truck driven by a friend and left the area. The friend dropped Jaime off at the Eagle Qwik Mart on Alameda Avenue and then left the area, according to the affidavit. Police arrested Jaime about three weeks later. According to a news release put out at the time, Las Cruces Police learned of his location and forwarded that information to the U.S. Marshals Service, who made the arrest. Talamantes then spent more than 1,000 days in jail before this week's guilty plea. Part of that delay belongs to slowed judicial proceedings during the pandemic. However, court records also show that Talamantes and prosecutors reached a plea deal that Judge Conrad Perea rejected in October 2022. In a court filing, Talamantes' attorney, Richard Benjamin Pugh, said that he'd reached a deal with prosecutors on Oct. 11, 2022, six days before a trial. Perea denied the plea deal, saying the motion was too late. The rejection led Pugh to request the state supreme court to intercede in the case. Story continues Ultimately, the New Mexico Supreme Court found the issue moot. Perea then recused himself, and the case was given to Judge Jacquez. Talamantes then pleaded guilty on March 28. Jacquez sentenced him the same day. Talamantes will receive time served for the three years he spent in jail. Justin Garcia covers public safety and local government in Las Cruces. He can be reached via email at JEGarcia@lcsun-news.com, via phone or text at 575-541-5449, or on Twitter @Just516Garc. What else is going in the Mesilla Valley? This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Sentence doled out years after police say man killed his brother Two more men have pleaded guilty to misdemeanor rioting for a July 25, 2020, riot at the Washington County Detention Center. Anthony Lonon, whom Assistant State's Attorney Holland Burch said the state believed was the ringleader, was sentenced to five years in state prison by Washington County Circuit Court Judge Mark K. Boyer on Wednesday. Lonon had a 51-day credit. More crime news: City man facing attempted second-degree murder charge in Maugansville shooting Lonon, 37, of Hagerstown, indicated at least once during the hearing that he didn't want to plead but proceeded with the plea bargain hearing and sentencing after the judge and he went through a series of questions. During the sentencing portion, Lonon said he was present when actions such as breaking into a cell and trying to start a fire occurred, but he didn't do either and was trying to de-escalate the situation. Boyer told Lonon that facts support the state's characterization of him being the ringleader. Lonon and Andrew Burke 33, of Gaithersburg, Md., were scheduled for a three-day jury trial to start Wednesday, but instead they pleaded guilty to misdemeanor riot. Burke was sentenced to five years in state prison, with all but 18 months suspended and to be served at the detention center. Boyer ordered Lonon and Burke not to have abusive contact with anyone from the detention center. Of the 10 original defendants in the case, seven have pleaded, according to court records. One defendant is scheduled for trial in August, charges were dismissed against another defendant involved in a plea deal, and there is an active warrant for the 10th man, according to court records and Burch. Burch said during the Wednesday plea hearings that if the trial had proceeded, she would have called 10 deputies, including an investigator, to testify and would have had video. There were eight officials from the Washington County Sheriff's Office in the court gallery for the hearings. Story continues The sheriff's office operates the detention center at 500 Western Maryland Parkway, along Hagerstown's western edge. Burch, after the hearings, said no officers were hurt during the riot. "Their safety is paramount. We will not tolerate this behavior in Washington County," she said. The jail riot on a Saturday in July 2020 The riot at the detention center resulted in $8,422.75 of damage, according to court records. Among the items damaged were windows, cell doors and televisions. The disturbance began about 3 p.m. on July 25, 2020, when inmates in one of the cell blocks refused to be locked in their cells for the end-of-shift headcount to make sure all inmates were accounted for and, instead, began damaging the cell block, according to charging documents. It took about two hours to get the inmates under control and several more hours to assess the damage to detention center property, the document said. When a sergeant asked why they were not cooperating, Lonon said the inmates had complaints about the food, visitation, sanitary conditions, deputies not wearing face masks and other issues, the document said. The riot occurred during the first summer of the COVID-19 pandemic. The inmates were again ordered to get in their cells, but about half of the cell block, known as A-Pod, refused. As staff attempted to lock in the cooperating inmates, the others interfered, according to the document. Deputies exited A-Pod and all doors were secured, the document said. The detention center's emergency response team was called and eventually deployed tear gas into the pod, according to court documents and officials. In the interim, the riot included inmates forcing open a cell door to let at least one inmate out, damage to the control center windows and an attempt to start a fire using a damaged electrical outlet. The other defendants who had plea deals are: Juwan Campbell, 26, pleaded guilty on Feb. 14 to riot and was sentenced in Washington County District Court by Judge Mark D. Thomas to 1 year and a day. Lauren Bradley Dixon, 32, of Hagerstown, pleaded guilty on Dec. 15, 2021, to riot and was sentenced in circuit court by Judge Brett R. Wilson to 13 months. Jose Orlando Gonzalez, 31, of York, Pa., pleaded guilty on March 15, 2022, to riot and was sentenced in district court by Thomas to 18 months. Melvin Allen Matthews, 53, of Hagerstown, pleaded guilty on Oct. 18, 2021, to riot and was sentenced in circuit court by Wilson to 18 months. Robert Joseph Wilson III, 36, of Hagerstown, pleaded guilty Oct. 20, 2021, to riot and was sentenced in district court by Judge Victoria J. Lobley to six months. Some defendants' plea hearings and sentencings were held in circuit court because they had previously requested jury trials. Some defendants faced malicious destruction of property charges with various amounts of damage, which could be a factor in sentencing. The damage charges were dropped as part of plea bargains. Another factor in sentencing is a defendant's prior criminal record. Burch, in a phone interview, said charges in the riot case against Javonte Raasheed Hart, 22, of Hagerstown, were dismissed as part of a plea deal involving an unrelated case. There is an active warrant for Brady Nunez, 25, of Bronx, N.Y., on misdemeanor charges of rioting and malicious destruction of property, according to his online court docket. Nicholas Franklin Houman, 26, of Hagerstown, is scheduled for trial in August in district court on a charge of rioting, according to his online court docket. Concerns expressed about detention center conditions The judge heard concerns about the conditions at the detention center during the hearings. Defense attorney Matthew Williamson, representing Burke on behalf of the public defender's office, said conditions at the detention center were "deplorable" at the time of the riot. The riot occurred during a time when "we didn't know" much about COVID-19 and inmates were concerned, scared and uncertain, he said. As an attorney visiting the detention center to talk to his client, Williamson said he had difficulty hearing his client with three attorneys next to him shouting over each other to talk to their clients. Williamson said the detention center is getting better. Burke's complaints included cold food, the wash clothes and towels, and that he couldn't talk to a sergeant. "You gotta do what was done to get ... anyone to understand what's going on," Burke said. Boyer said he didn't accept that conditions were as "deplorable as described" and told Burke that the way to avoid conditions at the detention center was to "not be awaiting trial." There's no justification for a riot, Boyer said. Defense attorney Laura Guadalupe Morton, representing Lonon on behalf of the public defender's office, said there was no visitation at the time of the riot. Morton said inmates felt "extremely isolated" and that they weren't being heard "with respect to the situation." She said Lonon "very much regrets" how the incident "played out." Lonon said he tried to tell inmates there was a "better way to do it" and to wait to speak to someone. Washington County Detention Center warden reacts Major Craig Rowe, warden of the detention center, said in a phone interview after the hearings that there is an inmate request and grievance process. Rowe said, to his knowledge, none of the inmates involved in the riot filed grievances. Rowe said visitation wasn't allowed at the detention center at that time because Gov. Larry Hogan had ordered everything shut down due to the pandemic. The detention center applied for and received a grant to provide remote video visitation, but that system didn't go live until November 2020, before Thanksgiving. If any detention center employees were not wearing masks as ordered by then-Sheriff Doug Mullendore at the time, "it wasn't brought to our attention," Rowe said. Regarding cold food, Rowe said there were some issues with some of the carts and, since then, heated carts were purchased so the food stays warm until it's delivered. The jail has a food service contractor. The Maryland Commission on Correctional Standards audits the detention center every three years and food was never an issue the detention center failed, he said. Inmates receive linens, including a towel and wash cloth, when they arrive. Rowe said they aren't new, but they have been washed. "Honestly, the inmates complain. It's just the nature of what we deal with," Rowe said. Regarding the areas where attorneys and clients meet, Rowe said maintenance replaces the battery in the electronic microphone and speaker system when it starts to echo. That meeting area has been that way since central booking was opened over a decade ago, he said. A multiphase project to renovate the detention center is in the planning process, Rowe said. It includes more attorney rooms for visitation. This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: More defendants plea in 2020 Washington County Detention Center riot The 10-m waterfall at Mandai Wildlife West (left) and Roseate Spoonbills at Hong Leong Foundation Crimson Wetlands are features of the Bird Paradise in Singapore. (Photos: Mandai Wildlife Group) SINGAPORE - Exciting news for all you bird lovers out there! Fans of Jurong Bird Park can look forward to the opening of Singapore's new Bird Paradise and ungated Mandai Wildlife West on 8 May. The opening is a follow up to the closure of Jurong Bird Park earlier this year on 3 January. What to look out for at Bird Paradise The new 17-hectare park will be home to 3,500 birds from 400 different species, allowing visitors to explore eight large walk-through aviaries, and get up close and personal with some of the world's most threatened species like the Philippine Eagles, Negros Bleeding-heart Doves, and Black-winged Mynas. The park is also proud to house the world's largest population of Hornbills under human care. And if that's not enough to get to flock to the new bird attraction, the Sky Amphitheatre will be premiering two new avian presentations called "Predators on Wings" and "Wings of the World." Crowd favourite feeding sessions are also making a comeback with new varieties of birds to feed such as Starlings, African Hornbills, and Barbets, Pelicans, and Lories. Proceeds from these sessions will go towards Mandai Wildlife Groups conservation efforts. Kuok Group Wings of Asia (Photo: Mandai Wildlife Group) Besides the birds, the park will also offer a walking Bird Discovery Tour and the Avian Care Backstage Pass, which grants guests a behind-the-scenes look at how vets and wildlife nutritionists care for park birds at the Avian Healthcare and Research Centre. Additional behind-the-scenes tours will be launched through the year. Our animal care team and veterinarians have been carrying out the mammoth task of moving more than 3,000 birds from Jurong to the Mandai Wildlife Reserve," said Mandai Wildlife Groups group chief executive Mike Barclay. "This great migration was a first-time experience for both our birds and employees, and I am glad to share that they are all settling in well at their new home." Highlights of Mandai Wildlife West Mandai Wildlife West (Photo: Mandai Wildlife Group) Mandai Wildlife West will serve as the main arrival area for visitors to Bird Paradise and the upcoming Rainforest Wild. There, visitors will bypass a10m-tall waterfall sculpted after Indonesias Madakaripura waterfall. Story continues Kids will also have a blast at two new anchor play areas, namely Pangolin Adventure and Pangolin Hideout. These names were inspired by the Sunda Pangolin, a native Singapore species. Hungry guests can look forward to an array of food and beverage options including Lukes Lobster, Leckerbaer, Mr Holmes Bakehouse and a gelato boutique and sandwich bar from Birds of Paradise. The park will also offer fast food and quick bites from tenants such as A&W, western restaurant Collins, Hans, Pavilion Banana Leaf, Old Chang Kee, Starbucks and Cheers. Ticket prices Discounted tickets during the soft opening period will be available from 8-26 May at a special rate of $38 for adults, $23 for children (aged 3 to 12 years old) and $20 for senior citizens. Full price tickets at $48 for an adult and $33 for a child will start from 27 May. Ticket prices for seniors will remain at $20. Admission tickets and add-on programmes can be pre-booked at www.mandai.com from 24 April. So, mark your calendars for 8 May, and get ready for an unforgettable day with the birds! (Bloomberg) -- Southeast Asian leaders warned against the economic cost of the growing US and China rivalry during a big ticket forum in Hainan on Thursday, and urged the two sides to cooperate to avoid further bifurcation that would be felt across global markets. Most Read from Bloomberg Addressing high-profile delegates at the Boao forum, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the two sides should stabilize ties while any clash between the super powers would have grievous consequences for themselves and the world. Economic imperatives are being overshadowed by national security concerns, he said. Countries are pursuing self reliance and resilience by onshoring, or friend-shoring, their supply chains. The bifurcation in technological and economic systems is deepening and this will impose a huge economic cost on countries as well as further exacerbate rivalries. Southeast Asia has tried to navigate the middle path between the US and China a role that has become increasingly difficult as the two powers tussle on everything from semiconductors to Taiwan. While those countries rely on Beijing as a major economic partner, they also depend on the US as a security partner at a time China has continued to grow its military prowess. Singapore has become increasingly vocal over the rising tensions, with its foreign minister previously saying the relationship between the two global powers has gotten so bad the stage is almost pre-set for an accident akin to the events precipitating World War I. Lee recently sounded the alarm during an interview with Chinese broadcaster CCTV, saying the world cannot afford a conflict between China and the rest of the world, and in particular between China and the US. Story continues The trip to China is Lees first since the pandemic with the scheduled itinerary including a meeting with President Xi Jinping in Beijing. Hes also scheduled to meet other high ranking figures of the Communist Party. The Boao forum was also attended by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. During his remarks, Anwar underscored the potential for rivalries in the semiconductor industry to take either a productive or a destructive turn and urged spirited collaboration between nations without mentioning either China or the US by name. He further said technological competition should become a principal agenda item for discussion right up there with discourses on security and general economic matters. On the one hand, we need to recognize that countries will always seek to protect their intellectual property rights and try to stay ahead of the competition, he said. On the other hand, we need to establish certain guardrails so that the competition does not lead to a bifurcation in the technological world, one that will only raise costs and impede further progress. A string of crises in recent months has given rise to increasingly aggressive rhetoric between the US and China as the Biden administration organizes allies to help stop Beijing from further developing its own chip industry and advancing its military capabilities. Bilateral relations hit another low point this year after the US shot down an alleged Chinese spy balloon, and after officials said Beijing was considering providing lethal aid to Moscow for its war in Ukraine. We hope that China and the United States will succeed in stabilizing their relationship and establishing mutual trust and respect to cooperate in areas where their interests are aligned, Lee said on Thursday. The world feels the impact of these tensions keenly. --With assistance from Charlie Zhu, Dan Murtaugh, Anisah Shukry and Ravil Shirodkar. (Updates with Anwar remarks, context throughout) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/LinkedIn/Pixabay A San Diego attorney once deemed a local woman of the year is apparently on the lam after being hit with several felony charges for allegedly misappropriating hundreds of thousands of dollars from clients. Kelly DuFord Williams, 36, was charged with a slew of crimesincluding grand theft of personal property and forgery of checks, money orders, and travelers checksafter allegedly swindling more than $400,000 from at least eight legal clients, according to a criminal complaint obtained by The Daily Beast and filed in San Diego Superior Court. Williams was also hit with an aggravated white-collar crime enhancement. The San Diego District Attorneys Office declined to comment, noting that Williams has not been arraignedand no date has yet been set. A March 20 warrant was filed for Williams arrest, but records from the San Diego Sheriffs department show she is not in custody. The warrant indicates that when Williams is arrested, her bail will be set at $250,000. I would say she brought this all on herself, Bryan Morgan, who worked as a paralegal at Slate Law Group, told The Daily Beast on Thursday. Greed is a terrible thing to get trapped in and all the people she did dirty deserve justice knowing she could be eating cold soup in jail very soon. How 'Girl Boss' Lawyer Went From Rising Star to Sleazeball Prosecutors say that starting in 2020, Williams and her boutique law firm, Slate Law Group, were hired in various civil matters. After successfully securing settlements for her clients, Williams allegedly would deposit their checks into her client trust account or business checking account, and then spent the money without giving the clients their full share. Fernando Roridguez, a former client of Williams, told The Daily Beast earlier this month that the lawyer allegedly stole part of his $175,000 settlement from an unjust termination case. The complaint details Rodriguezs case, noting that Williams only paid him $24,450. Court documents say he is still owed $15,550. Story continues It hurts my feelings that you work so hard, and you get screwed. And then you get a lawyer. And the lawyer screws me, Rodriguez told The Daily Beast earlier this month. Its really ugly and its really sad. During the prosecutions nine-month investigation into Williams, the complaint states, prosecutors also discovered that the lawyer forged client signatures on settlement checks prior to depositing them. The complaint notes that eight clients and several former Slate Law Firm employees were interviewed in the investigation. The charges come weeks after the California State Bar Court recommended Williams be disbarred after finding evidence she misappropriated from clients and made at least two false 911 calls in Utah, where she allegedly posed as a district attorney concerned about the welfare of a child because she was angry at a former paramour. The mother of three was also accused of allowing a lawyer who was not yet licensed to practice in California to appear in court. Williams did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A self-described girl boss, Williams was named one of San Diego Magazines Women of the Year Rising Stars in 2021. But former employees and clients of her business, Slate Law Group, told The Daily Beast Williams was allegedly a scary and chaotic boss who used feminism as a cover. She was living her own Mean Girls life, Morgan said earlier this month. She always pretended she was the biggest, baddest of them all and she was only out for justice. Instead, Morgan says, Williams was padding billing documents, instructing the lawyers working for her to charge clients for extra hours. Internal Slate Law group documents reviewed by The Daily Beast show Williams personally editing invoices submitted by her employees, crossing out their entries, and increasing the number of hours they worked. The documents show her changing billing rates so that clients would be charged her top hourly rate rather than that of junior colleagues. A former boyfriend of Williams, Jesus Rogelio Huerta, described her love of shopping and luxury goods. He previously told The Daily Beast that Williams drove a Tesla and a Range Rover, and had a closet full of Christian Louboutin shoes, Prada, Givenchy, and YSL bags everywhere. The couple began dating in early 2021, but Huerta said he became tired of Williams weird lies, claiming she would become extremely intoxicated. Things came to a head in April 2021, when Huerta organized a vacation in St.George, Utah, with some friends. Days before they were due to leave, the couple broke up, according to Huerta. But while Huerta and his friends were driving to Workman, he received 120 texts and at least 30 missed calls from Williams, who was furious not to have been invited. Williams threatened to call the police on Huerta, according to text messages reviewed by The Daily Beast and included in the state bar courts decision. In the early hours of the morning, Williams made two phone calls to the Hurricane City Police Department, claiming to be a person called Amanda Mathis. In the second call, she allegedly told police she was a deputy district attorney in San Diego, who was concerned about the welfare of a two-year-old child of one of Huertas friends, according to documents from the state bar. Huerta and his friends were awakened at their AirBnb by police knocking on their door. When Huerta showed the officers the text message threats from Williams, he said they realized what had happened. The Hurricane City Police Department completed a criminal complaint request form for Williams false report, but they could not arrest her because she lives out of state, according to an account in the state bar court decision. The Utah 911 calls are not mentioned in the criminal complaint filed earlier this monthbut prosecutors do note that 16 counts of misconduct that were established by the California State Bar also included moral turpitude [and] providing false statements to law enforcement. Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 30) Hollywood actress Vanessa Hudgens has been tapped as a global tourism ambassador for the Philippines. The Filipino American star received the award in a ceremony in Malacanang on Thursday, with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. himself conferring the title. In a statement, the Palace said Hudgens' award is in line with the administration's efforts to promote Philippine tourism and "raise the country's global status." "Hudgens is seen to take part in a range of future initiatives to promote the nation's unique culture and assist the country in reaching a wider global audience, creating awareness and conveying the Philippine brand as a tourist destination," it noted. Known for her roles in "High School Musical" and "The Princess Switch," Hudgens is currently in the country to shoot a travel documentary, which aims to dig deeper into her Filipino heritage. A San Luis Obispo County man was sentenced Thursday to 250 years to life in state prison for sexually abusing three children, according to the county District Attorneys Office. In January, a San Luis Obispo jury found Craig Anthony Grunow, 57, guilty of 11 crimes of sexual abuse of the children, including one county of sexual intercourse with a child under 10 years old and 10 counts of committing a lewd act on a child under 14 years old. The crimes occurred between August 2018 and August 2021 at Grunrows home in the Heritage Ranch area of rural San Luis Obispo County, the San Luis Obispo County District Attorneys Office said in a news release Thursday. All three victims were present at Thursdays sentencing, the District Attorneys Office said in the release. One submitted a written impact statement, the release said, while two family members spoke to the court about the impact Grunrows acts had on the survivors and their family. San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Timothy S. Covello, who sentenced Grunrow, praised the victims testimony. They were poised. They were truthful. They were courageous, Covelllo said in court. California law still protects its most vulnerable citizens by authorizing a sentence of life imprisonment for this type of child molestation case, District Attorney Dan Dow said in the news release. This sentence should ensure that this predator is never able to harm a child again. The bravery of these young survivors should encourage all other victims of sexual abuse to report and seek help from law enforcement. According to the release, the case was investigated by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office with the assistance of the District Attorneys Bureau of Investigation and Child Abuse Interview Team. The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Danielle Baker, who was assigned to the District Attorneys Sexual Violence Unit. How to get help If you have been a victim of childhood sexual abuse, or know someone who is a victim, you can seek immediate intervention by calling 911. To report suspected child abuse or neglect, call the 24-hour Child Abuse Hotline at 805-781-KIDS (5437) or toll-free 1-800-834-KIDS (5437). MiG-29 On behalf of all Ukrainians whose lives are protected by the Air Force, I express my great thanks to you, she said during her address to the Slovak parliament. Read also: Is it even possible to equip MiG fighter jets with Western missiles? Air Force answers Kondratiuk also thanked Bratislava for all of the humanitarian aid, weapons, other equipment it had provided, and for supporting Ukraine at the international level. In addition, the deputy speaker reiterated that Slovakia had recognized Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. She also thanked Bratislava for its readiness to establish an international tribunal to prosecute Russian war criminals. Read also: Slovakia becomes second NATO member to send MiG-29 jets to Ukraine Slovakia handed over its first four MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine on March 23. Earlier, Polish President Andrzej Duda announced that Warsaw could give all its MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine. According to open sources, Poland has 22 such jets. However, Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Pawe Jabonski said on March 27 that Poland would not transfer all its MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine. Read also: Poland to send first four MiG-29 jets to Ukraine in coming days, says Duda Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said that providing Ukraine with MiG-29 fighter jets would be a major help, but they are unlikely to be a game-changer at the front. Ukraine needs modern multi-purpose aircraft to gain air superiority and strike ground targets, said Ihnat. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine The service member found deceased in his car in the Pentagon parking lot earlier this month was a 42-year-old noncomissioned officer, the Joint Staff confirmed to Military Times on Thursday. Master Sgt. Juan Paulo JP Bordador was pronounced dead by Arlington Emergency Medical Services on March 14, following a welfare check. An investigation into his death is ongoing, Joint Staff spokesman Joseph Holstead told Military Times. As Joint Staff leadership conveyed to the team, the life of every member of our team is valuable beyond measure, and Master Sgt. Bordadors loss impacts all of us. He will be missed, Holstead said. Bordador enlisted in 2004 and was serving as an intelligence senior sergeant at the time of his death, according to service details provided by the Army. He deployed to Iraq in 2010. His awards and decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, five Army Commendation Medals, Joint Service Achievement Medal, five Army Achievement Medals, and five Army Good Conduct Medals. Bordador was born in the Phillippines and immigrated to Daly City, Calif., at the age of nine, according to an online obituary. He is survived by his wife and five children. A celebration of his life will be held on April 2 in King George, Va., and a memorial service on April 15 in Daly, Calif., per the Storke Funeral Home. Years ago there wasnt any kind of HR department on a film. Everybodys job was just to get the movie made, and you didnt want to rock that boat (Getty) How did we get here? Emily Watson asks, frustratedly. Where the victims of a horrific crime arent believed and the perpetrators are protected? In her new film Gods Creatures, the Oscar-nominated star of Breaking the Waves and Punch-Drunk Love plays Aileen, a seafood processor in rural Ireland whose son Brian (Normal Peoples Paul Mescal) is accused by a local girl of rape. The residents of the small fishing town they live in rally around him. The accuser, on the other hand, is exiled. This is baked into our institutions and how our society is structured, Watson continues, forcefully now. Somehow sexual assault doesnt matter. Somebody breaks into your house? The police will sort you out in five minutes. If someone rapes your daughter good luck! Watson has been an internationally acclaimed star and one of Britains very best actors for more than 25 years, but theres still something mysterious about her. To hear her be outraged or angry is a little jarring at first I expect to be greeted by someone a lot more insouciant. More coy, perhaps. I blame Breaking the Waves, and how much of that films astonishing power stems from Watsons ocean-blue eyes and her steady, vulnerable innocence. As Bess, the fragile young wife of a paralysed man who encourages her to seek new lovers as he can no longer perform sexually, Watson seems as if shes been transported to hell from a different, nicer world. She has been in so much since that film, from Robert Altmans Gosford Park (as a chain-smoking housemaid) to the acclaimed limited series Chernobyl (as a nuclear physicist), but I still expect to see fragments of Bess on the other end of our video call. Then again, how could someone not be angry on the day me and Watson speak? The 56-year-old is at home in south London, and its been a few hours since the publication of a landmark report into Londons Metropolitan Police. Commissioned in the wake of Sarah Everards rape and murder by a serving police officer, the report found the force to be institutionally racist, sexist and homophobic, with sexual assaults routinely downplayed or covered up. One Met officer additionally told the review that the detection rate for rape is so low in London that it may as well be considered legal. Watson shakes her head and lets out a long, weary sigh. She says we have to be careful and measured in our responses to it. It ends up getting very polarised [and] you cant just raise young men to think that theyre terrible people, she says. (Watson has a 14-year-old son, Dylan, as well as a 17-year-old daughter, Juliet, with her husband, the actor turned potter Jack Waters.) Thats how childish things get as soon as you start trying to debate these things. She thinks improving salaries in the police and the health and social care sectors is a good place to start, though. If you dont pay people properly, you cant expect people to take on leadership roles in our communities. It costs money and time and intelligence and training. Nobody is born knowing how to treat a rape victim. Its not something you learn at your mothers knee. Gods Creatures strikes provocative parallels to reality, and Watson wants the film to start conversations about how Brian is enabled by his patriarchal, conservative surroundings, and how Eileen navigates a desperate situation. We know Brian did it. Eileen does, too. Yet she stays fiercely quiet. Its very generational, Watson tells me. For people of your generation [in their twenties or thirties], the themes in the film are a no-brainer, but mine? Have they had conversations with their sons about consent? And if not, why not? Because thats the first building block of making this s*** go away. It used to be protect your daughters, but really we just need to teach people about consent. The film marks a frustratingly rare big-screen starring role for Watson. She is, as always, captivating, with her and Mescal conjuring a haunting dynamic, one as charged as it is ambiguous. I ask if they got along (Hes a lovely kid really smart a proper actor), and if they acknowledged the similarities in their ascents to fame. Neither had steady climbs but rather instant smashes. Breaking the Waves was Watsons film debut, coming after several years of under-the-radar work in theatre at the Royal Shakespeare Company and the West Yorkshire Playhouse. It shot her out of a cannon straight into international acclaim, awards attention and Hollywood much like Normal People did to Mescal in 2020. Hes since become an Oscar nominee, a West End star and all-round internet boyfriend. That, she says, is the main difference between their experiences. The internet didnt really exist when it happened to me, so it was much less immediate but still massive, she remembers. So with Paul I was very much sort of nodding along with him going, Good luck, kid I know how that feels! I find it sweet that Watson repeatedly calls Mescal kid I dont dare tell her hes 27. Mother and son: Paul Mescal and Emily Watson in Gods Creatures (A24) In early 1997, shortly after receiving her first Oscar nod and two years before her second, for playing the cellist Jacqueline du Pre in Hilary and Jackie, Watson told The New York Times that she could still walk down the street unbothered. Its changed today, she says, but that it comes in ebbs and flows. I remember Emma Thompson saying that fame is like somebodys walking down the road with a huge radio playing really loud music and it gets near you and its deafening, but then it passes and it fades. Hers tends to be just as unpredictable. She tells me she loves scripts that have no easy answers, which might explain why shes played a social worker assigned to Fred West in Appropriate Adult it won her a TV Bafta or dived head-first into something like Apple Tree Yard, the BBC limited series in which she engaged in a torrid affair and was later the victim of a harrowing sexual assault. Breaking the Waves, too, felt pointedly dangerous for a first film. She once likened working on it and with its notoriously difficult director Lars von Trier to falling off a cliff backwards, and Im curious how she views its production today. Von Triers work has had a shadow cast on it ever since the musician Bjork alleged that he sexually harassed her on the set of their film Dancer in the Dark (von Trier has denied her claims). Helena Bonham Carter has even discussed turning down the role of Bess, after meeting Von Trier and instantly finding him weird. And then in comes Watson new to the industry, unsure of herself, and asked to embody a character who engages in scenes of graphic sex and horrible acts of self-destruction on screen. Was it a good experience? So often sex scenes used to be everybody cross your fingers and hurry up until someone says cut I didnt have any context for it, she says. I didnt know that it was breaking lots of rules. It felt scary, but it also felt safe. She says she had firm allies in her two key co-stars, Stellan Skarsgard and the late Katrin Cartlidge, but also quickly came to understand Von Trier. Lars is just cut from a different cloth. Hes a deeply, deeply eccentric... um She trails off. Extremely smart. Very odd. She keeps going. Brilliant. Lovely. Weird. But always very respectful and tender with me as an actor. His way of expressing himself can be quite brusque, but I always felt that was because he was such a bold and naked soul. That was how he expressed himself because he didnt know how to be normal. I had a very fulfilling experience. I know that things may have changed and that things have been different for other people. But Im not going to [speak] against anyone elses sense of uncomfortableness around him. Theres also the sex of it all. If headlines are anything to go by, Emily Watson is seemingly always bracketed with the words sex scenes how many shes done, how she feels about them, when and why shell stop doing them. I mention that when I interviewed Skarsgard a few years ago, he expressed amusement at the fixation British and American journalists have with his nude body on camera (A Swedish journalist doesnt ask me why Im naked in films, or whether its embarrassing to show my dick, he said). Rather than finding it annoying, though, Watson says that shes always found it quite interesting to talk about sex and nudity. And how different it is now, she adds. The whole idea that youre only sexy until youre 21 Steady, vulnerable innocence: Watson in Breaking the Waves (Shutterstock) She agrees with Skarsgards general stance on nudity (In a way, hes right were all naked under our clothes), but also knows that it gets a bit more complex on film sets. It can be subject to abuse, or lead to people being treated in an inappropriate way, she says, adding that one of the biggest differences on sets today is how seriously people approach it. Years ago there wasnt any kind of HR department on a film, she remembers. Everybodys job was just to get the movie made, and you didnt want to rock that boat. She recently worked for the very first time with an intimacy coordinator whose job it is to safely guide actors through sensitive scenes and her initial apprehension about it gave way to gratitude. I was so nervous itd be some 21-year-old telling me what to do, she laughs. But it was actually a woman my age who was so lovely and mature and sensible, and she gave everybody involved the space to feel seen. And also advice on how to make it not embarrassing and, you know, look right. So often sex scenes used to be everybody cross your fingers and hurry up until someone says cut. Watson is currently filming an HBO series inspired by Frank Herberts Dune, an origin story for the mystical Bene Gesserit sect, represented by a characteristically sinister Charlotte Rampling in the 2021 movie. Watson is thrilled by it, and the way that it foregrounds the religious orders highly developed mental powers over special effects. So, lots of mind-reading rather than hydraulic doors. After so much talk of male violence and institutional corruption, its not hard to see why a drama depicting such a powerful sisterhood would come as a relief. Its science fiction where the actors do all the heavy lifting, she beams. Gods Creatures is in cinemas from 31 March Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor on Wednesday urged law students to channel their disappointment with the U.S. judicial system into fighting for change. In an appearance at New Yorks Fordham University School of Law, where she took questions from attendees, the liberal justice attributed some of the disenfranchisement Americans feel with the Supreme Court to decisions of my court that are altering approaches to the law in ways that people dont understand, according to CNN. Last summer, the courts conservative supermajority gutted the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion decision, overturning the right to abortion and sparking nationwide protests. The ruling prompted many states to outlaw or severely restrict the procedure. The unprecedented leak of a draft opinion ahead of the decision also shook the court. But Sotomayor advised students to not give up on justice. Wrong things can be changed, she said. The arc of the universe does bend toward justice, but we have to help, she continued. Sotomayor said courts are taking an even more prominent place in resolving political disputes because the political branches are unable to. She didnt mention any pending cases, but noted that she has been on the losing side of many of the latest high-profile decisions, given the courts 6-3 makeup. The justices are due to rule on several important cases this term, including President Joe Bidens student loan forgiveness plan that could impact millions of Americans. Sotomayor, nominated by President Barack Obama, was confirmed to the Supreme Court in 2009, making history as the high courts first Hispanic justice. Related... French unions on Thursday unfurled a giant banner opposite English shores to goad Britain's King Charles III after his first foreign state visit to France was cancelled. "Sorry Charles, see you later," said the banner unfurled by union activists a week after President Emmanuel Macron postponed at the last minute the planned visit by Charles. Macron said that nationwide union-led protests and strikes against contentious pension reforms prevented France from hosting Charles in the manner it had hoped. With the trip postponed, it fell to Germany to host Charles for his first foreign trip as monarch, where he was received with pomp on Wednesday and Thursday. Around 100 French union members unfurled the banner on Cap Blanc Nez, a point outside the northern city of Calais that is one of the closest places in France to England. They battled clifftop winds but succeeded in unfurling the banner so it could be easily seen from the coast. The postponement of the visit meant that Charles had to forgo plans for a state banquet at the Palace of Versailles outside Paris and a trip to the southwestern city of Bordeaux. Macron has said the visit could go ahead in the early summer, but it remains unclear if Charles will find space in his schedule. cor-cab-sjw/ah/jm A Tyrannosaurus rex, with its mouth closed (no teeth!) A Tyrannosaurus rex with its mouth closed (no teeth visible!) Theropods like T. rex and Velociraptor had sheaths of scaly skin covering their long, pointy teeth, according to a team of paleontologists who recently studied the ancient predators. Thats a big shift from the imagery most dinosaur-related media has put out in the last century. Popular films like Jurassic Park have given the public inaccurate ideas about what dinosaurs actually looked like (and pterosaurs, and mosasaurs), something that some modern dino-media aims to correct. The new paper is the latest academic work seeking to change the narrative. Read more A T. rex skull and reconstructions of the animal's head, with labial scales. A T. rex skull and reconstructions of the animals head, with labial scales. If theyre correct, T. rex wouldnt have had a toothy grin like it is often portrayed in films and art, but more of a gummy smile, said Steve Brusatte, a paleontologist at the University of Edinburgh who is unaffiliated with the new work. There has been much debate on this issue of tyrannosaur lips over the last few years, and I think this study makes a good case. The research team studied tooth wear across a range of theropod species and compared it to the state of tooth wear in modern reptilian groups that both have and lack coverings for their teeth, such as alligators, iguanas, and monitor lizards. Their research is published today in the journal Science. Technically, the soft tissue tooth coverings are actually labial scales, not lips in the mammalian sense. Theyre more akin to the soft tissue structures on a Komodo dragon, the extant, endangered monitor lizard native to Indonesia. The research team posits that these labial scales would have protected theropods serrated teeth over the course of their lives, preventing the dentition from wearing down. Indeed, the theropod teeth studied by the researchers did not show the signs of wear that would have resulted from exposure and dehydration. Story continues Besides the idea that the teeth would be too large to be covered, the closest living toothed relatives of dinosaurs are crocs, hence the incorrect assumption that the same condition prevailed in theropods, Robert Reisz, a paleontologist at the University of Toronto and co-author of the paper, wrote in an email to Gizmodo. As the paper shows, however, ancient terrestrial crocs had theropod-like teeth, rather than the peculiar teeth of living crocs. An illustration of a tyrannosaur swallowing a juvenile Edmontosaurus. Inaccurate representations of dinosaurs are still rife in popular media and discourse. Reconstructions of dinosaurs in the past gave some five legs, misconstrued pterosaurs as dinosaurs, and imagined T. rex in a more vertical stance. Reisz said the team first considered comparing theropod teeth to those of modern crocodilians after seeing wear on crocodile teeth in fossil collections. They were easily able to distinguish tooth wear from exposure in life from postmortem effects to the teeth. Though some remarkable soft tissue fossils have been foundincluding one preserving a dinosaurs cloaca, the catch-all orifice for reproduction and waste expulsionpaleontologists have never unearthed a theropod with an immaculately preserved maw. Such a find would certainly help clarify the labial situation for some of Earths most famous predators. Ultimately, there is no good modern-day model for a bus-sized superpredator with the head the size of a bathtub that crushed the bones of its prey, Brusatte told Gizmodo. I do think, however, that this study has made the single strongest case for lippy tyrannosaurs yet. More: These 13 Images Depict the Most Realistic CGI Dinosaurs Ever More from Gizmodo Sign up for Gizmodo's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. (Bloomberg) -- South Africa needs six months to demonstrate the effectiveness of two new laws that aim to curb money laundering and financing of terrorism as it seeks a quick exit from a global financial watchdogs dirty money watch-list, President Cyril Ramaphosa said. Most Read from Bloomberg Ramaphosa signed the legislation into effect in December in a bid to address shortcomings in controls that were flagged by the Financial Action Task Force. Despite this, the watchdog added South Africa to its so-called gray list of countries that are subjected to increased monitoring, saying it still wasnt doing enough to curb the illicit financial flows. It is our intention that we are removed from that gray list and we are working very hard toward it, the president told lawmakers in Cape Town on Thursday. It is estimated that the country needs at least six months to demonstrate whether the recent amendments adopted by parliament are effective. Other nations on the gray list include Syria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. Read more: South Africa and Nigeria Are Added to Dirty-Money Watchlist Ramaphosa said the National Prosecuting Authority and a special police investigating unit known as the Hawks are also working hard to clamp down on financial crime and had been given additional funds to enable them to recruit more personnel. They have also been involved in the recovery of money that has been lost. The money that was illegally paid was recovered, he said. Progress is being recorded and a number of prosecutions are also under way. The National Treasury is studying how Mauritius and other nations managed to get themselves removed from the gray list, and said it will ask the FATF to review its status in its June plenary session. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has previously said the country could exit the list by mid-2024. Story continues Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. (Bloomberg) -- South Africas government will not break ties with Russia at the behest of other countries, its foreign affairs minister said ahead of bilateral talks. Most Read from Bloomberg There are some who dont wish us to have relations with an old historical friend, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor told journalists in Pretoria. We have made it clear that Russia is a friend we have had cooperative partnerships for many years, she said. Russias natural resources and environment minister, Alexander Kozlov, appeared alongside Pandor for the start of the 17th bilateral meeting between the countries. While we are friends with many all over the world we cannot become sudden enemies at the demand of others, Pandor said. South Africa has adopted a neutral stance on Russias invasion of Ukraine. The governments position has drawn criticism from some of its largest trading partners, including the US and the European Union, along with some of its biggest banks and investment companies. Read more: FirstRand CEO Slams South Africas Foolhardy Ties With Russia It is taking legal advice on how to handle an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin in the event the Russian leader attends a BRICS summit in South Africa in August. The ICC issued the warrant against Putin on March 18 for war crimes related to the alleged abduction of children from Ukraine. South Africa is a signatory to the Rome Statute that established the court, and may be obliged to execute the arrest order. Read more: Putin Arrest Warrant Prompts South Africa to Seek Legal Advice Pandor again called for a peaceful resolution to the war. We as South Africa remain hopeful that we can find a diplomatic solution to the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine, she said. Story continues Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Photo: CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP (Getty Images) The Southern states are in crisis. On Wednesday, North Carolina state Rep. Keith Kidwell introduced a total abortion ban with one mealy-mouthed exception into the states House. Its a draconian, three-page bill that posits that life begins at fertilization. Its also part of a growing trend of state lawmakers squeezing the last little bits of abortion access out of the South. Read more Looking at a map of abortion access in America is always, at best, a sigh-inducing endeavor. Since Roe v. Wade was overturned in June, the number of abortion clinics has dwindled. Some clinics have left the states where theyd operated for years, with the goal of being able to continue to provide care elsewhere. Nowhere is this more evident than the South. Lets consider each state in the region, from west to east: Missouri: No abortion access. Texas: A mess that amounts to no abortion access. Oklahoma: No abortion access. Arkansas: Before Roe v. Wade fell, it passed a trigger ban to make abortion immediately illegal in the state if Roe was ever overturned. Louisiana: Another trigger ban. Mississippi: No abortion access. Alabama: None. Georgia: Only before 6 weeks. Tennessee: No abortion access. Kentucky: A trigger ban is being challenged in court but is still in effect. South Carolina, Florida, and North Carolina are three bright spots in this regionand theyre all facing bills that seek to either outright ban abortion or severely curtail when during a pregnancy it is available. Today would have been the 50th anniversary of #RoevWade. Instead, we are marking 6+ months without the constitutional right to abortion. While were devastated by the decisions impact, we remain committed to restoring and expanding reproductive freedom and autonomy in the U.S. pic.twitter.com/SWOSRRbNEW Center for Reproductive Rights (@ReproRights) January 22, 2023 Though state officials had sought to limit abortion access for years, the overturning of Roe prompted legislators like Kidwell to put forward even more drastic restrictions and to move even faster. He calls his bill the Human Life Protection Act of 2023, and it seeks to make law the idea that pregnancy begins when a male human sperm penetrates...the female human ovum. Story continues Kidwells legislation would make performing an abortion a felony and a civil violation that could result in at least $100,000 fine (and attorneys fees) and the loss of professional licenses. It would go into effect on July 1, but its passage isnt yet guaranteed. Though North Carolina has a Democratic governor, both state houses are controlled by Republicans and, in the General Assembly, the GOP is just one vote shy of veto-proof majority. In Florida, the state Senate is fast-tracking a bill that would ban abortion at six weeks from the last menstrual period (LMP). (Measuring via LMP, while typical, usually overestimates a pregnancys progress by about two weeks. So even if youre eight weeks LMP, you might have only conceived six weeks ago but youre still not eligible for abortion care under this scenario.) Gov. Ron DeSantis (R, duh) has said hes open to signing a six-week abortion ban. Right now, that means even though abortion in Florida is limited at 15 weeks LMP, it is still relatively accessible compared to other states in the region. The six-week ban would drastically change that. South Carolinas battle is a bit more complicated. In January, the state Supreme Court found that a six-week ban on the books violated the state constitution. A lot was made out of the nearly two dozen lawmakers who initially supported a bill that would make abortion a crime punishable by the death penalty, but that bill never made it to a vote. Its now a waiting game for the legislatures next move. If North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida are no longer able to provide abortion care, in the contiguous U.S., the next closest clinics are in Illinois, Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, and Virginia. If you are a patient in Florida seeking care, a better bet might be flying to Puerto Rico. Instead of giving people the options to choose what is best in their life, lawmakers like Kidwell want to redefine abortion. In his three-page legislation, its no longer an abortion if the abortion will save the life or preserve the health of an unborn child; will remove a dead unborn child who death was caused by spontaneous abortion; or remove an ectopic pregnancy. These lawmakers are seeking greater control over reproduction by rewriting biology. An abortion is an abortion, whether it would limit the danger of an ectopic pregnancy, or whether it is merely what a pregnant person wants. Members of Congress introduced the Womens Health Protection Act on Wednesday and Thursday (in the Senate and House, respectively) to start the long process of creating a federal right to abortion. While longer-term measures are important, these kind of protections will not re-open shuttered abortion clinics or rehire care workers. Peoples lives are already upended because their bodily autonomy is being taken away; millions more are at risk of the same thing. Abortion access in the South is in a vice grip, and Im not sure how many times I can shout that people need to care. Abortion bans do not just affect abortion, even though that is the immediate affect. Abortion bans drive out doctors from practicing in the states. Abortion bans allow lawmakers to encroach on other forms of healthcare. It never stops with just attacking so-called womens issues. The saying is as California goes, so goes the country, but when it comes to abortion, the South is our bellwether. There are already so many warning signs; just scroll back up to this storys initial list. Do not ignore the latest attempts to snuff out abortion in the South. More from Jezebel Sign up for Jezebel's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 30) Renowned Kalinga tattoo artist Apo Whang-Od is aging like fine wine as she graces the beauty issue of Vogue Philippines for April. Heralded as the last mambabatok of her generation, she has imprinted the symbols of the Kalinga tribesignifying strength, bravery, and beautyon the skin of thousands of people who have made the pilgrimage to Buscalan, the fashion magazine said in its social media post. The 106-year-old mambabatok can be seen in her simplest beauty with only red lipstick, a black top, a few colorful beaded accessories, and of course her tattoos that adorn her chest and arms. Whang-Od began tattooing at age 15. She uses a mixture of charcoal and water for the ink and taps it into the skin through the thorny end of a local citrus calamansi or pomelo tree. She draws inspiration for her designs from nature and basic geometric figures. The National Commission for Culture and the Arts conferred on Whang-Od the Dangal ng Haraya Award in 2018. She was also nominated for the National Living Treasures Award in 2017. A hiker walks amid flowers in bloom in Rancho Palos Verdes on March 29. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) A soggy week in Southern California will end with sunny skies and warmer weather but for how long? The National Weather Service warned that the Los Angeles area could see thunderstorms with brief heavy rain, small hail, gusty winds and lightning Thursday afternoon before the latest storm leaves the area. Dry conditions with a warming trend are expected Friday and into the weekend, with high temperatures on Saturday reaching the lower 70s. What happens next is not yet certain: Models show that yet another storm system could make its way down the center of the state around Monday, delivering showers and low-elevation snow to the mountains and interior areas, along with cooler temperatures across the Southland. However, valleys and coastal areas may be spared more precipitation, said Mike Wofford, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. "Right now for the L.A. area, it looks like just a super small chance of rain, and if it does it'd be really light," he said. Instead of coming in from the ocean, the "inside slider" storm would stay more inland, so it doesn't have as much moisture to work with, Wofford said. "With these kinds of situations, sometimes we'll see rain or precipitation in the northern part of the state, the mountains, the Sierra Nevada, maybe down to some of our local mountains in the interior, but it's not really a favorable situation for rain getting down into the L.A. Basin area," he said. The stretch of dryness comes after the latest storm made a mess of conditions in several areas. Saturated soils, soaked with yet more rain, began to give way to landslides and sinkholes along freeways, including a portion of the 5 Freeway near Castaic and the 710 Freeway in Pasadena. Sinkholes are formed when water or erosion makes cavities beneath the surface of the land, causing it to eventually collapse or depress. The state has seen a spate of sinkholes due to the recent rains. A sinkhole was discovered on the southbound 710 freeway off-ramp to California Blvd. The off-ramp has been fully closed and traffic is being diverted to the Del Mar Blvd. off-ramp until temp repairs will allow single lane access. Full repairs will be completed on or before 4/4. pic.twitter.com/1WMMTMJCTb Pasadena Council District 6 (@Pasadena_D6) March 30, 2023 "All of these are from the relentless rains the soil has been undermined with water and it's starting to slide now," said California Department of Transportation spokesman Marc Bischoff. Story continues The sinkhole near Castaic located along the 5 Freeway about 2 miles north of Templin Highway resulted in partial lane closures in both directions, with no estimated time of reopening. Aerial footage showed a widening hole as a portion of the freeway crumbled to pieces and slid down a hill. Bischoff said geotechnical crews will evaluate the situation and make a plan for repair. "At some point, we're going to have to remove that soil and then rebuild the slope," he said. In Pasadena, a smaller hole developed Wednesday on the southbound side of the 710 Freeway at the California Boulevard offramp, the Pasadena Police Department said. City Councilman Steve Madison, whose district represents the area, said crews were working on a temporary repair that will allow single-lane access, but that full repairs probably won't be completed until next week. We have #AtmosphericRivers to thank for all this recent rain! The team from @CW3E_Scripps says we are at 31 atmospheric river events so far this water year (11 weak, 13 moderate, 6 strong, 1 extreme). Here is the map of where and when they all hit. pic.twitter.com/tbh3egHnb8 Scripps Institution of Oceanography (@Scripps_Ocean) March 29, 2023 Meanwhile, crews blocked off a portion of Wrightwood Drive in Studio City on Thursday morning after a torrent of mud tumbled onto the roadway. The Los Angeles Fire Department reported similar issues during the storm, including a mudflow on Beverly Crest that was cleared Wednesday. Caltrans on Thursday was also repairing a section of State Route 33 from Matilija Hot Springs Road to Lockwood Valley Road in Los Padres National Forest, which is closed until further notice "due to extensive storm damage." Video shared by the agency showed trucks moving large boulders and piles of dirt from the roadway. The right shoulder of the southbound Pacific Coast Highway is also closed from Topanga Boulevard to Coastline Drive in Malibu as Caltrans prepares to repair damage to the beachside slope by constructing a wall of boulders, the agency said. The rain has also affected beaches, as stormwater can wash bacteria, chemicals, debris, trash and other hazards from city streets and mountain areas into the ocean. The L.A. County Public Health Department has extended a beach water use advisory until 9 a.m. Saturday, cautioning that "elevated bacteria levels in ocean water may cause illness, especially in children and the elderly." The latest storm dropped even more rain and snow on a state that has been pummeled by cold, wet weather for months. The Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes said it has recorded 31 atmospheric river events in California since the end of last year, including 11 weak, 13 moderate, six strong and one extreme storm. While the storms eased drought conditions considerably, they also contributed to dozens of deaths, floods and infrastructure challenges for residents across the state. Angelenos used to sunnier, drier conditions are likely to see a return to form, at least for a little while. "There's really no strong signals for any sort of precipitation going all the way through like the middle of April," Wofford said. "It does look like the odds are that we're going to be in a fairly long dry stretch after this one." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Among the nine water companies across England, Southern Water recorded the highest number of permit breaches in 2022 The number of times Southern Water breached its storm overflow permits increased by 153% in one year, new data has revealed. The company registered 195 breaches in 2022, up from 77 the previous year. Among the nine water companies across England, Southern Water recorded the highest number of permit breaches last year. The firm disputed the figures and claimed there had been a drop in overall storm overflow activity. Last year, Southern Water recorded 195 breaches, which included 67 overflow conditions, according to new data. In comparison, Thames Water recorded 51 breaches and 33 overflows in 2022, while South West Water recorded 42 and 11 respectively. Catherine Chapman, from SOS Whitstable, which campaigns to improve water quality, said: "We want to be able to use the sea for our own pleasure, for our own mental health, for the community, for Whitstable, for the tourist industry, for the fishing industry. "To not be able to trust that you can go into the sea without it being full of raw sewage - it's infuriating and it's saddening." 'Still isn't good enough' However, a Southern Water spokeswoman said the data was not an official record of pollution incidents. "Based on official Environment Agency data for 2022, we have actually seen a fall in overall storm overflow activity and are already exceeding the government's expectations for spills per overflow," she said. "However, we know this still isn't good enough and are working extremely hard to drive down storm overflows, investing significantly to optimise our infrastructure and using innovative nature-based and engineering solutions, to slow the flow of surface and groundwater into our sewers." Industry body Water UK said breaches of overflow permits were "rare" and figures suggested they had reduced by almost 60% nationwide since 2020. "Although permit breaches can occur for a variety of reasons, and are not necessarily linked to pollution, companies are determined to continue reducing their occurrence," a spokesperson said. "Ultimately though, the transformation of rivers will require hard work, innovation and investment - with 56bn already planned for storm overflows alone," they added. Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk. Spanish television actress Ana Obregon has sparked a debate after revealing that she had a baby via surrogacy in the United States. The 68-year-old, who has starred in a number of Spanish sitcoms, was pictured on the cover of Hola! magazine this week holding her newborn daughter outside a hospital in Miami, Florida. The outlet reported that had welcomed the baby via surrogacy, which is prohibited in Spain. Obregon responded to the magazine cover on 29 March, when she shared an Instagram post confirming the baby news. The actor, whose son Alejandro Alex Lequio Garcia died from cancer in 2020 at age 27, captioned the post: A light full of love came into my darkness. I will never be alone again. I AM ALIVE AGAIN. The baby announcement quickly turned into a debate, as social media users and Spanish government officials chimed in about the ethics of surrogacy. Surrogacy is a practice that is not legal in Spain, said Irene Montero, Spains Minister of Equality and a member of the left-wing Podemos party. It is legally recognised in our country as a form of violence against women. According to The Guardian, Montero said that there was a clear poverty bias against women who become surrogate mothers, adding: We cant forget the reality of these women in precarious situations or who are at risk of, or in, poverty. Fellow left-wing politicians and members of Spains socialist party echoed the sentiment that surrogacy is a womens rights issue and a form of exploiting womens bodies. Presidency Minister Felix Bolanos said, Womens bodies should not be bought nor rented to satisfy anyones desires, per theBBC. Spain along with EU countries such as France, Germany and Italy has prohibited all forms of surrogacy, including altruistic surrogacy where there is no exchange of money or compensation. Although the practice is illegal in Spain, people who go abroad to have children via surrogacy are not penalised. In Spain, parentage after surrogacy is only recognised through legal adoption. Story continues In countries like the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, and Belgium, altruistic surrogacy is permitted but commercial surrogacy in which a surrogate agrees to become pregnant and deliver a child in exchange for financial compensation is banned. Meanwhile, surrogacy laws in the United States vary from state to state. In Florida, where Obregon opted to have a child via surrogate, gestational surrogacy is permitted by state law. However, people who are in support of surrogacy have claimed the practice allows for same-sex couples, single parents, and those who are unable to become pregnant to have a family. Earlier this year, Spain imposed tighter restrictions on surrogacy in a sweeping law that expanded abortion rights, as well as becoming the first country in Europe to offer paid menstrual leave. The law classified surrogacy as a form of reproductive violence against women. Last year, the country also passed legislation to ban advertisements for surrogacy. Most recently, new reforms were proposed in the UK that would allow couples to become a surrogate childs legal parents at birth. The surrogate would be able to withdraw her consent until six weeks after the babys birth, but she would then have to apply for a parental order to gain legal parental status. Under current restrictions, intended parents of a baby born via surrogate can be left waiting up to a year to be granted a parental order, which would recognise them as the babys legal parents. The suggested reforms, which were published this week by the Law Commission of England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission, have been hailed as life-changing amid rising demand to change the outdated surrogacy practice. rbkomar/Getty Images Apps like Life360 allow parents to track the whereabouts of their kids. I specialize in anxiety and know these apps can trigger it in kids and parents. Tech-free camps give kids some liberty but puts pressure on the camp to keep parents updated. I frantically scroll through the just-released sleepaway-camp photos and find a picture of my son, smiling, in a conga line during a camp dance. I breathe a sigh of relief. My friend tells our text chain that she is "freaking out" because Life360 is down, and she won't be able to track her daughter walking home from school. My young-adult-therapy client tells me about being in a store, overwhelmed by a minor decision about decorations for her friend's birthday party. She said she called her mother, who helped her talk through the options. Thanks to location sharing, apps like Life360, and the ability to get an immediate answer via text or by phone call, parents can know what's happening with their kids at any given time. And the same goes the other way: If a child needs to reach their parent for on-the-spot advice or support, they can get it whenever requested. Gone are the days of my Gen X childhood when I would be out and about with friends, freely roaming the neighborhood, knowing that my only obligation was to be home for 6 p.m. dinner. Nobody's parents knew where we were at any given time, and not even my overprotective parents seemed to worry about our whereabouts. Nowadays, having access to this type of surveillance and immediate contact can give kids and parents a sense of security and quell anxiety. But in the long term, this level of connection can do the opposite increasing anxiety in parents and children alike and lowering their ability to deal with uncertainty. Tracking your kids can help with anxiety and also trigger it As a psychologist specializing in anxiety, I frequently work with my clients to increase their tolerance to uncertainty. People with anxiety notoriously struggle with this. They often ask others for reassurance that things are OK or engage in behaviors such as compulsively checking things or doing internet searches to get immediate relief. Reassurance-seeking helps relieve anxiety in the short term. However, people become reliant on it. As a result, they get stuck in a cycle of anxiety and reassurance seeking. They don't learn how to cope effectively with uncertainty. Story continues Tracking software works by providing reassurance. You have a thought, "I wonder where my child is," and you immediately check and find out their exact location. Any anxiety about your child's whereabouts is quickly quashed. However, in the case of my friend, who became dependent on tracking her daughter, when the app was down, her mind went to catastrophe. The same is true if you're used to getting quick text responses from your child. If you don't hear back immediately, it might induce worry. Consider the case of Jennifer, a middle-school English teacher, who asked that only her first name to be used to protect her daughter's identity. Last year, her young-adult daughter texted and said she felt sick. Later, when Jennifer called her daughter to check in, she didn't answer the phone. Jennifer envisioned the worst-case scenarios and contacted the police to do a wellness check. Before the police arrived, her daughter called to say she had just awakened from a nap. Jennifer also uses Life360 to track her daughter, even though she's 21 and away at college. Jennifer said it's "comforting" for her to know that her daughter is where "she should be at night" and is safe, even if she's out at bars with her friends. Tech-free camps give kids independence To get another perspective, I spoke with Jarod Wunneburger, the director of Camp Timberlake, an overnight camp in Vermont. He said that even though the campers are "unplugged" from technology, there is a lot of pressure to post pictures in the parent portal. He said the camp will get calls from concerned parents saying things like, "My kid doesn't look happy in this picture." Or parents will reach out if the camp doesn't post pictures frequently enough or if their child is not in enough pictures. He explained that part of the camp-orientation experience is teaching parents how to separate from their kids. Children fortunate to attend a tech-free overnight camp can experience the type of independence I had in my childhood, even if they know their parents still see these pictures. While at camp, they can't reach a parent instantly if they are upset or uncertain about something, which, from my professional perspective, is a good thing. Anxiety is rampant and at an all-time high among children and teens. There are several factors that may contribute to that, and I suspect the inability to tolerate uncertainty because of smartphones is among them. I asked Jennifer how she would have felt if Life360 existed when she was younger and her mother had monitored her when she was in college. She said, without pause, "I would have turned that button off!" Bonnie Zucker, Ph.D., is a psychologist in Los Angeles who has worked in the area of anxiety for over 25 years. In addition to maintaining a private practice, Dr. Zucker is developing an online panic attacks prevention course and educating the public on anxiety through her TikTok account. You can find out more about Dr. Zucker on her website and follow her on Twitter. Read the original article on Insider At 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, students at the School for Advanced Studies, Wolfson Campus, strolled in, found their seats and popped open their laptops. Dreary-eyed and perhaps not yet fully awake for the school day ahead, they logged in to their email to double-check their schedules. Some students had exams later that morning and they needed to confirm where to go. They were quiet, perhaps even shy when their teacher asked the group to share a current event from the week or if they wanted to offer where theyd be interning this summer or attending college next year. (The timid demeanor wasnt typical, their teacher said. Maybe it was because a reporter and a photographer from the Herald were in the room.) But when asked to describe their teacher, Arlene S. Martinez, the group of 11th- and 12th-grade students who attend the dual-enrollment program rose to the occasion and rightly so. Martinez, a guidance counselor at the school, is the Heralds inaugural Honor Roll change maker, who after weeks of voting received hundreds of thousands of votes from Herald readers. Shes rigorous, a student said. Another said organized. Kind, supportive and available, the students said. One said Martinez is very deserving of the recognition. A few minutes later, another described Martinez, 60, whos been in the district for nearly three decades, as a no-nonsense teacher. Along with the expected supplies students are required to have each year, such as books and binders, Martinez also requires her students to bring Q-tips. The reason, she said, is to send a message that the students will need to listen and listen well. READ MORE: This 8th-grader from Argentina just won the spelling bee for the third year in a row The Miami Herald Honor Roll winner, Arlene S. Martinez, a guidance counselor at the School for Advanced Studies, Wolfson Campus, on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. The Herald received nearly 800,000 votes in the Honor Roll voting, which asked readers to nominate change makers in Miami-Dade and Broward schools. Shocked to be nominated In January, the Miami Herald set out to honor change makers in Broward and Miami-Dade county schools. The education reporters wanted to highlight the individuals who pour themselves into their jobs and make a big impact in the lives of students the bus drivers, cafeteria workers, teachers, guidance counselors, mentors and crossing guards. Story continues After weeks of voting generating nearly 800,000 votes Martinez earned that recognition. But when asked about it, she admitted that she was shocked to learn of her nomination to the bracket. Im humbled, she said. Theres so many teachers with so much talent out there. Its really nice to know youve made a difference and Im very thankful for that. Receiving the support from her school community and beyond is something incredibly special, she added. Martinez has always been surrounded by educators. Her mother was a teacher, her younger sister is a teacher and some members of her husbands family are also educators. Yet, her career as an educator wasnt her first profession. READ MORE: It was nerve-wracking. Two spellers battle for six rounds in Broward Spelling Bee Martinez is a CPA, but when her daughters were young, she decided to earn a masters degree in school counseling and special education. She worked in a middle school as a counselor for a few years and worked in the school districts Office of Community Engagement, where she worked with businesses to promote the district. Later, though, she returned to the school environment to use her counseling background. She joined SAS in 2016, where shes been ever since. The school, which has campuses throughout Miami-Dade, is a public high school where students in the 11th and 12th grades also take classes at Miami Dade College to earn an associates degree from MDC. Im with students all the time, she said. As a counselor, we have the opportunity to guide students and its rewarding to write letters of recommendation. The students are really talented and Im always in awe. Shes fortunate to work with a diverse group of students, she said, and feels grateful for the opportunity to help them accomplish their dreams. On Wednesday, students shared the internships they have lined up for the summer; some shared examples of job shadowing, which ranged from magazine work to the fashion industry to a hospital; others talked about what they wanted to study in college. Like the Oscars Raquel Rotham, a parent, nominated Martinez to the Heralds Honor Roll. In her submission, she wrote, Ms. Martinez goes above and beyond to make sure all students at SAS Wolfson are successful. Rothman continued: She has a vested interest in making sure no student falls through any crack and every last child gets to shine. She is emblematic of what an educator should be spectacular in every way! The children of SAS Wolfson are lucky to have her. Despite the recognition, Martinez believes classroom teachers deserve so much more credit and recognition for the work they do daily. (As a guidance counselor at SAS, Martinez teaches one period.) She pointed to the successes and excellence of the other finalists, two of whom she knows well from working in the district. Erica Echeverri, a zoology teacher at TERRA Environmental Research Institute, 11005 SW 84th St.; Maria F. Nunez, the assistant principal at Green Springs Charter School, 3555 NW Seventh St.; and Michael Townsel, a counselor at the School for Advanced Studies North, 11380 NW 27th Ave., were also recognized in the final four of the Honor Roll bracket. Its like the Oscars. Everyone that surrounded me (in the bracket) is so talented, she said, thanking everyone who voted for her. I am so honored. A Springfield Building Development Services inspector at a nuisance property on West Walnut Street on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022. Run-down, neglected properties often cause problems for nearby homeowners, prompting neighbors to come to City Council looking for solutions. A working group of local organizations and residents have developed a report with recommendations on how the city can tackle the issue. A joint project of the Neighborhood Advisory Council and Community Partnership of the Ozarks, the working group was made up of 33 individuals from those organizations as well as the city and private sector. The report recommends City Council takes up an entire overhaul of the city's nuisance property abatement system. "We can't expect substantial improvement if we continue to do what we have been doing. These issues are a product of decades of low wages, lack of educational attainment, crime, and other deeply rooted challenges for Springfield and southwest Missouri," reads the report. More: West Central Springfield neighborhood battle illuminates citys nuisance property struggles Recommendations made by the working group add up to a $665,000 one-time expense and a $125,000 annual increase in city expenses. According to the report, there were 17,803 nuisance-related code enforcement cases from 2015 to 2021 with an average of 3,000 per year. The report also suggests the true number of nuisance violations could be much higher because violations are often not reported. "Lack of confidence among citizens that a complaint will be addressed effectively and in a timely fashion erodes the likelihood that complain calls are made." The vast majority of violations 71% occur at rental properties. More resources and updated code are needed to address the problem, the report states. "We suggest the solution will require an enforcement staff of sufficient size to meet the violations head on, and resources devoted to addressing not just the symptoms, but also root causes: disinvestment, poverty, crime, and neighborhood betterment. It is difficult politically to make the tough choices to invest sufficiently to arrest the problem," it says. Story continues The report requests the city manager hire a new staff position focused specifically on residential nuisance properties. It also asks that an evaluation of the nuisance property system be conducted internally by the city manager's office or by a third-party contractor. The groups also hope neighborhoods could become more active in nuisance abatement allowing registered neighborhoods to be "alternative to contractors for mowing of overgrown lots for out-of-town owners, the elderly and disabled." More: City council tells repeat nuisance offenders to clean up their property, talks harsher penalties The report also recommends the extension of boarding requirements for vacant properties that have been broken into. "We suggest the adopted city-wide code be structured to facilitate rapid boarding, includ(ing) a provision that the property owner be responsible for maintaining the integrity of the boarding, and that a permit be required with an escalating fee schedule to encourage boarding to be seen and used as a temporary measure." The report recommends city code be amended to "empower code officials with the ability to judge whether a property's appearance is reasonably consistent with the expectations within a given neighborhood." They also suggest the city's rental registration program be replaced with a rental inspection program. According to the work group, the registration program has not been enforced adequately and an inspection program would allow the city to be more proactive. "The city could utilize the findings from the site visits to implement a new rental inspection program over the next 12-24 months that focuses on life safety and accountability " reads the report. "To develop a framework for inspections that would be affordable for tenants, not penalize responsible property owners, and lift the floor for housing standards across Springfield." In an email response to the working group co-leads, City Manager Jason Gage suggested they present their findings to City Council in the near future. He added that his staff will "need to dive into significant detail regarding legal, cost and logistics before finalizing our thoughts on each of the recommendations." Gage did express a concern that some recommendations could create a need to rehouse "those hundreds to thousands of individuals that could be displaced into homelessness by the recommended rental housing inspection program when we determine their residence is unfit for human habitation." "I do feel strongly that we cannot increase our homeless population due to a rental housing inspection program and must have a formal community approach in place if the City Council should desire to implement it," Gage wrote. This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Springfield council to consider chronic nuisance code overhaul Sixty years after Stafford and Janice Smith acquired it in 1961, Stafford's Bay View Inn is now one of five lodging and dining properties operated by Stafford's Hospitality. NORTHERN MICHIGAN Staffords Hospitality is one of 11 recipients of the Best Small Business award from Michigan Celebrates Small Business. An awards ceremony will be held during the 19th annual Michigan Celebrates Small Business Gala on Tuesday, May 2 at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing. It's really a recognition of our longevity and our strengths in our communities for what we do, Staffords Chairman Reg Smith said. Staffords owns three hotels in Emmet and Charlevoix counties, as well as restaurants like Staffords Pier Restaurant in Harbor Springs and the Weathervane in Charlevoix. The business started more than 60 years ago when Stafford and Janice Smith opened Staffords Bay View Inn at 2011 Woodland Ave. in Petoskey. According to Smith, who is also their son, the couple opened the inn with the intention of building up Northern Michigans year-round economy. Stafford and Janice Smith bought Staffords Bay View Inn in 1961. More:Downtown co-working space meets needs of Petoskey's remote workers More:60 years of hospitality: Stafford's reaches milestone anniversary Their commitment was to the community, to Petoskey and to be here on a year round basis. When they first got into business, a lot of downtown (businesses) followed exactly the Mackinac Island model of Memorial Day to Labor Day and then they shut it down, Smith said. So our history really is, not only one of having a livelihood, but also of helping establish this part of Michigan as a destination for four seasons. That is a commitment that they consciously made when they got married and settled up here and that's a really important commitment that we continue today. We really are trying to be an important part of the identity of Petoskey and our surrounding communities and a pillar in the tourism travel industry. During peak season, the company employs as many as 400 full-time and part-time employees. In the off-season, the company still has around 100 to 120 people working for it. While Staffords has seen significant growth since its founding, it is still considered a small business, according to U.S. Census parameters. Story continues Stafford's Perry Hotel is shown. Subscribe: Check out our offers and read the local news that matters to you Small business is the heartbeat of economics in our country, Smith said. It doesn't make headlines like the large corporations but small business is by far and away the biggest economic driver and influencer of the way our country works. Michigan Celebrates Small Business is part of the Michigan Small Business Development Center, which provides expert consulting to new and existing small businesses in Michigan at no cost. All award recipients are clients of the development center. Funding for the organization comes from cooperative agreements from a variety of organizations like U.S. Small Business Administration, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and Regional Hosts. Its great to see these entrepreneurs get recognized for all the hard work and passion that goes into their businesses, CEO and Executive State Director J.D. Collins said in a March 15 press release. The Michigan SBDCs mission is to help small businesses succeed and this impressive list demonstrates the impact we aim to have with all our clients. Contact reporter Tess Ware at tware@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on Twitter, @Tess_Petoskey. This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Stafford's named one of Michigan's best small businesses ASHBURNHAM A standoff that caused officials to close off roads around Cushing Academy and sent pedestrians scurrying from the school's sidewalks and playing fields ended at about 9:45 a.m. Thursday after a suspect was taken from the scene in an ambulance. The suspect, whose name was not released by officials, was expected to face several charges as a result of the incident. ASHBURNHAM - A state police tactical vehicle leaves the area of the Cushing Academy campus after a chase and standoff ended there Thursday, March 30, 2023. The incident began at approximately 8:00 a.m. when the Ashburnham Police Department received a call that a vehicle was failing to stop for Winchendon police and was heading towards Ashburnham. The operator of the vehicle was suspected to have possibly been involved in an unarmed robbery in Fitzwilliam, NH, according to officials. The vehicle continued through Winchendon on Rte. 140 and then into Gardner, where it turned north on Rte. 101 and continued to not stop for police. The vehicle traveled onto School St. in Ashburnham, which is a dead-end road on the Cushing Academy campus. With police blocking the only exit, the vehicle drove onto a sidewalk between two buildings and entered the school's playing fields. ASHBURNHAM - Members of the state police STOP team gather in the area of Route 101 and Willard Road where a man refused to get out of his vehicle after a chase Thursday, March 30, 2023. The chase went through Cushing Academy briefly and the standoff ended just off the campus grounds. Several people had to flee sidewalks and the field areas during this time, according to police. The operator of the vehicle made several attempts to strike Ashburnham police vehicles and did strike a Winchendon police vehicle, according to officials. The vehicle then exited the fields and returned to Center St. at the intersection of Willard Rd. The vehicle, unable to make a right turn onto Willard Rd., continued straight down a private residential driveway and into the woods, where it became stuck. The operator barricaded himself in the vehicle and refused to cooperate with police. State Police special tactical operations team involved The Massachusetts State Polices Special Tactical Operations Team and Crisis Response Unit assisted in the incident. At approximately 9:45 a.m., the suspect was placed into custody and transported by the Ashburnham Fire Department to an emergency facility for evaluation. Story continues ASHBURNHAM - A man is loaded into an ambulance in the area of Route 101 and Willard Road after a chase and standoff Thursday, March 30, 2023. There was no threat to the public during the incident, according to Ashburnham officials. No injuries were sustained by the suspect, pedestrians, or law enforcement officials. Police are asking anyone with information about the incident, including videos, contact Detective Les Holgerson at lholgerson@ashburnham-ma.gov. This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Ashburnham standoff ends near Cushing Academy TRENTON - A state trooper from South Jersey who went missing last week is now the subject of an internal investigation. Photos released in an effort to locate Jason "Jay" Dare raised public concerns over the troopers tattoos, Col. Patrick Callahan, superintendent of the State Police, said in a statement. Blood Honor tattoo on missing trooper's neck One visible tattoo on Dares neck says Blood Honor words once used as a slogan by the Hitler Youth and a current identification for an international racist skinhead umbrella group, according to the Anti-Defamation League. There is currently an internal investigation into the matter, said Callahan, who noted Dare is on administrative leave from his $100,820-per-year job. More: Suspended without pay South Jersey police officer charged with child-porn offense Guidelines provided to New Jersey State Police recruits note tattoos are not allowed on an applicant's neck, among other usually exposed areas. They note applicants also cannot "publicly or privately display a tattoo that is prejudicial to good order, discipline or causes a discredit to the member of the Division while acting in any capacity. "There is no room for hate, prejudicial rhetoric or divisive behavior in our organization, Callahan said. Jason Dare disappeared The state police have enlisted the assistance of our law enforcement partners to conduct a thorough investigation, said the superintendent, who did not specify which agencies are involved. Dare, a Vineland resident, became the subject of a search after he walked away from a medical facility in suburban Philadelphia on March 19. The New Jersey State Police Facebook page at that time described Dare as "missing and endangered." It posted photos of Dare, including one showing the neck tattoo, to help people recognize him. Dare was found safely in Pennsylvania on March 24. State police have offered no additional information about Dare, including where and how he was found. Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal. This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: NJ missing persons: Blood Honor tattoo on state trooper investigated Nicolas Cage (Getty Images) Nicolas Cage has denied that he went full method on the set of Renfield, in which he plays Dracula. In the new movie, Cage, 59, plays the vampire, while Nicholas Hoult, 33, portrays the title character, Draculas long-suffering assistant and henchman. Renfield director Chris McKay recently claimed in an interview that whatever scene we did he [Cage] would still be 100 per cent living in that attitude after we stopped shooting. The director added: So if hes a little frosty in the scene hes going to have a little bit of that between takes. But still up for whatever we were doing. At the New York City premiere on Tuesday (28 March), Cage told The Hollywood Reporter that he remembers things differently. I just dont have that recollection, I dont know why Chris said that, he said. I had a lot of laughs in between takes with both Chris McKay and Nick Hoult, so maybe that was his experience, maybe because I still had the fangs in my mouth that made me speak a certain way, but that wasnt my experience. The film marks the first time Cage and Hoult have worked together since 2005s The Weather Man, which Hoult starred in when he was just 14 years old. I think getting to work with him again as an adult gave me a true appreciation of what a master he is of the craft, how much hes given to the cinematic world over the years, all of the iconic performances hes given, and I think this is another one, Hoult said. Nicolas Cage (Getty Images) McKay said he knew Cage was perfect to play the vampire, who according to Cage is both creepy and funny in this movie. Hes supposed to be the rock n roll Dracula, said McKay, so what better person to embody rock n roll Dracula than Nicolas Cage? He can wear rings, he can wear the outfits, he looks amazing, and hes got the right attitude. Renfield is not the first time Cage has worn fangs on screen. In the outlandish Eighties comedy horror, Vampires Kiss, Cage played a literary agent who falls in love with a bloodsucker. While he wore joke shop quality fangs, Cage was very committed to the role, even eating live cockroaches. Renfield arrives in UK cinemas on 14 April. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 29) - The De La Salle University Dasmarinas will increase police visibility inside its campus and nearby vicinities after one of its students was found dead inside her dormitory on Tuesday. "Safety marshals from the school will be deployed off-campus in the vicinity of private dorms and other establishments frequented by students," La Salle said in a statement Wednesday The university added that it will collaborate with the local government in conducting a thorough inspection of dormitories near the campus. La Salle said they will also "work closely" with the family of the student and the authorities in investigating the case. According to reports, the student was found dead in her dormitory at Barangay Santa Fe in Dasmarinas, Cavite. Students were also reminded to take safety precautions whether they are in their homes or outside the campus. "Set your gadgets to readily respond to emergencies [and] inform trusted persons of your location," La Salle said. "As much as possible, be with trusted friends and classmates while investigation of the incident is ongoing," the university added. According to La Salle, counseling and debriefing sessions were provided to the academic community. Top Fox News executives and anchors had deep doubts about claims from Donald Trump and his allies that the 2020 presidential election was rigged, but network leaders continued to air these conspiracy theories for fear of losing audience members, according to new emails obtained from Dominion Voting Systemss defamation lawsuit against the conservative news network. In one December 2020 email, Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott reportedly told an employee who fact-checked Mr Trump to stop now. This is bad business and there clearly is a lack of understanding what is happening in these shows, reads the email, part of a trove of documents obtained by watchdog group Media Matters for America. The audience is furious and we are just feeding them material. In another email from the newsroom boss, she reportedly laments, I cant keep defending these reporters who dont understand our viewers and how to handle stories. We lost 25k subs[cribers] from Fox Nation, she adds. The doubts, according to the new trove of emails, extended to top Fox News talent as well. In the notes ahead of an election-season interview, host Maria Bartiromo reportedly wrote, Ive not seen any proof so far of the ballot fraud. Tucker Carlson, meanwhile, reportedly called former Trump lawyer Sidney Powell, a prominent advocate of election conspiracies, a psychopath. Shes getting Trump all spun up and has zero evidence, the anchor reportedly says in a message involved in the suit. Producers for Jeanine Pirro reportedly went so far as to warn network executives that the host was about to air one election-season segment that was rife w[ith] conspiracy theories and bs and us yet another example why this woman should never be on live television. The documents are the latest revelations from the suit indicating widespread knowledge at Fox News that the 2020 election claims of prominent guests and hosts were false. Fox News owner, media mogul Rupert Murdoch, admitted during a deposition in the suit that his top talent endorsed at times this false notion of a stolen election. Story continues I would have liked us to be stronger in denouncing it in hindsight, Mr Murdoch said, according to court documents. In another set of messages released in the suit, Tucker Carlson describes how he passionately hates Donald Trump and looks forward to no longer covering him, though the host has denied this. The Independent has contacted Fox News for comment. Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen called for justice and accountability Thursday in the wake of news that former President Donald Trump has been indicted for his alleged role in a hush-money payment prevent Ms Daniels from revealing her affair with Mr Trump in the buildup to the 2016 presidential election. For the first time in our Countrys history, a President (current or former) of the United States has been indicted. I take no pride in issuing this statement and wish to also remind everyone of the presumption of innocence; as provided by the due process clause, Mr Cohen said in a statement reported by Maggie Haberman of The New York Times. Mr Cohen said he takes solace in the the notion that no one, not even a former president, is above the law and suggested that, in the coming weeks, hes content to sit back and watch the case proceed from a distance. Now that the charges have been filed, it is better for the case to let the indictment speak for itself, Mr Cohen said. The two things I wish to say at this time is that accountability matters and I stand by my testimony and the evidence I have provided to DANY. Clark Brewster, an attorney for Ms Daniels, greeted news of the indictment with a similar call to let the process play out. The indictment of Donald Trump is no cause for joy. The hard work and conscientiousness of the grand jurors must be respected. Now let truth and justice prevail. No one is above the law. #teamstormy clark brewster (@cbrew1) March 30, 2023 The hard work and conscientiousness of the grand jurors must be respected, Brewster said. Now let truth and justice prevail. No one is above the law. #teamstormy. Ms Daniels seemed to agree with her lawyers sentiment, tweeting Thank you in response to his tweet. Porn star Stormy Daniels has given a combative live-stream to her subscribers on OnlyFans, vowing to testify against Donald Trump if called upon to do so. In a broadcast on Wednesday night via the popular subscription app, Ms Daniels said she has extensive records to back up her claims that she was paid hush money in 2016 to keep quiet about Mr Trumps affair with her years earlier. That alleged payment is now being scrutinised by prosecutors in New York City, who are reportedly preparing criminal charges against the former president. Mr Trump denies any wrongdoing and denies having an affair with Ms Daniels. I am not afraid and I will not back down, said the 44-year-old actor and director. If what he did was illegal, he should be held accountable. I dont think that anybody should be untouchable just because they have money or because theyre in power. She also shot back at Trump supporters who have criticised and harassed her on social media, often making sexist comments such as calling her a w**** (a label she embraces). One of the things I get attacked for the most is about my vagina saying it must be loose, said Ms Daniels. Do Trump supporters not know how vaginas work? So if youre married and your wife f***s you once or twice a week you can f*** the same dick a hundred times, but if you f*** a hundred [penises] once, it changes it? And if you have a lot of sex as a woman you get loose, but if you have a lot of sex as a man wouldnt your penis get whittled down? She added that many of the people attacking her also interacted positively with another porn star who supports Donald Trump, which she called a f***ed up double standard. I have pretty thick skin. Im in the porn industry. You cant really embarass me... but when you attack me about my age, or my looks, or my sexuality, my weight, it makes me very sad. Not for myself, obviously, but I would guarantee everyone one of those people who say that well, they all have a mom, a grandmother, a sister, duaghters. How do you think they would feel if they see that? At other points, Ms Daniels addressed criticism that she had exploited the furore over Mr Trump for her own commercial gain, saying it had derailed and overshadowed an accomplished career. EDITORS NOTE: This reporting is part of ongoing Charlotte Observer coverage about gun violence, its impact on families and communities and relevant public policy. This family gathering, organized to celebrate 13-year-old Aalayah Fulmores return from the hospital after a stay there that lasted more than half the summer of 2022, is supposed to be a happy event. And there are certainly signs that a partys going on: colorful balloon arches, a gigantic cake and banners with Aalayahs name on them in the living room; caterers in the kitchen prepping a mouth-watering soul-food meal; a spiked, pink-colored punch for the grown-ups; Beyonce songs blaring through the speakers. Shes home, so Im good now! Aalayahs mom, Stacy, announces to a visitor, with a smile. She says it like she means it. But at the same time, theres a whiff of sadness. Or, if its not sadness, maybe its just a general feeling that the Fulmore family still has a tremendous amount of healing left to do. Aalayah physically; her closest relatives emotionally. Its Sept. 17, a full 71 days removed from the night Aalayah very nearly was killed after being struck in the abdomen by a stray bullet that came through the wall of her mothers Concord apartment yet the middle-schooler still looks like she has only just begun to recover. Getting her downstairs from her new bedroom in the rented Charlotte house that Stacy relocated to after the incident is a process. Aalayah needs a crutch to get around when shes upright, and shes wearing a boot to stabilize her foot. The walk from the front of the house to her chair on the back patio takes probably five times as long as it normally would. Aalayah smiles while opening gifts that get dropped into her lap, but shes mostly quiet and reserved, far from her usual outgoing self. Or at least the way her family describes what she was like before a bullet changed her life. Its almost like shes still in a bit of a daze, and shes not the only one. Her aunt, Kimberley Fulmore of Lumberton, becomes increasingly distraught as she describes the effects of the tragedy on her and her family, before finally blurting out, Yall, I aint nothin but a bucket of tears, youll have to excuse me. Story continues She still got a long road to recovery, says Aalayahs grandmother, Judy Fulmore-Gamble of Raleigh. She still has the colostomy bag. She got to do some more healing. But for the most part, for what shes been through flatlines, uncontrollable bleeding, seven surgeries ... She seemed headed for a bright-side outlook, but doesnt complete the thought. Instead, she shakes her head, as she watches the caterers set up the celebratory meal in Stacys kitchen. This has been a journey. A terrible journey. And like a nightmare in the daytime and the nighttime. Stacy Fulmore keeps her arm around her daughter Aalayah as she helps her step outside during a welcome-home party for Aalayah last September. I started screaming for my mama Aalayah remembers what happened with alarming clarity. It was after 2 in the morning on Friday, July 8, and Aalayah as often had been the case, especially in the summer was doing her night-owl thing while her twin sister, Aaliyah, slept soundly in her bed on the other side of the room. Shed taken a shower and was lying on her own bed watching an episode of Black Ink Crew: New York on her laptop when she heard what sounded like people arguing outside their apartment, at the Patriots Pointe complex off Zion Church Road near Highway 49. Shortly before 3, she shut down her laptop and tried to go to sleep. Then, it started: the pop-pop-popping sound of gunfire. It was just so loud. It hurt my ears. It hurt my ears, Aalayah recalls. I sat up trying to get Aaliyah off the bed, but she was not waking up. It was making me mad, cause she wouldnt wake up. Then I saw something go through my stomach. It was like a flash. When I jumped up off the bed, my body was ringing. It just started tingling. I tried to run, but I hit my toe on the bed and fell. And I started screaming for my mama. Stacy had heard the shots, too, but shed heard that sound outside of her apartment before. So she continued lying in bed, trying to ignore it. Until she heard the screams. She immediately sprang to her feet and raced to her daughters room, where Aaliyah who was suddenly wide awake and sitting bolt upright on her bed told her mother she thought Aalayah was hollering the way she was because of a bad dream. But now Aalayah wasnt making much noise at all. In fact, she couldnt seem to catch her breath. Her lips and skin were also starting to take on a bluish tint. Whats wrong? Whats wrong?? Stacy frantically asked Aalayah, the pit of her stomach filling with the feeling one gets right before the first big drop on a roller coaster. She got no response. Then Stacy noticed that her daughter had a little spot of red on her shirt, almost like she was eating some ketchup and spilled right on it. Stacy lifted up Aalayahs shirt to find a hole in her abdomen, made by one of the 30 to 40 bullets that were fired. A health care technician by trade, she figured the rest of the bleeding was internal. She grabbed her phone and called 911. A literally heart-stopping moment The bullet basically just bounced around, tearing up her insides. Among other things, it caused damage to Aalayahs large intestine and to a major artery affecting blood flow in her leg. After she was rushed to Atrium Health Cabarrus in Concord, Stacy says, doctors were performing emergency surgery on that leg when Aalayahs heart stopped beating. Aalayah seems to remember that in shockingly vivid detail, too. It was just like a bright light, she says. It was just like shining like so bright, it was blinding me in my eyes. Then I heard the hospital people, they saying like, Come on, come on, come on!, and its just going in and out, like in and out, in and out. Then it was like super, super close to the light and then everything just went black. I dont know what happened after that. Aalayah had no pulse, her mother says, for five minutes. CPR wasnt applicable given her daughters situation, so in order to get her heart restarted, doctors had to cut open Aalayahs chest and directly massage it. But even after they got Aalayahs heart functioning again, Stacy said she feared she would lose her daughter. She keeps bleeding out, and we cant stop it, she said doctors told her. We keep giving it and shes losing it. Ultimately, Stacy said, Aalayah had to get over 50 units of blood and they said theyve never seen anybody have to get that many, ever. No human. No adult. On top of that, Stacy added, because Aalayah had lost the ability to breathe on her own due to her injuries, doctors put her on a special ventilator on its highest setting. Everybodys crying, everybodys just going through, like, preparing for her to die, Stacy recalls. Aalayah did survive the night, but she was nowhere close to being in the clear. Stacy says that after Aalayah was transferred by ambulance to Levine Childrens near uptown Charlotte later that morning, doctors there told the family that she was the sickest one in the ICU there ... and they (have) some sick patients in ICU. Aalayah was in the intensive care unit for a month. For the majority of that time, she was in an induced coma, on a ventilator, and (as Stacy perceived it) hooked up to a thousand tubes. Aalayah had so many surgeries that the family lost count. At one point, there was a thought that they might need to amputate her leg. In order to heal both her leg wound and her abdominal wound, doctors had to use a treatment called vacuum-assisted closure, which applies gentle suction that pulls fluid and infection from the wound but leaves it looking like something out of a horror movie. The list of issues and ailments and complications and setbacks that they dealt with during her two months in the hospital goes on and on and on. The list of leads in the case, however, does not. Aalayah, at right, with her Aunt Rosalind at Levine Childrens Hospital in Charlotte last summer. What did you prove by doing this? Stacy believes its possible that if her daughter had been laying there asleep instead of laying there awake when the bullet struck her abdomen, Aalayah probably wouldnt have ever woken up probably would have just bled out in her bed across the room from her twin. Stacy also mentions that another bullet wound up piercing through the mirror in the girls bathroom, at right about the spot where the reflections of the girls heads appear in the mirror. She shudders to think how things might have gone if one of them was using it at the time the shooting broke out. Its chilling. Its heart-breaking. Its also fairly infuriating. When asked what shed say if she could talk directly to the person responsible, Aalayahs aunt Rosalind Richmond holds her hands out in front of her, palms up. Why did you do this? she says. Did you think that you could have killed innocent people? Why do you have a gun? Where did you get weapons from? They just didnt care who they shot, Stacy says, jumping in. Rosalind sighs. Then she smiles and shifts to something more positive, noting that there is at least one silver lining to all of this: The family is closer than ever. Kimberley, their other sister, made plans to move to Charlotte from Lumberton after this ordeal indicated to her that being close by to family was paramount. She also thinks Aalayah is the type of person who could eventually become someone who publicly and vigorously advocates against gun violence. But the focus now is her, you know, just healing and the rest of itll work itself out, Rosalind says, pivoting back to the shooter. Theyll get theirs. ... Theyll get caught. Theyll get caught, Stacy repeats. Probably take some time. Might be months. But its gonna come to light. Some way or another. According to the Cabarrus County Sheriffs Office, as of this week eight months after Aalayah was shot there is no additional information available about the investigation. A spokesperson says it is ongoing. Stacy Fulmore, right, with Aalayah in the home in Charlotte they moved into after Stacy decided she couldnt keep her family in the apartment where the shooting happened. She seems like an awfully tough kid. But ... Aalayah hobbles downstairs into the living room and settles into the couch. Its now March. She is done with the colostomy bag. The leg she almost lost is really still the only thing bothering her. She stays planted in that seat for almost an hour and a half, either talking about what happened or listening to her mom or her Aunt Rosalind recount the journey from their perspective. Over the course of the conversation, the expression on Aalayahs face shifts only from time to time, and only slightly. She says she doesnt feel sorry for herself. Her mom says she hasnt shown any signs of depression. Generally speaking, Aalayah acts like the whole thing has not been that big a deal. No, not really, she says, flatly, when asked if she spends much time thinking about the shooting. I dont really care. She does seem like an awfully tough girl. But it also seems like maybe shes keeping a lot bottled up inside of her. Because, after all, the facts of the matter are these: After she got home from the hospital, her mom and her aunt say, Aalayah had nightmares populated with images of guns and bullets and the sounds of gunfire. Aalayah shakes her head no when asked if she has experienced any feelings of worry or anxiety, but privately, Stacy and Rosalind have contradicted that assertion repeatedly. As mentioned, her leg is really still the only thing bothering her. But its a significant bother. The tendon causing that problem is contracted, and shell need yet another surgery to get it stretched out so she can start working toward walking without a limp again. Although she tried to go back full-time this past winter to her new middle school, Ranson on Statesville Road, she recently was scaled back to afternoons-only because she and her mom mutually agreed she wasnt yet ready mainly due to the combined physical demands of being away from home nearly nine hours a day and her difficulty getting around. Just last week, Rosalind says, Aalayah was participating in an in-school field trip when some sort of activity involving an explosion-type of sound caused her to have a panic attack, which necessitated a trip to the hospital. To make matters worse, her aunt says, another student circulated a video of Aalayahs episode. Aalayah didnt go to school the following day because she was upset with the attention. These are things that hurt her moms and her aunts hearts. But they keep harping on the ugly, hard stuff because they feel like its as important to talk about the bad days as it is to celebrate the good ones. The community needs to know, Rosalind says. I see all types of events in the park, where parents are doing these anti-gun-violence things, where they have a police come out and talk about it. Its a thing. And ... now its really a thing with us. Were a part of it. So now we gotta do something. Get the word out. We gotta make sure it dont keep happening. She pauses, and lets out a heavy sigh before pursing her lips and continuing: I dont want to live out here knowing that somebody can just come and shoot up apartment buildings, Aalayahs aunt says, shaking her head. Theres gotta be ways that we can stop this crime. Theres gotta be ways we can stop this violence. Aalayah, photographed eight months after the shooting. Her family thinks that, someday, she might embrace opportunities to do public speaking engagements as an advocate against gun violence. - In the wake of the shooting, Stacys manager at Atrium Health University City launched a fundraising campaign to help with Aalayahs medical expenses. Hikers explore a new trail system Monday in the Saddleback Wilderness in Orange County. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) With an incredibly wet winter comes a major shift in the landscape of previously parched California. Reflecting on a wild winter, California Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nemeth said at a recent meeting of the agency that the state was unique across the western U.S. in its capacity to move from very, very wet to very, very dry and back to very, very wet. The image below shows the incredible change from space. The photo on the left, from NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, shows the state on Aug. 16, 2022. By the time the photo on the right was captured, on March 26, 2023, deep browns had been replaced by lush greens. Snow blanketed the Sierra. For skeptics who might think such a dramatic shift happens every year between summer and spring, below is a similar side-by-side image from Aug. 24, 2021, and March 25, 2022. Though the landscape clearly gets greener and some snow appears on mountains, the difference last year was nowhere near as stark as this year. Gov. Gavin Newsom significantly rolled back drought restrictions last week. Nearly two-thirds of the state was no longer in drought as of March 21, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. In images A mountain biker rides through the lush green landscape brought on by the rainstorms at the Hidden Valley Wilderness Area on Feb. 13 in Riverside. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) Kareem Sharaf, his 2-year-old son, Ray, and a companion explore a waterfall that appeared in Dana Point because of the recent heavy rainfall. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) A hiker walks amid flowers in bloom on March 29 in Rancho Palos Verdes. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) A hiker with his dog on a trail in Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area on March 24. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Last year, reports of severe, unexplained hepatitis in previously healthy children puzzled health experts around the world. Now a small new study of American children adds to the evidence that the cases, which remained extremely rare, may have been caused by a simultaneous infection with multiple common viruses, including one known as adeno-associated virus type 2, or AAV2. AAV2 is not typically associated with disease, and it requires a second helper virus in order to replicate. Many of the children with unexplained hepatitis, or liver inflammation, were infected with multiple helper viruses, the researchers found. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Although the idea remains speculative, the timing of the outbreak may have been related to the loosening of pandemic precautions, leaving large numbers of young children exposed to common viruses they had not previously encountered. It may have resulted in a population that was highly vulnerable to getting infected with multiple viral infections, said Dr. Charles Chiu, an infectious disease specialist and microbiologist at the University of California, San Francisco, and an author of the new study. The research appeared Thursday in the journal Nature, alongside two British studies that also implicated AAV2 in the hepatitis cases. Preliminary versions of the British studies were posted online last summer. The consistent findings are quite striking, said Dr. Frank Tacke, head of the gastroenterology and hepatology department at the Charite University Medical Center in Berlin, who was not involved in the research but wrote an accompanying commentary. The fact that three independent groups found this from different areas of the world actually makes it really convincing. Still, the findings are not definitive, and many uncertainties remain, including how these infections might trigger hepatitis and whether AAV2 plays a causal role or is just a bystander, Tacke said. (There has also been some debate about whether the cases truly became more common last year or whether they were part of a previously unrecognized phenomenon.) Story continues The cases date to autumn 2021 but seemed to peak last spring and summer before tapering off, experts said. By last July, more than 1,000 probable cases had been reported in 35 countries, including the United States, according to the World Health Organization. Roughly 5% of children required liver transplants, and 2% died. In several early studies, scientists found that many of the affected children were infected with adenoviruses, particularly adenovirus 41, which typically causes gastrointestinal symptoms. Adenoviruses are not typically known to cause hepatitis in otherwise healthy children, but they are common helper viruses for AAV2. The new study was a collaboration among academic researchers, state health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among other institutions. The researchers studied biological samples from 16 American children, from six states, with unexplained hepatitis. All had previously tested positive for an adenovirus. They also studied samples from 113 control children, a group that included healthy children, children with gastroenteritis and children with hepatitis from a known cause. Blood samples were available from 14 of the children with unexplained hepatitis. The researchers found AAV2 in 13 of those children, or 93% of them, compared with 3.5% of control children. Among the 30 children who had hepatitis linked to a known cause, none tested positive for AAV2. Most of the children with unexplained hepatitis also tested positive for at least one herpes virus, which means that many were infected by at least three viruses: AAV2, an adenovirus and a herpes virus. In the British studies, which were also small, scientists found AAV2 in the blood and livers of affected children. Many were also infected with an adenovirus or herpes virus. In one study, 25 of 27 affected children shared an immune-related genetic variant that is relatively uncommon in the general population. The finding suggests that this variant might predispose some children to hepatitis when they are infected by AAV2 and one or more helper viruses. It may turn out that in rare cases, you have kind of a perfect storm of events, where theres a subset of children who were uniquely susceptible, Chiu said. More research is necessary to determine whether one or more of these viruses were injuring the liver directly, he said. An alternative explanation is that, in a small subset of children, infection with multiple viruses triggers an overly strong immune response, which damages the liver. Nailing down the mechanism would have important implications for treatment, Tacke added. If the viruses are damaging the liver, then antivirals might be the best course of treatment; if an immune overreaction is to blame, then suppressing the immune response with steroids might be a better choice, he said. c.2023 The New York Times Company Jack Diamond in action for Sunderland (Getty Images) Sunderland winger Jack Diamond has been charged with rape by Northumbria Police. Lincoln City, for whom Diamond has played 31 times this season, have terminated their loan contract for the 23-year-old, and Sunderland have suspended him pending the outcome of the case. Diamond was arrested following an incident in Washington, Tyne and Wear in May last year. Police have now charged him with one count of rape and one count of sexual assault. Sunderland has been notified that criminal charges have been brought against Jack Diamond by the Crown Prosecution Service, the club said in a statement. As this matter is subject to a legal process, the club will not be making any further statement at this time. He will appear before South Tyneside Magistrates Court in May. The House Finance Committee has less than two weeks to make its way through stacks of budget documents before taking a budget before the full House for a vote. Republican and Democratic budget writers in the House are moving to reject nearly all of the controversial and sweeping professional licensing changes Gov. Chris Sununu is seeking. This includes maintaining 31 of the 34 licenses he wants to eliminate, such as those for foresters, licensed nursing assistants, radiologists, and court reporters. The latter, who make a verbatim transcript of legal proceedings, have made their opposition known, along with scientists, foresters, and medical workers. Sununu is proposing eliminating the Advisory Board of Court Reporters in addition to their license. People think that all we do is sit on a little machine and write real fast, Kathryn Sweeney, president-elect of the New Hampshire Court Reporters Association, said in an interview. Her training has included medical, business, and legal courses, and she must adhere to ethical standards that require her to keep sensitive information confidential. I have names and addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers, and bank account numbers, Sweeney said. I know the guy who has the safe in his house, and I know where it is and whats in it. Sununu announced his proposal in February, and in the weeks since lawmakers have heard vehement opposition from dozens of professionals like Sweeney. The governor is also seeking to eliminate or remove the investigative and oversight power of nearly 30 additional licensing boards. House Republicans are saying no to Sununu for various reasons: Sununu gave them over 100 pages of proposed changes less than two months before their April 6 deadline to pass a budget. Personally I think that the governors initiative here was a good one. And long overdue, Rep. Dan McGuire, an Epsom Republican, told the House Finance Committee Monday. We have occupational licensing way in excess of most other states, including our neighboring states like Vermont that have very thoughtful and limited occupational licensing in comparison to us. It just turned out to be way too much for our (House Finance subcommittee) to process and deal with. Story continues The changes would have cost the state between $953,000 and $998,000 in licensing fees over two years, according to estimates. House Finance members appear willing to eliminate only three licenses, for athlete agents, hawkers and peddlers, and itinerant vendors. Sununu has sold his proposed licensing overhaul as the elimination of governmental bureaucratic hurdles that keep workers from relocating to New Hampshire. When he announced it in February, he predicted it would be unpopular and difficult. The House Finance Committee indicated Monday it will vote to eliminate license changes as McGuire and others recommended. The full House could reinstate Sununus licensing changes when it takes up the budget next week. If it doesnt, and instead sends the Senate a budget without those measures, senators could attempt to reinstate them as well. Governor Sununu has said that delivering meaningful licensure reform that cuts red tape for citizens is never easy, but absolutely necessary, Sununu spokesman Brandon Pratt said in an email Monday. There is still lots of time left in the budget process and we will continue to fight to streamline government for Granite Staters. House budget writers are also seeking to strike Sununus plan to establish a new Office of Regulatory Review, Reduction, and Government Efficiency as an independent agency that could identify unnecessary regulatory burdens, among other things. Meanwhile, the House gave the green light to two new licenses at its session last week, for musical therapists and recreational scuba divers to catch lobsters. Lawmakers from both parties indicated earlier this month they would oppose at least some of Sununus proposed changes in response to opposition from professional groups. Several landscape architects, whom Sununu described in his budget address as the person who plants a rosebush in your front yard, have opposed the elimination of their license. Eliminating a license for people who shore up riverbanks, control erosion, and plan the locations of roads and buildings risks public safety, theyve argued. Without a license, theyd also be unable to bid on public projects in the state, they said. Members of the House Executive Departments and Administration Committee heard from several medical providers at a hearing earlier this month who opposed the elimination of their licenses and Sununus proposal to combine boards overseeing similar disciplines. The boards of Alcohol and Other Drug Use Professionals, Board of Psychology, and Board of Mental Health would become the single Board of Mental Health Practice under Sununus proposed overhaul. Practitioners told the committee that would allow people without their specific expertise to oversee their practice. Dr. Jennifer Sartori, chairperson of the Board of Podiatry, cautioned against merging her board with the Board of Medicine and Medical Review subcommittees. The podiatry board has been in existence for over 50 years, she said. Podiatrists have unique challenges and concerns that are distinct from those of other medical professionals, and we need a dedicated board that can address these issues, Sartori told the committee. We need a clear and accessible process for licensure and regulation and discipline. And I think that will become more difficult for podiatrists to navigate through if it is merged with the Board of Medicine. This story was originally published by New Hampshire Bulletin. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Sununus sweeping licensing overhaul could fail with both parties Multiple security firms have sounded the alarm about an active supply chain attack that's using a trojanized version of 3CXs widely used voice and video-calling client to target downstream customers. 3CX is the developer of a software-based phone system used by more than 600,000 organizations worldwide, including BMW, McDonalds and the U.K.s National Health Service. The company claims to have more than 12 million daily users around the world. Researchers from cybersecurity companies CrowdStrike, Sophos and SentinelOne on Wednesday published blog posts detailing a SolarWinds-style attack -- dubbed Smooth Operator by SentinelOne -- that involves the delivery of trojanized 3CXDesktopApp installers to install infostealer malware inside corporate networks. This malware is capable of harvesting system information and stealing data and stored credentials from Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Brave and Firefox user profiles. Other observed malicious activity includes beaconing to actor-controlled infrastructure, deployment of second-stage payloads and, in a small number of cases, hands-on-keyboard activity, according to CrowdStrike. Security researchers report that attackers are targeting both the Windows and macOS versions of the compromised VoIP app. At present, it appears the Linux, iOS and Android versions are unaffected. Researchers at SentinelOne said they first saw indications of malicious activity on March 22 and immediately investigated the anomalies, which led to the discovery that some organizations were trying to install a trojanized version of the 3CX desktop app that had been signed with a valid digital certificate. Apple security expert Patrick Wardle also found that Apple had notarized the malware, which means that the company checked it for malware and none was detected. 3CX CISO Pierre Jourdan said on Thursday that the company is aware of a security issue impacting its Windows and MacBook applications. Jourdan notes that this appears to have been a targeted attack from an Advanced Persistent Threat, perhaps even state-sponsored hacker. CrowdStrike suggests that North Korean threat actor Labyrinth Chollima, a subgroup of the notorious Lazarus Group, is behind the supply-chain attack. Story continues As a workaround, 3CX company is urging its customers to uninstall the app and install it again, or alternatively use its PWA client. "In the meantime we apologize profusely for what occurred and we will do everything in our power to make up for this error," Jourdan said. There are a lot of things we don't yet know about the 3CX supply-chain attack, including how many organizations have potentially been compromised. According to Shodan.io, a site that maps internet-connected devices, there are currently more than 240,000 publicly exposed 3CX phone management systems. Updated on March 31 to remove American Express from the list of affected customers after a spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch that the financier is not a client of 3CX. Glass of milk pattern. DBenitostock/Getty Images. In late February, the Food and Drug Administration issued long-awaited draft guidance on how to refer to plant-based milk alternatives like soy milk, oat milk, and almond milk. But not everyone was pleased with the nonbinding recommendations among the document's critics were Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and James Risch (R-Idaho); the dairy industry; and even plant-based milk advocates Here's a look at the curiously contentious fight over the definition of milk: What did the FDA advise? Because plant-based milk alternatives are "non-standardized foods," they "may be labeled with the term 'beverage,' 'drink,' or 'milk,'" the FDA wrote. That said, consumers "feel familiar and comfortable with the term 'milk' when describing plant-based milk alternatives" and "preferred to use the term when given a choice of names for plant-based milk alternatives (e.g., 'milk,' 'beverage,' 'drink,' etc.)." The FDA frowned on applying the term "imitation milk" to plant-based milk alternatives but said adding "non-dairy" or "dairy-free" to the label would be helpful. It also suggested that companies who make plant-based beverages add "an additional nutrient statement on the product label describing how it is nutritionally different" than dairy milk. So why is that controversial? As bland as they may seem, the FDA's proposals actually caused quite a splash in the milk world. While it's good the agency acknowledged that "nutritionally inconsistent concoctions of water, factory-processed powders, and other additives simply don't contain the same nutrition that milk provides," said National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) Jim Mulhern, federal law limits the usage of the term "milk" to the "lacteal secretions" of cows. "We reject the agency's circular logic that FDA's past labeling enforcement inaction now justifies labeling such beverages 'milk,'" he added. Baldwin and Risch issued a joint statement slamming the FDA's "misguided rule," arguing it "will hurt America's dairy farmers and our rural communities" and sullies the "good name" of dairy milk. "Since the FDA is failing to enforce its own definitions for dairy terminology and stop imitation products from deceiving consumers, we will be reintroducing our DAIRY PRIDE Act to stand up for America's dairy farmers and the quality products they make." The Defending Against Imitations and Replacements of Yogurt, milk, and cheese to Promote Regular Intake of Dairy Everyday Act (DAIRY PRIDE Act) which is backed by the NMPF "would require the FDA to issue guidance for nationwide enforcement of mislabeled plant-based products," ensure that the FDA enforces these rules, and "nullify any guidance that is not consistent with dairy standards of identity, including the one released today," Baldwin added. Story continues On the other side of the debate, advocates of plant-based milk products said the FDA's suggestion to add nutrient statements to labels was unnecessary and would invite frivolous litigation. "Effectively, alt-milk producers are being asked to tacitly endorse a government (and dairy industry) message they object to that bovine milk is some gold standard for human health, and any alternative that has less of a single nutrient is something to be concerned about," attorney Nigel Barrella told AgFunder News. This isn't a new fight for the dairy industry, Paul Shapiro, CEO of The Better Meat Co., writes at The Hill. "As early as the 1860s, lawmakers protecting the dairy industry were crusading against margarine with taxes and even laws requiring alt-butter to be dyed pink." The European Union specifies that plant-based milk alternatives be called a "drink," not "milk." The DAIRY PRIDE Act "is thankfully unlikely to become law any time soon," Shapiro said, but we also "don't need new federal laws restricting speech nor new agency rules forcing speech. Rather than crying over spilled milk plant-based or not consumers who are motivated by concerns about particular nutrients can just do what they always do: Read nutrition facts panels that are already sensibly printed right there on the carton." Are people really upset about milk? Well, there is a lot of money at stake. U.S. dairies notched $13.6 billion in retail sales of dairy milk last year, while plant-based milk alternatives rose to $2.6 billion in retail sales in 2021. Indeed, plant-based milks are on the rise, the FDA noted, with a third of U.S. households buying or consuming a milk alternative in 2016, up from 20 percent of households in 2010. The Plant Based Foods Association says 42 percent of U.S. households bought plant-based milk in 2021. For most people, however, the milk debate appears to be a non-issue. "Consumers don't seem to have a difficult time understanding that peanut butter doesn't contain cow-derived butter, hamburgers don't contain pig-derived ham and hot dogs don't contain, well, you know," Shapiro writes at The Hill. "The same is so with oat milk." "I know, Wisconsin politicians are gonna Wisconsin, but are we really pretending that consumers are misled by 'almond milk' and 'oat milk'?" journalist Michael Grunwald sighed. "Does Big Dairy want us to rename 'peanut butter' too? Is 'shaving cream' okay?" In fact, focus groups commissioned and conducted by FDA "indicated that most participants were not confused about plant-based milk alternatives containing milk and referred to plant-based milk alternatives as 'milk,'" the FDA said. Further, other research indicates that "consumers understand that plant-based milk alternatives are distinct products and choose to purchase plant-based milk alternatives because they are not milk," often due to "allergies, intolerances to milk, or lifestyle choices." So what is 'milk,' then? The FDA, in its federal standards of identity of food for human consumption, describes "milk" as "the lacteal secretion, practically free from colostrum, obtained by the complete milking of one or more healthy cows." Plant-based milk brands, however, say these standards "were designed to address fraud and economic adulteration, not to prevent plant-based alternatives from referring to standardized terms (e.g., milk) in their marketing," Elaine Watson writes at AgFunder News. "Courts handling false advertising cases over plant milks have tended to agree." But when making her case, Sen. Baldwin just turned right to the dictionary, tweeting a screenshot of two dairy-centric milk definitions and adding, "If you're wondering, the definition of milk hasn't changed." The following two definitions she did not screenshot, however, define milk as "the white juice of certain plants: 'coconut milk,'" and "a creamy-textured liquid with a particular ingredient or use: 'cleansing milk.'" You may also like The snowmelt in California could cause a long-lost lake to re-emerge 33 swimmers in Hawaii accused of 'pursuing, corralling, and harassing' dolphin pod The Gwyneth Paltrow ski crash trial's 8 strangest moments, from Taylor Swift to King Kong Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 30) Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa on Thursday said he will not be traveling to what he described as "hardcore" members of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to avoid getting arrested over former President Rodrigo Duterte's bloody war on drugs. "Like Netherlands...France, Italy. Basta doon sa [There in] Europe," Dela Rosa told CNN Philippines' News Night. He hinted about going to the United States instead, which he said is not a member country of and dislikes the ICC. There are 123 countries that are state parties to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC. These include 33 African states, 19 Asia-Pacific states, 18 from Eastern Europe, 28 Latin American and Caribbean states, and 25 from Western Europe and other states. Dela Rosa, who led the Duterte drug war as police chief, reiterated that the ICC has no jurisdiction after the Philippines withdrew from the tribunal in 2019. "They can tap police force of member country within their country lang. Hindi pwede i-tap nila yung pulis ng ibang country para mang-aresto. Wala pa tayong naririnig na ganoon, otherwise magkakagulo 'yan," he said, referring to the ICC. [Translation: They cannot tap the police of another country to make an arrest. We haven't heard of anything like that, otherwise it would be a chaotic.] Bato explains getting Tolentino as lawyer The senator said he asked his colleague Francis Tolentino to represent him in the ICC "just in case worst comes to worst" and the international tribunal issues a warrant for his arrest. "Halimbawa bibiyahe ako sa ibang bansa at palabasan ako ng warrant of arrest, I have to be ready. Tinatanggap naman niya ang aking pakiusap na maging legal counsel ko siya," he said. [Translation: If I travel to another country and an arrest warrant is issued, I have to be ready. He accepted my request to be my legal counsel.] While the law prohibits a senator from personally appearing as counsel before any court, Dela Rosa said he "takes the word" of Tolentino that he can represent the former police chief. He said they have yet to speak to Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri about the matter, but he is hoping that the Senate head will allow them. Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, for his part, said he is not certain if it will be allowed but mentioned that Dela Rosa has his colleagues' "overwhelming support." Senator Robin Padilla, who is Dela Rosa's party-mate in PDP-Laban, also expressed his full support. Bato trusts Bongbong's word According to Dela Rosa, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. when he was still a candidate promised to protect him from the ICC. "Sabi niya, kwan, kahit isang buhok mo hindi mahahawakan ng ICC. Kahit na wala akong buhok ha I take it not only as promise to me personally, but a promise to the country, to the nation na depensahan talaga ang soberanya ng ating bansa," the senator said. [Translation: He said not even a single hair of yours will be touched by the ICC. Even though I don't have hair I take it not only as a promise to me personally, but a promise to the country, to the nation to really defend the country's sovereignty.] The ICC's Appeals Chamber on Monday rejected the Philippine government's request to suspend the investigation into the Duterte administration's war on drugs pending the resolution of Manila's main appeal against the resumption of the probe. Following the failed bid, Marcos announced that the government will disengage from any contact with the ICC. Dela Rosa, meanwhile, stressed that he would rather "face the music" should he be charged in the country than by a foreign court. He said he is confident that justice will be served if he is tried by local judges. CNN Philippines' correspondent Eimor Santos contributed to this story. After a handful of influential voices took to social media during the meltdowns of Silicon Valley and Signature banks this month, some lawmakers have floated a new idea: Task bank regulators with keeping tabs on TikTok, Twitter and other platforms to head off future bank panics. Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., introduced legislation Wednesday that would require the Financial Stability Oversight Council, a coalition of U.S. financial regulators, to monitor social media platforms for any indicator of a potential bank run or financial panic at a level that potentially threatened the financial stability of the United States. Torres, who announced the proposal on MSNBC, said monitoring social media could also address concerns over foreign interference. I worry that a malicious foreign adversary could manufacture financial panic on social media to destabilize the American banking system, Torres said on MSNBCs Morning Joe. At a House Financial Services Committee hearing Wednesday, several other lawmakers expressed worry about social medias role in triggering bank runs. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Mo., said he had grave concerns about that possibility. Bank regulators acknowledged this week that online panic may have helped hasten SVBs failure, although they also cited the ease of pulling deposits due to digital banking. I do agree that the runs that occurred at Silicon Valley [Bank] were unprecedented in speed and size, aided by social media and technology, Nellie Liang, the undersecretary of the treasury for domestic finance, said in congressional testimony Wednesday. Those are new risks that challenge the banking system and the financial system and are those we definitely need to be considering and working with Congress. Three weeks ago, SVB dumped a bad bet on interest rates that cost it $1.8 billion, sparking fears among depositors that it was strapped for cash. Federal Reserve Board of Governors Vice Chair for Supervision Michael Barr testifies at a House Financial Services Committee hearing on recent bank failures, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, March 29, 2023, in Washington. (Andrew Harnik / AP) In response, social media saw a surge in talk about a run, and uninsured depositors acted quickly to flee, Fed Vice Chairman of Supervision Michael Barr told Congress this week. Story continues Bank customers pulled $42 billion on March 9, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Regulators told Congress this week that on March 10, depositors tried to pull $100 billion more nearly all the deposits the bank had left. During those two days, Twitter lit up with discussion about SVBs fate. The community that the lender primarily banked with venture capitalists, startup founders and private equity firms includes many personalities with sizable social media presences. As some venture capitalists privately pushed their SVB-banked businesses to pull deposits, the discourse on social media morphed into a real-time exercise of game theory as SVB customers deliberated over whether to withdraw their money. Amid SVBs collapse, some prominent VCs warned of DEF CON 1, as others predicted that regional banks would be decimated. I'd like to formally thank my peers in the venture community whose stellar leadership over the past 48 hours triggered a run on deposits at Silicon Valley Bank, ultimately toppling one of the most important institutions in our ecosystem. Brad Svrluga (@bradsvrluga) March 10, 2023 David Andolfatto, a former official with the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, said he is skeptical that social media sped SVBs failure. He referred to the famous depiction of a small-town bank run from the 1946 film Its a Wonderful Life. People ran very quickly. Most people were around the bank locally, said Andolfatto, now the chair of the economics department at the University of Miami. Five steps away from where they work and live thats about as fast as you can get to the bank. Peter Conti-Brown, a professor of financial regulation at the University of Pennsylvanias Wharton business school, also cast doubt on social medias role in the crisis, saying SVB failed simply because it was a bad bank. But Conti-Brown said technology did play a role, because digital banking makes it easier than ever to withdraw funds. SVB failed with spectacular speed because the technology of bank withdrawals dont require you to stand in line with high blood pressure to see if your withdrawal would be honored, he said. CORRECTION (March 29, 2023, 10:25 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misspelled the first name of a House member from New York. He is Ritchie Torres, not Richie. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Six Killed In Mass Shooting At A Private School In Nashville School buses with children arrive at Woodmont Baptist Church to be reunited with their families after a mass shooting at The Covenant School on March 27, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. Credit - Seth HeraldGetty Images This week marked the second time in 10 months that police officers were called to confront an active shooter armed with assault rifles in an elementary school. But unlike the previous incident at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Tex. last May, when it took police over an hour to stop the shooter, officers at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tenn. on Monday ended the deadly incident in just minutes. It was a textbook response to an active shooting situation, says Ken Trump, president of the consulting firm National School Safety and Security Services. Get the call, get to the scene quickly, immediately move in, and follow the sound that leads you directly to neutralize the shooterperiod, he says. Law enforcement experts and citizens commended the Nashville police department for releasing body camera footage just one day after the shooting, a sharp contrast to the nearly two months it took officials in Uvalde to release video. The videos showed several heavily armed Nashville police officers immediately rushing into the school and sweeping classrooms until they found and killed the suspect. Three young students and three employees were killed. The shooter was taken down 14 minutes after police were called, prompting comparisons to the police response to the school shooting in Uvalde, in which 77 minutes passed between the arrival of officers and when they ultimately killed the gunman. At one point during the standoff, onlookers begged the police to charge the school. Some parents even tried breaking windows to reunite with their children. 19 students and two teachers were killed in the incident. More from TIME When you watch the body camera footage, you see that the Nashville police officers were more aggressive in how they pursued the attacker, says Pete Blair, the executive director of the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) program at Texas State University. In Uvalde, they lost momentum badly and didnt come up with an immediate action plan. Story continues Wow, props to @MNPDNashville for setting a standard to which other departments should follow when it comes to transparency. Patrick Burke (@Politik206) March 28, 2023 The Texas Tribune reported last week that officers in Uvalde felt that confronting the gunman would be too dangerous since he was armed with an AR-15, even though some officers were armed with the same rifle. They opted to wait for the arrival of a Border Patrol SWAT team based more than 60 miles away, in opposition to the mainstream police training protocols for active-shooter situations since the Columbine High School mass killing in 1999. Law enforcement saw the ramifications of waiting for SWAT when the Columbine shooting happened, says Steve Smith, a SWAT team leader in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and the founder of Guardian Defense, an active shooter training program that has helped some 50,000 people prepare for active threats. Now officers are taught to respond even by themselves. Our skills have sharpened based on incidents that have happened in the past. Like the shooter in Uvalde, the Nashville assailantAudrey Halewas heavily armed, carrying three guns, two of them assault-type weapons, according to Nashville police. Metro Nashville Police Officers arrived at the school around 10 minutes after they were called. As Officer Rex Engelbert exited his vehicle, an unidentified woman told him that the kids are all locked down in the school but that two children were unaccounted for. She noted that a bunch of kids were upstairs, according to the footage released Tuesday. Yes maam, Engelbert responded. He was then handed a key to the school and opened the locked entry door. With other officers arriving, Engelbert called out to form a team. Give me three, lets get three! he shouted. Lets go! I need three! Approximately two and a half minutes later, officers tracked the shooter down a hallway, where Hale was standing in front of a wall of glass windows. They heard gunfire and immediately ran to that and then took care of this horrible situation, John Drake, chief of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, said at a Tuesday news briefing. I was really impressed, with all that was going onthe dangerthat somebody took control and said, Lets go! Lets go! Lets go! and went in. He added that the shooter fired on responding officers from a second-story window before being killed. Unlike Uvalde, it is reassuring and comforting to hear several officers say, with urgency, "Let's go, Let's go." Bruce Hayes (@brucejameshayes) March 28, 2023 Blair says that law enforcement has been more focused on active shooter response plans in the aftermath of the Uvalde shooting, with many police departments creating development scripts that lay out how they would handle a similar situation. The decision by Nashville police to release the body camera footage not long after the shooting is just one example of how law enforcement must be more transparent in these situations, he adds. It makes it look like youre covering something upeven if youre notby not releasing the video in relatively short order, Blair says. Sometimes there can be investigative reasons for not releasing video footage, but in general I think that when the police are upfront and put things out there, even when they make mistakes, that tends to increase public trust. Ken Trump, the school safety expert who formerly led school security operations in the Cleveland, Ohio area, says police should move quickly to eliminate the opportunity for misinformation by providing the facts to the public. The second biggest disaster in Uvalde after the shooting itself was the communications disaster, which by and large broke almost every rule thats been learned for decades on crisis communications post-incident, he says. TAIPEI (Reuters) -Taiwan and China must do everything possible to avoid war and it is the responsibility of both sides' leaders to ensure peace, former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou told a senior Chinese official on Thursday. Ma arrived in China on Monday, the first time a former or sitting Taiwanese president has visited the country since the defeated Republic of China government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war to Mao Zedong's communists. Meeting Song Tao, head of China's Taiwan Affairs Office, in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, Ma said maintaining the peaceful and stable development of relations is the "general mainstream view of Taiwanese society". It is the common responsibility of the "principals" on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to strive for all opportunities that are conducive to enhancing peace, Ma said, according to a transcript of his comments provided by Ma's office in Taipei. "The two sides must maintain exchanges, cooperate together, and do everything possible to avoid war and conflict." China's official Xinhua news agency cited Song as telling Ma that people in China and Taiwan should both "resolutely oppose Taiwan independence separatist activities and interference from external forces, and jointly safeguard the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait". Ma is visiting China at a time of heightened tension between Taipei and Beijing, as China ramps up military and diplomatic pressure to try and force the democratically governed island to accept Chinese sovereignty. Ma, who was in office from 2008-2016, met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Singapore in late in 2015 shortly before current Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen was elected. He is not scheduled to see Xi on this trip, but Ma's office has said he is open to whatever meetings China sets up. Tsai rejects China's sovereignty claims, saying only the island's people can decide their future. She has repeatedly offered talks with China but been rebuffed, as Beijing views her as a separatist. Story continues Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party has criticised Ma's trip, saying he should use the opportunity to tell Xi to stop China's almost daily military harassment of the island. Taiwan's main opposition party the Kuomintang, which Ma is a senior member of, says it is vital to speak to China to try and lessen tensions. (Reporting by Ben BlanchardEditing by Bernadette Baum) Taiwan ex-president Ma Ying-jeou on Thursday called for maintaining exchanges with China as he met with a Beijing official during a historic mainland visit, a trip Taipei's ruling party has called "regrettable". Ma's visit is the first trip to the mainland by a former or current leader of Taiwan in over seven decades. China claims the democratic island as part of its territory to be retaken one day and, under its "One China" principle, no country may maintain official ties with both Beijing and Taipei. Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen arrived in New York Wednesday for a 10-day overseas trip that has triggered threats of reprisal by China if she meets with US House speaker Kevin McCarthy -- and US warnings for Beijing not to overreact. Tsai will also travel to Guatemala and Belize to shore up ties with those diplomatic allies. The visits come days after Honduras, one of Taiwan's few remaining official partners, cut off diplomatic ties and established relations with Beijing. "People on both sides of the strait belong to the same Chinese nation and are descendants of the Chinese people," Ma said in a statement Thursday. "The two sides of the Taiwan Strait must maintain exchanges, work together, do everything possible to avoid wars and conflicts, and strive to revitalise China." The 72-year-old former Kuomintang (KMT) party leader met with Song Tao, head of China's Taiwan Affairs Office, asking the official to convey his greetings to Chinese President Xi Jinping. Ma oversaw a dramatic improvement in cross-strait ties during his 2008-16 rule, which culminated in a 2015 summit between him and Xi in Singapore. Tsai's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has been far more wary of developing closer ties with Beijing. "We should be more united... but it's regrettable that the KMT stands with the Chinese communists and ex-president Ma disregards public disapproval to visit China at this moment," the party said in a statement Monday. Taiwan will hold a presidential election next year, with the KMT and DPP the main contenders for the position. Ma's visit to the mainland includes stops in Shanghai, Nanjing, Wuhan, Chongqing and Changsha, his office said last week. pfc/sco Supporters gather while Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen arrives in New York Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen has arrived in New York to criticism from China, which warned the US of serious repercussions. Ms Tsai is transiting through the US on her way to Central America, but she may meet with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on her return leg. China has condemned any such meeting - and says if it goes ahead, it could lead to a "serious confrontation". In response, the US has said Beijing should not overreact to Ms Tsai's trip. The US hopes to see a "normal, uneventful transit", the White House's national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Wednesday, noting that this is Ms Tsai's seventh transit through the US during her time as Taiwan's leader. "This is a common occurrence...Other presidents of Taiwan have transited the United States. Nothing unusual about this," he said in a press briefing. This will be the 29th US transit by a sitting president in Taiwan since the first in 1994. Ms Tsai flew into New York on Wednesday, where she was greeted by competing crowds of protesters and supporters outside her hotel. She is due to fly to Guatemala and Belize this week, in a visit to shore up alliances in Central America, before returning through Los Angeles where a meeting with the senior US political leader could take place, US outlets have reported. In response to her arrival in the US, China's senior envoy in Washington accused the US of advocating for Taiwan's independence by allowing Ms Tsai to "make a splash" in their country. "No matter [whether] it is Taiwan leaders coming to the United States or the US. leaders visiting Taiwan could lead to another serious, serious, serious confrontation in the China-US relationship," said Xu Xueyuan, China's Charge d'Affaires in a press conference. By allowing Ms Tsai in the US, Washington "seriously undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Ms Xu said. "We urge the US side not to repeat playing with fire on the Taiwan question," she said. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Taiwan Affairs Office have also strongly condemned the visit, charging that it violates the "One China" principle, whereby China insists Taiwan is an inalienable part of its territory to be reunified one day. Story continues "We firmly oppose this and will definitely take measures to resolutely fight back," Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office told reporters on Wednesday. Ms Tsai is scheduled to return to Taipei on 7 April. Taiwan considers itself a sovereign state, while China views it as a breakaway province that will eventually be reunited with the mainland. Beijing has not ruled out the possible use of force to achieve that goal. Last year, tensions between China, Taiwan and the US reached a high - after Mr McCarthy's predecessor, Nancy Pelosi, flew to Taipei to meet Ms Tsai. Beijing responded to Ms Pelosi's visit with a week of massive military drills in the waters around Taiwan. Ms Tsai's visit to Central America comes after Honduras, a former ally, last week switched sides to establish diplomatic ties with Beijing. This has left Taiwan with the recognition of just 13 governments around the world. China and Taiwan: The basics NASA and Boeing have announced a timeline for the first crewed flight of the Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station. Teams are now targeting a launch date of no earlier than July 21. WATCH: SpaceX successfully launches its latest Starlink mission NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are getting closer to flying the Boeing Starliners first crewed flight test to the International Space Station. NASA astronaut Mike Fincke is the backup pilot for the critical flight test under NASAs Commercial Crew program. READ: Interim Brevard Public Schools superintendent placed on paid leave Teams will have to slide this mission into a very hectic launch schedule at the cape, and still have to work it out with some government agencies, ULA, and the Eastern Range. See the full story in the video above. READ: Fiona, Ian retired from rotating list of storm names due to death and destruction caused in 2022 Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. A preschooler was attacked by a teacher while on a playground at an Iowa elementary school, authorities said. The Appanoose County Sheriffs Office began investigating the teacher on March 13, three days after the incident occurred, according to a March 29 news release. Investigators found that Erin Michelle Aalfs kicked the child and threw rocks at them, authorities said. The 46-year-old teacher was also accused of tossing the preschooler at a chain-link fence, causing the student to hit the ground and fence. The child was not hurt, according to the release. Aalfs was a second-year preschool teacher at Moravia Elementary School during the alleged assault, authorities said. She resigned sometime after the incident was reported. Following the investigation, deputies arrested Aalfs on March 29 at her home in Moravia. During the arrest, authorities said she resisted being taken into custody and injured a deputy. She was charged with two counts of simple assault in connection to the attack during school hours, authorities said, and one count of interference with official acts, causing injury. The superintendent for Moravia Community School District told McClatchy News he could not comment on the personnel matter. Moravia is about 75 miles southeast of Des Moines. Teacher accused of using extension cord to assault teens is charged in North Carolina Teacher kisses student in classroom and threatens expulsion if she tells, IN cops say Teacher drags 5-year-old across concrete after not throwing fork away, Texas cops say A teenage girl told Lacey police that a man choked her and tried to kiss her while she was waiting for the bus on Sunday. She said that while she was waiting, the man sat down uncomfortably close to her and started talking to her. As he was talking, he lunged at her and wrapped his hand around her neck, restricting her airway and tried to kiss her. She got away, started screaming, and the man took off. After investigating, police found out the man was released from jail on Thursday. On Wednesday morning, officers found the man and arrested him. He was booked into the King Couty Jai for assault with sexual motivation. The Lacey Police Department used #TrustYourGut and #MakeNoise in their tweet about the incident. #StoryTime : 3/26 we received a call where a teenage female reported that, while she was waiting for her bus, a man sat down uncomfortably close to her. He began speaking to her, lunged at her, wrapped his hand around her neck restricting her airway, and tried to kiss her. pic.twitter.com/S8qDdN5C7A Lacey Police (@LaceyPolice) March 29, 2023 A new tenant is getting ready to take over the top floor of the former Tri-City Herald building in downtown Kennewick, and personally, I couldnt be more thrilled. The top floor of our former digs soon will be turned into classrooms and study spaces for students and staff of Heritage University, and it will be a game-changer for so many people. Home-bound Tri-Citians will have another opportunity to pursue their degrees, and a college in downtown Kennewick is sure to be a boost to the revitalization efforts going on in that area. Officials at Heritage University, which is based in Toppenish, WA., have wanted to expand in the Tri-City area for years. It currently has a satellite location at Columbia Basin College, with a focus on serving transfer students during evening hours. This location will continue to operate at CBC even as the Kennewick program launches. Martin Valadez, regional director of Heritage Universitys branch campus at CBC, said Heritage currently serves 107 students at the Pasco site. With the expansion in Kennewick, the goal is to start serving incoming freshman with offerings during the daytime and grow from there. These freshman will have access to nearly 40 different degrees and will be able to seamlessly transfer to the Toppenish campus. Valadez said remodeling is still in the works and university officials hope to move in by July so they can welcome their first group of students to Kennewick when fall semester starts in August. They are hoping for at least 50 new students. With a rolling admission system which means students can apply to Heritage at any time university officials believe they can get the word out and reach their goal. Heritage University President Andrew Sund told me that he and his staff have wanted to expand to the Tri-Cities for several years. After the COVID pandemic, they pushed their search to the next level and decided the former Herald building at 333 W. Canal Drive in Kennewick is the perfect site. Story continues Sund called it a beautiful building, and as someone who worked there, I wholeheartedly agree. Its truly gorgeous on the inside and out. He also said the building is large enough so there is room to grow and there is ample parking. He also liked the location because its easily accessible from the highway and two bridges. University officials looked at several locations, but the former Herald building was just head and shoulders above all the rest. Sund emphasized that Heritage University officials want to collaborate with CBC and Washington State University Tri-Cities not compete. Heritage University is a private institution and a commuter school. It was founded in the 1980s with the mission to reach out to underserved populations. Sund said the vast majority of Heritage students receive a significant amount of financial aid so the cost of tuition is either covered completely or greatly reduced. One of the reasons Heritage officials wanted to offer more services here is because the community is booming. And, Sund said, statistics have shown a large number of Tri-City high school graduates are not seeking a college degree right away. According to the Washington state Education Research & Data Center, 53% of students who graduated from the Kennewick School District were not enrolled in college courses in the first year after graduation. In Pasco, it is 65% and in Richland, it is 49%. The dashboard with this information was updated just last month. While college isnt for everyone, its a shame to think there might be high school graduates in our community who would like to go to college but feel there are too many obstacles in the way. With Heritage expanding its programs to downtown Kennewick, its presence alone might encourage more students to consider applying to college. This is the kind of development that has potential to change peoples lives for students and for the business community. I, for one, am excited to see where this great news leads. Cecilia Rexus is the editorial writer for the Tri-City Herald. An anti-abortion monument approved by Tennessee legislators in 2018 has, after five years, received precisely zero donations not even, it seems, from the Republican state representative who sponsored the bill. The law calls for private funds to be raised to erect a monument at the state Capitol in memory of the victims of abortion. As no such funds have been raised, the monument remains unbuilt. A spokesperson for the Tennessee Finance & Administration Department confirmed that the fund has yet to receive any contributions, according to a Wednesday report by Quartz. The bill, championed by former Republican state Rep. Jerry Sexton, passed the Tennessee House on a 63-15 vote in April 2018. Sexton is also known for his three failed attempts to make the Bible the official state book. People walk across the Legislative Plaza in front of the state Capitol on Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021, in Nashville, Tennessee. People walk across the Legislative Plaza in front of the state Capitol on Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021, in Nashville, Tennessee. HuffPosts attempts to contact Sexton via email and his campaign website were unsuccessful. The clear lack of enthusiasm in Tennessee for the monument hasnt dissuaded other states from following suit. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) earlier this month signed a similar bill into law, seeking the construction of a monument to the unborn on state Capitol grounds. The Arkansas proposal passed the majority-GOP House on a 60-19 vote, with two Republicans voting against it. State Rep. Jeremiah Moore, one of the Republicans who voted no, told The Associated Press that the monument would effectively be a poke in the eye to all those who do not share our beliefs. Related... Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 30) A revised curriculum for the BS Nursing program to include exit credentials will be a way to address the shortage of nurses in the country, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said on Thursday. CHED Chairperson Prospero de Vera said the proposal, which has been discussed with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., is a medium-term solution that would allow first- and second-year nursing students to work early. Its a regular nursing program that at year one, after one year, after two years theres an exit credential, so that after one year you can have a certificate and you can be a nursing aid or a nursing assistant, De Vera explained in an online briefing. And by year two or year three you can have a diploma in nursing that will qualify you to be a nursing associate, community health nurse, he added. De Vera said the curriculum will be adopted by universities or schools that have existing contracts or will enter into agreements with hospitals and health care providers. He said he will meet next week with the CHED technical panel for nursing, top schools, and other stakeholders to further discuss the proposal. On the other hand, De Vera said lifting the moratorium on new nursing schools, which was imposed in 2010, is a possible long-term solution, with 2,052 more nursing students seen to graduate by 2030. De Vera also said the agency is also working on a flexible short-term masters program to address the lack of qualified teachers for nursing and medical schools. Other measures are the need to upskill and reskill those who failed in licensure exams, as well as looking into redirecting licensed nurses who are not working in the health sector, he added. Marcos earlier ordered CHED to address the shortage of nurses due to migration. Based on 2022 data from the Department of Health, 316,405 or 51.2% of the 617,898 licensed nurses are migrant health workers or working overseas. Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom are the top two countries with the most number of nurses from the Philippines. Health officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the agency is studying the standardization of salaries of medical workers, and assessing the status of the proposed legislation on the Magna Carta for Public Health Care Workers and the Philippine Nursing Act. In November, Marcos reiterated his call for a ladderized program for health care workers to keep them in the country, which includes scholarship grants for medical students and professionals. (Bloomberg) -- Texas state bar regulators are pushing to revive their disciplinary case against conservative attorney Sidney Powell after a judge tossed it out due to numerous defects in court documents. Most Read from Bloomberg The Texas Commission for Lawyer Discipline urged Judge Andrea Bouressa in a filing to reconsider her February decision to dismiss the case against Powell. The commission argued that errors in how its attorneys had attached evidence as exhibits werent grounds to end the fight. Powell spearheaded a series of failed lawsuits across the country to try to reverse President Joe Bidens wins in battleground states following the 2020 election. An ally of former President Donald Trump at the time, she promoted false conspiracy theories about widespread election fraud. The Texas commission filed a complaint last year accusing her of professional misconduct. Bouressa entered a judgment in Powells favor last month, concluding that problems with how the commission had presented its evidence meant that she couldnt consider those materials. Absent that evidence, Bouressa agreed with Powell that the commission couldnt meet its burden of proof to keep the case alive. In a March 24 filing, commission lawyers acknowledged inadvertent mistakes in labeling exhibits that could have caused confusion, but disagreed that the judge had given them enough notice about the extent of the problem. Regardless of the mislabeling, the commission argued the judge had access to all of the exhibits referenced in its briefs, making the evidence proper for her to consider. There exists ample evidence from which to conclude that respondent may have engaged in conduct that, at minimum, involved dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation, the commission wrote. Story continues The commission also argued that Powell wrongly claimed the judge couldnt rely on exhibits that attached court documents from the post-election litigation at the heart of the misconduct allegations. Since Powell was accused of violating attorney ethics rules by making misrepresentations in court, that was relevant evidence, the attorneys wrote. If Bouressa agrees to reconsider her February order, the commission asked her to push back the timeline for the next phase of the litigation, accusing Powell of failing to meet deadlines for turning over documents. Powell didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. The case is Commission for Lawyer Discipline v. Sidney Powell, Dallas County District Court, DC-22-02562. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. AUSTIN The Texas House has preliminarily approved a measure that would make someone who committed capital murder while suffering "severe mental illness" ineligible for the death penalty, even though one member warned that many potential mass shooters might be wrongfully spared the most severe punishment the state can deliver. Still, the measure, House Bill 727 by Dallas Democrat Toni Rose, passed with at least 15 of the House's 82 Republicans voting in favor. One of them, Plano's Jeff Leach, was among the bill's five coauthors. The Texas House preliminarily approved House Bill 727, which would make someone who committed capital murder while suffering "severe mental illness" ineligible for the death penalty. It requires one more House vote before going to the Senate for approval. Rose, in fending off questions from Royse City Republican Bryan Slaton suggesting some killers, including mass murderers, might be able to fake a mental illness, said people covered by her bill would be held accountable. "They will receive life imprisonment without the possibility of parole," Rose said. "Again, a person would still be punished; that person just would not be sentenced to death." State Rep. Toni Rose, D-Dallas According to the text of the bill, which still requires one more House vote before being sent to the Senate for consideration, severe mental illness means "a person who has schizophrenia, a schizoaffective disorder, or a bipolar disorder and, as a result of that disorder, has active psychotic symptoms that substantially impair the person's capacity to: appreciate the nature, consequences, or wrongfulness of the person's conduct; or exercise rational judgment in relation to the person's conduct." The bill goes on to say, "A defendant who at the time of the commission of a capital offense was a person with severe mental illness may not be sentenced to death." The House has passed similar bans on executing people with mental illness in recent sessions, but they have never made it through the Senate. Slaton argued that mental illness, unlike a physical illness, is determined chiefly by a mental health professional's "observations" rather than by an outward sign that someone's body is suffering from a disease. Story continues "Mental health is going to be (based on) observations, the determination that someone is mentally ill," Slaton said. "There is not a test to give someone that's reproducible." The courts would have to find that claims of severe mental illness are valid, under Rose's legislation. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, a Washington-based nonprofit that opposes capital punishment, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that "a defendants mental illness makes him or her less morally (culpable) and must be taken into consideration as an important reason to spare his or her life." However, the organization notes, the high court has not ruled that executing someone with mental illness does not violate the constitutional ban on cruel or unusual punishment as it has for people with intellectual disabilities and those who committed capital murder while under the age of 18. According to the center's research, which it says is not exhaustive, at least 25 mentally ill death row inmates in the United States, four of them in Texas, have been put to death since 1999. Texas leads the nation with 583 executions since the Supreme Court allowed the practice to resume in 1976. So far this year, five inmates have been put to death by lethal injection in Huntsville's execution chamber. The sixth is scheduled for April 26, barring court action or actions by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles or by Gov. Greg Abbott. In an ongoing Texas death penalty case, a state district judge this month withdrew the April 5 execution date for death row inmate Andre Thomas, a Grayson County man who in 2004 admitted to stabbing to death his estranged wife, their two children and his wife's 1-year-old daughter from a separate relationship. According to media accounts, Thomas said he was instructed by God to kill. He gouged out one of his eyes after his arrest and the second one after being condemned for killing the youngest child, where the death sentence was automatic under state law. Thomas' next court action is scheduled for July. Leach, who described himself as a death penalty supporter, but has spoken out against how it is administered in Texas, said cases involving severe mental illness should be off the table for the death penalty. "We cannot, we should not especially as pro-life conservatives execute people who did not have the requisite 'mens rea' at the time of the offense, period," Leach in a speech in the House chamber, using the lawyerly parlance that means "knowledge of wrongdoing." "We can't do that." John C. Moritz covers Texas government and politics for the USA Today Network in Austin. Contact him at jmoritz@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @JohnnieMo. This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Ban on executing mentally ill inmates wins Texas House approval A federal judge in Texas struck down a key provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that requires insurers and employers to cover preventive services for free, including cancer screenings and HIV drugs. The ruling by Judge Reed OConnor of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas who previously struck down the entire ObamaCare law before it was upheld by the Supreme Court applies nationwide and takes effect immediately. The decision jeopardizes access to treatment for the approximately 100 million Americans who use free preventive services annually, and it leaves the door open for insurers to impose deductibles and copays for potentially life-saving screening tests. The ACA requires insurers to cover, without cost-sharing, more than 100 preventive health services recommended by the U.S Preventive Services Task Force. Cost sharing will likely deter patients particularly those of limited means from scheduling those procedures. OConnor, who was appointed by former president George W. Bush, ruled that the panel itself is unconstitutional because its members 16 volunteer scientists and medical professionals are not appointed by the president or confirmed by the Senate, yet its recommendations are binding. OConnors decision was not unexpected. He ruled last year the preventive services mandate was unconstitutional, but at the time waited to decide on the scope of remedy. OConnor also invalidated ObamaCares HIV treatment mandate, saying it violated the Religious Freedom Restoration Act by forcing the plaintiff, a Christian employer and well-known GOP donor, to pay for insurance that covers HIV prevention drugs. The companys owner argued HIV drugs, known as PrEP, promote homosexual behavior that conflicts with their faith and personal values. PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV by 99 percent when taken as recommended, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are two pills approved for use as PrEP: Truvada and Descovy. The drugs are also recommended for monogamous partners of people with HIV and people who share needles and other drug paraphernalia. Story continues The lawsuit was led by Jonathan Mitchell, the architect of Texass six-week abortion law that offers a $10,000 bounty to private citizens who successfully sue abortion providers. It is likely that the Biden administration will appeal, but if the conservative judges on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals uphold the order, ObamaCare could once again go to the Supreme Court. Larry Levitt, vice president of health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation said the ruling hits at a hugely popular section of the ACA, but is not a death blow to the law. Previous cases to the ACA threatened the very existence of the law and its fundamental protections and coverage. This case does does not do that, Levitt said. It would strike down a portion of the law. Now, albeit a very popular one thats used by a lot of people. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the Justice Department and the Department of Health and Human Services were reviewing the decision. This case is yet another attack on the Affordable Care Act, Jean-Pierre said. Preventive care saves lives, it saves families money and protects and improves our health. Democratic leaders in Congress swiftly condemned the ruling. It has no basis in the law, will unnecessarily cause confusion, and will put lives at risk if people are forced to forgo routine screenings and treatment, said Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.), ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce committee. Free access to preventive care, such as cancer and heart disease screenings, pregnancy-related care, and vaccinations, saves lives. Millions of Americans will forgo this essential care if it is not covered, said Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) Pallone and Eshoo separately called on insurers to commit to continuing to cover all preventive services without cost-sharing, despite the ruling. Health experts said insurance companies operate on yearlong contracts, so if the ruling is upheld the effects likely wont be felt by consumers until the next plan year starts. The ruling wont impact every single preventive screening, as some recommendations predate the ACA. So breast cancer and colon cancer screenings wont be impacted, but newer recommendations on skin cancer and lung cancer would be. Levitt said Congress could easily fix the problem with a simple one-line bill. But the politics of the ACA, even 13 years after it passed, make it unlikely anything would pass. it would not require a lot of words to fix this in legislation, but it potentially requires very difficult politics, Levitt said. Updated at 6:00 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Linda Giang, left, was recently temporarily locked out of her home, right. ABC13 Houston Texas homeowner Linda Giang said squatters temporarily locked her out of her property. Speaking to ABC13 Houston, one of the people living in the home insisted they had a lease. The lease was proved to be false, and Giang regained access to the home after police intervened. A homeowner based in Houston, Texas, said trespassers who changed the locks in her property have finally left after almost one month, ABC13 Houston reports. Linda Giang first spoke to the news outlet on March 24 and said a group of people who she didn't know had moved into her house in Meyerland, Houston, and changed the locks "without my authorization." The group was living on air mattresses without any furniture, according to photos shared by ABC13 Houston. "They are not authorized to be here. They shouldn't be here," Giang said. One of the people living in the home, identified as Tamisha Holmes-Bey, said in a separate interview with ABC13 Houston that she paid $6,000 to live on the property and that she had a lease that had her name, her husband's name, and her children's names on it. The family was sleeping on air mattresses. ABC13 Houston Holmes-Bey told ABC13 Houston she paid the $6,000 to a realtor but wouldn't disclose who they were. Giang rebutted the woman's claims, saying it wasn't her lease and she didn't authorize anyone to live there. Holmes-Bey also told the news outlet that she and her family had just moved to Texas from California to start a new life. However, according to the outlet, public records show that she had lived in Texas for decades and had been involved in civil and criminal cases in several counties. Houston police initially declined to take action against them as they told Giang it was a civil case, ABC13 Houston reports. But according to the outlet, the police were able to prove that the lease was false over the weekend and they informed Holmes-Bey that she and her family had to vacate the property. By Monday, Giang had regained access to the property and changed back the locks, according to video footage shared by ABC13 Houston. Story continues Houston Police did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Insider was unable to reach Giang and Holmes-Bey for comment. A home security expert says there are a few ways to deter and catch trespassers While squatting is not a new challenge for owners of second homes, there are steps homeowners can take to deter them, according to home security expert Richard Christian. Christian is the founder and managing director of BluSkills, a UK-based specialist security firm. Speaking to Insider, Christian said homeowners can avoid being singled out by trespassers, burglars, and squatters by making sure their home looks occupied, even if they aren't living at the property. He said opportunists often look for signs of vacancy, such as the trash not being taken out, the curtains not being drawn, or an unlit home. "If you cannot do it yourself, utilizing trusted neighbors or friends who can check your home regularly and make you aware of suspicious activity and challenge people who are suspicious is a huge asset for the owner of an unoccupied home," he said. There are also security measures that can be taken, Christian said, including physical barriers to the home such as a locked gate, as well as using a security camera. Read the original article on Insider BANGKOK (AP) Thai authorities used helicopters Thursday to try to contain a fire that overnight engulfed two mountains on largely undeveloped forest land in a province northeast of the capital Bangkok. The fire broke out Wednesday night in Nakhon Nayok province, 114 kilometers (70 miles) northeast of Bangkok, but firefighters could not directly tackle it because the mountains are too steep to safely climb, especially in the darkness of night, provincial Governor Bancha Chaowarin told reporters. Apart from the winds direction, I also have to look after the lives and safety of those conducting the operation. After reviewing the situation, since it is at a mountaintop, we had to retreat to standby and convene over what we can do, Bancha said late Wednesday night. At least 10 firefighting vehicles were dispatched to battle the blaze, and they were joined Thursday afternoon by at least two helicopters, which surveyed the situation and dumped water. Initial efforts to contain the blaze had concentrated on creating firebreaks. Bancha was quoted by the newspaper Thai Rath as saying it was initially estimated the fire could be brought under control within five days, but that he would try to do it in just three. Other forest fires have broken out in recent days in provinces farther north as seasonal temperatures rise, a perennial problem that contributes to dangerously high levels of air pollution. About 700 rai (about 275 acres, or 112 hectares) of forest in Nakhon Nayok had been burned by noon Thursday as the fire continued to smolder, Bancha said. The fire began on a high part of Khao Chaplu mountain and then spread to the adjacent Khao Laem mountain. Local media said it burned easily because much of the growth was bamboo, and high winds fanned the flames. The mountains sit in a vast parcel of land not far from one of the countrys best known nature reserves, Khao Yai National Park. Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy, Thailands version of West Point, is close to where the fire broke out and a village of about 500 residents is about 1 kilometer (half a mile) from the fire site, Thai Rath reported. Residents were warned to alert officials about any wild animals they saw fleeing the burning forest. Story continues Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha was closely monitoring the situation and had ordered officials and the army to mobilize to stop the fires spread, government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said. He added that Prayuth ordered officials to watch for anyone deliberately lighting fires to clear land for farming and other purposes, a practice that has been blamed for past fires. The cause of the fire in Nakhon Nayok was not yet clear, though some local media reports said it was set off by lightning. Bancha was quoted by Thai Rath as saying a storm on Tuesday ignited a fire nearby that strong winds blew to the Khao Laem area. Separate forest fires have been raging farther north, Anucha noted, including in Chiang Mai province, where water was dumped from the air Wednesday in an effort the dowse the flames. Thommamoon Khowasat is worried about the lingering poor air quality in Chiang Rai For the past few weeks, Thommamoon Khowasat has painstakingly explained to his four year-old daughter that the yellow cloud they see outside their window - which has tickled her imagination - is actually a danger to her health. It's a scare that has gripped northern Thailand where millions of people are currently finding it harder to breathe. Widespread farm burning and forest fires have created a smog that's even thicker than usual, which is choking communities and exposing them to respiratory disease. In the tourist-favoured Chiang Rai province, and even the capital Bangkok, people have been on edge checking the air quality levels every day. "I feel very sorry for my daughter," said Thommamoon, who has not seen haze this thick in the 20 years he has lived in Chiang Rai. "As a child she doesn't know. She thinks that it's natural fog. But the truth is a poisonous mist." The girl is under strict orders to stay at home, but even indoors and with an air purifier whirring away, the air quality is compromised. At Chiang Rai's Mae Chan Hospital, Dr. Veera Isarathanan fears for newborns who are exposed to the air pollution. Babies can't wear face masks, and even with a purifier machine, the air in the nursery can be hazardous. "[It's sad] newborn children have to encounter pollution like this. Their lungs are just starting to work," Dr Isarathanan said. Thailand's air pollution is an issue year each year in the dry season - which typically runs from November to March - mainly due to seasonal burning from farmers clearing their sugarcane and rice fields. But the smog has been particularly bad this year. On 10 March, Thai health authorities reported that in the first nine weeks of the year, more than 1.3 million people had already suffered air pollution-related diseases. Nearly 200,000 of these cases were reported in the first week of March - when the haze had started to worsen. In Chiang Rai, the haze has grown so thick to obscure its famous mountains, and what is usually lush, green foliage appears grey. Story continues Drone footage passing over the city's parks and streets show them near unrecognisable, with buildings reduced to smoky outlines. The levels of the hazardous PM 2.5 particles have also soared - these are particles are small enough to be be breathed into lungs and even enter bloodstreams. Exposure to PM 2.5 dust can cause burning and itching in the eyes and skin, as well as coughing and chest tightness. These symptoms can be amplified for those who have pre-existing heart or lung conditions. In Chiang Rai, fire trucks were this week deployed to blast water into the air to clear the dust. But it's only a short-term measure. Authorities have warned that the grim scenario will persist for the coming days, with few winds forecast that could blow the dust away. On Monday, about 200 people in the Chiang Rai district of Mae Sai protested outside a local government office demanding authorities take action. "Nowadays, Mae Sai people live in misery. Both young and old, living in hardship," said one of the demonstrators, Somyot Nittayaroj. Somyot said the haze had gotten worse in the last two to three years. Local protesters this week wearing masks and calling for action with messages like 'Save Mae Sai' The day of the protest, the air quality in parts of Chiang Rai was nearly 125 times over the limit deemed safe by the World Health Organization. Protesters said Thailand should negotiate with Myanmar and other neighbouring countries where agricultural burning has contributed to the smog. Satellite data showed that many of fire hot spots were located in Myanmar, followed by Laos. Fires were also spotted in Cambodia and Vietnam. However a majority of the pollution still comes from closer sources. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has directed lawmakers to go after perpetrators of forest fires and there are laws in place curtailing agricultural burning. But the problem is most of these restrictions are ignored. For farmers, burning their plot is often the easiest and cheapest method to clear land. Russian aircraft on display at the Kubinka military training ground in Moscow. (Pavel Pavlov/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) At first, the Russian pilots all thought it was a scam. But they agreed to go along with it anyway, especially after the initial payments came through. Last summer, a group of Ukrainian volunteers, working closely with their countrys intelligence service, apparently came close to persuading three Russian aviators who were in the midst of bombing Ukraine to defect with their warplanes in exchange for $1 million a piece. It was a bold, months-long operation, like a movie, in the words of one of the Russian marks, a trio of exceptionally well-trained airmen who seemed amenable to betraying their motherland for a sum of money theyd otherwise never see in their lifetimes. What looked like a legitimate plan to switch sides proved anything but. None of the pilots defected in the end. There is strong evidence that most if not all of them were found out by Russias Federal Security Service (FSB), one of the successor agencies to the Soviet KGB. Russian propaganda says the whole saga was in fact orchestrated by the FSB from the start. The Ukrainians insist the FSB only got involved late in the negotiations, after sincere commitments were made by each pilot. Kyiv also maintains its failure to acquire Russian warplanes was nonetheless a mitigated success: It gleaned valuable technical information about Russias air force and compromised three military officers, at least one of whom has not flown combat missions since. A complex intelligence operation thus devolved into a remote game of dueling counterintelligence narratives with both sides claiming victory. Various types of Russian military aircraft fly over Red Square in Moscow in preparation for the World War II Victory Parade, May 4, 2022.(Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images) Yahoo News met the main Ukrainian volunteer here called Bohdan to protect his identity who conceived and initiated this elaborate scheme to hijack Russian warplanes. We examined hundreds of encrypted chat messages between his team and the three Russian pilots: Igor Tveritin, 48, Roman Nosenko, 36, and Andrei Maslov, 33. Their identities were independently confirmed by Yahoo News, but its not clear where they are currently located and could not be reached for comment. The remarkable level of detail provided by Bohdan both undermines the Russian recast of the events while also giving a rare window into how these behind-the-scenes, spy-vs.-spy operations unfold as Russian and Ukrainian forces batter each other on the frontlines. We gave these Russian pilots a chance to make the right choice and stop bombing civilians, Bohdan told Yahoo News. Even if they were intercepted by the FSB at some stage, we managed to eliminate all three war criminals without getting up from the table. In each case, the plan was risky but straightforward: The pilot would fly his multimillion-dollar aircraft into Ukrainian airspace, where it would be met by Ukrainian interceptors and escorted safely to a designated landing strip. One offered to drug his own navigator preflight. Another proposed reporting nonexistent technical malfunctions to hoodwink his co-pilot and Central Command. Ukraine would not only grant all of defectors full amnesty but outfit them with new passports, as well as ones for chosen members of their families, with whom theyd be comfortably resettled somewhere in Europe. The plot was reminiscent of the Cold War case of Viktor Belenko, a Soviet pilot who in 1976 defected with his MiG-25 from Russia's far east to Japan. Then-CIA Director George H.W. Bush hailed the plane acquisition as a major intelligence bonanza. An unexploded bomb in front of a destroyed building in Mariupol, Ukraine, on June 2, 2022. (AFP via Getty Images) The Ukrainian volunteers say the operation still ranks as a modest achievement for Kyiv. Tveritin, Bohdan claimed, is now grounded, based on call data from the last quarter of 2022. All three pilots also provided valuable Russian military secrets in the course of establishing their bona fides, including sharing images and recordings of the cockpits and instrument panels in their cutting-edge planes Su-34s, Su-24s, and Tu-22M3s as well as details of their air bases. And all it cost the Ukrainians was a few thousand dollars and a lot of patience. A civilian with a background in the IT industry, Bohdan recently met with Yahoo News at a hotel lounge in downtown Manhattan. He explained that he and his colleagues were motivated to approach the Russian pilots by a law signed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in April 2022, according to which his government would generously compensate any Russian who voluntarily gave up the Kremlins military hardware. Fighter jets, bombers and fixed-wing attack aircraft were worth $1 million; helicopters were worth $500,000. Bohdan said he and his team spent their own money on the operation and never asked the Ukrainian government to reimburse them even though, at advanced stages, Ukraines domestic security service (SBU) got involved; so did Kyivs Special Operations Forces (SSO), which guided the logistics how to get the Russians to Ukrainian territory. A third party involved in the operation shared with Yahoo News extensive encrypted WhatsApp and Signal chats he had with Tveritin, Nosenko and Maslov, from late March to July of last year, as well as the documentary evidence they provided of themselves and their aircraft. All three pilots Bohdan found using open-source methods. Initially, I managed to acquire the database of the pilots who fought in Syria, he said. In this database, I saw the details, including who was the flight commander, who was the navigation officer. I was able to structure it in a way to identify whom to contact. There was no contact information in this database, so I had to perform additional research through paid services to understand well, de-anonymize and identify each person. Pilot 1: I dont want to have the same story as Skripal Tveritin Igor Yurievich (Vesti 24 via informnapalm.org) Igor Tveritin, the oldest pilot, married with three children, was born in Melitopol, Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union. His skillset is by far the most sophisticated, as Tveritin was originally trained to fly the Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bomber, a supersonic aircraft capable of launching nuclear missiles, akin to the American-made Rockwell B-1 Lancer. When Bohdan first made contact with him, at the end of March 2022, Tveritin was based at Engels Air Base a bomber air base that was struck twice by Ukrainian drones in December despite being far from the frontlines. In fact, he can be seen standing in front of his then-bomber, the Valery Chkalov (named after a famous Soviet test pilot), in a video recorded by Russian news outlet Vesti in 2013. Tveritin told reporters that firing a missile is the main dream of a military pilot, we all aspire to this. The Valery Chkalov was known for also firing cruises at rebel targets in Syria as of 2015, the year Russia directly intervened in that countrys civil war on behalf of dictator Bashar Assad. At some point, Tveritin was reassigned to fly missions in a Tu-22M3 strike bomber in Ukraine. I dont want to die, Tveritin texted Bohdan in Russian on April 29. I am a realist, no one knows how things will work out. I agree to your conditions, but let there be two transfers of $7,000. That makes me calmer. On May 1, Bohdan asked him to confirm his identity and location by making a five-second video of the aircraft with a slip of paper with number 377 in the background or written on your hand. Tveritin obliged. A Tu-95 strategic bomber from the Russian air force prepares to take off from an air base near the Volga River. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP) Bohdan used a crypto exchange to anonymously wire the funds to a Russian Sberbank account. Once Tveritin collected that money, hed be on the hook to the Ukrainians. He only grew more nervous as they steadily worked through the logistics of how, where and when the pilot would defect and how hed somehow get his wife and children safely out of Russia. Tveritin was especially worried about his family, and asked for an advance of $50,000 5% of the $1 million for his airframe. He also stated that it would arouse suspicions if he removed three young children from school at the same time, especially as the whole family was living on a military base where we are all boiled in the same pan, all is transparent. Bohdan told Tveritin that Ukraine was ready to make arrangements to get Tveritins family out, which would precede his own defection. A problem for them, as for all three pilots and their relatives, was the lack of passports allowing for international travel, leading to circuitous escape proposals. First, theyd have to go to either Armenia or Belarus, both of which accept Russian internal passports. Once there, theyd receive new documents, obtained for them by the Ukrainians, to enable travel to one of the Baltic states. Belarusian guards in the Brest region of Belarus, near the border with Ukraine. (Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images) I dont know how safe your method is, Tveritin told Bohdan on May 20. Please, understand my concern. If they leave Belarus with their documents, they will notice in Russia that they crossed the border. I dont want to have the same story as Skripal, he added, referring to the Russian double agent who was poisoned in England by assassins of the GRU, Russias military intelligence agency. I need documents with different names and surnames and entrance records to Belarus. This is a matter of principle for me. Bohdan countered that changing everyones names would be riskier than getting them valid passports under their real names. Tveritin said he preferred to resettle in Germany. Bohdan also promised to open a bank account in Tveritins wifes name and deposit $150,000 before the family made it to Belarus. Another outstanding issue was how, where and when Tveritin would fly to Ukraine. He was understandably afraid of not only being interdicted by his Russian comrades but of being shot down by Ukrainian air defense systems, which would mistake his plane for an incoming enemy. Tveritin planned to fly at a very low altitude to avoid being shot down by either sides air defense systems. A Russian Tu-22M3 bomber. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) A big wrinkle was that Tveritin would be apprised of his flight mission only a day before it was set to take place, and given his takeoff time only three to five hours in advance. Tveritin bristled when Bohdans group gave a landing approach in Kharkiv, the region in northeast Ukraine where some of the heaviest fighting was taking place at the time. When you approach Kharkiv, you will be intercepted and escorted by our two fighters and you will keep communicating with them via a certain frequency, Bohdan wrote. Are you serious about Kharkiv? the pilot shot back. Kharkiv is almost surrounded. Apart from the concentration of all kinds of air defense there. The sky in that area is densely protected and pushing an aircraft to fly there will be suicide! So Bohdan proposed an alternate route. By late May there was another snag one that Bohdan believes was decisive in the scuttling of the operation. Ukraines defenders in the port city of Mariupol had finally surrendered their last position, meaning the city was now fully under Russian control. Tveritin made it clear that he was one of the Russian bombers routinely pulverizing Mariupol in the weeks and months prior. The situation has become difficult for me, he wrote Bohdan on May 23. Your people surrendered Azovstal and we stopped flying there. Now we fly less, towards Odesa and Mikolaiv, well to the west of Mariupol. Rescuers sifting through the debris of buildings destroyed following the bombardment of Kharkiv, April 16, 2022. (Sergey Bobok/AFP via Getty Images) A new flight and final plan was introduced in which Tveritin would approach from Russian-occupied Crimea, headed toward southwestern Ukraine. Still another matter to be resolved was what to do with Tveritins crew. His 130-feet-long Tu-22M3 has a pilot, a co-pilot and two technicians. Tveritin planned to report errors in his instruments, confusing all three, then dip into a low altitude, shouting at his crew, if they objected, that all systems were still functioning normally. While his young co-pilot was still discombobulated, Tveritin would change course and blame it on a faulty flight navigation instrument. By the time anyone was the wiser, Ukrainian planes would have intercepted their bomber, escorting it down. Soon it became clear that Tveritin was no longer keen on the plan or rather, he appeared a little too keen. This combat aircraft will not help you much, he messaged Bohdan. You do not have pilots of that sort. Thats why I am your only hope. Only I can lift this bird into the air. Tveritin seemed to be suggesting that he be seconded into Ukraines air force and fly missions against his former compatriots. That hint, especially from someone so concerned for his safety and that of his family, suggested to the Ukrainians that the pilot may have been discovered by FSB and now communicating under their control. This is when we began to suspect they were playing him back to us in a double cross, Bohdan told Yahoo News. From there on, Tveritins chatter fizzled out. And then he was gone. Pilot 2: I am planning to depart with another woman Sukhoi Su-24 bombers at the International Army Games 2017 outside Tyumen, Russia. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) Bohdan first made contact with Andrei Maslov, based in Lipetsk, western Russia, on May 4, 2022. A pilot of a Su-24 tactical bomber, Maslov and his navigator Igor Kupchinsky had won a bronze medal during a military aviation competition in Russian-occupied Crimea. When first approached, Maslov appeared to suspect that Bohdan was himself an undercover FSB officer looking to entrap him. He refused to accept a wire transfer via crypto exchange and said hed only take cash dollars or euros only delivered to him by hand. I am sure handing over cash is not a problem for you, Maslov told Bohdan. Bohdan arranged for a courier to deliver $4,000 in cash to Maslov at a train station. There will be two girls. The password is: From Maxim, Bohdan wrote. One girl will be with a cap and a bright T-shirt. The second is shorter ... in blue jeans and a khaki jacket. The girls will ask for the last digits of a phone number: 2200. Maslov agreed to meet and said hed be wearing a blue military jacket and blue summer pants. Maslov would defect with his Su-24 and a woman, but not his wife. (Yahoo News is declining to identify the pilots friends or family members out of an abundance of caution.) My wife is out of the question, said Maslov. Its a complicated relationship. I am planning to depart with another woman but have not discussed moving with her yet. A Ukrainian Su-24 bomber lands during an air force exercise at Starokostyantyniv military airbase. (Genya Savilov/AFP via Getty Images) Yahoo News was able to confirm the identity of this other woman as a 28-year-old pediatric fitness instructor specializing in, among other things, childrens yoga. In order to get her an international passport, Bohdan asked for her internal one. It was shortly thereafter he realized Maslov was burnt even before Bohdan approached him. For one thing, she was way too attractive for this guy, Bohdan told Yahoo News. She looked like she belonged with an oligarch. For another, Bohdan and his team found her on Instagram: She had been in Turkey in 2021, proving she did indeed have an international passport up until recently. Further investigative digging found her still-valid passport was reported destroyed at around the time Bohdan started communicating with Maslov. In mid-June, Bohdan messaged Maslov: We have started the process of submitting documents in order to get a travel passport for your girlfriend and the base is informing us that she already possesses a valid travel passport. How would you explain this situation, Andrei? Andrei couldnt. He said hed get to the bottom of it. I have checked, he responded shortly thereafter. There was a passport, but her ex-boyfriend destroyed it. Andrei, Bohdan wrote back, are you sure you trust her entirely and there is no risk of information leakage? Otherwise, this fact may jeopardize our implementation. I absolutely trust her, Maslov replied. I have not provided details to her. She only knows that we are going to travel abroad together. She is an orphan. She does not ask too many questions. She trusts me. Bohdan said his side obtained her call data and found that she had repeatedly communicated with an officer from FSBs counterintelligence department. We also found out all her girlfriends were hookers called by the FSB for their special projects. Moreover, she had been in Barcelona during the time of the Catalan referendum in 2017. One wonders what, or who, she was doing there. Maslov continued to talk to the Ukrainians off and on from that point, but it was now obvious to the latter that hed never pull the trigger. Then he too disappeared. Pilot 3: F***, this is like a movie The Sukhoi Su-24M is a supersonic, all-weather attack aircraft of the Russian air force. (aviation-images.com/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) One of the most intense conversations we had was with Roman Nosenko, Bohdan said. He was the toughest. I will move my family, Nosenko wrote on April 30, but what will happen to it there if this is not a joke. ... The money is huge, it looks like a scam. What are the guarantees that I will not be scammed? F***, this is like a movie. Nosenko confirmed to Bohdan that he flew the Su-34 Fullback and the Su-24 Fencer bombers, both of which have two-man crews. When asked to provide proof in exchange for $2,000, Nosenko shared images of his Fencer. As requested, he held up to the camera, in front of the plane, a piece of paper with the number 339 written on it. Nosenko said that he had little information on his targets claiming: We carry the payload to a point. After that it does its own thing. They dont give us the details. This suggests they were using standoff munitions of some kind, possibly Kh-59 cruise missiles or Kh-31P anti-radiation missiles. As with Tveritin, Nosenko stated that his operational plans are not shared with him in advance. The direction we fly in cannot be predicted, its always different. It gets known only at the last moment. Nosenko also admitted to not feeling particularly patriotic about Russias invasion of Ukraine. I dont need this war either! he messaged. Before we continued with the next phase of the operation, Bohdan told Yahoo News, we started asking Nosenko a lot of technical questions that were important for the Ukrainian intelligence such as how many types of aircraft are in his unit, how often they go on flight missions, and what regions they fly to in Ukraine. He gave us the names of commanders of different units we double-checked all the info, and it all checked out. Russian aircraft in formation over St. Basil's Cathedral during the rehearsal for the Victory Day parade in Moscow, May 4, 2019. (Tatyana Makeyeva/Reuters) His defection plan was similar to Tveritins: Hed drop to an extremely low altitude upon approach, switch to a secure communications channel with Ukrainian interlocutors and land safely in a designated airfield. Nosenko agreed to leave Russian-controlled airspace, fly over my troops at high altitude and then start descending over the frontline. Nosenkos biggest fear was Ukrainian air defenses. Ive heard they are handsomely paid for shot-down planes, he wrote. I would be more confident if I knew at least the areas of their deployment in order to confidently go around them and start maneuvering on time. As Nosenko had only one other person in the cockpit with him, his navigator, he decided it would be easiest to tranquilize him by drugging his coffee before they took off. He mulled the sedative he wanted to use. I cannot buy it without a prescription, Nosenko lamented. With the wrong dosage, one can end up with a stroke. Whereas Tveritin had too many family members to exfiltrate from Russia, Nosenko had just one: his wife. Her escape wouldnt be easy under any circumstances because she is a military psychologist and therefore also a member of Russias armed forces. Yahoo News was able to establish that Nosenkos wife was attached, as of 2020, to a military unit in Morozovsk, in the Rostov region, home of Russias 559th Bomber Aviation Regiment, which operates the same model aircraft as her husbands: Su-24s and Su-34s. In fact, Nosenko claimed he and his wife were in the same unit. We even uncovered photos of her conducting team-building exercises with soldiers at the military base in Morozovsk. Belarusian border guards patrol the crossing point between Belarus and Ukraine in the Brest region, Feb. 15. (Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images) The same route was proposed for her travel as for Tveritins wife and children: Shed leave Russia and go to either Armenia or Belarus, acquire a new passport there, and then proceed to one of the Baltic states. I dont know about the wife, Nosenko messaged Bohdan on May 11. Its hard. She would have to defect from the Kremlins military too. After a 24-48 hour period in Belarus she will receive a European permit for residence in one of the Baltic states, Bohdan wrote. Upon her arrival she similarly will have a rented apartment and all amenities at her disposal. She will confirm to you the availability of money on her bank account, and only after that you will be taking off. Nosenko turned over their personal documents to Bohdan, including their internal passports, which allow for travel only in Russian Federation territory and countries with no visa requirements. Still, he was nervous. I have already said that I will allow her to go only when the documents are ready and I am sure about everything, Nosenko wrote Bohdan. It is not a kitten I am sending you, he wrote, referring to his wife. Yet somehow Nosenko persuaded her to fly to the Belarus capital of Minsk in exchange for another installment of $4,000 to cover travel and expenses. Bohdan promised Nosenko that upon her arrival, a bank account in her name would be opened with $150,000 on deposit. By June 24, the wife was indeed in Minsk and had been there for about three days. If nothing changes, she will fly tomorrow to Moscow. Still no money has arrived on the card, Nosenko wrote Bohdan. The same day, Bohdan messaged Nosenko back. We trust you, he wrote, but we have one question regarding your wife. The number you gave us for her is not her main number. So now, we can see that she had calls with an FSB man, Yevgeny Kashlach. Bohdans team, which by now consisted of Ukrainian intelligence officers, had acquired her phone records and determined she had recently rung a Russian security officer. Residents of the Belarusian capital of Minsk. (Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images) At that moment we talked with Roman and told him directly that his wife has been talking to counterintelligence, Bohdan told Yahoo News. We said we cannot continue for now because we have questions, and then he agreed to talk to his wife. A military psychologist might understandably talk to FSB officers attached to military counterintelligence as part of their day-to-day work requirements. But the fear was she might be dropping a dime on her husbands plan to defect with one of Russias prized bombers. It was 50-50 she was either doing her job or ratting him out, Bohdan explained. It was about a month into his conversation with Nosenko, who, assuming his offer to defect was originally legitimate, was by now too far deep into the operation to claim innocence. He understood that we could record him. He understood that he had provided information. And he understood that he already could go one way only. But his wife was in a different situation. She was still clean at the time. It remains unclear if Nosenkos wife informed on her husband, persuaded him to turn himself in or if one or both spouses had been working for the FSB from the beginning. Bohdan believes that by the time she went to Minsk, she was under surveillance, if not being controlled by the Russian security service. They clearly wanted to see who would come to Belarus and with what kind of documents, Bohdan told Yahoo News. When no one turned up because we suspected her, the FSB cottoned on to what was happening and terminated the operation. Then they preemptively claimed success. A dubious end game Police and the Russian National Guard patrol Red Square in Moscow. (Alexander Nemenov /AFP via Getty Images) Success for the FSB took the form of Russia firing missiles at Ukrainian airfields, whose locations, it later claimed, were only disclosed by Bohdan and his team. In reality, those air fields had already been bombed since the start of Moscows invasion. Russian state media publicly joined the fray. The news channel RT channel ran a 10-minute segment on what it depicted as an elaborate sting operation from the get-go and an unmitigated failure for Ukraine. RT claimed to interview two of the pilots, neither of whom can be identified from the footage (one wore a face-obscuring helmet on camera, the other had only the back of his head filmed). They did produce some of the messages Bohdans team had with the pilots, along with audio recordings of phone calls. More compellingly, RT exhibited surveillance footage of the two women sent to hand-deliver Maslovs $4,000. They also claim to have arrested an unnamed man who hired them. This could mean Maslov was himself working for the FSB from the beginning or that he was being monitored, Bohdan told Yahoo News. We may never know what happened to Tveritin, Maslov and Nosenko. Bohdan insists Tveritin is not currently flying sorties in Ukraine a claim Yahoo News cannot independently verify but cant be sure about Maslov and Nosenko. If they were working with the FSB from the get-go, then they may well be decorated heroes. If they were unmasked midway through genuine plans to defect, there is almost no chance any of them would ever set foot in the cockpit of a Russian fighter jet again. Theyd be imprisoned or killed for treason. If this saga signifies anything, it is that war doesnt just make orphans, widows and corpses; it furnishes opportunities premised on self-interest. Russia is notoriously corrupt, and it is plausible that three Russian pilots, more interested in self-enrichment than in conquering their next-door neighbor, set out to make a pile of cash at great risk to themselves and their families then were exploited by Russian intelligence to try to and catch the very same Ukrainians who made them an offer they couldnt refuse. Photo by Nina Westervelt/Variety via Getty Images Moviegoers have been taught to view films set in New York as love letters to the city, no matter how gritty or unflattering they may be. Blame Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, or any member of a long list of other New-York-bred filmmakers capturing the divine chaos and innate romanticism of the Big Apple. But A Thousand and One, a new family drama set in Harlemsure to be canonized among legendary New York cinemaresists such optimism about the ever-gentrifying metropolis. In fact, its writer and director A.V. Rockwell has described her debut feature as a heartbreak letter to her hometown, which she witnessed rapidly change as a youth. I loved the city so deeply that it felt like part of who I am, the 34-year-old Queens native told IndieWire in January. I felt like, OK, well, New York must not love me in the same way. I think that awareness of unreciprocated love and that feeling of being erased was a huge motivator for me. Rye Lane Revitalizes Rom-Coms Beyond Its Legendary Cameo A Thousand and One depicts a young woman named Inez De La Paz (Teyana Taylor), who illegally takes her son Terry (played at different ages by Aaron Kingsley, Aven Courtney, and Josiah Cross) out of the foster system after she returns from a stint at Rikers Island. Set between 1994 and 2005, we watch the pair navigate personal hardships and the injustices of Rudy Giulianis New York, including policing policies like stop-and-frisk, and rapid gentrification. Were used to seeing the latter represented in mainstream media by the arrival of hipsters and expensive coffee shops. But Rockwell shines a light on the displacement of low-income people of color thats required for such an event. Beneath the films political overtones is a gentle and, in Rockwells words, universal portrait of a mother and a son who share a deep and sometimes uneasy love. We also watch Inez and Terry embark on individual romantic journeys, exposing a broader story about the complicated dynamics between Black women and men, including issues of misogynoir and colorism. All of this circles back to an overarching sense of loneliness that the audience experiences through Inez. Story continues A Thousand and One has already received plenty of praise and one pretty big accolade: the Grand Jury Prize at this years Sundance Film Festival, where it premiered in January. Recent winners of the award include the Oscar-winning Minari and 2021s Best Picture winner CODA. Before Sundance, though, Rockwell was already well-recognized as a filmmaker to watch. She directed 2016 short film for Alicia Keys song The Gospel, a black-and-white video collage of women of color across New York. Her follow-up was the mesmerizing short film Feathers, about a safe-haven school for Black boys. With her most high-profile work to date, Rockwell joins a small list of Black women filmmakers, including Ava Duvernay, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Dee Rees, and Lena Waithe, who also produced this film, receiving the level of attention and acclaim required to boost them into the spotlight. (Although sustaining that position is another issue.) Opportunities to tell intimate, nuanced stories about women have historically been reserved for their white counterparts. That said, the novelty of Rockwells breakthrough success and the specific story shes able to tell in her first theatrical movie isnt lost on her. Ahead of A Thousand and Ones theatrical release on March 31, The Daily Beasts Obsessed spoke to Rockwell over Zoom about the challenges of making a period piece, casting Teyana Taylor, and the films heartbreaking reveal. (Warning: Light spoilers for A Thousand and One below.) Your previous project Feathers is set in a safe haven for a Black boys. In A Thousand and One, the Black characters constantly feel unwanted and unsafe. Did your previous film have any influence on making this one? I dont know. I wasnt really coming from that. I had written this movie [Feathers] that was my love letter to Black men and boys. But I think, as I was coming out of that, I started to reflect, Well, whos done something like that for us [women]? Its not like I could think of a number of examples of Black filmmakers making that ode to Black women, as fully seeing us and fully having empathy for what our experiences are in the world. I wanted to honor those women in my life. If I can make a movie for them, I can make a movie for the women in my life that have nurtured me, especially inner-city Black women that are often misunderstood and invisible in society, and also within our own communities. Focus Features I feel like the marginalization of Black women is often reduced to whatever struggles their sons or male partners experience, because people are more attuned to struggles of cis Black men. I appreciated that Inezs individual experiences were the main story. I think so much of how were represented [is] a necessary evil. If you can get over whats complicated about this woman, then she can support you on your journey. We're supporting characters for everyone else. And so I think so much of this movie, to your point, was just me saying the fact that we want to feel fully loved and not just needed. Was there something about the dynamic between Black mothers and sons, or Black men and women more broadly, that made you want to center them in this particular story? When it comes to the mother-son relationship, I was talking about it more in a universal way. So much of this movie does relate to dynamics between Black men and women. But the mother-and-son [relationship]its for all mothers and sons. Its also me recognizing how men relate to their moms and how that relationship impacts them, especially if they had relationships like Terry and Inezs where theres trauma there. Theres some discipline there. I wanted to shine a light on that, particularly for moms that were either single moms or young moms, [who] are just somehow not able to fully support or give attention to their children the way they needed it, especially early on in life. And I wanted for these men to get more of a window into your mom's experience of life and what your mom's experience of the world was. We tend to over-idealize our parents. So having the opportunity to see her full humanity represented like this, the type of things that she had to go through, I was hoping that level of understanding could be healing. Inside Donald Glovers Complicated History With Black Women Speaking of the dynamics between Black men and women, you wedge in commentary about colorism through Terrys crush Simone (Alicia Pilgrim), who he seems uncomfortable expressing his desire for because shes dark-skinned. Viewers can assume that Inez has dealt with that too. How crucial was it for you to represent that experience? Its incredibly important. I feel like I couldnt narrate the story in the right way without that part being included because, over the course of the movie, you see her showing up for everybody. You see how hard she fights for everyone, how dedicated she is. But she never fully gets that in return. And I think women can relate to that across the board. But I think for Black women, in particular, colorism plays into that experience. That was definitely part of my coming-of-age experience in New York. The love that was given to us was so conditional. The way colorism plays into that dynamic is really important. Even for Terrys journey, seeing that play out with Inez and seeing that play out with his love interest, Simonehes being tested. He, as a young man is figuring out, who am I to the women in my life? Who am I to the Black women that have nurtured me? What kind of man am I going to be to them? Teyana Taylor is absolutely incredible as Inez. Did you immediately have her in mind for the film, given her Harlem roots? No. We didnt know each other prior to this. Her name came up a few times early on. But I hadnt seen a lot of examples of her as an actress or enough examples of what she can do. Its a very demanding role. So the idea was thrown out, but I kind of overlooked it initially. But she submitted a tape like everyone else. And by that point, I had seen so many women that, when she stood out, she stood out like a beautiful gem. I think that there was a very specific type of actress I was looking for. Not only did she need to have the pedigree to take on such a challenging role, but she also needed to have a truthfulness to her. As a New York City woman, I was casting somebody that represented a New York City woman with a level of honesty, especially [for] inner-city New York City women, and not feeling that level of privilege. I think if somebody who didnt relate to this person in real life or didnt know this person in real life had taken on this role, it would have been another example of me just minimizing who she is in the world by saying, youre not even good enough to be formally represented. Focus Features How challenging was it to recreate this particular time period in New York? There are so many aerial shots of the city and all these changing storefronts. Bigger than I thought because I lived in New York all my life. And I also lived in Harlem for a number of years. And so I had a strong sense of how I wanted to go about capturing the city in order to be able to use what was there and just build on top of that, which we did. But I think what made it enormously more challenging was creating this movie in the middle of COVID. We had to make sure that it was a safe set. It ate up, like, a million dollars alone out of the budget. Any movie that was being made during the time, thats what you were up against. But it really made it hard to shoot in New York City. Our permits were so limited. On top of that, you have all these COVID masks that you have to dodge in the background. Everyone has a mask on their face. Because of that, I had to develop a very specific language for the movie. We were very intentional about our locations, that we either used as our backdrop or built our set on top of. But the visual effects were very helpful. Sharon Lomofsky was my production designer. Obviously, Eric Yue, our DP, was very pivotal. And then Melissa Vargas, who did costumesall those elements came together and made it a lot easier. Are Kanye Wests Antics Overshadowing Teyana Taylors Greatness? The movie ends with this big reveal regarding Inez and Terrys relationship. To me, it only enriched the bond we had been watching for the entire movie. But it still seemed like a bold choice to make as a filmmaker. Were you nervous that plot point would upend or ruin the film for people? Im really happy that it resonated with you, because it was very nerve-wracking for me. I was just trying to protect how the story is built. And I think its all there. If you want to rewatch it, theres hints that build towards how their journey ends. But I think that it was scary, because I didnt know how people were going to feel about them and their relationship. I didnt know if people would still feel connected to them, especially Inezthe choices she makes and the mistakes she makes and the very questionable decisions. And I really didnt know, [because I was] making the movie in a cave. Youre just around you and your collaborators. I think theres things that feel more certain. The mother-and-son aspect, as I was finishing the movie, was the only thing I felt certain like that I thought people would resonate with. But I think Ive been so relieved with the response we've gotten so far. It enriches how people connect to these characters. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Thousands rallied Thursday across Israel and the Palestinian territories for Land Day, commemorating a deadly crackdown in 1976 on protests against Israeli plans to seize land owned by Arab citizens. Two people were wounded by Israeli army fire during a march in the blockaded Gaza Strip, a medical source said without elaborating on their condition. At the main rally in Sakhnin, an Arab city in northern Israel, AFP journalists saw many people wearing the traditional keffiyeh scarf as they waved Palestinian flags and chanted: "Freedom! Freedom!" "This demonstration is happening under a fascist government and against the backdrop of growing racism, which has become mainstream is Israel," lawmaker Ahmed Tibi told AFP. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to office in December at the head of a hard-right administration, including extremist coalition partners with a history of anti-Arab rhetoric. Land Day commemorates protests and a strike on March 30, 1976 against a decision by the Israeli authorities to seize large sections of land in the northern Galilee region. Israeli police fired at demonstrators, killing six people, and the government plan was subsequently annulled. Hayat Hammoud, 29, said she had joined the Sakhnin march in "solidarity" with the families of the "martyrs" of the 1976 events. Arab citizens, who constitute around 20 percent of Israel's population, have remained there after the war that coincided with the creation of the state in 1948. Israel calls them Arab-Israelis, while Palestinians outside Israel often refer to them as "'48 Palestinians" or "inside" Palestinians. In Gaza, under a crippling Israeli-led blockade since 2007, hundreds marched along the heavily guarded border. Israeli soldiers fired bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowd from the other side of the fence, an AFP correspondent said. A Palestinian medical source said two people had been taken to hospital in Gaza City with gunshot wounds. Story continues An Israeli army spokesman told AFP that "two fragmentation grenades" thrown from the Palestinian side landed on the other side of the fence without causing injuries. "The soldiers shot tear gas and .22 calibre rounds, and hits were identified on a number of rioters," he added. Hamas, Gaza's Islamist rulers, said in a statement for the 47th Land Day: "The seizure of land by the Israeli occupation and the colonial expansion of settlements are doomed to fail." Several protests are scheduled in the West Bank on Friday to mark Land Day. mab/cgo/mj/all/ami/it/fb WASHINGTON (AP) Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley tried to force a Senate vote Wednesday on legislation that would ban TikTok from operating in the United States, but he was blocked by a fellow Republican as lawmakers in both chambers are still trying to figure out what action, if any, is appropriate against the social media app. In trying to force a vote a move that rarely works in the Senate, since one senators objection can block it Hawley called TikTok digital fentanyl and argued it could give the Chinese government access to data from 150 million American users. His bill would block and prohibit U.S. transactions with TikToks parent company, Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd., within 30 days. The bill sends the message to Communist China that you cannot buy us, Hawley said. Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky objected to Hawleys motion, arguing that trying to ban an app would violate the Constitution and anger the millions of voters who use it. Speech is protected whether you like it or not, Paul said. Hawleys effort to bring attention to the issue comes a week after a combative House hearing in which lawmakers from both parties grilled TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew over his company's ties to Chinas communist government, data security and harmful content on the app. Chew attempted to assure lawmakers that the hugely popular video-sharing app prioritizes user safety and should not be banned due to its Chinese connections. But the tense standoff gave new momentum to Hawley and other lawmakers who say it should be banned or limited. The Missouri senator said Congress should act decisively to ban TikTok directly. Other lawmakers have considered broader approaches, though there is no widespread consensus on any piece of legislation. There is broad Senate support for bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., and South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Senate Republican, that does not specifically call out TikTok but would give the Commerce Department power to review and potentially restrict foreign threats to technology platforms. The White House has backed that bill, but it is unclear if it will be brought up in the Senate or if it could gather much support among House Republicans. Story continues Another bill sponsored by Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida would, like Hawleys bill, ban U.S. economic transactions with TikTok, but would also create a new framework for the executive branch to block any foreign apps deemed hostile. His bill is cosponsored by Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., and Mike Gallagher, R-Wis. Those pushing new legislation point to agreement on a bill passed in December that banned TikTok from most government devices. But despite the bipartisan desires, the varying proposals underscore how difficult it could be to find agreement on an unprecedented effort to ban or scale back an app that is used by millions of Americans. Paul said trying to ban an app like TikTok is a slippery slope. Hes had videos censored by YouTube, he said, but he still believes the company has a right to exist. I despise these people, but Im not going to vote to ban them, he said. We dont ban things that are unpopular in the United States. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 30) Police said there were no indications of rape in the death of a De La Salle University Dasmarinas student, adding that theft may have been the motive in the killing. "According doon sa autopsy report, result po ng SOCO (Scene of the Crime Operatives), negative tayo doon sa rape case na pwede mangyari sa biktima. Walang rape na naganap doon sa biktima," Dasmarinas, Cavite Police Chief PLtCol Juan Oruga Jr. told CNN Philippines Balitaan. [Translation: According to the autopsy report, a result from SOCO, there were no indications of rape.] "Sa ngayon, sa pagtakbo ng investigation natin, intent to gain, yung pagnanakaw (ang motibo)," he added. [Translation: For now, as far as the investigation goes, intent to gain or theft was the motive.] CCTV footage showed the suspect, wearing a blue shirt, a mask and a cap, walking out of the dormitory after the incident with what were presumed to be the victims belongings. The 24-year-old student was identified by De La Salle University Dasmarinas as Queen Leanne Daguinsin. Oruga confirmed that the door of Daguinsins room was secured with a double lock, and that the suspect was able to enter through the window, where the grill was left open. He said Daguinsin was killed at around 1:30 a.m., but her body was only discovered by the dormitory caretaker in the afternoon. According to the autopsy, Oruga said the victim had 14 stab wounds: four in the arm, which were considered to be defensive wounds, and nine on the rest of the body. He said a neck wound was the fatal blow. The local government of Cavite is offering a 1.1 million reward for information that would lead to the arrest of the suspect. According to Cavite 4th District Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr., Sen. Bong Revilla, Governor Jonvic Remulla, and Dasmarinas City Mayor Jenny Barzaga pitched in for the million-peso bounty. In a statement, De La Salle University Dasmarinas encouraged its community to wear black and participate in the prayer vigil for justice for Daguinsin on Thursday, March 30. Earlier, the school said it will impose stricter security measures in the campus and had asked increased police visibility in the area. It also said it would work closely with authorities in the case. READ: DLSU Dasmarinas to impose stricter security measures after killing of student Cottage cheese is TikTok's newest food obsession. (Getty Images) The renaissance of cottage cheese has arrived. The humble dairy product, which was a mainstay in the 80s and 90s, is now being embraced by Gen Z. Just one look at TikTok and videos with the term cottage cheese have over 213.7 million views, with people making whipped cottage cheese, adding the cheese to their pasta sauces, and simply enjoying it as a snack on toast. Cottage cheese is my new obsession, one user by the name of Abby commented under a video. Other videos show users blending cottage cheese with peanut butter and banana to make a faux peanut butter cheesecake. Read more: What is the face taping TikTok trend and can it really banish wrinkles? Ive been adding cottage cheese to scrambled eggs, one user wrote. It stretches expensive eggs and adds bonus protein! Cottage cheese adds nutritional value by providing extra protein to any high carb meal, Nutritionist Resource member Sonal Shah explains. It also works as a topping like on jacket potatoes, salads and an accompaniment on the side and it provides minerals such as B vitamins and calcium. Shah says that cottage cheese is made by adding an acid to milk, which causes the milk to curdle and is then drained to create the cheese. It is highly nutritious as it contains a whooping 25g of protein per cup, Shah explains. The bulk of it is casein protein which is a slow digesting protein providing the body with a steady stream of amino acids throughout the day. Supporting muscle growth and repair while avoiding peaks and crashes in blood sugar levels. Being naturally low in sugar and fat, but high in protein, it is a satiating food to eat on its own as a snack or as part of a meal. Read more: What is TikToks #CandleStudy trend and why are education experts warning against it? Shah recommends consuming just one cup of cottage cheese per day maximum. The nutrition composition varies depending on how it's made, she add. The cottage cheese and pineapple for example will contain sugar compared to the plain full fat version. So always check the nutrition labels and full ingredients. Story continues While cottage cheese has one of the highest protein amounts out of dairy products, one cup of diced cheddar contains 30g of protein, and one cup of Greek yoghurt has 20g of protein. Read more: What is the TikTok colour noise trend and can it help you sleep better? According to the British Nutrition Foundation, protein is needed for growth and repair of body tissues and is important for healthy muscles and bones. Meat, fish, dairy products, eggs, soya, nuts, beans and lentils are all good sources of protein. Adults should aim to eat 0.75g of protein per kg body weight per day, which equates to 56g per day for a man who weighs 75kg (165lbs), and 45g per day for a woman who weighs 60kg (132lbs). Watch: Here's why you should be having family dinners more often WEYMOUTH, Massachusetts When his son was born with a rare liver disease nearly 18 months ago, Stephen Squillante said he assumed he'd be a match to give part of his liver to Stephen Squillante III. Instead, he got the shocking news that he has a type of blood cancer that prohibits him from donating organs. Doctors caught it early, and he said he's feeling great, but the disappointment over not being able to help his son has been palpable. "At 33, you don't expect that," he said. "You go in thinking you're nervous to get tests done and hope you're a match, not worried about your own health, so it was shocking. ... Right now, I'm just bummed. I was hoping to give my son part of my liver." As they wait for other family members to go through the screening process, Squillante and his wife, Shannon, started a nonprofit to help other families on the same journey. Tiny Transplant Titans aims to support children who have received life-saving transplants and those still waiting. The Squillante family, Stephen, Shannon and 18 month old son Stephen III who is need of a liver transplant, at home in Weymouth on Wednesday March 22, 2023 Weve had the experience of being in the hospital a few times with him, and that led us to want to help other people, Shannon told the Patriot Ledger, a member of the USA TODAY Network. Our support system has been incredible. Family, friends and friends of friends have stepped up, donating to us, getting Stephen Strong shirts, so we wanted to extend that forward and help others in this situation. A failed surgery, an excruciating wait While still in the hospital after his birth, her son was diagnosed with a rare liver condition called biliary atresia, which affects 1 in 15,000 babies. Bile ducts inside and outside the liver in babies with the condition are obstructed or absent, blocking the flow of bile to the intestine. That leads to buildup and scarring in the liver and eventually liver failure and death. At 5 weeks old, Stephen Squillante III underwent surgery to try and prolong the life of his liver, a Kasai procedure, which connected his small intestine to his liver. Story continues But the surgery was unsuccessful. He has been on the liver-transplant waiting list since November 2022. He's now 17 months old. While he waits, Stephen is on 11 medicines a day and uses a feeding tube. Awaiting news of a donor, his family wants to make tough situations easier for other families. Shannon Squillante said their hope is to create care packages. When children are admitted to the transplant floor, families would receive a package with a toy, gift cards, a blanket and some other small things of comfort. She said they also want to provide anniversary gifts for children after they receive transplants, since it's a huge milestone to get past the first year following an organ transplant. "Just being in the hospital, we saw all types of situations and we realized how lucky we are with our support system because there are children that don't have the same support," Stephen Squillante said. He and his wife also hope Tiny Transplant Titans will raise awareness of the importance of organ donation. Reach Jessica Trufant at jtrufant@patriotledger.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Family whose son needs organ transplant starts charity to help others A Broome County man will not face any criminal charges related to a February crash in the Town of Newark Valley that killed three pedestrians and injured a fourth. Tioga County Sheriff's Office announced Wednesday Dominic Fontana, 18, of Endicott, faces a traffic violation for an unsafe lane change following an investigation into the Feb. 15 crash on state Route 38. The sheriff's office accused Fontana of leaving the southbound lane of travel in an unsafe manner and striking four pedestrians who were walking along the shoulder of the roadway. Three of those four 66-year-old John Stephens, 25-year-old Kurtis Acker, and 52-year-old Doreen Wood, all of Newark Valley were killed in the collision. The fourth pedestrian, a 27-year-old woman from Newark Valley, was airlifted to Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse and has since been released, the sheriff's office said. The crash took place shortly before 11:30 a.m. on state Route 38 between Brown and Wilson Creek roads. Fontana was the lone occupant of a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe SUV that was traveling southbound on Route 38 when the crash occurred, according to the sheriff's office. Public safety Latest developments in Jeffrey Aissa case: What to know about Binghamton fire, new charges For subscribers Hochul looks to tweak NY bail laws, again. Is bail reform working as intended? State news Kelles, Lupardo co-sponsor legislation requiring Medicaid to pay for medical marijuana The investigation included a search warrant for Fontana's vehicle and its electronics, as well as a subpoena for cell phone records. Investigators also reviewed video from several commercial vehicles on-board cameras, doorbell cameras, and business and residential security cameras in the area. The sheriffs office drug recognition expert was called in to administer drug and alcohol sobriety testing on Fontana. Investigators concluded there was nothing found that would support criminal charges related to the crash, the sheriff's office said. Story continues New York State Police and the Tioga County District Attorney's Office assisted in the investigation. Follow Jeff Murray on Twitter @SGJeffMurray. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Driver in triple fatal Tioga County crash to face no criminal charges The Patagotitan mayorum cast is going on display at the Natural History Museum until January next year. (Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London) Visitors to the Natural History Museum in London are now able to get the chance to see the life-sized skeleton of the largest dinosaur to have ever lived. Just in time for the Easter holidays, people who head to the museum in South Kensington can catch a glimpse and even touch the life-sized skeleton of a titanosaur. The 2.67 tonne cast of Patagotitan mayorum, the most complete gigantic dinosaur ever discovered, is set to thrill visitors, who will be able to learn more about the creatures through interactive games and experiences, Visitors will also be able to see a 69-million-year-old grapefruit-sized egg which hatched an enormous titanosaur and touch its model replica, while also finding out how many people it would take to balance the scales of a giant dinosaur. Director of the Natural History Museum, Dr Doug Gurr, said: There is nothing that comes close to Patagotitan walking the Earth today so in this case, seeing is believing. Visitors can get up close to the Patagotitan mayorum. (Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London) What are titanosaurs? Titanosaurs long necked plant-eaters that stood on four legs weighed up to 70 tonnes and included the largest animals that ever walked the Earth. They lived towards the end of the dinosaurs reign in the Cretaceous era, around 101 million years ago and were widespread around the world. Patagotitan mayorum were titanosaurs which included the largest land animals to have ever lived. (Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London) What is Patagotitan mayorum? Discovered in Argentina in 2010, Patagotitan mayorum is the most complete giant dinosaur ever discovered. It is around 12 metres longer than other Natural History Museum exhibit Hope the blue whale. It would have weighed around 57 tonnes when alive approximately eight Tyrannosaurus Rexs and more than nine African savannah elephants, which are the largest animals alive on land today. The cast weighs 2.67 tonnes, approximately the same weight as 59 velociraptors or five full concert grand pianos. Patagotitan would need to eat over 129kg of plants every day the equivalent to approximately 516 round lettuces. Patagotitan mayorum would have weighed around 57 tonnes when alive. (Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London) How can I see Patagotitan mayorum? The huge cast is on display at the Natural History Museum in South Kensington, London. Story continues The museum opens at 10am every day and closes at 5.50pm, with the last entry at 4.30pm. The exhibition begins on Friday, 31 March and goes on until Sunday, 7 January 2024. Tickets cost 16 for adults and 9 for children, while family tickets range from 27.25 to 47.25. They can be purchased on the Natural History Museum website. A titanosaur replica on dispaly at the Cretaceous Park in Cal Orcko hill in Sucre, Bolivia. (Getty) What else is in the exhibit? As well as the cast, visitors will be able to view hand-drawn illustrations of the flora and fauna of the Cretaceous period. Information on the predators that were brave enough to try to prey on Patagotian mayorum can be read, while you can stretch your legs to try and match the titanosaurs giant strides across the gallery floor. Interactive games and experiences also combine with a 69-million-year-old grapefruit-sized egg which hatched an enormous titanosaur, while visitors can get hands-on with its model replica. Bravo After last weeks epic pool-party fight that ended with Katie Maloney desperately calling an Uber, the Vanderpump Rules gang finally heads down to Mexico this week to celebrate Scheana Shay and Brock Davies wedding. Of course, on this utterly loveless show, the twos actual nuptials are the least important part of this already dysfunctional trip. Before the wedding festivities begin, though, theres still some business to take care of in L.A., like another Schwartz & Sandys menu tasting (yawn) and a tea party at Lisa Vanderpumps house thats actually a surprise bridal shower for Scheana. But first, we get another scene of James Kennedy ranting about his ex-fiancee, Raquel Leviss. As Raquel and Tom Sandovals scandalous affairand, according to reports following the recent taping of the shows cast reunion, perhaps even current relationshipcontinues to drive the news cycle, VPR fans both casual and dedicated are tuning in to the show in huge numbers, hoping for hints of gossip related to the controversy. Wednesday nights latest episode offered plenty of drama when it comes to the complicated relationship dynamics between the tangled webs of parties involvedincluding not just Leviss and Sandoval, but their respective exes including James, Tom Schwartz, and Ariana Madix. Its Official: Scheana Shay Will Be Present at Vanderpump Reunion If it hasn't already been proven, James is clearly not handling his ex-fiancees rise to main-character status well. During a chat with his father, Andros, the DJ nearly breaks the fourth wall, declaring that he was here first. Andros echoes that Raquel is on his [James] turf. (Gross.) We can assume James head will explode when Being Raquel Leviss inevitably airs on Bravo in the fall. At Schwartz & Sandys, the Toms are still *drum roll please* not ready to open! At first, it seemed like Greg, their business partner, was purposely stalling to collect rent money and possibly audition for his own Bar Rescue show. But in this scene, we see Schwartz give their manager Brett a drink menu that has neither cocktail names nor prices on it, and I have to wonder what these two are doing from 9 to 5 every day. Story continues On camera, at least, theyre stuffing their faces with possible menu options, and Katie surprisingly scores an invite to this second round of tastings. (Greg said the first round was too dive-bar-y.) Katie and Schwartz have made up because Katies obsessed with having an amicable divorce, even though they couldnt even have an amicable marriage. Everyone oohs and ahhs over crab beignets and lobster corn dogs. Ally Lewber, James girlfriend, manages to escape from James grip for a lunch date with Ariana, Scheana and Lala Kent. Of course, no one really spends time getting to know Ally because Lala has to have the last word with her fight with Raquel from last week. Unfortunately, all she can do is slut-shame Raquel for wearing a bikini to a pool party. Scheana also talks about her wedding plans, which, as of this scene, dont include the newly initiated Ally. Afterward, Ariana informs Scheana about a tea party Lisas hosting at Villa Rosa. Then, we have an emotional scene with Lala, which are always hard to digest earnestly, but especially seconds after she said Raquel looked like a prostitute. On top of that, shes having a heart-to-heart with Brock, who she had beef with last season after (rightfully) revealing his sketchy past to the group, including a domestic violence charge. Lala apologizes for how she handled the situation, even though its the only morally correct thing shes done in the past four seasons. Then we head over to Villa Rosa for Scheanas surprise bridal shower, which isnt much of a surprise because Scheana spots her sisters car before she walks in. But its always great to see Lisa anxiously host a bunch of broke millennials in her home. The cast also greets Scheana with her smash hit Good As Gold. Overall, the event is pretty tame. However, James drinks one too many Pumptinis and wont stop professing his love for Ally in concerning ways, including repeatedly saying that he wants her to have his blue-eyed babies. Lisa accurately tells him that he sounds like a dictator. James also asks Lala, whos been publicly wary about his new relationship, if he should propose to Ally in Mexico, which shes deeply offended by. Its becoming clearer with every James and Lala interaction this season that these two diabolic human beings are soulmates. They certainly have more chemistry with each other than with both of their flames this season. Tom Sandoval Defends Raquel Leviss in Juicy New Vanderpump Rules Episode Speaking of chemistry (or lack thereof), Raquel and Schwartz have a boring conversation on some lawn chairs. And at the afterparty at Schwartz & Sandys, they randomly explore the mens bathroom. In light of the Scandoval, many fans are speculating that these two manufactured their romance to distract from Raquels affair with Sandoval. And its hard not to watch their robotic flirting with this theory in mind. I dont put it above Schwartz to seriously pursue Raquel. But sober (or at least not-as-drunk) Raquel seems less-than-horny around this man. Before everyone flies out to Mexico, James begs Scheana and Brock to let Ally attend the wedding ceremony, and they oblige him. Most of the cast arrives at the Dreams Natura Resort and Spa, including Katie and other uninvited guest Kristina Kelly. Later, Scheana mentions that she was offended when Kristina giggled with former cast member Stassi Schroeder when she compared her crop-top wedding dress to a skanky girls quinceanera 10 years ago because shes half-Mexican. Its shocking that Bravo would even resurface this clip, considering you could make a 10-minute supercut of all the racially offensive comments Stassis made on the show. Anyway, Katie is stunned to discover that Scheana moved her and Kristina to a different tower. And Brock makes everyone shout their wedding hashtag, #HoneyIDo. (Why do these exist??) The first event of what will inevitably be 50 pre-wedding festivities is a dinner in an IKEA-looking restaurant. But before the group sits down, James has already body-checked one of Brocks Australian friends for giving him an annoying, drunk hug in Lalas words. To be fair, Brocks home pals have proven to be irritating in the past, like when one of them was being touchy with Charli [last name] last season. If its the same dude, I feel no sympathy. However, Arianas really pissed about it. And she and James start shouting and clapping at each other. An humiliated Ally storms out. Raquel smirks because she no longer has to be embarrassed by James. And we end with another deeply unnecessary To Be Continued Keep obsessing! Sign up for the Daily Beasts Obsessed newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. A spokesperson for Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs resigned Wednesday over a social media post that was criticized as promoting violence against people who are transphobic. Josselyn Berry, press secretary for Hobbs, a Democrat, tweeted a meme Monday that featured a character from the 1980 film "Gloria" wielding a gun in each hand, accompanied by the text: "Us when we see transphobes." The tweet, which was posted hours after a six people were killed in a shooting at a Christian elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee, has been removed and replaced with a Twitter label indicating it violated the platforms rules. The post drew sharp criticism, particularly on the right, for its depiction of violence in reference to transphobic people. The conservative Arizona Freedom Caucus blasted it as a "call to violence," tweeting Tuesday night that Berry should be fired immediately. In condemning Berry's post, the group also called the suspected Nashville shooter "a deranged transgender activist." The suspected shooter, whom Nashville police identified as a transgender former student of The Covenant School, was killed by police. Asked for comment on Berry's resignation, Hobbs office referred to an earlier statement. The Governor does not condone violence in any form. This administration holds mutual respect at the forefront of how we engage with one another, Hobbs' office wrote Wednesday. The post by the Press Secretary is not reflective of the values of the administration. The Governor has received and accepted the resignation of the Press Secretary. Berry could not immediately be reached for comment. The tweet also drew criticism from several Republicans who have backed legislation targeting transgender people or campaigned in opposition to transgender rights. GOP state Sen. Anthony Kern, who sponsored a bill this year that would make adult cabaret on public property or anywhere it could be viewed by a minor a criminal offense, characterized Berrys post as a public message to shoot transphobes, saying on Twitter it was reprehensible and massively disturbing. Kern's bill is part of a growing effort by conservatives in many states to restrict drag events. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Oxycodone pills. A San Jose police union official was arrested in an opioid distribution scheme. (Keith Srakocic / Associated Press) The executive director of the San Jose police union imported opioids from overseas in a scheme to distribute the drugs in the U.S., federal prosecutors say. Joanne Marian Segovia was charged Tuesday with attempting to import a controlled substance in a scheme that took place from 2015 to 2023. Segovia, 64, was arrested as the result of a "Homeland Security investigation into a network that was shipping controlled substances into the San Francisco Bay Area from abroad," according to the Department of Justice. San Jose Police Officers' Assn. spokesperson Tom Saggau said Thursday in a statement to The Times that the union was informed Friday by federal authorities that one of our civilian employees was under investigation for distribution of a controlled substance and the POA has been fully and completely cooperating with the federal authorities as they continue their investigation." "The POA immediately placed the civilian employee on leave and as is standard procedure cut off all access to the POA," Saggau said. "No additional individual at the POA is involved or had prior knowledge of the alleged acts," he added. "The Board of Directors is saddened and disappointed at hearing this news, and we have pledged to provide our full support to the investigative authorities. According to a complaint filed this week by the U.S. attorney's office, from October 2015 to January this year, Segovia received shipments at her home from countries including China, India and Hungary. The shipments 61 in total were mailed with manifests such as "wedding party favors" and "chocolates and sweets" but contained thousand of dollars' worth of synthetic opioid pills such as tramadol and tapentadol. "The complaint alleges that Segovia used her office at the San Jose Police Officers Association to distribute controlled substances," the Justice Department said in a news release. In one shipment, Segovia allegedly sent a package to a woman in North Carolina using the union's UPS account. Story continues She was interviewed by federal investigators in February but allegedly continued to order the substances afterward. In March, federal agents seized a package labeled as a "clock" in Kentucky that was addressed to Segovia that contained valeryl fentanyl, the department said. If convicted, Segovia faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on Thursday introduced the most sweeping legislation to date cracking down on Chinese purchases of U.S. land, calling for a full ban on those associated with China from buying any real estate on American soil. "For decades, the Chinese Communist Party [CCP] has been gobbling up American farmland and real estate," Cotton told Fox News Digital. "At best, this submits American land and resources to China's best interests, not America's at worst, these purchases serve as outposts for Chinese espionage campaigns against American businesses and military bases." While recent legislation introduced in Congress would prohibit the purchase of America's agricultural land, Cotton's bill takes the extra step of banning all real estate purchases a step meant to prevent Chinese entities from circumventing the definition of agriculture use in order to continue buying U.S. land. The Not One More Inch or Acre Act also stands out by targeting not just people and businesses associated with the Chinese but also "any" Chinese citizen. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark, speaks to the media at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 8, 2020 in Washington, D.C. BIPARTISAN GROUP OF SENATORS PUSHES TO BAN CHINA FROM BUYING US FARMLAND Specifically, the bill would prohibit citizens, companies, and other entities of China or any foreign person or entity acting on behalf of them or the Chinese government from buying any public or private real estate located in the U.S. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP The ban does not apply to Chinese citizens who entered the U.S. as a refugee or were otherwise granted asylum. American citizens and immigrants who were lawfully admitted for permanent residence to the country are also exempt from the ban. Cotton's bill requires the sale of any U.S. property owned or influenced by Chinese entities that the president determines to be a national security risk. It would also create a minimum penalty for foreign investors who fail to comply with U.S. Department of Agriculture disclosure requirements. "We can't allow Chinese citizens, or anyone affiliated with the CCP, to own one more inch of American soil," said Cotton. "And any American land exploited by current Chinese ownership should be sold." Story continues CHINESE SPY BALLOON RAISES ALARM BELLS OVER CHINA BUYING UP US LAND Cotton was joined in pushing the bill by co-sponsor Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., who argued the U.S. needs to step up to treat China as America's greatest strategic challenge. "There is no doubt that the Chinese Communist Party is our greatest geopolitical and national security threat, and everything they do is as our adversary," Britt, the ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, told Fox News Digital. "The FBI has said that they open a new counterintelligence case against China about twice per day. From stealing our intellectual property and spying on our children through TikTok, to buying up American farmland near military installations and engaging in unfair trade practices that undercut Alabama steelmakers and shrimpers, we must hold the CCP accountable. We accomplish this through strength, not continued weakness. I'm grateful for Senator Cotton's continued leadership on this critical issue. I'll continue to fight to defend hardworking Americans while protecting our homeland." Chinese purchases of U.S. land become an especially hot-button issue in the wake of China's spy balloon that the U.S. shot down last month after crossing from Alaska to South Carolina. The surveillance aircraft's days-long flight across the country re-energized concerns among experts and lawmakers over China's ongoing efforts to buy land across the U.S., with some voices observing a pattern of suspected espionage activities near American military sites. However, the issue of China buying up real estate on American soil is hardly new. Last summer, for example, the Chinese company Fufeng Group, a food manufacturer, made headlines for purchasing 370 acres of land in Grand Forks, North Dakota, some 15 miles away from Grand Forks Air Force, a center for both air and space operations. The Air Force recently denied Fufeng Group its building permits for a wet corn milling plant on the land, calling the project a "significant threat to national security." In Texas, meanwhile, a Chinese company owned by a wealthy former Chinese soldier with ties to the ruling Communist Party bought 140,000 acres near Laughlin Air Force Base, where pilots are trained. Nash Farms is a fourth generation dairy farm located in Tennessee STATES ACROSS THE US DEBATE LAWS REGARDING FARMLAND SALES TO FOREIGN NATIONALS FOLLOWING CHINA'S SPY FLIGHT Texas has the largest amount of foreign-owned acreage of any state, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Nationally, Department of Agriculture data shows that Chinese ownership of U.S. farmland increased from $81 million in 2010 to $1.8 billion in 2020. Amid such a surge, more lawmakers in Congress are pushing for tougher action, especially in the wake of the spy balloon incident. A bipartisan House majority overwhelmingly approved a measure on Thursday to protect rural land critical for renewable energy production from Chinese investors. Earlier this month, a group of senators led by Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind. introduced legislation to prevent people associated with the governments of America's foreign adversaries namely China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea from buying agricultural land in the United States. Earlier this year, Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) introduced legislation that would blacklist China and other "foreign adversaries" from investing in, purchasing, or otherwise acquiring land or businesses involved in agriculture. Additionally, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., unveiled a bill that would force Beijing-backed businesses to divest their interest in U.S. agricultural land and prevent more from buying acreage. In the House, Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) introduced similar legislation to block China from purchasing American farmland. America will probably get more killer tornado- and hail-spawning supercells as the world warms, according to a new study that also warns the lethal storms will edge eastward to strike more frequently in the more populous Southern states, like Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee. The supercell storm that devastated Rolling Fork, Mississippi is a single event that cant be connected to climate change. But it fits that projected and more dangerous pattern, including more nighttime strikes in a southern region with more people, poverty and vulnerable housing than where storms hit last century. And the season will start a month earlier than it used to. The study in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society predicts a nationwide 6.6% increase in supercells and a 25.8% jump in the area and time the strongest supercells twist and tear over land under a scenario of moderate levels of future warming by the end of the century. But in certain areas in the South the increase is much higher. That includes Rolling Fork, where study authors project an increase of one supercell a year by the year 2100. Supercells are natures ultimate storms, so-called Finger of God whoppers that are the dominant producers of significant tornadoes and hail, said lead author Walker Ashley, a professor of meteorology and disaster geography at Northern Illinois University. Tall, anvil-shaped and sky-filling, supercells have a rotating powerful updraft of wind and can last for hours. Kimberly Patton surveys through the belongings at the spot of a family member's home after a tornado destroyed the property March 26, 2023, in Rolling Fork, Miss. A new study says warming will fuel more supercells or tornados in the United States and that those storms will move eastward from their current range. Supercells spawned the 2013 Moore, Oklahoma, tornado that killed 51 people, the 2011 Joplin, Missouri, tornado outbreak that killed 161 people and the 2011 super outbreak that killed more than 320 people in Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee, the Mid-South. The study used computer simulations to predict what will happen by the end of the century with different levels of global carbon pollution levels. But Ashley said that stormier future seems like it's already here. Story continues The data that Ive seen has persuaded me that we are in this experiment and living it right now, Ashley said in an interview three days before the EF-4 tornado killed more than 20 people in Mississippi on Friday. What were seeing in the longer term is actually occurring right now. Ashley and others said although the Mississippi tornado fits the projected pattern, it was a single weather event, which is different than climate projections over many years and a large area. A neighborhood destroyed by a tornado is seen in Joplin, Mo., May 24, 2011. A new study says warming will fuel more supercells or tornados in the United States and that those storms will move eastward from their current range. Ashley and study co-author Victor Gensini, another meteorology professor at Northern Illinois University and a longtime tornado expert, said they are watching the potential for another supercell blow-up in the Mid-South on Friday. Past studies have been unable to forecast supercells and tornadoes in future climate simulations because they are small-scale events, especially tornadoes, that global computer models cant see. Ashley and Gensini used smaller regional computer models and compensated for their reduced computing power by spending two years running simulations and crunching data. Three scientists not connected to the study said it makes sense. One of them, Pennsylvania State University tornado scientist Paul Markowski, called it a promising advance because it explicitly simulated storms, compared to past research that only looked at general environments favorable to supercells. While the study finds a general increase in supercell counts, what it mostly finds are large shifts in where and when they hit generally, more east of Interstate 35, which runs through east central Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas, and fewer to the west. In moderate warming less warming than the world is headed for based on current emissions parts of eastern Mississippi and eastern Oklahoma are projected to get three more supercells every two years, with eastern Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, western Tennessee and eastern Georgia getting one more supercell every other year. This May 21, 2020, photo provided by Victor Gensini shows a tornado in Moscow, Kan. A new study says warming will fuel more supercells or tornados in the United States and that those storms will move eastward from their current range. With worst-case warming more than the world is presently on track for the study projects similar changes but with worsening supercells over eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas and southern Missouri. Cities that should see more supercells as warming worsens include Dallas-Fort Worth, Little Rock, Memphis, Jackson, Tupelo, Birmingham and Nashville, Ashley said. The moderate warming simulation projects 61% more supercells in March and 46% more in April, while the more severe warming scenario has 119% more in March and 82% more in April. They see double-digit percentage point drops in June and July. In the mid-South, including Rolling Fork, the study projects supercell activity peaking two hours later, from 6 to 9 p.m. instead of 4 to 7 p.m. That means more nighttime supercells. If you want a disaster, create a supercell at night where you cant go outside and visually confirm the threat so people dont take it as seriously, Gensini said. The eastward shift also puts more people at risk because those areas are more densely populated than the traditional tornado alley of Kansas and Oklahoma, Ashley and Gensini said. The population coming under more risk is also poorer and more frequently lives in mobile or manufactured homes, which are more dangerous places in a tornado. Whats likely happening as the climate warms is the Southwest United States is getting hotter and drier, Ashley and Gensini said. Meanwhile, the Gulf of Mexico, which provides the crucial moisture for the storms, is getting hotter and the air coming from there is getting juicier and unstable. A man carries a young girl who was rescued after being trapped with her mother in their home after a tornado hit Joplin, Mo., May 22, 2011. A new study says warming will fuel more supercells or tornados in the United States and that those storms will move eastward from their current range. The hot dry air from places like New Mexico puts a stronger cap on where storms would normally brew when air masses collide in spring time. That cap means storms can't quite boil over as much in the Great Plains. The pressure builds as the weather front moves east, leading to supercells forming later and farther eastward, Gensini and Ashley said. Because February and March are getting warmer than they used to be this will happen earlier in the year, but by July and August the cap of hot dry air is so strong that supercells have a hard time forming, Ashley and Gensini said. Its like playing with a pair of dice loaded against you, Ashley said. One of those dice is making the odds worse because of more people in the way and the other one is loaded with more supercells increasing the odds of the perils too, tornadoes and hail. ___ Follow APs climate and environment coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment ___ Follow Seth Borenstein on Twitter at @borenbears ___ 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. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Eastern Oklahoma, South may see more killer tornadoes as climate warms The saga of the McIntyre federal building redevelopment project continues ever onward, from one Portsmouth City Council to another. Portsmouth has again reached a particularly sensitive moment in time for the council. As a member of city staff, after the special meeting of March 11, stated in passing, were trying to thread a needle." This after an evening of listening to more "in good faiths" from the City Council than Hallelujahs sung in Handels Messiah. Im sure they were sincere. Paige Trace So where are we? Most of us dont know due to the lack of transparency. Case in point, when the city posted the Settlement Agreement (April 6, 2022) they left out Exhibit 2 of the agreement. Why? It appears that exhibit 2 was the original Community Plan design. It would provide residents the ability to compare the original Community Plan with the citys most recent plan looks like, smells like, but certainly isnt. Maybe smoke and mirrors. So what do we know? Early in January 2022, the developer was still fired by a vote of the previous council (the ability provided by out clauses in the development agreement and draft form of the ground lease). Of course it can be assumed the developer was grossly unhappy with the course of events. The ability to terminate perceived by some to be in the documents currently in play. The mayo,r on behalf of the new council, city staff and the estranged development partner met privately early the morning of Jan. 11, 2022 at City Hall. From that meeting and others, the settlement agreement was crafted; submitted to the city; and signed by our city manager with what appears to be little negotiation. Buckle up. The developer wanted $2 million for the work done on the original plans (settlement agreement of April 6, 2022). As per the agreement, $2 million to pay for his plans not used and in turn the development partner drops his lawsuit. What happened? With a large legal department at the citys disposal and two lawyers on the council, the city manager signed an agreement with no out, exit clause or off ramp. Who bears the responsibility? The city manager apparently in her haste to sign on behalf of this current council bought the taxpayers a $2 million needle with no eye. For the last 12 months, it appears the city legal department has been trying to thread a very expensive needle with no eye. The city is on its second extension with federal General Services Administration regarding the McIntyre property, and it may need a third extension. Story continues Its painful to say this, but if you were the GSA would you give the city a third extension? It becomes apparent the development partner and city could lose the $1 project. In this case, the property would go directly for public dispersal by auction or sealed bid. This is perfectly spelled out in the Lease Agreement with GSA (see number 2.) Under that same number, there will also be no more extensions. The city should read its lease agreement and extension contract with the GSA before suggesting we get right of refusal. We dont. One can only assume how the developer might feel should the city lose the property. Yet should GSA grant a third extension, the developer could conceivably sue, regardless. The city has admitted having been warned by the developer once already on extension 2. So despite what this council may think theyve done, this is real. This developer is in possession of an agreement that appears to put him firmly in control. He apparently created the rules and the City Council agreed to them. Hes also had a fair amount of time to think through his position. One can only hope this council really understands the ability of their development partner: $2 million may just be the start. What will the city do when he comes for his third-party expenses they promised; or for the value of the project they may have lost; the 7.4% unlevered profit they promised? What will they do when he continues his negotiating? Theyve unfortunately signed their choices away and their ability to get out of this predicament. And theres potentially more unsettling news. Whatever the City Council thinks they might be doing, the development partner could stand to make far more without them as partner. The project might be expensive to pay for and build, but which is a more attractive investment? Forty-four luxury apartments by lease or 44 luxury condos owned? If the developer purchases this project by public auction, he may have to answer to the GSA/NPS for three years, but after that he and his investors would own outright the Thomas J McIntyre building and 2.1 acres. This City Council will hopefully remember the future residents of Portsmouth as they move forward. This council has little time to thread that needle. Not sure why they ever bought it, but hopefully theyll use it and the time they have wisely. No more history lessons. The only history this council should pay attention to is that history not yet made. Maybe this city simply needs an honest understanding and discussion of the path forward before the McIntyre is lost. Paige Trace is a former member of the Portsmouth City Council who formerly served on the council's McIntyre subcommittee. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Trace: Portsmouth McIntyre settlement a $2 million needle with no eye Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 30) The Department of Justice (DOJ) vowed that the government will investigate any possible "inappropriate behavior" of Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers carrying out departure formalities, and warned that those abusing such protocols will be held accountable. The DOJ issued the statement on Thursday as it noted the plight of Filipino travelers who were affected by the strict implementation of immigration rules. "The BI has taken the necessary steps to investigate any excessive or inappropriate behavior of some immigration officers," the department said. "Rest assured, the abusive behavior which goes beyond the mandate of the officers will not be tolerated and will be appropriately and strictly dealt with," it added. The BI hogged the spotlight in the past few weeks after a passenger claimed she missed her flight due to a lengthy immigration interview. In a viral TikTok, the traveler said she was asked irrelevant questions by an officer, including if she brought her yearbook for her trip. The bureau has since apologized for the incident. Meanwhile, the DOJ said authorities are in the process of revising the departure formalities to better address current trends and gaps in procedures. It added that talks with stakeholders are underway to "minimize the inconvenience" experienced by travelers. The agency likewise appealed for the public's patience amid the government's fight against human trafficking and new related schemes popping up. "As we empathize with the disruptive effect these may have caused to the public, let us not overlook the fact that there is a bigger problem we need to address as a country: human trafficking," the DOJ said. Lawmakers for House and Senate Transportation committees each released budget proposals this week for the 2023-25 biennium, with a focus on similar priorities such as traffic safety and keeping current transportation projects on track for completion. Senate lawmakers released their $12.9 billion proposal Wednesday, after the release of the $13.6 billion House transportation budget proposal on Monday. House Transportation Chair Rep. Jake Fey, D-Tacoma, told reporters Monday that lawmakers have been blessed with opportunities and challenges surrounding transportation funding for the next two years. This year, the House Democrats and House Republicans worked side-by-side on this budget and I believe there will be bipartisan support, Fey said in a statement. In addition to the release of the proposed transportation budgets for the 2023-25 biennium, House and Senate lawmakers also released proposed supplemental budgets for the 2021-23 biennium. House transportation writers are penciling in $10.3 billion, while Senate budget writers have proposed $10.6 billion. House and Senate transportation budget writers said they felt it was important to continue funding projects included in the historic Move Ahead Washington plan that lawmakers passed last year. While dollar amounts from each chamber may be different, the investments are mostly the same. Lawmakers from both chambers signaled the need for investments in traffic safety such as sidewalk maintenance, improvements to intersections, and adding traffic cameras. Washington has seen a drastic uptick in the number of traffic fatalities in the last few years. In a statement released Wednesday, Sen. Marko Liias, D-Mukilteo, said that traffic deaths are all the more tragic because they are preventable. It is unacceptable for our state to continue to see an increase in this trend, and my hope and belief is that with the steps were taking in this budget, and with the policies were working on this year, we can begin to make our roads safer for bicyclists, pedestrians and motorists, Liias said. Story continues Lawmakers are including recruitment bonuses for Washington State Patrol officers as part of their approach to bolster traffic safety. Lawmakers are proposing more funding for projects that are already in the works, such as the SR-18 expansion, the North Spokane Corridor, and the Puget Sound Gateway Program, after Fey said many projects have been delayed. Washingtons ferry system also would receive major funding under both chambers proposals. Funding not only includes procurement of new ferries and electrifying the current fleet, but also includes funding to help retain ferry system employees. Lawmakers also are hoping to attract new employees through employment initiatives. Additional funding will also be used to construct five new hybrid-electric ferries for the state. New funding this year for transportation projects such as safe school routes, ultra-high speed rail and ferry electrification comes from Climate Commitment Act auctions. The CCA passed in 2021, but this is the first year lawmakers are able to use its funding in their budgets. Were building on the investments we made last year so Washington can have the cleanest, greenest, healthiest transportation system possible, Sen. Sharon Shewmake, D-Bellingham, co-vice chair of the Transportation Committee, said in a statement Wednesday. House and Senate lawmakers will work through the end of session to negotiate on a final transportation package for the state, and must agree on funding by April 23 when the legislative session ends. A 72-year-old woman who officials said became trapped for days while cleaning a holding cell at a courthouse is suing the company in charge of security at the court, Florida court records show. Libia Vargas De Dinas, a contracted janitorial worker, became trapped in a cell at the Orange County Courthouse in Orlando during her Friday night shift on Jan. 27, according to a report from the Orange County Sheriffs Office. De Dinas, who is insulin dependent, was stuck in the cell from 9 p.m. until 7 a.m. the following Monday without food or her medication, her lawsuit says. De Dinas started her shift at 5 p.m. on Jan. 27, according to the complaint, which was filed in Orange County on March 22. Employees of Allied Universal Technology Services were in charge of security at the courthouse that day and were responsible for checking in and checking out members of the cleaning crew, the complaint says. The process for checking in and out included cleaning crew members handing their drivers licenses to security staff before being given keys to various parts of the courthouse. De Dinas checked in with Allied Universal employees at the start of her shift and gave them her drivers license, the complaint says. Security personnel then gave her the keys for the area of the courthouse that she was assigned to clean. While cleaning a holding cell on the buildings 23rd floor, the door shut behind her, according to the sheriffs office report. She was unable to open the door, and her cellphone was on her cleaning cart, which was outside in the hallway. At 10 p.m. that night, the rest of people cleaning the courthouse checked out and gave their keys back to Allied Universal security personnel, the complaint says. The security employees returned the drivers licenses to each of the cleaning crew members except for De Dinas, the complaint says. De Dinas shift was also scheduled to end at 10 p.m., according to the lawsuit. It wasnt until Monday morning, January 30, 2023 that a sheriffs deputy heard (De Dinas) cries for help, the complaint says. He unlocked the door and freed (De Dinas) from the holding cell. Story continues Allied Universal Technology Services employees were in charge of security at the courthouse all weekend, the complaint says. The courthouse is open Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to its website. In February, a spokesperson for Allied Universal said in a statement that it was investigating the incident. At the Orange County Courthouse, Allied Universal security professionals did not have access to certain designated areas, including where the incident occurred, the statement says. We provide security services that include access control, screening, patrols, monitoring and reporting. After the unfortunate incident, Orange County has requested for us to provide security in more areas, including where the incident occurred. The company told McClatchy News it could not comment on the lawsuit. Employees with the security company had a responsibility to ensure that each member of the cleaning crew signed out at the end of his or her shift and returned the courthouse keys, the complaint says. Security personnel also had a responsibility to return the cleaning crew members drivers licenses they were given at check-in. Allied Universal did not hire qualified security personnel, properly train its employees on security services, maintain policies and procedures on how security services should be carried out or properly supervise employees to make sure they were completing all tasks, according to the lawsuit. Because the company didnt follow its duties, De Dinas has suffered disability, disfigurement, mental anguish, loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life, expense of hospitalization, medical and nursing care and treatment, lost wages and other issues, the complaint says. De Dinas is still afraid of being in enclosed spaces and often leaves doors open, especially at night, Bill McAfee, one of her attorneys, told McClatchy News. To have this happen to her, its just really unforgivable, he said. Lawyers are seeking a judgment against Allied Universal for damages and costs, the complaint says. 72-year-old cleaning court cell ends up trapped for days without food, Florida cops say Woman facing murder trial tries to get fellow inmates to kill witness, Florida cops say Dad of 2 dies in jail from neglect after wife begs staff to check on him, lawsuit says A man suspected of stealing a truck from a residential neighborhood in San Antonio, Texas, was shot and killed by one of the truck's owners, who had tracked the vehicle using an Apple AirTag, authorities said Wednesday. The truck was stolen at about 1 p.m. local time from outside a home on the city's Northside, San Antonio Police Department spokesperson Nick Soliz told reporters in a briefing. Three members of the family that own the truck used an AirTag to track the vehicle to the parking lot of a strip mall in San Antonio's Southside neighborhood, Soliz said. "It looks like they tried to confront the suspect, who they saw in their vehicle," Soliz said. Investigators are unclear as to exactly how the shooting transpired, but Soliz said that one of the family members attempted "to contact the suspect in the truck." The family member told police he believed "a firearm may have been pulled by the suspect," prompting him to open fire. But, Soliz said, police do not know if the suspected truck thief had any weapons on him. "Right now, it's believed that only the victim of the stolen vehicle fired shots," Soliz said. "He did strike the suspect in the stolen truck." The suspect, a man in his 30s, was later pronounced dead. His name was not immediately released. It is believed that the truck owners called the police to report the theft before the shooting, but then chose not to wait for officers, according to Soliz. "If you are to get your vehicle stolen, I know it's frustrating, but please do not take matters in your own hands like this," Soliz said. The names of the person who fired on the suspect and the other two family members were also not immediately released. It's unclear if the shooter will face any criminal charges, Soliz said. Pope Francis hospitalized with respiratory infection ahead of Holy Week Parents rally for gun control at Tennessee Capitol The Shade Room founder shares her story President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin; Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Jorge Silva/Pool, Associated Press; Phil Sears, File/Associated Press Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called Putin "basically a gas station with a bunch of nuclear weapons." Trump knocked DeSantis over the comments, claiming the rhetoric could lead to war. Trump has a long history of defending Putin and called his justification for invading Ukraine "genius." Former President Donald Trump has lashed out at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over the latter's recent comments condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin. DeSantis, considered a leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 (though he has not announced an intention to run), called Putin a "war criminal" and said Russia's invasion of Ukraine was "wrong" during a Fox Nation interview with Piers Morgan last week. He also said the Russian leader was "basically a gas station with a bunch of nuclear weapons," and previously referred to him as an "authoritarian gas-station attendant," echoing rhetoric that was used by the late Republican Sen. John McCain, who, in 2014, referred to Russia as "a gas station masquerading as a country." In a new campaign video, Trump defended Putin and condemned DeSantis's comments as "exactly the kind of simple-minded thinking that has produced decades of failed diplomacy and ultimately war." He also said DeSantis and Sen. Mitt Romney were "very much alike" and that they "insist on arrogantly treating Russia as deeply inferior to the other nations of the world, with no history or culture or pride." He added their "attitude makes it impossible to negotiate peace." Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) March 29, 2023 Representatives for DeSantis and Romney did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment. Trump has a long history of defending Putin, who in February of 2022 launched an assault on Ukraine. After the US intelligence community concluded Russia had meddled in the 2016 election, Trump sided with Putin. Following a one-on-one meeting with Putin during a 2018 summit in Helsinki, Finland, Trump doubted the findings, declined to condemn the Kremlin, and said he didn't "see any reason" why Russia would've interfered. Story continues When Russia invaded Ukraine in February of last year, Trump said Putin's justification for invading was "savvy" and "genius." In October, he blamed the US for the invasion, accusing American leaders of "taunting" Putin and "almost forcing" him to invade. Trump was also impeached in 2019 over a phone call in which he threatened to withhold congressionally approved military assistance to Ukraine and pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to investigate the Biden family. DeSantis, for his part, previously referred to the war in Ukraine as a "territorial dispute" and said it was not of "vital national interest" to the US, a position that move him closer to Trump on the issue but alienated him from some fellow Republicans. In the interview last week in which he called Putin a war criminal, DeSantis said his comments had been "mischaracterized." Read the original article on Business Insider Former President Donald Trump is appealing a judge's order that one of his former chiefs of staff and other top aides must testify before the federal grand jury investigating the Jan. 6 riot, a source familiar with the matter confirmed Wednesday. U.S. Court Judge Beryl Howell's ruled this month that Mark former chief of staff Meadows and other aides, including Dan Scavino and Stephen Miller, must testify despite Trump's invocation of executive privilege. The decision and Trump's appeal were filed under seal because of the active grand jury investigation. The court docket shows the appeal was filed Wednesday, and the source confirmed that the appeal concerns Howells earlier ruling. Others who were directed to testify are former National Intelligence Director John Ratcliffe, ex-national security adviser Robert OBrien, former Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Ken Cuccinelli and former White House aides Nick Luna and John McEntee. Legal experts say a criminal investigation usually supersedes executive privilege, as it did when the Supreme Court forced President Richard Nixon to hand over tapes of his Oval Office conversations. A spokesperson for Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the appeal, which was first reported by Bloomberg News. A spokesperson for the Justice Department would not comment. The ruling was one of Howell's last as the judge overseeing legal challenges to special counsel Jack Smiths dual probes into Trumps involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and his handling of documents with classification markings found at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. The case in Washington is now being overseen by her successor as chief judge, James Jeb Boasberg. Boasberg denied a different Trump executive privilege claim Monday, when he ruled that former Vice President Mike Pence has to comply with a subpoena to testify about Trumps efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, a source familiar with decision said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Attorneys for former president Donald Trump have asked a federal appeals court to toss a District of Columbia judges order forcing his last White House chief of staff and other former White House aides to give evidence before a grand jury investigating his attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden. Mr Trumps legal team on Wednesday asked the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to overturn District Judge Beryl Howells rejection of the ex-presidents claim of executive privilege over testimony from ex-top aide Mark Meadows and other former senior White House officials, including his former deputy chief of staff Daniel Scavino, ex-senior policy adviser Stephen Miller, and other former national security officials. Judge Howell, who until recently served as the chief judge for the District of Columbias federal district court, shot down Mr Trumps effort to quash subpoenas for his ex-aides testimony issued at the request of Jack Smith, the Department of Justice special counsel who is overseeing probes into the ex-presidents actions leading up to the January 6 attack on the Capitol, his alleged unlawful removal and retention of national defence information, and his alleged obstruction of the probe into his alleged unlawful retention of national defence information. Mr Trump had claimed his ex-aides could not be compelled to give evidence because of executive privilege, a legal doctrine that shields communications between and among a president and his advisers. But in a sealed ruling, the judge rejected his privilege claims, citing a string of precedents dating back to the Watergate era which state that executive privilege must give way to the need for prosecutors to obtain information for criminal investigations. Mr Trumps efforts have also been thwarted in part by President Joe Bidens refusal to assert executive privilege in matters relating to the January 6 attack, citing the extraordinary circumstances of the worst attack on the Capitol since Major General Robert Ross ordered British troops to burn it in 1814. Story continues The 15 March ruling from Judge Howell was a notable win for Mr Smith, as it will if allowed to remain in force compel Mr Trumps inner circle to tell grand jurors about their interactions with the twice-impeached former president during the period he was pushing to remain in office for a second term despite having lost the 2020 election to Mr Biden. Thus far, Mr Trump and his allies have had precious little success in persuading courts not to recognise any of his privilege claims as hes sought to hamper Mr Smiths investigative efforts. Last week, a three-judge panel of the DC Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a different ruling from Judge Howell which forced one of Mr Trumps lawyers, Evan Corcoran, to give evidence about Mr Trumps actions in relation to a separate grand jury investigation into his alleged unlawful retention of classified documents at his Palm Beach, Florida residence. The court found that Judge Howell had properly applied an exception to attorney-client privilege which can be invoked when it is found that legal advice was sought to further commission of a crime. By Luc Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters) -Manhattan has started and stopped its investigation into Donald Trump's hush-money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels so many times that it has come to be known as a "zombie case" like the mythical character who returns from the dead. A grand jury of New Yorkers has brought charges against the former president, Trump's lawyer Susan Necheles said on Thursday. The charges were not immediately made public but emerged after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg revived a probe into whether Trump directed his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, to make the payment. Cohen and Daniels have said the payment was to buy her silence about a sexual encounter she had with Trump in 2006 when Trump was married to his current wife Melania. Trump denies having had an affair with Daniels. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg launched the probe after his predecessor Cyrus Vance twice looked into the payment and did not bring charges, in part because winning a conviction would rely on untested legal strategies, according to a new book by Mark Pomerantz, a former prosecutor in the office. Doubts arose as to whether state felony charges could be brought against a candidate for federal office and whether the conduct could be considered money laundering, according to the book, "People vs. Donald Trump," published in February. The inquiry opened and shut so many times that it came to be known as a "zombie case," Pomerantz said. "The bottom line for me was that the 'zombie' case was very strong," Pomerantz wrote. "But was it a crime under New York law?" To be sure, it was as yet unknown whether Bragg was approaching the case with a similar legal theory to his predecessor. Trump, who is seeking the Republican nomination for the presidency again in 2024, has called the probe a "witch hunt." Bragg is a Democrat. Bragg's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Joseph Tacopina, another lawyer for Trump, said in television interviews before charges were filed that his client was a victim of extortion by Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. Story continues Late last year Bragg's office won a conviction of Trump's family real estate company on tax fraud charges. Trump was not a defendant in that case. 'UNTESTED THEORY' According to Pomerantz, Vance's office looked into the payment in 2019, after federal prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan finished their own case involving the hush money. Pomerantz was not yet working in the district attorney's office at the time. In the federal case, Cohen pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations and testified that Trump directed him to pay Daniels and another woman. Federal prosecutors said Trump's family real estate company reimbursed Cohen and falsely accounted for it as a legal expense, but never charged Trump with a crime. Under New York state law, falsification of business records is a misdemeanor. It can become a felony if the intent is to conceal or advance another crime. Pomerantz wrote that the DA's office considered whether that other crime might be a violation of election laws. Such a theory would assert that Cohen's payment was a campaign contribution because Daniels' disclosure of the alleged encounter would have harmed Trump's prospects at the polls. But as Trump was a candidate for federal office, it was legally uncertain whether the intent to advance or conceal a federal crime could convert a state-level falsification of records charge into a felony, Pomerantz wrote. "It's an untested theory, but it's not every day that a candidate for president violates a state law," Jerry Goldfeder, an election law specialist at the Stroock law firm, said when asked before the charges were filed whether state law could apply to a candidate for federal office. 'BACK INTO THE GRAVE' After hiring an outside law firm for advice, Vance's office decided not to bring any charges, Pomerantz wrote. "These types of crimes don't necessarily have a clean fit into the applicable law," Sarah Krissoff, a partner at Day Pitney and a former federal prosecutor, said in an interview before the charges were filed. In early 2021, after Pomerantz joined Vance's team, he revived the hush money inquiry under a different theory: if Daniels had been extorting Trump, then the money could be considered criminal proceeds and efforts to conceal that it came from Trump could constitute money laundering. But Pomerantz wrote that many of his colleagues were skeptical of the idea that Daniels' request for hush money amounted to extortion, and he later realized the money laundering statute would not be applicable to the situation. "The 'zombie' case," Pomerantz wrote, "went back into the grave." (Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Howard Goller) (Getty) Former president Donald Trump has roundly rejected any investigations involving him, his campaign or business empire as a hoax, a fraud or a politically motivated hit job against him or his agenda. In January, his company was fined $1.6m after two of its entities were convicted of 17 felonies, marking the first time that the former president and his empire bolstered by a culture of fraud and deception, according to prosecutors faced criminal consequences after he spent decades trying to avoid them. Now at the centre of separate investigations from the US Department of Justice and from prosecutors in his hometown of New York and in Georgia, a state he lost to Joe Biden but where he pressed election officials to overturn the results, the leading 2024 Republican candidate for president has suggested that his supporters could respond to his election loss or potentially imminent indictments with violence. On 18 March, he demanded that his supporters protest his imminent arrest in New York in a furious all-caps social media post typical of his violent visions of America in chaos: a dying and third world country where leftist thugs are killing and burning with no retribution. A Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Mr Trump on 30 March. In his most explicit comments yet, in a late-night post on his Truth Social account on 23 March, he suggested death and destruction awaited the US if he is criminally prosecuted. His comment echo his calls to supporters that fuelled the attack on the US Capitol and his apocalyptic visions of America from his time in office and on the campaign trail, depicting his us-versus-them political stakes and a brewing civil war with grim conclusions rhetoric that has gripped the GOP in the wake of Mr Trumps candidacy. Its authoritarian purity, according to Joe Trippi, a Democratic strategist and adviser to anti-Trump group the Lincoln Project, speaking to The Washington Post. Its what happens when you have to intensify the rhetoric to get the same response, and so its a downward spiral. Story continues Mr Trump has called other Americans our enemies (who are lunatics and maniacs, he told this years Conservative Political Action Conference) and repeatedly suggested that the country is on the brink of World War III without his leadership. In August, the former president told right-wing radio host Hugh Hewitt that a criminal indictment would not stop him from seeking office and that Americans would not stand for his prosecution. If a thing like that happened, I would have no prohibition against running, he said. I think if it happened, I think youd have problems in this country the likes of which perhaps weve never seen before. I dont think the people of the United States would stand for it. Asked what he meant by problems, the former president said: I think theyd have big problems. Big problems. I just dont think theyd stand for it. They will not sit still and stand for this ultimate of hoaxes. Thats not inciting. Im just saying what my opinion is, he said. I dont think the people of this country would stand for it. One month earlier, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told Fox News that if Mr Trump is prosecuted for mishandling classified documents at his Florida compound, therell be riot in the streets. Mr Trump shared a clip of that interview on his Truth Social profile. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, without naming the senator, said such comments from extreme Republicans were dangerous. Mr Trumps comments follow a legacy of statements that have fanned the flames of outrage among his supporters, from his depiction of American carnage in his 2017 inaugural address to months of baseless claims alleging a stolen 2020 presidential election before he called on supporters to fight like hell on 6 January, 2021 before a mob stormed the US Capitol. Within a 25-hour period in 2020, he wrote of protests against police violence when the looting starts, the shooting starts and promoted a video from an ally claiming that the only good Democrat is a dead Democrat. In a dark speech at the foot of Mount Rushmore on the Fourth of July that year, he declared that his political opponents want to end America. In campaign speeches, to applause from his supporters, he has repeatedly threatened to imprison journalists and endorsed executing people convicted of drug crimes. Following a federal law enforcement search of his Mar-a-Lago property in August of 2022, Mr Trumps enraged response and criticisms of the FBI and US Department of Justice echoed among his supporters and in threats that resulted in real-world violence. People are so angry at what is taking place, Mr Trump told Fox News at the time. Whatever we can do to help because the temperature has to be brought down in the country. If it isnt, terrible things are going to happen. Mr Trumps business was convicted of criminal charges less than three weeks after the November announcement of his 2024 campaign, fuelled by grievances and his failure to overturn the election he lost just two years ago, and seen by his opponents as an attempt to shield himself from looming criminal prosecutions. In the weeks that followed, Mr Trump has repeatedly invoked a darkly pessimistic view of America, warning his followers that the country will enter World War III if he is not elected, and vowing retribution against their political opponents if he is. In February, he shared a post on his Truth Social to his millions of followers from a supporter who pledged to physically fight for the former presidents election. What we got to lose? Ill donate the rest of my time here on this planet to do it. And I know many many others who feel the same. They got my 6 and we Are Locked and LOADED, the user wrote. During his headlining appearance at CPAC, Mr Trump pledged to be your warrior and your justice, vowing to his supporters: And to those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution. Youre going to have World War III, if something doesnt happen fast, he said during his speech on 5 March. This is the final battle. They know it. I know it. You know it. Everybody knows that this is it Either they win or we win. And if they win, we no longer have a country. In a statement on his Truth Social and a video from his campaign, he said this is the most dangerous time in the history of our country and that World War III is looming like never before in the very dark and murky background. Hopeless Joe Biden is leading us into oblivion, he added. We cannot let it happen. We have to take back the White House, or our country is doomed. In recent weeks, ahead of his indictment in New York and the investigation in Georgia, he said in posts on his Truth Social that our country is in big trouble and, in an all-caps rejection of the investigations, called them nothing other than election interference into the politics of a failing nation. This story was first published on 16 March and has been updated with developments (AFP) In his latest campaign video posted to Truth Social, Donald Trump again took aim at Ron DeSantis, this time slamming him for his recent remarks on Russia which took a tougher stance regarding Vladimir Putins war on Ukraine. The former president sought to tie the Florida governor to remarks made in the past by Senator Mitt Romney and even the late Senator John McCain. Calling Russia a gas station with a bunch of nuclear weapons, or calling Putin, quote, an authoritarian gas station attendant with some legacy of nuclear weapons from the old Soviet Union is exactly the kind of simple-minded thinking that has produced decades of failed diplomacy and ultimately war, said the former president. And where is that war going? Those such as Mitt Romney and Ron DeSantis, very much alike, who insist on arrogantly treating Russia as deeply inferior to the other nations of the world with no history or culture or pride, are not only ignorant and foolish, but their attitude makes it impossible to negotiate peace. Absolutely impossible, he continued. Mr Trump went on to claim his administration had a more nuanced understanding of Russia, its people, and history, and that such neocon rhetoric and implying that Putin must be tried and presumably executed as a war criminal, only increases the chances of nuclear escalation and showed a lack of sophistication on the subtleties and complexities of foreign policy. The former president said: This is not the time for on-the-job training as we face the possibility of nuclear war. And our leaders, if you call them that, got us there. This is where we are. The word nuclear was never even mentioned during the Trump administration. Now its being mentioned every hour of every day. Mr Trump said the country needs a peacemaker in the Oval Office, not someone who recites mindless and recycled talking points to win the approval of the failed foreign policy establishment that didnt know what they were doing. Story continues He added: In 2024, I am the only candidate who can prevent World War III. I will prevent World War III. Theres nobody else thats going to do that. Thank you very much. Mr DeSantis had previously called Russias invasion of Ukraine a territorial dispute in a written statement to Fox Newss Tucker Carlson, for which he received a great deal of condemnation from fellow Republicans. He walked back those remarks in an interview with Piers Morgan, claiming the statement was out of context. The historic indictment of Donald Trump is a seismic moment for the 2024 US presidential campaign, but it is impossible to predict whether the political earthquake will cause lasting damage or settle in his favor. On Thursday a New York grand jury voted to indict the twice-impeached Republican leader, who is running again for president, over a $130,000 hush money scheme to silence a porn star claiming a tryst with him in 2006. Washington-watchers were laser-focused on the effect on Trump's third bid for the White House -- as Republicans united in denouncing his indictment as a politically motivated attempt to derail his campaign. But Trump supporters and critics alike have voiced doubts over the legal merits of the case, which turns on whether the payment to Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 election counted as an illicit contribution to his campaign. Detractors worry that if Trump were cleared -- the Democrat John Edwards defeated a similar prosecution in 2012 -- it could make it easier to cast any future indictment as a "witch hunt." And the charges will also likely juice turnout among Trump's base, say analysts, catapulting him to victory in the nomination race, known as the presidential primary. - 'In-kind gift' - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, seen as Trump's main potential rival for the Republican nomination, denounced the indictment as "un-American" and a "weaponization of the legal system." DeSantis has also been careful in recent weeks to repeat the case's most salacious details, joking that he didn't "know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star." But don't expect a stampede of Republicans to follow suit in needling Trump. Nicholas Creel, a political analyst at Georgia College and State University, said Trump's base in the "Grand Old Party" (GOP) was "simply too bought-in" to abandon him. "Even now, we see Trump's Republican competitors, such as former vice president Pence, actively defending him in this scandal instead of using it to attack him for his own gain," he told AFP. Story continues "This indicates that Trump's GOP rivals fully understand how his base has an unshakable cult-like devotion to him, one that isn't letting up any time soon." That fealty has been exemplified by the Republican majority in the House of Representatives. Kevin McCarthy, the top Republican in the House and second in line to the presidency, lashed out at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, who pushed the criminal inquiry against Trump. Bragg "weaponized our sacred system of justice against President Donald Trump," McCarthy said. A trio of House committee chairmen has called on Bragg to testify before lawmakers -- a stunning intervention in an ongoing case -- accusing him of pursuing "sham" charges because Trump is running for president. In the Senate, Trump loyalist Ted Cruz, a former presidential rival, said on his podcast the prosecution "could be the single biggest in-kind gift to the Donald Trump campaign of this entire cycle." - 'Undying support' - On the left, figures like former White House strategist David Axelrod have characterized the hush money scandal as the least significant of four criminal probes of Trump. Nerves are said to be jangling in Trumpworld over potential racketeering and conspiracy charges in a much more consequential probe of the 76-year-old billionaire's efforts to overturn Georgia's 2020 election results. And a quasi-independent federal prosecutor is overseeing historic investigations into Trump's mishandling of classified documents and involvement in the 2021 insurrection by his supporters at the US Capitol. "Trump getting indicted should absolutely ruin his presidential aspirations. It should. But based on the undying support from his base, I do not believe it will," Amani Wells-Onyioha, a Democratic election strategist, told AFP. "In fact, I think it will give him a surge in the polls and cause his base to rally around him even more." That said, the tide of Republican opinion is showing some signs of turning, even in the House, faced with Trump's mushrooming scandals. Chip Roy, a right-wing lawmaker who has endorsed DeSantis for president, called into the conservative commentator Glenn Beck's radio show last week to discuss what was then a possible Trump indictment. "Look, at the end of the day, you cannot walk away from the fact that the former president clearly paid a porn star off to hush up right before an election," the Republican said. "Correct," the host replied. ft-bfm-ec/st Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 30) The Philippine government joined other nations in endorsing the declaration of the United States-led Summit for Democracy but disagreed with the line recognizing the importance of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) rejected the part of the declaration which acknowledged the important role played by the ICC as a permanent and impartial tribunal complementary to national jurisdictions in advancing accountability for the most serious crimes under international law. According to the DFA, the Philippines earlier decision to withdraw from the ICC, which is investigating the Duterte administrations deadly drug war, was because the court failed the test of complementarity. The PH government does not recognize the ICCs jurisdiction and affirms that the PH has the jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute crimes, including those allegedly committed in the context of the countrys anti-illegal drugs campaign, the department said in a statement dated March 29 but released on Thursday. In a March 27 decision, the ICC appeals chamber rejected the Philippines' request to suspend its drug war probe pending resolution of Manila's main appeal against the resumption of the investigation. Despite this, Solicitor General Menardo Gueverra said the government will still refuse to cooperate with the international court due to disagreements over jurisdiction and admissibility issues. RELATED: Marcos on ICC: 'I cannot cooperate with them' Meanwhile, the DFA stressed its view that dialogues and platforms on human rights must not be politicized and targeted against specific countries. Instead, these should be constructive, inclusive, and directed at delivering meaningful, long-lasting solutions, the department said. Speaking at a plenary session for the summit, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also told world leaders that his administration will only take part in global engagements that recognize Philippine sovereignty. The Philippines will continue to engage countries bilaterally and in international platforms on issues concerning democracy, human rights, and good governance, as long as these engagements are constructive, based on facts, and respectful of Philippine sovereignty, Marcos said in a video message, as quoted by Malacanang in a press release. The president also reiterated that the rule of law prevails in the Philippines and that its criminal justice system is fully functioning. We continue to improve mechanisms such as the AO35 inter-agency committee to enhance accountability. The Philippines commitment to fight impunity for atrocity crimes is solid and unwavering, notwithstanding the withdrawal of the country from the Rome Statute, he said. We have vigorously exercised our jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute crimes, including those allegedly committed in the context of the anti-illegal drugs campaign, the chief executive added. The Philippines is no longer a member of the ICC after it withdrew from the Rome Statute during the Duterte administration, and effective 2019. However, the tribunal previously explained that it retains jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed while a country was still a member. The democracy summit was convened by the US alongside co-host countries Costa Rica, South Korea, The Netherlands, and Zambia. According to Marcos, the meeting affirms the solidarity of nations bound by values of democracy and sends a powerful message of our collective will to bring about the best of peoples and societies empowered by freedom. Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump hold a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka on June 28, 2019 (SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images) Donald Trump again defended Vladimir Putin as he criticised fellow Republican Ron DeSantis for his comments calling the Russian president a war criminal. The former president, who has launched his fervent pitch for the 2024 presidential election, posted new campaign videos, tearing into the Florida governor. Mr DeSantis has not yet declared his candidacy but remains one the top contenders for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Mr Trump defended Mr Putin, criticising Mr DeSantiss comments as "exactly the kind of simple-minded thinking that has produced decades of failed diplomacy and ultimately war". In an interview with British broadcast journalist Piers Morgan, Mr DeSantis said Mr Putin is a war criminal who should be held accountable for launching a war in Ukraine. "And so, hes basically a gas station with a bunch of nuclear weapons and one of the things we could be doing better is utilizing our own energy resources in the US, he said. Mr DeSantis also defended his remarks that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was a territorial dispute and it was not of vital national interest to the US. Mr DeSantis said his comments were mischaracterised. In his video on Wednesday, Mr Trump said the comments show that people with thinking like Mr DeSantis "insist on arrogantly treating Russia as deeply inferior to the other nations of the world, with no history or culture or pride. He said it will be impossible to negotiate peace with such attitudes. In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, Mr Trump proclaimed that he could end the Russia-Ukraine war "within 24 hours" by presiding over peace talks. He said he would "within one day" have a peace settlement in place if he is re-elected to the White House in the 2024 elections. "If its not solved, I will have it solved in 24 hours with Zelensky and with Putin, and theres a very easy negotiation to take place, but I dont want to tell you what it is because then I cant use that negotiation," said Mr Trump. Story continues "But theres a very easy negotiation to take place. I will have it solved within one day, a peace between them," he added. It was not the first time the former US president backed Mr Putin. Most recently, he boasted about his very good relationship with the Russian leader just ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russias war in Ukraine in February. Putin never ever would have gone into Ukraine if I were president, Mr Trump claimed at a rally in Florida, according to Rolling Stone. I actually had a very good relationship with Mr Putin. In 2018, during a summit with Mr Putin in Helsinki, Finland, Mr Trump was asked if he trusted the conclusion of US intelligence that Russia had interfered in the 2016 US election or if he believed Mr Putins rejection of those allegations. In response, Mr Trump appeared to suggest that he believed Mr Putin and praised him. I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today, he said at the time. By Karen Freifeld, Luc Cohen and Tyler Clifford NEW YORK (Reuters) -Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury after a probe into hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels, becoming the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges even as he makes another run for the White House. The specific charges are not yet known, as the indictment remains under seal. CNN on Thursday reported Trump faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud. Trump said he was "completely innocent" and indicated he would not drop out of the 2024 presidential race. He accused Bragg, a Democrat, of trying to hurt his chances of winning re-election against Democratic President Joe Biden. "This is Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history," he said in a statement. Shortly after, Trump appealed to supporters to provide money for a legal defense. He has raised over $2 million, according to his campaign, since he incorrectly predicted on March 18 that he would be arrested four days later. Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination according to polling, received support from a number of his potential challengers on Thursday including Florida Governor Ron Desantis and former Vice President Mike Pence. "This will only further serve to divide our country," Pence said. While the White House did not comment, Democrats said Trump was not immune from the rule of law. "I encourage both Mr. Trumps critics and supporters to let the process proceed peacefully and according to the law," said the top Democrat in the Senate, Chuck Schumer. The charges will likely be unsealed by a judge in the coming days. Trump will have to travel to Manhattan for fingerprinting and other processing at that point. Bragg's office said it had contacted Trump's attorney to coordinate a surrender, which a court official said would likely occur next Tuesday. Trump's lawyers Susan Necheles and Joseph Tacopina said they will "vigorously fight" the charges. Story continues The Manhattan investigation is one of several legal challenges facing Trump. Bragg successfully prosecuted Trump's business last year on tax-fraud charges, leading to a $1.61 million criminal penalty. The presiding judge in that case, New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, is expected to oversee this case as well, according to a person familiar with the matter. Trump could use the case to stoke anger among his core supporters, though other Republican voters might tire of the drama. Some 44% of Republicans said he should drop out of the race if he is indicted, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released last week. Outside the courthouse, several protesters silently held signs criticizing Trump. Authorities bolstered security around the courthouse after Trump called for nationwide protests on March 18, recalling his charged rhetoric ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters. HUSH MONEY Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, has said she received money in exchange for keeping silent about a sexual encounter she had with Trump in 2006. The former president's personal lawyer Michael Cohen has said he coordinated with Trump on the payments to Daniels and to a second woman, former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who also said she had a sexual relationship with him. Trump has denied having affairs with either woman. Trump in 2018 initially disputed knowing anything about the payment to Daniels. He later acknowledged reimbursing Cohen for the payment, which he called a "simple private transaction." "No one is above the law," Daniels' lawyer Clark Brewster said on Twitter. Cohen pleaded guilty to a campaign-finance violation in 2018 and served more than a year in prison. Federal prosecutors said he acted at Trump's direction. Cohen said he stood by his testimony and the evidence he provided to prosecutors. "Accountability matters," he said in a statement. No former or sitting U.S. president has ever faced criminal charges. Aside from this case, Trump faces two criminal investigations by a special counsel appointed by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and another criminal probe by a local prosecutor in Georgia. Trump has escaped legal peril numerous times. In the White House, he weathered two attempts by Congress to remove him from office, including for the Jan. 6, assault on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters, as well as a years-long probe into his campaign's contacts with Russia in 2016. In last year's tax-fraud trial, the Manhattan District Attorney's office targeted Trump's business but declined to charge Trump himself with financial crimes. In the hush-money case, legal experts say Bragg is expected to argue Trump falsified business records to cover up another crime, such as violating federal campaign-finance law, which makes it a felony. (Reporting by Luc Cohen and Karen Freifeld, additional reporting by Reuters bureaus, writing by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Scott Malone, Will Dunham, Noeleen Walder, Daniel Wallis, Cynthia Osterman and Lincoln Feast.) Donald Trump was indicted in New York on Thursday, making him the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges and reigniting a heated national debate about the fairness of investigations into the Republican leaders past actions. The New York Times first reported that Trump was indicted by a grand jury for allegedly hiding a hush-money payment to an adult film actress during his 2016 campaign. In a statement, the former president said the indictment was political persecution at the highest level in history. The Democrats have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to Get Trump, but now theyve done the unthinkable indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant Election Interference, Trump said. A spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg confirmed the office had reached out to Trumps attorneys to coordinate his surrender. The office released a statement that said the arraignment date had not yet been set and that the indictment remains under seal. The exact nature of the charges remains unknown. The charges represent a major complication in the GOP presidential primary, where Trump is trying to reclaim the partys White House nomination. He faces a potentially large field of candidates that could include his former vice president, Mike Pence, and Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in addition to former South Carolina governor and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley. The former president, who lost his reelection in 2020 to current Democratic President Joe Biden, is trying to become the first candidate in more than 125 years to win non-consecutive terms in the White House. Trumps campaign began asking his supporters Thursday for political donations to defend our movement from the never-ending witch hunts and WIN the WHITE HOUSE in 2024. Story continues This is an unprecedented situation: a former president not only being indicted but also seeking reelection after having been elected out of office just a few years earlier, presidential historian Mark Updegrove told ABC News Thursday night. There is nothing even remotely like this in American history. Although historic, the indictment was not unexpected: Trump himself predicted more than a week ago that he would face charges, and reports emerged earlier this month that the Manhattan DAs office had signaled to the former presidents legal defense team that he could soon face an indictment. Potential sites for pro-Trump protests, including the district attorneys office in Manhattan and the U.S. Capitol, began preparations for demonstrations in recent days, bracing for the arrival of angry Trump supporters. At the heart of the charges against Trump are allegations that, ahead of the 2016 presidential election, he illegally paid $130,000 in hush money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Daniels has said that she and Trump had a consensual sexual encounter a decade earlier, in 2006, which Trump also denies. Trumps son, Donald Trump Jr., condemned news of the indictment during a livestream, saying his fathers political opponents were trying to damage him however they can. This is weaponized justice at its absolute worst, he said. In addition to facing charges in New York over the hush money payments, Trump faces a multitude of other potential charges stemming from his conduct while president. In Georgia, the district attorney for Fulton County is investigating whether Trump violated state law in his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Investigators there are reportedly probing whether Trump violated Georgias election code, as well as laws against racketeering, which could expose Trump to felony charges carrying up to 20 years in prison. At the federal level, the Justice Department has appointed a special counsel to investigate whether Trump broke federal law in his attempts to overturn the election. Indictments from that probe could charge the former president with attempting to obstruct an official proceeding Congress certification of the election results on Jan. 6, 2021 with inciting an insurrection, or conspiring to defraud the United States. And last year, FBI agents conducted a search of Trumps Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, seizing hundreds of classified documents related to his time as president including some of the most sensitive documents in the U.S. government. That investigation, being run out of the same special counsels office, could result in a range of charges for the former president, including mishandling of classified material, unauthorized retention of national security material and obstruction of justice. Trump also faces two defamation lawsuits filed by E. Jean Carroll, a writer who says Trump raped her in a New York department store dressing room in the 1990s. Trump denies the allegations. One suit is in federal court and was delayed indefinitely this week by the trial judge. The other suit, which also includes a battery allegation, is in New York state court and is scheduled for trial in late April. A New York grand jury indicted Donald Trump on Thursday over hush-money payments made to a porn star during his 2016 campaign, making him the first former US president to face criminal charges. The historic indictment of the 76-year-old Republican -- who denies all wrongdoing in connection with the payments made ahead of the election that sent him to the White House -- is certain to upend the current presidential race in which Trump hopes to regain office. And it will forever mark the legacy of the former leader, who survived two impeachments and kept prosecutors at bay over everything from the US Capitol riot to missing classified files -- only to land in court over a sex scandal involving Stormy Daniels, a 44-year-old adult movie actress. Trump's lawyer Susan Necheles told AFP she expects he will be arraigned on Tuesday next week. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office confirmed that it had contacted Trump's lawyers Thursday evening to "coordinate his surrender" in New York -- with the felony charges against him to be revealed at that point. Trump slammed the indictment as "political persecution and election interference," raging against prosecutors and his Democratic opponents and vowing that it would backfire on his successor, President Joe Biden. Biden himself has not commented publicly on the case, but former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a long-time critic of Trump, tweeted that "No one is above the law, and everyone has the right to a trial to prove innocence." Trump earlier took to his own social media platform, Truth Social, to say that he does not expect a fair trial. "They only brought this Fake, Corrupt, and Disgraceful Charge against me because I stand with the American People, and they know that I cannot get a fair trial in New York!" he wrote. Surrendering for arraignment over what CNN has reported could be as many as 30 counts related to business fraud would normally involve being fingerprinted and photographed, and potentially handcuffed. Story continues In the Republican camp, Trump's allies and sons denounced what they say is a vendetta aimed at derailing his 2024 campaign -- while his expected challenger for the party nomination, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, slammed the indictment as "un-American." Kevin McCarthy, the top House Republican, said the indictment had "irreparably damaged" the country. Trump's former vice president and possible 2024 challenger Mike Pence called it an "outrage" that would only "further serve to divide" the United States. But the top Democrat Adam Schiff -- lead prosecutor of Trump's first impeachment in 2019 -- called it "a sobering and unprecedented development." "The indictment and arrest of a former president is unique throughout all of American history," Schiff said in a statement. "But so too is the unlawful conduct for which Trump has been charged." Daniels welcomed the development with her characteristic aplomb. "I have so many messages coming in that I can't respond... also don't want to spill my champagne," she tweeted while also plugging her #TeamStormy merchandise. - Possible protests - On March 18, Trump said he expected to be arrested within days over the payment to Daniels -- who received $130,000 weeks before the election Trump won, to stop her from going public about a tryst she claims they had a decade earlier. In predicting his indictment, Trump also issued a call for demonstrations and warnings that it could lead to "potential death & destruction" that "could be catastrophic for our Country." His statement set New York on edge for possible protests but the prospect of a quick indictment appeared to recede as the grand jury panel continued to hear witnesses -- until Thursday. A media scrum, and a handful of anti-Trump protesters, had gathered outside the district attorney's office, but the situation was calm overall. Trump's ex-lawyer Michael Cohen, who has testified before the grand jury, told Congress in 2019 that he made the payment to Daniels on Trump's behalf and was later reimbursed. Prosecutors argued the checks were not properly registered, and the jury was asked to consider if there had been a cover-up, intended to benefit Trump's campaign by burying the scandal. The New York investigation is the first to reach a decision on charges out of three major probes into the former president. Trump also faces felony investigations in Georgia relating to the 2020 election and in Washington over the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol by the ex-president's supporters, who hoped to keep him in office after his election loss to Biden. - Republican frontrunner - Trump, who is seen to be the Republican frontrunner in the 2024 election, has branded all of the investigations political persecution. The impact of an indictment on his election chances is unpredictable, with critics and adversaries alike voicing concerns about the legal merits of the hush-money case. Detractors worry that if Trump were cleared, it could make it easier to dismiss as a "witch hunt" any future indictment in arguably more serious affairs -- such as Trump's efforts to overturn Georgia's election results. The Manhattan charges will also likely juice turnout among Trump's base, boosting his chances in the party primary. Trump staged his first presidential campaign rally in Waco, Texas on Saturday, addressing several thousand supporters -- far fewer than the 15,000 he had expected. "The innocence of people makes no difference whatsoever to these radical left maniacs," he told the fired-up crowd. bur-ec/bgs/st/dhw/sco A New York grand jury investigating the circumstances surrounding a "hush money" payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016 has voted to indict Donald Trump, making him the first former president in U.S. history to face criminal charges. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office confirmed the indictment in a statement on Thursday and said it had reached out to Trump's attorney to arrange his surrender. The specific charge or charges have not yet been made public and the indictment remains under seal. Bragg's office said more guidance would be provided "when the arraignment date is selected." At 12:30 a.m. Friday, one of Trump's attorneys, Joseph Tacopina, told CBS News via text that Trump's legal team expects him to surrender to authorities "likely Tuesday," following discussions with the Manhattan DA's office until late Thursday night. Two sources familiar with the matter told CBS News the plan is for the former president to fly to New York Monday and be arraigned before Judge Juan Merchan the next day. The proceeding is expected to be brief. The charge or charges in the indictment would be read to him at that time. The sources noted that the planning is fluid and the date could change. Two law enforcement sources also told CBS News on Friday that Trump is likely to fly into LaGuardia Airport, which is located in Queens, in a private plane. In a statement responding to news of his indictment, the former president called it "Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history," and accused Democrats of "weaponizing our justice system to punish a political opponent, who just so happens to be a President of the United States." "The Democrats have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to 'Get Trump,' but now they've done the unthinkable indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant Election Interference," Trump said. Story continues Two Trump attorneys, Tacopina and Susan Necheles, issued a statement saying that the former president "did not commit any crime" and vowed to "vigorously fight this political prosecution in Court." The case stems from a payment made just days before Trump was elected president in 2016. His former attorney, Michael Cohen, arranged a wire transfer of $130,000 to Daniels in exchange for her silence about an alleged affair. Prosecutors were believed to be investigating the potential falsification of business records related to reimbursements made to Cohen. Trump has denied having a sexual encounter with Daniels, and vehemently denied wrongdoing in this case. Cohen repeatedly met with prosecutors and testified before the grand jury in this case for five hours over two days in March. He served time in a federal prison after entering a guilty plea in 2018 to tax evasion and campaign finance violations in connection with the payment to Daniels. After news of the indictment broke on Thursday evening, NYPD officers were out in full force at the Manhattan criminal courthouse, where a few scattered protesters gathered. CBS News has learned that all NYPD officers have been ordered to be in full uniform and ready to deploy Friday. The indictment comes as Trump faces legal hurdles in other potential criminal cases. In Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis is mulling charges in an investigation into alleged efforts by Trump and more than a dozen of his allies to undermine the state's results in the 2020 election, which he lost to President Biden. A special purpose grand jury conducted a six-month probe last year and delivered a report with its findings to Willis in January. The majority of that report was ordered sealed, at least until charging decisions are made. In Washington, D.C., special counsel Jack Smith is overseeing two Justice Department investigations into alleged efforts to interfere with the lawful transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election, and Trump's handling of sensitive government documents found at his Mar-a-Lago home and possible obstruction of efforts to retrieve them. The White House declined to comment on news of the indictment. Matthew Mosk, Pat Milton and Kathryn Watson contributed to this report. Former Secret Service official talks security for Trump ahead of arraignment Recovery efforts underway after deadly tornadoes rip through South and Midwest California may set a new snowpack record after series of atmospheric rivers Former President Donald Trump, already under multiple criminal investigations for his coup attempt, has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury for his role in a $130,000 hush money payment to a porn star in the days before the 2016 election. The New York Times was the first to report on the still-sealed indictment on Thursday. Trump, in a statement filled with his trademark random capitalizations, called District Attorney Alvin Bragg a disgrace who was funded by George Soros, and again called the indictment part of a supposed witch hunt that government officials at multiple levels have conducted against him over several years. Never before in our Nations history has this been done, Trump said in the statement, which his campaign sent out in an email. This is Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history. Braggs office on Thursday evening released a statement saying that an arraignment date has not yet been set. This evening we contacted Mr. Trumps attorney to coordinate his surrender to the Manhattan D.A.s Office for arraignment on a Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal, the statement said, referring to the trial level court in New York state. Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected. Though it is certain that Trumps hush money payment is referenced in the indictment, based on grand jury appearances by former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen and others, it is unclear whether the indictment pertains only to that episode or to other business dealings as well. CNN reported Thursday night that a total of 34 counts are included in the indictment, suggesting that other instances of alleged business fraud may be included. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican who is expected to declare his presidential candidacy later this spring, joined in the chorus of pro-Trump Republicans attacking Bragg, and said he would not help the state of New York arrest Trump, should he refuse to turn himself in for the arraignment. Trump spends his winters at his Mar-a-Lago country club in Palm Beach, Florida, though he typically moves to his golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey, an hours drive west of Manhattan, shortly after Easter. Story continues Florida will not assist in an extradition request given the questionable circumstances at issue with this Soros-backed Manhattan prosecutor and his political agenda, DeSantis wrote Thursday from his official government Twitter account. Taylor Budowich, a former Trump aide and now the head of a pro-Trump super PAC, claimed in a Twitter post that the indictment is evidence of a failed nation, and predicted it would actually help Trump. The political elites and powerbrokers have weaponized government to try and stop him. They will fail. He will be re-elected in the greatest landslide in American history, Budowich wrote. Trump, who is running again for the Republican nomination for the presidency, has in recent days ramped up his appeals to supporters to rise up against prosecutors in New York and elsewhere reminiscent of his inflammatory language leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of his followers. ITS TIME!!! Trump wrote in one of multiple posts in all capital letters earlier this month. WE JUST CANT ALLOW THIS ANYMORE. THEYRE KILLING OUR NATION AS WE SIT BACK & WATCH. WE MUST SAVE AMERICA! PROTEST, PROTEST, PROTEST!!! In another post, Trump predicted he would be arrested on Tuesday, March 21, forcing New York City police to increase security at the courthouse. Then, when no indictment came, Trump and others suggested that Bragg must have backed down. Trump posted, again in all capital letters, on Wednesday: I HAVE GAINED SUCH RESPECT FOR THIS GRAND JURY, & PERHAPS EVEN THE GRAND JURY SYSTEM AS A WHOLE. THE EVIDENCE IS SO OVERWHELMING IN MY FAVOR, & SO RIDICULOUSLY BAD FOR THE HIGHLY PARTISAN & HATEFUL DISTRICT ATTORNEY, THAT THE GRAND JURY IS SAYING, HOLD ON, WE ARE NOT A RUBBER STAMP, WHICH MOST GRAND JURIES ARE BRANDED AS BEING, WE ARE NOT GOING TO VOTE AGAINST A PREPONDERANCE OF EVIDENCE OR AGAINST LARGE NUMBERS OF LEGAL SCHOLARS ALL SAYING THERE IS NO CASE HERE. DROP THIS SICK WITCH HUNT, NOW! The indictment in New York City gives Trump, who frequently claimed that his actions as president were historic, another claim to history: He is now the first of the United States 44 ex-chief executives to be charged with a crime. He had previously entered the history books by becoming the only president to be impeached twice. One of his lawyers at the time, Cohen, already pleaded guilty to a federal charge of violating campaign finance laws with the check to Stormy Daniels to buy her silence about the affair she says she had with Trump in 2006. Cohen served 13 months in prison and another year and a half under home confinement for that and various unrelated charges. Cohen is likely to be a key witness against Trump in Braggs prosecution. He has said Trump reimbursed him for the $130,000, as well as $150,000 to a second woman, with a series of payments, and evidence during his case showed the money came from Trumps business as a supposed legal expense. Trump has claimed that Braggs probe is a part of a witch hunt against him the same claim he has used regarding the other criminal investigations he faces, as well as his unprecedented two impeachments by the House. He has also called Bragg, who is Black, a racist. Trump originally denied that he had any knowledge of the payment to Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. Then, after Cohen released a tape of a conversation with Trump about the matter, he said that what Cohen did was not illegal. More recently, after he was given an opportunity to testify before the New York City grand jury hearing the evidence against him, he came up with a new claim: that Daniels was actually blackmailing him. I relied on counsel in order to resolve this Extortion of me, which took place a long time ago, he said in a March 9 post on his own social media platform, Truth Social. Trumps staff did not respond to a HuffPost query about that claim. The former president is also under investigation by the Fulton County District Attorney in Atlanta and the U.S. Department of Justice about his attempts to overturn the 2020 election he lost by pressuring his own vice president into throwing out the results from key states and awarding Trump a second term an effort that culminated in the violence he incited on Jan. 6, 2021. The Justice Department is also conducting a probe into Trumps refusal to turn over top secret documents he was keeping at his country club in Palm Beach, in defiance of a subpoena. Despite his unprecedented actions to end American democracy and despite all the criminal investigations, Trump is seeking the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 and is leading in most polls. Related... (Bloomberg) -- Donald Trumps indictment on charges related to the payments of hush money to a porn star breathes new life into his favorite campaign tactic running as the aggrieved victim of a Democratic-run Deep State hellbent on keeping him and his supporters out of power. Most Read from Bloomberg Just when Republicans were beginning to believe that Trump was vulnerable if he ran a campaign about all the people he believes are out to punish him, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg gave the one-term ex-president no reason to change his tune. Charges and even a criminal conviction dont legally stop Trump from running, or even serving as president. Its all up to his opponents to make or break Trumps political future if prosecutors can make a charge stick. Read More: Daunted by Trump, Many Wait to Launch 2024 Bids For Trump, the indictment is like capturing lightning in a bottle, allowing him to fully unleash his unscripted, hours-long speeches about his previous two impeachments, and the long series of hoaxes and witch hunts he says that Democrats created to block him from saving America for his White, working-class base, who believe an elite ruling class has ignored them. When they go after me, theyre going after you, Trump said during his first 2024 campaign rally on March 25 in Waco, Texas, where he said either the Deep State destroys America, or we destroy the Deep State in a speech focused on his grievances. Our enemies are desperate to stop us because they know that we are the only ones who can stop them. That approach could very well win him the 2024 Republican nomination, as he has continued to maintain the support of about a third of GOP voters, enough to win in a crowded field. Story continues The political elites and powerbrokers have weaponized government to try and stop him, said Taylor Budowich, a spokesman for Trumps Super PAC, MAGA Inc. What Is an Indictment? Everything You Need to Know The indictment lays bare just how much Trump has upended the GOP and American politics. Signs point to a galvanized Republican base following the arrest of a former president and current party front-runner. After shouldering blame for a disappointing Republican midterm election performance, this was the partys best chance in the last seven years to move past Trump. Yet the salacious case that was initially thought to have doomed his 2016 presidential run likely supercharges his 2024 comeback bid. Its sure to repel the crucial general election independent voters, particularly suburban women, who were repelled by Trumps behavior, throwing a lifeline to President Joe Biden and Democrats in 2024. The president and his party have been laser focused on trying to lash the entire Republican Party to Trump as its symbol. Read Trumps Full Statement After His New York Indictment It also prevents the party from putting forth a younger, possibly stronger candidate against Biden, like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who tried to subtly sound the alarm recently as he took a more confrontational stance toward Trump. The indictment comes on the same day that Trumps Super PAC is spending nearly $1.3 million to attack DeSantis, who Trump considers his strongest potential 2024 Republican primary challenger. DeSantis hasnt yet officially declared a widely expected White House run. In a statement posted on Twitter Thursday evening, the governor called the indictment a weaponization of the legal system and that Florida will not assist in an extradition request. The statement did not mention the former president by name. Trump defense lawyer Joe Tacopina said he expects Trump to be arraigned next week. GOP strategist Katon Dawson said he recently asked a Trump supporter and business executive how he would react if Trump were charged with a felony. He said the executive replied, Ill probably have to send him more money. Itll make his base even more solid because itll show the message that Donald Trumps been giving them is true, added Dawson, a former South Carolina Republican Party chairman who is supporting Nikki Haley in her run for the nomination. Its fixed, its hooked up, its crooked. Among the first Republicans to be swayed were members of Congress, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. A number of them rallied to his side at least to say that they firmly believed Braggs prosecution was politically motivated, given that his predecessor and the Justice Department both decided not to pursue these charges. The prosecutor in New York has done more to help Donald Trump get elected president than any single person in America today, US Senator Lindsey Graham said at a conservative forum in North Charleston, South Carolina, on Saturday. Trump is also facing possible criminal prosecution for his handing of classified documents, his role in instigating the Jan. 6 riot and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia. He also faces a lawsuit by New York Attorney General Letitia James that accused him and three of his children of fraudulently manipulating the value of his companys assets for years to deceive banks and insurers. But Trump has faced two impeachments as president, and scandals that would have brought down other politicians. He has so far survived it all, and even politically weakened, he remains popular among GOP base voters and is the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. A Monmouth poll out March 22 showed Trump with 41% support among Republicans in March, when the intensity of his complaints about the criminal prosecution strengthened, up from 33% in February. Meanwhile DeSantis was at 27% before he has announced a run. Its not going to convince anybody who already does not like President Trump, but I think theres a pretty decent segment of voters in the middle who are like, Enoughs enough, leave the guy alone, said Republican pollster Jim McLaughlin, who has conducted surveys for Trump. I dont think the rank-and-file Republican primary voter trusts any of this stuff. His rivals are walking a fine line. Several have come out against the Manhattan district attorney, fearful of turning off Trump voters and of seeming to favor a Democrat prosecuting a former president. DeSantis, whos all but running against Trump, deftly split the difference when he noted to laughs from reporters that he was unfamiliar with the process of paying hush money to porn stars, but added Bragg had gone too far. That drew an angry response from Trump and his allies who called DeSantis weak for not defending Trump against what they characterized as Democrats weaponizing the government to target their political opponents a theme the indictment allows Trump to use in his campaign. I dont think Donald Trump has any forward-looking vision for the country. He never has, said Republican strategist Rick Tyler, who worked on Texas Senator Ted Cruzs 2016 presidential campaign. It would absolutely give him an excuse to play the victim. --With assistance from Emily Wilkins. (Updates with DeSantis statement, starting in 13th paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Donald Trump. Jose Luis Villegas/AP Former President Donald Trump was arrested on Tuesday. Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in Manhattan court. The case comes after a years-long probe into an alleged $130,000 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. Former prosecutors say DA's case against Trump is shaky Former President Donald Trump appears in court for his arraignment, Tuesday, April 4, 2023, in New York. (Steven Hirsch/New York Post via AP, Pool) The first-ever indictment of a former US president unveiled Tuesday answered many questions about what crimes Donald Trump is accused of committing. But New York prosecutors left one detail out that legal experts say will surely be raised by the defense: what other, underlying crime is Trump accused of committing that would justify upgrading the charges against him from misdemeanors to felonies? Keep Reading Pornhub users searched 'Stormy Daniels' a record 650,000 times as Trump was arraigned A split image of adult actress Stormy Daniels (left) and former President Donald Trump (right). Ethan Miller/Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Searches for "Stormy Daniels" surged on Pornhub the day Trump was arraigned, according to a report in TMZ. The alleged hush-money case around the adult film actress appears to be reminding people of her work. Pornhub says a record 650,000 people searched her name on the site on Tuesday, per TMZ up from another peak in March. Daniels whose real name is Stephanie Clifford appears to be relishing the situation, earlier saying that she'd also seen a bump in merchandise sales. READ FULL STORY Trump praised his family in his post-arraignment speech, but didn't mention Melania, who was nowhere to be seen Melania Trump (L) and Ivanka Trump look on as Republican presidential elect Donald Trump speaks during election night at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York on November 9, 2016. JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images Melania and Ivanka Trump were both notably absent during Donald Trump's post-arraignment speech at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday night. Donald Jr, Eric and Tiffany Trump and their partners were all pictured at the MAGA-faithful event, during which Trump fumed about the indictment. During the speech, Trump singled out several family members for praise but didn't mention his wife. Melania was last seen dining with Trump the day the indictment was announced, but did not join him to hear the charges in New York. Ivanka has long signaled her unwillingness to get involved again with her father's political career, and has said nothing other than releasing a tepid statement last week. Story continues READ FULL STORY Stormy Daniels mocks Trump, saying she'd rather be under her 'sexy man' than 'under arrest' Donald Trump and Stormy Daniels. Logan Cyrus / AFP via Getty Images; Phillip Faraone/Getty Images) The adult film actress who was a central figure in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's investigation into a hush money payment made to her took to Twitter to celebrate after former President Donald Trump was formally charged in New York on Tuesday. One of Daniels' Tuesday tweets was a zinger that mocked Trump's legal woes, in response to a sexualized insult aimed at her. "It's definitely more fun being under my sexy man instead of under arrest," she wrote. Daniels was likely referring to her husband, fellow porn actor Barrett Blade. This was not the first occasion where Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, has reacted triumphantly to Trump's indictment. In March, Daniels also engaged in a Twitter feud with her critics, one of whom accused her of being obsessed with Trump. Daniels responded to the Twitter user, saying that Trump was the one who was obsessed with her. "He probably watches my movies on repeat which may be why he has so many typos. (Slippery fingers from lube and KFC)," Daniels tweeted. READ FULL STORY Shares of a SPAC linked to Trump's Truth Social which had risen sharply last week are down 8% after the former president's arrest Former President Donald Trump Alex Brandon/AP Shares of a blank check company linked to former President Donald Trump were hammered just as he was arraigned and arrested on Tuesday. Nasdaq-listed Digital World Acquisition Corp a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, planning to merge with Truth Social holding company Trump Media and Technology Group closed 8% lower at $14.03 on Tuesday after it announced a delay in filing financial statements. The stock's performance on Tuesday is a sharp reversal from Friday when Digital World's share prices soared 11%, post Trump's formal indictment. Friday's rally could have been driven by speculation that the indictment would prove positive for Trump Media and Technology Group's business, Insider's Matthew Fox reported Friday. Since his indictment, Trump has been active on Truth Social, posting more than a dozen times since his arrest on Tuesday. On Tuesday, the former president posted 14 times on TruthSocial after his arraignment, criticizing the Manhattan district attorney's case against him and sharing the remarks he gave in the evening at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. He also asked supporters to donate to his 2024 campaign, and reposted opinions of pundits who support him. READ FULL STORY There was little love in New York for Trump, but at home at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, the MAGA faithful rallied around him Donald Trump makes a speech at his Mar-a-Lago estate after being arraigned in New York City, on April 04, 2023, in Palm Beach, Florida. Stringer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence was teeming with his fans and allies as he gave a defiant speech just hours after his arraignment in New York. Trump was very much on home ground in Florida surrounded by staunch supporters at a campaign-style event held in Mar-a-Lago's gilded ballroom. There, he launched into a rambling speech about the various investigations he's facing, while verbally attacking Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over his case in Manhattan. This, in contrast to the small group of supporters that showed up for the former president in New York, where the pro-Trump crowd was far outnumbered by anti-Trump protesters. From Freedom Caucus lawmakers to online provocateurs and longtime Trump friends, here's the who's who of the GOP's far-right flank who showed up for Trump. READ FULL STORY Donald Trump isn't the first Trump to get arrested. His father Fred was arrested twice, reports say once at a Ku Klux Klan riot, and another time over building code violations. Donald Trump says his father was never arrested in 1927 and that he has no idea about Fred Trump's 1976 arrest. Rita Barros/Getty Images and Joe Raedle/Getty Images Former President Donald Trump was indicted on Thursday and arraigned in New York on Tuesday, making him the first US president to be charged with a crime. However, he's not the first person in his family to be arrested, according to archived news reports. His father, real estate mogul Fred Trump, was detained by the police twice: Once in 1927 and another time in 1976, per newspaper articles published in those years. Fred Trump was first arrested in 1927 during a Ku Klux Klan riot in Queens on Memorial Day, per The New York Times. It's unclear in the report what role he played in the riot. "Fred Trump of 175-24 Devonshire Road, Jamaica, was discharged," is all The Times mentioned of his name. Some 50 years later, the older Trump was also arrested again in Maryland for not complying with housing code violations, according to a 1976 report by The Washington Post's Karen DeYoung. READ FULL STORY See the moment in the hearing transcript where Judge Juan Merchan warned Trump not to 'incite violence,' 'create civil unrest,' 'or jeopardize the safety or well-being of any individuals' A courtroom sketch shows Justice Juan Merchan speaking during the arraignment of Donald Trump in New York City on April 4, 2023. Jane Rosenberg/Reuters During his arraignment in Manhattan on Tuesday, Judge Juan Merchan warned Trump not to "incite violence or civil unrest," per a copy of the court hearing transcript obtained by Insider. "Please refrain from making comments or engaging in conduct that has the potential to incite violence, create civil unrest, or jeopardize the safety or well-being of any individuals," Merchan said. He added that while he would not issue a gag order on Trump, the former president should not "engage in words or conduct that jeopardizes the rule of law." READ FULL STORY A judge warned Trump about comments that could 'jeopardize the safety or well-being' of others. 6 hours later, he attacked the judge, the judge's wife, and the judge's daughter. Former US President Donald Trump speaks during an event at the Mar-a-Lago Club April 4, 2023 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday verbally attacked the family of the judge overseeing his indictment in Manhattan, hours after the same judge warned him not to make remarks that could endanger others. "This is where we are right now. I have a Trump-hating judge, with a Trump-hating wife and family, whose daughter worked for Kamala Harris and now receives money from the Biden-Harris campaign," Trump said, referring to Judge Juan Merchan. Trump did not provide substantiation for the claims he made about Merchan and his family. Trump's comments blasting Merchan came six hours after Merchan warned the former president not to make comments likely to "jeopardize the safety or well-being of any individuals." "Please refrain from making comments or engaging in conduct that has the potential to incite violence, create civil unrest, or jeopardize the safety or well-being of any individuals," Merchan told Trump's lawyers on Tuesday. READ FULL STORY Prosecutors allege that Trump met with Michael Cohen in the Oval Office to discuss Cohen's repayment following Stormy Daniels payout U.S. President Donald Trump delivers a televised address to the nation from his desk in the Oval Office, about immigration and the southern U.S. border on the 18th day of a partial government shutdown, at the White House in Washington, U.S., January 8, 2019. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts Former President Donald Trump and his one-time fixer, Michael Cohen, met in the White House Oval Office to discuss how the lawyer would be reimbursed after he paid adult film actress Stormy Daniels $130,000, according to a statement of facts released by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Trump was formally arraigned in Manhattan on Tuesday related to an investigation into hush-money payments made ahead of the 2016 election. Trump is the first president to ever face criminal charges. He has denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records. According to the document, released on Tuesday, the Chief Financial Officer for the Trump Organization agreed to repay Cohen, referred to as "Lawyer A," agreed to repay Cohen $420,000 in installments of $35,000 over 12 months. Trump and Cohen then met in the Oval Office at some point in February 2017 to confirm this payment arrangement, the district attorney said in the documents. The documents do not specify whether or not Trump knew about what he was reimbursing Cohen for. READ FULL STORY Trump spent the Saturday before his indictment 'blowing off steam' by himself on his driving range: report Former President Donald Trump tees off in the pro-am round of the Bedminster Invitational LIV Golf tournament in Bedminster, N.J., Thursday, July 28, 2022. AP Photo/Seth Wenig The New York Times on Tuesday reported that in the days ahead of the spectacle, Trump tried to appear cheerful and at ease among those close him, who said in reality, he seemed "pensive" and even "subdued." The Times report cited half a dozen people close to Trump who interacted with him in the days leading up to his self-surrender. Sources told the outlet that despite his outward appearances, the former president seemed to be disguising his stress about the most immediate legal troubles he is facing. Trump spent Saturday at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he often enjoys a a round before eating lunch at the club. But over the weekend just days before he flew to New York for the hearing Trump instead took his time at the driving range, according to the Times. Following his eventual lunch, Trump returned to the driving range, accompanied by his secret service, where he hit ball after ball for about 10 minutes, according to the Times, which cited an onlooker who described the scene as the former president "blowing off steam." READ FULL STORY Trump rallies supporters in campaign-style speech after first-ever arraignment of an ex-president: 'The only crime that I've committed is to fiercely defend our nation' Former President Donald Trump speaks at his Mar-a-Lago estate hours after being arraigned in New York City, Tuesday, April 4, 2023, in Palm Beach, Fla. AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday defiantly addressed his supporters at the grand ballroom of his private Mar-a-Lago Club, just hours after hearing the charges against him in court in Manhattan. The rambling, 27-minute speech, Trump called the charges against him "a persecution, not an investigation" and are evidence the country "is going to hell," adding that the charges should be dropped immediately. "These radical left lunatics want to interfere with our elections by using law enforcement we can't let that happen," Trump said. "With all of this being said, and with a very dark cloud over our beloved country I have no doubt nevertheless, that we will make America great again." READ FULL STORY Donald Trump's arraignment: key takeaways include 2 warnings from the judge that he behave himself Former President Donald Trump sits at the defense table with his defense team in a Manhattan court, Tuesday, April 4, 2023. AP Photo/Seth Wenig, Pool On Tuesday, former President Donald Trump sat in custody meaning he was not free to leave at a defense table in the front of a Manhattan courtroom, where he pleaded not guilty to a lengthy felony indictment. Arguably, this is the top takeaway from the dramatic hour-long proceeding. But there were other moments of import, including two stern warnings Trump was given by New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, who urged the former president to behave himself both online and in the courtroom. READ FULL STORY Courtroom sketches capture former President Donald Trump's arraignment after cameras, phones, and electronics were banned at the start of the proceedings In a courtroom sketch, Donald Trump, accompanied by his legal counsel, looks at Assistant District Attorney Christopher Conroy during Trump's arraignment in New York. Elizabeth Williams/AP Courtroom sketches captured the arraignment of former President Donald Trump after cameras, phones, and electronics were banned at the start of the proceedings on Tuesday. Though cameras swarmed outside the courtroom where Trump was arraigned, public access to the hearing was limited. Reporters for a few publications were let in through the doors, but they were asked to leave shortly after 2 p.m., before proceedings kicked off. READ FULL STORY What a day for a wedding Chandler Dean and Carolina Trevino celebrate after their courthouse wedding. Carolina Trevino A couple getting married at Manhattan's courthouse had their big day interrupted by some unexpected chaos: former US president Donald Trump's arraignment. The historic event brought hoards of protestors, politicians, and media to the area, creating a circus that few would have anticipated on their wedding day. High school sweethearts Chandler Dean, a speechwriter at West Wing Writers, and Carolina Trevino, a product manager at Planned Parenthood, planned to get legally married at the Manhattan courts on Tuesday before their formal ceremony later this month. Dean said that he and his fiancee were "dumbfounded by the coincidence" when they realized that former president Donald Trump's appointment at the courthouse was the same day as theirs. Read Full Story Judge Merchan said Trump needs to appear in person for his next hearing. Former President Donald Trump's lawyer asked the judge overseeing his Manhattan criminal case during Tuesday's arraignment if he really needs to come to New York again for the next hearing. But New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan told the Trump lawyers that he expects that "all other defendants to appear in court, even high profile defendants" and would not be making an exception for the former president. Read Full Story Trump 'should have smiled,' expert says Former President Donald Trump appears in court for his arraignment, Tuesday, April 4, 2023, in New York. (Timothy A. Clary/Pool Photo via AP) Former President Donald Trump "should have smiled" for news cameras on Tuesday when he surrendered for his arrest and appeared for his arraignment in New York City, a crisis management expert told Insider. Instead, the former president bordered on looking nervous to exhausted in photos from the courthouse that will live on, said Max Marcucci, a senior vice president at the crisis firm Levick. Images that emerged don't project his "strongman personality" or energy, he said, and you'd expect someone to appear energetic if they are defiant and wanting to state their case. "He called Jeb Bush 'low energy,'" said Marcucci, who has advised clients on court appearances. "His photos from his appearance in court were low energy. They did not do what I think they could have done in portraying him as confident and self-assured." Read Full Story Trump's indictment doesn't just depend on Michael Cohen Michael Cohen (left) and Donald Trump. Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images; Brandon Bell/Getty Images Prosecutors originally worried that the Trump indictment rested solely on his former fixer, Michael Cohen, but there's more to it than that. Prosecutors have zeroed in on other instances beyond Stormy Daniels. An accompanying statement of facts underlines how the indictment rests on the core of a so-called "Catch and Kill" scheme that Trump allegedly concocted with David Pecker, who was at the time the publisher of the National Enquirer. Prosecutors claim the pair worked together to find a way to effectively silence people who claimed to have embarrassing stories about Trump by paying them off through side deals. Read Full Story 'This is what banana republics do' Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida at the Capitol on January 25, 2023. Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images Congressional Republicans floored by Donald Trump facing 34 felony charges in a Manhattan courtroom declared that America is doomed if the embattled former president is forced to stand trial. Sen. Marco Rubio on Monday shared some thoughts about the merits of the case brought against the twice-impeached former president that included talk of misdemeanors and expired statutes of limitations. After sleeping on it, the Florida Republican and former 2016 presidential candidate got back on Twitter with a more dire assessment. "Today is a bad day for all of us & we are all going to regret it for a very long time," Rubio captioned a 98-second video in which he warned that federal prosecutors now have carte blanche to go after political opponents. Rep. August Pfluger told Fox News that prosecuting polarizing political leaders is typical in "banana republics" and "failed states." But not in America. Read Full Story House Republicans vow to avenge Trump indictment Watching Donald Trump get hit with 34 felony counts on Tuesday sent enraged House Republicans in search of ways they might wreak vengeance on those who dare defy their leading candidate for 2024. Rep. Ronny Jackson lashed out at Bragg on social media, accusing the long-time federal prosecutor of being a "spineless weasel" orchestrating a "dangerous partisan political stunt." "Hope he enjoys his fifteen minutes of fame, because Congress will be coming after him when this is done!" the former White House physician and now Texas Republican wrote on Twitter. Read Full Story Trump said 9 words during his arraignment hearing Former President Donald Trump appears in court for his arraignment, Tuesday, April 4, 2023, in New York. (Steven Hirsch/New York Post via AP, Pool) Former president Donald Trump uttered just nine words at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse on Tuesday, where he was indicted on dozens of charges related to falsifying business records. In court, Trump sat with his counsel and spoke as little as possible, pleading not guilty to the charges. Read Full Story Lawyer says Trump didn't intend to threaten prosecutor with social media post Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at Manhattan Criminal Courthouse, after his indictment by a Manhattan grand jury following a probe into hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels, in New York City, U.S., April 4, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid The judge overseeing the New York case against former President Donald Trump has declined to impose a gag order on the defendant while expressing concern about his use of social media, where the Republican has warned of "death and destruction" over his prosecution and directly attacked the man in charge of it. Speaking to reporters, Joe Tacopina, an attorney for Trump, acknowledged that Judge Juan M. Merchan had discussed the former president's use of social media. But he insisted that Merchan, who also oversaw the tax fraud case involving the Trump Organization, did not "admonish" the defendant, whose posts, Tacopina argued, had been taken out of context. On his own social network, Truth Social, Trump had posted a news story, for example, that showed him wielding a baseball bat next to a photo of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Tacopina, who previously acknowledged that Trump's posts about the case were "ill-advised," argued that the post was not meant to constitute a threat from the former president. "That is a picture of him showing off an American-made bat," he said. Read Full Story Trump's trial may take place at a pivotal time in his campaign Former President Donald Trump campaigns in Iowa in October 2021. Scott Olson/Getty Images Donald Trump could be on trial in New York just weeks before the 2024 Iowa caucuses, illustrating the headaches that will likely come as the former president tries to juggle court appearances with his political future. Manhattan prosecutors told Judge Juan Merchan on Tuesday that they would like to hold a trial in January 2024 on charges that Trump falsified business recordsas a way to cover up alleged hush money schemes. By December, the 2024 GOP presidential race will be nearing its peak in the final stretch before the Iowa caucuses. Traditionally, candidates stump across Iowa and other early states in a final stretch before the holiday season. A final date has not yet been selected, but it's expected the 2024 caucuses will be in early February. Read Full Story Prosecutors are worried about Trump's rhetoric New York prosecutors told a judge Tuesday that they're deeply concerned about the rhetoric former President Donald Trump has used on social media as he faced his indictment. The former president has repeatedly accused Bragg of bringing a politically motivated case against him, threatened "death and destruction" if he was indicted, and posted and later deleted a composite photo showing him swinging a baseball bat in Bragg's direction. Trump's lawyers pushed back on prosecutors' statements, saying that New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the proceedings, did not specifically request that Trump not use inflammatory language but that "everybody involved refrain from using language that is inappropriate." Read Full Story The Manhattan DA alleged that Trump orchestrated an unlawful scheme to influence the 2016 election. Former President Donald Trump sits at the defense table with his defense team in a Manhattan court, Tuesday, April 4, 2023. AP Photo/Seth Wenig, Pool Trump sought to influence the 2016 presidential election by paying off two women who alleged they had affairs with him to secure their silence, according to a statement of facts released by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on Tuesday. In the brief, prosecutors described that Trump "repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal criminal conduct that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election." Trump and others "orchestrated" an "unlawful scheme" to suppress negative information about him during his 2016 campaign by violating election laws and falsifying business records, the brief says. Read Full Story Meanwhile, Trump awaits several other investigations. All in all, Trump is the subject of at least four major investigations into wrongdoing relating to his handling of White House documents, the election, the insurrection, and his finances. In addition to Trump's possible role in a hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels in 2016, a state prosecutor in Georgia is weighing if Trump tried to overturn the 2020 election results in that state. The Justice Department is also looking into the 2020 election as well as Trump's possible mishandling of classified documents. Meanwhile, a rape claim against the former president is headed for trial in April, and Trump is fighting a grab-bag of other lawsuits that could financially harm his international real estate and golf resort empire. Some of his legal battles are already over. In December, Trump's real estate company was convicted in state court in Manhattan for a C-Suite-wide payroll tax-dodge scheme, a dishonor that came with felony status and a $1.6 million fine. Keep up to date on the latest of Trump's legal travails with this guide to the ever-evolving Trump docket. Read Full Story Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg holds news conference following Trump arraignment Alvin Bragg holds a press conference after Trump's arrest. YouTube Bragg spoke shortly after the arraignment hearing about the charges. "That is exactly what this case is about: 34 false statements made to cover up other crimes," Bragg said after the hearing. "These are felony crimes in New York state no matter who you are. We cannot and will not normalize serious criminal conduct." Trump is now leaving Manhattan Trump will now fly back to Florida, where he's expected to make remarks to his supporters at Mar-a-Lago. He was released on his own recognizance after the approximately one-hour arraignment hearing. Supporters have already started gathering outside Mar-a-Lago, awaiting Trump's return. Read the indictment against Donald Trump Donald Trump speaks during his meeting with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at Winfield House, London on December 3, 2019. NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images A grand jury indicted former President Donald Trump on nearly three dozen felony charges in connection to a $130,000 hush-money payment to the adult film actress Stormy Daniels. See a full list of the allegations against the former president here. See the Charges Trump lawyers: "The rule of law died in this country" Joe Tacopina and Donald Trump. Getty/Getty Trump's attorneys slammed the 34-felony-count indictment against him, saying he was only charged because of his notoriety. "Today's unsealing of this indictment shows that the rule of law died in this country," Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina told reporters. "While everyone is not above the law, no one is below it either and if this man's name was not Donald J Trump there's no scenario where we'd all be here today." Fellow Trump attorney Todd Blanche said the former president is "frustrated, he's upset. But I'll tell you what, he's motivated but it's not going to stop him or slow him down." Trump has left the courtroom The former president uttered "Not guilty" when asked by a judge how he pleaded during his brief court appearance. Trump didn't speak to reporters as he left. Trump pleads not guilty to 34 felonies counts Former US President Donald Trump sits at the defense table with his defense team in a Manhattan court on April 4, 2023 in New York City. Seth Wenig/Getty Images Donald Trump pleaded not guilty during his court appearance, according to multiple media reporters. Reuters reported Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Read Full Story The Trump campaign's fake mugshot T-shirt added 2 inches to his height Immediately following Donald Trump's arrest in Manhattan on Tuesday, his campaign began promoting a new T-shirt featuring a mugshot of the former president emblazoned with the phrase "NOT GUILTY." But the mugshot isn't real. And neither is Trump's height, as depicted by the T-shirt. Read More First images show Donald Trump sitting in court during his arraignment Former President Donald Trump sits at the defense table with his defense team in a Manhattan court, Tuesday, April 4, 2023, in New York. Seth Wenig/Associated Press Trump is currently being arraigned on criminal charges in a Manhattan courthouse. No one held the door for Trump as he walked into court Former President Donald Trump at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse in New York on April 4, 2023. Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images A scowling Trump was spotted on live TV walking through a door in the Manhattan courthouse. Unlike during his time as president, no one held the door for him. The Associated Press (@AP) April 4, 2023 Keep Reading Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez celebrates Marjorie Taylor Greene getting heckled in New York City at a pro-Trump rally Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York celebrated a report that her far-right colleague from Georgia, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, was heckled Tuesday in New York City. "Welcome to NYC!," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted with a Statue of Liberty emoji. "Where there are still social consequences for shameless bigotry" Greene was in the city to speak at a pro-Donald Trump rally ahead of the former president being arraigned, but her speech lasted less than 10 minutes before she quickly left the throng of reporters. Read Full Story White House says Biden isn't focusing on Trump's criminal case President Biden is set to end the COVID-19 national and public health emergencies in May. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to comment on Trump's arrest and pending arraignment on criminal charges. "We're just not going to comment specifically on the case itself," Jean-Pierre told reporters Tuesday afternoon. As for President Biden, Jean-Pierre said Trump's legal woes were "not his focus for today." Donald Trump is now in custody Donald Trump holds up a fist to onlookers as he leaves to be taken into custody and arraigned. AP Donald Trump surrendered into the custody of the Manhattan district attorney's office at 1:22 p.m. on Tuesday. He will remain under arrest until mid-afternoon, when he'll enter a plea of "not guilty" and a judge will let him go home. Read Full Story Trump is headed to his arraignment along with police and Secret Service agents The Associated Press (@AP) April 4, 2023 Donald Trump has left Trump Tower to a waiting caravan of vehicles on Manhattan's 56th Street. He emerged from the building under a golden awning to a contingent of NYPD, FDNY, and Secret Service vehicles that had been screened by police dogs. As he stepped out, he held up a fist to onlookers. The former president will now drive downtown to 100 Centre Street for his historic arraignment. Marjorie Taylor Greene's rally speech lasts less than 10 minutes Marjorie Taylor Greene during her minutes-long speech at a small pro-Trump rally on Tuesday in New York City. Reuters Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's rally speech lasted less than 10 minutes in the park outside the lower Manhattan courthouse where Donald Trump is set to be arraigned later Tuesday. Greene used a megaphone during her less speech at the planned rally where the media outnumbered backers of Trump. "The government has been weaponized against [Trump]," Greene told the swarm of press and Trump supporters before her. "I am here to protest, use my voice and take a stand. Every American should take a stand." Greene called Trump an "innocent man," saying, "We cannot tolerate this injustice in the United States of America." The rally to support Trump then quickly devolved into a political demonstration featuring Greene's usual talking points against Democrats. "Democrats are the party of violence," Greene said as she called the Republican Party "the party of peace." As Greene left the park after the minutes-long speech, she was rushed away from the rally amid a crush of reporters and demonstrators, as people could be heard shouting for her to "get the fuck out of my city!" Anti-Trump protesters outnumbered his supporters outside the courthouse Anti-Trump demonstrators stand behind a metal barricade at the NYC courthouse before Donald Trump's arraignment Jacob Shamsian The protesters chanted "Lock him up!" Trump, in an all-caps rant, wants the trial moved to Staten Island where more of his voters live Former President Donald Trump. Scott Olson/Getty Images In an all-caps message posted online before his arraignment, Donald Trump railed against his upcoming criminal case, saying it wouldn't be fair because Manhattan voters didn't support him. "VERY UNFAIR VENUE, WITH SOME AREAS THAT VOTED 1% REPUBLICAN," the former US president wrote on his TruthSocial website. "THIS CASE SHOULD BE MOVED TO NEARBY STATEN ISLAND - WOULD BE A VERY FAIR AND SECURE LOCATION FOR THE TRIAL." Staten Island was the only New York City borough to have a majority of voters support Trump in the 2020 election. Demonstrators outnumbered by reporters before Trump's arraignment Pro-Trump supporters, a man dressed in a Donald Trump costume, and serial liar George Santos were among the small crowd gathering at lower Manhattan's Collect Pond Park. Supporters and spectators started gathering at the park Tuesday morning, which is near the Manhattan Criminal Court where former President Donald Trump will be arraigned this afternoon. But reporters and journalists vastly outnumbered the demonstrators Tuesday morning. Santos appeared on the pro-Trump side of Collect Pond Park accompanied by a small entourage and was immediately swarmed by a crush of cameras and press. Santos repeated "I'm here to support the President" and then left the park after about 5 minutes of being completely surrounded by reporters and bystanders jeering at him. The park will be the site of a 10:30 a.m. pro-Trump rally hosted by The New York Young Republicans and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Trump's Secret Service agents would accompany him if he went to jail, retired US judge says Then-US President Donald Trump walks with Secret Service agents in Yuma, Arizona, in August 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts Secret Service agents would accompany former President Donald Trump if he went to jail, a retired US judge told Sky News. Joseph Cosgrove, formerly of the Court of Common Pleas of the 11th Judicial District in Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, said agents would follow him to jail for his protection. "Let's assume the worst for Mr Trump: if he were sentenced to some sort of confinement, he would be confined with his secret service agents," Cosgrove said. Former presidents are entitled to Secret Service protection for life under federal law. Former Secret Service officials told Insider's Robin Bravender and Dave Levinthal last November that if Trump went to prison for any reason Secret Service agents would very likely follow him, though they said an agent wouldn't end up in a cell with him. Experts say that Trump is unlikely to face any jail time if he is convicted, and it is more likely that he will be subjected to a fine, community service, or probation. Read Full Story This is the scene outside the court, as Trump is due to be arraigned Outside the court on Tuesday morning. Jacob Shamsian/Insider More than 100 reporters stood in line outside of Manhattan Criminal Court at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Trump is expected to be arraigned in the afternoon, but journalists began gathering at 100 Centre Street by 2:45 p.m. on Monday to secure one of the limited seats inside the courtroom. Some outlets hired people to wait in the line overnight so reporters could catch a few hours rest before returning early Tuesday morning. The New York Supreme Court judge overseeing Tuesday's hearing noted the historic nature of the proceedings in a Monday court order. "That this indictment involves a matter of monumental significance cannot possibly be disputed. Never in the history of the United States has a sitting or past President been indicted on criminal charges," Judge Juan Merchan wrote. He went on to say that Trump's arraignment has "generated unparalleled public interest and media attention." While Merchan acknowledged the importance of the press, he ruled against broadcasting the proceedings live after Trump's lawyers argued that doing so would create a "circus-like atmosphere." Merchan also ruled that no electronic devices would be allowed inside the courtroom. Five pool photographers will be permitted to take still photos from the jury box for a limited time before the proceedings, and the use of cameras will be permitted in the hallways. Nearby the courthouse, Trump supporters are expected to start gathering by 10:30 a.m. The New York Young Republicans are holding a pro-Trump rally at lower Manhattan's Collect Pond Park, which is adjacent to the courthouse. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has publicized the event, calling for those in attendance to wear MAGA hats. Hours from his own arraignment, Trump says Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg should 'INDICT HIMSELF' Trump attacked Bragg in a Truth Social post on Monday. Gotham/GC Images and Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images On the eve of his arraignment in New York, former President Donald Trump took to social media to declare that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg should "INDICT HIMSELF." Trump, who was indicted on Thursday and is expected to surrender on April 4, lashed out at Bragg in a Truth Social post on Monday. "Wow! District Attorney Bragg just illegally LEAKED the various points, and complete information, on the pathetic Indictment against me," Trump wrote on Monday. "Now, if he wants to really clean up his reputation, he will do the honorable thing and, as District Attorney, INDICT HIMSELF," added Trump. Trump did not elaborate on why he thought Bragg leaked any information from the sealed indictment and did not provide any evidence to prove his claim. READ FULL STORY Tough times in the Trump press line An Associated Press journalist found an ingenious way to work while waiting in line to secure a press seat at former President Donald Trump's arraignment. Bobby Calvan put an old pizza box on top of a rusty garbage can to create a makeshift desk, per a tweet by his colleague Mike Sisak, also an AP reporter. Trump is slated to be arraigned tomorrow in New York. Calvan did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina warns that we might be on the 'eve of destruction' the night before Trump's arraignment Former President Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower on April 03, 2023 in New York City. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images Joe Tacopina, a lawyer for former President Donald Trump, likened the night before Trump's arraignment to the "eve of destruction." In an interview on Monday on Fox News, Tacopina who is representing Trump in New York said he could not believe that the ex-president was going to be arraigned on Tuesday. "What's extraordinary is that tomorrow is actually happening, that's what's extraordinary. I just cannot believe it, I think we're on the eve of destruction. It's just like surreal to me," Tacopina said. Tacopina's words on Fox News were similar to the ominous sentiment expressed in Trump's previous Truth Social posts. On March 23, Trump predicted that there would be "death & destruction" if he is indicted. Trump on March 18 also called on his followers to protest" and "take our nation back," echoing his own rhetoric before the January 6 Capitol riot. READ FULL STORY The arraignment will not be broadcast live, judge rules Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the America First Agenda Summit, at the Marriott Marquis hotel July 26, 2022 in Washington, DC. Drew Angerer / Staff / Getty Images New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan has rejected the media's request to allow cameras for Trump's arraignment Tuesday. A small number of photographers will be allowed to take pictures before the arraignment begins, Merchan ruled Monday night. Earlier on Monday, attorneys for Trump said they don't want cameras in the courtroom because it will "create a circus-like atmosphere." Read Full Story The supporters will make their way downtown for a protest this evening Taisha Parrot, a researcher from Jamaica, Queens, came out with her Trump flag on high, sporting an "ULTRA MAGA" baseball cap. She came out for "two main reasons: one to support Trump and two, to protest what Alvin Bragg is doing." "The only reason they are doing this is because he's ahead in the polls," she said. "He's gotten higher in the polls as a result of this." She said she and a couple of other protesters were on their way downtown to another protest by the New York Republican Latinos later tonight. Supporters are flying in to support Trump Reuters Arlinda Rainey, 52, and her mother, 75-year-old Marjorie Westerfield flew all the way from Central Kentucky to support Trump as he arrived in New York City to face a historic indictment. The pair spent a combined $6,000 for airfare and accommodations in the big city. "I feel like they are doing him wrong," Special Education teacher, Raniey said. "I feel like we were safer with him as president." Raniey said she didn't care much for New York City. "Too many people." The ladies took shelter in an atrium area in Trump Tower as the former presidents motorcade rolled down 56th street to the side entrance. "We're just here to show support and to let him know to keep going strong," Westerfield said. Trump has arrived at Trump Tower Trump arrives at Trump Tower on Monday April 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston) Trump arrived to Trump Tower just after 4 p.m. ET to a small group of supporters lining Madison Avenue. He's expected to stay the night in Manhattan before his court appearance Tuesday. Reporters are already lining up to get a chance to attend Trump's public arraignment Police brace for protests by erecting barricades and closing streets Police trucked in stacks of barricades as possible indictment of former President Donald Trump looms. El Calabrese/Insider NYPD erected barricades in front of Trump Tower and the courthouse in preparation for potential protests. An NYPD spokesperson told Insider there are "no current credible threats" to the city. Read More Trump's legal team said cameras in the courtroom would cause a 'circus-like atmosphere.' Former President Donald Trump speaks to supporters at his rally in Waco, Texas, on March 25, 2023. AP Photo/Evan Vucci The former president's lawyers say they want to avoid "a circus-like atmosphere" as Trump is arraigned in a Manhattan criminal court. Trump himself has called for mass protests outside on social media. Read Full Story The NYC park where Marjorie Taylor Greene is hosting the rally for Trump used to be an open sewer the city tried to fill in with land but it sunk (and stunk) An engraved illustration shows the 'Collect Pond' in the 1700s. Interim Archives/Getty Images Hours before former President Donald Trump plans to surrender to the Manhattan District Attorney Tuesday, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene will join a rally in New York City's Collect Pond Park to protest the former president's indictment. But the park just steps outside of the DA's office in downtown Manhattan wasn't always the patch of greenery inside New York's concrete jungle. The small area was once a pond filled with drinking water that later became a disgusting, stinky open sewer and the center of a gang-filled slum where mobsters like Lucky Luciano and Al Capone got their start. Keep Reading The only way you'll see Donald Trump's mugshot is if someone leaks it or he shares it himself Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the America First Agenda Summit, at the Marriott Marquis hotel July 26, 2022 in Washington, DC. Drew Angerer / Staff / Getty Images The indicted former US president will be fingerprinted and will pose for a mugshot ahead of his New York City courtroom arraignment on Tuesday, but the photograph won't be made public unless it is leaked or released by Trump himself. Under New York law, mugshots are not public records. Read Full Story Trump has left Florida on his jet before his arraignment on Tuesday Trump and his Boeing 757. Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images Donald Trump's jet departed from Florida Monday afternoon, according to an Instagram account tracking its movements. The 757 airliner which is decked out with the word "Trump" painted on it left West Palm Beach. Trump was expected to leave Florida on Monday before his arraignment in Manhattan court on Tuesday. Trump announces Mar-a-Lago speech hours after Tuesday arraignment Former President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he would be speaking at his Palm Beach club Mar-a-Lago Tuesday evening at 8:15 p.m. hours after his arraignment in New York. Trump is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon. Then, he will be flying into New York on Monday night to voluntarily surrender himself on Tuesday, ahead of his appearance before a judge. It's pretty much a certainty that Trump will remain free afterward, probably without any bail set at all, Insider's Laura Italiano reported. Under New York's recently changed progressive bail laws, defendants can be ordered held on bail only if the judge finds that they are a flight risk. John Bolton says if Manhattan DA case flops, it could be 'rocket fuel' for the former president Donald Trump and John Bolton. Evan Vucci/Associated Press Former national security advisor John Bolton said that if the Manhattan district attorney squanders Donald Trump's criminal case, it could be "rocket fuel" for the former president's campaign. "I'm not worried about Alvin Bragg hurting Donald Trump. I'm worried about Alvin Bragg benefiting Donald Trump," Bolton told CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday, referring to the DA overseeing the ex-president's criminal case. Read Full Story Chris Christie says the 'bravado from the Trump camp' toward the indictment 'is baloney' as the former president's arraignment approaches Chris Christie. Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC via Getty Images Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said the "bravado" displayed by former President Donald Trump after being indicted by a Manhattan grand jury is "baloney." Speaking on a panel on Sunday's "This Week" on ABC News, Christie said he was mostly reserving commentary on the content of the indictment because he wanted to read it first, but then proceeded to offer several minutes of commentary. A grand jury indicted Trump last week after an investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Brag into hush money paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 election. Read Full Story Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina says his client has a 'right to have an issue with everything' after Trump goes after Manhattan judge Joe Tacopina, an attorney for Donald Trump, said the former president has a "right to have an issue with everything" after Trump claimed a judge involved in his Manhattan criminal case was biased against him. Tacopina echoed Trump's claims that a grand jury indictment handed down last week in Manhattan was a form of political persecution, but he stopped short of saying that he would request a different judge. "Had he not been running for the presidency, he would not have been indicted," Tacopina said of Trump on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday. "We are going to take the indictment, evaluate all our legal options, and pursue every one most vigorously." Read Full Story Former Arkansas GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson announces run for president, says Trump should 'step aside' from the race after his indictment Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas. AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta Former Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas formally announced that his is running for president on Sunday. Just two days earlier, on Friday, Hutchinson said former President Donald Trump should "step aside" from the 2024 presidential race after his indictment by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. During an appearance on Fox Business, Hutchinson pointed to the integrity of serving in elected office as he spoke of the former president's criminal inquiry. "When a public official is indicted, I think with regard to the office, the office is more important than the person and they should step aside. That standard should apply here. It is a distraction," Hutchinson said on the network. Read Full Story Trump surges to a 26-point lead over Ron DeSantis in the 2024 GOP presidential primary post-indictment: poll Former President Donald Trump; Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Getty Images Former President Donald Trump was already the front-runner among Republicans in the 2024 race for the White House, edging out a likely but yet-to-be-announced contender in Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida. But with his indictment by a Manhattan grand jury, Trump has surged ahead in a head-to-head matchup against DeSantis in a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll, beating the Sunshine State politician by 26 percentage points among registered Republican voters and Independents who lean Republican. In the poll, 57% of those asked said they would vote for Trump, while 31% indicated that they would back DeSantis, which was one of the first surveys to be conducted after Thursday's indictment. Read Full Story Trump's legal team may ask to move his criminal trial from Manhattan to more conservative-leaning Staten Island, report says Former President Donald Trump's defense team is considering asking to move his criminal trial to more conservative-leaning Staten Island, fearing that the former president wouldn't be able to receive a fair trial in Manhattan, according to Bloomberg. Trump's attorneys have not yet determined their final course of action on the matter, however, and are looking to first review the charges in the indictment from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr., an unnamed source told the news agency. The request has the veneer of politics, as Manhattan or New York County is one of the most Democratic-heavy jurisdictions in the country. Staten Island, meanwhile, has long been the most conservative of New York City's give boroughs. Read Full Story Trump Organization employees were 'really happy' about Trump's indictment, Maggie Haberman says New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman on Friday said several Trump Organization employees texted her expressing their happiness over former President Donald Trump's indictment by the Manhattan District Attorney's office in connection with a hush money payment made to the adult film actress Stormy Daniels. After a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Trump, Haberman, who wrote the book "Confidence Man" and is widely seen as the most prominent chronicler of the former president's tenure in the White House, said during a panel interview on CNN's "This Morning" that she began receiving messages from employees soon after news broke of his indictment. "There is a long trail of people who feel burned in one way or another by Donald Trump. We certainly saw that in the White House," she said. "This was a pattern that existed for decades before the Trump Organization." Read Full Story Michael Cohen's lawyer says case against Trump is 'very solid' and jurors only need ask themselves if Trump had 'any political motivation' for the Stormy Daniels payment Donald Trump's former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, center, is joined by his attorney, Lanny Davis, before Cohen's grand jury appearance in mid-March. Mary Altaffer/AP Michael Cohen's attorney believes the criminal case against Donald Trump in the Manhattan District Attorney's investigation is "very solid" though it's "not going to be an easy case." Cohen, Trump's longtime political fixer turned political adversary, is expected to be a "principal witness" in the case if it goes to trial, attorney Lanny Davis told NBC's "Meet the Press NOW" on Friday. "It's not going to be an easy case because they do have to create a novel law," Davis said. "But here is why I think it's a very, very solid case, maybe more solid than any of the other cases. Everyone's missing this." There is only "one question that the jury has to ask and answer," Davis told NBC News host Chuck Todd. "The legal issue will be decided by a judge, but the factual question is very simple: Did Donald Trump have any political motivation when he directed Michael to pay $130,000 to Stormy?" Davis said. "Any." Read Full Story Donald Trump's NFT trading cards jumped in value to almost $1,700 after Manhattan indictment Former President Donald Trump. AP Photo/Alex Brandon Donald Trump's digital trading card NFTs have spiked in value, with the highest sale at nearly $1,700 following his indictment in the Manhattan district attorney's investigation. According to Newsweek, the floor price of Trump's NFT trading cards was 0.41 Ethereum (ETH), or about $748 USD, on March 30 when Trump was indicted. As of publication on April 1, the floor price ticked up 1.9% to $967.38, or 0.5299 ETH, according to NFT Price Floor, a site that indexes and complies data on NFT trading and marketplaces. Trump's NFTs had an average sale of 0.5737 ETH, or roughly $1,000 rising 1.45% in the last 24 hours. The highest sale soared to 0.9298 ETH, which equates to nearly $1,700 an increase of 10.16% in the same period, according to the site. Read Full Story Trump raised more than $4 million within 24 hours following grand jury indictment, his campaign says Donald Trump. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images Trump raised more than $4 million within 24 hours after news broke that a Manhattan grand jury had voted to indict him, his campaign said on Friday. The campaign made the revelation in a press release and email to subscribers, which described the case as the "Alvin Bragg witch hunt." The statement hailed the influx of donations and said that over 25% came from first-time donors and that the average contribution was $34. Read Full Story Trump's indictment may 'embolden' prosecutors to bring more charges against him for January 6 and his efforts to overturn the election, legal experts say Former President Donald Trump's list of legal woes could get more complicated following his indictment by a New York grand jury on Thursday. Trump is the first ex-president to ever be charged with a crime after an investigation into a hush-money payment made to the adult-film actress Stormy Daniels. Although the charges have not yet been made public, ex-Manhattan prosecutors say that Trump risks felony-level state records-fraud charges that carry punishments of up to four years in prison. The chances of him going to prison, however, are slim to none. But several legal experts told Insider the indictment could make other prosecutors "emboldened" to charge him in other ongoing investigations related to his role in the Capitol riot, an alleged scheme to overturn election results in Georgia, and his handling of government records. Keep Reading Can Trump still run for president after being indicted? Former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a grand jury in New York, triggering a wave of questions about the indictment's potential implications on his 2024 presidential campaign, and whether Trump could go on to serve as president again after being formally accused of a felony crime. A presidential candidate can, indeed, still run for office despite being indicted for a crime, according to the US Constitution. Read Full Story What is an indictment? What it means for someone to be indicted by a grand jury and why Trump was charged People demonstrate outside of Manhattan Criminal Court on March 21, 2023, after the news that former Pres. Donald Trump may soon face a criminal indictment. Alan Chin for Insider A Manhattan grand jury voted to indict former President Donald Trump on Thursday after hearing evidence for months about his alleged role in a hush-money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. With that vote, 76-year-old Trump became the first former US president ever to be indicted on criminal felony charges in American history. So what does it mean to be indicted? An indictment is a formal notice to a defendant that they have been charged with a crime, according to the US Department of Justice. Read Full Story Trump to fly to New York Monday night ahead of Tuesday arraignment: reports Getty/Drew Angerer Trump will fly to New York Monday night, the eve of his expected arraignment, per the Washington Post. Trump lead attorney Susan Necheles told Insider that Trump is expecting to voluntarily surrender on Tuesday at Manhattan Criminal Court. Final arrangements were still being hammered out on Friday among the NYPD, court staff and the Secret Service, she said. Is Trump going to jail? The chances of Donald Trump spending any time behind bars over his historic New York indictment are slim to none, according to legal experts. First-offenders virtually never go to jail on the kind of non-violent, low-level felonies that Trump's lawyers currently believe he faces, from an indictment with an expected top charge of falsifying business records in the first degree, But Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg can still seek to lock Trump up if he is convicted, experts told Insider, given that felony falsifying of business records allows a sentence of anywhere from zero jail time up to a maximum of four years in prison. Prosecutors can also ask for more likely penalties including a hefty fine, community service, and probation in the event that the 76-year-old former president is convicted. Read Full Story Meet Juan Merchan, the Manhattan judge scheduled to oversee Donald Trump's criminal case Judge Juan Merchan presides during the Trump Organization's criminal tax trial in Manhattan Criminal Court, New York City, U.S., November 15, 2022 in this courtroom sketch. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg Following his indictment this week, Donald Trump is poised to face an old nemesis in court: Judge Juan Manuel Merchan. Merchan is overseeing the Manhattan district attorney's criminal case against the ex-president. He was spotted going into a Manhattan courthouse on Thursday evening, likely to review the indictment voted on by a grand jury hours earlier. That same day, he issued an order allowing prosecutors to disclose the existence of the indictment, which is normally a closely-held secret. On Friday, court security put extra restrictions near his chambers. Trump and Merchan have a history. The judge oversaw last fall's criminal trial against the Trump Organization. The company's CFO, Allen Weisselberg, pleaded guilty to financial crime charges and testified in the case. A jury convicted Trump's company of numerous financial fraud charges. Trump isn't fond of the judge. Read Full Story Trump's lawyers promise a 'smooth surrender' but don't expect him to take a plea deal Donald Trump's lead attorney doesn't expect the former president to take a plea deal, adding that he's a "tough guy" who is "resolved to fight" against any and all charges brought his way. Still lawyer Susan Necheles told Insider "it will be a smooth surrender" when Trump turns himself in to face the charges against him. Lindsey Graham says Trump should 'smash some windows,' sniping at New York's crime policies Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC). Drew Angerer/Getty Images Sen. Lindsey Graham joked that Trump should "punch a cop" on his way to being booked in Manhattan, saying it would be a way for Trump to avoid prosecution. The barb was a reference to Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's crime policies in New York City, which Republicans have targeted as far back as the 2022 election as being too soft on criminals. Read Full Story Ivanka Trump offers up short statement after her father's indictment Ivanka Trump listens during an event in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on August 4, 2020. Drew Angerer/Getty Images The former first daughter wrote in an Instagram story that she was "pained" for her father and country. Her three-sentence-long statement added: "I appreciate the voices across the political spectrum expressing support and concern." Read Full Story Manhattan DA office blasts House Republicans Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. AP Photo/Seth Wenig Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office brushed off House GOP's threats of investigation, warning three committee chairmen not to interfere with the prosecution of former President Donald Trump. "Like any other defendant, Mr. Trump is entitled to challenge these charges in court and avail himself of all processes and protections that New York State's robust criminal procedure affords," a lawyer for Bragg's office wrote in a letter dated Friday to Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, James Comer of Kentucky, and Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, chairmen of the powerful House Judiciary, Oversight, and Administration committees, respectively. "What neither Mr. Trump nor Congress may do is interfere with the ordinary course of proceedings in New York State," the DA's general counsel, Leslie Dubeck, added. Keep Reading Trump's indictment kickstarts a round of memes President Donald Trump uses his cellphone during a roundtable discussion at the White House in in Washington DC, on June 18, 2020. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images While the news of the indictment stirred Trump, his allies, his opponents, and the media into a frenzy, it also spurred some top-quality memes across social media, from references to the popular show "Succession" to Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial comparisons. Keep Reading Trump was smiling and glad-handing fans at Mar-a-Lago as news of his indictment crashed around him, resort guests say Former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Charles Trainor Jr./Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images Former President Donald Trump was all smiles Thursday night, guests told Insider, describing an alternate reality at his Mar-a-Lago club as news of his historic indictment broke. Read More Trump is 'ready to be combative' defending himself, his lawyer says in NBC interview Former President Donald Trump's attorney, Joe Tacopina, appears on NBC's "Today" on March 31, 2023. NBC Today show/Twitter NBC's "Today" show interviewed Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina on Friday, who said his client is "ready to be combative" in defending himself. Tacopina said Trump was "initially shocked" by the news of the indictment, appearing to confirm reporting from news outlets which said the news caught him off-guard. He said that shock was soon replaced by "typical Donald Trump posture where he's ready to be combative on something that he believes is an injustice." Tacopina also told NBC that there's "zero" chance Trump will take a plea deal, adding: "It's not gonna happen." He said raised the prospect that the charges may not even make it to trial, saying there were "substantial legal challenges," though he did not give specifics. Recap: Where we stand the morning after Trump's indictment made history Former President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while in flight on his plane after a campaign rally in Waco, Texas on March 25, 2023. Evan Vucci/AP It's been around 12 hours since news broke that former President Donald Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, a first for an ex-president. Since then, his allies rallied to his defense and even his 2024 rivals, Gov. Ron DeSantis and former VP Mike Pence, joined in. Meanwhile, Stormy Daniels, the porn star who received the hush-money payment at the center of the case, said she has been celebrating with champagne. Demonstrators congregated outside the Manhattan DA's office last night, while others met outside Mar-a-Lago, where Trump was staying. Trump raged at being "INDICATED" seemingly not noticing his typo and is said to have been shoring up his support since. He is planning to surrender to authorities next week, his lawyer Joe Tacopina said. You can find more detail below, and Insider will be bringing more updates through Friday as the story develops. Trump calls Capitol Hill allies to bolster support, tells them he will fight charges: CNN Then-President Donald Trump uses his cellphone at the White House on June 18, 2020. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images Trump has been calling up allies on Capitol Hill for "check-ins" and to bolster support following the announcement of his indictment, GOP sources told CNN's Capitol Hill reporter Melanie Zanona. He spoke to members of the House GOP leadership and lawmakers serving on committees that are trying to investigate Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, telling them he plans to fight the charges, Zanona said on Twitter. People on Chinese social media say Trump's indictment embarrassed the US and made China look good A Weibo montage of AI-generated images shows what life would be like if "comrade" Trump retires and "returns home" to China. Screenshot/Weibo The indictment has Chinese social media users posting a flurry of memes calling him "Comrade Nation Builder" a hero who's strengthening China by embarrassing the US. The idea behind the "Comrade Nation Builder" nickname on Weibo, China's version of Twitter, is that Trump is an ally of China who went to Washington for the sole purpose of sabotaging America with wild antics and outrageous policies. "Would you like to join the Party, Comrade Nation Builder?" a person on Weibo wrote, referring to the Chinese Communist Party, which Trump considers a sworn enemy. READ FULL STORY Trump went from joking about 'golden handcuffs' to being 'irritated' and 'deflated,' Washington Post reports Former US President Donald Trump speaks during a visit to the border wall near Pharr, Texas on June 30, 2021. Sergio Flores/AFP via Getty Images Trump was joking with aides and in high spirits which vanished when the New York indictment took him and his staffers by surprise, per The Washington Post. The Post spoke to an aide who said Trump was joking about "golden handcuffs" in the days before he was indicted. He thought an indictment would not come for weeks, if at all, two advisers told The Post. One of the two advisers the Post spoke to said Trump quickly became "irritated" and "deflated" after the indictment. READ FULL STORY New York prosecutors wanted Trump to surrender on Friday, but Trump's lawyers said the Secret Service needs more time to prepare his escort: Politico Former President Donald Trump. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images The Manhattan district attorney's office wanted former President Donald Trump to surrender on Friday, but his lawyers said the Secret Service needed more time to arrange his escort, Politico reported. Trump, who was indicted on Thursday by a New York grand jury, is due in court on April 4. The negotiation around Trump's protection was confirmed by Joe Tacopina, Trump's lawyer, and an unnamed source in law enforcement, per Politico. READ FULL STORY Michael Cohen says Trump will join him in the ranks of 'convicted felons' soon: 'See you on Tuesday, pal' Donald Trump and Michael Cohen. Shane Bevel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images, Spencer Platt/Getty Images Michael Cohen, former President Donald Trump's one-time personal lawyer and fixer, gloated on CNN about how Trump may soon join him in the ranks of convicted felons. Speaking to CNN, Cohen admitted that he was a "convicted perjurer," a "convicted felon," and a "disbarred lawyer." But Cohen who Trump's spokespeople have previously labeled a "disbarred felon" in statements to Insider also alluded on CNN to how the label of "felon" might soon apply to Trump, too. "Oh by the way for Donald, since we're talking about convicted felons, see you on Tuesday, pal," Cohen said, referring to the day that Trump is expected to be arraigned. READ FULL STORY Mike Pence, who Trump supporters said they wanted to hang during the Capitol riot, is still defending Trump post-indictment Then-President Donald Trump shakes then-Vice President Mike Pence's hand after a 2019 rally. Zach Gibson/Getty Images Former Vice President Mike Pence who a pro-Trump mob threatened to kill during the Capitol riot found a way to defend his ex-boss former President Donald Trump on CNN. Speaking to CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Thursday, Pence called the "unprecedented indictment" of a former president an "outrage." "I really do believe that this decision today is a great disservice to the country. And the idea that for the first time in American history, a former president would be indicted on a campaign finance issue to me, it just smacks of political prosecution," Pence said. "I know President Trump can take care of himself in the courtroom, and he ought to focus on that right now," Pence added. READ FULL STORY Lindsey Graham tried to fundraise for Trump on Fox News hours after the former president was indicted Sen. Lindsey Graham thrice called for viewers to visit Trump's donation page. Brandon Bell/Getty Images and Stefani Reynolds - Pool/Getty Images South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham tried to raise money for former President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign just hours after the latter was indicted. "But you need to help this man, Donald J. Trump, they're trying to drain him dry. He's spent more money on lawyers than most people spend on campaigns," said Graham, a longtime Trump ally, in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity. "Give the man some money so he can fight," Graham added. READ FULL STORY Stormy Daniels says orders for 'Team Stormy' merch are 'pouring in' after Trump's indictment Stormy Daniels. Phillip Faraone/Getty Images Adult film actress Stormy Daniels said orders are "pouring in" for her merchandise and autographs after former President Donald Trump was indicted on Thursday. "Thank you to everyone for your support and love! I have so many messages coming in that I can't respond," tweeted Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. "Also don't want to spill my champagne." Daniels' tweets about the Trump indictment have been nothing short of jubilant. It's unsurprising considering that since 2018, she has sued Trump, called him a liar, repeatedly poked fun at him, and tussled online with the former president's supporters. As more signs indicated that Trump would be indicted, the self-described porn star also began promoting her merchandise store, which sells products such as calendars, apparel, and signed photos. READ FULL STORY Trump's Truth Social post about respecting the grand jury aged really poorly "These Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America," Trump wrote after his Thursday indictment in New York. Drew Angerer/Getty Images Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he had "SUCH RESPECT" for the New York grand jury but he was singing a different tune just one day later, after he got indicted. In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, before getting indicted, Trump wrote: "I HAVE GAINED SUCH RESPECT FOR THIS GRAND JURY, & PERHAPS EVEN THE GRAND JURY SYSTEM AS A WHOLE." In a Truth Social post after his indictment, however, Trump seemed to have lost his newfound respect for the jury. "These Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America," Trump wrote on Thursday. "THE USA IS NOW A THIRD WORLD NATION, A NATION IN SERIOUS DECLINE. SO SAD!" READ FULL STORY Trump's grip on the GOP is so total that even his 2024 rivals, from DeSantis to Pence, are rallying to him after the indictment Trump's biggest current and potential 2024 foes including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis rallied to his side on Thursday evening. Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Current and would-be Republican rivals largely rallied behind Donald Trump on Thursday, illustrating the difficulty the former president's primary foes will face as they try to navigate the fallout from a historic indictment. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Trump's best-positioned potential rival, vowed not to cooperate with any extradition requests Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg may need to get Trump out of Florida. Insider previously reported how DeSantis has little power to thwart such a request as the Constitution requires interstate extradition. "The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head," DeSantis, who is expected to announce a presidential campaign in May, said in a statement. "It is un-American." READ FULL STORY What we know so far Demonstrators outside Manhattan Criminal Court following the news that a Grand Jury voted to indict former Pres. Donald Trump Alan Chin/Insider Reporter Oma Seddiq took a step back to explain what we know so far in the Trump indictment case, including how it may impact his campaign. Read Full Story DeSantis says Florida won't help extradite Trump Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida pledged Thursday that state officials would not help extradite former President Donald Trump from Florida to New York in a charged political attack on the prosecutor. DeSantis in a statement on Twitter accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of "stretching the law to target a political opponent," though he didn't name Trump or Bragg. Trump is required by law to appear before a judge to address the criminal charges and is expected to voluntarily do so rendering the extradition question moot for DeSantis, who is expected to enter the GOP presidential race soon where he'll need to siphon support from Trump's base. Read Full Story Trump faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud: report Though the exact charges are still sealed, sources tell CNN that Trump faces more than 30 counts as part of the indictment. Those low-level felony charges will likely relate to the 2016 election-eve hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels. They carry a potential maximum sentence of four years in prison. But a judge could also set a sentence of as little as zero jail plus probation. Why Biden has to stay quiet President Joe Biden. Drew Angerer/Getty Images Given the rancor between the current president and his predecessor, Joe Biden may be tempted to celebrate Donald Trump becoming the first former president to get slapped with an indictment. Biden could certainly high-five First Lady Jill Biden in private. But in public, there are myriad reasons why Democrats hope Biden will play this unprecedented event in about as boring a way as possible. Read Full Story The indictment will not be unsealed until Trump is arraigned A source familiar with the case's planning tells Insider that Trump's indictment will be a felony, and will not be unsealed until Trump is arraigned. The former president is expected to surrender to authorities next week, according to his lawyer Joe Tacopina. Donald Trump Jr. decries his father's indictment Donald Trump Jr. and former President Donald Trump in Hollywood, Florida, on September 11, 2021. Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images Trump Jr. took to Rumble, an online video platform, on Thursday to interrupt a scheduled airing of his interview with Joe Kent, a failed 2022 congressional candidate, to rant about the indictment. In the live segment, Trump Jr. called out Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and painted him as a corrupt prosecutor supported by billionaire George Soros a false claim that likely stems from the fact that Soros funded a nonprofit called Color of Change which has donated to Bragg. A Soros spokesperson previously told Insider that none of the funds from Soros were specifically earmarked for Bragg. Trump Jr. also incorrectly stated that the district attorney is indicting Trump. Prosecutors can only bring forward evidence of a particular crime such as witness testimony. A New York grand jury ultimately voted to indict Trump. Trump Jr. added that the indictment was "weaponized justice at its absolute worst" and gave vague and ominous premonitions that this case represents a "battle for our existence." Read Full Story Stormy Daniels reacts to Trump's indictment Stormy Daniels at an adult entertainment fair in Berlin on October 18, 2018. Markus Schreiber/AP Adult film star Stormy Daniels offered a two-word response to Thursday's news that a grand jury had voted to indict Donald Trump. Daniels quote-tweeted a Twitter user arguing that Trump's indictment, which is likely linked to a $130,000 payment to the porn star ahead of the 2016 election, should not be cause for celebration, but should instead be allowed to play out in the justice system. "Thank you," Daniels wrote. Here's a timeline that spells out when Trump's marriages started and ended, as well as alleged and confirmed affairs and accusations of sexual misconduct that reportedly occurred during these periods: Read Full Story Wrongly accused Central Park 5 member cheered Trump's indictment In 1989, Trump bought newspaper advertisements calling for New York State to adopt the death penalty after an attack on a Central Park jogger. He made clear that he was speaking out because of the attack, though the ads did not explicitly call for the death penalty for the Central Park 5, the five Black and Latino teenagers who were wrongly convicted of assaulting and raping a White woman in Central Park. Now that Trump has been indicted in New York, a member of that exonerated group has a concise response: "Karma." Read Full Story Trump raged about being 'INDICATED' in social media post about his indictment Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at the South Carolina State House in Columbia, S.C., on January 28, 2023. AP Photo/Alex Brandon Former President Donald Trump complained on Thursday about being "indicated" in New York, adding in all caps that "THIS IS AN ATTACK ON OUR COUNTRY THE LIKES OF WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE." Read Full Story Bragg's office: DA is coordinating with Trump's attorneys for his surrender A spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg confirmed Trump's team was notified of his indictment Thursday evening. "This evening we contacted Mr. Trump's attorney to coordinate his surrender to the Manhattan D.A.'s Office for arraignment on a Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal," the spokesperson said. "Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected." Trump and his aides were caught off guard by his indictment, believing it was weeks away: New York Times Former President Donald Trump Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images Trump and his aides were caught off guard by news of his indictment, believing the decision wouldn't come for weeks, according to The New York Times' Maggie Haberman. The former US president is currently at Mar-a-Lago planning his next moves after the New York grand jury's decision to indict him, per the Times. Some advisors had been confident that the vote wouldn't come until the end of April. Keep Reading Trump's GOP allies rally to his defense, blasting indictment as a 'politically motivated prosecution' Rep. Matt Gaetz addresses attendees during the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit on July 23, 2022, in Tampa, Florida. Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP Photo Former President Donald Trump's Republican allies in Congress are rallying to his defense after a Manhattan grand jury on Thursday voted to indict him the first former president in American history to face criminal charges. "A majority of Americans know Alvin Bragg's witch hunt is a politically motivated prosecution," Gaetz continued, referring to the Manhattan district attorney. "I continue to stand with President Trump as he has always stood with us." Read Full Story Trump expected to surrender next week, his lawyer confirms Donald Trump speaks during his meeting with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at Winfield House, London on December 3, 2019. NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images Trump is expected to surrender to authorities next week, according to his lawyer Joe Tacopina. A trio of demonstrators outside the Manhattan DA's office unfurled a banner to celebrate Trump's indictment Michael Cohen, a witness against Trump, says he thinks the former president 'is petrified' Michael Cohen arrives for his 15th sit-down with Manhattan district attorney's office prosecutors. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former fixer-turned-nemesis, said in a statement Thursday that "no one is above the law." He went on to say that he stands by his testimony to the Manhattan DA's office. Cohen previously pleaded guilty to making a hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election and was called as a witness before the grand jury that ultimately indicted Trump. Cohen also told MSNBC he believes Trump is "petrified" and that "this is one of his biggest fears." Read Full Story Fox News gasps, rallies around Trump as he is indicted Fox News host Jesse Watters John Lamparski/Getty Images Fox News anchors gasped in the studio as news broke about Trump's indictment. But some Fox News hosts immediately rallied around Donald Trump on Thursday evening. "It is the stupidest thing I've ever seen, and I feel bad for the guy," co-host Jesse Watters said during the live taping of "The Five." As Trump has done previously, other hosts turned their ire on Bragg himself. "He's such an incompetent boob," host Greg Gutfeld chimed in when another host was discussing how the indicted will now be part of history. Gutfeld also called the prosecutor "the MAGA Republican of the year," predicting that the charges have now secured Trump the GOP presidential nomination. Read Full Story Donald Trump becomes the first former president to be criminally charged in US history Former President Donald Trump Joe Raedle/Getty Images Donald Trump is the first former president to ever be criminally charged in US history. A Manhattan grand jury has indicted Trump, his attorney, Joe Tacopina, confirmed to Insider. His indictment will likely interfere with his third bid for president in the upcoming 2024 election. The indictment comes after a years-long investigation by the Manhattan district attorney's office into Trump's business dealings and whether he violated New York state laws when his lawyer paid $130,000 to Stormy Daniels. Daniels says she and Trump had an affair in the 2000s, and that he and his lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid her to keep quiet during the 2016 election campaign. Cohen took a plea deal with prosecutors and has said that Trump approved of the payment. Trump has denied that there was ever an affair and said he has done "absolutely nothing wrong," calling the probe politically motivated. Stormy Daniels made a surprise appearance in Manhattan DA's Trump probe just before the indictment Adult film star Stormy Daniels met with New York prosecutors last Wednesday over their probe into former President Donald Trump's hush money payment to her in 2016, her lawyer, Clark Brewster, said. Brewster said Daniels "responded to questions and has agreed to make herself available as a witness, or for further inquiry if needed." Daniels said she had an affair with Trump in the mid-2000s and that he and former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen paid her in exchange for her silence during Trump's first presidential campaign. Read Full Story Read the original article on Business Insider Former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury. AP Photo/Evan Vucci A Manhattan grand jury has voted to indict former President Donald Trump. The specific state charges, reports The New York Times, remain a mystery but will be related to the Manhattan district attorneys investigation of Trump for making hush money payments to a porn star just before the 2016 presidential election. Its the first time a U.S. president or former president has been indicted. At the same time, Trump is expected to continue his campaign for the presidency, seeking to regain in 2024 the position he lost in 2020 to Joe Biden. What are the consequences of an indictment and potential trial for his campaign and, if his effort is successful, his future presidency? Article II of the U.S. Constitution sets forth very explicit qualifications for the presidency: The president must be 35 years of age, a U.S. resident for 14 years and a natural-born citizen. In cases involving analogous qualifications for members of Congress, the Supreme Court has held that such qualifications form a constitutional ceiling prohibiting any additional qualifications to be imposed by any means. Thus, because the Constitution does not require that the president be free from indictment, conviction or prison, it follows that a person under indictment or in prison may run for the office and may even serve as president. This is the prevailing legal standard that would apply to former President Trump. The fact of his indictment and potential trial is irrelevant to his qualifications for office under the Constitution. Nevertheless, there seems no question that indictment, conviction or both let alone a prison sentence would significantly compromise a presidents ability to function in office. And the Constitution doesnt provide an easy answer to the problem posed by such a compromised chief executive. Former President Donald Trump, at a campaign event at his Mar-a-Lago home on Nov. 15, 2022, in Palm Beach, Fla., when he announced he was seeking another term in office and officially launched his 2024 presidential campaign. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Governing from jail? A presidential candidate could be indicted, prosecuted and convicted by either state or federal authorities. Indictment for a state crime may seem less significant than federal charges brought by the Department of Justice. Story continues Ultimately, though, the spectacle of a criminal trial in state or federal court would have a dramatic effect on a presidential campaign and on the credibility of a president, if elected. All defendants are presumed innocent until proved guilty. But in the case of conviction, incarceration in state or federal prison involves restrictions on liberty that would significantly compromise the presidents ability to lead. This point that functioning as president would be difficult while under indictment or after being convicted was made plain in a 2000 memo written by the Department of Justice. The memo reflected on a 1973 Office of Legal Counsel memo produced during Watergate titled Amenability of the President, Vice President and other Civil Officers to Federal Criminal Prosecution while in Office. The background to the 1973 memo was that President Richard Nixon was under investigation for his role in the Watergate break-in and Vice President Spiro Agnew was under grand jury investigation for tax evasion. These two memos addressed whether a sitting president could, under the Constitution, be indicted while in office. They concluded he could not. But what about a president indicted, convicted, or both, before taking office, as could be the case for Trump? In evaluating whether a sitting president could be indicted or imprisoned while in office, both the 1973 and 2000 memos outlined the consequences of a pending indictment for the presidents functioning in office. The earlier memo used strong words: [t]he spectacle of an indicted President still trying to serve as Chief Executive boggles the imagination. Even more pointedly, the memos observe that a criminal prosecution against a sitting president could result in physical interference with the Presidents performance of his official duties that it would amount to an incapacitation. The memo here refers to the inconvenience of a criminal trial that would significantly detract from the presidents time commitment to his burdensome duties. But its also lawyers language to describe a more direct impediment to the presidents ability to govern: He might be in jail. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani arriving at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta, Ga., on Aug. 17, 2022, to appear before the special grand jury investigating efforts to overturn the 2020 election. AP Photo/John Bazemore Core functions affected According to the 1973 memo, the President plays an unparalleled role in the execution of the laws, the conduct of foreign relations, and the defense of the Nation. Because these core functions require meetings, communications or consultations with the military, foreign leaders and government officials in the U.S. and abroad in ways that cannot be performed while imprisoned, constitutional law scholar Alexander Bickel remarked in 1973 that obviously the presidency cannot be conducted from jail. Modern presidents are peripatetic: They travel nationally and globally on a constant basis to meet with other national leaders and global organizations. They obviously wouldnt be able to do these things while in prison. Nor could they inspect the aftermath of natural disasters from coast to coast, celebrate national successes and events or address citizens and groups on issues of the day, at least in person. Moreover, presidents need access to classified information and briefings. But imprisonment would also obviously compromise a presidents ability to access such information, which must often be stored and viewed in a secure room that has been protected against all manner of spying, including blocking radio waves not something thats likely available in a prison. As a result of the presidents varied duties and obligations, the memos concluded that [t]he physical confinement of the chief executive following a valid conviction would indisputably preclude the executive branch from performing its constitutionally assigned functions. Translation: The president couldnt do his job. Running from prison Yet what to do if citizens actually elect an indicted or incarcerated president? This is not out of the question. At least one incarcerated presidential candidate, Eugene Debs, garnered almost a million votes out of a total 26.2 million cast in the election of 1920. One potential response is the 25th Amendment, which enables the presidents Cabinet to declare the president unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. The two Department of Justice memos note, however, that the framers of the 25th Amendment never considered or mentioned incarceration as a basis for the inability to discharge the powers and duties of the office. They write that replacing the president under the 25th Amendment would give insufficient weight to the peoples considered choice as to whom they wish to serve as their chief executive. All this brings to mind Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes admonition about the role of the Supreme Court: If my fellow citizens want to go to Hell I will help them. Its my job. Holmes statement came in a letter reflecting on the Sherman Antitrust Act, which he thought was a foolish law. But Holmes was prepared to accept the popular will expressed through democracy and self-determination. Perhaps the same reflection is apt here: If the people choose a president hobbled by criminal sanctions, that is a form of self-determination too. And one for which the Constitution has no ready solution. This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. If you found it interesting, you could subscribe to our weekly newsletter. It was written by: Stefanie Lindquist, Arizona State University. Read more: Stefanie Lindquist does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Reuters Pay Dirt is a weekly foray into the pigpen of political funding. Subscribe here to get it in your inbox every Thursday. Former President Donald Trump, one of the most prolific liars, self-promoters, and exaggerators in American history, recently claimed that a song featuring his voice just hit No. 1 on Billboard. Miraculously, thats true. But what may not be true is that anyone is actually listening. The song, as Trump claimed, topped the charts earlier this month, including on iTunes and Billboard. But those were very specific charts: Digital salesnot popularity, where the track has been getting absolutely crushed. In fact, even though the song is the most purchased, the recording has never cracked Billboards coveted Hot 100. That hasnt stopped Trump from repeatedly bragging about the success of the songa propagandistic recording called Justice for All, which mixes the J6 Choir of imprisoned insurrectionists singing the national anthem with Trump reciting the pledge of allegiance. Trump played it to open his rally in Waco, Texas, last weekend. Ivanka Trump Is So Over Helping Out Her Embattled Dad, Report Says The J6 [Choir] is beating Taylor Swift, Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Monday, two days after the rally. Its Donald Trump and the J6 prisoners, and on iTunes, and on Amazon, and on Billboard, which is the big deal, he said, adding, now I feel like Elvis. Not everyone is so thrilled. The official music video includes violent scenes from the Jan. 6 attackshown over the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in airincluding the fatal shooting of Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt as she tried to breach the House. The critics bridge the partisan divide. Former U.S. Attorney and MSNBC legal analyst Barb McQuade called the song a disinformation tactic right out of the authoritarian playbook, The Guardian reported. And Fox News host Brian Kilmeade said on Monday that it was insane for Trump to play the video at the rally. Story continues Kilmeade may have made two points therenot only does the song warp and celebrate one of the darkest days in the history of American democracy, its also not popular. Earlier this month, Billboardwhich is the big deal, per Trump himselfprovided some critical context in the second paragraph of a report about the song. The recording, which premiered at No. 1 for iTunes on March 11, racked up 33,000 purchased downloads from March 10-16, the article said. Meanwhile that week, it only clocked 442,000 official U.S. streams and 25,000 in U.S. radio audience. By comparison, according to the same Billboard article, the top streaming song that weekMorgan Wallens Last Nightgot 38.9 million streams. And the No. 1 radio hitFlowers, by Miley Cyrusreached an audience of 106.7 million people. That means Trump got about 1 percent of the online listens and less than half of 1 percent of the radio play for the most popular songs that same week. So while more people bought the Trump recording, it wasnt a hit. In fact, the track appears to have peaked at 105 on Billboard. (The Hill additionally reported that Justice for All didnt chart on Spotifys top 50 most streamed songs the day it hit No. 1 in sales.) Curiously, the track plummeted on the iTunes sales chart before Trumps March 25 rally. On March 23, it was ranked fourth, but the next day it fell to 26, then dropped again to 33 the day of the rally. The event was apparently a shot in the arm, however, punting the song back up to No. 8. So who is responsible for this project, and where is the money headed? The day before the songs March 3 soft release, Forbes reported that in addition to Trumpwho recorded the pledge at his Mar-a-Lago resort compoundthe effort was led by Trump administration appointee and post-presidential lackey Kash Patel, along with former Fox News commentator Ed Henry. Judge Orders Pence to Testify Before Grand Jury Investigating Jan. 6 Coincidentally, Patel and Henry are both facing the prospect of mounting legal fees. Patel has found himself in the sights of the Justice Department, most specifically for his involvement in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents investigation. Henry has been fighting a rape lawsuit in New York for more than two years. An amended version of the original complaint was just filed against him at the end of December, under the states new survivors law. The sales proceeds, Forbes reported, would first go to an LLC helmed by Henry, who will then distribute the money. The profits will allegedly wind up with the families of some of the people imprisoned for their role in the Jan. 6 violent attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to Forbes. (The group said it would make sure none of the recipients attacked police, though the official videowhich Henry posted to Rumbleglorifies insurrectionists clashing with law enforcement.) But this setup doesnt seem quite so clean on paper. Henry does seem to have an LLCan entity called EH42 Productions, which he incorporated for journalism in Maryland eight years ago, according to state records. However, Henry also appears on a new nonprofit with a conspicuous name: The Justice For All Project, which attempted to incorporate as a 501(c)(3) in Florida on March 14a dozen days after the Forbes report and three days after the recording began racking up big sales numbers. But if the nonprofit is handling the proceeds, it may be under questionable legal conditions. The state of Florida rejected the organizations initial application, citing improper signatures, and as of Wednesday the group hasnt filed a corrected version, according to state records. A spokesperson for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which regulates charity activity in the state, told The Daily Beast on Wednesday that The Justice For All Project is not registered with the department to solicit contributions. In addition to Henry, the nonprofits lineup features a former Trump administration official, Tom Homan. Homan served Trump as acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and he was a focus of a blistering congressional 2019 hearing regarding his role in shaping the White Houses child separation policy. (Homan also served in Barack Obamas administration, and received a Presidential Rank award, after which he appears to have begun his MAGAward lurch.) Homan was slated to speak at white supremacist Nick Fuentes far-right political conference this February. He showed up, but backed out under confusing circumstances. This month, Homan was named CEO of another Florida nonprofitThe America Projectwhose leadership features pro-Trump election conspiracy theorists Joe Flynn (brother to Trumps disgraced National Security Adviser Mike Flynn) and Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne. Trumps Song With Jan. 6 Prison Choir Rockets to Top of iTunes Chart Another person listed on the Justice For All Projects paperwork, Amanda Freytes, is also part of the America Project, where she is a communications official. Patel has also hucked the song. A promotional pop-up clouds the home screen for the website of his own murky nonprofit, which also sells song-related T-shirts with all net proceeds going toward select cases of Jan. 6 prisoners, calling them victims. Its unclear whether a T-shirt sale counts as a (tax-deductible) contribution to the nonprofit or as a private transaction. The checkout page doesnt clarify, and it also solicits a donation on top of the purchase. Patelwho played a central role in Trumps attempts to overturn his election defeat, as well as in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents scandalestablished the nonprofit last year. The entity has drawn questions from legal experts in addition to criticism for paying thousands of dollars to so-called FBI whistleblowers, ABC News reported this month. But the song wasnt apparently a surefire hit. According to a source who spoke with Billboard, the production group behind the recordingMailman Mediawasnt initially confident in its success. The recording was first released on March 3 with a soft marketing rollout to test the publics response before ramping up promotion. Those promos kicked in about a week later. Right-wing streaming channel Real Americas Voice got the first crack on March 9, after which the official video debuted on Steve Bannons War Room podcast. The video was then featured exclusively on right-leaning platform Rumble on March 9 and 10. Of the 33,000 sales that week, about 39 percent came the next day, the outlet reported. That day, March 11, Trump pumped the song on his Truth Social social media account. Patel also gave a fulsome interview to right-wing website Breitbart. We basically broke the music industry is what we did here, Patel said in the interview, adding, Were going to debut a song that speaks to whats on so many Americans minds. Thats not that many. As Variety reported earlier this month, online sales represent a minuscule fraction of the music industry. Politically based songs often register high No. 1 on iTunes, where it usually takes only a few thousand sales a day to command the chart, Variety reported. The article also pointed out that Kid Rocks 2022 anti-Biden track We the People hit No. 1 for iTunes sales, as did rapper YGs 2020 song FDT (Fuck Donald Trump). Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. China's space telescopes precisely measure brightest gamma-ray burst Xinhua) 09:40, March 30, 2023 Zhang Shuangnan (3rd L), lead scientist of China's Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT), works with his colleagues Xiong Shaolin (1st L) and Li Chengkui (2nd L) at the Institute of High Energy Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 18, 2021. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) BEIJING, March 29 (Xinhua) -- An international collaborative team using two China space telescopes achieved an unprecedentedly precise measurement for a gamma-ray burst (GRB) that released about eight times the total rest-mass energy of the Sun in all directions in one minute. The team, led by the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wednesday published the results that increased the brightness record of a gamma-ray burst by 50 times. The gamma-ray burst coded GRB 221009A is the brightest one ever detected since the discovery of this immensely energetic explosion in distant galaxies, the most energetic and luminous electromagnetic event since the Big Bang. In October 2022, it was detected by telescopes from Earth and space, including China's Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) and China's X-ray astronomy satellite Insight-HXMT (Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope). "The burst, produced at a place 2.4 billion light years away from the Earth, is a rarely seen astronomical event due to its brightness and relatively close vicinity," said Zhang Shuangnan, Insight-HXMT's chief scientist and a researcher in the IHEP. The GRBs with a longer duration (usually longer than two seconds) are generated by the collapse and explosion of stars with dozens of times the mass of the Sun. The short bursts are produced by the merger of two compact celestial bodies, such as black holes or neutron stars, which may also be accompanied by gravitational waves. "Explosions of those two kinds will result in an extremely compact celestial object that produces two jets at a near speed of light in opposite directions," said Xiong Shaolin, the chief scientist of GECAM-C, the country's other space telescope launched into space in July of 2022. "Therefore, we can only detect those radiations when one jet aims just right at the Earth," said Xiong, also from the IHEP. Since 1967, nearly 10,000 gamma-ray bursts have been found. But an accurate measurement of the prompt emission properties of GRB 221009A is rather challenging owing to its exceptional brightness. COMBINED OBSERVATIONS In the new study, the Insight-HXMT and the GECAM-C or Gravitational Wave High-energy Electromagnetic Counterpart All-sky Monitor C, among other telescopes in the world, were employed to measure the transient radiations and early afterglow of this burst. The afterglow happened when burst jets were affected by the nearby interstellar medium. The GECAM-C, a telescope specially designed for observations of gamma-ray bursts and an electromagnetic counterpart of gravitational waves, can avoid brightness-caused instrumental problems like data saturation and loss, signal stacking, and excessive dead time. This telescope realized a complete and accurate probe of GRB 221009A's main emission, which dominates the burst in flux, in a soft gamma-ray energy band, while the Insight-HXMT did its part in hard X-ray band to acquire high-quality data about the burst's precursor radiation and early afterglow, said the researchers. GECAM series space probes, using the short message service of China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System to have realized satellite-to-Earth real-time communication, have detected a slew of high-energy explosions, including those from gamma-ray bursts, magnetic stars, fast radio bursts, solar flares, and terrestrial gamma-ray flashes. Insight-HXMT, China's first X-ray astronomical satellite, sent into orbit in June of 2017, has made discoveries concerning black holes, neutron stars, and fast radio bursts over the past five years. LHAASO, a giant cosmic ray detector located 4.41 km above sea level in southwest China's Sichuan Province, also contributed to the detection, and more findings will be published later, said the researchers. The new joint observations have revealed that the afterglow's inflection point from the slow attenuation to a quick one appeared quite early, signifying that the burst-produced jet is very narrow, one of the narrowest gamma-ray bursts ever detected. The results suggested that this burst may have a central engine, which could launch and collimate a very narrowly beamed jet with an ordinary energy budget, thus leading to exceptionally luminous gamma-ray radiation per unit solid angle, said the researchers. "This work has opened a brand-new perspective for a deepened understanding of this extreme cosmic explosive event," said Zhang. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 30) Passengers with flights from April 16 onwards should make sure to check which terminal they will be departing from as the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) is set to implement airline reassignments. The MIAA earlier announced that some airlines will be moved from one terminal to another as it continues its Schedule and Terminal Assignment Rationalization Program at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). Its like a puzzle piece when you move these airlines around, MIAA Assistant General Manager Bryan Co told CNN Philippines The Source on Thursday. Co said the main goal is to turn Terminal 2 into an all-domestic hub. Terminal 2 was a known hub for international flights of Philippine Airlines (PAL). However, it was not designed for such that is why passengers usually experience long queues upon entering the terminal, Co noted. To address this, PAL flights bound for Singapore, Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi, and Phnom Penh will be transferred from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1 starting April 16, he said. Last December, MIAA already moved to Terminal 1 all airlines headed to the United States, Guam, Doha, and Bali. Through the rationalization program, Terminal 2s capacity will be increased since makeshift posts for immigration and customs officers will be removed, Co said. We need to also make space in Terminal 1," he added. "Thats why we have certain airlines that will be moving from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3 because Terminal 3 has the most space... it actually accommodates 50% of our total traffic on a daily basis." Below is the full list of latest airline reassignment issued by MIAA that will be implemented starting April 16: Former US President Donald Trump looks on during a rally at the Waco Regional Airport on March 25, 2023 in Waco, Texas, Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a Conservative Political Action Conference. Brandon Bell/Getty Images and Anna Moneymaker This week, Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that he can solve the Ukraine war in 24 hours. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he has no idea what Trump is talking about. Pompeo may be one of Trump's challengers for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. Mike Pompeo on Tuesday threw cold water on former President Donald Trump's claim that he, if re-elected president, can solve the Ukraine war in 24 hours. "I don't know what he's talking about," the former Trump-era secretary of state told Fox News host Martha MacCallum. Pompeo's comment came after Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Monday that if re-elected president, he'd use his relationships with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin to orchestrate a "very easy negotiation" for peace. "And there's a very easy negotiation to take place. But I don't want to tell you what it is because then I can't use that negotiation. It'll never work. But it's a very easy negotiation to take place," Trump said. "I will have it solved within one day, a peace between them." "So you'd prefer if you were president, you think you would have a negotiated settlement?" Hannity asked Trump. "Within 24 hours," Trump said. While Pompeo on Tuesday dismissed Trump's claim, he focused his remarks on praising his own achievements in dealing with the Kremlin. "Putin takes a fifth of Ukraine under President Obama, not an inch while I was secretary of state, and then goes at it again once we leave," Pompeo told MacCallum. Pompeo is currently preparing for a 2024 presidential run against Trump, per Axios. He also took swipes at Trump at the Conservative Political Action Conference in March, and in his memoir. Meanwhile, Trump has kept saying it will take him just one day to solve the war in Ukraine. "It wouldn't even be tough, I know what to say to each of 'em," Trump said during a phone call to the conservative TV channel Real America's Voice, referring once again to Putin and Zelenskyy. Story continues He made the same claim at his Saturday rally in Waco, Texas, where he declared he's currently the only presidential candidate who could promise to "prevent World War III." Trump has not provided any concrete substantiation on how he would end a conflict in 24 hours. In March, he said on Fox News that he "could've made a deal" for Russia to take over "certain areas that are Russian-speaking areas" in Ukraine. The international community has condemned Russia's annexation of Ukrainian territory. Zelenskyy also said in July that Ukraine will not cede territory to negotiate a ceasefire with Russia. In March 2022, a month after the war kicked off, Trump also proposed a plan to try to end the war that involved pressuring Putin with US nuclear submarines a suggestion that ran counter to all of the US's efforts to avoid direct military intervention in the war. "And we say, 'Oh, he's a nuclear power.' But we're a greater nuclear power. We have the greatest submarines in the world, the most powerful machines ever built," Trump told the host Stuart Varney during an appearance on Fox Business, "You should say, 'Look, you mention that word one more time, we're going to send them over and we'll be coasting back and forth, up and down your coast," Trump said. "You can't let this tragedy continue. You can't let these, these thousands of people die." Representatives for Pompeo and Trump did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment outside regular business hours. Read the original article on Business Insider The Manhattan grand jury investigating Donald Trumps supposed role in a hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels is looking into a payment to another woman, according to a report. It is not known whether this The jury wont hear any evidence in the proceedings for several weeks because of an already-planned hiatus. A schedule change is possible, but any indictment of Mr Trump will now come late next month at the earliest. Former president Trump is continuing to campaign for the 2024 election, striking out at his closest (technically unofficial) rival Ron DeSantis, accusing the Florida governor of inexperience in foreign policy and bailing out insurance companies to the detriment of hurricane-hit Floridians. Mr Trump has also issued dire warnings about an apparent impending threat of nuclear war that only he can save the US from if he is re-elected as president. Meanwhile, Mr Trump is fighting back against a court order that requires Mark Meadows, Dan Scavno, Stephen Miller, and other former aides to testify before a federal grand jury investigating the January 6 Capitol riot. Key Points Manhattan grand jury looking into second Trump hush money payment, report says DeSantis foolish for Putin comments says Trump in nuclear war fear-mongering video Trump fights court order requiring Mark Meadows to testify in Jan 6 probe Manhattan grand jury to go on one-month break delaying potential indictment Fox News contributor slams Trumps horrific interview with Sean Hannity Trump widens advantage over DeSantis in latest Fox News poll Report: NYPD again stepping up security around Trump grand jury courthouse 22:11 , Oliver O'Connell MSNBC is reporting citing three law enforcement sources that additional security measures are once again in place around the New York City courthouse in which the grand jury investigating Donald Trumps alleged hush money payments to Stormy Daniels meets. Watch: Wallace: There has been a story developing as we've been on the air. News has broken over the last 45 minutes out of New York City, three law enforcement sources telling NBC news that additional security measures are once again put in place.. pic.twitter.com/gNZQkjlksK Acyn (@Acyn) March 30, 2023 Fired Fox News producer speaks out on coerced Dominion testimony 21:50 , Oliver O'Connell Story continues A former producer at Fox News is becoming the networks newest headache as the conservative media organisation reels from embarassing revelations about the networks embrace of Donald Trumps nonsense election fraud conspiracies in the wake of the 2020 election. Abby Grossberg is now on somewhat of a media tour after being fired from the network; the former producer for Tucker Carlson and Maria Bartiromo lost her job after filing a lawsuit against her bosses, alleging that the company coerced her into watering down her testimony given as part of Dominion Voting Systemss $1.6bn lawsuit against the channel. John Bowden has the story for The Independent. It felt awful: Fired Fox producer speaks out on coerced Dominion testimony Full story: Manhattan grand jury looking into second Trump hush money payment, report says 21:35 , Oliver O'Connell The Manhattan grand jury empaneled as part of District Attorney Alvin Braggs investigation into a hush payment made on Donald Trumps behalf in 2016 is now reportedly looking at a second payment made to another woman this time, a former Playboy model. John Bowden has the full details. NY grand jury reportedly looking into second Trump payment to former Playboy model DeSantis ignorant and foolish for Putin comments says Trump in nuclear war fear-mongering video 21:20 , Oliver O'Connell In his latest campaign video posted to Truth Social, Donald Trump again took aim at Ron DeSantis, this time slamming him for his recent remarks on Russia which took a tougher stance regarding Vladimir Putins war on Ukraine. The former president sought to tie the Florida governor to remarks made in the past by Senator Mitt Romney and even the late Senator John McCain. Read on: Trump claims ignorant DeSantis remarks about Putin could lead to nuclear war Biggest insurance company bailout in globalist history: Trump slams Rino Ron over Florida hurricane response 21:07 , Oliver O'Connell Donald Trump hits out at Rino Ron DeSanctimonious over delivering the biggest insurance company bailout in globalist history. The former president describes it as a gift to the insurance companies and a disaster for the people of Florida, especially those whose homes were destroyed in Hurricane Ian who he says are getting pennies on the dollar. He then characterised the response to the hurricane as being handled very poorly. Watch: Watch: Bizarre static electric shock Trump 2024 campaign video 20:55 , Oliver O'Connell Why is everyone being electrocuted? Why choose the aesthetic of a turn-of-the-century disaster movie probably found deep in Netflix? We may never know. Watch here: Trump tells people to drop-down and pray claiming incompetent US leaders provoking nuclear conflict 20:42 , Oliver O'Connell Another drop of campaign videos sees former president Donald Trump fixated on the big stuff, the n-word... nuclear. After blaming incompetent US leaders he tells his followers to drop-down and pray. Watch: Donald Trump: "Just as I predicted, now we're playing with the big stuff. The N-word that is the nuclear word." pic.twitter.com/RaDjISgzKI Republican Accountability (@AccountableGOP) March 30, 2023 Pence reminds voters he was once more than Trumps VP 20:35 , Oliver O'Connell Mike Pence is best known as Donald Trumps vice president, someone who, apart from one dramatic rejection of his boss s effort to overturn their 2020 election defeat, served as a steadfastly loyal, mostly uncontroversial No. 2 during his eight years in the White House. But as Pence approaches a likely 2024 run for president, hes hoping to project the record of a conservative fighter, opening up to audiences about the parts of his career before he served as Trumps vice president -- his 12 years as a congressman and four years as Indiana governor. Not just Trump's VP: Pence touts time as governor, US Rep Trump hush money prosecutors probing payments to second woman, report says 20:21 , Oliver O'Connell Citing people familiar with the matter, The Wall Street Journal reports that prosecutors investigating Donald Trumps role in paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels are also looking into a payment to former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who alleged that she had an affair with the former president. This raises the prospect that Mr Trump could face charges connected to the silencing of both women. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs office has been presenting a grand jury with evidence of Mr Trumps involvement in a $130,000 payment to Ms Daniels since January. During this investigation, prosecutors have also asked witnesses extensively about the earlier payment of $150,000 to Ms McDougal who says she had a 10-month relationship with Mr Trump in 2006. While former Trump fixer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to charges in connection with payments to both women, the extent of prosecutors interest in Ms McDougal relating to Mr Trump has not been previously reported, the Journal says. It is not known whether evidence relating to Ms McDougla could possibly lead to more charges, or whether it could be used to establish a pattern of conduct. Mr Trump has denied his involvement with either woman and with the payments. Matt Gaetz aide was convicted of war crimes 20:15 , Oliver O'Connell A Florida congressman is standing by his top adviser on military issues after The Intercept reported Wednesday evening that he is a convicted war criminal who was found guilty of murdering an unarmed civilian. Matt Gaetzs office issued a statement defending the aide, former US National Guard member Derrick Miller, who was convicted in 2011 for an act that occurred during a combat mission that Millers unit conducted in Afghanistans Laghman province in the fall of 2010. John Bowden has the details. Matt Gaetz aide was convicted of war crimes for shooting Afghan civilian in head Christie says no, thank you to Trumps talk of retribution' 20:05 , Oliver O'Connell In an appearance on the Hugh Hewitt show, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was asked by the host what his opinion of Donald Trumps speech in Waco, Texas, at the weekend. Mr Christie, who later clarified that he and the former president are no longer friends and have not spoken since December 2020, was not impressed: I thought it was a snoozer. I think the act is getting very old. And I think that no leader who is backward looking is a leader who can be victorious. And Im tired of hearing about his grievances. And I said this in New Hampshire on Monday. You know, when he says I am your retribution, no thank you. No, thank you. You know, the only retribution he will be is his own retribution. He cares about himself first and foremost, and exclusively. And that speech in Waco proves exactly that. QAnon Shaman released from prison 14 months early 19:55 , Oliver O'Connell Jacob Chansley, the January 6 rioter who became known as the QAnon Shaman, was reportedly transferred from a federal prison to a halfway house in Arizona months before he was planned to be released, CBS News reports. Heres the latest: QAnon Shaman Jacob Chansley released from prison 14 months early Full story: Trumps lead over 2024 GOP field grows, poll finds 19:35 , Oliver O'Connell A majority of Republican primary voters support former president Donald Trump, according to a new poll from Fox News published Wednesday evening. Support for Mr Trump jumped from 43 per cent among Republican primary voters in February to 54 per cent of Republican primary voters in March. The polling boost comes after Mr Trump has kicked off his presidential campaign in earnest, campaigning in Iowa and holding a rally in Waco, Texas. Eric Garcia takes a look at the latest numbers. Trumps lead over 2024 GOP field grows, poll finds Trumps tough guy posture ahead of looming indictment isnt fooling these insiders 19:10 , Oliver O'Connell The Independents White House correspondent Andrew Feinberg writes: [M]ultiple people who have been close to Mr Trump in the past and understand his way of thinking say the confidence he projects in interviews and in public appearances belies a complete inability to grasp what it will mean for him to become a defendant in a criminal case. These former Trumpworld insiders told The Independent the ex-presidents decades of evading responsibility for his actions and his past ability to neutralise legal jeopardy with a combination of bluster and litigation tactics has left him incredibly ill-equipped for what could lie ahead of him if any of the grand juries hearing evidence against him votes out an indictment. Read the full article: Trumps posture ahead of looming indictment isnt fooling these insiders What a difference a few hours makes... 18:40 , Oliver O'Connell Donald Trump on Wednesday afternoon: Polls can be worse than the written word. The new Quinnipiac Poll that has me 2 points behind Biden is FAKE, because they didnt sample nearly enough Republicans. These Polls are FAKE, just like most of the Media is FAKE. They all work together. Were not going to let it be taken away again! Donald Trump on Wednesday night: I would be willing to bet that the FoxNews Viewers are VERY Happy about the just released FoxNews Polling that shows Ron DeSanctimonious being absolutely CRUSHED and, more importantly, dropping like a ROCK! Watch: Trump defends Russia while attacking DeSantis over foreign policy 18:20 , Oliver O'Connell In another campaign video posted to Truth Social, Donald Trump took aim again at Ron DeSantis, this time slamming him for his recent remarks on Russia which took a tougher stance regarding Vladimir Putins war on Ukraine. The former president sought to tie him to remarks made in the past by Mitt Romney and John McCain. Calling Russia a gas station with a bunch of nuclear weapons, or calling Putin, quote, an authoritarian gas station attendant with some legacy of nuclear weapons from the old Soviet Union is exactly the kind of simple-minded thinking that has produced decades of failed diplomacy and ultimately war, said the former president. And where is that war going? Those such as Mitt Romney and Ron DeSantis, very much alike, who insist on arrogantly treating Russia as deeply inferior to the other nations of the world with no history or culture or pride, are not only ignorant and foolish, but their attitude makes it impossible to negotiate peace. Absolutely impossible, he continued. Mr Trump went on to claim his administration had a more nuanced understanding of Russia, its people, and history, and that such neocon rhetoric showed a lack of sophistication on the subtleties and complexities of foreign policy. The former president said: This is not the time for an on-the-job training as we face the possibility of nuclear war. And our leaders, if you call them, that, got us there. This is where we are. The word nuclear was never even mentioned during the Trump administration. Now its being mentioned every hour of every day. He added: In 2024, I am the only candidate who can prevent World War III. I will prevent World War III. Theres nobody else thats going to do that. Thank you very much. Mr DeSantis had previously called Russias invasion of Ukraine a territorial dispute in a written statement to Fox Newss Tucker Carlson, for which he received a great deal of condemnation from fellow Republicans. He walked back those remarks in an interview with Piers Morgan, claiming the statement was out of context. Trump lead over DeSantis greater with Republican women 17:50 , Oliver O'Connell New Fox News Poll shows among shows Trump has a bigger lead against DeSantis with Republican women (57 percent to 19 percent) than he does with Republican men, since 53 percent of Republican men support Trump and 31 percent support DeSantis. https://t.co/FEM0xbHi6d Eric Michael Garcia (@EricMGarcia) March 30, 2023 Feature: Would an indictment really boost Trumps political fortunes? 17:30 , Oliver O'Connell The Independents Eric Garcia speaks to analysts, campaigners and Republicans themselves about whether thats really true that Trump whipping up anger round an arrest could help carry him to re-election. Conservatives are confident an indictment would boost Trump. Is that really true? ICYMI: Trump posts Truth Social message threatening war over indictment 17:00 , Oliver O'Connell Donald Trump suggested that his supporters give their political opponents a war if the former president is indicted. Mr Trump re-posted right-wing columnist Wayne Allyn Root on Truth Social that included a link to his column entitled Democrats Want to Indict & Arrest President Trump. They Want a War? Lets Give it to Them. Eric Garcia reports. Trump posts Truth Social message threatening war over indictment Trump rages at racist New York Times columnist over looming indictment 16:35 , Oliver O'Connell In a Truth Social post this morning, Donald Trump raged at New York Times columnist Charles M Blow for an opinion column published two weeks ago on 15 March titled Donald Trump Must Be Prosecuted. Mr Blow argues that if the former president were not rich and powerful he would have had charges filed against him long ago. He wrote: Trump is the impresario of incitement. Hell use any attempt to hold him accountable to agitate and activate his loyalists. Thats not a reason to avoid vigorously and swiftly pursuing him legally, but rather a reason to do it. If we establish a precedent that amassing a significant threat to society is a ward against enforcement of the law, it makes a mockery of the law. It would reinforce what was already a persistent problem in the criminal justice system: unequal treatment of the rich and powerful, compared to that of the poor and powerless. Further, Mr Blow said: Prosecuting Trump wouldnt break the country. On the contrary, it would be a step toward mending it, a step toward undergirding the flimsy promise of equal justice under law. The column concludes: To rehabilitate American justice, Trump must be prosecuted. The former president is apparently not amused by the prospect of potentially being held accountable for his alleged actions. On Truth Social, he wrote: Racist Columnist Charles Blowhard of the Failing New York Times, a sick degenerate who doesnt like our Country or the values that made it great, prior to its massive FAILURE over the last two years, writes that I should be prosecuted by Radical Left, Soros Backed Lunatics, even without evidence, because Im WHITE. What has our Country come to? With Blowhards racist words and innuendo, dumb as he is, bad things happen, and we are now a Nation in Decline being stupidly led into World War lll. You can read Mr Blows full opinion piece here. Trump loses bid to narrow rape accuser E Jean Carrolls defamation case 16:10 , Oliver O'Connell A US judge on Tuesday denied Donald Trumps bid to throw out E Jean Carrolls defamation claim from next months high-profile trial over whether Trump raped the former Elle magazine columnist in the mid-1990s. US District Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan rejected Trumps claim that absolute litigation privilege immunised the former president for allegedly defaming Carroll last October 12 on his Truth Social media platform by denying the rape occurred. Lawyers for Trump did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Trump loses bid to narrow rape accuser E Jean Carrolls defamation case Trump appeals order for Mark Meadows to testify in Jan 6 probe 15:55 , Oliver O'Connell Attorneys for former president Donald Trump have asked a federal appeals court to toss a District of Columbia judges order forcing his last White House chief of staff and other former White House aides to give evidence before a grand jury investigating his attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden. Andrew Feinberg has the latest. Trump appeals order for Mark Meadows to give evidence in January 6 probe Trump widens advantage over DeSantis in latest Fox News poll 15:39 , Oliver O'Connell A Fox News poll released on Wednesday shows a widening gap between former president Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in a hypothetical Republican Party primary race. Mr Trump was listed as first choice by 54 per cent of respondents, while Mr DeSantis who is yet to officially declare his candidacy came in a distant second with 24 per cent of the vote. The latest polling was conducted from 24-27 March and had 1,007 respondents nationwide. In the Fox News poll from late last month, Mr DeSantis did slight better with 28 per cent to Mr Trumps 43 per cent. Former vice president Mike Pence came in third with six per cent (down one); former Rep Liz Cheney and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley were in joint fourth place with three per cent each (up one and down four points respectively). Texas Governor Greg Abbott held steady at two per cent. A slew of other notable Republicans, including Kristi Noem, Mike Pompeo, and Chris Christie some once regarded as possible top contenders for the 2024 candidacy hover around the one per cent mark. Mr Trump is thrilled: I would be willing to bet that the FoxNews Viewers are VERY Happy about the just released FoxNews Polling that shows Ron DeSanctimonious being absolutely CRUSHED and, more importantly, dropping like a ROCK! The full poll results can be viewed here. Watch: Bizarre static electric shock Trump 2024 campaign video 15:20 , Oliver O'Connell Why is everyone being electrocuted? Why choose the aesthetic of a turn-of-the-century disaster movie probably found deep in Netflix? We may never know. Watch here: GOP strategists worry about down ballot effect of Trump indictment 15:10 , Oliver O'Connell Republican strategists have spoken with ABC News about the challenge of former president Donald Trumps legal woes and possible upcoming indictment(s) for down-ballot GOP candidates, who will likely be inundated with questions about it as they seek office or reelection. The challenge of course is finding an effective message, being able to articulate it, and then sticking to it. Any Republican who's not prepared to answer a question about the indictment, if it should come, and not prepared to pivot away from questions about Trump and back to the economy, crime and Biden's shortcomings is going to have a really hard time, said one GOP strategist who has worked on Senate campaigns. Said another, currently working on down-ballot races: You're gonna get asked about it. You need to decide what your position is on it. And you need to articulate it and stick to it. They added: If you waffle on it, you're not going to pick up any votes on the other side, and you're gonna frustrate your voters. Read more at ABC News. Trump claims China wouldnt send spy balloon over US during his presidency, contradicting US intelligence 14:00 , Oliver O'Connell Donald Trump has again claimed that China wouldnt have sent a spy balloon over the United States during his presidency, despite the US air force revealing that they had. In an interview with Sean Hannity , Mr Trump was asked how he would have handled the discovery of the Chinese spy balloon, which traversed across the country before being shot down in February over the Atlantic Ocean. I wouldnt have done anything with the balloon because it wouldnt have happened under me, the former president claimed. Read more: Trump again claims China didnt send spy balloon over US in his presidency Mike Pompeo dismisses Trumps claim he could solve war in Ukraine 13:30 , Rachel Sharp Mike Pompeo has dismissed Donald Trumps bold claim that he could solve the war in Ukraine within 24 hours if he was reelected president. On Monday, Mr Trump told Fox News Sean Hannity that he would be able to orchestrate a very easy negotiation for peace because of his relationships with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. And theres a very easy negotiation to take place. But I dont want to tell you what it is because then I cant use that negotiation. Itll never work. But its a very easy negotiation to take place, he claimed. I will have it solved within one day, a peace between them. So youd prefer if you were president, you think you would have a negotiated settlement? Mr Hannity asked. Mr Trump replied: Within 24 hours. Mr Pompeo, who served as secretary of state in the Trump administration, scoffed at the idea on Tuesday. I dont know what hes talking about, he said. Trump goes after DeSantis on medicare and and social security 13:00 , Gustaf Kilander Mr Trump criticised Ron DeSantis in a post on Truth Social, saying that people are beginning to find out that Ron DeSanctimonious wanted to destroy Social Security and raise its minimum age to at least 70 and he fought very hard to do it. He also had strong plans for cutting Medicare and still does. You know, when they have policy in their head, they never change, they may say they change, but they always go back t it, Mr Trump said in a video shared on the platform. Trump and Pence expected to speak at NRA event, likely their first meeting after two years 12:30 , Rachel Sharp Donald Trump and Mike Pence are scheduled to speak at the National Rifle Association (NRA) convention in Indianapolis in April, putting the former president and his vice president into the same room likely after two years. Mr Pence has been vocal in recent times in his criticism about his former boss, who has lashed out as well. The ex-vice president is expected to officially challenge Mr Trump and throw his hat in the ring for the 2024 presidential elections. One of the last reported meetings between the two Republicans had taken place in January 2021, almost a week after the Capitol riots where a pro-Trump mob had chanted Hang Mike Pence! That meeting had reportedly lasted for 90 minutes. Read the full story here: Trump and Pence expected to speak at NRA event, likely their first meet in two years Former Republican Strategist says Christie can be useful in taking down Trump' 12:00 , Gustaf Kilander Former Republican Strategist Steve Schmidt, who woked on John McCains 2008 presidential campaign, has said that former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie can be useful in taking down Trump. Chris Christie wants to be the leader of the Republican party for the purposes of taking out Trump. Its not particularly noble, but it may be useful, he said. "Chris Christie wants to be the leader of the Republican party for the purposes of taking out Trump. It's not particularly noble, but it may be useful." Christie absolutely cannot be trusted, but he can be useful in taking down Trump: https://t.co/eB8WgmBYFl pic.twitter.com/uL0nxsS6wm Steve Schmidt (@SteveSchmidtSES) March 29, 2023 Trump defends Putin from DeSantis attacks, says he can end Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours 11:30 , Rachel Sharp Donald Trump again defended Vladimir Putin as he criticised fellow Republican Ron DeSantis for his comments calling the Russian president a war criminal. The former president, who has launched his fervent pitch for the 2024 presidential election, posted new campaign videos, tearing into the Florida governor. Mr DeSantis has not yet declared his candidacy but remains one the top contenders for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Mr Trump defended Mr Putin, criticising Mr DeSantiss comments as exactly the kind of simple-minded thinking that has produced decades of failed diplomacy and ultimately war. Read the full story: Trump defends Putin from DeSantis attacks, says he can end war within 24 hours Trump grand jury poised to take pre-planned hiatus from case 11:00 , AP The Manhattan grand jury investigating hush money paid on Donald Trumps behalf is scheduled to consider other matters next week before taking a previously scheduled two-week hiatus, a person familiar with the matter said Wednesday. That means a vote on whether or not to indict the former president likely wouldnt come until late April at the earliest. The break, which was scheduled in advance when the panel was convened in January, coincides with Passover, Easter and spring break for the New York City public school system. The person who confirmed the grand jurys schedule was not authorized to speak publicly about secretive grand jury proceedings and did so on condition of anonymity. Read more: Trump grand jury poised to take pre-planned hiatus from case Trump fights court order requiring Mark Meadows to testify in Jan 6 probe 10:30 , Rachel Sharp Donald Trump is fighting back against a court order that requires Mark Meadows and other former aides to testify before a federal grand jury investigating the January 6 Capitol riot. Earlier this month, US Court Judge Beryl Howell ruled that former chief of staff Mr Meadows and other top aides including Dan Scavino and Stephen Miller must give testimony to the panel rejecting Mr Trumps claims of executive privilege. On Wednesday, multiple outlets reported that Mr Trumps team had filed an appeal against the decision. Both the decision and the appeal were filed under seal, with a source telling NBC News that the appeal related to the judges ruling. Trump claims China wouldnt have sent balloon and Putin wouldnt have invaded Ukraine if he was still president 10:00 , Ariana Baio Mr Trump assured Sean Hannity of Fox News that [China] wouldnt have done it Just like Putin would have never gone into Ukraine. I dont like people who say oh they fear me like a schmuck. I dont want to say it. But did they fear me? I suspect they did, Mr Trump said. The former presidents claim comes nearly two months after the Pentagon revealed Chinese spy balloons entered US airspace three times during his presidency. The Defence Department said in a statement in early February that Chinese balloons briefly transited the continental United States at least three times during the prior administration. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the Biden administration was able to retroactively identify the presence of Chinese balloons in US airspace during Trumps term after the US [enhanced] our surveillance of our territorial airspace. Trump reverses course and praises NYC grand jury claiming without evidence it doesnt want to charge him 09:00 , Gustaf Kilander In an all-caps rant on Truth Social, former President Donald Trump said he had gained such respect for the grand jury reviewing hush money payments allegedly made on his behalf during the 2016 campaign to women claiming they had previously had affairs with the then-candidate. I HAVE GAINED SUCH RESPECT FOR THIS GRAND JURY, & PERHAPS EVEN THE GRAND JURY SYSTEM AS A WHOLE, Mr Trump wrote on Wednesday morning. THE EVIDENCE IS SO OVERWHELMING IN MY FAVOR, & SO RIDICULOUSLY BAD FOR THE HIGHLY PARTISAN & HATEFUL DISTRICT ATTORNEY, THAT THE GRAND JURY IS SAYING, HOLD ON, WE ARE NOT A RUBBER STAMP, WHICH MOST GRAND JURIES ARE BRANDED AS BEING, WE ARE NOT GOING TO VOTE AGAINST A PREPONDERANCE OF EVIDENCE OR AGAINST LARGE NUMBERS OF LEGAL SCHOLARS ALL SAYING THERE IS NO CASE HERE. DROP THIS SICK WITCH HUNT, NOW! he added. Trump shares story calling DeSantis book tour amateur hour' 08:00 , Gustaf Kilander In a Truth Social post, Mr Trump shares an article by The Daily Beast reporting that Ron DeSanstiss book tour looked like amateur hour, according to a GOP strategist. The Daily Beast quoted Republican observers saying that the pre-campaign of the Florida Governor appeared to be out over its skis. Theres a lot of cooks in the kitchen, one source told the outlet. Word is they quietly rescheduled some stuff but it definitely feels like hes peeled some back, a Republican consultant in Florida told The Daily Beast about the book tour. I think the soft launch is having an effect. I think its gone poorly, I hear nothing but they are unhappy. People need to remember, when you peak too soon, thats a problem. And DeSantis peaked too soon, a campaign strategist said. VIDEO: Donald Trump slams US government for Putin's nuclear escalation 07:00 , The Independent Fox Business shares poll showing majority of Americans think Trump shouldnt be president again 06:00 , Gustaf Kilander Most Americans dont want Mr Trump to be president again and most think the investigations into him are fair. The poll was shown on Fox Business. The NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll includes responses from 1,300 adults and shows that 61 per cent of Americans dont want him to be president again while 38 per cent says they do. A majority of Americans disagree with Mr Trump as 56 per cent say that the investigations into him are fair and not a witch hunt 41 per cent take the opposing view, according to NPR. Theres a massive partisan divide about 90 per cent of Democrats think the probs are fair, while 80 per cent of Republicans think theyre a witch hunt. Among independents, 51 per cent think theyre fair, while 47 per cent do not. Trump supporter pulls knife on woman with toddlers outside Manhattan court amid hush money probe 05:00 , Rachel Sharp A Donald Trump supporter has been arrested for pulling a knife on a woman with small children outside Manhattan Criminal Court where the former president could soon appear to face charges. Angelica Rucker, 39, was holding a sign that read Im With Trump Are You? outside the courthouse at around 3.30pm on Monday afternoon when she got into an argument with two passers-by, a spokesperson for New York Courts told The Independent. One of the passers-by was with two small children at the time one of them in a stroller. As the verbal argument continued, Ms Rucker allegedly pulled a knife from her right side belt hip area and began menacing one of the individuals with the knife, the spokesperson said. At that point, court officers who had converged on the area to investigate the commotion drew their firearms and ordered the 39-year-old to drop the knife. Read more: Trump supporter pulls knife on woman with toddlers outside Manhattan court Trump posts Truth Social message threatening war over indictment 04:15 , Eric Garcia Former president Donald Trump suggested that his supporters their political opponents a war if the former president is indicted. The former president re-posted right-wing columnist Wayne Allyn Root on Truth Social that included a link to his column entitled Democrats Want to Indict & Arrest President Trump. They Want a War? Lets Give it to Them. The article suggests that Republican district attorneys and attorneys general indict everyone from former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former president Barack Obama, Hunter Biden, Anthony Fauci, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, former attorney general Eric Holder, Mark Zuckerberg, President Joe Bide, Vice President Kamala Harris and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Read more: Trump posts Truth Social message threatening war over indictment Manhattan grand jury will take extended break in Trump hush money probe 03:45 , Eric Garcia The grand jury in Manhattan that is looking into former president Donald Trumps alleged payment of hush money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels is expected to take a monthlong break, someone familiar with the proceedings told Politico. The source familiar told Politico that the break was previously planned. The break would likely mean that any potential indictment of Mr Trump would likely be delayed. This comes after Mr Trump posted last Saturday on Truth Social that he would be indicted as early as that Tuesday, but it ultimately did not happen. The former president has urged his supporters to protest any potential indictment and he has vehemently denied the affair with Ms Daniels, which allegedly happened months after his wife Melania gave birth to their son Barron. Read more: Manhattan grand jury will take extended break in Trump hush money probe Trump campaign questions how much DeSantis pre-campaign travel will cost taxpayers 03:15 , Gustaf Kilander Trump slams Desantis for traveling to Israel, GA, PA, NY, TN, MI, OH, NH and UT while the FL legislature is in session, and questions how much it is costing taxpayers. pic.twitter.com/zSVWcfs9Oj Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) March 29, 2023 'Nobody should be untouchable because they have money or power' 02:53 , Io Dodds Do you think Trump should get indicted, asks one of Stormy Daniels' OnlyFans subscribers? Though noting that she is "not a lawyer", she says: "I think he should be held accountable for anything he has done wrong, and I am happy to turn over any and all evidence and speak my truth. "I have proof of everything I said. I have phone records, eyewitnesses... if what he did was illegal, he should be held accountable. I don't think that anybody should be untouchable just because they have money or because they're in power." Asked if she would be willing to testify, she said: Absolutely. I've made it very clear. I am not afraid and I will not back down. With that, the live stream is over. Im just making orange juice out of oranges 02:49 , Io Dodds Going public about her alleged rendezvous with Donald Trump has derailed her career rather than boosting it, Stormy Daniels says. Speaking in a live stream on her OnlyFans page, says she was respected and successful as a porn performer and director before the news came out. Suddenly, she says, everything was about Trump, and now she goes back and forth on a daily basis on whether she regrets making her allegations public. She is unapologetic about having used the furore to her advantage since then, such as by embarking on a cross-country patriotic stripping tour and writing a memoir called Full Disclosure. She describes those ventures as simply making the best of a bad situation by "making orange juice out of oranges" (a reference to Mr Trumps tangerine tan). Stormy Daniels addresses her relationship with Donald Trump in an OnlyFans livestream on 29 March 2023 (Stormy Daniels via OnlyFans) "Im getting blasted for making more money right now," she says. "Ive always done this. Everybody that has a business, you know to take the opportunity. Isnt that what America is about? "I just saw that Trumps actually doing the same thing. He has segued into, you know, all the stuff going on right now, to help further his career and capitalise on it and raise money. "Thats actually kind of brilliant. Like, hes doing the same thing that I am doing. Why is it okay for him and its not okay for me?" VIDEO: Trump claims China wouldn't send spy balloon over US during his presidency 02:45 , The Independent I think Michael Cohen has changed' 02:26 , Io Dodds Asked her opinion about Mr Trumps former lawyer Michael Cohen, Ms Daniels says: "I used to really hate him, but I do understand where he is coming from. He was just doing his job, he was trying to be loyal. "He has apologised to me. I think he has changed. Hes trying to do the right thing. Thats all of it." Porn star Stormy Daniels now talking about Trump on OnlyFans 02:23 , Io Dodds Porn star Stormy Daniels is now giving a live stream on her OnlyFans page. After a preamble teasing subscribers by answering non-Trumpy questions such as her favourite sex position and favourite lubricant, she is addressing various rumours about her relationship with Donald Trump. First off, she says, she was not paid for (allegedly) having sex with the real estate tycoon. Though she did go to his sprawling hotel room, she says, there was no compensation for the encounter. "There's no judgement for the girls that do that, and the guys that do it... I got a lot of hate from girls that do work in the [sex] industry saying that I broke the, you know, hooker-client privilege." She says that coming into the meeting, "there was no talk about sex, no red flags, no discussion of money, no flirting". She then reiterates the account she has previously given of the years since then, in which she attempted to tell the press at various points before signing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) in the lead-up to the 2016 election. Mr Trump has denied her claims. Former Republican Strategist says Christie can be useful in taking down Trump' 02:15 , Gustaf Kilander Former Republican Strategist Steve Schmidt, who woked on John McCains 2008 presidential campaign, has said that former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie can be useful in taking down Trump. Chris Christie wants to be the leader of the Republican party for the purposes of taking out Trump. Its not particularly noble, but it may be useful, he said. "Chris Christie wants to be the leader of the Republican party for the purposes of taking out Trump. It's not particularly noble, but it may be useful." Christie absolutely cannot be trusted, but he can be useful in taking down Trump: https://t.co/eB8WgmBYFl pic.twitter.com/uL0nxsS6wm Steve Schmidt (@SteveSchmidtSES) March 29, 2023 Trump claims China wouldnt send spy balloon over US during his presidency, contradicting US intelligence 01:45 , Ariana Baio Donald Trump has again claimed that China wouldnt have sent a spy balloon over the United States during his presidency, despite the US air force revealing that they had. In an interview with Sean Hannity , Mr Trump was asked how he would have handled the discovery of the Chinese spy balloon, which traversed across the country before being shot down in February over the Atlantic Ocean. I wouldnt have done anything with the balloon because it wouldnt have happened under me, the former president claimed. Read more: Trump again claims China didnt send spy balloon over US in his presidency VIDEO: Former President Trump's legal woes 01:15 , The Independent Trump goes after DeSantis on medicare and and social security Thursday 30 March 2023 00:45 , Gustaf Kilander Mr Trump criticised Ron DeSantis in a post on Truth Social, saying that people are beginning to find out that Ron DeSanctimonious wanted to destroy Social Security and raise its minimum age to at least 70 and he fought very hard to do it. He also had strong plans for cutting Medicare and still does. You know, when they have policy in their head, they never change, they may say they change, but they always go back t it, Mr Trump said in a video shared on the platform. Trump claims DeSantis is being crushed in polls and that RINOs are beside themselves' Thursday 30 March 2023 00:15 , Gustaf Kilander Mr Trump went after Ron DeSantis in a video posted on Truth Social. Ron DeSanctimonious is being CRUSHED in the polls, all of them, Mr Trump wrote in a post outlining his comments. Many GLOBALISTS are having second thoughts. RINOS Karl Rove, Pauline Ryan and Jeb, Low Energy Bush, are beside themselves. They have rarely witnessed a CRATERING of this magnitude. Maybe they should have told Ron that trying to destroy Social Security and Medicare, three times, is not a good thing to do. Trump shares story calling DeSantis book tour amateur hour' Wednesday 29 March 2023 23:45 , Gustaf Kilander In a Truth Social post, Mr Trump shares an article by The Daily Beast reporting that Ron DeSanstiss book tour looked like amateur hour, according to a GOP strategist. The Daily Beast quoted Republican observers saying that the pre-campaign of the Florida Governor appeared to be out over its skis. Theres a lot of cooks in the kitchen, one source told the outlet. Word is they quietly rescheduled some stuff but it definitely feels like hes peeled some back, a Republican consultant in Florida told The Daily Beast about the book tour. I think the soft launch is having an effect. I think its gone poorly, I hear nothing but they are unhappy. People need to remember, when you peak too soon, thats a problem. And DeSantis peaked too soon, a campaign strategist said. Trump grand jury poised to take pre-planned hiatus from case Wednesday 29 March 2023 23:15 , AP The Manhattan grand jury investigating hush money paid on Donald Trumps behalf is scheduled to consider other matters next week before taking a previously scheduled two-week hiatus, a person familiar with the matter said Wednesday. That means a vote on whether or not to indict the former president likely wouldnt come until late April at the earliest. The break, which was scheduled in advance when the panel was convened in January, coincides with Passover, Easter and spring break for the New York City public school system. The person who confirmed the grand jurys schedule was not authorized to speak publicly about secretive grand jury proceedings and did so on condition of anonymity. Read more: Trump grand jury poised to take pre-planned hiatus from case VIDEO: Chris Christie Says No way to Backing Trump as He Mulls 2024 Presidential Run Wednesday 29 March 2023 22:45 , The Independent Fox Business shares poll showing majority of Americans think Trump shouldnt be president again Wednesday 29 March 2023 22:15 , Gustaf Kilander Most Americans dont want Mr Trump to be president again and most think the investigations into him are fair. The poll was shown on Fox Business. doesn't bode well for him! pic.twitter.com/XgrhI6O116 Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 28, 2023 The NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll includes responses from 1,300 adults and shows that 61 per cent of Americans dont want him to be president again while 38 per cent says they do. A majority of Americans disagree with Mr Trump as 56 per cent say that the investigations into him are fair and not a witch hunt 41 per cent take the opposing view, according to NPR. Theres a massive partisan divide about 90 per cent of Democrats think the probs are fair, while 80 per cent of Republicans think theyre a witch hunt. Among independents, 51 per cent think theyre fair, while 47 per cent do not. Capitol Riot: FBI informant testifies for Proud Boys defense Wednesday 29 March 2023 21:45 , AP An FBI informant who marched to the U.S. Capitol with fellow Proud Boys members on Jan. 6 testified on Wednesday that he didnt know of any plans for the far-right extremist group to invade the building and didnt think they inspired the violence that day. The informant, who identified himself in court only as Aaron, was a defense witness at the trial of former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and four lieutenants charged with seditious conspiracy for what prosecutors said was a plot to keep Donald Trump in the White House after the 2020 presidential election. The informant was communicating with his FBI handler as a mob of Trump supporters breached police barricades at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The Proud Boys did not do it, nor inspire, the informant texted his handler. The crowd did as herd mentality. Not organized. The handlers response was redacted from a screenshot that a defense attorney showed to jurors. Read more: Capitol Riot: FBI informant testifies for Proud Boys defense Stormy Daniels destroys critic with three word response after being attacked for sex with married Trump Wednesday 29 March 2023 21:15 , Gustaf Kilander Porn actor Stormy Daniels hit back at critics on Twitter amid the ongoing investigation by the Manhattan District Attorneys Office into the hush money payment she received from former President Donald Trumps then-fixer Michael Cohen in 2016. Ms Daniels alleges that she had an affair with Mr Trump in 2006. She was paid off to keep quiet about the supposed extramarital activity. Mr Trump insulted Ms Daniels during his Saturday rally in Waco, Texas, rejecting all allegations of an affair. Sex with Stormy Daniels is traumatic enough. Hasnt President Trump been punished enough? one Twitter user said. Read more: Stormy Daniels destroys critic after shes attacked for sex with married Trump Trump supporter pulls knife on woman with toddlers outside Manhattan court amid hush money probe Wednesday 29 March 2023 20:45 , Rachel Sharp A Donald Trump supporter has been arrested for pulling a knife on a woman with small children outside Manhattan Criminal Court where the former president could soon appear to face charges. Angelica Rucker, 39, was holding a sign that read Im With Trump Are You? outside the courthouse at around 3.30pm on Monday afternoon when she got into an argument with two passers-by, a spokesperson for New York Courts told The Independent. One of the passers-by was with two small children at the time one of them in a stroller. As the verbal argument continued, Ms Rucker allegedly pulled a knife from her right side belt hip area and began menacing one of the individuals with the knife, the spokesperson said. At that point, court officers who had converged on the area to investigate the commotion drew their firearms and ordered the 39-year-old to drop the knife. Read more: Trump supporter pulls knife on woman with toddlers outside Manhattan court Trump posts Truth Social message threatening war over indictment Wednesday 29 March 2023 20:15 , Eric Garcia Former president Donald Trump suggested that his supporters their political opponents a war if the former president is indicted. The former president re-posted right-wing columnist Wayne Allyn Root on Truth Social that included a link to his column entitled Democrats Want to Indict & Arrest President Trump. They Want a War? Lets Give it to Them. The article suggests that Republican district attorneys and attorneys general indict everyone from former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former president Barack Obama, Hunter Biden, Anthony Fauci, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, former attorney general Eric Holder, Mark Zuckerberg, President Joe Bide, Vice President Kamala Harris and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Read more: Trump posts Truth Social message threatening war over indictment VIDEO: Is Trump's indictment ruling taking too long? Wednesday 29 March 2023 19:45 , The Independent Biden and administration officials set to visit states expected to be close in 2024 Wednesday 29 March 2023 19:15 , AP Biden has said he intends to run for a second term but has yet to formally launch his reelection campaign. His effort to highlight legislative victories could also give him an opportunity to present voters with images of an administration focused on governing as Trump braces for a possible indictment. Trump is being investigated over payments during his 2016 campaign to two women who alleged affairs or sexual encounters with him. The ex-president denies being involved with either of the women porn actor Stormy Daniels and model Karen McDougal. Trump narrowly won North Carolina in 2020. Among the other states that Biden and administration officials will be visiting in the weeks ahead are Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada and Wisconsin crucial battlegrounds that Biden won in 2020 and states expected to be competitive again in 2024. Biden: GOP policies would surrender tech economy to China Wednesday 29 March 2023 18:45 , AP President Joe Biden said Tuesday that Republicans ideas for cutting the budget could undermine U.S. manufacturing and help China dominate the world economy. Speaking at a semiconductor maker in North Carolina to highlight his own policies, Biden is trying to shape public sentiment as he faces off with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., about whether the federal government should raise its legal borrowing capacity. McCarthy sent a letter Tuesday saying that talks should start about possible spending cuts in return for the debt limit increase. Biden has said Republicans need to put forth their own budget plan before negotiations start. Without an agreement, the federal government could default on its financial obligations. The president tried to ratchet up pressure on Tuesday by saying that the GOP demands on the budget would only empower China, the countrys key geopolitical rival. Being tough on China has been a core part of the identity of former President Donald Trump, who is seeking to return to the White House in 2024, and his Make America Great Again movement. The Democratic president said their objections to his policies would instead strengthen China. After processing what he heard on cable television, former President Donald Trump publicly announced two weeks ago that on Tuesday, March 21, he would be arrested by the New York Police Department. That day came and went, with no arrest. Trump is currently the subject of four criminal investigations: one by the Manhattan district attorney for campaign finance fraud; one by the Fulton County, Georgia, district attorney for conspiracy to subvert an election; and two by the feds, one for conspiracy to subvert a congressional function on Jan. 6, 2021, and the other for retention of national defense secrets at his Florida home and obstruction of justice by hiding the secrets. The case currently getting media attention is the one in Manhattan. It is also getting Trumps attention, as he has threatened and predicted death and destruction if he is indicted. Along with that prediction, he posted photos that depicted himself about to strike Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, with a baseball bat. The photo juxtaposition was appalling and ought to strike terror in his Manhattan lawyers, as it will form a very credible basis for the Manhattan DA, at the time of arraignment, to ask for Trumps immediate incarceration. It is standard to ask for no bail when the defendant has threatened the prosecution with bodily harm and has the present apparent ability to carry out the threat. While Trump is protected 24/7 by Secret Service from harm to him, the agents do not protect others from harm by him. If he is indicted in Manhattan, his lawyers will unhappily confront all this. They may also confront an indictment for threatening a public official with violence. The Manhattan case is an odd duck. The indictment will apparently charge Trump with a state misdemeanor perpetrated to hide a federal felony. The misdemeanor is intentionally recording corporate financial records so as to mask a campaign contribution as a corporate expenditure. The federal felony is the dicey charge. It is the use of corporate funds to pay a campaign debt. Story continues Thus, the DA will charge that when Michael Cohen, then Trumps lawyer, used his own money to pay a porn star to remain silent about a sexual liaison she claims she had with Trump, and he denies, that payment was made to protect Trumps presidential campaign against Hillary Clinton in October 2016. Former President Donald Trump campaigns on March 25, 2023, in Waco, Texas. If Trump had reimbursed Cohen out of his personal funds on which he paid income taxes, and recorded that reimbursement as a personal campaign contribution, there would have been no crime. But, by using corporate funds to reimburse Cohen and falsely recording the payments to Cohen as legal fees ordinary corporate expenses, on which no income taxes were paid Trump ran afoul of New York law and federal law. Then, the misdemeanor becomes a felony. The linchpin to this case is Cohen. Cohen pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the federal prohibition on using corporate funds to pay Trumps campaign debt. At the time of Cohens plea, Trump was the president and thus could not be indicted for this conspiracy. Yet, at Cohens sentencing, the federal judge who sentenced Cohen referred to Trump as an unindicted co-conspirator. When Trump left office and Cohen left prison, the same feds who prosecuted Cohen interviewed him as a witness in a potential federal prosecution of Trump on the campaign finance violation. The same federal prosecutors who found Cohen credible enough to testify against himself at his own guilty plea found him insufficiently credible to testify against Trump before a federal grand jury or at a criminal trial of the former president. Enter the Manhattan DA. He looked at the evidence and research amassed against Trump by his predecessor and, for reasons not made public, decided to put the criminal investigation of Trump on a back burner. Then, after he interrogated Cohen, he and his team the Manhattan DA is a former federal prosecutor in the same office that prosecuted Cohen and declined to prosecute Trump concluded that Cohen is sufficiently credible, particularly when buttressed by Cohens files and the records of the Trump Organization, to testify against Trump. So, how can two teams of professional prosecutors examine the same witness on the same subject matter and one team find him only partially credible (enough to inculpate himself but not enough to inculpate Trump) and the other team find him fully credible? Just as two people observing the same event may see it, hear it, process it, recall it and recount it differently, so, too, can professional prosecutors see and hear and evaluate a witness differently. This area of the law Do we have a case or dont we? Should we prosecute or shouldnt we? is called prosecutorial discretion. It involves a sophisticated examination of the credible evidence and the relevant law, the public policy behind the law, the harm caused by a violation of the law, the needs of the public to be protected, the resources available, the legal value versus the legal harm of the prosecution, and the constitutional rights of the defendant. While the decision to prosecute can be challenged, the decision not to prosecute is essentially unexplained and unchallengeable. Should the Manhattan DA take into account Trumps status as a former president and the political fallout that will likely accompany his indictment? In a word: No. The rule of law is blind to the defendants status. While most of the thousands of federal and state criminal laws have no moral place in America, as they either criminalize harmless behavior or intrude upon the exercise of natural rights, so long as these laws are enforced against others and they are they should be enforced wherever the evidence sufficiently points to guilt, without fear or favor. Should Trump get a pass? Only if the DA thinks the case is weak; not because Trump is a former president. Andrew P. Napolitano, a former New Jersey Superior Court Judge, has published nine books on the U.S. Constitution. Andrew P. Napolitano This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: Donald Trump can be his own worst enemy A super PAC aligned with former President Donald Trump is launching early, national attack ads hitting Ron DeSantis over the Florida governors past support for cuts to Social Security and Medicare. Think you know Ron DeSantis? Think again, a narrator says at the start of the ad, which the super PAC posted on Twitter Thursday afternoon. In Congress, DeSantis voted three separate times to cut Social Security. The ad closes: The more you see about DeSantis, the more you see he doesnt share our values. Hes not ready to be president. The ads will run on Fox News Channel, CNN and Newsmax and will cost MAGA, Inc., the super PAC, just over $1.3 million for a weeks worth of spots. The ads will begin airing on Friday immediately following news of Trump's indictment in New York according to AdImpact, a company tracking ad buys. A MAGA, Inc., spokesperson, Alex Pfeiffer, said in a statement that Social Security and Medicare were two examples of issues on which President Trump is on the side of the American people, and DeSantis is on the side of the D.C. establishment insiders. The group, Pfeiffer added, intends to expose how unelectable DeSantis is. A DeSantis spokesperson declined to comment on the ad. In DeSantis last GOP primary campaign, the 2018 Florida governors race, opponent Adam Putnam leveled similar charges about him, saying in ads that DeSantis voted to cut Social Security and Medicare. Politifact, the fact-checking website, called Putnams ads an exaggeration of DeSantis record of voting for non-binding budget resolutions offered by conservative Republicans in the House. DeSantis, with Trumps endorsement, easily defeated Putnam to win the primary, then narrowly edged Democrat Andrew Gillum in the general election. The ads are notable for two reasons: DeSantis has not actually launched a presidential campaign yet, though he is widely expected to; and it is exceedingly rare for a leading Republican to make preserving social insurance programs the first theme of his presidential campaign. But Trump has proven to be an unconventional Republican when it comes to Social Security and Medicare, long criticizing his fellow party members for targeting those entitlements. Story continues MAGA, Inc., launched in September 2022 as Trumps main vehicle for supporting candidates in that years midterm elections. Trump seeded the group with $20 million in October of last year, through his leadership PAC, Save America. At the federal level, MAGA, Inc., supported Senate candidates in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Ohio and Pennsylvania, making a total of $15 million in independent expenditures. The group spent another $500,000 on ads supporting Tudor Dixon, the GOP nominee for governor in Michigan. Of those candidates, only now-Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) won. The other five Republicans Dixon, Blake Masters in Arizona, Herschel Walker in Georgia, Adam Laxalt in Nevada, Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania lost. Natalie Allison contributed to this report. Donald Trump and Mike Pence are scheduled to speak at the National Rifle Association (NRA) convention in Indianapolis in April, putting the former president and his vice president into the same room likely after two years. Mr Pence has been vocal in recent times in his criticism about his former boss, who has lashed out as well. The ex-vice president is expected to officially challenge Mr Trump and throw his hat in the ring for the 2024 presidential elections. One of the last reported meetings between the two Republicans had taken place in January 2021, almost a week after the Capitol riots where a pro-Trump mob had chanted Hang Mike Pence! That meeting had reportedly lasted for 90 minutes. The NRA leadership forum could now put the two Republicans in the same room after almost two years. Both of them are listed as confirmed speakers by the NRA for its 14 April event, but it has not been confirmed if the estranged Republicans will share the stage together or actually meet. The two will be joined by a number of other Republican speakers at the event, including New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu, senator Mike Braun, South Dakota governor Kristi Noem and former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson. The event could become the second time Mr Trump and Mr Pence headline an NRA convention in Indianapolis. They had previously headlined the event in the state in 2019. The meeting comes on the heels of the school shooting in Nashville that killed three nine-year-old students and three school staff. Mr Pence served as Mr Trumps vice president for four years, but later earned his former bosss scorn for not working to overturn the 2020 presidential election results while presiding over the certification of the election. The rivalry between the two has intensified as the Jan 6 House Committee launched an investigation into Mr Trumps role in the riots and Mr Pence released his memoir giving a first-hand extensive account of his exchanges with his former boss after the election and during the riots blaming him. Youre too honest, Mr Pence recalled Mr Trump as telling him in early January 2021. Hundreds of thousands are gonna hate your guts... People are gonna think youre stupid. Carlos Barria/Reuters Minutes after it was reported that a Manhattan grand jury had voted to criminally indict him, former President Donald Trump issued a wrathful response, denouncing it in a lengthy statement as political persecution and election interference at the highest level in history. He also issued another furious rant on his social media platform Truth Social, complete with an unfortunate, all-caps misspelling saying he had been INDICATED. From the time I came down the golden escalator at Trump Tower, and even before I was sworn in as your President of the United States, the Radical Left Democratsthe enemy of the hard-working men and women of this Countryhave been engaged in a Witch-Hunt to destroy the Make America Great Again movement, he fumed in his statement. You remember it just like I do: Russia, Russia, Russia; the Mueller Hoax; Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine; Impeachment Hoax 1; Impeachment Hoax 2; the illegal and unconstitutional Mar-a-Lago raid; and now this. The 76-year-old is the first former president to face serious criminal charges, something he went on to blisteringly note. Referring to himself as a completely innocent person, Trump went on, Never before in our Nations history has this been done. Truth Social The Democrats have cheated countless times over the decades, including spying on my campaign, he said, but weaponizing our justice system to punish a political opponent, who just so happens to be a President of the United States and by far the leading Republican candidate for President, has never happened before. Ever. Trump went on to denounce the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (a disgrace) and invoke President Joe Biden, on whom he swore this Witch-Hunt will backfire massively. New statement from former President Donald Trump after a grand jury indicted him for his role in a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. This is Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history..." pic.twitter.com/ROKymayzVg Taylor Popielarz (@TaylorPopielarz) March 30, 2023 The American people realize exactly what the Radical Left Democrats are doing here. Everyone can see it, Trump thundered. So our Movement, and our Party - united and strong - will first defeat Alvin Bragg, and then we will defeat Joe Biden, and we are going to throw every last one of these Crooked Democrats out of office so we can MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! Story continues His eldest son reacted in similar terms, tweeting, This is third-world prosecutorial misconduct. It is the opportunistic targeting of a political opponent in a campaign year. On Rumble, Donald Jr. expanded on this, hitting out at the corrupt leftist Bragg and calling it communist level-shit. The details of Thursdays indictment have not been releasedwith Bragg saying that it will remain under seal for the immediate future. Trumps lawyer told The Daily Beast that he will likely be arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court next weekand that he plans to travel voluntarily to New York City to be booked. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Donald Trump Illustrated/Getty Images It's been nearly five months since former President Donald Trump stood at a lectern in his Mar-a-Lago resort and predicted voters would "unify" around his message of "national greatness and glory to America" as he launched his second re-election bid for the office he lost in 2020. After a debatably lackluster start, Trump returned to typical bombastic form at his first major campaign rally in Waco, Texas, this week, leaning heavily into the extremist rhetoric which marked the closing days of his presidency, and which ultimately culminated with the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. And while a number of challengers, both high profile, and lower, have tossed or prepared to toss their hats into the ring for the GOP's presidential nomination in 2024, Trump has continued to extend his sizable lead over the nascent Republican field. Now, as we approach the six-month mark of Trump's third presidential run, some political commentators have begun asking whether this latest campaign is simply more of what we've already seen from the once and aspiring future POTUS. Or is it, as his team has repeatedly claimed, a pivot toward a more traditional, deliberate style of campaigning? 'Back to basics for the first time' Writing on the Trump campaign's first few months' focus on smaller-scale events and policy-oriented videos in late January, The New York Times' Michael C. Bender and Mei-Ling McNamara highlighted the conspicuous pivot from his previous, freewheeling presidential runs, saying "Mr. Trump's attempt to drape himself with the trappings of a traditional campaign is an unspoken acknowledgment that he begins the race in one of the most politically vulnerable positions of his public life." Pointing out that even in these constrained settings some of Trump's "old habits die hard," Bender and McNamara conclude that at that stage in his campaign, at least the focus was as much about calming the nerves of potential donors spooked by the GOP's poor showing in 2022 as it was about projecting stability towards voters themselves. Story continues Speaking with CNN in early February, one former aide also lauded Trump's smaller-scale, more intimate events, explaining that "he is at his best in smaller settings. I know he obviously likes doing rallies but the more events he can do like this weekend, the better. That moment of the lady praying over him, you can't get that if you're just flying in and out for a campaign rally." Like the Times, CNN's Gabby Orr, Kristen Holmes, Kaitlan Collins, and Kate Sullivan point out in their report on Trump's seemingly re-imagined campaign style that the new sense of scale and intimacy is a tactical decision to put the candidate "directly in front of local party figures whose voices and endorsements can carry weight in early-voting states." 'The script doesn't change' Despite or perhaps in spite of that conscious effort on the part of his team to launch a more focused, more deliberate race than his 2016 run, many observers have begun to see Trump revert to his old patterns of campaigning in recent weeks. "This is the same Trump we saw in 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022," Roll Call's Stuart Rothenberg wrote after Trump's Waco rally. "He is the same mean-spirited narcissist he always has been, except maybe a little worse." As The Washington Post's Dan Balz mused, even with Trump's potential criminal indictment, a nomination battle, and a looming rematch with Biden, this current election cycle is "[shaping] up as another like no other." Trump's essential game plan remains the same no matter which way the various factors end up: "attack attack attack." In this, Balz argued, "the former president will continue to try to turn every legal investigation into a political fight, as he has done since he became president. He will play victim and demand that his party defend him against the Democrats, the legal system, the left and the media." Particularly after his Waco rally with its airs of hyperbolic bombast and grievance venting Trump's tactics are essentially unchanged no matter the best-laid plans his advisers had worked on in those early campaign months. In a blistering op-dd from the New York Post's editorial board published ahead of Trump's Waco rally, the Rupert Murdoch-owned outlet was blunt in its assessment of what it framed as a fundamental flaw of Trump's constitution. "When Trump ran in 2016, he was an unknown entity," the board wrote in a piece titled "Trump won't change, and that shows he can't win." "Independents took a chance, wanting to break from the stagnant political machines that sought to anoint Hillary Clinton," the board continued. "But he's not a mystery anymore. Americans know that Trump can't stop himself from nursing piddling grudges and throwing out childish insults." Taken all at once, this seems to be the prevailing dynamic at play in Trump's third run for the White House; a deliberate and semi-successful launch of his campaign with the deliberateness and focus of a more "traditional" candidate, counteracted by a candidate who cannot help but turn back toward the style and scale he's used to, and which he's used to great effect in the past. If he continues to lead the GOP pack as the primary race pushes into 2024, it will likely be as a result of these two forces working in various measures both with, and against one another. You may also like The snowmelt in California could cause a long-lost lake to re-emerge The Gwyneth Paltrow ski crash trial's 8 strangest moments, from Taylor Swift to King Kong 33 swimmers in Hawaii accused of 'pursuing, corralling, and harassing' dolphin pod Former President Donald Trump speaks during the America First Agenda Summit, at the Marriott Marquis hotel in Washington, on July 26, 2022. Former President Donald Trump speaks during the America First Agenda Summit, at the Marriott Marquis hotel in Washington, on July 26, 2022. Credit - Drew AngererGetty Images It took barely a flick of Donald Trumps wrist to set the whole circus back into motion. WITH NO CRIME ABLE TO BE PROVEN, & BASED ON AN OLD & FULLY DEBUNKED (BY NUMEROUS OTHER PROSECUTORS!) FAIRYTALE, THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE & FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK, Trump wrote, or Truthed, on his personal social-media site, Truth Social, on the morning of March 18. By the time the Manhattan grand jury finally voted to indict Trump on March 30, all the GOPs old reflexes had kicked in again. As if by muscle memory, Republican officeholders and candidates fell all over themselves to air their indignation at the supposed victimization of a politician being prosecuted for allegedly paying off a porn star, using money donated to his campaign, on the eve of a national election, to conceal an extramarital tryst. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy called for an investigation, and three House committee chairmen demanded the Manhattan D.A. testify before Congress about the politically motivated prosecutorial decision that had yet to occur. Read More: Why Even Some Trump Critics Think the Stormy Daniels Case Is Weak. While the historic indictment of a former President marked a turning point in the nascent 2024 campaign, it was the scramble to come to Trumps defense that might ultimately prove to be a more pivotal moment. Just a few months ago, Republicans disappointing performance in the midterms marked the third straight national election Trump tanked for the GOP, and a new consensus began to form: he was weak, a loser, yesterdays news. With at least five civil and criminal investigations percolating and a new generation of candidates in the mix, it was finally time for Republicans to cut the cord. Story continues But when the time came to actually stand up to him, Trumps primary rivals and political enablers were too cowardly or calculating to throw much of a punch. Nikki Haley, Trumps major declared opponent and former U.N. Ambassador, dismissed the potential indictment on Fox News as more about revenge than it is about justice. Another active candidate, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, went further, blasting the disastrously politicized prosecution and calling on other Republicans to condemn it. Former Vice President Mike Pence, who is openly considering a run, told an interviewer the probe reeks of the kind of political prosecution we endured in the days of the Russia hoax. Nikki Haley speaks during a campaign event at Horry-Georgetown Technical College in S.C., on March 13, 2023. Allison JoyceAnadolu Agency/Getty Images Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has yet to declare his candidacy, came closest to a swipe, taking care to excoriate the Soros-funded prosecutor overseeing the Manhattan case while also impishly referencing the underlying conduct. I dont know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair, DeSantis said, at a March 20 news conference. I just, I cant speak to that. But Trump gleefully seized on this political straddle, exultant at finally having baited his would-be rival into the ring after months of attacks. Trump issued a 327-word statement lambasting DeSantis as, among other things, an average Governor whose appeal to GOP voters was HARDLY GREATNESS. The statement was Trumps usual word salad of innuendo and ad hominem, a nonsensical and largely baseless critique. But in Trumps perpetual game of dominance, there can be no question who is the alpha. One Florida-based GOP strategist not tied to either mans camp told me Trump seemed to have found his stride by monopolizing attention around the incident, while DeSantis appeared rattled. The moment DeSantis poked his head up, thats where Trump wants to be, says the strategist, speaking on condition of anonymity. DeSantis, he says, is in the process of getting bloodied like hes never gotten bloodied before. Well see if he can handle it. Former Vice President Mike Pence waits to be introduced during a visit to Florida International University in Miami, on Jan. 27, 2023. Scott McIntyreThe Washington Post/Getty Images If the pattern holds, the 2024 primary could be over before it has even begun, with the GOP once more dominated by the toxic demands of its chaotic leader. Polls show Trump is getting stronger: A national survey conducted by Monmouth University and released March 21 showed Trump beating DeSantis by 14 points among Republican primary votersa reversal from December, when the same pollster found DeSantis leading Trump by 13 points. Suddenly the party appears imprisoned in a familiar trap: unwilling to stand up to its own base voters loyalties, and stymied yet again by Trumps well-worn divide-and-conquer strategy. It is amazing to me that the party that talks about masculinity continues to belly-crawl for this man, a bully who hides behind the walls of a Florida mansion, says Denver Riggleman, a former Republican congressman from Virginia. His former colleagues, Riggleman says, remain deathly afraid of the sway Trump still holds over many of their voters. They have so permanently lowered the standard that were somehow not even talking about whether hes guilty of using an illegal tax pass-through to pay off an adult-film starinstead, were debating whether the indictment is political and how it will affect his popularity. This should be about the rule of law: did he do it or not? For nearly eight years now, Republicans have struggled to move on from Trump, despite being afforded countless opportunities to cut him loosefrom the outrages of the 2016 campaign, to the scandal-fest of his Presidential term, to the impeachments and insurrection that punctuated its end. Evidence from the voting-machine company Dominions lawsuit against Fox News has proved what the political world already knew: that even Trumps most ardent propagandists privately despise him and wish he would go away. Out of office for the past two years, he finally seemed to fade somewhat, popping back up in the news from time to time with the occasional weird endorsement or dinner with white supremacists and Holocaust deniers. The launch of his third campaign, in November, was widely derided as low-energy, and his campaign seemed to limp along while DeSantis gained ground. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks to police officers in New York City, on Feb. 20, 2023. Spencer PlattGetty Images Read More: Trump Enters the Arena For Another Fight. It is, of course, early in the process, with most potential Trump rivals yet to declare their candidacy. But in a party whose ideology and leadership appeared up for grabs not long ago, a familiar dynamic is setting back in. In a January survey GOP pollster Whit Ayres conducted for the center-right Bulwark publication, Ayres found the party split into three factions: about 10% who do not support Trump; about a third who are reflexively, devotedly loyal to the former President; and a majority, 52%, of fair-weather voters who supported Trump in the past but now yearn for an alternative who can win in 2024. Its still possible, Ayres says, that the latter group will view Trumps indictment as more evidence that he is too burdened by political baggage to be the best nominee. The ultimate impact of any indictment depends completely on what the charges are, how much evidence there is, and what the ultimate trial turns out to be like, Ayres says. No one can reliably anticipate the reaction to something thats never happened before. Even some Trump opponents worry that the legal uncertainties surrounding the case may be shaky and therefore serve to boost him. Were going to indict a former President for, essentially, misdemeanor falsification of business records? says former Michigan GOP congressman Peter Meijer. Were crossing the Rubicon for that? That seems like fing weak sauce. Trump, Meijer points out, succeeded in whipping up a media frenzy before any arrest actually occurred. He is an absolute savant when it comes to getting reactions, Meijer says. Thats not a shame on him so much as its a shame on the rest of us. Supporters of former President Donald Trump cheer as his plane flies over the 2024 election campaign rally in Waco, Texas, on March 25, 2023. Shelby TauberAFP/Getty Images Since seeding rumors of his imminent arrest, Trump has warned of potential death & destruction if charges are brought and repeatedly called on his supporters to protest, a vague-for-now summons that nonetheless harks back to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. It was a reminder that for a broad swath of Americans, Trump has succeeded in delegitimizing virtually all the institutions of democracyfrom elections to the courts to the current White Houseand he may well retain the ability to summon a violent army to a time and place of his choosing. There are tens of millions of Americans who believe that government institutions are aligned against the true and rightful President, ordained from on high, and as far as theyre concerned the ends justify the means in an apocalyptic battle of good against evil, says Riggleman, the former Virginia congressman. This seemingly inexhaustible grift, raising money based on fear, is really all Trump has. But the formula works. With reporting by Leslie Dickstein (Ron Johnson / Associated Press) Donald Trump is the first former president in history to face a criminal indictment. Here's what his indictment might mean for his political future and the Republican Party's. No, a prosecutor in New York did not just hand Trump the election. Some Republicans have claimed that indicting Trump will only aid his effort to regain the White House in 2024. Most people on our side think its a never-ending effort to take a wrecking ball to Trump, Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, said on "The Daily Show" earlier this month. So yeah, I think itll help him. Trump has survived numerous scandals, before, during and since his presidency. His approval in polls has generally stayed at near 40%, dipping about 5 points after the Jan. 6 insurrection set off by his attempts to overturn the presidential election. As The Times' David Lauter wrote last week, Trump has been in the public eye since at least the 1980s, and most people have a fixed opinion of him. But even as Trump has retained a base of committed voters of 35% to 40%, that was not enough to win him reelection in 2020. To reclaim the White House, Trump needs to increase his support, which he has been unable to do. If every scandal binds 99% of his base closer to him and alienates just 1%, that is still a losing formula, Politico columnist Alex Burns wrote last week. Republicans remain tethered to Trump. Trump may not gain majority support, but his indictment has shown, once again, that most Republicans are afraid to cross him. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the Bakersfield Republican who owes his position to Trump, followed his lead in accusing Manhattan Dist. Atty. Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, of an outrageous abuse of power, and ordered House committees last week to investigate the prosecutor, even though no one in Congress had seen the evidence against Trump. Other Republicans followed suit. Former presidents especially those who lost reelection rarely wield that sort of power over their parties. Trump owes his command of the GOP to the passion of his base. Many Republican members of Congress represent gerrymandered, deep-red congressional districts in which the threat of losing to a Trump-backed opponent in a Republican primary is greater than the threat of losing to a Democrat in a general election. Story continues Although using his base to keep elected Republicans in line enables Trump's political survival, it's also a dangerous formula. Last week, Trump was warning an indictment would bring "potential death & destruction" in the country, echoing the language he used to stir up the mob that stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump could still win the nomination, and the presidency. The Constitution does not prohibit Trump from serving again as president, even from jail. Republican presidential primaries, like gerrymandered congressional districts, give outsize power to candidates with committed bases of supporters. Trump still leads in Republican primary polls. If he does win the nomination, he is likely to face President Biden, who is now 80 and has also struggled with low approval numbers. Big obstacles stand in Trumps way. The first is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican who has tried to channel Trumps populism minus the scandals as he pursues a likely presidential bid. He criticized Bragg this week, but then took a sly shot at Trump. "I dont know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair. I just I cant speak to that," DeSantis said. If Trump manages to defeat DeSantis, he will still face a tough battle against Biden, who demonstrated his ability to build a coalition in 2020. The 2022 midterm election, in which Republicans underperformed historical trends, showed that Trump continues to be a drag on his party. But winning the nomination would still give Trump a puncher's chance at the White House. He proved that in 2016, when he defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, whose own candidacy was hurt by an investigation into her use of a private server to store her government emails. Trump is the first former president to be indicted, but others have come close. Richard Nixon left the White House in 1974 believing he was going to jail. He even asked Egil Krogh, a former aide who served time for Watergate crimes, what it was like behind bars. It was highly likely" that Nixon would have been indicted if President Ford had not preemptively pardoned him, said Timothy Naftali, former director of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. Ford had his own reasons for pardoning Nixon, including the fact that Ford had been appointed vice president before taking over the top job from Nixon, Naftali said. Ford, insecure about his own legitimacy, very much wanted the news media and the public to stop talking about his predecessor. Nixon had already resigned in disgrace, making it less pressing that he face further consequences. Bill Clinton, with hours remaining in office, admitted to lying under oath about Monica Lewinsky to avoid prosecution for perjury in a deal with special prosecutor Robert W. Ray. Warren Harding died in office, but if he hadn't, he might well have faced consequences for scandals that came to light afterward. We havent had a lot of people with criminal clouds around them as they leave the White House, Naftali said. Weve had a lot of flawed individuals in the White House, but not that many, fortunately. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Donald Trump isnt shy about which world leaders he got along with best and its not always Americas allies. Sean Hannity of Fox News asked the ex-president how he got along with the autocratic rulers of Russia, China and North Korea. And his answer, critics say, was very revealing as Trump boasted of great relationships with Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un: Hannity: Putin Trump: I got along with him great. Hannity: Xi Trump: I got along with him great. Hannity: Kim Jong-un Trump: I got along with him great. pic.twitter.com/bonOQsD6xv Acyn (@Acyn) March 30, 2023 Trump famously sided with Russian President Vladimir Putin when questioned about U.S. intelligence that found Russia interfered on his behalf in the 2016 election, and he got along so well with North Korean dictator Kim that he once said they fell in love. At the same time, he didnt always get along with Americas allies. To the contrary, Trump engaged in a series of petty feuds with the leaders of friendly nations, such as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whom he called a far left lunatic, and French President Emmanuel Macron, whom he accused of being very insulting. He also reportedly called then-British Prime Minister Theresa May a fool and then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel stupid in calls with each of them. Trumps critics on Twitter were quick to point that out and more: Trump got along poorly with the leaders of allies Germany, France, and Britain. But got along great with the dictators of Russia, China, and North Korea. Tells you all you need to know. https://t.co/kfYIkBrHeR US Rep Brendan Boyle (@RepBrendanBoyle) March 30, 2023 Imagine if Obama in 2014 or 2015 had said all these things. Fox would have lost their minds. https://t.co/TYisvFq83W Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) March 30, 2023 Of course. He loves dictators. He wants to be a dictator. https://t.co/LHfSqjrVRl Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) March 30, 2023 Imagine if Obama had said any of this. Republicans would be calling him a traitor every day vs every other day lol. Remember when he tried to make peace with Cuba and they flipped out?#whiteprivilegehttps://t.co/SUl4Nzg9Lf August V (@AugustCohen4) March 30, 2023 Of COURSE he got along with KJU because DJT demanded nothing in return, Kim Jong-un surrendered not a single nuke warhead, he upgraded his SRBM technology to attack our troops in S. Korea and Japan more easily, and Trump suspended our war readiness there so yeah they got along https://t.co/iftypkjsgd Thomas P. (Tom) Logan (@TokyoTom2020) March 30, 2023 The leader of the Party of the Constitution only gets along with dictators. https://t.co/0mLciBQlP1 Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) March 30, 2023 But freedom and democracy and stuff. Right, MAGA? He apparently loves Jina! Wonder how that will go over with the GOP. https://t.co/ILDeOtyA3i Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) March 30, 2023 What a fool. They all owned him. Like candy from a baby. https://t.co/w0J9njTSe6 Jumbo Elliott (@JumboElliott76) March 30, 2023 Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 30) The entire province of Oriental Mindoro may be placed under a state of calamity, as the oil spill reaches the waters of Baco and San Teodoro towns, Gov. Bonz Dolor said Thursday. "Ngayong araw na ito, ayon sa meeting ng Sangguniang Panlalawigan they request to declare the entire province under (a) state of calamity dahil may mga reports (of oil spill sightings) na rin na natanggap na bina-validate pa namin ngayong araw na ito," Dolor said. [Translation: Today, according to the meeting of the Provincial Board, they requested to declare a state of calamity in the entire province because of reports of oil spill sightings we received that we're still validating.] "'Yun pong mga areas na marine protected areas sa Baco at sa San Teodoro, meron na ring presence of grease and oil beyond the (allowable) standard," he added. [Translation: Marine protected areas in Baco and San Teodoro already have presence of grease and oil beyond the allowable standard.] Dolor said he has directed the Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to take water samples, with results expected on Friday. "Wala sa shoreline pero nasa dagat," the governor said of the oil slick sightings. "So ibig sabihin di na safe maligo at di na rin siya safe pangisdaan for now until after ma-confirm ng BFAR (Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources) na 'yung mga isda dito ay safe pa rin." [Translation: The oil slick is in the sea and not on the shoreline. It means it's unsafe for swimming and fishing for now until BFAR can confirm that the fish are safe for consumption.] Dolor said a fishing ban will be implemented in affected waters. He also said he had written to BFAR requesting the bureau to identify alternative fishing grounds. Baco and San Teodoro are neighboring towns of Calapan City, and are facing the Verde Island Passage, a marine corridor recognized as the center of global shore fish biodiversity. Next to these towns is Puerto Galera, a tourist destination in the northernmost part of Oriental Mindoro known for its dive sites and beaches. Authorities have yet to plug the seepage from the MT Princess Empress, a tanker carrying at least 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil, which capsized and sank in waters off Naujan last Feb. 28. RELATED: PCG: 60% of oil spill-affected areas already cleaned up A state of calamity has already been declared in 76 coastal barangays across the nine of 13 municipalities in Oriental Mindoro. These are the towns of Bansud, Bongabong, Bulalacao, Gloria, Mansalay, Naujan, Pinamalayan, Pola, and Roxas. Affected households With the oil spill reaching more towns, Dolor said he ordered the province's offices for social welfare and agriculture to identify households near the seas of Baco and San Teodoro, and include them in the list of affected residents. He said he has reached out to Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian Wednesday night to request for more family food packs. The governor also said he is coordinating with the DSWD to update the list of affected households by the oil spill. According to the latest report of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), 36,658 families or 172,928 individuals were affected by the oil spill in Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Western Visayas. Around 203 residents got sick, the NDRRMC also said. The agency added that 16,930 fisherfolk have been impacted by the oil spill. The government has already provided assistance worth over 179 million. Tunisian authorities should release detainees arrested on "unfounded accusations of conspiracy" and drop their criminal investigation mostly targeting political opponents of President Kais Saied, Amnesty International said Thursday. Since mid-February, authorities have arrested many of the most prominent opponents of Saied, who has publicly alleged they were plotting against the state and labelled them "terrorists". Saied has seized almost total power since he froze parliament and sacked Tunisia's government in July 2021. Opponents accuse him of reinstating autocratic rule in the North African country which was the only democracy to emerge from the Arab Spring uprising more than a decade ago. The criminal investigation into at least 17 people is "among the most nakedly aggressive attacks by authorities" since Saied's power grab, Amnesty said in a statement. Those targeted include opposition party members, political activists, lawyers, and the head of a popular radio station known for giving a platform to criticism of the president. "The Tunisian authorities should immediately release all those detained for whom they cannot present credible evidence of criminal conduct as recognised by international law, and close the investigations against them," Amnesty's regional director Heba Morayef said. The rights group alleged some of those detained had been questioned about meetings with one another, foreign diplomats and journalists, acts it said are protected under rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly. "Just 12 years after Tunisians staged a revolution for dignity and basic freedoms, authorities are returning with frightening speed to old repressive tactics," Morayef said. "Rounding up and jailing dissidents on vague accusations sends a chilling message that no one in Tunisia can freely express his or her opinions without fear of human rights violations, including arbitrary arrest and detention," Morayef said. Story continues Several dozen supporters of the detainees protested on Thursday morning outside the Tunis courthouse, demanding their release and chanting: "Down with the coup" and "Freedom to all political prisoners". Saied took control of the judiciary last year and has said judges who "dare to exonerate" the detainees will be considered "accomplices". Amnesty said this statement, "coupled with the presidents arbitrary dismissal of 57 judges in 2022, contributes to a climate of intimidation for the judiciary." par/noc/it Twitter has finally confirmed some of the details and pricing for the new version of its API. The company had previously delayed the changes after confirming that it was banning third-party clients as part of a larger shakeup of its developer features. As expected, the company is maintaining a free tier with limited functionality, though it offers far less than its predecessor. Under the new free tier, which is aimed at bots and other testing purposes, accounts can post up to 1,500 tweets a month, but wont be able to access any other featuires. That may offer a lifeline to some of Twitters famed bot accounts , but at about 50 tweets a day, may prove to be too limited for those that post more frequently. At $100 a month, the new basic tier offers a bit more: developers can post up to 3,000 tweets a month at the user level and up to 50,000 a month at the app level. It also offers a read limit of 10,000 tweets a month, which, again, is far less than what was previously offered. Twitter's new API includes a free, basic and enterprise level. Meanwhile, an enterprise tier is meant for businesses that need a higher level of access, though details for that tier are still murky. According to Twitters developer website , the enterprise tier will include commercial-level access that meets your and your customer's specific needs and other features. Businesses can apply for enterprise access, but the only pricing information Twitter has disclosed is that there will be "monthly subscription tiers." Its also unclear what will happen to researchers and academics who currently rely on Twitters API for their work. In a series of tweets, the company said it was looking at new ways to continue serving this community but didnt elaborate. Wired previously reported the company had told some organizations API access could run as much as $42,000 a month, but that plan doesn't seem to have materialized, at least not yet. Nine soldiers were killed when two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters flying out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky, crashed Wednesday evening, a base official told Military Times. There were no survivors. The crash occurred just before 10 p.m. local time in Trigg County, Kentucky, during a routine training mission, according to a 101st Airborne Division press release. All of the deceased were assigned to the divisions 101st Combat Aviation Brigade. The divisions deputy commanding general, Brig. Gen. John Lubas, mourned the loss during a Thursday morning press conference on post. He said more details will emerge once the soldiers families are notified and an investigation unfolds. Lubas said the crews were training on flying a two-aircraft formation with night-vision goggles. He added that the helicopters were medical evacuation variants of the Black Hawk. Local radio station WKDZ reported the county coroner and as many as 150 emergency personnel responded to the crash, which Lubas said occurred in an open field across from a residential neighborhood. One witness who lives near the crash site told the outlet they heard a pop and two booms. Another witness, Trigg County resident Nick Tomaszewski, told local outlet WSMV-TV that he sees helicopters from Fort Campbell pass overhead often, but the two that flew by Wednesday stood out. I told my wife, Wow, those look really close tonight for whatever reason ... about a minute later, they were coming across and there was a large explosion in the sky almost look like a firework went off. And then the entire tree line lit up. Army Times could not independently verify the details of the crash sequence. Inclement weather does not appear to be a factor, according to weather reports at the time of the crash. Lubas told reporters that officials currently dont know why the aircraft crashed. Officials from the Combat Readiness Center at Fort Rucker, Alabama, will investigate the crash and determine its causes, the general added. Story continues Inside the Army center reconstructing catastrophes to save lives This is a truly tragic loss for our families, our division and Fort Campbell, Lubas said. Our number one priority is caring for the families and the soldiers within our combat aviation brigade. Identities of the deceased soldiers are being withheld until next-of-kin notification. In February, Tennessee Guard Chief Warrant Officer 3 Daniel Wadham and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Danny Randolph died when the Black Hawk helicopter they were piloting crashed near Huntsville, Alabama. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Janis Sanders pictured with her children: James, left, and Dena Sanders NILES James Sanders has known in his heart for decades what happened to his mother. He just hasnt been able to prove it. James was just 2 years old when his mother, Janis Sanders, went missing in Niles after witnesses say they saw her ex-boyfriend, whom she had recently broken up with, follow her out to the parking lot of a local restaurant. Janis was 24 when she went missing in 1975. Her body was never found. 'Theyre going to kill me': Jeff Pelley says lawyers never heard key testimony prior to trial Also never recovered was the body of Janeice Langs, another young woman who was first thought to be a runaway from South Bend in 1973. Langs was briefly engaged to the same boyfriend as Janis Sanders before she went missing at 21 years old, and the connection led police to arrest Gerald Libertowski on suspicion of murdering both women. James, and his sister, Dena Sanders, maintain that Libertowski killed their mother and buried her body alongside Langs. But Libertowski was never convicted and police have classified the disappearances of both women as missing persons cases since the 1970s. For decades, James and Dena Sanders have searched for a way to confirm their suspicion, to no avail. The advice I kept getting was To tell you the truth, if we cant find new evidence, theres nothing we can do. I was told that year after year, decade after decade, James Sanders said. Though James and Dena Sanders now live in Arizona and North Carolina, respectively, they never gave up searching for answers about their mothers death. The siblings compiled extensive notes about the original investigation and other leads and even founded a nonprofit organization that seeks to provide information and assistance to other cold cases across the country. That legwork, along with some help from students at Western Michigan University and scientists at the University of Notre Dame, dug up enough leads for the cases to be reclassified last fall. Based on new information received by Michigan State Police cold case detectives, investigators now believe Janis Sanders and Janeice Langs are homicide victims. Story continues Armed with new leads and modern DNA technology, MSP detectives, the Sanders family and Janeice Langs only surviving sibling, Lori Langs Mann, are hopeful they will find their loved ones remains and gain some closure in the process. Its always been in the back of our mind, weve always wanted to solve it, MSP Det. Sgt. John Moore said. We knew kind of who the players were, and the bodies have never been found and the community always wondered what ever happened. Two women gone According to police reports and Tribune archival material from the time, Janis Sanders was last seen around midnight on the night of July 20 into July 21, 1975. Janis was getting off her shift as a waitress at Petes Patio Restaurant in Niles, and witnesses say Gerald Jerry Libertowski followed her out into the parking lot. The week before she disappeared, Janis had ended her relationship with Libertowski and had moved back in with her parents in Niles. Tribune archives say Libertowski told police he talked with Janis after her shift but he did not accompany her from the parking lot. That night was the last time Janis was seen alive. Days later, police found Janis car a 1974 Matador outside the Niles Holiday Inn. Janis Sanders' disappearance mirrored that of Janeice Langs, who was reported as a runaway on Nov. 8, 1973. Langs had recently moved back in with her parents in South Bend after a brief engagement to Libertowski. That day, archives say, Langs worked her job for a finance company and gave a coworker a ride home. She was never seen again. Lori Mann, who was 12 years old at the time, remembers her parents calling the police that night and telling them they suspected Libertowski was behind it all. Gerry did something with her," Mann remembers her mother saying that day. Archival Tribune coverage states police eventually found parts of Langs' car behind a barn downstate in Elwood, Ind., but that it appeared to have been dissected by a blowtorch. Detectives quickly made the connection that both Janis Sanders and Janeice Langs had dated Libertowski before they were reported missing. In the weeks after Janis disappeared, Tribune archives show, police searched a farm belonging to Libertowskis family but did not find the bodies of either woman. Libertowski was eventually charged with the murders of both women, but in a turn that still frustrates the Sanders and Langs families, he was acquitted of Langs murder in Indiana in 1976, which led to the judge presiding over his case in Michigan to dismiss the charges regarding the murder of Janis Sanders. Missing no more: South Bend woman's killer gets 60 years in prison Its anger knowing that he was the guy; they had him, James Sanders said. The justice system failed. Thats where my sister and I try to filter it and try to focus back on getting the remains and having our closure and let the chips fall where they may. James Sanders and Det. Moore say its tough to know for certain why the jury acquitted Libertowski, though Tribune coverage of the trial shows his lawyers emphasized the fact that Langs body was never found and often raised objections to the admissibility of conversations Libertowski allegedly had with other people. If that case was tried today, youd get a conviction, Moore added. In a bizarre twist, Libertowskis primary defense attorney Carl Leibowitz was himself charged in an unrelated murder-for-hire plot, as well as for tax evasion, in the years after Libertowskis trial and was disbarred. Libertowski was never convicted of any crime related to the deaths of Langs or Sanders and died in 2010. 'It was frozen In the years since Libtertowskis trial in the 1970s, the case went cold as police stopped actively pursuing leads in Janis Sanders disappearance. James was 2 years old when his mother went missing and said it wasnt until his teen years when he was clued in to his mothers fate. At first, family members were wary of him getting involved because of concerns about his safety, but in his 20s, he contacted Michigan State Police and threw himself into reading old newspaper articles and investigative files. For decades, there was little progress. Tips would come in periodically about an abandoned car or a bone that was found in the woods, but none of it was related to Janis Sanders. It was beyond cold, James Sanders said. "It was frozen." For Mann, investigating her sister Janeice's death was always in the back of her mind, but not something she became intimately involved in. Mann said her family moved from South Bend to Florida after her sister was killed to get away from it all and shes lived there ever since. When James Sanders contacted her out of the blue last year, Mann was surprised but grateful that someone was working on behalf of her sister many decades after Janeice was killed. It was in the back of everybodys mind, would she ever show up or would we find her? Mann said. Did we start a nonprofit like James and all? No. Its wonderful he has the strength and courage and that he thought of us. Eventually, improvements in technology, specifically DNA testing, gave Sanders and cold case investigators new hope. In May 2022, when Sanders called MSP to check in after years of little progress, he was met with a renewed sense of vigor from Det. John Moore. Moore told Sanders about another murder case out of Niles where a young woman named Roxanne Wood had been attacked and killed in her own home. Woods case had gone unsolved since 1987 until last year when investigators and outside consultants applied new advanced DNA tracing techniques to identify a suspect, who was convicted of Woods murder. Technology catches up to still make cases and gives new life to them, Moore said. Scholars' work makes investigations easier MSP investigators also enlisted the help of Ashlyn Kuersten, a professor at Western Michigan University. Kuersten, along with a team of students, has been helping to digitize the original case reports from the Janis Sanders investigation so detectives can search the documents for words or phrases within seconds instead of combing back through thousands of physical pages. Students with the universitys Cold Case Program worked on the Roxanne Wood case and have chipped in on 15 cold case investigations. Most of the time, that means putting together family trees of people involved in the investigation and scouring old newspaper clippings and the original case files to put together a timeline of who said what when. Its unbelievable, Moore said of the work done by the students at Western Michigan. Previously, if we read through a report and got a thousand pages in and remembered something when we saw something else that rung a bell, wed have to go back and try to find that. Now everythings searchable. Its been awesome. The investigation into Janis Sanders death has been atypical, Kuersten said, because James Sanders had already pieced together a lot of material. That left Kuerstens students free to focus on trying to figure out where Janis Sanders and Janeice Langs might be. We have to look all around South Bend, Niles, the Buchanan area. What was said at different trials, what was said in different interviews, where the bodies could be, Kuersten said. Thats where we spent most of our energy, trying to find these bodies throughout the fall. New life in Sanders case The proverbial big break came in September when a series of tips came into Crime Stoppers that allowed MSP to change the classification of the Janis Sanders investigation from a missing person case to a homicide. That change meant a lot to James Sanders, who had waited decades for significant progress in finding his mothers remains. Janis Sanders The reclassification seems kind of mundane to the average person, but to us it was just a relief, James Sanders said. A lot of times people get excited about it, but it goes dead in the water. This time, I felt like, with that reclassification, its going to keep going. If [MSP is] going to take that step for their own department, then its real. Moore declined to give details about what information MSP received that made them change the cases classification but said his team is working on new leads that police hope will lead them to where the bodies of Janis Sanders and Janeice Langs are buried. Weve done some interviews on some pivotal people thats given us some information weve never had, Moore said, while adding he feels there is no other outcome for these two women other than homicide. With modern DNA technology, James Sanders is confident that once police find his mothers remains, theyll be able to prove definitively what hes believed for years: That Gerald Libertowski killed his mother and Janeice Langs. Were pretty confident that when that happens, his guilt will be 100% proven, James Sanders said. 'Cathartic' Beyond assigning responsibility for her sisters death, Lori Mann hopes finding Janeice's body provides closure. She deserves [closure], Mann said of her sister. She did nothing wrong. She was just a young lady who had gone to work that day. It would finally bring closure to that, yes. Its not justice because [Libertowski] wasnt found guilty, but it would be closure. Mann remembers Janeice as very funny and a cool older sister who would take Mann and her friends to get ice cream and was always willing to play even though she was 10 years older than Mann. Reaching out to Mann was itself a profound experience for James and Dena Sanders, who had never before had contact with members of the Langs family despite Janeice Langs death being inextricably tied to their mothers. It was an out of body experience. We were both children of this trauma, same suspect. South Bend, Niles. It was bittersweet, James said. Now, with the support of the MSP, the prospect of finally confirming the truth of what happened to their mother is also a profound moment for Dena and James Sanders. Its snowballed into this. And Im glad it did, because now Im thinking more along the lines of justice and truth and then well get the closure, James Sanders said. Its been a little cathartic. Email Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@sbtinfo.com. Follow him on Twitter: @marek_mazurek. This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Families of Janis Sanders, Janeice Langs have chased truth since 1970s The Pierce County Prosecutor has cleared two Tacoma police officers in the 2022 shooting death of a knife-wielding man near the Tacoma Mall. Officers Erika Haberzettl, 48, and Jared Levitt, 32, shot Michael Mercado, 37, of Ruston on March 16 on a street entrance to the mall complex near South Pine and South 45th streets. Neither officer was injured. Prosecutor Mary Robnett said, the use of deadly force by the two officers was justified and lawful, in a report sent Wednesday to Tacoma Police Chief Avery Moore. According to the 15-page report, Haberzettl, a 20-year veteran, had just left the mall in her cruiser when two people in a passing car flagged her down. As the witnesses were telling the officer their vehicle had just been hit by another car, a Saab appeared, being driven recklessly, and moving toward the scene, the report said. The driver, Mercado, got out of the car but left it in drive on the sloping street. He then advanced toward Haberzettl and the witnesses, who identified him as the driver who had struck them. Haberzettl saw that he was holding what appeared to her to be a dark colored handgun as he advanced on her, the report states. ...the object that Mr. Mercado was holding was later determined to be a fixed blade knife, still in its black plastic sheath, that was shaped like a gun. Mr. Mercado was holding the knife in the same manner that someone would hold a handgun. Haberzettl shouted at Mercado to drop it but the man kept advancing, according to the report. The officer then fired two rounds at Mercado. She was struck by the open door of Mercados vehicle as it rolled past her. Both Haberzettl and Mercado were temporarily blocked from each other by her cruiser. She told him to put the gun down. When he refused, she fired two more rounds, striking him. He fell to the ground. Haberzettl requested medical aid for Mercado. Because Mercado was still moving and reaching for the weapon, Haberzettl took cover behind the witnesses car. Story continues About that time Levitt arrived on the scene. She also said to (officer) Levitt as he got out of his patrol car, Hes got something black in his hand, looks like a firearm, according to the report. Levitt commanded Mercado to drop his weapon and then fired two rounds at Mercado. Levitt then repeated the command and fired four more rounds. Haberzettl, fearing that Mercado was going to shoot Levitt, fired another round. Mercado was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy determined that he had been shot five times and died from his wounds. Toxicology testing showed he had amphetamine, methamphetamine and THC in his system. The entire shooting was recorded on Haberzettls body camera and by a civilian witness who also recorded the incident. Cell phone video shot by the witnesses who had their vehicle struck by Mercado showed erratic driving and near misses of other cars and a pedestrian, prior to the shooting. The Pierce County Force Investigation Team interviewed five civilians who all stated they believed Mercado had a gun. Two years after Manatee Countys environmental disaster made national headlines, the long-neglected Piney Point site is closer than ever to final closure. When a giant pond began leaking and threatened to collapse in April 2021, state leaders were forced to authorize the release of 215 million gallons of contaminated water into Tampa Bay. With an injection of $100 million in state funding and court-appointed leadership, site operators are on track to ensure that never happens again. Ever since the situation at the former phosphate processing plant spun out of control, there has been a renewed focus on shutting the once-abandoned property down for good. And there has been significant progress. Weve had good, tangible progress that has given us all optimism, said Herbert Donica, the court-appointed receiver who is in charge of day-to-day operations at Piney Point. In early April, site operators plan to begin draining the largest pond the one that began leaking in 2021 into a deep injection well. Donica described that development as a sigh of relief. Once we get that water going and get the water level down, then well free up all of our people to do whats necessary to push forward with the closure, said Donica. Thats a big deal to me. In a statement provided to the Bradenton Herald on Tuesday evening, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, which oversees Piney Point, says it remains committed to closing the facility as soon as possible. Signs of progress In the coming weeks, Piney Point is set to hit several milestones. The first pond is on track to be filled with sand and topped with grass in May. Site operators say they hope to replicate that technique for the larger ponds that are still holding water but its going to take some time. Starting in early April, Piney Point operators will begin draining the largest pond the one that began leaking in 2021 into Manatee County Governments newly constructed deep injection well that will store the water 3,300 feet underground. Story continues The well will be used to safely dispose of Piney Points process water into a confined saltwater aquifer over a half mile below the surface, the county said in a press release. Court-appointed receiver Herb Donica and site manager Jeff Barath at a water-filtration site at Piney Point. Two years after an emergency water release became an environmental disaster for Tampa Bay, conditions have greatly improved at Piney Point, according to site operators. Site closure is underway and the largest pond will be drained soon. In previous presentations, environmental geologists said the injection well would allow the water to undergo a natural treatment process before it resurfaces in the Gulf of Mexico 100,000 years later, free of any contamination. We are excited to write the final chapter of this Piney Point story, said Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge. The teamwork involved in this important project from the receiver to the DEP, to the consultants and our hard-working staff have brought this to fruition. Ever since the 2021 incident, property managers have been working to clean the water remaining in Piney Points largest pond. According to site manager Jeff Barath, 98% of the nitrogen and phosphorus have been removed from the water. As of late March, there are more than 270 million gallons remaining in that pond. Because the well is rated to handle 1 million gallons a day, it will take several months to drain it. Two years after an emergency water release became an environmental disaster for Tampa Bay, conditions have greatly improved at Piney Point, according to site operators. Site closure is underway and the largest pond will be drained soon. However, getting started on the deep well injection removal will buy site operators precious time ahead of the summer months. That pump can ramp up to possibly as much as 1 million gallons a day. Anything close to that will get us out of what I call the danger zone for the rainy season, Donica explained. The water in the remaining ponds will be processed through Manatee Countys $18 million water treatment facility on Buckeye Road before entering the deep injection well. An ugly start The industrial park on Manatee Countys northern border has a troubled past. In 1966, Piney Point opened as a facility that accepted phosphate and processed it to extract phosphorus, a key ingredient in fertilizer. The process, however, leaves behind harmful, radioactive material called phosphogypsum. Donica notes that Piney Points grand opening predates both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. This plant got off to an ugly start. Its just that simple. Thats why it needs to close, Donica said. For nearly 40 years, Piney Point refined a steady stream of phosphate rock. The result of that process is what makes the property a hazard. Court-appointed receiver Herb Donica talks about conditions at Piney Point. Two years after an emergency water release became an environmental disaster for Tampa Bay, conditions have greatly improved at Piney Point, according to site operators. Site closure is underway and the largest pond will be drained soon. Phosphogypsum, which is created as a byproduct of phosphate processing, is radioactive and cannot be used for any other purpose. At Piney Point, it is piled into enormous mounds called phosphogypsum stacks. At the top of those stacks are large ponds holding water that became contaminated from phosphate refinement. Those ponds, which cover dozens of acres at Piney Point, are the biggest problem on the property. Over the years, local leaders and property owners struggled to come up with a suitable plan that disposes of the water at a faster rate than the rainfall it collects. The site went inactive after the former owners went bankrupt in 2001, leaving Piney Point under FDEPs control. In 2006, HRK Holdings, LLC, acquired the property and became responsible for site maintenance. Two years ago, the largest pond neared maximum capacity, holding roughly 480 million gallons of contaminated water, before a tear in the liner threatened to send all of that water rushing out into the surrounding area. SeaPort Manatee, the Manatee County Jail and a FedEx distribution center are located near the Piney Point industrial park, just south of the Manatee-Hillsborough border on U.S. 41. Crews work to pump water from New Gypsum Stack South where a leak formed two years ago, prompting an emergency water release and becoming an environmental disaster for Tampa Bay. Conditions have greatly improved at Piney Point, according to site operators, and site closure is underway. Facing an emergency situation, state leaders authorized the release of 215 million gallons enough water to fill 325 Olympic-sized swimming pools into Tampa Bay. Water quality experts pointed to the Piney Point release, which contained high levels of nutrients, as a major contributing factor to a red tide bloom that occurred later that summer. What happens next? According to the closure plan approved by FDEP, a final shutdown at Piney Point isnt expected until the end of 2024. It will take several months to drain the remaining ponds before they are filled with millions of cubic yards of sand and soil. Dredge material in the largest pond, which came from the 2012 expansion of SeaPort Manatee, adds another complication. Once the pond level is low enough, crews will fill the dredge material into mesh bags and sit them on the edge of the pond, allowing that excess water to drain back into the pond, Donica said. DeSantis directed the Florida Legislature to provide $100 million toward Piney Points closure, but more money will be needed to complete the project, FDEP told the Bradenton Herald. So far, about $44 million has been spent on closure activities, according to FDEP. Based on the closure plan, FDEP estimates the final cost will be close to $185 million and plans to request the additional funding in this years state budget. I feel confident that when the decision-makers see the progress we have made, it wont be a problem to get enough money to cross the finish line, Donica said. Two years after an emergency water release became an environmental disaster for Tampa Bay, conditions have greatly improved at Piney Point, according to site operators. Site closure is underway and the largest pond will be drained soon. A truck loaded with fill dirt is measured via a laser as it makes its way up to Old Gypsum Stack South. Two years after an emergency water release became an environmental disaster for Tampa Bay, conditions have greatly improved at Piney Point, according to site operators. Site closure is underway and the largest pond will be drained soon. Two years after an emergency water release became an environmental disaster for Tampa Bay, conditions have greatly improved at Piney Point, according to site operators. Site closure is underway and the largest pond will be drained soon. Court-appointed receiver Herb Donica talks about conditions at Piney Point. Two years after an emergency water release became an environmental disaster for Tampa Bay, conditions have greatly improved at Piney Point, according to site operators. Site closure is underway and the largest pond will be drained soon. A few weeks ago in Pittsburgh, Beth Royce said she woke up to an early morning call. Her phone lit up with her younger sisters contact info and photo, so Royce answered. But it was not her sisters voice on the other end of the line. Instead, Royce said she heard an unfamiliar male voice say, I got this girl and Im going to kill her if you dont send me money. The man cautioned her not to contact the police or he would shoot the sister in the head. A petrified Royce silently signaled her mother, who was in town visiting, and continued talking. He sounded crazy. I heard muffled sobs in the background that sounded like a womans voice, so of course I thought this was my sister, Royce said. Over the 16-minute conversation, the voice demanded money via Cash App or Zelle, and she sent a total of $1,000. Meanwhile, her mother contacted her sister separately and learned she was safe in her apartment in Seattle. Though it sounds like the start of a horror movie, Royce, who painfully recounted the experience in a now-viral TikTok and in an interview with HuffPost, was the victim of a fresh trend of personalized scams that target people using their loved ones names and information possibly even, as in Royces case, the photo they use with their iPhone profile. I never fall for anything. And this was like the realest, scariest moment of my entire life, literally, she said in her TikTok. A Similar Scheme Targets Grandparents Last week, the FBI office in Miami issued a public warning advising people to be aware of the similar grandparent fraud scam, which is becoming increasingly common, according to supervisory Special Agent Zacharia Baldwin. That scam targets older people who are told in a phone call that a grandchild identified by name is under arrest and needs bail money, or some similarly fabricated emergency, the FBI said. They are then instructed to wrap money in a certain way and give it to a ride-hailing service driver. Story continues There are different types of attempted loss amounts we are seeing, Baldwin told HuffPost. The average is usually from $5,000 to $35,000, though weve seen scammers usually trying to milk as much money out of victims as possible. Weve even seen a few situations when over $90,000 has been demanded. Unfortunately, once someone realizes they are being defrauded, its not always easy to recover the money. Getting money back depends on the method of payment and how soon after the correct parties, such as the banking institution or law enforcement, are contacted, Baldwin said. These criminals are really sophisticated in finding ways to launder money and usually try to get funds out of the country as quickly as possible. Royce, who is deep into wedding planning, said she sent the scammer half of the $1,000 via Venmo and the other half on Zelle, per his demands. She said the police came to her house about an hour after the initial call, and returned later to collect additional information about the callers contact numbers and her own banking information. I opened a police report as well as claims with my bank and still have not received any of my money back, Royce said 19 days after she was scammed. I am waiting on an update. What To Do If You Get An Emergency Call About A Loved One Though it may be difficult in the moment to gauge whether an emergency call about a loved one is authentic, and panic can run high, it is advisable to contact the loved one from another app or device, like Royces mom did, to see if they are really in trouble or being threatened. The FBI Miami office also suggested notifying law enforcement as soon as possible. The agency maintains a database for complaints related to cybercrime that may aid ongoing investigations. The FBI also advised caution about what you publicly post online so that scammers do not easily have access to details and information about your closest friends and relatives. In addition, you should never provide identifiable personal information to strangers on the phone. As in Royces case, even caller IDs that look familiar can be suspect, since scammers can utilize technology to mask their actual numbers and trick victims into thinking they are someone else. Besides the monetary impact of being scammed this way, there can also be deep psychological effects. Even though my sisters life wasnt actually at stake, my brain thought it was, Royce said. Ive been working with my therapist on processing the trauma so that I dont end up with PTSD. Im also dealing with the idea that I am a victim of a crime and want to share my story so this doesnt happen to anyone else. Related... By Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal prosecutor on Thursday accused Grammy Award-winning rapper Prakazrel "Pras" Michel of The Fugees hip hop group of illegally taking tens of millions of dollars to lobby the U.S. government on behalf of a Malaysian financier and the Chinese government. The accusations were made at the start of a trial that prosecutor Nicole Lockhart said will link Michel to financier Jho Low, who is suspected of embezzling $4.5 billion from Malaysia's 1MDB sovereign wealth fund, and a Chinese government influence campaign aimed at repatriating dissident Guo Wengui. Michel is being tried on 11 criminal counts including various conspiracy charges for what prosecutors said were three separate lobbying schemes to influence the administrations of former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. Michel has denied the allegations. "This is a case about foreign money, influence and concealment," Lockhart said during her opening statement in Washington on Thursday. Lockhart told jurors the case will highlight "political intrigue, backroom dealings ... burner phones and lies." The Fugees won two Grammy Awards for their best-selling 1996 album "The Score." But by 2012, prosecutors said, Michel was in dire need of cash, and he found a solution to his problem through Low, who was known to pay Hollywood celebrities to party with him. In the first alleged scheme, prosecutors said Michel agreed to funnel about $2 million from Low into Obama's 2012 re-election campaign. Because federal election law prohibits foreigners from donating to U.S. campaigns, prosecutors said Michel masked the source of the funds by using straw donors. In exchange for helping Low, the government said Michel pocketed $18 million. "Through this scheme, the defendant duped the Obama campaign," Lockhart told the jury. A few years later, prosecutors said the focus of Michel's foreign lobbying campaign shifted, as the U.S. Justice Department intensified its investigation into Low over his suspected embezzlement of more than $4.5 billion from 1MDB. Story continues Low "needed a different kind of help," Lockhart said, saying that he paid Michel millions of dollars more to try to "secure influence at the highest levels of the United States government" that would quash the investigation. Michel and Elliott Broidy, the former finance chairman of the Republican National Committee, and other co-conspirators are accused of waging an "illegal back-channel" influence campaign to convince the Trump administration to back off on its investigation into Low. Prosecutors said they also tried to lobby the Trump administration at China's behest to return exiled Chinese businessman Guo Wengui to China. For his work on these two lobbying campaigns on behalf of Low and China, prosecutors said Michel was paid $70 million. Prosecutors also said Michel failed to register as a foreign agent as required by law. Later, after learning he was under criminal investigation, prosecutors said Michel tried to obstruct the probe by contacting witnesses and sending demand letters to straw donors from the 2012 campaign that threatened them with a lawsuit if they did not repay the funds. Guo has since been indicted on unrelated U.S. fraud charges. Low remains a fugitive in the Michel case. He is also facing separate U.S. criminal charges for conspiring to launder billions from 1MDB. In 2019, the Justice Department secured a civil settlement separate from the criminal action with Low, and Low agreed to return about $1 billion in assets. Broidy pleaded guilty for his role in October 2020, but Trump granted him a full pardon before leaving the White House. Michel's defense team on Thursday opted to delay their opening statement until after prosecutors complete making their case. His lawyers are expected to argue that Michel did not know he was acting as a foreign agent and believed he was furthering American interests. The case is expected to feature testimony from prominent witnesses that could include actor Leonardo DiCaprio, as well as former top Trump administration officials. (Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Scott Malone and Will Dunham) By David Shepardson and Rich McKay (Reuters) -Authorities have lifted an evacuation order and said no environmental safety issues were detected after a freight train carrying ethanol derailed near a small town in Minnesota early on Thursday. The BNSF Railway-operated train derailed at 1:02 a.m. CDT (0602 GMT) and caught fire, forcing some residents to evacuate in the town of Raymond, Minnesota, about 110 miles (180 km) west of Minneapolis. No injuries were reported. The evacuation order was lifted by the Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Office which also said there was no impact to ground water. BNSF said "groundwater is unaffected by the incident, and the air monitoring indicates no detectable levels of concern." The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Railroad Administration are investigating. BNSF, which is owned by Berkshire Hathaway Inc, said earlier approximately 22 cars carrying mixed freight, including ethanol and corn syrup, were reported derailed with four cars that had caught fire. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said he spoke to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and visited the scene on Thursday. "The state stands ready to protect the health and safety of the community," Walz said. In February, the derailment of a freight train operated by Norfolk Southern released more than a million gallons of hazardous materials and pollutants into the environment around the town of East Palestine, Ohio. The incident prompted a lawsuit from the state, congressional hearings and investigations by U.S. agencies. That episode drew new attention to derailments and prompted calls to toughen U.S. laws and regulations. There are roughly 1,000 U.S. train derailments annually. On Thursday, U.S. senators John Fetterman, Bob Casey and Sherrod Brown, all Democrats, introduced a rail bill to expand safety procedures after the East Palestine derailment. The bill would prohibit mechanics from inspecting a locomotive or rail car while the train is in motion and ensure communication checks between the train front and end do not fail and that emergency brake signals reach the end of a train, responding to an NTSB recommendation. (Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington and Rich McKay in AtlantaEditing by Jonathan Oatis and Matthew Lewis) United Nations The head of the United Nations' global nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, walked across the front line in Ukraine this week to inspect the damage to Europe's largest nuclear power plant. Rafael Grossi made his second trip Wednesday to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in southern Ukraine, where escalating combat poses a threat to the facility. "In view of the persistent risks facing the ZNPP during the armed conflict in Ukraine, Director General Grossi said he remained determined to press ahead with his diplomatic efforts to protect the six-reactor plant and help prevent a nuclear accident that could have severe consequences on people and the environment in Ukraine and elsewhere," the agency said Thursday, following Grossi's visit. What's at stake with Ukraine's Russian-occupied nuclear plant? "It is obvious that this area is facing perhaps a more dangerous phase. We have to step up our efforts to get to some agreement of the protection of the plant," Grossi told reporters. Director General @rafaelmgrossi crossed the frontline to visit the #Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant today to assess its nuclear safety & security. He reiterated the urgent need to protect the plant. pic.twitter.com/aw5Uh5yfn9 IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency (@iaeaorg) March 29, 2023 The IAEA has a rotating team permanently based at the Zaporizhzhia plant, and Grossi told The Associated Press that he felt it was his duty to push for progress in talks between Kyiv and Moscow aimed at establishing safeguards around the facility to avoid a potentially catastrophic accident. He said he would "most probably" head to Moscow in the coming days to continue those discussions. The agency tried for months to secure an agreement that would see a demilitarized zone established around the sprawling plant compound, which has been hit by rockets several times and had its connection to Ukraine's power grid cut repeatedly, forcing it to rely on emergency diesel generators to keep vital cooling systems running. Grossing said this week that he believed an agreement on some measures to protect the plant was "close," but he didn't give any details. On Thursday he said his objective was to "prepare and propose realistic measures that will be approved by all parties." "We must avoid catastrophe. I am an optimist and I believe that this is possible," he said after arriving at the facility in a Russian armored vehicle, surrounded by soldiers. He did not speak of the previous bid to secure a safe-zone around the plant, appearing to have changed his tactics to focus on specific measures. He called his visit "extremely useful" and told French news agency AFP that one of the main commitments he was seeking from both sides was "not to attack the plant." Grossi said Wednesday's visit had allowed him to see for himself the damage the plant had sustained since the last time he was there in February 2022, especially during intense shelling late last year. Rafael Grossi (C), head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), accompanied by Renat Karchaa (2L), an advisor to Russia's nuclear power operator Rosenergoatom, and Yury Chernichuk (R), the Moscow-installed director of the plant, visits the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, March 29, 2023. / Credit: ANDREY BORODULIN/AFP/Getty "We remain greatly concerned about the situation around the Zaporizhzhia plant and call on Russia to end its shelling there and throughout Ukraine," a U.S. official familiar with the talks told CBS News on Thursday, repeating Washington's call for Russia "to immediately end its war on Ukraine and withdraw its troops from the country." Oleg Nikolenko, a spokesman for Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, told CBS News on Thursday that the situation "at and around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant remains tense and volatile." He renewed Ukraine's long-time argument that Russian forces were using the sensitive facility "as a military base and a storage facility for ammunition while firing shelling near the plant." Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of shelling of and around the plant for months. Nikolenko accused Russia of making "constant attempts to obstruct technological processes, which can cause a severe malfunction" at the nuclear plant, part of what he called "reckless and dangerous actions" that "have brought the world to the brink of a new nuclear disaster." "Russia must immediately withdraw from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and return it under Ukrainian control," he said. "This is the only way to restore nuclear safety and security." Reps. Bowman and Massie have heated exchange over gun control MLB opening day will feature new rule changes Nine soldiers killed in Kentucky helicopter crash Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 30) The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said it spotted foreign vessels and challenged Chinese ships within the country's territorial waters during a recent maritime patrol. In a statement on Thursday, the coast guard said the BRP Malapascua monitored at least 20 Chinese and Vietnamese vessels in Sabina Shoal on March 16 to 21. It also encountered at least two China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels with bow numbers 5304 and 5305 near the shoal. "Multiple radio challenges were issued by the PCG vessel but no response was received," the coast guard said. "Rigid-hull Inflatable Boats (RHIBs) were deployed to disperse the foreign-flagged vessels in and around the shoal." In Pag-asa Island, the PCG said BRP Malapascua came up against a People's Liberation Army-Navy (PLAN) Type 056A Jiangdao II Class Missile Corvette with bow number 649 within 12 nautical miles of the island. The PCG said its vessel issued multiple radio challenges while the PLAN ship responded with its own. A CCG vessel 5201 also shadowed the BRP Malapascua at a distance of approximately 1,600 yards after the PCG vessel issued radio challenges near Ayungin Shoal. "The PCG vessel reported that during its encounter with CCGV 5201 at Ayungin Shoal, the former came as close as 1.2 NM (nautical miles) from the grounded Philippine Navy Vessel BRP Sierra Madre," the PCG said, referring to the ditched ship which serves as a military outpost. The coast guard said the National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea received the post-operation report for the BRP Malapascua's maritime patrol mission. Earlier, the PCG said dozens of suspected Chinese maritime militia and coast guard ships were spotted in the vicinity of Pag-asa Island. But on March 10, the PCG said there were fewer Chinese vessels near Pag-asa Island and Sabina Shoal but radio challenges continued. These two areas and the Ayungin Shoal are considered by Manila part of the Kalayaan Island Group in Palawan. In February, a Chinese vessel pointed a military-grade laser at BRP Malapascua, prompting the country to file a diplomatic protest against Beijing. The PCG also recently reported a "close distance maneuvering" of a CCG vessel 3305 towards PCG vessel BRP Malabrigo while it was on patrol on March 2 at vicinity waters off Bajo de Masinloc. READ: Govt says diplomatic protest filed over Chinese vessel's 'close distance maneuvering' in Scarborough Shoal Philippine and Chinese officials met on March 23 to discuss aspects of Manila-Beijing relations, where Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong said the countries need to "properly deal" with differences through "friendly consultations." Washington The Biden administration has sanctioned a Slovakian man who U.S. officials said attempted to facilitate an arms deal that would have given Russia access to weapons and munitions from North Korea in exchange for aircraft, food and other material. The Treasury Department announced new sanctions targeting Ashot Mkrtychev, the man accused of trying to arrange the secret deal. Officials said the episode is the latest sign that Russia is searching for ways to replenish its military capabilities as it continues to suffer losses amid heavy fighting in Ukraine. "We know that between the end of 2022 and early 2023, that [Mkrtychev] worked with North Korean officials to attempt to obtain, as I said, over two dozen kinds of weapons and ammunitions for Russia" in exchange for aircraft, raw materials and commodities, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on a call. He said any such arrangement would violate multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions. The Treasury Department said Mkrtychev "confirmed Russia's readiness to receive military equipment from the DPRK with senior Russian officials," using North Korea's official diplomatic name. The department said Mkrtychev worked with a Russian official to locate commercial aircraft that could be delivered to North Korea. Thursday's sanctions mean all of Mkrtychev's property and interests in the U.S. or in the possession of U.S. persons are blocked. "Russia has lost over 9,000 pieces of heavy military equipment since the start of the war, and thanks in part to multilateral sanctions and export controls, Putin has become increasingly desperate to replace them," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement. "Schemes like the arms deal pursued by this individual show that Putin is turning to suppliers of last resort like Iran and the DPRK. We remain committed to degrading Russia's military-industrial capabilities, as well as exposing and countering Russian attempts to evade sanctions and obtain military equipment from the DPRK or any other state that is prepared to support its war in Ukraine." Story continues Mkrtychev joins the growing list of individuals and entities the U.S. has sanctioned since Russia invaded Ukraine more than a year ago. The U.S. and its allies announced a new round of sanctions last month targeting more than 200 people and entities, including both Russians and third-country actors. U.S. officials have previously issued public warnings that Russia is seeking to replenish its military stockpiles through deals with other countries as it struggles to replace weapons, shells and ammunition. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last month that China was considering providing "lethal support" to Russia, and Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow last week. Xi made no promises to provide weapons to Russia and China officially it considers itself an "impartial" observer to the conflict, but the two leaders issued a statement saying it was necessary to "respect legitimate security concerns of all countries," an apparent swipe at the West. Stocks close higher as banking fears subside Texas judge strikes down Affordable Care Act requirement Aaron Judge hits home run on baseball's opening day after breaking American League record By Daphne Psaledakis and Arshad Mohammed WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. on Thursday said it had imposed sanctions on a Slovakian man for trying to arrange the sale of over two dozen types of North Korean weapons and munitions to Russia to help Moscow replace military equipment lost in its war with Ukraine. The action, which comes as Washington warned that Russia is seeking to acquire additional weapons from North Korea, is the latest in a series of sanctions the U.S. has imposed targeting Moscow and its attempts to obtain military equipment. The conflict in Ukraine has killed tens of thousands and reduced many cities to rubble. The U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement it had imposed sanctions on Slovakian national Ashot Mkrtychev "for having attempted to, directly or indirectly, import, export, or re-export to, into, or from the DPRK any arms or related materiel." Between the end of 2022 and early 2023, Mkrtychev worked with North Korean officials to obtain over two dozen kinds of weapons and munitions for Russia in exchange for materials ranging from commercial aircraft, raw materials and commodities to be sent to North Korea, the Treasury said. It said Mkrtychev's negotiations with North Korean and Russian officials "detailed mutually beneficial cooperation," adding that Mkrtychev confirmed Russia's readiness to receive military equipment from North Korea with senior Russian officials. There have been reports of growing food shortages in North Korea, although North Korea has denied suggestions that it cannot provide for its citizens. Thursday's move freezes any of Mkrtychev's U.S. assets and generally bars Americans from dealing with him. Those that engage in certain transactions with him also risk being hit with sanctions. Russia's embassy in Washington and North Korea's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Mkrtychev could not immediately be reached for comment. Story continues The White House later on Thursday warned that the United States has new information that Russia is actively seeking to acquire additional weapons from North Korea in exchange for food aid. "We remain concerned that North Korea will provide further support to Russia's military operations against Ukraine," White House national security spokesman John Kirby said. "And we have new information that Russia is actively seeking to acquire additional munitions from North Korea." (Reporting By Arshad Mohammed, Daphne Psaledakis, Trevor Hunnicutt and Kanishka Singh; Editing by Josie Kao and Leslie Adler) Deputies with the Union County Sheriffs Office arrested a high school student and are searching for Jonah Robert Payne, of Charlotte, who is a suspect involved in a chase into southeast Charlotte. According to a release from the sheriffs office, deputies were told about a suspicious vehicle in the parking lot at Piedmont High School in Monroe. The vehicle left and returned to the school, picking up 18-year-old student Jordan Carnes at the rear exit. Deputies found the car in a church parking lot and tried to talk with Carnes and the driver, who was Payne. However, Payne drove off at a high rate of speed and hit a deputys vehicle. Payne stopped the car and let Carnes out during the chase. Carnes was arrested and charged with having marijuana. ALSO READ: NCSHP: Chase spanning two counties ends in fatal crash Deputies pursued the vehicle, which ended around Wyalong Drive near the Harris Teeter in southeast Charlotte. There, Payne stopped the vehicle, got out, and ran from the scene. There was an extensive search for Payne but deputies came up empty-handed. Deputies found Paynes drivers license inside the car and were able to identify him. There was enough pot, other THC products, magic mushrooms, and prescription-grade cough syrup for authorities to believe he is a source of a supply/bulk distributor of illegal narcotics in the Charlotte and Union County areas. Payne did not enter any of the buildings on the schools campus during the incident. Local schools were placed under lockdown during the pursuit as a precaution, deputies said. Additional deputies will be at Piedmont High Friday. Deputies obtained warrants for the arrest of Payne who has been charged with 18 offenses including but not limited to: felony flee to elude, sell/deliver Schedule I controlled substance, manufacture/sell/deliver/possess a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school, and felony possession of a schedule I controlled substance. Carnes remains in custody under a $2,000 secured bond. Story continues Once again, one of our SROs used their training, experience, and the knowledge of their students to safeguard one of our school campuses, said Union County Sheriff Eddie Cathey. These narcotics distributors attempted to introduce illicit, dangerous substances into our schools and were stopped by an attentive deputy who deeply cares for her students. I cannot overstate the importance of having a trained, professional deputy within our schools that is dedicated to the protection of our children, youth, and staff members from dangerous criminals. Anyone with information about the suspect or his whereabouts is asked to call the Union County Sheriffs Office. This is a developing story, check back at wsoctv.com for updates. (WATCH BELOW:CMPD: Crash shuts down Providence Rd in south Charlotte) LONDON (Reuters) - Britain said on Thursday it would increase the amount of funding for security at Jewish faith schools and synagogues for the coming year to enable them to better protect themselves against antisemitic attacks. The 15 million pounds ($18.50 million) for 2023-24, up 1 million pounds on the previous year, will fund things such as security guards, CCTV and alarm systems to protect against hate crime, anti-social behaviour and terrorism, the government said. "Attacks on the Jewish community are abhorrent. I applaud the polices efforts to tackle these crimes, but we must go further to ensure the vile criminals who threaten the peace and safety of Jewish communities feel the full force of the law," interior minister Suella Braverman said in a statement. Braverman will also chair a new Jewish Community Police, Crime and Security Taskforce to boost efforts to tackle antisemitic crime and violence against Jewish communities. The taskforce, which will include police, ministers and the Jewish advisory body the Community Security Trust (CST), will meet three times a year. Last month, a report by the CST said the number of antisemitic incidents in Britain last year fell by more than a quarter from a record high seen in 2021, but an increasing number of children were becoming victims of hatred. Government hate crime statistics show almost a quarter of recorded religiously-motivated hate crimes in the UK in the year to March 2022 were against Jewish people. The government said the new funding would bring the total amount allocated through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant to 122 million pounds since 2015. ($1 = 0.8108 pounds) (Reporting by Farouq Suleiman, Editing by Kylie MacLellan) (Bloomberg) -- The UK government delayed a decision on when it will increase the state pension age to 68 amid slowing rises in life expectancy. Most Read from Bloomberg A new independent review recommended putting off the rise to between 2041 and 2043, but Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride told the House of Commons on Thursday that now was not the time to take a decision. He said a fresh review will be undertaken within two years of the next general election. Given the level of uncertainty about the data on life expectancy, labor markets and the public finances and the significance of these decisions on the lives of millions of people, I am mindful that a different decision might be more appropriate once these factors are clearer, he said. The UK state pension age currently 66 is legally set to rise to 67 between 2026 and 2028, and was also due to increase to 68 between 2044 and 2046. An independent review in 2017 said that change should be made earlier from 2037 to 2039 a recommendation the government accepted at the time. But Stride said that since 2017, the increase in life expectancy had slowed a trend seen to a varying degree across much of the developed world. His announcement effectively kicks the can down the road, deferring a potentially unpopular decision until after an election thats widely expected next year. Proposals to raise the state pension age are highly controversial, particularly among middle-age voters, as demonstrated in France where Emmanuel Macrons attempt to push through a rise triggered nationwide protests. Still, putting off the increase to 68 will come at a high price for the UK: the Institute for Fiscal Studies said last week that each year of delay after 2037 will cost the Treasury as much as 9 billion ($11 billion). Story continues The state pension is paid to those who reach the eligible age and have made enough National Insurance contributions. It will be worth 203.85 a week from April 6 for those on the new state pension and 156.20 for those on the basic state pension. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. A Ukrainian tank drives down a street in Siversk which is situated near the front lines with Russia on January 21, 2023 in Siversk, Ukraine. Spencer Platt/Getty Images A British diplomat has described a series of catastrophic failings by Russia in Ukraine. He described Russia as a "so-called" superpower, saying its credibility has been dented. Russia has threatened to respond to the UK arming Ukraine with armor-piercing weapons. A British diplomat has criticised Russia's military for its "astounding levels of incompetence" in Ukraine, claiming its actions have ruined Russia's international standing. Ian Stubbs, a UK government military advisor, listed the missteps in a speech to the Organization for Cooperation and Security in Europe Wednesday. "With support from their partners, Ukraine has shown that agility and ingenuity can have a devastating effect against a so-called superpower," Stubbs said. He said that Russian mercenary group Wagner has suffered staggeringly high casualties in its recent bid to seize control of the east Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, and Russian divisions were now low on manpower and ammunition. "Approximately 30,000 Russian fighters have been killed or wounded since the battle for Bakhmut began nine months ago, with the Wagner-dominated force advancing just 25 km in this time." "Try as they might to present an alternate reality to the ground truth with an increasingly ridiculous carpet of disinformation, the astounding levels of incompetence in Russia's military leadership that have eroded Russia's military reputation are clear for all to see," he said. He also noted that Russia had resorted to using outdated, Soviet-era equipment. "These Stalin era naval weapon systems, 60-year-old T-62 main battle tanks and vintage BTR-50 armoured personnel carriers that Russia is operating in Ukraine are indeed a true demonstration of the type of 'high technical performance' for which Russia's military and defence industry are now regarded," he said. The UK and Russia have been exchanging diplomatic blows since the start of the conflict, with the UK one of Ukraine's main international allies. Story continues Russia's President Vladimir Putin recently said Russia would "respond accordingly" if UK plans to deliver armor-piercing shells to Ukraine go ahead. "The United Kingdom ... announced not only the supply of tanks to Ukraine, but also shells with depleted uranium. If this happens, Russia will be forced to respond accordingly, given that the West collectively is already beginning to use weapons with a nuclear component," he said. Read the original article on Business Insider (Bloomberg) -- King Charles III waded into European politics, praising Germanys decision to reverse decades of defense policy by supplying Ukraine with arms and condemning Russias invasion. Most Read from Bloomberg Germanys decision to send such significant military support to Ukraine is remarkably courageous, important and appreciated, Charles said in a speech to the lower house of parliament in Berlin. Speaking to Bundestag lawmakers in German during his first state visit as monarch, he said Russias unprovoked attack had inflicted the most unimaginable suffering on many innocent people. Countless lives have been destroyed; freedom and human dignity have been trampled in the most brutal way, the king said. The security of Europe has been threatened, as have our democratic values, he added. Even as we abhor the appalling scenes of destruction, we can take heart from our unity in defense of Ukraine, of peace and freedom. As Prince of Wales, or monarch-in-waiting, Charles made no secret of his political advocacy, particularly his desire to combat climate change. Just six months into his monarchy and just over a month before his coronation on May 6, the King had not yet signaled whether he would follow in his mothers footsteps and eschew any public political stances. The monarchs speech in Berlin, skipping between English and German, was the first time that a member of the royal family addressed the Bundestag when its in session. His visit has been billed as a test of Britains soft diplomacy in rebuilding European ties frayed by Brexit. German Finance Minister Christian Lindner was one of many voices praising the kings Bundestag appearance, telling television broadcaster Welt he had made an endearing, very personal statement about German-British friendship, with a lot of humor. Story continues And I think it really helped, also for everyday life, so that Britons and Germans actually come closer together despite and after Brexit, Lindner added. Charles, who earlier met with Chancellor Olaf Scholz, charmed German lawmakers with a few gentle jokes about the differences between the two nations. Like many British people, I have close personal ties here. In my case, cherished family relationships and associations that go back generations, he said. Of course there are rivalries in some areas, especially in our encounters on the football pitch. A reference to the England womens soccer team beating Germany in the final of the European Championships last year drew a wry look from President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. We have laughed at each other and with each other, Charles said. He included references to Monty Pythons popularity in Germany and Dinner for One a 1963 black-and-white British TV sketch which, while virtually unknown in the UK, has been at the heart of the German New Years Eve ritual since 1972. Bundestag President Barbel Bas invited the king and his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, to view the first volume of the Bundestags Golden Book of illustrious visitors, which was signed by Charless late mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Charles thanked the German people for their messages of support following her death, saying that Her late majesty won a particular place of affection among the German people. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has adopted a more emollient tone with Britains European neighbors than his predecessors did during Brexit negotiations, and visited French President Emmanuel Macron three weeks ago after sealing the Windsor Framework deal. Even so, Sunaks government was forced to deny that his governing Conservative Party sought to politicize the monarchy last month when the king met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during crunch Brexit talks. Steinmeier and his wife Elke Budenbender welcomed the British royal couple on Wednesday with military honors at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, to cheering crowds. There has been widespread interest in Germany in the royal visit, with news reaching the front page of many newspapers, including best-selling tabloid Bild. Steinmeier addressed the issue of Brexit in his speech at a state banquet on Wednesday evening, which he noted marked six years to the day since the UK submitted its letter notifying the EU of its intention to leave. He said that had been a sad day for him and many other Germans. Back then many feared that Brexit could make the Germans and the British drift apart, Steinmeier said. However, this did not happen, he added. Too strong are the ties between our countries, too close the friendships between our people, too precious the reconciliation efforts after two world wars. On Friday, the king will visit a memorial in Hamburg to the Kindertransport, the railway evacuation of Jewish refugee children to safety in the UK in the run-up to World War II. --With assistance from Michael Nienaber. (Updates with finance minister comments starting in sixth paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. (Bloomberg) -- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned Russia for detaining Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg on suspicion of espionage. We are deeply concerned over Russias widely reported detention of a U.S. citizen journalist, Blinken said in a statement. Most Read from Bloomberg Gershkovich is suspected of espionage in the interests of the American government, the FSB, Russias Federal Security Service, said in Moscow. The reporter collected information constituting a state secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex, according to the statement. The WSJ confirmed Gershkovich was detained and denied the charges. Turkey removed the final obstacle to Finlands membership in NATO. Key Developments Finland Clears Last Obstacle to NATO Entry With Turkish Nod (1) Russia Detains US Journalist From WSJ in Dark Turn for Ties Putin Orders Conscription of 147,000 by July 15, Kremlin Says Raiffeisen Eyes Russia Unit Sale or Spin-off Amid Pressure (All times CET) Finland Clears Last Obstacle to NATO Entry (3:50 a.m.) Turkeys Parliament voted to approve Finlands membership in NATO, removing the final obstacle to the accession of Russias Nordic neighbor into the defense alliance as its 31st member. Lawmakers in Ankara unanimously voted on Thursday to ratify Finlands entry into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the last of current members to approve the expansion after the Hungarian parliament on Monday also backed the move. The vote seals a major change in the European security architecture after militarily non-aligned Finland and Sweden sought NATO membership in a U-turn following Russias invasion of Ukraine a year ago. Story continues Putin Orders Draft of 147,000 Conscripts by July 15 (7:19 p.m.) Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree for to draft 147,000 conscripts ages 18 to 27 for the army this spring, according to a Kremlin website. These draftees arent supposed to be sent to the war in Ukraine, according to previous statements by authorities. Currently, Russia is seeking to recruit 400,000 professional soldiers, who are more likely to be used in combat. Russias defense ministry offers draftees professional contracts at the end of their conscription service, which is currently a year. EU Capitals Support Extending Tariff-Free Trade With Ukraine (7:16 p.m.) European Union member states gave preliminary backing to extend a trade liberalization regime with Ukraine for an additional year, according to people familiar with the matter. The EU temporarily removed all remaining tariffs and quota requirements on Ukrainian exports last year in an effort to bolster the war-torn nations economy, including on steel, industrial goods and agricultural products not covered by the blocs existing trade arrangements with Kyiv. The current accord expires in June. US Says Russia Actively Seeking More Munitions From North Korea (6:55 p.m.) We remain concerned that North Korea will provide further support for Russias military operations against Ukraine, John Kirby, spokesman for the US National Security Council, told reporters. And we have new information that Russia is actively seeking to acquire additional munitions from North Korea. He commented after the US Treasury Department said it sanctioned Ashot Mkrtychev, a Slovakian national, for attempting to facilitate arms deals between Russia and North Korea. Treasury said in a statement that Mkrtychev worked with North Korean officials to obtain more than two dozen kinds of weapons and munitions for Russia in exchange for materials ranging from commercial aircraft, raw materials and commodities to be sent to North Korea. Blinken Blasts Russia for Detention of WSJ Reporter (6:23 p.m.) We are in contact with the Wall Street Journal on this situation, Blinken said in his statement. Whenever a U.S. citizen is detained abroad, we immediately seek consular access, and seek to provide all appropriate support. In the strongest possible terms, we condemn the Kremlins continued attempts to intimidate, repress, and punish journalists and civil society voices, the top US diplomat said. French Court Refuses to Extradite Zhevago to Ukraine (5:30 p.m.) A French court ruled against the request from Ukrainian authorities to extradite billionaire Kostyantin Zhevago, according to his lawyer Francois Zimeray. The court said a person cannot be extradited to a country at war. Zhevago, owner of iron ore producer Ferrexpo Plc, was arrested in France on suspicion of money laundering and embezzlement in December and later released on bail. Zelenskiy Meets Rheinmetal CEO in Kyiv (4:30 p.m.) Volodymyr Zelenskiy held a meeting in Kyiv with Rheinmetal AG CEO Armin Papperger, according to a statement on the Ukrainian presidents website. They discussed current cooperation, Ukraines frontline needs, and future partnerships. Zelenskiy thanked Germanys leading defense company, as well as the entire country, for comprehensive help and support of Ukraine in the fight against the ongoing Russian aggression. Olympic Chief Hits Deplorable Double Standard on Russian Athletes (3 p.m.) European governments show a deplorable double standard in opposing a move to allow some Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in the 2024 Paris Games, said International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach. We have not seen a single comment from them about their attitude about the participation of athletes whose countries are involved in the other 70 wars and armed conflicts in the world, Bach said on Thursday, according to the Associated Press. Several countries have criticized an IOC move to allow some individual athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete as neutral athletes in Paris. Ukrainian officials have pushed for a ban on Russian participation. WSJ Journalist Pleads Not Guilty at Closed-Press Hearing, Tass Reports (2:41 p.m.) Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich pleaded not guilty at a top secret hearing in his espionage case, Tass reported, citing law enforcement officials. Tass added that the US citizens hearing was closed to the press. The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, the newspaper said earlier in a statement. We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family. King Charles Condemns Russia in Speech to German Lawmakers (1:51 p.m.) King Charles III waded into European politics on Thursday, praising Germanys decision to reverse decades of defense policy by supplying Ukraine with arms. Germanys decision to send such significant military support to Ukraine is remarkably courageous, important and appreciated, Charles said in a speech to the lower house of parliament in Berlin. As head of state, the British monarch traditionally remains above politics. Speaking to Bundestag lawmakers in German during his first state visit as monarch, he said Russias unprovoked attack had inflicted the most unimaginable suffering on many innocent people. Austrias Raiffeisen Bank Eyes Russia Unit Sale or Spin-off (1:15 p.m.) Austrias Raiffeisen Bank plans to sell or spin off its Russian subsidiary, a unit thats faced criticism for making record profits since the start of the war in Ukraine. The RBI Group will continue to progress potential transactions which would result in the sale or spin-off of Raiffeisenbank Russia and deconsolidation, the banks CEO told a shareholder meeting in Vienna. A sale would need approval from Russias government and would likely come at a discount of at least 55% to the units fair value. Putin Confidants Bankers Convicted of Negligence (12:56 p.m.) Four bankers including the former boss of Gazprombanks Swiss unit were convicted for failing in their due diligence requirements to properly flag financial transactions made by a cello-playing confidant of Vladimir Putin. The men were handed suspended sentences subject to two years of probation, a Zurich district court said. The ex-head of Gazprombank Schweiz AG was fined 540,000 Swiss francs ($590,000), while two senior executives and a client relationship manager were ordered to pay lesser amounts. Former UK Spy Chief Expects Ukraine to Start Offensive in Coming Months (12:25 p.m.) The Ukrainians are very good, as it were, misleading the media, saying its not going to happen now. But I think one should anticipate something dramatic should happen in the next few months in the conflict, Richard Dearlove, former head of British foreign intelligence, told Bloomberg Television. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Valerii Zaluzhnyi Zaluzhnyi posted a video in which Ukrainian military personnel tell how Ukraine's aviation put up unexpected resistance to the Russian invaders at the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Ukraine needs F-16s, Zaluzhnyi said in captions to the video. However, U.S. President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have previously announced that they would not hand over planes to Ukraine. Nevertheless, according to Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, a positive decision on the transfer of aviation to Ukraine is a matter of one or two months. The commander of the Air Force of Ukraine, General Serhiy Holubtsov, said on March 20 that Ukrainian pilots will be able to learn to fly F-16 fighters in less than six months. Over the past year, Ukraine has pleaded with its military allies to provide it with air defenses, tanks and modern fighter aircraft. However, air defenses and tanks were only provided after lengthy delays and escalating attacks by Russia on Ukraine, and modern Western fighter jets have yet to be provided. Ukraine has, however, received some Soviet-era MiG-29 fighters from current members of NATO who were once part of the Soviet-dominated Warsaw Pact group of countries. The Warsaw Pact was a nominally defensive alliance set up by the Soviet Union to counterbalance the NATO defensive alliance, but which in effect served as a means by which the Soviet Union could project military power across Eastern Europe. It is notable as the only such defensive alliance in which member countries invaded each other, and on more than one occasion (Hungary, invaded by the Soviet Union in 1956, and Czechoslovakia, invaded by Soviet, Polish, Bulgarian and Hungarian troops in 1968.) Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has stressed that Ukrainian defenders need Western F-16 fighter jets. Source: Zaluzhnyis accounts in social media Quote: "Ukraine needs F-16s." Details: Zaluzhnyi has released a video showing Ukrainian soldiers who describe how Ukraine's military aircraft has been putting up an unexpected resistance to the Russians since the beginning of the Russian invasion. One of the pilots says that the most challenging thing is not the ability to pilot, but the ability to use the aircraft in actual combat. Background: Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 30) The Philippines and China are set to resume "exploratory" discussions on a possible joint oil and gas venture in the West Philippine Sea, according to Manila's top diplomat. In an interview shared with reporters on Thursday, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo confirmed that Beijing has reached out and proposed to hold meetings anew on the matter. "I think we will begin in maybe around six weeks, but as I said at a technical level," Manalo said. "But those talks are going to begin discussing basically terms of reference, there's no document yet." "It's a meeting, you can say exploratory or scoping, or seeing the scope of the discussion and we'll see where it goes," he added. Before passing the baton to the new government last year, former President Rodrigo Duterte had ordered the complete termination of the joint oil and gas exploration talks between the Philippines and China. Then-DFA Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. cited how the goal of developing the resources of the contested waterway was not achieved years after both parties inked a memorandum of understanding in 2018. When President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took the reins, the administration said it would study the resumption of the joint venture with the East Asian giant. Marcos also personally told Chinese President Xi Jinping that the Philippines wants to continue the negotiations. Manalo said the government will "always be guided by the requirements of the Constitution" when it comes to holding the talks with their counterparts. He added that the initial meeting will likely be attended by the countries' maritime officials. China also confirmed that the camps had agreed to resume discussions during the governments' previous engagements. "The two sides are in communication on the early resumption of the talks," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. This is the first sentence in Ukraine for the kidnapping of civilians from Crimea that could serve as a precedent in the Ukrainian legal system, said the head of the prosecutor's office, Igor Ponochovny. Read also: ECHR schedules hearing on Crimea case for Nov. 8 The judge, Larysa Likhacheva, was found guilty of violating the laws and customs of war (Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), Ukrainian outlet Babel wrote. "The 'judge' knew for certain that since 2014 the residents of Crimea have had the status of persons protected by international humanitarian law. Despite this, she decided to expel a citizen of Ukraine from the occupied peninsula," the prosecutor's office said in the statement. Read also: Resistance in occupied Crimea growing noticeably more pro-Ukrainian Tasheva Likhacheva explained the illegal decision by the alleged lack of permits and non-compliance with the "rules for staying in Russia." "(Her actions) are a serious violation of Article 49 of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilians of 1949, which prohibits, regardless of motive, the forcible individual or mass transfer or abduction of persons from an occupied territory," the Crimean prosecutor's office wrote. Read also: Russia illegally detains 181 Ukrainian political prisoners in Crimea Three more similar cases are pending before a court. Three messages containing evidence of the mass abduction of Ukrainians from Crimea annexed by Russia, the forced transfer of Crimeans to the mainland of Ukraine, and the detention of Crimeans for political reasons have been sent to the International Criminal Court. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Danylo Hetmantsev Hetmantsev said that on average, the state collects about UAH 80 billion ($3 billion)in taxes and fees per month, while approximately UAH 130 billion ($5 billion) is spent on the war meaning that the remaining funds are obtained through loans and bonds. He said that Ukraines international partners do not provide funding for security and defense, hence the need to collect these funds domestically. Read also: Cabinet of Ministers passes bill to cancel preferential single tax rate As for the specific decisions to be implemented from July 2023, these include the cancellation of the 2% preferential regime, which was introduced in the spring of 2022, the restoration of documentary checks, and the restoration of responsibility for non-fulfillment of tax obligations, Hetmantsev said He said that his committee agrees with the IMFs recommendation to cancel the 2% turnover tax starting from July 1, as they believe it has served its purpose. This includes the restoration of documentary tax audits and the restoration of responsibility for non-compliance with tax obligations in areas where there is no military action, he added. This is how the tax system is to be brought in line with the rules that existed in peacetime, before the active phase of the war. Read also: No more dangerous money printing, says National Bank of Ukraine As reported, since March 15, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the implementation of tax reform due to Russias war against Ukraine. During the period of martial law, not only individual entrepreneurs, but also large enterprises were able to pay a unified tax, and business inspections were canceled. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine An entire Ukrainian city has reportedly been levelled by Russian attacks, with more than 80 per cent of its housing stock destroyed. Vitalii Barabash, Head of the Avdiivka City Military Administration, said that the city's infrastructure had been "completely ruined", adding that, "it is impossible to restore or repair, but only to demolish and rebuild". He told Interfax-Ukraine: "There is not a single house left standing. The city probably hasn't had a single building standing since summer." In recent weeks, Moscow has switched its focus to Avdiivka in the Donetsk region, hoping to encircle the Ukrainian troops defending it after having so far failed to capture nearby Bakhmut. It is feared the renewed Russian effort to seize Avdiivka could create a second Bakhmut. 03:31 PM Today's top stories A Wall Street Journal reporter has been arrested in Russia and charged with spying for the first time since the Cold War Scuffles broke out outside a famed monastery in Kyiv after monks accused of ties with Russia defied an eviction order. Ukraine has said that Russia's upcoming presidency of the United Nations Security Council on April 1 is "a bad joke". Top US General Mark Milley said Moscow's forces were "getting hammered" in a "slaughter-fest" in Bakhmut. Two prominent Russians have been caught calling Vladimir Putin a dwarf and a wimp who is ruining the country. 02:51 PM Ukraine is 'determining factor' in China-EU ties, says EU chief EU chief Ursula von der Leyen warned Beijing on Thursday that its stance on Russia's war in Ukraine would determine Chinese-EU ties but said Europe was not looking to "decouple" from China. The head of the European Commission will accompany French President Emmanuel Macron to Beijing next week as EU leaders reach out to China's Xi Jinping. Ursula von der Leyen delivers a keynote address on EU-China relations at the European Policy Centre (EPC) in Brussels, Belgium - VALERIA MONGELLI/AFP The visit - and another by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez starting Thursday - comes after Xi staged a show of solidarity with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow last week. Story continues "Far from being put off by the atrocious and illegal invasion of Ukraine, President Xi is maintaining his 'no limits friendship' with Putin's Russia," von der Leyen said in a major policy address. China has tried to position itself as a neutral mediator and pitched what it describes as a plan to help end the fighting. 02:44 PM EU agriculture commissioner says he would support limits on trading with Ukraine European Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski would support curbs on trading with Ukraine if Poland proposed such a solution, he said on Thursday, amid anger from farmers over the effect of Ukrainian imports on grain prices. "If the Polish government requests trading curbs with Ukraine obviously I will support that proposal," he told reporters in Brussels. 02:17 PM Blinken to meet Ukrainian counterpart and Nato chief next week US Secretary of State Antony Blinken plans to attend the Nato foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on April 3 to April 5, where he will emphasise continued US support for Ukraine and transatlantic security, the State Department said. While there, he will meet with European Union High Representative and Vice President Josep Borrell, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dymtro Kuleba, it said in a statement on Thursday. 01:50 PM Russian court orders US journalist to be held in pre-trial detention until May 29 Moscow's Lefortovo district court ordered Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, arrested on spying charges, to be held in pre-trial detention until May 29, Reuters is reporting. Evan Gershkovich told a Moscow court on Thursday that he was not guilty of espionage, something he has been accused of by the FSB security service, Russia's TASS news agency reported. 01:38 PM Wall Street Journal 'vehemently denies' Russian allegations about reporter The Wall Street Journal said it "vehemently denies" Russian allegations about its reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been arrested on charges of spying. "The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich," the newspaper said in a statement. "We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family." 01:32 PM Pictured: A Ukrainian soldier on a tank performs firing practice at a special shooting range in Zaporizhzhia A Ukrainian soldier on a tank performs firing practice at special shooting range in Zaporizhzhia - Anadolu Agency/Anadolu 01:28 PM Scuffles at Kyiv monastery as Church accused of Moscow ties resists eviction Scuffles broke out outside a Kyiv monastery after a Ukrainian branch of the Orthodox Church accused by the government of having ties with Russia defied an eviction order. Tensions over the presence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) at the 980-year-old Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery have risen since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year. Hours after a deadline to leave the monastery passed at midnight on Wednesday, members of the UOC refused entry to a government representative who came to inspect buildings in the gold-domed monastery's sprawling complex. Shortly afterwards, Reuters correspondents saw UOC representatives trying to prevent journalists filming a senior UOC cleric as he walked inside the monastery grounds. "You lie," one man inside the complex shouted at reporters. 12:39 PM France says it is 'worried' by Russia's arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter France said that it was "worried" after Moscow detained a US journalist working for the Wall Street Journal in Russia on suspicion of spying for Washington. "We are particularly worried and have had the occasion to condemn the repressive attitude of Russia" towards Russian and foreign media, foreign ministry spokeswoman Anne-Claire Legendre said, after the detention of Evan Gershkovich, who previously worked for AFP in Moscow. 12:15 PM 'Journalism is not a crime' Nataliya Vasilyeva, The Telegraph's Russia Correspondent, has tweeted about the arrest of Evan Gershkovich, a US journalist working for the Wall Street Journal who has been detained in Russia on suspicion of spying for Washington. Russia's FSB confirms Evan Gershkovich, a Russia correspondent, for the WSJ has been detained on suspicion of espionage. Evan is an excellent journalist, a smart, fun and kind person. He has to be released immediately. Journalism is not a crime. https://t.co/eM3X8cUrwK Nataliya Vasilyeva (@Nat_Vasilyeva) March 30, 2023 11:55 AM King Charles: Europe's security 'under threat' amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine Europe's security has come under threat amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Britain's King Charles told German MPs on Thursday, adding however that "we can draw courage from our unity". "The scourge of war is back in Europe, the war of aggression against Ukraine has brought unimaginable suffering on so many innocent people," he said. "The security of Europe as well as our democratic values are under threat. But the world did not stand idly by... we can draw courage from our unity." 11:37 AM Zelensky describes 'horrific' year in Kyiv Ukraine's president said the past year had been "the most horrific" in the lives of many residents of the Kyiv region, where Russian troops are accused of committing war crimes before withdrawing a year ago. The Ukrainian military recaptured the small towns of Irpin and Bucha outside the capital, Kyiv, in late March last year. International investigators are now collecting evidence in Irpin, Bucha and other places where Ukraine says Russian troops committed large-scale atrocities. Russia denies the allegations. "For many residents of the Kyiv region, the past year has become the most horrific in their entire lives. And the liberation of the Kyiv region has become a symbol of the fact that Ukraine will be able to win this war," President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wrote in English on the Telegram messaging app. "Events that could not be imagined in the 21st century have become a reality in the satellite cities of Kyiv Bucha and Irpin. Russian troops marched on the Ukrainian capital from the north and brought death and destruction." 11:01 AM Russia claims arrest of WSJ reporter 'not related to journalism' Russia has commented on the arrest of the WSJ reporter Evan Geshkovich. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova claimed on Telegram that the activities of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, arrested on suspicion of espionage in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg, were "not related to journalism". The Wall Street Journal said it was "deeply concerned" for its reporter Evan Gershkovich after Russia's FSB security services said he had been arrested on charges of spying. - AFP 10:44 AM Wall Street Journal 'deeply concerned' for reporter detained in Russia The Wall Street Journal said Thursday it was "deeply concerned" for its reporter Evan Gershkovich after Russia's FSB security services said he had been arrested on charges of spying. "The Wall Street Journal is deeply concerned for the safety of Mr. Gershkovich," the newspaper said in a statement. 10:15 AM Ukraine in pictures: Two women holds banners against the eviction of the monks of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra - Celestino Arce/NurPhoto/Shutterstock/Shutterstock A Ukrainian soldier says goodbye to his relative as she takes a train to Odessa - Anadolu Agency/Anadolu A Ukrainian tank rolls on a muddy road near Bakhmut - GENYA SAVILOV/AFP 09:51 AM Comment: A new age of spying gives Kyiv the upper hand In February last year, surrounded by takeaway pizza, a group of students at a tiny liberal arts college in the US sat watching Google Maps, writes Tom Tugendhat. Earlier that day theyd unearthed a TikTok video showing a column of tanks positioned just outside the Russian city of Belgorod. Now, they looked on as a series of traffic-jam alerts turned the roads between Belgorod and the Ukrainian border red. Using nothing but social media and the worlds most commonly downloaded travel app, this small group of students became the first to publicly announce that Russia was invading Ukraine. And ever since, open-source information has been instrumental in giving the Ukrainians the upper hand against Vladimir Putins forces changing the way we think about intelligence in the process. Read: A new age of spying gives Kyiv the upper hand 09:18 AM Wall Street Journal reporter detained in Russia for espionage Russias top security agency says a reporter for the Wall Street Journal has been arrested on espionage charges. The Federal Security Service (FSB), the top domestic security and counterintelligence agency that is the top successor agency to the Soviet era KGB, said Thursday that Evan Gershkovich was detained in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg while allegedly trying to obtain classified information. Gershkovich is the first reporter for an American news outlet to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since the Cold War. His arrest comes amid the bitter tensions between Moscow and Washington over the fighting in Ukraine. The security service alleged that Gershkovich was acting on the U.S. orders to collect information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military industrial complex that constitutes a state secret. The FSB didnt say when the arrest took place. Gershkovich could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of espionage. 09:10 AM Russia's presidency of UN Security Council 'a bad joke', says Ukraine Ukraine has said that Russia's upcoming presidency of the United Nations Security Council this week was "a bad joke". "Russian UN Security Council presidency on April 1 is a bad joke. Russia has usurped its seat; it's waging a colonial war; its leader is a war criminal wanted by the ICC for kidnapping children. The world can't be a safe place with Russia at UNSC," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter. Russian UN Security Council presidency on April 1 is a bad joke. Russia has usurped its seat; its waging a colonial war; its leader is a war criminal wanted by the ICC for kidnapping children. The world cant be a safe place with Russia at UNSC #BadRussianJoke #InsecurityCouncil Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) March 30, 2023 08:55 AM Turkey's parliament to vote on Finland's Nato bid Turkey was set Thursday to become the final NATO member to approve Finland's membership in the US-led defence alliance in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Turkey's parliament scheduled a vote on the Nordic country's bid to become the 31st member of the Western defence alliance for 2:00 pm (1100 GMT). 08:37 AM Robots can work alongside spies to detect enemy threats to UK, Tom Tugendhat says Intelligence gathered by AI will be used to help spies and identify enemy threats to the UK, Tom Tugendhat said. The new plans will see AI used to sift through vast amount of data to catch intelligence that might otherwise be missed by humans. Lessons from Russias illegal invasion of Ukraine have shown how information from open sources can help identify threats, provided analysts are not swamped by data, Mr Tugendhat said. Read the full story here 08:24 AM Latest MoD update Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 30 March 2023. Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/U2ty7b1e7h #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/QweoSriH6U Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) March 30, 2023 08:10 AM Ukrainian fencers unite behind federation's boycott call Ukraine's fencers have welcomed their federation's decision to boycott international competitions featuring Russians and Belarusians, amid a row over whether athletes from the two latter countries should be allowed at next year's Olympics. Russians and Belarusians have been banned from most elite international sporting competitions since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year, in what Moscow calls a "special military operation". However, fencers from Russia and Belarus were cleared to return to international events at the fencing global federation's (FIE) Extraordinary Congress on March 10, days before the window for 2024 Paris Olympic qualifying opens. 08:05 AM Pictured: Ukrainian soldiers wait for a train to Odesa at the Kramatorsk Train Station Ukrainian soldiers wait for a train to Odesa, at the Kramatorsk Train Station - Anadolu Agency/Anadolu 08:03 AM The unusually frank call between two Russian socialites and what they said about Putin Vladimir Putin is a dwarf and a wimp who is ruining Russia, according to a leaked phone conversation between two prominent society figures, reports Nataliya Vasilyeva. The unusually frank call purportedly involves Iosif Prigozhin, a music producer, and Farkhad Akhmedov, an Azerbaijan-born energy billionaire, and has exposed deep resentment towards the Kremlin among the countrys overtly pro-regime elite. In the 35-minute conversation, Mr Akhmedov calls Putin Satan, a wimp and a dwarf who doesnt give a damn about anything and doesn't give a f--- about the people. They f----- us over, f----- over children, their future, do you get it? he adds. Read the full story here 08:02 AM Listen to Ukraine: the latest Read: Ukraine repulses attacks in the Donbas and the changing face of Russia's cyber war 08:00 AM Good Morning Good morning and welcome to today's Ukraine liveblog. We will be guiding you through all the latest updates on Ukraine. Key developments on March 30: Top US General: Six thousand Wagner mercenaries fighting in Bakhmut Russia to chair UN Security Council in April Ukraine repels 47 Russian attacks in the east Von der Leyen: China's stance on Russia's war in Ukraine to shape its relations with EU. There are about 6,000 mercenaries of the Kremlin-controlled Wagner Group fighting in the eastern city of Bakhmut, according to the U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley. Milley told U.S. lawmakers that 20-30,000 Wagner recruits, many from prisons, are fighting alongside mercenaries. He highlighted the high number of casualties they are facing in the battle as Ukrainian forces deal considerable damage to these fighters. "The Ukrainians are doing a very effective area defense that is proven to be very costly to the Russians. For about the last 20, 21 days, the Russians have not made any progress whatsoever in and around Bakhmut," he said on March 29. "So it's a slaughter-fest for the Russians. They're getting hammered in the vicinity of Bakhmut, and the Ukrainians have fought very, very well," he added. Meanwhile, Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed that the eight-month-long battle for Donetsk Oblast's Bakhmut "had already practically destroyed the Ukrainian army," adding his forces have been "pretty battered" as well. Bakhmut's deputy mayor, Oleksandr Marchenko, told Suspilne media outlet on March 30 that fighting continues to grip Bakhmut's city center, as the Russian army strives to cut off access to the city. "Passing into the city is now impossible for civilians because fighting continues at the entrance to the city. But communication is breaking through in some places," he said. Bakhmut still has supplies of food and water, but constant, erratic shelling makes it perilous to move around, according to the official. "Every day, we receive data about the destroyed property, burning houses, and injured city residents. There is a lot of destroyed housing that is not recorded now because there is no way to record it," Marchenko added. Story continues As of last week, around 2,700 people, including children, remained in Bakhmut. "The number is being adjusted, people are being evacuated. The Armed Forces service members are helping to evacuate residents," Marchenko said. What is happening in Bakhmut and what does it mean for Russian-Ukrainian war? (VIDEO) Kyiv Independent reporter Francis Farrell speaks to John Spencer, U.S. veteran and chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point. A leading expert in the study of warfare in and around cities, Spencer shares his unique insight into the bloodiest engagement of Russias Kyiv IndependentFrancis Farrell The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said in its regular evening update on March 30 that Bakhmut, alongside Avdiivka, Marinka, and Bilohirka, and their outskirts were the epicenter of the ongoing fighting. The Ukrainian military successfully repelled 47 Russian attacks in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on March 30, the General staff said. Russia to chair UN Security Council in April As of April, Russia will take the lead in the United Nations Security Council, the AFP news agency reported on March 30. The 15-member Council's presidency rotates monthly among its members, including five permanent nations, such as the U.S. and Russia, and 10 non-permanent nations elected by the General Assembly for two years. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba criticized the move, calling it a "bad joke" and arguing that global safety is compromised with Russia presiding over the UN Security Council, given its ongoing war in Ukraine. Earlier this week, Ukraine called for an urgent UN Security Council meeting in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's threat to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus for training purposes. Russia has repeatedly abused its position at the United Nations while attempting to justify its genocidal war in Ukraine. Ukraines True History Subscribe to our new newsletter Von der Leyen: China's stance on Russia's war will shape its relations with EU European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen said in a speech on March 30 that the European Union's future relations with China would be determined by how Beijing addresses its close ties with Russia and its efforts to promote peace in Ukraine. "Far from being put off by the atrocious and illegal invasion of Ukraine, President Xi is maintaining his 'no-limits friendship' with Putin's Russia How China continues to interact with Putin's war will be a determining factor for EU-China relations going forward," von der Leyen said. China has so far refused to condemn Russia's aggression against Ukraine and illegal claimed annexation of Ukrainian territories. On the one-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, China outlined its vision for the "political settlement" of the war, calling for peace talks. However, the plan does not explicitly call on Moscow to withdraw its troops from Ukraine. On March 29, President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was inviting Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Ukraine. "We are ready to see him here," Zelensky told the Associated Press. "I want to speak with him." Explainer: Chinas increasing role in Russias war against Ukraine Just days before Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine last February, Chinas leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a friendship without limits, agreeing there would be no forbidden areas of cooperation. Unsurprisingly then, Beijing did not condemn Russias all-out w Kyiv IndependentThaisa Semenova Russia deployed kamikaze drones in an attack on Ukraine late on Thursday, 30 March. Russian forces are also deploying S-300 missiles to attack the northeastern city of Kharkiv from the territory of the Russian Federation. Source: Yurii Ihnat, spokesman for the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in a comment for Ukrainska Pravda Quote: "Around a dozen Shahed [drones] have entered [Ukraine] from the north. The enemy also deployed S-300 missile systems to launch missiles on Kharkiv from the territory of Belgorod Oblast [in Russia]." Previously: In the evening of 30 March, at 22:00, an air-raid warning was issued in Kyiv Oblast and the city of Kyiv. Sirens also sounded in Sumy, Chernihiv and Kharkiv oblasts. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! By Dan Peleschuk BUCHA, Ukraine (Reuters) -Strolling under a peaceful blue sky, 71-year-old Kateryna Kosych can't help recalling how Russian troops killed and looted after violently occupying her charming town for a month last year. Among the victims in Bucha was her 47-year-old son-in-law - a wound that festers despite the relative rejuvenation of the town since its liberation one year ago on Friday. "And it won't heal soon," said Kosych, as a brigade of street cleaners briskly swept a tidy sidewalk nearby. The leafy suburb of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv became synonymous with Russian brutality after a military retreat last March revealed ravaged streets littered with civilian bodies. Ukrainian authorities put the civilian death toll in areas of the Kyiv region liberated from Russian forces at 1,137, including 461 killed in Bucha alone. International investigators are collecting evidence in Bucha and in other places where Ukraine says Russian troops committed widespread atrocities in their invasion that began on Feb. 24, 2022. Moscow denies the allegations. Russia's forces abandoned their assault on Kyiv a month into the war, withdrawing from Bucha in the north and other areas. Fighting rages on in the east and south. Today Bucha is full of life. Young families criss-cross central streets and the sounds of construction clatter in the crisp spring air. On a recent afternoon, tractors trundled up and down Vokzalna Street, where an internationally-funded reconstruction project is aimed at erasing the traces of war. Mayor Anatoliy Fedoruk, who likened the rebuilding to a bustling anthill, said residents are eager to close a deeply painful chapter. "It's this kind of incredible desire for nothing to visually remind us of what the Russians did and left in their wake," he told Reuters. "It's in the heart, soul and mind of every Bucha resident." But the scars of war are strewn across the town, where some high rises remain battered and a scrapyard is full of cars and military vehicles destroyed during last year's fighting. Story continues Fences along Yablunska Street, where dozens of residents were killed, are still riddled with bullet holes. Meanwhile, Russian missiles and drones threaten in the skies above - including during a recent attack which 29-year-old Daria Yesypchuk witnessed with her family. "We heard it all," she said of the overnight drone strike. "My husband even saw how they shot them down." President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Thursday called the liberation of Bucha and other towns around Kyiv "a symbol of the fact that Ukraine will be able to win this war". But while most in Bucha believe in victory, said Andriy Holovin, a priest at a Ukrainian Orthodox parish, the emotional wounds could take generations to heal. "We should understand that it's easy to rebuild walls, but it's much harder to rebuild a wounded soul," he said. (Reporting by Dan Peleschuk; Additional reporting by Anna Voitenko; editing by Tom Balmforth and Grant McCool) Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraines Defence Minister, has shared a video in which he "test drives" Stryker and Cougar armoured vehicles, which the US handed over to Ukraine. Source: Ministry of Defence of Ukraine Details: Reznikov shared a video in which he took Stryker and Cougar vehicles "for a test drive". He thanked US President Joe Biden, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin, and all Americans for their support. Quote from Reznikov: "US Strykers and Cougars are now in the capable hands of Ukrainian Air Assault Forces. Took them for a test drive. Im glad that the best soldiers in the world are getting the best vehicles from our partners. They will bring us closer to victory." Strykers & Cougars are now in the capable hands of Air Assault Forces. Took them for a test drive. Im glad that the best soldiers in the world are getting the best vehicles from our partners. They will bring us closer to victory. Thank you to @POTUS @SecDef & all Americans. pic.twitter.com/xQCcAElvm4 Oleksii Reznikov (@oleksiireznikov) March 30, 2023 Background: On 29 March, Reznikov posted a video showing German Marder infantry fighting vehicles that have recently arrived in Ukraine. On 27 March, Reznikov tried out the new supply of military equipment from international partners for Ukrainian air assault troops. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Ukraine should do everything possible to counter the narrative that the spring counteroffensive is a "make-or-break moment" in the war. Source: Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraines Foreign Minister, in an interview with the Financial Times Quote: "We should counter by all means the perception of the counter-offensive as the decisive battle of the war." Details: According to Kuleba, cited by the FT, the narrative of a make-or-break moment was dangerous for Ukraine because if it faltered, it would strengthen those in the west who want to push Kyiv into a compromise with Moscow. All wars are a series of battles, he added, and if this offensive is seen as critical but does not result in the "100 per cent liberation of our territory" then "some people may say this was the last decisive battle and now we have to think of an alternative scenario". The head of Ukraines Foreign Ministry emphasised that there is no alternative to the full restoration of territorial integrity. Background: Oleksii Reznikov, the Defence Minister of Ukraine, has said that the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is planning to conduct a counter-offensive on several fronts, but it all depends on the weather conditions. Reznikov believes this will happen in April or May. Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the Armed Forces of Ukraine cannot yet start a counteroffensive, which was planned for the spring, because now the defence forces need more weapons. Hanna Maliar, Ukraines Deputy Minister of Defence, has urged Ukrainians to refrain from asking the military when the counteroffensive will take place so as not to distract them from their work. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! A Russian T-72 tank is loaded on a truck by Ukrainian soldiers outside the town of Izyum on September 24, 2022. Photo by ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP via Getty Images Russia has more tanks than Ukraine, more updated tanks than Ukraine, and more tank options. But the country has thus far failed to effectively use its battle fleet, suffering extreme losses. See how Russia and Ukraine's tank fleets compare ahead of an upcoming influx of Western vehicles. With several models of tanks to choose from, a large supply of armored vehicles, and an undeniable numbers advantage, Russia's fleet of tanks should ostensibly be decimating Ukraine's on the battlefield. Instead, the struggling superpower has racked up error after error more than a year into the war, resulting in staggering equipment and battle losses as Ukraine attempts to even the playing field ahead of an influx of Western tanks expected to arrive in the coming months. While the current state of the conflict a brutal stalemate in Bakhmut has not been defined by tank warfare, earlier in the war tank battles captured international attention, including when Ukraine used abandoned Russian tanks to shore up its counteroffensive in Kharkiv last year, and during Russia's failed siege of Vuhledar earlier this year, which was the site of the largest tank battle yet. The armored vehicles' great strength on the battlefield is three-fold, according to Mark Cancian, a retired US Marine Corps colonel and a senior advisor with the Center for Strategic International Studies security program. Tanks provide mobility, firepower, and protection, Cancian told Insider, offering soldiers the luxury of moving and shooting at the same time. But when it comes to tanks, practicality is only part of the equation. One of their key capabilities, according to Jeffrey Edmonds, a Russia expert at the Center for Naval Analyses and former US Army armor officer, is the psychological impact they have on the enemy, known as the "shock effect." Symbolic or not, tank warfare remains a vital aspect of the ongoing war for both sides with Russia reportedly returning to storage to restock its depleted supply and Ukraine continuing its crusade for further aid. Story continues A Ukrainian tank is seen in position in the frontline in Bakhmut, Donetsk region, on February 12, 2023. Libkos/AP Photo Russia has more tanks, more advanced tanks, and more types of tanks than Ukraine Throughout the war, Russia has primarily relied on four different models of tanks: T-64s, T-72s, T-80s, and T-90s, with T-72s making up the bulk of their fleet thanks to years of Soviet-era production and more modern updates to the vehicles. While each tank type has its own distinct style, Cancian and Edmonds told Insider that the vehicles are part of a similar lineage, with each generation of tank representing an updated version of the last. As a general rule of thumb, "the newer the tank, the more capable it is," Cancian said of Russia's fleet. But there are exceptions to the rule, the military experts said. The Russians relied on the T-72 so heavily during the Cold War that countless updates and refurbishments rendered the model's capabilities comparable or even superior to that of its direct successor, the T-80, which is generally considered less successful and reliable than the T-72 or the T-90, the latter of which is thought to be Russia's most advanced tank, Edmonds and Cancian said. Russia's tank design is the product of lessons learned in World War II, according to Edmonds, and as a result, the vehicles tend to be smaller and lighter than Western tanks, as well as lower to the ground, which makes them harder to hit, but also less powerful in a matchup against a heavily-armored, NATO-sized vehicle. Not accounting for wartime losses, Russia is believed to have started the conflict with an army fleet of about 3,000 tanks, according to several reports citing the International Institute for Strategic Studies nearly double the number of Ukraine's estimated 1,500-strong pre-war fleet. Even with thousands of tanks on the battlefield, however, diversity among the vehicles has been slim, with Ukraine relying exclusively on its collection of T-64s and T-72s, the same types of tanks that Russia is using. Enemies forced to face one another using near identical tanks is a result of the countries' shared Soviet history. When the war started, both sides were armed primarily with the same Soviet equipment. But even with the overlap, Cancian and Edmonds said the Russian versions of these tanks, in particular the T-72s, are likely more advanced than their Ukrainian counterparts, given years of updates that Ukraine never had reason to make. On paper, Russia undoubtedly has the better specs. But the battlefield tells another story. "The lethality of the system depends on much more than the system itself," Edmonds said of tanks. "It depends on the crew, but it also depends on how it fits into the battlefield and how it integrates with other components of combat power." Soldiers walk amid destroyed Russian tanks in Bucha, in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, April 3, 2022. AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd, File Russia hasn't been using its tanks effectively Not only has the Russian military been struggling to properly utilize its tanks, but it has also had one hell of a time trying to maintain them. Stunning February updates from the International Institute for Strategic Studies and Oryx, an open-source intelligence analysis platform, estimated that Russia has lost about half of its operational tank fleet more than 1,500 tanks since the war began. The staggering losses reportedly hit Russia's store of T-72s and T-80s especially hard, with IISS suggesting the country's supply has been depleted by two-thirds, according to reports. "The conventional wisdom is that the Russians aren't following their own doctrine," Cancian said. "They have not been using their tanks as part of a combined team." A key part of effective tank warfare is using the vehicles in tandem with infantry, air support, artillery, and engineers a tactic known as combined arms, according to Cancian and Edmonds. In one of the earliest displays of dysfunction, the Russians sent a convoy of unprotected tanks straight into an ambush in Bucha just weeks into the war. Then, earlier this year, the Russians repeated the very same mistake in Vuhledar, leading to the loss of more than 100 tanks, several of which were seen smoking and blazing in the Ukrainian snow. Had the Russians practiced combined arms, they might have sent an infantry team ahead of the tanks to clear the terrain for incoming vehicles and scout possible attack points. But that type of cohesion takes training, and lots of it, Cancian and Edmonds said, a particular struggle among the Russians, who receive most of their training on the job. "They clearly came into this with a lower level of tactical training than we thought," Edmonds said of the Russian military. Cohesion among Russian soldiers is unlikely to improve as Russia sustains more than 220,000 casualties, a top UK defense official said this week, citing US intelligence. That number represents a stunning figure that has undoubtedly exacerbated already-existent personnel problems within the military. Not only do the Russians have too few people to provide proper infantry support, the army seems to be running out of people to operate the remaining tanks. In Vuhledar earlier this year, Ukrainian troops said they captured a Russian medic who was forced to drive a tank, despite his medical background. Russia's repeated mistakes have been costly, forcing the country to rely on older tanks they've since pulled from storage, including T-62s, T-55s, and T-54s, some of which date as far back as the 1940s. These decade-old replacements are slower and lack the fire control of modern tanks, Edmonds said; they are generally less effective than their updated counterparts, though still have the capacity to be lethal. Ukraine, meanwhile, has contributed to Russia's depleted supply, having captured several advanced T-72s ,T-80s, and even some T-90s from the enemy, though the country has also lost between 450-700 tanks itself, according to reports citing the IISS. The Ukrainian military seems to be better at operating their tanks on a tactical level, Edmonds said, citing the army's greater flexibility and initiative. Marines from 4th Tank Battalion, Twentynine Palms, Calif., roll down a dirt road on their M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank during a day of training at Exercise Africa Lion 2012, April 13, 2012. Cpl Tyler L. Main/USMC/Tribune News Service via Getty Images Ukraine is set to receive an influx of Western tanks soon Following months of pleading from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine finally secured the promise of a long-desired tank haul from several Western countries earlier this year. The US has pledged to send Ukraine 31 M1A1 Abrams tanks in the coming months; the UK is preparing 14 Challenger 2 tanks to send; Germany promised 14 Leopard 2 tanks; and several other European countries have also pledged to send tanks from their fleet of German-made Leopard 2s. It's a hefty haul of Western tanks which boast better armor and fire control than the Russian T-72s, Cancian said. All three Western tank models are larger than most Russian tanks and are "quite survivable" thanks to their advanced armor, according to Edmonds. "Those three tanks are all essentially equivalent," Cancian said, though he gave the slight edge to the American-made Abrams tanks, which have been upgraded more often than the Leopards and Challengers. It's still unclear when the Western tanks will arrive or what role they will ultimately play in Ukraine's future offensives. Tank usage in the conflict has been minimal in recent weeks as the battle of Bakhmut an ongoing slog of attrition rages on. "This stalemated frontline where we are right now, this is not a good environment for tanks," Cancian said. "Tanks need to break into the open." The incoming vehicles could help shake up the current state of the war, according to Edmonds. "Tanks were designed precisely for that," he told Insider. "To be brought in to make something staticvery fluid." The much anticipated Ukrainian spring or summer offensive will likely be an attempt to break into the open and upset the Russians' lines, Edmonds said, a goal that would be aided by a fleet of tanks. But the number of incoming Western tanks less than 150 is unlikely to change the tides of war. Cancian predicted that the tanks will be enough for the Ukrainians to execute "one good" attack as part of their counteroffensive. "You just have a numbers problem. Even if they're really good, which they are, the numbers are just too small to fundamentally change tank warfare," he said. The Russians, despite their flailing tank usage thus far, are believed to have thousands of old tanks still in storage to which they can return even, and especially, if they continue to sustain significant equipment losses. "The Russians, like the Soviets, never threw anything away," Cancian said. But the promise of incoming Western tanks sets the stage for possible additional equipment assistance to Ukraine in the future, Edmonds said. "The longer this war goes on, the more effective this type of support will be," he said. Read the original article on Business Insider Photo released as part of the report shows 12 military spouses wearing their partners uniforms and medals with an Su-25 jet in the background Ukrainian hacktivists have outed the Russian pilots allegedly responsible for brutally bombing the Mariupol theatre by tricking their spouses to pose for a risque military wives calendar. Cyber Resistance, the group behind the elaborate stunt, used fake Russian identities to pose as ardent supporters of the Kremlins invasion of neighbouring Ukraine. The plot focused on the wife of Colonel Sergey Valeriyvich Atroschenko, the commander of Russias elite 960th Assault Aviation Regiment, who reportedly ordered the bombing of the theatre, which killed an estimated 600 civilians last year. His Su-25 ground attack warplanes also bombed a maternity hospital in the southern Ukrainian city, killing at least four people, injuring 16 more and leading to at least one stillbirth. Colonel Sergey Valeriyvich Atroshchenko, commander of Russias 960th Assault Aviation Regiment Having identified Mrs Atroschenko, the hackers contacted her and convinced her to organise a photoshoot with herself and 11 other squadron wives to produce a pin-up calendar to boost morale, according to a report by Inform Napalm, a Ukrainian open source journalism group. It is tradition amongst Russian military families that the spouse of the unit commander has substantial influence over the lower-ranking wives and girlfriends in supporting their husbands. A group shot released as part of the report showed 12 military spouses wearing their partners uniforms and medals with an Su-25 jet in the background. Ten wore high heels, while some wore short skirts that were barely noticeable underneath the parade tunics. The Telegraph could not immediately verify the content of the report. Russian military wives posing for calendar picture Amongst the content released were two raunchy pictures of Mrs Atroschenko, 41, posing in her underwear sent as photo surprises to her husband. The 41-year-old believed she was communicating with an officer from her husbands regiment, and not a Ukrainian activist, when she agreed to take part and organise the patriotic photo shoot at an airfield near the city of Primorsko-Akhtarsk in the Krasnodar Krai, on the shores of the Sea of Azov. Story continues The group also published the names, ranks, home addresses, passport numbers and contact details of the 11 other pilots whose spouses posed for the morale-boosting pictures. Cyber Resistance claimed it had obtained operational planning documents, manuals for Russian military air search, air traffic control procedures and a 16-page dossier on improving Russian Air Force interception tactics against Nato surveillance jets. Most of the material remained unpublished and was instead handed to the Ukrainian authorities. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 30) House Speaker Martin Romualdez will act as the caretaker of Negros Oriental's 3rd legislative district while Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. serves his 60-day suspension. "In the interest of the people of the 3rd district of Negros Oriental, the undersigned shall act as the legislative caretaker of the 3rd district of Negros Oriental for the period 23 March 2023 to 22 May 2023," a House Memorandum Order signed by Romualdez read. Through a 292-0-0 vote, the House of Representatives suspended Teves the district's representative for 60 days due to his continued absence. The congressman left for the United States on Feb. 28 on a travel authorization valid only until March 9. He has since remained out of the country. READ: House suspends Teves for 60 days over continued absence The Department of Justice said Teves was one of the suspected masterminds behind the March 4 assassination of former Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo. The camp of the slain governor has called for Teves' expulsion from the House. READ: SOJ: Rep. Teves among the suspected masterminds behind Degamo assassination Teves, for his part, refused to return to the country as he claimed that threats were made on his life. Intelligence does not exclude the possibility of Putin's repeated attack on Kyiv The border has been strengthened. The anti-aircraft and missile defense system is operational and has additional capabilities, said Yusov. There is much more information available both in Ukraine and from our partners. An open war is already underway, and so there will be no element of surprise. Read also: No threat of attack on capital from Belarus now, but army and defenses prepared, says Kyiv commander This does not mean that attempts will not be made, but it would be a suicidal move, since a repetition of the Feb. 24 effect is no longer possible, Yusov added. He also said that Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin is continuing to try to involve Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenkos regime in full-scale participation in the war. Read also: Spring and early summer will be decisive in the war with Russia HUR Were talking about a ground operation. But over the past year, nothing has succeeded. And there are no signs that it will happen anytime soon, Yusov said. The head of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, stated in February that there is no direct threat of an attack by the Russian military on Kyiv. The capitals authorities say they have prepared an action plan in the event of a repeated attack by the Russian invasion forces on Kyiv. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine The Union of Journalists of Ukraine is reporting mass violations of journalists' rights near the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (Monastery of the Caves). Source: Union of Journalists of Ukraine; Suspilne news outlet Details: It is noted that supporters of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) are covering cameras, swearing, threatening to beat reporters with sticks and pushing journalists. Suspilne has reported what happened to their film crew: one of the priests shoved its female correspondent and tore off the camera mount. The media outlet will be contacting the police regarding the obstruction of journalistic activity. Quote: "We are calling on law enforcement agencies to monitor the tense situation near the Lavra more closely and to prevent violations of the rights of journalists as they perform their professional duties." Background: On 30 March, the Ministry of Culture commission which was to have carried out an inventory of the property of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve was refused entry to the Lavra by UOC-MP parishioners. Surrounded by supporters, Pavlo, the abbot of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), threatened journalists with violence and prevented them from doing their work. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! People visit the opening of the Alley of Fighters for Independence, where the soldiers of the Bucha community who gave their lives in battle, are presented on large panels on the anniversary of the liberation of Bucha, Ukraine, March 31, 2023. (Laetitia Vancon/The New York Times) THE OUTSKIRTS OF BAKHMUT, Ukraine Hidden in the bowels of an unmarked building, set well back from the fighting, a command center directing operations in the city of Bakhmut was high-tech and humming. Soldiers monitored video screens with live feeds of destroyed buildings and a cratered battlefield. Six weeks after coming to help defend Bakhmut, the men of the Adam Tactical Group, one of Ukraines most effective battle units, were quietly confident they had turned the tide against Russian troops trying to encircle and capture it. The enemy exhausted all its reserves, the commander, Col. Yevhen Mezhevikin, 40, said Tuesday, straddling a chair as artillery, air defense and intelligence-gathering teams worked around him. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Through wave after wave of Russian assault and tenacious Ukrainian defense, Bakhmut has, over eight months, become a central battlefield of Russias invasion despite limited strategic significance. Russia has lost extraordinary numbers of troops in the battle, and Ukraine large numbers too, and as casualties have mounted, so has the political symbolism of the city. Russian officials have described it as a necessary prize in the campaign to seize Ukraines Donbas region. To Ukraine, it has become an important line to hold, both to whittle down Russias forces and to deprive them of a victory. But now, Mezhevikin said, the Russian assaults have slowed and the imminent threat of encirclement has been thwarted. The density of assaults dropped by several times, he said. Before, they could assault in all directions simultaneously and in groups of not less than 20, 30 or 40 people, but gradually it is dying down. The commanders description aligned with those of Ukraines most senior military commander, Gen. Valery Zaluzhnyi, and his commander of ground forces in the east, Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky. Both have said in recent days that the situation of Bakhmut was stabilizing, even with heavy fighting for some Ukrainian units. Story continues Mezhevikin said that he was confident that Ukrainian forces could keep holding the city and push Russian troops back farther. If the Ukrainians hold their recent gains, the battles of the last month at Bakhmut could prove a turning point in Ukraines defense against Russia, not only stalling the latest Russian offensive but also in setting themselves up to deliver a knockout blow, he said. Fresh Ukrainian attack brigades were completing training, he said. We are holding the enemy here for a bit more, and let them knock them back, he said, referring to the new troops. On the citys northern and southern flanks, where Russian troops had tried to encircle Bakhmut in a pincers movement, the Russians were coming up against Ukraines most motivated units and no longer had momentum, he said. When they try to reinforce their units, to rotate, they are being destroyed at the very start, he added. The center of Bakhmut, however, remained a hot spot where Russian troops were still attacking with significant force, the commander said: All thats left for them is to try to advance through the city, because the buildings protect them from fire. Accounts from Ukrainian soldiers fighting inside the city indicated that Russian troops had concentrated their efforts on advancing through the city center by using heavy artillery and aerial bombardment, demolishing resistance block by block. Some Ukrainian units have taken heavy losses and have had to be rotated out or reinforced by other units. This battle is a kind of shooting range with a parallel raining of artillery on us, one Ukrainian soldier wrote on the Telegram app. They are dismantling the city. It seems that there was a new wave of assaults on them today from all sides in the north, in the south, in short, while all our positions are holding, it has become extremely difficult here. Serhii Filimonov, the commander of an assault company on the northern flank of the city, also described heavy fighting and questioned the value of defending Bakhmut at the cost of some of his best special-operations forces. Dropping back from the front line to a restaurant in a nearby town, the commander recalled fighting alongside a famous Ukrainian fighter, Dmytro Kotsiubailo, commander of the Da Vinci Wolves Battalion, when he was killed this month in a Russian artillery strike. Filimonov, whose company is part of that battalion, and Kotsiubailo were volunteers who gained renown and built serious fighting units that have now been integrated into the Ukrainian army, specializing in assault. In early March, Kotsiubailo, better known by his call sign, Da Vinci, and Filimonov, his friend, were called on to fend off a Russian advance on the northern flank of Bakhmut that threatened the only asphalt road into the city. They successfully beat back the Russian troops, clearing three tree lines. When Filimonovs unit became pinned down by Russian fire, he said, Da Vinci stormed another tree line and saved them. The Russians retaliated with withering artillery fire, and three days later, Da Vinci was mortally wounded by shrapnel from a shell strike. His body was taken to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, where he was buried with full military honors, but Filimonov was embroiled in holding off more Russian attacks and could not attend. The Russian artillery was so severe that he suffered a contusion and lost the hearing in one ear, he said, but his unit has held its positions. Its a big loss for our battalion, for Ukraine, for the armed forces, he said of Da Vincis death. Its hard to overcome the losses. And there are brigades with horrible losses. Several of those have been rotated out, he said, but the Da Vinci Wolves was still standing. The Russians had meanwhile stalled, he said, concurring with the commander of the Adam Tactical Group. Now they stopped, Filimonov said. We have a strong line. But we need a strong counterattack. As some other commanders have noted, there are weaknesses and gaps in the Russian defenses. The same way they can encircle us, they can also be encircled by us if we pierce their defense at any place, Filimonov said. The Russians realize the danger themselves, he said, and Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner private military company, which is doing much of the fighting at Bakhmut, publicly warned of the danger in a video post as he called for more military support for his own forces. If Wagner PMC rolls back, then the following situation will happen in history, he said in early March. It is clear that the front will crumble. The front will crumble to the Russian borders, or maybe further. Mezhevikin said there were still strong Russian divisions guarding the critical points of defense but that regular Russian army units lacked morale and were easier to break. Its easier to fight them. They are running away, he said. But Wagner units, which include convicts, were threatened with physical punishment if they retreated, which made them tougher opponents, he said. They are scared to give up and to leave positions, he explained. They prefer to die here. c.2023 The New York Times Company The proposed School of Civic Life and Leadership at UNC-Chapel Hill would be established and receive $2 million in state funding in each of the next two fiscal years under the state Houses budget proposal released Wednesday. The funding would provide academic start-up funds to create and operate the school and would support development of the school, the initial hiring of faculty and staff, and an expansion of the curricular work of the existing Program for Public Discourse, the committee report on the budget states. The School of Civic Life has been a contentious issue at UNC since the universitys Board of Trustees first proposed the school through a resolution at its January board meeting. That resolution did not establish the school, but requested university administration accelerate its development. The boards actions in passing the resolution have come under fire from UNC faculty, over both the process through which the school has been proposed and perceived political intentions. The House is expected to hold its votes on the budget next week. After the House passes its budget, the Senates budget bill is expected to be out in mid-May. A final compromise budget between the chambers could pass in June. House proposal is short of planning document request Under the House budget proposal, which is a two-year proposal, the School of Civic Life would be allocated $2 million in one-time funds in both the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 fiscal years. That amount is short of the full $5 million in recurring funds requested for the 2023-2024 fiscal year in a budget planning document, reported by The News & Observer in February, that was developed by UNC provost Christopher Clemens. The budget bill states that if the funding provided through the budget is insufficient to establish the school, the university shall expend sufficient additional funds to achieve that purpose. Clemens budget planning document stated that the university expects any state-appropriated funds to the school will be matched with private support. Specific donors or sources of that financial support were not listed in the planning document. Story continues In February, a UNC spokesperson told The N&O by email that any discussion on funding sources would happen after a thoughtful, collaborative process with our Carolina faculty, students and community. The budget bill also directs the Board of Trustees to report by March 15, 2024, to the legislature on progress made toward establishing the school and any factors affecting the long-term sustainability of it. School has been subject of controversy As described by the trustees and in Clemens draft budget memo, the School of Civic Life would be intended to create degree programs in civic studies and develop students skills in public discourse. The budget bill further describes the schools purpose, saying courses offered by the school would focus on the development of democratic competencies informed by American history and the American political tradition, with the purpose of fostering public discourse and civil engagement necessary to promote democracy and benefit society. The school has been described as a way to bolster and make more robust the universitys Program for Public Discourse. That program, which officially launched in 2019, was met in its planning stages with controversy over alleged conservative leanings, influences and funding sources. After the Board of Trustees January meeting, board chair David Boliek appeared on the Fox and Friends morning show, saying in an interview that the school is intended to balance political views on campus. At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, we clearly have a world class faculty that exists and teaches students and creates leaders of the future. We, however, have no shortage of left-of-center, progressive views on our campus, like many campuses across the nation, Boliek said. But the same really cant be said about right-of center views. So this is an effort to try to remedy that with the School of Civic Life and Leadership, which will provide equal opportunity for both views to be taught at the university. Faculty said they were not informed of the proposal ahead of time or consulted on the school. In an interview with The N&O in February, faculty chair Mimi Chapman said the process of developing the school up to this point has been completely backward to how something like this might proceed under typical shared governance structures at the university, in which new academic programs traditionally come from faculty not the trustees. The school would be the second to be established at UNC in recent years. The School of Data Science and Society launched at the university last fall, more than two years after the Board of Trustees endorsed a formal feasibility plan to establish it. The proposal for that school was developed over roughly a year, from May 2019 to February 2020, with input from more than 100 faculty, staff and students, and stemmed from previous data science initiatives at the university dating back to 2012. Reporter Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan contributed to this story. Emily Ratajkowski (L) and Sebastian Bear-McClard with FIJI Water during the 33rd Annual Film Independent Spirit Awards. Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for FIJI Water Several women are accusing producer Sebastian Bear-McClard of misconduct, Variety reported. Bear-McClard's former partner, Emily Ratajkowski, filed for divorce last year. Bear-McClard, who is 42, is accused of engaging in a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old. A high-profile producer for acclaimed films "Uncut Gems" and "Good Time" has been accused by three women of predatory behavior including sexual misconduct, with two alleging that he reached out to them while they were teenagers and promised he could establish their careers in Hollywood. According to Variety, one of the women was 17 when she began having a consensual sexual relationship with Sebastian Bear-McClard, 42, beginning after he contacted her on Instagram and promised a role in a film. The producer is the former partner of actress and model Emily Ratajkowski, who filed for divorce last year; they have one child. While the 17-year-old was promised a scene in the film "Good Time" with actor Robert Pattinson, she instead found herself standing nude in front of a half-dozen male actors, an episode that left her "utterly stunned" and "terrified," she said in the statement obtained by Variety. The age of consent in New York is 17. "My distress only worsened when out of nowhere, [an actor] whispered in my ear if 'he could stick it in' while the cameras rolled. I said 'no,'" she said in the statement, per Variety. Insider was not able to review the statement or others obtained by Variety. It is not clear if they are connected to Bear-McClard and Ratajkowski's ongoing divorce proceedings. A legal rep for Bear-McClard declined to comment and lawyers for Ratajkowski did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment. Another woman, whose statement was quoted by Variety, said she was 18 when Bear-McClard contacted her on Instagram, alleging that he began "grooming" her with promises of a thriving career. He then took her to the apartment he lived in with Ratajkowski, and "without asking for my consent, Sebastian inserted himself inside me without using a condom," the statement said, per Variety. Story continues The same woman also said that on the set of the 2019 Adam Sandler film, "Uncut Gems," she caught him messaging a 15-year-old who had visited the set. The film was released by powerhouse studio A24 and directed by the brothers Josh and Benny Safdie. The studio is behind some of the decade's most acclaimed films, including Oscar-winners "Everything Everywhere All At Once" and "Moonlight." "Uncut Gems" and "Good Time" elevated the profiles of the Safdie brothers, who co-founded the production studio Elara Pictures with Sebastian Bear-McLard in 2014. Variety quoted multiple sources as saying that both his relationship with the 18-year-old and alleged interaction with the 15-year-old contributed to his firing in 2022. Reps for Elara declined to comment to Insider. Reps for A24 did not respond to Insider's request for comment. Read the original article on Insider Action News Jax and the University of North Florida are teaming up to host a live, televised Jacksonville mayoral debate between Republican candidate Daniel Davis and Democrat Donna Deegan. The debate will be happening Thursday, April 20 at 7 p.m. It will be held inside UNFs Lazzara Performance Hall and moderated by Action News Jax Anchors John Bachman and Tenikka Hughes. The University of North Florida is proud to host this debate in partnership with Action News Jax, UNF President Moez Limayem said in a news release about the debate. This is an important race for our citys future, and UNF is pleased to provide a forum for mayoral candidates to discuss the issues that matter most to Jacksonvilles voters. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] In the First Election on Tuesday, March 21, Davis and Deegan gained enough votes to move on to a runoff in the citys General Election, which will be held on Tuesday, May 16. The one-hour debate will air on both CBS47 and FOX30. To submit your questions for the candidates, fill out the form below: [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. UOC-MP leadership near the Office of the President of Ukraine, March 20, 2023 Read also: UOC-MP Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monks reject crossing over to the OCU Kovalenko stressed that UOC-MP hasnt actually severed its canonical administrative ties with the Moscow Patriarchate, contrary to what its leadership claims. Hundreds of priests of this church turned to the synod with the demand: Show us the document that you officially severed (ties) with the Moscow Patriarchate, said Kovalenko. ...basically, even the priests of this church demand from their leadership to finally say yes or a no, and to put it writing. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which for some reason says that it isnt (with) the Moscow Patriarchate, hasnt provided, shown, or accepted any official document regarding the secession with the Moscow Patriarchate. Kovalenko noted that the UOC-MP didnt condemn Patriarch Kirill the head of Russian Orthodox Church outspoken support of Russia's war against Ukraine. Read also: Archimandrite Hovorun discusses ways Orthodox churches might hold Russian Patriarch Kirill to account We havent heard a protest from the leadership of this church about the participation of its bishop and priests in Crimea in this farce with the annexation of Ukrainian territories, he added. Bishops, priests, and collaborators, who then fled to Russia after the liberation of Ukrainian territories, werent condemned (by UOC-MP). They got a well-deserved rest, and now they continue to stay in Russia. On May 27, 2022, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church declared its full independence from the Moscow church and expressed disagreement with the position of Russian Orthodox Church leader, Patriarch Kirill. Read also: Raids of Moscow Patriarchate churches may be discriminatory UN On March 2 2022, UOC-MP priests recorded an appeal in which they called on the Synod to convene a local council of the UOC in order to withdraw from the Moscow Patriarchate. On Feb. 1, the State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience concluded that UOC-MP remains a structural subdivision of the Russian Orthodox Church, despite the church claiming it has complete independence from Moscow. Story continues Read also: No additional mobilization needed regarding nuclear threat from Belarus, Ukrainian MP says In 2022, Ukraines SBU security service began investigating UOC-MP monasteries throughout Ukraine, finding that many of them preach pro-Russian, anti-Ukrainian propaganda to their parishioners. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine WASHINGTON The U.S. Air Force isnt going to buy the hypersonic AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon after the prototyping phase ends, following problems during testing, the services acquisition chief told lawmakers Wednesday. But the service will still finish the ARRW programs last two all-up round test flights to collect data to help with future hypersonic programs, Andrew Hunter told the House Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee in written testimony. While the Air Force does not currently intend to pursue follow-on procurement of ARRW once the prototyping program concludes, there is inherent benefit to completing the all-up round test flights to garner the learning and test data that will help inform future hypersonic programs, Hunter wrote. Hunter sounded the death knell for Lockheed Martins ARRW program a day after Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said in another hearing that a March test had failed. The Air Force on Friday said it had conducted a second test launch of a fully operational prototype ARRW on March 13. But the service did not describe the test as successful, instead saying it met several objectives. After a previous test launch in December, the Air Force had released a statement that said all objectives were met. Kendall told the House Appropriations Committees defense panel on Tuesday that the March 13 ARRW test was not a success and that the program has struggled a little bit in its testing process. Kendall said Tuesday that the Air Force still wants to carry out two more ARRW tests with its remaining prototypes. But he told lawmakers that the service is more committed to its other major hypersonic weapon program, the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile. Hunter did not address the ARRW program in the verbal testimony he delivered to lawmakers, nor did lawmakers ask him about it. Hypersonic weapons can travel at speeds greater than Mach 5 and are highly maneuverable, which makes them difficult to track and shoot down. China and Russia have invested considerable resources in developing these weapons for their militaries, and several U.S. lawmakers have expressed concern that the country is not doing enough to field its own hypersonic capabilities. Kendall said Tuesday that the Dec. 9 test of an operational prototype ARRW was a very successful flight and a step forward for the program. Kendall has long expressed skepticism on the ARRW program, as it has faced delays and failed tests. The program also suffered a string of three test failures in 2021. And in March 2022, after Congress passed a fiscal 2022 spending bill that struck plans to buy ARRW missiles that year and instead funded more research and development, Kendall said ARRW still has to prove itself. By Mike Scarcella (Reuters) - A U.S. court has sanctioned Google LLC for a second time in recent days, after a judge in a decision unsealed on Wednesday said the Alphabet Inc unit took too long to comply with a ruling last year in a data-privacy class action. The order from U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan van Keulen in San Jose, California, stems from a class action claiming Google unlawfully tracked its users while they were using the company's Chrome browsers in private, or "incognito," mode. In a separate decision on Tuesday in California, U.S. District Judge James Donato concluded Google had failed to preserve employees' "chat" records as evidence in antitrust litigation. Donato said the plaintiffs' lawyers will be awarded legal fees in an amount to be determined later. Google is challenging the claims. In the data privacy case, Google has said its Chrome browser users consented to the company's data collection. A Google spokesperson said the company has provided and disclosed countless documents and discovery." The sanction in the data privacy action is not the first time Van Keulen has punished Google in the same case. The latest ruling said Google failed to comply with a deadline stemming from a court order last year that imposed sanctions on the company. The new sanctions order and the prior one from May 2022 addressed internal Google evidence concerning consumer use of the company's private browsing mode. Google, according to the judge's order, will be barred from relying on certain employee witnesses in the case. Van Keulen also said Google must pay fees associated with two experts working for the plaintiffs, and must also pay a $79,000 fine. Lawyers for the plaintiffs did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. The consumer plaintiffs are suing for an injunction that could among other things could require Google to delete private browsing information. A trial is scheduled for November. (Reporting by Mike Scarcella; editing by Leigh Jones and David Gregorio) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 30) Ten days before he was assassinated, Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo was cleared of 11 counts of graft and falsification of documents by the Supreme Court (SC) on the ground of double jeopardy. The case stemmed from a 961.5 million worth of Special Allotment and Release Order for rehabilitation after the province was hit by Typhoon Sendong in December 2011. Degamo was accused of conspiring with the individual contractors to whom the projects were awarded. He had been acquitted by the Sandiganbayan's Third Division - ruling that they acted in good faith, and there was no "manifest partiality or gross inexcusable negligence on their part." The slain governor faced similar charges before the anti-graft court's second division. The rule on double jeopardy states that "when a person is charged with an offense and the case is terminated either by acquittal or conviction or in any manner without the consent of the accused, the latter cannot again be charged with the same or identical offense." Degamo and some of his constituents were shot and killed inside his compound on March 4. Case investigation and the hunt for the mastermind continue. The United States is working to bring Russia back into compliance with the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. Source: Briefing by Vedant Patel, Deputy Spokesperson for the US Department of State Quote: "Russia has already violated the START III treaty [the treaty between the United States and Russia on measures for further reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms ed.] The United States will continue to evaluate Russia's next steps in violation of the treaty and consider additional countermeasures." Details: The State Department representative emphasised that the nuclear weapons treaty is of great importance to the US, as it enhances the security of not only the US, but also Russia and the entire world. "That's why we continue to do everything we can to bring the parties back into compliance with the treaty," Patel said. Background: On 21 February, Russia suspended its participation in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. On 25 March, Vladimir Putin announced that Russia would deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, with a storage facility to be ready by July. NATO called Russia's nuclear rhetoric "dangerous and irresponsible," and the US noted that it saw no signs of Russia preparing to use nuclear weapons. US President Joe Biden said that he was concerned about Russia's plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in neighbouring Belarus. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! When Elizabeth Barese picked up her 11-year-old son from school on Monday, she knew she had to tell him that a shooting had happened the same day at the school neighboring their family home in Nashville. "We're right next door and there was a police presence," the 47-year-old told AFP. "I had to address it right away with him." Standing in front of the crosses erected outside the entrance to The Covenant School bearing the names of the six victims, three of them young children, Barese said: "It's not a conversation you want to have with your kids." "It's a delicate balance of being honest with your kids and not scaring them." The same dilemma is being faced by countless American parents in the face of yet another school shooting to rock the country, leaving them needing to comfort their children, all the while reeling from their own anguish and fear. Gun violence is a constant in the United States, a country of about 330 million people awash with more than 400 million guns. Schools have not been spared, with assaults on educational institutions strikingly common. Since the Columbine High School massacre in 1999, there have been 376 school shootings across the country, according to data gathered by The Washington Post, with 199 people killed and 424 injured. All told, the data shows more than 348,000 students exposed to gun violence at their school. For US parents, those growing numbers mean a persistent worry that their children's school could be next. A 2022 Pew Research Center survey found that roughly a third of parents of school-aged children said they were "very or extremely" worried. After the shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, that left 21 people dead, Barese said she wrote a post on social media reading, "I don't know when the next one is going to happen but I hope to God it's not Nashville." "But I know there's going to be another one." - 'Why did kids get killed?' - Xsavier Cleary, who lives some 30 miles (50 kilometers) from the Covenant elementary school, came to pay his respects with his own kids' safety on his mind. Story continues "We just wonder now, are our kids still safe in schools?" he said. On Monday, he said his children, aged from three to 22, could not escape talk of the shooting, in which a 28-year-old heavily armed shooter broke into the small private Christian school and killed six people -- three staff and three students. "The kids was like, 'Dad, they're talking about the shooting everywhere, the radio, the school, the news, the TV... why did kids get killed?'" he said. "We never thought we'd have to talk to our kids about things like this at this age," he said, shaking his head. "They're in elementary school and we have to tell them about what to do and prepare for, if something like this happens." Shooting drills have proliferated at schools in the United States, such as one Barese witnessed at her child's school. "It made me cry," she said, her voice cracking with emotion. After the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012, in which 20 children and six adults were killed, her then-three-year-old daughter's preschool began active shooter drills -- a fact that made her "want to throw up," she said. - 'Reassure' - But Barese, who has called Tennessee home for 18 years, said she's grateful for the advice her son's school offered on how to broach Monday's tragedy. "They didn't want the kids talking to their friends. They wanted the information to come from the parents. They wanted the information to be honest, and to not give more information than was needed," she said. Following the guidance, she answered her children's questions, but watched the news in another room. US psychologists have for years provided resources to help parents deal with these discussions. The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) put tips online for parents and teachers on talking to children about violence, including in schools. Number one on the list: "Reassure children that they are safe. Emphasize that schools are very safe," underlining the difference between the "possibility" of something happening and its "probability." That is easier said than done, said another mother, who didn't want to give her name and works at the hospital where some of the Covenant School victims were brought. "You want to assure them that they're safe," she said, tears in her eyes. "We're saying those words but we don't believe them." sw-chp/des By Nuzulack Dausen DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) -U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris announced plans to boost trade with and investment in Tanzania during a visit there on Thursday, part of an African tour aimed at strengthening ties with a continent where China and Russia increasingly hold sway. Harris started her trip on Sunday in Ghana before flying late on Wednesday to Tanzania's commercial capital Dar es Salaam, where she met President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Thursday. The two women gave short statements to the media before going into a longer session of private talks. "Working together, it is our shared goal to increase economic investment in Tanzania and strengthen our economic ties," Harris said, listing a number of initiatives. They included a new memorandum of understanding between the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) and the government of Tanzania. That will facilitate up to $500 million in financing to help U.S. companies export goods and services to Tanzania in sectors including infrastructure, transportation, digital technology, climate and energy security and power generation. Harris also mentioned a new partnership in 5G technology and cybersecurity, as well as a U.S.-supported plan by LifeZone Metals to open a new processing plant in Tanzania for minerals that go into electric vehicle batteries. "This project is an important and pioneering model, using innovative and low-emission standards. Importantly, raw minerals will soon be processed in Tanzania, by Tanzanians," she said, adding that the plant would deliver battery-grade nickel to the United States and the global market from 2026. China has invested heavily in Africa in the last two decades, and last November the Tanzanian president met China's President Xi Jinping during a state visit to Beijing. Trade and investment featured heavily on their agenda, with the leaders agreeing to "elevate two-way trade and further expand the trade volume" and China saying it would explore providing market access to more Tanzanian goods. Story continues POLITICAL RIGHTS On Thursday, President Hassan said her "most important request" was to improve the visa process between the U.S. and Tanzania, as both countries would benefit from a "long duration visa" that would increase trade and tourism. Under Hassan, Tanzania has returned to international engagement after a period of isolationism enforced by her predecessor John Magufuli, who cancelled all his ministers' foreign trips and discouraged travel. She has won praise internationally for restoring political rights suspended by Magufuli, who died in office in 2021. "Madam President, under your leadership Tanzania has taken important and meaningful steps and President Joe Biden and I applaud you," Harris said, standing alongside Hassan. Magufuli had banned political rallies by anyone other than elected officials, cracked down on Tanzania's LGBT community and arrested scores of opposition supporters. He had also rejected COVID-19 vaccines and urged Tanzanians to put faith in prayer and treatments such as steam inhalation. Hassan reversed the policies upon coming to power and earlier this month, Tanzania passed the milestone of fully vaccinating 50% of its population against the coronavirus. But human groups say violations continue, including government targeting of online media outlets. Hassan's education minister also banned a series of children's books from schools last month for allegedly promoting homosexuality. Harris, the latest of several high-profile figures from the U.S. administration to visit African countries in recent months, is due to stay in Tanzania until Friday, when she will depart for Zambia, the final stop on her tour. (Additional reporting by Aaron Ross in Nairobi; Writing by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Alexander Smith and Andrew Heavens) The United States said Thursday that reprisals by China over a visit by Taiwan's president would not alter US policy, insisting that such stops are nothing new. China has warned the United States that it is "playing with fire" over the trip by President Tsai Ing-wen, who is in New York on what is officially a transit stopover on her way to Latin America. She is expected to stop in California on her way back and meet House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. China in August carried out major military exercises around Taiwan, a self-governing democracy it claims, after a visit by McCarthy's predecessor Nancy Pelosi. "Unilateral attempts to change the status quo will not pressure the United States government to alter our longstanding practice to facilitate transits through the United States," said Daniel Kritenbrink, the top US diplomat for East Asia. "There is absolutely no reason for China to overreact to this longstanding, routine practice," Kritenbrink told reporters in Washington. He said that the United States is committed to recognizing only Beijing and said that Tsai has transited through the United States six times previously "without incident." McCarthy, a Republican, had earlier vowed to follow the Democrat Pelosi by traveling to Taiwan. The meeting in his home state of California had been viewed as a middle ground that would avoid inflaming tensions with China. But Xu Xueyuan, the charge d'affaires of China's embassy to Washington, told reporters Wednesday that the United States risked "serious confrontation" no matter whether US leaders visited Taiwan or the reverse. "The US keeps saying that transit is not a visit and that there are precedents, but we should not use past mistakes as excuses for repeating them today," she said. After arriving in New York, Tsai was greeted by flag-waving Taiwanese expatriates as she addressed a banquet Wednesday evening. "We have demonstrated a firm will and resolve to defend ourselves, that we are capable of managing risks with calm and composure and that we have the ability to maintain regional peace and stability," Tsai told the dinner. Laura Rosenberger, who heads the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto embassy in the absence of diplomatic relations, welcomed Tsai to New York but the State Department said that it did not expect officials to meet her. sct/st Retaliatory U.S. airstrikes in Syria targeting Iran-backed militants last week killed eight fighters, the Pentagon said Thursday. The fighters were killed when two U.S. F-15E fighter jets struck facilities operated by Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) near Deir ez-Zor province in the eastern part of Syria, according to Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder. Though they were associated with the IRGC, the militants killed were not Iranian, Ryder told reporters. The U.S. strikes were in retaliation for a drone attack last week at a Syria base that housed American personnel. One U.S. contractor was killed and another was injured along with five service members. Additional attacks on U.S. bases in Syria wounded another U.S. service member on Friday. Ryder revealed that in addition to the injured service members, another six American troops were diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries from the drone and rocket attacks. President Biden has held off on another round of U.S. attacks in the tit-for-tat, a stance that lawmakers criticized earlier this week. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) said Tuesday that the administration allowed Tehran to have the last word in the situation. Ryder on Thursday defended the U.S. response. We took action, we struck two IRGC-Quds Force targets and that was proportionate action and it was a deliberate action in order to again, send a message that U.S. forces will not be attacked with impunity, Ryder said. We will continue to take appropriate action at a time and place of our choosing to ensure that our forces are protected. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. U.S. forces have trained more than 7,000 Ukrainian troops since Russia first attacked the country last year, the Pentagons top spokesperson said Thursday. Among those soldiers were 65 Ukrainians who completed training on the Patriot air defense system at Fort Sill, Okla., and returned to Europe this week, press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder told reporters. Ryder also said that more than 4,000 Ukrainian troops in two brigades will have completed combined arms training in Germany, with one group equipped with Bradley fighting vehicles and one with Stryker vehicles. Additional combined arms training is currently underway at Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels training areas in Germany, with two motorized infantry battalions consisting of 1,200 Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel, he added. Another 3,000 Ukrainian soldiers have finished operator and maintenance training on more than 20 donated systems since April of 2022, a program that is ongoing, Ryder said. Altogether, the U.S. and its coalition partners are currently training more than 11,000 Ukrainian soldiers across 26 different countries. The U.S. will continue to provide training and work closely with our allies and partners to ensure the Ukrainian people have the security assistance they need to defend their country and repel Russian aggression, Ryder said. Ukrainian troops first arrived at Fort Sill in January to begin training on the Patriot missile system in an accelerated version of a course that typically takes up to a year to learn. The expertise was expected to take several months an already sped up timeline though the Ukrainian troops exceeded expectations and finished the course faster than planned. The Ukrainian forces will now be able to operate the Patriot systems President Biden approved to ship to the country in December, as well as a Patriot battery Germany committed to sending from its own inventory. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A South Carolina utility that sued one of its customers for complaining about the quality of the drinking water she receives has lost in court after three years of legal disputes. Circuit Judge Brian Gibbons dismissed the defamation case by the Jenkinsville Water Co. against Bertha Goins, a Fairfield County Council member who receives water from the utility. Gibbons did not provide an explanation for his decision, but is expected to do so with a formal written order. This weeks ruling is a win for the publics right to criticize government, said Goins attorney and a leading free press lawyer in South Carolina. Goins has said shes seen muddy water flow from her tap multiple times. She has said the system is getting old and has problems. The water company has said her claims are false, unwarranted, and cast the utility in a bad light. Ms. Goins is pleased the court dismissed JWCs baseless defamation claim against her for speaking the truth, on behalf of herself and her constituents, about the concerns they have about the quality of JWCs water, according to a statement from her attorney, Tommy Morgan. As the law makes clear, elected officials such as Ms. Goins need to be able to speak for the people and bring such critical issues as water quality to light on behalf of those who oftentimes do not have a voice. Jay Bender, an attorney for the S.C. Press Association and other media outlets, including The State, said the publics rights have been protected. The utility is a special purpose district, an arm of government, Bender said. Since at least 1776, citizens have had every right to criticize the performance of government. The Jenkinsville Water Co. has claimed it is a private, non-profit corporation, but Attorney General Alan Wilson has issued an opinion that it is a public body. Regardless of whether the utility is a government, Bender said, the public has a right to criticize utilities if the claims are accurate. Story continues T. Jeff Goodwyn, an attorney for the water company, was not immediately available for comment Thursday. Greg Ginyard, the companys top official, also was not immediately available. In addition to tossing out the Jenkinsville suit, the judge allowed several counterclaims by Goins against the water company to continue. The Jenkinsville Water Co., a small utility that serves about 2,500 people in Fairfield County north of Columbia, has had run-ins with state environmental and health regulators since the 1980s. From 2010 to 2020, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control made at least four enforcement cases against the water company for various problems. In one case, the company did not notify customers for days about bacteria in the drinking water, resulting in a state fine of $14,000, The State has previously reported. The newspaper chronicled Jenkinsvilles challenges during a 2019 series about the trouble small drinking water systems have across South Carolina. Ginyard has consistently said the utility provides quality water. In its 2020 lawsuit against Goins, the utility said she had engaged in a public campaign of maliciously attacking Jenkinsville Water Co. by stating that the water .... is substandard, but that the claims were false, defamatory and impugn the good reputation (of) Jenkinsville Water Co. Goins, a former water company board member, said Thursday shes seen little improvement in the water and is glad with the courts ruling. She questioned the wisdom of Jenkinsvilles decision to spend money to fight her in court. The company should have focused on trying to repair the system and do better and clean it up, Goins said. That is what should have happened, rather than suing me to hush. Screenshot from Pope Francis's apology to First Nations Peoples on July 25, 2022. In a landmark statement made today, the Vatican formally repudiated a centuries-old theory of church decrees that endorsed the forceful seizing of Native lands and near-total destruction of Indigenous peoples. The decrees, or papal bulls, underpin The Doctrine of Discovery, a legal concept created in a 1823 U.S. Supreme Court decision that justified the forceful seizing of Native land by European colonizers under the guise that colonizers discovered the land. In a joint statement issued by the Vaticans development and education departments, the Catholic Church repudiated those concepts that fail to recognize the inherent human rights of Indigenous peoples, including what has become known as the legal and political doctrine of discovery. The Doctrine of Discovery is not a part of the teaching of the Catholic Church, according to the statement, which acknowledges the sufferings of Indigenous people due to the expropriation of their lands as well as the policies of forced assimilation, promoted by the governmental authorities of the time, intended to eliminate their indigenous cultures. The statement comes after decades of advocacy from Indigenous communities for the church to formally retract the numerous papal bulls that backed the expansion of Christianity at the cost of Native land and lives. Notably, the Catholic church played a major role in what is now known as the Boarding School Era, a period between 1869 and the 1960s in which hundreds of thousands of Native children across the U.S. and Canada were forcibly removed from their homes to attend residential boarding schools. The schools were operated by the Federal government and, often, the Catholic Church. Children at the schools often suffered horrific physical and sexual abuse and neglect. A federal probe led by Secretary of Interior Deb Haalad has reported more than 500 students died at the schools. During the Pope's 2022 official visit to Canada, he issued an official apology to the First Nations Peoples for the Catholic Churchs role in Canadas catastrophic policy of Indigenous residential schools. Story continues In a statement Thursday afternoon, the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition called the decision "the right one" but criticized the Church for failing to take accountability. While the Vaticans decision to renounce the Doctrine of Discovery is the right one, it downplays the Churchs role and accountability for the harm it has caused to Native peoples. It does not change the fact that the Churchs views gave permission to colonizers to take Native lands and assimilate Native peoples," NABS CEO Deb Parker (Tulalip) said in a statement. We demand more from the Catholic Church. We demand more transparency, including access to Indian boarding school documents, which they have refused to provide. We demand that the Church returns lands to the Tribal Nations in which it operated Indian boarding schools. We demand that the Church supports the Truth and Healing Bill, which would establish a federal commission and conduct a full inquiry into the assimilative policies of U.S. Indian boarding schools." The National Congress of American Indians issued a statement late Thursday: "The National Congress of American Indians commends Pope Francis and the Catholic Church for finally repudiating the dehumanizing Doctrine of Discovery and acknowledging what Indigenous peoples have known all alongthat the Doctrine did not adequately reflect the equal dignity and rights of Indigenous peoples'. It is no secret that many governments -- including the United States -- have relied on this doctrine to justify the mistreatment of Indigenous peoples and the taking of our lands. "It is our sincere hope that todays announcement is more than mere words, but rather is the beginning of a full acknowledgement of the history of oppression and a full accounting of the legacies of colonialismnot just by the Roman Catholic Church, but by all the world governments that have used racism, prejudice and religious authority to not only justify past inequalities, but to allow, fuel, and perpetuate the institutionalization of those inequalities that continue to this very day." EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was updated with statements from the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition and the National Congress of American Indians. About the Author: "Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at editor@nativenewsonline.net. " Contact: news@nativenewsonline.net The Catholic Church took a fresh step Thursday in acknowledging abuse endured by Indigenous peoples with the Vatican formally rejecting 15th-century papal edicts that empowered Europeans to colonise non-Christian lands. During a trip to Canada last July, Pope Francis faced repeated calls to rescind the so-called Doctrine of Discovery, which was used to justify abuses against Indigenous peoples, mostly in the Americas, who were viewed as inferior. In Canada, campaigners drew a direct link between the doctrine and decades of 20th-century abuse of the country's First Nations, Metis and Inuit people at Catholic-run schools -- described by Francis as "genocide". Rejection of the papal edicts "is immense," said Canadian Senator Michele Audette, who is Indigenous, adding that "for many of us, we have been asking for it for decades." In a joint statement on Thursday, two Vatican departments insisted that despite being based on papal bulls, the doctrine was "not part of the teaching of the Catholic Church". They stated that "the contents of these documents were manipulated for political purposes by competing colonial powers in order to justify immoral acts against indigenous peoples that were carried out, at times, without opposition from ecclesiastical authorities". One 1455 edict by Pope Nicholas V granted Portugal's king the right to "invade, search out, capture, vanquish and subdue all Saracens and pagans", according to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. "It is only just to recognise these errors, acknowledge the terrible effects of the assimilation policies and the pain experienced by indigenous peoples, and ask for pardon," the Vatican said. It concluded: "The Catholic Church therefore repudiates those concepts that fail to recognise the inherent human rights of indigenous peoples, including what has become known as the legal and political 'doctrine of discovery'." - 'Action must follow' - For nearly a century until the 1990s, Canada's government sent some 150,000 Indigenous children into Church-run residential schools, where they were cut off from their families, language and culture. Story continues The goal was to stamp out their Indigenous identity. On top of the trauma of separation, many children endured physical and sexual abuse, and thousands are believed to have died of disease, malnutrition or neglect. This "concerns all Indigenous people of the world", said Jean-Francois Roussel, professor at the University of Montreal's Institute of Religious Studies. "This is probably the last chapter in the era of words. Now action must follow," he said, referring to financial compensation, support and cultural revitalization projects that he said must be strengthened. In Canada last year, Francis begged forgiveness for the abuse. And he said that "never again can the Christian community allow itself to be infected by the idea that one culture is superior to others, or that it is legitimate to employ ways of coercing others". In a statement on Thursday, the Canadian Bishops Conference said it was "grateful" for the Vatican publication. On the return flight from Canada, Francis described the treatment of children in the Catholic-run schools as "genocide". "Taking away children, changing the culture, changing the mentality, changing the traditions, changing a race, let's put it that way, a whole culture," he said. gab-ar/ide/giv/bfm/tjj HANOI (Reuters) - The chief of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party Nguyen Phu Trong and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed in a telephone call on Wednesday to "promote, develop and deepen" ties, Vietnam's state media reported. The call, a rare engagement for Biden with a foreign leader who is not a head of state or government, came as the U.S. president is hosting a second Summit for Democracy In a statement, the White House said Biden reinforced in the call a U.S. commitment to a strong, prosperous, resilient, and independent Vietnam, adding they would work together to address regional challenges and ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific. The United States is now Vietnam's largest export market and the two former foes are celebrating the 10th anniversary of a "comprehensive partnership" this year. But Hanoi has been careful to ensure its ties do not alienate its giant neighbour China, while Vietnam's human rights record has been a sticking point in the relationship, with Washington critical of the government's intolerance of dissent and frequent jailing and harassment of those who speak out. Biden also emphasized a U.S. commitment to the centrality of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), respect for human rights and cooperation on climate goals, according to the White House statement. Experts say a push by the United States to upgrade ties with Vietnam this year is facing resistance in Hanoi over concerns that China could see the move as hostile at a time of tension between the two superpowers. "The two leaders will assign relevant authorities of the two sides to discuss details for further promoting ties," the party's official newspaper, Nhan Dan, reported. The report said Trong, who is Vietnam's most powerful figure, and Biden repeated invitations to visit each others country. Trong had spoken with former U.S. Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump when they were in power. Story continues "Vietnam consistently pursues its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation, diversification and multilateralisation of relations, active and proactive global integration," Trong said during the call, according to Nhan Dan. In October, Trong was the first foreign leader to meet President Xi Jinping in Beijing after he secured a precedent-breaking third term as General Secretary at the Chinese Communist Party. (This story has been refiled to correct the spelling of President Xi Jinping in paragraph 11) (Reporting by Khanh Vu in Hanoi and David Brunnstrom in Washington; Editing by Ed Davies and Michael Perry) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 30) Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the statements of 10 suspects point to the involvement of Negros Oriental 3rd district Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. in the assassination of Gov. Roel Degamo. Several suspects under the National Bureau of Investigation's custody named the congressman as the brains behind the crime, Remulla disclosed. "The statements that were issued so far point to a certain involvement on his part; the 9 or 10 statements that we hold on to," Remulla said. "It may be enough depending on the requirement of the panel of prosecutors but it's better if we can further the information there." Contacted by CNN Philippines, Teves' legal counsel Ferdinand Topacio said: "We have no knowledge of such a statement, and hence cannot comment at this time. " Remulla earlier noted that Teves was already being considered a mastermind in Degamo's killing. READ: SOJ: Rep. Teves among the suspected masterminds behind Degamo assassination While Teves is not a fugitive, Remulla said the congressman is a "person wanted for questioning." "He has lots of explaining to do. He is subject of summons so that he can do his explaining. But the fact that he doesn't want to be served with the service of summons means that he's evading jurisdictional matters," the secretary added. Teves left the Philippines for the United States last Feb. 28 on a travel authority which expired on March 9. He has yet to return to the country to face his legal battle. CNN Philippines' senior correspondent Anjo Alimario contributed to this report. Editors Note: The opinions expressed in the op-ed section are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent. Vladyslav Rashkovan, the alternate executive director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), very accurately formulated Ukraines key task: to win the war without losing the peace. In this battle for peace after the war, the sustained support of our international partners is crucial. The Ukraine recovery project announced in Lugano last summer will require $750 billion dollars, and implementation will take up to 10 years. This was before the large-scale shelling of Ukraines energy infrastructure by Russian terrorists. The truth is the thought that Ukraine might not get the opportunity to recover has frightened institutional investors since the first discussions of a recovery plan. This is not surprising, given the international communitys negative experience in other countries, where donor funds have been stolen through corruption and ineffective management. The scale, number of involved parties, and thus complexity of undertaking a reconstruction project for Ukraine, as well as both the current problems and previous mistakes of Ukraines economy, only add to donor concerns. Lets be clear: When we talk about money for Ukraines recovery, its not a charity, but the salary for a real A-player who will strengthen the team of developed countries. Ukraine has already proven itself as such, protecting global security from the aggressor country, maintaining food security despite active hostilities, and fulfilling its responsibilities as a reliable financial partner. Our resume has enough strengths to bolster the confidence of potential investors and interest them in signing a long-term contract with us. Lets focus on five of these key strengths. Andrii Borovyk: A year of war how is Ukraine transforming right now? Editors Note: The opinions expressed in the op-ed section are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine has bravely resisted Russias full-scale invasion for a year now. The cold, ugly hands of war have invaded every sphere of our lives, Kyiv IndependentAndrii Borovyk Story continues 1. Digital solutions for transparent reconstruction Like its international partners, Ukraine is interested in ensuring that donor funds for reconstruction rebuild the economy and infrastructure, rather than add to someones collection of cars and private estates. This is why Ukraine, with the support of international partners like the IMF, the World Bank, and the G7 countries, is developing a Digital Reconstruction Management System (DRMS). The systems first version is expected to be announced in the spring of 2023. It is the only system that collects, organizes, and publishes real-time open data at all stages of Ukraines reconstruction projects. Anyone from international donors and investors to journalists and citizens will be able to access information about reconstruction projects they will be able to check information on projects financing, tender documents, progress, and so on. In other words, anyone in the world will be able to see where the funds have gone and how they are used. It will be almost as easy as tracking a Glovo courier or an Amazon package. Using DRMS for every project will ensure maximum accountability, transparency, and integrity when distributing funds linked to international aid to reconstruct Ukraine. 2. Ukraines successful reform experiences In 2014, Ukraine was already passing a turning point in its political development. Successful reforms at the time achieved clear results and international recognition. For example, Ukraines e-procurement system ProZorro is ranked among the best in the world, and the World Bank has already recommended using it for its procurement projects in Ukraine. The countrys banking sector reform has cleared the system of dozens of dishonest banks and transformed the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) from a set of presidential purse strings into an independent and open regulator. Energy sector reform has allowed us to get off Russias so-called gas needle, and the introduction of decentralization has quadrupled local budget revenue in the span of six years. The list of successful reforms continues. Active digitalization is among the latest achievements. At the beginning of the year, at least five countries announced their plans to introduce analogs of Ukraines Diia app, which allows Ukrainians to keep their digital documents on their smartphones in lieu of physical copies. Ukraine has become a trendsetter in terms of public administration solutions and the generation of new services that could be useful for our partners. Dorogan, Keatinge: Preparation is key securing Ukraines reconstruction Editors Note: The opinions expressed in our op-ed section are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent. The destruction wrought by the Kremlins illegal and barbaric war in Ukraine is senseless and will require hundreds of billions of dollars of Kyiv IndependentOleksii Dorogan 3. Supporting civil society Since 2014, almost every significant reform in Ukraine has been driven by the active participation and oversight of civil society. In many cases, such as the healthcare reform or the public procurement reform, the role of non-governmental organizations was decisive. This time, civil society organizations are not standing on the sidelines, but are actively involved in developing solutions to ensure transparency and preparing to oversee Ukraines reconstruction. Since July, several groups have joined this process, including the RISE Ukraine coalition. The coalition consists of civil society organizations with different areas of expertise that have a long history of successful experience in implementing reforms, socially important projects, and monitoring the actions of the state, especially regarding anti-corruption. The reputation of Ukraines civil society organizations makes them reliable assistants to international partners from governments and foundations to private companies and investors in organizing and overseeing the implementation of recovery projects. 4. Developed anti-corruption infrastructure The development of anti-corruption infrastructure is one of the reforms that has faced the most resistance. However, we can already talk about the significant progress achieved and the institutional capacity of the countrys anti-corruption bodies. The long-awaited election of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office head has already taken place, and the Anti-Corruption Court, which has already handed down 101 verdicts, is now actively considering cases of confiscation of Russian assets and corruption of top officials during the war. The fight against corruption in Ukraine has found a second wind in the past couple of months. Journalistic investigations that have been exposing corrupt officials for years are finally leading to real suspicions and dismissals. The anti-corruption raid leaves no one behind, whether they be local authorities, members of parliament, or Presidential Office representatives. All branches of government are involved in the fight against corruption. For example, the Temporary Investigation Commission has been working in the parliament for two months now, investigating abuses and schemes in the bodies responsible for economic security. In February, the leadership of Ukraines State Customs was dismissed. All of this demonstrates the political will and ability of the state to build a transparent process of economic recovery and functioning in the future. Ukraine has enough independent watchdogs to keep it on the right track. Andrii Borovyk: Why liquidating ARMA will not solve seized property issues Editors Note: The opinions expressed in the op-ed section are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent. Almost every day for the past six months, we have seen headlines that the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Kyiv IndependentAndrii Borovyk 5. Ample opportunities for investment The final thing investors and donors need to remember is that Ukraine is now their blue ocean. Those who invest in the Ukrainian economy now will in 10 years have an enterprise in the EU. There are plenty of opportunities to invest in Ukraine. Ukraine has a powerful IT industry that creates products that are popular all over the world, it was the only country that even increased its service exports by almost 6% to $7.34 billion during the first year of the full-scale war. In terms of fintech, Ukrainian companies are ahead of even Japan. The agricultural sector has significant potential, and, despite the war, it managed to harvest 52 million tonnes of grain. Given that the lions share of countries on the world map import grain crops and Ukraine is among the few countries that export over 35% of their harvests, the agricultural sector has good prospects for growth and profitability. The open land market gives investors the opportunity to take advantage of this. Due to the war, Ukraine is already developing the production of military equipment, including UAVs, and there will definitely be related areas to join. In addition, many industrial and commercial facilities have been destroyed by the fighting. The tragically famous Azovstal steel plant is one of them. While obviously it cannot be restored, it does not need to be, as it can be built as a modernized and more environmentally friendly enterprise, which can be done by a foreign investor. Ukraine is not a "failed state," but rather like Europe after World War II. We know exactly how to build a developed society and economy because we were already building it before Russia started its full-scale war, putting the process on hold. Funding for reconstruction will not be wasted money. Funding for reconstruction will be an investment into a powerful team player to support global security and development. Ukraine has already proved its ability to take a punch and its zeal to reclaim its future. We will rebuild what we have lost with the same fervor and success, and with the help of our partners, we can even build it back better. This case isnt just about BHP and this disaster (REUTERS) Today, a group of lawyers will announce at the Royal Courts of Justice in London that they will not prosecute peaceful climate protesters, or represent fossil fuel companies. Regardless of where the legal profession stands on this issue, we cannot bury our head in the sand. This is a defining issue of our times. Heres a radical thought. What if lawyers in England stop advising their clients to use technicalities to avoid their responsibilities, and instead do the right thing by the net-zero transition? I believe lawyers have other choices too. We can, and should, fight for the rights of people affected by the climate crisis and environmental damage across the world, right here in English courts. It can be done, because we are already doing it. Today, the firm I co-founded will be in court against BHP, the British-Australian mining and petroleum company, in the largest class action lawsuit in the world.a We hold BHP responsible for the worst environmental disaster in Brazilian history. In 2015, we believe the company was responsible for the collapse of a mining tailings dam in Brazil that immediately killed 19 people and led to toxic waste containing heavy metals and arsenic spilling into waterways spanning an area the length of Portugal over 600km. It obliterated all in its path, burying villages in mud, displacing thousands of people and destroying farms, fish stocks and livelihoods. The impact of the disaster continues to be felt to this day, but astonishingly BHP has still failed to adequately compensate the victims. a This case isnt just about BHP and this disaster. For too long, some multinational corporations based in the UK, EU and the US have damaged the environment and communities in other parts of the world without full compensation. We aim to change that. Our case against BHP could make legal history in two critical ways. Firstly, we fought to have this case heard in England, despite ongoing cases in Brazil. We argued that because BHP were headquartered in London, it could be held accountable here, too. This could open the door to many more such cases.aLast year, a Dutch court allowed our case against the Norwegian company Norsk Hydro, over pollution caused by their aluminium mining operations in northern Brazil because the company has a base in the Netherlands. Similarly, we are bringing a case against the largest petrochemical company in Latin America, Braskem, in Dutch courts for damages to Brazilian homes caused by their salt mining operations. Story continues Secondly, this is by far the largest legal case of its kind in the world. We are representing over 700,000 Brazilians in England and we believe BHP is on the hook for 36 billion in damages to the victims in Brazil. So far, the company has ringfenced only around 2.8bn to cover their liability for the disaster.a The damages bill would be the worlds largest ever in relation to an environmental disaster, dwarfing both the $15bn paid by VW over Dieselgate in the US in 2016 and the $20.8bn paid by BP over Deepwater Horizon in 2015.aa We hope to show that the many victims of environmental and climate disasters have a new route to justice by taking on multinationals on their home turf. I cannot help but feel that if it had been Australian Indigenous communities impacted by such a disaster in Australia, those communities would not have been treated by BHP in the same way. We hope this case sends a clear message to large multinational companies that they cannot avoid responsibility for the consequences of their operations. They can and should be held to account when their activities have a negative impact on peoples lives elsewhere.aa We hope such cases will shift the balance of power away from big corporations and into the hands of the people affected by their decisions, ensuring that tragedies like this never happen again.a Tom Goodhead is Global Managing Partner and CEO of Pogust Goodhead, a leader in environmental litigation Evan Gershkovich website A Wall Street Journal reporter has been arrested in Russia and accused of espionage. Evan Gershkovich, a U.S. citizen, was detained in the west-central city of Yekaterinburg, the Federal Security Service confirmed to state media. The FSB says that Gershkovich was suspected of spying in the interests of the U.S. government and that his allegedly illegal activities have been stopped. Local reports claim he was reporting on the Wagner paramilitary force before he was detained. When contacted for comment by The Daily Beast, Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin said he was not aware of Gershkovichs arrest. If you want, I can check the torture cellar in my house to see if hes there, he said. At first glance, I didnt see him among the American journalists I keep there by the dozens. I can, if you want, also look at the fresh graves of foreign journalists on my house plot. But if Im not mistaken, we didnt bury him there either. President Biden was briefed this morning on Evan Gershkovich and his detention in Russia, White House National Security Council John Kirby said on a Thursday call. Senior White House officials spoke with the Wall Street Journal, and the State Department has been in touch with the outlet and with Evans family, according to Kirby, who called the detention completely unacceptable. The State Department is seeking consular access to Evan in Russia, and it remains unclear if his detention is in retaliation for the U.S. indicting Sergey Cherkasov for being a Russian spy recently, Kirby added. Whispers of Russian Shadow Army Boss Replacing Putin Draw a Response Gershkovich was brought to a court in Moscow on Thursday afternoon, where the building was evacuated before he was escorted in with his hands cuffed behind his back and a hood over his head, according to the independent outlet MediaZona. Daniil Berman, a lawyer who arrived to represent Gershkovich, said he was blocked from entering and told another lawyer had already been appointed. Story continues The FSB further said that Gershkovich was arrested while trying to obtain secret information, and that he was acting on the instructions of the United States while collecting materials on the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex. Russias state news agency RIA Novosti said the materials constituted a state secret. The FSBs Investigation Department opened a criminal case of espionage against Gershkovich under Article 276 of Russias Criminal Code. If convicted, according to Meduza, he could face a sentence of up to 20 years. Reports of a man being detained in Yekaterinburg emerged in local media on Wednesday. The Telegram channel of one outlet in the city reported that one of its readers had witnessed someone being abducted at the Bukowski Grill restaurant in the center of Yekaterinburg. The witness said the person was being led away by what the presumed were security forces in civilian clothes into a minibus. A sweater was pulled over [the detainees] head so that passers-by could not see his face, the report added. Writing on his own Telegram account, public relations specialist Yaroslav Shirshikov commented on the report to suggest Gershkovich was the man being detained. Shirshikov said hed spoken with Gershkovich a couple of weeks ago and had taken him around Yekaterinburg and introduced him to other people. Shirshikov claimed Gershkovich had been interested in public attitudes towards the Wagner PMC mercenary group, and that hed worked safely in the city for several days before departing to Moscow. A source among Western journalists in the Russian capital told Meduza that as well as the visit to Yekaterinburg, Gershkovich also traveled to Nizhny Tagil in Sverdlovsk Oblast. Nizhny Tagil is home to the headquarters of Uralvagonzavoda defense company which is the largest manufacturer of tanks in Russia. Sverdlovsk lawmaker Vyacheslav Vegner told Russian media hed met with Gershkovich during the course of his reporting. Vegner said Gershkovich had visited to do interviews with various people about their attitudes toward the Wagner Group, as well as the work of industrial enterprises. We drank a bottle of cognac together. So you can write that Wagner drinks cognac with an American spy, he said. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson wrote on Telegram: What the employee of the American publication The Wall Street Journal was doing in Yekaterinburg has nothing to do with journalism. Unfortunately, this is not the first time that the foreign correspondent status, journalistic visa, and accreditation are used by foreigners in our country to cover up activities that are not journalism. Russian President Vladimir Putins spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters the arrest was not about suspicion, he was caught red-handed, even while admitting that he doesnt know the details. Ivan Pavlov, one of Russias most experienced espionage lawyers, told The Daily Beast that no international journalist was safe in Russia now that the Kremlin has crossed this line. This is the first time when an accredited correspondent was arrested, there was a rule to never touch MID [Ministry of Foreign Affairs] accredited journalists that was broken yesterday which means that the war in Ukraine has passed to a new level and foreigners living in Russia are going to be taken hostages. In a statement provided to the Daily Beast, the Wall Street Journal said it vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich. We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family, the Journal added. In a statement on its own site, the Journal said it is deeply concerned for the safety of Mr. Gershkovich. The newspaper says Gershkovich covers Russia, Ukraine, and the former Soviet Union as part of the papers Moscow bureau. He previously worked for Agence France-Presse, the Moscow Times, and the New York Times. The Daily Beast has contacted the State Department for comment. Lawyer Vladimir Zherebenkov, who has been handling efforts to free U.S. prisoner Paul Whelan, told The Daily Beast that the Kremlin had wanted more Americans to be able to swap for Russian prisoners. I saw the list of 300 Russian names on the list for swapping. The exchange fund has just been increased by one but it will take minimum six months before Gershkovichs case reaches that point, he said. We have very few Americans to exchange with hundreds of Russians in American jails. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Russian authorities said Thursday they had arrested a U.S. journalist with The Wall Street Journal on spying charges. Evan Gershkovich was detained in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg on suspicion of espionage in the interests of the American government, the Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement, which was reported by state media. The FSB accused Gershkovich of collecting information constituting a state secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex. Evan gershkovich (Dimitar Dilkoff / AFP - Getty Images) It provided no evidence or further details on when Gershkovich was arrested. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison. The Wall Street Journal said in a statement that it vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter. It added: We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family. NBC News has reached out to the U.S. Embassy in Moscow for comment. U.S. officials have been in touch with The Wall Street Journal about the situation, a senior Biden administration official told NBC News. Gershkovich is a journalist covering Russia, Ukraine and the former Soviet Union. He was previously a reporter for Agence France-Presse and the Moscow Times and a news assistant at the New York Times, according to his author page on The Wall Street Journals website. Gershkovich, 31, speaks Russian. His parents live in the United States but are originally from the former Soviet Union. A US reporter for The Wall Street Journal newspaper has been detained in Russia for espionage, Russian news agencies reported Thursday, citing the FSB security services. (AFP via Getty Images) His most recent article, which was published earlier this week and co-bylined, featured the headline: Russias Economy Is Starting to Come Undone. Gershkovich is the first journalist with an American outlet to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since the Cold War. His arrest comes amid high tensions between Moscow and Washington over Russias invasion of Ukraine, and as the Kremlin cracks down internally on free speech. Story continues It also comes following the high-profile prisoner swap involving WNBA star Brittney Griner. Griner was released from a Russian penal colony in December in exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout after she pleaded guilty to having vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage, but said she had no criminal intent. There had been hopes that Paul Whelan a U.S. corporate security executive jailed in Russia on espionage charges might be included in the exchange, but he remains imprisoned. In recent years, Russian President Vladimir Putin has overseen the largest crackdown on the free press and political dissent since the Soviet era. His full-scale invasion of Ukraine has seen that intensify, with the country adopting strict laws that prohibit criticism of the military and many journalists fleeing the country. Lets wait to see what the FSB specifically presents, but it appears that they have taken a hostage, said Tatiana Stanovaya, a nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the founder and head of the political analysis firm R.Politik. This undoubtedly brings Russia and the United States relationship to a new level of confrontation, she added This article was originally published on TODAY.com A man believed to be Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich - REUTERS The US has condemned the "unacceptable" arrest of an American journalist who Russia claims was caught "red handed" spying near military facilities Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal correspondent in Moscow, was arrested in Yekaterinburg on Wednesday. He was formally charged with espionage and remanded in pre-trial detention by Moscow's Lefortovo district court at a closed hearing on Thursday afternoon. He is the first US journalist to be charged with espionage in Russia since the Cold War, and the move is likely to trigger a high-stakes diplomatic row with Washington. President Joe Biden had been briefed on the detention, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said. "In the strongest possible terms, we condemn the Kremlin's continued attempts to intimidate, repress, and punish journalists and civil society voices," Antony Blinken, the secretary of state, said. At Lefortovo Court in Moscow, the FSB is demanding WSJ journalist Evan Gershkovich be put under arrest on charges of espionage. Meanwhile, a special police unit came inside the building, demanding reporters leave the floor where hearings are to take place. Video: Mediazona pic.twitter.com/fjPVrJ4kx4 Mediazona (@mediazona_en) March 30, 2023 Mr Gershkovich, 32, is believed to have arrived in Yekaterinburg on Wednesday for his second reporting trip there this month. He was last seen online just after 1pm Moscow time. A local Telegram channel reported on Wednesday evening that witnesses had seen plain clothes security agents arresting a man in a restaurant in the city centre. It said the agents put a sweater over the man's head and bundled him into a minivan. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich Yaroslav Shirshikov, a Yekaterinburg-based publicist who Mr Gershkovich interviewed on his previous reporting trip, wrote on Telegram that he was telephoned overnight by a WSJ reporter who said Mr Gershkovich had returned to the city but had been out of contact for over nine hours. Story continues He said he and Mr Gershkovich had eaten at the same restaurant two weeks earlier and realised after receiving the phone call that the detained man was probably the reporter. A few hours later the FSB, Russia's internal security service and the main successor to the KGB, said that he had been arrested for spying for the United States and that a criminal case for espionage had been opened against him. "It has been established that Evan Gershkovich, acting on the instructions of the American side, was collecting information constituting a state secret about the activities of an enterprise of the Russian military-industrial complex. The foreigner was arrested in Yekaterinburg while attempting to obtain secret information," the FSB said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies. There is speculation Mr Gershkovich was arrested to give the Kremlin someone to trade for suspected Russian spies arrested in the West - EVGENIA NOVOZHENINA/Reuters Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin's spokesman, told reporters on a briefing call that the arrest was the "FSB's prerogative". They have already issued a statement. We have nothing to add. The only thing I can say is that as far as we know he was caught red-handed, he said. Asked if the arrest could lead to Russian bureaux being evicted from America, he added: This should not happen because it is not about suspicions, he was caught red-handed." Mr Gershkovichs newspaper flatly rejected the Russian claims and demanded their correspondent's release. The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich. We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family," it said in a statement. Evan Gershkovich - AFP The FSB did not name the enterprise it suspected him of spying on. Yekaterinburg is a major industrial city and home to a number of defence firms. Uralvagonzavod, the country's biggest tank factory, is based in the town of Nizhny Tagil about two hours drive north. Mr Shirskikov said Mr Gershkovich's last reporting trip had focused on the Wagner mercenary company and public attitudes towards it and its founder, Yevgenny Prigozhin. Friends and colleagues of Mr Gershkovich poured scorn on the suggestion he was a spy, and suggested he had been targeted for his journalistic work or because the Kremlin wanted an American to trade for suspected Russian spies arrested in the West. Factory - AFP Many foreign reporters fled Russia in 2022 when the Kremlin passed draconian censorship laws and shut down several critical Russian news outlets in a bid to restrict reporting of its invasion of Ukraine. Foreign correspondents who remained have generally been allowed to continue working, however, and the arrest has been seen as breaking a long-standing taboo on targeting reporters accredited with the Russian foreign ministry. The Evan Gershkovich case is a precedent because until now foreign journalists accredited with the foreign ministry worked under the unwritten rule that they would not be touched, said Ivan Pavlov, a lawyer who specialises in cases involving the security services. He added: It is clear that the US will take all measures to free its citizen. Above all the entire journalistic community will demand American authorities take all measures at the diplomatic level. Such a case can be resolved not legally, but politically. In other words a political decision will be taken - and drawing it up is quite simple. Tatiana Stanovaya, a Russian political analyst, said the FSB had expanded its definition of espionage so far that any routine journalistic activity, such as searching the internet or collecting comments from experts, could be used as a pretext for arrest. "Let's wait to see what the FSB specifically presents, but it appears that they have taken a hostage," she wrote on the Twitter page of her Rpolitik think tank. "There are many people that could be exchanged: for example, Vladislav Klyushin, who was not swapped in the last exchange...Vadim Krasikov in Germany, as well as some illegals in other countries (Moscow believes that Washington can deal with this). Klyushin is a Russian businessman who was arrested in Switzerland and extradited to the United States in 2021. A federal court in Boston convicted him of a $90 million insider trading scheme using information hacked from US companies in February this year. Krasikov is an FSB assassin who is serving a life sentence in Germany for the state-ordered murder of Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a Chechen dissident born in Georgia, in Berlin in 2019. Two suspected spies from Russia's "illegal," or long-term deep-cover, spy programme posing as an Argentinian couple were arrested in Slovenia in January. Russia's "illegals" are so-called because unlike most spies they do not operate under diplomatic cover from embassies. They often live under assumed identities for years or decades in an effort to embed themselves in target countries and provide both intelligence and support roles such as couriering money for other operations. Roane State Community College is inviting current and potential students, recent graduates, and members of the community to its Oak Ridge Branch Campus for a Healthcare Job Fair in April. Roane State is again hosting a health care job fair, like this one in 2022. Employers still have time to sign up to participate. The fair will be April 12, 2023. The event will be 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 12. Local and regional employers will be set up in the Goff Building to speak with attendees about positions available in our area. Employers still have time to register online at roanestate.edu/placement by clicking the Job Fairs link and choosing the Information for Employers option. Roane State has developed strong partnerships with healthcare employers across East Tennessee over the years, said RSCC President Dr. Chris Whaley. Our students are sought-after in a variety of medical fields due to their extensive knowledge and training. Connecting employers with their future employees in a one-stop-shop environment is just one of the many ways we can assist our students, our healthcare providers, and our communities. Roane States current job placement rate is over 90%. Students and graduates can view openings in their chosen fields along with job search resources at roanestate.edu/placement. Anyone interested in attending the job fair on April 12 is advised to bring copies of their resume and be prepared for possible instant interviews. Questions or special needs for the event can be directed to RSCCs Workforce Training and Placement Manager Sonya Parker at (865) 481-2031 or parkers@roanestate.edu. For more info on Roane States health science programs, visit roanestate.edu/healthcare. This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Health care jobs at Roane State Community College fair Federal officials have repeatedly stressed that there is no evidence linking offshore wind development along the East Coast to a recent string of whale deaths. Regardless, GOP lawmakers are citing those deaths in an effort to ban offshore wind the latest in a growing, misinformation-rich campaign to stymie a ballooning renewable energy sector that stands to compete with Americas powerful oil and gas industry. The current system in place has allowed offshore wind to move forward too quickly & too recklessly in an attempt to solidify the legacies of green new deal advocates, Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) wrote in a Twitter thread last week. They hurt the environment, raise energy prices, & will destroy existing industry. Van Drew is part of a group of Republicans who introduced a resolution this month that calls for an immediate federal moratorium on offshore wind leasing and construction activity pending the outcome of an investigation to determine the true impacts of this development. The resolution specifically notes that 23 dead whales have washed up along the East Coast since December and accuses regulatory agencies of having an unclear process for determining all contributing causes of death of whales through necropsies. Along with Van Drew, the measure currently has five other GOP co-sponsors: Reps. Marjorie Taylor Green (Ga.), Andy Harris (Md.), Chris Smith (N.J.), Scott Perry (Pa.) and Anthony DEsposito (N.Y.). Offshore wind energy opponents gather during a Offshore wind energy opponents gather during a "Save the Whales" rally on Feb. 19 in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. To be clear, there are a lot of unknowns about how offshore wind will impact wildlife and marine ecosystems in the short and long term. Like all other offshore industries, wind development has the potential to disrupt and harm whales and otherwise negatively impact the ocean environment. But the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and independent scientists have for months been pushing back against sweeping claims that offshore wind activities, including sonar surveys, are to blame for recent whale deaths. Such misinformation has featured prominently on Fox News and other conservative media in recent months. Story continues When you think about this obsession with green energy the argument is always like oil and gas is so bad for the environment, Fox News host Laura Ingraham said on her show March 10. How ironic that what they are doing is almost certainly killing large swaths of the whale population. Greene, one of Congress proudest conspiracy theorists, has peddled similar nonsense. In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity in February, she claimed again, without evidence that whales are washing up because of wind farms that are being placed all over the ocean. People are calling the alarms over how [wind farms] are not only killing unknown thousands of bird species but also causing whales to beach themselves at record numbers, Greene said. Greene says people are calling the alarms about how wind turbines are killing whales and unknown thousands of bird species pic.twitter.com/4WZuELzbZW Acyn (@Acyn) February 15, 2023 There are only two small wind farms in operation in U.S waters, one off the coast of Rhode Island and another off Virginia. Together, they have just seven turbines and a capacity of 42 megawatts. More than a dozen other large-scale projects are in various stages of permitting and development, but none are currently under construction a reality that makes the conservative narrative particularly deceitful. As part of a broader climate agenda, the Biden administration set a goal of securing 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030, enough to power 10 million homes for a year and cut 78 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. So far, it has granted final approval to two major offshore wind projects: the long-stalled Vineyard Wind project off the coast of Massachusetts, and South Fork Wind project off Rhode Island. The recent whale strandings are part of what federal authorities have classified as an unusual mortality event that dates back to 2016. At this point, there is no evidence that noise resulting from wind development-related site characterization surveys could potentially cause mortality of whales, and no specific links between recent large whale mortalities and currently ongoing surveys, reads an FAQ on the NOAAs website. Rather, officials have pointed to vessel strikes and entanglement in fishing gear the two biggest human threats to whales, including humpbacks and the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. At least 190 humpback whales have died along the East Coast since 2016. Forty percent of the animals that underwent necropsies showed signs of being struck by a boat or an entanglement. Since December 1, 2022, injuries consistent with vessel strike were identified in many of the animals necropsied, Lauren Gaches, spokesperson for NOAA Fisheries, told Inside Climate Newsthis month. Conservative lawmakers and media outlets are following the lead of fossil fuel-allied groups in exploiting whales to fight offshore wind. As HuffPost reported in November, anti-offshore wind groups, including some of the nations most hard-line climate change denial outfits, have branded themselves guardians of the endangered right whale as they threaten legal action against newly approved offshore wind projects. Meanwhile, these same groups have advocated for increased offshore drilling while remaining silent about the documented threats to whales posed by oil and gas development. The NOAA estimates that 22% of the population of the endangered Rices whale in the Gulf of Mexico was lost as a result of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The Block Island Wind Farm off Rhode Island is the first commercial offshore wind farm in the United States. The Block Island Wind Farm off Rhode Island is the first commercial offshore wind farm in the United States. Those groups include the Heartland Institute and the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow, better known as CFACT, both of which have long histories of peddling climate change disinformation and cheerleading for the fossil fuel industry. In one of the more ironic and laughable moves of this anti-wind crusade, Peter Murphy, a senior fellow at CFACT, labeled the Biden administration deniers on par with the tobacco industry. As with the tabacco [sic] companies of yesteryear that disputed their product caused cancer, the Biden NOAA and climate-change cohorts are deniers, claiming there is no evidence off-shore wind sites are harming whales, Murphy wrote in a March 18 post to CFACTs website, without presenting evidence to the contrary. Rather, the agency attributes some of whale fatalities to pre-mortem vessel strike, while conceding more research is needed. It is no secret that the tobacco and fossil fuel industries have a shared playbook for downplaying and dismissing the harm they have caused. In fact, a trove of documents compiled in 2016 by the Washington-based Center for International Environmental Law, or CIEL, showed that tobacco and oil giants have worked collaboratively for over half a century, sharing marketing and advertising strategies, research institutes, PR firms and even scientists. CFACT is a member of the Cooler Heads Coalition, a group of conservative charities and nonprofits focused on dispelling the myths of global warming, according to its website. Between 1997 and 2007, CFACT received nearly $600,000 from oil giant ExxonMobil. Few if any oil companies have done more to sow doubt about human-caused climate change than ExxonMobil. In this July 31, 2010, file photo, a dolphin swims through an oil sheen from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill off East Grand Terre Island, where the Gulf of Mexico meets Barataria Bay, on the Louisiana coast. In this July 31, 2010, file photo, a dolphin swims through an oil sheen from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill off East Grand Terre Island, where the Gulf of Mexico meets Barataria Bay, on the Louisiana coast. In his post, Murphy concluded that at the very least, there needs to be a moratorium on construction of off-shore wind turbines, which from a climate perspective alone are ineffective and a colossal waste, and now hazardous to the largest mammals on the planet. Three days later, Republicans introduced their resolution for an offshore wind moratorium. Among other things, the resolution declares that Atlantic coast offshore wind leases represent a transformative industrialization of vital environmental and maritime resources of the United States. There is no question wind farms will industrialize large swaths of U.S. waters. But one of the biggest threats to global ocean health is the burning of planet-warming fossil fuels. Oceans have absorbed an estimated 93% of the excess heat from human-caused climate change. This ocean warming has come with devastating impacts, from mass bleaching of coral reefs to the collapse of fisheries. The NOAA notes on its website that whales, including the endangered right whale, are particularly vulnerable to climate change, as warming ocean temperatures impact the availability of zooplankton and other prey. Without a herculean global effort to shift away from fossil fuels and halt planetary warming, scientists warn the impacts to the ocean and marine life will continue to mount. The percentage of animal species exposed to potentially dangerous conditions increases significantly the faster the world warms, climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe tweeted this month, summarizing a finding of the latest United Nations climate report. In general, ocean species like coral and tropical species are most at risk. Offshore wind could ultimately help rein in fossil fuel emissions and combat the global crisis if disinformation doesnt get in the way. Media Matters, a media watchdog group, published a report last week that found that of the 288 Facebook posts from right-wing media in January and February that mentioned wind energy, a whopping 84% included unsubstantiated claims that offshore wind farms impact whale populations. The most popular post was a clip from Fox News Jesse Watters titled Wind Surveying is KILLING our Whales. Related... Apparently people online aren't the only ones to notice Ben Affleck's seemingly unamused resting facial expression. The "Air" actor attempted to explain his often misunderstood reactions during a March 28 appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" when he talked about a Christmas party he'd thrown. After host Jimmy Kimmel thanked him for the invite, Affleck admitted that the event might not happen again because "some awkwardness ensued." "It seemed you weren't quite as psyched about the party as everybody else was," Kimmel said. Laughing at the remark, the 50-year-old protested, "That's a common misconception about me." "Listen, I have a very unhappy-looking resting face," he added. The actor then gave a demonstration of his facial expressions compared to the actual emotion he might be feeling. "This is me content," he said, pausing in a seemingly disinterested facial expression. Ben Affleck's 'content' face. (YouTube) After the audience erupted in laughter, Affleck then demonstrated his "amused" face, which differed only in angle from his "content" expression. Ben Affleck's 'amused' face. (YouTube) "That's how God made me! You don't have to punish me for it," he told Kimmel. Social media users were quick to point out Affleck's seemingly bored expression at the Grammys last month alongside wife Jennifer Lopez. The moment was captured on camera and sparked several memes about how it looked like he'd rather be at his favorite coffee shop, Dunkin', over the award show. But the actor said the internet misinterpreted the viral picture and told The Hollywood Reporter that he "had a good time at the Grammys." My wife was going, and I thought, Well, therell be good music. It might be fun. At movie award shows, its speeches and, like, sound-mixing webinars. But I thought this would be fun, he said. The image of him and his wife whispering to one another was an example of particularly bad timing, Affleck explained. I saw (Grammy host Trevor Noah approach) and I was like, Oh, God," he told the outlet. They were framing us in this shot, but I didnt know they were rolling. I leaned into her and I was like, As soon they start rolling, Im going to slide away from you and leave you sitting next to Trevor. She goes, You better f------ not leave. Thats a husband-and-wife thing. Story continues During the March 28 interview, Kimmel said despite what his facial expressions might suggest, Affleck was a "gracious" and friendly host. However, he did note that Affleck complained about how much their Christmas tree cost. Im turning into that old guy, like, Were gonna heat the whole neighborhood, Affleck joked. Kimmel then recalled a conversation among himself, his wife, Jay Leno and Lenos wife, a moment that was already a little bit uncomfortable, the host said. Affleck then piped in with, Do you have some kind of a death-blood feud? before walking away, leaving the rest of the company in shock, Kimmel said. I thought itd be fun! You have little fish with the different colors and you put them in a bowl! Affleck said. Have fun! This article was originally published on TODAY.com More than five years ago, a newly minted Waymo took the wraps off of what would become its first commercialized autonomous vehicle: a Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan loaded with sensors and software. Now, the minivan, a symbol of the early and hypey AV days, is headed for retirement as Waymo transitions its fleet to the all-electric Jaguar I-Pace vehicles equipped with its fifth-generation self-driving system. When the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid AV was first revealed, it might not have been what people expected from the former Google self-driving project turned Alphabet-owned business. The design wasn't ripped from the pages of a graphic sci-fi novel and it was hardly flashy. But the white minivan -- highlighted with the same blue and green accent colors found on the Waymo logo -- embodied the company's aim. Waymo wanted a friendly looking vehicle people would feel comfortable using. The partnership with established manufacturer Fiat Chrysler now Stellantis also derisked an already risky frontier tech pursuit. Under the deal, Fiat Chrysler would handle the manufacturing and provide Waymo with minivans that built in redundancies designed for autonomous driving. Waymo never got close to the 62,000-minivan order it agreed to in 2018 as part of an expanded partnership with Fiat Chrysler. But the minivan did become a critical part of its commercialization plan and over its lifespan the fleet provided tens of thousands of rides to the public, according to the company. (Waymo has never revealed detailed figures of its minivan fleet beyond that its total global fleet is somewhere around 700 vehicles.) "It's bittersweet to see it go," Chris Ludwick, product management director at Waymo who has been at the company since 2012, told TechCrunch. "But I'm also happy for this next chapter." A bit of history Waymo revealed the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid in December 2016 and then provided more technical and business model details a month later at the 2017 North American International Auto Show. The first look at the minivan in December came just five days after Google's self-driving project officially announced that it was a business with a new name and slightly tweaked mission. Story continues At the time, little was known about what the Google self-driving project also known as Chauffeur intended to do beyond a stated goal to commercialize self-driving cars. The Google self-driving project had developed a custom low-speed vehicle without a steering wheel called the Firefly, but that cute gumdrop-shaped car never made it to commercial robotaxi status. Waymo Firefly and Chrysler Pacifica autonomous vehicles Waymo Firefly and Chrysler Pacifica autonomous vehicles. Image Credits: Waymo The lowly minivan seemed to represent a more grounded realistic vision toward the goal. By spring 2017, the company had launched an early rider program that let real people in the Phoenix area (who had been vetted and signed an NDA) use an app to hail a self-driving Chrysler Pacifica minivan with a human safety operator behind the wheel. Waymo eventually opened up the service to the public no NDA required and grew its service area to Phoenix suburbs Chandler, Tempe, Ahwatukee and Mesa. Waymo repeated that process as it took the important step of removing the human safety operator from behind the wheel, launching driverless rides in 2019 and eventually a driverless robotaxi service in 2020 that was open to the public. Minivan proving ground Image Credits: Waymo The minivan's initial reveal represented the moment when "Chauffeur" became Waymo and less of a science project, he noted. But there was still considerable work to be done. The Chrysler Pacifica was the ultimate commercial proving ground, according to anecdotes from Ludwick, who recounted the progress of moving from autonomous driving 10 miles in one day, then 100 miles, and then a 100 miles everyday. For instance, the company discovered that families were far more enthusiastic to use the minivan than it assumed. The minivan also helped develop the company's AV operations playbook, including how to park vehicles in between rides and where to locate depots for maintenance and charging. The minivan also became a testbed for how to operate a driverless fleet during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to COVID, the fleet in Phoenix was a mix of driverless vehicles and those with human safety operators behind the wheel. "In three months we turned it fully driverless and figured out how to disinfect the vehicles between each ride," he said. All-electric chapter Waymo jaguar ipace autonomous vehicle Image Credits: Waymo The next chapter for Waymo is focused on its all-electric Jaguar I-Pace vehicles, which will be pulled into the service area in the Phoenix suburbs of Chandler and Tempe that the minivan covered. The Jaguar I-Pace is currently the go-to driverless vehicle for robotaxi rides in downtown Phoenix and to the Phoenix International Sky Harbor Airport. The 24/7 service runs on a five-mile stretch between downtown Phoenix and an airport shuttle stop, specifically, the 44th Street Sky Train station. On Thursday, the White House gave a shout-out to Waymo (along with other companies) for its commitment to an all-electric fleet as part of the White House EV Acceleration Challenge. Waymo intends to deploy the all-electric Jaguar I-Pace across all of its ride-hailing service territories this spring now that the minivan has been retired. The nod to Waymo was part of a larger announcement from the Biden administration around public and private sector investments into EVs as part of its goal of having 50% of all new vehicle sales be electric by 2030. The next task for Waymo may be its most challenging: The company has to figure out how to grow the service, charge its all-electric fleet efficiently and eventually turn a profit. But Ludwick believes the company is well positioned thanks, in part, to the Chrysler Pacifica. "When I look at what the Pacifica got us, it's a lot," he said, noting that the vehicle had to travel at higher speeds and make unprotected left turns. A Russian jihadist has traded his weapons for wasabi by opening a small sushi restaurant in war-torn Syria's rebel-held northwest, as the conflict wanes and fighters look for other income. Islam Shakhbanov, 37, from Russia's Muslim-majority Dagestan republic, said he headed to Syria in 2015 "to take part in jihad". But after years of war, the Damascus government has regained control of most of the country and Syria's main frontlines have largely frozen, putting many foreign fighters out of a job. "In the end I opened this sushi restaurant," the goateed man told AFP, standing near a banner displaying a fish, with slogans in Arabic, English and Russian. Wearing a warm vest, and with a dark winter cap on his head, Shakhbanov said he fought alongside jihadist factions and the Faylaq al-Sham rebel group until about five years ago. Faylaq al-Sham is a Sunni Islamist group that has acted as Turkey's proxy during several Turkish military campaigns on Syrian soil. It has also been the source of pro-Ankara mercenaries sent to battle in Libya on the side of the UN-recognised government. The group fought fierce battles against the Russian-backed Syrian regime in Aleppo, Idlib and Latakia provinces, and is considered close to the Syrian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. Shakhbanov said he had lived in countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, and was inspired to open "Sushi Idlib" after sampling Japanese cuisine during his travels. He boasted it was the first sushi restaurant in the conservative enclave, Syria's last main rebel bastion where many people depend on humanitarian aid. Rebel-held Idlib is home to about three million people, around half of them displaced by 12 years of war. - Pickled ginger, soy sauce - The enclave is controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the former Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda, and other rebel groups -- some of whom count fighters from central Asia and the Caucasus among their ranks. Landlocked Idlib is surrounded by regime troops to the south but borders Turkey to the north, with the coast less than 25 kilometres (16 miles) away in some places. Story continues Shakhbanov said he imports many of his ingredients from Turkey -- pickled ginger, soy sauce, prawns and even crab. Idlib was among the areas struck by a February 6 earthquake that collapsed buildings and killed tens of thousands, mostly in Turkey. The sushi restaurant survived unscathed. Behind the counter, two chefs, also former fighters from Russia, chopped fresh salmon and cucumber, spreading the ingredients onto a bed of rice and seaweed before pressing everything into a roll. The restaurant at first struggled to attract customers in the impoverished enclave where Japanese food is an oddity, but Shakhbanov bills his seaweed rolls as "affordable". A California roll sells for 60 Turkish lira ($3), double the price of a large shawarma sandwich more familiar to local residents. He said he now has about a dozen regulars and hopes to attract more customers by adding fried dishes to the menu. But Shakhbanov, married to a Syrian woman and with two young daughters, said he is ready to leave the sushi behind and taste combat again should divided rebel factions agree on a military strategy. "I opened a restaurant," he said, "but I did not abandon jihad." ohk-rh/aya/lg/it/mca Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 30) The Marcos administration should not reopen peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), the political arm of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), amid clashes between rebels and government forces in Masbate, Vice President Sara Duterte said Thursday. "Negotiating with the NDFP is always doomed to fail The Masbate violence does not highlight the need for the resumption of the peace talks. It highlights the need for our collective effort as a nation to protect our learners from threats brought by groups like the NPA," she said, referring to the military arm of the CPP. Clashes between government forces and communist rebels happened near schools in Masbate municipalities, leaving students and teachers traumatized. Police presence was increased in areas with armed conflicts. Face-to-face classes for elementary and secondary schools have been suspended in some towns. READ: No blanket class suspension amid clashes in Masbate, DepEd orders Gov't to increase police visibility in Masbate schools amid clashes Duterte, concurrent education secretary, made her statement in reaction to ACT-Teachers Rep. France Castro's call for an investigation on the Masbate clashes. "They are indeed condemnable and an independent probe should be conducted by forensic experts and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to see the real perpetrators of the gun firing near the schools," Castro said. The lawmaker said conflict highlighted the need for the resumption of peace talks between the government and NDFP "to address the root causes of the armed conflict." On the other hand, Duterte said, "Castro's assertion that the peace negotiations would address the root causes of the armed conflict was ludicrous. Instead, it would only give legitimacy to the absurdity of the terrorism perpetrated by the armed wing of the NDFP, the NPA." Former President Rodrigo Duterte, father of Sara Duterte, terminated peace talks with the CPP in 2017. On March 29, the CPP marked its 54th year and called on the NPA to continue its armed struggle. This was its first anniversary after the death of party founder Joma Sison on Dec. 17, 2022. After Sison's death, the CPP said it was open to resumption of peace talks with the Marcos administration. Mourners gathered to honor the six victims of a shooting at a Nashville elementary school as lawmakers are at odds over what actions to take on gun control. Also in the news: An American journalist has been arrested for espionage by Russian authorities and the latest in "Creed III" actor Jonathan Major's arrest. I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. A popular, but noxious, piping fix is sickening people. And it's throughout America's sewers. Now, here we go with Thursday's news. Vigil occurs with gun control debate in the backdrop Hundreds of mourners, including first lady Jill Biden, gathered Wednesday night for a citywide vigil to grieve for the three children and three adults who were killed at the Covenant School in Nashville earlier this week. The vigil occurred as lawmakers from both parties said the prospects for major gun control legislation advancing in a divided Congress are slim even as President Joe Biden said he has exhausted what he can do to address gun violence through executive action. A shouting match between lawmakers on gun control in Capitol Hill is another sign of how far apart Congress is on gun control and shows why any movement on legislation is unlikely. House Republicans in Tennessee remain opposed to tighter gun regulations. "We're not going to fix it," U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., told reporters Monday. "Criminals are going to be criminals." Mourners applauded the Nashville police officers who were hailed as heroes for their swift response to the deadly shooting at the Christian elementary school in Green Hills. Rep. Tim Burchett, a Tennessee Republican, described the school shooting in his home state as "a horrible, horrible situation," but it's not something he thinks Congress needs to address. https://t.co/b1219Peuug pic.twitter.com/arHghqiofF USA TODAY (@USATODAY) March 29, 2023 Russia arrests Wall Street Journal reporter for espionage Russias top security agency says a reporter for the Wall Street Journal has been arrested on espionage charges. Authorities said Thursday that Evan Gershkovich was detained in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg while allegedly trying to obtain classified information. Gershkovich is the first reporter for an American news outlet to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since the Cold War. His arrest comes amid the bitter tensions between Moscow and Washington over the fighting in Ukraine. Read more Story continues More news to know now What's the weather? Check your local forecast here. Taiwan's president begins US visit Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen is expected to meet with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., during an upcoming tour of the Americas, prompting Chinese threats amid tense relations between Washington and Beijing. China threatened "resolute countermeasures" over the planned meeting between Tsai and McCarthy in Los Angeles. Tsai framed her 10-day trip as an attempt to show Taiwans commitment to democratic values on a global level. Tsai is expected to also transit through New York. Her two U.S. stops are the most closely watched visits on her tour. Read more Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen arrives at the boarding gate of the international airport in Taoyuan on March 29, 2023. Is this California's wettest winter ever? A colossal amount of rain and snow has fallen on California over the past few months from a dozen atmospheric rivers: more than 78 trillion gallons of water and counting. It's not the wettest year the Golden State has ever seen, but it is a massive amount of water in a state that has been beset by drought for several years. The precipitation didn't fall evenly across the state, but if it did, it would have covered all of California with about 30 inches of water. Read more Just for subscribers: These articles are for USA TODAY subscribers. You can sign up here. What to know about Jonathan Majors' arrest Jonathan Majors' arrest is still a developing story, but that hasn't stopped the internet from jumping to conclusions. Majors, the 33-year-old Creed III star, was arrested over the weekend after an alleged domestic violence incident with a 30-year-old woman. The public response has been swift and severe. There were those who pointed the finger at the alleged victim, quickly attempting to discredit a woman who claimed to be a victim of domestic abuse, and those who labeled Majors as guilty, regardless of the murky details and the fact that Black men historically face more frequent and harsher punishments than their white counterparts. Read more The Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial has our attention. It's strange, juicy and exactly what the internet wanted. Jonathan Majors attends the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party on March 12, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California. One more thing Photo of the day: King Charles III to speak to German parliament Britains King Charles III will become the first monarch to speak before Germanys parliament on Thursday. Charles is on his first foreign trip since becoming king. The three-day visit has a decidedly political purpose. The British government is trying to mend frayed ties with its continental partners following the United Kingdoms withdrawal from the European Union. Read more German Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomes Britain's King Charles III at the chancellery in Berlin, Thursday, March 30, 2023. Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this subscribe to USA TODAY here. Associated Press contributed reporting. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nashville shooting, journalist arrested, Taiwan, California weather, Jonathan Majors, MLB: Daily Briefing West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice has signed a bill into law that bans most gender-affirming care for transgender youth, with an exception for those considered at risk for suicide or other self-harm. Justice, a Republican, signed House Bill 2007 Wednesday. It bans the provision of puberty blockers, hormones, or gender-affirming surgery (not recommended for minors and not being performed in the state) to anyone under 18. It goes into effect in January. An amendment added late in the legislative process by Republican Sen. Tom Takubo, a physician, allows for the exception. At least two doctors must submit written opinions that treatment with pubertal modulating and hormonal therapy is medically necessary to treat the minors psychiatric symptoms and limit self-harm, or the possibility of self-harm, by the minor, the amendment states. The minors parents or legal guardians must agree as well. It stipulates that the medications must be in the lowest dosage necessary to treat the psychiatric condition and not for purposes of gender alteration. Puberty blockers and hormones are not to be administered to prepubescent minors, and that is not standard practice in any case. While providers and their lawyers are waiting to see how the new law will be implemented, some doctors expect little to change in how health care workers prescribe gender-affirming medication like hormones and puberty blockers, reports Mountain State Spotlight, a West Virginia news service. Big picture, I think everybody who needs care is still going to be able to get care, Dr. Kimberly Becher, a family physician and former health policy fellow at Marshall University, told the service. Natalie Frazier, a Planned Parenthood worker who oversees gender-affirming care in West Virginia and neighboring states, told the Associated Press the legislation is better than it could have been, but it still creates an unnecessary barrier to care that is going to end up harming people. Some teens and families cant afford to see multiple doctors to get approval for the treatments, she pointed out. Story continues Virtually every young person who seeks gender-affirming care is at risk of self-harm, she added. Thats why people are so invested in providing the care, because there is a disproportionate risk, she said. Thats something that any of these kids could be at risk for, and nobodys going into this care lightly. Cathryn Oakley, the Human Rights Campaigns state legislative director and senior counsel, released a statement denouncing the legislation: Gov. Justice and the legislature are substituting their political priorities for the expert judgment of medical experts the mainstream American medical community recommends the age-appropriate, best practice medical care that this law now prohibits. I want to be clear: these lawmakers are denying transgender and nonbinary youth care that saves lives. Gov. Justices actions [Wednesday] are dangerous, discriminatory, and just another example of politicians in positions of power abusing their authority to cater to extreme elements of their base harming the children of West Virginia in the process. Other states that states have outlawed most or all gender-affirming care for trans minors through legislation are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Mississippi, South Dakota Tennessee, and Utah. Florida has put a ban in place through its medical boards and is considering a bill for an even stricter measure. The Alabama and Arkansas bans are temporarily blocked by court action. Bans are pending in several other states. ChatGPT has become the poster child of artificial intelligence. (Reuters) What's happening? More than 1,000 AI experts and backers have called for a pause in artificial intelligence (AI) development over concerns of a "profound risks to society and humanity". An open letter signed by major players in the industry, warns of an "out-of-control race to develop and deploy ever more powerful digital minds that no one not even their creators can understand, predict or reliably control". Signatories include Elon Musk co-founder of OpenAI, the research lab behind ChatGPT and GPT-4 founder of London-based company Stability AI, and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. Elon Musk is among over 1,000 AI investors and experts who are calling for a pause on development. (AP) The letter coordinated by the Future of Life Institute think-tank has also been backed by engineers from Amazon, DeepMind, Google, Meta and Microsoft and calls for a pause of at least six months. Elon Musk and experts say AI development should be paused immediately (Sky News, 2 mins) What is ChatGPT? ChatGPT is powered by Elon Musk's OpenAI. (Getty Images) ChatGPT is an AI-powered chatbot developed by Elon Musk's OpenAI which was launched in November 2022. The GPT stands for "generative pre-trained transformer" a family of language models trained to produce human-like text. It has a neural network, pre-trained on massive amounts of text data, such as books, articles, and websites, to give it a general understanding of the world, and has been fine-tuned for more specific tasks. The chatbot, which you can ask pretty much anything, has the ability to weigh up the importance of certain words in a user's request, allowing it to give contextually relevant responses. What is the current legislation on AI in the UK? A visitor wears virtual reality goggles at the World Artificial Intelligence Cannes Festival. (Reuters) This week the UK government published its plans on how it wants to regulate AI technology, taking what has been described by some as a "light touch" approach as it seeks to "turbocharge" the industry's growth. Rather than setting up a new regulator, it wants to empower existing regulators to come up with "tailored, context-specific approaches" to ensure this technology is used "responsibly". Story continues AI is currently controlled in the UK by a patchwork of legislation that isn't specific to the technology. For example, it is subject to data protection laws, while discriminatory outcomes resulting from AI's use could be in breach of the Equality Act 2010. Some critics worry the government's new approach will fail to keep up with the pace of change, with Michael Birtwistle of The Ada Lovelace Institute claiming it has "significant gaps" and is "underpowered" relative to the scale of the challenge. How many people are using ChatGPT? Here's what ChatGPT said when we asked it what it can do. (ChatGPT) ChatGPT is one of many AI models but its explosive popularity has thrust it to the spotlight and has made it the poster child of artificial intelligence. Since its launch in November 2022 it has become one of the fastest growing apps in history, gaining 123 million active users in its first two months. To put that into perspective, it took TikTok about nine months after its global launch to reach 100 million users and Instagram two-and-a-half years, according to data from Sensor Tower. Ken Bruce's departure has been called the end of an era for BBC Radio 2. (BBC) Beloved radio presenter Ken Bruce will start his new show on Greatest Hits Radio this week. The departure of Bruce from BBC Radio 2 left a big gap on the station's daytime schedule, and Vernon Kay is the man tasked with filling those shoes. The veteran Scottish presenter signed off from his final Radio 2 show on Friday, 3 March, leaving the station after 31 years of hosting the mid-morning slot. The DJ first joined the corporation in 1977 as a BBC Radio Scotland presenter and his first regular slot on Radio 2 was the Saturday Late Show in 1984. Read more: How BBC Radio 2 has transformed in its bid to attract new listeners The following year he fronted the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, taking over from Sir Terry Wogan. He later moved to mid-mornings in 1986 and after a brief stint on late nights and early mornings, he returned to mid-mornings in January 1992. Here's everything we know about Ken Bruce's next move so far... Where is Ken Bruce going after BBC Radio 2? Ken Bruce is a host at Greatest Hits Radio. (Bauer Media) Ken Bruce will be next heard on Greatest Hits Radio, presenting a brand new mid-morning show from 10am to 1pm. On leaving BBC Radio 2, Bruce said: Nothing stays the same forever and I have decided the time is right for me to move on from Radio 2 when I reach the end of my current contract in March. Its been a tremendously happy time for me: Ive made many friends and worked with many wonderful colleagues. However, I feel that after 45 years of full-time broadcasting on BBC Radio, its time for a change." Where does Ken Bruce start on Greatest Hits Radio? Ken Bruce leaving BBC Wogan House after his last day presenting his BBC Radio 2 show. (Kirsty O'Connor/PA Images via Getty Images) Ken Bruce's new show on Greatest Hits Radio will begin at 10am today (Monday, 3 April). What better way to celebrate my forty-five years in radio than with a new adventure and a brand-new show on Greatest Hits Radio," Bruce said. "Im looking forward to getting started and to you joining me for my very first show. See you in April! He joins fellow BBC alumni Simon Mayo and Jackie Brambles at the station. Story continues Vernon Kay will take over mid-mornings on BBC Radio 2 in May, with Gary Davies filling in until then. Is Ken Bruce taking PopMaster to Greatest Hits Radio? Ken Bruce confirmed he will be taking PopMaster, his long-running and hugely popular pop music trivia game, with him to Greatest Hits Radio. Read more: New Radio 2 quiz slated by listeners "There will still be PopMaster, me and my musings and all the great records you know and love from the 70s, 80s and 90s," Bruce said in a press release. Broadcaster Gary Davies has launched BBC Radio 2s new weekday pop quiz Ten To The Top, replacing Ken Bruces long-running popular PopMaster format. Watch: Ken Bruce bows out of Radio 2 The giant panda, or panda bear, is known for its distinct black-and-white body and propensity of eating bamboo by the bunch. The panda is considered a national treasure in China, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature. These solitary creatures spend around 10 to 16 hours a day foraging and eating food. They can be found sleeping and resting during the remaining time of the day, according to Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conversation Biology Institute. But where can you find a panda doing these action in the wild? Here is what you need to know about where giant and red pandas live, plus if the species are still endangered. Male pandas can weigh up to 250 pounds in the wild, while females generally weigh under 220 pounds. Just Curious: We're here to help with life's everyday questions Where do pandas live? Giant pandas live mainly in temperate forests in the mountains of southwest China, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature. Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces are home to these mountain ranges, says Smithsonian. The Yangtze Basin region contains a majority of pandas' primary habitat. These animals used to live in lowland areas, however farming, forest clearing and other development have changed the habitat of giant pandas. Giant pandas live in broadleaf and coniferous forests with a dense understories of bamboo. These forests are at elevations ranging between 5,000 and 10,000 feet, says Smithsonian. Are pandas as peaceful and cuddly as they appear? The creatures have a surprising bite. Where do red pandas live? Nearly half of red pandas' habitat is in the Eastern Himalayas, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature. This spans from northern Myanmar (Burma) to the west Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces of China, says Smithsonian. Additionally, red pandas can be found in Nepal, India and Tibet. Red pandas live in high-altitude, temperate forests similar to giant pandas. Are pandas bears? Yes, giant pandas are bears. Giant pandas are the rarest member of the bear family and among the world's most threatened animals, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature. Story continues Males of this black-and-white bear species can weigh up to 250 pounds in the wild, while females generally weigh under 220 pounds. On all fours, giant pandas stand between two and three feet tall at the shoulder, and they are generally four to six feet in length. These bears consume anywhere from 70 to 100 pounds of bamboo each day to get sufficient nutrients, says Smithsonian. Red pandas, on the other hand, are not bears. Instead, they are of the Ailuridae family. The red panda is the sole living species in this family. The Ailuridae family is a part of the Musteloidea superfamily, which also contains skunks, raccoons, weasels and other-like animal. Giant pandas Bai Yun, a 27-year-old female, and her son, 6-year-old Xiao Liwu, at the San Diego Zoo in San Diego It's National Panda Day: Here are 15 adorable pandas photos to brighten your day! More panda content: Giant pandas slide and play in snow at Smithsonian's National Zoo Are pandas endangered? Giant pandas are no longer considered endangered and are classified as "vulnerable" on the global list of species at risk of extinction, says the World Wide Fund for Nature. This change came after the species saw a population growth of nearly 17% over the decade. However, giant pandas are not fully in the clear. Their habitat is still at risk loss as infrastructure development continues to break up and isolate panda populations. Only 54% of total habitat area is protected in more than 50 panda reserves created by the Chinese government with only around 67% of the total wild panda population living in these reserves. There are approximately 1,864 giant pandas left in the wild, says the World Wide Fund for Nature. What is a group of pandas called? It's actually a bit of an embarrassment. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Where do pandas live? Habitat, facts and info on giant and red pandas President Biden will veto a GOP-led effort to block a local police accountability law in Washington, D.C., if it reaches his desk, the White House confirmed Thursday. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that Biden plans to block the measure, known as a resolution of disapproval, if it passes Congress. The measure targets the Comprehensive Justice and Policing Reform Act, which is set to go into effect in May. The president believes that building community trust is integral to fighting crime. Thats something that youve heard him say, Jean-Pierre said. The president believes we should fund the police and give law enforcement the resources they need for effective, accountable, community policing, and at the same time should not weaken penalties for gun crimes. While he does not support every provision in the D.C. policing bill, he will not support congressional Republicans efforts to overturn common sense police reforms, she continued, adding that Congress should respect D.C.s right to pass to pass measures that improve public safety and public trust. The bill contains a number of provisions, including reforms to ban chokeholds, limit the use of force and deadly force, require the timely release of body-camera footage and mandate officer training on deescalation. D.C. officials passed the legislation despite objections from the police union, and Republicans have argued it will undercut officers ability to do their job. Bidens veto threat comes a few weeks after he signed off on another measure of disapproval to block a separate D.C. public safety law. That bill would have eliminated most mandatory sentences, lowered penalties for a number of violent offenses, including carjackings and robberies, and expanded the requirement for jury trials in most misdemeanor cases. Biden and White House officials said at the time that they opposed lowering penalties for offenses like car-jacking, but the decision caused an uproar among Democrats, who believed it contradicted the presidents support for D.C.s right to self-govern. That decision also caught a number of House Democrats, who had voted against the resolution of disapproval, off guard. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. US hasnt seen any evidence that theres been any egregious misconduct We havent seen any evidence that theres been any egregious misconduct when it comes to managing the security assistance thats gone into Ukraine, he said. Kirby noted that Kyiv shares Washingtons concerns about ensuring proper accountability and transparency of equipment heading to the battlefield. We all want to have as much oversight and accountability as possible. Of course, we do. Its taxpayer-funded equipment and systems that are going to Ukraine, but it is a war. And real people are fighting and real people are dying. And in battle, you cant predict every single perfect, secure movement of every single item that every single soldier takes into the fight with him or her, he said. Read also: USAID audit found no serious violations related to Ukraine aid At the end of January 2023, the U.S. Treasury Department stated that they did not see any signs of improper use of U.S. funds in Ukraine. Auditors from the United States came to Kyiv to check the use of international aid. Since the onset of the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation, Washington has extended unparalleled military and financial aid to Kyiv while also imparting military training to the Ukrainian armed forces. U.S. President Joe Biden stated that the country will support Ukraine as long as it is needed. Previously, at the end of January, the U.S. Treasury said it had found no evidence of the misuse of U.S. funds by Ukraine. After that, at the end of February, the Pentagon reported that it had not found any evidence of the misuse of U.S. military aid either. Some U.S. Republicans and U.S. media raised concerns about the possible misuse of U.S. aid by Ukraine, citing the countrys reputation for corruption. However, none have ever given direct evidence to back up these concerns. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine The Biden Administration on Thursday slammed Russias arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich as part of an ongoing pattern of intimidation against journalists and warned Americans to avoid travel to or leave Russia. Mr Gershkovich, a US citizen who extensive experience reporting from Russia, was arrested in Yekaterinburg on spying charges, according to Russias Federal Security Service (FSB) the successor to the KGB. He was brought to Moscow where a court at a closed hearing ordered him held in pre-trial detention until 29 May. The TASS state news agency said he pleaded not guilty. The authorities released no evidence publicly and the case is said to have been marked top secret. In a statement, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the administration is deeply concerned by the troubling reports that Mr Gershkovich had been detained by Russian authorities. She said the White House and State Department spoke with executives at the Journal late Wednesday. Administration officials have also been in direct touch with Mr Gershkovichs family as well, she added. Ms Jean-Pierre said Russias targeting of American citizens is unacceptable and said the administration condemn[s] the detention of Mr Gershkovich in the strongest terms. We also condemn the Russian governments continued targeting and repression of journalists and freedom of the press, she added. Espionage charges against someone from an American news outlet have not been seen since the end of the Cold War with the detention coming amid a bitter war of words between Moscow and Washington over the Ukraine war. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Thursday that the arrest of Mr Gershkovich did not appear to be part of a deliberate effort to target journalists, but stressed that as of now the Biden Administration has very little information on the case. I wish we could provide you more context about your colleague, but we we just don't know. it's the early hours. we're doing the best we can to glean as much information as possible and ... get access to Evan that's where our heads are. And as we learn more and can share more, we certainly will, but we're just not at that stage right now, he said. Story continues The White House and State Department have both said the US Embassy in Moscow has requested consular access to Mr Gershkovich. The last time an American reporter was detained by Russian authorities was 1986, when the KGB arrested US News and World Report correspondent Nicholas Daniloff and alleged him to be a spy. He was released as part of a prisoner swap arranged by the Reagan administration 20 days later, in exchange for a Soviet citizen whod been arrested by the FBI in New York while working at the Soviet mission to the UN. Arpan Rai and Chris Stevenson contributed reporting WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House dismissed espionage charges against a Wall Street Journal reporter detained by Russia as ridiculous and said there was no reason to believe the charges are accurate. "These espionage charges are ridiculous. The targeting of American citizens by the Russian government is unacceptable," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a news briefing. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Kat Jackson; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) In this satellite photograph released by the National Security Council, Russian railcars are seen traveling between Russia and North Korea to receive arms bound for use by the Wagner Group in Ukraine (US government photograph) The White House on Thursday said Russia is actively seeking to acquire North Korean-made munitions for use against Ukraine and has offered to trade Pyongyang food in exchange for the weapons Moscow desires. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that Russias quest for North Korean munitions is a consequence of the American and European sanctions that have been imposed on Moscow since Russian forces began invading Ukraine last year. In January, the White House revealed that Russias Wagner Group had recieved trainloads of arms from North Korea last year. Mr Kirby said the Biden Administration remains concerned that Pyongyang will provide further support for Russias war in Ukraine, and said a private arms dealer has been trying to broker a secret agreement between the two countries. Under that agreement, Russia would receive over two dozen kinds of weapons and munitions from North Korea, Mr Kirby said. He added that Russia is understood to be offering food in exchange for those weapons. The arms deal between North Korea and Russia would directly violate a series of UN Security Council resolutions, he said, adding that the US has taken note of statements by North Korean officials whove said the country wont supply arms to Russia. We are continuing to monitor this closely, he said. We're going to continue to identify, expose and counter Russian attempts to acquire military equipment from North Korea or from any other state that is prepared to support its war in Ukraine. We will continue to take action, including by imposing additional sanction,s to cut off Putin's war machine and further diminish Russia's ability to wage its brutal war against Ukraine. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 30) The death toll from the passenger ferry that caught fire off Basilan has risen to 29 after more fatalities were found, Basilan Governor Jim Salliman-Hataman said Thursday. Salliman previously reported that 31 died in the blaze that engulfed M/V Lady Mary Joy 3 late Wednesday, but later issued a clarification on the number of retrieved bodies. "Eighteen ang bago. Nasunog ito at nakita sa loob ng barko. Pero hindi pa naikot lahat dahil mainit pa ang barko," Salliman told CNN Philippines. [Translation: There were 18 new fatalities. They got burned and were found inside the ship. But not everything has been inspected yet because the ship is still hot.] The governor said he expects the death toll, which included at least three children, to climb further. The vessel was carrying over 200 passengers when it caught fire along the waters of Baluk-Baluk Island in Basilan province, a coast guard official said. According to latest data from Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Station Basilan, 186 survivors have so far been rescued. During an earlier interview with CNN Philippines' Balitaan, Salliman said there were no details yet about the cause of the blaze. Also speaking to CNN Philippines earlier in the morning, Mayor Arsina Kahing-Nanoh of Basilan's coastal municipality of Hadji Muhtamad said several passengers also sustained injuries, like burns. The Philippine Coast Guard based in Zamboanga said the ferry was reported on fire at around 10:40 p.m. The vessel owned by Aleson Shipping left Zamboanga City Pier and was bound for Jolo, Sulu when the fire broke out. Citing one of the passengers rescued, Mayor Nanoh said an explosion was heard before the fire started. When the ship ran aground, more explosions were heard as the fire grew, she added. Nanoh said search and rescue operations are still ongoing. Authorities are also monitoring the possibility of an oil spill, she added. The Coast Guard Station Basilan said in a social media post that several teams were sent to the area to assist. The Coast Guard Sub-Station (CGSS) Maluso was able to retrieve a female body, it noted. Meanwhile, the joint search and rescue team of CGSS Hadji Muhtamad and its local government unit rescued four people and retrieved another female cadaver, Coast Guard Station Basilan said. "Coast Guard Station Basilan will immediately check if there are signs of oil spill and assist in the conduct investigation and assessment of the vessel at the same time continue conducting search and retrieval operations of the still missing individuals," it added. Hataman expressed his sympathies to the passengers of M/V Lady Mary Joy 3. All resources were already mobilized to assist the victims and to speed up search efforts for those who are still missing, he added. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House on Thursday urged Russia to conduct itself professionally when it assumes its scheduled UN Security Council presidency next month, saying there was no means to block Moscow from the post. "We urge Russia to conduct itself professionally," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told a news briefing. "We expect Russia to continue to use its seat on the council to spread disinformation" and justify its actions in Ukraine. "Unfortunately, Russia is a permanent member of the Security Council and no feasible international legal pathway exists to change that reality," Jean-Pierre said. "The reality is this is a larger position, which rotates to council members month by month in alphabetical order." (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; writing by Paul Grant; editing by Tim Ahmann) The White House on Thursday cautioned Americans against traveling to Russia in the wake of reports that Russian authorities had detained a Wall Street Journal reporter. We are deeply concerned by the troubling reports that Evan Gershkovich, an American citizen, has been detained in Russia, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. The White House and State Department has been in touch with Gershkovichs employer and family, as well as the Russian government. I want to strongly reiterate that Americans should heed the U.S. governments warning to not travel to Russia, Jean-Pierre said. U.S. citizens residing or traveling in Russia should depart immediately, as the State Department continues to advise. John Kirby, a White House spokesperson on national security issues, separately urged Americans to heed the U.S. governments warning not to travel to Russia. I know of no efforts to tell other outlets to remove their journalists from Moscow, Kirby said on a briefing with reporters. We understand that you all have an important job to do, and in doing that job, all of you are willing to and must take risks. We respect that. But it doesnt change our deep concern about the presence of Americans being in Russia. The State Department in February issued an advisory for U.S. citizens residing in Russia or traveling there to depart immediately, citing the risk of wrongful detentions. Gershkovichs arrest was reported by the Wall Street Journal early Wednesday morning, citing a statement from Russias main security agency, the FSB, that it had detained Gershkovich for espionage. The Journal vehemently denied the allegations and called for Gershkovichs immediate release. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH A gravestone marks a burial site in a section of the Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery in upstate New York with the following inscription: First Brahmin Woman to Leave India to Obtain an Education. There's a crater on Venus named in her honor. Google commemorated her with a doodle in 2018. She has also been the subject of several books, plays and movies about her life. So, who is Anandi Joshi, and why should we know more about her? The answer to that starts in April 1883 when this young woman left her native India to come to America to do something unheard of at the time: to enroll in college to study medicine. It involved a journey that within four years took her to Pennsylvania, New Jersey, back to India and then to her final resting place in New York. But in that short time, she achieved fame and immortality as the first Indian woman to study medicine and earn a medical degree from an American college. She became the first female doctor in India based on her qualifications, but her career was short-lived when she died in February 1887 at 21. Joshi's humble beginnings and challenges provide insight into what made her a medical pioneer and role model. Nandini Patwardhan, who wrote the Joshi biography, Radical Spirits: Indias First Woman Doctor and Her American Champions, said in an interview with the USA TODAY Network that she thinks Joshi should be more well-known. "Anandi was, in a sense, a prisoner of her circumstances. But she had the courage to go beyond that, to challenge that, Patwardhan said. And if she could do it, unsupported by her country, unsupported, of course, by her society. And living here in the United States where it was a predominately white, predominately Christian society, and people are inclined to be skeptical and doubtful about her ability to attain a medical education, professional degree. But she plowed through, and she did it. Anandi Joshi graduated from the Womans Medical College in Philadelphia in 1886, the first Indian woman to attend and graduate with a medical degree from an American college. More: Title 9: Women who blazed a trail as pioneers of sports in South Jersey Story continues More: First U.S. woman undertaker helped people flee slavery in coffins. Meet Henrietta Duterte 'I go to America' "Why do I go to America?" That was the question 17-year-old Anandi Gopalrao Joshi answered while addressing a packed crowd at Serampore College in the Indian city of Serampore in February 1883. Joshi faced pressure and criticism over her decision to pursue a medical degree from the Womans Medical College in Philadelphia, a nearly 8,000-mile trip to an unfamiliar place on the other side of the world. She would respond simply, "I go to America because I wish to study medicine." Joshi (also spelled Joshee) was born in the city of Kalyan in the Bombay Province of India, then part of the British Empire, on March 31, 1865. Born into a Brahmin family with a birth name of Yamuna, she grew up very quickly. At age 9 her family married her off to a widower almost 20 years older than her, in keeping with the traditions of the time. Her new husband, Gopalrao Joshi, would become one of the influences on her eventual goal to study medicine. Patwardhan wrote in her book that when Joshi was to marry her in 1874, he did so with the condition that he "intended to educate Yamuna, and he would brook no interference or objections." Joshi educated his young bride through reward and brutal punishment even when there were objections from his community to his unorthodox mission. Anandi Joshi would also be influenced to pursue medicine by a traumatic, life-changing experience: the death of her first child. She was still a child, 12 years old, when her newborn boy died 10 days after birth. Indian sociologist Meera Kosambi wrote in her biography of Joshi, "Fragmented Feminism: The Life and Letters of Anandibai Joshee," that "her conviction that proper medical care would have saved the infant may have been the seed which later germinated into her decision to study medicine." Also, during this time, her husband made the acquaintance of Christian missionaries in Kohlapur to get their help in an ambitious plan to travel with his wife to the United States so she could continue her education. That led Joshi to send a letter in September 1878 to the Rev. R.G. Wilder, a Princeton-based missionary, requesting his assistance to find employment in the U.S. to fund his wife's education. That request was denied, but Wilder's correspondence with Joshi was published in the newsletter The Missionary Review. Roselle resident Theodocia Carpenter saw it while waiting in her dentist's office in Elizabeth. It touched a chord with Carpenter, who began a friendship with Anandi Joshi that would last until her death. The Joshis would also make the acquaintance of the Thoburns, an American couple doing missionary work in Calcutta. Anna Thoburn, a recent graduate of the Woman's College of Pennsylvania, advocated for her new friend in an 1882 letter to her alma mater. In the letter to the college's dean, Rachel Bodley, she said of Joshi, "She is a bright little woman speaks English fairly well-and writes it better than I do. . . She will no doubt appear dull at first as she will find it difficult to understand but I think she will get on well after a time." However, word would soon get in the community that the Joshis were looking at this new opportunity in America and it was not greeted with enthusiasm. That led to the speech at Serampore College. She would tell the audience that she was going to study abroad to receive the education that would enable her to become a trained practitioner who would come back home to work as she noted that "there is a growing need for Hindu lady doctors in India, and I volunteer to qualify myself for one." Two months later, after her 18th birthday, Joshi set sail for her new home without her husband to become the first Indian woman to study western medicine at an American school. She is believed to be the first woman from India to arrive in the United States. Pioneer in a new land When Joshi arrived in the U.S. in June 1883, she had several things that helped adjust to a new country. Among those factors were financial stability and people ready to greet her. The Womans Medical College of Pennsylvania awarded Joshi a $600 scholarship to cover the cost of three years of study. And new friends like Theodocia Carpenter, who opened her Roselle, New Jersey summer home to Joshi, were there for her arrival. Joshi wrote to her husband, which is quoted in Kosambi's book: "Lady friends came, embraced, and kissed me, and gave me flowers. Since I left you, I have had nothing but kindness." Joshi made her way to Philadelphia in late September, where she settled in the home of the college's dean. Soon, she immersed herself in a rigorous collegiate life all while trying to balance being a devout Hindu and devoted wife to a husband thousands of miles away. He traveled to see her in 1885 and they would exchange letters while they were apart. In one of her letters to her husband, sent in January 1884, she expressed how she was taken aback by some Americans she met and their ignorance of other cultures: "I feel really surprised at the ignorance of these [American] people. They ask such childish and foolish questions regarding child marriage, that it really annoys me." She was also surrounded by other female students who were as brilliant and educated as her. Some of them came from overseas and would become the first from their country to earn medical degrees like Kei Okami, the first Japanese woman to earn a degree in Western medicine from a Western university; and Sabat Islambouli, one of the first Kurdish female physicians from Syria. Joshi's diligence as a student culminated in her thesis, "Obstetrics among the Aryan Hindoos," which Kosambi described as Joshi's attempt to "reinstate ancient Indian medical lore as of equal or greater worth than contemporary Western medicine, and to reconstruct a family and community structure which was far superior to the one then in existence in India (and viewed as corrupted)." Nearly three years after her arrival at the college, now part of Drexel University, she graduated in a class of 33 students with a medical degree, the first Indian woman to do so in the U.S. She returned home to India in late 1886 with the goal of being a "Hindu lady doctor" as a position awaited her in the city of Kolhapur where she would be in charge of the Edward Albert Hospital and teach medicine to an all-female class. But her plans would not come to fruition due to her declining health. In one of her last letters before returning to India, written in fall 1886 to feminist writer Caroline Healey Dall, she described how her "headache, which is reflex, is perfectly intolerable. It is aggravated by every attempt to think." She died in the city of Pune in February 1887 from tuberculosis, four weeks before her 22nd birthday. But in death, she returned to America one last time as her ashes are interred at the Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery in upstate New York in the family plot of her American sponsor and friend, New Jersey resident Theodicia Carpenter. Anandi Joshi, the first Indian woman to receive a medical degree for an American college is seen in this photo taken at a reception at the Woman's College of Pennsylvania on Oct. 10, 1885, Also in the photo are her classmates Kei Okami from Japan and Sabat Islambouli from Syria, who were the first women from their countries to earn medical degrees from a Western college. More: The $20 question: Will Harriet Tubman's image grace currency by 2030? More: Civil servant, philanthropist, fighter: Paterson woman looks back on half-century career Anandi's influence lives on More than a century after her death, Joshi continues to fascinate people who come across her. Jaipreet Virdi was doing research in 2014 for a book on the history of hearing aids when while looking for 19th century photographs of people using ear trumpets, a photo in the Legacy Center Archives of the Drexel University College of Medicine caught her eye. It was taken at a reception held at the Womens Medical College of Pennsylvania in October 1885. It featured Joshi and her classmates Kei Okami and Sabat Islambouli, all attired in traditional dress. "I had hardly come across any sources from this period of non-white women practicing medicine, so naturally I was fascinated by the photo, and being South Asian myself, especially drawn to Joshi," recalled Virdi, a professor at the University of Delaware, who teaches courses on disability histories, the history of medicine, and health activism. Virdi said learning more about Joshi has such a hold on her that it led to writing a blog post about Joshi in 2014, which went viral. She also attempted to write a book on Joshi, which has since been postponed. "It was remarkable. This was a young woman who we expect to be submissive and subjugated based on her background and circumstances she was married at 9 years old to a 29-year-old man who bullied and abused her while educating her but despite numerous challenges, managed to sail to the United States and enroll into the Womens Medical College of Pennsylvania and receive her M.D. at age 21," Virdi said. Virdi pointed out that while Joshi's life has been documented in several books as well as a play and a film in 2019, her story is more well-known in her native India than outside the country and should be more recognized. "Shes not just an inspiration of a female overcoming her obstacles to achieve her destiny: she is a model of self-determination and opportunity, someone who made the best of the circumstances she found herself in, even when they werent always her choice," Virdi said. Ricardo Kaulessar is a culture reporter for the USA TODAY Network's Atlantic Region How We Live team. For unlimited access to the most important news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. Email: kaulessar@northjersey.com Twitter: @ricardokaul This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Woman buried in Poughkeepsie was first from India with U.S. medical degree It was 2019 and Hopital Albert Schweitzer, the only medical option available to hundreds of thousands of people along Haitis rural Artibonite River Valley, had just converted to solar power, expanded its 24-hour operations and implemented a surveillance program for mosquito-borne diseases and family planning. All of it was costly. After years of being self-funded thanks to the efforts of its founders six decades earlier, the hospital, which sits on a 120-acre campus with its own solar power and water treatment plants, was in the red and cash reserves were running out. The hospital was facing a huge challenge, recalls Jean Marc de Matteis, 50. It was transitioning from the era of being self-funded ... and the board was facing tough decisions. On the table: scaling back medical services or closing altogether. Then de Matteis, whose wife, Verena, sat on the board, raised his hand. The Haitian-born professional thought that perhaps with his 20 years of experience in healthcare and commercial enterprises he could engineer a turnaround as the hospitals next chief executive officer. This was before widespread fuel shortages spurred a countrywide shutdown in July, blocking de Matteis and outsiders from accessing the hospital; before 2020s COVID-19 pandemic made travel and in-person meetings almost impossible, and the worlds attention turned to finding personal protective equipment for local health facilities. And it was before Haitis deepening political turmoil took a spiraling downturn. Throw in a presidential assassination and then the earthquake, de Matteis said. And then of course now this situation, which is worse than everything combined what we are going through in Haiti now. Jean Marc de Matteis is the current chief executive officer of Hopital Albert Schweitzer. The Haitian-born professional will be honored in South Florida for his leadership of the hospital, which continues to provide care in central Haiti despite gang violence forcing it to suspend some services in February 2023. Despite the challenges, de Matteis managed to keep Hopital Albert Schweitzer afloat and open even though last month armed gangs forced him to suspend regular operations and implement an emergency plan where the hospital only accepts life-threatening emergencies. Story continues I was able to go in there and get some efficient management going and reduce our expenses considerably and almost double our impact, said de Matteis, who replaced former CEO Louis Martin in June 2019. Weve expanded our community health programs, we reestablished our mobile clinics and established an HIV clinic, which we did not have before. So I am really proud. More recent efforts included vaccinating 20,000-plus people against COVID-19, producing 20 million-plus liters of oxygen and spearheading relief efforts in the south of Haiti after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck the cities of Les Cayes and Jeremie in August 2021. In addition to bringing in World Central Kitchen and its founder, chef Jose Andres, to provide thousands of hot meals to quake survivors, de Matteis and the hospital coordinated with Haiti Air Ambulance, which was part of a triage at the airport. Were stepping in and serving where we see a void, he said. De Matteis leadership will be lauded Friday at the Sailfish Club of Florida in Palm Beach. A fundraiser for the hospital, the White Hot Night annual benefit is spearheaded by Palm Beach resident Louise Stephaich, whose uncle and aunt, Larry and Gwen Mellon, founded Hopital Albert Schweitzer in Deschapelles, Haiti, 67 years ago. Stephaich, 93, who once traveled to Haiti amid food riots to go check on the care being given, said the benefit isnt just about raising funds for the hospital in a time of need. It is also about bringing desperately needed attention to Haiti, where medical facilities and professionals are increasingly becoming casualties in the escalating armed gang violence. I want people to be aware of whats going on in Haiti, she said. Hopefully they will talk to people in Washington. With Ukraine going on, we dont see that much about Haiti. Hospital operating under war-like conditions Despite scaling back regular operations, the hospital has remained busy. The pediatric ward is full, and surgeries are ongoing, de Matteis said, taking place under war-like conditions. Weve treated more gunshot victims in three weeks than we did for all of last year, he said. So far, supplies are still coming in, though every day is a game of chance and tactical maneuvering to get supplies, first out of the port, and then onto the road through gang-controlled roads unnoticed. There is no food getting out anywhere, said de Matteis, deeply worried about the Artibonite, the countrys breadbasket. All of the solutions that are being proposed, $100 million for this and that, 14 months ago that would have had a chance, but today, there is nothing to reinforce. The co-chairs of Fridays fundraiser are CNNs Anderson Cooper and author Mitch Albom, along with Andres, as well as Stephaich and Verena de Matteis. Albom, a journalist and philanthropist who runs an orphanage in Haiti and still travels there regularly, said he knows firsthand the stress under which hospitals are operating. Over the last six weeks, staff had to run all over Port-au-Prince on a Sunday looking for medication to stop a seizure after a hospital didnt have it to treat one of his kids. Another facility discharged another one of his kids despite him being diagnosed with tuberculosis because the hospital said it had to shut down due to the gang violence preventing staff from getting to work. I think its hard for any American mind that hasnt been to Haiti to really comprehend whats gong on there in hospitals or anything else for that matter. Its just so far out of our realm of thinking, he said. Its the worst thing you can imagine and then another 10% beyond that. When it comes to hospitals, what more vital cog of society can there be? You would think maybe the gangs would leave them alone. Its just not true. People are being forced to take their safety into their own hands, said Albom, in order to get to and from work and just to save someones life. Schweitzer inspired Haitis hospital Stephaichs uncle, Larry Mellon, was a rancher when someone dropped a copy of a magazine at his doorstep one day. On the cover was a photo of Dr. Albert Schweitzer, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and medical missionary whose humanitarian work included building a hospital in Africa. Mellon and Schweitzer corresponded, and the latter inspired him to quit ranching and become a doctor, even though Mellon at the time only had one year of undergraduate studies, Stephaich recalled. Eventually, Mellon and his wife, Gwen, who had wanted to be a missionary, settled on Haiti after traveling the hemisphere looking for a place to build their own hospital. In Deschapelles, they found the campus of a defunct fruit company, which had a lot of buildings, and were given the land by the government on the condition that they make it a hospital. Hopital Albert Schweitzer in central Haiti has had to suspend regular services due to kidnappings and violent gangs. But the hospitals pediatric wards are full and new patients are increasingly gunshot victims. During his time at the hospital, which he named in honor of his friend and inspiration, Larry Mellon was known for walking around with a pith helmet, hence the name Le Grand Chapeau Award for Philanthropy and Service that de Matteis will receive. Hopital Albert Schweitzer in central Haiti has had to suspend regular services due to kidnappings and violent gangs. But the hospitals pediatric wards are full and new patients include gunshot victims. Outside of Haiti, the hospital is known for its treatment of high-risk pregnancies. Like Stephaich, de Matteis wants to keep Fridays focus on Haiti and the professionals providing day-to-day care. People like Dr. Jean William Bill Pape, who runs the Gheskio medical clinics, and University Hospital of Mirebalais Loune Viard and Didi Bertrand Farmer, widow of the late Dr. Paul Farmer, who also focused on bringing healthcare to central Haiti. The worse the humanitarian crisis gets the more hospitals and our services are needed, de Matteis said. Whatever the situation is in Haiti ... the 2,800 women with high risk pregnancies that give birth every year and the 800 Caesarean sections that we do every year are needed more than even when people are suffering more. At the end of the day, we are alleviating suffering, de Matteis added. And thats always a positive thing. To donate to the hospital, a nonprofit tax-exempt charitable organization, make checks payable to HAS Haiti, P.O. Box 110091, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA; or by phone 1-412-351-5200. You can also go to https://hashaiti.org/take-action/ways-to-give/donate/ Chocolate was not always the gift given at Easter. (Getty Images) Chocolate is one of the treats we most look forward to at Easter time (and all year round), but have you ever wondered what it has to do with the holiday and the resurrection of Christ? According to English Heritage, Brits buy around 80 million Easter eggs per year that's at least one egg for every person in the UK. It says that people have given eggs to each other at spring festivals throughout history to celebrate the new season as eggs represent new life and rebirth. Read more: Best Easter eggs deals at Tesco, Morrisons and more During the medieval period, eating eggs was forbidden during Lent the 40 days before Easter so many people chose to eat an egg on Easter Sunday. English Heritage says the first iteration of the chocolate egg was sold by Fry's in 1873, and then by Cadbury in 1875. While these eggs were initially made with dark chocolate, when Cadbury introduced its Dairy Milk chocolate in 1905, it began making its Easter eggs with this sweeter chocolate. With the rise of Christianity in Western Europe, the church adapted many pagan customs and the egg, as a symbol of new life, came to represent the resurrection, Cadbury explains in its 'History of Easter' fact sheet. Some Christians regarded the egg as a symbol for the stone being rolled from the sepulchre. According to Cadbury, chocolate was not always the gift given at Easter and people were originally given decorated hen or duck eggs. Creme egg flavour is one of Cadbury's more modern favourites. (Getty Images) Toys shaped like eggs were introduced in the 17th and 18th centuries, with some filled with chocolates. This then led to the development of chocolate eggs, now responsible for the Easter eggs we see displayed in our supermarkets sometimes as early as the start of the year. Read more: Easter eggs: How many calories are in your favourite? Chocolate Easter eggs were first made in Europe in the early 19th century, with France and Germany taking the lead in this new artistic confectionary, Cadbury explains. Some early eggs were solid as the technique for mass-producing moulded chocolate had not been devised. Story continues Read more: Marks & Spencer unveils Easter chocolate carrot made with 23 carat edible gold leaf The production of the first hollow chocolate eggs must have been painstaking as the moulds were lined with paste chocolate one at a time. Cadbury says on its website its earliest chocolate eggs were made of dark chocolate and filled with sugared almonds. The chocolate giant introduced the Cadbury Creme Egg in 1971 ad now makes around 500 million of the small eggs each year. Watch: Cadbury Creme Martini Is The PERFECT Easter Cocktail Want to learn about High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems? You should start a game of Spades in your barracks. Need some information on Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems? Kick off a rowdy game of Egyptian Rat Screw. A new deck of playing cards the U.S. Army is rolling out is designed as a training tool to help decipher the dizzying array of arms the military and its allies use on the battlefield and the cards seem well-equipped to help those on the ground in Ukraine. The set of 52 cards which include two jokers in case you want to play a game of Crazy Eights features an array of NATO-made tanks, armored personnel carriers, trucks, artillery pieces and other weapons systems, according to a New York Times report. The #Pentagon has released playing cards with pictures of 52 different #NATO weapons systems for #Ukraine's Armed Forces, the New York Times reported. The idea is for soldiers to be able to quickly identify enemy equipment and distinguish it from friendly forces. pic.twitter.com/YGTUrZ9OJY KyivPost (@KyivPost) March 28, 2023 Since being invaded by Russia in February of last year, Ukraine has become the third-largest recipient of arms in the world, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. But Maj. Andrew Harshbarger, spokesperson for the Armys Training and Doctrine Command, told the Times the cards were not specifically made for Ukraine. The cards do, however, focus on NATO equipment that has proliferated to non-NATO countries, he said. The Pentagon has used playing cards dating back to World War II, when decks featured Axis and Allied aircraft. Playing old fashioned games like pinochle in the French countryside was never so relaxing and educational. In 2003, the military also used playing cards in Iraq to help troops identify its most-wanted fugitives, a deck that famously featured Iraqi President Saddam Hussein as the ace of spades. Your story is valuable. The post Why Marcus Collins, Former Digital Strategist For Beyonce, Believes Storytelling Is The Currency Of Community appeared first on AfroTech. Marcus Collins, the current Head of Strategy at Wieden+Kennedy New York, knows a thing or two about transforming stories into content that has brought in lucrative amounts of money for his clients. The Power of Storytelling Storytelling is the currency of community, Collins told Black Tech Green Money podcast host Will Lucas. Storytelling is how culture moves forward and also how it propagates. You tell the next generation who tells the next generation and the next generation, right? So, stories are probably the most powerful vehicle for information exchange, for cultural expectations to be established, and for expectations to be socialized through stories as well. He continued: So whether you are a marketer, whether you are a coder, whether you are the person pushing the broom as the janitor, the stories align us to what were about, what we stand for, what we believe in, and how we preach the gospel to people to bring them in. His Expertise As the person who helped launch successful campaigns for major brands including State Farm, Google, Made in America, and more, Collins provides extensive expertise in the world of marketing. He also serves as a clinical marketing professor at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. Working Alongside Beyonce Additionally, he played a role in running digital strategy for Beyonce, whom he uses as one of many perfect examples of what it means to use your brand to drive your story. I used to work for Beyonce, said Collins, adding that her ability to transcend the category in which she resides is much like Nike, in that her brand operates from an ideological standpoint. Beyonces the same way. Weve known that Beyonce believes in or stands for womens empowerment since the days of No, No, No, to Bills, Bills, Bills to to the left and you aint gonna break my soul. So, while we know Beyonce as an artist, and in all the many ways that she is artistic, the meaning of Beyonce transcends those things. For more on how storytelling can ascend your brand to greater heights according to marketing expert Marcus Collins, listen to the full BTGM episode below. Plus, check out his book For The Culture, here. Editor's note: This letter was originally sent to President Joe Biden on March 10. Dear Mr. President, As Delawareans, we are writing to strongly support the nomination of Patrick F. Noonan for a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Pats guiding philosophy around bridging new partnerships between the business community, landowners, farmers and environmental groups, earned him the prestigious MacArthur genius award in 1985. At age 29, Pat took the helm of the Nature Conservancy as president and led the organizations transformation into the national and global force it is today. He was founder of the American Farmland Trust, Conservation Fund and Chesapeake Conservancy. While Pat is known around the country for his historic land protection achievements, he has made a lasting impact here in Delaware as well. Starting in 2004, Pat led the effort to protect large, contiguous blocks of forestland in Sussex County owned by the Glatfelter Pulpwood Company who at the time was the States largest private landowner. Through a series of innovative transactions, Pat was able to head off the development of thousands of acres by orchestrating outcomes that protected the timberlands while keeping them in production and rural economies thriving. His vision for combining economic development with environmental protection continued across the state with projects at Mispillion Harbor and Fowlers Beach where he helped protect critical horseshoe crab and shorebird habitat while providing access for education, birdwatching related tourism and restoration of the resource. A ghost forest stands along the eastern edge of a farm field near Fowler Beach. One of Pats crowning achievements was the creation of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail which he accomplished in partnership with organizations, educational institutions, native tribes, corporations, and local, state and federal agencies around the Chesapeake Bay including Delaware. The Water Trail is the first of its kind in the nation and celebrates and promotes access to all the cultural, historic and recreation attributes that the Bay has to offer. Known as the ambassador for the Trail, Pat advocated for its inclusion up the Nanticoke River into the State of Delaware. In 2007, he proudly stood at Phillips landing in Laurel declaring that the Water Trail had officially arrived in the First State. In 2013, Delaware finally established its first national park presence with what ultimately became First State National Historical Park. Pat was one of the key visionaries behind the countless hours, meetings and briefings that went into helping establish the park. In his humble way, he was never in the forefront of the effort, but led from behind providing steady guidance and support to help get the historic effort across the finish line. Pat Noonan will leave a legacy of conservation in all 50 states that is arguably unsurpassed by any other individual in our time. But Delaware has always held a special place for him and his work here has changed our state in many ways that go beyond protecting land. He fostered partnerships that broke barriers, offered vision where there was a divide, and brought innovative solutions to complex issues. We owe Pat a great debt of gratitude and encourage you, from Delaware and beyond, to bestow upon him this honor that he so richly deserves. Jennifer Adkins, executive director, Delaware Nature Society Lori Brennan, executive director, The Nature Conservancy Pennsylvania and Delaware Christopher Buccini, co-president, Buccini Pollin Group Kate Hackett, executive director, Delaware Wild Lands Richard Jones, Jr., partner, Berger & Harris, co-founder, Friends of First State Blaine Phillips, Jr., senior vice president and mid-Atlantic director of The Conservation Fund, president, Fair Play Foundation Ann C. Rose, president, Mount Cuba Center Porter Schutt, Brown Advisory Head of Delaware Office, chairman, Stroud Water Research Center Halsey Spruance, executive director, Delaware Museum of Nature and Science This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Patrick F. Noonan deserves Presidential Medal of Freedom RUSSIA-US-JOURNALIST A picture taken on July 24, 2021 shows journalist Evan Gershkovich. Credit - DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images Russias security service, the FSB, on Wednesday arrested Evan Gershkovich, an American Wall Street Journal reporter on espionage charges. Gershkovich had extensively reported on Russia, including on the deterioration of the countrys economy. While its too soon to say for certain why Russian authorities detained Gershkovich, experts on press freedom tell TIME that Russias claim he committed espionage is dubious. Whats far more likely is that Russia was seeking retaliation or leverage against the U.S.or both. The arrest is part of a pattern with this increasing crackdown on free and independent media, says Jodie Ginsberg, the president of the Committee to Protect Journalists. Within Russia, prosecutors have opened cases against dozens of Russian journalists, who also face surveillance, violence and are at times physically followed. However, its rare for a foreign journalist to face prosecution in Russia, says Ginsberg, as theyre more often deported or blocked from entering the country instead. Many western outlets pulled some or all of their journalists out of Moscow as a result of the rising tensions following the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year, and Gershkovichs arrest may make it even harder for those who remain. Its a way for the Kremlin to intimidate the western journalists still reporting in Russia, says Jeanne Cavelier, the head of Eastern Europe and Central Asia Desk for Reporters Without Borders. If western journalists cant report on Russia any more, without being arrested without being suspected and accused of espionage, the country may become a black hole of information. Who is Evan Gershkovich? Gershkovich, a 31-year-old U.S. citizen, is a reporter based in the Wall Street Journals Moscow bureau. According to the Journal, his parents were Jewish immigrants who settled in the U.S. after leaving the Soviet Union. His father was from Odessa and his mother was St. Petersburg. Gershkovich mastered Russian during his time as an adult in Moscow. Gershkovich had worked as a reporter in Russia since 2017, and joined the publication in January 2022, per the Journal, after reporting for the Moscow Times, Agence France-Presse, and the New York Times. In the most recent story he published, he wrote about the effects of sanctions on the Russian economy. Story continues Gershkovich was arrested on Wednesday in Yekaterinburg, which is north of Kazakhstan, on a reporting trip, the Journal reported. Novaya Gazeta Europe reported that Gershkovich was reporting on Russian attitudes about the private military company Wagner Group. Why does Russia say it arrested Gershkovich? The FSB said in a statement that Gershkovich is suspected of spying in the interests of the American government, and that its investigative department has initiated an espionage criminal case against him. It was established that E. Gershkovich, acting on the assignment of the American side, collected information constituting a government secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex, the statement said. The Russian news agency TASS reported that Gershkovich pleaded not guilty at a court in Moscow. The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich, the newspaper said in a statement. We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family. Whats the real reason Gershkovich was arrested? Russia likely arrested Gershkovich to gain leverage against the United States and to send a warning to foreign journalists about the risks of reporting on Russias affairs, says Bill McCarren, the executive director of the National Press Club. You see that in Iran, and in other places, but we have not seen this in Russia with respect to a Western journalist. says McCarren. Arresting a foreign journalist on spy charges is a dangerous precedent for Russia, he says. Current Russian law makes anyone doing credible reporting in the country vulnerable. However, according to Ginsberg, Russia had not arrested an American journalist on an espionage charges since 1986, under the Soviet Union. While McCarren emphasizes that its difficult to know exactly why Russia chose to detain Gershkovich, he says that it may partly be due to his reporting. Given Gershkovichs recent reporting, says McCarren, it isnt surprising the government targeted him. At the time of his arrest, Gershkovich was reporting on PMC Wagner, a private military company which has played a major role in the war effort. The independent news organization Meduza reported that Gershkovich had also visited Nizhny Tagil, where a defense facility is based. His last byline for the Journal before his arrest was, Russias Economy Is Starting to Come Undone. Russia has been keen to maintain popular support for the conflict in Russia, so Gershkovichs recent report may have been particularly disturbing to the Kremlin. I think its meant to be a warning sign to all Western press that was working in the way Evan wasand theres not that much of it now, because of the current crackdown, says McCarren. This is using the judicial system of Russia as a masquerade for an act of, essentially, terrorism. Hostage taking. Opportunism. Russia may also intend to use Gershkovich as a bargaining chip to return Sergey Cherkasov, an operative for the GRU foreign military agency, who the Washington Post reported on March 29 was arrested last year, says Cavelier of Reporters Without Borders. In the past, Cavelier noted, countries have used journalists as spies, which she says makes it very convenient to accuse journalists. However, she emphasized that there is absolutely no indication that he was doing anything other than leading investigative work for Wall Street Journal. McCarren added that Gershkovich worked for several major media organizations, which carefully vet reporters they hire. Authoritarian regimes will try everything they can to smear journalists, accuse them of wrongdoing, in order to detract from their own wrongdoing, says Ginsberg. How is the world reacting? The arrest was widely condemned by his fellow journalists and organizations supporting press freedom, who called for his release. We are deeply concerned over Russias widely-reported detention of a U.S. citizen journalist. We are in contact with the Wall Street Journal on this situation. Whenever a U.S. citizen is detained abroad, we immediately seek consular access, and seek to provide all appropriate support, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. In the strongest possible terms, we condemn the Kremlins continued attempts to intimidate, repress, and punish journalists and civil society voices. Arresting a foreign journalist on espionage charges is a serious escalation of Russias attacks on journalism, said Scott Griffen, the deputy director of the International Press Institute in a statement. It underscores the depth of Russias effort to silence coverage of Putins war on Ukraine, which has already led to a serious crackdown on Russian journalists. Now, that dragnet appears to be expanding further. Pauline Ades-Mevel, a spokesperson for Reporters Without Borders, told the Journal that the group is alarmed by what looks like retaliation against journalists. Journalists must not be targeted, even if unfortunately they have been regularly since the invasion, she said. The recent mass shooting at Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, that left six people dead -- including three children -- was carried out, at least in part, with semi-automatic rifles. According to Nashville police, the shooter walked into the private Christian elementary school Monday armed with a handgun, but also an AR-15-style rifle and a semi-automatic pistol-caliber carbine. While handguns have the potential to seriously harm people, sometimes fatally, semi-automatic rifles can cause even more damage. MORE: 'Let's go!': Officers faced uncertainty of where victims, suspect were in Nashville school shooting "Disturbingly, in mass shootings, the AR-15 or the AR-15-style rifle seems to be the weapon of choice," Dr. Cornelia Griggs, a pediatric and critical care surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital, told ABC News. "That's not to say that there aren't other rifles that can cause quite a lot of damage in the human body, but this type of injury is devastating and unique to many military-grade weapons." Trauma specialists explained what the injuries look like, how they're treated and why they can be even more devastating for a child than an adult. Wounds from handguns vs. semi-automatic rifles Traditionally, bullets fired by a handgun will cause clear entrance and exit wounds -- both of fairly the same size -- and will often travel in a straight line into and out of the body. "A conventional handgun will typically create a relatively small, round wound that sort of conforms to the size of the bullet," Dr. Michael Shapiro, chief of trauma and critical care surgery at Northwestern Medicine in Illinois, told ABC News. "If it passes through the patient, the exit wound is typically a little bit larger with the skin edges everted a little bit." PHOTO: School buses with children arrive at Woodmont Baptist Church to be reunited with their families after a mass shooting at The Covenant School, Mar. 27, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. (Seth Herald/Getty Images) He continued, "As a rule, if you can line up the holes, you're likely to see a sort of picture of what organs are in between those two wounds and it gives you a pretty good sense of what you need to be concerned about." Story continues However, the same can't be said for a wound from a semi-automatic rifle. Bullets from these firearms do not create the same size entrance and exit wounds, and often one can be much bigger than the other. "The degree of tissue destruction will be considerably greater, so rather than a bullet simply passing through an organ, it may inflict a more destructive wound to the organ itself," Shapiro said. "So, you may, instead of seeing a small wound through the stomach, for example, you may see much larger wounds and that's typically consistent with both with the skin wounds as well." "You may see a relatively small entrance wound and a very large, destructive, blown out skin wound on exit," he added. Sometimes bullets from AR-15s and AR-15-style weapons can yaw, or tumble, before they hit a person, meaning there is not a linear path through the body. MORE: Nashville school shooting: What to know about the 6 victims "Instead of just being sort of point on straight through, there's more erratic passage of the bullet through the victim so the extent of tissue damage is greater," Shapiro explained. What's more, assault weapons can cause a process called cavitation to occur, meaning it creates a large cavity in the body, destroying tissues and organs. High-velocity bullets The size of the bullet doesn't have much do with the damage a firearm can cause compared to the velocity at which a bullet exits. This is mostly measured in the form of muzzle energy, or the kinetic energy of a bullet as it is expelled from a firearm's muzzle. For example, a 9-millimeter handgun -- which the shooter carried into the school -- has a muzzle energy of between 300 and 400 foot-pounds of force. PHOTO: A photograph of a weapon that they say was used at The Covenant School by mass shooting suspect Audrey Elizabeth Hale, 28, in Nashville, Tenn., March 27, 2023. (Metropolitan Nashville Police Dept. via Reuters) By comparison, an AR-15-style weapon has a muzzle energy of nearly 1,300 foot-pounds of force, meaning a high level of energy resulting in a greater impact. "The difference with high velocity bullets and military-grade weaponsis the damage they inflict on the human body and our internal organs are much more gruesome and tend to have what is known as a blast effect, because that bullet is carrying so much energy with it as it enters the human body," Griggs said. "Instead of, for example, if the bullet traveled through the lung, instead of a hole in the lung, we're looking at an exploded lung." Griggs explained that the same holds true if a bullet hits a human bone. A bullet from a handgun that hits a bone might fracture the bone, but a bullet from a semi-automatic rifle might shatter the bone due to the high velocity. Impact on a child The doctors told ABC News that while assault-style weapons can injure any human, children will be much more impacted because of their smaller bodies. Because bullets from these weapons are traveling at a high velocity, they can destroy a significant portion of tissue and are more likely to hit major organs. MORE: Experts reveal mental health impacts of mass shootings on young survivors "Children, their organs are a lot more compact, and they have a lot less fat surrounding their vital organs," Griggs said. "And so, you can imagine that a bullet that is causing a blast effect inside their body, inside their abdomen or their torso or their chest, it's not just going to explode, or tear apart, their lung, but also their heart. Not just going to completely shatter their liver, but also their spleen, causing catastrophic fatal bleeding." Griggs said this has been seen in the multiple mass shootings that have occurred in schools across the U.S. including Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012 and Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, last year. "When we see a child who has been shot with an AR-15-style rifle, there is often very little hope -- depending on where the bullet has hit them in their body -- that we can save their life even if they make it to the hospital," she said. "And devastatingly, the children who were shot in Nashville were dead on arrival to the hospital. There's nothing that trauma surgery team could do and that is very classic of what we have come to see as the norm." Treating a wound from a semi-automatic rifle The initial triage process of treating victims of handgun wounds and semi-automatic rifle wounds is the same, including making sure breathing, blood pressure and circulation are stable and assessing if there are spinal injuries or other internal injuries. However, those injured by high velocity weapons, such as AR-15-style rifles, are more likely to have serious injuries. PHOTO: A woman pays her respects at a makeshift memorial for shooting victims outside the Covenant School building at the Covenant Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tenn., March 28, 2023. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images) "We've learned that, while shooters often don't shoot well, the semi-automatic weapons increase the likelihood that someone will be shot multiple times," Shapiro said. "So, it can be a little bit more confounding to understand the connection of all of the different holes." He continued. "We'll see people who come in not with one hole or two holes but with six, eight, 10 holes and trying to sort of piece that out to figure out what organ systems might be injured based on the trajectory, just trying to determine what that trajectory is can be significantly more complicated." Multiple wounds often mean identifying which injuries are the most severe and need to be treated first, but unfortunately not all patients can be saved. "In general, I would expect the prognosis for someone who's been shot with a military-grade weapon to be much worse, the likelihood of getting them out of the trauma bay to the operating room to survive the hospital stay, I would be much less optimistic," Griggs said. Why semi-automatic rifles like those used in the Nashville shooting can cause so much damage originally appeared on abcnews.go.com (CNN) Israels embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu escalated a rare public dispute with US President Joe Biden on Tuesday, rejecting pressure from the White House after Biden criticized his controversial efforts to weaken the Israeli judiciary. The back and forth thrust into public view a simmering diplomatic dispute that has mostly been kept private over the past several weeks. Biden and other US officials had sought to quietly dissuade Netanyahu from moving ahead with his proposed reforms without creating the appearance of a rift. But now the divide appears to be opening between the two men, who have known each other for decades. Biden said on Tuesday that he wont invite Netanyahu to the White House in the near term, and issued an unusually stinging rebuke of Netanyahus proposed judicial overhaul after mass protests and strikes brought Israel to a standstill and delayed the legislation. Like many strong supporters of Israel Im very concerned. Im concerned that they get this straight. They cannot continue down this road. Ive sort of made that clear, Biden told reporters in North Carolina. Hopefully the prime minister will act in a way that he can work out some genuine compromise, he said. That remains to be seen. In separate remarks on Tuesday, Biden added of Netanyahus judicial overhaul: I hope he walks away from it. Netanyahu responded with a statement late on Tuesday evening, in which he noted Bidens longstanding commitment to Israel, but added: Israel is a sovereign country which makes its decisions by the will of its people and not based on pressures from abroad, including from the best of friends. The exchange puts an unusual strain on the relationship between the leaders of the two closely allied countries. A senior Israeli official tried to play down any sense of a crisis in a briefing with American reporters on Wednesday, characterizing the dispute as a two on a scale of 10 and calling it a tempest in a teapot. Speaking on background to discuss diplomatic relations, the official said neither the Americans nor the Israelis were interested in ratcheting up the spat, and that Israel believes the Americans will issues statements calming the situation. But the official defended Israel, saying democracies should let other democracies figure it out. Yair Lapid, Israels opposition leader and former premier, said Wednesday that Netanyahus efforts have ruined the relationship. For decades Israel was the USAs closest ally. The most extreme government in the countrys history ruined that in three months, Lapid tweeted. It follows an eruption of anger inside Israel, and within some Jewish communities in the US and around the world, at the Netanyahu governments attempts to weaken the power of the countrys courts. The prime minister finally paused the legislation on Monday after a general strike and mass protests threw Israel into chaos, but he said he planned to return to the effort in the next legislative term. Critics say Netanyahu is pushing through the changes because of his own ongoing corruption trial, which he denies. The senior Israeli official said that US pressure did not have any bearing on Netanyahus decision to pause the legislation, instead citing fears of pro- and anti-overhaul demonstrators facing one another in the streets. The official said that Netanyahu was serious about reaching an agreement, but drew some red lines of what was negotiable and what was not. A provision giving the government more control over the selection of judges cant be taken out of the equation, he said. But the override clause, where the parliament will be able to overturn Supreme Court decisions, will likely not be in the final package, the official added. Israels President Isaac Herzog has been convening discussions among lawmakers since the controversial legislation was put on hold Tuesday. There was good faith during the first round of talks, the official said, but added that if negotiations dont succeed, and Netanyahu doesnt pass the legislation as it is currently written, hes telling his voters they dont matter. When asked why they didnt start with negotiations, the official said Netanyahu was gagged by a court-imposed conflict of interest declaration. When asked why Justice Minister Yariv Levin didnt engage in negotiations, the official referred the question to the Justice Minister. Netanyahu struck a defensive tone in taped remarks to the White House-hosted Summit for Democracy Wednesday morning, acknowledging public and often painful discourse, in his nation over the proposed reforms, while expressing hope dissent would move from protest to agreement. I want to thank the world leaders and President Biden, whos been a friend for 40 years for convening this important conference, he said. You know Israel and the United States have had their occasional differences, but I want to assure you that the alliance between the worlds greatest democracy, and a strong, proud, and independent democracy Israel in the heart of the Middle East, is unshakeable, nothing can change that. Itamar Ben Gvir, a far-right firebrand who serves as Netanyahus National Security Minister, was less diplomatic in his rebuke. Both President Biden and all the administration officials in the US should understand that Israel is an independent country, it is not another star on the US flag, he said on Israel Army Radio Wednesday. Ahead of the summit, White House officials defended Israels participation despite concerns about democratic backsliding, saying theyd invited all countries who were working toward democratic ideals. Biden had so far avoided a direct criticism of Netanyahus efforts, with his administration instead saying on Sunday that it was watching the escalating tension with concern. But his comments on Tuesday marked a rare instance of the US directly weighing in on Israeli domestic affairs. It was also announced on Tuesday that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will visit Jerusalem next month, a trip that is certain to inject the likely Republican presidential contender into Israels national tumult and its increasingly fraught relationship with the US. At a time of unnecessarily strained relations between Jerusalem and Washington, Florida serves as a bridge between the American and Israeli people, DeSantis told the Jerusalem Post, which announced details of his planned keynote address at an April 27 event. The debate over Netanyahus proposals is likely to ratchet up again before then; while he bought himself time on Monday, he has remained determined to see through an overhaul of the judiciary that critics say diminishes Israels democracy. This story was first published on CNN.com, Biden and Netanyahu trade barbs over plan to weaken courts as Israel rejects pressure from White House" Spirit AeroSystems machinists will have the option to go on strike if they cant reach a renegotiated contract with the Wichita manufacturing giant this spring. International Association of Machinists lodge members gathered Wednesday at Hartman Arena, where they overwhelmingly voted in favor of a strike sanction. Spirit understands that the strike sanction vote is part of the IAMs internal process. This vote does not mean a strike will occur, Spirit said in a statement ahead of the vote. We are committed to open-and-honest discussions with the goal of a fair, competitive contract for our employees and the company to position us for success over the long term. Spirit is the citys largest employer, and machinists, who make up the vast majority of the companys Wichita workforce, have had the same contract for 13 years. A representative for the Machinists union did not immediately respond to a request to comment on what terms in the contract they would like to see changed. Contract negotiations are set to begin on May 1. Our failed immigration policy is a controversial topic across the country, but especially in Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis has made it a hallmark of his administration and his intent to run for president. In this episode of Woke Wars, the Miami Herald opinion team discusses an aggressive immigration bill moving through the Florida Legislature, Senate Bill 1718, which, in essence, makes life harder for any undocumented person in Florida and thats the idea. The bills E-Verify component, the system used to check whether a job applicant is a legal resident, will increase penalties for those who still hire undocumented immigrants. So employers will think twice. The bill also makes it a third-degree felony to transport or harbor the undocumented. That applies to smugglers, but it also means someone from Miami who drives to Texas to pick up a relative who crossed the border could be charged under this law. And the bill, sponsored by State Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, also requires hospitals to collect immigration status information for all patients, but only to keep track of the money spent, not to discourage anyone from seeking medical help. Anti-immigrant measures from Gov. DeSantis are nothing new. He made national headlines last year by paying to have Venezuelan immigrants who crossed the border in Texas flown and then bused to Marthas Vineyard, where they were not expected. Before that inhumane move, the governor suspended state funding to nonprofits that helped immigrants, and last year as thousands of Cubans and Haitians were arriving in South Florida, he deployed the National Guard. And DeSantis has the power to discourage more undocumented immigrants. In a special session this year, the Legislature handed him millions of dollars and the power to relocate arriving immigrants from any state to another but not Florida. Woke Wars, a weekly opinion podcast by the Miami Herald Editorial Board, explores the culture wars that are dominating the Florida Legislature. Listen to new episodes every Thursday on Spotify, Stitcher, Apple, Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. Have a question? Want to share some feedback? Email heralded@miamiherald.com with the subject line WOKE WARS. Read more perspectives on Floridas anti-immigrant stance here: Rescuers alerted by her sisters 911 call found a woman clinging to a tree branch from a sinking, deflating raft in the Coquille River, Oregon officials reported. In the 911 call at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 29, the woman said her sister had been swept downstream on the raft while they were at Albert Powers Park near Powers, the Coos County Sheriffs Office said in a news release. Deputies and Myrtle Point Fire Department rescuers spotted the woman clinging to a tree branch in the swift current, the release said. After running through a tangle of blackberry bushes to reach her, a sheriffs sergeant discovered the womans raft was deflating and taking on water, officials said. The sergeant waded into the river to get close enough to throw a rope to the woman and pull her to shore, the release said. The raft fully deflated as rescuers pulled her out. Although cold and shaken up, the young woman was otherwise fine and left the scene with her mother, the release said. Powers is a city of 710 people about 250 miles south of Portland. Firefighters discover missing plumber asleep in crawl space under California home Skydiver dangles from power lines after overshooting landing, California officials say Bird busts out of zoo when tree crashes on enclosure and ends up on California porch Police are investigating after a woman fell to her death off a cliff in the Coconino National Forest in Arizona. Authorities identified the victim as 44-year-old Jennifer Petri. Shortly before 4 p.m. on Monday, Petri's friend called authorities to report she had fallen about 20 feet off a cliff in West Clear Creek and was "no longer visible," the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office said in a statement posted to Facebook. Petri fell in an area known to locals as "The Bluffs," located 200 feet above West Clear Creek, according to the sheriff's office. "Steep sections of this trail can be a problem to a hiker loaded with a heavy backpack," according to the USDA Forest Service. Multiple volunteer resources, fire officials and an Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter were called to scene to help find Petri, the sheriff's office said. "The terrain was steep and dangerous, making it difficult for rescuers to conduct for a search," the sheriff's office said. Deputies using binoculars were able to spot Petri at the base of a cliff just above the water edge, officials said. A trooper was dropped off at the base of the cliff by the helicopter to asses Petri's condition and it was determined she had died. She was then airlifted out of the canyon, the sheriff's office said. The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office is investigating Petri's fall. Petri, of Camp Verde, was a wife and a mother of four, and she worked as a server at Denny's for 15 years, KPNX reported. "She was everyone's friend," Danae Wolf told the station. "She had so much compassion for people and empathy. And it's really something I looked up to." Jury finds Gwyneth Paltrow not at fault in ski crash Grand jury votes to indict former President Trump in case linked to Stormy Daniels Jim Nantz opens up on his career and calling his final NCAA Tournament WEST PALM BEACH A 34-year-old woman is facing a murder charge after authorities alleged that she strangled another woman with a cellphone charging cord Sunday morning at a home in suburban West Palm Beach. Palm Beach County sheriff's deputies took Sheree LaToya Williams into custody after responding just before 9:15 a.m. to reports of a naked woman climbing a tree on Magnolia Lane, near the intersection of Belvedere and Drexel roads. They found Williams hiding in a drainage pipe in a canal, according to an arrest report made public Monday. Further investigation led deputies to a home on the 1500 block of Magnolia, where they found a woman dead. PBSO did not disclose any identifying information about the deceased woman, including her name or age. Fatal shooting: Man dead, woman injured after early-morning shooting in Loxahatchee Groves The court rules: His car struck and killed a driver stranded along Florida's Turnpike. Here's his penalty. Missing person: Jupiter family in turmoil as search for 21-year-old Navy sailor near Chicago ends A man who called 911 told investigators that Williams was a tenant who was involved in a disturbance with another person in the home. Williams received medical clearance at a hospital before her transfer to the county jail. During a hearing Monday, County Judge Ted Booras assigned Williams a public defender and ordered that she be held without bail. As a policy, the Palm Beach County Public Defender's Office does not comment on open cases. The judge also ordered that Williams not have contact with the witnesses or the victim's family. Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on Twitter at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Woman arrested after housemate found strangled near West Palm Beach Ever wonder what itd be like to hear from your younger self? One woman has a first-hand experience with this, and its as wholesome as it can be. 20-year-old Michelle Kidelsky (@michelleskidelsky) took to TikTok to share an email shed just received from wait for it her 13-year-old self. So, a couple of days ago I got an email from, I s*** you not, my 13-year-old self, she starts. When I was 13, I found this website where you could, like, schedule emails to be sent to yourself in the future. And I wrote, like, a bunch of these little letters to myself I remember for the last one that I wrote, I closed my eyes and I blindly picked the date that it would be sent on. Using futureme.org, the younger Michelle chose for the letter to be sent out seven years into the future, which means she wrote it on March 22, 2016. I hope you remember that you are beautiful and awesome, and deserve lots of awesome things. Dear Future Me, hi, did you miss me? Its me, you! I really like these letters. Maybe this is the last one, or maybe this is the first of many more that will come everyday from now on. Either way, I hope you are very well, Michelle says. I am very well, if that makes any difference. I hope you remember that you are beautiful and awesome, and deserve lots of awesome things, she adds, before asking Michelle if she still wants to be a psychiatrist. (Michelle is currently a communications major.) You are smart or you were, and you can be smart again. Younger Michelle then provides some endearingly wise words for her future self. If your life has gone horribly wrong, Im sorry, but your life was awesome at one point, she continues. And dont regret making your life horrible, because at one point, it was everything you wanted. I am proud of you because I know we are capable of great things, Michelle says. You are smart or you were, and you can be smart again. The younger Michelle concludes her letter by encouraging Future Michelle to treat yourself. Story continues So, thats really all I have to say because I am sure you are busy with your life, she says. But on my behalf, I would like you to treat yourself to a doughnut of your choice. If you do not treat yourself to this donut, I will be very upset. Just a reminder. I think shed be really happy that I have a lot of followers on social media. Michelle thinks that 13-year-old her would be pretty happy with 21-year-old me, or almost 21-year-old me. I think shed be really happy that I have a lot of followers on social media. That would be the big thing that would make her happy, Michelle reveals. I dont know how upset shed be about me not being a doctorShe knew deep down that we werent good at math, so I think shed forgive me. This is incredibly cute. I love it and I love your 13 year old self. Shes very sweet Commenters have pointed out how supportive Michelles 13-year-old self was. I would cry if I received letters from my younger self, one TikToker said. You did a great job back then. The way I would never say something this kind to myself when I was 13 I love this a lot, another wrote. This is incredibly cute, someone replied. I love it and I love your 13 year old self. Shes very sweet. In response to all of the uplifting comments, Michelle replied, guys thank you all for being so sweet13 year old me would be so touched by your kindness. Coming-of-age is an oftentimes tumultuous, roller coaster of an emotional experience. The kindness 13-year-old Michelle showed herself is something we can all aspire to even in adulthood. In The Know by Yahoo is now available on Apple News follow us here! The post This woman received an email from her younger self, and its incredibly wholesome: 13 year old you is so supportive appeared first on In The Know. More from In The Know: These 'unbreakable' TikTok famous hair clips are going viral and they're perfect for every hair type Shoppers say this $17 caffeinated eye cream from Target 'feels delicious' under eyes TikTokers turn Gwyneth Paltrow testimony into trending memes: 'I'm just telling you the truth of what actually happened' Indigenous singer-songwriter Raye Zaragoza wants to 'lift up women of color' UPDATE: The Brookville (Ohio) Police Department on Thursday, March 30, announced that Robyn Bodine and Tracie Shoe were found safe. The department said the two women were located in an extremely remote area of Catron County, New Mexico. The original story continues below. Friends from Ohio who were vacationing together in New Mexico have been reported missing after not boarding their flight home, police say. Brookville residents Robyn Bodine, 46, and Tracie Shoe, 52, were last heard from Tuesday, March 28, according to the Brookville Police Department. The friends were vacationing at the Riverbend Hot Springs in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. They checked out of their hotel yesterday before 11 a.m. & havent been seen since, a family member said in a post shared Wednesday by the Truth or Consequences Police Department. They were supposed to be heading, in their rental car towards Phoenix/Mesa Airport in Arizona yesterday to fly home today. Bodine and Shoe were traveling in a white Toyota sedan with Texas plates PJK9413. The pair had been in New Mexico for a birthday trip for Bodine, WHIO reported. Their phones are going straight to voicemail, Shoes lifelong friend Jennifer Lightcap told WHIO. Police in Brookville said they are in contact with the FBI and Truth or Consequences police regarding the investigation. We just want them home, Bodines daughter, Aly Craig, said in a Facebook post. Family members have traveled to New Mexico to look for Bodine and Shoe, according to WKEF. Bodine is 5 feet, 6 inches, 145 pounds and has brown hair with highlights and brown eyes. Shoe is 5 feet, 6 inches, 170 pounds and has strawberry blonde hair with green eyes. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 575-894-7111. Woman on walk finds missing mans body on rural California trail, police say Antler hunter stumbles upon remains of woman missing for months, Oregon cops say Man who went missing in 2021 now found safe hundreds of miles away in Texas, cops say By Stephanie van den Berg THE HAGUE (Reuters) -In a partial victory for Iran, judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Thursday ruled Washington had illegally allowed courts to freeze assets of some Iranian companies and ordered the United States to pay compensation but left the amount to be determined later. However, in a blow for Tehran, the ICJ said it did not have jurisdiction over $1.75 billion in frozen assets from Iran's central bank. Acting Legal Adviser Rich Visek of the U.S. State Department said in a written statement that the ruling rejected the "vast majority of Iran's case," notably where it concerned the assets of the central bank. "This is a major victory for the United States and victims of Irans state-sponsored terrorism," Visek added. On its Twitter account, Iran's foreign ministry claimed victory, saying the decision was proof of Iran's "righteousness and the violations by the US government". The ruling comes amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran after tit-for-tat strikes between Iran-backed forces and U.S. personnel in Syria last week. Relations have been strained after attempts to revive a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major world powers stalled, and as Iranian drones are being used by Russia against Ukraine. The case before the ICJ, also known as the World Court, was initially brought by Tehran against Washington in 2016 for allegedly breaching a 1955 friendship treaty by allowing U.S. courts to freeze assets of Iranian companies. The money was to be given in compensation to victims of terrorist attacks. The Islamic Republic denies supporting international terrorism. The 1950s friendship treaty was signed long before Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, which toppled the U.S.-backed shah, and the subsequent severing of U.S.-Iranian relations. Washington finally withdrew from the treaty in 2018. Nonetheless, the ICJ ruled that it was in place at the time of the freezing of the assets of Iranian commercial companies and entities. Story continues "The court has concluded the United States violated its obligations under ... the treaty of amity," presiding judge Kirill Gevorgian said. He added that Iran was entitled to compensation and the parties had 24 months to agree on an amount. If that did not work, the court would start new proceedings to determine compensations. The judges also explained that the court had no jurisdiction over the $1.75 billion in assets from Iran's central bank held by the U.S. because that bank was not a commercial enterprise, and thus not protected by the treaty. The rulings of the ICJ, the United Nations' top court, are binding, but it has no means of enforcing them. The United States and Iran are among a handful of countries to have disregarded its decisions in the past. (Reporting by Stephanie van den Berg, additional reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by Mark Potter, Toby Chopra and Jonathan Oatis) The Wall Street Journal denies the accusations of espionage against journalist Evan Gershkovich, who has been detained by Russian secret services, and is demanding his release. Source: The Wall Street Journal; Maria Zakharova, press secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, on Telegram Quote from WSJ: "The Wall Street Journal is deeply concerned about Mr Gershkovich's safety." Details: The publication says that Evan Gershkovich reports on Russia as part of the WSJ editorial office in Moscow. He is accredited to work as a journalist in the Russian Federation by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has alleged that Gershkovich had been using his journalistic activities as a cover. Quote: "What the employee of the American Wall Street Journal was doing in Yekaterinburg has nothing to do with journalism. Unfortunately, this is not the first time that foreigners in our country have used their status of 'foreign correspondent', journalist visa and accreditation to cover up activities that are not journalism. [He is] not the first well-known westerner to be 'caught red-handed'." Update: The Wall Street Journal later issued a statement to say that it "vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich". WSJ emphasises that it stands in solidarity with Evan and his family. Background: Journalist Evan Gershkovich of The Wall Street Journal was detained by the FSB in Yekaterinburg on 30 March, and a criminal case has been opened against him for espionage. The FSB stated that Mr Gershkovich, "acting on the instructions of the American side, was gathering information that constitutes a state secret about the activities of an enterprise in the Russian military-industrial complex". Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! WASHINGTON Xylazine is not a drug you'd find in people's medicine cabinets, but it's killing people. This animal tranquilizer, used by veterinarians to sedate horses and cattle, is being added to fentanyl and other street drugs. It's not approved for human use. It's a dangerous sedative, and it's not an opioid. Because it's not an opioid, it doesn't respond to the lifesaving drug Narcan. That means people who abuse xylazine are more likely to die. Congress is moving to classify the drug as a controlled substance, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency sounded the alarm earlier this month. Xylazine is a widespread problem and has been found in fentanyl mixtures in 48 of 50 states, according to a DEA public health alert. "Xylazine is making the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced fentanyl even deadlier," DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said. What you need to know: Xylazine, an animal tranquilizer, is latest threat in the opioid epidemic What Congress wants to do about xylazine Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., is a lead sponsor of a Senate bill that aims to get xylazine off the streets. In this file photo, she questions Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen during a Senate Finance committee hearing about President Joe Biden's proposed budget request for the fiscal year 2024, Thursday, March 16, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Congress wants to make xylazine a controlled substance as the country fights the latest wave of the opioid crisis. The House and Senate introduced bipartisan legislation Tuesday to help the DEA and local law enforcement "get xylazine off our streets," according to Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev. "Drug traffickers are going to great lengths to pad their profits with dangerous drugs like tranq, and we need to empower law enforcement to crack down on its spread in our communities," said Cortez Masto, lead sponsor of the Senate bill. "Tranq" is one of the street names for the drug. It is also known as "tranq dope," "sleep cut" and "zombie heroin." Brand names for medical use include AnaSed, Rompun and Sedazin. Merrick Garland to senators: Fentanyl 'unleashed on purpose' by Mexican drug cartels Republican, Democratic senators support bill to fight xylazine U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is a lead sponsor of a Senate bill to get xylazine off the streets. In this file photo, he speaks to the crowd gathered for the Iowa GOP election night celebration, on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, at the Hilton Des Moines Downtown. Drug overdoses remain unacceptably high as cartels and traffickers continue to flood our nation with deadly and ever-changing poison, said Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. "We cannot successfully prevent these tragedies with one hand tied behind our back." Story continues Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., is also a lead co-sponsor. Other senators sponsoring the bill include Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.; Jim Risch, R-Idaho; Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.; Roger Marshall, R-Kan.; and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is holding a news conference on the issue at 11:30 a.m. Thursday. No family is immune: As Congress debates fentanyl, mothers share their grief at hearings House bill to fight xylazine gains traction On the House side, Republicans and Democrats have introduced a similar bill to get xylazine off the streets, including Reps. Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif.; August Pfluger, R-Texas; Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla.; Ken Buck, R-Colo.; and Chris Pappas, D-N.H. Xylazine has legitimate uses in agriculture, and lawmakers say they want to prevent it from being misused on the streets. Drug traffickers are combining xylazine and fentanyl to create a "toxic brew of drugs" that is cheaper, deadlier and more addictive, Panetta and Pfluger said in a statement. "Our goal is to save lives and to make sure law enforcement has the tools its needs to respond appropriately to those who are making these deadly concoctions that are killing so many of our neighbors," Bilirakis said in a statement. "At the same time, we must ensure that those veterinarians who are using xylazine for legitimate purposes have the ability to continue doing so. Our legislation strikes that right balance." How is fentanyl smuggled in the US?: Lawmakers are asking tough questions to stem the flow How many fentanyl deaths? This photo shows rainbow-colored fentanyl pills New York authorities found inside a Lego container. Xylazine is being added to fentanyl, a fast-acting opioid that has fueled another deadly wave of an epidemic that began in the mid-1990s with increased prescribing of addictive pills like OxyContin. About 1 million Americans died of drug overdoses from 2000 to 2020. In that time, more than half were because of opioids. By 2020, at least 75% of drug overdose deaths were tied to opioids, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Deaths have steadily increased through two decades through rising addiction to prescription pain pills and heroin, then sharply increased in the past few years because of synthetic opioids like fentanyl. A large number of deaths also have been attributed to fentanyl poisoning, which happens when fentanyl is laced in other street drugs without the user's knowledge. There have been multiple reports of young people dying from buying and consuming pills they didn't know were laced or filled with fentanyl. Nearly 108,000 Americans died from drug poisonings from August 2021 to August 2022, and 66% involved synthetic opioids like fentanyl, according to the latest data from the CDC. What is fentanyl poisoning?: These State of the Union guests lost their son to it Candy Woodall is a Congress reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at cwoodall@usatoday.com or on Twitter at @candynotcandace. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is xylazine? Congress cracks down on this drug in fentanyl fight Chinese premier meets Cote d'Ivoire prime minister Xinhua) 09:43, March 30, 2023 Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Prime Minister of Cote d'Ivoire Patrick Achi, who is attending the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference, in Boao, south China's Hainan Province, March 29, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) BOAO, Hainan, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Prime Minister of Cote d'Ivoire Patrick Achi on Wednesday in Boao, Hainan Province, pledging to bring bilateral ties to a new height. Noting that China regards Cote d'Ivoire as an important cooperative partner, Li said China stands ready to take the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties as a new start to push bilateral relations to a new height, and contribute to the construction of a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future. He said China appreciates the support Cote d'Ivoire has shown for the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, and its firm adherence to the one-China principle. China will maintain closer exchanges and cooperation at all levels and in all fields with Cote d'Ivoire, enhance the docking of development plans, encourage Chinese enterprises to invest in Cote d'Ivoire, deepen cooperation on agriculture, infrastructure, the digital economy, new energy and green development, and help Cote d'Ivoire achieve grain self-sufficiency and advance industrialization, the Chinese premier said. "It is hoped that Cote d'Ivoire will provide a sound business environment and legal guarantee for Chinese enterprises," Li said, adding that China stands ready to help Cote d'Ivoire train more talent, and welcomes more young people from Cote d'Ivoire to study in China. Achi, who is attending the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference, said he appreciates China for its strong support for Cote d'Ivoire's infrastructure construction and its fight against the pandemic. Cote d'Ivoire upholds the one-China principle, actively participates in Belt and Road cooperation, and is willing to deepen cooperation with China on investment, agriculture, education and youth, Achi said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) (CNN) Some of the biggest names in tech are calling for artificial intelligence labs to stop the training of the most powerful AI systems for at least six months, citing "profound risks to society and humanity." Elon Musk was among the dozens of tech leaders, professors and researchers who signed the letter, which was published by the Future of Life Institute, a nonprofit backed by Musk. The letter comes just two weeks after OpenAI announced GPT-4, an even more powerful version of the technology that underpins the viral AI chatbot tool, ChatGPT. In early tests and a company demo, the technology was shown drafting lawsuits, passing standardized exams and building a working website from a hand-drawn sketch. The letter said the pause should apply to AI systems "more powerful than GPT-4." It also said independent experts should use the proposed pause to jointly develop and implement a set of shared protocols for AI tools that are safe "beyond a reasonable doubt." "Advanced AI could represent a profound change in the history of life on Earth, and should be planned for and managed with commensurate care and resources," the letter said. "Unfortunately, this level of planning and management is not happening, even though recent months have seen AI labs locked in an out-of-control race to develop and deploy ever more powerful digital minds that no one -- not even their creators -- can understand, predict, or reliably control." If a pause is not put in place soon, the letter said governments should step in and create a moratorium. The wave of attention around ChatGPT late last year helped renew an arms race among tech companies to develop and deploy similar AI tools in their products. OpenAI, Microsoft and Google are at the forefront of this trend, but IBM, Amazon, Baidu and Tencent are working on similar technologies. A long list of startups are also developing AI writing assistants and image generators. Artificial intelligence experts have become increasingly concerned about AI tools' potential for biased responses, the ability to spread misinformation and the impact on consumer privacy. These tools have also sparked questions around how AI can upend professions, enable students to cheat, and shift our relationship with technology. The letter hints at the broader discomfort inside and outside the industry with the rapid pace of advancement in AI. Some governing agencies in China, the EU and Singapore have previously introduced early versions of AI governance frameworks. Correction: An earlier version of this story said Microsoft founder Bill Gates and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman had signed the letter. While the executives were initially listed as signatories, the non-profit behind the letter later removed their names. This story was first published on CNN.com. "Elon Musk and other tech leaders call for pause in out of control AI race" YORK, Maine Developer Dave Lauze is making the case that his downtown condo project Bristol Pointe Two will fit in with the aesthetic of Yorks village right down to the color of its paint. Lauze went before the Planning Board March 23 seeking final approval for the proposed project at 294 York St., which would be located next door to his already built condo project Bristol Pointe One. The board made no decision that night. Instead, members said they want him to return to a future meeting with images of the new Bristol Pointe Two with a light color before granting final approval. Rendering of 298 York Street mixed-use development called Bristol Pointe from Dec. 23, 2021. Board members pointed out that he used a darker brown paint for Bristol Pointe One than what was originally approved for the building. Lauze explained the first project was intended to have a brighter color, but that COVID-19 impacted supply lines and forced them to pick a different shade. Board member Peter Smith said, Thats not going to happen again. The original building was supposed to be a lighter color. Suddenly, (we) see a dark color going up, Boardman said. That was a disappointment. Offensive or patriotic?: Black American flags on York police cruisers spark dispute The meeting drew several critics of the project who spoke out during public comment with concern for Bristol Pointe Twos impact on the villages aesthetic. The proposed Bristol Pointe Two would consist of eight units, including commercial retail space. Lauze's team said the impact will be minimal. I think its quite harmonious to the village concept, Lauze's architect Brud Weger told the board, to which Boardman replied, Work on that narrative and convince us when the time comes. This is the second attempt in the last year by Lauze to get a project approved at the York Street address where a single-family home currently sits. His first proposal was to tear down the home and replace it with 12 units and a driveway much thinner than allowed by the town's ordinance. That proposal was rejected in July because of the large scope of the project as well as concerns for the driveway's safety. Story continues Lauzes latest proposal calls for eight units, including commercial retail space, as well as a driveway that is wide enough for the ordinance at 24 feet across. He was granted preliminary approval in December for his second proposal, leading to the final approval process that began March 23. The proposed Bristol Pointe Two would consist of eight units, including commercial retail space. Neighbors still not happy: 'It's still huge' Opponents of the project said the new Bristol Pointe Two was still too big for the village, even though it is scaled back from its original version. Mineta "Jean" Scott, of 292 York St., said some of her concerns regarding drainage and the developments impact on wetlands have been alleviated with the reduced size. Still, Scott said the project remains large in comparison to other properties in the village. Its still huge, Scott said. I think there should be a new project there, but the scope of that is just unreal, unbelievable, and I worry about the impact it will have on my property. Team Bach: York man left paralyzed after ski accident astounded by support Kim Trafton, who owns Village Acupuncture, is concerned that business will suffer during construction. She said the Bristol Pointe One construction came with little notice and was very challenging on all of the neighbors. If theyre going to blast and drill, please make sure they tell us ahead of time. Im putting needles in people next door, Trafton said. In addition to noise, she said the work created parking problems and damage to surrounding properties that has resulted in at least one lawsuit. We dont want lawsuits. We just want you guys to make sure that were protected, Trafton said. After the track record and the experience with Bristol Pointe One, I feel like were owed that. Lauze's team reiterated to board members the project is still much smaller in scope than the one originally proposed. They pointed out that much of the building is pushed back from the front of the property, unlike Bristol Pointe One, which has its whole front side near the roadway. The building is lower in scale than Phase 1, Weger said. The window detailing, the trim detailing, the roof slopes, the gables, all of those things, I feel, are harmonious to the village and New England architecture. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: York developer makes case for Bristol Pointe Two condo project Former U.S. President Donald Trump. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images NY prosecutors are looking into Trump's hush-money payment to Karen McDougal, WSJ reported. It's the first sign that the Manhattan DA could win charges against Trump in connection to two hush-money payments. Prosecutors have been investigating if Trump broke the law when Michael Cohen paid off Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election. The Manhattan district attorney's office is investigating a $150,000 hush-money payment that former President Donald Trump made to a former Playboy model, according to the Wall Street Journal. New York prosecutors have questioned grand jury witnesses about the payment as part of an ongoing investigation into the former president's personal and financial dealings, the Journal reported. Investigators have long been probing a $130,000 hush-money payment to the adult film actress Stormy Daniels. This is the first indication that prosecutors have brought evidence related to the payments to McDougal as part of their inquiry, raising the possibility that Trump could be indicted in connection to both payments. Investigators have long been examining if Trump broke the law when his former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, paid Daniels during the 2016 US election. Cohen pleaded guilty to several felonies in connection to the payment, including tax evasion, bank fraud, and campaign finance violations. He also said that he paid Daniels at Trump's direction. An attorney representing Trump declined to comment. The former president denies knowledge of the payments and has said that he did "absolutely nothing wrong." He has also denied having affairs with Daniels and McDougal. The Manhattan grand jury was empaneled in January, but activity related to the Trump investigation appears to have slowed in the past two weeks. Cohen thought to be one of the final prosecutor witnesses finished his grand jury testimony on March 15. Since then, the jury has heard from Robert Costello an attorney who assailed Cohen's credibility on Trump's behalf and heard additional testimony from David Pecker. Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer, played a role in purchasing the rights to McDougal's and Daniels's stories to keep them quiet. The grand jury is expected not to hear about the Trump case again for several weeks, raising the possibility that the Manhattan district attorney's office is backing away from the case or reconfiguring it to include more evidence. Read the original article on Business Insider A student has successfully appealed against a 60 parking fine by using a letter written by an artificial intelligence chatbot. When Millie Houlton received the notice from York City Council she said she was tempted to pay rather than spend time compiling a response. However, the 22-year-old asked ChatGPT to "please help me write a letter to the council, they gave me a parking ticket" and sent it off. The authority withdrew the fine notice. Artificial intelligence chatbots are designed to answer questions by finding information and presenting it in a lifelike way. Despite seeming comprehensive, ChatGPT creator OpenAI has admitted the system could "sometimes writes plausible-sounding but incorrect or nonsensical answers". The student said the tech responded with the "perfect letter" Miss Houlton said the fine was wrongly issued for parking on her street - as she has a permit to do so. The York St John University student said she considered stumping up the cash because she was so busy with academic work in the final year of her events and business management degree. She said: "I was like, 'oh I don't need this fine, I'm a student' but trying to articulate what I wanted to say was pretty difficult so I thought I'll just see if ChatGPT can do it for me. "I put in all my details about where and when it happened, why it was wrong and my reference for the fine and it came back with this perfectly formed personalised response within minutes." Miss Houlton said the chatbot's response was "great" and it explained the situation perfectly. "It said I was a student and that I had paid for my permit for two years and I wasn't going to deliberately park somewhere I shouldn't." Analysis box by Zoe Kleinman, technology editor ChatGPT has had more than 100 million users since its launch in November last year. The viral AI chatbot can respond to questions in a human-like way, writing speeches, poems, marketing copy, student homework and even computer code. Story continues Microsoft, which has invested billions of dollars in it, embedded the latest version into its search engine Bing, and plans to put it into Office apps, saying it wants to take the "drudgery" out of office work. The latest version of the tech which powers ChatGPT, GPT-4, is smart enough to pass the bar exam sat by (human) trainee lawyers. Big tech firms, like Google who launched its own Bard chatbot last month, think this could be the future of the way we search the web A recent report reckoned that more than 300 million jobs in Europe will be at least partially automated in the coming years. But not everybody is dazzled by the potential of AI to transform our lives. Italy has just blocked ChatGPT, citing privacy concerns. Yesterday, more than 1,000 AI experts, including Elon Musk, signed an open letter calling on all AI development to be paused for six months. They argued that humans do not have the right safety measures in place to protect us from it as it gets more advanced. AI makes mistakes, shares misinformation, makes stuff up and can create realistic, photo-like images of things that never happened - an AI generated image of the Pope wearing a designer white puffy jacket fooled millions. It could turn out to be a destructive influence on society, and it's currently coming towards us very, very fast. She said she was "very relieved" when she received the local authority's letter revoking the fine. Miss Houlton said although she had been using the tech for a while, she had begun to use it for social occasions, including organising an Easter egg hunt for her running club around York. "I explained it was an Easter theme, put in all the locations in that I wanted to go to and gave me riddles, clues and everything." Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk. Rafael Mariano Grossi Read also: IAEA Director General Grossi arrives at Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya NPP It is obvious that military activity is increasing in this whole region, Grossi said after visiting the ZNPP. So the plant cant be protected. This was Grossis second visit to the facility since the onset of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, during which he planned to observe how the situation at the ZNPP had changed, communicate with plant workers, and act as a guarantor for the rotation of IAEA permanent mission members. Read also: Over 30 countries call on Russia to return full control over Zaporizhzhya NPP to Ukraine Before Grossis visit, the IAEA abandoned the idea of a demilitarized zone around the ZNPP. According to the director general, the agency is looking for a behavioral rather than a territorial solution, which would involve a commitment not to attack the power plant or use it for attacks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously said that international organizations are still unable to resolve the situation with the Zaporizhzhya NPP, so other mechanisms must be sought. The largest nuclear power plant in Europe the Zaporizhzhya NPP was captured by the Russian invaders after fighting in the town of Enerhodar on March 4, 2022. The buildings of the ZNPP were damaged by Russian shelling in several places, and the plants employees were taken captive. Read also: Russian invaders block passes of Zaporizhzhya NPP workers who refuse to sign contracts Russian troops have set up firing positions at the ZNPP and shell Ukrainian cities from the location, understanding that Ukrainian forces cannot return fire for fear of damaging the plants six nuclear reactors. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine On Thursday, during an address to the parliamentarians of Austria, which is a militarily neutral state, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasised it is impossible to hold a morally neutral stance against evil. This was reported by the correspondent of European Pravda. During the speech, Zelenskyy invited Wolfgang Sobotka, the speaker of the lower house of the Austrian parliament, and other parliamentarians to Ukraine, so that they could see with their own eyes what the Russian war had brought to Ukraine. "To see this means to understand our people. To understand how important each individual vote is in support of international law and Ukraine, when these issues are discussed at the UN General Assembly, the European Parliament or other international platforms. We must understand the importance of not being morally neutral against evil. This is not about geopolitics... It is, however, that we must always remain humans and save our humanity," said the head of state, whose speech with a German translation was broadcast on the website of the Austrian parliament. Zelenskyy thanked Austria for humanitarian aid to Ukraine, support for the energy sector, demining, and for the rehabilitation of Ukrainians who suffered from Russian aggression. As a neutral country, Austria does not support Ukraine with weapons, but provides other kinds of assistance. Zelenskyy's address to the Austrian parliamentarians was planned last year, but it never took place due to the resistance of the far-right Austrian Freedom Party (FPO). It is noteworthy that with the beginning of Zelenskyy's speech on Thursday, FPO representatives left the plenary meeting hall. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Zelenskyy met with the head of the German defense concern Rheinmetall, Armin Papperger. During the meeting, Zelenskyy emphasized the need for close partnership in order to both meet Ukraines urgent defense needs and to bolster the countrys long-term national security. Read also: Germany delivers 18 Leopard 2s to Ukraine German Defense Minister Zelenskyy also thanked the representatives of Rheinmetall and the German people for their comprehensive assistance and support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. We appreciate this important assistance in our struggle for freedom and democratic values, the president said. Read also: Orlando Bloom shares impressions of meeting Zelenskyy, First Lady On March 4, German newspaper Der Spiegel wrote that Rheinmetall is negotiating a deal with Kyiv to build a tank factory somewhere in Ukraine. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine has come a long way since the beginning of Russias full-scale invasion, and is preparing active new measures to bring the victory closer. Source: President Zelenskyys video address Quote: "We are preparing our next steps, our [new] active measures. We are preparing for the approach of our victory. [...] [I am constantly] communicating with commanders and with [defence] intelligence [and holding] meetings regarding the internal situation." Details: On the 400th day of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Zelenskyy thanked everyone who supports Ukraine and all of Ukraines defenders. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Edwin Allen III speaks with the judge during a court hearing March 9. Edwin Allen III, the controversial owner of Zora Bar & Rooftop on Ingersoll Avenue in Des Moines, was charged this week with allowing a minor into his drinking establishment in February. Allen was arrested March 25 and has a court hearing on the misdemeanor charge April 23, according to a criminal complaint filed Wednesday. A Des Moines police report on the case was not immediately available. Allen has not commented to the Des Moines Register on any of several recent criminal charges against him. He pleaded not guilty in Polk County District Court to a January stalking charge after police alleged he conspired with friend and fellow bar owner Steve McFadden to track McFaddens ex-girlfriend using a GPS device planted in her car. A judge denied Allen's motion to dismiss the case. Representing himself, he's also asked to see the cell phone records of the alleged victim in the case, which a Polk County prosecutor said would subject her to "court-sanctioned harassment," court documents show. A pretrial conference in the case is set for April 5. More: Des Moines bar Zora up for sale as embattled owner faces stalking charge Allen, 45, recently agreed to plead guilty to disorderly conduct to resolve harassment charges against him. A residential landlord in addition to owning Zora, he was accused last year of terrifying a tenant's children, ages 12 and 8, by banging on their door when the woman wasnt home and yelling at them to let him in. Allen was ordered to undergo a substance abuse evaluation and is scheduled to be sentenced May 25. The plea deal also resolved another case that was set to go to trial at the end of February. Allen was accused of second-degree harassment for reportedly yelling racial slurs and other derogatory comments over the phone at the daughter of another of his tenants. And last month, a former tenant of one of Allen's residential properties, Cyndi Collins, sued him under Iowa's Civil Rights Act, alleging he demanded sex from her in exchange for a break on her rent. Story continues Allen earlier this month put Zora up for sale, asking $4 million for the 5,500-square-foot building at 2120 Ingersoll Ave., which is assessed at $1.5 million. County records show he has fallen more than $16,700 behind on its property taxes, which were due in September and in March. He also has twice increased the amount of a $2.9 million, 20-year loan from Community First Credit Union in Ottumwa on the Zora building, county records show. Edwin Allen III's multi-level bar, restaurant and nightclub, Zora, at 2120 Ingersoll Ave., is on the market for $4 millon. The custom-built bar, which opened in 2021, appeared to be doing sparse business amid a lengthy streetscaping project last year along Ingersoll. And it received heavy social media criticism after the Nov. 26 shooting death in its parking lot of 29-year-old Alonzo Lee Kearney after a fight broke out. Police described the scene as chaotic, and though there were more than 20 witnesses, no one was arrested. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Edwin Allen, Zora owner, charged with allowing minor in bar A Gladys teenager was killed in a two-vehicle crash Tuesday in Campbell County, Virginia State Police said. At 7:59 a.m. on Tuesday police responded to the wreck on Brookneal Highway close to a quarter mile south of Brooks Farm Drive, a news release from state police said. A 2002 Ford Mustang was traveling north on Brookneal Highway when it ran off the right side of the road, overcorrected, crossed the centerline and struck a southbound 2014 GMC Sierra, the release said. The driver of the Mustang, a 17-year-old from Gladys, died at the scene. She was wearing a seat belt. Virginia State Police did not identify the victim in the release. The driver of the GMC, Kyle A. Beavon, 29, of Rustburg, was uninjured in the crash. He was wearing a seat belt, police said. The crash remains under investigation. Haimi Dagnew grew up 8,000 miles away from Council Bluffs, but shes been a part of the community for about four years. Dagnew is from Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, Africa. She said she also spent time in Tanzania, another country in East Africa. She moved to the United States after high school to pursue an environmental studies degree at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. She also minored in geography. Dagnew earned her bachelors degree in 2018 and then moved to Council Bluffs. Dagnew spent time working with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources at Lake Manawa State Park, as well as Pottawattamie Conservation. She also worked side jobs and volunteered, with one of the organizations being Habitat for Humanity of Council Bluffs. She ended up on the Habitat staff through AmeriCorps and when her time came to leave, Dagnew said the administration didnt want to see her go. Habitat CB created the program associate title, which shes held since January 2022. Dagnew helps oversee Habitat Council Bluffs home ownership and home repair programs alongside Program Manager Kim Smith. The home repair program is an income-based service for residents of Pottawattamie and Mills counties and shes there to help every step of the way, from application time to when the repairs are completed. Dagnew said working for Habitat has been an amazing experience, and her work has left her with a greater appreciation of Council Bluffs and the community. Its made where I live way more interesting and more invested in the people around me, she said. Dagnew is quite busy these days as Habitat Council Bluffs has opened up applications for the latest round in the home ownership program. She said those looking to apply need to attend an in-person class to see if they qualify and if home ownership is the right choice for them. Those who wish to apply must live or work in Pottawattamie or Mills counties; however, it is noted that homes are only built in Council Bluffs. The classes are held at the Habitat for Humanity of Council Bluffs offices, 1228 S. Main St. There are two more informal classes held at 6 p.m. the next two Thursdays, and they last less than an hour. Links for tickets to the home ownership program information sessions can be found on the Habitat Council Bluffs Facebook page or on their website, habitatcb.org. People can also call 712-256-0838 to make arrangements. Dagnew and the Habitat CB crew are hoping to see some new faces and get the ball rolling on home ownership these next few weeks. (CNN) Protesters on the tracks at a Paris rail station. Smoke bombs let off at Biarritz airport. Anger at French President Emmanuel Macrons pension reforms showed no sign of letting up on Tuesday as the nation saw its 10th day of nationwide demonstrations. Sweeping protests have paralyzed major services across the country in recent weeks over Macrons proposal to raise the retirement age for most workers from 62 to 64, in a move that has riled opposition lawmakers and trade unions. Some 740,000 protesters joined 240 rallies held throughout France on Tuesday, with more than 93,000 demonstrators filling the streets of the capital alone, according to the French Interior Ministry. One of the countrys major trade unions, the General Confederation of Labour (CGT), estimated a total nearly five times the ministrys figure for Paris 450,000 protesters, according to CNN affiliate BFMTV. The number of demonstrators is short of the record-breaking protest on March 7, which saw nearly 1.3 million people take to the streets, according to police figures the highest turnout for protests against the proposed pension reforms. A CNN team on the ground in Paris on Tuesday saw some protesters hurling objects at the police, including rocks and bottles, while others lit fireworks and set garbage bins alight, resulting in at least two large blazes. Police charged and fired tear gas into crowds, and were still trying to disperse protesters into the evening. Videos on social media verified by CNN showed smoke bombs being let off by protesters outside the entrance of Biarritz Airport, and the boarding area of the terminal, before an evacuation announcement sounded over the speakers. Further north, protesters walked on the train tracks at Paris Gare de Lyon railway station, according to CNN affiliate BFM. Earlier this month, scenes emerged of waste piles littering Parisian neighborhoods, as massive strikes against the reforms affected the citys trash pickup services. However, the CGT union said earlier that trash collectors will suspend their strike from Wednesday. Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace on Friday confirmed that King Charles III and the Queen Consorts state visit to France had been postponed as a result of the strikes. France continues to welcome tourists and life goes on as normal despite strikes and protests French government spokesman Olivier Veran told CNN on Tuesday. Speaking at a press conference in Paris, Veran added that King Charles Paris trip was postponed so that he could visit under better circumstances. I dont want people to think that France is not capable of welcoming tourists. People both here and abroad shouldnt worry, despite the protests and strikes, life goes on as normal, as French people living here can clearly see, Veran said. The government pressed on with the hugely unpopular bill without a vote last week, after two failed no-confidence votes cleared the way for the pension reforms. It says that relying on the working population to pay for a growing age group of retirees is no longer fit for purpose. Blocking airports has been a tactic used by anti-pension reform protesters nationwide, with terminal 1 at Charles de Gaulle airport, just north of Paris, also being cut off on Thursday morning. In Tuesdays incident at Biarritz Airport, in western France, at least four groups can be identified in the footage based on their insignia, including a local Basque trade union and two national associations the CGT Departmental Union of Pyrenees-Atlantiques and the Federation syndicale unitaire (FSU). The FSU which streamed a live video from Tuesdays protest inside the airport is one of Frances main trade unions in its education sector, representing 162,000 members, of whom 88% are teachers, according to its website. The CGT is one of five major trade unions nationwide, with branches across the country. CNN has attempted to contact both the FSU and CGT and cannot independently confirm how many people were present at the airport protest or how the event unfolded. Calls for de-escalation of violence Union leaders called on President Macron to put the controversial pension reform on hold, as clashes between police and protesters ramped up against a backdrop of rising street violence. Philippe Martinez, the head of the CGT union, told CNN affiliate BFM-TV on Tuesday that Macron should suspend his project and appoint a mediator. A senior official at CFDT, one of the unions leading the protests, told CNN he is in favor of dialogue. Speaking about the widespread protests in France, Maher Tekaya said: We dont believe that its a matter of revolution, but there is a kind of democratic problem and the only solution is to sit around the table and to have a constructive dialogue on how to find a way out of the situation. Protests have become more violent since Macron rammed the legislation through the French National Assembly, using a constitutional clause that allows the government to bypass a vote. Security forces threw stun grenades in an effort to disperse protests in Paris on Tuesday, as demonstrators retaliated with fireworks. It has also touched off a lot more anger on the streets of Paris, and elsewhere in the country, CNNs Sam Kiley told Becky Anderson on Connect the World. The unions are worried about the increasing levels and potential for violence here. They call for dialogue with the government. The government has agreed on dialogue but no dialogue over changing the direction in terms of their policy, but they are, I think, both sides trying to de-escalate. In the last fortnight there have been hundreds of acts of vandalism against public buildings and political offices, as well as over 2,000 incidents of arson, according to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin. He said that there are currently 17 investigations by the General Inspectorate of the National Police that concern the pension reform demonstrations. Darmanin said French authorities deployed an unprecedented 13,000 police officers across the country on Tuesday, including 5,500 officers in the capital Paris, adding that his ministry anticipates high risks to the public order during the protests. He said that more than 1,000 radical individuals will possibly join the marches organized in the capital and in other cities. The French Defender of Rights an independent government administrative authority to defend individual rights called for a de-escalation in the violence on the part of police and protesters. I condemn any act of violence, and I have a thought for all the victims, whether they are the demonstrators or the security forces, said Claire Hedon, the Defender of Rights, said in an interview with Le Monde on Tuesday. It is also important to say that the freedom to demonstrate is a fundamental principle of our rule of law. The first objective of policing is also this respect for the freedom to demonstrate with, as a corollary, the protection and safety of people. The testimonies and images that reach us show unacceptable situations. The use of force can only be done if necessary, and in a proportionate manner. I am very worried about what I observe in the escalation of violence. And we will need a de-escalation. It is the responsibility of the state, she added. This story was first published on CNN.com, France wracked by more pension protests amid rising violence on the streets" Det. Steve Andrews loves to interview people. But theres more to the job in the Criminal Investigation Division, which handles every Council Bluffs Police Department investigation, from serious misdemeanors and check forgery to drug distribution and sexual assault. The work often involves talking to witnesses, filling out search warrants and interviewing suspects, Andrews told the Council Bluffs Citizens Police Academy as he regaled them with war stories over about two hours. A segment of Andrews talk during the academys penultimate session was a case study that he will be presenting to a roomful of law enforcement personnel at a national conference next month in Charlotte, North Carolina. The case study detailed how Andrews, a 40-year-old DNA sample and an amateur genetic genealogy expert solved a murder that took place in 1982. Lee Rotatori was 32 years old and had just moved to Council Bluffs when she was found dead in her motel room on June 25, 1982. Rotatori had moved from Michigan to start a new job as food service director at Jennie Edmundson Hospital. She was staying at the Best Western Motel at 27th Avenue while waiting for her husband to arrive with the couples mobile home. The day before she was killed June 24 Rotatori had gone to Lake Manawa with some new friends from the hospital. Afterward, she stopped at a McDonalds, bought dinner and went back to the motel. When she didnt show up for work the next morning, concerned coworkers contacted the police and asked for a welfare check. Andrews walked the CPA class through the initial investigation that was done 40 years ago by lead investigator Det. Lyle Brown and Sgt. Larry Williams, without whose diligent work the case would most likely never have been solved. Those guys were absolutely amazing, Andrews said, noting how impressed he was reading their case files. The original detectives exhausted basically every conceivable lead, from everyone who was staying at the motel that week to the possibility that Rotatoris husband, Jerry Nemke, had chartered a plane, flown in from Michigan, killed his wife and then flown back. They even looked through case files of known serial killers who operated in the Midwest at the time. My hats off totally to those guys and their initial investigation, and I told them time and again, there was nothing that they could have done that wouldve helped them solve this case back then, Andrews said. Rotatori had been sexually assaulted prior to or shortly after her death, and had the original investigators not had the foresight to collect a DNA sample from the sperm found in Rotatoris body, the case would have hit the proverbial dead end. In 2001, the advances in DNA technology were starting to ramp up, Andrews said. I had nothing to do with any of this yet, but they said, You know what? Weve got this old Rotatori case. Theres a sex assault kit in there. Why dont we send this in and see what happens? The sex kit revealed that the DNA had come from one male, but the sample was degraded. Still, they entered it into CODIS, the Combined DNA Index System, which stores DNA profiles from convicted offenders, unsolved crime scene evidence and missing persons, but they never got a match. Cut to 2011, and Andrews sergeant, who must have hated me at the time, drops the Rotatori case file on his desk and asks him to look into it. He goes, Hey, youre kind of a go-getter, Andrews said. He goes, Why dont you dig into these boxes and see what you can find? And Im like, What the hell did I do man? And its like, I got a whole caseload. Im working checks and fraud right now. I go, Im getting pounded with cases day after day after day, and you drop this, at the time, a 30-year-old murder case on my desk? Andrews dug into the case file, and immediately suspected Rotatoris husband of having something to do with her death. Andrews located Jerry Nemke in Tampa, Florida, and with the assistance of local police, he managed to get a DNA sample that he could compare to the sample from the sexual assault kit. Back in 2011, results dont come fast, OK? Andrews said. It has to be sent from Florida to me, who sends it to our lab, who puts it in the bottom of their pile. The lab has a bunch of other work to do on current cases, not to mention a 30-year-old homicide case. But two years later, in 2013, Andrews got the results back from the lab. They are negative, he said. And it was literally like getting punched in the gut by Mike Tyson. Andrews proceeded to track down everyone he could find who had been staying at that Best Western the night of Rotatoris murder, and he collected DNA samples from every one of them. I reached out to lots of them, OK, a lot I reached out to and ended up getting DNA from, Andrews said. Negative, negative, negative, negative, all the time. By this time, its 2018, and Andrews, like the investigators in 1982, is hitting a brick wall. Then, in 2018, the Golden State Killer, a serial killer credited with at least 13 murders and 51 rapes throughout California from 1974 to 1986, is identified using genetic genealogy. Andrews boss, Capt. Todd Weddum, suggests using genetic genealogy for the Rotatori case. The DNA sample is sent to Parabon NanoLabs, the same genealogy company that identified the Golden State Killer, and Andrews is excited. They had a scale, and Im paraphrasing here, but they gave me a one-to-five scale, a solvability scale, Andrews said. One being, No problem, were gonna find this guy, yep, yep, were gonna make a couple of calls, were gonna connect a couple of dots, and Im gonna get you a name, right? Thats one. Five is, Yeah, youre wasting your time, you need to go back to the drawing board and figure out something else because DNAs not your answer, kid. The sample from the Rotatori case came back as a 4.5. Andrews response? So I got a chance, right? I was stoked. Im like, No problem, Im ready to go, right? I got a 4.5, it means I got a chance. A snowballs chance, but a chance. Enter amateur genetic genealogy sleuth Eric Schubert. We get a cold email from some ... 18-year-old kid from New Jersey, just cold email to Capt. Weddum, says, Hey, my names Eric Schubert. Im a 18-year-old kid, just fresh outta high school. I really think genealogy is cool. And, you know, if you got any old cases laying around that might need some genealogy work on it, I got a lot of free time on my hands. And Ive helped out with some other agencies, police departments around the country, before with some stuff. And Id be happy to help you out. After vetting Schuberts story, Andrews went ahead and sent him the file. He calls me back a week later, literally a week later, and he goes, Yeah, I think were gonna figure this out, Andrews said. And Im like, What? Using genetic genealogy, Schubert had discovered the great-great-great-grand-something of whomever the sample was from. Following the branches of that family tree, Schubert sent Andrews name after name after name of people to collect DNA from. Were either gonna zero in on the family tree and find the guy, or were gonna eliminate branches of the tree. As they begin to close in on the suspects direct lineage, Schubert drops a bombshell. He discovered that the killers father was from an entirely different family tree than the one they had been looking at, illuminating why they werent able to narrow the suspect list any farther. Then, as luck would have it, someone sent a DNA kit to a company that analyzes your genetics, which added their DNA to the database. And it was nearly a perfect match for the DNA they had been looking for. The new DNA sample led Andrews to the Freeman family, which had four brothers, one of whom had a different father than the others. Schubert and Andrews were able to eliminate three of the brothers from the suspect pool for a variety of reasons, but mainly that two of the brothers had died before Rotatoris murder. By process of elimination, their suspect list was down to one name: Thomas Freeman. Thomas Freeman was a trucker from West Frankfort, Illinois, who was 35 at the time of the crime. To confirm that Freeman had killed Rotatori, law enforcement tracked down Freemans daughter, whose DNA was a match with the suspect DNA found at the crime scene when run through the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation crime lab. Police believe Freeman killed Rotatori while passing through the area as a trucker. Andrews is ready to go. He wants to track down Freeman, get him in the interview room, and go to work on him. There was just one problem. Freeman was already dead. In fact, Freeman himself had been murdered, shot four times and dumped in the woods in southern Illinois. Freemans body was found toward the end of October 1982, and an investigation led law enforcement to determine that he had been killed in late August or early September, about two months after Rotatoris murder. So, Andrews and Schubert were able to solve Lee Rotatoris murder the case was officially closed on Feb. 25, 2022 but who killed the man who killed her? Andrews has an idea, but no way to prove it. Im still to this day working with Illinois State Police, Andrews said. I have some theories. Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa, a nonprofit with offices in Granger and Waterloo, is seeking 18- to 35-year-olds to fill AmeriCorps positions in Iowa this summer. CCMI provides opportunities for crew members to perform outdoor conservation projects that help to mitigate and combat the impact of climate change, improve access to outdoor recreation, restore natural habitat, protect waterways and respond to community needs and natural disasters, according to a press release from CCMI. CCMI Eastern Iowa Field Coordinator Aaron Demory is a National Guard member who was a crew leader in Iowa last year, working with project host Linn County Conservation. He gained technical skills and certificates, along with a better understanding of conservation. He describes CCMIs field crew program as a summer camp for twenty-somethings. He is available to share his experiences and what positions are currently open in Iowa. Positions for the summer include Iowa Monarch Crews, Water Trails Crews and Iowa Trails Crews. Crew members receive an education award of up to $6,345 to be used for future tuition or existing student loans. The program also provides a monthly stipend, health insurance and forbearance on student loans during the service period. For more information or to apply for a position, visit conservationcorps.org/join. Grassley answered questions from students on his years of public service, his schedule in Iowa and Washington, D.C. and his favorite part about serving Iowa as an elected official. It was a privilege to speak with students and teachers from Underwood High School today. Class trips to Washington are a great way for young Iowans to experience the rich history of our nation and to learn more about the ways our government impacts their daily lives, Grassley said. Weather Alert ...FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CDT THIS MORNING... * WHAT...Sub-freezing temperatures as low as 27. * WHERE...Portions of southwest and west central Iowa and east central and northeast Nebraska. * WHEN...Until 9 AM CDT this morning. * IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions will kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold. To prevent freezing and possible bursting of outdoor water pipes they should be wrapped, drained, or allowed to drip slowly. Those that have in-ground sprinkler systems should drain them and cover above- ground pipes to protect them from freezing. && We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, accompanied by Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, Prince Moulay Rachid and Prince Moulay Ismail, chaired the first religious lecture of the holy month of Ramadan at the Royal Palace in Rabat on Wednesday. The lecture by Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs Ahmed Toufiq was titled The fruits of faith in human life, inspired from the Quranic verse from Surat An-Nahl: Whoever does good, whether male or female, and is a believer, We will surely bless them with a good life, and We will certainly reward them according to the best of their deeds. Toufiq stressed at the beginning of his lecture that the good life promised by the Creator in the Quran is subject to two main conditions, namely faith and good deeds, pointing out that faith sustains the good life and enables man to perform good deeds. According to him, many exegetes have given different interpretations of the verse, including Tabari, who associates the good life with happiness and contentment, Taalibi, who links it to the sweetness of submission, and Baghaoui, who refers it to lawful fortune, while Ibn Achour has pointed out that both women and men are entitled to the promise of the good life. Beyond their differences, these interpretations agree on the centrality of the psychological dimension in terms of sensation and reception, man being in both cases called upon to thank the Lord, Toufiq pointed out. For him, the four missions of the Prophet consist of transmitting revelation; changing the situation of believers starting with a spiritual education called Tazkiya (purification); teaching obligations and rejection of prohibitions; and learning the wisdom, practical virtues and spiritual knowledge contained in the Holy Book. The lecturer added that there are many publications that criticize the current world order and fashionable lifestyles, both in their liberal sense and in their philosophical critique of the modernist thinking that underpins them. In this regard, he cited a series of works by Pitrim Sorokin, founder of American sociology at Harvard University and theorist of altruistic and selfless love. On the possibilities of leading a good life in the current context, he noted that Muslims are doing quite well thanks to their apparent faith, observing, however, that many of them no longer aspire to a good life that combines satisfaction and dignity, but seem to surrender to the deceptive appearances of this life, to well-being that has no other norm than the pursuit of pleasure. For Toufiq, the role of the state is to create the conditions for a good life through development programs, while the mission of ulema and preachers is first and foremost to remind people, through traditional and new media, families, mosques and schools, of the centrality of the Oneness of Allah, which gives freedom to believers and protects them from temptation. He stressed that preachers must assume their role in upholding the Quranic precepts, which is also the purpose of the establishment by the King, Amir Al Muminin, of the Higher Council of Ulema chaired by the Sovereign. Thanks to faith, the Ummah is endowed with enormous energy that needs to be explored and its deep wellsprings released for an overall development in the service of man, its starting point and its ultimate end, the lecturer said. At the end of the lecture, the King was greeted by the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Shawki Allam; Sheikh Mohamed Mansour Sy, representative of the General Khalifa of the Tariqa Tijania in Senegal; Sheikh Moustapha Sonta, General Khalifa of the Tijanis, president of the Section of the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema in Cote dIvoire; Sheikh Moustapha Diatra, advisor to the General Khalifa of the Tariqa Muridiya in Senegal; and Sheikh Abdarrahmane Kanta, representative of the official spokesman of the Tariqa Qadiriya in Nyassia, Senegal. The Sovereign was also greeted by Hassan El Menai, professor at Zitouna University and member of the Higher Islamic Council of Tunisia; Mahmoud Abdou Zouber, president of the Section of the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema in Mali; Lang Delaney Vincent Zayd, president of the Section of the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema in South Africa; and Abdelkader Cheikh Ibrahim, president of the Section of the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Ulema in Somalia. Although no region is immune to terrorism, the situation in Africa is especially concerning, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council, underlining UN support to countries striving to end this scourge. Leaders from across the continent joined ambassadors in examining how to counter terrorism and better prevent violent extremism through stronger cooperation between the UN and regional organizations. The UN chief expressed deep concern over the gains which terrorist groups are making in the Sahel and other parts of Africa. Despair, poverty, hunger, lack of basic services, unemployment, and unconstitutional changes in government continue to lay fertile ground for the creeping expansion of terrorist groups to infect new parts of the continent, he pointed out. Furthermore, fighters, funds and weapons are increasingly flowing between regions and across the continent, he said, while terrorist groups are forging new alliances with organized crime networks and piracy groups. Just as terrorism drives people apart, countering it can bring countries together, said Guterres, pointing to several initiatives across Africa, including in the Sahel, the Lake Chad Basin and Mozambique. The United Nations stands with Africa to end this scourge, he added. Above all, it includes our ongoing close collaboration with the African Union (AU) and regional and sub-regional African organizations. Guterres said the UN is delivering tailored assistance to African countries in areas that include prevention, legal assistance, investigations, prosecutions, reintegration and rehabilitation. Alongside Nigeria, the UN is also co-organizing the upcoming African Counter Terrorism Summit and is strengthening work together on important peace initiatives. The Organization also advocates for new AU-led robust peace-enforcement missions and counter-terrorism operations, with Security Council mandates, he said, calling for support to this vital work. The new AU Chairperson, President Azali Assoumani of Comoros, noted that although terrorism has been around for ages since the Libyan crisis in 2011 it has really exploded, and particularly in Africa. As a result, thousands of foreign fighters and combatants flooded into the Sahel, which helped with importing terrorist groups onto the continent, along with an uncontrollable circulation of weapons. In this way, progressively, terrorism took on greater and greater scope in Africa from north to south, from east to west. And the terrorist contagion continues, broadening in almost all regions of Africa, he said. He vowed to spare no effort to ensure that the AU flagship initiative to silence the guns by 2030 becomes a reality. (CNN) Pope Francis will be hospitalized for a few days for the treatment of a respiratory infection, the Vatican said on Wednesday, raising concerns over the health of the 86-year-old pontiff. In recent days Pope Francis complained of some respiratory difficulties and this afternoon he went to Policlinico A. Gemelli for some medical checks, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement, referring to the Rome hospital where popes are normally treated. The outcome of the same showed a respiratory infection (excluding Covid-19 infection) that will require a few days of appropriate hospital medical therapy. Pope Francis is touched by the many messages received and expresses his gratitude for the closeness and prayer, Bruni added. After his weekly general audience in St. Peters Square, Francis was taken to the hospital to undergo a number of tests. Earlier in the day, the Vatican had said that the visit and tests were planned. The Holy Father has been at Gemelli since this afternoon for some previously scheduled tests, Bruni had said. Shortly after, he said that the popes schedule for Thursday had been cleared to make space for the continuation of tests should that be necessary. The pontiff has a recent history of medical issues. He has often been seen with a walking stick and sometimes uses a wheelchair due to pain in his right knee. Last year, he canceled a trip to Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan after doctors said he might also have to miss a later trip to Canada unless he agreed to have 20 more days of therapy and rest for his knee. He ultimately went to the DRC and South Sudan in February. In 2021, he had surgery to remove part of his colon due to diverticulitis, a common condition. Francis recently revealed that he had already signed his resignation letter to be used in the event of him becoming impaired. Francis made the comment in a December interview with Spanish news outlet ABC when asked what would happen if a pope is suddenly rendered unable to perform his duties due to health issues or an accident. Francis said he wrote the letter several years ago and gave it to then-Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who resigned in 2013. I have already signed my renunciation. The Secretary of State at the time was Tarcisio Bertone. I signed it and said: If I should become impaired for medical reasons or whatever, here is my renunciation, Francis was quoted as saying, adding that this was the first time he had spoken publicly about the letters existence. Francis said past pontiffs Paul VI and Pious XII had also drafted their letters of renunciation in the event of a permanent impairment. In 2013, Francis immediate predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, made the almost unprecedented decision to resign from his position, citing advanced age as the reason and startling the Catholic world. It marked the first time a pope had stepped down in nearly 600 years. The last pope to step down before his death was Gregory XII, who in 1415 quit to end a civil war within the church in which more than one man claimed to be pope. This story was first published on CNN.com, Pope Francis to be hospitalized for several days with respiratory infection, Vatican says" Mytilineos, a Greece-based industrial conglomerate whose business units are active in the sectors of metallurgy and energy, is planning to inject investment in Egypt in the areas of construction of solar power plants, storage batteries, new and renewable energy, oil, natural gas, infrastructure and sustainable engineering solutions, Egypts General Authority for Investment and Free Zones said in a statement on Thursday. It is unknown how much the company is planning to invest, however, the statement came following a meeting between Hossam Heiba, Executive Chairman of the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones and representatives of the Greek Mytilineos. Founded in 1990, Mytilineos is a global company that is leading in the fields of energy and industry and has a large presence in the five continents. Its activity is focused on two major sectors, energy and minerals. Germany is considering sending military forces to Niger as part of a European Union (EU) mission officially aimed at supporting the African country in the military field. The 60-soldier force is waiting for final parliament approval in April. The EU member initially planned to send soldiers to Niger back in December 2022 to join the EU Military Partnership Mission in Niger (EUMPM Niger). EUMPM Niger is tasked to help the African nation enhance its military logistics and infrastructure and contribute to the countrys military capacity to combat terrorism over a three-year period. The EU launched the mission in February and expects to send up to 50-100 in the first stage, and up to 300 at later stages of the operation. The EUMMP Niger was birthed amid Frances military pullout from several African states, including the Central African Republic, Mali, and Burkina Faso. Niger is facing insurgency in its western Tillaberi region, near the border with Burkina Faso and Mali. The region has been plagued by insecurity sown by terrorist groups including al Qaeda affiliates. The Nigerien army is also fighting Boko Haram activists near the border with Nigeria. Olivia Roumba, Burkina Fasos top diplomat announced Wednesday the resumption of diplomat ties with North Korea as Ouagadougou seeks Pyongyangs military support in order to address insecurity at home caused by terrorist groups. This resumption of diplomatic relations with North Korea will enable this East Asian country and Burkina Faso to maintain exemplary bilateral cooperation in several areas such as the security sector, through the granting to our country military equipment and materials, mining, health, agriculture and research sectors, she said after a cabinet meeting. The meeting also greenlighted the appointment of ambassador to Pyongyang. Burkina Faso officially severed ties with the Asian country in 2017 on the grounds that it was a recommendation of the United Nations to all member countries as part of sanctions on Pyongyang. Rouamba speaking about ties between the two countries, argued that Burkina Faso once maintained very good relations with this country which was a privileged partner during the period of the August 1983 Revolution. The West African country has been grappling with insecurity caused by terrorists and has lost 40 per cent of its territory to the terror groups. In power since September 2022 following a coup, Captain Ibrahim Traore has vowed to improve the logistics of the army in face of terrorists who seemed better equipped than the countrys own forces. Moroccos migration and asylum policies were welcomed by most speakers at the 36th Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. On the occasion of the review of the second periodic report on the implementation of the international convention on the subject, the Committees rapporteurs interacted with a clear interest in the content and directions of Moroccan migration policy since 2013, its human dimensions and human rights, as presented this week in Geneva by Minister of Economic Inclusion, Younes Sekkouri. In a statement to MAP at the end of the Committees work, the Minister underlined the broad recognition of Moroccos efforts in the field of migration and the integrated nature of its strategy, particularly with regard to the situation of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa. Morocco is now a country of transit and residence, in addition to being a country of origin, Sekkouri said, adding that the Kingdom has used an integrated legislative system and relied on a coherent operational arsenal to address migration issues in various fields, ranging from women and children to legislation related to employment, access to justice and areas marked by intervention by public forces. The multidimensional approach, with its preventive, humanitarian, legal and regulatory aspects, makes Morocco a leader not only at the continental level but also at the international level, he said. This approach, he added, is linked to a system of values on which the Kingdom relies to face a complex problem that reveals the inadequacy of all security approaches. For his part, Moroccos Permanent Representative in Geneva, Omar Zniber, stressed the intense diplomatic action taken by Morocco in international forums to promote the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, as well as the continuous actions taken by the Kingdom to create spaces for cooperation and partnership at the regional and international levels. The conditions of women and children in the context of migration, access to basic services such as health, education and housing, legal mechanisms regulating the entry and stay of workers, as well as efforts to promote a culture of human rights among migrants and to combat trafficking in human beings, were some of the issues discussed by the Committees rapporteurs and the members of the Moroccan delegation representing the various sectors concerned. UPDATED, April 20, 2023, 1:05 pm: Corrects description of LB 28. *** Seven 2023 legislative bills by western Nebraskas five state senators have been merged into other lawmakers bills so far to increase their chances of passage. Its a common exercise in a typical Unicameral session, which sees hundreds of bills introduced every January but rarely adjourns in spring with more than a fraction of them having reached the governors desk. After all bills have received their mandatory public hearings a task that ended for 2023 last Friday some lawmakers search for measures that other senators, committees or the speaker have named priority bills. They must involve the same general subject as the bill they want to attach, a requirement dictated by the Nebraska Constitution. The so-called Christmas tree technique may be more vital than ever this session, in which progress has slowed to a crawl due to a near-universal floor filibuster that has lasted more than a month. Gov. Jim Pillen, nearly three months into his first term, has yet to see a bill reach his desk. Gordon Sen. Tom Brewers constitutional carry firearms bill (Legislative Bill 77) became the first to win second-round approval Tuesday, the 51st day of the 90-day session. Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, recently joined by fellow Omaha Sens. Megan Hunt and Jen Day, renewed her Feb. 23 vow to filibuster all bills even routine ones and measures by her fellow Democrats after last weeks first-round approval of a bill banning transgender health care for minors (LB 574). At the current pace, only 21 more bills some of them mandatory budget measures stand to receive initial floor debate in 2023, Speaker John Arch of La Vista said before senators suspended one type of filibuster tool Tuesday for the rest of the session. Twenty-eight senator priority bills and 16 committee priority measures were awaiting first-round consideration Wednesday afternoon, further lowering their odds to advance before the Legislatures scheduled June 9 adjournment for the year. Seventeen speakers priority bills chosen by Arch likewise are bottled up after having been advanced by committees. The speaker can name up to 25 priority bills and committees two apiece. Sen. Mike Jacobson of North Platte said he has found homes for three of his dozen 2023 bills, all in measures committees have named 2023 priorities. They include LB 98, the second set of adjustments to former North Platte Sen. Mike Groenes 2020 microTIF law. Its now part of LB 531, introduced by Omaha Sen. Terrell McKinney and named a priority by the Urban Affairs Committee that he chairs. Jacobsons LB 281, which would offer state matching funds to rebuild the fire-destroyed 4-H Camp at Halseys Nebraska National Forest, has been attached to LB 425, a Natural Resources Committee priority bill. Committee Chairman Sen. Bruce Bostelman of Brainard introduced that measure. Two bills from western senators Jacobsons LB 434 and Sumner Sen. Teresa Ibachs LB 219 have been made part of a Health and Human Services Committee priority bill (LB 227) to boost Medicaid reimbursements to rural health care facilities. Blair Sen. Ben Hansen, that panels chairman, introduced LB 227 to boost reimbursements to hospitals for Medicaid nursing services when patients cant be immediately placed in a nursing facility after discharge. Ibachs measure would boost initial reimbursements to rural critical access hospitals, while Jacobsons would require the state to make long-term care hospitals eligible for reimbursements. Sen. Brian Hardin of Gering has had two of his bills added to other measures, including LB 596, which would let liquor manufacturers and wholesalers reach sponsorship and advertisement agreements with organizations. The text of LB 596 now is part of LB 376, introduced by Kearney Sen. John Lowe and prioritized by the General Affairs Committee that he chairs. LB 376, which makes various liquor-law changes, advanced 43-0 March 13 and 47-0 Wednesday despite the protracted filibusters. Hardins LB 342, which would make registrations of home inspectors good for two years, has been added to the Urban Affairs Committees other priority bill. LB 629, also introduced by McKinney, tweaks the Middle Income Workforce Housing Investment Act and Economic Recovery Act. Two other Ibach bills have found new homes: LB 218, which would double state spending on managing vegetation within a natural streams banks or flood plain, and LB 660, which would spend $300,000 over two years to help rural lawyers repay student loans. Ibachs vegetation bill will now be part of LB 116, an Agriculture Committee priority bill introduced by Plymouth Sen. Tom Brandt. LB 814, the states mainline 2023-25 budget bill, already duplicated LB 660s language. LB 138, a speakers priority bill including various motor vehicle law changes, now includes Brewers LB 199 to allow Ukrainian refugees from the 2022 Russian invasion to receive a driving privilege card. Bayard Sen. Steve Erdmans LB 28 was one of several property tax measures folded into Albion Sen. Tom Brieses LB 243. It would require a protesting property owners taxable value to be reset to the previous years valuation if the Tax Equalization and Review Commission hasnt settled the owners appeal by the following spring. LB 243 appeared on Wednesdays agenda but wasnt expected to see first-round debate for some time due to the filibusters. Former president Donald Trump sits at the defense table with his legal team at Manhattan Criminal Court. Photo: Seth Wenig/AP Donald Trump has been arrested and charged with dozens of felony counts of falsifying business records in Manhattan, making him the first former president in history to be charged with a crime. Trump pleaded not guilty to the charges, which stem from his role in hush-money payments made to Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign in order to suppress her story of their alleged affair. The indictment was unsealed on Tuesday afternoon during Trumps arraignment in a lower Manhattan courthouse. Below are the latest updates. Comer says county attorneys want to go after Biden following Trump indictment Congressman James Comer suggested that Braggs indictment of Trump will act as a green light for conservative state and local prosecutors to pursue cases against President Joe Biden. During an appearance on Fox & Friends, Comer said hes spoken to county attorneys from Tennessee and Kentucky who reportedly want to know if there are ways to go after the Bidens now. Theyve opened up a can of worms. Theyve set precedents that they cant go back on, he said. James Comer on Fox & Friends says he took calls yesterday from county attorneys in Kentucky and Tennessee who are eager to "go after the Bidens" to retaliate for the Trump indictment pic.twitter.com/ZFsblpqiMb Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 5, 2023 Notably, the Kentucky Republican has used his new role as chairman of the House Oversight Committee to investigate members of Bidens family including his son Hunter. What to make of the DAs case and Trumps chances Intelligencer contributor Ankush Khardori, a former federal prosecutor, has put together a comprehensive analysis of the indictment and DA Alvin Braggs strategy. He also shared some thoughts about what to expect next: There have been claims in recent weeks that this is a weak case, perhaps because people like me have raised questions about the strength of elements of the evidence. It is important to be clear-eyed about the strengths and weaknesses of any legal case, but every interesting or high-profile criminal case has challenges factually, legally, usually both. This particular case is under an extraordinary microscope so it is getting more attention than any other prosecution, but none of these observations from me or others means that the DAs office will lose this case. At this point in time, we simply do not know. Read the rest of Ankushs review here. The criminal-defendant candidate Intelligencer contributor Ben Jacobs puts Trumps post-indictment Mar-a-Lago event in context: Trump launched into an abbreviated version of his standard rally-style speech in the ballroom of his private club. There were insults and racially loaded rhetoric. There were repeated claims of persecution and efforts at self aggrandizement. The only thing missing, for understandable reasons, was a lock her up chant. It made for a stunning contrast to his lackluster campaign launch months before in the same Mar-a-Lago ballroom. At that event, a low-energy Trump limped into his 2024 re-election campaign following a disappointing midterms for the GOP weighed down by the poor performance of many Trump-backed candidates. At the time, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis looked like a potential juggernaut after his combination of hard right cultural politics combined with strict message discipline helped him to a successful re-election campaign in the Sunshine State. Since then, however, the political winds have shifted. As Trumps legal troubles have multiplied, so too has his standing with Republican presidential primary voters. Read the rest of Bens report here. Is Trump begging for a gag order? At the end of his relatively short but grievance-packed speech at Mar-a-Lago, Trump launched an attack on Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over the case against him in New York, calling Merchan a Trump-hating judge with a Trump-hating wife and family. Trump: I have Trump hating judge with a Trump hating wife and Trump hating family pic.twitter.com/PyAXCWn3mv Acyn (@Acyn) April 5, 2023 At the arraignment, Merchan did not issue a gag order but asked Trump who recently shared an image on social media showing him holding a baseball bat next to a photo of Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg to please refrain from making statements that are likely to incite violence or civil unrest and not to use rhetoric that could jeopardize the rule of law. Hours later, Trump continued attacking Bragg instead calling him racist and a criminal who should be prosecuted for leaking information about the case, Trump claimed, to the media. Trumps attack on Merchan prompted some groans in the audience, but his attack on Bragg who has been receiving death threats over the indictment drew a burst of enthusiastic applause: Trump calls for Bragg to be prosecuted and brings up his wife pic.twitter.com/9u4coDhlhG Acyn (@Acyn) April 5, 2023 Despite Trumps pre-arraignment attacks on Bragg and Merchan, it was unlikely that Merchan would issue a gag order on Tuesday. Its not clear if hell change his mind, or what Trump would have to say, or continue to say, to prompt that. What is clear is that Trump would almost certainly violate the order if he did. Back at Mar-a-Lago, Trumps attacks the fake case and a whole lot more In front of a small audience of MAGA VIPs at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday night, Trump decried his indictment and all the other cases being built against him. They cant beat us at the ballot box, so they try to beat us through the law, Trump claimed, conjuring the specter of radical left crusade to vanquish him. A transcript of his remarks, which seemed to veer on and off the prepared speech on his teleprompter, is here. First 90 seconds of Trump speech: - Dems spied on campaign - Russia, Russia, Russia - Impeachment hoax 1 - Impeachment hoax 2 - Mar-a-Lago raid - FISA courts - millions of illegal ballots - Hunter Biden laptop - Biden family criminals Ryan Struyk (@ryanstruyk) April 5, 2023 Florida man returns to Florida Some of the MAGA faithful gathered to welcome Trump home: A taste of real powerlessness Intelligencers Justin Miller and James Walsh capture Trumps big day in court: For about two hours, for the first time in his life, Donald Trump was not a free man. He surrendered to authorities at Manhattan Criminal Court just before 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, beginning a surreal moment in U.S. history: a former president placed under arrest. After being fingerprinted, though not photographed for a mug shot, Trump walked a few steps out from behind a blacked-out door, where photographers briefly captured his glowering face framed by his signature combination of navy suit, white shirt, and red tie. Inside the courtroom, he sat with his hands in his lap, flanked by his defense attorneys. Read the rest here. Trump isnt above the law, but he shouldnt be below it Donald Trump during his arraignment. Courtroom sketch by Jane Rosenberg pic.twitter.com/DdfXkHhnUA Reuters Pictures (@reuterspictures) April 4, 2023 Intelligencer columnist Jonathan Chait remains unimpressed with Braggs case now that the indictment has been unsealed: As a defense of the indictment, no one is above the law is not remotely adequate. It implicitly places the law itself beyond questioning. The uncomfortable reality is that, while Trump may be a career criminal, he does not deserve to be prosecuted for this particular charge. Yes, the first criminal charge against Trump carries special symbolic importance. Yet we are loading more social and political weight on these charges than they can bear. The world can be a complicated place. Sometimes people with good intentions do bad things, and sometimes bad people are the victims of unfairness. The correct response to Trumpist hypocrisy is to wait for it to manifest rather than abandoning standards of fairness. Read the rest of Jons response here. The felony charges in the indictment are just over hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels The 34 felony counts were based each on a corporate record prosecutors say was falsified to cover up the hush money for Daniels, right down to check stubs used to reimburse Cohen. But prosecutors also referenced, but did not charge, what they say were other similar efforts to suppress damaging stories: Trumps friend David Pecker used the National Enquirer to catch and kill former Playboy playmate Karen McDougals affair allegation, as well as a Trump Tower doormans claim that Trump had fathered a child out of wedlock. Prosecutors say that the fraud that led to the charges, however, was when Trump classified the reimbursement payments to Cohen as legal expenses. And what elevated the charges to felonies was that the falsification was allegedly done to cover up other supposed crimes. Bragg at news conference: We cannot and will not normalize serious criminal conduct. Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg held a press conference after Trumps arraignment to discuss the indictment further. Thirty-four false statements made to cover up other crimes, he said. These are felony crimes in New York State, no matter who you are. We cannot and will not normalize serious criminal conduct. Bragg: "Under NY state law, it is a felony to falsify business records with intent to defraud and intent to conceal another crime. That is exactly what this case is about. 34 false statements made to cover up other crimes. These are felony crimes in NY no matter who you are." pic.twitter.com/6qQwx2Ezha Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 4, 2023 The district attorney contends that Trump, along with his former lawyer Michael Cohen and executives of the publishing company AMI, entered into a scheme to buy and suppress negative information to help Mr. Trumps chance to win an election. Part of this plan included the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels, a porn star who alleged she had a past affair with Trump, which Bragg alleges was intended to hide damaging information from the voting public. The scheme violated New York election law, which makes it a crime to conspire to promote a candidacy by unlawful means. The $130,000 wire payment exceeded the federal campaign contribution cap, Bragg said. And the false statements in AMIs books violated New York law. Bragg also said reimbursement payments made to Cohen were falsely classified as income to tax authorities. During a short Q&A, Bragg was asked why he brought this case now in the wake of criticism that it was a political move. I bring cases when theyre ready. Having now conducted a rigorous, thorough investigation, the case was ready to be brought. And it was brought, he said. Trumps next hearing currently scheduled for December The next hearing for this case is slated for December 4, according to CNN. Additionally, NBC News is reporting that a trial could potentially begin in January 2024 which is also the start of the presidential primary cycle. Judge warned Trump about social-media threats The judge warned former President Trump not to make any statements that would incite violence against any officials, per @KaraScannell Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) April 4, 2023 We cannot allow New York businesses to manipulate their records to cover up criminal conduct. Right after the arraignment ended, Manhattan district attorney Alvin Braggs office released a statement explaining why Trump was charged. The People of the State of New York allege that Donald J. Trump repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal crimes that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election, Bragg said. Manhattan is home to the countrys most significant business market. We cannot allow New York businesses to manipulate their records to cover up criminal conduct. As the Statement of Facts describes, the trail of money and lies exposes a pattern that, the People allege, violates one of New Yorks basic and fundamental business laws. As this office has done time and time again, we today uphold our solemn responsibility to ensure that everyone stands equal before the law. Read the indictment and the DAs statement of facts Trump has been released and is on his way to LGA to fly home Former President Trump departs NYC courthouse without making comments after pleading not guilty to 34 felony charges.https://t.co/hOlHzYdaSN pic.twitter.com/r46RlfqUSp NBC News (@NBCNews) April 4, 2023 He didnt offer any public comments while in Manhattan, but will give a speech from Mar-a-Lago tonight. The set up inside Mar-a-Lago. Trump is scheduled to make remarks at 8:15pm. Aides said he was working on his remarks on the plane to NYC yesterday and this morning. pic.twitter.com/B9VKhUV8aw Meridith McGraw (@meridithmcgraw) April 4, 2023 Trump pleads not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. Falsifying business records is typically charged as a misdemeanor offense, but the counts are all listed as felonies, which suggests that prosecutors believe the actions were done with the intent to conceal an additional crime. The charge is an E Class felony, the states lowest-level felony, which could result in a prison sentence of up to four years, the New York Times has reported. The indictment has been unsealed, but hasnt officially been made public. Donald Trump is officially facing the music #BREAKING: Former President Trump enters the Manhattan Criminal Court room stone faced. pic.twitter.com/LBpzkfdvGW Moshe Schwartz (@YWNReporter) April 4, 2023 The New York Times Maggie Haberman notes on Twitter: Trump accompanied by lawyers Todd Blanche and Susan Necheles, as well as adviser Jason Miller and aide Walt Nauta, per person briefed. Joe Tacopina and Boris Ephsteyn also with Trump. Trump did not stop to address the camera, after weighing saying something ahead of time. Trump looked very unhappy as he walked into the courtroom. Or, put another way, Trump looked like granddad having a very bad day: Van Jones on Trump's arrest: 'He looks sad ... I don't like the prison system, so I don't like this process ... doesn't mean that accountability is not owed, but that is a granddad having a very bad day.' pic.twitter.com/exs1tw0Eec philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) April 4, 2023 The Trump campaign made its own mug shot Trump was fingerprinted a person familiar with events said but not mugshotted. But people fundraising in his name arent wasting the opportunity and made their own mugshot, as this email that just landed shows pic.twitter.com/P4QfnfnjHk Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) April 4, 2023 Intelligencers Margaret Hartmann writes about the Trump teams mug-shot hype: In retrospect, maybe Trumps cronies shouldnt have gotten MAGA world so hyped about this photo. In recent days, former Trump White House spokesman Hogan Gidley assured Time that well have a mug shot, joking, For the record, it will be the most manly, most masculine, most handsome mug shot of all time. More of todays Manhattan spectacle Wow the biggest asshole in America came to town pic.twitter.com/3b5DGtaHId Good Idea Dave (@DaveCoIon) April 4, 2023 Well he did once say he could shoot someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue Interesting detail from ABC coverage -- Trump's fingerprints are already on file in NY because he used to have a gun permit Meridith McGraw (@meridithmcgraw) April 4, 2023 Former U.S. president Donald Trump waves as he arrives at the Manhattan Criminal Court. Photo: Kena Betancur/Getty Images And Trump is now under arrest BREAKING: Former President Trump has arrived at the courthouse to surrender and be arrested on criminal charges. https://t.co/Le705IMhsX pic.twitter.com/9asEOA69WI NBC News (@NBCNews) April 4, 2023 Trump is now under arrest. His reaction moments before walking into the courthouse. pic.twitter.com/XbuJljaQAX Manu Raju (@mkraju) April 4, 2023 Former president leaves former home in former city to finally get arrested Former President Donald Trump pumped his fist and waved before leaving Trump Tower for the Manhattan courthouse ahead of his arraignment. https://t.co/Gmlzh3GcQD pic.twitter.com/4BxM1Yh06U The Associated Press (@AP) April 4, 2023 ABC, CBS, NBC all broke into special programming to follow Trump's motorcade as it winds down Manhattan to the courthouse. What a scene. Meridith McGraw (@meridithmcgraw) April 4, 2023 More from MTGs abbreviated rally Intelligencers Matt Stieb was on the ground when Greene arrived for her much-promoted speech that ended up running short. Through a megaphone, Greene criticized New York City as people in the crowd heckled her: Around 10:30 a.m., Marjorie Taylor Greene entered the park wearing the Terminator cop glasses shes partial to. Surrounded by the protest organizers and a zillion more reporters, she pushed through the crowd toward a small riser. The people packed in. Greene was handed a megaphone and yelled to her supporters about how Democrats are the party of violence and that New York used to be a great city. But two anti-Trump protesters both white guys over 40 had come over from their side of the park and began screaming. No one could hear her, even from a few feet away. Go home, New York City hates your guts, yelled a man in a blue-checkered shirt. Read the rest of Matts report here. A mug shot appears unlikely The New York Times explains why: Under New York State law, the authorities must take the fingerprints of anyone charged with a felony. But law enforcement officials have discretion over whether they take a mug shot. Mug shots are meant to help the authorities identify a defendant and find them if they flee; in such instances, the photographs are distributed to law enforcement agencies and sometimes the media in order to help apprehend the fugitive. But Mr. Trump is not considered a significant flight risk, and as he is a former president who hosted a widely popular reality television show after spending decades as a fixture of the tabloids, photographs of him are more than readily available. Several officials also said there was concern that a mug shot of Mr. Trump, which would be provided to the New York Police Department and other agencies, would be leaked. That would be a violation of law and could prompt an investigation and a political firestorm. Anti-Trump demonstrators rally ahead of Donald Trumps arrival at the Manhattan Criminal Court. Photo: Andres Kudacki/Andres Kudacki The Trump team is recording the whole thing Former President Trumps videographer traveled with him to New York to document the behind the scenes of Trump's surrender, according to two sources close to Trump-- a further indication of how they plan to use this event to their political advantage. Kristen Holmes (@KristenhCNN) April 4, 2023 Another bizarre scene from the Manhattan Trumpfest FAKE Trump circling the media by Trump Tower pic.twitter.com/vxLgP26DYL Azi (@Azi) April 4, 2023 Even more security measures outside courthouse as Trumps arrival looms Security tightening, more barricades going up outside courthouse pic.twitter.com/UVGKpnywrE Mike Sisak (@mikesisak) April 4, 2023 Donald Trumps innocence apparently died for our sins Trump is making a Christ-like sacrifice, according to a source close to his legal team who spoke with Rolling Stone on Monday: Its kind of a Jesus Christ thing. He is saying, Im absorbing all this pain from all around from everywhere so you dont have to, says the source. Describing the message Trump hopes to send his supporters, the source says: If they can do this to me they can do this to you, and thats a powerful message. Then on Tuesday, as she was being driven away from the courthouse rally, Marjorie Taylor Greene said Trump, Christ, and Nelson Mandela were birds of a sacrificial feather: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA): Trump is joining some of the most incredible people in history being arrested today. Nelson Mandela was arrested, served time in prison. Jesus! Jesus was arrested and murdered. pic.twitter.com/dSOeHvRnDE The Recount (@therecount) April 4, 2023 Advisers made similar comments to Time, albeit without mentioning Jesus: Sources say that Trumps remarks [on Tuesday night] will hit hard on his accusation that Bragg is pressing charges against him out of political motivation, an attack that is designed to gin up righteous indignation and a sense of persecution among MAGA die-hards. In that vein, Trump wants to turn his indictment into a larger symbol, connecting himself with conservative Americans who feel targeted or alienated for their views. The fears and concerns of a weaponized government are now personified in Donald Trump, says Gidley, Trumps former White House spokesman. He can take that pulpit, that podium, and point out the fact that we are all victims of a government that has targeted each of us because we attend the wrong rallies, like the wrong tweets, go to the wrong movies. Trump diehards have been making the comparison on social media as well: CHRIST WAS CRUCIFIED 15 DAYS AFTER THE SPRING EQINOX! TRUMP IS BEING ARRAINED THE SAME DAY! IS THIS A COINCIDENCE OR IS GOD AT WORK HERE? pic.twitter.com/NTIcQxQ6Y1 Diana Gaylord (@DianaGaylord5) April 3, 2023 Trump is NOT Jesus Christ. He is human. Perhaps super human. But not a God. I know that. But Democrats don't seem to know it. They treat him like Jesus. They persecute him like Jesus. Same reasons too - he threatens the evil tyrants in power and fights for the little guy & gal. Wayne Root - Wayne Allyn Root - TV & Radio Host (@RealWayneRoot) April 4, 2023 Trump wants to be tried on Staten Island In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, he once again attacked Manhattan, where he lived for most of his life. VERY UNFAIR VENUE, WITH SOME AREAS THAT VOTED 1% REPUBLICAN, Trump wrote. THIS CASE SHOULD BE MOVED TO NEARBY STATEN ISLAND - WOULD BE A VERY FAIR AND SECURE LOCATION FOR THE TRIAL. The MTG mob scene Marjorie Taylor Greenes rally outside the courthouse was a big chaotic mess: This gives a sense of the scrum around MTG right now. So much counter noise. Whistles, boos, cheers, chants of USA. Utter pandemonium pic.twitter.com/lPGLBe9EQa David Mack (@davidmackau) April 4, 2023 Earlier, there were so few pro-Trump protesters that reporters had to effectively line up to talk to them. After the rally officially began, the MAGA congresswoman spoke, but could barely be heard or seen over the raucous crowd of rallygoers, counterprotesters, and reporters. Massive media scrum around Congresswoman @mtgreenee and @NYYRC President Gavin Wax - cant hear a word any of them are saying pic.twitter.com/TwYc8gVnQs Morgan McKay (@morganfmckay) April 4, 2023 Her remarks were brief and Greene was quickly escorted out of the park as the crowd grew and began to push and shove. Pushing and shoving as MTG exits the park after a brief speech that was impossible to hear. She almost is falling over as her security tries to get her out safely. This is extremely dangerous. pic.twitter.com/fWzfKHhPFY David Mack (@davidmackau) April 4, 2023 JUST NOW: NYPD usher @RepMTG to safety as she is swarmed having spent 9 minutes on the group pic.twitter.com/mG3BulKUb4 Henry Rosoff (@HenryRosoff) April 4, 2023 ABC News reports that Greene is expected to attend Trumps post-arraignment remarks back in Florida at Mar-a-Lago this evening. Santos shows up, then flees The mornings surreal scene got a surprise guest star: controversial freshman congressman George Santos. NBC News reports that Santos is expected to attend the pro-Trump rally slated for today. Intelligencers Matt Stieb describes the scene: The circus aspect of the morning is already well underway an hour before the demonstration in Collect Pond Park is expected to begin. On the south side of the park, a small number of anti-Trump protesters wait for the speeches to begin, cordoned off by metal barricades from a slightly larger number of presidential supporters on the other side. Similar to yesterdays scene in front of Trump Tower, press people and police outnumber protesters by an order of magnitude though the reporters numbers cleared a bit when Representative George Santos tried to show up early. Overwhelmed by the number of reporters shouting questions at him, he ran up Centre Street, a dozen men with cameras in his tow. Hell Gate NYC got video of the chaotic moment: Santos fleeing 100 Centre pic.twitter.com/YmBvvIlCvG Christopher Robbins (@ChristRobbins) April 4, 2023 Trump lawyer predicts case will be thrown out Joe Tacopina went on Good Morning America to spin for his client ahead of Tuesday afternoons arraignment. Like the rest of the country, he has not seen the indictment that is still under seal, but he said Trumps team expects to challenge the case filed by Alvin Braggs office and predicts it will not make it to trial due to issues with the law. "One thing I can assure you, there will be no guilty plea in this case. That is one thing I will guarantee you." Trump attorney Joe Tacopina to @GStephanopoulos as the former president prepares to surrender to New York authorities. https://t.co/GBle2ucHG1 pic.twitter.com/klHMJOmkQh Good Morning America (@GMA) April 4, 2023 A sleepover in Trump Tower The Florida resident spent the night in midtown Manhattan following dramatic coverage of his return home to face charges. Trump exits his vehicle and enters Trump Tower. Can we get a camera on his condo to know what he's having for dinner too? pic.twitter.com/oeRWiYCMCe Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 3, 2023 As Intelligencers Matt Stieb has reported, the media far outnumbered Trump supporters and anybody else outside Trump Tower on Monday. Media frenzy outside Trump tower ahead of the fmr presidents arrival pic.twitter.com/7ICgFa7DVa Kim Anderson (@theKimAnderson) April 3, 2023 The Florida man has landed Former President Donald Trump has disembarked his plane at New York City's LaGuardia Airport in advance of his arraignment following last week's indictment. https://t.co/VEHLBT5LQe pic.twitter.com/fwcDrCv2RA CBS News (@CBSNews) April 3, 2023 Trump hasnt received this much attention since he was president. The full Ginsburg for Trumps plane pic.twitter.com/1gsa3vl4Z3 Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) April 3, 2023 Trump allies really want to be shown the man Most of the Show me the man and Ill find/show/give you the crime mentions on certain networks since the indictment was announced. pic.twitter.com/C8wXGdQ007 Acyn (@Acyn) April 2, 2023 The former president deserves a cookie? Intelligencers Margaret Hartmann surveys the reporting on how Trump has been behaving in private ahead of his arraignment: The former president isnt totally calm, but longtime Trump observers seem impressed that he hasnt hurled his lunch against the wall, as he was accused of doing at the White House. While Trump is not said to be throwing things, he is extremely angry and his family is, not surprisingly, rattled, noted Times reporter Maggie Haberman. People around Trump are divided on why he isnt pelting them with water bottles right now, as CNN reported. Mayor Adams asks MTG and other protesters to behave He addressed the coming storm in a press conference on Monday: While there may be some rabble rousers thinking about coming to our city tomorrow, our message is clear and simple: Control yourselves. New York City is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger. We have the safest large city in America because we respect the rule of law in New York City. And although we have no specific threats, people like Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is known to spread misinformation and hate speech she stated she is coming to town. While youre in town, be on your best behavior. Not surprisingly, the congresswoman framed Adamss comment as a threat: Delusional @NYCMayor is trying to intimidate, threaten, and stop me from using my 1st amendment rights to peacefully protest the Democrats unconstitutional weaponization of our justice system against our top Republican Presidential candidate, President Trump. Mayor Adams should Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) April 3, 2023 Trump adds new lawyer to his defense team Politico reports that Trump has hired Todd Blanche, a top white-collar criminal defense attorney, to lead his legal defense against the hush-money charges. Blanche, a former federal prosecutor, has also represented the former chair of Trumps 2016 presidential campaign, Paul Manafort. Trumpdictment watch has begun (and its already a ridiculous spectacle) Now CNN is having Manu Raju and John Miller are analyzing the "remarkable pictures" of Trump's motorcade driving to Palm Beach International Airport. These people are fundamentally unserious and don't let them try and tell you otherwise. Manu Raju: "This is quite a moment." pic.twitter.com/rylUzh18A1 Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) April 3, 2023 As Intelligencers Benjamin Hart highlights, Trumps trip to New York is getting the O.J. treatment: To be fair to Trump, hes not leading police on a spontaneous and dangerous pursuit. Nor is he accused of murder, that we know of. Nevertheless, time-filling cable-news commentary over a live shot of vehicles on an otherwise empty highway with people lining the sides of it cant help but dredge up memories for viewers of a certain age. Read the rest of Bens post here. But theres no guarantee well see Trump at court There will be a mug shot, but its not yet clear if it will be made public, or if there will be any other photography allowed at the courthouse. Trumps lawyers have also opposed media requests to allow cameras in the courtroom, arguing that, it will create a circus-like atmosphere at the arraignment, raise unique security concerns, and is inconsistent with President Trumps presumption of innocence. All mostly quiet on the insurrectionist front The New York Times reports that neither authorities nor extremism monitors have picked up any chatter suggesting there will some kind of January 6type violence in New York when Trump is arraigned: At the moment, they are not seeing those threats, and the department has a lot of experience coordinating with the Secret Service and the court system, so that effort is not terribly concerning, said Kenneth Corey, who retired late last year as chief of [New York Police Department,] the highest-ranking uniformed officer in the department. But there are still big unknowns mainly the protesters, he added. Who shows up? How many show up? What kind of mood are they in? Dont count out Bragg Errol Louis, responding to widespread skepticism regarding the Manhattan DAs case, notes that Alvin Bragg typically knows what hes doing: Trump is in serious legal jeopardy, not least because his adversary, Bragg, is a dogged and meticulous litigator who has proved he can build complex white-collar cases. Years ago, as an assistant U.S. Attorney under Preet Bharara, Bragg successfully prosecuted misconduct by elected officials, including former State Senator Malcolm Smith, who ended up in prison. Bragg also prosecuted a slew of white-collar criminals as the states chief deputy attorney general, and he prides himself on not bringing frivolous cases. Read the rest of Errols column here. Trump will give a post-indictment speech from Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday night His campaign has announced that Trump will deliver remarks at 8:15 p.m. approximately six hours after he is scheduled to be arraigned in Manhattan. What the post-indictment polls say, so far An ABC News/Ipsos poll, conducted on Friday and Saturday, found that 45 percent of Americans think Trump should have been charged with a crime in the hush-money case, including 88 percent of Democrats, and 16 percent of Republicans, even though nobody knows, at this point, exactly what Trump has been charged with. Nearly half of the poll respondents said the charges are politically motivated, including 79 percent of Republicans and 48 percent of independents. Only 43 percent of respondents thought Trump should suspend his presidential campaign because of the indictment. A Yahoo News/YouGov poll, conducted in the 24 hours after the indictment news broke, found that 42 percent of Americans approved of the indictment, while 52 percent said he should not be allowed to serve a second term if hes convicted: Half of the independent voters reached by the poll said they thought Trump was a criminal: Fully half of independents (50%) now believe the former president has committed a serious crime at some point in his life twice the number (25%) who think he has never committed a serious crime. When asked if they think Donald Trump did or did not falsify business records to conceal a hush money payment to a porn star, less than half of Republicans (48%) are confident that he did not. Another 17% say he did and a whopping 35% say theyre not sure. Hutchinson announces bid for GOP presidential nomination, says Trump should drop out of the race Former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson officially announced his campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination Sunday on ABCs This Week and reiterated his opinion that Trumps indictment means the former president should drop his own bid: First of all, the office is more important than any individual person. And so for the sake of the office of the presidency, I do think thats too much of a sideshow and distraction and he needs to be able to concentrate on his due process and there is a presumption of innocence. Ive always said that people dont have to step aside from public office if theyre under investigation, but if it reaches the point of criminal charges that have to be answered, the office is always more important than a person. And so, theres some consistency there. And I do believe if were looking at the presidency and the future of our country, then we dont need that distraction. The 72-year-old long shot is the only confirmed or potential GOP presidential candidate to take that position. Trump set to arrive in New York on Monday The Washington Post reports that the former president is expected to fly into New York City on Monday, then overnight at his Trump Tower apartment before surrendering on Tuesday. The Post also reports that Trumps Secret Service detail had apparently been worried about a far different scenario: When initially preparing for Trumps possible indictment, Secret Service agents had expressed concern that Trump might opt to be arrested; they disliked the safety issues raised by him being handcuffed by police rather than being accompanied by Secret Service agents, said a law enforcement official familiar with the planning. And Trumps advisers are reportedly encouraging him not to make a scene in New York: Despite Trumps desire for iconic images, his aides have been trying to convince him to make the trip to New York a quick one and avoid any public appearances or news conferences, citing safety risks and so far, Trump seems inclined to oblige. They also hope to have him back out on the campaign trail by the end of next week. Braggs big reset The New York Times reports that the Manhattan DA, a year ago after his office seemed to have gotten nowhere in its long Trump probe, decided to [go] back to square one, poring over the reams of evidence that had already been collected by his predecessor: For a time, their efforts were haphazard as they examined a wide range of Mr. Trumps business practices, including whether he had lied about his net worth, which was the focus of the investigation when Mr. Bragg had declined to seek an indictment. But by July, Mr. Bragg had decided to assign several additional prosecutors to pursue one particular strand that struck him as promising: a hush-money payment made on Mr. Trumps behalf to a porn star during the final days of the 2016 presidential campaign. Whats in the indictment? When the grand jury voted to indict Trump, the indictment itself was placed under seal, meaning its contents are secret. Typically, an indictment is unsealed when a defendant makes an initial appearance in court to face the charges, which is currently scheduled for Tuesday. To be sure, the fact that Trump was involved in paying hush money to Stormy Daniels has been known for years, though it is not yet clear how that translated into the criminal case now being brought against him. In the meantime, the only available clues are bits and pieces of reporting that appear to be sourced mainly from the side of prosecutors. One such tidbit comes from CNNs John Miller, who reported Thursday that Trump faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud. The Associated Press reported Friday that he is facing multiple charges of falsifying business records, including at least one felony offense according to two people familiar with the matter. CBS News reported Thursday that Braggs office obtained documents during its investigation, including financial records and communications, that are not yet known to the public. There is no word so far on the campaign-finance law violations Trump allegedly committed, which would elevate misdemeanor business fraud to a felony. Ivanka is playing it safe Intelligencers Margaret Hartmann notes the very anodyne statement Trumps daughter made on Friday: These 27 words should be taught in public-relations courses. Is Ivanka denouncing Donald Trump? No, it says right there: I love my father. Okay, so she agrees with her brother Eric that this is third-world prosecutorial misconduct that proves America has gone off the rails? Maybe, maybe not? Is she pained for her father because hes being unfairly persecuted, or for her country because our former president is a crook who must be brought to justice? Unclear. All we know for sure is that Ivanka appreciates the voices across the political spectrum expressing support and concern which could mean Marjorie Taylor Greene, or the Krassenstein brothers, or both. Ivanka might as well have said, Hello. Im here as a fellow human to acknowledge that Donald Trump has, as we know, been indicted. Trump was a man. Also, he was president of the United State for four years. And when a person is indicted, it is sad. Read the rest of Margarets analysis here. McConnell isnt talking Sen. John Cornyn, a member of Senate GOP leadership: It looks to me like this is an opportunity for this DA to try to make headlines and gain publicity. The top two Senate Rs Mitch McConnell and John Thune have so far remained quiet, a contrast from House GOP leaders Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 31, 2023 The Cohen conundrum Intelligencer contributor Ankush Khardori highlights how the former Trump fixers big mouth continues to collapse his own credibility and undermine the Manhattan DAs office this time in a CNN interview on Thursday night: Late Thursday night, just hours after the news broke that the Manhattan district attorneys office had obtained the indictment, [Michael] Cohen decided this would be a great time to take advantage of the national spotlight and sit down for an interview with CNNs Don Lemon and Alisyn Camerota. For several months, he has been interviewed by prosecutors and hes testified before the grand jury about how Trump allegedly broke the law by directing Cohen to pay hush money to Stormy Daniels in 2016, which would likely make him a key witness against Trump at trial. Much of the CNN discussion entailed barely concealed gloating by Cohen, but at one point, he made clear what he had recently been hinting at: He believes he is not actually guilty of the federal-tax-evasion charges to which he pleaded guilty back in 2018. Trumps lawyers are likely to have a field day with this. They could argue that Cohen by his own account now! lied to the federal judge who accepted his guilty plea and sentenced him to prison. The apparent reason? Because it was convenient for him to lie at the time so that he could avoid the risk of additional charges for him or his wife. Read the rest of Ankushs jaw-dropping analysis here. MTG is coming to town The ultra-MAGA congresswoman is planning to protest in Manhattan on Tuesday: Im going to New York on Tuesday. We MUST protest the unconstitutional WITCH HUNT! Marjorie Taylor Greene (@mtgreenee) March 31, 2023 The #Resistance is rejoicing Intelligencers Matt Stieb checks in on the Trumps most infamous haters: Maybe youve forgotten what the internet was like when Donald Trump was elected president. As conservatives gloated, a swath of very online liberals, broadly known as the #Resistance, decried the collapse of our nations values. Their objections were often warranted it was a pretty scary time but their overheated rhetoric and frequent incorrect predictions of Trumps imminent downfall became wearying. Eventually, as the pandemic and Trumps 2020 loss flushed out earlier concerns about Ukrainian quid pro quos, Russian collusion, and American carnage, the #Resistance faded from the mainstream conversation. But after two-plus years spent either dormant or out to brunch, the #Resistance is back in a big way following Trumps indictment. Read the rest of Matts post here. Braggs office rebukes congressional Republicans House Republican leaders have made a big show of going after the Manhattan DAs office, sending official requests for details of the case and accusing the office of persecuting Trump for political reasons. In a letter on Friday, the offices general counsel, Leslie Dubeck, rejected the allegations and requests made by the GOP chairmen of three House committees and lambasted the lawmakers for attempting to interfere in New Yorks prosecution and pouring fuel on Trumps anti-legal system fire: Like any other defendant, Mr. Trump is entitled to challenge these charges in court and avail himself of all processes and protections that New York States robust criminal procedure affords. What neither Mr. Trump nor Congress may do is interfere with the ordinary course of proceedings in New York State. As Committee Chairmen, you could use the stature of your office to denounce these attacks and urge respect for the fairness of our justice system and for the work of the impartial grand jury. Instead, you and many of your colleagues have chosen to collaborate with Mr. Trumps efforts to vilify and denigrate the integrity of elected state prosecutors and trial judges and made unfounded allegations that the Offices investigation, conducted via an independent grand jury of average citizens serving New York State, is politically motivated. Trump launches preemptive attack on judge, whom he misnamed On Friday morning, Trump fired off a Truth Social post in which he alleged that Juan Merchan the New York judge who presided over the recent tax-fraud case against the Trump Organization and is expected to preside over Trumps arraignment HATES ME. Trump also misspelled his name, identifying him as Juan Manuel Marchan. In his post, Trump makes several allegations against the judge, including that Merchan railroaded his company in the tax-fraud trial. This is, of course, hardly the first time the former president has attacked a judge. In 2016, Trump alleged that the judge presiding over two fraud lawsuits against Trump University hated him and would not treat him fairly because the judge was Mexican American. How Trumps indictment is playing on newspapers front pages The front page of The New York Times for March 31, 2023. Follow our updates on the indictment of Donald Trump.https://t.co/T35TfWE4rU pic.twitter.com/aaa3ipKZxi The New York Times (@nytimes) March 31, 2023 Guardian front page, Friday 31 March 2023: Trump indicted over 2016 payment to Stormy Daniels pic.twitter.com/Sj365ao7C8 The Guardian (@guardian) March 30, 2023 Lets pretend it didnt happen: Not one of these Texas newspapers has a whisper of former President Trump indicted on 34 counts on the front page. The news broke between 4 pm and 4:30 pm Texas time. #darknessgrows pic.twitter.com/79aCqkXArC Texas Business (@TexBusiness) March 31, 2023 Fractious world of journalism united in admiration for headline writers at Queens Daily Eagle. pic.twitter.com/SiukNvRS7v James Fallows (@JamesFallows) March 31, 2023 Trump world was reportedly caught off guard Both the former president and his advisers were surprised by the news, according to the Washington Post: Advisers had counseled him that a possible indictment by a Manhattan grand jury involving hush-money payments to an adult-film star would not come for some time if at all and Trump had even begun joking about golden handcuffs, said one person who spoke with him in recent days. Some of his lawyers had been preparing to take a few days off, not expecting any movement for several weeks, said two people familiar with the matter who, like many in Trumps orbit, spoke on the condition of anonymity to candidly share details of private discussions. Some Trump aides including adviser Boris Epshteyn, who is taking a leading role on Trumps legal team had even begun telling the former president that he would not be indicted at all, people familiar with the comments said. The 2024 factor Intelligencers Ed Kilgore explains how the indictment might impact Trumps chances in the next presidential election: Beyond that, its important to acknowledge from the get-go that there are two very different audiences whose reaction to these and related legal proceedings may matter down the road. Likely Republican primary voters are not expected to be shocked by this and future indictments and may actually rally around the 45th president, who has branded all the indictments in advance as the witch-hunt (the Trump fans in the main camera frame during his March 25 rally in Waco were holding Witch Hunt signs). A recent Marist poll found four of five self-identified Republicans accepting that very description for the investigations into Trumps conduct that have been swirling around him lately. And even Trump critics and rivals among Republican elected officials have almost universally attacked such investigations as politically motivated and basically meritless. The indictments could have a more corrosive effect, however, among the general electorate that will eventually determine Trumps ultimate political fate, assuming he does win the nomination. Even in this broader universe, voter cynicism may help protect Trump from too much damage. A recent Quinnipiac poll about the very indictment we learned about today showed that pretty clearly Read the rest of Eds analysis here. There are legitimate controversies regarding this case Putting aside Trumps characterization of it as a witch hunt, the hush-money case brought against him appears to rest on an untested legal theory. The indictment is under seal, but it is well known that prosecutors were eyeing two laws that Trump allegedly violated. The first concerns falsifying business records, a misdemeanor. The second involves limits on how campaigns are financed, specifically on the value of contributions. In order to convict him of a felony for falsifying business records, it would have to be proven that he did so in order to conceal a violation of campaign-finance law. According to the New York Times, no such case has ever been brought, and similar ones typically end in plea deals instead of being heard in court. And the case could be subject to attacks by Trumps team before trial that it is not valid under the law. Notably, the federal prosecutors who charged Michael Cohen with breaking the law by making the payment to Stormy Daniels the same conduct that is at issue in the state case did not accuse Trump of breaking the law. There is also the matter of building a case around Cohen, who has issues with his credibility (not the least of which is his previously pleading guilty to lying), as former federal prosecutor Ankush Khardori wrote a day before the indictment. Trump expected to surrender on Tuesday Braggs office said in a statement that it is negotiating with Trumps attorneys to coordinate his surrender to authorities so that he can be arraigned in New York. (At that point, the indictment will have to be unsealed so he can enter a plea.) Trump defense attorney Susan Necheles later said that the former president will turn himself in for arraignment on Tuesday afternoon. The DAs office had reportedly asked Trumps lawyers to arrange for Trump to turn himself in on Friday, but they rejected the request, arguing that the Secret Service needed more time to prepare. Joe Tacopina, another Trump lawyer, told Bloomberg News that obviously were disappointed, but we will swiftly and aggressively fight these charges and pursue justice in this case. Statement from Trump lawyers Joe Tacopina and Susan Necheles: "President Trump has been indicted. He did not commit any crime. We will vigorously fight this this political prosecution in Court." erica orden (@eorden) March 30, 2023 As is typical for defendants accused of nonviolent crimes, Trump has not been subject to an arrest warrant and is being allowed to turn himself in. Trump campaign fundraises off the indictment Longtime legal pundit Alan Dershowitz, responding to the news of the indictment on former Trump White House press secretary Sean Spicers Newsmax show, speculated that Trumps campaign may end up turning his inevitable mug shot into a poster. In the meantime, theyve already sent out a fundraising appeal leveraging the indictment news: Trump campaign sends out fundraising email: pic.twitter.com/u3wxYdvnqf Meridith McGraw (@meridithmcgraw) March 30, 2023 NYPD calls up all officers amid ongoing security concerns Though a spokesperson for the city said there are no credible threats at this time, a full mobilization of the police department is underway. Earlier this month, Trump called for his supporters to protest and take back our country, in an echo of the rhetoric that inspired a mob to attack the U.S. Capitol in 2021. In the weeks leading up to the grand jurys decision, security was tight around the district attorneys office, with law enforcement putting up barriers in anticipation of potential protests. Bragg, whom Trump has hurled increasingly inflammatory rhetoric at, was seen leaving his office flanked by security on Thursday night after news of the indictment broke. NEW: video shows Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg leaving the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse flanked by security after news broke of a grand jury indictment of former President Donald Trump. @CBSNewYork pic.twitter.com/8oQp75MGuU Tim McNicholas (@TimMcNicholas) March 30, 2023 This moment is flush with possibility and explosive danger Columnist Jonathan Chait weighs in on Trumps long-awaited indictment: The foundation of any fair legal system is that everybody, even a criminal, has rights. The leaked details of the case against Trump reportedly being brought by Alvin Bragg are underwhelming and bordering on negligent. They seem to stitch together a decent misdemeanor case against Trump for false records (his disguising a payoff to one or potentially two women with whom he had affairs) and charging the payment as a campaign-finance violation. Unless there is more to Braggs case than has been reported, it smells of an effort to find a crime. The indictments details matter tremendously. The sanctity of the rule of law hinges upon applying its force equally, without regard to the standing of the accused. This requirement goes both ways Trumps decades of using his power to steal and cheat is one form of corruption of the rule of law that cannot be resolved by locking him up over a charge no other person would likely have faced. Turnabout is not fair play. Read the rest of Jons response here. The response on Fox News and from Trump world Audible gasps let out in Fox News' studio as they announce the Trump indictment news pic.twitter.com/FFyx2mvPUp Brennan Murphy (@brenonade) March 30, 2023 Benjamin Hart has rounded up some of the reaction from Trumps allies, including Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, Senator Ted Cruz, and even one Trump rival, Florida governor Ron DeSantis. Trump calls indictment political persecution and election interference About an hour after the news, which reportedly caught Trump aides off guard, the former president released a defiant statement from Mar-a-Lago attacking the indictment. This is Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history, Trump said, before suggesting, as he has in the past, that he is the victim of a witch hunt conducted by Radical Left Democrats. In one of several posts Trump has made on his Truth Social account, the former president also claimed he wont be able to get a fair trial in New York: They only brought this Fake, Corrupt, and Disgraceful Charge against me because I stand with the American People, and they know that I cannot get a fair trial in New York! The hush money On October 8, 2016, a day after the release of the Access Hollywood tape of Trump bragging about groping women, porn star Stormy Danielss agent reached out to the National Enquirer to say that her client was open to sharing her story publicly about having sex with Trump years earlier. The Enquirer alerted Michael Cohen, who had previously worked with the tabloid to bury Karen McDougals own story of an affair with Trump. The Enquirer purchased the rights to McDougals story for $150,000 in order to prevent her from discussing it a process known as a catch and kill. This time, Cohen would have to pay himself, but instead of paying Daniels directly, he incorporated a shell company in Delaware called Essential Consultants to wire the money to her attorney before it was given to Daniels, according to federal prosecutors later description of the scheme. On a form to complete the transaction, Cohen falsely claimed that it was for a retainer for the attorney. Days before the election, The Wall Street Journal broke the story. In early 2017, Cohen sought reimbursement from the Trump Organization, writing on at least one invoice that it was for a retainer agreement (referring to the money wired to Davidson) and other services rendered that January and February. The company obliged and accounted for the money paid to Cohen as legal expenses. Trump denies that the affair ever took place, but Cohen said Trump directed the payments to be made and agreed to reimburse him, which he or his trust did via a series of checks totaling $420,000, according to the New York Times. In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to a number of federal crimes, including violating federal campaign-finance law with the hush money. In court papers, federal prosecutors said Cohen performed no legal work for the Trump Organization during the time period for which he was compensated. The investigation In the days after Cohens guilty plea in 2018 to federal prosecutors, the district attorneys office under Cyrus Vance Jr. started looking into the circumstances surrounding the payment made to Daniels. The inquiry quickly expanded to focus on larger aspects of Trumps business dealings particularly surrounding the Trump Organization. Vance and commentators had raised expectations that Trump himself would be indicted, but only the company and its CFO, Allen Weisselberg, were charged with tax fraud and convicted. Bragg, a Democrat who was elected district attorney in 2021, insisted that despite the departure of two prominent prosecutors over the lack of criminal charges for Trump for alleged financial crimes, his offices criminal investigation into Trump was ongoing. Then, in January, it was reported that Cohen was meeting with prosecutors for the first time in more than a year an indication that the dormant hush-money inquiry was active again. Later that month, the office impaneled a grand jury to begin examining evidence. It heard testimony from David Pecker (former publisher of the National Enquirer), Davidson, and Kellyanne Conway, who once served as Trumps campaign manager. Cohen testified for two consecutive days at the end of the grand jurys investigation and is likely to be the prosecutions star witness despite his history of lying, including under oath before Congress. Following his testimony, Trump was invited to testify, but his team sent a former attorney of Cohens to shred his credibility instead. Though it seemed like the indictment was imminent with Trump himself predicting his arrest two weeks ago and calling for protests days of virtual silence from the grand jury led to speculation that the case was shriveling or would not even be brought after all. This post has been updated. Sign Up for the Intelligencer Newsletter Daily news about the politics, business, and technology shaping our world. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. Photo: Anna Moneymaker-Pool/Getty Images About a year ago, we learned that Donald Trump proposed taking U.S. military action in Mexico but not accepting responsibility for it. In his book A Sacred Oath, former Defense secretary Mark Esper claimed that Trump asked him if the U.S. could shoot missiles into Mexico to destroy the drug labs without giving our ally a heads-up, suggesting, No one would know it was us. Incredibly, this was not the only time Trump floated the idea of committing an act of war and then feigning ignorance. In January, a new edition of Michael Schmidts book Donald Trump v. the United States revealed that former White House chief of staff John Kelly was scared Trump might attack North Korea with no warning. Trump cavalierly discussed the idea of using a nuclear weapon against North Korea, saying that if he took such an action, the administration could blame someone else for it to absolve itself of responsibility, Schmidt wrote. Pretty crazy stuff! But, of course, Trump didnt secretly attack Mexico, North Korea, or any other nation (as far as we know). So now we can all relax and maybe even laugh about it. Well, maybe not. Rolling Stone reports that, as he runs for a second term in the White House, Trumps been asking policy advisers to give him options for using the U.S. military to take out Mexican drug cartels. And he doesnt seem that concerned about Mexicos government authorizing these maneuvers: Attacking Mexico, or whatever youd like to call it, is something that President Trump has said he wants battle plans drawn for, says one of the sources. Hes complained about missed opportunities of his first term, and there are a lot of people around him who want fewer missed opportunities in a second Trump presidency. Trump lieutenants have briefed him on several options that include unilateral military strikes and troop deployments on a sovereign U.S. partner and neighbor, the sources say. Among the proposals Trump has been briefed on is a policy paper titled Its Time to Wage War on Transnational Drug Cartels from the Center for Renewing America, a MAGA-y think tank. It outlines how the next Republican president could formally declare war against the cartels, calling for the U.S. to enlist the Mexican government in joint operations that target drug operations. But it emphasizes that the U.S. should have final say on what happens within the sovereign nation to our south: It is vital that Mexico not be led to believe that they have veto power to prevent the US from taking the actions necessary to secure its borders and people. Rolling Stone notes that the idea of taking some kind of U.S. military action against Mexican cartels is gaining traction in the GOP, so it might happen regardless of whether he wins in 2024. But Trumps original plan has already been foiled since hes lost the element of surprise. Its even more ridiculous to tell the world It wasnt us! when your horrified advisers keep running to the media about your crazy plan to bomb Mexico and lie about it. Photo: Photograph by Beth Sacca, Set design by Phillip Nuveen This article was featured in One Great Story, New Yorks reading recommendation newsletter. Sign up here to get it nightly. The lightbulb was flickering over my head. Not the idealized cartoon lightbulb, the universal symbol for a flash of inspiration, but a Philips-brand 800-lumen A19 LED bulb. Id put one in the bedroom-ceiling fixture only a few months before. In theory, it should have been the last I would put up there for years, maybe even a decade. Instead, the bulb was a dim, dull orange, its levels of brightness visibly fluttering through the frosted dome. LED bulbs do this to me all the time. The two in my youngest sons bedroom went near dark not long after I installed them. When I left them alone for a week, they inexplicably came back on at full blast. At story time, the LED in the clamp light on his bunk revolts if you cycle the power too fast. It sits there feebly glimmering, its perimeter a semicircle of white jelly-bean light blobs, until you turn it off and wait a while. For most of my life, I expected energy-saving lighting to be bad. Traditional fluorescents, buzzing in grim-colored tubes, were synonymous with institutional austerity and migraines. A new generation of streetlamps somehow made city nights seem darker; CFLs shattered into mercury-flecked shards. New lighting tech was something people resented and worked around. My generation, presented with thrifty overhead fluorescents in 90s dorms, countered by plugging in the newly popular halogen torchieres, whose 300 blazing watts would incinerate wayward moths or occasionally a stray curtain along with the universitys planned energy savings. LEDs were going to be different. Their widespread appearance on store shelves was supposed to mark not another depressing trade-off but rather a Nobel-worthy breakthrough: They provided brilliant illumination at a fraction of the old energy costs and were nearly immortal by the old tungsten standard. The federal government has fully committed. Some rearguard action by the Trump administration delayed the process, but a new lighting-efficiency standard has finally taken effect. The Department of Energy is scheduled to start penalizing incandescent distributors and retailers this month, levying fines of as much as $542 per illicit bulb, with full enforcement of the ban beginning in August. The plan is for LEDs to be the only available form of artificial lighting. Already, the old bulbs are dwindling to nothing on retailers shelves. You have to know where to look mom-and-pop hardware stores, mostly to get your hands on a beige-sleeved pack of Hungarian-made GE Basica bulbs or a yellow pack of GE Blanco Suaves, both with a bold stamp on the side reading, NOT FOR SALE FOR USE IN THE UNITED STATES. Best in Class The Best Bad Bulb Illustration: Marcus McDonald Strategist writer Erin Schwartz spoke to architects, designers, and LED enthusiasts to find the best lightbulb in a sea of bad options. Read about the very best LED lightbulbs here Years ago, I got a head start, joining the LED revolution with fervor. Screwing one into a socket vacated by an incandescent felt like the easiest good-citizen points Id ever earned, as if I could keep on doing things exactly as before but with better and greener results. And the light coming out of the things was well, it was light, right? I dont remember how long it took to notice, or think I had noticed, a series of letdowns: a faded look to the page of a storybook, a flicker in the corner of the eye, those sudden unexplained failures or half-failures. A slate-blue sock that was indistinguishable from a charcoal-gray one till I brought them over by the window. A certain unreality was creeping in. We were renovating our apartment, and one day our contractor summoned me to the bathroom in dismay. He adjusted the dimmer switch hed just installed, and a new LED fixture began strobing like we were in a seven-by-eight-foot basement dance club. We gave up and had him install a normal switch. The quirks were becoming malfunctions were becoming betrayals. Things I might once have ignored caught my eye. Out in the world, I noticed more and more public spaces had a frigid cast and a liminal flicker. The interiors of bubble-tea shops and ice-cream parlors took on a queasy aspect. Getting up in the early-morning darkness in a San Francisco Airbnb, I could see the bedside lamplight trembling. I started to confide in people that I was seeing things, that the light was wrong, and usually they knew exactly what I was talking about. Over lunch, a friend unspooled an epic account of his quest for dimmable bulbs that would actually dim. A stranger in a shared taxi forwarded me a blog post hed written about his conviction that the color of objects lit by LEDs was washed out and about his incredulity at how fast they failed. A technology that was once the epitome of simplicity (How many people does it take to change a lightbulb?) has become an ever-branching set of complications. Where before I would pick up a pack of 60-watt soft-white incandescents at the hardware store, I now search the internet for the highest-rated equivalent LEDs, then systematically cross-check those equivalences point by point. Everything you used to know about indoor illumination is outmoded. For 60 watts worth of incandescent light, youre looking for about 800 lumens of LED output. To make that light come out the approximate color that the old bulb generated, you need to check the listed bulb temperature and make sure its 2,700 degrees Kelvin. Got it? Hang on. If you want the objects that the light shines on to look the same, youre getting into a different color question, specifically the color-rendering index. Your incandescent bulb a glowing analog object, its light coming from a heated wire had a CRI of 100 for a full unbroken spectrum. Your typical LED bulb, shining with cold digital electroluminescence, will not. Some colors will be missing or just different. If youre lucky, the LED will have a CRI of 90 or higher. The box may not list any CRI at all. Oh, but: Experts agree that the color-rendering index doesnt really index how colors are rendered. Some bulbs with a 90 CRI make things look wan; some with an 80 are passable. There are better, more useful metrics, but you cant have them. Nobody puts them on the packaging. One lighting professional an LED advocate, no less told me he sometimes calls up the manufacturer and asks to talk to an engineer to get the real specs. To study this stuff, to attempt to stare at light and understand it, makes you suspicious of any claims to objective truth. Snap a picture of an oddly tinted space and Apples software will convert the image according to what it has machine-learned that white ought to be. The eye-brain system does its own constant white balancing, too. I downloaded an extremely erratic color-temperature app to try to get some grounding, an amateur feel for what professionals are trained to spot. I interrogated lighting designers, engineers, decorators, and researchers. Most of them were enthusiasts about the technology. They praised LEDs, at their best, for their unmatched efficiency, precision, and practical power. They also said things like Theres a lot of nonperformance and Superbeta phase and Dont give up on beauty and Youre going to spend $200 on four bulbs at Home Depot and You start seeing grayness. Grayness I was definitely seeing grayness. There ought to be a term for what happens when the light gets weaker and everyone acts as if its as strong as always. By the science, by the ethics, even by law, the reign of the LED is a certainty. It is taking the place of the most standard and omnipresent technology we know. And yet, when you flip the light switch, you dont know whats going to happen. One Bulb, Three Temperatures: Illuminating a doll-size I Love Lucy kitchen. From left, 3,000 Kelvin, 4,500 Kelvin, and 6,000 Kelvin. Photo: Beth Sacca Ecologically, the case for LEDs is unassailable. Economically and practically, too, theyre a godsend. Integrated LED fixtures are little miracles: In our kitchen and living room, which were gloomy and fixtureless, respectively, the contractor put in can lights without the can, thin as saucers, brilliant, and free from the oppressive heat of recessed incandescents. The heat! Most of the watts of electricity that flow into an incandescent bulb dont come out as visible light at all but as infrared. Its a handy feature if youre using a bulb to incubate chicken eggs or power an Easy-Bake Oven but otherwise pure waste. Every LED that replaces an incandescent reduces that baseline waste by as much as 90 percent. Multiplied by dozens of sockets in a household, 125 million households in the country the difference is millions of metric tons of carbon. As habit, inertia, and malfeasance keep the planets carbon-consumption graphs veering upward toward collapse, the change from incandescent to digital lighting is one thing pulling measurably downward on the curve. And joining in will save the average American home an estimated $225 a year. LEDs, in this light, start to seem almost Promethean. Walk by a film shoot on Henry Street and youre no longer stepping over cables running from a generator truck. The lighting crews dont need to haul their own power supply with them anymore. In place of sweltering fire-hazard tungsten lights, they can now hold fixtures in their hands, right on top of the actors. I started to confide in strangers that I was seeing things. Usually they knew exactly what I was talking about. This change happened incredibly quickly. Less than a decade after the Nobel physics committee honored Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura for using gallium nitride to create powerful and efficient blue LEDs, their breakthrough work is everywhere: in headlights, streetlights, and flashlights; in construction-site tripods and Broadway rigging; in regal architectural coffers and the exploratory ends of colonoscopes. And in my home. When they shine, that is. When they dont when this basic piece of household equipment gets finicky or when the colors of things start slipping away I feel my thoughts flickering somewhere darker, too. Its embarrassing to resent a product thats doing this much good, knowing all the while how grievance politics has dragged energy efficiency into the culture wars to the point where people who dont even cook are fetishizing gas stoves. Its literally a Donald Trump rally line: I say, Why do I always look so orange? The broken clock, twice a day. You know why. Because of the new light. Theyre terrible. You look terrible. There is a world, almost within reach, in which LED lighting could be aesthetically fabulous. But right now, its one more thing that overpromises and under-delivers. What were starting to glimpse is a new phase in which good light, once easy to achieve and available to everyone, becomes a luxury product or the province of technological obsessives. The rest of the world will look a little more faded. Metropolitan Museum of Art. Second floor, European Paintings, Gallery 614. I was standing in front of Jacques-Louis Davids 1816 portrait of General Etienne-Maurice Gerard, and I was gazing not at the depicted light falling on Gerards pale brow, or at the muddled play of clouds and gold in the sky behind him, but past the frame to the ceiling. Up there, mounted behind the glass of a frosted laylight, were rows of LED spotlights forming bright blurry circles. They should have been uniform. Some were white; others were turning a sickly magenta or green. The person who had directed my attention to them was Amy Nelson, the museums head of lighting design. The quality of the light, she said, is just not what we want it to be. Nelson is in charge of the Mets ambitious project to overhaul the museums lighting for the LED age a long, piecemeal process that can involve anything from workers simply swapping out bulbs to architects and designers entirely rebuilding displays. Among the goals, Nelson said, is to eventually fill the museum with a standard white light 3,000 degrees Kelvin, slightly crisper and cooler than the 2,700 of a soft-white incandescent bulb. That was the theory. Now we were looking up at the reality of one of the Mets early LED installations from the mid-2010s. The galleries looked beautiful when they opened, Nelson said. But the lamps had gone screwy. They were meant to have a life span of at least seven years, but even before that, their color had started to visibly decay. We walked on, through more of European Paintings, under still more fixtures that were shining past their point of practical failure. It just looks like Christmas lights up there, Nelson said. What Nelson had discovered is that LEDs are not good or bad but more like weird. The finickiness reflects the fundamental nature of the product. The LED bulb is the shape of an old lightbulb, and it fits into a lightbulb socket, and it gives off light, but its not so much a lightbulb as a lightbulb emulator. What it is is a computer. Where an old-fashioned tungsten filament can generally be trusted to be either intact or broken, the drivers and diodes inside the new bulbs are subject to the kinds of glitches and compatibility errors you get from other electronics, especially once dimmers get involved. They can crash or hang, or audibly buzz from electromagnetic interference, or go haywire from being fed the wrong kind of power signal. LEDs, in other words, can be broken even when they appear to be working. Its still on. You still have light coming out, Nelson said. They dont just fail or burn out like a halogen source does. Oftentimes, theres light loss or theres color shift. When an LED bulb package says its supposed to last a certain number of years, that doesnt tell you when the light will go dark. Its a guess about an arc of degradation. The end date is when the bulb is estimated to be 70 percent as bright as it started out. The impetus is on you to decide when things have started to look uncanny. I wish that would be addressed by the industry like, maybe if it reached a certain light-loss factor, it would just shut down, you know? Nelson said. Or if it shifted in color past a certain point, it went into failure mode. Earlier, in a gallery of ancient Chinese objects lit by halogens, Nelson showed me a Shang-dynasty bronze in a display case. When the setup was created, her designers were able to get focused four-degree spotlights to isolate items from their backgrounds. But lighting manufacturers are abandoning halogen as an obsolete technology, creating a shortage of reliable parts as they retool for an all-LED future. Now, the tightest beam we can find is a 12-degree, Nelson said. The bronze sat in a loose puddle of light, making the sides and back of the display as bright as the object itself, and stray purple rays spilled out of the halogens on the ceiling. Its very hard to come by quality, she said. In some places, newer and more finely tuned LEDs work magic. Nelson pointed out a Winslow Homer with watercolor oceans in stunning blues, brought to vibrant life even at the low foot-candle output required to protect the art. But not everybody, of course, has the Mets resources. And once you know what to look for, you cant unsee it. A few weeks after I visited the museum, I watched a small ensemble of musicians run through new pieces by teen composers in a midtown studio. The facility was built 11 years ago, and the room still looked brand new, but when my eye went up to the ceiling, I could see the same color decay as at the Met. The shadows on the floor, pointing this way and that, were in pinks and greens. The light was coming apart. For something you may assume is universal and constant, light turns out to be a culturally mediated and often paradoxical phenomenon. Our ideas about it start 93 million miles away eight minutes and 20 seconds as the photon flies with our friend the sun. The sun is close to what physicists call an ideal Planckian blackbody radiator, delivering a smooth and broad electromagnetic spectrum from radio waves up through infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, and X-rays. A hot tungsten wire does the same, only with a much narrower range of output tilted toward the red and infrared. But here, unfortunately for the layperson, the terminology reaches a point that is profoundly counterintuitive. In physical light-emission terms, blue is a hotter temperature than red. The sun looks yellow up in the sky, but with a surface temperature of 5,772 degrees Kelvin, or about 10,000-degrees Fahrenheit, it has much more blue in it than an incandescent filament at 2,700 degrees Kelvin does. (A red-hot steel bar, in turn, would be somewhere down around 1,000 degrees Kelvin.) The higher the color temperature, the colder, in everyday speech, we say the light looks. Warm colors are the colors of the things humans experience as being warm. Obviously enough, through millennia of human existence, the point of reference for artificial illumination was firelight or lamplight. But they dont burn at the same temperature as a star. If you bring a light source that is actually the color of the sun indoors, it stops looking golden and appears strikingly, severely blue. What to do about this fact is a debate thats been unresolved for well over a century: Should the ideal artificial light approximate the sun, or should it approximate a flame? From an engineers point of view, the answer seems clear. Blue light is rational: These are the literal technical specifications of our ultimate light source. A bulb with its proper proportions of violet light as determined by our natural illuminant the sun is to be desired and not avoided, declared a piece in the July 10, 1897, issue of the journal Western Electrician. But with certain exceptions the incursion of fluorescent tubes, the creation of blue-tinged daylight incandescents it was the warm-light faction that ruled most of the electric age. The tones of a standard incandescent bulb may have been too warm, scientifically speaking, spilling emissions right off the bottom of the visible spectrum into useless waves of heat, but they were what the lightbulb-using public expected. LEDs can be broken even when they appear to be working. The impetus is on you to decide when things have started to look uncanny. Still, today, this preference for orangish light over bluish is not universal. Herve Descottes, the founder of the high-end lighting-design firm LObservatoire International, told me that he once worked on two projects at the same time: a museum in Helsinki and a shopping center in Hong Kong. He flew to Helsinki for a meeting, and in the meeting room, in the center of the table, they light a candle, he said. Its very Scandinavian, you know. Get the warmth. He then flew to Hong Kong, where the temperature and humidity, he recalled, were both in the 90s. That meeting was held in a space with no windows and ceiling lamps cranking out 5,000 degrees Kelvin. Because when weve put in cool light, we feel that its cooler outside, he said. Another time, in Singapore, Descottes found himself arguing with clients who wanted the coldest, brightest lighting for the executive floors of a tower to signify abundance. Medical science, surprisingly, comes down on the side of the cozy candle-burning romantics. The bodys internal clock is tuned to sunlight, and when artificial light imitates the sun, as the warnings about using your phone at bedtime tell you, things start going wrong. At the start of this century, biologists pinned down the workings of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells a whole separate sensing apparatus in the human eye beyond the brightness-sensing rods and the color-sensing cones you learn about in school. As with the taste buds that detect umami, the retinal ganglion cells were there, but generations of scientists had left them out of their perceptual models. These cells are keyed to light between blue and green, with a peak sensitivity to wavelengths of about 480 nanometers, around cyan. Theyre not actually connecting to our visual cortex, said Michael Royer, a color expert at the Department of Energys Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Theyre going to other parts of our brain the prefrontal cortex, the hypothalamus, these parts of the brain that are really critical to all our other functioning. And theyre just sending signals: Hey, its daytime right now, so its time to be alert. If blue light is overstimulating and clammy, itd be better for our brains to have less of it in indoors, especially late at night. But blue light is also cheaper. Adding warm tones to a blue LED requires extra material and effort. To get something in the whitish color range of traditional indoor lighting, manufacturers coat the underlying blue elements with phosphor, which shifts some of the photons to longer wavelengths that is, greens and yellows and reds. (This coating partly explains why LED color varies over time. As the diode heats and cools again and again, maybe the phosphor will curl a little bit, says Royer. And those tiny changes will allow a different amount of blue photons to escape versus yellow.) Last year, the New York Times warned in a front-page story that lower-end retailers like dollar stores or convenience shops still extensively stock their shelves with traditional or halogen incandescent bulbs, even as stores serving more affluent communities have shifted to selling far more efficient LEDs. This was, the Times fretted, preventing poorer people from receiving the benefits of energy efficiency. The studies the newspaper cited, finding incandescent bulbs on discount-store shelves, were both a few years old. I checked my nearest dollar store and discovered that there were plenty of LED bulbs to be had there. Their color temperature was 6,400 Kelvin the harshest, cheapest possible light, a light so blue that when I Googled it, what came up were grow bulbs. The efficient future of lighting now includes poor people; it just does it by making lighting one more form of privation. Checking for spares in my moms basement recently, I discovered that she had picked up a pack of 5,000 Kelvin bulbs to replace her living-room floodlights. Of all the people to have made this mistake! Mom used to teach schoolchildren about color perception, showing them how that part of their vision faded in the periphery or how a wheel of colored panels mounted on a salad spinner would turn gray. But she had no idea what 5,000 Kelvin meant, and the package had no color-rendering index at all. Had she ever put the things into her ceiling, shed have ended up with a living room that looked like the inside of a refrigerator. Its true that CRI numbers are kind of useless. All else being equal, if light on an object gets dimmer if you start with an object outdoors, in full sunlight, then bring it indoors to that same daylight, but less of it, now coming through a window the object will appear more gray. The way color rendering is defined, the diminished light is performing at the same level as it did outside. The color-rendering index scores it the same. But the object looks worse. In lower light, people prefer to see the vividness of colors boosted, especially in the reds. Incandescent lights naturally boost reds as they get dimmer and the temperature of their filament gets lower. LEDs, again, operate in a fundamentally different way. Many cannot dim at all; those that are advertised as dimmable do not reduce their temperature or even reduce the intensity of the light they put out. Instead, a common method is to adjust how frequently they switch off and on, which is dozens of times per second. Extra-sensitive people can sometimes detect this flicker or find themselves with unexplained headaches and dizziness. For everyone, the light gets even duller looking than before. Royer is a fellow at the Illuminating Engineering Society (motto: Improving Life Through Quality of Light), which has created an elaborate alternative to CRI called TM-30. In this scheme, bulbs are classified under three separate but interrelated categories: P, V, and F, for preference, vividness, and fidelity, each of which is further broken down into subcategories indicating performance level. Manufacturers and retailers have not agreed to this new scoring system. They dont want to provide a lot of information that might confuse consumers, Royer said. But consumers arent going to understand information until its provided to them. If you dont mind spending extra money say, three or four times as much per bulb, plus a $60 controller and fooling around inside an app, you can get color-tunable lightbulbs today. They have different colored LEDs inside, instead of simply phosphor-treated blue ones. The Department of Energy notes that programming the bulb controls may not be intuitive, that tunable whites wont necessarily match any other whites, and that colors may come out cartoonlike. And they wont save as much electricity. The LED industry is still trying to develop an efficient green LED to go with the red, blue, and amber ones. Royer remains hopeful and is encouraged by the continued search for improvement. Tunable LEDs may overtake phosphor-converted bulbs in efficiency by the 2030s. Until then, theres amber nail polish. Ordinary, transparent amber from the drugstore. I highly recommend every person who reads this story buy this nail polish and start painting it on their LED bulbs, said Robin Standefer. It is a game changer. Standefer is one of the founders of Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors, a design company that works with Descottes and LObservatoire. We were talking on Zoom, and behind her was a paper Noguchi lamp. Its the most beautiful light in the world, she said, but you put an LED in and its not that beautiful. To compensate, shed wrapped the bulb in a filter. I wanted to see the best possible application of LED lighting, so Standefer said I had to go downtown. At dusk, I took a blazingly lit N train (my light-meter app reported 4,292 Kelvin) to the Roman and Williams Guild and La Mercerie, their combined retail store and restaurant on Howard Street. The light inside was opulent and gorgeous. Tall candles flickered on the dining tables, but everything else was LED. As I studied the fixtures in the store in burnished bronzes with glass that was dark and pearly, or a delicate nude pink, and with prices starting in the low four figures I realized that the surrounding lighting had subtly dimmed and warmed, shifting its Kelvin temperature for nighttime. In the restaurant, copper pans gleamed and a row of double-magnum bottles of rose glowed extra pink. The breads crust was shaded in lush browns. Stacked white towels were creamy, and spotlights from tracks overhead threw the shadows of the candles this way and that on the tables. It was sublime. And if I really wanted to experience LEDs at their most exquisite, Standefer said, I should see what Descottes and Roman and Williams had done at Le Coucou, another client. I walked two blocks east and stepped inside. The restaurant was wonderfully dim, the dimness alive with color and warmth. Huge chandeliers hung with rings of dozens of flame-tipped bulbs in rose-pink inverted glass cups. That glass, Standefer had told me, was Roman and Williamss special formula for LED bulbs, the work of a septuagenarian glassblower in Brooklyn. If she stops blowing this glass, I dont know what Ill do, because shes been the only person to achieve a very beautiful color in the glass, she said. Inside the bulbs were the little Vs of filaments. You can do remarkable things with LED filaments these days, reviving old-timey clear bulb shapes with all sorts of whorls or zigzags. I swore they looked just like the real thing. I was trying to figure out how to describe the particular color the light made on the white ductwork above the color of the flesh of a white peach, I decided when I ran into John Barclay, the facilities manager for Le Coucou and its sister restaurants. Barclay studied theater lighting in college before going into hospitality, and when LEDs arrived, he gave himself a crash education in the technical ins and outs. Now he was near evangelical about the LEDs. He ran through the interplay of the lighting sources: The chandeliers were at about 1,700 Kelvin, he said, while spotlights above the tables were at 2,400 and task lighting in the kitchen was slightly colder, at 2,700, to give the staff a precise look at the plated food on the way out. Id been told I had to see the restroom. I went to see the restroom. The all-pervading glow was so honeyed I couldnt tell if the grab bar by the toilet was mere steel or luxurious brass. Maybe I was wrong about LEDs. Maybe I just had to be patient to wait and let this luminous future trickle down to the rest of us. Later, upon follow-up questioning, I learned that the warmly glowing filaments in the Le Coucou chandeliers are not, in fact, LEDs. They are hot wire filaments. Inside the LED-optimized glass of the chandelier fittings, the LED-forward restaurant is still using incandescents for that ineffable and as yet irreplaceable glow. I asked Barclay how he would navigate the future. In the near term, he said, I have a large stock of those bulbs. Four contestants will compete in their final round of Tiger Cage, Auburn Universitys business pitch competition, at 8:30 a.m. on Friday in the Broadway Event Space and Theater in Horton-Hardgrave Hall. The Shark Tank-inspired competition started off with 25 applicants before being whittled down to 20, who presented an early stage product, service or business concept in the quarterfinal back in January. From 20 applicants to 10 to four, the finalists will present to a team of 14 judges. Lou Bifano, director of the New Venture Accelerator, said the judges are a diverse group comprised of successful entrepreneurs, individuals who fund startups, Auburn alumni and friends of Auburn. They will rank the top four by their opinion of who has the best idea and which contestant does the best job presenting. The contestants will compete for $54,000 in the early stage startup capital. The 14 judges will decide how to divide the startup capital prize amongst the contestants. Scott Rowe, a graduate student in the Harbert Business College and founder of Rodopto, plans on using the winning capital to purchase a drone to continue his mission in sustainable crop production. Technologys finally at a point where you can do a lot more, with a lot less, said Rowe. It used to be that you had to take a crop duster and spray an entire field. Now, you have the ability to potentially apply a fraction of the amount of some of these chemicals using drones,. According to Rowe, one drone is estimated to be $20,000. Parvin Fathi-Hafshejani with Dropllel said she would use the capital to finish prototyping her product, an electronic biosensor that can detect antigens, such as COVID-19, quickly and accurately. The Dropllel sensor would attach to a healthcare workers cell phone or monitor, to rapidly diagnose patients with antigens in 20 seconds. The product works on antigens such as the flu, chicken pox and hCG. Im so excited about it! Because as we saw in the pandemic, there was a lot of loss of people and a lot of suffering, but if we have something that can diagnose COVID-19 just in seconds, then you could save lives. You could prevent the disease around the world, said Fathi-Hafshejani. The two other contestants are presenting OMNIS and Archangel Defense. Zakariya Veasey and Evan Henley have created OMNIS, a peer-to-peer social platform that allows individuals to borrow money through the community with short-term, micro-loans that meet their immediate needs. Archangel Defense was created by Shay Pilcher, a student at the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. His product is a provider of customized equipment for combat situations. This year we have the best group that weve ever had. also delighted to see the diversity of the competitors, said Bifano. Were all excited about the opportunity to help students who want to start a business while theyre pursuing an academic degree, help them be successful and accelerate the time from idea to product in the marketplace. The worst kept secret in Auburn has officially been announced: Buc-ees will open its new travel center April 10 at 6 a.m. The news comes from a press release put out by the company on Wednesday, confirming rumors that had been spreading on social media this week. Buc-ees Auburn is located along I-85 just off exit 50 at 2500 Buc-ees Boulevard. The travel center is a massive 53,470 square feet and has 120 gas pumps on site. The new travel center also offers the same award-winning restrooms, cheap gas, quality products and excellent service that have won the hearts, trust and business of millions in the South for nearly 40 years, the press release said. The company is also known for its Texas barbeque, homemade fudge, kolaches, Beaver Nuggets, jerky and fresh pastries. Our partnership with Alabama couldnt be stronger, and Auburn is the perfect place for a Buc-ees, said Stan Beard of Buc-ees in the release. The home of the Tigers is ideally located along I-85, making it the perfect stop for travelers headed to Georgia or down to the Alabama Gulf Coast. We cant wait to become even more involved in this beautiful community. Along with its opening, Buc-ees is also bringing 200 new jobs to Auburn. Pay rates are typically between $17 and $20 an hour. While doors will open to the public at 6 a.m. on April 10, there will also be a ribbon cutting ceremony at 9:30 a.m. the same day. Auburn Mayor Ron Anders, City Councilman Tommy Dawson, Auburn City Manager Megan McGowen Crouch, City of Auburn Economic Development Director Phillip Dunlap, and Lee County Commission Chairman Bill English among others are expected to attend the grand opening. Buc-ees first broke ground in Auburn in October 2021 and has been a hotly anticipated business for the Auburn-Opelika community. (CNN) Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu on Wednesday won a historic vote at the United Nations that calls on the worlds highest court to establish for the first time the obligations countries have to address the climate crisis and the consequences if they dont. Vanuatu has long faced the disproportionate impacts of rising seas and intensifying storms. And in 2021, it launched its call for the UN International Court of Justice to provide an advisory opinion on the legal responsibility of governments to fight the climate crisis, arguing that climate change has become a human rights issue for Pacific Islanders. Although the advisory opinion will be non-binding, it will carry significant weight and authority and could inform climate negotiations as well as future climate lawsuits around the world. It could also strengthen the position of climate-vulnerable countries in international negotiations. This year has already been rough for Vanuatu: It is currently under a six-month state of emergency after a rare pair of Category 4 cyclones pummeled the country within 48 hours during the first week of March. The islands residents are still picking their way through the storms rubble. Wednesdays resolution for an advisory opinion passed by majority, backed by more than 130 countries. Two of the worlds largest climate polluters, the US and China, did not express support, but did not object meaning the measure passed by consensus. This is the first time the highest international court is called on to address the climate crisis. The landmark decision is essential, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in his remarks to the assembly. Climate justice is both a moral imperative and a prerequisite for effective global climate action. Advisory opinions have tremendous importance and can have a long-standing impact on the international legal order, Guterres said. Today we have witnessed a win for climate justice of epic proportions, said Ishmael Kalsakau, prime minister of Vanuatu, soon after the resolution was adopted. The very fact that a small Pacific island nation like Vanuatu was able to successfully spearhead such a transformative outcome speaks to the incredible support from all corners of the globe. Ralph Regenvanu, Vanuatus minister of climate change adaptation, told CNN that he hopes the opinion would be greatly persuasive in terms of increasing domestic action and identifying what gaps in international law and domestic law need to be filled. It is quite historic, he added. From classroom to the highest court The push to seek an advisory opinion from the worlds highest court began in an environmental law class in Fiji in 2019. Cynthia Houniuhi, president of Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, said she and her peers had been looking for ways to address the climate crisis head-on through various international legal pathways, until they decided on the International Court of Justice. To be honest, at first, I was very hesitant when this idea was discussed, Houniuhi said. My mind keeps telling me to back off. I mean, lets be real here, it was too ambitious to say the least. Like, how can a small group of students from the Pacific Region convince the majority of the UN members to support this unique initiative? But as Pacific Island nations continue to suffer from hotter temperatures and more droughts, rising sea levels, and increasingly intense cyclones, Houniuhi realized they needed to do this. What is the use of learning all this knowledge if its not for people to fight the single greatest threat to their security? she said. For me, the memories of my childhood growing up in my village with my people are slowly fading, as the environment that sustained us disintegrates before our eyes. Tropical cyclones are not rare in Oceania, but Vanuatu, which has the highest disaster risk in the world, suffers disproportionately highly. Scientists say these storms are intensifying as the planet warms and will continue to carry a tremendous economic toll. According to Regenvanu, the financial damage caused by the recent twin cyclones will likely amount to more than half of Vanuatus GDP. Its an enormous impact, he said. We just have to try to recover, rebuild, all the while knowing that we are coming up to the next climate impact. To get support for their idea, the Pacific Island students passed around a petition that garnered signatures from teachers and students. And while campaigning for the initiative, they drafted a letter and proposal that they sent to Pacific Island governments. After receiving positive feedback from Vanuatu, the student members met with Regenvanu, who was the foreign affairs minister at the time. I could empathize with them, and I share their convictions and passions, Regenvanu said. I was very happy to receive that proposal and to commit to advancing it. The Vanuatu government kept its word, endorsing the proposal and taking it to the international stage. It was history in the making, Houniuhi said. I dont want to show a picture to my child one day of my island. I want my child to be able to experience the same environment in the same culture that I grew up in. Final stretch During last years UN Climate Week in New York City, a group of Pacific Islander climate activists amped up the pressure on UN leaders, who were gathering for the annual UN General Assembly to discuss climate change-related matters. Along the East River in front of the UN headquarters, students and climate activists sailed in a flotilla of boats, flying the flags of more than a dozen Pacific Island nations while calling on leaders to vote yes to their request for an advisory opinion. The momentum continued two months later at the UNs COP27 climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, where world leaders and negotiators agreed to create a loss and damage fund, which Vanuatu first proposed back in 1991. The idea is that rich countries which have contributed the most to climate change with their planet-warming pollution should pay poorer nations to recover from the resulting disasters. Its a great injustice when you see oil companies make billions in profits when countries like ours in the Pacific are looking for and seeking support for climate adaptation and mitigation, said Lavetanalagi Seru, Fijian climate activist and regional policy coordinator with the Pacific Islands Climate Action Network. And now, we are living through an era of loss and damage. While the advisory opinion is separate from loss and damage, Regenvanu said they are both rooted in climate justice. Having an advisory opinion from the highest court would provide legal clarity of how a loss and damage fund would work. The ICJ advisory opinion will come at a the right time to help us define what loss and damage means [and] how it will work, he said. Regenvanu said Vanuatus request brings attention to the legal avenues small countries can take to fend off the worsening effects of the climate crisis. While the Paris Agreement is an essential part of the international legal framework for climate action, it is certainly not the only instrument nor is it the most legally enforceable, Regenvanu said. It could still take around 18 months for an opinion to be issued, with countries able to provide input into the process. The climate change minister will now head home to Vanuatu, where he said he will rejoin the ongoing relief efforts after the recent storms. Were basically constantly in a state of recovery in response to climate disasters, Regenvanu said. This is why we are so passionate on the climate change front, because this is our reality, and we need to deal with it, and we need other countries to assist us to deal with it. This story was first published on CNN.com, A win of epic proportions: Worlds highest court can set out countries climate obligations after Vanuatu secures historic UN vote" lol not today DeathSantis Reply Thread Link I'm not a fan of Disney, but I think this was the right move. They control their infrastructure right. Do you think this board would do a better job given that the governor thinks climate change is 'woke'? Reply Thread Link Disney basically handled all their own, and paid taxes to themselves to cover it all. Desantis is an idiot who would rather stick it to Disney than worry about the massive lean that dissolving RC would put on tax payers. The new board would have just done what Desantis wanted. Reply Parent Thread Link Edited at 2023-03-30 03:42 am (UTC) Reply Thread Link I have no idea why that fool thought they could beat disney lawyers. He should have been terrified when Disney didnt sue. Instead he gloated and now he looks stupid. Reply Thread Link Probably doesn't care tbh. He got who he wanted on that board, now he only has to collect on those favors Reply Parent Thread Link He definitely cares. He is all for crushing anyone opposing him by making them terrified they'll be fired, attacked, etc. He's been doing this his whole time in office, and this disney thing was supposed to have everyone quaking in their boots about opposing his culture wars against minorities. This isn't just an embarrassment but shows he can be publicly opposed and then outsmarted. Edited at 2023-03-30 02:57 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link He should have known something was up when Disney didnt fight him over this. And the fact that two public hearings were held on this and no one on his staff knew. Someone said in politics you need someone willing to bury the bodies for you and its obvious his staff wont even dig the hole for him, let alone shove a body in it. Reply Parent Thread Link On the plus side, now Florida taxpayers get to pay a DC law firm thats buddy-buddy with their governor to sue Disney so that his other friends can extort Disney! Reply Parent Thread Link The enemy of my enemy is my friend, so lets go, Disney, lets go! Reply Thread Link oh my god this is awful Reply Parent Thread Link picturing mickey like this Reply Thread Link Never underestimate the Mouse Reply Thread Link Wut That declaration is valid until 21 years after the death of the last survivor of the descendants of King Charles III, king of England, according to the document. DeSantis Reedy Creek board says Disney stripped its power Orlando Sentinel https://t.co/eeOM3HXi2r Kai Ryssdal (@kairyssdal) March 29, 2023 Reply Thread Link I am reading this in a perpetual sense because as long as his descendants keep having babies, Disney will never lose power Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah, that's how I understand this. Unless all of the grandkids are childfree and then those kids are childfree and so on, this is forever. Reply Parent Thread Link It says the descendants living at the time of the document. So until 21 years after the last surviving of Will, Harry, and their (current) kids. Also, I think this makes Kate a Disney Princess. She certainly has Disney Princess-worthy hair. (See relevant icon.) Reply Parent Thread Expand Link its the opposite! it sets an unknown but almost definitely distant expiration date, the life of (most likely) one of his grandkids + 21 years, far beyond the end of desantiss regime in FL. Reply Parent Thread Link ...does Disney consider itself a subject of the King of England? are they paying the UK in taxes? why is their reign linked to Charles? so many questions. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I just dont understand why this is relevant to Florida and how it was written in??? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link It's wording like this that made me consider law school. Reply Parent Thread Link Lol its because of something called the Rule Against Perpetuities that is quite possibly the most confusing concept taught in law school and almost never comes up in real practice. Disney clearly had some of the rare lawyers out there who actually understand it. I only learned it for the bar and, while Im a smart person and a very good lawyer, Ive never understood it lol. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I loved this part and laughed so hard at the tiktoks by Floridians dunking on this part lmao. Lilibet is the youngest descendant and she's 2 so Ronnie boy's gonna be waiting a while lmao. Reply Parent Thread Link i'm setting all my deadlines in this format now lol Reply Parent Thread Link Genuine question, what does England have to do with Disney? Why are they using those descendants as a timeline Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Real talk does desantis really want to make an enemy out of disney if he wants to be president? I cant remember now who all crossed Trump & made his list. Did he ever go that big? Reply Thread Link Disney World gets to self-govern until this kid (and every relative who came before him) dies lmaooooooooooooo. pic.twitter.com/3EAQwUAXsm gabrielle alexa noel (@gabalexa) March 29, 2023 This is so weird. This is so weird. Reply Thread Link But if that kid has kids and grandkids and so on those are also descendents of Charles??? Is that actually the wording of the contract or is it a meme bc also wtf does the BRF have to do with anything??? Reply Parent Thread Link Thats really a thing in the legal system. Its called the Rule of Perpetuity. Its a way to get around saying forever since the courts dislike the use of forever in agreements. So you are basically giving a very unlikely end. Reply Parent Thread Link Harry is offended this person forgot he had 2 kids too. Always the spare. Charles has 5 grandkids and its likely more than one of them will have children. Who will then have children and so on. So its 21 years after all of his future descendants dies. It could be hundred of years. Reply Parent Thread Link Apparently its a loophole around saying in perpetuity. Idk if its his last currently living descendant or if future descendants apply bc a royal family is gonna keep popping out kids, thus keeping it going forever. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link they mean forever lol, descendants include royals in future generations Reply Parent Thread Link Disney aint shit but desantis is worse Reply Thread Link This is so dumb and I love this. Either no one read the contract or just lol'd that'll never happen. I can't say I'm a fan of corporate lawyers but I tip my Blood Orange Sanpellegrino to the person who included that clause. Reply Thread Link i fuckin love blood orange san pellegrino omg. but i cut back on soda so i havent had it in super long. maybe next time if on sale... Reply Parent Thread Link it's the hubris of deathsantis to think he as a politician has more power in this world than a billion dollar corporation. sorry babes not in this america. Reply Thread Link he shouldnt even be allowed to run, this mofo would have us fighting ww3 two days into his presidency with these diplomacy skills Reply Parent Thread Link yeah any republican worth their salt should know to eat corporate ass; failsantis, be a better rebubblican! Reply Parent Thread Link absolutely abhor Paul. would love a cut of GBBO that is free from the host trying to banter or the judges failing to be charming Reply Thread Link I'm excited for Alison Hammond as the new host with Noel, but i would love more focus on the baking overall. I felt there were too many gimmicky jokes with Matt Lucas the last few seasons. Reply Parent Thread Link This was a fun episode! I love Jessica Hynes, it's been a while since I saw her on the telly. Everyone in the tent was in fine form and giving it socks. Noel is right, AJ does have the best accent. Reply Thread Link I also love Jessica Hynes and miss seeing her. Will need to rewatch Spaced again. Reply Parent Thread Link Me too! It's some of my favourite moments of Shaun of the Dead when she pops up. Can't believe that film was released in 2004 Reply Parent Thread Link God i would love a Spaced reboot that shows how they all turned out. Reply Parent Thread Link Needs more pictures of food. Reply Thread Link I should start watching this; I watched Trixie and Katya react to it and it was very entertaining. Also, hi friends from opposite time zones!! Reply Thread Link I wish theyd stop putting Gemma Collins in programmes I like. I just cant watch this one, even though I love AJ. Last weeks was good though! Reply Thread Link loathe Paul but John Owen Jones!!! My favourite Phantom hands down. What a voice. I did watch the Bake off musical, it was charming and cute, incredibly British in its humour but limited run material. They should bring it back for every new season though. Reply Thread Link I love AJ so much Reply Thread Link AJ does indeed have the best accent and she's so charming whenever she pops up. She was on the Wheel a few episodes back and just as fun. Tim Key was so likable in this, i was shocked! I only know him through Taskmaster where he cheated a bunch Gemma's lust for Paul was funny albeit undeserved. Like everyone else said, i miss seeing Jessica Hynes on television. I need her in some murder mystery dark comedy. Reply Thread Link Tim Key on Bake Off seems like glorious chaos waiting to happen. Reply Thread Link *Gemma Collins (accidental icon) Reply Thread Link yikes Reply Thread Link It's so awful because these are the types of texts that are found after a man murders his partner. Ugh he better be charged. Reply Parent Thread Link [ TW for violence/death ] A woman @ a shelter I volunteer at was murdered last week and the last text to her husband was her apologizing and saying she'd try to do better this time. Bastard beat her up and he was sobbing when the police showed up bc he 'never meant' to kill her. She was such a sweet woman, I hope he fucking rots. That was my first thought too.It's incredibly upsetting how so many women can't see how amazing they are and are led to believe they need the validation from these awful, violent men. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link yeah that they thought this would look good on him is... something. this is like textbook dv. Reply Parent Thread Link My first thought was he sat down with both of their phones & sent fake messages from her phone to himself. Reply Parent Thread Link It is WILD to me that his lawyer thought releasing these was a good idea. Reply Thread Link Trying to win in the court of public opinion. You know how it goes. Always trying to justify violent actions by playing the "what did SHE do to provoke him card". Reply Parent Thread Link the thing is, from what i'm seeing, this swung people against him who were on the fence. the 'i still believe him' responses are minimal on phil lewis' tweet which is a turn from the weekend. Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah, and people will twist this shit in their favor because they will LITERALLY take her word, even though this is obvious coercion. They're going to victim-blame her. There are many types of DV, and at some point, the survivor will lay hands because they've had enough (if that's what she meant by the "fight"), and it goes to show that 1. this has been ongoing for a long time now and 2. this further explains the escalation for him to choke/strangle her because it's all hierarchical. They will definitely have to evaluate her because she may have symptoms of PTSD along with depression presumably, but they will need an expert witness or a psychologist to further explain the complexity of what DV looks like in her favor. It's not cookie-cutter. You can tell that she's afraid and is trying to protect him. It's all about power and control, and she's afraid. I've seen this pattern before. He really has her intimidated, and she knows how powerful he is especially when she said that she knows he has a good team. This lawyer is really dumb, and it tracks with her record. Also, you can tell that she is far more apologetic than most would because he's trying to make her seem small. "Sorry this all happened because I was trying to grab your phone! It's my fault!" She's learned to internalize that. He really disempowered her. Edited at 2023-03-30 07:17 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I reached for his phone so its ok that he slapped me around and tried to strangle me smh Reply Parent Thread Expand Link She willingly represented Jenn Shah, so she doesnt have the best sense Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I think it's a reflection of 1) what an absolute imbecile she is and 2) that the reason she works for scumbags is most likely bc she's very much one too. Reply Parent Thread Link Druski lawyer skit talking to client on phone: "I've got good and bad news. Good news, we got your payment buddy. Bad news, err they gave you life.. sayonara" hangs up phone pic.twitter.com/r71UCgoYYx find a reaction (@findareaction) August 11, 2022 His lawyer: Reply Parent Thread Link i think this is the post depp/heard world we are living in - winning the court of public opinion is a strategy to win in actual court Reply Parent Thread Link lawyers are SCUM. after my trial, the DA called me, and I said that the other lawyer was a pompous ass. she laughed and she did not disagree. Reply Parent Thread Link Sadly there are already people saying "See this proves she lied!" Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah its just more evident hes an abuser Reply Parent Thread Link His lawyer running to TMZ to tell his side of the story tells me all I need to know about this situation. Reply Parent Thread Link This whole thing is so vile. I hope the woman is okay <3 Reply Thread Link Oh Christ on a biscuit. and reiterate: trust no man (unless it's a cat. Trust all cats) Reply Thread Link my male cat is a sneaky little bitch so I don't endorse the trust all cats either lol he's the only toxic relationship I allow in my life tho. Reply Parent Thread Link HARD SAME. I love my little ginger ninja jerk Reply Parent Thread Link I have no idea how true this is and it's maybe a coincidence for all I know but I've had a few male cats in my life and I loved them to pieces but they were DISGUSTING and messy, compared to the female cats I've had lol. I have 2 lil ladies in present day. loved the males but man they sure did drop constant bombs on the litter box. Reply Parent Thread Link The tabby has taken to beat me up when he wants me to sit down and pay attention to him Reply Parent Thread Expand Link And only Orange ones. Too few brain cells to cause trouble. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link My orange boi is the only troublemaking fella I need tbh. He makes up for his shenanigans by being a gentle dingus and allowing belly rubs. Reply Parent Thread Link What about the ginger jerk who knocked up my sweet girl and then never came around to see his kitten?!?! Reply Parent Thread Expand Link theres something truly shocking about the amount of mind-numbing stupid confidence in his lawyer that this would help when it only made him look more guilty good fucking riddance to this abuser Reply Thread Link these make feel so sad, hope she's in a safe place and knows so many of us are thinking of her there are already way less people defending him on twitter than a few days ago, so what a genius move. people were saying he must have gotten this lawyer on groupon lollll Reply Thread Link this breaks my heart. that poor woman. Reply Thread Link did he find his lawyer in the ball pit of a chuck e. cheese like what the fuck is this move? proving that he's a gaslighting darvo motherfucker? that poor woman Reply Thread Link He found her walking out of Jen Shah's house Reply Parent Thread Link Sorry for repeat copy paste His attorney lost her case with Jen Shah. His attorney lost her case with Paul Haggis. His attorney lost her case with Nikil Wahi. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link ... I am rooting for her. May she be found and hired by many more scumbags. Reply Parent Thread Link Wow, L after L after L. Reply Parent Thread Link that army check not clear yet??? is that the best he could afford? Edited at 2023-03-30 07:25 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Expand Link maybe she's a defense attorney psyop to make guilty people be found guilty Reply Parent Thread Expand Link so he found her on Groupon, then Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Man called the first lawyer's number on a bus bench he saw. Reply Parent Thread Link Remind me to never hire this lawyer Reply Thread Link she might be finding herself on the backs of parkbences & city buses atp, bc idk who is hiring her after this Reply Parent Thread Link it's gaggy how lawyers can actually tank someone's case who has a real shot of getting away with their crimes. watching the Bling Ring doc on Netflix, I cannot BELIEVE the gay guy's lawyer told him he had an "oral agreement of immunity" to talk to the cops and had the boy spill ALL the tea only to get zero immunity lmao Reply Parent Thread Link Having worked for the cops and LE in my early 20s, you know those cops were all.. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link uh, how is this better Reply Thread Link lmao this lawyer went to Hollywood Upstairs Law College Reply Thread Link Girl couldn't even get into ONTD University School of Law. Isn't she embarrazzed.gif? Reply Parent Thread Link lmaooo i actually choked while laughing at this Reply Parent Thread Link I'm sorry, HIS lawyers showed this? This just confirms that it happened, I can't believe HIS lawyers showed it and not hers Reply Thread Link I hope the woman is safe and surrounded by her loved ones. Wishing her much strength. Reply Thread Link Did you leave the keys? (hes probably kicking her out) Goodbye xxxxxx (hes dumping her for him being abusive) Everything he has done or said spells Guilty And why did she (allegedly) collapse and pass out what else was going on Reply Thread Link Unfortunately, if what they said was true, he must have made her pass out when he strangled/choked her. Sadly, that can happen. Reply Parent Thread Link His responses in comparison to hers are what gets me. No apologies, no begging her to talk to him. Just cold. Granted, we don't know what the context of the previous conversation was, but holy shit. I'm used to seeing the abuser after an abusive act apologise (emptily) profusely. Reply Parent Thread Link Sometimes, but this is classic "imma ignore you until you grovel" Reply Parent Thread Expand Link tbh i wouldnt be surprised if the crossed out word after "Goodbye" is calling her a bitch or something like that, not her name Reply Parent Thread Link Yes. I came in here to say this exact thing. I think it's implied that a fair amount of the reason Scott's able to land all these cool women despite being a pathetic loser is because he's kinda cute and excitable and charming. Michael Cera is none of those and if he could have pulled it off, he didn't here. He was just the in dorky guy at the time. The worlds largest crude oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, is betting big on the growing market for crude China, as Saudi oil giant Aramco is strengthening its downstream presence and crude supply market share in the worlds top importer. Saudi Aramco announced this week two major refinery and petrochemical deals in China, which not only give the worlds largest oil firm a share of the Chinese downstream market but also an additional export outlet for 690,000 barrels per day (bpd) of Saudi crude in China. With the two agreements, Saudi Arabia is betting on continuous growth in Chinese oil demand on the one hand. On the other hand, the Kingdom is looking to boost its market share in the worlds top oil importer, where its partner in the OPEC+ pact, Russia, has gained market share with cheap crude after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the sanctions on Moscow that followed. Saudi Arabia and Russia have been neck and neck on the Chinese oil market for years, but the fight for market share has become more contested since the war in Ukraine began as Russia pivoted to Asia and now bets on China and India as the key buyers of its crude, often offered at wide discounts to international benchmarks. Saudi Arabia sells its crude oil under long-term contracts, so it has a guaranteed share of the Chinese market. But Russia, having pivoted to Asia for crude and fuel sales after the Western sanctions, is offering its oil at discounts and could attract more Chinese buyers who dont abide by the G7 price caps. Russia was the single largest crude oil supplier to China in January and February, overtaking Saudi Arabia, which was the number-one supplier of oil to China last year. Related: $11 Trillion Investor Group Urges Members Not To Fund New Oil And Gas Projects As China accelerated the buying of cheap Russian crude oil at discounts to international benchmarks, Chinese imports of crude from Russia jumped by 23.8% year over year to 1.94 million bpd in January and February 2023, per data by Chinas General Administration of Customs cited by Reuters. While Russia pushes to sell its crudebanned in the Westin Asia at discounts, Saudi Arabia is locking in long-term demand in China with stakes in refining and petrochemical projects. A Saudi Aramco joint venture plans to build a $10-billion refining and petrochemical complex in China over the next three years, the Saudi oil giant said on Sunday. The complex in northeast China will have the capacity to process 300,000 bpd, of which Aramco will supply 210,000 bpd. The project represents a major milestone in our ongoing downstream expansion strategy in China and the wider region, which is an increasingly significant driver of global petrochemical demand, Mohammed Al Qahtani, Aramco Executive Vice President of Downstream, said on Sunday. On the following day, Aramco said it would buy 10% in private refiner Rongsheng Petrochemical for the equivalent of $3.6 billion and would supply 480,000 bpd of Arabian crude oil to Rongsheng affiliate Zhejiang Petroleum and Chemical Co. Ltd (ZPC), under a long-term sales agreement. The two deals give Aramco a long-term export outlet to 690,000 bpd of Saudi crude to China, which would boost Saudi Arabias market share by locking in contracts for the coming years and decades. The acquisition demonstrates Aramcos long-term commitment to China and belief in the fundamentals of the Chinese petrochemicals sector, Aramcos Al Qahtani said. It also promises to secure a reliable supply of essential crude to one of Chinas most important refiners, the executive added. ADVERTISEMENT Russia may be attracting Chinese buyers with cheaper spot cargoes, but Saudi Arabia is playing the long game with long-term contracts to lock in oil sales for decades. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The Freeport LNG export facility in Texas is receiving natural gas from pipelines at full capacity, suggesting that the liquefaction operations are back to full power, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing data from data provider Refinitiv. The Freeport LNG export facility in Texas was shut down in June last year when a fire broke out and damaged the plant. Two of the three trains at Freeport LNG have resumed full commercial operations in recent weeks after receiving regulatory approval in February. The third and final train at the Freeport LNG facility received regulatory approvals from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) in early March. By then, the other two trains had returned to full commercial operation, reaching production levels in excess of 1.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), Freeport LNG, the company operating the export facility, said early this month. At the end of this month, data on natural gas flows suggest that Freeport LNG is back to full operations. According to Refinitiv data, quoted by Reuters, natural gas flows from pipelines to Freeport LNG were on track to rise to 2.1 Bcf/d on Thursday, up from 1.8 Bcf/d on Wednesday. Thats as much natural gas as all three trains at Freeport can process into LNG. Until it was forced to shut down due to the fire in June, Freeport, responsible for some 20% of total LNG exports from the United States and generating $35 billion in revenue during the first nine months of 2022, served Europe well as the continent looked to squelch a growing energy crisis this winter. The return of Freeport LNG is set to further ease concerns about LNG supply in Europe, which has managed its gas supply and demand well this winter, mostly due to long periods of mild weather and lower consumption because of demand destruction in the industry and energy savings from households. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com ADVERTISEMENT More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: OPEC+ is set to meet on Monday, but delegates from the organization said that it would likely stick to its current production cut plan. Oil prices have sagged over the last couple of weeks, dragged down by the collapse of two US banks. Despite the low prices, OPEC+ has sent clear signals to the market: it is staying the course and will not react to the sudden price crash. Another factor that OPEC+ must weigh in its decision-making is the 450,000 bpd export loss from OPEC member IraqOPECs second-largest producer, from the Kurdistan region over a dispute between Turkey and Iraq over KRGs control over the regions oil exports. Oil has rebounded somewhat in the last week, in part thanks to Iraqs export disruptions, although prices have yet to recover fully from the sub-$73 Brent crude of the week prior. Before the collapse of SVB bank, Brent was trading above $86 per barrel. Prices have since rebounded to just over $78 as of Thursday morning. On Monday, the OPEC+ group will hold a virtual meeting of the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC)which includes the groups two largest crude oil producers, Saudi Arabia and Russia. The group is expected to weigh the current market balance, Iraqs disruption, and the price drop due to the banking collapse. One delegate told Reuters that Iraqs production loss is not a significant enough event to prod the group to make changes to the plan that it had laid out for the entire 2023. It is hard to expect any new development, one OPEC+ delegate told Reuters in reference to the JMMC meeting. OPEC+ agreed last year to cut oil production as a group by 2 million barrels per dayan agreement that was designed to run through the rest of this year. If the OPEC+ delegate comments arent enough to persuade the market that the upcoming meeting will see OPEC+ take no action to alter the production cuts, Saudi Arabias energy minister has openly said that OPEC+ will stick to its current targets through the rest of this year. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com ADVERTISEMENT More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: On March 23, the historic process of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) enlargement passed a critical milestone as Finnish President Sauli Niinisto signed into law legislation on accession to the Alliance approved by parliament. In response, the Kremlin merely expressed regret about this development and reiterated the absence of any threat from Russia to its North European neighbors (Rossiiskaya gazeta, March 16). The Russian Foreign Ministry described the accession, which will be finalized at the Vilnius summit in mid-July, as counterproductive and rushed without proper public discussion (RIA Novosti, March 23). This veiled moderation did not camouflage a major failure of Russian foreign policy, which for many decades had hoped to cultivate special relations with Finland, and the profound shift in the geo-strategic situation in Northern Europe caused by Russian President Vladimir Putins decision to invade Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The urge to deliver a more assertive response came clear in Putins announcement of the plan to deploy Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, where specialized storage could be constructed by July 1 (Svoboda, March 25). Conventional countermeasures to the increased proximity of Russia to NATOnow, only separated by a mere 1.34 kilometerswere outlined by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who promised to form a new army corps in Karelia (Karelinform.ru, January 17). Furthermore, the headquarters for a new grouping will presumably be created in St. Petersburg, which is due to become the center of a new military district (RBC, December 21). These plans, however, are as detached from the reality of Russias deteriorating strategic posture as were the designs for a blitzkrieg aimed at capturing Kyiv and Odesa. The Russian army is suffering such heavy losses in the seemingly never-ending attacks on Ukrainian positions in Donbas that the units gathered through the mobilization at the end of last year are practically exhausted. Moreover, the new proposition for recruiting up to 400.000 contracted servicemen clashes with the deteriorating demographic situation within Russia and the deepening discontent in Russian society (Sibir Realii, March 15; see EDM, March 20). Arming the new units imagined by Shoigu is next to impossible as the legacy T-54 and T-62 tanks from the old Soviet arsenals are presently being deployed to the combat zone (Topwar.ru, March 25). For its part, Ukraine is equipping its new brigades with modern armor, and Finlandin a move fitting for a new NATO memberhas contributed several Leopard 2 main battle tanks to the pool gathered by the tank coalition (Izvestiya, March 23). Putin tried to belittle this development and promised to deploy three times more tanks than Ukraine; however, the Russian presidents boasting alone will not alter the shift in the balance of military capabilities (Meduza, March 25). Concerned about the outcome of tank battles in late spring, the Russian top brass has resorted to spreading disinformation about the risk of radioactive contamination from the depleted uranium shells for the British Challenger 2 tanks delivered to Ukraine (Interfax, March 24). Putin picked up this issue in his concluding words at the meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, alleging a risk of nuclear escalation (Novayagazeta.eu, March 23). The Russian leaders vague reference to nuclear components in such shells was ridiculed even by some patriotic bloggers (Topwar.ru, March 24). Yet, he opted to reiterate this false claim and used it as a pretext for the transportation of Russian nuclear weapons to Belarus (RIA Novosti, March 25). Putins desire to wield nuclear instruments is driven by Russias growing shortage of conventional capabilities, which is denied by the Kremlin but has been exposed by the uncharacteristically feeble responses from the Russian high command to the NATO exercises Joint Warrior and Joint Viking in Norway and the Barents Sea, respectively (Barents Observer, March 22). The Northern Fleet can hardly muster any response, as one of its two modern frigates, the Admiral Kasatonov, is returning slowly after a year-long deployment to the Mediterranean. Additionally, its sister ship, the Admiral Gorshkov, is exercising in the Gulf of Oman, together with Chinese and Iranian ships (Severpost.ru, March 17). Russian fighter jets conduct occasional sorties in the direction of the NATO exercises, but Northern Europes airspace is effectively controlled by the newly integrated air forces of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden (Kommersant, March 25). Russian combat planes may feel more confident over the Black Sea, where a US MQ-9 Reaper drone was forcefully intercepted on March 14; however, the ongoing NATO naval and air exercises of Sea Shield 2023 in Romania stand as a strong warning against further provocations (TASS, March 15). Russias major concern in the Black Sea theater is Turkey, which also happens to have a say in approving the Finnish application for joining NATO and in delaying the progress of Swedens request (Kommersant, March 17; Izvestiya, March 18). Putin has already held six phone calls with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan this year, including most recently on March 25. Yet, according to official transcripts, neither NATO enlargement nor nuclear matters were ever touched upon (Kremlin.ru, March 25). The Syrian crisis usually provides a key theme for these conversations, and Shoigu discussed the rise in tensions there with Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar over the phone last week (Interfax, March 22). Moscow seeks to dissuade Ankara from launching a new operation in Northern Syria aimed primarily at boosting Erdogans campaign in the presidential elections scheduled for May 14 (Nezavisimaya gazeta, March 23). Putin is keen to help his long-term partner in retaining his grasp on power, even if Turkeys military modernization and export of modern weapon systems to Ukraine unnerve some Russian military planners (Rossiiskaya gazeta, March 8). Turkey is the anchor of NATOs strategic posture in the Black Sea region. Thus, Moscow is wary about any nuclear gestures in this high-risk theater. On the northern flank, where Finland will now make a solid contribution to the Alliances defense capabilities, Russia cannot risk an escalation of tensions by staging a nuclear demonstration (or indeed, a nuclear test) because its conventional forces are too weak. While Belarus may seem the most convenient place for Russian attempts at exploiting nuclear weapons for political propaganda, it will only undercut President Alyaksandr Lukashankas domestic standing and strengthen the cause of the Belarusian opposition. In this regard, Russias nuclear bluff is too transparent and does not warrant any response from NATO. However, it emphasizes the urgency of the need to supply Ukraine with arms and ammunition sufficient for executing a powerful and far-reaching spring offensive. By the Jamestown Foundation ADVERTISEMENT More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Gulf of Mexico oil lease sale number 259 held on Wednesday attracted $264 million in bids for drilling rights in an area estimated to hold nearly 30 billion barrels of oil, with Chevron coming in with the highest bids, followed by BP, Shell and Equinor. Chevron turned up with seven of the 10 highest bids for blocks, with BP Exploration & Production Inc and Equinor Gulf of Mexico LLC representing the second and third highest bids. Chevron offered up $108 million for 75 tracts, followed by BP with $47 million in bids and Shell, with $20 million. The auction saw 38% higher bids than the previous auction, and also ranks as the highest bidding since 2017. The Biden administration was forced to move ahead with the controversial auction of 114,000 square miles of oil and gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico due to a climate bill compromise, which prohibits public land leases for renewable power unless oil and gas is first offered tens of thousands of acres. The outer continental shelf in the Gulf of Mexico is estimated to hold 29.95 billion barrels of oil and 54.85 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in undiscovered technically recoverable oil. It is also estimated that the Gulf of Mexico could produce more than 1 billion barrels of oil and more than 4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in five decades. Still, BP, Chevron, and Talos Energy received disappointing results at the beginning of this month from their Puma West-2 appraisal well, which encountered hydrocarbons in multiple zones, but not enough to immediately consider whether to move forward. The lease sale, the Biden administrations first in over a year, comes right after the administration approved the controversial Willow drilling project in Alaska. Responding to the Gulf of Mexico lease sale, Democrat Senator Joe Manchin, who forced the climate bill compromise, said in a statement that the sale demonstrates that the climate bill was holding this administrations feet to the fire in terms of continuing fossil fuel production in the U.S., ABC News reported. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Kurdistans oil exports could be suspended for several more days as officials from Kurdistan are set to return to Baghdad next week for a new round of talks on the resumption of crude exports from Kurdistan via a pipeline to the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. The Kurdistan Regional Government hopes that talks next week could result in the resumption of Kurdistans oil exports, commodity analyst Giovanni Staunovo says, quoting the head of foreign media affairs for the Kurdish government. Kurdistans crude oil exports around 400,000 bpd shipped through an Iraqi-Turkey pipeline to Ceyhan and then on tankers to the international markets were halted late last week by the federal government of Iraq. Last week, the International Chamber of Commerce ruled in favor of Iraq against Turkey in a dispute over crude flows from Kurdistan. Iraq had argued that Turkey shouldnt allow Kurdish oil exports via the Iraq-Turkey pipeline and Ceyhan without approval from the federal government of Iraq. Talks between officials from Kurdistan and from the Iraq federal government have failed in recent days. Next week could see a breakthrough in talks, but oil companies operating in the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan have already started to shut down oil fields as storage capacity is limited while they had been instructed to temporarily cease deliveries to the Iraq-Turkey Pipeline destined for the port of Ceyhan. The company pumping a quarter of Kurdistans crude oil exports, Norway-based DNO ASA, said on Wednesday that it had started an orderly shutdown of its oil fields following the suspension of oil exports. It is unfortunate it has come to this given the likely impact of a continuing supply disruption on oil prices and at a fragile time in global financial markets, DNOs Executive Chairman Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani said. ADVERTISEMENT Another operator in Kurdistan, London-listed Gulf Keystone Petroleum, said on Monday that its facilities have storage capacity that allow continued production at a curtailed rate over the coming days after which the Company will suspend production. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Mercedes-Benz has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) for 140 megawatts of wind energy with Spain's Iberdrola. The agreement with Iberdrola will support Mercedes-Benz in meeting its renewable energy goals while shaving production costs and reducing carbon emissions, production chief Joerg Burzer said. The deal is expected to be in the hundreds of millions of euros. Investing in renewable energy through PPAs provides producers with secured financing while stabilizing energy prices, which will benefit the carmaker's financial position in the long run. PPAs are contracts allowing companies, including auto manufacturers, to buy electricity directly from their source at a pre-arranged price, providing the buyer with a long-term fixed-price energy supply. According to Mercedes-Benz's production chief Joerg Burzer, installing wind capacity in northern Germany and solar capacity in the southern part of the country is the carmaker's energy focus. To secure the remaining energy demand, Burzer envisions that hydrogen will play an integral part in providing base-load energy. Burzer told Reuters, "Of course there are periods where the sun doesn't shine and the wind doesn't blow, but these are not so common in Europe. Hydrogen can secure the remaining part." "It is the last few percentage points that are the hardest... there is still a lot to do on the technology side. Iberdrola reports that the Baltic Sea Windanker project is expected to begin operation in 2026 with 300 megawatts of capacity. The auto manufacturer disclosed early this year that it had achieved its target of reducing CO2 emissions by 50% by 2030 from 2020 levels and is now pushing for a revised target of 80%. The new target aims to ensure Mercedes-Benz's endeavor to achieve its emissions goals by sourcing renewable energy. ADVERTISEMENT Without innovative and sustained improvements in technology to support large-scale use of renewable energy, the transition will remain a challenge, and as Mercedes' Burzer pointed out, it is the last few percentage points that will prove particularly difficult to achieve. By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A Republican sponsored energy bill passed the House on Thursday that seeks to promote oil and gas production in the United States, as well as repeal parts of Biden's Inflation Reduction Act. H.R. 1 passed the House by a 225-204, according to Bloomberg, although it must now face a seemingly insurmountable hurdle in the Senate and President Biden's desk. The elements of the Republican-backed bill include: Repealing the first-time fee on methane emissions Rolling back the fees for oil and gas industries that were included in the Inflation Reduction Act Increasing royalties rates for oil and gas, which were also spelled out in the Inflation Reduction Act Putting into law former President Trump's changes to the National Environmental Policy Act Repealing the $27 billion in funding to the EPA for the purposes of establishing a green bank A plan to speed up energy project permitting Putting a two-year limit on environmental reviews for energy projects Limiting litigation surrounding reviews Exempting certain activities from environmental reviews Mandating more oil and gas lease sales Making it more difficult for individual states to block interstate pipeline projects Streamlining the permitting process for energy projects Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer referred to the H.R. 1 as dead on arrival. The Bill could also get vetoed by the President. The legislation, however, could gain traction in exchange for Republicans giving way to their resistance to the Democrats' plan to raise the federal debt limit. Domestic energy policy became a popular subject of political debate in the days following the coronavirus pandemic as oil and gasoline prices shot up with the increase in demand. President Biden has tried to balance his aggressive climate policies amid rising energy prices, alienating both the oil and gas industry and climate groups. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com ADVERTISEMENT More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: West Texas Intermediate (WTI) prices have gained 1.6% by midday Thursday, as banking crisis fears further eased and with no resolution in sight yet for the cut-off of the flow of Iraqi Kurdistan oil to Turkey. At 1:39 p.m. EST on Thursday, WTI was trading up 1.66% at $74.18, for a $1.21 gain on the day, while Brent crude was trading up 1.25% at $79.26, for a $0.98 gain on the day. Stock indexes were also trending higher on Thursday, while the dollar declined. Banking fears have not completely dissipated, however. While optimism is rising, fears linger about the potential broader economic impact in the aftermath of the failure of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank, as well as the share crash and rescue bid for giant Credit Suisse, and pressure on other regional banks in the U.S. With regard to Iraq, the 400,000 barrels per day that have been cut off with a pipeline shutdown over an international arbitration ruling in favor of Iraq against Turkey, continues to put upward pressure on oil prices. While most analysts expect a quick solution, no indications of such are yet surfacing, and new analysis suggests it could be another week before we see a resolution to get the oil flowing again. Also driving oil prices Thursday have been statements ahead of a planned meeting of OPEC+ on Monday, where delegates have indicated that the expanded cartel will likely stick to its current production cut plan. Despite the low prices prompted in part by the banking crisis fears, OPEC+ will stay the course and not react by reducing output further. Last week, Brent plunged to below $73 a barrel, down from more than $86 per barrel right before the collapse of SVB. At just over $79 per barrel as of the time of writing on Thursday, it is still just shy of the $80 resistance mark the bulls would like to see as an indication that prices will continue to move higher for the rest of the year. By Tom Kool for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: WASHINGTON (AP) House Republicans plan to deliver a subpoena to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday for classified cables related to the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, marking an unprecedented effort to force the release of sensitive documents to Congress. Rep. Mike McCaul, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told The Associated Press on Monday that he had spoken with Blinken earlier in the day when he was notified the agency would not be turning over a so-called dissent cable written by diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul shortly before the August 2021 withdrawal. We have made multiple good faith attempts to find common ground so we could see this critical piece of information, McCaul, R-Texas, said in a statement. Unfortunately, Secretary Blinken has refused to provide the Dissent Cable and his response to the cable, forcing me to issue my first subpoena as chairman of this committee. The July 2021 communication warned Blinken about the potential fall of Kabul via a special dissent channel," which allows State Department officials to issue warnings or express contrarian views directly to senior agency officials, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. The State Department made a direct offer last week before McCaul made his subpoena threat about the dissent cable in particular to share the substance of the cable via a briefing, according to a March 22 letter obtained by the AP. "The Department is prepared to discuss a path that would communicate to you the circumstances and substance of the requested cable exchange, as an extraordinary accommodation," the letter read. "The Department trusts that this accommodation will address the Committees request for information while preserving the confidential nature of the Dissent Channel. The effort to force the release of the cable is the latest in a series by McCaul and other House Republicans to hold the Biden administration accountable for what they have called a stunning failure of leadership" after Taliban forces seized the Afghan capital, Kabul, far more rapidly than U.S. intelligence had foreseen as American forces pulled out. Kabuls fall turned the Wests withdrawal into a rout, with Kabuls airport the center of a desperate air evacuation guarded by U.S. forces temporarily deployed for the task. A single explosive device that day killed at least 170 Afghan civilians and 13 American service members. McCaul made the Afghanistan-related document requests in January, upon becoming chairman of the committee, but has said he faced pushback from the department as he pursued his investigation into the withdrawal. State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters Monday that while he recognizes the importance and the keen interest in this cable, it would be a rare move for any secretary to turn over those documents to Congress. It is a unique way for anyone in the department to speak truth to power as they see it without fear or favor. And they do it by the regulations we have established for these cables in a privileged and confidential way, Patel said. Its vital to us that we preserve the integrity of that process and of that channel. Since the Dissent Channel was created in 1971, in part to address U.S. diplomats concerns over the Vietnam War, the State Department has held communications closely. Nearly all such cables are classified to protect the integrity of the process and the identities of dissenting Foreign Service officers. They are not generally intended for public consumption, however, some have been leaked to the press, often by their authors. According to the National Security Archives at George Washington University, at least 123 Dissent Channel cables have been sent since 1971. The vast majority of those have remained classified and the State Department has long objected to efforts to force their release. The basic contents of some Dissent Channel cables have become public, including in the Afghanistan withdrawal case. One of its authors was given an award for Constructive Dissent in 2022 by the union that represents U.S. diplomats. Virginia State Police is investigating the death of an inmate/patient at Central State Hospital in Dinwiddie County who was brought to the facility by Henrico County sheriffs deputies. On Monday at 3:58 p.m., Henrico sheriffs deputies arrived at the state hospital to admit a patient for treatment who was charged with several criminal offenses. It was reported to state police that the patient Irvo N. Otieno, 28, of Richmond became combative during the intake process. He was restrained and later died, state police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said in a statement. Otienos body was taken to the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond for an examination and autopsy. The investigation remains ongoing at this time, Geller said. Otieno was arrested Friday in Henrico on charges of disorderly conduct at a hospital, destruction of property and three counts of assaulting a law enforcement officer for offenses that occurred that same day. He was held at Henrico Jail until he was transferred to Central State, a maximum-security psychiatric facility run by the state. A spokeswoman for Henrico Sheriff Alisa Gregory, an elected state constitutional officer, referred questions about the circumstances of Otienos transfer to a Henrico government spokesman. That spokesman, Will Jones, said the sheriff is declining to comment because the matter is under investigation by state police. The history of Cass County attracted people from all over, including foreign lands, in 2022. Roger Wehrbein, president of the Cass County Historical Society, said about 2,500 visitors from 22 states and three other countries visited the societys museum at 646 Main St. in Plattsmouth. Those international visitors came from Canada, Venezuela and Japan, he told the Cass County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday, March 28. Wehrbein gave an update on the society and a show of thanks for the countys support. We appreciate the financial support we receive from the county and particularly the increase in funding in 2016 to $40,000, he told the board. We could not operate without that support and respectfully request that you continue to earmark at least $40,000 to our operating budget. The society operates on a tight budget, Wehrbein said. While we receive support from members throughout Nebraska and in 22 other states, its always a struggle to make ends meet with increased operating costs, he said. The society had a successful membership drive during the last fiscal year, bringing in a total of $15,820 in memberships, he said. The society ended its fiscal year in June with $14,209 in income over expenses. Wehrbein said the Cass County Historical Society Foundation was set up to help fund the society, through interest the fund receives. In 2000, the foundation received a gift of land from Dr. John Gilmore, which was sold in order to begin a fund for a new building, which would be located on Main Street in Plattsmouth, Wehrbein said. The principal in that fund could only be used for a new building, the interest could be used for operating expenses, he added. Since 2000, the foundation has annually assisted financially, Wehrbein said. Currently, the foundation donates $1,525 monthly to the operating fund, he told the board. We also have an endowment fund, thanks to a generous bequest from Dr. Gilmore in 2009. The interest from this fund also helps with operating expenses. Besides providing daily trips down memory lane in its museum, as well as sponsoring special exhibits and events, the society also receives genealogy requests from former residents and their descendants, Wehrbein said. Those doing research also make donations to the historical society, he said. Among the museum exhibits this year will be Newspapers in Cass County History from April 4 through June 25. The society also sponsors an open air museum on Main Street on the eastern edge of downtown. There, the public can view a caboose, a replica of a boat used during the Lewis and Clark Expedition that came through the area in the early 1800s, as well as authentic log cabin from the Cook family, early settlers in the county. That area will be open for public viewing on April 30 from 8 to 11 a.m. as part of the City to City Bike Ride between Plattsmouth and Glenwood, Iowa. It will also be open on June 25 from noon to 4 p.m. for the Cook family reunion. During the summer months, the open-air museum and farm buildings in the main museums courtyard are open Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. The museum is currently holding its annual Spring Brown Bag Speakers Series in which the public can learn about a variety of topics during the lunch hour on selected Tuesdays. The next speaker will be Karen Mier, director of the Plattsmouth Public Library, on April 25. On May 9, local historian Harlan Seifer will discuss the Mormon Trail through the county. The museum also holds an open house, usually twice a year, at Rock Bluff School, the countys oldest school, located south of Plattsmouth. All these events are free. The museum is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. and closed on major holidays. Admission is $2.50 for adults, and free for museum members and children under the age of 12. The purpose of our historical society is to collect, preserve and interpret the history of Cass County, Nebraska, Wehrbein said. A ceremony on Wednesday morning at the Omaha National Cemetery in Papillion marked the 50th anniversary of the withdrawal of U.S. military combat forces from Vietnam in 1973. An audience of more than 60 attended the annual National Vietnam Veterans Day observance, which featured speeches, the laying of a memorial wreath, a 21-gun salute and the playing of taps. Our fallen heroes are the finest examples of our nations treasures, keynote speaker Jim Meyer said. Treasurers more valuable than our national monuments, and our Capitol Building or White House, all the acres in our National Parks and all the corn in the heartland. I dont think we often say than kind of thing enough. Meyer is an Air Force veteran from the Vietnam era and the director of the Honor and Remember Nebraska Chapter. Honor and Remember is a nationwide group dedicated to venerating departed service members, providing comfort and support to the families, and education. In 2012, President Barack Obama signed a presidential proclamation designating the annual observance. More than 58,000 Americans died and 150,000 were wounded or injured during the Vietnam conflict. While no words will fully be worthy of their service, nor any honor be truly befitting their sacrifice, let us remember that it is never too late to pay tribute to men and women who have answered the call of duty with courage and valor, said Jason Dolan, cemetery director. DOVER, Del. (AP) Attorneys for a group of Tesla shareholders are asking the Delaware Supreme Court to overturn a judges decision in favor of CEO Elon Musk in a lawsuit challenging the electric car makers $2.4 billion acquisition of a solar panel company founded by two of his cousins. The plaintiffs argued Wednesday that a Chancery Court judge erred in finding that Teslas deal to acquire SolarCity in 2016 was entirely fair, even though the judge found that the process by which Teslas board of directors negotiated and recommended the deal to shareholders was far from perfect. Elon was more involved in the process than a conflicted fiduciary should be. And conflicts among other Tesla Board members were not completely neutralized," former Vice Chancellor Joseph Slights wrote last year. With that said, the Tesla board meaningfully vetted the acquisition, and Elon did not stand in its way. Equally if not more important, the preponderance of the evidence reveals that Tesla paid a fair price SolarCity was, at a minimum, worth what Tesla paid for it, and the acquisition otherwise was highly beneficial to Tesla. At the time of the acquisition, Musk owned about 22% of Teslas common stock and was the largest stockholder of SolarCity, as well as chairman of its board of directors. A key issue presented to the Supreme Court is Slights' conclusion that the deal met the heightened scrutiny of Delawares entire fairness standard. Typically, under Delawares business judgment rule, courts give deference to a corporate boards decision-making unless there is evidence that directors had conflicts or acted in bad faith. If a plaintiff can overcome the business judgment rules presumption because the deal involved a controlling shareholder or because directors might have been conflicted, the boards action is subject to an entire fairness analysis. That shifts the burden to the corporation to show that the deal involved both fair dealing and fair price. Plaintiffs attorney Michael Hanrahan argued Wednesday that Slights put too much emphasis on the price Tesla paid for SolarCity, and not enough on the deal process, which the plaintiffs contend was tainted by the failure to appoint an independent committee to negotiate the deal. He also argued that the judges analysis of the deal price was flawed, and that shareholders who voted to approve the deal, even though the vote was not required under Delaware law, were not properly informed. Musks pervasive and undisclosed interference in the process require a legal conclusion of unfair dealing, Hanrahan said. The trial court misapplied entire fairness because it essentially wrote fair dealing out of the standard, holding that the linchpin of entire fairness is fair price, Hanrahan added. ...Because the Court of Chancery made fair price the foundation of its opinion, if its fair price finding was wrong, the whole house of cards comes down. Evan Chesler, an attorney for Musk, noted that the SolarCity acquisition had been a strategic objective for Tesla for 10 years before the deal was completed, belying the argument that it was a last-minute bailout to save an insolvent SolarCity from bankruptcy. Chesler also noted that, despite the judge's concerns about Musks involvement, his ruling includes 10 pages discussing the strengths of the deal process. Basically, the appellants seek reversal because they dont agree with the way the trial court marshaled and weighed the evidence, he said. Slights ruling last April followed a July 2021 court appearance in which a defiant Musk defended the deal and sparred with attorneys for the plaintiffs, calling one lawyer a bad human being. Musk chose to fight the lawsuit in court even after other directors on Teslas board reached a $60 million settlement, without admitting fault. The Supreme Court is expected to issue its ruling within 90 days. A Douglas County judge dismissed a civil lawsuit brought against Catholic Charities of Omaha by an employee who claims to have been traumatized by a staged active-shooter drill. The case raised a novel legal issue that hadnt been decided in Nebraska: Whether an employee can sue their employer in civil court for a workplace injury if the employer specifically intends to cause harm. Under Nebraska law, Workers Compensation Court is the sole remedy for accidental work-related injuries. Douglas County District Court Judge Timothy Burns dismissed the case, ruling that Workers Compensation Court has exclusive jurisdiction to address mental and physical injuries. But Tom White, an attorney representing employee Sandra Lopez, argued that an exception should exist in cases where the employer specifically intended to create the complained of injury. He said that failing to hold employers accountable for intentional harm sets a dangerous precedent. The case arises from a 2022 incident in which Catholic Charities executives hired John Channels, who is now facing a litany of criminal charges, to provide an active-shooter training to employees. Employees were not notified of the drill, nor were police. Channels reportedly showed up in a dark hoodie and mask and began banging on the windows and firing shots into the air. One person laid on the ground covered in what looked to be blood. Many employees believed that they were in a real-life active-shooter situation. Lopez fled from the building and jumped over a retaining wall, injuring her back in the process. It was only after Lopezs son called her boss to inform them that she was safe that she was told the shooting was play acting. Lopez was also diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the staged attack. In an order issued last week, Burns granted Catholic Charities motion to dismiss the case, finding that Nebraska laws and court precedent dictate that Workers Compensation Court is the exclusive remedy. Burns noted that he does agree with Lopezs claim that the alleged facts show Catholic Charities had a specific intent to injure her. But he relied heavily on a 2013 Nebraska Supreme Court opinion in which the court affirmed the dismissal of a civil lawsuit filed by the family of a grain bin worker who died due to criminal negligence of his employer. In that case, Estate of Teague v. Crossroads Coop Association, the court found that the mans death was still an accident, despite the egregious nature of his employers conduct. Thus, Workers Compensation Court still provided the exclusive remedy. The Nebraska Supreme Court did note in the 2013 opinion that other jurisdictions have adopted exceptions for intentional acts, but declined to do so in the state, saying that any change of that nature must come from the Legislature. Likewise, Burns noted in his order that changing the legislation is the way to address these concerns. (Lopez) must look to the legislature for a change in law, if she so desires, Burns wrote. While this court sympathizes with (Lopez), the fact remains, the Nebraska legislature has not acted to include such an exception as argued. White intends to appeal the courts decision. He said Wednesday that he believes the facts of Lopezs case warrant a different outcome. The 27-year-old Lincoln woman accused of running over and killing two maintenance workers at her south Lincoln apartment complex allegedly tried to kill a third man, according to new court filings. Taylor Bradley drove her Subaru sedan off the roadway and into a grassy area near the clubhouse at The Lodge apartments, where she ran over the two men 20 to 30 yards from the street, Lincoln Police Investigator Matthew Franken alleged in court records filed Wednesday afternoon. Prosecutors charged Bradley with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Ronald E. Gonzalez-Rivas, 45, and Christopher J. Karmazin, 42, who were both longtime employees of the company managing The Lodge. Bradley also was charged with three counts of use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony and one count of attempt(ing) to kill Robert Sargent purposely and with deliberate and premeditated malice, prosecutors said in the six-count complaint, also filed Wednesday. At her initial court hearing Tuesday afternoon, which Bradley attended via Zoom from a Lancaster County Jail cell, the 27-year-old screamed as Judge Laurie Yardley read the charges against her aloud. This is a six-count complaint. It alleges (in) count one that on or about March 27, 2023, you did kill Ronald Gonzalez-Rivas ..., the judge said, before her voice was drowned out by Bradleys. No, Bradley said. No. No. No. No. No. No. I had a shoplifting charge. Thats all Ive ever had, she said, her voice growing louder as Yardley kept reading from the complaint. They think Im on so many drugs, Bradley said. Because they stocked me full of all my moms drugs. Theft. Theft! she screamed, apparently referring to a prior shoplifting charge. Thats all I have! When Yardley finished reading the complaint outlining the life-in-prison sentences Bradley could face if shes convicted the 27-year-old demanded the judge read the first three counts again. A corrections officer at the jail then muted Bradleys microphone and began to walk away from her jail cell before Yardley had even set her bail. At the request of Chief Deputy County Attorney Chris Turner, Yardley set Bradleys bail at $2 million. She must pay $200,000 to be released. The new court records filed Wednesday provide few details about what is alleged to have happened at The Lodge in the moments before 1:20 p.m. Monday, when authorities were called to the complex on a report of a car-pedestrian crash. Lincoln Police Chief Teresa Ewins has described the attack as purposeful and said it was carried out with intent, but she declined to describe what led police to that conclusion and provided no details about what is thought to have led up the incident. In two press conferences about the incident, Ewins did not mention Sargent, the third victim identified by prosecutors. Medical personnel pronounced Gonzalez-Rivas and Karmazin dead at the scene. Its unclear whether Sargent, a 48-year-old Lincoln man, was injured in the incident. The Police Department deferred questions about his involvement in Mondays attack to the Lancaster County Attorneys Office. Neither Turner, the offices chief deputy, nor Sargent returned phone calls seeking comment Wednesday. In the affidavit for Bradleys arrest, Franken said officers responding to the crash encountered Bradley traveling toward them in her damaged sedan on Briarpark Drive and took her into custody. Franken noted the location of the victims at least 20 yards from any surface designed for driving also suggested that Bradleys alleged actions were intentional. Franken said there was video of the incident that reportedly exhibits intent. The lack of publicized details surrounding the case has also left the company that employed Gonzalez-Rivas and Karmazin baffled about by Mondays attack and what might have led up to it. Were mystified why this occurred, said Tom Huston, who serves as general counsel for Perry Reid Properties, which has managed The Lodge for nearly a decade. Huston said Bradley was in the first year of her lease at the complex and the property manager had no prior negative contact with her before Monday. There wasnt a service call I know there were some rumors that she was undergoing an eviction. That is not true. He said the incident had been traumatic for the companys employees, particularly the maintenance group, which he described as tight-knit. The company called in grief counselors for its employees Tuesday, he said. In a GoFundMe campaign raising money for Karmazins memorial expenses, family said the Lincoln man left behind three children and a wife. Chris loved spending time with his friends playing board games and was an avid animal lover, a relative, Garrett Karmazin, said in a post pinned to the fundraiser. He enjoyed spending time outdoors and working with his hands. His greatest joy was being a father. Two Omaha men were sentenced to prison Wednesday for their roles in a 2021 home invasion that ended in the death of a 22-year-old man. Patrick Keenan, 42, and Robert Bailey, 28, appeared in front of Douglas County District Court Judge Leigh Ann Retelsdorf on Wednesday. The courtroom was packed with friends and family of the defendants and of the victim, Diego Vicharra, who was shot and killed by Keenan in December 2021. According to court records, police were called to reports of a home invasion at an apartment near 47th and Erskine Streets on the evening of Dec. 13, 2021. Officers found Vicharra deceased in a vehicle near the home. That evening, Keenans girlfriend had opened the door to find Vicharra and Bailey standing outside, according to the investigation. Bailey and Keenan had issues with one another, and Bailey later told police that he went to Keenans house to beat him up. He brought Vicharra along for support. The two pushed past Keenans girlfriend and confronted Keenan. Bailey, who was a convicted felon at the time, was armed with a gun. At some point, Keenan gained control of the gun as Vicharra and Bailey fled. Keenan followed the men outside and fired into the street, striking Vicharra and killing him. Keenan was initially charged with second-degree murder, use of a firearm to commit a felony and discharging a firearm at an occupied structure. As part of a plea deal, he pleaded no contest to reduced charges of manslaughter and possessing a firearm while committing a felony. Bailey was charged with burglary and a second offense of possessing a firearm as a felon. He pleaded no contest to burglary, and prosecutors reduced the gun charge to a first offense, which carries a lighter sentence. Bailey, who was sentenced first, addressed the court and Vicharras family in a tearful statement. Im so sorry for who I was, he said. For so long, I wished it would have been me instead of Diego. Retelsdorf noted that Bailey was the instigator of the events when handing down a sentence of 10 to 15 years on both counts to be served consecutively, for a total of 20 to 30 years. He will be eligible for parole in just over 11 years. Keenans attorney argued for a low sentence, saying that shooting at the two men was a trauma response spurred by being assaulted in his home. Retelsdorf sentenced Keenan to 18 to 20 years on the manslaughter charge and 10 to 27 years on the gun charge to be served consecutively, for a total of 28 to 47 years. He will be eligible for parole in about 15 years. Friends and family described Vicharra as a reliable, family-oriented young man who would always be there when called. His mother spoke at both sentencings, sobbing as she clutched a photo of her son. He stole my heart and soul, she said at Baileys sentencing. I know that God says to forgive, but I cant forgive right now. COUNCIL BLUFFS Crescent Elementary School will close at the end of the current school year. The Council Bluffs school board voted unanimously during its meeting this week to close the school and adjust the boundaries so Crescent students will fall into the Lewis & Clark and College View Elementary attendance areas. Students will have the opportunity to visit those schools this spring. The district will provide information to families about their students newly assigned school. Michelle Hargens, a Crescent Elementary parent, PTO member and city councilwoman, said after the meeting that shes sad for the district. A budget can always be worked out, and to take it out on Crescent, thats not right, she said. Regarding the districts effort to sustain the Project Lead the Way program at Crescent, Hargens said, You knew this program was going to be too expensive. You knew it was going to be beginning teachers. But it isnt over. This just makes us fight harder. Many passionate advocates for the school spoke during the public hearing that preceded the regular board meeting. Shawn Shea, a longtime advocate, said the focus seemed to be on enrollment, and yet the district did not want to bus more students from Council Bluffs to Crescent to even out the numbers when they were asked. He said he has talked to Superintendent Vickie Murillo several times and feels not all of his questions were answered. I really think you need teachers in Council Bluffs, and you cant fill those unless you close Crescent, he said. I am not in favor of closing our school, Crescent Mayor Chuck Hildreth said. I love our kids. I got blindsided by this. Hildreth retraced the history of the school and said Crescent built it, but a decade later merged with the Council Bluffs school district because the state said it had to merge with another district. Its not fair to the parents or the kids not knowing from year to year whether the schools going to be open or closed, he said. Crescent gave Council Bluffs the school I want it back. Hargens said she had read that experts think the earliest schools will bounce back from the pandemic is 2025. She said under Iowa law, the superintendent and board have the right to keep a school open if it is impractical to meet enrollment requirements. As far as cutting jobs, she said, How about starting with administration? It seems to me several of those jobs could be combined. Hargens said she did not feel the school district did as much as it could have to help Crescent. I will work right along with you and our community to get enrollment up, she said. Money issues never go away. Memories last forever. Brian Shea, former mayor of Crescent and current member of the Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors, said business in town are doing well now. He noted that Crescent went through a flood, as well as a fire. The 2011 flood wiped out most of the homes on the river bottom, he said. We lost all of those families. Shea added that new housing is being developed, which is attracted new residents. Every time theres a house for sale, it goes fast, he said. We are aiming for something out there, and we are working. At the larger schools, students will have more access to services such as TAG, special classes, counseling and interventions, the district said. They will still have excellent learning environments with class sizes that match district averages. Students will have the option to transfer to other schools in the district. However, transportation to schools outside their attendance area will not be provided. Crescent Elementary staff members will be offered similar positions elsewhere in the district. District administrators will try to arrange for community use of the school facility. The district gave the following reasons for closing the school: Less than half of the K-5 students in the Crescent attendance area attend the school. Despite efforts by the school district and the community to increase enrollment over the past five years, it has fallen from 85 to 64 students. The cost to educate students at Crescent Elementary is $13,811 per pupil 47% more than the $9,386 average for district elementary schools. The district can save $935,000 by closing the school. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of March 2023 All of the candidates vying to lead Nebraskas education system want to improve communication, explore academic assessment options and be cautious about school choice. These were some of the priorities three finalists laid out for State Board of Education members Thursday as they interviewed to become the next education commissioner. The board is in the final stages of its search process following the January resignation of Matthew Blomstedt, who was commissioner for nine years. Through months of discussion and working with search firm McPherson and Jacobson, the board ended up with three finalists, all with Nebraska ties. The candidates interviewed Thursday were Melissa Poloncic, superintendent of the Douglas County West Community Schools; Brian Maher, executive director of the South Dakota Board of Regents; and Summer Stephens, superintendent for the Churchill County School District in Fallon, Nevada. The state board originally had a fourth finalist, Lisa Coons, the chief academic officer for the Tennessee Department of Education. In late March, she was appointed by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin as that states superintendent of public instruction. The board asked more than a dozen questions revolving around problem solving, experience, local control and issues such as assessment and school choice. Some current issues schools are facing, such as staff shortages, werent mentioned by the board. Each candidate was interviewed for one hour and 45 minutes. The board plans to select its education commissioner at its meeting Friday. Brian Maher Maher, who has worked in Nebraska districts including Kearney, Waverly and Centennial, said he decided to apply for the job because he wants the opportunity to make an impact and be a leader for schools. He said he also wants to be a credible face for Nebraska education. I see this position as an opportunity to help teachers teach, he said. I want to break down barriers so teachers can do what teachers do best. Maher said he thinks the states main strengths include its passion for education, its financing and the efficiency of its federal programs department. One challenge Maher has noticed is the lack of systemic communication plan for statewide and local education officials. What I found in communication is, generally speaking, there is plenty of info going out. The question is, do you listen? he said. Maher said he would distribute a memo each Friday to help boost transparency and communication with the state board. Asked to weigh in on Nebraskas assessment system, Maher said he would improve the NSCAS Growth assessment. The effectiveness and design of the state test has been criticized by school officials. Its falling short in a couple of areas. NSCAS is based on growth, but the growth is grade-level only, so it doesnt allow it to go below or above, Maher said. Maher, along with the other two candidates, cautioned against creating more school choice, a move that is currently under consideration by the Nebraska Legislature with a private school scholarship tax bill. If I want my kids to have an education that isnt public, I dont know if my kids should get money that is intended for a common good, he said. Summer Stephens Stephens, who has worked for the Bellevue and Norris school districts in Nebraska, said she has spent her entire career thinking about this position. I believe that many people have extreme integrity and honesty, but that is the cornerstone of who I am, she said. This is where I can help the most staff and students. Stephens said Nebraskas education system is supreme to other locations. She said the State Department of Education has a solid delivery structure to implement initiatives, laws and policies in districts, while also allowing input and ideas coming from boots on the ground. One improvement Stephens favors would be to change the states accountability system, which measures the performance of school districts. If an accountability system and assessments within it are not seen as useful within the schools, then we are not going to improve, she said. Stephens said shes afraid that if Nebraska creates more school choice, it will take opportunities away from students who need them. This state, I believe, has done the right thing in not having charter schools, she said. In (Nevada), charter school staff do not have to have teaching licenses. Stephens differed from the other candidates with her goal of moving Nebraska students to a more personalized, competency-based learning environment. Competency-based education is a method of instruction and evaluation based upon students demonstrating their mastery of a subject, usually at their own pace. Melissa Poloncic Satisfied with her job as Douglas County West superintendent, Poloncic said she hadnt been thinking about moving on to the education commissioner position. My journey in education has led me to this point, she said. Poloncic said Nebraskas main strength is its passion to educate children. Some issues shes heard of include lower student achievement, more student misbehavior, lack of communication and a contentious political climate that bleeds into education. For communication, Poloncic said she would introduce weekly updates to all education department staff and the state board. She also wants to create routine statewide updates. I believe schools need a routine of knowing when they will hear from the Department of Education, she said. On the topic of school choice, Poloncic said students already have a lot of education options. She said it gets messy when funding is involved. When you talk about the funding following the child, then you have to (ask), is the accountability the same? Where do the funds go? Poloncic said. How do the funds flow to the children or the intention of the legislation? Who is monitoring that? Poloncics comments about state assessments like NSCAS were similar to those of the other candidates. She said Nebraska is going to have to find a different way to assess students. Its not working really well, so now we have to change course, she said. A former Millard Public Schools student caused a disruption after he made his way into a school cafeteria this week without being stopped, raising questions about security and prompting a district review of procedures. Ryan Foley entered Millard South High School on Monday to get transcripts but then went into the cafeteria during a lunch period without being stopped by school officials or security. Once there, he tried to get the students attention by yelling and began to preach about religion, according to a video posted by Foley on his personal TikTok page. Be bold and courageous about the word of God, Foley said on the video. I am not coming in harm but be quiet for about 20 seconds. Foley said he was a student at the school two years ago and wanted students to get rid of their sins. Students can be seen laughing in the video while he spoke for about 20 seconds before school administrators arrived to take him back to the office. Millard South Principal Heidi Weaver sent an email to families later that afternoon to notify parents of the incident. I am writing to let you know about an incident that occurred at school today, she wrote. During the lunch hour, a former student came into the school for a transcript. On his way out of school, he went to the lunchroom and made some impromptu announcements about religion. A school administrator immediately intervened and escorted him out of the building. This situation disrupted the day, and we simply want to keep you informed. Mondays incident has drawn added scrutiny because it took place on the same day that three staff members and three students were shot and killed in Nashville, Tennessee, by a former student who entered a Christian school. The Omaha incident also occurred at a school that has experienced a school shooting. In 2011, a student shot and killed an assistant principal at Millard South and wounded the principal, before dying by suicide. The Millard school district said it will be making some security changes after Mondays incident. We are reviewing our procedures for visitors who need to access the school beyond the front office, the district said in a statement. Going forward, some business matters will be transferred to the front office or conducted electronically or by mail. School security is at the top of everyones minds. Meetings to review the situation began within the hour, according to the district. We take this seriously. Additionally, we always follow through with all legal avenues for anyone who breaches security, the district said. This includes being barred from the school premises and working with local law enforcement. The schools administration has also reached out to staff and families directly. Above all, we want students and staff, and all of our families, to feel school is a safe place. We have many layers of security in place, and we will learn from this situation to add additional layers of safety. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of March 2023 WASHINGTON The Senate voted Wednesday to repeal the resolution that gave a green light for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, a bipartisan effort to return a basic war power to Congress 20 years after an authorization many now view as a mistake. Iraqi deaths are estimated in the hundreds of thousands, and almost 5,000 U.S. troops were killed in the war after President George W. Bush's administration falsely claimed that Saddam Hussein was stockpiling weapons of mass destruction. "This body rushed into a war" that had massive consequences, said Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat who has pushed for years to repeal the powers. Senators voted 66-30 to repeal the 2002 measure and also the 1991 authorization that sanctioned the U.S.-led Gulf War. If the House approves it, the repeal would not be expected to affect any current military deployments. But lawmakers in both parties are increasingly seeking to claw back congressional powers they gave the White House over U.S. military strikes and deployments. Some lawmakers who voted for the Iraq War two decades ago now say that was a mistake. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., noted it would be the first time in more than 50 years that Congress would repeal a war powers vote, since the Gulf of Tonkin resolution that authorized military force in Vietnam was repealed in the early 1970s. "Americans want to see an end to endless Middle East wars," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, adding that passing the repeal "is a necessary step to putting these bitter conflicts squarely behind us." Supporters, including 18 Republican senators, say the repeal is crucial to prevent future abuses and to reinforce that Iraq is now a strategic partner of the United States. Opponents say the repeal could project weakness as the U.S. still faces conflict in the Middle East. "Our terrorist enemies aren't sunsetting their war against us," said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who is at home recovering from a fall this month and missed the vote. "When we deploy our service members in harm's way, we need to supply them with all the support and legal authorities that we can." The repeal's future is less certain in the House, where 49 Republicans joined with Democrats in supporting a similar bill two years ago. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has suggested he is open to supporting a repeal even though he previously opposed it, but Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, indicated he would like to instead replace it with something else. It is unclear what that would be. Kaine and Todd Young, R-Ind., who led the effort together, have said they believe a strong bipartisan vote sends a powerful message to Americans who believe their voices should be heard on matters of war and peace. President Donald Trump's administration cited the 2002 Iraq war resolution as part of its legal justification for a 2020 U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassim Soleimani, but the two war powers resolutions have otherwise rarely been used as the basis for any presidential action. About 2,500 U.S. troops remain in Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi government and assist and advise local forces. A separate 2001 authorization for the global war on terror would remain in place under the bill, which President Joe Biden said he will support. The October 2002 votes to give Bush broad authority for the Iraq invasion were a defining moment for many members of Congress as the country debated whether a military strike was warranted. The Bush administration drummed up support among members of Congress and the American public for invading Iraq by promoting what turned out to be false intelligence alleging Saddam had weapons of mass destruction. The U.S. overthrow of Iraq's security forces precipitated a brutal sectarian fight and violent campaigns by Islamic extremist groups in Iraq. Car bombings, assassinations, torture and kidnapping became a part of daily life for years. Some GOP senators opposing the repeal, including McConnell, have raised concerns about recent attacks against U.S. troops in Syria. A drone strike last week killed an American contractor and wounded five troops and another contractor, then a rocket attack wounded another service member. Iranian-backed militants are believed responsible for the attacks. Biden and his administration have argued that the repeal would not affect any response to Iran. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, both said at a Senate hearing last week that American troops are authorized to protect themselves and respond to attacks, including under Article 2 of the Constitution, which gives the president the authority to protect troops. Sen. Menendez, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said just ahead of the vote that the repeal "in no way diminishes" the U.S. ability to deter Iranian aggression. "This is not about Iran," Menendez said. "This is about Iraq. Saddam Hussein is gone." LINCOLN A bill guaranteeing state support for every public school student and boosting special education funding advanced out of the Education Committee on Wednesday. Legislative Bill 853, which would increase state support for schools by about $305 million annually, represents a major piece of Gov. Jim Pillens school aid and tax cut plan. State Sen. Rita Sanders of Bellevue introduced the bill on the governors behalf. Lawmakers started debating another part of the governors plan a package of income tax cuts on Wednesday and are expected to take up a package of property tax changes later in the week. LB 853 advanced on a 6-1 vote, with one abstention. Several committee members praised the plan, saying they appreciated Pillens willingness to put more money into public education. Sen. Dave Murman, the Education Committee chairman, said the bill would be good for all districts because it would increase funding for all. We talk all the time about investing in education. Heres our chance, said Sen. Tom Briese of Albion, adding that he wants the increased state support to drive down school property taxes. But Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha cast the lone vote against the bill, arguing the proposal would not do enough for the Omaha Public Schools, the states largest, while sending proportionally larger amounts to smaller rural school districts. District-by-district estimates, provided by the Governors Office, show that the bill would mean $91.5 million more state support for OPS over three years. Thats 9.9% of the $920.9 million increase statewide for the same period. But OPS educates 16% of Nebraska students. Other urban districts and those educating large numbers of students in poverty would get proportionally less of the new funding as well. Were comfortable investing in education when it doesnt affect black and brown kids, Wayne said. Briese responded that the state already provides about half of the funding for OPS. He said the state should do more for school districts that rely on property taxes for virtually all of their funding. Those districts do not qualify for equalization aid, the biggest source of state school aid. Equalization aid provides state dollars to fill the gap between a districts educational needs and the money it can get from property taxes and other sources. The number of equalized districts in the state has shrunk because steep increases in agricultural land valuations have allowed more districts to meet their needs with property taxes. About two-thirds of districts currently do not quality for equalization aid. Those tend to be rural districts with lower property tax levies. Those that get equalization money tend to be larger schools, and their tax levies usually are close to the maximum allowed by law. Under LB 853, the state would provide public schools with $1,500 for each student. The per-student payments would largely benefit districts that get no equalization aid. For equalized districts, the per-student payments would be completely offset by a loss of equalization aid in the first two years. But, starting with the third year, the bill would allow equalized districts to keep $600 of the $1,500 per-student payments as additional funding. The bill also requires the state to put enough money into special education so the combination of state and federal support would cover 80% of costs. Currently, the combination covers around 40% of costs, with the rest coming from schools general fund budgets. The special ed provision would increase state support for all school districts in the first two years. Starting with the third year, the increased state funding would cause equalization aid to drop, based on the various factors used to calculate that aid. But equalized districts would not lose aid because of the proposed change in how per-student payments would be counted. Under Pillens plan, the increased school aid would be paid from a proposed Education Future Fund. The fund would be created under LB 681, which is pending before the Appropriations Committee. That bill calls for the state to put an initial $1 billion into the fund this year, drawing on the states rosy tax revenue projections. It then provides for a $250 million infusion each following year. Photos: 2023 Nebraska legislative session LINCOLN Nebraska lawmakers went back and forth for hours Wednesday in a debate over a bill that would cut Nebraskas top income tax rate by nearly one-third. Legislative Bill 754 includes the income tax-related pieces of Gov. Jim Pillens tax cut and school aid plan. Those pieces together would reduce state tax revenues by at least $3.3 billion over six years, based on estimates from the Legislative Fiscal Office. Lawmakers debated the bill for more than six hours in a filibuster that stretched into Wednesday evening, with no decision reached by the time the Legislature adjourned for the day. A vote to advance LB 754 is expected Thursday morning. The measure ratchets down the top rate for individual and corporate income taxes to 3.99% by 2027, bringing down the rate paid by taxpayers in the top two individual tax brackets and both corporate brackets. The top individual rate is 6.64% this year and the top corporate rate is 7.25%. Both are slated to drop to 5.84% by 2027 under a law passed last year. State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of the Omaha area, who introduced the legislation, said LB 754 will encourage more people to stay and move to Nebraska, particularly business owners and other job creators. She noted that multiple neighboring states offer lower income rates. This argument saw some pushback from lawmakers. Sen. John Fredrickson of Omaha, who was undecided on the bill as of Wednesday afternoon, argued that while tax rates might be a factor in where people choose to move, there are also other factors like a states education options and the actions of its local government. Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln claimed the majority of people who move states do so for family reasons or job transfers. We cant act like its just taxes, Fredrickson said. Other components of LB 754 would make Social Security benefits fully exempt from income taxes by next year one year earlier than under current law. Another piece, based on LB 318, introduced by Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln, would provide some tax relief to low-income parents and child care providers. That piece would allow up to $15 million a year of tax credits for parents with children in child care, $10 million a year in credits for people who donate to child care programs and another $10 million in credits for child care programs and child care workers. At least half of Nebraska income tax filers could save money with the 3.99% tax rate, but the package would offer little for others. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy calculated that the 20% of Nebraskans with the lowest incomes those making less than $30,000 would save an average of $20 with the package. The next lowest 20% those making $30,000 to $54,000 would save an average of $111. Meanwhile, Nebraskas top earners would save thousands. The 15% of Nebraskans making $138,000 to $259,000 would save an average of $1,625. The 4% of Nebraskans making $259,000 to $603,000 would save an average of $4,431 and the 1% making more than $603,000 would save an average of $25,626. Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha proposed an amendment that would limit the tax rate for the top bracket to 4.99%, which he estimated would save the state about $100 million. The second-highest brackets limit would remain at 3.99%. Cavanaugh cited the disproportionate savings for the wealthy as his reason for bringing the amendment. Cavanaughs amendment failed in a 8-32 vote taken Wednesday night. Linehan acknowledged that the rich would see tax cuts under the tax bill but said middle class Nebraskans are included in the same bracket and thus would also benefit. She argued that Cavanaughs proposal would leave Nebraskas tax rates higher than those in other states. We are not competitive, Linehan said. The goal is to get our top rate to be competitive. Linehan and other LB 754 supporters repeatedly pointed to the states recent high revenues as an argument for seeking lower taxes. Linehan said Nebraska should be giving its extra money back to the people. But opponents questioned whether this plan would be sustainable in future years. Following multiple years of higher-than-average revenue projections, recent projections made to the Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board have been more modest, although officials say thats still not cause for alarm. Linehan has said the property tax measure needs to move in lockstep with the property tax changes incorporated into LB 243, introduced by State Sen. Tom Briese of Albion. She said the two proposals need to provide equivalent amounts of property tax relief as income tax cuts. As advanced by the Revenue Committee, LB 243 would increase Nebraskas two property tax credit programs, cap school property taxes and eliminate almost all community college property taxes. Briese said Wednesday that his support for LB 754 was conditional, in that its dependent on the passage of LB 243. One does not pass without the other, Briese said. They are tied at the hip. Pillens plan also included a $305 million increase in state school funding, paid for with a proposed Education Future Fund that would start at $1.25 billion during the two-year budget period starting July 1. LINCOLN The first day of debate on the latest measure to expand broadband services across Nebraska focused on how much power the governor should have in the effort. The Nebraska Legislature spent roughly five hours locked in a debate Thursday over Legislative Bill 683, which would solidify the creation of a state Broadband Office following an executive order Gov. Jim Pillen in his first days in office. Lawmakers did not come to a decision on the advancement of the bill Thursday, but a vote is expected Friday morning. LB 683 is one of the Transportation and Telecommunications Committees priority bills this session. Though the Legislature isnt technically required to pass the bill because of the executive order, the bill aims to clarifies the offices responsibilities, particularly when it comes to the large influx of federal dollars expected. State Sen. Suzanne Geist of Lincoln, the transportation chair, estimated Thursday that between $100 million to $400 million in federal money is expected to come to Nebraska, primarily through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. The state already has received nearly $100 million in federal money for broadband expansion. Its an enormous job, Geist said. The broadband office would be included under the State Department of Transportation, with Pillen having a role in oversight. The executive order, along with LB 683, also establishes a director to lead the office, who would be appointed by Pillen and serve in his cabinet. Currently, State Broadband Coordinator Patrick Redmond is serving as interim director. Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha took issue with that. She was the only transportation committee member who voted against LB 683 moving out of committee. She argued the bill takes power away from an elected body the Public Service Commission and gives additional power to the new governor and an unknown appointee who will be entrusted with so much money. Cavanaugh proposed an amendment that would give the Legislature oversight on how the funding is used. She argued that the Legislature rarely, if ever, gives the governor full control over public dollars. These drips of water are starting to fill the bucket up. We are giving away our own authority, Cavanaugh said. Cavanaughs amendment failed in a 6-32 vote. Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard echoed Cavanaughs concerns, noting that creating a new state office effectively grows Nebraskas government, and expressed concerns about the costs involved with that. Erdman voted against Cavanaughs amendment. Geist argued that if Pillens goal was to expand state government, he would have simply created a separate broadband agency. She said Pillen aimed to be efficient by creating the office within the transportation department, which has existing positions that are relevant to the offices duties. Other committee members, Sens. Wendy DeBoer of Bennington and John Fredrickson of Omaha, said they also shared Cavanaughs concerns until the committee drafted an amendment that adds several accountability measures to the office, including requiring the director to present an annual report to the Legislature. That report would be subject to a public hearing. The committee amendment has yet to be officially added to LB 683. DeBoer said she would not support the underlying bill if the amendment does not pass. As for Cavanaughs argument about diluting the power of the Public Service Commission, another committee member, Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth, noted that the commission still would be responsible for enforcement actions involving broadband services and would respond to citizen complaints. Bill supporters said broadband expansion is an urgent enough issue that lawmakers couldnt afford to delay the bill. Sen. Bruce Bostelman of Brainard, another committee member, claimed that 35 other states have passed similar legislation, and that historically Nebraska has been behind in this area. This isnt something we can wait two, three, four years on, Bostelman said. Most lawmakers spoke in support of LB 683. DeBoer and Cavanaugh agreed that a universal goal of the committee is to ensure broadband services are available to all Nebraskans. Brandt argued that a dedicated office and director on this effort would do a lot to provide such access to rural, underserved areas. Now is the time to help the unserved and underserved areas of the state, Brandt said. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of March 2023 Lots of work being done at state parks, recreation areas NORTHEAST Summit Lake State Recreation Area: West and south sediment basins excavated. Angler jetties and the boat ramp also were improved and stabilized. Kayak launch site developed. Ten-mile equestrian trail around the lake added as well as a new playground. Lewis and Clark State Recreation Area: Thirteen new 50-amp sites with rock surfacing added, including two ADA-compliant campsites. Ponca State Park: Eight single camps and two double Tentrr sites added. Willow Creek State Recreation Area: 3D targets at the parks walk-through archery range replaced. Design underway for new fish cleaning station. Niobrara State Park: New water access to the Niobrara River and a new park entrance. Fremont Lakes State Recreation Area: Construction will begin this year on a new shower facility and dump station at Pathfinder Campground. Fort Atkinson State Historical Park: Exhibit renovation at Harold W. Andersen Visitor Center will be completed this spring. SOUTHEAST Indian Cave State Park: New boardwalk to the cave installed. Restoration of Hackberry Hollow shower house to make it ADA-compliant underway. Rock Creek Station State Historical Park and State Recreation Area: Bridge repairs and bank stabilization prompted by erosion along the historic Oregon Trail have been completed. Alexandria State Recreation Area: Aging vault toilet replaced by an ADA-compliant one. Stagecoach State Recreation Area: ADA-compliant vault toilet installed. Pawnee State Recreation Area: Upgrade of the marina building has been completed. All 28 sites in the Area 3 Campground have been upgraded from basic to 50-amp electrical service. Conestoga State Recreation Area: Design concept underway to upgrade campsites from basic to electrical service and add a shower house. Riverview Marina State Recreation Area: New vault toilet has been installed. Branched Oak State Recreation Area: Electrical upgrades have been made at Areas 1 and 4. Four aging vault toilets have been replaced by ADA-compliant ones. Bluestem State Recreation Area: Campground electrical expansion design concept in progress. CENTRAL Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area: Multiple campground improvements. including ADA-compliant concrete restrooms at Willow Cove and Cottonwood campgrounds. Sherman Reservoir State Recreation Area: 62-site electrical campground combining Thunder Bay and West Ridge campgrounds under construction. Will include new connecting road and ADA-compliant sites. Tentrr sites added in 2022. Smith Falls State Park: New boardwalk to waterfall is under construction. Calamus State Recreation Area: Two Barracuda fish-cleaning stations added. Keller Park State Recreation Area: All 25 campsites upgraded to 50-amp electrical service. Two new ADA-compliant concrete restrooms. Victoria Springs State Recreation Area: Two cabins upgraded to meet ADA compliance. Two new ADA-compliant restrooms. Cowboy Recreation and Nature Trail: An erosion-control structure protecting the trail along the Elkhorn River near Norfolk and a large culvert near Valentine are being renovated. Select sections of trail surfacing affected by flooding also are being replaced. SOUTH CENTRAL Johnson Lake State Recreation Area: Seventy campsites are being upgraded to 50-amp electrical service and one site to be ADA compliant. Fort Kearny State Recreation Area: ADA-compliant shower house installed in east campground. Mormon Island State Recreation Area: Consultant hired to design seven full-service camping pads for recreational vehicles. Windmill State Recreation Area: New archery range was installed. NORTHWEST Chadron State Park: Forty-four campsites will be upgraded to 50-amp electricity. Box Butte State Reservoir State Recreation Area: Twenty new electrical campsites and a shower house and sewage dump station should be ready in June. Fort Robinson State Park: Campsites and facilities for those traveling with horses have been expanded, doubling the size of the equestrian campground at the northwest corner of the main park complex. Included will be 24 additional sites with hook-ups to 50-amp electricity, water and sewer. Also new will be an adjacent 30-pen enclosure for stalling horses outside. Walgren Lake State Recreation Area: A fishing pier was constructed. Wildcat Hills State Recreation: A new section of mountain biking trail was added. SOUTHWEST Lake McConaughy State Recreation Area: A $3.5 million boating access project significantly upgraded Martin Bays entrance, parking area and high-water boat ramp, and the Cedar View Bay boat ramp. Enders Reservoir State Recreation Area: A $1 million boating access project was completed to the Area A and No Name Bay boat ramps. Ash Hollow State Historical Park: Upgrades planned for existing visitors center sidewalk entrance and outside bathrooms to make them ADA compliant. A hiking trail will be built on the west side of the park. Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park: Construction will begin this year on a new, larger bison habitat area. Medicine Creek State Recreation Area: Courtesy dock will be installed on Trail 3. Red Willow State Recreation Area: Barracuda fish-cleaning station installed. Sutherland State Recreation Area: Boat dock installed at Westshore campground. Lake Maloney State Recreation Area: New courtesy dock for Outlet Campground. Swanson Reservoir State Recreation Area: New Barracuda fish-cleaning station with a shelter installed in Spring Canyon area. The French Embassy in Nigeria on Monday reaffirmed the countrys commitment to ensure improved relations between the two countries. The French Ambassador to Nigeria, Jerome Pasquier, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja. Mr Pasquier said Nigeria and France would partner in such areas as climate change, education and fight against terrorism. He said that his country had organised activities to commemorate this years International Francophone Week in Nigeria to strengthen the ties. The week is scheduled to start from March 18 to 23, on the theme: French Language, Connecting for Action to mark this years International Francophone Day, celebrated globally on March 20. The ambassador said France and Nigeria have so many things to do together; we will like to have more friendship with Nigeria. We want to work on key issues, such as climate change, which is a very serious issue for Nigeria; France is very committed to it, which is one area we can work together. Notably, one special issue for both of us is fight against terrorism, you have victims of terrorism in Nigeria. We also have in France. So, if there is any field we can work together, exchange information and experiences, it is in fights against terrorism, we cannot win the fight alone, we have to really work together. He commended the ability by some Nigerians who speak French Language to have contributed to the growth in trade relations between the two countries. He urged Nigerians wanting to school abroad to consider France as priority place for their studies, in order to enhance their learning of French Language. We really will like more students to come to France; we are very active in promoting knowledge of French Language studies traditionally in Nigeria. Observably, students when thinking of where to go abroad often think about U.K., U.S., mostly because of language, but there is need for them to have a rethink. We have to convince them, there are many good universities in France and it is not difficult to learn French Language and even study there, Mr Pasquier said. NAN reports that the week is often celebrated globally by the International Organisation of Francophone countries. The organisation, also known as Francophonie, consists of 88 member states and governments, accounting for population of 300 million French speakers globally. (NAN) One of the daughters of President Muhammadu Buhari has stepped out of isolation after spending 14 days to prevent spread of coronavirus. Buharis daughter, who returned from the UK went into isolation immediately in line with guidelines laid down by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC. Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari revealed this on Thursday on her twitter handle. According to Aisha, it was a thing of joy and gratitude to God to reunite with her daughter after she went into isolation 14 days ago. It is a thing of joy & gratitude to Almighty God to reunite with my daughter after she had been in isolation for 14 days immediately she landed in Nigeria. While Im wishing all those infected for a speedy recovery, I pray for the end of this pandemic, she tweeted. Aisha had revealed on March 19 that her daughter had gone into self-isolation after arriving from the United Kingdom due to raging Coronavirus pandemic. She said her daughter returned from the UK being among the burden countries of Coronavirus and placed herself on self-isolation even though she did not develop any symptoms of the disease. Good afternoon Nigerians, earlier today my daughter returned from the UK being among the high Burden listed countries of COVID-19. Based on the advice of the Hon. Minister Of Health , Presidential Task force on COVID 19 and that of NCDC, she is on Self Isolation, not because she displayed any symptoms of the Covid-19, she said. Main Gallery 404 offers portfolio reviews BLOOMINGTON Main Gallery 404 will hold portfolio reviews from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 30. Artists can bring up to 10 examples of recent work for discussion and feedback from curators to help reach a level of self assessment and direction. The reviews will last about 15 minutes. Appointments are enouraged but artists may drop by that evening if slots are available. Appointments can be made by contacting maingalleryart@gmail.com or 309-590-6779. The event is open to artists at all levels and in any media. Artists should be prepared to give the curators a short explanation of their process, method of practice, goals and desires in order to start the conversation. Curators will then give advice and direction. Curators of Main Gallery 404 are Brian K. Simpson and Jarey Lacy. Simpson has a BFA from Illinois Wesleyan University and a Masters from Illinois State University, and has emphasized the regular practice of drawing as a way to improve as an artist. Lacy holds a BS in education from Eastern Illinois University and has extensive graduate work in Studio Art/Art Ed at ISU. He was also an art instructor for 38 years along with pursuing his work in the studio as a mixed media printer. Contact info@brianksimpson.com or 309-828-7471 for more information. Black Hawk Performance Company at ISU NORMAL The Black Hawk Performance Company will perform at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 1 in the Prairie Room of the Bone Student Center at Illinois State University. The event is family-friendly, free, and open to the public. The event will feature dancing, music, and narration. The event is sponsored by TRIBE@ISU, the Multicultural Center, and the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. The company was named in honor of the great Sac tribal leader Black Hawk and black hawks across the state, and was founded in 1984 by the late award-winning Zuni/Isleta artist Carlos Peynetsa. It is the oldest American Indian dance company in Chicago. New exhibit at ISU gallery open NORMAL A new exhibit "Groovin Through the 1960s" will be on display at the Lois Jett Historic Costume gallery at Illinois State University. The exhibit is open to the campus and community. It will run through Sept. 8. The gallery is located in Turner Hall 126 on campus. The exhibit showcases ensembles from the decade that range in style, occasion, texture and season as well as highlights popular styles and colors of the decade. It was planned and installed by students in the fashion design and merchandising program at ISU. Exhibit lead curators Melanie Guzman '23 and Michele Parr '23 said the goal of the exhibit is to have viewers consider and feel what it was like to live in the 1960s. Normal seeks Harmon Arts Grant applications NORMAL The Town of Normal is seeking applications for arts-related projects, programs, or events to be funded through the 2023 Harmon Arts Grant Program. The application deadline is Friday, April 28 and the application is available online at Normalil.gov. The grants are available to art organizations for programs or events taking place between June 1 and May 31, 2024. Priority will be given to programs in the Town of Normal and proposals making programs or events more accessible to the public, particularly for seniors, students, and low-income residents. The program was named to honor former Mayor Paul Harmon and it was created in 1993 to promote arts in the community. Normal awarded 20 grants in 2022. The maximum grant award is $5,000. Applications are reviewed by Harmon Arts Grant Committee members who make recommendations to the Normal Town Council. The awards will be presented June 5. Prairie Fire Theater to host auditions at IWU BLOOMINGTON Prairie Fire Theater will hold auditions for the their musical, Bright Star, with music and story by Steve Martin and Edie Brichell. Audition dates are April 5 and 6 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. in Presser Hall Room 161 at Illinois Wesleyan University. Those who plan to audition are asked to sing a 32 measure cut from song in the style of the show. Rehearsals will begin July 6 with performances from April 9 to 13. The show is directed by Scott Susong and the music director is Charles Berggren. University High School to present spring musical NORMAL University High School will present their spring musical "Little Shop of Horrors." Performances will run April 14 through April 22 at 7 p.m. in the Ruth A. Stroud Auditorium, 601 Gregory St., Normal. There will also be a 2 p.m. matinee on April 16. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, and $5 for students. They can be purchased at stroud.ticketleap.com or at the door for $12. The play is about a floral assistant named Seymour Krelborn who discovers a new breed of plant he names "Audrey II," after his coworker crush, but turns out it is from mysterious origins. Little Shop of Horrors is presented with a special arrangement with music internation. All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. The play is based on the film by Roger Corman and screenplay by Charles Griffith. Book and lyrics are by Howard Ashman. Music by Alan Menken. The show was originally produced by the WPA Theatre. Poco a Poco Festival seeks artist applications STREATOR The 7th Annual Poco a Poco Summer Music Festival set for June 10-17 is seeking artist applications. Auditions are currently underway. Students in 8th grade through high school are encouraged to apply soon to earn a spot. The week includes choir, voice, and piano lessons as well as options such as conducting, theory, percussion, musical theater, movement and more. Normal training hours will be from 1 to 5 p.m. and there will be several concerts that students are invovled in as attendees or participants. The concerts are free and open to the public. Visit pocoapoco.org or contact pocoapocoarts@gmailc.om for more information. Ex-volunteer's family donates $100K to library SPRINGFIELD A former volunteer's family at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum has donated $100,000 in his name. John P. "Jack" Navins volunteered at the museum for 17 years. He was 73-years-old when he died and was beloved among the volunteer team. The money will help the ALPLM build a roughly $500,000 exhibit that teaches children about the rights and responsibilities of being a good citizen. Navins spent 22 years in the Navy before retiring as a captain. He felt it was important for people to contribute to society as good citizens. He developed a fascination with Lincoln and the Civil War as a boy growing up in St. Paul, Minn. A doctor, he went into private practice in Lincolns hometown after leaving the Navy. Eventually, he began volunteering at the presidential library, giving nearly 4,500 hours of service. BLOOMINGTON March appears determined to go "out like a lion," as the saying goes, with severe weather headed for the region on Friday. A line of thunderstorms is likely to move through Central Illinois during the late afternoon and early evening hours, said Matt Holiner, The Pantagraph's meteorologist. "Central Illinois residents should be prepared for stormy conditions during the late afternoon and early evening hours Friday and try to limit outdoor activity," he said, adding, "There's a good chance of downed tree limbs and trees that could lead to scattered power outages Friday night and into Saturday." Thursday's forecast, however, contains good news: dry weather, with high temperatures rising into the low 60s. Showers and a few storms are possible late Thursday night and Friday morning, and high temperatures on Friday afternoon may reach into the 60s. After a cold front passes through the area later on Friday, however, heavy rain and lightning will be widespread, Holiner said. Winds could gust up to 70 miles per hour, and up to quarter-size hail could fall in some locations. Tornadoes cannot be ruled out. "Once the line of storms moves through, scattered showers will linger for the rest of the night before coming to an end early Saturday morning," Holiner said. While the rain will have stopped on Saturday, the forecast calls for much colder temperatures and wind gusts as high as 55 miles per hour, particularly in the late morning and early afternoon. DECATUR A man suspected in a stabbing was shot during a confrontation with two Decatur police officers early Thursday. Police Chief Shane Brandel said officers responded at 3:53 a.m. to a domestic violence call in the 400 block of East Orchard Street. They were told that a man and woman were fighting, and that the man had threatened the woman's juvenile child with a knife. Brandel identified the man as 43-year-old Steven L. Hirstein, and said officers knew he was wanted on charges of domestic battery and aggravated domestic battery in previous incidents. Arriving officers found that the woman had multiple stab and slash wounds on her body, Brandel said. They eventually found Hirstein in a bathroom; instead of heeding commands to show his hands and come out of the bathroom, he charged at officers while armed with a knife, Brandel said. Two officers, whom Brandel did not identify by name, fired at Hirstein, who was struck in both hands and the right arm, just above his elbow. He was given first aid and taken to Decatur Memorial Hospital for his injuries, which were not considered life-threatening, the chief said. The woman was also treated for stab wounds in her back, arm and hip, and a cut on her chest; she was released from the hospital late Thursday morning. Upon his release, Hirstein will be arrested on preliminary charges of attempted murder, aggravated domestic battery and aggravated assault. Illinois State Police are investigating the incident, as is standard protocol in such situations, BRandel said. The department will also conduct an internal investigation. State police will forward the investigation results to the Macon County State's Attorney's Office, which will determine whether the use of deadly force was justified under the law. Brandel said the incident was captured on body cameras of multiple officers. The two who fired their weapons were identified as an eight-year veteran and an officer who just completed his first year on the job. The weird merry-go-round involving Twitters unpaid bills shows no sign of slowing. On this whirl, it is KKR suing the social media company for failing to pay rent on office space in Oakland, California. Already in arrears in Boston, San Francisco and London, the beleaguered bird is now facing a demand for $1.3 million due to the alleged breach of contract. Possibly these are strategic pauses, an effort by Elon Musk to extract better lease terms. Classically, however, failure to make payments under a commercial lease has often signaled that a company has severe cash flow problems. Nowadays, few people remember that for half a century, the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company was the nations largest retailer. But in 2010, when a much-smaller A&P stopped making lease payments on the space it had left, nobody was surprised that bankruptcy soon followed. During the 1990s, observers knew the end of Home Insurance Co. was near when the onetime industry giant suspended its multi-million-dollar annual lease payments on its classic building at building at 59 Maiden Lane in New Yorks financial district. Lets be clear: Nobody thinks Twitter is about to go under. Prior to Musks takeover last fall, the company had been expanding its user base at a steady clip, even among the younger generation. Between 2020 and 2022, the proportion of 12-34 year-olds using Twitter rose from 29% to 42%, according to Edison Research. So whats going on? Maybe Musk is withholding payment as a move in what is known among scholars as the holdup game an opportunistic effort to force better terms from a counterparty whos poorly positioned to resist your demands. Think of a seller about to deliver a generator, who waits until after the buyer has finished renovating the factory according to the sellers specs before demanding a higher price. If thats the move, its a risky one. The courts and commentators increasingly take the view that the terms of contracts renegotiated under threat of breach should be subjected to special scrutiny. And if indeed holdup is Musks strategy, the landlords, by suing, are calling his bluff. Small wonder. Theory teaches that one reason commercial leases are lengthy is to make it harder for either side to play the holdup game. For commercial landlords, finding new tenants and renovating spaces to suit their needs can be costly. Were commercial leases of shorter duration, lessees would constantly demand better terms under threat of non-renewal. Long leases also benefit corporate tenants, who face a mirror-image risk. Without them, landlords might demand huge increases, because for a large company it is costly to find alternate quarters, renovate them, and get everyone moved on schedule. In other words, the reason Twitter is stuck with long leases is that, in theory, both sides benefit. Thats also the reason that, if Musks refusals to pay rent are indeed strategic, theyre unlikely to work. The Financial Times reported recently that Musk has told Twitter executives worried about unpaid bills to let them sue. But even though postponing payments to landlords and vendors might stave off the reckoning, its not an actual plan. Perhaps Musk is simply displaying his trademark optimism, and plans to catch up on payments, with interest, once advertisers return to Twitter an event whose occurrence he keeps predicting. But you know were good for it is an excuse a counterparty can accept for only so long. After all, landlords have expenses, too. Companies arent supposed to behave this way not if their plan is to stay in business. A company that stops paying bills takes a significant hit to reputational capital. That hit, in turn, implies that future vendors will charge a premium to insure against the risk that the same thing happens again. The management of Electrochem Limited, a salt mining company owned by Dr Daniel McKorkely, has reacted to claims that it owes GH300,000 debt to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG). This comes after an exercise carried out in the Ada District by the ECG Revenue Taskforce, discovered that the company had owed power debt accrued over the years. But the management of the company, interacting with journalists, explained that the debt situation was an inherited one after it took over the premises. They added that the company had inherited a debt about GH2 million over eight years from the previous occupants of the premises a large chuck which they indicate has been paid by Electrochem. All though the situation is unfortunate, we have to put on record that when we took over Songor, the lights were off for about 8 years with over GH2 million power debt which was inherited. We have since paid a large sum of it and want to assure that we are keen on settling all outstanding owed to the ECG, the management explained. Prior to the disconnection exercise, the ECG taskforce also cut the power supply of some three other privately-owned businesses in the Ada District. They include Moonlight Fresco Limited, which is a banana producing firm; and fish farming company, Frosell. The other company, which was impacted by the exercise was Kemmat Hotel, which is said to have owed over GH200,000 in debt on its six power meters. Further, the ECG on March 20, 2023, embarked on a nationwide revenue mobilisation exercise. The company is targeting to collect a debt of about GH5.7 billion owed by various ministries, departments and agencies, state-owned enterprises, postpaid and prepaid customers across the country. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Chinese Gen-Zer wins gold medal in food carving in 10th International Abylimpics People's Daily Online) 10:11, March 30, 2023 The Chinese delegation shined in the 10th International Abylimpics, also known as the skills Global Competition for disabled people, which ended on March 25 in Metz, France. With excellent skills and a craftsmanship spirit, a total of 29 Chinese contestants competed in 20 programs of nine categories, winning six golds, seven silvers and seven bronze medals during the two-day event. Photo shows the Chinese delegation at the 10th International Abylimpics, also known as the skills Global Competition for disabled people. (Photo/Zhejiang Daily Press Group) Born in 2002, Zheng Yunhai from Shuangpu township, Xihu district, Hangzhou city, east China's Zhejiang Province placed first in carving (vegetables). Zheng became hearing-impaired due to an accident when he was 6. Despite the terrible blow, Zheng was very interested in the structure of things, and disassembled many of his toys. The Gen-Zer also had a keen sense of space and lines, and loved painting. "Back then, I wanted to be an inventor or artist in the future," he said. Photo shows Zheng Yunhai, the gold medalist in carving (vegetables) at the 10th International Abylimpics, also known as the skills Global Competition for disabled people. (Photo/Zhejiang Daily Press Group) After graduating from junior school, Zheng went to Hangzhou First Technician College to study Chinese cooking. While studying food carving, he found that the technique is not as simple as it seemed. He tried many times and practiced very hard. It took him two weeks to make a vivid food-carving work in the shape of a Chinese rose. "My hands got hurt frequently during my early stage of practicing," he said. Under the guidance of his teacher Li Xiaoming, Zheng won many awards in China. Zheng opened a workshop last year, and trained apprentices during summer vacation. Zheng Yunhai practices carving on a watermelon. (Photo/Zhejiang Daily Press Group) Zheng left home and joined the Chinese delegation after the Spring Festival this year. The delegation had a two-month intensive training before setting out for France. Zheng, who participated in the competition for the first time, underwent eight hours of mock competition a day. "In the final stage of the intensive training, I sometimes practiced from around 6 a.m. to 9 p.m." Zheng remained calm during the competition. "The most challenging part for me was a lack of information about the carving materials. But with all these years' arduous training, I believed I could make it," he said. Zheng Yunhai shows his gold medal. (Photo/Zhejiang Daily Press Group) After learning the results, Zheng shared the good news with his grandfather on the phone. The latter shed tears. "Our family now has a world champion," his grandfather said to his family members and relatives. "I look forward to making more lifelike food carvings, and bringing the technique to a higher level," he said. Aside from Zheng, another three contestants from Zhejiang Province, Wang Xiaozhen, Chen Liangjie and Hu Chunfang, claimed gold medals in hairdressing, word processing, and crochet work, respectively. Zheng Jiansheng and Song Tianyu won silver medals in photography-studio and creating web pages. Wu Xiangdong placed third in wood carving. Photo shows Zheng Yunhai in the competition. (Photo/Zhejiang Daily Press Group) Photo shows Wang Xiaozhen, the gold medalist in hairdressing at the 10th International Abylimpics, also known as the skills Global Competition for disabled people. (Photo/Zhejiang Daily Press Group) Wang Xiaozhen shows her gold medal. (Photo/Zhejiang Daily Press Group) Hu Chunfang crochets. (Photo/Zhejiang Daily Press Group) Hu Chunfang shows her gold medal. (Photo/Zhejiang Daily Press Group) Photo shows Chen Liangjie, the gold medalist in word processing at the 10th International Abylimpics, also known as the skills Global Competition for disabled people. (Photo/Zhejiang Daily Press Group) (Web editor: Hongyu, Du Mingming) Vodafone Ghana has announced an expansion of its national roaming service partnership with MTN, to improve connectivity for customers throughout the country. The initiative, which initially began with a pilot program last year, has been expanded to cover the entire nation. The initiative is a result of an effort by the government to facilitate universal access to telecommunications services and accelerate the countrys digital transformation. By implementing a full national roaming regime among all operators, the government hopes to expand coverage and strengthen the telecommunications industry. National roaming allows a subscribers SIM to connect automatically to an alternative telecom network when their primary network is non-existent or weak. The service not only extends the coverage of network operators retail voice and SMS services but also enables mobile users to continue using their phone numbers and data services within another jurisdiction. Vodafone Ghana CEO Patricia Obo-Nai expressed enthusiasm for the initiative: National roaming offers customers a greater choice of network providers. In 2022, we successfully collaborated with the government, the regulator, and MTN Ghana to pilot the national roaming service in the Volta Region, she said. We are excited that this partnership has extended to other regions. Patricia added that the initiative would enable Vodafone Ghana customers to stay connected to its offerings no matter their location in Ghana. We offer a wide variety of products and services to consumers and businesses. With this initiative, we are glad that all communities in Ghana can benefit from our offers, she said. By fostering a more connected and digitally integrated nation, Vodafone Ghana is collaborating with the government to improve communication, access to information, and business opportunities for all Ghanaians. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former Health Minister Alex Segbefia has said that people who engage in LGBTQI activities are created in Ghana because of happening in the country. Speaking in an interview on TV3, on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, Segbefia cited the example of prisoners in the country not being allowed to meet their spouses for sexual intercourse. He said that because prisoners do not have sex with their partners for a long time, they start developing feelings for people of the same sex because of some of the things that happen in prison. We create, as a society, people who become bisexual or homosexuals. When you jail a man for 10 years in prison do you allow his wife to go and meet him? the rules are there but there are always people who cant adhere because you are dealing with feelings. But what I am saying is that as a society, we turn to create some of these things that exist. Because somebody can go into prison without having a penchant whatsoever for making love to somebody of the same sex but because of rape and what goes on in the prison, he comes out with a favour for it," he said. The former health minister, who made these remarks while reacting to the brouhaha surrounding the passage of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021 (Anti-LGBT bill), which criminalises LGBT activities, said that imprisoning people who engage in these activities should not be the only solution. What steps are we taking to deal with such a person and we say that now the person should be imprisoned, he said. 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. Featured Video Theres fear and panic among the Aowin Traditional Council after the shooting incident that led to the death of four persons in November 2022. The leaders have appealed to the Inspector-General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare, to intervene. Four people were shot dead and many injured after unidentified men allegedly attempted to attack the Paramount Chief of the Aowin Traditional Area, Beyeeman Tano Kwao Benbuin II, in the early hours of Sunday, November 6, 2022. The traditional council has revealed that since the shooting incident last year, the traditional leaders in the area feel insecure as they have been receiving several threats from unidentified persons believed to be in the same area. At a press conference at Enchi, Nana Enoku Panyin III, the chief of New Yaakase, who led the press conference, said they live in fear, particularly the paramount chief, Beyeeman Tano Kwao Benbiun. Nana Enoku Panyin expressed worry about the polices failure to ensure effective protection of the palace and the traditional leaders since the shooting incident happened. He called on the government to intervene before things get out of control in the area. However, Nana Enoku Panyin III disclosed that since the undercurrent of these disturbances and assassination attempts are all steeped in chieftaincy disputes, he humbly implored the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs to order urgently the Judicial Committee of the National House of Chiefs sitting on the dispute regarding the Aowin Paramount Stool to come out with their ruling to forestall any other issues that may hamper the peace and tranquillity of the Aowin Traditional Area. Also, some of the chiefs, who were present during the press conference who spoke to the media, urged the security operatives in the region to ensure the protection of lives and property in the Aowin traditional area. Source: adomonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Peace Watch Ghana has challenged President Akufo-Addo to speak out against LGBTQ+ issues. Nyonkopa Daniels, the NGOs founder and leader, believes the president must muster the courage to speak out against it and support any law that criminalises it. Age stated on Rainbow Radio 87.5FMs Frontline that LGBTQI+ is evil, demonic, and devilish and should not be entertained in Ghana. She asserted that family values must be promoted, and the family values that Ghanaians believe in promoting marriage between men and women rather than the opposite. Nyonkopa Daniels went on to urge the National Chief Imam to rally other Islamic sects, Christian groups, and Ghanaians to unite in order to say no to homosexuality. We cant have men sleeping with men. We must prohibit women from sleeping with other women. It is barbaric, demonic, evil, and a slap in the face to our cultural values. Homosexuality is contrary to Gods design for humanity. We will not consider it. We will not accept so-called aid from these Western countries and will not tolerate these demonic acts and behaviour. As a people, we have a responsibility to protect this country. We will oppose homosexuality and any form of support for such practises. If we entertain these demonic behaviours, we will incur Gods wrath. We must be wise and resist all efforts to encourage it. She also took on government officials who are working to promote LGBTQI+ rights in Ghana. Beware if you work at the presidency and enjoy these acts. If you are a government official who enjoys homosexuality, do not impose it on others. President Akufo-Addo must be brave and resist it. Late President Mills was bold and spoke out against it, so be bold and speak out against it, she 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. Featured Video In a successful private members bill in the House, Parliament has amended the Criminal Offences Act 1960 (Act 29) to decriminalise attempted suicide in the nation. Under the new rules, no one will be prosecuted for attempted suicide, which remains a major public health problem. Section 57 (1) of the Criminal Offence Act stipulates that, a person who attempts to commit suicide commits a misdemeanor. Since 1960, Ghana has had an anti-suicide legislation in place, and this legislation was passed down from the countrys former British colonial administration. MPs passed the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2021, on Tuesday, stating that attempted suicide is unquestionably a health issue when one considers the reasons for suicidal behaviour. NDC MP for Akatsi South, Bernard Ahiafor, who sponsored the bill, moved for the third reading of the bill and it was seconded by the Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi. According to the lawmakers, suicidal behaviour is a mental health problem, asserting that the countrys anti-suicide law has outlived its usefulness. They contended that the law was agreed upon in 1960 on the basis that people have no right to take their own lives, and that the law has a deterrent effect, helping to reduce the suicide rate. They said research had proven that suicide mortality rate was still high, an indication that the deterrent effect has not been effective. During the bills consideration stage, the House amended section 57 of Act 29 to read, A person commits a first degree felony if the person, knowing that another person has suicidal thoughts, does an act that is aimed at aiding, assisting, facilitating, or encouraging the person to commit or attempt to commit suicide, whether or not the suicide is actually committed. The House also made a consequential amendment to the Mental Health Act 2012 (Act 846) to state that anyone who attempts suicide is presumed to have a severe mental disorder, and the provisions of the Mental Health Act apply. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Founder and Director of LGBTQ+ Rights Ghana, Alex Kofi Donkor says criminalizing LGBT persons will not bring any significant change to the country. Leading sponsor of the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, Sam George is accusing the US government of being hypocritical following comments by US Vice President Kamala Harris maintaining that the LGBTQ+ debate is a human rights matter. The US Vice President who is in Ghana at a press engagement described gay rights as human rights which are non-negotiable. In an interview with Starr News, Ningo-Prampram MP and sponsor of the anti-gay bill called the bluff of the US government for what he terms an attempt to impose gay rights on Ghana. According to the MP, the economic crisis the Nana Addo administration has plunged the country into has given the Americans the motivation to pressure the government into submission. Speaking on Starr Today with Joshua Kodjo Mensha, the LGBT activist indicated that the sponsors of the LGBT bill have nothing to do with family values as they seem to be projecting. What are the family values that you want to criminalize me? What is it? They are just using words around just to divide us unnecessarily, the very person who is saying that what is it about him that is more family value than me so much so that he wants to criminalize me for what? What will be the change, what is the significant change if you criminalize me? I am a Ghanaian that also plays my role as a researcher, I pay my taxes every month, MoMo charges and everything Ghanaians do that really makes a person Ghanaian I am doing that. Yet somebody sitting somewhere because he has gotten an opportunity to be an MP he is subjecting other Ghanaians to disrepute and we allow that to happen? Mr. Donkor stated. He continued: Just recently Uganda passed the bill. What is the significant change that has happened in Uganda so much that Ghana wants to replicate it? Do we want to compare our progress to Uganda? I am sorry. Come on, lets be serious, these people are just dividing us unnecessarily for their own parochial interest. According to him, there is nothing threatening the Ghanaian family. We are all part of Ghana and we are all Ghana. No one is more Ghanaian than the other. Lets stop this, he concluded. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Ministry of Energy has disclosed that the Ghana Gas Company Limited on 25 March 2023, commenced a maintenance programme at its Atuabo Gas Processing Plant which is expected to last for 14 days. The programme when completed, according to the Ministry, will ensure the reliability of the gas processing plant and transmission infrastructure. The shutdown will affect gas supply to some power plants and will ultimately result in interruption of power supply to some consumers. In the circumstances, the Ministry in a statement said the Electricity Company of Ghana will shortly release a schedule to this effect. In order to manage the impact of the shutdown, it said government is procuring additional gas from Nigeria, Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) and Light Crude Oil (LCO) to complement available domestic gas for power generation. Consistent with the Dum Siesie programme of ensuring reliable power supply through robust and necessary maintenance activities, the Ministry wishes to assure the general public that the Ministry is actively working with all stakeholders to ensure that any adverse effects of this exercise is mitigated, the statement added. Source: class fm Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, the government's spokesperson on governance and security, has clarified the statement made by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on the presence of the jihadist group, Al-Qaeda, in Ghana. Addressing a joint press conference with the Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris, on Monday, March 27, 2023, President Akufo-Addo said that he does not know if there are Al Qaeda terrorists in Ghana. "The presence of Al-Qaeda in Ghana? I don't know. Formally, we don't have any information to that effect," he said in response to a question from a New York Times reporter. "It may well be that there are cells and others already in the country, but those are matters that the security agencies are very much on top of, and we are hoping that there will be no Al-Qaeda presence in Ghana," the president added. Speaking in an interview on Neat FM monitored by GhanaWeb on Wednesday, Palgrave Boakye-Danquah said that Akufo-Addo, by his statement, was assuring the world about the stability of Ghana. "The response was to assure that Al-Qaeda was not present in Ghana. As we speak today, we have not arrested any terrorist who belongs to any of the rising terrorist groups in the region of West Africa. "And also, that the heads of security are doing all they can to ensure [that] if terrorists are present in the country, they will be apprehended and duly prosecuted," he said in Twi. The governance and security spokesperson added that Ghana and other countries in West Africa are working to ensure that jihadists are booted out of the sub-region. 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. Featured Video The Catholic Bishops Conference has urged the government to reject the $139 million budget support the United States government has promised Ghana if it is tied to the country accepting LGBTQ activities. Speaking in an interview with Catholic Trends, the President of the Catholic Bishop Conference, Most Rev. Matthew Gyamfi, said that accepting aid from the US government with any LGBTQ conditions would amount to the government selling the country's birth right. He added that the government must tell the people of Ghana what the conditions for the $139 million are before accepting it. This is a very serious issue. It is at the gate of who we are as Ghanaians and nobody should toy with it with money. And if that should be the case (the aid is tied to Ghana accepting LGBT), let the government reject the money and tell the people, this is what they are saying. Should I take it? So that you do this or not and let the people decide. This is not the first time. We have seen the European Union, the United States and these rich countries sometimes push down our throats with certain reforms and certain things and they say if only you do these things, we would give you the money. I know the government has done that over and over and over, and many Ghanaians know it. It is not only I who is saying it. So when it comes to something that makes a people, a people. That is their culture and tradition, then if you sell your birth right, culture and tradition, if you sell who you are for money when you get the money who are you again? Most Rev. Gyamfi said. The office of the United States Vice President indicated that the US government will support Ghana with $139 million for the 2024 fiscal year. According to Aljazeera, the $139 million is an addition to the $100 million security support, Vice President Kamala Harris announced for five West African countries including Ghana. 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. Featured Video A woman has been arrested in France and faces a criminal trial for posting a slogan referring to President Emmanuel Macron as 'garbage' on Facebook. The 50-year-old woman named as only Valerie, was placed in police custody for the alleged offence. She is accused of 'publicly insulting' the French President, who has witnessed millions take to the streets in protest to his controversial move to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 without a parliamentary vote. 'I asked them if it was a joke,' Valerie told the Voix du Nord (Voice of the North) newspaper. 'It's the first time I've been arrested.' The 'Macron Garbage' graffiti was outside a waste disposal depot in nearby Arques, and I had simply 'been photographed in front of it, smiling,' she said. Referring at the time to an upcoming television address by Mr. Macron, Valerie also wrote on Facebook: 'The garbage will talk tomorrow at 1 p.m.., adding: 'We also find the garbage on TV'. Valerie is linked to the Yellow Vests anti-Macron movement which brought chaos to France in 2018, but she denies being a troublemaker. 'I'm an activist for social justice,' she said. 'They want to make an example of me. I am not public enemy number one. 'This is totally unfair. We are going through a period when intimidation is strong, and activists are threatened.' Human rights laws have complained about police violence and arbitrary arrests, as Mr Macron sends paramilitary units onto the streets to try and quell the violence. Prosecutors and the Pas-de-Calais prefecture confirmed that an investigation had been opened into Valerie's Facebook post. A statement from the prefecture said it has been 'opened following a complaint filed by the sub-prefect of Saint-Omer with the police station after he became aware of offensive photos and publications targeting the President of the Republic on social media networks'. Valerie will be tried at the Saint-Omer criminal court on June 20 for 'insults conveyed by word writing, image or means of electronic communication' and faces a fine equivalent to around 10,000. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Classera, a global edutech learning management platform focused on emerging markets, has successfully raised $40 million in a Series A round, the largest in EdTech globally for a company with no prior funding. The impressive Series A round, which represents the largest funding round ever in Edtech in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and most of Africa, is expected to advance Classera's Learning Super Platform (LSP), affirm its position of leadership in e-learning and EdTech, in addition to further deepening its global expansion into new markets, especially in Africa. The round was led by the Public Investment Fund (PIF)-owned Sanabil Investments, a Saudi-based investment giant, accompanied by Global Ventures, Endeavor Catalyst, 500 Global, Sukna Venture, and Seedra Ventures. Also involved in the round were other investors from Silicon Valley, emerging markets, and global family offices. Crucially, the investment will see Classera accelerate on its global trajectory and target more growth in MENA, the rest of Africa, and to fast-track its expansion, especially into Asia Pacific (APAC) and elsewhere. These strategic expansionary plans will be driven by direct sales of its cutting-edge learning solutions, through channel partners, and via acquisitions. Similarly, proceeds of the investment will also help Classera - via its specialized platform for corporate e-training LeadXera - to expand faster into that huge sector - which is one of the primary targets of the investment. As part of its growing footprints in Africa, Classera recently partnered with TD Africa, Sub-Saharan Africas leading distributor of tech, services, and lifestyle products. The partnership will see Classera leverage TD Africas growing database, network of resellers/partners as well as its considerable reach to grow the adoption of its bouquet of e-learning solutions among millions of users across Nigeria and Ghana. Specifically, through TD Africa, Classera will gain access to and introduce a range of smart learning tools to clients in the education sector, including schools at every level. Also, in line to benefit are large corporate organizations, as well as Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) desirous of adopting a digital learning platform to provide training for their employees. Consequently, its strategic partnership with TD Africa, arguably the biggest distributor of Microsofts products and services in Nigeria and beyond, will undoubtedly aid Classera to gain significant footholds across a wide range of target audiences in Nigeria and Ghana. "We are delighted to be associated with Classera, particularly in the light of this landmark fund raise and in view of the massive potential in boosting e-learning for a variety of key users across Nigeria and Ghana, disclosed Coordinating Managing Director, TD Africa, Mrs. Chioma Chimere. Leveraging our army of resellers in these markets, we are confident that this strategic partnership will go a long way in expanding access to the suite of cutting-edge solutions from Classera for millions of new users." Also commenting was Mahmoud El Gabry, Strategic Partnerships Director of Classera Inc. "As we just completed one of the largest funding rounds a company with no prior funding had done in the EdTech industry, we are determined to extend our worldwide presence focusing on Africa to accomplish our vision. Today, I am very excited about our new partnership with TD Africa to empower the learning journey of our clients in Nigeria and Ghana benefiting from the innovation brought by Classera and its globally recognized and awarded learning solutions spearheaded by its state of art Learning Super Platform (LSP)." Equally important, Classera, last year, launched a co-branded solution alongside HP under the name "HP-ClassEasy by Classera" which is now offered in several countries globally, with an eye on accelerating its growing adoption in Africa as well. The solution is an Education Super App for K12 and Higher Education that leverages AI, gamification and social learning to bring new levels of learner engagement to life, break through the challenges of increasingly difficult online student engagement and go beyond ordinary learning management systems. The HP ClassEasy is much more than a Learning Management System. It puts into perspective virtually everything you would want to do in a real-life educational institution. The ease of maneouvering through is exceptional and it is a delight seeing several institutions adopt it, enthused Lanre Phillips, HP Enterprise Sales Manager - Central Africa. Established in Silicon Valley with an Emerging Markets Focus, Classera is the largest Edtech company in MENA and most of sub-Saharan Africa, educating millions of learners in more than 30 countries. Its LSP is a fully integrated eco-system that includes a gamified learning management platform based on AI and social learning, an augmented reality learning app known as C-Reality, a full ERP for educational institutions - C-Smarter, an integrated e-payment gateway - C-Pay - for pocket money, tuitions payments and financing, as well as a specialized educational marketplace for Edtech and educational supplies products tagged Edumalls. These platforms are housed under one umbrella to ease the process and boost learning engagement and thus the overall learning experience. Classera's growing range of customers include Ministries of Education, schools, universities, and corporates for e-training. It has developed over 100 strategic partnerships with global and regional players including Microsoft, Zoom, Amazon, Intel, Udemy, and HP, among others. At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic which disrupted learning across the world, Classera launched its Learning Never Stops solution to over five million classrooms in less than two weeks. By working day and night with Microsoft, Classera ensured a seamless transition to virtual classrooms at scale during one of the most critical periods in global history. In addition, the company delivered one of the highest engagement metrics in the e-learning industry globally in the last academic year. In the journey, the engaging gamified platform enabled the company to secure close to 70% market share in several markets, generating high engagement leading to over 10 billion page-views. Classera has received several global awards in the Edtech industry including Bett, The Learning Award, GESS, Microsoft best global partner award and many more. More details on Classeras remarkable e-learning solutions can be accessed here: https://youtu.be/nOehGxNEYZ4 in video below Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Allotey Jacobs has sounded caution to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) following the defiance by some of their Members of Parliament in voting on the new ministerial appointees of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. The NDC MPs had pledged not to approve the new Ministers unless President Nana Akufo-Addo cuts down the size of his government but last Friday, they defied the order and voted massively for the new Ministers. This act has angered the leadership of the NDC and former President John Dramani Mahama. The MPs have been described as "traitors" and further accused of receiving bribes. "Unfortunately, Ghanaians were sorely disappointed yesterday when several members of the Minority for some parochial and personal interest voted against the principled position adopted by the party. I am also disappointed. Those responsible for this betrayal must do some serious soul searching and learn to place national interest over personal interest," Mr. Mahama fumed in a Facebook post. But to Allotey Jacobs, the more the NDC is berating their MPs, the worst there is to happen to the party. Speaking to Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show, the former NDC Central Regional Chairman believed the party may have died together with their late founder Jerry John Rawlings and held that the NDC is gradually losing its relevance. "There are more things to be presented to Parliament, so they should note that the more they are accusing them, the more they're cursing them; the worst it will be for them because this is a big disgrace to the party," he said. He advised the party saying "if the NDC wants to win the elections, they should respect everybody in the party; respect their decisions". Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Aspiring National Democratic Congress (NDC) Presidential Candidate John Dramani Mahama is on his three-day campaign tour in the Central Region. On the second day of the tour, he interacted with party delegates and executives of the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa constituency. Speaking to them, he indicated that the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia-led government cannot offer Ghanaians anything better apart from the economic hardship they have put Ghanaians into. He noted that Ghanaians were deceived by the sweet words from President Akufo-Addo and Dr Bawumia who assured Ghanaians that "he has worked with the Bank of Ghana (BOG) before and so he has the magic wand to put Ghana on top but little did Ghanaians know that it was all a scam". Mr Mahama further assured that "there is light at the end of the tunnel". Interacting with party executives and delegates at Gomoa Dawurampong in the Gomoa West constituency, Mr. Mahama said 2024 is a sure win for the NDC, however, the onus lies on them to protect their vote and the ballot box. He said the party will offer training for some selected youth on how to protect the ballot box and that he will also provide them with everything they would need on that day to ensure a win for the party. Meanwhile, Mahama is expected to interact with delegates at Mfantseman, Abura-Asebu-Kwamankesse, Cape Coast North and South, Hemang Lower and Twifo Attimokwa. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former President John Mahama has condemned the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government for causing pensioners pain and suffering with its reckless management of the economy. According to Mahama, after borrowing recklessly and irresponsibly, which is the reason they are now travelling all over the world seeking debt forgiveness from the Chinese, and the Paris Club, among others, the government has taken funds belonging to pensioners. "Our own pensioners who have finished active service to the nation and are going to rest, the money that they earned that is supposed to feed them, [money] that they used to buy government bonds, today, this government says they cannot pay them what is theirs," he explained. The former president was speaking at a campaign meeting with branch and constituency executives in the Awutu Senya West constituency during his 'Building the Ghana we want together" tour of the Central Region. "I ask myself: are you God to determine that the retiree will live that long to receive his or her money by 2035? Yet that is how they have structured things. This is money that our pensioners use to purchase their little medicines to cater for themselves," John Mahama noted. President Mahama therefore called for Ghanaians to vote out the NPP government in 20204 for its lack of sensitivity and consideration. "If a government can behave like this to a segment of its most vulnerable population, that government does not deserve to remain in power," 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. Featured Video Member of Parliament for Asawase, Muntaka Mubarak has called out both sides of the house for what he terms extreme partisanship. According to the MP, the development has made it difficult for the national interest to be pursued. Rather party interests are always made paramount. The comments of the immediate past Minority Chief Whip come days after his side voted to approve six ministerial nominees in defiance of party directive. We are taking too many entrenched positions on both sides, those in government taking too much entrench position, those in opposition taking extreme positions and I can tell you this is not helpful to our country, it is not helpful to us. The better both sides begin to think that there is a national interest above the NPP interest and above the NDC we will be sinking our country, Muntaka stated. First deputy speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu who was presiding in eulogizing the late Tafo MP indicated that the late MP has always called for good governance as stated by the Asawase MP. There is one thing as has been confirmed by honorable Muntaka, in spite of our differences governance must go, that was always his position, Mr. Osei-Owusu stated. 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. Featured Video Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah, a Governance Lecturer at the Central University, has lashed out at the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta for refusing to resign. To him, the Finance Minister doesn't deserve to stay in office, stressing he has failed Ghana. "He cannot do the work," he exclaimed. Dr. Otchere-Ankrah couldn't fathom why the President has refused to dismiss the Minister when, to him, Mr. Ofori-Atta is one of the reasons why Ghana's economy is crippling. Looking livid that the President has refused to heed calls to dismiss the Finance Minister, he asked; "Will Ghana collapse if the Finance Minister resigns?" He asserted that the Finance Minister is "messing up" the economy. He noted that capitation grant to schools, school feeding fees and other monies that are supposed to be used for the development of the nation haven't been released yet, thus, wondering where the monies are. "We pay income tax every month. Companies pay tax. Even when you buy a call credit, you pay tax. So, where does the monies go? . . . What does the Finance Minister use all the monies to do that there are arrears everywhere?", he questioned. He made these comments on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" Thursday morning. Meanwhile, Ken Ofori-Atta has led a governments delegation to engage the Chinese government on Ghanas debt restructuring programme as part of conditions to secure an IMF bailout of 3 billion dollars to salvage the economy. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Russian federation will no longer notify the US about its missile tests and other nuclear activity, the Kremlin has announced. The move comes a month after Russian President Vladimir Putin officially suspended the last remaining nuclear arms deal with the US. Nuclear notifications between both countries had allowed Russia and the US to interpret each others nuclear moves for decades and differentiate test launches from missile attacks. Russia halting its notifications could be its latest effort to push back against the US and its western allies support for Ukraine in the ongoing war. After Putin's cancelation of the nuclear treaty between both countries Russians foreign ministry said that Moscow would continue to inform the US about its planned ballistic missile tests. But on Wednesday, March 29, Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov indicated that they were going in a different direction. Asked if Moscow would halt missile test notices, Ryabkov said: There will be no notifications at all. All notifications, all kinds of notifications, all activities under the treaty will be suspended and will not be conducted regardless of what position the US may take, said Ryabkov according to local news agencies. His remarks came as Russia began drills on Wednesday. They involve Yars mobile missile launchers traversing three regions of Siberia and maneuvers to conceal the activity from foreign intelligence assets, according to the Russian defence ministry. The Yars is an intercontinental ballistic missile with a nuclear tip that is the backbone of Moscows strategic forces. The 2010 New START treaty, signed by former presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev, limited the nations to up to 1,500 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers. It also called for inspections to ensure the countries were in compliance. When Putin suspended the treaty late last month, he said Moscow would no longer allow US inspections of its nuclear sites. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A member of Ghana's Parliament for Ningo Prampram, Hon. Sam George has reacted to the comments made by the Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris on protecting the rights of the LGBTQ community in Ghana. Harris had called for the anti -LGBTQ bill in Ghana to be thrashed and for the rights of the LGBTQ community to be protected. Hon Sam George who has been a strong pioneer of the anti-LGBTQ Bill, has now lambasted the US Government. Speaking during an interview on TV XYZ, the lawmaker said he can't fathom why the American government is not forcing countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Russia to pass a bill legalizing LGBTQ. He said; The American Government are a bunch of hypocrites!! Why wont they force Qatar, Saudi Arabia, or Russia to pass a bill legalizing LGBTQ? Why are they interested in pushing the agenda into African countries? The President has failed Ghanaians! George added that homosexuality is not part of the culture of Ghanaians and will never be legalized hence the reason he is working hard to make sure the antiLGBTQ bill is passed. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Bank of Ghana has warned the general public to stop using cedi banknotes as bouquets and hampers when gifting people. It said the currency was issued to be used as a medium of exchange for the purchase of goods and services. The Director of the Currency Department at the central bank, Mr. Dominic Owusu, told journalists today (Thursday, March 30, 2023) that any other use of the currency was illegal and subject to prosecution. He said the bank had noticed that some people were using the cedi notes as bouquets and hampers as gifts during weddings, birthdays and other celebrations, a practice he said must be stopped. He said beyond being illegal, such acts made it easier for the notes to spoil or get defaced. Given that spoilt and worn-out notes are replaced at a cost, he said such acts affected the operations of the central bank. Mr Owusu was speaking to journalists on how to preserve the currency as part of events marking Ghana month in March. He said the local currency was a great symbol of the country and efforts to preserve its quality and cleanliness must be prioritised by all. Source: Graphic Showbiz Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Poverty rates are almost double the national average in areas surrounding streets named after Martin Luther King Jr., according to our recent study, and educational attainment is much lower. Our geography research, published in the GeoJournal in September 2020, analyzed the racial makeup and economic well-being of 22,286 census blocks in the U.S. with roadways bearing the slain civil rights leader's name. Streets named after Martin Luther King typically run through multiple census blocks; we identified a total of 955 such streets in the United States. Advertisement The areas surrounding MLK streets are predominantly African American, with very few white residents, we found. This is particularly true in the South and Midwest. A notable exception includes California, where MLK neighborhoods have seen a recent increase in their Latino population. "Back in the day, in the '50s or earlier, generally [the] term, 'Chicano' was actually a term of derision. If you walked up to me and called me that term, there could be some trouble," Ortiz says. "It becomes a term of pride with the rise of the farmworkers' movement, the Mexican student movement in California and Washington. And so people began using that term, 'Chicano,' as a term of pride. As a term of self-respect. "It was kind of like the term Black for African Americans. Back in the day you would never use that term. But with the Civil Rights movement, 'Black was Beautiful.'" Advertisement As with Blacks (who also have been named, among other terms, Negroes, Afro-Americans and African Americans through the years) and other groups, those of Hispanic heritage change how they identify themselves depending on a lot of factors, including which generation is doing the naming. By now, Chicano has generally fallen out of favor. (A short aside: Hispanic is the official term used by the U.S. Census Bureau. According to its definition: "Hispanic origin can be viewed as the heritage, nationality, lineage, or country of birth of the person or the person's parents or ancestors before arriving in the United States. People who identify as Hispanic, Latino or Spanish may be any race." It's a broad term. Anyone who says they're Hispanic or Latino is, according to the government. That was nearly 61 million people in 2019, about 18 percent of the American population.) Adding to the confusion is that different people in different areas of the country may prefer different terms. Most, according to the Pew Research Center, would rather identify themselves by their family's country of origin they're Guatemalan or Mexican or Honduran than by some "pan-ethnic" term like Hispanic, Latino or Latina. "Where I grew up," says Ortiz, who was born in 1964 and raised in California and Washington state, "Hispanic was not very popular. My elders would say, 'Hispanic is something that the government tries to call us. That's not who we are.' It is a census term. It is an official term that the government has for people like us. But in Florida, it's different. In Florida, Hispanic people have no problem with the term." Hispanic which, Ortiz says, used to refer (if not officially) mainly to people with a Mexican heritage gave way to Latino and Latina in the latter part of the last century as different groups from Latin America made their way to the U.S. and searched for a term that was more inclusive and less "Mexican." Latino now is used interchangeably with Hispanic, even by the Census Bureau. Latina (the feminine noun) is preferred by many. And, in the last couple of decades, yet another term has emerged. " " Latinx is a term that has cropped up recently to identify a wide-ranging and growing group of Americans whose heritage lies in Spanish-speaking and/or Latin American countries. HowStuffWorks The legal definition of murder varies from state to state. Here's the federal definition, from the U.S. Code: Murder is the unlawful killing of a human being with malice aforethought. The whole idea of "malice aforethought" which encompasses an intention to kill has been reconsidered and refined by courts and legal scholars over the years. Currently, murder is most often broken down into categories: first-degree murder, second-degree, third-degree and so on. Advertisement All sorts of other terms can get thrown into the mix, words like malice and intent, recklessness and premeditation. Generally again, all states are not the same this is how it works: First-degree murder usually, but not always, requires a willful act with premeditation, although the definition of premeditation varies, too. It generally means contemplating the act of murder planning it in detail or simply thinking about doing it beforehand; intending to do it and then carrying it out. Scott Peterson, for instance, was found guilty in 2004 of first-degree murder in the death of his pregnant wife Laci who went missing on Christmas Eve from their home in Modesto, California, in 2002. Scott also was found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of their unborn child. (In October 2020, the California Supreme Court ordered the San Mateo County Superior Court to reexamine Scott's convictions because of a tainted juror pool. A new appeals trial is pending.) Second-degree murder is first-degree murder without the premeditation or intent, but this definition, too, is dependent on where the crime is committed. According to LII, second-degree murder is typically "caused by the offender's reckless conduct that displays an obvious lack of concern for human life." It's often called "felony murder;" that is, murder committed in the act of another felony (in many cases, assault). Third-degree murder is recognized in only a few states. One of those states is Minnesota, where former police officer Derek Chauvin faced trial in April 2021 for the 2020 killing of George Floyd. In Minnesota, "murder in the third degree" is defined as homicide without intent by acting in a way that is "eminently dangerous to others and evincing a depraved mind, without regard for human life." It can also be charged for those causing a death in drug-related cases. Chauvin was charged with, and convicted on, three counts: second-degree murder (murder committed while he was assaulting Floyd), third-degree murder (see above), and second-degree manslaughter (see below). Important to note: The sentences for those found guilty on murder charges, generally speaking, are more severe than those for manslaughter. The penalty for those found guilty of first-degree murder is the heaviest of all. A conviction on first-degree murder can, depending on the state (or, in the case of a federal offense), be the death penalty. " " Convicted murderer Scott Peterson is transported to San Quentin Prison death row after he was formally sentenced to death for the murder of his wife Laci and their unborn son. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images " " An interior view of the courtroom of the U.S. Supreme Court as seen in August 2003 before a five-year modernization project was completed in 2008. Alex Wong/Getty Images The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States. As the judicial branch of the U.S. government, it serves to balance the powers of the legislative and executive branches and stands as the final word in any given legal dispute. Once the Supreme Court makes a decision, no other court can review or overturn that decision. Today, the authority of the Supreme Court is very clear. Roughly 7,000 to 8,000 cases are submitted to the court every year, but it only has time to take on about 80 of them [source: Supremecourt.gov]. Usually, the Supreme Court only accepts cases that: Advertisement involve some crucial question related to the U.S. Constitution have been appealed from a lower federal court involve treason , ambassadors or disputes with other countries The Supreme Court did not always have this power, however. The Constitution is very vague about the authority of the court, saying only that its "Power shall extend to all Cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this Constitution." The specifics, such as where and when the court would meet, how many justices there would be and exactly what is covered under "cases arising under this Constitution" were left to Congress to decide later. It wasn't until Justice John Marshall's 1803 decision in Marbury v. Madison that the Supreme Court's authority to judge matters of constitutionality was determined. When the Supreme Court renders a decision (by a simple majority, or at least five of the nine justices), all other courts in the country follow the precedent set by that decision. So when a case comes before the court, the ruling affects not only the specific case and law in question, but also similar laws and cases nationwide. For example, if the Supreme Court decides that a law in Maine banning signs on front lawns with anti-war messages is unconstitutional, any state or municipality with the same kind of law would be unable to prosecute anyone for breaking it. Judges all the way from county courts to state supreme courts would look to the Supreme Court's decision and throw out the case because it was based on an unconstitutional law. Supreme Court justices have a great deal of power for another reason, too: They are appointed for life. That means that they never have to face re-election, and they don't have to make sure that their decisions please the president who appointed them. The average justice serves for 14 years and retires at age 71 [source: Supremecourt.gov]. When a justice retires, he or she usually tries to time it with the court's summer recess so a replacement can be found before the next session. If a replacement hasn't been found in time, the court can operate with however many justices are present. If the court operates with an even number of justices, and a decision results in a tie, the lower court decision in the case is "passively upheld." That is, it is upheld for that particular case, but the Supreme Court doesn't issue an opinion or set any kind of legal precedent. Thus, a similar case could come before the Supreme Court in the future. Next, we'll find out how Supreme Court justices are nominated and approved. Before you vote, you need to ensure that your voter registration is current. You can verify your registration status online. If you can't get online, then call your local election office or a voter help line like the ones listed in the hotline section below. If you find you're not registered, search the National Conference of State Legislatures for your state's online voter registration application. If you need to do this in person, then call your local election office for instructions. Advertisement At this point, you may have missed your state's deadline for voter registration. But it may not be too late to register in others. Many states allow same-day registration at polling sites. Check if yours does. If it does, and you need to register, ask the poll worker at the correct polling location for a same-day registration form; complete the form and then ask for a conditional ballot. A conditional ballot allows election officials to count your vote after verifying your voter eligibility. If you can't research online, you can call your local election office to find out if you can register on Election Day. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The top panel shows the 220 keV MAXI/GSC light curve of XTE J1739285 during its 20192020 outburst. The hardness ratio is plotted in the bottom panel. Credit: Beri et al, 2023 Using AstroSat and NuSTAR space telescopes, astronomers have observed an X-ray binary known as XTE J1739285 during its recent period of bursting activity. Results of the observational campaign, published March 23 on the arXiv pre-print server, yield crucial insights into the behavior of this system. X-ray binaries (XRBs) consist of a normal star or a white dwarf transferring mass onto a compact neutron star or a black hole. Based on the mass of the companion star, astronomers divide them into low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXB) and high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXB). Some LMXBs exhibit transient outbursts, during which an increase in X-ray luminosities is observed. When these outbursts are characterized as Type I X-ray burststhermonuclear explosions taking place on the surface layers of neutron starsthey obviously confirm the presence of neutron stars in such binaries. Discovered in 1999 by the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE), XTE J1739285 is a transient LMXB with a neutron star companion. Since its discovery, the source has experienced dozens of X-ray bursts. More recently, in 2019, it entered a rebrightening phase, during which new X-ray outbursts were identified. A team of astronomers led by Aru Beri of Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali in India, started to observe XTE J1739285 in October 2019, when the system was in its bursting period. They employed India's AstroSat and NASA's NuSTAR (Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array) spacecraft to perform a detailed timing and spectral study of XTE J1739285. "In this paper, we report our results from AstroSat and NuSTAR observations of XTE J1739285 during its 2019 and 2020 outbursts. We have performed a detailed timing and spectral study of this source," the researchers wrote. The X-ray light curves during observations of XTE J1739285 conducted in 2019 by Beri's team indicate the presence of flares. Moreover, the observations identified accretion-powered X-ray pulsations at 386 Hz during very short intervals (from 0.5 to 1 s) of these X-ray flares, which makes XTE J1739285 an intermittent X-ray pulsar. AstroSat observations of XTE J1739285 in 2020 unveiled the presence of a thermonuclear X-ray burst, which led to the detection of coherent burst oscillations at 383 Hz during the burst's decay phase. Therefore, XTE J1739285 turns out to be one of a few neutron star LMXBs experiencing both nuclear- and accretion-powered pulsations. The observations also detected a quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) at 0.83 Hz with root mean square (rms) variability of about 7% during the hard state of XTE J1739285 in 2020. The astronomers noted that a similar feature was not found during the soft state of the source, in the preceding year. In addition, the X-ray spectroscopy revealed significant changes in the X-ray spectra of XTE J173928 during the 2019 and 2020 outburst. More information: Aru Beri et al, AstroSat and NuSTAR observations of XTE J1739-285 during the 2019-2020 outburst, arXiv (2023). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2303.13085 Journal information: arXiv 2023 Science X Network This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A Sankey chart showing the correlation between number of cars owned and number of car parking spaces allocated. Credit: Chris De Gruyter Experts are calling for planning policy to 'unbundle' parking spaces from apartments to reduce housing costs and alleviate street parking woes. A new RMIT University study surveyed more than 1,300 apartment residents across Melbourne, Sydney and Perth to assess the adequacy of off-street parking for apartment households. Lead researcher Dr. Chris De Gruyter from RMIT's Centre for Urban Research said two thirds of households owned the same number of cars as their allocated parking spots. However, 20% of households had too much allocated parking, while 14% did not have enough. De Gruyter said the imbalance of off-site parking for apartments reflected residents not having a choice in how many parking spots they needed when renting or buying an apartment. In Victoria, there are minimum parking provisions that state every one and two-bedroom apartment must have at least one parking spot, and apartments with three or more bedrooms must have at least two. "We found in our study that people living in larger apartments tend to have an oversupply of parking because of this policy, which means they're paying for a space they're not using," De Gruyter said. De Gruyter said 13.4% of the surveyed households did not own a car but most were still allocated a parking space. With each parking space worth up to $100,000, he estimated the price of unused off-site parking is costing residents more than $6 billion. "This oversupply is not just an inefficient use of space, it is exacerbating housing affordability issues," he said. "Meanwhile, apartment households with an undersupply of parking are forced to park on the street, competing with visitors in the area." "It is very clear that there is actually plenty of apartment parkingit's just allocated incorrectly." Unbundling for more choice De Gruyter is calling for state and local governments to allow for unbundled parking in planning policy to help balance the over and undersupply of off-site parking. He said unbundling parking was not about taking away parking from residentsit was about giving people the choice to own or rent parking spaces in line with their needs. "We can choose the number of bedrooms we want in our homes, yet we have no say in how much parking we need," he said. "We want people to have the option to choose not to have parking instead of it being imposed on them. Similarly, those who wish to have additional parking can have this." Unbundled off-street parking in apartment buildings is still uncommon in Australia, but can be seen in several newer complexes, such as Melbourne Square, Indi City Sydney and Arklife in Brisbane, choosing to unbundle parking from apartments. De Gruyter said it was promising to see the renewed Arden precinct in North Melbourne introduce planning policy to facilitate unbundled parking for their new buildings. "Unbundled parking is going to help with housing affordability, reduce car use and on-street parking issues," he said. "We're also going to see better health for residents as there will be more physical activity due to more public transport use, and better air quality from less car use." But waiting for the market alone to bring this change would be too slow, said De Gruyter, and state and local government had an important role to play. "Do apartment residents have enough car parking? An empirical assessment of car parking adequacy in Australian cities" is published in the Journal of Transport Geography. This research was led by RMIT University in collaboration with the University of Western Australia. Chris De Gruyter, Paula Hooper and Sarah Foster are co-authors. More information: Chris De Gruyter et al, Do apartment residents have enough car parking? An empirical assessment of car parking adequacy in Australian cities, Journal of Transport Geography (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2023.103542 Journal information: Journal of Transport Geography This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Ingus Kruklitis/Shutterstock The I NY logo was launched in the 1970s when New York City was at its grittiest and most dangerous. Since then graphic designer Milton Glaser's creation has been emblazoned on every kind of souvenir imaginable, not to mention inspiring movies, clothing, graffiti and even food. More than 50 years later, New York has just updated its iconic brandingnot for the first timeto say We NY as part of an attempt to revitalize the city after COVID lockdowns. And while lots of people hate the rebrand, it still reflects the intent behind the much-loved original logo. These days it's hard to argue that the brand hasn't done the job of communicating exactly how New Yorkersand many touristsfeel about the city. Indeed, unlike the kind of brand advertising created for a product, this campaign was never designed to sell anything, but to communicate a feeling about the city by its people. And if people feel more positive about a city or an area, they will be more ready to help improve it. Such campaigns are developed as part of a branding process used to whip up feelings about a place. These so-called "place branding" efforts can gather communities around whichever ideas matter most to these people, whether they are social, economic, or even environmental. Developing a place brand can be complex and challenging, but also immensely rewarding. It can involve government, companies and society in general. It can include events, ideas and investments focused on winning over visitors, residents and investorsall to help social community and local businesses thrive and grow. People Make Glasgow is an example of a flexible place brand that can be associated with a wide range of assets and activities. But this kind of brand doesn't have to convey a straight, positive message about an area, town or city, it can also be connected to specific challenges. More recent attempts at branding a location have aimed to galvanize communities to work together to create and communicate a shared identitynot just right now, but also in the future. In many cases, this includes highlighting challenges such as the impact of climate change. Using branding to inspire support As climate change increasingly affects areas in different ways, communities are starting to use place branding to help address specific environmental challenges. This makes sense since people tend to be attached to where they live, and communities often seek ways to act locally to work against or mitigate the effects of climate change. Inspired by Iceland is a good example of this. The country launched a "premium tap water" brand in 2019 to encourage residents and visitors to go plastic-free while in Iceland by drinking its tap water. Integrating climate-related issues into the branding process communicates to everyoneincluding tourists, investors, residents and public and private sector bodiesthat climate action is a priority. It shows that it's integral to local identity and discourse, as residents seek to protect their home's environmental features. Place branding may also affect local or even national government policy making. This is what happened in Palau, a Micronesian island in the western Pacific. In 2017 its government started to require all visitors to sign a pledge to be "ecologically and culturally responsible" before they could set foot in the country. The Faroe Islands in the north Atlantic, took a slightly different approach in 2019 by declaring itself "closed for maintenance, open for voluntourism." This initiative was used by islanders and local businesses to promote community cohesion. It also offers tourists a unique chance to connect with the core values of the country. Adapting to new challenges Most places are limited in their ability to adapt to challenges such as climate change. Unlike residents, local businesses and tourists, a city or country can't relocate itself. Instead, an area must adapt, which can become a multifaceted and politically challenging process simply due to the range of people and organizations involved. Diverse community needs and imbalances of power held by public and private sector organizations only add to the challenge. In reality, even though place branding is very much about community cohesion, diverse communities are not necessarily equally involved in the decision-making process. It's important to recognize that initiativeswhether national, regional, or localcan only go so far, and policy-led change is also required, especially when dealing with challenges such as environmental degradation. Place branding has become a useful tool to accompany such policies. People can also become quite attached to these brands. Indeed, rather than any reluctance to help the city face new challenges, the opposition to the We NY update shows the strength of feeling for the city and perhaps even for its brand. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Durum wheat varieties growing in trial plots in Amhara, Ethiopia. Credit: Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT Ethiopia is one of Africa's major wheat producing countries. But it might surprise you to learn that conventional bread wheat (Triticum aestivum, the most common species produced worldwide) only entered the country in the 1940s. For the previous 5,000 years, Ethiopian agriculture had counted on a myriad of durum wheat varieties (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum, the closely related species ideal for making pasta), which are still consumed in many ways. "Durum wheat is culturally important in Ethiopia to make malt for local beer 'tella,' homemade bread ('difo dabo'), 'kitta' (unleavened bread), 'nifro' (boiled whole grain), 'kollo' (roasted whole grain mainly used as a snack), and 'Kinche,' a form of porridge," explains Cherinet Alem Gesesse, a plant geneticist from the Amhara Regional Agricultural Research Institute (ARARI). Beyond their cultural significance, this agrobiodiversity has significant implications for the future of agriculture. "Having evolved under natural and artificial selection for thousands of years, these varieties are very well adapted to Ethiopia's climate and soils," says Carlo Fadda, principal scientist at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT. "They are resilient to climate change and important assets for future production." Already grappling with drought and soil degradation, Ethiopian farmers know that they cannot rely on a single type of wheat, bred solely with productivity in mind. Matteo Dell'Acqua, a plant geneticist from the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, has been working with Ethiopian farmers to devise new ways to permanently integrate their knowledge in the agricultural innovation process. He says that farmers are searching at the varietal level for useful traits: "Farmers look at what they see in their own fields, which may be different from breeding programs' expectations due to specific environmental, cultural and management conditions. They select varieties with better adaptation to local uses and cropping." Farmers hold extensive knowledge about traditional, locally-adapted varieties. Credit: Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT From farm to genebank, and back to farm But farmers are often forced to make trade-offs: for example, opting for varieties that are more likely to survive until harvest time, but that are less productive. They also have to make selections based on a limited pool of diversity. "A lot of agrobiodiversity is maintained in genebank collections collected over the years from farmers' fields, but that are not easily accessible to them. Farmers living further away have limited opportunities to share seeds and experiences," says Dell'Acqua. To strike a balance between adaptation and use, the researchers have looked inside Ethiopian genebanks to unlock the "broad genetic variations which may substantially contribute to future crop improvement," Gesesse says. They crossed Ethiopian traditional durum wheat varieties with international breeding lines, producing 1200 new genetic materials. Says Dell'Acqua, "We are trying to mix up the genetic factors to produce new combinations that have never existed before, and which may be used by farmers." These varieties were evaluated by groups of men and women farmers in a large-scale assessment in field trials in Ethiopia. Farmers' preferences and feedback were quantified and compared with agronomic measures of crop performance, including yield, and were used in combination with DNA sequencing of wheat varieties to build performance prediction models. In their latest paper, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers showed that farmer evaluations can efficiently predict wheat yield and intend to use the data generated by these "citizen scientists" to inform selection and breeding moving forward. In the words of one reviewer: "I find the result mind-blowing that genomic selection model using farmers' overall appreciation had a higher prediction accuracy over grain yield, than the model trained on grain yield itself." Farmers selecting for the future "Farmers' knowledge is a scientific quantity that can contribute to breeding outcomes," says Dell'Acqua. "This is not to say that farmers should replace breeders and scientists; we think that these data-driven methods can help capture the complexity of the real world and factoring it in breeding decisions that are targeted to user needs. Farmers can be a complement of this process. Their full integration would not only benefit the selection of most appropriate varieties, as we show in this paper, but would also serve to foster an appropriate recognition of farmer communities and of cultural heritage in producing better agrobiodiversity and sharing it in the wider world for the benefit of humanity." Fadda says, "Africa is rich in agrobiodiversity: with species, varieties, and associated traditional knowledge. This study shows that in order to achieve accelerated resilience and sustainability in agriculture, both African crops' genetic diversity and associated knowledge must be mainstreamed in agricultural research and development strategies." More information: Cherinet Alem Gesesse et al, Genomics-driven breeding for local adaptation of durum wheat is enhanced by farmers' traditional knowledge, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2023). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2205774119 Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Provided by The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Map summarizing unagi sample locations included in the meta-analysis. Includes novel samples collected in this study (light blue) and data obtained from previously published studies (dark blue). Sample sizes are shown for each location. Credit: Food Control (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2023.109752 DNA testing has confirmed widespreadand probably illegalinternational trading of critically endangered European eels. A research team led by the University of Exeter carried out "DNA barcoding" on products including jellied eels and unagi, which is used in sushi and donburi. With European eel populations at about 5-10% of their former levels, the EU has banned the import and export of European eels. This has sparked a highly lucrative illegal tradewith media reports of a "multi-billion pound eel mafia." In June 2022, European authorities announced the arrest of 49 people involved in a trafficking network that moved live eels in suitcases. The researchers analyzed 114 samples and combined their results with existing published research, finding European eelsand endangered American and Japanese eelson sale in the UK, Continental Europe, North America and Asia. A European eel. Credit: Kristen Steele "The growing popularity of Japanese cuisine worldwide has caused an increasing demand for freshwater eels," said Dr. Andrew Griffiths, from the University of Exeter. "The complex lifecycle of these eelswhich includes migrating from rivers to spawn in the seameans they cannot be bred at large scale in captivity." "So the illegal trade involves catching young eels in Europe, transporting them to East Asia and growing them on in fish farms." The new study tested eel-based foods in North America and Europe. About 40% of North American unagi samples they analyzed contained European eel. "It's hard to track where the eels come from, but it's unlikely that all of those found in the samples came from the small amounts of legally exported European eels from North Africa," said joint first author Kristen Steele, of University College London. "It's very possible that illegal trading brought these eels into the supply chain." The study also found a "stark mismatch" between the natural range of eel species and where they were commonly sold. More European eel was found on sale in East Asia than in Europe; and more Japanese eel was found in the UK than in East Asia. As well as concerns over illegal trade and species conservation, this suggests thousands of food miles are "hidden" in eel products. Most traditional UK eel products sampled, like the jellied eels famously sold in London's East End, were made from European eels. Such products may be legal, but they still involve the consumption of a critically endangered species. The researchers stressed that factors such as habitat disturbance (including dams) and climate change are contributing to the decline of eel populations. But overfishing also plays a roleand consumption of European eels in traditional dishes in Europe has caused recent controversy. "Labels on eel products and menus rarely specify what species they contain, so it's very difficult for consumers to make ethical and informed choices," said joint first author Amy Goymer, who worked on the study as part of her Biological Sciences degree at the University of Exeter. "Illegal trade and lack of information for consumers are likely to continue until robust traceability systems and better labeling are introduced across the supply chain." The results also link to the upcoming episode of BBC nature documentary Wild Isles, which focuses on freshwater animals. European eels were once common, ascending our rivers in large numbers and supporting local fisheries, but have undergone striking declines and need active conservation and management. The paper is published in the journal Food Control. More information: Amy Goymer et al, For R-eel?! Investigating international sales of critically endangered species in freshwater eel products with DNA barcoding, Food Control (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2023.109752 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain In terrestrial ecosystems, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are major nutrients limiting the increase in primary productivity. The imbalance of N and P input may result in a series of ecological results. The N:P stoichiometry (or N:P ratio) may indicate nutrient imbalance status of specific plants. However, how stoichiometric characteristics (e.g., stoichiometric plasticity or flexibility) of different plant species affect the imbalance of N and P at the community level has not been well studied. Recently, researchers led by Dr. Lyu Xiaotao from the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), together with researchers from the Institute of Botany of CAS and the University of Sydney in Australia, conducted a long-term nitrogen manipulation experiment study in an Inner Mongolia grassland ecosystem. Their findings were published in Biogeochemistry on March 20. They found that N addition led to a significant increase in N:P ratio of the plant community as a whole, and the community N and P imbalance could be attributed to the variation in plant species composition. The N:P ratio of Leymus chinensis and Chenopodium glaucum increased significantly with the increase of soil N:P ratio, showing a high stoichiometric plasticity/flexibility. In addition, the increase in relative dominance/biomass of both plants further exacerbated the imbalance of N and P at the community level. This study confirms the importance of stoichiometric plasticity of certain plant species in driving the community-level nutrient balance status, and provides in-depth understanding of plant community dynamics in the context of increasing nutrient availability. More information: Shuang-Li Hou et al, Increases in the dominance of species with higher N:P flexibility exacerbate community NP imbalances following N inputs, Biogeochemistry (2023). DOI: 10.1007/s10533-023-01033-y This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Managed honey bees. Credit: Bianca Ackermann, public domain Urban honey bees could be used to gain insight into the microbiome of the cities in which they forage, which can potentially provide information on both hive and human health, reports a study published in Environmental Microbiome. Cities are built for human habitation, but are also spaces that host a wide range of living species, and understanding this diverse landscape is important for urban planning and human health. However, sampling the microbial landscape in a manner to cover wide areas of a city can be labor-intensive. Elizabeth Henaff and colleagues investigated the potential of honey bees (Apis mellifera) to help gather samples of microorganisms across cities, as honey bees are known to forage daily up to one mile from their hives in urban environments. They sampled various materials from three hives in New York as part of a pilot study, and found diverse genetic information, including from environmental bacteria, in the debris accumulated at the bottom of the hives. Subsequent samples of hive debris in Sydney and Melbourne (Australia), Venice (Italy), and Tokyo (Japan) suggest that each location has a unique genetic signature as seen by honey bees. In Venice, the genetic data was dominated by fungi related to wood rot and date palm DNA. In Melbourne, the sample was dominated by eucalyptus DNA, while the sample from Sydney showed little plant DNA but contained genetic data from a bacteria species that degrades rubber (Gordonia polyisoprenivorans). Tokyo samples included plant DNA from Lotus and wild soybean, as well as the soy sauce fermenting yeast Zygosaccharomyces rouxii. Additionally, the authors compiled genetic material from the hive debris for Rickettsia felis ("cat scratch fever"), a pathogen that is spread to humans via cat scratches. These findings indicate the potential of this as a surveillance method but are currently too preliminary to suggest that this is an effective method of monitoring human diseases. The hive debris also contained bee-related microorganisms, likely coming from honey bee parts present in the debris. Based on 33 samples from the hives across the subsequent four cities, the authors found known bee microorganisms, whose presence indicate a healthy hive, and in some hives bee pathogens were detected, such as Paenibacillus larvae , Melissococcus plutonius, or the parasite Varroa destructor. The authors suggest these findings indicate that debris may additionally be used to assess the overall health of the hives. The authors conclude that honey bee hive debris collected by honey bees provides a snapshot of the microbial landscape of urban environments and could be used alongside other measures to assess the microbial diversity and health of cities and honey bees in turn. More information: Elizabeth Henaff, Holobiont Urbanism: sampling urban beehives reveals cities' metagenomes, Environmental Microbiome (2023). DOI: 10.1186/s40793-023-00467-z. www.biomedcentral.com/articles 6/s40793-023-00467-z This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: An illustration of a radio signal from a fast radio burst as it moves toward telescopes on Earth. Credit: J. Josephides/Swinburne University of Technology, with minor edits from the Dunlap Institute University of Toronto researcher Amanda Cook has found a way to use bright signals coming from across the universe to weigh the atmosphere of the Milky Way galaxy. The radio signals she used come from the astronomical phenomenon known as fast radio bursts (FRBs)enigmatic celestial objects that generate brief flashes of radio waves and are considered one of the biggest mysteries in astronomy. Since an FRB simultaneously generates both high frequency radio waves (the equivalent of blue light) and low frequency radio waves (the equivalent of redlight), the different colors of radio waves might be expected to arrive at a telescope at the same time. But that's not what happens. As an FRB passes through gas, it slows downmore so for the high frequencies than the low frequencies. The result is a delay between the different frequencies or colors reaching our telescope, effectively smearing the radio burst's signal out in time. Astronomers like Cook call this smearing "dispersion" and are able to use it as a tool to detect otherwise invisible gas throughout the cosmos. "Using smearing to study the universe is like using your home heating bill to work out what the weather must have been like over the winter," says Cook, who is a Ph.D. candidate in the David A. Dunlap department of astronomy and astrophysics, and the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics, in the Faculty of Arts & Science. "In the same way that your heating bill tells you whether it was a harsh winter or a mild winterbut not what the temperature was like on any individual datethe smearing that we see allows us to infer the total amount of material that the FRB signal has encountered on its journey from the FRB to Earth. It just can't tell us how that material was distributed along the way." "The key thing is that regardless of how gas in front of the FRB is distributed, an FRB signal that is smeared more by the time it reaches our telescopes must be produced by an FRB that is farther away in the same way that an expensive heating bill must have meant a cold winter overall," she continues. In this case, Cook used the dispersion method to measure how much gas is present in the Milky Way's haloan "atmosphere" of the Milky Way that extends outwards by around a half a million light-years in all directions. Using FRB signals collected by the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) radio telescope, Cook and her team discovered that the Milky Way's halo contains much less gas than previous models had predicted. The results were published in the Astrophysical Journal in a study titled "An FRB Sent Me a DM." Though there had been earlier studies applying related techniques, this is the first time that the halo's gas has been measured using a large uniform sample of FRBsthanks to the CHIME telescope. The team used FRB signals at different distances from Earth to get the result. Cook likens this approach to trying to work out the average driving distance from different Canadian border crossings to Toronto by having friends from different American states drive to Toronto, telling you only the total distance they drove. The information from your Texan friend is not going to be particularly useful, but the experience from your Michigan and New York friends may be far more insightful. And if you have friends that live right on the border, in Buffalo or Detroit, then their answers will pretty much give you the information you need. Cook and her supervisor, Professor Bryan Gaensler, have been working on this research since she was a first-year graduate student. "It ended up being a lot more difficult than we thought," Cook says. It was difficult enough that she, Gaensler and their colleagues actually stepped outside of conventional astronomical models. They turned to researchers in an entirely different fieldstatisticsand asked those colleagues for a new set of methods to apply to their approach. "This is an exciting new way of studying our Milky Way," says Gaensler, who is also an author on the publication. "We're still trying to figure out what fast radio bursts actually are, but in the meantime we can use them as searchlights to study things much closer to home." Cook and Gaensler note that FRB signals could be used to study the structure of everything that the FRB signal passes through on its long journey, including the material between galaxies, the halos of other galaxies and the gas inside of galaxies. Meanwhile, many more FRB discoveries are anticipated. With even more data, Cook and her team hope to create a 3D map of the Milky Way halo. "Each FRB gives us a measurement of the Milky Way halo in one direction, so as we continue to collect them, we can build up a detailed picture," Cook says. Beyond that, she notes that these clues contribute to our understanding of the early universe. "Improving our knowledge of the Milky Way halo helps us learn about the formation of our galaxy as a whole." More information: Amanda M. Cook et al, An FRB Sent Me a DM: Constraining the Electron Column of the Milky Way Halo with Fast Radio Burst Dispersion Measures from CHIME/FRB, The Astrophysical Journal (2023). DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/acbbd0 Journal information: Astrophysical Journal This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain A team of bio-scientists affiliated with several institutions in China, working with a colleague from Australia, has found that the females of some species of funnel spiders play dead to attract male sexual partners. In their study, reported in the journal Current Zoology, the group collected several specimens of Aterigena aculeata and tested their behavior in the lab. Funnel-weaving spiders are spiders that spin webs in the shape of a funnel. They are found in many places around the world, but only those species living in Australia are considered dangerouswithout treatment their venom can cause severe pain and even death. Many species of funnel-weaving spiders are known to engage in sexual cannibalism, in which the female kills and eats the male after coitus. This behavior has led to mating problems for some species, resulting in sexual catalepsyin which one of the sexual partners plays dead during some or all of the mating process. To learn more about this behavior in A. aculeata, the research team collected several samples and carefully tested them in their lab. One of the things that the team wanted to know was whether the female's death-like state was controlled by the female herself, or if the male was somehow influencing it to protect himself. In the first experiment, a pair of the spiders was allowed to mate as they naturally would. The second involved shaking the female in a tube before allowing the pair to mate and the third involved putting the female in a death-like state artificially using an anesthetic. Following the experiments, all of the specimens were frozen and ground up, allowing the researchers to study their chemical states. The research team found that the male was not sending any signals to induce the death-like statethus, it was all the female's doing. They also found that putting themselves into such a state allowed the female to be choosythey only did so for males they deemed worthy of siring their young. They also discovered that the females were fully capable of controlling the duration of the death-like statethey got up and walked away as soon as copulation was concluded. More information: Jihe Liu et al, Females adopt sexual catalepsy to facilitate mating, Current Zoology (2023). DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoad010. academic.oup.com/cz/advance-ar 3/cz/zoad010/7081690 2023 Science X Network This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: More Filipinas are getting involved in STEM but continue to struggle against social attitudes in school and in the workplace. Credit: Renemari Padillo/Ddcmis (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:OPTO2.jpg). CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en) The Philippines is celebrating March as women's month while citing its achievements in gender equality from increased female educational attainment to political empowerment. But does this advancement holds true for women in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields? A report by the Philippines' Science Education Institute (SEI) offered a picture of women's engagement in these sectors based on data from 1990 to 2015. It said, optimistically, that the number of women in science and technology careers was increasing, including in the engineering and ICT fields. The report also said that roughly 45% of the 3.7 million bachelor's degree holders in science and technology were women. However, the grounds for optimism were limited. "Despite the increase in the number of women engaged in the S&T (science and technology) industries in the past 25 years, it is also observed that the percentage gap between female and male S&T professionals did not diminish but rather increased," the Philippine Business Coalition for Women Empowerment (PBCWE) said in a statement to SciDev.Net. "The competence and skills of women in STEM are on par with that of men, and yet the gender gap persists if you investigate a more detailed picture of the STEM professions women occupy," the PBCWE statement said. Barriers in engagement Overall, the Philippines has achieved significant gains in bridging the gender gap ranking 19th in the 2022 Global Gender Gap report although it's two rungs lower than the 17th place in 2021. However, focusing on STEM, there are cracks that need to be fixed in order to encourage more women. Nantawan Hinds, program coordinator for UNESCO Bangkok's section for inclusive quality education, tells SciDev.Net that barriers which prevent girls and women from engaging in STEM may occur at the individual, family, school and societal levels. "At the individual level, girls may be discouraged from pursuing STEM fields due to their perceptions of these fields and their own abilities," Hinds says, citing a Philippine survey that showed that girls may lose interest in STEM as early as at the primary education level because of the perception that STEM is male-dominated. "This perception is linked to gender stereotypes and biases that portray girls and women as less capable in STEM fields, which in turn can discourage them from pursuing these areas," she says. Families may also discourage girls from pursuing studies and careers that are outside women's stereotypical roles. "Girls and women may not receive the same level of encouragement and support from their family to pursue studies and career paths that are considered 'non-traditional,' such as STEM fields, compared to boys and men," Hinds says. "This lack of encouragement and support can result in self-doubt, reinforcement of negative stereotypes, and discouragement among girls and women who may have a genuine interest in STEM fields." School and societal structures can also perpetuate gender stereotypes. For instance, with very few women role models or presenting them in supportive or passive roles, girls may feel excluded from STEM. In the Philippines, only 11 of the 41 recognized National Scientists of the Philippines are women. A UNESCO report discussed how girls gradually lose interest in STEM while still in school. This can happen as early as fourth grade because they are seeing that STEM-related careers are primarily male-dominated, dissuading them from pursuing careers in these fields. A study on Filipino youths' insights on STEM, reported that girls make up only 43% of STEM enrolments. It also reported that girls themselves perceived males to be better in the fields of technology, engineering and mathematics. The 2022 Gender Gap Report of the World Economic Forum, meanwhile, reported that women only make up a quarter of the female graduates of engineering, manufacturing and construction in the Philippines. PBCWE noted that this is the field with "the most glaring difference among the educational attainment of male and female graduates in the country." In contrast, information and communication technology is the STEM-related field with the smallest gap, with 48% of the graduates women. The PBCWE also points out that 72% of the technical vocational graduates employed in S&T occupations are men while only 28% are women. Workplace discrimination Gender bias does not end in the classroom. A 2019 report cited respondents saying that they felt discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace. "There's always a bias of what women can or cannot do," one respondent was reported saying. Another respondent of the study raised the issue of workplace harassment, saying that there is a clear bias against women, and those who could not deal with that end up quitting. Gender pay gap, family-related concerns, under-utilization of women, and unmet achievement needs were also some of the issues that hinder women's entry, continuation and retention of women in STEM, according to the report. Automation is also projected to have a heavier impact on women than men. According to a report by the International Labor Organization, women in STEM-related industries tend to hold low-skilled professions and are more than twice likely to lose their job due to automation compared to men. "Beyond families, it is important for companies and employers to ensure an enabling and safe environment for women and girls if and when they go into STEM," Sarah Knibbs, regional director ad interim for UN Women Asia and the Pacific, tells SciDev.Net. "It is critical for women to feel a sense of belonging, be given the space to thrive, and be supported especially during changes in their life stages from the time they enter the workforce, have children, prepare for leadership roles, and retire." But Knibbs believes encouraging more women to engage in STEM starts at home. "There is no one solution to this but it is critical we start with the families of women and girls," she says, pointing out that families tend to invest in providing tech gadgets and access to tools and trainings for boys than girls. "Parents need to be supportive and appreciate that they play an important role in ensuring that their daughters are able to achieve their fullest potential free from stereotypes and barriers." Provided by SciDev.Net This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: New colt "Steve" with surrogate mom Marge at the CSU Equine Reproduction Laboratory. Credit: John Eisele/Colorado State University Ellie is an 11-year-old chestnut mare with a fetching white stripe on her face, and she's about as loved as any horse could be. That's why she'll spend the rest of her days munching grass in a Colorado field, after a series of medical interventions performed over the last several years by Colorado State University equine veterinarians. Ellie's story, the latest chapter of which includes her becoming a momvia a surrogate mareto a healthy new colt, highlights the skilled care and expertise that has defined CSU's Equine Reproduction Laboratory over the last half-century. The Equine Reproduction Laboratory sits off Rampart Road on the Foothills Campus of CSU. Founded in the late 1960s as part of what is now called the Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology Laboratory, the lab is a state-of-the-art facility devoted to innovative research, exceptional teaching and outstanding clinical service, for both mares and stallions. The lab specializes in assisted reproductive technologies, from relatively simple embryo recovery and transfer, to more complex procedures like intracytoplasmic sperm injection, which is akin to current human in vitro fertilization procedures. Spring is foaling season at the Equine Reproduction Laboratory, which means lots of client baby horses taking their first wobbly steps under the care of CSU faculty and staff. Steve, born via surrogacy In the wee hours of Feb. 23, Ellie, whose registered name is CBK Spooks Got Cash, became the biological mom to a feisty foal that CSU veterinary residents around the barn have taken to calling "Steve" (he'll get an official registered name later). But Ellie didn't birth Steve. That job went to Marge, a 13-year-old gray mare for whom birthing babies is old hatshe's done it multiple times. Marge belongs to a herd of "recipient" or surrogate mares who pasture at the CSU lab and are periodically called upon to become pregnant on behalf of another female horse. CBK Spooks Got Cash a.k.a. "Ellie" during a reining performance in 2018. Credit: Colorado State University Ellie's humans, Corliss and Bill Kellogg, have been making the nine-hour drive from their ranch in Gettysburg, South Dakota, for nearly a decade to have their horses cared for or bred by CSU. In 2020, they brought Ellie to CSU for surgery on a torn meniscus in her knee, which was performed by CSU equine orthopedist Dr. Laurie Goodrich. After rehabbing her for two years under the care of Dr. Melissa King, the Kelloggs longed to breed Ellie, a beloved member of their family who had been a decorated reining performance horse in her youth. She had previously carried a foal, but due to complications during the birth, the foal did not survive, and Ellie had had an emergency Cesarean surgery to save her life. "We think so much of our animals, especially the ones that have gone through so much like Ellie," Corliss Kellogg said. "Some people would have put her down, but I can't do that. They deserve a chance in life just as well as a human does." Embryo transfer To help Ellie have a baby, CSU veterinarians performed an embryo transfer. First, she was inseminated and made to become briefly pregnant with an early embryo. Eight days after ovulation, the embryo was flushed from her uterus and placed into the uterus of the recipient mare Marge. This tried-and-true assisted reproduction method for horses was developed in the 1970s, but it was at CSU where it was transformed into a successful clinical procedure, spearheaded by then-CSU faculty member Dr. Ed Squires. Now, embryo transfer is routine and widely used, according to Dr. Patrick McCue, senior veterinarian at the Equine Reproduction Laboratory and the Iron Rose Ranch Professor of Equine Reproduction. In the early days, McCue said, embryo transfers were performed surgically. When McCue arrived at CSU in the mid-1990s, he helped switched CSU's clinical embryo transfer program to a faster, less invasive, non-surgical procedure that accesses the mare's uterus via a catheter rather than an incision. This non-surgical procedure is still used today, including on Ellie and Marge. The Kelloggs are hoping Ellie can have another foal, again through surrogacy, later this spring. "The doctors have been phenomenal," Bill Kellogg said. "We've been blessed. We put the time and money into it, and we have good people surrounding us. They brought Ellie back from a dark place." Due to Ellie's previous injury and her need to live in milder conditions than the winters of South Dakota, the Kelloggs have made the decision to keep Ellie permanently at a facility in Colorado. That way she can continue to have access to CSU veterinarians and hopefully produce another foal. The procedure used to transfer Ellie's embryo into Marge is a common one. But the services provided by the Equine Reproduction Laboratory extend into much more difficult cases. Sperm injection A less frequent and more complex assisted reproductive technology performed at CSU is called ICSI, or Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection. It is nearly identical to the human IVF procedure, in which an oocyte (egg) is fertilized outside the female body. The first foal ever conceived through ICSI-assisted reproduction was born at CSU in 1996. Dr. Elaine Carnevale, a faculty member in the CSU Department of Biomedical Sciences, grew CSU's clinical ICSI program through the early 2000s and beyond, making the procedure more widely available to the horse-breeding world. Among Carnevale's trainees was Dr. Jennifer Hatzel, assistant professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences, who oversees the clinical ICSI program at the Equine Reproduction Lab today. When the sperm injection work started to gain traction in the early to mid 2000s, CSU was one of the only facilities that offered the procedure, according to Hatzel. "CSU had barns full of horses that came up from Texas, Oklahoma people would ship their horses up here to have this procedure done because their mares couldn't get pregnant any other way." Now, ICSI is used all over the world. The ICSI sperm injection procedure in horses is similar to the in vitro fertilization procedure performed in humans, Hatzel explained. The mare's eggs are collected using a trans-vaginal ultrasound probe and transferred into a petri dish. The egg is fertilized by direct injection of a single sperm into the egg using a specialized microscope. The fertilized egg is then placed into an incubator and monitored for embryonic development. Once the embryo has reached a viable stage, it is transferred either back into the original mare, or into a recipient (surrogate) mare. The mare as a model for human reproduction It might surprise some to learn that equine and human reproductive research have a lot to learn from each other, but experts at CSU, including Carnevale, Hatzel and others, have known this for a long time and have worked to collaborate and share knowledge. While mouse models are standard in human-focused clinical research, horses share important similarities to humans and may lend better translational data, particularly as it relates to female reproduction, aging and obesity. "The mare tends to be a pretty good model for humans, especially in the world of aging," Hatzel said. "Horses are one of the only species, short of dogs and cats, who live long enough to get to the point where they actually go through a similar process that women go through with menopause, which we call 'mare-pause.'" CSU continues to do cutting-edge research in equine medicine that could have translational applications to humans. Hatzel, for example, is working with industry partners on several different projects and methodologies to identify the healthiest sperm in a sample, in order to improve rates of success creating viable embryos. Such a technique could be used in both humans and horses someday, she said. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: This figure shows that when the electrons are controlled using the Rashba effect (which involves a perpendicular internal field, E 0 ), there are changes in the way they move and interact with each other in a material. This change causes the material structure to distort, similar to when you push and pull on a rubber band. The most likely positions for the electrons from the oxygen and titanium atoms are represented by the orange and blue colours (orbitals). These positions look distorted from their original position in two different planes for both the oxygen and titanium atoms, creating a new pattern strongly affected by the Rashba effect. Credit: Physical Review Letters (2022). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.129.187203 National University of Singapore (NUS) physicists have demonstrated a new way of controlling Rashba interactions in oxide systems. Tuning and controlling Rashba interactions is a particularly promising technology, as it can potentially be integrated directly into functional logic and memory devices. Scientists and engineers need devices that can process information efficiently with ultra-low power consumption. Recently, there have been new developments in logic and memory devices that use the spin of electrons, in addition to their electronic charge, to store and process information. To accomplish this, the device architecture needs a strong interaction between the spin of electrons and their orbital moments. This coupling, known as Rashba effect, allows for easy manipulation of spin currents and can lead to lower energy consumption. In particular, it can facilitate voltage-driven magnetization switching for logic and memory computing with reduced energy consumption, as proposed by Intel. However, to be useful in this regard, this effect must be significantly large even at zero applied voltages, and this has been difficult to realize in traditional semiconducting and metallic systems. The research team led by Professor Ariando from the Department of Physics, NUS, demonstrated that lattice polarization and the trapping of interfacial charge carriers can result in a large Rashba spin-orbit effect at the oxide material interface in the absence of an external bias. Their findings have now been published in Physical Review Letters. Oxide systems have great potential for exploiting the Rashba effect because their multiple degrees of freedom (charge, spin, orbital, and lattice) are entangled with one another. Under Prof. Ariando's guidance and with the support of the research team, Dr. Ganesh Ji Omar, the lead author of the paper, came up with a new and different methodology for controlling the Rashba effect in oxide material systems. In their experiments, the researchers developed two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) at LaAlO 3 -SrTiO 3 interfaces and buffered by a LaFeO 3 carrier modulating layer. All individual oxide layers during the fabrication process were controlled in real time and the resulting structures were validated using high-resolution electron microscopy. This heterostructure led to significant enhancement of Rashba effect at the correlated LaAlO 3 -SrTiO 3 interfaces even when no external voltage was applied. This remarkable enhancement effect was explained using a framework of "orbital hybridization of interfacial electronic wave functions" at oxide interfaces (see figure above). The theoretical research team further validated this unconventional Rashba effect using density functional theory. Prof. Ariando said, "This work highlights the fundamental role of lattice polarization in achieving the observed enhancement of Rashba spin-orbit coupling and is particularly promising for efficient spin-to-charge conversion. Moreover, it can lead to the discovery of various other exotic properties, such as spiral magnetism, topological superconductivity, and intrinsic spin Hall effect." More information: G. J. Omar et al, Experimental Evidence of t2g Electron-Gas Rashba Interaction Induced by Asymmetric Orbital Hybridization, Physical Review Letters (2022). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.129.187203 Journal information: Physical Review Letters This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Artist's illustration of a gamma-ray burst resulting from a collapsing stars, ejecting particles and radiation in a narrow jet. Credit: Soheb Mandhai Gamma-ray bursts are the most energetic and luminous events known to occur in the Universe. Short-lived flashes of gamma rays that typically last from a a tenth of a second to less than an hour, gamma-ray bursts may for a brief period of time outshine entire galaxies. The explosions are believed to be caused by the collapse of massive stars, the collision of neutron stars, or the merging of a neutron star and a black hole. Although we have known about their existence for 60 years, there is still much to learn about these fascinating events. Not only are they transient and occur at random locations in the sky; gamma rays are also mostly absorbed by our atmosphere impeding their detection from Earth. To detect them, scientists therefore use space-based gamma-ray telescopes, that when triggered, send automatic instant messages to Earth. This allows the astronomers to follow up the detections with Earth-based telescopes, to look for a less energetic "afterglow" that often follows the gamma-rays. Outshining an entire galaxy On October 9, 2022, ESA's INTEGRAL, NASA's Swift and Fermi satellites, and other space observatories detected the gamma-ray burst which was, accordingly, named GRB 221009A. This led Daniele Bjrn Malesani, astronomer at Radboud University in the Netherlands and affiliated scientist at the Cosmic Dawn Center, to point the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile toward the direction of GRB 221009A. Using the X-shooter spectrograph mounted at the VLT, the resulting spectrum allowed Malesani and his team to measure the exact distance to GRB 221009A. Although the host galaxy of the burst turned out to lie more than two billion light-years away, this actually makes it one of the most nearby bursts. Moreover, with a secure distance the team were also able to calculate the total amount of energy released from the burst. "Gamma-ray bursts are always energetic, but this one was absolutely astonishing: During the 290 seconds that it lasted, GRB 221009A released roughly 1,000 times as much energy as our sun has emitted during all of its lifetime of 4.5 billion years," says Malesani. Another way to put it is that the burst for a brief period of time was more luminous that the combined light of all the hundreds of billions of stars in the Milky Way. As is normal, this calculation assumes that GRB 221009A has emitted the same amount of energy in all directions. More likely though, the energy in "concentrated" in a narrow beam, in the direction of which we happen to lie. The total energy is therefore somewhat smaller, although still extremely high. And in any rate, it is the most energetic gamma-ray burst ever detected, 70 times brighter than ever seen before. It was even reported to affect the Earth's ionosphere. "Theoretically, we would expect such a powerful event to happen only once in 10,000 years," explains Malesani. "This makes us wonder if our detection is just sheer luck, of if there's something we're misunderstanding about the nature of gamma-ray bursts." Followed up by James Webb Space Telescope GRB 221009A was also followed up at longer wavelengths with the James Webb Space Telescope. These observations were led by Andrew Levan, also at Radboud University, although Malesani and other DAWNers also were a part of the team. These observation allowed the astronomers to further characterize the gamma-ray burst. The James Webb telescope was particularly useful because the burst happens to lie, by an unlucky chance, behind a thick layer of cosmic dust inside the Milky Way galaxy. This has nothing to do with the burst itself, but makes it harder to interpret the results, as it dims the light from the burst. Webb looked at the afterglow in the mid-infrared, which is much less affected by dust, offering a better view of the event. Even Webb has shortcomings Kasper Heintz, assistant professor at the Cosmic Dawn Center, participated in both studies. He explains, "Gamma-ray bursts like GRB 221009A are expected to explode together with a supernova whose light should 'add' to the burst itself. But for this burst, despite Webb's huge mirror it couldn't find convincing evidence for a bright supernova." So, was the supernova just fainter than normal, or was it missing altogether? The jury is still out, and there are more surprises to come from this once-in-a-lifetime mysterious event. This video shows a sequence of images, taken in optical light with ESO's Very Large Telescope, shows the gamma-ray burst GRB 221009A fading away. The enigmatic gamma-ray bursts Gamma-ray bursts were first discovered in 1967 by the Vela satellite, built to monitor the sky for possible tests of nuclear weapons, which would be a violation of the 1963 Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. First thought to originate from nearby sources within our own galaxy, more sensitive space observatories revealed, in the 1990's, that they must come from far outside the Milky Way, distributed over the whole Universe. The transient nature of the bursts made them difficult to study, but since the late 1990's astronomers have been able to detect also their less energetic afterglow, from X-rays to optical light, to the infrared, helping to establish a theory of their origin. The research has been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters and Astronomy & Astrophysics. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service via Picryl.com For most Californians, the sight of aircraft spewing neon pink liquid over flaming trees and brush has become a hallmark of aggressive wildfire suppression campaignsif not a potent symbol of government's struggle to control increasingly destructive forest fires. But as the use of aerially delivered retardant has soared in recent years, some forest advocates say the substance does more harm than good. They claim wildfire retardant drops are expensive, ineffective and a growing source of pollution for rivers and streams. "There's no scientific evidence that it makes any difference in wildfire outcomes," said forester Andy Stahl. "This is like dumping cash out of airplanes, except that it's toxic and you can't buy anything with it because it doesn't work." Now, a federal lawsuit in Montana that seeks to stop the U.S. Forest Service from dropping retardant into water could reshape how the agency battles wildfires throughout the western United States. The case is being watched particularly closely by officials in California, where an extremely wet winter is likely to stoke the growth of so-called connecting fuelsgrasses that can carry small flames from a spark on a roadway to chaparral and forested areas. "This is going to destroy towns and many communities in California, if they allow this to go through," said Paradise Mayor Greg Bolin, whose town was razed by the Camp fire in 2018. "To maybe save a few fish, really?" The lawsuit, filed by the Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics, of which Stahl is executive director, accuses the Forest Service of violating the Clean Water Act, which prohibits the discharge of pollutants into U.S. waters without a permit. The action comes as more retardant is being dropped from the air than ever before amid longer, more active fire seasons. In 2021, 52.8 million gallons of retardant were dumped on federal, state and private land, compared with a 10-year average of about 39 million gallons per year, according to figures provided by the Forest Service. More than half of the retardant the Forest Service used on national forest lands was dropped in Californiamore than any other state. The Forest Service primarily uses ammonium phosphate-based retardant, which is intended to coat vegetation and other fuels around the edges of a fire to deprive advancing flames of oxygen. The goal is to slow fire spread and lessen its intensity so crews on the ground get a chance to directly attack it. But the chemical, which is also used as fertilizer, can kill aquatic life. For example, in Santa Barbara County, dozens of endangered steelhead trout were killed in Maria Ygnacio Creek during the 2009 Jesusita fire. UC Santa Barbara scientists documented elevated ammonia levels in the water and concluded the fish kill was likely due to retardant drops. The Forest Service has dropped more than 760,000 gallons of retardant into water, both accidentally and under an agency directive that such drops are permissible if they mitigate threats to human life or public safety, according to figures the agency released last year. Plaintiffs in the case have asked the court to enjoin the Forest Service from spilling retardant into waterways. However, the Forest Service contends in court documents that the only way to do so is to stop using retardant altogetheran action that they say would deprive the service of a crucial firefighting tool. Plaintiffs, however, say the Forest Service could instead increase the width of buffer zones alongside waterways where no retardant can be dropped. After the suit was filed, the Forest Service asked the Environmental Protection Agency to develop a general permit to cover the discharge of retardant into waterways. The EPA estimates the process will take about 2 years. Facing the potential prospect of the Forest Service not being able to apply retardant from the air for more than two years, more than a dozen communities and interest groups have petitioned to intervene in the case. They include Paradise, Butte and Plumas counties in California and trade organizations representing private firefighting companies, the timber industry and agriculture. "The impacts that everybody is experiencing in California and beyond are so dramatic that we have no option other than to build a coalition to try to cease any action that would result in a higher risk as it relates to wildfire damages," said Matt Dias, chief executive of the California Forestry Association. Members of the trade group, which represents lumber mills, veneer plants and biomass facilities in the state, have lost hundreds of thousands of acres to wildfire over the past several years, he said. The effects extend beyond the forest products industry to include the loss of hundreds of lives, the depletion of carbon stocks and recreational opportunities, the degradation of air quality and the economic devastation of rural communities, he added. "My understanding is that fire retardant is not good for waterways, but think of the other side of it," said Butte County Supervisor Doug Teeter, who lost his home in the Camp fire. "A massive forest fire burning down a huge amount of acreage is probably worse for the environment." The Camp fire was the deadliest wildfire in California history, killing 84 people. Although retardant was unable to be used to save Paradise because the blaze moved too quickly, generating 100-mph winds and thick clouds of black smoke that grounded air tankers, retardant did stop the flames from spreading to nearby Chico and Durham, Bolin said. The legal wrangling prompted U.S. Reps. Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) and Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel) to on March 14 introduce a bill that would explicitly exempt firefighting agencies from having to obtain a permit for retardant use. The lawsuit is the latest salvo in a decades-long battle between FSEE and the Forest Service over the agency's use of retardant. The nonprofit first sued the Forest Service in 2003 for failing to conduct the appropriate environmental analyses to use aerial retardant; a federal court ruled the agency must do so. The nonprofit again sued the Forest Service in 2008, alleging its environmental analysis was inadequate, and the court ruled the Forest Service had to do a more thorough analysis by the end of 2011. That's when the Forest Service agreed to map out exclusion areas where it would refrain from dropping retardant absent a risk to public safety, including buffers around vulnerable species habitat and waterways. The EPA told the agency at the time that if pilots complied with these guidelines, they would not need a permit, as they would not be discharging retardant into waterways. But in a report released last year, the Forest Service admitted that it had dropped more than 1 million gallons of retardant into exclusion areas on 459 occasions from 2012 through 2019. Retardant landed in water on 213 of those occasions, representing less than 1% of the roughly 56,868 retardant drops the Forest Service made during that time frame, the agency said in court documents. While the lawsuit primarily concerns the dropping of retardant into water, the issue of whether it works as intended has also been raised in court documents. The Forest Service has argued that a prohibition on discharges of retardant into water would impair its firefighting capabilities and jeopardize safety, doing a disservice to the public interest. The FSEE has argued however that the agency lacks evidence that aerial retardant actually accomplishes those goals. Studies performed by Forest Service scientists have concluded that aerial retardant slows fire spread in laboratory-based and experimental fires, but that its effectiveness in the field is dependent on environmental conditions like slope, fuel type, terrain and weather. "Aerial retardant is effective over a narrow range of conditions, and the windows of opportunity for those conditions are narrowing each year due to climate change," said Timothy Ingalsbee, a former wildland firefighter and executive director of the nonprofit Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics and Ecology, which is not involved in the lawsuit. Retardant is most effective when used in the cool of the morning on relatively level terrain with sparse vegetation during the initial attack of small fires burning near communities, he said. Ground crews must be nearby to take advantage of the reduced rate of spread by cutting containment lines; otherwise, the fire may slow only temporarily and then keep spreading, he said. And yet, Ingalsbee said, research has shown that retardant is often dropped in the heat of the afternoon during the extended attack of large fires burning on steep, densely forested slopes in remote areas where ground crews can't reach, or when fire behavior is so intense that it's too dangerous for ground crews to engage. "The Forest Service feels pressure to do something, as much for public relations as any operational benefit," he said. "But it's just a big airshow." 2023 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Massacre des dominicains dArcueil route ditalie no. 38 le 26 mai 1871 a 4 heures et demie, photomontage produced by Eugene Appert 1871. Credit: Synthese (2023). DOI: 10.1007/s11229-023-04097-3 Fake footage is a centuries-old problem that began long before digital technology, according to a Leeds academic. A new research paper published in the philosophy journal Synthese argues that deepfakes aren't as unprecedented as they may seem, as photos and videos have been the subject of manipulation for more than a century. Instead of seeing deepfakes as a sign of a digital apocalypse, philosopher Dr. Joshua Habgood-Coote says we should be focusing on the insidious social problems behind the videos, such as misogyny and racism. Dr. Habgood-Coote, Research Fellow at the University of Leeds' School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science and author of the paper, said, "There's been a lot of public debate about deepfakes, which has become increasingly apocalyptic, pushing the idea that reality and truth are being lost in a technological dystopia." "We should think about deepfakes as a social rather than technological problem and focus on the way deepfakes will be used against marginalized groups." In recent weeks, deepfake images of Pope Francis wearing a puffer jacket and Donald Trump being arrested have flooded social media, with many showing telltale signs of digital manipulation, from extra limbs to distorted hands. The camera lies Photo manipulation didn't begin with the release of Photoshop in 1990, but more than a century beforehand in the late 1800s. Dr. Habgood-Coote said, "The idea of a golden period in which recordings unproblematically represented the world is a fiction." The research highlights several examples of this: Famous photos in the 1860s claimed to capture real spirits, including the ghost of Abraham Lincoln. The photographer, William Mulmer, was accused of fraud, and after a sensational trial in 1869, a columnist for the New York World wrote: "Who, henceforth, can trust the accuracy of a photograph?" Footage of the Spanish-American war in 1898 involved widespread fakery, including staged cavalry charges and the use of toy boats to represent naval engagements. The New York Evening Graphic notoriously produced staged photos to illustrate current events between 1924 and 1932, often printing sexualized pictures of women. Until the 1980s, film and development processes were set up to accurately depict white skin only, often changing the skin tones of anyone with darker skin to hide their faces in artificial shadows. Social vs. technological Dr. Habgood-Coote argues that, because deepfakes are not unprecedented, the panic around the technology is unjustified. He said, "Making a deepfake isn't as simple as pressing a buttonto create a convincing deepfake requires a significant level of expertise, large image sets of the target and considerable computing power." We should instead be thinking about media reform and institutional political change to combat the social problems behind deepfakes, according to his research. Deepfake pornography has become a huge cause for concern, with celebrities frequently being edited into sexual videos without their consent. As this disproportionately affects women, Dr. Habgood-Coote says this form of pornography says more about misogyny than technology. Dr. Habgood-Coote said, "We can see the threat of pornographic deepfakes is not that they persuade anyone that they are a genuine depiction of the target woman... but is rather their ability to effectively spread sexist propaganda." We should also be concerned about the effect of deepfakes on racialised groups, according to the research. For example, a Black "virtual influencer," Shudu Gram, sparked controversy in 2018 after it was revealed that all images of "Shudu" were computer-generated by a white creator, according to the New Yorker. With nearly a quarter of a million Instagram followers, "Shudu" is often shown advertising products for huge brands including Samsung, Louis Vuitton and Fila. In recent days it has also been announced that Levi's will begin testing AI-generated models to diversify the shopping experience on its website, showing clothes on models of different body types, ages, sizes and skin tones. "These examples raise important questions about how deepfakes will be used to fetishize, commodify and dehumanize marginalized groups," Dr. Habgood-Coote said. More information: Joshua Habgood-Coote, Deepfakes and the epistemic apocalypse, Synthese (2023). DOI: 10.1007/s11229-023-04097-3 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Liquid-phase TEM video of layer-by-layer growth of a crystal with smooth surface from gold concave nanocubes. Surface particles on the growing crystal are tracked (center positions overlaid with yellow dots). Credit: Erik Luijten and Qian Chen For the first time ever, researchers have watched the mesmerizing process of nanoparticles self-assembling into solid materials. In the stunning new videos, particles rain down, tumble along stairsteps and slide around before finally snapping into place to form a crystal's signature stacked layers. Led by Northwestern University and the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, the research team says these new insights could be used to design new materials, including thin films for electronic applications. The research will be published on March 30 in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. Described by the researchers as an "experimental tour de force," the study used a newly optimized form of liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to gain unprecedented insights into the self-assembly process. Before this work, researchers have used microscopy to watch micron-sized colloidswhich are 10 to 100 times larger than nanoparticlesself-assemble into crystals. They also have used X-ray crystallography or electron microscopy to visualize single layers of atoms in a crystalline lattice. But they were unable to watch atoms individually move into place. "We know that atoms use a similar scheme to assemble into crystals, but we have never seen the actual growth process," said Northwestern's Erik Luijten, who led the theoretical and computational work to explain the observations. "Now we see it coming together right in front of our eyes. By viewing nanoparticles, we are watching particles that are larger than atoms, but smaller than colloids. So, we have completed the whole spectrum of length scales. We are filling in the missing length." Liquid-phase TEM video of layer-by-layer growth of a crystal with smooth surface from gold concave nanocubes. Surface particles on the growing crystal are tracked (center positions overlaid with yellow dots). Credit: Erik Luijten and Qian Chen "Previously, our team resolved the mystery of nucleation, namely how the embryos of crystals composed of tens of nanoparticles are formed, which follows a nonclassical pathway in solution," said Illinois' Qian Chen, who led the experimental work. "With recent advances in liquid-phase TEM and data science, in this work, we are now able to capture and track motions of thousands of nanoparticles over time. These nanoparticles wiggle in solution and grow into crystals of various morphologies like polyhedral or wedding cake." Luijten is a professor of materials science and engineering at Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering, where he also is an associate dean. Chen is an associate professor of materials science and engineering at Illinois. Most people are familiar with crystals in the forms of salt, sugar, snowflakes and sparkling gems, such as diamonds. Although crystallization is a ubiquitous phenomenon, exactly how crystals form has remained a mystery. The building blocksatoms, molecules or ionsthat compose crystalline materials are highly ordered, forming lattices of equally spaced building blocks. These lattices then stack on top of each other to form a three-dimensional solid material. "The stacking of atoms into regular arrangements is the reason that crystals have smooth, flat faces," Luijten said. "That's why they break along straight edges." Up until now, researchers have studied crystallization by examining much larger particles called colloids. But watching colloids self-arrange into crystals did not give insights into how atoms behave. Whereas crystals have flat, uniform surfaces, crystalline structures made from micron-sized colloids tend to adopt non-uniform, rough surfaces. "Colloids are so much larger than atoms that it is doubtful they follow the same steps when crystallizing," Luijten said. "So, they do not teach us what atoms do. The analogy of colloids to atoms doesn't really hold." Animation illustrating in-plane and out-of-plane growth modes for crystals of gold concave nanocubes inside a liquid-phase transmission electron microscope (TEM) chamber. Credit: Erik Luijten and Qian Chen To glean deeper insights into the crystallization process, Luijten, Chen and their teams turned to nanoparticles. Recent advances to improve liquid-phase TEM have made it possible to view nanoparticles in real time as they form solid materials. Chen's team spent years optimizing the process to ensure the electron beam could view the particles without damaging them. In the new study, the researchers used differently shaped nanoparticlescubes, spheres and indented cubesto explore how shape affects behavior. The researchers first visualized crystal formation with advanced computer simulations, which were performed by Northwestern graduate students Ziwei Wang and Garrett Watson as well as postdoctoral fellow Tine Curk. Then they performed experiments with liquid-phase TEM to watch the nanoparticles self-assemble in real time. In the experiments, the researchers noticed the particles collided into each other, sticking together to form layers. Then, to form the layer-by-layer crystalline structure, the particles first formed a horizontal layer and then stacked vertically. Sometimes, after sticking to each other, the particles briefly detached to fall onto a layer below. "They run along and then hesitate at the edge before falling," Luijten said. "It's like a diver hesitating at the edge of a diving board. I can't believe we can actually see this. We have never seen the actual growth process beforeonly the result." Luijten said this information will help engineers design new materials. The insight specifically could help with the design of thin-film materials, which are often used to build flexible electronics, light-emitting diodes, transistors and solar cells. "Knowing how particles come together will enable us to control the shape of a surface," Luijten said. "Do you want a flat or rough surface? Changing particle shape or how fast the particles fall can affect the surface." This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Slim Boom. Credit: Phil Drury, University of Sheffield An explosion the size of our solar system has baffled scientists, as part of its shapesimilar to that of an extremely flat diskchallenges everything we know about explosions in space. The explosion observed was a bright Fast Blue Optical Transient (FBOT)an extremely rare class of explosion which is much less common than other explosions, such as supernovas. The first bright FBOT was discovered in 2018 and given the nickname "the cow." Explosions of stars in the universe are almost always spherical in shape, as the stars themselves are spherical. However, this explosion, which occurred 180 million light years away, is the most aspherical ever seen in space, with a shape like a disk emerging a few days after it was discovered. This section of the explosion may have come from material shed by the star just before it exploded. It's still unclear how bright FBOT explosions occur, but it's hoped that this observation, published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, will bring us closer to understanding them. Dr. Justyn Maund, Lead Author of the study from the University of Sheffield's Department of Physics and Astronomy, said, "Very little is known about FBOT explosionsthey just don't behave like exploding stars should, they are too bright and they evolve too quickly. Put simply, they are weird, and this new observation makes them even weirder." "Hopefully this new finding will help us shed a bit more light on themwe never thought that explosions could be this aspherical. There are a few potential explanations for it: the stars involved may have created a disk just before they died or these could be failed supernovas, where the core of the star collapses to a blackhole or neutron star which then eats the rest of the star." "What we now know for sure is that the levels of asymmetry recorded are a key part of understanding these mysterious explosions, and it challenges our preconceptions of how stars might explode in the universe." Scientists made the discovery after spotting a flash of polarized light completely by chance. They were able to measure the polarization of the blastusing the astronomical equivalent of polaroid sunglasseswith the Liverpool Telescope (owned by Liverpool John Moores University) located on La Palma. By measuring the polarization, it allowed them to measure the shape of the explosion, effectively seeing something the size of our solar system but in a galaxy 180 million light years away. They were then able to use the data to reconstruct the 3D shape of the explosion, and were able to map the edges of the blastallowing them to see just how flat it was. The mirror of the Liverpool Telescope is only 2.0m in diameter, but by studying the polarization the astronomers were able to reconstruct the shape of the explosion as if the telescope had a diameter of about 750km. Researchers will now undertake a new survey with the international Vera Rubin Observatory in Chile, which is expected to help discover more FBOTs and further understand them. More information: Justyn R Maund et al, A flash of polarized optical light points to an aspherical 'cow', Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2023). DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stad539 Journal information: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: CC0 Public Domain Research from the Institute for Sustainable Food at the University of Sheffield has investigated the reasons for post-harvest loss of crops produced in the Morogoro region of Tanzania. The study, which was led by Dr. Pamela Abott from the University's Information School, focused on three perishable or semi-perishable cropsonion, tomato and sweet potato. Farmers were surveyed on multiple stages of the food production process, including harvesting, primarily by hand; transportation, mainly through head-carrying and by motorcycle; storage, processing, and handling of crops. The report, which was produced in collaboration with a team from the University of Dodoma led by Dr. Kalista Higini, assessed post-harvest loss at various stages of the food production cycle. Highlighting the different causes, the available technology and information and knowledge sources applied, and proposed recommendations to reduce crop losses. The reported reasons for loss differed depending on the crop. For example, in the harvesting stage respondents attributed the crop loss in tomatoes to weather (77.27 percent), a delay in harvesting (56.82 percent), and damage when harvesting (55.27 percent). The research illustrated how farmers are caught in a vicious cycle of continuous harvest and post-harvest loss, leading to poor profits and a subsequent inability to invest in innovations or improved techniques. This is complicated by a lack of knowledge of the market, poor storage, transportation and handling facilities, caused by insufficient investment and a dependence on middlemen who themselves are trying to profit from seasonal crops with a short shelf life. Dr. Pamela Abbott, a Senior Lecturer in Information Systems at the University of Sheffield's Information School, said, "The project is a good example of a global North-South cross-disciplinary collaboration to address a challenge local to the Morogoro region of Tanzania but which has far wider consequences. Smallholder farmers are thought to produce much of the food consumed across Sub-Saharan Africa while being disadvantaged through persistent systemic challenges, like the post-harvest loss problem, due to circumstances beyond their control that keep farmers in a persistent state of poverty. Our study sought to use an interdisciplinary approach to shed light on the problem." "We found that ultimately systemic problems need systemic solutionssolutions that need buy-in from farmers, ensuring farmers are supported to transition from traditional subsistence methods to more commercialized ones, and be backed up by a plan to provide supporting institutions and infrastructures in the food system as well as movement towards balancing indigenous and 'improved' practices in the farming community." Solutions recommended by the report included improved storage technologies such as more efficient locally-developed storage solutions, or alternative storage technologies such as charcoal coolers or refrigeration, both of which can be considered as superior alternatives to the traditionally used Kihenge. Recommendations from the research highlighted advantages of using IT based solutions such as sensor technologies and mobile phone networks to monitor and report on key indicators of current storage efficiency. Conclusions also indicated that farmers would benefit from connecting with buyers via online markets and engaging with the farming community via mobile phones and apps. Despite the perceived advantages, the researchers acknowledged the financial barriers and lack of support many farmers would face in implementing these solutions. The report also highlighted process-based solutions such as the introduction of farmers' cooperatives, regulating the role of middlemen and improving the transparency of negotiations for farmers. In addition to providing resources for farmers to meet, observe and transfer knowledge about successful farming techniques. To successfully reduce crop losses, researchers say solutions need to include buy-in from farmers, ensure farmers are supported to transition from traditional subsistence methods to more commercialized ones, and be backed up by a plan to provide supporting institutions and infrastructures in the food system. They also highlight the need to address structural inequalities that keep farmers in a persistent state of poverty, as well as the need for a movement towards balancing indigenous and "improved" practices in the farming community. The paper is published by The University of Sheffield. More information: Pamela Abbott et al, Baseline Study of Postharvest Loss of Selected Crops in Two Districts of the Morogoro Region of Tanzania, The University of Sheffield (2023). DOI: 10.15131/shef.data.22116701.v2 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Schematic of the optical setup used for optical trapping (a) with an image of the fluorescent nanodiamond (FND) inside a leukemia cell (b). Credit: Fatemeh Kalantarifard, Technical University of Denmark Researchers have developed a new way to study the intricate dynamics within living cells by using optically trapped nanodiamond particles as intracellular sensors. Using custom built optical tweezers, the research team trapped the particles within the cell at low power while the cell was alive. The work represents an important advancement in quantum sensing, which takes advantage of quantum mechanics to analyze changes at the atomic level. The researchers used optical tweezers to trap nanodiamond particles inside single leukemia cells and then demonstrated how the particles can be used to measure magnetic noise within the cell. Fatemeh Kalantarifard from Technical University of Denmark will detail the work at Optica's Biophotonics Congress being held in Vancouver, British Columbia and online April 2327, 2023. Kalantarifard's presentation is scheduled for Monday, April 24. Optically trapped nanodiamonds Fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs) have raised interest as promising emitters and sensors for various applications. One of the most remarkable properties of FNDs is detection of physical parameters, including temperature and magnetic field, by quantum sensing. Diamond quantum sensing is based on a paramagnetic defect in diamond, the nitrogen vacancy (NV) center, which allows reading out temperature and magnetic field dependent electron spin at the nanoscale. Recently, researchers have used fluorescent nanodiamonds containing NV centers as intracellular sensors. In the work presented at the conference, researchers combined trapping of FNDs with spin-based photoluminescence measurement techniques common in diamond-based sensing in a single cell. FNDs were first endocytosed by cells from a human leukemia cell line, and they were then trapped by a near IR laser (1064 nm wavelength) at low power while the cell remained alive. Nanoscale sensing Once the nanodiamonds were in place within the cells and/or on the cell surface, the researchers conducted T1 relaxometry measurements to test their sensing capabilities. This method involves switching on and off a Green (532 nm wavelength) laser pulse that polarizes the electron spins of the NV centers and then lets them revert to equilibrium. Since the polarized configuration exhibits stronger fluorescence than the equilibrium state, researchers determine the spin relaxation rate by optically monitoring the intensity level of fluorescence. Because the magnetic noise in the surrounding environment affects the spin relaxation rate, comparing spin relaxation rates between nanodiamonds positioned in different places allows researchers to map the magnetic noise within the cell. The demonstration shows that optically trapped fluorescent nanodiamonds could represent a precise and flexible method to analyze properties such as magnetic field and temperature within living cells. "The combination of optical trapping of diamond nanoparticles and nanodiamond-based quantum sensing can provide a powerful tool for studying cell mechanical properties. Optical trapping can help hold the nanodiamond-based sensors with high precision, allowing for more accurate measurements at the nanoscale level. In particular, T1 relaxometry measurements of optically trapped nanodiamonds can be used for free radical detection in cells. "Free radicals are highly reactive molecules that can cause damage to cells and tissues. They are produced naturally in the body because of metabolism and can also be generated by exposure to environmental factors such as radiation or toxins," said Kalantarifard. "The use of optically trapped nanodiamonds for free radical detection offers several advantages, including high sensitivity, non-invasiveness, and the ability to monitor real-time changes in T1 relaxation time. This technique can be used to study the effects of oxidative stress on cells and may have potential applications in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases such as cancer and neurodegenerative disorders." Provided by Optica This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Horse and rider petroglyph at the Tolar site, located in Sweetwater County, Wyoming. This depiction was likely carved by ancestral Comanche or Shoshone people. Credit: Pat Doak The continent of North America is where horses first emerged. Millions of years of evolutionary changes transformed the horse before it became the natural companion of many Indigenous Peoples and the flagship symbol of the Southwest. An international team uniting 87 scientists across 66 institutions around the world now begins to refine the history of the American horse. This work, which embeds cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural research between Western and traditional Indigenous science, is published today in the journal Science. "Horses have been part of us since long before other cultures came to our lands, and we are a part of them," states Chief Joe American Horse, a leader of the Oglala Lakota Oyate, traditional knowledge keeper, and co-author of the study. In 2018, at the instruction of her elder knowledge keepers and traditional leaders, Dr. Yvette Running Horse Collin contacted Prof Ludovic Orlando, French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) scientist. She had completed her Ph.D., which focused on deconstructing the history of horses in the Americas. Up until that point, the field had been dominated by Western academics, and Indigenous voices had been largely dismissed. She sought an opportunity to develop a research program in which traditional Indigenous sciences could be brought forward and considered on equal footing with Western science. For the Lakota, scientifically investigating the history of the Horse Nation in the Americas was a perfect starting point, as it would highlight the places of connection and disconnection between Western and Indigenous approaches. The elders were clear: working on the horse would provide a roadmap for learning how to combine the power of all scientific systems, traditional and Western alike. And by doing so, eventually provide new solutions to the many challenges affecting people, communities and biodiversity around the globe. For now, as her ancestors before her, Dr. Running Horse Collin would follow the lead of the Horse Nation. Part of the program was to test a narrative that features in almost every single textbook on the history of the Americas: whether European historic records accurately captured the story of Indigenous people and horses across the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains. This narrative reflects the most popular chronicles of the Europeans who first established contact with Indigenous groups and contend a recent adoption of horses following the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. Archaeological science has emerged as a powerful tool to understand the past, and, if done collaboratively, a strong technique for countering biases built into historical narratives. Over the last decade, Prof. Orlando and his team of geneticists have extracted the ancient DNA molecules still preserved in archeological remains to rewrite the history of the domestic horse. They have sequenced the genomes of several hundred horses that lived on the planet thousands of years ago, up to even 700,000 years ago. This technology could, thus, be reasonably expected to reveal the genetic makeup of horses that lived in the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains post-European contact. To tackle this question, Prof. William Taylor, Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado and a large team of partners including archaeologists from the University of New Mexico and University of Oklahoma set out to track down archaeological horse bones from across the American West together with his Lakota, Comanche, Pawnee and Pueblo collaborators. Using both new and established practices from the archaeological sciences, the team identified evidence that horses were raised, fed, cared for, and ridden by Indigenous Peoples. An early date from a horse specimen from Paa'ko Pueblo in New Mexico provides evidence of Indigenous control of horses at the turn of the 17th century, and possibly earlier. Direct radiocarbon dating of discoveries ranging from southern Idaho to southwestern Wyoming and northern Kansas showed that horses were present across much of the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains by the early 17th century, and conclusively before the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. Clearly, the most common narrative for the origin of the American horse needed correction. Three-dimensional model of horse skull outfitted with a replica rawhide rope bridle, similar to those used by many Plains horse riders. Credit: William T. Taylor The genome evidence demonstrated that the horses surveyed in this study for many Plains Nations were primarily of Iberian ancestry, but not directly related with those horses that inhabited the Americas in the Late Pleistocene more than 12,000 years ago. Likewise, they were not the descendants of Viking horses, despite Viking establishing settlements on the American continent by 1021. Archaeological data show that these domestic horses were no longer in exclusive Spanish control by at least the early 1600s, and were integrated into Indigenous lifeways. Importantly, this earlier dispersal validates many traditional perspectives on the origin of the horse from project partners like the Comanche and Pawnee, who recognize the link between archaeological findings and oral traditions. Comanche Tribal Historian and study co-author Jimmy Arterberry states, "These findings support and concur with Comanche oral tradition. Archaeological traces of our horse culture are invaluable assets that reveal a chronology in North American history, and are important to the survival of Indigenous cultures. They are our heritage, and merit honor through protection. They are sacred to the Comanche." Further work involving new archaeological excavations at sites dating to or even predating the 16th century, and additional sequencing, will help shed new light on other chapters of the human-horse story in the Americas. Pawnee archaeologist and study co-author Carlton Shield Chief Gover says, "The archaeological science presented in our research further illustrates the necessity for meaningful and genuine collaborative partnerships with Indigenous communities." The genome analyses did not just address the development of horsemanship within First Nations during the first stages of the American colonization. These analyses demonstrated that the once dominant ancestry found in the horse genome became increasingly diluted through time, gaining ancestry native from British bloodlines. Therefore, the changing landscape of colonial America was recorded in the horse genome: first mainly from Spanish sources, then primarily from British settlers. In the future, this team is committed to continue working on the history of the Horse Nation in the Americas to include the scientific methodologies inherent in Indigenous scientific systems, as well as a greater contribution regarding migratory patterns and the effects on the genome due to climate change. This study was critical in helping to bring Western and Indigenous scientists together so that authentic dialogue and exchange may begin. The challenges that our modern world faces are immense. In these times of massive biodiversity crisis and global climate warming, the future of the planet is threatened. Indigenous Peoples have survived the chaos and destruction brought about by colonization, assimilation policies and genocide, and carry important knowledge and scientific approaches centered around sustainability. It is now, more than ever, time to repair history and create more inclusive conditions for co-designing strategies for a more sustainable future. Importantly, this study created a collaboration between Western scientists and many Native Nations across the United States, from the Pueblo to the Pawnee, Wichita, Comanche, and Lakota. We expect to be joined by many more soon. "Our Horse Nation relatives have always brought us together and will continue to do so. Our horse societies are organized and ready. As this collaboration develops, we invite all Peoples of the Horse to join us. We call to you," says Dr. Antonia Loretta Afraid of Bear-Cook, traditional knowledge keeper for the Oglala Lakota, a study co-author. More information: William Timothy Treal Taylor et al, Early dispersal of domestic horses into the Great Plains and northern Rockies, Science (2023). DOI: 10.1126/science.adc9691. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adc9691 Journal information: Science Provided by CNRS This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Shutterstock What if we told you the world has forests harboring creatures with three hearts and where the canopy can grow by a foot a day? What if we told you it was silently disappearing? What if we told you we now have the chance to bring it back? These wonder-filled and remarkably productive ecosystems are kelp forests. They wrap around almost a third of the world's coastlines. If you live in New York, Los Angeles, Sydney or Tokyo, you can snorkel over a kelp forest on a day trip, and potentially spot a seahorse or three-hearted octopus. Kelp forests have even influenced human migration patterns. The so-called "kelp highway" suggests the first Americans settled on the continent by following the kelp-dominated coastline of the Pacific Rim, feeding on plentiful fish and mollusks. But these vast forests of the sea are little known compared to coral reefs. That's a tragedy, given they support some of our most lucrative fisheries such as lobster and abalone, house thousands of species, and can capture great amounts of carbon. Kelp forests are dying at a rate similar to coral reefs or rainforests. In some areas, we have seen near total loss of kelp forests in living memory, and sometimes in just a few years. This includes losing 95% of bull kelp in northern California and 95% of giant kelp in Tasmania. But this is not a bad news story. This is about you and your ability to help. You might thinkwhat can I do? I'm not a scientist. But all around the world, communities and individuals are working to restore these ecosystems. It might be planting out baby kelp with mask and snorkel, removing destructive sea urchin swarms or even creating art to draw attention to these forgotten forests. From citizen science to community-led recovery This year, we issued the Kelp Forest Challenge to communities around the world: let's aim to protect 3 million hectares of surviving kelp and restore one million more hectares by 2040. A task this size can't be achieved just by scientists and researchers. We need communities to play an active part. Just as people turn out in droves for Clean Up Australia Day to replant native plants along creeks or fish out introduced carp, we believe community backing is the only way we will be able to regenerate the oceans. We're not alone in this. Many other groups are looking to community help to expand restoration efforts. Think of South Australia's Seeds for Snapper program, which relies on beachcombers collecting seagrass fruit to aid replanting of the seagrass meadows which act as fish nurseries. The stakes are high. Last year, nations signed the Kunming-Montreal biodiversity pact, which included pledging to protect 30% of the world's oceans by 2030. We have to ensure our remaining kelp forests are covered. At present, very few kelp forests have any measure of protection. They're often forgotten or excluded from marine management plans. But they are vital. Australia's Great Southern Reef, for instance, is the kelp counterpart to the far better known Great Barrier Reef. Where the coral peters out in northern New South Wales, the kelp starts, spanning thousands of kilometers across Australia and stopping only in Kalbarri, Western Australia. This diver is replanting a kelp forest. Credit: John Turnbull Some countries are tackling this at a national level. South Korea has pledged to restore an additional 30,000 hectares of kelp forest by 2030. We now need other countries to follow suit. Yet, there are many ways to help kelp. In Tasmania, for instance, the government subsidized a sea urchin fishery. Why? Because as climate change brings warmer waters, kelp-munching, long-spined sea urchins have migrated from the mainland and now number in the millions. Recreational divers have also been asked to help by removing urchins they spot. Is it possible? Stopping environmental collapse can seem like an impossible task. But take heart. Rememberwe've already overcome other seemingly unachievable conservation challenges. We once used whale oil to fuel our lamps, soap up in the bath and even make sandwiches. But our demand for this oily product soon outstripped supply. Whalers with harpoons drove them almost to extinction. Once considered inexhaustible, humpbacks were hunted down to just 5% of their previous population size. This ecological tragedy gave way to one of our greatest conservation successes. After getting together, coordinating and acting, we banned whaling. The humpback population has soared to over 135,000. In this case, simply stopping what we were doing allowed the whales to rebound from near extinction. But we're not so lucky with our kelp forests. We have tried cleaning up water pollution, removing pest species and even stopping local harvests. But in many cases, stopping the original cause of decline hasn't been enough to entice these ecosystems to return. This sobering fact means it's time to put on our wetsuits and get to work actively restoring undersea forests. So what can you do? Do you run a business? Stopping pollution from flowing into rivers is one way to help kelp, as well as avoiding development in sensitive coastal areas. Even better, some businesses are moving towards being nature positive. That is, their work regenerates nature rather than depletes it. Think of the people in Moreton Bay fisheries active in restoring local oyster reefs. Tech companies can help by monitoring marine forest health. Kelp farmers can provide seed stock and baby kelp for restoration. Tourism operators can promote kelp forests and their creaturesthink of the growing fame of the giant cuttlefish breeding season in Whyalla. And if you're a keen community member? You can help by volunteering your time with citizen science projects like the Reef Life Survey, forming community groups to steward and protect your patch of the ocean or contributing to existing restoration projects like Sydney's Operation Crayweed. We can no longer rely on the oceans to heal themselves. We'll need help from all levels of society to make it happen. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Professor Alexander Brauneis. Credit: Nottingham Trent University The price and trading volume of lower value crypto coins and tokens are being impacted by "crypto influencers" on YouTube, but only in the very short-term, according to a study involving the Center for Finance, Technology and Society at Nottingham Business School (NBS), part of Nottingham Trent University. The paper is published in the journal Finance Research Letters. Over a six-month period, researchers from NBS and the University of Klagenfurt in Austria watched more than 1,000 videos released by cryptocurrency-focused YouTube channels with more than 200,000 subscribers. Although all crypto YouTubers stress that they never provide financial advice, they often advertise coins as being "gems" or a "100x" tokena coin which has the potential to increase in value by up to 100 times. Some channels also offer "shopping lists," thereby promoting specific coins and tokens. The researchers focused on mentions for select coins or tokens with a sufficiently small market capitalizationless than USD 100 million at the day the YouTube video was releasedand investigated trading behavior in terms of daily dollar trading volume for each coin or token 45 days before the mention and five days after. While findings showed no differences prior to or on the day of a video release, a positive and highly significant average abnormal returns of 7.0% across the entire sample was observed the day after a video was published. This lag can be explained by the timing of videos released by U.S. based channels in the afternoon, meaning that even coins bought immediately after the video will be attributed to the next day due to universal time cut off, as well as delayed views by subscribers. Results also showed that the magnitude of price reactions as a result of the YouTube content appears to be inversely linked to the coins' market capitalization. One day post-release "tiny" coins exhibit above average returns of almost 9%, while the numbers for "middle" and "big" coins are only 7.5% and 3.7% respectively. However, this affect was seen to be short-lived, as prices reverted and trading volume returned to pre-release levels in just three days, with day three showing above average returns of almost negative 3.0%. Alexander Brauneis, Professor of Finance and Innovation at the Center for Finance, Technology and Society, said, "New crypto projects are being released every day, so even experienced investors can struggle to keep up with every single potentially lucrative coin. It is therefore reasonable to assume that many retail investors will rely on information provided by specialized YouTube channels and, in such a clickbait-shaped environment, their interest may be drawn to actually investing in the tokens mentioned in these videos." "Our findings point to a substantial increase of token prices in the wake of the release of a video, showing that the people running these channels can be considered as 'crypto influencers' as they influence or even create extra demand for coins they choose to cover." "Furthermore, many of the tokens covered in these videos are low capitalized and hence are likely illiquid, amplifying the YouTube induced impact on prices and trading volume." "Investors should proceed with caution however, as we see evidence that these rises are not sustained and are, in fact, very short-term." More information: Stefanie Moser et al, Should you listen to crypto YouTubers?, Finance Research Letters (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2023.103782 LAKE GEORGE The Disabled American Veterans honored Lake George Village Mayor Bob Blais on Wednesday, as his final week in office draws to a close. Commander of the DAV Department of New York, Scott Stephenson and his wife Sherry Wymer Stephenson, the local commander of the Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties chapter were joined by DAVs Chaplin Emeritus Sid Gordon. I bet youve been working 70-minute hours, the last few months, Gordon chuckled as he greeted Blais. Its a long time youve put in and when you look back now, youre gonna say where the heck did the time go? but its gone. You cant bring it back. You cant get back time and I dont want to get back time, Blais replied to Gordon, before meeting the Chaplains wife, also in attendance. Commander Stephenson presented Blais with a certificate of appreciation on behalf of the veterans, to which he said you guys do such great work and you deserve all the credit, not the old mayor. It says the Disabled American Veterans New York Chapter #158 would like to recognize your service to the community over these many years. Your efforts leading the Village of Lake George has made the area a true destination for many. The veteran community has benefited from your steadfast leadership and we would like to express our appreciation, Stephenson read as he presented the plaque to the mayor. Blais recalled a time when he encountered a group of U.S. Marine Corps veterans in the village, alongside Sgt. Eddy Ryan, of Lake George. We had all these protests going on in Glens Falls and we heard they were coming to Lake George. So, I wanted to go down and greet them and make sure they were going to be peaceful and when I pulled up in front of the fountain in Lake George, there were eight people sitting there, Blais said. It was Sgt. Eddy Ryan in his wheelchair with seven other Marines and when I asked what they were doing there, they said were here to protect you. Stephenson also gifted the mayor with two keepsake items including a coin, which represents medallions worn by U.S. soldiers in World War I, and a pin with the skyline of New York City from Sept. 10, 2001, the day before the attack on the World Trade Center. Blais said the items will live on forever in an exhibit in honor of him at the Lake George Historical Museum, which will include special gifts given to him in his 52 years as village mayor. HUDSON FALLS The energy inside the Sandy Hill Arts Center meeting room on Wednesday afternoon differed slightly from the Tuesday night meeting in the same space with the same presentation from the men behind the proposed Saratoga Biochar Solutions facility. Local community members gathered again to voice concerns about the project now before the state Department of Environmental Conservation, but this time even those against it, thanked the panel for holding the meetings. The company is required by the state DEC to hold public participation meetings in order to complete its applications for air and solid waste permits. Bryce Meeker, president of Northeastern Biochar Solutions and Saratoga Biochar Solutions, Chief Operating Officer Lee Wulfekuhle, CEO Raymond Apy and Andrew Millspaugh, a hired engineer for the project, spoke to the locals during two, three-hour meetings. Patrick Ellis from Casella Waste Management was also in the audience for both meetings to answer questions about transporting and origin of the biosolids. Tom Masso spoke at the Tuesday meeting citing many of The Post-Star articles written in conjunction with the Lee Enterprises Community Services Journalism team about the project. He spoke again on Wednesday, but began by thanking the men. Several meeting attendees even said the company swayed them to believe the project might not be as bad as they initially thought, but they still say not Moreau. Moreau is not the guinea pig; we have to start somewhere. We want to roll this out across the nation, but we have to get it started so others can see it as well. We are not here to harm. We are here to help, Meeker reassured the small crowd gathered on Wednesday. Despite the smaller turnout at the second day meeting with 70 in the room on Tuesday and 50 online at the peak and some familiar faces that have opposed the project since its proposal returning, the dialogue in the room was lighter at times. Therese Gillis, of Hands of the Hudson, even suggested Meeker run for president, as he tries very hard to always find an answer. However, she was not only there to suggest the next big move for the president of the company. Near the end of the meeting, which ran 30 minutes past its scheduled end, she stepped up to the microphone several times. There are a lot of passionate people involved in this, yourself included Bryce, and sometimes it gets long-winded, but were all passionate and thats what brings us here, Gillis began. A lot of us in attendance last night stayed up until the wee hours of the night researching. We didnt sleep all night, but maybe if we can get you to consider these things, it wasnt for nothing. 'The cleanup crew: Leaders behind controversial NY biochar business have ties to troubled Nebraska ethanol plant, Iowa sludge dispute Saratoga Biochar Solutions say they can safely turn sewage sludge into a revolutionary new bio-fertilizer, but two of the company's corporate officers have been in leadership roles with companies that have generated environmental concerns from state regulators, former neighbors or both. Gilles spoke after Cynthia Roberts, a young Hudson Falls mom, expressed her concerns about what the emissions could possibly mean down the line for her children. Im from Fort Edward. I was born here and I stayed here, and I really think you will be long gone in 30 years. I would be about 97, but my grandchildren live just two blocks from me and thats our concern. Your kids arent here, Gillis said. Weve already withstood enough in this region so, I understand that it has to go somewhere. I think its a wonderful concept if you guys can make this work hats off, because we need it. We just dont need it here. Tracy Frisch, a key figure behind the Article 78 lawsuit filed against the Moreau Planning Board and Saratoga Biochar Solutions that is currently being heard by a judge in state Supreme Court of Saratoga County, even found some common ground with the company regarding removing PFAs from food-grade plastics. The man who lives closest to the the proposed site, George Padron, also thanked the Biochar executives for the continued dialogue and opening the meeting up for in-person attendance, but he still voiced his concerns about the continuous monitoring of stack emissions the company agreed to. Not all who climbed to the fifth floor of the Sandy Hill Arts Center were opposed to the project. Brigid Martin, Moreaus town historian and South Glens Falls resident, excitedly asked when will you be open? when her time came to speak. Martin was originally commenting via Zoom, but joined the meeting in person for the last hour. She accused many of the projects critics of lying and raved about the cutting-edge technology Saratoga Biochar Solutions promises to demonstrate and the jobs the facility will bring to Moreau, which Apy said would be only about 12 to 13 at first. The company has already received employment inquiries. The industrial park is an investment that the town of Moreau has been making for a number of years and its been left vacant, so I appreciate you people coming to the town with cutting-edge technology thats gonna clean up the environment, Martin said at the meeting. I apologize for the way youve been treated in our town and by people that dont live in our town. Former Moreau Town Supervisor Harry Gutheil also spoke about his concerns with the decisions surrounding the proposal. Im disappointed and I think the Planning Board was misguided on the advice they got not to hire a third-party consultant. I dont think anybody here realizes the complexity of this situation and I wouldnt expect the volunteer members of the Planning Board to have the expertise to do all this on their own. They put themselves in a position to make their decisions very dependent on DEC, and at DEC, the air quality divisions are generally underfunded and understaffed so, when it comes to monitoring, shutting someone down and getting a quick response, I can almost bet money it wont be there, Gutheil said. Im gonna leave here with even more concerns than when I came. Legislation that would allow contraception to be sold without a doctors prescription is being sent to the state Senate for a third consecutive year. The bill, A.1060, was passed by a 109-37 vote in the state Assembly this week. The bill was also passed in 2021 and 2022 but hasnt been approved by the state Senate in either of those years. It was first introduced in 2016. The legislation is sponsored by Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, D-Scarsdale, and would allow physicians and nurse practitioners to order a non-patient specific order to a pharmacist to dispense birth control as well as allowing a licensed pharmacist to execute a non-patient specific order for the dispensing of birth control. Pharmacists would be required to provide the patient with a self-screening risk assessment questionnaire and a fact sheet. Both documents would be developed by the state health and education commissioners. Republican lawmakers discusses why they voted against the measure. I just want to make it clear why I am opposed to this, said Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh, R-Ballston. This bill says a prescription can be written for a 12 month of a supply of whatever oral contraception is required. So once a year the woman or girl is going to have to go to the pharmacy and get their years worth of medication. I believe there needs to be access. I think there need to be a lot of conversations with our girls, our daughters, about safe sex and STDs. I just dont want to take doctors completely out of the equation as they are here. I think doctors are important. I think (pharmacists) are too and I think with all due respect to my colleague who is a pharmacist I think doctors are important and the trend Im kind of seeing with a lot of these bills is an erosion of the role of the doctors to develop a patient relationship. Similar legislation was signed into law in New Jersey earlier this year and goes into effect in May. There are no residency requirements under the new law, so New Jersey pharmacists could dispense the contraceptives regardless of where a person lives, the governor said. Seventeen states and the District of Columbia permit pharmacists to offer contraceptives, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights. A similar bill has been introduced in the Indiana state legislature after an amendment fell short by one vote last summer. Assemblywoman Crystal Peoples-Stokes, D-Buffalo and Assembly majority leader, said she shared some of the preferences made by those who oppose the expansion but noted the increasing frequency with which the topic of contraception is coming before the state Legislature. I have listened to most of the debate here today and everybody has an opinion on this topic, Peoples-Stokes said. I actually believe this is a topic that should be discussed in somebodys kitchen or bedroom between the family whose making the decisions to use this, but unfortunately this is an issue that does come before government on a regular basis. I am proud to be part of government that will vote in support of it. Assemblyman Andrew Goodell, R-Jamestown, voted against the legislation. He seconded many of the concerns raised by Walsh while also disagreeing with the lack of a requirement covering information other than contraception. Theres no requirement for discussion about sexually transmitted disease, Goodell said. Theres no physical examination. Theres no required discussion of the effectiveness and its well known the pill loses its effectiveness over time. Theres no required discussion of other alternatives whether its safe sex or other types of birth control. Theres no real requirement for detailed documentation accompanies by a physical examination, which is the safest way to do it. Theres no discussion or required discussion about the dangers of STDs and obviously if its a young girl whos coming in who is just becoming sexually active thats a very very important discussion. And I dont imagine that discussion is going to be conducted by a pharmacist while theres a line waiting behind the young woman and the pharmacist is going to whatstart talking about safe sex? Other alternatives. A New York congressman has proposed legislation that would designate Sept. 11 as a federal holiday. U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler introduced the bill titled the September 11th Day of Remembrance Act. If it signed into law, Sept. 11 would become the 12th federal holiday, joining New Years Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Washingtons birthday (Presidents Day), Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Dan, Thanksgiving and Christmas. When he served in the state Assembly, Lawler, R-Pearl River, sponsored legislation to make Sept. 11 a state holiday. September 11th had a profound impact on our nation, but particularly impacted the residents of the 17th Congressional District, said Lawler, who represents the 17th district that includes all or parts of Dutchess, Putnam, Rockland and Westchester counties. Thousands of families have faced the repercussions of that day, especially the families of those who worked tirelessly on the pile, trying to find survivors and helping other families find closure. Lawler added that the bill will help honor, remember and commemorate all those who have lost their lives as a result of September 11th. The Sept. 11 attacks killed 2,977 people, but the toll does not include the first responders who died years later due to 9/11-related illnesses. Lawlers bill has bipartisan support. It has been cosponsored by two Democrats, U.S. Reps. Pat Ryan and David Trone. Ryan, a New Yorker, said he was in his second year at West Point when the Sept. 11 attacks occurred. All of us cadets swore to never forget the heroes we lost that day this country swore to never forget, Ryan added. This legislation ensures the firefighters, (police officers), paramedics and everyday citizens, many from the Hudson Valley, who died serving this country that early September morning or whose health was impacted in the recovery will always be remembered. U.S. Rep. Anthony DEsposito, a New York Republican, has also co-sponsored the bill. DEsposito is a retired New York Police Department detective. ATLANTIC CITY Violence, crime and discrimination plague the LGBTQ community, which is why the city, the Coalition for a Safe Community and the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office hosted a forum Tuesday to address the issues and give the community a better, safer sense of belonging. Were all dealing with crucial issues, the issues of public safety, the issues of civil rights and the issues of discrimination, said Judah Dorrington, Atlantic Citys LGBTQ+ liaison and coordinator of programs and services. The LGBTQ+ community in particular has been plagued by a lot of bias, discrimination and violations of civil rights, to the point a few organizations have been canceling pride events. And one of the main reasons was the relationships with law enforcement. Civil rights violations, and the lack of trust between those entities and the LGBTQ+ community, is legendary. The forum, held at the Carnegie building on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, was part of a yearlong campaign to combat hate and bias on every level, said Ray Royster, director of community outreach for the Prosecutors Office. A lot of times people are not heard, theyre not seeing the policies, procedures and practices that occur daily that so many other communities get the benefit of, Royster said about the Prosecutors Offices commitment to all people in the community, be they residents, visitors or people who work in the area. Panelists from local and state agencies discussed the ways law enforcement and judiciary programs were protecting and advocating for the LGBTQ community. Representatives came from the Atlantic and Cape May County prosecutors offices, Atlantic City Police Department and New Jersey Division on Civil Rights. Mayor Marty Small Sr., Assemblyman Don Guardian, Councilman and local NAACP President Kaleem Shabazz, Atlantic County Sherriff Eric Scheffler and Coalition for a Safe Community Chairman Perry Mays also spoke. Ocean Citys superintendent to lead Pennsylvania school district OCEAN CITY Less than a year after concluding an extensive search for a new superintendent, The panelists went over a variety of issues, including programs public safety organizations designed specifically to help the LGBTQ community and how other public safety entities could implement programs in their municipalities. They also discussed LGBTQ civil rights and the importance of representation of the community in law enforcement. The greatest gift is being a part of that group because youre able to connect with other marginalized groups, Assistant Prosecutor Ryan Jones said. You, also being discriminated at certain points in your life, are able to connect with them. One way Cape May County is making the LGBTQ community feel safer is through the prosecutors Safe Place program, where businesses and organizations get training on how to help people in the LGBTQ community. Four-inch by 6-inch police badge stickers in the colors of the pride flag placed on the front of local businesses let members of the community know they wont be discriminated against if they need someone to call for help. Thirty-six businesses in the county have those stickers. Atlantic City police Lt. Willie Santiago, the departments LGBTQ+ liaison, talked about the departments neighborhood coordination officers. The unit of 15 officers addresses quality-of-life issues in the citys neighborhoods and interacts with the community on a more personal level, he said. Santiago said he hoped the departments commitment to helping everyone was clear, especially to members of the LGBTQ community who might feel nervous or scared of retaliation when reporting bias and discrimination issues. Tisha Leonardo-Santiago of the Division on Civil Rights talked about making sure members of the LGBTQ community understand their rights, and explained how and where to make a report if people felt victimized by a person, employer or government agency. The division protects against more than 20 different categories of discrimination. You see this is not just an event. This is a movement, and you have every opportunity now that you know to catch the wave, Dorrington said. CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE A 63-year-old Millville man was released from the Cape May County jail Thursday, a day after a state appellate court panel dismissed sexual assault charges against him in a 1990 case. Rosado has reportedly been taken from jail to a health care facility. Jerry Rosado was held since being arrested last April in the assault of Susan Negersmith, a New York woman who was visiting Wildwood in May 1990 when her body was found behind a restaurant. Jason Wertzberger, criminal division manager for the Atlantic and Cape May county courts, confirmed Rosados release after his incarceration was no longer listed in Cape May County jail records. In Wednesdays opinion delivered by Appellate Superior Court Judge Robert Gilson, the court agreed the criminal statute of limitations to prosecute Rosado in the sexual assault passed in 1995, five years after Negersmiths death. The judges further ruled that an amendment to the limitations effective Jan. 3, 2002, does not apply in this case, given it became New Jersey law six years after the statutes ended. Rosado appealed an Aug. 29, 2022, order denying him a motion to dismiss the criminal complaint for those reasons. Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland said the state intends to appeal the dismissal of the charges. On Thursday, Sutherland said the prosecution filed for an emergency stay of the dismissal. A temporary stay has been granted, which gives the prosecution until April 4 to file a brief arguing why the stay should be granted. The defense would then have until April 10 to file a response. Prosecutors have filed motions of their intent to appeal the dismissal to the state Supreme Court, which will decide whether to hear the case, and with the appellate court asking for a stay of the dismissal, Sutherland said. Rosado was arrested after his DNA matched that of samples preserved from an investigation into Negersmiths sexual assault and death. Prosecutors say Negersmith was severely intoxicated the night she died, with marijuana in her system and a blood alcohol level of 0.285%, far exceeding the legal limit. Negersmith was found partially undressed. Her shirt had been pulled up, and both her underwear and one pant leg were down to one side. In their ruling, the appellate panel said Rosado first became a person of interest in the case when, in August 2018, the unknown DNA profile was tested at a different laboratory. Forensics staff used genetic genealogy analysis, which matched back to him. The county Prosecutors Office obtained permission to collect DNA samples from Rosado, executing a warrant May 26, 2021. That DNA evidence, which included swabs from inside his mouth, was sent to a State Police laboratory that June. State Police test results showed Rosados samples had a high statistical probability of matching the DNA found on Negersmith. Rosado was never charged with Negersmiths death. No one was, the appeals court ruling pointed out. Her death had originally been ruled accidental but was amended in 1996 to a homicide. GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP After eight consecutive years of municipal tax decreases, the Township Council revealed Tuesday that homeowners will face a 3.3-cent increase in the municipal tax rate this year. Township Manager Chris Johansen and auditor Leon Costello presented the budget to the seven-member, all-Republican council. This is one of the most difficult budgets that we have faced, Mayor Anthony Coppola Jr. said, adding the early part of his 13-year council tenure included talk of a state takeover and bankruptcy. The increase in the tax rate is mostly due to unexpected, steep increases in three areas: health insurance costs, at $417,500; utilities, driven by higher gasoline costs, at $334,000; and payments into the employee pension system, at $323,001, Johansen said. Other expenditures include local government insurance, at $145,523; police operating expenses, including vehicle maintenance and repair, at $173,965; and public works operating expenses, at $121,550, Johansen said. The township tax levy will increase from $16.79 million in 2022 to $17.77 million this year, but the levy is still proposed to be less than the tax levy in 2014, which was $18.54 million, Johansen said. Galloway shuts the door for now on outdoor marijuana growing GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP Officials are dismissing the possibility of allowing outdoor marijuana f The municipal tax rate by itself, excluding school, county and other taxes, is proposed to be 0.646 cents per $100 of assessed property value, which is still a decrease from the 2014 municipal tax rate of 0.684 cents, Johansen said. No one wanted a zero (tax rate increase) more than I did, Johansen said. The numbers are awful everywhere as far as what municipalities are facing, Costello said. No one saw a 22% increase in health insurance, Costello said. All the insurance went up for the first time in a long time. Ratables increased by $8 million, which was new for the township, Costello said. More things (new businesses and development) are coming online that will benefit you down the road, Costello said. Three-point-three cents will be on the lower end of where everyone will be. In June, the township hired an insurance consultant who met with each employee, Johansen said. Some employees switched to their spouses family health insurance plan or picked less expensive health insurance coverage, he said. Health insurance costs would have increased more for the municipality without these changes, he said. In New Jersey, the most an employee can contribute to their health insurance costs is 33%, Coppola said. The township knew its contractual obligations when it came to its employees and salaries, but he was not anticipating such an increase in pension costs and health insurance, he said. The township deserves more state aid, Coppola said. Trenton needs to wake up, he said. The budget has been a work in progress for six months, Coppola said. The township used its COVID-19 relief money for one-time capital expenses and not for revenue as some other municipalities did, he said. I think this budget is well done, Coppola said. We left ourselves in a really strong position for next year. Galloway considers, then rejects outdoor grow for marijuana GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP New opportunities for marijuana growers are opening up, but for now they A public hearing and final vote on the budget are scheduled for April 25. In other township news, council: Authorized a bond ordinance for capital improvements for $2.5 million. The road program will cost $1 million. Public works expenses will also cost $1 million, including the purchase of a new firetruck for the Germania Volunteer Fire Company and a communication console for dispatch. The township has $700,000 more to pay in long-term debt and will be free of such payments by the end of this year, Coppola said. Authorized participation in a program by the state Division of Local Government Services to conduct a budget examination for the 2023 fiscal year. The program permits municipalities in sound fiscal condition to assume the responsibility of conducting the annual budget examination. Authorized a letter of support for an application by Grasshopper Farms NJ LLC for a Class 1 indoor cannabis cultivator license and a Class 2 indoor cannabis manufacturer license. A township farmer, Duane Demaree, who will co-run Grasshopper Farms NJ, and Will Bowen, the CEO of Grasshopper Farms in Michigan, both thanked the council for the letter of support during the meetings public comment portion. Authorized a redevelopment agreement with Galloway Family Apartments LLC for certain properties on Wrangleboro Road. Authorized using R.W. Brown Landscaping Co. for general maintenance and field restoration of the townships recreation fields. Authorized the acceptance of an open space grant for $1,500. Starting next week, Jimmie Leeds Road will be paved by Atlantic County from Seaview to Pitney roads, Coppola said. WASHINGTON Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. met with U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge on Wednesday, and she has committed to visiting Atlantic City Housing Authority properties, Small said. Small is representing the city at an event sponsored by the New Jersey Urban Mayors Association, of which Small is southern New Jersey vice president. He also met with staff of other agencies to pitch big projects, he said Wednesday evening, such as funding for paving more streets in Atlantic City, rebuilding the Boardwalk and ... the Bader Field project. Last week, Small signed a memorandum of understanding with DEEM Enterprises with the intention of having them build a $3 billion car-centric development at Bader Field. Today we met with the HUD secretary, Small said. My topic for her was Stanley Holmes Village and the Housing Authority, and she committed to come to Atlantic City to see things for herself. Residents at the 420-unit Stanley Holmes Village have lived with sporadic heat and hot water outages; infestations of roaches, mice and bedbugs; nonfunctioning stoves and refrigerators and other problems for years, but recently conditions got so bad the city declared an emergency situation and began taking action to force the authority to improve. The Housing Authority owns and runs the property, as well as seven other complexes, and is overseen by HUD, not by the city. Small said the Housing Authority is making improvements but needs more federal help. They are definitely trying, but we need more funding to get people throughout the Housing Authority (buildings) out of the living conditions they are in, Small said. I showed her pictures and videos, and she was appalled. The event started Tuesday night with a meet-and-greet reception with members of Congress and U.S. Sens. Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, both D-N.J., Small said. Small traveled to D.C. with Atlantic City Director of Constituent Services and Special Projects Kashawn Kash McKinley. Booker and Menendez were both mayors and emphasized they know being a mayor is one of the toughest jobs in America, Small said. Small also met with staffers from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Economic Development Administration, Department of Transportation and others. Paving the streets was a top priority, Small said. We also talked about ... electric buses as well. At the White House, Small and other urban mayors had a meeting for Communities in Action Building a Better America, he said. Its a Biden administration initiative that brings leaders from each state to the White House for talks. I said is the president and others considering going out for another round of the American Rescue Plan, and if so could they change the formula? Small said. Atlantic City got punished for having 38,000 residents ... but at any given time there could be more than a quarter million people there. They use our infrastructure, they use our services. Small said the two-day event was extremely productive. Every department, I got their email addresses, Small said. My staff has already been in touch (with them). Im sure this visit is going to bear fruit. The experience had him changing his usual motto for the day. Its a great day in the City of Atlantic City in D.C., Small said. Its A.C. in D.C. NORTH WILDWOOD Severe erosion will likely mean several blocks of beaches will be inaccessible this summer, at least at high tide. And there appears to be little the city can do about it. Other years, the city trucked tons of sand from the wide beaches of Wildwood to the south to rebuild beaches, but erosion has taken enough beach that there is no route for the trucks to use. A planned federal beach project appears to be years away, Mayor Patrick Rosenello said. Assuming that nothing changes in the next two months, there are two sections that are the most problematic, Rosenello said. The erosion is the worst from Third to Seventh avenues, he said, and from 12th to 16th avenues. New contract approved for beach work in Avalon, Stone Harbor AVALON A federal beach project worth close to $30 million is set to add sand to the beache At high tide, those areas are going to have very little usable beach, the mayor said. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has a proposal in the works for a federal beach project to include the entirety of Five Mile Beach, the barrier island that includes North Wildwood, Wildwood and Wildwood Crest. But that is at least two years away at the earliest, Rosenello said. Its certainly not going to help us for the summer of 2023, he said. That project, which will include building a dune system the length of the island, has been in discussion for years. As proposed, it will also include the Diamond Beach section of Lower Township, south of Wildwood Crest. The communities have signed off on the work, Rosenello said, but there are still details to work out. As Rosenello has pointed out, the Army Corps has added sand to beaches the length of the Jersey Shore, in cooperation with the state Department of Environmental Protection. This year, the Army Corps approved a $28.8 million project to rebuild Avalon and Stone Harbor beaches. That work is set to start in about two weeks. A $24.4 million project added sand to the north end of Ocean City, and more sand is due this year for the south end of Ocean City, along with Strathmere and Sea Isle City, where sand has been added twice since Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Hundreds of millions of federal dollars have been spent on beach replenishment work since Sandy. North Wildwood asks state for $20M in damages in continuing fight over dunes NORTH WILDWOOD In the latest volley in the battle between the city and the state Departmen But so far, the Wildwoods have not seen the same kind of federal investment. More than a billion dollars has gone toward beach projects and shore protection, Rosenello said, with a small fraction of a percent of that going to the Wildwoods. When federal sand may finally arrive remains an open question. USACE and NJDEP are advancing the designs and moving towards construction once all the necessary real estate easements are obtained, said Steve Rochette, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia District of the Army Corps. Current estimates for real estate acquisition is approximately 18-24 months. The DEP is in the process of securing the easements needed to add sand to beaches where portions are owned privately, or where beachfront owners hold riparian rights to beaches. Rosenello said some owners in Diamond Beach and Wildwood have balked at signing off on the project. For several years, North Wildwood has spent millions of dollars trucking sand to build up its beaches, but that could not be done over the winter, Rosenello told residents in a recent message. While there have been access problems other years, he said, this year the high tides now block access at least twice a day. DEP issues violation to North Wildwood for dune, bulkhead work NORTH WILDWOOD The state Department of Environmental Protection ordered dune and bulkhead That made moving the sand along the beach all but impossible. The city also looked at trucking sand in along the road, but that would require 20,000 loads in smaller, street-legal dump trucks to move the 350,000 cubic yards of sand needed for beaches. That number jumps higher when the sand is unloaded and then put onto trucks that could operate on the beach. That number is impossible to accomplish considering our time frame and infrastructure, Rosenello said. There is one more possibility. Rosenello has asked the state Legislature for an emergency appropriation to use a dredge to add sand to the beach. That request is still pending, but I do not believe there is a high likelihood of it happening this year, Rosenello said. North Wildwood has been in a high-profile fight with the DEP this year in connection to the beach and whether the city could build a bulkhead or reshape dunes after a storm last October. In December, the state filed an injunction against North Wildwood to stop work, and later the city filed a suit asking for $20 million in damages from the DEP in connection to the beaches. N. Wildwood doubles down in dune fight with DEP For three years, Mayor Patrick Rosenello has led the city of North Wildwood in a slow motion Rosenello expects that case to go to trial in the fall. No matter how it works out, however, North Wildwoods beaches look set to be in bad shape this summer, which could have impacts on local businesses as well. A DEP spokesperson had indicated the state had a seawall project in the works for North Wildwood but provided no details and declined to discuss the situation on the beach in the city. We have no comment due to the ongoing litigation, Larry Hajna said Wednesday. Previously released documents from the DEP warn North Wildwood that proceeding with any beach work without state approval can mean fines and may worsen the erosion the city is trying to prevent. The state has taken issue with city decisions to install bulkheads and other protective measures to hold back the water, and filed an injunction seeking to prevent work without permits. Court documents filed by the DEP state it has worked with North Wildwood to address erosion and argue the city has disregarded state environmental rules. State goes to court to stop North Wildwood dune work NORTH WILDWOOD A fight simmering between the state and the city over sand dunes appears to For this summer, the city will likely not have lifeguards on the hardest-hit beaches, although the beach along Hereford Inlet has grown in the north end of the city. There will be room for blankets and umbrellas on what the city calls the inlet beach, but there are concerns there as well. There are about three blocks of beach where I can place guards there, Rosenello said. In a larger area of that beach, the city cannot put lifeguard stands. For some sections, it is because the beach has been used by protected nesting birds. Were not allowed to expand any recreation beach use in front of that area, Rosenello said. In other sections of the inlet beach, the drop-off and the inlet currents would make that beach too dangerous for swimmers. Rosenello recommended no one try to swim at those beaches without a lifeguard. Parking will likely be difficult in that area over the summer, he said. It is probably too late to do anything for the citys beaches before this summer, Rosenello said. It is possible some work could take place next winter. If we have some natural accretion of sand, maybe we can truck sand in again next winter, Rosenello said. GALLERY: North Wildwood beach erosion A New Jersey state trooper has been put on administrative leave while his employers investigate whether a tattoo on his neck is associated with neo-Nazi white supremacy groups. Concerns about a tattoo around the neck of Jason Dare, 46, arose after a photo of him was shared online when he disappeared from a medical facility in Pennsylvania on March 19. Dare, a Cumberland County man, was eventually located, but the photograph used during the search for him has raised questions. The neck tattoo contains the words Blood and Honor. The phrase has been used by North American skinheads, neo-Nazis and other groups, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate activity. State Police Superintendent Col. Pat Callahan issued a statement about the internal investigation, which was provided to The Press by Sgt. Philip Curry on Thursday. I understand the importance of transparency and trust between law enforcement and the community, which is why we have enlisted the assistance of our law enforcement partners to conduct a thorough investigation, Callahan said. Missing New Jersey State Police trooper found A missing New Jersey State Police trooper who was last seen walking away from a health facil Callahan said there is no room for hate, prejudicial rhetoric, or divisive behavior in our organization, an organization that was built on our core values of honor, duty and fidelity. We live and work in a very diverse state and our law enforcement community should reflect that, as well, Callahan said. We want the communities we serve to be our partners, and I stand united with them as well as the troopers and other law enforcement professionals who work tirelessly to dedicate themselves to strengthening these relationships. Dare has been a trooper since 2004. As of Dec. 31, 2022, his salary was $103,306, according to state pension records. Dare was found several days after he left the medical facility. State Police did not reveal at the time why he was at the facility, but during the search they had described him as being an endangered person. PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account. Apex court trashes appeal challenging HC ruling The Supreme Court (SC) has dismissed an appeal by Lt Col Prasad Purohit challenging the Bombay High Court (HC), which refused to entertain his petition seeking discharge in the Malegaon 2008 blast case citing lack of sanction under section 197(2) of the CrPC from the Indian Army to prosecute him. A bench comprising Justices Hrishikesh Roy and Manoj Misra noted that the challenge before it is to the high court order whereby it was observed that sanction is not needed under Section 197(2) of the Cr.P.C. for the prosecution of the petitioner as his impugned conduct does not pertain to any of his official duties. Having noted the basis of the impugned judgment, we see no reason to interfere with the same and accordingly, the Special Leave Petition is not entertained, said the bench. However, the top court clarified that the trial court should not be influenced by observations in the high court order. However, as we are informed that the trial against the petitioner is continuing, the observation made in the impugned order for the purpose of examining the issue of sanction should not prejudice either the prosecution or the defence, in the proceedings before the trial court, said the bench, dismissing the appeal filed by Purohit. The Bombay High Court had dismissed the discharge application filed by Purohit in the Malegaon 2008 blast case. He moved the high court challenging the Special National Investigation Case (NIA) court framing charges against him in the blast case. He argued that there was a lack of sanction under section 197(2) of the CrPC from the Indian Army to prosecute him in the blast case. Purohit had contended that the charge framing was not valid against him. IANS There may not be a midterm election after SC verdict on Shiv Sena split: MVA allies The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies Nationalist Congress Party and Shiv Sena (UBT) have forecast the possibility of Presidents rule being imposed in Maharashtra after the upcoming Supreme Court (SC) verdict on the disqualification of 16 MLAs, here on Wednesday. State NCP president Jayant Patil said that after the apex court judgement, the government of Shiv Sena chief minister Eknath Shinde and Bharatiya Janata Party deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis is most likely to collapse. However, there may not be a midterm election as anticipated in some quarters, but instead, Central rule would be imposed after the SC verdict, asserted Patil, addressing a meeting of party workers in Jalgaon late on Tuesday. He claimed that the Shinde-Fadnavis government is scared of holding mid-term elections and is devising methods on how to postpone all elections due, including local bodies, and Market Committees also, as much as possible. Endorsing the NCP leaders stance, Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said here this morning (March 29) that he is in full agreement with Patils assessment of the situation. It is very obvious that the SC verdict will ensure the disqualification of 16 MLAs, including Shinde... So, the state government will fall and there will be no other option left. Hence, the likelihood of the Presidents rule cannot be ruled out, declared Raut. The Sena (UBT) leader said that his party had absolutely no doubts that Shinde and the other MLAs would be disqualified, provided everything goes as per the law. The third MVA ally, Congress has not commented on the latest developments, though its top leaders have said several times in the past that the Shinde government will topple after the SC judgement. Nevertheless, the three parties are optimistic that the apex court outcome could prove to be a turning point for the state politics nine months after the MVA headed by former CM Uddhav Thackeray was ousted following a Shinde-led rebellion in June 2022. The top court, after hearing submissions for nine days , had reserved its judgment on a batch of cross-petitions of Thackeray and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde groups in connection with the Maharashtra political crisis. The bench had stressed that the Governor of a state cannot lend his office to effectuate a particular result and asked Mehta, how a difference of opinion among MLAs within a party could become a sufficient ground for the Governor to call for the floor test? IANS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The MVA allies are optimistic that the apex court outcome could prove to be a turning point for the state politics nine months after the MVA was ousted from power Occurs once in every 10K years, GRB are the most powerful space explosion Space scientists have revealed a gamma-ray burst that occurs once in every 10,000 years and was 70 times brighter than any yet seen. Gamma-ray bursts (GRB) are the most powerful class of explosions in the universe. The GRB 221009A was first reported when NASAs Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory detected X-rays on October 9, 2022. While the source initially appeared to be located in the Milky Way galaxy, not far from the galactic centre, and data from Swift and NASAs Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope soon suggested it was much further away. Observations from the European Southern Observatorys Very Large Telescope then pinpointed the burst to a much more distant galaxy that happened to be behind our own. AGRB 221009A created a pulse of intense radiation swept through the solar system so exceptional that astronomers quickly dubbed it the BOAT -- the brightest of all time. GRB 221009A was likely the brightest burst at X-ray and gamma-ray energies to occur since human civilization began, said Eric Burns, an assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. After analysing some 7,000 GRBs -- mostly detected by NASAs Fermi Telescope and the Russian Konus instrument on NASAs Wind spacecraft -- he established that such an event this bright may occur only once in every 10,000 years. Further calculations show that GRB 221009A lasted for a few seconds, and the blast deposited around a gigawatt of power into Earths upper atmosphere. That is the equivalent of a terrestrial power stations energy output. So many gamma rays and X-rays were emitted that it excited the ionosphere of the Earth, said Erik Kuulkers, ESA Project Scientist for Integral, one of the spacecraft that detected the GRB. A number of other ESA spacecraft, XMM-Newton, Solar Orbiter, BepiColombo, Gaia, and SOHO, also detected the GRB or its effects on our galaxy. The event was so bright that even today the residual radiation, known as the afterglow, is still visible and will remain so for a long time yet, space scientists said. We will see the afterglow of this event for years to come, said Volodymyr Savchenko, University of Geneva, Switzerland, who is currently analysing the data from ESAs INTEGRAL observatory. The burst was so bright it effectively blinded most gamma-ray instruments in space, which means they could not directly record the real intensity of the emission. US scientists were able to reconstruct this information from the Fermi data. They then compared the results with those from the Russian team working on Konus data and Chinese teams analysing observations from the GECAM-C detector on their SATech-01 satellite and instruments on their Insight-HXMT observatory. IANS Nikki and Jessie White always dreamed of opening a diner. "I just didn't expect it to happen the way that it happened. But, here I am," Nikki White said. Before he could see their dream come true, Jessie White died from a rare autoimmune disease. When the opportunity arose to open a restaurant, his widow took a leap of faith in his honor. Jethro's Diner is located at 905 15th Ave. in East Moline. The building previously housed the Chuckwagon, Sharon's and most recently, Damien's Rib Haven. It neighbors Olde Town Bakery, which is partnering with Jethro's on several dishes. White, of Colona, does not yet have an opening date but held a soft opening on March 23. It was so successful, she ran out of food. Jessie would be proud, she said. "He would love all this attention," she said. The man behind the name At 25, Jessie White started having pain when he walked. After years of doctor visits, he got the news: He was triple-positive for autoimmune disorders. The biggest, and most concerning, was lupus antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). "Basically, your immune system attacks your blood and turns it into concrete consistency," Nikki said. "Over the years, he had nearly 100 different angiograms and stints done to try and save the blood flow to his legs." By April 2017, one of his legs was amputated above the knee and the other was scheduled for amputation. Doctors warned him he never would be able to function like he used to. Being a hard worker all his life, White said, the news was hard to take. "It was all this never, never stuff," she said. But the two were not giving up hope. In doing their research, the Whites came across Dream Team Prosthetics LLC, an Oklahoma-based company that specializes in prosthetics for bi-lateral amputees. The team gave Jessie tips for preparing for his new reality. In November 2017, the second amputation was performed. "Immediately, all the pain was gone," she said. "When he had his legs, they were dying, and it was super painful." About six weeks later, Dream Team fitted him for foreshortened prostheses, or "stubbies." The prostheses are shorter than normal to allow the person wearing them to adapt. White described them as the "training wheels" of the prosthetic world. Once he was comfortable, Jessie started working out five days a week to keep his body in shape. A few months later, he was ready to go back to work. Finding a job was difficult. "Even though he was perfectly capable of doing the jobs he had done before, people would look at him and assume he couldn't," Nikki said. He finally found work at Sears Seating in Davenport, where he ran the floor. "If you talk to anybody there, they always said he was the best worker," she said. "He always just dealt with things and just took them. We were a heck of a team." But the hurdles kept coming. In December 2020, they learned his APS had spread. There was little doctors could do. Jessie was told he had a set time left to live. The only person he told was his wife, and he continued going to work and living as normally as possible. He died May 14, 2022, at the age of 40. A new beginning In January, Nikki got a phone call, asking if she wanted to buy a restaurant in East Moline. It didn't take her long to say yes. "I knew that's what he wanted. He never wanted me to be miserable or sad," she said. "I have so much love from him, I just have to give it back." In Jessie's honor, she called the restaurant Jethro's an ode to his childhood nickname. The inside of the diner is decorated with photos of Jessie, and a large jukebox keeps music flowing throughout. When she got keys to the building, the seats were covered in a blue vinyl. Jessie's former co-workers at Sears Seating found out and donated new vinyl for the booths in his memory. While he is the inspiration behind the name, he also is the inspiration behind the concept. "He was never boring or basic, and I knew when I opened a diner it could not be boring or basic," Nikki said. "It could not be something you could find on every corner. It had to stand out like he did." The other standout at Jethro's Diner is the menu. White is serving traditional diner food but with her own spin. The "glazed and confused" burger is served with a glazed donut for a bun. On the breakfast menu, "that's nuts" is three pancakes covered in peanut butter, Nutella and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. White plans to be open seven days a week and 24 hours a day on Friday and Saturday. Late-night options in the area are lacking, she said, and she hopes to tap into that market. "I have seven bars right here on this strip and then I have the Rust Belt less than a mile away," she said. "When those artists get done, they have no food options." White expects to announce the grand opening of Jethro's on her Facebook page. Several in Iowa's congressional delegation say TikTok, a short-video social media app owned by Chinese company ByteDance, presents a threat to national security. TikTok, used by 150 million Americans, has raised bipartisan concerns among federal lawmakers that its ties to its parent company may endanger sensitive user data. The federal government and several states, including Iowa, have banned the app from government devices. Government officials have pointed to laws in China that allow the government to demand data from private companies and are worried China could abuse content algorithms to promote misinformation. The CEO of TikTok, Shou Chew, testified in Congress last week that the company keeps user data stored in the U.S., casting TikTok as an independent company. The testimony didn't sway lawmakers. U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, told a reporter Wednesday he thinks TikTok "is a real threat to our national security." "I think I would vote just not to have it operate in the United States at all," Grassley said. "But legislation takes a more nuanced approach to it." White House officials have pushed for a U.S. sale of the social media app, and earlier this month, a House committee advanced legislation that would grant President Joe Biden the authority to ban TikTok in the U.S. Grassley discounted any concerns about a potential TikTok ban violating the First Amendment, noting that users could migrate to other apps. "You have to respect the right of free speech, but TikTok itself is not free speech," Grassley said. "It's an instrument to let other people express their constitutional rights of free speech. And if you did away with that, you wouldn't be affecting people's right to free speech, because just think of the dozens of other platforms they go to, to do just exactly that." U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, published an op-ed column this week that called TikTok a "dangerous platform China has weaponized against Americans." Ernst praised efforts to ban TikTok from government devices. She called for prohibiting other taxpayer-funded institutions, such as universities or airports, from advertising or partnering with the platform. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a Republican from Iowa's 1st District and a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee that grilled TikTok's CEO last week, said in a prepared statement: "There are serious, bipartisan concerns about TikTok's affiliation with ByteDance and the Chinese Communist Party, its security measures, and its content moderation. "The Committee invited Mr. Chew to have an open and honest dialogue, but unfortunately, we werent given sufficient reason to believe his company is doing enough to protect its users, Miller-Meeks said. Mr. Chew has a long way to go before any of us are convinced that TikTok isnt feeding data to the CCP or manipulating content to harm our children. Republican from Iowa's 2nd District, Ashley Hinson, called TikTok a "national security threat" and tweeted, "It's time to ban this Trojan Horse spyware." What we do not need is a board driven by any political agenda. Electing board members with an axe to grind is always a recipe for division within the community, demoralization of staff, and a loss of focus on the one true function of a school board - better schools. On April 4, please consider voting for Lorri Lund and Eric Johnson, two serious and thoughtful candidates who will search for solutions to problems, not problems to match their solutions. Board members for the newly created downtown alliance in Rock Island are in place to manage the Special Service Area. Mayor Mike Thoms appointed the members, which the city council this week approved. Aldermen last month approved an agreement for the Quad Cities Chamber to manage the Special Service Area, or SSA. The Chamber will provide place management services through a board Rock Island Downtown Alliance that consists of Rock Island residents, business owners, and property owners. "The RIDA Board of Directors is a great, enthusiastic group of individuals that represent the makeup of the SSA District with diversity in many areas, such as small and large businesses, building owners, and residents," Thoms said. "This group of professionals is what the city needs to move the downtown vision forward." The board will consist of 13 voting members, with the city manager serving as an ex-officio voting member of the board. The remainder consists of 12 non-permanent voting board members who will be elected, including two downtown residents, three downtown business owners, six downtown property owners, and one downtown non-profit owner, director, or leader. Board members will serve three, two, and one-year terms. Appointment of three-year terms, expiring in 2026: DeAnna Freeman-Foster, owner, Big T Wear Big & Tall Clothing (business owner) Raja Krishnamurthy, Information Technology Executive, Royal Neighbors of America (business and property owner) Steven Ratcliff, owner, Bent River Brewing Company (business and property owner) Greg Stecker, manager, Stecker Graphics (business and property owner) Appointment of two-year terms, expiring 2025: Brett Hitchcock, executive vice president, Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse and The Speakeasy (business and property owner) Arron Sutherland, president/chief executive officer, Illinois Casualty Company (resident, business, and property owner) Brandy VandeWalle, owner, Skeleton Key Art & Antiques (residents, business, and property owner) Nicole Watson-Lam, owner, Ms. BriMani's Hair and Beauty Supply and The Urban Reserve Luxury Rooftop Events (business and property owner) Appointment of one-year terms, expiring 2024: John Chow, executive director, Rock Island Housing Authority; CEO, Community Home Partners (nonprofit leader, business and property owner) Benjamin Fawks, owner, Rozz-Tox (resident and business owner) Erica Williams, resident, DuMarche Townhomes (resident and property owner) Amanda Wood, development manager, Russell/Rock Island Investors (business and property owner) Director of Downtown Rock Island, Jack Cullen, said the group has diverse perspectives, different areas of expertise, and a passion for the cause. "They collectively live, work, play, eat, and shop in downtown Rock Island, so they know the opportunities and challenges we have in front of us," Cullen said. Upon expiration of the appointees' initial terms, board members could be reappointed for three-year terms. Members also may serve two consecutive terms before they are required to take at least one year off before serving again. The board also will form standing committees with specific focus areas. Most of the organization's funding will come from the city, generated by the downtown SSA revenues. An annual work plan and budget will be subject to approval from city council. The first work plan and budget must be submitted for city council approval by the end of June. An SSA distinction works by levying a tax in a specific area of the city, which then benefits from the proceeds of the tax. Rock Island council members passed the new downtown taxing district last fall. Property owners will pay a 1.15% tax on their assessed value. Congress is taking another look at creating a new no-fly list for unruly passengers. It's an idea that was floated last year but never got off the ground. On Wednesday, several members of the U.S. Senate and House introduced legislation to let the Transportation Security Administration ban people from flying if they've been convicted or fined for assaulting or interfering with airline crew members. Flight attendant unions say the measure is needed to prevent violent incidents on planes. But civil libertarians oppose a new no-fly list, saying there are already measures in place to address unruly passengers. CHICAGO A Chicago man was exonerated Wednesday after spending almost three decades behind bars for two 1994 murders a conviction he and his lawyers claim was based on a false confession he signed after a grueling, abusive 14-hour interrogation by three Chicago detectives. David Wright, 46, was arrested when he was 17 in August 1994 in the slaying of two friends, 16-year-old Tyrone Rockett and 26-year-old Robert Smith. They had been shot in Smiths backyard after returning from a convenience store. But according to Wrights lawyers, no forensic evidence linked him to his friends killings, and no eyewitness identified him as the perpetrator. I was 17. I was a kid. I still had a lot to figure out, and I still have a lot to learn, Wright told reporters after his conviction was thrown out by Cook County Judge Carol Howard at the Leighton Criminal Court Building on Wednesday. But that dont make me guilty of a crime. After a decade of litigation, Wright was released from prison in September 2022, weeks after his conviction was vacated and shortly before his 46th birthday. Since his release, Wright has been making up for lost time by spending time with his family and studying to take a GED test. On Wednesday, he said it felt good to be exonerated, but that he still has mixed feelings. People are going to sit in jail for another 30 years on the credibility of dirty police, he said. Now, I understand that everybodys trying to do their job, I understand everybody is trying to do the best they can. ... But unfortunately, their best is not enough when you got people in prison whose families have died and they cant grieve. David Owens, a lawyer with the Exoneration Project, said he was assigned Wrights case on his first day as an attorney over a decade ago. It took a long, long way to get here and a lot of litigation, he told reporters. And we faced a lot of obstacles at every juncture. Lawyers from the Exoneration Project said in a news release that retired Chicago police Detectives James Cassidy, Kenneth Boudreau and John Halloran have a well-documented pattern and practice of generating false confessions out of the innocent, conduct that they say has tainted over 40 cases. The numbers are staggering. According to the Exoneration Project, at least 25 people have had their convictions overturned and charges dismissed following convictions based on the three detectives conduct; at least 10 people who the officers claimed confessed were acquitted at trial; and in at least eight cases, charges were dropped before trial despite an alleged confession. Boudreaus alleged history of obtaining dubious confessions was detailed in a 2001 Tribune series. Over the years, he got confessions from defendants with mental disabilities, a man who was in custody at the time of the slaying and from inmates who were later cleared by DNA evidence. In 2019, a Cook County judge granted Arnold Day a certificate of innocence for his 1994 conviction in a murder and armed robbery case. Day had long alleged that he was coerced into falsely confessing by Chicago detectives under the command of former police Cmdr. Jon Burge, who was convicted in 2011 after allegations that he and his crew tortured criminal suspects for two decades, coercing dozens of confessions. The Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission reported that, during Days interrogation, Boudreau stood by as another detective choked and threatened to throw Day out the window. Day was released after 26 years in prison when special prosecutors dropped charges against him in December 2018. In 2017, the commission had found credible evidence that Chicago detectives had tortured five people sentenced to lengthy prison terms into confessing to murder. One of the men was Anthony Jakes, who was 15 when Boudreau and another detective allegedly punched and kicked him and threatened to throw him out a window during a 16-hour interrogation for a 1991 armed robbery and slaying, according to the commissions report. Without a parent or lawyer present, Jakes signed a four-page confession to the slaying. Jakes was convicted and sentenced to 40 years in prison and was paroled in 2017. He was present at Wrights hearing Wednesday. Boudreau has repeatedly denied ever beating a single suspect he questioned over his lengthy career. Testifying in a 2000 federal lawsuit, Cassidy denied that he threatened or coerced an 11-year-old boy into confessing the murder of an 84-year-old woman in 1993. The boy said years later he didnt kill the woman and only confessed under duress. Cassidys methods of interrogation have come under scrutiny since 1998 when he said two boys, ages 7 and 8, admitted throwing a rock and killing 11-year-old Ryan Harris. Murder charges against the two were later dropped after forensic tests linked the crime to Floyd Durr, a convicted sex offender, who later plead guilty to the murder. Cook County will conduct an audit of investigations involving Cassidy, Boudreau and others stemming from the wrongful convictions of the Englewood Four Terrill Swift, Harold Richardson, Michael Saunders and Vincent Thames who were convicted of raping and killing a South Side woman in 1994 and cleared when DNA evidence linked the crime to a convicted killer. A Cook County judge found that Halloran and another officer under Burges supervision tortured Marcellous Pittman in 2001, when he was 18, over a shooting that injured a police officer. Like Jakes, Pittman was present at Wednesdays hearing where Wright was exonerated. According to Exoneration Project lawyers, appellate courts have recognized, again and again, that the mountain of evidence of systemic abuse by these detectives warrants relief for people such as Clayborn Smith and George Anderson who remain imprisoned. Smith was convicted in the 1992 murders of his grandfather and great aunt, and in 2011 submitted a claim to the Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission, saying that his confession was false and the product of physical abuse at the hands of Boudreau, Halloran and another detective. And just a few weeks ago, an Illinois appeals court ordered new trials for Anderson who had been convicted of killing an 11-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl in 1991 because they found his claims of being tortured into confessing were credible. Anderson accused Boudreau, Halloran and another detective of beating him into confessing to the slaying of the boy. Both Boudreau and Halloran have taken the stand to deny the allegations against them. Yet, the state of Illinois continues to stand behind these officers, the Exoneration Project news release said. The state could have confessed error in these cases long ago, but they drag on, causing further harm to those wrongfully convicted, the families of crime victims, and the taxpayers of Cook County. This is why were not excited, Owens, Wrights attorney, said. Were not jumping up and down, having a party, because systemic change is impossible until they admit what happened. Exoneration Project lawyers have pointed out that the justice system has been undoing some of the harm caused by alleged misconduct of Chicago police, such as in the case of disgraced former Sgt. Ronald Watts and former Detective Reynaldo Guevara. In an unprecedented move in August, judges overturned seven murder convictions in a single day all tainted by Guevaras alleged misconduct, which reportedly included manipulating witnesses and fabricating evidence. Similarly, in October, a judge threw out convictions of eight people with cases connected to Watts. But its still not enough, lawyers from the Exoneration Project say. Meanwhile, the state stands behind the conduct of white detectives whose misconduct was arguably more pervasive, the Exoneration Project news release said. Family of Robert Smith, one of the 1994 murder victims, was present in the courtroom Wednesday. Sabrina Morgan, his sister, drove from Wisconsin with her mother and another sister to attend the hearing. She said her mother had only been notified of the possible dismissal of charges Sunday night. They have every right to wonder what happened. Whos the person who did this? That person is still out there, Owens said. Thats another trauma from the system, is that those families, their grief is incomplete. Friday marked the 29th anniversary of the double murder, Morgan said, which meant that a lot of feelings have come flooding back for her family. Theres no winners, Morgan said. Now what? (Wright) was sentenced to life in prison. Be that as it may, theres no one being punished, no one serving time for my brothers and Tyrones deaths. As for whats in store for the three retired detectives, Owens said its hard to tell what will happen. Political winds have to change for them to be charged. And thats essentially what it is: Is there political will for cleaning house when it comes to corrupt officers, or are you gonna be held hostage by the FOP ( Fraternal Order of Police)? Thats a question for somebody else, he said. Photos: Pritzker sworn in for second term SPRINGFIELD The Rosenberg Moon Habitat was named 2023s Coolest Thing Made in Illinois Wednesday in a contest hosted by the Illinois Manufacturers Association. The habitat is manufactured by Ingersoll Machine Tools in Rockford, in collaboration with the Institut auf dem Rosenberg of Switzerland. At a height of 23 feet, the structure is designed to house two people at a time on the moon and is the worlds tallest single-piece 3D printed polymer structure. The habitat represents the very best of our states manufacturing industry, where creativity and determination turn dreams into reality including living on the moon, Mark Denzler, president and CEO of the IMA, said in a statement. We are proud of the wide variety of products featured throughout this years competition, and hope this contest shines a light on the important work taking place on factory floors across Illinois every day. The annual Makers Madness contest is a bracket-style competition to celebrate manufacturers across Illinois. This years winner was announced at the Governors Mansion Wednesday. The Rosenberg Moon Habitat beat out an initial field of 250 entries and emerged on top of three other finalists including the Drug Terminator, a portable drug incinerator designed to safely destroy prescription drugs or confiscated narcotics. The habitat also defeated 17th Street Barbeque Sauces, which come in various flavors, and the 77GHz Radar for Drivers Assistance and Automated Driving, which is a compact sensor that provides more precise warnings for drivers. Making the coolest thing today just means we can keep making the coolest things in Illinois tomorrow, and for future generations, Jeff Ahrstrom, CEO of Ingersoll Machine Tools, said as he accepted the award. The governor used the opportunity to praise Illinois economic milestones, including receiving eight credit upgrades, surpassing $1 trillion in annual economic value and paying off the states short-term debt. Weve incentivized growth in Illinois and it is working, Pritzker said in his speech. Our great state has always been a land of innovation and today, because of you, Illinois is home to over 18,000 manufacturers that employ over 600,000 residents up and down the state. Last years winner was Rivians all-electric R1T truck, manufactured in Normal. Previous winners include a Self-Regulating Traffic Signal Heater by Termico Technologies in Elk Grove Village, which heats traffic signals so they remain free of snow or ice, and the 797F Mining Truck by Caterpillar in Decatur, the worlds largest mechanical truck. Photos: Chicago mayoral candidates in the 2023 election Several cases involving crimes against children made their way through federal court in Rapid City Wednesday. One man's case moved towards resolution after he admitted to having computer-generated child pornography. Two others began with pleading not guilty to abusing children. Child sex dolls, animated pornography Michael Quincy, 37, of Rapid City, pleaded guilty on Wednesday afternoon to receiving obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children, which included sex dolls and computer-generated images. Quincy appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann to change his plea from not guilty to guilty in exchange for the government dropping a receipt of child pornography charge he was also facing. Quincy was arrested on May 24, 2022. A Rapid City Police Department detective who worked on the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce (ICAC) received a tip in January 2022 from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, according to the factual basis statement Quincy and the government signed to establish his guilt. The tip led investigators to an IP address in Rapid City and Quincy's Google Drive account. On Valentine's Day 2022, Investigator Jesse Fagerland and RCPD Det. Elliott Harding met with Quincy at his Rapid City address. Quincy admitted he had a prior child pornography conviction and was attending therapy. He gave his phone to Fagerland, who found images of nude child sex dolls, searches for "little angels," and animated and 3D modeling of child pornography. Fagerland took the phone back to ICAC. While at ICAC, Fagerland saw that someone was deleting the history on the phone remotely. Three days later, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Quincy's home and took multiple devices. On his phone, they found 113 images of computer-generated child pornography, two images of child pornography and 42 images of realistic child sex dolls. On his laptop, he had 465 images of computer-generated child pornography, evidence of modifying video games so characters become nude children, and files with known child pornography terms. In an interview, he admitted he looked for child sex dolls out of "curiosity and stupidity," and said he didn't know animations and child sex dolls were illegal. The charge carries a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years and up to a $250,000 fine. As part of the plea deal, the government agreed to recommend a six-year sentence. Wollmann informed Quincy that the court is not required to follow that recommendation at sentencing. Quincy is currently held at the Pennington County Jail awaiting sentencing, which has not been scheduled. Sexual abuse of 2 children Charles Martinez, 32, pleaded not guilty to sexually abusing two children under the age of 12 at the federal courthouse in Rapid City on Wednesday morning. Martinez is charged with two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and one count of abusive sexual contact against the first child. The abuse is alleged to have taken place over a four-year period, from April 22, 2018 to April 20, 2022. The government alleges the second child was abused for almost one-and-a-half years from Nov. 11, 2020 to April 20, 2022. For the second child, he faces one count of aggravated sexual abuse and one count of abusive sexual contact. If convicted, Martinez could face life in prison for each count. Law enforcement arrested Martinez on Tuesday. He is currently held at the Pennington County Jail. Wollmann ordered Martinez remain in custody pending trial. Martinez does not have further hearings scheduled as of Wednesday afternoon. Kidnapping, sexual abuse, assault Antonio High Hawk, 21, pleaded not guilty Wednesday after he was accused of kidnapping a minor girl for a week in March, sexually abusing and assaulting her. He appeared before Wollmann at the federal courthouse in Rapid City. According to the March 23 indictment, High Hawk faces one count of kidnapping, two counts of aggravated sexual abuse, and two counts of assault. The government alleges High Hawk kidnapped the girl from March 1 to 8. The abuse and assaults are alleged to have taken place near Oglala against the same girl during that time. According to the indictment, the first assault was done with the intent to commit the aggravated sexual abuse, and the second assault allegedly resulted in serious bodily injury. After High Hawk entered his not guilty pleas, Wollmann ordered he remain in custody pending trial, although the defense can argue for release at a later date. High Hawk is held at the Pennington County Jail. A trial is scheduled to begin on May 23 in the event High Hawk does not agree to a plea deal and the court does not grant delays at the request of the government or the defense. If convicted, High Hawk could face up to life for the kidnapping charge and the aggravated sexual abuse charges and up to 10 years for the assault charges. Staff from Sen. Mike Rounds' office will be holding Service Academy Day to give interested students and their families an opportunity to learn more about the U.S. service academies and the application process. Each year, I am honored to nominate our nations future military leaders to U.S. service academies, Rounds said. By attending an academy, not only will students have the opportunity to serve our nation and help lead the best military in the world, but they will receive an excellent education at a top-notch institution. I encourage young South Dakotans who are interested in more information to stop by and visit with my staff. Service Academy Day in Rapid City will be held at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Classroom Building Room 309, 501 East Saint Joseph Street on Saturday, April 22 from 9:30 11:30 AM. Recommendations for the 2023-2024 freshman class (Class of 2027) have already been submitted. Applications for the 2024-2025 freshman class (Class of 2028) will be due October 1, 2023. Nominations are available for the following institutions: the United States Air Force Academy, United States Military Academy at West Point, United States Naval Academy at Annapolis and United States Merchant Marine Academy. Those interested in learning about the academy application process can find an informational packet on Rounds website or may reach out to Rounds Sioux Falls office. There could soon be a tax for suing the state government over not enforcing federal clean air and water laws, or the endangered species act, under a bill brought by Montana Republican legislators targeting nonprofit organizations. Sen. Greg Hertz, a Polson Republican, told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday that the money tax-exempt nonprofits use to sue agencies over government action, namely not enforcing environmental law, should be taxable at 6.75%. Government action means the implementation or application of the federal Clean Air Act, federal Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, Surface Mining, you get it, it's basically issues dealing with our natural resources, Hertz testified. Republican lawmakers have launched several bills to limit opposition to fossil fuels, this as the state's largest utility, NorthWestern Energy, attempts to double its owned coal power generation by acquiring an additional 222 megawatts of Colstrip Power Plant. Hertz said nonprofit groups challenging government agency enforcement of environmental law are disrupting lifestyles here in Montana. He said some nonprofits are violating IRS rules limiting nonprofit participation in lobbying and politics. The tax-exempt status given to nonprofit organizations prohibits participation in election campaigns of individual candidates, while also limiting, but not banning, participation in activities that attempt to influence legislation. Organizations may conduct educational meetings, prepare and distribute educational materials, or otherwise consider public policy issues in an educational manner without jeopardizing their tax-exempt status, per the IRS. One thing specifically defined in the Internal Revenue Code is the nonprofit status of public interest law firms, the kind used frequently to challenge abuse and negligence by government. No one spoke in support of the Hertz bill, but several nonprofits raised the issue of SB 524 harming the right of the people to petition the government for redress of grievances. The U.S. Constitution forbids the creation of laws that violate the right to redress. I do really appreciate and love the Constitution, said Derf Johnson, of the Montana Environmental Information Center. "I believe it is a wonderful guiding document, and it provides a marketplace of ideas that we all cherish. This bill attempts to diminish and infringe upon that particular right, both under the First Amendment, where it provides that organizations and individuals may petition the government. This bill is meant to infringe upon and chill that activity," he added. "Theres also a companion provision included within the Montana constitution where people have the right to peacefully assemble and petition the government for grievances. What this bill does is it singles out an individual class of folks, an individual activity, individual type of speech, and says, 'Well, we're going to make you pay taxes on this.' In Montana, the state and federal government have repeatedly been sued into compliance with environmental law. The state Department of Environmental Quality took no action to deal with leaking coal ash ponds at Colstrip Power Plant until members of the Colstrip community and nonprofit conservation groups filed lawsuits over the ongoing environmental damage. One days leakage from ash ponds was the equivalent of an Olympic-sized swimming pool seeping into the groundwater. The Environmental Protection Agency required no modern pollution controls to capture nitrogen oxides at the power plant until MEIC sued a decade ago. In the end, EPA estimated the controls would capture another 12,000 tons of air pollution per year. In 2017 nonprofit conservation groups and private landowners sued the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation for requiring drillers to disclose the chemicals pumped into the ground to facture oil shale. The groups were concerned about contaminated groundwater posing a public health risk. The next year the state of Montana wrote rules requiring drilling companies to disclose details about the chemical ingredients. In 2009, the nonprofit Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility sued the EPA for not releasing details about deficiencies in the cleanup of the deadly asbestos contamination in the northwest Montana community of Libby. The details released three years later outlined how EPA misrepresented public health information to Libby residents, among other things. It doesn't seem like the nonprofits that are bringing these lawsuits are necessarily wrong, said Nevin Graves, of Missoula. And oftentimes they're pointing out unconstitutional reports of the law. That's being put before the courts and the courts are finding that unconstitutional. I don't think that's a problem. Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee were critical of the bill. Sen Andrea Olsen, a Missoula attorney who over the years has built a reputation for identifying unconstitutional bills that once passed but were eventually thrown out by the courts, said SB 524 wouldnt hold up. You know, the Montana Constitution actually obligates us, under Section One of Part 13, The legislature shall provide protection for the people against harmful and unfair practices by either foreign or domestic corporations, individuals and associations. Olsen said. If we fail to do that as the Legislature. If we fail to pass laws that sufficiently protect our constituents rights, or their rights to a clean and healthy environment, their right to live free of damage. . . I mean, this organization sued the state hospital for unconstitutional care. Who is, who was supposed to do that? If we don't have, if we don't do our job, and the people are organizing to make sure that these things are done, why do you think it's wrong for them to be able to sue the state, using that mission of theirs to protect those constitutional rights that we also have an obligation to protect? Hertz countered that the lawsuits could still occur, under his bill, but taxes would have to be paid. I'm not stopping them from suing, Hertz said. Basically, Im just classifying this as taxable income when I sue somebody, I'm doing it with after-tax dollars. So, these individuals are raising money to sue the state to disrupt our livelihood. The individuals making those are getting donations, tax-deductible donations, while the rest of us are using our after-tax dollars to defend these lawsuits and defend the way of life here in Montana. A measure to repeal recreational marijuana in Montana didn't last long. Senate Bill 546 was first presented on Wednesday and shelved by Thursday the Senate Business, Labor and Economic Affairs Committee. Opponents to the bill said repealing recreational cannabis would be a boon to the black market. According to the state revenue department, Montana providers did $300 million in sales last year, the recreational market's first year in action. Several lawmakers on the committee expressed concern with the industry's growing footprint since the 2020 legalization vote. Others, including Democratic Sen. Willis Curdy from Missoula, said they still have concerns about the potency of cannabis products available on the legal market. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Keith Regier, R-Kalispell, would have set a 10% THC limit on marijuana products in Montana. The current limit is 35%. "I wished we focused a little more on potency in this issue," Curdy said before Thursday's vote. "On the other hand, I'm really nervous about undoing the people's will. That really concerns me." Montana voters approved recreational cannabis use by a 57% margin in 2020. Lawmakers have made attempts to rein in advertising by marijuana providers this session, saying the visibility of the industry is a poor influence on children. Providers, meanwhile, have argued their businesses would suffer because of a "few bad apples" broadcasting their brands beyond what state regulations allow. Sen. Mark Noland, R-Bigfork, supported SB 546 particularly because of its advertising restrictions, citing billboards in the Flathead area. "We have changed society to accept this thing," Noland told the committee Thursday. "That's an adult decision, I'm just trying to protect our youth." The bill failed to pass on a 4-6 vote. The committee then unanimously voted to table the bill. The senate committee that killed the repeal bill on Thursday also tabled House Bill 351, which would have further restricted where and how cannabis providers can advertisers. Advertising changes may still appear before the session is over. Several bills remain in the Legislature with broad, general titles related to marijuana in which provisions from tabled bills could theoretically be implemented. MoneyShow is a global financial-media company that operates the world's leading investment and trading conferences. Each show brings together thousands of investors to attend workshops, presentations and seminars given by the nation's top financial experts. The company also offers exclusive seminars-at-sea, with the investment industry's leading partners. In addition, MoneyShow operates the award-winning multimedia online community MoneyShow.com and publishes free investing and trading newsletters, which provide individual investors and active traders with exclusive ongoing access to the latest investment and trading ideas from the nation's most respected and trusted financial experts. Chesterfield County police arrested a public school teacher Tuesday and charged her with assaulting several students last year. Lisa Harbilas, 57, was served warrants for 12 counts of misdemeanor assault for incidents that authorities said occurred in August and November. In early March, the parents of a female student at the Chesterfield Early Childhood Learning Academy reported to police that their child had been assaulted by Harbilas in late November, police said. Police said in a statement Thursday that an investigation by Special Victims detectives led to three additional students assaulted by Harbilas in November and one assaulted in August. All of the victims are ages 5 or below. Chesterfield Public Schools spokesman Shawn Smith said Harbilas will not return to the school division pending adjudication of the charges. A LinkedIn profile for Harbilas said she started working for the school system in 2012. The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with additional information is asked to contact the Chesterfield Police Department at (804) 748-1251. Today in history: Mar. 30 1867: William H. Seward 1981: Ronald Reagan 1987: Marlee Matlin 2010: Barack Obama 2012: Anthony Davis 2015: Trevor Noah 2017: SpaceX 2017: Twitter 2021: G. Gordon Liddy 2021: NFL A fire broke out on a ferry in the southern Philippines and raged overnight for eight hours, killing at least 31 of the approximately 250 passengers and crew. Officials say many of the more than 200 people who survived the blaze jumped off the ship and were rescued from the dark sea by the coast guard, navy, a nearby ferry and local fishermen. They say rescuers are still searching for at least seven missing people. The bodies of 18 of the 31 victims were discovered after the fire was extinguished in a budget section of the passenger cabin. Sea accidents are common in the Philippines because of frequent storms, badly maintained vessels, overcrowding and spotty enforcement of safety regulations. Democratic women in the state Senate say they cannot support state Sen. Joe Morrisseys bid for re-election and are endorsing his primary challenger, former Del. Lashrecse Aird. All six Democratic women senators Mamie Locke, of Hampton; Louise Lucas, of Portsmouth; Janet Howell, of Fairfax; Barbara Favola, of Arlington; Jennifer Boysko, of Fairfax; and Ghazala Hashmi, of Richmond joined in the endorsement, saying it lifts up a candidate who has been a strong and unrelenting voice for womens rights, reproductive healthcare, social justice, and equity. On the other hand, the six members of the Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus said, Morrissey has a long history of being on the wrong side of values that matter to Democrats. His public behavior has, for years, drawn attention to himself rather than to the needs of his constituents, their joint statement said, calling for accountability and personal responsibility and adding that his actions have been divisive and destructive. They did not cite specifics. Morrissey has been involved in a public feud with his estranged wife this year over his unproven allegations about her care of their children, while he has been disbarred twice and, for a time, had to commute to the General Assembly from jail after his Alford plea to a misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor in 2015. Gov. Ralph Northam later pardoned him of that offense. Aird, who served in the House of Delegates for three terms, represented a Petersburg-anchored district after her election in 2015 until her defeat by Del. Kim Taylor, R-Dinwiddie, in 2021. Aird has the experience, grassroots familiarity, and temperament to serve the constituents of [Senate District] 13 well and effectively, the caucus said. During her time in office, she established herself as an effective legislator on numerous issues and worked collaborative with colleagues to pass impactful legislation. In her last year as a legislator, she sponsored successful bills that barred police departments from using facial recognition technology and that said public colleges and universities, except for Virginia Military Institute and University of Virginias Law School, could not ask about applicants criminal records or deny admission because of a criminal history. Morrissey said the caucus members appear to be making abortion the main issue in the primary race. Sadly, if you dont agree 100% with their position on abortion, then, youre out, he said. I have made my position on abortion crystal clear. I am a practicing Catholic who is personally opposed to abortion. However, I believe it is a private decision between a woman and her physician and that legislators should not be telling women what to do with their bodies. He said Airds position is out of step with the district, noting that she supported a bill that would have allowed women to have an abortion up to the day before delivery. I am saddened, but not surprised, that the women in the Senate Democratic Caucus have attempted to make abortion the only issue, Morrissey said. It is not. Its about criminal justice reform, the environment, affordable housing and economic growth in the 13th Senate District. In the past General Assembly, he sponsored successful bills to limit the use of solitary confinement in prisons, but had less luck with efforts to limit the fees jails can charge inmates and to end mandatory consecutive prison sentences that can keep inmates behind bars for decades. PHOTOS: Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Joe Morrissey Richard Walker is not happy that changes to how Virginia restores voting rights to formerly incarcerated people happened quietly and that they happened at all. No longer an automatic process, ex-offenders must petition for a chance to be restored. After a morning spent presiding over a solar installation class through his nonprofit organization, Bridging the Gap in Virginia, Walker reflected on navigating life after incarceration and what being able to vote again means to him. After serving time in the early 2000s for drug charges, he was surprised to discover he would not be able to vote unless a governor restored the right. When I realized that, you know, my rights had been taken from me and that I couldnt vote, I became angry, Walker said. He also struggled to find jobs noting how his criminal record didnt make it easy. By 2009, hed formed Bridging the Gap in Virginia to help others navigate post-prison life. In 2010, he applied to have his rights restored. The process at the time required character references and various paperwork, he said. Walker has been able to vote since 2012. The process has since become more streamlined and one that was automatic upon release from prison under Democrat Ralph Northams administration. No longer automatic Following an inquiry by the Richmond Times-Dispatch and a handful of state legislators, it was confirmed that voting rights restoration is no longer automatically started when someone completes their sentence. Secretary of the Commonwealth Kay Coles James responded to an email from Sen. Scott Surrovel, D-Fairfax, and a letter from Sen. Lionel Spruill, D-Chesapeake, to explain. Her office is involved in restoring rights. Our website was updated to include that applications are considered individually and not granted on an automatic basis, she wrote in her letter. Individuals are informed upon release the recommendation of applying and given a paper application. When people apply, a form they must fill out asks if they were convicted for violent or nonviolent offenses, if probation is complete, and whether they owe court fines, fees or restitutions. The previous governors administration made restoration an automatic process when someone leaves prison and dropped a requirement to first complete parole. The shift isnt unwarranted. Its the purview of governors to oversee and adjust the process of restoring rights, according to the state constitution. However, the change does walk back efforts three governors administrations had worked toward to make the process easier and restore more peoples rights. It also means the process to restore rights is less likely to be granted to certain returning citizens, and that could also mean a continued trend of fewer restorations during the tenure of Gov. Glenn Youngkin. In his first year, Youngkin restored 4,300 peoples rights. Meanwhile, Northam and Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe restored more than 126,000 and more than 173,000, respectively. Republican Bob McDonnell, who first ramped up the process, restored more than 8,000. According to Youngkin spokesperson Macaulay Porter, rights restorations are assessed on an individual basis according to the law and take into consideration the unique elements of each situation, practicing grace for those who need it and ensuring public safety for our community and families. She added that the Department of Corrections and the State of the Commonwealth work with the appropriate agencies to restore an individuals rights. No further clarification was provided when asked if any criteria has changed or if people have to complete parole before seeking restoration. A responsibility The changes dont sit right with some people, like Walker, whos dedicated his time to helping people re-enter society. Walker founded Bridging the Gap in Virginia to help formerly incarcerated people and recovering addicts re-establish themselves after serving time. Part of his work has been keeping people informed of how to restore their rights. Training people to become certified in solar panel installation preparing them for a career in the industry is just one of several programs in which his organization participates. From being affected by laws, hes now seeking a chance to help create them. Walker is running as a Democrat for the 79th District in the House of Delegates. With environmental policy and criminal justice reforms as some priorities, he hopes to bring his perspective as an incarcerated person into lawmaking. Walker noted how Black Virginians have been disproportionately represented in prison populations, and recalled how Virginias post Civil War-era constitution of 1901 disenfranchised Black people. He worries the changes to restorations hearken back to Virginias racist past. Part of the reason that Im running is to change the narrative, Walker said. Theres a lot and yet-to-be-uncovered that adversely affects African Americans, Indigenous people and communities of color its time for it to stop. If elected, he could join a legislative body that already has someone else who has lived behind bars. House Minority Leader Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, served time before becoming a lawmaker. Scott is frustrated that whether or not a person can vote is up to the whims of a governors administration. Scott said it feels like people who have served their sentences dont get to feel like full citizens upon their release. You people who made a mistake no, you dont get to be a full citizen. You have to wait until (a governor) decide(s) that its okay to do that, Scott said. Scott previously served seven years on a federal drug offense. Seeing the criminal justice system from the inside inspired him to pursue a legal degree and begin practicing law. By 2019, he was elected to craft laws in Virginias legislature. He said he believes the Youngkin administration cares about the restoration of rights, but that undercutting the bipartisan work of three previous governors should make people question it. I believe that they say they believe what they believe, Scott said of Youngkins stated passion for second chances. But their actions dont match. He added: People need to ask questions like, Why would you try to prevent someone whos a gainfully employed, taxpaying citizen or are not, but have paid their debt to society, want to come home and participate in the civic life? Porter, Youngkins spokesperson, reiterated that the governor does not take this lightly. The governor firmly believes in the importance of second chances for Virginians who have made mistakes but are working to move forward as active members of our citizenry, she said. Meanwhile, adjacent to politics, another formerly incarcerated person has found passion in advocacy and legislative analysis. Shawn Weneta made what he calls a stupid mistake in 2004 and stole money from a company he worked for. That led to a 30-year conviction for embezzlement. About 16 years into his sentence, he was among a wave of pardons by Northam. Like the restoration of rights, inmates can also be subject to pardons by governors. After his release, Weneta became involved with the nonprofit organization the Humanization Project and lobbied the General Assembly before becoming a policy analyst with the American Civil Liberties Union. Im a straight, white, Christian man I have privileges, so I have a responsibility, he said. Released in 2020, Wenetas rights were restored by Northam in March 2021. After an event with the governor to mark the occasion, he excitedly drove in record time to the Henrico County registrars office. There wasnt any need to do that, but thats what I did, he said. I wanted to be sure. With the changes to the process, Weneta worries partisanship could lead to fewer people applying or people who have already been restored feeling discouraged from voting. Both Republican and Democratic governors have said that this shouldnt be in the power of the executive, he said. It shouldnt be in the hands of a partisan actor because you have partisan outcomes that way. As it stands, Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, has continued to introduce a proposed constitutional amendment to keep restorations automatic. Del. Mike Cherry, R-Chesterfield, also introduced a similar bill last year, but it never made it out of committees. Constitutional amendments must pass the legislature two years in a row (with an election in between) before appearing as a ballot referendum Virginia residents can approve. Walker plans to support a constitutional amendment if hes elected and he hopes everyone around Virginia gets to see it on their future ballots. The Times-Dispatch's 'Photo of the Day' Jan. 1, 2023 Jan. 2, 2023 Jan. 3, 2023 Jan. 4, 2023 Jan. 5, 2023 Jan. 6, 2023 Jan. 7, 2023 Jan. 8, 2023 Jan. 10, 2023 Jan. 11, 2023 Jan. 12, 2023 Jan. 13, 2023 Jan. 14, 2023 Jan. 15, 2023 Jan. 16, 2023 Jan. 17, 2023 Jan. 18, 2023 Jan. 19, 2023 Jan. 20, 2023 Jan. 21, 2023 Jan. 22, 2023 Jan. 23, 2023 Jan. 24, 2023 Jan. 25, 2023 Jan. 26, 2023 Jan. 27, 2023 Jan. 28, 2023 Jan. 29, 2023 Jan. 30, 2023 Jan. 31, 2023 Feb. 1, 2023 Feb. 2, 2023 Feb. 3, 2023 Feb. 4, 2023 Feb. 5, 2023 Feb. 6, 2023 Feb. 7, 2023 Feb. 8, 2023 Feb. 9, 2023 Feb. 10, 2023 Feb 11, 2023 Feb. 12, 2023 Feb. 13, 2023 Feb. 14, 2023 Feb. 15, 2023 Feb. 16, 2023 Feb. 17, 2023 Feb. 18, 2023 Feb. 19, 2023 Feb. 20, 2023 Feb. 21, 2023 Feb. 22, 2023 Feb. 23, 2023 Feb. 24, 2023 Feb. 25, 2023 Feb. 26, 2023 Feb. 27, 2023 Feb. 28, 2023 March 1, 2023 March 2, 2023 March 3, 2023 March 4, 2023 March 5, 2023 March 6, 2023 March 7, 2023 March 8, 2023 March 9, 2023 March 10, 2023 March 11, 2023 March 12, 2023 March 13, 2023 March 14, 2023 March 15, 2023 March 16, 2023 March 17, 2023 March 18, 2023 March 19, 2023 March 20, 2023 March 21, 2023 March 22, 2023 March 23, 2023 March 24, 2023 March 25, 2023 March 26, 2023 March 27, 2023 March 28, 2023 March 29, 2023 March 30, 2023 March 31, 2023 April 1, 2023 April 2, 2023 April 3, 2023 April 4, 2023 April 5, 2023 April 6, 2023 April 7, 2023 April 8, 2023 April 9, 2023 April 10, 2023 April 11, 2023 April 13, 2023 April 14, 2023 April 15, 2023 April 16, 2023 April 17, 2023 April 18, 2023 April 19, 2023 April 20, 2023 April 21, 2023 Former Gov. Terry McAuliffe is reminding Virginia Democrats that hes still there with an endorsement of Destiny LeVere Bolling in a House of Delegates race to succeed Del. Lamont Bagby, D-Henrico, who was elected to the state Senate this week. Bolling, a Northern Neck native who works as communications director at the Virginia AFL-CIO, announced the endorsement on Thursday morning, the day after declaring her candidacy for the House seat. Destiny has spent her life working to address the struggles of everyday families, McAuliffe said in the announcement. Virginians in the 80th House District will have a fighter in the General Assembly who will wake up every single day working for them to deliver access to a world-class education, health care, internet and more. I am proud to stand with Destiny in her campaign. Bollings husband, Chris, was manager of McAuliffes unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign in 2021, and the former governor officiated at their wedding, so the endorsement was both personal and political. She described him a steadfast leader who fought every day as governor to improve the lives of Virginians. Gov. McAuliffe has never shied away from doing what is right, despite how much pushback he might have to overcome to get there, she said. Its inspiring, and I hope to demonstrate the same philosophy in the House of Delegates. Not clear whether Youngkin will order special election Bolling is seeking the Democratic nomination in the new 80th House District, where she will face John Dantzler in the Democratic primary on June 20. But her campaign said she also would run in the current 74th House District if Gov. Glenn Youngkin decides to call a special election to fill the seat vacated by Bagbys election this week to the Senate, where he will succeed Rep. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond. McClellan won a special election last month to succeed the late Rep. Donald McEachin, D-4th, whose sudden death on Nov. 28 set in motion a series of special elections for federal and state offices. Its not clear whether Youngkin will order a special election for the current district, which lies predominantly in Henrico County but also covers part of Richmond. The new 80th House District, created under a political redistricting map that the Virginia Supreme Court approved at the end of 2021, lies entirely in Henrico, but both districts are heavily Democratic. This is at the governors discretion to call a special election, said state Democratic Party spokesman Liam Watson. We anticipate he will. As always, we feel the best House of Delegates is a full House of Delegates, Watson added. McAuliffe has kept a relatively low profile Bagby said Thursday that he expects to be sworn in as senator for the 9th District as early as next week or as late as April 12, when the General Assembly reconvenes to consider the governors vetoes and amendments to legislation, including the still pending state budget. Currently, Republicans hold a 55-45 advantage in the House, and Democrats have a 22-18 margin in the Senate, but all 140 seats in the legislature are up for election in November. He did not make an endorsement in the race, but said there is no way in the world he would support Dantzler, whom he defeated with 91% of the vote in the Democratic primary in 2021. McAuliffe has kept a relatively low profile since losing to Youngkin by about 2% of the vote in 2021, but he has remained active in Democratic politics. His political action committee, Common Good, raised $2.7 million for Democratic candidates in the midterm congressional elections last year, when Democrats fared much better than expected. He has endorsed Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, for reelection in a new Senate district against a formidable challenge by Del. Sally Hudson, D-Charlottesville, but he is expected to play a selective role in the upcoming legislative elections. The governor has been an unmatched financial and political supporter of Virginia Democrats for the better part of the last three decades, said a source close to the former governor. He will continue to do so while also helping President [Joe] Biden and his allies across the country. PHOTOS: Youngkin defeats McAuliffe to become Virginia's next governor Most state employees will see an increase in what they pay for their health insurance next year, the Department of Human Resource Management says. With the premiums that insurers charge the state for coverage rising an average of 4.1% next year, the state will ask some employees to kick in between $1 and $11 a month more as their share of the cost. That translates to increases ranging from 0.6% to 3.7%, depending on the plan and on how many dependents are covered. There will be no change for employees covering only themselves through the COVA HealthAware plan, and no employee contribution will be required, as in the past, for the high deductible health plan. The overall 4.1% average increase, when the cost to the state is factored in, is lower than the national trend of a 7% average premium increase, the department said. State employees share of their health insurance was unchanged last year and the year before. The department said there will be only minimal changes to health plans, all of which are aimed at enhancing benefits. Those include changes to the formulary drug program that is, the medications that insurers prefer, and give price breaks on as well as a diabetes prevention program, in-home addiction treatment and an online dermatology benefit for both its COVA care and high deductible plans. Its HealthAware plan will also see enhancements for the formulary drug program and the dermatology benefit, as well as its minute clinic program. There will be no changes for plans that mainly cover state employees in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads, or in the voluntary supplement program for employees eligible for the federal governments TRICARE coverage. The limit on flexible spending accounts will increase to $3,050 from $2,850, reflecting limits set by the IRS. The dependent care limit remains at $5,000. Virginia has 154,000 state employees, according to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. The states biggest health care bill, for Medicaid services to low-income Virginians and those with disabilities, is forecast to rise by 10.8% next year from the level originally forecast for this fiscal year, state budget documents show. The federal share of the jointly funded program will grow faster, as overall Medicaid spending on medical services is forecast to rise 17.2% to $13.1 billion. The largest portion of the 1.95 million Virginians covered by Medicaid are children some 680,000 while an additional 307,000 are aged, blind or disabled adults with low incomes, groups that tend to need more medical services than working adults. The Times-Dispatch's 'Photo of the Day' Jan. 1, 2023 Jan. 2, 2023 Jan. 3, 2023 Jan. 4, 2023 Jan. 5, 2023 Jan. 6, 2023 Jan. 7, 2023 Jan. 8, 2023 Jan. 10, 2023 Jan. 11, 2023 Jan. 12, 2023 Jan. 13, 2023 Jan. 14, 2023 Jan. 15, 2023 Jan. 16, 2023 Jan. 17, 2023 Jan. 18, 2023 Jan. 19, 2023 Jan. 20, 2023 Jan. 21, 2023 Jan. 22, 2023 Jan. 23, 2023 Jan. 24, 2023 Jan. 25, 2023 Jan. 26, 2023 Jan. 27, 2023 Jan. 28, 2023 Jan. 29, 2023 Jan. 30, 2023 Jan. 31, 2023 Feb. 1, 2023 Feb. 2, 2023 Feb. 3, 2023 Feb. 4, 2023 Feb. 5, 2023 Feb. 6, 2023 Feb. 7, 2023 Feb. 8, 2023 Feb. 9, 2023 Feb. 10, 2023 Feb 11, 2023 Feb. 12, 2023 Feb. 13, 2023 Feb. 14, 2023 Feb. 15, 2023 Feb. 16, 2023 Feb. 17, 2023 Feb. 18, 2023 Feb. 19, 2023 Feb. 20, 2023 Feb. 21, 2023 Feb. 22, 2023 Feb. 23, 2023 Feb. 24, 2023 Feb. 25, 2023 Feb. 26, 2023 Feb. 27, 2023 Feb. 28, 2023 March 1, 2023 March 2, 2023 March 3, 2023 March 4, 2023 March 5, 2023 March 6, 2023 March 7, 2023 March 8, 2023 March 9, 2023 March 10, 2023 March 11, 2023 March 12, 2023 March 13, 2023 March 14, 2023 March 15, 2023 March 16, 2023 March 17, 2023 March 18, 2023 March 19, 2023 March 20, 2023 March 21, 2023 March 22, 2023 March 23, 2023 March 24, 2023 March 25, 2023 March 26, 2023 March 27, 2023 March 28, 2023 March 29, 2023 March 30, 2023 March 31, 2023 April 1, 2023 April 2, 2023 April 3, 2023 April 4, 2023 April 5, 2023 April 6, 2023 April 7, 2023 April 8, 2023 April 9, 2023 April 10, 2023 April 11, 2023 April 13, 2023 April 14, 2023 April 15, 2023 April 16, 2023 April 17, 2023 April 18, 2023 April 19, 2023 April 20, 2023 April 21, 2023 Fifty years ago, the United States signed the Paris Peace Accords with the northern and southern governments of Vietnam, as well as the Viet Cong. That agreement essentially ended the nearly 20-year war in the country, freeing tens of thousands of war prisoners and bringing them home. The Virginia War Memorial in Richmond on Wednesday commemorated the anniversary by inviting veterans to the site for Vietnam War Veterans Day. The event dovetailed with the new Fifty Years Beyond: The Vietnam War Experience exhibit that highlights Virginian soldiers of that conflict. Author Barbara Powers Wyatt also spoke about her recently re-released book We Came Home: The Firsthand Stories of Vietnam POWs. Dr. Darrell Smith is an Air Force veteran of Iraq, Afghanistan and Bahrain who helped Powers in re-publishing the book. His father was a five-tour veteran in Vietnam who flew B-52 Bombers. He is mentioned in the book's introduction. The fact that some of the many of these guys did five and six years as a POW is a testament to their their faith that they would eventually come home. Because if you dont have that faith and that hope youre not going to come home, Smith said. Vietnam War Veterans Day was established by the federal government in 2017 to honor and recognize the thousands of men and women who served in our armed forces during the Vietnam War era. Virginia also proclaims March 29 each year as Vietnam War Veterans day in the commonwealth. Paul Galanti is a highly decorated veteran who was a POW of seven years in Hanoi during the war. He became famous for making the cover of Newsweek with his wife when POWs returned and were reunited with their families. We were the best thing about the war, Galanti said. The war was a terrible situation but when we finally came home it was the most positive piece of the war. Thats why its important to honor other veterans. The memorials newest exhibit features historical photos of 50 Virginia veterans from when they were serving during the Vietnam era. Each of the photographs is combined with a video interview describing the subjects time serving in the war. The 50 photographs were selected from 1,000 statewide submissions. About 100 people including veterans and family members attended the event at the Virginia War Memorial. Matthew Allen did two tours in Vietnam with the 25th Infantry, the first with an Artillery unit and the second with a Mechanized Infantry unit. He saw combat along a route called the Ho Chi Minh Trail and in other places during the war. I come to these kinds of things for personal knowledge, I can learn more about the experience, Allen said. War is nothing to be proud of, I wish we could settle our differences with intelligent conversation. The war memorial first opened in 1956 as a way to honor those that fought in World War II. Over the years, it has grown to honor Virginians of all wars with a new space dedicated to those who were killed during the War on Terror. The Times-Dispatch's 'Photo of the Day' Jan. 1, 2023 Jan. 2, 2023 Jan. 3, 2023 Jan. 4, 2023 Jan. 5, 2023 Jan. 6, 2023 Jan. 7, 2023 Jan. 8, 2023 Jan. 10, 2023 Jan. 11, 2023 Jan. 12, 2023 Jan. 13, 2023 Jan. 14, 2023 Jan. 15, 2023 Jan. 16, 2023 Jan. 17, 2023 Jan. 18, 2023 Jan. 19, 2023 Jan. 20, 2023 Jan. 21, 2023 Jan. 22, 2023 Jan. 23, 2023 Jan. 24, 2023 Jan. 25, 2023 Jan. 26, 2023 Jan. 27, 2023 Jan. 28, 2023 Jan. 29, 2023 Jan. 30, 2023 Jan. 31, 2023 Feb. 1, 2023 Feb. 2, 2023 Feb. 3, 2023 Feb. 4, 2023 Feb. 5, 2023 Feb. 6, 2023 Feb. 7, 2023 Feb. 8, 2023 Feb. 9, 2023 Feb. 10, 2023 Feb 11, 2023 Feb. 12, 2023 Feb. 13, 2023 Feb. 14, 2023 Feb. 15, 2023 Feb. 16, 2023 Feb. 17, 2023 Feb. 18, 2023 Feb. 19, 2023 Feb. 20, 2023 Feb. 21, 2023 Feb. 22, 2023 Feb. 23, 2023 Feb. 24, 2023 Feb. 25, 2023 Feb. 26, 2023 Feb. 27, 2023 Feb. 28, 2023 March 1, 2023 March 2, 2023 March 3, 2023 March 4, 2023 March 5, 2023 March 6, 2023 March 7, 2023 March 8, 2023 March 9, 2023 March 10, 2023 March 11, 2023 March 12, 2023 March 13, 2023 March 14, 2023 March 15, 2023 March 16, 2023 March 17, 2023 March 18, 2023 March 19, 2023 March 20, 2023 March 21, 2023 March 22, 2023 March 23, 2023 March 24, 2023 March 25, 2023 March 26, 2023 March 27, 2023 March 28, 2023 March 29, 2023 March 30, 2023 March 31, 2023 April 1, 2023 April 2, 2023 April 3, 2023 April 4, 2023 April 5, 2023 April 6, 2023 April 7, 2023 April 8, 2023 April 9, 2023 April 10, 2023 April 11, 2023 April 13, 2023 April 14, 2023 April 15, 2023 April 16, 2023 April 17, 2023 April 18, 2023 April 19, 2023 April 20, 2023 April 21, 2023 Carlos Joaquin submits letters of credence to Governor General of Canada Ottawa, Canada The former Governor of Quintana Roo, Carlos Joaquin, has submitted his letters of credence to the Governor General of Canada. On Tuesday, six new heads of mission presented their credentials at Rideau Hall. In a breifing, the Government of Canada said Letters of credence ceremonies facilitate connections between Canada and the international community. Today, six new heads of mission from the Sultanate of Oman, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Zimbabwe, the Republic of the Philippines, the Republic of Colombia, and the United Mexican States presented their credentials at Rideau Hall. Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, welcomed six new heads of mission to Canada during a ceremony at Rideau Hall. Upon their arrival in Canada, new heads of mission must present their letters of credence to the governor general before they can carry out their duties. Letters of credence are the official documents that accredit a diplomat as an ambassador or high commissioner to another country. After the ceremony, Carlos Joaquin posted I had the honor of presenting Letters of Credence as Ambassador of Mexico in Canada to the Governor General, Her Excellency Mary Simon with the task to strengthen ties of friendship and collaboration between both countries. Chiquila residents threaten to block Holbox access in protest of ongoing abandonment Chiquila, Q.R. Area residents of Chiquila are threatening to block Holbox island access in protest of the abandonment by the current municipal administration. Angry area residents say the current administration has abandoned them, leaving them without a functioning ambulance. While the two sides have experienced tension for months, this latest grievance came after the recent death of a tourist. Last week, a woman who was diving off the island of Holbox died due to decompression sickness. The female tourist, who was from Chile, died in Chiquila while waiting for an ambulance transfer to the Kantunilkin Integral Hospital. An ambulance did eventually show up, but according to local authorities, it was in poor condition. Area residents say they do not have a proper ambulance since the only one available was taken to a mechanic shop in Kantunilkin months ago and never returned. The residents have a long list of ongoing grievances with the current municipal administration. In early March, authorities made a formal request with state congress to form the Municipality of Chiquila. Mexico recovers 43 illegal archaeological pieces from Government of Italy Mexico City, Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador received 43 archaeological pieces from the Government of Italy that were found in the country illegally. On Wednesday morning, the president thanked the international help for the rescue and repatriation to Mexico of the historical heritage. The person in charge of the symbolic delivery of pieces was the Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs of Italy and International Cooperation, Giorgio Silli, who highlighted the union of both nations based on cooperation and the strengthening of cultural ties. Italy, like Mexico, is deeply convinced that cultural heritage constitutes an integral part of the identity of every nation. We recognize ourselves perfectly in the slogan coined by your government: My patrimony is not sold, it is loved and defended, said the official. The Secretary of Culture, Alejandra Frausto Guerrero, explained that part of the 43 pieces are the result of the confiscation carried out by the Carabinieri Corps for the Protection of the Cultural Heritage of Italy and some were even acquired by individuals. The binational coordination, he said, allowed the careful and direct transfer from Rome to Mexico, he explained. It is an example of how these cultural bridges are strengthened, how the restitution and repatriation of cultural assets is essential, he said. The My heritage is not for sale campaign has resulted in the repatriation of 11,505 pieces , which translates as a historical event. A total of 43 pieces were returned to Mexico by Italy. Photo: AMLO March 29, 2023. The task of displaying the pieces will be in charge of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). That is why it is important to raise awareness about this. These pieces that are recovered today are going to be exhibited in the cultural heart of this country, which is the Templo Mayor, there they are going to be exhibited, later they will go to regional and community museums, AMLO said. The general director of the INAH, Diego Prieto Hernandez, pointed out that the illegal traffic of archaeological pieces affects investigations and prevents their recognition between cultures and origin. The looting of the Mexican archaeological heritage hurts us a lot. () The goods that have been looted become only objects of curiosity, important goods of Mexican art, but they lose much of their value from the point of view of scientific research and the recovery of archaeological information, he stated. The Secretary of Culture called to suspend the auction on April 3 at the Million Maison de Ventes Aux Encheres, in Paris, France, where it is intended to sell 83 archaeological pieces from various cultures in Mexico. Mexico working with affected countries after 40 killed in INM migrant facility fire Mexico City, Mexico Mexicos Ministry of Foreign Relations (SRE) has sent its condolences in the tragic death of 40 Latin American nationals due to a fire. In a statement, the SRE said they are in close coordination with the foreign ministries, embassies and consulates of the countries whose nationals were affected, as well as with federal and local agencies, actors and international agencies to support the victims and their families. In turn, the Consulate General of Mexico in El Paso, Texas, is in coordination with local and state authorities in order to contribute to the medical care of injured people, if necessary. The Undersecretariat for Latin America and the Caribbean summoned ambassadors and consuls from Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela, El Salvador, Colombia and Ecuador, representatives of the countries of origin of the victims of the fire, to report on the efforts being made by the Federal Government and coordinate international efforts to care for the injured, repatriation of the victims and define the steps to follow to clarify the facts. The SRE will cooperate with the National Migration Institute, the National Human Rights Commission, the Republic Attorney Generals Office, local and cross-border institutions and other competent authorities, to seek the best possible treatment for the victims of the accident, clarify the facts, and the investigation that proceeds as a result of this incident is as expeditious and efficient as possible. The Mexican Foreign Ministry reiterates its condolences to the families of the victims. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has also guaranteed that a thorough investigation will be carried out under the zero impunity policy. On Wednesday morning he said There are versions. We already have preliminary information, but we want to have all the elements. He affirmed that the Government of Mexico is collaborating with the Attorney General of the Republic in the investigations in order to clarify the causes of what happened. There is no purpose to hide the facts, no purpose to protect anyone. The violation of human rights is not allowed in our government nor is impunity allowed, he said at his Wednesday morning press conference. Two INM officials are seen on the other side of the fire ignoring the pleas and kicks of the migrants trapped inside the burning area. Photo: INM video shot March 27, 2023. I am requesting the Attorney General of the Republic, as is its duty and power, to continue with the judicial investigation so that a resolution is issued, action is taken, responsibilities are established and there is no impunity, that it is well clarified who was responsible, he emphasized. On Monday night, a fire in an INM migrant shelter in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua left 40 dead and 28 hospitalized in serious condition. Video of the interior area where the migrants were being held and the fire broke out has begun circulating showing two INM officials walking away from the caged migrants who, according to the video, were left to die. I want to express my condolences to the relatives, to the inhabitants of the countries where the migrants who unfortunately lost their lives in this fire in Ciudad Juarez originate. My deepest condolences to our Venezuelan, Guatemalan, Salvadoran, Ecuadorian, Colombian brothers and to the governments of these countries, he said. A Boones Mill man was convicted by a Franklin County Circuit Court jury Tuesday of fatally shooting his grandmother in 2021. Dominic Thomas Novia, 31, was charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of 70-year-old Mary Ann Cook. Police originally reported that a 911 call summoned Franklin County Sheriffs Office deputies on December 22, 2021 and to the 6000 block of Bethlehem Road. At a residence there, deputies found Cooks body. Additional 911 calls reported that the suspect was in the area a nearby convenience store. Deputies searched the area and found Novia near Whispering Creek Road, the sheriffs office said. The sheriffs office said in a Facebook post Wednesday that Novia had been found guilty of the murder of Cook, his grandmother. Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Sandi Workman and Commonwealths Attorney Cooper Brown presented the case and evidence to a 12-member jury on Monday and Tuesday, the post read. The jury found Novia guilty of second-degree murder, use of a firearm in commission of a felony, and two felony counts of shooting in an occupied dwelling, the post continued. Novias sentencing hearing has been scheduled for July 10, according to Virginias online court case information system. CHRISTIANSBURG Derek Kitts is making a third attempt at public office. Kitts, 54, formally announced this week that hes running for Montgomery County supervisor in District B, which is located in the central part of the county and includes the town of Christiansburg. Kitts, a Democrat, previously made unsuccessful bids for the 9th Congressional District seat currently held by Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, and for the old 7th House of Delegates District seat that was eventually won by Del. Marie March, R-Floyd. My wife told me I just should have done that in the first place, Kitts said jokingly about his decision to run for supervisor. I just want to help people. I dont think theres a greater honor than to represent the people you live next door to. Similar to the previous offices Kitts sought, District B has long trended Republican. Supervisor Sherri Blevins, whose term ends this year, is a Republican, while her two predecessors each served as Republicans. Former Republican Supervisor Doug Marrs ran unopposed in District B in both 2003 and 2007. Blevins has decided against running again and is the only supervisor this year not seeking reelection. Despite the districts longtime Republican leanings, Kitts said he tries to be moderate in his politics and has made efforts to reach across the aisle. He brought up recent conversations hes had with Republican Montgomery County Sheriff Hank Partin. Im not intimidated by a whole lot of anything, he said. I think were going to do well because voters know who I am. Partisanship around issues at the local level is blurrier, Kitts said. When you talk to your neighbor, you dont have to talk politics. People are going to tell you whats wrong, he said. Kitts said hes gone to great lengths to learn as much as he can about county issues. Hes attended recent board meetings, and he said hes gone through the current years budget and the next one thats being proposed. Kitts said the current school resource officer situation is one hes also paid attention. The county is currently grappling with Christiansburgs decision earlier this year to eventually end its funding of three SRO positions and effectively pull those officers out of towns schools. In response, the new county budget proposed several weeks ago called for $673,605 to fund the addition of five sheriff department employed SROs in Christiansburg schools. Partin, however, has said seven SROs, including one supervisor as wells as a clerical employee, are the minimum numbers needed to address the needs in each of the towns schools a plant that would cost approximately $1 million. Kitts said he supports the county covering the additional SRO jobs and favors Partins recommendation. Kitts said he also has some concerns with how the board has responded to the real estate reassessment. Property values across the county went up by an average of 30%. That means real estate tax bills for many would have gone up significantly even if the county would have kept its current tax rate of 89 cents. In response to the reassessment, supervisors decided to advertise a real estate tax rate of 73 cents per $100 of assessed value, which means whichever rate they approve late this spring cant go above that number. While supervisors will substantially cut the tax rate, the advertised rate is still a few cents above the revenue neutral rate, according to figures previously presented by the county. Kitts said his own property value went up by 36%. He said he has concern for people living on fixed incomes. While the county does have growing needs, he called the decision to advertise a 73-cent tax rate shortsighted. If you advertise higher, you can go lower. But you give yourself the freedom, he said. I think we should have the flexibility. You shouldnt handcuff yourself. Kitts, a Christiansburg resident, runs a small Fairlawn-based printing operation called Virginia Blue Star Printing. Kitts spent more than two decades in the Army, where he served three combat tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. He received two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart, all for action in Iraq. Kitts said he earned a masters in public administration from Virginia Tech in December. There are a million thigh-slappers in the frankfurter trade. Heres one: What did the Buddhist say to the hot dog vendor? Make me one with everything. Ho, ho, ho. Shawn White has heard most of the one- and two-liners. He hears one with everything a lot. Thats more or less the description for a My Way dog, a signature offering at his hot dog cart, DogOn Time. For the past two years, hes been setting up outside Northwest Hardware in Glenvar, after trying other locations in the Roanoke Valley. Some of those were productive, but some others, he ended the day with $12 in his till. (When business is real slow, he reads pulp-fiction novels.) His five-day work week begins early each Friday, weather permitting. In the morning, he hitches a customized hot dog cart to his pickup truck outside his home in Ferrum. Then he tows it 47 miles to Glenvar. Along the way, White picks up necessary daily items such as wieners and ice. It takes the Coast Guard veteran roughly 45 minutes to set up the cart, its umbrella and associated coolers in a corner of Northwest Hardwares parking lot on West Main Street. By 11 a.m. steams rising off the carts propane-fired holding vats. And hungry customers start dropping by. For almost five years, the frankfurter entrepreneur has combed the Roanoke Valley for hot dog hot spots, dispensing beef sausages, Polish sausages and Nathans Famous franks along with chips, soft drinks and occasional wisecracks. Ive been around to watch you get whittled on, he quipped Tuesday to longtime customer Bruce Bishop, a U.S. Army vet with a fairly recent prosthetic right leg. Their relationship dates back when White formerly set up DogOn Time outside the Veterans Affairs Medical Center off Roanoke Boulevard in Salem. (He thrived there until the COVID pandemic pretty much killed business at that location.) At the VA, Youd see me set up my wheelchair by his table for 40 or 45 minutes, where he would argue with entitled veterans, Bishop said. By those, Bishop meant retired officers who forget theyre retired and are still barking orders. Occasionally, Bishop donates a bottle of two of unusual condiments such as curried ketchup to Whites growing array of exotic toppings. So do some other regulars. Thats how White learned about Tiger Sauce, another spicy-sweet concoction he still offers. He likes that so much, Id rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy, White cracked. June will mark his fifth anniversary in the street vending game. That followed more than 30 other occupational gigs ranging from salesman to railroad machinist to cabinetmaker and phlebotomist. Now Whites his own boss. And no longer does he have to put up with bosses who urge him to cut corners or compromise in one way or another. Hot dogs helped rid him of those headaches, he said. I dont get along well with people. I can do five to 10 minutes with them, White told me Tuesday. After then it gets weird. On a previous visit I made to the stand, White said he assumes I have a higher degree than normal of Aspergers. The rent is right $0 Whites 60 years old, but hardly looks a day past 45. He grew up as the middle of three children and says hes from everywhere. His dad made a career in the Air Force, and that kept the family moving, to places such as North Pole, Alaska and Germany, where White graduated high school. Hes divorced, with two offspring in their 30s who between them have produced seven grandchildren. Whites current place in Ferrum a house he built and where hes lived for 25 years represents the 58th mailing address of his lifetime. One reason White likes Northwest Hardware on West Main is the clientele. Overall, theyre a friendlier lot than at the VA, he said. Previously, aside from the VA, White worked his trade outside Gander Mountain, a big-box outdoor store in Hollins. Business was good there but the corporate owners eventually asked him to move on. Hes also set up at the Department of Motor Vehicles off Peters Creek Road and at Richfield Living, a retirement community in Salem. For a while White served his fare from a parking in downtown Roanoke, across Jefferson Street from the Roanoke Public Library. At that location, he had to rent two parking spaces daily one for the cart and the other for his truck. Another reason he likes Northwest Hardware is the rent it charges $0. How did that come to pass? I dont know, said Charlie Overstreet, owner of the expanding regional chain. Sometimes, things just happen. We like [White] and he likes us. Its just no problems, and it seems to brighten up that corner. Overstreet added: How can you get in the way of someone doing something productive? I think everybody feels good, seeing him make a little money. White earns that a few bucks at a time. He charges $4 for a basic, a la carte dog, which he reckons cost him a buck; $5 if its a quarter pounder and $6 for beef or Polish sausages. A two-dog combo with chips and a drink costs $9.50, tax included. The wieners stay warm in a secret stew of juices White calls dirty water. For anyone who asks, he can regale customers with a centurys worth of hot dog-cart history. (These days, vendors change their water daily, he said, but at one time they reused it day after day.) Some people add beer, some people add this, some people add Cajun seasoning, whatever it is. Ive got my own five things I put in my water, White said. And hes not telling. The more the merrier I spent an hour or so there Tuesday, as a steady stream of regulars and newbies ambled up to DogOn Time. One of the latter was Beth Gray of Glenvar. For her first visit, she showed up with her 8-year-old son, Tyler, and purchased four dogs. Were on spring break and daddy is hungry, Gray explained. White estimated he sold 100 dogs Tuesday He called it a decent days business. On a really good day, hell serve 150. Tuesday also saw something new in the hardware store parking lot another street vendor. It was The Coffee Bus, a mobile stand owned and operated by Hannah Dyer, 25, of Salem. The former Mill Mountain Coffee barista and Corned Beef & Co bartender is striking out on her own. She recently purchased The Coffee Bus, and Tuesday was her first day in business on her own. White welcomed her to the corner. Someone had actually told me about the Hot Dog Man, as she called him, Dyer told me. I went and asked [Northwest] Hardware if I could come here, too. They said yes. Shawn ended up inviting me to park beside him, Dyer added. The more the merrier, said Overstreet, the hardware tycoon. White is not outside Northwest Hardware every Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Any day when the forecast calls for 25 mph (or higher) wind he takes off. Hes already lost a $200 canopy to a single gust one afternoon. Snow, ice and heavy rain will also keep him home. This past winter hasnt been kind to street vendors. Unfavorable weather prevented White from setting up more than half the days hed otherwise be at the hardware store. (He keeps his regular notified via his DogOn Time Facebook page.) But hes hatching some plans to defeat Mother Nature. Right now in his spare time hes building an enclosed-trailer hot dog cart from scratch, starting from a bare, 8-foot-long trailer. His current 4-year-old cart wasnt built to take 100-mile daily journeys, he said. Some of its rivets have popped and part of the carts held together with duct tape, which lasts longer than replacement rivets, White said. An enclosed stand will allow him to trade more days, and also hit weekend festivals that charge advance vendor fees. Currently, White avoids those because if weather shuts him out he doesnt get the fees back. He figures itll be months before his new trailers ready for the road, and he can hit some festivals. In the meantime, youll be able to find him outside Northwest Hardware, on non-windy Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. As he chases the American Dream, one frankfurter at a time. Until somebody budges on tax relief, the state budget remains in limbo, according to lawmakers from the Roanoke region working toward an agreement. Ahead of reconvened session in Richmond on April 12, House and Senate lawmakers in conference committees are still negotiating on budget amendments for the coming 2023-24 government year that starts in July, said Del. Terry Austin, R-Botetourt, during a Thursday interview. Were making some progress, said Austin, a member of the house budget conference committee. I think we will have a deal before June 30 that we can take to the people. Lawmakers say the hang-up this year is similar to last years cause for budgeting delays: conflicting desires to provide Virginians with tax relief, versus investing more funds in state services. Republicans, including Gov. Glenn Youngkin, want more tax relief, whereas Democrats want more money put toward state services. Negotiations are going slow because the governor has asked for a billion dollars in tax relief, Austin said. Our colleagues on the other side of the aisle are not fondly in favor of giving him all of his requests for tax relief. So were negotiating, trying to reach a compromise on what that number may be. Austin said he understands his colleagues apprehension about conceding on a billion dollars of tax relief. But I will say, all those requests are in the best interest of the people of the commonwealth, Austin said. When we have $3.6 billion in excess revenues, we should give some of those monies back to the people. On the other side, Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, said he wants to see more state money put toward paying Virginia teachers at the national average, funding mental health care, and other things that have been chronically underfunded for decades. The House and Senate are very interested in trying to find common ground, Rasoul said Wednesday. Were pretty close to being there, except for the large tax policy implications. Last year, Virginia enacted $4 billion worth of tax cuts, said Rasoul, who sits on the House Appropriations Committee that Austin vice-chairs. This year, the further tax cuts would really only help the wealthy, Rasoul said. Many of us would rather see that money invested. Combining an agreeable budget document from the Republican-majority House and the Democratic-majority Senate requires several rounds of negotiation, Austin said. We set aside the partisan politics, Austin said. Were now working as conferees for the best interest of the people of the commonwealth on a budget. There are notes of bipartisanship, one being the plans to renovate and improve Catawba Hospital in Roanoke County to treat people with substance use disorder. Austin and Rasoul said $14 million is earmarked for Catawba Hospital in the House budget. Catawba has the potential to grow and become a rehabilitation facility, which is something we really need to do, Austin said. We have people in need, and we dont need to incarcerate these people. We need to treat these people and help them overcome their problems. Rasoul, who carried a widely supported bill to plan for Catawba Hospitals transformation, said he is hoping for the best. Catawba Hospital is a regional example, along with funds to create development-ready business sites, of good things in the state budget, Austin said. But putting the House and Senate budgets together, even behind closed doors in conference committees, has again proved difficult this year, like last, Austin said. Its always easy to cut taxes. Its not so easy to raise taxes, he said. We got to make certain that we can balance those scales, going forward with these tax cuts. Austin is one of only a few state lawmakers involved in the actual conference negotiations at this point. Outside of the conference committee, the rest of the members, the vast majority of us, are not involved in day-to-day negotiations, Rasoul said. Were only giving input as to certain items that we have felt passionate about. Once its determined how much money will be returned to the taxpayers, then well know how much money we have to allocate to teachers pay raises, to mental health, law enforcement, and to other things in the budget, Austin said. Altogether, considering not just dollar amounts but also the language written in the budget, its quite a balancing act, Austin said. He said he would rather the work progress slowly than move forward quickly and end up with regrets. These are complex issues for people to decide and make, Austin said. Were making them with the peoples best interest at heart, but sometimes it just takes time. RICHMOND Democratic women in the state Senate say they cant support state Sen. Joe Morrisseys bid for re-election and are endorsing his primary challenger, former Del. Lashrecse Aird. All six Democratic women senators Mamie Locke, of Hampton; Louise Lucas, of Portsmouth; Janet Howell, of Fairfax; Barbara Favola, of Arlington; Jennifer Boysko, of Fairfax; and Ghazala Hashmi, of Richmond joined in the endorsement, saying it lifts up a candidate who who has been a strong and unrelenting voice for womens rights, reproductive healthcare, social justice, and equity. On the other hand, the six members of the Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus said, Morrissey has a long history of being on the wrong side of values that matter to Democrats. His public behavior has, for years, drawn attention to himself rather than to the needs of his constituents, their joint statement said, calling for accountability and personal responsibility and adding that his actions have been divisive and destructive. They did not cite specifics. Morrissey has been involved in a public feud with his estranged wife this year over his unproven allegations about her care of their children, while he has been disbarred twice and for a time had to commute to the General Assembly from jail after his Alford plea to a misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor in 2015. Gov. Ralph Northam later pardoned him of that offense. Aird, who served in the House of Delegates for three terms, representing a Petersburg-anchored district after her election in 2015 until her defeat by Del. Kim Taylor, R-Dinwiddie, in 2021. Aird has the experience, grassroots familiarity, and temperament to serve the constituents of [Senate District] 13 well and effectively, the caucus said. During her time in office, she established herself as an effective legislator on numerous issues and worked collaborative with colleagues to pass impactful legislation. In her last year as a legislator, she sponsored successful bills that barred police departments from using facial recognition technology and that said public colleges and universities, except for Virginia Military Institute and University of Virginias Law School, could not ask about applicants criminal records or deny admission because of a criminal history. Morrissey said the caucus members appear to be making abortion to main issue in the primary rate. Sadly, if you dont agree 100% with their position on abortion, then, youre out, he said. I have made my position on abortion crystal clear. I am a practicing Catholic who is personally opposed to abortion. However, I believe it is a private decision between a woman and her physician and that legislators should not be telling women what to do with their bodies. He said Airds position is out of step with the district, noting that she supported a bill that would have allowed women to have an abortion up to the day before delivery. I am saddened, but not surprised, that the women in the Senate Democratic Caucus have attempted to make abortion the only issue, Morrissey said. It is not. Its about criminal justice reform, the environment, affordable housing and economic growth in the 13th Senate District. In the past General Assembly, he sponsored successful bills to limit the use of solitary confinement in prisons, but had less luck with efforts to limit the fees jails can charge inmates and to end mandatory consecutive prison sentences that can keep inmates behind bars for decades. You have permission to edit this collection. Edit Close Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. " " There is water vapor rising into the air all the time from rivers, lakes and the world's oceans. KEREM YUCEL/AFP/Getty Images There's water around us all the time, we just can't see it. The air in our atmosphere contains a varying amount of water vapor, depending on the weather. When it's hot and humid, evaporated water can make up as much as 6 percent of the air we breathe. On cold, dry days it can be as low as .07 percent of the air's makeup. This air is part of the water cycle, an Earth process. Crudely put, water evaporates out of rivers, lakes and the ocean. It's carried up into the atmosphere, where it can collect into clouds (which are actually just accumulations of water vapor). After the clouds reach the saturation point, water droplets will form, which we know as rain. This rain runs off the land and collects into bodies of water, where the whole process begins again. Advertisement The problem is, the water cycle goes through dry periods. Because of this, some inventors have begun to wonder, why wait? Why not pull the water vapor right out of the air? Well, some have done just that. Here's a look at some of the latest technologies for creating water out of thin air. Aquaer Enrique Veiga, an 82-year-old Spanish engineer, invented a drinking water extractor that uses electricity to cool air until it condenses into water. It's the same effect that causes condensation in air conditioning units. He's not the first person to use this technology, but his company, Aquaer, is the first to work in temperatures above 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) and humidity as low as between 10 and 15 percent. In other words, his machine can make water in the desert, which happens to be the kind of place where people need water the most. After perfecting the machine, Aquaer was commissioned to supply drinking water to areas of Namibia and in a refugee camp in Lebanon. Veiga founded a nonprofit, called Water Inception, with a vision to distribute his water-making machines to more refugee camps and other dry parts of the world. Whisson's Windmill Australian inventor Max Whisson is using another approach. His Whisson Windmill uses wind power to collect water out of the atmosphere. In 2018, he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that water vapor amounts to about "10,000 billion litres [about 2,600 billion gallons] in the bottom kilometere [about .62 miles] of air around the world." And all of this water is replaced every few hours as part of the water cycle. Whisson's windmill uses refrigerant to cool the blades of his mill, which he's named Max Water. These blades are situated vertically rather than diagonally, so that even the slightest breeze turns them. The blades cool the air, causing water vapor to condense and become liquid water again. This condensation is then collected and stored. Whisson's windmill can collect as much as 2,600 gallons (9,842 liters) of water from the air per day. Whisson said that his biggest challenge isn't the engineering behind his invention but finding the venture capital to back it. Tsunami Products' Atmospheric Water Generator Tsunami Products, a Washington-based company operating out of California, has developed a device for creating water that works similarly to an air conditioner. It dehumidifies air, extracts water vapor and then filters it so it's ready for drinking. According to Tsunami Products, the device works by drawing air "through a series of condensing coils, where water vapor is cooled down sufficiently to reach the dew point. This converts water vapor into droplets." The converted water is then filtered for any contaminants, such as pathogens and pollen, and collected in a storage tank ready for tapping. Fog-harvesting Machines The higher the relative humidity, the more water there is in the air to capture. Considering fog occurs when relative humidity is nearly 100 percent, you would think that researchers would try extracting water from fog. And you would be right. Fog-harvesting machines have been around for years and, as logic would suggest, work best in foggy climates such as coastal and mountainous regions. These relatively low-cost collection systems resemble volleyball nets with a fine mesh like a window screen. The screens capture water when wind blows through. Unfortunately, water droplets can clog the screens, preventing the wind from passing through, thus preventing the device from collecting water. " " Fog nets made from polythene fiber cloth catch condensed water from water vapor in the air, directing it into collection vessels underneath. Wikimedia Commons (CC By SA 2.0) To improve upon this design, Jonathan Boreyko, who heads up the Nature-inspired Fluids and Interfaces Lab at Virginia Tech, took a cue from Mother Nature. He studied how giant sequoia trees collect water from fog on their needles, which run parallel to the ground. As the water collects on the needles, it then rolls downward and drips onto the ground essentially watering the tree's roots. Based on this insight, Boreyko's lab designed small, lab-scale fog-harvesting "harps" with horizontal collection wires to simulate giant sequoia needles. This method resulted in a water harvest from fog three times greater than similar-sized systems using vertical wires. Drinkable Air Several companies currently sell water-from-air machines, such as Florida-based Drinkable Air. The company uses "atmospheric water generator technology" to pull air through an electrostatic-antimicrobial filter intended to remove airborne particles. A condensation unit receives the clean humid airflow and condenses water vapor into liquid. As the machine collects water, the water "drops into a collection tank where it is ozonated to keep the water pure and fresh," according to the company's website. The machine further chills and filters the water before adding minerals to increase the pH level and improve the taste. Drupps And then there's Drupps, a spinoff of humidity-control company Airwatergreen. It uses a completely different water-collecting technology that relies on a liquid desiccant to pull moisture from the air. The slurry is then heated and the water is boiled off, cooled and collected. While cost effective, there are some drawbacks. As with condenser-style water collection systems, Drupps' technology is energy intensive and thus less kind to the Earth. Speaking of the environment, why go to the trouble of collecting water out of the air? Why not simply cause more rain to fall? It may sound far-fetched, but this is actually done at times, with catastrophic consequences. " " A devastating EF-4 tornado ripped through Mayfield, Kentucky, in December 2021, breaking all the "rules" we know about the storms. Flickr/State Farm The tornado alley of the Great Plains, of course, isn't the only area that experiences tornadoes. "Other portions of the United States outside of what is historically referred to as 'tornado alley' do experience significant, very powerful tornadoes with frequency, as well, such as the Southeastern U.S. (e.g., Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee)," Lazear says. "While tornado outbreaks are possible every month of the year in the United States, they are more likely in the Southern part of tornado alley in late winter and early spring, with tornado season migrating northward into the Northern Plains by mid-summer." Advertisement But because tornadoes happen in so many places across the map, the traditional concept of tornado alley isn't universally embraced by meteorologists. Some now even reject the term. As Furtado explains, tornadoes occur when the right conditions exist, not because of the location of the thunderstorm. "Meteorologists predict severe weather and tornadic activity based on the ingredients present (e.g., (1) warm, moist and unstable air, and (2) large changes in wind speed and direction with height), not based on a defined climatology," Furtado says. But there are indications that the boundaries of tornado alley may be shifting. According to 2023 research by Northern Illinois University, supercell storms have taken an eastward shift targeting areas like eastern Arkansas. "Over the past couple of decades, we have seen a clear increase in tornado frequency further eastward into the Mississippi River Valley," Furtado says. "This means that new populations are increasingly becoming vulnerable to tornadic activity. This shift has been characterized as a 'shift' in tornado alley." This new tornado alley is often referred to as Dixie alley and it includes, roughly, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia. Visibility here is worse, as tornadoes are often wrapped in rain or hidden by trees and hills. And there's really no specific tornado season. But another study from Dr. Harold Brooks, a senior scientist at the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Oklahoma, found that doesn't mean tornado alley is moving east. Why? Because the formation of tornadoes is linked with the potential for thunderstorms, and they found there are simply more chances for thunderstorms in Dixie alley today than there are around tornado alley. Why? Climate change. While the relationship between tornadoes and climate change isn't completely understood, studies have found that conditions that produce the most severe thunderstorms from which tornadoes can form are likely to be found more often as the planet warms. " " Dixie alley includes many Southern states where tornadoes are becoming more common. Wikimedia/(CC BY-SA 4.0) Now That's Interesting What may have been the earliest written report of a tornado sighting in what is now the U.S. dates back to July 1643, when then-Massachusetts Gov. John Winthrop observed a sudden powerful wind that whipped up dust, lifted his meeting house and knocked down a tree that killed a nearby onlooker, according to the NOAA. Credit: Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia The European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grants will help outstanding research leaders across Europe to explore their most innovative and ambitious ideas. With this latest award, the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ-CERCA) has accumulated a sum of 25 grants from the ERC. Tarragona (Spain), March 30th 2023ICIQ director and ICREA Professor Emilio Palomares has been awarded a European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant. These grants are worth up to 2.5 million for a five-year project and have been announced today. The ERC Advanced Grant funding is amongst the most prestigious and competitive EU funding schemes, providing researchers with the opportunity to pursue ambitious, curiosity-driven projects that could lead to major scientific breakthroughs. They are awarded to established, leading researchers with a proven track-record of significant research achievements in the last 10 years. In the case of Prof. Palomares, he will undertake the project entitled 'Engineering Excited States, Orbital Coupling and Quantum Coherence Phenomena in Photoelectrochemical Energy Conversion Devices' (Excited), that aims to advance fundamental understanding to light-initiated reactions in molecular sensitizers that can display quantum-coherent behaviour in their excited state dynamics at room temperature. Moreover, the project will also investigate the quantum coherent contributions to the solar-to-electricity conversion efficiency in molecular solar cells. An Exciting project ahead Excited is not simply focused on the fabrication of molecular solar cells and measuring their physical properties. The project goes well beyond that and will pave the way for the development of solar cells that will be tailor-made to take advantage of quantum coherence, molecular hybridization and orbital coupling effects between the electron-donor couple. With the experience in advanced experimental time-resolved techniques, Excited will explore quantum coherence effects and solar cells under operando conditions and for sure will have a key impact on several fields, from biology to chemistry and physics bringing paramount breakthroughs in the use of modified interfaces resulting in optimize novel thin film solar cell technologies that leverage quantum coherence phenomena and orbital coupling effects. "For years quantum coherence in molecular systems have been proposed and studied but the effects of this amazing phenomena in devices still remains elusive. Excited aims to study model molecular systems with quantum coherence properties that can be applied in functional devices and correlate their molecular structure-physical processes with the device efficiency." says Palomares. This is the third ERC grant awarded to Emilio Palomares. In the domain of Physical Sciences and Engineering, 711 proposals were submitted and only 94 projects, Excited among them, received funding. "I feel honored by getting this recognition from my peers in such as competitive and worldwide recognized funding program. Is such an exciting research project at the boundaries of many scientific disciplines, which explores the edges of the fastest processes in nature." emphasizes Emilio Palomares. The funding will facilitate the recruitment of Ph.D. students and postdoctoral researchers, providing them with valuable support for the development of their careers and enhancing their skills as researchers. Furthermore, they will have the opportunity to be part of a multidisciplinary team that works towards achieving outstanding scientific outcomes. "ERC grants are a top recognition and a significant commitment from our best researchers. The 544 million funding puts our 218 research leaders, together with their teams of postdoctoral fellows, Ph.D. students and research staff, in pole position to push back the boundaries of our knowledge, break new ground and build foundations for future growth and prosperity in Europe," commented the European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Mariya Gabriel. With the new project, ICIQ adds a total of 25 ERC projects. This is ICIQ's fifth ERC Advanced Grant of a total of 16 ERC Grants (five Advanced, three Consolidator, eight Starting) and 9 ERC Proof of Concept obtained since the ERC's grants programme began in 2007. Excited is the third ERC Grant as part of the Horizon Europe programme. About Prof. Emilio Palomares Emilio Palomares (Valencia,1974) studied Biology at the UVEG (1997). After graduating he joined Prof. Hermenegildo Garcia's group at the UPV-ITQ-CSIC where he got his Ph.D. (2001). In 2001 he was awarded a "Marie Curie" Fellowship ICL (London, UK). There he began his work with molecular devices for energy conversion, under the direction of Prof. James R. Durrant. In 2004 Emilio got a "Ramon y Cajal" Fellowship at the ICMolUVEG. In April 2006 he took a position at ICIQ. Since 2009 he is an ICREA research Professor at ICIQ. In 2009 he was awarded a ERC Starting grant to work on quantum dots for energy conversion devices and a ERC PoC in 2015 to bring research to the market developing a demo system for rapid detection of cystic fibrosis in humans. In 2006, Prof. Palomares got the Young Chemist Award by the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry and in 2010, the INNOVA 2010 Award by the SusChem Spanish Association. In 2019 he was awarded with Energy & Environmental Solutions International Chair (E2S) by the Universite de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour (UPPA). Later in 2020, September, he was elected ICIQ Director for the next 5 years. About the ERC The ERC, set up by the European Union in 2007, is the premier European funding organisation for excellent frontier research. It funds creative researchers of any nationality and age, to run projects based across Europe. The ERC offers four core grant schemes: Starting Grants, Consolidator Grants, Advanced Grants and Synergy Grants. With its additional Proof of Concept Grant scheme, the ERC helps grantees to bridge the gap between their pioneering research and early phases of its commercialisation. The ERC is led by an independent governing body, the Scientific Council. Since November 2021, Maria Leptin is the President of the ERC. The overall ERC budget from 2021 to 2027 is more than 16 billion, as part of the Horizon Europe programme, under the responsibility of the European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Mariya Gabriel. This call for proposals attracted nearly 1.650 applications and 218 were funded with a total of 544 million (success rate of 13,2%). Female researchers account for 23% of all applications, their highest participation rate in Advanced Grant calls up to now. Provided by Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia On this version of Hot off the Wire: Two Army helicopters crashed in southwestern Kentucky during a routine training mission, causing several casualties, military officials said. Russias top security agency says an American reporter for the Wall Street Journal has been arrested on espionage charges. The Vatican says Pope Francis has rested well overnight and is progressively improving after being hospitalized with a respiratory infection. First lady Jill Biden attended Wednesday nights candlelight vigil in Nashville, Tennessee, to honor and mourn the six victims killed in the Covenant School shooting. King Charles III has become the first monarch to speak before Germanys parliament. Charles is on his first foreign trip since becoming U.K. king. A fire broke out on a ferry in the southern Philippines and raged overnight for eight hours, killing at least 31 of the approximately 250 passengers and crew. FLORENCE, S.C. Ronald M. Fowler of Loris has become chairman of the McLeod Health Board of Trustees, succeedingBenjamin T. Zeigler of Florence, who continues his service on the board. We are extremely appreciative of the dedication and very hard work of these volunteer board members who embrace the mission of McLeod Health in service to the community and providing the delivery of excellence in health care, said Donna Isgett, president and CEO of McLeod Health. Their remarkable leadership continues to guide us as we face the many challenges that are affecting health care today. I look forward to serving this organization and our committees as chairman during the continuing progress we are making in health care, said Fowler. When I joined the McLeod Health Board of Trustees in 2012, my goal was to support the expanded footprint of services and global outlook of McLeod Health. Providing quality health care is not a concept that is created entirely in a boardroom. For McLeod Health that understanding is no different. Recognizing the diversity of the growing medical needs of local communities, the leadership of McLeod Health long viewed the move into Horry County as a platform for providing advanced quality healthcare to a vibrant and expanding region. We want to ensure McLeod provides the provision of quality health care close to home whether you live along the coast, the inland region of Northeastern South Carolina, or the bordering counties in North Carolina. Following a long history of leadership in education, Fowler said health care was a calling for him. In 2001, he was appointed to the Loris Community Hospital District Board of Commissioners. During his service with the board of commissioners, he served as chairman and vice chairman. He was also on the board in 2011 when McLeod Health and Loris Healthcare System formalized their long standing and mutually beneficial partnership with a decision to affiliate. His service on the McLeod Health Board of Trustees includes chairman of the governance committee and serving as a member of the following committees: nominating; finance; audit and compliance; planning; physician development; and workforce development and education. Benjamin Zeigler completes his term as chairman for the last three years. He served during a significant historic time in the organization with administrative leadership changes to a new president and chief executive officer, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a challenging environment affecting the Certificate of Need process and the health care industry. The McLeod Health Board is a self-perpetuating, 23-member governing board that includes eight physicians, including ten emeritus members. Noting the intriguingly unpredictable politics around Washington's marijuana initiative | Main | One of thousands of post-Miller personal (and sentencing) stories October 13, 2012 Might it hurt Rajat Gupta to get sentencing support letters from the 1%? Rajat Gupta, the former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. director convicted of insider trading, has lost his powerful spots on corporate boards, his reputation and likely his freedom when a judge sentences him later this month. But Mr. Gupta, 63 years old, still has plenty of powerful backers, including Bill Gates and Kofi Annan, and they are lining up to support him with letters to the judge. Mr. Gates, co-founder of Microsoft Corp., and Mr. Annan, former secretary-general of the United Nations, are among those who have written letters to U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff on Mr. Gupta's behalf. More than 200 letters have been sent to the judge through Mr. Gupta's lawyers ahead of the Oct. 24 sentencing, according to the submissions, which were examined by The Wall Street Journal.... Mr. Gupta was convicted in June of giving hedge-fund manager Raj Rajaratnam, his friend and business associate, inside information about Goldman's financial results and an investment by Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s Warren Buffett during the financial crisis. Prosecutors said Mr. Rajaratnam's hedge fund made millions based on Mr. Gupta's tips, while Mr. Gupta, also a former director at Procter & Gamble Co., benefited from the leaks because of their friendship and mutual business interests. Prosecutors are likely to argue that federal sentencing guidelines dictate a term for Mr. Gupta that could exceed 10 years, based on the illicit trading gains by Mr. Rajaratnam's fund. But the guidelines are advisory, and Judge Rakoff usually hands down less than they suggest.... Mr. Gupta, the former head of McKinsey & Co., the global corporate consulting firm, was active in the philanthropic and charitable communities in the U.S., in his native India and other countries. Letters from his supporters include those from leaders of companies, academics and Wall Street figures. His family also wrote to the judge, including his wife, four daughters and an 84-year-old aunt in India.... It is common for defendants to ask friends, family and prominent figures they may have encountered in their lives to write letters on their behalf to the court ahead of sentencing. Defense lawyers routinely cite such letters at sentencing in hopes of providing a fuller picture of a defendant beyond the crime they've been convicted of committing, particularly when it comes to a defendant's charitable works.... Mr. Gupta's submissions include letters from a class of luminaries not often seen at sentencing, but reflective of those he associated with as a top executive at McKinsey and through the philanthropic causes he supported. The question in the title of this post is prompted by this notable new article in the Wall Street Journal headlined "Dear Judge, Gupta Is a Good Man: Bill Gates, Kofi Annan Among Those Writing in Support of Inside Tipster Ahead of His Sentencing." Here are the story basics: In prior posts and comments, there has been an interesting and robust discussion about whether and how character letters from family, friends, and colleagues can play a role in post-Booker federal sentencing decision-making. In this case, as the question in the title to this post suggests, I cannot help but wonder if the very high-profile nature of the folks writing on Gupta's behalf could, directly or indirectly, risk creating the impression that Gupta's extraordinary prominence and connections provide a special reason not to give him any kind of special break at his federal sentencing. Related posts on upcoming Gupta sentencing: October 13, 2012 at 06:12 PM | Permalink TrackBack TrackBack URL for this entry: https://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d83451574769e2017d3cb1167b970c Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Might it hurt Rajat Gupta to get sentencing support letters from the 1%?: Comments That's odd. What I usually hear from the defense side is that a prior life of giving back and a strong showing of community support are perfectly legitimate, mitigating factors at sentencing. I guess Obama's angry, repeated and divisive attacks on "millionaires and billionaires" (except the numerous among them who contribute to him) have taken their toll in predjudicing the few producitive and successful defendants who show up in the system. Posted by: Bill Otis | Oct 14, 2012 5:28:44 PM omg, didn't take long for 'angry, repeated and divisive attacks' by a partisan hack to make a political inference about an article where none was implied... Posted by: Jarrod | Oct 15, 2012 6:55:05 PM Jarrod -- Obama has, in fact, made angry, repeated and divisive attacks against financially successful people -- something you couldn't and don't deny. This from Mr. Hope and Change, etc. BTW, haven't you read in the comments on this blog that it's impermissible to refer to people as "hacks"? Not that it matters. Your side routinely uses language a good deal worse than that. Posted by: Bill Otis | Oct 15, 2012 7:45:21 PM Post a comment Chinese level of trust in govt tops global list 10:20, March 30, 2023 By ZHANG YI ( Chinadaily.com.cn Survey: Steps to lift 'all of society' also praised The Chinese government's efforts to maintain economic growth and keep improving people's lives are major factors behind the high level of trust in China's government among the nation's citizens, a level that has once again surpassed those of other countries surveyed. Among Chinese citizens interviewed by Edelman, a leading global public relations consultancy, 89 percent said that they trust their government the highest percentage of all the countries surveyed. About 32,000 respondents from 28 countries participated in the online surveys in November. The China report of the 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer, an annual trust and credibility survey, was released on Wednesday. The percentage of Chinese who said they trust their government has consistently remained at the top of the list in Edelman reports in recent years. Edelman Global President and Chief Operating Officer Matthew Harrington said there is a sense of understanding and appreciation for China's government that focuses on the continued growth and prosperity of the population. The government worked hard to protect its citizens during the COVID-19 epidemic over the past three years, which also resulted in trust from the population, he said. Fan Hong, director of the National Image Communication and Research Center at Tsinghua University, said the high level of trust showed that in the face of a challenging external environment, the Chinese government has continued to take positive actions. Efforts were made by the government in solving social issues, promoting economic development, improving people's lives and creating a green environment, and this has won recognition and trust from the people, she said. The report indicated that economic optimism is flagging around the world, with 24 of 28 countries seeing all-time lows in the number of people who think their families will be better off in five years, while Chinese respondents remained optimistic about the economy. "China remains an extraordinarily important economic force in the world economy," said Harrington, adding that people around the world, as well as institutions ranging from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to economic think tanks, are optimistic about China's economic growth this year. The optimism could be seen in the recent visits to China by many foreign business people, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, who spoke at the recent China Development Forum about the importance of China to his company's future. Given the economic growth prospects, the Chinese government and the business community have the opportunity to deliver on the hope that Chinese families have for better lives in the coming years, he said. He added that China "has done a good job of helping lift up all of society, and it hasn't resulted in some of the wide gaps that exist elsewhere in the world where there are others being left behind". The results are consistent with the findings of another recent global survey. According to the Global Happiness 2023 report released recently by Ipsos, a leading global market research company, China has the highest level of happiness, at 91 percent. Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a news conference this month that "people's sense of happiness is like a mirror. It tells us the values that drive the nation and the competence of its government." Over the past 10 years, China has implemented a people-centered development philosophy. The goal is to meet the people's ever-growing need for a better life and deliver a stronger sense of fulfillment, happiness and security to the people, he said. Edelman's reports in recent years have shown a wide gap in the respective trust levels of China and the United States. The most recent report shows that about 42 percent of US respondents said that they trust their nation's government, which is 47 percentage points lower than the results for China. Harrington said the low trust in government in the US is due to the economy in the past decade and the gap between haves and have-nots, which has resulted in polarization, leading to a trust gap. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Tenth Circuit deepens split over considering retribution in revocation of federal supervised release | Main | When are character letters NOT helpful in a fraud sentencing? When they are fraudulent. March 29, 2023 An encouraging(?) account of prospects for modest criminal justice reforms from the current Congress The Washington Post has this new small piece about happenings inside the Beltway with this big headline "Is there any chance for criminal justice reform bills? Surprisingly, yes." Here is the heart of part of the discussion (with one line highlighted by me for follow-up): So in this tense partisan atmosphere, is there any chance Congress could consider even modest change to the criminal justice system? Well, certainly nothing big or even a bill along the lines of the First Step Act, a law to cut some federal prison sentences that President Donald Trump signed in 2018. But some lawmakers and outside advocates say there are still opportunities to pass more limited legislation to make the criminal justice system less punitive. Lawmakers including Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.), the committees top Republican, introduced a bill last month to eliminate the disparity in federal sentencing for trafficking crack and cocaine. The bill passed the House on an overwhelming bipartisan vote in 2021 but died in the Senate. And Reps. Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.), David Trone (D-Md.), John Rutherford (R-Fla.) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) started a bipartisan task force last month to try to pass legislation to ease the barriers to prisoners reentering society when their sentences are up. Theres a ton of Republicans that just want to do the right thing, Trone said in an interview on Tuesday before he spoke at a reception hosted by the conservative R Street Institute meant to build support for the legislation. And theres a minority of Republicans who live on the rhetoric of, Lets stop everything. Its too early to say whether any of the bills will pass. But Jason Pye, who lobbied for the First Step Act while he was vice president of legislative affairs at FreedomWorks, a conservative group, said he thought Republicans could move legislation once House Republicans tire of passing other bills that stand no chance of clearing the Democratic-held Senate. As far as Im concerned, this is one of the few areas where there is not only bipartisan consensus, but support [from across the Republican] conference to do something, said Pye, who is now director of rule-of-law initiatives at the Due Process Institute. Especially as we march toward a big election year, I am not sure that House Republicans are likely to ever "tire of passing other bills that stand no chance of clearing the Democratic-held Senate." But I am sure that there are a range of (small?) federal criminal justice reform bill that could get to the desk of President Biden if serious folks on both sides of the aisle get seriously committed to actually getting something done. In addition to the items noted above, for example, I continue to want to believe some form of mens rea reform could be a part of a bipartisan effort to make our fedeeral criminal justice system for fair and effective. March 29, 2023 at 03:59 PM | Permalink Comments Yes, I noticed that article too, but have a somewhat different take on it, https://ringsideatthereckoning.substack.com/p/when-the-washington-post-touts-criminal Posted by: Bill Otis | Mar 29, 2023 4:26:20 PM Bill I wanted to give you a heads up that someone is putting out batshit crazy essays with your name on it. -A friend Posted by: whatever | Mar 29, 2023 5:23:50 PM Bill, I noticed this curious statement at the start of your piece: "When the murder rate is headed up, theres only so much of a head fake you can sell." But the murder rate nationally is headed down. Based on the data collected from nearly 100 large cities (which is the best data we now have), murder was down over 5% in 2022 compared to 2021, and for the start of 2023 we are down an additional 10% (and in our three largest cities, Chicago, LA, NYC we are down around 20%). https://www.ahdatalytics.com/dashboards/ytd-murder-comparison/ But, I guess your whole point is that some folks do not let facts get in the way of a narrative. Posted by: Doug B | Mar 29, 2023 5:37:55 PM Doug, trends . . . . Posted by: federalist | Mar 29, 2023 5:57:20 PM federalist, there was a small downward trend in homicide rates from 2016 to 2019, then a huge spike in murders in 2020 likely due to pandemic and George Floyd factors. Then 2021 saw a small increase, which 2022 erased and the trend in 2023 is a sizeable decline so far. In terms of murder rates, the 2010s were the safest in modern history (and also a period of small but significant decarceration), and after a 2020 blip there are reasons to be quite hopeful about the current murder rate trends in 2022 and 2023. The big murder increase in 2020 would have been very worrisome if it turned into a real trend, but now it seems it might prove to be more of a blip (again likely explained by pandemic and George Floyd factors). Of course, anything could happen the rest of 2023, but to claim now for the nation that "the murder rate is headed up" is just not factually accurate. Posted by: Doug B | Mar 29, 2023 8:22:14 PM Doug -- It's just a matter of time frame. Over the last eight years, the murder rate nationally is absolutely headed up. If you want to pick one or another segment of time within that eight years, you can produce any prefab result you want. And there's this too: You'll often pick out one sentence and focus on that, while just taking a pass on the thesis of the article. I will leave it to others to assess how persuasive this is. And lastly: "I guess your whole point is that some folks do not let facts get in the way of a narrative." You sure got that right. Say for example the authors of the law review at your law alma mater who say we can abolish prison and be just as safe. Posted by: Bill Otis | Mar 30, 2023 12:45:28 AM whatever -- I wanted to give you a heads up that someone is putting out juvenile one-liners without your name on it -- which I have to concede is a wise choice, since no one is really to interested in claiming ownership of juvenile one-liners. Posted by: Bill Otis | Mar 30, 2023 12:47:59 AM You are right, Bill, that crime data can can be described in different ways over different time frames. I just think it quite important to note and celebrate that in the most recent time frame (2022 and 2023), the crime data from big city police departments indicate the murder rate is headed down, not headed up. Posted by: Doug B | Mar 30, 2023 6:15:52 AM Ill take the Dems seriously about stopping gun deaths when I see fewer murderers with gun charges in their rap sheets. It seems like illegal possession of a firearm deserves cashless bail and probation until the murderer uses it. It then becomes a gun problem. I also cannot take them serious when straw purchasing is seldom prosecuted. A ban on the fictitious category of assault weapons is a perfect example of a lack of seriousness. The number of people killed by them is a rounding error compared to handguns. Posted by: TarlsQtr | Apr 1, 2023 11:32:39 AM Post a comment When are character letters NOT helpful in a fraud sentencing? When they are fraudulent. | Main | So very excited for "Frankel at 50: A Half-Centurys Perspective on Criminal Sentences: Law Without Order" This notable and lengthy new New York Times article, headlined "DeSantis Burnishes Tough-on-Crime Image to Run in 24 and Take On Trump," reports that Florida's Governor plans to assail former Prez Trump for his record on crimnal justice reform. Here are excerpts: Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida has spent months shoring up a tough-on-crime image as he weighs a run for the White House, calling for stronger penalties against drug traffickers and using $5,000 bonuses to bolster law-enforcement recruitment to his state. Now, Mr. DeSantis and his allies plan to use that image to draw a contrast with the Republican front-runner in the 2024 race, former President Donald J. Trump. Mr. DeSantis and his backers see the signature criminal-justice law enacted by Mr. Trump in 2018 as an area of weakness with his base, and Mr. DeSantis has indicated that he would highlight it when the two men tussle for the Republican nomination, according to three people with knowledge of Mr. DeSantiss thinking. That law, known as the First Step Act, reduced the sentences for thousands of prisoners.... One potentially complicating factor for Mr. DeSantis: He voted for the initial House version of the First Step Act in May 2018, while still a congressman. He resigned his seat in September 2018 after winning the Republican primary for governor, and was not in the House to vote for the more expansive version of the sentencing reform bill that ultimately passed into law in December 2018.... In January, Mr. DeSantis announced a series of legislative measures for the coming session in Florida, which, among other actions, would toughen penalties against drug traffickers. Other states endanger their citizens by making it easier to put criminals back on the street. Here, in Florida, we will continue to support and enact policies to protect our communities and keep Floridians safe, Mr. DeSantis said in a statement at the time. Florida will remain the law-and-order state.... Mr. Trump is aware of his vulnerability on the crime issue because of his record as president, according to people close to him. Shortly after leaving office he began trying to inoculate himself against attacks by promising an uncompromising law-and-order agenda, with especially harsh treatment of drug dealers. In a speech last year at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Senator Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican who was a staunch supporter of most of Mr. Trumps agenda but a critic of the First Step Act, called Mr. Trumps moves on criminal justice reform the worst mistake of his term. Since becoming a candidate for the third time in November, Mr. Trump has released a handful of direct-to-camera videos discussing policy. In one, he proposed strengthening police departments with additional hiring and criticized what he called radical Marxist prosecutors who are abolishing cash bail, refusing to charge crimes and surrendering our cities to violent criminals. He also called for deploying the National Guard into areas with high crime rates. But he did not address sentencing, the core of his surprisingly lenient approach in office and one that was at odds with his law-and-order campaign talk. Asked to comment, Steven Cheung, a spokesman for Mr. Trumps campaign, described Mr. Trump as the law-and-order president that cracked down on crime and put away violent offenders, resulting in the lowest crime rate in decades. Mr. Cheung accused Mr. DeSantis of giving a safe haven for violent felons that has resulted in rampant crime in Florida and said that Mr. Trump had received support from law enforcement officials around the country. And Mr. Cheung pointed to an array of crime statistics in Florida that the Trump campaign planned to highlight as unfavorable for Mr. DeSantis. As president, following the advice of his son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, in December 2018, Mr. Trump signed the First Step Act, which resulted in more than 3,000 inmates being released early from federal prison. A Republican official who is not affiliated with Mr. DeSantis and who has closely tracked criminal recidivism among people released from prison because of the First Step Act, said that the volume of those releases would provide fodder for attack ads against Mr. Trump. On Wednesday, Pedro L. Gonzalez, a conservative with a large online following who often attacks Mr. Trump from the right and defends Mr. DeSantis, tweeted that the man charged with assaulting a U.S. Senate staff member over the weekend was released from prison thanks to Trumps First Step Act and linked to a Fox News story about the case. Many of those released under the First Step Act had been imprisoned for selling drugs a crime that Mr. Trump now says publicly that he wants to punish with the death penalty because of the destruction wrought by illegal drugs.... Did it for African Americans. Nobody else could have gotten it done, Mr. Trump wrote in response to a reporters question in 2022, adding, Got zero credit. The word zero was underlined for emphasis. But in June 2020, as Americans massed on the streets to protest the police killing of George Floyd, Mr. Trump told his aides privately, according to Axios, that it was a mistake to have listened to Mr. Kushner.... In his final six months in office, Mr. Trump was erratic in his criminal justice policies. He went on a historic federal execution spree. But he also went on a pardon spree handing out many dubious pardons, including one to a drug smuggler with a history of violence, through a process heavily influenced by Mr. Kushner. And by the time Mr. Trump was plainly looking for a future in politics again in 2021, he began talking publicly about executing drug dealers. An encouraging(?) account of prospects for modest criminal justice reforms from the current Congress | Main | Florida Gov DeSantis reportedly gearing up to attack former Prez Trump for his support of FIRST STEP Act March 30, 2023 When are character letters NOT helpful in a fraud sentencing? When they are fraudulent. In various posts in this space and elsewhere, one sometimes sees debates over the impact and import of submitting an array of character letters on behalf of a defendant facing sentencing. I sense that, generally speaking, judges find these kinds of letters helpful, and they can often lead to better sentencing outcomes if well developed and effectively presented. But, this news story from a federal sentencing this week in Pittsburgh provide a distinct view of these matters: As far as character letters go, Randy Frasinelli submitted the best. They came from corporate executives, nonprofit groups and an Ivy league university. Theres one from the bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. And another from Leadership Pittsburgh. Theres even one from former Allegheny County Executive Jim Roddey. Well, it was supposed to be from him. But, if it was, Roddey spelled his own name wrong twice. According to the federal government, all of the letters are fake. Frasinelli, 66, of Scott, pleaded guilty to bank fraud and money laundering in federal court in August after investigators said that he fraudulently obtained $3.8 million in covid-19 Paycheck Protection Program loans during the pandemic. They said he used the money to buy artwork, luxury vehicles and firearms... In its case, the government laid out a complex scheme through which Frasinelli applied for the loans in the names of four separate companies and then submitted falsified tax records and payroll records. Although he was already facing federal charges and was out on bond prosecutors said, Frasinelli applied for another fraudulent loan a month after his arrest seeking another half-million dollars. Now, the U.S. Attorneys office is accusing him of falsifying his own character letters to be used to mitigate his sentence. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday by U.S. District Judge W. Scott Hardy. Whether the sentencing will occur, however, is up in the air. Frasinellis defense attorney the third hes had in his federal case on Saturday filed a motion to withdraw from representing him. The sentencing did go forward yesterday, and here is another local press piece detailing how things transpired: A Scott businessman who bilked the government out of nearly $4 million in COVID-19 relief funds, tried to do it again while out on bond and then forged character letters praising himself to present to a judge will spend 6.5 years in federal prison, the judge ruled Wednesday. U.S. District Judge W. Scott Hardy chastised Randy Frasinelli, 66, before he issued the sentence, which will be followed by five years of supervised release. He said Frasinellis forged letters had eroded the courts trust in him.... Frasinelli, as part of his plea, took responsibility for his actions. That acceptance of responsibility lowered the sentencing range with which Judge Hardy had to work. As part of the [pre]-sentencing report sent to the judge, Frasinelli included letters from his children and other family members, along with 14 from other non-family members praising him as a businessman and person. The letters were signed by politicians and business leaders. In a filing last week, the U.S. Attorneys Office wrote theyd discovered at least 13 of the 14 letters from non-family members were forgeries. Attorneys said Frasinellis forged letters should negate any special considerations in relation to his sentencing.... The forged letters, attorneys wrote, should negate any reduction Frasinelli was set to receive for accepting responsibility. Rather than the sentence of 63 to 78 months that prosecutors agreed to recommend, they said the judge should instead consider the non-mitigated range of 78 to 97 months. For those not great at base-12 math, the 6.5 years of imprisonment imposed here amounts to 78 months, and so the top of the original guideline range calculated in this case as well as the bottom of the new range suggested by prosecutors. I suppose only the judge knows what sentence he might have given absent the forged letters, but I know this case is a useful reminder that sentencing determinations will often reflect post-offense-conduct behaviors both bad and good. March 30, 2023 at 09:42 AM | Permalink Comments This defendant is a fool, and seems to have serious psych issues. I wonder if he is an addict or alcoholic, as this is the kind of fundamental dishonesty that goes along with untreated addiction. Or maybe this defendant is just a sociopath with no moral compass. He should have known that his fake sentencing mitigation letters from "third parties" would be uncovered, even if he had no misspelled on person's name twice on the letter. I am sure that his defense lawyer who withdrew from representing him at sentencing because he realized that with the fake sentencing mitigation letters, the defendant was trying to use his legal services to commit a fraud upon the court -- so ethically, he was required to withdraw. I suspect that we have not yet heard the last of this defendant. The Judge was shrewd to pick 78months! This is the kind of guy who will violate during his 5 years of Supervised Release. Posted by: Jim Gormley | Apr 1, 2023 6:41:21 AM One of many reasons I never became a criminal defense lawyer is that people like this can wind up as your client. I really just don't want this in my life. Defense lawyers are the one class of people who get lied to even more frequently than the police. Posted by: Bill Otis | Apr 6, 2023 7:25:10 PM Post a comment The disruption of the digital services of Singapore's biggest bank, DBS, on Wednesday (29 March), is "unacceptable", said the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). (PHOTO: Getty) SINGAPORE The disruption of the digital services of Singapore's biggest bank, DBS, on Wednesday (29 March), is "unacceptable", said the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). In a statement, MAS noted that the disruption comes "a year after a similar incident in November 2021". "DBS has fallen short of MAS' expectations to maintain high system availability and ensure its IT systems are recovered expeditiously. MAS has instructed DBS to conduct a thorough investigation to establish the root cause of the disruption and submit its investigation findings to MAS," the central bank said. "MAS will take the commensurate supervisory actions after gathering the necessary facts." DBS' chief executive Piyush Gupta said on Thursday that the bank is "disappointed that many of our customers were unable to access our digital banking services on 29 March 2023". "We hold ourselves to higher standards and it is our utmost priority to review the events of today. We acknowledge the gravity of the situation, appreciate our customers' understanding, and deeply regret the inconvenience caused," he added. Services resumed after day-long outage Users reported on Wednesday morning that they were unable to log in to the DBS app and also could not use PayLah. Attempts to log in to the app resulted in "reset pin" prompts, and attempts to log in and pay by DBS PayLah were met with a "service not available" notice. The day-long outage was resolved around 5.45pm, when the bank issued a statement on its Facebook page announcing that its digital services DBS/POSB digibank Mobile and Online, DBS PayLah and DBS mTrading have returned to normal. Story continues The bank extended banking services at all DBS and POSB branches and Treasures Centres by two hours on Wednesday. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. A fake friend scam text message (left) and handcuffs on a pile of cash (Photos: Getty Images) SINGAPORE - Three Malaysians were extradited to Singapore on Tuesday (28 March) for suspected involvement in 'fake friend' call scams targeting Singaporeans. The men, aged between 18 and 27, were arrested in a joint operation conducted by the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) and the Johor Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) of the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP. The raid was conducted at an apartment complex in Johor, Malaysia last Monday (20 March). Preliminary investigations revealed that scam operations by the transnational syndicate started early this year. It is believed to be involved in more than 40 reported incidents, with total losses of more than $250,000. The three men will be charged in court on Thursday (30 March) with conspiracy to cheat. If found guilty, they may face imprisonment of up to three years and a fine. Rising fake friend call scams According to the police, more than 1,300 victims have fallen prey to fake friend call scams, with total losses amounting to at least $4.33 million since January this year. This comes a few days after the police warned of a rising trend of jade e-commerce scams on TikTok, and an earlier police report about more younger adults falling for scams. "Fake friend" scams typically involve fraudsters contacting victims via text or phone calls pretending to be someone they know, before asking for financial help, the Singapore police said. Fake friend call scams are on the rise and this is a serious concern. The Singapore Police Force has been working closely with the Royal Malaysia Police to detect and arrest these transnational syndicates who prey on our citizens," said David Chew, Director of CAD. "We will continue to take tough action against individuals who perpetuate scams, even if they are based overseas. The police advise members of the public to download the ScamShield app and set security features such as enabling two-factor authentication for their bank, social media and Singpass accounts. Limits on Internet banking transactions such as those via PayNow should also be set, the police said. Story continues Potential scam requests should be verified with family and friends using alternative means such as physical meetups, video calls or emails, the police said, adding that the public should avoid using new contact details on their phone. Members of the public can also visit www.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Helpline at 1800-722-6688 to check for scam signs through official sources, the police added. Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube. File photo: Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan arrives for an appearance at the Lahore High Court (EPA) A controversial colonial-era sedition law that critics said was increasingly being used by Pakistans government to stifle dissent has been struck down by the Lahore High Court. Justice Shahid Karim of the high court invalidated section 124A of Pakistans criminal code while pronouncing a verdict on a batch of petitions that argued it was being used by ruling political parties against their rivals. The British-era law punished anyone with at least three years or even life imprisonment for attempts to excite disaffection towards the federal or provincial government. A written ruling on the decision is yet to be released, the Dawn newspaper reported. Justice Karim scrapped the sedition law on grounds that it was being used by the government in power for the exploitation of their critics and rivals, including journalists, politicians and activists. A petition filed by a citizen urged the court to invalidate section 124A of the constitution as it was inconsistent and in derogation of fundamental rights. It said that the law has been recklessly used in Pakistan as a tool of exploitation to curtail the right to free speech and expression guaranteed in the constitution. A petition argued that it is a notorious tool for the suppression of dissent, free speech and criticism in free and independent Pakistan. Justice Karim who convicted Pakistani military general Pervez Musharraf in 2019 in a treason case and sentenced him to death was praised for his verdict on social media on Thursday. Faisal Hussain, a supreme court lawyer, praised Mr Karim for realising the atrocities caused by this black law. 124A was a colonial relic making it a crime to excite disaffection or contempt against govt.... Glad its finally off our statute books, tweeted another lawyer, Salahuddin Ahmed. The striking down comes as several top opposition politicians of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party have been charged and arrested under the controversial law. Former prime minister Imran Khan claimed earlier this month that at least 76 cases have been filed against him, including on charges of sedition, terrorism and blasphemy. Story continues Fawad Chaudhry, vice president of the PTI and former information minister, was arrested on 25 January for allegedly inciting violence against officials of the Election Commission of Pakistan. Several former ministers, activists and journalists have been charged under the law. They include former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, journalist Cyril Almeida, Pashtun rights activist Manzoor Pashteen, human rights activist Ammar Ali Jan and poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz. Last year in May, Indias Supreme Court put a hold on the countrys own identical sedition law. The court asked the central and state governments to keep in abeyance Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code. It also comes as a new constitutional crisis has emerged in Pakistan. The Shehbaz Sharif government sought to limit the powers of Pakistans Supreme Court by presenting a Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023. Mr Sharif said history would not forgive us if the countrys parliament did not enact laws to curtail the powers of its top judge and alleged the apex court was creating political instability in the country. 313@somerset is regarded as one of the most popular malls in Singapore. Being conveniently located right next to Somerset MRT, shopping at this highly-coveted mall has never been easier. One of my favourite things about 313@somerset is its wide range of dining opportunities, from Michelin-starred ramen to mochi ice cream and more. Here are 10 spots to check out in 313@somerset when youre looking for a meal in Somerset. 1. Mrs Pho (#01-16) 313@somerset - mrs pho Mrs Pho brings authentic Vietnamese food to the heart of Singapore, branding itself as a place to feed everyone like family. This restaurant, located on the first floor of 313@somerset, prides itself on its traditional menu and authenticity dont expect to find any fusion dishes here. 313@somerset - mrs pho The titular phos are definitely worth the trip down for. Mrs Pho offers 6 types of pho, including Sliced Beef Pho (S$9.90), Wagyu Pho (S$13.90) and Premium Short Rib Pho (S$22.90). I got the Sliced Beef and Brisket Pho (S$9.90), which had a refreshing and hearty yet comforting taste. Their other Vietnamese classics include Fresh Summer Roll (S$5.90), Lemongrass Lala (S$10.90), Spicy Beef Noodle (S$11.90) and Grilled Pork Chop Rice Platter (S$10.90). +65 9644 5077 Daily: 11am 10pm Facebook | Instagram | Website 2. Tsuta (#01-17) 313@somerset - tsuta Tsuta prides itself on having the worlds first Michelin-starred ramen. The famous restaurant originates from Japan and its outlet in 313@somerset brings revered chef Yuki Onishis creations to Singaporean diners. Their 6 different kinds of ramen come in five different broths: Signature Shoyu, Shio, Teriyaki, Crab and Tonkotsu. Indulge in ramen dishes like The Original Truffle Shoyu Soba (S$12.80 for light, S$16.80 for regular), Crab Soba with Premium Char Siu & Crab Shell (S$23.80) and Tonkotsu Soba (S$9.80 for light, S$12.80 for regular). Not in the mood for ramen? Check out their other dishes, including Wagyu Beef Don (S$20.80), Aburi Salmon Mentaiko Roll (S$18.80) and even a Salted Egg Roll (S$16.80). Story continues +65 9650 5495 Daily: 11am 10pm Facebook | Instagram | Website 3. Vanda Botanical Desserts (#01-17) 313@somerset - vanda You may have heard of Vanda Botanical Desserts because of its viral mochi-wrapped ice cream that dominated social media back in 2022. Aside from that, Vanda stands out from other ice cream shops due to its unique Asian flavours like Sencha, Coconut Pandan, Chrysanthemum Goji Berries and Salted Gula Melaka. A single scoop of ice cream will set you back S$3.90 while a double scoop costs S$7.80. Premium flavours, on the other hand, cost an additional S$1. Why not add on the viral mochi wrap for S$1.50? 313@somerset - vanda I adored the Salted Gula Melaka flavour, which had the perfect blend of sweet and savoury flavours, along with a fragrant aftertaste of coconut. The mochi wrap was the perfect addition as it was chewy and bouncy! Daily: 11am 9.30pm Facebook | Instagram | Website Ohayo Mamasan - A picture of the restaurant Ohayo Mama Sans snazzy storefront is hard to miss when walking around the first floor of 313@somerset. Aside from its chic coral and blue-coloured modern interior, its dishes are both a feast for the eyes and the stomach. This Japanese restaurants menu is chock full of Japanese delights and seafood. Ohayo Mama Sans modernised take on sushi rolls include creations like Pink Lady (S$20), made with panko shrimp, cream cheese, cucumber, boiled shrimp, ume mayonnaise, sakura denbu and edible flowers for a stunning yet delicious meal. Opt for a lower carb option with their riceless sushi rolls. like the Mamasan Riceless Roll (S$24), filled with tuna, salmon, hamachi, cucumber, marinated radish and topped with avocado, kani salad and ikura. Other dishes not to be missed include the Wagyu Garlic Fried Rice (S$28), Trio Salmon Chirashi Don (S$28) and Everyday Mentaiko Pasta (S$20 for Prawn, S$22 for Scallop). +65 8875 2777 Sun to Thu: 11am 10.30pm Fri & Sat: 11am 11pm Facebook | Instagram | Website 5. The Ice Cream Bar (#01-32/33/34) 313@somerset - the ice cream bar Cant decide between getting drinks or dessert? Why not get both? The Ice Cream Bar is one of Singapores most unique creameries as it largely features boozed-up ice cream flavours made with a variety of liquors. Think of ice cream made with rum, whisky, Guinness and more thats what youll find at The Ice Cream Bar. The ice cream comes in at S$4.90 for a single scoop, S$8.80 for a double scoop and S$12.30 for a triple scoop, with an additional S$1 for premium flavours. Enhance your experience by getting a Buttermilk Waffle or Charcoal Waffle to pair with your ice cream, costing from S$10.90 to S$17.90 depending on the number of scoops. Alcoholic flavours that you can expect to try are Baileys Brownies, Smoked Cognac, Kahlua Cheesecake, Whisky Red Velvet and more. Not a fan of booze? Opt for their non-alcoholic selection, including flavour like Yuzu Lychee, Sicilian Pistachio and my personal favourite, Rocher. +65 6904 8942 Sun to Thu: 11.30am 10.30pm Fri & Sat: 11am 11pm Facebook | Instagram | Website 6. Chir Chir Fusion Chicken Factory (#B3-04/05/06) 313@somerset - chir chir Where are all the Korean fried chicken lovers at? Chir Chir Fusion Chicken Factory is a must-try spot for fans of crispy fried chicken, as its menu consists of a wide range of chicken flavours. Their original Crispy Fried Chicken (S$29.90 for whole, S$18.90 for half) is marinated in Chir Chirs house seasoning and is served with salsa and honey mustard sauce. For saucier varieties, opt for the Spicy Yangnyeom Chicken (S$31.90 for whole, S$19.90 for half) or the Garlicky Soy Chicken (S$31.90 for whole, S$19.90 for half). Their more unique selections are the K-urry Chicken (S$31.90 for whole, S$18.90 for half), coated in curry seasoning and curry leaves, Rose Cheese Chiqueen (S$34.90), consisting of fried chicken tenders topped with a mixture of mozzarella and fondue cheese, and Honey Butter Chicken (S$33.50). +65 6509 8364 Sun to Thu: 11am 9.30pm Fri & Sat: 11am 10pm Facebook | Instagram Hi Noodle 1 Hi Noodle is a noodle lovers dream: This Chinese eatery offers a variety of noodle dishes starting from just S$4.90. The assortment of toppings on these noodles include crayfish, chicken cutlet, braised beef and shrimp. On a cold day, nothing feels better than ingesting a hot bowl of soupy noodles, such as the Pickled Vegetable Fish Noodle (S$9.90), Tomato Beef Noodle (S$11.90) and Hot & Sour Vermicelli (S$5.90). Hi Noodle 3 They also have dry varieties, like the Minced Pork Noodle (S$7.90), Salted Egg Yolk Shrimp Noodle (S$12.90) and Spicy Crayfish Noodle (S$14.90)! Hi Noodles condiment station, similar to that of Hai Di Laos, also allows you to create your own sauce with their blend of ingredients. Daily: 11am 9.30pm 8. Oma Spoon (#04-32) 313@somerset - o'ma spoon Craving a Korean dessert? Oma Spoon, located on the 4th floor of 313@somerset, is here to satisfy your sweet tooth. This Korean-owned dessert cafe specialises in bingsu and baked thick honey bread, which are popular desserts in South Korea. Oma Spoon has over 20 bingsu flavours on its menu, such as the Signature Injeolmi Bingsu (S$17.50), Matcha Mochi Bingsu (S$17.90), Caramel Cookie Bingsu (S$15.90) and Mango Cheesecake Bingsu (S$19.80). Solo diners can enjoy the Single Cup Size bingsu, with prizes ranging from S$7.40 to S$8.40. Bread lovers, be sure to check out the variety of thick toasts available, like the Caramel Honey Butter Bread (S$10.40), Garlic Cheese Injeolmi Toast (S$10.60) and Nutella Banana Honey Butter Bread (S$14.90). +65 6333 0995 Sun to Thu: 11am 10.30pm Fri & Sun: 11am 11pm Facebook | Instagram 9. Nam Dae Mun (#B3-54) 313@somerset - nam dae mun Nam Dae Mun is what I consider to be a less talked about gem in the basement of 313@somerset. This Korean-style dessert takeaway stall uses centuries-old dessert craft techniques developed in Korea, and sells treats like traditional rice cakes, mochi and milk tea. Menu items to expect are the Black Sesame Sticky Rice Cake (S$4.80), Durian Snow Jade Osmanthus Cake (S$6), assorted Handmade Mochi in flavours like AAA+ Maoshan Durian (S$6.90) and Honey Mango (S$4.90), and a variety of teas. 313@somerset - nam dae mun I tried their Taro Meat Floss Mochi (S$4.90), which was stretchy and chewy. The taro filling was especially satisfying, given how natural and earthy it was. The Super Fruit Tea (S$6.90) was incredibly refreshing and I loved how it was generously filled with assorted fruit bits. +65 6509 4658 Daily: 11am 10pm Facebook | Instagram 10. Chimis (#01-25B) 313somerset - chimis Chimis is the perfect spot to head to for a bite of Mexican fare. The restaurant is the sister-outlet of popular restaurant Chimichanga, and is located in the outdoor area of 313@somerset. Their Tacos include Carne Asada (S$18 for 2 pieces), Chipotle Chicken (S$14 for 2 pieces) and Chipotle Mushroom (S$12 for 2 pieces), while their cheese-filled Quesadillas even have an Impossible Chorizo option for S$20. 313@somerset - chimis Other Mexican delights on the menu are Elotes (S$14) and Loaded Nachos, available in 4 options: Vegetarian (S$14), Chipotle Chicken (S$16), Carne Asada Beef (S$18) or Impossible Chorizo (S$20). I tried the Loaded Nachos with Carne Asada Beef, which was packed full of flavour from the juicy and chewy beef, and the savoury guacamole. Why not opt for the titular Chimichanga, in either Carne Asada Beef (S$16) or Chipotle Chicken (S$14)? +65 6980 5194 Sun to Wed: 12pm 11pm Thu to Sat: 12pm 12am Facebook | Instagram Other articles you might like: The post 10 spots to dine at in 313@somerset after a long day of shopping appeared first on SETHLUI.com. Even before the popular Korean drama Business Proposal, many folks worldwide loved Korean fried chicken. Prepare yourselves, as the famous BHC Chicken will have a physical store at Marina Square coming 26 Apr 2023! With the crunch of the batter and that incredible flavour, what is there not to love? Seeing as how BHC Chicken has over 1,000 outlets in South Korea with 1 outlet in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Los Angeles, many thought so too! Now, Singapore will be joining the hype, being BHC Chickens fourth international outlet. Standing for Better & Healthier Choice, BHC Chickens fried chicken is said to be fried in sunflower oil, which is significantly healthier than regular oil. Low in saturated fat, I believe that this may be the answer many health-conscious Singaporeans are looking for! Although the menu has not been formally released, ConfirmGood speculates that popular items like the original Bburinkle Chicken, Macho King and Gold King are to be expected. Coated in a cheese and vegetable seasoning powder, the classic option Bburinkle Chicken will never go wrong. Macho King, on the other hand, will appeal to those who love deeper flavours, as it has an aged soy sauce and honey-based oriental sauce. Gold King will cater to the sweet tooths, lathered in a combination of Korean sweet soy sauce, sweet honey and garlic! The sides to be anticipated excites me, as it features unique items such as Bburing Sotteok and Red Sotteok that both look extremely appetising. Cheese Balls, said to be a crowd favourite, is confirmed to be on Singapores menu as well. What is a Korean place without some tantalising Korean mains? BHC Chicken will be providing popular favourites like Samgyetang, Kimchi Fried Rice and even Tteokbokki. BHC Chicken seems like the perfect place to settle those Korean fried chicken cravings! As if that was not enough to excite you, BHC Chicken is giving away Eat for Free Vouchers, each having a value of S$100 on Instagram. Head on to their page to see how to win via their giveaway contest post, it would be a grieving loss to not try! Story continues Other articles you might like: The post Famous Korean fried chicken brand BHC Chicken will finally be here in Singapore, coming 26 Apr 2023 appeared first on SETHLUI.com. 'Mr Wadeh' stall has become a fixture at the Geylang Serai bazaar, and his customers have become his friends over the 20 years. (PHOTO: Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore) SINGAPORE Geylang Serai Bazaar, one of Singapore's most popular and bustling markets, is famous for its vibrant atmosphere, especially during Ramadan. Amid the throngs of visitors and the many vendors hawking their wares, there's one that stands out, not because of its size or grandeur, but for the story behind it. Raj Govin, a 65-year-old man who owns a vadai stall called "Mr Wadeh", has been setting up shop every year for the past 20 years. He considers it a way to pay homage to the tradition and the community that has made his small business successful. Raj's stall, which is currently located near Tanjong Katong Complex, has become a fixture at the bazaar, and his customers have become his friends over the years. "It is a tradition for us. It is like a pilgrimage. We go every year, every Hari Raya, we come to Geylang Serai bazaar," says Raj, as he reminisces about the early days of his business. "The child came with the mother and bought from us in 2002, then the daughter became a mother, and she brought her child and came. Now the whole family comes around and buy so we have a long following." Honouring his late wife on their annual pilgrimage The cheapest vadai in the Geylang Serai bazaar at $1 one piece, according to Raj, the owner of 'Mr Wadeh' stall. (PHOTO: Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore) But this year, Raj's pilgrimage has been marked by a personal tragedy. His wife, who had been his partner in the business for many years, passed away six months ago. Despite the loss, Raj continues to set up his stall, as it was his wife's desire to give back to the community and make people happy during Hari Raya. "My wife's desire is not to make money during Hari Raya but to give back something. That is why we bear the cost," said Raj. "We absorb a lot of the cost. And we are selling the cheapest in the market in the bazaar at $1 one piece because it is not right to push the cost to our customers." "There are also those who are a little bit unfortunate, they find it expensive, but we want to cater to everyone and want to make everyone happy once a year. That is my wife's desire. My wife passed away six months ago, but we continue to do it. We desire to make everyone happy." Story continues Despite facing a high rental cost of $16,000 at the Geylang Serai bazaar, Raj has refused to compromise on the quality of his food. "It is the highest rental price I have paid, but it is still manageable. You can still find good suppliers at a manageable price," Raj said. He believes that by finding good suppliers and managing costs, he can maintain the quality of his food without compromising on his customers' satisfaction. "Especially those supplier shops with four or five shops together where you buy once, you get it cheaper," he added. Despite the challenges, Raj's dedication to his customers and passion for his vadai has helped him build a loyal following and make his presence felt at the Geylang Serai bazaar. Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube. Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama Drop 2 Campaign blue polka dot hangbag Louis Vuitton has recently unveiled their latest campaign, created in an exclusive collaboration with the legendary pioneer of avant-garde art and one of Asias most prolific artists, Yayoi Kusama. Lensed by Steven Meisel, the powerhouse pairs end result was a fresh and playful iteration of Kusamas iconic Dots in new motifs. Friends of the house such as Cate Blanchett, Lea Seydoux, Naomi Osaka, Justin Timberlake, Zhou Dongyu and Hoyeon feature in the campaign. Their portraits are embellished with the touches of Kusamas signature expressionistic elements such as Radiant Pumpkins, colourful faces, Flowers, and Infinity Dots. Kusamas signature motifs feature heavily in the campaign; the Capucines and monogram accessories feature iconic motifs such as Radiant Pumpkins, colourful Faces, Flowers, and thea Infinity Dots and Nets. Styled by Carine Roitfeld and with beauty looks created under the expert hand of Pat McGrath, its fair to say the collaborative effort is art in and of itself. Drop 2 of Creating Infinity by Louis Vuitton and Yayoi Kusama arrives on shelves around the world including Singapore on 31 March 2023. In the meantime, check out the images in the gallery below and bookmark your favourites for when it comes to town. Find out more via Louis Vuittons website here. The post Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama Drop 2 will land in Singapore stores on 31 March appeared first on Lifestyle Asia Singapore. Oris kermit the frog muppets propilot Oris has beaten all the other watch brands to the punch in getting an official Kermit watch release. Debuted at this years Watches and Wonders, Oris has joined forces with Disneys The Muppets Kermit the Frog for a playful green take on the ProPilot X, and its fun, cheeky, and highly collectible. Based on the Oris 39mm titanium ProPilot X Calibre 400, this fresh new iteration features an eye-catching green dial thats been colour matched with Kermit and is contrasted by a titanium case with satin and sandblasted finishes. Packing a tremendous amount of value, the watch is powered by the Oris in-house Calibre 400 which sees anti-magnetic properties, five days of power reserve, and is backed by a 10 year warranty. Oris kermit the frog muppets propilot One of the most surprising details can be found on the date wheel where, at the first of each month (AKA Kermit Day), Kermits iconic face appears at the 6 oclock date window talk about the best way to start a month. As Kermit once famously proclaimed, its not be easy being green, but this Oris watch proves that green watches are back in fashion. The Oris Propilot X Kermit Edition retails at S$6,400, and is available online here now. (All images: Oris) The post Oris proves its easy being green with special edition Propilot X Kermit Edition appeared first on Lifestyle Asia Singapore. FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. Nine people were killed in a crash involving two Army Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopters conducting a nighttime training exercise in Kentucky, Army officials said Thursday. Nondice Thurman, a spokesperson for Fort Campbell, said the deaths happened Wednesday night in southwestern Kentucky during a routine training mission. A statement from Fort Campbell said the two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, part of the 101st Airborne Division, crashed at about 10 p.m. on Wednesday in Trigg County, Kentucky. The 101st Airborne confirmed the crash about 30 miles northwest of Fort Campbell. The helicopters went down in a field near a residential area with no injuries on the ground, said Brig. Gen. John Lubas, the 101st Airborne deputy commander. One helicopter had five people aboard and the other had four, Lubas said. An Army spokesperson declined to comment on whether the helicopters collided in the air. "At this time, there is no determination on the specifics regarding the accident," Daniel Matthews, a public affairs officer for the 101st Airborne Division, said in an emailed statement Thursday afternoon. Matthews said an aviation safety team from Fort Rucker, Alabama, will investigate the accident. Speaking a news conference Thursday morning, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said the state would do everything it can to support the families of those killed. "We're going to do what we always do. We're going to wrap our arms around these families, and we're going to be there with them, not just for the days, but the weeks and the months and the years to come," Beshear said. Lubas said it is unclear what caused the crash. "This was a training progression, and specifically they were flying a multi-ship formation, two ships, under night vision goggles at night," Lubas said. The helicopters have something similar to the black boxes on passenger planes, which records the performance of aircraft in flight and are used by investigators to analyze crashes. "We're hopeful that will provide quite a bit of information of what occurred," Lubas said. The Black Hawk helicopter is a critical workhorse for the U.S. Army and is used in security, transport, medical evacuations, search and rescue and other missions. The helicopters are known to many people from the 2001 movie "Black Hawk Down," which is about a violent battle in Somalia eight years earlier. Black Hawks were a frequent sight in the skies over Iraq and Afghanistan during the wars conducting combat missions and are also used by the Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. They were also often used to ferry visiting senior leaders to headquarters locations in the Iraq and Afghanistan war zones. Fort Campbell is located near the Tennessee border, about 60 miles northwest of Nashville, and the crash occurred in the Trigg County, Kentucky, community of Cadiz. Nick Tomaszewski, who lives about a mile from where the crash occurred, said he saw two helicopters flying over his house moments before the crash. "For whatever reason last night my wife and I were sitting there looking out on the back deck and I said 'Wow, those two helicopters look low and they look kind of close to one another tonight,'" he said. The helicopters flew over and looped back around and moments later "we saw what looked like a firework went off in the sky." "All of the lights in their helicopter went out. It was like they just poofed and then we saw a huge glow like a fireball," Tomaszewski said. Flyovers for training exercises happen almost daily and the helicopters typically fly low but not so close together, he said. "There were two back to back. We typically see one and then see another one a few minutes later, and we just saw two of them flying together last night," he said. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin offered his condolences to the families of those killed. "My heart goes out to the families of these servicemembers and to the members of the 101st Airborne Division who bravely and proudly serve our country each and every day," Lloyd said in a statement. In the Kentucky House and in the Senate, members stood for a moment of silence Thursday morning in honor of the crash victims. Kentucky state Rep. Walker Thomas said the crash occurred about 15 to 20 minutes from his home. "They're there to protect us," Thomas said. "And we're constantly seeing these helicopters flying over our communities." Thomas spoke about how connected Fort Campbell soldiers and their families are to the communities near the Army post. "The Fort Campbell soldiers that live in our communities, go to our churches they go to our schools, their kids do," he added. "And this really hurts." Last month, two Tennessee National Guard pilots were killed when their Black Hawk helicopter crashed along an Alabama highway during a training exercise. Consumers across the United States might not be getting as many of those annoying warranty services robocalls now that a South Florida network of businesses agreed to a lifetime ban. American Vehicle Protection Corp. (AVP) and a handful of related defendants, including CG3 Solutions, Tony Gonzalez Consulting Group, Tony Allen Gonzalez and brother, Charles Gonzalez, have agreed to permanently stop participating in the extended auto warranty market and any other type of outbound telemarketing, the Federal Trade Commission announced. The agreement between the companies and the FTC still must be approved by a federal judge, the FTC said in a news release. The agreement includes a $6.6 million judgment against the defendants that will be suspended because of their inability to pay it, the release says. The FTCs complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale in February 2022, alleged that AVP and its marketing partners sold extended automobile warranties to consumers across the U.S. through telemarketers who ignored the federal Do Not Call list and misrepresented their affiliations with various car makers and dealerships. Promises made by the telemarketers included that consumers were buying full vehicle warranty coverage, and could obtain refunds within 30 days of their purchase, the FTC said. However, consumers purportedly have not and did not receive the coverage promised after paying hundreds or thousands of dollars, nor are they able to obtain the promised refund, the FTC said in an October filing. Despite assurances of bumper-to-bumper coverage, consumers were not provided a long list of excluded parts until after submitting their down payment, the FTCs complaint states. For example, during the sales pitch, one consumer asked if struts were covered, and the telemarketer told him that they were. But the warranty paperwork states that struts are not covered, and the consumer who tried to get that part repaired or replaced was refused coverage, the complaint says. Another consumer, it added, was denied coverage for a water pump despite AVPs telemarketing representations about full vehicle coverage. Charging between $2,800 and $3,400 per warranty, the operation bilked consumers out of more than $6 million since 2016, the FTC alleged. American Vehicle Protection Corp. and CG3 Solutions Inc. (doing business as My Protection Plan) were based at 700 E. Atlantic Blvd. in Pompano Beach, the FTCs complaint states. It also identified Tony Allen Gonzalez as officer or manager of both companies and Tony Gonzalez Consulting Group. Sunbiz, the Florida Division of Corporations website, lists AVPs address as 2950 W. Cypress Creek Road in Fort Lauderdale when its status became inactive in October. Those records list Charlie Gonzalez as president of CG3 Solutions, which operated out of a single-family home in Plantation. Tony Gonzales Consulting Group operated out of a home in Margate, state records show. The FTC is continuing to litigate against two other defendants Kole Consultant Group and its president Daniel Kole. While the FTC suit lists the companys address as 13749 NW 22nd St., Sunrise, state records show its primary address as a 5,562-square-foot home in Weston with a $1.4 million market value as assessed by the Broward County Property Appraiser. The company is listed by Sunbiz as active. Kole served as an officer at AVP and CG3 Solutions and played a major role in the operations, the FTC said, including providing start-up funds for AVP, reviewing telemarketing scripts, dictating changes to the scripts and firing employees. An attorney for Kole declined to comment for this story, citing ongoing litigation. Attorneys for the other defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The FTC charged AVP with seven counts of illegal activity. Charges included violations of federal acts prohibiting unfair or deceptive acts in commerce, making misrepresentations in sales, and calling consumers whose phone numbers appear on the Do Not Call Registry. AVP contested the FTC suit, denying the charges and filing its own lawsuit accusing the commission of overstepping its authority and acting outside its jurisdiction. Three months before the FTC filed its suit, AVP had temporarily shut down operations and revamped its marketing policies and practices to ensure compliance with federal laws, its suit states. In October, U.S. District Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz dismissed AVPs suit, determining the FTC was within its authority to seek a permanent injunction to shut down the operation. The biggest scams today and how you can protect yourself from them The biggest scams today and how you can protect yourself from them #27. Charity (tie) #27. Tax collection (tie) #26. Yellow Pages/directories #24. COVID-19 (tie) #24. Health care (including Medicaid and Medicare) (tie) #23. Moving #21. Family/friend emergency (tie) #21. Utility (tie) #20. Foreign money exchange #19. Credit card #18. Debt collection #17. Identity theft #16. Sweepstakes, lottery, and prizes #15. Counterfeit product #14. Romance #13. Rental #12. Credit repair/debt relief #11. Phishing #10. Travel and vacation #9. Tech support #8. Government grant #7. Advance fee loan #6. Fake check/money order #5. Investment #4. Home improvement #3. Employment #2. Cryptocurrency #1. Online purchase North Dakota schools would be required to show students high-quality video of how a human fetus develops in each week of pregnancy under a bill Senate lawmakers approved during a vote Wednesday. The 37-9 vote comes on the heels of the North Dakota Supreme Court's ruling this month that a state abortion ban will remain blocked while a lawsuit over its constitutionality proceeds. If young people see the beauty of these beginnings, then hopefully theyll think twice before running to the abortion clinic," Sen. Janne Myrdal, a Republican of Edinburg who helped introduce the bill, said in an interview with The Associated Press. The bill would mandate schools to show middle and high school students a high-definition ultrasound video, at least three minutes long, on the development of the brain, heart and other vital organs in early fetal development along with a high-quality animation of the fertilization and human development process inside the uterus, noting significant markers in cell growth and organ development for every week of pregnancy. Lawmakers did not explicitly mention abortion when debating the bill on the Senate floor. Opponents of the bill said they did not want to overstep by telling local schools how to teach, whereas supporters said lawmakers have the right to mandate curriculum in taxpayer-funded institutions. Although the video was great, well-intended, I just think were opening the door to something that in the future might widen the scope of how we dictate local schools, Republican Sen. Michelle Axtman, of Bismarck, said in opposition to the bill. Myrdal countered that state lawmakers already mandate many aspects of school curriculum including sex and abstinence education, Native American history and anti-bullying programs. Republican Sen. Michael Wobbema, of Valley City, said the bill would not cost schools any money because the content the lawmakers have in mind is already online and free. The bill was amended in the Senate, so it still needs to gain final approval in the House and a signature from the governor to become law. Cardiac activity can be detected by ultrasound around six weeks into a pregnancy in cells within an embryo that will eventually become the heart. In Georgia, which has one of the nation's most restrictive abortion measures, the law prohibits most abortions once there is a detectable human heartbeat" and effectively bans most abortions at a point before many people know they are pregnant. Similar so-called heartbeat measures have been considered this year in states including Ohio, South Carolina and Nebraska. Trisha Ahmed is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow her on Twitter: @TrishaAhmed15 VERMILLION, S.D. A Burbank, South Dakota, woman has pleaded guilty of crashing her vehicle through her garage while under the influence of drugs and killing a woman in her backyard. Joyce Hawley, 59, entered her plea Thursday in Clay County Circuit Court to vehicular homicide. As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend no more than 10 years in prison at sentencing, which was scheduled for April 27. The maximum sentence for the charge is 15 years. Hawley was attempting to park her vehicle in her garage on July 8 when the vehicle accelerated and crashed through the back of her garage and struck Elizabeth Williams. Williams, 54, died later at a Sioux City hospital. Testing of blood samples taken from Hawley showed the presence of methamphetamine in her system at the time of the crash, and Hawley admitted in her plea that evidence could prove she was under the influence. Charges of second-degree manslaughter and unauthorized ingestion of a controlled substance will be dismissed. SIOUX CITY -- A Washington, D.C., man accused of sexually assaulting a Sioux City woman he met on Facebook has been sentenced to 60 days in jail. Derrick Coley, 27, pleaded guilty Monday in Woodbury County District Court to assault with intent to commit sexual abuse, an aggravated misdemeanor that was amended from a Class D felony as part of a plea agreement. A charge of third-degree sexual abuse was dismissed. Coley was credited with time served since his Feb. 9 arrest. District Judge Steven Andreasen also placed Coley on two years' probation and fined him $855. Coley also must register with the Iowa Sex Offender Registry for 10 years and will serve a 10-year special sex offender parole. If he were to violate terms of the parole, he could be sentenced to prison. Coley traveled to Sioux City on Feb. 7 to visit a woman he'd met on Facebook two weeks earlier. The following night, police were dispatched to a disturbance in the 600 block of Hornick Avenue, where the woman told officers Coley had assaulted her. The woman was taken to a hospital and treated for a broken nose. In his guilty plea, Coley admitted he assaulted the woman while having the intent to commit sexual abuse and injured her. STORM LAKE, Iowa Seasons Center for Behavioral Health will host two free events on May 12 featuring keynote speaker and Golden Gate Bridge suicide survivor Kevin Hines. Hines is a multi-award-winning filmmaker, bestselling author and award-winning global suicide prevention and mental health advocate. Both events will be held at King's Pointe Resort, 1520 E. Lakeshore Drive, Storm Lake. Health care providers, faith leaders and human service providers are encouraged to attend the daytime session from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The general public is invited to attend the evening session from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. During the daytime session, Hines will focus on suicide prevention, wellness, stress, brain fitness, family issues, caregiving, youth trauma, resilience and recovery. During the evening session, Hines will discuss the importance of maintaining wellness for everyone, not just those with a diagnosed mental illness. When Hines was nine months old, he was adopted by a family in San Francisco. At the age 10, he was put on medication to help control his epileptic seizures. After being taken off the medication years later, he began experiencing symptoms of bipolar disorder. Two years after being officially diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Hines attempted to take his own life by jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge. He is now one of only 36 people who have survived that 220-foot jump. Since that fateful day, Hines has dedicated his life to spreading a message of hope and openly discussing mental health, oftentimes becoming a bridge between people who have made similar attempts and their parents, siblings, children, spouses and friends. "Kevin Hines is a remarkable speaker with a very inspiring story," Sarah Heinrichs-Wurm, grants project administrator at Seasons Center, said. "He offers a powerful connection of hope and courage between life and death for people caught in the pain of living with serious mental illness, difficult life circumstances, and more." To register for the daytime session, visit https://bit.ly/3XVKmHX. To register for the evening session, visit https://bit.ly/409kUjp. At funeral services at a Virginia church to mourn Irvo Otieno, there was also a call to remember him as a symbol of how mentally ill people are treated by law enforcement and the need for change. "The disgrace was not that Irvo had mental problems. The disgrace is how you treated Irvo," the Rev. Al Sharpton told the mourners on Wednesday at First Baptist Church on Iron Bridge Road North. Otieno, 28, of Henrico County, died at Central State Hospital in Dinwiddie County on March 6. Seven Henrico County sheriff's deputies and three hospital workers have been charged with second-degree murder. Standing on a stage overlooking Otieno's bronze-colored coffin, covered in flowers, Sharpton repeatedly reminded the mourners that Otieno was handcuffed and shackled when he died, and reiterated his family's belief that his death was a result of being treated as a criminal and not as a mental patient, and should never have been taken to a jail. "I was already concerned when I saw the tape and saw men who were sworn to enforce the law and others who were called upon to deal with the ill and they started to stack on top of Irvo," Sharpton said. "I know he (Otieno) had an illness, but what was wrong with them?" CONCORD, N.H. (AP) New Hampshires prominent place in the presidential nominating calendar would be enshrined in the states constitution under a measure that won unanimous support Thursday in the state Senate. If 60% of the House agrees, voters would be asked in November 2024 whether to add language to the constitution mirroring an existing state law that requires the primary to be held at least seven days before any similar contest. It was one of two bills passed by the Senate as a rebuke to the Democratic National Committee, which last month approved replacing the Iowa caucus with the South Carolina primary in the leadoff position in 2024 and having New Hampshire share the second slot with Nevada. The shakeup, championed by President Joe Biden as a way to empower minority voters, has faced major pushback in New Hampshire from Republicans and Democrats alike. To think that any political party is going to lean on the elected officials in this state to give up our tradition, that is not going to happen, said Sen. Daryl Abbas, a Republican from Salem. We should be united on this because our elections are done the right way. Sen. Rebecca Perkins-Kwoka, a Democrat from Portsmouth, agreed. The cornerstone of the first-in-the-nation primary in New Hampshire is our high engagement of the populace in the process, she said. What better way to reinforce that engagement than to ask the voters to decide whether our status of going first should be placed in our constitution? The second bill, which passed 13-10 along party lines, is aimed at the fallout New Hampshire could face if it ignores the DNC rules. It would require New Hampshire delegates to national conventions to be seated with complete voting rights. The penalties for states that move up without permission havent been settled, but could include losing delegates. All 10 Democrats voted against the bill, arguing that lawmakers shouldnt meddle in how parties select and seat delegates. The Republican National Committee penalized New Hampshire in 2008 and 2012 for holding the primary earlier than Feb. 1, but no one sought to pass such legislation then, said Sen. Donna Soucy, a Democrat from Manchester. "Not only is this premature, its unprecedented, she said. We should be in unison about the primary, and we should let this other problem play itself out. Republicans argued that not seating all delegates disenfranchises voters. Sen. Sharon Carson of Londonderry said she agreed that lawmakers should be united in protecting the primary itself but shouldnt stop there. I think my Republican colleagues want to take that a step further, and they want to protect our Democratic colleagues in this process, she said. Days after Utah became the first state to enact laws limiting how children can use social media, Iowa Republican House lawmakers said they plan to pursue a similar measure that would require parental consent before children under the age of 18 can sign up to use sites like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook. House File 526, as introduced by Rep. Henry Stone, a Republican from Forest City, would ban anyone under the age of 18 from having their own social media account. Social media companies that operate in the state would be fined $1,000 per violation, and the proposal directs the Iowa Attorney Generals Office to enforce provisions of the bill. While the bill proposes an all-out ban of children on social media, Republicans who advanced it in a subcommittee meeting Thursday said they would amend it to give kids access to social media if their parents allow it. The bill defines social media company to mean a company responsible for operating and maintaining a social media internet site that allows users to provide information about themselves to specified audiences and communicate with other users. Representatives for social media and technology companies including Google, Facebook, Instagram, Microsoft and Amazon.com and education groups raised concerns that the bill as written is overly broad, and would also apply to e-commerce and job-posting sites like LinkedIn, as well as learning platforms like Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams and Canvas that are used to create and share files between teachers and students and grade assignments. Rep. John Wills, a Republican from Spirit Lake and chairman of the subcommittee, said he intends to amend the bill to prohibit companies from collecting data on children under the age of 18 without parental consent. Companies are already prohibited from collecting data on children under the age of 13 without parental consent under the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. That includes providing information required to create a profile, meaning social media companies already ban kids under 13 from signing up to their platforms but children can easily get around the prohibition, with or without their parents' consent. The regulations come as parents and lawmakers in Iowa and other states grow increasingly concerned about teenagers' use of platforms like TikTok, Instagram and others and their effect on young peoples mental health. Other GOP-led states are pursuing similar proposals. California, meanwhile, enacted a law last year barring tech companies from profiling children or using personal information in ways that could harm children physically or mentally. In addition to parental consent, social media companies would likely have to design new features to comply with parts of the law to prohibit promoting ads to minors and showing them in search results, NPR reported. Tim Coonan, representing the Technology Association of Iowa, said states are stepping up to tackle the issue due to federal inaction. Congress is just not able to pull together a consensus and get a bill on the Presidents desk that he can sign, he said. This is an example of frustration of an issue that we all agree is an ongoing problem. Coonan and representatives of the big tech companies worry about unintended consequences. And he questioned how the state would enforce the proposed regulations. Im just not sure how functionally you move forward on an issue like this, he told lawmakers. Certainly understand the concern, and from an industry perspective the last thing we want is to expose kids to dangerous or inappropriate content. Tools exist to monitor kids online activity Representatives for Google and Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company to Instagram and Facebook, said the companies already provide tools and practices that address privacy concerns for younger uses. So, for example, we have safe search on Google. We have screen limits through Chromebooks, said Matt McKinney, representing Google and its affiliates. We restrict access, or allow the ability to restrict access, to specific websites, as well as disabling autoplay for videos and providing break reminders and certain communication restrictions. Theres a lot of different protections out there, McKinney told lawmakers. And all of those are enabled by allowing accounts to exist. If accounts dont exist, then those tools would be compromised. Rep. Elizabeth Wilson, D-Marion, echoed the concern. Theres a lot of tools out there to guide what your kids have access to, Wilson said, noting shes guardian to an adult brother with special needs. And I liked the fact that when I employed those tools, I then know where hes going. I agree it gives me access to what hes looking at. Fellow subcommittee member Rep. Phil Thompson, a Republican from Boone, said while not particularly excited by the bill that he called a little heavy-handed, he noted compelling data from studies that have shown that time spent on social media correlates to poor mental health outcomes for children. Were seeing child depression increase. I think there is a lot of strong correlations there, Thompson said. Both he and Wills while noting the definition of a social media platform needs to be addressed voted to advance the bill to the full House Ways & Means Committee for consideration, exempting it from Fridays legislative funnel deadline. Wilson did not sign off on the bill. Asked about the bill, House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, said it is a conversation I feel we need to have centered on collecting data on children and childrens mental health. Democrats decry blanket ban House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, said if Republicans really want to let parents parent their own children, they will let parents monitor and control kids social media use. We can all be better about social media use, Konfrst said. Social media can be a toxic environment. Of course, kids need to be careful with social media. Lets not also forget that social media can be a place of community, where kids find each other in a way that can be valuable and meaningful to them. But Republicans are uninterested in having a nuanced conversation on the topic that explores the role social media plays, Konfrst told reporters Thursday. Senate Minority Leader Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, said the idea of a blanket ban is nonsensical. Instead, Wahls said he would like to see a nonpartisan way to evaluate the issue, such as an interim committee that consults public health experts and social media executives to actually talk about it in a respectful way. The Gazettes Erin Murphy contributed reporting We offer cheers from greater Nebraska to two noted but not naturally allied metro groups for joining to rally Nebraskans to solve a mutual challenge. Its the imperative need to bolster Nebraskas workforce, which The Telegraph and our longtime sister paper, the Scottsbluff Star-Herald, explored at length last Sunday. The Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry (led by Gering native Bryan Slone) and the faith-based advocacy group known as Omaha Together One Community are inviting disparate interest groups to join them in looking abroad to help fill nearly 50,000 jobs open as of January. Theyre not talking about illegal immigration. Its Americas legal immigration system they have in mind. That system, with its work visas and green cards, per-nation quotas and bountiful harvests of red tape, has yielded some talented, well-motivated new Nebraskans despite its flaws. They include the multinational array of medical professionals Great Plains Health has recruited for some years. They also include South African workers on Scotts Bluff County farms and ranches and people like 21st Century Equipment export manager Alex Tkachenko, who has shuttled between Scottsbluff-Gering and his native Ukraine for more than a decade. It can take years to get such people here for a time. It takes more should they want to come back for good. But once theyve tasted Nebraska, theyre more likely to return. Thus the state chambers and OTOCs conviction that we need to invite more and lobby Congress to make doing so easier. With Sustainable Beef taking shape and related businesses expected, Lincoln Countys impending need for more workers is obvious. But nearly 800 jobs already were going begging here in January, when the unemployment rate was 2%. Scotts Bluff County had almost 1,150 open jobs and a 2.6% jobless rate. Its a similar story across the state. Weve got the jobs if we can find the people to fill them (and, by the way, build the housing theyll need). Generations of immigrants built this nation and state. We could do far worse than to again invite eager world citizens to try out The Good Life. To answer your questions in order of importance, no, downtown Sioux City is not underwater. But yes, the skywalk on Fourth and Fifth Streets between Nebraska and Pierce, indeed, has turned into an "Aquatic Wonderland." That is the result of a large-scale public mural created by Sioux City-based artists Jessica Hammond (aka "Brutal Doodles") and Kitty Hart ("Kitty Kitty Bang Bang"). The duo are in the process of painting 66-feet-of-blank-white-wall, turning it into indoor, impressionistic fish tank, complete with sea moss, algae and, perhaps, a water-dwelling creature or two. This tribute to gill-breathers will be the centerpiece for the second annual Gallery in the Sky art and music festival. The festival, sponsored by Vangarde Arts, will from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. "Vangarde Arts is pleased to bring back this unique event to Sioux City," the live music venue's executive director Brent Stockton explained. "We believe Gallery in Sky draws attention to the skywalks and their purpose, while also adding beautiful murals and interest to skywalkers." In addition to "Aquatic Wonderland," the show will feature mini-murals by artists Mikell Zishka, Chello Sherman, Cherie Lee Johnson and Daniel Castaneda as well as a more than 20 art vendors, a juried gallery show and large coloring panels for artistically-minded kids. Hardline Coffee will be nearby, offering a wide selection of hot and cold drinks, along with delicious baked goods. But don't be surprised if you see a few roaming musical buskers, adding an element of performing arts to the festivities. Gallery in the Sky is a spinoff of the Alley Art Festival, which Stockton, Hart and Hammond created nearly five years ago. "Alley Art encouraged people to walk through the downtown alleyways to see one-of-a-kind art murals," Hammond said. "Not only has Alley Art increased pedestrian traffic, the murals have become the backdrop for countless graduation photos, wedding photos, you name it." Organizers want Gallery in the Sky to find similar success. "A lot of people take the skywalk system for granted and I include my myself in that category," Hammond noted. "Since we started Gallery in the Art, I've been using the skywalks more often. For instance, if I want to get from the public library at Sixth and Pierce to Art Sux on Fourth Street, I'll use the skywalk and avoid and avoid the cold weather." This also helps in the creation of the murals. "When Kitty and I are preparing for Alley Art, we're outside in September heat," Hammond said. "With Gallery in the Sky, we get to paint inside when it's cold, wet and windy outdoors." Another important factor is the contribution made by area art students. "East High School art students as well as art students throughout the Sioux City Community School District assisted us by coloring in the outlines created by Kitty and myself," Hammond said. Which was important to both artists. "We want to show that art can be a viable occupation if it is your passion," Hammond said. "And what can be a better motivator than 66-foot mural that everyone can see?" Hammond said she regularly attracts a steady audience of looky-loos who are checking her progress. "The feedback that I've gotten has been very encouraging and much appreciated," she said. Hammond said she has always had an artistic streak. It began when she was a teenager. By the time she turned 13, she started playing music and, over the years, has performed in several local bands. She was also a chronic doodler, hence her nickname. Soon, Hammond was creating more art than she was music. More important, her colorful and cartoon-y street art was gaining popularity. "You don't needs to go to an art gallery to see art," she said. "Art should be all around us, in both public and private spaces." Hammond suggested that street art enhances the quality of life for a community. This is a sentiment shared by Vangarde Art's Stockton. "I can't tell you how many positive comments we've gotten from all of the murals we have downtown," he said. Soon that will include the soon-to-be-completed "Aquatic Wonderland," which, thus far, doesn't contain an important element. The majority of Hammond's work has a spacesuit-wearing astronaut nicknamed "Spaceman Steve." Ask if the ubiquitous spaceman will make a cameo in her newest mural, Hammond remained noncommittal. "C'mon, you have to find a place for Spaceman Steve," Stockton said with a smile. "Maybe, this time, he can be wearing a wetsuit." A grand jury has voted to indict Donald Trump, according to reporting by the New York Times, which cited four sources with inside knowledge of the indictment. This would make him the first former president ever to be formally charged with a crime. Its a dramatic culmination of one of many investigations into Trump, this one led by the Manhattan District Attorneys office, which has been investigating the Trump Organizations finances since 2019. The charges against Trump, which are expected to be announced in the coming days, are related to District Attorney Alvin Braggs investigation into Trumps alleged attempt to hide hush money payments to Stormy Danielsa porn star with whom Trump is accused of having an affair. Technically, it was Trumps former fixer and attorney Michael Cohen who paid Daniels $130,000 in hush money back in 2016, but Trump allegedly later reimbursed Cohen through the Trump Organization, labeling the payments as legal fees. Its a misdemeanor in New York to make that kind of misrepresentation on financial documents, and if the misrepresentation is in furtherance of another crimewhich the district attorney alleges in this caseit is a felony in New York and carries a prison sentence of up to four years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cohen has already served a prison sentence for federal campaign finance crimes related to the hush money scheme, pleading guilty and implicating Trump in the process. Allen Weisselberg, former chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, last year also pleaded guilty to 15 separate charges ranging from grand larceny and tax fraud to falsifying business records stemming from a different financial scheme that Cohen helped expose, and he could also be a critical witness in the case against Trump. Last week, Trump tipped off the world that his own indictment was looming, posting on Truth Social that he would be arrested last Tuesday, 9 days before the jury voted to indict. (He also encouraged his followers to protest, despite what happened the last time he told them that.) Local, state, and federal law enforcement officials immediately began preparing with security plansbut protests were relatively calm last week, with both Trump supporters and pro-indictment demonstrators gathering outside the Manhattan Criminal Court building. Advertisement So what exactly is expected next, once Trump is formally indicted? Well, an indictment on a former president has never happened in U.S. history, and Trumps case isnt expected to follow typical procedure. A lot will depend on how the district attorney chooses to handle the case and how Trumps defense team responds. But the most likely timeline, based on what we know now, is as follows: Advertisement An arrest is coming After a grand jury votes to indict, an arrest warrant is typically issued if the person isnt already in custody. Trump is not, since he currently resides at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. He will be required to surrender in-person at the New York district attorneys headquarters in Lower Manhattan, something that one of his lawyers previously confirmed to the New York Daily News that he would comply with. There wont be a standoff at Mar-a-Lago with Secret Service and the Manhattan DAs office, said Joe Tacopina. According to the Times, Bragg is expected to negotiate Trumps surrender. Given the logistics of traveling out of state and the necessary back and forth between legal teams, itll likely take several days or even weeks. Advertisement Advertisement When he does finally surrender, legal experts are speculating Trump wont have a typical perp walk, because in some white-collar crime cases like this, the defendant is allowed to turn themselves in voluntarily without handcuffs at an agreed-upon date and time. Trump probably wont be confined to a holding cell, either; instead, he will likely be surrounded by his Secret Service agents when he turns himself in. Advertisement Advertisement After surrendering to the DA, Trump will be escorted to booking, which includes having a mugshot and fingerprints taken, per New York state criminal procedure law, before he can be released ahead of trial. Trump could stall Theres always a chance that Trump decides not to comply, in which case he would have to be forcibly extradited. But that would simply delay the process and require the participation of Trumps hypothetical Republican primary nemesis, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. In that scenario, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul would send a written extradition demand to DeSantis, who would then be legally obligated to verify the indictment before ordering Trumps extradition from Florida. Advertisement DeSantis said that he would refuse to participate in any extradition efforts. Florida will not assist in an extradition request given the questionable circumstances at issue with this Soros-backed Manhattan prosecutor and his political agenda, he tweeted Thursday in response to the news of the indictment vote. Then comes an arraignment hearing Shortly after turning himself in, Trump will be required to attend an arraignment hearing in front of a New York judge, who will read all charges aloud. Its at this point that Trump would be required to enter a formal plea; hes expected to plead not guilty. Trump will then be released until his next court date, since New York law dictates people indicted on nonviolent felony charges can be released on their own recognizance, without bail, unless theyre considered a flight risk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is a possibility that Trumps arraignment hearing will be done remotely, given the extraordinary circumstances. If that happens, booking details would likely be handled at a different time. No bail expected Given the likely nature of the charges, its not expected that Trump will need to post bail. Dont hold your breath for a quick conviction Criminal cases in New York typically run at a snails pacetaking more than a year on average to move from indictment to trial, according to Reuters. However, that means Trump could be facing trial right in the thick of his 2024 presidential campaign, or even after Election Day. If Trump were to be elected in 2024, he wouldnt hold the power to pardon himself of state charges, but he also couldnt face a jury or even be imprisoned while serving in office. He would essentially be off the hook until the end of his term. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Reed OConnor struck down a major provision of the Affordable Care Act requiring insurers to provide cost-free coverage for cancer screenings, HIV prevention, maternal care, and a host of other conditions. OConnor applied his decision nationwide, single-handedly blowing up a cornerstone of the ACA for the second time in his career. If upheld, the ruling will deprive millions of Americans of lifesaving health care, imposing a disproportionate burden on those who are pregnant, gay, or transgender. Advertisement There is good reason to think the Supreme Court will ultimately reverse OConnors latest assault on the ACA (even though the radical-right U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit will probably uphold it first). But its impossible to say with certainty SCOTUS 63 conservative supermajority will do the right thing. And so, once again, the fate of millions of Americans health care rests in the hands of nine justices. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement OConnors decision in Braidwood Management v. Becerra revolves around the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, the most important commission youve probably never heard of. It is an independent body made up of volunteer medical experts who convene periodically to decide what kinds of health care all insurers must provide without any cost to patients. Technically, the PSTF recommends only mandatory coverage. But the ACA compelled insurers to follow its recommendations, effectively giving them the force of law since 2010. The result has been a huge success, saving countless lives and reducing racial disparities in health care. Advertisement In 2020 Jonathan Mitchellthe conservative lawyer who devised Texas vigilante abortion bancrafted a challenge to the PSTF. His first argument was that it violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act by forcing religious companies to provide insurance that covers preexposure prophylaxis, which prevents HIV infection. His second argument was that the entire commission is unconstitutional because its work is not supervised by a president-nominated, Senate-confirmed official, an alleged violation of the appointments clause. Mitchell argued that because of this infirmity, the judiciary must invalidate every single recommendation made by the PSTF since 2010more than 50 mandates in total. Advertisement It is worth highlighting some of the mandates to lay out the stakes of the case. They include screening for breast cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, hepatitis B and C, HIV, STIs, intimate partner violence, elder abuse, tuberculosis, and osteoporosis; prevention of cardiovascular disease; and coverage of PrEP. The PSTF mandates also encompass a broad array of maternity care, including preeclampsia screening and prevention, breastfeeding assistance, depression care, gestational diabetes screening, and bacteriuria screening for pregnant and postpartum patients. Advertisement In order to eradicate all these mandates, Mitchell filed his case in a court where he was guaranteed to draw Judge OConnorthe George W. Bush appointee who tried to abolish the entire ACA in 2018 only to get shot down at the Supreme Court. In September 2022, OConnor ruled for Mitchell on the religious liberty claims, granting Christian individuals and employers the right to exclude PrEP from their insurance. (OConnor accepted Mitchells claim that HIV prevention would facilitate and encourage homosexual behavior, which he ruled violated religious liberty.) The judge also agreed that PSTF members are appointed unconstitutionally. But he didnt decide the remedy for this alleged flaw, instead ordering further briefing. Advertisement Then, on Thursday, OConnor came out with his decision, which took the most destructive, maximalist approach possible: He voided every single PSTF mandate issued since 2010, more than 50 in all. And he did so on a universal basis, applying his decision not just to the parties but to every person, every insurer, every official in the country. In a remarkably cursory analysis, OConnor declared that he had to block the PSTF from enforcing the disputed coverage mandates against anyone because no other remedy would fully cure plaintiffs injuries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is so much wrong with OConnors reasoning (as usual) that its hard to know where to start. The judge held that PSTF members are, for constitutional purposes, to be treated as principal officers, a category that includes judges, ambassadors, and cabinet members. Principal officers must be nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. PSTF members are not: They are appointed by the director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. Because the president and Senate have no say in their appointment, OConnor concluded, the PSTF is staffed unconstitutionally. This reasoning is, to put it lightly, nuts. PSTF members serve the commission part time, meeting three times a year for two days, and receive no compensation for their work. They write no regulations and provide no guidance on the interpretation of federal laws. They simply review the data and recommend treatments that prevent serious illness and death. The notion that PSTF members are transformed into principal officers akin to cabinet members because Congress decided to make their recommendations mandatory has no basis in precedent. Advertisement But say OConnor is right, and PSTF members were appointed unconstitutionally. His remedy for this ostensible problem defies binding Supreme Court precedent. SCOTUS has said, over and over again, that when an officers appointment violates the Constitution, the solution is not to nullify everything theyve ever done. The solution is, rather, to subject the officers work to supervision by a properly appointed agency head. Most recently, in U.S. v. Arthrex, the Supreme Court held that members of a patent and trademark board were appointed unlawfully. Its solution was not to invalidate the boards work but to subject its work to oversight by the director of the Patent and Trademark officea presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed position. Advertisement Advertisement OConnor should have imposed an identical remedy here, striking down the law that gives the PSTF full independence. That fix wouldve given the HHS secretary oversight of the PSTFs work, with the ability to ratify or overrule its work, indisputably bringing it in line with the appointments clause. And it still wouldve given Republicans something of a victory, allowing a future GOP HHS secretary to repeal critical preventive care coverage. (Of course, the secretary and his administration would face political consequences, a problem OConnor neednt worry about.) But OConnor didnt take this approach, because well, frankly, his analysis is hard to comprehend. It runs about two pages and seemingly rests on the assertion that the PSTF isnt part of HHS, so the HHS secretary cant review its work. This reasoning just does not track. By law, the HHS secretary supervises the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. And this agency convenes and supports the PSTF. So the secretary would supervise the PSTF as well if the ACA had not granted it independence. And the solution here is merely to sever the provision of law that creates that independencenot to obliterate the PSTF and wipe its mandates off the books. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Supreme Court has been very firm about the minimalist remedy in cases involving unlawfully appointed officers in recent years; even Justice Clarence Thomas has disclaimed the blow-it-all-up approach. Yet OConnor deployed it anyway, evidently unchastened by his total repudiation at SCOTUS two years ago. Again, there are many reasons to think that the court will take a similar approach here and let the PSTFs mandates survive unscathed, with only a symbolic blow to the commissions independence. But the 5th Circuit, the most lawless appellate court in the country, will still weigh in first, and will likely be eager to affirm OConnor. It may be two years before the Supreme Court finally resolves this case for good. And in the meantime, millions of Americans ability to access basic health care will be in jeopardy. A judiciary that so recklessly imperils peoples lives certainly does not deserve their trust. After the mass shooting at a Nashville elementary school this week, Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett was asked how Congress should respond to the violence. And Burchett was remarkably forthright. Its a horrible, horrible situation, he said. And were not gonna fix it. REPORTER: "What else should be done to protect people like your little girl?" BURCHETT: "Well, we homeschool her." pic.twitter.com/BTKEfkKbUM Brennan Murphy (@brenonade) March 28, 2023 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This sentence was quickly splashed across headlines. A video of Burchetts remarks posted on Twitter has already drawn some 23 million views. Celebrities, including actor Ben Stiller and late-night host Stephen Colbert, weighed in to express their horror. God, they really arent even hiding it now, said anti-gun activist and Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg. Burchett had explained his positionone that he undoubtedly shares with a number of Republicansas criminals are going to be criminals, and that there was nothing good the government could do because the problem was simply a matter of human evil. But there was another part of the interview that revealed the specific place this belief was coming from. When asked what should be done to protect children like his own daughter, Burchett replied, Well, we home-school her. Advertisement The proposal of home-schooling as a solution for school shootings is not a new argument. And it mirrors some conservative responses to other recent school shootings. For example, after the May 2022 shooting at a school in Uvalde, Texas, the Federalist published an op-ed with the headline Tragedies Like the Texas Shooting Make a Somber Case for Homeschooling.* It is clear now from the long list of school shootings in recent years that families cant trust government schools, in particular, to bring their children or teachers home safely at the end of the day, the author of the op-ed wrote. The same institutions that punish students for misgendering people and hide curriculum from parents are simply not equipped to safeguard your children from harm. Advertisement Advertisement Home-schooling in general became much more popular because of the COVID pandemic. And according to home-schooling organizations, school shootings typically lead to spikes in phone calls from concerned parents wanting to learn more. Advertisement But as is clear in the Federalist op-ed, there is also an increasingly powerful force in American politics that is pushing home-schooling as the cure to any and all school problems: the parental rights movement. The modern parental rights movement was built on the work of conservative Christians who bemoaned changes in public schooling that occurred in the 1960snamely that the Supreme Court ruled that school-sponsored prayer and Bible readings in the classroom were unconstitutional. Those Christians pushed white evangelicals to pull their children out of schools to give them a more Christian education. The Home School Legal Defense Association, a Christian organization, campaigned during the 1980s to popularize and legalize home-schoolingand it quickly won political victories: home-schooling went from being largely illegal to being legal everywhere by the early 1990s. The HSLDA still defends the legal rights of home-school parents and takes on related political fights, promoting arguments about parental rights and religious freedom. Advertisement Today, you can hear echoes of HSLDA campaigns in arguments against LGBTQ-affirming teachers or about schools teaching about racism. Home-school your kids is a common refrain. Advertisement Advertisement After the Uvalde mass shooting, I spoke with Julie Anne Smith, a former home-schooling mother and blogger who writes about the Christian home-schooling movement. She pointed out that it has a tradition of latching onto whatever the latest source of anxiety is to promote family values solutions, i.e., home-schooling. They adapt these different kinds of ideologies and grab hold of them, Smith said. Whatevers new, they push it into their agenda. Burchett, like many gun-ownership advocates, clearly shares some commonality with those strategic players who see government schools as the enemy of a healthy society. The problem, as he sees it, is the secularization of society. I think youve got to change peoples hearts, he said in the same interview that went viral. You know, as a Christian, as we talk about in the churchand Ive said this many timesI think we really need a revival in this country. In the futile and hopeless hours of familiar gridlock after the most recent mass shooting in Nashville, the social media meme war that serves as proxy for our political process launched again into overdrive. Some themes were familiar: Republicans love guns more than they love children; the party that purports to revere life seems unwilling to do anything to stop mass murder. But there was a newer, bitter twist to many of the posts, connecting the GOPs 2023 war on books, education, sexuality, and teachers to its unwillingness to protect children in schools. Advertisement These complaints were doubly poignant, noting, as they did, that Republicans seem to believe that public school teachers who cant be trusted to curate classroom libraries are fit to be armed with guns. Others commented that no child has yet died from reading a book about Rosa Parks, and yet the GOP maintains that the problem of mass school shootings is unfixable. The central thread was that Republicans are prepared to intervene in every last aspect of public educationfrom book bans to curriculum laws to surveillance of educatorsbut will never lift a finger to prevent or decrease mass murder of small children in places that are meant to keep their bodies safe, above all things. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The flaw in these arguments is that they assume there is hypocrisy at work when social conservatives set out to micromanage what children learn in public schools, yet evince not a lick of remorse or regret about the fact that children are being slaughtered there with military-strength firepower they want readily accessible throughout the nation. That alleged hypocrisy, however, is readily explained by larger and more chilling trends in conservative policymaking. Advertisement Its not simply that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Rep. Thomas Massie and Sen. Marsha Blackburn and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Rep. Andy Ogles all love their guns more than they love other peoples schoolkids (although that is abundantly clear). Its not merely that in America, being in the pocket of the NRA and gun manufacturers remains a more vital political imperative for many elected officials than the health and safety of their constituents. (Also true). Its not even the fact that empty thoughts and prayers has become such a necessary and sufficient political response to mass carnage that it is now teeming with meaning. No, the real reason conservatives can comfortably reconcile dead schoolkids with book bans is far more frightening. Advertisement Advertisement It starts with the fact that these lawmakers dont actually believe in public education in the first place. As my colleague Molly Olmstead has pointed out, when Rep. Tim Burchett was asked after the shooting how Congress ought to respond to the American carnage, he said both quiet parts out loud: Its a horrible, horrible situation, the Tennessee Republican said. And were not gonna fix it. Then, when asked what could be done to protect his own little girl, he added, with a fatalistic shrug, Well, we home-school her. (Burchett generously acknowledged that some people dont have that option.) Crucially, Burchett is not alone. As Olmstead reminds us, there is an increasingly powerful force in American politics that is pushing home-schooling as the cure to any and all school problems: the parental rights movement. Meanwhile, government schools, as they were rebranded in an op-ed in the Federalist after the Uvalde shooting last year, are not to be trusted by that same parental rights movement. As articulated in that same Federalist piece: The same institutions that punish students for misgendering people and hide curriculum from parents are simply not equipped to safeguard your children from harm. You see, to the right-wing movement, its the schools that have failed across the board, and not the politicians. By these lights, for an elected official it makes perfect sense to both ban books ostensibly encouraging critical race theory in classroom pedagogy and also do nothing about the fact that your children might be shot dead in their classrooms: Both are arguments against the continued existence of public schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But theres another more pernicious layer, beyond just a long game to end public education and push families toward home-schooling and religious charter schools. This further wrinkle is deeply connected to the war on women and girls that is now playing out grimly and purposefully around the country. The aims are actually the same when tween girls in Florida can be barred from mentioning their periods while also being abandoned to the whims of a mass shooter: that is to ultimately return women and girls to what the Christian nationalist movement views as their rightful place, the home. Hence the proposed laws that teachers should use pronouns that correspond with a students gender assigned at birth, bans on abortion and birth control, bans on sex education, and the absence of any safety nets for when those children are born, all of which will inexorably result in more young women finding themselves pregnant, poor, and consigned to taking care of babies. This, too, was always the long game. As Tressie McMillan Cottom tweeted this week in response to Burchetts home-schooling comment: In case you havent completely guessed the Republican game, their school shooting solution is women. At home. In the private sphere. And charters but mostly women at home. Its all reproductive justice. The more you think about the response of social conservatives to mass shootings in school, the more you come to realize that the creeping vibe here is that young women of childbearing age dont really belong in public schools in the first place, and that to the extent that they are there, theyre only really welcome until its time to be re-confined to the home. Advertisement Advertisement The third aspect of the social conservatives education agenda is the most frightening of all. Its not simply to ensure that public education is a poor and diminished alternative to home-schooling and religious schools. Its not just to message that girls should stay home. It is to incorporate the rights wider embrace of vigilantism directly into every aspect of American life, especially schools. Advertisement To the extent that DeSantis school agenda in Florida stands for anything, its clearly connected to the Texas-style S.B. 8 bounty system allowing vigilante punishment of those deemed by a jury to be abortion helpers. In the DeSantis version, any one parent is empowered to adjudicate, enforce, and punish forms of public education they do not approve. Advertisement Examples of this new parental vigilantism abound. For instance, earlier this month, a lone parent in St. Petersburg, Florida, objected to a childs exposure to a 1998 Disney film about Ruby Bridges, the 6-year-old girl who was the first Black child to integrate a New Orleans elementary in 1960, and so the film was not shown to the entire classroom. Or, in another case brought to national attention by Charles Blow at the New York Times, Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye was banned from all district high schools at the whim of one objecting parent. (This was the same district where The Wonderful World of Disney: Ruby Bridges, featuring Chaz Monet and Kevin Pollak, was banned.) Or the principal forced to resign in Florida because three parents found their childrens exposure to Michelangelos statue of David threatening, because at least one of them deemed it pornographic. Once again, the memes wrote themselves, but claims of hypocrisy or irreconcilable motive actually obscure the larger trend. The parents who say their parental rights allow them to censor and even veto what every child learns in the classroom are the very same folks who make arguments about putting more guns into classrooms, into the hands of teachers, and indeed into the hands of children themselves. These arguments are not in tension with one another. They are perfectly consistent: Government cannot keep your children safe from inevitable woke ideologies, and government schools cannot keep your children safe from inevitable gun violence. If this is true, then only parent vigilantism is the cure. This is Kyle Rittenhouse in kindergarten, nothing more and nothing less. Its not in any way hypocrisy to suggest that as long as public education exists in America, any one parent, under color of parental rights, can demand that Toni Morrison never glances off the brain of any child in the room while also ensuring that a bullet may someday lodge in their brain. The solution in both cases is to buy and use more guns, with a side of prayer, as what once passed for concern for the vulnerable is replaced by ever more subjectiveand ever more violentself-help. In todays digitally-driven world, there is perhaps no bigger threat to businesses than a security breach. As data inches closer to becoming the worlds most valuable commodity, businesses are collecting masses of personal information; using it to understand their customers and provide better experiences. It has also led to a surge in high profile breaches. Small businesses shouldnt assume these issues are exclusive to large corporations. As small businesses shift their operations to the cloud, the potential for data breaches increases regardless of a companys size, and currently the United States does not offer any governance to guide best practices. Some states have enacted privacy laws of their own as a form of data security thats entirely transparent for users, but until there exists something on a national level, dont expect there to be much consistency across companies. The small business landscape demonstrates that not everyone is as concerned about privacy as they should be. For example, according to recent Zoho research out of Australia: Just one in three (35%) small businesses currently have a defined, documented and enforced privacy policy regarding the personal data collected, used and disclosed through their business. One quarter (27%) dont have a privacy policy or dont know if they do, and 38% have an informal or unenforced policy. When data is collected transparently and stored safely, it holds great value for small businesses and their customers. Still, as risks increase and policymakers lag, awareness, education and action are essential. Heres more on what small businesses need to know, and do, today. Awareness For small businesses, it is too easy to ignore security of private data. Many business owners believe they are too small and do not hold enough data to be targetedor that their data wouldnt be usable due to how niche it might appear. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case. Modern attacks are entirely random, targeting businesses of any size through vulnerabilities in their system. An attack can disable systems, steal or compromise data, and even use a breached computer to target others, meaning that just because a particular company might have unusable data doesnt mean their partners are safe. Concerned companies can start by taking a look at the system under which theyre currently operating, and explore where vulnerabilities might occur. A great place to start is by identifying the places where disparate systems, built by different vendors, exchange data with one another. This might be where a CRM integrates with sales processes, or when a virtual meeting platform pulls files from an online host. Due to the inconsistencies in privacy governance mentioned above, which may have required certain security measures to be in place, hand-off points between vendors are rife with potential for security breaches. Vendors often run their own security processes within their closed system, and without visibility into an attack that might be happening elsewhere, these pieces of software are unable to prepare, or the employees monitoring them are unable to adapt. When new means of attack are developed, theres no guarantee that all of the companies within an integrated system will push software updates at the same time. Education Small business systems need to wall themselves off from every angle, and thats where the concept of unification comes in. A unified technology stack is a solution that includes an entire suite of applications that connect together in one platform. This enables seamless integration and data exchange between every tool, and therefore all the processes and departments that rely on them. Rather than your business requiring different vendors and paying for different applications for sales and marketing, finance, human resources, business analytics, collaboration etc., an integrated approach enables you to use one vendor for every technology need. The goal is to reduce the number of vendors to a few whose data privacy and security standards match the values of your business. Unification also simplifies and expedites the education process. Small businesses should take a look at their vendors privacy and data policies and note where they overlap with the ones already in placeand, more importantly, where there exists little overlap. When companies work with one vendor, this is a less arduous task and results in fewer action items. For example, under multiple vendors, if one has issues with remote logins and another is operating using outdated incident reporting software, companies are required to learn about two areas of potential vulnerability, not just one; an individual vendors technology is unlikely to cover for the gaps in another. The more vendors a small business uses, the greater the cost, the longer the time required to implement and master the technology, and the greater risk of silos forming around individual tools, departments or processes. Action Even with many small businesses currently operating under-the-radar, without urgency to protect from data breaches at this very moment, all small businesses as a matter of best practice have a duty to protect their businesses and the data of those using it, whether its through security measures or transparent collection processes. Those that fail to do so could be more susceptible to breaches and loss of consumer trust. No matter how small businesses are using data, or how often, they need to put together privacy policies of their own and share them with consumers ASAP. Transparency on privacy has become the norm; consumers are used to being given information on a companys use of data when visiting their website. When determining what to put in this policy, and how detailed to be, small businesses should look to bigger players and aim to be as comprehensive. Consumers are savvier these days and will appreciate the nitty-gritty, and that initial trust will grow over time. Small businesses without a unified tech stack might want to change this as soon as possible. It might require a bit of a financial and technological lift to do so, but much can be saved by not having to mitigate future data breaches that could undermine consumer trust. After that, if an analysis of a small businesses system still reveals areas of concern, small businesses can take a look at what else their vendor offers. Another piece of a vendors technology, or a tweak to an existing one, is likely going to be an easy and inexpensive thing to implement if done early. Perhaps most importantly, small businesses need to start paying attention to how national privacy legislation is beginning to develop. Once its implemented, companies that make the required changes quickly are going to be in the best possible position to enhance consumer trust. Privacy policies from California, the EU and Australia are great places to start in developing a sense of what might be coming. Conclusion Small businesses are more sophisticated than ever, but awareness, education, and action is too low. Any reforms to protect consumers are vital, and should be celebrated, but small businesses must be given time and guidance to comply. If they are given that support, theyand their customerscan reap the benefits of a data-driven online world. Reach the Mala Bana peak in the Small Carpathians or visit the conservatory in the palace next week. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Culture | Music | Nature Music Pisztory Palace. (Source: Sme) Conservatory in the palace April 5, the Old Town Centre of Culture and Education - Pisztory Palace on Stefanikova 25 in Bratislava; start at 18:00 The concert of classical music is definitely worth visiting next week in Bratislava. Students and teachers of the Bratislava Conservatory will perform at the Pisztory Palace - Old Town Center of Culture and Education. https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/embed?mid=1v3bSFsuHACUTmhhCLOnopxrCjRRd9Xw&ehbc=2E312F Culture Slovak National Museum. (Source: Courtesy of Spectacular Slovakia) Museum exhibitions April 5, all the museum addresses can be found below; opened from 9:00 till 17:00. In total, almost 10 exhibition spaces and workplaces of museums and galleries in Bratislava are open free of charge on the first Wednesday of the month, like the History Museum, Natural History Museum, Esterhazy Palace and Transport Museum. For instance, the Archaeological Museum, Museum of the Culture of the Carpathian Germans, and Museum of Hungarian Culture in Slovakia are parts of the Slovak National Museum (SNM). They are all located at the same address in Bratislava. Below you can see a map with all the museums in Bratislava that will be open on April 5. https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/embed?mid=1VFUKom8FdsAgNZVPMc5HSUFHFZbRibU&ehbc=2E312F Nature Mala Bana. (Source: Wikimedia Commons) A hike to Mala Bana Mala Bana in the Small Carpathians is an ideal peak for hiking. This low hill is located above Raca at 361 metres above sea level. Currently, a blue-marked tourist trail leads there. At the top, you can look forward to acceptable semi-circular views. The journey starts at Komisarky and leads through the forest trails to Sakrokopec. The route continues to Mala Bana peak. It is not high, but it offers a beautiful walk and views. The estimated time of the route is about 5 hours. After reaching the peak, the walk can be finished at the Detvianska tram stop in Raca to catch Tram 3 back to town. https://sk.frame.mapy.cz/s/bonoguzoto If you have tips for free events in Bratislava or you would like to share your hiking or cycling trip ideas with readers, let me know at kseniia.husieva@spectator.sk. The referral hospital in Bratislava is owned by the Penta financial group. The Penta financial group opens its Bory Hospital in Bratislava on March 30, 2023. (Source: TASR - Jaroslav Novak) Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled After more than 30 years, the first new large referral hospital has opened its doors in Slovakia. The new facility is located in the Bory neighbourhood of Bratislava. Penta, the financial group that owns the hospital, began construction four years ago. The group paid 250 million for the project. The hospital will serve not only hospitalised patients, but those who will need a one-time medical examination. People will not have to pay for this examination. The medical facility has signed contracts with all health insurance companies in Slovakia. Official opening on April 3 A radiology department and a radiation oncology department will open on April 3. Other doctors surgeries to open in April are anesthesiology and intensive care medicine, internal medicine, neurosurgery, haematology, gynaecology and obstetrics. Surgeons, ophthalmologists, orthopaedists, urologists and rheumatologists will open their surgeries in the coming weeks. In June, a maternity hospital should open at Bory. It is not known when the childrens A&E department will open. The hospital does not want to operate the department, but says that it can offer its premises for its operation. In addition, there are no paediatricians working at the hospital, the Sme daily wrote. The A&E department for adults will open in September. All the departments and surgeries should open by the autumn. Use of a cyber knife As many as 320 doctors and 440 nurses are supposed to work in the hospital. Of the planned total of 1,500 employees, 500 are currently working at Bory Hospital. Bory Hospital will be the first medical facility in Slovakia that will provide an examination with a cyber knife, used for treating various cancers. While the private company has managed to open the large hospital, the state has been building its first new referral hospital since the late 1980s. Razsochy Hospital in Bratislava should be completed in the second half of the 2020s. Its construction is covered by the 6-billion post-Covid recovery plan. Another new hospital will be constructed in Martin, central Slovakia, to start later this year. Yesterday, thrice former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz made an appearance in front of the Senates Health, Labor, Education, and Pensions Committee to discuss the companys labor practices, particularly as they relate alleged anti-union activity. You may have already seen videos leaking out online of the hearing, where committee chair and union advocate Senator Bernie Sanders can be seen taking Schultz to task over what he calls the most aggressive and illegal union-busting campaign in the modern history of our country. Bernie Sanders unloads on Howard Schultz. 'Over the past 18 months, Starbucks has waged the most aggressive and illegal union-busting camping in the modern history of our countryled by Howard Schultz, the multibillionaire who is with us only under the threat of subpoena.' pic.twitter.com/OaemiSBqQp More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) March 29, 2023 As reported by NBC News, the face-off between Sanders and Schultz has been highly anticipated, with Starbucks spending much of the weeks-long hearing urging the panel that Schultzwho stepped down from the CEO position for the third time recently, before his planned exit datedidnt need to appear. But after Sanders refusal and a threat of subpoena, Schultz ultimately agreed to testify. At the hearing, titled No Company is Above the Law: The Need to End Illegal Union Busting at Starbucks, Schultz defended the companies labor practices with the aid of testimony from a Starbucks barista, a former Starbucks employee, and other witnesses. Schultz states that the company has done nothing illegal and that We do nothing that is nefarious And thats why Starbucks doesnt need a union. Schultz, who took umbrage with being labeled a billionaire and stated, Yes I have billions of dollars. I earned it. No one gave it to me, went on to state that the company is committed to negotiating in good faith on contracts at each store that has chosen to unionize. As noted by Senator Sanders, nearly 300 US-based company-owned Starbucks locations have successfully voted to unionize since the end of 2019 and not a single contract has yet to be ratified. Coming to the aid of the former CEO and one-time Democratic presidential nominee hopeful, panel Republicans decried the hearing as a smear campaign and a witch hunt, quoted Ayn Rand, and claimed that because Senator Sanders was worth $8 million (which he flatly denied, stating that the accusing senator was probably looking at some phony right-wing internet stuff), he shouldnt criticize fellow wealthy people. After the hearing, Starbucks Workers United took to Twitter to challenge the veracity of some of the Schultz testimony. Starbucks brought corporate representatives to listen to Howard Schultz testify. But as soon as WORKERS got up to speak, they all left. Howard just spent two hours claiming that Starbucks listened to their workers. Actions speak louder than words. https://t.co/88OkPYhpoo Starbucks Workers United (@SBWorkersUnited) March 29, 2023 Currently, over 500 charges of unfair labor practices have been brought against Starbucks, and the National Labor Relations Board has filed over 80 complaints against the company. Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge. Coffee in Phoenix is popping right now. With a blend of old school stalwarts like Cartel Coffee Lab and newer spots including Peixoto, Futuro, and Pair Cupworks, there has never been a better time to be a coffee lover in Phoenix than right now. And to add to that list of new-ish coffee hot spots is Moxie Coffee Co. Opened in May of 2021 after a COVID hiatus, Moxie has been serving the denizens of Uptown Phoenix for nearly two years now, offering of a mix of uncommon coffees and a rotating menu of seasonal beverages. And their cafe and roastery space is absolutely gorgeous (no surprise from the design-minded company whose minimalist bag design we recently featured). To learn more about the company, we spoke with owner and founder Matt Heltzel to see how Moxie got to where they are. Want your cafe to be considered for a Sprudge Maps Spotlight? All you have to do is register your shop for Sprudge Maps, our user-driven compendium of coffee shops around the globe. And the best part is, its completely free! Sign up today! Sprudge Maps is presented by La Marzocco and Pacific Barista Series. As told to Sprudge by Matt Heltzel Introduce yourself to our readerstell us about your cafe! Our roastery and cafe opened in May 2021 in Uptown Phoenix. We signed the lease for our space in 2019, a few months before COVID. The process to getting open was a bit scary and overwhelming, but we made it! The support from the people in Phoenix has been overwhelming. Even though our shop is relatively new, our team has many years of combined experience in specialty coffee. We try our best to serve incredible beverages, while also being approachable to those who are new to specialty coffee. On a lot of our packaging and signage, youll see the phrase uncommon coffee. We love this tagline because we love crafting uncommon experiences for our guests. Whether its an award-winning natural anaerobic Gesha or our rotating specialty drinks made with rare ingredients such as Whistlepigs Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup, youre likely to have an uncommon discovery at our cafe. We also get pastries from local providers like James Beard nominees Mark Chacon and JL Patisserie along with Vegan Pastries by Gabrielle. In terms of our coffee program, were big believers in relationship coffee, meaning that we intend to develop long term relationships with producers who are committed to sustainable growing practices and community development projects. This is an area were learning a lot about and are excited to improve on in the coming years. What equipment do you use in your shop? The first thing youll see when you walk in the door is our Diedrich IR-12. All the coffees we serve are roasted in house and are sourced meticulously with importers and producers who provide us with real transparency about pricing and how our coffee buying practices impact the coffee growers and their communities/co-ops. Our owner Matt started roasting coffee on a vintage popcorn popper in 2011 and has since roasted a few million pounds of coffee in the last 10 years. With previous companies, hes traveled to Honduras, Sumatra, and Guatemala, and weve continued some of those relationships here at Moxie. We try to roast juicy, sweet, balanced coffees that excite any specialty coffee consumer but are approachable enough for those new to specialty coffee. We have a Synesso MVP Hydra and we offer two single origin coffees and a Colombia Sugarcane EA Tabi Decaf coffee every day. For most milk-based drinks, we serve a Guatemala coffee from the Codech Co-op in Huehuetenango. The other espresso is also a single-origin coffee that rotates weekly and is usually a bit more vibrant and fruit-forward. We offer five to six single-origin coffees on filter, brewed on a Marco SP9, and have usually around five rotating specialty drinks. Which roaster or roasters do you serve? Currently, we only serve coffees that we roast in house. As a staff, were constantly tasting other coffees from roasters around the world and were always learning and improving our roasting. We offer 8oz and 2lb beans for sale in store (buy 10, get 1 free) and online. What is the neighborhood like where youre located? Whats some other cool stuff nearby? Were located in Uptown at the base of the Art on Highland apartments. One of the best parts about this location is that its so central to Phoenix and most people can get here in 20-30 minutes, regardless of where theyre at in the Valley. Its only a 10-minute drive from the airport, so we also get a lot of people who are in from out of town or on layovers and want some good coffee. Theres plenty of good food and drinks nearby. When were not hanging at the shop, were usually drinking some good natural wine and coffee at local spots like Valentine. Theres other fantastic places to eat just around the corner like Pizzeria Bianco and Noble Bread, too. Whats something cool or unique about your cafe you want folks to know? Moxie is especially unique in that our shop is really a reflection of the community we reside in. Theres a wide range of people who come through our doors, and who feel at home and welcome. Thats something we pride ourselves in. Our coffee might not be perfect every time, were human and we make mistakes, but we always do everything we can to make people feel like they belong and are a part of our community. We care so much about peoples experience at our shop, and thats something that, no matter what happens with Moxie in the future, well always be extremely proud of. Thank you! Want your cafe featured in a Sprudge Maps Spotlight? Register your shop for Sprudge Maps, our user-driven compendium of coffee shops around the globe. Its completely free. Sign up today! Sprudge Maps is presented by La Marzocco and Pacific Barista Series. Photos by Moxie Coffee, used with permission https://sputnikglobe.com/20230329/us-to-become-largest-lng-exporter-when-trains-return-online-in-texas---eia-1108938623.html US to Become Largest LNG Exporter When Trains Return Online in Texas - EIA US to Become Largest LNG Exporter When Trains Return Online in Texas - EIA The United States will become the largest exporter of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) when additional liquefaction train facilities come online at a Freeport LNG plant in Texas, US Assistant Administrator of the Energy Information Administration Angelina LaRose said. 2023-03-29T21:44+0000 2023-03-29T21:44+0000 2023-03-29T21:44+0000 americas lng texas energy liquified gas /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/105298/35/1052983540_0:49:1035:631_1920x0_80_0_0_ff8fb26ac1689c533acfdd19b92ef55b.jpg Liquefaction trains turn natural gas into LNG in order to prepare for export. LaRose pointed out, however, that there are capacity constraints in the United States, which causes major limitations to US export capabilities. The company's LNG export facility in Texas was knocked offline last June due to a fire. US media reported earlier on Wednesday that the amount of natural gas flowing to Freeport's LNG export facility in Texas was on track to hit its highest level since shutting down last month. The report said the increase in gas flow to the plant likely signals that the company has started the third of three liquefaction trains at the facility. americas texas Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International texas, lng, liquified nitrogen gas, gas exports https://sputnikglobe.com/20230329/us-watchdog-tells-congress-f-35-training-simulator-still-has-six-must-fix-problems-1108938918.html US Watchdog Tells Congress F-35 Training Simulator Still Has Six Must Fix Problems US Watchdog Tells Congress F-35 Training Simulator Still Has Six Must Fix Problems WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Six "must fix" deficiencies remain in the training flight simulator for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter before the controversial aircraft... 29.03.2023, Sputnik International 2023-03-29T22:27+0000 2023-03-29T22:27+0000 2023-03-29T23:43+0000 military lockheed martin f-35c joint strike fighter f-35 us government accountability office (gao) /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/04/0f/1082639403_0:0:2048:1152_1920x0_80_0_0_34a7497159e931efd00a99752e96af44.jpg "Our ongoing work indicates that the program made progress with fixing most of the remaining simulator issues over the last year, but six 'must fix' deficiencies remain and must be resolved," GAO Contracting and National Security Acquisitions Director Jon Ludwigson told a House Armed Services subcommittee in prepared testimony on Wednesday. The simulator must be fully developed before the Department of Defense can conduct tests to finally approve the F-35 for full-rate production 27 years after work on it began, Ludwigson said The F-35 program office continues to face delays in delivering Block 4 capabilities and added new, post-Block 4 efforts to enable the F-35 fleet to keep up with new threats and operational challenges, Ludwigson added.Congressman Rob Wittman during the same hearing expressed outrage over the lack of progress.US lawmakers also raised concerns that the US Air Force might be reducing its fleet of aging air superiority and ground support combat aircraft too drastically and too quickly.The US Air Force according to figures approved by the Biden administration and submitted in the Fiscal Year 2024 military budget, plans to divest itself of 881 aircraft including around 400 F-15Cs and A-10 tactical ground support aircraft and replace them with only 334 new piloted planes, Wittman noted.Representative Don Norcross said "we should receive reassurances [that] we are not retiring too much too soon."The US Air Force foresaw itself operating a total manned force of 1,000 to 1,100 piloted fighters but this estimate would change as the capabilities of a new generation of unmanned, remotely controlled Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCAs) were assessed, US Air Force Deputy Chief for Plans and Programs Lieutenant General Richard Moore told the hearing. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International lockheed martin f-35c joint strike fighter, f-35, us government accountability office (gao) https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/1108898597.html Trial by Fire: Protests Against Pension Reform Engulf France Trial by Fire: Protests Against Pension Reform Engulf France France is a nation notorious for its habit to protest since the end of 18th century. A rally is a form of weekend leisure for French people. 2023-03-30T04:34+0000 2023-03-30T04:34+0000 2023-03-30T04:34+0000 multimedia photo france pension reform protests /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/03/1d/1108898757_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_8de22947c5f5cad124f13b21d49ebfb0.jpg When Emanuel Macron unveiled his pension reform plan, which implies a gradual increase in the retirement age over several years, a wave of protests erupted, with over 1 million people across the country taking part in most of them. During the rallies, there were a number of violent clashes between protesters and security forces. Tensions increased when, on March 16, the French government invoked Article 49.3 of the Constitution, which allowed it to bypass the Parliament and adopt the pension reform bill. france Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International france, political protest, pension reform, macron pension reform https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/brazil-china-sign-agreement-to-trade-in-yuan-1108944998.html Brazil, China Sign Agreement to Trade in Yuan Brazil, China Sign Agreement to Trade in Yuan China and Brazil have concluded an agreement on the bilateral trade in the Chinese yuan and are planning to expand the cooperation in food and mineral extractions sectors, the Chinese vice minister of commerce, Guo Tingting, said on Thursday. 2023-03-30T07:07+0000 2023-03-30T07:07+0000 2023-03-30T07:07+0000 world china brazil yuan /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/104854/20/1048542012_0:311:5924:3643_1920x0_80_0_0_f0651997c11891154ef2ce7d7baf7054.jpg On Wednesday, Brazil and China announced the establishment of a clearing house that would provide for the settlements without using the US dollar, as well as lending in national currencies to facilitate and reduce the cost of transactions and get rid of dollar dependence in the bilateral relations. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was set to visit China from March 26-31, but may reportedly reschedule the trip to the country to April 11-13 to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping because the Brazilian leader was diagnosed with pneumonia last week. https://sputnikglobe.com/20221006/chinese-rmb-displaces-us-dollar-as-most-traded-foreign-currency-on-moscows-stock-exchange-1101585274.html china brazil Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International yuan-denominated trade, china, brazil, trade, brics, yuan https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/burkina-faso-set-to-resume-diplomatic-ties-with-dprk-1108944591.html Burkina Faso Set to Resume Diplomatic Ties With DPRK Burkina Faso Set to Resume Diplomatic Ties With DPRK In this article you can read about bilateral relations between Burkina Faso and North Korea 2023-03-30T08:28+0000 2023-03-30T08:28+0000 2023-03-30T08:28+0000 africa west africa burkina faso north korea bilateral relations military cooperation /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/03/10/1108457770_0:320:3072:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_46c7d9dc39ea98a528ffbc717d5c3a4c.jpg Burkina Faso plans to resume diplomatic relations with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the nations Foreign Minister Olivia Rouamba has announced. Bamako has also approved the appointment of Chae Hui Chol as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of North Korea to Burkina Faso. The Ambassador will be residing in Dakar, Senegal.The main focus of the partnership will reportedly be military equipment, mining, healthcare, agriculture, and research.The Burkinabe FM has also stated that previously her country had "very good relations with North Korea, which was a privileged partner during the period of the August 1983 Revolution."In 2017, Bamako officially cut ties with Pyongyang over the UNs sanctions against the DPRK's new nuclear weapons program.Recently, the West African country decided to distance itself from its ex-metropole France and terminated the military cooperation treaty signed in 1961. As the terrorism threat in the country persists, the Burkinabe government is now looking for new partners in the military sphere. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230328/north-koreas-leader-orders-boost-to-nuclear-weapons-production-1108855305.html africa west africa burkina faso Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Tamara Vakhromova Tamara Vakhromova News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Tamara Vakhromova north korea and burkina faso, military cooperation, bilateral relations, ambassador to burkina faso, resuming relations https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/china-welcomes-dilma-rousseff-as-head-of-brics-bank-1108957625.html China Welcomes Dilma Rousseff as Head of BRICS Bank China Welcomes Dilma Rousseff as Head of BRICS Bank China welcomes Dilma Vana Rousseff, former president of Brazil, as president of BRICS New Development Bank (NDB), Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press conference on Thursday. 2023-03-30T12:36+0000 2023-03-30T12:36+0000 2023-03-30T12:36+0000 world china brazil brics brics new development bank (ndb) dilma rousseff /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/104842/79/1048427981_0:219:4256:2613_1920x0_80_0_0_efa641aae94b737bd7cf1e84a4d53a3b.jpg The former Brazilian president was unanimously elected as president of the multinational bank by NDBs Board of Governors last Friday. Rousseff will replace Marcos Troyjo, a Brazilian diplomat and economist. "Mrs. Dilma Vana Rousseff, a renowned stateswoman and economist devoted to global development over the years, enjoys high prestige and significant influence in the world. China welcomes the assumption of office by Mrs. Rousseff [...] We believe that under her wise and professional leadership, and with the concerted efforts of all member states, the NDB will realize greater achievements and development, and make greater contribution to the development and prosperity of emerging economies and developing countries, including BRICS countries," Mao said. Rousseff served as Brazilian president from 2011 to 2016. She was impeached in August 2016 after the parliament accused her of misusing public funds. The NDB is an international financial institution established in 2014 following the BRICS summit by an agreement between Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. It aims to mobilize resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS countries, as well as other emerging market and developing countries through the provision of loans, guarantees, and other financial instruments as part of state and private projects. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/brazil-china-sign-agreement-to-trade-in-yuan-1108944998.html china brazil Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International brics, brics new development bank (ndb), dilma rousseff, brazil, china https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/chinas-3-military-ships-move-toward-area-of-joint-us-japan-south-korea-drills-1108967726.html China's 3 Military Ships Move Toward Area of Joint US-Japan-South Korea Drills: Tokyo China's 3 Military Ships Move Toward Area of Joint US-Japan-South Korea Drills: Tokyo two Chinese missile destroyers and one tanker moved through the Tsushima Strait to the Sea of Japan where joint naval drills will be held by Japan, the United States and South Korea, the Japanese Joint Staff said on Thursday. 2023-03-30T15:53+0000 2023-03-30T15:53+0000 2023-04-06T12:15+0000 asia china south korea asian version of nato japan /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/03/16/1094080723_0:45:1200:720_1920x0_80_0_0_53de324c2032b83a1afd52cf758d7954.jpg On Tuesday, China's Type 052D guided missile destroyer was spotted 240 kilometers (149 miles) of the Goto islands in Japan's prefecture of Nagasaki, with China's Type 055 destroyer and a tanker detected in the area an hour later, the joint staff said, adding that the three ships went through the Tsushima Strait toward the Sea of Japan the next day. The Japanese news agency reported earlier in the week that the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier and its strike group arrived at a port in the South Korean city of Busan and is expected to take part in joint drills along with South Korea and Japan in the Sea of Japan. On Monday, the US ship conducted joint exercises with South Korean naval forces in the waters off the southern resort island of Jeju. In what media called an apparent response to the joint US-South Korea naval exercise, North Korea launched two ground-to-ground tactical ballistic missiles to test a nuclear warhead in the air on Monday. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230322/us-increasing-military-presence-in-asia-pacific-region-to-deter-russia-china-shoigu-says--1108682980.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230227/japan-mulling-purchase-of-about-400-tomahawk-cruise-missiles-from-us-media-reports-1107832247.html china south korea japan Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International china, japan, south korea, military drills, asian version of nato https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/consular-access-granted-to-arrested-us-wsj-journalist-russian-foreign-ministry-1108971655.html Consular Access Granted to Arrested US WSJ Journalist: Russian Foreign Ministry Consular Access Granted to Arrested US WSJ Journalist: Russian Foreign Ministry Consular access has been granted to the arrested Wall Street Journal Moscow bureau correspondent Evan Gershkovich, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Sputnik on Thursday. 2023-03-30T17:55+0000 2023-03-30T17:55+0000 2023-03-30T17:55+0000 world wall street journal journalist espionage /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/03/1e/1108971377_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_e49ea97635651fc07701f3c2a4466917.jpg Earlier in the day, the Lefortovo District Court of Moscow told Sputnik that it has decided to arrest Gershkovich for two months over espionage suspicions. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said that Gershkovich was detained in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg on a suspicion of espionage for the United States. According to FSB, Gershkovich collected classified information about the activities of one of Russian military-industrial complex firms. "Yes," Zakharova said, answering the question whether Gershkovich has been granted consular access. The diplomat gave no further details on the matter. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International evan gershkovich https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/eu-set-to-destroy-own-car-industry-with-combustion-engine-ban-expert-warns-1108954994.html EU Set to Destroy Own Car Industry With Combustion Engine Ban, Expert Warns EU Set to Destroy Own Car Industry With Combustion Engine Ban, Expert Warns Brussels has effectively set about ending the European Union's leading role in global car exports with its 2035 phase-out of internal combustion engines, Samuele Furfari, a professor of geopolitics of energy at ESCP Business School in London, told Sputnik. 2023-03-30T11:42+0000 2023-03-30T11:42+0000 2023-03-30T11:42+0000 economy european union (eu) combustion electric car /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/106619/68/1066196841_0:219:4590:2801_1920x0_80_0_0_dcd69c758f9ea99310229af2375e0514.jpg On Tuesday, the European Commission adopted a regulation that sets 2035 as the deadline for taking gas- and diesel-powered cars off the road. Italy and several other EU members stepped in at the last moment to carve out an exemption for vehicles that run on e-fuels, which are synthetic fuels produced from renewable electricity sources. Furfari, a Belgian engineer who used to manage the European Commission's biofuels research program, called the phase-out untenable and dangerous for EU car exports, which have already dropped by 23 billion euros ($25 billion) in 2021 from their peak of 150 billion euros in 2015. The EU accounted for 7.33% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions in 2021, according to a 2022 report. Moreover, EU transport emissions made up only 1% of the total, making the phase-out of fossil fuel-powered vehicles pointless, Furfari said. The expert warned that the German-driven energy transition risked putting thousands of jobs on the chopping block in Europe, since production of combustion engines is labor-intensive, while the electric car industry is not. Electric vehicles are also too expensive to make and have been thriving on subsidies despite the EU being a market economy, the professor added. The EU's bid to have electric vehicles replace combustion engine cars will also require rebuilding electricity networks from top to bottom. This will come at a very high price, which will be borne by all electricity consumers in Europe, Furfari told Sputnik. Furfari estimated that oil remained the most widely used primary source of energy in the EU, while alternative transportation fuels had been the European Commission's pipe dream for decades. The EU already tried to produce biofuels economically between 1975 and 1990, the expert recalled. The expert said it was illusory and incomprehensible to rely on unreliable and expensive electricity sources, such as wind and solar, to produce chemicals that are found cheaper outside the bloc. Mandating the use of electric, hydrogen or e-fuel vehicles is a mistake, he said, and European taxpayers will shoulder its cost. https://sputnikglobe.com/20210906/electric-car-fires-may-become-issue-as-number-of-such-vehicles-continues-to-grow-expert-says-1083809638.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20210805/biden-to-set-goal-of-50-electric-vehicles-sales-by-2030-on-thursday-white-house-says-1083535104.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International european union, european economy, european auto industry, combustion engine https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/former-us-attorney-for-missouri-says-biden-social-media-companies-engaged-in-censorship-1108965641.html Former US Attorney for Missouri Says Biden, Social Media Companies Engaged in Censorship Former US Attorney for Missouri Says Biden, Social Media Companies Engaged in Censorship Former U.S. Attorney General and current Senator for Missouri Eric Schmitt testified on Thursday that President Joe Bidens administration and social media companies have jointly engaged in the countrys largest speech censorship. 2023-03-30T15:02+0000 2023-03-30T15:02+0000 2023-03-30T15:02+0000 americas us joe biden censorship /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/08/1a/1100033815_0:446:2745:1990_1920x0_80_0_0_0636e63403293c55c916964aed54f356.jpg On Thursday, U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt, Attorney General for Louisiana Jeff Landry, the Special Assistant Attorney General for Louisiana John Sauer and Professor of Constitutional Law at Stanford Matthew Seligman, were called to testify before the Weaponization of the Federal Government Hearing, The testimony happens as Missouri and Louisiana have sued the Biden Administration for its alleged involvement in freedom of speech censorship under the guise of fighting disinformation, jointly with social media companies such as Meta*, Twitter, and YouTube. During his testimony, Schmitt presented several instances of the Biden administration's alleged censorship efforts during the 2020 elections, notably when the president suggested Facebook* CEO Mark Zuckerberg be subject to civil liability and even criminal prosecution for not engaging in censoring disfavoured speech.*Meta/Facebook is banned in Russia as an extremist organization. https://sputnikglobe.com/20221102/disinformation-crusaders-how-big-tech-became-us-blobs-executioner-of-free-speech-1102998030.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230112/trump-calls-on-congress-to-investigate-how-the-deep-state-censored-americans-1106240165.html americas Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International joe biden, censorship, social media, witch hunting https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/french-pm-borne-to-meet-with-trade-unions-representatives-on-april-5---cfdt-1108939834.html French PM Borne to Meet With Trade Unions Representatives on April 5 - CFDT French PM Borne to Meet With Trade Unions Representatives on April 5 - CFDT French PM Elisabeth Borne will meet with representatives of trade union organizations to discuss the controversial pension reform on April 5, said the deputy secretary general of the French Democratic Confederation of Labour (CFDT), Marylise Leon. 2023-03-30T00:00+0000 2023-03-30T00:00+0000 2023-03-30T00:00+0000 world europe france general confederation of labor (cgt) pension reform talks laurent berger union /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/04/19/1095042286_0:0:3071:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_e7a815bf6f866233aad46f0534d8b141.jpg Earlier on Wednesday, the general secretary of the CFDT, Laurent Berger, said that trade unions had received an official invitation from the head of the French government to discuss the pension reform.The report noted that the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) had not yet confirmed the date.The pension reform, proposed by the French government in January and adopted in March, provides for an increase in the retirement age from 62 to 64. Since the beginning of the year, people all across France have been taking to the streets to protest against the measure. france Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International france pension reform, elisabeth borne talks with the union, general confederation of labor gcl talks with borne when, deputy secretary general of the french democratic confederation of labour marylise leon, what are the aftermath of the french pension reform https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/honduran-president-to-pay-official-visit-to-china---foreign-ministry-1108940817.html Honduran President to Pay Official Visit to China - Foreign Ministry Honduran President to Pay Official Visit to China - Foreign Ministry MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Honduran President Xiomara Castro will make an official visit to China to conclude agreements between the two countries after Beijing and... 30.03.2023, Sputnik International 2023-03-30T01:29+0000 2023-03-30T01:29+0000 2023-03-30T01:29+0000 world china taiwan honduras xiomara castro /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/03/11/1108491293_0:80:2600:1543_1920x0_80_0_0_ad0d2d9eb907a04901b9da9836e5f3b9.jpg "President Xiomara Castro will soon travel to the People's Republic of China for an official visit to sign mutually beneficial agreements between the two countries," the ministry said on Twitter. On Sunday, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang met with his Honduran counterpart, Enrique Reina, in Beijing, with the two officials signing a joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations between the countries following their meeting. At the same time, the Honduran Foreign Ministry announced that it had severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Following the announcement, Taiwan's foreign ministry said that it was severing diplomatic relations with Honduras and closing its embassy in the Central American country. china honduras Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International china, taiwan, honduras, xiomara castro https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/international-court-of-justice-declares-freezing-of-part-of-irans-assets-by-us-illegal-1108967551.html International Court of Justice Declares Freezing of Part of Iran's Assets by US Illegal International Court of Justice Declares Freezing of Part of Iran's Assets by US Illegal The UN International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that the freezing of a part of Iran's assets by the United States is illegal and a compensation is required to be paid, Vice-President of the Court Kirill Gevorgian said on Thursday. 2023-03-30T15:47+0000 2023-03-30T15:47+0000 2023-03-30T19:16+0000 world us international court of justice iran /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/101790/77/1017907734_0:270:5184:3186_1920x0_80_0_0_bb2d6a38fc91a94e2a8d87ba3204d758.jpg The The United States violated its obligations under the Treaty of Amity, Economic Relations and Consular Rights of 1955 with Iran, and thus has to pay compensation to Tehran for the consequences and violations of international obligations, according to Gevorgian. The amount of compensation will be determined at a later stage of the proceedings, according to the court's decision.Commenting on this development, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said the ICJ ruling serves as another proof of the "legitimacy" of Iran's positions, as well as of the United States' "wrongful behavior."At the same time, the ICJ ruled it had no jurisdiction over the case involving assets of the Iranian central bank worth nearly $2 billion that were frozen by the US, thus rejecting Iran's bid to unblock said assets."The court by ten votes to five upholds the objection to jurisdiction raised by the United States of America," Gevorgian said as he read the ruling.In 2016, the US Supreme Court ruled that the frozen Iranian assets should be paid to families of the victims of the US Marine Corps barracks bombing in Beirut in 1983. This move prompted Tehran to bring this matter to the ICJ the same year. https://sputnikglobe.com/20210502/us-may-reportedly-un-freeze-7-billion-worth-of-iranian-assets-1082785078.html iran Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International international court of justice, us, iran, tehran, freezing iran assets https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/lavrov-and-his-nicaraguan-counterpart-moncada-hold-press-conference-in-moscow--1108948346.html Lavrov and His Nicaraguan Counterpart Moncada Hold Press Conference in Moscow Lavrov and His Nicaraguan Counterpart Moncada Hold Press Conference in Moscow Russia has long been supporting Nicaragua and its struggle for sovereignty since the revolution. Recently, Rosatom expressed interest in wind energy projects in this country, while Russian government donated 348.5 tons of flour to Nicaragua to support children. 2023-03-30T10:42+0000 2023-03-30T10:42+0000 2023-03-30T10:42+0000 world russia nicaragua daniel ortega /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/107756/49/1077564941_0:0:3071:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_3bcaa84758bf41b7ab461580554d2af3.jpg Sputnik is live from Moscow, where Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Nicaraguan counterpart Denis Moncada are holding a joint press conference. Earlier, the two ministers held talks to discuss a broad range of bilateral issues. Recently, Rosatom expressed an interest in developing wind energy projects in Nicaragua, while the Russian government donated 348.5 tons of flour to the country to support local children.Analysts agree that Russia and Nicaragua have remained stalwart allies since Daniel Ortega and his followers toppled the oligarchic pro-US Somosa clan and defended the nation's sovereignty during the CIA-instigated civil war. Until now, Western countries have continued to attack Nicaraguan independence - recently Managua even had to expel the US ambassador and sever diplomatic ties with the Netherlands over interference in its internal affairs.Follow Sputnik live feed to learn more! russia nicaragua Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Lavrov and Nicaraguan FM Moncada give press conference in Moscow Lavrov and Nicaraguan FM Moncada give press conference in Moscow 2023-03-30T10:42+0000 true PT30M38S 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia, nicaragua, struggle for sovereignty, contra war, sergey lavrov, https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/maryland-bills-might-give-start-to-recreational-marijuana-market-1108941861.html Maryland Bills Might Give Start to Recreational Marijuana Market Maryland Bills Might Give Start to Recreational Marijuana Market Maryland lawmakers are working to establish a recreational cannabis market before the end of the legislative session. This initiative was triggered by voters' approval of recreational marijuana legalization during November's election. 2023-03-30T04:06+0000 2023-03-30T04:06+0000 2023-03-30T04:08+0000 americas us maryland marijuana marijuana legalization recreational marijuana market us drug enforcement administration /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/1c/1082209430_0:107:2048:1259_1920x0_80_0_0_51355c9017dc60b1adf89867762dd95f.jpg The legalization bill, House Bill 837, was passed to ease the Maryland's marijuana possession rules but failed to create a regulatory framework for cannabis sales. Consequently, lawmakers had to work on the regulatory framework during the 2023 legislative session, which is nearing its end.Although possession of up to 1.5 ounces for adults 21 and above was decriminalized on Jan. 1 and will be fully legalized on July 1, lawmakers are working under a tight deadline to establish a functioning market by summer.Cannabis Money IssueApproved last week, Senate Bill 516 with amendments, allowed creating an independent Maryland Cannabis Administration to regulate the industry. The entity will operate separately from the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission and will implement a flat 9% sales tax once cannabis is legalized on July 1.The Senate's bill will move to the Budget and Taxation Committee before being presented to the full Senate for voting. The House of Delegates also passed its legislation, House Bill 556, which proposes a 6% tax for the first fiscal year and increasing it by 1% each year until 10% in 2028. It also would create a cannabis-supervising division in the Maryland Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Commission, unlike the Senate's bill that proposes an entirely new and separate authority.Both bills aim to address the inequities that affected the state's medical marijuana industry by putting 30% of the revenue generated from the marijuana tax into a community reinvestment fund. The bills defines social equity applicants as businesses owned by individuals who lived or attended school in areas with high rates of cannabis possession charges. To such applicants the bill grants access to low-interest loans via a specialized program.Green ProspectsIf lawmakers succeed in enacting legislation by July 1, Maryland would be the first state in the region to greatly overhaul recreational weed industry:At the federal level, marijuana remains a Schedule 1 controlled substance, meaning a drug with no current medical use and high potential for abuse, which prohibits its sale and distribution. President Joe Biden pardoned some federal marijuana possession charges last year, and directed the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to reconsider its scheduling, but the DEA has not made any announcements regarding that since. https://sputnikglobe.com/20221017/uber-to-start-delivering-cannabis-in-toronto-1101988863.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20210701/apple-lifts-ban-on-marijuana-delivery-apps-as-three-us-states-legalize-cannabis--1083287936.html americas maryland Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Egor Shapovalov Egor Shapovalov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Egor Shapovalov maryland marijuana, house bill 837, senate bill 516, house bill 556, marijuana legalisation, recreational marijuana, maryland cannabis administration, marijuana in usa, will us legalize recreational marijuana https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/military-industrial-complex-and-neo-cons-getting-rich-off-aimless-proxy-war-in-ukraine--1108969536.html Military Industrial Complex and Neo-Cons Getting Rich Off 'Aimless' Proxy War in Ukraine Military Industrial Complex and Neo-Cons Getting Rich Off 'Aimless' Proxy War in Ukraine The US military-industrial complex and its neocon "tools" in Congress and the American government are using the Ukraine conflict for self-enrichment while... 30.03.2023, Sputnik International 2023-03-30T17:58+0000 2023-03-30T17:58+0000 2023-03-30T17:58+0000 us ukraine analysis weapons us military aid oversight house oversight committee house foreign affairs committee michael mccaul /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/05/09/1095366756_0:72:1348:830_1920x0_80_0_0_bef16b734178b7a2748c5662f3fcf35c.jpg House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul stated at the March 29 committee hearing that out of the $113 billion in US aid for Ukraine, around 60% is going to American troops, workers, and to modernizing US stockpiles, while just 20% of the funding is going directly to the Kiev regime in the form of direct budgetary assistance.McCaul highlighted at the March 29 hearing that he conducts the Ukraine aid oversight not to question the importance of support for Kiev, but to incentivize the Biden administration and Ukraine to use funds from Congress "with the highest degree of efficiency and effectiveness." The congressman and his peers insisted that the US has little to lose and much to gain from arming the Kiev regime. According to them, the weapons supplies to Ukraine cause problems for the Russian military on the one hand, while also providing an opportunity to reinvigorate the US military-industrial complex.McCaul also claimed that the funds are disbursed to Kiev following verification that the money is spent on approved items and activities. He went on to say that all funds also are subject to external, third-party monitoring by Deloitte. Additionally, the third-party watchdogs are reportedly cooperating with Ukraines Ministry of Finance to review its monitoring, transparency, verification, and reporting systems and procedures, according to the congressman. However, in April 2022, the American media quoted US officials and Pentagon sources as saying that Washington has few ways to track its arms sent to Ukraine. Multiple international agencies, including Interpol and Europol, have repeatedly raised concerns over the weapons smuggling problem in Ukraine. In October 2022, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova revealed that every month over $1 billion worth of NATOs weapons earmarked for Kiev end up in the hands of militants from the Middle East, Central Africa and Southeast Asia. Earlier, the US-funded 2021 Global Organized Crime Index dubbed Ukraine one of the largest arms trafficking markets in Europe. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230329/fractured-ukraine-poisoned-by-depleted-uranium-win-scenario-for-pentagon-says-ex-dod-official-1108935140.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/no-evidence-of-weapon-misuse-in-ukraine-claim-us-officials-during-hearing-on-aid-1108941170.html ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Ekaterina Blinova Ekaterina Blinova News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ekaterina Blinova us aid for kiev, us military aid for ukraine, oversight of us aid for ukraine, us military-industrial complex, us defense contractors, ukraine corruption, ukraine weapons smuggling, ukraine selling us weapons on dark web, illegal arms trade in ukraine, ukraine black market weapons, us neocons, us defense lobbyists https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/moscow-court-arrests-wsj-reporter-for-2-months-in-espionage-case-1108958650.html Moscow Court Arrests WSJ Reporter for 2 Months in Espionage Case Moscow Court Arrests WSJ Reporter for 2 Months in Espionage Case he Lefortovo District Court of Moscow has decided to arrest Wall Street Journal Moscow bureau correspondent Evan Gershkovich for two months over espionage suspicions, the court told Sputnik on Thursday. 2023-03-30T12:59+0000 2023-03-30T12:59+0000 2023-03-30T13:23+0000 russia justice espionage fsb journalist detention /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/101510/09/1015100918_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_f9bc0456b7d3b8899da7a6c7f8b74a2c.jpg Earlier in the day, Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) investigators asked the Lefortovo District Court of Moscow to arrest the journalist. Earlier in the day, the FSB said that Gershkovich was detained in Yekaterinburg on a suspicion of espionage for the US. On instructions from Washington, Gershkovich collected classified information about the activities of one of Russian military-industrial complex firms, the FSB said. He was detained in Yekaterinburg while trying to obtain secret information.Commenting on the Gershkovich's detention Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier in the day that the journalist was caught red-handed."The only thing I can say is that, as far as we know, he was caught red-handed," Peskov told reporters when asked if Moscow will cooperate with the US intelligence services on the matter.Commenting on a possible response measure by the US, the official expressed the hope that there will be no reaction."We hope that this will not happen and this should not happen because once again I repeat it is not about suspicions, it is about the fact that he was caught red-handed," he said.Additionally, he said that employees of the WSJ Moscow bureau can continue to work if they are accredited. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230209/good-fellas-the-history-of-us-covert-actions-at-home-and-abroad-1107257954.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International justice, russian court, judicial system, wall street journal, evan gershkovich, espionage https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/moscow-says-foreign-journalists-to-receive-visas-despite-incident-with-wsj-correspondent-1108963825.html Moscow Says Foreign Journalists to Receive Visas Despite Incident With WSJ Correspondent Moscow Says Foreign Journalists to Receive Visas Despite Incident With WSJ Correspondent Foreign journalists will not have any problems with receive visas despite the arrest of the WSJ correspondent, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday. 2023-03-30T14:30+0000 2023-03-30T14:30+0000 2023-03-30T14:30+0000 russia russian foreign ministry wall street journal /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/02/17/1107745660_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_8d6ed510b9e59ae9e81809cac5eecd9a.jpg Earlier in the day, the Lefortovo District Court of Moscow told Sputnik that it has decided to arrest Wall Street Journal Moscow bureau correspondent Evan Gershkovich for two months over espionage suspicions. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/what-is-known-about-wsj-journalists-detention-in-russia-1108960804.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russian foreign ministy, maria zakharova, wall street journal correspondent arrested https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/moscow-says-washingtons-calls-to-leave-russia-seem-to-be-addressed-to-us-spies-1108976000.html Moscow Says Washington's Calls to Leave Russia Seem to Be Addressed to US Spies Moscow Says Washington's Calls to Leave Russia Seem to Be Addressed to US Spies MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has joked about the White House's recent calls for US citizens to immediately leave... 30.03.2023, Sputnik International 2023-03-30T21:40+0000 2023-03-30T21:40+0000 2023-03-30T21:40+0000 russia john kirby maria zakharova evan gershkovich /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/03/1e/1108968984_0:0:2747:1546_1920x0_80_0_0_0b74e7583fc36d5ec558ca19a0a88bfc.jpg On Thursday, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby urged US citizens to leave Russia, following the detention of Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich in the country. On Wednesday, Gershkovich was detained in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg on suspicion of espionage in favor of the United States, the Russian Federal Security Service said, adding that the journalist had collected classified information about the activities of one of Russia's military-industrial complex firms. On Thursday, the Lefortovo District Court of Moscow told Sputnik it had ruled that the reporter be put in pre-trial detention for two months. The Wall Street Journal denies the allegations of espionage. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/what-is-known-about-wsj-journalists-detention-in-russia-1108960804.html russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia, john kirby, maria zakharova, evan gershkovich https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/nato-deputy-chief-says-ukraine-military-aid-topped-70bln-1108972569.html NATO Deputy Chief Says Ukraine Military Aid Topped $70Bln NATO Deputy Chief Says Ukraine Military Aid Topped $70Bln NATO allies provided Ukraine with 65 billion euros ($70.8 billion) in military funding over the past year, NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana said on Thursday. 2023-03-30T18:30+0000 2023-03-30T18:30+0000 2023-03-30T18:30+0000 world nato ukraine assistance /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/03/0c/1108303454_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_38a93e9acae09c1cb2ccd52bf219f2ed.jpg "Over the last year NATO allies have provided financial humanitarian and military support to Ukraine worth close to 150 billion euros, including 65 billion euros of military support," he said during the Vincent Briscoe annual security lecture at Imperial College London. Geoana said in a lecture at Imperial College London that the alliance expected the Ukrainian conflict to shape global security for decades to come. He spoke after unveiling a NATO tech hub on the Imperial College's White City Campus that will specialize in dual-use defense and commercial technologies. Russia has been warning countries giving weapons to Ukraine that it sees military shipments as legitimate targets. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that NATO allies' arming and training Ukrainians are tantamount to a direct involvement in the conflict. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230329/us-rolls-out-playing-cards-meant-to-help-ukrainian-troops-learn-about-nato-weapons-1108920387.html ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International nato assistance to ukraine https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/no-evidence-of-weapon-misuse-in-ukraine-claim-us-officials-during-hearing-on-aid-1108941170.html No Evidence of Weapon Misuse in Ukraine, US Officials Claim During Hearing on Aid No Evidence of Weapon Misuse in Ukraine, US Officials Claim During Hearing on Aid On Wednesday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee on aid to Ukraine lawmakers spent hours listening to witness testimony from officials observing the agencies responsible for distributing the billions in aid given to Ukraine by America. 2023-03-30T03:24+0000 2023-03-30T03:24+0000 2023-04-20T17:06+0000 world house foreign affairs committee black market lloyd austin us defense department military aid /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/03/13/1108562932_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_8766ffc15fbb5893a11579b324fb2335.jpg The watchdogs claim that so far, no evidence of misuse of American funds or weapons has been seen in Ukraine.Some Republican lawmakers have criticized the Biden administration for giving Ukraine what House Speaker Kevin McCarthy described as a blank check in the lead-up to the midterm elections that took place in November.During the hearing, however, Republican lawmakers seemed to back away from that assertion, clarifying that the hearing did not indicate that they are unwilling to send more aid to Ukraine.That did not satisfy Democratic lawmakers in the committee, including New York Representative Gregory Meeks who said that the MAGA Republicans are helping Russia simply by holding the hearing. Representative Ted Lieu, a Democrat from California, took it a step further, saying the committee should instead be talking about how to get more weapons into the hands of Ukrainians.The watchdogs admitted that they do not have a full accounting of every dollar spent in Ukraine. We're doing oversight at the speed of war, said Department of Defense Inspector General Robert Storch.The watchdogs also admitted that the situation may change as the conflict progresses.One Republican suggested that a new office be created specifically to monitor aid to Ukraine, something the United States did in 2008 with Afghanistan.In contrast to the assurances from US watchdogs, multiple international agencies, including Interpol and Europol, have expressed concerns that the weapons in Ukraine may end up in other European countries or elsewhere in the world. In October, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the monthly amount of weapons smuggling in Ukraine exceeds $1 billion.Last June, a screenshot of US-made Javelin rocket launchers being sold on the dark web was posted by ASB Military News on Telegram. The United States dismissed the post as Russian propaganda.The issue of F-16 fighter jets and MQ-9 drones, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly asked for, also came up during the hearings.That wont help them in this current fight, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin said, while not ruling out the possibility that they could be given F-16s or some other fourth-generation aircraft in the future, likely after the conflict.Austin also said that the F-16s would be counteracted by Russias robust air defense capabilities.Russia has warned the United States and NATO about providing further weapons to Ukraine, saying that doing so will increase the risk of a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO. https://sputnikglobe.com/20220718/very-worrying-swedish-police-ring-alarm-bell-over-gangs-armed-with-anti-tank-weapons-1097408238.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Ian DeMartino Ian DeMartino News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ian DeMartino ukraine aid misuse, corruption, black market, weapons https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/petition-calling-for-placing-us-nuclear-arms-in-ukraine-registered-on-zelenskys-website-1108967290.html Petition Calling for Placing US Nuclear Arms in Ukraine Registered on Zelensky's Website Petition Calling for Placing US Nuclear Arms in Ukraine Registered on Zelensky's Website A petition calling for stationing US nuclear weapons on the territory of Ukraine has been registered on the website of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys office. 2023-03-30T15:43+0000 2023-03-30T15:43+0000 2023-03-30T15:43+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine ukrainian crisis /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/105173/51/1051735167_0:354:1019:927_1920x0_80_0_0_6497082ff152c4c2d8885f4b7495e2a5.jpg The initiative was published on Thursday and has 92 days to collect 25,000 signatures necessary for the official review by Zelensky's office. On March 25, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russian tactical nuclear weapons would be placed in Belarus, with the storage for weapons expected to be finished by July 1. Putin stated that the move was in response to the activities of the US that had been stationing its nuclear arms in Europe for decades. The Russian president's message sparked significant concern among the US and European leaders. The UN Security Council said a special meeting will be held on March 31 to discuss Putin's announcement. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230217/narrative-to-arm-ukraine-with-nuclear-weapons-to-prevent-conflict-dangerous-un-official-says-1107554734.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International zelensky regime, nuclear arms for zelensky regime, war crimes https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/rec-russian-exporters-showcase-it-solutions-at-smart-cities-india-1108947488.html REC: Russian Exporters Showcase IT Solutions at Smart Cities India REC: Russian Exporters Showcase IT Solutions at Smart Cities India Russian companies participating in the Made in Russia exposition held over 100 meetings at the Smart Cities India, an international exhibition of technology and infrastructure. The exhibition was held in New Delhi from 27 to 29 March, the Russian Export Centre (REC, part of the VEB.RF) reported. 2023-03-30T09:08+0000 2023-03-30T09:08+0000 2023-03-30T09:08+0000 russia russian export center jsc (rec) india russian economy /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/0c/16/1091725173_1:0:1125:632_1920x0_80_0_0_284a7600689dd3f369f15cbe1c0e3697.jpg After showcasing cutting-edge solutions for urban infrastructure, some of the Russian exhibitors have already agreed upon their first deliveries to India.The Made in Russia exhibitors presented vending terminals and ticket inspectors for public transport, digital tools for city lighting management and traffic control, innovative packaging for safe transportation, materials and products used in various construction and chemical industries, and other products.Participants held 106 meetings during the 3-day exhibition. These included Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, one of the country's leading providers of intelligent transport systems, as well as companies involved in traffic control solutions, information security, digital transformation, contactless open-loop products and online/offline transaction processing capabilities.As a result of the meetings, the companies reached initial agreements on the supply of ticket validators for public transportation, GPS/GLONASS terminals, driver behavior monitoring systems, and dashboard cameras.In addition, a multilateral meeting with representatives of the Indian Chamber of International Business was held on the sidelines of the exhibition, during which the participants discussed the prospects of developing a smart city in India using Russian solutions.The Trade Representation of the Russian Federation in the Republic of India also organized a multilateral meeting. There, the companies discussed the possibilities of entering the Indian market. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230320/russias-medical-technologies-get-high-marks-at-expomed-eurasia-russian-export-center-says-1108597651.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russian economy, russian business, russian cooperation with india, india, russia, smart cities https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/rec-to-promote-russian-products-on-chinas-most-popular-messaging-app-wechat-1108949282.html REC to Promote Russian Products on China's Most Popular Messaging App, WeChat REC to Promote Russian Products on China's Most Popular Messaging App, WeChat The Russian Export Center (REC, part of the VEB.RF) is launching an official account on WeChat, a multipurpose social media, messaging and payment app developed in China 2023-03-30T10:18+0000 2023-03-30T10:18+0000 2023-04-11T12:13+0000 economy russian export center jsc (rec) wechat chinese economy /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/04/0b/1109351848_246:0:900:368_1920x0_80_0_0_450cee1be8fa9464f9728fff6f8e5397.jpg REC to Promote Russian Products on China's Most Popular Messaging App, WeChat REC to Promote Russian Products on China's Most Popular Messaging App, WeChat Russian goods presented in national online stores under the "Made in Russia" brand will be promoted there for free, the center reports.To take advantage of promotional opportunities in the Chinese market, an exporter must submit an online application for placement in one of the national stores through the My Export digital platform and obtain a "Made in Russia" certificate.In order to find the RECs account on WeChat, just type "Made in Russia" in the search box. The first publication there is a general article with links to active national stores. In the near future, a catalog of Russian-certified products will appear there. It will provide the Chinese public with information and links to Russian products that can be purchased. The promotion of the account will also be launched very soon. In addition, the first advertising campaign will be devoted to the relaunch of the project to develop a network of national online stores, of which there are already more than 10 in China, and the national "Made in Russia" brand promotion program.If an exporter wants to get his goods into the network of national stores on Chinese marketplaces and advertise on WeChat, he should take the following steps: first, he needs to use the free international marketplace selection service on the "My Export" digital platform. It will help him determine the target country for export, as well as analyze the company's readiness to export and the company's development strategy.Then the exporter must choose the National Store, which is located in one of the Chinese marketplaces, and apply for placement and promotion there. This can be done at the exporter's own expense or with government support from regional export support centers - this option is available to small and medium-sized enterprises. The service includes the design and placement of product cards in the marketplace account, export shipment support and advice on import conditions, as well as organizing sales for 12 months and basic promotion.The exporter can obtain a "Made in Russia" certificate both before submitting an online application for placement and promotion in national stores, and during the service process itself. It is important to note that the "Made in Russia" certificate is issued only for voluntary certificates of conformity. You can find out all the details and submit an application at the RECs website.After the product hits the online shelf, Chinese WeChat users learn about it through a promotion with a "Made in Russia" account.National stores are joint online stores on foreign marketplaces where you can find Russian goods in various categories from different sellers. In addition, the goods must have a "Made in Russia" certificate. The project is promoted by the Russian Export Center in cooperation with the Russian government under the national brand "Made in Russia".In total, there are 30 national stores in China, Turkey, Vietnam and other countries in Southeast Asia. For example, national stores in China are located on marketplaces such as Kuaishou, Douyin, Tmall, 1919 and Taobao; in Turkey - on Trendyol and Amazon; in Southeast Asia - on Lazada and Shopee. https://sputnikglobe.com/20210416/chinas-q1-gdp-sees-record-growth-rises-by-183--1082645284.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230303/russian-juice-brand-hits-shelves-of-central-china-russian-export-center-says-1107980664.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia, russian export center, wechat, russian economy, business https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/russia-calls-for-probe-into-bucha-events-asks-un-for-list-of-victims-1108969134.html Russia Calls for Probe Into Bucha Events, Asks UN for List of Victims Russia Calls for Probe Into Bucha Events, Asks UN for List of Victims Russia is calling for an independent investigation into the last year events in the city of Bucha, near Kiev, and calls on the United Nations to publish a list of the victims, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday. 2023-03-30T16:54+0000 2023-03-30T16:54+0000 2023-03-30T16:54+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine russia ukraine /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/03/1e/1108968984_0:0:2747:1546_1920x0_80_0_0_0b74e7583fc36d5ec558ca19a0a88bfc.jpg "We are saying it once again. In order to find out the truth, it is necessary to carry out a fair, impartial, independent investigation, which should be focused on giving answers to four questions: identification of bodies, time and cause of death, signs of possible transportation of the bodies," Zakharova said during her press conference. Russia has requested the full list of Bucha's residents, who died at the time of the events, from the UN, but the organization has not provided such a list yet, Zakharova added. The UN referred to the lists of victims available on the Internet and in social media, but Moscow would like to deal with official information, the official said, adding that the events in Bucha were a provocation aimed at scuttling the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, as well as imposing new anti-Russia sanctions. In April, the Russian Ministry of Defense said that no residents of Bucha suffered from any violent actions while the city was under Russian control. https://sputnikglobe.com/20220801/french-volunteer-i-witnessed-bucha-frame-up-1098000423.html russia ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia, ukraine, ukrainian crisis, ukrainian conflict, war in ukraine, russian special military operation, bucha, bucha events, bucha massacre https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/russia-to-keep-close-eye-on-nord-stream-blast-investigators-1108970117.html Russia Vows Not to Let Nord Stream Investigations Off the Hook Russia Vows Not to Let Nord Stream Investigations Off the Hook Russia will do everything to not allow investigators of blasts at the Nord Stream pipelines to get "off the hook" easily, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday. 2023-03-30T17:27+0000 2023-03-30T17:27+0000 2023-03-30T18:56+0000 nord stream sabotage russia nord stream nord stream 2 nord stream 1 nord stream ag /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/07/08/1097116390_0:130:2501:1536_1920x0_80_0_0_ebd8c7b47b157e7bff7f2d0ee239f4e2.jpg "Our next steps will be to keep these national investigations and those who have sworn that this will be enough to establish the truth from getting off the hook the topic is far from closed," Lavrov told reporters. Russia had no illusions regarding transparency of the investigation conducted by Western countries into the blasts on the Nord Stream pipelines, the Russian minister also stated. "Nevertheless, for all this skepticism about how the Western investigation [into Nord Stream blasts] will end, we will not let them get away with it. They have all refused to support an international investigation, citing the impeccability of investigations in their own narrow circle. I don't think they can get away with it," Lavrov said. Russian officials have been demanding that countries probing the blasts should let Moscow join the investigation, stressing that only a truly international investigation that would include Russian specialists can provide credible data on the issue. Despite Russia's calls, the UN Security Council on Monday rejected a Russia-drafted resolution asking for a UN-led investigation into the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines. China, Russia and Brazil voted in favor of the resolution, while all the other members abstained. Earlier in the month, Danish media reported that Copenhagen would not allow Moscow to take part in the investigation of the sabotage at Nord Stream. Russia considers the explosions of the two pipelines an act of international terrorism. There are no official results of the investigation yet. US journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner Seymour Hersh alleged that the explosions were organized by the United States with the support of Norway. Following Hersh's report, Moscow reiterated its calls for an impartial and thorough investigation. The US has denied its involvement in the incident. In March, The New York Times reported that intelligence suggested the involvement of a "pro-Ukrainian group" in the Nord Stream incidents. US officials said there was no proof the Ukrainian leadership was involved in the operation. German newspaper Zeit reported later, citing investigators, that the attacks had been carried out by six people of unknown nationality with the use of a boat rented from a firm based in Poland and owned by two Ukrainians. Russian President Vladimir Putin, in turn, called the version of the involvement of Ukrainian activists in the explosion "a complete nonsense." https://sputnikglobe.com/20230328/sleboda-us-uk-and-eu-will-never-allow-impartial-probe-into-nord-stream-bombing-1108863112.html russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International nord stream sabotage, nord stram explosion https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/russia-to-keep-notifying-us-of-icbm-slbm-launches-under-1988-agreement-moscow-says-1108950759.html Russia to Keep Notifying US of ICBM, SLBM Launches Under 1988 Agreement Russia to Keep Notifying US of ICBM, SLBM Launches Under 1988 Agreement Russia will keep notifying the United States of launches of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM) under the 1988 treaty, Russian Deputy Foreign Ministry Sergey Ryabkov said on Thursday. 2023-03-30T09:55+0000 2023-03-30T09:55+0000 2023-03-30T10:01+0000 russia new start treaty icbm submarine-launched ballistic missile (slbm) /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/05/16/1095694793_0:0:1357:764_1920x0_80_0_0_76a33939939af8beeab8bf6b82752526.jpg "Obviously, we said it," Ryabkov said when asked if Russia plans to keep notifying the US of such launches. The deputy foreign minister also said that all forms of information sharing under the New START treaty have been suspended but Moscow will keep notifying Washington of ICBM and SLBM launches "as a gesture of good will." Ryabkov also mentioned that the US has been informed "in a written form" of Russias position on the New START treaty. https://sputnikglobe.com/20221028/all-you-need-to-know-about-nuclear-arsenals-of-russia-china-us-1102802193.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International news start treaty, icbm, russia, slbm https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/south-africa-wont-be-sudden-enemies-with-russia-at-other-countries-demand-1108964707.html South Africa Won't 'Be Sudden Enemies' With Russia at Other Countries' Demand South Africa Won't 'Be Sudden Enemies' With Russia at Other Countries' Demand South African officials have repeatedly criticized the increasing pressure of Western countries, including the United States and the European Union, on the Africa countrys leadership to cut relations with Moscow. 2023-03-30T18:56+0000 2023-03-30T18:56+0000 2023-03-30T18:56+0000 africa southern africa south africa russia west naledi pandor /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/03/1e/1108964959_0:0:3073:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_fad61a97d4f606e123289ce99fa9ae68.jpg South African International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor said ahead of bilateral talks with Russias Natural Resources and Environment Minister, Alexander Kozlov, that the South African government would not sever friendly ties with Moscow at the behest of other countries.Pandor made the remarks to the press in Pretoria while standing alongside the Russian minister before the kickoff of the 17th Session of the South AfricaRussia Joint Inter-Governmental Committee.In connection with an "arrest warrant" issued on March 18 by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Russian President Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes related to the Russian military operation in neighboring Ukraine, Western media reported earlier that Pretoria is currently taking legal advice on how to deal with the situation in the event that Putin accepts an earlier invitation for joining the 2023 BRICS summit host by South Africa.Since South Africa is a signatory to the Rome Statute that established the ICC, the Western media believes that the South African government, which has taken a neutral stance since in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict despite pressure by the US and the EU, might be obliged to hand over the Russian leader to the court.Speaking about the Pretoria's relations with Russia in January, Pandor told Sputnik that Moscow is perceived as a "great friend" of South Africa.Within the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) alliance as well as on a bilateral basis, South Africa is currently forging relationships with Moscow. China, Russia, and South Africa recently took part in coordinated naval exercises. Moreover, South Africa abstained from voting in favor of a UN General Assembly resolution that criticized Russia for holding referendums in the DPR, the LPR, and the Kherson, and Zaporozhye Regions in October 2022. According to experts, the West generally opposes collaboration between Pretoria and Moscow. For instance, the US approved a measure in May 2022 to oppose Russia's "malign" efforts in Africa, which obstruct Washington's objectives and interests on the continent. The measure allows for sanctions against African nations who cooperate with Russia in a variety of domains. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230110/us-pressures-africa-over-russia-relations-south-african-defense-minister-says-1106189370.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230228/wests-ironic-comedy-fatf-graylisted-south-africa-over-ties-with-russia-expert-says-1107866004.html africa southern africa south africa russia west Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Muhammad Nooh Osman https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/08/0e/1080170965_2:0:2050:2048_100x100_80_0_0_1de8233c87df0979e7e74f61b6ffacad.jpg Muhammad Nooh Osman https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/08/0e/1080170965_2:0:2050:2048_100x100_80_0_0_1de8233c87df0979e7e74f61b6ffacad.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Muhammad Nooh Osman https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/08/0e/1080170965_2:0:2050:2048_100x100_80_0_0_1de8233c87df0979e7e74f61b6ffacad.jpg south african, naledi pandor, south africa russia ties, russia and africa, russian policy on africa, west pressure on africa https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/taiwans-president-to-engage-with-lawmakers-during-transit-through-us-state-dept-says-1108968528.html Taiwans President to Engage With Lawmakers During Transit Through US, State Dept. Says Taiwans President to Engage With Lawmakers During Transit Through US, State Dept. Says Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen will have an opportunity to engage with various members of US Congress during her transit through the United States, US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink. 2023-03-30T16:38+0000 2023-03-30T16:38+0000 2023-03-30T16:38+0000 world us taiwan tsai ing-wen /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/105509/64/1055096445_0:0:2930:1648_1920x0_80_0_0_517dcc70a9ef984e82da28a4b87d894b.jpg We anticipate that President Tsai will have an opportunity to meet with members of the Taiwan diaspora. We expect that she'll have an occasion to exchange views and deliver remarks with various groups, and we also anticipate, as has always been the case, that President Tsai will have an opportunity to engage with various members of Congress, Kritenbrink said during a press briefing. Earlier on Friday, Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen arrived in New York for the first time in more than three years on a stopover ahead of visits to Central American self-governed islands of Guatemala and Beliz. Later the same day, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said that China firmly opposed any official interactions between the US and Taiwan as well as any visits by Tsai to the US under whatever pretext, calling Tsais plans to stop in the US just for a transit "a lie." https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/tsais-visit-to-us-cant-curb-chinas-growing-political-influence-in-the-world-risk-analyst-says-1108958770.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International us, taiwan, tsai ing-wen, taiwanese leader transit through us https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/trump-indicted-by-ny-grand-jury---cnn-1108976648.html Trump Indicted By NY Grand Jury - CNN Trump Indicted By NY Grand Jury - CNN Former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, according to CNN who cites "multiple sources familiar with the mater." 2023-03-30T22:10+0000 2023-03-30T22:10+0000 2023-04-03T16:55+0000 donald trump indictment donald trump's indictment /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/03/09/1108220583_0:0:3073:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_872436c8cb04ee2b3bd922d6f134d84f.jpg Former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, according to CNN who cites "multiple sources familiar with the matter."This is the first time a current or former President of the United States has faced criminal charges. The indictment is under seal and will be announced in the coming days. The charges against Trump are not known at this time.The case centers around a $130,000 payment made by Attorney Michael Cohen to adult film star Stormy Daniels shorty before the 2016 election. Cohen, who was not Trump's lawyer at the time, was then allegedly paid by the Trump campaign. Those payments were labelled as legal expenses and were not included in the campaign's finance reports.Cohen pled guilty in 2018 for charges related to tax fraud and campaign finance violations. He claimed that Trump ordered him to make the payments to Daniels and then reimbursed him in monthly installments and a bonus, in payments totaling $420,000.The payments to Daniels were part of a non-disclosure agreement Daniels signed to prevent her from going public about accusations that she had a sexual relationship with Trump, something that Trump denies.Trump has repeatedly dismissed the investigation, as well as the various other legal challenges he is facing, as politically motivated witch-hunts.Legal observers say the charges will likely focus on falsifying business records, because the Trump campaign reported that the payments were for legal services that Cohen never rendered. That would only result in a misdemeanor, but it has been suggested that by showing it was done to cover up another crime, it could be bumped up to a felony, though that would depend on untested legal theory.Trump attorney Alina Habba released a statement after the news broke, calling Trump a victim of a corrupt justice system.Trump released a statement on his social media site calling the indictment "blatant Election Interference [sic]"According to CNN, Trump's newest defense attorney, Joe Tacopina, said that Trump will likely be arraigned early next week. Earlier he issued a joint statement with Susan Necheles, another member of Trump's legal team, saying that they will "vigorously fight this political prosecution in Court."Earlier this month, Trump said that he expected to be arrested on March 21. After that did not happen and reports said that the grand jury was on break until late April, Trump praised the grand jury and legal system.Prior to this indictment, Trump had managed to avoid legal trouble. He settled several lawsuits out of court and while he was impeached twice as president, he managed to avoid convictions both times.In December, the Trump Organization was convicted on multiple tax fraud charges but Trump, who had passed off the day to day operations of the organization to his children, was not charged in that case.Trump is also under investigation in Georgia, where prosecutors are looking into his and his allies alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in that state. And there is a federal investigation underway looking into his handling of classified documents after leaving office. That case resulted in an FBI raid on his Mar-a-Lago estate, where authorities seized thousands of documents from Trump's home.Trump, who declared his intention to run for President again in 2024, would not be prevented from running for President, even if convicted.Since the initial CNN report, several media outlets have confirmed with their sources that the Manhattan grand jury have voted to indict Trump. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230310/trump-may-soon-face-indictment-after-reportedly-being-asked-to-testify-before-manhattan-court-1108241196.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Ian DeMartino Ian DeMartino News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ian DeMartino donald trump indictment, arrest, trial, new york https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/tsais-strategy-of-provoking-beijing-backfiring-on-taiwan-as-it-keeps-losing-allies--1108967041.html Tsai's Strategy of Provoking Beijing Backfiring on Taiwan as It Keeps Losing Allies Tsai's Strategy of Provoking Beijing Backfiring on Taiwan as It Keeps Losing Allies Tsai Ing-wens attempts to enhance the Washington-Taipei relationship and secure diplomatic ties with Central American states come as Taiwan's nine diplomatic... 30.03.2023, Sputnik International 2023-03-30T17:28+0000 2023-03-30T17:28+0000 2023-03-30T17:28+0000 taiwan analysis us opinion xi jinping ukraine saudi arabia iran taipei economy /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/03/1e/1108969297_0:0:2501:1407_1920x0_80_0_0_582182c2b22fa207099f48c0168b0818.jpg "The main goals obviously pursued by President Tsai are enhancing the relationship between Washington and Taipei and securing the diplomatic relations with Guatemala and Belize," Dr. Chang Ching, military expert on the People's Liberation Army and regional security and senior research fellow of the Taiwan-based Society for Strategic Studies, told Sputnik. "Nevertheless, no matter how hard the efforts ever paid by Taipei, the possibility for a structural change such as the United States severing its diplomatic relations with Peoples Republic of China and shifting diplomatic recognition to Republic of China is totally nonexistent."On March 30, Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen arrived in New York City on her way to Central America. She is also expected to visit Los Angeles and meet with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on her way back. Tsai's "transit" visit is fraught with serious risks, according to Dr. Antonio C. Hsiang, professor at Chiles ANEPE (La Academia Nacional de Estudios Politicos y Estrategicos) and a Board Member of Taiwans Society for Strategic Studies.First, it decreases US credibility in what it sees as its backyard when countries ignore US preferences and choose Beijing over Taipei, Hsiang noted, citing Honduras' decision to establish diplomatic ties with Beijing despite Washington's pressure. Second, a real danger may arise as Tsai's visit is ramping up tensions on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Third, by seeking closer ties to the US to counter domestic weakness, transit diplomacy risks making the island less attractive for investments and undermining its economy.Why China is Unlikely to Pick a Military OptionWhile some observers suggest that Tsai's visit to the US may prompt Beijing to resort to the use of force in order to speed up the reunification with the island, other experts insist that this scenario is unlikely.Speaking to Sputnik on March 30, Ross Feingold, a political risk analyst, noted in response to Tsai's "transit visit", Beijing may either launch military drills near the island akin to those it kicked off following then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei last year or slap restrictions on the transit of some goods in and out of Taiwan.On the other hand, China is serious about becoming an influential peace broker, as Jonathan Sullivan, director of China Programs at the University of Nottingham's Asia Research Institute in the UK, told Sputnik on March 22. Sullivan referred to Beijing's success in mediating the historic reconciliation between Iran and Saudi Arabia earlier this month.Prior to that, in February, Beijing presented a 12-point proposal that called for the resumption of peace talks between Kiev and Moscow. China's latest peace efforts came within the framework of the country's new Global Security Initiative, which lays out practical measures to address current security challenges.Some observers argue that against this backdrop, it seems highly unlikely that the PRC would resort to the use of force when it comes to Taiwan, even though Chinese President Xi Jinping hinted last October that this option is on the table.Still, on March 13, 2023, Xi again emphasized the importance of promoting the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, while addressing the closing meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress. He pointed out that Beijing would take resolute steps to advance the process of the country's peaceful reunification.Taiwan Leaders Pushing the Island Towards Self-Destructing ConflictMeanwhile, it appears that US policymakers and Tsai Ing-wen are deliberately trying to provoke China into over-reacting on the Taiwan issue, according to Hsiang.Dr. Chang Ching appears to agree that Tsai, who completes her term next year, has chosen a wrong path:"Sadly to say, the cross-strait relations are an essential element for retaining diplomatic relations with other states in international society. During President Mas administration, the struggle of diplomacy between [the] two sides of the Taiwan Strait cooled down since Taipei and Beijing were engaged more constructively. Yet, it totally changed after President Tsai came to power in 2016. We have lost nine states that originally recognized us diplomatically since then," the scholar concluded. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/tsais-visit-to-us-cant-curb-chinas-growing-political-influence-in-the-world-risk-analyst-says-1108958770.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230322/xi-putin-meeting-marks-tectonic-geopolitical-shift-which-west-not-ready-for-1108697550.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230329/china-urges-us-to-stop-all-forms-of-official-interaction-with-taiwan-1108927096.html ukraine saudi arabia iran taipei china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Ekaterina Blinova Ekaterina Blinova News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ekaterina Blinova tsai's stopover in new york city, tsai's transit visit to the us, us relations with taiwan, does us recognize taiwan as country, one china policy, what is one china policy, china's peace proposal, china mediated peace between iran and saudi arabia, china's global security initiative, taiwan economic downturn, taiwan's diplomatic allies, what countries recognize taiwan https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/tsais-visit-to-us-cant-curb-chinas-growing-political-influence-in-the-world-risk-analyst-says-1108958770.html Tsai's Visit to US Can't Curb China's Growing Political Influence in the World Tsai's Visit to US Can't Curb China's Growing Political Influence in the World Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen's "transit visit" to the US is consistent with Washington's policy of having close relations with the island while maintaining the appearance of non-official ties, Ross Feingold, a political risk analyst, told Sputnik. 2023-03-30T13:22+0000 2023-03-30T13:22+0000 2023-03-30T13:27+0000 analysis us asia-pacific region southeast asia taiwan taipei china one china policy tsai ing-wen new york city /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/104935/99/1049359993_0:305:4424:2794_1920x0_80_0_0_8bc6606f3cbd17ed236aea6bff0c3916.jpg On March 30, Tsai Ing-wen made the first unofficial stopover in New York City, the US, on her way to Central America. The Taiwanese leader has embarked on a 10-day diplomatic tour to Guatemala and Belize in the wake of Honduras' decision to cut ties with the island and establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China under the "One China" principle. Honduras becomes Taipei's ninth diplomatic ally that it has lost to Beijing since Tsai Ing-wen first took office. Now only 13 countries recognize Taiwan.Tsai's diplomatic charm offensive will be wrapped up with a second unofficial stopover in Los Angeles where she is due to meet US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby insisted on March 29 that Tsai's transit through the US is private, unofficial, and consistent with the One China policy. However, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning rubbished Kirby's claim as a "lie" and warned Washington against official interactions between the US and Taiwan as well as any visits by Tsai to the US under whatever pretext. Beijing sees Taiwan as an inalienable part of the People's Republic of China.While it's always possible that a small country, maybe in the Pacific, in the Caribbean, might terminate its relations with China and establish diplomatic relations with Taiwan, it's highly unlikely that any major international players will switch sides and embrace Taipei instead of Beijing, according to the political risk analyst. In this respect, Tsai's "transit visit" to the US is unlikely to change the existing status quo."It's a long term trend with China's economic growth and political influence around the world," Feingold said. "The countries that previously had relations with Taiwan will end those relations and enter into diplomatic relations with China. But we should keep in mind that Taiwan has very strong, unofficial relations with the countries that are most relevant to Taiwan, whether that's trade relations or security relations. They don't call them diplomatic relations. But in reality, those relations are almost identical, as if they did have diplomatic relations, whether that's with the United States or Japan, Australia, increasingly, several countries in Western Europe as well. So having diplomatic relations has important value as well for Taiwan, but ultimately its most important relationships are with the United States and certain other Western countries and Japan. And it hasn't had diplomatic relations with those countries for many decades. Reversing this, I don't think that's really an issue because it's not realistic that countries are going to suddenly end their diplomatic relations with China and establish diplomatic relations with Taiwan. It's always been China's policy not to agree that countries could have diplomatic relations with both China and Taiwan. So it's one way or the other. And I don't see many countries making that choice." https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/taiwanese-leader-tsai-arrives-in-new-york-media-reports-1108944853.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230329/china-urges-us-to-stop-all-forms-of-official-interaction-with-taiwan-1108927096.html southeast asia taipei china new york city los angeles Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Ekaterina Blinova Ekaterina Blinova News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ekaterina Blinova tsai's stopover in new york city, tsai's stopover in los angeles, tsai's transit visit to us, tsai's diplomatic trip to central america, house speaker kevin mccarthy due to meet tsai, one china principle, one china policy https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/turkish-parliament-ratifies-finlands-nato-membership-protocol---deputy-speaker-1108976777.html Turkish Parliament Ratifies Finland's NATO Membership Protocol - Deputy Speaker Turkish Parliament Ratifies Finland's NATO Membership Protocol - Deputy Speaker The Grand National Assembly of Turkey ratified the protocol on Finland's membership in NATO, Deputy Speaker Haydar Akar said. Thus, all NATO members have ratified Finland's accession to the alliance and only a few formal procedures remain. 2023-03-30T22:23+0000 2023-03-30T22:23+0000 2023-03-30T23:40+0000 world nato finland turkiye /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/05/0b/1095415457_0:0:2963:1668_1920x0_80_0_0_2533676f6f88813ba6491f40e5544343.jpg Before Finland officially becomes a member of NATO, an exchange of letters will take place, after which Helsinki's accession documents must be formally submitted to the US State Department, which serves as the alliance's depository under the 1949 NATO Founding Treaty.On March 23, the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Turkish Parliament considered the ratification of Finland's protocol on NATO membership, adopted it and subsequently submitted it to Parliament for consideration.Later in the day, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto commented on the ratification of Helsinki's NATO bid by Turkiye and expected Sweden to enter the alliance as fast as possible.NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg noted that Finlands accession to the bloc will make NATO "stronger and safer."On Monday, Finland's membership in NATO was supported by the Hungarian parliament. Turkey was the last of the alliance's members to vote on the issue.Last May Finland and Sweden applied to join NATO. Turkiye initially blocked the application process, but in June Ankara, Stockholm and Helsinki signed a security memorandum that addressed Turkiye's concerns.Nevertheless, because of the scandalous burning of the Quran in front of the Turkish embassy in Sweden, Turkiye has said that it is not ready to ratify the accession of Sweden to NATO. Hungary also did not approve Sweden's application at the moment because of interstate disagreements. finland turkiye Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International finland nato membership, finland became nato memeber, turkiye ratified finland nato bid, deputy speaker haydar akar, turkish parliament https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/turkiye-will-not-repeat-mistake-of-eu-members-that-suspended-their-npps-1108941432.html Turkiye Will Not Repeat Mistake of EU Members That Suspended Their NPPs Turkiye Will Not Repeat Mistake of EU Members That Suspended Their NPPs ISTANBUL (Sputnik) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara will not repeat the mistake of EU members that suspended their nuclear power plants (NPPs) and then decided to restart them due to the energy crisis. 2023-03-30T03:31+0000 2023-03-30T03:31+0000 2023-03-30T03:31+0000 world nuclear power plant turkiye turkiye recep tayyip erdogan akkuyu nuclear power plant /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/03/0a/1082307886_0:161:3069:1887_1920x0_80_0_0_f256760d2e504ac20f9cae45d37e7d03.jpg Earlier, Erdogan said that on April 27 nuclear fuel will be supplied to to the Akkuyu NPP in Mersin. He did not rule out that Russian President Vladimir Putin would take part in the ceremony. From the moment of fresh nuclear fuel delivery, the Akkuyu NPP will become a nuclear facility, and Turkiye will become a country with nuclear power industry, the Akkuyu Nuclear design company told Sputnik earlier. "Germany first decided to close the NPP; I told German Chancellor Scholz: 'You are making a mistake. He said: 'Europe wants it that way.' Now Germany has returned to nuclear power industry, has begun to use coal. We will not find ourselves in such a situation," he said. Erdogan earlier said the opposition is playing into the hands of the West, declaring its intention to revise the Akkuyu NPP project and state investments in the defense industry. In its election manifesto in January, an alliance of six Turkish opposition parties said it intended to "review the current state of the Akkuyu NPP project and relevant details, as well as rights or obligations that have arisen outside the plant agreement." Russia is taking part in the construction of the Akkuyu NPP, which began in April 2018. It will be the first nuclear power plant in Turkiye. The plant, which will be equipped with advanced Russian VVER-1200 reactors, is expected to generate about 35 billion kilowatt-hours per year and cover up to 10% of Turkiye's electricity needs. The project is estimated to cost about $20 billion. turkiye turkiye Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International turkiye, nuclear power plants, turkey and russia, akkuyu power plant "Today, around 01:20 a.m. [10:20 p.m. GMT Wednesday], the Israeli enemy carried out air aggression with the help of several missiles from the side of the occupied Golan Heights, delivering strikes on a number of positions in the vicinity of the city of Damascus. Our air defense systems responded to enemy missiles and shot down several of them. As a result of the aggression, two servicemen were wounded and material damage was inflicted," the Syrian ministry said. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/uganda-dispatches-troops-for-peacekeeping-mission-to-drc-1108949750.html Uganda Dispatches Troops for Peacekeeping Mission to DRC Uganda Dispatches Troops for Peacekeeping Mission to DRC In this article you can read about peacekeeping efforts in the DR Congo 2023-03-30T12:50+0000 2023-03-30T12:50+0000 2023-04-20T17:06+0000 africa east africa uganda m23 rebels kenya burundi eac regional force operation in drc military aid /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/03/1e/1108958091_0:134:2560:1574_1920x0_80_0_0_fbd2380fc2e31f345961960e9d74f244.jpg Uganda has dispatched its troops as part of East African Community Regional Force for a peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).The flag-off ceremony was held on Wednesday by Uganda Peoples Defense Forces (UPDF) commander for Land Forces, Lt. Gen. Kayanja Muhanga. It was attended by Senior UPDF Officers, special invited guests and residents of the area.While the official press-release hasn't disclosed the exact number of troops being dispatched to the DRC, AFP reported that Uganda had sent 1,000 soldiers.During his speech, Muhanga noted that this mission brings the UPDF to a new level of peacekeeping operations. Colonel Michael Walaka Hyeroba commands Ugandan troops.Currently, there are more than 120 militant groups acting in the eastern DRC, including M23 which seized some parts of the country's territory since it relaunched its fight against the Congolese government forces. Despite the recently announced ceasefire clashes between the rebels and the government forces reportedly continue. In order to hamper the conflict in the region, East African nations leaders agreed last summer to establish regional forces.Uganda, Burundi and Kenya earlier sent their military contingent to DR Congo to take part in the mission. South Sudan has also announced that it would deploy some 750 troops to the DRC. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230322/rising-insecurity-hinders-un-aid-delivery-in-eastern-dr-congo-1108683175.html africa east africa uganda kenya burundi Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Tamara Vakhromova Tamara Vakhromova News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Tamara Vakhromova drc and uganda, ugandan troops, east african nations help the dr congo, m23 rebels attacks, pacifying the eastern drc https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/ukrainian-commercial-court-notes-kiev-pechersk-lavras-monks-claim-lawyer-says-1108957926.html Ukrainian Commercial Court Notes Kiev-Pechersk Lavra's Monks' Claim, Lawyer Says Ukrainian Commercial Court Notes Kiev-Pechersk Lavra's Monks' Claim, Lawyer Says Kiev Commercial Court noted the claim filed by the Orthodox Christian monks of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, a historic monastery in the Ukrainain capital, Protopriest Nikita Tchekman, the clerics' legal adviser, said, adding the first session will take place on April 26. 2023-03-30T12:47+0000 2023-03-30T12:47+0000 2023-03-30T12:47+0000 world ukrainian crisis ukrainian orthodox church (uoc) /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/03/1c/1108863592_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_a7376099ddc325bde115412083f0e5ba.jpg The monks also pleaded for a formal ban on any actions by the National Kiev-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Preserve, in which the monastery is located, that would disrupt the everyday life of the religious community. The conflict around Kiev-Pechersk Lavra escalated after the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture terminated the lease agreement unilaterally, accusing the monks of violating the terms of the deal, and ordered them to leave the Lavra by March 29. Ukrainian Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko said the monks could stay if they joined the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). However, Metropolitan Bishop Pavel (Lebed), viceregent of the Lavra, said that no compromise was possible. The Russian Orthodox Church says the UOC is a "self-governing church with the rights of broad autonomy" within the Moscow Patriarchate. However, in the wake of the military operation that Russia launched in Ukraine more than a year ago, the UOC said it was independent from the Moscow Patriarchate and did not support the special op. In January, the Ukrainian government submitted a bill to parliament that seeks to ban the UOC in Ukraine if its connection with Russia is proven. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230329/priest-condemns-godless-zelensky-regimes-seizure-of-kiev-pechersk-lavra-during-great-lent--1108925813.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230329/synod-member-zelenskys-us-handlers-likely-behind-decision-to-seize-kiev-pechersk-lavra--1108933149.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International kiev-pechersk lavra, ukrainian orthodox church, orthodox church. christianity Neutral nations give missiles as Western arms makers cannot supply the demand of Ukraine. Supplied drop in the stockpiles of non-neutral nations that are supposed to give such arms. NATO cannot sustain its proxy nor even supply its forces. It's alleged that western nations have resorted to asking client-neutral nations to give missiles from their stocks. Supplies drop as a western nation cannot convince Ukraine to slow down despite pleas from its western backers. Neutral nations give missiles to Ukraine Instead of curtailing the war, it's the opposite of it as parties indirectly involved in the conflict are providing weapons. It's western arms producers trying to make up for the shortfall. Based on the investigation done by confirming firms like the French Crotale, Mistral, and Milan missiles are part of the war in Ukraine pushed by NATO reported Intelligence Online. After more than one year of the Ukraine conflict that has compromised the stockpile of western ordnance. French officials are silent as France is complicit in the arming of Kiev. What is noticeable is these neutral countries have not been declared as direct participants. The west miscalculated and resorted to all sorts of gimmicks to prevent the defeat of Ukrainian forces. Arms supplies drop as western nations cannot fuel the rate of consumption One of them is India which sticks to not aligning with anyone but the Indian government has consented to provide several thousand Milan anti-tank missiles of several variants reported Almayadeen. Included among these nations is the UAE, Saudi Arabia, with Qatar, sent a few hundred Mistral anti-aircraft systems that were sent to Ukraine. Read also: US Pentagon Says Military Aid for Kyiv Will Be Sent via the Sea Instead Another known supporter of Kiev is Finland giving military aid and revealing it in public mentioned RFERL.. But most Gulf states, including South Korea who don't want to be compromised between Moscow and Beijing, are silent in giving Mistral. Nations that have given larger ground-to-air Crotale missile systems (Military Today) are not publicly supporting Ukraine. That group includes Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, with South Korea providing the bulk of it that has Egypt donating to the Ukrainians too. How these systems get sent is already documented by Intelligence Online which discovered several facts about how it reaches Kiev. Most can do so but prefer to send it to France. Once there are some changes like markings where they originated from if Russians get it like French missile manufacturer MBDA does this. Arms for Ukraine is a headache for everyone but Washington insists on it Seoul is one supporter of Kiev that has been made public but others prefer not to be associated with the US proxy because they want to be neutral. Such nations like India, Saudi, and the UAE told off the US and its cohorts it's not interested to burn bridges by applying sanctions. This has frustrated the US in particular denying its involvement in the Ukraine War. Several nations like India will not sanction Russia for cheap oil as the US scrambles to cut this connection. Even the UAE has accepted Russian oligarchs which is an affront to the White House but it cannot do anything. Israel is another nation helping Kiev. Many neutral nations don't want to give missiles but the US is doing everything to help Ukraine. Due to it supplies of relevant arms drop as the AFU allegedly wastes ammo. Related article: US Ammunition Stockpiles Seriously Low After Biden Administration Approved Kyiv Lethal Aid @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/us-and-israel-spar-over-judicial-reform-eu-protests-and-strikes-spread-asean-to-dump-dollar-1108939556.html US and Israel Spar Over Judicial Reform; EU Protests and Strikes Spread; ASEAN to Dump Dollar US and Israel Spar Over Judicial Reform; EU Protests and Strikes Spread; ASEAN to Dump Dollar France descends into anarchy as strikes in Germany threaten the economy and Prague rallies against pension reform indicate overall block instability. 2023-03-30T04:05+0000 2023-03-30T04:05+0000 2023-03-30T13:05+0000 the critical hour radio benjamin netanyahu prague paris germany matt taibbi taiwan protests /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/03/1d/1108939409_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_d15e53691fa39c2089f989d42093a220.png US and Israel Spar Over Judicial Reform; EU Protests and Strikes Spread; ASEAN to Dump Dollar France descends into anarchy as strikes in Germany threaten the economy and Prague rallies against pension reform indicate overall block instability. Regis Tremblay, an American citizen in Crimea, joins us to discuss Ukraine. President Zelensky argues that the loss of Artemovsk (Bakhmut) would put Russia in a position to achieve an unfavorable deal. Also, the UN Security Council does not have the votes to approve an investigation of the Nord Stream attack on Germany.George Koo, journalist, social activist, and international business consultant, joins us to discuss China. Honduras shifts away from the US position on China. Also, the President of Taiwan is meeting with US politicians.Dan Lazare, investigative journalist, and author of "America's Undeclared War," joins us to discuss the US Summit for Democracy and the EU. The Biden administration is holding an ironically named Summit for Democracy and the number of protests and rallies against neoliberal policies is growing in the EUBrian Berletic, ex-US Marine Corps independent geopolitical researcher and writer based in Bangkok, joins us to discuss foreign policy. The former president of Taiwan is traveling in China as the current president meets with US politicians. Also, Dr. Jeffrey Sachs argues that Ukraine needs to learn from the US geopolitical exploits in Afghanistan.KJ Noh, writer, teacher, and activist, joins us to discuss Asia. The ASEAN bloc is looking to ditch Western currencies as the international de-dollarization movement grows.Miko Peled, author, and activist joins us to discuss Israel. The Netanyahu administration is demonstrating frustration with the Biden foreign policy team as some members of the Israeli leadership accuse the State Department of fueling protests.Robert Fantina, journalist and Palestine activist, joins us to discuss the Middle East. The US occupation of Syria is getting more violent as the project to overthrow the Damascus government appears to be on the edge of collapse. Also, the Senate has defeated an amendment that would have authorized war with Iran.Daryl Jones, attorney, and voting rights activist, joins us to discuss domestic politics. President Biden's Summit for Democracy is running up against his foreign policy. Also, a potential ban on high-capacity magazines may flop in court.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.comThe views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik. prague paris germany Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Wilmer Leon https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114047_0:-1:238:238_100x100_80_0_0_4e3adef3e334e381bffe19d388f4b776.jpg Wilmer Leon https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114047_0:-1:238:238_100x100_80_0_0_4e3adef3e334e381bffe19d388f4b776.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Wilmer Leon https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114047_0:-1:238:238_100x100_80_0_0_4e3adef3e334e381bffe19d388f4b776.jpg the critical hour, nord stream investigation, who bombed the nord stream, nord stream sabotage, nord stream pipeline, who controls bakhmut, why bakhmut is important, summit for democracy, world dedollarization, what are world currencies, judicial reform in israel, israeli judicial reform, protests in israel, palestinians protests, protests in germany, protests in europe, french protests, https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/us-drones-heavily-involved-in-guiding-kievs-forces-before-russian-intercept-1108948606.html US Drones 'Heavily Involved' in Guiding Kiev's Forces Before Russian Intercept US Drones 'Heavily Involved' in Guiding Kiev's Forces Before Russian Intercept The crash of a US surveillance drone in the Black Sea earlier this month was a major embarrassment for the Pentagon. Mark Sleboda said the incident also crippled efforts to target Russian troop positions for Ukraine's forces. 2023-03-30T12:49+0000 2023-03-30T12:49+0000 2023-03-30T12:49+0000 russia us ukraine black sea mark sleboda mq-9 reaper su-27 sevastopol yemen john kirby /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/03/11/1108508502_57:0:1337:720_1920x0_80_0_0_c596d8e3bd712e2e76597081d18ccbb0.png A senior US military source told media earlier this week that US spy drones were "for the time being" giving a wide berth to Russia's Black Sea Coast "to avoid being too provocative." The source admitted that the new route plan "definitely limits our ability to gather intelligence," but there was "an appetite" at the Pentagon to return to more aggressive operations.The changes followed last week's incident when a US MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed into the sea after it was intercepted by two Russian Su-27 fighter jets while flying towards the Crimean region with its identifying transponder turned off.The US Department of Defense claimed the Russian pilots dumped fuel on the drone in several close passes, then one collided with it, damaging the propeller.But video footage released by the Pentagon ostensibly from the UAV, which it has failed to recover, crucially cuts before the alleged moment of impact, resuming with the drone flying in a different direction at much lower altitude. The Russian Ministry of Defence said the Reaper lost control after attempting rapid evasive manoeuvres and crashed into the sea.International relations and security analyst Mark Sleboda posed the question to Sputnik: "Did it crash or was it brought down?" The analyst also pointed out that western media reports of the Reaper incident have failed to mention that Russia declared a restricted air and sea space zone around Crimea at the start of its special military operation to de-Nazify Ukraine in February 2022."There is a normal precedent when militaries are involved to restrict airspace, to protect themselves and to keep other commercial traffic and other nations right out of the military zone," Sleboda stressed. "The US has restricted airspace over east Syria, where its occupation forces are still there... The US did the same thing around the northern part of the Persian Gulf there during its invasion of Iraq."US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, who was Pentagon press secretary until late May 2022, has insisted that US Air Force flights would continue as close as 12 miles from Russian territory in accordance with "international law."The foreign policy expert said the Pentagon's admission that the more southerly route taking by its aircraft since the incident was severely inhibiting their intelligence gathering capability and its "appetite" to return meant Russia's assertion of its no-fly zone would have a significant effect on fighting on the ground. "It is largely underestimated how important a role intelligence like that is in this conflict," Sleboda said. "It is very important. It is a huge advantage."He pointed out that the US would not accept military aircraft from a foreign country such as Cuba flying so close to its naval stations, "providing real time intelligence" as its drones and manned electronic intelligence aircraft are doing around its main Black Sea base at Sevastopol in Crimea. "The US, at least for the moment, is backing off," he noted.For more in-depth analysys, check out Fault Lines. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230316/russia-has-good-odds-of-retrieving-reaper-gaining-access-to-technology-and-info-1108474897.html russia ukraine black sea sevastopol yemen crimea Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 James Tweedie https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/08/1c/1080307270_0:3:397:400_100x100_80_0_0_7777393b9b18802f2e3c5eaa9cbcc612.png James Tweedie https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/08/1c/1080307270_0:3:397:400_100x100_80_0_0_7777393b9b18802f2e3c5eaa9cbcc612.png News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 James Tweedie https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/08/1c/1080307270_0:3:397:400_100x100_80_0_0_7777393b9b18802f2e3c5eaa9cbcc612.png russia, ukraine, us, drone, interception, mq-9 reaper, su-27, black sea, sevastopol, crimea https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/us-house-committee-passes-resolution-to-audit-money-sent-to-ukraine-1108966822.html US House Committee Passes Resolution to Audit Money Sent to Ukraine US House Committee Passes Resolution to Audit Money Sent to Ukraine US Congresswoman for Georgia Marjorie Taylor Greene announced on Thursday that her resolution to audit "every single" taxpayer dollar for Ukraine was passed by the House Foreign Affairs Committee. 2023-03-30T15:30+0000 2023-03-30T15:30+0000 2023-03-30T15:31+0000 americas us ukrainian crisis marjorie taylor greene /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/0c/16/1105694496_0:0:2997:1686_1920x0_80_0_0_55b4fa57351406f1d35573b53c5b20a4.jpg The committee passed the motion in a 90-20 vote. Earlier in March, Greene had said she remained committed to not supporting initiatives to send more money to Ukraine, rather encouraging Kiev to find a diplomatic resolution to the conflict. In February, the congresswoman had introduced a Resolution of Inquiry into Taxpayer Dollars Spent in Ukraine. Greenes proposal was aimed at achieving better transparency on where and how the funds were spent. The resolution, among other things, would request that US President Joe Biden, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken provide the House Committee with all information on the use of taxpayer money sent to Ukraine. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230329/west-doesnt-want-to-stop-ukraine-conflict-russian-foreign-minister-1108921627.html americas Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International us pumping kiev with weapons, ukrainian crisis, us, ukraine, audit https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/us-in-direct-contact-with-russia-on-detention-of-us-journalist-1108968345.html US in Direct Contact With Russia on Detention of US Journalist US in Direct Contact With Russia on Detention of US Journalist The US State Department has been in direct contact with the Russian government regarding the detention of American journalist Evan Gershkovich and is working to secure consular access, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Thursday. 2023-03-30T16:32+0000 2023-03-30T16:32+0000 2023-03-30T16:52+0000 world russia us journalist arrest detention espionage /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/06/08/1096125519_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_1f1c63714152af5b66140e392206cce6.jpg "Last night, White House and State Department Officials spoke with Mr. Gershkovichs employer, the Wall Street Journal. The Administration has also been in contact with his family. Furthermore, the State Department has been in direct touch with the Russian government on this matter, including actively working to secure consular access to Mr. Gershkovich," Jean-Pierre said in a press release.Meanwhile, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said that US President Biden has been briefed about reports regarding the detention of Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gerschkovich in Russia.Earlier in the day, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the US is concerned by the detention of a Wall Street Journal reporter and US citizen in Russia on suspicion of espionage and is in contact with the media outlet, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday. We are deeply concerned over Russias widely-reported detention of a US citizen journalist. We are in contact with the Wall Street Journal on this situation, Blinken said in a statement. Earlier in the day, the Lefortovo District Court of Moscow told Sputnik that it decided to arrest Wall Street Journal Moscow bureau correspondent Evan Gershkovich on suspicion of espionage. The Wall Street Journal denies the allegations. The Biden administration continues to urge US citizens in Russia to depart immediately, Blinken added. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/what-is-known-about-wsj-journalists-detention-in-russia-1108960804.html russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International evan gershkovich, wsj journalist, journalist detention, russia, us, karine jean-pierre, anthony blinken https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/washington-ignoring-situation-in-kiev-pechersk-lavra-russian-ambassador-to-us-says-1108942557.html Washington Ignoring Situation in Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, Russian Ambassador to US Says Washington Ignoring Situation in Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, Russian Ambassador to US Says The United States should pay attention to the situation in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra (Kiev Monastery of the Caves), and not engage in moralizing about democracy, Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov said. 2023-03-30T05:02+0000 2023-03-30T05:02+0000 2023-03-30T05:03+0000 world ukraine us kiev monastery /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/104157/86/1041578665_0:0:3000:1688_1920x0_80_0_0_93d945455c7bf95267fa3c37e47e637f.jpg "Americans should find courage to move from moralizing at the 'Summit for Democracy' towards meaningful steps to stop blasphemy and crackdown on the Orthodox community," Antonov said in a statement. On March 10, the National Kiev-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Preserve in Ukraine ordered the monks based in the monastery to leave it by March 29 after an interdepartmental Ukrainian commission accused the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) of violating the terms of an agreement on the use of state property. Ukrainian Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko said the monks could stay in the Lavra if they joined the schismatic Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). The Russian Orthodox Church says the UOC is a "self-governing church with the rights of broad autonomy" within the Moscow Patriarchate. However, in the wake of the special military operation that Russia launched in Ukraine more than a year ago, the UOC said it was independent from the Moscow Patriarchate and did not support the operation. In January, the Ukrainian government submitted a bill to parliament that seeks to ban the UOC in Ukraine if its connection with Russia is proven. ukraine kiev Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International kiev-pechersk lavra, conflict surrounding kiev-pechersk lavra, russia's position on kiev-pechersk lavra row Commenting on a possible response measure by the US, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed hope that there will be no reaction. "We hope that this will not happen and this should not happen because once again I repeat we are not talking about suspicion, it is about the fact that he was caught red-handed," he told reporters on Thursday. Commenting on a possible response measure by the US, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed hope that there will be no reaction. "We hope that this will not happen and this should not happen because once again I repeat we are not talking about suspicion, it is about the fact that he was caught red-handed," he told reporters on Thursday. Additionally, he underscored that employees of the WSJ Moscow bureau can continue to work if they are accredited. Additionally, he underscored that employees of the WSJ Moscow bureau can continue to work if they are accredited. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, for his part, said that the question of exchanging Gershkovich with the US is not on the table yet. "I would not raise a question in this regard at all now because, you know, some exchanges that took place in the past pertained to people who were already serving sentences," the Russian diplomat pointed out. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, for his part, said that the question of exchanging Gershkovich with the US is not on the table yet."I would not raise a question in this regard at all now because, you know, some exchanges that took place in the past pertained to people who were already serving sentences," the Russian diplomat pointed out. He spoke as Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on her Telegram channel that "What an employee of the US paper The Wall Street Journal was doing in Yekaterinburg has nothing to do with journalism. "Unfortunately, this is not the first time that the status of a foreign correspondent, a journalistic visa and accreditation are used by foreigners in our country to cover up activities that are not related to journalism. He is not the first well-known Westerner who got caught in action," Zakharova added. He spoke as Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on her Telegram channel that "What an employee of the US paper The Wall Street Journal was doing in Yekaterinburg has nothing to do with journalism."Unfortunately, this is not the first time that the status of a foreign correspondent, a journalistic visa and accreditation are used by foreigners in our country to cover up activities that are not related to journalism. He is not the first well-known Westerner who got caught in action," Zakharova added. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/white-house-indo-pacific-coordinator-says-india-will-never-be-ally-of-us-despite-ties-1108975864.html White House Indo-Pacific Coordinator Says India Will Never Be Ally of US Despite Ties White House Indo-Pacific Coordinator Says India Will Never Be Ally of US Despite Ties White House Indo-Pacific Affairs Coordinator Kurt Campbell said on Thursday that India will never be an ally of the United States despite close ties between the two countries. 2023-03-30T21:31+0000 2023-03-30T21:31+0000 2023-03-30T21:31+0000 americas india indo-pacific kurt campbell /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/01/0d/1081749492_0:0:3000:1688_1920x0_80_0_0_44548f3f7b6802fcd48b25f79fecf378.jpg Campbell added that he considers the US-India relationship the most important bilateral relationship for the US in the 21st century. The US seeks to deepen its relationship with India through more people-to-people, educational and health partnership, Campbell also said. Western media have recently led a smear campaign against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an effort to incite unrest in the country, Major General Dhruv Katoch, an Indian military expert and director of India Foundation research center, told Sputnik. Indias independent foreign policy aspirations and neutral stance on the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in the face of pressure have upset a number of Western countries, Katoch said. US President Joe Biden plans to host Modi for a state dinner in Washington this year, potentially in June, US media reported earlier this month. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230313/kremlin-russia-india-oil-cooperation-to-be-based-on-contacts-with-contractors-1108352896.html americas indo-pacific Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International india united states relations https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/why-are-more-eu-leaders-eager-to-visit-china-1108943353.html Why More EU Leaders Are Eager to Visit China Why More EU Leaders Are Eager to Visit China Several European leaders plan to visit China next month, among them French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Union Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell. 2023-03-30T06:33+0000 2023-03-30T06:33+0000 2023-04-12T17:05+0000 world china france spain pedro sanchez emmanuel macron ursula von der leyen european union (eu) /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/03/1e/1108943207_0:181:2995:1866_1920x0_80_0_0_204f6a75b9b98c1b23b8514c7fee1e95.jpg Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez starts his visit to China on Thursday, making him the second leader of a European country to visit the PRC since Beijing's rollback of its strict COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in 2022, which saw German Chancellor Olaf Scholzs trip to Beijing.Sanchez plans to hold commercially focused meetings during the Boao Forum for Asia on the Chinese island of Hainan on March 30 before traveling to Beijing to meet President Xi Jinping on March 31.The Spanish prime minister himself told reporters that he would find out firsthand what [Chinas] position is for peace in Ukraine, and transmit the message that the Ukrainians will be the ones who establish the conditions for peace.He added that Xi's previous invitation to Sanchez to visit China proves "the international recognition given to Spain during a time of such complex geopolitical difficulties."Sanchezs visit to China comes after Xi held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow last week to promote Beijings 12-point peace plan for Ukraine, which was rejected by some Western politicians as unviable. Putin, however, emphasized that the blueprint could be a basis for ending the Ukraine conflict when the West is ready to accept the plan.The plan called "China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis" in particular calls for the cessation of hostilities, resumption of peace talks, as well as the end of the Wests unilateral sanctions on Russia and an abandonment of the Cold War mentality.Who Else Plans to Visit China? French President Emmanuel Macron has meanwhile announced a readiness to visit China early next month to discuss the Ukraine standoff.Speaking to reporters last week, Macron said that he had suggested to [European Commission President Ursula] von der Leyen that she accompany him to China on April 4 so they could speak with a unified voice on the matter.Apart from Macron and Von der Leyen, European Union Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell said that he would visit China soon, even though the date of the trip has yet to be finalized.Cui Hongjian, director of the Department of European Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, told the newspaper that China is in a unique position in promoting the peaceful resolution of the Ukraine crisis.Separately, experts pointed to the development of China-EU relations, which they said is an objective and realistic necessity.The newspaper quoted Gao Jian, director of the Center for European Think Tank Studies at Shanghai International Studies University, as saying that in the post-COVID pandemic era, the global economy remains sluggish, and Europe realizes that the US-suggested "decoupling" (the idea of reducing mutual reliance in a range of areas) has a negative impact on Europe.Therefore, its safe to say that the EU should focus on bolstering bilateral trade and economic relations with China, Gao concluded. china france spain Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg the beginning of spanish prime minister pedro sanchez's visit to china. sanchez's upcoming meeting with chinese president xi jinping, upcoming visits by french president emmanuel macron and european commission president ursula von der leyen to china https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/wsj-denies-espionage-allegations-against-its-reporter-arrested-in-russia-seeks-release-1108970673.html WSJ Denies Espionage Allegations Against Its Reporter Arrested in Russia, Seeks Release WSJ Denies Espionage Allegations Against Its Reporter Arrested in Russia, Seeks Release The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday denied espionage allegations against its Moscow bureau correspondent, Evan Gershkovich, arrested in Russia, and would seek the immediate release of the reporter. 2023-03-30T17:32+0000 2023-03-30T17:32+0000 2023-03-30T17:32+0000 world wall street journal journalist espionage trial /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/03/1e/1108961051_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_9aa25f0297494efe042152f5fb6709bb.jpg Earlier in the day, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said that Gershkovich was detained in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg on a suspicion of espionage for the United States. According to FSB, Gershkovich collected classified information about the activities of one of Russian military-industrial complex firms. Later on Thursday, the Lefortovo District Court of Moscow told Sputnik it had ruled that the reporter be put in pre-trial detention for two months. Gershkovich's lawyer, Daniil Berman, told reporters that he had not been allowed to enter the courtroom, adding that the court might have assigned its own defender. The lawyer also said that Gershkovich would likely be tried for espionage. Under the Russian Criminal Code, an individual convicted of espionage may be face up to 20 years in prison. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International evan gershkovich John Dutton erased a 4-1/2-length deficit with a first-over move and captured his third straight victory in Wednesdays (March 29) feature at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows, a $12,600 conditioned trot. Heist, seeking his fourth consecutive win, was on an easy lead when Dan Charlino unleashed John Dutton before slipping back to the cones to save ground. That may have been decisive, as John Dutton shot the Lightning Lave to edge Heist by a head in 1:57.1. Georgias Passion completed the ticket. Ron Burke trains John Dutton, a three-year-old What The Hill-Fast Love gelding who now boasts a career bankroll of $109,815, for Burke Racing Stable, Knox Services, Johnny Yoder and RAS Racing. Elsewhere on Wednesdays card, driving his first card since coming north from his Florida winter headquarters, Mike Wilder returned with a flourish, upsetting at 17-1 with the four-year-old mare Bet She Can Fly (Betting Line-Tidewaterdragonfly) for trainer Norm Parker and owner Myra Soukup. The time was a career-best 1:56.2. Wilbur Yoder fashioned a training-driving double while Aaron Merriman and Hunter Myers each won twice on the 13-race card. Andy Rickert also had a pair of victories one as a trainer, one as an owner. Live racing at The Meadows continues Thursday with a trio of carryovers: $2,771.21 in the Early Pick 4, with the pool guaranteed at $7,500 (Race 1); $930.33 in the Early Pentafecta (Race 4); $1,432.37 in the Pick 5 (Race 9). First post is 12:45 p.m. (EDT). (MSOA) Washington babysitter beats friend's 1-year-old child to death The police detained Eric Richard Boudreau on one count of second-degree murder The victim's mom don't believe the babysitter would hurt her child In Washington state, a 32-year-old man has been detained in connection with the 13-month-old boy's death who was reportedly beaten to death while in his care late last year. Last week, Eric Richard Boudreau was arrested and charged with one count of second-degree murder concerning the toddler's passing. Washington Babysitter Beats Toddler to Death According to a Wednesday tweet from the Lacey Police Department (LPD), "Today, after a lengthy and comprehensive investigation, and with the assistance of our Community Resource Unit and Patrol, our Detectives apprehended the suspect in a homicide of a 13-month-old from late last year." A picture of Boudreau being arrested by police while having his hands tied behind his back was posted along with the report. Around 30 miles southwest of Tacoma is where you'll find Lacey. An affidavit of probable cause obtained by The Olympian states that on November 11, 2022, at around 1:44 p.m., LPD officers and firemen responded to a 911 call to a house in the 9000 block of Campus Glen Road Northeast for an injured child. The toddler was said to have fallen the steps as his babysitter, Boudreau, who was later identified, slept off. First responders contacted the toddler and transported him to Providence St. Peter Hospital once they arrived on the scene. Officials allegedly stated that after doing 16 rounds of CPR, doctors could detect the victim's heartbeat. The victim was transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle due to the seriousness of his wounds, where he was later declared dead. Read Also: DNA Match Lead to Louisiana Couple's Arrest Autopsy Reveals Victim's Brutal Cause of Death The Olympian stated that the King County Medical Examiner's Office conducted an autopsy and ruled that blunt-force injuries to the skull caused the toddler's homicidal murder. According to reports, detectives assigned to the case interrogated the first responders and obtained distressing information about the victim's health. The Olympian stated that many paramedics who evaluated the child informed authorities that his injuries were "inconsistent with sliding down the steps." According to one physician, not a single inch of the infant's body lacked visible bruises. A second medic informed investigators that the child's injuries were the worst they had seen in their 17 years of service. The victim's mother allegedly informed authorities that she shared a home with Boudreau and another mother who had two children of her own. The mother stated that she left her child in Boudreau's care since his daycare was closed and she had to work. The victim's mother and the other lady told police that they did not believe Boudreau would harm their children. The victim's father, who lived downstairs from the mother, allegedly told authorities that he heard Boudreau order the child to "shut up" earlier that morning, which made him "uneasy," but he had to go to work for fear of being fired. Boudreau allegedly told detectives that his band had performed the night before and had had many beers and smoked marijuana, but he thought he was fit to watch the child the next day. He is accused of falling asleep with the child and waking up to see the victim wounded at the bottom of the steps. He then phoned the child's mother and informed her of the fall. Afterward, the mother dialed 911. The Olympian said that at a hearing on Friday, Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Cailen Cecil successfully argued that Boudreau should be kept without bond due to the victim's "severe and many" injuries. According to reports, Judge John Skinder determined that releasing Boudreau would threaten the public. "The quantity and intensity of force that would have been required against a little kid, based on the claims, are such that I am concerned about a considerable risk to the community," Skinder stated, as per Law and Crime. Related Article: Young Louisiana Girl Mauled To Death by Neighbor's Unsecured Pit Bull @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. When a young filly wins 10 of her 12 freshman starts, multiple stakes, earns $129,722 and goes on to win divisional honours, you would think that shell be the star attraction of her barn. In this case, you would be mistaken. Despite her spectacular first season of racing that earned her the Illinois Two-Year-Old Filly Trotter of the Year title, the Curt Grummel-trained Lous Legacy filly Marvelous Mystery competed in the shadow of her illustrious stablemate Funky Wiggle. Also a daughter of Lous Legacy, Funky Wiggle not only ran away with last seasons Illinois three-year-old filly trotting honours, but her stunning 1:51.4 record mile, the second fastest ever by any Illinois conceived and foaled (ICF) trotter regardless of age and sex, went a big way to nailing down the 2022 Illinois Harness Horse of the Year laurels. Owned by her breeder Dr. Patrick Graham of Lockridge, Iowa, and driven almost exclusively by Hawthornes leading driver Kyle Wilfong, Funky Wiggle was simply dominant against other state-bred sophomore filly trotters. Her nine season victories came in a 10-start stretch, starting in late June and ending in the $85,000 Beulah Dygert Memorial final on Hawthornes Night of Champions. The daughter of Grahams broodmare Hoosier Wiggles amassed $131,235 in her second racing campaign. Her record 1:51.4 mile came in Du Quoins Windy Skeeter stakes, just a fifth of a second off Kadabras all-time ICF mile. Dont look for Funky Wiggle to venture out of state in 2023. Well stay close to home with her, said Grummel. This will be her first season against older horses. We thought we would see how she does. If she steps it up a notch, well stake her as a five-year-old. Funky Wiggle didnt finish her sophomore campaign on a high note, dropping her last five decisions in open company, three in open stakes, and picking up only about $13,000. She got sick on me, and I probably didnt give her enough time to heal, and then when I had her going the right way, she popped a quarter. Nothing major was wrong with her in those open stakes, just some little things. And when youre taking on the best trotting fillies in the country, those little things can add up to make the path to success an arduous endeavour. She was in against the best of the best in those stakes, continued Grummel. The night she got fourth in the Crossroads, I thought she gave us a big effort. She started in the second tier against the best filly three-year-old trotter in Indiana, the best one in Ohio, and a New York sire filly who the week before set a track record at Hoosier, and Funky Wiggle was beaten less than two lengths. This season were looking forward to racing against Annas Lucky Star. Shes been something special in Illinois for a long time and she had another great year as an eight-year-old. Shes as consistent as they come. While Funky Wiggle is dealing with up and down winter weather in Illinois, her talented stablemate Marvelous Mystery is working in sunshine and where its much warmer. Marvelous Mystery is in Florida with my father [Leo], said Grummel. She grew a little over the winter but shes not a big horse. Shes median size and thats the kind Ive had the best luck with. Marvelous Mysterys only two first season losses came at Springfield and Du Quoin, both one-mile oval dirt tracks, in State Fair Illinois-bred stakes. I think the dirt tracks helped Fox Valley Shania some and in both, she drew the rail and had some very good trips. She had two-hole trips in each. In the Springfield final, we had the outside nine-hole when we were second to her, and at Du Quoin [in the First Lady stakes] 'Shania' raced right behind us and popped out in time to beat us by a head. Bred by Dr. Kenneth Rucker and Jana Rucker of River Falls, Wisconsin, Marvelous Mystery took a first season mark of 1:57.2 for owners Curt, Craig, and Leo Grummel, proving best in her first eight starts, and ending her campaign with a triumph in Hawthornes Night of Champions Fox Valley Flan elimination and final. The Grummel family has also developed such prominent trotters as Homicide Hunter (1:48.4, $1.76 million), Run And Tell Pap (1:53.2, $847,727), Fox Valley Veto (1:54.3, $538,700), Fox Valley Yoko (1:55.2, $155,701), Dr Spengler (1:56.2, $111,024), Big Lou (1:57.1, $67,502), True Detective (1:58.4, $66,946) and Dr Venkman (1:58.2, $47,265). Im currently training 12 horses, said Grummel from his barn in Carrollton, Illinois. And yes, theyre all trotters. (With files from Illinois Harness Horseman Association) Plainridge Park will kick off its 2023 live racing season on Monday, April 10, and in preparation for that opening, the track will hold two sets of qualifying races next week. The first session will be held on Monday, April 3 at 1 p.m. The draw for those races will be on Friday, March 31, with the box closing at 9 a.m. The second opportunity comes on Wednesday, April 5 and also starts at 1 p.m. Entries will be taken for those races until Monday, April 3 at 9 a.m. Trainers please note that prior to participating in any race at Plainridge, you must provide a negative Coggins test dated 2023, a health certificate within 30 days of transport with Plainridge Park as the destination and an EHV-1 vaccination for 2023, for every horse. Those documents can be emailed to the track via [email protected]. Also, all racing connections must have a valid 2023 Massachusetts license to participate. You may contact track officials with questions about any of these items through the following numbers: Race Office: 508-576-4486 Judges Office: 508-576-4487 Licensing Office: 508-576-4565 The 2023 Plainridge Park meet will run through Thursday, Nov. 30. (Plainridge Park) In 1714, 42 people from Germanys Siegerland region came to Virginia as indentured servants of Alexander Spotswood, the colonial governor. Spotswood housed those settlers at Fort Germanna named for the Germans and the British Queen Anne which he built on land along the Rapidan River in what is now Orange County. Within a generation, those settlers completed their indenture and became enslavers. Descendants of the original 42 settlers and of a second group of Germans brought by Spotswood to work on his land in 1717 established the Germanna Foundation in 1956 to research and preserve the heritage of the earliest German settlement in colonial Virginia. Now, the foundation is expanding its focus to include the stories of the African and indigenous people who were enslaved by the settlers and by Spotswood, executive director Jennifer Hurst-Wender said. We have 70 years of descendants who were dedicated to researching, said Hurst-Wender. We have a remarkable resource here. Last month, the PBS series Finding Your Roots highlighted one of the stories that was revealed by research into the people enslaved by the Germanna descendants. Episode 8 of the shows current season, which aired Feb. 21, revealed the ancestry of Jeh Johnson, the former secretary of homeland security under Barack Obama. Johnson is the great-great-great-great grandson of Eliza Clore, a woman enslaved to Aaron Clore, a descendant of the second group of Germanna settlers. Eliza Clore was born into slavery around 1815. Aaron Clore eventually became her owner, and she had 10 children with him, the oldest of whom may have been born as early as 1831, when Eliza was 15 or 16, according to research prepared by Clore descendant Cathi Clore Frost. Our father had three farms, his white family was on one, and we were on one by ourselves, their daughter Jennie Clore stated in a deposition. Eliza and at least one of their daughters were still living with Aaron at the time of the 1870 census, after emancipation. When Aaron died in 1871, he left the women, whom he described as colored women who have been my faithful servants, 15 acres of land, second choice of a milch cow after his white wife, and other livestock, as well as two pieces of bacon, a barrel of corn, and a half barrel of flour. Jeh Johnson is descended from Lewis Clore, the second child of Eliza and Aaron. Germannas history, like that of all history, is complex, and we are committed to being a resource and to serving as a conduit to aid in the understanding of our shared history, Hurst-Wender said in a news release about Johnsons episode. Spotswood later dismantled Fort Germanna and built a mansion, now known as the Enchanted Castle, on the site. The first courthouse for Spotsylvania County was constructed around 1720-1721 just few hundred yards away from the Enchanted Castle. In the 1790s, the Gordon family purchased the property and built a house and an unknown number of outbuildings. The history of enslaved and indigenous people is twined through all of this, Hurst-Wender said. Their stories can be pieced together through property lists, wills and notations in family Bibles, and physical evidence of their presence is being unearthed through archeological excavation at the site. The Foundations archaeology program is overseen by director Eric Larsen and site director Kelly Arford-Horne. Students from Virginia Commonwealth Universitys archaeology field school conduct excavations at the Fort Germanna site each year and among their most recent discoveries were the carbonized remnants of peach pits and an indigenous variety of corn. That points to the presence of native Virginians at the Fort Germanna site, Hurst-Wender said, even though the land was described at the time as being uninhabited. Spotswoods property records include several mentions of Catina, a Siouan-speaking indigenous woman enslaved in his household. The Germanna Foundation recently received a $20,000 Virginia Humanities grant to conduct more research into Catina, with assistance and input from tribal communities. Catina stands at the intersection of distinct cultures in early eighteenth-century Virginia, the foundation wrote in the grant application. Further research is needed to flesh out her story and add to our understanding of major aspects of Virginia history: slavery, migration patterns, the effects of cultures and populations on each other, and the overlooked story of Native women in this collision of cultures. And there are even more stories to be told about the population enslaved at the Gordon farm in the 18th and 19th centuries, Hurst-Wender said. Theres Thomas Bailey, a blacksmith who attempted to escape slavery, according to a 1794 newspaper ad placed by James Gordon, who offered a $20 reward for the mans return. Run-away from the subscriber at Germanna, in Culpeper, a Negro Man named Thomas Bailey, about 36 years old, a Blacksmith by trade, of a tawny complexion, the notice reads. He is a very sensible fellow and will endeavor to pass for a free man. Thomas Bailey is listed in James Gordons 1800 probate inventory a few years later, indicating that he was not successful in his attempt to escape. And there are the 35 individuals, ranging in age from one month to 62 years, all with the surname Gordon, who set sail for Liberia, Africa, on April 29, 1853. They had been enslaved by Elizabeth Gordon and were manumitted on her death with the requirement that they leave the United States. Hurst-Wender, who started as executive director of the Germanna Foundation in October, said that since the Finding Your Roots episode about Jeh Johnson aired, two more descendants of Eliza Clore have reached out, hoping to learn more about their Germanna connection. We are right at the beginning of this, Hurst-Wender said. Luckily for budget-minded travelers, the U.S. dollar has strengthened against the currency of many popular travel destinations. However, the dollar has weakened compared to several warm-weather destinations in neighboring Central America and the Caribbean. LINCOLN The Board of Trustees announced four finalists in the search for the 12th president of Chadron State College. After serving 10 years as Chadron State president, Randy Rhine will retire June 30. The president search committee has identified four finalists for Chadron State. The four finalists are John Fritch, Jodi Kupper, Brent A. Marsh and Ron K. Patterson. I am pleased that we have four talented and distinct finalists who will be able to lead Chadron State into the future by building on the strong foundation created by President Rhine, Paul Turman, chancellor of the Nebraska State College System, said in a press release. I would like to thank the members of the search and advisory committees for their dedication to the search process. During their campus visits, the finalists will spend time meeting college groups, touring the college and the community, and interviewing with the Board of Trustees of the Nebraska State Colleges. The finalist interviews will be part of the special board meeting on April 4-5 at Chadron State College. Complete finalist visit and meetings schedules are online at https://www.nscs.edu/about/careers/csc-president-search/finalists. The chancellor and the Board of Trustees will make the final selection. Announcement of the next president will be made at a special meeting of the Board of Trustees at a date to be determined. Finalists are: John Fritch, Ph.D., who has served the University of Northern Iowa since 2002 in multiple leadership roles from head of the department of communication studies to most recently, dean of the college of humanities, arts and sciences for the past nine years. Previously, he served as director of forensics at Southwest Missouri State University from 1992 to 2002. Fritch earned a bachelor of arts in speech communication from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a master of arts in Communication Studies from the University of Kansas, and a doctorate in Communication Studies from the University of Kansas. Jodi Kupper, Ph.D., who has served the Nebraska State College System as vice chancellor for academic affairs since 2014. Previously, she served Peru State College as dean of the School of Education from 2005 to 2014, Millikin University as associate professor of education and director of the School of Education from 2003 to 2005, and assistant professor of education from 1998 to 2003. Kupper earned a bachelor of science in education (secondary education) from Wayne State College, master of science in secondary education from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and a doctorate of philosophy in administration, curriculum and instruction from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Brent A. Marsh, Ph.D., who has served the University of Mississippi since 2019 as assistant vice chancellor for student affairs and dean of students. Previously he served as vice president for student affairs at Rogers State University from 2014 to 2019, Howard Payne University as vice president for student life and dean of students from 2010 to 2014, assistant vice president for student life and dean of students from 2008 to 2010 and dean of student life from 2004 to 2008, and Bowling Green State University as a doctoral assistant from 2002 to 2004. Marsh earned a bachelor of arts in sociology from Kansas State University, a master of science in College Student Personnel from Kansas State University, and a doctorate of philosophy in Higher Education Administration from Bowling Green State University. Ron K. Patterson, Ed.D., who has served the University of North Alabama since 2016 in multiple leadership roles from chief enrollment officer to most recently, vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion and director of presidential mentors academy for the past three years. Previously, he served as vice president for enrollment management at Marietta College from 2014 to 2016, the University of Central Arkansas as director of admissions and enrollment Services from 2012 to 2014, University of Tennessee Health Science Center as director of admissions from 2009 to 2012, assistant dean for student affairs from 2004 to 2008 and Christian Brothers University in admissions from 2002 to 2004. Patterson earned a bachelor of science in Human Services from the University of Tennessee-Southern, a master of arts in education from Marietta College, and a doctorate of education in higher education administration, and Leadership from Creighton University. UPDATED, April 20, 2023, 12:10 pm: Corrects description of LB 28. *** Seven 2023 legislative bills by western Nebraskas five state senators have been merged into other lawmakers bills so far to increase their chances of passage. Its a common exercise in a typical Unicameral session, which sees hundreds of bills introduced every January but rarely adjourns in spring with more than a fraction of them having reached the governors desk. After all bills have received their mandatory public hearings a task that ended for 2023 last Friday some lawmakers search for measures that other senators, committees or the speaker have named priority bills. They must involve the same general subject as the bill they want to attach, a requirement dictated by the Nebraska Constitution. The so-called Christmas tree technique may be more vital than ever this session, in which progress has slowed to a crawl due to a near-universal floor filibuster that has lasted more than a month. Gov. Jim Pillen, nearly three months into his first term, has yet to see a bill reach his desk. Gordon Sen. Tom Brewers constitutional carry firearms bill (Legislative Bill 77) became the first to win second-round approval Tuesday, the 51st day of the 90-day session. Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, recently joined by fellow Omaha Sens. Megan Hunt and Jen Day, renewed her Feb. 23 vow to filibuster all bills even routine ones and measures by her fellow Democrats after first-round approval last week of a bill banning transgender health care for minors (LB 574). At the current pace, only 21 more bills some of them mandatory budget measures stand to receive initial floor debate in 2023, Speaker John Arch of La Vista said before senators suspended one type of filibuster tool Tuesday for the rest of the session. Twenty-eight senator priority bills and 16 committee priority measures were awaiting first-round consideration Wednesday afternoon, further lowering their odds to advance before the Legislatures scheduled June 9 adjournment for the year. Seventeen speakers priority bills chosen by Arch likewise are bottled up after having been advanced by committees. The speaker can name up to 25 priority bills and committees two apiece. Sen. Brian Hardin of Gering has had two of his bills added to other measures, including LB 596, which would let liquor manufacturers and wholesalers reach sponsorship and advertisement agreements with organizations. The text of LB 596 now is part of LB 376, introduced by Kearney Sen. John Lowe and prioritized by the General Affairs Committee that he chairs. LB 376, which makes various liquor-law changes, advanced 43-0 March 13 and 47-0 Wednesday despite the protracted filibusters. Hardins LB 342, which would make registrations of home inspectors good for two years, has been added to LB 629, one of two Urban Affairs Committee priority bills. LB 629, introduced by committee Chairman Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha, tweaks the Middle Income Workforce Housing Investment Act and Economic Recovery Act. LB 138, a speakers priority bill including various motor vehicle law changes, now includes Brewers LB 199 to allow Ukrainian refugees from the 2022 Russian invasion to receive a driving privilege card. Bayard Sen. Steve Erdmans LB 28 was one of several property tax measures folded into Albion Sen. Tom Brieses LB 243. It requires a protesting property owners taxable value to be reset to the previous years valuation if the Tax Equalization and Review Commission hasnt settled the owners appeal by the following spring. LB 243 appeared on Wednesdays agenda but wasnt expected to see first-round debate for some time due to the filibusters. Sen. Mike Jacobson of North Platte said he has found homes for three of his dozen 2023 bills, all in measures committees have named 2023 priorities. They include LB 98, the second set of adjustments to former North Platte Sen. Mike Groenes 2020 microTIF law. Its now part of the Urban Affairs Committees other priority bill, McKinneys LB 531. Jacobsons LB 281, which would offer state matching funds to rebuild the fire-destroyed 4-H Camp at Halseys Nebraska National Forest, has been attached to LB 425, a Natural Resources Committee priority bill. Committee Chairman Sen. Bruce Bostelman of Brainard introduced that measure. Two bills from western senators Jacobsons LB 434 and Sumner Sen. Teresa Ibachs LB 219 have been made part of a Health and Human Services Committee priority bill (LB 227) to boost Medicaid reimbursements to rural health care facilities. Blair Sen. Ben Hansen, that panels chairman, introduced LB 227 to boost reimbursements to hospitals for Medicaid nursing services when patients cant be immediately placed in a nursing facility after discharge. Ibachs measure would boost initial reimbursements to rural critical access hospitals, while Jacobsons would require the state to make long-term care hospitals eligible for reimbursements. Two other Ibach bills have found new homes: LB 218, which would double state spending on managing vegetation within a natural streams banks or flood plain, and LB 660, which would spend $300,000 over two years to help rural lawyers repay student loans. Ibachs vegetation bill will now be part of LB 116, an Agriculture Committee priority bill introduced by Plymouth Sen. Tom Brandt. LB 814, the states mainline 2023-25 budget bill, already duplicated LB 660s language. Benny Wilhelm freely admits hes not used to being the one to get help. It is better to give than to receive, he said. But the men and women of American Legion Post 65 wanted to help a man who has for years been the one to help veterans get their benefits or to lend an ear to those just needing someone to understand their struggles. On Saturday, the post is hosting a fundraiser to assist Wilhelm and his family as he fights a battle that began more than five decades ago when he was exposed to Agent Orange during his service in Vietnam. Giving Back to Benny will take place at the post, 2446 Salisbury Highway, from noon to 6 p.m. The event will include a poor mans supper of pinto beans, coleslaw, cornbread, dessert, tea and coffee. Donations will be accepted. The Nostalgia band will perform and there will be door prizes and a 50/50 raffle. Diagnosed with liver cancer in 2015, Wilhelm beat the disease one time, going into remission for several years. But his cancer is back and hes now in Hospice care. Iredell County Commissioner Brad Stroud Sr., who is the retired veterans service officer for the county, said Wilhelms dedication and overall goodness is something we should all strive for. Benny Wilhelm lives his life through action and deeds, not through words, he said. Becoming so involved in veterans issues is not something Wilhelm dreamed of when he returned home from Vietnam in 1970. The Vietnam War was divisive in this country, and Wilhelm, like many other veterans returning, was told not to wear his uniform when he landed in Oakland, Calif. And for years, he put his experiences in Vietnam behind him. He was busy reestablishing his life as a civilian. He and his wife Linda bought a house and set about raising their two daughters. When his father died Wilhelm decided it was time to talk about and take pride in being a Vietnam War veteran. He watched as local veterans, many from World War II, provided the military honors for his father. After that, he said, he told Linda he was going to join the American Legion and get involved. Getting involved is an understatement where Wilhelm is concerned. Hes been a commander at the American Legion Post 65 and held nearly every office in the organization. Over the years, Wilhelm was the face of the post and he was also the go-to person for veterans seeking help with obtaining benefits. Some of those benefits Wilhelm helped them navigate were ones they didnt even realize were available. Wilhelm became an expert on Agent Orange and assisting his fellow veterans in getting the benefits to address health issues attributed to the defoliate that was used in the jungles of Vietnam. Wilhelm has also been a steady presence for veterans seeking to deal with the demons of war. Stroud, who said hes known Wilhelm for more than 20 years, described him with just a few words. Benny is a great guy, he said. He remembered one instance when several local veterans came together to help replace a roof for one of their own. Benny was out there helping put on that roof, he said. Chuck Harris, commander of American Legion Post 65, said its only fitting that the post and its auxiliary, of which Linda served as president, gives back to a man who has given so much to others, without expecting anything in return. And the community at large has also pitched in to help make the benefit a success. Linda said people have been dropping off all types of items for the door prizes. Nostalgia Band is made up of friends of Wilhelms, people he described as good Christian men. Wilhelm, once he learned of the planned fundraiser, suggested the idea of a poor mans supper. Although he is frail from his latest battle with liver cancer, Wilhelm is planning to attend at least a portion of the fundraiser It is heartwarming, he said. For Harris its a small thing for a man who has spent most of his life, helping others. Stroud agreed. Benny is one of the first people to volunteer to help out, he said. And now the community has the opportunity to help by taking part in Giving Back to Benny. If you cannot attend the fundraiser Saturday, donations can be sent to American Legion Post 65, 2446 Salisbury Highway, Statesville NC 28677. The impending arrival of the UK Challenger 2 Tanks could make a difference in Ukraine's battle against Russia. Russian media says Obsolete Challenger 2 tanks are still capable. The tanks arrived just in time and will be part of a spring offensive that Ukraine will launch. Russian media remarked that the UK Challenger 2 tanks could be significant on the Ukrainian battlefield. Even if they are older tanks, most will do better compared to older Russian tanks. UK Challenger 2 Tanks Arrive in Ukraine The Armed Forces of Ukraine wanted these tanks, and in January, they finally got a commitment to send them. The units will be part of the spring offensive that will face the Russian advance in the east of Ukraine. On March 27, Berlin sent 18 modern Leopard 2 Main battle tanks to Kyiv. Berlin said it would send the tanks on time and approved the export of several Leopard variants, mentioned VOA News. Reports stated the first set of tanks got delivered on February 24. Earlier, the Poles sent tanks last month, per Breaking Defense. Tanks sent to Ukraine are the Leopard 2 and British Challenger-2 tanks, which the Ukrainian Defense Minister strongly supports. Ukrainian officials said along with the Challenger will be German Marder IFVs, US Cougar armored trucks, and Stryker APCs, cited Taipei Times. German media said that Ukrainian troops in Germany are training how to operate the Leopard 2s. Added these troops will be in Ukraine by March. Read Also: US-China Relations in Serious Trouble Amid Taiwan President's Visit The UK Ministry of Defense (MoD) remarked that Ukrainians are back after training on the tank. Stated they can operate NATO tanks when they are deployed. UK Challenger 2 Tanks Capabilities The UK touts the Challenger 2 is very efficient with a powerful cannon and well protected with additional units of Bulldog APCs and 30 AS-90 artillery units. A Russian outlet said the MBT is a late third generation that would include the T-80 and T-90 in the same category, noted Top War RU. The tank is equipped despite being an older variant that threatens Russian armor, mentioned Forbes.Its armor is Chobham or Dorchester armor as the best to offer cladding a tank. Top secret armor with twice protection compared to the steel that glances a T-72s direct cannon fire. ERA kit with additional protection can be added to the tank. Its rifled Royal Ordnance L30 120-mm main gun has a range of four kilometers and is accurate 5 to 7%. Several kinds of rounds can be used in a smooth-bore gun, like HESH and APFSD shells, as ammunition. But depleted uranium round might be included stated in reports. But Moscow said it was wrong to act because it was a nuclear escalation. The west is confident the British MBT will do well in Ukraine. Some experts say it is not like the Challenger 3, but the 2 is the only one Kyiv is getting. It has good characteristics as an MBT too. Russian media mentions the UK Challenger 2 tanks as an older platform, but it has a powerful, smooth-bore gun that can fire several lethal rounds. As a heavier tank, it also has heavier armor for better protection from direct hits. Related Article: Russia-Ukraine War: Kyiv Forces Strike Russian-Controlled Melitopol Amid Counterattack Preparations Assad issued a decree announcing the dismissal of five ministers from their positions and the appointment of new ones in a cabinet reshuffle, according to Al-Souria Net. On Wednesday, the Syrian President issued a decree announcing the dismissal of five ministers from their positions and the appointment of new ones in a cabinet reshuffle. This marks the first reshuffle since the current government was formed by Hussein Arnous in August 2021. As per Decree No. 91 of 2023, Firas Hussein Kaddour will replace Bassam Tohme as the Minister of Oil and Mineral Resources, while Mohsen Abdel Karim Ali will take over as the Minister of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection, replacing Amr Salem. Abdelkader Jokhadar was appointed Minister of Industry in place of Ziad Sabbagh, Louay Imad al-Din al-Munajjid was appointed Minister of Social Affairs and Labor in place of Mohamed Seif al-Din, and Ahmed Boustaji was appointed Minister of State. According to what the Presidency of the Republic published on its official pages, the decree ended the designation of engineer Mohammed Fayez al-Barsha as minister of state. Who are the new ministers? The regimes official media has released the biographies of the newly appointed ministers, beginning with Firas Kaddour, the new oil minister. Born in rural Damascus in 1962, Kaddour holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering. Before his appointment as minister, Kaddour served as the General Manager of the Syrian Oil Company. In 2015, he was also the Chairman and General Manager of the Euphrates Oil Company. Minister of Internal Trade Mohsen Abdul Karim Ali, born in Kfardabil in Lattakia in 1968, has been the Director General of the General Organization for Internal Trade for Minerals and Building Materials (Omran) since 2014. He previously worked as an advisor to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers from 2012 to 2014. Information indicates that Mohsen Abdel Karim Ali is the brother of Ali Abdel Karim Ali, the regimes ambassador to Lebanon, who also hails from the village of Kfardabil in Lattakia. The new Minister of Industry, Abdelkader Jokhadar, holds a Ph.D. in Intelligent Control Systems from the University of Aberdeen, the Royal College of Electronic Engineering, UK. He served as Dean of the Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Aleppo from 2019 to 2020. Minister of Social Affairs Louay al-Munajjid held several positions in the regimes government, including advisor to the presidency of the Council of Ministers and studies of the Economic Committee, a member of the advisory council at the Ministry of Transport and founder of the Department of Partnership between the Public and Private Sectors. These amendments come more than a year and a half after Assad announced the new cabinet in August 2021, headed by Hussein Arnous. It is worth noting that most of the ministers have retained their positions from the previous lineup, except for three ministries. Boutros Hallaq has replaced Imad Sarah in the Ministry of Information, Salwa Abdullah has been replaced in the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, and Amr Salem has taken over from Talal al-Barazi in the Ministry of Interior and Consumer Protection. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Safadi met his Lebanese counterpart Abdullah Bou Habib in Amman, according to Athr Press. During a press conference held in the Jordanian capital Amman with his Lebanese counterpart Abdullah Bou Habib, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi emphasized the importance of concluding the Jordanian initiative to achieve a political solution to the Syrian conflict. Safadi further stated that there are ongoing efforts with Arab countries and the international community to resolve the Syrian crisis gradually, encompassing humanitarian, economic, and political aspects. The Jordanian news channel Kingdom reported on the conference. We are collaborating with the international community and Arab countries to achieve a political solution to the Syrian crisis through the Jordanian initiative. This initiative is based on an Arab role that engages directly with the Syrian government, following a step-by-step approach to reach a gradual solution that resolves the political, humanitarian, and security issues related to the Syrian crisis, Safadi explained. In turn, Bou Habib praised the Jordanian initiative at the press conference, calling for supporting it with a collective Arab initiative that restores stability to Syria and extricates it from its crisis. Arabi21 reported on a Jordanian source familiar with certain aspects of the initiative, stating that this initiative is a response to the current situation in Syria and aims to prevent regional countries from dominating the Syrian arena in the absence of Arab involvement over the past few years. Arabi 21 also reported that Jordan aims to include Syria in major economic projects, including connecting the Syrian and Lebanese electricity grids with Jordans, similar to the anticipated connection with Iraq. This effort aims to alleviate the economic crisis that has plagued the country for years. However, military expert Mamoun Abu Nuwar was quoted as saying that the success of the Jordanian initiative is highly challenging due to potential conflicts with United Nations Security Council Resolution No. 2254. Recently, Safadi has been discussing the Jordanian initiative with various UN and international bodies. He recently met with the UN envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, and raised the matter with his British and Russian counterparts. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Ali Ahmed denounced the occupation's increased efforts to construct wind turbines on the Syrian Golan Heights, according to al-Watan. Syria asserts its inherent right to reclaim the occupied Syrian Golan and urges all nations to refuse recognition of any actions by Israel that would prolong its occupation. Additionally, Syria calls for countries to abstain from providing aid that facilitates Israels infringement upon international law. During a Human Rights Council session on the situation in the Middle East, Ambassador Haidar Ali Ahmed, the Permanent Representative of Syria to the United Nations Office in Geneva, made a statement stating, The world is watching as the war crime of settlement continues in the occupied Syrian Golan, particularly following the Israeli occupation authorities announcement in late 2021 to double the number of settlers in the Golan within five years. Ali Ahmed highlighted the occupations increased efforts to construct wind turbines on the Syrian Golan Heights, demonstrating the occupying powers persistent determination to pursue its discriminatory and colonial settlement policies. These practices blatantly violate the human rights of Syrians residing in the occupied Golan. Ali Ahmed remarked, It is imperative that the international community takes concrete actions to end the repeated Israeli aggressions against Syria and the Palestinian people and to terminate its occupation of Arab lands. It is widely known that the support the United States of America and other governments extended to the Israeli occupation entity has facilitated the continuation of these actions. Ali Ahmed asserted that despite the horrific crimes committed by the occupation, the continued support provided by the United States and Israel serves as the most glaring evidence of their disregard for international law, the United Nations Charter, and resolutions pertaining to the occupied Syrian Golan, such as Security Council resolutions 237, 242, and 497. This unparalleled state of impunity has emboldened the occupying power, Israel, to persist in its terrorist and criminal attacks against Syria, which have led to the victimization of civilians and destruction of residential areas, educational facilities, and civilian infrastructure, including key airports such as Damascus and Aleppo, which are crucial for humanitarian aid operations carried out by the United Nations. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. 20 Palestinian refugees in Turkey and 48 others in Syria died as a result of the earthquake, according to Shaam News. Following the devastating earthquake that struck northern Syria in February, the Palestinian Return Center and the Action Group for Palestinians of Syria have appealed to the international community and United Nations bodies to increase their aid efforts for Palestinian refugees in the region urgently needing assistance. UN Organizations Participate in Removing Rubble in Regime Areas, Claiming Theyre Due to Earthquake In a discussion session with the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Syria, held under the fourth item of the Human Rights Councils agenda, the Palestinian Return Center and the Action Group for Palestinians of Syria presented information regarding the over 1,500 Palestinian families currently residing in northwest Syria. These families were displaced to the region after the internal Syrian conflict that began in 2011. The Working Group highlighted that the recent earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria has resulted in the loss of 20 Palestinian refugees in Turkey and 48 others in Syria. The earthquake affected thousands of Palestinians living in the two neighbouring countries, leaving many homeless and in urgent need of necessities such as housing, medical assistance, food, and heating. The situation is critical, and immediate assistance is required to save lives. The two organizations highlighted that the humanitarian response in northern Syria following the earthquake has been inadequate compared to the scale of the disaster. Despite the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) launching an appeal for $2.7 million to support Palestinian refugees affected by the earthquake, the agencys services excluding displaced Palestinians in northern Syria. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. KELSO Police are looking for two people who attempted to break into a construction supply store early Wednesday morning. The botched break-in was captured on camera and reported on the Kelso Police Department Facebook page. Two masked individuals first are seen walking past Watkins Tractor & Supply Co., located at 501 South Pacific Avenue, at roughly 3 a.m., and return shortly after for a smash-and-grab style break in, according to footage. Kelso Police Sgt. Mark Berglund told The Daily News, At this time, we have no information about the suspects or of they are related to other burglaries. The video shows one of the suspects, dressed in a hoodie and ballcap, extracting an object tucked under his backpack and then proceeding to bash the glass front door. Berglund said the equipment the suspect used was bolt cutters. The other suspect, dressed in all black and wearing a skull cap, stood aside as the robbery commenced. The suspect in the hoodie struck the entrance twice, setting off the stores alarm system, and then both suspects are seen walking away from the scene at a fast pace. The Daily News reached out to Watkins Tractor & Supply Company representatives, but they declined to comment. Kelso Police are asking the public if they have information regarding the incident to contact them at 360-423-1270. The Longview School Board Monday unanimously approved a four-year plan to get students career-ready for jobs that fall outside of college degrees and traditional trades like welding, and into fields like health, marketing and education. Bill Ofstun, Longview School Districts career and technical education director, told school board members about a four-year career and technical education plan that would focus on certifying more district teachers and adding more classes to help students graduate through these career-focused programs. Data shows 61.3% of Longviews 2022 high school graduates finished a full career and technical education program, according to school board documents. Of those students, 48.6% earned their diploma solely through this pathway, meaning they graduated just from completing at least one of these programs in the Longview School District. Updated state requirements now include a career and technical path as well as more historically traditional options that send graduates to college, according to the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Times have changed: students do not necessarily have to take standardized ACT/SAT tests to succeed after high school. What this shows us is that career and technical education classes are important. ... Our goal is to advertise all the options that are available and try to help kids make some of those decisions, Ofstun said. Completed projects and career readiness The Longview School District recently finished its $472,000 summer remodel of the Mark Morris STEM lab and got a renewed recognition status from the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council. Ofstun said they also have more staff getting certified and participating in CTE trainings. Ofstun said they also hope to develop diverse programs over the next four years, since not all CTE classes focus only on trade skills like welding, woodworking and STEM. For example, an early childhood education course could begin by 2024 depending on whether enough students enroll, Ofstun said. Under the umbrella of CTE are program areas like health science, agriculture and business, Ofstun said. Within those program areas, students take specific classes usually related to their chosen field like a biomedical science class, plant science and marketing. Changes listed in the four-year plan include adding a health and nutrition course plan, photography in advertising, agribusiness and health science informatics. If students take enough of the two-credit course plans during their high school career, they can pursue a career-based graduation path. I want more options on the list, Ofstun said. Job, trade experience Jobs in Cowlitz County and the larger Southwest Washington region that do not require college degrees are steadily growing and can sometimes offer young adults enticingly high wages. Many companies want fresh faces to enter apprenticeships, earn trade-specific certifications and get hands-on experience, the regional Educational Service District told The Daily News in December. In a county economy dominated largely by trades like construction and manufacturing, local schools have made efforts to broaden career and technical education. Longview currently offers about 60 CTE courses. The Kelso School District has about 70 classes with seven in-field options at places like local fire stations, the Southwest Washington Regional Airport and Lower Columbia College. School districts across Cowlitz County like Kalama consistently get state funds to bolster CTE projects. The regional Educational Service District also recently kickstarted Flipped internships that see high school students work under local industry leaders. The Cowlitz County commissioners will vote on a board chair next week after Commissioner Arne Mortensen raised concerns that current Chair Dennis Weber signed a letter asking for a negotiation extension relating to the rails-to-trails project that included incorrect statements. Weber said he made a mistake in not reading through the whole letter, thinking it was asking for the extension as the county has previously. For about seven years, the county has explored the idea of converting abandoned rail line formerly owned by Weyerhaeuser into a bike and walking trail through a nationwide program. Negotiations with current owner Patriot Rail Company have been extended several times. In 2019, the Cowlitz Wahkiakum Council of Governments took over as lead on the project because it covers multiple jurisdictions. Last week, the letter to the federal Surface Transportation Board was on the county commissioners consent agenda, which typically includes several items approved in one vote. Weber was absent. The commissioners pulled the letter from the consent agenda to be considered separately. Mortensen said neither he nor Commissioner Rick Dahl had seen the letter before it was sent earlier in March. Dahl said after talking with Bill Fashing, Council of Governments director, and Washington state Sen. Jeff Wilson about the project, he was assured the county is not committing to anything, just requesting an extension. Mortensen said any letter going out that is from the board should be cleared by all commissioners first. On Tuesday, Weber apologized for signing the letter without fully reading through it. The error was on my part, he said. I ignored page two, and page two actually had a question for more information from us and would lead a reader to believe we already decided how to pay for it. We didnt do any of that stuff. Weber told The Daily News when he got the letter from the Council of Governments he signed off on it, considering it in line with the countys longstanding policy of continuing negotiations with Patriot Rail. On Tuesday, Weber said he didnt realize his error until following up on the March 21 meeting he missed. Mortensen revised the letter, stating the previous version was a draft sent prematurely, and struck the language referring to funding and liability. On Tuesday, the board approved sending the new version. While he has concerns about the project itself, the more pertinent issue is the process by which a letter was sent that should not have been sent with assumptions in there that were certainly known and incorrect to the chairman, Mortensen said. Apology aside, theres a serious trust and process issue there, he said. A few citizens voiced concerns about the letter and called Webers actions a breach of trust. Mortensen asked if Weber would step down as chairman and Weber said he would. The board voted to call a new election for chair next Tuesday. The board elects a chair each year to preside over open public meetings and conduct county business and a vice chair as a backup. Weber served as acting chair after Joe Gardner resigned in September 2021 and the board voted for him to continue in that role after John Jabusch joined in December 2021 and Dahl joined in November 2022. State law requires the chair to serve on the county canvassing board and on the county finance committee, and some grants or contracts specifically ask for the chairs signature, Weber said. Commentary: America's democracy is too sick to serve Xinhua) 10:29, March 30, 2023 BEIJING, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The United States always loves to brand itself as the "beacon of democracy," but it is increasingly difficult for the American people to achieve their own interests. Democratic politics should meet the people's aspirations for a better life, and true democracy must be effective. However, the list of problems plaguing the United States is growing longer. Money politics, social division, hate crimes and a widening wealth gap have run rife across the nation. The defects of U.S. democracy have penetrated into almost every corner of the political and social structures, plunging the country into a vicious circle of democratic distortion, political incapacity and social disorder. Take the drug problem. Drug overdose deaths in the United States in the 12-month period have topped 100,000 since 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Yet instead of taking steps to crack down on drug dealers and addicts, U.S. governments at different levels are busy legalizing marijuana and providing "safe places" for drug addicts to inject fentanyl and heroin. In addition to the drug problem, the out-of-control gun violence and the failed banking regulation are also the products of special interest groups and politicians putting their self-interest above the common good. Although 71 percent of U.S. adults want to see gun laws made stricter, political polarization and lobbyists like the National Rifle Association of America, a very influential gun rights advocacy group, have hampered gun control efforts. As a result, the United States has already seen more than 130 mass shootings across the country so far this year, including the most recent attack at a school in Nashville in the U.S. state of Tennessee, in which three children and three adults were killed. And survey finds that the United States is the only nation in the world where civilian guns outnumber people. There are 120 guns for every 100 Americans, according to the Switzerland-based Small Arms Survey. The sudden collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) is also a reminder of why America's political system is too ill to address the real problems facing the country. Back in 2010, the U.S. Congress passed a bill to overhaul the country's financial regulation, requiring banks with more than 50 billion U.S. dollars in assets to undergo the Federal Reserve's annual stress tests, so as to avoid a repeat of the financial crisis in 2008. However, with powerful bankers fighting to water down the regulation, the Congress amended the act a few years later, substantially raising the asset threshold for stress tests to 250 billion dollars. It is widely believed that deregulation leads to the accumulation of considerable risks for small and medium-sized banks. Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Prize-winning economist, said "SVB represents more than the failure of a single bank. It is emblematic of deep failures in the conduct of both regulatory and monetary policy." That is just a microcosm of the failure of America's so-called democratic governance. Government decision-making in America has been so entangled with partisan struggles, electoral politics, vested interest groups and other factors that the voice of the American people has largely been submerged. And under the manipulation of money politics, American democracy actually represents the interests of the minority and is an out-and-out oligarchy. That is why the United States has little money to improve its fraying infrastructure but is increasingly obsessed with military expenditure. Watson Institute of Brown University estimated in its "Costs of War" report that Washington had spent over 8 trillion dollars on the post-9/11 wars by 2022. In fact, more and more Americans are sober to the fact that America's dysfunctional political system is too ill to serve their interests. According to a Pew Center poll, 65 percent of Americans believe that the American democratic system needs major reforms, while 57 percent of respondents believe the United States is no longer a model of democracy. "Our democracy is sick, and it's not an accident," said U.S. political activist Ezra Levin. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre avoided questions related to Joe Biden's "assault weapons" ban proposal The Democratic president renewed his calls for the ban following the deadly Nashville shooting The horrific incident saw the death of three nine-year-old kids and three adults White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dodged questions on Wednesday about whether United States President Joe Biden's proposed "assault weapons" ban would confiscate the millions of semi-automatic rifles possessed by law-abiding Americans. On Tuesday, the Democratic president renewed his calls to ban assault weapons in the United States following the deadly Nashville shooting. He reiterated that there is a "moral price to pay for inaction" by GOP lawmakers who opposed such a measure following the brutal incident. White House Mum on Confiscation of Assault Weapons The attack killed three nine-year-old students and three adults at a Christian private school on Monday. The suspect was a 28-year-old transgender woman who was supposedly a former student of the educational establishment, as per Fox News. During her daily press briefing, Jean-Pierre was met with questions of whether or not Biden supported the ban on the sale and manufacture of semi-automatic weapons and confiscation from law-abiding citizens. In response, the press secretary said that the proposal was about AR15s, which they called weapons of war, should not be allowed on the streets across the country. She added that these weapons should not be in schools, grocery stores, and churches. Jean-Pierre reiterated that there was only so much the president himself could do and noted that it was now time for Congress to act on the matter. She added that Biden was happy to sign legislation that would remove assault weapons from being a threat to society. On Monday, Biden said he was calling on Congress to pass his proposed assault weapons ban. According to Politico, he added that it was time to make some progress regarding the issue but noted that there was still more that they could learn. Read Also: Lloyd Austin Faces Off with Republican Senator Over Abortion Policy Joe Biden Reiterates Support for Assault Weapons Ban The Democrat's remarks were made during a Small Business Administration Women's Business Summit held in the East Room of the White House. He referenced the Nashville shooting where the suspect, who remains unidentified, was shot in an altercation with police officers. Authorities noted that the woman owned at least two semi-automatic rifles and a handgun. The president called the incident "heartbreaking" and a "family's worst nightmare." Biden argued that they need to do more to prevent gun violence from causing harm to Americans, claiming that it was ripping apart communities across the nation. On Tuesday, Biden also claimed that most Americans think that owning the types of military rifles usually used in similar massacres is "bizarre." He added that these people are against such an idea of having assault weapons. From his own experience, Biden said there was no feeling like losing a child, detailing how he lost his baby daughter in 1972 following a car accident. And in 2015, he lost his adult son Beau who was sick with cancer, said Yahoo News. Related Article: Nashville School Shooter Had 7 Guns @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. As You Move to the Cloud, Dont Leave Your People on the Ground (Part 1 of 2) With every technology change, there will be a variety of responses from the people in your organization. Understanding the personality and response types will help you retain and protect your staff. Plenty of articles have been written about issues associated with a successful migration to the cloud, including topics such as choosing the right cloud vendor, reading the fine print in a cloud provider service agreement, validating cloud security, investing in automation, and decommissioning the old system, among other such crucial aspects to assure a successful migration. One key facet of cloud migration that receives less attention is the people side of disruptive technology changes. Paying attention to how the individuals impacted by the change respond is important to addressing concerns and ensuring a smooth transition to the new system. A migration strategy that meticulously factors in all the technology issues but omits the people issues is setting the stage for failure because it is the people (users) who will need to implement, support, and use the system. The Unique Case of Cloud Migration Migrating data and applications to the cloud is a unique kind of technology change that is unlike a brand-new system implementation on premises. Because the systems to be migrated will be familiar to users to some degree, managers are often very careful about technical aspects of the projects but overlook potential people issues that could derail the process. For example, a team or a business unit (or even the entire company) could be migrating from the installed version of Microsoft Office to Microsoft Office 365 as software-as-a-service (SaaS). Although a simple change, research suggests that the status quo bias -- that is, the preference for things to be as they are -- would predict that some users will resist the new system. Given this, managers overseeing cloud migration should understand that a seemingly simple migration could be a major change in the eyes of the users -- with implications for their performance and job security. Technology Change = Technology Uncertainty Any change will cause anxiety in your staff and stakeholders because of the uncertainty it brings. A rich body of research has examined these effects, ranging from the effect of uncertainty about the future on saving decisions and price uncertainty on consumer choice to limited foresight and uncertain technological learning on technology adoption, among others. Managers need to anticipate this and dedicate significant time and resources to helping stakeholders cope with the uncertainty. When preparing for a cloud migration, or any other technology change, there are several initial steps to mitigate the uncertainty -- such as choosing a reputed cloud vendor, thoroughly studying the contract before signing, and employing experts to lead the migration. However, even seemingly small changes, such as moving from an installed version to a cloud-based version of the same software, can introduce uncertainties in the minds of the users such as: Will I be able to adjust to the new system quickly? Will the new system allow me to perform my job as well as I have been in the past? Will the new system hamper my career growth if I have trouble adjusting to it? Other uncertainties relate to potential changes in the power dynamics in the workplace that this new technology might introduce. For example, a senior employee may have to seek the help and assistance from juniors or even peers in other units, while those people may be competing for career progression. Network structures could change, where members at the periphery of a network could move to the center (because of their expertise with the new system), threatening the identity, power, and status of existing central members. Silent Resistance Although user resistance conjures images of noisy, irate employees, research has shown that silence on critical issues is a more widespread response in workplaces. This could be due to the ramifications for ones career growth, workplace relationships, and even job security. Against the backdrop of pandemic-accelerated technology change and the persistent undercurrent of economic and job insecurity, paying attention to silent behavior is more important now than ever. As managers, we are quick to respond to overt reactions, such as protest or pushback, but we often miss the quiet subversion. For example, a cloud migration might be a technical success, but it could cost the company in other ways. For example, an employee might not share new product ideas or not bring forth crucial issues that could affect the growth or even the existence of the company. Sustained silence could also lead to quiet quitting -- doing only the minimum required work and nothing more. Although the team may meet their milestones and complete their projects, you may have significant loss of productivity, focus, and morale. In the rush to migrate to the cloud for the potential cost savings or to keep up with industry trends, companies should not lose sight of the implications that such a change holds for employees. A successful cloud migration is much more than just a series of technical, security, and compliance tasks. It may have long-term impacts on the people in any department that is affected. A situation where the migration follows the best practices and is declared a success, but after which employees do not use the system or feel identified with the firm, is winning the battle and losing the war. In Part 2 of this discussion, we will explore how managers can anticipate and engage in pre-emptive behaviors that maximize the expression of ideas and feelings by employees, which could, in turn, minimize the resistance to the project, leading to success. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Shutterstock.com Chemists and engineers find innovative ways to access waterincluding by pulling it out of thin air. Now, University of Chicago researchers found a way to extract even more water. In 2021, Prof. Laura Gagliardi of the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and the Department of Chemistry was part of a cross-institutional team developing a new device to extract water from air. The key innovation was a designed material called a metal-organic framework, a hybrid structure of metal ions and organic linkers that can be tuned at the molecular level. MOFs have a structure of empty pores that adsorb water molecules from air. Gagliardi and her team used theoretical and computational methods to better understand how the material worked at the atomic level. Now, Gagliardi's team has helped guide the design of an optimized MOF that adsorbs 50% more water from the air than the previous version. The material will ultimately be incorporated into a device built to demonstrate this potentially game-changing technology. "It is a true breakthrough," Gagliardi said. "It shows that theory, modeling and prediction can guide new experiments and new technology." The research was published in ACS Central Science. Though the original MOF worked well, the team wanted to improve it by increasing the material's pore volume, but at the same time keeping a similar binding strength to water. The MOF framework consists of tiny aluminum-based rods connected by "linker" molecules. This structure creates pores that are lined by alternating hydrophilic (water-binding) and hydrophobic (water-avoiding) pockets. These pockets are ideally suited for the initial binding of waterwhen the MOF is exposed to air, water molecules naturally bind themselves to it. Once the initial water molecules are bound, then the following molecules attach themselves to the initial water molecules. The result is a "sponge" full of water. But the researchers wanted to increase the pore volume (which would allow space for more water to be extracted from the air) while still keeping this special environment needed to attract the initial water molecules. The team also had to find the right sweet spot in design: water needed to bind to the MOF, but not too strongly, or else it could never be desorbed (squeezed out of the sponge). Gagliardi's team ran computer simulations to find what was ultimately the answer: adding in special linker extension, essentially a long arm on the structure made from two carbon atoms, that would increase the pore size while retaining the special water-binding properties the MOF originally had. They collaborated with experimentalists at University of California, Berkeley to ensure the material was synthesizable at a relatively low cost. The teamwhich also includes researchers at the University of Minnesota, General Electric and Humboldt University in Berlinis now scaling up the production of this new MOF and incorporating it into their prototype water-collecting device. If it works as well in the device as it does in the lab, it means the device could collect significantly more water than before. "It was a true collaboration of discussions, modeling and experiments," Gagliardi said. Next, the team is considering more changes to the design and will integrate machine learning that can sift through the data they've gained through their modeling and experiments to give new suggestions for improvement. Ultimately, the device could be used to help soldiers in combat in arid areas or civilians in water-scare regions. "Hopefully we will continue these discoveries that will ultimately help people capture water in arid climates," she said. More information: Nikita Hanikel et al, MOF Linker Extension Strategy for Enhanced Atmospheric Water Harvesting, ACS Central Science (2023). DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.3c00018 Journal information: ACS Central Science This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Because DFW is so large, the Skylink train connects travelers to different terminals. NREL researchers project that the next generation of such trains will need to leverage autonomous and electric technologies to meet renewable energy goals. Credit: Dennis Schroeder, NREL As you walk through the airport's glass doors, your phone buzzes. You open the camera, hold it in front of you, and spin a slow 360 degrees. When you look at your phone screen, bright, translucent arrows overlay the ground in front of you, guiding you through the revolving doors and pointing you to the airport's security checkpoint. As you move through the terminal, the digital arrows steer you down a corridor, onto a train, up an escalator, and finally to your gate, where your plane is almost ready to board. This experience, called "augmented reality navigation," is just one of a host of emerging digital technologies that aim to make passengers' travel through airports more equitable and energy-efficientnot to mention more convenient. And these futuristic technologies take center stage in a new, comprehensive analysis by National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) researchers that aims to reimagine how sustainability figures into the way people travel to (and through) enormous facilities like airports. Building greener airports by understanding people "When people think of renewable energy, they don't always think about mobility systems or behavioral science. Our team studies both," said NREL's Stan Young, an advanced transportation and urban scientist who was part of the project's research team. "We combine field observations, data, and analysis to understand how people will respond to new sustainable mobility options and make sure that new technologies will actually meet their needs and become something they want to adopt," Young continued. "In 2015, we began studying this in the context of cities and public spaces. That includes airports and air mobility. Airports are so economically vibrant and vital that they tend to be ground zero for new technologies." That focus led the team to partner with Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) on their ambitious goal to achieve net-zero carbon emissions with no offset credits by 2030. The report, one of a longstanding series of NREL/DFW collaborations, details five major paths the airport could take to build a more sustainable, equitable, and convenient "transportation ecosystem" for travelers and employees at the nation's second-busiest airport. Wayfinding, the process of using information systems to move through a facility, is just one piece of the report. The main thrust of the research is this: By considering every aspect of how people travel through airportsfrom moving through security to accessing different terminalsairports can create opportunities to integrate new, fuel-efficient technologies to reduce the carbon footprints of their operations, buildings, and transportation. And wayfinding, the digital and physical information systems that guide passengers through a facility, could be a critical component of an airport's transformation. "The concept of wayfinding has a technological aspect," Young explained. "But it also involves a change of philosophy. Wayfinding used to be done with static signs and information kiosks staffed by airport employees. We're seeing now that wayfinding technologies need to be wedded with information systems and smartphones so you can find your way around a massive facility and all of the transportation options therein." For airports, more is not always better At the core of the sustainable mobility discussion, at least for DFW, is the airport's enormous scale. Spanning five half-moon-shaped terminals and with plans to build a sixth, the airport covers 27 square milesmore than the island of Manhattanand has its own zip code and city designation. "The size of the DFW facility is fundamentally breaking some of our architectural boundaries," Young said, referring to the "quarter-mile standard," which is frequently used to design walkable public transportation systems. "When people can't get to their plane on time because of the size of an airport, that creates inefficiencies, and inefficiencies waste resources," Young continued, explaining that simply cutting down on travel delays can create fuel savingsmeasured in both dollars and carbon emissionsfor airports. Although there are many causes for flight delays, ensuring passengers get to their gates on time can improve operational efficiency, he said. When idling, a typical aircraft burns about three gallons of jet fuel per minute. Passenger mobility improvements can contribute to reduced delays and aircraft idling time, and, at a national scale, this could result in substantial fuel savings while enhancing passenger experiences. And digital wayfinding technologies, the researchers found, can contribute to these improvements. In their analysis, the NREL research team points to several potential wayfinding strategies. Several large technology companies are already piloting interior building navigation, similar to an indoor GPS, that works on regular smartphones. In 2020, Indoor Google Maps launched an augmented reality tool called Live View that compares what a smartphone camera "sees" to a database of facility images, then superimposes directional arrows on the camera image. That same year, Zurich Airport in Switzerland partnered with Google Maps to become the first airport to offer an indoor live view. Other airports and technology companies are working to deploy Bluetooth low-energy beacons in a bid to advance indoor positioning technology. In the same way that beacons aid outdoor GPS navigation, indoor beacons could, with permission, sense a passenger's trajectory through a facility and send them navigation instructions based on where they are and where they are headed, from their gate or baggage carousel to a coffee shop or ATM. These technologies are not only useful for helping travelers move more efficiently. They may also support the adoption of the state-of-the-art transportation systems powered by renewable energy proposed in the NREL team's report, which aim to become more convenient than traditional travel to the airport. Some of the technologies envisioned for the near future include self-parking car technologies at drop-off zones so passengers can disembark while their vehicle parks itself, and on-demand, automated, electric transit shuttles to easily move between airport facilities. Digital wayfinding technologies that help guide travelers to connect between mode options, explain their function and use, and inform passengers where and when they will arrive may help to increase the use of this cutting-edge, energy-efficient technology. Equitable airport travel for all These technologies, the researchers note, can also address the needs of an often-overlooked population: people with reduced mobility. "A 20-minute walk through an airport to a particular gate is not possible for every person who travels," said NREL's Andrew Duvall, a transportation behavior analyst who was part of the research team. Duvall pointed to the fact that many people who travel through airports have mobility limitations that require them to use elevators, escalators, or ramps. They may be traveling with young children or with a companion who has reduced mobility. English may not be their first language, and it may be too confusing to navigate the facility. For all these reasons and more, the researchers are focused on strategies to connect travelers, point-by-point, through a large facility in a way that is equitable, accessible, and convenient for all. "At the center of this research is improving equity of access for those with the least mobility. But it also has benefits for everyone else," Duvall said. "If you design for the people with the least mobility, you also create benefits for everyone using the system." Of course, to fully decarbonize an entire airport, more efficient wayfinding is only one piece of the puzzle. Young pointed to the need for large facilities like airports to create "horizontal movement solutions" that efficiently move and direct peopleand also integrate sustainability into their design. Those solutions, he said, may require re-envisioning systems from the bottom up. For instance, the researchers found that DFW's Skylink train is a significant asset: It connects passengers who have cleared security within all five terminals. But the system is cost prohibitive, space prohibitive, and its route cannot be easily adjusted to accommodate the airport's growth. Researchers project that the next generations of such trains will need to leverage autonomous and electric technologies to help airports meet renewable energy goals. "Modern technology is giving us tools to create efficient, flexible systems that surpass last-century workhorses," Young said. "These are the technologies that will allow us to create efficient and equitable solutions for the next generation of facilities." More information: Roadmap to Automated Mobility Systems: Informing the Planning of a Sustainable, Resilient Transportation Ecosystem for Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport: www.nrel.gov/docs/fy23osti/82470.pdf This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The OpenAI logo is seen on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen displaying output from ChatGPT, Tuesday, March 21, 2023, in Boston. Are tech companies moving too fast in rolling out powerful artificial intelligence technology that could one day outsmart humans? That is the conclusion of a group of prominent computer scientists and other tech industry notables who are calling for a 6-month pause to consider the risks. Their petition published Wednesday, March 29, 2023, is a response to San Francisco startup OpenAI's recent release of GPT-4. Credit: AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File Are tech companies moving too fast in rolling out powerful artificial intelligence technology that could one day outsmart humans? That's the conclusion of a group of prominent computer scientists and other tech industry notables such as Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak who are calling for a 6-month pause to consider the risks. Their petition published Wednesday is a response to San Francisco startup OpenAI's recent release of GPT-4, a more advanced successor to its widely-used AI chatbot ChatGPT that helped spark a race among tech giants Microsoft and Google to unveil similar applications. WHAT DO THEY SAY? The letter warns that AI systems with "human-competitive intelligence can pose profound risks to society and humanity"from flooding the internet with disinformation and automating away jobs to more catastrophic future risks out of the realms of science fiction. It says "recent months have seen AI labs locked in an out-of-control race to develop and deploy ever more powerful digital minds that no onenot even their creatorscan understand, predict, or reliably control." "We call on all AI labs to immediately pause for at least 6 months the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4," the letter says. "This pause should be public and verifiable, and include all key actors. If such a pause cannot be enacted quickly, governments should step in and institute a moratorium." A number of governments are already working to regulate high-risk AI tools. The United Kingdom released a paper Wednesday outlining its approach, which it said "will avoid heavy-handed legislation which could stifle innovation." Lawmakers in the 27-nation European Union have been negotiating passage of sweeping AI rules. WHO SIGNED IT? The petition was organized by the nonprofit Future of Life Institute, which says confirmed signatories include the Turing Award-winning AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio and other leading AI researchers such as Stuart Russell and Gary Marcus. Others who joined include Wozniak, former U.S. presidential candidate Andrew Yang and Rachel Bronson, president of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, a science-oriented advocacy group known for its warnings against humanity-ending nuclear war. Musk, who runs Tesla, Twitter and SpaceX and was an OpenAI co-founder and early investor, has long expressed concerns about AI's existential risks. A more surprising inclusion is Emad Mostaque, CEO of Stability AI, maker of the AI image generator Stable Diffusion that partners with Amazon and competes with OpenAI's similar generator known as DALL-E. WHAT'S THE RESPONSE? OpenAI, Microsoft and Google didn't respond to requests for comment Wednesday, but the letter already has plenty of skeptics. "A pause is a good idea, but the letter is vague and doesn't take the regulatory problems seriously," says James Grimmelmann, a Cornell University professor of digital and information law. "It is also deeply hypocritical for Elon Musk to sign on given how hard Tesla has fought against accountability for the defective AI in its self-driving cars." IS THIS AI HYSTERIA? While the letter raises the specter of nefarious AI far more intelligent than what actually exists, it's not "superhuman" AI that some who signed on are worried about. While impressive, a tool such as ChatGPT is simply a text generator that makes predictions about what words would answer the prompt it was given based on what it's learned from ingesting huge troves of written works. Gary Marcus, a New York University professor emeritus who signed the letter, said in a blog post that he disagrees with others who are worried about the near-term prospect of intelligent machines so smart they can self-improve themselves beyond humanity's control. What he's more worried about is "mediocre AI" that's widely deployed, including by criminals or terrorists to trick people or spread dangerous misinformation. "Current technology already poses enormous risks that we are ill-prepared for," Marcus wrote. "With future technology, things could well get worse." 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain As large language models (LLMs) such as GPT-4 are further developed, they will naturally become better at using available information to generate useful text on virtually any topicnot only by the phrase or sentence, but by the whole document. Employing AI to write entire messages in an arena where personal correspondence is both crucial and nearly impossiblerepresentative governmentappears to be more effective than using AI to generate individual sentences, according to new Cornell research. A research group led by Sarah Kreps, the John L. Wetherill Professor in the Department of Government in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) and director of the Cornell Tech Policy Institute in the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, tested an AI-mediated communication program to see whether message-level suggested text was more useful than sentence-level suggestions. Kreps and her team found that study participants, acting in the role of congressional staffers, who received message-level suggestions responded faster and were more satisfied with the experience than those who got individual sentence suggestions. "It's almost a cost-benefit-utility calculation," said Kreps, noting that elected officials can receive thousands of emails per week, sometimes per day. "Once you're using this tool, if the message-level suggestion is good enough, which it seemed to be, then it makes sense to use the message level rather than the sentence level, where a lot more human interfacing is required." Kreps' paper, "Comparing Sentence-Level Suggestions to Message-Level Suggestions in AI-Mediated Communication," is being published in Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '23). The lead author is Liye Fu, Ph.D. '22, an applied research scientist at information technology conglomerate Thomson Reuters. A version of the paper is current available on the arXiv pre-print server. Co-authors Benjamin Newman, a researcher at the Allen Institute for AI in Seattle, and Maurice Jakesch, Ph.D. '22, will present the paper at CHI '23, scheduled for April 2328 in Hamburg, Germany. Kreps, also an adjunct professor of law, said she got the idea for this work during previous research on whether lawmakers could be susceptible to AI-generated messages. One member of Congress told her that it wouldn't be long before "we're using AI to respond to AI-written messages," Kreps said. "And he said, 'That would be really great, because we get a lot of emails, and a lot of them are repetitive, so these tools could be really valuable.'" Lawmakers already outsource "99.999%" of their email correspondence to staffers, Kreps said, so perhaps AI could handle the job. "Staffers are largely just doing cutting and pasting anyway," she said. "So these AI tools are not actually demonstrably different from what staffers are doing now." For this work, Fu and a group of undergraduate computer science students from the Cornell Bowers College of Computing and Information Science developed Dispatch, an application that could simulate the process of a staffer responding to constituents' emails. Kreps recruited 120 participants to act as legislative staffers, and put them in one of three experiment conditions: 40 participants received no AI-generated assistance; 40 received sentence-level suggestions; and 40 received message-level suggestions, with both types of suggestions generated by GPT-3. The researchers sampled letters received by legislators through Resistbot, a service that advertises the ability to compose and send letters to legislators in less than two minutes. The researchers used just the contents of the letters, with no names, and chose letters that were sent by multiple people so individual senders couldn't be identified. "Staffers" using no AI help needed nearly 16 minutes to complete each correspondence, nearly twice as long as those using message-level AI suggestions. Those using sentence-level suggestions took just under 16 minutes, due to the need for editing and message-crafting; the actual writing time was around 12 minutes. "Staffers" using no AI help needed nearly twice as long as those using message-level AI suggestions. Additionally, those who used the message-level response suggestions generally agreed that the system was easy to use and that the suggestions they received were natural and useful. Participants using sentence-level suggestions, however, did not rate the naturalness and usefulness of the suggestions as favorably. "This is a relationship that should have a high degree of empathy and understanding," Kreps said of the legislator-constituent dynamic. "Citizens want to feel heard. The problem with that instinct, though, is how far we've come from a world where politicians were knocking on doors and having individual conversations and fireside chats. So much of this relationship is already automated. "If we can be pragmatic and realistic about where automation has already taken this relationship," she said, "then it can be easier to go the next step and think about how that actually might help individuals connect with their elected leaders." More information: Liye Fu et al, Comparing Sentence-Level Suggestions to Message-Level Suggestions in AI-Mediated Communication, arXiv (2023). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2302.13382 'Hotel Rwanda' hero Paul Rusesabagina was freed following an arrest in September 2021 The 68-year-old was allegedly lured to Kigali believing he was heading for Bujumbura, Burundi Washington negotiated with Kigali for several months for the release of Rusesabagina Paul Rusesabagina, who inspired the film 'Hotel Rwanda,' has been freed and has boarded a plane in Qatar bound for Houston after his release from prison in Rwanda last week. The individual, who is a permanent resident of the United States and has lived in exile in San Antonio, Texas, for more than a decade, was sentenced in September 2021 to 25 years in prison. The decision was due to his connection to Paul Rusesabagina, who inspired the film "Hotel Rwanda," has been freed and has boarded a plane in Qatar bound for Houston after his release from Rwanda last week. The individual, who is a permanent resident of the United States and has lived in exile in San Antonio, Texas, for more than a decade, was sentenced in September 2021 to 25 years in prison. The decision was due to his connection to a group opposed to Rwandan President Paul Kagame's administration. Hotel Rwanda Hero Freed from Imprisonment The 68-year-old Kagame critic said he was lured to visit Rwanda in 2019 when he boarded a private plane in Dubai. He believed the flight was bound for Bujumbura, Burundi, and not Kigali, where he was detained, as per Aljazeera. On Friday, Kagame commuted Rusesabagina's sentence, resulting in his release after several months of negotiations between Washington and Kigali. On Monday, he arrived in Doha before traveling to the United States. After actor Don Cheadle played his identity in the 2004 film, he was feted worldwide. The movie portrayed him as a hero who put his life on the line to shelter and protect hundreds of refugees when he worked as the manager of a luxury hotel amid the Rwandan genocide in 1994. The US' historically close ties with Rwanda had been pressured by Rusesabagina's arrest and American allegations, which Kigali has denied. The US accused Rwanda of sending troops into the neighboring region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in support of the rebels in the area. On the other hand, the European Union and several experts with the United Nations made similar allegations as the US. Furthermore, rights groups, such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have accused the Kagame administration of conducting a fight against dissent. Read Also: Russia-Ukraine War Update: Kyiv's Potential Counterattack Fighting Against Dissent In a Twitter post, United States National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that he was pleased to welcome Rusesabagina back to the country. According to Reuters, he also expressed his gratitude to the people who worked tirelessly with the Rwandan government to finalize the individual's release. Rwanda officials said the decision to release Rusesabagina resulted from a shared desire to reset the US-Rwanda relationship. The individual, during his trial, acknowledged having a leadership role in an opposition group. However, he denied any responsibility for the attacks carried out in the region by the group's armed wing. The plane Rusesabagina boarded while traveling to the US touched down in Houston on Wednesday afternoon. CBS News said he was set to travel next to a military hospital in San Antonio and will soon be reunited with his family. Related Article: China Issues Warning After US Visit to Taiwan @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Bryan residents will soon see more construction efforts along South College Avenue and West Villa Maria Road after the city council approved a nearly $16 million contract for improved mobility efforts during a special meeting Tuesday afternoon. These improvements, specifically, are taking the existing pavement and the lack of sidewalks along that corridor, Jayson Barfknecht, the citys public works director, said Wednesday. We are going to improve the mobility for pedestrians, bicycles and others that want to go through that corridor; and we are going to upgrade it with landscaping. I think it is going to be a nice corridor and a nice entryway into the park and leading its way to Downtown Bryan, as we continue to move and upgrade that area. It will also be a catalyst [for] redevelopment of that area along that corridor. The contract was approved for $15,990,929 to Larry Young Paving of Bryan for a three-phase reconstruction project. The council approved Phase 1, which consists of the reconstruction of South College Avenue from West Villa Maria Road to Carson Street. Construction will begin in late April and, dependent on the weather, should be completed by December 2024, Barfknecht said. A few years ago we redid South College from Villa Maria South, he said. This effort here was to continue that and create a corridor from Texas A&M all the way into Downtown Bryan utilizing South College Avenue being adjacent to the new Midtown Park. For the project, about $10.7 million in funds will go toward sidewalks, streets, landscaping, lighting and storm sewer work, and about $5.2 million will go toward water and sewer, he said. Through the reconstruction of South College Avenue, the city will replace and upgrade underground storm sewer, water and sanitary sewer lines along the project limits as well as off-line improvements to the sanitary sewer generally bounded by South College Avenue/Cavitt Avenue/Lake Street/Edge Street, according to city staff. Additionally, a 10-to-12-foot wide shared-use path will be constructed along the west side of South College Avenue and a 6-foot-wide sidewalk will be constructed along the east side of South College Avenue; and a landscaped median will run the entire length of the street with a left-turn lane at Rountree Drive and roundabouts at Hollydale Street/Williamson Drive and Carson Street intersections, according to city staff. It was the direction of the council to improve the corridor and to improve the mobility of connecting downtown with Texas A&M and being adjacent to the Midtown Park. One of the components of this will be to improve the drainage underneath South College where the new lake will discharge, Barfknecht said. As we move through the process of getting the lake permitted we are going to put the box structure underneath South College to accept the spillway overflow and the flow coming out of the lake whenever we redo that dam, so that will already be in place. The following phases will go into picking up where the city leaves off at Carson and taking the reconstruction to Dodge Street and then into Downtown Bryan, he said, and one of the main reasons for the reconstruction is due to drainage in this corridor. Whenever we have had rain has always been an issue; South College always turns into a river when we have had big rains, Barfknecht said. So that is one of the things we have wanted to address with making South College a little more passible when we have those larger rains, that is the reason there is so much storm sewer involved in this. In addition, the council also approved an engineering design contract for $716,000 to design a gravity sewer trunk line to the new Brushy Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant located on Cole Lane in Bryan, which is expected to be completed by summer 2024. City staff said in addition to the design of the sewer trunk line, the scope includes a study to route a sewer force main from a new regional lift station to be constructed on the east side of the bypass. The preliminary cost estimate for the sewer trunk line is between $11-12 million dollars. This lift station will take part of the flow currently going to the Burton Creek [Plant] and transfer the wastewater to the new Brushy Creek [Plant]. Over the long term, the Burton Creek [Plant] will be replaced with this regional lift station as the lift station is expanded to carry the additional flow from the decommissioned plant, city staff stated. The limits of the route study for the force main are approximately Copperfield Drive near Tiffany Park Subdivision to the north and Veterans Park in College Station to the south. During the special meeting, the council also approved a 10-year medical equipment contract with Zoll Medical Corporation for $281,075 for the Bryan Fire Department to lease new cardiac monitors, patient ventilators and mechanical CPR devices. Right after a 28-year-old shot six people to death at a small Christian school, Rep. Tim Burchett, a Tennessee Republican, emoted on camera. Three precious little kids lost their lives, he said with sad resignation, and I believe three adults. Burchett then defended the killers right to own the three weapons she carried onto the grounds of the Covenant Presbyterian Church, located in a pretty Nashville neighborhood. Its a horrible, horrible situation, and were not going to fix it, he said. Criminals are gonna be criminals, and my daddy fought in the Second World War ... he told me, Buddy, if somebody wants to take you out and doesnt mind losing their life, theres not a whole heck of a lot you can do about it. Hes not entirely wrong about criminals being criminals. But criminals elsewhere dont have the easy access to the firepower that this woman used to rapidly kill six on a lovely spring day. Did Burchett see this quiet, leafy neighborhood as comparable to the jungle hells of wartime Pacific? And must he rationalize sick people wanting to take out 9-year-olds, when, actually, there are things to do about it. No matter. Theres no making moral sense of the political zombies who take orders from the National Rifle Association. But there are civic and political leaders who can see how rampant gun violence can damage their economies. Nashville has been a hot growing city, but corporations considering a move there must be taken aback by this latest mass murder. Such outrages are happening elsewhere, but this one happened in a state where a woman being treated for severe mental disturbance and whose parents didnt want her to have guns was able legally to purchase seven of them, including two assault-style weapons. Tennessee already allows permitless carry, with no requirement for training. And, of course, guns dont have to be licensed. Bills are now before the state Legislature that would let 18-year-olds carry long guns in public without a license. It should be hard recruiting high-quality workers to a place where they must assess whether a fellow shopper carrying a rifle is OK or will explode if you accidently bump your cart into his? There is widespread support for universal background checks, for safe storage, for red-flag laws to prevent someone who might commit harm purchase an AR-15. Only 19% of Americans strongly oppose more gun laws. Very few airline passengers want to crash their planes. Nonetheless, we accept stringent security checks at airports. It may be true that you cant entirely stop someone willing to sacrifice her own life from killing others, you dont have to swamp America with the killing machines that most anyone criminal, nuts or both can buy. And todays are more powerful than the weaponry used in Vietnam. And its not just the guns themselves. Its the worship of them. Its the politicians who send out Christmas cards of themselves grinning as they brandish assault rifles. There isnt much we can do about these peoples right to mock a religion of peace, but we can easily vote them out of office. Nashville police prevented a bigger horror by their fast and brave response. But suppose road work had slowed the response by two minutes? Are we supposed to find solace in there being only six dead? When employers consider relocating, they may well look at numbers in addition to tax rates. They may include the number of gun deaths per 100,000 population which is 3.7 in Massachusetts but 21.3 in Tennessee. And as the Nashville example shows, putting children in private schools is not enough to protect them from gun violence. Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE:BIO.B Get Rating)s share price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $464.10 and last traded at $464.10, with a volume of 0 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $464.10. Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, TheStreet raised Bio-Rad Laboratories from a d+ rating to a c- rating in a research note on Monday. Get Bio-Rad Laboratories alerts: Bio-Rad Laboratories Stock Performance The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $412.98 and a 200 day simple moving average of $411.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a quick ratio of 4.29 and a current ratio of 5.55. Bio-Rad Laboratories Company Profile Bio-Rad Laboratories ( NYSE:BIO.B Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 16th. The company reported $3.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $730.29 million during the quarter. Bio-Rad Laboratories had a positive return on equity of 4.59% and a negative net margin of 129.66%. (Get Rating) Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc manufactures, and distributes life science research and clinical diagnostic products in the United States, Europe, Asia, Canada, and Latin America. The company operates through Life Science and Clinical Diagnostics segments. The Life Science segment develops, manufactures, and markets a range of reagents, apparatus, and laboratory instruments that are used in research techniques, biopharmaceutical production processes, and food testing regimes. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Bio-Rad Laboratories Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bio-Rad Laboratories and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Admiral Group plc (LON:ADM Get Rating) have earned a consensus rating of Hold from the eight ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have given a hold recommendation and three have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is GBX 2,201.50 ($27.05). Several brokerages have recently weighed in on ADM. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated an underweight rating and set a GBX 1,650 ($20.27) target price on shares of Admiral Group in a research report on Thursday, March 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered shares of Admiral Group to a hold rating and set a GBX 2,150 ($26.42) price target on the stock. in a research report on Friday, March 10th. Peel Hunt reaffirmed a hold rating and issued a GBX 2,160 ($26.54) target price on shares of Admiral Group in a research note on Wednesday, March 8th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an underweight rating and issued a GBX 2,150 ($26.42) target price on shares of Admiral Group in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Numis Securities reaffirmed an add rating and issued a GBX 2,575 ($31.64) target price on shares of Admiral Group in a research note on Friday, February 24th. Get Admiral Group alerts: Admiral Group Price Performance Shares of Admiral Group stock opened at GBX 2,027.01 ($24.90) on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 107.56, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 1.15. The firms 50-day simple moving average is GBX 2,121.62 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 2,081.94. Admiral Group has a twelve month low of GBX 1,691.50 ($20.78) and a twelve month high of GBX 2,646.60 ($32.52). The firm has a market cap of 6.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 1,636.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -1.02 and a beta of 0.25. Admiral Group Cuts Dividend Insider Buying and Selling The firm also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 2nd. Investors of record on Thursday, May 4th will be paid a dividend of GBX 52 ($0.64) per share. This represents a dividend yield of 2.49%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 4th. Admiral Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 6,612.90%. In other Admiral Group news, insider Geraint Jones sold 1,175 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 1,851 ($22.74), for a total value of 21,749.25 ($26,722.26). In other news, insider Annette Court bought 920 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 9th. The stock was purchased at an average price of GBX 1,999 ($24.56) per share, with a total value of 18,390.80 ($22,595.90). Also, insider Geraint Jones sold 1,175 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 1,851 ($22.74), for a total transaction of 21,749.25 ($26,722.26). 16.55% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. About Admiral Group (Get Rating) Admiral Group plc provides financial services in the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, France, Canada, India, and the United States. It offers insurance products, including motor, household, travel, and pet insurance, as well as personal lending products through Admiral loans. The company operates through UK Insurance, International Insurance, Admiral Loans, and Other segments. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Admiral Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Admiral Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Investment Management of Virginia LLC trimmed its position in shares of American Express (NYSE:AXP) by 0.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 75,432 shares of the payment services companys stock after selling 270 shares during the period. American Express makes up approximately 2.2% of Investment Management of Virginia LLCs holdings, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. Investment Management of Virginia LLCs holdings in American Express were worth $11,145,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. grew its position in American Express by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 44,553,661 shares of the payment services companys stock valued at $6,010,732,000 after acquiring an additional 665,857 shares during the last quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC grew its position in American Express by 10.2% in the 3rd quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 6,525,852 shares of the payment services companys stock valued at $880,402,000 after acquiring an additional 602,762 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc grew its position in American Express by 2.4% in the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 4,928,905 shares of the payment services companys stock valued at $683,249,000 after acquiring an additional 115,738 shares during the last quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main grew its position in American Express by 16.4% in the 2nd quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main now owns 4,807,168 shares of the payment services companys stock valued at $666,377,000 after acquiring an additional 675,971 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rothschild & Co Wealth Management UK Ltd grew its position in American Express by 6.9% in the 4th quarter. Rothschild & Co Wealth Management UK Ltd now owns 3,836,937 shares of the payment services companys stock valued at $566,907,000 after acquiring an additional 246,201 shares during the last quarter. 83.30% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get American Express alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In related news, insider Howard Grosfield sold 5,456 shares of American Express stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.52, for a total transaction of $952,181.12. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 7,045 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,229,493.40. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other American Express news, insider Howard Grosfield sold 5,456 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.52, for a total value of $952,181.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 7,045 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,229,493.40. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Monique Herena sold 15,217 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.18, for a total value of $2,635,280.06. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 13,712 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,374,644.16. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 49,361 shares of company stock valued at $8,773,678 over the last quarter. 0.11% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades American Express Stock Down 0.5 % A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Bank of America increased their price target on American Express from $172.00 to $205.00 in a research report on Sunday, January 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on American Express from $170.00 to $166.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 10th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on American Express from $170.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, December 15th. Credit Suisse Group increased their price target on American Express from $132.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an underperform rating in a research report on Monday, January 30th. Finally, Argus increased their price target on American Express from $180.00 to $210.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 31st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $175.44. NYSE AXP traded down $0.79 during trading on Thursday, hitting $162.80. The companys stock had a trading volume of 686,025 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,650,719. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.72, a current ratio of 1.62 and a quick ratio of 1.62. The company has a market cap of $121.13 billion, a PE ratio of 16.63, a P/E/G ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 1.20. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $169.39 and its 200-day simple moving average is $155.85. American Express has a fifty-two week low of $130.65 and a fifty-two week high of $194.00. American Express (NYSE:AXP Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 27th. The payment services company reported $2.07 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.18 by ($0.11). American Express had a return on equity of 31.76% and a net margin of 14.16%. The business had revenue of $14.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.25 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.18 EPS. American Expresss revenue was up 16.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that American Express will post 11.25 EPS for the current fiscal year. American Express declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Wednesday, March 8th that authorizes the company to repurchase 120,000,000 shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the payment services company to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually a sign that the companys management believes its stock is undervalued. American Express Increases Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 10th. Investors of record on Friday, April 7th will be issued a dividend of $0.60 per share. This is an increase from American Expresss previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 5th. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.47%. American Expresss payout ratio is 21.14%. American Express Company Profile (Get Rating) American Express Co engages in the provision of charge and credit card products and travel-related services. It operates through the following segments: U.S Consumer Services (USCS), Commercial Services (CS), International Card Services (ICS), Global Merchant and Network Services (GMNS), and Corporate and Other. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AXP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for American Express (NYSE:AXP Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for American Express Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American Express and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Saudi Arabia approves memorandum to join a China-led security bloc The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) includes several countries, notably Russia, India, and Pakistan The organization will have China's Zhang Ming as its secretary-general Saudi Arabia is set to join a China-led security bloc that seeks to strengthen the relationship between the two countries. Officials from the Middle Eastern country approved a memorandum that awarded Riyadh the status of dialogue partner in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). This organization is a political, security, and trade alliance that puts China, Russia, India, Pakistan, and four other central Asian nations as its members. Saudi Arabia Joins China-Led Security Bloc The announcement was made in a session presided over by Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz on Tuesday. The China-led organization tallies four observer states, which includes Iran. It also has nine dialogue partners, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey. China's Zhang Ming serves the organization's headquarters in Beijing as its secretary-general. As per CNBC, the Saudi Arabia government's decision to join the SCO underscores Riyadh's attempts to expand its interests further east. It also comes when Beijing is trying to test its influence in the Middle East in a potential attack on US influence. In early March, the Chinese government brokered a deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran; two nations considered long-time Mideast rivals. The agreement sought to resume diplomatic relations and reopen embassies in each other's territories. In Europe, China is planning out even more ambitiously but has yet to achieve much less after submitting a 12-point plan to achieve peace between Russia and Ukraine. Saudi Arabia's interests have long been connected with those of the countries that have become members of the SCO, specifically China and Russia. Beijing is considered Riyadh's largest trading partner globally, having a bilateral trade worth up to $87.3 billion in 2021. Read Also: King Charles III Visits Germany Iran and Saudi Arabia's Conflict History According to Fox News, the move also comes as Saudi Arabia's kingdom and other Persian Gulf states have started to grow wary over the US being lost as its historical security guarantor and have started to look and diversify their partners. China also said it had no ulterior motives in brokering the agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran. A spokesperson from the kingdom's foreign ministry noted that Beijing "pursues no selfish interest whatsoever in the Middle East after the deal." The conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran has led to a series of proxy wars in the region, including the conflict in Yemen. Tehran has also denied supporting the Houthis rebels, responsible for controlling vast areas of the impoverished country in late 2014. The group has been pushing out the internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. In March 2015, the Saudi-led military alliance intervened and supported Hadi, but the Houthis still have control of the country, including the capital Sanaa. In a statement, Riyadh said that while it previously engaged in rounds of bilateral talks with Tehran, Chinese President Xi Jinping jump-started the reconciliation process, said Aljazeera. Related Article: 'Hotel Rwanda' Hero Freed from Detainment @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Shares of Axiata Group Berhad (OTCMKTS:AXXTF Get Rating) were down 4% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $0.63 and last traded at $0.63. Approximately 1,000 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 45% from the average daily volume of 1,833 shares. The stock had previously closed at $0.66. Analyst Ratings Changes Separately, Citigroup started coverage on Axiata Group Berhad in a report on Tuesday, January 31st. They set a buy rating on the stock. Get Axiata Group Berhad alerts: Axiata Group Berhad Stock Performance The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $0.67 and a 200 day simple moving average of $0.65. Axiata Group Berhad Company Profile Axiata Group Berhad, an investment holding company, provides telecommunications services in Asia. The company provides mobile services and other services, such as provision of interconnect services, sale of devices, pay television transmission, and broadband services; and telecommunication infrastructure and related services. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Axiata Group Berhad Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Axiata Group Berhad and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Blue River Resources Ltd. (CVE:BXR Get Rating) hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as C$0.01 and last traded at C$0.01, with a volume of 8945752 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at C$0.01. Blue River Resources Stock Down 50.0 % The stocks 50 day moving average price is C$0.01 and its 200-day moving average price is C$0.01. The stock has a market capitalization of C$1.18 million, a PE ratio of -5.00 and a beta of 0.07. Blue River Resources Company Profile (Get Rating) Blue River Resources Ltd. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties. It holds 100% interests in Castle copper project covering an area of 335 hectares located in British Colombia. The company was incorporated in 2008 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Blue River Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Blue River Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (NYSE:IHG Get Rating) has earned a consensus recommendation of Hold from the eleven analysts that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $5,466.67. IHG has been the topic of several research reports. Barclays downgraded shares of InterContinental Hotels Group from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating in a research report on Monday, March 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on InterContinental Hotels Group from GBX 6,200 ($76.18) to GBX 6,000 ($73.72) in a research report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Peel Hunt cut InterContinental Hotels Group from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, January 30th. Citigroup dropped their target price on InterContinental Hotels Group from GBX 4,450 ($54.68) to GBX 4,200 ($51.60) in a report on Wednesday, November 30th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded InterContinental Hotels Group from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Get InterContinental Hotels Group alerts: Institutional Trading of InterContinental Hotels Group Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Signaturefd LLC grew its position in InterContinental Hotels Group by 3.0% during the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 6,703 shares of the companys stock worth $326,000 after buying an additional 198 shares during the period. Captrust Financial Advisors boosted its position in InterContinental Hotels Group by 22.0% during the first quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 1,211 shares of the companys stock worth $83,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. grew its holdings in InterContinental Hotels Group by 46.2% in the third quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 899 shares of the companys stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 284 shares during the last quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. increased its position in shares of InterContinental Hotels Group by 5.2% in the first quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 6,250 shares of the companys stock valued at $413,000 after buying an additional 307 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quadrant Capital Group LLC raised its stake in shares of InterContinental Hotels Group by 9.7% during the 3rd quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 3,520 shares of the companys stock worth $171,000 after buying an additional 312 shares during the last quarter. 4.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. InterContinental Hotels Group Stock Performance InterContinental Hotels Group Increases Dividend Shares of IHG opened at $65.22 on Thursday. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $68.54 and its 200-day simple moving average is $60.58. InterContinental Hotels Group has a 12-month low of $47.06 and a 12-month high of $72.10. The firm also recently announced a Semi-Annual dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.945 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 1.9%. This is an increase from InterContinental Hotels Groups previous Semi-Annual dividend of $0.44. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 30th. About InterContinental Hotels Group (Get Rating) InterContinental Hotels Group Plc owns and operates hotels. The firms hotel brands include: InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites, EVEN Hotels, IHG Rewards Club, Kimpton and HUALUXE Hotels and Resorts. It operates through the following segments: Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa, Americas, Greater China and Central. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for InterContinental Hotels Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for InterContinental Hotels Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Chorus Aviation Inc. (TSE:CHR Get Rating) have received an average rating of Moderate Buy from the nine research firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and two have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is C$4.44. A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on CHR shares. Canaccord Genuity Group cut their price objective on shares of Chorus Aviation from C$4.50 to C$4.00 in a research report on Friday, February 17th. National Bankshares dropped their price target on Chorus Aviation from C$4.80 to C$4.50 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 17th. Scotiabank downgraded Chorus Aviation from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating and lifted their target price for the stock from C$4.00 to C$4.40 in a report on Monday, January 23rd. BMO Capital Markets cut their price target on shares of Chorus Aviation from C$6.00 to C$5.35 in a report on Friday, December 2nd. Finally, Cormark decreased their price objective on shares of Chorus Aviation from C$4.75 to C$4.25 in a research note on Friday, February 17th. Get Chorus Aviation alerts: Chorus Aviation Stock Performance Shares of TSE:CHR opened at C$3.06 on Thursday. Chorus Aviation has a 52 week low of C$2.24 and a 52 week high of C$4.40. The firm has a 50 day moving average of C$3.38 and a 200 day moving average of C$3.10. The company has a market capitalization of C$613.07 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.65 and a beta of 2.20. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 160.06. About Chorus Aviation Chorus Aviation ( TSE:CHR Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 15th. The company reported C$0.11 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of C$0.11. Chorus Aviation had a return on equity of 5.30% and a net margin of 3.06%. The firm had revenue of C$439.76 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of C$409.16 million. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Chorus Aviation will post 0.4247911 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. (Get Rating) Chorus Aviation Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides various aviation support services in the United States and Canada. The company operates through two segments, Regional Aviation Services and Regional Aircraft Leasing. The Regional Aviation Services segment includes all three sectors of the regional aviation, such as contract flying, including ACMI and charter operations; aircraft leasing; and maintenance, repair, and overhaul, as well as part sales and technical services. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Chorus Aviation Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chorus Aviation and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Impact Shares YWCA Womens Empowerment ETF (NYSEARCA:WOMN Get Rating) shares shot up 1.6% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $27.82 and last traded at $27.82. 4,153 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 32% from the average session volume of 3,151 shares. The stock had previously closed at $27.40. Impact Shares YWCA Womens Empowerment ETF Stock Performance The company has a 50 day moving average price of $27.79 and a 200 day moving average price of $27.91. The company has a market capitalization of $34.78 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.18 and a beta of 1.01. Get Impact Shares YWCA Womens Empowerment ETF alerts: Hedge Funds Weigh In On Impact Shares YWCA Womens Empowerment ETF A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WOMN. Jane Street Group LLC acquired a new position in Impact Shares YWCA Womens Empowerment ETF during the 2nd quarter valued at about $443,000. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC boosted its stake in Impact Shares YWCA Womens Empowerment ETF by 120.3% during the 4th quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 22,111 shares of the companys stock valued at $585,000 after purchasing an additional 12,074 shares during the last quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. acquired a new position in Impact Shares YWCA Womens Empowerment ETF during the 1st quarter valued at about $308,000. Harbour Investments Inc. acquired a new position in Impact Shares YWCA Womens Empowerment ETF during the 4th quarter valued at about $126,000. Finally, Advisor Group Holdings Inc. boosted its stake in Impact Shares YWCA Womens Empowerment ETF by 306.8% during the 4th quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 5,016 shares of the companys stock valued at $132,000 after purchasing an additional 3,783 shares during the last quarter. About Impact Shares YWCA Womens Empowerment ETF The Impact Shares YWCA Womens Empowerment ETF (WOMN) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the Morningstar Womens Empowerment index. The fund tracks an index of large- and mid-cap US equities that are selected and weighted to maximize exposure to firms that score highly on gender diversity, within marketlike constraints. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Impact Shares YWCA Womens Empowerment ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Impact Shares YWCA Womens Empowerment ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. National Bank Holdings Co. (NYSE:NBHC Get Rating) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,120,000 shares, a growth of 21.0% from the February 28th total of 925,400 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 275,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.1 days. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Separately, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of National Bank in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a sell rating on the stock. Get National Bank alerts: Insider Transactions at National Bank In related news, CEO G. Timothy Laney sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.38, for a total transaction of $433,800.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 215,023 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $9,327,697.74. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 3.50% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows National Bank Stock Performance Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of NBHC. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in National Bank by 76.4% during the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 156,517 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $6,305,000 after buying an additional 67,805 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its stake in National Bank by 20.6% in the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 727,077 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $29,286,000 after purchasing an additional 123,952 shares during the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. grew its stake in National Bank by 12.3% in the first quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 26,539 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,069,000 after purchasing an additional 2,898 shares during the last quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. grew its stake in shares of National Bank by 5.2% during the first quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. now owns 15,882 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $640,000 after acquiring an additional 791 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can grew its stake in shares of National Bank by 4.8% during the first quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 20,429 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $856,000 after acquiring an additional 943 shares during the last quarter. 78.50% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. NYSE NBHC traded down $0.41 on Thursday, reaching $33.37. 107,540 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 273,392. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. National Bank has a one year low of $31.30 and a one year high of $50.00. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $39.47 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $41.41. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.25 billion, a PE ratio of 15.29 and a beta of 0.95. National Bank (NYSE:NBHC Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 25th. The financial services provider reported $0.91 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.80 by $0.11. National Bank had a net margin of 20.25% and a return on equity of 10.92%. The firm had revenue of $110.66 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $108.16 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.75 earnings per share. National Banks revenue for the quarter was up 49.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that National Bank will post 3.86 EPS for the current fiscal year. National Bank Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Investors of record on Friday, February 24th were issued a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.00%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 23rd. National Banks dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.25%. National Bank Company Profile (Get Rating) National Bank Holdings Corp. is a bank holding company. The firm engages in the provision of banking products to both commercial and consumer clients. It operates under the following brand names: Bank Midwest in Kansas and Missouri, Community Banks of Colorado in Colorado, and Hillcrest Bank in Texas, Utah and New Mexico. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for National Bank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for National Bank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. NioCorp Developments Ltd. (TSE:NB Get Rating) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as C$9.80 and last traded at C$9.27, with a volume of 3976 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at C$9.28. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Separately, HC Wainwright reiterated a buy rating and set a C$1.40 target price on shares of NioCorp Developments in a research report on Friday, January 6th. Get NioCorp Developments alerts: NioCorp Developments Price Performance The company has a current ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 0.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 17.34. The stock has a market capitalization of C$272.70 million, a P/E ratio of -17.51 and a beta of 0.28. The stock has a 50 day moving average of C$2.35 and a 200-day moving average of C$1.56. About NioCorp Developments NioCorp Developments ( TSE:NB Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Monday, February 13th. The company reported C($0.01) earnings per share for the quarter. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that NioCorp Developments Ltd. will post -0.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. (Get Rating) NioCorp Developments Ltd. engages in the exploration and development of mineral deposits in North America. It owns and develops the Elk Creek niobium/scandium/titanium project that owns one 226.43-acre parcel of land and associated mineral rights, and an additional 40 acres of mineral rights, as well as an optioned land package that covers an area of 1,396 acres located in Johnson County, southeast Nebraska. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for NioCorp Developments Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NioCorp Developments and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. TrueWealth Advisors LLC lessened its position in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:AGG Get Rating) by 26.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 16,686 shares of the companys stock after selling 5,892 shares during the period. TrueWealth Advisors LLCs holdings in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF were worth $1,618,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in AGG. Raymond James & Associates lifted its position in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 15.2% during the 3rd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 46,527,580 shares of the companys stock worth $4,482,469,000 after buying an additional 6,127,129 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its position in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 184.4% during the 2nd quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 3,326,918 shares of the companys stock worth $338,281,000 after buying an additional 2,156,923 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 24.5% during the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 8,925,971 shares of the companys stock worth $955,866,000 after buying an additional 1,754,499 shares in the last quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank lifted its position in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 320.0% during the 3rd quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 2,100,000 shares of the companys stock worth $202,246,000 after buying an additional 1,600,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Continental Investors Services Inc. lifted its position in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 6,307.4% during the 3rd quarter. Continental Investors Services Inc. now owns 1,503,361 shares of the companys stock worth $152,004,000 after buying an additional 1,479,898 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.07% of the companys stock. Get iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF alerts: iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF Stock Up 0.1 % NYSEARCA AGG traded up $0.11 on Thursday, hitting $99.16. 1,885,104 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,647,566. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $98.71 and a two-hundred day moving average of $97.76. iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF has a 1-year low of $93.20 and a 1-year high of $107.38. iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF Profile IShares are index funds that are bought and sold like common stocks on national securities exchanges as well as certain foreign exchanges. iShares are attractive because of their relatively low cost, tax efficiency and trading flexibility. Investors can purchase and sell shares through any brokerage firm, financial advisor, or online broker, and hold the funds in any type of brokerage account. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Experts and business leaders are urging developers to stop the training of strong AI models The move follows the introduction of several AI projects in recent months Google and Microsoft are among the firms improving their search engines with artificial intelligence Citing "grave risks to society and humanity," some of the greatest names in technology are urging artificial intelligence laboratories to halt training the most powerful AI systems for at least six months. Elon Musk's Future of Life Institute released the letter signed by hundreds of tech CEOs, academics, and researchers. The letter arrives only two weeks after OpenAI launched GPT-4, a more potent version of the technology that supports ChatGPT, a popular AI chatbot application. AI Leaders Urge Labs to Halt Training Models In early testing and a commercial demonstration, the system prepared lawsuits, passed standardized examinations, and created a functional website from a hand-drawn drawing. The letter stated that the suggested halt should apply to AI systems "more powerful than GPT-4" and that independent experts should utilize the proposed pause to collaboratively establish and implement rules for safe AI tools "beyond a reasonable doubt." According to CNN, the letter said governments should impose a moratorium if a halt is not quickly implemented. Late last year, the focus around ChatGPT sparked a renewed arms race among internet companies to create and use comparable AI technologies within their platforms. OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google are at the front of this trend, but IBM, Amazon, Baidu, and Tencent are all developing comparable technology. Many startups are also creating artificial intelligence writing helpers and picture creators. Experts in artificial intelligence are worried about the possibility of biased reactions, the propensity to propagate disinformation, and the effect on consumer privacy posed by AI products. These tools have also prompted concerns about the impact of AI on professions, cheating by students, and our relationship with technology. The letter alludes to widespread unease within and beyond the business over the rapid growth of AI. Some governmental agencies in China, the European Union, and Singapore have established early AI governance frameworks. Read Also: North Korea Unveils New Tactical Nuclear Weapons Critics Mock the Letter Per Venture Beat, critics of the letter criticized what they saw as continuous hyperbole surrounding the possible long-term consequences of AGI at the expense of immediate issues such as prejudice and ignorance. Princeton computer science professor Arvind Narayanan stated on Twitter that the letter "further fuels AI euphoria and makes it more difficult to address genuine, already existing AI problems," adding that he suspects it would "benefit the firms that it is designed to oversee and not society. Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics at the University of Washington and co-author of 'On the Dangers of Stochastic Parrots: Can Language Models Be Too Big?,' tweeted that the Stochastic Parrots study indicated a "headlong" rush to ever-larger language models without contemplating the hazards." While most of the letter may look alarmist and evoke thoughts of a Skynet-like AI takeover of the globe, it concludes on a kinder note, as per CNBCTV18. Microsoft, which has invested at least $10 billion in OpenAI, is all-in on incorporating AI into its products. Google is in a race to build AI-based technologies that will enable them to maintain its market domination. Microsoft has incorporated ChatGPT into its Bing search engine and Microsoft Edge web browser, while Google, no stranger to artificial intelligence, has introduced its own ChatGPT competitor, Bard. Related Article: SpaceX launches 56 Starlink Satellites @YouTube @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. ROCKY MOUNT Vietnam era veterans were honored at two ceremonies held in Rocky Mount on Wednesday to mark National Vietnam War Veterans Day. A ceremony at Rocky Mounts Veterans Memorial Park at noon was attended by more than a dozen veterans who served in the Vietnam War. The group has gathered there every March 29 for the past few years to honor the newly designated National Vietnam War Veterans Day. President Barack Obama first proclaimed March 29 for the remembrance in 2012. It was that date in 1973 when the last of the U.S. combat troops left Vietnam following the Paris Peace Accords. President Donald Trump signed the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act in 2017 officially recognizing March 29 as National Vietnam War Veterans Day. It is an honor that is a long time coming for many veterans who returned from Vietnam. Few were thanked for their sacrifice due to strong opposition to the war back at home. This era of men and women came home to a country that did not respect or honor them, said Larry Moore, a local veteran and speaker at the ceremony. While Vietnam veterans faced hardships returning from the war, they were glad to come home. Even if their welcome wasnt as warm as it was for veterans in previous wars. We are thankful for how you spared us, how you blessed us, said Ell Manns with the Martinsville-Henry County Honor Guard. He served three tours during the Vietnam War. The honor guard performed a 21-gun salute and played taps while veterans in attendance stood at attention. A Missing Man Table ceremony was also held to honor prisoners of war and those soldiers still missing in action. An early morning flag raising ceremony was held at Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital on Wednesday attended by several area veterans. Heidi Morris with Carilion Clinic Hospice of Franklin County organized the event as part of the We Honor Veterans program. Today, we recognize Vietnam veterans for that service and offer them the heros welcome they deserve, Morris said during the ceremony. Each Vietnam veteran here today will be presented with a card expressing our gratitude along with an embroidered star. Wednesdays program is one of several ways she tries to reach out to local veterans, especially Vietnam veterans who may be less likely to discuss their service due to how they were treated when they returned. This is the third year the flag raising ceremony has been held at the hospital. Morris also holds meet ups for coffee to connect with veterans. For those veterans in hospice care, they provide a pinning ceremony to honor them in their final days. Vietnam veterans, this is your history. This is your pride. Your principles and your commitment. This is your sacrifice. Your honor. And we are humbly grateful, Morris said. Five years after doing away with valedictorian and salutatorian designations for graduating seniors, the School Board voted to bring the titles back. Members voted Tuesday night 10-1 to bring back class rankings and recognize the top academic-achieving students. Board member Victoria Manning and several public speakers advocated for the change to honor academic achievements. Manning said emails from the community have shown overwhelming support. Advocates also said many colleges and scholarships still require class rankings for applications, so students could miss opportunities because the division previously did not provide that information. Board member Jessica Owens said she voted against the policy change because it would take effect next school year, affecting students who had been told the titles werent on the table. In April 2018, a divided vote ended class rankings after students complained of inequities because of the advantage for those in advanced programs. The board at that time determined the Latin honors system, which awards the cum laude, magna cum laude and summa cum laude distinctions based on grade point averages, would go into effect for the class of 2022. The new policy is set to go in effect for the 2023-24 school year and keeps the Latin honors system. It also addresses previously raised concerns about how to designate valedictorians and salutatorians in high schools which house advanced academic programs by allowing there to be two designees for each title one for the program and one for the comprehensive school. The concern had been that those in the advanced programs can take more weighted classes, making it so they can achieve higher grade point averages than their peers in the comprehensive school. However, Superintendent Aaron Spence said there could be other concerns to work through later. Some of the students in the academies, such as the Governors School for the Arts and the Advanced Technology Center, have prescribed courses and cannot take the weighted courses like their peers, therefore eliminating the opportunity for the recognitions. With the flock getting ready to move on, lets check up on the sandhill crane spring migration season. The current highest number of sandhill cranes within the central region of the Platte River Valley this season were 457,800 cranes plus or minus 28,600 on March 14. The number of cranes decreased by 17% when counted on March 20. In the spring, sandhill cranes travel from southern regions, like Texas, Arizona and Mexico, and migrate north. During the trip, cranes arrive at the Platte River at different times and stay for a few weeks. According to Brice Krohn, president and CEO of the Crane Trust, the cranes usually stop around mid-February to mid-April. Krohn also said that 88% of the worlds sandhill crane population comes through this area. Over the course of those eight weeks, said Krohn, we will see a million sandhill cranes come through primarily the Grand Island to Kearney area. During the spring migration, the Crane Trust conducts aerial sandhill crane surveys. Once a week, they fly along the river from Chapman to Overton at a low altitude and estimate the total roost numbers for the cranes. Krohn said that they have been doing these flights for 21 years. The Crane Trust then releases the weekly counts on its blog. This year, the count started Feb. 13 when there were an estimated 6,400 sandhill cranes. The second week saw an increase of 428%, with an estimated 27,400 cranes counted. The third week had an estimated 69,100 cranes, making it a steady rise. Currently, the most cranes were counted in the Platte River during week four, with an estimated 457,800 cranes and a 370% increase. The Crane Trust predicted that the number of sandhill cranes would peak during week five. Yet, in a post made by Bethany Ostrom, wildlife biologist at the Crane Trust, there were only an estimated 378,000 cranes counted on March 20. In the post, Ostrom explains the number might have been low due to snow geese depleting the waste corn closer to the river. This would cause the cranes to forage further away from the survey area. Krohn said that past data indicates that the peak happened between March 8 and March 25. While there were higher numbers in late February, Krohn believes its been a typical year for crane migration. All in all, its a typical year, said Krohn. Cranes are arriving somewhere around Valentines Day, and their numbers increase, and then theyll peak somewhere in mid-March. However, Ostroms post still indicates the peak has yet to occur. During the week five post, she said partner organizations in Texas report there are still greater sandhill cranes in the state. For classification, greater sandhill cranes have the largest form, while lesser cranes have the smallest. According to the post, greater cranes tend to migrate earlier than lesser cranes. With greater sandhill cranes remaining in Texas, there is a possibility that many more cranes have yet to migrate. The crane count for week six has yet to be released. Krohn said that if the weather holds out, then the next survey was planned for Friday, March 31, and the results would be released early next week. As flocks tend to fly more west and are smaller, its only once a year people get the chance to see thousands of cranes in the Platte River Valley. Its huge to central Nebraska and Nebraska overall, said Krohn. Because crane season is a highlight that brings people from all over the world to Central Nebraska. CENTRAL CITY The March Merrick County drive-thru food bank organized by Central City United Methodist Church will be from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, April 1, at the Central City Municipal Airport, 1346 Ormsby Road (note new location). Perishable and nonperishable food provided by Food Bank for the Heartland in Omaha will be available. Drivers should stay in their vehicles, and volunteers will put the food in the trunk or backseat. KEARNEY One man died Tuesday after a three-vehicle accident on Highway 183 north of Holdrege. At approximately 5 p.m. Tuesday, a northbound Chevrolet Suburban was slowing down, with turn signal active, to turn onto 737 Road from Highway 183. A northbound tractor-semi trailer then struck the rear of the Suburban, pushing the Suburban into the southbound lane, where it collided with a southbound Chevrolet Silverado, according to the Nebraska State Patrol. The driver of the Silverado, Lawrence Johnson, 50, of Holdrege, was transported to Phelps Memorial Health Center in Holdrege, where he was pronounced deceased. The driver of the Suburban, Peggy Morten, 64, of Holdrege, was transported to Phelps Memorial Health Center with non-life-threatening injuries. She was then flown to CHI Health Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney for additional care. She was listed in fair condition Wednesday afternoon. The driver of the semi, Andy Eickhoff, 32, of Albion, was not seriously injured. NSP is conducting a crash reconstruction as the crash remains under investigation. The Phelps County Sheriff's Office, Holdrege Police Department, Nebraska Department of Transportation and multiple EMS organizations assisted on the scene. SHELTON A fire Thursday morning destroyed a house in Shelton. Shortly after 7 a.m. Thursday, the Shelton Volunteer Fire Department responded to a fire in a single-family home on Cody Street in Shelton. The structure was fully engulfed when crews arrived on the scene, said Shelton Fire Chief Taryn Hawks. It took firefighters until 9:30 a.m. to have the blaze under control. No one was injured, and the fire was contained to the home. The residence is believed to have been vacant for some time, reported Hawks. Gibbon Volunteer Fire Department provided mutual aid at the scene. The Nebraska State Fire Marshal is assisting with the investigation into the cause of the fire. Building a Robust Cyber Strategy In the wake of recent world events a flood of federal funding has unleashed the power of digital learning. IT leaders now have a pressing obligation to ensure the security of both student data and school systems. Download the third part of this Viewpoints series to learn effective approaches to managing the biggest current challenges in K12 information security. Iran and Azerbaijan have tensions which are concerning Russia. FM Lavrov says their difference would not last for long. A meeting with Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian discussed Iran and Azerbaijan have tension at present Russian FM Sergey Lavrov said it should be resolved soon, as he stated last Wednesday. Iran and Azerbaijan Are at Odds Russia is ready to provide all necessary assistance for the reconciliation between the two countries, Lavrov said at a news conference in Moscow following a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. He added that Baku and Tehran would stop the current hostility because it is counterproductive and be settled the soonest reported by Anadolu Agency. Lavrov discussed the contentious Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or Iran deal as a significant concern. He added that Moscow monitored what had been happening between Tehran and Europe, with Americans as well. Stated that all this discussion that is happening would bring about something positive for the Iranian nuclear program, noted TASS. The Russian FM impinged that its time for the US to step and do what was due under the nuclear deal with Iran-remarked that sanctions on Iran are illegal and the US should correct itself because the world is considering what it does. In 2015 the Iran nuclear deal was signed by Tehran with the participation of the US, UK, Russia, France, and China (UN Security), and Germany, EU as part of the deal, cited the BBC. Conditions that are part of the deal cover several points, including limits in nuclear research for arms production, and western nations would remove sanctions as part of the deal. Read Also: Moscow To Deal with Western Alliance Under New Mechanisms of Cooperation, Russian FM Sergey Lavrov Says It was ex-US President Donald Trump who removed the US from the deal way back in 2018 and then placed back the sanctions. For Tehran, it will be a move back from the agreement and resume nuclear research. Lavrov focused on the current conflict in Ukraine with the Iranian FM and appreciated the opinion Tehran expressed. FM Lavrov Calls Out US Intentions in Ukraine Additionally, NATO countries and their involvement in Ukraine are not doing anything positive to lessen the escalation of the conflict. As far as things are, it's already more involved without them trying to. They've decided to be on Zelensky's side, mentioning Al Alarabiya. Lavrov reacted to what the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the moves for peace in Ukraine a trap and seemed to disparage it. He added the US is alleged to be the chief instigator with lots to gain if the conflict continues. He called Washington and its allies wanting to press geopolitical gains by trying to allegedly do anything to dislodge Moscow from its position as a dam to hold back unipolar interests. Russia stands for multipolarity with its allies. Blinken stated that the calls for peace are not well meant, and they can stop the conflict that will benefit Russia. He claims the Russian war machine needs to have a reprieve. Pointed out that advantages should be preserved to allow rest, resupply, and time to resume its offensive. Russian FM Lavrov sees the conflicting tensions between Iran and Azerbaijan as not beneficial and wants the two to resolve to do wants, must be done for everyone's good. Related Article: Russia Gives More African Support Against Western Colonialism Paris, TX (75460) Today Partly cloudy skies in the morning will give way to cloudy skies during the afternoon. High 66F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Cloudy during the evening. A few showers developing late. Low 52F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%. CARBONDALE During its regular meeting, Carbondale City Council approved a resolution allowing the city manager to use a municipal electric aggregation services agreement with Satori Enterprises. The agreement will allow Satori Enterprises to execute a power supply agreement with a selected electric supply bidder on behalf of the municipality as a member of the Southern Illinois Aggregation Partnership. Councilman Jeff Doherty said this offers cheaper electrical service to residents and qualifying businesses. Jordan Harmon of Santori Enterprises said once an electrical provider wins the bid, letters will be sent to residents in June or July. Residents who wish to continue to get service from Ameren will have to opt out of the aggregation. Harmon said residents can opt out online, by phone or by mail. The council also approved a text amendment to Title 15 of the Carbondale Revised Code to create a retail revitalization overlay district and define overlay districts. City council has requested that the Planning Commission consider the addition of a description of overlay districts to the zoning code and to consider the creation of an overlay district to encourage revitalization of commercial areas such as University Mall. This designation would primarily overlay land in a planned business district or secondary business district, permitting additional land uses beyond those of traditional retail uses, in commercial property. Land in the RO District would also have no required parking minimum or minimum lot size or yard sizes. The intention is to allow the city, business owners and developers an opportunity to reimagine what these spaces can look like and how they can be used. This is a step in the right direction. This is good, Councilman Adam Loos said. Councilman Lee Fronabarger asked about other uses for property and about the possibility of restaurants that could serve alcohol locating near schools or churches. We can remove distance requirements pertaining to alcohol sales, City Manager Gary Williams said. Don Monty asked if a property could be all building with no parking spaces in an overlay. He was told it could be. The council made Monday, April 3, Bob Odenkirk Day and read a proclamation about the day and Odenkirks visit to accept his degree and honorary doctorate. They also read proclamations on Week of the Young Child, which is April 1 through 7, and the Mayors Monarch Pledge Day, which is Wednesday, March 29. In other business, the council: Approved the purchase of a 2024 GMC Sierra ton crew cab pickup truck with four-wheel drive from Auffenberg of Carbondale. The cost of the pickup is $51,000. The city has a $2,000 trade-in for a total of $49,000. Approved cost reduction changes of $775,000 for Southern Illinois Multimodal Station. Authorized the city manager to enter a professional services agreement with Holcomb Foundation Engineering of Carbondale to perform construction materials testing at Southern Illinois Multimodal Station. Authorized the city manager to enter a professional services agreement with Bacon Farmer Workman of Paducah to perform steel testing at Southern Illinois Multimodal Station. Approved the purchase of a fire gear washer/extractor and gear dryer for $19,715 from Dinges Fire Company of Amboy. The council entered executive session, but took no action after returning to full session. Carbondale City Councils next meeting will be at 6 p.m. April 11 at city hall. A Marion teenager has been charged in connection to multiple shootings in Carbondale late last year and will be tried as an adult, according to a joint press release from Jackson County States Attorney Joseph Cervantez and Carbondale Chief of Police Stan Reno. Brennan Gibbs, 17, has been charged with multiple counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm and unlawful possession of a firearm. The charges stem from two separate incidents in December: the first, a report of shots fired about 11 p.m. in the 500 block of S. Forest Street. Additionally, police responded to shots fired in the 400 block of West Pecan Street on Dec. 24. Similar incidents were reported that evening in Herrin and Marion and offices suspected the shootings were related. In all instances, a suspect could not be located. A vehicle of interest was located by Williamson County sheriffs deputies on Jan. 8 and suspects were arrested. Cervantezs petition to have Gibbs tried as an adult was granted by the court. He said cooperation among law enforcement agencies in Jackson and Williamson counties was important. We will continue working together to keep Southern Illinois a safe community, he said, adding that the charges are not an evidence of guilt. A pre-trial hearing for Gibbs is set for April 18. PHOTOS | Carbondale Arboretum springs to life Sesser is getting $750,000 from the U.S Environmental Protection Agency to help the community rehabilitate its aging sanitary sewer system. The funds were secured by Sen. Tammy Duckworth as part of Congressionally Directed Spending funding allocations within the federal infrastructure bill. Mayor Jason Ashmore said he expects to receive the funds in the coming weeks and added that his goal is to have the project completed by the end of the year. He said the project will allow the community to replace seven blocks of sewer mains. This is help our continuation of replacing our waste water system, which dates back to the 1920s and '30s, Ashmore said. This not only helps our residential areas but also our commercial buildings. In the long run, this will aid economic development because you have to have good infrastructure to attract businesses to your community." He expressed gratitude to Duckworth for her aid in securing funding. When it comes to waste water and clean water efforts in the Senate, shes renowned for that, Ashmore said. Her office has stayed in touch with us during this entire process. According to Duckworth, in 2014, Sesser received an Illinois Environmental Protection Agency notice of violation from overflow at the sewage treatment plant, causing a health and safety threat to residents. Ashmore said the aging system has been problematic for many years. Its so old that it gets lots of rainwater in it and infiltrates our waste water system which puts a strain not only on the system itself, but also on people, he said. The grant is part of $182 million secured for Illinois infrastructure spending for fiscal year 2023 through Congressionally Directed Spending. ROLLING FORK, Miss. As a deadly tornado tore through the lower Mississippi Delta, the Rev. Mary Stewart clung to a door in the hallway of her Rolling Fork home, shielding herself from the branches and chunks of debris that came flying through her shattered windows. The storm flattened entire town blocks, but the Rolling Fork Methodist Church withstood the high winds. And so the first Sunday after the twister commenced just like any other Sunday with congregants reaffirming their faith and finding solace together. "We are a very religious community," said Laura Allmon, a fourth-generation congregant. "It just means a lot for us to be able to get together and pray and be thankful for what we have." At least 25 people were killed and dozens were injured late Friday in Mississippi as the storm ripped through one of the poorest regions in the country, carving out a swath of destruction. Elsewhere, a man was killed in neighboring Alabama after his trailer home flipped over several times. Their homes rendered unlivable, many Rolling Fork residents flocked Sunday to the network of churches dotting the landscape. It is a close-knit farming community bound by intergenerational ties of family and faith that form the social fabric of this rural Southern town of about 2,000. Wayne Williams, 55, teaches construction skills at a vocational center. He was working with others Sunday to clean up some relatively minor damage at the building. Across the street, a large metal building that had been a community center was ripped apart by the tornado. "It's going to be a long road to recovery, to rebuild and get over all the devastation," Williams said of his community. "With God in the mix, we will recover." For Rolling Fork, a rebuilding process now awaits unlike any the town has faced before. But Friday's tornado wasn't the first time residents have had their lives upended by the elements. In 2019, the worst flooding since 1973 drove some from their homes. Religion is a central way residents of the Delta cope with an unpredictable climate and entrenched poverty. "So many people here know patience from farm work," Stewart said. "With their dependence on the rain for their crops their livelihood and having to leave it in God's hands it's a wonderful reaffirmation that God is in control." Founded nearly 135 years ago, the Rolling Fork Methodist Church has long been a source of support and resilience in hard times, its members said. Since the church building was without power Sunday morning, roughly two dozen worshipers gathered on its historic steps and bowed their heads while Stewart delivered a short sermon. "We're grateful, Lord, that you brought us through this storm," she said, standing in sunshine beneath a clear blue sky. "We have a lot to do and a lot of rebuilding, and there are people that we've lost in our town. We pray for their families." Elsewhere, President Joe Biden issued an emergency declaration for Mississippi early Sunday, making federal funding available to the hardest hit areas. Based on early data, the tornado received a preliminary EF-4 rating, with top wind gusts between 166 mph and 200 mph (265 kph and 320 kph), according to the National Weather Service office in Jackson. Officials said the twister was on the ground for more than an hour. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves issued a state of emergency and vowed to help rebuild as he viewed the damage in the region, which boasts wide expanses of cotton, corn and soybean fields and catfish farming ponds. He spoke with Biden, who also held a call with the state's congressional delegation. More than a half-dozen shelters were opened in Mississippi to house displaced residents. Just a few blocks down the road from the Rolling Fork Methodist Church, pastor Britt Williamson spoke from the pulpit at First Baptist Church, addressing rows of weary congregants. During the service, people hugged, shook hands and wiped away tears. "The Delta is a hard soul for the gospel," Williamson said. "Through the calamity of what happened, God has brought a plow bigger than any of these farmers could have." He said faith gives people something to hold onto during life's challenges. "We don't want to help people just to give them a place to live. We don't want to feed them for a day," he said. "We want to give them an eternal home." Marlon Nicholas, a congregant of the church, said his family's attendance at a local high school prom Friday night meant they stayed safe even as their home was destroyed. He said other relatives also lost their homes but escaped without serious injuries. "Miracles," he said. South Carolina State University has entered into an agreement with AT&T to upgrade the campus telephone system this spring. The agreement includes plans to install AT&Ts Hosted Voice Service solution, which uses cloud-based Voice Over IP technology along with an extensive service plan. The university reports the current analog telephone system is approaching the end of its life and is expensive to maintain because it is hard to get technical support or parts. This update is essential for South Carolina State University to effectively communicate with all of our stakeholders, including students, parents, alumni and the community, President Alexander Conyers said. It also will facilitate better interaction between faculty and staff members as we go out about the business of helping students achieve success, he said. Additionally, the project will replace all of S.C. States 700 analog telephones with new digital phones and maintain over 110 hard-wired fax and security lines throughout the university. According to Salim Jan, a project manager from consulting firm Branchville Inc., which is working in collaboration with AT&T, benefits of the new system include: Reduction in maintenance costs. The ability to use rich features, such as mobility where the user is not tied to a desk phone, email integration, call queues and conferencing. Integration of S.C. States emergency notification plan. The availability of 24-7 service. Fostering a better learning and student interaction environment. AT&T also will perform a review of the university's broadband, Wi-Fi and fiber infrastructure systems. S.C. State has engaged Branchville Inc. to conduct assessments of the universitys IT projects in development, existing systems and software, and the University Computing and Information Technology Services divisions organization and capabilities. The goal of the audit is to enhance technology to help attract, teach, retain and graduate more students. The university has committed $5 million in initial capital funding to shore up the IT infrastructure, including the AT&T phone partnership. The university's infrastructure is one of the oldest in South Carolina, and this capital investment represents S.C. State leadership's commitment to improving the students educational experience, said Dr. Gerald Smalls, S.C. States vice president for finance and administration and chief financial officer. Wagner Group chief may have hinted that he plans to challenge Vladimir Putin for the Russian president in 2024 Yevgeny Prigozhin attempted to mimic Putin's carefully orchestrated public appearances Prigozhin criticized the leadership of Vladimir Putin, claiming that certain officials were traitors Russian analysts say a military warlord has hinted at ambitions to overthrow President Putin. After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner Group and a famous personality, has interviewed Russian reporters, which his own Federal News Agency has recently published. Russian President Vladimir Putin's Replacement Analysts from the US think tank Institute for the Study of War praised the interview's "unique format" and noted that Prigozhin "seemed to imitate the way Vladimir Putin films his choreographed public meetings, either to mock Putin quietly or to imply subtly that Prigozhin could become Russian president like Putin." It was believed that Wagner Group's CEO might parody Putin's filmmaking style as part of a bigger trolling effort against the Kremlin or draw implicit similarities between Prigozhin and the Russian president. The report concluded, "Prigozhin's recent behavior - whatever its goal - is furthering a narrative in Russian society that Prigozhin has bigger political ambitions in Russia." The interview and analysis follow the revelation that Prigozhin, a war criminal with ties to the Kremlin, brought a truckload of champagne to Ukrainian ladies to celebrate International Women's Day. The tweet claims that Russian forces are on the verge of seizing Bakhmut and that Ukrainian prospects of retaking the territory and wine plant are diminishing. In December, Wagner conquered the Bakhmut Champagne Winery and Siniat business in the city's east, according to Mirror. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to defend Bakhmut and stated that at a conference with senior generals and commanders, it was determined that "no area of Ukraine can be abandoned." Moreover, a US think tank asserted that Wagner Group's CEO "may strive to spoof Putin's filmmaking technique as part of a bigger trolling operation." According to commentators, Yevgeny Prigozhin's comments in an interview with Federal News Agency revealed his intent to oppose Vladimir Putin in the 2024 Russian presidential election. The Institute for the Study of War stated that the interview was notable for its unique format because "Prigozhin seemed to mimic the way Vladimir Putin films his choreographed public meetings, either to mock Putin quietly or to suggest subtly that Prigozhin could become Russian president like Putin." Read Also: North Korea Unveils New Tactical Nuclear Weapon Yevgeny Prigozhin May Challenge Putin For Presidency The Wagner Group's chief executive officer may intend to spoof Putin's filmmaking style as part of a bigger trolling effort to criticize the Kremlin or draw implicit comparisons between Prigozhin and the position of the Russian presidency, the research tank added. Per Hindustan Times, Prigozhin has stated in the past that he may succeed Putin. It was a comment that, according to a famous Russian professor with ties to the Kremlin, tacitly encouraged the idea that Prigozhin would run for president of Russia. In January, Prigozhin lambasted Putin's government, alleging that certain officials were traitors who wanted Russia to lose the war with Ukraine. In addition, he has questioned the Kremlin's claim that Russia is battling Nazis in Ukraine. John Lough, the associate fellow for the Russia and Eurasia Project at Chatham House, reports that Prigozhin is establishing himself as a rival to Putin are baseless rumors. Dr. Martin Smith, senior lecturer in defense and international affairs at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, stated that Prigozhin intended to wield power from the shadows in the case of Putin's demise. Zelensky has warned that if his country does not win a protracted struggle in the strategic eastern city of Bakhmut, Moscow might begin to garner international support for an agreement that would oblige Kyiv to make humiliating concessions. Zelensky also invited his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, to visit Ukraine, stating that they had not communicated since the start of the war. In Beijing, Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was asked if Xi would accept an invitation from Zelensky or if one had been officially offered. She informed reporters that she had no information to provide. She emphasized Beijing continues "contact with all involved parties, including Ukraine." John Kirby, a spokesperson for the National Security Council of the White House, stated in Washington that the United States welcomes negotiations between Xi and Zelensky. Xi's visit to Russia last week increased the possibility that China may be willing to supply Moscow with the weapons and ammunition it needed to replenish its depleted arsenal, as per Daily Express. Related Article: Vladimir Putin Arrest Warrant for War Crimes @YouTube @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. NASHVILLE, Tenn. A group of Tennessee Republicans began this years legislative session hoping to add narrow exceptions to one of the strictest abortion bans in the country, armed with the belief that most people even in conservative Tennessee reject extremes on the issue. Tennessee law requires doctors to prove in court that they were saving a womans life when they performed an abortion. Surely, the lawmakers thought, they could win concessions that would allow doctors to use their good faith judgment about when abortion is necessary to save a womans life. But after a key anti-abortion group stepped in, the lawmakers had to settle for a stricter legal standard that moves the needle very little. Like lawmakers in several GOP-led states who started the year thinking about moderating the nations toughest abortion laws, Tennessee's lawmakers found no appetite among their colleagues for loosening the rules. During the first legislative sessions in most states since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, lawmakers on both sides are dug in. Republicans are moving to make abortion restrictions tougher. Democrat-dominated states are moving to protect access for their residents and, now, for the residents of other states arriving for care. Abortion is one of the most stark examples of the political divide between red states and blue states, even when we know that people generally favor the middle on abortion, said Gretchen Ely, a professor in the College of Social Work at the University of Tennessee. Last year's overturning of the 1973 Roe decision meant that state laws banning or restricting abortion if such a ruling arrived took effect. Many were met with legal challenges. Currently, bans on abortion at all stages of pregnancy are in place in 13 states and on hold in another four because of court injunctions. Lawmakers in most states have introduced abortion-related legislation this year. Republican-backed measures include funding for counseling centers that discourage abortion, bans on medication abortions and other restrictions. Democrats' bills include expanding insurance coverage for abortion and knocking back restrictions implemented in the past. The legislative action comes after voters in six states conservative, moderate and liberal voted in referendums last year and abortion access proponents prevailed in all of them. Polling has shown the public was unhappy with the overturning of Roe even as they also support some abortion restrictions. But Mary Ziegler, a legal historian at the University of California, Davis School of Law, said anti-abortion groups are anticipating that abortion rights support will gradually diminish. Theres a belief that people will be more open to more and more stringent bans the further we get away from Roe v. Wade being the law, she said. Kelsey Pritchard, a member of the state affairs staff at Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said those ballot measure losses motivated anti-abortion groups to get their message out more strongly. It was a wakeup call for how much work we have to do," she said. The ban currently implemented in Tennessee is among the most stringent. Instead of an exception for abortions to save the life of the woman, it includes an affirmative defense for doctors, placing the burden on them to prove an abortion was medically necessary. Now, a scaled-back proposal is moving through the Legislature. It removes the affirmative defense language but still doesn't grant access to abortions in the cases of medically futile pregnancies and lethal fetal anomalies. Tennessee Right to Life had already revoked its endorsement of one GOP lawmaker seen as a key tool for winning over conservative voters after Republican Sen. Richard Briggs called for changes while admitting that he voted in favor of the states so-called trigger ban because he didnt believe Roe would actually be overturned. "This new amended bill only allows a woman to access an abortion if shes damn near on her deathbed, said Democratic Sen. London Lamar, who experienced her own near-fatal pregnancy loss several years ago. In Kentucky, a Republican bill to allow abortion in the case of pregnancies caused by rape or incest also made no headway. Other red states are looking to tighten the bans and restrictions already in place. Florida, which currently bans abortions after 15 weeks, is considering banning them them at six weeks gestation a move backed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to announce his candidacy for president in the coming months. Wyoming recently adopted a ban on abortions throughout pregnancy though its enforcement was halted last week by a judge as well as a separate law specifically to bar medication abortions, which are the most common method of ending pregnancies in the U.S. South Carolina raised eyebrows when more than 20 GOP lawmakers sponsored a bill classifying abortion as homicide opening the door for women to face the death penalty, a step no state has yet taken. The bill has since stalled in the House amid backlash, with nine sponsors removing their names as supporters. Instead, lawmakers are advancing an abortion ban with some exceptions. In blue states, the push to protect abortion access continues. In liberal Oregon, there are no legal restrictions on when abortions can be provided. But the Legislature is considering a sweeping measure that would allow someone to bring a civil lawsuit against a government agency for interfering with reproductive health rights and also for minors to access certain gender-affirming care services without parental involvement. Dozens of people gave emotional testimony last week on the bill. With both chambers of the Minnesota legislature now under Democratic control, the state adopted a law to codify abortion rights that were protected under a 1995 state Supreme Court decision. Lawmakers have also pushed ahead with a measure to prohibit enforcement of laws, subpoenas, judgments or extradition requests from other states against people who get, perform or assist with abortions in Minnesota. Abortion in America: How access and attitudes have changed through the centuries The evolution of abortion in America 1960s: 'Back-alley butchers,' birth control, and protests 1970s: Roe v. Wade protects women's right to abortion; politics shift 1980s-2000s: Legal challenges to Roe v. Wade introduce restrictions 2020s: Roe v. Wade is overturned; Postal Service allowed to mail abortion medication Pre-1850: Abortions in early America are commonplace Mid-1800s: Birth of the American Medical Association shifts abortion oversight from midwives to doctors; abortion is criminalized NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- An alarm blared and lights flashed as a heavily armed assailant stalked the hallways of The Covenant School. Surveillance footage of the shooting Monday at the private Christian school in Nashville showed many familiar security measures, including the double set of locked glass doors the killer shot through before fatally shooting three children and three school employees. Its just next to impossible to stop someone coming through that door with a high-powered weapon, said George Grant, a leader with the Nashville Presbytery, which is connected with the school. Grant said the presbytery doesnt have a formal security program for its churches and schools but that members have worked together to share best practices and improve safety. Around the U.S., private schools generally do not face as many requirements as public schools for developing security plans. In Tennessee, laws requiring schools to develop and submit safety plans do not apply to private schools, an emailed statement from the state Department of Education said. Private schools also sometimes lack access to government programs to bolster security, though private schools in some states are eligible for state money to bolster security with staff, equipment and technology. Some federal grants also are available to private schools for security aid. Generally, private schools don't have access to the police many public schools have assigned to their campuses, said Mo Canady, executive director of the National Association of School Resource Officers. He said some private schools have arranged to hire recently retired officers. I would imagine after this horrific situation in Nashville that there may be more attempts by private schools to try to not only bolster security but to get school resource officers. Still, amid widespread concerns about mass shootings, experts say private schools have invested similarly to public schools in violence prevention. Private schools were among institutions that invested most heavily in security in the aftermath of the 2012 shooting that killed 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. Today, private schools have some of the highest-paid security specialists, including retired federal agents, said Michael Dorn, who has been involved in assessing security at thousands of schools as executive director of Safe Havens International, a nonprofit school safety center. Security protocols for private schools are similar to those for public schools, but they are more tailored to each schools location and circumstances, said Myra McGovern of the National Association of Independent Schools. Security such as metal detectors may not be as visible at private schools, which also have considerations including boarding students and, in some cases, the children of heads of state to look after, she said. Attention to security is similar, but the way that it manifests is perhaps different, McGovern said. The quality of safety plans for private schools also varies widely, as it does for public schools, Dorn said. We see schools that are pretty behind and some that are exceptional, he said. In Tennessee, an executive order last year by Gov. Bill Lee on school safety measures directed the state to conduct a report on the use of armed guards in nonpublic schools and assess their need for active-shooter training. Most U.S. school systems conduct active-shooter and lockdown trainings, and the Nashville school had in fact undergone active-shooter training in 2022, which prevented further loss of life during Monday's shooting, city police spokesperson Brooke Reese said. Private or not, shootings are more common at middle and high schools than at elementary schools like Covenant, which are less likely to have assigned security officers. Educators also are wary of unsettling young learners with more heavy-handed security measures. The Covenant School has about 200 students from preschool through sixth grade. The school and the Covenant Presbyterian Church are connected with the Nashville Presbytery, which includes congregations in the Presbyterian Church in America, across Middle Tennessee and southwestern Kentucky. Over the last several years, most of our churches have undergone training and have really scrutinized their security arrangements, said Grant, the immediate past moderator for the Nashville Presbytery. Its not an official sort of presbytery-wide initiative, but it has just sort of grown out of relationships. Grant said Franklin Classical School, a school under the spiritual oversight of his church, Parish Presbyterian Church in Franklin, Tennessee, has lockdown procedures and security codes in place. The school always has a former police officer on site when school is in session. It is unknown whether The Covenant School had a security officer. Grant said his churchs security team has called for a review of security protocols and already had training planned for the week after Easter. This is just a good reminder that we live in a broken, fallen world," he said. "And we need to be vigilant to care for one another as best we can. COLUMBIA The South Carolina Department of Agriculture is awarding $3,471,088 in matching grant funding to eight South Carolina companies to help them expand their beef-processing capacity. Together, these small-facility expansions will increase South Carolinas processing capacity by 8,300 head of cattle per year, creating new jobs and strengthening the local food system. With an estimated economic impact of $3,500 per head, the expansions will keep approximately $29 million of economic activity in South Carolina that would otherwise have gone out of state. Helping these facilities expand will allow more of South Carolinas 700-plus livestock farmers to raise their animals to maturity and have them processed in the state, keeping dollars in the local economy, Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers said. We know theres high consumer demand for local meat, and Im proud of the way were working together to address it. The Agribusiness Infrastructure Incentives Distribution Panel reviewed applications and selected the awardees: 1. Back 40 Butchery, Hodges 2. Brown's Meat Market, Spartanburg 3. Cordray's Processing, Ravenel 4. Hemingway Locker Plant, Hemingway 5. Knockout Butchery, Pauline 6. Neverdun Farms, Sumter 7. PF Meat Company, Belton 8. Williamsburg Packing Co., Kingstree The success of this small grant program points to additional opportunities to strengthen South Carolinas food system. Many South Carolina-grown products are harvested in state and then transported out of state for processing/packaging, which results in a significant amount of lost revenue, capital investment and jobs. The South Carolina Department of Agriculture has requested an additional $75 million from the General Assembly to address the significant lack of in-state food processing capacity across seafood, fruit and vegetables, dairy, grain and animal feed. (TBTCO) - Voi muc tieu hinh thanh kho bac van hanh dua tren du lieu so vao nam 2025 va tro thanh kho bac so vao nam 2030, Kho bac Nha nuoc a tiep tuc hien ai hoa cac hoat ong nghiep vu, hinh thanh nhung buoc i can ban cho chuyen oi so. Cung gop phan ua muc tieu tro thanh hien thuc, Kho bac Nha nuoc Thai Binh a tich cuc ay manh cai cach thu tuc hanh chinh, so hoa cac giao dich thu, chi ngan sach. In what has become a Rowan University tradition, an interdisciplinary lineup of two University faculty members and two undergraduate students will once again engage in a humorous academic debate titled The Eagle vs. the Turkey: Which is More American? on Monday, April 3. The intentionally silly debate is traditionally held to mark April Fools Day at Rowan. Presented by the Rowan Institute for Public Policy & Citizenship and moderated by Ben Dworkin, founding director at RIPPAC, the debate begins at 7 p.m. in Room 104 of Business Hall, 201 Mullica Hill Road, Glassboro. Admission is free and open to the public, but debate attendees are asked to bring a donation for The SHOP, Rowans food pantry and resource center for students. Requested items include non-perishable and microwavable food, as well as personal hygiene products. To facilitate the debate and suggest a question to be asked of either team, register online. This debate is a much-needed moment of levity in an otherwise very serious political world, Dworkin explains. Its a time when we can learn and laugh as a community, all while supporting students in need. The four debaterstwo on both Team Eagle and Team Turkeywill be clad in full academic regalia and will employ the rich scholarship of their various academic disciplines as they examine the comparative patriotic virtues of their chosen fowl. Team Eagle will be represented by Rick Dammers, dean of the College of Performing Arts, and senior molecular and cellular biology major Aaron Agostini. Team Turkey features Cori Brown, associate professor in the Department of Interdisciplinary and Inclusive Education in the College of Education, and junior political science major Alyssa Morgen. Each debater will have approximately eight minutes to make their case before the live audience. The winner of the debate will be decided through crowd applause. Team Turkey won last years debate. RIPPAC is dedicated to informing, engaging, and training Rowan students, faculty, and the public in politics, policy, and citizen engagement. To accomplish this, the Institute hosts programs and guest speakers; supports students through academic and career development, internships and scholarships; and connects faculty and students from across the University with public entities to facilitate public policy research and discussion. Marvel actor Jeremy Renner recalled to Diane Sawyer what he thought after the snowplow accident After surviving the accident on his property in Reno, Nevada, Renner needed multiple surgeries After the accident, Renner has kept his fans updated on his recuperation Jeremy Renner sacrificed his life to save his nephew, who was severely injured in a snowplow accident on January 1 - and he would "do it again." In a sneak preview of his first interview since the event, Renner, 52, discusses the incident and his life since with Diane Sawyer. Renner asked if he recalls the agony, saying, "Yes." Jeremy Renner Interview After Snowplow Accident Once Sawyer, 77, read his list of ailments, which included over 30 fractured bones, she questioned him about the time he signed "I'm sorry" to his family after his accident when he could not talk. "Yeah ... " Renner responded, becoming tearful as he turned his head away, following a pause. Yet, as the actor stated, he "chose to survive," adding, "You're not gonna kill me. No way." According to PEOPLE, Jeremy Renner endured many operations after surviving the New Year's Day disaster on his farm near Reno, Nevada. Initially, he was in serious but stable condition after his snowplow, estimated to weigh at least 14,330 pounds, ran him over while assisting a family member with a "stuck" car. After the accident, Renner has kept his fans updated on his recuperation. On Sunday, he updated his recuperation by releasing a video of himself walking with help on a treadmill. Evangeline Lilly, Renner's Marvel co-star, stated in February that she visited the actor at his house and was amazed by his improvement and spirits after hearing about the catastrophic accident. Read Also: Prince Harry Accuses Royal Family of Covering Up Tabloids from Hacking His Phone Renner Would Still Choose to Save His Nephew Per CNN, the interview also features poignant moments with Renner's nephew, whom he attempted to prevent from being struck by the equipment during the disaster. Renner informed Sawyer that he would not alter the outcome. He added, "Yes, I'd do it again since it was aimed directly at my nephew." The Nevada Sheriff's Department stated in a January incident report that the 'Hurt Locker' actor was hauled beneath the machine while attempting to stop the snowplow from slipping and injuring his nephew. As Sawyer pointed out, Renner had several severe injuries during the crash, including eight shattered ribs, a collapsed lung, and hundreds of other broken bones. Renner said on January 17 that he was discharged from the hospital after spending around two weeks in critical care. On the Marvel actor's views on performing stunts after his injury, Renner further demonstrated he is a genuine superhuman, per NBC New York. The actor now views himself in the mirror as "a fortunate man." 'Jeremy Renner: The Diane Sawyer Interview - A Tale of Horror, Survival, and Triumph' will premiere on ABC at 10 p.m. ET on April 6 and will be available on Hulu the following day. According to AOL, a video of his recuperation revealed that he has made significant progress. He released a video of himself walking on an anti-gravity treadmill over the weekend. He has been recording the experience on Instagram, step by step. Renner wept when he recalled using sign language to apologize to his family in the hospital before he could talk. After the screening, the actor will participate in a Q&A for the Disney+ show about automobile restoration. The snowplow that ran over Renner was first removed by officials for examination following the tragedy, and it was returned last week. According to a January incident report filed by the Washoe County Sheriff's Office, "mechanical difficulties may have contributed to this collision." Renner was shoveling snow to free a family member's "stuck" car at the time of the accident. Last week, Renner shared a birthday message to his daughter Ava, who turned ten years old. He stated that her "hug[s] and affection have cured me so extraordinarily quickly." Related Article: Why Miley Cyrus, Dolly Parton Duet Banned by Wisconsin School Concert? @YouTube @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. You have reached a premium content area of Transitions. To read this entire article please login if you are already a Transitions subscriber. Not a subscriber? Subscribe today for access to: Full access to the website, including premium articles videos, country reports and searchable archives (containing over 25,000 articles). Last June, the Mills City Council passed a strange new ordinance restricting future mayors from firing city employees during their first 13 months in office. Some city officials say it was put into place amid fears that Leah Juarez, a local gadfly expected to challenge incumbent mayor Seth Coleman for the top job that fall, would gut city staff if elected. Juarez ran. And won. And on Tuesday, joined two other council members in reversing the June amendment restoring her broad powers to dismiss city employees at will. The former law didnt completely eliminate Juarez firing abilities, but required the council to unanimously sign off on any proposed terminations until the end of her 13-month probationary period. Councilor Brad Neumiller, who sat on last years council, said the law didnt have anything to do with Juarez. It was just meant to place a temporary check on new mayors while they settle into the job. Neumiller and Councilor Tim Sutherland both voted against repealing the new law. The whole reason that we did that was so it would protect the employees, Neumiller said, noting that work on the ordinance began before Juarez announced her candidacy in May. Its not unusual for a mayor to wield this level of authority. Mills has a so-called council-mayor government, where the mayor is directly elected by voters. Its often called the strong mayor system because it makes mayor the most powerful official in the city. (In other forms of municipal government, like Caspers, the mayor has essentially the same amount of power as other council members.) Because of that, Juarez felt the law was tying her hands. I am managing all of the employees every single department everything that happens in the city has to go through me, Juarez said, though she clarified she doesnt have any plans to fire anyone right now. So its important as a strong mayor to be able to perform the job to its full capacity. On Tuesday, the Mills City Council also amended city law to make it easier for city employees to appeal dismissals. For the most part, any employee facing removal from office for things like incompetency or neglect already had the ability to request a hearing on the matter (though Juarez said many employees werent aware that was an option.) But there was a catch: they couldnt appeal if their official reason for dismissal was listed as insubordination, Juarez said. Now that exception is scrubbed from Mills' municipal code and city handbook. Juarez also officially established a hiring board for department heads, which will include both city employees and council members. That way the council has involvement in who were hiring, said Juarez. Previously, the mayor had the authority to directly hire new department heads without seeking input from councilors. Regardless of why the previous council passed the firing ban in June, Juarez had been an outspoken critic of Mills city government for years. She first became active in Mills politics in 2018, when she led a movement to stop budget cuts to the citys fire department. She would later call for former Mayor Colemans resignation. Those criticisms became a central part of her 2022 mayoral campaign. Sara McCarthy who like Neumiller, sat on the previous city council said that reputation did play a part in the councils decision to pass the law. But at the time, McCarthy also felt it was a reasonable restriction for any incoming mayor. City staff would get a chance to adjust to working with new mayors, and vice versa, before any big decisions about staffing were made, she said. I was looking at, how can we make this an easier transition? McCarthy said. She ultimately reversed course and voted in favor of repealing the amendment after further discussions with Juarez. While Juarez said many residents have voiced support for doing away with the law, others are still wary of whats to come. During public comment on the ordinance, Abriel VanValkenburg, who owns the Mills coffee joint Buckin Brew, said she and two baristas previously overheard Juarez saying she wanted to clean house in Mills city government. Juarez said she was referring to reviewing the citys policies, procedures and financial history. Cleaning house can mean a lot of things, she said. Shes said she wants to go through 10 years worth of checks issued by the city to ensure peoples money was spent the way it was supposed to. Still, Juarez said Tuesday that shes concerned about missing records and signs of possible misuse of funds. We do not have records from 13, 14, 15, she said during the meeting. Those years are gone, completely deleted. Thats not illegal under state statute, local governments are usually only required to keep up to seven years of financial records (with some exceptions.) Still, Juarez said she wants to change Mills bookkeeping policies so that the city keeps records for longer. Former gubernatorial candidate Rex Rammell filed a lawsuit Tuesday accusing the Sublette County sheriff and deputy sheriff of violating his civil rights when his horses were searched for proper brand inspection during transport. His lawsuit comes almost four years after he was cited by a deputy during the search for not having proper brand inspection permits for four horses and one colt, the newly filed complaint shows. He was found guilty by a six-person jury in 2021. He appealed that decision, but he lost his case towards the end of last year. They charged me over $1,200 for not having a piece of paper that says my horses are my horses, and the prosecutors wanted me to do jail time too, Rammell told the Star-Tribune on Wednesday. I thought, you bastards are going to get sued, and thats whats happening today. Rammells case is considered a Section 1983 lawsuit, which is a legal claim that allows a person to sue an individual state or local official who has violated their civil rights under the constitution, he said. Its also a way of working around the qualified immunity that law enforcement is typically granted. Under Wyoming statute, law enforcement can check for proper brand inspection, but Rammell argues the state law is unconstitutional. Its unlawful to stop someone who is transporting animals without basis, he said. Ive had enough of bad people and bad government, and I decided to do something about it, Rammell said. Ive always fought for the constitution, and I knew they couldnt do that. The Sublette County Sheriffs Office could not be reached for comment on Wednesday. Political damage? Rammell, who has regularly appeared on election ballots in Wyoming and Idaho, alleges the damage to his reputation from this case was irreparable, the lawsuit states. Rammell filed the lawsuit without an attorneys involvement. He is seeking over $12 million in damages, which includes court costs, lost opportunities, negative impacts to his reputation and severe emotional distress. There was a lot of negative publicity due to the case, which damaged his veterinary clinic business and political career, the complaint states. He is a veterinarian and purchased a building in Pinedale to open a clinic, but he struggled to sustain the business, the suit says. He closed shop and put the building up for sale by the end of 2020. It has yet to sell. Rammell entered the Wyoming Senate race and lost. He also ran for governor in 2022 and lost. He did not perform well in this election, the complaint states. He ran for governor in 2022 and was again badly defeated in part due to the damage his reputation had received. On the afternoon of June 27, 2019, a Sublette County sheriffs deputy searched Rammell while he was transporting horses, the complaint states. He alleges this was an illegal search and seizure, which is in violation of his Fourth Amendment right. The deputy is accused of demanding a brand inspection permit without cause, the lawsuit states. Rammell is also suing the officers supervisor, the deputy sheriff, for implementing the policy. Both defendants should have known searching and seizing requires reasonable suspicion of a crime or a warrant, the complaint states. The incident was not Rammells first run-in with legal trouble. He pleaded guilty to criminal contempt for attempting to influence jurors in Idaho, who were called to serve during a trial about his alleged involvement in a 2011 elk poaching incident, the Associated Press reported. He ultimately was also found guilty in the original elk poaching case. He was cited last year for allegedly illegally driving an RV on federal land in Wyoming. Rammell told the Star-Tribune that he is politically done with Wyoming. He has no intentions of ever running for office here again. I thought Idaho was corrupt, but Wyoming puts it to shame; I dont want anything to do with this state, he said. I want to collect my damages and get the hell out of here. A Powell woman is the second Wyomingite facing federal charges this week for allegedly using the U.S. Postal Service to receive packages filled with drugs from Arizona, which in this case contained about 10,000 fentanyl pills and one-pound of meth. Victoria Zupko is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine and use of a communication facility to facilitate a felony drug offense, a federal complaint filed Thursday shows. She is facing up to 24 years in prison and up to a $1.25 million fine. A federal warrant was issued for Zupkos arrest on Thursday, and federal prosecutors want her detained without bail, as there is a serious risk she will flee, the filing states. On Monday, a Casper man was federally charged with receiving a half-pound of meth through the mail; his package also came from Arizona. This case surrounds a package that contained about 2.3 pounds or 10,000 pills of fentanyl and one-pound of meth that was scheduled to be delivered in Powell. USPS business records showed a Powell address, where Zupko lives, was receiving parcels from known drug source areas Arizona and California, the filing says. Inspectors started watching the address after special agents from the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigations tipped them off in November. A judge approved a search warrant for a package arriving from Phoenix on March 15. That same day, Zupko allegedly called the USPS supervisor of distribution in Casper to ask about her package. An undercover postal inspector delivered the package to Zupkos front door six days later, the filing states. Officials obtained a search warrant for her home before the drop-off. Zupko later retrieved the package from her doorstep. And 15 minutes later, officials searched her home. She is accused of having partially consumed fentanyl pills and other drug paraphernalia in her home while there was a young child there, the filing states. Zupko also had loose fentanyl pills in her pocket. She allegedly told officials this wasnt the first time she had large shipments of drugs delivered through the mail. Two other packages had already made its way to the Powell home. Zupko estimated that one of the parcels contained 6,000-8,000 fentanyl pills and the other parcel contained one pound of methamphetamine and 4,000 fentanyl pills, the filing states. Those drugs had already been distributed. She planned to split the contents of the seized delivery with other people. Zupko told investigators she sold fentanyl pills for $60 a piece and made over $100,000 last year selling them, the complaint states. Several members of a University of Wyoming sorority have filed a lawsuit seeking to remove the first transgender student accepted into Greek life in the schools history. Seven current members of UWs Kappa Kappa Gamma sued the sororitys parent organization, its president and the sororitys first transgender inductee in the U.S. District Court of Wyoming on Monday alleging the sorority did not follow its bylaws and policies, breached its housing contract with members and misled them by admitting a transgender member. They seek to revoke the students membership and prohibit any man from joining a sorority, along with obtaining monetary damages from the sorority. In their more than 150-page filing, the sorority members attorneys Cassie Craven and John Knepper assert that the national Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority did not follow its own bylaws and rules and failed to uphold its mission by admitting a transgender student. The seven sorority members filed the suit anonymously. The lawsuit refers to the transgender student by the pseudonym Terry Smith in keeping with the anonymity of the seven women suing Kappa Kappa Gamma. When reached by a reporter Wednesday, the student declined to comment on the record. The Star-Tribune is not naming the student given that the sorority members in the lawsuit are also maintaining their anonymity. Craven and Knepper argue that the sororitys purpose to unite women, through membership, in a close bond of friendship and its requirement that membership be restricted to women preclude the organization from accepting a transgender person. They also state that the experience of the sorority members has been fundamentally harmed by the decision to include a transgender student in a single sex environment. The sororitys leadership team and its president Mary Pat Rooney have unilaterally concluded that a man can become a Kappa member if he claims to have the subjective belief he is a woman. This conclusion disregards biology, Kappas 150-year history, and Kappas purpose, mission and bylaws, Craven and Knepper wrote. Craven and Knepper declined to comment, but in a statement the two attorneys said the lawsuit was a matter of womens rights and portrayed the issue as a political one. Sadly, current Kappa leadership has chosen to violate their duties to protect this cherished institution. They have ignored the organizations Charter and Bylaws in favor of activism and by doing so, have harmed its members and the organization as a whole, they said. Craven and Knepper backed up their claims that Rooney and the sororitys leadership team have failed in their stewardship of the organization by pointing to repercussions that they linked to the UW chapters acceptance of a transgender student. Less interest in group? As of the lawsuits filing, only 10 of the sororitys roughly 50 members have signed housing contracts for the next school year, the lawyers alleged, something they wrote was because of the transgender students presence and access to the sororitys house. They claim that almost half of the women offered bids turned the sorority down in 2022 and only two women pledged to join Kappa Kappa Gamma at UW this spring, threatening the financial viability of the chapter. The insistence on admitting men to the Sorority has also resulted in a significant decline in alumnae giving, membership, and participation. These changes have also harmed the ability of Kappa Kappa chapters across the nation to recruit new members, Craven and Knepper wrote. The lawsuit also includes a series of accusations against the transgender student, including that they asked sorority members sexual questions, watched other women and made some members feel uncomfortable. According to the complaint, Kappa Kappa Gammas leadership was dismissive of the concerns raised by the sorority members and their parents and did not address the issues the women raised with the sororitys bylaws and policies. But in a November 2022 letter to Craven and Knepper, a lawyer for Kappa Kappa Gamma said that each chapter of the sorority makes its own acceptance decisions and the sororitys bylaws do not prevent a transgender student from joining. Kappas bylaws and other governing documents state that Kappa is a single-gender organization. Gender is not equivalent to biological sex, birth anatomy, or chromosomes, wrote Natalie McLaughlin, the sororitys attorney. Rather, it is a broader construct encompassing identity. A persons gender identity is their subjective, deep-core sense of self as being a particular gender. As a single-gender organization, Kappa welcomes all women, including individuals who may have been born as males but identify as women. McLaughlin, Kappa Kappa Gamma and the UW chapter of the sorority did not return requests for comment. In 2018, the sorority also issued a Guide for Supporting Our LGBTQIA+ Members, which encouraged members to treat others with dignity and respect and stated that the sorority is a single-gender organization comprised of women and individuals who identify as women whose governing documents do not discriminate in membership selection except by requiring good scholarship and ethical character. Broader debate The lawsuit echoes the intense national debate around gender identity and inclusion, which has roiled UW in recent months. The university suspended a Laramie church elders tabling rights in December after he targeted the same transgender student with a sign in the schools student union. Some Wyoming lawmakers denounced the universitys decision, saying it infringed on the church leaders free speech rights. Meanwhile, alumni, members and allies of UWs LGBTQ+ community called for further action to stymie harassment and ensure the safety of students. In a statement following the event, UW President Ed Seidel referenced the hostility around the issue while maintaining the universitys commitment to members of the LGBTQ+ community. Our world, nation and state have experienced an increase in hateful rhetoric targeting historically underrepresented and vulnerable groups, including the LGBTQIAP2S+ community, he said. UW has not escaped this type of bigotry, and we must take an unequivocal stand against it while at the same time expressing and demonstrating support for all members of our university community. Trinidad and Tobago should expect more visitors to the islands in the 2024 cruise season, according to Tourism Minister Randall Mitchell. He explained that for the past six months, the Ministry of Tourism, along with Tourism Trinidad Ltd (TTL), has been increasing its marketing reach and putting action plans in place to increase arrivals. Those were the three words calypso icon David Rudder used to summate his feelings over his illustrious 40-year music career. Sensing the room of journalists wanting more from him he almost reluctantly continued. Prime MINISTER Dr Keith Rowley is calling on the now independent members of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) to seek a fresh mandate from the people of Tobago by calling an election. If the independent political aspirants of the disintegrated PDP (Progressive Democratic Patriots) wish to be taken seriously by the central government and the people of Tobago then the Chief Secretary would do well to make arrangements for an early election within the same time frame that he is making to register a new political party with the Elections and Boundaries Commission, Rowley said in a media release yesterday. Premiere Li says China promotes free trade and will push for global economic development China, the world's second-largest economy, promotes global economic growth, not trade protectionism. He said China would support impetus and vitality, not obstruct beneficial development. Chinese Premier Li Qiang stated that China wants free trade instead of the opposite, which stifles global free trade. Beijing is a world leader moving and shaking the West's domains that are trying to dictate a world economy. China's Premier Li Speaks at the Boao Forum for Asia Li's attendance at the Boao Forum for Asia Boao Forum for Asia held in Hainan Island included an announcement about China's goals and intentions. He said besides trade protectionism, which is anathema and another is attempting to decouple from the disastrous supply chain, reported Anadolu Agency. He stresses that keeping these supply chains is always crucial for the global and industrial sectors. The Chinese official said change is normal with adjustments that are part of constant innovation, noted SCMP. Added that impetus, vitality is needed to advance the global economy to allow others to be part of Chinese development. He is the latest premier chosen by Beijing. As a member of the State Council, China's cabinet to the steward of the economy. Beijing Seeks Global Economic Development Part of the forum were attendees from Malaysia, Singapore, and Spain, which is equivalent to an Asian Davos poise to compete against foreign powers. More officials were politicians, former officials, and business figureheads, with the International Monetary Fund Chief Kristalina Georgieva taking part in the truly international forum. He added China would not allow decoupling and fragmenting trade, cited RTHK. Read Also: China-EU Summit: Russia-Ukraine War Not To Be Discussed Despite Push by Brussels To Condemn Putin Bodies like the IMF see China as a keystone to achieving about one-third of global economic growth in 2023. Premier Li said that everyone is needed for a dynamic growth center and to take part in reaching global recovery. Another drive is for digital and green economies integration that the ASEAN must be a part of, with all 10 members. He added the economic surge in China is excellent. He added, but not indicating who is pushing a new cold war that is misguided and foolish. Sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction will not improve anything. Bao Forum for Asia Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim brought attention to embracing unity, not the opposite. All partners must be bilateral and multi-lateral and have the best intentions that will be ideal for everyone. Unipolarity is for the old world that has been exposed. He stated that democracy has lost meaning by sloganeering and using it to pigeonhole countries that beg to differ. Said that accountability and transparency for decisions are better than the opposite. Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien said there are tensions and Asia must attain stability that transparency should achieve. This is essentially what Premier Li said as components to global economic development for the region free of external elements. Related Article: Southeast Asian Leaders Pledge Not To Let the US Manipulate ASEAN in Cold War Versus China It was about half a century ago, but I remember it as though it were yesterday. We had been to the cinema, then went for ice cream at the then-popular Dairies Restaurant on Phillip Street. As we were walking towards the car, I observed a crime in progress, drew it to the attention of my date, and suggested we report it at the nearest police station. That's because that's when we get to connect with the community through our free, weekly audio newsletter, "What's Up? Con La Estrella de Tucson" and its Spanish version "Que hay de nuevo? Con La Estrella de Tucson." PHOENIX Riding a bicycle and run into the side of a moving vehicle? It turns out state law doesnt require you to tell police who you are. Ditto scooter operators and jaywalkers who violate state traffic laws. And now Tucson police officers want state lawmakers to close that loophole to allow them to demand identification of those people, a move that would allow officers to start issuing citations. But the request comes despite concerns by several lawmakers about not just about protecting the Fifth Amendment rights people have against self-incrimination but the possibility that more interactions between police and citizens at traffic stops will lead to situations escalating especially when they involve racial minorities. Jobe Dickinson representing the Tucson Police Officers Association told members of the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that in 2022 there were 99 fatal collisions in Tucson. Of that, 49 were pedestrians and six were bicyclists. State traffic laws do apply not only to those driving motor vehicles but also anyone operating anything else on a street, as well as to pedestrians. Only thing is, the ability of police to cite errant non-operators anyone other than the driver of a vehicle is hampered by the fact that courts have overturned statutes that allow police to demand their names. What Tucson is experiencing is we run into someone whos committed a violation, say jaywalking or riding on a sidewalk doing something differently, Dickinson explained. If that person just remains silent, we cannot ask them their identity, he continued. Theres no way to write them a citation, anything, to enforce the current (traffic) laws. Joe Clure of the Arizona Police Association echoed the concern. Right now, were hamstrung, he said. All they got to do is sit there and look at us and we can do nothing, Clure said. And the pedestrian accident fatalities will continue to rise in the city. SB 1088 would spell out that police have the power to demand the persons name, address and date of birth if they have reasonable cause to believe a traffic law was violated. Maybe its a 12-year-old riding a bike, he said. Maybe ... its their first time in Arizona. And Dickinson said hes not saying they have to produce identification. But we do believe they need to give their true identity, he said. Dickinson sought to assure lawmakers that the measure isnt designed to allow police to start questioning the occupants of vehicles. If the car is speeding and I stop the car for speeding, I am contacting the driver, he said. They are the ones I have reasonable suspicion, Dickinson continued. The passenger had nothing to do with that traffic violation. But its not that simple. If they were not wearing their seat belt they are committing a traffic violation because you are required to wear your seat belt in the front seat, he said. So, yes, I would be able to ask them. All that drew alarm from Rep. Analise Ortiz, D-Phoenix. Our state has a sordid history of racial profiling that we didnt even talk about, she said. And where does that happen? At these traffic stops, Ortiz continued. And it disproportionately impacts my community and Black and brown Arizonans. All that, she said, could cause escalations in traffic stops to where what was a simple incident spins out of control when people are told they have to talk to an officer when they currently do not. And that only opens up the potential for dangerous interactions and for my community to potentially be harmed as they so often are in these traffic stops, Ortiz said in voting against the measure. Rep. Alexander Kolodin, R-Scottsdale, said he was concerned people police would approach under this law might not understand there is a limit to what they have to say. Kolodin, who is an attorney, said he knows he needs to provide only his name, address and date of birth. But he said he fears that those without legal training might believe they need to say more. And in doing so, Kolodin said, they would effectively be waiving their Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination. What he wants included in the legislation when it now goes to the full House is some requirement that police affirmatively inform the person that the name, DOB and address is all they are required to provide and that they need not say anything more. And Kolodin, who voted for the bill in committee, said he wont support it on the House floor without such language. The whole fact that there had to be a public discussion one that is preserved on the legislative website in video form about what is, and isnt, required now concerned McClure. Some smart YouTubers going to pull this video and educate even more people which is OK that currently the law is you dont have to talk to police, he said. The company set to build a medical device sterilization facility in southeast Tucson has reversed course on its intentions to use a hazardous gas at the center and instead plans to use another sterilization method using electron beam technology. The Pima County Department of Environmental Quality issued an air quality permit to Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) in May to operate a 140,000-square-foot facility at 7345 E. Valencia Road, near South Kolb Road. The facility was set to use ethylene oxide, a colorless, highly flammable gas that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classifies as a human carcinogen, to sterilize medical equipment. Several local government officials and community members expressed concern about the use of the material at the site that neighbors the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and an Amazon distribution facility over the dangers any unmonitored release of ethylene oxide would pose. In January 2022 , the council passed a motion offered by Steve Kozachik to oppose the facilitys construction over the use of ethylene oxide and uncertainty of transporting the chemical throughout Tucson. The city sent sent a letter to BD informing the company its not welcome in Tucson without a risk assessment demonstrating Tucson Fire can adequately respond to a catastrophic event. Troy Kirkpatrick, a spokesperson for BD, said the pushback was not what led the company to no longer use ethylene oxide in Tucson, but rather that Tucson made sense as a location for additional capacity for electron beam technology. Also called e-beam technology, the process uses a stream of highly energized electrons to disrupt the DNA chains of any microorganisms and sterilize equipment in its packaging. As we looked at our network, we identified the need for additional e-beam capacity, as well as (ethylene oxide), and determined Tucson would be better suited for e-beam, Kirkpatrick said in an email. We still intend to build a new (ethylene oxide) sterilization facility in a location that is more centralized to multiple BD manufacturing facilities. While we havent announced the location, we can confirm that it will not be in Arizona. While construction on the ethylene oxide facility was originally slated to begin in the summer of 2022, Kirkpatrick estimates the new e-beam facility will likely be built some time in 2023. The process will require a new air quality permit from the county since there will be emissions of various pollutants including ozone and nitrogen oxides, according to county memo. However, its unclear exactly how the process would work or how any pollutants would be contained until BD applies for a new permit. The countys environmental department is legally required to issue air quality permits to companies that meet a certain set of federal and state standards. Under its previous permit, BD could emit no more than 709 pounds of ethylene oxide annually, and it claims to have control measures that eliminate 99.95% of the gas. Kozachik said he considers the change to be a win for the community, especially given events such as the nitric acid spill from a truck rollover on Interstate 10 near Kolb Road on Feb. 14, and the preceding Ohio train derailment on Feb. 3 that released vinyl chloride into the surrounding community. Every one of those demonstrates that communities nationwide and including Tucson are not prepared to address the environmental fallout from significant chemical spills, the council member said. If there is a rollover thats not just a hypothetical, because it happens in our real world then how are you going to control it? During a conversation debriefing the city council on the nitric acid spill on March 21, City Attorney Mike Rankin said while localities have limited authority over the transportation of toxic chemicals in their jurisdictions, Tucson petitioned the federal transportation department to designate acceptable travel routes for ethylene oxide in anticipation of BD using large quantities of the chemical in the city. It actually looks like we might be successful in getting the ability to designate acceptable travel routes or truck routes for (ethylene oxide), Rankin told the council. But that is not a process that would allow us to just gain general authority throughout the city for the regulation of the transportation of hazardous materials. While the citys designation of transit routes would be tied to specific substances, Kozachik is encouraged by the responsiveness of the federal government and potential for future local control over toxic material transportation. I think that we showed, not only for the city of Tucson, but for every other jurisdiction in the country, we ought to be petitioning the federal government each time theres a toxic substance thats going to be rolling through jurisdictions, and let the local population have that seat at the table, he said. I think that we did the rest of the country a service by raising that flag. University of Arizona President Robert Robbins launched a relationship-rescue effort Monday morning. Monday afternoon he scuttled it. The upshot is a relationship with the UA faculty that remains fractured even as the university administration and faculty float ideas about building trust and improving safety on campus. This is all, of course in response to the Oct. 5 on-campus killing of Thomas Meixner, the then-head of the Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences Department. Meixner was shot to death despite repeated efforts over 11 months by him and others to get somebody to do something about threats made and the danger posed by Murad Dervish, the accused gunman. On Monday, Robbins and the university released a report by the Pax Group, outside security consultants, that confirmed much of what was known and gave some more infuriating details about the run-up to the predictable killing. It revealed, for example, that Dervish visited the University of Arizona Police Department on Sept. 27, eight days before Meixners death, while he was still banned from campus and subject to misdemeanor criminal charges. He requested information about a vehicle VIN number. Apology for faculty committee Friday through Monday were an eventful few days in the multifaceted responses to the murder. On Friday, Meixners widow Kathleen and their sons filed a claim against the university. This was an unexpected development, given that the family had previously found little interest from lawyers due to the states stringent workers compensation law. Unbeknownst to outsiders, Friday was also the same day that Robbins received the report from the Pax Group. Robbins said he spent time over the weekend reading the report again and again to digest its details, dry as they were. On Monday at 2:30 p.m., Robbins held a news conference to discuss the report, while at 3 p.m., a UA faculty senate meeting began, to discuss the resignation of a faculty committee that had already released its own report on Meixners murder. It was something that Robbins did Monday morning, though, that at first jumped out as one the most important steps of the day. Robbins announced that he had met with the members of the General Faculty Committee on University Safety for All and apologized to them. This committee produced its own interim report in January, spelling out Lessons From the Events Surrounding the Murder of Professor Thomas Meixner. The report itself was well-researched and not unduly critical of the university administration. Yet, the written comment on the report, put out by a university spokeswoman, was biting. A statement by university spokeswoman Pam Scott said the report represents the work of a subset of faculty that has reached sweeping conclusions based in large part on misleading characterizations and the selective use of facts and quotations. This gave the members of the faculty committee a fright. Although their work wasnt done and had been supported unanimously by the faculty senate and Meixners family, they all resigned from the committee in mid-March. They cited fears of retribution. No-confidence vote passes So it was good that Robbins met with the group Monday morning and apologized. At the press conference that afternoon, Robbins said, It gave me the opportunity to meet with them and to tell them it was a mistake for us to release that dismissive criticism of their work. And I believe that we can go forward by uniting to work together to make the campus a safer place. But at the same time, Robbins and most of his administrative team were choosing not to attend the Faculty Senate meeting. In fact, they set the news conference for a half-hour before that meeting was to start. Robbins and others said they were not invited to the meeting, but they do often attend, and the scheduling of the news conference overlapping with the faculty senate meeting was not viewed as coincidental by faculty senators professors elected to represent their units of the university. So, when they met, as the news conference was in its last 15 minutes, their conversation turned to a question of what to do, about the committee report and the resignation of the members. The decision was to consider a vote of no confidence in Robbins and the administration over their handling of the Meixner killing. I wasnt even prepared to make such a motion until there was a complete boycott, except for Provost (Liesl) Folks, of our meeting, which I thought was a slap in the face of the senate and faculty governance, said Ted Downing, a longtime research professor of social development. His no-confidence measure passed by a 29-13 margin, with seven abstentions. It cited the failure of the university to protect Meixner and his colleagues, the administrations combative response to the faculty committees report, and the timing of the press conference, overlapping with the faculty senate meeting. I find it quite appalling that they talk about trust and confidence and dont even bother to come here today, said Pierre Lucas, a professor of materials science and engineering. Accountability not unity So the atmosphere on campus is not primed for the unity of purpose that the president called for at his Monday news conference. My hope is that unity isnt necessary so much as accountability. While the Pax Group report zeroes in on the need to fortify the UAs threat assessment management team, it dances around the failures of the people who could have done something more to intervene with Dervish but simply shirked their duties. When I asked him about holding people accountable, Robbins said he hoped others would hold him accountable as the ultimate authority on campus, then added: There are going to be many detailed and difficult conversations that will have to be had in the coming weeks to months. I hope so. An Osceola County Department of Corrections inmate has been accused of murder-for-hire plot Tureygua Inaru asked inmates if they knew anyone who could kill her family for a $2 million inheritance The Florida woman promised $50,000 for each family member's death After being incarcerated for threatening to kill her coworkers, a prisoner in Florida faces fresh charges for allegedly plotting the death of her family, according to officials. Tureygua Inaru, 29, allegedly informed two other inmates at the Osceola County Department of Corrections in Kissimmee, Florida, that her family was "extremely affluent" and that she would pay them $50,000 per death of a member of her family. Florida Inmate Urges to Kill Family for Inheritance Instead of delivering the agreed-upon amount, Inaru's other inmates handed her over to prison personnel. Inaru, initially incarcerated for aggravated stalking and threatening to kill her former coworkers, allegedly told her fellow inmates in December 2022 that her inheritance was worth approximately $2 million. However, she would only gain access to the funds after the deaths of her mother, father, and grandparents. According to Fox News, the murder-for-hire deal included the death of a Ninth District Assistant State Attorney who was pursuing her first charges. According to an affidavit, Osceola County Sheriff Marco Lopez told WESH that the lady informed two other inmates that her parents were affluent and that she would inherit $2 million upon their deaths. Per ClickOrlando, the 29-year-old is also accused of cyberstalking via social media. According to court documents, Assistant State Attorney Peter Francis Donnelly, who was prosecuting the case, stated that she "wanted him to suffer" and didn't care if his family perished. Read Also: Nashville School Shooting: Suspect's Grieving Status Revealed Fellow Inmates Confess Tureygua Inaru's Plan The Florida inmate allegedly stated that she would " gladly do it herself if no one were available to carry out the murders, she would "gladly do it herself." Inmates informed detectives that Inaru instructed them to make the deaths appear like botched robberies. In January, the sheriff's office sent an undercover detective inside Inaru's prison cell to act as an inmate. The lady allegedly discussed her dislike for the prosecutor with the officer but denied attempting to hire a hitman. During a subsequent interview with detectives, Inaru allegedly confessed to planning the annihilation of her family. Inaru claimed that her parents assaulted her and her siblings as youngsters, but a family member informed police that she "needed mental health assistance." On Monday, the 29-year-old was charged with three solicitation charges to commit premeditated murder and one count of cyberstalking for all alleged victims. In January, the sheriff's office dispatched an investigator to Inaru's cell, acting as a prisoner. The woman reportedly expressed her disdain for the prosecutor to the investigator but denied that she had attempted to hire a killer. On her first court appearance this week, Inaru requested the sitting judge to reveal his name; when he did, she responded with a grin and "nice to know." In May, Inaru is expected to appear in court again. Related Article: Washington Mom Found Dead, Naked with Lifeless 7-Year-Old Daughter @YouTube @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. For decades, Wildcat families have been warning the University of Arizona that its students were being targeted by a campus church that seemed like a cult. Many say they received the same reply: They were told the UA only investigates complaints from current students. But a current student and a recent dropout both say that when they tried to complain about Tucson Faith Christian Church Inc., their emails went unanswered or their phone calls were misdirected to campus agencies that couldnt help. UA Dean of Students Kendal Washington White is ultimately responsible for handling student complaints on campus. She did agree to a March interview about Faith Christian but did not respond to the Stars emailed questions about specific complaints the Star discovered. In a March 10 email, UA spokeswoman Pam Scott said the university has no jurisdiction over Faith Christian Church, only its on-campus clubs. She said the office has not received any recent complaints about the churchs three affiliated clubs. Yet the Star found the UA received at least one complaint alleging chronic violations of student-club bylaws by one of the church clubs, Wildcats For Christ. Under UA rules, campus clubs can be affiliated with a church but must be student-controlled and must operate free of discrimination. Wildcats for Christ routinely ignores those requirements, the complaint said. The complaint was submitted last year by UA alum Ryan Tucker, an ex-president and ex-treasurer of Wildcats for Christ. His account is backed up by a former club advisor, four other former club presidents interviewed by the Star and by emails Tucker received from church officials during his time as president in 2019. Dean of Students Washington White did not respond to the Stars query about how many complaints her office has received about the church itself. The university has not yet responded to the Stars March 8 public records request seeking any new complaints related to the church since 2015, when the Star first reported on former members' claims that the church was like a cult. The church did not challenge any of that reporting. Dozens of UA alumni who joined the church but ultimately left have described Faith Christian as a cult that tightly controls members finances and activities, discriminates against women and promotes corporal punishment of children starting in infancy. Church leaders have not responded to multiple requests for comment. 'Anybody can be on campus' In a March interview Washington White said that as a public university, the UA cant close the campus to anyone unless theyve committed a crime, such as stalking or physical assault, or a violation of the university code of conduct. Anybody can be on our campus, said Washington White, who has been Dean of Students since 2014 and worked in the office since 2009. We cant tell them to leave unless they are hurting someone. While the UA has no authority over outside groups like Faith Christian Church, it can restrict the activities of student groups on campus if theyre not following the schools code of conduct. Of the dozens of complaints filed against the church over the years, most have come from UA alumni who realize after graduation that their time with the church was unhealthy and, in some cases, traumatic. Thats what usually happens over the years that they do come to us but at that point, when theyre not at the university, we cant really do anything about it, Washington White said. Reports of aggressive recruitment tactics are most effective in the moment, she said. If a (current) student can tell us exactly, This person is out there on the mall and theyre outside right now, thats really helpful. Then we can go out to the mall and have a conversation with the people from this church. Scott said the deans office recently expressed concern to Faith Christian leaders about the churchs level of engagement in pursuing students. A pastor responded that any behaviors of concern would be addressed and corrected, Scott said in the March 10 email. Parents should prepare UA students to use discretion when joining campus groups, and its up to students to report any problems they encounter to the administration, Washington White said. The university cant do everything, Washington White said. Campus counselors are available for students who are having a negative experience with any on-campus group, she said. But former UA freshman Josephine Robideau who left the UA in January after repeatedly trying, and failing, to file a complaint about Faith Christian said the UA doesnt make it easy for students to lodge complaints. Four calls in January Robideau, 17, dropped all her classes at the UA in January and returned to New York, in part due to her experience with Faith Christian and the lack of response from the dean of students office, she told the Star. Before leaving, Robideau said she tried twice to report her concerns about the church to the Dean of Students. The first time she called, the person who answered directed her to the University Religious Council, a volunteer group of campus faith leaders that revoked Faith Christians membership in 2015 over concerns about its practices. The URC, which confirmed Robideaus account to the Star, couldnt understand why the deans office referred her because the deans office is the correct place to file a complaint. When Robideau called the deans office back she was redirected again, this time to the campus police department, she said. Campus police Sgt. Andrew Valenzuela confirmed Robideaus account to the Star. He said he told her he couldnt make a report because her concerns werent a criminal matter. After those four phone calls, Robideau gave up. A few days later, she left the UA for good. Maybe I just talked to the wrong person at the wrong time in the dean of students' office, she said. But if thats their department, theres absolutely no reason they shouldn't have that awareness on the very first day working in that position. Dean of Students Washington White did not respond to the Stars questions about Robideaus experience. 'We're your family now' Robideau said she was drawn to the friendliness of Faith Christians campus ministers, church employees paid to linger in high-traffic campus areas to find new recruits. Before long, she said, church members were pressuring her to start making money so she could donate 10% of her income gross income, not net, they emphasized to the church. They were just pushing that I get a job, said Robideau, who at the time was a triple major in Arabic, law and foreign affairs. I had no time for a job. If anything, I needed to drop a class or two because it was too hectic. She said a campus minister also encouraged her to cut ties with her family after Robideau confided in her about some family problems. She recalled the minister saying, Were your sisters now. Were your family now. The whole church loves you. Robideau said she started to distance herself after finding the Stars 2015 news coverage of alumni complaints about the church. Robideaus last few weeks on campus were stressful, she said. Faith Christian campus ministers seemed to be around every corner, cajoling her to come to church events, she said. Just knowing Id have to be worried walking from place to place around campus, it just made more sense to leave, she said. Because, I mean, what are you really getting out of an education there if you cant focus everything you have on it? Two emails, no response UA senior Ethan Snapp, 22, said the dean of students office didnt respond to his first two email complaints about Faith Christian in 2019. Snapp, then a freshman, said he felt unsafe living at the UAs newly-opened Honors Village the priciest student housing available on campus because Faith Christian ministers were using it as a recruiting hub. Non-residents arent allowed in any UA dorm unless accompanied by a resident. But the campus ministers would slip in unaccompanied, hang out in dining and study areas and try to strike up Bible conversations with new students, he said. Frustrated by the dean of students lack of action, Snapp said he contacted the University Religious Council. I've become increasingly concerned with (campus ministers) tactics and feel unsafe with them being allowed in my dorm, Snapp wrote in an email to the URC. He asked if there are any rules against these 40-year-old men being in my residence hall recruiting malleable freshmen. A council member responded immediately and contacted the deans office on his behalf, he said. From then on, the dean of students office was responsive, he told the Star. A few days later, the campus ministers cleared out of the Honors Village. 'Please ban them' Washington White did not respond to the Stars questions about Snapps experience. She also didnt respond to a question about an anonymous complaint sent to the deans office, and multiple other UA departments, in December 2021 that referred to Faith Christian as a cult. I am aware of the freedom of speech and freedom of them to be there, the writer said in the complaint, which the Star reviewed. But they shouldnt be allowed to linger in areas, specifically in front of dorms where the freshmen are to try and target them. It is very abusive, they basically break you down, verbally abuse you and tell you you dont love god if you don't fully obey them, the complaint said. Please ban them from campus for the sake of all freshmen. In response to the Stars query, UA spokeswoman Scott said the office would look into the complaints. Student clubs 'a sham' Former campus ministers said UA officials dont seem to realize they are dealing with an entity thats manipulative, deceptive and willing to bend campus rules to the breaking point to achieve its goals. For example, they said, Faith Christian has for years had total control over three campus clubs that are supposed to run by students. The setup allows the churchs entire congregation to meet on campus every Saturday night in a 300-seat auditorium the UA provides free of charge. Student clubs book the meeting space for free by saying its for club events, and no one checks up to see what the space actually is used for, the former members said. A 300-seat auditorium on campus rents for $190 an hour to outside organizations, according to the UA student union's event planning department. At that rate, Faith Christian would have to pay more than $30,000 a year to rent the type of space its student clubs book for free for four hours nearly every Saturday night. Five former club presidents and a former club advisor who worked at the university until last year said Faith Christian makes all the decisions for the three campus clubs: Wildcats for Christ, Providence Club and Native Nations in Christ. The whole thing is a sham, said Ryan Tucker, 26, ex-president of Wildcats for Christ in 2019 who graduated the UA that year with a degree in English literature. He said he joined the church as a freshman and quit in 2021. Church employees controlled every aspect of Wildcats for Christ, Tucker said, including hand-picking the clubs officers and creating election ballots with only one candidates name the churchs pick shown for each officer position. Emails Tucker provided to the Star show he took orders as president from associate pastors Tyler Wachenfeld and Geoff Scara and church administrator Keith Jenkins. Each of them sent instructions to his Gmail address, not his UA email address. Wachenfeld, Scara and Jenkins did not respond to requests for comment from the Star. No women leaders Tucker and other former members said the churchs picks for club presidents are always men in alignment with its teachings that single women are not fit for leadership roles. In 30 years, I dont think there has ever been a woman president of any of the churchs clubs, said Amanda Cheromiah, an ex-church member and former UA employee who directed a program for Native American students. Cheromiah, 38, holds three UA degrees including a PhD in higher education and higher education administration. While working for the UA she served as an employee advisor for Native Nations in Christ, one of the churchs other campus clubs. She, too, recalled church staffers rigging the clubs officer elections to ensure their chosen candidates won. Saturday night prayer meetings on campus were strictly church events, Cheromiah said. In the 14 years she attended, I never once saw a student member lead the meeting, she said. Often, the only club member onsite during supposed club events was the president, whose only role was to introduce the pastor, the former presidents said. Tucker said he complained to the dean of students office in August 2022. He never got a response. Even if they said, We cant do anything because its a freedom of speech issue and its a public campus, I would be fine with that, he said. But the fact that Ive been continually ghosted by these people doesnt make any sense. Scott said in a March 10 email that the deans office hadnt received any complaints about Faith Christians on-campus clubs since 2015. When asked why Tuckers complaint wasnt mentioned, Scott said the Star should wait for the public-records office response to the Stars records request. Only complaints rooted in actionable violations of the student code of conduct are made into a record, she said. Who the Star sought out for comment The Star sought comment from nine church officials for this story, but none responded to multiple email requests or follow-up phone calls. Those who did not respond include four pastors church founder Stephen M. Hall; Ian A. Laks, Halls second-in-command; Halls son-in-law Tyler M. Wachenfeld, and Geoffrey L. Scara, an associate pastor. Hall is the churchs president, Wachenfeld its vice president and Laks its secretary, public records show. All three also are members of the churchs board of directors. Four Faith Christian elders on the board also did not respond: Dr. Merlin Channing Chan Lowe, Jr., who teaches pediatrics at the UA medical school and joined the board in 2017; former Amphitheater High School principal Jonathan J. Lansa, who joined the church board in 2010 and now works for Tucson Unified School District; Dr. Jeffrey S. Lambert, an internist who practices at Tucson Medical Center and joined the board in 2021; and Christian T. Williamson, a board member since 2005 who earned a PhD in hydrology at the UA in 1998 and held senior positions at a firm that designs and manufactures large-scale water treatment systems. 'Concerning' behavior Tucker also didnt get a response when he sent his complaint about the student clubs to the Associated Students of the University of Arizona, or ASUA, in January 2022. Student clubs must be recognized by ASUA to operate on campus. The issues in Tuckers complaint are concerning, said Carol Barnette, advisor over ASUA clubs since February 2022, in response to the Stars query about the complaint. Barnette said she doesnt know if her predecessor took any action, but Barnette has initiated talks with the clubs to see if she can confirm Tuckers account with current members and advisors, she said. The current faculty advisor of Wildcats for Christ is Dr. Merlin Channing Chan Lowe, Jr., who teaches pediatrics at the UA medical school. Former Faith Christian campus ministers Jeff and Lisa Phillips worked on the UA campus for the Tucson church, then founded planted in church parlance two Faith Christian satellite churches on campuses in Florida and New Zealand between 1995 and 2008. When each new church was set up, the first thing wed do is recruit five or six students to form a student club so we could get free space on campus, Lisa Phillips said. A bowl, a towel, a bar of soap Faith Christian leaders had a number of strategies for deflecting criticism and tamping down controversy on campus, Lisa Phillips said. She recalled a tumultuous meeting of the UA religious council in the late 1990s to which Hall, the church founder, came prepared with a large bowl, a small towel and a fresh bar of bath soap still in its wrapper. The meeting had been called by leaders of other UA campus ministries to confront Hall over student complaints about Faith Christians aggressive recruiting methods, Lisa Phillips said. The list of examples, from which council members read aloud, was a couple pages long, she said, though she couldnt remember specifics. After being lambasted for more than an hour, Hall reached under his chair, pulled out his supplies, got down on one knee and asked the leader of the meeting if hed mind taking off his socks and shoes to let Hall wash his feet as a sign of humility. The leader seemed astonished, then annoyed, Lisa Phillips recalled. I remember it was a hard no. A definite no, she said. Posters warn students about the church UAs University Religious Council has been warning students about Faith Christians practices for years. After the Stars initial 2015 investigation into the church, the council revoked Faith Christians membership and began publicizing a list of red flag warning signs of religious practices gone awry, said Randi Kisiel, former URC secretary and current council member. The posters, displayed in all UA dorms, single-out Faith Christian and its affiliated student clubs with the warning: Membership revoked for integrity issues. Faith Christian leaders are well-practiced at staying under the radar, she said. When bad publicity bubbles up, the church lays low until the attention fades, Kisiel said. They know exactly what to say, exactly what not to do, she said. Keeping Faith Christians damaging practices in the public eye is crucial to ensuring new UA students are aware of the risks, Kisiel said. As a mother, I think they are dangerous, Kisiel said of Faith Christian. As secretary of the religious council, I was the one who got all of the calls from frantic parents saying, Somethings happened to our child, they wont return our calls. I wouldn't want my kids entangled with them. Documented harm Kathy Sullivan saw radical changes in her son Sean after he got involved with Faith Christian as a UA freshman in 2013. After making a complaint with Washington White, the Dean of Students, Sullivan said she was told the First Amendment limits the UAs options for dealing with religious groups, Sullivan recounted. Sullivan said shes now less sympathetic to that argument, after seeing her son get lost in the church for six years before he left. A universitys first obligation is to its students and their welfare, she said. Having a group like this on campus that is known to have such a detrimental effect its been documented it makes me feel both sad and upset that they either cant, or they wont, do more. SAN FRANCISCO It could cost California more than $800 billion to compensate Black residents for generations of over-policing, disproportionate incarceration and housing discrimination, economists have told a state panel considering reparations. The preliminary estimate is more than 2.5 times California's $300 billion annual budget, and does not include a recommended $1 million per older Black resident for health disparities that have shortened their average life span. Nor does the figure count compensating people for property unjustly taken by the government or devaluing Black businesses, two other harms the task force says the state perpetuated. Black residents may not receive cash payments anytime soon, if ever, because the state may never adopt the economists' calculations. The reparations task force is scheduled to discuss the numbers Wednesday and can vote to adopt the suggestions or come up with its own figures. The proposed number comes from a consulting team of five economists and policy experts. Weve got to go in with an open mind and come up with some creative ways to deal with this, said Assembly member Reggie Jones-Sawyer, one of two lawmakers on the task force responsible for mustering support from state legislators and Gov. Gavin Newsom before any reparations could become reality. In an interview prior to the meeting, Jones-Sawyer said he needed to consult budget analysts, other legislators and the governors office before deciding whether the scale of payments is feasible. The estimates for policing and disproportionate incarceration and housing discrimination are not new. The figures came up in a September presentation as the consulting team sought guidance on whether to use a national or California-specific model to calculate damages. But the task force must now settle on a cash amount as it nears a July 1 deadline to recommend to lawmakers how California can atone for its role in perpetuating racist systems that continue to undermine Black people. For those who support reparations, the staggering $800 billion amount economists suggest underscores the long-lasting harm Black Americans have endured, even in a state that never officially endorsed slavery. Critics pin their opposition partly on the fact that California was never a slave state and say current taxpayers should not be responsible for damage linked to events that germinated hundreds of years ago. Bob Woodson, a prominent Black conservative, calls reparations impractical, controversial and counterproductive. No amount of money could ever make right the evil of slavery, and it is insulting to suggest that it could, he said in an email to The Associated Press, adding that Black communities relied on faith and family to build thriving communities following slavery. Some of these communities only began coming apart after we lost sight of these values, which also hold the key to these communities restoration. Task force recommendations are just the start because ultimate authority rests with the state Assembly, Senate and the governor. Thats going to be the real hurdle, said Sen. Steven Bradford, who sits on the panel. How do you compensate for hundreds of years of harm, even 150 years post-slavery? Financial redress is just one part of the package being considered. Other proposals include paying incarcerated inmates market value for their labor, establishing free wellness centers and planting more trees in Black communities, banning cash bail and adopting a K-12 Black studies curriculum. Newsom signed legislation in 2020 creating the reparations task force after national protests over the death of George Floyd, a Black man, at the hands of Minneapolis police. While federal initiatives have stalled, cities, counties and other institutions have stepped in. An advisory committee in San Francisco has recommended $5 million payouts, as well as guaranteed income of at least $97,000 and personal debt forgiveness for qualifying individuals. Supervisors expressed general support, but stopped short of endorsing specific proposals. They will take up the issue later this year. The statewide estimate includes $246 billion to compensate eligible Black Californians whose neighborhoods were subjected to aggressive policing and prosecution of Black people in the war on drugs from 1970 to 2020. That would translate to nearly $125,000 for every person who qualifies. The numbers are approximate, based on modeling and population estimates. The economists also included $569 billion to make up for the discriminatory practice of redlining in housing loans. Such compensation would amount to about $223,000 per eligible resident who lived in California from 1933 to 1977. The $569 billion is considered a maximum and assumes all 2.5 million people who identify as Black in California would be eligible. But they won't all be eligible. Monetary redress will be available to people who meet residency and other requirements. They must also be descendants of enslaved and freed Black people in the U.S. as of the 19th century, which leaves out Black immigrants. PORLTLAND, Maine (AP) Maines attorney general is suing manufacturers of so-called forever chemicals that have contaminated farms and wells, contending they knew about the toxicity decades ago but concealed the information from the public. Two lawsuits targeting DuPont, 3M and others seek to recover costs to investigate, mitigate and monitor contamination. Attorney General Aaron Frey said Wednesday the state is working overtime to identify and deal with contamination. The defendant manufacturers have willfully introduced toxic chemicals into Maines environment in pursuit of profit for shareholders, he said in a statement. Maine citizens and the state are left to manage the harm these chemicals cause." Maine joins other states suing over contamination caused by the chemicals used since the 1940s in nonstick frying pans, food packaging, stain-resistant rugs, water-repellent fabrics and other consumer goods. A DuPont spokesperson said the company doesnt comment on litigation but believes these complaints are without merit. 3M, which intends to end manufacturing of PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, by 2025, said it acted responsibly regarding products containing the toxic chemical, including a type of firefighting foam created to help the military douse flames, and will vigorously defend its record of environmental stewardship. In Maine, environmental officials have detected high levels of PFAS in bodies of water, wells and even in some wildlife like deer. And there has been large-scale contamination of farms where sludge was spread, causing PFAS contamination. Regulators have come to understand that the chemicals, which don't break down in the environment, are dangerous even at low levels. Earlier this month, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed the first federal limits on forever chemicals in drinking water, limiting them to the lowest level that tests can detect. A Maine law from last year requires manufacturers to report their use of chemicals and phase them out by 2030. The state also committed millions of dollars to test, manage and respond to PFAS contamination. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, herself a former attorney general, applauded the lawsuits and said the companies must be held to account in the face of this recklessness. The lawsuits were filed in Superior Court in Portland. - Associated Press writer Patrick Whittle in Portland contributed to this story. WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) A high school student visiting a North Carolina community college shot himself in the hand, sparking an hourslong lockdown on campus on Thursday, police said. Winston-Salem police were called to Forsyth Tech Community College around 10:10 a.m. for a report of a student who had been shot on campus, Capt. Shelley Lovejoy said at a news conference. The 18-year-old student was taken to a medical facility for treatment of a single gunshot wound that was not considered life-threatening, Lovejoy said. The student had a firearm on campus, and charges are being evaluated, she said. Police are still trying to determine whether the shooting was intentional, Lovejoy said. No one else was shot. The student was on campus as part of an event for high school students to learn about college and career possibilities, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Superintendent Tricia McManus said. Our students responded in just a very calm way. They did everything they were asked to do, McManus said. I appreciate that so much, and the staff that was there to keep them calm and keep them safe. The school was locked down for hours after the shooting. Around 1:30 p.m., the school tweeted that students, faculty staff and visitors were being released from the main campus. Campus is closed and all classes are canceled for the remainder of the week at all locations, the school said. Darius Taylor, a Forsyth Tech student and employee of WXII-TV, told the station he was on campus when the school sent an alert warning of shots fired. He told the station his class immediately went into lockdown mode, turning the lights off and sitting against a wall. He said a professor locked all the doors and that he saw police respond quickly to begin clearing the building. Other students and parents told local news outlets they were filled with anxiety and fear during the lockdown as they waited for an all-clear announcement. Students from at least two nearby school districts were on the community college campus Thursday for a trip. All of those students were safe and accounted for, the districts said in statements. The reports of gunfire on the North Carolina campus came days after a former student shot through the doors of a Christian elementary school in Tennessee, killing three children and three adults, the latest in a series of mass shootings in a country that has grown increasingly unnerved by bloodshed in schools. Firearms are generally prohibited on Forsyth Tech's campus, according to the schools website, outside of limited exceptions. FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (AP) U.S. Army investigators are trying to determine what caused two Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopters to crash during a routine nightime training exercise in Kentucky, killing all nine soldiers aboard. No one was hurt on the ground. Nondice Thurman, a spokesperson for Fort Campbell, said the deaths happened Wednesday night in southwestern Kentucky during a routine training mission. A statement from Fort Campbell said the two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, part of the 101st Airborne Division, crashed around 10 p.m. Wednesday in Trigg County in southwest Kentucky. The 101st Airborne confirmed the crash about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest of Fort Campbell. One helicopter had five people aboard and the other had four, Brig. Gen. John Lubas, the 101st Airborne deputy commander, said Thursday. The helicopters crashed in a field near a residential area with no injuries on the ground, Lubas said. An Army spokesperson declined to comment on whether the helicopters collided in the air. "At this time, there is no determination on the specifics regarding the accident, Daniel Matthews, a public affairs officer for the 101st Airborne Division, said in an emailed statement Thursday afternoon. Matthews said an aviation safety team from Fort Rucker, Alabama, will investigate the accident. Lubas said it is unclear what caused the crash. This was a training progression, and specifically they were flying a multi-ship formation, two ships, under night vision goggles at night," Lubas said. He said officials believe the accident occurred when "they were doing flying, not deliberate medical evacuation drills. The helicopters have something similar to the black boxes on passenger planes, which records the performance of aircrafts in flight and are used by investigators to analyze crashes. Were hopeful that will provide quite a bit of information of what occurred," Lubas said. Speaking a news conference Thursday morning, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said the state would do everything it can to support the families of those killed. Were going to do what we always do. Were going to wrap our arms around these families, and were going to be there with them, not just for the days, but the weeks and the months and the years to come, Beshear said. The Black Hawk helicopter is a critical workhorse for the U.S. Army and is used in security, transport, medical evacuations, search and rescue and other missions. The helicopters are known to many people from the 2001 movie Black Hawk Down, which is about a violent battle in Somalia eight years earlier. Black Hawks were a frequent sight in the skies over Iraq and Afghanistan during the wars conducting combat missions and are also used by the Armys 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. They were also often used to ferry visiting senior leaders to headquarters locations in the Iraq and Afghanistan war zones. Fort Campbell is located near the Tennessee border, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) northwest of Nashville, and the crash occurred in the Trigg County, Kentucky, community of Cadiz. Nick Tomaszewski, who lives about a mile from where the crash occurred, said he saw two helicopters flying over his house moments before the crash. For whatever reason last night my wife and I were sitting there looking out on the back deck and I said 'Wow, those two helicopters look low and they look kind of close to one another tonight, he said. The helicopters flew over and looped back around and moments later we saw what looked like a firework went off in the sky. All of the lights in their helicopter went out. It was like they just poofed ... and then we saw a huge glow like a fireball, Tomaszewski said. Flyovers for training exercises happen almost daily and the helicopters typically fly low but not so close together, he said. There were two back to back. We typically see one and then see another one a few minutes later, and we just saw two of them flying together last night, he said. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin offered his condolences to the families of those killed. My heart goes out to the families of these servicemembers and to the members of the 101st Airborne Division who bravely and proudly serve our country each and every day," Lloyd said in a statement. In the Kentucky House and in the Senate, members stood for a moment of silence Thursday morning in honor of the crash victims. Kentucky state Rep. Walker Thomas said the crash occurred about 15 to 20 minutes from his home. Theyre there to protect us, Thomas said. And were constantly seeing these helicopters flying over our communities. Thomas spoke about how connected Fort Campbell soldiers and their families are to the communities near the Army post. The Fort Campbell soldiers that live in our communities, go to our churches ... they go to our schools, their kids do, he added. And this really hurts. By Thursday morning, word of the crash was spreading through the community of Clarksville, Tennessee, just outside Fort Campbell. Chaterra Watts, a former Army soldier who was stationed at Fort Campbell from about 2015 to 2019, said once she heard about the crash, she jumped on social media to try to find out more and if she knew any of the victims. I pray for their friends and their families and just hope that we can all come together as a community and that something positive will come out of something so tragic, Watts said. Last month, two Tennessee National Guard pilots were killed when their Black Hawk helicopter crashed along an Alabama highway during a training exercise. Lovan and Reynolds reported from Louisville, Kentucky. Associated Press writers Bruce Schreiner in Frankfort, Kentucky; Lolita Baldor in Washington and Denise Lavoie in Richmond, Virginia; contributed to this report. AP researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York also contributed. Brunswick News. March 27, 2023. Editorial: State Senate must play its part in fighting homelessness In a planning retreat Friday, Glynn County commissioners listed a number of priority projects and goals they would like to tackle in the next fiscal year. Among them, neither of which should be a surprise to anyone keeping up with the goings-on in the community, are improved approaches to homelessness and to mental illness. Homelessness the resources it requires and the problems it presents has been in an intensifying spotlight in the city of Brunswick for some time now. With the number of unsheltered men and women roaming about the city and an upsurge in crimes attributed to them, City Hall is still wondering how to effectively deal with the homeless situation. Consider it a certainty that the city would welcome useful assistance from county government. It is a complicated issue most everywhere in this nation. Help from the state also may be on the way. Legislation that would make it a violation of Georgia law to transport and drop off a known homeless person from one jurisdiction to another was on the verge of passing Monday. Few are naive enough to think the new law will remedy such a dastardly practice. It will, however, give anyone contemplating it second thoughts. Just as difficult is dealing with people struggling with mental health problems, especially when resources are scarce or nonexistent. As has been reported, people in this category make up half or almost half of the jail population here and elsewhere. They should not be there. They should be where they can benefit from professional care. Many of them have no place to go but the streets. It shouldnt be like this. Sadly, this session of the General Assembly may conclude without building upon measures taken in 2022 to improve mental health services in Georgia. A House bill designed to increase the number of mental health providers in the state appears to be frozen still in the Senate. If it remains stalled, then it will be 2024 or later before the state will be able to take the next significant step to raising Georgia from the bottom of the national pile in services available to the mentally ill. The Senate needs to pass this bill. Valdosta Daily Times. March 25, 2023. Editorial: Protect police but keep records public We commend the state lawmakers who put the brakes on a bill that would have gutted open records laws. Protecting police officers and sheriffs deputies is one thing but eroding public access to records is quite another. The Georgia Senate inexplicably passed legislation that would have essentially stripped public access to a large swath of public records. The effort mirrored initiatives across the country which, quite frankly, have not been thought through. The original legislation was a reaction to horrific situations where judges, law enforcement personnel, their families and other government employees have been targeted for violence at their homes after their addresses were discovered through public records. The Senate bill, sponsored by Sen. Matt Brass, went way too far and would have made it virtually impossible for local records custodians to review, redact and release public records. The House of Representatives proved far more reasonable than their counterparts in the Senate and worked with the Senate bill sponsor to accomplish what was intended and still preserve the publics right to know. Among other things, the original version of Senate Bill 215 would have meant public records containing the names of all government employees and members of government boards, commissions or agencies would be exempt from disclosure. We think Richard T. Griffiths, president emeritus of the Georgia First Amendment Foundation, explained it well when he said, If a county employee wants to conceal the sweetheart deal he got on his property tax valuations, he would now be able to use his invisibility cloak to do it. In the last few years, reporters were able to crosscheck records to expose Atlanta city council members and relatives of a former Atlanta mayor for not paying water bills on their properties to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars. Under this portion of the proposed law, it would be simple to invoke secrecy and never get caught. When the First Amendment Foundation explained its concerns to the chairman of the House Governmental Affairs Committee, our Rep. John LaHood, he was open to the discussion and clearly seemed to understand the concerns. After some deliberation, the House committee approved a version that applies the exemption of personal information to law enforcement officers who specifically request removal from publicly available databases. SB 215 now heads back to the Senate to approve the substitute version. Even Brass seems to see the good sense and sound judgment that went into the drafting of the revised bill. We believe it is right to provide protections for law enforcement. We also believe it is important to protect the publics right to know. We commend Chairman LaHood for being accessible, for listening to the concerns of First Amendment advocates and for shepherding along the legislative process. We urge lawmakers to support this commonsense approach to protecting officers and to reject any broad attempts to erode public access to public records. END PHOENIX (AP) Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed a bill Thursday that would have prohibited people from setting up tents or tarps in public areas. Senate Bill 1024 would have stopped anyone from erecting makeshift shelters on sidewalks, alleyways, streets, parkways and other public rights-of-way. The veto comes as Phoenix is dealing with rising homelessness. A Maricopa County Superior judge has ordered the city to clean up a homeless encampment that spans nearly 10 blocks in the downtown area. Business owners have sued the city over the homeless camp known as The Zone, where about 700 people have lived in recent months. They cite an increase in crime, drug usage in public, biohazards and break-ins. According to the lawsuit, Phoenix should have no tents within public property. We need to address Arizonas housing and homelessness crisis in a comprehensive manner, Hobbs wrote in her veto letter send to the Legislature. Rather than solving these issues in a meaningful manner, this bill only makes them less visible. Some Republican lawmakers disagreed with the Democratic governor, saying the veto enables homeless people to keep living on the street. TROY, Mo. (AP) After nearly four decades, a cold case killing in eastern Missouri has been solved, thanks to DNA evidence. Authorities in Lincoln County announced Wednesday that a DNA match identified the victim as Jack Langeneckert, 50, a real estate agent from the St. Louis County town of Florissant. Langeneckert was reported missing in 1982. The body was found dressed in a pinstripe suit and tie in 1984. The victim had been shot in the back of the head. Officials with the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office said during a news conference Wednesday that forensic genetic geneaology led to the identity of the victim. The technology identifies DNA through comparision to genetic profiles in genealogy databases. Capt. David Hill said detectives are working to determine who killed Langeneckert, whose body was found on a farm on June 11, 1984. Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen arrived in New York City on Wednesday and said that ties between Taiwan and the United States had "never been closer," despite warnings from Beijing that her trip may further damage US-China Relations. Tsai Ing-wen made the remarks from the city, the first of two scheduled stopovers in the United States between a state visit to Central America and the rest of her tour. During a luncheon with members of the Taiwanese-American community, Tsai declared, "Taiwan cannot remain isolated, and we do not take friendship for granted," per CNN. Beijing, which claims independent Taiwan as its territory despite never having governed it, has already forcefully condemned Tsai's visit. This comes at a time of escalating the US-China conflict . On Wednesday, Tsai Ing-wen arrived in New York, where she was met by protestors and admirers in equal numbers outside her hotel. Tsai Ing-wen would go to Guatemala and Belize to boost relationships in Central America, and she will likely transit via Los Angeles, where Taiwan's leader may meet with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, according to Inquirer. Read Also: Wagner Group Chief Hints at Russia's Leadership Change US-China Conflict May Escalate Further China's charge d'affaires in the United States, Xu Xueyuan, warned reporters in Washington on Wednesday that Tsai's passage through the country might cause a "serious" conflict in the US-China relationship and have a "severe impact" on relations between the two countries. The Chinese official added the US should take responsibility for "all consequences" since the US has undertaken significant challenges to "China's sovereignty and territorial integrity." Tsai Ing-wen is making her first stopover in the United States since 2019. China has consistently cautioned US officials not to see her because it would be perceived as supporting Taiwan's quest to be recognized as a distinct nation. Tensions between China, Taiwan, and the US peaked last year when former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi traveled to Taipei and met with Tsai Ing-wen, per the BBC. In response to Nancy Pelosi's visit, China conducted military exercises for a week near Taiwan. Related Article: King Charles III Visits Germany @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. GLASGOW, Mont. (AP) A northeastern Montana sheriff's deputy shot a jail inmate who had taken a hostage at the hospital in Glasgow, Valley County Sheriff Tom Boyer said. The incident happened just after 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at Francis Mahon Deaconess Hospital. The inmate was flown to a hospital in Billings for treatment. Officials have not released the inmate's name, said why the inmate was at the hospital or how extensive their injuries are. The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating the shooting, Boyer said in a statement. The sheriffs office did not say who was taken hostage or how. A hospital employee and a detention officer were also involved in the incident, Boyer said. No one else was injured. ATLANTA (AP) Georgia lawmakers gave final approval Wednesday to tougher penalties for gang crimes, a measure sought by Gov. Brian Kemp, who put fighting crime at the forefront of his reelection campaign last year. The state Senate voted 30-20 to send the anti-gang measure to Kemp's desk on the final day of the 2023 legislative session. Senate Bill 44, which returned to the Senate after an amended version passed the House, adds a mandatory five years to prison sentences for anyone convicted of a gang crime and 10 years for anyone convicted of recruiting minors into a gang. Theres no room for street gangs in Georgia, said Sen. Bo Hatchett, a Republican from Cornelia. This bill is going to help prosecutors across the state. The bill reverses a trend in Georgia championed by Kemp's predecessor, fellow Republican Gov. Nathan Deal, of reducing mandatory sentences or refusing to add new ones. Now Kemp and GOP lawmakers are pushing to lock away more criminals for longer stretches. The House-added provisions would force judges to require a cash bond from defendants who in the previous five years had been convicted of skipping out on bail or had an arrest warrant issued for missing a court date. Democrats opposing the measure said long prison terms would be expensive for taxpayers, despite little proof that they sway anyone from committing a crime. Senate critics also said the bill puts unreasonable restrictions on judges. The judges discretion to be not lenient, but humane, to take that away is not good policy, said Sen. Josh McLaurin, a Democrat from Sandy Springs and an attorney. Under Georgia's existing anti-gang law, anyone convicted of criminal gang activity can be sentenced to an additional five to 20 years in prison, but a judge has the power to waive extra prison time. The changes approved by lawmakers would reduce that discretion. Judges could order less prison time if they list specific findings, including that a defendant didnt have a gun or has no prior felony conviction. Those convicted of recruiting minors into gangs would received at least 10 years of prison time unless a prosecutor asked the court to cut the sentence because a defendant provided substantial assistance against other criminals. The Cherokee Nation is contributing $7.8 million to 109 school districts including Owasso and Collinsville as part of the tribes annual Public School Appreciation Day initiative. Through this years disbursement, Owasso and Collinsville districts collectively received more than $436,000. I am incredibly proud of the Cherokee Nations longstanding partnerships with school districts in Northeast Oklahoma. These investments in public education each year show that we are all in it together, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said. This initiative continues to help strengthen and better the educational opportunities for our children across the reservation, and we at the Cherokee Nation know how vitally important that is. School superintendents from across Northeast Oklahoma gathered at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino for a luncheon on Tuesday, March 28, and received their schools checks from the tribe. Each school district makes the decision on how to use the funding provided by the Cherokee Nation. In past years, schools have used the funds to cover teacher salaries, upgrade facilities, support operations, expand technology and bolster school programs. The money allocated to school districts is based on the number of Cherokee Nation citizens that have enrolled. However, the funding benefits all students in each school district. This years disbursement is the largest since the tribe began its annual contributions in 2002. Aside from the millions of dollars the Cherokee Nation provides to the state of Oklahoma for education funding each year through gaming, the Cherokee Nation also allocates 38% of its annual car tag revenue directly to education. The Cherokee Nation also recognized several teachers, including Meshelle Barnhart of Owasso, for displaying traditional Cherokee attributes to achieve a designed purpose. A Collinsville high school student enrolled at Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy recently got a chance to attend the schools in-person prom this year. Leland Burnette was among more than 92 OVCA students from around the state who gathered in Chandler on March 25 for the special event, hosted by the full-time online public school for K-12 students. Just because classes are online doesnt mean we never meet in person, said OVCA Head of School Audra Plummer. Prom is a cultural experience for teens, and we want our students to make the same special memories as their peers who attend in-person classes. The students met halfway between Oklahoma City and Tulsa to accommodate pupils from both metros for a 2000s throwback dance. Burnette attended the prom with his girlfriend, who lives in Guthrie and is also an OVCA student. They danced to a wide variety of songs ranging from the 2000s to current hits. Its been so much fun to get together and enjoy my high school prom, Burnette said. As a freshman, I got to go to high school prom with my girlfriend. More information about Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy can be found at ovca.k12.com. Related content Stitt, McCall speak at school choice rally at state Capitol OKLAHOMA CITY The Senate on Thursday sent the House a teacher pay raise bill and a tax credit measure for parents who send their children to private schools or educate them at home. But the bills face an uncertain future in the House. The bills, as passed by the Senate, will not pass the House, said Daniel Seitz, a spokesman for House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka. He said there is room for negotiation. The Senate took two education bills authored by McCall and gutted them, replacing his language with the upper chambers proposals. We think the House plan framework is the only plan that will pass the House, Seitz said. House Bill 1935 would allow a refundable tax credit of up to $7,500 for those who send a child to private school and $1,000 for a family that educates a child at home. The measure has a $250,000 income cap. Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, said the income cap was needed to secure approval in the Senate. Treat said nearly every state that has started a tax credit or education savings account has an income cap. Sen. Jo Anna Dossett, D-Tulsa, said a family making $250,000 does not need a cash advance from the government. Sen. Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City, called the measure a taxpayer giveaway and reckless. The bill has no real accountability, she said. Treat said the measure would infuse competition and new ideas and would empower parents to do what is best for their children. For too many families, a private school option is out of reach, he said. The bill would make private schools more accessible, he said. Kirt pointed out that the bills projected fiscal impact on the state, nearly $99 million, aligns with the number of Oklahoma families that have already opted for private school or home school. The Senate also passed House Bill 2775, which would provide raises ranging from $3,000 to $6,000 for teachers based on their years of experience. Senate Education Committee Chairman Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, said the average would be $5,300 per teacher. Pugh said it would be the second-largest teacher pay raise in the states history. The measure would provide $500 million for raises and for increasing funds going through the state aid formula. It also would provide $30 million to a grant program for qualitative bonus pay for eligible teachers and support employees based on criteria developed by the local school board. A district could provide bonuses of up to $5,000 to no more than 10% of its eligible teachers and support employees. Video: Oklahoma Senate debates tax credit for private school, home school families OKLAHOMA CITY The state governing board that is to determine whether Oklahoma sponsors the nations first religious online charter school has two newly appointed members in legal limbo. Two newly appointed members of the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board may not be legally qualified to vote until November, Assistant Attorney General Niki Batt told the board at a special meeting on Wednesday afternoon. The Catholic Church in Oklahoma has applied for state sanctioning and taxpayer funding of the proposed St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, which would serve students in towns without Catholic schools and expand online course offerings to students in existing Catholic schools. A vote on the matter is expected by the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board by the end of April. Oklahoma Catholic leaders, who worked on the application for 18 months with the Notre Dame Law School Religious Liberty Clinic, have said they view the matter as a possible test case to challenge separation of church and state laws across the nation. Speaking in her capacity as the boards legal counsel, Batt recommended that Nellie Sanders of Kingfisher, recently appointed by Oklahoma Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, and Bill Pearson of Oologah, recently appointed by Speaker of the House Charles McCall, continue to attend meetings but not vote until November unless some other legal resolution can be found. The issue, according to Batt, is that Sanders and Pearson had been appointed to seats that had been left unfilled by appointing authorities not vacancies created by early resignation or death and the statute that created the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board in 2012 states: Appointments shall be made by and take effect on November 1 of the year in which the appointment is made. Gov. Kevin Stitt also recently made an appointment to the board, but Batt said that action was to fill a vacancy created by the early resignation of Brandon Tatum, who left the board when he took a job as Stitts chief of staff. Therefore, Batt believes that that appointee, Scott Strawn, is legally qualified to be a voting member of the board immediately. Strawn is vice president for business and finance and chief financial officer for Southern Nazarene University, a private college in Bethany. Sanders pushed back, saying she disagreed with the legal counsels opinion and questioned whether the statute had been interpreted that way in the past. She also asked whether the letters of appointment that Treats and McCalls office wrote for her and Pearson could be rewritten or reworded. Batt said her opinion was that the legal issue couldnt be solved by changing the language in their letters of appointment because the issue is a matter of whether their appointments were to new terms or to fill vacancies created by early resignation or death. The last person to serve in Sanders seat resigned in the summer of 2021, and although that individuals term expired later that year, the seat went unfilled, Batt said to Sanders, and your appointment took place in 2023. Strawn asked whether the board could take action to formally request a legal opinion from Attorney General Gentner Drummond, but no such item to allow for a board vote was included on Wednesdays special meeting agenda. We want everything to be above board, whether its a renewal on an existing charter or other things that are going to happen, Strawn said, seemingly alluding to the Catholic charter school application. I would like to see us move with haste to get these people as active (on the board) as fast as possible. Sanders commented: If we start looking at every person that came before us, where does it end? This could get messy. Board Chairman Robert Franklin of Tulsa responded: Its already gotten messy. The question is how do we get out of it? He suggested that Treat and McCall be contacted to see if some legislative solution could be facilitated this session and that the board vote on a formal attorney generals opinion request at a future meeting. Batt noted that the way the statute was written was not common to other state governing boards advised by the Attorney Generals Office. Batt also told the board: We will continue to work and challenge the way we view this to see if we can come to a different conclusion or an a-ha moment. In other business, Franklin, Strawn and member Barry Beauchamp voted unanimously to renew the boards sponsorship contracts with Epic Charter School, Insight School of Oklahoma, E-School Virtual Charter Academy and Oklahoma Connections Academy. The executive director of the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce filed a lawsuit in Tulsa County District Court on Wednesday against the city of Tulsa and three city councilors alleging violations of the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act. Lori Decter Wright, Vanessa Hall-Harper and Laura Bellis were sued in their official capacities as councilors. I have experienced it as far as accountability and transparency from this public body, Executive Director Freeman Culver said during a press conference inside City Hall. I mean, all this ARPA money that is going out to help organizations. We are the oldest Black organization in Oklahoma and havent received a dime, and we submitted the application just like everybody. I am telling you, we are going to find where the bones are buried. Culver said his lawsuit had nothing to do with race. This is about truth, and this is about abuse of power, and it is going to end today, he said. The lawsuit centers on an incident that occurred last week when Councilor Grant Miller submitted a handwritten open records request seeking all text correspondences between Wright, Hall-Harper and Bellis related to comments he made earlier that day during a committee discussion on homelessness. Miller, who has opposed providing more city funding for reconstruction of the museum, questioned whether it would make more sense to spend the $10 million allocated for reconstruction of the Gilcrease Museum in the proposed Improve Our Tulsa extension on housing for the homeless instead. During that discussion, according to the text messages released in response to the open records request, Wright texted Bellis and Hall-Harper, 10M Gilcrease $ for housing. Miller is ridiculous. Bellis responded, RIDICULOUS; Hall-Harper did not respond. The lawsuit seeks a judgment finding that the defendants violated the Open Meeting Act by the texting and that all actions at any Tulsa City Council meeting be declared invalid if electronic communications were used in violation of the act. The lawsuit also seeks an emergency injunctive order compelling the defendants to refrain from any further public meetings or hearings until the alleged violations are addressed. Violation of the Open Meetings Act is a misdemeanor. Individuals found guilty of violating the act are subject to a fine not to exceed $500 or imprisonment in the county jail not to exceed one year, or both. The city of Tulsa declined to comment, citing its long-standing policy that it does not comment on pending litigation. Laurie Phillips, representing the councilors in their individual capacities, said she could not comment. Attorney Ronald Durbin, representing Culver, called the incident a microcosm of a massive problem. If Councilor Miller said something absurd and ridiculous, I want to hear the councilors say that in the meeting, Durbin said. Tell me why as a citizen he is being ridiculous about wanting $10 million for homelessness over the Gilcrease. Why is that ridiculous? Durbin said the Open Meeting Act is intended to ensure that issues are addressed in the light of the public and that that did not happen during last weeks council committee meeting. The only way we are going to achieve that is if there is actual accountability, and accountability can only come if we know what people are considering and what is influencing their decisions, Durbin said. Why are we so afraid to have these conversations in the City Council chambers? Durbin said he met with Mayor G.T. Bynums chief of staff, Blake Ewing, and City Council administrator Patrick Boulden to try to come up with a resolution and avoid the need for a lawsuit. The resolution that we were seeking before was simple: acknowledgment that this is an issue that councilors texting in public meetings is an issue, Durbin said. To take accountability for it and work toward adoption of a new policy that will deal with that issue and how councilors are going to deal with cellphones and electronic communication in meetings. Wright, Hall-Harper and Bellis earlier this week requested that the city attorney meet with the entire council in April to discuss how Oklahomas Open Records and Open Meeting acts pertain to various technology devices including smart phones, laptops, tablets, wearables, and other communication devices. The presentation and discussion also is expected to touch on how City Council rules could be amended to address issues related to written communications, both analog and digital, among councilors. The City Councils rules and orders of business make no mention of texting fellow councilors during a public meeting. They do state that there are to be no personal attacks. The Open Meetings Act does not mention text messages, either. A section of the law titled Vote by Electronic or Telephonic Communications states: No informal gatherings or any electronic or telephonic communications, except teleconferences or videoconferences as authorized by (the law), among a majority of the members of a public body shall be used to decide any action or to take any vote on any matter. The City Council is a nine-member body. There was no vote on the agenda at the time Wright and Bellis were texting each other. Durbin says he has no doubt that last weeks incident was a violation of the Open Meeting Act. I think the act is very, very clear that they violated it, he said. That is why there are 22 pages (in the lawsuit) of the laying out of the many, many, many ways they violated it. Miller was not present for the 4:45 p.m. news conference outside City Council Chambers. Instead, he sat inside the chambers waiting for the weekly City Council meeting to begin at 5 p.m. Miller, a recent graduate of the University of Tulsa law school, said he was not attending the press conference because he was not a named party in the lawsuit, but he acknowledged that he works for Durbins law firm. Durbin described him as an intern. Culver, meanwhile, said he became involved in the lawsuit when he saw a television report on Millers open records requests for his colleagues emails. We reached out to him to talk about how the process hasnt been fair. It hasnt to many organizations, Culver said. A long-shuttered Muskogee metalworks that processed radioactive ore has been proposed for addition to the Environmental Protection Agencys Superfund National Priorities List, the EPA said Wednesday. The Fansteel complex at the Port of Muskogee is being added at the request of Gov. Kevin Stitt, according to information from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Placement on the (National Priorities List) will help effectively address environmental issues at the site, create a path forward for site management and cleanup, and protect health and the environment, Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality Executive Director Scott Thompson said in an EPA press release. With 15 buildings covering 105 acres, the Fansteel facility produced tantalum and columbium metals from uranium and thorium ore and tin slag from 1957 to 1989. The metals were used mostly in electronics, according to the NRC. Fansteel, which declared bankruptcy in 2002 and again in 2016, has been responsible for federally mandated cleanup efforts since the plant closed 33 years ago, but according to the EPA release, the NRC and Stitts office, a $4.5 million trust fund set up for that purpose is almost depleted. The EPA said it intervened in 2018 in response to the immediate threat to public health and the environment. The agency said it removed thousands of lab chemicals and over 3,000 gallons (of) ammonium hydroxide at the site. According to the EPA, residue from plant operations was disposed of in acidic ponds. Over the years, the groundwater near the facility became contaminated with metal residue and the funding for the water treatment is expected to be exhausted next year. Once the funds cease, the contaminated water would begin to leak into the Arkansas River (affecting) the environment and public health. A Jan. 9 letter from Stitt to EPA Regional Director Eartha Nance, asking that the site be added to the National Priorities List, states: The Fansteel decommissioning plan was approved by, and under the jurisdiction of, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission as a four-phased approach. Phase 1 was started but never completed, and Phases 2, 3, and 4 were never started. The NRC has a limited amount of money in a decommissioning trust that is currently being applied to site security and wastewater treatment. It is estimated that the trust money will only last another two years. With no intervention, the site is at risk of becoming completely abandoned. If a state passes an abortion ban with no exceptions to save the life of the pregnant woman, would the U.S. Supreme Court strike it down as an unconstitutional infringement on the pregnant womans rights? Since the Supreme Courts decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health, I have posed this hypothetical to University of Tulsa law students in my reproductive rights classes, and the uniform answer is likely not. In Dobbs, the Supreme Court explicitly reversed 50 years of precedent by holding that a womans right to terminate a pregnancy was no longer a limited constitutional right (it was never an absolute right) but rather a matter of policy and politics. Without any federal constitutional backstop, states may criminalize abortion for any rational reason, including exceptionless abortion bans. Just pause to consider the implications. In this state, a pregnant woman who becomes septic will be left to die as long as the fetus has a discernable heartbeat. Hypothetical dystopia? No. It is the lived reality in many restrictive states. And it is reality in Oklahoma, as well. The flurry of abortion bans that state legislatures passed in their post-Dobbs euphoria contained exceptions that were so chillingly restrictive and vague as to effectively render most bans exceptionless in practice. Three of the bans enacted in Oklahoma require that a pregnant woman face an imminently life-endangering medical emergency before a doctor can legally terminate a patients pregnancy. Oklahomas bans are also silently ambiguous about whether physicians can exercise their professional judgment in making medical emergency determinations or whether the ultimate judgment rests with a hospital ethics panel or even a local prosecutor. A local physician, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of repercussions, recently shared a horrifying story of leaving a patient on the precipice of sepsis because a hospital ethics committee believed it could not sanction termination of the pregnancy while a fetus showed any sign of a heartbeat. Dr. Dana Stone, of Lakeside Doctors in Oklahoma City, shared a similar story in her practice a pregnant womans membranes ruptured prematurely, but the nonviable fetus still had a heartbeat. What ensued was a race against time involving repeated ultrasounds, mounting infection, and doctors, bootstrapped by law, passively waiting for the natural labor process to begin or signs of fetal heartbeat to disappear. Fortunately, in both of these cases, the woman survived. Yet, Stone shared that this is just torture for the patient, and it is torture for the doctor, as well. Stone added that these medical situations are just not all that rare. Gratefully, the Oklahoma Supreme Court in Oklahoma Call for Reproductive Justice v. Drummond shifted our on-the-ground reality on March 21 when it struck down an abortion ban enacted in 2022 because of its dangerously narrow exception. In that decision, the Oklahoma Supreme Court held that the Oklahoma Constitution creates an inherent right of a pregnant woman to terminate a pregnancy when necessary to preserve her life. Although the court has yet to rule on two other laws that share a similar exception to that in the law just struck down, I am hopeful that those laws will also fall. The Oklahoma Supreme Court commented on just how extraordinary Oklahomas abortion ban was: (w)e know of no other law that requires one to wait until there is an actual medical emergency in order to receive treatment when the harmful condition is known or probable to occur in the future. Three justices poignantly added: For some women, the draconian law which allows no exception, in the absence of a medical emergency to preserve the life of the mother, may be a death sentence. The Oklahoma Supreme Court then attempted to define this state constitutional right in a way that recognizes the importance of health care providers being able to exercise their professional judgement: (A) woman has an inherent right to choose to terminate her pregnancy if at any point in the pregnancy, the womans physician has determined to a reasonable degree of medical certainty or probability that the continuation of the pregnancy will endanger the womans life due to the pregnancy itself or due to a medical condition that the woman is either currently suffering from or likely to suffer from during the pregnancy. Absolute certainty is not required, however, mere possibility or speculation is insufficient. This Oklahoma Supreme Court decision is important and modestly bold. First, it recognizes that when a pregnant woman faces a Sophies choice involving her own life, she not state legislators should be the arbiter of that choice. Second, it re-centers the patient-physician relationship as the key driver of these decisions and offers physicians added, albeit imperfect, guidance. And, third, the Oklahoma Supreme Court recognizes that our Constitution, ratified and amended by Oklahomans the people over the past 116 years, creates individual rights independent of, and sometimes more robust than, those that the U.S. Supreme Court currently deems protected by the U.S. Constitution. Some will be disappointed that the Oklahoma Supreme Court decision did not decide the broader question that this case presented whether the Oklahoma Constitution grants women a fundamental right to an abortion. Yet, we must remember that for 50 years the anti-abortion movement intentionally and relentlessly chipped away at the fundamental right to an abortion in the courts, in the legislatures, in the media, and in the publics hearts and minds. Now it is our turn to rebuild. One step at a time. And this decision is an important one. Janet Koven Levit is a professor of law at the University of Tulsa College of Law and a member of the Board of Directors for the Center for Reproductive Rights. Previously, she was interim president and provost at TU and dean of the College of Law. Endangered crane spotted in north China's Tianjin Xinhua) 10:30, March 30, 2023 Migratory birds are seen in the Qilihai wetland nature reserve in Ninghe District of north China's Tianjin, March 2, 2022. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue) TIANJIN, March 29 (Xinhua) -- A Siberian white crane was spotted recently in the Qilihai wetland in the Ninghe District of north China's Tianjin Municipality, reflecting the improvement in local biodiversity after years of effort. The crane was sighted by a research team from Tianjin Normal University during a field investigation. The Siberian white crane species has been listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with a global population of less than 4,000, according to the team leader, professor Zhao Dapeng. The crane was sighted wading in the water alone while foraging. Its body is mainly white, with a red fore-crown and legs. "It was conspicuous due to the tall body. We quickly identified it as a rare Siberian white crane," said Zhao. Through a series of protection and restoration projects, the ecological environment and biodiversity of the Qilihai wetland have been significantly improved in recent years, making it an important transit station for migratory birds, according to Tian Xiujing, director of the management committee of Qilihai Wetland Nature Reserve. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) A Wall Street Journal reporter from the United States was arrested by Russia's intelligence agency on spying allegations. The Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Thursday that Evan Gershkovich had been arrested in the city of Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains for attempting to get classified data. According to the service, Evan Gershkovich "was acting on US orders to collect information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex that constitutes a state secret," according to an AP News report. On Wednesday, Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, told members of the media that Gershkovich "was caught red-handed." The FSB's investigative division opened a criminal espionage probe, the agency said. Evan Gershkovich previous Wall Street Journal article this week covered Russia's failing economy and the Kremlin's "ballooning military expenditures" amid sustaining social programs, according to the BBC. Breaking: A Russian court ordered WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich detained until May 29 for what it described as espionage. His arrest has drawn broad condemnation. https://t.co/g1N99xtMV6 The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) March 30, 2023 Read Also: German, British Tanks Shipment Arrives in Ukraine The Wall Street Journal, Human Rights Groups Stand By Evan Gershkovich The Wall Street Journal said the FSB charges were false. The publication issued a statement expressing its support for Evan Gershkovich and his loved ones. "The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB" and wants the immediate release of our valued and loyal reporter, Evan Gershkovich," per a statement. The maximum sentence for espionage in Russia is 20 years in prison. There have been online statements of support for Evan Gershkovich from other international journalists covering Russia, who have said that he is a competent journalist and not a spy, per Reuters. On Twitter, Andrei Soldatov, an expert in Russia's security services, insisted that "Evan Gershkovich is a very good and brave journalist, not a spy," and called his arrest "a frontal attack on all foreign correspondents" working in Russia. "It means that the FSB is off the leash," Soldatov stated. Human Rights Watch, based in New York City, has demanded that he be freed. Related Article: US-China Relations in Serious Trouble @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The government of Vietnam has given the green light to the development of Tam Anh University in Long An Province, which borders Ho Chi Minh City, according to a decision signed by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha on Wednesday. The Ministry of Education and Training was told to team up with relevant agencies to appraise a plan to develop the university as per prevailing regulations and report to the government for consideration. Tam Anh University, whose investor is Tam Anh General Hospital JSC, is slated to get off the ground in 2024, requiring an estimated VND2 trillion (US$85 million) in investment. The university will offer a range of courses across various disciplines, with a focus on medicine and healthcare. Tam Anh General Hospital JSCs current partnership with many major global pharmaceutical firms is expected to pave the way for the university to facilitate international cooperation in training and scientific research. The university is expected to contribute to training high-quality human resources in the healthcare sector in particular and other fields. The Peoples Committee of Long An earlier wrote to the Ministry of Education and Training saying that the development of Tam Anh University aligned with the provinces planning for the 2021-30 period, with a vision toward 2050, and would meet the demand for high-quality human resources in the province and other localities nationwide. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The government of Vietnam has given the green light to the development of Tam Anh University in Long An Province, which borders Ho Chi Minh City, according to a decision signed by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha on Wednesday. The Ministry of Education and Training was told to team up with relevant agencies to appraise a plan to develop the university as per prevailing regulations and report to the government for consideration. Tam Anh University, whose investor is Tam Anh General Hospital JSC, is slated to get off the ground in 2024, requiring an estimated VND2 trillion (US$85 million) in investment. The university will offer a range of courses across various disciplines, with a focus on medicine and healthcare. Tam Anh General Hospital JSCs current partnership with many major global pharmaceutical firms is expected to pave the way for the university to facilitate international cooperation in training and scientific research. The university is expected to contribute to training high-quality human resources in the healthcare sector in particular and other fields. The Peoples Committee of Long An earlier wrote to the Ministry of Education and Training saying that the development of Tam Anh University aligned with the provinces planning for the 2021-30 period, with a vision toward 2050, and would meet the demand for high-quality human resources in the province and other localities nationwide. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Concerned that its two pandas are slow to breed, Copenhagen Zoo has begun a new strategy to encourage mating -- giving the prospective couple more time to get to know each other. The Danish capital's zoo decided to put the bears in the same enclosure a month earlier than usual so they can get acquainted while temperatures remain cooler, so they don't bicker when the mating season begins. "This year's panda date is under way," the zoo wrote on its website. The zoo also published images showing the pandas keeping a respectful distance and mostly glaring at each other, showing "there's not exactly love in the air (yet)." On loan from China for 15 years, Mao Sun and Xing Er arrived in Copenhagen in spring 2019 and since then all attempts to breed have been unsuccessful. "We are trying an approach that has been successful with our polar bears and brown bears, we are putting them together now, even though Mao Sun will not be ready for several weeks," veterinarian Mads Frost Bertelsen said in a statement. Not keen on company Normally the pandas are only given a warm-up period of two to three days, and zoo officials hope their new strategy will allow the animals to get to know each other again, bicker and let out resentment before the window for passion closes. "Pandas live alone and are not very keen on the company of others. Except, that is, for the few days a year when the female is in heat," Frost Bertelsen said. "Therefore, the first few days they are together can end up in some serious fights," the veterinarian added. Reproduction among pandas is particularly difficult in captivity. Females are only fertile for 24 to 36 hours in the spring, according to the conservation organisation Pandas International. "The problem is that they don't really know what to do and they only have that one time a year to practise," Frost Bertelsen said. "In our experience they have had difficulty being synchronised. When the female was doing her thing, the male was busy with something else -- and vice versa." According to Pandas International, the panda population currently stands at 1,864 worldwide, with around 600 in captivity around the world. Concerned that its two pandas are slow to breed, Copenhagen Zoo has begun a new strategy to encourage mating -- giving the prospective couple more time to get to know each other. The Danish capital's zoo decided to put the bears in the same enclosure a month earlier than usual so they can get acquainted while temperatures remain cooler, so they don't bicker when the mating season begins. "This year's panda date is under way," the zoo wrote on its website. The zoo also published images showing the pandas keeping a respectful distance and mostly glaring at each other, showing "there's not exactly love in the air (yet)." On loan from China for 15 years, Mao Sun and Xing Er arrived in Copenhagen in spring 2019 and since then all attempts to breed have been unsuccessful. "We are trying an approach that has been successful with our polar bears and brown bears, we are putting them together now, even though Mao Sun will not be ready for several weeks," veterinarian Mads Frost Bertelsen said in a statement. Not keen on company Normally the pandas are only given a warm-up period of two to three days, and zoo officials hope their new strategy will allow the animals to get to know each other again, bicker and let out resentment before the window for passion closes. "Pandas live alone and are not very keen on the company of others. Except, that is, for the few days a year when the female is in heat," Frost Bertelsen said. "Therefore, the first few days they are together can end up in some serious fights," the veterinarian added. Reproduction among pandas is particularly difficult in captivity. Females are only fertile for 24 to 36 hours in the spring, according to the conservation organisation Pandas International. "The problem is that they don't really know what to do and they only have that one time a year to practise," Frost Bertelsen said. "In our experience they have had difficulty being synchronised. When the female was doing her thing, the male was busy with something else -- and vice versa." According to Pandas International, the panda population currently stands at 1,864 worldwide, with around 600 in captivity around the world. A crab covered in oil creeps across the sand as Philippine fishermen wearing white protective suits, rubber gloves, and respirator masks scrape toxic sludge from the rocks along the shore. Four weeks after a Philippine tanker loaded with 800,000 litres (210,000 gallons) of thick oil sank off the central island of Mindoro, the vessel is still leaking. More than half the oil has been discharged and dispersed over hundreds of kilometres of waters famed for having some of the most diverse marine life in the world. Experts estimate the two main slicks northwest and southeast of the tanker could span 162 square kilometres (62 square miles). It took two days for the spill to reach Buhay na Tubig, a remote village in Pola, one of the island's worst-affected municipalities. Some villagers got sick after oil smeared the shoreline, turning rocks black and leaving dark globs on the beach. Authorities have banned fishing and swimming indefinitely, leaving thousands of fishermen wondering how long they can survive. "They say this might take six months, but what if we are unable to fish for an entire year?" asked Arvie Anonuevo, 32, who has three children. For more than two weeks, Anonuevo and other fishermen have spent four hours a day cleaning up oil in exchange for a daily wage of 355 pesos ($6.50) from the government -- a little over half what they used to make from fishing. The fishermen use trowels and sheets of thin, absorbent material to clean the rocks. By the following day, more oil has washed up on the shore. "It's annoying that the oil keeps coming back the next day no matter how much you clean them (rocks)," Anonuevo said. The government estimates at least 5,000 hectares (12,400 acres) of coral reefs, seaweed and mangroves have been affected. Mangroves can suffocate if oil covers their roots, while corals -- breeding grounds for many fish species -- can die or struggle to grow and reproduce if exposed. It will take at least six months to clean up the spill but the recovery could be years long, said Irene Rodriguez, an associate professor at the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute. One of the worst spills in the Philippines was in 2006, when a tanker carrying two million litres of oil sank off the central island of Guimaras. Rodriguez said 500,000 litres of oil leaked into the sea in that incident. This time, she hoped "it can be contained as soon as possible". "If (the oil) is not removed properly and not treated properly... this will have a significant impact," Rodriguez told AFP. Living 'hand-to-mouth' The Princess Empress was found last week by a Japanese remotely operated underwater vehicle, at a depth of nearly 400 metres (1,300 feet). It had suffered "extensive structural damage" after sinking on February 28, the Philippine Coast Guard said. Seven out of eight cargo tanks have leaked. Of those, four are already empty. About 60 percent of the oil has spilled into the sea, Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Armando Balilo told AFP. Rough seas initially delayed the deployment of floating barriers to contain the spill. Oil has been found as far away as the western island of Palawan, more than 350 kilometres (220 miles) from where the tanker went down. Some oil has also drifted north to the Verde Island Passage, between Mindoro and the Philippines' main island of Luzon. The passage is near the top of the Coral Triangle, an area of water spanning down to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and East Timor that is called the "Amazon of the Seas" because of its rich marine life. The Philippine Coast Guard said the vessel's insurers were looking for experts to patch the leaks and remove the oil. Several countries, including the United States, Japan and South Korea, are helping the Philippines respond to the disaster. The owner of the tanker said anyone affected by the spill could seek compensation. Financial help can't come fast enough for many of the fishermen, who would normally turn their hands to picking bananas or coconuts to supplement their incomes. But banana trees were damaged by a strong storm last year and the next coconut harvest is months away. Pola Mayor Jennifer Cruz is worried about how families will make ends meet once government assistance dries up. "These are people who live hand-to-mouth," Cruz told AFP, warning it could be a year before fishing is allowed to resume. Anonuevo is already struggling, having used half the money earned from the first week of cleaning rocks to pay off debts from buying food for his family and petrol for his motorbike. Fellow fisherman Marlon Fabrero, 46, said he was considering pulling one of his four children out of school to cut expenses. "Where would I get the 50-peso daily allowance for each of them?" he asked. A crab covered in oil creeps across the sand as Philippine fishermen wearing white protective suits, rubber gloves, and respirator masks scrape toxic sludge from the rocks along the shore. Four weeks after a Philippine tanker loaded with 800,000 litres (210,000 gallons) of thick oil sank off the central island of Mindoro, the vessel is still leaking. More than half the oil has been discharged and dispersed over hundreds of kilometres of waters famed for having some of the most diverse marine life in the world. Experts estimate the two main slicks northwest and southeast of the tanker could span 162 square kilometres (62 square miles). It took two days for the spill to reach Buhay na Tubig, a remote village in Pola, one of the island's worst-affected municipalities. Some villagers got sick after oil smeared the shoreline, turning rocks black and leaving dark globs on the beach. Authorities have banned fishing and swimming indefinitely, leaving thousands of fishermen wondering how long they can survive. "They say this might take six months, but what if we are unable to fish for an entire year?" asked Arvie Anonuevo, 32, who has three children. For more than two weeks, Anonuevo and other fishermen have spent four hours a day cleaning up oil in exchange for a daily wage of 355 pesos ($6.50) from the government -- a little over half what they used to make from fishing. The fishermen use trowels and sheets of thin, absorbent material to clean the rocks. By the following day, more oil has washed up on the shore. "It's annoying that the oil keeps coming back the next day no matter how much you clean them (rocks)," Anonuevo said. The government estimates at least 5,000 hectares (12,400 acres) of coral reefs, seaweed and mangroves have been affected. Mangroves can suffocate if oil covers their roots, while corals -- breeding grounds for many fish species -- can die or struggle to grow and reproduce if exposed. It will take at least six months to clean up the spill but the recovery could be years long, said Irene Rodriguez, an associate professor at the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute. One of the worst spills in the Philippines was in 2006, when a tanker carrying two million litres of oil sank off the central island of Guimaras. Rodriguez said 500,000 litres of oil leaked into the sea in that incident. This time, she hoped "it can be contained as soon as possible". "If (the oil) is not removed properly and not treated properly... this will have a significant impact," Rodriguez told AFP. Living 'hand-to-mouth' The Princess Empress was found last week by a Japanese remotely operated underwater vehicle, at a depth of nearly 400 metres (1,300 feet). It had suffered "extensive structural damage" after sinking on February 28, the Philippine Coast Guard said. Seven out of eight cargo tanks have leaked. Of those, four are already empty. About 60 percent of the oil has spilled into the sea, Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Armando Balilo told AFP. Rough seas initially delayed the deployment of floating barriers to contain the spill. Oil has been found as far away as the western island of Palawan, more than 350 kilometres (220 miles) from where the tanker went down. Some oil has also drifted north to the Verde Island Passage, between Mindoro and the Philippines' main island of Luzon. The passage is near the top of the Coral Triangle, an area of water spanning down to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and East Timor that is called the "Amazon of the Seas" because of its rich marine life. The Philippine Coast Guard said the vessel's insurers were looking for experts to patch the leaks and remove the oil. Several countries, including the United States, Japan and South Korea, are helping the Philippines respond to the disaster. The owner of the tanker said anyone affected by the spill could seek compensation. Financial help can't come fast enough for many of the fishermen, who would normally turn their hands to picking bananas or coconuts to supplement their incomes. But banana trees were damaged by a strong storm last year and the next coconut harvest is months away. Pola Mayor Jennifer Cruz is worried about how families will make ends meet once government assistance dries up. "These are people who live hand-to-mouth," Cruz told AFP, warning it could be a year before fishing is allowed to resume. Anonuevo is already struggling, having used half the money earned from the first week of cleaning rocks to pay off debts from buying food for his family and petrol for his motorbike. Fellow fisherman Marlon Fabrero, 46, said he was considering pulling one of his four children out of school to cut expenses. "Where would I get the 50-peso daily allowance for each of them?" he asked. A curator gingerly fastens a pointy claw bone with a thin metal wire, completing perhaps the world's biggest construction kit -- reassembling a 67-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus-Rex called Trinity. The huge skeleton will go under the hammer in a rare auction in Switzerland next month after being sent to Zurich from the United States in nine giant crates. But palaeontologist Thomas Holtz -- who is against the sale of such specimens -- told AFP that it was "misleading" and "inappropriate... to combine multiple real bones from different individuals to create a single skeleton." The Swiss sale comes only four months after Christie's withdrew another T-Rex skeleton days before it was to go under the hammer in Hong Kong after doubts were reported about parts of it. Trinity, the Swiss T-Rex, is made up of bones from three dinosaurs excavated between 2008 and 2013 from the Hell Creek and Lance Creek formations in Montana and Wyoming. The two sites are known for the discoveries of two other significant T-Rex skeletons that have gone to auction. "Sue" went under the hammer in 1997 for $8.4 million, and "Stan", which took the world-record hammer price of $31.8 million at Christie's, in 2020. Not 'trophies' Trinity, which is being sold by an anonymous "private individual", is expected to fetch six to eight million Swiss francs ($6.5-8.7 million) when it goes under the hammer in Zurich on April 18, the Koller auction house estimates. But Christian Link of Koller said he believed the guide price was a "pretty low" estimate. The 3.9-metre (12.8-foot) high skeleton went on display on a red carpet under crystal chandeliers in a concert hall in the city Wednesday. Just over half of the bone material in the skeleton comes from the three Tyrannosaurus specimens -- above the 50 percent level needed for experts to consider such a skeleton as high quality. Link insisted Koller was being transparent about the origins of the bones. "Hence the name Trinity. We are not hiding in any way that this specimen comes from three different dig sites," he said. Vertebrate palaeontologist Holtz, of the University of Maryland, remained sceptical, insisting that Trinity "really isn't a 'specimen' so much as it is an art installation." He also took issue with auctions of significant dinosaur skeletons and other fossils, which have raked in tens of millions of dollars in recent years. Experts have warned such trade could be harmful to science by putting the specimens in private hands and out of the reach of researchers. "Fossils are not, or at least should not be, considered trophies or glorified action figures," Holtz said. But Link stressed that 95 percent of known T-Rexes are currently in museums, and said any private collector who might buy Trinity was likely to make it available to scientists and lend it out to museums. 'Very, very old' Reassembling Trinity was no easy feat, Yolanda Schicker-Siber, a curator of Switzerland's Aathal Dinosaur Museum, told AFP as she secured another toe bone. "The bones are very, very old. So they are brittle, they have cracks," she said. "They are stabilised, but you never know if there is a crack that you haven't seen so far... You have to have the glue ready." Aart Walen, a Dutch expert with 30 years' experience assembling dinosaur skeletons, agreed. "We didn't break anything yet," he said proudly, as he and his colleagues worked on two large ischium bones, which sat near the dinosaur's pelvic area. With a parakeet named Ethel perched on his shoulder, Walen filled in cracks using what looked like dental tools and modelling compound. It was important for the fixes to remain visible, he said, showing the dark lines where the fissures had been. "You have to see where it has been repaired. There are some stories about fakes out there. We don't want that," he said, referring to the aborted Christie's auction. Knocking on different parts of the bone, he also demonstrated the different sounds made by original bone and the plastic additions used to fill out the skeleton. Room for a T-Rex Link said personally he would like to see a Swiss museum buy the skeleton, adding "it would be nice to have it here permanently." Schicker-Siber said the dinosaur museum she runs with her father outside Zurich unfortunately could not afford to acquire Trinity. "But if somebody buys it and doesn't know where to put it, we have a museum (with room) for a T-Rex," she said. A curator gingerly fastens a pointy claw bone with a thin metal wire, completing perhaps the world's biggest construction kit -- reassembling a 67-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus-Rex called Trinity. The huge skeleton will go under the hammer in a rare auction in Switzerland next month after being sent to Zurich from the United States in nine giant crates. But palaeontologist Thomas Holtz -- who is against the sale of such specimens -- told AFP that it was "misleading" and "inappropriate... to combine multiple real bones from different individuals to create a single skeleton." The Swiss sale comes only four months after Christie's withdrew another T-Rex skeleton days before it was to go under the hammer in Hong Kong after doubts were reported about parts of it. Trinity, the Swiss T-Rex, is made up of bones from three dinosaurs excavated between 2008 and 2013 from the Hell Creek and Lance Creek formations in Montana and Wyoming. The two sites are known for the discoveries of two other significant T-Rex skeletons that have gone to auction. "Sue" went under the hammer in 1997 for $8.4 million, and "Stan", which took the world-record hammer price of $31.8 million at Christie's, in 2020. Not 'trophies' Trinity, which is being sold by an anonymous "private individual", is expected to fetch six to eight million Swiss francs ($6.5-8.7 million) when it goes under the hammer in Zurich on April 18, the Koller auction house estimates. But Christian Link of Koller said he believed the guide price was a "pretty low" estimate. The 3.9-metre (12.8-foot) high skeleton went on display on a red carpet under crystal chandeliers in a concert hall in the city Wednesday. Just over half of the bone material in the skeleton comes from the three Tyrannosaurus specimens -- above the 50 percent level needed for experts to consider such a skeleton as high quality. Link insisted Koller was being transparent about the origins of the bones. "Hence the name Trinity. We are not hiding in any way that this specimen comes from three different dig sites," he said. Vertebrate palaeontologist Holtz, of the University of Maryland, remained sceptical, insisting that Trinity "really isn't a 'specimen' so much as it is an art installation." He also took issue with auctions of significant dinosaur skeletons and other fossils, which have raked in tens of millions of dollars in recent years. Experts have warned such trade could be harmful to science by putting the specimens in private hands and out of the reach of researchers. "Fossils are not, or at least should not be, considered trophies or glorified action figures," Holtz said. But Link stressed that 95 percent of known T-Rexes are currently in museums, and said any private collector who might buy Trinity was likely to make it available to scientists and lend it out to museums. 'Very, very old' Reassembling Trinity was no easy feat, Yolanda Schicker-Siber, a curator of Switzerland's Aathal Dinosaur Museum, told AFP as she secured another toe bone. "The bones are very, very old. So they are brittle, they have cracks," she said. "They are stabilised, but you never know if there is a crack that you haven't seen so far... You have to have the glue ready." Aart Walen, a Dutch expert with 30 years' experience assembling dinosaur skeletons, agreed. "We didn't break anything yet," he said proudly, as he and his colleagues worked on two large ischium bones, which sat near the dinosaur's pelvic area. With a parakeet named Ethel perched on his shoulder, Walen filled in cracks using what looked like dental tools and modelling compound. It was important for the fixes to remain visible, he said, showing the dark lines where the fissures had been. "You have to see where it has been repaired. There are some stories about fakes out there. We don't want that," he said, referring to the aborted Christie's auction. Knocking on different parts of the bone, he also demonstrated the different sounds made by original bone and the plastic additions used to fill out the skeleton. Room for a T-Rex Link said personally he would like to see a Swiss museum buy the skeleton, adding "it would be nice to have it here permanently." Schicker-Siber said the dinosaur museum she runs with her father outside Zurich unfortunately could not afford to acquire Trinity. "But if somebody buys it and doesn't know where to put it, we have a museum (with room) for a T-Rex," she said. BANTAKOKOUTA, Senegal -- Mohamed Bayoh climbed into the deep, pitch-black hole, hoping to emerge with a nugget that would change his life. The 26-year-old Guinean is one of thousands of West Africans who have flocked to remote eastern Senegal in search of gold. The rush for the precious metal has dramatically transformed Bantakokouta, a town on the borders of Mali and Guinea. The locals numbered just a few dozen two decades ago, now there are several thousand on the back of a floating population of dream-seekers and risk-takers with gold in their eyes. Over time, their ant-like labour has left the landscape looking like a Swiss cheese. Artisanal gold miners cross The Gambia river at the Bantakokouta gold mine on February 2, 2023. Photo: AFP As far as the eye can see, through the pervasive dusty mist, small huddled groups protected from the sun by makeshift branch shelters haul up spoil scratched from the ground. Women sit nearby, sorting the rocks into two mounds -- a big one for the discards and a much smaller one for the promising samples. The same scenes are played out every day, with no guarantee of any success. "Working here is like playing the lottery, you are never sure of winning," sighed Bayoh, who said he was nonetheless determined to stay put until he gets rich. Other sites in the gold-rich region have been taken over by mining corporations, sometimes triggering land disputes with local people. But in Bantakokouta, informal mining has been allowed to carry on. Diggers stay typically stay for a few months -- sometimes just days -- to chance their arm, hoping for a lucky strike that will enable them to send money home or start a business. Artisanal gold miners pump water out of the deep tunnels at the Bantakokouta gold mine on February 2, 2023. Photo: AFP Bayoh was clear in his objective: to "find a lot of gold," he said. "Not a little... a lot. To start another life in Guinea." After six months' gruelling work, he had earned enough to buy two motorbikes. One gramme (0.03 of an ounce) of gold -- roughly equivalent to 60 grains of rice -- brings in 30,000 CFA francs, or about $48. Harsh life But the risks facing miners are many, from fatal falls and cuts and landslips to use of drugs to dull aches and pains, said Diba Keita, head of a community vigilance committee. The town itself bears the signs of poverty and transience. Its alleys are littered with rubbish, and goats and sheep roam untended. The vast majority of the huts are rudimentary constructions, made of bamboo and brushwood. An artisanal gold miner digs at the Bantakokouta gold mine on February 2, 2023. Photo: AFP In his workshop, Souleymane Segda, a 20-year-old from Burkina Faso, put crushed pieces of promising-looking ore through a grinder. The apparatus takes up most of his room, which has no toilet and doubles as his bedroom. The young man is covered in dirt as he sifts through the dust in search of flecks of gold. The flakes are recovered after washing the dust with mercury -- a practice that is banned because of its health and environmental risks, but which remains widespread. "I can earn up to 50,000 CFA francs a day. I go back home as much as I can and when I'll have earned enough, I will leave for good," he said. The mines attract migrant workers from about 20 different African countries. Photo: AFP Problems Bantakokouta has experienced a surge of activities familiar to gold rushes around the world -- an influx of stores selling tools and electronic goods, places of worship, a medical post, nightclubs, video gaming rooms... and crime and vice. "The gold has brought wealth. In the past, we used to go to Mako," a town 20 kilometres (12 miles) away, said Waly Keita, 63. He recalled with nostalgia the time when "our mums" used to dig in the river bed, searching for nuggets, while the men went into the bush to hunt and collect honey. But the gold rush has also brought problems, including "banditry" and "conflict," he said. The Senegalese and foreigners generally get on well in Bantakokouta, although flareups do occur. In 2020 clashes between security forces and Guinean miners resulted in the death of two young men. In a square a little away from the shops, a young woman in tight blue shorts and a red T-shirt talked on the phone. Young artisanal gold miners pan for gold at the Bantakokouta gold mine on February 2, 2023. Photo: AFP "No, it's not good. It's not enough. I'm not going to do anything with you," she said in broken French. Like dozens of others like her, the young woman had become stranded in the town and had to resort to sex work to survive. "I don't like my job," she said softly, with a look of shame. "Prostitution has become a major problem," said Aliou Bakhoum, head of an NGO called La Lumiere (The Light) in the regional capital Kedougou. "Young women, mainly from Nigeria and often under-age, fall victim to highly organised trafficking." He said his association had taken in around 40 girls, some as young as 15, and was helping them to return home. Traffickers lured the women with the promise of a job, transported them across West Africa and then pressured them to keep their mouths shut when the truth of their situation emerged. Artisanal gold miners cross The Gambia river at the Bantakokouta gold mine on February 2, 2023. Photo: AFP Security The trafficking has prompted the state to beef up vigilance and invest heavily in security and intelligence, a senior administrative official who wished to remain anonymous said. The authorities have also intensified operations to secure the border with Mali, fearing jihadist contagion from its deeply troubled neighbour. "Eastern Senegal would be a very interesting territory for jihadists, not necessarily for carrying out attacks, but for recruitment and funding," a Western diplomat said. "The gold mining sites are ideal for finding frustrated young people who want to earn money, and gold is very easy to hide and trade." Bantakokouta has dozens of stalls run by Malians, where gold is bought and then transported illegally across the border. A 2021 report by the Timbuktu Institute think-tank highlighted the plight of impoverished and frustrated young people as one of the primary causes of jihadist radicalisation. The Kedougou region suffers from over 25 percent unemployment, a poverty rate of more than 70 percent and a worrying school drop-out rate. As living conditions fall, many young people are tempted to try their luck in the mines. But many emerge disappointed, and willing to resort to just about anything. BANTAKOKOUTA, Senegal -- Mohamed Bayoh climbed into the deep, pitch-black hole, hoping to emerge with a nugget that would change his life. The 26-year-old Guinean is one of thousands of West Africans who have flocked to remote eastern Senegal in search of gold. The rush for the precious metal has dramatically transformed Bantakokouta, a town on the borders of Mali and Guinea. The locals numbered just a few dozen two decades ago, now there are several thousand on the back of a floating population of dream-seekers and risk-takers with gold in their eyes. Over time, their ant-like labour has left the landscape looking like a Swiss cheese. Artisanal gold miners cross The Gambia river at the Bantakokouta gold mine on February 2, 2023. Photo: AFP As far as the eye can see, through the pervasive dusty mist, small huddled groups protected from the sun by makeshift branch shelters haul up spoil scratched from the ground. Women sit nearby, sorting the rocks into two mounds -- a big one for the discards and a much smaller one for the promising samples. The same scenes are played out every day, with no guarantee of any success. "Working here is like playing the lottery, you are never sure of winning," sighed Bayoh, who said he was nonetheless determined to stay put until he gets rich. Other sites in the gold-rich region have been taken over by mining corporations, sometimes triggering land disputes with local people. But in Bantakokouta, informal mining has been allowed to carry on. Diggers stay typically stay for a few months -- sometimes just days -- to chance their arm, hoping for a lucky strike that will enable them to send money home or start a business. Artisanal gold miners pump water out of the deep tunnels at the Bantakokouta gold mine on February 2, 2023. Photo: AFP Bayoh was clear in his objective: to "find a lot of gold," he said. "Not a little... a lot. To start another life in Guinea." After six months' gruelling work, he had earned enough to buy two motorbikes. One gramme (0.03 of an ounce) of gold -- roughly equivalent to 60 grains of rice -- brings in 30,000 CFA francs, or about $48. Harsh life But the risks facing miners are many, from fatal falls and cuts and landslips to use of drugs to dull aches and pains, said Diba Keita, head of a community vigilance committee. The town itself bears the signs of poverty and transience. Its alleys are littered with rubbish, and goats and sheep roam untended. The vast majority of the huts are rudimentary constructions, made of bamboo and brushwood. An artisanal gold miner digs at the Bantakokouta gold mine on February 2, 2023. Photo: AFP In his workshop, Souleymane Segda, a 20-year-old from Burkina Faso, put crushed pieces of promising-looking ore through a grinder. The apparatus takes up most of his room, which has no toilet and doubles as his bedroom. The young man is covered in dirt as he sifts through the dust in search of flecks of gold. The flakes are recovered after washing the dust with mercury -- a practice that is banned because of its health and environmental risks, but which remains widespread. "I can earn up to 50,000 CFA francs a day. I go back home as much as I can and when I'll have earned enough, I will leave for good," he said. The mines attract migrant workers from about 20 different African countries. Photo: AFP Problems Bantakokouta has experienced a surge of activities familiar to gold rushes around the world -- an influx of stores selling tools and electronic goods, places of worship, a medical post, nightclubs, video gaming rooms... and crime and vice. "The gold has brought wealth. In the past, we used to go to Mako," a town 20 kilometres (12 miles) away, said Waly Keita, 63. He recalled with nostalgia the time when "our mums" used to dig in the river bed, searching for nuggets, while the men went into the bush to hunt and collect honey. But the gold rush has also brought problems, including "banditry" and "conflict," he said. The Senegalese and foreigners generally get on well in Bantakokouta, although flareups do occur. In 2020 clashes between security forces and Guinean miners resulted in the death of two young men. In a square a little away from the shops, a young woman in tight blue shorts and a red T-shirt talked on the phone. Young artisanal gold miners pan for gold at the Bantakokouta gold mine on February 2, 2023. Photo: AFP "No, it's not good. It's not enough. I'm not going to do anything with you," she said in broken French. Like dozens of others like her, the young woman had become stranded in the town and had to resort to sex work to survive. "I don't like my job," she said softly, with a look of shame. "Prostitution has become a major problem," said Aliou Bakhoum, head of an NGO called La Lumiere (The Light) in the regional capital Kedougou. "Young women, mainly from Nigeria and often under-age, fall victim to highly organised trafficking." He said his association had taken in around 40 girls, some as young as 15, and was helping them to return home. Traffickers lured the women with the promise of a job, transported them across West Africa and then pressured them to keep their mouths shut when the truth of their situation emerged. Artisanal gold miners cross The Gambia river at the Bantakokouta gold mine on February 2, 2023. Photo: AFP Security The trafficking has prompted the state to beef up vigilance and invest heavily in security and intelligence, a senior administrative official who wished to remain anonymous said. The authorities have also intensified operations to secure the border with Mali, fearing jihadist contagion from its deeply troubled neighbour. "Eastern Senegal would be a very interesting territory for jihadists, not necessarily for carrying out attacks, but for recruitment and funding," a Western diplomat said. "The gold mining sites are ideal for finding frustrated young people who want to earn money, and gold is very easy to hide and trade." Bantakokouta has dozens of stalls run by Malians, where gold is bought and then transported illegally across the border. A 2021 report by the Timbuktu Institute think-tank highlighted the plight of impoverished and frustrated young people as one of the primary causes of jihadist radicalisation. The Kedougou region suffers from over 25 percent unemployment, a poverty rate of more than 70 percent and a worrying school drop-out rate. As living conditions fall, many young people are tempted to try their luck in the mines. But many emerge disappointed, and willing to resort to just about anything. Vietnams Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong accepted the invitation by President Joe Biden to visit the U.S. during their phone talks focusing on promoting the two countries' comprehensive partnership on Wednesday night (Vietnam time). Throughout their phone talks, Trong and Biden reiterated their invitations for mutual high-level visits and they accepted the invites with pleasure. The two sides said they would direct their relevant agencies to arrange such visits at appropriate times. Expressing their delight that the talks offered them an opportunity to exchange views as Vietnam and the U.S. are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their comprehensive partnership, the two leaders lauded the fruitful development of the bilateral ties over the past years. They agreed to promote, develop, and deepen their relationship in the coming time in the interests of both nations, as well as for peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world, according to the Vietnam News Agency. Vietnam continues to pursue its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation, diversification and multilateralization of relations, and active and proactive global integration, Trong said, emphasizing that the Southeast Asian country is a reliable friend and partner to every nation and also an active and responsible member of the international community. He proposed both sides further enhance the ties between the two governments, legislatures, Parties, and peoples. Both sides should continue expanding economic, scientific, and technological cooperation and make them one of the focuses of their relations, Trong suggested. He asked the two countries to continue implementing their defense and security agreement, cooperation in supply chains, infrastructure, and emerging areas such as logistics, digital economy, green transformation, and health. Trong also called for more efforts in addressing the war consequences, promoting UN peace-keeping activities, and preventing crimes, among others. The Party leader proposed the U.S. continue helping increase the number of Vietnamese students in the country, while applauding the building of the U.S.-funded Fulbright University Vietnam into a quality education center in the region. He thanked the U.S. for supporting Vietnam in its COVID-19 fight and asked for more assistance in the field. Vietnam is willing to cooperate with international partners in strengthening friendship and dialogue, consolidating peace, promoting development, respecting international laws, and addressing common challenges, he said. Accordingly, Vietnam highly appreciated the U.S. for its support for ASEANs central role and its cooperation with ASEAN nations in promoting the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. Vietnam praises the U.S. for joining other partners in negotiations for the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) in an open, inclusive, balanced, and mutually beneficial way, on the basis of taking into account the specific conditions of developing countries like Vietnam, Trong said. He pledged that Vietnam will continue coordinating with the U.S. and its partners to promote peace, cooperation, and sustainable development in the Mekong sub-region, as well as to help the U.S. successfully organize APEC 2023. The Party chief highly valued great efforts of the international community, including the U.S., in responding to climate change, and asked for continued support from Washington for Hanoi in this field, which is among the key development strategies of the Southeast Asian country. President Biden told General Secretary Trong that Vietnam is an important partner of the U.S. and affirmed that the U.S. supports a "strong, prosperous, resilient, and independent Vietnam." He reiterated the U.S. respect for Vietnam's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political institution, agreeing that mutual respect is a significant foundation of their bilateral ties. Agreeing to the cooperation orientations suggested by Trong, Biden placed emphasis on promoting cooperation in trade, clean energy and energy transition, adding that Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry will have relevant discussions with Vietnam. Biden also discussed climate change response, post-pandemic socio-economic recovery, and democratic and human rights cooperation, among other international issues. The U.S. pledges to promote peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, and wishes for cooperation of Vietnam and other countries in negotiating the IPEF, Biden stated. He underscored that the U.S. respects ASEAN's central role and joins efforts to promote peaceful and sustainable development of the Mekong region. President Biden thanked Vietnam for its contribution to the success of the ASEAN-U.S. Special Summit 2022, which was held in Washington, D.C. last May. During their phone talks, the two leaders also agreed on maintaining peace, stability, and cooperation, ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight, and not using or threatening force in international relations. They also stressed the need of fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Vietnam Sea (DOC), and soon signing an efficient and effective Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Vietnam Sea (COC) in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnams Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong accepted the invitation by President Joe Biden to visit the U.S. during their phone talks focusing on promoting the two countries' comprehensive partnership on Wednesday night (Vietnam time). Throughout their phone talks, Trong and Biden reiterated their invitations for mutual high-level visits and they accepted the invites with pleasure. The two sides said they would direct their relevant agencies to arrange such visits at appropriate times. Expressing their delight that the talks offered them an opportunity to exchange views as Vietnam and the U.S. are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their comprehensive partnership, the two leaders lauded the fruitful development of the bilateral ties over the past years. They agreed to promote, develop, and deepen their relationship in the coming time in the interests of both nations, as well as for peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world, according to the Vietnam News Agency. Vietnam continues to pursue its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation, diversification and multilateralization of relations, and active and proactive global integration, Trong said, emphasizing that the Southeast Asian country is a reliable friend and partner to every nation and also an active and responsible member of the international community. He proposed both sides further enhance the ties between the two governments, legislatures, Parties, and peoples. Both sides should continue expanding economic, scientific, and technological cooperation and make them one of the focuses of their relations, Trong suggested. He asked the two countries to continue implementing their defense and security agreement, cooperation in supply chains, infrastructure, and emerging areas such as logistics, digital economy, green transformation, and health. Trong also called for more efforts in addressing the war consequences, promoting UN peace-keeping activities, and preventing crimes, among others. The Party leader proposed the U.S. continue helping increase the number of Vietnamese students in the country, while applauding the building of the U.S.-funded Fulbright University Vietnam into a quality education center in the region. He thanked the U.S. for supporting Vietnam in its COVID-19 fight and asked for more assistance in the field. Vietnam is willing to cooperate with international partners in strengthening friendship and dialogue, consolidating peace, promoting development, respecting international laws, and addressing common challenges, he said. Accordingly, Vietnam highly appreciated the U.S. for its support for ASEANs central role and its cooperation with ASEAN nations in promoting the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. Vietnam praises the U.S. for joining other partners in negotiations for the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) in an open, inclusive, balanced, and mutually beneficial way, on the basis of taking into account the specific conditions of developing countries like Vietnam, Trong said. He pledged that Vietnam will continue coordinating with the U.S. and its partners to promote peace, cooperation, and sustainable development in the Mekong sub-region, as well as to help the U.S. successfully organize APEC 2023. The Party chief highly valued great efforts of the international community, including the U.S., in responding to climate change, and asked for continued support from Washington for Hanoi in this field, which is among the key development strategies of the Southeast Asian country. President Biden told General Secretary Trong that Vietnam is an important partner of the U.S. and affirmed that the U.S. supports a "strong, prosperous, resilient, and independent Vietnam." He reiterated the U.S. respect for Vietnam's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political institution, agreeing that mutual respect is a significant foundation of their bilateral ties. Agreeing to the cooperation orientations suggested by Trong, Biden placed emphasis on promoting cooperation in trade, clean energy and energy transition, adding that Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry will have relevant discussions with Vietnam. Biden also discussed climate change response, post-pandemic socio-economic recovery, and democratic and human rights cooperation, among other international issues. The U.S. pledges to promote peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, and wishes for cooperation of Vietnam and other countries in negotiating the IPEF, Biden stated. He underscored that the U.S. respects ASEAN's central role and joins efforts to promote peaceful and sustainable development of the Mekong region. President Biden thanked Vietnam for its contribution to the success of the ASEAN-U.S. Special Summit 2022, which was held in Washington, D.C. last May. During their phone talks, the two leaders also agreed on maintaining peace, stability, and cooperation, ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight, and not using or threatening force in international relations. They also stressed the need of fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Vietnam Sea (DOC), and soon signing an efficient and effective Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Vietnam Sea (COC) in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A three-year-old boy from Ca Mau Province, southernmost Vietnam was admitted to a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City last week after being attacked by a rabid dog that injured his face and lips and tore half of his tongue. After receiving treatment at the Ho Chi Minh City-based hospital, T.N.D.K., 3, has regained stable health and has been allowed to return home, a local medical official in his hometown in Cai Nuoc District, Ca Mau said on Wednesday afternoon. Currently, K. has returned home, but we still need time to assess whether his language ability development is normal or not, the medical official said. According to initial information, while playing in front of his house, K. was suddenly attacked by a stray dog, which displayed symptoms of rabies, causing injuries to his face and lips and tearing half of his tongue. Locals took K. to Cai Nuoc District Hospital for emergency treatment and rabies immunoglobulin injection while capturing the dog to take a sample for testing. Doctors at Cai Nuoc District Hospital examined K. and determined that his wounds could lead to necrosis, so they advised his family to take the child to a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City for further treatment. Meanwhile, test results showed that the dog that attacked K. was positive for rabies. The Cai Nuoc authorities have declared a rabies situation and have initiated measures to disinfect the vicinity of the district, as well as vaccinate dogs and cats in the region against rabies. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A three-year-old boy from Ca Mau Province, southernmost Vietnam was admitted to a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City last week after being attacked by a rabid dog that injured his face and lips and tore half of his tongue. After receiving treatment at the Ho Chi Minh City-based hospital, T.N.D.K., 3, has regained stable health and has been allowed to return home, a local medical official in his hometown in Cai Nuoc District, Ca Mau said on Wednesday afternoon. Currently, K. has returned home, but we still need time to assess whether his language ability development is normal or not, the medical official said. According to initial information, while playing in front of his house, K. was suddenly attacked by a stray dog, which displayed symptoms of rabies, causing injuries to his face and lips and tearing half of his tongue. Locals took K. to Cai Nuoc District Hospital for emergency treatment and rabies immunoglobulin injection while capturing the dog to take a sample for testing. Doctors at Cai Nuoc District Hospital examined K. and determined that his wounds could lead to necrosis, so they advised his family to take the child to a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City for further treatment. Meanwhile, test results showed that the dog that attacked K. was positive for rabies. The Cai Nuoc authorities have declared a rabies situation and have initiated measures to disinfect the vicinity of the district, as well as vaccinate dogs and cats in the region against rabies. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Nurses and doctors at Khanh Hoa General Hospital in the namesake south-central Vietnamese province rolled out a meaningful program to offer singing performances as well as free haircuts and hair-washing services to patients as a way to spread a spirit of positivity at places that many people see pain and suffering. The program called 'Sharing Love,' hosted at the hospital on Thursday last week, was aimed at helping patients receiving treatment there find joy and happiness. Part of the hospital yard is used as a salon for free haircut and washing services. Photo: Hoai Bao / Tuoi Tre Positivity spreads throughout hospital The initiative featured the participation of hospital medical workers and the support from many philanthropists, said Doan Thi Thuy Loan, head of the social work division at the hospital. Nurses and doctors joined hands with the band Jamcha, A Tai Barber Shop in Nha Trang City, and Phuc Thien Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company in Ho Chi Minh City to perform songs, offer free haircut and washing services to patients, and present gifts to them. We hope that the program will help these patients, who are undergoing an arduous medical treatment course, feel more optimistic and leave their pain behind, while medical workers can forget the pressure to relax and enjoy a joyful moment, Loan said. A medical worker sings a song as a way to relax after hard working days and to spread positivity to her patients. Photo: Hoai Bao / Tuoi Tre Patients feel better and happier Nguyen Thanh Long, a patient at the hospital, said that he had been treated at the hospital as his arm was swollen. He found it difficult to do daily activities after his arm was bandaged. He felt really happy to have his hair cut and styled by dedicated barbers. Duong Thi Thanh, a 63-year-old female patient at the hospital, said, Due to my illness that makes me hard to move, nurses often help me shampoo my hair at my bed. However, I feel better today, so I went to the yard to have my hair shampooed. After getting their hair cut and washed, patients were also provided with free meals sponsored by charity organizations in Khanh Hoa. On the occasion of the program, doctors at the hospital gave a combined VND40 million (US$1,700) funded by philanthropists to 80 disadvantaged patients. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Nurses and doctors at Khanh Hoa General Hospital in the namesake south-central Vietnamese province rolled out a meaningful program to offer singing performances as well as free haircuts and hair-washing services to patients as a way to spread a spirit of positivity at places that many people see pain and suffering. The program called 'Sharing Love,' hosted at the hospital on Thursday last week, was aimed at helping patients receiving treatment there find joy and happiness. Part of the hospital yard is used as a salon for free haircut and washing services. Photo: Hoai Bao / Tuoi Tre Positivity spreads throughout hospital The initiative featured the participation of hospital medical workers and the support from many philanthropists, said Doan Thi Thuy Loan, head of the social work division at the hospital. Nurses and doctors joined hands with the band Jamcha, A Tai Barber Shop in Nha Trang City, and Phuc Thien Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company in Ho Chi Minh City to perform songs, offer free haircut and washing services to patients, and present gifts to them. We hope that the program will help these patients, who are undergoing an arduous medical treatment course, feel more optimistic and leave their pain behind, while medical workers can forget the pressure to relax and enjoy a joyful moment, Loan said. A medical worker sings a song as a way to relax after hard working days and to spread positivity to her patients. Photo: Hoai Bao / Tuoi Tre Patients feel better and happier Nguyen Thanh Long, a patient at the hospital, said that he had been treated at the hospital as his arm was swollen. He found it difficult to do daily activities after his arm was bandaged. He felt really happy to have his hair cut and styled by dedicated barbers. Duong Thi Thanh, a 63-year-old female patient at the hospital, said, Due to my illness that makes me hard to move, nurses often help me shampoo my hair at my bed. However, I feel better today, so I went to the yard to have my hair shampooed. After getting their hair cut and washed, patients were also provided with free meals sponsored by charity organizations in Khanh Hoa. On the occasion of the program, doctors at the hospital gave a combined VND40 million (US$1,700) funded by philanthropists to 80 disadvantaged patients. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A fishing vessel has been captured for illegally transporting some 100,000 liters of diesel oil in the waters off Vietnam's southwestern region. Vietnams maritime police said on Wednesday afternoon that they stopped fishing vessel TG 92008 TS for an inspection after detecting suspicious signs. T.V.T., a 47-year-old native of An Minh District in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang, was identified as the captain of the ship. T. admitted that the vessel was carrying nearly 100,000 liters of diesel oil with no invoices and legal documents proving its origin. After sealing the smuggled goods, the maritime police directed the ship to a port in Nam Can District in Ca Mau Province for further investigation. The maritime police in early March discovered and seized a vessel while it was transporting about 60,000 liters of diesel oil of unclear origin in the offshore area of the southwestern region of Vietnam. The ship was captured at 8:00 pm on March 4 while it was running at sea. Between February 3 and 4, three other fishing vessels were found carrying a combined 200,000 liters of smuggled diesel oil in the same offshore area. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A fishing vessel has been captured for illegally transporting some 100,000 liters of diesel oil in the waters off Vietnam's southwestern region. Vietnams maritime police said on Wednesday afternoon that they stopped fishing vessel TG 92008 TS for an inspection after detecting suspicious signs. T.V.T., a 47-year-old native of An Minh District in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang, was identified as the captain of the ship. T. admitted that the vessel was carrying nearly 100,000 liters of diesel oil with no invoices and legal documents proving its origin. After sealing the smuggled goods, the maritime police directed the ship to a port in Nam Can District in Ca Mau Province for further investigation. The maritime police in early March discovered and seized a vessel while it was transporting about 60,000 liters of diesel oil of unclear origin in the offshore area of the southwestern region of Vietnam. The ship was captured at 8:00 pm on March 4 while it was running at sea. Between February 3 and 4, three other fishing vessels were found carrying a combined 200,000 liters of smuggled diesel oil in the same offshore area. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! One public bicycle for rent in Ho Chi Minh City was reported stolen recently and then retrieved by police officers, according to Tri Nam Digital Transportation Services Joint Stock Company, the public bike rental service provider in the city. The company was notified on Tuesday via its burglary alarm system that a bike with the plate number X51H-21.888 was traveling when it had not been rented. The companys dispatch team immediately tracked the GPS location of the lost bike and teamed up with local police to inspect a local household on the Cach Mang Thang Tam Street section passing through Ward 6, Tan Binh District. The forces then found the bike with the plate number mentioned above and discovered that someone had sold the bike to the current owner. Tri Nam Company reported the case to police officers in Ben Nghe Ward, District 1 for further investigation. As of Wednesday, police managed to arrest the thief and retrieve the bike. Officers are working to take further legal action against the bike thief. Ho Chi Minh City launched the public bike rental service on December 16, 2021, arranging 500 bikes at 43 stations in inner-city areas to serve local residents and tourists. The local administration and the service provider are set to expand the service in the city as well as to other localities. Many unexpected issues linked to the service have arisen, such as bikes being stolen or hung upside down from trees. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Authorities in Minnesota evacuated people after a train carrying corn syrup and ethanol crashed and went up in flames early Thursday. Kandiyohi County Sheriff Eric Tollefson said in a statement that the BNSF train derailed at 1 a.m. near the town of Raymond, some 100 miles west of Minneapolis. A total of 22 cars derailed, with four catching fire, according to a statement released by BNSF, although there were no casualties. BNSF spokesperson Lena Kent said the main track remains "blocked," and an anticipated time for restarting the line is not known, per CBS News. "The cause of the incident is under investigation," she added. According to Tollefson, residents were told to leave their homes within a half-mile radius of the incident. A shelter was established at a local school, and individuals were anticipated to be relocated to a church later during the day so the school could continue operating as usual. About 150 individuals spent the night in the shelter. Red Cross volunteers were helping out. Read Also: Donald Trump Arrest Update Minnesota Train Accident Raises Health Concerns Among Residents Concerns regarding long-term health effects stem from the decision to discharge and burn dangerous chemicals to avert a tank vehicle explosion in a community of around 5,000 people. There have been no detectable quantities of dangerous substances in the air or water, according to state and federal regulators, but people are still worried. Pete Buttigieg, the US transportation secretary, told CNN that 14 vehicles were transporting potentially dangerous goods. The only potentially harmful substance was ethanol, per the BNSF, per AP News. The accident in Minnesota is the most recent in a spate of derailments that have occurred in the United States over the previous two months. Trains have crashed in Florida, West Virginia, Michigan, Oklahoma, Alabama, Nebraska, and Arizona after a horrific accident in Ohio on February 3. Recent events include a March 16 train derailment in Washington state that released diesel gasoline onto tribal grounds near Puget Sound, according to USA Today. Related Article: Nashville School Shooting Suspect's Grieving Status @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Thousands of fish in Xuan Huong Lake in Da Lat a major tourist hub in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong have been found dead over the past several days. According to the Da Lat Peoples Committee, the cause of the die-off is likely a lack of oxygen in the water accelerated by a combination of a blue-green algae bloom and hot weather. Prior to the mass fish death, local residents had spotted schools of fish emerging along the lake edge in search of air. Dead fish wash ashore in Xuan Huong Lake in Da Lat City, Lam Dong Province, Vietnam. Photo: M.V. / Tuoi Tre The situation seems to have mostly affected carp, snakeheads, and catfish, with many of the dead fish weighing upwards of two kilograms. Sanitary workers are still working to remove the dead fish from the lake, but delays caused by the sheer volume of such fish have led to an unpleasant odor to settle over the water surface. According to a sanitation worker at the lake, on Monday and Tuesday, two trucks carrying a combined 600 kilograms of dead fish took them to a disposal site. Dead fish float along Xuan Huong Lake in Da Lat City, Lam Dong Province, Vietnam. Photo: M.V. / Tuoi Tre A representative of the Da Lat Peoples Committee said household and production waste discharged from upstream agricultural areas and surrounding service-trading areas has affected the lake ecosystem, but the extent of the impact cannot be known until tests are carried out. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Thousands of fish in Xuan Huong Lake in Da Lat a major tourist hub in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong have been found dead over the past several days. According to the Da Lat Peoples Committee, the cause of the die-off is likely a lack of oxygen in the water accelerated by a combination of a blue-green algae bloom and hot weather. Prior to the mass fish death, local residents had spotted schools of fish emerging along the lake edge in search of air. Dead fish wash ashore in Xuan Huong Lake in Da Lat City, Lam Dong Province, Vietnam. Photo: M.V. / Tuoi Tre The situation seems to have mostly affected carp, snakeheads, and catfish, with many of the dead fish weighing upwards of two kilograms. Sanitary workers are still working to remove the dead fish from the lake, but delays caused by the sheer volume of such fish have led to an unpleasant odor to settle over the water surface. According to a sanitation worker at the lake, on Monday and Tuesday, two trucks carrying a combined 600 kilograms of dead fish took them to a disposal site. Dead fish float along Xuan Huong Lake in Da Lat City, Lam Dong Province, Vietnam. Photo: M.V. / Tuoi Tre A representative of the Da Lat Peoples Committee said household and production waste discharged from upstream agricultural areas and surrounding service-trading areas has affected the lake ecosystem, but the extent of the impact cannot be known until tests are carried out. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Police in northern Vietnams Hai Phong City apprehended two Chinese nationals wanted by China for organizing illegal gambling, debt trading, and illegal debt collection. The municipal police said on Wednesday evening that they had handed over the two offenders to the Ministry of Public Securitys Criminal Police. After being notified that Zeng Yong, 34, and Kuang Wei Hua, 41, had entered Vietnam, the Hai Phong police department mobilized forces to investigate all foreigners in the city. On March 23, the Hai Phong police teamed up with the Criminal Police Department to scout the city and capture the two suspects. Zeng and Kuang were charged with operating gambling rings, unlawfully offering loans, coercing transactions, and using violence for debt collection. The two confessed to their crimes at the police station. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Police in northern Vietnams Hai Phong City apprehended two Chinese nationals wanted by China for organizing illegal gambling, debt trading, and illegal debt collection. The municipal police said on Wednesday evening that they had handed over the two offenders to the Ministry of Public Securitys Criminal Police. After being notified that Zeng Yong, 34, and Kuang Wei Hua, 41, had entered Vietnam, the Hai Phong police department mobilized forces to investigate all foreigners in the city. On March 23, the Hai Phong police teamed up with the Criminal Police Department to scout the city and capture the two suspects. Zeng and Kuang were charged with operating gambling rings, unlawfully offering loans, coercing transactions, and using violence for debt collection. The two confessed to their crimes at the police station. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A man from Nghe An Province, north-central Vietnam has been sentenced to death for murdering his daughter and her boyfriend last year. The provincial Peoples Court on Wednesday imposed the death penalty upon Le Dinh Ngoc, 43, for murder. The victims were L.T.N., Ngocs 17-year-old daughter, and H.Q.A., N.'s 18-year-old boyfriend. On the evening of July 4, 2022, Ngoc and his family were eating dinner when an argument broke out between him and his daughter, the indictment showed. Ngoc intended to slap his daughter but was stopped by others. The daughter then left the house. At about 9:00 pm the same day, Ngoc went looking for N. and her boyfriend. After spotting N. and A. traveling on a motorbike, Ngoc chased them down and forced them to pull over. The couple then left their motorbike and ran into a nearby house. Ngoc grabbed two knives from his motorbike and followed them. He stabbed A. on the left side of his chest before attacking N. A. ran a short distance before collapsing. N. also attempted to flee but was eventually caught and repeatedly stabbed by Ngoc. Ngoc later returned home and drank pesticide in an attempt to commit suicide. After discovering the incident, local residents took the three to the hospital, but N. and A. did not survive. During the trial, Ngoc said that he was drunk and unable to control himself. In addition to the death sentence, Ngoc was required to pay A.'s family more than VND260 million (US$11,000) in compensation. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A man from Nghe An Province, north-central Vietnam has been sentenced to death for murdering his daughter and her boyfriend last year. The provincial Peoples Court on Wednesday imposed the death penalty upon Le Dinh Ngoc, 43, for murder. The victims were L.T.N., Ngocs 17-year-old daughter, and H.Q.A., N.'s 18-year-old boyfriend. On the evening of July 4, 2022, Ngoc and his family were eating dinner when an argument broke out between him and his daughter, the indictment showed. Ngoc intended to slap his daughter but was stopped by others. The daughter then left the house. At about 9:00 pm the same day, Ngoc went looking for N. and her boyfriend. After spotting N. and A. traveling on a motorbike, Ngoc chased them down and forced them to pull over. The couple then left their motorbike and ran into a nearby house. Ngoc grabbed two knives from his motorbike and followed them. He stabbed A. on the left side of his chest before attacking N. A. ran a short distance before collapsing. N. also attempted to flee but was eventually caught and repeatedly stabbed by Ngoc. Ngoc later returned home and drank pesticide in an attempt to commit suicide. After discovering the incident, local residents took the three to the hospital, but N. and A. did not survive. During the trial, Ngoc said that he was drunk and unable to control himself. In addition to the death sentence, Ngoc was required to pay A.'s family more than VND260 million (US$11,000) in compensation. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A woman residing in Lang Son Province, northern Vietnam was rushed to a hospital after eating Vernicia Montana nuts and developing symptoms of vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea this week. The patient, identified as H.T.V.H., 53, was admitted to the intensive care unit at the Lang Son Provincial General Hospital for emergency treatment, the hospital said on Wednesday. H., a resident of Van Quan District, developed the symptoms 30 minutes after consuming the nuts, which were described as a strange type that looked like chestnuts. Some 18 of H.s neighbors, friends, and relatives ate the same nuts and showed similar symptoms. Some were taken to a local medical center for treatment while H., whose symptoms were more severe, was transferred from the medical center to the provincial general hospital. Vernicia Montana nuts, which contain Saponosid, a toxic substance. Photo: Supplied by Lang Son Provincial General Hospital She was diagnosed with nut poisoning and underwent medical treatment. She was discharged from the hospital once her symptoms improved. Local doctors confirmed that the nuts consumed by the patients is Vernicia Montana, which contains Saponosid, a toxic substance usually used to produce fertilizers and pesticides. People who eat Vernicia Montana nuts will exhibit symptoms of vomiting, an upset stomach, headache, chest pain, and diarrhea between 30 minutes and four hours after consumption. Those with severe symptoms could suffer bloody diarrhea, body aches, shortness of breath, convulsions, muscle paralysis, or even death. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A woman residing in Lang Son Province, northern Vietnam was rushed to a hospital after eating Vernicia Montana nuts and developing symptoms of vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea this week. The patient, identified as H.T.V.H., 53, was admitted to the intensive care unit at the Lang Son Provincial General Hospital for emergency treatment, the hospital said on Wednesday. H., a resident of Van Quan District, developed the symptoms 30 minutes after consuming the nuts, which were described as a strange type that looked like chestnuts. Some 18 of H.s neighbors, friends, and relatives ate the same nuts and showed similar symptoms. Some were taken to a local medical center for treatment while H., whose symptoms were more severe, was transferred from the medical center to the provincial general hospital. Vernicia Montana nuts, which contain Saponosid, a toxic substance. Photo: Supplied by Lang Son Provincial General Hospital She was diagnosed with nut poisoning and underwent medical treatment. She was discharged from the hospital once her symptoms improved. Local doctors confirmed that the nuts consumed by the patients is Vernicia Montana, which contains Saponosid, a toxic substance usually used to produce fertilizers and pesticides. People who eat Vernicia Montana nuts will exhibit symptoms of vomiting, an upset stomach, headache, chest pain, and diarrhea between 30 minutes and four hours after consumption. Those with severe symptoms could suffer bloody diarrhea, body aches, shortness of breath, convulsions, muscle paralysis, or even death. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Fans of Aussie comedy series Wilfred will be keen to hear an update from co-creator and star Jason Gann. In an interview with ABC, Gann has spoken about the rollercoaster of comedy success, including Hollywood fame and a courtcase in Melbourne. Wilfred, co-created with co-star Adam Zwar, screened on SBS for just two seasons from 2007 2010 before a US adaptation running for 4 seasons with Elijah Wood and Gann as the mangy dog berating his owner. But Gann also struggled to keep wearing the dog suit which had shot him to success. He told ABC about waiting in his trailer for a photo shoot on Venice Beach in Los Angeles. I see this suit just hanging there ominously. Like, I dont think I can get in that dog suit again. In all the years of suffering and what that dog suit represented, I got down on my knees and I said, God, please help me find a way to love this, he said. Years later he would liken the suit to that of a superhero, possibly as a way of coming to terms with its necessity. After Wilfreds end in 2014 he spent time pitching new projects in the US to no avail and giving up chasing the Hollywood dream. On one occasion he posted an image of Wilfreds weed delivery service which sent fans wild about the idea of the dog coming to their house to deliver weed and, for an extra fee, smoking a bong on the sofa. Since then, Ganns cannabis delivery business has taken off. Hes had to learn about design, manufacturing, and marketing, all on the fly. He even dons the dog costume from time to time. That dog has given me so much. Even though I wanted to throw him away so many times, he just keeps coming back, Gann said. Every time I put it on and every time I draw on that black nose, its an honour and its a little ceremony. I just am very grateful that at this age Im still dragging on the dog suit every now and then. I dont put it on as much, but every time I do, its special. You can read more here. Cameraman / editor Chris Colquhoun, who worked at SBS World News, has died. SBS paid tribute to its colleague, describing him as an incredible operator and kind soul, whose lens captured stories across Australia, the Asia Pacific and the world for over two decades. Colquhoun joined SBS in 2016, having previously had positions with Channel 5 and SKY TV in the United Kingdom. Apple has been hosting Worldwide Developers Conferences since the early '80s. Just as the company did from 2020 to 2022, this year's WWDC will take place between June 5th to June 9th, and will mainly be held online. Apple's WWDC 2023 Apple's annual conference, although mostly an online event, will provide an opportunity for developers to have an in-person experience on the Apple Park campus on the first day. WWDC will mainly introduce Apple's latest iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. There will be sessions and labs dedicated to developers to help them create innovative apps, learn more about new technologies and tools that will be announced at the WWDC23 and have unique access to Apple's engineers. Those who will attend the event can watch the Apple Design Awards, the keynote, State of the Union videos, and meet the employees of the company. Most can join the online global community, while in-person attendance is limited. Apple Developer Program members, Apple Entrepreneur Camp alumni, previous Swift Student Challenge winners, and Apple Developer Enterprise Program members can submit a request to attend the event on the Apple Park campus, according to MacRumors. Apple's vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations, Susan Prescott expressed that WWDC is an opportunity to connect with talented developers from around the world. She added that the WWDC23 will be the "biggest and most exciting yet." The event is also a chance for Apple to support student developers of all ages who love to code, which the company will do through a program called Swift Student Challenge. There is also an app called Swift Playgrounds with the same goals. This year's Swift Student Challenge is open; students can submit their work by April 19th. The student should be 13 years old or older in the US, and 16 years old and above in the EU. They should also be registered as an Apple developer. Read Also: iOS 17 Release for Bug Patches Will Come with New Features as Well What to Expect The event will likely show Apple's latest Mac Pro and the 15-inch MacBook Air. They could also be announcing new features that come with iOS 17, along with other Apple device operating systems and hardware announcements. However, the biggest announcement, although still unconfirmed, might be Apple's AR/VR headset, which the company has been working on for quite some time, and could compete with already existing AR goggles like the Meta Quest 2 and PSVR 2. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the most trusted source for Apple-related rumors, believes that Apple will reveal its AR/VR headset this June at the WWDC event. However, reports say that the Apple design team does not believe that the device is ready. The device was said to be demonstrated to the company's top executives by the Apple Technology Group, the department responsible for the AR/VR project. According to Tom's guide, the device might be named "Reality One." One of the many issues that could come with the headset is its price tag, which is rumored to be $3,000. Along with that, there's also the issue of the battery life, design, and the limited number of apps that are compatible with it at launch. Related: Apple's Reality Pro Headset Will Not Require An iPhone Setup, Reports Say It's shaping up to be a tough period for Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad (KLSE:ASTRO), which a week ago released some disappointing annual results that could have a notable impact on how the market views the stock. Results showed a clear earnings miss, with RM3.8b revenue coming in 3.9% lower than what the analystsexpected. Statutory earnings per share (EPS) of RM0.049 missed the mark badly, arriving some 34% below what was expected. The analysts typically update their forecasts at each earnings report, and we can judge from their estimates whether their view of the company has changed or if there are any new concerns to be aware of. We thought readers would find it interesting to see the analysts latest (statutory) post-earnings forecasts for next year. See our latest analysis for Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad Following last week's earnings report, Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad's twelve analysts are forecasting 2024 revenues to be RM3.82b, approximately in line with the last 12 months. Per-share earnings are expected to surge 50% to RM0.075. Before this earnings report, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of RM3.89b and earnings per share (EPS) of RM0.086 in 2024. So there's definitely been a decline in sentiment after the latest results, noting the real cut to new EPS forecasts. The average price target fell 13% to RM0.72, with reduced earnings forecasts clearly tied to a lower valuation estimate. That's not the only conclusion we can draw from this data however, as some investors also like to consider the spread in estimates when evaluating analyst price targets. Currently, the most bullish analyst values Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad at RM0.89 per share, while the most bearish prices it at RM0.59. These price targets show that analysts do have some differing views on the business, but the estimates do not vary enough to suggest to us that some are betting on wild success or utter failure. One way to get more context on these forecasts is to look at how they compare to both past performance, and how other companies in the same industry are performing. It's also worth noting that the years of declining sales look to have come to an end, with the forecast for flat revenues to the end of 2024. Historically, Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad's sales have shrunk approximately 8.3% annually over the past five years. Compare this against analyst estimates for the broader industry, which suggest that (in aggregate) industry revenues are expected to grow 11% annually. So it's pretty clear that, although revenues are improving, Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad is still expected to grow slower than the industry. Story continues The Bottom Line The biggest concern is that the analysts reduced their earnings per share estimates, suggesting business headwinds could lay ahead for Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad. Fortunately, the analysts also reconfirmed their revenue estimates, suggesting sales are tracking in line with expectations - although our data does suggest that Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad's revenues are expected to perform worse than the wider industry. The consensus price target fell measurably, with the analysts seemingly not reassured by the latest results, leading to a lower estimate of Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad's future valuation. Following on from that line of thought, we think that the long-term prospects of the business are much more relevant than next year's earnings. At Simply Wall St, we have a full range of analyst estimates for Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad going out to 2026, and you can see them free on our platform here.. That said, it's still necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 4 warning signs with Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad (at least 1 which is concerning) , and understanding them should be part of your investment process. 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here A migrant rescue ship funded by British street artist Banksy has been impounded on the Italian island of Lampedusa over a new border control policy introduced by Giorgia Melonis far-right government. It will remain there for a total of 20 days, unable to head out on any new rescue mission at a time when migrants are reaching the Italian coasts in record numbers. The Louise Michel, a pink-coloured former French navy boat called after a French anarchist and revolutionary, was blocked by Italian authorities in Lampedusas port on Saturday morning after rescuing 178 migrants. According to officials, activists on the ship violated a new decree-law ruling NGOs behaviour in search and rescue operations by going on multiple rescues four in total. The Louise Michels crew said they had responded to several Mayday relay calls from a Frontex aircraft warning about people in immediate need of assistance before receiving news that the ship will be blocked by Italian authorities. According to the Italian Coast Guard, the rescue ship didnt follow officials instructions to reach Trapanis port after a first rescue mission, going back instead to help more people in distress. These people, the coast guard said, were going to be rescued by officials, but operations were delayed by the Louise Michels intervention. The crew of the Louise Michel, on the other hand, wrote on Twitter that though an Italian vessel was present at the scene, authorities failed to promptly intervene to help the migrants in the water. The new law, approved in January by Melonis government, makes the work of search and rescue NGOs in the Mediterranean more complicated. According to the decree, NGOs must notify Italian authorities immediately after a rescue operation and head to the port indicated by officials without delay. Ships cannot embark on more than one rescue operation at a time unless authorised to do so by Italian authorities. The Louise Michel is a former French navy boat readapted to be a search and rescue vessel. - Santi Palacios/AP If these rules are violated, ships can be denied access to Italian ports or blocked for up to two months, while their captains face a fine between 10 and 50 thousand euros. If a ship is found in violation of the decree more than once, the vessel can be seized by Italian authorities. Story continues The only aim of the decree-law is the blockage of Rescue ships, willingly taking into account the deaths of people on the move, activists working on the Louise Michel wrote on Twitter. Italy reported a record number of migrant arrivals during the past weekend, with over 4,000 arrivals in three days, according to the Italian news agency ANSA. The number of people dying in the Mediterranean has also recently increased: Tunisias coast guard reported rescuing the bodies of at least 29 people who died after two migrant boats sank off the coast of the country. Meanwhile, Italy has just found the body of the 91st victim who died in the tragic shipwreck which occurred last month near Crotone, in the southern region of Calabria. The body belongs to an yet-to-be-identified 30-year-old man. The detention of the Louise Michel was condemned by other fellow NGOs like Sea-Watch International, who wrote on Twitter: Those who rescue are now punished by Italy with 20 days of detention. While bodies wash up on Italian shores, civil sea rescue ships are blocked. This Italian decree will lead to even more deaths in the Mediterranean. The detention of the Banksy-funded ship marked a turbulent weekend for the Central Mediterranean which saw an unprecedented escalation of violence between Libyan authorities and NGOs. On Saturday, the Libyan Coast Guard fired shots in the air to warn the NGO rescue ship Ocean Viking and stop it from helping a boat in distress in international waters off Libya. The Libyan Coast Guard then intercepted the 80 people in distress and forcibly returned them to Libya. In a recent report commissioned by the UN Human Rights Council, investigators found that there is evidence that crimes against humanity have been committed against Libyans and migrants stuck in Libya and accused the European Union of supporting Libyan forces in committing these crimes. Ron has been painting for over 40 years but went full time in 2010 by leaving his former job in the art and design team at publishers DC Thomson (Image: Ron Lawson) HE is one of the most sought after artists working in Scotland today but despite the demand, Ron Lawson concentrates on quality rather than quantity. This is why he elects to have only two gallery exhibitions a year - one in Glasgow and one in Crieff. His exhibitions are always phenomenally successful, selling quickly, and his collectors are eagerly awaiting the new show, Into Spring, which is being staged at the Annan Gallery in Glasgow from April 1 April 23. HeraldScotland: Hebridean Blackhouse, Blue Door Like his other work, it centres on the Hebrides where Ron spends weeks at a time capturing the special atmosphere of the islands. The evocative results have won him fans around the world with sales as far afield as the USA, Australia and Singapore. Ron has a very unique and recognisable style and hes painting the Scottish landscape in a way no one else does, which has deservedly won him admirers worldwide, said Scott Bennett who, along with his wife Susan, owns the Annan Gallery and the Strathearn Gallery in Crieff where they stage Lawsons autumn shows. HeraldScotland: Red Roof on the Coast Ron also has a very successful print range which is how many people first come across his work but nothing compares to an original painting, so this exhibition is a fantastic opportunity for those in or visiting Glasgow to enjoy Rons paintings. Scott added: Both our galleries work with and show the very best Scottish contemporary artists and the fact that we are the only galleries Ron exhibits with is a huge privilege for us. Whereas the majority of artists today will work with oil or acrylic paint, Ron has only ever worked with watercolour, constantly experimenting with the effects it can produce and using a limited colour palette to invoke the feelings of standing on a Scottish island, experiencing the sensation of being there on your own. HeraldScotland: Ron at work in his studio Theres sometimes a preconception that watercolour painting always has a more delicate and lighter feel to it, whereas Ron is using watercolour to produce exceptionally bold and striking paintings, said Scott. Story continues He is able to paint in a way and produce effects such as his signature flat grey skies that you just cant do with other types of paint and the result is something quite mesmeric when youre standing in front of the painting. Rons appeal to art buyers across the world is helping strengthen the reputation of Scottish art, according to Scott. Artists like Ron are only a good thing for Scottish art, he said. Scottish landscape painting has always traditionally been strong with many talented artists out there and its fantastic Ron has that appeal and we have clients abroad that know and are buying Rons work. Ron has been painting for over 40 years but went full time in 2010 by leaving his former job in the art and design team at publishers DC Thomson. HeraldScotland: 'Puffin Pair' However, while hes proud to get the chance to showcase the best of Scotlands landscapes and island life to an international audience, he tries not to let that influence his work. Its actually quite thrilling to think there are so many people around the world buying them and you wouldnt necessarily think something so Scottish would appeal but my paintings are collected worldwide, in places like Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and America, he said. When I paint a location on South Uist for example, I try to get the vibe and the feel of the place in the painting. Its remote and in parts splendidly isolated and Im always trying to capture that. I never think What can I do differently for people in Hong Kong or America?, Im painting the experience of being in a place and I am absolutely thrilled when I hear about sales to somewhere unusual abroad and I am delighted that so many people around the world like them. HeraldScotland: 'Ferguson tractor on the Machair' Ron added: Ive been really lucky that after I left working full time, every show since 2011 has been a tremendous success but as each one approaches you never take anything for granted and I just hope the body of work I have produced gets a good reaction. The most important thing is to put that little slice of Scotland on paper for all to enjoy, and thats exactly what is behind it. Its strange to think that after all these years of painting the Hebrides you can still find something new to inspire you - but the reality is its endless, it really is. (Arsenal FC via Getty Images) Thomas Partey is optimistic that he can give Arsenal a boost by being fit to face Leeds on Saturday. Partey was an unused substitute for Ghana on Monday night during their 1-1 draw in Angola and Black Stars manager Chris Hughton said afterwards that he was struggling with small injury issues. Hughton added that it was too big of a risk to start Partey, but the midfielder is hoping to be involved for Arsenal this weekend as they continue their Premier League title charge. Partey travelled on international duty with Arsenals lead performance physio Simon Murphy and will be assessed over the coming days. The full Arsenal squad are due back at London Colney on Thursday for training after individual players returns were staggered following the international break. Those who didnt travel away with their countries had some time off and did some smaller sessions, and Partey was pictured training with the squad on Thursday. William Saliba was one of those who stayed behind after having to pull out of the France squad with a back injury. The centre-back picked up the problem during Arsenals Europa League last-16 second leg defeat to Sporting Lisbon on March 16. Optimistic: Thomas Partey is hopeful of being fit for Arsenals clash with Leeds this weekend (Arsenal FC via Getty Images) It is unclear if Saliba will play this weekend, with the club assessing the risk of his injury flaring up again. The 22-year-old will hope he can have a key role in the run-in after missing just one League game all season. Arsenal are currently eight points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table with 10 games to go and are on course to win a first title since 2004. Bukayo Saka has played a pivotal role in that dream run and the winger continued his fine form over the international break. Saka scored one and made another as England beat Ukraine 2-0 on Sunday and Saliba isnt surprised by his team-mate becoming one of the best players in the world. You can say already, he is a very, very good player. Even if he is young, he is already a top, top player, Saliba told Stadium Astro. I want and I think he will stay like this because he is a good person and he is humble. He doesnt have a big head. He always works and he is a good guy, hes always happy. Its a pleasure to play with him. This club is a family and we have to keep going like that. Of course, I didnt know before the summer that we would be on the top [of the League]. But when you play for Arsenal you have to think about the top because its a good club. We are happy to be back on the top but we are not finished. Joe Bidens presidential five-day trip to the island of Ireland is set to begin north of the border. Mr Biden is expected to fly into Northern Ireland on April 11 ahead of a day of engagements in Belfast on April 12, the PA news agency understands. The US president is then due to travel south later that day and will spend the remainder of the week in the Republic of Ireland, before leaving on Saturday April 15. As well as official engagements in Dublin, Mr Biden is expected to travel beyond the capital for visits related to his Irish ancestry. Rishi Sunak invited US President Joe Biden to Northern Ireland to mark the Good Friday Agreement anniversary (Leon Neal/PA) The Democratic politician can trace his ancestry to Irelands west and east coasts, specifically Ballina in Co Mayo and the Cooley Peninsula in Co Louth. His great-great-grandfather Owen Finnegan emigrated to the United States from the Cooley peninsula, while another great-great-grandfather, Patrick Blewitt, was born in Ballina, leaving during the Irish famine in 1850 to sail to America. Distant relatives celebrated his election win in November 2020 back in Ireland and gathered again in January 2021 to mark his inauguration. The presidential visit to the island will have a strong focus on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday peace agreement. This week Mr Biden made clear an increase in activity by violent dissident republicans opposed to the peace process in Northern Ireland would not deter him. No. They cant keep me out, he told reporters. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had invited Mr Biden to come to Northern Ireland to mark the agreements anniversary. Earlier this month, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the president that his trip to the island of Ireland would be a visit like no other. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar presents Mr Biden with a bowl of shamrock during a St Patricks Day celebration at the White House in Washington (Niall Carson/PA) I promise you that were going to roll out the red carpet, he pledged to Mr Biden during their St Patricks Day meeting in Washington DC. White House officials and Secret Service personnel have already visited proposed locations as part of planning for the visit. Former US president Bill Clinton and his wife and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton will be in Belfast the week after Mr Biden for more events to commemorate the landmark accord that largely ended the Troubles. Other key figures involved in securing the deal are also due to travel to the city. (Bloomberg) -- Colombia and Peru are considering returning to a World Bank program that issues bonds to cover claims on natural disasters after the plan faced a nearly two-year lull. Most Read from Bloomberg The countries are among those looking to take advantage of renewed investor interest in the banks catastrophe or cat bonds debt offerings where investors risk steep losses in the event of a disaster after the World Bank provided $630 million in earthquake protection to Chile in March, its first such deal since July 2021 and the largest single-country deal to date. Colombia and Peru are two of the countries where the World Bank has previously issued on their behalf. Colombia confirmed it is working on the structure of a potential transaction that would safeguard against the costs of excess rain including flooding, according to a government representative. Peru is holding exploratory talks on a deal with the World Bank to cover earthquakes, a government official said in a text message. Chile issued in 2018 and now theyve come back, said Michael Bennett, head of market solutions and structured finance at the World Bank. We expect that it will help generate more interest in our different member countries that are catastrophe-risk vulnerable. The World Bank didnt price any cat bond transactions in 2022 as a broad market slump reduced institutional investors available cash for such offerings. But emerging market nations are once again seeking out these bonds to reduce the cost of buying financial protection against impending catastrophes. Chiles earthquake protection came in the form of a $350 million cat bond as well as a $280 million swap contract where a group of insurance and reinsurance companies will receive payment in exchange for a potential payout should a disaster that falls within certain preset parameters occur. Story continues The mid-March deal generated strong demand, allowing the World Bank to raise more than double initial expectations, with pricing at the tight end of a risk-premium range between 4.75% to 5.5%, according to Bennett. In World Bank-led cat transactions, the top-rated lender issues the bonds directly, allowing emerging sovereign issuers typically with lower credit ratings to reduce their financial costs. With the United Nations predicting climate change will drive an increase in natural disasters to a rate of 560 a year by 2030, up from around 400 in 2015, the desire for such protection plans is likely to increase. Colombia and Peru took part along with Chile and Mexico in a $1.36 billion World Bank deal for earthquake protection in 2018. With the support of the World Bank, Peru is considering updating the model used in the bond priced in 2018, the government official wrote in the email. The World Bank is also working with Caribbean countries to pull together a catastrophe bond for the region, according to Bennett. Jamaica plans to take part in the transaction, said Dian Black, principal director of debt management at the countrys Ministry of Finance. The plan is just to participate in the regional cat bond that the World Bank is organizing, said Black in a separate interview. Some of the Caribbean countries are already on board. --With assistance from Manolo Serapio Jr. and Kathleen Seaman. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. An image of former pastor Martin Phelps from Rhema Churchs Facebook page (Facebook) A Croydon church blew 95,000 on overseas trips to Italy, Greece and Austria led by its pastor, a probe has found. Leaders at the evangelical Rhema Church also splashed cash to pay day-to-day personal living expenses, including vets bills and gym memberships in a significant misuse of funds. The overseas jaunts led by former pastor Martin Phelps were not authorised and lacked clear charitable purpose, the Charity Commission found. The inquiry also discovered that cheques totalling 300,000 had been paid to the charitys former pastor between 2014 and 2015. 225,000 of this was transferred from the charitys account and placed into a personal account to reduce monthly mortgage interest payments before being given back to the charity. The church was also liable for more than half-a-million pounds in additional taxes because of mislabelled spending, and had failed to submit accounts as required by law for five years. The charity which runs the church has now been wound down. Regulators forced the church to sell three properties it owned as part of efforts to settle the charitys accounts. They managed to recover 136,000 from the charitys accounts, which was divided up between three other charities in the area with similar purposes. Mr Phelps, who was found to have made unauthorised use of the charitys credit cards, went on unauthorised overseas trips and misused charity funds, was barred from being a charity trustee for ten years. Amy Spiller, Head of Investigations at the Commission, said: Trustees must use their charitys funds to further the charitys purposes and ensure there are robust financial controls in place to stop the abuse of these funds. From our investigation it was clear that trustees at Rhema Church London had failed to meet this obligation, leading to significant misuse of funds by a former senior employee. These expenses did not appear to serve any charitable purpose or benefit to the charitys beneficiaries. Story continues Watchdog-appointed managers took control of the charity in 2015 after concerns were raised. This took considerable time to complete because of a lack of cooperation from the charity. A protracted eviction of Mr Phelps from the churchs property also added delays, said the Charity Commission. The Standard has contacted Mr Phelps for comment. Elon Musk is one of the more visible billionaires on social media. The Tesla and Twitter CEO is also a known visionary, not having second doubts to invest money in a cause that he believes in. Unfortunately, some con artists bank on Musk's name and reputation to get money from willing victims, with the latest scamming case reported in Florida when a school principal wrote a check worth $100,000 to a Musk impersonator. Florida Principal Believes 'Elon Musk' Will Invest in School in Exchange for $100,000 Dr. Jan McGee served as the school principal of Burns Science and Technology Charter School in Oak Hill, Florida since it was first founded in 2011, as reported by Gizmodo. Her record of hard work and dedication to the school was tarnished when she was persuaded by an Internet scammer, who claimed to be the Tesla and Twitter CEO himself, to write him a check worth $100,000. As per WBALTV, Burns Science and Technology Charter is an elite campus with under 1,000 students and a long list of aspirants wanting to be a part of the school. With McGee's guidance, the school has grown into the institution that it is now, but her decision to trust a scammer endangered its future. According to McGee, the Musk impersonator convinced her that he would give six million dollars as an investment, but the school should send $100,000 first. "I am a very smart lady. Well-educated. I fell for a scam," McGee told the attendees of the school's board meeting Tuesday. McGee claimed that the Musk impersonator talked her into sending the money for at least four months and she "fell for it." The school board's chairperson, Albert Amalfitano, said that the scammer "must have been really convincing" that the school principal wrote the check using the school's account. According to Amalfitano, McGee was certain that she was writing the check to Musk's "right-hand man." The board chair raised that McGee, as the principal, is allowed to write a check out of the school's account but only up to $50,000. Despite not getting board approval to release the huge amount of money, McGee proceeded as planned. The good news is that the Musk impersonator was not able to cash out the check, as the school's business manager, Brent Apply, was able to cancel the check just in time. Other school administrators expressed their dismay over the scamming incident, saying that they already warned the principal many times that the Musk impersonator was a fraud. They also said that there are other problems at school involving McGee that created a "toxic work environment," and they do not wish to work with her any further. With this, McGee formally submitted her resignation. Related Article: Elon Musk Hilariously Reacts to His Chinese Doppelganger! People's Trust in Musk Led to Growing Number of Scamming Incidents Online According to Forbes, the Internet is plagued by numerous scammers pretending to be Elon Musk. Con artists would use Musk's companies like Tesla and SpaceX to get money from random people online. These scammers are usually posting right under Musk's social media posts, claiming that the billionaire is giving away cryptocurrency tokens in exchange for money. The modus of the scammers is obvious in some cases, but people's trust in Musk led them to cash out their money anyway. Some scammers were able to convince their victims that Musk created his own cryptocurrencies, namely Mini Tesla and Tesla Token. To note, Musk's only known crypto investments are in Bitcoin and Dogecoin. Read Also: Twitter Algorithm Boosts Tweets of Users from VIP List, Which Includes Elon Musk Ex-president Bolsonaro returns to Brazil after three months in the US Three months after leaving for the United States in the final hours of his term, Brazil's ex-president Jair Bolsonaro returned home Thursday to reenter politics -- complicating life for his successor and nemesis, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The far-right ex-army captain, who skipped town two days before Lula's inauguration on January 1, arrived back in Brasilia on a commercial flight from Orlando, Florida. Scores of supporters waving the Brazilian flag -- one of Bolsonaro's symbols -- were at the airport arrival area to welcome him, shouting and singing the national anthem, despite authorities' moves to block a planned welcome rally. "We've been waiting for this moment for a long time. We've been looking forward to it since January 1," Eva Melgaco, a 46-year-old beautician, told AFP. However, Bolsonaro left discreetly through another exit. Flashing a thumbs-up to TV cameras, he entered a motorcade that headed for the headquarters of his Liberal Party (PL), flanked by police cars. The homecoming is a high-stakes bet for Bolsonaro, who faces legal trouble on various fronts in Brazil -- notably for his alleged role in inciting supporters who invaded the halls of power on January 8 in a failed bid to oust Lula, the veteran leftist who beat him in a divisive election in October. Tension was high in Brasilia, where the exuberant crowd of around 200 supporters at the airport was guarded by a heavy police deployment. But "I'm not going to lead any opposition," Bolsonaro told CNN Brasil as he prepared to board his flight. (AFP) Read more on FRANCE 24 English Read also: 'My mission is not over yet': Brazil's Bolsonaro teases political comeback Brazil's Supreme Court agrees to investigate Bolsonaro over riot US Democrats urge Biden to expel Bolsonaro following Brazil election riots Celia standing by the rear gun turret of the Halifax Mk III bomber at the Yorkshire Air Museum, holding a photo of her uncle Edwin Bowen (Image: Yorkshire Air Museum) EXACTLY 80 years after his death, the niece of a young RAF airman killed in the Second World War has revisited his old airbase in York. Edwin Bowen was the tail gunner on a Halifax bomber that flew from RAF Elvington on the outskirts of the city on bombing missions over Germany. On the night of March 26 1943 his aircraft, JB842-E, was lost over the Baltic Sea after a mission to Berlin. His body and that of the wireless operator were never found and they are remembered at Runnymede, the RAF memorial for those with no known grave. Other members of the crew are buried in Germany and one in Denmark. His family received the telegram with the news that he was lost the next day, March 30. It, and the letters he had sent home, are on display at the Yorkshire Air Museum which stands on the site of RAF Elvington. York Press: The telegram the family received on March 30 1943 The telegram the family received on March 30 1943 (Image: Yorkshire Air Museum) Edwins niece Celia Wolfe has been to the museum to pay her respects to the uncle she never knew and to see the only surviving example of the Halifax bomber he flew in. Read next: Celia said: My mother and grandmother grieved for him for the rest of their lives. It was as if we did meet him. Even though he was only 19 when he died, I think of him as Uncle Ted. "He was afraid. On his last leave he told my mother he always polished up the Perspex of his gun turret so it hadnt got a mark on it because any little mark could be mistaken for a night fighter. And she knew from that, that he was very nervous and afraid. But who wouldnt be? The Telegram the family, who lived in Surrey, received told them that Edwins aircraft had gone down and he was missing. Celia said her grandmother had already been preparing herself for bad news: When he left from his last leave, he kissed my grandmother goodbye and set off, then turned round and came back and kissed her again. And that really upset my grandmother because she was terribly superstitious. She said to the family, I dont like that. Why did he come back? I dont like it. And when the telegram came to say that he was missing, she knew already when it contained. She knew that it had been the last time shed seen him. Story continues The letters and Edwins photograph were among the very first exhibits at the Yorkshire Air Museum and Allied Air Forces Memorial when it started nearly 40 years ago and will feature in a Favourite Objects Trail curated by postgraduate history students from the University of Yorks Institute for the Public Understanding of the Past. York Press: The Air Museum at Elvington The Air Museum at Elvington The museum is also currently raising funds for the restoration of its Grade II Listed 1942 Control Tower, from where Edwins Halifax would have been counted out and where it would have been officially listed as missing. The building, which was only designed to last ten years, is one of the few Second World War Control Towers, or Watch Offices, left in its original state. Museum Director Jonathan Brewer said: These family papers are amongst many that the museum holds commemorating the young lives lost in those terrible years of 1943-5. This Tower, or Watch Office as it was sometimes called, was where the planes were counted out and counted back, with many of them never returning and their loved ones left waiting for news. The telegram is a very poignant reminder of why we are here and why we are so keen to raise funds to restore the tower for posterity. Oleksiy Danilov believes that Putins announcement an invitation to the U.S. for negotiations "Putin's threats that are addressed first of all to the United States won't work. It is a big question whether or not he will spread nuclear weapons to all the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries. I don't think anyone will allow him to have nuclear weapons in Belarus," Danilov told Radio NV. Read also: Ukraine calls for emergency UN Security Council meeting over Russias plans to move nukes to Belarus Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko realises the great risk this poses to him, Danilov added. "Despite Russia having de facto occupied Belarus, I don't believe this will happen," he said. He called Putins announcement an invitation to the U.S. for negotiations. "This is what Putin, the entire Russian machine, has been doing for the last month or two. They really want to sit down at the negotiating table in order to stop where they are today. And this is an understandable thing for all reasonable people," the RNBO Secretary said. Read also: Putins renewed nuclear saber-rattling embarrasses Beijing, Bloomberg says Lukashenko hoped to get nuclear weapons that he would be in control of, Defense Minister of the government-in-exile Belarusian United Transitional Cabinet, Valery Sakhashchyk, said. But Putin's current plans are a losing situation for him, he said. The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the deployment of nuclear weapons in the country "forced actions in response" to "unprecedented pressure" from NATO and the EU, as well as to "direct and blatant interference in the internal affairs" of Belarus. Placing nuclear weapons in Belarus makes no practical military sense, as there is no such thing as Lukashenkos subjectivity as he is simply a Kremlin propagandist, said Presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak. Read also: Putin planned to deploy nukes in Belarus before full-scale invasion of Ukraine ISW Putin announced on March 25 his plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. He claimed that he was "forced to react" to British promises to provide Ukraine with rounds containing depleted uranium. Story continues EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell condemned Russias claims to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, saying that the EU will react with additional sanctions against the aggressor country. France called on Russia to reconsider the decision, while Poland called it another step in the further involvement of Minsk in the "Russian war machine." Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine FILE PHOTO: Blinken and Stoltenberg hold a news conference at the State Department in Washington By Simon Lewis WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will push back on Russia's attempts to "weaponize energy" and rally support for a Ukrainian counteroffensive when he meets NATO foreign ministers in Brussels next week, an official said on Thursday. A meeting of the U.S.-EU Energy Council will focus on joint efforts to "blunt Russia's attempts to weaponize energy ... (and) bolstering energy supplies for the coming winters," Dereck Hogan, the State Department's principal deputy assistant secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, told reporters. The European Commission on Monday proposed that EU countries extend for a year an emergency measure to curb gas demand for the next 12 months, to help prepare Europe to get through next winter with scarce Russian gas. Russia cut off most gas supplies to Europe in the months following its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine - squeezing supply and triggering record-high prices. Talks between foreign ministers from the NATO alliance will have "a heavy focus on Ukraine" but will also touch on countering China in the Indo-Pacific, Hogan said. NATO has sent large amounts of weapons and other aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded, which has also spurred moves to expand the alliance. "We need to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs to be able to mount a successful counteroffensive and then of course be able to hold on to what they do gain," Hogan said. The top U.S. diplomat will meet with European Union High Representative and Vice President Josep Borrell, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dymtro Kuleba in Belgium on Tuesday and Wednesday, the State Department said. (Reporting by Simon Lewis, Doina Chiacu and Daphne Psaledakis; editing by Grant McCool) (Bloomberg) -- The Senate repealed two authorizations for the use of force against Iraq after a years-long push by critics who said they had been used to justify military action long after the war was over. Most Read from Bloomberg Senators voted 66-30 to repeal the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Force, or AUMFs. Final repeal will still require agreement from the Republican-led House, where some lawmakers have expressed skepticism about the push. The move was part of an effort to get Congress to take seriously the powers that we should be exercising on war, peace and diplomacy that weve so often abdicated, Senator Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat and cosponsor of the repeal bill, said in an interview. Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri said he hopes the vote signals a shift away from war without accountability. I think the president is fully authorized to respond in real time to the security needs of the nation, Hawley said. But thats not what happened in Afghanistan and Iraq for 20-plus years. Successive administrations used the Iraq authorizations to justify strikes well after the Iraq war that began with invasion in 2003 had wound down. The Trump administration, for example, used the 2002 authorization to justify military operations like the airstrike on Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in 2020. The Biden administration reiterated its support on the current Senate measure March 16 and backed previous efforts to repeal the 2002 AUMF when Representative Barbara Lee of California introduced a similar measure in 2021. The House will need to vote on a companion bill for the AUMFs to be lifted. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told reporters in a briefing last week that a similar measure in the House has a good chance of getting through committee and getting to the floor. Story continues Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, said he hopes to garner bipartisan support for the measure in the House. Its not something that any president or executive branch should have without consultation and the vote of Congress, Meeks said. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, whos been absent from the Senate floor while recovering from a fall, said he opposed the repeal. Our enemies in Iran who have spent two decades targeting and killing Americans in the Middle East would be delighted to see America dial down our military presence, authorities, and activities in Iraq, McConnell said in a statement. Lawmakers like Massachusetts Representative Seth Moulton, a veteran deployed to Iraq and Democrat who sits on the House Armed Services committee, have criticized U.S. involvement in a war. Congress gave a blank check so that we wouldnt have to have the tough political debates in Washington, Moulton said on Bloomberg Radios Sound On March 17. Youre worried about a tough political debate? Try being worried about coming home to your family because youre not sure youre going to survive the night. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Finland and Sweden and European cooperation in a new era STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden's foreign minister said on Thursday he was no longer sure his country would be able to join NATO by July, after fresh signs of objections from Hungary. Sweden applied to join the military alliance after Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year, but Hungary and fellow NATO member Turkey held off from approving the bid. Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said last week that "it goes without saying" Sweden would become a member by the time of a NATO summit in Vilnius in July. But he told TT news agency on Thursday: I have noted the things that have been said in recent days, especially from Hungary's side, and that means you always have reason to alter your words. "I think 'hopeful' in this context is better," he added. A day earlier, a Hungarian government spokesperson said it was holding up Sweden's admission because of "grievances" over Stockholm's past criticism of Prime Minister Viktor Orban's policies. Turkey has accused Sweden of harbouring members of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), considered a terrorist group by Ankara and its Western allies. Relations were worsened by a protest in January near the Turkish embassy in Stockholm at which a far-right politician burned a copy of the Muslim holy book, the Koran. Sweden's government has said it takes Turkey's allegations seriously but added there are some demands, such as extraditing people that Turkey deems harmful, that it cannot meet. Finland applied to join NATO at the same time as Sweden. Its NATO membership was approved by the Hungarian parliament on Monday and is expected to be ratified by Turkey soon. (Reporting by Johan Ahlander; Editing by Andrew Heavens) Ukraine's Defence Intelligence and its partners are monitoring the possible deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus and the situation in Russia itself. Source: Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, citing intelligence representative Andrii Cherniak Quote: "We are monitoring the situation on the territory of Belarus, mainly where Russian units are located [regarding the deployment of nuclear weapons ed.]. We monitor the situation in Russia as well. This is a priority, not only for the Ukrainian special services but also for the international community. Total surveillance." Details: Cherniak says that currently "we are seeing an information campaign on the level of statements and words, nothing more." Cherniak added that this is yet another act of blackmail by the occupiers. Background: On 25 March, Vladimir Putin announced that Russia would deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, and the storage facility for them should be ready by July. NATO called Russia's nuclear rhetoric "dangerous and irresponsible", while the United States said it saw no signs of Russia preparing to use nuclear weapons. Josep Borrel, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, sees the possible deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus as a threat to European security. France called for the cancellation of the agreement on deploying Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. Russias Security Council claimed that Russia has a unique weapon capable of destroying even the US. Belarus claimed that having agreed to the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons on their territory, they have resorted to "forced retaliatory actions" to boost their own security and defence capabilities, which does not contradict the Treaty on Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. US President Joe Biden told reporters he was concerned about Russia's plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in neighbouring Belarus. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! The logo of Stellantis is seen on a company's building in Velizy-Villacoublay near Paris MILAN (Reuters) - Italian metalworkers unions said on Wednesday they had reached an agreement with Stellantis for up to 120 layoffs through voluntary redundancies at the group's Atessa van-making plant in the central Abruzzo region. The workers laid off will all be no more than five years away from retirement age, the unions said in a joint statement. They will receive 90% of their salary in the first two years and 70% in the remaining three years before reaching the pensionable age, thanks to state benefits and those paid by the company. As part of the agreement, the automaker will permanently hire 40 people among those currently working at the Atessa plant under job-leasing contracts, while some 1,000 workers will be given training to acquire skills needed for the energy transition. The deal will be signed in the next few weeks at Italy's Labour Ministry, the unions said. With around 5,000 workers and an annual production capacity of more than 300,000 units, the Atessa factory is the largest van making plant in Europe. Stellantis was not immediately available for comment. (Reporting by Giulio Piovaccari, editing by Gavin Jones) Google has always been a competitive company, which explains why it announced Bard around the same time as Bing's integration with ChatGPT. However, they have not been as successful as the competition, and rumors are circulating as to how Bard was developed. Rumors Say Bard Learned from ChatGPT Google has been accused of using OpenAI's ChatGPT data to train its own AI chatbot through a website called ShareGPT. The allegation is said to have come from a former Google employee, who worked at the company as an AI engineer. Reports say that the former employee named Jacob Devlin disagreed with the method and shared his concerns with Google CEO Sundar Pichai, as well as other senior managers in the Bard team. Shortly after speaking out about the issue, Devlin quit the company. The former Google AI engineer went on to work for the competition, OpenAI. According to The Verge, Devin attempted to warn Google that using ChatGPT's data would violate OpenAI's terms of service. Through a different source, it was mentioned that Google had stopped using the data from ShareGPT after the former Google engineer's warning. Spokesperson Chris Pappas denied the allegation and said that Bar is not trained on any data from ShareGPT or ChatGPT. Instead, Google is reportedly working with DeepMind, a division within the company, to assist the Google Brain team in creating a new initiative called Gemini. This is meant to give the company an advantage with its rivalry with OpenAI. Read Also: Here's Who Has Access to the Google Bard AI For Now Google Bard Google has opened the waitlist over a week ago so people can start using the AI-powered chatbot. While the company did not provide a timetable regarding how long users will have to wait, some say that they received an invitation after just a few hours. The tech giant claims that Bard is capable of helping its users how to write a novel, explain why lightning might strike the same place twice, explain why large language models may make mistakes, create a studio tagline, and more. According to the Bard website, the AI chatbot is an experiment based on the same technology that lets people collaborate with generative AI. Google does admit that since Bard is experimental, it may not provide accurate responses. Although, the company is working on making the AI chatbot better by allowing thousands of testers to try the AI-powered chatbot out, and then provide feedback to determine which aspects need to be improved. Right now, in its early stages, it's still very limited in terms of who can use it. For one, it only understands and uses English. Its users will also need to be over 18 and have their own Google Account that's not managed by a guardian or Google Workspace admin. You can join the waitlist by going to bard.google.com and selecting "Join waitlist." Google may ask for you to sign in to your personal Google Account if you aren't already. Upon selecting "Yes, I'm in," you will immediately be added to the waitlist and will be notified via email. Related: Google Opens Waitlist for Access of Its Chatbot Bard Lindsey Dasher, a Master of Science in counseling student at the University of North Georgia (UNG), wears many hats. Dasher takes classes at UNG's Cumming Campus and online while also being a mom. Stemming from her love and passion for working with animals, Dasher earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia (UGA) in psychology like many zookeepers. She worked with elephants for a short period before transitioning into administrative work. She now works as a bookkeeper for a small accounting firm. While at UGA, she minored in sociology, fascinated by studying why people behave the way they do. Now that she has chosen to return to school, it comes as little surprise she chose counseling. "It's been on my mind and on my heart for a very long time," Dasher said. "I just finally stopped ignoring it and decided to pursue it." After meeting with a professor in the counseling program in January 2020, she felt UNG would be the best place for her. Inspired by her sister who also received an education while being a mom, Dasher learned that it would ultimately be important to manage her priorities. "I'm present when Im with them, and when they're not with me, I focus on school work," said the Guyton, Georgia native. Dasher serves as treasurer for Chi Sigma Iota (CSI), a counseling program fraternity. Being involved in CSI has allowed her to gain more interactions with her professors, which she values. She's also able to feel more connected considering she is a little older than the typical student and has a lot more outside responsibilities. The organization has also been a great venue for giving back to her community as the group partnered with the Women in Technology club to start up a professional clothing closet on UNG's Dahlonega Campus. The act of service was a way for Dasher and her organization to be advocates for her fellow students. Dasher plans to graduate in spring 2024 and work with a private-practice group. While she initially didn't pursue her graduate degree due to a lack of self-confidence, she hopes to advise her peers who may be in the same boat to trust the process. After thinking about her experience, Dasher recalls that the beginning can be frustrating, but shares it will make sense as students keep going. Professors are resources, she said, and encourages her peers to not be shy. Asking questions is key, as other people might have the same questions. Most importantly, she shared that students shouldn't be afraid to share their experiences. "A lot of my classmates say, 'I don't know how you do it,' but we all have the same amount of time in a day," Dasher said. "Use the resources that we have, and know that you are not doing it alone." Student who was patted down each day allegedly shoots 2 staffers at Denver high school A student who was under a "certain agreement to be patted down each day" at school allegedly shot and wounded two school administrators at East High School in Denver, authorities said. The suspect, Austin Lyle, 17, fled the school on Wednesday morning after the shooting, Denver police said. His body was later discovered, officials said. Police searching for the suspect had located his car in Park County, which is located southwest of Denver," officials said Wednesday evening. A male body was found near the vehicle, Park County Sheriff Tom McGraw later said during a press conference. The scene was being processed and the coroner was en route to the scene, McGraw said. The Park County Coroner's Office later confirmed that the body was Lyle's. The handgun used in the shooting has not been recovered as of Wednesday. Police had warned the public to not approach Lyle, calling him armed and dangerous. They said that Lyle, who had been wanted for attempted homicide, may have been be driving a 2005 red Volvo XC90 with Colorado license plate BSCW10. UPDATE: Your #Denver Police Department continues working in conjunction with local, state and federal law enforcement partners to locate the suspect from todays shooting at Denver East High School. Due to the public safety concern that he poses, the Department is identifying pic.twitter.com/RmwO940Qug Denver Police Dept. (@DenverPolice) March 22, 2023 The faculty members were both hospitalized following the shooting. They have been identified by the school district as Eric Sinclair, who remains in serious condition, and Jerald Mason, who was upgraded from serious to good condition. Mason has since been released from the hospital, Denver Health said. The suspected shooter was required to be searched at the beginning of each school day, officials said. He allegedly shot the school administrators as they patted him down Wednesday morning in the school's office area, which officials said is away from other students and staff. Story continues PHOTO: Parents wait for students to be walked out after as shooting at Denver East High School, March 22, 2023, in Denver. (David Zalubowski/AP) MORE: School shooting survivors share their stories 10 years after Sandy Hook The suspect's daily searches were part of a "safety plan" that was a result of "previous behavior," officials said, though they did not elaborate on the previous behavior. East High School was placed on lockdown in the wake of the shooting. Denver Public Schools later said it received clearance to start releasing students. PHOTO: A student, right, hugs a man after a school shooting at East High School, March 22, 2023, in Denver. (David Zalubowski/AP) Last month, East High School students went to a city council meeting to call for action on school safety and gun violence after a 16-year-old student was fatally shot near the school, according to ABC Denver affiliate KMGH. The superintendent said Wednesday that the school will be closed for the rest of this week, and that the building will now have two armed officers present through the end of the school year. Denver Mayor Michael Hancock in a statement said removing school resource officers was a "mistake" and said they should be quickly returned. "We all have to step up as a community and be a part of the solution," he said. Hancock also called on Congress to pass "common sense" gun legislation. "Parents are angry and frustrated, and they have a right to be," he said. "Easy access to guns must be addressed in our country -- Denver cannot do this alone." MORE: 'No one took leadership': A detailed look at the failings in Uvalde school shooting White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Wednesday that the administration's "hearts go out to the families of the two school administrators and in Denver today and to the entire school community." Jean-Pierre noted that President Joe Biden unveiled another executive action aimed at tackling gun violence last week but that "as the president said in the State of the Union, Congress needs to do something." This shooting comes two years to the day after a mass shooting at a King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, that claimed 10 lives. ABC News' Nic Uff and Ahmad Hemingway contributed to this report. Student who was patted down each day allegedly shoots 2 staffers at Denver high school originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Members of K-pop girl group NewJeans pose during a media event at Apple Gangnam, Wednesday. Courtesy of Apple Korea By Dong Sun-hwa Visitors to Apple's new retail shop in Gangnam can enjoy the latest release by K-pop girl group NewJeans, "OMG," in a fully immersive environment for free. The U.S. tech behemoth which will open Apple Gangnam on Friday has joined forces with the quintet to elevate people's audio experience to the next level through its spatial audio technology. This cutting-edge technology provides a sense of space for listeners, making them feel like they are at a concert. "We thought 'OMG' was the right fit for this collaborative project that could maximize synergy with the spatial audio technology," NewJeans member Hanni said during a press event at Apple Gangnam in southern Seoul, Wednesday. "It has bouncy drum sounds and highlights each member's distinctive vocal style. I think it will sound very entertaining thanks to this technology. Listeners can hear different sounds depending on the direction of their heads." Hyein elaborated, "They may feel like NewJeans members are singing in front of them or right next to them." Minji explained that the group wanted to offer a special moment for its fans through the collaboration. "We have received so much love since our debut, which we have always wanted to repay," she said. "That's why we decided to participate in this project, hoping our followers can have a special experience via the spatial audio technology." Haerin added, "The lively sounds will enable them to feel like they are building special rapport with us." Apple Gangnam / Courtesy of Apple Korea Japanese-quality brand originated from Vietnams gio cha (Vietnamese ham & sausage) Vietnamdeli is the passion of CEO/Founder Mori Kazuki and his Vietnamese wife Ms Dang Mai Nhi. It all started when Mai Nhi and her sister were still students in Japan. The two opened a mini supermarket called Little Hanoi in 2015, located near Nagoyas central station, selling foods, spices and vegetables imported from Viet Nam and a few other Asian countries. During their first Tet season, the demand for banh chung (Vietnamese square sticky rice cake) and gio cha rose sharply, but due to the sisters lack of experience, the pre-ordered stock was insufficient to meet such demand. For the second year, they increased the quantity, nevertheless, the suppliers small production capacity failed to deliver both in quantity and quality. Meanwhile, Mr Mori Kazuki has extensive experience in the advertising industry and Food &Beverage business. He founded a company named Food Force to support restaurants. The biggest turning point of the company was his meeting with his future wife Ms Dang Mai Nhi. Thanks to the delicious dishes of his wife, he began to develop a deep love for the cuisine of the S-shaped country. Vietnamdeli was born with a core value of "Vietnamese Taste - Japanese Quality". By applying modern technology and rigorous processing under the supervision of Japanese experts, the products not only ensure food safety and hygiene, but also retain the traditional flavour. The journey to conquer one of the worlds most difficult markets Vietnamdeli's first gio cha factory was launched in 2017 and has since expanded in production scale. The brand is proud to be one of the very few Vietnamese food companies to achieve JFS-B certification on Japanese food safety standards. Currently, only 8% of food companies in Japan hold a JFS certificate. After 6 years of robust development, Vietnamdeli has a distribution system of more than 2,000 agents throughout Japan. Their products such as gio cha, bread, frozen pho/bun bo set, etc. are available at most Asian food stores and supermarkets. The company is in the process of completing paperwork to introduce their products on the shelves of Japans big shopping centres such as Aeon Mall, Matsuzakaya and Donkihote. In addition to distributing food products, Vietnamdeli has also opened a restaurant chain specialising in Vietnamese dishes. Thanks to the harmony of flavours, the brand is becoming more and more popular and pleasing to Japanese diners who are famous for their meticulousness when it comes to cuisine. The chefs use Vietnamdeli products as ingredients for the familiar Vietnamese dishes. For two consecutive years in 2022 and 2023, Vietnamdeli has been listed in "High-Growth Companies Asia - Pacific". During the same 2-year period, the company was Japans market leader in terms of growth in the Food & Beverage category. The ranking is organised by Nikkei (Japan), Financial Times (UK) and Statista (Germany) magazines with the aim of identifying the fastest growing companies in the Asia-Pacific region in all sectors. Vietnamdeli expects 2023 to continue to be a booming year, developing the company into a cultural bridge connecting Viet Nam and Japan through the art of cuisine in celebration of an important milestone which is the 50th anniversary of Viet Nam Japan diplomatic relations. In March this year, together with 36 Vietnamese enterprises, the brand participated in the Foodex Japan 2023 International Fair for the first time and received a lot of attention from many potential business partners. Thanks to their continual efforts, CEO Mori Kazuki and wife Dang Mai Nhi with Vietnamdeli are still on the journey to fulfil their dream of elevating Vietnamese food and bringing Vietnamese cuisine to the tables of Japanese families. HA NOI The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) has instructed credit institutions in the Mekong Delta region to promote lending to rice producers and traders to help them have sufficient capital, especially in the winter-spring harvest in 2023. Under a document issued late last week, the SBV has required the institutions to simplify administrative procedures, shorten the time needed to approve loans, and diversify credit products for the rice industry. The SBV has also asked the institutions to proactively work with businesspeople, enterprises, and producers to identify measures to handle difficulties, creating conditions for customers to gain access to credit for producing, buying, processing, and storing rice for export. Besides, the institutions have also been instructed to promote the implementation of credit policies from the Government and the SBV on boosting agriculture and rural development, including policies relating to loans for rice export activities and preferential credit for certain sectors, including rice. Viet Nams rice exports this year are expected to benefit from many favourable conditions, including high global demand, to reach seven million tonnes. According to the Vietnam Food Association, Viet Nams rice export prices maintained growth in the first two months of this year. The average export price of rice in the period reached US$528.5 per tonne, up 9.86 per cent over the same period in 2022. Rice production for export is mostly in the Mekong Delta while that in other regions is mainly for domestic consumption, said the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD)s Department of Crop Production. Deputy Director of the Can Tho municipal Department of Industry and Trade Tran Minh Kiet said since the beginning of this year, exporters have fulfilled signed contracts and struck new deals. The agreements have been mostly shipping jasmine rice to the Philippines, Ghana, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, and especially the Republic of Korea. With the EU market, under the EVFTA, Viet Nam is granted a quota of 80,000 tonnes, of which 30,000 tonnes are white rice, 30,000 tonnes are fragrant rice, and 20,000 tonnes are brown rice. VNS HA NOI Viet Nam would need VN312.6 trillion (US$13.3 billion) to develop the seaports system by 2030, according to the Ministry of Transport. Specifically, 78 per cent of the capital would be reserved for developing ports and the rest for public maritime infrastructure. By 2024, the focus would be placed on upgrading Cai Mep Thi Vai navigational channel to enable it to serve ships of up to 18,000 TEU, navigational channels for large ships to enter Hau, Van Uc and Chanh rivers. In addition, investment would be poured into developing sea lights in islands and archipelagos under Viet Nams sovereignty and infrastructure for marine safety, building coastal information stations, search and rescue centres and a representative office of Nha Trang Maritime Administration in Truong Sa. By 2030, the investment would focus on the construction of breakwaters at Vung Ang Port (Ha Tinh Province), sand barrier system at Cua Viet and Cua Gianh as well as upgrading Cam Pha, Ba Ngoi, Hon La, Tran e, Diem ien, Van Uc channels. The vessel traffic services (VTS) would be installed for Hon Gai Cai Lan channel and the channel into Hau River. The Ministry of Transport said that it would call for investment into potential ports such as Van Phong and Tran e. By 2030, construction would be started for a port in Nam o Son (Hai Phong) and ports in Cai Mep and Tran e. As of October 2022, there were 296 ports with a total length of 107km (five times the figure of 2000). Viet Nam also established international gateway ports in the northern and southern regions with 34 shipping routes including 11 routes in Asia, three to Europe and 20 to America, only after Malaysia and Singapore. VNS QUANG NINH Indochina Kajima, a joint venture between Indochina Capital and Kajima Corporation (Japan) on Wednesday started construction of the Core5 Quang Ninh project in DEEP C Quang Ninh 2, Quang Yen Economic Zone in the northeastern province of Quang Ninh. The project will deliver a total of 69,000sq.m world-class ready-built industrial space for lease. Handover of the first factories is expected in March 2024. Given its prime and strategic location, Core5 Quang Ninh offers beneficial convenient accessibility to its tenants. The site is only a 2-hour drive to Mong Cai International Border with China, 14 kilometres to Lach Huyen International Deepwater Port, 20 kilometres to Cat Bi International Airport and has direct accessibility to Ha Noi via the Hai Phong Highway. The project provides ready-built factories or lease with terraced design and workshop/warehouse areas ranging from 2,835sq.m up to 18,194sq.m. Each unit will be equipped with the Core5 Vietnam signature curved curtainwall office, necessary utilities, firefighting and protection system in the factory area, dry loading bays, and car plus motorbike parking area. For the first time, Core5 Viet Nam will offer 2-storey factories, often preferred by electronics manufacturers. In addition, Core5 Quang Ninh will feature rooftop solar panels, outdoor areas with health and wellness elements, canteen areas, and as the standard for all projects, water and energy efficient systems following LEED Certified green building design. Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Keisuke Koshijima, Representative Director and Executive Vice President of Kajima Corporation said: Quang Ninh is a core growth engine in the Northern key Economic Region as Viet Nams only province having land and sea borders with China. This province shows great potential for cross-border trade, sea trade and commercial services and will serve as a major regional intermodal hub for the processing, manufacturing, and logistics sectors. Quang Ninh also stands out as a promising destination for FDI investment thanks to its improved investment environment, proven by its 1st ranking in the Provincial Competitiveness Index for five consecutive years (2017-21). The province targets attracting over US$1 billion worth of FDI in 2023. I highly appreciate the vision and commitment of the authorities, and I believe Core5 Quang Ninh will make a positive contribution to support the province to achieve the aforementioned goals. Peter Ryder, CEO of Indochina Capital said: Core5 Quang Ninh will attract tenants looking for high-quality, sustainable and flexible property solutions thanks to its strategic location, unique design and unparalleled international standard services. Given its favourable geographical proximity to Chinas manufacturing hubs, accessibility to modern highways and international deep seaports, the province has attracted large-scale manufacturers such as Jinko Solar, Boltun, Skoda, Stavian and Foxconn, generating the necessary presence of top-tier suppliers for these companies. In addition, our expertise in luxury hospitality for over 20 years and our attention to unique architecture provides a signature look for Core5 Quang Ninh and most importantly, contribute to improving the working environment and tenant cost-savings as well as best-in-class value-added services to ensure the smooth set up and accelerate establishment for our clients. Core5 Vietnam, owned by Indochina kajima is a Viet Nam-based industrial real estate investment and development platform focused on the nationwide roll-out of world-class factory and warehouse properties for lease throughout Viet Nams key manufacturing and logistics markets. VNS HA NOI A short story collection by writer Nguyen Huy Thiep has been translated and released in South Korea two years after he passed away. The collection comprises 15 short stories translated into Korean by Kim Joo-young with financial support from Dae San Culture Fund. Literature and Knowledge Publishing House issued the 462-page collection. "My father always wanted his works to be translated into different languages," said the writer's son, Nguyen Bach. "Kim talked with my father to translate his works into Korean and about the copyright as well when he was alive. The publishing house presented six books to my family." The stories are Tuong Ve Huu (The General Retires); Sang Song (Crossing The River); Nhung Ngon Gio Hua Tat (The Winds of Hua Tat); Muoi Cua Rung (The Salt of Jungle) and Con Gai Thuy Than (The Water Gods Daughter). The General Retires is Thiep's most popular. It has been translated into numerous languages, including English, German, Italian and French. It was also made into a movie. In 1989, the story was published in Les Temps Moderness magazine. Then Editions de l'Aube Publisher has chosen Thiep's works to print since 1990. The writer released 50 short stories, ten plays, four novels, and numerous critical essays. He won several awards, including the Ha Noi Writers Association Award, the Art and Literature Medal by the French Government and Italian Premio Nonino Literature Award. He was one of the first Vietnamese authors whose works focusing on the American War and its aftermath have been translated into English and released in the US. Nguyen Huy Thiep (1950-2021) is a representative of Vietnamese modern literature who writes short sentences on repression. His works are controversial books to reflect people in modern life, according to the introduction by the publishing house. VNS HCM CITY HCM City launched its first ever Viet Nam Banh Mi (Vietnamese Sandwich) Festival yesterday at District 1s Youth Cultural House, in order to promote the traditional dish to locals and tourists. The first of its kind in Viet Nam, the event features 120 stalls from leading bakeries, restaurants and food suppliers from around the country, as well as foreign businesses. It is expected to attract around 50,000 people to enjoy the famous dish and learn about its history. Visitors can browse and enjoy a wide variety of Vietnamese banh mi with many types of fillings, including vegetarian, as well as other baked goods and sweets. uc Anh, 21, arrived early and told Viet Nam News that he really enjoyed the atmosphere of the festival. He said: Banh mi has been an essential part of my life, along with pho (beef noodle soup) and bun bo Hue (Hue beef noodle soup). Pho usually takes the spotlight while banh mi seems to be too humble. The festival provides great opportunities for banh mi to shine through. Visitor Thu Thao, 27, added that she initially knew of the festival via a Facebook post. The scale of the event amazes me! I will definitely bring some of my foreign friends to enjoy the Vietnamese signature dish later, she said. German national Lothar Schreiner added: "We love bread, so we love sandwiches. In Viet Nam, banh mi is very delicious and everybody loves it, me too." In addition to food-related activities, there are also musical performances, a conference on the history and development of banh mi and an award ceremony to honour top, long-standing bakery brands which have been established for more than 50 years in Viet Nam as well as other exhibition events. The festival is being organised by the HCM City Tourism Association and the citys Department of Tourism, and runs until the end of April 2. Tran Thanh Huy, a member of the organising board, said: "Through this festival, the organisers want to expand the value of banh mi to spread to international friends. From there, they know more about Viet Nam and facilitate tourism to thrive after a long time of being restricted by the COVID-19 pandemic. "Through this programme, young people can start a business to make new and more diverse types of bread." Over the years, Vietnamese banh mi has been gaining popularity among international visitors as one of Viet Nams signature dishes and was even recognised in the Oxford English Dictionary in 2011. VNS By Thu Hien For the past 21 years, each month a Japanese man spends some two weeks in Lo Lo Chai, a remote village in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang, becoming a familiar friend to many members of the Lo Lo ethnic minority group. Visiting Viet Nam for the first time in 1995, spending one week in HCM City and Can Tho, Yasushi Ogura was immediately lured by friendly Vietnamese people. Since 2002, he has returned every month and decided to learn Vietnamese to ease his travel throughout the country. Since 2002, he has often visited Ha Giang, which hosts spectacular landscapes and diverse cultures of 22 ethnic groups. He flies from Tokyo to Noi Bai, takes two car trips and a xe om to Lo Lo Chai. He sometimes travels by bike around the area. It takes some three hours for a local to travel by bicycle from ong Van to Lung Cu, but he needs some four hours as he has to walk the bicycle on sloppy roads. Travelling by bicycle is very slow here, he said. But we can admire the scenery along the road, especially in spring with lots of flowers." The most exciting part of the bicycle trip is that you go up and down the slopes. Its cool with fresh air. I have met many young Vietnamese and foreign people. All of them encourage me to go on. I feel very happy," he said. Traveller Tran Tan, who met Ogura once along his Ha Giang trip, said he was impressed with the strong will of the Japanese. "I was taking a rest by a field of buckwheat flowers, Tan said. I saw him riding a bicycle from Lung Cu to ong Van. He was walking with his bicycle along the slope. I admired him very much as I have seen no one travelling by bicycle in that area, let alone a foreign elder. Not visiting the area only for fun, Oruga has assisted locals to do business as well. He has spent his savings to set up a cafe named Cuc Bac (North Pole) in the area and let a local family run it. The cafe has been a popular resting place for visitors to Lo Lo Chai, Lung Cu Commune, ong Van District. The cafe was set up in a trinh tuong house made from clay and stone with a wooden gate. Visitors can ring a bell to order a drink, and watch local women weaving cloth and make wine. They can speak to locals while feasting their eyes on a mesmerizing landscape. If they know how to combine traditional cultural values and architecture, Lo Lo people will succeed, he said. The Japanese enthusiast has wandered from house to house to consult locals on how to communicate with guests, arrange dishes in a meal, and move cattle away from homes to ensure hygiene and a good landscape. He has even given them the necessary budget to do the task. Ogura said community tourism will be a good solution to improve locals living standards in a province with lots of natural resources and rich cultures. A reason why I chose the Lo Lo people to help as they are very friendly, are able to speak the Kinh majority language very well, while Mong people cannot, he said. More over, there are many ancient trinh tuong houses in the area. Oruga said he wants locals to protect their traditional culture and ancient houses; otherwise they will lose them forever. I hope the cafe will be a tourism destination, where locals can introduce their culture to visitors, he said. Oruga admitted that it is challenging to preserve traditional culture in modern life, when people tend to follow a modern lifestyle and build new houses. I have told them again and again that no more visitors will come if there is no traditional culture, he said. The cafe and homestay service can bring along profit to the owners. But its not enough if some families get wealthier. They should do something to lure more guests to the village so that the whole village can get more income. I have encouraged them to sell more corn wine, handicraft products and agricultural products. Among the four districts of Ha Giang - namely Quan Ba, Yen Minh, ong Van and Meo Vac - Oruga said he likes the spectacular karst mountain in ong Van the most. In each district, there are so many attractive destinations that visitors cannot have enough time to stop at every destination if they have only one or two days in the area, he said. Oruga noted that local authorities and people have not been aware of protecting natural and cultural resources. Localities are trying their best to implement mass scale tourism projects and modern recreational centres, which help lure more guests but, at the same time, destroy local nature and culture. When the nature and culture are lost, guests will no longer come, he said. Oruga suggested provinces should have detailed plans for areas that need protection, limit building high rises and strictly follow those plans. Another issue is that there are more people from cities involved in tourism services rather than locals, he said. In the meantime, only locals can introduce their culture to visitors. It means that concerned agencies should train tourism service skills to locals and offer other support to boost up local community-based tourism, he said. VNS HA NOI Viet Nam has emerged as one of Malaysias closest partners over the years, both economically and socially, Malaysian Ambassador to Viet Nam Dato Tan Yang Thai has said. In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Viet Nam Malaysia diplomatic ties (March 30, 1973 March 30, 2023), the diplomat also said the two countries entered into a strategic partnership in 2015, adding that in implementing the Plan of Action (POA) for the 2021-25 period, both countries are further strengthening bilateral relations and have reaped tremendous benefits. Two-way trade turnover reached some US$19.4 billion in 2022, a 16 per cent increase compared to 2021. Viet Nam was Malaysias 12th-largest trading partner last year and fourth-largest in ASEAN, after Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand. Malaysia and Viet Nam should take full advantage of bilateral and multilateral initiatives to boost trade, such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the diplomat said. Regarding investment relations, he said Viet Nam remains one of the most attractive destinations for foreign investors. With a thriving economy, the volume of foreign direct investment (FDI) into Viet Nam has been constantly increasing over recent years. Malaysian investors are also keen on future cooperation with Vietnamese partners in fields with substantial potential, such as agriculture and aquaculture, halal products, processed food, and electronic products and components, which are among the fields Malaysia will be focusing on moving forward. The sound relationship between Malaysia and Viet Nam is also apparent in other fields, the ambassador added. Malaysia is pleased that cooperation in defence and security between the two countries is advancing well, he said, emphasising that his country looks forward to the renewal of the bilateral Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation which expired in 2018. This will enable a more focused and structured framework between the two sides and strengthen the bilateral relationship and contribute to regional security and stability, he said. Both countries are also committed to enhancing regional peace and stability through their active participation in ASEAN and other regional organisations, he added. Malaysia, which will be Chair of ASEAN in 2025, is offering Viet Nam and several other ASEAN members participation in the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP). This is part of the Malaysian Governments commitment to the promotion of technical cooperation among developing countries, strengthening regional and sub-regional cooperation and nurturing collective self-reliance in developing countries. Since 1973, the relationship between Malaysia and Viet Nam has grown stronger, and I am optimistic that it will continue to expand given the many bilateral and regional endeavours both countries are undertaking, the ambassador concluded. Stronger labour collaboration Regarding labour, Malaysia still remains one of the top markets for Vietnamese unskilled workers after Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Taiwan (China), head of the Vietnamese Embassy's labour management department in Malaysia Thai Phuc Thanh has said. According to Thanh, labour cooperation between Viet Nam and Malaysia has developed continuously and substantively. The two governments in 2003 signed the first cooperation agreement in sending Vietnamese labourers to Malaysia, which was re-inked in 2015, and 2022 in the framework of the official visit to Viet Nam of then Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob. Labour cooperation is always touched upon in most of the high-level meetings between the two countries, and closely linked to the interests of workers, businesses and development goals of each country. It is not only bilateral cooperation but also within the framework of ASEAN cooperation, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and trade agreements that both sides have joined. Thanh highlighted the great benefits brought about by labour cooperation agreements between the two countries, saying that these deals have helped create jobs and incomes for hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese workers. Official statistics show that there are over 12,300 Vietnamese labourers working in Malaysia. The total earnings of Vietnamese workers in Malaysia in the 2010-20 period was estimated at about US$1.5 billion. He said that Malaysia is considered an "easy" labour market suitable for almost unskilled rural labourers of Viet Nam. Vietnamese workers have the opportunity to work in almost all industries in Malaysia such as manufacturing, mechanical engineering, textiles, construction, services, and agriculture. Labour cooperation has also contributed to expanding economic, trade, tourism and investment cooperation between the two countries, he went on. To effectively exploit the potential of labour cooperation between the two countries, it is necessary to create favourable conditions for workers to travel, reside and work legally, and further develop the segment of skilled and highly-qualified labour market, Thanh said. VNS HA NOI President Vo Van Thuong on Wednesday praised Ha Nois efforts over the past decade in national defence, Party building and maintaining public security. Speaking at the conference on defence strategies to defend the fatherland held by the Ha Noi Party Committee, President Thuong said that the capital city had successfully cooperated with the whole political system for national unity in building national defence and the people's security. Ha Noi has closely combined economic growth and social justice, ensuring social security, taking care of the people's material and spiritual life, especially for the poor, and enhancing external activities. President Thuong emphasised that Ha Noi had actively implemented Resolution 8 of the 11th tenure Party Central Committee in the past ten years with remarkable results and progress. The city has maintained stable security, markedly reducing serious crimes. It ensured absolute safety for important political events of the Party and State, contributing to comprehensive socio-economic and political improvement. Emphasising that Ha Noi is the heart of the whole country, where the Central Partys and State agencies headquarters are located, the President assessed that Ha Noi had an important strategic position, directly affecting national construction and defence. He suggested the Ha Noi Party Committee concretise and strictly implement the view of: "Economy is the focus; Party building is the key work; cultural development is the spiritual foundation; ensuring national defence and security is important and regular duty. The President called on the capital to raise awareness among officials, Party members and people about building and protecting the country and the capital. The city must combine socio-economic development with ensuring the Party's ideology and internal politics. He asked Ha Noi to maintain political security, social order and safety, and proactively detect and prevent all kinds of crimes. It should also closely coordinate with ministries and central government departments to promote the synergy of the political system and the people in building the all-people national defence. He requires the capital city to closely combine national defence and security with the economy, culture, society and foreign affairs and pay attention to economic security. Economic, cultural and social development must synchronous, he said. The President asked Ha Noi to implement well policies of caring for people with meritorious services to the nation and build and develop the capital's human culture commensurate with the cultural tradition of Thang Long-Ha Noi. Ha Noi should improve the work of building the Party and the political system, stepping up the fight against corruption, and promoting external activities, including defence and security diplomacy and people's diplomacy. Politburo member and Secretary of the Ha Noi Party Committee inh Tien Dung, on behalf of the municipal Party Committee and people, welcomed the Presidents direction. He said the capital city is determined to promote the achieved results, uphold the will, take a pioneering role, and implement the national defence strategy more effectively. VNS Visitors take a look at the unfolded "Daedongyeojido," a map of the Korean Peninsula from the 19th century, at the National Palace Museum of Korea, central Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap By Kwak Yeon-soo A rare map of the Korean Peninsula from the 19th century has been returned to Korea from Japan. The Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) on Thursday unveiled "Daedongyeojido," which was previously owned by a Japanese collector. Officials of the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation flew to the country to check the condition of the relic and negotiate a deal for its return. In March, the Korean government purchased it with lottery funds and brought it back to Korea. Its price was not disclosed, citing confidentiality reasons. "Daedongyeojido," translated as "territorial map of the Great East," was first made by cartographer and geographer Kim Jeong-ho in 1861 during the 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom. It was republished in 1864 in the form of 22 foldable booklets. The map was significant for its time, as it was one of the first attempts at a comprehensive mapping of Korea, having captured all the administrative divisions, physical features and villages of the country in great detail. The returned map is a woodblock-printed edition produced in 1864. It is colored and contains "gapil," or hand-written revisions. It contains geographical information from "Dongyeodo," another atlas that features geographical information on Joseon-era Korea including 1,800 traffic routes, military facilities and names of locations. Unlike Dongyeodo, translated as "atlas of the Eastern State," Daedongyeojido omits many names of places and territories due to the difficulties involved in carving woodblocks. The returned "Daedongyeojido" edition consists of a total of 23 folded booklets (22 booklets of maps and one for the list of maps) / Courtesy of Cultural Heritage Administration The edition returned from Japan is the first known example that compensates for the limitations of the woodblock-printed Daedongyeojido by transcribing the annotations from Dongyeodo. "The repatriated Daedongyeojido presents a different format and contents compared to other editions in Korean collections, so its return from Japan carries significance," a CHA official said. This Daedongyeojido edition consists of 23 booklets 22 for maps and one for the list of maps. The format follows that of Dongyeodo. Visitors take a look at the unfolded "Daedongyeojido," a map of the Korean Peninsula from the 19th century, at the National Palace Museum of Korea in central Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap SEOUL Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Han Duck-soo hosted a reception in Seoul on Wednesday for Vietnamese Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang, who is on an official visit to the RoK at an invitation of his Korean counterpart Lee Jong-sup. Han said the visit holds special significance as the two countries just upgraded their relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership last December. He stressed that his country considers Viet Nam one of its most important partners in the region and hopes to expand bilateral relations in diplomacy and economics while continuing to strengthen defence ties, particularly in the defence industry. He also proposed the Vietnamese Government support the RoK in hosting the Busan Expo 2030. For his part, General Giang said that Viet Nam always treasures its all-around cooperation with the RoK. Informing the host of the outcomes of his talks with his Korean counterpart, Giang said that the two sides had agreed on measures to step up further defence cooperation to be commensurate with the bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The Vietnamese minister expressed his hope that the Government and relevant agencies of the RoK will help Viet Nam address post-war consequences. He also said he hopes PM Han will continue to support the two defence ministries substantive and effective collaboration. During his stay in the East Asian nation, General Giang also visited the Hanwha Group. Earlier, he held talks with RoK counterpart Lee Jong-sup where the two discussed the growing bilateral cooperation in areas like the defence industry, maritime security, and mutual consultation at regional and global forums. VNS TRA VINH The long coast of the country is an advantage for clam farmers expanding exports, especially deep-water clam farmers. Vietnamese clams, especially white clams, have great competitiveness in the world market because clam farms have been developed in many provinces in coastal areas. Vietnamese white clams can be processed into more products than other clams in the world. So, deep-water clam farming is a great opportunity for Viet Nam. According to statistics by the Fishery Department, Viet Nam currently has over 41,500ha of molluscs, mainly bivalve molluscs, with an output of about 265,000 tonnes per year, of which, the output of clams reaches 179,000 tonnes per year. The mollusk farming value chain creates about 200,000 jobs. The international market demand for shellfish is very high. However, the clam harvest in Viet Nam has not yet met the orders from Europe. With the current strengths of Vietnamese clams, the clam farming, processing and exporting industry needs a quality-focused direction to meet the standards of the importing markets. Le Thanh Luu, director of the International Collaborating Centre for Aquaculture and Fisheries Sustainability (ICAFIS), said that in order to develop the clam industry, it is necessary to develop certification according to Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) standards. This is an international certification for responsible aquaculture that minimise adverse effects on the environment, ecosystem and community, and ensures good regulations on labour, Luu said. In addition, the development of deep-water clam farming will contribute to creating quality clams as desired by the market, Luu said. Today's modern mechanised technology, which is convenient for harvesting and monitoring deep-water clam farming, will open up a large area for clam farming in Viet Nam, he said. Huynh Hoang Thanh, director of Long Thanh Agricultural Co-operative, an ASC certified unit in Chau Thanh District of Tra Vinh Province, said that achieving ASC certification has opened many great opportunities for his business. The certified clam production and care process is more secure and professional, meeting the needs of both domestic and international markets, Thanh said. Thereby, clam farming as per ASC standards helps the cooperatives members have many opportunities to expand the market and attract many clients while the cooperative can actively control output in production and increase the value of clam products, the director said. In deep-water clam raising, shifting from single fishing to co-operative production has helped small producers apply technical innovations that require more investment resources but bring higher output values, such as clam breeding conservation techniques, deep-water clam farming and exploitation, and cleaning and sorting before packing, Luu said. Co-operatives also have more advantages with designing their own clam brands and packaging, helping proactively access to the market compared to the past when households only sold harvested clams to traders, he said. According to Tran Thanh Dung, deputy director of Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tra Vinh Province, to develop the white clam industry in the long term, the province has transferred the technology of clam breeding production and rearing to the co-operatives and strengthened monitoring and warnings to identify safe farming areas as well. Moreover, the province has also improved trade promotion activities, market research and a system of providing market information to clam farmers. Fishery departments have actively updated market information, including prices, output and demand through the mass media as well as enhanced linkages so that co-operatives and farmers have a stable and reasonable supply of breeds and outlets, Dung said. By the end of last year, Vietnamese clams were present in 56 international markets, including the six big markets of Europe, the US, Japan, Korea, ASEAN and China. In the first three months of this year, the export turnover of clams reached about US$30 million. With this market potential, the clam industry sets itself a path to overcome market challenges and achieve long-term stability, said Luu. VNS HA NOI As summer approaches in Ha Noi and the risk of residential fires looms large, many households are operating home-based production facilities that are still not equipped with essential fire prevention and fighting equipment such as fire extinguishers, alarms, lights, or emergency exits. The use of electrical equipment and fire sources without proper care also increases the likelihood of fire and explosions. To mitigate these risks and equip locals with the skills and knowledge needed to handle fires, district authorities in Ha Noi have been providing citizens with training on fire prevention and fighting. Last weekend, police in Hang Trong Ward, Hoan Kiem District, instructed residents on basic skills needed in the event of a fire or explosion and how to use common firefighting tools. Photos of firefighters in action were also displayed for residents and tourists to understand better and share the hardships and dangers of firefighters at work. People see the terrible damage to human life and property when a fire occurs, so people are more aware of fire prevention in families and residential areas, said Anh Ha at the photo exhibition. On Monday, Ha ong District's police trained about 2,500 members of fire prevention teams from 17 wards. They heard about the causes of fires and explosions, such as electric shocks, gas, alcohol, and burning incense. Based on practical lessons, the lecturers have given measures to handle fire situations and appropriate escape measures for each case. To help listeners understand, Thach That District's police coordinated with a local enterprise to organise fire prevention and a fire fighting contest for workers. The competition included running, extinguishing simulated fires, saving lives, and using water cannons. Many workers obtained proficient skills in extinguishing fires and saving people quickly. Nguyen Thi Lan Anh, a female worker, said: "Through the training, we know the 'golden time' to stamp fire is not more than five minutes after the fire breaks out." "Raising awareness among workers in factories and enterprises about fire-fighting skills is very important." Nguyen Manh Hoa, a resident of Mo Lao Ward, Ha ong District, said that through training and drills, they understood the new regulations on fire prevention and fighting, were trained how to use fire-fighting equipment and how to handle fires when they occur. Hai Ba Trung District has established models of fire prevention and fighting in residential areas that are operating effectively, such as public fire-fighting points and rescue groups. These models have helped raise people's awareness of fire prevention and fighting. Hai Ba Trung District authorities hope that each household will be equipped with at least one fire extinguisher and have at least one person trained in fire-fighting and rescue skills. All 217 residential groups of Ba inh District have established civil fire-fighting teams. Deputy Chairman of Ba inh District People's Committee Nguyen Trung Dung said according to preliminary statistics, the majority of fires are detected and handled by local people before they cause significant damage to life or property. This shows that grass-roots firefighting models have proved their effectiveness by equipping people with basic skills, according to Dung. Ha Noi authorities identified fire prevention and fighting as important to socio-economic development. Le Hong Son, Permanent Deputy Chairman of the city People's Committee, said it will be the responsibility of heads of the district and ward authorities if the facilities with a high risk of fire and explosion still operate. VNS The world of fantasy literature has seen amazing works such as Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter and Twilight, but experts say very few Vietnamese writers are interested in the genre, which is relatively new to them. Seeing the vast potential for sales that promise many opportunities for fantasy writing talent to develop, some young writers have moved into the field and had initial success, but more efforts are needed to attract more readers. "This market has been built before thanks to many world-famous fantasy books imported, translated and published in Viet Nam. It is from this background that readers started to pay attention to Vietnamese fantasy works, the Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper quoted Khuc Thi Hoa Phuong, director of Women's Publishing House, as saying. "However, the number of writers interested in this genre of literature in the country is unable to meet demand. The number of authors of the nineties generation, including those for fantasy, is still too small, and their works sporadic," she said. "It is our desire that fantasy writing will not only be expanded, but also attract writers with in-depth works. It means that the writers not only invest in a methodical one or two books, or a series of stories, but stick their whole life to writing them. By doing that, this new types of books will develop in a professional direction." Fantasy is a literary genre that opens up endless fiction with stories about the supernatural, magic or things only in the imagination. For the past 10 years, a limited number of young Vietnamese authors have boldly experimented with the style. Among such writers are Nguyen Nhat Anh with the series Chuyen xu Lang Biang (The Story of Lang Biang) and Phan Hon Nhien with Nhung oi Mat Lanh (Cold Eyes) and Chuoi hat Azoth (Azoth Beads). Some fantasy books have won prizes for young writers, such as UREM - Nguoi ang mo (UREM -The Dreamer) and Yagon - Nhung Ke Vo Cam (Yagon - the Emotionless) by Pham Ba Diep, and Nguoi Ngu Thue (The Sleeper) by Nhat Phi. Recently, Nguyen inh Tu, a writer specialising in detective novels, has also tried his hand at the fantasy genre with the novel Bai San (Hunting Ground). Publishers claim young readers have a taste for fantasy, so they have launched several writing contests to stir up interest and encourage authors to try the genre. But lift-off has been limited. According to Pham Ba Diep, part of the reason is that there are not many veteran writers interested in fantasy, while the younger ones do not have much experience, and their writing skills are not strong enough. Moreover, some publishers do not dare to risk investing in fantasy works, preferring love stories, which are seen as a safe bet, Diep said. Some publishers claim that not even professional writers in the country can meet the standards of a fantasy series that needs to be written in a long-form imaginative way with a logical, tight and clearly built universe. Vietnamese fantasy literature Vietnamese literature in the early 20th century saw many outstanding achievements in which fantasy writing flourished with authors and works such as The Lu with Vang va Mau (Gold and Blood); TchyA with Than Ho (God of Tiger) and Lan Khai with Truyen uong Rung (The Tale of Forest), which are among the best and earliest written fantasy books in modern Vietnamese literature. The period was a significant era for the country's modern literature, and fantasy at that time attracted great attention from readers and critics. In newspapers, fantasy stories were in instalments and much-welcomed by the public. Speaking on a talk show held recently by the Kim ong Publishing House to highlight the beauty of Vietnamese fantasy literature, Nguyen Thi Nam Hoang, a literary expert, said fantasy was a reflection of reality. "Literature always has its own explanation, making people more mature. Each fantasy writer of each period of time offers a unique experience. Lan Khai offers a story within a story. TchyA is a source of highly philosophical material, while The Lu brings out the poetic beauty of the mountains and taking journeys. Each brings their own atmosphere, customs and traditions," Hoang said. "Through the works we see magic and mysterious scenes, but they are also very real. Each work is a vivid and rich picture of nature." Meanwhile, writer Di Li said these works could most accurately be described as horror fantasy literature. According to Li, contemporary literature has lost its atmosphere because we no longer have "forests" to store the legends. "People have destroyed the very places where legends are kept. In fantasy works by The Lu, Lan Khai and TchyA, the writing style is a bit old but still attractive and lures readers. Fantasy literature has always been popular because it opens the imagination for readers to travel through the pages of a book," he said. "Readers are still looking forward to welcoming Vietnamese fantasy series that are more elaborately invested and attractive. However, the journey for fantasy books to find a stand and to conquer readers is still arduous and challenging." VNS Vietnam International Travel Mart Hanoi 2023 (VITM Hanoi 2023) will offer 10,000 promotional tours and gifts to attract domestic and foreign visitors. The VITM Hanoi 2023 is expected to welcome more than 60,000 visitors. Photo: VNA It is estimated that more than 60,000 visitors will attend the four-day event. As of late March, 600 exhibitors from 60 Vietnamese cities, provinces, and 15 countries and territories had registered to set up 450 booths at VITM. Vu The Binh, chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association, said at the fair's press conference on March 28 that the event, themed "Cultural Tourism," aims to encourage travel companies to develop new products linked to cultural values and heritage, thereby contributing to the development of the cultural industry and bringing Vietnamese culture to the world. He said the fair would also increase travel links between domestic and foreign tourism enterprises through a series of activities, including a forum on "Development of Cultural Tourism in Vietnam," a seminar on "Reduction of Plastic Waste in Tourism," outbound promotion programs between Vietnam and Taiwan (China), Nepal, and Indonesia, and inbound programs showcasing the Bac Giang - Moc Chau route, cultural tourism attractions in Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, and Thai Nguyen provinces. Last year, more than 500 representatives from government agencies, hospitality companies, travel agencies, and others attended VITM Hanoi 2022, held under the theme "New Normal - New Opportunities for Vietnam Tourism." Hanoi Times What is the role of banks in green growth? Banks will have a crucial role in driving green growth in Vietnam. One of the main roles will be enabling project financing. Billions of dollars worth of investments will flow into the renewable energy sector over the next few years. Banks will help facilitate that flow. This is critical moving forward. Over the past five years, Vietnam has issued $220230 million of green bonds. On a cumulative basis, three other countries, namely Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia, have issued over $40 billion of green bonds in the same period. The issuance of those bonds is done by banks. What we've observed in these countries is the setup of a clear regulatory framework that provides the ability to issue those bonds on a larger scale. This has not been at the top of the list of priorities for banks in Vietnam, which are focusing on other essential things. What can the Vietnamese banking sector do to accelerate green growth? I think it needs to be part of the priority and strategic agenda of banks moving forward. This means that they will have to build and structure their approach to financing green projects. This will lead to building more ties and relationships with other stakeholders as part of that financial ecosystem, whether those are international banks or investors. Banks should also build capabilities in credit scoring and risk management. A few large banks in Vietnam have a strong focus on green financing. What we've observed in other countries is that when banks start doing green financing at scale, they increase their share in the portfolio rapidly. We've seen this happen in Indonesia, for example, where one bank started to issue green bonds and the project really took off. What opportunities can Vietnamese banks tap into? Besides project financing, there are also additional areas for banks, such as capital markets linked to environmental, social, and corporate governance. In terms of transaction banking, this involves trade finance and how big corporations transact with small- and medium-sized enterprises, and how these transactions are financed by banks. The overall opportunity for banks lies in what we call revenue pools. This could generate banking revenues of $1.7 billion if Vietnamese banks could embrace this area. Looking at the entire potential of green financing, Vietnamese banks can benefit greatly. It's not only something they need to do for environmental reasons, but it's also something that could benefit them from a revenue perspective. Furthermore, the green transition is also leading to innovation within the banking sector, with new products and services in both retail and corporate banking. What are your recommendations for Vietnam to achieve its net-zero target by 2050? It is feasible to achieve net-zero with current technology, but without digital and technical innovation, progress will be slower and more costly. Vietnam can leapfrog in three greentech "game-changer" markets: renewable power, green-tech clusters and cutting-edge green fuels. Among them, renewable power is the foundation for green industrial clusters and green hydrogen. Accordingly, renewable power maximises current cutting edge clean-tech advances, and digital tools which unlock efficient grids, to provide clean power for Vietnam. Vietnam has unique competitive advantages in renewables. Meanwhile, green tech clusters scale up existing industrial hubs by transitioning established industries into greentech industries (e.g., data centers, green hydrogen, and green commodities based on high-tech manufacturing processes). Finally, alternate and green fuels produce green hydrogen or ammonia for both domestic use and export to East Asian countries (China, South Korea, and Japan), using electrolyser technology. vir Vietnam is the world's second largest coffee exporter, but its impact on the world coffee market is not commensurate with its position, experts say. In recent years, Vietnam has become the second largest coffee supplier in the world. Especially for Robusta, Vietnam provides up to 40% of global supply. However, Vietnam has not taken full advantage of the current position to affirm Vietnamese coffees importance in the global coffee supply chain. In 2023, the price of Robusta traded on the ICE London, started to rise when Vietnam was the only large supply available in the market. However, Vietnamese coffee farmers reduced sales before and during the Lunar New Year, which caused a sharp drop in exports during this time. According to statistics from the Vietnam General Department of Customs, Vietnams coffee exports in January were 160,000 tons, down nearly 40% compared to the same period in 2022. This is considered the main reason for the increase of Robusta prices, which also proves the role of Vietnam in the global Robusta market. However, this importance only comes from the volume of Vietnamese coffee, not the added value. Vietnam currently has no coffee brands in the worlds top 10 major coffee brands. Vietnam mainly exports unprocessed coffee bean, with low added value. The country needs to shift from exporting raw bean coffees to processed coffee products, experts says. This change will not only help Vietnam's coffee industry raise the export value, but also build the sustainable development. The expansion of coffee growing area to increase export value is no longer a priority because many countries, especially European nations, have enacted a ban on coffee imports related to deforestation. In addition, adding cultural values to coffee products to make Vietnamese coffee special is also a solution. In addition to boosting exports, it is extremely important to exploit the domestic market. With nearly 100 million people, over 300,000 coffee shops with an annual growth rate of about 2% in the period of 2016-2022, the demand for coffee of the Vietnamese market is huge. Moreover, coffee consumption per capita in Vietnam is still at a very low level, only 2kg/person/year, compared to 5.8 kg/person/year of Brazil, 4.2kg of the US and 12kg of Finland. The average rate of domestic coffee consumption was only about 10% in the past 10 years, much lower than that of major exporting countries like Brazil and Indonesia, with 25-30% of coffee output. This shows the great potential of the local coffee market. In the context that the international market is experiencing great fluctuations in coffee consumption due to concerns about a large-scale economic recession, stricter requirements of importing markets, prioritizing the domestic market will help Vietnam's coffee industry to be more stable against the turbulence of the international market. Source: VietNamNet Global Western sanctions have hit Vietnam's exports to Russia, causing a drop of nearly 60% year-on-year, Vietnamese media reported, referring to the data provided by the Vietnam Trade Office in Russia. Vietnam's exports to Russia fell by almost 60% year-on-year, Vietnamese newspaper VnExpress reported. Exports of iron and steel, footwear and electronics nearly stopped, while agriculture fell by 20-50%, the report said. The only product groups showing a rise in exports were rubber, garments and coffee, according to the media. Western sanctions have limited Russia's trade with other countries, including Vietnam, the media reported, adding that the suspension of the operation of major shipping firms and airlines in Russia further complicated Vietnam's export capabilities. However, the Vietnam Trade Office in Russia noticed that Russian companies were increasingly interested in establishing partnerships with Vietnamese business, the report said. In July 2022, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Vietnamese businesses were also interested in the further development of economic and investment cooperation with Russian companies, including in the energy sector, regardless of the pandemic and the sanctions. Source: UrduPoint Network 2023 WSIC Transforms Taiwan into an Exporter of Smart Applications TAIPEI, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2023 World System Integrator Conference (WSIC) was hosted by the Administration for Digital Industries (adi), Ministry of Digital Affairs (moda), at the Nangang Exhibition Center, Hall 2, on March 29 (Wednesday). The Deputy Director-General of the Administration for Digital Industries (adi), Jiunn-Shiow Lin, and Brian Shen, Chairman of the Asian-Oceanian Computing Industry Organization ( ASOCIO), delivered opening speeches. More than 150 executives from digital applications firms, directors of industry associations, and members of delegations from around the world attended the event. This year's event, themed "Digital Transformations Make Technology Symphony" and with a focus on two key topics, Digital Technology and Applications to Promote Global Sustainable Development and Digital Transformations to Strengthen International Partnerships and Collaborations, aims to explore the opportunities presented by the export of digital solutions for smart cities in a move to keep up with the emerging trends in the global digital sector. Industry representatives from Thailand and Vietnam were invited to witness the signing of six memoranda of understanding (MOUs), among them: JGB Smart Property who will provide advisory services to Philippines-based Meta Capital and Thailand-based SIC Property Services, both of whom will build efficiency-optimized smart property management systems, Eupfin Technology who will collaborate with Philippines-based Sky Movement to develop and implement logistics fleet management systems in the country's industrial zones, Mayo who will install cloud-based human resources systems in the offices and factories of several of Vietnam's high-end electronics makers, Pakingtek and Singapore's Ochlos System who will join hands to build a smart parking and electric charging system, and Shaku Technology who will partner with Philippines-based Klikit Pte Ltd. to create an IPaaS integration platform. In his speech at the conference, Mr. Lin noted that in the digital era, digital technology will continue to play a crucial role as a catalyst for innovation across all industries and as a key component in accomplishing sustainable development goals. Digital integration can connect various technologies and sectors to form a new ecosystem that has a greater positive impact on society and the economy. By assisting with media relations and business negotiations, launching international marketing initiatives, hosting thematic industry forums, and becoming involved in overseas demonstration projects, the Administration will facilitate local digital solution providers' efforts in making their digitalization capabilities available in overseas markets and in growing their business footprint internationally. The signing of six MOUs serves as yet another example of the island's success in exporting digital solutions to global markets and emphasizes the significance of the Administration's role in fostering digital applications. The conference welcomed ASOCIO members, as well as manufacturers located in Taiwan and the UK, to examine and elaborate on smart living, smart mobility, and data applications. Experts from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) were also invited to share their perspectives on the design and planning of digital resources for regional development, while meetings were arranged between leading local providers of digital solutions and Thai and Vietnamese industry organizations during which they discussed the intelligence needs and solutions of their respective nations. WSIC serves as a forum for collaboration on the export of digital technology applications from Taiwan. Now in its fifth year, the forum will continue to support the promotion of Taiwan's smart system integration solutions worldwide, establishing the island as a reliable source of digital solutions for all. The forum will also become the place where cross-domain services with Taiwan values are developed, where Taiwan's brand value will establish an international footprint, and from where the digital industry gains new momentum. Source: Institute For Information Industry (III) HONG KONG, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Links' 2023 Asia Pacific Salary Guide covers the trends and insights into the 2023 job market and what to expect for the rest of the year now that borders all around APAC have reopened. Gain a better understanding of the performance of current job markets and projected salary increments for the year! Top key 5 findings from the 2023 Asia Pacific Salary Guide include: 1. Hong Kong and Singapore Talent-Hungry for World's Best Both Hong Kong and Singapore have introduced ambitious schemes recently. December 2022 saw Hong Kong launching the "Top Talent Pass Scheme" aimed at high earners and graduates of global top universities to enter Hong Kong without having to secure a job offer beforehand. Over 5,800 applications have been approved already as of early February 2023. Singapore introduced the Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass (ONE) to also attract global professionals targeting individuals who earn at least S$30,000 per month. Additionally, Singapore will also overhaul the Employment Pass (EP) application process with the new Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS) that will be launched in September 2023. 2. Projected Salary Increments in 2023 for Hong Kong, Mainland China, and Singapore In 2023, salary increments and bonuses are projected to recover in most functions. Location Projected Salary Increment Salary Increment with Job Change Hong Kong 3-12% 5-22% Mainland China 2-10% 6.25-15% Singapore 8-16% 12-28% *For China, things looked promising when they reopened their borders in early 2023, however, the development and response from the economy could potentially impact salary increments in the Mainland. Source: Links International 3. IT Industry to Power Through Predicted Recession in Hong Kong and Singapore Even as global tech giants are laying off staff by the masses, the Hong Kong scene may be different this year as talent in the sector is looking to be doubled through various support measures. Similarly, Singapore is confident that jobs in IT will still be aplenty. Labour Chief Ng Chee Meng mentioned that as the tech industry will be rapidly evolving, candidates should be more adaptable and continue upskilling themselves. 4. Mainland China More Open to the Idea of Remote Work More companies and workers are starting to adopt remote office work and study methods in China. In H1 of 2022, the number of remote office users in China reached 43.8%, representing an increase of 22.6 percentage points from the same period in 2020. 5. Underemployment and Unemployment Drop for 8th Time in a Row in Hong Kong Unemployment and underemployment rates rapidly declined 8 times in a row from May 2022, and there was a surge in the demand for frontline workers. Catering, for instance, had a 230% jump in job openings between March to December 2022. Source: Trading Economics Links International's 2023 Asia Pacific Salary Guide can be downloaded for free here! About Links International As Asia's leading HR service provider, Links International's vision is to continue providing clients with their award-winning payroll services and best in class HR tech experience. Voted Asia's Best HR Outsourcing Partner for consecutive years, our team of 200+ Asia HR Experts provide in-country support from 19 locations across Asia, delivering local market expert HR advice including best industry practices and practical solutions to Asia's leading businesses. Website: www.linksinternational.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/links-recruitment-limited Facebook: www.facebook.com/hongkonglinks/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/Links_Asia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/links_international_hr/ Source: Links International North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, left, behind the podium, speaks during a plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party in Pyongyang, Feb. 27, to discuss rural issues, in this photo released by the North's Korean Central Agency the following day. Yonhap By Lee Hyo-jin Extrajudicial executions, torture and state censorship of expression and media are some of the commonplace human rights violations in North Korea, according to a report unveiled by the South Korean Ministry of Unification, Thursday. It is the first time Seoul has disclosed its annual report on human rights issues in Pyongyang to the public, a move that is expected to infuriate North Korea. The dictatorial regime is highly sensitive to criticism from the outside world about its human rights issues. Based on the North Korean Human Rights Act, which was amended in 2016 and is aimed at documenting human rights abuses of the dictatorial regime, the unification ministry has been compiling the annual report since 2018. But the previous liberal Moon Jae-in administration (2017-2022) had classified the reports as confidential data, citing privacy reasons of North Korean defectors who gave interviews. The newly published 450-page report by the incumbent Yoon Suk Yeol administration features in-depth interviews with 508 North Korean defectors from 2017 to 2022, who had witnessed or experienced serious human rights violations while living there. According to the report, North Korea carries out public executions of people accused of drug offenses, distribution of South Korean videos or engaging in religious activities. The regime also carried out the secret execution of a homosexual man in 2014 and a woman who was accused of prostitution in 2013. Women and children were more susceptible to violence, with the execution of minors and pregnant women having been reported. The reclusive regime has also subjected women in detention to inhumane conditions that include torture, forced labor, sexual violence and starvation. The unification ministry said it has identified a total of 11 political prison camps with five currently in operation. The ministry explained that it wrote the report based on recent human rights violation cases in a "balanced and objective manner." It plans to distribute printed versions of the report to state-run think tanks and public libraries, and will also publish an English version for international organizations. "The report reflects the government's determination to put more effort into practically improving human rights in North Korea," Unification Minister Kwon Young-se said, stressing that the report is not aimed at accusing Pyongyang but at finding feasible solutions to address the issue. The report was unveiled to the media two days after Yoon ordered the ministry to fully disclose human rights issues in North Korea to the international community, calling the move a "fundamental roadmap to security and unification." HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The CEO & CMO Summit 2023 by MMA Global in Vietnam brings together senior executives, marketing directors, and industry experts from multinational organizations, firms, and startups. The CEO & CMO Summit Vietnam conference has consolidated its position after 5 years of organizing, and the event in 2023 is expected to bring more than 700 attendees, including VIP guests, and executives from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi Capital. Summit to examine the current marketing market's "hot" topics The international economy is expected to be exceedingly turbulent and unstable in 2023, posing significant problems for enterprises. Therefore, what should businesses do to prepare to weather the "storm" of the economic downturn? That is the key theme that will be debated at the CEO & CMO Summit 2023, with C-level speakers from Coca-Cola, Google, Grab, Heineken, Nestle, Sabeco, Tiktok, Unilever, and more. To address that question, this conference will focus on the most "active" themes in marketing, with the overarching subject of "Business impact in the challenging time." The conference's subjects will focus on the subjects of "Marketing and Communication," "Business and Society," and "Technology and Innovation." These themes will be explored, and the answers to critical concerns regarding the impact and modifications in how organizations reach and connect with customers will be provided. The CEO & CMO Summit not only provides participants with insights into topics such as "Data Analysis," "Consumer Touchpoints", "Brand Building & Advertising", and "Customer Centricity & Experience," but also bring the right knowledge, skills, and strategies on "Social Impact & Purpose" and "Economic & Social Trends" to survive the current global economic downturn. CEO & CMO Summit 2023, in particular, promises to be the best place for participants to learn and update the "Technology Trends," " E-commerce," " AI & Marketing Automation," and "CDP/ DMP" technologies from leaders from multinational corporations, while also assisting businesses in reorienting their marketing strategies and develop new strategies for increasing income and business growth. Looking forward to more interesting MMA Global initiatives in Vietnam this year. In 2023, MMA Global in Vietnam will host a number of world-class events with the goal of adding significant value to the Vietnamese marketing sector. In pursuit of that purpose, MMA Vietnam created a great impression on the market in early March 2023 with the success of Agency Day 2023, which drew more than 350 attendees, 30 outstanding speakers, and more than 20 partners. Following that success, MMA Vietnam will "strike" with a series of events and material, especially for MMA Global's network and members in Vietnam. MMA Vietnam 2023 Activities MMA Smarties 2023 - Vietnam's leading marketing award, an important event honoring efforts and successful advertising campaigns in the marketing industry in Vietnam and the Asia Pacific region - APAC, is expected to launch in June 2023 with the Smarties NFT trophy version, which will be available for the first time on the market. MMA Industry Job Fair - An event for junior and senior year students specializing in economics, marketing, and advertising with the objective of creating human resources for the Vietnamese marketing industry. The event will be organized with more than ten prestigious universities in Ho Chi Minh City and industry-leading organizations in Vietnam, including Abbott, Admicro, CocaCola, Dentsu Group, Grab, GroupM, Heineken, Momo, Ogilvy Group Vietnam, Publicis Group, Suntory Pepsico, Tiktok, Unilever, and many others. MMA Impact 2023 - As part of an annual international series hosted by MMA Global in different countries around the world, for C-levels, senior managers from major domestic firms, brands, and marketing agencies. MMA Impact 2023 is set to take place in two major cities, Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi, and is projected to draw over 700 participants. MMA Talk Hub - The MMA Talk Hub explores trending topics in marketing to provide multi-faceted perspectives on current developments. Additionally, it brings together the entire ecosystem of marketers, mar-tech companies, and media companies to facilitate the collaborative construction of the future of marketing while aggressively delivering success in the here and now. MMA Connect - A networking event exclusively for MMA Members and guests, giving executives the finest chance to network and get up to date on contemporary marketing innovations in a tasteful and pleasant setting. ABOUT MMA Comprised of over 800 member companies globally and 15 regional offices, the MMA is the only marketing trade association that brings together the full ecosystem of marketers, martech, and media companies working collaboratively to architect the future of marketing, while relentlessly delivering growth today. Led by CMOs, the MMA helps marketers lead the imperative for marketing change in ways that enable future breakthroughs while optimizing current activities. The MMA is committed to science and questioning and believes that creating marketing impact is steeped in constructively challenging the status quo and encouraging business leaders to aggressively adopt proven, peer-driven, and scientific best practices, without compromise. The MMA invests millions of dollars in rigorous research to enable marketers with unassailable truth and actionable tools. By enlightening, empowering, and enabling marketers, the MMA shapes future success, while also propelling business growth. www.mmaglobal.com PR Newswire is the official news distribution partner of 2023 CEO & CMO SUMMIT. Source:MMA VietnamMMA Global Inc. BANGKOK, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sasin School of Management has partnered with SCG Chemicals (SCGC), an innovator of chemical innovations and solutions, to host SCG Bangkok Business Challenge @ Sasin 2023 - Global Competition to fuel the future of entrepreneuship. This competition invites passionate undergraduate and postgraduate students from every country to pitch ideas on sustainable business development that prioritizes environmental, social, and good governance. The winners will receive trophies and cash prizes worth US$42,000. Sasin and SCGC Drive the Startup Ecosystem Through SCG Bangkok Business Challenge @ Sasin 2023 - Global Competition for University Students SCG Bangkok Business Challenge @ Sasin is Asia's longestrunning student startup competition that provides university students with an entrepreneurial mindset the opportunity to pitch their innovative business developmental ideas and demonstrate management skills through the visions of their startup. This year's Global Competition theme is "Growing Impactful Ventures" to foster innovative, sustainable, and creative approaches in business management. The competition also aims to inspire all participating teams to tackle future business challenges prioritizing sustainability, social responsibility, and environmental consciousness. Undergraduate and postgraduate students interested in the competition can submit their applications for the Global Competition from today until April 30, 2023. The semi-final and finals will take place on June 22-24, 2023, at Sasin School of Management in Bangkok, Thailand. Let's join the force for sustainability through an entrepreneurship mindset as all participants compete for the chance to win a trophy, cash prizes, and the opportunity to network with other international teams. Submit your applications at https://bit.ly/apply2bbcgl2023. For more information on the competition, visit https://bbc.sasin.edu/2023 or Facebook page: bangkokbusinesschallenge Source: Sasin School of Management ZHENZHOU, China, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 30, the 2023 announced its annual results for 2022, in which the growth of the connection business was in line with the expected results. The total number of users has reached 5.29 million, an increase of 7.2% over the same period last year, among them, there were 288,000 new urban users and 68,000 new rural management users. Since the 2023, real estate has been an important factor in stabilising the economy. The industry has continued to welcome the good news in recent months. The Central Bank, the Ministry of Housing and construction, and local governments have continued to give strong support to the steady and healthy development of the real estate market. The author notes that the Henan provincial government, in order to promote the stability of real estate, put forward the"Six-character policy" to stabilize the property market. It clearly stated that it would steadily implement a long-term mechanism for real estate, focus on improving market expectations, support the demand for rigid and improved housing, and promote the healthy development of residential consumption, and as a deep cultivation of Henan, distribution of 16 provinces of Tian Lun gas will be guided by government policy, connection business will further achieve stable growth. The policy of stabilizing the property market in Henan Province will continue to promote the development of Tian Lun Gas's connection business to return to normal, which constitutes another potential performance catalyst. According to statistics, about 60% of Tian Lun Gas's new urban residents come from the new housing market, and about 40% come from the renovation of old residential areas and the development of users in towns and towns around the city. The new housing market in the province is foreseeable to usher in a new development. In the future, Tian Lun Gas will continue to take advantage of capturing new connections for users in old communities and towns around the city. At the same time, it will proactively reach an agreement with high-quality real estate developers on gas home projects to ensure that the overall connection business returns to a normal growth path. In the future, the company will focus on two aspects to achieve the steady growth of urban gas connection business throughout the year. On the one hand, the company will strictly control the legal risks with new real estate developers, strengthen the credit evaluation of new real estate developers, and try to avoid losses from the connection of new real estate; on the other hand, the company will increase the investment in the region The market development of old communities, retail households, and users in surrounding villages and towns, so as to ensure that the annual guidelines are up to standard. As similar policies are believed to be introduced across the country, the company's nationwide layout centered on Henan Province is expected to usher in an overall recovery. Source: CHINA TIAN LUN GAS HOLDINGS LIMITED Related Stocks: HongKong:1600 HCMC Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong spoke on the phone with U.S. President Joe Biden yesterday, March 29. The two sides expressed pleasure at having a chance to exchange views on the 10th anniversary of the Vietnam-U.S. comprehensive partnership. They spoke highly of the comprehensive development of the bilateral relationship and agreed to promote, develop and deepen it more sustainably for the sake of both sides and peace, cooperation and development. Vietnams Party General Secretary proposed the two sides prioritize economic, scientific and technological cooperation as the central focus and driving force for their bilateral ties. He expressed his hope that Vietnam and the U.S. will step up cooperation in defense and security, as well as strongly emphasize boosting bilateral trade and development in new areas such as logistics, digital economy, green transformation and healthcare. Vietnams Party leader called on both nations to keep working on dealing with war legacies, enhancing UN peacekeeping activities, exchanging information and preventing crimes. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong hoped Vietnamese youngsters would have more opportunities to study in the U.S. He highly appreciated the establishment of Fullbright Vietnam University as a high-quality training center in the region and thanked the U.S. for its support during the Covid-19 pandemic. Vietnam welcomed the U.S. support of ASEANs central role and cooperation with ASEAN member states to promote the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, as well as participation in negotiations for the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity in an open, inclusive, balanced and mutually beneficial manner. The Party leader stated that Vietnam would appreciate international efforts, including those of the U.S., in climate change adaptation and hoped that the U.S. would continue to support Vietnam in this issue. For his part, President Joe Biden affirmed Vietnam as a crucial partner of the U.S. and respected the countrys independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The U.S. commits to promoting peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and hopes for enhanced cooperation with Vietnam. The two sides highlighted the importance of maintaining peace, stability and cooperation, ensuring freedom of navigation and aviation, avoiding the use or threat of force in international relations, implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea and soon signing an efficient and effective Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982). Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Joe Biden also reiterated their invitations for mutual high-level visits. The Vietnam-U.S. bilateral trade was estimated at US$123 billion in 2022, up 11% compared to 2021. The U.S. has been the largest export market of Vietnam for many years, while Vietnam is the eighth largest trading partner of the U.S. worldwide. HCMC The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) has proposed increasing the foreign ownership cap at some commercial banks from 30% to 49%. The Governor of the SBV, the nations central bank, has sought the Governments approval to amend Decree No. 01/2014/ND-CP on foreign investors maximum cap in Vietnamese credit institutions, in which the increase mentioned above would be applied for commercial banks with less than 50% of their cap from the State. Recently, Vietcombank, MB, HDBank and VPBank announced their plans to buy out four poor-performing banks: DongABank, Construction Bank, Oceanbank and GPBank. However, Vietcombank is not eligible to increase its foreign ownership limit to 49% as the State holds over 50% of its charter capital. There is an opportunity to increase foreign ownership at MB, HDBank and VPBank. The proposal aims to create favorable conditions for ailing credit institutions to enhance their financial capacity and facilitate the handover of poor-performing banks to large commercial ones. According to SBV, two banks with plans to buy poor-performing credit institutions sought approval to increase their foreign ownership to 49%. These two banks account for nearly 6.6% of the total assets, 5.26% of the deposit market share and nearly 5.5% of the lending market share of the entire joint-stock banking system. Therefore, it would have a major impact on Vietnams banking system. SBV believes that the increase in foreign ownership limit should only be applied to banks with plans to buy poor-performing credit institutions, instead of all banks in the country. Foreign investors may withdraw their capital from Vietnamese commercial banks amid global economic fluctuations, making it difficult to manage monetary policy and stabilize the economy. Moreover, according to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, Vietnam could not reduce the foreign ownership limit for banks once it is raised. HCMC OOCL Spain, one of the worlds largest container ships, arrived at Gemalink Port in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau for cargo handling today, March 30. During its first maiden voyage to connect Asia and Europe lasting 84 days, the ship will make port calls in numerous venues including Shanghai, Xiamen, Hong Kong, Cai Mep (Vietnam), Singapore, Piraeus, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Valencia and Abu Dhabi. With a capacity of up to 24,188 twenty-foot equivalent units, a total length of 400 meters and a width of 61 meters, the vessel was one of the worlds largest container ships. OOCL Spain, launched on February 16, 2023, has been certified as an environmentally friendly smart ship by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Speaking at the welcoming ceremony, Do Cong Khanh, chairman of Gemalink, said the arrival of OOCL Spain at Gemalink is a milestone in the development of Gemalink, the Cai Mep port cluster and the Vietnamese maritime sector. This is the first time the Vietnam port system has welcomed such a large container ship. Ana Mandara Cam Ranh nominated for multiple prestigious travel awards Ana Mandara Cam Ranh has been nominated for two categories in the landmark 30th anniversary World Travel Awards (WTA), Asia's Leading New Resort 2023 and Vietnam's Leading Resort 2023. The WTA are one of the world's leading tourism awards. Held annually since 1993, they have been called to the Oscars of world travel. Ana Mandara Cam Ranh is one of two Vietnamese resorts named in the Asia's Leading New Resort 2023 category. Officially debuting at the end of September 2022, with 36 sea-view villas and two towers with 140 luxury rooms, Ana Mandara Cam Ranh quickly put its name on the 5-star resort map and became one of the most sought-after resorts for tourists. The resort has captured the hearts of travellers worldwide with its stunning beach front location, lush greenery, and authentic local flair. Rave reviews from industry experts, influential bloggers, and satisfied guests have made Ana Mandara Cam Ranh one of the most desirable destinations in Nha Trang, as evidenced by its popularity on the Korean travel portal Naver since October 2022. Located on one of the South Central Coast's most beautiful beaches, Long beach was named one of CNN's top 20 beaches in Asia. Nguyen Van Hoa, general director of Ana Mandara Cam Ranh said, "The recognition in the World Travel Awards and Travel + Leisure Luxury Awards, along with the positive feedback from our guests, are very encouraging for a new resort like Ana Mandara Cam Ranh. We are continually enhancing the guest experience and investing in a high-quality product portfolio to fulfil the needs of today's upscale travellers." Exhibition of late painter Buu Chi at Ana Mandara Villas Dalat After its success in Ho Chi Minh City, an exhibition to commemorate the late painter Buu Chi with the theme The Time Captured Hand is being held at the Ana Mandara Villas Dalat Resort & Spa from March 26 to May 26. Ana Mandara launches new home in Cam Ranh The iconic Ana Mandara resort has moved to Long Beach, Cam Ranh from Nha Trang. Indonesian Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani speaks at the seminar. (Photo source: en.tempo.co) Jakarta Indonesian Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani said on March 29 that financial exclusion remains a major challenge and also a crucial factor in ASEAN countries' economies, especially micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Speaking at a high-level dialogue seminar on promoting financial inclusion and literacy for MSMEs in Badung district, Bali, the minister said the development of digital technology and economy in the region is supposed to help turn financial exclusion into financial inclusion. There are several ASEAN countries that still do not have a financial inclusion index, Mulyani said, noting that the condition reveals the large gap existing among countries in the region in terms of financial inclusion. Mulyani also drew attention to the rapid development growth of digital technology and economy in the ASEAN after three years of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has provided a promising opportunity, not only for countries to adapt to the way they work but also for the ASEAN region, as a whole, especially for MSMEs. The ASEAN digital economy is expected to grow significantly in 2025, she stated. The minister further noted that after the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of the digital economy has become even more important, as it has become a kind of game changer. For several countries, the digital economy has succeeded in enabling and also accelerating the use of electronic money from smartphones, financial technology services, and online banking. She said that the aforementioned services pave a big way for MSMEs to participate in developing financial inclusion. Digital services have enhanced and deepened the financial sector and at the same time improved access to formal financial products and services, Mulyani said. Vietnam can enhance its role further within ASEAN With Indonesia holding the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2023, the ASEAN Business Advisory Council Indonesia had a 2-day visit to Vietnam last week. Arsjad Rasjid, chairman of ASEAN BAC 2023, talked with VIRs Thuy Dinh about how Vietnam and Indonesia to jointly bolster trade within the region and between both nations. MVV Academy chosen to develop digital skills training for 10 ASEAN countries The MVV Academy has been selected by the Asia Foundation to develop digital skills content and organise training programmes for senior lecturers from 10 ASEAN countries under the Go Digital 2 Project. Core5 Vietnam breaks ground on its second world-class industrial project in Quang Ninh Indochina Kajima, a joint venture between Indochina Capital and Kajima Corporation (Japan), held the ground-breaking ceremony for the Core5 project in DEEP C Quang Ninh 2 in the Quang Yen Coastal Economic Zone on March 29. Given its prime and strategic location, Core5 Quang Ninh offers convenient accessibility to its tenants. The site is only a two-hour drive to the Mong Cai International Border with China, 14km to the Lach Huyen International Deepwater Port, 20km to Cat Bi International Airport, and has direct accessibility to Hanoi via the Haiphong motorway. The project provides ready-built factories for lease with a terraced design and workshop and warehouse areas ranging from around 2,800sq.m up to 18,200sq.m. Each unit will be equipped with the Core5 Vietnam signature curved curtain-wall office, necessary utilities, a firefighting and protection system in the factory area, dry loading bays, and an ample parking area. For the first time, Core5 Vietnam will offer two-storey factories, often preferred by electronics manufacturers. In addition, it will feature rooftop solar panels, outdoor areas with health and wellness elements, canteen areas, and as the standard for all projects, water and energy-efficient systems following LEED Certified green building design. Keisuke Koshijima, representative director and executive vice president of Kajima Corporation said, "Quang Ninh is a core growth engine in the Northern Key Economic Region as Vietnam's only province with both land and sea borders with China. This province shows great potential for cross-border trade, sea trade, and commercial services, and will serve as a major regional intermodal hub for the processing, manufacturing, and logistics sectors." He said that Quang Ninh also stood out as a promising destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) thanks to its improved investment environment, proven by its top ranking in the Provincial Competitiveness Index for five consecutive years (2017-2021). The province targets attracting over $1 billion worth of FDI in 2023. "I highly appreciate the vision and commitment of the authorities, and I believe Core5 Quang Ninh will make a positive contribution to helping the province achieve the aforementioned goals," said Koshijima. Peter Ryder, CEO of Indochina Capital said, "Core5 Quang Ninh will attract tenants looking for high-quality, sustainable, and flexible property solutions thanks to its strategic location, unique design, and unparalleled international-standard services." "Given its favourable geographical proximity to China's manufacturing hubs and accessibility to modern highways and international deep seaports, the province has attracted large-scale manufacturers such as Jinko Solar, Boltun, Skoda, Stavian, and Foxconn, generating the necessary presence of top-tier suppliers for these companies." "In addition, our expertise in luxury hospitality for over 20 years and our attention to unique architecture provide a signature look for Core5 Quang Ninh. This will contribute to improving the working environment and provide best-in-class, value-added services to ensure a smooth setup for our clients," added Ryder. Savills Vietnam said that despite the decrease in FDI inflows this time, industrial zones and ready-built factories were still hot for foreign investors. "Currently, finding out the supply of industrial land becomes difficult, when the occupancy rate is always high, which is always above 95 per cent, especially in some southern provinces such as Binh Duong or Dong Nai, or in the Northern provinces like Bac Giang and Hai Duong," said John Campbell, head of Industrial Services at Savills Vietnam. "Meanwhile, the market's new supply is limited because of difficulties in site clearance, compensation costs and land prices in Vietnam have increased a lot recently, in addition to investment procedures, legal and regulatory requirements, so the project approval process takes a lot of time," added Campbell. Besides ready-built factories, the expert saw plenty of promising land to develop more diversified industrial real estate products such as data centres, cold storage, and logistics. Indochina Kajima launches Core5 Vietnam, a best-in-class industrial brand from the US On July 6, Indochina Kajima Development Company, a joint venture between Indochina Capital and Kajima Corporation, launched Core5 Vietnam a Vietnam-based industrial real estate investment and development platform focused on the nationwide rollout of world-class factory and warehouse properties for lease throughout Vietnams key manufacturing and logistics markets. Industrial real estate on growth agenda of Indochina Kajima Realising the promising land of industrial real estate, developer Indochina Kajima has set foot in the segment with the ambition of becoming one of the leading world-class multi-segment property names. C.P. Vietnam was one of over 500 businesses to pick up an honour Last week, the 2023 High-Quality Vietnamese Goods awards took place in Ho Chi Minh City, themed on 27 years of high-quality goods and a greener economy. At the ceremony, livestock company C.P. Vietnam Corporation (CPV) was one of over 500 businesses to pick up an award. The ceremony was attended by Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan, Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee Phan Van Mai, and leaders of departments, local trade promotion agencies, business associations, and companies. Ho Van Duc, CPVs vice president, attended the ceremony to receive the certificate. During 30 years of investment and development in the country, CPV is increasingly familiar to both partners and customers. The animal feed business is the first link in the companys 3F Plus closed production chain, which has received trust over the years and gradually became a pioneer in animal feed, bringing customers high-quality and safe products. In addition, the company pays attention to environmental protection in production and business practices in order to create environmentally friendly products and carry out clean production towards sustainable development. This certification is a testament that the business activities of CPV have gained excellent achievements in improving the quality of products and goods, said Duc. We have received trust from our consumers for our operational strategies, customer- and market-oriented policies, the operational process, and the results of the companys activities. The Business Association of High-Quality Vietnamese Goods selected from a list of 677 candidates based on interviews with customers and sellers in major cities, as well as online interviews with customers nationwide. The nominees were then screened by authorised local agencies and relevant industries and checked for transparency of information and compliance before being chosen. A survey on consumers voting for the Vietnamese goods has been conducted by the association since September 2022 and has recorded more than 61,000 votes for various enterprises. C.P. Vietnam named a top sustainable group for third time Thailands C.P. Vietnam was named among the top 10 most sustainable manufacturing companies in the country at an awards event last week. C.P. Vietnam named top sustainable group for third time Thailands C.P. Vietnam (CPV) was named among the top 10 most sustainable manufacturing companies in the country at Sustainable Companies Vietnam 2022. C.P. Vietnam honoured for high-quality Vietnamese goods C.P. Vietnam has been honoured at a top Vietnamese goods event for its animal and aquatic feed veterinary medicine. Rear Adm. Geoffroy d'Andigne, French Joint Commander of the Asia-Pacific and the French Armed Forces in French Polynesia, speaks during an interview in Seoul, Monday. Newsis By Kwon Mee-yoo The joint commander of France's armed forces in Asia-Pacific welcomed South Korea's new Indo-Pacific strategy and highlighted the opportunity for stronger cooperation between Korea and France. Rear Adm. Geoffroy d'Andigne, French joint commander of the Asia-Pacific zone and armed forces in French Polynesia, said South Korea plays a crucial role in maintaining security and peace in Northeast Asia and it has the potential to contribute significantly to global security. "I want to highlight that the release of the Korean Indo-Pacific strategy demonstrates that Korea and France have a unique opportunity to strengthen their cooperation. My visit is in line with these strategic convergence," d'Andigne said during a forum on maritime cooperation between South Korea and France in the Indo-Pacific, co-hosted by the Korea Institute for Maritime Strategy and the Embassy of France in Seoul, Monday. The admiral is visiting South Korea to observe the Ssangyong exercise, a maritime joint exercise conducted by South Korean and U.S. Navy and Marine Corps forces, as part of the two countries' spring joint drills. "France supports the development of regional security and promotes multilateralism," d'Andigne said. "We also foster the expansion of mutual knowledge and information sharing. I believe that we need to exchange with partners on a regular basis to share our strategic visions in order to contribute to the stability of a region. This kind of a change helps to build trust and understanding thus contributing to the security of the region." In 2018, France became the first European Union country to adopt its own national Indo-Pacific strategy. The Indo-Pacific region holds special importance for France as it has five overseas territories including New Caledonia and French Polynesia. Participants to the forum on maritime cooperation between South Korea and France in the Indo-Pacific pose at a hotel in central Seoul, Monday. Front row fourth from left is Rear Adm. Geoffroy d'Andigne, French Joint Commander of the Asia-Pacific. Korea Times photo by Kwon Mee-yoo Some foreign giants are continuing to pump in vast amount of money into energy projects in Vietnam, photo Le Toan Despite global economic uncertainty, Singapore-based SP is confident of Vietnams continued long-term development. After it acquired a 10MW-peak of solar power assets including the Europlast Phu Yen solar power plant and the Thanh Long solar plant in the south-central province of Phu Yen in March, it said that the move was part of SP Groups green ambitions in Vietnam to develop 1.5GW of utility and rooftop solar projects by 2025. Since 2021, SP has been developing rooftop solar initiatives across the country through several partnerships and joint ventures, accumulating a total of more than 115MW of rooftop solar assets to date. SP has also inked an agreement to install up to 20MWp of rooftop solar power at three mega factories for manufacturer TKG Taekwang Vina in Vietnam. The group is waiting for a direct power purchase agreement to be put in place to have the capability and expertise to help customers achieve 100 per cent clean energy consumption. During a recent visit to Vietnam, CEO of SP Group Stanley Huang said the group pledged to inject $550 million into sustainable energy projects in Vietnam from now until 2025 to double the wind and solar energy capacity in the country in 2030. Meanwhile, Thailand-based Super Energy plans to pour around $1.21 billion to fund renewable projects in Vietnam between now and 2025, according to the Bangkok Post. According to Tran Thi Khanh Hien, analysis director at VNDirect Securities, the growth of renewable energy through companies such as these is inevitable, at a time when Vietnams demand for electricity is anticipated to increase more than 8-fold between now and 2030. By 2025, 78 per cent of the largest manufacturing companies in the world plan to remove their slow-moving suppliers. Vietnam is dominating the renewable energy field in Southeast Asia and the equitisation of the electricity sector has been firmly supported by renewable energy, he said. Last week, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) requested that Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) reach agreements on purchase prices with renewable power projects that missed the governments preferential feed-in tariff (FiT) before March 31, but insiders said that the deadline is far too tight, as most of the investors would not be able to complete documents for negotiations with EVN. The European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) noted just over a week ago that the MoITs recent decision on ceiling tariff levels represent a 20-25 per cent reduction from the previous FiT levels for wind, based on current FX rates, and almost 40 per cent reduction for ground mounted solar initiatives. Transition projects that are already built may have no choice but to accept these tariffs or face bankruptcy, noted a EuroCham representative. Transitional wind projects not already built will not be able to raise finance at these rates, as they are now facing world market turbine pricing more than 30 per cent higher than at the time of previous FiT expiry, as well as higher loan interest and insurance rates. Meanwhile, the energy transition will continue to be a focus for investors and management teams in terms of energy, utilities, and resources, with significant amounts of capital going towards mergers and acquisitions and other capital project developments, according to PwCs Global M&A Industry Trends Outlook for 2023. Displaying readiness for the energy transition in Vietnam Vietnams current development highlights the urgent need to accelerate the global energy transition. John Rockhold, head of the Power and Energy Working Group under the Vietnam Business Forum, looks at how events have demonstrated the cost to the global economy of a centralised energy system dependent on fossil fuels. At the Vietnam Business Forum (VBF) at both technical and high-level sessions held over a week ago in Hanoi, a consistent message was urged about ensuring the harmonisation of state and business interests, as well as protection of investor confidence. The previous month, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development unveiled technical guidance for its far-reaching reform of the global tax system, in which multinational companies would be subject to a global minimum tax (GMT) of 15 per cent on their profits. Multinationals involved would have to generate at least 750 million ($807.7 million) in consolidated revenue and some of them are major investors in Vietnam. A representative of the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam at the VBF said, The Vietnamese government should study what impact the GMT would have on investors and the business environment, and provide practical, effective, and timely solutions to compensate enterprises whose corporate income tax (CIT) incentives are less favourable or become ineffective due to the adoption of the GMT. Speaking for the American equivalent (AmCham), chairman Greg Testerman said that multinationals operating in Vietnam, as well as Vietnamese corporations with overseas investments, are concerned about the impacts of the GMT. Specifically, they are worried whether the introduction of the GMT would result in any reduction or loss of tax incentives that these enterprises have been enjoying under the prevailing regulations. They also wonder if the Vietnamese government will provide compensation if the CIT incentives are less favourable as a consequence of adopting the GMT, Testerman said. New tax gives Vietnam incentive to adjust, illustration photo/ Source: Le Toan Last week, the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) held a conference on the impact assessment of the GMT on investment attraction in Vietnam, and listened to numerous concerns. Dao Thi Thu Huyen, deputy director general of Canon Vietnam, said that the company would be subject to the GMT, while one of the reasons that Canon invests in Vietnam is tax incentives. If Vietnam has not proposed any policies coping with the GMT, the corporation may consider relocating manufacturing lines to other countries that have more advantages and incentives, said Huyen. Offering an example, Thailand is proposing to support electricity costs for overseas investors if the GMT is applied. If moving manufacturing to other countries, it will not only scale down Canon Vietnam, but also affect 130 vendors and suppliers of Canon, added Huyen. Kim Jin Seong, deputy general director of Samsung Vietnam, said that if the GMT comes into effect, the competitiveness and attractiveness of Vietnam may decline. If investment incentives are disabled while other countries are ready to offer additional incentives, for example in cash, Vietnam could lose out in attracting new investment but also expansion plans of corporations, Seong said. Talking with the MPI, Taninaka Yasushisa of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry proposed easing progressive personal income tax (PIT). When a business invests in Vietnam, they will not only consider the CIT but also look at the total tax costs to be paid during the business process. The PIT in Vietnam is currently quite high compared to other countries said Yasushisa. He urged the Ministry of Finance (MoF) to consider reducing the tax burden for businesses when the application of the GMT is very close, extend the CIT incentive period up to 20 years, build additional support to attract investment, and simplify admin procedures to save on cost and time. At last weeks forum, AmCham said that the current CIT incentive policy applies almost exclusively to a companys profits, while other direct incentive types such as for company expenses are all but absent from the tax law. We recommend that the Vietnamese government integrate more cost-based incentives to encourage new projects in selective sectors, like support on expenses for renewable energy, employee benefits, infrastructure, research and development, and technology transfer, said Greg Testerman from AmCham. Over the past 35 years, Vietnam has been using tax incentives as an important lever to lure investment. Currently, although the countrys general CIT rate is 20 per cent, many foreign investors are enjoying incentives with 10-15 per cent rates depending on the field, industry, size, and location. Even when a special investment incentive policy was issued in 2021, the preferential tax rate was only 5-9 per cent. In addition, enterprises are also entitled to other tax exemptions and reductions for certain periods. When the GMT is applied, all these incentives of Vietnam are no longer effective, which significantly affects Vietnams policies and means of attracting foreign investment, said MPI Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc. Recognising the concerns of the business community, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that the government is following up on the reality and experiences of other countries to ensure an appropriate policy on the GMT, issuing it this year and creating opportunities for foreign businesses to operate smoothly. The MPI and the MoF have been assigned by the government to urgently complete a study and complete reports on the GMT. Previously, in August, the prime minister established a special working group on formulating policies related to the new tax. Hong Sun - Chairman, Korea Chamber of Business in Vietnam At the end of last year, South Korea issued a law amendment relating to international taxation, including regulations on the GMT, intending to officially apply from 2024. At that time, large South Korean enterprises investing in Vietnam will have to pay the reduced tax in Vietnam to South Korea due to GMT regulations. We propose that the Vietnamese government needs to change the current CIT incentive regime in order to maintain its attractiveness of overseas funding inflows. It should consider fresh incentives like cash grants and refundable amounts that can meet qualifying deductions of the government, based on the expense of the business qualifying investment. The government can pay investment subsidies in instalments instead of paying businesses one time. Foreign-invested enterprises will generate profits and pay taxes, contributing to reducing the financial burden of the government compared to tax reduction or exemption. Cash grants and refundable amounts that can meet qualifying deductions will increase the actual investment of businesses by encouraging companies to invest more in the areas that the government expects. Nakajima Takeo - Chief representative, Japan External Trade Organization Hanoi CIT is one of the factors that foreign-invested enterprises consider when deciding to invest. The average tax rate in ASEAN countries is around 20 per cent currently, so Vietnams CIT incentives are now an important factor to lure investors, including Japanese ones. The upcoming application of the GMT is something that we all must follow, directly affecting the business activities of various enterprises. However, high or low tax rates are not the only factors that completely influence decision-making. According to our survey, in addition to tax rates, there are many other aspects to be considered, such as the attractiveness of Vietnams investment environment with high GDP growth, followed by the size of the Vietnamese market. Only one-quarter of total responses say that the attractiveness of Vietnam comes from tax incentives. However, Japanese enterprises are struggling with many shortcomings in tax procedures in all ASEAN countries, while tax policies have not been effective. Therefore, while issuing preferential policies is good, it is also necessary to speed up and improve convenience in the implementation and working process. Nguyen Hai Minh - Vice chairman, European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam The attractiveness of Vietnam comes from various factors and advantages like geographic location, role in global supply chains, market size, and potential. In our survey on investment policy satisfaction in Vietnam, most of the respondents felt satisfied at this time. However, in order to improve the business and investment environment, 70 per cent of total responses said to improve administrative procedures, infrastructure development, immigration procedures, visa policies for foreigners, human resources, green growth policies, and tax incentives. In addition to tax incentives, foreign enterprises have to pay plenty of other costs that cannot be refunded, which they wish to cut down as much as possible to offset the upcoming increase in the CIT. When applying the GMT, it is not a problem for multinationals to increase tax payments in Vietnam or in their parent countries because the total expenditure of enterprises does not change. However, other policies are also needed to increase investment attraction, such as financial support in areas that are being encouraged and prioritised, such as infrastructure development and using clean energy because, for smaller businesses, tax incentives are still a factor for investment consideration. Vietnam must revisit policies to develop implementation of global minimum tax Countries that have outbound and inbound investment activities have been making drastic moves in considering policies related to the global minimum tax (GMT). If Vietnam does not take immediate action or delays implementing it, it may miss the opportunity to have the right to tax and may be left behind in attracting foreign investment. SIG's solar-powered factory, one of the biggest in the region, produces with 100 per cent renewable electricity As SIG has just celebrated its 25th anniversary of its packaging plant for aseptic carton packs in Thailand, could you share a significant milestone of your time in Southeast Asia? Through our 25 years in Southeast Asia, the pursuit of excellence towards a greener future underpins everything that we do. Our motivation to design eco-friendly packaging across all product lines drives us to pioneer top-notch technology to our clients with adaptable solutions, and ultimately assist them in transforming their businesses for the better. The SIG Rayong plant began operations in 1998 and spans across 109,600 sqm, supplying customers in Asia Pacific and South Asia, specifically in Southeast Asia, Australia, Japan, and India. The plant has the capacity to produce around 11 billion aseptic carton sleeves per year for brands such as Thai Denmark, Nestle, FrieslandCampina, Indomilk, Ultrajaya, Parle Agro, and Amul. Some prominent Vietnamese dairy producers are also our long-standing customers, including Nutifood, Vinamilk, and TH True Milk. One significant milestone recently would be the installation of the solar roof on the SIG production plant in 2018. Covering an area of 17,664 sqm, this solar project with 12,350 panels can produce up to 5,675 megawatt hours of electricity per year, which in turn has reduced CO 2 emissions by 12,871 tonnes since July 2018. Angela Lu, president and general manager Asia Pacific South at SIG As Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries are striving to achieve net-zero by 2050, how will SIG contribute? We have formally committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and set stretching targets to help us get there. We maintained carbon-neutral production for our aseptic carton packs with 100 per cent renewable electricity and certified offsets for all non-renewable energy. Furthermore, we also invested in more on-site solar installations and power purchase agreements that support further investment in renewable energy as part of the global energy mix. In addition, we are committed to reducing our carbon emissions to the levels required by science to support a 1.5 degrees celsius global warming pathway, which involves hitting net-zero by 2050 at the latest. So, by 2030, we will reduce our operational emissions by 60 per cent from a 2016 baseline, and diminish our value chain plus operational emissions by 25 per cent per litre of food packed from a 2016 baseline. We are also committed to removing more greenhouse gas emissions than we emit by 2030, whilst continuing to reduce our overall emissions. However, sustainability is nothing new at SIG. We have always created packaging that delivers safe, affordable, shelf-stable nutrients to people without access to refrigeration with the smallest carbon footprint compared to other types of packaging. And for many years we have sought ways to limit our impact. In 2010, we were the first in our industry to launch an aseptic carton pack without an aluminium layer, with a 27 per cent smaller carbon footprint than SIGs standard packaging material. We went even further in 2017 with the launch of a carton pack which has a 58 per cent smaller carbon footprint than SIGs standard packaging material and is the worlds first aseptic pack 100 per cent linked to forest-based renewable material. The further we have travelled, the more ambitious we have become. Now, the path ahead of us stretches out into a vastly more sustainable future. Were leading the way towards a fully regenerative packaging system, with ambitious targets that put us well ahead of the rest of the industry. We have developed a series of work streams to support progress on our path to net-zero including a strong alignment with other focus areas, such as sustainable innovation and supply chain, that support our Climate+ targets. What are your plans in Asia? How do you assess the role of APAC in SIGs development agenda? As sustainability efforts are increasingly becoming a focus, with many end-user segments in the consumer spotlight. The Asian Pacific plastic packaging market is driven by the expansion of the food and beverage, and pharma industries. According to the Market Data Forecast, the Asia Pacific plastic packaging market is estimated to rise at a current compound annual growth rate of 4.5 per cent in 2023-2028. In the past, revenue from APAC accounted for around 30 per cent of SIGs total revenue, and this figure is becoming more prevalent compared to other regions. In the future, we expect to see our APAC operations would contribute the most to our groups business performance. We are proud to say that APAC would play the critical role in our strategic expansion plan, for now and for good. Regarding our future plan, we are rolling our strategic investment in a new plant in India a move to enhance SIGs footprint in the country, which is one of our fastest-growing market. With the upcoming SIG packaging plant in Ahmedabad, India, expected to start commercial production at the end of 2024 and supply for our customers in South Asia, the Rayong plant in Thailand will have the opportunity to produce more of sustainability-driven packaging solutions such as the aluminium layer-free aseptic cartons for our APAC customers. As a Swiss corporation and a publicly listed company, how would assess the current volatile market condition, particularly the UBS deal to take over its troubled rival Credit Suisse, and its impact on SIG? According to Global Market Insights Inc., the Asia Pacific food packaging market is set to cross $170 billion by 2025. A survey in 2022 by McKinsey also illustrated that 75 per cent of companies across the globe have already made sustainable-packaging commitments. Sustainability is now flying high on the packaging value chain, with stronger consumer awareness and legislation in place. These positive figures and sentiment indicate a very promising future for our industry. Many people also indicate that the packaging industry is "recession-proof," despite escalating geopolitical tension, or macroeconomic challenges, as consumer demand for essential goods such as dairy products or juice is still huge. Packaging is an important enabler on daily lives of consumers. And I think thats the beauty of this industry always being resilient amid the storm. Tran Tieu Tram, marketing director, Nutifood SIG is our trusted, long-standing partner for our packaging solutions, which fulfill the most stringent standards of sustainability. Nutifood products are not only limited to Vietnams market, but we are also actively expanding our presence in international markets, such as the US and the EU. Some of the most developed countries and regions are taking significant steps to introduce regulations to drive sustainability in packaging. SIG has successfully cultivated an image for its packaging solutions as the golden standards of freshness, environment-friendliness, and strict hygiene requirements. Thats why we are 100 per cent confident in Nutifoods products using SIGs packages. TMC goes above and beyond the sustainability commitment in Vietnam New Zealand-headquartered TMC Ltd. is embracing circularity, sustainability, and digitalisation strategies to deliver exclusive high-performance fabrics for global brands by leading the charge in utilising innovative materials. Andy Wynne, CEO of TMC, discussed the countrys vibrant business climate with VIRs Luu Huong and how the firm is capitalising on Vietnams free trade agreements with some of the largest economies in the world. Proud development journey In 2018, Amata Group was granted the first investment certificate to implement the Song Khoai Industrial Park project (also known as Amata City Halong). With a total area of 714 hectares (including 470ha of industrial land), the Song Khoai IP project consists of five phases with a total investment value of $155 million. It forms the core of Amata Smart City Halong, which has a scale of nearly 5,800ha and an estimated investment value of $2 billion. The project has gradually been taking shape in Quang Ninh. Up to now, phase I of the Song Khoai IP has been focused on two projects by Jinko Solar Group from Hong Kong, one of the largest and most innovative solar module manufacturers in the world. The total investment value of these two projects surpasses $865.6 million. The factory complex in Quang Ninh is the third globally, after the US and Malaysia. The project in Quang Ninh is the only integrated smart factory project using batteries and modules by Jinko Solar to date, and is also the first project in the Quang Yen Coastal Economic Zone since its establishment decision was issued in September 2020. Amata City Halong is currently the top IP for investment attraction in the Quang Yen Economic Zone This high-tech project for solar power generation is one of the most significant aspects of Amata Group's smart city strategy for Quang Ninh. The Jinko Solar Vietnam silicon sheet technology project (Jinko Solar 2) became operational in early 2022 and the Jinko Solar 1 project is under construction and is expected to come on stream this year. Following Jinko Solar, Song Khoai IP has welcomed a new investor from Sweden, Autoliv Vietnam Co., Ltd. Quang Ninh awarded the investment certificate to Autoliv Vietnam on February 12 within the framework of a conference to implement the government's action programme for Resolution No. 30-NQ/TW on promoting socioeconomic development in the Red River delta. The project has a total investment of $154 million. The high-tech project for solar power generation is also one of the most significant aspects of Amata Group's smart city strategy for Quang Ninh. Nguyen Van Nhan, general director of Amata City Halong JSC said, Investors in the field of processing and manufacturing technology, as well as supporting industries, are keen to invest in Song Khoai, with many having signed land lease agreements. Currently, we are working closely with and receiving enthusiastic support from the local authorities to complete the remaining infrastructure and accelerate the handover of the site, Nhan added. Currently, seven secondary investors in the fields of auxiliary automotive industry, electronics, precision engineering, and more are rushing to complete investment procedures with a total value of nearly $500 million. Huang Jinxing, CEO Jinko Solar Vietnam Co., Ltd., feels that what makes Amata Group's Song Khoai IP appealing compared to other rivals in Quang Ninh is its advantages in terms of geography, infrastructure, and the scale of the IP. With its prime location near key traffic routes and strong inter-regional connectivity, it benefits its proximity to Lach Huyen international port, Cai Lan deep-water port, and Cat Bi and Van Don international airports. It is the focal point on an important traffic route, connecting to Thuy Nguyen the new administrative centre of Haiphong via the Ben Rung bridge. The IP also connects with Dinh Vu Port through a riverside route, shortening the distance to the port by 20km, and links to the Halong-Haiphong expressway through a 10-lane, high-speed route under the Ha Long Xanh intersection project. At the APEC 2022 Summit, founder and CEO of Amata Group Vikrom Kromadit introduced the future for smart cities that the group is implementing The charm of Song Khoai IP also comes from the stability of Quang Ninh. There, investors enjoy a stable and sustainable investment environment, with a clear and reliable investment process and strong support from the management authorities. The province secured the champion position in the provincial competitiveness index tally for five consecutive years from 2017 to 2021. For nine consecutive years (2013 - 2021), it featured in the list of the five localities with the best economic management quality in the nation, and it also maintained the top position in the country in the Public Administration Reform Index for four consecutive years (2017 - 2020). Creating a greener future Speaking about the largest secondary investor in the Song Khoai IP, Somhatai Panichewa, CEO of Amata Vietnam JSC, noted that with an expected revenue averaging $1.2 billion a year, the project would make a great contribution to the socioeconomic development of Quang Ninh and ensure the success of the Amata Smart City Halong project. Dinh Van Tam, a 29-year-old electronics engineer who graduated from the Hanoi University of Industry recalled, "My house had a fish pond in the Song Khoai IP project area. When the site clearance took place, my house, and many other households, were quickly handed over. Now that Jinko's project has come into operation, I have gone from working far away from home to being a technician in their factory, earning a good income and working close to my home and my family." Nguyen Van Nhan, general director of Amata City Halong, said that since the very first day of coming to study the province, Amata made the decision that this will be the largest project the group expedites in Vietnam. With a vision of building green and modern IPs, Amata Group pays special attention to wastewater treatment and environmental protection Panichewa stated, Our vision is always consistent with the use of modern technology to manage resources and energy effectively, selectively attracting high-tech, green, and clean industries to the IP. In particular, we focus on building an international-standard infrastructure system, providing the best services to investors while limiting the impact on the environment. Amata Group looks forward to receiving continuous support from the Quang Yen town government in particular and Quang Ninh province in general to ensure the stable operation of businesses, turning the Song Khoai IP into a sustainable and attractive investment venue for both domestic and foreign investors. The sustainable rise of viable investment across Asia With the steady rise in the number of climate-related companies and in their climate-related revenues, climate change has become more and more significant as a mainstream investment theme. Looking further into the data, we can see that the universe of climate solutions is getting bigger and greener with the growing Asia pivot. Quang Ninh stable on foreign investor radar Quang Ninh province in Vietnams northeastern coast aims to bring 18 foreign investors to local industrial zones in 2023. In late March, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) sent a dispatch to the Ministry of Transport (MoT) reporting on the investment preparation activities for Con Dao airport's upgrade. In the dispatch, the CAAV wants the MoT to report to the government on assigning Ba Ria-Vung Tau province as the state body taking charge of implementing the project under the PPP mode. Viable investment schemes have been proposed for Con Dao airport's upgrade The CAAV also said it has mandated the consulting consortium ADCC-TEDI to coordinate with various airlines, including Vietnam Airlines, Bamboo Airways, Vietjet Air, and more, to learn about their actual demands, and on that basis, consider the scenario of runway expansion as noted in the approved policy. If the existing runway (1,830m x 45m) is used with state-of-the art (Code C) aircraft (Boeing737 or Airbus A320/321) as in the approved policy, the load must be reduced by 15-18 tonnes, limiting commercial efficiency. The CAAV has asked the consulting unit to recalculate the plan related to runway length. If the project fails to lure investors, the MoT will consider seeking approval to expedite the Con Dao airport upgrade project using public investment sources. According to Pham Van Hao, deputy head of the CAAV, to ensure efficiency when using Code C aircraft, it is necessary for the runway to reach 2,400m in length. With this extension, the investment cost is estimated to surpass $43.4 million not including the cost to restore the marine ecosystem that would be affected by the runway expansion plan. If the project fails to lure investors, the MoT will consider seeking the government approval to expedite the Con Dao airport upgrade project using public investment sources. In a dispatch sent to the CAAV in late February, the MoT asked it to survey investor interest if the project is implemented under the PPP mode, and from there make a report to the government for consideration. To ensure the efficiency of the investment mode using public investment sources, the MoT wants the CAAV to urge the relevant consulting unit to carefully calculate the investment plans to ensure the utmost safety and investment efficiency. In addition, the CAAV and the consulting unit have been tasked to study the revised planning scheme, including the content on the position and direction of the runway, and compare that to the approved scheme. If necessary, any revised planning should be reported to the MoT. In respect to investor interest, the CAAV revealed that on February 23, An Sinh International Community JSC, based in Ho Chi Minh City, sent a document to the MoT to express interest and a proposal to carry out the project to build the new dual-use Con Dao airport. This business has also constantly sent proposals over the past two years to both Ba Ria-Vung Tau province and the MoT seeking permission to implement the project. Along with Con Dao airport, An Sinh JSC also seeks approval to expedite many sizable infrastructure projects in the country, including building the Ho Chi Minh City-Can Tho railway line. Scenarios set for governments growth ambitions Increases in domestic consumption, production, and foreign direct investment are set to enable the economy to achieve its growth target this year. Trade and investment scenarios for Vietnam Vietnams import-export turnover reached $732 billion in 2022, up 10 per cent from 2021, and making it the first year to surpass $700 billion. This is attributed to the signing of new-generation free trade agreements and the more favourable policies on foreign investment, among others. Minister Nguyen Thanh Nghi meeting with US Ambassador Marc E. Knapper. Photo: Ministry of Construction On March 28, Minister of Construction Nguyen Thanh Nghi highlighted this matter during a meeting with US ambassador to Vietnam Marc E. Knapper. Nghi asserted that Vietnam is an active member of the ASEAN Smart Cities Network. He indicated a willingness to enhance collaboration between the Ministry of Construction and US agencies and partners in the sector, particularly those with expertise in smart city development. According to YCP Solidiance case studies, following the conclusion of the Smart City Asia Summit 2022, all eyes are on the expansion of Vietnam's smart cities, particularly as more consumers and investors become aware of the value of sustainable and smart urban environments. Some regions in the country are in the process of building their own smart city blueprints, taking into consideration the infrastructure and quality of life requirements of their residents. Vietnam has shown its interest in smart cities and has acted. In 2020, the government approved the Programme for National Digital Transformation for the 20252030 period as a roadmap for each city and province to develop their own smart cities. "Yet, obstacles continue for well-established urban centres like Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, complicating and delaying overall infrastructure development," stated the report. Smaller cities, like Danang, have easier routes to becoming smarter since the adjustments are made to brand-new projects as opposed to existing ones. Before October 2022, Danang Department of Information and Communications' Department of International Cooperation and the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam organised a smart city and digitalisation cooperation programme. The event drew 28 ICT companies from the United States to learn about the investment and partnership potential in Danang, including for smart city development. Securing smart city breakthroughs Developing smart city projects is a big trend in Vietnam currently, but there are plenty of lessons from various developed countries that the country should prioritise to adapt with the global trends barriers and risks before gaining benefits. Danang pinning hopes on delivery of eco-smart city To successfully convert into a smart city, Danang must create a breakthrough and reinvent itself in light of the current mechanisms and policies. The Central Economic Commission will authorise a complete evaluation of three years of Vietnams official energy development plan for the 2021-2030 period, according to the commissions Deputy Chairman Dr. Nguyen Duc Hien earlier this month. Vietnams offshore wind realm remains in a muddle (illustration photo/ Source: Shutterstock) According to Hien, unresolved policy is now the greatest hurdle to offshore wind energy development in Vietnam. Since the Power Development Plan VIII (PDP8) and marine spatial planning are still in the creation process, the distribution of marine areas for surveying offshore wind power development has not been specified in legal papers. In addition, the regulations governing the method of investor selection have not been modified effectively, Hien said. In recent years, Vietnams economic growth has resulted in a substantial rise in energy consumption and corresponding carbon emissions. According to a projection by Electricity of Vietnam for 2021-2025, the power production deficit could reach 27.7 billion kWh by 2025. Unfortunate timing has hindered the plans from the start of the decade. In 2020, the La Gan offshore wind farm project, with a potential capacity of 3.5GW, was one of the first large-scale offshore wind power projects to be announced off the coast of Vietnams Ninh Thuan province. Nevertheless, Vietnam has been unable to make progress in the development of this energy source. Mark Hutchinson, head of the Southeast Asia Task Group of the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), said that such timing was a formidable obstacle, but if Vietnam does not open the path to progress, it will be impossible to reach its 7GW offshore wind target by 2030. Offshore wind developers are primarily concerned with initiating the offshore wind sector via a variety of mechanisms. Rapid development and solicitation are the two primary approaches to jumpstarting this business, Hutchinson said. The draft PDP8 is being presented to the prime minister for review, and it is anticipated that the total wind power capacity will expand from roughly 4,000MW in 2022 to approximately 16,000MW of onshore and nearshore wind and nearly 7GW of offshore wind by 2030. Using a fast development mechanism, the government may consider selecting a large-scale pilot project or using a particular set of processes for a given amount of capacity (3-4GW) to build projects in a shorter timeframe than typical, Hutchinson said. This approach will assist projects in overcoming legislative obstacles and achieving a large enough deployment size to lower power production costs. If this option is selected, projects do not need to wait for marine spatial planning or the bidding procedure to be evaluated. The issue, though, is how to choose competent projects and developers. A bidding method may also be a possibility, with the benefit that the project development process is open, transparent, competitive, and efficient. Yet, based on the experiences of the majority of nations that have applied, adopting this approach takes a long time. Pham Nguyen Hung, deputy director of the Electricity and Renewable Energy Authority under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, described the implementation of 7GW of offshore wind power by 2030 as a big ask, adding that Vietnam was unfamiliar with this form of development. The legislative environment for offshore wind power growth is complex, including businesses such as oil and gas, maritime, fisheries, and most importantly, national security, Hung said. Investors are actively monitoring the construction and completion of Vietnams legislative framework for offshore wind generation. Vietnam can begin by authorising the PDP8 and exclusive offshore survey rights, said Erik Kjaer, chief advisor of the Danish Energy Agency. Danish investors anticipate that the Vietnamese government will soon publish a fair and unambiguous regulatory regime, which is necessary for the growth of the offshore wind. Vietnam must also emphasise marine spatial planning, Kjaer said. The government may enable a number of large-scale initiatives to be piloted for a certain amount of time and then use the acquired knowledge to establish an acceptable regulatory framework. Power purchase agreements are crucial for ensuring capital mobilisation and streamlining the licensing procedure at the national and provincial levels, he added. Bui Vinh Thang, GWEC national director for Vietnam, recommended the country begins with pilot projects to provide confidence and clarity, therefore luring investors for offshore wind generation. This enables energy producers to estimate long-term earnings and identify local supply chain development plans, both of which are crucial to lowering the cost of offshore wind, Thang said. GWEC advises developing a 4GW capacity via a staged approach that includes pilot projects, projects selected through a selection process, or a hybrid selection and competition method. It said the government should adopt the roadmap for the commercialisation of offshore wind power by mid-2023 and establish the criteria for pilot projects. The first 1.5GW will be finished by the end of 2028, followed by the subsequent 2.5 GW by the end of 2029. Simultaneously, pilot selection is the process of defining a set of project auction criteria and auctioning 3GW, with the remainder anticipated to be finished by the end of 2030. Thang held that competitive projects might be on the grid by 2030 if offshore wind energy is developed step-by-step. He said that GWEC is willing to help the Vietnamese government find potential offshore wind power pilot projects, thereby ensuring that 4GW of offshore wind power would be authorised for financing before 2026. Vietnam has dual opportunity from offshore wind power: Danish Ambassador Developing offshore wind power is a great dual opportunity for Vietnam, Danish Ambassador to Vietnam Nicolai Prytz told a seminar themed Promoting Vietnams offshore wind power development: International practices and policy recommendations in Hanoi on March 16. CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (AP) Mexican authorities said Wednesday that eight employees or officials are being investigated for possible misconduct at a migrant detention center where a fire killed 39 detained men. Anger and frustration in the northern border city of Ciudad Juarez boiled over as hundreds of migrants walked to a U.S. border gate hoping to make a mass crossing. Mexican officials appeared to place blame for the deaths in the fire late Monday largely on private, subcontracted security guards at the detention center in Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas. Video showed guards hurrying away from the smoky fire apparently without trying to free detainees. No charges were announced, but authorities said they would seek at least four arrest warrants later in the day, including one for a migrant who was part of what they described as a small group that started the fire. They said a migrant also damaged a security camera inside the cell where the fire occurred. Five of those under investigation for possible misconduct are private security guards, two are federal immigration agents and one is a Chihuahua state officer, federal Public Safety Secretary Rosa Icela Rodriguez. said The investigation has centered on the fact that guards appeared to make no effort to open cell doors for the detained men almost all from Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela and El Salvador before smoke filled the room in a matter of seconds. The deaths caused frustration, and may have played a role in a mass march late Wednesday afternoon by hundreds of migrants, who began walking toward a U.S. border crossing in the belief that American authorities would let them through. Adding to anger over the deaths was pent-up frustration of migrants who have spent weeks trying to make appointments on a U.S. cellphone app to file asylum claims. Rumors spread among the migrants that they might be let in into the U.S. Jorman Colon, a 30-year-old Venezuelan migrant, walked hand-in-hand with his 9-year-old daughter, saying he had heard on social media that acquaintances had gotten through. We want to turn ourselves in, Colon said, referring to the first step in the asylum process. Several hundred of the migrants crossed the shallow Rio Grande from Mexico toward the U.S. and approached a gate in the border fence that separates El Paso and Ciudad Juarez. Armed agents stood guard at the U.S. gate entrance. Venezuelan migrant Victoria Molina, 24, complained that the app never gives us an (appointment) date. A group of about 50 migrants initially approached a Border Patrol vehicle and personnel and sat or kneeled on the ground. About 25 of them were then led in single file through the gate into the U.S. and onto a white school-bus style vehicle that drove away. U.S. officials said Wednesday night that a total of about 1,000 migrants had crossed the river and were being processed in an orderly manner. It was unclear if they would be allowed to remain or be bussed to a formal border crossing for expulsion. Smoke began billowing out of the migrant detention center late Monday after a group of detained migrants set fire to foam mattresses, to protest what they thought were plans to move or deport them. Immigration authorities said they released 15 women when the fire broke out, but have not explained why no men were let out. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Wednesday that both immigration agents and security guards from a private contractor were present at the facility. Also Wednesday, Pope Francis offered prayers at the end of his general audience for those who died in the tragic fire. Leaked surveillance video shows migrants, reportedly fearing they were about to be moved, placing foam mattresses against the bars of their detention cell and setting them on fire. In the video, later confirmed by the government, two people dressed as guards rush into the camera frame, and at least one migrant appears by the metal gate on the other side. But the guards don't appear to make any effort to open the cell doors and instead hurry away as billowing clouds of smoke fill the structure within seconds. It was unclear if the two guards actually had the keys, but authorities suggested Wednesday that they should have gotten them or broken the lock a highly difficult task, given the quick spread of smoke. U.S. authorities have offered to help treat some of the nearly 30 people who are hospitalized in critical or serious condition, most apparently from smoke inhalation. The migrants were stuck in Ciudad Jaurez because U.S. immigration policies dont allow them to cross the border to file asylum claims. But they were rounded up because Ciudad Juarez residents were tired of migrants blocking border crossings or asking for money. There were several complaints from neighbors about a group of migrants, we don't know if it was this group or another, that was allegedly acting aggressively, asking people in the street for money, demanding it, said Rodriguez. The high level of frustration in Ciudad Juarez was already evident earlier this month when hundreds of mostly Venezuelan migrants tried to force their way across one of the international bridges to El Paso, acting on false rumors that the United States would allow them to enter the country. U.S. authorities blocked their attempts. After that, Ciudad Juarez Mayor Cruz Perez Cuellar started campaigning to inform migrants there was room in shelters and no need to beg in the streets. He urged residents not to give money to them, and said authorities removed migrants intersections where it was dangerous to beg and residents saw the activity as a nuisance. On Wednesday, the mayor told AP his office had not received any report of rights abuses of migrants in detention facilities. He insisted that his government shared no responsibility for what happened. Its a terrible tragedy that pains all of us. We are grieving, he said, adding that authorities should come down with the full weight of the law on those responsible the people that for instance, didnt open the doors for the migrants. Associated Press videojournalist Alicia Fernandez and writers Maria Verza Guadalupe Penuelas in Ciudad Juarez, Mark Stevenson in Mexico City, Sonia Perez D. in Guatemala City and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report. The Waco Plan Commission on Tuesday recommended conditional approval of two planned unit developments east of the Brazos River, each marking a first for the city in requiring a PUD to include an affordable housing component. If both projects are completed, some 500 new housing units could appear near the river over the next couple of years. The commission voted to recommend approval with conditions a PUD for a pocket neighborhood at 2001 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. on about 40 acres in the Carver Neighborhood Association area. The project would add 241 units of various types with amenities for residents and a trail system connecting along Herring Avenue to Cameron Park. The developer is Waco-based Northpaw Partners LLC. Waco Planning Manager Beatriz Wharton said in the commissions work session Tuesday that the developers reason for pursuing a PUD is the different lot sizes in the proposed development that do not meet the citys minimum lot requirement of 6,000 square feet. The proposed lots range from 1,500 to 5,000 square feet. The PUD zoning designation allows the developer and city planners to negotiate details of the development instead of adhering to traditional zoning requirements. The plots existing R-1B zoning would require houses to have 25-foot front yard and rear yard building setbacks, Wharton said. The PUD allows reduced setbacks as narrow as 5 feet in some places, allowing better connectivity to sidewalks and trail elements, she said. Wharton said the previous O-2 zoning on about 3 acres of the plot would allow up to 40 units per acre. Without the PUD, Northpaw would probably be allowed to develop the property at about 10 units per acre, a higher density than the proposed six units per acre, she said. City staff recommended approval of the PUD based on its proposed density being more compatible with the surrounding neighborhood. The city and Carver Neighborhood Association requested the neighborhoods internal trail system be publicly accessible, creating a safe pedestrian connection to Brazos Park East for residents living in the adjacent Hollywood neighborhood. Commission Chair Ross Harris said it would not be the responsibility of the developer, but for the sake of trail connectivity, crosswalks on MLK Jr. Boulevard could need some work. The crosswalks on the residential side of the street are less defined than those on the park side, and creating safe crosswalks would incentivize the use of neighborhood trails as a means to get over to the park. Waco Planning Director Clint Peters said crosswalks at both intersections, north and southbound on Herring Avenue, will eventually have to be upgraded. Peters said the developer met with a group from the surrounding neighborhood to address any final concerns before Tuesdays meeting. Peters said the main concern he has noticed, rather than density or traffic, is the impact of the development on property values. No opposition was voiced Tuesday at the public hearing. The commission recommended the PUDs approval with the condition that 10%, or approximately 24 units, be reserved for affordable or workforce housing. To qualify for affordable housing the buyers household income must be at or below 80% of Wacos median household income. The percentage increases to 120% for workforce housing. The developer intends to include a mix of the three proposed housing types in that 10% of affordable units. Taylor Allen of Rydell Real Estate, the Waco firm representing the developer, said he has not determined a unit price, but is in conversation with Grassroots Community Development and hopes to hit a low end of $250,000. The development falls within the Brazos River Corridor Overlay District and will be subject to its construction specifications as well. The vote passed 9-1, with Commissioner Rae Jefferson dissenting. ADU amended Also at Tuesdays meeting, the commission amended Wacos accessory dwelling unit ordinance in accordance with recommendations from the strategic housing study approved by city council last year. An existing single-family dwelling unit must be on the lot, there may be one ADU per lot and the ADU may only have one bedroom. The motion passed unanimously and will now head to the Waco City Council. Brazos Gateway The commission also approved, with conditions, a PUD for the six-acre, 300-unit Brazos Gateway condo development near MLK Jr. Boulevard and Interstate 35. Peters addressed comments from North East Riverside Neighborhood residents who attended the meeting in opposition based on the PUDs exclusivity to the existing neighborhood and affordability component. [Wacos] housing study identified about a 5,000-unit housing shortage for the city, but thats at all income levels that we need housing units, Peters said. Theres not any one project thats going to solve that by itself, but as we develop and look at these things and create situations where we can add affordability and mixed-income housing units, we can start chipping away at that. Theres a lot of other projects that are in the pipeline in the general area in North East Riverside that are allowing more affordable components. The site is bounded by railroad tracks on one side, the street on another and industrial use behind it. The commission considered the argument that the site is unlikely to develop as a cluster of traditional housing, and some housing would be better than none there. Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, speaking during the Korea-Japan Business Roundtable at the Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, in Tokyo, March 17. Yonhap Some 100 government and corporate officials from Korea and Japan held a meeting Thursday on trade and new industry cooperation, the first major meeting after the two sides vowed to improve diplomatic and economic ties earlier this month, Seoul's industry ministry said. They discussed ways to boost cooperation in new industry sectors and economic exchanges in the trade meeting in Seoul, co-hosted by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) and the Korea-Japan Economic Association, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The meeting came two weeks after Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed to improve the countries' strained relationship stemming from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea. "It is necessary for companies of the two nations to strengthen cooperation on supply chains of advanced industries, net-zero goals and making inroads into new markets," Deputy Trade Minister Jeong Dae-jin said during the meeting. Separately, Industry Minister Lee Chang-yang held talks with the chiefs of nine Japanese companies, including chemical firm Toray Industries, and asked for their greater investment in Korea. The ministry said five additional meetings, meant to reinvigorate bilateral economic and industrial exchanges, and involving around 400 companies from the two nations, will be held in the first half of this year. According to a recent survey by KITA, 63.6 percent of the 187 Korean trade firms said the recent Seoul-Tokyo summit is expected to have positive impacts on business. Japan accounted for 6 percent of Korea's total trade last year, far lower than that with other neighboring countries. The comparable figure with China came to 21.9 percent. Last week, Japan lifted export curbs on key industry materials to Korea, which had been in place since July 2019 in apparent retaliation against the Korean Supreme Court rulings in 2018 that ordered Japanese companies to pay compensation to victims of Japan's wartime forced labor. Korea withdrew a complaint it filed with the World Trade Organization on the issue, and the two nations agreed to put each other back onto their respective "whitelists" of trusted trading partners. (Yonhap) The last barrier between Finland and full membership in NATO was removed when the Turkish Parliament gave its blessing to Finland's application to join. Russia's invasion of Ukraine prompted the West to grant Finland's membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization final approval on Thursday. A late-night session in the Turkish Parliament resulted in the final approval of Finland's accession to NATO, dealing a major strategic blow to Russian President Vladimir V. Putin. By invading Ukraine last year, he showed that he was serious about preventing NATO from expanding to the east. The last barrier that stood between Finland and full membership in NATO was removed when the Turkish Parliament gave its blessing to Finland's application to join. Access to a powerful military, as well as airspace, ports, and sea lanes, is offered to NATO by Finland, which shares a border with Russia spanning 1,390 kilometers (830 miles). This gives NATO a much stronger position to deter aggression from Russia. According to Matti Pesu, a security expert with the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, NATO will also have a better ability to defend the nations that are located in the Arctic and Baltic regions. Mr. Pesu stated that Finland would contribute to allied deterrence and defense and that the area of operations for NATO would significantly expand. The addition of Finland to NATO will double the length of the alliance's border with Russia; however, experts from Finland have noted that Russia has been forced to relocate the majority of its military forces away from the region to continue its conflict in Ukraine. According to Mr. Pesu, "so Finnish membership won't be a game changer" because Russian forces and nuclear-armed missiles based in the Kola Peninsula and St. Petersburg are already within range of Finland. Despite this, the Russian Embassy in Sweden threatened military retaliation on Wednesday against Finland and Sweden if either country joined NATO. Turkey and Hungary are thwarting the application for membership that Sweden submitted. After Turkey ratified NATO membership, the only thing left for Finland to do was fill out the necessary paperwork. There will be some correspondence between the two governments and the submission of Finland's completed membership application to the State Department in Washington. In accordance with the treaty that established NATO, the United States of America is the organization's depository. Finland and Sweden, Finland's neighbor and a close security partner to the West, had hoped to join NATO "hand in hand." However, Sweden's membership application is still being blocked by both Turkey and Hungary. Finland and Sweden are close security partners to the West. For the alliance to take on a new member, all 30 countries that are already part of it need to give their unanimous consent. On Monday, Hungary gave its blessing to Finland's application, leaving the consent of Turkey as the final piece of the puzzle. Despite statements from Finnish officials indicating that they will keep working toward a speedy accession for Sweden, statements from the Swedes suggesting that they accept Finland's decision to join alone have been made. However, it will take some time before Finland and NATO completely integrate their defensive strategies. According to Mr. Pesu, Finland needs to make decisions regarding whether it will permit the presence of foreign troops or even nuclear weapons on its territory. On Sunday, Finland will hold its national elections. The results of the most recent polls show that the three major parties are virtually tied for first place in the race. Prime Minister Sanna Marin and the Social Democrats she leads may find support from final membership in their campaign to maintain their hold on power. Subscribe 100% Free to Wall Street Rebel.com and receive access to investment tools worth $17,500! U.S. officials have stated that the addition of Finland to NATO will provide the alliance with one of the most powerful militaries in Western Europe during times of conflict, in addition to intelligence and border surveillance capabilities that have been honed over decades to address the threat posed by Russia. The number of active-duty military personnel in Finland's defense forces is relatively low at 23,000 troops; however, the country's armed forces can rapidly expand during times of conflict to a strength of 280,000 forces thanks to an extensive system of conscription that can mobilize up to almost one million troops. This system results from a deeply ingrained focus on security in a nation with a border with Russia that is more than 1,300 miles long and was twice invaded by its larger neighbor in the 20th century. James G. Stavridis, a retired four-star American admiral and former top NATO military commander, said in an email sent before Turkey ratified Finland's bid on Thursday that the addition of Finland to the alliance "adds a huge, difficult-to-defend border that complicates Putin's calculus." Stavridis was referring to Russian President Vladimir V. Putin. "A very encouraging development for NATO." The Turkish parliament ratified Finland's bid on Thursday. Officials have stated that Finland, a major player in the icebreaker ship design industry, will also play a significant role in maritime operations in the increasingly contested Arctic region. For a long time, Finland was known for maintaining such a steadfast nonalignment that the term "Finlandization" became synonymous with neutrality. However, Finland signaled in February of last year that Russia's threat to invade Ukraine could change the minds of the majority of Finns. In addition to a lengthy border, Finland and Russia have a history that is fraught with conflict and bloodshed. At the beginning of World War II, in 19391940, the Finns fought off an invasion by the Soviet Union in what is now known as the Winter War. The Finns prevailed in the end despite a loss of territory and a commitment to formal neutrality throughout the Cold War. Finland, however, took pride in the fact that they had temporarily been able to hold off the Soviet Union. In the years following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Finland made preparations to join the European Union in 1992 and was accepted into the organization in 1995. Despite this, Finland has maintained its policy of nonalignment on the military front and continues to have productive relations with Moscow. Together with Sweden in 1994, Finland became a member of the Partnership for Peace program sponsored by NATO. Since then, Finland has moved closer to the alliance without actually becoming a member. To this point. The potential strategic equilibrium in Europe, which had persisted for decades, was abruptly reshaped when the leaders of Finland announced a year ago that their country would join NATO. At the same time, it was widely anticipated that Finland's neighbor, Sweden, would follow suit in the near future. After Russia invaded Ukraine, there was a dramatic shift in public opinion in the country. Within a matter of months, nearly 80 percent of Finnish citizens expressed support for joining NATO, which is a significant increase from the approximately 20 percent who held this view before the war. Additionally, it illustrated how Mr. Putin's war objectives have backfired. The leader of Russia has not been successful in weakening NATO; rather, he has succeeded in uniting the alliance and prompting a new expansion on Russia's doorstep. Maintaining their position at the top of the political heap is Social Democratic Minister Sanna Marin and her party. The results of the most recent polls show that the three major parties are virtually tied for first place in the race. .Subscribe 100% Free to Wall Street Rebel.com and receive access to investment tools worth $17,500! Turkey now last holdout for Finland's NATO bid | DW News DES MOINES Asa Hutchinson, a former governor of Arkansas and a potential presidential candidate, while in Iowa on Monday evening talked about his breadth of experience, his vision for Americas future, and what he thinks of former President Donald Trumps legal issues. Hutchinson said he will make a decision about running for president next month, but sounded like a candidate ready to pull the trigger. He told both reporters and members of the local Bull Moose Club, the conservative group to whom he spoke Monday night, to stay tuned. Hutchinson told reporters that he feels his varied experience a former red-state governor who also served in Congress and in President George W. Bushs administration as head of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and undersecretary for Border and Transportation Security in the federal Homeland Security Department works in his favor. You combine that (experience as governor) with a federal experience, I think my background is unique, Hutchinson told reporters Monday. Ill match that experience and the ideas we present with anyone. Hutchinson told the conservative group that as a federal prosecutor he put away terrorists, and said while governor of Arkansas he oversaw state tax reductions and pushed the states schools to reopen early in the COVID-19 pandemic. He also called for pro-growth energy policy that includes a variety of sources, and warned against woke ideology and what he sees as the expansion of progressive policies from the federal government. Hutchinson told reporters that, if he opts to run for president, he may not enter the race with strong national name recognition, but that Iowa and its first-in-the-nation Republican caucuses give him a chance to increase that recognition and convey his message. I dont have the nationwide name identification that some others from larger states who have larger megaphones, but thats whats good about Iowa. Thats whats good about the opportunity to convey a consistent, conservative message and your vision for the future, Hutchinson said. Hutchinson also said he believes this years Republican presidential primary will be different from the last such open-seat campaign, which Trump won in 2016. But Hutchinson said that he believes it is important that Republican primary voters hear from multiple voices. Hutchinson also responded to a question about Trump, who has already announced his 2024 campaign and is facing myriad legal issues, including a possible indictment over allegations that during that 2016 campaign he paid a former pornographic movie actress to stay silent about their affair. Trump has denied the allegations. The former president also is the subject of investigations into his efforts to get Georgia elections officials to change the results of the 2020 presidential election, which Trump still refuses to acknowledge that he lost to President Joe Biden; and over his handling of classified documents after leaving office. Im not a fan of the criminal charges that are being investigated in New York. Im a federal prosecutor. I would not bring those charges. But theres a lot of other things that are being looked at, Hutchinson said. The key fact is that weve got a candidate for president ... that is really emphasizing these grievances, emphasizing the past and how hes been victimized, Hutchinson continued. And I think we ought to look to the future. I think we ought to look to problem-solve and the issues that face every family. Li: Economy enjoys solid foundations 10:53, March 30, 2023 By CAO DESHENG in Boao, Hainan ( Chinadaily.com.cn This aerial photo taken on March 24, 2023 shows the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) International Conference Center in Boao, South China's Hainan province. [Photo/Xinhua] Premier Li Qiang expressed his optimism on Wednesday about China's economy and called on the international community to uphold multilateralism and maintain the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains. Li made the remarks during a meeting with Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, in Boao, Hai-nan province. The IMF chief is in China to attend the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2023. Li said that since the start of this year, the Chinese economy has stabilized and maintained the momentum of its recovery. Noting that China's economy enjoys solid foundations, broad prospects and a promising future, the premier said the nation will strengthen macro-policy coordination, strive to unleash potential for consumption and investment, unswervingly expand opening-up, and prevent and defuse risks in a proper manner. "We have the confidence and capability to meet the goals and fulfill the tasks set out for this year's growth," he said. The premier underlined the need to uphold multilateralism, and called on the international community to safeguard the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains. China will continue to deepen cooperation with the IMF and advance the development of global governance in a fairer and more equitable direction, he added. Georgieva said that China is expected to account for more than one-third of global economic growth this year. The IMF appreciates China's upholding of multilateralism and its important contributions to preventing debt crises in developing countries, she said, adding that the IMF is ready to further deepen its cooperation with China. In a separate meeting in Boao on Wednesday with Cote d'Ivoire Prime Minister Patrick Achi, Li hailed the rapid development of bilateral ties in an all-around way in recent years, and said that China is willing to join with the African country on the path toward development and revitalization. China appreciated Cote d'Ivoire's support for the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, and its firm position in upholding the one-China principle, Li said. The nation is willing to strengthen synergy with Cote d'Ivoire in development plans and will continue to encourage Chinese enterprises to increase investment in the African country, he added. Achi congratulated China on its victory in the fight against COVID-19, and thanked China for its support for his country in combating the pandemic and in infrastructure construction. Cote d'Ivoire abides by the one-China principle and is willing to actively participate in the joint building of the Belt and Road, he said. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg speaks at the 12th ROK-U.S. Alliance Forum, hosted by the Korea-U.S. Alliance Foundation (KUSAF) and the Korea Defense Veterans Association at a hotel in Seoul, Thursday. Newsis Goldberg praises Yoon's efforts for reconciliation with Japan By Lee Hyo-jin The United States will continue to build extended deterrence and show its ironclad commitment to South Korea's security amid North Korea's growing provocations, according to U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Philip Goldberg, Thursday. He made the remarks during the 12th ROK-U.S. Alliance Forum, hosted by the Korea-U.S. Alliance Foundation (KUSAF) and the Korea Defense Veterans Association, themed on the 70th anniversary of bilateral relations. ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name. "We are in discussions with the South Korean government about how to further reassure the Korean people and the government about our ironclad commitments, which includes an extended deterrence, our nuclear capability," Goldberg said in response to a question about his view on whether South Korea should develop its own nuclear capability in the face of the North's intensifying missile threats. Extended deterrence refers to the commitment to use a full range of capabilities, including nuclear weapons, to deter attacks on allies. The U.S. has provided extended deterrence also known as the nuclear umbrella to South Korea since 1991, when it removed all of its nuclear assets from the Korean Peninsula. However, the advancement of Pyongyang's nuclear and missile prowess has prompted doubts from many South Koreans about the U.S.' commitment to extended deterrence. Such skepticism has led to calls for Seoul to build its own nuclear weapons out of necessity or for the redeployment of American tactical nuclear weapons here. The idea seems to be gaining stronger support, especially after North Korea on Tuesday revealed photos of its Hwasan-31, which appeared to be a miniaturized nuclear warhead. Goldberg, who said that such opinions from the Korean public are "understandable given the threats and provocations from North Korea," did not directly comment on the issue. However, in a press conference held last October, the top envoy made it clear that the U.S. opposes the redeployment of tactical nuclear arms in South Korea. At Thursday's event, Goldberg highlighted that during the last 70 years, bilateral relationships between the two countries have expanded well beyond their traditional security relationship, to encompass business and industry, civil society, the arts, culture and academia. "In 2023, it is also true to say that the character of our alliance has fundamentally changed. It is an exciting time in our bilateral relationship, as we redefine shared security with a comprehensive global partnership that addresses the full spectrum of emerging threats, while creating new opportunities to promote prosperity and democratic values," he said. Regarding intensifying U.S.-China rivalry, Goldberg said, "We all want a better situation and a better conversation with China. But we also have to be realistic about what China is doing in the region." He went on to say that Washington will not remain silent about issues such as Beijing's increasing threats against Democratic Taiwan and repression of ethnic minorities. Meanwhile, he commented that the Korean president's efforts for reconciliation with Japan "deserves great credit," as it has created an atmosphere for trilateral relations between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo. "We understand that some of the issues between South Korea and Japan deal with a very painful period in Korean history. At the same time, we want to look to the future where two modern democratic countries can work together with the U.S. and with other democratic countries to further our mutual security." WATERLOO A Cedar Rapids man wanted in connection with a homicide in Marion was arrested Wednesday in Waterloo. According to the Marion Police Department, officers with the U.S. Marshals Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force, FBI Safe Streets Task Force and Waterloo police detained 28-year-old Duval Tremont Walker Jr. in the 900 block of Linn Street around 4 p.m. He is charged with first-degree murder, felon in possession of a firearm and going armed in connection with the March 17 shooting at Cocktails & Company bar in Marion. He was taken to the Linn County Jail in Cedar Rapids. Authorities allege Walker and Cameron Barnes became involved in an argument at the club on Blairs Ferry Road, and he punched Barnes in the face. A fight broke out and others separated the two. Walker then pulled out a handgun, hid the weapon behind his leg and charged at Barnes, shooting him once, according to court records. Walker was identified through surveillance video, records state. Walker has prior convictions for theft and eluding in Buchanan County and voluntary absence in Black Hawk County. He also has a conviction for weapons charges in a 2021 traffic stop in Cedar Rapids where police found a handgun. Photos: Scenes from the mass shooting at a private Christian school in Nashville WATERLOO Intruders robbed an Elk Run Heights family, forcing their way into the home in the early morning hours of Feb. 23, 2021, and dragging a woman out of bed shortly after her husband left for work. Their children were shoved in a bedroom while the armed robbers demanded keys to a gun safe and fled with about half a dozen firearms, including handguns and AR-15 rifles, and the womans phone. Those who carried out the robbery have been sentenced and on Wednesday prosecutors turned their attention to the man accused of orchestrating the crime, Daymion Eugene Ohrt. Ohrt, 22, of Waterloo, is charged with first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary and conspiracy. Authorities allege he wasnt at the scene of the crime but worked behind the scenes, picking the target and collecting one of the firearms stolen in the heist a pink .32-caliber handgun. Assistant County Attorney Brad Walz said Daymion Ohrt is the stepbrother of the victim, Jesse Ohrt. He said the defendant knew about his stepbrothers gun collection and was familiar with his work schedule. And, after the robberies, Daymion Ohrt allegedly made statements to relatives admitting he was behind the robbery. When another stepbrother, a Colorado resident, feigned interest in traveling to Iowa to buy the stolen weapons, it was Daymion Ohrt who allegedly steered him to robbers, Walz said. The Colorado stepbrother then contacted Jesse Ohrt, who went to police. Officers used the information to raid a Stardust Drive apartment where they recovered seven or eight of the stolen guns. During testimony on Wednesday, Jesse Ohrt recounted how he learned his home had been robbed just as he arrived for work at a Lone Tree construction site 90 minutes away and had to return to Elk Run Heights not knowing if his family was OK. When he got home, he found his wife and children sons ages 8 and 7 and a 2-year-old daughter outside with police. One son had bruises on his wrists and the other had a mark on his neck. They were taken to the Child Protection Center at a hospital. The ordeal left the wife and children so shaken that they couldnt stay at the house and had to get a hotel room, Jesse Ohrt said. He said he ultimately had to change jobs and find work that was closer to home. A Waterloo man who was found at the apartment with the stolen weapons, Davon Marcell Oliver, was sentenced to up to 50 years in prison on charges of robbery and burglary. He has appealed his case. The alleged getaway driver, Dequonterio Jashawn Galloway-Bass, was sentenced to up to 25 years. Three juveniles ages 13, 14 and 15 at the time were also charged in connection with the robbery. Photos: Guns in Northeast Iowa crime cases EVANSDALE City water services have been turned off as workers deal with a major water main break. According to a message on the Evansdale Water Works Facebook page, "This is due to the extent of the break that occurred and in order to begin repairs on that break." It went on to say that "everyone will be without water during this time." The water main break led to classes being canceled today for Poyner Elementary and Bunger Middle schools. Staff at the two schools were also asked by Waterloo Community Schools not to report for work. Prior to the water being turned off, city officials ordered a boil water advisory. The water main break occurred near the intersection of Grand Boulevard and Lafayette Road and was causing a loss of presure in the system, a message on the Evansdale Water Works Facebook page said. Updates will be posted on the Water Works page. People can contact the Evansdale Water Works office at (319) 233-5524 or City Hall at (319) 232-6683 with any questions. Photos: Annual Mayor Hart's Fun Run Fun Run 7 Fun Run 1 Fun Run 4 Fun Run 2 Fun Run 3 Fun Run 5 Fun Run 6 Fun Run 8 Fun Run 9 Fun Run 10 WATERLOO The Hawkeye Community College board of trustees took a step back Tuesday to hear about its proposed fiscal year 2024 budget. It has been revised following a legislative error that negatively impacted local governing bodies across the state. If approved, the college would be expected to collect about 2.15%, or $280,000, more in overall property taxes to help balance the $71.26 million in total expenditures. The residential rollback, the percentage of a propertys value that can be taxed, dropped by about 2% as a result of the error corrected by new legislation passed earlier this year. The drop in percentage, close to what it is currently, essentially wiped out the increase the college would have seen in taxable property values across all or parts of Benton, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Chickasaw, Fayette, Floyd, Grundy and Tama counties. Instead of what Dan Gillen, Hawkeyes vice president of administration and finance, called a modest 2.14% increase in taxable valuation, the college lost valuation to the tune of 0.15%. The college now is slightly hiking the property tax rate to capture those dollars that had been lost. Of the 15 Iowa community colleges, we were the only community college that lost valuation from last year to this year, he said. The rollback change immediately meant about $280,000 less in property tax revenue than had been expected. Compared to the current years budget, property tax and utility replacement collections would increase by 2.15% from $13.02 million to $13.3 million. The tax rate will rise from $1.19 to $1.21 per $1,000 of taxable property valuation, leading owners of residential property valued at $100,000 to go from paying $64.18 on the community college portion of its tax bill this year to $66.23 in fiscal year 2024. That assumes no change in the assessed value of the home. Lets just be honest, it is an increase of $2.05, Gillen said. Sixty-two cents was going to happen anyway because of the change in the percentage rollback, and we added another $1.43 to it because of this rate change. If the college had stuck with the same rate, as had been originally proposed, property owners would have seen the bill on a $100,000 home rise from $64.18 to $64.80. Before the rollback error was discovered, when a higher percentage of a propertys value could be taxed and and the rate was proposed as remaining the same, property owners would have paid $66.98 versus $64.18. Expenditures are expected to drop from $75.7 million to $71.26 million because renovations to Grundy Hall wrapping up. The bond referendum, which voters overwhelming approved earlier this month, does not impact this current years tax rate because those securities have not been sold yet. What we are trying to do is just collect a little more property tax at about the same rate that the average community college is going to get with no rate change in the state, said Gillen. The board previously had a proposed budget ready to be voted upon because community colleges have an earlier deadline than other taxing bodies. But with the deadline pushed back due to the state error, it now will likely approve the budget at a 6 p.m. April 25 public hearing. That will be held in the Hawkeye Center board room at 1501 E. Orange Road. Highest-paying jobs that don't require a degree Highest-paying jobs that don't require a degree #50. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment #49. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers #48. Real estate brokers #47. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants #46. First-line supervisors of correctional officers #45. Crane and tower operators #44. Insurance appraisers, auto damage #43. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door #42. Media and communication equipment workers, all other #41. Stationary engineers and boiler operators #40. Wellhead pumpers #39. Railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers #38. Railroad conductors and yardmasters #37. Boilermakers #36. Fire inspectors and investigators #35. Police and sheriff's patrol officers #34. Transit and railroad police #33. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators #32. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians #31. Chemical plant and system operators #30. Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators #29. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers #28. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers #27. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers #26. Pile driver operators #25. Gambling managers #24. Electrical and electronics installers and repairers, transportation equipment #23. Athletes and sports competitors #22. Gas plant operators #21. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers #20. Electrical power-line installers and repairers #19. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers #18. First-line supervisors of nonretail sales workers #17. Locomotive engineers #16. Transportation inspectors #15. Postmasters and mail superintendents #14. Signal and track switch repairers #13. Power plant operators #12. Subway and streetcar operators #11. Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels #10. Ship engineers #9. Detectives and criminal investigators #8. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay #7. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers #6. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers #5. Power distributors and dispatchers #4. First-line supervisors of police and detectives #3. Commercial pilots #2. Nuclear power reactor operators #1. Makeup artists, theatrical and performance SPRINGFIELD, Ill. Joe James, a Black man, was asleep under a tree when he was grabbed, beaten and then arrested for the murder of a white man in Springfield, Illinois. Before he was put on trial and later executed, a white mob seeking vengeance for the crime James was accused of committing took out its hate and anger on other Black people in the state capital. The 1908 race riot left Black-owned businesses and homes looted and burned. At least two other Black men were lynched weeks before an all-white jury convened in the aftermath of the violence found James guilty, according to legal teams petitioning for a pardon 114 years after the fact. Their argument: The jury was racially prejudiced and James did not receive a fair trial. The riot and its aftermath fueled the formation a year later of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. James factual innocence is not the focus of this petition, because the passage of time and the destruction of evidence have made it impossible to prove conclusively that James was innocent, said Steve Drizin, co-director of Northwestern Universitys Pritzker School of Laws Center on Wrongful Convictions. The Center on Wrongful Convictions and Northeastern University School of Laws Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project in Boston filed a petition for executive clemency this month. They are to go before the review board from next month. The review board then could make a recommendation for pardon to Gov. J.B. Pritzker. If successful, the posthumous action would be the third such pardon in Illinois over the past decade and follow recent ones elsewhere in the U.S. James was accused of entering Clergy Ballards home in July 1908 when Ballards 16-year-old daughter woke to find a man sitting on her bed. Reports from that time state that Ballard caught the man outside the house and was stabbed or cut to death during a struggle. James was arrested hours later and locked in the county jail where the following month he was joined by another Black man, George Richardson, who was accused of sexually assaulting a white woman. Threats from white residents to both men prompted authorities to move them to a jail outside Sangamon County. Incensed, the white mob took out its judgment on the town's Black residents. At least eight white people were killed in the violence and more than 100 were injured, mostly by members of the state militia or each other, according to the petition, which cited news articles from that period. Its not known how many Black people were injured and killed. The first business burned by the white mob was a restaurant whose white owner used his car to help move James and Richardson from the Sangamon County Jail. An eatery owned by a Black woman, Kadejia Berkley, now stands at the site of that restaurant. James appeared before a Sangamon County jury after a judge refused to move the trial to another county. He was convicted on the basis of circumstantial evidence, attorneys seeking the pardon said in a release. On Oct. 23, 1908, just over two months after the riot, James was hanged at the Sangamon County jail. White rioters were acquitted for their roles in the lynching and destruction. Throughout history, we have seen white juries not only convict and execute Black men and women on scant evidence, but acquit whites who murder Black people in the face of overwhelming evidence of guilt, said Margaret Burnham, founding director of Northeastern's Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project. This double standard operated in Springfield in 1908, infecting Springfields criminal justice system and depriving James of a fair trial. In 2020, the site of the riot near downtown Springfield was added to the National Park Services African American Civil Rights Network. Granting the posthumous pardon will not break new ground, the petition said. In 2014, then-Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn pardoned three white abolitionists convicted of helping runaway slaves in the 1840s. Five years later, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner pardoned Grover Thompson, a Black man who was wrongfully convicted of murdering a white woman in 1981. One of the more prominent exoneration cases involves nine Black men wrongly accused of raping two white women in 1931 in Alabama. The Scottsboro Boys were convicted by all-white juries. All but the youngest defendant was sentenced to death. Five of the convictions were overturned in 1937 after one of the alleged victims recanted her story. Each man was ultimately freed. Clarence Norris, the last known surviving defendant, was pardoned in 1976 by Alabama's governor. The rest received posthumous pardons in 2013. Such pardons mean the world to relatives of those wrongly accused and convicted, said Osceola Perdue, niece of Alexander McClay Williams, a Black 16-year-old who was convicted in 1931 by an all-white jury and executed in the slaying of a white matron of a boys school in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Williams signed murder confessions but later recanted. Charges against him were dismissed last June after the Delaware County district attorneys office said there was no direct evidence implicating Williams to the slaying and no eyewitnesses. It was so sad to know he was only 16 and they didnt care as long as they convicted someone, Perdue told The Associated Press. He was a Black kid. They convicted a kid they knew did not do this. Perdue, 56, said her father first told her about his brothers tragic story when she was 8 years old. My grandmother, as I found out later, never thought he did it, Perdue said. My grandmother went to her deathbed knowing that her child went to the electric chair." Explaining the new federal anti-lynching law The Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act What is lynching? Why does the law matter? Are there recent examples of lynching? Why pass a federal anti-lynching law right now? Who was Emmett Till? NASHVILLE, Tenn. Hundreds gathered Wednesday at a candlelight vigil in Nashville to honor and mourn the three children and three adults who were killed in a shooting at a Christian school this week. The downtown ceremony for the victims of the shooting at The Covenant School was somber and at times tearful, as speaker after speaker read the names of the victims and offered condolences to their loved ones. The family of Mike Hill, a 61-year-old custodian who was among those killed, was in attendance, including his seven children. First lady Jill Biden also was on hand but did not address the crowd. Sheryl Crow sang I Shall Believe and ended with the lyrics from a Dionne Warwick song, What the World Needs Now is Love, Sweet Love. Margo Price sang an a cappella version of Tears of Rage." And Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show led the crowd in the Christian hymn, Will the Circle Be Unbroken, which brought many to tears. Just two days ago was our citys worst day, Mayor John Cooper said. I so wish we werent here, but we need to be here. Shaundelle Brooks, who lost her 23-year-old son, Akilah Dasilva, in the 2018 Nashville Waffle House shooting, said she went to the vigil to support the families of those slain at the school. I know what its like to be a parent what it feels like, like youre drowning and cant move, and that weakness and that hole that comes in your stomach, she said. Police have said a 28-year-old former student drove up to the school Monday morning, shot out the glass doors, entered and began firing indiscriminately. The dead were identified as students Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, all 9 years old; Katherine Koonce, 60, the head of the school; substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61; and Hill. Authorities have not yet determined the shooters motive but say the assailant did not target specific victims. Price, who has been particularly vocal about Tennessee Gov. Bill Lees position on state gun laws, tweeted after the shooting: Our children are dying and being shot in school, but youre more worried about drag queens than smart gun laws? You have blood on your hands. Crow and Secor also called for stricter gun laws in tweets posted after the shooting. But there was no talk of gun control at the vigil, as people steered clear of the political divide between blue-leaning Nashville and ruby red Tennessee. Republicans and Democratic lawmakers stood together in asking for remembrance of the six who died. Lee said Tuesday that Peak was a close friend of his wife, Maria, and that the two had been planning to meet for dinner after Peaks work that day. Maria woke up this morning without one of her best friends, Lee said in a video statement, adding that his wife once taught with Peak and Koonce. The women, he said, have been family friends for decades. Earlier Wednesday, Pope Francis sent condolences to Nashwville and offered prayers to those affected. George Grant, a pastor and leader with the Nashville Presbytery, also avoided any mention of politics. As pundits and politicians try to make sense out of the senseless, were not really asking why. We know why we live in a broken, fallen world, Grant said. The church linked to the school is a member of the presbytery, which includes congregations in middle Tennessee and southwestern Kentucky. In a blog post Wednesday, Grant recounted how notifications about an active shooter at the school interrupted a presbytery planning meeting that included Chad Scruggs, Covenant Presbyterian Church pastor and father of one of the shooting victims. We emptied into the hallway, stricken, eyes clouded with unbelief, horror and grief. ... Our worst fears were realized, Grant wrote. Police said the shooter, identified as Audrey Hale, was under a doctors care for an undisclosed emotional disorder and was not on the radar of police before the attack. Hale was fatally shot by police at the school Monday. Authorities have given unclear information on Hales gender. For hours Monday, police identified the shooter as a woman. Later in the day, the police chief said Hale was transgender. In an email Tuesday, a police spokesperson said Hale was assigned female at birth but used masculine pronouns on a social media profile. Maria Colomy, a former teacher at the Nossi College of Art & Design in Nashville, recalled Hale as a talented artist while a student in Colomys social media class in 2017. Colomy remembered Hale going above and beyond on projects." She said she saw postings on Facebook during the past year in which Hale wrote about the death of a romantic partner and asked to be called by a male name and male pronouns. Hale had been very publicly grieving" on Facebook, Colomy said. It was during that grief (Hale) said, In this persons honor, I am going to be the person who I want to be, and I want to be called Aiden.'" On Hales first day at the Nossi School, Colomy said she saw Hale become frustrated while trying to log into the student portal and start to cry. I went up to (Hale) and said, Hey, if you need to step out, its totally OK,'" Colomy said. But after that, Colomy said Hale began to feel safe at school and really started thriving." Samira Hardcastle, who attended both middle and high school with Hale, said Hale seemed sweet and socially awkward. Hardcastle said she spoke to Hale briefly last month at an event for a mutual friend, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I dont think we can rationalize irrational actions, so I am just trying to make peace with that, she said. Photos: Scenes from the mass shooting at a private Christian school in Nashville Former Vice President Mike Pence has said he wont resist every aspect of the subpoena from the special counsel investigating the events of Jan. 6, 2021. Nonetheless, the dispute isnt over. Nor is the necessary conversation about the nature of the office Pence held a conversation with potential lessons for the current VP, Kamala Harris. Originally, Pence suggested that as presiding officer of the Senate, he was a member of the legislative branch, and thus was shielded by the Constitutions speech and debate clause from being questioned about the Capitol riot. His stated position is that hell resist only inquiries involving his legislative duty of presiding over tabulation of electoral votes. If the compromise is acceptable to prosecutors, we may not have to test the age-old question of whether the vice president is or is not an officer of the executive branch. Yet the answer matters and not only because as long as politics is defined by litigation and investigation, there will be many more subpoenas. A clear answer might be helpful to the present holder of the office. The U.S. Constitution is vague on whether the vice president is part of the executive or the legislative branch. Apart from overseeing the process of counting electoral votes, the only job the Constitution specifies for the VP is presiding over the Senate and breaking tie votes. Well, that and remaining available in case the presidency should become suddenly vacant. Pence isnt the first vice president to claim that the Constitution makes him part of the legislative branch. Dick Cheney made a similar assertion. So did Harry Truman. The chain goes back to Thomas Jefferson, who in a much-quoted 1797 letter used the notion to push back against critics who feared that he would have too much influence on newly elected President John Adams: I consider my office as constitutionally confined to legislative functions, and that I could not take any part whatever in executive consultations. The contemporary scholarly consensus leans toward the view that the vice president is best understood as a member of the executive branch who has some legislative duties. Thats a reasonable position. Yet the argument the other way isnt absurd. The roles history has been complex. In the early 1800s, the vice presidents duties included nominating members of Senate committees. In 1841, when John Tyler became the first VP to succeed a president who died in office, a member of the Senate rose to explain why Tyler no longer presided over sessions of that body: He was now an executive, not a legislative officer. This was also the public perception of the day. A 19th century etiquette tome advises that on formal occasions, the vice president should be seated only as the constitutional first officer of the legislative branch. In an era when visiting cards were the polite way to request appointments, cards for the VP were left at the Capitol. And until the 1960s, he had office space only in the Senate building. So clear was the tradition that in 1903, when the Cincinnati Enquirer editorialized against allowing the vice president to attend cabinet meetings or even advise the president, the newspaper cited a simple ground: The Vice President, until he is called to the Executive chair, is a part of the legislative establishment. The Constitution distinctly makes him so. To be sure, these and many more examples dont prove that the current scholarly consensus is wrong. Indeed, I think its probably right. My only claim is that the debate is worth having. Which brings us back to Kamala Harris. Supporters say that Harris tumultuous tenure reflects the thankless and even impossible assignments the Biden administration has handed her. Fair enough. But if the VP is a member of the legislature, whats the basis for the presidents power to give the vice president assignments in the first place? After all, she doesnt work for him. In an episode of The West Wing, President Jed Bartlet wants Vice President John Hoynes to go to Texas to give a speech in favor of gun control. When Hoynes demurs, Bartlet says Texans dont like that you have the courage of your convictions? Hoynes responds: Theyre not my convictions. Theyre yours. Thats Harris dilemma, and the dilemma of every modern VP: the expectation that its her job to submit to the will of the commander in chief. But if the Constitution makes the vice president a member of the legislative branch, the expectation is incorrect. Shes free to chart an independent course. Why does this never happen? Because every occupant of the Oval Office dangles the same big carrot: support for becoming the partys next presidential nominee. This is where Pences argument for what amounts to a 19th century conception of the office presents Harris with an opportunity. If she, too, adopts the view that shes a member of the legislative, not the executive, she might find the freedom to address the issues she actually wants to, in a voice entirely her own. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Hundreds gathered Wednesday at a candlelight vigil in Nashville to honor and mourn the three children and three adults who were killed in a shooting at a Christian school this week. The downtown ceremony for the victims of the shooting at The Covenant School was somber and at times tearful, as speaker after speaker read the names of the victims and offered condolences to their loved ones. The family of Mike Hill, a 61-year-old custodian who was among those killed, was in attendance, including his seven children. First lady Jill Biden also was on hand but did not address the crowd. Sheryl Crow sang I Shall Believe and ended with the lyrics from a Dionne Warwick song, What the World Needs Now is Love, Sweet Love. Margo Price sang an a cappella version of Tears of Rage." And Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show led the crowd in the Christian hymn, Will the Circle Be Unbroken, which brought many to tears. Just two days ago was our citys worst day, Mayor John Cooper said. I so wish we werent here, but we need to be here. Shaundelle Brooks, who lost her 23-year-old son, Akilah Dasilva, in the 2018 Nashville Waffle House shooting, said she went to the vigil to support the families of those slain at the school. I know what its like to be a parent what it feels like, like youre drowning and cant move, and that weakness and that hole that comes in your stomach, she said. Police have said a 28-year-old former student drove up to the school Monday morning, shot out the glass doors, entered and began firing indiscriminately. The dead were identified as as students Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, all 9 years old; Katherine Koonce, 60, the head of the school; substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61; and Hill. Authorities have not yet determined the shooters motive but say the assailant did not target specific victims. Price, who has been particularly vocal about Tennessee Gov. Bill Lees position on state gun laws, tweeted after the shooting: Our children are dying and being shot in school, but youre more worried about drag queens than smart gun laws? You have blood on your hands. Crow and Secor also called for stricter gun laws in tweets posted after the shooting. But there was no talk of gun control at the vigil, as people steered clear of the political divide between blue-leaning Nashville and ruby red Tennessee. Republicans and Democratic lawmakers stood together in asking for remembrance of the six who died. Lee said Tuesday that Peak was a close friend of his wife, Maria, and that the two had been planning to meet for dinner after Peaks work that day. Maria woke up this morning without one of her best friends, Lee said in a video statement, adding that his wife once taught with Peak and Koonce. The women, he said, have been family friends for decades. Earlier Wednesday, Pope Francis sent condolences to Nashville and offered prayers to those affected. George Grant, a pastor and leader with the Nashville Presbytery, also avoided any mention of politics. As pundits and politicians try to make sense out of the senseless, were not really asking why. We know why we live in a broken, fallen world, Grant said in a phone interview Tuesday. The church linked to the school is a member of the presbytery, which includes congregations in middle Tennessee and southwestern Kentucky. In a blog post Wednesday, Grant recounted how notifications about an active shooter at the school interrupted a presbytery planning meeting that included Chad Scruggs, Covenant Presbyterian Church pastor and father of one of the shooting victims. We emptied into the hallway, stricken, eyes clouded with unbelief, horror and grief. ... Our worst fears were realized, Grant wrote. Police said the shooter, identified as Audrey Hale, was under a doctors care for an undisclosed emotional disorder and was not on the radar of police before the attack. Hale was fatally shot by police at the school Monday. Authorities have given unclear information on Hales gender. For hours Monday, police identified the shooter as a woman. Later in the day, the police chief said Hale was transgender. In an email Tuesday, a police spokesperson said Hale was assigned female at birth but used masculine pronouns on a social media profile. Maria Colomy, a former teacher at the Nossi College of Art & Design in Nashville, recalled Hale as a talented artist while a student in Colomys social media class in 2017. Colomy remembered Hale going above and beyond on projects." She said she saw postings on Facebook during the past year in which Hale wrote about the death of a romantic partner and asked to be called by a male name and male pronouns. Hale had been very publicly grieving" on Facebook, Colomy said. It was during that grief (Hale) said, In this persons honor, I am going to be the person who I want to be, and I want to be called Aiden.'" On Hales first day at the Nossi School, Colomy said she saw Hale become frustrated while trying to log into the student portal and start to cry. I went up to (Hale) and said, Hey, if you need to step out, its totally OK,'" Colomy said. But after that, Colomy said Hale began to feel safe at school and really started thriving." Samira Hardcastle, who attended both middle and high school with Hale, said Hale seemed sweet and socially awkward. Hardcastle said she spoke to Hale briefly last month at an event for a mutual friend, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I dont think we can rationalize irrational actions, so I am just trying to make peace with that, she said. AP Religion News Editor Holly Meyer in Nashville and News Verification Reporter Beatrice Dupuy in New York contributed to this report. Korea and Turkey held annual high-level military talks in Ankara earlier this week to discuss bilateral defense cooperation, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Thursday. JCS Vice Chairman Lt. Gen. Park Woong and Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, the deputy chief of the Turkish General Staff, represented each side at the 14th edition of the talks on Wednesday. The two sides discussed ways to reinforce military cooperation, such as signing a military information sharing pact, bolstering arms industry cooperation and expanding their troops' participation in multinational drills. They noted their relationship has been deepening based on mutual trust anchored in their "strategic partnership" forged in 2012. They also agreed to hold the 15th edition of the talks in Seoul next year. During his trip, Park met with Turkey's top military officer, Gen. Yasar Guler, and offered words of solace over a devastating earthquake that hit the country last month. Guler thanked Park for Seoul's assistance with the recovery efforts, noting that it demonstrated the "deep trust" between the two countries, according to the JCS. Korea sent more than 100 rescue and relief workers to Turkey following the quake. (Yonhap) Details of a Russian missile attack on the NATO command center in early March have emerged According to news, Dozens of NATO officers were killed in a terrifying blow from a Mach 12 missile. In all likelihood, we are talking about the defeat of the shadow General Staff of NATO in Ukraine. A secret underground bunker built at a depth of 400 feet (120 meters) housed several NATO officers and advisers. More than 300 people in total. To date, according to the portal, 40 people have been recovered from the rubble of the headquarters, but most of those who died under the rubble have not yet been found Looks to be true. The west went nuts saying Russia killed civillians and with that I hunted down the info of many dead NATO and yes they died in mass Thought they were safe deep in the ground hiding. NATO also keeps saying Russia does not have many missiles I guess thousands and thousands of hyper-sonics are not many? Russia has been producing weapons non stop for many years WtR The Washoe County Health District announced new data on health county-by-county in Nevada. It highlights how counties rank on health outcomes and how it's influenced by health factors. The healthiest counties are in Northern Nevada -- and Douglas, Pershing, and Washoe County have stayed stable at the top three counties since 2010. They also have data on what's driving the health outcomes data - health factors such as health behavior, social and economic factors, and physical environment. "They maintain they add to and curate a pretty impressive list of evidence-based measures and policy changes that we might want to pursue at the county level or state level to think about how do we move the needle, says Dr. John Packham, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine. They say the goal of this report is for counties for lawmakers can use this as a tool to improve health in their counties. Washoe County ranked poorly in areas related to alcohol-impaired driving, sexually transmitted infections and air pollution, which has been impacted from out-of-county wildfires. Washoe County as a whole performed very well in these rankings, said Kevin Dick, District Health Officer in Washoe County. While many of our traditional health care indicators did well, these rankings show that a lot of improvement is needed in public health. While there is hope on the horizon, state and federal public health funding is critical in addressing many of the public health issues impacting Washoe County residents. The Health District remains committed to the community by investing in opportunities to improve public health outcomes by providing essential public health services, collaborating with partners, increasing awareness to available impactful programs and providing information to live a more healthy life. We have increased our investments in additional staffing to serve the community, the 5210 Health Washoe program and health equity. We hope by addressing these needs, coupled with future public health improvement funds from the State of Nevada, that well see our public health indicators improve well into the future. The Health District in February released its 2022-25 Community Health Assessment that covers a lot of health data and information in Washoe County. The Health District will release its Community Health Improvement Plan soon that will show how public health organizations in Washoe County are addressing public health matters locally. The County Health Rankings & Roadmaps (CHR&R) is a program of the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The Rankings provide data, evidence, guidance, and examples to build awareness of the multiple factors that influence health and support leaders in growing community power to improve health equity. The Rankings are unique in their ability to measure the health of nearly every county in all 50 states, and are complemented by guidance, tools, and resources designed to accelerate community learning and action. The full County Rankings can be found here. Douglas County was ranked No. 1 in the state of Nevada with Pershing County finishing second for Health Outcomes. Douglas County was ranked No. 1 in the state of Nevada with Storey County finishing second for Health Factors. (Washoe County contributed to this report.) We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form 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. Participants in the launching seminar of the Denmark-Korea Hospital Alliance pose ahead of the event held at the residence of Danish Ambassador-designate Svend Olling, ninth from left, in Seoul's Seongbuk District, Wednesday. The bilateral alliance aims to promote knowledge and experience sharing between the two countries' healthcare sectors with five hospitals from Korea and three from Denmark as inaugural members. Courtesy of Embassy of Denmark in Korea You need to get away. You crave a few days of being somewhere, anywhere that isnt where you are right now. Even if its just for the weekend. Head to Morro Bay, a seaside getaway located right off scenic Highway 1 on Californias Central Coast. From sandy beaches to a downtown bustling with local shops and restaurants, Morro Bay truly has all the fresh air, fun activities, and tasty meals you need to refuel. Get Salty in the Sun at Morro Bay (Courtesy of Visit Morro Bay) Outdoor Fun In Morro Bay, youll soon realize that adventure lies around every corner. Varied, stunning landscapes, year-round temperate weather make it the perfect place to enjoy the great outdoors. From tranquil kayak rides across the bay to scenic hikes around the areas stunning peaks and valleys, theres no shortage of outdoor experiences to be had here. Other popular outdoor experiences include fishing, birding, biking, and so much more. Wildlife Viewing Underneath its charming seaside town appearance, Morro Bay is absolutely teeming with wildlifemajestic whales cresting atop white waves, birds gliding on the coastal breeze, lizards sunbathing on stones radiating with warmth, sea otters splashing their way across the shore, tidal pool creatures forming swirling kaleidoscopes of color within their small rocky homes. Nature-lovers from all over flock to Morro Bay for the sheer variety of wildlife that call this place home. Embark upon an unforgettable whale-watching tour, take advantage of Morro Bays status as a designated National Audubon Societys Important Bird Area, or take a walk along the Embarcadero and watch as the otters dive in and out of the waterthe adventure is yours to choose. Flavors Fresh from Morro Bay (Courtesy of Visit Morro Bay) One thing is for sure: youve never tasted ocean-to-table cuisine quite like this. Chow down on fish caught fresh from the Morro Bay or oysters that come directly from its two sustainable oyster farms. If youre in the mood for something else, youre sure to find it. From family-friendly fare to elegant seaside dining, Morro Bay has whatever youre craving. Wash down your meal with a chilled glass of beer from Firestone Walker, Libertine, or Three Stacks and a Rock Brewing Companies. Stop for a glass of wine at one of the many wineries in Paso Robles and Edna Valley. Morro Bay's Seaside Accommodations (Courtesy of Visit Morro Bay) Morro Bay is guaranteed to have the perfect place for you to stay during your visit. Any of the citys accommodations are sure to put you at the very center of everything you want to see and discover. Explore a variety of lodging options that offer everything a traveler needs to feel right at home, from luxurious waterfront suites along the scenic Embarcadero to charming family-run inns and B&Bs to tidy budget and pet-friendly lodges. Move over, middle part: Julia Roberts just stepped out with a fresh new do, and she has people buzzing over her fabulous fringe. The 55-year-old Academy Award winner, who is Chopards global ambassador, was all smiles earlier this week in Geneva, at an event for the Swiss luxury watch company, where she debuted her new bangs and long, wavy locks in her signature red hue. I think she looks sexy and fresh, says Peggy Ioakim, celebrity hair artist at Karma by Erwin Gomez in Washington, D.C. This is a youthful, edgy look for her. Think bangs are for schoolgirls only? Roberts is proof to the contrary. Bangs can work for anybody, says Ioakim. The key is knowing several factors, including your face shape and hair type, she says. Back in the day, it used to be that when you got older, you wore your hair short, says Ioakim. Now, theres no age that determines a style. I like to think we have evolved. There are no more rules when it comes to hair and age, she says. You wear your hair the way that makes you feel your best, most confident self. How to tell if bangs are right for you: 1. Face shape Certain face shapes can pull off this type of bang better than others, but there are bangs to suit all shapes of faces. When you know what face shape you are, you can figure out which type of bang works for you, says Ioakim. Square- or heart-shaped faces pull off Roberts wispy, feathered fringe style, while round faces can benefit from side-swept or curtain bangs. Got an oval face? Youre in luck, as most any bang type will work. 2. Hair texture The hair texture also determines what type of bang works best for your face, says Ioakim. Medium to thick hair works best if you want to copy Roberts fringe-style layered bangs, she says, while finer textured hair would work best with more of a long, side-swoop bang. Roberts sans bangs at the January 2023 Critics Choice Awards. Steve Granitz/FilmMagic 3. Work with your stylist Its always helpful when clients bring me pictures of the look they are trying to achieve, says Ioakim. That way we can discuss what may and may not work for their face shape and hair texture and figure out what type of bang would work best. Important to note: Ioakim does not recommend cutting bangs yourself. Do not try this at home! she says. 4. Different ways to style Sure, they look fabulous on the red carpet, as Roberts has proven, but bangs can be dressed up or down. This is such a versatile style, says Ioakim. Whats fun about this look is it can be worn with your hair down, or it also can work great with a high pony. And if you find your bangs are no longer bangin, not to worry: The best part, says Ioakim: The bangs will always grow out. Placement to Advance Cannon & Drilling at Penny's Find Perth, Mar 30, 2023 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Horizon Minerals Limited ( ASX:HRZ ) is pleased to advise that it has received firm bids to place approximately 74.1 million fully paid ordinary shares in the Company at $0.045 per share to raise approximately $3.34 million. Funds from the Placement will be used to advance the proposed high-grade Cannon underground mine scheduled for development in H2 CY2023. 1 The mine is now fully permitted with final mining contract / JV negotiations underway and a milling allocation in place at FMR's 1Mtpa Greenfields Mill. Drilling will also commence at Penny's Find in the June Quarter 2023 testing both strike and depth extensions and infilling a second mineralised domain enabling updated resource modelling and reserve studies. In addition, the Company will continue the resource growth and new discovery gold exploration program across core assets including Rose Hill, Brilliant North, Binduli and the greater Cannon Golden Ridge project areas. Commenting on the successful capital raising, Horizon Managing Director Mr Jon Price said: "At a time of record A$ gold prices, our focus is now on advancing the high-grade Cannon underground mine into production in the second half of 2023. The mine is now fully permitted and we look forward to updating you further in coming weeks. Accelerating the drilling at the Penny's Find gold mine will enable updated resource modelling and reserve studies to be completed to have the mine ready for development in sequence." "We thank our existing shareholders for their continued support and welcome several new Australian and international shareholders to the register. We now look forward to providing increased news flow on mining developments, drilling results and updated resources and reserves in coming months." Details of the Placement The Placement consists of approximately 74.1 million new fully paid ordinary shares to be issued at a price of $0.045 per share to raise a total of approximately $3.34 million before costs utilising the Company's existing placement capacity under Listing Rules 7.1. The Issue Price of $0.045 a share represents a: - 4.4% discount to the last trading price of $0.047 - 0.0% discount to the 10-day VWAP of $0.045 New shares issued under the Placement will rank equally with existing ordinary shares on issue. For more information on the Company, we refer you to the presentation entitled "Growth Strategy Investor Presentation March 2023" released to the ASX on 28 March 2023. About Horizon Minerals Limited Horizon Minerals Limited (ASX:HRZ) is a gold exploration and mining company focussed on the Kalgoorlie and Menzies areas of Western Australia which are host to some of Australia's richest gold deposits. The Company is developing a mining pipeline of projects to generate cash and self-fund aggressive exploration, mine developments and further acquisitions. The Teal gold mine has been recently completed. Horizon is aiming to significantly grow its JORC-Compliant Mineral Resources, complete definitive feasibility studies on core high grade open cut and underground projects and build a sustainable development pipeline. Horizon has a number of joint ventures in place across multiple commodities and regions of Australia providing exposure to Vanadium, Copper, PGE's, Gold and Nickel/Cobalt. Our quality joint venture partners are earning in to our project areas by spending over $20 million over 5 years enabling focus on the gold business while maintaining upside leverage. Jang Bo-in, left, poses with her former boss Tim Whitman at The Alleyway in Gwangju, March 28. / Courtesy of Arlo Matisz By Arlo Matisz "I missed The Alleyway." Jang Bo-in or just Bo to her friends and coworkers voiced what so many people in Gwangju have felt for the past two years. As a former cook at The First Alleyway, she may have felt this more acutely than most, but she did something about it. She rebooted it. The pandemic served as a catalyst for a massive downturn in the global economy, and while COVID-19 took lives, the government's response to mitigate the spread of the disease left casualties of its own. Comparative health statistics from the last several years tell the tale of an averted health crisis in Korea, but the strict regulations for the service industry as well as the general drop in demand for face-to-face patronage meant such businesses operated for years in the red. A rational business response to repeated losses is to close. The downtown core of Gwangju still has not recovered. "For Rent" signs seem as common as storefronts. Long-established businesses as well as new ventures sank below the waters of economic loss and failed to resurface. Among those casualties were several foreign-owned ventures, and one would struggle to find such an institution whose loss was more keenly felt than The First Alleyway. It had been no secret to those close to Tim Whitman, owner and operator of The First Alleyway, that the stress of operating his business reached its breaking point during the pandemic. After 12 years of operation, he in August 2021. However, today he stands behind the shining new bar of a restaurant with a suspiciously similar name in Gwangju's vibrant Dongmyeong-dong, which has fast become a culinary hub for the city's more innovative restaurants. He's tending the bar at The Alleyway for Bo, his former head cook of seven years. Tim Whitman, former owner of The First Alleyway, tends bar at The Alleyway, opened by his former head chef, March 28. / Courtesy of Kelly Kim At 28, Bo still possesses a youthful energy. It could give the impression that she's not long out of culinary school. That culinary energy formed even earlier. "In middle school, I liked to bake things," she said. "Cakes, cookies. I could make something at that young age. I'd bake for myself and my family. They liked it. My mother paid for the ingredients and bought me an oven. I don't know why I wanted to bake. I just started. I loved all of it." When asked if she used her high school culinary skills at later jobs, she laughed. "No, I didn't really use the skills. We learned how to get food preparation licenses. I have Korean food, Chinese food, Japanese food and pastry licenses. Not the Western one though. At the time, the Western license was so difficult." The irony of not acquiring that one license for the type of restaurant she is now opening is less surprising after learning about her career path. "My first job was at a mart pizza shop and then a buffet," she said. "Then I went to Canada through a government program for an overseas job placement. I worked at Boston Pizza. I felt pizza was connected to me. Then I came back to Korea and met Tim, and he had a pizza restaurant, so I asked him for a job." The Alleyway opens its door in a new location in Gwangju, now run by former head cook of The First Alleyway, March 28. / Courtesy of Kelly Kim It would now seem the student has become the master. While some would balk at working for someone nearly half their age, Tim describes his role with a touch of trademark humor. "I'm going to be guiding," he said. "I'm trying to help Bo, and to transition old customers to the new location and new business. I'll be helping out at the bar. I'm just the old adviser, like the guru on a mountain." When asked what advice he'd given Bo that he wished he'd been given before running a restaurant, Tim joked "Don't do it," before expressing his confidence in her. "She was very helpful while we ran The First Alleyway. She made sure the kitchen ran well. She knew what she had to do already. It's just a case of understanding the little details of getting your equipment, getting your space organized and deciding the menu. A lot of challenges." Bo elaborated on the challenges of going from head cook to owner. "Before, if we decided something, I didn't spend money," she said. "Now I spend my money to do something. Everything costs money. And everything is not in my control. Everything feels outside of my control: the construction, equipment orders, furniture." The Alleyway is significantly smaller than its predecessor, but what made it popular is still going to be here especially the beloved poutine. Bo defended the inclusion of poutine with an air of inevitability. "Why poutine? Everyone wants it!" she said. "I'm not actually a poutine person, but everyone asks about it, so I didn't have a choice. I had to do it!" She listed the slightly smaller menu. "Sandwiches, pizza, starters like salads, wings, chicken tenders and fries. It will be the same food. More focus on food than alcohol. We won't be open late. Before you drink, meet here and eat, maybe have some beer. There is beer and liquor. And nice coffee!" When asked what he wishes he'd had at the old restaurant, Tim pointed to the hulking new coffee apparatus. "The espresso machine to make nice coffee," he said. "I love drip coffee, but a good high-quality americano might prop me up enough." There will also be desserts prepared by another local entrepreneur who has established a loyal following. But don't expect sweetened pizza. Bo is adamant about this. "I was tired of sweet pizza here," she said. "I wanted to make salty pizza! Our pizza is not sweet." Asked what he misses about the restaurant business, Tim answered quickly. "I miss meeting people," he said. "Hanging out with old people, and meeting new people. Talking about Gwangju. The old Alleyway was the teaching community, but it was also the military, Italian engineers for Samsung, Dutch engineers for the Universiade." Asked what he didn't miss, Tim responded even faster. "The stress," he said. "Especially during the COVID years. People resistant to following the rules, to checking in. Part of why we quit was the pandemic. Part of why Bo can reopen now is because it's over." On why she made this business venture, Bo recalled the recent passing of Michael Schroeder, the previous bartender of The First Alleyway, late last year. "When I went to Mike's funeral, I felt I missed The Alleyway," she said. "I hadn't been thinking that, but when I was at the funeral, seeing the friends chatting, eating, and drinking, that felt like The Alleyway, and that made me want to do it again." So she did. Photos hanging on the wall at The Alleyway show Mike Schroeder, a former bartender at The First Alleyway who passed away recently, in the upper left photo, and Michael Simning, founder of The First Alleyway who passed away in 2014, in the right photo. / Courtesy of Arlo Matisz On Tuesday, March 28, The Alleyway held its soft opening. Over the course of the evening, the space filled with customers both old and new. Local professor Jeremy Bissett was eager to surprise his family, longtime fans of the original. "My kids love this place, especially Bo, Tim not so much, and when they see this place, they're going to go absolutely nuts, because they still talk about this place every day." Artist Jen Lee, who created a , was thrilled. "It's nice to have it back. I really missed it." Gwangju News editor William Urbanski said, "It's just like coming home." Miky-Lee Urbanski agreed. "This is an amazing place, I love it." The world moves on, and not often kindly, but for now, in Gwangju, people have something that they thought was gone. They can enjoy the company of loved ones and raise a glass to absent friends. Visit for more information. An alcoholic beverage with health benefits may seem like an oxymoron. But, that is exactly Leaf & Hive Brew Lab has been concocting in Santa Fe since 2019. We specialize in a honey fermented tea, said Andrew Lucas, Leaf & Hive founder. Its a probiotic and alcoholic beverage. Pretty much a new classification of alcohol. We call our product honeybrew. Technically its called jun. Leaf & Hive, located at 1208 Mercantile Drive in Santa Fe, offers 12 flavor profiles of its honeybrew. We have three flagship flavors that we are currently bottling and distributing throughout New Mexico, Lucas said. Those flavors are our House, which is kind of like our baseline green tea flavor (with) a lot of the tea and honey notes and that one is a very basic, simple tea. And then the next one is our Hibiscus. Thats going to be more citrusy and tart. And then the third flavor is our Lavender Lemongrass, and thats going to be a lot more floral and sweet and quite lovely. Theyre all quite delicious. Other flavors are in weekly rotation and the brew lab is busting out the fruity ones just in time for spring including a blueberry lemonade, watermelon basil, hibiscus mojito, and a tepache flavor that is fermented with pineapple, cinnamon, clove and other spices. The vibrantly-colored honeybrews offer a number of potential health benefits. Theyre packed full of probiotics and enzymes, nootropics from the different teas, Lucas said. Weve done extensive testing through Los Alamos Labs on what our drink actually contains We also use all locally-sourced honey. We get all of our honey from Belen. So thats another cool little thing that can help with your allergies. Lucas and his team have a deep respect for bees and what they contribute to the world. The bees have it all, Lucas said. They have all the answers. What they can do, its mind-blowing. Every part of the hive is medicinal from the beeswax to the bee venom to the propolis to the honey to the royal jelly. Its quite amazing. Lucas hopes to create a nonprofit that promotes bee awareness. Were also working on starting a nonprofit to raise education, he said. Educating the populace on how important bees are to the community. We want to be able to teach people how to maintain their own hives. Its really bringing awareness to it because it is a problem with their numbers being decimated in areas. Leaf & Hives honeybrew can be enjoyed at its Santa Fe location in 12 ounce pours or as a flight of three, 5-ounce pours. For take home, 32 ounce growlers filled with a flavor of your choice or 500 milliliter bottles of certain flavors are available for purchase. Bottled honeybrew also can be found at Jubilation Wine & Spirits and Stone Face Package Liquors in Albuquerque. More information on Leaf & Hive can be found at leafandhive.com. A man accused of bringing a firearm into an Albuquerque movie theater last week was ordered by a judge Wednesday to remain in jail pending trial. Darnell Hill, 25, was arrested on a charge of carrying a firearm into a liquor establishment after he allegedly brought an AR-style rifle into Flix Brewhouse late Friday. Employees wrestled the gun away from Hill following a brief confrontation in the kitchen, prosecutors alleged at a detention hearing. Second Judicial District Court Judge Stan Whitaker applauded the employees who disarmed Hill. The employees there were very brave to try and deescalate the situation, Whitaker said after watching security video of Hills encounter with kitchen staff. When that didnt work, in terms of giving it up, they disarmed him, and I thought it was very brave of them to do that. Prosecutors showed security video of Hill entering the kitchen carrying the gun and a cell phone. Employees gathered around Hill and spoke with him briefly before forcibly taking the gun. Hills attorney, Demyra Hover, said that employees didnt appear frightened of Hill or attempt to flee. The staff members did not run away, Hover told the judge. The staff members were actually engaged in conversation with him. Mr. Hill was not pointing a weapon at anyone. Mr. Hill did not have intentions to harm anyone that day. Whitaker said he disagreed that the encounter appeared harmless. I think they all gathered around to make sure it didnt get any worse, or that he didnt run out and start shooting at patrons, Whitaker said. I think were very lucky that were not here for something more grave. Prosecutors also allege that Hill was under the influence of alcohol and drugs at the time. Bernalillo County Sheriffs Detective Cameron Carroll said at the hearing that staff members were shaken by the encounter. Employees said they had some type of dialogue with him, Carroll testified. Once they had enough people inside the kitchen, the kitchen manager moved up and grabbed the barrel of the firearm. The manager said she leaned her weight onto it and tried to grab it away from him and other employees joined in, Carroll said. Employees then secured the firearm in a locked room and told Hill to leave the business, he said. Hill was carrying an AR 15-style rifle with a 30-round clip that contained 24 rounds, Carroll said. New Mexico law prohibits the carrying of weapons into an establishment that sells alcohol for consumption. Flix is a movie theater that serves alcohol. A local nonprofit that works to get military veterans back on their feet broke ground Wednesday on a transitional housing complex for vets and their families as residents of the surrounding neighborhood protested concerns the complex could lead to crime and drive down property values. The New Mexico Veterans Integration Centers on Wednesday launched the first phase of a larger concept to build a VIC Campus on Mulberry near Interstate 25 and Gibson SE. The VIC is hopeful the first phase, a transitional housing site, will be open in May 2024, said VIC CEO Brock Wolff. Transitional housing units will give homeless vets a place to temporarily live as they work to reintegrate back into society. They have to have a commitment to get better, Wolff said of the veterans who will use the facility. And then we work on their substance abuse, PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), life skills, and we help them get ready to move into an apartment. Assistance for vets Albuquerques 2022 point-in-time count found there were a total of 86 homeless veterans in the city. That included 25 unsheltered veterans, 43 staying in a shelter that night and 18 using transitional housing. But Wolff said that is likely an undercount and the campus will also be a place to help vets who may be living on a friends couch, for example. The city of Albuquerque, Bernalillo County and the Department of Veterans Affairs have pledged $8 million, of which $1 million went to land acquisition and $6.7 million will go to building the transitional housing buildings, according to VICs website. The 20,000-square-foot building will be able to provide temporary housing for 42 veterans and 24 family members. The VICs current transitional housing program pairs up homeless veterans and places them in rented apartments. Wolff said. Once entirely completed, the VIC envisions the transitional housing program will be part of a $17.8 million campus that includes affordable housing, office space, a wellness center, a food pantry and a thrift shop, among other services. The complex will be just east of the interstate between an Optum facility and a Baymont hotel. The vacant land is currently a mixed-use low intensity zone district, said Tim Walsh, a spokesman for the citys planning department. The VIC, which was formed in 2005, is a nonprofit business whose most-recent tax return said it helped 455 veterans and 235 family members with $1.4 million in housing assistance and other support in 2021. Right to protest As officials broke ground at the new complex, about 10 residents gathered on the other side of the street with signs that complained about what the complex would do to their property values. Some neighbors were sour because they said they werent part of discussions before Wednesdays groundbreaking. The homeowners association is trying to intervene to stop construction, said Leslee Horn, the vice president of the association. The Kirtland Community Association supports the Veterans Integration Center project, its a beautiful project, our veterans deserve services and resources, Horn said. But the project being in our neighborhood is not an asset to our neighborhood. She said the neighborhood already has issues with crime. We have always worked hard to combat those, and weve got a good grasp on whats going on, Horn said. So now youre talking about an organization that is going to bring in people who have additional problems as well, they were talking about mental health and behavioral health. On the other side of the street from about 10 protesters, supporters of the project filled underneath a tent for a ceremony that included the presentation of the colors, the national anthem and a Native American ceremony, as well as speeches. Wolff said he was sad the neighbors were upset with the project and said the VIC will continue to meet with them to address concerns. He said the entire complex will be gated and have surveillance. Residents in the transitional housing program will have curfews, as well as a requirement that they are committed to reintegrating into society, he said. And, he pointed out some ironies of the protest, including that the neighborhood association bears the name Kirtland after nearby Kirtland Air Force Base. Their right to protest wouldnt be here if it werent for these soldiers, Wolff said. The fact that its illegal to take guns to schools always bears repeating. That was the message Wednesday when Second Judicial District Attorney Sam Bregman, surrounded by city, county and educational leaders, announced a renewed anti-gun initiative. At the news conference, he said the initiative will include posting signs in schools, encouraging gun owners to keep their weapons secure and continuing to prosecute those who bring guns to school. Anyone who is in possession of a firearm on any school campus will be immediately arrested. A juvenile will be prosecuted in juvenile court (and) charged as a felon. An adult will also be arrested immediately and will be charged as well with a felony, Bregman said. You may think that somehow bringing a gun to school might be cool. But its not. Dont ruin your life, he added. Having a gun on or near campus is already against state and federal law. But Bregman also pointed to the recently passed House Bill 9, better known as the Bennie Hargrove Gun Safety Act, which outlaws failing to keep guns out of childrens reach. The law is named after the 13-year-old Washington Middle School student who was shot and killed on campus by another 13-year-old who had taken his fathers gun to school. I support the Second Amendment, but we need responsible gun owners, Bregman said. The news conference also comes in the wake of a deadly shooting in Nashville, Tenn. on Monday, when a former student of a Christian school killed three children and three adults, and after a 17-year-old allegedly shot and wounded two administrators at a high school in Denver last week. There have been 13 incidents involving guns on Albuquerque Public Schools campuses so far this school year, with the most recent one coming in early March. Last school year, there were 10 in total. Bregman couldnt immediately say how many of this years incidents have been prosecuted. My understanding (is) that last year, theres been no one thats had a gun that weve been able to show that they have had a gun on campus that has not been prosecuted, he said, referring to juveniles. We believe we are 100% prosecuting. We are going to continue that. Carrying a gun on campus also results in an automatic, one-year expulsion for students, APS Superintendent Scott Elder said. Other parts of the initiative will include informing and educating school communities about keeping guns out of schools. In the coming months, new gun free zone signs warning people of the legal penalties involved with carrying firearms on campus will be posted in schools. The district said that many of the anti-gun signs that were already in schools have faded or been removed. APS and law enforcement officials also emphasized the community responsibility to say something about any potential threats to schools, and also encouraged gun owners to keep their weapons locked up. We all have a role in keeping our schools safe, Elder said. This isnt an APS problem. This isnt an Albuquerque Police Department problem. This is a City of Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, State of New Mexico problem, Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina added. ROME (AP) Pope Francis showed a marked improvement Thursday after being given intravenous antibiotics for a bronchitis infection and could be released from the hospital in the coming days, the Vatican and his doctors reported. The 86-year-old pontiff, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, ate breakfast, read the newspapers, rested and worked from his hospital room at Romes Gemelli hospital, according to Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni. An additional update provided late Thursday by doctors revealed Francis had been diagnosed with bronchitis. The infection required the administration of antibiotic therapy on an infusion basis which produced the expected effects with a marked improvement in his state of health, the doctors statement said. Based on the expected course, the Holy Father could be discharged in the coming days, it concluded. The timeframe brought into question Francis participation in Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peters Square this weekend, as well as his presence during Holy Week activities. They include Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday on April 9. Francis was hospitalized Wednesday after having trouble breathing in recent days. It was the first time he had back to Gemelli since he had 33 centimeters (13 inches) of his colon removed and spent 10 days there in July 2021. Despite his absence, the Holy See was abuzz with activity Thursday: Two Vatican offices issued a historic statement repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery, the legal theory backed by 15th century papal bulls that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property law today. And there was continued fallout over the sudden resignation of a founding member of the popes sex abuse prevention board, with Boston Cardinal Sean OMalley pushing back against Rev. Hans Zollners critiques in his remarkable resignation statement issued the previous day. He said soon after the intestinal surgery that he had recovered fully and could eat normally. But in a Jan. 24 interview with The Associated Press, Francis said his diverticulosis, or bulges in the intestinal wall, had returned. Francis has used a wheelchair for over a year due to strained ligaments in his right knee and a small knee fracture, though he had been walking more with a cane of late. Francis has said he resisted having surgery for the knee problems because he didnt respond well to general anesthesia during the 2021 intestinal surgery. SANTA FE New Mexico will establish a permanent absentee voter list and remove barriers to voting on tribal lands under sweeping legislation signed into law Thursday by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. The measure also will automate voter registration during certain Motor Vehicle Division transactions and more quickly restore the voting rights of people exiting prison after a felony conviction. It was supported this year by Democratic legislative leaders and Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, after a similar measure died in the final moments of the 2022 session amid a GOP filibuster. Republican lawmakers fiercely opposed the bill this year, too, contending automatic voter registration and other measures arent necessary in a state that already allows same-day registration. But advocates of the legislation, House Bill 4, celebrated Thursday as Lujan Grisham signed the bill during a ceremony at the Capitol with Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver; House Speaker Javier Martinez, D-Albuquerque; and others. Native American leaders described it as critical step toward protecting the voting rights of people on tribal land, especially those without a traditional mailing address. The measure requires collaboration with pueblos, nations and tribes on establishing polling places, early voting locations and precinct boundaries. It also allows members to register to vote or receive absentee ballots at official tribal buildings a necessity, supporters said, for residents who dont receive mail at home. It is truly monumental reform, said Ahtza Chavez, executive director of NM Native Vote and a member of the Kewa Pueblo and Dine Nation. It requires collaboration with tribes at all levels. In a signing ceremony at the Capitol, Lujan Grisham said the legislation would serve as a template for other states. We want to send a message to the rest of the country that this is what voting access and protection should look like, the governor said. Ash Soular, a spokeswoman for the Republican Party of New Mexico, told the Journal the legislation has the potential to weaken our elections by failing to addresses weaknesses in ballot security. We are disappointed that the Democratic legislature would not work to pass voter ID policy New Mexicans want that would strengthen election integrity, she said. Instead of focusing on crime this session, progressives rewarded felons who have not completed their parole by restoring their voting rights. RPNM believes felons should have their voting rights restored once they complete their sentence. Heres a look at the key provisions in the measure: Absentee voting: Sign up once The legislation calls for a permanent absentee voter list to be available in time for the 2024 elections. Voters could sign up once to get absentee ballots mailed to them before every statewide election. People on the list would also get notices mailed to them seven weeks before Election Day. Any election-related mail returned to the county clerk as undeliverable would trigger the voters removal from the absentee list. Automated registration Automatic voter registration during some transactions at MVD offices such as when a person presents documents proving citizenship while applying for a drivers license would begin in July 2025. Newly registered voters would be told theyve been added to the voter rolls and that theyll get a postcard in the mail allowing them to decline the registration. For MVD customers already registered to vote, their address would be updated in the voting rolls if they renew their drivers license with a different address. Restoration of rights The legislation will restore the voting rights of felons when they leave custody rather than after they complete probation or parole. Inmates would be granted the chance to register or update their registration before release. The Sentencing Project, an advocacy group, estimated the measure will restore the voting rights of more than 11,000 citizens. New holiday The bill makes Election Day a school holiday. Drop boxes The legislation requires each county to have at least two secured, monitored boxes for people to drop off absentee ballots. State election officials are empowered to waive the requirement or grant requests for additional containers, depending on the circumstances of each county. Native American voting The proposal establishes a Native American Voting Rights Act. SANTA FE Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is traveling to Florida on Thursday for a meeting of the Democratic Governors Association. She is expected to return Monday. Lujan Grisham, who won reelection last year, served as the groups chairwoman in 2021. The association campaigns to elect Democratic governors and supports those in office. While the governor is out of state, Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver will serve as acting governor until Lt. Gov. Howie Morales returns to the state Friday afternoon, under a provision in the state Constitution. Lujan Grishams departure comes ahead of the April 7 deadline for action on bills passed in the final days of the 60-day legislative session. She has so far signed 85 bills and vetoed one, out of 246 bills sent to her. Among the big items awaiting action are budget, tax and capital outlay legislation and a measure targeting organized retail crime. Federal authorities broke up an alleged robbery plot by Syndicato Nuevo Mexico gang members targeting an associate who reportedly sold drugs out of his Southeast Albuquerque apartment. Dominic Gutierrez, 42, an purported member of SNM, one of the states most violent and powerful gangs, was arrested on a probation violation during a Wednesday morning raid at his home in Northeast Albuquerque. The FBI said Gutierrez, known as Gage, will be charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm after agents found a gun at his house. The target of the would-be robbery was also arrested. David Aranda, 41, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm after agents allegedly found six guns, one of them without a serial number, when they raided his apartment in Southeast Albuquerque. Agents said they also found an unspecified amount of heroin and hundreds of rounds of ammunition at Arandas apartment. Aranda was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center. It is unclear where Gutierrez is being held. When reached for comment Arandas family said they were unaware of his arrest. Gutierrezs family could not be reached. In the past week an informant tipped off FBI agents that two SNM members recently released from prison, one identified as Gutierrez, were plotting to rob SNM associate Aranda, who sold drugs out of his apartment, according to a search warrant affidavit filed in U.S. District Court. The second SNM member and would-be robber is not identified. Agents said Gutierrez told the informant he had been committing robberies lately and doing good, shooting at one dealer who resisted him. The informant told agents Gutierrez and the other gang member believed they would get guns, money and several pounds of heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl pills from Arandas apartment, according to the affidavit. The informant said the pair pointed out that Aranda was not cliqued up, or part of SNM, and had weak security dealing drugs through a metal door that was seldom locked. Agents said the informant told them Gutierrez and the other SNM member drove a woman to Arandas apartment with the pretense of buying drugs from him while they secretly took notes of his apartments security and surroundings. Then the FBI watched Gutierrezs home and saw several people walking up to the door and engage in hand-to-hand exchanges with the person inside during a short period of time. The FBI raided Arandas apartment at 429 Chama SE around 6 a.m on Wednesday and found eight firearms including two short-barrel shotguns, ammunition and an unspecified amount of heroin, according to a search warrant return filed in U.S. District Court. Around half an hour later they raided Gutierrezs home at 8922 Aztec NE and seized a loaded 9mm handgun. SANTA FE Top state House Republicans have asked a federal watchdog to investigate New Mexicos Department of Health, after the recent disclosure of abuse cases involving individuals with developmental disabilities who are enrolled in a state program. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams administration has been tight-lipped about details of the cases, citing patient privacy laws, but recently announced its intent to conduct in-person wellness checks on all 6,815 individuals enrolled in the program thats intended to provide an alternative to institutional care. However, the letter sent this week by three top House GOP lawmakers to Christi Grimm, the inspector general within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said a federal probe could determine whether any federal dollars were misused and whether state providers violated federal care standards. New Mexico families who have developmentally disabled adults or children must be confident their loved ones are safe and being cared for properly, the legislators wrote in their letter. They also said the state has a rather dismal record when it comes to protecting vulnerable individuals under the care of state agencies. House Minority Leader Ryan Lane, R-Aztec, one of the three legislators who sent the letter, said Thursday legislators could have taken action in response to the situation if more information had been released before the 60-day legislative session ended March 18. He also said it would be healthy for an outside investigation to be conducted, adding, Given the vulnerable population thats involved, I think we need to be extra diligent and make sure there arent additional issues. The Lujan Grisham administration this month said it was ending the contracts of four agencies that were involved in providing services to a client with developmental disabilities who was severely injured while under their care. The governor then said last week an additional 13 possible abuse cases had been uncovered during an initial round of wellness checks. Three of those cases involve clients who have died, and at least some of the suspected abuse could involve vulnerable adults who were malnourished, she said. A Department of Health spokeswoman said Thursday about 2,500 wellness visits have been conducted by state employees across various agencies, though efforts to check on more people have been hampered by some individuals not being at home. In addition, the state has contracted with German Burnette & Associates, an Albuquerque law firm, to conduct an external investigation. The firm will work with Accenture, a company that specializes in Medicaid issues, in conducting the probe, which will be separate from an internal review of how the state oversees its provider agencies. We share the representatives concerns over any case of neglect, abuse or fraud, as well as the goal of protecting New Mexicos most vulnerable populations, DOH spokeswoman Jodi McGinnis Porter said in a statement. In recent years, the state has directed hefty funding toward eliminating a waiting list for the developmental disabilities waiver program. Participants in the program can receive therapy, help with employment and other services aimed at allowing them to be active members of the community. Cover Images/Faye's Vision Celebrity While the 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' alum has decided to call an end to her marriage, her estranged husband says he's going to show 'that our love is strong enough to get to the other side.' Mar 30, 2023 AceShowbiz - Michael Sterling is not ready to give up on his marriage to Eva Marcille just yet. Unlike the actress/model who has made up her mind and decided to call it quits, her estranged husband is ready to "fight" for their marriage. In a statement to multiple outlets, Michael declared his vow to "win her back." He said, "I am not going to lose my wife. I am going to fight for her with every fiber in my being." Claiming that there's still so much love between them, the lawyer added, "I love her and I plan to show her how much I love her and that our love is strong enough to get to the other side." He concluded, "I am not going to lose my wife. I am going to win her back." Eva filed for divorce from Michael on Thursday, March 23 after almost five years of marriage. After the news spread online, she confirmed it in a statement issued on Tuesday, March 28. "This has been one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make, but sometimes life takes your journey in a direction you were not expecting," she said. "Our children remain our biggest priority and the eight and half years we have spent together will always be cherished," the 38-year-old assured, before adding, "We ask that you respect our privacy at this time." In court documents, Eva claims their marriage is "irretrievably broken" and that they "are currently living in a bona fide state of separation." She is seeking legal and primary custody of their children and child support as well as support with "care and maintenance" and medical costs. The former "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" star wants the court to award her "equitable division" of the assets she and Michael gained during their marriage, as well as her own separate property. She wants their debt to be "equitably divided" too. Eva and Michael got engaged in December 2017 and tied the knot on October 7, 2018. They have two children together, son 4-year-old Michael Sterling, Jr., whom they welcomed in April 2018, and Maverick Sterling, 3. Michael also helps raise Eva's daughter Marley Rae from her previous relationship with ex Kevin McCall. You can share this post! This Dec. 26, 2022 file photo shows the site in Hoengseong County, about 140 kilometers east of Seoul, where the Air Force's KA-1 light attack aircraft crashed. Yonhap The South Korean Air Force on Thursday attributed the crash of a KA-1 light attack aircraft in December to a maintenance error that caused an engine abnormality, as well as the pilot's ineptitude. Wrapping up a monthslong investigation into the Dec. 26 crash, the armed service concluded the maintenance error led an engine fuel control system to malfunction, while the pilot was inept at handling the emergency situation. The aircraft crashed in Hoengseong County, about 140 kilometers east of Seoul, after taking off from an air base in Wonju, 87 km east of the capital, on a mission to respond to North Korean drone infiltrations. Both of the pilots escaped safely. In a 2021 depot maintenance process, the staff failed to properly attach a Teflon Tube, one of the components used to control the injection of fuel, which led the engine to operate abnormally, according to the investigators. The Air Force plans to refer the case to a disciplinary panel to determine whether to reprimand those responsible for the crash. The armed service has conducted special checks on KA-1 and KT-1 planes using the same fuel control model. It plans to resume their operation in steps after they have been confirmed to have no related problem. (Yonhap) ABC Celebrity In a sneak peek of his interview with ABC News' Diane Sawyer, the 'Hawkeye' actor fights back tears as he recalls the moment he delivered a message in sign language to his family after the accident. Mar 30, 2023 AceShowbiz - Jeremy Renner is sitting down for his first TV interview following the snowplow accident that nearly cost his life. In the ABC News special titled "Jeremy Renner: The Diane Sawyer Interview - A Story of Terror, Survival and Triumph", the actor opens up about having no hesitation to rescue his nephew at the time. The 52-year-old, who suffered serious injuries from the January 1 accident during which he was run over by a snowcat, says in a sneak peek of the interview that he would risk his life and "do it again" to save his nephew. He added, "Because it was going right at my nephew." Recalling his memories of the scary accident, Jeremy says he remembers all the physical pain he endured that day because he "was awake through every moment." His nephew tells Diane, "I see him in a pool of blood coming from his head. I ran up to him. I didn't think he was alive." After Diane breaks down all the injuries he suffered, "The Hurt Locker" star remembers thinking, "What's my body going to look like? Am I just going to be a spine and a brain, like a science experiment?" The two-time Oscar nominee also fights back tears when Diane mentions the moment he said, "I'm sorry" to his family in sign language after the accident. "Yeah," he says after a brief pause as he turns his head away. The preview includes audio of the shocking 911 call and footage of his physical therapy as the actor says, "I chose to survive. That's not gonna kill me, no way." He adds, "I've lost a lot of flesh and bone in this experience, but I've been refueled and refilled with love and titanium." Jeremy then shares his new perspective of life after the accident. "When you look in the mirror, do you see a new face?" Diane asks, to which he replies, "No, I see a lucky man." The interview will air on April 6 on ABC and will also be available to stream on Hulu. Jeremy is also set to attend the premiere of his new Disney+ series "Rennervations" at the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles for a screening and live Q&A portion on April 11. It will mark his first public appearance since the accident. You can share this post! Instagram Celebrity During the 'U Up?' podcast interview, the 'Pitch Perfect' actress credits the bitter experience as it led her to 'open up' her heart for a same-sex relationship. Mar 30, 2023 AceShowbiz - Rebel Wilson has recalled moments before she met her fiancee Ramona Agruma. In a new podcast interview, the "Pitch Perfect" actress revealed how she "got dumped" by a woman in the "public eye." In the Wednesday, March 29 episode of the "U Up?" podcast, the 43-year-old actress admitted that "dalliance" made her "open to meeting" Ramona. While she did not name the individual "out of respect" for their privacy, she detailed their "very important" time together. "I met a woman and had, like, feelings for her, which totally came as a blindside," Rebel shared, "It wasn't what I was expecting." The Australian actress went on to admit that she had a "hard" time telling the person they were "attracted to them." Rebel explained, "I said the words, 'I don't want to offend you, but are you interested in women?' I've never had a conversation like that [before] because I was dating dudes and never had to talk about sexuality." She continued, "She was like, 'I have feelings for you as well.' " Although the connection "didn't end up going anywhere really" and Rebel "got dumped," she credited the experience with "opening [her] heart up for a same-sex relationship." She then said that Ramona's "the next woman [she] felt that way about." In June last year, Rebel came out at the same time as introducing her fashion designer partner to her fans. "I thought I was searching for a Disney Prince but maybe what I really needed all this time was a Disney Princess," the "Bridesmaids" star wrote via Instagram at the time. In November of that same year, Rebel and Ramona sparked engagement rumors. While Rebel waited until February to confirm her "magical" Disneyland proposal, she did announce in November 2022 that she had welcomed a baby girl via surrogate. While sharing behind-the-scene story of the proposal, Rebel told Drew Barrymore during her appearance on "The Drew Barrymore Show", "I had to get special permission to get a special area roped off and get the topiary trees in and, you know, I had a violinist playing like Disney classics, and it was very, really romantic." When it came to the heartfelt moment, Rebel confessed she didn't actually know how to propose and just winged it. She remembered, "She said yes. And I was like, 'Do I get down on one knee? What do I do?' And I was like, 'I may as well,' so I got down on one knee. And then she was like, 'What are you doing?' And goes, 'Well, you can't be the only one on your knee,' so she got down as well." It was a perfect moment for the couple and Rebel was "so overwhelmed" that after they moved onto a new ride at the park, she needed "five minutes" to compose herself before they properly carried on with their magical day. You can share this post! NBC TV The Rachel Green depicter on the comedy series points out the 'tricky' sensitivity of comedy in recent years, which didn't exist when she starred on the popular show from 1994 to 2004. Mar 30, 2023 AceShowbiz - Jennifer Aniston weighed in on how comedy has evolved now. The "Friends" alum pointed out the "tricky" sensitivity of comedy in recent years, which didn't exist when she starred on the popular series from 1994 to 2004. "Comedy has evolved, movies have evolved," the actress told AFP via Yahoo News. "Now it's a little tricky because you have to be very careful, which makes it really hard for comedians, because the beauty of comedy is that we make fun of ourselves, make fun of life." "The Morning Show" star added, "[In the past] you could joke about a bigot and have a laugh-that was hysterical. And it was about educating people on how ridiculous people were. And now we're not allowed to do that." "There's a whole generation of people, kids, who are now going back to episodes of 'Friends' and find them offensive," Jennifer continued. "There were things that were never intentional and others well, we should have thought it through - but I don't think there was a sensitivity like there is now." Concluding her opinion, she criticized people who can't take jokes. "Everybody needs funny! The world needs humor! We can't take ourselves too seriously. Especially in the United States. Everyone is far too divided," she stressed. In recent years, people have been calling out "Friends" for its lack of diversity as all six main characters on the show were white. Additionally, it rarely brought actors of colors in prominent roles across its 10 seasons. Lauren Tom, Gabrielle Union, Mark Consuelos and Craig Robinson appeared on the show in small supporting roles, while Aisha Tyler, the most prominent actor of color featured on the series, only starred in 9 out of 236 episodes. Star Lisa Kudrow previously made headlines after she said if the show ever returned or got rebooted "it would not be an all-white cast." The actress, who played Phoebe Buffay on the hit series, explained that "Friends" creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman had "no business" telling stories about people of color given their own backgrounds. "Well, I feel like it was a show created by two people who went to Brandeis and wrote about their lives after college," she elaborated. "And for shows especially, when it's going to be a comedy that's character-driven, you write what you know. They have no business writing stories about the experiences of being a person of color." You can share this post! Cover Images/Seth Browarnik Music The 'Disco' hitmaker teams up with house DJ Oliver Heldens to release the brand new single ahead of her upcoming 16th studio album, which will be a mixture of electro and 90s house music. Mar 30, 2023 AceShowbiz - Kylie Minogue is to release a new single. The 54-year-old pop superstar became the first female to have chart-topping albums across five consecutive decades when she released the smash hit "Disco" in 2020 and will return to the music scene next week as she teams up with house DJ Oliver Heldens to release the brand new single "10 Out of 10" on Wednesday, April 5. She tweeted, "Drum roll please my new track '10 out of 10' with @OliverHeldens is coming April 5th! I can't wait for you all to hear this[heart emoji] 10/10 to Oliver!! https://10outof10.lnk.to/presave." The "Spinning Around" legend shared a snippet of the track to Twitter alongside a neon graphic displaying the song's title. She sings, "You know I'm gonna give you 10 out of 10, you know I'm gonna love you, love you to death, you know I'm gonna give you 10 out of 10 I'm gonna give you something you can't forget, baby all night again and again", before Oliver chimes in with "Body, 10, touch 10, energy, 10, 10 out of 10." The news comes just weeks after Kylie, who is known for having explored a variety of music genres throughout her career including pop, Indie, country, and disco, teased that her upcoming 16th studio album will be a mixture of electro and 90s house music as she admitted she "couldn't wait" to share it with fans. She told The Irish News, "I can't give too much away, but there's some 2000s electro, 90s house and what I like to call emoto-pop. I can't wait to share this with fans and enter the next era of music and live performance." You can share this post! Cover Images/Faye's Vision/Koi Sojer Celebrity In a new episode of FOX Soul's 'Cocktails With Queens', co-hosts share their opinion on the actor, who was accused of hitting and choking his girlfriend while inside a taxi. Mar 30, 2023 AceShowbiz - The ladies on FOX Soul's "Cocktails With Queens" discussed the domestic assault arrest against Jonathan Majors in a new episode of the talk show. The co-hosts shared their opinion on the actor, who was accused of hitting and choking his girlfriend while inside a taxi. Claudia Jordan sent a message for Jonathan and other black men who are dating white women. "Brothers, brothas, I'm talking to you my brothas," the 49-year-old actress said while looking at the camera. "Come on, man, you know you can't get away with it with them. They already looking, they looking." Co-host LisaRaye McCoy then asked Claudia to elaborate on her statement. "When you say them what you mean - them as women or them as white folks? What you talking about" LisaRaye asked. "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" alum then responded by saying that black men "watch" themselves around white women. "It's been a couple white women," Claudia explained, "that are saying - not saying you can't interracially date because I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for that. I'm just saying you gotta watch yourself because they're gonna believe your accuser before they believe you." Claudia went on to say, "You gotta watch yourself because they're gonna believe your accuser before they believe you. We've seen this happen since when400 years?" She added, "Love who you love, like who you like, hang out with who you want to hang out with, but you gotta button it up when you're at this level." Later in the episode, she doubled down on her comment, saying, "Brothers be careful because it's getting worse again. We're going through the same cycle again." Upon watching the clip of the episode, fans were coming at Claudia for her problematic remarks. "LisaRaye reaction. Because Claudia Jordan you are one of them you are a half white woman. Who hates her black father," one person commented. "Claudia Jordan looks forward to dragging black people. Don't be a foul black community she's good at pretending to like her black skin. When she really wishes she was a white woman like her mom," someone added. You can share this post! Instagram Celebrity The head of Catholic Church has been taken to hospital after complaining of breathing difficulties and determined to need a therapy for a respiratory infection. Mar 30, 2023 AceShowbiz - Pope Francis needs to spend a few days in hospital to receive treatment for a respiratory infection. His spokesperson, Matteo Bruni, has announced the 86-year-old pontiff was admitted to Gemelli hospital in Rome for tests after complaining of breathing difficulties in recent days. While he does not have COVID-19, the pope will require several days of therapy. "The tests showed a respiratory infection (COVID-19 infection excluded) that will require some days of medical therapy. Pope Francis is touched by the many messages received and expresses his gratitude for the closeness and prayers," a statement about his health said. The Vatican initially said the check-up had been scheduled but Italian media questioned that and reported a TV interview on Wednesday, March 29 was cancelled. President Joe Biden has expressed his concern for his dear "friend." Ahead of an Oval Office meeting with Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez, he told reporters, "The Pope is ill now so say an extra prayer for him." Earlier in the day, the pope appeared in good health as he attended his weekly audience at the Vatican, but could be seen grimacing as he got in and out of his car. Francis had one of his lungs removed when he was young due to a respiratory infection and had part of his colon removed in 2021 as a result of diverculitis. He said in January the latter condition had returned but he wasn't overly concerned, though he blamed it for him gaining weight. He has also been using a wheelchair for over a year due to strained knee ligaments and a small fracture but has been seen walking with a cane more frequently in recent times. The pope declined to have surgery on his knee because he didn't respond well to general anaesthetic when having his colon operation. You can share this post! Cover Images/Sara De Boer Celebrity District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies has decided to step back from the case involving the '30 Rock' actor following a fatal incident on set of his movie. Mar 31, 2023 AceShowbiz - The Santa Fe District Attorney who brought involuntary manslaughter charges against Alec Baldwin after the fatal "Rust" film set shooting has stepped down from the case. First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies grabbed headlines when she decided to charge Alec, 64, with manslaughter with a sentencing enhancement after a gun went off on the set of the western in New Mexico in October 2021, fatally wounding 42-year-old cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Attorneys Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis have now been appointed to serve as new special prosecutors in the case. A statement from the Santa Fe District Attorney's Office announcing Ms Carmack-Altwies was being replaced so she can focus on wider "public safety needs" said, "Morrissey's and Lewis' extensive experience and trial expertise will allow the state to pursue justice for Halyna Hutchins and ensure that in New Mexico everyone is held accountable under the law." It added, "With the appointment of new special prosecutors, Carmack-Altwies will step aside from personally prosecuting the 'Rust' case, allowing her to focus on the broader public safety needs in New Mexico's First Judicial District." Alec's case has been hit with setbacks including the previous special prosecutor in the case, Andrea Reeb, stepping down after objections to her involvement from the dad-of-eight's legal team. The "Glengarry Glen Ross" actor's lawyers argued Ms. Reeb's involvement was unconstitutional due to her elected position in the New Mexico House of Representatives. They claimed her position was a violation of the state constitution's separation of powers provision and said there was the potential for her to "make prosecutorial decisions that serve her legislative interests." Alec is next set to appear in court on May 3 for a two-week preliminary hearing, which is set to decide whether there is enough evidence for the case to go to trial. You can share this post! ABP Majha, Maharashtras leading Marathi news channel, recently hosted 'Majha Maharashtra, Digital Maharashtra 2023, a conclave to bridge the gap between emerging technology and the public with a focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI). The event will be aired from Friday, March 31 to Monday, April 3, 2023, at 4.30 pm. A special session will also be aired at 9.30 pm on Sunday, April 2. Artificial Intelligence is a rapidly advancing technology with the capacity to revolutionize life as we know it. At ABP Majha's Majha Maharashtra Digital Maharashtra - 2023, experts spoke of the emerging scope of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its rising influence in various fields along with the fresh set of challenges that this presents. The inaugural session was graced by Uday Samant, Cabinet Minister of Ministry of Industries (Maharashtra) and Deepak Ghaisas, Chairman of Gencoval Strategic Services Pvt Ltd. Deputy Executive Editor of ABP Majha, Sarita Kaushik outlined the purpose of the conclave wherein she highlighted the need to be prepared for the future. A session on the impact of AI on the agriculture sector saw senior journalist Sandeep Ramdasi interact with Eknath Dawale, IAS, Principal Secretary, Agriculture and Prasad Kulkarni, Founder and Business Head, Adrise India Pvt Ltd. The challenges to internal security, privacy, the possibility of dark net getting darker, and crimes such as sextortion were discussed in the backdrop of growing AI by Sarita Kaushik with former chief of cyber-crime IPS Brijesh Singh, who is presently the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. The session on the expected transformation of the education sector due to AI saw Achyut Godbole, Writer and AI Expert, and Dr. Bhooshan Kelkar, Director, Neuflex Talent Solutions Pvt Ltd, share their ideas with ABP Majha anchor Dyanada Chavan. In the last session, anchor Kavita Rane spoke to Nidhi Kamdar, OSD (Communications) to Honble DCM, Maharashtra, Dr. Deepak Shikarpur, Author and Scholar, and Samir Raut, Head, Retail Banking, Saraswat Co-operative Bank Limited on the rising issues of cyber manipulation impacting governance, politicians and the common man. The event included case studies on Artificial Intelligence presented by Samir Raut, Head, Retail Banking Operations, Saraswat Co-operative Bank Limited, Prof. Shivraj, Raghunath Motegaonkar, Founder CMD, RCC (Renukai Career Institute), and Neil Patil, Founder & Director, Veena World. This gathering of industry leaders, government representatives and experts signified the need for digital transformation in Maharashtra and the potential of Artificial Intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies to power it. The exchange of ideas helped attendees gain a better understanding of the latest trends and developments in the digital technology sector. Majha Maharashtra Digital Maharashtra is presented by Saraswat Bank, Motegaonkar Siranche RCC, and Veena World, and powered by Zaminwale. ABP Live is the digital partner. AnyMind Group, an end-to-end commerce enablement company, has today announced the successful completion of its initial public offering and listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market under the ticker number [5027]. AnyMind Group newly issued 885,300 shares with an additional overallotment option and associated offering 403,400 shares, and a secondary public offering of 1,804,200 shares, at a price to the public of 1,000 per share. Proceeds from the IPO will be invested in talent growth, platform development and business expansion. In less than seven years since the Singapore-born company started operations, AnyMind Group has expanded to 19 offices in 13 markets across Southeast Asia, East Asia, India and the Middle East, and has grown its headcount to over 1,300 employees. Kosuke Sogo, CEO and co-founder of AnyMind Group, said: Over the years, we have consistently shown strong execution capabilities and a sustainable approach to growth as we expanded our geographical and market presence, and depth and breadth of products. We are looking to deliver long-term sustainable growth centered around our renewed focus to make it exciting for everyone to do business. We are just getting started on our journey. Continuous expansion and growth over the years Although AnyMind Group today provides proprietary technology and business support that encompasses end-to-end commerce enablement, the company has had a storied history since its founding less than seven years ago. AnyMind Group started operations as AdAsia Holdings by Kosuke Sogo and Otohiko Kozutsumi in Singapore in April 2016 and quickly expanded across Asia. In 2019, the company moved its headquarters to Tokyo, Japan. Prior to its public listing, AnyMind Group received US$91,700,000 in capital funding from investors that include (but are not limited to) JAFCO Asia, LINE, Mirai Creation Fund, VGI, Japan Post Capital, JIC Venture Growth Investments, Nomura SPARX, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital, and more. The company started with a focus on the marketing technology industry and provided advertising technology-related products. The company then launched an influencer marketing platform and a publisher monetization platform before rebranding to AnyMind Group in January 2018, in a signal of intention to develop offerings outside of marketing technology. In 2019, the company moved into the content creator and social media influencer monetization space, and since 2020, the company has launched platforms for manufacturing management, e-commerce management, logistics management and conversational commerce. Today, the companys customers include brands and businesses, web and mobile app publishers, and content creators and social media influencers, and provides these customers with offerings across two areas which it terms Brand Commerce and Partner Growth. Within Brand Commerce, the company provides brands and businesses with platforms for e-commerce management (AnyX), manufacturing management (AnyFactory), e-commerce enablement (AnyShop), logistics management (AnyLogi), and conversational commerce (AnyChat), along with marketing platforms for influencer marketing (AnyTag) and digital marketing (AnyDigital). In Partner Growth, web and mobile app publishers and social media influencers can tap on platforms for analytics, monetization and a host of other features, through AnyManager (for publishers) and AnyCreator (for influencers). Customers in Partner Growth can also tap on AnyMind Groups platforms in Brand Commerce. The company has also made seven mergers and acquisitions to date, including publisher trading desks FourM (based out of Japan and acquired in 2017) and Acqua Media (based out of Hong Kong and acquired in 2018), influencer networks Moindy (based out of Thailand and acquired in 2019) and GROVE (based out of Japan and acquired in 2019), mobile advertising company POKKT Mobile Ads (based out of India and acquired in 2020), direct-to-consumer fitness apparel brand LYFT (based out of Japan and acquired in 2020), and cross-border marketing firm ENGAWA (based out of Japan and acquired in 2021). With a renewed purpose to make it exciting for everyone to do business, AnyMind Group looks to help its customers better manage the growing complexity of online commerce, accelerating a world where business is done through a single platform, is borderless and open, and data can be utilized and maximized freely across business functions, enabling higher levels of growth. The company terms this next-generation commerce. Resilient business model with continued traction Over the years, the company has continuously innovated and expanded its value to customers, growing from the marketing space to now providing end-to-end offerings for digital commerce. The company serves a growing pool of customers that include 1,000+ brands and businesses, 1,300+ web and mobile app publishers, and 1,300+ content creators and social media influencers. Despite macroeconomic headwinds, pandemic-induced impacts and weakened local currencies against the U.S. dollar in recent years, the company has continued to stay resilient, resulting in: This March in Indias bustling capital city of New Delhi, IPREX leaders met for the opportunity to learn from one another, from some of Indias most respected business minds, and from the regions traditions and cultures as the global network celebrated its 40th anniversary. More than 25 partners and guests gathered from across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the United States to participate. IPREX is a $508 million network of public relations (PR) and communications agencies with more than 1,100 professionals in over 100 global markets. The 40th anniversary conference took place during the March G20 Summit events also happening in New Delhi and was a perfect moment for our delegates to experience the start of Indias G20 presidency as the country aims to modernize to build a greener future for itself and the world, said Julie Exner, global president, IPREX. We were fortunate to dine in the same hotel where world leaders had convened for these meetings and to take part in a variety of traditional customs to expand our understanding of this immensely vibrant and diverse country. The 2023 IPREX Annual Global Conference discussed topics such as the emergence and adoption of AI within the communications field, the importance of leading with trust in organizations of any size, and best practices in cross-cultural communication between Indian and Western markets and brands. The agenda also explored effective campaigns run by IPREX agencies in the mental health, consumer goods and tech spaces. IPREX agency leaders met with several Indian startups that are expanding across the networks three regions EMEA, APAC and the Americas to share insights, explore solutions to universal challenges, and connect on regional opportunities. IPREX partner MBE Group (Detroit) was honored with the annual Grail award for the most business shared within the network in 2022. The Annual Global Conference followed the Americas Regional Conference in Arizona in November and the EMEA Regional Conference in Lisbon in October. In May, emerging leaders from across IPREX agencies will join in Kansas City for the International Leadership Development Conference. Officials of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) hold a press conference in Seoul, March 30. Yonhap The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) said Thursday it will file a complaint against the head of the national spy agency and three other agency officials for allegedly leaking information regarding a criminal probe facing the union. The KCTU, one of South Korea's two biggest umbrella labor unions, said the complaint will be lodged with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials against Kim Kyou-hyun, the director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), and the three others. The union accused the NIS officials of leaking information to conservative media outlets about criminal charges facing KCTU members when their offices were raided by the NIS and police in January. Intelligence and police investigators searched the KCTU headquarters in central Seoul on Jan. 18 over KCTU officials' alleged contact with North Korean spies without government authorization in violation of the National Security Act. The labor sector has vehemently protested the raid, accusing the Yoon Suk Yeol government of oppressing labor unions and painting an ideologically unfavorable image of the union. "We strongly denounce the Yoon government and the NIS' efforts to ensnare the KCTU even before the final court ruling is made on national security law violation charges," Han Sung-kyu, vice chief of the umbrella union, said. (Yonhap) Online shopping is the new normal. An increasing number of players are taking the omnichannel route to increase their market share and clientele beyond the brick-and-mortar trade. Redseer, a leading consultancy firm in the digital ecosystem, evaluated 1000+ companies with over 2000 brands across key consumer product categories to identify companies that made a mark in 2022 by building a strong digital presence and disrupting the space. The Digital Disruptors ranking, derived from multiple factors, offered insights into the building blocks that set digital leaders apart from their competitors. The companies researched were segregated into three categories: Electronics & Appliances, Fashion & Home, and Grocery & Personal care. The elements considered for the ranking of companies included their online market share in the category, percent sales they derive from ecommerce, their growth and performance on ecommerce platforms. In order to arrive at a robust ranking, Redseer leveraged its full toolkit, including Redseer Benchmarks to track the performance of leading eCommerce platforms, Redseer Brandverse to track the performance of over 2000 brands across 50 sub-categories, and Redseer eCommerce Diagnostic Toolkit to access Key Success Factors of eCommerce excellence. View The Top 25 Digital Disruptors Ranking for 2022 Anil Kumar, CEO and founder, Redseer, stated, With digital-first brands accounting for ~25% of online sales and expanding their footprint in the offline market, traditional brands have newer challenges to conquer. Legacy companies need to focus on building digital capabilities and adopt an omnichannel approach to stay relevant in the digital age. The research identified 75 Digital Disruptors across three categories who created waves in the Indian eCommerce market in 2022 with successful innovations. The top 3 brands in Electronics & Appliances sector were boAt, BBK, and Asus, while Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail, Puma India, and Wakefit ruled the Fashion & Home sector. Hindustan Unilever, LOreal India, and Licious took the top positions in Grocery & Personal Care. The brands listed in the report accounted for ~$ 15 Bn in online sales, significantly impacting the Indian eCommerce market. Mohit Rana, Partner, Redseer, explained the methodology for categorizing digital disruptors. The companies were divided into four distinct quadrants based on select criteria. The early movers or the Tigers in the eCommerce space, scaled up rapidly and built their dominance online as well as offline. Legacy players, or the Elephants, are the dominant offline players who have scaled up well online. Rabbits are typically digital first companies who have leveraged the eCommerce space well but are yet to scale, while the legacy players that have built a good online presence but have a comparatively lower online market share are the Turtles. Players in the top quadrants will have to enhance their focus on offline sales, while the bottom quadrant will have to approach eCommerce aggressively. Saurav Kumar Chachan, Director, Redseer, shared some interesting insights, Over 45% of Digital Disruptor brands are Digital-first companies. They began as online ventures and built scale by expanding into new sub-categories. These companies are expanding operations into brick-and-mortar trade to capture a larger market share. Saurav added, Traditional brands across categories have recognised the criticality of ecommerce to stay relevant. While some have been able to mark their presence in the space, many have struggled to adapt to the agility and financial parameters of the online market. Currently, digital-first brands typically derive over 75% of their sales online, while traditional players garner less than 30% of sales from online transactions. The research highlighted common success factors for Digital Disruptors to achieve the right balance. Leadership Commitment, Brand & Product Portfolio, Dynamic Pricing, Best-in-class Digital Marketing, and an Agile Organization are the primary strategic drivers. These need to be backed by an execution approach that can rapidly adapt to market changes. Britains biggest broadcasters will get new privileges and freedoms to make more hit shows and better compete with global streaming giants under new draft legislation published today. The draft Media Bill will enable public service broadcasters (PSBs) - the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, STV and S4C - to unleash their potential to grow, produce more top quality British content and invest in new technologies to keep viewers tuning in amid fierce competition from subscription-based online platforms. It marks the next step in the governments plan to modernise decades-old broadcasting legislation outlined in a white paper last year. In addition, new reforms have been added to protect the position of UK radio on smart speakers as listeners increasingly move away from AM and FM stations in favour of internet-based services. Smart speaker platforms - such as Google and Amazon - will be required by law to ensure access to all licenced UK radio stations, from major national stations to the smallest community stations. Platforms will be banned from charging stations for being hosted on their services or overlaying their own adverts over the top of those stations programmes. The Bill will also reduce regulatory burdens on commercial radio stations, relaxing content and format requirements developed in the 1980s which tie them to commitments to broadcast particular genres of music or to particular age groups. The new regime will give stations more flexibility to update or adapt their services without needing consent from Ofcom. The reduced bureaucracy these changes will deliver could save the radio industry up to 1 million per year. TV-focused measures include bringing mainstream video-on-demand (VoD) services consumed in the UK - such as Netflix and Disney+ - under a new Ofcom content code, to protect audiences from a wider range of harmful material - such as misleading health claims. The latest research from Ofcom indicates that traditional linear TV viewing - where viewers watch programmes broadcast at a scheduled time usually via terrestrial or satellite - is down more than 25 per cent since 2011, and 68 per cent among 16-24s. The draft Bill includes action to ensure video on demand viewers can more easily discover public service broadcast services such as BBC iPlayer and ITVX on smart TVs, set-top boxes and streaming sticks. It also includes new rules to make video on demand content more accessible to those with seeing and hearing impairments. The new laws will introduce simpler, more flexible rules on what TV programmes public service broadcasters are required to show, meaning these broadcasters - who commission around 1.2 billion in programming each year, with almost all of it spent in the UK - will be better equipped to adapt to changing viewer habits as people increasingly watch TV on digital devices instead of traditional linear TV. Wunderman Thompson India has won the brand building mandate for Tata Astrum Super from the house of Tata Steel. This retail brand is the latest in a long line of brands from the Tata Steel stable that have been built and nurtured by the agency. Tata Steels association with Wunderman Thompson India stretches over 90 years with the agency currently handling brand building duties for Tata Steel Corporate as also for retail brands like Tata Tiscon, Tata Shaktee, Tata Kosh, Tata Pravesh & Tata Wiron out of Kolkata. Launched in 2019, Tata Astrum Super is a brand of Hot Rolled Sheets from Tata Steel. Made in the Hot Strip Mill, these sheets targeted at the retail segment i.e. fabricators are used in the fabrication of truck body, tractor trolley body, agri equipment & implements and in General Engineering applications like gates & grills. The brand plays a significant role in strengthening our agricultural & transportation infrastructure, while also catering to Individual House Builders. Staying true to the corporate brands commitment to the environment, Tata Astrum Super products are double wrapped in 100% recyclable HDPE bags and then despatched to channel partners. Wunderman Thompson India has been tasked with sharply positioning the Tata Astrum Super brand, so the brand promise resonates with both fabricators and end users. The agency will need to give the brand a competitive edge so it can command a premium over branded & unorganized players, forge bonds with channel partners and connect with end users. Commenting on the new business win, Vijay Jacob Parakkal, Senior VP & Managing Partner, Wunderman Thompson, Kolkata, said, Tata Steel and Wunderman Thompson go back many decades. We welcome Tata Astrum Super into the WT brand family and thank Tata Steel for its continued faith in our capabilities. We are confident of doing justice to the mandate we have been given and look forward to taking the brand to new heights. The Federal Council Bern, 29.03.2023 - At its meeting on 29 March, the Federal Council decided to enact further sanctions against Russia. This aligns Switzerland with the European Union, which recently adopted a tenth package of sanctions. The latest measures also include humanitarian exemptions and introduce a new means of safeguarding Swiss economic interests in specific cases. The changes come into effect at 8pm on 29 March. In response to Russia's ongoing military aggression against Ukraine and its continued destabilising actions that undermine Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty and security, the EU adopted new measures against Russia on 25 February in a tenth package of sanctions. Already on 1 March, the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER) amended the annexes of the ordinance within its competence and approved Switzerland's sanctioning of around 120 additional individuals and entities. The Federal Council is now adopting the remaining measures of the tenth package of sanctions with effect from 29 March. In addition to changes to the reporting obligation in the financial sector, these include a ban on Russian nationals from serving on governing bodies of critical infrastructure owners or operators as well as further sanctions in relation to goods. Specifically, there are new bans and restrictions on various exports including dual-use goods, goods that contribute to military and technological enhancement or to developing the defence and security sector, goods that contribute to Russia's industrial capacity, and goods used in the aviation and aerospace industries. The latest package also tightens import restrictions on goods of economic importance to Russia. Furthermore, the Federal Council has made an adjustment in relation to humanitarian exemptions. After deciding on 3 March to facilitate humanitarian activities in Syria, the Federal Council has now issued a humanitarian exemption for the provision of certain services to Russian organisations. This exemption applies to activities by Swiss public bodies or organisations in receipt of federal funding for conducting their humanitarian activities. Finally, the Federal Council is introducing the possibility of authorising the transfer of funds or economic resources to sanctioned natural persons, companies or organisations on a case-by-case basis if this is deemed necessary to protect Swiss interests. This decision was prompted by a need to prevent shares in two Swiss companies, Sulzer and medmix AG, from coming into the possession of two sanctioned Russian banks. As a result of US sanctions imposed on Viktor Vekselberg in 2018 and Switzerland's sanctioning of the two Russian banks in question, Tiwel Holding AG (majority shareholder of Sulzer and medmix) was no longer able to service its loan with the Russian banks - a loan for which Tiwel's shares in Sulzer and medmix are held as collateral. In regard to the sanctions, the Federal Council has previously stated it is prepared to act within the framework of existing legislation to minimise any unintended economic consequences on Swiss companies. Through today's decision, it has prevented sanctioned Russian banks from coming into possession of large stakes in two Swiss high-tech companies and thereby indirectly benefiting from the sanctions. Address for enquiries Media enquiries: EAER Communications info@gs-wbf.admin.ch 058 462 20 07 Business enquiries: sanctions@seco.admin.ch 058 464 08 12 Publisher The Federal Council https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start.html Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research http://www.wbf.admin.ch The two reports that came out on Thursday were from ADDM which tends to estimate lower autism prevalence (owing to slightly different research methods) than some of the other surveys. There are several systems for tracking autism prevalence in the U.S. including the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network (ADDM), National Survey for Childrens Health (NSCH), and National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). There are also federal programs including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that have their own counts. Lets walk through the two reports and then have a brief conversation about what we do about this. The new autism numbers came out last Thursday. We all knew that they would be bad because nearly every prevalence report for the last 20 years has shown increasing rates. We also knew that once again the CDC and mainstream media would try to spin increasing prevalence as good news in the Orwellian way that they do. Note: Thank you to Laura Hayes for bringing this article from Toby Rogers' Substack to my attention. I've excerpted and linked to the full article, which you can read without a subscription. I just subscribed for the full year. It's important to support each other. And here comes April with the blue month of celebration. We may never know who decided autism was going to become a difference to be celebrated or ignored, depending where one is on the spectrum. I'd start with Anthony Fauci - he's been in power since the rate was 1 in 10,000. ### There are 11 ADDM sites across the country (Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Tennessee, Utah, and Wisconsin). Every two years they conduct a study of autism rates in a defined geographic region within the state (in as few as one county in Arizona, to as many as 21 counties in Arkansas). ADDM sites generally measure autism rates in 8-year-olds (almost all children with autism will be diagnosed by that age and such constant age tracking allows for more accurate comparisons between different birth cohorts). They are very thorough reviewing diagnostic evaluations and school records for every child in that defined region. It takes them three years to write up the report (which is extremely unfortunate given the stakes). The main study that was just released looked at children born in 2012 who were studied in 2020. The headline was 1 in 36 children in the U.S. have autism which is an increase of 18% from the ADDM report (1 in 44) released just two years ago. I was quoted in an article by Brenda Baletti at Childrens Health Defense about the new numbers, 1 in 36 Kids Have Autism, CDC Says Critics Slam Agencys Failure to Investigate Causes. Cynthia Nevison wrote a brilliant analysis of the latest reports that was published by Childrens Health Defense on Friday titled, In New Autism Report, CDC Again Fails to Address Root Causes. Dr. Nevison also discussed the reports on the Friday Roundtable of CHD.tv. III. Boys are 3.8 times more likely to have autism than girls 1 in 36 = 2.78% of all kids in the U.S. have autism, according to the main study. There is variability across the ADDM sites from a low of 2.31% in Maryland to a high of 4.49% in California. But remember, autism is 3.8 times higher among boys than girls. So the autism rate among boys in California in 2020 was 6.94%. Every f*cking Democrat in California swore that vaccines were not linked to autism, they mandated one of the most extreme childhood vaccine schedules in the world in order for kids to go to school, and voila 6.94% of boys in the state now have autism. This is genocide, democide, and androcide. Yes, I am aware of the fact that these children are just poisoned and injured for life, not murdered outright (although the SIDS numbers are also appalling). But this is a systematic destruction of a people nonetheless. IV. The way that the CDC has weaponized equity to promote genocide is sinister In 2019, Cynthia Nevison was one of the first scholars to spot the fact that Black and Hispanic autism rates had surpassed autism rates in the White community (apologies for the capitalizations of the various races, not my preference, I get that race is a social construct, thats just how they do it in these reports). During the battle against SB276 in 2019 (that removed all MEDICAL exemptions to vaccinations) we shared this information with elected officials including Lorena Gonzalez (who was chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus at the time), but they voted to continue genociding their own base anyway. Black and Hispanic autism rates exceed the rate in the White population in the most recent ADDM studies as well. Hispanic autism rates are 30% higher in 8-year-olds (born in 2012) and 80% higher in 4-year-olds (born in 2016) as compared with White children of the same age. Black autism rates are 20% higher for 8-year-olds (born in 2012) and 60% higher for 4-year-olds (born in 2016) as compared with White children of the same age. SB277 (that removed the personal belief exemption to vaccine mandates) passed in 2015. So the 2016 birth cohort is the first post-SB277 generation. The autism numbers are every bit as horrifying as we predicted they would be and contradict Democratic claims about vaccine safety. As Black and Hispanic rates were rising the CDC spun it as good news because they claimed it meant more Black and Hispanic kids had access to diagnostic testing. Now that Black and Hispanic autism rates exceed White rates that narrative does not make sense. Dr. Nevison explains: The apparent underlying assumption was that there is a natural genetic level of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the population, which is reflected in White prevalence, and that all races and ethnicities will eventually stabilize at that level thanks to improved outreach and screening. The new ADDM report recognizes that, For the first time the prevalence of ASD was lower among White children than among other racial and ethnic groups, reversing the direction of racial and ethnic differences in ASD prevalence observed in the past. However, the authors neglect to acknowledge that this reversal undermines the hopeful interpretation of previous ADDM data and effectively turns the equity argument on its head. But the CDC is sticking with the equity script regardless of the data. The last sentence of the main report states, These data indicate that ASD is common across all groups of children and underscore the considerable need for equitable and accessible screening, services, and supports for all children. Thats not actually what these data indicate. These data indicate that American children are being poisoned at an astronomical rate and Black and Hispanic children are being poisoned even more than White children at this point. V. Higher socioeconomic status is now associated with lower autism rates once again contradicting the official narrative In 9 of the 11 ADDM sites, those in the highest third of income had the lowest autism rates (although only 3 of those results were statistically significant). Presumably, those with the most income have the greatest access to testing and diagnostic services and yet their autism rates are the lowest. Ask yourself: what is different about White and wealthy populations as compared with the rest of the population? VI. The data on 4-year-olds is even worse And then there was the second report released on Thursday early identification of autism among 4-year-olds in 2020. The study found an astonishing 4.64% of four-year-olds in San Diego have autism. But remember autism is more prevalent in boys than girls so this works out to a 7.2% autism rate for boys in San Diego. For Black and Hispanic boys the results are even worse. Dr. Nevison explains: The race-specific prevalence of the boys was not explicitly stated, but one can back-calculate that it was about 8% for both Blacks and Hispanics. As the 2016 birth cohort ages and is fully diagnosed, a substantially higher prevalence can be expected, likely exceeding 10% for Black and Hispanic boys in California. Again, this is the first post-SB277 generation. The law was phased in over time so the 2018 birth cohort will likely have even higher autism prevalence. Then SB276 passed in 2019, removing all medical exemptions to vaccination, so autism prevalence in the 2020 birth cohort and beyond will likely be even worse (perhaps offset somewhat by lower vaccination rates during the pandemic). San Diego is Lorena Gonzalezs former Assembly District. Asm. Gonzalez spent the better part of her career in the Assembly ridiculing the parents of vaccine-injured children. And now the autism rates in her former assembly district are among the highest in the country particularly for Hispanic and Black children. Read the full article at UTobian, Tob Rogers' Substack. ### Cause Unknown By Edward Dowd Follow Ed Dowd on Twitter for in depth coverage of the problems facing the banking & capital markets today. @DowdEdward The book begins with a close look at the actual human reality behind the statistics, and when you see the people who are represented by the dry term Excess Mortality, its difficult to accept so many unexpected sudden deaths of young athletes, known to be the healthiest among us. Similarly, when lots of healthy teenagers and young adults die in their sleep without obvious reason, collapse and die on a family outing, or fall down dead while playing sports, that all by itself raises an immediate public health concern. Or at least it used to. Ask yourself if you recall seeing these kinds of things occurring during your own lifein junior high? In high school? In college? How many times in your life did you hear of a performer dropping dead on stage in mid-performance? Your own life experience and intuition will tell you that what youre about to see is not normal. Or at least it wasnt normal before 2021. The War on Ivermectin By Dr. Pierre Kory Follow Dr. Kory on Twitter here. Support is so important. Big Pharma and health agencies cry "Don't take ivermectin!" A media storm follows. Why then, does the science say the opposite? Ivermectin is a dirty word in the media. The drug has been derided and declared useless. Doctors have earnestly recorded pleas asking those afflicted with COVID-19 not to take the drug. But why? The War on Ivermectin is the personal and professional narrative of Dr. Pierre Kory, the co-founder of an expert group of physicians, and his plight to alert the world of his group's identification of ivermectin as a highly-effective, life-saving, widely available generic medicine with an obvious ability to end the global pandemic. In this book, Dr. Kory details all the personal attacks, professional setbacks, and concerted, corrupt, and highly effective actions which influenced the worlds major health agencies and medical journals to dismiss and deny its efficacy. Chun Woo-won, the grandson of the late former President Chun Doo-hwan, answers reporters' questions in Gwangju, Thursday. Yonhap By Jun Ji-hye The grandson of former authoritarian ruler Chun Doo-hwan will visit the May 18 National Cemetery in Gwangju on Friday to make an official apology to the victims of his grandfather's deadly suppression of the pro-democracy movement in the southwestern city in 1980. According to civic groups related to the Gwangju Uprising, Woo-won, the grandson of the former dictator, will also attend meetings with the bereaved families and injured participants of the pro-democracy movement. Then, he will hold a press conference to make a public apology, something that his grandfather refused to do. Chun Doo-hwan, who was president from 1980 to 1988 after seizing power through a military coup in December 1979, is criticized for his ordering the military to carry out the violent suppression of the Gwangju democratic movement that began on May 18, 1980. Thousands of Gwangju citizens rose up against the military junta led by Chun. More than 200 people were killed and 1,800 were wounded, according to official data. The former dictator died at age 90 from chronic ailments in November 2021, having neither acknowledged nor apologized for his wrongdoings. The younger Chun, 27, has been making media headlines since March 13 over his series of revelations through Instagram, YouTube and various media interviews regarding the alleged slush funds held by members of his family. Calling his grandfather a "mass murderer," Woo-won has expressed his willingness to make an apology to the bereaved families and victims of the deadly acts of the military government under the command of his grandfather. Chun Woo-won, the grandson of the late dictator Chun Doo-hwan, bows in front of a hotel upon his arrival in Gwangju, Thursday. Yonhap Three Alabama school districts are suing Meta, TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat, alleging that the social media companies have created a youth mental health crisis. In a complaint filed on Tuesday in California state court, lawyers representing Baldwin County, Montgomery and Tuscaloosa City school systems called the platforms unreasonably dangerous and addictive products that are increasingly causing students to perform poorly in school. This youth mental health crisis is infecting all aspects of education, they wrote. Students are experiencing record rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues because of Defendants intentional conduct. These students perform worse in school, are less likely to attend school, more likely to engage in substance use and to act out, all of which directly affects Plaintiffs ability to fulfill their educational mission. The lawsuit, Baldwin County Public Schools v. Meta Platforms, is the latest to join a swath of social media litigation taking part in California, where the companies are based. This complaint alleges public nuisance and negligence claims under Alabama law, and seeks financial compensation, punitive damages and equitable relief to fund prevention education and addiction treatment. The harm created by social media companies has strained already limited school resources as educators attempt to combat the widespread problems caused by social media addiction, Beasley Allen attorney Joseph VanZandt, who represents the Alabama districts, said in a news release Wednesday. These lawsuits make it clear to social media companies that they will face consequences for their conduct not only from the adolescents they harmed but also from the people and institutions supporting our youth. In statements to AL.com, Tuscaloosa City and Baldwin County school officials said discipline and mental health challenges -- which, they claim, have been exacerbated by social media use -- are costing the school systems time and money. Social media is having a significant impact on our schools from mental health of students to code of conduct and security issues on our campuses, said Sarah Young, general counsel for Baldwin County Schools. Just this past year we have been battling the new fad of TikTok challenges here in Baldwin County. The Tuscaloosa City Schools, much like other school systems across the U.S., have witnessed the mental health crisis that is occurring in our youth, said TCS Superintendent Mike Daria. We have increased our funding for mental health resources to meet these demands, including hiring more school counselors, hiring a mental health coordinator, and increasing training and communications when it comes to the needs of our students mental health. But all that comes at a cost. And ultimately, it is todays youth that is paying the ultimate price. As related suits over harmful social media content continue to play out in the court, school systems have remained largely quiet on the issue until this year. Seattle Public Schools were among the first to sue the social media companies in January 2023, according to the Associated Press. Another Washington school district followed suit shortly after. Experts recently told Chalkbeat that the stakes of these suits are enormous, and could radically reshape the internet if they succeed. Still, the connection between social media use and anxiety or other forms of maladaptive behavior isnt quite clear, they said. Is social media, by itself, and just kids normal use of it, solely responsible for the national trend were seeing in youth mental health? Probably not, Mitch Prinstein, chief science officer at the American Psychological Association, told the outlet. From a scientific perspective we cant say that, nor do I know that we could ever say that. Read the full complaint below, or view it here. This story has been updated with statements from Tuscaloosa City and Baldwin County school districts. Casey and Christina Buckner firmly believe that life is better in flip flops. Thats one of the reasons they left their native Birmingham for the shimmering shores of Orange Beach, where they opened Flip Flop Vacations and Real Estate in 2020, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. At first, they planned to split their time between Birmingham and the coast. But once we got down here, we fell in love with the area so much that we moved down here. They quickly opened another ancillary business, The Surfside Shuttle, to accommodate vacationers. While life was good on the Alabama coast, they soon noticed that there was not a lot of transportation, especially for big parties, says Casey. So last year, they started the shuttle company to take people to and from the Mobile and Pensacola airports. We saw the need and said hey, lets go for it, he says. Both of their new businesses recently were honored with a Best of Baldwin 2023 award from Gulf Coast Media, which affirmed their decision to make the move to the beach, where theyve been able to make an impact in a short time. [To read more good news about Alabama, sign up for our This is Alabama Newsletter.] Soon after starting The Surfside Shuttle, Casey and his friend and managing partner Cayce Wilkinson realized there was an opportunity to offer tours of local bars and restaurants that offer bushwackers, aka adult milkshakes that have become wildly popular on Alabamas beaches. Were known for bushwackers down here, Casey says. Every restaurant has their own version. Offering a tour would be a chance to let customers sample the alcoholic drink while seeing the area itself in a comfortable, music-filled party bus that picks them off and drops them off at their condo or house. Read more: This bushwacker coffee tastes like a beach vacation We named it the Original Bushwacker Tour, says Christina. The first week, we had 200,000 views. We were booking so fast. We were blown away. Tacky Jack's is one of the stops on the bushwacker tour. (Bill Starling)Press-Register Within two months, they had to add another bus. Each bus holds up to 14 guests. A typical tour lasts from four to six hours and goes to four scenic places including CoastAL Orange Beach, OSO in Bear Point, Tacky Jacks on the Back Bay and the Flora-Bama, which straddles the Alabama-Florida state line. The iconic Flora-Bama is usually the last stop, says Casey. Some people decided to hang out there and extend the tour while the driver waits for them. Read more: 13 things you may not know about the Flora-Bama The tour price doesnt include the drink price, so guests arent limited to bushwackers and dont feel compelled to have four drinks (but if they do, theyre in a safe environment on the bus). Casey and his business partners take turns driving the buses. Were all family, says Christina. The other dads do birthday parties and drive. On the property management side, Casey says hes surprised by how many people he talks to who didnt realize Alabama had beaches. Its become a personal and professional mission for the Buckners to introduce them to the beautiful beaches lining the coast. And while theyre at it, why not introduce them to the bushwacker? Its been fun to offer an extra thing like this, Casey says. To book a tour, call (251) 215-1919. More beach stories: Fannie Flagg revisits life with one of Gulf Shores pioneer families 5 amazing dishes at the beach This beach diner is a total throwback South Korean National Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup, left, speaks during a joint press briefing with his Polish counterpart, Mariusz Blaszczak, in the Polish city of Torun, Feb. 23, as they visit a firing range to inspect a firing drill of K9 self-propelled howitzers, which South Korea has exported to Poland, in this photo released by the South Korean Ministry of National Defense. EPA-Yonhap This is the fourth in a series of interviews with senior politicians in Korea and executives at leading think tanks in Washington over the issue of the country's provision of direct military support to Kyiv as the Ukraine war passes the one-year mark since Russia launched its attack, ending decades of relative stability in Europe. ED. Despite growing calls from allies, Seoul cautious of arms provision due to Moscow's influence on Pyongyang's provocations By Kim Yoo-chul Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has entered its second year with fighting specifically in the eastern parts of Ukraine raging. One real question is how Washington's like-minded allies such as South Korea could further upscale their assistance for Kyiv to help better manage the ongoing crisis. South Korea has not remained a mere bystander in the current Russia-Ukraine conflict as the country joined the U.S. and EU to ban the export of strategic items to Russia and extend export controls to Belarus. It also supported the removal of several Russian banks from the SWIFT international payments system from the beginning of the war. Plus, Seoul has taken visible steps through various aid packages to Kyiv such as the provision of $100 million in humanitarian aid. In 2023, South Korea plans to provide an additional $130 million worth of aid. However, this increased financial assistance has excluded any direct offer on behalf of Seoul for military equipment. As part of the country's "coordinated response" to Western allies' repeated calls for South Korea's expanded contribution to the war effort in Ukraine, Seoul recently confirmed the government's approval to export howitzers to Poland. They will eventually be sent to the Ukrainian army. Richard Fontaine, CNAS CEO / Courtesy of CNAS But as the world's eighth-largest arms exporter accounting for 2.8 percent of global exports, South Korea continues to be asked to send arms directly to Ukraine, according to estimates by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Seoul's official position is that the country's law prevents selling arms to countries involved in armed conflict because it continues to play a balancing act between the U.S. and China, leaning toward the former but seeking not to alienate the latter to counter evolving North Korean threats. In an interview with The Korea Times, the head of one of the top national security think tanks backing the U.S. President Joe Biden administration said South Korea is now positioned to directly send its lethal weapons as the stakes in Ukraine are high. "The idea would be to make an exception for Ukraine given the grave stakes in that war, its need for additional armaments, and South Korea's role as one of the world's top weapons producers," Richard Fontaine, chief executive of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), said. "The war in Ukraine is not merely a fight between Europeans. It's about the rules in the world to come. The ripple effects of it will be felt across a much wider region," the CEO said. "Though the broader ban on lethal aid remains in place, Poland has bought South Korean weapons and used them to replace arms it provided to Ukraine. The United States has reportedly purchased Korean ammunition and passed it on to Ukraine." CNAS is co-founded by Kurt Campbell, who is now managing Biden's Indo-Pacific strategy at the White House National Security Council (NSC). The Washington-based think tank has a strong influence on the workings of the Biden administration's foreign policy affairs. Victoria Nuland, undersecretary of state for political affairs, Ely Ratner, special assistant to the secretary of defense, Elizabeth Rosenberg, assistant secretary for terrorist financing and financial crimes, and David Cohen, deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency, are among high profile CNAS experts selected for senior positions of responsibility in the administration. Fontaine, who previously worked at the state department and the White House NSC, added that control over who uses weapons remains critical. "The proposal for any South Korean policy change isn't to abandon any controls. Though Seoul would presumably wish to have end-user transparency whether arms are transferred directly or indirectly. However, as a general matter, when Ukraine is fighting for its very existence and when that fight is so directly tied to future outcomes in Europe and elsewhere everyone should look for creative solutions," the CNAS chief said. While the chief executive stressed it will be South Korea to make the final call as changing the policy will represent a "significant step," he, however, said the stakes in Ukraine are high and not limited to affecting North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) parties. Various factors and considerations should be reviewed from South Korea's standpoint before sending lethal weapons to Ukraine because of the possibility of Russia transferring sensitive weapons technology to North Korea. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits a missile-damaged area in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Monday. AP-Yonhap Alabama Republicans on Thursday slammed the indictment of former President Donald Trump as a political witch hunt intended to damage Trump in the 2024 election. Trump was indicted Thursday by a Manhattan grand jury in connection to alleged hush money payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign. He is the first former president to be indicted. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who endorsed Trumps 2024 run, called the indictment an unprecedented step and a threat to our democracy, adding, Stop the witch hunt now: Indicting a former President is an unprecedented step and its a threat to our democracy. Stop the witch hunt now. Coach Tommy Tuberville (@SenTuberville) March 30, 2023 In a later tweet, the senator said Trump was indicted on a charge that no one believes is legitimate: Remember this day...the day the Democrats hatred of a Republican President was so great that they indicted him on a charge that no one believes is legitimate. You can't unring this bell. Tommy Tuberville (@TTuberville) March 31, 2023 Sen. Katie Britt suggested the indictment was politically motivated. The justice system should and must be blind, not weaponized against political enemies. Alabamians do not want a two-tiered system of justice in this country one for Republicans, and one for Democrats, Britt said in a statement to AL.com. U.S. Rep. Dale Strong, R-Huntsville, shared that sentiment. After four years of liberal investigations designed to undermine a democratically elected Trump presidency, New York liberals are continuing the same playbook trying to find anything to keep Trump out of office, Strong said in a statement. This is nothing more than a political witch hunt and an abuse of office by the Manhattan District Attorney. We must not stand for the politicization of our nations justice system to influence elections. This is nothing more than a political witch hunt and an abuse of office by the Manhattan District Attorney. We must not stand for the politicization of our nations justice system to influence elections. Dale W. Strong (@RepDaleStrong) March 30, 2023 U.S. Rep. Barry Moore, R-Enterprise, sarcastically responded to the indictment by tweeting a certificate congratulating Trump for becoming a member of the indicted for political purposes club. Welcome to the club, @realDonaldTrump. In honor of the fact that the Manhattan DA could indict a ham sandwich next, I will be handing them out tomorrow in Longworth 1504 at noon, Moore tweeted, referring to his Washington office. All are welcome! Welcome to the club, @realDonaldTrump. In honor of the fact that the Manhattan DA could indict a ham sandwich next, I will be handing them out tomorrow in Longworth 1504 at noon. All are welcome! pic.twitter.com/xKguEKsy3x Rep. Barry Moore (@RepBarryMoore) March 30, 2023 Moore was indicted, and acquitted, when he was a state representative in 2014 of perjury and giving false statements in connection to a public corruption probe focused on former Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard. He later elaborated on the tweet, referring to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg as the Soros-backed Manhattan district attorney. Moore also said he would ask for all documents related to the Trump case to ensure that federal funds are not used on this political witch hunt: This is a dark day in American history. See my full statement on the indictment of @realDonaldTrump below. pic.twitter.com/ITudWgcMDf Rep. Barry Moore (@RepBarryMoore) March 30, 2023 Bragg has been criticized by Republicans for what they perceive as his close ties to George Soros, the billionaire Democratic donor. But Soros adviser told CNBC Soros has never met or spoken to Alvin Bragg. The criticism, CNBC reported, appears to be based in the $1 million donation Soros gave in 2021 to the PAC for Color of Change, a racial justice organization. Color of Change endorsed Bragg just days earlier and spent $500,000 on the then-district attorney candidates campaign. U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Hoover, said the indictment represented the attempted political assassination of a former president: What we are seeing is the attempted political assassination of a former President. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs spurious legal case should never have been entertained & his flagrant abuse of the justice system is leading the nation down a very dark & dangerous path. Gary Palmer (@USRepGaryPalmer) March 31, 2023 Jeff Sessions, the former attorney general under Trump and erstwhile U.S. senator from Alabama, first learned of the news of the indictment when contacted by AL.com on Thursday afternoon. He said that since Trump had not been served yet, he was declining to comment. This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more Alabama reaction to the indictment comes in. Boeing announced Thursday it is donating $250,000 to aid with disaster recovery and relief efforts for the deadly tornadoes that hit Alabama and Mississippi last week. The storms killed 21 people in Mississippi and one person in Alabama. Our hearts go out to all those impacted by the recent tornadoes in Mississippi and Alabama, Ziad Ojakli, Boeing executive vice president of government operations, said in the announcement. Were partnering closely with organizations that can quickly provide support to those in need during this challenging time, and we remain committed to these communities as they recover in the days ahead. Boeing said the funds will come from its charitable trust and support the following organizations: $100,000 for American Red Cross to maintain shelters for people seeking refuge and provide comfort kits, clean-up kits, nourishing meals, information and other resources. $100,000 for Feeding America to assist food distribution efforts in impacted communities. $50,000 for Samaritans Purse to support clean-up and recovery efforts across Mississippi. Boeing has about 3,000 employees in Huntsville and about 3,300 altogether in Alabama and Mississippi. The company said it has donated almost $12.7 million to charitable causes over the last five years in the two states. At least nine tornadoes have been identified across Alabama by the National Weather Service from March 24-27. The fatality occurred in Morgan County near Hartselle when a 67-year-old man became trapped under a trailer that flipped during the storms. A storm survey determined an EF-2 tornado has been attributed to the death. Boeing and NASA said Wednesday the first crewed flight of the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station will move back to no earlier than July 21. There are really no issues with the product, Boeing Vice President Mark Nappi said. Rather, the delay is caused by issues such as scheduling at the busy Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida and officially certifying the parachute system. At this time, theres really no issues or concerns with the parachute system, said Steve Stich, manager of NASAs Commercial Crew Program. The parachutes are installed in the vehicle, theyre in good shape, but its just a matter of going through all that data and looking at the data to make sure were ready to go fly safely. The demonstration flight will carry two NASA astronaut test pilots - Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams and will aim to prove end-to-end capabilities of the spacecraft. That will allow it to make regular space station crew rotation flights along with SpaceXs Dragon capsule. Starliner will launch atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket built at the companys rocket factory in Decatur, Ala. The spacecraft itself was designed in Huntsville by Boeings design laboratory. The Starliner will land after the mission at the White Sands Missile Ranges Space Harbor. It has already landed there in an earlier uncrewed trip to the space station. Boeing hoped to be able to launch the crewed flight in April. A Pensacola man is in custody roughly four months after police say he deliberately caused a crash in order to rob an older man of some $8,000 he won at an Alabama casino. Police identified 45-year-old Edward Jerome Butler Jr. as the suspect in early January after investigators watched surveillance video and located the vehicle from the crash. Butler was taken into custody this week by the Escambia County (Fla.) Sheriffs Office and is facing multiple charges stemming from the Dec. 27 incident, Florida TV station WEAR reported. According to the WEAR report, Butler was driving on Highway 97 when he purposefully caused a crash with the vehicle directly in front of him. When the other driver pulled to the side of the road and activated his emergency flashers, Butler approached the vehicle, opened the passenger door and, brandishing a weapon, ordered the man to turn over his money, according to a police report obtained by the TV station. The victim reportedly over the age of 65 attempted to draw his open weapon, but Butler grabbed it, according to the report. Police reported that Butler then pulled off the mans boot, where he had hidden some $8,000 he won earlier at Wind Creek Casino in Atmore, Ala. The report also indicates Butler and another person drove off with the victims cash, firearm and other items belonging to the victim. Butler later used the mans credit card three times later that same night, withdrawing $600 each time, the report states. Butler is in the Escambia County Jail, charged with credit card fraud, battery, aggravated assault, two counts of larceny, and robbery. He is being held under total bond of $117,500. He has a court date of April 21, according to the jail docket. Today we sadly pay tribute to fallen Huntsville Police Officer Garrett Crumby, a brave man who died a true hero, in every sense of the word. From AL.com staff reports: One of two Alabama police officers shot when they responded to a shooting call at a Huntsville apartment complex has died. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall identified the slain policeman as Officer Garrett Coulter Crumby, 36. The wounded officer has been identified as Officer Albert Morin, 34. Related: Huntsville police officer dies after being shot in the line of duty; 2nd remains hospitalized, suspect charged - al.com Related: 2 Huntsville police officers critical after being shot at apartment complex; suspect wounded - al.com Related: How to support wounded Huntsville officer Albert Morin, family of fallen policeman Garrett Crumby - al.com Crumbys wife, Taylor, said on Facebook, Garrett died a true hero, in every sense of the word. He was kind and funny and I in no way ever deserved a man of his character, she wrote. His mother, Jan Sherman, wrote a Facebook tribute saying it was the worst day of my life. I feel like Im in a bad dream. The officers said Garrett was a hero. I know. He always was a hero. I havent deserved a son as wonderful as him. We will miss him forever. Please keep our family in your prayers as we navigate the loss of our precious son and brother. This is a devastating loss for our department, the Huntsville community and the State of Alabama, HPD Chief Kirk Giles said. We send our heartfelt condolences to the officers family as they mourn their loved one who made the ultimate sacrifice. As we grieve with our fallen officers family, we have another officer fighting for his life, the chief said. Please keep all our officers and the entire department in your prayers. Marshall issued this statement: Tonight, our State grieves the death of another member of the law enforcement communityone who, when called upon, ran toward danger in aide of a female victim, said Marshall said. Huntsville Police Officer Garrett Crumby and fellow Officer Albert Morin were responding to an emergency domestic violence call for service when they were ambushed by an armed suspect. Juan Robert Laws, 24, was booked into the Madison County Jail just before 11 p.m. on a charge of capital murder of a law enforcement officer. That charge was obtained by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, which is leading the probe into the deadly shooting. Laws remains held without bond. Crumby joined the Huntsville Police Department in 2020. He previously worked for the Tuscaloosa Police Department from 2013 until he left for Huntsville. Just last year, Crumby was one of several officers praised for helping a man get home from the grocery store on a rainy night. Crumby gave the man a ride. It was dark. He was going to be walking down a heavily traveled road at night in inclement weather. So, it just made more sense to me to just give him a ride, Crumby told WHNT News 19. Huntsville police released information Wednesday afternoon on how to provide help to the family of slain officer Garrett Crumby as well as injured officer Albert Morin. ************************************ Our hearts and prayers go out to Officer Crumbys family, friends, Huntsville Police Department colleagues and the entire Huntsville community, as we also pull for Officer Morins recovery from injuries. Rest in peace, Officer Crumby. This tragedy is a reminder of the potential danger police face every day, and it happens on the heels of the Nashville elementary school shooting where we witnessed a body cam video of officers rushing into gunfire to stop the shooter. The Nashville attack killed 6, including three 9-year-old school children. No law enforcers were harmed in the Nashville shooting. Related: Nashville school shooting: Americas covenant with guns is killing our kids - al.com More related content: Violent gun culture is our cross to bear - al.com Texas school shooting: Gunning down schoolchildren is bearable in America - al.com Mass shooting on the Fourth of July: What could be more American? - al.com Uvalde school shooting video inspired Uvalde Police Departments new logo - al.com Check out more cartoons and stuff by JD Crowe JD Crowe is the cartoonist for Alabama Media Group and AL.com. He won the RFK Human Rights Award for Editorial Cartoons in 2020. In 2018, he was awarded the Rex Babin Memorial Award for local and state cartoons by the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. Follow JD on Facebook, Twitter @Crowejam and Instagram @JDCrowepix. Companies made $10.1 billion in capital investments in Alabama last year, a new annual record for the state, Gov. Kay Ivey said. In a press release, Ivey said that broke the record of $8.7 billion set in 2018. The numbers are from the 2022 Alabama Economic Development Impact Report that the Alabama Department of Commerce is releasing today. The projects total 13,078 in job commitments, up from 10,190 job commitments the previous year. Key sectors include automotive, with 2,800 jobs, metals and advanced materials, with 1,900 jobs, and aerospace/aviation/defense, with 1,500 jobs. Notable projects included Novelis, a $2.5 billion aluminum mill in Bay Minette that will have 1,000 employees; First Solar Inc., a $1.1 billion solar panel factory in Lawrence County that will have 700 workers; and Advanced ACT, which is building an air traffic control tower center at the former Craig Air Force Base in Selma. Ivey said the First Solar and Advanced ACT projects are examples of projects landed by rural counties, a priority for the states efforts. Baldwin County led all counties in new investment last year at $2.5 billion, followed by Montgomery at $1.7 billion, Mobile at $1.4 billion, and Lawrence at $1.1 billion. For new jobs, Montgomery County led with 1,491, followed by Mobile with 1,451, Jefferson with 1,259, and Baldwin with 1,170. Strategic economic development has been a top priority of my administration since I first became governor because I fully understand the impact it can have on our citizens, their families and their communities, Ivey said in the press release. This success is blatant evidence that our efforts are producing a brighter future for the great state of Alabama. The release of the report comes just ahead of proposals by the governors office and legislative leaders to renew and expand Alabamas economic incentive laws. Those bills are expected to be introduced after the Legislature returns from spring break next week. Related: How did Baldwin County land Novelis? Here are the incentives the county is providing the company Huntsville police released information Wednesday afternoon on how to provide help to the family of slain officer Garrett Crumby as well as injured officer Albert Morin. Both were shot Tuesday at a west Huntsville apartment complex along Interstate 565 while responding to a call of shots fired. Crumbys death was announced shortly after 10 p.m. Tuesday, while Morin remains in critical condition at Huntsville Hospital. A police statement said he is expected to survive. Police said they have received a number of requests from the public and companies wanting to make donations. Private funds are being established through Redstone Federal Credit Union to help support the officers families. One of the things we always hear is, What can we do? Police Chief Kirk Giles said at a Wednesday news conference. Offering your prayers and condolences are what you can do. If you see an officer or an employee, tell them how much you appreciate what they do. Yesterday was an example of what we all knew could happen to any one of us and did happen to one of us. Police also said condolences can be sent to Crumbys family and get-well cards can be sent to Morin in care of Huntsville Police Department, P.O. Box 2085 Huntsville, AL 35804. Visitation for Crumby, 36, will be Sunday from 3-6 p.m. at Mayfair Church of Christ at 1095 Carl T. Jones Drive. The funeral will be at the church Monday at 10:30 a.m. Burial will be at Tuscaloosa Memorial Park. He joined Huntsville police in 2020 after working as a police officer in Tuscaloosa for nearly seven years. Both Crumby and Morin, 34, worked out of the departments west precinct. Morin has been a Huntsville police officer since 2017. Crumby and Morin answered a call at an apartment complex on the 4600 block of Governors House Drive. A woman called 911 to report she had been shot. Police found her when they arrived at the scene and she was taken to a local hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, Huntsville police Deputy Chief Michael Johnson said at a news conference Tuesday. Juan Robert Laws, 24, has been charged with capital murder of a law enforcement officer in the death of Crumby. More charges are expected to be filed against Laws, Madison County Chief Deputy District Attorney Tim Gann told AL.com on Wednesday. Laws is being held without bond. AL.com reporter William Thornton contributed to this report. Updated today, March 29, 2023, at 4:16 p.m. with comment from Giles. A reporter for a Nashville television station who covered the deadly school shooting on Monday had an unfortunate familiarity with the situation. Joylyn Bukovac, a reporter at WSMV-Channel 4, was a student at Discovery Middle School in Madison when a shooting occurred there in 2010. In a story on the television stations website, Bukovac said she witnessed the shooting in the hallway of ninth-grader Todd Brown on Feb. 5, 2010. Bukovac said she was 13 years old and in the eighth grade at the time. Another student, Hammad Memon, pleaded guilty to murder in 2013. She was among the reporters who responded to The Covenant School in Nashville on Monday. Three students and three adults, as well as the shooter, were killed in the school shooting. Bukovac first announced on air that she had been present at a school shooting as a student while reporting on The Covenant School shooting Monday. I cant even put into words what was going through my mind, Bukovac told her TV station about arriving at Covenant Presbyterian on Monday morning. My heart broke for those families and at the same time my fight or flight response. Adrenaline was just pumping through my veins because I know what those kids were experiencing, unfortunately, and I know what its like to hide from a shooter. Bukovac did not respond Wednesday to a request for comment from AL.com. Bukovac said in the WSMV story that she hid behind the bleachers in her music classroom. My stuff was part of the crime scene. I couldnt even take my backpack home that day, Bukovac said. I really just felt like a sitting duck not knowing if I was going to make it out of that school alive. Which is awful because every child should feel safe at school. No one should come to school anticipating possibly getting hurt, injured or experiencing something like this. Bukovac said its common for children who have been through a situation such as a school shooting to not want to immediately talk about it. Just tell them that you a here to talk when they are ready, Bukovac said. I think that is a big key, and dont make them feel guilty about not wanting to talk. Huntsvilles most iconic feature will pay tribute to fallen police officer Garrett Crumby on Wednesday night. The U.S. Space & Rocket Center said that the Saturn V rocket, which stands 363 feet tall in the middle of the museums campus, will be lit up in blue. Crumby was fatally wounded after being shot responding to a call less than two miles from the rocket center. Another officer, Albert Morin, was also shot and remains in critical condition, police said Wednesday afternoon. We are deeply saddened by this tragic event and are grateful for all the Huntsville Police Department does for the Rocket Center and for our community, the rocket center said in a statement. Gov. Kay Ivey also ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of Crumby until sunset on Monday. On behalf of the state of Alabama, I express my deepest sympathies to the family, friends and fellow law enforcement professionals, Ivey said in the proclamation. I am forever grateful for Officer Crumbys dedication in keeping our communities safe and serving the people of Alabama. Additionally, I call upon all Alabamians to uplift Officer Albert Morin in prayer as he recovers from injuries sustained during the tragic event. We stand with the men and women who sacrifice everything to protect our communities. The Saturn V rocket, which took men to the moon, is frequently lit in different colors for special occasions. New LED lighting was added as part of a 2019 restoration project. The rocket was lit in different colors in April 2020 to honor healthcare workers and first responders as the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the nation. The new LED system is more cost-effective than the previous spotlights that illuminated the rocket from the ground and also eliminates the shadows that resulted from the spotlights. A Tuscaloosa man has been indicted in a 2021 fatal hit-and-run of another man on Interstate 459. Kenneth Ray Smith II, 21, is charged with criminally negligent homicide, which is a misdemeanor, as well as leaving the scene of an accident resulting in injury or death, failure to provide aid, and failure to file a report with law enforcement, all felonies. A Jefferson County grand jury issued the indictments against Smith in February. Those indictments were made public this week. He is charged in the death of 32-year-old Blake Trevor Berry Jr. Berry was found dead Sunday, Feb. 7, on the southbound side of I-459 just before the Acton Road exit. The discovery was made about 8:45 a.m. Berry was found unresponsive about 10 yards off the roadway and pronounced dead on the scene. Authorities said a passing motorist spotted the body of the Hoover man and called 911. The deadly crash was investigated by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Troopers at the time said they were searching for a gold vehicle is possibly a Toyota Camry or Avalon manufactured between 2007 and 2009. Smith was initially arrest in June of 2021. He remains out on bond. A court date has not yet been set. Berry was a graduate Oak Mountain High School. He worked as an independent contractor in residential remodeling, with dreams of one day starting his own construction business, according to his obituary. He enjoyed hunting, working on his truck, getting fit and listening to country music. He had a heart-warming smile and the most stunning blue eyes. He never met a stranger and would give you the shirt off his back, his obituary read. Above all else, he loved his daughter and his family with all of his heart. Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin delivers an opening speech at the Indo-Pacific regional meeting for the second Summit for Democracy held at Hotel Shilla in Seoul on March 30, Yonhap Korea hosted the Indo-Pacific meeting of the second Summit for Democracy on Thursday, bringing together ministerial-level officials and experts from the region with a focus on the issue of combating corruption. Attendees at the event held at a hotel in central Seoul included Foreign Minister Park Jin, United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi. "Corruption undermines public trust, compromises the integrity of our institutions and exacerbates inequality," Park said during the opening ceremony of the session with the theme of "Challenges and Progress in Addressing Corruption. Tai said the U.S. recognizes the importance of anti-corruption efforts in promoting inclusive economic growth and leveling the playing field for workers and businesses. Korea is one of five co-hosts for this year's summit, along with the United States, Costa Rica, the Netherlands and Zambia. The first plenary session of the summit was held virtually on Wednesday. (Yonhap) A man was seriously injured in a shooting Wednesday afternoon in Bessemer. The shooting happened just after 3 p.m. in the 2900 block of Fairfax Avenue. More than two dozen shots were fired. Lt. Christian Clemons said the driver was shot while in a car, and then crashed into a house. He was taken to UAB Hospital. His injuries are serious. The suspects fled the scene in another vehicle. No arrests have been made. A fight at an east Birmingham apartment complex left a teen boy injured by gunfire. The shots erupted about 6:45 p.m. Wednesday at Monarch Ridge Apartments, formerly known as Valley Brook Apartments. Officer Truman Fitzgerald said the juvenile sustained a non-life-threatening injury. Fitzgerald said the shooting stemmed from a group fight. Video posted to social media showed multiple people gathered in the courtyard. There was arguing going on, which led to a physical altercation between two people in the parking lot. The video showed small children, who appeared to be younger than school-age, in the immediate area of the fist fight. Several minutes in the fight and a shot rang out. Roughly nine more shots followed. One woman could be yelling, Wheres my children? Another person was heard saying, Get the children in the house. More fights continued even after police arrived as officers tried to get control of the unruly crowd. Police have not announced any arrests. Earlier Monday, Birmingham police Chief Scott Thurmond addressed the rash of violence in the city, including nine homicides in nine days. Earlier Wednesday, a 16-year-old girl was fatally shot. The chief said there has to be more community involvement. The police cant be on every street corner and in every home all the time, he said. Thats not our job. The community has to police each other. When you see someone doing something wrong or know theyre engaging in activities with people they shouldnt, somebody needs to say something, he said. When people start checking each other, things will change. A woman critically injured in a Birmingham house fire is recovering, and a GoFundMe has been launched to help rebuild her home. Sonya Jones, who will turn 43, on Thursday, was rescued from her Ensley home in Mondays early-morning hours. Firefighters responding to the blaze in the 1000 block of 45th Street. They found a fire in the kitchen, which they quickly extinguished. The crews found Jones the rear window. Jones said she was unresponsive and had cuts to her arms and hands from where she had broken the glass in an attempt to get out of the home. Firefighters rushed her to UAB Hospital. She is now doing well. God is good, Jones said in a Facebook video. I fought my way up out there. Her daughter has started the GoFundMe to help repair her home. Donations can be made here. Huntsville police officials today remembered slain officer Garrett Crumby as a tireless caregiver who loved his job, while also stating that a wounded officer Albert Morin has a ways to go toward healing. Huntsville Police Chief Kirk Giles said in a brief news conference this afternoon that the aftermath of Tuesdays fatal shooting of Crumby, 36, and the wounding of Morin, 34, was a very tough time for our department, our officers, our employees and our city. Police spoke about the officers at the news briefing outside the citys public safety complex. They declined to answer questions about the investigation or what happened at the scene of the shootings. Morin remains in critical condition but is expected to survive. Related: How to support wounded Huntsville officer Albert Morin, family of fallen policeman Garrett Crumby Crumby and Morin, along with a woman whose name has not yet been released, were shot Tuesday afternoon just before 5 p.m. at an apartment complex on the 4600 block of Governors House Drive. Police have not released an update today on the womans condition. On Tuesday they said her injuries were not life-threatening. [Related: Huntsville police officer Albert Morin still in critical condition following shooting] Giles said the department has received messages of support from around Alabama and the nation in the wake of the shooting. At todays briefing they focused on the two men at the center of the tragedy. Deputy Chief Michael Johnson said he knew both Crumby and Morin from the more than two years he spent in the departments West Precinct. Crumby, a native Alabamian and a former Tuscaloosa police officer, was known around the department as the sweet tooth guy, Johnson said. He could regularly be seen at roll call with a honey bun pastry or a Subway sandwich, chased down by the cocktail of a Monster energy drink and coffee, he said. He was an outdoorsman, a caregiver, and known to fellow officers for his volunteer work, a positive attitude, and willingness to learn, the department said in a statement. He took a very extended leave at one point during his career with us to take care of a loved one, Johnson said. Some of his officers took up money to help him with that, thats how much they thought of Garrett. Crumby joined Huntsville police in August 2020 following seven years as a patrol and field training officer with Tuscaloosa. He worked for HPDs West Precinct and was known by his fellow officers for his positive attitude and willingness to learn. According to the department, he hoped to become an investigator with the departments Financial Crimes Unit. A recent evaluation described him this way: Although Officer Crumbys tenure with HPD is young, his heart is big and his drive is pure. Morin, who joined HPD in August 2017, is a native New Yorker, Johnson said. He came to Huntsville from a stint in the military and time in Florida. In 2019, he was named West Precinct Officer of the Year. He is known among peers for being a hard-working, get it done quiet man who schooled younger officers on the finer points of the job and enjoying solitary hikes. A supervisor said last year that Morin was the most productive officer on his squad, according to the department. They werent just police officers; they were people, Johnson said. They had families. They had loves and hobbies beyond the job. But they did love police work. Giles said he had not talked to Morin yet, but his family said he had been awake and alert. Matter of fact, he made a comment to them that, Im ready to go back to work, Giles said. Obviously, hes not. But that just shows the kind of tough mentality that he has. Giles grew visibly emotional, his voice breaking, in talking about the effect of the tragedy on the department. Its a difficult thing to deal with, he said. Ive gone through this four times. Youve got to understand, these officers, these employees, we have to go back to work. Juan Robert Laws, 24, was booked into the Madison County Jail just before 11 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of capital murder of a law enforcement officer. He is being held without bond. Tim Gann, the chief deputy district attorney for Madison County, told AL.com he expects additional charges against Laws. Madison County Schools Superintendent Kenneth Kubik has been flooded with emails from parents asking why there isnt a school resource officer in their school, following the mass shooting at a Christian school in Nashville that killed six people, including three children. Being former law enforcement, its hard for me to come up with a really good reason to tell them why they dont have one, Kubik said. Kubik, Huntsville City Schools Superintendent Christie Finley and Madison City Schools Superintendent Ed Nichols were asked about school security at the State of the Schools event Wednesday in the aftermath of the shooting at Covenant School on Monday. Madison County has 30 campuses. Kubik said the county system funded 11 fulltime and one part time SRO. He said the Madison County Sheriffs Department funds five part time officers and the administrative staff with a lieutenant and a sergeant. We have two openings right now, Kubik said. Theyve been open for a little while. Its not because the sheriffs department doesnt want to provide us with a deputy. Its because they dont have people going into law enforcement either. This isnt just teaching. We have shortages in our fire department. We have shortages in our emergency medical (services). Federal prosecutors today indicted a Huntsville couple, accusing them of fraudulently taking $1.7 million in Paycheck Protection Program funds. John D. Scoggins, 43, and Jennifer C. Scoggins, 37, face a five-count indictment on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, according to an announcement from the U.S. Attorneys Office for north Alabama. Prosecutors say the couple used the money to buy a home, take a family vacation and receive plastic surgery. According to the indictment, between February and June 2021, they submitted loan applications containing false information and supported by fake documents to the Small Business Administration. The husband and wife received about $1.7 million in fraudulent PPP loans on behalf of four supposedly operational businesses, according to the announcement from U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona and FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Carlton Peeples. The PPP program was developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to help businesses meet payroll without laying off employees. Last year, NBC reported as much as $80 billion or about 10 percent of the $800 billion handed out may have been stolen through fraud schemes. The post was modified at 1:33 p.m. CST March 30 to correct the spelling of the couple charged. A federal judge this week handed down an 80-year prison sentence to a Madison County man on charges of child sexual exploitation. Kevin Alexander Guerrero-Beltran, 32, pleaded guilty to transportation and distribution of child pornography back in January. U.S. District Judge Liles Burke also ordered Guerrero-Beltran to pay $11,000 in restitution to the victims. U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona, FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Carlton Peeples, and U.S. ICE Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent-in-Charge Katrina Berger announced the sentence today in a press release. Characterized as a serial offender by Peeples, Guerrero-Beltran was arrested in May 2019 and was previously convicted of traveling to meet a child for a sex act in Marshall County. He was on state probation at the time he committed these federal offenses, according to prosecutors. Guerrero-Beltran was released from state prison on May 28, 2020. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children issued a cyber tip involving him sending an image of child sexual abuse material on Snapchat three months later. According to court documents, Guerrero-Beltran became the administrator of an online exchange of child sexual abuse material in October 2020, and over a week in 2021, he was in communication with another person, inquiring about having sex with an 8-year-old girl. This defendant has proven that he will continue to abuse and sexually exploit children, Escalona said in a statement. The sentence imposed ensures that Guerrero-Beltran will spend the rest of his life in prison. The case involved the FBI Birminghams Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, FBI Phoenix Division, ICE Homeland Security Investigations, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Huntsville police, the Madison County Sheriffs Office, and Georgia Bureau of Investigation. A lieutenant with a north Alabama police department is reportedly on leave after being charged Tuesday with pointing a gun at a man and hitting him while off-duty in December. Lt. Max Dotson with Sheffield police is facing charges of reckless endangerment, assault, menacing and harassment in connection with the December incident in Lauderdale County, according to the charges filed against him Tuesday in the county court. The victim allegedly suffered swelling and bruises from being hit in the mouth and nose, according to the complaint against Dotson. Sheffield Police Chief Ricky Terry told WAAY the incident occurred in Florence while Dotson was off-duty. Terry told the station the lieutenant is on leave pending an internal investigation. Dotsons attorney, Jeff Austin, told WAAY his client acted in self-defense. Mr. Dotson encountered someone acting inappropriately in the parking lot of a gas station and when he confronted this individual, the individual he encountered escalated the situation and Mr. Dotson defended himself, said Austin. A new plan for development in Baldwin County is moving forward. On Thursday, the Baldwin County Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously adopted Our Vision: A Citizens Guide to Growth in the Zoned Areas of Baldwin County, a strategic document that outlines a plan for development in the county. The document now goes to the Baldwin County Commission for final approval. The document serves as a master plan that, under state law, counties and municipalities must prepare and adopt every few years to regulate the development in their communities. But planning and zoning staff are careful to stress that this documentwhich only applies to the zoned areas of unincorporated Baldwin Countydoes not have any regulatory powers and serves as a guide for the planning commission and citizens as they consider future development. So what, exactly, does this document impact, if it doesnt have any regulatory powers? The primary impact comes in the zoning process, Planning and Zoning Director Matthew Brown said at the meeting Thursday. When considering zoning or re-zoning a parcel of land, the planning commission considers 11 different factors, one of which is compatibility with the countys master plan for development, i.e., this document. But Brown said Thursday that each zoning case is different, and the master plan factor would not necessarily outweigh the others, which include transportation infrastructure and environmental impact. And in the fastest-growing county in Alabama, growth is one of the biggest topics on residents minds these days. In fact, many citizens of Baldwin County submitted comments on the document over the last few months since it was introduced last fall. In the plan, surveyed Baldwin County residents list loss of rural lifestyle/agriculture as their number one concern; unplanned or regulated growth was their number three concern. Baldwin Countys long nightmare is over: Alabama State Route 181 will reopen to four lanes of traffic later today. Officials are urging patience once the final cones are removed reopening all the lanes along an approximately four-mile stretch through one of the fastest-growing areas in Alabama. Read more: A big pain in the butt inching toward completion: Is Route 181 in Baldwin County almost finished? We are excited to finally see Highway 181 open, Fairhope Mayor Sherry Sullivan said Thursday, hours before the Alabama Department of Transportation plans to reopen the entire road to four-lane traffic. There has been a tremendous amount of development in that area coupled with the growth of our county and Fairhope. I hope drivers will slow down, be patient and understand that sometimes the best thing to do is open the road and then let other opportunities for improvement reveal themselves. The $30 million project began around 4-1/2 years ago, and completion was expected later this summer. James Gordon, spokesman with ALDOTs Southwest Region, said the project is not officially complete, though he confirmed the four lanes will be open to motorists by midday. Contractors will continue to work on construction items for the next month or so with periodic lane closures, Gordon said. He said that once traffic normalizes, the state will conduct a traffic signal warrant study to determine if any future signals are needed. Intersections that will be analyzed include Austin/Corte Road, Camberwell/Dunmore Drive intersection and St. Michael Way intersections. Said Sullivan, I know ALDOT will continue to evaluate Highway 181 and add additional signalization or other safety improvements as they are needed. The project was built to accommodate rapid growth within the Eastern Shore area of Baldwin County, which has seen more than 27% growth since 2010. The highway stretches from Daphne Road and Route 181 in Belforest south to Alabama State Route 104 intersection in Fairhope. Approximately 16,000 vehicles per day travel along Route 181 just north of the Route 104 intersection, according to an ALDOT count. More traffic is likely to come. A four-lane stretch of Route 181 in Daphne near Champions Way -- which leads into Daphne High School -- has an average daily traffic count of 26,556. Ammons & Blackmon Construction LLC is the main contractor for the Route 181 project, and 10 subcontractors have been working on it throughout its construction. The overall project was expected to be completed within 435 working days from its start, according to the Alabama Department of Transportation in February. That timeline was extended an extra 45-days to account for the addition of a culvert, extending the working days to 480. The project is also expected to spawn economic development along Route 181. In Fairhope, a Publix grocery store was constructed while the road project was underway. The opening of the grocery store is expected sometime this summer. Versions of the road widening project have been discussed for over 20 years. And even with the four-mile stretch finished, there will be calls for additional work south of Route 104. Officials in Fairhope, Daphne as well as state lawmakers are clamoring for funding to extend the road widening south past a Walmart Supercenter in Fairhope to Baldwin County 32. In future years, the goal is to extend the road to Route 98. Former special counsel Park Young-soo / Yonhap Prosecutors on Thursday raided a former special counsel's home and office over corruption allegations surrounding a controversial land development scandal in Seongnam, just south of Seoul. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office sent prosecutors and investigators to the homes and offices of former special counsel Park Young-soo and his former assistant Yang Jae-sik to secure documents on their suspected bribery. Park and Yang investigated a corruption scandal involving former President Park Geun-hye in 2017. The former special counsel is suspected of agreeing to accept 5 billion won ($3.83 million) from private developers in return for helping their project to develop Seongnam's Daejang-dong district into apartment complexes in 2014, when he served as the chair of the Woori Bank board of directors. Yang is also suspected of being involved in assisting the private developers. The so-called Daejang-dong scandal, in which Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management and a small number of private partners were allowed to reap astronomical investment profits, has drawn keen media attention because the project was launched when opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was mayor of Seongnam. Kim Man-bae, the owner of Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management, was indicted on March 8 on charges of stashing 39 billion won of illegal proceeds from the Daejang-dong project. Former special counsel Park's daughter reportedly received 1.1 billion won from Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management after working for the company from September 2019 to February 2021. In addition, she is suspected of having earned a profit of some 800 million won through the purchase and sale of a Daejang-dong apartment. (Yonhap) A 3-year-old was killed in a late-night crash Wednesday in Tuscaloosa County. Another child, age 4, and 24-year-old Shadereka Green, were also ejected from the same vehicle and injured. Alabama State Troopers does not release the names of juvenile victims. The crash happened at 11:12 p.m. on Alabama 69, about seven miles south of Tuscaloosa. Trooper Cpl. Reginal King said Green was driving a Hyundai Genesis that struck a Ford F-350. She and the two children were not using seat belts or child restraints, King said, and all were thrown from the vehicle. After the crash, another vehicle struck the 3-year-old child and fled the area. The child was pronounced dead on the scene. Green and the 4-year-old were taken to area hospitals with undisclosed injuries. Anyone with information on the driver who fled the scene is asked to call Troopers at 205-553-5531. This is a guest opinion column Daily, grocers witness hardworking Alabamians unable to purchase the food that they need. Despite wages increasing significantly over the last several years, the rising cost of food has outpaced all other household expenses except transportation. Factors including the labor shortage, supply chain disruptions, energy prices, severe weather events, and the war in Ukraine have all contributed to these rising prices. Most recently, the avian flu has caused havoc in the egg and poultry industry. Alabama is one of only three states in the nation that does not reduce the sales tax on food, and two of our bordering states, Florida and Georgia, do not tax groceries. Across the state if you add in the city and county tax, food tax averages between 9-11%. This is a regressive tax, which disproportionately affects those with lower income. We know that states with the highest grocery tax rates also tend to be the states with the highest rate of food insecurity. According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, Alabama is the fifth poorest state in the nation, with 17% of adults and 23% of children (1 out of 4) facing food insecurity, or lack of regular access to enough nutritious food for an active, healthy life. For those with low income, elderly or retired persons with a fixed income, rent or mortgage and medicine are usually covered first, leaving little for the food budget and other, more flexible expenses. Alabama has the second highest rate of food insecurity for seniors at 12.8%, as reported by Feeding America. The average family of four spends $1,000 per month on food at minimum. Cutting the 4% state grocery tax would give each family an extra $40 per month or $480 per year. That is significant. It could mean the difference between having to choose between your prescription co-pay and enough food to feed your family. No one wants to take additional resources away from the Education Trust Fund that supports Alabamas school system. However, with Alabamas budgets experiencing record growth and the EFT revenue growing steadily over the last 9 years, it is time to act on removing the grocery tax. Studies published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, and the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry show that hunger greatly impacts a childs performance and behavior in school. Hungry children have lower math scores. They are also more likely to repeat a grade, come to school late, or miss it entirely due to illness. We commend the leadership of Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth and his commitment to removing this burdensome tax. I urge all Alabamians to contact their legislators and let them know that the hardworking folks here in Alabama deserve the removal of the sales tax on groceries. Ellie Taylor is President/CEO of the Alabama Grocers Association China lashes out at U.S. conniving at, supporting "Taiwan independence" separatists Xinhua) 11:06, March 30, 2023 BEIJING, March 29 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Wednesday lashed out at the U.S. egregiously conniving at and supporting "Taiwan independence" separatists in regard to Taiwan leader's so-called stopover in the country, urging the U.S. side to stop all forms of official interaction with Taiwan. Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen's so-called stopover in the United States is not so much a "transit," but an attempt to seek breakthroughs and propagate "Taiwan independence," spokesperson Mao Ning told a daily press briefing. Mao made the remarks in response to a senior U.S. official's comment that there is no reason for China "to use Tsai's visit to the United States this week as a pretext to overreact." "The issue is not about China overreacting, but the United States egregiously conniving at and supporting 'Taiwan independence' separatists," Mao said. "China firmly opposes any form of official interaction between the United States and the Taiwan region. We firmly oppose any visit by leader of the Taiwan authorities to the United States in any name or under whatever pretext. And we firmly oppose the United States having any form of contact with the Taiwan authorities, which violates the one-China principle," she said. "China has repeatedly protested to the U.S. side on Tsai's so-called stopover in the United States," Mao said. "Past mistakes do not justify any new mistake. Repeating a mistake does not make it legitimate." She added that those who are creating the problem and making provocations are not China, but the United States and the "Taiwan independence" separatists. The spokesperson urged the United States to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, earnestly deliver on its leaders' commitment of not supporting "Taiwan independence" or "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan," stop all forms of official interaction with Taiwan, stop upgrading its substantive exchanges with the region, stop fudging and hollowing out the one-China principle, and stop undermining the political foundation for bilateral relations while stressing the need to put "guardrails" on the relationship. "China will closely monitor the developments and firmly defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity," Mao said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Rep. Kim Sang-hee and other Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers protest at Gwanghwamun Plaza against the government's decision to compensate victims of Japan's wartime forced labor without Japan's contributions, March 17. Yonhap Rep. Kim Sang-hee of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Thursday proposed a parliamentary resolution denouncing Japan's controversial textbooks and its sovereignty claim of Korea's easternmost Dokdo islets. The resolution warns that the Japanese government's distorted perception of history could significantly hurt trust between Korea and Japan and urges Tokyo to apologize over its past wrongdoings. The proposal came after Tokyo's approval of new textbooks that appeared to water down its atrocities against Koreans during its 1910-45 colonization of the Korean Peninsula and intensify its sovereignty claim over Dokdo. The resolution was sponsored by 57 other lawmakers, including DPK leader Lee Jae-myung and floor leader Park Hong-keun. Some independents and minor progressive Justice Party lawmakers also sponsored the resolution. (Yonhap) English News China strengthens solidarity with other developing countries to make pie of cooperation bigger Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 29 Mars 2023 The country has set up a South-South cooperation fund on climate change, set up 10 pilot low-carbon industrial parks, launched 100 mitigation and adaptation programs, provided 1,000 training opportunities on climate change cooperation in developing countries, and established the China-Pacific Island Countries Climate Change Cooperation Center. By He Yin, People's Daily "The Addis Ababa-Djibouti Standard Gauge Railway has shown remarkable achievements in the areas of operation, maintenance and capacity building, and become an example of the ever-flourishing Sino-African relations," said an Ethiopian official during a celebration ceremony of the railway's fifth anniversary of operations recently. The project has effectively promoted the sustainable development of local communities and bettered people's wellbeing. It mirrors the tangible achievements of the cooperation between China and other developing countries. Since Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the principles of sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith 10 years ago, China, with concrete actions, has enhanced its cooperation with other developing countries and set a good example in helping them achieve common development. The tangible achievements come from China's efforts to promote win-win cooperation. China continues to place its own development in the coordinate system of human development, seeing that its future is closely connected with that of the rest of the world and the interests of the Chinese people are integrated with the common interests of the peoples of other countries. China actively responds to the priority needs of developing countries for social and economic progress, aiming to improve people's wellbeing and provide them with tangible gains. China takes an open and inclusive approach to cooperation. It strives for long-term development of its cooperation with other developing countries, which is in line with the common interests of relevant parties and the general trend of global development. The tangible achievements come from how China has practiced the spirit of win-win results. Over the past 10 years, the country has constantly deepened its cooperation with Africa, drafting and implementing ten cooperation plans, eight major initiatives and nine programs. Over the past 10 years, the country's Belt and Road Initiative has drawn nearly $1 trillion of investment, built over 3,000 cooperation projects, created 420,000 jobs and lifted nearly 40 million people out of poverty in participating countries. Over the past 10 years, China has provided a series of international public products that significantly promoted the common development of developing countries. During the summits commemorating the UN's 70th anniversary in September 2015, China announced to build "six 100 projects" for other developing countries 100 poverty reduction projects, 100 agricultural cooperation projects, 100 aid for trade projects, 100 ecological conservation and climate change response projects, 100 hospitals and clinics, and 100 schools and vocational training centers. It also vowed to set up an assistance fund for South-South cooperation, establish an institute of South-South cooperation and development and a center for international knowledge on development. At the High-level Dialogue on Global Development held in June 2022, China announced important measures to implement the Global Development Initiative, including upgrading the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund to a Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, increasing input to the UN Peace and Development Trust Fund, and setting up a global development promotion center and a global knowledge network for development. China always keeps in mind the difficulties faced by developing countries and accommodates their concerns. "This fully indicates China's ceaseless efforts to make sure that no country or individual is left behind," said Togo's President Faure Gnassingbe. The tangible achievements come from China's efforts to enhance their capacity for self-development. Fully considering the resources, development level and needs of other developing countries, China shares unreservedly its experience and technologies with them by various means, and trains local talent and technicians for them, so as to empower them to tap their own potential for diversified, independent and sustainable development. The Juncao technology, which refers to planting a grass named Juncao with strong adaptability to the environment and rich nutrition while using processed Juncao grass to cultivate edible and medicinal fungi and raise poultry and livestock, is a typical example. China has launched Juncao programs in over 100 countries, making the grass a "grass of happiness and prosperity." Kaul Gena, Pro-Vice-Chancellor administration of Papua New Guinea (PNG) University of Technology, noted that Juncao has been planted in 16 districts of eight provinces in PNG, lifting tens of thousands of people out of poverty, adding that China's sincere assistance is well appreciated by the people in PNG. The tangible achievements come from China sincerity in helping other developing countries cope with challenges. The country has set up a South-South cooperation fund on climate change, set up 10 pilot low-carbon industrial parks, launched 100 mitigation and adaptation programs, provided 1,000 training opportunities on climate change cooperation in developing countries, and established the China-Pacific Island Countries Climate Change Cooperation Center. China has provided emergency assistance to Tonga, Afghanistan and Pakistan after they were hit by severe natural disasters. Facing the global spread of COVID-19, it has announced to give $2 billion of international aid over two years to countries hard hit by Covid-19, especially developing countries, in supporting their fight against the virus and their efforts to resume economic and social development. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres commented that when it comes to helping developing countries realize common development, China's efforts have been unmatched. Today, the global development process has hit major roadblocks, the momentum of international development cooperation is being weakened, and development gap between the North and the South keeps widening. The international community needs to take more concrete actions to fulfill its promises to help with the development of developing countries. China will keep strengthening solidarity and cooperation with other developing countries, take concrete measures to make the pie of cooperation bigger and make greater contributions to improving the wellbeing of mankind. Dans la meme rubrique : < > Chinese young blood devote to Great Wall protection International passenger service adds new vitality to China-Laos Railway Democracy a common value of humanity, not prerogative reserved to few Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena) English News Tibet autonomous region sees continuous improvement in primary-level healthcare services Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 27 Mars 2023 Next, Tibet will focus on deepening reform of medicine and healthcare system, make the distribution of quality medical resources more balanced, improve the capability of primary-level medical services, optimize public health services and ensure medical services for key groups including seniors, children and women, Kelsang Yudron noted. By Chungda Drolkar, People's Daily "Both fetal heart monitoring and B-scan ultrasonography showed that the baby is healthy," said Tsering Yangzom, a 27-year-old mother-to-be who was receiving pregnancy care in a township clinic in Yulmed, Luntse county, Shannan, southwest China's Tibet autonomous region. According to the woman, she had to go to Luntse or downtown Shannan for pregnancy care, but now it has become much more convenient as relevant services are available where she lives. The township clinic is a two-storey building that comes with a clinical lab, an internal medicine department and a preventive medicine department. Commonly used drugs are readily available there. It is staffed by seven medical workers, including general practitioners and nurses. In the hall of the clinic, there is an intelligent health check-up machine. Patients can go through regular check-ups by simply tapping their ID cards on it. Then the machine would print health reports for patients automatically. Qiu Jianliang, head of the clinic, has been working there for 10 years. "It is very difficult to find the exact cause of a person's chest pain in the past. Now we have electrocardiograph machines which could help doctors with diagnosis and quickly detect heart problems," said Qiu. According to him, the clinic also offers B-scan ultrasonography, regular blood testing and urinalysis. The automated external defibrillator (AED) and other auxiliary medical devices could monitor, assess and automatically treat patients with life-threatening heart rhythms. Thanks to the improved health and transport facilities, residents in Yulmed township can have minor illnesses treated locally, and those critically ill can also be diagnosed and transferred to better hospitals very quickly. Qiu told People's Daily that the township's roads to the outside were closed for around six months each year in the past due to severe weathers and poor infrastructure, which was challenging for treating critically ill patients. "Nowadays, we can send them to county and city hospitals with ambulances at the earliest time possible," Qiu said. Tobgye is a 56-year-old resident suffering from severe arthritis in Yulmed township. Last year, he had a surgery in Lhasa, capital of Tibet autonomous region, which greatly relieved his pain. He always visits the township clinic to fetch drugs. "I had 85 percent of the surgery expense reimbursed, and the drugs I take now are mostly covered by my health insurance," Tobgye told People's Daily. The improvement of medical conditions in Yulmed township is a miniature of the development of township clinics in Tibet autonomous region. Today, an urban-rural medical service network that covers all levels has been established in the autonomous region, and the autonomous region's basic healthcare, disease prevention and control, maternity and child health and mobile healthcare systems are also improving. Now, every township clinic in Tibet is equipped with 3.4 practitioners on average, and all administrative villages in the autonomous region have at least one clinic. Kelsang Yudron, head of Tibet's health commission, said that Tibet is working to stabilize and optimize rural medical staff, build capable medical teams that meet villagers' demands, and comprehensively improve the primary-level healthcare capabilities of the autonomous region, so as to provide residents with safe, effective, convenient and affordable basic health services and ensure equalized access to basic public health services. Next, Tibet will focus on deepening reform of medicine and healthcare system, make the distribution of quality medical resources more balanced, improve the capability of primary-level medical services, optimize public health services and ensure medical services for key groups including seniors, children and women, Kelsang Yudron noted. Besides, the autonomous region will keep promoting the inheritance and innovative development of traditional Tibetan medicine, build stronger medical teams and advance high-quality development of the health sector, Kelsang Yudron added. Dans la meme rubrique : < > Chinese young blood devote to Great Wall protection International passenger service adds new vitality to China-Laos Railway Democracy a common value of humanity, not prerogative reserved to few Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena) President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during the opening ceremony of the Indo-Pacific Regional Meeting of the 2nd Summit for Democracy at a hotel in Seoul, March 30, Yonhap President Yoon Suk Yeol said Thursday all forms of corruption that goes against the truth threatens democracy and suppresses freedom, calling for a fight against corruption at the international level. Yoon made the remarks at the Indo-Pacific meeting of the second Summit for Democracy in Seoul. Korea is one of five co-hosts for this year's summit, along with the United States, Costa Rica, the Netherlands and Zambia. "Essentially speaking, all that goes against the truth and against the true principles is corruption," Yoon said. "It threatens democracy and suppresses freedom." Yoon touted democracy as a community's decision-making system that guarantees freedom and human rights. However, the health of democracy has been at risk of getting weaker due to the spread of false information, Yoon said. "The dissemination of false information led by certain groups and forces, the incitement based on it, violence and intimidation, covert and fraudulent rent-seeking activities are distorting and neutralizing the community's decision-making system of democracy," Yoon said. Yoon stressed the importance of the international fight against corruption. "It is also important to respond to corruption on an international level," Yoon said. "Countries that share the universal values of freedom, human rights, rule of law and democracy should unite together to deal strongly with transnational corruption crimes." (Yonhap) SPC Group CEO Hur Jin-soo, left, poses for a photo with Chargee d'Affaires of Canada to Korea Tamara Mawhinney, center, and Cereals Canada CEO Dean Dias, during Paris Baguette's invitational event offering bagels made with Canadian wheat in Seoul, Thursday. Paris Baguette invited the ambassador and officials from the Canadian Embassy in Korea to try its new "double chewy bagels" launched in February. Montreal in Canada is considered one of the two most popular cities for bagels, along with New York. Courtesy of SPC Several years ago, I watched a documentary that forecast the disastrous decline of education due to the progressive control by censorship of academia. Indoctrinate U (2007) by Evan Coyne Maloney was an eye opener to any parent of students entering the college years. My daughter had already been exposed to the political correctness mandated by professors at the College of Staten Island (SUNY) when her professor dressed in mourning the day after George Bushs reelection in 2004. She realized quickly to stifle any conservative opinion that might impact her grading. Thanks to her experience, my other daughter chose to attend St. Johns University years later and graduated summa cum laude with a BS in Computer Science without dealing with any anti-conservative bias. Freedom to choose what institution to attend is paramount to obtaining a well-balanced education throughout all the grades. About the only possible good benefit of the Covid pandemic was the gradual wakeup call to parents that most of the academic institutions, teachers unions and school boards did not have the best interests of their children at heart and were more concerned with political influence at the cost of their responsibility to provide basic educational tenets. The most desired degrees were once sought from Ivy League universities but its hard to recognize them given the ridiculous courses some of them now offer. Most of them seem to be trendy rather than educational. How to win a beauty contest; Politicizing Beyonce; the Sociology of Miley Cyrus and others too ridiculous to mention. Power and Responsibility: Doing Philosophy with Superheroes, was an online course offered by Harvard. Harvard, imagine that. In this 21st century does one even need a college degree unless one is planning a career as a doctor or lawyer? Will majoring in womens and gender studies get one a high paying job? A Fine Arts degree may help if you have a chance at becoming a curator at a top museum but wont impress the owner of a fast food joint. When politicians and educators decided that a lockdown of schools was necessary to contain the pandemic, our children paid the price with lowered reading and math skills that will cost them dearly in the future. Eleven of my grandchildren attended parochial schools that had teachers who were not members of the suffocating unions in public schools. Consequently, they maintained the high education levels from before the politically exploited pandemic. The other two grandchildren were students at a supposedly good public school yet I had to teach the kindergartener how to read. There may be some good news on the horizon now that the woke agenda of expensive universities has caused a steep decline in enrollments. College enrolments are down significantly except at those with conservative reputations. A liberal professor, Peter Boghossian, former philosophy professor at Portland State University, actually said that he told his daughter not to go to university - become an electrician because colleges have become indoctrination mills. He has also stated that all universities have been destroyed by woke nonsense and should be defunded. I no longer have children of college age but several of my grandchildren are,` and college choices are quite interesting now. Three of my grandsons will be attending a small but fascinating college in San Diego, California in September. John Paul the Great is a Catholic university for the creative arts and business. It offers courses that are of great interest to Gen Z and millennials that will garner them lucrative careers while maintaining spiritual integrity. In other words, it is not woke or politically correct. I looked over its website, www.jpcatholic.edu and wished there had been such fascinating choices when I was college age. Exactly what are youths interested in today? Its not gender, women or minority studies. Theyre into social media, gaming, films, music and unfortunately these interests right now are dominated by the left influencers. John Paul the Great University is challenging that system by impacting the current culture with high moral standards. It offers courses in feature films, animation, gaming development, drama, screenwriting and many other creative art options. In addition, it has generous scholarship programs and financial aid for struggling families. My daughter said she received $200 towards airline fare for each of her sons to travel to San Diego to preview the university which they will now attend this fall. She also said they were put up in a hostel and had a paid Uber to greet them at airport. What she appreciated the most is that the university offered to create a financial plan which no other school did. I suspect that many parents today are debating whether their offspring should take gap years until academia restores its sanity or simply join the working class and forget about furthering their education. They should realize that there are choices out there that are innovative and deserve to be explored. As far as I know, John Paul the Great University is open to all but I contacted Mr. Martin Harold , the V.P. of enrollment( MHarold@jpcatholic.edu) to confirm. He responded: We are open to all faiths and have some non-Catholic Christians in our student body. Students who come here, however, take a nine-class sequence in theology and philosophy in our Catholic liberal arts core, so most of them have an interest in Catholic theology even if they are not Catholic themselves. When I interviewed V.P. Dick Cheney with my NY Sun colleagues years ago, I asked his view on school choice and he said that he and other Republicans had been battling for school choice for years. Parents are struggling to pay tuition for private schools because many public schools seem to be more interested in grooming than educating their children. Tax credits for private schooling should be on the legislative menu for this Congress. Being Woke is done. Israels recent judicial reform crisis has deep roots going back decades. Not surprisingly, they originate within the Israeli Left. Israel is teaching us all a new lesson in modern western democracy as checks and balances are thrown out the window. Western media will not tell you that only in Israel do Supreme Court judges appoint themselves and write their own checks and balances. The real revolution in Israel took place in 1992 when then-Israeli Chief Justice Aharon Barak began a one-man legal uprising, assigning himself and his judicial colleagues the power to rewrite or veto any decision, policy, or appointment made by Israels elected leaders. Who elected Justice Barak and who gave him these vast powers? He did. Until the 1990s, Israeli Knesset members chose the Supreme Court, but then Barak convinced the elected leaders that a committee -- with a built-in veto of three sitting Supreme Court judges -- should henceforward pick all judges. This was not a written law, but it became a tradition etched in Mediterranean marble, an unwritten veto carved in stone more than the Ten Commandments God gave Moses before Barak gave himself the role of Moses. The result was that Judge Barak picked several generations of judges in his own image, often his own students, and that image was usually a secular Ashkenazi Jew with left-wing political views straight out of Yale Law School, where Justice Barak spent his vacations. Few if any religious Israelis got on the Supreme Court, even fewer non-Ashkenazi Israelis, and certainly no independent or Right-oriented jurists. Most Court appointees turned out to be pale and mediocre echoes of Barak himself, judges who cited Yale Law, not Talmudic law. We couldnt find any Moroccan judges who were qualified, Barak said, (referring to non-Ashkenazi Jews). It was a stunning comment showing Baraks own deep prejudices. Judge Barak also famously rejected Professor Ruth Gavison, a very highly regarded law professor, who was praised by both lawyers and legal scholars across the spectrum for her independent and creative thinking. She has an agenda, said Barak about Professor Gavison, setting a standard for uniform thought -- his thought. Barak also could not seem to find Jewish principles or sources for any of his decisions. A review of Baraks many decisions hardly unearthed a reference to the Bible, the Talmud, or Jewish responsa literature, but there were many citations from Europe to Timbuktu. Justice Baraks own personal, partisan political agenda was again on display when he recently bemoaned the fact that the far-left Meretz Party failed the cut-off margin to enter Israels Knesset. It was a strange remark from a supreme court justice, but maybe not such a surprise. Baraks comment basically buttressed claims by rightist critics that Barak had turned the Supreme Court into a branch of the Meretz Party whose very pro-Palestinian and deeply anti-religious tone determined decisions on Sabbath laws, kosher food, and territorial questions. Since 1977, the Israeli Right has won almost all national elections, but the final word on policy has shifted from the Knesset, Israels parliament, to the Israeli Supreme Court that leans to the Left, often the far Left, especially since Baraks rise to power in 1992. No matter who wins the election, Barak and his colleagues get the final vote. In an exhaustive expose for the newspaper Maariv, reporter Kalman Liebeskind showed that Arabs -- Palestinian or Israeli Bedouin -- almost always seemed win land cases in Israels Supreme Court, even when the evidence (contracts and aerial photos, for example) proved that they had grabbed land illegally. At the same time, Liebeskind proved that Israeli Jewish settlers were removed or barred from land even when they had written deeds and photographs to prove ownership. Like the Meretz Party, Barak and his court successors have blocked various Israeli government attempts to stop cross-border infiltration and to allow removal of illegal infiltrators, even though there is hard and fast Israeli legislation that allows and even mandates such action. Using the nebulous concepts of international law or international norms, Israels Supreme Court has sounded more like a European Union tribunal or a UN seminar than an Israeli court enforcing Israeli law. Meanwhile, neighborhoods in southern Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities have become hotbeds of simmering criminal activity by illegal immigrants from Africa. The first part of the current proposed judicial reform that the Left and the media have dubbed a judicial revolution was meant to restore real legislative oversight to the picking of judges, and not allowing judges to pick their own friends and favorites For almost 30 years, there has been a growing view in Israel -- on the Right, in the Center, and even on the Left -- that Justice Barak essentially usurped powers and has kept on expanding them as he asserted in Hebrew ha-kol Shafit -- everything can be judged [in my court]. With Barak and his students, the Israeli Left (which lost in 1977) still had an ace up its sleeve. Everything can be judged meant that Barak and his colleagues often vetoed military maneuvers, budget decisions, staff appointments for the most tenuous of reasons, based on appeals by some of the zaniest extra-parliamentary organizations, especially on the Left. Politicians are often corrupt and devious, but in order to be dangerous -- really dangerous -- they have to be elected and then re-elected. However, with a lifetime job as supreme court judge, judicial activists can be even more dangerous over time. Recently, Barak asserted a judicial prerogative that even the legendary U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshal could not have imagined -- Judicial Preview, not Judicial Review. Why didnt they ask for my advice, demanded Justice Barak, offended that Israeli legislators considered laws without approval from Israels longest serving non-elected super-legislator. I would have told them what I thought. Maybe we should call it Judicial Chutzpah! As we have seen in recent days, stolen judicial prerogatives, like stolen jewels, are not easily reclaimed. Image: Jonathan Klinger America has a problem: a subculture of black crime. Every race has criminals, but when 6% of the population, black males, are responsible for over 50% of the murders and violent crimes, one must ask why. The answer lies in the irony that blacks inherited the worst of old-time, white Scots-Irish culture, over which leftists placed racial grievance politics. The former created bad behavior; the latter leaves blacks unprepared or unwilling to address that behavior. Thomas Sowells fascinating Conquests and Cultures discusses how different societies evolved. The primary takeaway is that, in the last 500 years, the Europeans have far surpassed the rest of the planet while Africans have lagged farthest behind. This isnt race-based. Its because of water and geography. Europe has numerous easily navigable rivers and deep-water harbors. Additionally, almost every spot on the continent is within 500 miles of the sea, allowing most Europeans to trade within Europe and around the world. That ability to easily trade foods, manufactured goods, people and, most of all, ideas with one another allowed Europeans to incorporate everything from gunpowder from China to numbers from India, crafting a civilization that far surpassed anything found anywhere else. The inventiveness, efficiencies, freedoms, and prosperity Europeans developed allowed them to dominate the world for centuries. Image: 19th-century drawing showing an Appalachian couple (i.e., Scots-Irish), entitled The trials next Wednesday, by E.W. Kemble (1861-1933). Public domain Africa, however, has few deep-water harbors and few functionally navigable rivers, and its rugged topography make the exchange of goods, people, and ideas over large areas difficult at best and almost impossible at worst. In pre-modern times, those barriers saw most civilizations in sub-Saharan Africa remain relatively insular and isolated. Africans couldnt benefit from the exchange of ideas and goods, which would have allowed them to coalesce into powerful, advanced societies. This reality has nothing to do with race. Sowell points out that similar geographic hurdles impeded the development of robust trading mechanisms in a number of places in Europe, including the Scottish Highlands, Russia, and much of the Balkans, with similarly retarded cultural development. Sowell is clear: Its geography that shapes a societys culture, not race. The same is true in America. As Sowell shows in Black Rednecks and White Liberals, southern blacks adopted the self-destructive culture of the early Scots-Irish settlers. To this non-African heritage, the left has added a sense of chronic victimhood. The result? Violence and a lack of respect for people and property that so many predominantly black communities display. What Sowell calls Cultural capital must be developed. It involves an ability and willingness to work to achieve desired goals. He contrasts the success of the Germans and Japanese after WWII with that of many of the newly independent states in Africa in the second half of the 20th century. All received massive amounts of money from outside, but the outcomes were far different. While Germany and Japan became economic juggernauts, most newly independent African nations became economic basket cases where poverty and corruption reigned while freedom and security were almost nonexistent. He points out that while it was engineers and business leaders who took the lead in Germany and Japan after the war, in Africa it was usually members of the western educated intelligentsia, steeped in social sciences and largely lacking in knowledge or experience in demonstrably productive endeavors who took the lead. In the United States, the same leftist intelligentsia (read Democrats) have led much of black America into similarly dire straits. Democrats have convinced a significant portion of black Americans that they are victims of systemic racism that cannot be overcome. The catalyst was, of course, slavery. While slavery did exist, as did its Jim Crow progeny, the problems that bedevil many black Americans today have little to do with these racist systems. Slavery has been gone for 170 years, and Jim Crow for more than half a century. Since then, the country has seen government-mandated school integration, decades of affirmative action and government welfare programs and, perhaps most harmfully, programs that made it economically viable for women to have children without the father present, resulting in 70% of black babies being born out of wedlock and raised by single mothers. Still, leftists claim, America is systemically racisteven though between 1947 and 2021, the median individual income for blacks rose 458% while, for whites, it rose only 297%. But were told racism is Americas biggest threateven though hate crimes are so few that there seems to be a cottage industry associated with fakes. However, Blacks, were told, cant succeed in Americaeven though the $35,000 median household income of the average black American family is higher than the median household income of every other country on the planet except for Luxemburg, Norway, Canada, and Switzerland. The Democrats ability to brainwash a significant number of black Americans into believing theyre victims of white racism leads to the carnage that plays itself out across the country, as viral videos too frequently prove. This violence seems to be different from 20 years ago, both in terms of savagery and frequency. In 1998 Jessie Jackson said, There is nothing more painful to me at this stage in my life than to walk down the street and hear footsteps... then turn around and see somebody white and feel relieved. Today, the danger Jackson alludes to exists not only when people are walking down the street, but while serving customers in restaurants, working in a drugstore or at the Apple Store, or standing on a subway platform. People ask how the Nazis could kill so many Jews with so little remorse. It was easy. A media campaign of dehumanization. A firehose pumping out propaganda that Jews were not human unsurprisingly resulted in a significant percentage of the German people believing that Jews were indeed subhuman and, therefore, could be abused and killed to the point of extinction. The campaign the Nazis used is not so different from what the Democrats are using today to convince black Americans that they are indeed victims of white racism. In just one week during the 2020 election campaign, CNN and MSNBC used the term racist 4,100 times. The Democrats Victim Industrial Complex has been so successful that a recent Rasmussen poll found that 47% of blacks disagreed with or werent sure about the statement: Its OK to be white. But its not only the whites we see being punched, kicked, stomped, and shot because of the nihilism inculcated into blacks brainwashed to think the world is their enemy; its Asians, Hispanics and, most of all, other blacks. In many black neighborhoods in American cities, crime rates rival those of the deadliest cities in the world. If theres any question about this, visit two websitesBestneighborhood and Neighborhoodscoutand compare the data. The first shows the geographic population data for cities by race, while the second shows precinct-level crime rates. What youll discover is that, in almost every big city, theres a direct correlation between the levels of crime and the percentage of the black population within the area. The violent dystopian reality that tragically characterizes too much of black America results directly from the Democrats Victim Industrial Complex, which discourages black Americans from breaking free from the worst of the Scots-Irish culture they absorbed in the south. Leftists have told too many black people they have no opportunity for success, and that negative outcomes in their lives are due to the racist system they were born into. Theyve taught them that math, coffee, physical fitness, and virtually everything else, are racist. Simultaneously theyve allowed many to terrorize their communities with impunity because of equity. The Democrats Victim Industrial Complex has sadly destroyed Sowells Cultural capital for much of black America. And thats a problem for everyone because, as Abraham Lincoln said in 1858, A house divided against itself, cannot stand. You can follow Vince on Twitter at ImperfectUSA. Gun-grabbing ghouls have become experts in quickly exploiting other peoples pain for their political gain. Most people are repulsed by this kind of crass political manipulation, but the far-left has elevated the practice to a ghoulish art form to the point of normalcy. Perhaps, that explains why they dont want to take any serious steps that would work in solving the problem. Because securing our schools and not depriving people of their G-d given and common-sense civil right of self-defense would take away one of their most lucrative political and emotional opportunities. Were talking about their tactics when we use that word, consider the Merriam-webster dictionary definition of ghoul: 1: a legendary evil being that robs graves and feeds on corpses 2: one suggestive of a ghoul; especially: one who shows morbid interest in things considered shocking or repulsive They are ghouls because of the techniques they use at every opportunity, rhetorically feeding on death and destruction for their crass political power. Which leads to the second part of the definition. Most normal people dont have a morbid interest in exploiting a tragedy, or always infuriatingly accusing their political opponents of what they are doing. By the same token, most normal people are repulsed by those who waste little time in racing out in front of the cameras to proclaim inanimate objects or innocent people to be the villains every time. The recent tragedy in Nashville is the latest example, it didnt take long before they were out in full force, trying to use it before reality undercut their gun confiscation agenda. The top award for tragedy exploitation had to be the woman who crashed a news conference and kept on changing her story about how she happened to be in the area visiting her sister-in-law or a friend she met through activism. Ghoulish gun control activist who hijacked Nashville PD presser impresses CNN but raises red flags. And, as expected, despite the fact that the bodies arent even cold yet and many details are still unknown, agenda-driven ghouls are already out in full force to capitalize on the shooting as an opportunity to push gun control. In this case, the activist in question even had the talking points queued up on the Biden Administration deal with Mexico to crack down on Fentanyl and conveniently counter arms trafficking going south. Hows that for a fast and furious update on a problem theyve caused? Theres a reason why they do this, and in this situation, they were doubly eager to quickly set the false narrative before the facts became known. An infamous Gun Violence Messaging Guide has been around for about a decade, and it shows the ghoulish tactics the far-left has adopted across the board, particularly the rules for exploiting tragedy: #1: Dont Hesitate to Speak Out. There can be a tendency to adopt a quiet wait and see attitude when a high-profile gun violence incident happens. The truth is, the most powerful time to communicate is when concern and emotions are running at their peak. #2: Express Concern for Victims (Without A But). Its appropriate to open with an expression of concern for the victims and their families. (T)he but breaks the link between the violence people are shocked by and the next thing were about to say. Our goal is to establish that link, not break it. So, we need to use language where our message flows from the expression of concern into our broader argument. It cant be an abrupt pivot. In these situations, expressions such as look, actually, and thats why work a lot better than but. #3: Dont Assume the Facts And Dont Wait for Them. (T) smartest thing to do is avoid linking our message and arguments to any one set of partially-revealed facts. We shouldnt assume the facts. Note how these follow along with exactly what the gun-grabbing ghouls do each time to exploit a tragedy. Particularly the last point where the mass murder turned out to be trans. Something they probably want to avoid mentioning in light of the Trans Day of Vengeance. Its become so bad for the far-left that the logical laying of blame on the perpetrators of evil instead of inanimate objects has caused them to panic and complain that: Some on the right blame gender identity and not guns for Nashville shooting. As expected, the usual focus by the national socialist media is dying off, with just the usual assaults on our common-sense civil rights. Who only have one solution, and thats to take guns from the innocent. However, we know what works, hardening schools and having people defend themselves, even the Nashville chumbucket proved that. But with the media contagion and the Trans Day of Vengeance there is the uneasy feeling that this wont be the last attack for now. Studies such as Mass Shootings: The Role of the Media in Promoting Generalized Imitation have findings that these occur every 12.5 days with these effects. Its hard to fathom that the media doesnt understand this with articles that show they know here, here, here, here, here, and here. There clearly is a connection, so will the media blame themselves for causing the next tragedy or fall back on their default of going after our common-sense civil rights? You probably already know the answer to that question, that would be like blaming trans terrorism on trans. D Parker is an engineer, inventor, wordsmith, and student of history, the director of communications for a civil rights organization, and a long-time contributor to conservative websites. Find him on Substack. Photo credit: victorgrigas CC BY-SA 3.0 license Do you think rich people are honest? If you answer no, you are far from alone. I commissioned the renowned institute Ipsos MORI to conduct a survey on the image of rich people in different countries. One of the questions asked people what personality traits they would attribute to the rich. Respondents had a choice of seven positive and seven negative personality traits: intelligent, self-centered, industrious, greedy, honest, materialistic, arrogant, imaginative, optimistic, ruthless, superficial, bold/daring, cold-hearted, and visionary/far-sighted. In all the surveyed countries, the characteristic least often associated with rich people was honest. The survey included another question in which we asked whether respondents personally knew one or more millionaires. Respondents who answered in the affirmative were presented with the same list of personality traits and asked which they would attribute to the millionaire they know best. The discrepancy was clear in all countries: In Germany, for example, only three percent of respondents said that rich people in general were honest. If you ask the people who know one or more millionaires personally whether the millionaire they know best is honest, the figure rises to 42 percent. A similar pattern emerged in other countries, as this graph shows: Sources: Zitelmann, Allensbach Institute/Ipsos MORI Are rich people honest? Why do so many people believe that rich people are dishonest? It is because of zero-sum beliefs. This is the view that the rich are only rich because they have taken something from the poor. Bertolt Brecht concisely expressed this attitude in his 1934 poem Alfabet, in which two men -- one rich, one poor -- come face to face: Said the poor man with a twitch: Were I not poor, you wouldnt be rich. I suspect that a majority of prison inmates are adherents of zero-sum beliefs. They believed they could only get rich by robbing a bank, breaking into someones home or cheating someone. But many intellectuals also imagine economic life as a zero-sum game. Accordingly, rich countries should give some of their wealth to poor countries, and rich people should give aid to the poor. From this point of view, it is only because the rich are so selfish and mean-spirited that so many people are still poor. Indeed, in earlier societies, wealth was often based on theft and a small number of people enriched themselves at the expense of others. The market system, on the other hand, works entirely differently. It is based on getting rich by satisfying the needs of as many consumers as possible. That is the logic of the market. The number of billionaires has increased about sixfold over the past 25 years while the number of poor people worldwide has decreased more rapidly than ever before in human history. The reason for both developments is the same: The spread of capitalism and the economic growth it creates. If you take a look at the list of the richest people in the world, you will see that none of them became rich by taking something away from others, but because, as entrepreneurs, they have made a huge and beneficial contribution to society as a whole. Of course, history has had its share of rich liars and fraudsters. Bernhard Bernie Madoff managed to steal over $60 billion from investors and was sentenced to 150 years in prison for his crimes. The list of people who got rich by cheating and taking advantage of others is long. But do you really believe that there are more criminals in gated communities than in slum hotspots? Honest and dishonest people exist in all social classes and income groups. Most rich people have become rich as a result of great entrepreneurial ideas. The company WhatsApp was founded in 2009 in Santa Clara, California, by Jan Koum and Brian Acton. The two founders, who later sold WhatsApp to Facebook, have a combined fortune of about $18 billion. Their creation allows two billion people around the world not only to write free text messages but also to make free phone calls. Jan Koum and Brian Acton did not become rich because they took something away from others, but because they gave something to people. The same goes for entrepreneurs such as Bill Gates (Microsoft), Larry Ellison (Oracle), Jeff Larry Page, and Sergey Brin (Google) and hundreds of thousands of other entrepreneurs who became rich through good ideas -- and not through dishonesty or because they took something away from the poor. One last thing: Anyone who clings to zero-sum beliefs, or is convinced that they can only become rich by lying and cheating, will either become a criminal (if they are dishonest) or block their own financial success (if they are honest). Rainer Zitelmann is the author of the book In Defense of Capitalism Californias Governor Gavin Newsom finds himself in such an awkward position that he is refusing comment on a gathering storm that will not go away, and which has the possibility of turning his presidential ambitions to ashes. Newsom is known to many as Governor Brylcreem for the large amount of greasy pomade he favors for his coiffure. He will need all the lubricant he can come up with to slip through the trap he has constructed for himself. Aaron Kliegman reports for Fox News: The California Reparations Task Force, which was created by state legislation signed by Newsom in 2020, is considering a proposal to give just under $360,000 per person to approximately 1.8 million Black Californians who had an ancestor enslaved in the U.S., putting the total cost of the program at about $640 billion. The task force's final recommendations for reparations will be submitted to the California Legislature, which will then decide whether to implement the measures and send them to Newsom's desk to be signed into law. Democrats totally control both houses of the legislature, and who among them would vote against reparations? Blacks share of Californias population is well below the national average, but in a state utterly dominated by the left, it would take courage and leadership from the governor to go against the fad (and left wing obsession) of reparations. No race or ethnic group constitutes a majority of Californias population: 39% of Californians are Latino, 35% are white, 15% are Asian American or Pacific Islander, 5% are Black, 4% are multiracial, and fewer than 1% are Native American or Alaska Natives, according to the 2020 Census. Still, I am pretty sure most Hispanics and Asian-Americans, and not a few whites, would not fancy paying higher taxes in order to hand out substantial personal wealth to African Americans who were never slaves. And higher taxes, or radical service cuts (or both), would be necessary: The task force had initially proposed $220,000 per person for Black Californians last year but recently increased the figure by more than 60% to $360,000 as one of many ideas being mulled to give out reparations. Economists and scholars consulting with the task force came to the latest proposal by using a model that evaluated California's racial wealth gap, calculating damages related to injustices such as housing discrimination, mass incarceration and health harms. It's unclear how California would pay for large-scale reparations. Newsom announced in January that the state faces a projected budget deficit of $22.5 billion for the coming fiscal year. Then weeks later, the California Legislative Analyst's Office, a government agency that analyzes the budget for the state legislature, estimated in a subsequent report that Newsom's forecast undershot the mark by about $7 billion. A nearly $30 billion looming deficit before any payments to Blacks leaves a big fiscal challenge. If California were to hand out the $360,000 to every one of Californias 2.252 million Black residents, the total cost would be over $810 billion dollars, more than three times Newsoms 2022-3 budget. Simply put, reparations are a stupid idea, but one that has caught the imagination of many on the far left. Reparations that would triple the state budget simply cannot realistically be paid. There is no room to triple Californias taxes, or even increase them by 30% in order to fund a massive bond issue that would be necessary. California already is hemorrhaging affluent residents, who pay most of the states income tax revenues. And how many Blacks from other states would rush to California to acquire more liquid resources than most American families can dream of? Imagine the turmoil if they are told to buzz off. So, Newsom is caught. Either he takes on the entire reparations movement, which is the darling of the left wing of the Democrats, in which case he earns many enemies, the kind that take to the streets, or else he presides over an unprecedented financial disaster. Unless, that is, the state legislature refuses to pass the bill. But how likely are state legislators to do so without Newsom leading the charge? Unless they have some cover, who would want angry demonstrators back home in their district? A mobilized angry minority can torpedo their primary contests for renomination to their seats. Then, there is the even more ridiculous San Francisco reparations gold rush, about which Newsom has said nothing: Last week, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors expressed "unanimous" support for a draft plan of more than 100 reparations recommendations for the city, including a proposal to dole out $5 million each to qualifying Black residents. The proposal of $5 million lump-sum payments would cost non-Black families in the city at least $600,000, according to Stanford University's Hoover Institution. The city board also expressed interest in other forms of reparations for San Francisco's roughly 50,000 Black residents, such as a guaranteed annual income of at least $97,000 for 250 years and a home in the area for just $1 a family. Another idea under consideration is a "comprehensive debt forgiveness" program that would clear all personal, educational and credit card debt of low-income Black households. Like California, San Francisco is also facing a massive deficit, estimated at $728 million, making it unclear how the city would pay for such a reparations plan. Plans that spend impossible amounts of money, taxing people wholly innocent of any guilt to bestow fabulous wealth on others to compensate for wrongs that none of them suffered: this is California Democrat policies at their zenith. No wonder that the dummy Newsom is dummying up. Photo credit: Gage Skidmore CC BY-SA 3.0 license There were a number of events that led the father of America to turn from being in support of England to staunch supporter of American independence. Each turning point was crucial to making him the man he came to be. Remove a single point from his life and he may very well have been fighting for Britain, instead of an independent America. The first turning point for Washington happened with how England and Lt. Governor Robert Dinwiddie handled the shots that started the French and Indian War in the American colonies. The rest of the world marks it as the beginning of a global conflict called the Seven Years War. Dinwiddie was appointed Lt. Governor of Virginia in 1751 and immediately started to strictly enforce taxes and instituted a talent for every land patent, regardless of acreage. A talent was approximately 18 shillings, which was a considerable sum for most who lived in Virginia at that time. Virginians who were able to afford a small plot of land found themselves having to do without. His actions started a feud between himself and the House of Burgesses that would last until 1754. As a result of his feud, the House of Burgesses refused to release the funds necessary to raise a militia in order to go into the Ohio Valley to deal with the French. Dinwiddie had just promoted a young and inexperienced George Washington to Lt. Col. and charged him to raise a militia to deal with the French encroachments with no financial support. Washington, being young and ambitious without any military experience, took it as a challenge to be embraced. From Mount Vernon, Washington and the French & Indian War: Dinwiddie was convinced that the French fort-building activity and St. Pierres response were acts of aggression against Great Britain. Furthermore he believed that the aggression was egregious enough to warrant a military response. While the Governors Council was willing to approve military action, the House of Burgesses was not. Therefore, while the House of Burgesses was out of session, the Council authorized Dinwiddie to raise a force to drive the French out of the Ohio. Washington gets a lot of flak by historians, both amateur and professional, for setting out to the Ohio Valley without the proper provisions for what militia he could get. Dinwiddie refused to pay any costs associated with the raising of a militia and the House of Burgesses, had they been in session, would have refused for no other reason than Dinwiddie wanted to raise the militia. Washington could press horses, wagons and provisions into service, but most Virginians hid much of what they had. Without the resources necessary, it was impossible for him to properly provision a militia force of any size. Washington and a small force of militia came across a French camp without knowing it included French diplomat, Ensign Jumonville. Had he known, he never would have given the order to attack. It would have been considered dishonorable for him to do so. Honor mattered greatly to Washington. From Mount Vernon, Ten Facts About George Washington and the French and Indian War: Eager to send their own diplomatic directive demanding an English withdrawal from the region, a French force of 35 soldiers commanded by Ensign Joseph Coulon de Villiers de Jumonville camped in a rocky ravine not far from Washington's encampment at the Great Meadows (now in Fayette County, Pennsylvania). Accompanied by Tanacharison, a Seneca chief (also known as the Half-King) and 12 native warriors, Washington led a party of 40 militiamen on an all night march towards the French position. On May 28, 1754, Washington's party stealthily approached the French camp at dawn. Finally spotted at close range by the French, shots rang out and a vigorous firefight erupted in the wooded wilderness. Washington's forces quickly overwhelmed the surprised French force and killed 13 soldiers and captured another 21. The battle, which had both sides blaming the other for firing first and no way to know for certain who fired the first shot, ignited a war that spread around the world. With tensions rising between England and France, any event could have sparked Seven Years War that followed. The Battle of Fort Necessity which followed soon after served as Washingtons first military loss. He was inexperienced in military matters which could only be gained through the experience of bitter warfare. As was common with most British colonials in America, Washington did not speak or read French. There was almost no one in his militia who did, and none were fluent. When the French offered Washington a chance to surrender, he took it and spent several hours negotiating for the best terms he could get on a document written in French. From National Park Services: Battle of Fort Necessity: One clause stated that Washington was guilty of the assassination of a French officer, Jumonville. He denied this. He said the translation he had been given was not "assassination", but "death of" or "killing." In any event, the French used this propaganda to great advantage in efforts to discredit the English. Washington would have never admitted to assassinating anyone, especially not a French diplomat. It was for the same reason he never would have attacked a French camp with a diplomat unless he had no idea a diplomat was there. It was a matter of honor. Dinwiddie put Washington in an impossible position. Neither he nor the English government ever defended Washingtons honor when it came to being called an assassin by the French. Dinwiddie took the insult to Washingtons honor one step further. When he wanted Washington to reform the militia, he offered him a lower rank. Washington took it as an insult. From Mount Vernon, Washington and the French & Indian War: He hoped to appoint Virginians to regular, captains positions. Washington did not want to serve at a lower rank than before, even if it came with a regular commission. The only ones who defended his honor were his fellow Virginians. Had Dinwiddie or England defended his honor, he most likely would have remained a loyalist. The important truth of his day was that colonials, like Washington, were looked down upon. It served as an important lesson that would lead to other turning points away from being a loyalist to revolutionary. Bob Ryan is a writer who has an MBA. He is an American Christian Zionist who staunchly supports Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. He has been a weekly blogger at the Times of Israel since 2019. Former National Security Adviser Kim Sung-han sits in the presidential office in central Seoul, March 29. Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hoon The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) on Thursday called on President Yoon Suk Yeol to explain why former National Security Adviser Kim Sung-han resigned ahead of Yoon's state visit to the United States next month. On Wednesday, Yoon accepted Kim's resignation offer and tapped Cho Tae-yong, Seoul's ambassador to the U.S., as the new national security adviser. The resignation came amid reports of trouble over a planning issue related to Yoon's upcoming trip to Washington, including a state dinner with President Joe Biden. Rep. Park Hong-keun, the DPK's floor leader, raised suspicions of problems within the presidential National Security Office, citing reports that there was a power struggle and a conflict between an official close to first lady Kim Keon Hee and another official formerly from the foreign ministry. Park said the people are concerned Yoon's trip to Washington will end up like his trip to Japan earlier this month, calling on Yoon to not risk the "national interest" and "people's dignity" when the future of domestic companies are at stake in his trip to the U.S. The DPK has denounced Yoon's summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida as the worst diplomatic humiliation in history, raising suspicions the president made secret concessions on the matters of the easternmost islets of Dokdo, Japan's wartime sexual slavery and the import ban on fisheries product from the Fukushima region. Yoon's office said it cannot disclose the details of the summit discussions, but the issues of sexual slavery and Dokdo were not discussed during the summit. (Yonhap) As the media and other Democrats salivate about Trump being charged with a crime in one of the many witch hunts, they should be asked some questions. They say he must be charged because we need election fairness and no one is above the law. So here is a sample of what politicians and bureaucrats have done in the last 12 years, and I wonder what people think is the bigger threat and who was actually above the law. The Obama IRS targeting political opponents in an effort to silence them before elections. It was a clear violation of the First Amendment, yet every participant of the government was above the law. They destroyed computers and lied to Congress, but the Justice Department let them off. The U.S. Justice Department has reached a settlement with dozens of conservative groups that claimed the Internal Revenue Service unfairly scrutinized them based on their political leanings when they sought a tax-exempt status, court documents showed. The Justice Department was involved from the start. Obama Justice Department Was Involved In IRS Targeting, Lerner Emails Reveal The documents prove that Lois Lerner met with DOJs Election Crimes Division a month before the 2010 elections. It has to be embarrassing to the DOJ, which may not be the most impartial one to be investigating the IRS. In fact, the DOJ withheld over 800 pages of Lerner documents citing "taxpayer privacy" and "deliberative privilege." Yet these internal DOJ documents show Ms. Lerner was talking to DOJ officials about prosecuting tax-exempt entities (yes, criminally!) two years before the IRS conceded there was inappropriate targeting. It sure helps a criminal when a biased political supporter conducts the pretend investigation. It looks like the Biden IRS is still targeting political enemies instead of doing their job. I have been a CPA for 46 years and not once have I seen a house call. Should we trust the IRS with 87,000 more agents? Hillary and her aides actively destroying documents and equipment, as they violated several laws according to James Comey. Yet they all were above the law. Comey: "No reasaonable prosecutor...." (YouTube screengrab) Hillary selling access to foreign parties after taking massive amounts of money for her Foundation and family. More than half the people outside the government who met with Hillary Clinton while she was secretary of state gave money either personally or through companies or groups to the Clinton Foundation Hillary and the DNC paying over $10 million to a foreign national to create a fictitious dossier to destroy Trump. Hillary and the DNC lying to the FEC that the payments for the dossier were for legal fees. The lies were obviously meant to mislead and hide the truth, yet no DA in New York investigated. Numerous FBI officials lying to the FISA court to get permission to illegally spy on associates of Trump. The perjurers have been above the law and yet we don't see the media and other Democrats demanding they be prosecuted. Fake stories and witch hunts on Russian collusion. The media and other Democrats knew there was no evidence of illegality or collusion, yet the stories persisted for years for the sole purpose of destroying a President whom they disagreed with. The government, journalists, and former intelligence officials colluded to bury the story of Biden family corruption specifically to hide the truth before an election. Biden didn't pay anybody to squelch the story. They did it because they were actively campaigning for him. Hunter's business partner visited the White House sixteen times while Joe was VP yet somehow the media, who say they care about facts and corruption, still don't care. Democrats also pretend that Joe is telling the truth when he said he never had anything to do with Hunter's business deal and that he and his family never received money from foreign sources. Isn't it time that journalists and other Democrats stopped intentionally misleading the public that they believe the Justice Department is impartial and that no one is above the law. It is such an obvious lie -- yet none of the people pretending to be fact checkers call them out because they are just as dishonest. The outgoing DC Courts chief judge Beryl Howell has been involved in many secret activities and has closeted the trial court and grand jury proceedings as well as issuing secret opinions on many matters of Grand Jury activities and evidentiary matters. Read this article, Time to End the Veil of Secrecy Inside D.C. Kangaroo Court by Julie Kelly, to get a sense of the magnitude of corruption and enablement of prosecutorial and grand jury abuses. Judge Howell appears to have enjoyed her role as a prosecutor's helper. Also getting special mention in this essay is Judge Tim Kelly who has left the constitutional reservation and is making new and creative violations of civil rights. This is so bad only a judge or a lawyer could begin to fathom the significance of the violations of Judicial rules and civil rights of defendants. Sit down and don't drink or eat or you may make a mess when you see what this Chief Judge has been doing that resulted in her fellow judges making some comments at the party marking her final days of Chief Judge. Catch the digs by her fellow judges: according to Politico, the retirement celebration turned into a roast of sorts as one judge after another chided Howell for her closed-doors dealings. Howell seemed to freeze in her seat as the most senior jurist on the court, Judge Paul Friedman, publicly described her still-secret rulings in grand jury-related matters, reporters Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney wrote on March 17. [Her] fellow judges made clear they were as tantalized as the rest of the political world by Howells secret work presiding over grand juries that could lead to charges against former President Donald Trump. Howell sat stone-faced when Friedman teased how, wed all love to read her opinions, but we cant. Friedman also noted that Howell issued 100 secret grand jury opinions as chief judge. Tanya Chutkan, another Obama appointee, also chimed in. Theres so much work Chief Judge Howell has done that we may never know about, she joked. But keep in mind: ...nevertheless, Howell got the last laugh, once again, at Trumps expense. In yet another sealed ruling, Howell rejected claims of privilege and ordered Evan Corcoran, one of Trumps attorneys, to testify before a grand jury in the Justice Departments ongoing investigation into Team Trumps handling of alleged classified documents. Howells penchant for secrecy, of course, doesnt extend to the news media; details related to the sealed order were leaked a few days later. Sources added that Howell also ordered Corcoran to hand over a number of records tied to what Howell described as Trumps alleged criminal scheme, echoing prosecutors, ABC News reported on March 21. Those records include handwritten notes, invoices, and transcriptions of personal audio recordings. (Corcoran testified on Friday.) The past two years have introduced us to a new Stalinesque approach to prosecuting political opponents in America. Lavrentiy Beria and old Uncle Joe Stalin would approve. John Dale Dunn is a nonpracticing lawyer and retired physician in Texas. Photo credit: US District Court, Distrct of Columbia public domain Tucker Carlson made a great point last night: There are about 70 million more guns in America than there are citizens, and gun owners have billions of rounds. If guns were inherently dangerous, America would be in a perpetual state of Armageddon-like warfare, but its not. Thats because most Americans are good people. But there is a group of people that should never be allowed sole possession of guns because when they go bad, they go very, very bad, and thats government employeesand Ive got the numbers to prove it. According to a DOJ report from 2011, the highest murder rate in recent American history was in 1980, when the U.S. homicide rate hovered at 10.2 per 100,000 residents. As the population grew, the number of murders went up, but the rate has never again gone up that high. A MacroTrends chart shows the 2022 murder rate at 6.52 per 100,000. It would be better if it were lower, but its not as bad as it was in recent history. Of course, not all those murders were committed with guns. But even if they were, its a remarkably low rate considering the number of guns in private hands. In other words, when it comes to killing each other, despite the hysteria from the left, we Americans (thankfully) arent very good at it. But if you want to know whos really good at killing fellow citizens, you just need to look at a government facing off against an unarmed population. Rudolph Rummel (1932-2014) was a political scientist who worked at Indiana University, Yale University, and the University of Hawaii. He devoted much of his career to studying what he called democideor murder by government. The University of Hawaii continues to maintain his website with the Statistics of Democide. It makes for illuminating reading. Image: Some of the dead from Pol Pots Killing Fields by Adam Jones. CC BY-SA 3.0. With help from Rummels data and from other readily available (and uncontested) information on the internet, I was able to compile a short list showing what happens when just a few governments turn on their citizensand all the numbers far exceed anything American citizens do to each other. Turkey: In 1915, the Turkish government murdered an estimated 1.5 million Armenians. Soviet Union: In the 1920s through mid-1930s, Stalin went to war against the Kulaks, Ukraines independent farmers (the Holodomor). The government starved, executed, and deported the Kulaks, killing an estimated 7 million in less than a decade. While that was a targeted mass murder, the Soviet Union generally attacked its own citizens, starving them, executing them, or sending them to gulags. Estimates range from 7 million to 20 million people dying from the Soviet governments policies and purges. China in the 1960s through 1970s: Mao made Stalin look like an amateur. We dont know how many people died from executions, starvation, and slave labor during the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, but estimates range from 23 million to 46 million Chinese. Outlying estimates are that 50 million or more Chinese died for Maos statist vision. Nazi Germany, from 1933-1945: Any disfavored civilians not already unarmed before the Nazis gained power were disarmed when the Nazis achieved power. The Nazis then executed 6 million Jews; 250,000 gypsies; 220,000 homosexuals, and, through slave labor, executions, and starvation, as many as 10 million Slavic people. The number of handicapped people killed is unknown. Another 19,000,000 European civilians were estimated to have died because they found themselves in the path of Hitlers war. Cambodia: Between 1975 and 1979, under Pol Pot, the government killed between 1.7 and 2.2 million of its own citizens, out of a population of around 8 million people. Thats a lot more than 10.2 murders per 100,000. There are countless other examples, both historic and current, that make an incontestable point: Governments kill on an industrial scale, not an individual scale. The only bulwark against a murderous government is an armed citizenry, as our Founders well knew. Weve already seen the current government and its media allies menacing those American citizens it views as a threat to its power (e.g., January 6, which increasingly looks like a Reichstag Fire event; the unending, unconstitutional pretrial internment of the J6 prisoners; Democrat leaders who encourage violence; the purging of the historic record about attacks on Republican politicians; the weaponization of the IRS; etc.). I dont like to think what it could do if it felt there were no barriers to action. Samsung was expected to release a big camera update for the Galaxy S23 series in March end, and its here. The update started rolling out in the companys home country South Korea earlier today. It should reach global markets, including the US, in the next few days. The Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23 Ultra are getting a host of camera-related changes and improvements with this update. In a community post in South Korea, Samsung announced that pressing the shutter button will now take photos even if the frame is not in focus completely. Photos may sometimes come out partly or fully blurry, but this behavior ensures you dont lose the perfect moment waiting for autofocus to be ready. If you dont like this behavior, you can change it from the Camera Assistant app. Low-light videos from the ultrawide camera on the Galaxy S23 phones will reduce flickering after this update. Samsung has also improved the stabilization of Full HD videos captured at 60fps when Auto FPS is turned off. When shooting the night sky in high-resolution mode (50MP or 200MP), you should no longer see a line-shaped banding noise. Intermittent blurring and sharpness of footage have been improved too. Some Galaxy S23 users reported occasionally seeing a green line when using the rear camera. Samsung has fixed that issue as well. Elsewhere, you can now delete photos from the Gallery app immediately after capturing them, even if the system is still processing them. This update also fixes a problem where face recognition didnt work properly for some time after ending a third-party video call. Last but not least, Samsung has improved the image quality of low-light photos captured without enabling the Night mode. You can see the full changelog in Samsungs official community post here (translated from Korean). Advertisement This Galaxy S23 camera update is already rolling out As said earlier, Samsung has already started pushing this camera update to Galaxy S23 users. It was rolled out to users in South Korea earlier today with the firmware build number S91*NKSU1AWC8. A screenshot shared by @Tech_Reve on Twitter shows the OTA (over the air) package weighs more than 922MB for the Ultra model. It should be a similar-sized OTA package for the vanilla Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ as well. Along with all of those goodies, the Galaxy S23 series is also getting a new security patch with this update. Samsung is pushing the April 2023 SMR (Security Maintenance Release) to the latest Galaxy flagships. April isnt here yet, so we will have to wait a few more days to know the details about vulnerabilities patched with the new security release. The April security update will soon reach more Galaxy devices. We will keep you posted on those updates. With over 100 million daily active users, Microsofts Bing AI chatbot has single-handedly brought Microsoft back into the browser wars. However, running an AI chatbot is still significantly more expensive than traditional searches. Therefore, to offset these costs, Microsoft has started incorporating ads within the Bing AI chatbots responses, linking to relevant products and services. Although the ads are currently appearing for a limited number of users, they may become common in the near future. In a blog post announcing this decision, Yusuf Mehdi, Microsofts corporate VP for Search and Devices, acknowledged that they are exploring additional capabilities for publishers, including over 7,500 Microsoft Start partner brands. These capabilities involve placing ads in the chat experience and sharing the ad revenue with partners whose content contributed to the chat response. The company is also considering displaying additional links from an advertisers website when a user hovers over a link. Besides ads, Microsoft is also considering adding rich captions from its Start personalized news feed publishers next to the Bing AI chatbots responses. This would provide users with additional context and potentially increase engagement with the chatbot. For our Microsoft Start partners, placing a rich caption of Microsoft Start licensed content besides the chat answer helps to drive more user engagement with the content on Microsoft Start, where we share the ad revenue with the partner. Were also exploring placing ads in the chat experience to share the ad revenue with partners whose content contributed to the chat response, reads Microsofts blog post. Advertisement Balancing monetization and the user experience Microsofts decision to monetize its chatbot is not unexpected. As Mehdi notes, the chatbot has attracted a significant number of new users to Bing, presenting a valuable opportunity for advertisers. However, the companys current implementation looks half-baked, as its not always clear what the chatbot is advertising. In one example, it is unclear whether TrueCar is selling the car and paying for placement on searches for new Hondas or if it is just a reference or price-checking site that pays to be the preferred provider of car prices to Bing. Well have to see how this advances over time. The Motorola Razr 2023 just got certified by the FCC, so the phones launch cannot be far at this point. Do note that the phone may be called the Motorola Razr+ or Motorola Razr+ 2023, though, if a recent report is to be believed. The Motorola Razr 2023 got certified by the FCC, battery capacity revealed The device appeared in three model numbers, the XT2321-1, XT2321-3, and XT2321-5. This listing did share some information on the phones battery capacity too. There are two battery packs included here, a 2,850mAh battery, and a 790mAh battery. Together, they form a 3,640mAh battery. This is standard practice when it comes to clamshell foldables, actually. So, the all-new Motorola Razr will have a larger battery pack than its predecessor. As a reminder, the Razr 2022 included a 3,500mAh battery. Compared to the OPPO Find N2 Flips battery, however, this one will be small. The Find N2 Flip includes a 4,300mAh battery pack. Advertisement Considering that the Motorola Razr 2023 is tipped to include a much larger cover display than its predecessor, were a bit worried about the battery life. In fact, it will have a larger cover display than even the OPPO Find N2 Flip, if the leaks are to be believed. The phone is expected to support 33W charging The Motorola Razr 2023 is tipped to utilize 33W fast wired charging. The phone did surface several times thus far, and every one of those leaks shows a large cover display that goes even around the phones cameras. The phone already surfaced in both renders and a real-life image, if youd like to take a closer look at it. It seems like well once again get two cameras on the back of the device. A display camera hole is expected on the main display yet again. So, when is it coming? Well, the Razr 2022 arrived in mid-August, so this one may arrive around the same time. Still, Motorola could change things up, and launch it sooner. Weve seen quite a few leaks thus far, plus this FCC listing now. Do note that it may launch in China first, as it did last year. Samsungs Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is receiving the One UI 5.1 update. According to SamMobile, the rollout began a few days back in India with the firmware build number T225XXU2CWB3. The company should release the update in more markets in the coming days. The Galaxy Tab A7 Lite debuted in mid-2021 as an affordable Android tablet in Samsungs lineup. The device came with Android 11 onboard. While Samsung kept it waiting for Android 12 until August last year, Android 13 reached it just a few months later. The latest Android version was pushed to the tablet in December 2022. Three months into its Android 13 life, the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is now grabbing another major feature update. The One UI 5.1 update for this low-cost tablet comes bundled with the February 2023 Android security patch. It isnt the latest one now that Samsung has released the April SMR (Security Maintenance Release) as well. However, its still a fairly recent one. After all, this update is more about new features than security enhancements. The Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is picking up plenty of goodies here. One UI 5.1 brings a host of new features to the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite With One UI 5.1, Samsung has added new selfie effects to its camera app. Theres a new shared family album in the Gallery for easy sharing of photos and videos between multiple family members. New and enhanced gestures make multitasking more efficient, and so do improvements to Modes and Routines. Samsung Internet, AR Emoji, and the weather widget also pick up a few nifty improvements that add to your user experience. Advertisement Overall, this update will elevate the functionality of the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite to a new level. Your tablet can do more than before, and more efficiently and in a better way too. Unfortunately, One UI 5.1 is probably the last major feature update for it. The device isnt expected to receive the Android 14 update. We will surely let you know if things change course for good in the future. Meanwhile, you might want to go grab the latest update as soon as you can. To check for new software releases manually, navigate to Settings > Software update and tap on Download and install. Your Galaxy Tab A7 Lite will not connect to the internet and look for new updates on Samsungs servers. If an update is found, you will be prompted to download it. If not, wait a few days and check again. Update: Samsung has reached out with a statement regarding this issue: Samsung takes the security of its products very seriously. We have already taken necessary steps to prevent these potential exploit chains by issuing patches for the Samsung Internet app in December 2022. Decembers updates to the Samsung Internet app disable entry points for the remaining vulnerabilities and ensure devices are protected. We are actively collaborating with our partners to release patches for the remaining vulnerabilities as early as possible, starting April, and recommend all users keep their devices updated with the latest software to ensure the highest level of protection possible. Googles Threat Analysis Group (TAG) has revealed that Samsung has kept a major zero-day security vulnerability in Galaxy devices unpatched for over a year. The flaw exists in ARMs Mali GPU found in Samsungs Exynos processors powering millions of Galaxy devices globally. ARM released a patch for in the issue January 2022 but the Korean firm hasnt included it in its security releases yet. Advertisement The said issue, identified by the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) number CVE-2022-22706, is a vulnerability in the Mali GPU Kernel Driver. Discovered by security researchers at Googles Project Zero team, the flaw was made public in November last year along with many other critical zero-day vulnerabilities affecting millions of Android smartphones globally. Since ARM released the patch in January confirming its exploitation in the wild, phone makers had around eight months to implement the fix downstream. At the time of disclosure, Project Zeros Ian Beer said that devices from Samsung, Google, Oppo, Xiaomi, and more brands are at risk. After all, the vulnerability existed in pretty much every Android device featuring a Mali GPU. In a fresh update Wednesday, the TAG revealed that Samsung hasnt pushed a fix for this vulnerability yet. Thats despite reports of threat actors exploiting the flaw to trick unsuspecting users into clicking on malicious links in the Samsung Internet browser on Galaxy devices. Samsung has kept a major Mali GPU security flaw unpatched since January 2022 According to the TAG, this exploit chain was discovered in December last year. It could deliver a fully featured Android spyware suite written in C++ that includes libraries for decrypting and capturing data from various chat and browser applications. With Samsung leaving the vulnerability unpatched, threat actors used Samsung Internet to trick Galaxy users. This vulnerability grants the attacker system access, Clement Lecigne of the TAG explained. They added that version 19.0.6 or newer of the browser app is safe from this exploit. However, the flaw remains unpatched at the system level. That essentially means that threat actors could come up with new exploits to gain system access to millions of Galaxy devices. Except for the Galaxy S22 series, every other Exynos-powered Galaxy model is vulnerable. The Exynos 2200 chipset that powered the Galaxy S22 series last year features AMDs RDNA 2-based Xclipse 920 GPU. This is a massive oversight from Samsung. Hopefully, the company will roll out a patch for this vulnerability sooner than later. We will let you know if it releases any official statement on this matter. A vote to pass the revision to the Act on Restriction of Special Taxation takes place at the National Assembly in Seoul, March 30. Yonhap The National Assembly on Thursday passed a bill aimed at supporting the semiconductor industry by giving bigger tax incentives to chipmakers and other strategic industries. The proposed revision to the Act on Restriction of Special Taxation, nicknamed the K-Chips Act, centers on expanding the tax credit rate for companies that make facility investments in national strategic industries, including semiconductors, secondary batteries and future cars. Under the bill, the tax credit rate for conglomerates will rise to 15 percent from the current 8 percent, while the rate for small and medium-sized businesses will increase to 25 percent from 16 percent. An additional 10 percent cut will also be applied to the increased amount of investments compared with the previous three-year average. Asia's No. 4 economy depends heavily on chips for its exports, but outbound shipments have been significantly losing ground recently in the face of the industry's global downcycle. Exports of chips plunged 44.7 percent on-year to reach $4.32 billion over the first 20 days of March, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service released earlier this month. (Yonhap) (ANSA) - ROME, MAR 30 - The European Parliament on Thursday approved an amendment to its motion for a resolution on the rule of law condemning "the instructions given by the Italian government to the municipality of Milan to suspend the registration of adoptions of same-sex couples." The amendment was submitted by the Renew Europe group and supported by the Left, Greens and Socialists. Milan was recently forced to stop a procedure it had used to register both members of a same-sex couple as the parents of a child after the prefect's department warned it was illegal following consultations with the interior ministry. The procedure was based on the transcription into the Milan civil register of foreign birth certificates of children conceived by surrogacy, which is illegal in Italy, or assisted fertility, which is only allowed for heterosexual couples here. Furthermore, Premier Giorgia Meloni's right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) party has tabled a bill that would make surrogacy a "universal crime", meaning that Italians could be prosecuted for using the practice in foreign States where it is legal. Many Italian same-sex couples have had children via surrogacy outside the country. The centre-left Democratic Party (PD) has condemned the government's actions and said it will fight to pass legislation protecting the rights of same-sex-parent families. Milan Mayor Beppe Sala on Wednesday called for all the opposition parties to form a broad alliance to fight for the rights of same-sex-parent families (ANSA). Around 21 billion has been lost by the Government due to fraud since the start of the pandemic, according to the National Audit Office (NAO). The spending watchdog also warned that it was very unlikely that most of the taxpayers money will be recovered. The NAO said that many public bodies are unaware of the amount of fraud they face, as it revealed that levels rose from a total of 5.5 billion in the two years before the pandemic to 21 billion in total in the following two years. The auditing body said that of the 21 billion, just over 7 billion relates to some of the schemes introduced by the Government during the pandemic. It is not the first time that concerns about fraud and error in Covid-19 employment support schemes have been raised, with HMRC working to pursue fraudulent claims. But the NAO said that HMRC expects to have recovered only 1.1 billion by the time its taxpayer protection taskforce is wound down, out of an estimated 4.5 billion. The report also says: The Department for Work & Pensions generated fraud and error savings of 500 million through its retrospective review of Universal Credit claims made over the height of the pandemic, but at least 1.5 billion of fraudulent claims that started during that period were still being paid in 2021-22. DWP is now planning targeted case reviews to detect and recover as much of the rest as it can. The NAO said that the creation of the Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA) which was established last year in response to concerns about fraud during the pandemic represents a chance for a renewed focus on fraud and corruption. But the watchdog warned the authority needs to be influential across government if it is to achieve the required changes in culture, preventive approach and robust assessment of risks. Gareth Davies, the head of the NAO, said: There has been a substantial increase in the level of fraud reported in the annual reports and accounts we audit. In addition to the loss of taxpayer money, it creates the risk that people come to perceive fraud and corruption across government as normal and tolerated. If not tackled, this could affect public confidence in the integrity of public services. Government has more to do to understand the scale of the problem it faces and cannot yet demonstrate that it is tackling fraud effectively. The creation of the Public Sector Fraud Authority creates a real opportunity to address this. Meg Hillier, chairwoman of the Public Accounts Committee, said: At least 21 billion of taxpayer money was lost to fraud since the start of the pandemic four times as much as the two years before that. But most of government still does not know how much fraud and corruption it faces and cannot show that it is tackling it effectively, according to NAO officials. The report found that most departments have only limited counter-fraud and corruption capability and cannot demonstrate that it is proportionate to their risk, with the NAO calling on departments and public bodies to act as one government when tackling fraud. Labours deputy leader Angela Rayner said: Fraud and corruption have run rife on the Tories watch but they are utterly failing to tackle it. This Government have completely abdicated their responsibility to crack down on this criminality, leaving public bodies without the resources to combat it effectively and protect the publics money. It is a total dereliction of duty. While fraud spreads like wildfire with billions of taxpayers money going missing, ministers are incapable of getting a grip and undermining public confidence further still. While taxpayers are left counting the cost of the Conservatives, Labour has a plan to prevent fraud, punish the criminals and protect our communities. A Government spokesperson said: We are overhauling how we tackle public sector fraud to ensure we chase down every pound stolen from British taxpayers. Since 2021, we have invested more than 900 million in taking action on fraud and, as the report acknowledges, we have made progress by establishing the Public Sector Fraud Authority which is stepping up the Governments efforts to protect taxpayers money. The Government has recovered more than 3.1bn of fraud losses in the last two years, including within Covid-19 schemes, but we know there is more we can do. That is why we are expanding the Governments Counter Fraud Profession, developing new technologies and boosting skills and training to further protect the public purse. President Yoon Suk Yeol, right, shakes hands with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi during their meeting at the presidential office in Seoul on March 30, 2023, in this photo provided by the presidential office. Yonhap President Yoon Suk Yeol met with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on Thursday and discussed potential areas of cooperation between the two economies, his office said. Yoon held the talks with the minister, who is on an official visit to Korea, at the presidential office in Seoul, presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon said in a written briefing. During the talks, Yoon expressed gratitude for expanded ties following Indonesian President Joko Widodo's visit to Korea and Yoon's visit to Indonesia last year. Yoon also said his government will actively support strengthening strategic ties, as the two countries have been proceeding actively in many different fields, including in high-tech industries, like electric vehicles and batteries, and steel. In response, the minister delivered a handwritten letter from President Widodo, who expressed the hope to strengthen future-oriented cooperation between the two countries, which established formal diplomatic relations in 1990. The minister is in Seoul to attend the Indo-Pacific Regional Meeting of the 2nd Summit for Democracy that brings together ministerial-level officials and experts from the region with a focus on the issue of combating corruption. (Yonhap) The King will become the first British monarch to address German politicians from the Bundestag, while the parliament is in session, during his historic state visit to the country. Charles will deliver a speech which will celebrate the deep historical bonds and longstanding links between Germany and the UK. The King and Queen Consorts state visit to Germany, the first of Charles reign, began on Wednesday with a ceremonial greeting at Berlins iconic Brandenburg Gate. During a speech at a state banquet staged in his honour on Wednesday evening, Charles pledged to strengthen the connections between the UK and Germany as he paid tribute to the enduring value of the two nations relationship. (Left to right) Elke Buedenbender, the Queen Consort, King Charles III and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier attending a Green Energy reception at Bellevue Palace, Berlin (Ben Birchall/PA) During the day the King will attend a meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the Federal Chancellery building. Later, the King and the Queen Consort will visit Wittenbergplaztz Food Market and meet a range of local business owners who will discuss the history of the market. Germany has welcomed more than a million Ukrainian refugees seeking sanctuary after Russia invaded their homeland and Charles will tour the Tegel Refugee Centre to meet some of the group. Separately the Queen Consort will visit the Refugio House community centre, a meeting place for locals and new Berlin residents, including refugees. Covid rulebreaker Margaret Ferrier could face a by-election as a Commons standards watchdog recommended she should be suspended from Parliament for 30 days. The Rutherglen and Hamilton West MP was found to have damaged the reputation of the Commons and put people at risk after taking part in a debate and travelling by train while suffering from Covid-19. She has already been ordered to complete a 270-hour community payback order by a court after admitting culpably and recklessly exposing the public to the risk of infection, illness and death as a result of her behaviour. Ms Ferrier now faces losing her seat in a by-election if the proposed suspension is backed by MPs, as anything longer than a 10-sitting day punishment can trigger a recall petition. If 10% of her constituents back it, a by-election will be called. Margaret Ferrier spoke in the Commons while awaiting the result of a Covid test which subsequently proved positive (Parliament TV/PA) Ms Ferrier, then an SNP MP, developed Covid symptoms on September 26, 2020 a Saturday and took a test, but still went to church and had lunch with a family member the following day. On the Monday, while awaiting the result of the test, she travelled by train to London, took part in a Commons debate and ate in the Members Tearoom in Parliament. That evening she received a text telling her the test was positive. But instead of isolating, she travelled back to Scotland by train the following morning. In September last year, Ms Ferrier was sentenced in court to 270 hours of community service for the Covid rules breach, and was told that was a direct alternative to custody and that she must complete the unpaid work within nine months. She won the constituency for the SNP in 2019, taking the seat from Labour. She had the party whip removed in 2020 after the allegations against her emerged and has since sat in the Commons as an independent. Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Daniel Greenberg said Ms Ferrier had breached the code of conduct for MPs by placing her own personal interest of not wishing to self-isolate immediately or in London over the public interest of avoiding possible risk of harm to health and life. She also breached the code because her actions commencing from when she first took a Covid-19 test to when she finally begins self-isolation have caused significant damage to the reputation and integrity of the House of Commons as a whole, and of its members generally. Ms Ferrier was elected as an SNP MP in 2019 (PA) The Commons Standards Committee found she acted dishonestly by misleading the SNPs chief whip, and added: Ms Ferriers actions knowingly and recklessly exposed members of the public and those on the parliamentary estate to the risk of contracting Covid-19 and demonstrated a disregard for the parliamentary and national guidance in place. Explaining the recommended sanction, the committees report said: If Ms Ferrier had been a public sector employee in a position of trust or leadership, she could have faced severe disciplinary consequences, potentially including dismissal, for these or similar actions. The committee concluded that Margaret Ferrier had breached two parts of the code of conduct, relating to putting the public interest above personal interest and on damaging the reputation of the House. Ms Ferrier admitted that her actions had breached the rules on the reputation of the House, but denied the other breach, telling Mr Greenberg: Whilst I made an error in judgment, I do not believe that I placed my personal interest above the public interest during the period in question. However, I did make a series of poor decisions that flowed from my original error which compounded the situation. She said there was not a moment where I was consciously aware of a conflict between personal and public interest and made a decision to prioritise my own. But the committee found she was in breach of both parts of the code: By choosing to return home rather than self-isolate in London, as required by national guidance and the Houses guidance, Ms Ferrier acted selfishly in her personal interest and in defiance of the public interest. The Standards Committee recommended she should face a 30-day suspension, which MPs will be asked to approve. Labours shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray said there should be a by-election in the seat. He said: Margaret Ferriers reckless actions put people at risk and rode roughshod over the rules everyone else followed. It is right that Parliament has thrown the book at her for this unacceptable behaviour. There are still serious questions for the SNP to answer on what they knew and what they did at the time. Ferrier should do the right thing and stand down as an MP. Even Nicola Sturgeon called for her to resign now (Scottish First Minister) Humza Yousaf must do the same. If Margaret Ferrier doesnt resign the people of Rutherglen and Hamilton West can exercise their right to boot her from office. Her constituents deserve better and that means a by-election. The police watchdog has passed a file of evidence to prosecutors to decide whether a Metropolitan Police officer should be charged over the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man. Chris Kaba, 24, who had been due to become a father, died after he was hit by a single gunshot fired by an armed officer on September 5 last year in Streatham Hill, south London. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said on Thursday it had referred a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) following the conclusion of a homicide investigation. Mr Kabas family welcomed the move and urged the CPS to prosecute the officer, who has been suspended from duty while under investigation for murder. In a statement issued through the charity Inquest, the family said: This step forward is necessary and welcome. We urge the Crown Prosecution Service to do their bit and provide their advice to the IOPC urgently. We very much hope that the CPS advise in favour of a prosecution and that the truth will emerge, without delay, through criminal proceedings. Our family and community cannot continue waiting for answers. IOPC director Amanda Rowe said investigators had been working hard to complete the probe within the six-to-nine-month deadline. She said: During the investigation, the officer was advised they were under criminal investigation for murder and following the conclusion of our investigation we have referred a file of evidence to the CPS to determine whether to charge the officer. A referral to the CPS does not necessarily mean that criminal charges will follow. It is now for the CPS to decide, applying the tests in the Code for Crown Prosecutors, whether or not to prosecute the officer. An inquest opening in October heard Mr Kaba was blocked by a marked police vehicle while driving an Audi and there was contact between the two cars before a marksman fired a single shot through the windscreen, hitting him in the head. Nick Price, head of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: We will now carefully consider the file of evidence to determine whether criminal charges should be brought in relation to the fatal shooting of Chris Kaba. As always, we will make that decision independently, based on the evidence and in line with our legal test. A giant puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee has led a crowd along Brighton beach as it continues to spread its message of solidarity with displaced people. Little Amal, designed to highlight the plight of child refugees, became an international symbol of human rights after she journeyed 8,000km from the Turkish-Syrian border to Manchester in July 2021. The 3.5m puppet has now returned to the UK to further raise awareness and funds for refugees around the world. Little Amal is designed to highlight the plight of child refugees (Gareth Fuller/PA) Amal led the evening walk on Thursday in the seaside resort following a day of meeting families who have sought safety and asylum in the UK. On Wednesday, the puppet returned to London and explored historic sites including the Tower of London, where she was greeted by the Yeomen of the Guard. She also visited other spots in the capital, such as Paternoster Square, Bloomberg Arcade and Leadenhall Market. Amal is due back in London on Saturday where she will lead another sponsored walk through Hampstead Heath in collaboration with the charity Choose Love, which provides humanitarian aid and advocacy for refugees. The puppet has explored historic sites including the Tower of London (Kirsty OConnor/PA) She will continue her journey on Sunday in north London, where a host of Jewish communities will use music, song and storytelling to introduce Amal to the story of Passover and the move from Egypt. Later in the day, she will meet Christian communities before leading a parade of Ramadan-inspired lanterns through central London to an Open Iftar run by Ramadan Tent Project. Amir Nizar Zuabi, artistic director of Little Amal, said: Now more than ever we must stand shoulder to shoulder with those who need protection. We hope that the two walks Amal will lead with the public on Hampstead Heath and Brighton beach will serve as a reminder to us all that helping those in need is a sign of strength and that hope is stronger than fear. Thank you for walking with Amal yesterday. Amal will be back in London this weekend! Saturday 1st April in Hamsptead Heath for a sponsored walk @chooselove Sunday 2nd in Camden where friends of many faith will come together for a celebration of art and hope pic.twitter.com/H6knxpZAE8 Little Amal (The Walk) (@walkwithamal) March 30, 2023 Enver Solomon, spokesperson for Together With Refugees and chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: This walk on Brighton beach with Little Amal is a poignant demonstration of compassion for refugees. She is a beautiful symbol of hope that has never been more needed by those facing a terrifying journey to find safety. With current Government policy failing those fleeing from war and persecution in their home countries this is a much-needed moment of welcome. In her short life, Amal has visited countries all over Europe as well as New York and Cop26 in Glasgow. She also joined rock band Elbow on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury last summer alongside a choir of refugees. The Government has refused to commit to stopping the development of the Rosebank oil and gas field north of the Shetland Islands. It is the largest such field in the North Sea area, capable of producing 69,000 barrels of oil and 44 million cubic feet of gas per day, Equinor, which has operating rights, said. When asked by Labours Richard Burgon whether the Conservatives would use their powers to halt development, climate change minister Graham Stuart said fossil fuels will still be required for decades to come and that it is better to produce gas on the UK Continental Shelf than import it from other countries. He said: The honourable gentleman is saying to his constituents, lets pay billions to foreign, sometimes hostile states, rather than producing our own. Its economic madness. The gas we bring in on tankers has two and a half times the emissions of our domestically produced gas. On what planet would any rational and reasonable constituency MP want to propose that as a proposal, unless they have some strange affinity with somewhere like Russia? Critics of the Rosebank development have said that Equinor, a Norwegian oil giant, is under no obligation to sell its oil and gas to the UK and will do so to the highest bidder. Because of allowances in the windfall tax which mean fossil fuel companies can offset their tax contributions if they invest in new oil and gas projects, Equinor would pay only 10% of the development costs. Government support would amount to 3.75 billion if Rosebank is approved, while Equinor would pay only 350 million. Scientists have warned that approving Rosebank would make it much more challenging to limit the global average temperature to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. In a letter signed by 700 UK experts urging the Government to block all new oil and gas licences, they said continued use of fossil fuels is a threat to us, our children and their children. Shadow climate change secretary Ed Miliband has said Labour would end new oil and gas licences, which the International Energy Agency has said must happen if the world is to reach net zero by 2050. Ed Miliband has said Labour would scrap all new oil and gas licences (James Manning/PA) During a speech on Tuesday outlining his partys green economy ideas, he said: Government is putting up 90% of the cost of this field; 80% of the oil exported; the equivalent of 56 coal-fired power stations running for a year in the UK; half of our annual emissions. Why is that a good use of taxpayers money? The UN Secretary-General (Antonio Guterres) has described this approach as moral madness. Addressing the House of Commons on Thursday, he called the Governments Powering Up Britain energy security plan a Groundhog Day of re-announcements. He said: There may have been thousands of pages published this morning, but this is not the Green Day they promised but a Groundhog Day of reannouncements, reheated policy and no new investment. The documents are most notable for their glaring omissions: there is no removal of the onshore wind ban, which is costing families hundreds of pounds on bills a year. There is no new money for energy efficiency to insulate homes and cut bills, just a re-announcement of a feeble offer made last year. Mr Stuart said the UK must diversify, decarbonise and domesticate energy suppliers to secure cheap, clean power. As part of the new plans, he said, the Government is launching Great British Nuclear to put clean nuclear power at the heart of Britains energy security and spearhead a busy programme of new nuclear projects starting with a competitive down election this year to choose the best small modular reactor technologies. He also said the Government would be launching the floating offshore wind manufacturing investment scheme, a shortlist and funding for the first round of electrolytic hydrogen allocation and upgrades through the new Great British Insulation scheme. The Duke of Sussex has reappeared at the High Court as his lawyers resisted an ambitious and unattractive bid by the publisher of the Daily Mail to end his legal action against it. Harry and other high-profile individuals accuse Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) of having concealed wrongdoing over the alleged unlawful gathering of their private information. ANL, which denies the allegations, says a judge should rule in its favour without a trial because the legal challenges against it are brought far too late. The publishers lawyers have argued the group, which includes Sir Elton John, his husband David Furnish and Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon, could have used reasonable diligence to discover they had a potential worthwhile claim earlier. Lawyers for those bringing legal action say they were thrown off the scent and not aware of being targeted, having believed categorical denials from ANL over involvement in unlawful activity. Lawyer David Sherborne is representing the Duke of Sussex and others in their claims against Associated Newspapers Limited (Victoria Jones/PA) On the final day of a preliminary hearing in London on Thursday, David Sherborne, representing Harry and others, said ANLs challenge to their legal action was as ambitious as it is unattractive. He accused the publisher of seeking an impermissible mini-trial or worse before further documentation and evidence was secured in the cases. The barrister said the group, which also includes actresses Sadie Frost and Liz Hurley and ex-Liberal Democrat MP Sir Simon Hughes, had a compelling case. Mr Sherborne said ANL was alleged to have commissioned 19 different private investigators to carry out a series of unlawful acts from 1993 to 2011 and beyond, which in some instances informed articles. He told the court the group was thrown off the scent by the way in which the articles were written. Mr Sherborne later read out extracts from Baroness Lawrences witness statement in which she said she felt played for a fool by the Daily Mail, believing the newspaper really cared about the injustice of the murder of her son Stephen Lawrence. The baroness said she learned a journalist allegedly instructed a private investigator to target her, saying that she never thought to blame the newspaper. They were supposed to be our allies and friends, the good people, not the bad, she said, adding that she had believed that information in articles about her came from the police. Mr Sherborne told the court: That is nothing short of gaslighting Baroness Lawrence, thats the form of concealment we are talking about. Sir Elton Johns husband David Furnish (right) returned to the Royal Courts Of Justice (Victoria Jones/PA) In written arguments, he added there were vociferous and prolific denials of any wrongdoing by the defendant, made on oath to the Leveson Inquiry by its senior executives, and repeated ever since, which the duke and others were entitled to and did believe, and which prevent the publisher from arguing that material could have been discovered earlier. He said the group had since uncovered concealed and systemic wrongdoing by the defendant through information allegedly provided by private investigators and in new documents. Mr Furnish, and later Baroness Lawrence, were also present in court again on Thursday, following visits this week from Sir Elton and Ms Frost. Adrian Beltrami KC, for the publisher, previously told the court: The claims are rejected by the defendant in their entirety as are the unfounded allegations that are repeatedly made that the defendant either misled the Leveson Inquiry or concealed evidence from the Leveson Inquiry. The lawyer said the legal action against it has no real prospects of succeeding and is barred under a legal period of limitation. The duke and others allege that ANL hired private investigators to place listening devices inside cars, blag private records, and access and record private phone conversations. Six of those bringing cases against the publisher have referred to alleged confessions by private investigator Gavin Burrows in their claims, but ANL has highlighted a later contrasting witness statement from Mr Burrows in which he denies being commissioned by its newspapers to conduct unlawful information gathering. The hearing before Mr Justice Nicklin is due to conclude on Thursday, with a ruling expected at a later date. Sarah Ferguson says she never forgets the late Queen's message when talking about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. (ITV) Sarah Ferguson has revealed the important message she was given from the late Queen which she always observes when talking about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. When anyone asks me about Harry, or anything else, I say lets just look at kindness, the 63-year-old explained. One of the Queen's messages was that there should be more kindness, because it definitely diffuses malice. It disarms malice. And I think we really need to have less judgement. Read more: Sarah Ferguson: Who is Prince Andrew's ex-wife? Speaking to Holly Willoughby and comedian Joel Dommett on ITVs This Morning, Ferguson added that she thinks there is too much unkindness. I think social media is a sewer, and I think cyber bullying has got to go, she continued. The Duchess of York also praised the American people when asked about how she thinks the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are getting on in America. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle moved to America in 2020. (Getty Images) I think the Americans give people second chances, she explained. I wish Harry, Meghan and the family the best of luck there. It is extraordinary how welcoming the Americans are. Fergie may not be present at King Charles IIIs coronation in May, however, as the duchess hinted that she wasnt invited. Im going to have the bunting out somewhere, she laughed when asked about the event. Read more: Fergie pays tribute to 'remarkable' Diana and late Queen Elizabeth for Women's History Month Discussing her ex-husbands recent difficulties, Ferguson said: We are a family unit. My girls stand for service, they have very, very hard jobs, and theyre mothers, and theyre public figures, and they do charity work. Theyre extraordinary examples of the Kings service, which is what their grandmother taught them, and I taught them the humility. I think the York family as a unit, symbolises no judgement, kindness, and moving forward to make people sit up and go stop. Stop always believing what you read, stop this, stop that. Walk forward as a unit and remain steadfast to that. Remember Ive been through difficult times, and hes [Andrews] always stood by me. You cant have it both ways. Ive always said that. Ferguson is now a grandmother to Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie's children. (Getty Images) Ferguson is currently promoting her new novel, A Most Intriguing Lady, and said she likes having a new career in her 60s. Read more: Sarah Ferguson releases Mills & Boon romantic novel based on her ancestor's life Im not just a wife, or a granny or an ex-wife or a duchess, she explained. What I did was I asked for help at Mills and Boon, and then I researched back and found my great, great ancestors. Ferguson hinted that she would like Outlanders Jamie Fraser in her next novel, so stay tuned. Watch: Sarah Fergusons emotional tribute to Diana Kathryn Turner was bullied for her height at school, but has now overcome her insecurities to become the tallest ever contestant in Miss England history. (Kathryn Turner/SWNS) A 6ft 2in beauty queen, who was cruelly named "Godzilla" by classmates at school, has overcome the bullying and learnt to embrace her height to become the tallest ever contestant in Miss England history. Kathryn Turner, 24, from Liverpool, says she was was left with low confidence and self-esteem after relentlessly being teased about her height during her teenage years. By the age of seven, she already towered above her friends and wore clothes aimed at girls twice her age as she struggled to fit into Disney princess dresses. Throughout secondary school she says she was picked on by other pupils who branded her a "circus freak" due to her unusual stature. When she reached adulthood, the height prejudice continued with Turner once being called a man by a group of girls in a club and physically assaulted in a random attack. Turner was always much taller than her classmates, pictured in year five at primary school (Back row, fourth from the right). (Kathryn Turner/SWNS) According to statistics, the current average female height in the UK is 164.3 cm (just under 5ft 5in) whereas Turner is 189cm tall. Meanwhile, the average male height in the UK is 178.2 cm or approximately 5ft 10in. Despite years of bullying, Turner has learnt to love her statuesque frame and size nine feet, finding the confidence to start modelling and applying to compete in the Miss England pageant. Having made it through to the final heat stages, Turner, who works as a resident advisor for a student housing company, is now vying to become the tallest ever winner in the competition's 93-year history. She hopes to empower other young women to embrace their differences after previously believing she was too ugly to model. Read more: First lesbian Ms Great Britain finalist will use platform to tackle prejudice and empower plus-size women Turner towered over her classmates, pictured far right in a photo taken in 2012 with her friends at a horse riding day. (Kathryn Turner/SWNS) As a child, I didn't know I was different until, in year two, someone called me weird for being the same height as a year six pupil," Turner says. "I was the height of a 10-year-old aged six and wore clothes for 14-year-olds when I was seven," she continues. "The bullying was at its worst during secondary school. I would be called names and I could always feel everyones eyes on me. Watch: Beauty queen born with cerebral palsy hopes to become first disabled Miss Great Britain "I also suffered physical abuse whilst out clubbing with my friends on a few occasions and my confidence was knocked. But, over the years I have learnt that what someone else thinks about you does not really matter. I began to grow from the bullying and it actually made me stronger." Turner pictured on a night out in 2017 her friends are wearing heels and she is in flats. (Kathryn Turner/SWNS) Turner says she now believes her stature and height make her "powerful" and credits the change in mindset for giving her the courage to start her modelling journey. Friends and family said I should have modelled in the past, but I never believed I was good enough due to the bullying and lack of self-belief," she explains. But now I want to inspire others to reach for their dreams and goals." Read more: Instagram campaigner wears purple glittery false eye to inspire others with sight loss Turner pictured in Paris in October 22, just before she submitted her Miss England application. (Kathryn Turner/SWNS) Turner initially applied to Miss England last October after returning from a trip to Paris where she randomly featured in an influencers video on TikTok. After the video went viral, she was then encouraged by friends and family to try professional modelling. Turner is currently third place out of 20 girls in the online Miss England heats with over 5,000 people voting for her so far to win a place in the semi-finals. If she places in the top two, she automatically wins a spot at the Miss England 2023 semi-final to be held later this year. Read more: Woman called pizza face by bullies launches skincare product for acne sufferers Turner is now taking part in Miss England. (Kathryn Turner/L1 Photography/SWNS) If I make the finals, it will be a dream come true and my younger self would be so proud," she says. I believe anybody that is tall needs to embrace their height and I hope I can help inspire others in the same boat. To find out more or enter Miss England, visit: www.missengland.info Additional reporting SWNS. A man who is accused of murdering his wife was overheard in hospital telling her if she died in childbirth that would be okay because he would be free, a court has heard. Kashif Anwar, 29, is accused of murdering Fawziyah Javed, 31, in Edinburgh in September 2021 by pushing her from Arthurs Seat in Holyrood Park, causing her multiple blunt force injuries which led to her death and that of her unborn child. Anwar denies all the charges against him, including one of acting in a threatening and abusive way towards his wife at a hotel the day before the alleged murder. The High Court in Edinburgh heard on Thursday that a midwife spoke to Ms Javed about their concerns after Anwar was overheard speaking to her at Leeds General Infirmary on August 23, 2021. Elizabeth Petty, 41, who was working on the L44 ward that evening, said a patient told her Ms Javed was told: If you died during childbirth that would be okay. I would be free. The midwife told the jury that when asked if that was what was said, Ms Javed, from Leeds, had confirmed it was, and that she appeared scared and upset. Teacher Francesca Cooper, 34, was in the bed neighbouring Ms Javeds and had reported the conversation. She sobbed as she told advocate depute Alex Prentice KC what she had heard, saying: I could hear him repeatedly call her a bitch, repeatedly saying he should never have married her, wishing he never married her, and if one of them died during childbirth that would be good because they would be free from one another. Ms Javeds mother Nighat Yasmin Javed also took to the witness box on Thursday. She said her concerns had heightened since the couple married in December 2020, and Mrs Javed told the court she was very worried about her daughter. She said: I said if you feel that you are in danger, just text me I feel like cream cakes, and I will contact the police. Mrs Javed said she did this because of the abuse, the violence, the aggression, and coercive control in the relationship, which included, she said, Anwar taking 12,000 from her daughters bank account while she was sleeping. She said her daughters calls and texts were monitored by Anwar, and that between three or four months after the wedding her daughter wanted out of the marriage. Mrs Javed told the jury: The accused was being abusive, controlling, manipulative, aggressive and violent towards her. She didnt want to stay in a marriage like that, she wanted to leave. The court was played a recording of Anwars wife, who worked as an employment lawyer, phoning a legal firm for advice on getting a divorce. Mrs Javed told the court that when the couple were due to return from Edinburgh, she was to celebrate her daughters birthday, which was that same day, with her, but said she would not return home and instead contact West Yorkshire Police to get her belongings back. Ian Duguid KC, Anwars defence, asked Mrs Javed about the rules of an Islamic divorce and if a pregnant woman could get one. Flowers and candles placed at a vigil held in honour of Fawziyah Javed (PA) She said while she did not know much about it, her daughters intention was to get the ball rolling. Mr Duguid told the court of the couples trip to Loch Ness, and that they had booked afternoon tea at The Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh for September 3. He said when they returned to Yorkshire the day after, they would all have gone for a birthday meal. But Mrs Javed said it was never their intention to go to that meal, and had planned to dine separately from Anwar. Mr Duguid put it to her that the trip had been an attempt to discuss differences in their relationship and resolve them, but Mrs Javid told him it was not. She said her daughter was putting on a front to do what she had to do to leave the accused. The trial, in its second day, also heard from James Duncan, 25, who was walking up Arthurs Seat with his girlfriend on the evening of September 2 when Ms Javed was found. He told the court: There were a couple of screams to my recollection. One was from a female screaming, then I heard a male screaming after I heard the female scream. He said soon afterwards, he saw Anwar with another woman who were looking for a charged mobile phone to call emergency services. Mr Duncan said: The gentleman said his wife had fallen off the summit and wanted me to call 999 to get in touch with ambulance or police or emergency services to get them to help with the situation. In the first 999 call, operators were told she could be heard screaming after the fall. The court heard that in a second call, the accused told the ambulance service that they both fell. In cross-examination, Mr Duncan, who told the court he had scaled the hill more than 100 times, said Anwar was wearing ordinary shoes and not hiking boots. The trial, before Lord Beckett, continues. Steve Barclay has accused the British Medical Association (BMA) of adopting a political militant stance in the talks to resolve the junior doctors dispute. Junior doctors in England are set to walk out for 96 hours from April 11, after the BMA insisted no credible offer was made. Answering an urgent question on the strikes in the Commons, the Health Secretary said he had checked the minutes of the meeting with junior doctors and spoken to civil servants to confirm that it was a precondition of the talks to commit to a 35% pay increase. He said the Government stands ready to work constructively with the BMA, but added: They have chosen to take a more political militant stance in contrast to the approach that other trade unions have pursued. The BMA in turn accused Mr Barclay of quibbling instead of getting round the table and negotiating with us. Striking NHS junior doctors (Jacob King/PA) Asking an urgent question, shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said senior doctors are worried patients will die as a result of the strikes. He said: Patients are worried sick, consultants have written to me to say they are terrified for patient safety. They fear that patients will die as a result. So when is the Health Secretary going to get junior doctors back in for talks, take them seriously, and stop these catastrophic strikes from wreaking havoc on patient care? Mr Streeting also asked Mr Barclay to clarify whether union calls for a 35% pay rise were a pre-condition as he had claimed, or a starting point for negotiations as stated by the unions. The Health Secretary said junior doctors unions were setting pre-conditions for negotiating, adding: I have checked the minutes, I have spoken this morning with officials to confirm before I made this statement to the House and it was a precondition of the talks that we were told in terms of the pay erosion at 26.1%, and that that needed to be restored at 35% alongside other things. Mr Barclay acknowledged the impact of the upcoming strikes will be far greater than previous industrial action. He said: We know that during the previous walkout by junior doctors earlier this month, 181,000 appointments had to be rescheduled. With this four-day walkout the disruption and the risk will be far greater. Not only because it lasts longer, but because it coincides with extended public holidays and Ramadan, with knock-on effects on services before and after the strike action itself, and because a significant proportion will already be on planned absence due to the holiday period. People gather on Warren Street in London, ahead of a Support the Strikes march in solidarity with nurses, junior doctors and other NHS staff following recent strikes over pay and conditions (James Manning/PA) Mr Barclay later drew a distinction between a militant group which seems to have taken over the junior doctors committee and most junior doctors. In response to Tory former minister Sir Desmond Swayne who suggested the strikes are damaging to the respected junior doctor profession, the Health Secretary said: I would draw an important distinction between what is a militant group that appear to have taken over the junior doctors committee and the vast majority of junior doctors who do a hugely important job within the NHS. And we recognise in Government that they have faced considerable pressures from the pandemic and we stand ready to work constructively with them. There is on the other hand, some within particularly the BMA junior doctors committee, who appear to have a more political agenda and indeed, I refer honourable colleagues to the statements of members of that committee who have said that they want to move the BMA to more traditional trade union activity and pursue a more overt political agenda. Professor Philip Banfield, BMA chair of council, said: It is a great shame that the Secretary of State is spending more time quibbling about how we are calling for pay restoration for junior doctors in England than he is actually getting round the table and negotiating with us. We have been clear in all our communications with his office that our ask is to achieve full pay restoration for junior doctors in order to reverse the real-terms pay cuts we have suffered since 2008. He added: We have not laid down any preconditions to beginning pay negotiations and in particular we have not suggested that a 35% uplift in pay is a precondition to talks with the Health Secretary. We remain committed to beginning talks to engage in meaningful discussions about pay restoration, and will do so in the run up to and during strike action. The ball is firmly in Steve Barclays court. President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday appointed a Seoul National University (SNU) professor as chancellor of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, his spokesperson said. Park Cheol-hee, current director of the SNU Institute of International Affairs, will head the academy affiliated with the foreign ministry, according to Lee Do-woon. His predecessor, Hong Hyun-ik, was recently dismissed with five months left in his term. Hong had been appointed by former President Moon Jae-in. (Yonhap) Kidney patients are not receiving funds they are entitled to which help with the cost of performing treatments at home, a charity has said. Patients whose kidneys are not working properly sometimes need to have dialysis treatment a procedure to remove waste products and excess fluid from the blood when the kidneys cannot perform this function. This can be done in a number of ways, including patients having dialysis sessions at home. If patients opt for at-home treatment they are entitled to receive reimbursement from their NHS trust for the additional utility costs incurred by running the equipment the annual cost estimated to be around 1,000, depending on the type of machine used and the frequency it is needed. Hospitals receive specific funds from NHS England to cover these reimbursements. But Kidney Care UK has accused hospitals of not passing on the cash to patients in need. A new report from the charity states that more than a third (37%) of home dialysis patients are not receiving any reimbursement from their local NHS trust and only 29% trusts are reimbursing patients using the appropriate tariff to cover the energy costs. It said that when patients do receive reimbursements these can vary hugely from 160 a year to 1,040. Some patients told the charity they were considering stopping home dialysis and instead having treatment in an NHS unit despite many saying that being able to perform the treatment at home gives them a better quality of life. It comes as the NHS is pushing ahead with its virtual wards plan with 100,000 patients in England already treated virtually while they are at home or in residential care. The NHS in England eventually aims to have 50,000 people treated on virtual wards every month. Kidney Care UK said that when a patient opts for at-home dialysis it can save the NHS around 10,000 per patient per year. Previous analysis suggests that if 20% of dialysis patients opt for at-home care it could save the NHS 5 million per year. The charitys new poll of 1,000 kidney patients, including almost 100 who are using at-home dialysis, found that the majority were concerned about the cost of home dialysis this winter due to the energy cost linked to running the machines. Many patients had said they turned down their thermostats as a result, which could be putting them at risk, the charity said. The machines often require being kept at a certain temperature to function properly, it added. Fiona Loud, policy director at Kidney Care UK, said: There are too many kidney patients who are eligible for reimbursement but who are not receiving it. Reimbursement is not something they should have to fight for, it should be something all home dialysis patients receive automatically. Which begs the question: As virtually everywhere has a policy, and we know the Trusts are already receiving the funds to cover the cost of reimbursement for additional utility costs, then why arent people getting the money? Its simply not good enough that some Trusts who are reimbursing are either paying below the standard tariff or are not able to say whether they are paying at that rate. All NHS Trusts must ensure that they are meeting their reimbursement obligations in full. An NHS spokesperson said: NHS England has ensured that all renal services in England have a reimbursement process in place for adults and more recently children for utility costs associated with their home dialysis. While Trusts are ultimately responsible, NHS England is working with providers to support this process, monitor progress and signpost to guidance and tools published by groups like the UK Kidney Association, to make sure everyone has fair and equal access. Just over 5,000 patients receive home dialysis in the UK. Notorious prisoner Charles Bronson has lost a Parole Board bid to be freed from jail. The decision comes after one of the UKs longest-serving prisoners who changed his surname to Salvador in 2014 took part in one of the countrys first public parole hearings earlier this month. In a document detailing the decision published on Thursday, the Parole Board said: After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress that Mr Salvador has made while in custody and the evidence presented at the hearings, the panel was not satisfied that Mr Salvador was suitable for release. Nor did the panel recommend to the Secretary of State that he should be transferred to an open prison. Supporters of Charles Bronson have called for his release (Aaron Chown/PA) Bronsons ex-wife Irene Dunroe told the PA news agency she was devastated and shocked by the decision, adding: Its disgusting and very, very upsetting. I cant believe it, while George Bamby, who claimed to be the inmates son, said: I would have loved Charlie to have been released but completely respect the decision of the Parole Board. Mr Bamby later said he was not Bronsons son, but had been pretending to be, during an interview with TalkTV on Thursday. Once dubbed one of Britains most violent offenders, Bronson has spent most of the past 48 years behind bars, apart from two brief periods of freedom during which he reoffended, for a string of thefts, firearms and violent offences, including 11 hostage-taking incidents in nine different sieges. Victims included governors, doctors, staff and, on one occasion, his own solicitor. He was handed a discretionary life sentence with a minimum term of four years in 2000 for taking a prison teacher at HMP Hull hostage for 44 hours. Since then, the Parole Board has repeatedly refused to direct his release. This was his eighth parole review, meaning he has already spent an additional 20 years behind bars. Three parole judges considered his case during a hearing at HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, while members of the press and public watched part of the proceedings on a live stream from the Royal Courts of Justice in central London. Bronson whose real name is Michael Peterson and has previously been diagnosed with anti-social personality disorder told the panel he loved a rumble and enjoyed mass brawls in prison, but insisted he is now a reformed prisoner, has found solace in art and is a man of peace, describing himself as a retired prison activist. The 70-year-old likened his experience in front of the Parole Board to being on BBC programme The Apprentice. A psychologist told the panel Bronson has post-traumatic stress disorder after facing some brutal and unacceptable treatment behind bars. He has been held in solitary confinement in high security jails for much of his time behind bars. During the hearing he was described as holding anti-authoritarian views and being suspicious of the motives of others, as well as having a romanticised view of violent incidents in the past. None of the prison and probation officials who gave evidence at the parole hearing said he was ready to be released. The summary of the Parole Board decision said the panel accepted that Mr Salvador genuinely wants to progress and that he is motivated to work towards his release. It thought that there was evidence of improved self-control and better emotional management. But the parole judges were mindful of his history of persistent rule breaking and that Mr Salvador sees little wrong with this. He lives his life rigidly by his own rules and code of conduct and is quick to judge others by his own standards. His positive progress has to be assessed in the context of him being held in a highly restrictive environment, the document said, adding that it was unknown exactly what is containing Mr Salvadors risk. It is unclear whether the strong external controls of custody are mainly responsible or whether his attitudes have genuinely changed. The panel said it could not be satisfied Bronson had the skills to manage his risk of future violence until he has been extensively tested outside of his current highly restricted environment. Decisions on moving and categorising prisoners are entirely a matter for the Secretary of State and the Parole Board said it would not normally comment on such matters, but added: However, in the particular circumstances of this case, the panel observed that there is an identified pathway for Salvador in custody and the evidence supported such a move within a closed prison. This is a pivotal point in Mr Salvadors sentence, when his motivation to desist from violence is at its highest and both psychologists instructed by Mr Salvadors lawyers were unequivocal in their view that he no longer requires the secure placement in his current prison, the papers said. At the time of his crimes Bronson was described as someone who had a need for status, bears grudges and struggles to control extreme emotions. The panel noted that Mr Salvador enjoyed the excitement, notoriety and the financial rewards of his violent and criminal lifestyle, the document said. But they found Bronson had since changed and there had been a prolonged period of improved behaviour in custody in recent years. According to the document, Bronson said he was terrified of dying in prison. While he has not been involved in any incidents of physical violence since 2018, prison reports suggest there were veiled threats in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Mr Salvador lives by his own rules and judges others to his own standards, the document said, adding that he was willing to flagrantly breach prison rules. Officials currently plan to move Bronson to another prison where he can show how he manages himself in a more open unit with less restrictions on his behaviour, the parole papers added. Bronson is the second inmate in UK legal history to have his case heard in public after rules were changed last year in a bid to remove the secrecy around the process. He will be eligible for another parole review in about two years. The shooting of Olivia Pratt-Korbel was a defining moment for a community that has had enough of organised crime, the senior investigating officer in the murder case has said. Detective Superintendent Mark Baker said the murder of the nine-year-old, who was killed when gunman Thomas Cashman chased convicted drug dealer Joseph Nee into her home in Dovecot, Liverpool, had left the community suffering. It came on the 15th anniversary of the death of Rhys Jones, an 11-year-old who was shot in Croxteth, Liverpool, as he walked home from school. Mr Baker said: Olivias death should not be in vain. In 2007 the murder of Rhys Jones should have been a defining moment for those who are prepared to use guns on our streets. Nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel (Family handout/PA) These people who use guns are toxic in our community, we need to stand firmly together to stamp it out. We will work exceptionally hard to put these people behind bars as we have done in this case. We dont want other families to suffer in a way that Olivia and Rhyss families have done. Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said: I think the communities of Merseyside were absolutely horrified when they woke up on that morning and realised that another child had been murdered, had lost their life because of a firearm. It was the anniversary of Rhys and people talked then about a watershed moment and yet again, there we were 15 years later. She said there was a renewed commitment from communities, police and partner agencies to tackle organised crime. Chief Constable Serena Kennedy from Merseyside Police in Kingsheath Avenue, Dovecot, Liverpool (Peter Byrne/PA) Mr Baker said Cashman was being named to the police within days of the incident and following his trial, in which he spoke about dealing cannabis at a high-level within the area, officers would continue to target criminals. He said: We will continue to pursue those involved in drug dealing in the locality. We know through the community meetings that we attended that people have had enough. This is a defining moment in the community across Merseyside. This dreadful, abhorrent murder has really drawn a line in the sand. We hoped from the outset that people would come forward and support us, people that wouldnt ordinarily come forward and support the police clearly have done in this. We will continue to target people involved in drug dealing in the area because the feedback from the community, which has been fantastic, tells us that thats what they want. Mr Baker said the week of Olivias murder, when Sam Rimmer, 22, and Ashley Dale, 28, were also killed in shootings in Merseyside, was the most challenging week of their career for most of the forces officers. He said: Its the worst thing Ive ever dealt with by a long stretch and I think everybody thats worked on the investigation would say exactly the same. A nine-year-old child shot in her own home is just the worst thing that theyve ever investigated, certainly in my 30-year career. Police chiefs say they are still hunting down those who enabled the murder of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel. Thomas Cashman, 34, has been found guilty of shooting the schoolgirl dead as he chased drug dealer Joseph Nee into her home in Dovecot, Liverpool, last August 22. Two guns were used in the killing, which also injured Olivias mother Cheryl Korbel and Nee, but neither has been recovered. Chief Constable Serena Kennedy of Merseyside Police said: The conviction of Thomas Cashman in terms of the murder of Olivia is a positive. We are still hunting down those people who enabled that murder to take place who supplied the gun, where the gun is and we will carry on until we identify those people responsible. Detective Superintendent Mark Baker said finding the weapons a Glock self-loading pistol and revolver is key. He said: We appeal for people to come forward if theyve got knowledge of those guns, and we want them off the streets. Ms Kennedy, who became Chief Constable in 2021, said she was completely devastated when she heard of Olivias death. She said: I was just absolutely horrified to hear that a nine-year-old child had been murdered in a way in which she had, you know, the way in which Olivias life had ended. My condolences absolutely go to Olivias family. I just cant imagine what theyre going through every day since Olivia was murdered. She described the people carrying out shootings as absolutely cowardly, despicable people. She said: Anybody who is willing to pick up a gun to settle a dispute that they have with another person is taking a risk, but its a risk theyre not bothered about. They dont care about the consequences. They dont care that a family has lost a son, a daughter, a brother, a sister, a partner. Theyre just not bothered. They dont care about the consequences. Theyre not people that we want living in our communities in Merseyside and we will hunt them down, hold them responsible, or put them before the courts. Three people have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder after two men were shot dead in two linked incidents in separate villages around six miles apart. Cambridgeshire Police said officers were first called to reports of gunshots at a property in Meridian Close, Bluntisham at just after 9pm on Wednesday. Officers arrived to find the body of a 32-year-old man inside a property with a gunshot wound and are now treating his death as murder. Police at the scene in The Row in Sutton, near Ely, Cambridgeshire, where police found the body of a 57-year-old man who had died from gunshot wounds (Sam Russell/PA) The force said that at 9.37pm police received a call from a person in Sutton, near Ely, again reporting hearing gunshots. The body of a 57-year-old man was found at a property in The Row with gunshot wounds and his death is also being treated as murder. The roads in Bluntisham and Sutton are around six miles apart. Police said they were not in a position to name either victim as formal identification has not been carried out. A 27-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman were arrested in the early hours of Thursday in Cambridge, while a 66-year-old man was arrested in the Worcester area. All three were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder. Police at the scene in Meridian Close, Bluntisham, Cambridgeshire, where police found the body of a 32-year-old man with a gunshot wound on Wednesday evening (Joe Giddens/PA) A car that was believed to have been used by the offender, a white Peugeot 208, and a shotgun have been recovered. The properties in Meridian Close and The Row have been cordoned off and police officers remain at the scenes. Detective Inspector Mark Butler, from the major crime unit, said: We have launched two linked murder investigations following the shootings of two men at separate properties in the county. These events will be shocking to local people and there will be understandable concerns within local communities, however, we are treating the attacks as targeted and there is no wider risk to the general public. Flowers left at the scene in The Row in Sutton (Sam Russell/PA) There will be an increased police presence in the areas concerned today and officers and scenes of crime officers will be at the scenes throughout the day. Our thoughts also go out to the family and friends of the victims. Specially trained officers are in touch with them and they are helping our investigation. Detectives are now beginning inquiries into how these events unfolded and we are appealing to anyone who was in either area and saw anyone acting suspiciously or a white Peugeot 208. Police forensics officers in The Row in Sutton (Sam Russell/PA) Any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, could be very important to our investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 quoting Operation Scan. Watch: Violent pair high-five after vicious assaults which left one victim partially blind This is the shocking moment two men high-fived each other just moments after they launched a horrific attack that left two victims with life-changing injuries. Jamie Elston, 32, and David Ratcliffe, 34, were caught on CCTV leaving a property on Razia Court in Workington, Cumbria, in the early hours of New Years Day last year. They hugged and congratulated each other as they walked away from the scene, having attacked Christopher Whineary and Ashley McKenna while they slept. Elston and Ratcliffe, who had been drinking for several hours and had taken cocaine, broke into the property at around 3.30am. Having smashed the doors down, Elston said to Ratcliffe: Go get a knife. We might as well kill them now. Ratcliffe, who was armed with a hammer, and Elston then smashed their victims mobile phones before beginning their attack. Jamie Elston and David Ratcliffe were caught on CCTV high-giving each other after they brutally attacked two men. (Cumbria Police) Ratcliffe punched and kicked one of the victims to the head and face, while Elston kicked and punched both men in the head. Following the attack, both victims were warned not to go to the police and Elston and Ratcliffe left the property at 5.22am. Police were called at around 9am after concerned neighbours saw blood on the front door. Whineray was admitted to hospital with injuries including a fractured nose, a cut above his left eyebrow, multiple cuts inside his mouth and a swollen face. He has also been left permanently blind in one eye. Jamie Elston and David Ratcliffe hugged and congratulated each other after breaking into the property and attacking the residents. (Cumbria Police) McKenna was airlifted to hospital in Newcastle, where he was put into an induced coma and on life support having suffered a severe, life-changing brain injury. He underwent surgery and has been left unable to speak, needing round-the-clock care. Ratcliffe and Elston were later arrested and admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent on the basis that no weapons were used during the attack. Prosecutor Brendan Burke said the motive for the attack was unknown, but each victim had previously been in a relationship with past partners of Elston and Ratcliffe. Both men have now been jailed following a sentence hearing at Carlisle Crown Court. David Ratcliffe (left) and Jamie Elston (right) admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent. (Cumbria Police) Judge Ian Unsworth told them: Knowing what you had done, in a quite breath-taking, chilling and sickening image, you could be seen hugging and congratulating each other, in high spirts, your brutal work done. You evinced pleasure from the pain and suffering you had inflicted. Ratcliffe, 34, of Falcon Place, Workington, was jailed for 21 years and seven months while Elston, 32, of Iredale Crescent, Workington, received a 21-year prison sentence. Carlisle courts of justice crown court Cumbria England UK Both men are also subject to extended five-year licence periods. They were also banned from contacting the victims for life. Detective Chief Inspector Hayley Wilkinson, of Cumbria Police, said: This was a violent and sustained attack which has resulted in extremely serious, life-changing injuries to both victims... The actions of Ratcliffe and Elston could easily have resulted in loss of life that evening. However, the consequences of the assault continue to be felt to this day. The King has urged the Bundestag to help write a new chapter in Anglo-German relations filled with the restless pursuit of a better tomorrow in a historic address greeted with a standing ovation. In his speech to the federal parliament, delivered mostly in German, the King told a packed chamber he wished to renew the pledge of friendship between our nations. He touched on cultural links between the UK and Germany that left his audience of politicians and invited guests in stitches, from a hugely popular comedy sketch about a drunken waiter, to Monty Python and references to the Krautrock of electronic band Kraftwerk and the Beatles. Charles addresses the Bundestag (Ben Birchall/PA) The spectre of conflict, both Russias invasion of Ukraine and the horrors of the Second World War, were another theme, with Vladimir Putins aggression an impetus to maintain the security, prosperity and wellbeing of Germans and Britons. Charles received a standing ovation that lasted several minutes as he walked from the legislative hall following the first speech by a British monarch during a session of the Bundestag. In his address, which was more than 23 minutes long, the King said: I can hardly begin to express the pride I feel in the strength of the partnership between our two countries. Germany, her people and distinctive culture have made such a profound impact on me over so many of my previous visits. Since I first came to Germany when I was just 13 years old, I have grown to become familiar with the different corners of this remarkable land. Charles three-day state visit to Germany with the Queen Consort is the first of his reign and at a banquet held in their honour on Wednesday night Germanys President Frank-Walter Steinmeier produced a black and white picture of that first German trip made by Charles. Charles in the chamber of the Bundestag (Chris Jackson/PA) Speaking about the social ties between Germany and the UK, the King added: So we are still admiring of each others culture; dependent upon each others economies; and inspired by each others ideas. More recent generations may think as readily of The Beatles or Kraftwerk, as they do of Brahms or Byron, but the web of cultural connections is as strong as ever. And perhaps most importantly, for the last 50 years we have laughed together both at each other, and with each other. During a speech made at the state banquet, Charles drew laughs when he mentioned dinner for one, a British comedy sketch which has become a German institution shown every new year in the country. Elderly aristocrat Miss Sophie dines alone while her waiter James gets progressively more drunk as he consumes alcohol poured for her missing dinner guests. Charles and Camilla signed the Bundestags visitors book (Chris Jackson/PA) The biggest laugh during the Kings Bundestag address came when he said: And while Miss Sophies The same procedure as every year, James? does not I hope give a very accurate impression of modern Britain, it is, I know, an integral part of a German happy new year. In Britain, Germanys comedy ambassador, Henning Wehn, has given us an understanding of German quirks, as Monty Python brought our own here. Like all old friends at moments, the warmth of our relationship allows a small smile at each others expense. Charles highlighted how during Friday, the final day of his state visit, he will remember those who perished in the Allied bombing of Hamburg in 1943 and celebrate the Kindertransport, which 85 years ago saved the lives of more than 10,000 Jewish children from the Nazi regime. He concluded by saying: Together we must be vigilant against threats to our values and freedoms, and resolute in our determination to confront them. Together we must strive for the security, prosperity and wellbeing that our people deserve. In the long and remarkable story of our two countries, there are many chapters yet unwritten. Let us fill these with the restless pursuit of a better tomorrow. A further review to reconsider plans to raise the state pension age to 68 will take place, the Government has announced. Here is a look at what this means for people: What has been announced? The Government plans to have a further review within two years of the next Parliament to reconsider plans for the state pension age to rise to 68. It said this will give it time to take into account evidence which is not yet available on the long-term impact of recent challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic and global inflationary pressures. These events bring a level of uncertainty in relation to data on life expectancy, labour markets and the public finances. The state pension age will rise to 67 by the end of 2028, the Government has confirmed. What is the history of the UK state pension age? The state pension age is regularly kept under review. It has been increasing over the years and when someone will reach it depends on when they were born. The state pension age for women started rising from 60 in 2010, reaching parity with the male state pension age of 65 in 2018. The state pension age for men and women then increased to 66 and will rise to 67 by 2028. The state pension age had been due to rise due to 68 from 2044, but previous reports had suggested ministers were considering bringing that forward to the 2030s. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions @MelJStride is making a statement on the "Second State Pension Age Review" Watch live https://t.co/eSvL9GAUq1 UK House of Commons (@HouseofCommons) March 30, 2023 Why has the state pension age been increasing? Governments over the years have needed to balance the needs of an ageing population with those of the working population supporting them. There were 280 pensioners for every 1,000 people of working age in 2020. This will reach levels never seen before by 2070, where the ratio is projected to be 393 pensioners per 1,000 people of working age, the Government has said. Under the triple-lock, which is normally used to uprate state pensions, the state pension will jump by 10.1% annually in April, in line with the rising cost of living. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has also said that significant long-term challenges are coming from the ageing population. It suggested that the cost to the Exchequer of not introducing a rise in the state pension age from 67 to 68 from the late 2030s could be around 8 billion to 9 billion per year. What have the arguments been against further rises in the state pension age? While people have generally been living for longer, average life expectancies can vary hugely in different parts of the UK. People are often more likely to live for longer in affluent areas. Someones ability to work into later life in a particular job may depend on what sector they work in and what their job entails, for example whether it involves manual work or being office-based. There has also been criticism that the pace of some increases in the state pension age has made it harder for people to make financial arrangements for their retirement. According to the IFS, income poverty rates among 65-year-olds more than doubled when the state pension age increased from 65 to 66. Since a previous 2017 state pension age review was undertaken, the rate of increase in life expectancy has slowed. The state pension age has been increasing over the years and when someone will reach it depends on when they were born (PA) Are other countries wrangling with pensions issues? Plans to reform pensions have also been controversial in other countries, with people taking to the streets to protest in Paris and in Prague. Do I have to retire when I reach state pension age? No, you can keep working if you want or have to. How can I check my state pension age? You can check online at gov.uk/state-pension-age. How could peoples retirement patterns change in the future? The pension freedoms have already given more people much more flexibility over how they use their workplace pension pots from the age of 55, making retirements more fluid rather than the traditional start, stop to peoples working lives. There has been a trend towards some people taking phased retirements, where they gradually reduce their working hours over time, rather than suddenly stopping work. Some people may also want to build specific savings pots that they can use in their 60s to bridge the gap between the age at which they would like to retire and their state pension age. Irish teacher Enoch Burke had tears in his eyes and appeared flustered after students at the school he taught at were briefed on gender issues, a Dublin court heard. The High Court also heard that the school had concerns about further protests from Mr Burke, which was among the reasons he was placed on paid administrative pending the conclusion of a disciplinary process initiated against him. The board of management of Wilsons Hospital School and Mr Burke are in a dispute that stems from incidents following a request from the schools then-principal last May to address a student by a new name and the pronoun they. Mr Burke, an Evangelical Christian, maintains the case is about the freedom to express his religious beliefs. Two witnesses gave evidence in the High Court on Thursday, which continued without Mr Burke or a legal representative for him being present. Mr Burke has not returned to the courtroom since Tuesday afternoon after a judge warned him that he could only return if he accepted the rulings of the court. Enoch Burke and his sister Ammi Burke outside the High Court in Dublin (Niall Carson/PA) On Thursday, Mr Justice Alex Owens addressed the function to view court proceedings online and said: Mr Burke, if youre listening, youre more than welcome to attend online. He said that he could attend in person but that he must commit to obeying the rulings of the court, adding that if you dont respond Ill have to take it that youre not going to participate. As the deputy principal of Wilsons Hospital School John Galligan gave evidence, Mr Justice Owens read out the minutes from a meeting on August 22 where a decision was made to place Mr Burke on paid administrative leave. Certain details were then put to Mr Galligan by the judge, who said he was doing this due to the circumstances of no legal team to represent the other side, and so that he could establish the facts of the case. The case was being heard at the High Court in Dublin (Alamy/PA) Mr Galligan, who has served in the deputy principal role since 2019, said Mr Burke was a good teacher and that his forte had been extracurricular debating. He said at a staff meeting on May 10, which took place after then-principal Niamh McShane issued an email about how to address the student in question, Mr Burke erupted and spoke for a good five to eight minutes. He described him as agitated, said he changed colour completely, adding that he did not shout but was good at projecting his voice loudly. At another meeting held on May 18 between Mr Galligan, Mr Burke, and the then-principal, the deputy principal said that Mr Burke repeated again and again because of my religious beliefs, I am opposed to transgenderism'. Mr Galligan said Mr Burke failed to answer more specifically how he intended to address the student, so we were none the wiser on how he would deal with the situation. Guidance councillor Freda Malone told the court that said she had worked at the school since 2010 and was one of the teacher representatives on the board of management. She said that after Ms McShane issued the email in May, she asked Mr Burke to leave the classroom he had been supervising before the year head explained to a class about the situation facing a particular student. She said that he left the class, but she observed him looking in the window and writing things down as the year head addressed students. When Mr Burke addressed her afterwards, he appeared irate and flustered. She told the court that she said to him that she was sorry he was upset and could see there were tears in his eyes. Former principal of Wilsons Hospital School Niamh McShane (Brian Lawless/PA) She told the court that at the 260th anniversary for the school held on June 21, she saw Mr Burke approach Ms McShane and demand that she withdraw the email about the students request. She said she observed him attempting to follow her around the canteen, and that she saw another parent try to step in to block his path. She said she joined the parent and that Mr Burke said you are stopping my progress. She said she believed she had asked him why are you behaving this way and why he had accosted Ms McShane. I recall he said to me I have not accosted anyone Freda, you better be careful what you say to me. It wasnt a very pleasant situation to be in, she said. Enoch Burke outside Wilsons Hospital School earlier this year (Niall Carson/PA) At the disciplinary hearing on January 19, Ms Malone was nominated to stand in as acting chair of the board of management, as the chair Mr John Rogers was ill. Mr Burke and three members of his family, including his sister Ammi, was present at the same meeting. I attempted to start the meeting and the Burkes right from the start shouted over me, Ms Malone said. She said that the Burkes objected to the stenographer being in the room, and when she had left, they all huddled together. Then they started objecting to the fact that John Rogers was not there, she told the court, but said the meeting began despite their objections. She said that former principal Ms McShane began to read from the stage-four report she had compiled, and moved closer to the board members so that she could be heard. Ms Malone said that all four Burke family members also moved closer, until they were right at our desks in front of us. She said they were so close that at one point Ammis hair whipped me in the face. She said they had shouted about there being no chair in the room, and about proceedings being a sham. It was absurd what they were shouting, she said. In response to a question from Alex White SC for the school, Ms Malone added: If Mr Burke felt he couldnt hear something it was because his own family were [speaking] so loudly. She said that she had twice invited Mr Burke to ask questions or address the board and he did not reply but just continued with the chanting. The meeting was then brought to a close, and board members moved to an adjoining room to discuss the matter, which she said went on for about two-and-a-half hours. She told the court that the board concluded that there had been a clear example of intimidation, of harassment of a colleague (Ms McShane), a serious breach of confidentiality by disclosing something about a student at the chapel service on June 21, and added that there was a health and safety concern for students. The legal team for the school is due to deliver its concluding remarks at 10.30am on Friday. Sharon Stone talked about the Hollywood's gender pay gap at Tuesday's 43rd annual New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) Muse Awards. (Photo: ANGELA WEISS / AFP) Sharon Stone is taking on Hollywood's gender pay gap once again. While speaking at Tuesday's New York Women in Film & Televisions 43rd annual Muse Awards, the actress said she made only $500,000 appearing 1992's Basic Instinct, directed by Paul Verhoeven, while her co-star Michael Douglas was paid $13.5 million more. "Michael Douglas made $14 million," Stone told the crowd, according to Page Six. "Now, I was new. I was new and he was a very big star." Douglas went into the project having won two Academy Awards and with film credits including Wall Street, The China Syndrome, Romancing the Stone and Fatal Attraction. Stone had made 17 films, but was relatively unknown save for her role in 1990's Total Recall, which was also directed by Verhoeven. Stone who said just two weeks ago that she lost half her fortune due to the recent bank fallout also talked about how a line producer on the erotic thriller mistakenly called her Karen throughout the "entirety of the film." She said, "Even at the Governors Ball," after the Oscars, "he still called me 'Karen!' And I carried that humiliation really deeply within me even though my name wasnt on the poster." Sharon Stone became a huge star after appearing in Basic Instinct with Michael Douglas. (Photo: Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images) Stone who played crime novelist/possible killer Catherine Tramell has spoken a lot over the last year plus about her experience making Basic Instinct. Earlier this month, the 65-year-old said she lost custody of her eldest son Roan, now 22, because of her nude scene in the film. In her divorce battle from Phil Bronstein, she said a judge asked her "tiny little" son, "'Do you know your mother makes sex movies?'" She noted that viewers of the film saw "maybe a 16th of a second of possible nudity" in the film. As a result of losing custody in 2004, Stone, who later adopted two more sons on her own, says she "ended up in the Mayo Clinic with extra heartbeats in my upper and lower chamber of my heart. It broke my heart." In December, in conversation at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia, Stone spoke about the pay gap between herself and Douglas, saying her salary didn't give her enough money to provide for her own safety amid the stardom she achieved from the film. "I made $500,000 and Michael Douglas made $14 million. Michael could afford the car, driver, bodyguard," she said. "I had to move because people were on my roof and breaking my door down. I couldn't afford the things I needed because of the sudden fame I had." In the same interview, she said, "There was this backlash that I must be like my character I must be killing people and naked and showing my vagina in the supermarket. It became personally traumatic in my life; I lost custody of my baby in my divorce, because the judge decided I was making sex movies." She also revealed that she "went to the studio and asked them for a small budget" in hopes of directing her own film project after Basic Instinct, "and I was laughed out of the room. I was told 'women don't direct.'" Also in December, Stone, who went on to star in Casino, said on social media that she "never got equal pay" as a working actress and hopes her kids sell her movie costumes one day when she's gone. Last February, marking the 30th anniversary of the film, Stone wrote an essay for InStyle talking about negotiating to keep her costumes to offset some of the salary difference, which turned out to be a smart move. "I was 32 when I got the part of Catherine Tramell," she wrote. "It was probably as late as you could be in your career without a big break. But from the moment I read the script, I knew I was the right person for the role. It was an intellectually complex part, and I felt like I had a real grasp on it." However, "For the longest time, I was certain they were going to recast me with someone else, because how could I possibly star opposite Michael Douglas? I thought maybe I was just a placeholder. But during those first few wardrobe fittings, it really started to sink in. I couldn't believe how exciting it was and all of the incredible costumes that were being made just for me. I put in my contract that I could keep the clothes. People thought I was crazy, but the truth is I wasn't getting paid much compared to my male co-star. I made $500,000; Michael made $14 million. So keeping my costumes was a really smart thing to do." She still has "almost all of the wardrobe," including "the white dress and coat," from the infamous interrogation scene in which her character uncrossed her legs and famously wasn't wearing underwear that was "zipped up in a garment bag on the set, and it has never been opened since. I broke the zipper, so it's hermetically sealed like a piece of art or a very cool time capsule." The year before that, Stone released her memoir, The Beauty of Living Twice, and in it claimed she was duped into removing her underwear for the film's interrogation scene under the pretense it would not be visible on film. Stone didn't see the scene until she was invited to a screening. She was so furious she consulted her attorney. Verhoeven maintained that he cleared it with Stone and said he his "memory is radically different from Sharons memory." Stone is just one of the stars talking about Hollywood's gender pay gap this week. Kelly Ripa said her husband Mark Consuelos made more money than her on All My Children despite joining the show years after she did. Seo Jae-pyeong, head of the Association for North Korean Defectors, speaks during an interview with The Korea Times on Monday at a library in Songpa District, Seoul. Korea Times photo by Kang Hyun-kyung This is the third in a series of interviews with North Korean defectors and their assimilation into South KoreaED. Older North Korean defectors are predominantly conservative, yet some young people lean toward liberals, says activist By Kang Hyun-kyung "Finally, we are here." That is what many North Korean defectors say when they arrive in Incheon International Airport after hiding in China for several years. Tasting freedom, they heave a sigh of relief because they no longer have to live in fear of getting caught by the Chinese security authorities and being sent back to the North. But that sense of relief is short-lived as their days in the South unfold. Most of them left behind impoverished family members back home. The defectors say they feel an overwhelming sense of sadness and guilt whenever they think of their parents, siblings and other loved ones who are struggling to make ends meet in the North. The escapees work hard and try to save as much money as they can to send back home to help their family members escape hunger. The pandemic, however, has complicated remittance transfers. Also, their acts of filial piety are abused by fraudulent brokers. Cases of remittance fraud have increased as the pandemic created a loophole that allows brokers to cheat their clients, according to the leader of a Seoul-based non-profit group established to help the resettlement of North Korean defectors. "Remittance transfers to the North Korean cities located along the border with China, such as Musan, Hoeryung and Hyesan, have gone smoothly as usual," Seo Jae-pyeong, the president of the Association for North Korean Defectors, said during a recent Korea Times interview. "But cases of fraud were reported by defectors who had sent money to their family living in inland cities and counties located far from the border regions." He said various types of scams were reported. False receipts are one of the most common types of fraud that frustrate the defectors. "Some brokers tell the defectors that the money was handed over to their family members without presenting hard evidence, while some fabricate receipts. The hardest part is that there is no way for the defectors in the South to make sure whether the money reached their family." Seo posted a pop-up notice on his organization's website to warn fellow defectors of the remittance scams to help raise awareness of the newest types of fraud. Sending money back home to North Korea is a high-risk business for everyone involved. Since the pandemic, it has become almost impossible for defectors to make sure if the money was delivered to their families. Brokers and recipients in the North face grave consequences if they are caught by North Korean authorities. Remittance transfers usually involve three brokers one living in South Korea, another in China and another in the North. Brokers used to take 30 percent of the money sent to the North as commission. But after the pandemic, Seo said the rate for brokers was raised to 50 percent, as money transfers have become even riskier and more daunting than ever before due to the North's lockdown. Once the money is delivered, brokers arrange a video call between a defector in South Korea and their family in the North using a smuggled Chinese smartphone. The video chats are available only in the China-North Korea border regions as the phones can use international networks. If a recipient lives in an inland area of North Korea, the broker in the North takes the family member all the way to the border region to arrange the phone call. COVID-19, however, changed everything. Due to North Korea's lockdown, family members living in inland areas are not allowed to travel all the way to the border regions for video confirmation on a smuggled Chinese cell phone. "Some brokers take advantage of the loophole," said Seo. "They fabricate receipts. Some hand over a smaller amount of money than what was due and force them to sign a receipt." An annual survey conducted by the Database Center for North Korean Human Rights, in collaboration with North Korea Social Research (NKSR), paints a rough picture of the scale of inter-Korean remittances. The 2022 survey, released on October 21, 2022, found that 17.8 percent of North Korean defectors sent remittances back home 1.5 times per year. The average amount of money sent each time is 4.09 million won ($3,075). A total of 208 million won ($160,000) was sent to the North by the defectors, an increase of 35 million won from the previous year. A total of 399 North Korean defectors in the South were surveyed between September 19 and October 2, last year, and it has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points. Seo Jae-pyeong, the president of Association for North Korean Defectors / Korea Times photo by Kang Hyun-kyung Seven California Highway Patrol officers and a nurse were charged with manslaughter Wednesday in connection with the death of a man who screamed, "I can't breathe!" as they tried to draw blood from him, prosecutors said. Edward Bronstein was suspected of driving while intoxicated in 2020 when he was apprehended and later died in CHP custody at the agency's Altadena station. The six officers and a sergeant who filmed the deadly encounter with Bronstein were charged with involuntary manslaughter and assault under color of authority, according to Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascon. An attending nurse at the scene was also charged with involuntary manslaughter, Gascon said. These officers had a legal duty to Mr. Bronstein," Gascon said as he announced the charges. "He was in their custody and their failure was criminally negligent. The officers charged were Sgt. Michael Little, Dionisio Fiorella, Dusty Osmanson, Darren Parsons, Diego Romero, Justin Silva and Marciel Terry. The nurse was identified as Arbi Baghalian. It was not immediately clear if any of them had defense attorneys or when arraignments will take place. The officers have not been arrested and are expected to self-surrender, according to Tiffiny Blacknell, director of communications for the district attorney's office. Gascon refused to take questions from reporters and left the room after playing video of the fatal incident. The charges come nearly three years after the death of Bronstein, 38, a Burbank resident. A video released as part of a civil lawsuit last year shows Bronstein's desperate last moments, screaming "I can't breathe" as the officers wrestle with him and try to forcibly draw his blood after a vehicle stop and arrest in March 2020. Bronstein was pulled over by Osmanson on the 5 Freeway on suspicion of driving under the influence and taken to the Altadena station. Once there, officers tried to draw his blood to measure his alcohol level, but he refused. In a 16-minute video recorded by Little, which Gascon played at the Wednesday news conference, Bronstein can be seen kneeling on the ground while a gloved officer presses his hands onto his shoulders and an officer who is off-camera instructs Bronstein to comply with a court-ordered blood draw. After a lengthy back-and-forth, Bronstein yells that he will comply with the officer's demands. But additional officers can then be seen surrounding him and holding him down with their body weight as he repeatedly shouts in distress. "I promise, I promise!" Bronstein can be heard pleading, but an officer responded that it was "too late" while continuing to press down on Bronstein. After nearly a minute of being pinned, Bronstein says, "I can't breathe!" as the blood draw takes place. Roughly one minute later, Bronstein goes slack and stops responding to the officers, according to the video. Officers can be seen trying to revive him. One calls his name and slaps the side of his head while he remains face-down on the ground. But several minutes elapse before officers attempt to deliver oxygen or CPR. Someone can be seen repeatedly checking Bronstein's neck and wrists for a pulse, but no officer appears to react with urgency. One person can be seen fidgeting with the blood vials drawn from Bronstein while his body lies prone. Our agencys top priority is protecting the safety and well-being of all Californians, and I am saddened that Mr. Bronstein died while in our custody and care," CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said in a statement. "Any death in custody is a tragedy that we take with utmost seriousness. I recognize this case will now move through the court system, and I respect the judicial process. All seven officers are on administrative leave, according to an agency spokesperson. Ed Obayashi, a Northern California Sheriff's deputy and use-of-force expert, said he is not surprised by the charges against the officers. "This is low-level misdemeanor. Why would officers consider using such force?" he asked. "Their use of force here violated basic training and the law. The DUI suspect was not resisting, he was trying to breathe," he said. "If you use this kind of weight on a body, a death or serious injury is predictable. This is de facto deadly force." According to sources familiar with the investigation but not authorized to discuss it, prosecutors believe the nurse acted with criminal negligence by failing to provide adequate medical care to Bronstein. A Los Angeles County coroner's office report could not conclusively determine Bronstein's cause of death but attributed it to "acute methamphetamine, intoxication during restraint by law enforcement." Luis Carrillo, the Bronstein family's attorney, said there was only a "trace" amount of methamphetamine in the victim's system and argued that the officers' actions were the primary cause of death. Bronstein was driving with blood-alcohol content of 0.07% at the time of the incident, below the legal limit, according to Carrillo. Carrillo previously told The Times the video was not part of the usual CHP protocol and was shot by a sergeant. Although CHP cars have dash cams, officers do not wear body cameras. "I suspect they shot this for training purposes and then realized later they had to reveal its existence," he said. Edward Tapia, the victim's father, said his son did not have any substance abuse issues and was a reformed gang member who wanted to work as an airplane mechanic. He was working in his father's auto body shop at the time of his death. Both Tapia and Carrillo said that while they believed Gascon should have filed second-degree murder charges, they were happy to see someone held accountable. Im glad it came to this point so [the officers] cant hurt nobody else," Tapia said. I miss my son so much but I dont know what else to say. I think when you see the video youll understand. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The Afghan pilot has urged the prime minister to intervene to stop him from being deported (Holly Bancroft) The Afghan war hero facing deportation to Rwanda after arriving in the UK on a small boat has directly appealed to Rishi Sunak to give him sanctuary in Britain. The air force lieutenant, who served alongside coalition troops, urged the prime minister to intervene in his case after finding no safe route to Britain from Afghanistan, where he had been in hiding. Asking Mr Sunak to bring his family left behind in Afghanistan to safety, he also called for the same support for other veterans who served alongside British forces. In a powerful entreaty to No 10, he wrote: I trusted the British forces and was proud to work together as we protected each other from our common enemy. I hope you will now reflect on that mutual commitment as you read this letter. That commitment was made not just by myself, but by many brave men and women in Afghanistan, who now find themselves threatened by the Taliban and have no lawful means of escape. The Independent has launched a petition calling for the UK to support Afghan war heroes who served alongside Britain It came as Sir Keir Starmer backed The Independents campaign to halt the pilots deportation. The Labour leader said it was a disgrace that a serviceman who fought alongside British troops faced being forced out. The pilot, who was praised by his coalition forces supervisor as a patriot to his nation, says he was forced into hiding when the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021. Describing his ordeal, he wrote: When your forces left Afghanistan, the Taliban forced me into hiding. I managed to escape and, unable to find a safe route to Britain, took a dangerous journey across five countries before being forced to pay for a place on a small boat to cross the Channel to Britain. I asked for help in return for the help I once gave your people. Instead you have threatened to forcibly deport me to Rwanda. The pilot was praised by his coalition forces supervisor as a patriot to his nation (The Independent) The airmans journey overland means he is eligible for deportation under the UKs existing inadmissibility rules, which state that anyone who arrives having travelled through a safe country should be barred from claiming asylum in the UK and removed. The pilot, whom we have agreed not to name in order to protect his family who are still in Afghanistan, is now living in a Home Office hotel for asylum seekers. In his letter, he tells Mr Sunak it is simply untrue that there are safe and legal routes to the UK. Men I served with are stuck in exile, faced with a return to certain death at home, or an illegal journey here, he writes. It is important that you grant these people protection in the country they risked their lives to help. After asking Mr Sunak to honour the promises made to Afghan servicemen, he asks the prime minister to do three things: withdraw the threat to send him to Rwanda; grant him full asylum in the UK; and allow him to reunite with his family. I asked for help in return for the help I once gave your people. Instead you have threatened to forcibly deport me to Rwanda, he writes (The Independent) I had no choice but to leave my family, as my very presence in our home put them in danger, and it was impossible to bring them on my fugitive journey from Afghanistan to the UK. My family remain in some danger now, and I must get them out as soon as possible, he says. This week, Mr Sunak vowed to look at the case after it was raised by The Independent. He was pressed by the Conservative MP and chair of the Commons women and equalities committee Caroline Nokes when he appeared in front of the Commons liaison committee. In the exchange, Ms Nokes asked Mr Sunak how the government would support Afghans who had worked alongside British forces but had arrived to the UK on small boats. He responded by saying that these are exactly the sort of people we want to help. Ms Nokes pressed him, adding: ... which is why an Afghan pilot was highlighted in The Independent as having been given notification that he was likely to be removed to Rwanda. Mr Sunak told her he could not comment on individual cases, but asked for the details to be sent to him, saying: Ill happily make sure the Home Office have a look. Senior military and political figures, as well as diplomats, have lined up to demand that the airman is not sent to Rwanda. Former defence minister Kevan Jones described the situation as a stain on Britains great reputation, while Sir Laurie Bristow, who was British ambassador to Afghanistan during the summer of 2021 and the fall of Kabul, warned that the lives of Afghans who worked for us and with us ... are at risk as a result. General Sir Richard Barrons, a former chief of joint operations who served in Afghanistan, said the pilots route to the UK should not affect his chance of being granted asylum. This should not be complicated ... The fact that he went through other countries to get here is not surprising, considering the mess the government made with the evacuation process, he said. Tobias Ellwood, the chair of parliaments defence select committee, said of the deportation threat: This is not who we are as a nation. FILE - Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., leaves an intelligence briefing on the unknown aerial objects, at the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 14, 2023. A person close to Fetterman says he'll return to the Senate in April, two months after the freshman Democrat sought inpatient treatment for clinical depression. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman will return to the Senate in April, two months after the freshman Democrat sought inpatient treatment for clinical depression, a person close to Fetterman said Wednesday. The person, who was not authorized to discuss Fettermans plans and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Fetterman will return the week of April 17. It was not immediately clear when Fetterman will leave Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he checked in Feb. 15 after weeks of what aides described as Fetterman being withdrawn and uninterested in eating, discussing work or the usual banter with staff. Fetterman, 53, was barely a month into his service in Washington and still recovering from the aftereffects of the stroke he suffered last May during his campaign when he went to Walter Reed on the advice of the Capitol physician, Dr. Brian P. Monahan. Post-stroke depression is common and treatable, doctors say. Before Wednesday, neither Fetterman nor Senate Democratic leadership had provided a certain timeline for his return. Fettermans return will be welcome news for Democrats who have struggled to find votes for some nominations, in particular, without Fetterman there. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., has also been absent for several weeks recovering from a case of the shingles, and the two absences have made some votes difficult in Democrats single-vote, 51-49 majority. Republicans have also dealt with some absences of their own, notably Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who has been at home recovering from a fall. McConnell could also return as soon as the week of April 17. ___ Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington contributed to this report. Follow Marc Levy on Twitter: @timelywriter President Biden's nominee to lead the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was previously involved in a dark money-fueled effort to file numerous climate nuisance lawsuits across the country. Ann Carlson, who currently serves as acting NHTSA administrator, was formerly an environmental law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles where she also served as the co-director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change & the Environment. During her time at the institute, she coordinated with its chairman Dan Emmett to raise money for lawsuits designed to hobble the fossil fuel industry. Carlson and Emmett revealed details about their behind-the-scenes efforts to spearhead the litigation in email correspondence from 2017 and 2018 obtained by the watchdog group Government Accountability & Oversight (GAO) and highlighted in a Fox News Digital report last year. The two worked to raise money that was then funneled through nonprofit organizations to the private law firm Sher Edling. In their emails, Emmett and Carlson discuss how Chuck Savitt, Sher Edling's director of strategic client relationships, had sought Emmett's support and had already received support from Terry Tamminen in his role as the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation's CEO, a title he held between 2016 and 2019. Tamminen now serves on the advisory board of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change & the Environment. LEONARDO DICAPRIO TRAVELED ON GAS-GUZZLING PRIVATE JETS, YACHTS WHILE FUNDING CLIMATE NUISANCE LAWSUITS Ann Carlson's official National Highway Traffic Safety Administration portrait. "Chuck Savitt who is heading this new organization behind the lawsuits has been seeking our support," Emmett wrote to Carlson on July 22, 2017. "Terry Tamminen in his new role with the DiCaprio Foundation has been a key supporter." READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Emmett also forwarded a message Savitt sent him three days earlier on July 19, 2017, asking for his support. Savitt mentioned in the earlier email that Sher Edling's first lawsuits were filed with the support of the Collective Action Fund for Accountability, Resilience and Adaptation, a fund managed at the time by dark money group Resources Legacy Fund (RLF). CONSERVATIVES REJOICE AFTER KEY BIDEN NOMINEE WITHDRAWS: 'ENORMOUS VICTORY FOR FREE SPEECH' "Wanted to let you know that we filed the first three lawsuits supported by the Collective Action Fund on Monday," Savitt told Emmett in the email. "These precedent setting cases call on 37 of the world's leading fossil fuel companies to take responsibility for the devastating damage sea level rise - caused by their greenhouse gas emissions - is having on coastal communities." Sher Edling wiped mention of Savitt from its website two days after Fox News Digital first reported on the emails in August. Dan Emmett mentions to Ann Carlson that the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation has been a "key supporter" of Sher Edling's litigation. Months later, Emmett emails Carlson, saying she can mention to prospective donors that he and the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, at the time led by CEO Terry Tamminen, are supporters of Sher Edling's litigation. The email correspondence between Carlson and Emmett took place two months before the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation publicly announced it would contribute $20 million in grants to various climate and conservation causes. The group's announcement, which has since been deleted but remains archived , included a grant to the RLF "to support precedent-setting legal actions to hold major corporations in the fossil fuel industry liable," closely mirroring Savitt's language. And in 2018, the records showed Carlson emailed Emmett asking if she could mention his and the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation's involvement in the fundraising scheme to other prospective donors. Emmett green-lit the idea, adding that she could tell others that "Terry's organization and I are both serious supporters, that you are an advisor, that the science is there, that it could do more for the environment than just about anything going on if it succeeds." INSPECTOR GENERAL INVESTIGATING PETE BUTTIGIEG'S EXTENSIVE PRIVATE JET TRAVEL AFTER FOX NEWS DIGITAL REPORT In addition to the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation and the Emmett Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund and JPB Foundation have contributed to the Collective Action Fund since 2017. The RLF, in turn, contributed more than $5.2 million to Sher Edling between 2017 and 2020, according to the group's tax filings during that period. Leonardo DiCaprio, who has used his platform to advocate for climate action, is pictured during a movie premiere in 2021. RLF's fiscal sponsorship of the Collective Action Fund was then quietly shifted to the New Venture Fund a nonprofit incubator at the billion-dollar dark money network managed by Arabella Advisors consulting firm which wired $3 million to Sher Edling in 2021 alone, additional tax filings showed. Overall, Sher Edling has filed lawsuits on behalf of the states of Delaware, Minnesota, Rhode Island and New Jersey, and the cities of Washington, D.C., New York City, Baltimore, Honolulu and San Francisco, in addition to several other cities and counties nationwide. The lawsuits allege fossil fuel companies have waged campaigns of deception about the science of climate change for decades. "Obviously, the donors created including DiCaprio several purported arms' lengths," Chris Horner, a lawyer who represented GAO in a case involving the emails, told Fox News Digital in August. "This model used a couple of pass-throughs, by which DiCaprio and, it appears, Dan Emmett and others could run things, including DiCaprio's foundation and Resources Legacy Fund, and they're not seen as financing the assault," Horner added. The White House announced Monday that Carlson's nomination for NHTSA administrator was sent to the Senate for confirmation. The NHTSA didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Chinese nationals are crossing the U.S.-Mexico border into the U.S. in unprecedented numbers this year, with the first few months of FY 2023 already eclipsing the total for 2022. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reports that just under 2,000 Chinese nationals crossed the border in FY 2022, but the first few months of FY 2023 have already seen 4,300 encounters, according to federal data. The wave of Chinese migrants comes as the country bristles against Chinese President Xi Jinping's continued crackdown on freedoms. China saw a large wave of protests in recent months following Xi's widespread COVID-19 lockdowns. "So the word is out, right?," Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, told Axios. "If you can get to our southern border, you have a pretty good shot at getting in, and it has changed the demographics." ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION NOW COSTS US TAXPAYERS $151 BILLION A YEAR, NEW STUDY FINDS Border Patrol agents watch migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona as they await processing. Chinese President Xi Jinping's strict polices have caused more and more Chinese citizens to flee the country, activists say. Republicans have accused President Biden of refusing to enforce U.S. border policies, which they argue sends the message to other migrants that the U.S. border is open. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Biden has faced record-breaking numbers of border crossings since gaining office in 2021. His first month in office saw 100,000 migrant encounters, according to CBP data. Now, however, the CBP tracks some 230,000 migrant encounters each month. PROGRESSIVES IN UPROAR AFTER WHITE HOUSE CONSIDERS DETAINING MIGRANT FAMILIES A federal judge in Florida struck down the Biden administrations use of parole to mass release migrants into the U.S. earlier this month, finding the practice unlawful and accusing the administration of turning the border into a "meaningless line in the sand." Judge T. Kent Wetherell ruled in response to a lawsuit from the state of Florida, arguing the Biden administration had "effectively turned the Southwest Border into a meaningless line in the sand and little more than a speedbump for aliens flooding into the country." President Biden's administration has overseen an unprecedented spike in illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border. CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The Biden administration saw 1.7 million migrant encounters in 2021, followed by 2.3 million encounters in 2022. More are expected in 2023. Fox News' Adam Shaw contributed to this report. Keir Starmer has backed The Independents campaign to stop the deportation of an Afghan war hero threatened with removal to Rwanda. In a dramatic intervention, the Labour leader said it was a disgrace that a brave pilot who fought alongside British troops faced being forced out. He also accused the government of a shameful level of incompetence as he called on ministers not to deport him. The Independent revealed this week that the Afghan Air Force veteran had fled the Taliban and arrived in Britain on a small boat because he could secure no safe and legal route to the UK. Rishi Sunak has promised that the Home Office will review his case. But as anger over the situation grew, senior military chiefs, politicians and diplomats lined up to demand he not be sent to Rwanda. Sir Keir told The Independent: Its a disgrace that this brave pilot who fought alongside British troops is facing deportation at the hands of the governments unworkable gimmick. The Independent has launched a petition calling for the UK to support Afghan war heroes who served alongside Britain. He added: We are a proud nation which always resolutely stands in support of our armed forces and our allies. Personnel at home and abroad continue to work tirelessly to secure our safety as a nation. From conflicts in Afghanistan to Ukraine, we should be celebrating their contribution to our peace and national security. Labour Party leader Keir Starmer accused the government of a shameful level of incompetence (AFP via Getty Images) Its damning of this government that a war veteran who fought alongside British troops now faces being forced out of Britain. We should be protecting those who fought alongside our soldiers, not deporting them. He also said it was clear the Conservatives shameful level of incompetence in dealing with the asylum system is having a dangerous impact. The government must commit to stopping this proposed deportation. The pilot has been praised as a patriot to his nation (supplied) The Afghan veteran flew 30 combat missions against the Taliban. He was praised by his coalition forces supervisor as a patriot to his nation. But an email from the Home Office told him that because he had travelled through Switzerland, Italy and France on his way to England that could have consequences for whether your claim is admitted to the UK asylum system. And he was warned that he may also be removable to Rwanda. The Home Office also told him his personal data could be shared with the Rwandan authorities, leading to claims that he has been forgotten by US and British forces. Amid a growing clamour over the case, former Conservative cabinet minister Rory Stewart called the threat to deport the pilot to Rwanda shameful. Give us your view by answering our poll below Sir Laurie Bristow, who was ambassador to Afghanistan during the fall of Kabul in the summer of 2021, warmed many British soldiers owe their lives to Afghans who fought alongside them. Former defence minister Kevan Jones also described the situation as a stain on Britains great reputation. Sign our petition for the UK to support Afghan war heroes who served alongside Britain here. FILE - Rioters at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. Speaker Kevin McCarthys decision to unleash a trove of Jan. 6 Capitol attack footage to Fox News Tucker Carlson has launched a wholesale rewriting of the history of the deadly siege. Carlson aired the first installment of some 41,000 hours of security footage on his prime-time show and promised more Tuesday. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) BOSTON (AP) A former Boston police officer was arrested Thursday on charges that he assaulted a police officer after storming the U.S. Capitol with the mob of President Donald Trump supporters on Jan. 6, 2021. Joseph Robert Fisher is accused of pushing a chair into a Capitol police officer inside the building as the officer was running after another rioter who deployed pepper spray, according to court documents. Moments later, Fisher also engaged in a physical assault against the officer, which ended with Fisher on the ground, an FBI agent wrote in the court papers. A current Boston police officer helped investigators identify Fisher in photographs, the agent wrote. The 52-year-old was arrested at his home in Plymouth, Massachusetts and released on conditions after an initial court appearance Thursday. Fisher retired in 2016 after serving more than 20 years in the police force, including as part of the K-9 unit, a department spokesperson said. He's charged with assaulting an officer, obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder and other crimes. The Associated Press sent an email to an attorney who represented Fisher for his initial appearance in Boston. Fisher is among several people charged in the riot who were working or previously worked in law enforcement on Jan. 6. The rioter who received the longest sentence so far 10 years in prison was a retired New York City police officer who used a metal flagpole to assault an officer. Also on Thursday, authorities arrested a Colorado man who prosecutors say was part of a group of rioters who violently pushed against officers desperately trying to defend the Capitol from the angry mob in a tunnel. Jonathan Grace, of Colorado Springs, faces charges including felony civil disorder. The 49-year-old is also supposed to appear in court on Thursday in Denver. No attorney was immediately listed for him in court records. Surveillance video shows Grace entering a tunnel where officers were lined up as they tried to beat back the mob. Grace can be seen putting his head down and using his body to push in unison with other rioters against the police line, authorities say. As the rioters pushed, one of officers screamed in pain while being crushed between a shield and a door frame in one of the most harrowing scenes from the riot, according to court documents. After officers at one point managed to clear rioters out of the tunnel, Grace watched as other rioters dragged a D.C. police officer out of the tunnel and brutally attacked him, authorities say. He then re-joined the rioters pushing against the police line and retreated only after officers sprayed a chemical irritant at the crowd, according to court documents. They join roughly 1,000 people who have charged with federal crimes in the riot that halted the certification of President Joe Bidens victory and left dozens of police officers injured. All of the cases are being prosecuted in Washington D.C.s federal court and authorities continue to make new arrests practically every week. More than 540 defendants have pleaded guilty. Dozens more have been convicted by judges or juries after trials. More than 440 have been sentenced, with over half getting terms of imprisonment ranging from seven days to 10 years. ___ Associated Press writer Michael Kunzelman contributed to this report. ___ Follow the APs coverage of the Capitol riot at https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege. FILE - U.S. Rep. Nick Galifianakis, D-N.C., is shown in his Washington office, Jan. 9, 1967. A funeral will be held this weekend for the former Democratic U.S. representative, who died Monday, March 27, 2023. He was 94. Galifianakis represented central North Carolina for several years before two unsuccessful Senate bids the first against archconservative Jesse Helms. (AP Photo/Harvey Georges, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) A funeral will be held this weekend for former Democratic U.S. Rep. Nick Galifianakis, who represented central North Carolina for several years before two unsuccessful Senate bids the first against archconservative Jesse Helms. Galifianakis died on Monday at age 94, according to obituary information from Hall-Wynne Funeral Service in Durham. Galifianakis, who had Parkinsons disease for several years, died at a Raleigh retirement community, a family spokesman, Jack Pinnix, told The News & Observer of Raleigh. A Durham native, son of Greek immigrants and Duke University graduate, Galifianakis was an attorney and ex-Marine first elected to the General Assembly in 1960. He was elected to Congress to 1966 and became a rising star in the party while serving three terms. In 1972, Galifianakis defeated U.S. Sen. B. Everett Jordan in the Democratic primary but that November lost to the Republican Helms, then a Raleigh television commentator. It became a watershed year for Republicans in North Carolina as GOP candidates rode the coattails of President Richard Nixons landslide victory. Helms served in the Senate for 30 years. The Helms campaign used a commercial blitz to attempt to link Galifianakis with Democratic presidential nominee George McGovern. Galifianakis ran for U.S. Senate again in 1974 but lost to Attorney General Robert Morgan in the Democratic primary. He devoted himself to his Durham law practice in the years ahead. A moderate by national political standards, Galifianakis was on the liberal edge of the political spectrum in North Carolina. He supported the Equal Rights Amendment and was the first member of the states congressional delegation to oppose the Vietnam War, The News & Observer reported. While in the state House as a judiciary committee chairman, Galifianakis helped oversee the overhaul of the state's court system into what it largely remains today. Galifianakis had a larger-than-life personality when it came to politics and campaigning. He used his long last name to his advantage, with his campaigns distributing two buttons one read GALIFI and the other ANAKIS. Galifianakis is survived by his wife, Louise, and two children. Actor Zach Galifianakis and cartoonist Nick Galifianakis are his nephews. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church in Durham. FILE - This 2014 photo provided by the Connecticut Department of Correction, shows George Bratsenis. The career criminal whose rap sheet includes bank robberies and a murder conspiracy was sentenced Wednesday, March 29, 2023, to 16 years in prison for killing a New Jersey political consultant in exchange for money in 2014. (Connecticut Department of Correction via AP, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) NEWARK, N.J. (AP) A career criminal whose rap sheet includes bank robberies and a murder conspiracy was sentenced Wednesday to 16 years in prison for killing a New Jersey political consultant in exchange for money in 2014. George Bratsenis, 74, pleaded guilty a year ago to a charge that he and another man accepted thousands of dollars from another political consultant, Sean Caddle, in exchange for killing Michael Galdieri. Galdieri was stabbed to death in his Jersey City apartment, which was then set on fire. U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez imposed the 16-year sentence plus five years of supervised release on Wednesday in federal court in Newark. A man who served time in a New Jersey prison with Bratsenis in the early 2000s, Bomani Africa, also pleaded guilty in the killing and was sentenced last month to 20 years. He named Bratsenis as the accomplice who helped kill Galdieri. Revelations about Galdieris killing jolted political circles in a state infamous for dozens of political corruption convictions in recent decades and trickery like the 2013 Bridgegate scandal, which involved traffic jams purposely created near the busy George Washington Bridge for political retribution. Caddle was well-known in northern New Jersey politics. His one-time clients included current Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez and former Democratic state senator and gubernatorial candidate Raymond Lesniak. Caddles plea agreement referred briefly and opaquely to him providing investigators with information, but didnt say what. He pleaded to conspiring to commit murder-for-hire in January 2022 and hasn't been sentenced yet..The U.S. attorneys office has declined comment, as has an attorney for Bratsenis. Questions still surround the case over why the plot was put in motion, how Caddle was linked to the two ex-convicts, and why federal prosecutors have said so little about the crime. Less mysterious is the depth and breadth of Bratseniss criminal past. Bratsenis served in the Marines from 1968 to 1974, and then began racking up convictions in Connecticut and New Jersey for drug, robbery and weapons offenses. In the summer of 1980, according to Connecticut authorities, Bratsenis conspired with a former Stamford police lieutenant and two other men to murder a reputed drug courier, David Avnayim, whose body was found in the trunk of a car west of New Haven. Bratsenis wasnt charged until four years later, but eventually pleaded guilty to murder conspiracy. By the time he was charged with Avnayims murder, Bratsenis was already behind bars, the result of a conviction for robbing a jewelry store in Little Falls, New Jersey, in 1983. While behind bars in New Jersey, he plotted an escape attempt in which he planned to hide a bag of drugs in his rectum and explode it during a court appearance, forcing authorities to take him to a hospital where gunmen would spring him, according to published reports at the time. The plot was foiled and Bratsenis eventually pleaded guilty to conspiracy. By the late 2000s, Bratsenis was in Northern State Prison in Newark, New Jersey, having spent more than 25 years behind bars. It was there, authorities in Connecticut alleged in court filings, that he befriended Africa, from Philadelphia, and the two began planning to rob banks when they were paroled. Also housed at the prison during that time period was James Caddle, Sean Caddles brother, although its not known whether he knew Bratsenis or Africa. James Caddle died in 2016, according to an obituary posted online. After being released from prison, authorities said Africa and Bratsenis robbed two Connecticut banks in Darien and Trumbull in 2014, including one weeks before Galdieris killing. Africa robbed a third bank with another man in Stratford later in 2014, prosecutors said. Both Bratsenis and Africa pleaded guilty and were sentenced to eight and 10 years in prison for the robberies, respectively. A worker returns voting machines to storage at the Fulton County election preparation center on Nov. 4, 2020, in Atlanta. Testing before and after elections shows the voting machines accurately tally the ballots, contradicting unfounded conspiracy theories. (John Bazemore / Associated Press) On the third day of the Conservative Political Action Conference earlier this month, two men demonstrated experts' biggest concerns about attempts to access election machines after the 2020 election. Using copies of election software improperly removed from multiple counties that has been circulating among election deniers, they presented an unfounded narrative that they had discovered evidence of fraud and foreign interference. They also discussed their goal to secure jobs as election officers and build a team of computer experts to access elections systems in more than 60 counties in order to prove their theories. "This is exactly the situation that I have warned about," said election technology expert Kevin Skoglund, chief technologist for Citizens for Better Elections. "Having the software out there allows people to make wild claims about it. It creates disinformation that we have to watch out for and tamp down." Skoglund is among the election security experts concerned that bad actors are using the time between the 2020 and 2024 elections to study election systems and software in order to produce disinformation during the next presidential election, such as fake evidence of fraud or questionable results. Described as an election integrity presentation, the event wasn't on the official CPAC agenda or sanctioned by the organization, but took place in a guest room at a nearby hotel. Some CPAC sponsors hold their own sessions, which are planned and produced by them and not CPAC. Only a small number of people attended the event in person. At least 2,800 people watched live online through a far-right broadcast, according to that show's host. That broadcast included commentary from election deniers before and after the presentation. In the weeks after the 2020 election, and for at least the first six months of 2021, former President Trumps supporters arranged to access federally protected election machines and copied sensitive information and software. What they intend to do with the information is not entirely clear. In two instances, courts or state lawmakers granted access to the election systems. Trump supporters also convinced election officials or law enforcement to give them access to election machines in Mesa County, Colo.; Coffee County, Ga.; Fulton County, Pa.; and several Michigan counties. It is unknown how many other election systems across the country were accessed, copied and shared. Cybersecurity and election experts like Skoglund say a full investigation into who accessed election machines in 2020 and 2021, who paid for the efforts and how those involved intend to use the information is necessary to prevent misuse. While the FBI has assisted in some local inquiries, it does not appear to be conducting a national investigation, feeding election experts' concerns that federal law enforcement isn't connecting the dots between issues in other states. The quality of the so-called evidence put forward during the CPAC presentation was comparable to what was submitted with dozens of lawsuits that attorney Sidney Powell filed on behalf of Trump after the 2020 election, Skoglund said. Of the 62 suits from Powell and her allies, all but one failed. Many judges pointed to the lackluster evidence provided to justify the suits as reason to dismiss the cases. "They find something that looks strange and assume the worst," Skoglund said of election deniers. "That's not how you do credible research. If you find something that looks strange, you have to follow it all the way through to make sure there's not some other explanation for it." The event conducted during CPAC was immediately dismissed by the far right commentators broadcasting it. Nonetheless, Skoglund was alarmed that it took place. "The next one may be more potent than this was," he said. The presentation was emblematic of the broader effort to perpetuate a narrative about the potential for election fraud across the country, said Harri Hursti, a cybersecurity expert who works with state-level election officials to test vulnerabilities in voting machines. Several people who aided the efforts to access election machines after the 2020 election are still meeting with state lawmakers, local officials and the public, trying to persuade them to abandon electronic voting. In February, the Shasta County Board of Supervisors canceled its contract with Dominion Voting Systems and on Wednesday decided to count votes by hand in the future. Hursti said the presenters from the event during CPAC contacted him ahead of time and asked him to look at what they thought they had found. He told them there was a simple explanation for the so-called vulnerabilities they had uncovered: It was code from an anti-virus program used to identify common malicious bugs that attack computers, he said. "I was saying to them, 'You know, you should have taken a look to your own computer and see if you find the same malicious code in your own computer, because guess what, it's there,'" Hursti said. One of the presenters, Joshua Merritt, acknowledged the criticism that followed the presentation. He told The Times he intended to pose questions through the presentation in hopes someone would watch the event and help answer them. "We're just trying to do the right thing to make sure people have secure elections," said Merritt, whose affidavit alleging possible foreign interference in the 2020 election was cited in lawsuits Powell filed in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin. "And that's been my only motivation behind it." The other presenter, former Florida congressional candidate Jeff Buongiorno, did not respond to requests for comment from The Times. He said during the presentation that the information referenced came from copies, called forensic images, of production servers from three counties. He would only name one of them: Coffee County in Georgia. "We have multiple counties' forensic images," he said during the presentation. "We're not going to name the counties." Some came from evidence in court cases, and other images he and Merritt obtained on their own, Buongiorno said. "Sometimes you have good Samaritans on the inside who care," Buongiorno said. Merritt told The Times his portion of the presentation was based only on images taken of the Mesa County election system, which were disseminated at an August 2021 cybersymposium held by Trump ally and MyPillow Chief Executive Mike Lindell, and can still be accessed online. At the event during CPAC, Merritt did not dispute Buongiorno's assertions that their presentation used information from multiple counties, including Coffee County. Little is known about who has the information taken in Coffee County, which included copies of every component of the county's voting system. Skoglund, who is an expert witness in an ongoing case involving Georgia's voting machines that uncovered the improper access in the county, said he was unaware that Merritt and Buongiorno had access to that system. "They were not on the list of people that I knew had had that software until then, which just shows that it has spread further than the dozen people or so that had it that I know about," Skoglund said. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The Korea Times is featuring a special monthly series of commentaries that examine the opportunities and prospects for building a free and unified Korea inspired by the 'Korean Dream.' -ED. By Hyunjin Preston Moon We recently celebrated the 104th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement of 1919. Most Koreans acknowledge the significance of this day that launched efforts toward independence from Japanese colonial rule. More than two million Koreans in 1,500 towns and communities across the peninsula united their disparate voices in support of Korea's declaration for independence. Also referred to as the "Mansei" demonstrations, these peaceful protest marches were held throughout March and April of 1919 until brutally suppressed by Japan. As peace negotiations began at the end of World War I, many colonized peoples were inspired by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson's "Fourteen Points" which included a provision for national self-determination. They believed that Wilson's idealized vision for a new global order would open the door to independence from imperial oppression. Many, including Korea, sought representation at the Paris peace talks but to no avail. As Japan was one of the five great powers that dominated the talks, the Korean representative was shut out from the discussions as the victors reconfigured the globe in their own interests, ignoring the principle Wilson proposed when it did not suit them. Given this context, it was amazing that the Korean people launched their movement for independence before the completion of the talks with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919. The Korean Declaration of Independence was signed by 33 representatives of widely diverse social, religious and cultural groups. It laid the moral vision for a grassroots movement that inspired more than a tenth of the total population of the peninsula to participate despite the clear dire consequences. One must recognize that this was organized in a primarily agrarian society under a hostile foreign regime with no international support, and long before the age of social media. It drew upon the founding ideals of the Korean people rooted in "Hongikingan" which includes the mandate by heaven "to live for the greater benefit of humanity." Thus, the movement for independence was not just about national sovereignty but a higher moral ideal with broader implications for Asia and the world: "We claim independence in the interest of the eternal and free development of our people and in accordance with the great movement for world reform based upon the awakening conscience of mankind. This is the clear command of heaven, the course of our times, and a legitimate manifestation of the right of all nations to coexist and live in harmony." Unlike other declarations for independence that listed grievances at their oppressors' wrongdoing, it did "not intend to accuse Japan of infidelity for its violations despite their disregard for the ancient origins of our society and the brilliant spirit of our people, we shall not blame Japan; we must first blame ourselves before finding fault in others." It continues by stating, "we must chart a new course for ourselves in accord with the solemn dictates of conscience, not malign and reject others for reasons of past enmity or momentary passions." Deeply embedded in the providential mandate of Hongikingan, Korea's movement for independence strove to build an ideal nation that would have regional and global consequences: "Independence for Korea today shall not only enable Koreans to lead a normal, prosperous life, as is their due; it will also guide Japan to leave its evil path and perform its great task of supporting the cause in the East, liberating China from a gnawing uneasiness and fear and helping the cause of world peace and happiness for mankind, which depends greatly on peace in the East." The movement became a light in the early 20th century for nationalist movements in other colonized countries, such as India that had been striving for independence from British rule. In 1929, Asia's first Nobel laureate, the Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore, wrote the "Lamp of the East" where he said: "In the Golden Age of Asia Korea was one of the lamp-bearers That lamp waits to be lighted once again For the illumination of the East." A contemporary of Mahatma Gandhi, Tagore was a critic of some strong nativist tendencies in the Indian independence movement, recognizing that although India had a right to national sovereignty it should not be anti-foreign or spurn the developments of the West. Thus, it is understandable that he would be attracted to the moral spirit and vision of the Korean independence movement which sought to promote the best of East and West as well as embrace its oppressors to build a better region and world. Tragically, although Korea was a leader in shaping the independence movements of the twentieth century, it has yet to realize the aspiration of its own independence movement in creating a model, ideal nation. A brief window of opportunity opened in 1945 after national liberation but it was quickly closed by the artificial division of the peninsula and the confrontational geopolitics of the Cold War. With German unification and the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, the Korean people are the only ones that still must contend with the unfortunate legacy of colonialism and the Cold War well into the 21st century. That task, to fulfill our ancestors' hopes, falls to us today. As Koreans, we must recognize that this is the most consequential moment in the history of our people. The rise of statist powers in the heart of Asia is leading to a more dangerous geopolitical environment in this region and world. The war in Ukraine is resurrecting old Cold War alignments. Meanwhile, China's threats against Taiwan, as well as the ongoing threat of North Korea's nuclear program, have made East Asia the vortex of an impending storm that includes the militarization of Japan. Over a century ago, our forefathers dreamt of building a model Korean nation that would inspire the world and lead to peace. Today, we should pick up that noble mantle and strive to complete what they began. We are destined to become more than who we currently are in both the North and the South. The old Cold War paradigm should be cast aside as a foreign construct, and a new one adopted where all Koreans unite together to build a new nation aligned with the aspirations of our ancestors and our founding. I call this the Korean Dream and have described it in my book entitled "The Korean Dream: Vision for a Unified Korea." Central to the creation of this new nation should be the founding ideal of Hongikingan that our people "should benefit all humanity." Thus, it should reflect the best of East and West as well as carry the lofty moral ideals of the independence movement that even sought to embrace our oppressors for the betterment of the region and world. The Korean Dream is being promoted nationwide by Action for Korea United, an unprecedented coalition of over 1,000 civil society organizations. It has embarked on a three-year campaign to promote the Korean Dream, culminating on the 80th anniversary of Korea's Liberation Day in October 2025. Imagine the impact if tens of millions of Koreans, in towns and cities around the South and across the diaspora, mobilize around a singular common vision for a future unified people and nation, very much like our ancestors did over a hundred years ago. It will spark a second March 1 movement that could break down the physical, ideological, cultural and mental divide among Koreans and open the door to unification and the creation of a new nation. This is our moment. As Koreans, let's seize this opportunity by owning the Korean Dream. Hyunjin Preston Moon is chairman and founder of Global Peace Foundation. San Francisco International Airport, where a Northern California man attempted to enter customs with animal corpses in 2018. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) A Northern California man who attempted to enter San Francisco airport customs with eight full or partial animal corpses in his personal baggage was indicted last week on allegations of conspiring to violate the Endangered Species Act. Jason Keith Bruce, 49, of Galt, Calif., was also charged with making false statements and smuggling goods into the United States. Similar charges were handed down against Pir Danish Ali, 43, who runs a hunting outfitter and guide company in Pakistan. U.S. Atty. Phillip A. Talbert announced the charges on March 23 after Bruce was taken into custody that morning. If convicted on all charges, Bruce and Ali could each face up to 26 years in prison with a fine of $550,000. The most serious of the charges is smuggling, which carries a maximum of 20 years and $250,000. Talbert said in a news release that at least 25 hunters contracted Ali between 2013 and 2018, presenting forged documents to import at least 97 trophies into the United States. The U.S. attorneys office said Bruce paid Ali $50,000 to hunt a Ladakh urial, an endangered horned sheep, in Pakistan. The goal was to ultimately smuggle the trophy either the entire body or a part into the United States. Ali informed Bruce, a recreational big game hunter, that a recent survey showed there were only 180 urials in the area where they hunted. Urials are listed as endangered on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Environmental Conservation Online System. Fish and Wildlife Inspector David Yake said urials are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, known as CITES. The treaty was signed by the United States, Pakistan and 184 nations worldwide. CITES isnt an international law, but an understanding among countries that they will use national laws to enforce and protect endangered animals, Yake said. In the case of the U.S., even though the urial was killed in Pakistan, were allowed to use the Endangered Species Act to prosecute. Yake said urials have the highest order of protection" on CITES' website, meaning a hunter would need permission and permits from both the United States and Pakistan to hunt and export the animal. Ali and Bruce agreed to rely on bribery and false documents, the U.S. attorneys office alleges, to import the animal. The plan was to declare the animal to Customs and Border Patrol as another species and use forged or fake documents for backup. Bruce flew into San Francisco on March 29, 2018, with the eight trophies and was stopped by the customs office, which handed him over to Fish and Wildlife. The agency seized Bruces trophies. The U.S. attorneys office said both men conspired to lie about their catch with Fish and Wildlife Service officials. Lauren Horwood, spokesperson for the U.S. attorney's office, said the indictment was the culmination of a five-year investigation conducted by the Fish and Wildlife Services Office of Law Enforcement. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. People attend a vigil Tuesday for the victims of a fire at an immigration detention center that killed dozens in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. (Fernando Llano / Associated Press) Grief mixed with indignation is churning into fury among many Central American activists in Los Angeles this week as they pored over images of the Monday night inferno that engulfed Mexicos National Migration Institute in Ciudad Juarez, killing at least 39 immigrant detainees. Southern California activists condemned the behavior of guards who, in a surveillance video, can be seen fleeing the holding area as flames licked at cell doors, and demanded justice for the victims and their families. The Mexican government has said that the fire was caused by detainees igniting their mattresses in protest because they faced deportation. But activists on both sides of the border have questioned that account and rebuked Mexicos president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. I want to tell the Mexican government not to be so inhumane, said Cecilia Rodriguez, president of the Honduran Alliance of Los Angeles and a native of Choluteca, a province in southern Honduras. This government of Mexico is a hypocrite. It doesnt even help its own citizens. It seems to me that it is part of the mafia. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has to understand that these people do not want to live in Mexico, they just want to go through and get to the United States. Mexican authorities have reported that 68 people of various nationalities were being detained at the center when the fire broke out, including migrants from Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela, El Salvador, Ecuador and Colombia. In recent years, tens of thousands of migrants from Latin America and the Caribbean have been stranded in Mexico as the U.S. government under successive administrations has pressured Mexico to block people from crossing into the United States. Amarilys Ortiz, general secretary of the Guatemalan American Assn., believes that Lopez Obrador does not care about immigrants because, in her view, he has not done enough to curtail the drug- and human-trafficking cartels that exploit those fleeing poverty and violence in their homelands. In 2020, Lopez Obrador acknowledged having ordered the release from a Mexican prison Ovidio Guzman, son of Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, the drug trafficker and head of the powerful Sinaloa cartel. This should reach the United Nations organization and the large organizations that defend human rights because this becomes part of a criminal structure that the Mexican government defends, Ortiz said, referring to Mondays deadly conflagration. National and world leaders should speak out about what is happening in Mexico. Although Lopez Obrador initially said that the detainees had set the fires, the foreign minister of Guatemala, Mario Bucaro, blamed human smugglers, so-called coyotes, for the chain of events that culminated in this weeks deaths. In the opinion of Rosa Posada, advisor to the Union of Emigrant Guatemalans in Los Angeles, the deaths of the migrants could have been avoided if the economic and social conditions in the countries that expelled them were improved. The majority of Central and South Americans who cross Mexican territory leave their loved ones behind while hoping to find work in Mexico, the United States and Canada. The people come to look for something to feed their children and their family, said the native of Escuintla, an industrial city in Guatemala centered on sugar agribusiness. It is really sad that the governments seeing this do not worry, they do not pay attention to this situation. The truth is that it is sad for the children who stay behind, the wives, parents and family. As the United States and Mexico have cracked down on immigration in recent years, Posada believes that the costs and the dangers of leaving home have risen dramatically. She said that the Mexican government must respect peoples right to migrate and take more responsibility for avoiding situations that lead to tragedies such as that in Ciudad Juarez. We energetically protest because there are so many arbitrary acts that occur against migrants [on Mexican soil], no matter where they are from, said Leoncio Velasquez, president of United Hondurans of Los Angeles. A native of Tegucigalpa, the Honduran capital, Velasquez said that a protest will be held at 4 p.m. Friday in front of the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles, followed by a procession to 7th and Alvarado streets in the MacArthur Park area. There, participants will light candles and hold a vigil in memory of the Ciudad Juarez fire victims. We are going to protest in front of the consulate to demand that the Mexican authorities respect the rights of migrants, Velasquez said. Mexico has to respect anyone on the migration route. Meanwhile, officials at the various Central American consulates in Los Angeles have said they will provide assistance and information to any of their compatriots regarding the Ciudad Juarez tragedy. In case there is a need or a family member appears, through the consular protection area we will put them in contact with the authorities in Guatemala, said Jose Arturo Rodriguez, Guatemalan consul general in L.A. Guatemalan migrants can call (213) 900-1098 and dial option No. 2 to access an emergency number. Hondurans living in the United States may reach their consulates call center at (470) 751-9077. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Witnesses are sworn in at a hearing on the "weaponization" of the federal government on Thursday. (Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images) House Republicans held their third hearing Thursday regarding what they claim is the weaponization of the federal government by Democrats. The hearing featured three Republican witnesses who alleged that the Biden administration has coerced social media companies to remove information it does not like, but Democrats protested when two of the witnesses left the hearing before taking any questions from committee members. Here are the key takeaways: Allegations of censorship by the Biden administration Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri. (Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images) Former Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry and former Louisiana Solicitor General John Sauer all presented opening statements that alleged what Schmitt called the largest speech censorship operation in recent American history. Schmitt, who was elected to the Senate last fall, filed a lawsuit last year during his campaign for Senate against the Biden administration. The lawsuit has enabled Schmitt to obtain and release internal communications between Biden administration officials and employees of Facebook and Twitter that Schmitt said show Biden officials asking and pressuring the social media companies to decrease the reach or remove content that they said was false, much of it regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. Similar governmental pressure was revealed in the so-called Twitter Files, which demonstrated that before the Biden administration asked Facebook and Twitter to restrict misinformation around the pandemic, the Trump administration did so as well. Schmitt, like committee chairman Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and many Republicans, have portrayed these requests from government officials as First Amendment violations. If the government engages in activity to stop media outlets from speaking, thats a First Amendment violation, Missouri attorney Bevis Schock told St. Louis Public Radio in an October interview. Micki Witthoeft, center, the mother of Jan. 6 rioter Ashli Babbitt, with Sen. Eric Schmitt, left, and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images) The question, then, is whether the Biden and Trump administrations blocked or coerced these companies from engaging in protected speech. The communications from government officials were typically appeals to the social media companies to find that the contested content violated the companies own policies. This route of appeal to the social media companies is available to all Americans, not just presidential administrations, and the companies receive requests from many different people and institutions. Nonetheless, government officials have significant power, and analysts and experts have expressed concern about the lack of transparency regarding government communications with private social media companies. The Twitter Files raised a valid question on what the role of the government should be in identifying and reporting people and content,Katie Harbath, a former public policy director for Facebook who began her career as a Republican political operative, wrote in January. On the other hand, analysts and experts have made clear that social media companies have a responsibility to limit the spread of information that is false or could incite real world violence. Anyone whos honest will say that these platforms shouldn't just let actual lies and misinformation rip and that they should have some moderation policies,Bari Weiss, one of the independent journalists who was allowed access to the Twitter Files by Twitter CEO Elon Musk, said in a January podcast. In the past, however, when social media companies engaged in speech that former President Trump did not like affixing fact-checking labels to his messages he threatened to close them down. Republican witnesses left the hearing and avoided questions Jeff Landry, attorney general of Louisiana. (Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images) Schmitt and Landry both gave opening statements in which they made sweeping accusations about the Biden administration, but then left the room before Democrats could question them. Since the standard procedure for congressional hearings is for witnesses of fact to answer questions from members of the committee, Democrats protested vigorously. These two witnesses presented evidence that I believe is false, and I would like the opportunity to cross-examine those witnesses, Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass. Those witnesses arent here, Mr. Chairman, Jordan responded before the committee devolved into verbal squabbling. They have scurried away! Lynch said to Jordan following a prolonged debate. This is a mockery and a disgrace! Lynch asked the committee to strike the testimony of Schmitt and Landry. Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., said this would be censorship. Lynch responded that cross-examination of witness testimony ensures that we can test the veracity of their statements. We eviscerated the very process here that would ... protect the integrity of this hearing, to elicit the truth, Lynch said. Jordan said that Schmitt was allowed to leave the hearing without undergoing questioning because he is now a senator. But Democrats noted that Schmitt was giving testimony about a lawsuit he filed as a state attorney general. Democrats pointed to the Republican witnesses involvement with the plot to overturn the 2020 election Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., showed a phone message sent out by a nonprofit arm of the Republican Attorney General Association (RAGA) on Jan. 5, 2021, urging Trump supporters to go to the Capitol the next day to stop the steal of the 2020 election. At 1 p.m., we will march to the Capitol building and call on Congress to stop the steal. We are hoping patriots like you will join us to continue to fight to protect the integrity of our elections, said the robocall of the Rule of Law Defense Fund. Under questioning from Wasserman-Schultz, Sauer acknowledged he had attended RAGA meetings. The Democrat then said the robocalls were a use of state resources to collude with political groups to block the peaceful transfer of power, and that Sauers attendance at Rule of Law Defense Fund meetings in the fall of 2020 made him complicit. Thank you for bringing a witness before us who has actually weaponized the government, Wasserman-Schultz said to Jordan, the committee chair. Sauer denied the characterization by Wasserman-Schultz, and Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., dismissed the inquiry by the Democrat as personal accusations. But Rep. Gerald Connolly, D-Va., also noted that all three Republican witnesses signed their names to the lawsuit after the 2020 election that relied on a number of easily disproved allegations about the election to seek to stop its certification. Russian aircraft on display at the Kubinka military training ground in Moscow. (Pavel Pavlov/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) At first, the Russian pilots all thought it was a scam. But they agreed to go along with it anyway, especially after the initial payments came through. Last summer, a group of Ukrainian volunteers, working closely with their countrys intelligence service, apparently came close to persuading three Russian aviators who were in the midst of bombing Ukraine to defect with their warplanes in exchange for $1 million a piece. It was a bold, months-long operation, like a movie, in the words of one of the Russian marks, a trio of exceptionally well-trained airmen who seemed amenable to betraying their motherland for a sum of money theyd otherwise never see in their lifetimes. What looked like a legitimate plan to switch sides proved anything but. None of the pilots defected in the end. There is strong evidence that most if not all of them were found out by Russias Federal Security Service (FSB), one of the successor agencies to the Soviet KGB. Russian propaganda says the whole saga was in fact orchestrated by the FSB from the start. The Ukrainians insist the FSB only got involved late in the negotiations, after sincere commitments were made by each pilot. Kyiv also maintains its failure to acquire Russian warplanes was nonetheless a mitigated success: It gleaned valuable technical information about Russias air force and compromised three military officers, at least one of whom has not flown combat missions since. A complex intelligence operation thus devolved into a remote game of dueling counterintelligence narratives with both sides claiming victory. Various types of Russian military aircraft fly over Red Square in Moscow in preparation for the World War II Victory Parade, May 4, 2022.(Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images) Yahoo News met the main Ukrainian volunteer here called Bohdan to protect his identity who conceived and initiated this elaborate scheme to hijack Russian warplanes. We examined hundreds of encrypted chat messages between his team and the three Russian pilots: Igor Tveritin, 48, Roman Nosenko, 36, and Andrei Maslov, 33. Their identities were independently confirmed by Yahoo News, but its not clear where they are currently located and could not be reached for comment. The remarkable level of detail provided by Bohdan both undermines the Russian recast of the events while also giving a rare window into how these behind-the-scenes, spy-vs.-spy operations unfold as Russian and Ukrainian forces batter each other on the frontlines. We gave these Russian pilots a chance to make the right choice and stop bombing civilians, Bohdan told Yahoo News. Even if they were intercepted by the FSB at some stage, we managed to eliminate all three war criminals without getting up from the table. In each case, the plan was risky but straightforward: The pilot would fly his multimillion-dollar aircraft into Ukrainian airspace, where it would be met by Ukrainian interceptors and escorted safely to a designated landing strip. One offered to drug his own navigator preflight. Another proposed reporting nonexistent technical malfunctions to hoodwink his co-pilot and Central Command. Ukraine would not only grant all of defectors full amnesty but outfit them with new passports, as well as ones for chosen members of their families, with whom theyd be comfortably resettled somewhere in Europe. The plot was reminiscent of the Cold War case of Viktor Belenko, a Soviet pilot who in 1976 defected with his MiG-25 from Russia's far east to Japan. Then-CIA Director George H.W. Bush hailed the plane acquisition as a major intelligence bonanza. An unexploded bomb in front of a destroyed building in Mariupol, Ukraine, on June 2, 2022. (AFP via Getty Images) The Ukrainian volunteers say the operation still ranks as a modest achievement for Kyiv. Tveritin, Bohdan claimed, is now grounded, based on call data from the last quarter of 2022. All three pilots also provided valuable Russian military secrets in the course of establishing their bona fides, including sharing images and recordings of the cockpits and instrument panels in their cutting-edge planes Su-34s, Su-24s, and Tu-22M3s as well as details of their air bases. And all it cost the Ukrainians was a few thousand dollars and a lot of patience. A civilian with a background in the IT industry, Bohdan recently met with Yahoo News at a hotel lounge in downtown Manhattan. He explained that he and his colleagues were motivated to approach the Russian pilots by a law signed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in April 2022, according to which his government would generously compensate any Russian who voluntarily gave up the Kremlins military hardware. Fighter jets, bombers and fixed-wing attack aircraft were worth $1 million; helicopters were worth $500,000. Bohdan said he and his team spent their own money on the operation and never asked the Ukrainian government to reimburse them even though, at advanced stages, Ukraines domestic security service (SBU) got involved; so did Kyivs Special Operations Forces (SSO), which guided the logistics how to get the Russians to Ukrainian territory. A third party involved in the operation shared with Yahoo News extensive encrypted WhatsApp and Signal chats he had with Tveritin, Nosenko and Maslov, from late March to July of last year, as well as the documentary evidence they provided of themselves and their aircraft. All three pilots Bohdan found using open-source methods. Initially, I managed to acquire the database of the pilots who fought in Syria, he said. In this database, I saw the details, including who was the flight commander, who was the navigation officer. I was able to structure it in a way to identify whom to contact. There was no contact information in this database, so I had to perform additional research through paid services to understand well, de-anonymize and identify each person. Pilot 1: I dont want to have the same story as Skripal Tveritin Igor Yurievich(Vesti 24 via informnapalm.org) Igor Tveritin, the oldest pilot, married with three children, was born in Melitopol, Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union. His skillset is by far the most sophisticated, as Tveritin was originally trained to fly the Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bomber, a supersonic aircraft capable of launching nuclear missiles, akin to the American-made Rockwell B-1 Lancer. When Bohdan first made contact with him, at the end of March 2022, Tveritin was based at Engels Air Base a bomber air base that was struck twice by Ukrainian drones in December despite being far from the frontlines. In fact, he can be seen standing in front of his then-bomber, the Valery Chkalov (named after a famous Soviet test pilot), in a video recorded by Russian news outlet Vesti in 2013. Tveritin told reporters that firing a missile is the main dream of a military pilot, we all aspire to this. The Valery Chkalov was known for also firing cruises at rebel targets in Syria as of 2015, the year Russia directly intervened in that countrys civil war on behalf of dictator Bashar Assad. At some point, Tveritin was reassigned to fly missions in a Tu-22M3 strike bomber in Ukraine. I dont want to die, Tveritin texted Bohdan in Russian on April 29. I am a realist, no one knows how things will work out. I agree to your conditions, but let there be two transfers of $7,000. That makes me calmer. On May 1, Bohdan asked him to confirm his identity and location by making a five-second video of the aircraft with a slip of paper with number 377 in the background or written on your hand. Tveritin obliged. A Tu-95 strategic bomber from the Russian air force prepares to take off from an air base near the Volga River. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP) Bohdan used a crypto exchange to anonymously wire the funds to a Russian Sberbank account. Once Tveritin collected that money, hed be on the hook to the Ukrainians. He only grew more nervous as they steadily worked through the logistics of how, where and when the pilot would defect and how hed somehow get his wife and children safely out of Russia. Tveritin was especially worried about his family, and asked for an advance of $50,000 5% of the $1 million for his airframe. He also stated that it would arouse suspicions if he removed three young children from school at the same time, especially as the whole family was living on a military base where we are all boiled in the same pan, all is transparent. Bohdan told Tveritin that Ukraine was ready to make arrangements to get Tveritins family out, which would precede his own defection. A problem for them, as for all three pilots and their relatives, was the lack of passports allowing for international travel, leading to circuitous escape proposals. First, theyd have to go to either Armenia or Belarus, both of which accept Russian internal passports. Once there, theyd receive new documents, obtained for them by the Ukrainians, to enable travel to one of the Baltic states. Belarusian guards in the Brest region of Belarus, near the border with Ukraine. (Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images) I dont know how safe your method is, Tveritin told Bohdan on May 20. Please, understand my concern. If they leave Belarus with their documents, they will notice in Russia that they crossed the border. I dont want to have the same story as Skripal, he added, referring to the Russian double agent who was poisoned in England by assassins of the GRU, Russias military intelligence agency. I need documents with different names and surnames and entrance records to Belarus. This is a matter of principle for me. Bohdan countered that changing everyones names would be riskier than getting them valid passports under their real names. Tveritin said he preferred to resettle in Germany. Bohdan also promised to open a bank account in Tveritins wifes name and deposit $150,000 before the family made it to Belarus. Another outstanding issue was how, where and when Tveritin would fly to Ukraine. He was understandably afraid of not only being interdicted by his Russian comrades but of being shot down by Ukrainian air defense systems, which would mistake his plane for an incoming enemy. Tveritin planned to fly at a very low altitude to avoid being shot down by either sides air defense systems. A Russian Tu-22M3 bomber. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) A big wrinkle was that Tveritin would be apprised of his flight mission only a day before it was set to take place, and given his takeoff time only three to five hours in advance. Tveritin bristled when Bohdans group gave a landing approach in Kharkiv, the region in northeast Ukraine where some of the heaviest fighting was taking place at the time. When you approach Kharkiv, you will be intercepted and escorted by our two fighters and you will keep communicating with them via a certain frequency, Bohdan wrote. Are you serious about Kharkiv? the pilot shot back. Kharkiv is almost surrounded. Apart from the concentration of all kinds of air defense there. The sky in that area is densely protected and pushing an aircraft to fly there will be suicide! So Bohdan proposed an alternate route. By late May there was another snag one that Bohdan believes was decisive in the scuttling of the operation. Ukraines defenders in the port city of Mariupol had finally surrendered their last position, meaning the city was now fully under Russian control. Tveritin made it clear that he was one of the Russian bombers routinely pulverizing Mariupol in the weeks and months prior. The situation has become difficult for me, he wrote Bohdan on May 23. Your people surrendered Azovstal and we stopped flying there. Now we fly less, towards Odesa and Mikolaiv, well to the west of Mariupol. Rescuers sifting through the debris of buildings destroyed following the bombardment of Kharkiv, April 16, 2022. (Sergey Bobok/AFP via Getty Images) A new flight and final plan was introduced in which Tveritin would approach from Russian-occupied Crimea, headed toward southwestern Ukraine. Still another matter to be resolved was what to do with Tveritins crew. His 130-feet-long Tu-22M3 has a pilot, a co-pilot and two technicians. Tveritin planned to report errors in his instruments, confusing all three, then dip into a low altitude, shouting at his crew, if they objected, that all systems were still functioning normally. While his young co-pilot was still discombobulated, Tveritin would change course and blame it on a faulty flight navigation instrument. By the time anyone was the wiser, Ukrainian planes would have intercepted their bomber, escorting it down. Soon it became clear that Tveritin was no longer keen on the plan or rather, he appeared a little too keen. This combat aircraft will not help you much, he messaged Bohdan. You do not have pilots of that sort. Thats why I am your only hope. Only I can lift this bird into the air. Tveritin seemed to be suggesting that he be seconded into Ukraines air force and fly missions against his former compatriots. That hint, especially from someone so concerned for his safety and that of his family, suggested to the Ukrainians that the pilot may have been discovered by FSB and now communicating under their control. This is when we began to suspect they were playing him back to us in a double cross, Bohdan told Yahoo News. From there on, Tveritins chatter fizzled out. And then he was gone. Pilot 2: I am planning to depart with another woman Sukhoi Su-24 bombers at the International Army Games 2017 outside Tyumen, Russia. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) Bohdan first made contact with Andrei Maslov, based in Lipetsk, western Russia, on May 4, 2022. A pilot of a Su-24 tactical bomber, Maslov and his navigator Igor Kupchinsky had won a bronze medal during a military aviation competition in Russian-occupied Crimea. When first approached, Maslov appeared to suspect that Bohdan was himself an undercover FSB officer looking to entrap him. He refused to accept a wire transfer via crypto exchange and said hed only take cash dollars or euros only delivered to him by hand. I am sure handing over cash is not a problem for you, Maslov told Bohdan. Bohdan arranged for a courier to deliver $4,000 in cash to Maslov at a train station. There will be two girls. The password is: From Maxim, Bohdan wrote. One girl will be with a cap and a bright T-shirt. The second is shorter ... in blue jeans and a khaki jacket. The girls will ask for the last digits of a phone number: 2200. Maslov agreed to meet and said hed be wearing a blue military jacket and blue summer pants. Maslov would defect with his Su-24 and a woman, but not his wife. (Yahoo News is declining to identify the pilots friends or family members out of an abundance of caution.) My wife is out of the question, said Maslov. Its a complicated relationship. I am planning to depart with another woman but have not discussed moving with her yet. A Ukrainian Su-24 bomber lands during an air force exercise at Starokostyantyniv military airbase. (Genya Savilov/AFP via Getty Images) Yahoo News was able to confirm the identity of this other woman as a 28-year-old pediatric fitness instructor specializing in, among other things, childrens yoga. In order to get her an international passport, Bohdan asked for her internal one. It was shortly thereafter he realized Maslov was burnt even before Bohdan approached him. For one thing, she was way too attractive for this guy, Bohdan told Yahoo News. She looked like she belonged with an oligarch. For another, Bohdan and his team found her on Instagram: She had been in Turkey in 2021, proving she did indeed have an international passport up until recently. Further investigative digging found her still-valid passport was reported destroyed at around the time Bohdan started communicating with Maslov. In mid-June, Bohdan messaged Maslov: We have started the process of submitting documents in order to get a travel passport for your girlfriend and the base is informing us that she already possesses a valid travel passport. How would you explain this situation, Andrei? Andrei couldnt. He said hed get to the bottom of it. I have checked, he responded shortly thereafter. There was a passport, but her ex-boyfriend destroyed it. Andrei, Bohdan wrote back, are you sure you trust her entirely and there is no risk of information leakage? Otherwise, this fact may jeopardize our implementation. I absolutely trust her, Maslov replied. I have not provided details to her. She only knows that we are going to travel abroad together. She is an orphan. She does not ask too many questions. She trusts me. Bohdan said his side obtained her call data and found that she had repeatedly communicated with an officer from FSBs counterintelligence department. We also found out all her girlfriends were hookers called by the FSB for their special projects. Moreover, she had been in Barcelona during the time of the Catalan referendum in 2017. One wonders what, or who, she was doing there. Maslov continued to talk to the Ukrainians off and on from that point, but it was now obvious to the latter that hed never pull the trigger. Then he too disappeared. Pilot 3: F***, this is like a movie The Sukhoi Su-24M is a supersonic, all-weather attack aircraft of the Russian air force. (aviation-images.com/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) One of the most intense conversations we had was with Roman Nosenko, Bohdan said. He was the toughest. I will move my family, Nosenko wrote on April 30, but what will happen to it there if this is not a joke. ... The money is huge, it looks like a scam. What are the guarantees that I will not be scammed? F***, this is like a movie. Nosenko confirmed to Bohdan that he flew the Su-34 Fullback and the Su-24 Fencer bombers, both of which have two-man crews. When asked to provide proof in exchange for $2,000, Nosenko shared images of his Fencer. As requested, he held up to the camera, in front of the plane, a piece of paper with the number 339 written on it. Nosenko said that he had little information on his targets claiming: We carry the payload to a point. After that it does its own thing. They dont give us the details. This suggests they were using standoff munitions of some kind, possibly Kh-59 cruise missiles or Kh-31P anti-radiation missiles. As with Tveritin, Nosenko stated that his operational plans are not shared with him in advance. The direction we fly in cannot be predicted, its always different. It gets known only at the last moment. Nosenko also admitted to not feeling particularly patriotic about Russias invasion of Ukraine. I dont need this war either! he messaged. Before we continued with the next phase of the operation, Bohdan told Yahoo News, we started asking Nosenko a lot of technical questions that were important for the Ukrainian intelligence such as how many types of aircraft are in his unit, how often they go on flight missions, and what regions they fly to in Ukraine. He gave us the names of commanders of different units we double-checked all the info, and it all checked out. Russian aircraft in formation over St. Basil's Cathedral during the rehearsal for the Victory Day parade in Moscow, May 4, 2019. (Tatyana Makeyeva/Reuters) His defection plan was similar to Tveritins: Hed drop to an extremely low altitude upon approach, switch to a secure communications channel with Ukrainian interlocutors and land safely in a designated airfield. Nosenko agreed to leave Russian-controlled airspace, fly over my troops at high altitude and then start descending over the frontline. Nosenkos biggest fear was Ukrainian air defenses. Ive heard they are handsomely paid for shot-down planes, he wrote. I would be more confident if I knew at least the areas of their deployment in order to confidently go around them and start maneuvering on time. As Nosenko had only one other person in the cockpit with him, his navigator, he decided it would be easiest to tranquilize him by drugging his coffee before they took off. He mulled the sedative he wanted to use. I cannot buy it without a prescription, Nosenko lamented. With the wrong dosage, one can end up with a stroke. Whereas Tveritin had too many family members to exfiltrate from Russia, Nosenko had just one: his wife. Her escape wouldnt be easy under any circumstances because she is a military psychologist and therefore also a member of Russias armed forces. Yahoo News was able to establish that Nosenkos wife was attached, as of 2020, to a military unit in Morozovsk, in the Rostov region, home of Russias 559th Bomber Aviation Regiment, which operates the same model aircraft as her husbands: Su-24s and Su-34s. In fact, Nosenko claimed he and his wife were in the same unit. We even uncovered photos of her conducting team-building exercises with soldiers at the military base in Morozovsk. Belarusian border guards patrol the crossing point between Belarus and Ukraine in the Brest region, Feb. 15. (Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images) The same route was proposed for her travel as for Tveritins wife and children: Shed leave Russia and go to either Armenia or Belarus, acquire a new passport there, and then proceed to one of the Baltic states. I dont know about the wife, Nosenko messaged Bohdan on May 11. Its hard. She would have to defect from the Kremlins military too. After a 24-48 hour period in Belarus she will receive a European permit for residence in one of the Baltic states, Bohdan wrote. Upon her arrival she similarly will have a rented apartment and all amenities at her disposal. She will confirm to you the availability of money on her bank account, and only after that you will be taking off. Nosenko turned over their personal documents to Bohdan, including their internal passports, which allow for travel only in Russian Federation territory and countries with no visa requirements. Still, he was nervous. I have already said that I will allow her to go only when the documents are ready and I am sure about everything, Nosenko wrote Bohdan. It is not a kitten I am sending you, he wrote, referring to his wife. Yet somehow Nosenko persuaded her to fly to the Belarus capital of Minsk in exchange for another installment of $4,000 to cover travel and expenses. Bohdan promised Nosenko that upon her arrival, a bank account in her name would be opened with $150,000 on deposit. By June 24, the wife was indeed in Minsk and had been there for about three days. If nothing changes, she will fly tomorrow to Moscow. Still no money has arrived on the card, Nosenko wrote Bohdan. The same day, Bohdan messaged Nosenko back. We trust you, he wrote, but we have one question regarding your wife. The number you gave us for her is not her main number. So now, we can see that she had calls with an FSB man, Yevgeny Kashlach. Bohdans team, which by now consisted of Ukrainian intelligence officers, had acquired her phone records and determined she had recently rung a Russian security officer. Residents of the Belarusian capital of Minsk. (Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images) At that moment we talked with Roman and told him directly that his wife has been talking to counterintelligence, Bohdan told Yahoo News. We said we cannot continue for now because we have questions, and then he agreed to talk to his wife. A military psychologist might understandably talk to FSB officers attached to military counterintelligence as part of their day-to-day work requirements. But the fear was she might be dropping a dime on her husbands plan to defect with one of Russias prized bombers. It was 50-50 she was either doing her job or ratting him out, Bohdan explained. It was about a month into his conversation with Nosenko, who, assuming his offer to defect was originally legitimate, was by now too far deep into the operation to claim innocence. He understood that we could record him. He understood that he had provided information. And he understood that he already could go one way only. But his wife was in a different situation. She was still clean at the time. It remains unclear if Nosenkos wife informed on her husband, persuaded him to turn himself in or if one or both spouses had been working for the FSB from the beginning. Bohdan believes that by the time she went to Minsk, she was under surveillance, if not being controlled by the Russian security service. They clearly wanted to see who would come to Belarus and with what kind of documents, Bohdan told Yahoo News. When no one turned up because we suspected her, the FSB cottoned on to what was happening and terminated the operation. Then they preemptively claimed success. A dubious end game Police and the Russian National Guard patrol Red Square in Moscow. (Alexander Nemenov /AFP via Getty Images) Success for the FSB took the form of Russia firing missiles at Ukrainian airfields, whose locations, it later claimed, were only disclosed by Bohdan and his team. In reality, those air fields had already been bombed since the start of Moscows invasion. Russian state media publicly joined the fray. The news channel RT channel ran a 10-minute segment on what it depicted as an elaborate sting operation from the get-go and an unmitigated failure for Ukraine. RT claimed to interview two of the pilots, neither of whom can be identified from the footage (one wore a face-obscuring helmet on camera, the other had only the back of his head filmed). They did produce some of the messages Bohdans team had with the pilots, along with audio recordings of phone calls. More compellingly, RT exhibited surveillance footage of the two women sent to hand-deliver Maslovs $4,000. They also claim to have arrested an unnamed man who hired them. This could mean Maslov was himself working for the FSB from the beginning or that he was being monitored, Bohdan told Yahoo News. We may never know what happened to Tveritin, Maslov and Nosenko. Bohdan insists Tveritin is not currently flying sorties in Ukraine a claim Yahoo News cannot independently verify but cant be sure about Maslov and Nosenko. If they were working with the FSB from the get-go, then they may well be decorated heroes. If they were unmasked midway through genuine plans to defect, there is almost no chance any of them would ever set foot in the cockpit of a Russian fighter jet again. Theyd be imprisoned or killed for treason. If this saga signifies anything, it is that war doesnt just make orphans, widows and corpses; it furnishes opportunities premised on self-interest. Russia is notoriously corrupt, and it is plausible that three Russian pilots, more interested in self-enrichment than in conquering their next-door neighbor, set out to make a pile of cash at great risk to themselves and their families then were exploited by Russian intelligence to try to and catch the very same Ukrainians who made them an offer they couldnt refuse. Nine killed in crash of two US Army helicopters in Kentucky A general view of the site after helicopters crashed in Trigg County, Kentucky (Reuters) -Nine people were killed in a crash of two U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters during a routine training mission over Kentucky late on Wednesday, the Washington Post reported on Thursday. Crew members were flying two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, operated by the 101st Airborne Division, which crashed at around 10:00 p.m. ET (0200 GMT Thursday) in Kentucky's Trigg County, Fort Campbell's public affairs office said earlier, without specifying the number of casualties. "Weve got some tough news out of Fort Campbell, with early reports of a helicopter crash, and fatalities are expected," governor Andy Beshear said in a post on Twitter, adding that local authorities and emergency services were responding to the accident. The HH-60 is a variant of the Black Hawk helicopter designed to provide support for various military operations, including air assaults and medical evacuations, according to the Army. (Reporting by Akriti Sharma and Juby Babu in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Bernadette Baum) Russian authorities said Thursday they had arrested a U.S. journalist with The Wall Street Journal on spying charges. Evan Gershkovich was detained in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg on suspicion of "espionage in the interests of the American government," the Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement, which was reported by state media. The FSB accused Gershkovich of collecting information constituting a state secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex. It provided no evidence or further details on when Gershkovich was arrested. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison. Gershkovich is a journalist covering Russia, Ukraine and the former Soviet Union. He was previously a reporter for Agence France-Presse and the Moscow Times and a news assistant at the New York Times, according to his author page on The Wall Street Journals website. His most recent article, which was published earlier this week and co-bylined, featured the headline: "Russias Economy Is Starting to Come Undone." The Wall Street Journal said in a statement reported by the newspaper that it is deeply concerned for the safety of Mr. Gershkovich. Evan Gershkovich was detained in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg. Gershkovich is the first journalist with an American outlet to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since the Cold War. His arrest comes amid high tensions between Moscow and Washington over Russias invasion of Ukraine, and as the Kremlin cracks down internally on free speech. It also comes following the high-profile prisoner swap involving WNBA star Brittney Griner. Griner was released from a Russian penal colony in December in exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout after she pleaded guilty to having vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage, but said she had no criminal intent. There had been hopes that Paul Whelan a U.S. corporate security executive jailed in Russia on espionage charges might be included in the exchange, but he remains imprisoned. In recent years, Russian President Vladimir Putin has overseen the largest crackdown on the free press and political dissent since the Soviet era. His full-scale invasion of Ukraine has seen that intensify, with the country adopting strict laws that prohibit criticism of the military and many journalists fleeing the country. "Lets wait to see what the FSB specifically presents, but it appears that they have taken a hostage," said Tatiana Stanovaya, a nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the founder and head of the political analysis firm R.Politik. "This undoubtedly brings Russia and the United States' relationship to a new level of confrontation," she added. Private jets are the most polluting form of transport per passenger, a study found (Getty Images) Private jet users in the UK emitted more damaging greenhouse gases than in any other European country last year, analysis has found. Private flights taking off from UK soil rose by 75 per cent last year from the 2021 figure giving a total of 90,256 flights that emitted half a million tonnes of carbon dioxide, experts have calculated. Jets used by the super-rich are up to 14 times more polluting than commercial planes per passenger, and 50 times more polluting than trains, according to a study by Transport & Environment. More than 570,000 private jet flights were made in Europe last year (Getty Images) The new analysis commissioned by Greenpeace found the UK is the top country in Europe for private jet flights, with one taking off every six minutes last year. Private jet usage and their carbon emissions are climbing across the continent, but the UK has the busiest route, the most polluting route and the most flights overall, the study found. The government is expected on Thursday to unveil new green energy policies intended to help meet the countrys climate change goals and compete with US and EU incentives on green investment. Earlier this year, Rishi Sunak defended his use of private jets to travel to northern England and to Scotland after Labour accused him of an "A-list" lifestyle at taxpayers expense. The analysis for Greenpeace found that within Europe, the UK has the most private flights, the highest emissions and the busiest route. Flights between London and Paris were the most popular, totalling 3,357. Six of Europes top 10 routes also included London. The English capital overtook Paris, the busiest city in 2021. But a journey of less than five miles between Farnborough and Blackbushe in Hampshire is the most polluting route, according to the research, which was conducted by Dutch environmental consultancy CE Delft. It takes less than 30 minutes to cycle between those two airports. The report shows how emissions from private flights are rising sharply (Greenpeace UK) The report says that across Europe, trips by the rich and famous in their own aircraft soared from 350,000 flights in 2021 to more than 570,000 last year a rise of 64 per cent and their carbon dioxide emissions more than doubled over the same period to over 3.3 million tonnes. The 10 countries with the most private jet flights in Europe were the UK, France, and Germany, followed by Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Greece, the Netherlands and Belgium. Almost one in four (39 per cent) of private jet flights were very short-haul less than 310 miles. These excessive and disproportionately climate-damaging short-haul flights could have easily been replaced by train or ferry trips, according to the report authors. Greenpeace is calling for a ban on private jet travel, which it says is the most polluting mode of transportation on the planet per passenger kilometre. Doug Parr, policy director at Greenpeace UK, said: Private jets are staggeringly polluting and generally pointless. Many of these journeys can be covered almost as quickly by train, and some of them by bicycle. Millions of people around the world are facing climate chaos, losing livelihoods or worse, while a tiny minority are burning jet fuel like theres no tomorrow. If the government is serious about net zero and a fair transition to low-carbon transport, private jets should be first on the chopping block. Security officials on Capitol Hill are taking a fresh look at their policies after a Maryland man was arrested on charges of secretly recording Republican senators during a private lunch this month. The man, a 25-year-old contract employee working on the lunch staff, allegedly set his phone to record for several hours before leaving it in the room with the senators. He later returned with a police escort in an attempt to retrieve the device, only to find that one of the lawmakers had spotted it and handed it over to police, according to NBC News. "Its really concerning," Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., told the outlet. "Those conversations are an opportunity for senators to talk candidly about issues. So to have people on record and easily identifiable by their voices is problematic," she added. MEDIA WHITEWASHED FETTERMAN HEALTH ISSUES DURING ELECTION, UNCURIOUS ABOUT LENGTHY ABSENCE FROM CAPITOL Senate Republicans and Democrats hold weekly lunch meetings that are supposed to be private affairs. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., says she is very concerned about employees attempting to record lawmakers in secret. SENATE REPUBLICANS INSTRODUCE BILL CODIFYING RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS OUTSIDE YOUR HOME READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "It was a temporary person hired on by the food service people. The phone was left in the record mode found in the food line," Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso, R-Wyo, told NBC. "Its very concerning." The charges against the man were later dismissed, and he was released from custody. Lawmakers of both parties frequently use their weekly caucus lunches to coordinate strategies for upcoming votes. The contents of the meetings occasionally leak to the media but are typically kept under wraps. Senators Raphael Warnock (D-GA), left, and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) return to the Senate floor following the Senate Democrats weekly policy lunch at the U.S. Capitol. The party lunches are expected to be private affairs. U.S. Capitol Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital regarding what security changes may be coming to the Capitol complex. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Japan hit for watering down past atrocities against Korea Most South Koreans are still wincing following the "diplomatic disaster" in Tokyo two weeks ago. At a summit there, President Yoon Suk Yeol gave up everything in pending bilateral issues and got almost nothing in return. Japan poured oil on the fire on Tuesday. In newly approved history textbooks for third to sixth graders, Tokyo watered down its atrocities against Koreans during its 1910-45 colonization of the Korean Peninsula while intensifying its sovereignty claim over disputed islets between them. These history books, which followed the Japanese government's 2021 guidelines, may not be the direct result of the recent summit. Still, the release was doubly disappointing, considering its insensitive timing and diplomatic discourtesy. However, for those who know Japan and its nationalistic leaders, the move was hardly astonishing. Japan's diplomacy is typically a "kiss up, kick down" style. It is weak to the strong and strong to the weak, although it may not be the only one. After he returned, Yoon made a 23-minute, nationally televised speech at a meeting with his aides. He stressed that someone had to break the impasse in bilateral ties, explaining his unpopular decision was for the nation's long-term interests in security and economy. Yet, pragmatism cannot precede pride in diplomacy. No amount of substantive interest can justify damaged national sentiments and ignored appeals of victims. Even the so-called national interests are controversial at best. Yoon said the U.S.-led trilateral alliance is urgent to deter North Korea's nuclear threats. However, as the U.S. and Japan to some extent sees it, the three-nation bloc is to keep China in check. Unlike Washington and Tokyo, Seoul can't help but remain ambivalent to Beijing. In the economy, South Korea cannot, and should not, remain subordinated to Japan. Bilateral economic ties are no longer unilateral but reciprocal. No less problematic than the calculation of diplomatic gains and losses is Yoon's historical philosophy and governance style. Yoon reportedly supports the 1965 Basic Agreement, which Japan says resolved all claims, including those of individuals, regarding its 35-year occupation of South Korea. So, Yoon agrees with Tokyo, thinking the South Korean Supreme Court's 2012 decision was wrong. In other words, Yoon is the "criminal of conviction," as the late ultraright Japanese leader Shinzo Abe described Yoon's predecessor, Moon Jae-in, albeit in the opposite meaning. The prosecutor-turned-president also seems to think he knows best in everything, claiming responsibility for everything. Yoon puts former U.S. President Harry S. Truman's famous "The buck stops here" plate on his desk. Truman wrote "I'm from Missouri" behind it, but Yoon wrote nothing. Presidents must act responsibly. But the responsibility should stop at domestic affairs at the most. Diplomacy has counterparts, and damage lasts long. That explains why diplomatic decisions should be subject to democratic constraints and based on national consensus. Nothing could be more dangerous than the "lonely decisions of philosopher kings." We share many experts' concerns that the future is more worrying. Now that it has seen through its South Korean counterpart's weakness, Japan will try to turn its diplomatic wishes into reality one by one. It will call for Seoul to resolve the wartime sex slavery issue, make a sovereignty claim over Dokdo islets as an established fact, and demand to resume the import of fish caught near the Fukushima nuclear plant. In Washington in May, the South Korean president will face pressure to drop China from its economic partners' list and toe the line of U.S. industrial policy. Industry experts watch with concern whether Yoon can protect semiconductor and electric vehicle makers from U.S. demands in return for the state visit and a speech before the joint Congress. Yoon's U.S. and Japanese counterparts are formidable diplomats. President Joe Biden had long chaired the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was the foreign minister who orchestrated the infamous "comfort women agreement" in 2015. Much is at stake depending on how Yoon fares in the next two months. South Koreans get anxious whenever their president goes abroad. When will he ease that? YEREVAN, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has endorsed the Declaration of the 2023 Summit for Democracy with reservation. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan participated on March 29 in the plenary session of the Summit for Democracy, a forum held online at the initiative of United States President Joe Biden. Armenia expressed reservation regarding preambular Paragraph 3 of the Declaration of the 2023 Summit for Democracy because this paragraph does not comprehensively reflect all conflicts and crises and does not address the fact of the Azerbaijani aggression against, and occupation of parts of the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia. The Preambular Paragraph 3 of the Declaration says : We reiterate our firm resolve to support countries and people around the world that adhere to the values of freedom and democracy, against direct or indirect attempts or threats to undermine them. We recognize the fundamental principles of the UN Charter that all states shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state and shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means. We recognize the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense of States consistent with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations. We underscore the need to reach, as soon as possible, a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine in line with the principles of the UN Charter. We deplore the dire human rights and humanitarian consequences of the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, including the continuous attacks against critical infrastructure across Ukraine with devastating consequences for civilians, and express our grave concern at the high number of civilian casualties, including women and children, the number of internally displaced persons and refugees in need of humanitarian assistance, and violations and abuses committed against children. We are deeply concerned by the adverse impact of the war on global food security, energy, nuclear security and safety and the environment. We demand that Russia immediately, completely, and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders and call for a cessation of hostilities. We also call for the parties to the armed conflict to adhere to their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law. We call also for the complete exchange of prisoners of war, the release of all unlawfully detained persons and the return of all internees and of civilians forcibly transferred and deported, including children. We strongly support accountability for the most serious crimes under international law committed on the territory of Ukraine through appropriate, fair and independent investigations and prosecutions at the national or international level, and to ensure justice for all victims and the prevention of future crimes. Rajasthan is the first state in the country to introduce a law that makes access to healthcare a legal entitlement. In a country where nearly half of all healthcare costs are still paid for by the patients themselves, you would think a law guaranteeing peoples right to health would be welcomed universally, and with open arms. But in India, you never can tell. In Rajasthan, which recently became the first state in the country to introduce a law that makes access to healthcare a legal entitlement of every resident of the state, thousands of doctors in Jaipur have been demonstrating against the law as part of a nationwide stir called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA). The IMA represents around 3.5 lakh doctors in the country. The high-pitched verbal jousts continue on the streets and in the social media, with many private doctors making their displeasure about the landmark legislation loud and clear. As I write, comes the news that medical services in Rajasthan are likely to be seriously affected with government doctors and faculty members at medical colleges announcing a one-day mass leave in solidarity with the private doctors agitating against the new law. Emergency services, however, will be exempted, says a PTI report. The ongoing agitation has already affected patient care. Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot says his government is ready to listen to doctors. It is tough to predict what lies ahead. An ordinary citizen with vivid memories of the Covid-19 pandemic at its terrifying peak is likely to be flummoxed. Healthcare costs left tens of thousands of families financially crippled or crushed. Everyone in this country, barring the super-rich, lives in constant fear of a medical emergency in the family. Everyone knows that even if you have adequate insurance, all costs are not covered. This means using up ones savings to pay for treatment and heart-breaking choices. The new law brought in by the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan is an attempt to deal with such fears. In brief, under the new law, every resident in the state has the right to avail free of cost treatment without prepayment at any health institution in the state. This includes emergency treatment. No government or private hospital or doctor can refuse a person seeking emergency treatment. There are penalties if they do. Rajasthans protesting doctors, many of whom have stopped work, say the new law is unconstitutional, unacceptable and that the state government is trying to shift its own responsibility (of providing healthcare to citizens) to private doctors. They fear they will not be reimbursed adequately, or in time, and will be punished for circumstances beyond their control. They want the Gehlot government to take back the law before they agree to have any discussions. Parsing through the arguments and counter-arguments swirling around, one thing is glaringly evident -- there is a complete breakdown of trust between the feuding parties. This has led to many people assuming worst-case scenarios and making the worst-possible assumptions about those they do not agree with. This has ramifications beyond the law, and beyond Rajasthan. Without trust, there can be no meaningful dialogue nor movement forward. That helps no one. It is imperative, therefore, to differentiate between abuse masquerading as argument and legitimate concerns and constructive suggestions. In a hyper-polarised political milieu, and with the Assembly and Parliament elections not too far away, we must also recognise the dangers of letting polarisation seep into a discussion about healthcare in India. Many protesting doctors say they have no quarrel with the right to health. Their problem is with Rajasthans right to health law, which they see as transferring what is essentially a state responsibility to private doctors. How valid are the fears? Or prejudice. Are all doctors who are protesting greedy, thoughtless, and uncaring people who have no compassion for ordinary patients? The answer is no. But malpractices do take place and this does have an impact on public trust in the healthcare industry. Is the new law going to extract free services from private doctors in case of an emergency in the public interest? The answer is no. Read the text of the new law. It has specific sections on accidental emergency as well as reimbursement. Many doctors say the law does not make clear when, and how much, will be reimbursed. This is a genuine concern and must be clarified in the implementation guidelines. Hopefully, this will be published soon. The doctors say their worry is also about the punitive clauses in the law and about being scapegoated in circumstances beyond their control. Some doctors paint an apocalyptic image of an overstretched health system collapsing if the new law is implemented. Others have asked for a phased implementation, starting with a taluka or a district. But the answer to all these fears is not trashing a law that seeks to ensure that no one dies or remains untreated simply because of the inability to pay. Civil society activists say the public overwhelmingly supports the new legislation and that the fears of the protesting doctors are misplaced. Chhaya Pachauli, an activist with the Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (People's Health Movement-India), says many of the issues being raised by the protesting doctors have been dealt with in the law that was recently passed in the Rajasthan Assembly. A lot of misinformation is swirling around and many who are protesting today are going by earlier versions of the law, says Ms Pachauli. She points out that the law had been referred to a select committee, that many modifications were made to earlier versions, and that under the new statute, the role of the private sector is mainly for emergency care treatment. This is necessary, she says, because in case of accidents, a patient must be rushed to the nearest health centre or hospital, government or private. Mohan Rao, former professor at the Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health, Jawaharlal Nehru University, is of the view that there should be no public subsidy to the private sector. Instead, the public health sector should be substantially revamped, both in terms of human resources and technology. He cites the example of Tamil Nadu, where posting full-time nurses in the primary health centres led to an increase in the number of deliveries in PHCs and a dip in deliveries in private clinics and hospitals. The bottom line: Rajasthans right to health law is potentially a radical step in the public interest in the country. But implementation guidelines and enforcement are the key to achieving its stated goals. They must take on board all genuine concerns. They must also be backed by adequate financial resources. Without this, the law would land up confirming the worst-case scenarios imagined by its detractors. Today's headlines: 35 die in incident at a Hindu temple in Indore; In limited victory for Tehran The Hague deems US asset freeze of Iranian companies partially 'illegal'; Water crisis hits South Korea; Cambodian opposition leader appeals against conviction; Pyongyang launches campaign against divorce; Taliban delegation in Tajikistan to discuss borders. TURKEY - FINLAND Late last night, the Turkish parliament approved a bill allowing Finland to join NATO, opening the door of the Atlantic alliance to Helsinki, which had been pushing for membership in an anti-Russian context. Ankara is the last of the 30 countries to ratify membership, while Sweden, which has so far failed to convince President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, remains outstanding. INDIA At least 35 worshippers died and more than a dozen were rescued by rescuers in an accident yesterday at a Hindu temple in Indore, in the centre of the country. More than 25 people plunged into a well - a source of water used by the municipality - after the floor covering collapsed under the weight of those present. Temples are crowded for Ram Navami, Lord Ram's birthday. IRAN - UNITED STATES Partial victory for Tehran: International Court of Justice judges ruled yesterday that Washington had 'illegally' allowed US courts to freeze assets of Iranian companies. The US will have to pay compensation to be quantified. However, the Court said it had no jurisdiction over EUR 1.75 billion of frozen assets of the Central Bank of Iran. SOUTH KOREA South Korea is grappling with one of its worst water crises in history, affecting over one million people so far. The two main reservoirs supplying Jeolla province, about 440 km south of Seoul, are drying up. Among the initiatives being considered by the Seoul government to limit the crisis is the construction of a mobile seawater desalination plant. CAMBODIA The 69-year-old opposition leader Kem Sokha, co-founder of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), appealed against his 27-year sentence (which he is serving under house arrest) for "conspiring" with foreign entities to overthrow Prime Minister Hun Sen. He was also deprived of his political rights and cannot meet with anyone other than his family without permission. NORTH KOREA Pyongyang launches an anti-divorce campaign aimed at convincing 'disgruntled wives' to stay in the family against a backdrop of economic crisis. One of the points of the initiative is the 'public pillory' punishment of the parents of couples going through a divorce. Companies with high separation rates are also targeted. AFGHANISTAN - TAJIKISTAN A Taliban delegation, for the first time since the return to power in Kabul, paid an official visit to Tajikistan, in Khorog, in recent days. The parties kept the meeting strictly confidential, without making any statements. Experts believe that the focus of the talks was border relations and the situation of the Tajiks in Afghanistan, with many family ties on both borders. RUSSIA According to The Moscow Times, President Vladimir Putin has imposed a ban on civil servants, deputies and senators, governors, heads of major state-owned companies and banks, prohibiting them from travelling abroad without explicit permission. Anonymous sources quoted by the newspaper reveal that, in fact, the 'iron curtain has been re-established, at least for state employees'. China calls on SCO members to deepen cooperation on law enforcement, security Xinhua) 11:16, March 30, 2023 Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong attends the 18th Meeting of the Security Council Secretaries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Member States via video link in Beijing, capital of China, March 29, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan) BEIJING, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong on Wednesday called on Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states to deepen pragmatic cooperation in the fields of law enforcement and security, and jointly create a sound security environment for the economic recovery and social stability of all countries. Wang made the remarks when attending the 18th Meeting of the Security Council Secretaries of the SCO Member States via video link. He noted that China is willing to work with all parties to implement the Global Security Initiative. He called for all countries to defuse the risks of external interference and safeguard their core interests, such as national sovereignty, territorial integrity and independently choosing development paths. It is important to bridge differences through dialogue and resolve disputes through cooperation, Wang said, stressing that joint efforts are needed to foster a new regional security structure that is balanced, effective and sustainable. He called on all parties to resolutely contain and crack down on the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism, and strengthen cooperation to combat transnational crime, such as telecom and internet fraud, online gambling, and drug trafficking. He also called on all parties to continue to engage in positive interactions to promote stable structure in Afghanistan. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Rep. Jo Seoung-lae of the Democratic Party of Korea and a member of the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee, delivers a congratulatory speech at the opening ceremony of an exhibition on the Danuri lunar orbiter at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul, Tuesday. Newsis By Baek Byung-yeul Rep. Jo Seoung-lae of the Democratic Party of Korea hosted an exhibition shedding light on the Danuri lunar orbiter to commemorate the space vehicle's successful entry into lunar orbit, the lawmaker said Tuesday. Hosted by the lawmaker, the exhibition, titled "Special Exhibition of Lunar Exploration," will take place at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul, until Saturday. The exhibition features various moon-related content, a miniature of the Danuri and photos taken by the lunar orbiter. The Danuri is a domestically developed space vehicle. Carried by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, the unmanned space vehicle was launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Aug. 5. A poster for an exhibition about the Danuri lunar orbiter / Courtesy of Rep. Jo Seoung-lae Mass protests weaken support for the current government. Projections from two recent polls suggest the ruling coalition would drop to 53 seats out of 120. Voters prefer Gantz over Netanyahu by 37 to 30 per cent, while the other main opposition leader, Lapid, is just holding his own. Meanwhile, US President Biden snubs (again) Israeli Prime Minister. Jerusalem (AsiaNews) If elections were held in Israel now, support for Benny Gantz, leader of the National Unity alliance, would double, denying incumbent Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu his current majority in the Knesset with far fewer than the 60 seats needed to govern in the 120-member parliament. The governments controversial reform for Israels justice is the main factor in this major shift in public opinion which drove hundreds of thousands of Israelis into the streets backed by the firm opposition of many members of the judiciary, the defence community and among military reservists, forcing the government to put its plans on hold. The crisis that cut support for Israels current government, at least temporarily, also impacted Israels relations with the United States, where President Joe Biden said that the Israeli prime minister would not be coming to the White House any time soon. Many Israel watchers have their sight on Benny Gantz, a former Chief of the General Staff, leader of the centrist Blue White alliance and one time speaker of the Knesset, defence minister and alternate prime minister of Israel (the other was Yair Lapid). The other main opposition leader, Yair Lapid, has not profited from the situation. Support for former general is up thanks to the fallout from the crisis triggered by the judicial reforms proposed by Israels religious right, which are reviled by a large part of the Israeli population. Two polls released on Monday indicate that Gantz and his National Unity alliance would double their votes, getting 23 seats according to Channel 12 and 21 seats according to Kan News, up from 12. Prime Minister Netanyahu's Likud would drop from 32 to 25, while the ruling coalition would see its majority shrink below the 60-seat threshold, from 64 to 53-54. Lapids party would lose two seats, from 24 to 22. When respondents were asked who should lead the country, 31 per cent said Prime Minister Netanyahu against 32 per cent for Lapid; when asked to choose between Netanyahu and Gantz the response was 30 per cent for the Likud leader and 37 per cent for the former defence minister. According to Channel 12, about 63 per cent of respondents including 60 per cent of Likud voters are in favour of the decision to delay judicial reform and start fresh negotiations among the parties as Israeli President Isaac Herzog urged. Only 24 per cent of respondents are against a pause and would like to push the reform through. On the same question, the Kan News poll shows that 62 per cent of respondents support a pause of the legislation, and 22 per cent saying that it should continue. Some 68 per cent of respondents in the Channel 12 poll give Netanyahu a poor grade for his performance, with only 25 per cent rating him positively. In addition, 63 per cent of respondents (58 per cent among Likud voters) oppose Netanyahus decision to sack Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over his call for a pause. The hard-line wing of the government, primarily National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, are against any pause, pressing for quick approval. To avert a government crisis, Netanyahu announced the creation of a "national guard" under the control of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party, giving him a de facto private militia, as ex-police commissioner Moshe Karadi described it. Against all this, many reservists, members of the defence establishment, and the judiciary are quite outspoken in their criticism of the proposed judicial reform, which risks turning a political crisis into a much broader crisis that will affect Israels security. The crisis caused by the proposed judicial reform inevitably has had an impact on Israels foreign relations. US President Joe Biden has signalled that he is not pressed to see the Israeli prime minister at the White House, while Netanyahus embrace of the religious right risks losing him the support of the US Jewish community, as well as its influence and economic power. Unlike recent practice, four months after taking office, the Israeli prime minister has not yet been invited to Washington, and he is not likely to be. "Like many strong supporters of Israel, I am very worried, President Biden said. Hopefully, the prime minister will act in a way that he will try to work out some genuine compromise, but that remains to be seen. Hence, he is not planning to meet Netanyahu, at least not in the near term. Quickly, Netanyahu responded saying that Israel will not make any decisions based on pressures from abroad, including from the best of friends, while a terse Ben-Gvir said that Israel was not another star on the American flag. by Steve Suwannarat They were 137 people who did not understand Malaysian and were also associated with the country's Muslim community in government plans and censuses. The case has rekindled attention on the Orang Asli, the indigenous people who remain marginalised in some areas. Children's enrolment in their schools is falling. Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews) - The case of the alleged forced conversion of a small tribal community in the Malaysian state of Pahang has rekindled attention on the Orang Asli, an ethnic minority group that is sometimes associated with the Muslim community and considered as converts to Islam in government plans and censuses even when they are not. There are 137 individuals who reported a mass conversion in Pahang that took place in April 1993. They are members of the Bateq Mayah ethnic group, of animist belief, who aim to restore their original identity through their civil action. According to the lawyers in charge of their legal protection, the conversion was extorted on the basis of their lack of understanding, even of the language, to the point that it was only many years later - when some began to read Malaysian - that they realised their condition, in violation of the Aboriginal Peoples Act of 1954, which aims to protect their traditions and to protect the indigenous people from exploitation and discrimination. The Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa, from its initials in Malaysian), the Council for Islamic, Religious and Malay Traditions in Pahang, the local government and the federal government have been called to account for the issue, which allegedly involves other groups in the same area. But the debate on the Orang Asli has been raging for a long time and politics also plays an important role, sometimes in favour of their integration (and seeing them as a reservoir of votes) or, on the contrary, aimed at promoting their diversity. The consequences of the partial integration of the indigenous peoples can be seen above all in the field of education: among the students expected to start secondary school, the percentage of Orang Asli in 2016 fell from 20% to 17%, reaching between 13% and 15% only two years later, and marking a negative trend in the following years as well. The Orang Asli Development Department confirmed that in the 99 schools specifically for these groups, including 97 primary schools, out of 3,200 students enrolled in the first year, only 2,062 made it to the fifth year in 2021, with a drop-out rate of 42%. The situation for indigenous youth studying in government schools is better, with 27,326 and 12,980 students for primary and secondary respectively. The phenomenon is partly explained by bullying of the indigenous peoples, while the project to include teachers from the aboriginal groups, and the initiatives to give them greater motivation to stay in school go in the direction of halting a worrying trend, but it is not the only one: in terms of employment, income and opportunities, the reality of the Orang Asli also sees many critical issues. In terms of integration, according to the experts, it remains crucial to spread knowledge about the community among Malaysians, also by including appropriate information in history and culture courses. Taiwans current and former presidents are on highly political and symbolic visits. Beijing is threatening to act resolutely if Tsai meets with leaders in Washington. Ma praises the founder of the Republic of China, Sun Yat-sen, and promotes peace between the mainland and the island, but is censored by the Chinese. Taipei (AsiaNews) Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and her predecessor, Ma Ying-jeou, seem to be duelling at a distance. Tsai, leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), is disliked by Communist China because she is deemed to favour Taiwans independence. Yesterday she arrived in the United States where she will stay in New York until 1 April before travelling to Guatemala and Belize. After Honduras broke diplomatic relations opting to recognise mainland China, the two Central American countries are among Taiwans last 13 diplomatic allies. By contrast, former Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou is on an unofficial and controversial visit to the mainland.. For many observers, Beijing wants to use his party, the Chinese nationalist Kuomintang, to drive a wedge in Taiwanese society ahead of next years presidential elections, hoping to undermine the DPP. Tsais last visit to the US was in 2019. This visit comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing, and growing Chinese military pressure along the Taiwan Strait. On 5 April, before returning home, Tsai is expected to meet with the speaker of the US House of Representatives, Republican Kevin McCarthy, in Los Angeles. Chinas Taiwan Affairs Office has threatened to " take measures to resolutely fight back if this happens. China responded with a series of military exercises after Nancy Pelosi, McCarthy's predecessor, visited Taiwan in August 2022. Beijing considers the island a "rebel" province to be taken by force if necessary. For its part, the US is committed to defending the island under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act adopted after the formal diplomatic recognition of communist China. The law does not specify the actual nature of the US commitment to Taiwan, but the resulting "strategic ambiguity" has fed constant tensions with Beijing. On Tuesday, during his visit to Nanjing, in mainland China, former President Ma praised Sun Yat-sen, the founder of the Republic of China (ROC) in 1912, urging Taipei and Beijing to bury the hatchet and seek peace. Taiwan has been de facto independent from the mainland since 1949 when Chiang Kai-shek's nationalists fled to the island after losing the civil war on the mainland against the communists, making it the heir to the ROC. Despite "closeness" to the Kuomintang, Chinese authorities censored most of Ma's remarks, especially when he mentioned the ROC and described himself as a former president of Taiwan, fuelling even more the DPPs criticism of Mas trip to the mainland. Is Sex Addiction Real? Here's What to Know About It Is Sex Addiction Real? And How Do You Know If You Have It? When people talk about sexual urges, they often frame them in metaphorical terms. They might describe themselves as sex-starved or call a horny person thirsty as hell. They might describe the pull of an attractive person as magnetic. And, of course, they could say, Im addicted to having sex. For some people, though, that talk is a bit less metaphorical, and a bit more real. In the 21st century, its become more common to recognize certain substances addictive potentials. We now call alcohol addiction a disease, and increasingly, theres recognition that substance abuse whether of prescription drugs or illegal ones is not a character failing, but due to the addictive properties of the substances themselves. Yet when it comes to behavior, this gets a bit trickier. Gambling, for instance, is often considered to be something that can be addictive. But what about sex addiction? Can you be addicted to sex? RELATED: Signs You Have a Porn Addiction and How to Cope Though the phrase itself has become pretty popular, thanks in no small part to media coverage of high-profile cases, as it turns out, there is some controversy around the question of whether such a thing as sex addiction even exists. In order to get a better understanding of what the experts say, AskMen spoke to two sex doctors about the concept of sex addiction. Heres what they had to say: What Is Sex Addiction? First off, before defining sex addiction, its important to know that many sex therapists emphatically state that sex is not addictive, and instead prefer the terms compulsive sexual behaviors or out-of-control-sexual behaviors, says Dr. Laurie Mintz, Ph.D., LELO sexpert and author of Becoming Cliterate and A Tired Womans Guide to Passionate Sex. In other words, the field of sex therapy doesnt recommend evaluating or treating sexual behavior problems through an addiction lens. Sex addiction is not a recognized diagnosis in the DSM 5, or the recently updated DSM-5-TR, agrees Dr. Kate Balestrieri, a licensed psychologist, certified sex therapist, and founder of Modern Intimacy. The phrase sex addiction is a colloquial term used to describe compulsive sexual behavior, recognized as compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD) in the ICD-11. Mintz notes that the American Psychiatric Association, which publishes the DSM, rejected the diagnosis of sex addiction, noting insufficient scientific evidence to support the notion that sex is addictive. As well, a BusinessWire article about a statement from the American Association for Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists which Mintz calls the major accrediting body in the U.S. for sex therapists, cites Russell Stambaugh, Ph.D., DST, CSTS, one of the authors of said statement, as saying that the best scientific studies do not currently support the theory that sex can be an addiction directly analogous to cocaine, heroin, alcohol or nicotine. So, essentially, sex addiction is a possibly significantly misleading name for a phenomenon that does indeed exist, but one that experts dont classify as an addiction in the sense that we understand other addictions an important distinction, because it changes how people think about the issue, as well as how its treated. So if the real disorder isnt sex addiction but something called compulsive sexual behavior disorder, what is compulsive sexual behavior disorder, exactly? CSBD reflects a pattern of being unable to control patterns of intense and repetitive sexual impulses and urges, which leads to repetitive sexual behavior, says Balestrieri. Despite negative consequences in a persons life, or a lack of pleasure born out of their sexual efforts, repeated attempts to stop the behavior have not been effective. Stated simply, we are talking about sexual behaviors that cause individuals significant negative physical, psychological, spiritual and/or sexual health consequences and, in some but actually less frequent cases, feel out of control, says Mintz. CSBD can engender feelings of helplessness, powerlessness, fear or shame for those who experience it, similar to other chemical and behavioral addictions, Balestrieri adds. However, Balestrieri notes, Feeling a moral judgment or recognizing a relational or identity conflict about ones sexual behaviors is not the same as CSBD, and is not enough to warrant a diagnosis, adding that CSBD is generally considered a disorder of impulse control. How Common Are Sex Addiction Issues? The prevalence of CSBD is a difficult construct to appropriately measure, given the confounding variables of stigma around sex, the conflation of compulsivity and moral judgements about sex, and hesitance for many people to come forward for research and treatment, says Balestrieri. Earlier studies suggest a prevalence around 3-6% in the general population, she notes. Generally, more men seek out treatment, but it is not clear if that is related to organic differences in prevalence, or social stigma further targeting womens sexuality, resulting in additional shame that prevents women from seeking treatment. In one study of US adults, about 10% of men and 7% of women endorsed distress or impairment in sexual self-control, says Mintz. One study of college and university students found up to 18% reported symptoms of hypersexual behavior disorder while another study of college students only found 2% meet criteria for compulsive sexual behavior. When it comes to feeling like youre addicted to porn, she added, one study found that about 9% of individuals who try are unsuccessful in giving up porn and about 8 to 17% of porn users might be classified as compulsive users. As you can see, we dont really have accurate numbers at this time, says Mintz. However, we do know that people regularly seek services because they think they are a porn or sex addict. Interestingly, the belief itself might be part of the problem. Essentially, Mintz notes, if you perceive your own sexual behavior as something youre addicted to due to, for example, moral disapproval and religiosity, you may experience significantly more distress than someone else with the exact same behavior patterns but who doesnt perceive them negatively. Thus, even someone who doesnt spend much time watching porn or engage in many hookups may see themselves as porn or sex addicts even if their behavior doesnt match that of an out-of-control person. Signs You May Have Compulsive Sex Issues People often struggle with controlling their sexual behavior (e.g. masturbation, partnered sex, viewing pornography, paying for sex) like any other pleasurable activity, says Mintz. A smaller portion of people feel their sexual behavior is out of control. She notes that people might be concerned about their sexual control when: Their sexual behavior is paired with drugs and alcohol They judge their sexual desires and activity as immoral or shameful. They repeatedly experience negative consequences (e.g., sexually transmitted infections, unintended pregnancy, or relationship conflicts from infidelity). They miss important obligations due to sexual behavior (e.g., miss work or school because they are engaging in solo or partnered sex). Sexual behaviors interfere with ones ability to form or sustain healthy sexual and emotional relationships (e.g., consistently staying home to masturbate to porn rather than go on dates or out with friends, pattern of dishonoring sexual agreements) They make promises to change their sexual behavior but dont Ultimately, CSBD may be something to consider if you feel your sexual behavior is out of control, and is causing negative consequences in your life, notes Balestrieri, but particularly if you have a desire to stop and have not been successful in your efforts. RELATED: Signs Youre a Sex Addict In order to determine whether thats you or not, she says, You might take an inventory of whether your sexual urges or behavior has resulted in you neglecting important areas of your life, such as your physical health and wellbeing, your professional responsibilities, or parenting. She says you could ask yourself questions like: Has it resulted in legal infractions or had a damaging effect on your relationship? Have you lost the pleasure of sex, and feel governed by the ritual of seeking it out? Have you sought out more intense or more frequent sexual activity, or kinds of sexual behavior that challenge your own values or do not fit your own erotic interests? Have you tried to stop, and have been unsuccessful? Do you feel emotionally hungover after engaging in sexual behavior? What to Do If You Think You Have CSBD If your relationship with sex feels problematic, Balestrieri notes, it might not be a bad idea to work with a professional on this issue. They can help you explore your relationship with sex, your concerns about your behavior and help you reduce shame and create a blueprint for a relationship with sex that is thriving and exciting, while minimizing any out-of-control or problematic sexual behavior. RELATED: Are You Having Too Much Sex? However, unsurprising given the controversy around CSBD, not all professionals will approach the situation the same way. Mintz suggests seeking counseling from a certified or trained sex therapist, and also suggests avoiding people who call themselves sex addiction counselors, as this may be an indication that they are working within an addiction-based framework. She mentions trying out AASECT and SSTARs sites to find someone to work with. While the experts dont agree that sex addiction exists per se, Balestrieri notes that this doesnt mean addiction-style treatment cant help some people who struggle with CSBD. There are also 12-step meetings for folks who identify with the addiction model and want support as they gain traction in reshaping their relationship with sex, she says. Therapy groups and other community involvement can be a welcome support system as well. It can feel lonely to be at odds with your sexuality, or to face any negative consequences that have transpired. You are not alone and being a part of a community can be a strong protective factor in your healing. You Might Also Dig: Snow blankets Ruedi Reservoir looking easterly from the dam on Wednesday afternoon. Although snowpack levels in the upper valley range from 120% to 159% of median, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation officials are confident that the reservoir can handle runoff without risking flooding in the lower Fryingpan River. Employees check the status of an assembled vehicle at Hyundai Motor's plant in Asan. Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Hyundai Motor, BMW Korea and Ford Sales Service Korea will voluntarily recall over 12,000 vehicles to fix faulty components, the transport ministry said Thursday. The three companies are recalling a combined 12,461 units of 10 different models, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a statement. The recalls are due to a faulty parking sensing system in Hyundai's Grandeur GN7 model, software problems in BMW's S1000XR two-wheeler's engine control unit and software problems in Ford Sales Service's Ranger Raptor pickup truck, it said. Vehicle owners can visit designated repair and service centers of the companies to have the parts replaced for free, the ministry added. (Yonhap) kilowatt kW The largest electric utility vehicle from Audi retails at $74,400 excluding the destination charge, whereas the coupe-styled Q8 Sportback S line e-tron quattro (now thats a mouthful!) costs $77,800 in the United States. The Q8 e-tron twins will be joined by SQ8 e-tron performance variants in due time, also as 2024 models.Slotted above the Q4 e-tron, which rocks the MEB platform of the Volkswagen ID.4, the Q8 e-tron is built around the MLB Evo platform. Of course, Audi had to modify it a lot for all-electric applications. On the other hand, the MLB Evo is shared with the combustion-engined Q8 that costs $72,800 for the 2023 model year.Both the regular-bodied and coupe-styled crossovers are packing a massive battery with 114hours to its name and a net capacity of 106 kilowatt hours. Maximum charging on DC is 170, as opposed to 150 kW for the pre-facelift models, which means that 31 minutes are required to recharge from 10 to 80 percent. Audi further improved the rear electric motor with 14 windings instead of the old 12, thus improving efficiency with a stronger magnetic field. The Ingolstadt-based automaker is referring to its electric all-wheel-drive systems under the quattro moniker, which is a little misleading. The all-electric quattro is joined by a multi-plate clutch version for transverse applications (think A3), a self-lock diff version (used in the Q8), and ultra.The Q8 e-trons front motor fires up in slipper conditions or when switching the shifter into sport mode. If you drive it like a senior citizen going to Sunday church, expect no more than 300 miles (483 kilometers) of range for the slightly more aerodynamic Sportback version.It may not seem like much, and it most certainly isnt. For instance, Tesla lists the Model X with an EPA-estimated 351 miles (565 kilometers) with the standard 20-inch Cyberstream wheels. Opting for 22 inchers also means the range drops to 332 miles (534 kilometers).Adaptive air suspension is standard in the Q8 e-tron , and by its nature, said suspension can vary the ride height by almost three inches, depending on the driving scenario. Four-zone automatic climate control with a heat pump is also standard, as are the eight-way power adjustable contour seats wrapped in leather upholstery, panoramic glass roof, and the hi-def digital instrument cluster.Something the Q8 e-tron for the U.S. market does not have is digital mirrors. Only actual mirrors are legal in the United States for the time being, which is why the U.S. model features a worse drag coefficient than the Euro model pictured in the main photo and gallery. Photo: Museo dell'Aeronautica Gianni Caproni Photo: Museo dell'Aeronautica Gianni Caproni Photo: Museo dell'Aeronautica Gianni Caproni Photo: Museo dell'Aeronautica Gianni Caproni This is the remarkable story of the Caproni Ca.60 Transaero, a nine-winged flying boat airliner that could have only been built in Italy. By 1921, the world's very first transatlantic flight had only occurred two years prior. John Alcock and Arthur Brown may have crash-landed their British Vickers Vimy biplane after flying from Nova Scotia, Canada, all the way to County Galway, Ireland.But that didn't stop aeronautical engineers the world over from thinking they could do it better. More specifically, an Italian engineer by the name of Giovanni Battista Caproni had a vision for something far grander. If a modified First World War bomber going transatlantic knocked people's socks off, imagine how they'd react to a 100-seater flying boat passenger airliner managing the same feat.At least, that's what people with modern sensibilities are left to assume about the genesis of this creation. During the First World War, "Gianni" Caproni busied himself building some of the very first heavy bombers used in combat on either side of the conflict. One of Caproni's designs, the Ca.36 biplane bomber, is preserved to this day at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, which should only speak to how important and innovative Caproni's designs could be in their day.But even before the war, Caproni envisioned a day where 100-plus passenger transatlantic airliners were more routine than a novelty. The mass conversion of many of his WWI bomber designs into some of the first passenger airliners in Europe ensured Caproni had the experience to make it happen. In some ways, the patent that Gianni Caproni took out for his design in 1919 resembled a modern airliner in layout far more than it did a conventional aircraft of the day.At a time when most airplanes struggled to haul ten passengers, the notion one could carry 100 or more across the expanse of the Atlantic Ocean might as well have been witchcraft. As a result, Caproni's design with met with mild skepticism from some people and outright rejection by experts. Most notably, the former Italian WWI general and aviation theorist Giulio Douhet that Caproni's idea was wrong-headed in the most polite terms. What if a flying boat laden with passengers flies into the drink unexpectedly? That would spell doom for anyone on board.Or at least that's the rationale behind Caproni's detractors. On the face of it, these criticisms had a point. But Gianni Caproni was prepared for the haters. In response, a number of measures were implemented with the goal of increasing safety. Key trinkets like engine redundancy allowed Caproni's design to land safely in the event of engine failure, which is a stalwart feature of modern aviation.In the days when it was assumed two or more sets of wings provided optimal lift, Caproni's plan called for a set of nine massive wings arranged three a piece down the length of the concept's fuselage. Of course, we in the modern day know that extra wings cause far more parasitic drag than the lift they generate. That didn't stop a novel Noviplano (nine-wing) layout from becoming the standard for what Caproni called the Transaero.The design with the same amount of wings as your average B-Dubs order began production at Caproni's facility in Taliedo, on the outskirts of Milan, in late 1919. Anyone familiar with the story of the infernal Christmas Bullet knows the story of the Liberty L-12 V12 aeronautical engine. The very same engines that powered the two doomed Christmas Bullets also powered the Caproni Transaero. It's as if the U.S. Military didn't get the hint the first time someone asked to use their flagship engine in untested experimental airframes of questionable origin.But unlike Dr. William Whitney Christmas, Gianni Caproni was at least a legit aerospace engineer. With roughly 400 horsepower from each engine to play with, the Ca.60 Transaero had respectable power for its day, nearly 3,200 horsepower in total. In theory, Gianni Caproni hoped the Transaero would cruise at 80 miles per hour (130 kph) while transporting upwards of 100 people across the vast oceans in abject comfort. From a modern perspective, the Ca.60 was the Airbus A380 of its day, the largest airliner around.The 26,000 kg (57,320 lb) fully loaded Caproni Ca.60 Transaero was ready for its first flight by the beginning of 1921, leaving its production hangar for photographic posterity's sake in January of that year. Upon each of the 30-meter long (98 ft 5 in) wings, a set of ailerons was mounted. Through differentiation in the positions of the left-side and right-side ailerons, the aircraft could ascend and descend in the same way it would with conventional elevators. Interestingly, the airframe lacked a horizontal stabilizer.Though most aerospace engineers today are liable to think that's a little "sus," Gianni Caproni was eager to get his creation airborne. On the waters of Lake Maggiore in the Alps between Italy and Southern Switzerland, Caproni introduced his creation in February 1921. Some of Gianni Caproni's aerospace buddies were present for the Ca.60's first water taxi test. With famous names like Alessandro Tonini and Giulio Macchi of the Aermacchi Company and Raffaele Conflenti of the SIAI-Marhchetti group in attendance, the Transaero had decent handling traits in the water.But good handling in the water doesn't necessarily mean the same in the air. Because record-keeping was pretty suspect at times in early aviation, it's a bit unclear when exactly the Ca.60 took its first flight. Some sources peg the date as February 12th or Mach 2nd, 1921, with Caproni's pilot Federico Semprini at the controls. Whatever the case, this feat made the Ca.60 Transaero one of the largest aircraft ever to fly.Even if a few hundred kilos of ballast was needed to make it happen, it was a remarkable feat nonetheless. But it would be the last time the Transaero landed in one piece. Two days later, on March 4th, 1921, Federico Semprini is believed to have pulled back on the control yoke for takeoff too quickly, causing the aircraft to pitch up violently, stall out, and flop right back down to the water tail-first.The resulting crash rippled the aircraft in two, with only the rear-facing two-thirds remaining entirely intact. Even if the aircraft was theoretically salvageable, the cost of repair would be astronomical. As such, the heavily damaged airframe was scrapped, leaving its true abilities up in the air forever. Ever since that fateful day, mild conspiracy theories regarding the particulars of that accident continued to make their rounds in aviation enthusiast circles.Some claimed the Ca.60s pilot was attempting to steer clear of a steamboat in its immediate takeoff path. Others claim the sand-based ballast used to help lift the plane into the air came loose on takeoff and shifted the aircraft's center of mass to a dangerous degree. In the end, the answer will probably never be known for certain.Today, bits and pieces that remain of Caproni's grandest idea are housed on display at the Gianni Caproni Museum of Aeronautics right beside the Trento Airport in Trento, Northern Italy. As the oldest aviation museum in all of Italy, the remains of one of the most ambitious, outrageous, and ironically respectable designs of the late pioneer age of aviation serve as the museum's main attraction.It's easy to mock very overtly Italian designs with as many engines as a Lamborghini Urus has cylinders. But always remember, there'd be no Boeing 747 , no Airbus A380, without the Caproni Ca.60 Transaero. For that, we owe Gianni Caproni our utmost thanks. kW To the untrained eye, the car snapped doing its thing in the cold close to the Arctic Circle in Europe by our spy photographers recently, may look like a Roma . However, it only shares certain panels with it, some of which were slightly readapted, as beneath the familiar skin likes an entirely different model that will replace the 812.Thus, we cannot tell you anything about the design part for now, but we can mention some of the alterations made to its exterior, which were necessary in order to fit a V12 under the hood because it does rock such a big lump. The repositioned third brake light is but one of the modifications, next to the different rear bumper and diffuser combo, and what seem to be slightly larger tailpipes. The wheels are bigger too, and dont mind the LED light bar above the nose, because its there for the testing part only.Now, about the powertrain, it will definitely be a V12 , and there are signs pointing to the same 6.5-liter displacement. However, since the Prancing Horse does not intend to use any forced induction trickery, they will probably add a small electric motor to keep the emissions in check and help boost the output and torque. The final numbers are obviously unknown, but in all likelihood, they will exceed the 830 ps (818 hp/610) and 692 Nm (510 lb-ft) of the current 812 Competizione.Some speak about a possible 900 ps (887 hp/662 kW) or so combined. This sounds quite reasonable, especially since it wont allow it to step on the toes of the SF90. The plug-in hybrid supercar has 1,000 ps (986 hp/735 kW) SF90 on tap, and dizzying 0-62 mph (0-100 kph) acceleration said to take only 2.5 seconds. Top speed stands at 211 mph (340 kph), the spec sheet of the exotic model reveals.It is unknown when it will officially premiere, yet you shouldnt expect it anytime soon. Thats because it is still in test mule form. Prototypes of the yet-unnamed model should start hitting the road soon. From here on, the camouflage will be gradually removed. If we were to take a guess on when this new Ferrari is due, wed say that no sooner than early next year. But thats our two cents on the topic, and should be taken with the proverbial pinch of salt. EV In a press release on Thursday, GMC announced that it would be collaborating with Oregon-based EarthCruiser, a leading overland adventure vehicle manufacturer, to develop a Hummeroverlander concept vehicle.As explained, the biggest hurdle for the EV industry has been developing an off-road vehicle with enough range to conquer an overland expedition (read range anxiety). Unlike fossil fuels that overlanders carry on auxiliary fuel cans, charging stations dont exist in the wild.GMC plans on working with EarthCruisers research and design division, ECI (Earth Cruiser Innovations), which has extensive experience in the field, to develop the next-generation overland upfit solution for EVs thatll be integrated into the Hummer EV Pickup.To remind you, GMCs Hummer EV Pickup was a sensational come-back for the marque, considering it was the butt of the joke for years thanks to its meager acceleration stats. But that immediately ended with the debut of the electric version of the humongous utility vehicle.Americans love big trucks, and as youd expect, GMC Hummer EV reservations reached 90,000 by September 2022.Thats not all. Last year, a GMC Hummer EV Edition 1 pickup sold for a whopping $286,000. According to the automaker, the percentage of buyers converting their reservations into actual orders at the time was 95%.The desperation isnt all for nothing. This electric utility pickup truck has many superpowers. It rides on Adaptive Air Ride suspension, supports fast charging, can crab walk, has a range of 350 miles (563 kilometers), and perhaps one of its most exciting capabilities hitting 0 to 60 mph (97 kph) in 3 seconds Josh Tavel, GM executive chief engineer, Battery Electric Trucks at GMC, said, We had an instant connection with EarthCruiser, a leader in the overland community, and their similar vision to accelerate the zero-tailpipe-emissions future. EarthCruiser products have proven their performance in environments around the world, and were excited to join them on this next chapter of adventure and exploration.Theres no doubt that the two companies form a unique alliance. GMC recently revealed the Sierra EV Denali , a formidable force in the all-electric truck segment, and EarthCruiser, whove equally had successes with their EC Terranova, EarthCruiser EXP, and FX.Based on the teaser released, the utility EV appears to have solar panels on the roof meant to power the overlander (battery probably preserved for driving), while the bed is covered with storage compartments.The collaboration between the two aims at leveraging EarthCruiser's advanced engineering expertise in overlanding and off-roading to develop industry-shaping, futuristic, zero-tail-pipe emission vehicles for adventure seekers.EarthCruiser CEO and Founder, Lance Gillies, said the electric vehicle world presents many opportunities for overland use. He added that the collaboration with the GM team is something to look forward to and will define the future of the overlanding industry.The overlander concept will be unveiled in late summer 2023. Photo: Nine Hills No matter where you are in this world youve probably heard the name Kilimanjaro. Its not any random mountain, but a dormant volcano with three cones. At 5,895 meters (19,341 feet) above sea level, it is Africas highest place, but also the worlds highest free-standing mountain - meaning its not connected to any mountain range.So, quite an impressive feature of our planet, but one that doesnt necessarily strike you as one to spawn motorcycle builds. Yet it did, and here we are face to face with the Harley-Davidson Kilimanjaro, a bike that may not inspire as much awe as the African volcano, but comes close.The bike was not always called Kilimanjaro, of course. It started out as a 2013 Breakout , but its existence was turned upside down as soon as it crossed paths with Polish custom garage Nine Hills.As one of many Breakouts in the Nine Hills portfolio, the Kilimanjaro had to stand out in some way, and the path chosen for this bike was to go for a minimalist approach while at the same time maintaining the essence of the stock machine.Going against the usual trend, the shop kept the original ten-spoke design wheels of the Breakout, but went for a 280 mm wide tire at the rear. To be able to accommodate it, the swingarm has been widened, and a new fender was devised to hug its upper side and give the impression the seat is sunk deeper into the frame. At the back, a fully adjustable air suspension was fitted, while the front was lowered a bit more for a more aggressive stance.On the upper side of the frame, the stock fuel tank was replaced by a custom, slimmer one. Below it is the Breakouts native engine, only wearing Roland Sands Design covers. The unit probably develops the same amount of power it did when it exited the factory doors, but it probably breathes in better thanks to the fitting of a conical air filter. The breathing out part of its operation is handled by an exhaust system of the Vance & Hines variety.When work on the project was over, Nine Hills covered the main body parts of the bike in beautiful brown, a color not often seen on rides and one that makes the Kilimanjaro look simply chocolate-delicious.We do not know the current whereabouts of the Harley-Davidson Kilimanjaro , but it probably doesnt roam the roads of the continent where the namesake mountain resides. The price of the build is, as usual when it comes to Nine Hills projects, the other big unknown of this two-wheeler. Hitejinro CEO Kim In-gyu speaks to the press during the company's launching event for its new beer brand Kelly in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Hitejinro By Kim Jae-heun Hitejinro, a major local brewer, has launched a new lager called Kelly as part of efforts to regain its No. 1 status from its rival Oriental Brewery (OB), according to company officials Thursday. Kelly is Hitejinro's first new product since 2019 when it introduced Terra, another lager. The name Kelly is short for "keep naturally," which means minimizing the artificial taste of the product and making it as natural as possible. The lager is made with Danish barley that has been germinated for 24 hours longer than other barleys. "We made Kelly based on our long-term research on consumers' expectations and demands in the regular beer market. Kelly will create a strong sensation in the local market and help us recapture our top position," Hitejinro CEO Kim In-gyu said during a press conference held in Seoul. According to market research firm Nielsen Korea, Oriental Brewery's lager Cass topped the domestic beer market with a 43 percent market share as of January this year, while Terra had an 18.6 percent share. Models pose with Hitejinro's new beer product Kelly during its launching event held in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Hitejinro SUV Believed to be an entirely new generation and not a mid-cycle refresh, the 2024 (or so it is believed anyway) Dacia Duster has a fresh design. Overall, it looks like a smaller version of the Bigster, which is due for production in 2025 subsequent to being previewed by a concept two years ago. Thats more good news, as the upcoming flagship, whose footprint should be similar to that of the Skoda Kodiaq, is quite attractive or the study was anyway.Even with the heavy disguise on, it is clear that it has a new face. The slimmer headlights with integrated DRLs flank the grille that will be decorated by the corporate logo in the middle. Further down, it has side vents, and a bigger central air intake. Slightly boxier overall proportions are visible, and the profile looks about the same, bar the new door handles, and probably fresh lines that will be visible once the camo comes off. At the rear, it has new taillights, a tailgate with the license plate holder sitting further up, a cleaner-looking bumper, and the third brake light incorporated into the spoiler.Overall, it seems to sport a similar ground clearance, and it appears that the space between the axles has been slightly increased. That hasnt been confirmed yet, but such a move would automatically free up more legroom for those sitting at the back. Moreover, the cargo area is expected to be improved. We have yet to catch a glimpse of the interior, but we do expect it to feature a new infotainment system, perhaps with a portrait-oriented screen. The overall quality of the materials used inside should be enhanced, though you shouldnt hold your breath for anything premium, as this is still a budget car Word on the street is that the all-new Dacia Duster will not be built on the old B platform. Instead, it is understood to be based on the CMF-B construction of the second-gen Captur, which is also used on the Clio V. The same architecture is the foundation stone of the latest Nissan Juke, and other models made by Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi, and it will make it compatible with a generous host of powertrains. Rumors speak of a few gasoline burners, and maybe the Clio E-Techs self-charging hybrid. Its too early to speak about a possible diesel, but we wouldnt act surprised if they give it a low-revving lump once it premieres, supposedly sometime next year, maybe in the first half. EV kWh In October 2022, NIO announced plans to start operations in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Denmark, with deliveries of ET7 beginning immediately, followed by EL7 in January and ET5 in March. As we approached the end of the month, many thought NIO had forgotten about the deadline, but it didnt. The Chinesestartup will deliver the first ET5 to German customers on the last day of the month. It has also adjusted its pricing to make it more competitive against rivals in Europe, although it might not be enough.Initially, NIO offered a subscription model as the only option for owning one of its EVs. At the end of November 2022, the Chinese EV maker started offering purchase options starting at 49,900 euros for the ET5 in Germany. Mind you, this price doesnt include the Li-Ion battery, which needs to be leased or purchased separately. Youd have to pay another 12,000 euros for the 75-battery or 21,000 euros for the 100-kWh pack.Perhaps NIO realized that few people would buy the ET5 at this price, so it decided to slash 2,400 euros off the sticker price. Even so, the NIO ET5 remains less competitively priced compared to its main rival, the Tesla Model 3. The American sedan starts at 43,990 euros in Germany and has a battery included. Even the Model Y is cheaper, at 44,890 euros.Customers who opt for a subscription instead of a purchase are offered two plans. The smaller, 999-euro plan includes a 75-kWh battery and everything you need, like insurance, road assistance, and battery swaps. The bigger plan at 1,170 euros per month has similar benefits but includes the 100-kWh battery. Both plans cover a 1,250-km/month (780-mi/month) mileage, while everything above this threshold costs 0.22 euros/km extra.NIO hopes that, somehow, the freebie package offered to the early adopters, worth around 1,800 euros ($1,965), would make the ET5 more desirable. According to a promotion rolling out in Germany, the first customers to order the ET5 will get a free NOMI Mate voice assistance system (600 euros/$655) and an electric folding trailer hitch (1,200 euros/$1,310).NIO also opened a new NIO House in Frankfurt on March 30, the second flagship showroom after the one it opened in Berlin last December. NIO Houses are showrooms on steroids, allowing customers to experience not only the cars but also the NIO way of life. The Chinese startup is also working on deploying the third generation of its automated swap stations, which offer more capacity, with up to 21 battery packs available to customers. Fast charging options mean these new stations can serve up to 408 swaps per day, a 30% improvement over the previous generation. ICE EV So, unless you have been living under a Mars rock for the past year or so, the news that Stellantis has ordered its precious Dodge brand a strategy switch from the fulllifestyle to a partialrevolution has already perspired. But never mind the fresh Dodge Hornet, which is way better-looking and cheaper than its Alfa Romeo Tonale sibling.The real sadness is gravitating around the ICE-powered Dodge Charger and Challenger pony/muscle cars. Back in August 2022, the American carmaker announced the 2023 model year production as the last one with ICE power under the hood. Naturally, to mark the end of the era, there would be one last hurrah or, rather, seven of them, before embarking on the nine levels of Banshee EVs for the upcoming Dodge Charger Daytona SRT concepts production model. As such, the company revealed starting last autumn a series of Last Call special editions for the U.S. market.The end of production will take place at the end of 2023 and before that, fans can choose any of the normal 2023MY Chargers and Challengers alongside the Dodge Challenger Black Ghost, Charger King Daytona, Charger and Challenger Swinger, Charger Super Bee, Challenger Shakedown, plus the flagship Challenger SRT Demon 170. Never mind the latters curious name, its an absolutely bonkers ICE machine that can level it out with the Tesla Model S Plaid when on E85 because it has 1,025 horsepower on tap.And here we thought that all the Last Call action had just one location its home in America. Well, we were wrong! In a truly unexpected move especially considering the regions drastic pollution requirements Dodge has recently announced that its special edition series will cross the Atlantic Ocean into Europe, as well! The extension of the final tribute to the Old Continent kicks off with the Dodge Challenger Shakedown, but dont count on seeing the Demon 170 roar on the Autobahn since the company also said that just five of the seven muscle cars will make the cross-continental journey.And we already know the exceptions : Charger King Daytona and the Challenger SRT Demon 170. The rest will feature special perks and will be true collectibles since very few examples will make the trip to Europe. For instance, the 2023 Dodge Challenger Shakedown has a total allocation of 1,000 units of which just 55 examples will reach the Old Continent in Shakedown R/T Scat Pack Widebody form, all dressed in Pitch Black. The only options are the Plus Group, Technology Group, Navigation, and Carbon/Suede, by the way. EV Although Elon Musk claimed that patents stifle innovation, Tesla has an impressive portfolio. Many of those patents have been granted for discoveries made by its engineers and researchers or by associate scientists at different universities across North America. On the other hand, some of them have been bought, sometimes with the companies that owned them. The most famous of them is probably the dry battery electrode (DBE) manufacturing process, which Tesla acquired when it bought Maxwell Technologies in 2019.The DBE process was the sole reason Tesla had any interest in Maxwell, and it later resold the company sans the patents related to the revolutionary manufacturing process. Maxwell developed the dry electrode process for supercapacitors, but Elon Musk thought it could also be transplanted into Li-Ion batteries. Musk may have jumped the gun here because it sold the 4680 cells to investors in 2020 as a revolutionary cell based on the DBE tech. We're in 2023, and the 4680 cells still don't feature DBE, as has been revealed.The promising technology is, in Musk's words, "a key piece of the puzzle for lowering costs of lithium batteries." Dry electrodes eliminate several time-consuming and chemical-heavy operations from the manufacturing process, but the technology is still not ready for mass production. Tesla recently filed a flurry of patents related to DBE , which indicates that the development has accelerated. Now, themaker has hired new talent to lead the development.Matt Tyler, a battery expert with an impressive background in Li-ion battery development, was recently named "director of Dry Electrode Development" at Tesla. The EV maker already had an R&D director for the dry battery electrode process, Hieu Duong, who got at Tesla with the acquisition of Maxwell Technologies. Hieu Duong hasn't updated his LinkedIn profile, so it's hard to tell how the change affected him or his work.Matt Tyler has worked for over six years at 24M Technologies, a startup that wants to develop semi-solid Li-ion cells for energy storage. Based on his LinkedIn profile, Tyler has been responsible for developing semi-solid lithium-ion batteries manufacturing engineering. 24M Technology has designed no-binder electrodes to enable a simpler manufacturing process, which resembles what Tesla is trying to achieve with the dry battery electrode process (h/t to Electrek for the information ).Tyler's experience in manufacturing should prove critical for Tesla's ability to mass-produce the 4680 cells using the DBE technology. Tesla is setting up a new battery production facility in Nevada to produce the 4680 cells for the Semi production. Tesla Cybertruck is also planned to use the cells, which will eventually get into all Tesla products, from Powerwall to robots. Its confirmed that ???????? Giga Mexico will consume the least water per vehicle products from all manufacturters globally I assume that Tesla is already the volume manufacturer with the lowest average water consumption per vehicle in the world. https://t.co/eKn7zpcLqi Alex (@alex_avoigt) March 30, 2023 Tesla has had a mixed experience with establishing new gigafactories. After an impressive execution and production ramp-up in China with Giga Shanghai, Tesla appeared to have hit a wall in Gruenheide. The famous German bureaucracy and various environmentalist groups have delayed the gigafactory opening and threatened to stop the project.Those issues are now in the rearview mirror, as Tesla celebrated the mass-production milestone with the 5,000th car assembled in one week . Still, it wasn't pleasant for Tesla to deal with all the setbacks. One of the most contentious points was the scarce water reserves in the Brandenburg area. Environmentalists have used this argument against Tesla every time it tried to do something as mundane as hammering a nail.The water problem will haunt Tesla in the long run, not only at Giga Berlin. The new gigafactory that Tesla announced in Mexico appears to face a similar ordeal. The region where Giga Mexico will be built in the state of Nuevo Leon is also having problems with the water supplies. This was why Tesla's plans were almost rejected, although the two parties eventually got on the same page. This, no doubt, happened after Tesla reassured Mexican officials that it would use very little water.According to a Twitter post by the country's foreign minister Marcelo Ebrard, Tesla's gigafactory will have "the lowest water consumption in the world." Elon Musk confirmed this by saying this observation refers to the water consumed per vehicle. Understandably, Tesla is expected to build its biggest gigafactory there, with production far surpassing other car plants. It would not be realistic to consider the overall water consumption as the lowest in the world.The good thing is that Tesla has a lot of experience operating a car factory with scarce water resources. Its German gigafactory has taken this to an art level thanks to efficient wastewater treatment and reuse. Tesla has gotten so good at this that it recently filed to double production capacity to 1 million vehicles per year without needing additional water resources . That's why Tesla is confident it can do the same or even better in Mexico.The authorities have already prepared a plan B and are considering building a 60-mile (96-km) water pipeline to bring water from the Cuchillo Dam. The El Cuchillo II aqueduct is promised to complete later this year and ease the water problem in the Nuevo Leon capital region. Austria; Belgium; Switzerland; Czech Republic; Denmark; Spain; Finland; France; United Kingdom; Ireland; Italy; Luxembourg; Netherlands; Norway; Portugal; Sweden. Are you ready to enjoy an exclusive, German-made savory beer? Then, why not pay 89 ($97) for this pack of three 330 ml (11 oz) beers? Theyre made from water, malted barley, Cyberhops, and yeast and honor the half-millennium-old beermaking tradition in Germany.The automaker says the beverage was brewed in Berlin (where the Gigafactory 4 happens to exist to make the Model Y) and comes with notes of citrus, bergamot, and sweet fruit. This is not a delicate wine or a pretentious cocktail, but a beer that feels like its marketed to hipsters. Germans are known for being in love with this simple beverage and most of them like to keep it this way.But since the Giga Bier is meant to also preview the Cybertruck abstractly through a unique bottle design that boasts a glow-in-the-dark Gigafactory watermark, its understandable why Tesla wanted this beverage to feel just a little bit more special.If you want to taste what Tesla put into these bottles with its partner BrouwUnies help, then you must live in Europe. Those from America or Asia cannot order the sweet-looking pack of three beers.But dont be sad because Tesla is not giving Europeans something as cool as Tesla Tequila . There are no sipping glasses involved and the number of available packs appears to not be limited to the funny number 420.Moreover, not even all Europeans can buy this quirky Tesla product. It ships only in the following countries:Besides not shipping to Eastern Europe or the Balkan area (which includes Greece and a part of Turkey), Tesla only allows each customer to buy one pack containing three beers. If you want more, youll have to ask a family member or a friend for help.Finally, don't ignore the possibility that these simple yet exclusive products can end up costing a lot more after theyre sold out. But since Teslas European arm did not specify how many packs are precisely on sale, it might take a while before the Giga Bier is out of stock. The secondary market might end up being not as thirsty as it was for the Tesla Tequila set, so make sure to decide in advance what youre going to do with it.This nifty pack can also become a great gift for people who may not have the chance to get one now, but like Tesla or own something made by the company. EV kW Faraday Future is an American company priding itself on being the disruptor of the traditional ultra-luxury car civilization epitomized by Ferrari and Maybach . It describes the FF 91 Futurist as the only next-gen Ultimate Intelligent TechLuxury EV product. More than six years have passed since the automaker unveiled its, and it faced various challenges and delays along the way, such as higher costs for raw materials and low cash reserves.Delivery for the vehicle was initially scheduled to start in late 2022, but Faraday struggled to raise capital to start production. In December last year, the company announced management changes following allegations of fraud and a dispute in which an investor sought to remove two board members. Its stock price also dropped 90% by the end of 2022.After entering a new phase under the governance and operation of the new board and management, Faraday has lived up to its promises of starting production in late March 2023. So, let me tell you more about the FF 91 Futurist.The all-electric machine is the vision of FFs founder, YT Jia, who wanted to create a vehicle that redefines transportation, mobility, and connectivity, or as he calls it, a third internet living space, emphasizing the importance of software However, youll probably find the FF 91 Futurists immense power as its most impressive feature. Three electric motors produce a staggering 1,050 hp (772), allowing the car to reach 60 mph (97 kph) in just 2.39 seconds.Faraday claims its lithium-ion battery cells achieve the worlds highest energy density. That's nearly double compared to a production automotive battery. The company mentions an impressive range of 381 miles (613 km) on a single charge.A superior user experience is at the core of this vehicle. The car recognizes your driving preferences and content choices and tailors your experience to suit your needs best, adapting them every time you get behind the wheel. So, the more you drive it, the more it gets to know you.The futuristic approach is reflected in the vehicles aesthetic Faraday opted for a simple look in a world where car designs seem to get more and more visually busy. There arent any chrome elements or many creases and lines on its side. Instead, your eye is drawn to the bodys aerodynamic shape , color contrast, and massive stoplight, which features a cool 3D illumination effect.Reuters reports that the FF 91 Futurist is expected to be offered in both the U.S. and China markets, with prices between $150,000 and $200,000. Sales will kick off in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Shanghai, and Beijing. Deliveries in the U.S. are scheduled to commence around the end of April this year. BEV ICE Their career was kickstarted by the Allies, who needed a capable four-wheel drive military light utility vehicle to be used both off- and on-road and to be produced in massive numbers based on a standardized design. The solution was the Willys MB and Ford GPW, which totaled almost 650k units and are at least in part responsible for the success of the Allied effort during WWII. Naturally, the little vehicle that could then became a household name as a civilian model immediately after the end of the conflict and was copied all around the world from Japan (Toyota Land Cruiser) to the UK (Land Rover).Now the legacy is carried by Stellantis and its best-known Jeep brand . Circling back to the example regarding how fast the marque itself became a legend in its own right, just look back at almost six decades of dedicated off-road love from the trademarked, annual Easter Jeep Safari event. And we are not talking about anything regarding this major gathering in Moab, Utah, since the 57th edition is just around the corner as it starts April 1st and will be complete on April 9th. Naturally, Jeep is sparing no expenses to make everyone feel a part of the off-road party.Thus, as per tradition, the company has prepared a series of fresh and unique concepts that will head out to hit the trails in Moab, Utah. There are no less than seven one-of-a-kind Jeep concept vehicles (that will) take four-wheeling to the next level and prove why theres nothing quite like legendary Jeep 4x4 capability. All of them feature the latest concept and production of JPP (Jeep Performance Parts) Mopar accessories, have advanced powertrains under the hood, and more than half of them focus on the brands mission of Zero Emission Freedom.Speaking of the latter, four of the seven prototypes are electrified, including a redesigned Jeep Wrangler Magneto 3.0, the brands first battery-electric vehicle () concept. Alongside came a restomod 1978 Jeep Cherokee 4xe concept, a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe prototype, as well as the unique Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe Departure. As for therepresentatives, the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon Sideburn features the ubiquitous 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, and the Grand Wagoneer Overland rocks the all-new 3.0-liter Hurricane Twin Turbo 510 mill with 510 hp and 500 lb-ft (678 Nm), while the Jeep Scrambler 392 concept relies on the 6.4-liter Hemi V8 with 470 hp and 470 lb-ft (637 Nm).As a reminder, the Easter Jeep Safari , which is currently hosted by Moabs Red Rock 4-Wheelers four-wheel-drive club, was initially started in 1967 by the Moab Chamber of Commerce and featured just one day of thrilling trail rides. Now, though, it is a massive nine-day endeavor that culminates with the Big Saturday events set during the Easter weekend. On its aisle of the automotive industry, American carmaker Chevrolet had its share of run-ins with imaginative dealers who saw much more potential in the cars the bowtie was making than it did. And one of the most important dealers to contribute to Chevys success was called Yenko.That would be Don Yenko and his Chevy outlet, a man who, like others of his time, perceived the carmaker's rule not to equip the muscle Camaro with engines larger than 400ci as a mistake. As a result, Yenko and others started looking for and did manage to find some loopholes in GMs own rules.Larger engines were of course needed at the time, as rivals Ford and Plymouth offered such options and, more importantly, people bought them. Coincidently, Chevy did have a 427ci engine in production back then, deployed in the Corvette , and Yenko found its a perfect fit for the Camaro as well.So he started swapping out Camaro engines and replacing them with Corvette ones. It was a rather lucrative business, and in the first two years, 1967 and 1968, Yenko rolled out 54 and 64 units, respectively, of his modified muscle machines. These cars became known as Yenko Camaros, and are among the most sought-after vehicles of our time.In 1969 though the man realized he could have Chevy itself do all the heavy-lifting and swapping, through the Chevrolet Central Office Production Order (COPO), and thats exactly what he did. Cars made with Chevys involvement are known as the Yenko COPO Camaros.As youre reading this, an entirely Yenko-made Camaro is getting ready to head under the hammer during an auction in Glendale, Arizona. The version were here to look at now, a Yenko COPO Camaro, will sell next month in Palm Beach, and it does so loaded to the teeth will all the muscle goodies of its time.A 1969 model year by trade, the Camaro is powered by the above-mentioned 427ci engine, which in this configuration develops 425 horsepower. The unit is tied to a Muncie M-21 4-speed transmission, and here comes cool fact number 1 about this car.You see, the engine is date-correct, and so is the transmission. This configuration though was a rare one - 201 Yenko COPO Camaros were made in 1969, and of them just 28 had the said tranny on.The car has two special COPO packages on. The first is package 9561, which means its loaded with things like heavy-duty springs, rings, pinion, and axle shafts. Package 9737 on the other hand adds a front stabilizer bar, YH Rally wheels, Goodyear tires, and a 140 mph (225 kph) speedometer.The exterior of the car is painted in something called Fathom Green, and this is cool fact number 2: of the 201 Yenko COPO Camaros made in 1969, just 34 were dressed like this. And it beautifully pairs that hue with white stripes running on the hood and on its sides, but also a black vinyl roof pulled over the seats.The exterior of the Camaro is not your average one, as it has been enhanced with the deployment of front and rear spoilers, an option for the breed decades ago, and a special order ZL2 ducted hood.The interior is a suitable black, and opposes the front seats to a dashboard holding Stewart Warner gauges for oil, temperature, and amp, but also a tachometer installed next to the steering column. An optional AM radio is also to be found inside.The car is selling at the hands of auction house Barrett-Jackson. It doesnt go as is, but complete with a spare set of wheels of Atlas make and wrapped in Goodyear Polyglas tires.The documentation the car comes with is quite extensive, and includes a copy of the COPO connection vehicle verification paperwork. Then come the shipping data report revealing the original and selling dealer information (Yenko Chevrolet in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania), but also copies of all titles of registered owners and MCACN Concours Gold Certification.The one thing the Camaro lacks is a selling price. Like all other cars going under the hammer in Palm Beach, this one too is going with no reserve. What that means is it will go to the highest bidder, no matter the sum offered, but also that getting an estimate for it is next to impossible.To give you an idea of how much it could fetch, consider a similar example in Daytona Yellow sold for almost $370,000 a little more than a year ago. Why is that? Because its a concept, obviously. Styled by the brands Vocational School students, under the supervision of the Skoda Design team, the study, whose name is still a secret, is described as a dream car that lives up to modern-day explorers needs and expectations."A pair of initial sketches was released by the Czech automaker , previewing the looks inside and out, and some of the modifications. Starting on the outside, the Skoda student car has a hump stretching from the B pillars all the way back to the middle of the tailgate. This seems to be there for hauling purposes, as the entire rear passenger compartment was rearranged for sleeping accommodations.We can see a mattress on top of a frame behind the drivers seat, and a few boxes sliding out from under it. A screen was attached to the back end of the drivers seat, and it seems like a TV set to us, because no digital nomad can make do without streaming platforms, can they? A large infotainment screen sits on the dashboard, and we dont know if it is the stock unit or not. Finally, the front seats were replaced by sportier ones, with integrated headrests and extra side bolstering.Skoda didnt go into specifics just yet, as this is after all the first teaser of their upcoming student car. Thus, it is unknown whether they did anything else to it. But we will find out more about it as time passes by, and they release more official sketches. The unveiling date is yet unknown, but in all likelihood, it will sit under the hypothetical spotlight in the coming weeks or months. The presentation will be accompanied by multiple images and a press release that will further detail all the modifications of this one-of-a-kind Enyaq iV Speaking of which, you are looking at Skodas ninth concept signed by their Vocational School students. The first one was introduced in 2014. Based on the Citigo, it was called the Citijet , and was followed by the Funstar one year later, a pickup variant of the Fabia. The Atero Coupe followed, building on the Rapid Spaceback, and the Element came out in 2017 with Citigo-e iV underpinnings. An open-top variant of the Karoq, dubbed the Sunroq, followed, and so did the Mountiaq based on the Kodiaq, and the Slavia Spier building on the Scala. Last years Skoda Afriq, based on the Kamiq, was the latest one. Kim Ki-moon, a head of the Korea Federation of SMEs in this Nov. 28, 2022 file photo / Newsis Korean smaller firms' business outlook took a turn for the worse for April amid the country's slowing economy, a poll showed Thursday. The survey of 3,150 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) showed the small business health index (SBHI) standing at 80.7 for next month, down 2.4 points from March. It marks a turnaround from March's first gain in five months amid eased coronavirus curbs. The index had been weakening on-month since November last year. A reading below 100 indicates pessimists outnumber optimists. The survey was taken by the Korea Federation of SMEs from March 14-21. The downturn came amid the country's slumping exports and sluggish domestic demand. Korea's exports tumbled 7.5 percent on-year to $50.1 billion in February, marking the fifth straight month of declines. According to the findings, the SBHI for the manufacturing sector came to 86.3 for April, down 0.2 point from March, with that for nonmanufacturing companies falling by 3.2 points to 78.3 Some 62 percent of the respondents cited sluggish domestic demand as the biggest hurdle to their management, followed by high labor costs (53.6 percent), rising raw materials costs (41.6 percent) and cutthroat competition (31.1 percent). The average capacity utilization rate of manufacturing SMEs amounted to 71.5 percent in February, up 1 percentage point from the prior month. (Yonhap) 30 March 2023 11:41 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more A delegation led by First Deputy Economy Minister Elnur Aliyev visited Madrid, Spain, Azernews reports. According to the information received from the Economy Ministry, within the framework of the visit, the Azerbaijani delegation had various meetings. One of the meetings was held with the State Secretary for Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade of Spain Xiana Margarida Mendez Bertolo. Elnur Aliyev speak about the potential of economic and trade relations between Azerbaijan and Spain and noted the importance of organizing business meetings with the participation of business circles for the realization of these opportunities. Moreover, he gave detailed information about the favorable business and investment climate created in Azerbaijan, the work done to reintegrate and revive business in the liberated territories, and opportunities created for investors. The first deputy minister also emphasized the importance of the preparation of an "Agreement on the promotion and mutual protection of investments between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of Spain" in terms of increasing mutual investments between the two countries and ensuring legal regulation in this direction. Xiana Margarida Mendez Bertolo noted the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries and shared her views on expanding the partnership. The meeting discussed the current state of economic relations and the development of cooperation. In addition, the Azerbaijani delegation had another meeting with the entrepreneurs operating in Spain at the Spanish Chamber of Commerce. The Economy Ministry reports that First Deputy Economy Minister Elnur Aliyev filled the participants in on the investment opportunities created in the liberated territories and industrial parks. He noted that Azerbaijan could benefit from the experience of Spain in such sectors as green energy, agriculture, tourism, and water management, and cooperation in these sectors has high potential. Spanish entrepreneurs expressed interest in expanding cooperation with their Azerbaijani counterparts. A presentation on the business opportunities of Azerbaijan was demonstrated at the meeting. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 30 March 2023 17:16 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more Aykhan Gadashov, the head of the Azexport.az portal operated by the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (CAERC), met with Andrey Drozden, the head of an influential Belarusian wholesale network, Azernews reports, citing the CAERC. According to the information received from the CAERC, during the discussion, Aykhan Gadashov gave detailed information about the activity of the portal and carried out an online demonstration of Azerbaijani products on the portal. Andrey Drozden, the head of the wholesale network of Belarus, also made a presentation about the activities of his company. A preliminary agreement was signed for the export of Azerbaijani products to Belarus. The foreign entrepreneur was supported in establishing relations with the manufacturing companies in order to start the relevant procedures. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 30 March 2023 17:47 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov met with Turkiye's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fateh Donmez within the framework of the meeting of energy ministers of the Organization of Turkish States in Hungary, Azernews reports, citing the Energy Ministry. The minister said that he was saddened by the tragedy that happened in Turkiye and that Azerbaijan is always with the brotherly country. At the meeting discussed the issues related to gas transit through Turkiye, increasing the transmission capacity of TANAP within the framework of the expansion of the Southern Gas Corridor, new opportunities for cooperation in the field of exploration and production of hydrocarbon deposits between SOCAR and BOTAS, TPAO, and the implementation of the Igdir-Nakhchivan pipeline project. The meeting heard that the construction of the part of the pipeline passing through Turkiye will be started in the near future. Besides that, the meeting also discussed large-scale wind and solar energy projects to be implemented with investors in Nakhchivan. The export of a large part of this energy to Turkiye, as well as the steps to be taken in the direction of supplying green energy to Europe through this country, were considered. In order to realize new opportunities for cooperation, the importance of signing a relevant document in the field of energy between the two countries was noted. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 30 March 2023 14:49 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more The Azerbaijani State Philharmonic Hall continues to delight music lovers with all kinds of music. The Philharmonic Society plays a major role in promoting young talents through various projects. Launched by the Culture Ministry, the project, called "New Names", is one such initiative, which also contributes to the preservation of Azerbaijan's cultural heritage and promotion of the performing arts. Within the project, young talents perform concert programs, accompanied by the State Symphony Orchestra, the State Chamber Orchestra, and the State Orchestra of Folk Instruments. During another magnificent concert, young talents Mehta Mahammadalizada (qanun) and Rahman Abdullayev conquered the hearts of music lovers. The soloists presented the audience with Haji Xanmammadov's Concerto No. 3 For Tar and Orchestra, Concerto For Kamancha and Orchestra. Laureates of republican and international competitions were accompanied by the Azerbaijani State Orchestra of Folk Instruments under the direction of the artistic director and chief conductor, People's Artist Agaverdi Pashayev. Together with the orchestra, young talents revoked thunderous applause. At previous concerts, Laman Asadova (violin) and Hussein Nagiyev (kamancha) stunned the listeners with Ludwig van Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61 and Haji Khanmammadov's Concerto for Kamancha and Orchestra. The musicians were accompanied by the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra under the baton of young conductor Mustafa Mehmandarov. Moreover, winners of national and international competitions, J. Najafli, Z. Mammadov, and S. Bagirzada pleased the audience with music pieces by prominent composers under the baton of Honored Artist Fuad Ibrahimov. The next concert will be held on April 25 to mark the 100th anniversary of Azerbaijan's national leader Heydar Aliyev. Incredibly talented violinists Umida Abasova and Daniz Hasanov will perform at the concert. The musicians will be accompanied by the Azerbaijani State Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Orxan Hashimov. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 30 March 2023 17:33 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more Theater Forum on 'Azerbaijani theater - 150: development prospects' will take place in Baku on April 10-11 within the framework of the events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Azerbaijan's national leader Heydar Aliyev. The forum is co-organized by the Culture Ministry and the Heydar Aliyev Center, Azernews reports. At the event, a video will be shown about the development path of the Azerbaijani professional national theater, which has a history of 150 years. The forum will continue its work with panel discussions on 'Traditions and trends in the Azerbaijani theater', 'Modern acting school in the national theater: a systematic approach in the renewal process', 'Conception and strategic goals', 'Development of human capital in the field of theater'. Rector of Russian Institute of Theatre Arts (GITIS), Russian Honored Art Worker Gregory Zaslavsky, head of the GITIS History of the Russian Theater Department Elshan Mammadov will address the forum. The proposals collected based on the exchange of ideas and discussions during the forum will be taken into account in the action plan drawn up in connection with the 'Azerbaijani culture 2020-2040 state strategy'. Well-known theater figures, directors and actors, leading theater teams operating in the country, representatives of folk theaters and independent theaters, teachers and students of the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts are expected to participate in the forum. To participate in the forum that will be held at the Heydar Aliyev Center, it is possible to register using the online form posted on the Culture Ministry's website. Confirmation of participation in the forum will be communicated via e-mail. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 30 March 2023 12:49 (UTC+04:00) By Susanbar Aghamaliyeva Heydar Aliyev - the national leader of the Azerbaijani people, described as a "living legend of the Soviet reality" by world politicians, also left his mark on history as an architect and the founder of the independent Azerbaijani state. All periods of his life and activities can be considered as an example, a source of honor and pride for every Azerbaijani. The national leader and great personality, who lived and worked in Nakhchivan from 1990-1993, was the initiator of making decisions of historical and national significance both as an ordinary citizen, parliamentarian, and Chairman of the Supreme Assembly of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. This was a result of historical necessity. The Nakhchivan period of the political activity of the great leader Heydar Aliyev and the historical decisions made at that time can be considered the beginning of the path to independence and revival in Nakhchivan. Remembering our childhood period, some young people of my generation, who were born in the 80s and were destined to live in Nakhchivan, can admit that even small kids, holding the hands of their parents, repeatedly attended Heydar Aliyevs meetings with the people in 1990-1993 with great love and pride. He knew very well that his people were in a difficult situation, in fact, he lived with people during those difficult times, but he never refused the moral support of ordinary people. I remember that the national leader sometimes met with villagers and encouraged them about the future. The people greeted the leader with great enthusiasm as if they understood the ideas of independence that shone in his eyes. In 19901993, unlike ordinary people, the great leader as an experienced politician, a great statesman, and a real leader, sought ways out of hard and difficult times. He thought about the philosophy of independence and worked a lot in this direction. Restoration of the national history of Azerbaijan on November 17, 1990, and the adoption of the tricolor flag as the state symbol, the proclamation of January 20 as the National Day of Mourning, December 31 as the Day of Solidarity of World Azerbaijanis, holding the founding conference of the New Azerbaijan Party on November 21, 1992, were decisions and steps that required great determination and courage. The heart of national leader Heydar Aliyev was always with Azerbaijan and Azerbaijanis because, despite the fact that he held a high position in the Soviet Union for many years, he always respected his nationality and repeatedly expressed pride in being an Azerbaijani. I have always been proud and I am proud today that I am an Azerbaijani man, - the words of Heydar Aliyev is the proof of his endless love for Azerbaijan. His policy on the protection of the Azerbaijani language and Azerbaijanis during the hegemony of the Soviet Empire, as well as his national policy during the Nakhchivan period of his political activity and the national policy pursued throughout Azerbaijan since June 1993, are indicators of the great leader's patriotism and true love for Azerbaijan. The great leader did a lot to ensure the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan, which is its integral part, to save it from the Armenian occupation and to prevent the protection of Nakhchivan from the Armenian occupation. His mission began in Nakhchivan and covered all regions of Azerbaijan. Historical documents preserved at the Heydar Aliyev Museum, established in Nakhchivan on February 18, 1999, show that the citizens of Azerbaijan, who were captured and taken hostage during the Karabakh war asked him for help. Working and living in Nakhchivan under the light of an oil lamp, the national leader became a beacon of hope for all Azerbaijanis. In addition, I remember that during the occupation of Malibayli village of Shusha District in 1992, my relatives saw the indifference of the central government of Azerbaijan to the transfer of my close relative Ingilab Humbatov to Azerbaijan. He worked hard to listen to people patiently, to calm them down, and to solve all these problems using his great authority. Besides, he laid the foundation and built the Nakhchivan Special Army. Purposeful measures taken by Heydar Aliyev in 1990-1993 to save Nakhchivan from a difficult situation - the policy of blocking damned Armenians - to restore historical ties with the Turkic and Islamic world are still bearing its positive effect. Thanks to his political will and prestige, the construction and commissioning of new bridges between Nakhchivan and neighboring countries with historical roots, including brotherly Turkiye, Iran laid the foundation for economic relations and saved people from a difficult situation. Today, the new infrastructure created in Nakhchivan in all directions, and the implementation of the ideas of the National Leader is a sign of great pride and confidence in a bright future. Of course, one can analyze in more detail the political activities of National Leader Heydar Aliyev in Nakhchivan and dedicate dozens of articles and books to the period. Despite a short time, the adoption of important historical decisions in 1990-1993, the foundation of reforms in all areas, and the successful policy pursued today led to the development of Azerbaijan as a whole, as well as its integral part Nakhchivan. I would like to emphasize that the return of National Leader Heydar Aliyev from Moscow to Baku on July 22, 1990, and then to Nakhchivan was, in fact, a homecoming from the Soviet empire and the basis of national salvation. The National Way of Salvation, which began in Nakhchivan, covered the whole of Azerbaijan and saved our country from destruction, the Armenian occupation, great political risks, and internal conflicts. National Leader Heydar Aliyev protected the Azerbaijani people from disintegration by playing a role of a bridge. Today, in the eternal and indelible place of the great leader in the history of Azerbaijan, the political school created by him instills confidence that this policy will continue in our country for many years and will make our country even more prosperous. The Nakhchivan period of his life and political activity, as always, will be inscribed in history in golden letters! --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 30 March 2023 09:58 (UTC+04:00) With regard to the commissioning of the new Lachin road, several high grounds between Jaghazur and Zabukh villages of Lachin District, main and auxiliary roads, as well as large areas along the border have been taken under the control of units of the Azerbaijani Army, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 30 March 2023 15:35 (UTC+04:00) Sabina Mammadli Read more Azerbaijani Ombudswoman Sabina Aliyeva called on the world community and influential international organizations to recognize the crimes of ethnic cleansing and genocide committed by Armenians against Azerbaijanis throughout history as genocide and to support the establishment of justice, Azernews reports. In a statement dedicated to the Day of the Genocide of Azerbaijanis, March 31, the ombudswoman noted that the last day of March went down in Azerbaijani history as a Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis, as one of the manifestations of Armenian vandalism committed against the whole humanity. During these bloody events perpetrated in 1918, tens of thousands of peaceful Azerbaijanis were exterminated due to their ethnic identity being subjected to continuous genocide and the aggressive policy of Armenian nationalists. The people were burned alive in their homes by Armenian-Bolshevik groups, along with murdering with special methods of torture and cruelty," she noted. Further, Aliyeva drew attention to the fact that the genocide of Azerbaijanis had been committed with special brutality in Baku city, the cities and districts included in the governorate of Baku, as well as in Shamakhi, Guba districts, Karabakh, Zangazur, Nakhchivan, Lankaran and other districts. She noted that the peaceful population had been murdered en masse, the villages had been burned, and Azerbaijani cultural monuments, gravesites, and mosques had been destroyed by cannon fire. "During this genocide, which was committed by Armenian nationalists intentionally and in the most brutal ways, 110 villages in Shamakhi District, 167 villages in Guba District, more than 150 in Karabakh, 115 in Zangazur, and 98 villages in Kars province had been destroyed, burned, and in general, more than tens of thousands of peaceful population, including women, children and the elderly had been killed on the ground of ethnicity and religious background. 199 villages had been destroyed in Iravan city, which is an ancestral land of Azerbaijan, and its surroundings and 132 thousand Azerbaijanis had been killed," the statement said. The ombudswoman also highlighted that after the establishment of the Soviet power in Armenia and Azerbaijan, with the support of the Soviet regime, another part of Azerbaijani lands, including Western Zangazur, the mountainous part of Gazakh district and some villages of Nakhchivan, were given to Armenia, as a result of which its territory was expanded many times and increased from 9,000 to 29,000 square kilometers. Aliyeva underlined that these crimes were committed by Armenians based on a lasting, centuries-old hatred against Azerbaijanis, discriminatory policies and completely unfounded territorial claims. "Despite being subjected to genocides, our people, who are connected to their national and moral values, historical roots, land, and motherland, have preserved their national memory and identity, and as a result of solidarity, our independence has been restored," the statement added. Moreover, the statement stressed that after the return to power of National Leader Heydar Aliyev, it became possible to convey to the international community the terrible scale of the genocidal policy and ethnic cleansing that Azerbaijani people suffered throughout history, and at the same time to investigate the crimes committed and give a political and legal assessment of the events that took place. The statement noted that in 2007, the mass grave accidentally discovered during the construction excavations in Guba city clearly proved the crimes of genocide committed by the Armenians in 1918. To deliver the crimes of genocide and inhuman acts committed by the Armenian nationalists against a peaceful population to the world community relying on historical facts and to commemorate the memory of victims of genocide, the Guba Genocide Memorial Complex was created in accordance with the relevant Order of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, the statement said. Additionally, Aliyeva continued by saying that Armenias territorial claims and policy of aggression became more acute at the end of the 20th century, and 20 percent of the areas recognized as the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan at the international level remained under occupation for nearly 30 years. She added that in 2020, those territories were liberated from occupation by Azerbaijani Army, and the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan was restored. By grossly violating the norms and principles of international law, Armenia repeatedly committed crimes of genocide against the population, and our historical and religious monuments were destroyed, looted, and desecrated. With regret, it should be noted that although there are sufficient proof and evidence about the acts of genocide committed by Armenians against Azerbaijanis, there has not yet been an adequate response to these crimes against peace and humanity at the international level, the statement finalized. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 30 March 2023 14:01 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more Azerbaijani Parliament Speaker Sahiba Gafarova met with Turkiye's First Lady Emina Erdogan during her visit to the USA, Azernews reports, citing the press release of the Milli Majlis. Sahiba Gafarova expressed her pleasure with the meeting as well as taking part in the high-level UN gathering convened upon Emine Erdogans initiative. Sahiba Gafarova noted that environmental protection has evolved into one of the biggest global challenges of our time and the initiative is essential for world protection and passing our world down to coming generations in the better state that it is in right now. The Speaker also mentioned the signing of the Declaration on Global Commitment to Zero Waste for the World, Our Common Home by Azerbaijans First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva at her meeting with Emine Erdogan on the margins of the IX summit meeting of the Organisation of Turkic States in Samarkand. Once again, Sahiba Gafarova expressed her deepest condolences to the families and relatives of people who died in the devastating earthquake on February 6 and wished those wounded in the cataclysm speedy recovery. Noting that Azerbaijan and Turkiye are always together, both in joy and in misery, she spoke about the aid campaign provided by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. She pointed out the visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to Turkiye to show support for it and the urgent summit meeting of the Organisation of Turkic States in Ankara on 16 March on Ilham Aliyevs initiative. Sahiba Gafarova also brought up the legislatures role in boosting the relations between the two countries, the fruitful and advancing cooperation between the Azerbaijani Milli Majlis and the Turkish Grand National Assembly, the corresponding significance of reciprocal visits of parliament speakers and delegations, last but not least, our parliamentarians mutual backing in influential international organizations. First Lady of Turkiye Emine Erdogan stressed the promotion of brotherhood and friendship between the two countries before praising and thanking Azerbaijan and her people for the support provided to Turkiye over the earthquake. The high level at which Azerbaijan was represented at the UN meeting about the Zero Waste Initiative had also been both encouraging and valuable, said Emine Erdogan before moving on to the significance of the initiative for environmental protection and solution of global ecological problems. Emine Erdogan commented on the importance of bilateral and international meetings between Turkish and Azerbaijani officials in terms of further strengthening of ties. She wished the Azerbaijani state and people peace, tranquillity, and prosperity. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 30 March 2023 15:57 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more Israeli President Isaac Herzog received Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov who is on an official visit to Israel, Azernews reports, citing MFA. The meeting discussed the current issues of the bilateral and multilateral cooperation agenda between Azerbaijan and Israel, including the regional and international situation. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister spoke about the agenda of bilateral cooperation that has been developing in various directions, including political, economic, security, culture, education, high technologies, cyber security, and other sectors for the past 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and noted that the close contacts between the leaders of Azerbaijan and Israel play an important role in the development of relations. The meeting heard that the opening of trade and tourism representations of Azerbaijan in Israel in 2021, and the Embassy of Azerbaijan in 2023 is an indicator of the development of relations between the two countries. Besides that, it was emphasized that regular political consultations and high-level visits between Azerbaijan and Israel play an important role in the further development of relations between the two countries. Minister Jeyhun Bayramov also gave detailed information about the current situation in the region in the post-conflict period, the large-scale reconstruction and construction carried out by Azerbaijan in the liberated territories. He also filled in about the military-political provocations committed by Armenia, the imitation of negotiations and Armenia's evading its obligations, the continuation of the mine threat, and the fact that Armenia has not withdrawn its armed forces from Azerbaijan per its obligations. He also brought to attention that Armenia has continued aggressive rhetoric and activity in recent weeks. The Foreign Minister stated that Azerbaijan is determined to establish peace and security in the region, as well as the reintegration of Armenian residents. President Isaac Herzog pointed out that Israel attaches importance to the development of relations with Azerbaijan as its strategic partner. He stated that the traditions of friendship and solidarity existing between the peoples of the two countries are an important component of the developing relations between Israel and Azerbaijan. The president noted with satisfaction the positive contribution of the Jewish community living in Azerbaijan to bilateral relations. He expressed his confidence that the opening of the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Israel will play an important role in the further development of relations. At the meeting, opinions were also exchanged on regional issues of mutual interest. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Jeong Dae-jin, deputy trade minister, speaks during a meeting on trade and new industry cooperation between Korea and Japan at the COEX convention center in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. By Baek Byung-yeul Korea and Japan have agreed to hold a series of meetings this year to find ways to boost economic cooperation between the two nations, according to the trade ministry and business lobby groups, Thursday. The move came as a follow-up measure to President Yoon Suk Yeol's March 16 to 17 visit to Japan where he agreed to normalize bilateral relations during a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. As part of the measures, the trade ministry said a meeting on trade and new industry cooperation was held at the COEX convention center in southern Seoul, co-hosted by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) and the Korea-Japan Economic Association. The meeting featured over 100 officials from the governments, corporations, academic communities and economic organizations of the two countries to discuss ways to expand economic cooperation and mutual exchanges. "Since January, 570,000 Koreans have visited Japan and 70,000 Japanese have visited Korea. We hope that constructive discussions on economic, talented professionals and cultural exchanges will take place at a time when the momentum of normalizing Korea-Japan relations is strengthening," Yutaka Aso, vice chairman of the Korea-Japan Economic Association, said. Kim Yoon, chairman of the Korea-Japan Economic Association, said, "Although it has not been easy to promote large-scale projects between companies, this summit has created conditions for business cooperation between companies, such as investment cooperation and joint entry into third countries." "Jeong Dae-jin, deputy trade minister, also attended the meeting to deliver a congratulatory speech to thank the businessmen for their hard work contributing to the economic growth and development of the two nations," the trade ministry said. "Jeong also stressed the need for cooperation between Korea and Japan, including joint responses to resource nationalism, cooperation in carbon neutralization and joint entry into third countries." Jeong Marn-ki, executive vice chairman of KITA, also said "the lifting of Japan's export regulations will boost trade in content and consumer goods as well as semiconductor materials and parts, and reduce trade transaction costs for companies of the two countries." In addition to the meeting, Industry Minister Lee Chang-yang also met with leaders of nine Japanese companies in Seoul such as Toray Advanced Materials and Tokyo Electron to discuss about attracting investment to Korea. "We look forward an active expansion of domestic investment by Japanese companies in the wake of the Korea-Japan summit," the minister said, asking them to increase investments in a semiconductor cluster, which will be created in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. Not only these meetings, but also a series of discussions between businessmen of the two nations will take place this year, the trade ministry added. 30 March 2023 16:34 (UTC+04:00) By Ramiz Abbasli Iran's abortive and moonshot attempts to portray the great Azerbaijani poet, Nizami Ganjavi, as a Persian author, are doomed to failure as just the word "Ganjavi" - a native of Ganca - the ancient Azerbaijani city, speaks volumes. This attempt was a complete wash-out in the past and the renewed attempts amid Tehran's tense relations with Azerbaijan are morally bound to fail. Azerbaijan can stand on its own two feet and protect both national interests and heritage. Addressing the 10th Global Baku Forum, themed The World of Today: Challenges and Hopes on March 9, 2023, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev once again recalled that Nizami Ganjavi was born, lived, died, and was buried in his native city of Ganja, one of the ancient cities of Azerbaijan. In this regard, an article by poet Ramiz Abbasli, entitled "Lies and truth about Nizami", was published in the latest issue of the literary magazine Rossiyskiy Kolokol in an attempt to debunk Iran's unsubstantiated claim. Noting that Ganjavi was a great poet, the author underlined that like all great poets, he also belongs to all mankind. However, he said that there are attempts to attribute the Azerbaijani poet to Persian literature. The author adds that in the era of Nizami - in the XII century - there was no Persia. Persia, the state of the Sassanids, to whose literature they want to attribute Nizami, collapsed in 650. In the XII century, there was no Persia, and neither was its literature. Nizami was born, grew up, and created in the Turkic state of the Seljuk Empire, in the Turkic city of Ganja, Abbasli wrote. In the XVIII century, in one of the Iskandar-name manuscripts, lines were found that say: Although I am lost in the Ganja Sea, like a pearl, I am from Khuzistan. Based on this, many scientists, without examining this issue, began to write, that Nizami comes from the Iranian city of Qom. However, in the thirties of the XX century, Soviet orientalist E. Bertels proved that these lines do not exist in other manuscripts of Iskandar-name. That is, this is just a gross falsification - in those days it happened: scribes used to add things on their own accord. Taking this into account, many researchers call it fake. For example, Oxford University Professor Julia Scott Meisami and Iranian scientists to this day write that Nizami comes from the Iranian city of Qom and that he was a Persian poet. Some pseudo-scholars, referring to the XIII century author Kirakos Gandzaseki, want to present Nizami as a Persian poet. In the second half of the XIII century, Kirakos wrote in his book that "many people, immigrants from Iran, and a few Christians" live in Ganja. Based on this, the above scientists made a hasty conclusion that in the XII century, there were a lot of Persians in Ganja (Kirakos does not write anything about Persians) and, accordingly, Nizami is also Persian. However, Kirakos wrote about the second half of the XIII century when the Mongol invasion was raging, the population of central Iran, fleeing from the invaders, moved to the outskirts, including northern Azerbaijan, but they were not only Persians; they were Persians, and Arabs, and Turks, and Jews. About the era of Nizami, that is, about the XII century, Arab historians, geographers, and travelers of that time give accurate information: Ganja is a Turkmen city, Arran (northern Azerbaijan) is teeming with Turkmens. To conclude, the article based solely on irrefutable facts proves that Ganjavi is a Turkic poet, a classic of Azerbaijani literature, Ramiz Abbasli said. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 30 March 2023 16:07 (UTC+04:00) The Azerbaijan Water Reserves Agency has been established by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyevs order on improvement of water resources management. The Agency has been set up on the basis of the Emergency Ministrys State Water Reserves Agency in order to use water resources effectively and improve irrigation practices. The property of Azersu and Azerbaijan Melioration and Water Management joint-stock companies has been handed over to the newly-established Azerbaijan Water Reserves Agency. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 30 March 2023 21:51 (UTC+04:00) The commander of the Land Forces of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Kioumars Heydari, has made vile defamatory and slanderous statements regarding Azerbaijan. K. Heydari, in his absurd thoughts, claims that Zionist forces allegedly exist in Azerbaijan and that Azerbaijan used ISIS terrorists brought from Syria during the 44-day Patriotic War, and that they are still in the Azerbaijani territory. Moreover, he stated that Iran will not allow changes on the border with Armenia. First of all, we declare that the Iranian side's accusations about the presence of any foreign forces in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan are unfounded and completely unacceptable. In general, there are no extraneous forces in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan. We would like to remind K. Heydari that Armenia had been keeping the Azerbaijani lands under occupation for 30 years. As a result of this military aggression, a 132-kilometer section of the Azerbaijani-Iranian state border had also been occupied. However, the Iranian side had never made compromising statements about Armenia. On the contrary, the Iranian-Armenian brotherhood strengthened during this period. And today it is no secret to anyone that if Armenia has two main allies in the world, France is one of them, and Iran is the other. The Republic of Azerbaijan supports the territorial integrity of all countries and does not interfere in the internal affairs of other states. In response to the accusation that Azerbaijan allegedly used ISIS terrorists during the 44-day Patriotic War, we declare that the glorious Azerbaijan Army single-handedly liberated the occupated territories and signed a triumphal chronicle. This claim is nothing more than an absurd accusation and slander. It is ironic and ridiculous that this accusation was made by a high-ranking military officer of a state that supports terrorism and whose name is known for committing terrorist acts in various countries around the world. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 30 March 2023 10:57 (UTC+04:00) By Ugur Duyan Product groups such as jewelry, ready-made clothing, home appliances, and furniture, in which Turkiye is strong at the United Arab Emirates market, are included in the scope of commercial concession. With the economic partnership signed, it is aimed to increase the trade volume between the two countries by 2.5 times in 5 years to 25 billion dollars. The comprehensive economic partnership agreement signed between Turkiye and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is aimed at increasing the trade volume between the two countries by 2.5 times in 5 years to $25bn. Answering questions from parliamentarians, officials provided information on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between Turkiye and the United Arab Emirates. Deputy Foreign Minister Burak Akcapar pointed out that the relations between the United Arab Emirates and Turkiye have improved in all areas recently, and the UAE provided $64m in cash aid to the region after the Kahramanmaras earthquakes, in addition to $330m at the Donors Conference in Brussels. Emphasizing that the bilateral trade volume with the UAE approached $10bn dollars in 2022, Akcapar said that the real potential is much higher than this figure, adding that with the agreement, the trade volume is aimed to increase by 2.5 times within 5 years and reach 25 billion dollars. Husnu Dilemre, Director General of International Agreements and European Union, stated that with the entry into force of the agreement, over 80 percent of the goods trade between the two countries will be included in the preferential trade scope. Dilemre also drew attention to the fact that with the agreement, both Turkish and United Arab Emirates business people will be able to offer their goods to both Turkiye and the United Arab Emirates markets under more advantageous conditions compared to the third countries. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 30 March 2023 09:01 (UTC+04:00) The Civil Aviation Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran (CAA) has announced that the number of weekly flights between Iran and Turkiye will increase by nearly 20%. CAAs spokesman Jafar Yazarlou said on Tuesday that Tehran and Ankara have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to increase the number of flights between the two countries by 40 to 260 per week. Yazarlou said the aviation MoU signed between Iran and Turkiye will also cover training courses for airport staff and technicians. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz FILE - The healthcare.gov website is seen on Dec. 14, 2021, in Fort Washington, Md. A federal judge in Texas who previously ruled to dismantle the Affordable Care Act struck down a narrower but key part of the nation's health law Thursday, March 30, 2023, in a decision that opponents say could jeopardize preventive screenings for millions of Americans. A novel but somewhat contentious agreement announced Wednesday is designed to allow four utility-scale solar farms to be built in eastern Kern Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen departs at the Lotte Hotel in Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S., March 29. Reuters-Yonhap China threatened retaliation on Wednesday if U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy meets with Taiwan's president during her upcoming trip through Los Angeles. President Tsai Ing-wen left Taiwan Wednesday afternoon on a tour of the island's diplomatic allies in the Americas, which she framed as a chance to demonstrate Taiwan's commitment to democratic values on the world stage. Tsai arrived in New York later in the day and was scheduled to spend Thursday in the city before heading to Guatemala and Belize. She is expected to stop in Los Angeles on her way back to Taiwan on April 5, when a meeting with McCarthy is tentatively scheduled. The planned meeting has triggered fears of a heavy-handed Chinese reaction amid heightened friction between Beijing and Washington over U.S. support for Taiwan and trade and human rights issues. The spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, Zhu Fenglian, denounced Tsai's stopovers and demanded that no U.S. officials meet with her. "We firmly oppose this and will take resolute countermeasures," Zhu said at a news conference. The U.S. should "refrain from arranging Tsai Ing-wen's transit visits and even contact with American officials and take concrete actions to fulfill its solemn commitment not to support Taiwan independence," she said. Beijing claims self-governing Taiwan is part of its territory and threatens to bring the island under its control by force if necessary. Speaking later Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said China will "closely follow the development of the situation and resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity." Mao said the United States was "conducting dangerous activities that undermine the political foundation of bilateral ties." McCarthy, a Republican from California, has said he will meet with Tsai when she is in the U.S. and has not ruled out the possibility of traveling to Taiwan in a show of support. Protesters opposed to Taiwanese independence gather at a hotel where Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen is expected to arrive in New York, March 29. AP-Yonhap White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters Wednesday that Tsai's brief stops in the U.S. will be "consistent with our longstanding unofficial relationship with Taiwan and is consistent with the United States one China policy, which remains unchanged." "Every Taiwan president has transited the United States. President Tsai Ing-wen herself has transited the US six times since taking office in 2016, each time without incident," Kirby said. "The People's Republic of China should not use this transit as a pretext to step up any aggressive activity around the Taiwan Strait. United States and China have differences when it comes to Taiwan. But we have managed those differences for more than 40 years." Following a visit by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan in 2022, Beijing launched missiles over the area, deployed warships across the median line of the Taiwan Strait and carried out military exercises in a simulated blockade of the island. Beijing also suspended climate talks with the U.S. and restricted military-to-military communication with the Pentagon. Tsai told reporters before boarding her plane that "I want to tell the whole world democratic Taiwan will resolutely safeguard the values of freedom and democracy and will continue to be a force for good in the world, continuing a cycle of goodness, strengthening the resilience of democracy in the world." "External pressure will not obstruct our resolution to engage with the world," she said. Beijing has recently ramped up diplomatic pressure against Taiwan by poaching its dwindling number of diplomatic allies while also sending military fighter jets flying toward the island on a near-daily basis. Earlier this month, Honduras established diplomatic relations with China, leaving Taiwan with only 13 countries that recognize it as a sovereign state. U.S. administration officials in a call with reporters ahead of Tsai's arrival said her previous stopovers in the U.S. have included meetings with members of Congress and members of the Taiwanese diaspora. The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive visit, said Tsai is also expected to meet with American Institute in Taiwan chair Laura Rosenberger. AIT is the U.S. government-run nonprofit that carries out unofficial relations with Taiwan. One official added that "there is absolutely no reason" for Beijing to use Tsai's stopover "as an excuse or a pretext to carry out aggressive or coercive activities aimed at Taiwan." Beijing sees official American contact with Taiwan as encouragement to make the island's decades-old de facto independence permanent, a step U.S. leaders say they don't support. Pelosi was the highest-ranking elected American official to visit the island since then-Speaker Newt Gingrich in 1997. Under its "one China" policy, the U.S. acknowledges Beijing's view that it has sovereignty over Taiwan, but considers Taiwan's status as unsettled. Taiwan is an important partner for Washington in the Indo-Pacific. U.S. officials are increasingly worried about China attempting to make good on its long-stated goal of bringing Taiwan under its control. The sides split at the end of a civil war in 1949 and Beijing sees U.S. politicians' visits as conspiring with Tsai's pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party to make the separation permanent and stymy China's rise as a global power. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., talks to reporters at the Capitol in Washington, March 24. AP-Yonhap This post appears here courtesy of the Carolina Journal . The author of this post is Theresa Opeka N.C. State Treasurer Dale Folwell discussed hospital acquisitions, Medicaid expansion, Certificate of Need, and a new Senate bill focusing on bond referendum transparency Tuesday at his monthlyconference call with reporters.Novant Health, a nonprofit system headquartered in Winston-Salem, recently completed a deal to purchase Lake Norman Regional Medical Center, Mooresville, and Davis Regional Medical Center, Statesville, from Community Health Systems, Franklin, TN, for $320 million. Novant currently has 15 hospitals and 800 provider locations. Regulators still have to approve the deal.Folwell said the consolidation of healthcare has resulted in lower quality, lower access, and higher cost.he said.Folwell said the Novant purchases might be linked to antitrust violations and that although Democrat Attorney General Josh Stein should pursue some sort of action, he hasn't been supportive of Folwell's actions as treasurer.he said.A reporter asked why the Novant purchase wouldn't be considered as just competition rather than consolidation, as Atrium Health and Iredell Health System have a presence in the area.Folwell replied.On the topic of Medicaid expansion, Folwell said with the federal money coming from the Biden Administration, the General Assembly has taken a second look after being adamantly against it for ten years.he said.Folwell said with the State Health Plan, they have been able to freeze family premiums for five years, cut over $100 million of administrative expenses, and renegotiated their Medicare Advantage contract to save $1 billion with no cost to members and no cost to the taxpayers, and saved over $800 million with our pharmacy benefit management contract.he said.Folwell said he doesn't think that there will be an unfunded healthcare liability on the SHP if Medicaid expansion passes, but after sending the GA a letter asking for $4 billion more dollars over the next several years just to keep the SHP solvent, he said they don't need anything in Medicaid expansion that will exacerbate that.He said some legislators may be looking at cost controls, but bigger issues are at stake.Folwell responded.Folwell said his concern is for those who are eligible for the SHP but can't afford the premiums.Looking at Certificate of Need reform, Folwell said the letters CON are just that, a con on the people of North Carolina. He said all of it should be repealed, and the sooner, the better.he said.Folwell also said that he is in favor of S.B. 99, Bond Referendum Transparency, and has been since he was in the General Assembly. He likened it to someone filling out a credit application with pages of disclosures.he said.Follwell ended the conference call by saying they also need to ensure, especially in rural North Carolina, that 40% of lottery proceeds are going to public school construction. The proceeds can go towards rehabilitating a building rather than tearing it down and building a new one, eliminating the need for many school bonds. Yes, the Religion of Woke must continue; there are so many groups of underprivileged, underserved, a direct result of unrelenting Inequity; they deserve everything. No; the Woke fools must be toppled from their self-anointed pedestal; a functioning society of a good Constitutional people cannot withstand this level of "existential" favoritism as it exists now. I just observe; with this thoughtful observation: What will happen "when the Vikings are breeching our walls;" how do the Woke react? 569 total vote(s) What's your Opinion? Leaders in the North Carolina House and Senate announced an agreement on Wednesday, March 8, on a budget amount for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.The increase for the biennium will be 10.5% - 6.5% the first year and 3.75% the second year - according to a statement put out by House Speaker Tim Moore's office. The 2022-2023 fiscal year budget clocked in at $27.9 billion, meaning the increase will amount to around $2.8 billion.said Moore.Moore added.Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, approved budgets sent to him by the General Assembly in 2021 and 2022. Prior to that, he had not signed a budget since 2017.said Paige Terryberry, senior analyst for fiscal policy for the John Locke Foundation. Ben Affleck said he wasduring the filming ofremarking it almost made him quit Hollywood altogether.The 50-year-old actor said he was drinking way "too much" when he had to be away from his kids in 2016 while filming the DC superhero movie in London, the Hollywood Reporter reported.Affleck told the outlet.he added.the actor continued.Thestar and husband of Jennifer Lopez also said that the experience left such a badin his mouth he decided not to direct his ownfilm.Initially, Zach Snyder was in charge of directing the DC movie but left during production after a death in his family. Joss Whedon stepped in to help, but Affleck said it just made things worse.thestar said.Affleck said if DC came to him now and asked him to direct a movie he wouldn't work under James Gunn, as previously reported. Gunn and Peter Safran recently took over as heads for DC Studios.Affleck said.he added.Thestar was previously married to actress Jennifer Garner for more than a decade. The two share three kids. Lopez and Affleck rekindled their romance in 2021 and finally walked down the aisle at a chapel in Las Vegas in July 2022, 18 years after they got engaged for the first time. A U.S. soldier is seen during a handover ceremony of Taji military base from US-led coalition troops to Iraqi security forces, in the base north of Baghdad, Iraq Aug. 23, 2020. Reuters-Yonhap The U.S. Senate easily passed legislation on Wednesday to repeal two decades-old authorizations for past wars in Iraq, as Congress pushes to reassert its role in deciding whether to send troops into combat 20 years after the last invasion. The Democratic-led Senate voted 66-30 in favor of legislation to repeal the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for the Use of Military Force, or AUMFs, a bipartisan majority well above the 51 votes needed to pass the measure that would formally end the Gulf and Iraq wars. To become law, the repeal of the two Iraq AUMFs must still pass the Republican-led House of Representatives, where Speaker Kevin McCarthy signaled support but told a news conference last week the matter should first be reviewed by a House committee, not go straight to a floor vote. President Joe Biden has said he will sign the measure if it passes both the Senate and House and reaches his desk. Twenty years after the March 2003 U.S. invasion that toppled Iraq's Saddam Hussein, the vote was a historic, if symbolic, step away from a war that killed hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and thousands of Americans, complicated policy in the Middle East and bitterly divided U.S. politics. Supporters of repeal also said it recognized that Iraq is no longer an adversary but has become a U.S. security partner. The resolution also would repeal the Gulf War AUMF approved in 1991 after Saddam's Iraq invaded Kuwait. The Iraq AUMFs have been labeled "zombie" authorizations because they never expire but their original purpose no longer applies. U.S. President Joe Biden, center, hosts Democratic Congressional leaders in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., Jan. 24. AFP-Yonhap Actor Lance Reddick, who is best known for his work on HBO'sand the movie franchisehas died. He was 60 years old.TMZ reported that Reddick's body was found at his Studio City, California, home on Friday morning.The report said that law enforcement believes at this point that Reddick died of natural causes.Reddick was best known for playing Lt. Cedric Daniels onwhich is considered by some to be one of the top television shows of all-time.Reddick, who was born in Baltimore, began studying acting at an early age and went on to earn a degree from the Yale School of Drama. His first major break came in the 1990s when he was cast in HBO's prison dramaFrom there, Reddick went on to star inplaying a straight-arrow cop in a city rife with crime and corruption. Reddick appeared in all 60 episodes of the series, and the role would define his career.Reddick was also seen in four late episodes of the ABC hit seriesbefore landing the role of Phillip Broyles inOver the last decade, Reddick appeared in several major films, and was known for the role of assassin hotel manager Charon ina role played in all three of the film's sequels. He also notably appeared inandin recent years.Reddick is survived by his wife, Stephanie Reddick, and his daughter from a previous marriage. Following the actor's death, a variety of Hollywood figures took to their social media accounts to pay tribute to his life and legacy. Alex Baltzegar, writing for the Carolina Journal reports: On Wednesday, for the first time since 2018, the North Carolina House successfully voted to override a Governor Cooper veto on Senate Bill 41. The bill will now become law. The vote was 71-46, with three Democrats notably absent: Reps. Michael Wray, D-Northampton, Tricia Cotham, D-Mecklenburg, and Cecil Brockman, D-Guilford. A veto override requires a three-fifths vote in the House, and 71 out of 117 votes is greater than the three-fifths required. Rep. Destin Hall, the House Rules chairman, stood up to present the vote to override, saying that the House had debated and discussed this bill in committee for weeks, and the bill had already received two votes on the House floor. The House then voted to move to the previous question, which means they decided to hold a vote to override without continuing the debate on the bill. Rep. Robert Reives, the Democratic minority leader who hails from Chatham County, stood up immediately afterward and called for debate anyway. He was out of order, meaning he was breaking the rules by speaking outside of the parameters of the House rules. Reives was in discussions with Hall and Republican leaders earlier this year when the rules were being finalized. He is also an attorney and has been a member of the House for 11 years. Reives was not allowed to speak under the House rules. The vote to override was held. Following the vote, Reives rose for a point of personal privilege, which is a speaking privilege that members typically use to recognize a fellow members birthday, to say happy anniversary to their spouse, or to invite their colleagues to a meeting. Instead, Reives addressed the elementary school students and teachers who were watching from the balcony. I would just like to say to all the people that are here, the teachers and students, thank you for being here, Reives said. I want to apologize on behalf of this body for you seeing what you just saw. Your teachers will explain it to you. We are a deliberative body. We recognize all viewpoints, but that was not shown to you today, and that breaks my heart. Many of the Democrats applauded Reives comment. Rep. John Torbett, R-Gaston, added to Reives comment. He said that teachers could also tell the students that the House process abided by their rules. Torbett also said his grandson was one of the students in attendance. On Tuesday, the N.C. Senate first voted to override the bill by a vote of 30-19. A.P. Dillon, writing for the North State Journal, reports: House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Kings Mountain), joined by House budget chairs, unveiled the chambers $29.7 billion budget proposal at a press conference on March 29. The 2023 Appropriations Act contains a number of spending items related to mental health while adding $15 million to farmland preservation, $100 million to the disaster recovery relief fund, $1 billion to transportation projects, $1 billion to the Clean Water and Drinking Water Reserve, $1.4 billion to regional economic reserves, and $3.6 billion for infrastructure needs, including $2 billion for water and sewer projects. The House proposal includes pay increases for state employees by 4.25% in the first year of the budget and 3.25% in the second year. Over the biennium, State Highway Patrol personnel are looking at an 11% increase. Other law enforcement and corrections officers will see just over a 10% increase. Around $70 million in additional funds for teacher supplement pay in low-wealth county districts is included with educator pay. With the inclusion of step increases and additional supplements rolled in, teacher pay will increase by around 10.2% over the biennium; 5.5% in year one, and the balance in year two. Additionally, masters degree pay is being restored. The governors budget had proposed an 18% increase for teachers. His proposed budget, which increased spending by more than 20% over the next two years, was dubbed by lawmakers as reckless. Higher education employees will also see raises. Both the UNC System and NC Community Colleges System will get a 7.5% raises over the two years. Additional funding is included for recruitment and retention purposes. There is an additional 2% in raises spanning the two years to retain certain employees. State retirees will see a recurring 1% Cost of Living (COLA) increase for each of the budget years. North Carolinians will be able to keep more of what they earn through tax cuts which will drop the individual income tax to 4.5% in 2024 a year ahead of schedule. The child tax credit will also increase by 20% and lawmakers are including a new tax adoption credit. Per sources in the House, Gov. Roy Cooper has already agreed to the budget in advance as part of the agreement reached with Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Eden) and Moore to pass Coopers long-sought-after goal of expanding Medicaid in the state. That agreement has given rise to a number of policy items packed into the Houses proposal such as expanding school choice and other education policy issues covering charter schools as well as the Opportunity Scholarship Program, which offers funds for students to attend the private school of their choice. The budget expands the eligibility for K-8 students applying for Opportunity Scholarships by dropping the requirement of having been a previous public school student in order to apply. The income eligibility threshold currently at 200% of the amount needed for a student to qualify for a free and reduced-price lunch remains the same. Just prior to the press conference on the House proposal, Senate Republicans issued a statement rolling out a new bill to expand the OSP to all families awarding grants using a sliding scale. Household income would determine the amount awarded, ensuring families that need the most assistance receive the largest scholarships. Charter schools that want to have remote academies or be completely remote-learning-based also get a nod in the budget. There is also language making the NC Charter School Advisory Board the final stop for approving new charter schools or renewing of existing schools instead of the state board of education. Various guidelines for the approval and renewal processes are included in that change as well as an appeal process that would involve review by the state board of education. A key provision for parents is Academic Transparency, which details how the public will be informed about courses and materials used in the classroom. In the same vein, another area will Modernize Selection of Instructional Materials by directing school boards to select and adopt academic materials for each area of the states standard course of study in K-12. The process for Renewal Schools will be streamlined and the budget lays out the plans and guidelines they must follow for items like submitting new plans. The changes will require the State Board review. The controversy over the proposed creation of a School of Civic Life and Leadership at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill may become moot as the bill includes nonrecurring funds to create the school. This school will focus on developing democratic competencies based on American history and political tradition. The Medical Freedom Act (House Bill 98), which bars employment discrimination against individuals for refusing COVID-19 vaccination and prohibits the N.C. Commission for Public Health from requiring the vaccination in order to attend K-12 public schools, is another policy item included in the budget. The prohibition would also apply to state employees. The House budget includes language making the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) an independent agency. A related provision of the budget would move the state crime lab under SBI due to its new independence. The provision is timely with SBI Director Bob Schurmeier giving surprise testimony at House hearing on Mar. 28 in which he called for the agency to be made independent. On two occasions during the hearing, he said Coopers chief of staff and general counsel asked him for his resignation and threatened him with investigations of racial discrimination. Three sections of the budget delve into election and judicial areas covered by bills filed this session. Legislation already filed in the House barring the State Board of Elections from being a member of Electronic Registration Information Center, Inc. (ERIC) is mirrored in the budget. Similarly, another section bars the state and county boards of elections from accepting outside or private money donations, such as Zuck Bucks, for any reason, including hiring of temporary workers. In the previous legislative session, Senate Bill 725 sought the same goal. The bill was passed but was vetoed by the governor with no override attempt made. With the inclusion of barring accepting outside donations, two North Carolina counties may have to back out of a related program. Both Forsyth and Brunswick County Board of Election are participating in a Zuckerberg-tied program as reported in January 2023. Brunswick Countys Board of Commissioners also recently passed a resolution on March 20 supporting the ban of private money in North Carolina elections. Should the current rehearing case of Voter ID being reconsidered by the N.C. Supreme Court get a green light, the budget allots $3.5 million to fund implementation of the states Voter ID constitutional amendment passed by voters in 2018. The mandatory retirement age for appellate judges is raised from 72 to 76 years of age in the budget language. The only exception is that of applying to be an emergency justice in a letter to the governor. The budget also takes on abortion, by preventing state funds from being used in the performance of or in administrative support of an abortion. Exemptions are made for certain cases where a mothers life may be endangered or the pregnancy is the result of rape. Additionally, the House proposal includes a prohibition on Cap and Trade requirements for CO2 emissions. No state agent, including the governor and officials at the Department of Environmental Quality, will be allowed to require a public energy utility that uses the power produced for itself to take part in carbon offsetting programs, per the budget proposal. Over the last two years, Cooper has used rulemaking and executive orders to establish emissions reductions with a net-zero greenhouse gas emissions goal. Along with barring such emissions programs, the budget includes a prohibition on any requirement controlling emissions on new vehicles. By Mark Alexander at The Patriot Post Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall, when the wise are banished from the public councils, because they dare to be honest, and the profligate are rewarded, because they flatter the people, in order to betray them. Joseph Story (1833) There are no more graphic examples of cultural degradation than a crime scene where a sociopath has murdered children. Such was the case this week when a deranged woman killed three children and three adults in a premeditated hate crime against a Christian elementary school in Tennessee. Notably, there was a common denominator in the Nashville assault and other similar attacks. The assailants manifested gender-confused pathology and were also immersed in video gaming. As I noted regarding the Nashville attack, while Joe Biden and the Demos Leftmedia echo chamber ubiquitously refer to these assaults as gun violence, the hard reality is that violence is a culture problem. In fact, the vast majority of violence today is associated with the cultural devolution directly tied to generations of failed Democrat policies. And there is an inconvenient truth Demos definitely dont want you to know about crime stats the correlation between race and violence. Apparently, systemic racism, white supremacy, the police, and so-called assault weapons are not the problem, and the so-called Black Lives Matter cadres of race hustlers are not the solution. But the Nashville assailant did not fit the profile of a gang-banging drug thug from some Demo-controlled poverty plantation. She was a white, Middle America woman with parents who cared about her. But she is among a generation of emotionally distressed young people, a few of whom end up acting out in violence. So, what does the latest data tell us about the rise of this distressed generation? In large measure, degraded culture is a reflection of degraded values, and there is emerging evidence confirming what most people with a modicum of common sense already know: As the importance we place on traditional American values has plummeted, so has American culture. The latest reputable polling on values is a new Wall Street Journal-NORC survey finding that patriotism, religious faith, having children and other priorities that helped define the national character for generations are receding in importance to Americans. According to the WSJ-NORC results: Some 38% of respondents said patriotism was very important to them, and 39% said religion was very important. That was down sharply from when the Journal first asked the question in 1998, when 70% deemed patriotism to be very important, and 62% said so of religion. No surprise that the poll also found the country sharply divided by political party over social trends. Only 23% of Democrats said patriotism was very important while 59% of Republicans agreed, and just 27% of Democrats said faith was very important while 53% of Republicans agreed. That polling disparity is totally predictable because the Democrat Party playbook is based on hate and division, which is dutifully promoted by their Leftmedia parrots; thus, its adherents loathe all that is good and right about our nation. This is a case study of the Demo pollaganda effect. Also of note, Tolerance for others, deemed very important by 80% of Americans as recently as four years ago, has fallen to 58% since then. Yet another result of Demos fomenting hate and division. Bill McInturff, who has worked with previous Journal and NBC polls, observed, These differences are so dramatic, it paints a new and surprising portrait of a changing America. And its not a pretty picture. He added that perhaps the toll of our political division, Covid and the lowest economic confidence in decades is having a startling effect on our core values. That implies the changes may be temporary. But the downward trend proceeded the ChiCom Virus pandemic and the second great malaise resurrected by Joe Biden and his closet cadre. However, in 2019, Wall Street Journal reporter Chad Day wrote similar observations about that years values poll, which began measuring values in 1998: The values that Americans say define the national character are changing, as younger generations rate patriotism, religion and having children as less important to them than did young people two decades ago. So, what is the deeper problem? It is not surprising that younger Americans place lower priority on values many of us could say that about our younger years before reality caught up with us. But reality did not catch up with many inheritance welfare leftists, mostly suburban white privilege Democrats who are obsessively focused on vanity and virtue signaling. You know, they are the truly enlightened who swapped their Hate Has No Home Here yard signs for Biden-Harris yard signs to ensure their neighbors knew they were not affiliated with any deplorables. Indeed, too many Baby Boomers, who were born between WWII and the mid 1960s, are themselves wimpy snowflakes who have raised a generation of even wimpier snowflakes, who are raising a generation of even well, you get the generational implications. Social observer Auguste Meyrat notes: If one wants to know why so many millennials seem to struggle with hitting the essential milestones of adulthood, one should simply look at their Boomer parents, who laid the groundwork for perpetual adolescence. It was the Boomers who decided to resist the conformist culture of their own childhoods by embracing hedonism (sex, drugs, and rock and roll), challenging social priorities and traditions, and rejecting moral and religious authorities. Think Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama. Meyrat notes for too many Boomers: Unlike previous generations that grew up on books and newspapers, most of the Boomers spent their formative years watching television, [which] short-circuited young viewers critical thinking and left them with a shallow morality that oversimplified complex issues. Of the dulling effect of screen time, Helen Andrews, author of the definitive book Boomers, notes, No medium has done more to shape the boomer mentality, which may be why they have been so deaf to the well-founded worries that mass-produced media is optimized to rot the human brain. Now that rot has been optimized by Big Tech oligarchs who control social media outlets like Facebook and the ChiCom data-collection platform TikTok. But Meyrat concludes: It would be a mistake to assume that all is lost for my generation. A few of us were raised by good parents (usually the ones who hated Boomer culture) and now enjoy the fruits of a good life. Others who werent so fortunate can at least recognize the mistakes that were made, fix those things in themselves, and do their part as parents, teachers, or leaders to improve things for the younger generations. It is worth noting that questions have been raised about the WSJ-NORC polling methodology. Political analyst Patrick Ruffini asserts: The dramatically different results we see from 2019 and 2023 are because the data was collected differently. The March 2023 survey was collected via NORCs Amerispeak, an extremely high-quality online panel. In the fine print below the chart, we can see that data from previous waves was collected via telephone survey. Surveying the exact same types of respondents online and over the phone will yield different results. And it matters most for exactly the kinds of values questions that the Journal asked in its survey. National Reviews John McCormack notes: For a better survey on American attitudes about patriotism, see Gallup, which also finds a decline in patriotism, but not nearly as steep as what the WSJ poll found since 2019. Of the percentage of Americans who say patriotism is very important to them, Gallup finds only a five-point drop from 2019 to 2022 from 70 percent to 65 percent who say they are extremely or very patriotic. According to Gallup, another highly reputable public opinion surveyor, on the issue of patriotism for example: The 38% of U.S. adults who say they are 'extremely proud to be American together with the 27% who are very proud, combines to 65%, and another 22% say they are moderately proud. So the degradation may not be as bad as WSJ-NORC suggests, but theres no question the slide in values continues and theres no question why. Finally, an interesting WSJ-NORC finding on the Lefts gender dysphoria advocacy: Half of people in the survey said they didnt like the practice of being asked to use gender-neutral pronouns, such as they or them, when addressing another person, compared with 18% who viewed it favorably. Again, there was the age divide: Some 30% of respondents under age 35 viewed the practice favorably, compared with 9% of seniors. And that takes me full circle to the politicization of the Nashville attack. We know that attack was premeditated and clearly a hate crime targeting Christians. However, because the assailant is among the Lefts prized gender-confused constituency, I doubt that the Biden administration will allow the Department of Justice to classify this assault as a hate crime. Watch how the Left spins this to suggest the hater who committed the assault was actually the victim, and the Christian victims were actually the haters. One group has already blamed the assault on Christians, claiming the assailant had no other effective way to be seen than to lash out by taking the life of others, and concluding, Hate has consequences. Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis Pro Deo et Libertate 1776 Join us in prayer for our nations Military Patriots standing in harms way, for our First Responders, and for their families. Please lift up your Patriot team and our mission to support and defend our Republics Founding Principle of Liberty, in order to ignite the fires of freedom in the hearts and minds of our countrymen. Thank you for supporting our nations premier online journal of Liberty. Friday: S winds sustained between 15 and 20 mph, with gust of 20 - 25 mph. Saturday: S winds transitioning to SW sustained between 20 and 25 mph, with gust of 30 - 40 mph. (Especially between 1pm and 7pm) Sunday: SW winds transitioning to the N sustained between 10 and 15 mph, with gust of 15 to 25 through noon. Good Afternoon Everyone,Our office is currently monitoring an increasing possibility for windy conditions this weekend with a possibility of severe storms on Saturday. Current forecast details are vague, but include the following for Beaufort County.South winds are expected to increase Friday and remain elevated through noon on Sunday as follows:Confidence in the development of a line of potentially severe storms that will move across the state on Saturday is increasing. Current forecast models suggest the greatest risk of storms will occur between 11am and 7pm.Please see the email below and attached briefing from the National Weather Service for more information. We will continue to pass along updates as we receive them.As always, thank you all for what you do to keep Beaufort County prepared, informed and safe.Chris NewkirkDeputy DirectorBeaufort County Emergency Services1420 Highland DrWashington, NC 27889Office: (252)940-6511Cell: (252) 378-5352Good Morning,There is increasing confidence that strong S to SW winds ahead of a cold front will bring at least minor impacts to the region on Saturday. The most uncertain aspect of the forecast revolves around the coverage and intensity of afternoon storms, so please continue to monitor subsequent forecasts as we refine the details.Please see the attached briefing for a quick overview. The next briefing will be issued Thursday morning.Thanks,NWS Morehead CityRegards,NWS Newport/Morehead CityNOAA - National Weather ServiceNewport/Morehead City, NC Weather Forecast Office533 Roberts RdNewport, NC 28570 This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Russia's security service arrested an American reporter for The Wall Street Journal on espionage charges, the first time a U.S. correspondent has been detained on spying accusations since the Cold War. The newspaper denied the allegations and demanded his release. Evan Gershkovich, 31, was detained in Yekaterinburg, Russia's fourth-largest city, about 1,670 kilometers (1,035 miles) east of Moscow. Russia's Federal Security Service accused him of trying to obtain classified information. Known by the acronym FSB, the service is the top domestic security agency and main successor to the Soviet-era KGB. It alleged that Gershkovich was acting on instructions from the American side to collect information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex that constitutes a state secret. The Journal "vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich, the newspaper said. We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family. The arrest comes at a moment of bitter tensions between the West and Moscow over its war in Ukraine and as the Kremlin intensifies a crackdown on opposition activists, independent journalists and civil society groups. The sweeping campaign of repression is unprecedented since the Soviet era. Activists say it often means the very profession of journalism is criminalized, along with the activities of ordinary Russians who oppose the war. Earlier this week, a Russian court convicted a father over social media posts critical of the war and sentenced him to two years in prison. His 13-year-old daughter was sent to an orphanage. Gershkovich is the first American reporter to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since September 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, a Moscow correspondent for U.S. News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB. Daniloff was released without charge 20 days later in a swap for an employee of the Soviet Union's United Nations mission who was arrested by the FBI, also on spying charges. At a hearing Thursday, a Moscow court quickly ruled that Gershkovich would be kept behind bars pending the investigation. While previous American detainees have been freed in prisoner swaps, a top Russian official said it was too early to talk about any such deal. In Washington, the Biden administration said it had spoken with the Journal and Gershkovich's family. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre condemned the arrest "in the strongest terms" and urged Americans to heed government warnings not to travel to Russia. The State Department was in direct touch with the Russian government and seeking access to Gershkovich, Jean-Pierre said. The administration has no specific indication that journalists in Russia are being targeted, she said. Gershkovich, who covers Russia, Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations as a correspondent in the Journals Moscow bureau, could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of espionage. Prominent lawyers noted that past investigations into espionage cases took a year to 18 months, during which time he may have little contact with the outside world. The FSB noted that Gershkovich had accreditation from the Russian Foreign Ministry to work as a journalist, but ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova alleged that Gershkovich was using his credentials as cover for "activities that have nothing to do with journalism. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: It is not about a suspicion, it is about the fact that he was caught red-handed. Gershkovich speaks fluent Russian and had previously worked for the French news agency Agence France-Presse and The New York Times. He was a 2014 graduate of Bowdoin College in Maine, where he was a philosophy major who cooperated with local papers and championed a free press, according to Clayton Rose, the college's president. His last report from Moscow, published earlier this week, focused on the Russian economys slowdown amid Western sanctions imposed after Russian troops invaded Ukraine last year. Ivan Pavlov, a prominent Russian defense attorney who has worked on many espionage and treason cases, said Gershkovich's case is the first criminal espionage charge against a foreign journalist in post-Soviet Russia. That unwritten rule not to touch accredited foreign journalists, has stopped working, said Pavlov, a member of the First Department legal aid group. Pavlov said the case against Gershkovich was built to give Russia trump cards for a future prisoner exchange and will likely be resolved not by the means of the law, but by political, diplomatic means. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov ruled out any quick swap. I wouldnt even consider this issue now because people who were previously swapped had already served their sentences, Ryabkov said, according to Russian news agencies. In December, WNBA star Brittney Griner was freed after 10 months behind bars in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Another American, Paul Whelan, a Michigan corporate security executive, has been imprisoned in Russia since December 2018 on espionage charges that his family and the U.S. government have said are baseless. Our family is sorry to hear that another American family will have to experience the same trauma that we have had to endure for the past 1,553 days, Whelan's brother David said in an emailed statement. It sounds as though the frame-up of Mr. Gershkovich was the same as it was in Pauls case. Jeanne Cavelier, of the press freedom group Reporters Without Borders, said Gershkovich's arrest looks like a retaliation measure of Russia against the United States. "We are very alarmed because it is probably a way to intimidate all Western journalists that are trying to investigate aspects of the war on the ground in Russia, said Cavelier, head of Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk at the Paris-based group. Another prominent lawyer with the First Department group, Yevgeny Smirnov, said that those arrested on espionage and treason charges are usually held at the FSB's Lefortovo prison, where they are usually placed in total isolation, without phone calls, visitors or even access to newspapers. At most, they can receive letters, often delayed by weeks. Smirnov called these conditions tools of suppression. Smirnov and Pavlov both said that any trial would be held behind closed doors. According to Pavlov, there have been no acquittals in treason and espionage cases in Russia since 1999. A few local teen organizations are teaming up to raise money for a children's hospital. West Brook Stars, En Croix Praise Dance Ministry and Top Teens of America are hosting a car wash from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at AutoZone, located at 4120 E Lucas Dr. in Beaumont. According to the flier, the donation is $10 for small cars and small SUVs. For trucks and large SUVs, it is $12. RELATED: Two Port Arthur students named 'Top Teens of America' All proceeds will go to benefit the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and donations will be collected through the online campaign at events.stjude.org/awishfulwash. According to the event website, the fundraiser has a goal of $2,000 and has received $5 as of Friday morning. "Thanks to you and donors like you, no family ever receives a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food - because all a family should worry about is helping their child live," the St. Jude event website reads. "Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to more than 80% since it opened more than 50 years ago." Brandon Bell/Getty Images A new bill in the U.S. Senate is calling for the expansion of Big Bend National Park in West Texas. Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico introduced the Big Bend National Park Boundary Adjustment Act, which would allow the National Park Service to acquire more than 6,000 acres of land along the western boundary of the park adjacent to Terlingua Creek. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Tom Hall took time at the podium to reflect on his tenure serving in the Vietnam War. Speaking during a Vietnam Veterans Day service event Wednesday at the Ben J. Rogers Regional Vistors Center in Beaumont, the United States Air Force veteran and Vidor native discussed working as a nuclear weapons technician during the 1970s and how families are impacted as a result of similar service. Hall views the annual holiday, established in 2017 by former President Donald Trump, as time to remember the sacrifices and the commitment given, ensuring those who served aren't forgotten. RELATED: Traveling Vietnam memorial comes to Anahuac "Throughout the years, we have fought long and hard to be recognized as veterans that did what we were ordered to do," Hall told the Enterprise. "Even though we didn't feel welcomed, we didn't let it stop us." Hall served in the U.S. Air Force from 1972 to 1976, then 1982 to 1986 -- taking a break in-between to take care of personal matters. In 1972, he was stationed at Lowry Air Force Base on the east side of Denver, where he became a nuclear weapons technician. He later went to Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth before returning to Lowry for a second stint. He described the level of security of Carswell as similar to being in a high-security prison, needing badges and codes to buzz in and out. Although his name wasn't called to join the infantry, he felt for the families of those who were called upon. RELATED: Italy trip is a dream come true for WWII veteran's family As years went by, Hall explored different ways to make sure veterans remain front of mind and communication lines stay open. That's why he visits the Harry W. Stiles Unit, a men's prison in far southeast Beaumont, every month. "A lot of times, these guys get out, they don't have anybody. But they do have veteran services, and they have people like us," Hall said. Hall said that even though the Texas Department of Criminal Justice previously did not recognize post-traumatic stress disorder as an area of concern, it's implemented a program for such instances the past several years. RELATED: Motorcycle group raising awareness of mental illness in veterans Despite the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's recidivism rate of 20.3%, according to a biennial report from 2020, Hall said the recidivism rate among Texas veterans is less than 1%. "It's because these guys know that they've got fellow brothers and sisters that serve veterans out there to help them. When they get out they know where to go," Hall said. That's a way Hall is able to give back to his fellow service members. And by doing so, it's a way to always remember those veterans. "A veteran is someone who serves. And when you get out of the military, that don't mean you have to stop serving," he said. "I wear the colors. I do everything that I can to remind people that a veteran is somebody that you give your time, your family and everything to serve." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Imgorthand/Getty Images Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Raymond Gehman/Getty Images Show More Show Less 3 of 3 The increase in wildfires in Texas and across the country has led researchers at Texas A&M University to study links over time to contaminants in public drinking water. The National Science Foundation awarded a grant for $274,290 to the Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Texas A&M University for researchers to study the impacts, specifically the effect of pyrogenic organic matter on drinking water, according to a recent report from Texas A&M University. The logo of Chinese technology firm Alibaba is seen at its office in Beijing, Aug. 10, 2021. AP-Yonhap The CEO of Chinese e-commerce and financial giant Alibaba said Thursday that the company is moving toward giving up control of some of its business units in a transition toward becoming a capital operator to optimize the value of its sprawling businesses. Daniel Zhang outlined details of a plan announced earlier this week to split Alibaba into six main groups as a prelude toward stock listings of some of its companies. The restructuring marks a new stage in Alibaba's growth after a series of setbacks as regulators cracked down on it and other tech companies. Alibaba, whose headquarters is in the eastern city of Hangzhou, will be "in the nature of a holding company that is the controlling shareholder of the business group companies," Zhang said in a conference call. Alibaba's CFO, Toby Xu, said the company would continue to evaluate the strategic importance of group companies after they go public and decide whether or not to retain control. He declined to say when they might go public. "We believe the market is the best litmus test, so each business group company can pursue independent fundraising and IPOs as and when they are ready," Xu said. Alibaba's stock prices in Hong Kong and New York have rallied nearly 15% since the restructuring was announced Tuesday. The firm's Hong Kong-listed stock was up 0.9% by midday Thursday. The plan, and the recent return of Alibaba founder Jack Ma to China after months abroad appear to mark a turnaround after several hard years. Chinese regulators singled out Alibaba for scrutiny in a crackdown on technology and internet companies, putting the brakes on a planned initial public offering in 2020 of Alibaba's financial affiliate Ant Group. Ma had kept a low profile with few public appearances since Nov. 2020, when he had publicly criticized China's regulators and financial systems during a speech in Shanghai. Jack Ma, billionaire founder of Alibaba Group, arrives at the "Tech for Good" Summit in Paris, France May 15, 2019. Reuters-Yonhap There was once a widely shared sentiment across the travel industry that the pandemic would yield a new generation of slower, more mindful travelers, and in more ways than one, it did. For many, the past few years have served as a reminder that travel is a privilege, not a right, and its resulted in a more thoughtful approach to every phase of the journey, from eco-conscious booking to etiquette at their destination, in addition to an uptick in demand for existing methods of slow travel, like trains and buses. Train travel, especially, has been having a resurgence among Millennials and Gen Z, two generations who seem to value sustainable travel and the ability to book last minute above all else (in fact, according to Pinterest, Searches for Europe interrailing, train quotes and train travel aesthetic are all trending way up), which all bodes especially well for Adventures Overlands latest venture. Per a new report from Forbes, the Indian expedition company is launching a new bus route, Bus to London, which will take passengers on a 7,600-mile journey across 22 European countries over the course of 56 days. Thats almost double the current longest bus journey by Peruvian company Ormeno. A Guide to Taking a Luxury Train Across Canada Take it from someone who's done it: the undisputed best way to see the Great White North is by riding the rails and staying in the historic hotels along the way The journey, which is inspired by the Hippie Trail a famed overland journey through Europe and beyond that was legendary from the 1950s to the 1970s is set to start in Istanbul. From there, it will pass through the Balkans and Eastern Europe, heading north to Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland, then back south through Norway and Scandinavia, before heading to Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France, and eventually ending in London. An unforgettable trip though it may be, if you guessed that it also costs a pretty penny, youd be right. Tickets cost two million INR (or $24,340) per person, plus taxes. That said, according to Forbes, that covers transport, any necessary visas, accommodations, all breakfasts and 30 lunches and dinners. Its a pretty good deal, if youve got the time and disposable income which, contrary to my earlier point, rules out most Millennials and Gen Z. That said, the journey slated to leave August 7 and arrive in London on October 1, 2023 has a 30-person cap, so regardless of what demographic cohort you fall into, itd behoove you to book soon. Thanks for reading InsideHook. Sign up for our daily newsletter and be in the know. The post The Worlds Longest Bus Journey Takes 56 Days and Spans 22 Countries appeared first on InsideHook. Technology leaders at 10 healthcare-related companies have been named among Forbes' list of the 50 most transformative CIOs in 2023. Most transformative CIOs and tech leaders in healthcare for 2023: Nancy Avila. Chief Information and Technology Officer of McKesson. Ms. Avila balances running McKesson's critical supply network with technology and data innovation. She updated McKesson's e-commerce platform, scaling it to 15 times the normal volume for distributing COVID-19 vaccines to pharmacies and health systems. Myra Davis. CIO of Texas Children's Hospital (Houston). Ms. Davis joined Texas Children's in 2002, becoming CIO in 2012. In 2019, her title was changed to chief innovation information officer, to better connect innovation projects and IT operations. She has created an online scheduling system for the hospital, advanced its cybersecurity program and launched a team dedicated to developing new technologies. Vid Desai. CIO of U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Mr. Desai created an office of digital transformation for the FDA in 2021, aligning technology, data and cybersecurity. He has also developed a modernization plan for the government agency, which approves and regulates the U.S. food and medication supply. Noelle Eder. Global CIO of the Cigna Group. Ms. Eder has created an infrastructure to offer real-time health information and health recommendations for Cigna members. In 2022, she helped launch a behavioral health pilot delivering personalized care for patients with anxiety and depression. Sabina Ewing. CIO and Vice President of Business and Technology Services at Abbott. Ms. Ewing joined Abbott in 2020, focusing on decentralizing, democratizing and digitizing healthcare. She has championed a mobile app for COVID-19 test result delivery. Michelle Greene. CIO of Cardinal Health. Ms. Greene has focused on both internal and external transformation at Cardinal. She has streamlined company processes and recruitment and developed an electronic records and cost-tracking tool for patients. She is focused on engaging and retaining top talent and bringing more diversity to Cardinal's leadership team. Tilak Mandadi. Chief Data, Digital and Technology Officer of CVS Health. Mr. Mandadi joined CVS last year, focused on streamlining processes and enhancing customer's digital experience. Greg Meyers. Chief Digital and Technology Officer of Bristol Myers Squibb. Mr. Meyers has been with the pharmaceutical company for a year, creating new tools to diagnose, treat and monitor patients. He has partnered with FitBit to remotely detect patient stroke risks, setting his sights on tech-driven healthcare. Bill Pappas. Head of Global Technology and Operations at MetLife. Since joining in 2019, Mr. Pappas has revamped MetLife's operating model and improved customer experience, creating the 360 Health mobile app allowing customers to access 40 health services from their phones. Diogo Rau. Chief Information and Digital Officer of Eli Lilly and Company. Mr. Rau has helped Eli Lilly to identify potential new medicines through the leveraging of artificial intelligence. He has replaced 1.2 million hours of human activity with a digital workforce, allowing focus on more complex work. Financial and operational challenges are pushing many hospitals to cut jobs. Here are nine hospitals laying off workers since March 1: UnitedHealthcare plans to cut back on its use of prior authorization, removing procedures and medical devices from its list of services requiring signoff and reducing the number of authorizations from 13 million to 10 million annually, according to a March 29 report from The Wall Street Journal. Several procedures and devices will be removed starting in the third quarter. The insurer also plans to automate and speed up prior authorization over the next several years, according to the report. Next year, the insurer will also eliminate several prior authorization requirements for its "gold-card" physicians and hospitals, or those who nearly always get their requests approved. Other insurers, including the Cigna Group and CVS' Aetna, are removing prior authorization requirements and automating the process as well. While insurers claim that prior authorization tamps down costs and helps patients get the best care, physicians argue that the process is time-consuming and ineffective. According to a March study from the American Medical Association, prior authorization has delayed patient care for 94 percent of physicians. "We all know that requiring prior authorizations really only leads to more bureaucracy within the insurance company, as well as within each healthcare provider's practice, because now we need people to fill out these prior authorization forms, waste time trying to get through their 1-800 number to speak with someone who has no clinical knowledge, then be told we need to speak with someone else who actually does have some medical knowledge about why these procedures are necessary. This thereby leads to increased costs because we all need to hire more people to handle these needless requests," Linda Lee, MD, medical director of endoscopy at Boston-based Brigham and Women's Hospital and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, told Becker's. "We're not deaf to the complaints out there," Philip Kaufman, chief growth officer at UnitedHealthcare, told The Wall Street Journal. "We've taken a hard look at ourselves and this process." Last year, the Department of Health and Human Services reported that 13 percent of prior-authorization denials by Medicare Advantage plans were for benefits that should have been covered, according to the report. United has yet to specify what services will be affected by the change but suggested they will include certain types of medical equipment and genetic testing used for diagnosis. San Francisco, Calif.-based Dignity Health is considering expanding its footprint in Arizona, a representative confirmed to Becker's March 29. The health system is eyeing a plot of land in Surprise, Ariz., a city between 20 and 30 miles northwest of Phoenix. Its early-stage plans for the site include a general acute care hospital and medical office space. The new hospital would be Dignity's ninth acute care hospital in Arizona. It would also be the first full hospital in the city of Surprise, according to the Surprise Independent. The Indiana Hospital Association said as cyberattacks on Indiana hospitals and health systems continue to increase, they are implementing new tactics such as 'hack lab' tests to assess vulnerabilities with medical devices before using them in patient care, Fox59 reported March 29. According to the Indiana Hospital Association, 26 health systems have experienced a cyberattack in recent years including Mishawaka, Ind.-based Franciscan Health; Madison, Ind.-based Norton King's Daughter Health; and Indianapolis-based Indiana University Health. The frequency of these attacks have prompted the state's hospitals and health systems to invest in better cybersecurity programs and initiatives including performing annual assessments on IT systems, aligning IT systems with government cybersecurity standards and performing 'hack lab' tests on medical devices. But, the Indiana Hospital Association said these measures are costly. "It is estimated that cyber risk insurance is a $6.5 billion dollar industry as more and more hospitals are reviewing their policies and increasing coverage," the association told Fox59. Greenfield, Ind.-based Hancock Regional Health's CEO Steve Long also said that due to the frequency of attacks, he has been trying to work with other hospitals to warn them and prepare them for hackers after his own hospital fell victim to a cyberattack in 2018. Health tech company CoverMyMeds plans to let go of 815 employees and close one of its offices, The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch reported. The company, which started in 2008, offers a digital platform that transmits prior authorizations between healthcare providers, payers and pharmacies. Healthcare giant McKesson Corp. bought CoverMyMeds in 2017 for $1.1 billion. "Over the past few months, together, we took important steps to bring our expenses more in line with our revenue growth and to optimize our investments," CoverMyMeds President Kevin Kettler wrote in a staff email viewed by the news outlet. "It's become clear, however, through business planning that further action is needed for CoverMyMeds to continue on a path of long-term sustainable growth." The company intends to shutter its Scottsdale, Ariz., support center, decrease the size of its Atlanta office, and rent out space at its Columbus headquarters, according to the March 29 story. Health system marketing leaders told Becker's they're balancing concerns about TikTok's data privacy and potentially deleterious mental health effects on teens with its value as a healthcare communications tool. "We use TikTok and other social media for limited purposes such as recruiting and community engagement," said Suzanne Spruce, senior vice president and chief marketing and communications officer at Brewer, Maine-based Northern Light Health. "However, given the security concerns associated with social media in particular, we take extra security precautions such as limiting the type of information posted, as well as limiting access by employees while on our network." Earlier in March, the Biden administration threatened to ban TikTok unless its Chinese owners sold the company over worries about the country's communist government having access to the data of the platform's more than 100 million American users. Chinese law requires businesses to give the government access to data if it's deemed to be in the interest of national security. TikTok parent company ByteDance is headquartered in Beijing. TikTok executives have said the government hasn't made such a request, and that TikTok partner Oracle plans to store American users' data in the U.S. under a $1.5 billion project called Project Texas (Oracle is based in Austin). TikTok CEO Shou Chew recently testified before Congress to try to assuage members' concerns about data privacy, as well as ones about the potential dangers the app poses to youth mental health. Renton, Wash.-based Providence, however, said it uses TikTok to improve kids' emotional well-being. The health system is an official partner of TikTok's learning platform, providing mental wellness education resources. "Since the pandemic began, concerns about mental health for children and adolescents skyrocketed, with more than a third of high school students reporting poor mental health and 44 percent reporting persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness," said Mary Renouf, vice president of community engagement and patient communication at Providence. "TikTok controversies havent stopped those audiences from seeking health content on the platform, so it is important they're able to find clinically vetted information from experts in an entertaining and digestible way." Research has found that a growing number of young people turn to social media platforms like TikTok, rather than physicians, for medical advice, making it more critical for health systems to be sources of truth online. "As a marketer looking to access Gen Z where less than 50 percent of adults have a primary care physician, TikTok can't be ignored," said Brian Deffaa, chief marketing officer of Baltimore-based LifeBridge Health. But he noted that "HIPAA and TikTok aren't the best of friends on most any given day as youre only one misguided overshare away from a PR crisis," as some health systems can attest. Plus, he added, China doesn't have the best track record of defending privacy or intellectual property and healthcare leaders are desperate to avoid patient data breaches these days. "The obvious risk/reward calculus that results is one that I think we're all struggling with at the moment," Mr. Deffaa said. CVS Health expects to close its $10.6 billion acquisition of Oak Street Health by the end of June, the company said in a March 30 securities filing. The deal for Oak Street Health, which operates a chain of more than 130 clinics aimed at Medicare Advantage patients, would greatly expand CVS' value-based care ambitions and capabilities of caring for older Americans. CVS closed its $8 billion purchase of home health company Signify Health on March 29. The all-cash acquisition is moving forward after the requisite waiting period from when the companies filed documents with the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice expired March 27, according to a March 30 proxy statement from Oak Street Health. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., recently asked the FTC to closely investigate the merger. Oak Street Health also canceled its annual shareholders meeting scheduled for April 27 due to the expected completion of the deal. The New Jersey Department of Health has given the green light for two CarePoint Health hospitals to transition to a nonprofit entity, but the third is still pending review, nj.com reported March 29. Hoboken University Medical Center and Bayonne Medical Center can convert to nonprofit status, but they must follow several DOH stipulations related to issues such as financial transparency and patient care. A CarePoint spokesperson told nj.com that he expects a decision to be reached on the status of Jersey City-based Christ Hospital in the coming days. CarePoint transitioned into a nonprofit organization in 2022 after co-founder Vivek Garipalli donated his majority interest to the nonprofit. CarePoint said the move will allow it better serve its patients, many of whom are uninsured and on Medicaid. DOH Commissioner Judith Persichilli noted that CarePoint violated state regulations when ownership of the hospitals were donated to the newly formed nonprofit without the commission's approval. The commission will consider further action in a separate review. The CarePoint board includes current CEO Achintya Moulick, MD; former CFO William Pelino; and former CIO Ryan Meeuf. Under the approval terms, three community members one to represent each hospital will be added to the board, according to the report. The approval for nonprofit status of Bayonne Medical Center would also pave the way for the sale of a further 39.1 percent of CarePoint to BMC Hospital, which would bring the healthcare operator's share to just under 50 percent, according to nj.com. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds took action March 28 to help rural healthcare facilities stay afloat during challenging economic times. She signed Senate File 75, a bill focused on licensing requirements for rural emergency hospitals and ASCs, among other healthcare facilities. The bill creates a "rural emergency hospital" designation for hospitals with fewer than 50 beds that cease providing inpatient services but still have outpatient services and a 24/7 emergency room. Hospitals can apply for the designation and receive higher Medicare reimbursement and monthly facility payments, according to the Oelwein Daily Register. "This bill provides a potential lifeline to our rural hospitals across the state, gives struggling hospitals another option to avoid closure and ensures that local access to care is maintained," Chris Mitchell, Iowa Hospital Association president and CEO, said in a statement. The bill also contained a new section on ASCs defining licensure, inspections and reporting quality data consistent with Medicare requirements. State health officials denied Gresham, Ore.-based Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center's waiver application to halt maternity services, the Oregon Health Authority said March 29. The hospital submitted a waiver to request the closure of the Family Birth Center earlier in March, according to an OHA news release. Legacy Health had planned to divert patients from the Gresham hospital to Randall Children's Hospital in Portland, Ore. However, state officials said closing Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center's Family Birth Center doesn't meet the needs of the hospital's patients or community. According to a review, the closure didn't maintain or improve patient services; staff shortages at the birth center were from management decisions; and the hospital "chose to close the facility instead of placing staff at the birth center that were willing to implement management's proposed new care model." OHA also opened a separate but related investigation into the closure of the birth center without an approved waiver. At least 10 hospitals and health systems announced changes to executive ranks and administration teams in March and April. The changes come as hospitals continue to grapple with financial challenges, leading some organizations to cut jobs and implement other operational adjustments. Changes to executive ranks include reorganizing executive responsibilities and executive appointments. The following changes were announced within the last six weeks and are summarized below, with links to more comprehensive coverage of the changes. Editor's Note: This webpage was updated April 13 and will continue to be updated. 1. Providence, R.I.-based Lifespan is restructuring its senior leadership team. Among the changes is that Saul Weingart, MD, PhD, president of Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children's Hospital, has left Lifespan. Steven Lampert, MD, president of Lifespan Physician Group, will be retiring at the end of April. Additionally, the chief of hospital operations and president of Rhode Island and Hasbro Children's hospitals role will now combine and report to Lifespan CEO John Fernandez. Read more about the changes here. 2. Grand Forks, N.D.-based Altru Health is trimming its executive team as its new hospital project moves forward. The health system is trimming its executive team from nine to six and incentivizing 34 other employees to take early retirement. 3. Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health laid off about 50 workers, including C-level executives, the health system confirmed to Becker's March 29. The layoffs affected Jesse Cureton, the health system's executive vice president and chief consumer officer since 2013; Angela Yochem, its executive vice president and chief transformation and digital officer since 2020; and Paula Dean Kranz, vice president of innovation enablement and executive director of the Novant Health Innovation Labs. 4. Penn Medicine Lancaster (Pa.) General Health has eliminated fewer than 65 jobs, or less than 1 percent of its workforce of about 9,700, the health system confirmed to Becker's March 30. The layoffs include support, administrative and executive roles, and COVID-19-related support staff, spokesperson John Lines said, according to lancasteronline.com. Mr. Lines did not provide a specific number of affected workers. 5. McLaren St. Luke's Hospital in Maumee, Ohio, will lay off 743 workers, including 239 registered nurses, when it permanently closes this spring. Other affected roles include physical therapists, radiology technicians, respiratory therapists, pharmacists and pharmacy support staff, and nursing assistants. The hospital's COO is also affected, and a spokesperson for McLaren Health Care told Becker's other senior leadership roles are also affected. 6. Columbia-based University of Missouri Health Care announced it would eliminate five hospital leadership positions across the organization. Spokesperson Eric Maze did not specify which roles were affected, saying that the organization won't address individual personnel actions. According to MU Health Care, the move is a result of restructuring "to better support patients and the future healthcare needs of Missourians." 7. Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine announced it would eliminate administrative positions. The change is part of a reorganization plan to save the health system $40 million annually, the Philadelphia Business Journal reported March 13. Kevin Mahoney, CEO of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, told Penn Medicine's 49,000 employees that changes include the elimination of a "small number of administrative positions which no longer align with our key objectives," according to the publication. The memo did not indicate the exact number of affected positions. 8. Sovah Health, part of Brentwood, Tenn.-based Lifepoint Health, eliminated the COO positions at its Danville and Martinsville, Va., campuses. The responsibilities of both COO roles will now be spread across members of the existing administrative team. 9. Cox Medical Group, a subsidiary of Springfield, Mo.-based CoxHealth, made several leadership changes to support the health system's new operating model. The new model is focused on key service lines such as cardiovascular services, orthopedics and primary care. Four things to know. 10. Valley Health, a six-hospital health system based in Winchester, Va., eliminated 31 administrative positions. The job cuts are part of the consolidation of the organization's leadership team and administrative roles. They were announced internally on Feb. 28. The Becker's Hospital Review website uses cookies to display relevant ads and to enhance your browsing experience. By continuing to use our site, you acknowledge that you have read, that you understand, and that you accept our Cookie Policy and our Privacy Policy Australian private equity firm HMC Capital has inked a $859 million deal to acquire 11 U.S. hospital properties from Birmingham, Ala.-based Medical Properties Trust, the Financial Review reported March 29. The eleven hospitals are leased to Healthscope the second-largest private hospital group in Australia and were sold in a package to Medical Properties Trust in 2019. Medical Properties Trust put the portfolio up for grabs last year, and received interest from several potential buyers including HMC Capital, real estate assets group Dexus and real estate investment trust Northwest Healthcare, according to the report. HMC Capital said demand for hospital assets remains resilient. The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2023. Oregon lawmakers are considering new measures to regulate how hospitals discharge homeless patients after 34-year-old Melissa Blake died of hypothermia after she left Salem (Ore.) Health Hospital, local news outlet KATU reported March 29. Senate Bill 1076 would require hospitals to bring homeless patients to a shelter or service provider and provide them with a warm meal, clothes, transportation, health screening and help with enrolling in Medicaid. Oregon hospitals have said they do not have the resources to comply with the measures. "1076 requires hospital emergency departments to take on more, placing the burden of Oregon's systematic homelessness crisis already on a stressed healthcare system," Andi Easton, an Association of Oregon Hospitals lobbyist, said during a hearing on the bill. The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses' Clinical Scene Investigator Academy has provided more than a 600 percent return on investment; the 97 participating hospitals realized a fiscal savings of $84.2 million, Marian Altman, PhD, RN, clinical practice specialist and supervisor of the AACN's CSI Academy, told Becker's. This isn't about detectives working together to solve a crime like on TV's popular CSI shows. However, AACN's CSI is focused on enabling nurses to work together to take on innovative in-hospital projects that "give nurses a seat at the table" when it comes to leadership and decision-making, explained Dr. Altman, while also recognizing hospital nurses as "change agents." "Nurses have innovation intelligence. They have insights into the problems in hospitals because they're there 24/7/365," she said. "When it comes to problems in hospitals, nurses have seen it all from the top down. But no one is asking them, 'How would you solve this problem?''' What is the CSI Academy? A hospital-based nursing leadership and innovation program, the CSI Academy not only encourages hospital leaders to ask nurses for input on challenges but also provides participating nurses with the skills and tools to solve problems that improve hospital operations and energize their hospital's nursing workforce. Once a hospital chooses to participate in the program, a team of two to four direct care nurses will identify a challenge in their unit to work through. It could be an issue related to patient care, with the families of patients or something in their work environment. Then, they seek the solutions through the skills they learn in the 12-month CSI program and lead all efforts to make the changes they seek to improve as part of the project. CSI Academy is delivered via a combination of in-person and virtual sessions over a 12-month period. Typically, five sessions are in-person (months one, two, six, eight and 12) while others are held virtually. In-person sessions are a full day; virtual sessions are three hours. The program is designed with flexibility, with a schedule that can be tailored to meet the needs of the hospitals and nurse participants. Each session provides participants with content delivered by the CSI faculty of experienced nurse leaders, team consultation and dedicated time for the team to meet and work on their projects. The teams report on their progress, share ideas and get feedback from each other and the faculty to help them work through any problems they may be encountering. The nurses will, of course, work on their projects outside of the class session. Here's an example: One cohort at a hospital wanted to focus on getting nurses to truly collaborate to improve their work environment which, in turn, would decrease nurse turnover in the hospital. The year before they participated in the CSI Academy, 44 nurses left that hospital. While they were doing the project, only 12 nurses left. The program is a full 12 months long because research shows that it takes between three and six months to truly embed change in a work environment. After 12 months, the changes are completely embedded but are also able to be sustained for the long term, Dr. Altman said. The numbers tell the story There have been 486 nurses to date who have completed CSI Academy programs, but the effects of participation spread much further throughout nursing units and entire hospitals. Dr. Altman estimates that 6,820 nurses have reaped the benefits of their hospital's participation in a CSI Academy project. Of the 97 hospitals that have engaged with the CSI Academy, there have been 142 projects completed in 160 patient care units. Further, according to feedback from participating chief nursing officers, more than 1.25 million patients have been positively impacted by the hospitals' participation in the program. How do hospitals get involved in CSI? Some hospitals pay to participate in the CSI Academy, but others get involved thanks to grants. For example, Edwards Lifesciences Foundation is funding three cardiac-focused cohorts of the CSI program, allowing AACN to provide it without charge to several hospitals. The first cohort, which included nurses from nine hospitals around the U.S. in rural areas, completed the program in the fall of 2022. The second cohort of nurses in Southern California is currently in process; it will wrap up summer 2023. The third cardiac-related cohort is gearing up to launch at 10 hospitals two in New Jersey and eight in New York. In addition to on-site programs, the AACN offers online access to its collection of CSI Academy innovation projects including project plans, clinical interventions, data collection tools, outcomes and references. Becker's also spoke with two nursing executives who have engaged their teams with the CSI Academy. Jane McCurley, DNP, RN, chief nurse executive at Methodist Healthcare System in San Antonio, said the effect of engaging with the CSI Academy has exceeded her expectations. "It engaged my front-line nurses in quality improvement initiatives. The ingenuity of the teams in their projects was inspiring to others and the outcomes had an impact on practice and to financial goals, as well." Launette Woolforde, EdD, DNP, RN, is chief nursing officer at New York City-based Lenox Hill Hospital; Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital; and Lenox Health Greenwich Village. She is also the deputy chief nursing officer at Northwell Health, based in New Hyde Park, N.Y. Dr. Woolforde has been involved with three CSI projects to date. "It has brought me great joy to see the growth of each nurse who has participated. Almost all have gone on to advance their education and engage in professional activities within and outside of the organization." Editor's note: Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity. Question: Why should hospitals participate in the CSI Academy? Dr. Marian Altman: Nurse turnover is at a historic high. Replacing a nurse costs a hospital tens of thousands of dollars, plus the loss of their experience and knowledge. The CSI Academy is a way to engage nurses to lead a project which can result in decreased turnover in their units. During the pandemic, hospitals paused shared governance committees. Hospitals see the CSI Academy as a vehicle to help restart and ignite shared governance in the post-pandemic era. Dr. Launette Woolforde: Throughout nursing school and even professional practice, nurses learn extensively about clinical diagnoses and management of illness, but they don't learn much about the process of change. Meanwhile, healthcare is all about change and performance improvement. The CSI Academy equips clinical nurses with not only the tools, but the structure and support they need to maximize their impact as change agents. Q: What are the benefits of CSI Academy participation for hospitals? MA: Nurse administrators/leaders have consistently reported that the program has positively impacted patient outcomes, nurse leadership skill acquisition and organizational fiscal outcomes. Participants report greater confidence, empowerment and influencing abilities after completing the program. CSI is a proven program with successful outcomes for hospitals, nurse participants, patients and clinical units. Participants report advancing to leadership positions and utilizing the leadership and project resources in other units or settings in their hospitals to scale effects and create sustainable changes. LW: The CSI Academy had a profound effect on the direct care nurses who participated in the program at Lenox Hill. It built not only their knowledge, but their confidence and competence. All of the nurses learned to collaborate with one another and with the interprofessional team in ways they hadn't before. And, as they achieved outcomes, their self-direction and innovative creativity increased. Dr. Jane McCurley: I plan to continue to have my nursing teams participate in CSI Academy projects because past experience has proven the program truly creates change at the bedside. This is truly best-practice sharing at its best. The impact to patient care and nursing practice is so powerful. I see it as a recruitment strategy for our future nurses who want to contribute to practice and the profession. U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, co-chair of the House Democratic Caucus Task Force on Aging and Families, and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown recently joined leaders from three unions to call for minimum nurse-to-patient staffing requirements in hospitals. On March 30, the lawmakers reintroduced federal legislation that would set limits on the numbers of patients each registered nurse can care for in hospitals. They were joined by National Nurses United, the American Federation of Teachers, and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which have endorsed the bill, dubbed the Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act. "Numerous studies have shown that safe nurse-to-patient staffing ratios result in higher quality care for patients, lower healthcare costs and an overall better workplace for nurses," Ms. Schakowsky said in a news release. "For years, I've talked to exhausted nurses who have said they go home at night wondering if they forgot to turn a patient because they were stretched far too thin. The need for federal safe staffing standards is about nurses, patients and everyone's lives." In addition to establishing nurse-to-patient staffing ratio requirements in hospitals, the bill would also study best practices for nurse staffing and provide whistleblower protections to protect nurses' right to advocate for patient safety, according to the release. Currently, California has mandated nurse-to-patient ratios while other states are mulling similar legislation. The legislation introduced March 30 is the latest effort at the federal level. "Nurses work long hours doing vital work in our healthcare system, but too often they're stretched too thin, caring for too many patients with too little support," Mr. Brown said in the release. "We can empower nurses to protect patients by ensuring nurses are adequately staffed and can advocate for their patients without fearing potential retaliation." Unions have supported staffing ratios, saying such measures are necessary to improve patient care and retain workers. Hospitals, however, have advocated for other solutions to workforce challenges. Robyn Begley, DNP, RN, senior vice president of workforce for the American Hospital Association and CEO of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership, emphasized hospitals' commitment to safe staffing to ensure quality patient care and optimal patient experience. But "mandated nurse staffing ratios are a static and ineffective tool that does not guarantee a safe healthcare environment or quality level to achieve optimum patient outcomes," Dr. Begley said in a statement shared with Becker's. "Staffing ratios are usually informed by older care models and do not consider advanced capabilities in technology or interprofessional team-care models. These newer models incorporate not only nurses at various levels of licensure, but also respiratory therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, physical therapists and case managers." She added that U.S. hospitals and health systems "are working to foster healthy practice environments, advance patient safety [and] affordability, and enhance value by transforming healthcare delivery. Mandated approaches to nurse staffing limit innovation, reduce the flexibility needed to respond to patients' changing care needs and increase stress on a healthcare system already facing an escalating shortage of educated nurses." To read the full bill, click here. Richard Berger, MD, reached a milestone 25,000 hip and knee replacements, he said March 29. He is now one of the only surgeons in the U.S. to reach the landmark, according to a news release. Dr. Berger, of Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush in Chicago, was one of the first surgeons to perform outpatient hip and knee replacements. Later this year, he is expected to surpass 15,000 outpatient joint replacements. The University of Alabama Medical Center's program in Birmingham was the orthopedic surgery residency program with the most Freida database interest in 2022, according to a March 9 report from the American Medical Association. The Freida database allows medical students to search through more than 13,000 residency and fellowship programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. In 2022, orthopedic surgery residency programs on the platform received over 98,000 views cumulatively, with these 10 programs ranking at the top for user interest: 1. The University of Alabama Medical Center (Birmingham) 2. Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science (Phoenix) 3. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine (Little Rock) 4. University of Florida (Gainesville) 5. University of Colorado (Aurora) 6. Broward Health (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) 7. Jack Hughston Memorial Hospital (Phenix City, Ala.) 8. Cooper Medical School of Rowan University/Cooper University Hospital (Camden, N.J.) 9. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (Los Angeles) 10. University of Miami/Jackson Health System (Miami) Spine surgeon Thomas Raley Jr., MD, may lose his license as he serves a three-year sentence for a drug kickback scheme, The Baltimore Sun reported March 30. Dr. Raley was sentenced in 2022 after pleading guilty to kickback conspiracy and wire fraud charges involving prescription pain creams and referrals. Along with his sentence, he and his practice paid more than $3 million to settle a related civil case, the report said. Now, the Maryland Board of Physicians may revoke his license in response to a petition filed by the state's attorney general. In 2022, the board reprimanded Dr. Raley for failure to cooperate with the agency's investigation of the practice. An attorney for Dr. Raley provided more than 50 letters of support from patients and family in a court filing before his sentencing. Dr. Raley is expected to be released from prison in October 2024. AT 206.98 for 300 litres, the price of home heating oil in Northern Ireland is now close to levels last seen before Russia's invasion of Ukraine Getty Images/iStockphoto Home heating oil prices in Northern Ireland have dropped steadily this year and are now close to pre-Ukraine invasion levels, a consumer watchdog has said. The Consumer Council, which monitors prices across 11 district council areas, said the average price of a 300-litre fill was now 206.98. That is down nearly 40% on the peak post-invasion price of 328.97, recorded in late June by the Consumer Council. The average price of a 300-litre fill is now just 84p more than the pre-invasion cost of 206.14. Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon, where it costs 214.10 for 300 litres, is the most expensive area. You will also pay around a tenner extra in the area for 500 litres or 900 litres. Across Northern Ireland, the average price of 500 litres is 323.35, and 900 litres is 574.61. In contrast, in Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon, you would pay 332.22 for 500 and 586.53 for 900 litres. Russias invasion of Ukraine at the end of February last year triggered a surge in the cost of energy. Parts of Europe were forced to find alternative sources of natural gas after supplies from Russia were depleted forcing prices up across the whole continent. Peter McClenaghan, director of infrastructure and sustainability at the Consumer Council, said: As we import all our heating oil, Northern Ireland is at the mercy of volatile global oil markets. "Thankfully, since the end of June 2022, the global price of oil has been on a downward trend. The fact the price of home heating oil has decreased significantly from the record highs recorded in March 2022, and is within pence of pre-Ukraine invasion prices, is very welcome news. While the oil market can be very volatile and it is difficult to forecast whether prices will continue to fall, it would be fantastic to see prices return to pre-pandemic levels because being able to afford to adequately heat their home remains a major worry for many consumers. We would encourage people to continue to shop around for the best price for heating oil while also using distributors who have clear delivery standards and complaints procedures. "However, if you are a regular customer of a distributor be sure to ask them to beat the average Consumer Council Home Heating Oil survey price for your area. The soaring cost of energy led the UK government to unprecedented action to support households. In Northern Ireland, it paid 600 to households to support them with the cost of electricity, gas and home heating oil early this year. The separate Energy Price Guarantee (EPG), introduced in November, applied a discount to the unit rate of electricity and gas tariffs, which means energy bills were lower than they otherwise would have been. However, the level of support under the EPG is being reduced, which means some customer bills will go up, despite any reduction in tariff by a supplier. For example, from April 1, prices for Power NI customers go up 14%, even though the supplier has said its cutting the tariff by 16.2%. Northern Ireland loose leaf tea company Suki Tea has invested 0.5m in a new headquarters and factory in Lisburn. The company, which was set up 18 years ago, said its purpose-built tea factory had doubled its manufacturing and warehousing, boosting distribution and allowing for expansion into 30 countries. And the new factory, powered by 100% renewable energy sources, has allowed the business to reduce emissions and help it on its goal to reach net zero carbon. Co-founder Annie Irwin said: In 2019, we set ourselves a number of environmental targets and were thrilled to say that moving to our new tea factory this spring has brought us another step closer to achieving these, by eliminating our Scope 2 emissions seven years ahead of schedule. The new move is an important step in our commitment to sustainability and the environment, and we are proud to be leading the way in the tea industry. Annie and her friend Oscar Woolley set up the business in 2005. It has since grown into a major loose leaf tea brand supplying thousands of hotels, cafes and delis across the UK, Ireland and further afield. The company said the new factory would enable it to increase production more than six-fold over the next 10 years, which would create employment in many areas of the business. Mr Woolley said: As we celebrate our 18th year in business, this new premises is a fantastic opportunity for Suki to continue to grow. "Moving from three business units to one purpose-built factory allows us to make our production processes and logistics more efficient, expand our product offering and create new jobs. Our mission has always been to create a community of loose-leaf tea drinkers across the globe, and were pleased that with continued investment into our facilities, our equipment and our team, we can remain at the forefront of the loose-leaf tea industry in the UK, Ireland and around the world. From left, Louise Smyth, MCS Group, Zara Duffy, Chartered Accountants Ulster Society, Ruby Wax, Emma Murray from the society and Chris Martin, Danske Bank UK The Northern Ireland Executive must be restored so that politicians can start rebuilding the regional economy, a business event has heard. Emma Murray, chair of Chartered Accountants Ulster Society, said devolution needed to return so that major challenges in health, education and the economy could be addressed. Addressing 400 guests at the Ulster Societys annual dinner, Ms Murray said last year had been the sixth collapse of the Executive. In total, there had been almost a decade without functioning devolved government since 1998, she said. And members were fearful for the impact. Three quarters of our members believe that the Northern Ireland economy is either contracting or stagnant. Our members are also seeing an increase in the number of businesses facing financial distress. The business community wants to help our politicians in the task of rebuilding and resetting our regional economy on an upward trajectory. We want to see a plan that can transform the economy, fix our health service and fund our schools, colleges and universities. We need the skills to build the economy of the 21st century that we all want to see. She said future generations should be offered political stability, investment, well-paid employment and a society free from violence. Members believed that the Windsor Framework was a key opportunity potentially providing a unique trading position. There is a balance to be struck. Now is the time to put division behind us and to finally realise our potential. This months survey by Ulster Society of its members found that three-quarters of them regard Brexit as a strongly negative influence on the economy, contributing to their highest level of concern since before the Brexit referendum. And an even bigger percentage believed the handling of the Brexit process has damaged Northern Irelands reputation. There had been a significant rise in the number of members who feel more businesses are in financial distress from 44% to 77% over the last year. That was the highest percentage over the last seven years by a considerable margin, the society said. The Chartered Accountants Ulster Societys Annual Dinner took place at Titanic Belfast. The event was sponsored by Danske Bank and MCS Group. The Irish woman brought in by Aston Martin F1 to drive off-circuit brand ambitions Netflix docuseries Drive to Survive has piqued new interest among younger and female fans its something Kate Dalton, the teams head of brand and marketing, is looking to exploit 'I go to four to five races a year' Kate Dalton says. 'Some of the big ones which are key markets for us for fan-based growth' Caoimhe Gordon Independent.ie Thu 30 Mar 2023 at 19:00 Michael Fassbender in Greenore on the set of film Kneecap about the Belfast rap artists. Credit facebook.com/carlingfordire Michael Fassbender in Greenore on the set of film Kneecap about the Belfast rap artists. Credit facebook.com/carlingfordire Michael Fassbender in Greenore on the set of film Kneecap about the Belfast rap artists. Credit facebook.com/carlingfordire Michael Fassbender in Greenore on the set of film Kneecap about the Belfast rap artists. Credit facebook.com/carlingfordire Actor Michael Fassbender has been spotted on the set of a new Irish language film. The actor, who has twice been Oscar nominated, is starring in Kneecap which is being shot in Belfast and Dundalk. The film crew were also in Greenore close to Carlingford Lough, where Michael Fassbender happily posed for photographs with locals, including fisherman Dermot Marks and his wife Ann, whose boat Ceol na Mara was used for a scene. Michael Fassbender in Greenore on the set of film Kneecap about the Belfast rap artists. Credit facebook.com/carlingfordire The Kerry native was a rising star in Hollywood, but he surprised fans by stepping back from acting and instead pursued a career in motorsport in recent years. Fassbender recently starred in a documentary about his dual life as an actor and race-car driver. Real-time footage in his new YouTube series - Michael Fassbender: Road to Le Mans shows a dramatic crash involving the actor when a brush with another car smashes his front bonnet and bumper. At the beginning of the first episode, it shows him looking every inch the film star in dark sunglasses as he pulls up in his Porsche during filming of new Netflix movie The Killer in Los Angeles. He shot the film at the start of the year during his downtime from his new career as a driver for Porsche. Fassbenders last feature film release was X-Men: Dark Phoenix in 2019, while his last Irish film was Lenny Abrahamsons 2014 dark-comedy Frank. However, the actor was also recently spotted on a film set in New Street, Dundalk. Musical trio Kneecap Belfast hip-hop act Kneecap have been filming at the location in recent weeks. The band put out a call on social media for fans to attend the filming of a concert scene at an undisclosed venue in Dundalk last month. Further concert scenes are also to be filmed in Belfast. "We are filming a massive gig scene, and who better to be in the crowd than the fans that got us here," they stated The trio, who sing in Irish, have previously said the film will be the biggest Irish language film ever made and will feature some big-name actors. Michael Fassbender in Greenore on the set of film Kneecap about the Belfast rap artists. Credit facebook.com/carlingfordire Written and directed by Rich Peppiatt, it was one of the winners of the 2021 Mother Tongues Awards, a development initiative for projects at treatment or script stage, in which the story dialogue is in a language other than English. Last year the band, comprising MCs Moglai Bap and Mo Chara, who hail from Belfast, and DJ Provai, from Derry, played BelfastsFeile an Phobail, Sziget in Budapest, and Electric Picnic. They had just started a tour in the United States when the pandemic started. Their upcoming tour of England, Scotland and Wales is almost sold out and they will be appearing at a number of festivals this summer, including Marley Park, Body and Soul. They recently released their debut album. Navy selects teen aviation trainees By ZHAO LEI (China Daily) 11:23, March 30, 2023 A J-15 fighter jet takes off at the Liaoning aircraft carrier in this undated file photo. [Photo/Xinhua] The People's Liberation Army Navy has started selecting graduates from junior high schools in 14 provincial-level regions for its teen aviator program. The selection process began in late March in 14 provinces and municipalities including the provinces of Henan, Shandong, Hubei, and Jiangxi and Chongqing municipality, involving nearly 4,500 qualified applicants, according to the Navy's flight student recruitment office. Approved by the Navy and the Ministry of Education, the program was launched in 2015 and aims to attract students who are interested in aviation and are fit for military flight. The idea is to establish a talent pool for the Navy's shipborne aviation units. Male students in the third grade of junior high school in the 14 cooperating provincial-level regions are encouraged to apply for the program. Before the teen program, all candidates selected by the Navy for its naval aviation training programs were graduates of senior high school. According to the Navy's recruitment office, applicants for this year's teen aviator program should be born between Aug 31,2006, and Aug 31, 2009; have a height between 162 and 181 centimeters; and be neither too thin nor overweight. Candidates must be free of diseases such as meningitis or nephritis, and blood pressure and vision must meet the Navy's standards for its pilots. Other criteria include clean political, legal and study records, consent from legal guardians, a strong mind, mental and physical agility, and a certain level of proficiency in English. After passing all rounds of selection, dozens of applicants will be enrolled in the program at a cooperating high school in each of the 14 provincial-level regions, the recruitment office said. During the three-year program, students will be given lectures and training on naval and flight knowledge and will be managed like military cadets. In summer and winter vacations, the students will take part in tours to naval schools and front units to visit warships and talk with experienced pilots. They will also have the opportunity to operate aircraft on their own in the presence of veteran aviators. After three years, those who pass necessary tests will be admitted to naval aviation academies or some of China's top universities that collaborate with the Navy for pilot training. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) A huge swath of Down and Armagh, encompassing parts of the Mournes, the Ring of Gullion, Murlough Bay, Carlingford and Strangford loughs, looks set to receive international Geopark status from Unesco this spring. A multi-disciplinary project team has been working since 2012 to create the Mourne Gullion Strangford Aspiring Unesco Global Geopark (aUGG), and Unesco has indicated that the area is expected to be granted full status at its Executive Board meeting in Paris in May. Over 181,386 people live within the proposed Mourne Gullion Strangford aUGG area, which includes the city of Newry. Newry, Mourne and Down District Council has worked in partnership with the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland and many other organisations on the project. Council chairperson, Councillor Michael Savage, says: We have such a gorgeous playground here. We see the Geopark bid as being front and centre in creating a global icon of our district. We want to say that we are no longer a secret. We are still an unspoiled landscape and that is our strength. We are custodians of a very beautiful part of this island; visitors come here and see that the natural beauty is unmissable everywhere you turn. Cloughmore Stone. Credit: Tourism Ireland photographed by Brian Morrison Darren Price is the councils AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) and Geopark manager, and has been working on the Unesco bid for over a decade. We have a unique geological story and we will be the only Geopark in the world that can tell this story, he explains. This area was created over a period of 400 million years and its a tale of two oceans. Its about the closing of the ancient Lapetus Ocean and the Atlantic, and the bringing of the two halves of the island together, which actually happened south of the equator. Its hard to believe that this land was once at the bottom of a tropical sea. Then we had the ice ages and glacial movements that gave us the Mournes, and the volcanic activity that gave us the Ring of Gullion. If the Mourne Gullion Strangford Global Geopark is approved, it will join over 170 other Unesco Global Geoparks across 46 countries, including part of the Alps in Austria, the Southern Canyons Pathways in Brazil and Haute-Provence in France. In Northern Ireland the Marble Arch Caves in Enniskillen already has UGG status as does Burren and Cliffs of Moher in the south. Unesco defines its Global Geoparks as geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development. It says its UGGs stimulate the creation of innovative local enterprises, small businesses, sustainable tourism, activities and businesses, geotrails and new jobs. In order to be awarded the status, would-be UGGs are evaluated against a list of criteria by Unesco and must behave as though they have the status before it is ratified. In the proposed Mourne Gullion Strangford aUGG, this has meant projects and activities intended to bring its many different communities together, such as the three-year Dragons in the Hills project, set to finish this month. We have three native amphibian and reptile species here, explains Darren. The common frog, the common lizard and the smooth newt. We worked in partnership with reptile and amphibian group ARG UK. We asked farmers, community groups and schools to survey them and help with habitant restoration and creation, such as repairing and rebuilding ponds. View of Newcastle beach and mountains Many people have hiked the Mournes and never seen one of these creatures, but they are there. If you hear a rustling, stand still and just wait. They often circle and then return, so hold still for 10-15 minutes and use the time to admire the rest of the landscape while you wait. Other initiatives include a Youth Rangers project which helps show young people, aged between 14-18, the different terrains through activities like climbing and canoeing, and the re-wilding of the former Aughnagon landfill and the installation of four beehives, which is now successfully producing Irish heather honey. As much of the area is rural, Michael says that the support and engagement of farmers and landowners has been vital. One of the projects involves offering Farm Plans, in partnership with the Woodland Trust, to 15 farms a year. It shows them how to use trees as part of their business plan to create green barns, explains Darren. Trees of a certain size and shape can shelter livestock and help them stay outside for longer. The Geopark bid was identified in Newry, Mourne and Down District Councils Tourism Strategy 2017-2021 to help bring more visitors to the area. At last summers Castlewellen Agricultural Show, Michael shares how he met with attendees from Canada and Mexico who had been impressed with what they saw. They took a car out one day and got lost, and said it was one of the most beautiful places in the world to get lost in. With every wrong turn they took, they said wow, he recalls. Once the Mourne Gullion Strangford Global Geopark has been ratified the team cant rest on their laurels. They have to reapply for the status every four years, which means they most continue to manage, promote and conserve the area. Its about continuing to make the most of our beautiful landscape together, says Darren. We have so many more initiatives and projects in the pipeline. For example, the area covers 150km of coastline and one of our hot topics right now is climate change and coastal erosion. Weve launched a pilot project on Tyrella Beach using these zigzag fences to help sand to build up and protect the dunes. Well also have volunteers planting plug-plants of the specific types of grasses to help nature along the way. Michael adds: We hope the Global Geopark status will create a buy-in and sense of pride in our area. We have a destination here that is world-class. Cocaine worth up to 20,000 was discovered in the kitchen drawer of a house in south Belfast, a court has heard. Police said the illicit haul had been hidden inside a shopping bag and wrapped in tin foil at the property linked to 33-year-old Gary Kelly. Kelly, of Agra Street in Belfast, appeared at the citys Magistrates Court on a charge of possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply. He was remanded into custody after being refused bail. An investigating detective said officers located two consignments of white powder during searches of an address at Agra Street on Wednesday. One was in a plastic shopping bag and the second wrapped in tin foil; they were concealed in a kitchen drawer, he disclosed. With initial tests confirming the presence of cocaine, the detective disclosed: It is estimated that these drugs are worth approximately 20,000. Deputy District Judge Liam McStay was told the alleged hiding place could have been accessed by unsuspecting children at the property. Defence solicitor Eoghan McKenna argued that his client lives at another address. There is no forensic evidence at this stage to connect Mr Kelly to these bags, he added. Mr McKenna also pointed out that a 26-year-old woman is due to appear in court next month on charges connected to the seizure. Kelly was denied bail, however, and remanded in custody until April 27. Judge McStay said: The risk of re-offending, in my view, is at a very high level. A convicted rapist has been charged with fighting in a childrens soft play area. Self-confessed rapist Gerald Verner (33) was charged with three offences arising from an incident at Happy Town on January 27 this year. Verner, with an address in Carrick, is accused of common assault of a male complainant, using disorderly behaviour at Happy Town on the Portaferry Road in Ards, and causing criminal damage to the complainants T-shirt. He is the second person to be charged with the offences. Earlier this month, Belfast man Shea McGreevy (25), from ONeills Lane, was charged with common assault and using disorderly behaviour at Happy Town Childrens Play area. In court on Thursday, a police officer told District Judge Mark Hamill he believed he could connect Verner to each of the charges. In March 2012, former soldier Verner was jailed after he admitted the ghastly and cruel oral rape and false imprisonment of a woman he assaulted and threatened to kill. Verner had taken the woman prisoner, sexually attacked her, threatened to kill her and punched and kicked her in the face at his former home in Forthriver Park in north Belfast. He served seven years in prison before he was released on licence. Alfredo Fusco, who was killed in 1973 after a gun attack at his cafe on the York Road in Belfast, with his wife Antonittia Legal attempts to have a convicted sectarian killer sent back to jail were put on hold today amid claims the Governments new Troubles legacy bill could have a radical impact on the case. Northern Irelands Secretary of State is challenging a decision to release Robert James Clarke under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. In 2011, Clarke (70) received a minimum 25-year prison term for the murder of Catholic chip shop owner Alfredo Fusco at his north Belfast cafe back in February 1973. He is understood to have only served two years behind bars due to the scheme covering the early release of those convicted of scheduled terrorist crimes pre-dating the April 1998 peace accord. Read more: UDA double killer facing jail return tells government: I served my time Lawyers for the Secretary of State are seeking to judicially review the Sentence Review Commissioners over the step taken under provisions within the Northern Ireland (Sentences) Act) 1998. They contend Clarke had been ineligible for release on licence because it was not a qualifying scheduled offence at the time of commission. Proceedings were issued amid controversial new legislation introduced by the government to deal with the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Those proposals are believed to include a clause which could close any loophole to Clarkes eligibility. The application for judicial review was due to be heard in full at the High Court in May. Alfredo Fusco, who was killed in 1973 after a gun attack at his cafe on the York Road in Belfast, with his wife Antonittia However, counsel for the Secretary of State asked for the case to be put back due to the advanced stage of the legacy bills passage through Parliament. Tony McGleenan KC told the court today: The issue that arises in this application will be addressed in a different legislative context which will clearly have a potential bearing on the circumstances of this case. Backing those suggestions, Mr Justice Scoffield agreed to wait and see what happens. It seems to me there is force in Dr McGleenans submissions that if the bill is enacted it will potentially have a radical effect on these proceedings, the judge said. In order to save time and public resources I will vacate the hearing listed for May 30. Mr Fusco, 56, was chased into a storage area of the York Road premises by one of two intruders armed with a machine gun. When the weapon jammed the killer went back out to his accomplice and swapped guns, using a revolver to shoot the victim as he tried to barricade himself in. The case was reopened by the Historical Enquiries Team after new fingerprint technology allowed them to identify Clarke as the gunman who left his prints on Mr Fusco's cafe door. Clarke, formerly of Dundrod Road, Nutts Corner, has also served a separate 16-year term in jail for another sectarian murder. North Belfast woman Margaret O'Neill, 58, was killed in a drive-by shooting in June 1975. Northern Irelands Secretary of State is to pay a further 5,000 damages to the widow of solicitor Pat Finucane for remaining in breach of a legal obligation to carry out a human-rights compliant investigation into his murder, a High Court judge ruled today. Mr Justice Scoffield held that Geraldine Finucane is entitled to the award due to the culpable delay in Chris Heaton-Harris taking a new decision on whether to establish a public inquiry. It is the second time that the UK Government has been ordered to make a pay-out to Mrs Finucane over hold-ups in responding to her familys campaign for a probe to establish the full scale of security force collusion into one of the most notorious assassinations of the Troubles. Mr Finucane, 39, was shot dead by loyalist paramilitary gunmen in front of his wife and three children at their north Belfast home in February 1989. In 2019 the UK Supreme Court declared that previous investigations into the killing failed to meet standards required by Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Since then, Mrs Finucane has mounted a series of legal battles over the Governments response to that finding. In November 2020 former Secretary of State Brandon Lewis announced there would not be a public inquiry at this stage because he wanted other police review processes to run their course. He was then ordered to pay 7,500 damages to Mrs Finucane for the excessive delay in reaching that position. A further challenge was taken against the legality of his decision to await the outcome of reviews by the PSNI's Legacy Investigations Branch and the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland (PONI). In December last year Mr Justice Scoffield ruled that the Government remains in breach of Article 2 by the ongoing delay in completing a probe which meets those legal requirements. He quashed the decision not to establish a public inquiry at this stage, finding that Mr Lewis unlawfully failed to reconsider that position following the conclusion of a police review process. At that stage a direction was issued for a fresh decision to be taken on how to address the continued investigative deficiencies within a set timeframe. Describing Mrs Finucane as being in a sorry situation nearly four years after the Supreme Courts declaration, the judge had ordered the current Secretary of State to reconsider the Governments response and provide full reasons. Lawyers for the widow argued she was entitled to compensation for the governments failure to act on his earlier ruling. Backing those submissions, Mr Justice Scoffield said today: I have no doubt that the applicant in this case experienced feelings of frustration, anxiety and distress occasioned by the additional delay to which the respondents decisions (which I have found to be unlawful) gave rise. He added: So long after Patrick Finucanes death, each further period of culpable delay likely jeopardises the feasibility of an effective investigation. The judge confirmed: I consider an award of 5,000 for the period from November 2020 to now to represent an appropriate sum to afford just satisfaction. Meanwhile, it also emerged today that the government is set to appeal the earlier findings and order made by Mr Justice Scoffield. Based on those legal plans, the Secretary of State made a request to be freed from a pledge to provide Mrs Finucane with a further decision on the response to the 2019 Supreme Court declaration by a deadline due to expire on Friday. However, the judge instead decided Mr Heaton-Harris should be given more time to take his case to the Court of Appeal. He said: I have determined that, rather than releasing the respondent from his undertaking entirely at this stage, I should extend the time available for compliance for a further period of six weeks until May 12, 2023. Four people were arrested on Thursday, bringing the total of arrests to 10, with two men charged so far Police in Ards and North Down investigating a series of attacks linked to a feud between loyalist drugs gangs have made 10 arrests and charged two people to court so far. Speaking at a media facility in Newtownards earlier today, Superintendent Johnston McDowell confirmed that members of gangs involved are individuals that have been expelled from the UDA (Ulster Defence Association). The Belfast Telegraph can reveal that the group who have split from the UDA will now call themselves the Real Ulster Freedom Fighters (Real UFF) Superintendent Johnston McDowell said: "This afternoon, we arrested four men in Newtownards. "The arrests were made after a group of individuals, some of whom were masked, made their way into the Weavers Grange area, after gathering at the courthouse on Regent Street this morning. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content "Todays arrests bring the total number of people arrested to 10. Thats 10 arrested in connection with attacks on homes by rival factions previously linked to the UDA, he said. "Two men have been charged with offences and have appeared in court. "To date, 11 properties across Newtownards, Bangor, Ballywalter, and Donaghadee have been subject to attack. Many of these were homes of young children." He added: "These attacks are completely unacceptable, incredibly reckless and place our communities at grave risk. We dont want to see any escalation of violence between these gangs, nor do we want anyone in our communities to get hurt. "Along with high visibility patrols by our Neighbourhood and Local Policing Teams, we are utilising the specialist expertise of our Armed Response units and Tactical Support Group officers and we are working closely with our colleagues in the Paramilitary Crime Task Force to counter the threat posed by these gangs." The senior police officer also said there is speculation and misinformation circulating both locally and online, particularly with regard to the presence of masked men in local schools. He continued: "I can assure local people that nothing of this nature has been reported to police and thus far there has been no evidence that anything of this nature has taken place at any of our schools. "We know that our local communities are concerned and worried at this time but please be assured that we are doing everything in our power to put a stop to this senseless criminality. We will continue to provide regular updates to media; through our social media feeds; and through local elected representatives. "Local officers have been working day and night to keep the people of Ards and North Down safe. And I would ask anyone with information to contact us on 101." Information can also be provided to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. There were reports on Thursday that children as young as three and four years old had to be rushed into their nursery school as workers were alerted to masked men marching through Newtownards on Thursday afternoon. Meanwhile, a post-primary school had to be locked down after the gang gathered in Newtownards town centre. The group of up to 30 men then moved towards houses in Weavers Grange where they were intercepted by police. At Playcentre Manor Court children and staff were in their outside play area around 11am when a neighbour informed them that masked men were heading in their direction and to get the children inside immediately. A source from the pre-school said: "As we were getting them inside a group of about 10-12 hooded and masked men walked towards the setting. "They crossed to the other side of the road so were not on our side, but were in full view of some of the children. A radical new approach to tackling graffiti in Belfast has been proposed. The move would see utility providers, government departments and other public bodies obligated to remove graffiti on property they own as a matter of priority. Under the plans proposed by SDLP councillor Gary McKeown, Belfast City Council would provide a central hub for members of the public to report graffiti, following which the matter would be referred on to the property owner for action. Graffiti in the city has long been an issue and is frequently reported to the council, and to local representatives, by ratepayers. Belfast City Council does have its own cleansing teams that can clear up graffiti; however, council resources are limited and graffiti is a widespread problem right across the city. Mr McKeown has tabled a motion on the issue. If successful, it would see Memorandums of Understanding being agreed with utility providers, telecoms companies, government departments and other public bodies, stipulating that they comply with the rules of the new scheme. Concerns about graffiti are one of the top issues raised with me by constituents. People are fed up with their areas being marred by widespread tagging, Mr McKeown told the Belfast Telegraph. While this may seem like a small issue to some, it has a significant impact on the environment and appearance of an area, as well as the wellbeing of the community who lives there, as it can make neighbourhoods feel neglected. While the council does its best to keep on top of graffiti, it cannot tackle this issue alone. The scale of the problem is too large and the council does not have the resources to respond to every single incident. Aside from that, it is wrong that the ratepayer should have to foot the bill for removal of graffiti from street furniture or property which is the responsibility of utility or telecoms companies. The SDLP representative said Belfast City Council needs to work with public bodies to reach agreements around removing graffiti when it appears on property and utility boxes that they own. By providing a central hub for reporting incidents, it makes it easy for people to request action, and the council can then refer it on directly to the property owners for swift removal, he said. The more we keep on top of it, the less incentive there will be to tag in the first place. If we approach this issue in the spirit of partnership, then we can find an agreed solution to what has become a persistent problem in our city. The only way were going to tackle this is by working together and finding a system that works for the council, residents and the statutory bodies involved. Mr McKeowns motion went before Belfast City Councils Standards and Business Committee earlier this week and now council officers will draw up proposals on how the scheme could be implemented. The motion would then have to be agreed and ratified by the full council before work on the scheme could get underway. The drugs were found in north Belfast (PA) Liam McBurney A man aged 47 has been arrested after suspected class A drugs with an estimated street value of 100,000 and approximately 20,000 in cash were found in a property in north Belfast. A quantity of suspected class B controlled drugs and suspected drugs paraphernalia were also found. Cash and drugs seized during a PSNI search of a house in north Belfast (PSNI/PA) PSNI Detective Inspector Sweeney said the search was carried out as part of the forces ongoing investigation into organised crime in the area. It is, unfortunately, not surprising to seize such significant quantities of drugs and cash alongside each other, Mr Sweeney said. Drugs ruin lives. Drug dealers are only concerned with lining their own pockets at the expense of others, leaving families and loved ones to deal with the inevitable devastation caused by the drugs they supply. Police deal with a number of masked men approaching Weavers Grange in Newtownards on March 30th, 2023 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott Police deal with a number of masked men approaching Weavers Grange in Newtownards on March 30th, 2023 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott Police deal with a number of masked men approaching Weavers Grange in Newtownards on March 30th, 2023 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott Children as young as three and four years old had to be rushed into their nursery school as workers were alerted to masked men marching through Newtownards. Meanwhile, a post-primary school had to be locked down after the gang gathered in Newtownards town centre. The group of up to 30 men then moved towards houses in Weavers Grange where they were intercepted by police. At Playcentre Manor Court children and staff were in their outside play area around 11am when a neighbour informed them that masked men were heading in their direction and to get the children inside immediately. A source from the pre-school said: "As we were getting them inside a group of about 10-12 hooded and masked men walked towards the setting. "They crossed to the other side of the road so were not on our side, but were in full view of some of the children. Once inside the children settled to play. I informed the parents of the children attending to let them know. "Some opted to come early to collect their children and parents were alarmed that this happened at 11am outside a pre-school. We didn't have to close early. The person added: We think a couple of children saw them. It was difficult for the staff to try and support the children getting them inside quickly not knowing what was going on in light of recent attacks. "The main thing was getting the children inside as quickly as possible and shocked that this was happening at 11am outside our pre-school. We didn't have time to think about what might happen. Regent House Grammar School is situated about 300 yards away from where the men had assembled. Headmaster Michael Carville said the school liaised with the police and decided to close the gates. Police attempted to disperse the masked gang as they approached the Weavers Grange housing estate. A helicopter was seen circling over the area and police units are involved. A PSNI officer said: A number of men, some of whom were masked were noted by police outside Newtownards court house this morning. Police officers present gathered evidence and enquiries are ongoing. Police deal with a number of masked men approaching Weavers Grange in Newtownards on March 30th, 2023 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott The incident occurred against the back drop of a UDA feud that is ongoing in the Co Down area between two drug gangs. North Down MLA Stephen Dunne said: There is absolutely no place for this type of activity on our streets. This violence and destruction, which is endangering lives is totally unrepresentative of our local Community, and the area which we are proud to call home. Violence and criminality in whatever form it takes, is and always has been wrong and must be unequivocally condemned. I would appeal for calm and urge people to end this violence and criminal behaviour immediately. Those responsible must be brought to justice. The PSNI are appealing for information, and I would encourage anyone to contact the PSNI to assist with their ongoing enquiries. Read more With families seen as fair game, this UDA feud is far from over In a statement, Ards and North Down District Commander Superintendent Johnston McDowell thanked the local community for their ongoing patience and support as officers deal with the drug feud in the area. He said to date 11 homes across Newtownards, Bangor, Ballywalter, and Donaghadee have been subject to attack by rival factions previously linked to the UDA. These have included petrol bomb attacks, windows being smashed with hammers and bricks, and on one occasion a pipe bomb was thrown at a property while the occupants, including four children, were inside. Police deal with a number of masked men approaching Weavers Grange in Newtownards on March 30th, 2023 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott Superintendent McDowell added: We have a robust policing operation in place to both investigate these attacks, and deter further instances of violence and damage to homes. "We have carried out a number of targeted search operations and have arrested five men, two of whom have been charged with offences, including arson with intent to endanger life, and have appeared in court. I want to take this opportunity to thank our local community who have already been of great assistance to us providing information, both directly to police and via the Crimestoppers charity, this has allowed us to identify individuals involved in this violent criminality and progress our investigations. "Their information has been vital and further searches and arrests will come. Im aware there has been some unhelpful social media speculation which has added to community concerns. Police will continue to provide regular updates to the community through our social media feeds and through engagement with local elected representatives. Superintendent McDowell added that the attacks were completely unacceptable, incredibly reckless and place our communities at grave risk." He added: We are intent on bringing them to a complete stop, arresting the perpetrators and placing them before the courts. I want to urge residents of our District to remain vigilant and to report anything that gives rise to concern to us so we can take the appropriate action. "Local people will continue to see an increased police presence in the coming days as we maintain pressure on these criminals and work to thwart their efforts to wreak havoc in our communities. I would also pay tribute to the dedicated efforts of our local police officers who are working day and night to keep the people of Ards and North Down safe. Happy memories: Kristina and Lisa Trufelli with their father Frank Tributes have been paid to Kristina Trufelli, the former co-owner of Barry's Amusements in Portrush. A funeral notice for the mother-of-two states that she passed away peacefully on Wednesday. Kristinas father, Frank, was the son of circus director Francesco and trapeze artist Evelyn. His parents were of Italian origin and they toured Ireland every year and put down permanent roots in Portrush in 1926. The Trufelli family then owned Barrys for a period of 93 years until they sold it in 2021. Frank died aged 78 in 2007 . The funeral notice for Kristina adds: Kristina Evelyn (Stina), beloved daughter of the late Frank and Kirsten, step-daughter of Alice, dearly loved mother of Francesca and Max, much loved sister of Lisa, sister-in-law of Garth and dear aunt of Rebecca, Benjamin, Oliver and Louisa. Service of thanksgiving in Holy Trinity Parish Church, Portrush on Friday at 1.00pm followed by interment in Ballywillan Cemetery. Family flowers only please. Donations, if wished to Cancer Research NI c/o Ms Charlene Wade, 3 Upper Abbey Street, Coleraine, BT52 1BF or online at hughwadefuneraldirectors.com Lovingly remembered and sadly missed by all her family and friends. East Derry SDLP MLA Cara Hunter said: "So sad to learn of the passing of Kristina Trufelli, former Barrys co-owner. "My thoughts and prayers are with her family." Former Barry's staff member Barry Torrens added: "I received the news with disbelief about the passing of Kristina Trufelli. "Ive known her since I worked in Barrys in the early 1980s and found her to be a polite, gentle, fun loving person and one of the kindest people Ive known. My sincerest sympathies are with her children and her sister Lisa and family." Causeway Coast and Glens UUP councillors Norman Hills and Sandra Hunter also paid their respects. Cllr Hunter continued: "Saddened to hear the untimely death of Kristina Trufelli, along with her sister Lisa they were the backbone of Barrys for many years. Sincere Sympathies to the family circle." Police at the scene of an arson attack in the Beechfield Drive area of Donaghadee on March 29th, 2023 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott The Loyalist Communities Council has said it condemns the illegal peddling of drugs in communities and rejects the use of loyalist flags of convenience as a cover for criminal activity. It comes after a spate of attacks linked to a feud between UDA gangs in north Down. A spokesperson for the LCC said: The LCC considers the recent feud in North Down and Strangford to be the work of competing drug cartels. "They are not Loyalists. We urge everyone to reject their activity and in particular we ask parents to ensure their children are not being used to convey illegal substances. We remind the public of the commitments made in our Linenhall Library Declaration against criminality in February 2019. In particular that: 'Individuals who use criminality to serve their own interests at the expense of loyalist communities are an affront to the true principles of loyalism. We look to the PSNI to do their job and remove this type of open criminality from our communities. Meanwhile, five people were expelled from Donaghadee by a group of men on Wednesday as a UDA feud continues in north Down, the Belfast Telegraph understands. Men attended the houses in broad daylight and verbally told the occupants they had to leave the area or they will be attacked next, sources told this paper. The flat attacked last night, belonged to one of the men who had already fled the area, and it is understood the attack was to reinforce the message delivered on Wednesday afternoon. Police are now appealing for information following a report of a petrol bomb incident in Donaghadee. It comes amid a spate of attacks which police have linked to a clash within the UDA in north Down. Shortly before 9.50pm on Wednesday, March 29, officers received a report that a house in the Beechfield Drive area had been petrol bombed. The fire was extinguished and there was no one in the property at the time. Detective Sergeant Bell said: Enquiries are continuing, and at this stage, it is believed that this incident is linked to an ongoing feud between two rival drug gangs in the Ards and North Down area. "We are following a number of lines of enquiry. I am appealing to anyone who was in the area this evening and saw anything suspicious, or anyone who may have any information which may assist us with our enquiries, to call 101, quoting reference number 2055 of 29/03/23. Alternatively, the public can submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org Police in Coleraine have renewed an appeal for information in relation to missing person, 38-year-old Francis Calwell. Francis was reported missing from the Coleraine area on Saturday, March 18. Police believe that he went to the North Wales area, having travelled from Dublin to Holyhead via the ferry. He may also have been intending to travel towards London or possibly further afield towards Sweden. Francis is described as medium build, approximately 6ft 4ins tall, bald, with a dark-coloured beard and brown eyes and with a noticeable scar on his left hand. He was last seen wearing black trainers, black tracksuit bottoms, white t-shirt and a black hoodie with a 'Slipknot' band logo on it and he would normally wear a beanie hat. Missing person Francis Calwell. Police would ask Francis or anyone who knows of his whereabouts to contact them on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference 1275 of 18/03/23. You can also call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. In particular, if anyone has had any contact with Francis on or after 18th March and was on the ferry and remembers him, or has any information as to possible whereabouts for him, please contact police. Three vehicles have been set on fire in an arson attack in north Belfast. Police received a report shortly after 9.30pm on Wednesday, March 29, that a car had been set on fire outside a house in Glencairn Way. The Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service attended and extinguished the fire. The interior of the car was completely burnt out as a result of this incident. Inspector Adams said: "Police then received a second report shortly before 11.10pm that two more cars had been set alight along the same street. "Both cars were also extensively damaged as a result of the fires. Each of these incidents are being treated as arson and one line of enquiry we are exploring at this time is that they may be linked. "Our enquiries are continuing and we are appealing to anyone with information about these incidents to get in touch with us "We are also keen to hear from anyone who may have been travelling in the area between these times and saw any suspicious activity to contact us on 101, quoting reference numbers 2031 and 2193 of 29/03/23. You can also make a report online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ or, via Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/ Unionists accuse council of ignorance towards PUL community while republican councillor brands event obscene spectacle Councillors in Derry City and Strabane have disagreed over whether the Kings Coronation should be recognised in the district with unionist representatives accused of being asleep at the wheel. King Charles III's coronation will take place on Saturday 6 May 2023 at Westminster Abbey in London. At Wednesdays council meeting in the Guildhall, unionist representatives expressed disillusionment with the council ignoring PUL events while socialist, nationalist and republican councillors criticised an obscene spectacle of wealth amid a cost of living crisis. The matter was first raised on March 7 councillors on the Governance and Strategic Planning Committee were told there is no provision within existing budgets for this initiative. The Northern Ireland Office previously indicated that a total of 45k funding was to be granted to local authorities, as a contribution towards the cost of hosting local screenings of the King's Coronation, the Coronation Concert and the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. Lottery funding had been made available to assist communities in celebrating the occasion. A council officer said: Council funding programmes are currently closed with limited applications relating to support for Coronation related initiatives. It is further noted that these funding streams are based on a competitive process and that there is no dedicated funding earmarked for Coronation celebrations. Correspondence was received from the North West Cultural Partnership and other PUL groups highlighting the issue of funding for Coronation events. Unionist councillors suggested road closures could be facilitated or a tea party or dance hosted by the Mayor. An application could also be submitted for funding to hire a TV screen, UUP Alderman Derek Hussey said. While DUP Alderman Maurice Devenney asked for dialogue to be opened between the council and PUL groups with an interest in Coronation events. Sinn Fein Councillor Christopher Jackson said he would support their proposals and respects their allegiance to the British monarchy and expects unionists to respect nationalist identities. The March 7 meeting was told that concerns had been raised that the Council had failed to acknowledge this once in a lifetime event, and to help recognise and ensure that our British identity can be a positive and vibrant part of an inclusive council district. It was agreed that an update would be brought back to the full council. Speaking at the full council meeting on Wednesday, a council officer provided an update saying the local authority would assist with bin collections and providing portaloos and barriers for the day, health and safety support and marketing. Addressing all councillors, Mr Hussey said there is disillusionment that the council is ignoring or not paying attention to the needs of a major minority within the community. He said it is something for the council to take on board and he questioned if an application could have been lodged for a big screen. Going forward I think councillors are going to have to raise their empathy level of the concerns that do exist, particularly within the PUL community going forward, and events that pertain to that section of our wider community, he added. A public meeting was held recently during which the PUL community was invited to air their views. Mr Devenney said some positives came out of that meeting but there are concerns the PUL community is not getting enough support. He said there was a belief that 2,000 or 3,000 was given to each council for a screen and officers had said to purchase one would cost 25,000 but a screen could be hired. People Before Profit Councillor Shaun Harkin recognised some people will be celebrating the coronation but opposed it as a socialist, adding we dont see this as a green and orange issue. He added: Thats why were concerned the council might get bogged down in trying to figure out how to take council resources and time to celebrate a coronation. The issue for us is this is one of the most elite, wealthiest organisations in the world and were in the middle of an unprecedented cost of living crisis that is literally putting so many people of all communities to the ground in terms of hardship. And we are going to have a spectacle come May 6th of wealth. I think for us, this is about legitimising that, normalising the idea that some are born into privilege for no reason other than their birth line, inheriting castles and billions and billions of pounds. King vows to strengthen connections between UK and Germany in banquet speech The SDLPs Brian Tierney said unionist councillors were aware of the event approaching, and to his knowledge none of them raised it. At the striking of the rates, allowances were made in other council areas, he said, but it wasnt once mentioned in Derry and Strabane. Independent republican councillor Gary Donnelly said unionist councillors were asleep at the wheel. He added: With regards to the coronation, it is not acceptable to me, its obscene. Its an obscene spectacle. I dont think this council should have any input into that whatsoever. Thats fundamental for me. Some people may dress it up and say its a minority or British people this and that, but its an institution that represents 800 years of oppression and the ongoing denial of democratic rights to the people of this island. He suggested inviting PUL groups to attend in order to provide feedback to councillors. A council officer then said the first that was heard of funding was in late February and that was included in the March 7 meeting pack. A subsequent letter was issued on March 10 indicating a March 17 funding deadline. Baroness Kate Hoey has defended comments comparing MLAs going back to Stormont under the Windsor Framework to those in the Vichy government who collaborated with the Nazis during the Second World War. The Northern Irish former Labour MP said she never did or would use the word "Nazi" and hit out at those who interpreted her comments, made in the House of Lords on Wednesday night, in this way. Ms Hoey was speaking as the DUP tried to block the Stormont Brake, a key part of the revamped post-Brexit trading arrangements, with a fatal motion in the House of Lords. But just like in a Commons vote on the Stormont Brake earlier this month, they were overwhelmingly defeated. Peers rejected the DUPs fatal motion by 227 votes to 14, majority 213. The Stormont Brake enables politicians in Belfast to trigger a veto over the imposition of new EU rules in the region. During the debate, Baroness Hoey compared MLAs who support the new Framework deal to Nazi collaborators. She said: There are people in Northern Ireland, leading politicians, who say, and its true, that Northern Ireland has now become a form of colony. The EUs first kind of colony. If Stormont goes back with the present Windsor Framework, they in fact would be almost like what happened during the war with the Vichy government, where all those MLAs would be collaborators with a kind of colonial government. Taking foreign laws from a foreign legislature, governing much of our economy in Northern Ireland and keeping us in a foreign customs code whereby GB, Great Britain, our country, where our capital is, becomes a third country, becomes our foreign country, its just not acceptable. Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph afterwards, Ms Hoey said she did not use the term Nazi and defended her comments. "I never used the word 'Germany' and I never used the word 'Nazi'," she said. "What I was saying was very clear. It's not that MLAs, particularly, are collaborators or setting out to be collaborators. "But, if they are implementing the Windsor Framework then they are implementing policies that they have had no say in making and have come from a foreign entity. It's common sense and is exactly what is happening. "If individual MLAs want to take it up as if it's an attack on them personally, or I was implying they're some kind of Nazi... that's just silly and outrageous." On Wednesday, Northern Ireland Office minister Lord Caine told Parliament that the Stormont Brake veto over the imposition of new EU rules in Northern Ireland can only be used once the powersharing at Stormont has been restored. Without the so-called Stormont Brake, the region would continue to automatically align with regulations issued by Brussels, he said. The Tory frontbencher argued the mechanism provided a robust power to politicians in Northern Ireland to block the application of changes by the EU. Lord Caine said: It is a robust change that gives the United Kingdom a veto over dynamic alignment with EU rules. But, just as importantly, the regulations we are debating put the democratically-elected representatives of the people of Northern Ireland in charge of whether and when than veto will be used. He added: These regulations also make the case for functioning devolved institutions in Northern Ireland even more compelling. Without this measure, Northern Ireland would continue to have full and automatic alignment with EU goods rules with no say for the Northern Ireland Assembly and no veto on amending or replacing measures. The DUP has opposed the Windsor Framework, and warned it will not return to Stormont until it undergoes further changes which the Government has ruled out several times. The party argues the Framework still leaves Northern Ireland subject to EU laws, and therefore it continues to refuse to return to powersharing. It also stated that the Stormont Brake would only exist to laws regarding product regulation where there is a significant and lasting effect and does not cover areas such as VAT, state aid, customs or electricity. In addition, the motion claimed that even if the Assembly opposes new EU legislation affecting Northern Ireland, it could still be ignored by the UK Government. Several peers from the Opposition benches called for the DUP to return to powersharing to restore the institutions in Belfast. Former SDLP leader Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick argued that the greatest lack of democracy in Northern Ireland is the lack of an Assembly, an executive, a North South Ministerial Council, a British-Irish Council and I implore the DUP, please get back into Government and please make sure that the Windsor Framework can work. Because the people of Northern Ireland are currently facing very high waiting lists for health, a crumbling education system, budgets that have not been defined, because there is no Government in place. She added that people in Northern Ireland were fed up with the lack of political institutions and the fact that decisions are therefore left to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris, who was looking on in the debate in the House of Lords. Mr McCusker said he was "best placed" to run as an independent in May's council election. The Oldpark representative said he has become "frustrated and disheartened" with politics at a central and local level. Mr McCusker, who is a health worker employed by the Belfast Trust, became an SDLP councillor in 2016. His decision to quit the party has come weeks ahead of the local government election on May 18. Mr McCusker, who has served as deputy lord mayor of Belfast, informed the SDLP of his decision on Wednesday evening. The BBC, which reported the story, said he had been considering his future in the party for some time and did not attend the SDLP's annual conference in Derry last weekend. Mr McCusker said it had been a challenging year for him. He chose to quit the party following a "lack of progress on issues that I am very passionate about". The councillor founded the St Patrick's Soup Kitchen in 2017 and campaigns on issues regarding homelessness, poverty and addiction. He said he would continue to highlight and lobby on behalf of those experiencing those issues, if he is re-elected in May. "It is very difficult to sit back and watch this not get the political attention it deserves," he added. "Continuing as an independent will allow me to give a voice to those who often feel forgotten and continue to fight for better services. An SDLP spokesperson said the party was disappointed Mr McCusker was "stepping away". "It's been a tough time for him but we've really enjoyed working with Paul and he'll continue to have friends in the SDLP who wish him well in the future," the spokesperson said. "The SDLP will be making an announcement about additional Belfast City Council candidates shortly." US authorities are keeping a close eye on the health of former president Jimmy Carter, who is receiving palliative care, as his death could have implications on President Joe Bidens visit to the island of Ireland. The 98-year-old has been receiving end-of-life care at home in his native Georgia and there is a tradition of all surviving US Presidents attending the leave-taking of one of their predecessors. President Carter served as president from 1977 to 1981 and was supplanted by Ronald Reagan. Meanwhile, it is expected that President Biden will be in Ireland for five days from Tuesday April 11 to Saturday, April 15. He will be accompanied by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, making the visit even more high-powered. It remains possible that First Lady Jill Biden will accompany her husband, and if so, she will have some separate engagements. However, officials admit the entire programme could be thrown off course, or cancelled, if former president Carter dies. Jimmy Carter All being well, President Biden will first fly into Northern Ireland and pay a visit to Hillsborough Castle. The following day he will travel to Dublin but it is unclear whether he will fly or take a motorcade. Opting for a convoy of vehicles would allow him to make a stop in Co Louth, most likely Carlingford. He has family roots in the county through the Finnegan clan. The four days in the Republic will involve a public address, whereby citizens can see the President in the flesh. This could still happen at College Green, the scene of Barack Obamas famous Is feidir linn speech from a stage opposite Trinity College. Alternatively, the speech could be switched to the west of Ireland, where the President will also travel. He has connections in Ballina, Co Mayo, through the Blewitt family. Officials say the size of expected crowds do not come into it, even though Taoiseach Leo Varadkar promised large crowds when meeting President Biden in the Oval Office for St Patricks Day. President Biden is also scheduled to pay a courtesy visit to President Michael D Higgins in Aras an Uachtarain. The Phoenix Park will be a centre of operations, because the Taoiseach will host a reception for the President at Farmleigh, under a draft schedule for what will be an official visit, not a state visit. Having it as an official visit will cut down a lot on the pomp and ceremony, a source said. The presidential visit to the island will have a strong focus on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. This week Mr Biden made clear an increase in activity by violent dissident republicans would not deter him. "No. They can't keep me out," he told reporters. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had invited Mr Biden to come to Northern Ireland to mark the agreement's anniversary. Earlier this month, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the president that his trip to the island of Ireland would be "a visit like no other". "I promise you that we're going to roll out the red carpet," he pledged to Mr Biden during their St Patrick's Day meeting in Washington DC. White House officials and Secret Service personnel have already visited proposed locations as part of planning for the visit. Former US president Bill Clinton and his wife and former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton will be in Belfast the week after Mr Biden for more events to commemorate the landmark accord. Peace in Northern Ireland must not be taken for granted, the UK Government has warned, as MPs marked the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement (GFA). Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris advised caution as he pointed to the decision by MI5 to increase the terror threat level from substantial to severe, meaning an attack is highly likely. The move came after a series of incidents targeting security forces in Northern Ireland, including the attempted murder of Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell in Omagh last month. The GFA was signed on April 10 1998 and brought to an end three decades of conflict in Northern Ireland. The 25th anniversary arrives against the backdrop of a failure to restore powersharing institutions as the DUP continues to express concerns over the UKs post-Brexit arrangements with the EU. Speaking in the Commons, Liberal Democrat MP Christine Jardine (Edinburgh West) said the debate marked an important milestone for peace in Northern Ireland. She added: We need to be very careful that we dont take that peace for granted. We have seen the threat level increase recently and increased tension, and its as incumbent on all of us now as it was 25 years ago to do whatever we can to protect what is an ongoing process in the peace agreement. Mr Heaton-Harris said Ms Jardine had delivered very wise words and later said: The fact Northern Ireland has a locally accountable police force also demonstrates the huge progress that Northern Ireland has made. However, I know events such as the abhorrent shooting of DCI John Caldwell illustrate that the peace in Northern Ireland now enjoys and that weve all worked so hard (for) cannot and must not be taken for granted. PSNI Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell was shot in Omagh (PA) David Young I made the announcement that the Northern Ireland-related terrorism threat level has been increased by MI5 from substantial to severe. Coming ahead of the agreements 25th anniversary this news is particularly disappointing. However, it does not distract from the fact that Northern Ireland remains markedly more peaceful and reconciled than it was in 1998. That is a testament to the people of Northern Ireland themselves, as well as the PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland) and security services that do so much to keep us all safe. DUP MP Jim Shannon (Strangford) said there has been violence in the last fortnight, including attacks on houses, discrimination and intimidation of people having to move out. He said: Its only a matter of time before that level of violence spills into either injury or death. He added: The lesson we can take from that 10-year period of relative stability in 2007 to 2017 is that it is only possible to make progress when we fashion an environment that both unionists and nationalists can buy into. He went on: As I look to the future, I am very clear the greatest threat to peace arises from the threat to the Good Friday Agreement, and we should be in no doubt that the threat is now acute. He also told MPs: The UK Government now has a choice I for one hope that it will learn the lessons of the 2007 to 2017 period, and going forward ensure the Good Friday Agreement, amended by the St Andrews Agreement, is upheld and not ignored. If it does not, then for many in Northern Ireland and for myself, I fear for the future of Northern Ireland. Mr Shannon also praised the PSNI for doing a grand job in his community. Meanwhile, shadow Northern Ireland secretary Peter Kyle urged Mr Heaton-Harris to give the PSNI all the support that they need as they face down those who want to turn back the clock. He said: What we must acknowledge is that the police officers have been the focus of recent attacks by dissident republicans. These groups are opposed to the Good Friday Agreement. They attack the police because they want to intimidate those who protect its achievements, its institutions and its legacy. Mr Kyle went on: I hope the Secretary of State will give the PSNI all the support that they need as they face down those who want to turn back the clock on this era of peace and progress. Lolita the orca is to be returned to the Pacific Ocean (Nuri Vallbona/Miami Herald via AP, File) Nuri Vallbona A coalition of a theme park owner, animal rights group and NFL owner announced on Thursday that a plan is in place to return Lolita an orca that has lived in captivity at the Miami Seaquarium for more than 50 years to her home waters in the Pacific. Im excited to be a part of Lolitas journey to freedom, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said during a news conference announcing the agreement. I know Lolita wants to get to free waters. The time frame for moving the 57-year-old, 2,267-kilogram orca could be six to nine months or even longer, Mr Irsay said. He added that he became part of the mission because the story of Lolita is near and dear to his heart. Jim Irsay, owner of the Indianapolis Colts, is backing the move to return Lolita to the Pacific Ocean (Alie Skowronski/Miami Herald via AP) Alie Skowronski Mr Irsay is partnering with Eduardo Albor, who heads the Dolphin Company which owns the Seaquarium, and the non-profit Friends of Lolita, co-founded by environmentalist Pritam Singh, to move Lolita from her marine park tank that measures 80ft by 35ft (24m by 11m) and is 20 feet (six metres) deep. Overall the mission will cost up to 20 million US dollars (16 million), the group said. The plan is to transport Lolita by plane to Pacific waters off Washington state, where she will initially swim inside a large net while trainers and veterinarians teach her how to catch fish, Mr Irsay said. The orca will be under 24-hour care until she acclimates to her new surroundings. A tank at Miami Seaquarium has been home for Lolita since the 1970s (Alie Skowronski/Miami Herald via AP) Alie Skowronski Lolitas caretakers at the Seaquarium are already preparing her for the journey, officials said. The Dolphin Company took ownership of the park in 2021 and last year announced it would no longer stage shows with Lolita, under an agreement with federal regulators. The company operates 27 other parks and habitats in Mexico, Argentina, the Caribbean and Italy. Lolita was captured in Penn Cove off the coast of Washington in 1970 when she was about four years old. She was initially called Tokitae, or Toki. During the 1960s and 1970s, dozens of Pacific North West whales were caught for display in marine theme parks. The whale-capture industry argued that there were many orcas in the sea and some could be sustainably caught. Animal rights activists, including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta), have long fought for Lolita to spend her final years back home in a controlled setting. Activists often protest along the road that runs by the Seaquarium, which they have referred to as an abusement park. Peta said it does not want Lolita to suffer the same fate as her partner, Hugo, who died in 1980 from a brain aneurysm after ramming his head repeatedly into the tanks walls. Mr Albor said on Thursday that as his company was in the process of acquiring the Seaquarium, he and his daughter visited as tourists. He said his daughter became upset while watching Lolitas show, even as many other people in the crowd were squealing in delight. He said his daughter told him his place is too small for Lolita and made him promise to help the orca if his company bought the park. That touched me, Mr Albor said. Miami-Dade County mayor, Daniella Levine Cava, described the agreement as historic, saying, So many have hoped and prayed for this result for many, many years. Mr Irsay said many hurdles lie ahead including securing government permits and working out all the details of the move, but the deal announced on Thursday is a first step toward freedom for Lolita. It has always been our commitment at the Dolphin Company that we place the highest priority on the well-being of the animals above all else, Albor said. Finding a better future for Lolita is one of the reasons that motivated us to acquire the Miami Seaquarium. The Seaquarium opened in 1955 on Virginia Key east of downtown Miami. It features a variety of creatures including dolphins, sea lions, manatees, reef fish and sharks, and was the filming location for 88 episodes of the Flipper TV series as well as movies in the 1960s. Brazils former President Jair Bolsonaro waves to supporters at the Liberal Partys headquarters in Brasilia, Brazil, Thursday, March 30, 2023. Bolsonaro arrived back in Brazil on Thursday after a three-month stay in Florida, seeking a new role on the political scene. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) Eraldo Peres Former president Jair Bolsonaro has arrived back in Brazil after a three-month stay in Florida, seeking a new role on the political scene as authorities in the capital brace for the far-right populists return. Hundreds of supporters dressed in yellow and green chanted for him as they waited in the capital city of Brasilia, where the far-right leader is the subject of several investigations. He left Brazil just before the end of his presidential term, breaking with tradition by declining to hand the presidential sash to his successor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who won the October election in the narrowest finish since Brazils return to democracy more than three decades earlier. Bolsonaro supporters outside Brasilia International Airport (Eraldo Peres/AP) Eraldo Peres While in the US, Mr Bolsonaro mostly kept a low profile, although he delivered several speeches to Brazilian expatriates and conservatives, including at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland. For the first time in 30 years, the legislator-turned-president does not hold elected office. Im without a mandate, but Im not retired, he told television network Jovem Pan on Monday. The Federal Districts security secretariat mobilised hundreds of police officers and the Esplanade of Ministries was closed to prevent gatherings of Bolsonaro supporters. A horde of his supporters stormed and ransacked the capitals most important government buildings on January 8, a week after Mr Lula took office, seeking to oust the new president from power. Mr Bolsonaros aim to reassume political prominence may be hampered by a series of investigations, including whether he incited the January 8 uprising. Recent revelations by newspaper Estado de S.Paulo regarding three boxes of expensive jewellery allegedly brought to Mr Bolsonaro from Saudi Arabia have exposed the former president to greater legal jeopardy. Jair Bolsonaro speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland (Alex Brandon/AP) Alex Brandon His return to Brazil has been repeatedly delayed, and some had speculated he could postpone indefinitely in light of his legal troubles. Steve Bannon, a long-time ally of Donald Trump and considered a strategist of the global far right, told Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo this week that Mr Bolsonaro should never have left the country, and dismissed the importance of the investigations. Mr Bolsonaros first objective will be to rally opposition to Mr Lulas government, said Mayra Goulart da Silva, a political scientist from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Bolsonaro decided to return to Brazil because no clear opposition leader to the government has emerged. Next years municipal elections are an important step toward gaining political momentum for a possible 2026 presidential run. Mr Bolsonaro is expected to throw his support behind his Liberal Partys mayoral candidates. In addition to investigations into the diamonds, Mr Bolsonaro is the subject of about a dozen investigations by Brazils electoral courts into his actions during last years campaign, particularly related to his unsubstantiated claims that the electronic voting system was susceptible to fraud. If he is found guilty in any of those cases, he would lose his political rights and be unable to run for office in the next election Paul Rusesabagina has returned to the US after being imprisoned in Rwanda (AP Photo/Muhizi Olivier, File) Muhizi Olivier The man who inspired the film Hotel Rwanda and was freed by Rwanda last week from a terrorism sentence has returned to the United States, where he will reunite with his family after being held for more than two years. Paul Rusesabaginas arrival in the US was expected this week. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told journalists on Monday that Mr Rusesabagina was in Doha, Qatar and would be making his way back to the US. Mr Rusesabaginas plane touched down in Houston on Wednesday afternoon and he will travel next to a military hospital in San Antonio, said a source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The 68-year-old Mr Rusesabagina, a US legal resident and Belgian citizen, was credited with sheltering more than 1,000 ethnic Tutsis at the hotel he managed during Rwandas 1994 genocide in which more than 800,000 Tutsis and Hutus who tried to protect them were killed. He received the US Presidential Medal of Freedom for his efforts. Mr Rusesabagina disappeared in 2020 during a visit to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and appeared days later in Rwanda in handcuffs. His family alleged he was kidnapped and taken to Rwanda against his will to stand trial. In 2021, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison after being convicted in Rwanda on eight charges including membership of a terrorist group, murder and abduction following the widely criticised trial. Last week, Rwandas government commuted his sentence after diplomatic intervention on his behalf by the United States. Mr Rusesabagina has asserted that his arrest was in response to his criticism of the long-time president, Paul Kagame, over alleged human rights abuses. Mr Kagames government has repeatedly denied targeting dissenting voices with arrests and extrajudicial killings. Mr Rusesabagina became a public critic of Mr Kagame and left Rwanda in 1996, first living in Belgium and then the US. A woman wipes away tears as she visits a memorial at the entrance to the Covenant School (AP Photo/Wade Payne) Wade Payne Nashville authorities released 911 calls on Thursday that capture the terror inside a Christian elementary school during an attack this week in which three children and three adults were killed. In the tapes, callers can be heard pleading for help in hushed voices as sirens, crying and gunfire could be heard in the background. Police released recordings of three 911 calls made during Mondays attack at The Covenant School. In one, a man tells the dispatcher he is with a group of people, including several children, who are walking away from the school toward a main road. Although the man remains calm, the tension and confusion of the situation are clear, with several adults speaking over each other and childrens voices in the background. When the dispatcher requests a description of the attacker, the caller asks a second man to get on the line. All I saw was a man holding an assault rifle shooting through the door. It was hes currently in the second grade hallway, upstairs the second man says. White man. With camouflage. He had a vest on and an assault rifle. Asked about how many shots were fired, a woman responds: I heard about 10 and I left the building. A woman holds a candle during a vigil held for victims of the Covenant School shooting on Wednesday (AP Photo/Wade Payne) Wade Payne In another call that started just before 10.13am, a woman tells a dispatcher that she can hear gunshots and that she is hiding in an art room closet. It sounds like somebody is shooting guns, the caller says. She then notes that there had been a pause in the gunshots. The dispatcher asks if she was in a safe spot and says two other callers also reported gunshots at the school. I think so, the woman says, as children can be heard in the background. Protesters fill the Capitol building as representatives make their way towards the House chamber doors in Nashville (Nicole Hester/The Tennessean via AP) Nicole Hester The teacher then says she can hear more gunshots, and muffled thuds can be heard. Im hearing more shots, the caller said. Please hurry. Another caller says he is in a room on the second floor and asks the dispatcher to send help. I think we have a shooter at our church, he says, later adding: Im on the second floor in a room. I think the shooter is on the second floor. First lady Jill Biden attends the Nashville Remembers candlelight vigil to mourn the victims of the Covenant School mass shooting (Nicole Hester/The Tennessean via AP) Nicole Hester Three adults and three nine-year-old children were killed in the attack. Authorities say police shot and killed the assailant, a former student they identified as 28-year-old Audrey Hale. The release of the recordings came as people protested at the Tennessee Capitol on Thursday in favour of tighter gun controls, haranguing the Republican-led legislature to take action. Chants of Save our children! echoed noisily in the hallways between the state Senate and House chambers, with protesters setting up shop inside and outside the Capitol. Some silently filled the Senate chambers gallery, including children who held signs reading Im nine a reference to the age of the kids who died. Most protesters were removed from the gallery after some began yelling down at the lawmakers, Children are dead! The protests followed a Wednesday night candlelight vigil in Nashville where Republican lawmakers stood alongside first lady Jill Biden, Democratic lawmakers and musicians including Sheryl Crow, who has called for stricter gun controls since the attack. Among those killed were the three students: Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney; Katherine Koonce, 60, the head of the school; substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61; and Mike Hill, a 61-year-old custodian. Police have said Hale was under a doctors care for an undisclosed emotional disorder. However, authorities have not disclosed a link between that care and the shooting. Police also said Hale was not on their radar before the attack. Social media accounts and other sources indicate that the killer identified as a man and might have recently begun using the first name Aiden. Police have said Hale was assigned female at birth but used masculine pronouns on a social media profile, however, police have continued to use female pronouns and the name Audrey to describe Hale. Joe Biden says terror threats cant stop him visiting Dennis McFadden was MI5's super-spy at the heart of the New IRA. MI5's NI headquarters in Holywood, Co Down. Northern Irelands terrorism threat level had been lowered to substantial a year ago but has now returned to severe The secret security service MI5 has raised the terror threat level in Northern Ireland to severe just before US President Joe Bidens visit next month. It means the spy agency thinks an attack is highly likely. It comes after a senior police officer suffered life-changing injuries after being shot by the New IRA in Omagh. Mr Biden says he is still coming to NI to mark 25 years of the Good Friday Agreement despite the heightened threat. The Belfast Telegraph Crime Correspondent Allison Morris joins Ciaran Dunbar. Shutterstock.com In war-torn Ukraine, miracles are happening in the face of devastation and violence, and despite the fear and chaos that grips these communities every day, people are finding hope and peace through prayer. Amidst all the destruction, there is a sense in the people that God is still present and is doing amazing things. There are stories of answered prayers and miraculous healings coming out, giving testimony to the power of faith in even the darkest of times. Those in Ukraine who are suffering are finding comfort in knowing that they are not alone and that Gods healing presence can be felt throughout their land. Throughout the conflict in Ukraine, people from all religious backgrounds have come together to pray for a peaceful outcome. Though there have been many disheartening setbacks, there have also been moments of light that have given them hope for a better future and outcome. One example was when a group of Ukrainian priests proclaimed that they were going to start celebrating mass in bomb shelters. Despite the damage and destruction above ground, the shelters were packed with worshippers, all coming together to give thanks and pray for peace. Since the beginning of the Russian military intervention in Ukraine, religious buildings have been among the main targets of attacks. In spite of this, however, an unexpected silver lining has risen above the destruction and violence. A number of churches in eastern Ukraine have chosen to sing instead of giving into fear. This brave act of defiance has not gone unnoticed. Countless videos and photos of churches singing while under attack have been shared on social media, with many people hailing them as examples of resilience in the face of adversity. In a time when it seems like darkness is engulfing the country, these churches provide a ray of hope, showing that Ukraine will not be defeated. So far, the Russian military has failed to silence the voices of these brave churches, showing that faith can overcome extreme adversity when needed. Since the outbreak of war in eastern Ukraine, the people's prayers have seemingly been answered for many caught in the middle of the conflict. Many people report that they have felt Gods presence and protection throughout the war through acts of kindness and small miracles. Groups of nuns in both Poland and Ukraine have opened their doors to refugees and continue to provide spiritual care and shelter for those in need. Over 1,000 convents are helping refugees in any way that they can, with medical, material, and psychological help. Upwards of 2,400 families have found shelter under the roofs of convents, and the impact that these nuns are having does not stop there. They have put themselves on the frontline to provide hot meals, blankets, clothing, and hygiene products. They are also coordinating assistance for refugees, and in particular, the Polish nuns are helping refugees to find jobs through employment centers. The current conflict in Ukraine has also been branded as a miracle by the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. This is in consideration of the fact that the Ukrainian army is fighting against the Russian military and has been able to defend their country for so long. Although the Russians have more troops and better-equipped soldiers, the Ukrainians have been able to use their political and diplomatic resources to gain support from other countries. The Ukrainian military has also been able to make use of modern technology, like drones, to some success against the Russians. In spite of these few advantages, however, the Ukrainians are still fighting an uphill battle, and are welcoming any support they get. Despite a near media blackout the world is facing one of its greatest humanitarian crises in history in the Horn of Africa, where climate change, civil war, and poverty are combining to create a mass tragedy of epic proportions. The reaction of most politicians in the West is closing their eyes and hoping the problem will all go away. The reason for this is obvious. This is a crisis caused by capitalism and imperialism. Background In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic was closing down half of the world and leaving hundreds of thousands dead in its wake, the executive director of the World Food programme warned of an even greater future danger: multiple famines of biblical proportions. A global drop in overseas aid as a result of the oncoming world economic slump, he warned, would combine with an increase in natural disasters, wars, and other humanitarian crises to create a truly apocalyptic situation for millions. One thing that he did not predict was the war in Ukraine, which has increased the price of grain worldwide, adding an even deadlier twist to the situation. At the time, this warning was ignored. But it has now come to pass. Many regions across the world are being thrust into famine conditions, but the largest of these is the Horn of Africa (particularly Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia), which is experiencing its longest and most severe drought in decades. Five rainy seasons have already failed, with the spring rains also predicted to fail. Even worse, this comes on the back of two severe droughts in the last decade, which have not yet been recovered from. Many regions across the world are being thrust into famine conditions, but the largest of these is the Horn of Africa / Image: EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid, Flickr Already, millions have been displaced from their homes. Over 36 million people face severe food insecurity. According to a recent report, 50 percent of the population of Somalia currently requires direct humanitarian intervention in order to avoid starvation. More will follow. And these are just the official statistics. This horror has been worsened by civil wars and conflicts throughout the region, particularly in Somalia and Ethiopia. In the latter, President Abiy Ahmed, a so-called liberal reformer, waged a war against the Tigrayan provinces for two years, which included blockading all aid from these provinces, cutting off access to food. It has been estimated that 600,000 civilians died in two years, including hundreds of thousands who were deliberately starved. In any other world, this would surely classify as a war crime. But the international bourgeois are far too embarrassed to speak up, having coronated Abiy with a Nobel Peace Prize only one year earlier in 2019. All this represents nothing less than the slow slide into barbarism in this region of the world. Exploitation All the UN can offer in response to this crisis is empty phrases such as the need to build resilience. But how can communities build resilience in the face of a constantly worsening environmental catastrophe that they didnt create? Photographs of dams and reservoirs that have completely dried out show that attempts to do this under the current system are futile. We must not forget that this is coming after centuries of imperialist exploitation of this region. In recent decades, Ethiopia's mines and other state enterprises have been privatised in order to open up to foreign investment. International firms mine gold, potash and other metals, making superprofits whilst utilising child labour and paying workers a pittance. International firms mine gold, potash and other metals, making superprofits whilst utilising child labour and paying workers a pittance / Image: UNICEF Ethiopia, Flickr The situation in Somalia is even worse. Somalia possesses plenty of natural wealth, including some of the most bountiful fishing waters in the world, and yet it is an extremely poor nation vulnerable to famine. Why? European and Asian companies illegally fished in Somalian waters for years, selling the fish in the lucrative Asian market, whilst their waters were also used as a free dumping ground for hazardous waste. This is the historic root of Somali piracy, which many had to turn to simply in order to survive. We are told that the billions of dollars given in humanitarian aid by Western capitalist nations is to develop economies in Africa. But the reality of the situation is the opposite. International capitalism dominates these nations financially, looting their natural resources, and burying them in debt whilst tossing a few crumbs back under the table as aid. Humanitarian solutions But even by the hypocritical standards of capitalist foreign aid, the cupboard is bare. Last year the UN set a target to raise $3.7bn to alleviate the worst of the famine in the region. As of the end of the year, they had barely raised half of this amount. By comparison, this year, up to $100bn in aid (most of which will be spent on weapons) will be poured into the US-led proxy war in Ukraine. According to the World Food Program, less than a tenth of that would be needed to feed every starving person this year. Under capitalism, there is always more money for war, and for subsiding the profits of bankers and big business. Yet somehow, the money needed to counter hunger, scarcity and climate change is constantly just out of reach. Climate Change In terms of the impact of climate change, the Horn of Africa is now in completely unprecedented territory. And the worst is yet to come. Unfortunately, we have not yet seen the worst of this crisis, Michael Dunford, the WFPs director for eastern Africa, said. If you think 2022 is bad, beware of what is coming in 2023. Just like with all the other horrors of capitalism, those that cause climate change rarely have to deal with the consequences / Image: EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid, Flickr Across the world, 2022 has been described as a year of drought. From China, to North America, to Africa and even in Europe, we saw rivers and lakes sink to record-breaking lows, whole communities threatened by wildfires, and terrible harvests. In October 2022, the UN released a report which suggested that whole regions of Africa and Asia, in particular highly populated areas of India, could become uninhabitable by the end of the century if business as usual continues. This would potentially displace hundreds of millions of people. Just like with all the other horrors of capitalism, those that cause climate change rarely have to deal with the consequences. The millions who suffer are the ones who bear no responsibility for the crisis in the first place. At Davos this year, this was even admitted by the UN General Secretary: Today, fossil fuel producers and their enablers are still racing to expand production, knowing full well that this business model is inconsistent with human survival. Yet while fossil fuel companies line their pockets, millions of innocent people are displaced from their homes, losing their livelihoods or even basic access to fuel and water. As much as we are told to ignore the elephant in the room, this is the future for huge parts of the world, unless capitalism is overthrown. The ability to solve the climate crisis lies in our own hands. Although it would require a great deal of investment, it would be possible for a global planned economy to both drastically cut carbon emissions and to carry out mitigation measures to ameliorate the damage that has already been done. What is getting in the way is that it is not profitable for them to do so. Socialism The World Food Programme, and all other forms of so-called humanitarian aid, represent little more than a band-aid over a bullet wound; a convenient way for the international bourgeoisie to assuage their own guilt and whitewash the problems that they themselves have caused. The World Food Programme, and all other forms of so-called humanitarian aid, represent little more than a band-aid over a bullet wound / Image: EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid, Flickr But in a world which is rapidly hurtling towards humanitarian disaster as a product of recession, climate change and war, the need for economic planning is more obvious than ever. Even today, more than enough food is produced to support the Earths population, and this is on the basis of disorganised private agriculture, and poor infrastructure. An international socialist planned economy would be able to get resources where they actually need to go, as well as investing to actually increase agricultural output to reflect the growing population. And while we know that the resources in society exist to deal with climate change, under capitalism, they cannot be mobilised, as this would involve taking a cut out of the profits of big business. With a rational redistribution of the Earths resources, we will be able to invest in the infrastructure to both deal with climate change long term, and reorganise the worlds agriculture to support our rapidly growing population. By contrast, if the bosses are left in charge, they will continue to run the world as a money making machine, driving us further down the path of famine and climate catastrophe. Tun Min Latt, seen here in a yellow tie, escorts Myanmar Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing during a 2019 defense expo in Bangkok. Ahead of Thailands May 14 election, the opposition Move Forward Party and Sen. Upakit Pachariyangkun have been engaged in a spat over his relationship with a Myanmar businessman sanctioned by the U.S. government for gun-running and other alleged crimes. The spat has exposed the cozy relationship between the military-backed elites of Thailand and Myanmar. It has also called into question the rights of the Thai opposition to question government figures and the free press to report on them. Despite his denials and deflections, Upakit has been a partner in businesses with one of Myanmars most politically connected businessmen, Tun Min Latt, who was arrested in Bangkok in September 2022 for alleged money laundering and narcotics trafficking. Upakit is one of Thailands 250 military-appointed senators. His family has deep ties to ultra-royalist and military elites. His father served as foreign minister from 1976 to 1980 during the military-backed governments of Thanin Kraivichien and Gen. Kriangsak Chamanan. Tun Min Latt, 53, is a close ally of Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, who leads Myanmars ruling junta, and has served as an arms broker for the military through his sanctioned Star Sapphire Group of Companies. He allegedly has imported weapons from Israeli firms Elbit Systems, Israel Shipyards, Israel Aerospace Industries, and for a time Star Sapphire was the registered agent of NORINCO, the Chinese state-owned arms conglomerate. Star Sapphires shareholders include Min Aung Hlaings daughter, as well as military cronies. Last week, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned Tun Min Latt, his wife, Win Min Soe, and three entities they have ownership stakes in the Star Sapphire Group of Companies and two subsidiaries. Tun Min Latt and Upakit have owned a host of companies together including The Myanmar Allure Group, which developed a hotel and casino, along with power companies including United Power of Asia and its Myanmar subsidiaries. They have cross-ownership in each others companies, and there is documentation tying the men together for 24 years. According to charges filed in December 2022 from his arrest three months earlier, Tun Min Latt allegedly took proceeds of the sale of illegal drugs and, through his and Upakits companies, transferred the proceeds to his Allure Group P&E, which purchased electricity from United Power of Asia, and sold it across the Myanmar border, the Prachataienglish news website reported. Tun Min Latt and three other defendants have denied all the charges and pleaded not guilty on Jan. 23, 2023. Upakit claims to have divested his shares in 2019 to two of the firms that he had significant interests in when he was appointed to the senate United Power of Asia and Myanmar Allure Group. But he maintained some interests. His son-in-law had shares in both and served as director of the latter. Upakit has denied links to the drug trade, Thai media reported. On the day he was arrested, I admitted that I know Tun Min Latt. I have known him for decades. I consulted with him when I invested in his home country, and vice-versa. But it doesnt mean I am behind the illegal activities I swear to God my family and I never get involved with the drug trade, Upakit said. Whats the scandal? In the rough house of Thai politics, a senator being tied to a drug lord isnt unprecedented. In 2019, the ruling Palang Pracharat Party survived an uproar when it was revealed that an Australian court had convicted Thamanat Prompow, their deputy minister of agriculture, of drug smuggling. But the plot in this latest case has thickened because of the close associations with Myanmars junta, which seized power from an elected government in February 2021. When police raided Tun Min Latts Bangkok apartment last September, they seized about 1.4 billion baht (U.S. 40.7 million) in assets, including more than $1 million in assets of coup leader Min Aung Hlaings two children a 2017 property deed for a four-bedroom condo in the same luxury apartment building and two account books, BenarNews reported. Then Thai police reportedly issued an arrest warrant for Upakit on Oct. 3, 2022, only to withdraw the warrant soon after. An internal court document posted on opposition Move Forward MP Rangsiman Romes Facebook page justified the revocation of the warrant, alleging that proper procedures for senior officials were not followed. Upakit was then apparently served with a summons for questioning, but hes not been questioned. With a scandal brewing, Upakit has gone on the offensive. He has denied the accusations against him and his son-in-law, Dean Gultula, who was arrested and then charged along with Tun Min Latt. Upakit described it as fake news. The two officers who applied for the arrest warrant were re-assigned. One was transferred to remote Chaiyaphum province. Under fire, the head of the Thai police called for a full investigation, but at the same time denied that the officers were punished and said their reassignment was routine. Upakit also filed corruption and misconduct cases at the Criminal Court against the two police for dereliction of duty. On March 15, one of the police officers was sacked, prompting a rare public backlash and joint statement from the Royal Thai Police Association, Police Cadet Academy Association and Inquiry Official Association. In a February parliamentary debate, Rangsiman grilled the government for failing to deal with the record-breaking volume of illicit narcotics pouring into the country from Myanmar. Though Rangsiman did not mention Upakit by name, he alluded to the senators connections to Tun Min Latt. Upakit denied the charges and filed a 100 million baht ($2.9 million) defamation case against Rangsiman, along with two other defamation lawsuits against a lawyer and the two Thai PBS hosts who interviewed him. In another parliamentary debate, Rangsiman called for an investigation into the alleged judicial interference, including the head of the criminal court. He has since called for an investigation into the senators assets. Supreme Court commission In an attempt to deflect parliamentary investigations, the president of the Supreme Court established his own fact-finding commission. Fearful that the controversy over Upakit and Tun Min Latt could represent a political liability ahead of the elections, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha and his allies have gone on the attack against Rangsiman. Prayuth has denied helping Upakit or intervening to halt the investigation. But Upakit and the other 249 senators play a key role in electing the Thai prime minister. Prayuth, who has been trailing in recent voter polls, needs their full support. Upakit also owns the building where Prayuths United Thai Nation Party headquarters are housed. Now Rangsiman from the political opposition is in legal jeopardy for failing to respond to two police summonses following the defamation charges, despite his constitutional immunity fueling suspicions of a politically motivated charge to silence the Move Forward Party spokesman ahead of the elections. Meanwhile, the State Administrative Council, as Myanmars junta is officially known, is expected to push for Tun Min Latts release so he can be deported and return to enriching the SAC, their family members, and brokering arms for the junta. The government of Prayuth is widely seen as sympathetic to the junta. Prayuth himself took power in a coup in 2014 before cementing his control through the kind of flawed political process that Myanmars military would like to emulate. All this leaves Thailands legal system in the dock. If Upakit is not investigated, which appears likely, it will reinforce the impression that its business as usual between Thailands military-backed elites and their counterparts in Myanmar. 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 BenarNews. Police escort journalist Shamsuzzaman (center), who was arrested under the Digital Security Act, to a court in Dhaka, March 30, 2023. Pressure escalated against Bangladeshs leading daily as it was hit with a second Digital Security Act case on Thursday, this time against the editor, over a recent report that a minister said undermined the countrys independence. Earlier on Thursday, a court rejected bail for the Prothom Alo journalist Shamsuzzaman who wrote the March 26 report and had been arrested a day earlier under the same DSA. The case against Prothom Alo editor and publisher Matiur Rahman was filed by Abdul Malek Moshiur Malek, who is said to be affiliated with the ruling Awami League. Malek said the report had caused unrest among people and could harm the countrys image overseas, according to a copy of the complaint seen by BenarNews. When journalists on Thursday asked Hasan Mahmud, the information minister, what was in the report that bothered Awami League members or those associated with the party, he said Bangladeshs image had been sullied. Of course, through this incident, the countys independence has been undermined, and the foundation of the country has been hit, Mahmud told journalists. Malek accused Rahman of publishing and spreading information which is false, misleading and demeaning to the nation in the report that was published on Bangladeshs Independence Day, according to local news site bdnews24.com. Similarly, Shamsuzzaman was arrested on a complaint filed by a ruling Awami League member who said the journalist tarnished the governments image on the anniversary of the countrys independence. The report in question quoted a laborer as saying: What is the meaning of independence when we cannot manage food. We need independence guaranteeing fish, meat and rice. The Digital Security Act, passed by the Awami League government in 2018, includes harsh prison sentences for online defamation, insulting a persons religion and other offenses. The law empowers police to make arrests on suspicion and without a warrant, and 14 of its 20 provisions do not allow for bail. Activists, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, have said the act is misused to punish critics of the government. In January, Bangladesh think tank Center for Governance Studies organized a seminar on its study of Digital Security Act cases filed between October 2018 and August 2022. The most striking highlight of the study is the clear indication that the DSA is being used to target journalists and political opponents by members of the ruling party, the center said in a summary of the webinar on its website. About 280 journalists were accused under the act during this period, while 84 were arrested. Act of intimidation International media organizations and rights groups on Thursday slammed Shamsuzzamans arrest and the case against Rahman. They see these developments as a sign of an increasingly repressive government cracking down on its critics ahead of the national election scheduled for December or January 2024. Make no mistake, the arrest of Shamsuzzaman and the case filed against Matiur Rahman have no legal basis and are clearly an act of intimidation by the government toward all journalists, Daniel Bastard, the head of Reporters Without Borders Asia-Pacific desk, said in a statement. [W]ith less than a year to go to parliamentary elections, we call on Sheikh Hasinas government to respect journalistic pluralism and independence, or else these elections will lack all democratic credibility. Reporters Without Borders also noted that a little under two weeks ago, the brother of an expatriate journalist, who has worked for international outlet Al Jazeera, was attacked in Dhaka by four men armed with steel bars. The group claimed that the attackers told the man he was being beaten up because his brother wrote reports against the prime minister and the government. Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) said that filing DSA cases against the Prothom Alo journalist and editor sets a dangerous precedent of controlling and intimidating the media. TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said the act was being used to silence dissent and intimidate anyone with a different opinion, especially journalists. A Philippine Coast Guard vessel battles a fire aboard the ferry M/V Lady Mayor Joy 3 in the vicinity of Baluk-Baluk island off Hadji Muhtamad town in Basilan province, southern Philippines, March 29, 2023. At least 28 people were killed while 230 others were rescued after a passenger and cargo ferry caught fire off the southern Philippine island of Basilan, officials said Thursday. As many as 18 burned bodies were found aboard the M/V Lady Mary Joy 3 on Thursday after the blaze that gutted the boat was extinguished, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said. The fire was the deadliest in recent memory on a ferry in the Philippines, a popular mode of transportation in the archipelago nation. The bodies were discovered in different parts of the ferry, according to a report from Commodore Rejard Marfe, the local district commander for the coast guard. The PCG had earlier confirmed 10 dead. When asked about the number of missing people, he said the emergency teams had no confirmed information immediately available because the manifest showed there were supposed to be only 240 passengers and crew on board, Marfe said. But there were Coast Guard personnel and Philippine Army soldiers who had also boarded the ferry but were not listed on the manifest, he said. The M/V Lady Mary was cruising in waters off Baluk-Baluk island, part of Basilan, when the fire broke out late Wednesday, the coast guard said. The boat was carrying 240 people, including at least 35 crew members, according to its manifest. However, it is not uncommon for more people to be onboard a vessel than the number officially indicated. As of 2 p.m. on Thursday, the death toll jumped to 18 from 10 after several bodies were found in the area of Baluk-Baluk, authorities said. Some of those rescued sustained minor burns and bruises to their bodies, according to authorities from Basilan and in Zamboanga city across the strait. Cmdr. Christopher Domingo, the local coast guard commander, said the ill-fated ships captain immediately alerted the station about the fire, prompting the coast guard to dispatch three of their boats to respond to the emergency. It was a sad day for all of us. We received calls from the boat captain about 10 p.m. reporting that their ship was on fire, Domingo said, adding that fishing boats nearby also responded to the distress call. Among those who perished were at least three minors, all girls, while the rest were all adults, he said. Some of the victims were brought to Basilan and the others in this city and were provided medical attention in the different hospitals. The gutted ferry M/V Lady Mary Joy 3 is seen on the shores of Baluk-Baluk island off Hadji Muhtamad town, Basilan province, southern Philippines, March 30, 2023. [Handout photo/Courtesy of Hadji Muhtamad Mayor Arsina Nanoh] The burnt ferry ran aground in Barangay Baluk-Baluk island, said Hadji Muhtama town Mayor Arsina Nanoh, who was among the first responders. Domingo said an initial investigation showed that the fire originated from passengers accommodation area and quickly spread towards the kitchen area. Arson investigators were checking this account. According to the ship captain the fire started at the passengers accommodation area in the air- conditioned section and reached the kitchen where an explosion reportedly occurred, possibly from an LPG tank, Domingo said. The ferry is operated by Alesson Shipping, which is owned by a local politician. Domingo said that some of the passengers jumped overboard with their life vests and were rescued by fishermen. The ship, however, reached the shore after the fire was put out. Jobert Galas, a soldier with 41st Infantry Battalion who was also a passenger, said they were already asleep when they were woken by the commotion. We heard passengers rushing and shouting there was thick smoke and as we went out from our cabin there was already a big fire and everyone was already rushing out while we looked for a life vest and jumped out, Galas told reporters here. Ferries are the most common mode of transportation in the Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,100 islands. In 1987, passenger ferry Dona Paz collided with the MT Vector, an oil tanker carrying more than 1,000 tons of gasoline and other petroleum products off Tablas Strait in the central Philippines. More than 4,300 passengers and crew were killed in that incident, which is believed to be the worlds worst peacetime maritime disaster. Leaders from Slovakia, Malawi, Ukraine, Ecuador and other countries appear on a screen as U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks during a virtual Summit for Democracy, which he hosted from an auditorium on the White House campus in Washington, March 29, 2023. The Philippine government distanced itself Thursday from worldwide support shown during an American-led democracy summit for the International Criminal Court, which is investigating mass killings linked to former President Rodrigo Dutertes controversial drug war. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who participated in the Summit for Democracy 2023 via a pre-recorded video, said earlier this week that his administration would no longer recognize the ICC because the world court had rejected the Philippines appeal to halt its investigation of Duterte, his immediate predecessor. In a declaration on Wednesday from the virtual summit hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden, the Philippines was among 73 countries that agreed to back tenets of democracy, including free and fair elections. Among other points, the statement called Russia out for invading Ukraine and expressed support for civilian control over the military. Nations also voiced their support for international humanitarian law as well as the ICC. The declaration acknowledged the important role played by the ICC as a permanent and impartial tribunal complementary to national jurisdictions in advancing accountability for the most serious crimes under international law. While the Philippines hailed the summit for backing democratic principles, it said it disassociates itself from this reference to the ICC. The PH government does not recognize the ICCs jurisdiction and affirms that the PH has the jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute crimes, including those allegedly committed in the context of the countrys anti-illegal drugs campaign, the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. Referring to the treaty that led to the creation of The Hague -based court, it said the country upheld its commitment to fight impunity for atrocity crimes, notwithstanding the countrys withdrawal from the Rome Statute, especially since the Philippines has a national legislation punishing atrocity crimes. Human rights-related dialogues and platforms, the statement went on to say, must not be politicized and targeted against specific countries and instead be constructive, inclusive, and directed at delivering meaningful, long-lasting solutions. Countries that joined in the declaration also demanded that parties to armed conflicts comply with obligations under international humanitarian law and commit to fight against impunity including crimes against humanity. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (right) greets the crowd during his visit to Cebu city, central Philippines, Feb. 27, 2023. [Malacanang Presidential Communications Office via AP] Ex-President Duterte is facing accusations of crimes against humanity over the deaths of about 8,000 suspected drug dealers and addicts during his six-year term, which ended last year. He was replaced by Marcos, whose vice president is Dutertes popular daughter, Sara Duterte. On Monday, the ICC ruled against the Philippine governments appeal for suspending the probe into the Duterte administration (2016-22), saying Manila had failed to demonstrate that continuing with the probe could jeopardize the governments own investigation into police officer-involved killings during the drug war. That ends all our involvement with the ICC. We can no longer appeal. The appeal has failed. In our view theres nothing more that we can do. And so at this point, we essentially are disengaging from any contact, from any communication with the ICC, Marcos told reporters on Tuesday. [W]e cannot cooperate with the ICC considering the very serious questions about their jurisdiction and about what we consider to be interference and practically attacks on the sovereignty of the republic, he said. The foreign affairs department on Thursday stressed that rule of law and accountability were fully functioning in the Philippines, and that its criminal justice works. Elaine Pearson, the Asia director for Human Rights Watch, meanwhile accused the Philippine government of duplicity and rhetoric and said that the ICC would continue with its investigation whether or not Manila cooperated. The Philippines cannot engage in double talk on democracy and human rights, said Pearson, who was in Manila for meetings related to human rights. It cannot say it upholds those values but at the same time reject, ridicule and threaten accountability mechanisms like the ICC. The Marcos administrations avowed commitments to protect human rights and fight impunity will be shown by whether it cooperates with the ICCs investigation, she said. U.S. State Department Counselor Derek Chollet speaks with RFA after returning recently from Southeast Asia. He said the U.S. hopes to foster conditions that end the current crisis in Myanmar. U.S. State Department Counselor Derek Chollet returned recently from a trip to Southeast Asia that included stops in Bangkok and Jakarta. While in Indonesia, Chollet spoke with officials about their countrys role as this years chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, and the establishment of a special office within its foreign ministry to focus on the political crisis in fellow bloc member Myanmar. At the end of January, Chollet described Washingtons goal as being to foster conditions that end the current crisis in Myanmar and return the country to the path of inclusive, representative multiparty democracy. Amid frustration over the lack of progress in Myanmar and ASEANs handling of the crisis, Chollet claimed that sanctions leveled against the junta for its violent repression of the opposition have had some effect, reducing its sources of funding. But he acknowledged that more needs to be done, including ending the steady pipeline of arms that keeps entering the country and which the junta has used against its people. Chollet sat down with RFA Burmeses Ye Kaung Myint Maung on Monday to discuss how the United States is working to achieve its goal in Myanmar both unilaterally and through cooperation with partners in the region. The following interview has been edited for length and clarity: RFA: What can you tell me about your trip to Southeast Asia last week? Derek Chollet: I was able to talk to our partners in Indonesia about their ASEAN chair year and some of their aspirations for that year. They have established a special office inside the foreign ministry to focus on the crisis in Myanmar and help steer ASEANs efforts when it comes to addressing the crisis in Myanmar. They have named a very senior diplomat to lead that office. Someone who is very well known to us here in the United States I had a chance to speak with him as well as Foreign Minister [Retno] Marsudi about the situation in Myanmar. And some of their thinking about how theyre going to try to achieve some results. So we talked about all sorts of issues related to the crisis, whether its our work to help provide humanitarian assistance to the refugees in and across the border from Myanmar into Thailand to ways that were going to work together with ASEAN to try to continue to pressure the junta, to further isolate them and to do what we can to support the democratic opposition inside Myanmar. RFA: So what would be the [role] of that office in Indonesia? DC: They are looking to help coordinate efforts on behalf of Indonesia for ASEAN in this chair year and its including trying to lead the diplomatic efforts that ASEAN is undertaking and implement the five-point consensus [agreed to in April 2021 at an emergency meeting to end violence in Myanmar], to setting up a process to provide greater humanitarian assistance through the [ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance] into Myanmar, to coming up with a work plan for how to use the coming year with key leadership meetings with ministers meetings and, of course, eventually with the summit later this year to try to get some important decisions made through ASEAN about Myanmar all in the service of trying to implement the five point consensus. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, shown in this file photo, spoke with U.S. State Department Counselor Derek Chollet about the situation in Myanmar. Indonesia is the current chair of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). [AP Photo] RFA: What updates do you have on U.S. assistance for the people of Myanmar as mandated by the Burma Act? DC: We are working every day to implement the measures of the Burma Act. And we are one of the largest, if not the largest, donor[s] of humanitarian assistance to Myanmar. We work intensively through our embassy in [Yangon] to provide humanitarian assistance and also to provide non-lethal assistance to the pro-democratic opposition and help them on everything from planning to budgeting to administration, particularly in areas which are now about 50% of the country that fall outside the [juntas] control. So we find it very important that we have this support, bipartisan support, on Capitol Hill and are regularly in touch with our Congress on the way forward in implementing the Burma Act. RFA: The establishment of the special office do you think its significant and why? KC: Previous chairs of ASEAN, Brunei and Cambodia, [have acted as] foreign ministers and special envoys ... They were worried about managing the ASEAN agenda across the board. They have to participate in many meetings all around the world, in addition to their ASEAN duties and in addition to their concerns about Myanmar. So I think it makes a lot of sense to have this special office. Its ensuring that there is high-level focused attention on the situation inside Myanmar. And theyre good partners of the United States. Russian and Chinese influence RFA: You said, during your trip, that Russian arms support for the junta is destabilizing the entire region. So what can you tell me about what the U.S. is doing to counter that Russian support? KC: We are making very clear to all of our partners that that support is unacceptable. We are also trying to make it harder for the junta to get the resources to acquire weapons that are fueling its war machine. Just last week, on Friday, when I returned from the trip, the United States announced another round of sanctions against several individuals and entities inside Myanmar that are associated with its acquisition of arms and particularly air power. Because what were seeing is the junta is increasingly using air power to go after the opposition because theyre finding that theyre less successful when theyre using ground forces. Myanmar junta leader Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing sits in the cockpit of a newly acquired Russian SU-30 SME fighter jet at the Diamond Jubilee celebration of the air force, Dec. 15, 2022. [Handout photo/Myanmar Military] RFA: We also see Chinese support, although not as significant as Russia, to the regime. We have an analyst [former U.S. Ambassador to Myanmar Scot Marciel], who said that the Chinese leadership sees the Myanmar issue as a power struggle between the U.S. and China. And they don't want to lose Myanmar to the U.S. So what would you tell the Chinese leaders, with regard to the Myanmar crisis? KC: We dont see a power struggle between the U.S. and China [over Myanmar]. We are worried about Myanmar on its own terms and the terrible humanitarian catastrophe that Myanmar is becoming. And the fact that two-plus years ago now, we had a rollback of democracy. The will of the people of Myanmar who expressed themselves in November of 2020 [by voting for Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy]. [The military] didnt like the results, so they decided to try to undo it with the [Feb. 1, 2021] coup. We have raised Myanmar and our shared concerns about Myanmars stability with China. China has a new envoy to Myanmar that we look forward to engaging with and trying to find out whether there is a common solution here. We believe that there can be shared interests. In Myanmar we want to see stability there. We dont want to see Myanmar become an exporter of crime, of drugs and of arms and of people and of instability. Thats something we want to try to prevent and we believe China does as well. No silver bullets RFA: What do you want to say to the people on the ground fighting the regime and the people hoping for a better life and better tomorrow? KC: First of all, we fully understand how difficult the situation is inside Myanmar. We know that every day we have people fighting for their lives and sacrificing for their country. All I would say is we in the United States, working with our allies and partners, wake up every day determined to do whatever we can to try to help improve the situation. I cant pretend here that we have any silver bullets. But whether its providing humanitarian support, whether its trying to make the pro-democratic opposition stronger or through pressure and isolation we can try to change the incentives of the junta to make it less likely to continue this war and hopefully end it and get Myanmar back on the path of democracy. Thats what we are seeking. We see the great potential and opportunity from the people of Myanmar. And all of the talent there. And thats why we've been so focused on the crisis over the last several years because what the regime did in February 2021 was just take a step off that path towards progress and democracy and prosperity. Radio Free Asia (RFA), a news service affiliated with BenarNews, produced this report. Bangkok is seen enveloped in smog from a rooftop in the Din Daeng district, Feb. 1, 2023. [Nava Sangthong/BenarNews] Smog envelops Bangkok as seen from a rooftop in the Din Daeng district, Feb. 1, 2023. [Nava Sangthong/BenarNews] A helicopter moves out after filling its water tanks from the Mae Yen Reservoir in Chiang Mai province, Thailand, March 21, 2023. [Nava Sangthong/BenarNews] Thai firefighters have been busy over the last two months attempting to contain fiery hot spots that have caused hazardous pollution, leading to health concerns among locals in the northern provinces. Over the last week, firefighting helicopters drained a reservoir in Chiang Mai province of 800 gallons of water during each of more than 120 missions to douse hot spots in Lam Pang and other provinces. According to Thailands Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency, the region at one point had more than 4,000 hot spots. This year the smog and wildfires have been worse than last year, Col. Worachak Tepin, chief of the northern region wildfire operation, told BenarNews. Residents have complained of coughing, sneezing, nose bleeds, sore throats and other ailments. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set the hazardous level of pollutants at 25 micrograms per cubic meter, while Thailands standard is 50. As of Thursday, pollution levels in northern Chiang Mai were much higher than the Thai standard. Officials blamed the burning of crop waste as well as man-made and natural wildfires for the pollution levels. Many Thai farmers are unable to turn crop waste into fertilizer for their fields so they end up burning it, according to authorities and academics. Last week, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha unsuccessfully called on citizens to stop burning. Varawut Silpa-archa, minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, said a petition to the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Transboundary Haze calling on neighbors to cut back on pollution had not been successful. Another day of action was held on Tuesday (28 March) to oppose the rotten Macron regime, which last week forced through an increase of the French retirement age. The struggle remains strong, evidenced by the millions of people who took to the streets. But in order for the workers and youth to emerge victorious in their battles with Macron, the old bankrupt methods of the union leaders will not suffice. Our French comrades of Revolution draw a balance sheet (published 29 March) of the last mobilisation and point the way forward. Read the original in French | The day of action against the pension reform, yesterday, was rich in lessons. Here are a few: 1) With more than 2 million people in the streets nationwide, the mobilisation is still very strong, especially given that it was the 10th day of action organized since 19 January. By way of comparison, the CGT claimed the same number of demonstrators during the 10th day of action of the very powerful social movement in the fall of 2010. With more than 2 million people in the streets nationwide, the mobilisation is still very strong / Image: La CGT, Twitter These enormous reserves of anger and combativeness terrify the ruling class. On the basis of a much more militant strategy and slogans, the leaders of the trade union movement could fully mobilise these reserves and inflict a major defeat on the government, if not overthrow it. Instead, the intersyndicale coalition of unions merely calls for an 11th day of action on 6 April, nine days after the 10th. This strategy is obviously counterproductive. What message is sent to workers who are currently engaged in renewable strikes? Are they supposed to stay out until 6 April? The press release from the intersyndicale does not say a word about the renewable strikes. It simply supports the strikes that have been going on since January. However, only the deepening and broadening of renewable strikes can force the government to back down. The fact is that the leaders of the intersyndicale are at least as terrified as the ruling class. Their press release last night deplored a situation of tension in the country which greatly worries us, as if the intensification of the class struggle could do anything other than raise tensions. The same press release expresses alarm at the risk of social explosion. And while the government is engaged in brutal police repression of demonstrations and strike pickets, the intersyndicale politely asks it to "guarantee security and respect for the right to strike and to demonstrate". This would be funny if it weren't so serious. If the trade union leaderships widened the objective of the struggle, if they called on the people to mobilise against the government at large, they would encourage new layers of young people and workers to enter the fray / Image: La CGT, Twitter 2) Youth, yesterday, were very present in the demonstrations. The use of article 49.3 [forcing through the pension reform without a vote in the National Assembly] clearly stimulated the mobilisation of university and high school students, who until then had been relatively passive. This is logical: the youth rightly see 49.3 as an insult to the most elementary democratic principles. It is not only mobilising against the pension reform, but against a brutal, authoritarian and reactionary regime. It fights for a radical transformation of society. This mobilisation of youth confirms what we have been explaining since the beginning of the movement: if the trade union leaderships widened the objective of the struggle, if they called on the people to mobilise against the government at large and for a program of breaking with all austerity policies they would encourage new layers of young people and workers to enter the fray. This point of view is shared by broad layers of the movement. For example, at the Inter-faculty General Assembly in Toulouse yesterday, Revolution activists defended the following motion, which was adopted by a vote of the 800 students and workers present: The Inter-facs general assembly of Toulouse joins the workers in the current fight against the pension reform. The use of 49.3 marked a turning point in the course of this struggle. Now, in the minds of a growing number of young people and workers, the fight against the reform is coupled with a fight against the Macron government and all of its policies. To contribute to the success of the movement, the leaders of the intersyndicale must no longer be content to demand only the withdrawal of the reform. It must equip itself with an offensive program defending the interests of workers and youth. This will contribute to the development of the movement of renewable strikes, which alone can guarantee our victory. 3) We have said it many times: the bourgeoisie is terrified by the power of this movement. But it remains no less determined to impose this counter-reform (and many others), because the competitiveness of French capitalism is at stake, that is to say what the big bourgeoisie holds more dear than anything in the world: its profits. FRANCE. A delegate speaks at the #CongresCGT where the leadership has been defeated by the left @UniteCGT. Listen to her articulate the class anger and the need for a revolutionary strategy. This is the way forward: pic.twitter.com/PhPFgCZhTK Jorge Martin (@marxistJorge) March 29, 2023 In recent days, manoeuvres have therefore multiplied on the side of the government as well as on the side of the leaders of the inter-union to try to plug the social volcano. It takes the form of very bad vaudeville. Macron has proposed to the leaders of the intersyndicale to meet and talk about anything they want except pension reform. For their part, the leaders of the intersyndicale have proposed to appoint a mediator between them and the government to talk about the pension reform. To which the government replied that they did not need "mediation" to talk to each other about anything, (except the pension reform). At the same time, the intersyndicale announced that it was going to "write" to Macron again. And for her part, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne wrote to the leaders of the intersyndicale to offer them an interview. Laurent Berger (head of the more-conservative CFDT union confederation) said he was going to go there to talk to the Prime Minister about what she does not want to hear about. The bourgeoisie is terrified by the power of this movement / Image: Unite CGT, Twitter All of this is aimed at demobilising the workers and renewing the so-called social dialogue that is, the negotiation of counter-reforms by the trade union leaderships. The youth and the workers can expect nothing good from these discussions between the government and the trade union leaders, who will do nothing but seek to compromise. They must rely only on their own forces and the grassroots democratic organisation of the struggle. 4) The impasse of the strategy of the national leaderships of the unions, over many years, has begun to find a spectacular and extremely significant expression on the opening day of the National Congress of the CGT union confederation. The "Activity Report" [a balance sheet of the unions activities] of the outgoing leadership was rejected by 50.3 percent of the delegates. This is a huge, unprecedented setback for General Secretary Philippe Martinez and the outgoing leadership in general. The internal polarisation at the CGT has officially crossed a new threshold. The CGT Congress will continue until Friday. There will most certainly be strong aftershocks to this earthquake. Revolution reiterates its support for the left-wing fraction of the CGT (Unite CGT) and its candidate for General Secretary, Olivier Mateu. We will return at greater length to this CGT Congress, which marks a breaking point in the evolution of this confederation. To conclude, let us quote an extract from the declaration of 19 March by Unite CGT, which contrasts with the extreme moderation of the leaders of the inter-union: We are at a tipping point. By pulling the rope too much, they [Macron and his government] broke it. So let's say things openly: now, whats at stake is not only the rejection of the new retirement age of 64 years. This is about the return to 60 years of retirement. About a SMIC [interprofessional minimum wage] at 2,000 euros. The renationalisation/expropriation of highways, industries, and the property of the people, which have been looted. It's about the repeal of unemployment decrees, it's about the end of subsidies for businesses, it's the answer to all our social needs. It's about a change of regime. This social order has lasted too long. We absolutely agree! If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The plan is to open the private school in the fall of 2025, with 36 high school students commuting daily from Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden counties. Cops and Courts Reporter Amanda Burke is Cops and Courts Reporter for The Berkshire Eagle. An Ithaca, New York native, she previously worked at The Herald News of Fall River and the Fitchburg Sentinel & Enterprise. Business writer Tony Dobrowolski's main focus is on business reporting. He came to The Eagle in 1992 after previously working for newspapers in Connecticut and Montreal. He can be reached at tdobrowolski@berkshireeagle.com or 413-496-6224. As a U.S. secret service agent with an automatic weapon watches over James Brady, the president's secretary, after being wounded in an attempt on the life of President Ronald Reagan, in Washington, D.C., March 30, 1981. "It was determined the bridge was no longer safe for travel," Mayor Jennifer Macksey said. "The city and the state are working together to come up with a plan. For the moment the bridge will remain closed until further notice. The first public hearing on The Foundry's license renewal request brought out differing views. Some defended the venue's artistic contributions. Others said the volume at events is too much for the neighborhood. More comments come Monday. Israel tensions ease as Netanyahu pauses judicial overhaul Israels political factions opposed to embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are setting up negotiating teams after he called for dialogue and paused his controversial judicial overhaul plan that had set off unprecedented mass street protests and a spiraling domestic crisis. But compromise appears elusive as the standoff remained the same on Tuesday: a dispute over the fundamental issue of what kind of country Israel should be. Positions only appear to have hardened in past days. Netanyahu said he wanted to avoid civil war and would seek a compromise with political opponents. He spoke after tens of thousands of people demonstrated outside the parliament building in Jerusalem. I do not often set my sights on events occurring outside the United States, but today the most compelling event is, for me, Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahus tacit authorization of the wholesale destruction of an entire Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank, along with his attempt to seize control of the Israeli Supreme Court. Frankly, I can think of nothing less in keeping with Jewish values. The state of Israel, previously ruled by the Ottomans and then by the British as the colony of Palestine, achieved their statehood as a direct result of the guilt of the international community that did so little to prevent the murder of 6 million Jews. Had the Holocaust not happened, Israel might not be the self-governing, Jewish nation that it is today. Israel has been supported by the United States and other democracies as a strategic partner in the Middle East ever since its creation in 1948. Growing up, I thought of it as an island of democracy adrift in a sea of despotic, authoritarian sheikdoms. No more. Benjamin Netanyahu, the once-and-future Israeli Prime Minister who is currently being investigated for corruption which explains his effort to take over the high court, bringing Israel to the brink of civil war has consistently undermined a true two-state solution by continuing to build settlements in the occupied West Bank. This has been done under the guise of protecting Israel from Palestinian aggression. Tell me if you were systematically oppressed and deprived of rights under an authoritarian occupying force, wouldnt you revolt against the occupation? Netanyahu has taken an already tense situation and made it exponentially worse. He has done that throughout all of his administrations. Stories of Palestinian-directed violence by the Israeli military and police are well documented. Now, a virtual pogrom has been given the green light by Netanyahu. A pogrom. The same sort of pogrom that terrorized the Jews of eastern Europe for decades. The Palestinian Authority has done nothing to protect or defend their own people. They are the puppets of Israel, just as the Jewish Council installed in the Warsaw Ghetto during the Holocaust were puppets of the Nazis. Recently, one of Netanyahus ministers declared that there is no such thing as a Palestinian, reminiscent of those who claim that there was no such thing as the Holocaust. To be clear, there was a Holocaust, just as there are Palestinians. Where is the worldwide outrage? Where are the economic sanctions? Why is Netanyahu not treated as an international pariah? In what way is such behavior a demonstration of Jewish values? The Torah tells us to welcome the stranger at our door, for we were strangers in Egypt. It tells us that we will be remembered for our good deeds and our acts of kindness and charity. It tells us to treat our neighbors as we would like to be treated by them. In contemporary Judaism, the concept of Tikkun Olam entreats us to repair the world. I am Jewish, and I have subscribed to those values for as long as I have been alive. Are those the values currently embodied by the government of Israel? How easy it is for the oppressed to become the oppressors. Evidently, a single generation is all it takes. I am encouraged by the massive protests throughout Israel relating to Netanyahus attempt to seize control of the judiciary. Perhaps this will curb his natural inclination to destroy an important cornerstone of Israels democracy for his own benefit. As for the destruction and oppression of Palestinians living in the West Bank, there seems to be less universal outrage. If the citizens of Israel lack the courage or conviction to oppose the clear, ongoing and intentional violation of Palestinian human rights, it falls to those of us living in the diaspora to unite in vocal support of the oppressed. Palestinians are members of our big, messy human family. They are as decent, and at times as indecent, as any other group of people on earth. They are men and women, adults and children. They have hopes, dreams and fears. They want to live their lives in a place where they have opportunity, autonomy and community. What Netanyahu is doing is wrong and profoundly un-Jewish. Thus, I protest. BOSTON Days after news of another mass shooting rocked the nation, this time in Nashville, Tenn., Massachusetts lawmakers renewed their commitment to passing an omnibus gun bill this session. "While Massachusetts remains among one of the safest states regarding violence, such violence continues to make headlines, and I am committed to do something about that," said Senate Majority Leader Cynthia Creem. Creem said the Legislature will focus on ghost guns, reducing violence through a public health lens by investing in community programs, and making Massachusetts a leader in the collection and analysis of gun data and research. There have been 64 incidents of gun violence in Massachusetts so far in 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit that tracks gun violence in the U.S. On Tuesday, three Berkshire County schools were targets of "swatting" incidents in which hoax school threats were called in, setting off a police response and community worry. There were 39 such false incidents across the Commonwealth that day. House Speaker Ron Mariano released a statement last summer pledging that "the House will continue its legacy of enacting strong gun laws by taking both immediate action and forward-looking steps to ensure Massachusetts remains one of the safest places in the nation" in both the remainder of the 2021-2022 legislative session and into the 2023-2024 session. The Speaker said he asked Rep. Michael Day, House chair of the Judiciary Committee, to work on an omnibus gun safety bill that would "consider everything from updating our firearm licensing and training framework, to clamping down on evolving technology designed to circumvent our safety laws, to refining tools that help identify individuals who pose a danger to themselves or others." Now that the next session has come, Moms Demand Action is not letting lawmakers forget their promise. Over 200 advocates were at the State House on Wednesday knocking on office doors and presenting their legislative priorities to prevent gun violence. Day said the mass school shooting that happened in Nashville likely wouldn't have happened in Massachusetts because of the state's gun laws. The Nashville shooter was under a doctor's care for an emotional disorder. The shooter's parents said they previously voiced concerns about their child owning firearms, though the guns were purchased legally. "That individual was mentally disturbed, was seeking treatment that's a disqualifier under our laws. Wouldn't have been licensed to carry a firearm under our laws here in Massachusetts," Day said, referencing the "red flag" law, which prevents a person who shows signs of being a threat to themselves or others from purchasing guns. Rina Schneur, legislative leader for Moms Demand Action, said that the red flag law is important, but not enough people in the state know it exists or how to use it if someone in their life is struggling with mental health and owns or wants to own a gun. Among other legislation the gun violence prevention group supports, advocates lobbied Wednesday for a Rep. Frank Moran bill (H 2380) that would allow both the state attorney general and individual residents to file lawsuits against firearm industry members if they feel harm was caused by irresponsible industry practices. They are also supporting a Creem and Rep. Marjorie Decker bill to expand gun violence data reporting requirements "to help ensure that legislators and law enforcement have the data they need to craft effective gun prevention policy, investigate violent crimes, and prevent gun trafficking and gun violence." "Collecting data and not doing anything with it helps nobody and does nothing," Schneur said. "So we need to make sure we get inside where these crime firearms are coming from, especially with the increasing threat of firearm trafficking from other states." Schneur added: "Now I want to address everybody who resides in this building. You have a unique power to prevent grief. So I'm asking you, we are asking you today to pass a comprehensive, strong gun violence prevention omnibus bill. And we ask you today to pass it sooner rather than later ... as soon as possible. Because we know that strong gun laws save lives. So the sooner you pass an omnibus bill into a law, the more lives you will save. And the more grief you can prevent." Clarkston, WA (99403) Today A shower or two around the area in the morning, then partly cloudy in the afternoon. High around 60F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low 44F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Tonight's rundown: Talking Points Memo: Joe Biden continues to decline with the world watching and remains out of the press reach Presidential Historian Larry Cook weighs in on how Bidens relationship with the press compares to past presidents US Special Forces have been confirmed to be in Ukraine OReilly describes Democrats hosting the DNC in Chicago as Crazy Arrogant The trial of Fox News gets underway 58% of Americans are now living paycheck to paycheck even as inflation begins to cool off Smart Life: Utilizing Kelly Blue Book when searching for a new car This Day in History: FDR dies in office Final Thought: what to do when someone is disrespectful to you In Case You Missed It: Read Bill's latest column, "Reason to Believe" Join 'Team Normal!' Order your gear now at BillOReilly.com! Pre-order Bills next bestseller Killing the Witches NOW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Jem's Birding & Ringing Exploits in the Eastern Province and elsewhere in Saudi Arabia The recent Africa Supply Chain in Action (ASCA) Conference saw almost 3,000 African supply chain and procurement professionals from 75 countries gather online to examine the skills, strategies and solutions needed to accelerate African economic development and growth in a post-pandemic new world. The theme for this year's event was Borderless Unleashing Africas Potential. The conference, which is one of the largest Africa-focused online learning, knowledge sharing and networking event for the supply chain and procurement profession, was launched during the Covid-19 crisis by leading industry organisations Smart Procurement and Sapics (The Professional Body for Supply Chain Management). It has gone from strength to strength, and this year featured 63 exceptional African and international speakers who shared their expertise and insights with 2,780 registered delegates. Freedom of movement The event opened with a keynote presentation by Saeed Ande, procurement director at Lafarge Africa Plc. He shared his vision of a borderless Africa, which would be a continent with a free movement of capital, goods, services, and people. "Such freedom of movement would not be limited to economically wealthy countries alone but would be evenly distributed across Africa," he stated. Ande said that measures that will help companies adapt to the constant shift in supply chain since the advent of the pandemic include digitalisation, local sourcing, supplier relationship management, inventory decentralisation and sustainable procurement. Upskilling and knowledge transfer and the diversification of the businesss supplier base were also critical for organisations striving to adapt and remain agile, to survive and thrive in an unpredictable business environment, he stressed. Procurements Big Reset Innovation and Localisation in Supply Chain was the title of the compelling keynote by Nigeria-based Azuka Okeke, chief executive officer (CEO) of Africa Resource Center for Excellence in Supply Chain Management (ARC_ESM). "In Africa, for procurement to better contribute to business effectiveness, it needs to innovate," she asserted. Okeke contended that smart regulations, localisation and e-procurement could help Africa leapfrog procurement practices. "Digitisation has made it easier than ever before for procurement professionals to navigate the congested business-to-business (B2B) marketplace with a greater sense of trust. Businesses in Africa will benefit from consumer-like experiences in procurement. "Over the last few years, many initiatives across the globe have successfully consumerised B2B e-commerce and e-procurement," she explained. Okeke cited Dooka as Africas first enterprise marketplace and said that platforms like this have the potential to transform indirect procurement in Africa. "They enable access to a broad pool of potential vendors operating under a wide range of business models and their value to buyers extends to customisation, dynamic pricing, and indirect-spend management, and control important factors even for sophisticated procurement functions. They free procurement teams from time-consuming, often repetitive, transactional work that fails to take full advantage of their more advanced capabilities." Intra-African trade The second day of the conference kicked off with an absorbing keynote presentation by Michael Sudarkasa, CEO of Africa Business Group, South Africa. He addressed the issue that Africans produce what they do not eat, and eat what they do not produce, and outlined how intra-African trade can be a catalyst for accelerated African economic growth and development. The solutions he offered to delegates included the formalisation of enterprises, value addition, industrialisation, the diversification of markets and tax revenues, and infrastructure investment. We need to focus on formalising small and medium-sized enterprises, on adding value to raw materials found in African countries, and on utilising technology and modern practices and the intensification of labour," Sudarkasa said. "We need to explore other markets, off the continent as well as on the continent. We need policies to support the growth of different industries to help diversify tax revenues. Government needs to be able to support enabling investment in services and infrastructure," he stressed. This years event partners were Absa, Dooka, Tradeshift, Global Trade Solutions (GTS), the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport (CILT), Cameroon Association of Supply Chain, Logistics and Procurement Experts (CASLOPE), Kenya Institute of Supplies Management (KISM) and Federation Africaine des Associations de Logisticiens (FAAL). Animation has a significant impact on our lives, as a tool for teaching and learning, a form of entertainment, as a marketing tool, and naturally a creative outlet and form of income for animators in an ever-evolving global sector, and thus contributing to the local economy. Celebrating this, South Africa once again highlights the growing impact made by African animators at this years Cape Town International Animation Festival, taking place from 27-30 April 2023 at the Cape Town International Conference Centre. According to the National Film and Video Foundation, pre-Covid, the production industry as a whole was valued at over R8bn, and grew 5.2% year-on-year, employing on average 60,000 full-time, FTE and freelance workers. With the growth of the digital landscape, animation as a sector has received increasing interest, with tertiary institutions including Digital Canvas Academy, The Animation School, WITS, Learn3D, SAE, Open Window, Boston Media House, City Varsity, Vega Design School, Greenside Design Centre, and Nemisa, to name a few, offer programmes with a focus on digital professions, opening more doors for the upskilling of animators and digital creators. It is important here to note that globally the industry is growing at +-25% per annum. Many countries, recognising the economic and job creation importance of this sector, have increased the attractiveness of their policy, legislative and incentive frameworks to attract and stimulate as much production as possible, attract FDI and create jobs, says Nick Cloete, chairman of Animation SA. As an industry, productions produce jobs which range from highly-skilled, world-class cast and crew, to artisans and unskilled new entrants to the workplace. Eighty-five percent of the industry workforce is Black and 65% of the workforce under the age of 35, contributing to NDP 2030 goals. Animation contributes to the industry which is an employment and economic multiplier. As a whole, the industry promotes Brand South Africa and drives tourism, but as a premier international filmmaking destination, it contributes an incalculable value to social cohesion, national identity, heritage and culture telling our stories to compatriots and the world. Bringing the sector together, the Cape Town International Animation Festival is offering visitors a dynamic programme, which aims to shine a spotlight on the contribution of African creatives, storytellers, and artists, amplify the award-winning work done on the continent. The programme features various screening, engaging workshops, insightful talks, and focuses on offering a leg-up to aspiring animators, so they may avoid any pitfalls or misinformation and gain the skills and insight into the sector as a whole. Guests will have a platform to exhibit and highlight their unique talent, shed light on the various employment, collaborative and creative opportunities, and also entertain and upskill visitors through various workshops on offer across the four days. For more, go to https://www.ctiaf.com/ East Coast Radio (ECR), a stalwart of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) radio for the past 27 years, has launched a fresh new positioning that reinforces its pivotal role in the lives of the people of the province. East Coast Radio 'Here with You' brand campaign mural at Hillcrest Primary School Over time, ECR has become renowned for bringing the KZN community together and inspiring a sense of belonging and happiness among its people. The new brand campaign, 'Here with You' celebrates all the ways in which ECR has supported, entertained, connected, and rewarded the KZN communities and aims to create greater brand affinity between listeners and the radio station. ECR's managing director, Boni Mchunu, said: "We are more than a radio station. We are a KZN brand that connects, where we celebrate and where we share. Whether it's music or family moments, we are the brand that creates memorable moments that evoke emotions for all." East Coast Radio Breakfast show presenters at Hillcrest Primary School for the first ever mural for new campaign, 'Here with You' Mchunu believes that the new brand campaign will resonate with a broad and diverse demographic of listeners and further the station's business objectives of growing listenership across the KZN region. ECR has been a constant support to the KZN communities over the past 27 years, especially during the last three, where the province has experienced incredible highs and lows. From making history by giving away R1m in cash in 2009 to providing relief, news, and helpful information during challenging times like Covid-19, the 2021 unrest, and the 2022 floods, ECR has always been there for KZN. The ECR team collaborated closely with Durban-based creative agency, The Hardy Boys, to develop a new positioning for the brand, which includes an evolved visual identity. The new visual identity incorporates abstract versions of ECR's iconic doppler logo, along with visuals that capture the authentic moments in the lives of KZN people, the beauty of their province, and their resilient and optimistic spirit. Over the next few weeks, ECR will amplify the campaign to promote 'Here with You' across radio, digital, and out-of-home spaces, reminding listeners of the many ways ECR is present in their daily lives. "We want our audience to feel like this is their campaign, that their voice is being heard, and that all our activities resonate and create an emotional connection with the brand. We want KZN people to feel proud of what we are doing because we are doing it for them," said Mchunu. As part of the campaign, ECR has partnered with several KZN artists to create a series of custom murals (street art) in well-known locations chosen by the stations listeners around the province, starting in Hillcrest. The murals will showcase the unique style of each artist and celebrate their connection to the area and its community. East Coast Radio 'Here with You' mural in Hillcrest Primary School by artist Resoborg Renowned Durban artist Wesley van Eeden also known as Resoborg, is putting the final touches on the mural outside Hillcrest Primary School this week. The mural is filled with KZN-inspired imagery, and the learners at the school were invited to take part and help Wesley with the final touches of his artwork. Wesley has created a piece that pays tribute to the family-focused culture of the area, which is made more poignant by the fact that his own children attend the school. Watch the new ECR brand campaign video as they celebrate their connection with their listeners. Click the link https://vimeo.com/812408590/3ac827cb1b Follow the 'Here with You' campaign by listening to East Coast Radio on https://www.ecr.co.za/listen-live/. The internet is filled with endless lists of dos and don'ts and myths regarding what to believe in the digital world. Many of these myths paint a picture that does not accurately describe the current state of digital developments. Using the 2023 Digital Report , the 10 most common myths will be reviewed and debunked, explaining why they are what they are - myths. 1. Myth: The Facebook era is over Think again! Despite popular belief, Facebook remains among the top three most used social media platforms in South Africa and worldwide. Out of the share of internet users between the ages of 16 and 64 who actively use social media platforms, Facebook is the second most used platform in South Africa (87.2%), coming in only 6.1% below Whatsapp (93.3%). In addition, the second largest share (18.6%) of active social users within the above-mentioned age demographic say that Facebook is their favourite social media platform, with Whatsapp taking the largest share (33.6%). With regards to the time spent on the platform, users spend an average of 14 hours and 42 minutes per month on Facebook, coming in second place right after YouTube. 2. Myth: Internet users spend hours aimlessly on social media Not true! It is dangerously easy to fall down the rabbit hole of social media, engaging in content catered to individual preferences. However, contrary to what is often believed, the primary reason for internet users to be on social media platforms is for brand research, using the platforms to find information about specific brands and products. 55.8% of South African internet users use social media primarily as a source of information, with the second biggest use case (53.7%) being to stay in touch with friends and family. 3. Myth: Media users can't stand advertising and marketing Wrong! Social media users attitudes towards advertising and marketing have changed in recent years. Internet users have reported feeling more represented and seen in the advertising they are exposed to. This is a positive development, with a 9.3% increase in the year-on-year attitude towards how positive advertising is perceived by users. This positive development can be attributed to advertisements being tailored to the individual preferences of users, using certain social media tools. 4. Myth: Online shopping is the new normal False! The Covid-19 pandemic caused havoc, with restrictions forcing many transactions from the physical world into the digital sphere. Therefore, online shopping experienced a huge spike but this, however, did not last. With restrictions being lifted and ultimately coming to an end, e-commerce purchases of consumer goods have declined. There was a general decline in internet users that engaged in e-commerce activities, declining by 1.5% in comparison to the previous year. In addition, online shopping does not always include the completion of a purchase, and the online shopping cart abandonment rate on mobile devices is 84%. This suggests that physical, traditional shopping is still as valued, and could continue to rise in popularity as the world returns to pre-pandemic times. 5. Myth: Brands are spending less on their social media marketing budgets Disproven! A common misconception seems to be that social media marketing budgets have decreased, when in reality, quite the opposite has occurred. The total ad spend across all offline and online channels is $45.24bn. 82.7% of that total ad spend ($37.42bn) is spent on digital ads. Not only is the majority of ad spend allocated to digital ads, but there has been a 12.8% year-on-year growth in digital ad spend ($4.3bn). From a South Africa perspective, 56.52% of African organisations planned to increase their social media budget in 2023. 6. Myth: Instagram has a bigger ad reach than TikTok in South Africa False! TikTok has risen to extreme popularity all over the world, with marketing efforts taking place on the platform. While Instagram ads reached 13% of the South African internet user base, TikTok ads reached 27.2% of the local internet user base. This data suggests that marketers need to start incorporating the platform into their digital marketing strategy. It has also been revealed that the size of Instagrams ad audience in South Africa decreased by 250 thousand (-4.2%) between October 2022 and January 2023. 7. Myth: Cryptocurrencies are booming Nope! Cryptocurrencies have been in and out of the public spotlight for nearly a decade now, with a recent boom in popularity last year. While they remain an important development to keep an eye on, they are not as widespread as assumed, with only about 9.5% of all internet users owning a form of cryptocurrency. 8. Myth: Social media users don't trust influencers They do! Influencers play an important role in most social media activity, with users looking to influencers for inspiration, guidance, recommendations and warnings. It has been found that nine out of 10 consumers are more likely to trust influencers, rather than traditional or celebrity advertisements and endorsements. Influencers are better positioned to provide personalised advice and insight, knowing exactly who their target audience is and what they want to hear and see. Recent research has shown that influencer marketing will become more important, as customers and brands collaborate more closely with influencers. Companies will also start to slowly abandon traditional marketing efforts in favour of social media influencer marketing. Social media users don't only turn to influencers for recommendations but also when it comes to what to avoid. This trend is referred to as TikToks de-influencers. This new trend aims to work against the over-saturated marketing environment and provide social media users with personal, trustworthy advice on products and services. 9. Myth: People are spending more time on the internet Wrong! Despite the fact that more and more people are connected to the internet, the average daily internet usage time has decreased by 6.7%, which is roughly 30 minutes less than in 2022. 10. Myth: The increasing awareness regarding social media and its influence on mental health leads to a decline in social media use False! Despite an increased awareness surrounding the adverse effects of social media use, the average time spent on social media has increased. Globally, active social media users spend 2 hours 31 minutes per day on social platforms, which has increased by 2% from 2022. Not only has the amount of time spent on social media increased, but so has the amount of people using the platforms. There has been a 3% year-on-year increase in the amount of global active social media users. By 2050, the number of people living in African cities is expected to mushroom from our current 600 million to almost 1.2 billion, representing the most rapid rate of urbanisation in the world. It is only natural that, amidst the challenges that this presents, multi-national companies are viewing Africa as the next expansion playground as they come forth seeking to open new markets. Image source: Aleksandra Alekseeva 123RF.com I recently attended the AICPA and CIMA international public and management accountants conference in South Africa as a panellist. The theme of this years event was looking at the implications of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) processes on business and finance with a focus on Africa. Of course, robust discussion ensued, bringing global best practices to the fore. The Calabash Effect Reflecting back on the conference reminded me of a popular African utensil called the calabash. For those not familiar with the item, calabash is the term used for artefacts made from the hard shell of a fruit in the gourd family "Lagenaria siceraria". These are traditionally used for serving or storing water or food, as an inkpot, cosmetic container, by market traders as money boxes, amongst many other functions. Growing up in an African rural context in Zimbabwe, calabashes were commonplace. While these rudimentary vessels have become somewhat iconic, there is perhaps something we can learn from their ingenious form. Their non-transparent nature makes it impossible to ascertain their contents from afar. You can only see whats inside by being really close, holding it, lifting it up and sometimes only by peeking inside. This is in stark contrast to a glass cup where it is easy to see the quantity of the contents from afar or whether you have the proverbial half full or half empty. With a calabash however, these dynamics are much more difficult to apply due to its characteristics. It is with this lens that one needs to view business and ESG on the African continent. This perspective of looking more closely, studying more deeply, incorporating touch and feel is required is what I now call The African Calabash Effect. It can help guide us on how we view the adoption of ESG strategy on the continent tremendously. Africa is a complex environment through its geography, demographics, cultures, social structures and other facets, requiring one to be up-close when looking at ESG. Environment In regard to environment, the continent has large tracts of arable land and 85% of the population relies on the natural resources; however the same population is the most affected by climate shocks in the world. According to State of Climate in 2021, in just 2020 and 2021, 131 extreme-weather, climate change-related disasters were recorded on the continent. Therefore, when ESG policy drives agendas like decarbonisation, this is a double-edged sword because in one case it instils a hope of a better future for the African populace, but at the same time, the economic consequences can also be dire. A recent World Bank Report cited countries like Nigeria, Congo, Uganda, and Ethiopia whose CO2 emissions are increasing due to their consumption of fossil fuels, face an astounding challenge to deviate from this as doing so almost equates to negative socio-economic impact. Social With 23 of the 28 worlds poorest countries being in Africa, according to the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), means grappling with poverty is sadly expected to be ongoing. However, it is also expected that by 2030, 42% of the worlds youth will be based in Africa which, if they are adequately skilled, will make a positive impact to the global talent market ie. digital and innovation. South Africa a leader in ESG thinking because of the King Codes. However, the country is still burdened, even today, from incidents such as the 2012 Lonmin mining tragedy (known locally as the Marikana massacre) in which 34 miners died at the hands of the police during a wage protest that went horribly wrong. Yet another example of the challenges of implementing ESG strategy in Africa. Governance The geopolitics of Africa significantly impacts the role of ESG when it comes to governance. With a continent of 54 countries that are a blend of diverse culture coupled by colonial history that broadly categorises them into Anglophone, Francophone, and Lusophone countries, achieving governance coherence was always going to be a tall order. To add to this, Palgrave Studies in African Leadership wisely recommends: The uniqueness of the development challenges facing the African region implies that, for sustainability-related investments to have the intended impacts, it is imperative for stakeholders to take a step beyond checking the boxes for the regular ESG variables and focus on addressing the complex mix of context-specific factors that inhibit the sustainable development of Africa. ESG must be driven by Africans Bloomberg estimates ESG assets will hit $50tn globally by 2025. The Africa Calabash Effect allows one to rethink how to convert this bleak picture into an opportunity for unprecedented ESG investment. To move forward with true insight and dexterity, ESG must be driven by Africans, underpinned by African values. This does not in any way imply that we do away with global best-practice. If anything, we still need to reference that, as ignoring them will be to our own detriment. However, Africa requires a unique lens, one based on deep engagement, carefully considered inclusive approaches, and empathy to local nuances. An activist group is due to hold a 'Trans Day of Vengeance' demonstration outside the Supreme Court on Saturday, warning against 'astronomical amounts of hate from the world' and following the horrifying Nashville shooting which left seven dead on Monday. The Trans Radical Activist Network (TRAN) will host the event in Washington D.C. from 31 March until 2 April, starting Friday and marching on the Supreme Court at 11am on Saturday. On their website they cite Gender Affirming care ban bills and the political climate as motives for the demonstration. But commentators are up in arms over the decision to go ahead with the protest as police say they are investigating the role of Nashville shooter Audrey Hale's gender identity and a sense of 'resentment' that may have inspired the attack on the shooter's Christian former school. Republican firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene yesterday demanded her Twitter account be restored after features were limited for violating rules. She said: 'My Congressional account was suspended for 7 days for exposing Antifa, who are organizing a call for violence called "Trans Day of Vengeance." 'The day after the mass murder of children by a trans shooter. Restore my account immediately.' Gender distress. Via: Fox: A new state law in California could incentivize bad actors from around the world to skirt custodial laws by relocating to the Golden State, a conservative legal group claims. We think its a drastic overreach by California, Emilie Kao, senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), told Fox News Digital. Not only does it violate parents fundamental rights to direct the upbringing of their children, it also violates federal law on child custody and jurisdiction because it basically supersedes the federal law that gives jurisdiction to states on child custody matters. California Gov. Gavin Newsom last week signed SB 107, which will block state officials from enforcing laws from other states that hinder access to transgender medical procedures and drugs. With this law, California is basically saying it can take temporary emergency jurisdiction over any child from anywhere if theres a disagreement between a parent and the state of California over how to treat a childs gender distress, said Kao, whose organization was one of 50 groups that sent a letter of protest to Newsom over SB 107. For years, radical billionaire George Soros has been using his vast wealth to twist society into his globalist vision for the world. In America, Soros has installed woke soft-on-crime prosecutors across the country, causing violent crime to soar. Soros is also the Democratic Partys number-one donor and plans to ramp up his efforts even further for the critical 2024 election. But its not only the United States that Soros is trying to shape. As the war in Ukraine rages on, there is little doubt that the human cost has been enormous. So far, it is likely more than 100,000 soldiers have died in combat operations. However, Soros predicted much of what has come to pass in the battle in the east of Europe. The billionaire oligarch, who is often portrayed as a humanist, promoted a hard-nosed geopolitical strategy in his 1993 piece entitled Toward a New World Order: The Future of NATO. In the piece, he outlines how Eastern Europeans could be used as the manpower in coming conflicts in an effort to reduce the number of deaths in Western countries, which Soros argues the West would not politically tolerate, unlike the east of Europe. Soros wrote in the article: The United States would not be called upon to act as the policeman of the world. When it acts, it would act in conjunction with others. Incidentally, the combination of manpower from Eastern Europe with the technical capabilities of NATO would greatly enhance the military potential of the Partnership because it would reduce the risk of body bags for NATO countries, which is the main constraint on their willingness to act. This is a viable alternative to the looming world disorder. Soros acknowledges that the NATO countries have no appetite for body bags, but his statement implicitly indicates that Eastern Europeans can fill this role. What Soros described appears to be unfolding exactly as he predicted regarding the war in Ukraine. Armed with high-end NATO weapons, Ukrainian soldiers are actively countering Russia, which Soros had already feared would become a nationalist nation opposed to the global order he was promoting in 1993. The powerful Western countries have the necessary weapons, and Ukraine has the manpower. Given that Soros already saw the potential of what this symbiotic match could produce on the battlefield decades in advance will likely bolster his reputation as a calculating and perhaps ruthless strategic thinker. As Soros predicted, Ukrainian society appears to be tolerating the high death toll in its current conflict with Russia. During the Vietnam War, the U.S. lost 58,220 over the course of approximately 10 years, and yet, the war saw strong opposition from the American public. Despite a far higher death toll in a far shorter period of time, Ukrainian society has seen little in terms of protests. The lack of protest in Ukraine may also be helped by the fact that Ukraine has suspended most of civil society, banned opposition parties and media, and even outlawed the Russian Orthodox Church. Another key factor in societys perspective on the conflict is that the war is taking place on Ukraine soil, which is a highly motivating factor for Ukrainian soldiers. All those Ukrainian bodies, of course, have come with a major price tag for Russia, with the countrys cemeteries also filling up as quickly or even more so. Exact figures on casualties for either side remain unofficial and are likely inexact, but the war is costing both nations dearly in terms of life. In the same article, Soros called for a new world order. The term is often derided in establishment media as a conspiracy theory, but Soros openly uses it. In addition, in the piece, the new world order he calls for is remarkably globalist and centralized. In other words, exactly the type of new world order critics of his, such as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, have been warning about for over a decade. Soros wrote: Therefore, the only basis for action is collective security. And that is where the problem lies. The collapse of the Soviet empire has created a collective security problem of the utmost gravity. Without a new world order, there will be disorder; that much is clear. But who will act as the worlds policeman? That is the question that needs to be answered. Soros outlines a number of his theories in the piece, referring to open and closed societies as well as the theory of revolutionary change. He said he had also applied this theory to financial markets. The billionaire describes how the dissolution of the Soviet Union presented new global security challenges but also opportunities. The original mission was to defend the free world against the Soviet empire. That mission is obsolete; but the collapse of the Soviet empire has left a security vacuum that has the potential of turning into a black hole. This presents a different kind of threat than the Soviet empire did. There is no direct threat from the region to the NATO countries; the danger is within the region, and it concerns conditions within states as much as relationships between states. Therefore, if NATO has any mission at all, it is to project its power and influence into the region, and the mission is best defined in terms of open and closed societies. Closed societies based on nationalist principles constitute a threat to security because they need an enemy, either outside or within. But the threat is very different in character from the one NATO was constructed to confront, and a very different approach is required to combat this threat. It involves the building of democratic states and open societies and embedding them in a structure that precludes certain kinds of behavior. Soros also writes in his piece that NATO was racing to grant membership to countries in Central and Eastern Europe before Russia recovers. Soros appears to see NATO as actively transgressing against Russia during a time the country was still in the chaos following the fall of communism. Soros writes: The countries of Central Europe are clamoring for full membership of NATO as soon as possible, preferably before Russia recovers. Russia objects, not because it harbors any designs on its former empire but because it sees no advantage in consenting. Its national pride has been hurt and it is sick and tired of making concessions without corresponding benefits. The billionaire leftist also makes a number of other proposals in the piece. Those proposals include offering NATO membership to Japan, his goal being the creation of a new world order. Japan should be asked to join NATO, he writes. Then we would have the beginnings of an architecture for a new world order. It is based on the United States as the remaining superpower and on open society as the organizing principle. It consists of a series of alliances, the most important of which is NATO and, through NATO, the Partnership for Peace which girds the Northern Hemisphere. A bill dubbed the RESTRICT act that was submitted to Congress could have severe consequences for virtual private network (VPN) users in the United States. U.S. lawmakers are widening their sights when it comes to cracking down on finance and technology. The bipartisan Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology (RESTRICT) act was unveiled in early March. It was initially dubbed the TikTok Ban Bill, but it has far wider ramifications. Furthermore, VPN users could face hefty fines or jail sentences under the bill. Communications and VPN Tech Targeted People often legitimately use VPN (virtual private network) services to add an extra layer of security for web communications. Furthermore, they allow users to mask or change their internet address. Accessing content that may otherwise be blocked or censored is often required. The bill, if passed, would attempt to identify information and communications technology products and services holdings that pose undue or unacceptable risks. This could include VPNs if they are used to access banned websites such as TikTok. But that is not all. The proposed legislation contains ambiguous phrases like desktop programs, mobile apps, gaming platforms, payment solutions, and web applications. It targets relevant software with a user base exceeding 1 million in the U.S. Essentially, it intends to scrutinize a long list of communications technologies. These include web hosting, cloud services, content delivery services, drones, artificial intelligence, and e-commerce. The bill specifically directs the Secretary of Commerce to identify, deter, disrupt, prevent, prohibit, investigate, or otherwise mitigate national security risks associated with technology linked to countries adversarial to the U.S. The RESTRICT Act is not limited to just TikTok. It gives the government authority over all forms of communication domestic or abroad and grants powers to enforce any mitigation measure to address any risk to national security now and in any potential future transaction pic.twitter.com/0mFNEKLUqU Mises Caucus (@LPMisesCaucus) March 26, 2023 The scary part is the potential punishment for violators. This includes fines of up to a million dollars or 20 years in jail, or both. Balaji Srinivasan, the former CTO of Coinbase, maintains that The RESTRICT Act is reminiscent of Chinas Great Firewall. It creates a virtual barrier within the United States, which emulates Chinas strict internet control policies with the stated goal of competing with and surpassing the Asian powerhouse. Srinivasan argues that it could lead to the erosion of internet freedom in the name of national competition. Moving Forward With TikTok Ban According to reports on March 27, lawmakers are moving forward with the bill. This follows the grilling of TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew last week. The Chinese social media platform has an estimated 150 million users in the United States. House of Representatives speaker Kevin McCarthy said that the House would be moving forward with the bill because TikTok cant be honest. He believes that China has access to TikTok user data. For this reason, McCarthy wants to protect Americans from the technological tentacles of the Chinese Communist Party. Meanwhile, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took to TikTok to address the need for nationwide data and privacy protection policies. She stated that the core of the issue is not TikTok but social media companies collecting troves of deeply personal data from users. If passed, the new legislation will grant the U.S. government sweeping powers to crack down on any technologies and services it sees as a threat. Remarkably, that includes VPN technology. Those opposing the bill say it will give the state the power to police the entire internet and any platforms on it. Furthermore, some referred to it as the Chinafication of America. The legislation is frighteningly similar to that in China, which has some of the worlds harshest internet censorship. Tsai will find herself in a more difficult situation after US transit By Global Times editorial (Global Times) 13:16, March 30, 2023 Taiwan regional leader Tsai Ing-wen kicked off a trip on Wednesday, claiming she is heading to Guatemala and Belize in Central America. However, it is clear to everyone that the centerpiece of the trip would be "transiting through" the US. This is a trick she had played six times previously, and with her term soon ending, she appears to want to make one more last big play before the end of her political career. However, the public protests that "opposed the sale of Taiwan to the US and the collusion between the US and Taiwan which will harm the island," have reminded Tsai that this visit will only leave her with a "historical position" of being a disgraced descendant. On the path of seeking independence with US support, Tsai and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities have behaved like desperate gamblers who have lost their senses. However, the problem is that the stakes they are gambling with are not just their own private assets or those of their party, but the livelihood and wellbeing of the people in Taiwan and even the fate of the island. An atmosphere of worries is permeating the island's media, which is fearful of what kind of new instructions Tsai will bring back from her American boss. The island's media described the trip as "strapping a bomb to Taiwan itself and pouring gasoline on itself," which shows that this is a risky and ominous trip. According to Taiwan media reports, the DPP had hoped to achieve a "major breakthrough" and even "seek a historical position" through Tsai's US transit. However, Washington "intentionally downplayed the visit," making it rather bland. For the US, it wants to turn the regional leader's transit into a card against China, but is also concerned that it might become a hand grenade that cannot be thrown out if things go too far. The DPP authorities are in such a predicament. It is merely a pawn on the US chessboard, and Washington decides where to place it based on its own geopolitical needs. Until Tsai's departure, neither the DPP authorities nor the US side officially announced her specific itinerary, and all kinds of information were tentatively released via media. It can be seen that both Tsai and the DPP authorities, and even the US side, are wary and know that some things cannot be exposed publicly as they violate the rules. However, they cannot let go of their desire to do those bad things, so they appear to be sneaky and secretive. The White House claimed that Tsai's "transit" was of a private nature and that there were no arrangements for US officials to meet with her. We will wait and see if there will be a slap in the face on these claims. The Chinese side has already made solemn representations to the US side on this issue several times. If Tsai has contact with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, it will be another serious violation of the one-China principle and damage to China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as a provocation that undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits. We firmly oppose to it and will take resolute countermeasures. The form and degree of the counterattack will depend on the specific circumstances, and the initiative is in our own hands. However, the final outcome will undoubtedly be that every provocation by Washington will be met with the Chinese side's resolute countermeasures, and every act of "Taiwan independence" by Tsai and the DPP authorities will result in tighter constraints on them. There is one thing that can be told to Tsai in advance: When she returns after transiting through the US, she will definitely find a more difficult situation. What awaits her is not only the accurate countermeasures from the mainland but also the increasing vigilance and opposition from the residents within the island against her pursuit of independence with US support. She will also face a complete disdain toward her political manipulation while ignoring the livelihood and wellbeing of the people on the island. It's clear that the mainstream public on the island hopes for peaceful relations across the Straits, and there is deep concern about the tendency of the DPP authorities to trample on the red line and cause tensions to escalate or even start a conflict. As patriotic compatriots on both sides of the Straits are making the greatest effort to realize peaceful reunification, the "Taiwan independence" movement is becoming increasingly unpopular on the island. An increasing number of people on the island realize that reunification is beneficial, "Taiwan independence" is a dead end, and the US is unreliable. Against the backdrop of increasingly tense China-US relations, the DPP authorities think they see an opportunity to seek private political interests, which is their biggest misjudgment. Prior to Tsai's US transit, former US National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien said he believes a Taiwan with 1 million AK47-armed citizens on "every corner and in every apartment block" would be a fearful deterrent to the mainland during his visit to Taiwan. Such frantic remarks confirm that the so-called "porcupine strategy" of the US to arm the Taiwan island is essentially a "strategy of destroying Taiwan." For the over 23 million Taiwan compatriots, it has come to a critical moment when they must keep their eyes open. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Fashion retailer H&M reported a surprise operating profit for the December-February period as cost-cutting measures started to bear fruit, despite consumers curbing spending and a cold spell holding back sales of its spring collection. While H&M showed signs of bringing its costs under control, it still struggled to compete with major rival Inditex, owner of Zara and other brands, as well as rapidly expanding fast fashion online retailers such as SHEIN and Temu. Unusually cold weather in many of H&M's key markets held shoppers back from buying spring clothing, the company said, denting its March sales figures. Still, shares in the company jumped by 8 per cent in early trading after the results - a move traders said was amplified by short positions on the stock. Operating profit in the Swedish group's fiscal first quarter was 725 million Swedish crowns (64 million) against a profit of 458 million crowns a year earlier. A Refinitiv poll of analysts expected a 1.10 billion crown loss. Advertisement H&M's operating profit margin was 1.3 per cent, up from 0.9 per cent a year earlier and chief executive Helena Helmersson said the company was confident of a gross margin recovery over the year. "The start of the year shows that we have taken further steps towards the goal of achieving an operating margin of 10 per cent already next year," Helmersson said in a statement. But analysts at Credit Suisse said it would be "very challenging" for H&M to return to a 10 per cent margin in 2024. H&M said net sales for March were expected to increase by 4 per cent in local currencies compared with the corresponding period last year. That's a slight acceleration after sales for the first quarter were up 3 per cent from last year, but lags the competition. "Performance was weighed by weather and could, therefore, be recovered as warmer temperatures land, but of course this result is in stark contrast to the current trading reported by Inditex," JP Morgan analyst Georgina Johanan said. H&M said an upwards re-valuation of its stake in its majority-owned Sellpy second-hand clothing platform had boosted earnings by about 1 billion crowns. Sellpy, in which H&M still holds a 79.84 per cent stake, is now part of the group. H&M's shares have risen 9.5 per cent so far in 2023, while Inditex has gained 19.7 per cent. -Reuters A Dublin man has been sentenced to eight years in prison for the unlawful killing of a kitchen porter who died after the home he was living in was set on fire. Dean Boland (35) had broken into a downstairs apartment of a Dublin residential property where Ohari Viera was living, stole a rucksack and set fire to the property. Mr Viera had been living in an upstairs apartment with two other men, and all three managed to evacuate the building safely as soon as they became aware of the fire downstairs. The men were waiting outside when Mr Viera went back into the house for an unknown reason. He never returned and others who tried to go into the property after him were prevented in doing as the building became engulfed in smoke and flames. Advertisement Boland of Northwood, Santry was convicted last December by a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury of the unlawful killing of Ohari Viera, damaging property by arson and burglary at Oaklands Terrace, Terenure, on August 21st, 2018. He had pleaded not guilty to the offences. His previous convictions are District Court offences, including an assault and is currently serving a prison sentence for attempted robbery. Manslaughter Passing sentence, Judge Elma Sheahan said she would sentence Boland on the charge of manslaughter and set a headline sentence of ten years. The judge noted that Boland does not accept the verdict of the jury. Judge Sheahan said the facts of this case are unusual in that Boland set fire to a residential property during the night when several people were staying. The deceased had left the property but re-entered the home after the fire started. The judge said Boland has high moral culpability and said she was taking into consideration the victim impact statement of Mr Vieras daughter. Judge Sheahan noted that Boland had a longstanding drug addiction and was homeless at the time. He was intoxicated when he started the fire but remained at the scene, she also noted before imposed the eight-year prison sentence to run from the date of conviction last December. Advertisement Judge Sheahan acknowledged the dignity of Mr Vieras daughter throughout the trial and thanked both the prosecuting and defence lawyers for the manner in which the trial was conducted. Ms Viera said she has some sympathy for Boland and spoke of how he had no one in court to support him during the trial. She said her father was a brother, an uncle, a father and a grandfather. She spoke of being escorted to the hospital when her father was taken there and said she was traumatised when the machine was switched off the next day. It was the States case that Boland had broken into a downstairs apartment of the house where Mr Viera was living, stole a rucksack and set fire to the property. The investigation never established what started the fire, but a forensic examiner concluded that it was a consequence of a deliberate act. Officers from the Dublin Fire Service found Mr Viera in an upstairs room, and he was taken by ambulance to St James' Hospital. A statement from Dr Linda Mulligan, State Pathologist, stated that Mr Viera's cause of death was cardiac arrest following the inhalation of smoke and other fire gases. Advertisement In her victim impact report Mr Vieras daughter, Tatiana said she came to Ireland with her father, who was originally from Angola, as a child. She said he had a complicated journey which ended sadly with his death. Ms Viera said that as an African national, she grew up with a distrust of the police, but through the trial, she learned the truth of the system and spoke of the kind humanity of the police towards her. Support She said she asked a lot of questions about the legal system and found it marvellous. She thanked the judge and jury and said that the prosecution barrister and his team greatly supported her. Referring to Boland, she said, you have a life and future. You can go on to get married and have children and grandchildren.my son will never have that with my Dad. Ms Viera said she hoped her experience opens the eyes of the African community to the police system in Ireland, adding, there is no need to be afraid. She concluded her victim impact statement by again giving thanks for the support she received during the trial. I am looking forward to a future. I will never forget all you kind and thoughtful people, Ms Viera said. Advertisement Seamus Clarke SC, prosecuting, told Judge Elma Sheahan that the Director of Public Prosecutions put this case in the high range of manslaughter offences. He submitted to the court that the fact that Mr Viera went back into the building at the particular time was very unfortunate, as anyone who tried to get back into the building after him could not actually get in because of the extent of the fire. Garret Baker SC, defending, said that his client maintains a lack of criminal liability and disagrees with the jurys verdict. He asked the court to accept that there was no evidence that Boland knew there were occupants upstairs in the property, but counsel accepted that there is an inherent risk in setting a fire in a building. Ireland School had concerns about further protests from En... Read More He reminded the court that the fire was set in a downstairs apartment that was totally unoccupied at the time. Mr Baker referred to case law in terms of where to place the offence in the range of seriousness. He asked the court to accept that his client has no relevant previous convictions for arson or manslaughter, that there was no history of violence between Boland and Mr Viera and that there was no confrontation involving a lethal weapon. Counsel said that there had been a successful evacuation of the building, and Mr Viera decided to re-enter the property and very unfortunately succumbed to the fire. Judge Elma Sheahan said she wanted to thank Ms Viera for her victim impact statement and said she has shown a level of kindness, which is unusual in such a case involving the tragic loss of her father. A convicted murderer was the balaclava-clad gunman who tried to murder a man during a shooting on Dublin's northside in 2019, the Special Criminal Court has heard. Bernard Fogarty (35) with an address at Cromcastle Court, Kilmore, Coolock, Dublin 5, has pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Mark Ivers at Streamville Road, Donaghmede, Dublin 13, on September 6th, 2019. At the Special Criminal Court, Detective Sergeant Eoin Colbert gave evidence to counsel for the prosecution, Sean Gillane SC, that a taxi driver in the area saw Mr Ivers enter a house at Streamville Road just after 7pm on that evening. The taxi driver then noticed a fella in a balaclava approaching the house with a gun in his hand. Det Sgt Colbert said that the taxi driver described the weapon as a big, black gun with a magazine in it. The taxi driver said the man was wearing a boiler-type suit and gloves, and he emerged from a Nissan Almera. Advertisement Det Sgt Colbert said a woman in the area was leaving her home when she noticed a car near the curb from which a male in a balaclava emerged. The woman said to her partner that the man was carrying a big, black gun, and the man with the gun looked at her and her partner. Det Sgt Colbert gave evidence that the woman said, Oh, my God, he has a gun, and she felt the man heard her because he looked at her. The woman said the man raised the gun and walked towards the house, and he did not appear to be panicking. The woman and her partner ran away and gave warning to others in the area. When the gardai and ambulance services arrived, they discovered that Mr Ivers had been shot twice to the femur and lower abdomen. He was taken to hospital where he was found to have gunshot wounds to his abdomen and right upper leg, and a CT scan showed that he had suffered a liver laceration. Det Sgt Colbert said an investigation was commenced and CCTV footage harvested. The Almera was driven to the Edenmore area and Fogarty and a female were seen to get out before the car was set alight. Advertisement Fogarty and the female were later collected from a pub by an associate in a Mercedes. Det Sgt Colbert said three spent bullet casings were found at the scene of the shooting. He confirmed that evidence was gathered of intense communication just prior to the shooting between a phone number connected to Fogarty and a number that appeared to be an associate of his. He said Mr Ivers had been contacted, and an arrangement was made for him to attend at the house regarding a motorcycle. Det Sgt Colbert said Mr Ivers did not cooperate afterwards with the garda investigation. Fogarty was arrested on October 22nd, 2020. Det Sgt Colbert said Fogarty has 54 previous convictions, including a conviction for murder for which he is serving a life sentence. Ireland Woman cleared of careless driving causing death of... Read More In December last year, judges at the Special Criminal Court convicted both Fogarty and Robert Redmond of the gun-murder of father-of-five Barry Wolverson, who died after spending more than a year in a coma. They were both given mandatory life sentence for the murder. Both men were also found guilty of assault causing harm to Gerard Wildman, who was also shot during the same attack at around midday on January 17th, 2020. Defence counsel Seamus Clarke SC said Fogarty had a history of drug and alcohol misuse. He said his client had entered a guilty plea to the attempted murder of Mr Ivers, and he asked the court to be as lenient as it could. Mr Justice Tony Hunt put the matter back to May 19th for sentencing and remanded Fogarty in custody to that date. A planning appeal by An Post has cited the deterioration in the security environment on Dublin's O'Connell Street as one of the factors behind its underperforming Witness History exhibition at the GPO. Planning consultant for An Post, Karl Kent has stated that "crime in OConnell Street has been a particular focus of concern". Mr Kent made his comments in a planning appeal as part of a planning row concerning An Post placing two large marketing banners hanging from the GPO advertising the exhibition at the GPO museum. When the exhibition opened on the 1916 centenary in 2016, visitors totalled 160,833 but halved to 80,000 in 2019. Last year, numbers deteriorated even further where only 46,834 or 59 per cent of the 2019 total attended the exhibition. 'Struggling' Mr Kent stated that the museum has struggling prompting An Post to secure a three-year planning permission for the banners that were first put in place in 2020. Advertisement An Post has now sought planning retention for its marketing banners advertising the exhibition for a further three years. However, Dublin City Council has granted planning retention for only 18 months. An Post has appealed against this condition while Dublin Civic Trust has urged the appeals board to not allow the banners remain in place. On behalf of An Post Mr Kent of dk Planning and Architecture states that the management of the GPO museum believe the 18 months period for the banners to be in place is too short a period in which the museum can recover its position following Covid-19 and particularly having regard to the other negative factors affecting OConnell Street. Perceptions of safety Mr Kent cited the deterioration in the security environment in relation to OConnell as reflected in the perceptions of safety. He said that crime in OConnell Street has been a particular focus of concern even meriting an RTE TV Prime Time special programme in October 2022. Mr Kent contends that the banners in the context of the general portico of the buildings are relatively small and the effect of the banners on the architectural character of the building is very minor and transient. Without the banners, he said, the decrease in the number of visitors to the Witness History exhibition post Covid would almost certainly have been even lower. Chief executive of Dublin Civic Trust, Graham Hickey has told the appeals board that these marketing banners are visually obtrusive objects that disrupt the architectural effect and diminish the cultural and civic dignity of the GPO. Ireland Amazon hallucinogenic 'ayahuasca' ceremonies adver... Read More Mr Hickey states that the trust acknowledges the quality of the Witness History exhibition and the contribution it makes to the cultural enrichment to the city. He adds: But this is not and should not be contingent on severely compromising its nationally significant building, counter to statutory policy. Mr Hickey said that the GPO building is a national historic and cultural icon and contends that there is no credible argument that these corporate banners have anything other than a damaging effect on the special character of the Protected Structure and should be removed. A decision is due on the case in July. A Cork man who bound a young woman, gagged her with duct tape and assaulted her in an alleyway in Dublin city centre has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, with the final 18 months suspended. Maurice Fitzgerald (29), of Abbeyview in Buttevant, Co Cork, pleaded guilty to falsely imprisoning and assaulting the woman, causing harm last August 27th, at Meeting House Lane, off Mary's Abbey. Passing sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday, Judge Martin Nolan set a headline sentence of 12 to 14 years for what he said was a particularly insidious and very serious crime. The judge said Fitzgerald had a plan and had bought duct tape and a claw hammer on the day in question. He was prepared to use force to apprehend and take a woman, said Judge Nolan. Advertisement The court heard that gardai were called after residents of a nearby apartment heard the woman screaming and the sound of tape being wrapped through their open window. Judge Nolan said if gardai had not arrived when they did, something very serious would have occurred. The court heard that the victim, now aged 26, suffers from chronic schizophrenia and has been under psychiatric care since the incident. She has not been in a position to make a statement to gardai. The woman's father submitted a victim impact statement on her behalf, which was not read aloud in court. Ankles tied together Detective Garda Patrick Hynes told Fionnuala O'Sullivan BL, prosecuting, that a couple living in a nearby apartment block had their window open as it was a very hot night. One of these witnesses heard the wrapping of tape, and when he looked out the window, he saw a girl lying on the ground with her ankles tied together. The court heard that the girl was trying to stand up and that she looked dizzy and fell over, hitting her head. Witnesses said the woman was screaming, Get it off me, leave me alone, get away from me, and that man laughed at her and shouted, shut up, before dragging her out of sight. Advertisement Gda Hynes and another garda who were on mobile patrol arrived shortly afterwards and saw Fitzgerald dragging the woman with her feet tied and her hands bound behind her back. Gardai said there were two rolls of duct tape on a top of a car and some empty Corona bottles in the middle of the laneway. Fitzmaurice dropped the girl and ran, the court heard, physically resisting gardai before he was eventually restrained and cuffed. Gardai said the woman was highly distressed and trying to scream and that they had to use a knife to free the tape from her mouth. She was brought to the Mater Hospital, and the following morning she confirmed her identity to gardai but was still in a very distressed state with bruising all over her body. The court heard the woman had severe underlying mental health difficulties and had been detained after the attack under the Mental Health Act to a hospital in the Midlands, where she remains. The court heard Fitzgerald had travelled by train from Cork and arrived in Dublin at 1pm. He went into a number of pubs and shops in the city centre, and bought two rolls of silver duct tape and a claw hammer in Dealz on Liffey Street and another roll of duct tape in EuroGiant. Advertisement He later met the female cashier from one of these shops in a pub and bought three rounds of drinks with her, the court heard. CCTV footage from the Norseman pub shows Fitzgerald chatting, messing and giving a piggyback to the injured party on Essex Street less than an hour before the attack. Photos on phone Footage was played to the court, where the accused can be heard unrolling duct tape and tying up and gagging the woman on the ground. Fitzgerald's phone was found to contain a number of stock internet photos of women bound and gagged, along with similar screenshots from websites. Fitzgerald was deemed intoxicated and unfit for interview until the following morning. In his fourth interview with gardai he admitted he was guilty but said he couldn't remember what had happened. He has six previous convictions, including two for sexual assault and others for false imprisonment, assault causing harm and possession of weapons. He was sentenced to four years in prison in July 2016 for an incident in Kerry where he befriended a woman and used duct tape to incapacitate her. Garda Hynes agreed with Michael Bowman SC, defending, that Fitzgerald accepted that he had punched the woman and had expressed a degree of apology. Advertisement I'm guilty out. I did whatever. I'm guilty of dragging her across the floor. I obviously hit her, he told gardai. When asked if he had any message for the victim, Fitzgerald replied, Sorry for everything. Mr Bowman said the images on his client's phone were professional photos voluntarily put on the internet by models describing themselves as sock and bondage lovers with no suggestion of males being present. The court heard that Fitzgerald was working in the construction industry at the time of the offence. Mr Bowman said the single biggest mitigating factor was Fitzgerald's guilty plea. The court heard Fitzgerald is on the Sex Offenders' register. Ireland Michael Scott: The full story of the farmer's tria... Read More Judge Nolan said Fitzgerald had certain interests and obsessions, to put it at their mildest, which are very unhealthy and very criminal. The judge said Fitzgerald had very relevant previous convictions and that the court could not come to the conclusion that he would not re-offend in the future. However Judge Nolan added that the court was not in the business of preventative detention and could not detain someone because it had the apprehension that he would not change his habits. Fitzgerald was ordered to be of good behaviour while in custody and for five years post-release. He was further told to abide by the supervision of the Probation Service for five years. The sentence was backdated to August 27 when he went into custody. Regina Donohue arrived at Chrissie Treacy's farm to find her old friend lying dead on the concrete yard beside her home. She ran at Michael Scott, trying to get at him, but she was held back by Francis Hardiman, a neighbour. She kicked and struggled but Mr Hardiman held on tight to Regina, who Mr Scott had previously referred to as "that b***h". Minutes earlier, Scott had driven over his aunt in an agricultural teleporter, crushing all her internal organs and leaving track marks going from her right foot to her left hand. The skin of the left hand had been removed by what expert witnesses said could have been an "aggressive" change of direction causing the vehicle's large wheel to spin on her arm. For the previous two years, Ms Treacy confided in friends, carers, healthcare workers, a solicitor, advisors and gardai about her interactions with Scott. They tried to intervene on her behalf, but they couldn't convince her to leave her remote home, make a formal complaint to gardai or to follow through with court injunctions. Advertisement What Chrissie told her friends and carers was not led by the prosecution because the trial judge ruled that it was hearsay and therefore inadmissible. But the jury was aware that she had tried to sever ties with her nephew by formally partitioning the land they jointly owned around the home where she grew up. Chrissie Treacy. Photo: Collins Michael Scott was on Thursday acquitted of murdering his vulnerable 76-year-old aunt Chrissie Treacy by running over her in an agricultural teleporter. After nearly 15 hours of deliberations, the jury unanimously rejected the prosecution case that Scott deliberately murdered his aunt out of "a sense of entitlement and for revenge" following a long-running dispute over land. They found instead that Scott acted with gross negligence when he reversed across a yard beside Ms Treacy's home and drove over her. Scott shook his head as he spent his last moments in the dock having gone on trial in mid-January. Scott and his family are the only living relatives of Chrissie Treacy. A number of people from her community were in court to hear the verdict while Scott was supported by family members and friends. Scott told gardai in interviews that he was reversing across the yard when he felt a "thump", thought he might have hit a trailer and moved the teleporter forward to level ground. He said that when he got down from the cabin he saw his aunt lying on the ground. His defence said that her death was a "tragic accident". Advertisement Following the verdict, Ms Justice Caroline Biggs told the jury that she had noticed the "extremely heavy" burden placed on the six men and six women and the "physical and mental strain, the toll it has taken on you." She said they had been diligent, had given up many weeks of their lives and she exempted them from jury service for the rest of their lives. 'Grotesque' language Before remanding Scott on continuing bail, the judge noted that during the trial Scott had called one witness a "grotesque" name that she did not want to repeat. Ms Justice Biggs was referring to the first day that witness Regina Donohue gave evidence. As Ms Donohue was leaving the stand, Scott called her a "c**t". Ms Donohue immediately reported it to gardai and the following day the prosecution drew it to the court's attention. Scott did not deny saying it and his barrister Paul Greene SC accepted it was wholly inappropriate, wrong and shouldnt have happened. He said he had made Scott aware of his obligations as a person on bail on a murder charge and asked the court not to revoke his bail because of the difficulties that would create for the defence team in providing advice to Scott and receiving instructions. Advertisement Regina Donohue. Photo: Collins Ms Justice Biggs told Scott: Calling anyone a name like that is disgraceful; you should be ashamed of yourself. You are a very foolish man; on bail for a murder charge. I was going to put you into custody because I have a duty to protect witnesses in this court and ensure they are treated with respect and courtesy. She did not put him in custody because of the appeals by his lawyer, but the judge warned Scott: If you do that again, if you look at a witness to intimidate them or treat them with disrespect, you will go into custody regardless of the repercussions. When Ms Donohue returned to the stand, the judge apologised to her for the insult and said: Im sorry that you had to experience that. Giving evidence is difficult enough without having to deal with that insult. At Thursday's hearing Ms Justice Biggs allowed Scott to remain on bail so that he could put his affairs in order but warned him not to take that as suggesting he would enjoy "continued liberty" following the sentencing hearing on June 12th. Ms Justice Biggs also ordered a probation report and asked the defence to gather any necessary psychological reports. Advertisement Scott (58), of Gortanumera, Portumna, Co Galway, had pleaded not guilty to murdering his aunt Christina 'Chrissie' Treacy outside her home in Derryhiney, Portumna, Co Galway on April 27th, 2018. Farm owners The trial heard that Ms Treacy and her brothers farmed about 140 acres at Derryhiney and that she owned another farm at nearby Kiltormer. Following the deaths of Ms Treacy's brothers, Michael Scott came to own half the land at Derryhiney and Ms Treacy owned the other half. She leased her land at Kiltormer and Derryhiney to Michael Scott. In early 2017, Mr Scott did not bid to continue leasing the land from Ms Treacy in Kiltormer when it went up for auction. Regina Donohue told the trial that by Christmas 2017, the deceased had made an application through her solicitor to split the land at Derryhiney and put a new lease on the half that she owned. On the day that Ms Treacy died, Mr Scott was to receive a letter from an agricultural consultant telling him that Ms Treacy was applying for a single farm payment on land she owned but had previously leased to Mr Scott. Agricultural consultant and auctioneer Declan McHugh previously told the trial that Ms Treacy hired him in early 2017 to lease 40 acres she owned at Kiltormer that had previously been farmed by Mr Scott and his brother. Advertisement A little over two weeks before Ms Treacy died in April 2018, Mr McHugh said he received further instructions to write to Mr Scott asking him not to request a single farm payment in respect of three portions of land on the 140-acre farm he jointly owned with his aunt at Derryhiney. Ms Treacy was going to claim the payment for herself, Mr McHugh said. The loss of the 70 acres at Derryhiney and the 40 acres at Kiltormer equated to "in the region of 50 per cent of Mr Scott and his wife's total holding," Mr McHugh said. He said that under farming regulations, the loss of 110 acres would cause a potential reduction in Mr Scott's herd and would also reduce the amount of land available to him for drawing down the EU single farm payment. Mr McHugh said: "With the loss of such a vast area of land, you are going to have massive problems in terms of stocking density and compliance with nitrates directives and that has huge financial implications for any farmer." Interviews In garda interviews following his arrest in 2018, Scott said he didn't know he could call 999 for an ambulance and he didn't think his aunt would die. He said he didn't help her up off the ground because he needed someone with him to help and he called his friend Francis Hardiman because he didn't know who else to call and didn't know the number of any doctors. Scott denied that he murdered his aunt and said he did not want her to die. He also denied that he was in a temper and deliberately rolled over her a second time after initially reversing over her. Detective Garda Barry Carolan said he asked Scott what he did after getting off the JCB and finding his aunt on the ground. He said he "went over beside her and said, 'are you all right Chrissie?' Oh god! What misfortune." He said she was "breathing heavy" but wasn't able to talk. He could see her face and when asked if she could recognise him, Mr Scott said: "I don't know. Shocking, your only aunt." He said he didn't notice any injuries and when asked if he tried first aid, he said: "I wouldn't know anything about that." Ringing 999 Gda Carolan asked why he didn't call an ambulance. Scott replied: "I'm not very well up on technology. I didn't know you could ring an ambulance as well as the fire brigade on 999. I thought you would have to ring the hospital in Ballinasloe and I had no number for a doctor." Scott said he didn't think of pressing the panic button around Ms Treacy's neck and he couldn't remember if he stayed with his aunt. Gda Carolan asked if he was with her when his aunt took her last breath. He said he may have "blanked out". When asked if he thought Ms Treacy was "in a bad way", he said: "I didn't pass any remarks. I didn't think Chrissie was going to die. I could just hear her breathing." Garda Carolan asked why, if he didn't think she was going to die, he didn't help her up. "I needed someone with me," he said. "When I heard her breathing I thought she was going to be okay." "Why didn't you check her injuries?" the garda asked. "I just didn't," said Scott. He said he didn't see any blood or injuries on her body. "Did you want Chrissie to die," the garda asked. "No," Scott replied. Scott denied forcing his aunt to sign over the land to him in her will. He said it wasn't true that his plans were "falling down" around him after Ms Treacy decided she wanted to partition the farm. He said he wasn't concerned about the letter from Ms Treacy's agricultural consultant and questioned how she could make an application for payments when she didn't have any livestock. He said that he didn't think Chrissie was "behind the letter" and said that he was regularly talking to his aunt at that time and he couldn't understand why she had contacted a solicitor instead of talking to him. He said his aunt would get confused but he had an understanding that the land would go to him when she died. "I have two witnesses to that," he said. He said he had invested a lot in Derryhiney, hundreds of thousands of euros, and added: "Why do all that risk and work if someone else is going to take it over?" He said he only realised that Ms Treacy had left the land to Ms Donohue a few months after Ms Treacy died. "It was a very big shock," he said. Engineer evidence An engineer called by the defence, Dr Mark Jordan, said that the suggestion Ms Treacy was run over twice by the teleporter was "unsupported" and all her injuries could have been caused by one movement. Dr Jordan also disagreed with a garda report suggesting that Ms Treacy should have been visible as Scott reversed across his yard. He said that from early on gardai had decided that the teleporter went over Ms Treacy twice, but Dr Jordan found there was only one clear imprint over Ms Treacy's trousers. He said that the other marks are "very difficult to interpret" but may have been left when Ms Treacy was in the upright position. John Hayes, an engineer called by the prosecution, said a "flailing" injury to Ms Treacy's left arm was "not consistent with a vehicle reversing over the deceased, coming to a stop and moving forward." Chrissie Treacy with her dog Bradley He said the injury was consistent with "a far more aggressive action and could be consistent with the rotation of the wheel while on the limb." He explained that by "aggressive" he was not commenting on the driver's intent but on the "high torque" of the vehicle which allowed it to change from reverse to forward "very quickly". The jury also heard that Scott had impaired vision in his right eye. Specsavers optometrist Trina Staunton said that Scott's left eye scored a perfect six out of six but his right eye was much weaker and scored six out of 38. The right eye, she said, was being "ignored by the brain". When he was reversing the teleporter, Scott told gardai that he would look over his right shoulder. Prosecution witnesses suggested it would be more natural to look over the left shoulder as there were a number of obstacles obscuring the view on the right including the boom arm and the engine. Dr Jordan said a test carried out by gardai looking out the rear window of the teleporter while it was stationary was not representative of the view Scott had on the day as he reversed across a bumpy yard while looking through windows coated in "field stuff, dust and dirt". He said there were blind zones and the sun hitting the dirt on the back windscreen could have caused glare and affected his view. He also disagreed that it would be natural to reverse the teleporter while looking over the left shoulder. There is no natural way to drive, he said, but the steering wheel is mounted to the left and therefore "almost invites the left hand to deal with the steering wheel" so that the driver would turn and look over his right shoulder. Dr Jordan said that gardai had stated that Ms Treacy should have been visible to the driver but, he said, her direction of travel before the incident has not been established. The windows of the teleporter were "extremely dirty" and there were other impediments to the driver's view, he said. He also said that there were obstacles to the right which Scott would have had to look out for and could only be seen by looking over the right shoulder. Mysteries Some mysteries remain about the death of Chrissie Treacy, not least how she came to be in the yard in the first place. From her back door to where she lay would have required her to walk about 45 metres and as age and ill-health took hold, Chrissie's many friends and carers said she did not go into the yard. She never left the house without her body warmer and jacket but when found, she was wearing neither. She usually used a walking stick to get around, but it remained in her house. She was wearing a pendant alarm around her neck, but she never chose to press it or didn't get a chance. In mid-March, a little over one month before Ms Treacy's death, Scott went to Portumna Garda Station and wept in front of Sgt Gerard Cleary. He said Chrissie was being unreasonable and that he would have to give up his dairy farm because he didnt know where he stood with her or what land he would have. He asked Sgt Cleary to intervene with Chrissie on his behalf. Sgt Cleary told Scott, "to go to Derryhiney and show a bit of kindness to Chrissie and if he was good to her, it would work out okay for him. What was not in issue at the trial was that Chrissie Treacy died shortly after 3pm on April 27th, 2018 having been run over by a teleporter driven by Michael Scott. What the jury had to decide was whether Scott deliberately or accidentally ran her over. The prosecution relied on background evidence of the relationship between Scott and his aunt. Bad conduct evidence was permitted to show that Scott had a motive to kill his aunt, and to rebut alleged lies he told during garda interviews that he had a good relationship with his aunt, that they only argued about minor things, and that his lease of her land at Derryhiney had worked "the finest". Carer Caitriona Starr said that about six months before Ms Treacy died, Ms Starr arrived at Derryhiney and as she approached the door she heard Michael Scott shouting and banging on the table across from Chrissie. When Ms Starr appeared at the door, Scott took his leave muttering something about land under his breath. Safeguarding reports The jury heard that in 2016 the HSE told Scott to stop putting financial pressure on Chrissie. Prosecution counsel Dean Kelly said most people would consider that a standalone day in their lives that would be a cause of shame and enormous self-reflection. The jury knew Ms Treacy's solicitor had written to Scott numerous times in 2017 to tell him to stop threatening Chrissie and that the HSE had created safeguarding reports in respect of Ms Treacy because of concerns about her relationship with Scott. The jury did not hear the full title of those reports: Safeguarding Vulnerable Persons at Risk from Abuse. The jury knew of an allegation that Scott turned off the oil to Chrissie's heating system in the runup to a severe bout of cold weather in the spring of 2018. They also knew that gardai had been called in to hear Chrissie's complaints weeks before her death but she refused to make a formal complaint. Francis Hardiman. Photo: Collins Francis Hardiman told the jury that he was a neighbour and cousin of Ms Treacy. He also knew the accused well all his life and had worked for him from time to time. The day of Ms Treacy's death Mr Hardiman was in Eyrecourt, about ten to 12 miles away, when he received a phone call from Mr Scott at 3.26pm. Mr Scott told him that he was "setting back out with the teleporter" and he "hit Chrissie". The accused was clearly upset and asked Mr Hardiman to "come down to me, quick". Mr Hardiman made his way to Derryhiney and straight to Ms Treacy's house. There he saw the deceased lying face down on the concrete yard near her home close to the teleporter. Mr Hardiman checked her wrist but found no pulse and said the act of contrition into her ear. Her hands were "pretty smashed up," he said and there were tyre marks on her trousers. There was blood around her legs and face but not a lot. He knew she was dead. Mr Hardiman called gardai and emergency services and went looking for Scott. He said he found him "in a hysterical way of crying and shouting" inside a shed. Scott "just cried more" when Mr Hardiman told him that he had said a prayer over Chrissie and that she had passed away. The witness recalled Scott then "jumped up and went for his jeep and he pulled out a gun, a double barrel shotgun." He heard Scott repeating, "I can't deal with this" as he stepped backwards with the gun while Mr Hardiman shouted at him. The witness said: "He was getting near where the tyres were on the ground and he tripped over a tyre and lost his balance. I grabbed the gun and took the cartridge out." 'A new family' In her evidence, Regina Donohue told the jury that she knew the Treacy family from when she had done work experience with them for 12 weeks when she was studying farming. She became close friends with Chrissie and her brothers Willie and Michael and considered them to be "like a new family". She continued to work with them for many years while running her own farms nearby. "I learned a lot from them," she said. "They had a love of animals and took pride in what they produced quality milk and quality beef." By Christmas 2017, Ms Donohue said the deceased made an application through her solicitor to split the land at Derryhiney and put a new lease on the half that she owned. Ms Donohue said it was around this time that Ms Treacy realised that the lease she had with Scott was for 30 acres, rather than the 70 acres she actually owned. In April 2017 Ms Treacy decided she wasn't getting enough money from Scott for the land at Kiltormer and she asked her agricultural consultant to lease it to someone else. Ms Treacy's financial situation was "very poor", the witness said, because she wasn't getting enough money from Scott and would have to go looking for the money when she was running low. In the late spring of 2017 gardai were called to Ms Treacy's home. Ms Donohue said there had been damage to fencing and cattle were let out at a separate parcel of land owned by Ms Treacy at Kiltormer where a new tenant had taken over from Michael Scott. "Chrissy was very stressed and upset over it," she said. "Some of his [the new tenant's] property had been damaged and he had to take his stock out of the land for two weeks for safety. It had a huge impact on her, it upset her immensely." The witness was aware that gardai spoke to Ms Treacy and Scott about the damage on the farm. Mr Hardiman, during his evidence, told the court that the accused confided in him that he had been accused of "knocking fences, opening gates and letting out cattle" on the Kiltormer land. Mr Hardiman said the accused told him that he "never went down there" and was upset that he had been accused. Mr Hardiman added: "I presume it was Chrissie who was accusing him." Missing dog In February 2018, about eight weeks before she died, Ms Treacy suffered "enormous upset" when her dog Bradley went missing and never returned, Ms Donohue said. "She loved her dog, he was like a child. He was her friend and company when there was nobody there with her." Ms Treacy's doctor put her on medication for stress and anxiety and Ms Donohue sat up with her until 3.20am the following morning. Ms Donohue tried searching for the dog but he "vanished, he never came back." Ms Treacy decided to change the locks on her front and back doors. In June 2017, on Ms Treacy's birthday, the witness said she and the deceased went out for a meal and when they returned Scott "stormed in and asked, "where the f**k were you?"" He said that he had no electricity in the dairy and "stormed through the hall" to flip the switches to turn the electricity back on. Ms Donohue said that she began to avoid Scott but on one occasion in the weeks before Ms Treacy died, she was driving on the main Portumna to Ballinasloe road when Mr Scott, driving his jeep, "came straight for me". She said his jeep "swung" as she thought he was going to "take the mirror from my jeep". She composed herself and rang a local garda to tell him what had happened. At around that time Ms Treacy asked her solicitor to draw up papers making Ms Donohue her next of kin. Ms Donohue said: "It was just that I would be able to get access to Ms Treacy at all times. She feared that Mr Scott would prevent me from having access to her." On the day that Ms Treacy died, Ms Donohue received a phone call from Francis Hardiman saying that Chrissie had been involved in a machinery accident. When Ms Donohue arrived at the farm she first saw Scott "sitting on his hunkers with his head in his hands". To the right she saw Ms Treacy on the ground. She went and knelt down beside her and then started "screaming and shouting at Mr Scott". She said she "wanted to get at him" but Mr Hardiman held her back. "I kicked Francis to let me go, but he held onto me tight." 'Deliberate act' In his closing address to the jury, prosecution counsel Dean Kelly SC said that Scott reversed over his aunt in a "deliberate act of murder out of a sense of entitlement and for revenge". He said Scott had told big lies, little lies and enormous lies about his relationship with Ms Treacy in the lead-up to her death and about how her decision to partition the land would impact his farming business. There was also, he said, evidence that Scott had made "clear and direct threats" to do harm to Ms Treacy. She was "there to be seen" before being struck, he said, either standing still or moving "exceptionally slowly" due to her age and ill-health. Mr Kelly showed the jury photographs taken from inside the teleporter cabin which, he said, showed that Ms Treacy, wearing her light blue cardigan, would have been visible through the rear window. The account given by Scott, in which he said that he was reversing the teleporter but did not see Ms Treacy, was "self-serving, dishonest, nonsense," Mr Kelly said. Counsel pointed to what he called the "geometric precision" with which the teleporter ran over Ms Treacy from her right toe to her extended left hand, "crushing everything in its path" including her organs and pelvis, and removing the flesh from her left hand. "Imagine the precision of that," he said. "How unfortunate would you have to be for that to happen by accident?" "This was a deliberate act of murder out of a sense of entitlement and revenge," he said. Michael Scott (58) leaving the Central Criminal Court after being found not guilty of murder but guilty of the manslaughter of Chrissie Treacy. Photo: Collins In his closing speech to the jury, defence counsel Paul Greene SC said the defence evidence regarding how Ms Treacy died was more persuasive than that of the prosecution. He said it raised a reasonable possibility that her death was accidental and, he said, "in any event the prosecution has failed to prove its case" to the standard of beyond a reasonable doubt. He asked the jury not to look at the case from the perspective that Scott is a "monstrous person" but to approach the evidence coldly and without fear nor favour. He said the prosecution had relied on evidence that suggested the accused was "self-pitying, was whingeing and was unkind, yes, to his aunt Chrissie. " He added: "I respectfully suggest to you that no matter how monstrous that behaviour is, it doesn't go to what you are about in any meaningful way." The evidence, he said, was brought by the prosecution to suggest that Scott had a reason to kill his aunt but, counsel added: "It begs the question, why didn't he act sooner?" He said that it is of particular significance that there was no evidence of a disturbance in Ms Treacy's home. While the evidence of several witnesses was that Ms Treacy would only leave her home on the rarest of occasions, there was no evidence of how she came to be in the yard or when she entered the yard. Cruelty and unkindness Mr Kelly told the jury that the intensity and toxicity of the relationship between Ms Treacy and her nephew was increasing with every passing week in the build-up to her death. There were, he said, incidents of general cruelty and unkindness such as Scott refusing to bring Ms Treacy's rubbish away and allowing it to pile up in the yard beside her home. "Imagine there was rubbish blowing around your yard and you not having the fitness to pick it up. There's a cruelty to that," he said. Ireland Michael Scott found not guilty of murder, guilty o... Read More There was also, counsel said, the "deliberate turning off" of Ms Treacy's oil "to torment" Ms Treacy. There was also evidence that the milking parlour from which Ms Treacy's carers would fetch milk was occasionally locked and there was what Mr Kelly described as an "obstacle course" created in the yard to discomfort and embarrass Ms Treacy. In the months before Ms Treacy's death, Scott had brought cows up the "good road" leading to Ms Treacy's home causing it to become covered in cow dung and leading to Ms Treacy's concern that visitors' cars and the daycare centre bus would get dirtied. Mr Kelly said there was no reason for him to bring cows up that road, he had never done it before but did it in the months leading up to her death knowing it was a cause of "stress and embarrassment" to Ms Treacy. The events on April 27th did not "simply fall from the sky" but, Mr Kelly said, there was a drumbeat growing louder in the months leading to it. Ms Justice Biggs told the jury that if Scott deliberately ran over his aunt intending to kill her or cause her serious injury, then they were duty bound to find him guilty of murder. If they found that what happened was an accident, she told them to consider a manslaughter verdict on the grounds that he was "grossly negligent" in reversing without looking behind him. She told the jury to acquit if the prosecution had failed to prove either murder or manslaughter. The Covid-19 pandemic and the associated public health measures had a greater impact on the migrant labour market than that of Irish-born workers, according to research conducted by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). Examining migrant integration, the report found unemployment among migrants increased from 5.8 per cent to 9.1 per cent in the first year of Covid (Q1 of 2020 to Q1 of 2021), but fell sharply back to 5.9 per cent in 2022. The ESRI found that by the early stages of 2022, the employment rate among migrant workers was above that of Irish-born workers, 77 per cent and 72 per cent respectively, and had improved on pre-pandemic levels (71 per cent). Although the research notes that Ireland is among the most highly educated countries in the EU, a greater portion of the foreign-born population aged 25-34 were found to have a third-level qualification - 67 per cent compared to 56 per cent of Irish-born counterparts. Advertisement Examining Growing Up in Ireland figures, researchers also noted no difference in the proportion of 'migrant-origin' and 'Irish-origin' young people sitting the Leaving Certificate exams, both achieving participation rates of 95 per cent, nor was there a difference in the mean Leaving Cert points these students received. Challenges In contrast, more migrants were said to be 'at-risk of poverty' (17 per cent) than Irish-born people (12 per cent), and overall, migrants were less likely to own their own home. The ESRI found migrants also face more issues in accessing affordable housing, with more than 29 per cent spending over 30 per cent of their income on housing compared to 8 per cent on the Irish-born population. "This report shows that migrants in Ireland have employment rates and levels of education that exceed those of the Irish-born population, with certain groups such as African migrants showing particular progress," the report's lead author Dr Frances McGinnity said. "Nevertheless, Ireland faces substantial challenges in integrating those that come to live here, particularly in areas that are currently under substantial pressure." She added that housing is a key issue for migrant integration, noting this cohort is "disproportionately concentrated in private rented accommodation and facing affordability challenges". "Measures to address major current challenges in the Irish housing market are urgently needed to improve this situation," Dr McGinnity stressed. A pet shop owner has told the High Court a woman did not trip on the lip of a door in his store but over her own dog's lead as her pet ran through her legs. Kieran Stenson, owner of Petzone, Coolock, Dublin claims Carole Vickery did not trip on the lip of a security door runner but over her Glen of Imaal terrier she had brought into the shop's groomer to have its nails clipped. Mrs Vickery (61), Adare Drive, Coolock, Dublin sued Petzone Ltd, Coolock Village and Mr Stenson over the accident in August 2014. She claims she broke her leg and was hospitalised for some time as a result of the accident. The defendants deny negligence. Witness Pharmacist Jennifer Rigney, who was working on the day of the accident in her pharmacy directly opposite the pet store, told the court on Wednesday that she looked out the window and saw Mrs Vickery stumble after she tried to avoid stepping on her dog which had run in front of her. Advertisement On Thursday, Mr Stenson, who is the landlord of Ms Rigney's pharmacy as well as of a number of other units in Coolock Village, said he witnessed the accident and "the dog was responsible for her injuries". He said he had been in the post office unit, where he is also post master, when he saw Mrs Vickery go into the pet shop grooming parlour. He said he could see a bit of activity with the dog, and he went over to see if everything was okay". Mrs Vickery, he said was leaving, and he held the front door of the pet shop open for her as it was a heavy door. "She turned round and headed out the door and the dog was on a leash held by a gentleman. The dog had seen her going and ran out after her between her legs and the leash tripped her up", he said. He heard the man holding the leash saying: "That bloody oul dog, it's a bloody nuisance, or words to that effect". Asked by his counsel Miriam Reilly SC about evidence given by Mrs Vickery's son that the dog was not even on the ground when his mother fell, Mr Stenson said he saw the groomer handing the dog over to the man and the dog darted out the door while on the lead. What her son said was "totally incorrect", he said. Cross-examined by David McGrath SC, for Mrs Rigney, on why he had not revealed as part of the pre-trial process the fact that the pharmacist had provided a note about the accident a day afterwards, Mr Stenson said he could not remember what he had said as part of pre-trial discovery as it was years after the accident. Ireland Amazon hallucinogenic 'ayahuasca' ceremonies adver... Read More He considered there was only a "slight difference" between what he said in evidence about Mrs Vickery falling over the leash and what had been claimed in his defence that the dog went through her legs and she fell. Counsel put it to him that the pharmacist had been described as an independent witness but what she was in fact was Mr Stenson's tenant. "Yes", he replied "and she is a very good one". He disagreed with evidence given by the Vickerys that he was not in the shop at all at the time. Mr Justice Tony O'Connor said he would give his decision on Friday. The Government should reverse its decision to allow the eviction ban to lapse at the end of the month, the executive director of the Simon Communities of Ireland, Wayne Stanley has said. It's never too late to reverse a bad decision, he told RTE Radios Morning Ireland, adding the Governments arguments for lifting the ban dont hold water. They said that it was landlords - some landlords were being made homeless. There have actually been fewer of those small number of cases where that was true, a carve out could have been put in place. And in fact, those landlords have been abandoned. They could have been supported. We could have worked with the landlord [and] the tenant and triaged those small numbers. Mr Stanley was commenting on the charitys latest Locked Out of the Market report, which recorded the lowest number of properties available to rent through the Housing Assistant Payment (HAP) Scheme, with just 29 HAP rentals available over a three-day period last month. Advertisement It marks the lowest proportion of properties within HAP rates at 4.3 per cent in March this year, compared to 10.8 per cent in March 2022. The report examines the experience of people who are on low incomes and dependent on the HAP scheme to access housing in the private rental market. Route out of homelessness There was a new dimension to homelessness, Mr Stanley said, explaining working people are now becoming homeless and finding themselves locked out of the market. I've worked in homeless services since 2005, and up until two or three years ago, if somebody was able to get into employment, that was an almost immediate route out of homelessness. The primary route out of homelessness has for a long time been the private rental market and utilising payments like the housing assistance payment hub that we had that we referred to in this report. He added single people are the ones struggling the most with homelessness. Mr Stanley pointed out that over the eight years of the Locked Out report, the remit had been expanded: Initially, what we were doing, we were just looking at the basic rate of HAP, and for two out of the last three reports there has been no properties available at the basic rate of HAP. We then started looking at discretion and local authorities started using discretion more liberally. We started looking at what was available when the local authorities used that discretion up to the maximum rate, and we saw obviously an increase in the number of properties that were then available or accessible to people on a payment that has gradually been falling away. Last year at this time it was 80 properties and in this report is the lowest total ever was 29. Mr Stanley said homelessness is a national crisis, adding that Simon Communities around the country are experiencing a significant increase in the number of people presenting to their services. We would encourage people as soon as they start feeling under any pressure to start reaching out to the supports that are there. We are about finding solutions for people. We do know that given time and resources, we can get people out of homelessness, he said. The Government has secured accommodation for 1,400 asylum seekers and refugees after a number of hotel contracts ended. The Department of Integration said they had now sourced alternative accommodation for those who are impacted by contracts with hotels ending this week. Minister for Integration Roderic O'Gorman confirmed on Tuesday that 800 hotel rooms that were being used to accommodate asylum seekers and refugees would be lost. However, officials told Newstalk radio on Thursday they had secured alternative accommodation for the 1,400 people impacted. Ireland Over 350 asylum seekers without accommodation, say... Read More Meanwhile, the Department of Integration said another 1,200 asylum seekers will have to leave hotels by mid-April. The department said it remains extremely challenging to find enough bed space for the number of refugees and international protection applicants who are continuing to arrive in Ireland on a weekly basis. Irelands system for housing refugees is struggling to cope with the numbers arriving here, between refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine and a significant rise in the number of international protection applicants from other counties. Advertisement People in the latter category are ending up homeless, with the number of international protection applicants who are without accommodation standing at 408 as of Monday evening. Lawmakers from the pro-Russia, far-right Freedom Party walked out of the lower house of Austria's parliament on Thursday during a speech by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, protesting that it violated Austria's neutrality. Mr Zelenskiy addressed the chamber via video link, thanking Austria for its humanitarian aid and help with projects such as clearing land mines. Similar to Ireland, Austria says its neutrality prevents it from military involvement in the conflict and while it supports Ukraine politically, it cannot send the country weapons in its fight against the Russian invasion. The Freedom Party (FPO), however, had warned days before that it would hold some form of protest against Mr Zelenskiy's address. Its lawmakers attended the start of the speech and then left. "It is sad that the FPO is the only party in parliament that takes our ever-lasting neutrality seriously, thereby also standing up for peace," FPO leader Herbert Kickl said in a statement on Tuesday. Advertisement Lawmakers who walked out of the chamber left small placards on their desks featuring the party logo and either "space for neutrality" or "space for peace". Of the five parties in parliament, the FPO has the third-biggest number of seats in the lower house. It currently has a slight lead in opinion polls over the opposition Social Democrats and Austrian chancellor Karl Nehammer's conservatives, who govern in coalition with the left-wing Greens. The current Austrian parliament runs until autumn of next year. -Reuters A fire has broken out on a ferry in the southern Philippines and raged overnight for eight hours, killing at least 31 passengers and crew, officials said. Many of the more than 200 people who survived the blaze jumped off the MV Lady Mary Joy 3 and were rescued from the dark sea by the coastguard, navy, a nearby ferry and local fishermen, said governor Jim Hataman of the southern island province of Basilan. Rescuers are still searching for at least seven missing people, he added. Coastguard personnel with the MV Lady Mary Joy (Philippine Coast Guard/AP) Mr Hataman said the burned ferry was towed to Basilans shoreline, where the bodies of 18 of the 31 victims were discovered in a budget section of the passenger cabin. These victims perished on board due to the fire, he said, adding that more people may have been on the ferry who were not listed on its manifest. Advertisement The ferrys skipper told coastguard officials that he tried to run the burning ferry aground on the nearest shore to allow more people to survive or be rescued, regional coastguard commander Rejard Marfe said. The ferry was traveling to Jolo town in Sulu province from the southern port city of Zamboanga when it caught fire off Basilan close to midnight, Mr Hataman said. At least 23 passengers were injured and taken to hospital. Some of the passengers were roused from their sleep due to the commotion caused by the fire. Some jumped off the ship, Mr Hataman said. Coastguard members check the remains of the MV Lady Mary Joy (Philippine Coast Guard/AP) The steel-hulled ferry could accommodate up to 430 people and was not overcrowded, Mr Marfe said, adding that according to the manifest, it was carrying 205 passengers and 35 crew. It had a security contingent consisting of four coastguard marshals and an unspecified number of soldiers who were not listed on the manifest for their protection, Mr Marfe said. He added that officials are investigating whether the 33-year-old ferry was seaworthy, if there were passengers not listed on the manifest, and whether the crew properly guided passengers to safety. Sea accidents are common in the Philippines because of frequent storms, badly maintained vessels, overcrowding and patchy enforcement of safety regulations, especially in remote provinces. In December 1987, the ferry Dona Paz sank after colliding with a fuel tanker, killing more than 4,300 people in the worlds worst peacetime maritime disaster. Many employees have a love hate relationship with their organisations HR professionals. Theyre there in the good times onboarding us to a new company, guiding us through hiring a team or advising on a pay rise. But theyre also on the frontline during difficult situations. When there are retrenchments or policies needing to be upheld, its often HR professionals delivering the unpopular message. But what about those working behind the scenes? The latest State of the Human Resource Profession report, led by Deakin Business Schools Dr Justine Ferrer and featuring data from 390 HR professionals from across Australia, gives a snapshot in time of the profession right now. Dr Justine Ferrer from Deakin Business School says the depth and breadth of the HR role is ever expanding. Todays HR workforce is 84 per cent female; however, it wasnt always this way. The gender balance has shifted over the past fifty years. In 1976 women represented less than ten per cent of the workforce. By 1997 this figure had leapt to almost 50 per cent. It is assumed that women have a unique skill set that presents a natural proclivity towards HR type positions, given the required empathy, communication skills and maternal aspects of the role, and maybe this is why women make a strategic choice toward towards HR. However, the reality is both men and women bring complementary skill sets to HR, says Ferrer. This series explores the plight of the National Gallery of Australia, an institution in a state of disrepair and in desperate need of funding. Former governor-general Dame Quentin Bryce has used a rare intervention in public debate to express her dismay at the state of the National Gallery of Australia and add her voice to efforts to salvage the leaking, crisis-stricken cultural institution. Bryce, who has largely stayed out of the limelight since her term as the first female governor-general ended in 2014, said it was incomprehensible and distressing that art treasures of world standing were at risk from water damage because the gallery had fallen into disrepair. Former governor-general Quentin Bryce describes water leaks at the NGA as distressing. Credit: Paul Harris Bryce called for the government, the public and philanthropists to rally to the NGAs cause and said Australia needed to prioritise spending on the arts in the same way it did with sport. This is an opportunity in a distressing situation for people to look at the National Gallery and its role, what it has done and what it houses, and its place in our cultural life, she said. This is a crisis time and a call to arms because we must have a national gallery for our national collection. Mandy Nolan didnt run for federal parliament just so shed have material for a new comedy show. But once she did run, narrowly failing to win the seat of Richmond in northern New South Wales for the Greens last year, the next step just seemed too obvious not to take. I needed to reframe this comedically so I could make sense of 14 months of my life in which I absolutely got into campaigning and being in my electorate and doing what I needed to do, says the Mullumbimby-based writer-comedian-activist who came within a few thousand votes of snatching the seat from Labor last May. It feels really good to reframe it like that, to stand back. The many faces of Mandy. Credit: Jessica Hiromas Nolans new stand-up show, The Candidate, recounts her campaign in all its chaotic glory, complete with gotcha moment from the Murdoch press when a decade-old gag from a bit about psychopaths was rendered as the headline Hitler had fun, says Greens candidate. In keeping with a performance style that has had Wil Anderson describe her as the funniest non-famous comedian in the country, its full of embarrassing moments, trip-ups, and minor humiliations. Through song, breakneck-speed jokes and tales of therapy gone awry, he harnesses the neurotic, introverted nature of Luke McGregor, the shake-your-head puns of Tim Vine and the pull-the-rug-from-your-feet energy of Mitch Hedberg all at once. There are sharp jabs at Catholics, his Chinese upbringing, and of course, tales of the titular recipe all which are delivered with the aplomb of a festival veteran. At only 40 minutes in length its on the leaner side of shows this year. But for those who prefer quality over quantity, you simply cant miss it. Reviewed by Tyson Wray COMEDY Comedy Zone Trades Hall, until April 23 A five-dish taster, the hand-picked lineup of Comedy Zone decided by festival staff is a glimpse of the future stars of Australian comedy. AJ Lamarque hosts Comedy Zone, which is on at Trades Hall until April 23. Hosted by AJ Lamarque, he turned the camp up to a degree that would make Joel Creasey blush with stories of coming out and being mixed-race. Ben Hunter shared his love of playing goal defence in netball and hesitation to hang out his clothes; Samuel Gebreselassie delivered deeply dark material of why Ethiopia is now famous for aviation disasters rather than famine; and Annie Boyles delivery was so dry that it left the audience parched. That said, a brilliantly employed dance move quenched the thirst in mere moments. Alexandra Hudson delivered the strongest set of the evening honing in on her disabilities. However, 80% of her material was verbatim from her televised RAW Comedy-winning performance last year. If youre yet to see it dont until after the show. A well-rounded evening, but not as strong as previous years. Reviewed by Tyson Wray COMEDY Daniel Kitson | I Shall Have a Good Think When Everybodys Gone Home Malthouse Theatre, until April 23 If you know, you know. In 2002, Daniel Kitson took home the Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In 2007, he won the top gong at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. If the rules allowed you to win more than once, hed have another half-dozen on his mantelpiece. Make no mistake Kitson is the greatest comedian of his generation. Even if his aversion to press, media and podcasts means the majority have never heard of him. When other comedians see him perform, often they consider quitting the art form, knowing that theyll never reach the same heights. Its known as a term within the cognoscenti as the Kitson effect. Does this all sound sycophantic? Probably. But is it hyperbole? Absolutely not. A poll conducted by Dave, a TV channel that is a subsidiary of BBC, saw British comics including the ilk of Bill Bailey, Stewart Lee, Tim Vine, Mark Watson, Jason Byrne and Greg Davies all agreeing that he reigned supreme. I Shall Have a Good Think When Everybodys Gone Home is on at The Malthouse until April 23. The sold-out audience for the stuttering Brits latest 90-minute show at 12pm on a Sunday is filled to the brim with other award-winning comics from the festival watching on. The show is a masterclass of delivery, quips and callbacks. Be it comparing his own work to a pavlova, keeping an audience member as a time-keeper or heartbreakingly cutting observations on the human condition hes armed with a vocabulary and wit that could rival Shakespeare. All are delivered with rapid-fire articulation and multi-layered gags and the interspersed crowd-work and reactionary exchanges are phenomenal. Melbourne has long been his testing ground. If this is what hes calling (read: deliberately underselling) as a work in progress, its near impossible to think how good the final product will be. This is stand-up at its very finest. All for a measly $20. Book yesterday, thrice. Then youll know. Reviewed by Tyson Wray CABARET Alice Tovey | Not Like the Other Ghouls Malthouse The Tower, until April 9 Channelling the wounded rage of Carrie, doused in pig blood, and the extreme camp of Courteney Coxs absurd fringe in Scream 3, Alice Tovey, in a Ghostface leather corset dress, is not having a good night. Not Like the Other Ghouls is on at The Malthouse until April 9. Playing a version of herself thats hosting a spooktacular dinner theatre show at Frankensteins Palace, she has to cope with headliners dying en route. Now a meta one-woman show, Tovey stitches her generously vulnerable cabaret into a musical ode to teenage years of self-doubt, when she sought refuge in the queer otherness of horror movies. Toveys mum pulled her out of school to read Twilight finale Breaking Dawn, after all, and she was just as much into mopey vampire boyfriends as fight-back final girls. But just who is that demanding, discombobulated voice in her head that sounds a lot like a Aussie Hollywood A-lister? Theres a lot going on here, and its all ghoulishly good. Reviewed by Stephen A Russell COMEDY Scout Boxall | Turbo Lover Melbourne Town Hall, until April 23 Scout Boxall is what happens if youre raised on a diet of educational media, including the nightly news, Oregon Trail, the history channel, and Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing: an adult with a true crime and conspiracy theory obsession one not killed off by working for five years as a court reporter. Turbo Lover is on at Melbourne Town Hall until April 23. Who doesnt love conspiracy theories and true crime? Not this audience, who are thrilled to banter about their favourites and hear about Boxalls. This night was heavy on audience interaction. Boxall managed to take even the most banal responses and weave magic. Turbo Lover is broadly about romance and love which Boxall claims are a mystery to them, but their material about being a non-binary bisexual finds favour with the crowd that loves it all, from the relateable to the risque. Their take on this universal material provides weird and wonderful truisms you cant imagine any other performer pulling off. Reviewed by Lefa Singleton Norton COMEDY & THEATRE Lou Wall | vs. The Internet ACMI, until April 9 At six foot four, dripping Y2K vibes and geometrically precise braids, Lou Wall could be the Eureka Tower of Melbourne comedy. If only our architecture was as weird, queer and extremely online. Lou Wall vs. The Internet is on at ACMI until April 9. Of course this country kid was denied the internet until their mid-teens. Who else could nail the sorry-not-sorry ambivalence we all feel towards digital life? Walls envy of a schoolmate was turbo-charged by social media, but this is theatre, not therapy, and that jealous energy fuels a 120bpm multimedia onslaught that refuses to settle into any one genre, tone or voice. Example: an early bit about an innocent Insta post seamlessly shifts into a hilarious exchange with an online foot fetishist that again morphs into a Lizzo-esque musical number as wrong as the whole thing is real. The shows Shyamalan-level twist ending proves that for all its high-wire lunacy, Wall is as sure-footed as they come. Reviewed by John Bailey COMEDY Laura Davis | Well Dont Just Stand There Dancing Campari House, until April 23 If youve seen me before, Ive changed, says Laura Davis standing before us in pale chinos, denim shirt, red kerchief, and wide-brimmed hat. Its not just the outfit. Well Dont Just Stand There Dancing is on at Campari House until April 23. Since last performing in Melbourne, Davis has been altered, as many of us have, by a pandemic and the curveballs of this new world we live in. Things are less predictable, more disorienting. Alarming things happen. With a hectic pace, Davis veers between topics as varied as Jurassic Park, collecting rocks, and dispatching spiders, dropping in and out of character while delivering laughs that seem only tangentially related. Its anarchic and the audience is with her all the way. As the show unfolds, unravels, tangles, untangles and turns back on itself, we are brought full circle and Davis skill at weaving a story you didnt know you were being told is unveiled. Its remarkable and gratifying in equal measure. Reviewed by Lefa Singleton Norton COMEDY Clara Cupcakes | Yee Howdy Rides Again Malthouse Theatre, Playbox, until April 9 With looks like American drag queen Trixie Mattel and zany humour like Lucille Ball, Clara Cupcakes Yee Howdy Rides Again is a knee-slapping good time. Yee Howdy Rides Again is on at the Malthouse Theatre until April 9. Dressed in a red hat, pink plaid shirt, denim shorts, cow-print boots, dark leather holster with a banana, then topped off with a bolo tie fastened with a cupcake slide, this camp one-woman show is a theatre western riding high on its theme. The production incorporates a cardboard cactus called Clara Cactus Face, animated projector fire, elaborate costumes and whiplash sound effects, transporting audiences on a thrilling adventure that uses patriarchal cowboy culture and cowpitalism as a metaphor for feminist ideals. Cupcakes is a versatile performer, transitioning between clowning, burlesque, improvisation, song and mime, adapting to sound and prop mishaps without faltering. Reliance on audience participation is always a risk, but Cupcakes guided cues enable a comfortable interaction. So, giddy up! Youre in for a wild ride. Reviewed by Vyshnavee Wijekumar COMEDY James Nokise Campari House, until April 23 One performer, one microphone, and one hour of straight stand-up resulting in sore cheeks for the audience. This is a ripper of a show. God Damn Fancy Man is on at Campari House until April 23. Nokise, eponymous fancy man, makes it look easy as he freewheels between tales about himself, his Samoan family and his home country of Aotearoa (New Zealand) as only a performer with this level of skill can do. These deeply personal stories demonstrate a remarkable ability to draw the political from the personal in a way that avoids proselytising and endears him to the audience. In his home country, he is known not only as a brilliant stand-up but as the host of mental health podcast Eating Fried Chicken in the Shower. His material about this potentially difficult topic is empathetic, well-handled and, yes, funny. No small feat. Nokises years of experience delivering award-winning performances are evident in his comfort on stage and disarmingly charming delivery. A delight. Reviewed by Lefa Singleton Norton COMEDY & CABARET Mel & Sam | High Pony The Toff at Curtin House, until April 12 A line of purple netball bibs strung against the back curtain sets the scene for a show-stopping introductory song-and-dance number about sports culture. High Pony is on at The Toff in Town until April 9. Award-winning performers and podcast hosts Samantha Andrew and Mel OBrien deliver a high-energy, seamless cabaret show with non-stop laughs thatll make your cheeks hurt. Dressed in 90s girl band-inspired outfits with high ponytails, black midriff halter necks, flared black and neon pants and bright eye shadow, they deliver musical hit after hit that has the audience in fits of laughter. Featuring tunes about Wheres Wally, babies being cancelled and lesbians not getting the ick, they hilariously mock queer stereotypes from their own perspectives and experiences. Swift and simple costume changes also ensure limited respite from the lols. A fitting sequel to Shit-Wrecked! (2022 MICF), Andrew and OBrien have great on-stage synchronicity, chemistry and banter. A chart-topping parody pop duo in the making. Reviewed by Vyshnavee Wijekumar COMEDY Diana Nguyen | Going All In Melbourne Town Hall The Flag Room, until April 23 Stereotypes harm us all, but the joyous Diana Nguyen is empowered thanks to expensive breathing classes and an extensive range of dildos to reclaim the Asians cant swim slur. Going All In is on at Melbourne Town Hall until April 23. Shes leapt headlong into roiling oceans to feign surfing proficiency to net not one, but two boyfriends (at separate times), all while being a prime candidate for Bondi Rescue who cant float in a swimming pool. Often snort-laughing at her own (saucy) jokes, Nguyen is a hoot who can sweep even the most blush-prone audience into her silliness. If the shows a bit loose, it all hangs (10) together in the end, with a powerful undercurrent beneath the surface of this generous-hearted hilarity. A trigger warning that there will be intergenerational trauma content washes up in the final lap, as the threads of family and the indomitable spirit of her Vietnamese mum, who came to Melbourne as a refugee, leave you beaming. Reviewed by Stephen A Russell COMEDY Brendan Wan | Yummy Yummy Cha Cha! TIC Swanston (The Nicholas Building), until April 9 Brendan Wan isnt interested in dissecting the Chinese-Australian migrant experience in his debut solo sketch comedy show and fair enough. There are plenty of comedians who do just that. Yummy Yummy Cha Cha! is on at TIC Swanston until April 9. His interests lie more in the realm of the absurd and surreal, manifesting in the 10-plus sketches that make up his high-energy, hour-long show. A member of the Chinese crime syndicate Hutong Dragons delivers a presentation on how the group can make themselves more inclusive (a definite standout of the show that has the audience in stitches). A rendition of a perennial favourite karaoke song goes wrong. Appearances by Wans stuntman Rusty Lopez are another highlight his spot-on impersonation of a certain Australian comedic trio is so startlingly accurate, it elicits uproarious laughter. The punchlines of many of Wans sketches are in the set-up, but certain premises feel underdeveloped and go on for too long. However, as a debut comedy show it shows promise Wan is a sketch comedian to watch. Reviewed by Sonia Nair COMEDY Luke Heggie | Grot Morris House, until April 23 This countrys built on theft, quips Luke Heggie, positioning himself as an anti-left, anti-right, no-BS anthropological commentator who has a few things to get off his angry chest. Grot is on at Morris House until April 23. There is no knowing wink. No applause breaks. No sip of water. Grot is line after line of lacerating truth about this ridiculous, ugly and (sure) lucky country we inhabit. Following last years magnum opus, Lowbreed, Heggies new set is another scathing critique on Australias class system, face-palm hypocrisy and the way weve veered into an era where the most flexible people in the country those who do yoga etc are also the most useless. The crowd were in hysterics at what a mental health day really is (I wont spoil it) and, apart from a spotty bit on Indonesia (which will be ironed out across the 42 performances hes doing), this is a perfect hour of sharp, slaying-them-in-the-aisles, stand-up comedy. Surely, an early contender for most outstanding show of the festival. Reviewed by Mikey Cahill COMEDY Stephen Hall | Letters From My Heroes ACMI, until April 23 Never meet your heroes. Or in Stephen Halls case, never write to them. Over 50 minutes, Hall reads the fictitious responses from celebrities that he has reached out to for advice: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jack Nicholson, Rodney Rude, Billy Connolly and a host of deceased names Thomas Edison, Sean Connery. Letters From My Heroes is on at ACMI until April 23. Its a flimsy concept at best. At its worst, its nothing more than an excuse for Hall to deliver an abundance of impressions. Ironically, the strongest moment of the show highlights its weaknesses when Hall screens a real impromptu vox pop with his father who abandoned his family during his childhood. Its a bittersweet moment of sincerity that no impression could ever match. While his ability to manipulate his voice is impressive, those hoping to witness the type of satirical whiplash that hes previously delivered on arguably Australias best comedy of the past decade (Mad As Hell) will be left underwhelmed. Reviewed by Tyson Wray COMEDY Anne Edmonds | Why Is My Bag All Wet? Comedy Theatre, until April 23 All it took was an apocalypse for Helen Bidous real-life alter-ego to capture her Welsh boyfriend. Why Is My Bag All Wet? is on at the Comedy Theatre until April 23. When lockdowns lifted, she held onto him the good old-fashioned way: by getting pregnant. Her words, not mine, in a riotous hour of Im a mum now, can you believe it? that sees the award-winning comedian reach heights almost as delirious as her Get Krack!n counterpart, including a lesson in how best to slouch down a wall drunk. Shell whip you from doom-scrolling Facebook Marketplace through to sequestering a defective high-chair from a troll coven in Edinburgh, and on to a regrettable incident in a two-storey Coles Local in the NSW capital that has her pondering why they dont just drain the harbour for more real estate? If new motherhood isnt the freshest show idea, then Edmonds hurricane-force edge-of-hysteria humour sells it, delivering the kind of high you get from the good drugs in hospital. Reviewed by Stephen A Russell COMEDY Chloe Petts, Rob Auton, Huge Davies | New Order Melbourne Town Hall, until April 23 New Order brings three of the UKs newest, most original and best unknown-to-Australia comedians to the festival. Chloe Petts Chloe Petts delivers the most straightforward set of the trio, opening the night describing the joys of being a masculine lesbian in self-deprecating fashion. Having good-naturedly made herself a target, she then turns her attention towards the English-Australian relationship, sports fans, and bantering with the frankly odd audience. Rob Auton has a lackadaisical presence, dispensing observational material with a side-serving of the absurd. Add in a dash of poetry combining melancholy and humour, and you have a unique fusion that leaves the audience pleasurably baffled. Huge Davies ends the night with deadpan delivery and a keyboard that he wields to deliver musical comedy and comedy about music, both of which have a delicious dark streak. With 15-20 minutes per performer, the material is tight and the variety proves a strength. Reviewed by Lefa Singleton Norton COMEDY Sam Campbell | Every Single Emotion Max Watts, until April 23 Sydney crackpot Sam Campbell is on a tear. In the past five years hes scaled the highest heights in comedy by winning the top gongs at Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2018 and last years Edinburgh Fringe. Every Single Emotion is on at Max Watts until April 23. Every Single Emotion is not so much a return to earth as a madcap hour of swerving, unnerving LOLs that needs lots of tightening up but is still undeniably Cambo (read: utterly brilliant, constantly wrong-footing and spectacular value for money). Playing his biggest room yet, Campbells demonic voice modifier and extra shouty approach engage the crowd well. A mid-show cameo from a fellow comic lands nicely as he bags out The Hundred with Andy Lee and professes a desire to be on another more successful panel show. Just imagine. Hes on fire when he riffs on Jason Stathams culinary skills and Christian OConnells odd level of fame, while a Pet Barn bit needs to be neutered. Wait for his call-back to The Three Ls its classic Campbell, where you think everything has gone pear-shaped but in fact its all cool bananas. Reviewed by Mikey Cahill COMEDY Kirsty Webeck | A Bit of Fun The Westin Three, until April 23 If youve accidentally been hoodwinked into going to the ballet by anyone pulling the fun voice, the last thing youll want to do is squish into a pair of tights, get up on stage and perform a pas de deux. A Bit Of Fun is on at The Westin Three until April 23. Kirsty (never Kristy, maaaybe Kransky) knows this, and that Swan Lake is too long. So if you love short and snappy comedy gigs with a great deal of heart but are terrified of audience participation, relax, youre in safe hands. An animal farm of content, from shocking rat attacks to the unfortunate fate of sperm whales, unfolds. Webecks obsessed with naming our furry friends and will take it personally if you dont let her, even if its your second birthday (firsts are just dumb). There are busloads of LOLs to be had in a show that, unlike the ballet, isnt flashy but will leave you wheeze-laughing a great deal more. Reviewed by Stephen A Russell COMEDY Dane Simpson Comedy Republic, until April 10 Dane Simpson named his show Always Was, Always Will BeFunny on a whim, but its easy to imagine the funny kid he was when watching the cheeky, likeable performer he is now. Dane Simpson creates a natural rapport that results in steady laughter. Credit: The show centres on Simpsons recent life experiences and relationships, and his material remains personal even when it explores the more political aspects of life as a Gamilaraay man. He sometimes uses short videos and pictures to help illustrate his material, but this is essentially a classic stand-up show with wordplay, callbacks and quippy one-liners in between longer stories. He isnt the only funny one in his family, and his delight in sharing their antics is contagious. Simpson appears to be having as much fun as the audience as he giggles at his own jokes, inviting the room to laugh along with him. His personable delivery creates a natural rapport that results in steady laughter and applause. Reviewed by Lefa Singleton Norton COMEDY Lucinda Price and Louis Hanson | Besties Trades Hall Solidarity Hall (shows run is now complete) Besties is an intimate slumber party filled with storytelling, confessions, witty banter and deliberately dorky singing and dancing. Lucinda Price and Louis Hanson perform in Besties for the 2023 Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Originally from Melbourne, comedians and creators Lucinda Price and Louis Hanson return home to a loving audience of social media fans, childhood friends and family. Dressed in Hello Kitty pyjamas, Price and Hanson get vulnerable, sharing parts of themselves yet to be disclosed even on their respective Instagram and TikTok accounts. Prices divulgence about a sexual encounter with an unnamed celebrity will leave audiences googling on the trip home. From footage of embarrassing gigs to a fake image with an exs ex, their wizardry in video editing and Photoshop adds a meme aspect to the show, representative of their work at Pedestrian TV and as online personalities. Witnessing Price and Hansons close-knit kinship feels like a warm hug, inviting the audience into a three-way call that you never want to end. Reviewed by Vyshnavee Wijekumar COMEDY Nina Oyama and Jude Perl | We Should Hang Out! The Westin Three, March 31 (shows run is now complete) Six comedians, one hour. What better way to spend three nights at the comedy festival? (n.b. this shows run ended on April 1). Nina Oyama and Jude Perl hosted a loose and live late-night variety show. Nina Oyama, with her effortless charm and affable on-stage persona, and Jude Perl, with her virtuosic combination of dark humour, remarkable keyboard skills and a killer voice to match, are the hosts of a loose and live late-night variety show featuring four comedic acts as divergent in their styles as their hosts are. The jokes come a mile a minute in Suren Jayemannes confident set, spanning topics as varied as gentrification, rescue dogs and accents. Heath Franklin has the crowd on edge by deliberately wading into taboo territory, but subverts expectations in surprising ways. Aurelia St Clairs languid, ASMR-pleasing delivery is responsible for perhaps one of the best mental health jokes of the festival thus far. And rounding it out is Frankie McNair as the sultry, chain-smoking Tabatha Booth, cleverly interweaving her off-kilter humour with burlesque. Reviewed by Sonia Nair COMEDY Rose Bishop | Feral Chinese Museum, until April 9 Rose Bishop is a feral. What is a feral? In Bishops view, its a term to depict the lower-socioeconomic class that she grew up around in regional Western Australia. Ferals will get drunk enough to ruin Christmas (but not bash anyone); ferals will get vaccinated as long as its covered by Medicare. Feral is on at the Chinese Museum until April 9. Directed by festival mainstay Claire Hooper, Bishops debut solo hour is a patchwork of stories about her own feral-ness be it tales of an amorous kangaroo that she took in as a pet, looking after a greyhound allergic to its own teeth, aiming to always have sex on the first date or inheriting trauma instead of property. Oh, and a frankly absurd anecdote about spending time on a billionaire sheikhs super-yacht with snarky Russian sex workers. Weve all been there, right? While there is an over-reliance on expletives for laughs, Bishops well-structured storytelling and confident delivery makes for an impressive debut. Reviewed by Tyson Wray COMEDY & CABARET Ali McGregor | Late-Nite Variety-Nite Night The Famous Spiegeltent at Arts Centre Melbourne, March 31 (on until April 9) At an indeterminate point in time, Ali McGregors Late-Night Variety-Nite Night reached cult status. Late-Nite Variety-Nite Night is on at The Famous Spiegeltent until April 9. For 16 years, the soprano has plucked a melange of comedy and cabaret acts from a massive trove for a 75-minute showcase. Each evening, theres a different haul. A tight band of keyboards, drums and bass welcomes McGregor into the hazy lights of The Famous Spiegeltent an ideal venue for such a show. Not quite seamlessly, the acts pour onto the tiny stage. First-up is comedian-actor Diana Nguyen, followed by hyper-expressive acrobat-artist Jess Love and her jaw-dropping hula-hoop set. Comic/songwriter Gillian Cosgriff enchants with a keyboard takeover, skipping through a joyous observational score that lets rip. Stand-up Carl Donnelly entrances with a 12-minute shower gel discussion. McGregor, interspersing the acts with soaring, melodic mash-ups, describes it as a bargain of a show. Spot on. Reviewed by Donna Demaio COMEDY & THEATRE Osher Gunsberg | Night Time News Network National News Malthouse Theatre Beckett Theatre, until April 9 Osher Gunsberg drops his sanitised reality TV host persona for an evening of participatory theatre that satirises live news. Night Time News Network National News is on at The Malthouse until April 9. Performing alongside a ragtag Sydney-based improv troupe, unique headlines are written prior to each show, acting as a live prompt similar to Whose Line Is It, Anyway? Gunsberg is dressed as a Ron Burgundy-esque news anchor in a pink suit and orange-rimmed glasses. His prologue projected loudly in signature fashion contextualises the show, laying the groundwork for a future commercial television pitch. Incorporating live crosses and crew interactions, theres inconsistency across the performers in their ability to deliver convincing news segments. Alex Reynolds and Orya Golgowsky are standouts in their world building, characterisations, facial expressions and physical comedy getting the largest laughs in any sketch. Reminiscent of The Chaser, this is a thoroughly enjoyable comedy show that could be ripped (but for liability reasons is not) straight from the headlines. Reviewed by Vyshnavee Wijekumar COMEDY Opening Night Comedy Allstars Supershow Palais Theatre, March 29 A 150-minute melange of taste-testers, the annual Allstars Supershow delivers the audience bite-sized teasers to satiate every form of the comedic palate. This year, to mixed results. Melbourne International Comedy Festivals Allstars Supershow was compered by Hannah Gadsby. Credit: Ben King Hannah Gadsby took on compering duties, and warmed the crowd with reflections of her recent marriage to her former tour manager. Anne Edmonds opened proceedings with her regular polemic style shooting daggers at D-grade celebrities who seek fame on reality TV and commercial radio. Dilruk Jayasinha followed by bringing up the cricket rivalry between Australia and his home country of Sri Lanka and the uneasy fact that his mother fancied the late Shane Warne. On the international front, the beat-boxing skills of the Icelandic Ari Eldjarn landed soundly; American Kyle Kinane took shots at himself when referencing the January 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol and the social faux pas that comes with buying a telescope; and New Zealander Guy Montgomery skewered the Bechdel test and explained the difficulty of implementing it into his everyday life. All to uproarious effect. Loading Similarly, Douglas Lim, Anirban Dasgupta, Leo Reich and The Lucas Bros all easily won over the crowd albeit it with a vastly ranging difference of styles. Best Newcomer at Edinburgh Festival Fringe Lara Ricote delivered the most risque gag of the evening regarding cysts in her reproductive organs and an abortion. It slayed the room. If the ABC actually air it during their broadcast next week, I wouldnt want to be working in their complaints department. Among all the well-placed bullseyes, there were of course a few that failed to hit the board. David ODohertys ongoing cheap keyboard shtick elicited yawns; Bronwyn Kuss never-ending repetitions about Tina Arena well overstayed its welcome; and Huge Davies barbs and impressions about modern-day dance music read the room about as well as Tommy Wiseau. Loading Georgie Carrolls anecdotes about rotator cuff tears went down like a balloon over the seas of South Carolina; and headline grabber Reuben Kaye doubled down upon his recent controversy with Catholics by employing juxtapositions about the church, priests and drag queens. Clever enough, but you could see the punchlines coming from St Kilda Road. Concluding the evening, Dave Thornton scored the highest decibels of applause of the night with a sharp attack at King Charles and for a proposition of vasectomies versus IQ levels. A few lulls aside, inevitable in such a gargantuan event, the merriment of this years Allstars Supershow lit the fuse to set off the celebratory firework of more than 600 shows across the city over the next month. Reviewed by Tyson Wray COMEDY Elyce Phillips | Pretends to Be On Tropical Holiday For 50 Minutes (Definitely Not A Scam) The Butterfly Club, until April 7 Elyce Phillips has only been staying at premium luxury resort Poseidon Sands for a day. Or has she? Featuring an elaborate mix of gross-out hijinks, well-crafted props and costumes, and sophisticated multimedia (no doubt drawing on Phillips other hat as an illustrator), nothing is immune from censure in Phillips delightfully chaotic, multilayered show. Elyce Phillips delightfully chaotic show is at The Butterfly Club until April 7. Credit: The shows episodic structure has Phillips oscillating between a bikini-clad tourist, a sea cucumber and the unwilling assistant of a chauvinistic big wet ham among other characters while the sound and light design effortlessly shifts the tonal register between sequences. Phillips is a master at pulling the rug out from under her audience nothing is what it seems at the ramshackle Poseidon Sands, too far from the beach to be anything other than the jewel of the inner coast. The Butterfly Club, with its tightly packed pews and haunted tiki bar vibe, is the perfect setting for its unravelling. Reviewed by Sonia Nair COMEDY Bec Petraitis | Merry Campari House, until April 9 The carols are pumping, the decorations are hung and the stage is set for the tale of Bec Petraitis Christmas Day, 2021, her worst on record. Bec Petraitis is at Campari House until April 9. Credit: Its true, the Christmas in question was not that bad something Petraitis is quick to point out when she promises at the outset nobody died. However, amid the COVID years, our tolerance for disappointment was low, and Petraitis is quite the Christmas fan. What follows is a series of unfortunate events told with the aid of dramatic inner monologues, neat stagecraft, and a knack for storytelling. With her expressive face and charming style, Petraitis tally of dissatisfactions brings frequent laughs of both recognition and sympathy. There are understated punchlines dispensed with dry wit and the occasional diversion into silliness, which delight the audience. Heres a performer who keeps the laughs rolling, the snark light and the atmosphere warm just like a good Christmas. Reviewed by Lefa Singleton Norton COMEDY Courtney Crisfield | Cult Classic Queen Victoria Womens Centre, until April 18 You know that friend who always speaks in film quotes? Thats Courtney Crisfield. Courtney Crisfield performs at Queen Victoria Womens Centre until April 18. In her own words, she was raised by movies, spawning a multi-faceted show featuring trivia, short films and costumed portrayals of recognisable characters that cinephiles would relish. Parodying genres from horror to silent films, Crisfield disarms the audience with her awkward nerdiness, unafraid to call out the derivative nature of new cinema. A working actor, the short films in which Crisfield also stars show off her acting chops, playing beloved protagonists from David Bowie in Labyrinth to Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind. Cult Classic relies heavily on the make-shift cinema projector and its clear Crisfield has invested a lot into the film production aspects of the show. However, more weighting towards the live stand-up component would have made it more balanced. Crisfield delivers an endearing Oscar-worthy performance that successfully convinces us why shell always love movies. Reviewed by Vyshnavee Wijekumar COMEDY Urvi Majumdar | Urvi Went To An All Girls School Trades Hall Common Rooms Bar, until April 2 Urvi Majumdar reprises her debut solo show from 2022 for just four nights between the light-studded, grandiose purple curtains of the Common Rooms Bar. The setting evokes the same feeling as a high school formal incidentally the pivotal event that foregrounds Majumdars recollection of her teenage years. Urvi Majumdar is at Common Rooms Bar in Trades Hall until April 2. Reading verbatim from real-life journal entries out of a comically oversized stage prop diary, Majumdar swings between acting out her adolescent fears and humiliations and retrospectively examining these ordeals through an adult lens. Penmans plans for the nation of Jimland are suitably grand. Im going to be the king, Im going to be starting knighthoods and citizenships, were gonna have our own stamps and our own flag. Were gonna raise money for mens sheds, he reckons. Unlike Prince Leonard, who declared war on Australia for two whole days in the 1970s, Penmans beef is with one particular state, and its premier. Were not un-Australian, we just dont like Victoria. Mornington Rainbow Network members Celeste De Vis, Anne Urch and Ruth Wearne with local Liberal MP Chris Crewther (centre). RAINBOW REACH-OUT Everybodys talking about the backlash against Victorian Liberal leader John Pesuttos effort to punt his MP Moira Deeming over that anti-trans rally a couple of weeks ago. But now theres a backlash against the backlash, with trans family members on the Mornington Peninsula making their way on Wednesday to the office of their local Liberal MP Chris Crewther for a word about his very public support for Deeming and coming away with a memorable snapshot. Members of the Mornington Rainbow Connection group asked for and were granted a meeting with the Christian conservative MP, one of Deemings 10 core supporters in Pesuttos party room Loading One member of the group, Celeste De Vis, told CBD that they received a good hearing from Crewther and his staff, after telling them of their horror at some of the views expressed at the rally. De Vis said the group were encouraged by the chat and that it was nice of Crewther to agree to be in a photo after the meeting featuring the trans flag but they wanted to see more than just words and a good start would be for the MP to show his face at the Mornington Shires annual flag raising event in May to celebrate the local trans and non-binary community. Crewther agreed that the meeting went well, although he wasnt clear on the details of the council event, so he couldnt make any promises. But wouldnt it be something if he did rock up, and brought Moira with him. TESTING TIMES Barack Obamas speaking tour got back on track in Melbourne on Thursday after Wednesday nights PR train wreck with an appearance before a few hundred business leaders at the citys Exhibition Centre. Biosecurity was tight, with all those lucky enough to score a handshake with the great man required to undergo a PCR COVID test now, that takes us back with a testing crew on-site and everything. Among the throng at Jeffs shed to hear the 44th presidents thoughts on leadership were a couple of blokes at the top of organisations that could use a little Crown Resorts CEO Ciaran Carruthers and AFL boss Gillon McLachlan with his brother Hamish McLachlan. Also spotted were Trades Hall secretary Luke Hilakari and his great mate from across the industrial relations divide, Victorian Chamber of Commerce chief Paul Guerra. AIR FORCE Michelle Ananda-Rajah seems like an industrious type. The new federal Labor MP for Higgin has not only formed the view that indoor air quality is the next big thing in public health and not just for COVID shes done something about it, gathering a bunch of experts from various fields in Canberra on Thursday to talk it over. She certainly managed to get some big names Brett Sutton, Brendan Crabb, Paul Kelly that well all recognise from the pandemic into the room. The air quality in said room was reported by another attendee haematologist Nada Hamad from Sydneys St Vinnies Hospital to be pretty good. Hamad even had a little gizmo with her to make sure. Still, though, there were plenty present who werent leaving anything to chance. The groups photo shows 11 out of 23 participants including Sutton and Crabb wearing masks. Maybe one day the experts will be able to agree on something to do with the pandemic, if any of us live to see it. Still, nobody at APH should take things personally. Sutton was spotted at Canberra Airport later in the day, still with his trademark N-95 on his mug. OFF THE AIR Talkback radio blokes Jon Faine, formerly of ABC Melbourne, and Neil Mitchell, of 3AW, always observed a respectful stance call it a gentlemans agreement down through all the years they vied for top spot in the citys morning ratings. So AM listeners might have been surprised to read this week that Faine had been blasted on air by Mitchell over a speech the former ABC stalwart made at the Melbourne Press Club Awards The Quills on Friday night. Speaking about the proposed Voice to parliament, Faine took issue with what he saw as the determination of some urban white commentators to define what shape the Voice should take. Old rivals Jon Faine and Neil Mitchell. Credit: Eddie Jim, Rob Gunstone Mitchell told us that his beef was with the audience at the event, who were reported to have keenly cheered Faines comments, and not with the former broadcaster himself. Were not bosom buddies, weve had respectful relationship over the years but weve disagreed on a few things, Mitchell said. I gave him a bit of a going over on air the other day, but thats all right, hes a big boy, he can take it. Mitchell said he had read out during his show on Tuesday a right of reply received from Faine in a text exchange and that was that, as far as the 3AW host was concerned. But for Faine, the headache goes on, after The Australians coverage of his speech about which he has complained about to the paper was picked up by Sky News After Dark. The Sunday Age columnist says the TV coverage prompted emails from as far afield as Queensland accusing him of being racist towards white people. He told CBD that he was more worried about everyone playing nice in the Voice debate, than any personal criticism he might cop. It would be tragic ... if this really important issue was to descend into hate speech and vitriol. Its not about whether my ego has got its 1000th little dent in it, Faine said. We may have left the Morris Minor behind, but John Elder of Annerley (Qld) is not ready to give up on the oldies yet in his case the 35 millimetre Leica I from 1928 he still uses as his day-to-day camera. Some 25 years after it was made, around the time I was being born, the then-owner returned it to the Leica factory in Wetzlar, Germany where it received an upgrade including, among other things, a rangefinder and synchronisation for those new-fangled flash bulbs. I rescued it from a Leica dealer in Hamburg, had it overhauled by a specialist in Tokyo, and it works as well today as it did 95 years ago. Think what it has seen! Admitting that the sample size is only modest, Ian Aldridge of Goulburn can report that of all the exterior rear-view mirrors of cars that were inspected, 100 per cent bore spider webs. Denis Cartledge of Tenterfield says that one of the reasons why protesters do so in English (C8) is to catch the global audience, in the hope that their homeland may do something about whatever theyre protesting about. Laurie Le Claire of Epping adds, The whole of Europe sings Happy Birthday in English (C8), too! According to Bob Phillips of Cabarita, in 1969 students at Goroka Teachers College in the Highlands of PNG protested their insufficient allowances by making placards and gathering at the college before marching into town. Although all of them spoke pidgin and a dialect, most of the placards carried messages in English (C8), their third language. When I asked the deputy principal if he was going to stop the demonstration, he said, Hell no. I am going to check the spelling. You can help. I saw one which read, Strike while the iron is heat. The use of the word strike in two senses was a winner. The student opted to correct the last word, but I still prefer the original version. Healthscope, which runs dozens of private hospitals including Holmesglen Private Hospital in Moorabbin and the John Fawkner Private Hospital in Coburg, confirmed it had recently dropped its mask mandate for staff and visitors unless deemed necessary due to clinical indication. Loading These settings are effectively a return to pre-COVID settings, where PPE [personal protective equipment] is used to protect either vulnerable patients, or staff and doctors, against a potential hazard from an infectious patient, with COVID-19 added into existing infection control policies, a Healthscope spokesman said. But Australian Nurses and Midwifery Federation Victorian secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said the easing of mandates was premature. The virus is still there and community transmission is increasing, she said. The number of people in Victoria hospitalised with COVID surged last week by almost 60 per cent to 183 patients. A healthcare worker at Box Hill Hospital, which is run by Eastern Health, said COVID positive patients were no longer being segregated from other patients in designated wards. He said they were now placed in private rooms on the general ward. Professor Peter Collignon says hospitals need to be built with more single beds to prevent cross infections. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen The recent change was in response to the challenges of opening and closing the COVID-19 ward based on fluctuating case numbers. We are miffed by it, said the worker, who did not want to be identified in case it jeopardised his employment. Previously if you were on the COVID ward you knew you were on the COVID ward and you would wear PPE all the time. Now theres a little bit of COVID floating through the ward. Loading A Monash Health spokesman confirmed its health services no longer had COVID wards, and that it cared for patients with the virus using single rooms with negative pressure or flow, which prevents contaminated air from seeping out. These rooms have separate ventilation to protect patients, employees, and visitors, he said. Should the number of COVID-positive patient presentations significantly increase, Monash Health will follow its plan to establish a COVID ward. Australian Medical Association Victorian president Roderick McRae said he was alarmed so many people had died from COVID after contracting it in hospital. Its a concerning number but plausible, he said, pointing out that hospital patients were a particularly vulnerable cohort. Dr Roderick McRae, president of the Victorian branch of the Australian Medical Association. Credit: Joe Armao The data indicated that those who died of COVID acquired in a hospital tended to be older than patients who caught it in the community, but were less likely to be an aged care resident. McRae said hospitals were closing COVID wards to free up beds for others who might need them. If there are three positive patients in a COVID ward, the other beds cant be used, he said. Victorian Allied Health Professionals Association executive officer Andrew Hewat said surgical masks were still required for clinical areas in public hospitals. Until recently, he said, most health services had required clinical staff to wear N95 respirators, which offer a higher protection than surgical masks. If there are three positive patients in a COVID ward, the other beds cant be used. Roderick McRae, president Australian Medical Association Victorian Hewat said most hospital staff were now only required to wear N95 masks in spaces with very ill patients such as intensive care and emergency wards. He called on the government to invest more in improving ventilation. Personal protective equipment should be the last line of defence, but it has become the primary and often the only defence in most health settings, he said. Loading Emergency rural doctor David Berger, who tweeted the leaked data showing definite and probable deaths of patients who had caught COVID in hospital, said it was scandalous that hospitals were winding back their precautions against COVID. It really crucifies me that we work in an environment where patients are not being safeguarded, he said. This is a widespread illness that has turned the world upside down and remains the third leading cause of death in Australia for 2022. If you catch it in hospital, youve got a 10 per cent chance of death. Australian National University Professor Peter Collignon, who also sits on numerous infection control committees, said cross infections would continue while patients shared wards. He said hospitals needed to be built with more single rooms. If youre in a room, sharing a room with somebody whos got COVID that nobody knows about, youre basically a metre apart from them, how do you expect him not to get cross infected? And its not only for COVID. Its for influenza and every other respiratory virus as well. The Victorian Health Department refused to comment on the data or provide updated figures, and said the information was not publicly available. Hes taken what used to be a weird thing into the mainstream here in Portland going to ribbon cuttings with the mayor, being in parades when all of that was not yet part of the culture, said Don Horn, managing director of Portlands Triangle Productions, which produced the 2019 musical Darcelle: Thats No Lady. Cole moved seamlessly between diva and denim. He could look like a soft-spoken grandfather (which he was) in jeans and flannel shirt while entertaining guests at the late 19th-century house he shared with his partner and fellow drag performer, Leroy Roxy Neuhardt, until his death in 2017. Walter C. Cole, better known as the iconic drag queen who performed for decades as Darcelle, 2019. Credit: AP Within a half-hour, Cole could re-emerge as Darcelle brash, blingy and just a tad risque in a hand-sewn gown or outfit and elaborate make-up that included signature flourishes such as glittery eye shadow. I have this theory, you know, when you think youre finished getting dressed and ready and pretty for stage, he said in 2019, you add more. Walter Willard Cole was born November 16, 1930, in Portland. In his 2010 one-man show, Just Call Me Darcelle, he recounted the death of his mother when he was nine and neglect and abuse by his alcoholic father. He was raised mostly by an aunt. Cole married high school sweetheart Jeannette Rosini in 1951 and served in the army at a base in Italy before returning to Portland. They had two children while Cole worked at a grocery store and later opened a coffee shop that billed itself as having the first espresso machine north of San Francisco. Cole began acting in local theatre and met Neuhardt, a former Las Vegas dancer. The attraction was immediate. But Cole kept their relationship secret from his family for years. He eventually came out in 1969 and moved in with Neuhardt, but Cole and his wife never divorced. There was nothing about marriage I didnt like, he said. It was just that I was gay and I had to tell them. In 1967, Cole bought a run-down tavern in Portlands Old Town, which was then a blighted part of the city. I walked in here and opened up the door and wept. I thought, What have I done? But that didnt last long, he said in an interview with the Oregonian. The new club became a favourite for the citys lesbian community. To boost business, he tried a revue-style show on a 4-by-8-foot banquette table in the back of the bar. The stage was set for the dawn of Darcelle. At 37 years old, Cole did his first performance in drag. Yet he still needed a name. You cant be Alice or Mary, Cole recalled being told by Neuhardt. Youre just too big and too over-jewelled and too much hair. Neuhardt had met the French actress Denise Darcel in Las Vegas. The name was tweaked to Darcelle, and it stuck. During the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, Cole led fundraisers for medical research and to assist those with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, which at the time was considered a potential death sentence before the development of drug therapies. The Darcelle XV AIDS Memorial, a granite sculpture for Oregonians who died of AIDS, was dedicated in 2017. When it was showtime, however, Darcelle let it all loose. Darcelle would belt out tunes in a distinctly manly baritone. I dont want to be a woman, he said. I want to be a character. A club favourite was a cover of the Bette Midler hit The Rose, which Mr Cole, as Darcelle, also recorded in 2021 with the pianist Thomas Lauderdale of the group Pink Martini. But the highlight of the night was the Rhinestone Cowboy act, with Darcelle strutting out in just rhinestone-bedazzled chaps and a G-string greeted by a shower of dollar bills from the audience. Darcelle can do and say anything and has, said Cole. And gotten away with it. In addition to his wife, survivors include a son, Walter Jr, daughter Maridee Woodson, two granddaughters and two great-grandchildren. Loading The club lives on. His son, who has worked there for 30 years, was groomed to take over, but on the business side and not in drag. After Coles death, the doors didnt close even for a night. Poison Waters sang The Rose in tribute. A federal inquiry will be launched into government contracts linked to a friend of former cabinet minister Stuart Robert in a move to scrutinise deals worth at least $374 million and tainted by concerns over conflicts of interest and poor value for money. The inquiry will focus on contracts with companies that used Canberra consultant David Milo, a friend of Robert, to line up work with the federal government including large technology contracts, property deals and consulting projects. Stuart Robert said the allegations were ridiculous. Credit: Rhett Wyman Days after a former public service chief called for further investigation into 19 contracts worth $374 million, the new move sets up a forum that will allow witnesses to testify under parliamentary privilege. The inquiry by federal parliaments joint committee of public accounts and audit will also be able to compel witnesses to appear and seek documents outside the scope of two government reviews revealed last Sunday. Newly elected Premier Chris Minns has condemned NSW One Nation leader Mark Latham for homophobic comments on social media yesterday, and paid tribute to Sydney independent MP Alex Greenwich for his continued advocacy on behalf of the states LGBTQ community. Speaking at the Lifeline International Presidents Lunch a short time ago, Minns described Lathams comments as vile and shameful. NSW Premier Chris Minns in conversation with ABC Presenter Jeremy Fernandez at the Lifeline International Presidents Lunch this afternoon. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer I think hes revealed himself to be a bigot, he said. Theyve been directed at a Member of Parliament who ... is extraordinarily effective, and manages to elevate the conversation and make major changes in the state. In an interview focused on the state of mental health in NSW after a pandemic, natural disaster and amid a cost of living crunch, Minns said members of the LGBTQ community were two and a half times more likely to seek urgent medical help as a result of a mental condition. They need support from the leadership of NSW and there should be unambiguous and universal condemnation of these [Lathams] comments. Police with metal detection wands have the power to stop and search anyone enjoying the night life of Fortitude Valley from next weekend. Queensland Parliament was set to pass a two-year statewide extension of trial powers on Thursday after year-long use on the Gold Coast sparked by the stabbing death of teen Jack Beasley in 2019. Queensland police officers search a person with a metal detection wand under the trial of increased powers in Gold Coast party precincts. Credit: Queensland Police Service Jacks parents, Brett and Belinda, were present for the debate and welcomed the laws and formal approval by the Governor on Sunday what would have been his 21st birthday. The powers can be approved for use in the states 15 safe night precincts and on public transport, providing there had been one knife crime there in the past six months. London: The head of the European Commission has used a landmark speech to warn member nations they must alter their relationship with China or risk becoming a victim of the same economic coercion currently imposed on Australia. Ursula von der Leyen said the Chinese Communist Party was seeking to make the world including Russia dependent on China. She said Europes policy on trade with China was contingent on how Beijing chose to respond to Russias invasion of Ukraine and its adherence to human rights. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Credit: AP China specialists in Indo-Pacific countries including Australia, Japan and India were consulted for her speech, which comes ahead of her visit to Beijing alongside Frances Emmanuel Macron. China sees Putins weakness as a way to increase its leverage over Russia and it is clear that the power balance in that relationship which for most of the last century favoured Russia has now reversed, von der Leyen told two think tanks, the Mercator Institute for China Studies and European Policy Centre on Thursday. The grand jury had been probing Trumps involvement in a $US130,000 ($194,000) payment made in 2016 to the porn actor Stormy Daniels to keep her from going public about a sexual encounter she said she had with him years earlier. Trump lawyer Michael Cohen paid Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, through a shell company before being reimbursed by Trump, whose company, the Trump Organisation, logged the reimbursements as legal expenses. Stormy Daniels was allegedly paid $US130,000 in 2016 to keep her from going public about a sexual encounter she said she had with Donald Trump years earlier. Credit: AP Earlier in 2016, Cohen also arranged for former Playboy model Karen McDougal to be paid $US150,000 by the publisher of the supermarket tabloid The National Enquirer, which then squelched her story in a journalistically dubious practice known as catch-and-kill. Trump denies having sex with either woman. Trumps company grossed up Cohens reimbursement for the Daniels payment to defray tax payments, according to federal prosecutors who filed criminal charges against the lawyer in connection with the payments in 2018. In all, Cohen got $US360,000 plus a $US60,000 bonus, for a total of $US420,000. Cohen pleaded guilty to violating federal campaign finance law in connection with the payments. Federal prosecutors say the payments amounted to illegal, unreported assistance to Trumps campaign. But they declined to file charges against Trump himself. Michael Cohen, former President Donald Trumps longtime personal lawyer, in November 2021. Credit: AP Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs team appears to be looking at whether Trump or anyone committed crimes in New York state in arranging the payments, or in the way they accounted for them internally at the Trump Organisation. But can a former president be indicted? In a word, yes. Longstanding Justice Department policy prohibits the federal indictment of a sitting president, but Trump, two years out of office, no longer enjoys that legal shield. And the New York case is not a federal probe anyway. What is this grand jury? A grand jury is made up of people drawn from the community, similar to a trial jury. But unlike juries that hear trials, grand juries dont decide whether someone is guilty or innocent. They only decide whether there is sufficient evidence for someone to be charged. Grand juries exist in the US federal court system and in many states. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg speaking with the media in New York in January. Credit: AP Proceedings are closed to the public, including the media. There is no judge present nor anyone representing the accused. Prosecutors call and question witnesses, and grand jurors can also ask questions. In New York, the person who could be indicted may ask for a certain witness, though its up to grand jurors. New York grand juries have 23 people. At least 16 must be present to hear evidence or deliberate. Twelve have to agree there is enough evidence in order to issue an indictment. The grand jury may also find insufficient evidence of a crime or direct the prosecutor to file lesser charges. Loading Centuries-old rules have kept grand juries under wraps to protect the reputations of people who end up not being charged, to encourage reluctant witnesses to testify, to prevent those about to be indicted from fleeing and to guard against outside pressure. Grand juries have long been criticised as little more than rubber stamps for prosecutors. Former New York Judge Sol Wachtler famously said that prosecutors could convince a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich. Defenders of the process say it is a crucial safeguard against politically motivated prosecutions. Who has testified in this case? One of the final witnesses called was Robert Costello, who was once a legal adviser to Cohen, the governments key witness in the investigation. The men have since had a falling out, and Costello indicated that he had information he believed would undercut the credibility of Cohen and contradict his then incriminating statements about Trump. The indictment is an unprecedented moment in American history. Credit: AP Costello contacted a lawyer for Trump saying he had information that could be exculpatory for Trump, according to a person familiar with the matter who insisted on anonymity to discuss secret legal proceedings. The lawyer brought it to the attention of the district attorneys office, which earlier this month subpoenaed Costellos law firm for records and invited him to testify. He appeared, invited by prosecutors, ensuring the grand jury had an opportunity to consider testimony or evidence that could weaken the case for indicting. Trump was also invited to testify, but his lawyer said the former president had no plans to participate. What about the political ramifications? Loading Trump had said charges would actually help him in the 2024 presidential contest, but later told Sean Hannity on Fox News that he didnt know if charges could actually help or hurt his chances. Longtime ally Lindsey Graham, senator from South Carolina, said the District Attorney has done more to help Donald Trump get elected. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, considering joining the Republican field, criticised the Trump investigation as politically motivated and fundamentally wrong. But he also threw one of his first jabs at the former president in a quip likely to intensify their rivalry. DeSantis said he personally didnt know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some kind of alleged affair. What about the other Trump investigations? The New York probe is among many legal woes Trump is facing. The Justice Department is investigating his retention of top secret government documents at his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, after leaving the White House, as well as possible efforts to obstruct that probe. Federal investigators are also still probing the January 6, 2021, insurrection and efforts to overturn the election Trump falsely claimed was stolen. Portions of a report from a special grand jury in Georgia that investigated whether Trump and his allies illegally interfered in the 2020 election in Georgia shows jurors believed one or more witnesses committed perjury and urged local prosecutors to bring charges. The former president never testified, but the report didnt foreclose the possibility of other charges. AP Washington: Paul Keatings blistering attack against the $368 billion AUKUS pact is having an ongoing ripple effect in Washington, where members of an Australian parliamentary delegation have been forced to explain the former prime ministers view that the plan is the worst deal in all history. Two weeks after Keating launched his broadside and blasted the incompetence of the Albanese government for signing up to the deal with the US and the UK, politicians and policy officials on Capitol Hill have continued to raise concerns about the incendiary remarks, pushing Australia into damage control. The issue came to the fore when a Canberra delegation, led by Liberal senator James Paterson and Labor MP Meryl Swanson, landed in Washington this week to meet members of Congress and the Biden administration to discuss the implementation of AUKUS only to find themselves fielding questions about Keatings comments. Ive already been asked by people here about it, who are really interested to know who he speaks on behalf of, whether he has support, and whether its a danger to AUKUS, Paterson told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald after a day of meetings in the US capital. New York: A tiny Pacific Island nation has pulled off the kind of diplomatic win that can elude global superpowers. On Wednesday, US time, Vanuatu, population 300,000, rallied a majority of countries to ask the worlds highest court to weigh in on a high-stakes question: can countries be sued under international law for failing to slow down climate change? People demonstrate outside the European Court on Wednesday, when a group of Swiss retirees took their government to the top European court for failing to take stronger action on climate change. Credit: AP The measure passed by consensus, meaning none of the 193 member states requested a vote. The General Assembly hall erupted in applause. That it was adopted by consensus reflects widespread frustration over the fact that the greenhouse gas emissions warming the planet and wreaking havoc on the poorest nations are not being reduced quickly enough. White House condemns arrest of US journalist in Russia Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Were working to restore it. Please try again later. Dismiss Latest News ANZ makes rate changes The bank hikes its basic variable home loan for new customers, cuts three-year fixed rates New broker inspired by solving 'big puzzle' for clients Move from banking career motivated by greater choices The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission is warning against highly sophisticated bank impersonation scams after alarming reports of Australians getting tricked out of their life savings. Bank impersonation scams, or spoofing scams, accounted for 14,603 of the reports received by ACCCs Scamwatch in 2022 and resulted in more than $20 million in losses. The reports indicated scammers were using new technology to make the call appear to come from the banks legitimate phone number or the text to appear in the same conversation thread as genuine bank messages. Total losses to phone and text scams last year, meanwhile, amounted to more than $169 million, the scam statistics showed. We are incredibly concerned about bank impersonation scams because they can be so convincing, they are very hard to detect, said Catriona Lowe, ACCC deputy chair. Whats equally worrying about this particular scam is that it is emptying every last cent out of victims savings accounts, with losses averaging $22,000 and more than 90 reports of losses between $40,000 and $800,000. This causes both financial and emotional devastation. We know of a man who lost over $500,000 after receiving a call from someone claiming to be from a major banks security department, wanting to know if a payment had been authorised. In another case, a man lost $38,000 after receiving a scam text message about a suspicious transaction. The scam text appeared in the same conversation thread as legitimate messages from his bank. He called the number in the text and was put through to a member of the banks fraud team. Unfortunately, it was an elaborate scam and he lost everything. Bank impersonation scams impersonate the big four banks and other financial institutions, often creating a sense of urgency, such as fraudulent activity raising red flags, or a frozen account. It is critical to remember that no matter how legitimate the call or message seems, a bank wont ask you to urgently transfer funds, Lowe said. If you receive an SMS with a telephone number to call, do not use it. Instead, call your bank direct on a number you have sourced yourself. Likewise, hang up if you receive a call from someone claiming to be from your bank requesting you to transfer money to keep it safe. Ask for a reference number and call your bank back using contact details you have found independently. Consumers are urged to never provide their online banking passwords, one-time security codes, PINs, or tokens to anyone over the phone. They should also contact their bank or financial institution immediately if they think they have been scammed. Following recent mass data breaches, many Australians were encouraged to monitor their accounts for suspicious activity, Lowe said. Sadly, this has led to consumers acting on these scam calls and text messages out of fear that their accounts have been compromised. Have experience with bank impersonation scams? Let us know in the comment section below. Rs 1,500 crore has been obtained through the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS), and Rs 12,500 crore through the refinancing of existing loans. The ECLGS was first introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic to help small businesses but was later expanded to other sectors. Air India has raised Rs 14,000 crore from the State Bank of India (SBI) and Bank of Baroda (BoB) through a mix of refinancing of old loans and fresh loans, a report by Mint stated quoting people aware of the development. In FY22, the airline's total debt stood at Rs 15,317 crore, significantly lower than Rs 45,037 crore in FY21. The Tata Group took over Air India in January last year. For this, Tata paid Rs 2,700 crore in cash, taking over Rs 15,300 crore in debt. The Mint report stated that the funds would be used by the airline to expand in domestic as well as international markets. As a part of the plan, the airline has announced plans to induct more aircraft, including a recent order of 470 aircraft from Boeing and Airbus. The report further added that the loans are benchmarked to SBI's six-month marginal cost of funds-based lending rate (MCLR) and are priced 50 basis points (bps) above it. Currently, SBI's MCLR stands at 8.4 per cent. "Bankers are more than willing to lend to the Tata Group. Given that there are very few large corporates looking for bank loans, lenders are eager to lap up such proposals," a person aware of the matter told Mint. Also Read Bank of Baroda Q3: What to expect from the lender's Dec quarter result? SBI loans to get costlier as bank hikes key lending rate; Details here SBI Q3 profit may rise nearly 60% YoY; deposit growth could outrun peers Bank of Baroda Q2 results preview: Here's what key brokerages expect SBI Q2 PAT may rise up to 98% QoQ, asset quality could improve: Analysts Adani group pulls back on grand ambitions after the Hindenburg bombshell 10 cr investors of 4 Sahara group's cooperative societies to get back money JSW Energy acquires 1,753 MW green assets of MEIPL for over Rs 10,000 crore Google gets relief on four key CCI directives, but Rs 1,338-cr fine stays Airbus mandates Tata Advanced Systems to make cargo doors of A320neo The airline also plans to use the money to fund the payout for the voluntary retirement scheme. It is likely to cost Rs 200 crore. AstraZeneca's Covid vaccine (manufactured and administered in India as Covishield) raised the risk of heart problem, and death by 3.5 times in young women in the first three months following the first dose, according to a report. The report by the UKas Office for National Statistics is based on the impact of Covid infection and vaccination's risk on cardiac and all-cause mortality in young people, aged 12 to 29 years, in England. The report included data starting December 8, 2020, when the vaccines were first rolled out in Britain. The mortality data came from two independent sources: deaths registered by June 8, 2022, and hospital deaths by March 31, 2022. However, the UK had, in April 2021, stopped AstraZeneca's vaccination for young people following safety concerns, and most of the young people who received it would have been prioritised due to clinical vulnerability or being healthcare workers.A "The subgroup who received AstraZeneca's Covid vaccination, was more likely to be clinically vulnerable and may be at greater risk of adverse events following vaccination than the general population," said Vahe Nafilyan, a senior statistician at the ONS, in the study published in the journal Nature Communications. According to the statistical model, 11 out of the 15 cardiac deaths in young women that occurred within 12 weeks of a first dose of a non-mRNA vaccine were likely to be linked to the vaccine. Also Read HPV vaccine prodn delayed due to Covid, to start supply in early 2023: SII Vaccine against cervical cancer to be included by mid-2023: NTAGI chief Risk of myocarditis after Covid vaccination increases but very low: Study How did India waste over 100 million Covid vaccines? China could bring down potential death toll to less than 200,000: Study Unacademy gives pink slips to 380 employees in another round of layoffs Online used-car marketplace Shift Technologies lays off 30% of workforce OYO-owned Weddingz.in ties up with Lemon Tree Hotels to boost revenue Adani airports' duty-free shops to give more space to non-liquor items CRISIL lowers outlook on Adani Airport Holdings from 'stable' to 'negative' "This corresponds to 6 cardiac-related deaths per 100,000 females vaccinated with at least a first dose of a non-mRNA vaccine,a the report showed. Of these, cardiac-related death was 3.5 times more likely in the 12 weeks following vaccination than after the 12-week period. On the other hand, no acestrong evidence" was found between heart-related death risk and any Covid vaccination among young men. The findings also showed there was no significant increase in cardiac or all-cause mortality in the 12 weeks following Covid vaccination compared with more than 12 weeks after any dose for the study population as a whole. However, Covid was found to be associated with one additional death for every 12,000 unvaccinated young people and one additional death for every 56,000 vaccinated young people. "Whilst vaccination carries some risks, these need to be assessed in light of its benefits. Our analysis shows that the risk of death is greatly increased following a positive test for Covid-19 even in young people and many studies show that vaccines are highly effective at preventing hospitalisation or death following Covid-19 infection,a Nafilyan said. "Therefore, these results cannot be generalised to the population as a whole." The analysis does not conclusively link the vaccines to the deaths, experts cautioned. "It's enough to catch my interest and say we should study this more," Daniel Salmon, director of the Institute for Vaccine Safety at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, was quoted as saying by The New York Times But "I wouldn't come close to drawing any causal conclusions." "Overall it's fairly reassuring, but it does bring up some vaccines and some populations that deserve further study," Salmon said. --IANS rvt/ksk/ Cryogenic liquid storage, distribution and re-gassification solutions provider InoxCVA will set up a manufacturing facility in Vadodara with an investment of Rs 200 crore. The 20,000 tonne per annum plant will come up at Savli, and will be the company's largest unit, according to a statement on Thursday. The ground-breaking for the project follows an MoU signed by the company with the Gujarat government last month. Siddharth Jain, a director of the company, claimed the 30-acre unit will double the present domestic cryogenic equipment manufacturing capacity. The company representatives, despite repeated calls, did not share details about the domestic market capacity or its own installed capacity. The greenfield project will fabricate over 20,000 tonnes of stainless steel equipment per annum and will be also able to produce over 2,500 cryogenic equipment annually, Jaini said. Also Read US to sell Taiwan anti-tank system amid rising China military threat PM to lay foundation for C-295 aircraft manufacturing facility in Vadodara Inox group plans Rs 1,000-crore IPO of cryogenic equipment maker in 2023 Rajnath calls C-295 aircraft manufacturing facility in Vadodara a milestone Manufacturing facility for production of Airbus C295 to come up in Vadodara Bimaplan partners with Impex to provide customers with extended warranty Godrej group and SBI sign a strategic MoU to deepen partnership Hero MotoCorp appoints CFO Niranjan Gupta as chief executive officer Twitter's revenue drops amid advertisers' concerns over Elon Musk's antics Ind-Ra assigns 'IND A' ratings with stable outlook to Shakti Pumps Cryogenic tanks have numerous green fuel applications for liquid hydrogen and LNG, among others. We remain bullish. Domestic demand is very strong and we welcome the announcement by the government in the Budget this year on infrastructure spending Railway expenditure has been doubled, said Jindal, adding that the Chinese threat remains omnipresent. Often called the metal for nation-building, stainless steel is one of the fastest-growing value-added materials in the country. And Jindal Stainless, as Indias largest stainless steel producer, is putting most of its eggs in the domestic market, buoyed by strong demand. But the companys Managing Director Abhyuday Jindal says Chinese steel dumping has put the entire industry in peril. Imports from China, he said, are on a rise. They have gone up drastically from two/three years ago. The reason for the trend is that the whole world has gone for some kind of protectionist measure against China. We are the only country open to them for dumping. A market leader in the home market, the major competition for Jindal Stainless is from imports. Jindal Stainless, which has two manufacturing units in Haryana and Odisha, will shortly launch into its 1 million tonne (mt) expansion to take its capacity to 2.9 mt. The expansion comes at a time when domestic demand is expected to pick up. According to data, Chinas share in stainless steel imports was at 30 per cent in 2020-21, 41 per cent in 2021-22, and 50 per cent in the first 10 months of 2022-23. Besides China, Indonesia is another major source of stainless steel imports. Also Read Crucial for India to secure its nickel needs, says Jindal Stainless MD Jindal Stainless (Hisar) fixes record date for merger with JSL; stock up 3% Jindal Stainless to invest Rs 1,200 cr in nickel pig iron JV in Indonesia Toll operators in India to see a revenue jump of 16-18% in FY23: CRISIL OEMs to drive 16-18% rise in auto-parts MSME revenues: CRISIL SME Tracker 98% senior IT leaders struggle with increasing cloud complexity: Report AstraZeneca shot raised heart-related death risk in young women: Report Unacademy gives pink slips to 380 employees in another round of layoffs Online used-car marketplace Shift Technologies lays off 30% of workforce OYO-owned Weddingz.in ties up with Lemon Tree Hotels to boost revenue This will be driven by increasing adoption of stainless steel in the Railways a focus area for government infrastructure spending and rising application in the automotive and construction sectors, the CRISIL report added. According to a CRISIL Ratings report released on Thursday, Indias stainless steel demand is expected to surge through 2024-25 (FY25). Domestic demand for stainless steel, which was 4 mt in 2021-22, is projected to log a compound annual growth rate of 9 per cent in the three financial years through FY25, double the 4.5 per cent pace of the past five financial years, the report said. If the market progresses and we see a faster uptick in demand, we can ramp up faster. Right now, the export market looks subdued and it would depend on how it moves, said Jindal. Jindal Stainless is expecting a volume growth of 25 per cent in 2023-24 and another 20-25 per cent in FY25. The Union government has sanctioned Rs 6,828 crore worth of contract to Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) at Ozar in Nashik district for manufacturing 70 HTT-40 aircraft, a central minister said on Wednesday. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has given his approval to HAL to manufacture these aircraft, Union Minister of State for Health Dr Bharti Pawar said in a press release here. The PSU has been manufacturing defence equipment since 1964. The Union government's decision will generate work for around 3,000 officers and employees of HAL, said the release. In this section Domestic demand to drive textile sector growth in FY24: CRISIL SME Tracker HCLTech announces plan to double headcount in Romania in next 2 yrs Adani pins hopes on 20% earnings growth every year to repay $23 bn debt CRISIL revises outlook on Vedanta's loans from 'stable' to 'negative' Debt market moves on from practice of aggressively-priced new 10-year bonds Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta group gets shareholder nod to rejig capital Considering options on Electrosteel: Vedanta Resources' Anil Agarwal The overseas bonds of Vedanta Resources, the holding company of Vedanta group, are witnessing sharp volatility as the Anil Agarwal-owned group races to cut its debt by declaring higher dividend payouts from its Indian subsidiaries. Statistics since January this year to date shows that Vedanta Resources bonds maturing next year fell by 5.07 per cent while its US Dollar denominated bonds fell by 5.29 per cent year to date. The bonds are witnessing sharp volatility as several rating firms raised red flags over the groups debt repayment. Vedanta Resources bonds maturing in 2026 fell by 5.74 per cent since January (see chart). Your browser does not support the audio element. To read the full story, subscribe to BS Premium now, at just Rs 249/ month. Key stories on business-standard.com are available only to BS Premium subscribers. Already a BS Premium subscriber?LOGIN NOW Register to read more on Business-Standard.com The collapse of the deal is also being attributed to a slowdown in the financial technology (fintech) sector in the midst of a funding winter, difficult regulatory environment, and macroeconomic uncertainty, informed other sources. Walmart-owned digital payments firm PhonePe has decided to halt its proposed acquisition of Goldman Sachs- and Xiaomi-backed ZestMoney, a Bengaluru-based buy now, pay later (BNPL) platform. The deal, which was poised to fetch anywhere between $150-200 million and $300 million, has hit a snag over lapses in due diligence, disagreements over valuation, sustainability of the business, and shareholding structure of ZestMoney, according to people familiar with the matter. ZestMoney didnt meet the due diligence cut of PhonePe. That is why the deal fell through, said a person in the know. The acquisition was expected to help PhonePe strengthen its lending services and compete with Google Pay, Paytm, and Amazon Pay in Indian fintech, expected to be purportedly worth $350 billion by 2026. PhonePe and ZestMoney didnt respond when asked to comment on the new development. The due diligence at ZestMoney was done for about 10 weeks. It has a big robust business. It has multiple investors, a lot of customers, and loan books. Everything had to be properly investigated and some parts of its business didnt quite meet PhonePes due diligence standards, he added. Also Read PhonePe calls off deal to acquire BNPL platform ZestMoney: Report PhonePe set to acquire fintech start-up ZestMoney for about $300 mn PhonePe completes process to move domicile from Singapore to India PhonePe in talks to raise $700 million at $12 billion valuation PhonePe revenue up 138% to Rs 1,646 cr; losses narrow to Rs 671 cr in FY22 Volatility in Vedanta Resources bonds rises as group plans to reduce debt UK clears Essar's $2.4 bn energy transition project helping carbon economy Adani pins hopes on 20% earnings growth every year to repay $23 bn debt Welspun Corp Limited subsidiary completes acquisition of Sintex-BAPL HCLTech announces plan to double headcount in Romania in next 2 yrs The fintech start-up has about 400 employees. All of them were expected to be absorbed by PhonePe if the acquisition had matured. Founded by Lizzie Chapman, Priya Sharma, and Ashish Anantharaman in 2015, ZestMoney allows customers to pay for products over time, but use them now. Increasing smartphone penetration, the cheapest data plans in the world, and a boom in online shopping have propelled the demand for pay-later offerings in the country. ZestMoney has a registered user-base of 17 million and is live at 85,000 retail touchpoints across India. Industry sources said ZestMoney was a good acquisition target for PhonePe as it is one of the very few firms that are fully compliant with the lending guidelines of the Reserve Bank of India. It disburses Rs 400 crore in lending per month. The platform has onboarded 27 lending partners, 10,000 online brands, and 75,000 offline stores. ZestMoney raised $50 million in September 2021, which the company had topped with an additional $20 million raise as part of its Series C round. The firm has raised a total of $140 million from investors such as Australias BNPL platform Zip, Goldman Sachs, Quona Capital, and Xiaomi. The company had a valuation of $470 million that it achieved in the last funding round. PhonePe, one of Indias largest fintech platforms, recently raised an additional $200 million in primary capital from its parent Walmart, at a pre-money valuation of $12 billion. This new funding comes as part of PhonePes ongoing fundraise of up to $1 billion in capital, following its domicile shift to India last year. With this tranche, the company has raised $650 million from several global investors. ZestMoneys loss in 2021-22 (FY22) surged 216 per cent to Rs 398 crore, from Rs 125.8 crore in the previous financial year, according to data accessed by business intelligence platform Tofler. Revenue grew 62 per cent to Rs 145 crore in FY22, from Rs 89.3 crore in 2020-21. PhonePe has made a total of five acquisitions to date. Early last year, PhonePe acquired GigIndia, the countrys leading network for freelance micropreneurs. PhonePe plans to employ these funds to build and scale new businesses like insurance, wealth management, lending, stockbroking, and Open Network for Digital Commerce-based shopping and account aggregators. The fundraise will also help PhonePe turbo-charge the next wave of growth for Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payments in India, including UPI Lite and Credit Card on UPI. In May last year, it acquired investment platform WealthDesk and wealth management platform OpenQ for a combined $75 million. In July last year, it completed the acquisition of Indus OS for $60 million after reaching an out-of-court settlement with Affle Global, the majority owner of the India-made content and application discovery platform. In July 2018, it bought Zopper Retail, a hyperlocal point-of-sale marketplace for small and medium businesses. The war may have impacted one part of the world, but there are many issues facing the rest of the world. Those are the issues which have to be centre stage, Kant said on the eve of the meeting of G20 Sherpas who act as representatives of the heads of state in Kumarakom. Indias Sherpa to the Group of Twenty (G20), Amitabh Kant, on Thursday said the issue of the Russia-Ukraine war should not hold back progress on other major global issues, and that the mandate of the multilateral grouping had a responsibility to find solutions to these challenges. On Thursday, the Sherpa meeting kicked off with two side events, one on digital payments infrastructure, and the other on green development. That apart, Kant also held bilateral meetings with Sherpas from Russia, Italy, Brazil, Indonesia, and South Africa. One issue cannot hold the other issues back. There is the challenge of unemployment and poverty, of global debt impacting 75 countries in the world, of climate action, of recession in one-third of the global economy. These are far more important issues. These are the issues impacting the rest of the world, he said. Kant asserted that as President, India had gotten the G20 nations to agree on almost all the agenda items, be it in the chair summary of the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting (FMCBG) in Bengaluru in February, or the Foreign Ministers Meeting (FMM) in March. We had an hour-long discussion with Russia on all issues. We are optimistic and confident that we will work in partnership with all 20 countries, he said. Also Read We want to build a consensus around many issues: G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant India's G20 priorities to reflect that of the global south: Amitabh Kant Nostalgia, gravitas and credibility: How brand Bachchan stands tall at 80 Lunch with BS: 'G20 is about thinking and acting big', says Amitabh Kant Recession, climate change, Ukraine war: Kant lists challenges before G20 The Big 5 Viral Acharya mantras to benefit from China Plus One strategy Guns vs Butter-III: Much of Army's war-fighting equipment remains vintage UPI transactions will be free until govt reviews, says NPCI MD & CEO Govt signs Rs 19,600-crore deal to buy patrol, missile vessels India remains a bright spot among global economies: Piyush Goyal The paras that Kant was were the third and fourth paragraphs of the chair summaries of FMCBG and FMM. These criticise the war in Ukraine and have been largely unchanged from the Bali Leaders Declaration of November 2022, which was decided upon by the G-20 Heads of States. If para 3 and 4 are contentious, they are not because of us. This has nothing to do with India. There is a geopolitical scenario outside Indias control, he said. A communique could not be issued in either of the two meetings because Russia and China did not want the two paragraphs to be included. The paras say that the war is causing immense human suffering and exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy, and reiterated the United Nations resolution which deplored in the strongest terms the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine. Earlier, the film's official social media handle provided some information regarding the significant launch. "At the #PS2 music launch, you can expect a night filled with music, nostalgia, and history. Come on in!" Another post is, "A momentous occasion calls for a momentous guest! Third, on March 29 at the Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai, please join us as we welcome the one and only #UlagaNayagan @ikamalhaasan sir to reveal the music and trailer for #PS2! The much-awaited Ponniyin Selvan 2 trailer and music release are currently in progress. Key members of the film's cast and crew, including Jayam Ravi, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Vikram, Karthi, Trisha, and AR Rahman, are attending the event. Megastar Kamal Haasan, who has worked with Ratnam before, is the special guest at the event. The Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai will host the PS 2 trailer launch. AR Rehman on Ponniyin Selvan 2 trailer, music launch The soundtracks for both Ponniyin Selvan films were composed by AR Rahman. At the audio launch of PS 2, AR Rahman said, "I really want to say thanks to Mani sir for giving me work for quite a long time. I see him as a brother, friend, and teacher at every stage. He keeps getting questions about when he will return. Every three years, they ask me the same question. However, he only offers me support throughout. He has elevated Tamil filmmaking to new heights." Based on the 1955 novel of the same name by Kalki Krishnamurthy, the sequel to Ponniyin Selvan will begin at the end of the first film, when Oomai Rani, played by Aishwarya Rai, jumps into the sea to save Ponniyin Selvan. This year, Ponniyin Selvan 2 will hit theatres on April 28. Kamal Haasan on Ponniyin Selvan 2 trailer, music launch "You can't make such a film without fear," he added. Do you know what's courage? Mani Ratnam would have spoken the iconic dialogue from Virumandi, "Veeram na enna theriyuma bayam illadha madhiri nadikardhu (you know what's courage? To act like you don't fear." "This is not just a golden era for Cholas, but the golden era for Tamil cinema as well," Kamal Haasan continued. Sincere felicitations to everyone. Mani Ratnam is set for even more success. What was being done in a clandestine manner by the industry players, the the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has legalised the same with the new norms, said a senior industry official. The official also said the new norms will affect adversely the government owned general insurers and an advantage for mid and large sized private insurers. The IRDAI had recently notified its regulations whereby, the policy segment wise ceiling on commissions payable to the distributors has been abolished. As per the new regulations, there will be only one ceiling, that is the Expenses of the Management and insurers' spend has to be within that ceiling. "In the case of general insurance companies the Expenses of the Management is freezed at 30 per cent and for stand alone health insurers it is 35 per cent," the official told IANS. The official also said, earlier the private companies have been paying their distributors over and above the specified limits. Now, the new regulations have legalised the same. Also Read IPL 2023 Auction: Here's a look at which team retained, released whom Govt to infuse more capital in public sector general insurers next year Irdai proposes allowing insurers to invest in unlisted companies LIC has edge over private insurers: Gains market share in FY23 BS BFSI Insight Summit 2022: Irdai member Rakesh Joshi to speak at event "No more the insurance companies -- life and general insurers -- will get notices from the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Authority," the official said. Industry officials have told IANS that the insurers -- life and non-life -- have been paying their product distributors over and above what has been prescribed under various heads. Incidentally, last year saw the GST Authority alleging 16 insurers misappropriating a whopping Rs 824 crore of input tax credit using their intermediaries to issue fake invoices. The IRDAI has also penalised several insurers in the past for violating the commission payment norms. Industry officials told IANS that the government insurers have high wage costs and hence will have little leeway in increasing the payout to their distributors as compared to the private sector players. --IANS vj/ksk/ The BJP on Thursday seized on Congress leader Digvijay Singh's thanks to Germany for reacting to Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha to accuse the opposition party of "inviting foreign powers for interference into India's internal matters", and termed him and his party "disgrace to nation". Senior BJP leaders, including Union ministers Anurag Thakur and Kiren Rijiju, slammed the German reaction, asserting that India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership will not tolerate any foreign intervention. Their attack came after Congress leader Singh thanked the German foreign ministry and Richard Walker, Chief International Editor of Deutsche Welle, for "taking note of how Democracy is being compromised in India through the persecution of Rahul Gandhi". Singh tagged a tweet by Walker in which the senior journalist had posted a video of a German foreign ministry spokesperson reacting to Gandhi's disqualification. At a press briefing, Germany's foreign ministry spokesperson said, "We have taken note of the verdict of first instance against Indian opposition politician Rahul Gandhi as well as the suspension of his parliamentary mandate." Germany expects that "standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles" will equally apply to the proceedings against Rahul Gandhi, the spokesperson added. A host of BJP leaders attacked the Congress and Singh, accusing the party of "inviting foreign interference" in India's internal affairs. Also Read Bangladesh doesn't want foreign interference in internal affairs: FM Momen Matters pertaining to J&K internal affair, don't see role for OHCHR: India Cong accuses govt of 'favouritism' in small arms deal with Adani Group upGrad closes Rs 300 cr internal funding round from existing investors Delhi Congress accuses BJP of manipulating delimitation of MCD wards SC seeks response of J-K HC registry on plea alleging favouritism Police not sharing docs about attack on Pramanik's convoy, CBI to HC FTP talks with UK continuing, trade stands on its own legs: Goyal Spandana Sphoorty Financial raises $20 mn via ECB to fund business growth 'Global scamsters' coming to PM's defence: Congress on Lalit Modi's tweets Sharing a screenshot of Digivijaya Singh's tweet, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said, "Thank you Rahul Gandhi for inviting foreign powers for interference into India's internal matters." "Remember, Indian Judiciary can't be influenced by foreign interference. India won't tolerate 'foreign influence' anymore because our Prime Minister is:- Shri @narendramodi Ji," Rijiju said. Attacking the Congress over Singh's tweet, Information and Broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur said, "disgrace to nation, @INCIndia & @RahulGandhi don't believe to fight India's democratic, political and legal battle within country, hence, invite foreign powers to interfere in our internal matter. But New India headed by @narendramodi Ji will not tolerate any foreign intervention." Finance Minister Niramala Sitharaman also slammed the Congress over Singh's tweet. "Apparent that @INCIndia wants foreign interference in our affairs. Sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Communist Party of China with opaque contents. During interactions abroad, plead for help to change government. Thank them when help forthcoming. Any more proof needed?" she said. Tagging Singh's tweet, BJP's foreign affairs department head leader Vijay Chauthaiwale said on Twitter, "Look how happy @digvijaya_28 ji with comments from Germany. It only shows how they are desperate to involve external agencies in domestic matters." BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya also tagged Singh's tweet and said, "Shameful that Congress continues to lean on foreign agencies and seek their intervention in India's internal affairs." "Rahul Gandhi had recently sought Europe and US intervention and now it is Digvijay Singh. But Law is the Law Unless somebody thinks Law is not the Law for them," he said. The BJP tweeted, "Let this be on record. For the first time in Independent India's history, Congress leaders are pleading foreign powers to intervene in India's democratic process and weigh in on our judicial decisions It is a brazen attempt to undermine people's will and India's sovereignty." Gandhi was disqualified from Lok Sabha on March 23 after a court in Gujarat's Surat convicted him in a 2019 defamation case over his 'Modi surname' remark. Earlier this week, a US state department official had said the United States is watching the court case of Rahul Gandhi. The official observed that the US continues to engage with India on the shared commitment towards democratic principles and the protection of human rights, including freedom of expression. Speaking at a media event Thursday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said no foreign diplomat has raised with him the issue of Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from the Lok Sabha, which was an outcome of a law "supported" by the Congress leader in the past. "The legal process produced an outcome. The outcome triggered a law, which Rahul Gandhi had himself supported some years ago," he said. Slamming the Congress for creating an unwarranted hue and cry over Rahul Gandhis ouster from the Lok Sabha, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the former MP was not the first member to be disqualified from the legislature following conviction and suggested the grand old party to move the higher court challenging the judgement instead of blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his ouster. Rahul Gandhi was ousted from the Parliament following his conviction by a Surat court over his derogatory remark on the 'Modi' community. Following the rule book, the Lok Sabha speaker disqualified him from the House the very next day and subsequently, Gandhi was asked to vacate his official bungalow. The Congress is trying to project the whole episode as a conspiracy against its leader and gain political mileage out of it ahead of the crucial elections in various states, but it has not appealed in any higher court so far against the conviction. Questioning Rahul Gandhi's "arrogance" in not appealing to a higher court, Shah wondered, "Where does this arrogance generate from? Lalu Prasad, J. Jayalalithaa, and Rashid Alvi were among 17 people who lost their membership, but no one created a ruckus. This is based on the judgement of the Supreme Court; it is the law of the land. Why does the Gandhi family want a separate law for itself? People of India need to decide if we need a separate law for one family." Speaking at News18's 'Rising India' summit, Shah said Congress' attempt to put the blame on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Rahul Gandhi's ouster is unfounded and unlikely to break any ice with the electorates since the law has only taken its course. Refuting allegations of "vendetta" politics, Shah said Rahul Gandhi would have been saved had he not, in 2013, torn the ordinance on disqualification of MPs from the House. "The Congress wanted to save RJD's Lalu Prasad so it brought in the ordinance. But Rahul Gandhi called it nonsense and tore it. If the law was in force today, Rahul Gandhi would have been saved," Shah said. Also Read Congress sinking ship, people rejected communist rule: Amit Shah in Tripura During UPA regime, CBI was 'putting pressure' on me to 'frame' Modi: Shah Will remove AFSPA only after installing peace: Amit Shah in Assam Amit Shah to hold high level review meetings regarding J&K and Ladakh He's very supportive': Bajrang Punia meets Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi International arbitration in India: One step forward with new rules Police not sharing docs about attack on Pramanik's convoy, CBI to HC BJP accuses Cong of inviting external interference into India's matters SC seeks response of J-K HC registry on plea alleging favouritism FTP talks with UK continuing, trade stands on its own legs: Goyal "Why was democracy not in danger when other MPs were disqualified? Why is he beating his chest now when he was the one who tore the ordinance," Shah asked. Shah also slammed Rahul Gandhi for his recent remarks on Veer Savarkar. Following his disqualification, Rahul Gandhi had said, "My name is not Savarkar, my name is Gandhi and a Gandhi does not offer an apology to anyon." Shah said Rahul Gandhi should not use such words for Savarkar who sacrificed a lot for the country. Indira Gandhi praised Savarkar a lot, Shah said, adding, "He can choose to not apologise. But then why did he furnish the bail bond?" Shah also tore into the Opposition's charge that central agencies are being used to target them, narrating his arrest by the CBI in an encounter case when he was the Home Minister of Gujarat. "I will tell you how agencies are misused, I have been a victim of it... Congress did not file a corruption case against us. There was an encounter when I was the Home Minister of Gujarat. A case was filed against me and I was arrested by the CBI. In 90 per cent of the questions during my interrogation, I was asked why I was getting bothered and they said they would leave me if I name Narendra Modi. Even then, we did not protest or wear black clothes or stop Parliament's functioning. An SIT was formed against Modi which the Supreme Court itself dismissed," Shah said. "During my entire interrogation, I was told 'Modi ka naam de do, de do'. But why should I frame him? Because of me, several innocent police officers were put in jail. Today, the same Congress is crying over their fate. They must reflect on their behaviour," Shah said. To a question on the party's prospect in the Assembly elections in Karnataka, Shah said BJP would comfortably cross the halfway mark in the 224-seat Karnataka Assembly and come out with a clear majority in the state that goes to polls on May 10. The party would also do better than it did in the past in the Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, he said. --IANS san/arm An official of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) told Business Standard that its directive to use dahi on packets across the country has been clarified. Food business operators or FBOs (mainly milk cooperatives and curd manufacturers) will now be allowed to use the linguistic equivalents such as dahi (Hindi), mosaru (Kannada), zaamut daud (Kashmiri), thayir (Tamil) and perugu (Telugu), along with the English curd. The food safety regulator on Thursday allowed the use of vernacular words for curd printed on packets, after protests in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over usage of the term dahi threatened to sour business in a region with a long history of resistance to the imposition of Hindi. State president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) K Annamalai, too, tweeted demanding a rollback of the FSSAI directive. A day earlier, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin objected that the printed label spelling dahi was an attempt to impose Hindi on non-Hindi speaking states. The unabashed insistences of #Hindi Imposition have come to the extent of directing us to label even a curd packet in Hindi, relegating Tamil and Kannada in our own states. Such brazen disregard to our mother tongues will make sure those responsible are banished from the South forever, he tweeted. In poll-bound Karnataka, too, there were murmurs of opposition from ruling BJP leaders. Officials of the Tamil Nadu Cooperative Milk Producers Federation, which markets milk under the Aavin brand, said they would stick to the Tamil word (thayir) for curd in their packaging. Also Read Limit use of 'fancy adjectives' on labels, ads: FSSAI to food companies FSSAI likely to consider 'warning' stickers on front-of-pack labels FSSAI directs authorities to make sure mid-day meal suppliers have licence Ex-ITDC MD G Kamala Vardhana Rao takes charge as CEO of FSSAI FSSAI's proposed food label system lacks clear messaging: Experts Shinde-Fadnavis govt must go after SC remarks, says Maha Cong prez Patole Ram Navami celebrations sees death of 11 devotees in MP, clashes in Maha Govt to invite bids for Rs 1.5-trn transmission proj in 18 months: Sterlite 'American dream': US visas for Indians now come through China 17 flights diverted from Delhi airport as heavy rains lashes parts of NCR An FSSAI notification on January 11 had provided for omission of the term curd from its standards of fermented milk products. Janata Dal (Secular) leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy wondered if it was an attempt to hijack products of Nandini, the dairy brand of the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF). Knowing that Kannadigas are opposed to Hindi imposition, it is wrong for the FSSAI to order KMF to print Hindi dahi on the packets of Nandini probiotic curd, he said, also alleged that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said at a recent meeting in Mandya district that Nandini would be merged with Amul. According to FSSAI, General Standard for Milk and Milk Products under the Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011, lays down guidelines for use of dairy term(s) in dairy products (milk, milk product or a composite milk product) and related prohibitions for such use in non-dairy products. Accordingly, when the term curd was written along with dahi in the said regulation, it was restricting its use for non-dairy products, it said. As many representations were received recently on omission of the term curd from the Standards of Fermented Milk Products, it has been decided that FBOs may use the term curd along with any other designation (prevalent regional common name) in brackets on the label, an FSSAI statement said on Thursday. Sour note Among milk and milk-based products, curd is one of the most commonly used variants along with ghee and butter. According to a report by the International Market Analysis Research and Consulting Group, the curd industry in India was worth Rs 1.18 trillion in 2021 and is expected to touch Rs 2.78 trillion by 2027. The Delhi government on Wednesday kicked off a drive to send overage vehicles directly for scrapping. The move is aimed at encouraging vehicles owner in Delhi to come forward and scrap their overage vehicles, said Transport Department officials. "Under the new initiative, end of life vehicles will be impounded and directly sent to scrapping yard if they are found plying on city roads or parked in public places," said an official. On Wednesday, 10 teams of Enforcement Wing, Transport Department, impounded 50 vehicles which are more than 10 years old (diesel) and 15 years old (petrol) found plying or deemed to be plying (parked in public place) in Civil Lines area and handed over to RVSF (Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility), registered under RVSF Rules-2021, for scrapping, the official said. "NOC for diesel vehicles up to 10 years/ less than 15 years old petrol vehicles can be issued for any place in the country. NOC for diesel vehicles above 10 years and petrol vehicles above 15 years will be issued for other states subject to certain conditions," the official said. The NOC will not be issued for the places which are identified by the state as restricted area in terms of order of NGT directions which had directed the states to identify areas where the dispersion of the air is higher and vehicular density is least. Also Read UP Cabinet approves old vehicle scrapping policy; govt to provide rebate Tata Motors looking to introduce four wheel drive capability in its e-SUVs Odisha Cabinet approves old vehicle scrapping policy to reduce pollution Over 5,400 vehicles scrapped at Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities Cero plans to set up at least 100 vehicle scrapping centers by 2025 With death of MP Bapat, BJP loses 3rd sitting lawmaker in Pune since Dec G20 Science Advisers agree to work on draft document: Ajay Kumar Sood Hotel owners ask Joshimath disaster-hit people to vacate rooms by March 31 Rahul's LS disqualification will be a key issue in 2024 polls, says Chavan Arunachal to sign deal with CPSUs to set up five hydropower plants The vehicle owners will have the option to convert their 10 years old diesel/ 15 years old petrol vehicles to electric, in case, they wish to ply their vehicle in NCT of Delhi. However, the retro fitment of such vehicles with empanelled electric kits shall have to be got done through agencies approved by the Transport Department. The other option with the owner of such vehicles is to get such end of life vehicles scrapped by filling application on Voluntary Vehicle Scrapping Application (https:/ / uscrap.parivahan.gov.in) and choose any of the nearby registered vehicle scrapping facility according to choice, the official said. In 2018, the Supreme Court banned diesel and petrol vehicles older than 10 and 15 years, respectively, in Delhi. It had added that the vehicles plying in violation of the order would be impounded. A 2014 order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) bars vehicles older than 15 years to be parked in public places. Delhi recorded 295 fresh Covid cases on Thursday with a positivity rate of 12.48 per cent, according to data shared by the city health department. On Wednesday, the city had logged 300 cases, the first time since August 31, and two deaths while the positivity rate had mounted to 13.89 per cent. Delhi had logged 214 cases with a positivity rate of 11.82 per cent on Tuesday, 115 cases with a positivity rate of 7.45 per cent on Monday, 153 cases with a positivity rate of 9.13 per cent on Sunday and 139 cases with a positivity rate of 4.98 per cent on Saturday. The Delhi government is closely monitoring the coronavirus situation, Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said, adding that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will hold a review meeting on the matter on Friday. Bharadwaj also assured people that there was no need to panic since the hospitalisation rate was low. The heath minister held a meeting on the coronavirus situation on Thursday. Also Read Delhi records 57 new Covid-19 cases, positivity rate at 2.19%, shows data Delhi reports 101 new Covid-19 cases, 1 death; positivity rate at 1.38% Delhi records 67 new Covid-19 cases, positivity rate rises to 3.1% Delhi records 141 fresh Covid-19 infections, positivity rate at 2.04% Tata, Airbus grab Rs 22,000-cr project to make C-295 aircraft in Gujarat Sahara investors to get back their money with interest: Amit Shah Mamata gives 'aur ek dafa Delhi chalo' call to oust BJP from power G20 issues bigger than the Russia-Ukraine war, says Amitabh Kant Pharmacies to be set up at 270 stations in Eastern Railway zone: Official UP Guv okays ordinance to amend urban body poll rules for OBC reservation Delhi has witnessed an increase in the number of fresh Covid cases over the last few days amid a sharp rise in the figure of H3N2 influenza cases in the country. The number of fresh cases had seen a decline over the last few months in Delhi. It had dropped to zero on January 16, the first time since the pandemic broke out. With the fresh cases, Delhi's Covid tally has increased to 20,09,656, while the death toll due to the infection stands at 26,526. The data also showed that 2,363 Covid tests were conducted on Wednesday. Sixty-six of the 7,986 beds are occupied in dedicated Covid hospitals in the city, while 575 patients are in home isolation, the health department said. The number of active cases of the infection currently stands at 932, it added. Amid a gradual increase in the number of Covid cases in Delhi, medical experts say the new XBB.1.16 variant of the virus could be driving the surge. However, they maintain that there is no need to panic and people should follow Covid-appropriate behaviour and get booster shots of the vaccines. They also say this rise in the number of cases could be a result of more people getting themselves tested for Covid as a precaution when they actually get infected with the influenza virus and develop fever and related symptoms. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has said the rise in the number of influenza cases is due to the Influenza A sub-type H3N2 virus. The H3N2 virus is leading to more hospitalisations than the other sub-types. The symptoms include a runny nose, persistent cough and fever. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged on Wednesday that CBI-ED raids have brought all the corrupt people in "one political party" and when the BJP's rule at the Centre comes to an end, the country will become corruption-free. Citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks made a day before that the ED and the CBI have brought all the corrupt people on one platform, Kejriwal took a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying, "The ED and the CBI have brought all the corrupt people together not on one platform, but in the same party." Speaking on a confidence motion tabled by him in the Assembly, the chief minister alleged that the BJP withdrew its no-confidence motion after it failed to poach AAP MLAs, who he said will never succumb to any pressure. Alleging that the BJP only knows how to fight and abuse, he claimed that let alone the 2025 Assembly polls, the saffron party will not be able to win an election in Delhi even in 2050. Alleging the use of central agencies by the BJP, Kejriwal said the saffron party has has not failed to miss any chance to "trample" democracy in the country. He further alleged that AAP MLAs have been threatened with CBI and ED raids and offered a bribe of Rs 25 crore each, but nothing could break them. "Each one of you is a gem. Don't be afraid. Even if you go to jail, I will take care of your families," Kejriwal told the AAP MLAs. Also Read Aim of BJP-led Centre is to defame Kejriwal, AAP leaders: Sanjay Singh CBI raids arrested Railway engineer's premises, seizes Rs 1.38 cr in cash BJP demands white paper on pollution from Delhi govt as AQI deteriorates MCD polls: AAP working against interests of common man in Delhi, says Nadda Centre, other states can also consider anti-radicalisation cell, says Shah BJP seeks ideas from MPs for month-long celebration of 9 yrs of Modi govt G20 working group talks ways to make trade work for growth, prosperity World 'turning the tide' after backslide on democracy, says Joe Biden Fire brakes out in Indore hotel; 42 people evacuated, 10 hospitalised Most of Himalayan glaciers analysed are retreating at varying rates: Govt The motion was passed with a majority by the House. The eight BJP MLAs were absent during the voting. "All the thieves and corrupt people are in one party. Once the BJP people are in jail after their government's rule ends, the country will become corruption-free. The prime minister had a huge opportunity to take the country forward, but there is an atmosphere of fear and loot in the nation," Kejriwal said. Citing the examples of Narayan Rane, Himanta Biswa Sarma and Suvendu Adhikari, he alleged that since they were involved in corruption, they joined the BJP. "Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain were also held at gunpoint but they preferred to go to jail," he added. Kejriwal claimed that the BJP tried to break his government in 2017 and even in the subsequent years, but was not successful. "If you have some dignity left, do not try Operation Lotus on our MLAs. We are followers of Bhagat Singh," he said. Kejriwal said the BJP needed 14 MLAs for a no-confidence motion and used various tactics to get the AAP MLAs on its side, but failed. "The happenings inside the Delhi Assembly send out a positive message for democracy today," he added. The BJP-ruled Centre does not allow the governments headed by opposition parties to work, Kejriwal alleged. "We believe in democracy, so we asked the BJP MLAs to speak even though they could not bring a no-confidence motion against our government. We allowed them to speak. We welcome criticism. But these people only know how to fight and abuse. Leave alone the 2025 Assembly polls, the BJP cannot win elections even in 2050 in Delhi," he said. In the 65-minute discussion on the motion of confidence, 35 minutes were given to the Opposition, despite the fact that the BJP has only eight MLAs, the chief minister said. "Had the AAP been in the same position as the BJP is today, they would have gone around poking fun at us, but we are not like them," he said. The chief minister urged Leader of Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri not to indulge in this negative politics of no-confidence motions without any basis. "We have 62 MLAs at present and after the Assembly election in 2025, hopefully this number will only increase. We hope that the BJP does not indulge in negative politics," he said. Later, talking to reporters after the Assembly session, Kejriwal said the BJP had announced that it would bring a no-confidence motion. "But to table such a motion, you need the signatures at least 20 per cent MLAs. In order to do so, they threatened our MLAs but none of them broke. AAP MLAs cannot be broken through fear and threats," he said. "Our confidence motion has won with a huge majority. People have tremendous faith in us. We are doing work for the public, something that has not been done in the last 75 years. I thank the public for showing faith in us. We are fighting polls in Karnataka and I hope that we will get good results," Kejriwal added. Earlier in the day, while participating in the discussion, BJP MLA Anil Bajpai alleged that the voice of the Opposition is being suppressed in the House. "There are various issues related to Delhi. How many mohalla clinics have been opened despite the promise of 1,000? No medicine of diabetes and blood pressure is available in the mohalla clinics," he said. AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak asserted that the confidence of the House as well as the confidence of the people of Delhi in the Kejriwal government is intact. Bidhuri said, "People have lost faith in the AAP government. The AAP is taking its last breath. It is like a lamp that is about to be extinguished." He also said after the next Assembly polls in Delhi, a BJP worker will be sitting on Kejriwal's chair. Amid a diplomatic row following protests by secessionist groups near the Indian mission in London, Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said talks on a Free Trade Agreement with the UK are continuing. Talks are "going on very well" with the UK, Goyal said, adding, "trade stands on its own legs". The Union minister, however, made it clear that India will take into consideration a respect for her sovereignty and territorial integrity, and will not tolerate any interference in her Indian affairs. India's Ministry of External Affairs summoned the senior-most British diplomat in New Delhi on a Sunday evening recently, over reports of some Khalistani elements pulling down the Indian flag at the Indian high commission in London during a protest. India has also responded by proposing or undertaking several actions, like reducing security at the British mission and constructing a public toilet there. When asked about the impact of the ongoing events on the trade agreement, Goyal seemed to suggest that negotiations continue. "I can assure you that talks are going on very well with the UK, Canada, with the EU countries, we are also in dialogue with Israel," he told reporters here. Also Read India, Oz for early conclusion of trade pact talks; eye $100 bn in 5 years Political stability may give impetus to India-UK trade pact talks: Experts Sixth round of India-UK free trade agreement talks to begin from Dec 12 India looking at multilateral, equitable agreements for all sides: Goyal What is a free trade agreement? Spandana Sphoorty Financial raises $20 mn via ECB to fund business growth 'Global scamsters' coming to PM's defence: Congress on Lalit Modi's tweets Law panel recommends amending Code of Civil Procedure to remove anomaly SC asks Maha to file affidavit on plea for CBI probe in Palghar lynching Amritpal's aide booked in Arms Act in Kishtwar; J&K police to question him Goyal said there was no deadline to have an FTA with the UK, but a former PM of the country has announced an aspiration to conclude before Diwali of 2022. "...we are back at the negotiating table, both sides are discussing at the official level," he said. Goyal said there is a high interest for FTAs with India shown by many countries, and discussions are on at a "frenzied pace" with many countries, and quipped that he is not left with bandwidth to discuss such agreements. Meanwhile, Goyal also said that talks are also on with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), following a request from four ministers of the grouping to meet the Indian commerce and industries minister. "They have assured me that they will be coming with very attractive proposals in terms of opening up services and a deeper understanding of India's own concerns around our patent laws and the need to protect our domestic industry," Goyal said. On a query on rupee trade with partners, and if the same is being pushed with G-20 countries during the ongoing meetings of the grouping's trade and investment group in the financial capital, Goyal said this subject is more of a bilateral subject which is anchored by the RBI and the Ministry of Finance. He added that many countries have evinced interest in having such an arrangement with India. Goyal attended a dinner meeting with the 100 delegates attending the G-20 meeting in the financial capital on Wednesday evening, and is also addressing the delegates at the closing event later on Thursday. Meanwhile, when asked about Parliament passing important bills sans any discussions and the treasury benches taking to protests at a time when the government is responsible for running the Houses, Goyal shot back saying the Opposition is using the platform to cast baseless and wild allegations against those in the government under the influence of forces inimical to India's interests. "Sometimes in life, propriety, self respect and the nation's interest overrides everything else. And this is one such occasion when we cannot allow the nation's independence, our sovereignty, our respect to be tarnished by any individual especially on foreign soil," he said. The commerce minister also said that the Ram temple in Ayodhya will be ready by the end of the year and work is on at a scorching pace. The G20 Science Advisers' Roundtable first meeting here on Wednesday agreed to work on a draft document incorporating inputs of all participating countries. "There was agreement to work on a draft document by further refining the concept note, incorporating inputs offered by the rest of the countries over the next two or three months. It will be circulated among the participating countries so that a draft document is ready by August when we meet again in Brazil," Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India Ajay Kumar Sood said at a press briefing here after the first day's deliberations. The first day's agenda of the meeting was focused on opportunities in 'One Health' including human, livestock and wildlife health, open access of knowledge, bringing traditional knowledge base of marginalised and tribal communities into the mainstream following the principle of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility and having a scientific inclusive policy framework in which all G20 nations participate, he said. The discussions revolved around the broad themes of opportunities in One Health for better disease control and pandemic preparedness; synergizing global efforts to expand access to scholarly scientific knowledge, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in science & technology and an institutional mechanism for inclusive, continuous and action-oriented global S&T policy dialogue. Under the theme 'Opportunities in One Health for Better Disease Control and Pandemic Preparedness', we discussed preparedness plan for flexible, adaptive, and timely responses to pandemics, Sood said. Integrated disease surveillance mechanisms for humans, livestock, and wildlife, R&D roadmap for diseases of One Health importance and investing in analytics (such as disease modeling, AI/ML tools) and data standards, he said. Also Read Number of researchers low, states should bolster R&D: Science adviser Who is Ajay Banga, nominated by Joe Biden to be next World Bank president? Crisis in multilateralism affecting developing nations most: PM at G20 meet G20 foreign ministers' meeting to kick off in Delhi today; all details here G20: India to host science ministries meet in Coimbatore next year Hotel owners ask Joshimath disaster-hit people to vacate rooms by March 31 Rahul's LS disqualification will be a key issue in 2024 polls, says Chavan Arunachal to sign deal with CPSUs to set up five hydropower plants LIVE: Hotel owners ask Joshimath disaster-hit people to vacate rooms Pakistan govt's Twitter account withheld for the third time in India A total of 18 G20 countries participated in the deliberations on Wednesday, he said. Indonesia and Argentina were the two exceptions as they could not attend due to time constraints, Sood said. He said the country's experience with the COVID-19 pandemic gave rise to the concept of One Health which is aimed at better preparedness levels to deal with challenges thrown up by a pandemic through environment surveillance. Sood credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for leading from the front during the pandemic which was the main factor behind India coming up with its own anti-Covid vaccines in a very short span of time and conducting the world's largest vaccination drive and even giving its vaccines to other countries of the world. Under the theme Synergizing Global Efforts to Expand the Access to Scholarly Scientific Knowledge, it was felt that the access should be free, immediate, and universal. High subscription and article processing charges levied by journals must be reduced, the establishment of interoperable inter-linking of national repositories with international repositories/ archives, and having open access mandate to make knowledge outputs of public-funded scientific research widely available. The third theme was on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in Science & Technology (S&T). The participating countries shared their work in advancing access to the under-represented, under-privileged, marginalized, minority as well as tribal/ native communities in the larger scientific enterprise. In the session, the Inclusion of Traditional Knowledge Systems (TKS) in formal system of knowledge through due scientific validation process, and Recognizing the potential of language diversity and addressing the bottlenecks in accessing scientific knowledge were also discussed. The fourth session discussed the need for having an Institutional Mechanism for Inclusive, Continuous and Action- Oriented Global S&T Policy Dialogue.It was agreed upon that the scientific advisers play a critical role in shaping policy choices by providing evidence-driven science advice and that in the spirit of cooperation and dialogue, it is the responsibility of chief science advisers to collaborate and engage in international dialogue to address transboundary issues affecting the entire scientific enterprise so that science and technology can benefit all. The deliberations and engagement on the topics discussed on Wednesday will continue until August 2023, when the next meeting is scheduled, in which a Science Policy Communiqu will be released, Sood said. Amidst an ongoing face-off between the Congress and the BJP over Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha, Germany has 'taken note' of the issue, triggering a fresh political slugfest here on Thursday with the ruling party accusing the opposition party of "inviting foreign powers" to interfere in internal matters. The BJP attack came after senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh thanked the German foreign ministry and Richard Walker, Chief International Editor of Deutsche Welle, for "taking note of how Democracy is being compromised in India through the persecution of Rahul Gandhi". The Congress alleged that the BJP was attempting to divert attention from the Adani issue. Singh tagged a tweet by Walker in which the senior journalist had posted a video of a German foreign ministry spokesperson reacting to Gandhi's disqualification. At a press briefing, Germany's foreign ministry spokesperson said,"we have taken note of the verdict of first instance against Indian opposition politician Rahul Gandhi as well as the suspension of his parliamentary mandate." "To our knowledge, Mr Gandhi is in a position to appeal the verdict. It will then become clear whether this verdict will stand and whether the suspension of his mandate has any basis," the spokesperson was quoted as saying. Germany expects that "standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles" will equally apply to the proceedings against Rahul Gandhi, the spokesperson added. Also Read LS speaker must take action against Rahul for London remarks: Giriraj Singh Rahul Gandhi visits memorials of former Prime Ministers, Mahatma Gandhi J P Nadda says Rahul Gandhi speaking language of China and Pakistan Lok Sabha adjourned for the day over Rahul Gandhi's democracy remark Will abide without prejudice to my rights: Rahul on vacating bungalow Delhi records 295 fresh Covid cases with positivity rate of 12.48% HZL inks pact with Rajasthan Cricket Association for development of stadium UP CM Yogi Adityanath inaugurates silk agriculture fair in Gorakhpur Not a fugitive, will soon appear before world: Amritpal Singh in new video Ministry of Defence inks Rs 1,700 crore deal with BrahMos Aerospace A host of BJP leaders attacked the Congress and Singh, accusing the party of "inviting foreign interference" in internal affairs. Sharing a screenshot of Digivijaya Singh's tweet, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said, "Thank you Rahul Gandhi for inviting foreign powers for interference into India's internal matters." "Remember, Indian Judiciary can't be influenced by foreign interference. India won't tolerate 'foreign influence' anymore because our Prime Minister is:- Shri @narendramodi Ji," Rijiju said. Hitting back at Rijiju, Congress' media department head Pawan Khera said, "Mr. Rijiju, why divert from the main issue? The issue is that the Prime Minister cannot answer Rahul Gandhi's questions about Adani." Instead of "misleading" people, please answer the questions, Khera said. Attacking the Congress over Singh's tweet, Information and Broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur said,"disgrace to nation, @INCIndia & @RahulGandhi don't believe to fight India's democratic, political and legal battle within country, hence, invite foreign powers to interfere in our internal matter. But New India headed by @narendramodi Ji will not tolerate any foreign intervention."Finance Minister Niramala Sitharaman also slammed the Congress over Singh's tweet. "Apparent that @INCIndia wants foreign interference in our affairs. Sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Communist Party of China with opaque contents. During interactions abroad, plead for help to change government. Thank them when help forthcoming. Any more proof needed?" she said. Commerce minister Piyush Goyal retweeted Sitharaman's tweet. Tagging Singh's tweet, BJP's foreign affairs department head leader Vijay Chauthaiwale said on Twitter,"look how happy @digvijaya_28 ji with comments from Germany. It only shows how they are desperate to involve external agencies in domestic matters." BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya also tagged Singh's tweet and said, "Shameful that Congress continues to lean on foreign agencies and seek their intervention in India's internal affairs." "Rahul Gandhi had recently sought Europe and US intervention and now it is Digvijay Singh. But Law is the Law Unless somebody thinks Law is not the Law for them," he said. BJP spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill also hit out at the Congress, alleging that the party "celebrating Germany/U.S. remarks on Rahul Gandhi's case shows their political desperation". "Rejected by Indian voters now looking for acceptance by foreign powers is sad reality of Congress! Judiciary must take note of daily maligning of courts by Congress brigade!" he said. Gandhi was disqualified from Lok Sabha on March 23 after a court in Gujarat's Surat convicted him in a 2019 defamation case over his 'Modi surname' remark. Earlier this week, a US state department official had said the United States is watching the court case of Rahul Gandhi. The official observed that the US continues to engage with India on the shared commitment towards democratic principles and the protection of human rights, including freedom of expression. Speaking at a media event Thursday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said no foreign diplomat has raised with him the issue of Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from the Lok Sabha, which was an outcome of a law "supported" by the Congress leader in the past. "The legal process produced an outcome. The outcome triggered a law, which Rahul Gandhi had himself supported some years ago," he said referring to the verdict of a Gujarat court sentencing the Congress leader to a two-year jail term in a defamation case. Earlier this month, Gandhi's remarks during his recent trip to the UK had also rocked Parliament, with both Houses failing to transact any significant business in the second half of the budget session. During his interactions in the UK, Gandhi alleged that the structures of Indian democracy are under attack and there is a "full-scale assault" on the country's institutions. The former Congress president also told British parliamentarians in London that microphones are often "turned off" in the Lok Sabha when an opposition member raises important issues. Gandhi's remarks triggered a political row, with the BJP accusing him of maligning India on foreign soil and seeking foreign interventions, and the Congress hitting back at the ruling party by citing instances of Prime Minister Modi raising internal politics abroad. The Congress on Thursday used embattled IPL founder Lalit Modi's tweets threatening to take Rahul Gandhi to court, to attack the BJP and said that "global scamsters" were now coming to the defence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Former IPL chief Lalit Modi, accused of financial irregularities in India, launched a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi on Thursday, and also hit out at the Congress party for referring to him as a "fugitive of justice" even though he had never been convicted of any charges. Reacting to his remarks, Congress general secretary in-charge organisation K C Venugopal said,"Lalit Modi is a fugitive in multi-million dollar frauds whose cowardice made him run away. He now enjoys a plush life abroad thanks to BJP's inaction. It's laughable if he thinks anyone takes him seriously." "A new low for PM Modi, that global scamsters are coming to his defence," Venugopal said. Taking a dig at the BJP, Congress' media and publicity department chief Pawan Khera said,"Is now Saheb taking help from abroad to threaten Rahul ji with legal action?" "Will pressure be put on Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, Vijay Mallya etc. to file a case against Rahul Gandhi?" Khera said. The Opposition party has been relently attacking the BJP for allegedly allowing economic offenders such as Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi and Mehul Choksi get away and flee abroad with people's money. In a series of tweets, Lalit Modi said, "I see just about every Tom, Dick and Gandhi associates again and again saying I am a fugitive of justice. why? How? and when was I...convicted of same." "Unlike #Papu aka @RahulGandhi now an ordinary citizen saying it and it seems one and all opposition leaders have nothing else to do so they too are either ill- informed or just vendetta prone. I have decided to take the @RahulGandhi...to court in UK right away. I am sure he will have to come up with some solid evidence. I look forward to seeing him make a complete fool of himself," he tweeted. Also Read Collegium system ideal for judges appointment, says ex-CJI U U Lalit Has the rally in defence-related stocks run its course? Centre asks CJI U U Lalit to name successor before retiring on Nov 8 Rahul Gandhi convicted in Modi surname defamation case: What we know so far Former CJI UU Lalit backs Collegium system, says 'near-perfect model' Spandana Sphoorty Financial raises $20 mn via ECB to fund business growth Law panel recommends amending Code of Civil Procedure to remove anomaly SC asks Maha to file affidavit on plea for CBI probe in Palghar lynching Amritpal's aide booked in Arms Act in Kishtwar; J&K police to question him PM says many benefits will come of 100% rail network electrified in Haryana The Lok Sabha Secretariat on Friday disqualified Rahul Gandhi as MP from Wayanad in Kerala after the Surat court convicted him in the 2019 criminal defamation case for his 'Modi surname' remark. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said that his government has made a strong case before the Regionally Empowered Committee (Forest) at Bengaluru and in New Delhi to not grant any Forest Clearance to Karnataka to divert water from Mhadei. Sawant said in his budget speech on Wednesday that ever since he took charge as the Chief Minister, one of the major issues was the Mhadei Water Dispute before him. "We were faced with the Award of the Tribunal, permitting diversion of 3.9 tmc of water outside the basin. I took immediate steps to challenge the Award in the supreme Court," he said. "We have made a strong case before the Regionally Empowered Committee (Forest) at Bangalore and in New Delhi to not grant any Forest Clearance. The Chief Wildlife warden-Goa has issued notice and ordered stopping all activities of Karnataka," he said. "As of today, we have favourable orders from the Supreme Court, stopping Karnataka from carrying out any further work or diversion unless permissions under the environmental laws are obtained," he said. Sawant said that the government has effectively stopped any further construction or diversion of the Mhadei waters. "My government is closely monitoring the activities of Karnataka and issues pending before the various Central government authorities," he said. He said that the all party delegation met the Union Ministers in New Delhi and made a strong case for the protection of Mhadei. "A house-committee has also been constituted. Help of experts in the field of environment, forests and hydrology is being obtained. All the departments of the government are acting in a synchronised manner," Sawant said. Also Read After Mhadei diversion, Rs 5,300 cr grant to K'taka raises hackles in Goa Mahadayi water issue: Oppn members ousted after disrupting Goa Guv's speech 2022: Pramod Sawant continues as Goa CM, international airport added Goa lawmakers, oppn leaders want to name new airport on Manohar Parrikar Goa CM Sawant to meet stakeholders to review functioning of new airport Non-cognisable offence registered against D K Shivakumar for throwing money Govt exempts import duty on drugs for personal use to treat rare disease For some politics is based on hate, says Kapil Sibal over SC observations HP Inc to further boost its local manufacturing footprint in India: CEO Kerala Lokayukta to take up case against CM over mishandling of CMDRF "We are confident that we shall be able to take all steps to ensure that no damage/diversion takes place. We are successful in agitating our case for Mahadayi Water Management Authority (PRAWAH) which will help us to stop any illegal diversion by Karnataka," Sawant further said. --IANS sbk/dpb Hardeep S Puri, Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, announced the plan on International Zero Waste Day 2023 in Delhi. The government will make a thousand cities "3-star garbage free" by October 2024, said a minister on Thursday, referring to standards that include removing garbage mountains and preventing untreated sewage in rivers. Speaking about Swachh Bharat Mission, Singh said that urban India has become Open Defecation Free (ODF), with all 4,715 ULBs completely ODF, 3,547 ULBs are ODF+ with functional and hygienic community and public toilets, and 1,191 ULBs are ODF++ with complete faecal sludge management. The Garbage Free Cities (GFC) Star rating protocol was launched in January 2018 to encourage competitive spirit among urban local bodies (ULBs), said Puri. The highest rating is 7-star garbage free: Indore bagged that standard last. Puri expressed confidence that the resolve and determination shown in achieving the targets of SBM-U would be amplified manifold in the second phase of the mission (SBM-U 2.0) where India aims to become a garbage-free nation. He highlighted the importance of a Garbage Free Cities rally on Thursday in raising awareness about waste management in the country. Waste processing in India has gone up four-fold: from 17 per cent in 2014 to 75 per cent. This has been aided through 100 per cent door-to-door waste collection in 97 per cent wards and source segregation of waste being practised by citizens across almost 90 per cent wards in all ULBs in the country. Also Read Will have International Biofuel Alliance before G20 summit: Hardeep Puri How did India waste over 100 million Covid vaccines? OMCs to give green hydrogen plan soon, says Hardeep Singh Puri TGBL joins hands with PMC to extract clean, green hydrogen from waste Construction tech key for India to achieve zero emissions by 2070: H S Puri Government to buy 300,000 tonnes of onion in Rabi season: Piyush Goyal Rousing welcome for Kharge on maiden visit to Kerala as Congress chief State govt's schemes benefitted lakhs, Rajasthan becoming 'model state': CM Madhya Pradesh govt promotes use of drones, gives training to young farmers Over 18,000 get offers in Rajasthan's IT job fairs in in the last two weeks Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Swachh Bharat Mission- Urban2.0 on October 1, 2022, with the overall vision of creating Garbage Free Cities (GFC). "We have taken note of the verdict of first instance against Indian opposition politician Rahul Gandhi as well as the suspension of his parliamentary mandate," the ministry said in a press briefing. Reacting to Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from the Parliament, Germany's foreign ministry on Thursday said that they have taken note of the verdict and expect the standard of "judicial independence" and "democratic principles" to be followed when Gandhi's team appeals against it. Germany expects that "standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles" will equally apply to the proceedings against Rahul Gandhi," the spokesperson added. "To our knowledge, Mr Gandhi is in a position to appeal the verdict. It will then become clear whether this verdict will stand and whether the suspension of his mandate has any basis," the ministry spokesperson was quoted as saying by the news agency PTI. Sharing a screenshot of Digivijaya Singh's tweet, Union law minister Kiren Rijiju said, "Thank you Rahul Gandhi for inviting foreign powers for interference in India's internal matters." Following that, in a tweet, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh thanked the German foreign ministry for "taking note of how the Democracy is being compromised in India through the persecution of Rahul Gandhi". Also Read Budget 2023-24: Manufacturing sector eyes revised taxations, new PLIs Rahul Gandhi disqualified from Lok Sabha one day after conviction Union Budget 2023: Experts don't expect surprises in social sector outlay Budget 2023: A look back at some major announcements in previous Budget Crypto industry wants 0.1% TDS, Sebi-like regulator in Budget 2023 India, Sri Lanka to jointly build solar power plant in island nation New rules for Goa casinos soon, says CM Sawant during Budget speech Though not a poor state, Karnataka can ill-afford election freebies PM to visit Bhopal on April 1 to attend combined commanders' conference Mumbai ranks among world's tree-rich cities 2022, second time in a row Hitting back at Rijiju, Congress' media department head Pawan Khera said, "Rijiju, why divert from the main issue? The issue is that the Prime Minister cannot answer Rahul Gandhi's questions about Adani." "Remember, the Indian Judiciary can't be influenced by foreign interference. India won't tolerate 'foreign influence' anymore because our Prime Minister is:- Shri @narendramodi Ji," Rijiju said. Gandhi was disqualified from Lok Sabha on March 23 after a court in Gujarat's Surat convicted him in a 2019 defamation case. Instead of "misleading" people, please answer the questions, Khera said. Union minister Anurag Thakur on Thursday slammed senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh over his tweet thanking Germany for taking note of Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from the Lok Sabha, saying "India will not tolerate any foreign intervention". Taking to Twitter, Thakur shared a screenshot of Singh's tweet and wrote: "Disgrace to nation, @INCIndia & @RahulGandhi don't believe to fight India's democratic, political and legal battle within country, hence, invite foreign powers to interfere in our internal matter. But New India headed by @narendramodi Ji will not tolerate any foreign intervention." Earlier on Thursday, Singh had shared a post and thanked the German Foreign Ministry for remarks on Rahul Gandhi's sentencing and subsequent disqualification from the Lok Sabha. Singh had tweeted: "Thank you Germany Foreign Affairs Ministry and Richard Walker @rbsw for taking note of how Democracy is being compromised in India through persecution of @RahulGandhi." Commented for the first time on Rahul Gandhi's disqualification, German Foreign Ministry spokesperson had said, "We have taken note of the verdict, suspension from Parliament, and appeal will show whether verdict stands and suspension has basis. It expects standards of judicial independence and democratic principles to apply in Rahul Gandhi's case." --IANS Also Read Anurag Thakur unveils newly constructed hostel of SAI in Lucknow, UP Anurag Thakur slams NYT, other foreign media for 'defaming' India, PM Hockey World Cup final, Germany vs Belgium: Germans out to stop Red Lions Anurag Thakur to inaugurate 3-day All-India Taekwondo Championship UP: Union Minister Anurag Thakur launches month-long Swachh Bharat campaign Not taking due care while overtaking also amounts to rash: Delhi HC Former civil servants condemn Rijiju's remarks on judiciary in open letter Indian to make 1000 cities 3-star garbage free by Oct 2024: Hardeep Puri Government to buy 300,000 tonnes of onion in Rabi season: Piyush Goyal Rousing welcome for Kharge on maiden visit to Kerala as Congress chief stp/prw/arm A GIRL, who claimed to be possessed, destroyed church property belonging to Uganda Martyrs Roman Catholic Church of Gokwe last week. The church has since closed and has urged all its members to embark on prayers for three days as part of a healing process. A source told H-Metro that a lot of property was destroyed. Everything was destroyed, picture frames, the tabernacle, all altar clothes were torn. Satan ari pabasa, auraya zvinhu zvose mukadzi uyu. All members have been urged to join a mass prayer for restoration. Rev Damian Gumbo confirmed the incident. His Lordship, Bishop Rudolph Nyandoro informs the people of God about the vandalism that occurred at Uganda Martys Mission Church in the Gokwe Diocese. A certain young girl, who claimed to be from Zion Christian Church (ZCC), vandalised the church when she was possessed. The young girl destroyed the tabernacle, two ciboriums and strew holy communion in the church. She also demolished the lectern, sanctuary light, way of the cross portraits, chairs and windows. Due to this act of vandalism, the apostolic administrator of Gokwe Diocese summons the clergy, sisters, brothers and the laity into a Triduum of prayer for an act of Reparation. He added: The three days begin today, and the church will be re-consecrated on Sunday April 2. Let us join together in praying for peace, reconciliation and protection. On each of these days, we are requested to set aside an hour for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. H Metro Why is Karnataka significant? The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced the dates for the Karnataka assembly polls. The state elections will be held on May 10 in a single phase. The election results will be declared on May 13. The election will have over 917,000 first-time voters. The term of the current assembly expires on May 24. According to information available on the Election commission website, 52.1 million voters are eligible to vote in the upcoming elections. In South India, Karnataka is the only state where the BJP has enjoyed power. In the last elections conducted in 2023, the BJP emerged as the single largest party in the state. The Karnataka election assumes significance as it is one of the major political battles in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The 2024 Lok Sabha elections will see the incumbent PM Narendra Modi eyeing a third straight term at the centre. Of the 224 seats in the Karnataka assembly, 36 are reserved for candidates from scheduled castes (SC) and 15 for scheduled tribes (ST). Overview of the Karnataka elections Sitting Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai and former CM B.S. Yediyurappa started their "Jana Sankalpa Yatra" for the BJP on October 11, 2022. The yatra was designed to coincide with Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra in the state, PTI reported. Also Read Budget 2023-24: Manufacturing sector eyes revised taxations, new PLIs Union Budget 2023: Experts don't expect surprises in social sector outlay Delhi MCD: All you need to know about the prestige battle in the capital How will the markets read into the state election outcome in 2023? Budget 2023: A look back at some major announcements in previous Budget Govt asks IAS, IPS, IFS officers to inform about mkt related transactions 'Mamata's claim of illegally-appointed staff holding DA protest baseless' Next 25 years crucial for India, says Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar Govt has made strong case against diversion of Mhadei: Goa CM Sawant Non-cognisable offence registered against D K Shivakumar for throwing money 52.1 million voters, with 16,976 older than 100. Facility to "vote at home" for voters over 80 years of age. 1,215,000 voters are over 80. 58,282 polling stations have been set up for the polls. The average number of voters per polling station comes to 883. A total of 4,751 candidates have enrolled in the third gender category. Key faces in the upcoming elections Serving as CM of Karnataka, B S Bommai is the son of the former CM of Karnataka and Union Minister of Human Resource Development, S R Bommai. He represents the BJP from the Shiggaon constituency. Former Chief Minister and BJP Central Parliamentary Board Member B.S. Yediyurappa on Thursday claimed that his party has not done any injustice to Muslims of the state while fixing reservation quotas for communities. Addressing reporters, Yediyurappa said that by shifting the 4 per cent reservation, there is no harm done to Muslim community. "Muslims have been brought under the EWS quota. There should not be any misunderstanding," he said. Yediyurappa further maintained that as it was not possible to provide reservation on the basis of religion, they are brought under EWS quota. The central government is implementing pro-poor and pro-farmer schemes. If there are any differences they will be convinced, he added. The ruling BJP in Karnataka has announced new reservation quotas after the last cabinet meeting recently. They had increased the quotas of Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities, the influential communities of the state by 2 per cent, by withdrawing the 4 per cent of quota of Muslims under OBC category. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had announced reservation of 7 per cent to Linagayats, 6 per cent to Vokkaligas, 6 per cent for SC (left), 5.5 per cent for SC (right), 1 per cent for Bhovi, Banjara and others. The announcement had resulted in incidents of violence and protests across the state. The BJP has dubbed it a "conspiracy and provocation" of the Congress. Also Read BJP will come back with absolute majority in Karnataka: Yediyurappa Bribe case: No question of interference with Lokayukta, says Yediyurappa Helicopter carrying Karnataka CM faces difficulty in landing at helipad CM, Yediyurappa having breakfast at Dalit's house photo-op: Congress 2023 polls will be as much of a test for Opposition parties as for BJP BJP put democracy in dustbin: Goa AAP display posters targeting PM Modi 25 trapped as roof of well collapses at a temple in Indore; rescue ops on Bihar discovers deposits of critical minerals, preps for auctioning rights Panchayat polls: Suvendu Adhikari approaches SC against Calcutta HC order Protest in Kerala's Idukki over capture of rice eating tusker Arikomban The State Congress unit had stated that it would scrap the new reservation quotas as soon as it assumed power. "It will be scrapped in a matter of 40 days, as we are forming the government," Karnataka Congress President D.K. Shivakumar had declared. Chief Minister Bommai stated, "The religious minorities do not have reservation in seven states. The decision has been taken to allot reservation for Muslim under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota." He also maintained that the demand for a hike in the reservation had been pending for the last 30 years but the Congress Party did not do anything but make false promises. They had thought it would not be possible for the BJP to do it. "We showed our commitment by getting a report, got the study done, constituted a Cabinet sub-committee, and took a bold decision as per law". --IANS mka/shb/ In a recent cabinet meeting, the government approved the implementation of the Skill Development Scheme in agricultural mechanisation. The state government is promoting the use of drones in agriculture as part of farm modernisation and training youths in operating them. This will help them to be self-employed. For this, about Rs 23 crore has been allotted. The first drone school in the state has opened in Gwalior. Schools are also to start in Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur, and Satna. Under this scheme, drone schools are being set up to increase the use of modern equipment In the next three years, 6,000 youths from farmer families will be trained to operate large drones in farming. Agriculture Minister Kamal Patel said: When I saw the demonstration of spraying nano urea by drones, I realised they could be used for pesticide spraying and other works. Production will increase, and, consequently, the income of the farmers. At the inauguration of this school, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had said: The use of drones will increase in the future and the schools will open up avenues of employment. The drone is being used very well in agriculture and this can be taken forward. During the spraying of pesticides and fertilisers in the fields, there is a danger to health. Also, uneven spraying affects crops. Drones are helpful in this. The same amount of spraying can be done in less time. TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, who ended her 30-hour-long sit-in here on Thursday to protest the Centre's alleged discrimination against West Bengal, called for an "aur ek dafa Delhi chalo" (another march to Delhi) to oust the right-wing party from power. Banerjee while ending her 'dharna', announced that in the days to come, her party will hold a protest in the national capital to press for her demands that the central government releases pending dues to the state. A day before, the West Bengal chief minister and stormy petrel of Indian politics had, in a change of stance, urged all parties in the country to unitedly fight the BJP in next year's Lok Sabha election, a departure from an earlier decision to remain equidistant from both the Congress and the saffron party. The "aur ek bar Delhi Chalo" call made from the feet of the Dr B R Ambedkar's statue on Kolkata's Red Road, an obvious take on Netaji Subhas Bose's more famous "Delhi Chalo" clarion call delivered in Singapore 80 years ago, resounded well with her supporters, who had thronged the venue of the sit-in, in large numbers. Banerjee started the two-day demonstration on Wednesday noon against the Centre's "stoppage" of funds to the state for MGNREGA and other housing and public works departments schemes. "All of us have to unite, fight against the BJP and defeat it. If needed, we will march to Delhi to protest against the Centre's attempts to destroy the country's federal structure and keep states ruled by non-BJP parties bereft of funds. Also Read Won't allow BJP to implement CAA, says Mamata; it will be done: Minister Mamata Banerjee scared of losing popular support: BJP state President Mamata starts dharna to protest Centre's 'discrimination' against Bengal Mamata sits overnight in dharna against govt, raises political temperature Power stocks surge as govt orders coal-based plants to run at full capacity G20 issues bigger than the Russia-Ukraine war, says Amitabh Kant Pharmacies to be set up at 270 stations in Eastern Railway zone: Official UP Guv okays ordinance to amend urban body poll rules for OBC reservation Mumbai-Goa highway work will be completed by December 2023, says Gadkari 40% jump in cases in a day: Will a fresh wave of Covid-19 hit India? "I was under the impression that the Union government would communicate and inform us that it would pay our dues. But nothing like that has happened. The BJP is running a government by the (central) agencies and of the agencies. The party is trying to project all opposition parties as corrupt and itself as a saint," she said. Banerjee claimed the Centre had released funds for all states except West Bengal. "For the past two years, we have raised the issue of funds. I met the PM thrice so that the BJP cannot accuse us of being egotistical. Not just me but our MPs too protested this economic blockade. Several MPs are here who have protested for this cause," she said. Noting that the 2024 Parliamentary polls will be a fight between the citizens of the country and the BJP, Banerjee had on Wednesday said people across religions must unite to defeat the saffron party and save the poor of the country. She described the BJP as 'Dushasana' and 'Duryodhana' the two antagonists from the epic 'Mahabharata'. "I urge every political party in India to unite to oust this 'Dushasana' BJP government. 'This Duryodhana' BJP should be removed from power to save the country's common man and Indian democracy," Banerjee said. The TMC boss said the BJP is trying to brand all other opposition parties as corrupt. "Since I have called for the Opposition parties to unite against the BJP, we have been termed as 'corrupt'. Are all of us corrupt, and only BJP a saint? They [BJP] will finish this country. In the coming days, it will be BJP versus citizens of India," she said. The Trinamool Congress chief also hit out at a section of state government employees who have been demanding enhanced Dearness Allowance (DA) on par with that of the Centre, alleging that those who had got jobs on recommendations of CPI (M) leaders during the Left regime are trying to malign the state. "The ones who got everything from West Bengal are now protesting against the state government. I have asked officials to look for their recruitment files. They are taking public money and busy agitating," she said. The chief minister was accompanied by several TMC leaders, including Firhad Hakim and Aroop Biswas, at the protest site. Draped in a white cotton saree, Banerjee is on a 30-hour sit-in protest at the city's landmark, which ended at 7 pm. She was also heard singing songs with party leaders in the morning. Kolkata has been witnessing a flurry of political activity ahead of the panchayat elections this summer, which has now received a green signal from the Calcutta High Court. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's allegations that the state government employees, who had secured jobs "illegally" during the previous Left Front regime, are protesting against pending dearness allowance (DA) arrears are baseless, the joint forum of state government employees said here on Thursday. While addressing a gathering at her sit-in demonstration against the Centre over non-payment of dues on Wednesday, Mamata Banerjee claimed that those who secured jobs during the previous regime by virtue of recommendations made on pieces of paper by the ruling party leaders were holding agitations over dearness allowance. "Why should I take advice from them? They are all thieves and dacoits. Moreover, goons associated with the BJP are now making tall claims in the matter," she said. This morning, the office-bearers of the joint forum of state government employees - the umbrella organisation spearheading the movement on the DA issue -, rubbished the allegation as baseless and expressed outrage against the chief minister comparing the DA agitators with thieves and dacoits. "What she alleged is totally baseless. Will she be able to prove her allegations? If she can, we on behalf of the state government employees, will be felicitating her. If she cannot, she will have to face the repercussions," said the joint forum convener Bhaskar Ghosh. A woman protester said that had she got the job illegally, she would have sat in the dais of Trinamool Congress instead of joining those agitating in demand of their legitimate dues. Also Read Behead me, but can't do anything to increase dearness allowance: Mamata Mamata Banerjee to attend PM-convened meeting in New Delhi on Dec 5 Mamata Banerjee scared of losing popular support: BJP state President CJI Lalit restored public confidence in judicial system: CM Mamata Some people conspiring against Bengal, trying to defame us: Mamata Banerjee Next 25 years crucial for India, says Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar Govt has made strong case against diversion of Mhadei: Goa CM Sawant Non-cognisable offence registered against D K Shivakumar for throwing money Govt exempts import duty on drugs for personal use to treat rare disease For some politics is based on hate, says Kapil Sibal over SC observations "Everyone is aware of the kind of irregularities in recruitments that have taken place during the current regime. The chief minister often takes pride in receiving national and international accolades for state government projects. She is forgetting that those accolades would not have come unless the state government employees had given their full effort to make those projects. Now the state government is not only depriving those employees of their legitimate dues but also branding them as thieves," the demonstrator said. --IANS src/shb/ The opposition Congress in Meghalaya on Wednesday launched 'Jai Bharat Satyagraha' to protest against the disqualification of its leader Rahul Gandhi from Lok Sabha. AICC media coordinator Bobbeeta Sharma told reporters that the programme will continue till April 8. During this period, a series of street corner meetings will be organised, she said. Sharma said that the Congress would do everything to save democracy of the country, alleging that the BJP-led government at the Centre is "willing to destroy democracy". "Rahul Gandhi has been targeted because he asked PM Modi ji about the Adani group," the Congress leader said. Gandhi, representing Wayanad parliamentary constituency in Kerala, was on March 24 disqualified from the Lok Sabha, a day after his conviction in a defamation case by a court in Surat in Gujarat. 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The group has denied the charges. Chided as a concrete jungle, India's commercial capital Mumbai has been included in the World Tree City 2022 list, for the second consecutive year, a BMC official said here on Thursday. The Arbor Day Foundation Chief Executive Dan Lambe has awarded the TCW certificate signed by Hiroto Mitsugi to the BMC authorities, according to an official Spokesperson. The United Nations Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and ADF conduct the TCW programme and in the past 50 years, the ADF has planted more than 35 crore trees worldwide, with a target of 50 crore more trees by 2027. Since 2019, the TCW was implemented to recognise efforts of cities globally that strive to balance the trees and environment and are included in the TCW list. Mumbai fulfilled the five ADF criteria for the award like determining responsibilities for tree care, setting rules to govern urban forests and tree management, maintaining an up-to-date inventory or assessment of local tree assets, allocating resources for a tree management plan, and organizing an annual tree festival to educate citizens. With this accolade, Mumbai is once again part of cities worldwide promoting best practices in urban forestry for the second time - in 2021, it shared the honour with Hyderabad. Also Read World Food Day: 19 million Afghans face food insecurity, says WFP Global food security at risk: Over 350 mn family farmers warn world leaders Global food prices in 2022 hit record high amid drought, war: FAO Forest cover goes up by 6.95% in Telangana between 2015 to 2021: Report Forest fires destroyed 13,000 hectares of land in Chile this year: Minister India falls 6 spots to rank 144 in Passport Index 2023: All you must know Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023: All you need to know about the polls Govt asks IAS, IPS, IFS officers to inform about mkt related transactions 'Mamata's claim of illegally-appointed staff holding DA protest baseless' Next 25 years crucial for India, says Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar BMC Commissioner I. S. Chahal said that "due to efforts like proper maintenance of trees in Mumbai, continuity for planting new trees, extensive implementation of urban forests, the fact that Mumbai city is rich in trees has once again been highlighted in the eyes of the world". Mumbai's Park Superintendent Jitendra Pardeshi termed it a "matter of pride" for all people of Mumbai that the city has bagged the award with the BMC's efforts and public support to maintain the environmental balance through tree wealth. --IANS qn/shb/ Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday hailed the central government's New Education Policy for its emphasis on learning in mother tongue and universal education based on the teachings of Indian visionaries such as Mahatma Gandhi and Dayanand Saraswati. Addressing the 113th convocation of the Gurukula Kangri here, Shah credited the university (deemed to be) for the revival of vedic education in India and combining it with modern education. Shah paid tributes to the university's founder Swami Shraddhanand saying he set India's education system free from the stranglehold of the British and revived the country's vedic education system, all the while emphasising on culture and modern education. Shah praised the NEP brought by the Narendra Modi-led central government saying it represents the combined visions of Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati, Swami Shraddhanand, Mahatma Gandhi, and Lala Lajpat Rai. "The new education policy, which is the country's third, contains the visions of four great people. Accessible education as propagated by Maharshi Dayanand, combining vedic education with modern as propagated by Swami Shraddhanand, Mahatma Gandhi's education in mother tongue, and Lala Lajpat Rai's principle of education for all are at the core of this policy," Shah said. Education in engineering courses has begun to be imparted in the mother tongues of 10 states, while people appearing in JEE, NIIT, and IAS exams have the option of taking the tests in their own mother tongues, he said. Also Read Indian embassy in China celebrates Gandhi Jayanti at Beijing's art museum Mahatma Gandhi's bust to be inaugurated at UNHQ during India's presidency Andaman & Nicobar Cong protest Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha disqualification BJP, Congress organise events to remember Mahatma Gandhi in Gujarat Congress will bring back old pension scheme in Gujarat, says Rahul Gandhi PM says many benefits will come of 100% rail network electrified in Haryana Jaipur to get India's 2nd largest cricket stadium named after Anil Agarwal Credai urges RBI not to hike repo rates, rise may hit housing sales Punjab govt sets up panel for alternative crops to paddy to save water IRCTC planning to add nutrition to its menu with millet dishes in trains The NEP makes education streamless and classless, with no barriers to science and arts streams, and freedom to learn anything in accordance with one's interest and aptitude, he said. He said Prime Minister Modi has brought international glory to India and Indianness. "Narendra Modi readily took decisions which the country was not able to take for decades. Be it abolition of article 370 or securing the boundaries of the country through such measures as surgical strikes or making the country jump from the world's 11th to the 5th largest economy in the world, the Prime Minister has done everything to make the country proud," Shah said. Congratulating the 1,800 students conferred with degrees at the convocation, he said they should be proud of having studied in a great institution such as the Gurukula Kangri University, and urged them to apply their learning in nation building so that it emerges as the world's leading country in its 100th year. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar took an indirect dig at Union Home Minister Amit Shah ahead of his proposed visit to the state to attend a BJP function for the celebration of Emperor Asoka's birth anniversary. Kumar, who was addressing a function organised here by his JD(U) on the occasion of the jayanti' of the legendary Maurya emperor, also asked the people to be on guard against attempts by the saffron party, which he did not mention by name, to "exploit" the historical figure for "political gains". "There are people who are trying to foment tension in society for political gains. Beware of them. In a few days, someone from Delhi will come and try to mislead you in the name of Samrat Asoka," Kumar said Wednesday in an oblique reference to Shah's scheduled visit on April 2 to Sasaram. The CM also claimed that "these people played no role in the struggle for Independence. By invoking the name of Asoka, they will try to wean away (kabza karna chahte hain') some castes". "I have never tried to divide people in the name of caste," Kumar said. Asoka was the grandson of Maurya dynasty founder Chandragupta, who was born in a family of poor shepherds. Those belonging to the Kushwaha caste, the second most populous after Yadavs in Bihar, claim that they are direct descendants of the Mauryas. 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Training his guns at the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, Kumar said, "I have worked with the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee and remember his contributions even now. Not so far those who are currently at the helm. They are busy blowing their own trumpet." The CM underscored it was his initiative that led to Asoka's birth anniversary celebrations and recalled with pride the emperor's contributions towards the spread of Buddhism, while maintaining tolerance for diverse schools of thought. "Mutual respect among all sections of society is the way forward if we were to be true heirs of the legacy of Asoka, whose glory had spread to far-off places like Taxila, which I had the good fortune to visit when I toured Pakistan," the JD(U) supremo said. At least 70 companies, which were present during the job fair in Bharatpur on March 23-24, selected 5,700 youngsters out of the total 25,000 who took part in the event, the officials said. Over 18,000 youngsters have landed jobs during two IT job fairs organised by the Rajasthan government in the capital city of Jaipur and in Bharatpur in the last two weeks, state officials claimed. We are getting very good response from youths in these job fairs, a state government official said. In Jaipur, 12,500 aspirants landed jobs at the fair -- also called Rajasthan DigiFest -- between March 20 and 21. According to an official, a youth bagged an offer of Rs 36 lakh per annum. I got a job in an IT company at a job fair organised in Jaipur. I feel more job fairs like this should be organised as they offer various opportunities under one roof, Vijay Meena, a commerce graduate said. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot recently announced to organise 100 job fairs in one year. As part of this initiative, job fairs will be organized in every district. A MEMBER of a suspected drug smuggling syndicate was arrested at the RGM International Airport for attempting to smuggle 21kgs of crystal meth worth $290 million. He also wanted to smuggle 1kgs of cocaine. Davidson Gomo, 27, was arrested on Tuesday and was not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare regional magistrate Vongai Guwuriro. The State said detectives from the CID Drugs Unit received information that Gomo had presented a parcel for shipment to Manila, Philippines. Detectives went to the Aviation Ground Services at the airport to check the consignment. They found a parcel containing 23 metal pulleys, which were in three cardboard boxes. The detectives inspected the metal pulleys and established that there was a possibility that they contained substances. The detectives opened one of the pulleys and found sachets of crystal meth. The combined value of the drugs was $297 130 000. Gomo was remanded in custody until April 27. H Metro Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Haryana on Thursday on the completion of 100 per cent electrification of railway network in the state, saying many benefits will come with this accomplishment. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw earlier informed in a tweet about it. Lauding the achievement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a tweet, "Congrats Haryana! Many benefits will come with this accomplishment." The Haryana government said in a statement that the state has "attained new heights" with the successful completion of 100 per cent electrification of the railway network in the state. On behalf of the people of Haryana, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar expressed gratitude to the prime minister and the railway minister. He said Haryana is consistently moving on the path of development under the visionary leadership and inspiration of Prime Minister Modi. He said 100 per cent railway electrification in the state would greatly benefit the citizens. Along with this, this step will also prove to be significant for the protection of the environment, he added. According to an official statement, the existing broad gauge network of Haryana is 1,701 route kilometre, which is now 100 per cent electrified. Haryana falls under Northern, North Central and North Western Railway's jurisdiction. Some of the major railway stations in Haryana are: Ambala, Panipat, Gurugram, Kurukshetra, Hisar Junction, Rewari Junction, Rohtak Junction, and Bhiwani. Also Read PM holds meeting with top ministers to discuss strategy for Budget session India will give direction to world in 'Amrit Kaal': PM Modi in Rajya Sabha US to welcome efforts by India to end hostilities in Ukraine: White House Your voice is India's voice: PM Modi at Voice of Global South summit Govt alone cannot be successful, people's participation needed: PM Modi Jaipur to get India's 2nd largest cricket stadium named after Anil Agarwal Credai urges RBI not to hike repo rates, rise may hit housing sales Punjab govt sets up panel for alternative crops to paddy to save water IRCTC planning to add nutrition to its menu with millet dishes in trains Taparia family buys India's costliest apartment worth Rs 369 cr in Mumbai Some of the popular trains passing through Haryana are Kalka Shatabdi Express, Himalayan Queen, Kalka Mail, Paschim Express, Golden Temple Mail and Kalinga Utkal Express. These trains provide connectivity to various parts of the state and major cities in India. Prime minister Narendra Modi will reach Bhopal on April 1 on a day-long visit, where he is scheduled to attend the combined commanders' conference 2023. He will also flag off the Bhopal-New Delhi Vande Bharat Express train during the visit. The three-day conference of military commanders began this morning and will continue till April 1. It is being held on the theme "Ready, Resurgent, Relevant". During the conference, deliberations will be held over a varied spectrum of issues pertaining to national security, including jointness and theaterisation in the Armed Forces. Preparation of the Armed Forces and progress in the defence ecosystem towards attaining self reliance will also be reviewed. The conference will witness participation of commanders from the three armed forces and senior officers from the defence ministry. Assembly elections are due in the politically crucial state of Madhya Pradesh in December and there is a likelihood of the prime minister visiting the state on quite a few occasions in the coming months. Also Read Centre tells SC it wants more compensation for Bhopal gas leak victims 38 yrs on, 120,000 Bhopal locals carry gas tragedy scars, fight for justice 38 years on, UK's Labour MPs drum up support for Bhopal gas tragedy victims Govt alone cannot be successful, people's participation needed: PM Modi Can't abandon Bhopal gas tragedy victims: Govt to SC on compensation plea Mumbai ranks among world's tree-rich cities 2022, second time in a row India falls 6 spots to rank 144 in Passport Index 2023: All you must know Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023: All you need to know about the polls Govt asks IAS, IPS, IFS officers to inform about mkt related transactions 'Mamata's claim of illegally-appointed staff holding DA protest baseless' --IANS ans/shb/ A day earlier a video had appeared on social media with the pro-Khalistan preacher asking the jathedar (or chief), of the highest temporal body of Sikhs to summon a congregation of the faithful to discuss issues concerning the community. Radical preacher Amritpal Singh on Thursday surfaced in an audio clip in which he debunked speculation that he is negotiating his surrender and nudged the Akal Takht again to summon a sarbat khalsa congregation. Piling pressure on the Sikh body, he said, If we are going to play politics even today, doing the same things we used to do earlier, then what's the point of being a jathedar in the future, he said in Punjabi. "I have urged the jathedar to call the sarbat khalsa. Call the sarbat khalsa, and prove that you are the jathedar, he said in the new audio clip. In the video clip too he had tried to argue that the issue was not just his arrest, but about larger concerns of the Sikh community. "We should understand that today is the time for the entire community to come together,'' he added, calling for unity among Sikh bodies. 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Meanwhile, the Punjab government has informed the Akal Takht that almost all the people taken into preventive custody 348 out of 360 during the crackdown against Amritpal Singh and his Waris Punjab De' outfit have now been released. "But I am not scared and I don't fear going to jail, or torture in police custody. Let them do whatever they want," he said. There was no immediate comment by police on the authenticity of the nearly two-minute audio clip in which the pro-Khalistan preacher accuses the government of committing oppression. On Thursday, a drone was deployed over the village in Hoshiarpur where some suspects abandoned their car two days back after a police chase. There was speculation that the preacher could have been in that vehicle. He also referred to some media reports suggesting that he had put conditions for his surrender, including that he should not be subjected to torture. He has not spoken to anyone over offering arrest, and there have been no conditions put by him, the fugitive said. The preacher remains untraceable since March 18, when he gave the slip to a police dragnet in Jalandhar, switching cars and changing appearances. Security also remained stepped up around Amritsar's Golden Temple, but officials claimed this was not linked to the hunt for Amritpal Singh. They took out another flag march in the area. He and his associates have been booked for spreading disharmony, attempt to murder, attacking police personnel and creating obstructions in the lawful discharge of duty by public servants. The trigger for the crackdown was the storming of the Ajnala police station last month by him and his supporters some of them brandishing firearms to secure the release of an arrested man. Six police personnel were injured. ASH The government has also invoked the stringent National Security Act against him. Some men, believed to be his key associates, have been booked under the same law and lodged at the Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam. PTI SUN CHS ASH ASH NNNN 03302101 Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said 27,042 government jobs have been given to the youth during past one year. "Idle hands (mind) are devil's workshop. So we are trying our best to ensure that maximum youth get jobs so that they do not fall prey to the social menaces," said the chief minister as he handed over job letters here during a function here. A state government statement said Mann handed over job letters to 219 clerks and 26 youngsters on compassionate grounds. The chief minister said unemployment is the root cause of several social problems due to which the state government is focussing on eradicating this malady. He said so far 27,042 government jobs have been given to the youth within one year of his party coming to power. Mann said the state government is laying major thrust on providing jobs to the youth. Also Read Punjab govt won't hesitate in taking tough decisions: Kejriwal on Amritpal Punjab govt has collapsed, AAP CM Bhagwant Mann should resign: BJP leader Punjab's law and order situation improved under AAP's Mann: Kejriwal Gujarat too will have free electricity from March: Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann CM Mann to take action against ex-Punjab DGP over PM's security breach Let's oust BJP without thinking of who will be leader after polls: Mamata During UPA regime, CBI was 'putting pressure' on me to 'frame' Modi: Shah Delhi govt launches drive to send overage vehicles for scrapping With death of MP Bapat, BJP loses 3rd sitting lawmaker in Pune since Dec G20 Science Advisers agree to work on draft document: Ajay Kumar Sood He said the newly recruited youth should ensure maximum welfare of the public so that every section of society is benefited from it. The chief minister also said he has asked the officers, especially the deputy commissioners and senior superintendent of police to maximize their field visits, especially in villages, and interact with the people. He said it is the need of the hour to facilitate the people in getting their day-to-day works done easily besides ensuring good governance to them. Mann said this will help in better functioning of the offices along with better acquaintance with the ground realities. The chief minister reiterated that some people were trying to divide the state on sectarian lines for their vested interests but his government was duty-bound to make Punjab a progressive, peaceful and prosperous state by foiling the nefarious designs of the anti-Punjab forces. Mann also reiterated that Punjabis should not get swayed by the ideas of such self-proclaimed preachers who have no emotional bonding with the state and its people. His remarks, similar to the ones he made five days ago, come amid a police crackdown on pro-Khalistan preacher Amritpal Singh and his outfit 'Waris Punjab De'. The radical preacher is on the run and efforts are on to nab him. He said the state government is duty bound to maintain peace, amity and communal harmony in Punjab at all costs. Karnataka BJP strongman B S Yediyurappa on Thursday said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is no match for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asserted that his party would come back to power with absolute majority. The four-time Chief Minister also sought to reach out to Muslims saying the BJP government has not done "injustice" to the minority community. He was referring to the recent decision of the state government to scrap four per cent reservation for Muslims under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category and placing them under the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) pool. Yediyurappa said the Congress is "day-dreaming" of coming to power and claimed that the M Mallikarjuna Kharge-led party would not cross the 65-70 seats mark. Elections to the 224-member Assembly would be held on May 10. "BJP will come back to power with absolute majority under the dynamic leadership of Narendra Modiji", Yediyurappa said at a press conference at the state BJP office. Also Read BJP will come back with absolute majority in Karnataka: Yediyurappa Karnataka BJP has not done injustice to Muslims, says Yediyurappa Rahul Gandhi convicted in Modi surname defamation case: What we know so far Bribe case: No question of interference with Lokayukta, says Yediyurappa Digvijaya offers residence to Rahul after he was asked to vacate bungalow 348 held during Amritpal crackdown freed, Punjab govt tells Akal Takht IPL beckons for debut in Northeast as Guwahati gears up for 2 matches Karnataka BJP has not done injustice to Muslims, says Yediyurappa BJP put democracy in dustbin: Goa AAP display posters targeting PM Modi 25 trapped as roof of well collapses at a temple in Indore; rescue ops on "I wish to ask Congress party leaders who their leader is," Yediyurappa said. "Can Rahul Gandhi be equal to Narendra Modi?" he asked. He further said Modi commands respect at international level and this would benefit the BJP. Yediyurappa dismissed some pre-poll surveys which predicted that Congress would wrest power from the BJP. "I have been in politics for 50 years. I know the pulse of people very well. We have built the party from grassroots level", he said and added that BJP's own surveys gave his party 130 to 140 seats. The Lingayat strongman also saw a BJP-wave in the state. He said the turnout of people during PM Modi's engagements in Karnataka and the response during the 'Jana Sankalpa Yatre' give a clear indication that the party would come back to power. Yediyurappa recalled that he had predicted before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections that the party would win 25 out 28 seats in Karnataka and it had come true, and expressed confidence of a repeat of such a good electoral performance in the coming Assembly elections. "We have not done injustice to the Muslim community. Let there be no misunderstanding. Reservation cannot be given based on religion. We have brought them under the EWS category", he said. Hailing Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai for the government's recent decision on various reservations, he said, For the first time in the history of Karnataka, or probably in India, our Chief Minister has done a great work on the reservation front and provided social security, Yediyurappa said. The former CM noted that Lingayats now have seven per cent reservation and Vokkaligas six per cent, Scheduled Castes (left) six per cent, Scheduled Castes (right) 5.5 per cent, Bhovi, Banjara other communities 4.5 per cent and other SCs one per cent. He also said that when he was the Chief Minister, he had formed Lambani Development Corporation and Thanda Development Corporation, and initiated steps to convert 'Thandas' into revenue villages. Apart from this, he had also allotted land to the landless Lambanis. The Supreme Court has told the Maharashtra government why it should order for a CBI probe into the alleged lynching of three persons in Palghar in 2020 when the state has no objection to such an investigation. The court asked the Maharashtra government to file an affidavit to this effect. "Why should we pass the order that you (Maharashtra) give it to CBI," a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala told the counsel for the Maharashtra government on Wednesday when he said the state has no objection to the submissions of the petitioners that the case be probed by the central probe agency. Earlier, the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government had opposed the plea for CBI probe into the case. However, with the change in government, the stand has changed as well and the counsel for the state told the bench that it was agreeable to the CBI probe. The bench then asked the state government to file an affidavit to this effect and posted the pleas for further hearing on April 10. Also Read CBI moves SC challenging anticipatory bail granted to IT-official Karnani Maha ex-minister Anil Deshmukh gets bail in corruption case after 13 months Maharashtra: Palghar religious leaders lynching case handed over to CBI Bombay HC refuses to extend stay on ex-Maha minister Anil Deshmukh's bail CBI moves SC challenging Bombay HC order granting bail to Anil Deshmukh Amritpal's aide booked in Arms Act in Kishtwar; J&K police to question him PM says many benefits will come of 100% rail network electrified in Haryana NEP based on teachings of visionaries like Mahatma Gandhi: Amit Shah Credai urges RBI not to hike repo rates, rise may hit housing sales Jaipur to get India's 2nd largest cricket stadium named after Anil Agarwal The state government also apprised the bench that so far two charge sheets have been filed and the trial has not gathered pace. On March 20, the top court had agreed to list for hearing the pleas seeking CBI probe into the alleged lynching of three people in Palghar district in 2020 after it was apprised that the Maharashtra government has consented to the investigation by the agency. The state government had earlier told the apex court that the Maharashtra Police has punished "delinquent" policemen for dereliction of duties in the alleged lynching incident and sought dismissal of pleas seeking a CBI probe. The affidavit was filed in response to a batch of petitions, including one by seers of Shri Panch Dashban Juna Akhara and relatives of the deceased. Their plea alleged the investigation by the state police was being conducted in a biased manner. The other pleas have been filed by advocates Shashank Shekhar Jha and Ghanshyam Upadhyay. The three people from Kandivali in Mumbai were travelling in a car to attend a funeral in Surat in Gujarat amid the COVID-19-induced nationwide lockdown when their vehicle was stopped and they were attacked and allegedly killed by a mob in Gadchinchile village on the night of April 16, 2020 in the presence of police. The victims were identified as Chikne Maharaj Kalpavrukshagiri, 70, Sushil Giri Maharaj, 35, and Nilesh Telgade, 30, who was driving the vehicle. Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Thursday demanded that the Eknath Shinde-Bharatiya Janata Party government leave office immediately, alleging the Supreme Court has expressed anger over religious disputes getting out of hand in the state and flagged instances of alleged hate speech. In a statement, Patole alleged the state government has dealt a big blow to the image of Maharashtra in the last nine months. Communal disputes are on the rise in the state due to inflammatory speeches made by members of some organisations, but the Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government is not taking any action against them, alleged the state Congress president. The Supreme Court has expressed anger against the Maharashtra government and dubbed it "impotent" as due to their inaction religious disputes are getting out of hand in the state, he added. The Shinde-Fadnavis government, which assumed charge on June 30, 2022, has no right to remain in office and it should quit immediately, said the Opposition MLA. The top court on Wednesday made strong comments during the hearing of a contempt petition seeking action against several state authorities, including Maharashtra, for allegedly failing to register first information reports (FIRs) against those who make hate speech. We are hearing the contempt petition because states are not taking action in time. This is because the state has become impotent, powerless, and does not act in time. Why should we have a state at all if it is silent, the SC said and posted the matter for hearing on April 28 and sought response from Maharashtra on the plea. Stating that the anger expressed by the Supreme Court against the Shinde-Fadnavis government was justified, Patole alleged there is no such thing as law and order in the state. The Congress leader claimed MLAs and MPs of the ruling combine openly bully people. "A family member of a notorious bookie roams freely in the Home Minister's house, but the police and the Home Minister have no idea about this. Ex-ministers and MLAs are being attacked, but no action has been taken by the government. Even when an MLA of the ruling party (Shiv Sena) fires bullets in public, no action is taken," he alleged. Patole was apparently referring to the case related to an alleged attempt by a fashion designer to extort money from Amruta Fadnavis, wife of Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, and a 2022 firing incident allegedly involving Shiv Sena MLA Sada Sarvankar. Also Read Shinde-Fadnavis govt reverses half a dozen decisions of MVA dispensation Extortion calls made investor drop Rs 6,000 cr Maha plan last yr: Fadnavis Maharashtra legislature: Oppn members accuse Shinde govt of corruption Power tariff: Maha govt will ensure hike is not irrational, says Fadnavis Tussle over 'real' Shiv Sena: Fadnavis says Shinde camp will succeed Ram Navami celebrations sees death of 11 devotees in MP, clashes in Maha Govt to invite bids for Rs 1.5-trn transmission proj in 18 months: Sterlite 'American dream': US visas for Indians now come through China 17 flights diverted from Delhi airport as heavy rains lashes parts of NCR India won't tolerate foreign intervention: Anurag Thakur on Germany tweet The MPCC president said over the last few months, an organisation staged protests, organised meetings and made provocative statements in various districts of the state, threatening social peace. Some outfits lodged a complaint with the police, but no action was taken as the government is supporting this particular organisation, said Patole without revealing its identity. "Maharashtra is a progressive and advanced state....Mumbai and Maharashtra have a great reputation in the country, but some organisations are engaged in defaming the state in the name of religion," he said. The government should display a strong political will and rein in such groups, said Patole. The strong words uttered by the Supreme Court for the Maharashtra government have never been used against any administration till date, which shows how serious the situation is, said the state Congress president. Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel on Thursday gave assent to an ordinance to amend the Municipal Corporation Act and Nagar Palika Act, in a step ahead for holding the urban local body polls with the provision of reserving seats for Other Backward Classes (OBCs). UP Cabinet approved the ordinance during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday. A senior official told PTI that the governor has given her assent to the ordinance. The official added that the amendment to the Municipal Corporation and Nagar Palika Act was necessary after the recommendations of a dedicated commission constituted to look into the backwardness of areas in the state for reservation. On March 27, the Supreme Court directed the State Election Commission to issue a notification within two days for holding the urban local body polls with the provision for reservation of seats for OBCs. A notification for holding local body polls was issued earlier, on December 5 last year, but several petitions were filed in the Allahabad High Court against the move. The court then ordered the government to constitute a dedicated commission to identify the criteria for backwardness in an area for reservation. A five-member commission headed by Justice (retired) Ram Avatar Singh was formed on December 28. It submitted its report to Chief Minister Adityanath on March 9 and it was accepted by the Cabinet on March 10. Also Read Karnataka Guv gives assent to ordinance increasing SC, ST reservation Over 11,200 tillers in Punjab to own land as Prez gives assent to Bill Ordinance on SC/ST reservation quota hike soon: Karnataka Minister SC paves way for holding UP urban local body polls with OBC quota '50% ceiling in reservation only for SC/ST, OBC': SC in EWS quota verdict Pharmacies to be set up at 270 stations in Eastern Railway zone: Official Mumbai-Goa highway work will be completed by December 2023, says Gadkari 40% jump in cases in a day: Will a fresh wave of Covid-19 hit India? Prove you are boss: Amritpal tells Akal Takht chief in new audio clip UPI transactions will be free until govt reviews, says NPCI MD & CEO The Supreme Court has prescribed a "triple test" formula, which requires setting up a commission to hold a "rigorous empirical inquiry" into the nature of backwardness in the context of local bodies, specify the proportion of reservation and ensure that the quota does not exceed the overall 50-per cent reservation limit. The death of Girish Bapat, the Bharatiya Janata Party's Lok Sabha MP from Pune city, on Wednesday has come as a big blow to the national outfit which has now lost three of its sitting lawmakers in this western Maharashtra district in the last four months. Before Bapat (72), two sitting BJP MLAs -- Mukta Tilak (Kasba Peth constituency) and Laxman Jagtap (Chinchwad) -- both in Pune district -- died on December 22, 2022, and January 3, 2023, respectively. In the Assembly bypolls that followed, the BJP managed to retain Chinchwad, where late MLA Jagtap's wife Ashwini defeated the NCP, but it faced rout in the Kasba Peth constituency, where its candidate Hemant Rasane lost to Congress-MVA nominee Ravindra Dhangekar. Credited with strengthening the BJP in Pune city, which was once a Congress bastion, Bapat had cordial relations with leaders across political divide and enjoyed close connection with common people of the state's cultural capital. His ability to connect with people helped the former state minister win the Kasba Peth Assembly constituency five times before he decided to enter the Lok Sabha in 2019. Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, in a video message, said the news of Bapat's demise was shocking for everyone. Also Read PM pays tributes to Sardar Patel on death anniversary, recalls contribution Turkey probes contractors as earthquake death toll breaches 33,000 mark Stroke 2nd commonest cause of death in India with one death every 4 mins Congress state prez alleges BJP govt 'failed' to protect wildlife in Goa Govt support needed till EV penetration reaches desired level: Girish Wagh G20 Science Advisers agree to work on draft document: Ajay Kumar Sood Hotel owners ask Joshimath disaster-hit people to vacate rooms by March 31 Rahul's LS disqualification will be a key issue in 2024 polls, says Chavan Arunachal to sign deal with CPSUs to set up five hydropower plants LIVE: Hotel owners ask Joshimath disaster-hit people to vacate rooms "The news of sad demise of Bapat is shocking to all of us. For last several days, he was fighting his illness and we had confidence that Bapat, who is a fighter, would defeat the illness. But today that hope is gone," he said. Fadnavis paid rich tributes to his party colleague, saying "He had great connect with people and had good presence of mind. He was an excellent parliamentarian. Be it a corporator, standing committee head of civic body (Pune Municipal Corporation) MLA or MP, he left an indelible mark through his work." The Deputy Chief Minister said Bapat made valuable contribution in Pune's development. "Girishbhau made great contribution in BJP's overall progress. Today we have lost a versatile personality...his demise is an irreparable loss to the BJP as well as society. Bapat's work can not be forgotten," said Fadnavis. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ajit Pawar of the NCP said the late BJP leader's politics was centred around development. Bapat was an inclusive leader who did social work and politics of development by going beyond caste, creed, religion, and language, said Pawar. Born on September 3, 1950, in Talegaon Dabhade in Pune district, Bapat worked with the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh in his initial years. During the Emergency (1975-77), he was lodged in Nashik jail for 19 months. Bapat became a corporator in 1983 and after 12 years he was elected to the Assembly from Kasba Peth in Pune city. He served as Minister for Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Protection, Food and Drugs Administration, and Parliamentary Affairs in the cabinet of then-Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis (2014-19). Bapat's last rites were performed at the Vaikunth crematorium in the evening with full state honours. Members of political parties and people from different walks of life took part in the late politician's last journey. Fadnavis and state minister Chandrakant Patil were among the leaders who walked to the Vaikunth crematorium. This bodes ill for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which make up close to 75 per cent of the textile value chain and are estimated to have seen robust revenue and profit growth in FY22 on the back of a post-pandemic surge in exports. The textiles industry is set for moderation in revenue growth in 2023-24 (FY24) as export demand, which usually accounts for a fourth of the total market, is expected to be limited due to a slowdown in key markets, though domestic demand will continue to grow at a steady pace. In FY24, cotton yarn prices are projected to fall almost 15 per cent due to a high base and subdued export demand. This is expected to hurt price realisation. In FY23 a sharp rise in cotton yarn prices at the start of the year and moderation in export demand are expected to impact industry revenue and profitability. The revenues of SMEs in the spinning segment, which are more susceptible to fluctuations in raw material prices, are set to contract 9-11 per cent, led by a decline in yarn prices later. Clusters like Kolkata, Kanchipuram and Ludhiana, which depend more on the domestic market, are likely to outperform the export-centric clusters. However, after a contraction in operating profit margins in FY23, players profitability is expected to improve due to easing of input cost pressure. In the readymade garment (RMG) segment, an easing of discretionary spending in leading consumer markets such as the US and EU will tone down revenue growth of key export-oriented RMG clusters such as Tirupur, Bengaluru and Mumbai to 6-8 per cent.Clusters like Kolkata, Kanchipuram and Ludhiana, which depend more on the domestic market, are likely to outperform the export-centric clusters. Also Read OEMs to drive 16-18% rise in auto-parts MSME revenues: CRISIL SME Tracker CRISIL SME Tracker: Strong domestic demand to drive pharma growth in FY23 Softening cotton prices turning tides in favor of textile players: Analysts Sugar industry MSME margins hit by flat product prices: CRISIL SME TRACKER Bangladesh, Vietnam seen as competitors in textile and garment trade In the medium term, free trade pacts with major markets and the setting up of textile parks under the PM MITRA scheme will boost Indias competitiveness in the RMG space. This will be complemented by the Production Linked Incentive scheme, which will give a leg-up to domestic manufacturing, particularly in synthetic textiles. WHIZKID Tadiwanashe Maveteras dream of studying Quantum Physics could become true after he was accepted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States. Tadiwanashe obtained 10 As at A-Level in last years examinations. The genius aced Accounting, Mechanical Mathematics, Business Studies, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geography, Pure Mathematics, Statistics and Economics. He got 20 As at O-Level in 2020. In an interview, Tadiwanashe said his dream was coming true. There is progress. I was accepted at MIT, but for now I am at home. I applied for financial aid there and they are still processing it. I was also promised a scholarship by some potential well-wishers, said Tadiwanashe. When the results came out in January, Tadiwanashe, then a Ruya Adventist High School student, told H-Metro that hed worked hard to attain extraordinary results to get a scholarship. The motivation behind doing these subjects was mainly to acquire a scholarship or to get recognition that would allow me to go to one of the top universities in the world like MIT, Harvard or Stanford where I can freely pursue Quantum Physics. After acquiring this knowledge, I want to improve our nation so that it can have a strong economy. Someday Zimbabwe is going to become a hub of consultations on Quantum technology. It has always been my prayer and hope that I get a scholarship to a top university for me to achieve this dream, he told H-Metro then. H Metro it has been brought to the notice that, while the penalty amount has been mentioned correctly in figures, there has been an error in the penalty amount being mentioned in words, said Sebi in a corrigendum to its earlier order. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has rectified the penalty imposed on Samir Jain, vice chairman and managing director of Bennett, Coleman & Co (BCCL), wife Meera Jain and four others to Rs 20 lakh from Rs 1 crore in a matter pertaining to violation of minimum public shareholding (MPS) norms in PNB Finance and Industries (PNBFIL). The markets regulator, in an order dated March 28, restrained the couple and two others from accessing the capital market and also barred them from holding any key managerial positions at a listed company till the compliance of MPS norms. Emails sent to Jain or BCCL didnt elicit a response till the time this story was published. Sebis action was due to alleged violation of MPS and wrong disclosures of promoter shareholdings by PNBFIL and CCCL, firms listed on the Calcutta Stock Exchange and holding stakes in BCCL. On the same date, Sebi passed another order in the case of Camac Commercial Company (CCCL) for similar violations. Also Read PNB Housing Finance's Q2 net profit rises 12% on improving margins PNB Q2 net profit slips 63% to Rs 411.3 crore as NPA provisions rise With IPOs losing steam, Sebi steps in with hard underwriting move Sebi bans Mehul Choksi from securities market for 10 years, fines Rs 5 cr Sebi's front-running investigations rise even as overall cases dip Rising Covid cases in India a non-event for markets for now: Analysts Benchmark Sensex gains 346 points on firm trends in global markets International MF schemes get extra time to declare net asset values: Sebi Facts absolutely opposite: Sebi chief on public perception in legal cases Markets regulator Sebi unveils key reforms to protect investors BCCL is the flagship company of the Times Group, which owns prominent media brands such as the newspapers 'Times of India', 'Economic Times', radio channel Radio Mirchi and TV news channel Times Now. In the CCCL matter, Sebi imposed a penalty of Rs 1.41 crore each on Samir and Meera. It imposed a market ban on Jain, except for the purpose of complying with MPS requirements. The couple was restrained from holding key positions at listed companies, till such time CCCL complies with the MPS requirements. Sebi found connected entities holding 91.51 per cent and 94.45 per cent in PNBFIL and CCCL, respectively. Under the listing regulations, a promoter can hold a maximum of 75 per cent in a listed company. A Sebi investigation allegedly found a group of 19 entities, which were connected with one another through a complex web of network and associations, were holding majority shares in both PNBFIL and CCCL beyond the permissible 75 per cent. As per Sebis order, Samir and Meera held 16.25 per cent and 6.13 per cent stake in PNBFIL. In October 2020, Sebi issued show cause notices to Jain and others. Investigation into the affairs of PNBFIL showed that 8 of these 19 entities were controlling the affairs of PNBFIL without disclosing themselves as promoters of the company or person in control of the affairs and management of the company, the Sebi order said. Due to their non-compliance with MPS Requirement, and holding of control over shares as well as voting rights of as much as 91.51 per cent of total shareholding as well as voting rights in the company, practically no floating shares for trading and no liquidity, whatsoever, was available in the market... Due to this, the public investors were deprived of their right of price discovery of the shares of the company, said Sebi in its order. Sebi alleged that PNBFIL and CCCLs shareholding was structured in manner to camouflage the actual shareholding of Jain Family. The regulator also pulled up the company for making wrong disclosures around their promoter shareholding. As the non-compliance of MPS Requirement had continued for a long period of six financial years, at no point of time any actual price discovery of shares of the company could take place on the stock exchange platform, said the order. It has also been established that the company has repeatedly disclosed a patently false shareholding pattern thereby showing zero promoters shareholding and in essence, was disclosing that it does not have any promoter entity in the company. By making such false disclosures on six occasions in annual disclosures made after ending of financial years 2013-14 to 2018-19, the company has violated the provisions of SAST (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers) Regulations, which require annual disclosure by a listed company of its promoters shareholding at the end of every financial year in prescribed format, it said. By Mayank Dhaundiyal There has been quite a buzz about Foxconn Technology Group's plans to invest around $700 million in India to locally manufacture iPhone parts, especially given that Apple's shipments of 'Made in India' smartphones in 2022 increased by an impressive 162 per cent in value compared to the previous year. According to media reports, India is also in talks with international aircraft makers like Russia's Sukhoi and Brazil's Embraer for forming a partnership to manufacture smaller planes that will help connect towns by air. The recently concluded global investors summit in Uttar Pradesh, with investment proposals worth Rs 33.5 trillion, and Andhra Pradesh, with investment proposals worth Rs 13 trillion, was also covered with a lot of fanfare. While these are positive developments and India would do well to actively seek these prospects, the country needs to do much more to become the next global factory after China. This is because according to the Indian governments recent annual periodic labour force survey, the proportion of jobs in the manufacturing sector has actually decreased from 12.1 per cent in 201819 to 11.6 per cent in 202122, while the proportion of jobs in the agriculture sector has increased from 42.5 per cent in 201819 to 45.5 per cent in 202122. This trend is problematic for a country hoping to increase the size of its economy and provide quality jobs to a young population. As a labour-intensive industry that provides long-term, high-quality employment to the local community, manufacturing contributes significantly to job creation. In fact, the manufacturing sector has been a key part of the economic growth of all top economies, including the US, Japan, China, and Germany. Having specialised manufacturing capabilities, particularly in industries such as pharmaceuticals, aircraft, defence, and information technology, also lends a country geopolitical heft, as was seen during the Covid-19 pandemic and the recent Russia-Ukraine crisis. India is now not only perhaps the most populous country, but it also has the world's largest working-age population, given its excellent demographic dividend. In order to prevent the demographic dividend from becoming a demographic nightmare, the country must provide good opportunities for its vast young workforce. There has been quite a buzz about Foxconn Technology Group's plans to invest around $700 million in India to locally manufacture iPhone parts, especially given that Apple's shipments of 'Made in India' smartphones in 2022 increased by an impressive 162 per cent in value compared to the previous year. According to media reports, India is also in talks with international aircraft makers like Russia's Sukhoi and Brazil's Embraer for forming a partnership to manufacture smaller planes that will help connect towns by air. The recently concluded global investors summit in Uttar Pradesh, with investment proposals worth Rs 33.5 trillion, and Andhra Pradesh, with investment proposals worth Rs 13 trillion, was also covered with a lot of fanfare. While these are positive developments and India would do well to actively seek these prospects, the country needs to do much more to become the next global factory after China. China's manufacturing sector has been a crucial engine of its economic growth. According to figures from the World Bank and OECD national accounts, the percentage share of Chinas manufacturing sector has hovered around 30 per cent for the last two decades, contributing almost $5 trillion (in current US dollars) in 2021. China's per capita GDP increased from a paltry $300 in 1990 to a respectable $12,500 in 2021, partly due to the manufacturing sector's exponential expansion, making China the second-largest economy in the world in the process. The same story had played out before in Japan, the third largest economy and the third largest manufacturer in the world. Japans manufacturing sector has been a key driver of the country's economic growth and has played a significant role in helping the country increase its GDP from $1.5 trillion in 1990 to approximately $5 trillion by 2021. The manufacturing sector has also played a crucial role in boosting Japan's per capita income. According to the figures from the World Bank, Japan's per capita GDP increased from approximately $25,000 in 1990 to over $40,000 in 2021. According to 2019 figures by the United Nations Statistics Division, China had by far the largest share of the global manufacturing output, at around 29 per cent. In comparison, the USA accounted for around 17 per cent of global industrial production, putting it in second place. India contributed a measly 3 per cent of the world's manufacturing output, which is only about 10 per cent of China's! India has about the same number of people as China, but its economy is only about a fifth as big as China's. India needs to catch up quickly if it wants to reach its short-term and long-term strategic goals. Countries, like the US and China, have used economic power to achieve their geostrategic goals. India must rapidly expand its economy, not just to provide its large and growing population with better opportunities, but also to advance its national and international strategic objectives. Here, the manufacturing industry can play a crucial role. The good news is that, as a result of three megatrends, India has an outstanding opportunity to become a manufacturing powerhouse. The sheer magnitude of India's demographic dividend is unrivalled on a global scale. India has by far the greatest population of young individuals of working age in a globe that is progressively ageing. India's young population is more than double that of the total population of the United States and about 100 million higher than the combined populations of the G7 nations. This demographic dividend is expected to continue for another two decades. Several Asian economies, including Japan, China, and South Korea, were able to successfully capitalise on this demographic dividend and transform their economies. India must do the same. India needs to learn from these transformational stories and go through a similar trajectory. India's meagre per capita GDP of $2200 is way below that of the USA ($70,000), Japan ($40,000), and even China ($12,500). India must aggressively and strategically invest in its manufacturing infrastructure and ramp up its manufacturing capacity, making it one of the key drivers of its economic growth. Also Read BS BFSI Insight Summit 2022: RBI Deputy Guv M Rajeshwar Rao to speak BS BFSI Insight Summit 2022: NBFC bigshots to speak on prospects ahead Foxconn's China iPhone factory in disarray due to Covid outbreak: Report Foxconn offers up to $1,800 bonus to workers to stay in China's iPhone city FIH Men's Hockey World Cup 2023: Obstacles India will face on its home turf Best of BS opinion: Revisiting regulations, short selling, and more Best of BS Opinion: Policy vacuum, supporting Ukraine, and more Best of BS Opinion: Building urban India, the Belarus bombshell, and more Best of BS Opinion: Tax treatment, a monster from the past, and more Best of BS Opinion: Powell's playbook, the lure of local media & more The third megatrend is the decline in Chinas growth rate. The current expected economic growth rate of China, as per official estimates, is 5 per cent and is widely expected to drop to 3 per cent by 2028. While after decades of double-digit growth, some decline in economic growth rate is to be expected, in Chinas case this could be problematic, as it seems to be growing old before getting rich. The second megatrend is that countries and organisations are looking to decrease their dependency on China for manufacturing. Covid-19, a militarily aggressive China with expansionist goals, and the resulting geopolitical tensions with many countries have made it clear that many countries and organisations need to rethink their plans to outsource manufacturing to China and reduce their political and supply-chain risks. Additionally, China's growing middle class is demanding higher wages and better working conditions. As labour and other related costs rise in China, reducing its manufacturing competitiveness, many companies have started to look to other destinations, such as Vietnam and India, for manufacturing opportunities. India must capitalise on this trend. This convergence of external and internal elements affords India an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. India, given its massive working-age population, competitive labour costs, and strong inclination of the federal and state governments to attract foreign investment given its potential electoral benefits, is perhaps the only country that can become a credible substitute for China as the world's next manufacturing powerhouse. With organisations around the world reimagining their global supply chains, this is a golden opportunity, and it is highly likely we will not get this window of opportunity again. India needs to act now and act decisively. (The writer is the Dean of Jindal Global Business School (JGBS) at O P Jindal Global University. These are the personal opinions of the writer. They do not reflect the views of www.business-standard.com or the 'Business Standard' newspaper. ) Google has denied the reports that it is copying Microsoft-owned OpenAI's ChatGPT to train its AI chatbot called Bard. A report in The Information claimed that OpenAI's success "has forced the two AI research teams within Google's parent, Alphabet, to overcome years of intense rivalry to work together". According to the report, citing sources, software engineers at Google's Brain AI group are working with employees at DeepMind, which is a sibling company within Alphabet to develop software to compete with OpenAI. "Known internally as Gemini, the joint effort began in recent weeks, after Google stumbled with Bard, its first attempt to compete with OpenAI's chatbot," the report claimed. However, a Google spokesperson told The Verge that "Bard is not trained on any data from ShareGPT or ChatGPT". Meanwhile, Google has announced it is opening up access to its ChatGPT competitor "Bard" as an early experiment for users to collaborate with generative AI. Also Read Google may introduce 20 AI-powered tools, ChatGPT competitor in May Meta joins AI chatbot race with own large language model for researchers AI vs humans: Some companies begin replacing employees with ChatGPT Users can now choose different tones of responses of AI Bing chatbot Moderation assurances from developers; Apple approves ChatGPT-driven app WWDC 2023: Apple may debut mixed-reality headset at developers conference WWDC 2023: Apple schedules worldwide developers conference for June 5 HP Inc introduces lineup of 150 products, solutions for future hybrid work WhatsApp working on 15 new durations for disappearing messages feature Motorola announces new affordable phone with 6.5-inch display in India Early access to Bard has rolled out in the US and the UK, and the company said it will expand the access over time to more countries and languages. Bard, like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Microsoft's Bing chatbot, is based on a large language model (LLM), specifically a lightweight and optimised version of LaMDA, which the tech giant said will be updated with newer, more capable models in the future. Users can interact with Bard by asking questions and refining their responses with follow-up questions. --IANS na/shb/ By Mark Gurman Apple Inc. set a June 5 date for the event where it plans to unveil a mixed-reality headset, the first major new product since its smartwatch debuted eight years ago. The company scheduled its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, better known as WWDC, to kick off on that Monday and run through Friday, June 9. It typically uses the first day of the conference to discuss its next-generation platforms and operating systems. This years conference will be held as an all-day experience at headquarters in Cupertino, California. Apple Inc. set a June 5 date for the event where it plans to unveil a mixed-reality headset, the first major new product since its smartwatch debuted eight years ago. Central to the agenda this time around will be the headset, likely to be dubbed the Reality One or Reality Pro, Bloomberg News has reported. Apple will also showcase the accompanying xrOS operating system and a way for developers to write apps for the device. WWDC23 is going to be our biggest and most exciting yet, and we cant wait to see many of you online and in person at this very special event! said Susan Prescott, Apples vice president of developer relations. The devices debut will propel Apple into the world of mixed-reality, a still-nascent category that has cost Meta Platforms Inc. billions of dollars and has, so far, failed to go mainstream. Apple is seeking to stand out from rivals with a high-end product that may cost around $3,000 and include many technologies not seen before in consumer devices. The headset will use a combination of eye and hand control, feature an on-board App Store, and offer virtual reality-based FaceTime, 3D versions of core Apple apps and immersive video streaming. The announcement of the conference on Apples website features artwork depicting the Apple Park campus, but it doesnt hint at the coming headset. The company also plans to debut the next versions of its iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch operating systems at the event. The conference typically ushers in new software features for Apple TVs, AirPods and HomePods as well. Also Read Meta plans to launch consumer-grade virtual reality headset next year Meta's new headset to feature better mixed reality technology: Zuckerberg Vivo V27 Pro review: All-round smartphone with focus on imaging capability Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro: Lightweight laptop lifted by ecosystem benefits Apple pushes back mixed-reality headset debut 2 months to June amid issues WWDC 2023: Apple schedules worldwide developers conference for June 5 HP Inc introduces lineup of 150 products, solutions for future hybrid work WhatsApp working on 15 new durations for disappearing messages feature Motorola announces new affordable phone with 6.5-inch display in India Technology firms' engagement with ethical hackers at all-time high Mixed-reality technology from other companies has been slow to catch on, so Apple will have to make a persuasive case for why its approach is superior. WWDC could be an ideal stage for such an announcement, given its pro-Apple crowd and the ample opportunity for developers to explore the technology during the weeklong conference. The Apple product will include several external cameras and blend both virtual and augmented reality. That will let users either immerse themselves in their content or flick a dial to simultaneously see their surroundings while using the headset. The event will mark Apples first product unveiling of the year, following the postponement of a planned announcement for the headset. Earlier in the year, the company announced new versions of the MacBook Pro, as well as an updated HomePod speaker, without an on-stage event. The company is also planning to unveil new Macs in the coming months, including its first Mac Pro model without Intel Corp. processors and a MacBook Air with a larger screen. Earlier this month, Apple held a series of demonstrations of the new device for what is known as the Top 100, the roughly 100 most important executives at the company. The Biden administration is offering support for the creation of an international court to prosecute alleged crimes of aggression by Russia against Ukraine. In comments this week, senior U.S. officials said the administration believes that would be the best way to hold Russia accountable for its year-old invasion. However, they also acknowledge that the prospects for a court to actually take custody of any Russian official for trial are slim. The United States supports the development of a special tribunal on the crime of aggression against Ukraine in the form of an internationalized court that is rooted in Ukraine's judicial system, with international elements, the State Department said in comments emailed to reporters. The officials said they envision a hybrid tribunal based on the Ukrainian justice system but with international components similar to previous ad hoc war crimes courts set up for Cambodia, Chad, the Central African Republic and Bosnia and likely based in The Hague, Netherlands. This kind of model an internationalized national court will facilitate broader international support and demonstrate Ukraine's leadership in ensuring accountability for the crime of aggression, the State Department said. It also builds upon the example of other successful justice mechanisms. The Hague will be home to the International Center for Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression, a Ukraine-focused investigations unit that is expected to be fully operational this summer. The center's offices and staff could be incorporated into whatever tribunal is eventually created, the U.S. officials said. Also Read Russian shelling cuts off power again in liberated Ukrainian city Russia warns of World War 3 if Ukraine joins Nato military alliance Russia trying to 'wipe us off', says Zelenskyy as explosions rock Ukraine Biden vows air defense systems for Ukraine after missile attacks by Russia UN principles must be upheld: India after abstaining on UNGA vote on Russia Twitter removes tweets on Trans Day of Vengeance, says protest not peaceful Yellen rejects World Bank capital increase; no challengers to US nominee Indian delegation explores investment opportunities in S Africa, Botswana World 'turning the tide' toward democracy, says US President Biden Tech sector H-1B workers' spouses can continue to work in US, says judge The Hague also hosts the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice. The ICC prosecutor issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and an aide earlier this month for the abductions of Ukrainian children. But the U.S. is not a member of the ICC, which complicates its ability to support the court with evidence or other information that could be used in its prosecutions. The first crewed flight of Boeing's CST-100 Starliner has been again pushed till July, NASA has announced. This comes after Boeing and NASA, last month, said Starliner's astronaut debut, a mission to the International Space Station (ISS) called Crew Flight Test (CFT), was on track to launch in April. Kathy Lueders, NASA Associate Administrator of Space Operations, last week announced on Twitter that the date has again been pushed to May. But May liftoff for CFT is now off the table, and liftoff is now targeted for July 21 at the earliest, agency officials announced at a press conference on Tuesday. "We've deliberated and decided that the best launch attempt is no earlier than July 21 for CFT," Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Programme, said during a press conference today. Considerable traffic at the ISS with Ax-2 lifting off in May and SpaceX's next robotic cargo mission targeted for June was stated as the reason for the delay, Space.com reported. Also Read SpaceX Crew-4 astronauts splash down in Atlantic after 170 days in orbit Indian, US space officials discuss human space exploration in Washington China to send 3 astronauts to own space station, eyes manned Moon mission US, Japan sign pact at Nasa Headquarters for deep space exploration SpaceX launches four astronauts from US, Russia, and UAE to space station Covid-19 during pregnancy may increase obesity risk in children: Study US Senate passes bill to end national Covid-19 emergency, declared by Trump Jair Bolsonaro to return to Brazil for 1st time since losing election US Pres Biden won't veto Republican-led bill ending Covid emergency Putin may attend nuclear power plant inauguration in Turkey: Report Further, CFT's launch site, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, will be busy over the coming months. United Launch Alliance (ULA) plans to fly a mission for the US Space Force from Cape Canaveral with an Atlas V rocket this spring, and the first-ever liftoff of the company's new Vulcan Centaur vehicle is targeted for May from the site. (CFT will employ an Atlas V as well.) In addition, NASA wants a bit more time to analyse data about Starliner's various components, such as its parachute system, before putting astronauts on the vehicle, Stich said. Together with Boeing, the agency also plans to conduct one more ground test of a parachute subsystem -- the chute that pulls off Starliner's forward heat shield. That trial is targeted for May, Stich said. "At this time, there's really no issues or concerns with the parachute system," Stich said. "The parachutes are installed in the vehicle; they're in good shape. It's just a matter of going through all that data and looking at the data and making sure we're really ready to go fly safely." CFT aims to send NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams to the ISS for a roughly eight-day stay. Boeing had signed a contract with NASA's Commercial Crew Programme to fly operational missions to and from the space station with Starliner in 2014. It had last year conducted two test uncrewed flights to space. If all goes well with the upcoming test flight, NASA will likely certify Starliner for operational astronaut missions to the orbiting lab. --IANS rvt/shb/ Indian-American business leader Ajay Banga is poised to become the next President of the World Bank after the nomination period closed and no country proposed an alternate candidate for the prestigious post. In February, President Joe Biden announced that the US would be nominating Banga to lead the World Bank because he is "well equipped" to lead the global institution at "this critical moment in history." The World Bank on Wednesday closed a month-long window for nominations for its next president, with no alternatives announced to 63-year-old Banga. The former Mastercard Inc. chief, Banga currently serves as Vice Chairman at General Atlantic. The bank's board is expected to announce the next steps in its selection process on Thursday, with a view to confirming a new leader by early May. Over the next few months, you will see the World Bank undergo an important transition. We expect that Ajay Banga President Biden's nominee will be elected President of the World Bank, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told lawmakers at a Congressional hearing on Wednesday. He will be charged with accelerating our progress to evolve the institution to better address 21st century challenges. This evolution will help the Bank deliver on its vital poverty alleviation and development goals, Yellen said. Also Read Who is Ajay Banga, nominated by Joe Biden to be next World Bank president? Ajay Banga tests positive for Covid-19 during routine testing in Delhi Ajay Banga tests Covid positive; meetings with PM Modi, others cancelled US pick for World Bank, Ajay Banga to meet PM Modi, Sitharaman in India Biden's World Bank pick, Banga poised to win job as sole expected nominee LGBTQ summit 'Pride 7' calls on Japan to enact anti-discrimination law Wall Street poised to join stocks advance, inflation ebbs in Europe USFDA issues Form-483 with 10 observations to Lupin's Pithampur plant Taliban terrorist attack in Pakistan kills 4 policemen, injures 6 UN adopts resolution seeking court clarity on climate change obligations If confirmed, Banga would become the first-ever Indian-American and Sikh-American to head either of the two top international financial institutions: the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Banga is expected to replace the current World Bank president David Malpass, who will step down in June, nearly a year before his term is scheduled to expire. Malpass faced strong criticism over the bank's commitment to climate action and over his personal views on climate change. Last week, reports emerged that China sounded doubtful about backing Banga, saying it is "open" to supporting "other potential candidates" based on merit. Banga, however, received overwhelming support from major countries across the world, including India. Following Banga's nomination, he has travelled to several countries for support. A coalition of 55 advocates, academics, executives, luminaries, and former government officials -- including four Nobel Laureates -- wrote an open letter to welcome and support Banga's nomination as the next President of the World Bank. Raised in India, Banga has a unique perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing developing countries and how the World Bank can deliver on its ambitious agenda to reduce poverty and expand prosperity, President Biden had said. He has also worked closely with Vice President Harris as the Co-Chair of the Partnership for Central America. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2016. Banga is expected to take over the reins of the anti-poverty lender at a crucial time, with the US and Western nations pitching for reforms to focus on addressing a slew of wide-ranging global issues like climate change. Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro will return to the country on Thursday after he left for the US following his defeat in the presidential election last year. Bolsonaro, who narrowly lost the October 2022 election to his left-wing rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, travelled to Florida in December after applying for a six-month US tourist visa, the BBC reported. The far-right politician's return is also for the first time since his supporters stormed the Supreme Court, Congress and presidential palace on January 8, which came weeks after weeks after protests claiming fraud in his defeat to Lula. Speaking at an airport in Florida before boarding a flight on Wednesday, he said he would not lead the opposition to Lula. After arriving in the terminal in Orlando, he spoke and took pictures with throngs of supporters. Bolsonaro, who is scheduled to land in Brasilia early Thursday, faces numerous legal challenges on his return, including an investigation into whether he incited rioters who stormed key government buildings a week after Lula's inauguration, reports the BBC. Also Read Bolsonaro denounces violence after supporters storm Brazil's govt buildings Brazil's Supreme Court agrees to include Bolsonaro in riots probe Brazilian authorities order arrest of top officials over capital riots Bolsonaro, Lula to face runoff vote in Brazil's presidential elections Brazil declares three days of mourning over football legend Pele's demise US Pres Biden won't veto Republican-led bill ending Covid emergency Putin may attend nuclear power plant inauguration in Turkey: Report US: TikTok ban pushed by Missouri's Josh Hawley blocked in Senate Netflix working to bring its video-game service to TVs for the first time Ukraine targets 50% of power from renewables to boost energy security He has voiced "regret" for the unrest but denies he caused it. However, Brazil's Supreme Court has agreed to include him in its investigation into the riot. --IANS ksk/ Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin may travel to Turkey on April 27 to attend the inauguration ceremony of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant. Erdogan told news channel ATV-A Haber in an interview that Putin may either travel to Mersin in person or attend the ceremony via teleconference, Xinhua news agency reported. The project, located in the southeastern Turkish province of Mersin, is Turkey's first nuclear plant. It is expected to produce 35 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually and will meet about 10 per cent of domestic electricity needs. It is the world's first nuclear power plant project implemented through a build-own-operate model. Under a contract, Russia's Rosatom firm has agreed to provide the power plant's design, construction, maintenance, operation and decommissioning. --IANS int/sha Also Read Turkish President Erdogan announces govt's plan to hold elections on May 14 Erdogan doesn't rule out meeting with Syrian counterpart Bashar al- Assad Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant to switch to Russian fuel amid outages Rising toll makes earthquake deadliest in Turkey's modern history US teams deploying quickly to support Turkish rescue efforts: Biden US: TikTok ban pushed by Missouri's Josh Hawley blocked in Senate Netflix working to bring its video-game service to TVs for the first time Ukraine targets 50% of power from renewables to boost energy security Indian pharma firm Granules opens packaging facility in US' Virginia Biden admin backs international court for Russia's war crimes in Ukraine China's "water tower" sees improving water conservation capacity Xinhua) 13:31, March 30, 2023 XINING, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Northwest China's Qinghai Province has seen an improving water conservation capacity thanks to continued efforts in ecological protection. Qinghai is home to the Sanjiangyuan area, known as China's "water tower," where the rivers of Yangtze, Yellow, and Lancang originate. From 2005 to 2021, the average annual volume of outbound water flow from Qinghai was 68.6 billion cubic meters, increasing from the average of 59.6 billion cubic meters between 1956 and 2000. Qinghai is an arid region with precipitation mainly concentrated in the summer. But water levels at various tributaries in the province tend to be evener throughout the year in recent years, according to Li Qijiang, director of the Qinghai hydrology and water resources monitoring center. "Such changes prove that the water infiltrating into the soil and aquifer in the basin is increasing, and so is the water conservation capacity in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The improvements demonstrate that a series of ecological protection endeavors China has made in the region are gradually taking effect," Li added. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Gershkovich is suspected of espionage in the interests of the American government, the security service known as the FSB said in a statement, Interfax reported. The American reporter collected information constituting a state secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex. Russias Federal Security Service said it detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Yekaterinburg on spying allegations, the Interfax news service reported Thursday. Taliban terrorists opened fire at a vehicle ferrying security forces in northwest Pakistan on Thursday, killing at least four policemen, including an officer, and wounding six others. The terrorists attacked the police mobile van in Lakki Marwat district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. The vehicle was on its way to the Saddar police station when it came under the attack, police said. Four policemen, including a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), were killed and six others were injured in the attack, they said, adding that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa police chief Akhtar Hayat Khan has ordered an inquiry into the incident. Lakki Marwat police spokesperson said the attack was launched in the early hours of Thursday, resulting in an exchange of fire between the police and the terrorists. During the gunfight, six policemen were injured, he said. A police statement said that the militants were equipped with advanced and heavy weaponry, the Dawn newspaper reported. Also Read Pakistan issues nationwide alert amid heightened risk of terror attacks 6 killed as roadside bomb goes off in North Afghanistan: Taliban official An upset Pakistan says Taliban's remarks 'against spirit of friendly ties' One killed as Taliban militants take hostages in northwest Pakistan Terror attacks in Pakistan jump by 51% after Taliban took over Afghanistan UN adopts resolution seeking court clarity on climate change obligations Taiwan's president, Tsai Ing-wen begins US visit to shore up support Chemical firm Aether Industries inks pact with Saudi Aramco Technologies Russia detains Wall Street Journal's Evan Gershkovich on spying charges India key source market for Singapore cruise industry, said Minister The police were on alert and the attackers had to flee when the police returned fire, it said. The terrorists fled while taking advantage of the darkness, it added. The outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed the attack in a statement, the report said. Condemning the incident, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the sacrifices of police officers in the war against terrorism were unforgettable and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured persons. "Police are performing magnificent duties against the terrorist as the first line of defence. Elimination of terrorism is a must for Pakistan's survival and development, Shehbaz said in a statement. The latest attack comes as terrorism-related incidents are surging in Pakistan. Over the past few months, the law and order situation in the country especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan has worsened with terrorist groups conducting attacks with near impunity across the country. Since the talks with the Taliban group broke down in November, the TTP has intensified its attacks, particularly targeting the police. In January, a powerful suicide blast in a mosque in Peshawar Police Lines killed 84 people and injured many others. According to statistics released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, an Islamabad-based think-tank, January 2023 remained one of the deadliest months since July 2018, as 134 people lost their lives a 139 per cent spike and 254 received injuries in at least 44 militant attacks across the country, the report said. By Bob Van Voris Big technology companies won a major court victory in Washington, where a judge dismissed a suit challenging the rights of highly skilled H-1B visa holders spouses to work in the US. The ability of H-1B holders spouses to also get jobs in the US has been a major attraction for highly skilled foreign workers, the tech companies have argued. US District Judge Tanya Chutkan on Tuesday issued a decision upholding the Obama-era rule under which the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has issued H-4 visas to the spouses of hundreds of thousands of H-1B workers in the US, 70% of whom hold science and engineering jobs in the tech sector. Amazon.com Inc., Apple Inc., Google, Microsoft Corp. were among the companies who urged the judge to let the rule stand. Plaintiffs primary contention is that Congress has never granted DHS authority to allow foreign nationals, like H-4 visa-holders, to work during their stay in the United States, the judge wrote. That contention runs headlong into the text of the (Immigration and Nationality Act), decades of executive-branch practice, and both explicit and implicit congressional ratification of that practice. In her ruling, Chutkan rejected arguments by Save Jobs USA, a group representing Southern California Edison computer professionals who said they had been replaced by H-1B visa-holders. Save Jobs had claimed Homeland Security wasnt legally permitted to put the rule in place and sought to eliminate work authorizations for more than 90,000 new H-4 visa holders. Also Read How are visa delays hurting both India and the US? EB-5 visa: What is it, who can apply and how it is different from H1-B visa New rule for UAE visa system comes into effect: Here's what changes Putting every ounce of its energy to eliminate visa wait in India: Official No e-visa facility for UK travellers likely to hit business: Goa tourism Biden's World Bank pick, Banga poised to win job as sole expected nominee G20 working group talks ways to make trade work for growth, prosperity Pause AI systems, they are a risk to society: Elon Musk, experts Roman Abramovich secretly bankrolled Vitesse, show leaked papers Bank rules under review in wake of SVB debacle: US Fed official Tech companies were among a group, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, that filed a brief in the case arguing that eliminating H-4 visas would not only siphon off U.S. gross domestic product, but gift that productivity and the innovation that comes with it to other nations. A lawyer for Save Jobs said the group would likely appeal. We now have complete chaos as the federal courts have seized control over the immigration system from Congress and handed that authority over to DHS, the lawyer, John Miano, said. Chutkan had previously dismissed the suit, ruling that Save Jobs lacked standing to challenge the H-4 rule. But a federal appeals court reversed that ruling in 2019 and revived the case. They said that 87% of families affected had made important life decisions, including whethewr to buy a house or whether to have a child, based on the ability of a skilled-workers spouse to be employed under H-4. The case is Save Jobs USA v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 15-cv-00615, U.S. District Court, District of Columbia (Washington). President Joe Biden won't veto a Republican-led measure to end the national COVID emergency, despite having expressed strong objections against it earlier this year, ensuring the bill is on an easy path to becoming law. It marks the second time in the new Congress that the Biden administration has signalled opposition to a Republican measure, rallying most Democrats in Congress to vote against it, only to soften its stance and let the legislation eventually become law. Just weeks ago, Biden stunned many fellow Democrats when he declined to veto a Republican-led bill to upend a new criminal code for the District of Columbia he and others in the president's party opposed, allowing the GOP's tough-on-crime push into the local government to become law. Republicans celebrated the turn of events Wednesday as a sign of their newfound influence in divided Washington, while Democrats quietly complained that the Biden administration had shifted its views. But the White House stood firm, and the Senate gave final approval, 68-23, sending the bill to Biden's desk. A White House official said that when the House Republicans were first preparing to vote on the bill at the start of the year, it would have lifted the national emergency declaration for the coronavirus pandemic in February. Also Read Biden tells Democrats he wants South Carolina as 1st voting state: Report Biden dials Erdogan, assures assistance amid Turkey earthquakes Would be serious mistake if Russia uses nuke against Ukraine: Biden Biden, Kishida meet: To announce steps to raise US-Japan ties to new level US President Biden urged to craft grand strategy to counter Chinese threat Putin may attend nuclear power plant inauguration in Turkey: Report US: TikTok ban pushed by Missouri's Josh Hawley blocked in Senate Netflix working to bring its video-game service to TVs for the first time Ukraine targets 50% of power from renewables to boost energy security Indian pharma firm Granules opens packaging facility in US' Virginia But now, it's much closer to the White House's own plan to wind down COVID national emergency status on May 11. The president still strongly opposes the legislation, said the official, who was granted anonymity to discuss the situation. But if this bill comes to Biden's desk, he will sign it, the official said. Ahead of voting, Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., one of the bill's main sponsors, said he hoped "that the rumours are true that the president will finally sign this legislation." The legislation is a simple one-line measure saying that national emergency declared on March 13, 2020, "is hereby terminated". It comes from one of the more conservative Republicans in the House, Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, and draws on Republican-led opposition to mask mandates, lockdowns and others precautions that were put in place to stem the spread of the virus during the pandemic. It was among the early bills the new House GOP put forward at the start of the year. At the time, the administration warned the proposal would cause chaos. More than 197 Democrats in the House voted against it. "An abrupt end to the emergency declarations would create wide-ranging chaos and uncertainty throughout the health care system for states, for hospitals and doctors' offices, and, most importantly, for tens of millions of Americans," the administration said in a formal statement of administrative policy. In the days leading up to the House vote, the Biden administration announced its own plan to wind down emergency status on May 11, three years after the virus outbreak. The administration's announcement meant the federal coronavirus response would be treated more as an endemic threat to public health that could be managed through agencies' normal authorities, rather than pandemic status. Just a few weeks ago Biden signed another Republican-led bill into law that would nullify the District of Columbia's revamp of its criminal code. The administration had previously said it opposed that bill. On Wednesday, Republicans on the House Oversight Committee voted to overturn a police reform package passed by the D.C. Council. Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley tried to force a Senate vote Wednesday on legislation that would ban TikTok from operating in the United States, but he was blocked by a fellow Republican as lawmakers in both chambers are still trying to figure out what action, if any, is appropriate against the social media app. In trying to force a vote a move that rarely works in the Senate, since one senator's objection can block it Hawley called TikTok digital fentanyl and argued it could give the Chinese government access to data from 150 million American users. His bill would block and prohibit U.S. transactions with TikTok's parent company, Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd., within 30 days. The bill sends the message to Communist China that you cannot buy us, Hawley said. Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky objected to Hawley's motion, arguing that trying to ban an app would violate the Constitution and anger the millions of voters who use it. Speech is protected whether you like it or not, Paul said. Hawley's effort to bring attention to the issue comes a week after a combative House hearing in which lawmakers from both parties grilled TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew over his company's ties to China's communist government, data security and harmful content on the app. Chew attempted to assure lawmakers that the hugely popular video-sharing app prioritises user safety and should not be banned due to its Chinese connections. Also Read No more TikTok on government devices within 30 days, says White House Indiana sues TikTok for misleading users, breaching information security YouTube rolls out TikTok rival 'Shorts' on TV globally: Details here US House bans TikTok on all House-managed devices over 'security risks' US inches closer to ban TikTok nationwide over data security concerns Netflix working to bring its video-game service to TVs for the first time Ukraine targets 50% of power from renewables to boost energy security Indian pharma firm Granules opens packaging facility in US' Virginia Biden admin backs international court for Russia's war crimes in Ukraine Twitter removes tweets on Trans Day of Vengeance, says protest not peaceful But the tense standoff gave new momentum to Hawley and other lawmakers who say it should be banned or limited. The Missouri senator said Congress should act decisively to ban TikTok directly. Other lawmakers have considered broader approaches, though there is no widespread consensus on any piece of legislation. There is broad Senate support for bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., and South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Senate Republican, that does not specifically call out TikTok but would give the Commerce Department power to review and potentially restrict foreign threats to technology platforms. The White House has backed that bill, but it is unclear if it will be brought up in the Senate or if it could gather much support among House Republicans. Another bill sponsored by Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida would, like Hawley's bill, ban U.S. economic transactions with TikTok, but would also create a new framework for the executive branch to block any foreign apps deemed hostile. His bill is cosponsored by Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., and Mike Gallagher, R-Wis. Those pushing new legislation point to agreement on a bill passed in December that banned TikTok from most government devices. But despite the bipartisan desires, the varying proposals underscore how difficult it could be to find agreement on an unprecedented effort to ban or scale back an app that is used by millions of Americans. Paul said trying to ban an app like TikTok is a slippery slope. He's had videos censored by YouTube, he said, but he still believes the company has a right to exist. I despise these people, but I'm not going to vote to ban them, he said. We don't ban things that are unpopular in the United States. By David Lawder, Kanishka Singh and Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday rejected the idea of a near-term capital increase for the World Bank and said she expected U.S. nominee Ajay Banga to win election as the bank's next leader, with no challengers emerging as the nomination period closed. Yellen told U.S. lawmakers that she wants World Bank reforms to vastly expand lending to fight climate change and other global crises, largely by stretching the bank's existing resources, adopting innovative financing policies and mobilizing private finance. A capital increase was among proposals the World Bank made in January. It would not be possible without the support of the United States, the World Bank's dominant shareholder. "We are not requesting a capital increase," Yellen said during a budget hearing of the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs. "We do want to see better mobilization of private resources alongside World Bank investments as well, but we're not requesting a capital increase at this time." The proposed capital increase was made when the World Bank unveiled an evolution road map to meet the challenge that Yellen laid out last year to expand its mission beyond country-specific development projects loans to tackle global crises. But a capital increase would require billions of dollars in U.S. contributions to maintain its shareholding in the bank, clashing with demands from House Republicans for spending cuts in exchange for raising the U.S. federal debt ceiling. Also Read Who is Ajay Banga, nominated by Joe Biden to be next World Bank president? Ajay Banga tests positive for Covid-19 during routine testing in Delhi US nominee for World Bank president gets positive reviews at G20 meeting US pick for World Bank, Ajay Banga to meet PM Modi, Sitharaman in India World Bank nominee Ajay Banga is a 'big believer' in climate science Indian delegation explores investment opportunities in S Africa, Botswana World 'turning the tide' toward democracy, says US President Biden Tech sector H-1B workers' spouses can continue to work in US, says judge Biden's World Bank pick, Banga poised to win job as sole expected nominee G20 working group talks ways to make trade work for growth, prosperity The World Bank's last capital increase, of $13 billion, was approved by member countries in 2018, but the lending capacity created has been strained by the COVID-19 pandemic and spillovers from Russia's war in Ukraine. "21ST CENTURY CHALLENGES" The World Bank evolution plan thus far has been drafted under its departing president, David Malpass, who was nominated by former President Donald Trump and announced his resignation in February after his initial failure to say he backed the scientific consensus on climate change. Malpass told Reuters in February that loan ratio reforms could unlock an additional $4 billion annual lending capacity -- or $40 billion over a decade -- a figure far below the hundreds of billions of dollars that a G20 report said was possible. Yellen has previously called for the World Bank to take "bolder and more imaginative" steps to unlock more lending for climate change. That plan is soon expected to pass to Banga, the former MasterCard CEO nominated by President Joe Biden. The World Bank on Wednesday closed a month-long window for nominations for its next president, with no alternatives to Banga announced. The bank's board is expected to announce next steps in its selection process on Thursday, with a view to confirming a new leader by early May. Yellen told lawmakers that she expects Banga to be elected World Bank president with a charge to evolve the institution to better address "21st century challenges," including climate, pandemics, conflict and fragility. Banga, 63, who was born and educated in India but is now a U.S. citizen, has already won the support of enough other governments to virtually assure his confirmation, including from Bangladesh, Britain, Colombia, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kenya, Saudi Arabia and South Korea. Yellen on Wednesday also said U.S. policy toward multilateral development banks' energy finance is flexible and that some low-income countries may qualify for financing for natural gas projects if renewable energy is not feasible. (Reporting by David Lawder in Washington; Writing by Kanishka Singh and Andrea Shalal; Editing by Gerry Doyle, Matthew Lewis and Leslie Adler) Following are the latest Corporate Social Responsibility news releases and story ideas available from Business Wire. These recaps, curated by Business Wire, provide reporters and bloggers around the globe instant access to the latest news releases, providing relevant and trending content to share with their audiences. Discover more news via Business Wires Hot Topic recaps or create a custom news feed specific to your needs here. This service is provided at no charge to members of the media and financial communities. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005114/en/ HOUSTON -- NextDecade to Establish Permanent Conservation at the Las Lomas Area Issuer: NextDecade Corporation HOUSTON -- NextDecade Clarifies Recent News Articles about its Financial Advisors Issuer: NextDecade Corporation DULUTH, Ga. -- AGCOs 2022 Sustainability Report Shows Solid Progress Issuer: AGCO YOKOHAMA, Japan -- Exclusively for Business Event Participants: Sustainable experiences available only in Yokohama Issuer: Yokohama Convention and Visitors Bureau MILWAUKEE -- Physicians Realty Trust Earns 2023 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award Issuer: Physicians Realty Trust DULUTH, Ga. -- Asbury Automotive Group Releases 2022 Corporate Responsibility Report Issuer: Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. BOSTON -- Simplifying for Clients Starts with Simplifying from Within How Mercury Created a 2-Page Employee Handbook Issuer: Mercury ATLANTA -- Family Dollar Enhances Youth Empowerment Resources to Support Teens Advocating for Positive Community Change Issuer: Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Family Dollar PARIS -- Responsible Mica Initiative Publishes 2022 Annual Report Detailing Progress in Empowering Communities and Eradicating Child Labor Issuer: Responsible Mica Initiative ZURICH -- RepRisk Launches ESG Risk Data on Snowflake Marketplace Issuer: RepRisk DENVER -- United in Purpose: CSG Launches Inaugural Impact Report Issuer: CSG DEERFIELD, Ill. -- CF Industries Publishes 2022 Sustainability and Annual Reports Issuer: CF Industries Holdings, Inc TORONTO -- STEER Announces Execution of Definitive Agreements and Conditional Approval of TSXV for an $18 Million Direct Investment Involving its Digital Restaurant Supply Business (B2B Marketplace) Issuer: STEER Technologies Inc. PARIS -- Teleperformance Reduces Carbon Emissions Per Employee by Nearly 50%; 4 Years Ahead of Schedule Issuer: Teleperformance PITTSBURGH -- U. S. Steel Introduces InduX Electrical Steel at Ceres Global Issuer: United States Steel Corporation EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- Berry Performs in Top 50 in World Benchmarking Alliances 2022 Nature Benchmark Issuer: Berry Global Group, Inc. PARIS -- European Company Works Council Statement on Teleperformances Decision to Continue Full-service Content Moderation Issuer: Teleperformance PARIS -- Teleperformance Announces Continuation of Full-service Content Moderation Issuer: Teleperformance FREDERICK, Md. -- FCPS and Battelle Announce $34,000 in STEM Mini-Grants Issuer: Battelle DULUTH, Ga. -- AGCO Agriculture Foundation Awards $50,000 Grant to Providence Farm Collective Issuer: AGCO DALLAS -- Mary Kay Inc. Receives Forest Stewardship Council Certification and Celebrates 1.3 Million Trees Planted With the Arbor Day Foundation Issuer: Mary Kay Inc. EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- 2022 Impact Report Highlights How Berry Global Drives Meaningful ESG Progress Issuer: Berry Global Group, Inc. CHICAGO & SEATTLE -- Baker Tilly Teams Up with Ever.green to Create First Marketplace for Clean Energy Tax Credits Issuer: Baker Tilly US, LLP PITTSBURGH -- U. S. Steel Launches Podcast: Steel Stories by U. S. Steel Issuer: United States Steel Corporation KENNESAW, Ga. -- Yamaha Motor Continues Commitment to Reduce Carbon Footprint with Investment in Andes, a CO2 Removal Biotechnology Startup Issuer: Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. BOSTON -- Impact Engagement Pioneer WeSpire is now a Certified B Corporation Issuer: WeSpire SINGAPORE -- New Global Prize For Sustainable Finance Literacy Launched As Sim Kee Boon Institute Named Knowledge Partner of the Money Awareness and Inclusion Awards Issuer: The Money Awareness and Inclusion Awards CRYSTAL LAKE, Ill. -- Aptar Surpasses Emissions Reduction Goals and Issues Updated Science-Based Targets in Line with 1.5C Climate Ambition Issuer: AptarGroup, Inc. ROCHESTER, Mich. -- Pangea Achieves Leather Working Group Gold for Sustainable Leather Operations Issuer: Pangea MILFORD, Mass. -- Waters Corporation Listed as No. 5 on Barron's 100 Most Sustainable Companies 2023 List Issuer: Waters Corporation MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- Intuit Announces Innovative, Multiyear Fund to Support Solar Power and Provide Educational Opportunities Issuer: Intuit Inc. LAKELAND, Fla. -- Publix Associates Help the Environment During Publix Serves Week Issuer: Publix ORLANDO, Fla. -- Hilton Grand Vacations Partners with American Red Cross to Kick Off Early Giving Day Campaign in Support of Disaster Relief Issuer: Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. TOKYO -- Innovation in Resistance Management: VECTRONTM T500, a New Vector Control Product, is Prequalified by the World Health Organization (WHO) Issuer: Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. PITTSBURGH -- United States Steel Corporation Named One of the Worlds Most Ethical Companies for 2023 Issuer: United States Steel Corporation TOKYO -- Kao Included in the Worlds Most Ethical Companies List for a Record 17th Consecutive Year Issuer: Kao Corporation MELVILLE, N.Y. -- Ethisphere Names Henry Schein as One of the 2023 World's Most Ethical Companies for the 12th Consecutive Year Issuer: Henry Schein, Inc. PHOENIX -- Ethisphere Announces the 2023 Worlds Most Ethical Companies Issuer: Ethisphere CINCINNATI -- Cintas LED Lighting Transition Nears Completion Issuer: Cintas Corporation NEW YORK -- Jason Rissman Joins NationSwell as Chief Experience Officer Issuer: NationSwell PARIS -- ERS Raises 5M to Develop High-Integrity Restoration Standard for Voluntary Carbon Markets Issuer: Ecosystem Restoration Standard CRYSTAL LAKE, Ill. -- Aptar Named One of Barrons 100 Most Sustainable Companies in the U.S. for the Fifth Consecutive Year Issuer: AptarGroup, Inc. CINCINNATI -- Cintas Honored With Multiple Workplace and Employment Practices Awards Issuer: Cintas Corporation LOS ANGELES -- Next Level Apparel and Oritain Partner to Provide Origin Verification for Worldwide Cotton Program Issuer: Next Level Apparel TORONTO -- STEER Provides Update on Previously-Announced $18 Million Direct Investment Involving Its Digital Restaurant Supply Business (B2B Marketplace) Issuer: STEER Technologies Inc. JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- Organon Launches Her Plan is Her Power, a New Global Initiative to Reduce Unplanned Pregnancies Where Need is Great and Disparities Exist Issuer: Organon & Co. LONDON -- Cedo Drives Green Agenda With New Group Sustainability Director Issuer: Cedo ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Welcome to the Future of Climate-Smart Farming: Introducing Agrologys Arbiter Carbon Monitoring System, the Only System to Continuously Monitor & Quantify Soil Carbon Flux Issuer: Agrology PITTSBURGH -- U. S. Steel and CarbonFree Ink MoU to Capture CO2 Emissions at One of the Largest Integrated Steel Mills in North America Issuer: United States Steel Corporation WHIPPANY, N.J. -- Bayer Fund Awards More than $13M to U.S. Nonprofit Organizations in 2022, Following Latest Round of Grants Totaling $5.2M Issuer: Bayer Fund NEW YORK -- Clarity AI Named to Fast Companys Annual List of the Worlds Most Innovative Companies for 2023 Issuer: Clarity AI NEW YORK -- BuildESG Adds ESG Data Convergence Initiative (EDCI) Reporting Feature to its ESG Insights Platform Issuer: BuildESG PHILADELPHIA -- Comcast Partners With The Hidden Genius Project to Help Black Male Youth Acquire Digital Skills and Enter the Tech Sector Issuer: Comcast Corporation DULUTH, Ga. & ZURICH -- AGCO Donates $650,000 to Support UNICEFs Emergency Efforts in Turkiye Issuer: AGCO NEW YORK -- American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation Launch Third Year of $1 Million Grant Program Backing Historic Small Restaurants Issuer: American Express Company PHOENIX -- University of Phoenix Directors of Student Diversity and Inclusion to be Featured Guest Speakers at Greater Phoenix Chamber DEI Employer Forum Issuer: University of Phoenix LONDON -- Zero100 Announces New Advisory Board Member Issuer: Zero100 About Business Wire Business Wire, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is the global leader in news release distribution and regulatory disclosure. 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View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005114/en/ LambdaTest, an intelligent omnichannel digital experience testing cloud platform, has announced the addition of advanced AI-powered test intelligence features to its Playwright testing cloud offering. With this latest development, LambdaTest will now enable enterprises with deeper insights into their test execution process and help them better streamline their quality assurance process. LambdaTest has been constantly working on enhancing its Playwright automation testing cloud and the test intelligence feature is the latest addition to the list. Over the last quarter, LambdaTest has added features like support for browser extension testing, IP-based Geolocation testing, and Playwright component testing. Customers can soon test on Android real devices using Playwright as well. Test intelligence is at the core of digital transformation in enterprises. Given Playwrights increasing usage across the business world, we are excited to provide our customers with a deeper and more intuitive view of their testing, enabling them to identify issues faster and optimize their testing processes, said Mayank Bhola, Co-Founder and Head of Product, LambdaTest. We are constantly working on upgrading our automation offerings to suit the growing testing needs of this digital age and very soon, customers using our Playwright automation cloud will be able to test on Android-based real devices. You can expect a lot more feature releases in the near future. Our aim is to ensure that we do the test execution heavy lifting with our enterprise testing platform so that our users can concentrate on other tasks. LambdaTest has also announced the launch of its digital experience testing cloud for enterprises. The offering will enable enterprises to accelerate their digital transformation by providing a best-in-class, 360-degree test execution and orchestration platform coupled with insightful test analytics and customizable deployment optionsPublic cloud, single tenant, or on-premise. Also, Satya Nadella, Chairman & CEO of Microsoft, who recently delivered the keynote address at the Microsoft Future Ready Technology Summit 2023, Bengaluru, said that LambdaTest is doing for test automation what Kubernetes did for container orchestration - creating that next level of efficiency around test automation so that people can actually focus on testing versus test orchestration. For more details, visit: https://www.lambdatest.com/playwright-testing About LambdaTest LambdaTest is an intelligent unified digital experience testing cloud that helps businesses drastically reduce time to market through faster test execution, ensuring quality releases and accelerated digital transformation. Over 10,000+ enterprise customers and 2+ million users across 130+ countries rely on LambdaTest for their testing needs. Continuous Testing Cloud LambdaTest's Continuous Testing Cloud allows enterprises to rapidly test and deploy changes to their web and mobile applications up to 70% faster, which helps to accelerate the development process and improve time-to-market. Cross-browser Testing Cloud Our cross-browser testing cloud allows users to test their websites and web applications on a wide variety of browsers, operating systems, and devices. With features such as real-time testing, responsive design testing, and debugging tools, it enables developers to ensure that their websites and web apps are compatible with different browsers, thereby providing a seamless user experience. Real Device Cloud With real device cloud, testers/developers can catch bugs early before their mobile apps go live. With LambdaTest's Real Devices Testing Cloud, teams can test unhandled errors, UI/UX, performance, and functionality of their apps before they get released into production. The teams can also test on the widest range of mobile and OTT devices (iOS, Android, iPad, Amazon Fire TV, Roku TV & Apple TV). AI-powered Visual Regression Cloud Ensuring consistent layouts, designs, and functionality of applications is crucial to deliver visually-perfect digital experiences. LambdaTest's visual regression cloud ensures that the visual appearance and functionality of an organizations web applications remain consistent and error-free, ultimately improving the digital experience and business performance. Teams can get early insights on visual UI bugs before they release their applications to the customer. Testers/developers can run automated visual regression tests on 3000+ combinations of browsers & real devices to identify visual deviations. AI-powered Integrated Test Intelligence Test execution insights are critical for digital transformation as they provide enterprises with deeper insight into the quality of releases and trends. By analyzing the test execution data, LambdaTest's integrated test intelligence provides enterprises with insights into patterns and trends that can lead to informed decisions about future development and improve application quality. This can empower development teams with detailed and actionable test execution data and close the gap between data, insight, and action for better and faster decision-making. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230329005529/en/ In response to rumours in the market, SES S.A. confirms that the company has engaged in discussions regarding a possible combination with Intelsat. At this stage, there can be no certainty that a transaction would materialise. The Board of SES remains fully committed to acting in the best interest of SES and its shareholders. Follow us on: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn | Instagram Read our Blogs > Visit the Media Gallery > About SES SES has a bold vision to deliver amazing experiences everywhere on earth by distributing the highest quality video content and providing seamless connectivity around the world. As the leader in global content connectivity solutions, SES operates the worlds only multi-orbit constellation of satellites with the unique combination of global coverage and high performance, including the commercially-proven, low-latency Medium Earth Orbit O3b system. By leveraging a vast and intelligent, cloud-enabled network, SES is able to deliver high-quality connectivity solutions anywhere on land, at sea or in the air, and is a trusted partner to the worlds leading telecommunications companies, mobile network operators, governments, connectivity and cloud service providers, broadcasters, video platform operators and content owners. SESs video network carries ~8,000 channels and has an unparalleled reach of 369 million households, delivering managed media services for both linear and non-linear content. The company is listed on Paris and Luxembourg stock exchanges (Ticker: SESG). Further information is available at: www.ses.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230329005644/en/ Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has announced funding support of 300,000 by Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google, to fund nonprofits supporting local employment opportunities through the Local Employment Task Force. Launched in 2021 with support from Google, the Employment Task Force aims to find sustainable employment solutions for long-term unemployed people from the south inner city and provide training and development opportunities. Googles Education Taskforce The minister attended an event to present certificates to the first 10 parents of children with special needs who completed the Special Needs Assistants (SNA) qualification with support from Google. This programme was established by Googles Education Taskforce, a group consisting of the seven local schools in the area, who identified the need for SNA support. At the same time, the local Neurodiversity network in the community made up of over 60 families from Irishtown, Ringsend and Pearse Street (NIRP) approached Google seeking training support in the field of SNA and digital support. Docklands Community Google supported 10 scholarships for the NIRP group. Ten parents successfully achieved level 5 and 6 qualifications in the field of SNA. They carried out their work experience in the local schools supported by the Education Task Force. Following the initial success of the programme, Google has now announced its intention to fund a further 10 scholarships in the Docklands community. 'Access To Training' "Today is about recognising the importance of having access to training in your community," said David Sneddon, VP, Google Ireland. "I would like to specifically congratulate those who graduated. All those who received a certificate today are mothers of children with additional needs who are passionate about their wider community." Source: www.businessworld.ie There are now 950 American companies in Ireland that employ 376,000 people, according to a new report by the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland. The AmCham 2023 US Ireland Business Report shows that this is comprised of 209,000 direct jobs and 167,000 indirect jobs which generates more than 31 billion in the Irish economy annually. This report was launched this week at its 2023 Global Business Conference in Croke Park. The event was sponsored by Bank of America, with the Irish Times as the official media partner and the US Chamber of Commerce as the US partner. Those in attendance included Minister for Enterprise Trade & Employment, Simon Coveney, US Ambassador to Ireland, Claire D. Cronin and Irelands Ambassador to the US, Geraldine Byrne Nason. 9th largest FDI investor in US Ireland is the 9th largest FDI investor in the US with 650 companies employing over 100,000 people across all 50 States. The report showed 64% of respondents said they expect the number of employees in their Irish operations to increase over the next 12 months, while 31% expect to maintain current numbers and just 5% expect to see a decrease in employee numbers. Meanwhile, 78% of respondents said the number of employees in the Irish operations had increased over the last 12 months. Skills Challenge AmCham members identified housing as the most important challenge for Ireland to overcome in order for their company to expand in Ireland. Skills shortage was identified as the second greatest challenge while maintaining R&D tax incentives was the third greatest challenge. 'Opportunity that flows' "AmCham has always been clear that the future of inward investment will be as much about where people want to live as where companies want to locate," said Mark Redmond, CEO, American Chamber. "Growing numbers of people want to live in Ireland, some to have a great career and quality of life, others to find respite from war and inequality. "Our members recognise the opportunity that flows from diversity of thought and talent, their teams are truly global, that is why they are so brilliant at serving global markets from Ireland. Source: www.businessworld.ie SSC Exam Calendar 2023: The Staff Selection Commission on Wednesday evening released the exam schedule for the various recruitment examination. Candidates are required to visit to the official website to check the SSC exam result at ssc.nic.in. "The commission on Wednesday evening has decided released the evening for the various recruitment exam in May June and July according to the schedule, 'stated the official website According to the schedule multi-tasking examination 2022, will be held on May 2 to 19, 2023 from 13 to June 20, 2023. This recruitment drive will fill up around 10,880 vacant seats under the MTS recruitment. Whereas 529 vacant seats will be filled up for Havaldar in CBIC and CBN recruitment. Sub Inspector in Delhi Police and Central Armed Force Examination 2022 tier 2 will be conducted on May 2, 2023. According to the result, over 15,470 students have qualified for the PT exam and now will appear for the SSC CPO paper 2 examination. SSC Exam Calender 2023: Schedule Candidates can check the schedule given below: Multi Tasking (NT Staff) Examination, 2022 - May 2 to 19 and June 13 to 20, 2023 Sub-Inspector in Delhi Armed Police Force Examination, 2022. Combined higher secondary level examination tier 2 June 26, 2023. Selection Post Examination - Phase X1 2023 selection Posts/Ladakh/ 2023 - July 14 to 27, 2023 Combined graduate level examination, 2023 (Tier 1) - July 14 to 27, 2023. SSC Exam Calendar; Know How to Check Candidates are required to follow the steps given below to download the SSC Exam Calender. Accounting acceptable to be utilized in legal proceedings is referred to as forensic accounting. Unlike accountants, forensic accountants must be competent in gathering financial crime information, interrogating third-party sources, and participating as an independent experts. Forensic accounting has drawn people from a variety of backgrounds, including administration, legislation, psychology, communications, and technology. Every one of these specialists operates as a group and adds unique expertise to the work. Accountants of this type can work with government organizations, examining perpetrators' financial histories, generating financial profiles of suspects, gathering evidence, tracing funding sources, and communicating with attorneys. Professionals can also work for accounting businesses to investigate fraud, conduct forensic analysis, and calculate monetary damages. Forensic Accountants have the following Responsibilities Do forensic research to locate monies and properties for restoration. Perform a forensic study of accounting transactions. Financial findings are used to create forensic accounting reports. Compile statistical information for the lawsuit and give witness testimony as needed. Career Prospects in Forensic Accounting Here are some Job Options in Forensic Accounting Governmental Organisations Forensic accounting services are in high demand among regional law enforcement and government organizations such as the FBI, CIA, and IRS. You would examine illegal acts, terrorism, and other dangers at these entities. Firms that provide Accounting Services You can be in charge of questioning personnel and reviewing financial records at an accounting business to guarantee that neither law is breached. If deception is uncovered, forensic accountants are responsible for gathering information, doing forensic investigations, evaluating income statements, calculating monetary damages, and giving evidence at trial. Law Firms Forensic accountants' knowledge is occasionally sought by lawyers and law firms in connection with a criminal or civil action. Financial investigators might operate on either the criminal or the civil side of a legal matter. Typical responsibilities include calculating money damages, evaluating the worth of contested properties, and locating proof of financial malfeasance. Risk Consultants Consultants in risk management advise firms on potential dangers to their business. Big corporations hire these advisors to develop plans to protect their economic interests and minimise their loss probability. Financial Fraud Investigator The financial market has always been concerned about financial frauds or scams that harm a certain firm as well as various investment companies or retirement benefits funds. As a result, there is an urgent need for securities fraud investigators to uncover the deception or fraud and put a spotlight on how a fraudster employs it. As a result, financial fraud detectives are needed by major financial institutions, security market participants, and criminal intelligence authorities. Forensic Lawyers Forensic lawyers practice forensic law, which emphasizes how funds laws are violated as well as ways to punish those who break them. Financial planning and analysis offenses range from minor infractions that result in punishment to criminal violations that result in lengthy prison sentences. Financial Risk Manager As a financial risk manager, you are in charge of reducing the investment risk that a company faces. The types of hazards you are looking for as a financial risk manager range from foreign exchange risks and strategic risks to market risks as well as credit risks. Seven-seaters are all about practicality. For the Filipino family, it has to be safe, reliable, but most of all, offers comfort and joy with... Photo: Glacier Media A B.C. Supreme Court judge has sentenced a Vancouver man to 21 months in jail for a sexual assault on a woman he shared a house with. Justice Jasvinder Basran said in a newly released March 14 decision that a jury convicted Alifaisal Azim of the April 13, 2019, offence on Sept. 22, 2022. And, that could cost him his residency in Canada as he is here on a work permit after being a refugee in Ireland. The judge found that in the late hours of April 12, 2019, and into the early morning, A.B. consumed a great deal of alcohol and became intoxicated. With help from friends, she returned to her residence where Azim, now 30, and two others lived. After communicating with Mr. Azim for several minutes while she was in the bathroom, she went to her bedroom. Mr. Azim followed her into her bedroom and they had unprotected sexual intercourse, Basran said. The judge found A.B. did not consent to the sexual activity, that she lacked the capacity to do so because of her advanced state of intoxication. However, the judge said, I am not satisfied that Mr. Azim commenced the sexual activity with A.B. when she was unconscious or that she became unconscious at any time during the sexual activity or, if she did, that Mr. Azim was aware of this. Nonetheless, Azim was charged. A.B., in a victim impact statement, said her emotional lifestyle was altered by the event, forcing her to question her trust in others and herself. It also created emotional distance between her and her family in Ireland, Basran said. Furthermore, A.B. observed that her home was no longer a safe place and, instead, she felt scared and vulnerable in this location. Further, she experienced some soreness and bruising and felt compelled to take a morning?after pill, which she had never previously taken and would not wish to take in any other circumstance, state court documents. A.B. also had to take time off work, and eventually resigned as a pub manager because she needed less interaction with people. She sees a counsellor and expects that this will continue over the long-term. She took a significant pay cut and changed jobs three times in the following two years, and this hurt her financially, the judge said. A.B. did not seek a restitution order. Regrettably, the sexual assault (A.B.) endured has left her with painful memories and emotions that she has been trying to work through for almost four years after the offence took place, the judge said. Basran said Azim expressed genuine deep shame, remorse and embarrassment for his actions. When Azim was 18 months old, his parents and younger sister fled Afghanistan and obtained refugee status in Ireland. He grew up in a Dublin suburb and obtained a degree in computer science and software engineering. In the fall of 2018, Azim obtained a two-year permit to work in Canada and he relocated to Vancouver. As a consequence of his criminal conviction in this matter, Mr. Azim is inadmissible to Canada and he will likely be deported back to Ireland after serving his sentence, Basran said. This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact The Chanute Tribune office at 620-431-4100 if you have any questions The Chattanooga Division of Transportation announces the following construction related road closures:Emergency ClosuresE. Martin Luther King at Georgia AvenueThe entire intersection of E. Martin Luther King Boulevard and Georgia Avenue is closed due to emergency EPB repairs from a previous fire. The intersection will remain closed until 11 p.m. Wednesday. Thursday morning at 9 a.m., both roads will close until 11 p.m. on Thursday evening to complete the required work.Detours will be posted.Please plan for additional travel time.1700 East 19th StreetThe 1700 block of East 19th Street is closed due to emergency road repairs. Detours are posted.1225 Cowart StreetThe 1200 block of Cowart Street is closed due to emergency water main repairs effective immediately and will last through April 9. Detours are posted.Construction Updates2300 Tunnel BoulevardThe 2300 block of Tunnel Blvd is now reopened.View CDOT's map of events and road closures for full details of these activities and other projects underway in our public space. Ernest Milton Dupree, Sr., 102, went to be with the Lord on Tuesday, March 28, 2023. Ernest was of the Christian faith and a follower of Jesus Christ. He read his Bible and prayed daily. Rev. Billy Graham was his pastor. He never missed reading and saving Billy Grahams daily writings in the newspaper. Ernest was born in Birmingham, Al., on Dec. 30, 1920, to the late Henry W. Dupree and Ethel Galloway. Ernest grew up in Lynn, Al. He was raised on the family farm plowing fields with horse and mule, picking cotton and raising crops. In 1940 he joined the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corp) and traveled throughout the U.S. maintaining National Parks and Forests. On June 25, 1942, he married Pernie Jane Riddle in Haleyville, Al., and moved to Rossville. On Aug. 24, 1942, he entered the Army of the United States and served in the Military Police Detachment in Fort Oglethorpe. He received an honorable discharge in 1946. While in the Army he received the World War II Victory Medal, an American Service Medal and a Good Conduct Medal. He later served in the U.S. Army Reserve as a Corporal. After leaving the military he attended Kirkman Technical High and studied Accounting. After completing his accounting studies he worked as general manager at Tri State Cigar Co. located on Carter Street in Chattanooga. He later started his own business Cigarette Vending Co. From there he retired. Ernest spent his retirement years enjoying many hobbies, spending time with grandchildren, fishing, helping family, mowing grass and chain sawing firewood. He was also a professional beekeeper. Ernest spent the last 10 years living with his son, Rodney (Becky) Dupree in Chickamauga. Ernest passed peacefully and is with his Lord in Heaven. A special thank you to Becky Dupree for her loving care and support she provided during his 10-year stay in Chickamauga. He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Pernie Jane Dupree and son, Ernest M. Dupree, Jr. Survivors include his son, Rodney (Becky) Dupree; daughter, Veta Hall; sister, Avalena Kelly; along with numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The family would like to thank the staff at Thrive at Brow Wood for all their love and care for Ernest during his time there. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Monday in the funeral home chapel with Dr. Keith McLeod officiating. Interment will follow at Chattanooga National Cemetery. Visit www.heritagebattlefield.com to share condolences and view memorial tribute. The family will receive friends 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Monday at Heritage Funeral Home & Crematory, Battlefield Parkway. A suspicious vehicle was behind the Target at 5579 Hwy. 153. Police spoke with a couple who were parked on the back side of Target, who were asleep in the rear of the vehicle. They told police they were traveling through Tennessee and came to Chattanooga for the day. This is a young couple and chose to sleep in their car. The couple said they chose the back of the building to be out of sight and out of mind. * * * An anonymous caller told police a white male was behind a residence on Fagan Street throwing items around. Police spoke with the man, who was asleep in his truck that was parked in the back yard of the residence. He said he was staying there with the owner's permission because he had been doing some work for him, and had been asleep for about three hours. The man had a valid ID and negative warrants. Police left the man to his own devices. * * * An employee at the medical offices at 1726 Gunbarrel Road told police a homeless black male was at the business sleeping in front of the front entrance door. The employee requested the man be criminally trespassed and said he is not welcome back. Police spoke with the man, who identified himself, and told him that he is no longer allowed back on the property. While awaiting the man's departure, police spoke with three other employees inside the front entrance, who all said the man makes them uncomfortable. The man left the area. * * * A man at the Park Village Apartments, 701 N. Germantown Road, told police he wanted to report suspicious activity from a neighbor's apartment. Police found the man was incoherent and appeared to be experiencing some sort of paranoia in regards to his downstairs neighbor. He reported "BJ" was calling him a snitch and mentioned cameras being in his apartment. Earlier in the morning, police had been dispatched to the neighbor's apartment by the same man after he reported a woman's scream was heard from the apartment. This was found to be inaccurate, as the sole occupant at that time in the apartment was a man, who appeared to have been awakened by police. Police noted the man may continue to report "suspicious" activity with his neighbor. * * * The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office recovered a firearm. The gun was reported stolen out of Chattanooga. Police will be attempting to find the owner of the handgun. The firearm was a Ruger LCP 380. * * * A purse was found at One Northshore Apartments, 200 Manufacturers Road. An employee told police that a resident had found a ladies clutch purse on the sidewalk and had left it with the office, believing it belonged to another resident. The employee said that they had no residents in the complex by the name of the woman whose belongings were found in the purse, and she needed to turn it over to police to get it returned to the woman. When checking the small purse, it did contain the Tennessee drivers license for a woman. The purse had no cash, but did contain the womans SSN card and bank cards. The purse was taken to the Chattanooga Police Property Room to be held for safe keeping until the woman could be located. * * * A woman told police that while she was at work at Parkridge Hospital, her Chevy Equinox (TN tag) was damaged on the driver's side rear quarter. It is unknown how the damage occurred or by whom. * * * A woman on E. 13th Street told police someone had entered her vehicle sometime overnight. She last saw the vehicle there the previous night around 11 p.m., and it had been left unlocked. She said her Social Security card and three gift cards, worth about $100, were stolen from inside. * * * Police observed a broken down vehicle in the roadway in the 4500 block of Hixson Pike. The vehicle bore an unregistered VIN#. As the vehicle was parked in the road in the turn lane, clearly obstructing traffic, police called for a tow. R&D wrecker responded to the scene and towed the vehicle. * * * A woman on Stone Ridge Drive told police she and another woman had been in an argument via text. Police observed a Facebook Messenger thread of the two women arguing back and forth about the woman's recently deceased ex-husband. Police told the woman to block the other woman on all avenues of communication to prevent further contact. Here is the latest Hamilton County arrest report: ALLISON, WALTER JR 438 N HICKORY ST CHATTANOOGA, 37404 Age at Arrest: 51 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff FALSE REPORTS BAKER, EVAN M 149 ACORN OAKS CIR APT 225 CHATTANOOGA, 37412 Age at Arrest: 23 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE BELL, IWALKER 1510 VANCE AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37403 Age at Arrest: 62 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) BRANHAM, LUCAS STUART 2350 SUNSET STRIP HIXSON, 37343 Age at Arrest: 36 years old Arresting Agency: Red Bank Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) CARPENTER, STEVEN JASON 4424 PAULA LN RED BANK, 37415 Age at Arrest: 41 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff AGGRAVATED CRIMINAL TRESPASS CHAPMAN, SPENCER ALEXANDER HOMELESS CHATTANOOGA, 37404 Age at Arrest: 25 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) COLVIN, QUANTEARRA LASHAE 4917 JEFFERY LN CHATTANOOGA, 374102138 Age at Arrest: 25 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD AGGRAVATED ASSAULT VANDALISM/MALICIOUS MISCHIEF CRUTCHER, KARI MARSHAY 3302 PROVENCE STREET CHATTANOOGA, 37411 Age at Arrest: 33 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) DAY, JAMES RANDY 311 AIKEN RD CHATTANOOGA, 37421 Age at Arrest: 72 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff DOMESTIC ASSAULT DRAKE, ERIK LAJUAN 208 LAWS AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37411 Age at Arrest: 29 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD AGGRAVATED ASSAULT DUCKETT, BRIAN RICHARD 10339 WALDEN ST APT 3 SODDY DAISY, 37379 Age at Arrest: 40 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) DYE, ZACHARY HUNTER 156 STEELE RD ROSSVILLE, 30741 Age at Arrest: 24 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) GIFFORD, CHRISTY LYNN 3404 6TH AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37407 Age at Arrest: 40 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD DOMESTIC ASSAULT GILL, CAITLIN ANNE 1001 LEE AVE ROSSVILLE, 30741 Age at Arrest: 31 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff AGGRAVATED BURGLARY (OCCUPIED HABITATION) THEFT OVER $1,000 GLOVER, EUGENE AIREESE 2120 BLACKFORD ST CHATTANOOGA, 374042219 Age at Arrest: 35 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff FIRST DEGREE MURDER GOODE, CHRISTOPHER DEWAYNE 3021 DEE DRIVE CHATTANOOGA, 37402 Age at Arrest: 28 years old Arresting Agency: Tenn Hwy Patrol POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES IN SCHEDULE I DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE LIGHT LAW VIOLATION HAMILTON, CHERYSE DYVON 1330 GROVE STREET COURT CHATTANOOGA, 37402 Age at Arrest: 49 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff CONTEMPT OF COURT HEARD, AMBER LEANN 181 HOPE COURT DAYTON, 37324 Age at Arrest: 23 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff ACCESSORY AFTER THE FACT HOLLAND, JAMIE LEE 9151 DALLAS HOLLOW ROAD SODDY DAISY, 37379 Age at Arrest: 39 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff VIOLATION OF ORDER OF PROTECTION OR RESTRAINING OR JAMES, KING ALLAH 2706 N CHAMBERLAIN AVE CHATTANOOGA, 374062505 Age at Arrest: 32 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD EVADING ARREST POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA REGISTRATION, DRIVING UNREGISTERED VEHICLE STOP SIGN VIOLATION FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY JEFFERSON, TYRELL DEON 2014 ANDERSON AVE Chattanooga, 374044411 Age at Arrest: 25 years old Arresting Agency: Chatt St Police RESISTING ARREST OR OBSTRUCTION OF LEGAL PROCESS EVADING ARREST POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE KEYES, SELENA M 8600 BERKLEY LANE LAKESITE, 37343 Age at Arrest: 20 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA MINOR IN POSSESSION OF ALCOHOL POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE MARBURY, TERRENCIA ANTONIA 3585 DODSON AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37406 Age at Arrest: 35 years old Arresting Agency: East Ridge HARASSMENT MAYHUE, JAYDA ONTEAYA 915 S SEMIONOLE APT 12 CHATTANOOGA, 37406 Age at Arrest: 27 years old Arresting Agency: FORFEITURE CAPIAS (DRIVING ON REVOKED ,SUSPENDED , MCCLENDON, AMANY ALESE 1640 KEEBLE ST EAST RIDGE, 37412 Age at Arrest: 24 years old Arresting Agency: East Ridge DRIVING ON REVOKED SUSPENDED OR CANCELED LICENSE RESISTING ARREST OR OSTRUCTION OF LEGAL PROCESS MCCLENDON, JOSEPH LAMAR 6414 EDGMON DR CHATTANOOGA, 374212306 Age at Arrest: 53 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD RETALIATION AGAINST JUDGE, JUROR, OFFICER SPEEDING DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE MCWHORTER, DEMARCUS J 30 WOODLAWN DR CHATTANOOGA, 374113535 Age at Arrest: 18 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD POSSESSING A FIREARM WITH INTENT TO GO ARMED POSS OF FIREARM DURING A FELONY DRUGS GENERAL CATEGORY FOR RESALE DRUGS GENERAL CATEGORY FOR RESALE POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA TAMPERING WITH OR FABRICATING EVIDENCE MILLER-SEALE, MICHAEL HUNTER 170 BELLEVIEW DR SE CLEVELAND, 373237572 Age at Arrest: 26 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT RECKLESS DRIVING MITCHELL, PAUL MICHAEL 307 LINER LANE CHATTANOOGA, 37415 Age at Arrest: 34 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff REGISTRATION, EXPIRED DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY NICHOLS, TERRY D 1405 CAROSELL RD CHATTANOOGA, 37411 Age at Arrest: 25 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) OVERTON, DESHATANE C 1257 CYPRESS ST CHATTANOOGA, 37402 Age at Arrest: 19 years old Arresting Agency: Soddy Daisy BURGLARY PATTERSON, DARIUS JAMAL 207 TACOA AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37411 Age at Arrest: 31 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD STALKING PATTON, KRISTIE ALLEN HOMELESS SODDY DAISY, 37379 Age at Arrest: 26 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff FAILURE TO APPEAR PHILLIPS, JERAMIE BETH 3823 OWEDA TERRACE RED BANK, 374154022 Age at Arrest: 36 years old Arresting Agency: Red Bank POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA PUBLIC INTOXICATION POOLE, CURTIS KEITH 1919 GENES LN RINGGOLD, 30736 Age at Arrest: 58 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE POTTER, RICHARD JERRY 3041 NEW HARMONY WAY PIKEVILLE, 37367 Age at Arrest: 56 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE PRESLEY, CHARLES RAY 8543 STACK ROCK LANE OOLTEWAH, 37363 Age at Arrest: 47 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE ROBINSON, JAZMINE 829 WOODMORE CIR CHATTANOOGA, 37411 Age at Arrest: 25 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff AGGRAVATED ASSAULT VANDALISM/MALICIOUS MISCHIEF FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE DRIVING LEFT OF CENTER LINE LEAVING SCENE OF ACCIDENT W/DAMAGE TO VEHICLE AGGRAVATED ASSAULT SIMS, KEOSHIA JANAY 1209 GROVE ST APT B CHATTANOOGA, 37402 Age at Arrest: 33 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff AGGRAVATED ASSAULT SMITH, ANDREW FELTON 8637 TRADE WIND CIRCLE OOLTEWAH, 37363 Age at Arrest: 33 years old Arresting Agency: Collegedale Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) SMITH, JUSTIN MICHAEL 911 KENNY WAY HIXSON, 37343 Age at Arrest: 26 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff FUGITIVE (CATOOSA CO GEORGIA) STITCHER, JORDAN 7600 MEADOW STREAM LOOP CHATTANOOGA, 37421 Age at Arrest: 30 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD AGGRAVATED ASSAULT WHITT, ANGELA C 8736 TRADEWIN OLETWEAH, 37363 Age at Arrest: 44 years old Arresting Agency: Collegedale Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) WILLIAMS, RICHARD GRANT 1118 WEST MIDVILLE REDBANK, 374051342 Age at Arrest: 32 years old Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) WITCHER, DEVYNE DEJUAN 7663 NORTH BISHOP DRIVE CHATTANOOGA, 37416 Age at Arrest: 23 years old Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s) Here are the mug shots: Bill Hullander visiting with Vietnam veterans photo by Earl Freudenberg Vietnam veterans gather on their special day photo by Earl Freudenberg Bill Hullander thanks Charlie Hobbs for Chapter 203s service photo by Earl Freudenberg Korean War veteran Jim Sadler is honored photo by Earl Freudenberg Former Chattanooga POW John Sparks with Charlie Hobbs photo by Earl Freudenberg Former Chattanooga POW John Sparks with Charlie Hobbs photo by Earl Freudenberg Chattanooga Police surprise Vietnam veterans photo by Earl Freudenberg County Commissioner Jeff Eversole, Charlie Hobbs and retired Judge Russell Bean photo by Earl Freudenberg Previous Next We owe so much to our veterans of all wars and Im so glad Vietnam Veterans are being honored on their very special day. Those were the words of Hamilton County Trustee Bill Hullander as he enjoyed a large hamburger with Vietnam veterans at a special picnic on National Vietnam War Veterans Day. Mr. Hullander urged totally disabled veterans to take advantage of Tennessee laws that give them substantial property tax breaks. He said, All veterans have to do is call my office and well give them details. With clear skies and a brisk wind blowing, members of VVA chapter 203 grilled hamburgers and hot dogs Wednesday for Vietnam vets and their guests on the Wal-Mart Highway 153 parking lot. Mr. Hullander was among the invited guests who personally thanked each vets for their service. Hullander also visited with 92-year-old Jim Sadler who was honored for his Naval service during the Korean War. Chapter President Charlie Hobbs recognized John Sparks, who was a prisoner of war for five years in Vietnam after being shot down by the North Vietnamese. Retired City Court Judge Russell Bean and Hamilton County Commissioner Jeff Eversole thanked the Vietnam vets for serving saying many suffered permanent body injuries for freedom. Both the Chattanooga City Council and Hamilton County Commission issued proclamations this week recognizing March 29th as a day set aside to honor the Vietnam Veterans. Chapter 203s honor guard was given special recognition for their service to the community. Chapter 203 members and guests were surprised when about 15 Chattanooga Police Officers showed up to say thanks to the vets. President Hobbs invited the group to enjoy the burgers with an opportunity to thank each officer for their service to the city of Chattanooga. Vietnam Veterans chapter 203, the second largest in the United States, meets the third Monday in the month in the MAC building at the corner of McCallie and Holtzclaw Avenues. For membership and other information call 991-5858. President Donald Trump signed legislation on March 29, 2017, calling for U.S. flags to be flown to honor everyone who served during this time whether they were in Vietnam or not. Southern Adventist Universitys honors program, Southern Scholars, announces historian Eric Anderson, PhD, as presenter for the first Benjamin McArthur Endowed Lecture. All are invited to the free talk on Thursday, April 13 at 7 p.m. in Ackerman Auditorium on the second floor of Mabel Wood Hall as Dr. Anderson explores how society approaches an imperfect past and flawed heroes.This new lecture series honors the late Southern professor Benjamin McArthur, PhD, who taught in the History and Political Studies Department for 35 years.These annual lectures will address topics that Dr. McArthur cared deeply about: the life of the mind, service to community and spiritual commitment. Dr. Andersons lecture also will serve as the keynote address for the Association of Seventh-day Adventist Historians, who are meeting on the university campus.Dr. Anderson, a personal friend of the Dr. McArthur family, holds a doctorate in history from the University of Chicago. In addition to 30 years of teaching and administration in higher education, Dr. Anderson has been a Fulbright lecturer in Greece and a program officer at the National Endowment for the Humanities. A specialist in United States history, his research focus includes an interest in African American history and the South. For more information, visit southern.edu/mcarthurlecture. Urban League of Greater Chattanooga has expanded its team with three promotions and three new staff, including Greg Funderburg, a well-known community advocate and local journalist.Since taking the helm of ULGC in 2021, President and CEO Candy Johnson prioritized reframing the organization. Her vision is to "distinguish ULGC as a minority-serving landmark institution in the heart of downtown along the M.L. King corridor, and ultimately as a driver of equitable and inclusive community-based economic growth."Ms.Johnson established ULGCs first physical headquarters last year and restructured services and programs under three empowerment centers: Center for Economic and Black Business Success; Center for Education and Family Empowerment; and Center for Equity and Inclusive Leadership.Next, Ms. Johnson said she focused on sourcing the "best and brightest talent to move the mission forward."After my first two years of working with the board and team to reframe our next five years, I knew finding the right talent and helping them become better leaders for the future of our community would be a heavy lift in light of talent shortages and being a nonprofit, said Ms. Johnson. Now, with the support of more investors over the past two years who believe in what we are trying to accomplish, we have been able to set a new culture of excellence, source new talent, make promotions and work toward stabilizing operations.Mr. Funderburg will serve as director of marketing and stakeholder relations, a role ULGC has not had in more than 10 years. Hes a committed ULGC volunteer and a recipient of the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Award. During his almost decade long tenure as a morning and noon anchor for WTVC NewsChannel 9, Mr. Funderburg was named Best of the Best TV Personality and Best TV Personality in Chattanooga Business Elites Black Excellence Awards. He holds a bachelor's degree in mass communications from the University of Montevallo.During the past two months, two other team members joined ULGC, and three moved into new roles:Lya Kimbrough, a Chattanooga native, is the new senior director of operations and client engagement for the Center for Economic and Black Business Success, which supports minority-owned businesses by accelerating growth and expanding access to networks and knowledge. "Ms. Kimbroughs wealth of experience in small businesses has prepared her to lead several ULGC entrepreneurship programs, including the Next Level Business Accelerator and BIPOC Restaurant Accelerator," officials said. "She will also implement several new initiatives." Previously, Ms. Kimbrough worked for The Company Lab (CO.LAB) and The Enterprise Center, where she assisted local small businesses. She holds a bachelor of business administration with a concentration in marketing from MTSU and is completing an MBA.Anthony M. Wiley, Jr. is the new senior manager of workforce and family empowerment for the Center for Education and Family Empowerment, which provides integrated services to address family prosperity and to foster educational attainment, personal well-being and increased economic power. Previously, he worked for Dynamo Studios, mentoring young men and women to discover their strengths, to learn how to be emotionally and physically whole and to begin the process of self-actualization. A U.S. Navy veteran, Mr. Wiley participated in two deployments overseas, receiving two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals and a Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.Sarah Concepcion, who has served ULGC for nearly two years, has been promoted to senior director of policy and administration. She holds a bachelors degree in cognitive and behavioral science from Washington and Lee University and has been instrumental in the acceleration of ULGCs program and policy work in the Center for Equity and Inclusive Leadership. "The center aims to engage and empower diverse community members to promote a shared understanding of racial, social and economic equity and foster inclusive leadership opportunities," officials said.Terisha Grant, a former part-time ULGC LEAP after school teacher and 2022 graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, will now serve in a full-time role as youth and education program coordinator. She holds a bachelors degree in psychology, with a concentration in child and youth development. Ms. Grant has been instrumental in implementing the new social and emotional learning program throughout ULGC after school sites and will lead the Project Ready/National Achievers Society high school program.Estephanie Acheson, former executive assistant to Ms. Johnson, is the interim regional VITA coordinator and has been with the organization for nearly three years. She holds a bachelors degree in English from the University of Tennessee Knoxville. String Theory at the Hunter, in partnership with Lee University and the Hunter Museum of American Art, will conclude Season 14 with the Brentano Quartet in concert on Tuesday, April 11, at 6:30 p.m. The visiting artists will be joined by Gloria Chien, String Theory founder and artistic director, on piano. This performance will pay tribute to Bohemian composer Antonin Dvorak and his American legacy, featuring spirituals such as Deep River; Go Down, Moses; and Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, along with Dvoraks Quartet, and Schumanns Piano Quintet. The Brentano Quartet features Mark Steinberg, violin; Serena Canin, violin; Misha Amory, viola; and Nina Lee, cello, who have appeared throughout the world to popular and critical acclaim. The quartet has performed across five continents in the worlds most prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall in New York, the Library of Congress in Washington, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Konzerthaus in Vienna, Tokyos Suntory Hall, and the Sydney Opera House. The quartet members are currently artists-in-residence at the Yale School of Music, where they perform in concert each semester, work closely with students in chamber music contexts, and spearhead the instruction at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival in the summers. They have given several master classes and workshops across the country and return annually to the Taos School of Music as visiting faculty. Dr. Chien is the co-artistic director of Chamber Music Northwest in Portland, Oregon, as well as the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival in Burlington, Vermont, along with her husband, Soovin Kim. For the last decade, she was the director of the Chamber Music Institute at Music@Menlo. She frequently appears with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and is a Steinway Artist. Dr. Chien has had a 20-year relationship with Lee University, where she is currently an artist-in-residence. Prior to the concert, Art Connections will take place at 5:30, giving attendees the opportunity to engage with the intersection of art and music in the Hunter galleries. Former Hunter Chief Curator Ellen Simak and Maestro Robert Bernhardt will compare works from the Hunter collection to the music featured in the concert. Tickets are on sale now through April 11 and are $45 for general admission, $35 for Hunter members, and $10 for students and music teachers. String Theory was founded in 2009 by Dr. Chien to expose new audiences to chamber music, invigorate the local classical music scene, and cultivate a future generation of music lovers. To purchase tickets, or for more information, visit www.stringtheorymusic.org or call 414-2525 Chinese premier urges opposing "clash of civilizations" and ideological confrontation Xinhua) 13:37, March 30, 2023 BOAO, Hainan, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday called for upholding mutual respect and trust, openness and inclusiveness, respecting other countries' independently-chosen development paths, and opposing the narrative of "clash of civilizations" and ideological confrontation. Li made the remarks in a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2023. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty will be introducing the Securing Aid for Every (SAFE) School Act. The SAFE School Act establishes a $900 million grant program that will allow both public and private schools to train and hire veterans and former law enforcement officers to serve as school safety officers, hire off duty law enforcement officers, and provide funding to harden schools and increase physical security. I am beyond heartbroken at the shooting that occurred at the Covenant School in Nashville, said Senator Blackburn. No parent should have to endure what these families are experiencing. Schools should be places where children are safe to learn, play, and be children. My legislation with Senator Hagerty will allow both public and private schools to train and hire veterans and former law enforcement officers to serve as school safety officers as well as increase physical security measures to harden schools. By providing these critical funds, we can help protect our precious children and secure our schools. The Covenant School community, the city of Nashville, and our home state of Tennessee have suffered unspeakable, heartbreaking loss this week, and I join the families of the victims and all those affected in mourning this incomprehensible tragedy, said Senator Hagerty. The heroic bravery of law enforcement officers and first responders who quickly ran into danger, as well as the actions of teachers, staff, and students who deployed security measures, saved many other lives and underscore the critical role of school-security planning and personnel in the face of depraved, evil acts. Thats why Ive joined Senator Blackburn in introducing this legislation to provide additional security resources to keep our schools and children safe. Maria and I continue to mourn the loss of precious life and pray for the Covenant School community amid unspeakable tragedy, said Governor Bill Lee. Nothing is more important than our students safely returning home from school every day. At the state level, Tennessee is taking significant action to strengthen physical security at schools, support law enforcement, engage parents and boost mental health resources. As Tennessee moves forward, I commend Senators Blackburn and Hagerty for proposing legislation to secure public and private schools across the nation. My heart remains broken for the Covenant School families, the school and church community, and all of Nashville as they continue to grieve an incomprehensible loss, said Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti. There is no greater responsibility than keeping our children safe. I commend Senators Blackburn and Hagerty for taking legislative steps to maximize security for schools in Tennessee and around the nation. Its common sense: our children should be able to learn in safe environments and come home at the end of each day, said Mayor Scott Conger, Jackson, Tn. I thank Senators Blackburn and Hagerty for their leadership on this necessary effort to increase the number of highly trained safety officers and enhance physical security in our schools. Together, we can take immediate action to protect our children. Im grateful to know that our U.S. Senators are working to make more resources available in our state to protect our students and educators, said Mayor Chad Graham, Bedford County, Tn. Any effort to detect, deter, and prevent these kinds of attacks is vitally important, said David B. Rausch, Director, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Providing specially-trained, armed professionals to more schools and more funding to ensure these facilities are as secure as possible are two immediate steps we can take. I appreciate Senator Blackburns leadership, in the wake of this weeks tragedy, to champion this legislation, as one part of the broader conversation needed in this country to work toward curbing this kind of senseless violence. Senators Hagerty and Blackburn have crafted legislation that, if enacted, would immediately contribute to making schools in the state of Tennessee safer for our children, said James A. Gagliano, Retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent. My quarter-century in the FBI was instructive in methods to combat violent crime. Evil typically takes the path of least resistance. The establishment of a training program for military veterans and former law enforcement personnel would ensure that no school facility would be without the deterrent effect of an armed, trained, and committed professional to protect our children. This legislation dedicates funding necessary to transform the abstraction of improved safety measures into reality. I applaud both senators for their vision and commitment to enhancing school security. As Sheriff of Hamilton County, Tennessee, my office is committed to maintaining a safe and secure learning environment for our children and school staff, said Sheriff Austin Garrett, Hamilton County, Tn. I commend my friend, Senator Marsha Blackburn, for her efforts to introduce the Securing Aid for Every (SAFE) School Act, which is intended to offer essential grant-based funding to train and hire security personnel to protect our schools. Our children have the right to a safe educational environment and when it comes to their protection, we as elected officials and community leaders have a duty and obligation to ensure we are doing everything within our power, working together, to support and ensure their safety. There is nothing more important than the safety of our school children and the future they hold, said Sheriff Eddie Farris, Putnam County, Tn. Anything we as law enforcement and citizens can do to protect our children and their educators and maintain a safe learning environment is a must. This legislation by both of Tennessee's Senators, Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, is a win and another step in the right direction in protecting our most precious resources. As the Sheriff of Montgomery County, Tn., I have always felt a strong obligation and responsibility to assist and provide resources to maintain a safe environment for the public and private schools in my county. Throughout my tenure, we have constantly researched, developed, and implemented methods to increase school safety. This has included, among other things, progressively increasing the presence of School Resource Officers in our public schools, while providing training and other assistance to our private schools, said Sheriff John S. Fuson, Montgomery County, Tn. I fully support Senator Blackburn and Senator Hagerty in the introduction of legislation to allow for the training and hiring of veterans and former law enforcement officials to serve as school safety officers. In the wake of the tragedy in Nashville and others across our nation, our community should know that we are doing everything we can to keep our children safe. It goes without saying that the training these individuals have received in their respective careers has prepared them for such endeavors, said Sheriff Chad A. Mullins, Hamblen County, Tn. I applaud Senator Blackburn for taking action to protect our most important citizens and secure their ability to learn in the safest environment, said Sheriff Shane Fisher, Wayne County, Tn. We must take every precaution available to protect our children and those responsible for their education. I completely support this legislation as it pertains to hardened security of our staff and students, said Sheriff Jeff Cassidy, Sullivan County, Tn. We currently have SROs in each county school but the addition of highly skilled highly trained support would be advantageous in identifying vulnerabilities and strengthening our agencys mission and goals in the protection of our schools. I fully support a bill that would provide additional funding for schools to hire and train additional security, said Sheriff Kyle Helton, Giles County, Tn. I appreciate that this legislation will also help aid some of the smaller rural counties in Tennessee that currently have no security officers or school resource officers. Our nation has a duty to protect the safety of our children. Ensuring trained personnel are ready, willing, and immediately able to respond to threats is key to maintaining school safety, said Larry Cosme, President, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association. Veterans and former law enforcement officers have unique skills that already allow them to serve as a force multiplier in public spaces, ensuring these trained public safety officers can also maximize school safety will serve to mitigate the tragic, lethal consequences of school shootings. We applaud Senator Blackburn for taking immediate action to address this serious issue. We join the nation in grieving the loss of three beautiful children and three heroic adults on March 27, 2023 as a result of the shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, said Sgt. Betsy Smith (Ret.), Spokesperson, National Police Association. At the recent nationally televised Academy Awards, celebrities were protected with metal detectors, armed guards and other target hardening. Unfortunately, the majority of our nations schools lack the security resources to provide similarly safe environments. So many events and venues are staffed with full time or part time security personnel who are often retired law enforcement officers, military veterans or both. These people frequently have decades of special training, and, more importantly, a heart to serve and the mindset to protect. The National Police Association encourages the support of the SAFE School Act, a grant program that will allow both public and private schools to hire and train veterans and retired law enforcement personnel as school security officers. We can't predict where or when the next school shooting will happen, but we know how it will be stopped: by a security officer with a gun, said Andrew Pollack, School Safety Advocate and Parent of Parkland Victim Meadow Pollack. The police reacted bravely in Nashville, but in a shooting every second matters and the SAFE School Act will save lives by ensuring that more schools are guarded by armed security officers. Having served as a trained attacker for our nation as a US Navy SEAL, and as a defender of the country as a police officer, Federal Air Marshal, Security Specialist and FBI Special Agent, I have seen the problems and the solutions to vulnerabilities up close, said Jonathan T. Gilliam, former FBI Special Agent and U.S. NAVY SEAL. My attacker / defender mindset has afforded me a clearer vision of what so many veterans from the military and law enforcement have acquired through their training and experience. While many of us have attempted to educate politicians and soft target sector leaders with this vision, the solutions that must be done in order to secure our nations largest soft targets have fallen short in the education sector. Safe schools are an achievable cure in the battle against the malignant violence infecting this nation. However, like any disease, treatment requires a diagnosis, rigorous action, and long-term lifestyle changes. I believe the Securing Aid for Every (SAFE) School Act is the foundational first step in the process of securing our nations educational sector, with real tangible solutions to keep our schools secured. In 1933, the wife of a Georgia physician, Mrs. Eudora Brown Almond, wanted to recognize the contributions physicians made to their patients and their communities. She selected March 30 the anniversary of the first use of ether anesthesia during a surgery, as Doctors Day in Winder, Ga. Eighty-five years later Doctors Day is celebrated around the world. The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society has worked hand-in-hand with our area physicians to improve the health and well-being of our community for 138 years. In its early years the Medical Society fought diseases like polio and promoted immunizations. It also worked to develop funding for local health departments and to establish the state medical board to ensure the education and professionalism of Tennessee physicians. Today, the Medical Society has been deeply engaged in our community fight against COVID-19. With its member physicians, the society is also tackling health issues like community hunger, the opioid crisis and childhood obesity. The Medical Society provides educational opportunities to young adults through programs such as Future Docs, introducing them to a career in medicine. The Medical Society and its charitable arm, the Medical Foundation of Chattanooga, formed Project Access to provide health care to low-income uninsured Southeast Tennessee residents. Over the past 19 years, Project Access has coordinated more than $219 million of donated health care with the help of over 1,000 physicians, who provide their care free of charge, local hospital systems, and nearly two dozen other partner organizations. As we celebrate Doctors Day 2023, we would like to thank our community for allowing us to care for them. Richard Moody, MD President, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society James Haynes, MD President, Medical Foundation of Chattanooga Building 1 at an East Ridge hotel that was closed last November as a public nuisance is expected to reopen soon. At a hearing on Thursday before Criminal Court Judge Boyd Paterson, officials said the hotel is awaiting final fire and health inspections. Judge Patterson also said security cameras need to be installed at the back of the property along the road leading to the 60-room Building 1. Amish Patel, the hotel's chief operating officer, said it should take one to two weeks to hire new staff after the go ahead is given. He said previous staff members would not be included. District Attorney Coty Wamp said the issue was "not about new paint or new bedsheets. It was always about the amount of crime there." Judge Patterson said it is not realistic to expect there will not be any crime, but he said it should not be a "disproportionate amount of crime" as it was before. The hotel wants to eventually reopen three other buildings at the site near Exit 1 of I-75. The Patel group bought the hotel in 2015 when it was shut down over similar issues while operating as the Superior Creek Lodge. The judge heard testimony from a fire and security specialist who said numerous new cameras have been installed, including ones with audio at the front desk and the guard desk. Ernest Dixon said his Aspire Security firm will have 24/7 security with one guard per shift. He said it is the first contract in Tennessee for the Georgia firm. Attorney Chris Clem asked that the hotel be able to accept cash from those who do not have credit cards. The judge said that would be allowed as long as the East Ridge Police are notified when that occurs. Don Hopkins testified that he is involved with a ministry group that formerly rented a bloc of eight rooms at the Budgetel at $280 or $290 per month per room. He said that was a savings of $50 over the regular rate. He said the group used the rooms so that homeless people could have shelter while getting back on their feet. He said six of those in the rooms are now in permanent housing. Mr. Hopkins said poor individuals often do not use banks and are often unable to obtain credit cards. As part of the order, the hotel is to screen for sex offenders and criminals. Mr. Patel said the firm will have software in place to do that. Guests will not be able to stay longer than 120 days. Any stay after that will be a fine of $500 per day. No one who is not a paid guest at the Budgetel will be allowed to be there from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. Another court hearing in the case is set for May 1. Michael Duncan passed away in his home of Jeffersonville, In., on March 14, 2023. He was 63. He was son of Clarice and Harold Duncan. Graduating from East Ridge High School in 1977, Michael attended University of Chattanooga as a major in Physics before enlisting into the Air Force. Michael had a love for knowledge and all things science-related, as well as a deep appreciation for fiction and fantasy stories and playing the bass guitar. While stationed at Clarke Air Force Base in the Philippines, he met his wife, Josefina. They then moved back to Michael's hometown of Chattanooga, where they would raise their family and start his own small computer business. Michael was preceded in death by his wife, his two parents and his sister. He is survived by his children, Maria (Chase) of Chattanooga, Glendon of Jeffersonville, In., and Luca (Kris) of Chattanooga; grandchildren, Josie and Chase Jr., three brothers, Ronnie, Hal and Jason and one sister, Dedra, as well as nieces and nephews and long time friend, Jeff Laycock of Jeffersonville, In. Funeral services will be held privately at a later date. Here are upcoming road closures: Chattanooga Women's Suffrage March The following roads will be closed on Friday, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. for the Commemorative Women's Suffrage March: Lookout Street southbound between E 6th Street and Georgia Avenue. Georgia Avenue southbound, right lane between E 6th Street and E MLK Boulelvard (the southbound left lane will remain open to traffic) East 7th Street, E 8th Street, Walnut Street, and Cherry Street may see very brief closures as the march passes. CPD will be on hand to assist with traffic. Please follow all instructions given. Los Trompos / Rock The Riverfront & Lantern Parade Riverfront Parkway between Power Alley and Chestnut Street will be closed on Saturday, from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. for Los Trompos / Rock The Riverfront. All trucks with 3 axles or more will be prohibited on Riverfront Parkway between Martin Luther King and Power Alley. Detours will be posted. Lantern Parade for Rock The Riverfront The following roads will be closed from 7 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. for a lantern parade traveling from Renaissance Park to Rock The Riverfront: Cherokee Boulevard eastbound right lane from Spears Avenue to Market Street Market Street southbound right lane from Cherokee Boulevard, across the Market Street Bridge until 1st Street. Please use caution, and obey all temporary traffic control devices. CPD will be on hand to assist with traffic. Please follow all instructions given. Sip TN Wine Festival Sponsored by the Chattanooga Market Reggie White Boulevard between W 19th Street and the Chattanooga Skate Park parking lot access will be closed Saturday, from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. for the Sip TN Wine Festival sponsored by the Chattanooga Market. 90 Day Fiance Season 9 star Ariela Ari Weinberg is ready to change career paths and be behind the camera in 2023. Does this mean shes done with 90 Day Fiance? Heres everything we know about Arielas plans for her future in reality TV production. Ariela Weinberg, 90 Day Fiance Season 9 | TLC Arielas 90 Day Fiance journey Ariela started her reality TV journey on 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way Season 2 when she moved to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to be with her then-fiance Biniyam Bini Shibre. Their relationship started as a vacation fling but became serious after Ariela discovered she was pregnant with Biniyams baby. On 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way Season 3, Ariela decided to take their son to the United States for a medical procedure. During this time, Ariela and Biniyams relationship suffered and almost broke up. To save his relationship and his family, Biniyam moved to Princeton, New Jersey, to be with Ariela and Avi. During 90 Day Fiance Season 9, Biniyam moved to New Jersey on a K-1 visa. And despite some jealousy issues, Ariela and Biniyam ended up getting married. The couple is still together, with their son, Avi Shibre, in the United States. 90 Day Fiance star Ariela Weinburg seeks new career opportunities in 2023 On March 29, Ariela posted on a closed Facebook group for women working in reality TV about wanting to be in production. In the post (captured in a now-deleted Reddit post), Ariela wrote about wanting to be behind the cameras rather than in front of them. She wants to take the experience she learned as the subject of 90 Day Fiance and transition to working behind the scenes. Now Ariela seeks a career as a Production Assistant (PA) on set. The PA is the person who assists with general tasks in a film, television, or other media production. They were in the production department with the first or second assistant directors for support and communication with the other departments. This is usually an entry-level job that could lead to many new opportunities but often requires long work hours. Many 90 Day Fiance fans are excited about Arielas potential future career and offered words of encouragement. I hope she succeeds! one fan commented. Good for her. I think she would be great at it, another wrote. Biniyams MMA career in the US While planning their wedding on 90 Day Fiance, Biniyam spent over 4 hours a day training to become an MMA fighter in the US. Back in Ethiopia, Biniyam had made careers out of his many talents. He made money as a performer, dancer, personal trainer, DJ, and musician. The multifaceted athlete and artist began training four hours daily, hoping to get into the UFC. On 90 Day Fiance, Biniyam debuted as an MMA fighter under the name Babycool and won his first match on the show. And according to Tapology, Biniyam has won all four matches from 2017 to 2022 in the featherweight weight class. His last match was in December 2022. Ariela has supported him every step of the way despite some frustration with his long training hours. Ariela and Biniyam are moving forward with their careers, pushing themselves and each other to a better future. Love them or hate them, this 90 Day Fiance couple has fought against all odds and has successfully moved on from reality TV into their new life together. It remains to be seen if Ariela will be returning to 90 Day Fiance as a star or if shes focusing on production from now on. Prince Harrys trip to the United Kingdom as part of a hearing in his claim against Associated Newspapers hasnt stopped his brother, Prince William, from enjoying his family holiday. William and Harry have reportedly not met face-to-face after the publication of Harrys Spare autobiography, which depicted William poorly. William reportedly has no plans to see Harry and is spending time with his wife, Kate Middleton, and their three children. A royal biographer says William sees no reason to let Prince Harry spoil his time off. Prince William has to plans to see Prince Harry during his childrens school holiday | Mark Cuthbert/U.K. Press via Getty Images Prince Harry is one of several celebrities seeking justice against British publisher The Duke of Sussex attended hearings against Associated Newspapers Ltd. for a case focused on illegal information gathering. He subsequently joined the London proceedings on Mar. 27 and 28 but didnt attend on Mar. 29. Harry, Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley, David Furnish, Sadie Frost, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, and others are suing the company for their practices. The hearing is set to end on Mar. 30. In a witness statement at the hearing, the duke explained he was unfamiliar with phone hacking. People Magazine referenced court documents where Harry stated, no one would be so stupid as to hack my phone given the security implications and consequences of my private information and whereabouts ending up in the wrong hands. A judge is set to rule on whether the case should go to trial. Associated Newspapers denies the allegations. Rumors swirled that Harry may try to mend fences with his brother while he is in the United Kingdom. However, a royal biographer says thats not the case. Prince Harry will reportedly not reunite with Prince William while in the U.K. Prince William and Prince Harry at a 2018 royal event | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images According to royal biographer Ingrid Seward [per The Mirror], William is enjoying a planned family holiday and will not reunite with his brother while he is in the U.K. Seward says the heir apparent wants to enjoy uninterrupted time with his three children. She shared her thoughts regarding a possible Harry and William reunion. Of all the family members, William comes in for the worst criticism in Spare. There is no reason for him to want to see the brother who trashed him. Seward explained that Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis were on half term from school. The break allows the family to all be together in their Norfolk home. They kept Anmer Hall for just such occasions. The children have their ponies and pets there, and they have the freedom to have fun on the Kings Norfolk estate. It will be their last opportunity to have proper family time before the coronation. They dont need Harry to spoil things yet again, Seward concluded. Prince Harry has not yet confirmed his attendance at King Charles IIIs coronation A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed the couple received an invite to the historic affair in early March. A representative told Harpers BAZAAR the pair got an email from King Charles Buckingham Palace managers. An immediate decision on whether the Duke and Duchess will attend will not be disclosed by us at this time, the spokesperson added. Thus far, there has been no word from Prince Harry or Meghan Markle on whether or not they will be a part of the event. The coronation would be the first time the couple has met with members of the House of Windsor since the debut of their Netflix series Harry & Meghan and the publication of Harrys autobiography. King Charles IIIs coronation takes place on May 6, 2023. The Cherokee Nation is investing $6 million into a collaborative bridge replacement and road repair project on County Road 4410 in the City of Vinita, including the bridge that crosses Interstate 44 and connects community residents in and around Craig County to the tribes Vinita Health Center and food distribution center. China Briefing hosts a wealth of business intelligence on legal, tax, and operational issues in China from a practical perspective. Published ten times a year, our China Briefing Magazine aims to provide easily understandable, easily accessible, and up to date business information pertinent to the foreign investor in China. Founded in 1999, China Briefing enjoys a devoted following developed over a decade of providing practical technical information to business executives and investors. Asia Briefing's portfolio of business publications include ASEAN, China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Silk Road and Vietnam Briefing. Please visit our publications store to access each platforms series of magazines, guides and reports. Through our parent company Dezan Shira & Associates, a foreign direct investment consultancy, Asia Briefing is in direct communication with a veteran team of consultants, lawyers, accountants, human resource professionals and supply chain experts, granting us the ability to provide business and investment insight at a depth unavailable to other publications. Dezan Shira & Associates employs over 300 professionals, including lawyers, accountants, auditors, and business specialists from across the world. Our expertise is based on this teams experience collaborating across 25 offices in Asia, Europe, and North America. Local experts at the firm provide services tailored to the unique challenges facing international businesses in Asia. The firms services help decision makers manage the legal, tax, and operational challenges facing multinational businesses in China, ASEAN, and India. Our services in Asia include: If youve ever been to Central Park in New York City, theres a chance youve walked around the Bethesda Terrace, where one of the largest fountains in the city is located. The fountain is named the Bethesda Fountain, and in the center of it is a beautiful statue of an angel designed by one of the first American women sculptors, Emma Stebbins. Emma was born to a wealthy family in New York City in 1815. Her family was very encouraging of her artistic endeavors and pushed her to pursue becoming an artist. Therefore, she was able to study in several studios and had her work shown in various galleries at a young age. She even had her work included at the National Academy of Design. During her earlier years as an artist, Emma did a lot of oil paintings. But as she got older, she discovered a love for sculpting. When she was 41-years-old in 1856, her brother helped send her to Rome so she could study neoclassicist sculpting. Emma met several other artists who taught and influenced her. People may not know that Emma was also a member of the LBGTQ+ community and met American actress Charlotte Cushman in Rome, who she considered to be her wife for over a decade. After her time in Rome, Emma became a master sculptor and continued working professionally. She was connected through the artists she had met in Rome and through Charlotte, who was a big promoter of her career. From the late 1850s to 1870, Emma did some outstanding work. She made a dozen marble sculptures and two bronze statues. She was awarded three public commissions, which was more than any American woman had received to that date. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sean Harrington Far-right groups have attacked two congregations belonging to the United Church of Christ because they sponsored drag shows in their communities. Loomis Basin Congregational UCC, located in Loomis, California, had to cancel its fundraising event due to the threats they received. Moreover, due to continuing threats, the church also had to postpone its in-person worship service scheduled for Sunday, March 26. Another church, the Community Church of Chesterland, Ohio, was attacked with Molotov cocktails a day before. Attacks at the UCC Supporting LGBT Events Both of the United Church of Christ congregations, Loomis Basin Congregational UCC and Community Church of Chesterland, have been targeted by white nationalist organizations. According to a report in WECT, these attacks have taken the form of hate messages, threats, and even firebombing. Despite the attacks, both churches remain committed to their mission as Open and Affirming churches, providing a sanctuary for marginalized members of their communities. The UCC General Minister and President, the Rev. John Dorhauer, expressed concern over the rise of threats towards these open communities. He emphasized the UCC's solidarity with them and pledged to utilize every available resource to ensure their safety and amplify the voice of justice for the LGBTQ community. The recent attack on the Community Church of Chesterland destroyed some of its lighting and front sign, which read, "Please don't steal flags, happy to give you one," due to the frequent theft of the congregation's Pride flags. The church's pastor, Chad Peacock, estimates that their flags have been stolen around 120 times. Peacock referred to the attack as a hate crime and expressed frustration with the focus on their congregation due to their display of rainbow flags and acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals. However, he also emphasized the importance of the church's role in advocating for the local LGBTQ+ community in Geauga County, Ohio. Peacock believes that without their church, few other places provide the same kind of safe space for the LGBTQ+ population in the area. In the article in WKYC, according to a press release from the Geauga County Sheriff's Office, the attack on the Community Church of Chesterland caused minor damage to the church's exterior. The attack involved at least one incendiary device, which caused scorching on the building's exterior and damaged one of the church's signs. Fortunately, no one was injured during the attack as the church was unoccupied then. In response to the attack, the Community Church of Chesterland is taking additional security measures to ensure the safety of everyone attending the upcoming Drag Brunch and Story Hour events on April 1. Law enforcement officers are currently investigating the incident. Also Read: United Methodist Church Agency Grants LGBT Advocacy Group Regardless of Ban on Funding Gay Gatherings Heightened Security to the Upcoming Event at the Community Church of Chesterland Despite the recent attack on the Community Church of Chesterland, both events scheduled for April 1 are expected to proceed as planned. WDTN reported that the Chesterland Police Chief, Craig Young, took steps to protect attendees at both events and is working closely with the Chardon police and the Geauga County Sheriff's Office to ensure a coordinated security plan. Chief Young emphasized that they are focused on protecting everyone involved in the events, including those who plan to protest. He acknowledged that this situation is challenging, and they take it very seriously. Meetings are held throughout the week to finalize the security plan and ensure all law enforcement agencies are on the same page. Related Article: Pope Francis and Other Church Leaders Disagrees the Criminalization of Homosexuality Pixabay/OpenClipart-Vectors Two expert reports have revealed shocking revelations about Jean Vanier, the founder of the L'Arche federation, an international movement focused on community care for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The reports revealed that Vanier perverted Catholic doctrine to justify his sexual compulsions and sexually abused women. The second report was even more damning, revealing that L'Arche was founded to hide a secret, mystical-sexual "sect" at its core and that the movement was created to hide the sect's deviant activities from church authorities. L'Arche Catholic Community in Shock After Revelations of the Founder's Deception These revelations had profoundly impacted L'Arche, particularly as the organization had commissioned independent scholars to investigate after receiving a complaint from a victim several years before Vanier died in 2019. According to Associated Press News, Vanier was considered a Catholic giant and living saint by his admirers and was dubbed a "great" Christian by Pope Francis. However, the reports have exposed how Vanier abused his power to exploit women under his spiritual influence sexually. L'Arche, an international federation that provides homes and support services for people with intellectual disabilities, is reeling after revelations that its founder, Jean Vanier, sexually exploited women and created a secret, mystical-sexual "sect" at the organization's core. Two independent reports commissioned by L'Arche revealed the abuse and deception, which has shaken the faith of many of L'Arche's staff and supporters. Leaders of L'Arche have been meeting in Rome to chart a path forward for the organization in light of these revelations. Azucena Bustamante, who oversees five L'Arche communities in Honduras, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic, expressed frustration at the damage Vanier's lies have caused those who believed in L'Arche's vision. Also Read: Hillsong Church Denies Cover Up Allegations for Frank Houston Abuse Covered Up The article in Sun Star says that the report on Vanier and L'Arche also exposes the role of Rev. Thomas Philippe, a French Dominican priest, in the abuse, with the organization's founder not only taking part in the sexual abuse but also actively covering it up. The report notes that Philippe and Vanier used their influence over women in the L'Arche community to engage in sexual acts, with Philippe using his supposed mystical powers to convince them to participate. The report also highlights how Philippe created a culture of fear and secrecy, where those who spoke out against him were punished or ostracized. The revelations about Vanier and L'Arche have raised serious questions about the role of the Catholic Church in enabling and covering up abuse. Critics have accused the church of ignoring warning signs and promoting Vanier as a saintly figure, despite evidence to the contrary. The scandal has also raised broader questions about the role of religious institutions in perpetuating abuse and the need for greater transparency and accountability in these organizations. A study commission found that Jean Vanier, the founder of L'Arche, had abused at least 25 women, all of whom were not intellectually disabled. According to The Denver Post, the commission concluded that Vanier's and Philippe's practices did not extend beyond the core "sect" at the original L'Arche community in northern France but called for vigilance in authority and power to be exercised in L'Arche's 150 communities worldwide. L'Arche's leaders have apologized to the victims and taken responsibility for not identifying the abuse earlier. They claim that they repeatedly questioned Vanier when the first victims came forward and his knowledge of Philippe's condemnation by the Holy Office in 1956, but that he lied to them. Related Article: Pope Francis Includes Lay Leaders in 2019 Church Law Governing Clerical Sexual Abuse Pexels/James Wheeler When a Christian dies in the Kathmandu Valley, the family faces the difficult task of finding a place to bury their loved one. Despite being home to Nepal's three largest cities and hundreds of smaller towns and villages, the region has no public cemetery for its Christian population, just over 100,000 people. The only cemeteries in Kathmandu are the British cemetery, which only includes the remains of expatriates, and the Jesuit cemetery, which is no longer in use. The Struggle to Find Burial Ground in Nepal In contrast to Hindus, who make up 81 percent of the population, Nepali Muslims have access to two graveyards in Kathmandu that are connected to their mosques. Christians and the Kirat, who make up 3% of Nepal's population and traditionally bury their dead, have a common struggle, says Christianity Today. Suman Dongol, who manages Koinonia Patan church in Kathmandu, explained that Christians could only cremate their dead and not bury them, adding to the difficulty of saying goodbye to their loved ones in a dignified way. Not all can't have funerals. Local governments in Biratnagar in the east and Butwal in the south have provided graveyards for Christian communities. Witnesses to funerals in these areas have been moved by the dignified way in which the dead were laid to rest, with hundreds of people singing and carrying flowers through the jungle. However, the lack of a burial ground in the Kathmandu Valley means many Christians cannot hold funerals for their loved ones. Over the years, Christians have tried various solutions to their burial problems, including burying their dead in a forest near the Pashupatinath Temple, a historic Hindu site. However, the government banned all burials in the forest in 1998 after designating the temple as a UNESCO heritage site and after worshipers claimed the forest as their own. The Community is Upset Because of the Lack of Action from the Government According to Indigenous Voice, the Kiranti people are upset with the government because they have not provided them with a specific burial ground. For many years, the Kiranti people used to bury their deceased loved ones in the Shleshmantak Jungle of the Pashupati temple in Kathmandu. However, UNESCO discovered that concrete structures were built in the graveyard that threatened the Pashupati heritage. As a result, the PADT demolished dozens of concrete graves angered the Kiranti community. Arjun Limbu of the Yayokha remembers that they organized a series of protest rallies against the PADT. After several days of protests, the PADT and the Kiranti representative organizations reached a compromise. The PADT allowed the community to use the Shleshmantak forest as a burial ground, but the Kiranti people agreed not to build cemented structures. The PADT unexpectedly put a stop to the Kiranti people's tradition of burying their deceased loved ones in the Shleshmantak Jungle a few years ago, citing a lack of available space. The Kiranti community protested against the ban, but they eventually realized that the PADT's argument was valid. Indeed, no more space was left for new graves in the jungle. However, the Kiranti people still need a place to bury their dead, even if it cannot be the Shleshmantak jungle. Also Read: Proposed Constitution Threatens Religious Freedom in Nepal The Columbarium "columbarium" has Latin roots and was originally called a pigeon house. Nowadays, it is a type of building used to store cinerary urns or ashes. According to UCA News, this practice dates back to the early Roman Empire era when cremation was common. In Nepal, due to practicality, cremation and columbariums have become accepted among Catholics. Burial is not a common practice in Nepal, so Catholics typically have their loved ones' bodies cremated and their ashes stored in a columbarium after Mass. This is a longstanding tradition in all three Catholic churches in the Kathmandu Valley, as confirmed by Chirendra Satyal, a 62-year-old Catholic and director of media and communication of the Apostolic Vicariate of Nepal. Related Article: Extremist Hindu Group in Nepal Threatens Christian Missionaries to Leave the Country Pixabay/ Alexander Grey In his recent monologue on Fox News, Tucker Carlson made a controversial statement by asserting that transgender people are the "natural foe" of Christianity. According to Media ITE, he claims that the trans movement seeks to "claim dominion over nature" and is, therefore, opposed to Christianity, which he believes celebrates the natural order. Carlson went on to reference a recent tragic incident in which a suspect who happened to be transgender killed several people at a school in Nashville. Carlson blamed the media for insinuating that Christians were the victims of this crime because they had supposedly infringed on the rights of trans people. This statement has been met with widespread criticism from many who believe it is inappropriate to scapegoat an entire community in response to a tragic event. Tucker Carlson on the Recent Mass Shooting in a Christian School Tucker Carlson claimed that Christianity and transgenderism were on a "collision course" and that the Nashville shooter, who happened to be transgender, represented a larger trend of violence against Christians within the trans community. Rolling Stone reported that he suggested that law enforcement was withholding information about the shooter's real intentions to cover up this alleged targeting of Christians. However, the assertion that there is a trend of violence against Christians by the trans community is false. The number of mass shootings carried out by non-binary or trans individuals is less than one percent of all such incidents in the United States since 2009. LGBTQ individuals are more often the victims of targeted mass violence than perpetrators. While the actions of the Nashville shooter are reprehensible, it is not accurate to suggest that they represent the broader trans community. Also Read: Missouri Attorney General Proposes Law to Ban Transgender Healthcare for Minors, Sparking Backlash From LGBTQ+ Advocates Other Figures Gave their Views on Gender Identity to Violence Against Christians Other right-wing figures have also used the gender identity of the Nashville shooter to promote anti-trans and anti-LGBT sentiment following the tragedy. The article in News Week states that Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist, tweeted a video interview of progressive political commentator Cenk Uygur suggesting that trans-Americans should be armed because they are at risk of being attacked by "right-wing lunatics." Kirk responded to Uygur's comments by saying that the opposite is true. Data from the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data and the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research shows that LGBT individuals are more than twice as likely to experience gun violence compared to their cisgender and heterosexual counterparts. Candace Owens, a conservative author, shared an image on Twitter that circulated showing four trans or non-binary individuals responsible for mass shootings, claiming that addressing mental illness is more important than gender affirmation surgery. Owens has previously referred to gender affirmation surgery as "mutilation." However, statistics show that most mass shooters in recent years have been straight, cisgender, white men. Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit organization advocating for gun control, has reported over 300 mass shootings in the U.S. since 2009, with less than 1% of perpetrators identifying as trans or non-binary. Related Article: Nashville Christian School Shooting Takes 6 Lives Including 3 Students; Shooter Found Dead at the Scene Pexels/Pavel Danilyuk There is ongoing conflict within the states on banning gender-affirming or transgender care. Multiple counties and states have enacted the ban, and West Virginia is currently joining in. Governor Jim Justice of West Virginia has signed a bill into law that prohibits minors from receiving gender-affirming care. This makes West Virginia the latest state to restrict or ban medically supported treatments for transgender youth, joining at least 10 other states. West Virginia Passes Law to Ban Gender-Affirming Care on Minors According to the report in Associated Press News, the law prohibits individuals under 18 from being prescribed hormone therapy, and fully reversible puberty blockers and from receiving gender-affirming surgery. However, doctors say this is not currently happening in West Virginia. A patient cannot be provided hormone therapy or puberty blockers until they have received parental approval and a diagnosis of severe gender dysphoria from two physicians, including a mental health professional or an expert in adolescent medicine. The law will go into effect in January 2024. During the Senate floor discussions earlier this month, Republican Senator and physician Tom Takubo advocated including provisions allowing medical therapy for transgender youth at risk of self-harm or suicide. These children struggle, according to Takubo, who cited more than a dozen peer-reviewed studies showing that youth who are suffering from severe gender dysphoria who had access to pharmaceutical therapy experienced less suicidal thoughts and attempts. His advocacy led to the inclusion of an exemption in West Virginia's newly signed bill that allows doctors to prescribe puberty blockers and hormone therapy to minors diagnosed with severe gender dysphoria by two clinicians, including a mental health provider or an adolescent medicine specialist, and with parental consent. Also Read: Doctors Speak Out: Debunking Myths and Misconceptions about Gender-Affirming Care Gender Dysphoria among Teenagers is Real; Doctors Support Gender-Affirming Care The article in Politico stated that gender dysphoria is a term used by medical professionals to describe severe psychological distress experienced by individuals whose gender identity is not as satisfactory to the assigned gender on brith. However, lawmakers in West Virginia and other states have recently moved to enact bans on transgender healthcare for minors, characterizing transgender treatments as a hoax or medically unproven, potentially dangerous in the long term, and a sign of "woke" culture. Gender-affirming care for minors is supported by all significant medical organizations, including the American Psychiatric Association, American Medical Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. These organizations think that these therapies are beneficial and outweigh the dangers in order to improve the mental health and overall wellbeing of transgender children and young people. West Virginia had the highest per capita number of transgender youth in the US, according to a 2017 report by UCLA Law's The Williams Institute, and the risk of suicide ideation among transgender youth in the state is three times higher than for all youth in the state.. ABC News shared that Natalie Frazier, who oversees gender-affirming care for Planned Parenthood in four states, including West Virginia, believes that the recently signed bill banning gender-affirming care for minors in West Virginia will create unnecessary barriers to care, particularly for families without resources, and argues that denying access to care will harm young people. Related Article: Iowa Passes Controversial Bills Banning Gender-Affirming Care for Minors and Imposing Restrictions on Transgender Bathroom Use Flickr/Gage Skidmore United States Senator Josh Hawley stated in an interview with Fox News that the Nashville school shooting should be investigated as a hate crime because the transgender shooter intentionally targeted Christians. The Trans Resistance Network, a trans activist group, stated that the shooter needed to be seen and chose to kill six people at a private Presbyterian school. The Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake shared that some people believe the shooter resented attending the school. The School Shooting Believed to Target the People in Faith, Says Senator Hawley According to Hawley, the police have informed that the shooting targeted the Christian school, students, and employees. He added that it was a premeditated and deliberate attempt to target the school, and it is considered a hate crime when someone targets people of faith. In the report in Christianity Daily, the tragic shooting in a Christian school in Nashville resulted in taking the lives of six individuals, including three students and the school's head. The shooter was identified by police as Audrey Hale, a 28-year-old transgender woman, was also killed by the police. Hale was reportedly carrying two "assault-type rifles" and a handgun. According to reports, the police are investigating a home linked to the shooter, where Hale may have prepared for the shooting and even written a manifesto. The Nashville police Chief, John Drake, shared this information with the public in a statement. Also Read: 42 Suspects Detained in Connection with Deadly Jerusalem Synagogue Shooting Christians Accused of Transphobia Might be the Motive of the Shooter Christians are believed and have been accused of having transphobia because of the belief system regarding on gender and sexuality, such as their opposition to gender transition surgeries, and are unwilling to educate children about gender identity and sexual preference in schools. According to a shared article in Yahoo! News, recently, a teacher in Michigan made a statement suggesting that it is more commendable to kill someone with racist, homophobic, or transphobic views than to silence them simply. The tragic incident in the Christian School in Nashville was not targeted at specific individuals. The motive behind the attack is still yet to be revealed, and the police have not released the shooter's manifesto or the maps they drew of the school that they allegedly prepared before the attack. Senator Josh Hawley believes that the manifesto is crucial evidence in the investigation and a potential hate crime case. He tweeted that the shooting was a federal hate crime against Christian children and teachers since it targeted a Christian school. Senator Hawley's spokesperson responded to NBC News by directing them to a tweet in which the senator expressed concern about a bill granting the federal government the authority to regulate offensive speech. Hawley warned that such a move would effectively create a "speech police" and allow the government to monitor what is considered offensive speech. On the other hand, Hawley introduced a Senate resolution condemning the recent school shooting in Nashville as a hate crime. Hate crimes must be considered according to the senator's letter to the police. Related Article: Nashville Christian School Shooting Takes 6 Lives Including 3 Students; Shooter Found Dead at the Scene Pexels/Comunidade Jave Nissi The Eucharistic congress will be held in New York City from Friday, Oct. 20 to Sunday, Oct. 22. Bishop Edward Scharfenberger of Albany expects thousands of people who wish to be closer to Jesus and take part in this historical event that lasts for three days. New York Eucharistic Congress On Tuesday, Mar. 21, Bishop Edward Scharfenberger stated that they are looking forward to welcoming over 10,000 attendees to the Eucharistic Congress, who desire to grow in their relationship with Jesus and participate in this momentous occasion for three days, Catholic News Agency reported. As mentioned, it would be a fantastic moment to share one's faith in Jesus with others and rekindle one's trust in Jesus. The gathering will include several chances for prayer and adoration before the Holy Sacrament, socializing, and excellent speakers. On Friday, Oct. 20, the Eucharistic Congress will begin at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Oct. 21, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York will preside over the principal Mass, which will start at 11 a.m. and be followed by a eucharistic procession. There will also be a Mass to conclude the convention on Sunday, Oct. 22. Moreover, on Friday and Saturday nights, adoration of the Eucharist will take place beginning at 10 p.m. and continuing until 7 a.m. The Eucharistic Congress will be held at the Our Lady of Martyrs Shrine in Auriesville, New York, approximately an hour and a half north of Albany. Despite its location within the Albany Diocese, the shrine is financially self-sufficient and is managed by a charitable organization. Its facilities include a stadium with seating for 10,000 people. As per The Tablet, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops sponsored the National Eucharistic Revival as an initiative that seeks to restore knowledge and fidelity to the profound mystery of Jesus' presence in Communion and to inspire all Catholics to make the Eucharist the source and summit of their faith. More than 80,000 Catholics are expected to attend the event in July 2024 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, which was initiated on Corpus Christi Sunday in June of last year. Also Read:Churches in Europe Call for 'Eucharistic Adoration' to Pray for Peace in Ukraine Significance of Eucharistic Congress According to the New Advent, gatherings of clerics and laypeople to celebrate and honor the Holy Communion and seek the best means to spread its knowledge and love throughout the globe are known as Eucharistic Congresses. One of the most fundamental tenets of the Catholic faith is that Jesus Christ is truly present in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Because of this, it is of the utmost significance as the most priceless inheritance that Jesus Christ has given to His church. The Eucharist is the focal point of Catholic worship and inspires Christian devotion. The primary benefits of these congresses have been the concentration of the thoughts of the faithful upon the mystery of the altar, as well as the making known to them how devotion towards the Holy Eucharist may be promoted and implanted in the hearts of the people. Promoters of Eucharistic congresses believe that devotion to the Holy Eucharist has increased in recent years if works of adoration, Confraternities of the Blessed Sacrament, and the practice of frequent Communion have spread swiftly and widely. These may be attributed in large part to the events. Related Article:'Eucharistic Miracle' During Communion at St. Thomas Catholic Church As Hosts Duplicated in Ciborium Pexels/Tsaone Raymond Nthebolang A 2023 Black Conservative Summit discussion about education in urban areas made Pastor TJ Grooms of New Beginnings Church and CEO of Vertex Partnership Academies, Ian Rowe, think about establishing an all-boys school for Black youth to promote 'Kingdoms culture' and drop the poverty rate. Establishing All-Boys School For Black Youth On Friday, Mar. 24, participants in a panel discussion at the 2023 Black Conservative Conference in Chicago, Illinois, emphasized the importance of implementing school reform in urban regions nationwide. Christian Post reported that Pastor TJ Grooms and CEO Ian Rowe believe that schools need to focus primarily on young black men to promote family values in the generation that comes after them. Rowe began the discussion by citing some disheartening statistics. He stated that out of the nearly 41,000 black women who became pregnant in New York City in 2019, approximately 21,000 pregnancies ended in abortion, while the remaining 20,000 pregnancies resulted in live births. Rowe revealed that 70% of black children were born in New York City to parents who were not married. He asserted that an all-boys school could assist young men in considering their roles as fathers, husbands, and responsible parents. It is reportedly essential to run good schools and have them educate robust maths, science, reading, and everything else a school should do. Moreover, Grooms, an assistant pastor at New Beginnings Church in Chicago, expressed the desire of his church to establish an all-boys Christian school for students in grades first through eighth. The pastor asserted that people must make a concentrated effort to win these young men and prepare them to be the heads of their families, knowing the significance of manhood, not when they are teenagers, but when they are still developing. Also, Grooms outlined the goals he has for his school and promised that pupils will be encouraged to embrace what he referred to as "one culture that supersedes all cultures, and that's the Kingdom's culture." On the other hand, Rowe provided more statistical evidence to support his statement that "the poverty rate for black married couples has been in single digits for as long as the data has been gathered." He presented a path to success that will keep young people out of poverty. The first step on this path is for young people to "complete their education" before moving on to "employment, relationships, marriage, and ultimately children." Rowe also noted that a school that only admitted male students would be the place to discuss the anticipated benefits or repercussions of making these selections without knowing what is truly possible in their lives. Furthermore, Rowe and Grooms proposed that public charter and faith-based all-boys schools should go beyond bridging the achievement gap between black and white students. "Closing the gap means universal mediocrity," Rowe added. Also Read: Jewish Parents Take Legal Action Against California Department of Education For Equal Access to Special Education Poverty on Black People According to Brooking, Black-white inequality and racial injustice have been at the forefront for the past year. These issues include policing, criminal justice, job market discrimination, educational inequality, social capital inequality, and the racial wealth gap. The National Alliance to End Homelessness stated that there is a strong connection between race and low income, and poverty in the United States. The percentage of black Americans who live below the poverty line, 21%, places them in second place among all racial groupings, behind only the Native American population, which has a poverty rate of 25%. African-American households, in particular, have barely ten cents worth of wealth for every dollar white families hold. A person experiencing poverty will likely be unable to afford necessary expenses such as food, health care costs, and housing, making it a key predictor of homelessness. Hence, the overrepresentation of people of African descent among those living in poverty is a direct cause of the latter group's overrepresentation in the homeless population. Related Article:BTS and their fans donate $1 million to Black Lives Matter Pexels/Chikondi Gunde On Tuesday, March 28, the Park City Presbyterian Church (PCPC) in Dallas, Texas, organized a prayer session to mourn the loss of young Hallie Scruggs, who was one of the victims of the school shooting that took place in Nashville on Monday. It was discovered that Scruggs was the daughter of the senior pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church, the congregation affiliated with the institution. Prayer Service for School Shooting Victim According to Fox News, on Tuesday around 12 p.m., PCPC members gathered in Dallas, with many holding Bibles. There was a wide range of ages represented at the event, with some attendees being small enough to be taken care of in a stroller and others being elderly enough to require the assistance of a walker. In a statement to the media issued by the church and published on its website, the senior pastor of PCPC, Mark Davis, expressed the support the religious community has for the Scruggs family. The "unimaginable tragedy" that occurred at Covenant Presbyterian School in Nashville has caused the PCPC family in Dallas to be "deeply heartbroken," according to Paul Goebel, assistant pastor of the Dallas church. Moreover, News Channel 8 reported that on Wednesday, March 29, a prayer session was conducted at the All Souls Unitarian Church in Nashville, Tennessee, for the families of the victims of the recent school shooting in that city. At 5:30 p.m., residents from the community and members of the All Souls church gathered to pray for the families of the shooting victims and the communities negatively impacted by the tragedy. In its declaration, the church wants to reaffirm its commitment to fostering peace, justice, and compassion and hopes to create a society where people do not dread being violently harmed. Also Read:Christmas Tragedy: Multiple Shootings Leave 14 Dead and 16 Injured Across the U.S. Nashville School Shooting NBC News reported that on Monday, March 27, a heavily armed former student returned to a private Christian school in Nashville to carry out an attack there. The attack resulted in the deaths of six individuals, including three children. According to the police, a neighboring car was able to assist in identifying the person responsible for the shooting as Hale. Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake stated that officials suspect Hale may have identified as transgender, but he did not disclose any other information on this possibility. As per the statements made by police on Tuesday, Hale legally purchased seven firearms by going to five local gun stores. The former pupil, who was 28 years old, fired shots through the locked doors of The Covenant School shortly after 10:00 a.m., according to the police. After a confrontation with many police from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, the shooter was taken out in under an hour and dead. But, Drake stated that "resentment" may have been a reason for the crime. Detectives are currently looking into writings that the shooter left behind. Drake shared his thoughts with Lester Holt; he stated that there was a belief that there was some resentment for going to that institution. Related Article:Nashville Christian School Shooting Takes 6 Lives Including 3 Students; Shooter Found Dead at the Scene Unsplash/Sasun Bughdaryan The Churchome, led by Judah Smith and his wife Chelsea, faces a lawsuit filed by their employees for allegedly imposing a compulsory tithing policy that mandated their staff to give 10% of their gross earnings to the church. To comply with this policy, one of its employees sold his house. Lawsuit Filed Against Churchome On Tuesday, Mar 21, a complaint consisting of 44 pages was submitted to the King County Superior Court in Washington on behalf of Churchome employee Rachel Kellogg and at least 100 other employees affected by the policy over the past three years. A report from the Christian Post stated that as defendants, the complaint names Judah Smith, Churchome's chief communicator, Chelsea Smith, the church's chief theologian, and David Kroll, Churchome's chief executive officer. The attorneys representing Kellogg, Toby J. Marshall and Jasmin Rezaie-Tirabadi of the Terrell Marshall Law Group PLLC, assert in the complaint that the actions of the Smiths and Kroll violate the state's Consumer Protection Act as well as the Wage Rebate Act of Washington. The allegation claims that the defendants established the tithing policy "in pursuit of financial gain or livelihood" for themselves and their "marital community." As mentioned, Kellogg was not informed of Churchome's tithing policy in the job posting or during orientation when she was first hired. In April 2020, when she was participating in a remote staff meeting with Judah Smith, she realized how seriously the tithing policy should be taken. It was one month after the church stopped holding church services in person due to COVID-19. The complaint states that defendant Judah Smith informed all workers of the Defendants' policy that the employees were obligated to contribute ten percent of their earnings back to Churchome and warned them that former employees were fired because they failed to meet this company requirement. However, in December 2020, Kellogs got injured due to a car accident and failed to comply with the tithing policy of the church. Churchome's then-Chief Creative Officer Wes Halliburton told Kellogg in a November 2021 phone call that she needed to start giving the mandatory 10% of her salary back to Churchome every month. After many attempts by superiors to persuade her to tithe 10% of her money to Churchome, Joe Goods, the church's content director, told her that he sold his home to meet the tithing requirement when he fell on hard straits. Moreover, recent allegations indicate that Churchome engaged in Hillsong Church's honorarium system. Churchome joined Hillsong Family for $100,000 per year. Whistleblower documents reportedly claimed that Hillsong Family pastors have access to a preaching circuit where they travel and dine in luxury at the expense of host churches and receive tens of thousands in cash honorariums. According to Marie Claire, Churchome is Hollywood's most influential Christian church. The Smiths say their church draws more than 10,000 people weekly to its five venues in Washington State and California, including its Wednesday-evening service at the historic Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, where celebrities often sit in the front rows, paparazzi guard the back doors. Kourtney Kardashian, Ciara, Russell Wilson, and Selena Gomez attend L.A. services. Also Read:Arizona Christian University Files Lawsuit Against School District Over Violation of University's Constitutional rights, Arizona's Free Exercise of Religion Act Churchome's Response to the Lawsuit In response to KING 5's request for comment from Churchome, the company's attorney told them, "The First Amendment protects a church's right to restrict employment to those employees who choose to abide by church teaching." The church asserted that they intend to "vigorously defend the rights of all religious institutions to live, teach, and model their faith through their employees." Accordingly, Churchome's Declaration of Faith and employee handbook have incorporated tithing for years. They believe that the Bible says that all Christians should tithe, which is the worshipful act of giving God the first 10% of our income in response to what Jesus has already given them. Related Article:Wilson County Government Filed Lawsuit Against Pastor Greg Locke For Zoning Violation, Excessive Noise at Global Vision Bible Church Christian churches throughout the world will begin our holiest week of the year on what is popularly known as Palm Sunday. It commemorates one of the few events in the life of Jesus recorded in all four gospel stories: his entry into Jerusalem, followed by a raucous and warm welcome and a lot of waving branches. (Only John 12:13 mentions they were palms.) In Israel today, churches still reenact the journey from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalemthe route supposedly taken by Jesus all those centuries ago. As a kid, even in the nonliturgical world of the Black Baptist tradition, I recall receiving my palm branch and dutifully marching into the sanctuary with a palm in one hand and my unintelligible King James Bible in the other. This year on Palm Sunday, I will be the adult trying to make sure my children dont use the palms as weapons to tickle and annoy their siblings. As I study this story in Scripture, Im struck by the fact that the primary symbol for this daya palmwas not chosen by Jesus. John writes, They took palm branches and went out to meet him (John 12:13). Why did the crowd choose palm branches? It could simply have been that palms were nearby. But history tells us there might have been a deeper reason: Those plants were symbolically linked to military victories and Messiahship. A generation before Jesus, when Simon Maccabee drove Israels enemies out Jerusalem, people celebrated by waving palm branches: On the twenty-third day of the second month, in the one hundred seventy-first year, the Jews entered it with praise and palm branches, and with harps and cymbals and stringed instruments, and with hymns and songs, because a great enemy had been crushed and removed from Israel. (1 Mac. 13:51, NRSV) The Testament of Naphtali, another book written by Jews of that period, also discussed palm branches in the context of messianic expectation. So when Jesus entered Jerusalem, people used them to interpret his identity. He was another Simon Maccabeea long-hoped-for king who would drive out the Gentiles. All the Gospels are clear that Jesus chose a symbol, a way for his people to make sense of his kingship. But it was the young donkey, not the palm branch (John 12:14). John rightly sees the donkey as Jesus intended. It was the fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9, which says, Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Article continues below Jesus picked a symbol that emphasized humility and lowliness instead of military strength. That fact should inform how we celebrate and remember his entry into Jerusalem. Of course, it would be impractical for every church across the globe to find a donkey to drag into and out of its sanctuary. But we can spend Palm Sunday reflecting on what it means to follow a king who rejected the way of violence. As we look to the donkey, not the palm, what practices might it inspire? What aspects of American Christian culture might it critique? Im not arguing that all public expressions of Christianity need to be passive and nonassertive. In the public square, for example, I notice some Christians tone policing others and being uncomfortable with displays of emotion. Their goal is a reserved faith that never speaks plainly about the evils lurking in the hearts of people or society more broadly. Christians can and should use strong words, especially as they relate to structural injustice or personal unrighteousness. On the flip side, Ive noticed that some of us have become much too confident in our own discernment. Were convinced that we are right and our enemies are not just wrong but evil. Surely Jesus hates the things we hate, doesnt he? Surely he wants to establish his rule through us right now, one angry tweet and fiery comment at a time. And so we pick up our palm branches and raise our shouts in support of the Jesus weve created in our minds, not the crucified Messiahwhose rule is rooted and grounded in love. He has become a rallying cry for our agenda, not his. As Russell Moore writes, Jesus is right in saying this sort of hatred and violence never leads where we think it willto a vanquishing of all of our enemies and to a victory for us, whoever us is. We have forgotten that the world is both the object of Gods affection and a place in rebellion against its creator. Christian faithfulness involves holding these things in tension. We have granted so many exceptions to the love command that its almost empty of meaning. We have hoarded Gods grace for ourselves while refusing to offer it to others. All of us are shouting about Jesus but not paying attention to his own words and actions. To be clear, I am not a killjoy. I have no desire to snatch the palm branches out of the hands of happy children or to end the long tradition of processions and hymns that mark this day. Instead, I hope that during Holy Week celebrations, we can slow down enough to think about the conflicting messages of Palm Sunday. Article continues below Jesus claim to be the Messiah was not simply about a goalGods rule over all things. He and the crowd agreed on that point. His earthly life and ministry were also about the means of accomplishing that goal: namely, sacrificial love. Jesus gave us not only the gift of forgiveness, flowing through his Passion and resurrection, but also a way to follow. That way needs to inform our public and private witness. Stated differently, Im worried that, in our desire to defeat enemies, were losing Christian virtuesthe fruit of the Spirit. If we strive to establish Gods rule through self-assertion over neighborly care, pragmatism over principle, and malice over love, then whatever else we accomplish, we are no longer following in the way of Jesus. God chose meekness, integrity, and love to gather his people. That is the message of Palm Sunday. For all the shouts of acclamation, Jesus never lost sight of the cross. This Holy Week, then, lets follow the one who sits atop the donkey, so that he can remind us again of the way to life eternal. Esau McCaulley is an associate professor of New Testament at Wheaton College. He is theologian-in-residence at Progressive Baptist Church, a historically Black congregation in Chicago, and author of the forthcoming memoir, How Far to the Promised Land: One Black Familys Story of Hope and Survival in the American South. [ This article is also available in espanol. ] On Monday, Kathy Fincher looked into Martin Luther King Jr.s eyes and knew something wasnt quite right. The statue of King that she had been working on for years is said to be the first to portray the civil rights leader and preacher wearing robes and holding a Bible. For Fincher, the design relies on Kings heavenward gaze, on the eyes that have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord, as he said in his 1968 Ive Been to the Mountaintop speech. Days before the statues April 1 unveiling in Atlanta, she removed a piece of clay and made some last-minute adjustments during the patina process so his eyes reflected the light. My idea was he would be on a mountaintop, with a Moses-type look, and he would be talking to God, said the Georgia artist, who listened on repeat to the famous speech from the eve of Kings assassination. I designed it so his hands would be face up, so hed be catching the light that was given to him, not sideways like he was preaching, and his eyes and head were raised up. The eight-foot, two-inch King monument takes its place on Saturday among what will eventually be 18 statues of Georgia peacemakers at the Rodney Cook Sr. Peace Park in the Vine City neighborhood. The Peace Park opened two years agoa reconstruction of Mims Park, the first integrated park in Atlanta. In remembrance of the 55th anniversary of Kings death, community leaders, politicians, and clergy will join together for a peace walk and a first view of the statue. The lineup for the event includes Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King and CEO of the King Center, as well as Andrew Young, civil rights leader and former Atlanta mayor. Also speaking and praying on Saturday are philanthropists Clyde Strickland, Dame Didi Wong, and Tim Minard, who partnered with the National Monuments Foundation to commission the statue. They were intentional about creating a monument to portray King as a man of God. The Ive Been to the Mountaintop statue, by Fincher and fellow Georgia sculptor Stan Mullins, shows King in flowing robes, pulling details from Kings fathers 100-year-old robes that were loaned to the artists by Alveda King. He holds the Bible, curled open in the shape of a dove, turned to the last chapters of Deuteronomy. Fincher modeled the Bible after one that belonged to Kings brother, who was Alvedas father. Fincher said when she saw the page at the end of Deuteronomy, it had been stained by the ribbon bookmark, with a red star drawn next to the verse where Moses died having not seen the Promised Land. King stands atop a rock from Stone Mountain, the Confederate monument in Georgia referenced in his I Have a Dream speech. Image: Courtesy of the National Monuments Foundation For the statues backers, it is not merely another landmark to King; they pray it will be a marker of a revival. The statue represents a bigger movement to recover the spiritual legacy of the civil rights movement and offer it to a new generation living in polarized times. Strickland and the others involved see the principles King preached and practiced as instrumental in todays pursuit of peace and justice. They launched World Peace Revival as a global prayer movement drawing from Kings commitment to peace. As Christians, they recognize how Kings teachings apply across religions and borders but also stem from Kings own faith convictions. Young, whose statue was already erected in the Peace Park, is part of this living legacy. A pastor who worked alongside King and shared his commitment to nonviolence, Young spoke of his reliance on the Spirit during the civil rights movement and has joined the efforts to promote peacemaking in the modern day through scholarships and school curricula. A lot of the younger generation arent as connected the civil rights movement, said DePriest Waddy, CEO of the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia, which has been involved in the World Peace Revival and statue. We have to keep these stories in the airways. Waddy referenced the boldness modeled by King in his famous addresses like the Ive Been to the Mountaintop speech, which concluded: Weve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesnt matter with me now, because Ive been to the mountaintop, and I dont mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But Im not concerned about that now. I just want to do Gods will, and hes allowed me to go up to the mountain. And Ive looked over, and Ive seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the Promised Land! And so Im happy tonight. Im not worried about anything. Im not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord! Matt Daniels helped develop a global civil rights curriculum for educational publisher McGraw Hill through his organization Good of All and is also working on materials to bring Kings teachings into church and Sunday school lessons. We have been given in Dr. Kings teachings a repository of truth, said Daniels. He believed in the imago Dei, even in those who opposed him. He sees teaching peacemaking and racial justice in the digital age as a form of counterprogramming for hateful content that takes off online. You cant censor, said Daniels. You must go on offense for the good. Growing up in Atlanta, artist Fincher said Kings message rubbed us wrong in that time, but his words were true. With this statue project, the Southern Baptist has developed a deeper appreciation for Kings biblical witness and joined in the organizers prayers for healing and revival. She prayed that the depiction of King would encourage preachers who put on their robes each Sundayand the faithful in their flocksto speak with boldness. Merrick Garland: DOJ not yet treating Nashville Christian school shooting as hate crime 'Motive hasnt been identified,' Garland told lawmakers Attorney General Merrick Garland has said that federal investigators are not yet treating the mass shooting at the Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee, as a hate crime, arguing that a motive has not been established yet. During a U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Tuesday, Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana asked Garland about how the shooting at The Covenant School, where a trans-identified gunman killed three children and three adults, was being investigated. I realize that the shooter is dead, but the shooter could have had collaborators, said Kennedy. Do you plan on opening a hate crime investigation for the targeting of Christians? Garland responded that both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were on the scene, working with the local police. As of now, motive hasnt been identified, said Garland. And the police chief said at his last press conference that they dont yet have reason to conclusion with respect to motive. We are certainly working full time with them to try to determine what the motive is, and of course motive is what determines whether it is a hate crime or not. .@SenJohnKennedy on Nashville, TN school shooting: "Do you plan on opening a hate crime investigation?" Attorney General Garland: "As of now a motive hasn't been identified...motive is what determines whether it's a hate crime or not." pic.twitter.com/KIvtMQ9UgS CSPAN (@cspan) March 28, 2023 Garland said authorities are working to determine the motive via things like going through social media, going through what was recovered through the search of the house. Later in the hearing, Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee said that police had already announced that Hale had left behind a manifesto and other writings that indicated deeply disturbing motives, as well as plans for another attack. If the evidence suggests that the killers motives were political or ideological, I just want to confirm with you, that part of your investigation would be to determine whether this constitutes a hate crime or domestic terrorism, Hagerty told Garland. The attorney general responded in the affirmative, noting that a motive that was based on the religion or political ideology of the victims is a hate crime. On Monday, 28-year-old Audrey Hale, a woman who identified as male, entered The Covenant School and killed six adults before she was shot dead by police. The shooting spurred strong reactions from both sides of the political aisle, with many progressives arguing that the incident showed the need for stricter gun laws, while many conservatives expressed concern that this represented increased violence against Christians who opposed the LGBT movement. The Covenant School was tied to a church affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in America, a denomination that holds theologically conservative views on marriage and sexuality. Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, calling for them to investigate the mass shooting as a hate crime. According to Nashville law enforcement, Hales attack was both premeditated and targeted against this Christian school, its students and employees, wrote Hawley. I urge you to immediately open an investigation into this shooting as a federal hate crime. The full resources of the federal government must be brought to bear to determine how this crime occurred, and who may have influenced the deranged shooter to carry out these horrific crimes. Grand jury indicts 2 more abortion activists for defacing pro-life clinics in Florida Two more pro-abortion activists have been arrested for allegedly vandalizing pro-life pregnancy centers in Florida as the number of arrests made in connection with such crimes continues to increase. The U.S. Department of Justice announced in a statement Wednesday that a federal grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida indicted Gabriella Oropesa and Annarella Rivera for engaging in a "conspiracy to prevent employees of reproductive health services facilities from providing those services." Oropesa and Rivera are the second set of defendants charged with defacing at least one pro-life organization in Florida following the May 2 publication of a leaked draft U.S. Supreme Court decision indicating that justices were prepared to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide. Caleb Freestone and Amber Smith-Stewart were previously charged in connection with the acts of vandalism in January. As outlined in the indictment, Rivera, Freestone and Smith-Stewart face additional charges for violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act by "using threats of force to intimidate and interfere with the employees of a reproductive health services facility" because "those employees were providing or seeking to provide reproductive health services" as well as "intentionally damaging and destroying the facility's property because the facility provides reproductive health services." The defendants' arrests come as part of an investigation conducted by the FBI Tampa Field Office in conjunction with the FBI Miami Field Office, the Miami Police Department, the Hialeah Police Department and the Hollywood Police Department. The indictment implicates the quartet of defendants in the May 28 defacement of a Hollywood, Florida-based pro-life pregnancy center identified as "Facility A" and an "affiliate of the Archdiocese of Miami Ministry." A picture shared on social media by Dr. Grazie Pozo Christie, an EWTN radio host and member of the Florida State Board of Education, reveals graffiti spray-painted on the side of the South Broward Pregnancy Help Center in Hollywood reading "If abortions aren't safe then [neither] are you." The indictment charges the defendants with spray-painting that phrase on the facility in question. The Pregnancy Care Center at which I volunteer as a radiologist was vandalized. Violent threats are terrifying and I hope they are prosecuted to the max. Also, this hurts our poor clients the most, who need help to bring their VERY wanted children into the world. pic.twitter.com/S9CbYwIjUy Grazie Pozo Christie, M.D. (@GChristiemd) June 8, 2022 Additionally, the indictment lists Freestone, Smith-Stewart and Rivera as the parties responsible for the June 26 vandalism of a Winter Haven, Florida-based pro-life pregnancy center with graffiti proclaiming, "YOUR TIME IS UP!!" "WE'RE COMING FOR U" and "We are everywhere." The indictment did not name the Winter Haven-based pro-life facility targeted by the vandals. However, the LifeChoice Pregnancy Center in Winter Haven shared a statement on its social media account on June 26 containing pictures of graffiti that included the phrases highlighted in the indictment. According to the indictment, Freestone and Oropesa were also the perpetrators behind the defacement of a Hialeah, Florida-based pro-life organization a week later. The description of the July 3 vandalism of the facility matches a social media post from the Heartbeat of Miami Pregnancy Help Medical Clinics. The organization shared pictures of vandalism of the building, which included a message written in graffiti declaring that "If abortions aren't safe [then] neither are you." If convicted, Rivera, Freestone and Smith-Stewart face up to 12 years in prison, three years of supervised release and fines of up to $350,000. Oropesa could spend 10 years behind bars and be subject to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The three pro-life pregnancy centers in Florida constitute a small sample of the pro-life organizations and churches targeted by pro-abortion activists following the leak of the draft U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, concluding that the U.S. Constitution does not contain a right to abortion. The varying degrees of vandalism continued after the Supreme Court handed down the Dobbs decision on June 24. In addition to the arrests in Florida dating back to January, local law enforcement officials have captured a suspect in the March 16 defacement of CompassCare's pro-life pregnancy center in Amherst, New York. A partnership of local and federal law enforcement agencies arrested a suspect in the firebombing of a Wisconsin pro-life organization last year as he sought to depart the country earlier this week. The person behind last spring's firebombing of CompassCare, which caused extensive fire damage, remains at large nearly a year later. The FBI has offered a $25,000 reward for anyone with information that could lead to the conviction of the person responsible. CompassCare CEO Rev. Jim Harden has emerged as one of the most outspoken critics of the federal government's response to the wave of attacks targeting pro-life pregnancy centers and churches in the past year. In a statement responding to the arrest of a suspect in connection with the firebombing of Wisconsin Family Action, Harden expressed concerns about the DOJ's statement announcing the matter that could also apply to the agency's announcement about the arrest of additional pro-abortion activists in Florida. "What they left out of the press releases speaks volumes," he said, adding that the agency failed to identify the fact that the organization targeted was pro-life and that it was "one of over 300 similar attacks nationwide." Harden lamented that the suspect was "not being charged with committing an act of domestic terror." He suggested that the DOJ was "playing politics" by declining to highlight the role the intense national debate on abortion played in the attack, as the Biden administration has opposed the Dobbs decision. 'Banality of evil': Scholars explain what's behind assisted suicide's expansion in the West WASHINGTON As assisted suicide rises to new record levels in some areas of the globe, experts say that the "banality of evil" and expressive individualism are playing a role as governments in the United States, Canada and Europe are pushing the envelope by expanding who can access "medical aid in dying." On Tuesday, the Institute for Human Ecology (IHE) at The Catholic University of America hosted a panel discussion titled "What is Euthanasia Doing to the West?" Panelists pondered the reasoning behind the rise of assisted suicide in the West. The panelists included The New Atlantis Editor Ari Schulman, author Leah Libresco and medical humanities Professor Charlie Camosy at the Creighton University School of Medicine. New York Times columnist Ross Douthat, a media fellow for IHE, moderated the discussion. A brief history Camosy highlighted the history of assisted suicide in Western policies, including the formation of Dignitas in Switzerland in 1998, which provides "assisted suicide tourism." In 2001, the Dutch Parliament approved a bill legalizing euthanasia in the Netherlands, with Belgium following suit in 2002. The country lifted its age restriction on euthanasia in 2014, allowing children to seek it. In the U.S., assisted suicide is legal in 10 states and the District of Columbia. Oregon legalized assisted suicide through a ballot measure in 1995, a decision that went into effect in 1997. Vermont became the first state to legalize assisted suicide in 2013 through the legislative process. According to data from the Oregon government, 278 people died via assisted suicide in 2022 in the state, a 17% increase from the previous year and a new record. Since Oregon legalized assisted suicide in 1997, over 3,000 people in the state have received prescriptions under the state's Death With Dignity Act, and 2,454 people have died from taking the medications. Among the concerns listed by those who ended their lives, 88.8% said they feared losing the ability "to engage in activities making life enjoyable" and 86.3% said they were worried about "losing autonomy." Over 40% said they were concerned about being a "[b]urden on family, friends/caregivers." Camosy warned about a "slippery slope," stressing that accepting assisted suicide turns into acceptance of euthanasia. This eventually turns into accepting euthanasia for physical illness to euthanasia for psychological distress, he claimed. "Once you permit it, it's very difficult to keep it where it originally was intended because medically and morally, it seems unjust to limit it to the particular population for which it was intended," Camosy said. 'Slippery slope' Schulman addressed the "slippery slope" in Canada, which legalized assisted suicide in 2016. At the time, the country only permitted doctor-assisted suicide for citizens or permanent residents at least 18 years old with "a serious and incurable disease, illness or disability" that included "enduring and intolerable suffering." Canadian Parliament expanded the law in 2022 to patients with non-threatening physical disabilities, intending to offer assisted suicide to people with mental illness by March before the Canadian government announced a temporary delay in December. Doing so would make Canada one of six countries where an individual suffering from mental illness can seek assisted suicide. "One of the questions that presents itself is when somebody shows up to a medical professional or a mental health professional, how do you distinguish between these two people?" Schulman asked. "You're supposed to recognize one person and tell them, 'You're wrong. Your life is worth living.' And another person you're supposed to say, 'This choice is the right one. We're going to help you carry it out.'" Canada is unable to distinguish between these two cases, The New Atlantis editor argued, pointing to "the sheer scale of the number of people being killed" and the approval numbers. According to Schulman, only 4% of people in the last year were denied an application for assisted suicide in Canada. As CP reported in February, MAID provider Dr. Madeline Li published an op-ed in the Canadian magazine Maclean's, claiming that MAID has gone too far and is "missing fundamental safeguards for vulnerable people." The provider expressed disapproval towards offering assisted suicide to people with mental illnesses or patients with curable conditions that refuse care. Li recalled a cancer patient with a 65% chance of a cure who was determined eligible for MAID just because he declined care and had a "grievous and irremediable condition." The provider argued that not treating cancer with a high chance of a cure merely because the patient refused help violated "medical practice standards." In another case involving an Ontario man named Tyler Dunlop, the homeless man sought approval to end his life through MAID, believing that death is his only option. Even though Dunlop is healthy and non-disabled, he chose assisted dying because he thinks he doesn't have a future. Schulman doesn't believe Canada is trying to eliminate the weakest people in its population. The issue, he said, has more to do with the "banality of evil." "There is this very bureaucratic language. When you listen to the people who are carrying this out, they are speaking do-gooder language," Schulman said. "They sound very soft-hearted and earnest; they don't sound like the ones who are scheming to systematically eliminate the weak, and yet, that's what they're doing." 'Too much pressure on death' Libresco, a former atheist Catholic writer, believes that another factor behind the spread of assisted suicide is that the broader culture appears to have retreated from death. "I think it's hard in a culture where people don't have good experiences with death through the sense of what the goal is of dying well that isn't just minimizing suffering to articulate what it is we want for each other," the author said. She argued that in the absence of such a model, the culture is left with the "secular model of what a good life looks like." But this model, the writer stressed, only turns on control and expressive individualism. "Where a good experience of life is something that you can manage yourself, can script and judge how well it goes based on how well it follows that script," Libresco said. "Which is not how dying goes." The author contends that this model sets people up for "disappointment," critiquing the second part of the model, which claims that every part of a person's life should be expressive. "Your life should indicate you," she said, explaining the idea. "Everything should be self-chosen; you should author yourself moment to moment. And again, that puts too much pressure on death." Libresco cited an advertisement released in November by La Maison Simons, a Canadian fashion retailer, which celebrated a woman's choice to kill herself. The advertisement, according to the author, treated the choice as an "expression" of who the woman was. The author contends there is a "poisonous" idea culture is presenting to people that unless something is "chosen" or "expressive," it's not "real," and it's not "good." "I think that's the challenge in articulating what it can look like to die well, even in a secular context, without the full context of to die in friendship with Christ, which is ultimately what we're playing for," Libresco said. Canada considers allowing assisted suicide for children without parental consent A parliamentary committee has called for expanding Canada's assisted suicide program so that "mature minors" whose deaths are "reasonably foreseeable" be allowed to hasten their deaths without parental consent. The Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying presented its report last week for discussion in the House of Commons, recommending that minors should be eligible for doctor-assisted suicide. Minors "deemed to have the requisite decision-making capacity upon assessment" should be eligible for the country's Medical Assistance in Dying Program (MAID), the report states in a list of 23 recommendations. The committee urged the Canadian government to "undertake consultations with minors on the topic of MAID, including minors with terminal illnesses, minors with disabilities, minors in the child welfare system and Indigenous minors, within five years of the tabling of this report." The report also recommended that parental consent is not always necessary in certain cases if a minor is eligible for assisted suicide. "That the Government of Canada establish a requirement that, where appropriate, the parents or guardians of a mature minor be consulted in the course of the assessment process for MAID, but that the will of a minor who is found to have the requisite decision-making capacity ultimately take priority," Recommendation 19 in the report reads. While the report recommended expanding MAID to minors, it called for restricting it to only young people whose death is "reasonably foreseeable." The report did not propose an age limit for assisted suicide, stating "eligibility for MAID should not be denied on the basis of age alone." Regarding parental consent, the final report recommends parents be consulted "where appropriate." The majority of the committee's members called for the government to hold formal consultations with Canadians under 18 within the next five years and to provide funding for research into the issue of minors being eligible for MAID. In addition, the committee called for the creation of an independent expert panel to evaluate the criminal code provisions in MAID for "mature minors" within five years. Recommendation 22 calls on the Canadian government to "work with provinces and territories, regulatory authorities, provincial and territorial law societies and stakeholders to adopt the necessary safeguards for advance requests." Conservative members of Parliament objected to the proposal to expand MAID eligibility to minors, highlighting how decision-making capacities, even for mature young people, remain questionable. Citing Dr. Maria Alisha Montes, a clinical associate professor of pediatrics, the report states: "I would argue that MAID for mature minors carries the highest amount of risk, as the consequence is death." "It's irreversible," Montes wrote. "We need to ask ourselves if we should be legalizing this for mature minors when biology shows us that the ability to balance risks and rewards is one of the last areas of the brain to mature." As The Christian Post reported, Canada legalized doctor-assisted suicide in 2016 but was limited to citizens or permanent residents at least 18 years old with "a serious and incurable disease, illness or disability" that included "enduring and intolerable suffering." Canadian Parliament expanded the law in 2022 to patients with non-threatening physical disabilities, intending to offer assisted suicide to people with mental illness by March before the Canadian government announced a temporary delay in December. MAID provider Dr. Madeline Li, who has overseen hundreds of patients hasten their deaths through the program, recently expressed concerns that MAID has gone too far and is "missing fundamental safeguards for vulnerable people." In an op-ed published earlier this month by the Canadian magazine Maclean's, Li voiced disapproval towards offering assisted suicide to people with mental illnesses or patients with curable conditions that refuse care. The provider recalled a cancer patient determined eligible for MAID despite his condition having a 65% chance of a cure. The MAID assessors approved his case just because the patient declined care and had a "grievous and irremediable condition." "[I]t was irremediable because they didn't want the treatments available. That's what the law currently states: as long as the patient doesn't want the treatment, their condition is considered irremediable even if there are effective treatments," she wrote. "But not treating a cancer with such a high chance of cure goes against medical practice standards. The doctors involved had a lot of moral distress about this person's request for MAID. This person signed consent for me to share their story, but I feel differently about it than they did. They saw it as an expression of their autonomy; I saw it as dystopian." Canada wouldn't be the first country to legalize assisted suicide for minors, as the Netherlands and Belgium have allowed the practice. In the Netherlands, children 12 and older can request assisted suicide but must have parental consent unless they are 16 and older. In Belgium, children must have a terminal disease or be near death. They must also have the consent of their parents. House Democrats block resolution condemning violence against churches, pro-life pregnancy centers Congressional Democrats have blocked a resolution that would have condemned the violence directed at churches and pro-life organizations by pro-abortion activists in recent months. On Tuesday, Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., introduced House Resolution 1233, which would "[express] the sense of the House of Representatives condemning the recent attacks on pro-life facilities, groups, and churches." The resolution noted that "since the May 2, 2022 leak of the Supreme Court's draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, individuals professing anti-life views have targeted, destroyed, or vandalized numerous pro-life facilities, groups, and even churches to further their radical cause." The leaked Dobbs draft, published by Politico, indicated that a majority of Supreme Court justices were inclined to reverse the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide. The final Dobbsruling, released on June 24, ultimately reversed Roe and stated the Constitution doesn't confer a right to abortion. The resolution listed examples of the vandalism directed at churches and pro-life organizations before and afterDobbs. Johnson's resolution would have declared that the House "condemns recent attacks of vandalism, violence, and destruction against pro-life facilities, groups, and churches," "recognizes the sanctity of life and the important role pro-life facilities, groups, and churches play in supporting pregnant women, infants, and families." The resolution urged "the Biden Administration to use all appropriate law enforcement authorities to uphold public safety and to protect the rights of" such organizations. Johnson elaborated on the need for the resolution on the House floor as the House considered the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, the Right to Contraception Act and the Respect for Marriage Act. "If the previous question is defeated, Republicans will amend the rule to immediately consider House Resolution 1233," Johnson vowed. FLOOR ALERT: @HouseDemocrats refused @HouseGOP requests to consider @RepMikeJohnsons resolution condemning the escalating violence & vandalism by radical left-wing activists on pro-life & religious organizations that care for pregnant women, infants & families. @GReschenthalerpic.twitter.com/3XoLARiXo7 House Rules Republicans (@RulesReps) July 19, 2022 The previous question was not defeated, as the House agreed to begin debate on the three pieces of legislation in a party-line vote. Later Tuesday, the House approved the Respect for Marriage Act, which would codify same-sex marriage into federal law, accumulating support from all Democrats and 47 Republicans. The Twitter account for Republicans on the House Rules Committee shared a video of Johnson's speech on the House floor. "@HouseDemocrats refused @HouseGOP requests to consider @RepMikeJohnson's resolution condemning the escalating violence & vandalism by radical left-wing activists that care for pregnant women, infants & families," the House Rules Republicans tweeted. The push to pass the Right to Contraception Act and the Respect for Marriage Act, two of the three pieces of legislation House Democrats were seeking to begin debate on, suggests that the Dobbs ruling was very much on their minds. Progressive have feared that the Dobbs decision could pave the way for the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider other landmark Supreme Court rulings championed by Democrats, specifically those legalizing contraception nationwide and requiring all 50 states to recognize same-sex marriages. In a concurring opinion in Dobbs, Justice Clarence Thomas suggested that the court should "reconsider" the aforementioned cases and determine "whether other constitutional provisions guarantee" the "rights" created by those decisions other than the "legal fiction" of "substantive due process." The majority opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito, insisted that this decision concerns the constitutional right to abortion and no other right," adding, "Nothing in this opinion should be understood to cast doubt on precedents that do not concern abortion." Pro-abortion activists calling themselves Jane's Revenge have taken credit for multiple acts of vandalism against churches and pro-life organizations, recently declaring "open season" on such groups. Johnson believes inaction from the House puts churches, pro-life groups and Supreme Court justices at risk. He criticized House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., for only bringing a bill to increase security for Supreme Court justices up for a vote after police arrested a man who admitted he wanted to assassinate Justice Brett Kavanaugh but turned himself over to authorities. The bill unanimously passed the U.S. Senate and ultimately passed the House overwhelmingly six days after the assassination attempt. "Radical leftists were emboldened by the inaction of this body in the aftermath of the leaked opinion," Johnson said. "When will this body stand up against the mob? When will we restore law and order?" Johnson claims that pro-choice elected officials have done the exact opposite. On multiple occasions since the release of the Dobbs decision, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., has echoed the calls from Jane's Revenge, demanding that pro-life pregnancy centers be shut down. Most recently, Warren maintained that such organizations "are there to fool people who are looking for pregnancy termination help." "You should not be able to torture a pregnant person like that," she added. "We need to shut them down here in Massachusetts, and we need to shut them down all around the country." Many pro-life pregnancy centers are staffed by licensed medical professionals and provide things like pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, prenatal care, cancer screenings and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases. Many also provide families with diapers, wipes, baby formula, baby food, clothing and other supplies. Heidi Matzke, the executive director of Alternatives Pregnancy Center in Sacramento, California, told the Senate Judiciary Committee last week that her clinic has recently spent up to $150,000 to improve security measures. "Our clinic is one of 3,000 pregnancy care centers across America," Matzke said. "Each year, hundreds of thousands come to our clinics looking for free medical care, emotional support and practical resources that will enable them to carry their pregnancies to term." Kentucky becomes latest state to ban puberty blockers, sex-change surgeries for kids Kentucky has become the latest state to ban puberty-blocking drugs and body-mutilating sex-change surgeries for youth younger than 18 after lawmakers overrode a veto by Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear. The Republican-led Legislature overwhelmingly voted to override Beshears veto on Senate Bill 150 Wednesday, voting 29-8 in the Senate followed by 76-23 votes in the House. Kentucky state police arrested 19 protesters who were in the House gallery during the proceedings in response to their refusal to stop shouting and chanting after they had been told to keep quiet, reported Politico. I think its unfortunate that it reached that level and certainly they were given, as Ive been told since then, multiple opportunities to either quiet their chants or to leave voluntarily, said Republican House Speaker David Osborne, as quoted by Politico. The American Principles Project, a socially conservative organization, celebrated the bill's passage, noting that it makes Kentucky the 13th state to pass such measures. APP President Terry Schilling said in a statement on Wednesday that many children have been indoctrinated with the spurious idea that they can be born in the wrong body and encouraged to respond to any discomfort with their identity by pursuing life-altering, dangerous drugs and medical procedures. As weve seen this week, this ideological assault on our society has the potential to produce deadly consequences. Lawmakers are not only right to respond; they have an obligation to do so, Schilling said. We are grateful to Kentucky legislators for standing firm and passing this strong law to protect their states children and families, despite Gov. Beshears disgraceful decision to veto it. And we look forward to even more states taking similar actions in the coming days. The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky denounced the lawmakers' votes to override the governor's veto and vowed that they will consider legal action against the new law. Trans Kentuckians, medical and mental health professionals, and accredited professional associations pleaded with lawmakers to listen to the experts, not harmful rhetoric based in fear and hate, said ACLU-KY Executive Director Amber Duke in a statement on Wednesday. To all the trans youth who may be affected by this legislation: we stand by you, and we will not stop fighting. You are cherished. You are loved. You belong. To the commonwealth: we will see you in court. Earlier this month, Kentucky lawmakers overwhelmingly passed SB 150, which, among other things, bans prescribing puberty blockers, chemical castration, physical castration and other surgeries on minors with the purpose of trying to look more like the opposite sex. Often, youth are left with maimed bodies that no longer function sexually after removing sex organs and having surgeries that mutilate their genitals. The bill also prohibits the Kentucky Department of Education from requiring school faculty to have to use the chosen pronouns of trans-identified youth, bans the study of gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation in schools and requires students to use facilities such as bathrooms and locker rooms that are designated for their biological sex rather than their chosen gender identity. After warning of religious attacks' on trans people, media avoid 'Christian' or 'transgender' in Nashville shooting headlines Despite the loss of six lives at a Christian elementary school, not one of the nations biggest newspapers used the words Christian in their headlines for the mass shooting in Nashville earlier this week. The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and even The Chicago Tribune all avoided initially referring to The Covenant School as a Christian school after a heavily-armed woman who was later identified as trans forced her way into the school and killed six people, including three young children. The shooter, later identified as Audrey Hale, 28, of Nashville, was a former student at the school and self-identified as trans, according to Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake. Authorities say Hale was armed with two rifles and a handgun when she made entry just after 10 a.m. Wednesday at the school, located in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville. She was fatally shot during the encounter with officers, police said. Her victims were later identified as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, two of whom were 9 years old and one who was eight and soon to turn 9, and Cynthia Peak, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and Mike Hill, 61. Immediately following the shooting, several national newspapers declined to identify the school as Christian: The New York Times wrote Heavily armed assailant kills 6 at school in Nashville; The Washington Post ran the headline 6 slain in shooting at Nashville school; the Chicago Tribune wrote 6 dead in shooting at Nashville school; and The Wall Street Journal ran its headline as Six Shot Dead in Nashville Elementary School. Other outlets like NBC News avoided using the word trans or transgender in their headlines to describe the suspect, with a search of NBC News for the term yielding a number of older news stories, with only two results relating to the shooting as of March 28, neither of which used the words Christian or transgender in their headline. One of the NBC stories made only a passing mention of Hale as being trans-identified, adding that officials are still determining if it actually played a role into this incident. The same article, however, also used the gender-neutral pronoun they for Hale, a biological female, and suggested in its headline that resentment may have fueled the shootings. CBS News initially reported the shootings took place at a private Christian school and that the suspected shooter is also dead, before updating its tweet to clarify the outlet was still working to confirm Hale's gender identity. As of March 29, there was no mention of Hales trans identity in CBS News lead story, instead referencing Hales reported purchase of seven firearms from five stores prior to Mondays attack. In recent months, a number of national media outlets have sought to portray Christians as a threat to the LGBT community: MSNBC warned in January of mounting attacks on trans-identified youth by religious conservatives and the Christian Right Taxpayer-funded PBS linked escalating attacks on trans rights with the religious rights fixation on abortion, LGBT and other issues The Intercept reported last June on what it described as violent consequences from a Christian fascist insurgency from protesters who opposed drag shows with minors in attendance Business Insider earlier this month suggested a legislative effort to ban body mutilating sex-change surgeries for minors amounted to genocidal rhetoric against LGBT people and used an image of LGBT activists laying on the ground with cardboard signs shaped like tombstones. Jack Hibbs, founding pastor of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills in Southern California, told The Christian Post that while we dont yet know if Christians were specifically targeted in the shooting, its clear that the mainstream media would prefer to portray Christians as the threat to LGBT people. Hibbs called that idea a propaganda scheme rather than reality, because the Christian family really is the actual answer to bringing hope and love and comfort to the [LGBT] community rather than the media spinning it as us being hostile. He also said the media is responsible for fostering hostility toward Christians and Christianity in general. I really do believe that the media is responsible for this genre of attitude and thinking, when in reality if people would just calm down and look around, I see Christians loving, reaching out and bringing hope to a section of people who have lost hope. They're confused, they're terrified. Jesus Christ is the only answer for them, and the Christian who knows that will never be their enemy. The media response to the attack comes as federal government officials have yet to declare the Covenant School shooting as a hate crime. The U.S. Department of Justice did not issue a statement on the Nashville shooting, a move which stood in stark contrast to its statement on the mass shooting in Buffalo, N.Y., last May, which it described as a hate crime and an act of racially-motivated violent extremism and other targeted shootings. When asked by a reporter Tuesday whether he believed Christians were targeted in the Nashville shooting, President Joe Biden smiled and said, I have no idea. EWTNs @owentjensen asked President Biden about whether Christians were targeted in the Nashville mass shooting, tonight on the South Lawn, upon his return from North Carolina. pic.twitter.com/Wl2On7HLMZ EWTN News Nightly (@EWTNNewsNightly) March 28, 2023 Pastor Kennon Vaughan makes first public statement after being lone survivor of plane crash Credits tragedy with giving him a 'greater longing for Heaven' A pastor who emerged as the lone survivor of a plane crash credits the experience as providing him with a greater longing for Heaven and one day reuniting with the four church members who lost their lives in the accident. Kennon Vaughan, the senior pastor of Harvest Church in the Memphis suburb of Germantown, Tennessee, addressed his congregation for the first time Sunday since surviving a Jan. 17 plane crash that killed four other senior members of the church. Speaking arm-in-arm with his wife, Kathryn, an emotional Vaughan described his survival as a miracle of Gods sovereign goodness that He saved me from the crash site. He also described the surgeries he underwent and his recovery. Vaughan expressed sympathy for the family members of the four church members who died in the plane crash and praised the victims as four men that are so dear to me. They are with the Lord, he added, expressing his unwavering assurance of their salvation. What an honor it was to be with them the moment before they met Jesus, he said. That will be a grief we bear for years together, and I know will tether us to those family members, and we just have so much love for them. After vowing to give eulogies for each of the four victims, Vaughan thanked church staff and elders for the way they have led in crisis and in tragedy. He recognized the strength and courage and compassion of their leadership as being such a blessing that has helped us to draw nearer to God and nearer to one another during this time. Hes impressed so deeply on my heart a greater longing for Heaven, Vaughan proclaimed. Part of that is the practical reality that four of my friends that werent there are there now, and I long to laugh with them and be with them and worship with them, and I know that day is coming, but not until Im there. And so, theres a deeper longing. Noting that his wife has not left my side, Vaughan pointed to Kathryn as the personification of the Lords kindness and what marriage is meant to be. Ive always looked up to her in that, but its never been more clear. Vaughan said his wife slept in a wooden chair for 10 days as he remained in the hospital. When I wouldnt be able to sleep, I would just stare at her and think of the Lords faithfulness that I was experiencing through her presence. Ive never been through anything like this, Vaughan said. When theres trauma to your innards, healings a slow process. Vaughan addressed his recovery process, stating that he was unbelievably grateful at how far the Lords brought me and knowing Hes brought me this far to bring me all the way. At the same time, he acknowledged that he was unable to resume his pastoral responsibilities. Vaughan thanked the audience for their prayers, recalling how when I was on the way from the crash site to a smaller hospital in Victoria, and I was in a lot of pain and there was just two men and a gal in the ambulance. I never saw them. I never opened my eyes. But I could hear them, and one of them called my wife. He had me squeeze his fingers so he would know her number and he called her. At that point, I had this sense that the word was about to obviously get out. I had this image of you guys storming the gates of Heaven just with prayers, he told the congregation. It was the most peaceful thing and I had no idea in those moments if I was going to survive. But I knew that the prayers of the saints were going up and the Lords will would be done, and it just gave me great rest. While characterizing the past 10 weeks as the deepest suffering of my life, he found peace in the fact that the Lords drawn nearer than Hes ever drawn, and I know that the fellowship of sharing in Christs suffering is what accelerates the process of Him conforming us into the image of Christ and just insofar as that allows me to be a better husband and a better father and a better pastor, then even in this, to God be the glory. He concluded with a prayer thanking God for a church that is a family at its core, noting that this sense of family runs deeper now than it ever has. Vaughans appearance before his congregation Sunday comes nearly two-and-a-half months after the single-engine Piper PA-46 plane carrying the passengers crashed south of the Yoakum Municipal Airport in Texas. The victims were Bill Garner, the churchs executive vice president, church elder Steve Tucker, and Tyler Patterson and Tyler Springer. The church has compiled a memorial wall for each of the four victims on its website. Garner left behind a wife, four children, three stepchildren, nine grandchildren, a father and stepmother and two brothers and sisters-in-law. Tucker is survived by his wife, daughter and son-in-law, in addition to his mother-in-law, brother, two brothers-in-law, two sisters-in-law and several nieces and nephews. Those mourning the loss of Patterson include his wife and two young children as well as his grandmothers, an aunt and uncle, in addition to several nieces, nephews and cousins. Springers surviving relatives include his parents, brothers, a sister, a brother-in-law, sisters-in-law, a grandmother and several nieces and nephews. Pastor killed, wife abducted by radical Fulani terrorists in Nigeria ABUJA, Nigeria Fulani herdsmen killed a pastor last Thursday in Kaduna state, Nigeria, two weeks after terrorists killed a Baptist pastors son in the same state, sources said. The Rev. Musa Mairimi of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Buda 2 village, near Kasuwan Magani in Kajuru County, was killed in his home and his wife kidnapped, said the chairman of the Kaduna state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Rev. Joseph Hayab. The herdsmen and terrorists invaded the community on Thursday, March 23, and killed the pastor in his house, Hayab said. His wife was taken into captivity at gunpoint. Hayab said that more than 100 Christians have been kidnapped in Kaduna states Kauru, Jaba, Kachia, Kagarko and Kajuru counties. Who will we cry to and who will we run to for help except God? he said. Imagine that since the carnage of kidnapping of Christians started in Kaduna state, no arrests have been made. Area resident Istifanus Maaji requested prayer. Let us pray for the safe return of the wife, the pastor, and other Christians taken captive by the herdsmen and bandits, Maaji said. Pastors son killed In Kaduna states Karimbu-Kahugu village, Lere County, terrorists on March 10 broke into the home of Baptist Pastor Dadi Babas at 1 a.m., killed his son and kidnapped his wife and three other family members while the pastor was attending the funeral of this brother in Bauchi state, he said. Pastor Babas said in a text message that he was informed of the attack at 4 a.m. and that his wife has been released. My son was brutally killed by the terrorists, while my wife, my daughter-in-law, who is nursing a baby, and two other members of my family were kidnapped, he said. As I send this message, three members of my family remain in captivity with the bandits, while my wife was abandoned by the terrorists because of her illness. He said the terrorists are demanding a ransom of 5 million naira ($10,841) for the release of his remaining family members. Peter Mukaddas, vice chairman of the Kahugu National Development Association, identified the assailants as Muslim bandits. We are fervently praying to God to touch the hearts of the terrorists so that they can release the Christians, Mukaddas said in a text message. Nigeria led the world in Christians killed for their faith in 2022, with 5,014, according to Open Doors 2023 World Watch List report. It also led the world in Christians abducted (4,726), sexually assaulted or harassed, forcibly married or physically or mentally abused, and it had the most homes and businesses attacked for faith-based reasons. As in the previous year, Nigeria had the second most church attacks and internally displaced people. In the 2023 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Nigeria jumped to sixth place, its highest ranking ever, from No. 7 the previous year. Militants from the Fulani, Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and others conduct raids on Christian communities, killing, maiming, raping and kidnapping for ransom or sexual slavery, the WWL report noted. This year has also seen this violence spill over into the Christian-majority south of the nation. Nigerias government continues to deny this is religious persecution, so violations of Christians rights are carried out with impunity. Numbering in the millions across Nigeria and the Sahel, predominantly Muslim Fulani comprise hundreds of clans of many different lineages who do not hold extremist views, but some Fulani do adhere to radical Islamist ideology, the United Kingdoms All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom or Belief (APPG) noted in a recent report. They adopt a comparable strategy to Boko Haram and ISWAP and demonstrate a clear intent to target Christians and potent symbols of Christian identity, the APPG report states. Christian leaders in Nigeria have said they believe herdsmen attacks on Christian communities in Nigerias Middle Belt are inspired by their desire to forcefully take over Christians lands and impose Islam as desertification has made it difficult for them to sustain their herds. Pope Francis calls on South Sudanese churches not to stay neutral when witness to acts of injustice Catholics walk 9 days to meet the pontiff in Juba Pope Francis, who is on a three-day peace mission in South Sudan, met with the Catholic leadership, urging churches in the war-torn country not to remain neutral but to speak out against injustice and the abuse of power, as dozens of pilgrims spent nine days walking to reach the capital city of Juba to meet the pontiff. On his first full day in South Sudan on Saturday, Francis addressed Catholic bishops, priests, and nuns in Jubas St. Theresa Cathedral. Brothers and sisters, we, too, are called to intercede for our people, to raise our voices against the injustice and the abuses of power that oppress and use violence to suit their own ends, The Guardian quoted Francis as saying. He said religious leaders cannot remain neutral before the pain caused by acts of injustice. South Sudan has experienced civil war resulting from ethnic conflicts since 2013, two years after gaining independence from Sudan. Despite a 2018 peace agreement, the situation has not improved. Let us ask ourselves what it means for us to be ministers of God in a land scarred by war, hatred, violence and poverty, the pope said. How can we exercise our ministry in this land, along the banks of a river (White Nile) bathed in so much innocent blood? Many citizens of South Sudan see the church as a source of hope as it plays a prominent role in social welfare and in providing a sense of community. According to the United Nations, there are 2.2 million internally displaced people in South Sudan, with another 2.3 million who have fled the country as refugees. Francis also met with internally displaced people (IDPs) at Freedom Hall in Juba, Catholic News Agency reported. You, from all your different ethnic groups, you who have suffered and are still suffering, you who do not want to respond to evil with more evil. You, who choose fraternity and forgiveness, are even now cultivating a better tomorrow, he was quoted as saying. Be seeds of hope, which make it possible for us already to glimpse the tree that one day, hopefully in the near future, will bear fruit. Sara Beysolow Nyanti, a representative of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, also spoke at the event. She said an estimated 8 million people in the country are expected to experience food insecurity this year. About 60 Catholic pilgrims completed a nine-day journey on foot to seek the Popes blessings in Juba, BBC reported. Some women in the group said their faith and love for their country sustained them during their long journey to see the pope. NightRose Falea, a pilgrim, was quoted as saying, When the spirit is with you, you do not get tired. They spent several hours each day walking and spent the nights at parishes along the way. It was tiring but worth it, another pilgrim, Faith Biel, was quoted as saying. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and the head of the Church of Scotland, Iain Greenshields, are accompanying the pope in South Sudan. Pope Francis progressively improving since hospitalization over respiratory illness Pope Francis is reportedly doing better after being hospitalized for serious respiratory issues, as the head of the Roman Catholic Church thanking supporters for their prayers. The 86-year-old Francis was hospitalized Wednesday with a respiratory infection. He was taken to the Gemelli Hospital in Rome for treatment expected to last a few days. In a statement released Thursday via Vatican News, the Holy See Press Office said that the pontiff rested well overnight and his condition was gradually improving. Holy See spokesperson Matteo Bruni said that Francis' "clinical picture is progressively improving and he is continuing with his planned treatment." Bruni stated on Wednesday that Francis "complained of some respiratory difficulties" and was admitted to the hospital for "medical checks." "The outcome of these [tests] showed a respiratory infection (excluding Covid-19 infection) that will require a few days of appropriate hospital medical therapy," Bruni said. Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, took to his official Twitter account Thursday to convey his appreciation for the many prayers he received regarding his condition. "I am touched by the many messages received in these hours and I express my gratitude for the closeness and prayer," he tweeted. Francis was sent to the hospital shortly after he gave his weekly general audience speech at St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. At the time, Bruni told the press that the hospital visit and tests were planned. His schedule for Thursday was cleared "to make space for the continuation of tests should that be necessary." Francis, who already ranks as one of the oldest popes in the history of the Catholic Church, has experienced multiple health issues over the past several months, reports The Washington Post. For example, the pontiff began last year using a wheelchair to get around due to persistent knee pain, with some speculating that he might step down soon, as his predecessor, the late Pope Benedict XVI, did in 2013. "I think at my age and with this limitation, I have to save [my energies up] a bit to be able to serve the church or, on the contrary, think about the possibility of stepping aside. This I say with all honesty," said Francis during a news conference last year, according to The Associated Press. "It is not a catastrophe. It is possible to change pope." The hospitalization comes shortly after Francis celebrated 10 years since he was elected and became the first head of the Catholic Church to come from Latin America. Francis was born in Argentina and served for many years as the Archbishop of Buenos Aires. "Let us pray for one another, let us pray for the whole world, let us have a big brotherhood," said Francis in 2013, shortly after being elected. "This journey for the Church that we will start today, let's open this journey and bear fruits for evangelism." 'Trans Day of Vengeance' rally to be held after Nashville Christian school shooting Activists 'reject any connection' to Covenant School shooter An LGBT advocacy group still plans to hold a "Trans Day of Vengeance" this weekend even though it's drawing criticism in light of the mass shooting Monday at a Nashville Christian school perpetrated by a trans-identified biological female. The Trans Radical Activist Network released a statement Tuesday indicating that its "Trans Day of Vengeance," scheduled to take place in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., Saturday, will move forward as planned. The event will occur just five days after Audrey Hale, a 28-year-old female who identifies as male, opened fire at The Covenant School in Nashville, killing three children and three adults before being killed by police. The school is affiliated with the Covenant Presbyterian Church. The event was planned before the shooting and the group stressed that it was "horrified at the acts of violence committed at the Covenant school." "We are outraged by this tragedy we grieve for Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, William Kinney, Cynthia Peak, Katherine Koonce, and Mike Hill," the organization stated, referring to the victims of the attack. "We also reject any connection between that horrific event and ours," meaning the "Trans Day of Vengeance." The group argues that "vengeance" means "fighting back with vehemence." "We are fighting against false narratives, criminalization, and eradication of our existence," the statement adds. "It is also a call to our allies to stand up and fight with us to bring down the forces that try to divide and subjugate us all. TDOV was created exactly for this. It is about pushing back against unjust and inhumane systems that are responsible for the loss of life, rights, and joy. To do nothing is to accept we choose to fight for change and progress to ensure a better life for all people." The group contends that the Trans Day of Vengeance is necessary because of "astronomical amounts of hate" faced by the "trans/non-binary/gender non-conforming/intersex communities" in the form of "Gender Affirming care ban bills" that the organization credits for causing a "mental health crisis." The group insists that despite its incendiary title, "this protest is about unity, not inciting violence," adding, "TRAN does not encourage violence and it is not welcome at this event." However, Twitter seems to disagree with their analysis. Twitter Vice President of Product Trust and Safety Ella Irwin stated in a post that the company has "had to automatically sweep" the platform to remove over 5,000 tweets and retweets that contain the "Trans Day of Vengeance" poster. Some of those tweets were tweets from critics who pointed out that the event is happening even after the Nashville shooting. "We do not support tweets that incite violence irrespective of who posts them," Irwin stated. "'Vengeance' does not imply peaceful protest. Organizing or support for peaceful protests is ok." The planned event has drawn pushback on social media by conservative personalities. Right-wing Twitter personality Ian Miles Cheong told his followers on social media that "Twitter is now cracking down on those who promote the 'Trans Day of Vengeance' poster, which mostly comprises of trans militants who are calling for a day of mass violence." Correct. We had to automatically sweep our platform and remove >5000 tweets /retweets of this poster. We do not support tweets that incite violence irrespective of who posts them. "Vengeance" does not imply peaceful protest. Organizing or support for peaceful protests is ok Ella Irwin (@ellagirwin) March 28, 2023 Sean Davis, the CEO of The Federalist, decried Twitter's actions as "deliberate censorship and gaslighting" in a message posted on his website's Twitter account. Davis was banned from accessing his personal account as part of what he described as an attempt to "memory-hole the FACT that the Nashville shooter targeted and murdered Christian children and teachers just days ahead of a scheduled 'Trans Day of Vengeance.'" Statement from Federalist CEO Sean Davis, who was banned by Twitter from accessing his account for reporting on the Nashville shooting: This is deliberate censorship and gaslighting designed to memory-hole the FACT that the Nashville shooter targeted and murdered Christian The Federalist (@FDRLST) March 29, 2023 Police are investigating whether Hale's act of violence deliberately targeted the Christian community, as many Christians hold religious beliefs that homosexuality and transgender identity are sinful. Hale was a former student at the school. Some transgender groups have implied that they believe Hale is also a victim of the shooting. The activist group Trans Resistance Network released a statement following the school shooting, suggesting that Hale committed the crime spree because there was "no other effective way to be seen than to lash out by taking the lives of others." The group called the murder spree a "double tragedy." The group implied that a "virtual avalanche of anti-trans legislation" could have impacted the shooter's mental health. The Trans Resistance Network criticized the "lack of acceptance" from certain religious institutions, warning that "hate has consequences." The Trans Radical Activist Network contends there have been 12 suicides and counting within the community in 2023 and 60 last year. Concerns about the impact of gender transition interventions on minors have prompted 10 states to ban minors from obtaining some or all of those chemical or surgical interventions: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Mississippi, South Dakota, Tennessee and Utah. Advocacy groups like Trans Radical Activist Network view the laws as a direct attack on their identities. But supporters of bans on gender transition surgeries for minors warn about their long-term impacts on children whose gender dysphoria may not persist into adulthood. The American College of Pediatricians has warned that puberty blockers prescribed to trans-identified minors can cause "permanent side effects including osteoporosis, mood disorders, seizures, cognitive impairment and, when combined with cross-sex hormones, sterility." The medical organization lists the side effects of cross-sex hormones, also frequently prescribed to trans-identified youth, as "an increased risk of heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, blood clots and cancers across their lifespan." Gender transition surgeries, which involve the removal of body parts that align with an individual's biological sex and/or the creation of artificial body parts that correspond to one's gender identity, leave behind unsightly scars and can also lead to mental health complications. Several detransitioners have come forward to tell their stories about how they regret taking steps to change their gender and no longer have discomfort with their biological sex. One notable detransitioner, 18-year-old Chloe Cole, is suing the medical professionals who treated her for gender dysphoria. A letter announcing Cole's intent to sue details that although doctors advised Cole that "the distress she experienced because of her gender dysphoria would resolve as she transitioned," she found that her "distress always came back worse" after experiencing "initial relief" after "each phase of transition." Vermont permits woman from another state to end her life via assisted suicide An elderly woman dying from cancer can die by assisted suicide in Vermont even though she doesn't live in the state, according to a settlement agreement for a federal lawsuit challenging the residency requirement in the state's medical-aid-in-dying law. Lynda Bluestein, a 75-year-old woman from Bridgeport, Connecticut, was diagnosed with Stage 3 fallopian tube cancer in March 2021. Depending on the effectiveness of chemotherapy treatments, the prognosis is that Bluestein has anywhere from six months to three years to live. While the retired public health professional does not wish to die, she wants to know if she can seek physician-assisted suicide in Vermont, which Connecticut does not allow. Under Vermont's Patient Choices and Control at the End of Life Act, patients can receive lethal medication to end their lives if they have an illness that is likely to kill them within six months. Other parts of the law mandate that the patient must provide an oral and written request and obtain a second opinion from another physician. The law also requires patients to be a resident of Vermont. Bluestein and Dr. Diana Barnard, a Vermont physician, reached a settlement with state officials in a federal lawsuit that asserted that the residency requirement violated the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of equal treatment. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court in Burlington in August 2022, with Vermont Gov. Phillip Brian Scott, Attorney General Susanne Young, Vermont Commissioner of Health Mark Levine, and Executive Director of Vermont Board of Medical Practice David K. Herlihy listed as defendants. The lawsuit was filed on the plaintiffs' behalf by Compassion & Choices, a group that "expands options and empowers everyone to chart their end-of-life journey." The organization announced the settlement in a Tuesday statement. "I was so relieved to hear of the settlement of my case that will allow me to decide when cancer has taken all from me that I can bear," Bluestein said. "The importance of the peace of mind knowing that I will now face fewer obstacles in accessing the autonomy, control, and choice in this private, sacred, and very personal decision, about the end of my life is enormous." The lawsuit noted that the death of Bluestein's mother from cancer in 1979 had a "profound effect" on Bluestein, who claims her mother died in "agonizing and needless pain." She also later witnessed her father die from end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and a friend suffering from lung cancer seeking doctor-assisted suicide "struggle" with the residency requirement. Due to these experiences, Bluestein wants to have the option to end her life and "secure a peaceful death" if her "suffering has become too unbearable," according to the lawsuit. According to the settlement, Bluestein may utilize Vermont's law to end her life as long as she meets the other requirements, with the defendants agreeing not to enforce the residency aspect of the law. "If Ms. Bluestein seeks to invoke the Act, she will comply with all requirements of the Act, and fill and use any prescriptions she may receive, in Addison County Vermont," the settlement reads. The agreement also stated that the "the Vermont Department of Health will support repealing the residency requirement contained in the Act if a bill to repeal the residency requirement is proposed." A bill to repeal the residency requirement in Vermont's Patient Choices and Control at the End of Life Act, H.190, passed the state House of Representatives on Feb. 17. In a Thursday interview with The Christian Post, Mary Hahn Beerworth, executive director of the Vermont Right to Life Committee, expressed concern that the legislation would turn the state into a destination for people looking to end their lives. She believes people with illnesses are not "dying in pain," highlighting palliative care as an option for people like Bluestein who are facing serious or terminal illnesses. The pro-life advocate provided a copy of her testimony before the House, which outlines her concerns about the bill. Beerworth questioned whether the state would be held liable if the drugs used to end a patient's life were to fail. "To be clear, Vermont Right to Life opposed the underlying concept behind assisted suicide and opposes the move to remove the residency requirement as there are still no safeguards that protect vulnerable patients from coercion," Beerworth testified. As CP reported last May, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott signed S.74 into law, allowing physicians to prescribe patients lethal drugs via remote consultation. The bill also removed the 48-hour waiting period between when the physician writes the prescription and the patient uses it. The previous law required patients to make two in-person visit requests 15 days apart to a prescribing physician. They also had to visit another consulting physician to make a written request, and then they had to wait 48 hours after receiving a prescription for lethal drugs before they could use it. Pastor killed, wife abducted by radical Fulani terrorists in Nigeria Fulani herdsmen killed a pastor last Thursday in Kaduna state, Nigeria, two weeks after terrorists killed a Baptist pastor's son in the same state, sources said. The Rev. Musa Mairimi of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Buda 2 village, near Kasuwan Magani in Kajuru County, was killed in his home and his wife kidnapped, said the chairman of the Kaduna state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Rev. Joseph Hayab. "The herdsmen and terrorists invaded the community on Thursday, March 23, and killed the pastor in his house," Hayab said. "His wife was taken into captivity at gunpoint." Hayab said that more than 100 Christians have been kidnapped in Kaduna state's Kauru, Jaba, Kachia, Kagarko and Kajuru counties. "Who will we cry to and who will we run to for help except God?" he said. "Imagine that since the carnage of kidnapping of Christians started in Kaduna state, no arrests have been made." Area resident Istifanus Ma'aji requested prayer. "Let us pray for the safe return of the wife, the pastor, and other Christians taken captive by the herdsmen and bandits," Ma'aji said. Pastor's son killed In Kaduna state's Karimbu-Kahugu village, Lere County, terrorists on March 10 broke into the home of Baptist Pastor Dadi Babas at 1 a.m., killed his son and kidnapped his wife and three other family members while the pastor was attending the funeral of this brother in Bauchi state, he said. Pastor Babas said in a text message that he was informed of the attack at 4 a.m. and that his wife has been released. "My son was brutally killed by the terrorists, while my wife, my daughter-in-law, who is nursing a baby, and two other members of my family were kidnapped," he said. "As I send this message, three members of my family remain in captivity with the bandits, while my wife was abandoned by the terrorists because of her illness." He said the terrorists are demanding a ransom of 5 million naira ($10,841) for the release of his remaining family members. Peter Mukaddas, vice chairman of the Kahugu National Development Association, identified the assailants as "Muslim bandits." "We are fervently praying to God to touch the hearts of the terrorists so that they can release the Christians," Mukaddas said in a text message. Nigeria led the world in Christians killed for their faith in 2022, with 5,014, according to Open Doors' 2023 World Watch List report. It also led the world in Christians abducted (4,726), sexually assaulted or harassed, forcibly married or physically or mentally abused, and it had the most homes and businesses attacked for faith-based reasons. As in the previous year, Nigeria had the second most church attacks and internally displaced people. In the 2023 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Nigeria jumped to sixth place, its highest ranking ever, from No. 7 the previous year. "Militants from the Fulani, Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and others conduct raids on Christian communities, killing, maiming, raping and kidnapping for ransom or sexual slavery," the WWL report noted. "This year has also seen this violence spill over into the Christian-majority south of the nation. ... Nigeria's government continues to deny this is religious persecution, so violations of Christians' rights are carried out with impunity." Numbering in the millions across Nigeria and the Sahel, predominantly Muslim Fulani comprise hundreds of clans of many different lineages who do not hold extremist views, but some Fulani do adhere to radical Islamist ideology, the United Kingdom's All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom or Belief (APPG) noted in a recent report. "They adopt a comparable strategy to Boko Haram and ISWAP and demonstrate a clear intent to target Christians and potent symbols of Christian identity," the APPG report states. Christian leaders in Nigeria have said they believe herdsmen attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria's Middle Belt are inspired by their desire to forcefully take over Christians' lands and impose Islam as desertification has made it difficult for them to sustain their herds. Morning Star News Ukrainian Orthodox Church refuses to leave historic Kyiv monastery Clergy from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) are defying an order from the Ukrainian government to leave a historic monastery in Kyiv. The Pechersk Lavra is occupied by the UOC but owned by the Ukrainian government. Although the UOC split from the Russian Orthodox Church after Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year, the Ukrainian government suspects that some of the clergy are collaborating with Moscow. The monks were supposed to vacate the 11th century monastery on Wednesday. Ahead of the eviction deadline, Pope Francis called on "the warring parties" in Ukraine "to respect religious sites". Over the weekend, Russian Orthodox leader Patriarch Kirill, who has supported Russia's invasion of Ukraine, called on the international community and religious leaders to "make every effort to prevent the forced closure of the monastery, which will lead to a violation of the rights of millions of Ukrainian believers". Metropolitan Clement, head of the UOC press office, told the BBC that there were "no legal grounds" for their eviction from the monastery. "If the government forces us to do it illegally, it's called totalitarianism," he said. "We don't need such a state or government. We have the constitution and laws. We don't accept other methods." Welcome Churches 'deeply concerned' about eviction of Afghan refugees from hotels Welcome Churches says it is "deeply concerned" about reports that the government is to give Afghan refugees deadlines to vacate the hotels they have been staying in for the last year and a half. The refugees fled to the UK after the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021. The government has offered to move them into homes on the condition that they accept the first offer made to them. Emily Shepherd and Sue Butler, joint CEOs of Welcome Churches, warned that the refugees "face the risk of homelessness" unless they are given adequate support to rebuild their lives. They said that any efforts by the government to provide Afghan refugees with alternative accommodation must be done "in a compassionate and human-centred way that takes into account the unique needs and circumstances of each refugee". "We call on the government to ensure that Afghan refugees are given sufficient time and support to move out of their current accommodations and that they are not rushed or forced to move without appropriate consideration and support," they said. "We know that the situation facing Afghan refugees is complex and challenging, and we believe that it is important for all of us to come together to offer support and assistance." Welcome Churches recently launched a new project called Welcome Homes, supporting compassionate landlords in housing the almost 9,000 Afghans in urgent need of accommodation in the UK. The organisation has been working to support UK churches in providing assistance to Afghan refugees resettling in the country over the last 18 months. This has included befriending refugees in hotels, helping to find accommodation, hosting mother and toddler groups, running trauma and cultural awareness sessions, and offering free English lessons. Farid is one of the refugees who has been helped by Welcome Churches. He was an interpreter for British troops in Afghanistan and fled to the UK following the Taliban takeover along with his wife and three children. They arrived in the UK with only the clothes they were wearing and were helped by a local church to receive clothes and baby items, and pass his driving test. The church is now helping him to find employment and gain more independence. "As many Afghan refugees will face the risk of homelessness once deadlines are issued, this is the level of intervention and support needed to give them the chance of a future," Shepherd and Butler added. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BALTIMORE (AP) When Baltimore prosecutors asked to vacate Adnan Syed's murder conviction and have him freed after 23 years behind bars, their request exemplified a growing movement within the American criminal justice system to acknowledge and correct past mistakes, including police misconduct and prosecutorial missteps. But a Maryland appellate court ruling released Tuesday raises new questions about the rights of crime victims, whose role in such proceedings often comes in opposition to ongoing justice reform efforts. In interviews Wednesday, legal experts said the ruling could have serious implications in Maryland and beyond. The Appellate Court of Marylands 2-1 decision reinstated Syeds conviction, creating yet another unexpected wrinkle in the protracted legal odyssey chronicled in the hit podcast Serial. The court ordered a redo of the September hearing that won Syed his release, finding that the victims family didnt receive adequate notice to attend in person, which violated their right to be treated with dignity and respect. Syed will appeal the decision to the states highest court, his attorney said Tuesday. In the meantime, he will continue working at Georgetown Universitys Prisons and Justice Initiative, a program that offers classes to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people. Will Adnan go back to prison? I dont think so, his friend and advocate Rabia Chaudry told supporters on Instagram live Wednesday morning. Hes living his life. While crime victim advocates celebrated their victory, others warned the ruling could have a chilling effect on existing efforts to fight wrongful convictions and excessive sentences. The victims rights movement is a very powerful lobby that wants a reserve seat at the head of the criminal justice table, said Doug Colbert, a University of Maryland law professor who represented Syed at his initial bail hearing decades ago. This ruling certainly seems to satisfy their agenda. David Jaros, faculty director of the Center for Criminal Justice Reform at the University of Baltimore School of Law, said defendants rarely succeed in getting prosecutors to reconsider a standing conviction. Adding additional hurdles is absolutely a legitimate concern, he said. We need to create a balance between respect and sympathy for victims, on the one hand, and the very critical need for courts and prosecutors to revisit these cases. Syed was 17 when his high school ex-girlfriend and classmate, Hae Min Lee, was found strangled to death and buried in a makeshift grave in 1999. He was arrested weeks later and ultimately convicted of murder. He received life in prison, plus 30 years. At the direction of then-States Attorney Marilyn Mosby, Baltimore prosecutors started reviewing Syeds case under a Maryland law targeting so-called juvenile lifers. Many states have passed similar laws in recent years since the U.S. Supreme Court prohibited mandatory life sentences for children convicted of serious crimes. That review uncovered numerous problems, including alternative suspects and unreliable evidence presented at trial. Prosecutors filed a motion to vacate Syeds conviction, giving him a chance at freedom after years of failed appeals and international media attention. A Baltimore judge quickly scheduled a hearing on the motion. The victims brother, Young Lee, was notified on a Friday afternoon that the hearing would take place the following Monday. When the hearing started, an attorney representing the Lee family requested a one-week postponement so Young Lee could travel to Baltimore from his home in California. A judge denied the request but allowed him to address the court via Zoom. The judge later declared Syeds conviction vacated and ordered him unshackled inside the Baltimore courtroom. He descended the courthouse steps surrounded by beaming relatives and cheering fans. Prosecutors were given 30 days to decide whether to retry the case. In the meantime, Young Lees attorney filed an appeal, saying the family received insufficient notice about the hearing. While the appeal was pending and eight days before the deadline Mosby announced her decision to drop all charges against Syed, saying new DNA testing from Lees shoes excluded him as a suspect. She said the Lee familys appeal was now moot because there were no underlying charges. In its ruling Tuesday, the appellate court disagreed. The majority judges determined Mosby dropped the charges in an effort to thwart the appeal. They ordered Syeds conviction reinstated but stayed their ruling for 60 days, delaying a determination on whether Syed returns to prison while the case proceeds. Mosby, who left office in January after losing re-election, said the ruling sets a dangerous precedent over a prosecutors ability to reverse an injustice. In his dissenting opinion, Judge Stuart Berger said he considered the appeal moot after the charges were dropped. He also found Young Lees rights were not violated. Berger said Maryland legislators should develop more specific victims rights requirements including how much notice they should receive for conviction vacatur hearings instead of leaving it to the courts to interpret a patchwork of existing statutes that dont directly address the issue. Attorneys for Young Lee applauded the ruling, which largely affirmed their arguments. Paul Cassell, a victims rights lawyer and University of Utah law professor, similarly expressed approval. This decision is an important milestone, signaling that crime victims rights are becoming an enforceable part of our nations criminal justice architecture, he said. It would add insult to criminal injury to extend victims only paper promises. But Ashley Nellis, senior research analyst for The Sentencing Project, said the ruling could jeopardize other wrongful conviction cases and hinder a growing reform movement, in part because of the media spotlight focused on Syed. This is a very unique situation on multiple fronts, she said. For one celebrity case, many more are affected. Associated Press writer Brian Witte in Annapolis contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BERLIN (AP) King Charles III became the first monarch to address Germany's parliament, the Bundestag, on Thursday as part of a high-profile visit by the U.K. head of state aimed at bolstering ties between the two European powers. Speaking to lawmakers and other dignitaries in the packed lower house, Charles stressed the close bonds between the United Kingdom and Germany going back centuries, including his own family links to the royal House of Hannover, and the present-day economic, scientific, cultural and military cooperation between the two countries. Charles noted that London and Berlin have provided considerable aid to Ukraine in its efforts to fend off Russia's invasion, a point that will appeal to German government officials more used to hearing how their country isn't doing enough to help Kyiv. Germany's decision to provide so much military support to Ukraine is extremely brave, important and welcome, Charles said. Speaking mostly in fluent German, he noted how the intertwined history of the two nations could be seen in the home of the Bundestag itself. The restoration in the 1990s of the former Reichstag building, that was heavily damaged during World War II, was capped with a glass cupola designed by British architect Norman Foster intended as a symbol of transparency and accountability. From here the citizens can actually watch their politicians work, Charles said. Democracy in action. The 74-year-old largely trod on safe territory, making gentle jokes about soccer rivalry, national humor and mutual admiration for each other's cultures from the Beatles to Kraftwerk and from Brahms to Byron. Charles briefly touched on the grim history of Nazism and WWII. Charles and Camilla, the queen consort, will visit Hamburg on Friday to pay respects at a memorial to the Kindertransporte, or children's transports, which saw more than 10,000 Jewish children rescued from Nazi Germany 85 years ago. They will also commemorate the more than 30,000 people most of them civilians killed in the Allied bombing of Hamburg in July 1943. Heeding the lessons of the past is our sacred responsibility, but it can only be fully discharged through a commitment to our shared future, he said. "Together we must be vigilant against threats to our values and freedoms, and resolute in our determination to confront them. Together we must strive for the security, prosperity and well-being that our people deserve." When Charles finished his speech, the lawmakers rose for a long, standing ovation, something rarely seen in Germany's parliament. Charles is on his inaugural foreign trip since becoming king. He and Camilla arrived in Berlin on Wednesday. Crowds of well-wishers and Germany's head of state, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, greeted the couple at the capitals iconic Brandenburg Gate. They later attended a banquet in their honor at the presidential palace. Pomp and royal glamour aside, the three-day visit has a decidedly political purpose. The U.K. government is trying to mend frayed ties with its continental partners following the painful Brexit process. The fallout has been considerable: Britain's departure from the European Union's common market has resulted in trade barriers and labor shortages, and locked the country out of key European science programs. By devoting special attention to the EU's two biggest powers France and Germany Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hopes to normalize relations with the 27-nation bloc. Charles originally planned to stop in France first, but anti-government protests there delayed that part of his trip. That put the focus on Germany, where the U.K. royal family and particularly the late Queen Elizabeth II have long commanded interest and admiration. Not all were pleased by the visit, however. Jan Korte, a lawmaker with the opposition Left party, said it wasn't in keeping with Germany's democratic tradition to have Charles address the country's highest political body, the Bundestag. A king isn't elected, Korte told public broadcaster ZDF. He can obviously speak everywhere and is very welcome, including by me, but I think that particularly in the Bundestag, which is about representing the people, it's not really appropriate to have a monarch speak. Charles has spoken to the Bundestag before, at an event in 2020 commemorating the victims of WWII, though he was still the Prince of Wales at the time. Before his speech Charles met briefly with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and visited a farmers' market in Berlin. After his speech, Charles visited a refugee center for Ukrainians at Berlin's former Tegel airport, and met representatives from a joint German and U.K. military unit stationed near Berlin to see a demonstration of their bridge-building amphibious vehicles. Later on Thursday afternoon, he visited an organic farm 80 kilometers (50 miles) northeast of the capital where he helped make an orange-colored cheese with a crown imprint. His drive to the countryside was slowed down by torrential rain, and he had to skip a tour of the cowshed with newborn calves. Still, Charles had enough time to try a special, crown-shaped cake made by the farm's pastry chef in his honor. When the king's motorcade left the farm, a few royal fans huddled under umbrellas on a nearby lawn shouted in German Long live the king, as Charles waved good-bye from his car. ___ Kirsten Grieshaber contributed. Every other Thursday, Chron taco columnist Marco Torres tells the story of Houston through Mexican food in "Tacos y Mas." One day last week, I stopped by Teotihuacan Mexican Cafe on Airline for lunch to find out more about what makes the restaurant a neighborhood institution for authentic Mexican food. It was fairly busy during the lunch rush, with most customers ordering from the lunch specials menu. Other house favorites have nicknames like the Don Tono tostadas, flautas La Morena, and the El Vicky burrito. One group of diners ordered a Parrillada Teotihuacan, a variety plate of beef and chicken fajitas, beef short ribs, grilled shrimp, two chargrilled quails, and a cheese-stuffed poblano pepper served on a cast iron hot plate. The dish filled the dining room with a delicious, intoxicating aroma and a sizzling symphony of meat. "That's one of our most popular menu items," said general manager Anthony Galvan with a large, proud grin. "That's usually what I order for myself when I'm really hungry!" Marco Torres Galvan began helping his parents in the restaurant at a very young age. He started as a dishwasher at 15 years old, then later worked as a server and bartender. He graduated from the Conrad Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of Houston at age 21, and has continued to assist his parents with the family restaurant, eventually becoming general manager in 2015. Honorio and Sylvia Galvan founded the original Teotihuacan Restaurant in January 1996 in Lindale Park. They opened the Airline location in 2001, and now own four locations across the city, with a fifth concept in the works for later this year or next year. Honorio is from a small, rural town called Turitzio in southern Michoacan. He remembers growing up on the rancho around farm animals like cows and donkeys, often working with his uncles harvesting sugar cane in the state of Veracruz. Sylvia and her family are also from Michoacan, but she grew up in the Colonia Argentina section of Mexico City, and later moved to Naucalpan de Juarez. Marco Torres Honorio moved to Houston as a teenager in 1980 and began working as a dishwasherjust like his son Anthonyand moved up as a busser, server and later a cook at several restaurants around Houston. He spent 13 years working at The Palm, which he credits for teaching him how to run a successful restaurant and professional kitchen. One day, Honorio saw an ad in the newspaper La Subasta for La Fuente Mexican Restaurant, which was for sale on Irvington Boulevard. Along with his wife Sylvia and four of his brothers, they bought the restaurant. Their original idea for the name of the new restaurant was already registered, so the city clerk recommended the name Teotihuacanit was very Mexican, he said, and was available. Marco Torres Sylvia was the original cook who made all the food and the tortillas. Business was very slow at first, and the family investors called it quits on the restaurant even before the first anniversary. But Honorio felt that they were destined for success. They even passed out flyers at nearby Saint Patrick's Catholic Church on Sundays, inviting everyone to stop by for delicious, authentic Mexican food and fresh, handmade tortillas. Teotihuacan just needed some time to win over the neighborhood, and little by little, the restaurant became a successful mainstay. For the first 10 years, Honorio and Sylvia spent every day inside the restaurant, from 6 a.m. until 11 p.m. Sylvia says her goal was to serve the "most Mexican experience possible" in her family restaurant, everything from tacos to enchiladas, nachos to quesadillas. Oh, and you can't forget the margaritas and the micheladas. Marco Torres Anthony mentions that the neighborhood surrounding the Airline location, which sits on the border between the Heights and El Northside, has changed over the years. Most of the original residents have been forced to sell their homes due to increasing property taxes. Despite the gentrification of the neighborhood and the setbacks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, business for Teotihuacan Mexican Cafe is relatively healthy. Galvan attributes this success to the quality and consistency of the food they serve, as well as the top-notch service provided by his family and staff. "We don't cut corners here at my family's restaurant," he says. "Our fajitas are USDA Prime outside skirt steak, and on busy days we make around 700 to 750 tortillas by hand." Marco Torres I glanced over the prices of the parrilladas on their menu, and the most expensive one, at $59.99, is roughly half the price as similar options at other popular Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in the city. And you won't have to wait an hour for a table at Teotihuacan. Galvan also wanted me to taste an off-menu item called tacos gobernador, which is a plate of tacos dorados de camaron y queso, native to the Mexican state of Sinaloa. It was served with a side of spicy salsa de chile de arbol, which cleared up my sinuses and made me one happy gordito. Teotihuacan Mexican Cafe Find it: 1511 Airline Dr, Houston, Texas 77009 Find other locations of Teotihuacan on Irvington Boulevard and West Bellfort. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate When Paul and Jordan Selleck made their first remodeling videos on YouTube in 2019, they removed a load-bearing wall and replaced it with a support beam. On each side of the beam were two-by-four studs acting as a post. They referred to the post as "The Stud Pack" which would be the name of their father and son YouTube channel. On YourCourierNews.com: New, 400-acre Woodforest regional park enters design phase in Montgomery County During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Selleck family realized that people wanted DIY video tips while working on projects around their own homes. As a response, they created the channel, which has more than 466,000 subscribers. The "Stud Pack's" current project: remodeling a Montgomery house built in the early 1900s. Jordan always wanted to rebuild a house from the ground up with his father and as the channel started to gain traction, he put away money in hopes of buying his first home, he said. In 2022, a friend showed the Selleck family the house they refer to as "The Stud Pack House." On YourCourierNews.com: Conroe chapter of vintage plane group hosts first event since fatal Dallas air show crash From the plumbing to the framing, lighting, electrical, tile and roofing, the $190,000 house looked like it was all done by the previous owner, Jordan said. It was in such poor shape that the city inspector deemed it uninhabitable, he said. But the Selleck family has a vision. "We are going to do some crazy, epic things to this house," Jordan said in a YouTube video. "We've been talking about it forever." The plan is to build a two-story garage, where Jordan will live while they knock down the original house and rebuild it. The Sellecks plan to build a home that would go along with the historical homes it neighbors. "You always want to build a home that blends in with the neighborhood," Paul said. Montgomery Historical Society member Bea Rouse said some residents shared concerns that parts of the home might look modern. "My opinion is, most of the the looks of it I think is in fitting with the historic district," Rouse said, noting she's reviewed some of the plans for the house. "The only area I think that is a little too modern than it needs to be is the windows on the second floor above the garage. And I would prefer that they changed, but I don't think it's such an eyesore." Montgomery Council member Cheryl Fox called the rebuilding project a step in the right direction. "Hopefully, other (home builders) follow suit," Fox said. "Even though (it's a) newer home, (it) reflects the ambience of the town." Neighbors are already taking notice of the Selleck family, calling out "Stud Pack" when they see the father and son working, Jordan said. Their dynamic is something that many of their followers comment on, he said. Subscribers also comment on how thorough they are at explaining what they are doing. "Paul's a natural teacher," his wife, Elisabeth, said. Jordan said his dad has a knack for home remodeling. "I always thought my dad was one of the best (at home remodels)," Jordan said. "Every time he does a project for somebody, whether it's family, friends or just some random people, they always say the same thing ... so I was like 'if this guy is really that good, then I need to share this with people.'" As the interest shifts from DIY remodeling projects to building a home, Jordan said he hopes his videos will help home builders. "That's really what we're trying to accomplish with this, to show people all those details that I think get glossed over," Jordan said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate For the first time in the college's history, three degree programs at Lamar State College Port Arthur have been recognized by the Texas Workforce Investment Council. The associate of applied sciences programs -- instrumentation technology, medical office administration and medical coding specialist -- were recognized by the council in March for meeting industry standards set by the state. "Our students are going to have the skills to make them more employable," said Lamar Port Arthur chair of the business and industrial technology department Sheila Guillot. "They'll have on their diploma(s), the seal from the governor's office stating this program is approved and that these students have a little bit more on the ball than just anyone else." With this recognition, Guillot said the school will have to assess all of the classes in the programs and send it to a Texas Workforce Investment Council representative in the fall to ensure that they continue to meet the requirements. The program recognition is valid for three years, at which point Lamar Port Arthur may apply for renewal. RELATED: Lamar University, state colleges remove diversity statements in hiring process "It's just showing that we're meeting higher criteria," she said. "We have to report on what we're doing and they have to say, 'Yes, you're doing a good job,' or, 'No, you need to do this instead.'" The recognitions are viewable on the Texas Skill Standards website, at tssb.org, for any student who is looking for an approved program. "(The recognitions) will go into our brochures when we go out recruiting, stating that we're approved by the state of Texas for these programs so that students are aware," Guillot said. "It's just a way to let our students, the (surrounding industries) and the community know that we're taking (the programs) seriously and we're trying to produce the best students possible." The department operates in part like a real job site, holding students to similar requirements such as dress codes and attendance. "It sets them up to be better employees and better leaders in the future," said medical office administration and medical coding specialist program director and instructor Tonya Harbert. "Also, they represent us. So, if we're sending out people into the (industries), then they realize, 'Hey, quality is coming from Lamar State College Port Arthur.'" And the college has already seen the payoff, Guillot said. RELATED: 41st Annual Taste of the Triangle is a Fat Tuesday tradition "We have some places that (utilize) our interns and they will say, 'I'll only take them from you,'" she said. But it affects more than just the institution's reputation. "Basically, we're doing what we say we do," said instrumentation technology program director and instructor George Bohn. "And as long as we do that, then our qualities of our products that come out of the pants are increased...We're creating a better student and a better employee." Here's what each program offers: Medical office administration and medical coding specialist Medical office administration can entail anything from receptionists to actual administrators who run entire offices behind the scenes, Harbert said. "Basically, we're not one-on-one with a patient, dealing with the blood and the fluids and all that...we do all the behind-the-scenes stuff, we keep the office running," she said, Medical coding, often mislabled as medical billing and coding, is much more specialized, Harbert said. RELATED: Local schools receive $3.7 million in state grants for career, technical education "Billing does play a role in there, but with medical coding, you take everything that's done within a medical facility and you (assign) codes to that," she said. "Every diagnosis, every procedure, everything that's done within a medical office has a code and (the specialists) put all that together and make sure everything matches the medical documentation, because that is a legal document. We take everything that's done, we put it on claim forms and we generate those claims to keep that reimbursement coming into the facilities." The coding specialist program is perfect for students who like to solve puzzles, Guillot said. For those who want to work in the medical field but don't necessarily want to be clinicians or physicians, medical office administration could be for them, she said. For student Daniel Guzman, who is currently in the medical office administration and coding specialist program, the programs offered him an opportunity to build on skills he gained while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps for eight years. "I had sole responsibility of taking care of hundreds of Marines," Guzman said. "After a while, I didn't want to be in the military anymore. I didn't know how to transfer into civilian society correctly as what to do with my life after." RELATED: Lamar Port Arthur's commercial driver center getting national attention After serving as a police officer in Port Arthur for a year, Guzman's friend told him about the office administration program, which eventually led him to the coding specialist program. "It was hard for me for a while, but I actually enjoy it," he said. "I started a membership with (the American Academy of Professional Coders), started studying the practice exams because I am trying to (obtain a Certified Professional Coder credential) before I graduate. If not, I'll get it after. But I won't stop there. There's many other different certificates that I want." Lamar Port Arthur's medical coding specialist program is the first in the state to be recognized by the Texas Workforce Investment Council, Guillot said. The medical office administration and coding specialist programs have just over 60 students between them, Guillot said. Instrumentation technology Instrumentation technology is the "backbone" of plants within Southeast Texas, Bohn said. RELATED: Lamar Port Arthur celebrates Hispanic-serving institution designation "Without instrumentation technology, the process operators don't know what they're looking at," he said. "In the old days...everything was analog, was a gauge...Now everything comes (electronically) into the control rooms. The electronic transmitters we have (now) are really super-duper, they're more accurate." Instrumentation is the more specialized component of operations, Guillot said. "To me, process tech is more of an overview and instrumentation people are the ones that are down there making sure things are working correctly," she said. Instrumentation technicians ensure that everything is working the way it should in a plant so that process operators know that what results they are looking at are accurate, Bohn said. "There's an old saying to us, that process breaks it and instrumentation fixes it," he said. RELATED: 3 of the most affordable Texas colleges are in Beaumont-PA Instrumentation technology includes more than just reading gauges, Bohn said. A multi-faceted field, students learn about different electronics including computers, among other areas. "Right now, one of the classes I'm teaching is digital electronics, which means (the students are) having to learn binary (code)... they're having to learn how to convert back and forth between decimals and numbers," Bohn said. "As long as you have plants, you're going to have to have process people and instrumentation people." For student Katrina Reeves, after working as a contractor for several years, obtaining a degree in instrumentation technology was the only way she could advance her career. "In the field as a contractor, you can network your way up, but it's very difficult, especially for a woman," she said. "So, this program has given me an opportunity that I wouldn't have had otherwise." The instrumentation technology program has about 75 students, Guillot said. In addition to the three programs recently approved, Guillot said the department's process technology program is also approved. The department is aiming to get its game design program approved next. "That helps with recruitment and it also proves to future employers that these students have a higher level of education that just going to any old program," she said. For more information on the business and industrial technology department, visit lamarpa.edu. Houston Dynamo vs Inter Miami tickets start at just $20 Kickoff for the Dynamo vs Inter Miami game is Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. Taylor Swift last-minute ticket prices are falling If youve been waiting up until the last (last) minute to snag tickets, the time is now. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Working as a journalist in Moscow seemed a natural fit for Evan Gershkovich, the son of immigrants from the Soviet Union who grew up speaking Russian at home in Princeton, N.J. After he graduated in 2014 from Bowdoin College, one of the countrys most selective schools, however, it took me awhile to figure out that journalism was the career for me, he said in a 2020 interview on the school's website. Now Russia's Federal Security Service says the 31-year-old American reporter for The Wall Street Journal has been arrested on charges of espionage. The FSB, the country's top security agency and successor to the KGB, said Gershkovich was collecting information on an enterprise of the military-industrial complex. The Journal denied the allegations and demanded his release. Sarah Conly, a retired philosophy professor at Bowdoin, recalled that Gershkovich was unafraid to speak up while other students hung back. He was lively and outspoken and not afraid to express his views, she said in an email. I have followed his career with admiration and am horrified at this outcome. After college, Gershkovich worked for an environmental organization in Southeast Asia, then moved to New York and worked as a cook until joining The New York Times as a clerk on the foreign desk. Two years later, excited by what hed learned at the Times, he wanted to get reporting experience and found a slot in 2017 at the Moscow Times, an English-language news site in the Russian capital. When you start reporting in Russia, you often hear that it will be very hard to get people to talk, he said in the Bowdoin interview. And while that may be true of Russian officialdom - though not all of it - I have found that if you go looking for the right people, many of them want to tell their stories. Of course, some will want their comments to be from an unnamed source, which means, as a reporter, you have to make sure you speak to them over encrypted channels and protect their identities. But theyre out there, he said. Gershkovich later moved to the French news agency Agence France-Presse and then to the Journal. Friends and colleagues were shocked by the news and took to social media to describe him as a committed journalist, dismissing the allegations as bogus and ridiculous. Journalism is not a crime, they posted. Henry Foy, the Financial Times' European diplomatic correspondent based in Brussels, tweeted: Evan is an exemplary foreign correspondent, a brilliant reporter and a wonderful, kind-hearted friend. Joshua Yaffa, a Russia-Ukraine reporter for The New Yorker, posted: Evan was not unaware or naive about the risks. Its not like he was in Russia because no one bothered to tell him it was dangerous. He is a brave, committed, professional journalist who traveled to Russia to report on stories of import and interest. Oliver Carrol, a foreign correspondent for The Economist, tweeted that he hopes Gershkovich's bravery carries through in these very dark hours. Its something you wouldnt wish on your worst enemy. Let alone Evan, who is one of the nicest guys in journalism. Many foreign journalists pulled out of Russia after the country enacted laws to punish anyone who discredits Russian forces in Ukraine, and the U.S. State Department has repeatedly advised all Americans to leave the country. The new law has left many of the remaining journalists uncertain about what would be considered crossing the line. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, those carrying out normal journalistic activity will obviously keep working, if they have proper accreditation. There will be no problems with that. Russian political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya tweeted that the problem is that the recently updated legislation and the FSBs interpretation of espionage today allow for the imprisonment of anyone who is simply interested in military affairs. Gershkovich is the first American reporter to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff of U.S. News and World Report was arrested by the KGB. Daniloff was released without charge 20 days later in a swap for an employee of the Soviet Unions U.N. mission who was arrested by the FBI, also on spying charges. One other American is in prison on a spying conviction: former Marine and corporate security executive Paul Whelan, arrested in 2018 on charges the United States and his family say were trumped-up. For Whelans brother David, Gershkovichs arrest is painful. Our family is sorry to hear that another American family will have to experience the same trauma that we have had to endure for the past 1,553 days, he said in a statement. The exodus of people fleeing large urban areas during the height of the pandemic appears to be reversing, according to data from the Census Bureau released Thursday. Many workers who could telecommute abandoned crowded cities and counties for suburban or rural areas when covid struck, causing demographers and businesses to wonder whether the movement signified a permanent shift. But the overall patterns of population change are moving toward pre-pandemic rates, the bureau's Vintage 2022 estimates of population and components of change show. Eleven of the 15 largest metro areas gained residents or lost fewer people compared with the previous year, including the Washington, D.C., metro area, New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Seattle, according to an analysis by Brookings Institution senior demographer William Frey. The Washington, D.C., metro area gained 8,849 people, after losing 1,772 the year before. The region had been growing by tens of thousands each year before the pandemic, though the rate had slowed in recent years. Washington, D.C., and its neighboring Virginia's Arlington County and the city of Alexandria all gained population last year, after shrinking the year before. Arlington gained 426 people after losing 5,225, Alexandria gained 322 after losing 3,922, and the District gained 3,012 after losing 2,077, Frey's analysis showed. Among the most striking shifts were in Manhattan and San Francisco, both of which lost population at a significant rate between 2020 and 2021. Manhattan, which shrank by 5.87 percent in 2021, grew by 1.11 percent last year. San Francisco lost 6.79 percent of its population in 2021 but shrank by only a third of a percentage point last year. Both are home to a large number of people who were able to work remotely during the pandemic. Covid rates in New York City were especially high early in the pandemic, and many Manhattan residents moved to outlying counties. "Everyone was talking about leaving New York, and especially Manhattan," Frey said. "A lot of people made instantaneous moves." Manhattan lost 20,337 people between 2019 and 2020, a period that includes the first four months of the pandemic, lost 98,505 between 2020 and 2021 and then gained 17,472 the following year. After such a huge drop, the new numbers represent "a very quick reversal," Frey said. Population shifts just outside New York City showed the inverse, with Suffolk County losing 7,653 last year, after gaining 11,168 the year before. Nassau and Westchester saw steep losses compared with the previous year, as well. Miami-Dade, Dallas County, Seattle's King County, Atlanta's Fulton County and Denver flipped from population decline in 2020-2021 to gains in 2021-2022, according to Frey's analysis. For many counties and large metro areas, increased immigration has a lot to do with the growth, Frey said. The inflow of immigrant populations to urban cores and suburbs rebounded last year to levels not seen since the Obama administration. Areas with college populations also bounced back last year, after bottoming out during the pandemic. "Many counties with large universities saw their populations fully rebound this year as students returned," said Christine Hartley, assistant division chief for estimates and projections in the Census Bureau's population division. For example, Whitman County, Wash., home to Washington State University, shrank by 9.6 percent between 2020 and 2021 but then grew back by 10.1 percent last year - the most of any county with over 20,000 people. The 10 fastest-growing counties were in the South and West, mirroring pre-pandemic trends. Riverfront Park seems to be back on the road to a semblance of its former glory after suffering major damage during Tropical Storm Harvey in 2017, losing 50-feet of shoreline in some spots. The flooding caused erosion along the riverbank -- washing away the overlook and damaging the amphitheater, as well as destabilizing the grounds -- causing the city to immediately fence it off from public access. Prior to Harvey, the park was a popular walking and lunch spot for downtown workers, fishermen and one of the hot spots from which to view the annual Fourth of July fireworks show. The park closure also put plans to further develop the park and nearby riverfront property on hold, including the ever-fluctuating fate of the former AT&T Building. RELATED: Beaumont is back to square one on future of AT&T Building Last January, the city awarded a contract to Callan Marine, Ltd., with a nearly $47.3 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to fund the bulk of the restoration project, according to City Communications Director Lauren Monitz. FEMA will cover 90% of the project, while 7.5% will come from the Texas Department of Emergency Management. The city will cover the remaining 2.5% with bond funds issued in 2010. The original bond was for money to make Riverfront Park improvements, Public Works Director Bart Bartkowiak told The Enterprise previously. After Harvey hit, that project was placed on hold, leaving the funds available to use for this bank stabilization. The project goal is to stabilize the banks and prevent future erosion, as opposed to restoring the shoreline to its pre-Harvey state. On March 6, Callan received a notice that the work can proceed, with 550 calendar days allotted for completion. The bank stabilization project is estimated to be completed in early September 2024. Callan moved onto the site the last week of March and began gathering the equipment needed. RELATED: Riverfront Park takes heavy hit from Harvey Demolition of landslide items, along with marine items, will take place roughly April through May, according to a news release issued by the city. Installing the steel bulkhead along the bank will begin in September, and consulting engineers Lanier and Associates have released a 3D rendering of the finished stabilization project. Monitz said the Downtown Development Committee is still determining which amenities will go into the park and surrounding areas, such as a new overlook gazebo space or other features. Once a plan has been created, theyll next move to the funding phase. Once the bank stabilization project has been completed, the park and restored walking paths will be open to the public, Bartkowiak said. Were extremely excited to be kicking off the riverfront project, he said. That area is a major part of the citys footprint and history, and we cant wait for the park to reopen to citizens. Area residents are invited to attend a groundbreaking ceremony for Riverfront Park at 1:30 p.m. April 11, with attendees encouraged to park at City Hall. A grand jury returned an indictment this week against former College Park, Md., mayor Patrick Wojahn on 80 counts of possession and intent to distribute child pornography. Wojahn, 47, was arrested March 2 after a weeks-long investigation by Prince George's County police of allegations that he had uploaded and shared dozens of pornographic videos to the social media app Kik. The videos depicted explicit sexual acts involving prepubescent boys and adult men. Initially, authorities had charged Wojahn with 40 misdemeanor counts of possession of child pornography and 16 felony counts of intent to distribute child pornography. On Wednesday, State's Attorney Aisha Braveboy (D) said in a news release that a grand jury had indicted the former mayor on the same 40 possession charges. Additionally, the grand jury returned 24 new counts of intent to distribute, for a total of 40 counts involving that charge. A spokesperson for Braveboy said that each piece of evidence uncovered from the Kik account and Wojahn's devices led to a pair of possession and intent to distribute charges. "This is an unprecedented case in our county in which a former elected official has been accused of a crime of this nature," Braveboy said. "We elect leaders with the expectation that they will serve, protect, and advocate for our children, families, and communities and not harm them in anyway." "We are continuing to cooperate with law enforcement to reach a fair resolution in this case," Wojahn's attorney, David Moyse, said Wednesday. Prince George's County police began investigating Feb. 17 when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children flagged the suspicious Kik account. Investigators obtained a warrant to search Wojahn's College Park home Feb. 28. Wojahn waived his Miranda rights and told investigators that the Kik account was his, police said in court documents. Police also said that Wojahn "advised that he has viewed and possessed files depicting child pornography," according to court papers. Wojahn had been mayor of College Park, home to the University of Maryland campus, for seven years and had served on the city council for eight years before that. He was an advocate for environmental and social justice issues and worked to fold U-Md. students into city business. Wojahn resigned as mayor the night before he was arrested. "I have cooperated fully, and will continue to cooperate, with law enforcement," Wojahn wrote in his resignation letter in early March, which the city shared publicly. "While this investigation does not involve any official city business of any kind, it is in the best interests of our community that I step aside and not serve as a distraction." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate LONDON - Cat owners in England are facing a "weird" and "unsettling" problem: Someone, somewhere, is targeting their pets and randomly shaving off parts of their fur. Emma Collins first noticed something disturbing when her cat named Goose returned after a day out exploring the streets of the seaside town of Whitstable. Straight down the middle of the rescue tabby's forehead was a thin, precisely shaven line, leaving her skin exposed. While the cat seemed otherwise unharmed, Collins described the incident as unnerving. "It was weird . . . it was almost like someone was sending a message - it was unsettling," she said in an interview Thursday. "If you can shave a cat, what are you going to move onto next?" At least 80 pets have reportedly had chunks of their fur sliced out since last year, according to an animal charity that is mapping out the attacks to help warn concerned owners. The strange incidents have received national coverage, with British media dubbing the unknown perpetrator the "phantom cat shaver." The vast majority of attacks have been reported in the southern county of Kent, although the organization has also recorded attacks in London and as far north as Aberdeen, Scotland. On social media, concern is growing in local Facebook groups, which are saturated with comments from worried owners and images showing the felines with bald patches. Some cats have been shaved on their legs, others on their backs or stomachs. Some pet owners online have described their cats being injured - while some who do not appear to be physically harmed by the attacks still appear to be more anxious or afraid of people. "My cat came back with a missing claw when he was shaved and wouldn't let anybody touch him for days when he came home," one user wrote. In the United Kingdom, it is common to let cats go outside to enjoy the fresh air and roam freely - about 70 percent of U.K. cats are thought to have access to the outdoors. But the attacks are also leaving people more anxious now, with many owners in Kent now saying they will keep their pets inside. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), a British charity dedicated to animal welfare, said Thursday that cats were particularly vulnerable because of their tendency to explore neighborhoods. "We would urge any owners whose cats have been victims of the shaving to book an appointment with their vet. A veterinary examination will determine if that cat has experienced any physical injuries, be it cuts and abrasions from the shaving or other injuries as a result of being held down," Samantha Watson, scientific officer and cat expert at the RSPCA, said in an emailed statement. "Cat owners should also consider reporting the incident to the police as shaving a cat could be deemed as criminal damage," Watson added. Kent police said people can report matters regarding animal welfare to law enforcement or the RSPCA. "Where we receive a report, our officers will liaise with this charity, who are the lead agency for investigating incidents involving cruelty or harm to animals," the police department said in an email to The Washington Post on Thursday. It is not clear if the reported incidents break any laws. Under U.K. animal welfare legislation, it is an offense to "cause unnecessary suffering" to commonly domesticated animals. Natasha McPhee, who runs Kent-based charity Animals Lost and Found, said Thursday that the attacks were "cruel and senseless." "Not only is the cat being handled by someone they don't know, they are having to be held by them for a period of time for these shavings to be done," McPhee said in an email. "This causes unnecessary stress to the cats." McPhee speculated that, given the scale of the attacks, more than one person may be to blame. "In all honesty I can't imagine all cases are done by one individual," she said. Rescue cat owners have described the attacks as particularly upsetting when it leaves their cats even more anxious than before. The owner of George, a rescue cat left with a zigzagged chunk of fur missing, told local media she "was so angry that some nasty human had decided to shave my cat" because he was now "even more skittish towards people." Collins considers herself lucky that her tabby, Goose, despite being shaved, isn't emotionally scarred and is still "super-duper friendly." WASHINGTON - Former Starbucks chief executive Howard Schultz unequivocally denied that the coffee giant had broken the law in its fight against unionization during tense questioning from Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday. Under oath, Schultz rebutted being involved in decisions about firing or disciplining Starbucks union organizers. He said he had not taken part in closing unionizing stores. And he said he was not prepared to follow an order from an administrative law judge to distribute a video of himself reading a notice to Starbucks' employees about their union rights. "I am not, because Starbucks coffee company did not break the law," Schultz said. But Sanders (I-Vt.) kept the pressure on Schultz during the tightly packed hearing. "Over the past 18 months, Starbucks has waged the most aggressive and illegal union-busting campaign in the modern history of our country," Sanders said. "That union-busting campaign has been led by Howard Schultz, the multibillionaire founder and director of Starbucks who is with us this morning only under the threat of subpoena." Schultz repeatedly clashed with Sanders and Democratic lawmakers throughout Wednesday's Senate hearing on whether Starbucks had broken federal labor laws, the experience of Starbucks workers and whether they had reason to unionize. Sanders repeatedly returned to the company's record on violating U.S. labor law, but Schultz held steadfast that these determinations would not stand up to the company's legal appeals. The push to unionize Starbucks is one of the most high-profile labor campaigns in decades. Starbucks workers since late 2021 have voted to unionize at almost 300 locations out of more than 9,000 corporate-owned stores in the United States, while the company has unleashed a full-blown campaign to stamp out the union. Schultz initially declined to testify at Wednesday's hearing, but he relented after Sanders, the committee's chairman, threatened to hold a vote earlier this month to subpoena him. Schultz stepped down from his role as Starbucks chief executive last week and passed the reins to Laxman Narasimhan. Schultz in his testimony described Starbucks as a liberal, forward-thinking company that was among the first major employers to begin providing benefits, such as stock options, health care and 401(k) retirement benefits to its workers. "We are a different kind of public company that balances profitability with social conscience," Schultz said. "Aspiring to achieve that vision has been my life's work." Schultz also talked about growing up living in poverty in public housing in New York City "without resources or adequate benefits." When his father, a delivery driver, slipped on ice and injured himself, he was fired, Schultz said. "The image of my dad, lying on the sofa and immobilized in a body cast has been burned into my memory," Schultz said. "I decided at an early age that if I ran a business, it would be a company based on respect and shared success, unlike the company that had fired my dad." But Senate Democrats took aim at Schultz's notion that Starbucks workers had such good benefits that they did not need a union. "You're a billionaire and they are your employees," said Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.). "The imbalance of power is extreme, and that is why people want to come together to form a union." "Your father had no rights and your family paid the price. That is how your workers now feel," said Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.). "They have no rights." "Is there a union contract that you personally are aware of that provides comprehensive health insurance, equity in the form of stock options, free college tuition?" Schultz replied. "You don't understand." Schultz, a registered independent, found an ally in Senate Republicans, who praised his contributions as a businessman and accused the National Labor Relations Board of misconduct. "It's somewhat rich that . . . you're being grilled by people who have never had the opportunity to create a single job and yet they believe that they know better how to do so," said Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah). Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said that while Schultz is not above the law and workers have the right to unionize, the NLRB "is operating in violating its own operation and procedure," noting allegations that it had collaborated with Starbucks Workers United. "I am not here to defend Starbucks," Cassidy said. "But let's not kid ourselves. These hearings are anything but a fair and impartial proceeding. It is not surprising that Mr. Schultz was reluctant to testify." The NLRB has issued 83 legal complaints against the company so far in response to 513 unfair labor practice charges lodged against the company, according to agency spokeswoman Kayla Blado. Nearly 100 charges have been filed with the NLRB against Schultz himself over statements he made during meetings with union members around the country, Sanders's press office said. Starbucks "strongly denies any wrongdoing and has committed to exercising its right to defend itself" against claims that it violated labor law, company spokesman Andrew Trull said. "In many of these proceedings, the NLRB is attempting to use cases against Starbucks to change existing labor law - not because Starbucks is failing to comply with the law as it exists today," Trull said. Scores of Starbucks corporate employees and union baristas flew in from around the country to attend the hearing. The corporate employees donned shirts that said "We belong together," while the baristas shirts' said "We are the union." Two Starbucks union members testified, one of them, a veteran, was fired after leading a union drive at his store in Augusta, Ga., the union said. "These workers are up there to testify about the absolutely abhorrent conditions that we've faced in the last 18 months because of this union drive but also about the conditions that led to this union drive," said Michelle Eisen, a Starbucks barista and union organizer in Buffalo. Sanders and Schultz both have working-class Brooklyn origins, but they hold clashing visions for labor relations in the United States. Schultz, who considered seeking the Democratic presidential nomination before endorsing Joe Biden in the 2020 election, characterizes Starbucks as an entity that cares deeply for its workers. But he sees unionization as an existential threat to the company that he built. Meanwhile, Sanders, a self-proclaimed socialist whose multiple bids for the Democratic nomination included a run against Biden in 2020, has spent decades fighting for unions and the labor movement. He has been an outspoken critic of Starbucks's stance toward labor organizing. Starbucks and the union have had roughly 85 bargaining sessions since October. The meetings have often stalled over a disagreement about whether to allow union members observe remotely by Zoom, which the company opposes. NLRB prosecutors said this week that Starbucks violated the law by refusing to bargain if some workers observed over videoconferencing technology. A company spokesperson previously told The Washington Post said Starbucks has not attempted to delay bargaining and that the company has come to the table as legally obligated. Sanders told The Washington Post that the hearing had focused on Starbucks because of its "egregious" behavior. If Starbucks reaches a contract with its employees, he said, other companies around the country would be less inclined to fight unionization campaigns using illegal tactics. "If on the other hand, Starbucks can get away with breaking the law and not negotiating a contract, other large companies will say 'Hey, we can break the law, as well,'" he said. NEW YORK - A Manhattan grand jury has voted to indict former president Donald Trump, making him the first person in U.S. history to serve as commander in chief and then be charged with a crime, and setting the stage for a 2024 presidential contest unlike any other. The indictment was sealed, which means the specific charge or charges are not publicly known. But the grand jury had been hearing evidence about money paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, allegedly to keep her from saying she'd had a sexual encounter with Trump years earlier. Trump is expected to turn himself in and appear in court on Tuesday at 2:15 p.m., said a person familiar with the matter, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss plans that have not been publicly announced. Trump, who is campaigning to return to the White House in 2024 and leading in most polls of Republican voters, is also the focus of criminal probes in Georgia and Washington, D.C., related to his efforts to overturn Joe Biden's 2020 election victory and his handling of classified material at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida home and private club. Those cases have raised serious questions about national security and the basic functions of democracy. The New York case, in contrast, stems from a hush-money plan and Trump's alleged conduct before he became president. The indictment follows weeks of speculation about whether and when Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg might take such a momentous step toward a courthouse showdown with one of the most combative politicians in modern American history. Washington Post photo by Jabin Botsford Being charged with - or found guilty of - a crime does not disqualify Trump from running for office. Still, the indictment suggests a remarkable possibility: a soon-to-be-77-year-old running for president while simultaneously seeking to beat a conviction. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and says he did not have an affair with Daniels. A spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney said Thursday evening that the office had contacted Trump's attorney to coordinate his surrender for arraignment "on an indictment, which remains under seal." Bragg and his investigative team have spent months probing whether Trump falsified business records connected to the Daniels payments in a way that could constitute a campaign-finance violation - a set of facts and allegations that some lawyers called a "zombie" case because it has lingered, seemingly lifeless but not actually dead, for years. Trump, who has long railed against law enforcement officials, particularly when it comes to investigation of his conduct, quickly issued a statement condemning the indictment. Democrats, he charged, "have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to 'Get Trump,' but now they've done the unthinkable - indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant Election Interference. Never before in our Nation's history has this been done." The indictment was filed behind closed doors at the Lower Manhattan courthouse after the clerk's office was closed for the day. It was not immediately clear whether it will be unsealed before Trump appears in court. Trump, like any criminal defendant, is expected to be processed before his arraignment, including fingerprinting and mug shots. Security will be a concern, given that he has a significant Secret Service detail as a former president - a novel issue in a historic case. The special agent in charge of Trump's security detail, Sean Curran, or Curran's deputy, is likely to personally accompany Trump when he is processed. Trump was at Mar-a-Lago Thursday afternoon when his lawyers said he had been indicted. His legal team was surprised by the precise timing, according to people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss it. The former president has repeatedly denied all wrongdoing and maintained that those investigating him were making politically motivated accusations - a posture that energizes the most loyal segments of his base, even as some more mainstream Republicans have expressed interest in finding a new party standard-bearer. Trump vowed Thursday to rally his fellow Republicans to defeat Bragg, an elected Democrat. "And then we will defeat Joe Biden, and we are going to throw every last one of these Crooked Democrats out of office," he said. Susan Necheles and Joseph Tacopina, the lawyers who have been representing Trump in the Bragg case, confirmed in a statement that their client was indicted but said: "He did not commit any crime. We will vigorously fight this political prosecution in Court." Legal experts have said that the apparent prosecution theory of the case is an untested application of state law, but that it isn't necessarily fatal to the case. Trump's legal team is expected to try to have the case tossed before it ever gets to trial - arguing that, among other things, there was no crime committed because even the alleged conduct by Trump does not fit the meaning or application of the law. One person with knowledge of Trump's political operation said advisers have been prepping for charges, and drawing up lines of attack on Bragg and key witnesses. David Urban, a longtime adviser to Trump who is not working for him in 2024, said Trump is gearing up to fight the case. "If you're going to indict the president, there should be a dead body laying next to him. This is far from it," he said. In addition to any legal challenges for prosecutors, the case against Trump will face significant political head winds. Many Republican elected officials leaped to Trump's defense on Thursday, denouncing what they called the weaponization of the criminal justice system. Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican Party, called the indictment "a blatant abuse of power from a DA focused on political vengeance instead of keeping people safe." Bragg's investigation appears to have focused on $130,000 paid by former Trump lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, who has said he fronted the money involved in the Daniels transactions to ensure her silence ahead of the 2016 election, and was later reimbursed by Trump. The reimbursement payments were erroneously classified as legal fees, previous investigations have found. Legal experts have said Bragg seems to be building a case of alleged business fraud, which is a misdemeanor but can be upgraded to a felony if the fraud is committed to further or conceal a separate crime. In this case, Bragg's office appears to be alleging that business records were falsified to conceal a payment that amounted to an undisclosed campaign contribution to benefit Trump's 2016 bid for president. Trump's lawyers and defenders have argued that he cannot be charged with such a crime because the purpose of the payment was not to help the campaign, but to protect Trump's reputation and marriage. Cohen, who would probably be a key witness for Bragg, served time in prison after pleading guilty in two federal criminal cases - including one that involved campaign finance violations related to Daniels and another woman who alleged an affair with Trump. He also pleaded guilty to lying to Congress, and his credibility has been attacked by Trump's defenders, which could undermine his strength as a witness. Bragg's office already has won a conviction against Trump's family business, successfully prosecuting the Trump Organization on tax fraud and related counts at a criminal trial in New York Supreme Court late last year. In that proceeding, longtime Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg testified against the Trump family's company under a plea agreement that called for him to serve five months in prison in exchange for his assistance at the trial. He had been facing up to 15 years in prison after dodging taxes on $1.7 million in income. As a result of the December conviction, the Trump Organization was ordered to pay a $1.6 million fine to the state, the largest amount allowable under New York law. Trump was not charged in the case. The district attorney's investigation of Trump began in 2019, under Bragg's predecessor, Cyrus R. Vance Jr. It resulted in a Supreme Court legal battle over access to Trump's tax returns and associated records, which were ultimately turned over to Vance's office. At the start of Bragg's tenure in 2022, he declined a push by senior prosecutors to ask a previous grand jury to indict Trump on charges that he defrauded lenders and insurance companies by lying about the true value of his properties and other assets. Bragg said at the time that his office would continue to investigate the former president, and a fresh roster of lawyers got involved in the case. Vance had earlier considered pursuing charges against Trump related to Daniels. But his office ruled that out as a viable option and moved on to other matters, including the Trump Organization's tax practices and asset valuations. Federal prosecutors also declined to prosecute Trump in connection with the Daniels payments, even though they did charge Cohen. - - - Alemany, Dawsey and Barrett reported from Washington. The Washington Post's Mark Berman, Carol D. Leonnig and Azi Paybarah in Washington contributed to this report. (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Stefanie Lindquist, Arizona State University (THE CONVERSATION) A Manhattan grand jury has voted to indict former President Donald Trump. The specific state charges, reports The New York Times, remain a mystery but will be related to the Manhattan district attorneys investigation of Trump for making hush money payments to a porn star just before the 2016 presidential election. Its the first time a U.S. president or former president has been indicted. At the same time, Trump is expected to continue his campaign for the presidency, seeking to regain in 2024 the position he lost in 2020 to Joe Biden. What are the consequences of an indictment and potential trial for his campaign and, if his effort is successful, his future presidency? Article II of the U.S. Constitutionsets forth very explicit qualifications for the presidency: The president must be 35 years of age, a U.S. resident for 14 years and a natural-born citizen. In cases involving analogous qualifications for members of Congress, the Supreme Court has held that such qualifications form a constitutional ceiling prohibiting any additional qualifications to be imposed by any means. Thus, because the Constitution does not require that the president be free from indictment, conviction or prison, it follows that a person under indictment or in prison may run for the office and may even serve as president. This is the prevailing legal standard that would apply to former President Trump. The fact of his indictment and potential trial is irrelevant to his qualifications for office under the Constitution. Nevertheless, there seems no question that indictment, conviction or both let alone a prison sentence would significantly compromise a presidents ability to function in office. And the Constitution doesnt provide an easy answer to the problem posed by such a compromised chief executive. Governing from jail? A presidential candidate could be indicted, prosecuted and convicted by either state or federal authorities. Indictment for a state crime may seem less significant than federal charges brought by the Department of Justice. Ultimately, though, the spectacle of a criminal trial in state or federal court would have a dramatic effect on a presidential campaign and on the credibility of a president, if elected. All defendants are presumed innocent until proved guilty. But in the case of conviction, incarceration in state or federal prison involves restrictions on liberty that would significantly compromise the presidents ability to lead. This point that functioning as president would be difficult while under indictment or after being convicted was made plain in a 2000 memo written by the Department of Justice. The memo reflected on a 1973 Office of Legal Counsel memo produced during Watergate titled Amenability of the President, Vice President and other Civil Officers to Federal Criminal Prosecution while in Office. The background to the 1973 memo was that President Richard Nixon was under investigation for his role in the Watergate break-in and Vice President Spiro Agnew was under grand jury investigation for tax evasion. These two memos addressed whether a sitting president could, under the Constitution, be indicted while in office. They concluded he could not. But what about a president indicted, convicted, or both, before taking office, as could be the case for Trump? In evaluating whether a sitting president could be indicted or imprisoned while in office, both the 1973 and 2000 memos outlined the consequences of a pending indictment for the presidents functioning in office. The earlier memo used strong words: [t]he spectacle of an indicted President still trying to serve as Chief Executive boggles the imagination. Even more pointedly, the memos observe that a criminal prosecution against a sitting president could result in physical interference with the Presidents performance of his official duties that it would amount to an incapacitation. The memo here refers to the inconvenience of a criminal trial that would significantly detract from the presidents time commitment to his burdensome duties. But its also lawyers language to describe a more direct impediment to the presidents ability to govern: He might be in jail. Core functions affected According to the 1973 memo, the President plays an unparalleled role in the execution of the laws, the conduct of foreign relations, and the defense of the Nation. Because these core functions require meetings, communications or consultations with the military, foreign leaders and government officials in the U.S. and abroad in ways that cannot be performed while imprisoned, constitutional law scholar Alexander Bickel remarked in 1973 that obviously the presidency cannot be conducted from jail. Modern presidents are peripatetic: They travel nationally and globally on a constant basis to meet with other national leaders and global organizations. They obviously wouldnt be able to do these things while in prison. Nor could they inspect the aftermath of natural disasters from coast to coast, celebrate national successes and events or address citizens and groups on issues of the day, at least in person. Moreover, presidents need access to classified information and briefings. But imprisonment would also obviously compromise a presidents ability to access such information, which must often be stored and viewed in a secure room that has been protected against all manner of spying, including blocking radio waves not something thats likely available in a prison. As a result of the presidents varied duties and obligations, the memos concluded that [t]he physical confinement of the chief executive following a valid conviction would indisputably preclude the executive branch from performing its constitutionally assigned functions. Translation: The president couldnt do his job. Running from prison Yet what to do if citizens actually elect an indicted or incarcerated president? This is not out of the question. At least one incarcerated presidential candidate, Eugene Debs, garnered almost a million votes out of a total 26.2 million cast in the election of 1920. One potential response is the 25th Amendment, which enables the presidents Cabinet to declare the president unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. The two Department of Justice memos note, however, that the framers of the 25th Amendment never considered or mentioned incarceration as a basis for the inability to discharge the powers and duties of the office. They write that replacing the president under the 25th Amendment would give insufficient weight to the peoples considered choice as to whom they wish to serve as their chief executive. All this brings to mind Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes admonition about the role of the Supreme Court: If my fellow citizens want to go to Hell I will help them. Its my job. Holmes statement came in a letter reflecting on the Sherman Antitrust Act, which he thought was a foolish law. But Holmes was prepared to accept the popular will expressed through democracy and self-determination. Perhaps the same reflection is apt here: If the people choose a president hobbled by criminal sanctions, that is a form of self-determination too. And one for which the Constitution has no ready solution. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/trump-indictment-wont-keep-him-from-presidential-race-but-will-make-his-reelection-bid-much-harder-197677. Nurses, the lifeblood of our health care systems, are in increasingly short supply signaling a code red for the Texas Legislature currently meeting in Austin. If you or a family member need or will need care in a Texas hospital, nursing home, home care program, clinic, rehabilitation or behavioral health hospital, the Texas Comptroller warns the shortage might affect the timely availability of that care. The stresses of the pandemic and retirement of baby-boomer age nurses have left the health care system with fewer nurses to provide direct patient care and fewer experienced nurses to train the next generation of nurses providing care in Midland. Nurse educators surveyed by the Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies identify the top two challenges to training more nursing students as a shortage of preferred clinical training opportunities at hospitals and other care sites and a shortage of qualified nurse faculty at nursing schools. Fortunately, two bills filed this session will help if they become law. Senate Bill 2590 and House Bill 3930 will support hospitals and other clinical training sites in educating, supporting, and retaining nurses. These bills will fill the missing piece in Texas nursing workforce funding strategy investment in the clinical sites that educate nurses and that are deploying innovative delivery and operations models to retain, advance and support existing nurses. Traditionally, the state has funded only nursing schools and the classroom component of nurse education and not the clinical training sites themselves. These clinical sites, most frequently hospitals, partner with nursing schools and community colleges to educate future nurses and provide bedside, hands-on education constituting approximately one-third of nursing students needed educational hours. Indeed, the Texas Senates and Houses versions of the state budget bill already include more funding for nurse education. They propose increasing funding for the Nursing Shortage Reduction Fund by $18 million to support more student financial aid. This increase in funding is important and should be maintained. But, meeting the growing need for new nurses and supporting and retaining experienced nurses requires investments in both didactic (classroom) and experiential (clinical site, bedside) education. Specifically, SB 2590 and HB 3930 will address clinical site education gap by: Funding pay increases for preceptors the staff nurses who take on the extra responsibility of mentoring, advising and teaching nursing students at the bedside. Without these preceptors, nursing students lack hands-on, real-world patient care experience essential for successfully completing nursing school and passing nurse licensure exams, and Texas cant grow its nurse workforce. Creating and funding nursing innovation and coordination grants for clinical sites. Similar to existing grant programs that support classroom innovation, clinical innovation grants would support hospitals and other clinical sites in piloting and testing new approaches to retain and support nurses in their workplaces, including new workflows, use of technology, staffing models and retention and mentoring strategies to support nurses to keep providing critical patient care. Creating and funding clinical nurse faculty grant programs to support both practicing nurses who want to teach part-time and faculty who want to work part-time in clinical settings. These grant programs would ameliorate the current shortage of nursing faculty and promote integration of the didactic and clinical training students need. A complete nursing education requires both classroom and clinical site components -- both didactic and hands-on learning. Supporting only the academic side of the equation by itself will not solve the nurse workforce shortage in Midland nor support those nurses already in the workforce. We need to re-frame healthcare as essential infrastructure and nurses as foundational to that infrastructure and align public investments in their education and retention accordingly. Passage of HB 3930/SB 2590 will go a long way to positioning Texas as a leader in addressing the nurse workforce shortage and making Texas one of the best places in the country to be a nurse. -- Kit Bredimus is the chief nursing officer/vice president of Nursing at Midland Health This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Though far from the only U.S. president dogged by legal and ethical scandals, Donald Trump now occupies a unique place in history as the first indicted on criminal charges. Two others, like Trump, found themselves impeached by Congress Bill Clinton for lying under oath about his affair with a White House intern, and Andrew Johnson for pushing the limits of his executive authority in a bitter power struggle following the Civil War. Richard Nixon resigned in disgrace over his role in the infamous Watergate break-in. And Ronald Reagan and Ulysses S. Grant both became forever tied to scandals in which close aides got prosecuted, though neither president was ever charged. Heres a look at how Trumps predecessors fared: BILL CLINTON Clinton spent more than half his presidency under scrutiny in investigations that ranged from failed real estate deals to the Democratic presidents affair with a White House intern. Investigators took a lengthy look into Bill and Hillary Clintons investments in the troubled Whitewater real estate venture. Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr, appointed to oversee the investigation in 1994, turned up no evidence of wrongdoing by the Clintons. But two of their close associates, Jim and Susan McDougal, ended up convicted of Whitewater-related charges. So did Jim Guy Tucker, Clintons successor as governor of Arkansas. Starrs 1998 report packed with lurid details of Clintons affair with intern Monica Lewinsky proved far more damaging. While being questioned in a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by former Arkansas state employee Paula Jones, Clinton had denied having sexual relations with Lewinsky. Starr concluded that Clinton had lied under oath and obstructed justice. That led to the House voting to impeach Clinton on Dec. 19, 1998. He was acquitted by the Senate, allowing him to remain in office until his term ended in January 2001. RONALD REAGAN Reagan never faced impeachment or court charges for the biggest scandal of his presidency. But the arms-for-hostages scheme that became known as the Iran-Contra affair dogged him long after he left the White House. In 1986, during Reagans second term, the public learned that his administration had authorized secret arms sales to Iran while seeking Iranian aid in freeing American hostages held in Lebanon. As much as $30 million from the arms sales was diverted, in violation of U.S. law, to aid rebels fighting the leftist government of Nicaragua. Reagans national security adviser, John Poindexter, resigned and an aide, Lt. Col. Oliver North, was fired. Both were also convicted of crimes stemming from efforts to deceive and obstruct Congress. Their convictions were later overturned. President George H.W. Bush, Reagans successor, pardoned six others involved. Reagan insisted money from the arms sales was funneled to the Nicaraguan Contra rebels without his knowledge. RICHARD NIXON Nixon resigned from office in August 1974 rather than face impeachment for his administrations cover-up of its involvement in a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington. The bungled burglary at the Watergate office building resulted in the indictment of seven men, including two former White House aides. Five of the Watergate defendants pleaded guilty; two were convicted in criminal trials. Intrigue over the 1972 Watergate break-in didnt stop Nixon from cruising to reelection a few months later. He endured the storm until the House Judiciary Committee in 1974 approved three articles of impeachment accusing him of obstruction of justice, abuse of power and contempt of Congress. Before the full House could vote, a bombshell tape recording was released in which Nixon could be heard approving a plan to pressure the FBI to drop its Watergate investigation. Nixon resigned after losing support from key congressional Republicans. His vice president, Gerald Ford, became president and pardoned Nixon a month later. ULYSSES S. GRANT While never personally charged with crimes or formally accused of wrongdoing, Grant as president torpedoed a corruption case prosecuted by his own administration. The man on trial was Grants personal secretary in the White House. In 1875, an investigation launched by Treasury Secretary Benjamin H. Bristow resulted in hundreds of arrests in a scheme known as the Whiskey Ring, in which distillers, revenue agents and fellow conspirators diverted millions of dollars in liquor taxes to themselves. The Civil War general-turned-president found himself at odds with the crackdown when Gen. Orville E. Babcock ended up charged as a conspirator. Not only was Babcock the presidents personal secretary, but he and Grant had also been friends since the war. Prosecutors said they had uncovered telegrams Babcock sent to ringleaders to assist their scheme. Regardless, Grant insisted on testifying in his aides defense. To avoid the spectacle of the president appearing at Babcocks trial, attorneys questioned Grant under oath at the White House on Feb. 12, 1876. A transcript of his testimony was later read in court in St. Louis. The jury acquitted Babcock, a decision largely credited to Grants unwavering defense. ANDREW JOHNSON The first American president to have his legacy tarnished by impeachment, Andrew Johnsons woes arose from his intense feuding with Congress over Reconstruction following the Civil War. The Tennessee Democrat had been elected vice president in 1864 as part of a unity ticket with Abraham Lincoln, and Johnson assumed the presidency after Lincolns 1865 assassination. From the White House, Johnson called for pardoning Confederate leaders and opposed extending voting rights to freed Blacks, infuriating congressional Republicans. It was Johnsons firing of Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, a Lincoln appointee who favored tougher policies toward the defeated South, that prompted the House to pass articles of impeachment that accused the president of ousting and replacing Stanton illegally. Johnsons impeachment trial began in the Senate on March 5, 1868. It ended more than two months later, with senators just one vote short of removing Johnson from office. He served the remainder of his final year, but fellow Democrats denied him their nomination to run again. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BOSTON (AP) A former Boston police officer was arrested Thursday on charges that he assaulted a police officer after storming the U.S. Capitol with the mob of President Donald Trump supporters on Jan. 6, 2021. Joseph Robert Fisher is accused of pushing a chair into a Capitol police officer inside the building as the officer was running after another rioter who deployed pepper spray, according to court documents. Moments later, Fisher also engaged in a physical assault against the officer, which ended with Fisher on the ground, an FBI agent wrote in the court papers. A current Boston police officer helped investigators identify Fisher in photographs, the agent wrote. The 52-year-old was arrested at his home in Plymouth, Massachusetts and released on conditions after an initial court appearance Thursday. Fisher retired in 2016 after serving more than 20 years in the police force, including as part of the K-9 unit, a department spokesperson said. He's charged with assaulting an officer, obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder and other crimes. The Associated Press sent an email to an attorney who represented Fisher for his initial appearance in Boston. Fisher is among several people charged in the riot who were working or previously worked in law enforcement on Jan. 6. The rioter who received the longest sentence so far 10 years in prison was a retired New York City police officer who used a metal flagpole to assault an officer. Also on Thursday, authorities arrested a Colorado man who prosecutors say was part of a group of rioters who violently pushed against officers desperately trying to defend the Capitol from the angry mob in a tunnel. Jonathan Grace, of Colorado Springs, faces charges including felony civil disorder. The 49-year-old is also supposed to appear in court on Thursday in Denver. No attorney was immediately listed for him in court records. Surveillance video shows Grace entering a tunnel where officers were lined up as they tried to beat back the mob. Grace can be seen putting his head down and using his body to push in unison with other rioters against the police line, authorities say. As the rioters pushed, one of officers screamed in pain while being crushed between a shield and a door frame in one of the most harrowing scenes from the riot, according to court documents. After officers at one point managed to clear rioters out of the tunnel, Grace watched as other rioters dragged a D.C. police officer out of the tunnel and brutally attacked him, authorities say. He then re-joined the rioters pushing against the police line and retreated only after officers sprayed a chemical irritant at the crowd, according to court documents. They join roughly 1,000 people who have charged with federal crimes in the riot that halted the certification of President Joe Bidens victory and left dozens of police officers injured. All of the cases are being prosecuted in Washington D.C.s federal court and authorities continue to make new arrests practically every week. More than 540 defendants have pleaded guilty. Dozens more have been convicted by judges or juries after trials. More than 440 have been sentenced, with over half getting terms of imprisonment ranging from seven days to 10 years. ___ Associated Press writer Michael Kunzelman contributed to this report. ___ Follow the APs coverage of the Capitol riot at https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege. WASHINGTON (AP) The U.S. military has a long ways to go to beef up its munitions stockpiles and ensure the country is ready for any large-scale war, the top U.S. military officer told Congress on Wednesday. Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the war in Ukraine has underscored the heavy use of munitions that is required during any major conflict. He and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin faced repeated questioning from members of Congress this week about the impact the war is having on the Pentagon, as it supplies Ukraine with much of the ammunition it needs to fend off the Russian forces. They, and senior Army leaders, said the conflict has pushed the U.S. to increase production rates and re-evaluate how much of a stockpile is really needed as tensions with China and Russia continue to rise. If there was a war on the Korean peninsula or great power war between the United States and Russia or the United States and China, the consumption rates would be off the charts, Milley said in testimony to the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday. So Im concerned. I know the secretary is ... weve got a ways to go to make sure our stockpiles are prepared for the real contingencies. He said Austin directed the military to conduct a complete review of all its war plans and assess the munitions estimates, which can then form the basis for future budget requests. The Pentagon is requesting $30 million in the 2024 fiscal year budget to invest in the industrial base and to buy the maximum number of munitions that American industry can produce, Austin said during the same hearing. In testimony earlier this week, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth told lawmakers that right now the Army is comfortable that the amount of lethal assistance weve been providing is not eroding our readiness, but we keep a close eye on that. A key concern is the 155 mm ammunition. The U.S. has sent Ukraine 160 howitzers and more than 1 million of the 155 mm howitzer rounds. The munitions have been put to heavy use with as many as 3,000 rounds fired a day, according to the Pentagon. Wormuth, who visited the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Pennsylvania where the shell casings for the rounds are made, said the service asked for $1.5 billion in the budget to be able to shore up that production. She said the U.S. would like to increase production from about 20,000 shells a month to 75,000 a month by 2025. We are working very closely with industry to try to do everything we can to help make it easier for them to increase both the volume of their production but also the speed of their production, she said. Asked about the impact on American troops, Gen. James McConville, chief of staff of the Army, said the military goes through about 150,000 rounds a year for training or roughly 14,000 a month. Another pressure point is ammunition for the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System, which the U.S. is also sending to Ukraine. Wormuth said the U.S. is working to increase production from about 6,000 a year to 15,000 a year. Austin and Wormuth also said the Pentagon is hoping that Congress will allow it to do multi-year procurement plans in order to save money and provide stability for the industry. RICHMOND, Va. (AP) A third-party investigation into delays by a northern Virginia public school district in recognizing student achievements on a standardized test found no evidence the delays were deliberate, the superintendent said this week. Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid also said in a Wednesday letter to the community that the probe found no evidence of any inequity or racial bias in the way schools handled notification to those designated commended students by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Fairfax County was among a handful of northern Virginia public school districts that acknowledged around the start of the year delayed notification of some commended student awards. The issue drew widespread attention after Gov. Glenn Youngkin and other elected officials highlighted parents' concerns and asked for an investigation. Students who receive the award finish in the top 3% nationally on a standardized test, but below the top 1% that qualifies them as a scholarship semifinalist. Some parents said the delayed notifications could have affected students' college or scholarship applications, and other parents and activists alleged the district chose to withhold the commendations to downplay individual achievement in favor of equity. When complaints about the delayed notifications first emerged at the prestigious Thomas Jefferson School for Science and Technology, Youngkin said he wanted to get to the bottom of what appeared to be an egregious, deliberate attempt to disadvantage high-performing students at one of the best schools in the country. Fairfax County went on to acknowledge notification delays at additional schools, as did other northern Virginia districts. Youngkin asked Attorney General Jason Miyares, a fellow Republican, to launch an investigation. He suggested the failure to notify students of their awards could be a violation of the Virginia Human Rights Act, which bans discrimination on race and other factors. That investigation is still ongoing, according to Miyares spokeswoman Victoria LaCivita. Its encouraging that FCPS is working to be more transparent about the inconsistencies surrounding their National Merit award decisions and process, she said in a statement Thursday. An internal review by Fairfax schools first found there was no validity to claims that the delays were deliberate or done in the name of equity, according to a summary of the key findings of the external investigation. But Reid went on to retain the law firm Sands Anderson to conduct its own probe, which came to the same finding. As part of its work, the firm conducted 29 witness interviews and had open access to FCPS documents and records, the summary said. The report found that 15 Fairfax County high schools notified their commended students before Nov. 1, 2022; eight did not. The lack of a division-wide policy for providing such notice was a contributing factor in the delays, the summary said. Reid said in her letter that the district has developed a new regulation that outlines the notification process all high schools will now follow going forward. The investigation did not identify any Thomas Jefferson student or parent who believed a students admission to their college or university of choice was adversely affected by the delayed notices, according to the summary. It also said staff at the impacted schools other than Thomas Jefferson reported that they had not received complaints from parents or the school community regarding the awards notification. A spokeswoman for Youngkin, Macaulay Porter, said the governor looks forward to the independent findings of Miyares' investigation into three school divisions. When allegations that merit awards were withheld from students came to light, the governor took immediate action, she said. She also said the governor, who has made parental rights in education a key focus of his time in office, was disappointed in Virginia Democrats who blocked a legislative proposal he sought intended to ensure parental notification of scholastic awards. Democratic Sen. Scott Surovell, whose district includes part of Fairfax County, said the report's findings showed the whole episode was hysteria drummed up by the same right-wing activists that have been trying to tear our public schools down" for years. Northern Virginia has excellent public schools on every objective metric. And the governor and his friends that dont want that to be the case, he said. MADISON, Wis. (AP) A Wisconsin man charged in federal court with making a threat against Gov. Tony Evers and others has pleaded guilty to making a threat against a county official under a deal with prosecutors. The Wisconsin State Journal reported Thursday that Michael A. Yaker, of Windsor, Wisconsin, agreed to the plea deal on Wednesday. Yaker, 52, pleaded guilty to leaving a threatening voicemail message in May for then-Dane County Highway Commissioner Gerald Mandli. In November, Yaker was charged in a complaint in U.S. District Court with threatening Evers by email and Facebook messages in October while Yaker was in Kansas. In March, federal prosecutors charged Yaker with making additional threats against Mandli, Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett, Madison police detective Greg Esser, County Executive Joe Parisi and the Dane County Board. As part of a plea agreement, seven of the eight counts were dismissed, including charges related to threats against the governor, but Yaker agreed he committed the acts described in those counts. Court documents say that Yaker, an ax-maker and timber framer, began a long-running dispute with Dane County after he was denied a bid to build a park shelter, and that he was known to often carry an ax with him. As part of a plea agreement, U.S. Attorney Tim OShea and Yakers attorney, federal defender Joseph Bugni, agreed to recommend a sentence for Yaker of a year and a day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. However, the U.S. District Judge James Peterson could sentence Yaker to up to five years in prison, the maximum under the law, at a hearing set for June 22. QUITO, Ecuador (AP) Police successfully deactivated a vest-like explosive device Thursday that an unknown number of people allegedly had taped to the chest of a security guard at a jewelry store in Ecuadors main port city. The guard was uninjured. Authorities would question him to try to locate any suspects, said Francesco Tabacchi, governor of the state of Guayas, which includes the city of Guayaquil. SAN MARTIN, Peru (AP) The Cordillera Azul National Park on the eastern flank of the Peruvian Andes takes in a sweep of Amazon rainforest, mountains and waterfalls in a territory about the size of Connecticut, so precious that tens of millions of dollars in carbon credits have been sold in a program that supporters said would protect its trees. But an analysis by independent experts and reporting by The Associated Press raises doubts about whether the project has delivered on its promise to counter-balance emissions by oil companies such as Shell, TotalEnergies and others. And the tree loss has more than doubled, according to satellite analysis. Experts say the Cordillera Azul project was flawed from the beginning, with far too many carbon credits generated and exaggerated benefits that allowed the nonprofit running the park for the Peruvian government to make more money even as the tree canopy shrank. Defenders of the project dispute that benefits were inflated. They say the tree loss was virtually all from natural causes, even as satellite analysis shows its concentrated on the western and northern borders of the park near large population centers and largely along rivers. These are places far easier to reach and illegally log than elsewhere in the mostly primordial landscape. It is clear something has gone wrong in this project, said Edward Mitchard, an expert in deforestation and carbon credits at the University of Edinburgh School of Geosciences. Skeptics of forest protection carbon credit programs note the market is largely self-regulated, and its easy for participants to exaggerate the benefits of a given project. But done correctly, they are supposed to allow a company to break even on carbon emissions by preventing them in one place such as a rainforest while the company emits a comparable amount elsewhere. And demand for the projects is growing as companies come under pressure to be carbon-neutral, with one database showing the number of programs has nearly doubled in the past two years. Peru's forests have long come under frequent pressure from people migrating into new areas to clear land for farming. In Cordillera Azul, the carbon credit program raises money that pays for forest patrols and education of local communities to stop deforestation, which releases huge amounts of carbon dioxide that contributes to climate change. Documents show more than 28 million credits have been sold for the Cordillera Azul project, enough to offset 28 million tons of carbon dioxide and raising millions of dollars in a process that Indigenous Kichwa tribes have complained did not recognize their ancestral claim to the land. Founding documents say the project, launched in 2008 and among the worlds largest such ventures, aimed to prevent all deforestation in the park. But Mitchards company, Space Intelligence, found tree canopy loss jumped from an average of 262 hectares (650 acres) per year in the five years before the project launched to an average of 572 hectares (1,400 acres) per year from 2009 to 2021, the last year for which data is available. Space Intelligence is a for-profit company that undertakes satellite mapping that is used to verify carbon credits. Some of the tree loss in the park can be seen in satellite images taken in 2010 and 2019 and provided to AP by Planet, a company that makes such images for governments, businesses and researchers. CIMA, the Spanish acronym for the independent non-profit set up to run the park, said natural phenomena such as landslides caused the tree loss, not logging, farming or mining. Inspection of satellite data does show many landslides, but deforestation is a major cause of landslides because tree roots help hold steep slopes in place. Academic modeling has found landslides happen up to 13 times more often in deforested areas. Its impossible to know what caused the Cordillera Azul landslides without site inspections, but forest loss within 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) of a park boundary or rivers the most accessible and logging-vulnerable areas of the park was about double that of the rest of the park, Space Intelligence found. More than a third of all the tree loss mapped in the gigantic park was in these narrow bands of territory. That does suggest that there has been human disturbance of the forest, making these landslides more likely, Mitchard said, though he noted that natural causes could not be ruled out. Mitchard also said data showing that annual tree canopy loss inside the park rose at about the same rate as tree loss outside the park after 2008 suggested the carbon credit project afforded little protection to Cordillera Azul. The data implied the same human pressures operating inside and outside the park, he said. Forest carbon credits each represent a ton of CO2 kept from entering the atmosphere by protecting trees. They are supposed to be minted only if a forest is at risk and the Cordillera Azul was legally protected by presidential decree in 2001. But official documents show that CIMA pushed for the program, arguing that it was necessary to pay for enforcement and education because the law alone wouldnt have saved its forests from slash and burn agriculture, logging or mining. They also cite the program as a more reliable source of funding for the park than depending on donations. Existence of a national park title in a country like Peru is not sufficient to halt deforestation, Gonzalo Varillas, executive director of CIMA, said by email in response to questions from AP. He also said the sale of the credits brought in enough money to cover 90% of the parks operating costs, making up for difficulty obtaining international donations. Perus government began letting nonprofits run some parks on the theory that they might better be able to attract foreign funding. Steve Zwick, a spokesman for the nonprofit Verra, a certifier for forest carbon projects including this one, defended the program as a lifeline for the park. Without income from the carbon credits, CIMA would have been dependent on unreliable funders, he said. Carbon savings were thus crystal clear. But experts said the project inflated projected benefits from the start. In 2008, CIMA said without the carbon credit program, almost 29 million tons of CO2 would be released from illegal deforestation in the park over the next decade. To calculate those prevented emissions, under industry standard guidelines, CIMA compared the project to a reference area to predict what would happen without its protection. Simon Counsell, who has been assessing forest carbon credit projects for nearly 15 years, analyzed the areas CIMA selected for Friends of the Earth Netherlands. He found that CIMAs reference area artificially boosted the figure by oversampling lowland valleys and floodplains far more attractive to farmers and thus vulnerable to logging than the parks more rugged terrain. The bigger the figure for prevented emissions, the more credits could be sold even as the supposed benefits were overstated, Counsell found. Counsell said CIMAs numbers were also distorted by questionable estimates of population growth in the reference area another data point used to estimate prevented emissions, since more people typically means more forest destruction. For example, in the district of Pampa Hermosa, CIMA used estimates that population would grow by more than 700% in the decade following the programs launch. But the parks own figures showed population had grown on average by only 2.2% per year between 1993 and 2002. Compensate, a company that assesses and sells carbon credits, rejected Cordillera Azul for its portfolio in 2020. Its evaluation, shared with AP, also flagged both the population growth and deforestation estimates. It described the latter as one way to inflate the programs prevented emissions. Will Lock, an expert in the voluntary carbon market and Peruvian Amazon conservation at the School of Global Studies in the University of Sussex, said predictions employed a heavily exaggerated, worst-case scenario approach that resulted in a worrying tendency to overemphasize threats and maximize claims of carbon saved. Zwick, from Verra, said the reference region was chosen by peer-reviewed processes, the best then available, and certain areas were excluded. He said people can and do farm on steep slopes, and topography was factored into the assessment. Questions raised at the time by independent auditors were addressed, he said, while population data was the best available then. Verra has recently said it will bring in a new rainforest carbon credit methodology by 2025. The project was carried out to the highest quality, said CIMAs Varillas. Some of the observed deforestation was from natural causes, he argued, and population estimates were based on robust modeling. The projects biggest buyers, Shell and TotalEnergies, defended their participation. A TotalEnergies spokesman said by email that comparing tree loss before and after the project gave the misleading impression it had failed, because deforestation cannot be halted instantaneously. The company only invests in carbon projects meeting international standards and methodologies of the highest quality, said the spokesman, who declined to allow his name to be used. A Shell spokesman also cited protection of the park as a benefit of its credit purchases, and said catastrophic deforestation would have occurred without the program. But the spokesman, who also declined to allow his name to be used, said Shell will conduct an additional review before further purchases. ___ Follow Ed Davey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EdDavey1 ___ 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. BEIRUT (AP) Israel staged airstrikes on suburbs of the Syrian capital of Damascus early Friday for the second day in a row, the state news agency reported. It gave no word on any casualties. Loud explosions were heard over the Syrian capital shortly after midnight Thursday, according to residents in the capital and the state news agency SANA. The airstrikes came after similar attacks early Thursday. The good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease. William Osler, one of the four founding physicians of Johns Hopkins University Nothing is more important to physicians than the well-being of our patients. Patients should be able to access the health care they need when they need it. This is why the Connecticut State Medical Society has been working with state policymakers to inform and shape legislation that will remove the artificial barriers that exist between physicians and patients. As Doctors Day 2023 arrives, I am pleased to report that state legislators and public health officials are listening, but we have much more work to do. Connecticut patients should not have to delay or avoid receiving the health care they need because they cant find a physician, are unable to secure an affordable health care plan or navigate the multiple obstacles that insurance companies throw in their way to accessing care. Connecticuts physicians are united in pursuing some fundamental changes to our states health care system. First, we need to grow our physician base. The average age of Connecticut physicians is rising each year. Put simply, Connecticut needs to attract emerging physicians and medical students to Connecticut schools and keep them upon their graduation/residency. Connecticut has some of the best medical training programs in the country, yet according to a 2021 report from the American Association of Medical Colleges, Connecticut ranks 47th in retaining the physicians we train in our state. Why? Connecticuts retention problem boils down to high costs of medical training and licensing, increased debt and an aging physician workforce. Connecticut physicians also face challenges such as increased administrative processes, prior authorizations and low Medicaid reimbursement rates. Taken together, these challenges place incredible burdens on physicians looking to begin their careers in medicine in Connecticut. Thankfully, lawmakers are listening. Last year, the legislature allocated $1.6 million of the funds appropriated for state loan repayment to be used for repayment of physician loans and formed a working group to explore methods to enhance physician recruitment. This was a good start but it needs to continue and show success in physician recruitment. And just recently, the legislatures Human Services Committee overwhelmingly approved legislation to update Connecticuts Medicaid rates for physician reimbursements and help ensure that Connecticuts Medicaid beneficiaries have access to the health care services they need when they need it. House Bill 6885 will help bolster Connecticuts Medicaid physician network. This bill will accomplish this by reversing the trend where low reimbursement rates have resulted in many physicians limiting their participation in the program and thus, Medicaid beneficiaries seeking care in urgent care facilities and emergency departments. This, in turn costs the state more money and doesnt provide the same level of continued preventive care needed to keep our state residents healthy. This is a very positive step, and we will work with the Appropriations Committee to allocate sufficient budgetary resources to enact it. When it comes to health care, access delayed is access denied. CSMS is encouraged by proposed initiatives to remove the artificial barriers that the health insurance industry places between patients and their physicians, specifically prior authorization. Historically, prior authorization was a tool to look at (and reduce) hospital admissions, but we now see it being used as a blunt-edged tool to delay treatment decisions deemed appropriate by physicians in an effort to reduce reimbursement for medical care. That is why we are working tirelessly at the state Capitol to remove these barriers between physicians and our patients, urging legislators to set uniform standards that must be used by all commercial health plans, utilize the latest technology to ensure 24/7/365 availability to health plans who first require approval of recommended treatments, procedures and drug therapies. The legislature needs to adopt innovative ideas from other states, such as the Gold Card, a program that allows physicians who routinely receive prior authorization approvals to bypass the prior authorization approval process. More than 50,000 direct jobs are supported by physicians in Connecticut, and an economic study that CSMS has shared with state lawmakers showed that more than 11 jobs are supported by each physician. This translates into billions of dollars in local economic activity and just over $1 billion in state and local tax revenue. Lets keep working together to keep Connecticuts homegrown medical minds and emerging physicians from seeking their futures elsewhere. These physicians want to stay here in Connecticut they want to care for the people of Connecticut and they are the key to ensuring our patients will have access to quality, affordable healthcare when and where they need it. I am happy to report that we have seen positive progress since Doctors Day 2022. Lets continue to pay it forward to our children and grandchildren by establishing a framework in Connecticut that will distinguish us from our neighboring states, as a place where both patient and physician well-being is prioritized. This will thereby guarantee Connecticut as a destination where the best and brightest medical professionals will seek to establish roots and care for all of us. Dr. David Hass is president of the Connecticut State Medical Society. When spring fills the air, Tom turkeys get in the mood for love as the wheels of another breeding season kick into gear. A dominant gobbler riding a testosterone high is prone to bust into uncontrollable fits of boisterous gobbling. The resonant vocals are often followed by peculiar struts, drums, spitting sounds and other haughty displays of self importance. Its raucous behavior meant to impress the ladies and discourage other suitors from infringing on their turf. All of the trash talk is sweet music to the ears of spring turkey hunters. Thats because they rely heavily on gobbling activity to pinpoint birds and plot hunting strategies. The idea is to hone in on the sounds of the gobbler so you can move in close, mock the sounds of a lovesick hen turkey and ultimately lure the boss bird into shotgun range -- 40 yards or less. RELATED: Sight fishing for spawning bass If spring turkey hunting sounds like fun, that's because it is. Most of Texas 55,000-plus spring turkey hunters will agree it is one of nature's greatest shows. One of the main attractions is the mystery. No two spring turkey hunts are ever the same. Things are forever changing out there, especially the moods of Tom turkeys. Some gobblers are so easily fooled that luring them in close enough to make a head shot with a 12 gauge might hardly seem like a challenge. Other birds can be so difficult that it may seem like a total waste of time. Turkeys in Texas Texas army of turkey hunters will be out in number in coming weeks. Most will head to Rio Grande country in South, Central and North Texas. Rios are by far the most plentiful of the three sub-species of wild turkey found in Texas, according to Jason Hardin, wild turkey program leader with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Hardin says Rio numbers have declined somewhat in recent times, but the population remains strong at around 400,000 to 450,000 birds. RELATED: More than a mouthful: Bass guide reels in a surprise catch Eastern wild turkeys run a distant second to Rios with a population of about 10,000 birds. Merriams are the least common of Texas turkeys with isolated pockets found in the Davis Mountains of far West Texas. Hardin says the last estimate in the early 2000s indicated about 500 pure-bred Merriams. He says those birds have likely hybridized with Rios since that time. Season outlook Every year is a good year for turkey hunting in Texas. Hardin predicts 2023 will follow suit, with plenty of mature gobblers in the field and limited numbers of jennies (juvenile hens) to distract adult birds from tending to business. Toms will be most responsive to calling once adult hens are bred and locked on nests. The biologist says Rios had little nesting success and reproduction in 2022 due to the prolonged summer drought and intense heat. Drought reduced the forage availability turkeys need to be in peak physical condition for breeding and nesting, while the heat resulted in severe stress. There just wasnt a lot of interest in reproduction last year, he said. The heat being what it was, I think the birds spent a lot of time in the shade panting instead of out looking for what little forage there was. The birds were in more of a survival mode. Hardin added that some hunters may see visible evidence of last summers stress in gobblers that are shot this spring. A common indicator is beard rot. The temporary condition is caused by a vitamin deficiency that makes portions of beard appear orange or rust in color. In some cases the beard will be so fragile that it actually shears off. Youth only seasons North Zone: March 2526 and May 20 21 South Zone: March 11 12; May 6 7 Rio Grande spring regular seasons North Zone: April 1 May 14 South Zone: March 18 April 30 Special one turkey bag limit 10 counties (Bastrop, Caldwell, Colorado, Fayette, Jackson, Lavaca, Lee, Matagorda, Milam and Wharton): April 1 30 Eastern turkey in 12 counties (Bowie, Cass, Fannin, Grayson, Jasper, Lamar, Marion, Nacogdoches, Newton, Polk, Red River and Sabine): April 22 May 14 Staying legal Hunters in the 10 Rio Grande one-bird limit counties and in 12 eastern wild turkey counties are required to report their harvest within 24 hours through the My Texas Hunt Harvest app or the TPWD website. All turkeys must be tagged immediately after harvest. Hunter Education requirements apply. Valid hunting license and Upland Game Bird endorsement ($7) required. Eastern turkey counties: Shotguns and lawful archery equipment are the only legal means of take; no hunting over bait. For CIOs to hold their own, Sharma says IT leaders cant stop at business acumen, but instead must develop great interpersonal skills and be able to lead people in a cross-functional and cross-geographical environment. They should also be able to leverage emerging technologies to lend business a competitive edge. To do this in his former roles as CIO, Sharma created a cross-functional decision committee comprising functional leaders, such as the CFO and CHRO, and technical leaders, such as the CIO or head of applications. That helped in democratizing the process and enabling a smooth sale though and execution of any project, he says. Gangavarapu says such efforts are vital for addressing this trend, which includes a shift in technology resources mindset to a new direction by preparing them to blend into the LOBs through awareness, training, and a culture shift. Besides recruiting a digital-savvy workforce for the future that is aligned to customer expectations, CIOs should themselves gear up to become an advisory function, he says. To do this, Gangavarapu has established a digital council at Northern Beaches Council to get the board, which consists of 15 Councillors who are elected by the community, to buy into his vision and direction. He is updating the workforce strategy and capability framework, which outlines the digital skills expected of each new hire based on their role. We are decentralizing budget from IT back to individual business units where they have ownership and drive the lifecycle of the contract and services. We also embed skills into LOB resources on an ongoing basis so that they are equipped to handle technology changes, compliance, and regulatory shifts around technology, he says. Here IT is taking an advisory role and LOBs are taking the lead. By connecting LOBs to market innovators in respective areas, with IT support, we encourage innovation. According to Gangavarapu, these initiatives have resulted in quite a few LOBs being self-sufficient and running their own digital initiatives with centralized coordination from IT. Measuring progress during this journey, he shares that employee engagement went up by 9%, wellbeing up by 13%, progress up by 18%, and customer satisfaction score shift from 71% in 2019 to 88% in 2022. What the future CIO role could look like It is a given that CIOs in the future will perform beyond their IT functions. With the recent pandemic and the increasing push for digital transformation, CIOs are already wearing multiple hats to help evolve the business. CIOs are now required to become a marketing strategist, a business analyst, a finance advisor, and an operation expert while delivering their core expertise as an IT champion. This is the way ahead and CIOs need to keep on upgrading, reskilling, and upskilling to stay relevant, Osman says. Going forward, there will be opportunities for CIOs to step into other CXO functions to add value and stay relevant, and this imperative will apply to all other technology resources who will realise that they cannot work siloed in a standalone IT business unit anymore but must be embedded in the LOB, understand context, and be able to add value. As Gangavarapu says, Digital and technology function will get embedded into LOBs driving strategies and offering products and services for the digital world. The function of information technology teams will reduce as quite a few will move to the LOBs and IT will end up running the plumbing works such as infrastructure, communications, and cybersecurity. [Cross-functional teams] will become a core ingredient of a succeeding in a digital world. And this shift to embedded IT will further transform the CIO role, Gangavarapu says. Driving digital adoption in business is easier being a part of business rather than driving from IT, as it is seen as external someone is doing this to us instead, We are driving this; hence, CIOs must start picking up roles in LOBs with various titles such as chief translation officer, chief digital advisory officer, or chief innovation officer, he says. IT leaders not willing to change may soon be out of luck, Sharma says, as he sees the CIO role getting replaced, unless they acquire the necessary skills to remain relevant, by that of a chief transformation officer, who would work closely with the CEO and act as a bridge between the CIO office and LOBs. The chief transformation officers will identify business transformation opportunities within the enterprise and will work closely with the business. The arrangement would be such that the ownership of the project will lie with the respective LOBs while the company-level value creation and competitive edge will be jointly shared between them, he says, adding that the CIO could become the chief custodian or chief architect, and if unable to add any value to the board, the CIO may end up reporting to the chief transformation officer. IDCs Lai agrees. I believe the role of the CIO will evolve to being a chief business technology officer role, which many CIOs may find challenging, but is one where they are partners to the business to deliver on the promise of new digital business and operating models, he says. C-level executives are increasing their focus on profitability and improved operational efficiency by concentrating on enhancing employee productivity, innovation, and time to market, he says. If CIOs are to play a technology/business orchestration role in the leadership team, part of that effort will involve building or strengthening relationships with business counterparts. HEATHER MAC DONALD: The day before I was slated to speak at Claremont McKenna College last April, I got one of those red-flagged urgent e-mails from an administrator. She explained that the college had picked up word of a brewing protest, and was considering moving the event to a building with fewer plate-glass windows and better means of egress. This was not exactly reassuring. After hearing no additional news about a potential disruption, the administration decided to keep the event in the original building, the Athenaeum. But by the time I arrived, a massive mob of protesters had gathered, so a police escort brought me into the building through a secret passageway. The auditorium was almost completely empty. Some 300 students had blockaded the building, making mincemeat of the police barricades that had been set up to keep the entrances open. The police simply stood down, as is too often true in our Black Lives Matter era. They didnt want to offend the students, and they certainly didnt want to be caught on video using force. But what was most disconcerting was the fact that the few people who were in the room were transfixed by what was happening outside. Students were shouting and pounding on the plate-glass windows. The lectern had been moved, before the speech, away from the windows, so that when the lights went on inside, I would not be visible to the mob outside. I took two questions via livestreaming, and at that point the police decided that they could no longer guarantee my safety. They quickly devised an escape plan: I was hustled through the kitchen and into a waiting police van, and sped away to the Claremont Police Department. The incident was not the high point of open-mindedness in academic history. FRANK FUREDI: We have to remember that the type of horrible experience that Heather had is just the tip of the iceberg. Fortunately, aggressive mobs of students are still relatively rare, but for every mob scene, there are lots of incidents of censorship and intimidation going on in college classrooms, seminars, and cafeterias. These incidents represent a much larger problem. One set of radical political views dominates our campuses, and students who deviate from those views are being forced to self-censor. Americans tend to think that this trend is the legacy of the 1960s radicalism that played out in this country. Yet the same phenomenon is occurring across the entire Anglosphere. Similar attitudes have emerged on campuses in Canada, Australia, and my home country of Englandnone of which had quite the same experience with cultural leftism in the 1960s. In my latest book, Populism and the Culture Wars in Europe, I argue that these struggles on campuses have little or nothing to do with 1960s radicalism. Todays radicals have certainly adopted some of the rhetoric of old-fashioned leftism, but theyve reformulated it into a therapeutic identity politics that would be unrecognizable to the antiracists of the 1960s. The problem, in my view, begins with how were bringing up our children. Were no longer teaching our young people proper values, such as character and resilience. Instead, we merely validate them. From their earliest days of school, we teach them that they are weak individuals in need of constant therapeutic support. In England, the safe space pedagogy was introduced in elementary schools long before students began to demand safe spaces at universities. High school students were told that they didnt have to listen to lectures about suicide or other difficult subjects because they were likely to be traumatized. So by the time they enter university, students have become entitled to this kind of protection and validation. They actually feel that they have a right not to hear words that jar or challenge them, and that speaking these words is a cultural crime. MAC DONALD: Frank Furedis book Whats Happened to the University? is an astounding compendium of a cultural shift, with mind-boggling examples. However, I disagree, to a certain extent, with his diagnosis of the crisis on campuses. I think that it is fundamentally an ideological problem, not a psychological one. Greg Lukia- noff, president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, pinpointed the beginning of this trend in 2013. That was the year we reached critical mass in what has been the dominant ideology at universities for the past two decades: victimologyparticularly, racial victimology. Universities today are dedicated to the proposition that American institutions, including universities themselves, create a literally threatening environment of oppression for people of color. You have minority students at Brown, for example, meeting with the provost and demanding that they be exonerated from any kind of academic expectations, such as showing up for class, because they have to protect their ability to exist on the Brown campus. This rhetoric has become standard. To be a minority on campus, in this view, is to be at actual risk of your life. Note that white male studentsheterosexual white male studentsare perhaps the most vilified group on campus, and yet they are not demanding safe spaces. The threat to free speech and the betrayal of the academic mission of rational, civil discourse are, of course, terrifying developments. Those threats, however serious, are not the worst aspect of academic culture today. The worst aspect is the cultivation of racial victimology and the belief in permanent, endemic racism. Even if we were to enforce civil debate, that racial victimology would persist, and it is poisoning our society. Were no longer teaching our young people proper values, such as character and resilience. FUREDI: I dont think that theres much to debate regarding whether the problem is psychological, political, or cultural, because what were seeing is an intertwining of trends in all these areas. I disagree with Heather, however, about which students are driving the shift toward victimology. In England, its being driven by students at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, which are the British equivalents of Ivy League universities. If you look at the leaders of the movement, theyre not people of colortheyre not minorities of any sort. They come from the most privileged backgrounds. Theyre all white, and a large percentage of them are actually white heterosexual men. They are as busy demanding safe spaces as anybody else. Privileged white students have led the way, and then constructed alliances with minority students. More evidence that the culture of victimhood isnt exclusively driven by ideology is the fact that conservative students are mimicking the same behaviors as their progressive peers. When push comes to shovewhen they feel under pressuremembers of the alt-right are just as likely to play the victim card as the social-justice warriors. Of course, the biggest culprits at the moment are still on the left. But it is disturbing when conservatives, who claim to defend free speech, suddenly decide to shut down the free speech of, say, anti-Zionist speakers. It is an absolute double standard. The fact that everyone is playing the victim card is what we should be disturbed about. MAC DONALD: Its trueand regrettablethat some right-wing Jewish students claim that they are victimized on college campuses, a claim undermined by their academic success. But the primary driver of the rise of victimhood is still the narrative of racial oppression. I doubt whether any putative campus victims are being injured psychologically by what they perceive as discrimination. Rather, I think that they are merely leveraging the rhetoric of injury in order to make their case against heteronormativity, white privilege, and the other bogeymen of the day. FUREDI: Youre right that there is a highly performative element in the campus outrage culture, especially when the cameras are around. People cry and hug each other. Its a bit like a medieval Passion Play. But Ive also seen how the propensity for real psychological trauma has increased among young people in recent years. Ive witnessed this shift firsthand over the 20 years that I spent administering exams at my university. Two decades ago, about two students out of 100 would attempt to opt out of any given exam because of mental-health problems, saying that their girlfriend or boyfriend had left them and that they were too traumatized to sit for the test. My response to this used to be, Well, tough. Go do your exams. But about ten years ago, the number of students asking to opt out increased to about 15 percent. By the end of my time as an examiner, one out of four students used these excuses not to take their exams, and we increasingly granted their requests. The trouble was that at a certain point, these students had begun internalizing their own rhetoric. After having been taught to self-victimize and to perceive hardship in every aspect of their lives, they have developed actual trauma. Its a self-fulfilling prophecy. If they were simply playing at mental illness, this would be a much easier problem to deal with. It wouldnt take much effort to isolate and confront outbursts of self-serving melodrama. But when you have students becoming paralyzedfrozen to the ground when, say, Trump gets elected or Brexit gets adoptedthen universities begin to look like clinics. MAC DONALD: Yet the data show that, overall, millennials actually have fewer mental-health problems than the baby boomers. Theres less drug addiction among todays young. Theres less suicide and less depression. Rather than campuses experiencing a mental-health epidemic, your Passion Play analogy is absolutely right. Self-engrossed students are acting out little psychodramas of oppression. The reason for the rise of this trend is that they now have an appreciative audience of diversity bureaucrats. Theres a codependent relationship between the ever-expanding diversity bureaucracydedicated to the idea that racism is permanent and endemicand the students conjuring up evidence of oppression around every corner. My guess is that, if you could take away the diversity bureaucrats, so that nobody would be paying these students much attention for their fits, the problem would go away quickly. FUREDI: The most successful solution will be one aimed at the students. We need to build up a larger cohort of students able to stand on their two feet, who are independent-minded and who actually think that freedom and democracy are good things. Most important, we need students who will confidently push back against the trends of outrage and censorship. Initially, they will be a minority, but we should remember that a large number of students already oppose the current trends. The right-thinking students are simply being drowned out by their radical peers, but eventually more might begin to reassert rationality on their campuses. MAC DONALD: At an even higher level, we need to confront head-on the falsehood that college campuses and American society are filled with racism. This untruth is the root cause of the entire disturbance at universities today. Students are shutting down speech not just because they disagree with it but also because, they claim, racism lurks behind every word and thought of their opponents. To reverse this trend, everybody has to start telling the truth. The next time students demand to shut down a speaker by claiming that they are oppressed, the college president should stand up and say, Are you kidding me? You are the most privileged human beings in history. You have at your fingertips the thing that Faust sold his soul for: knowledge. Every book that has ever been written is available to you. When these students claim that theyre oppressed, theyre effectively saying that their professors are racists, though nothing could be further from the truth. Rarely, if ever, has a college president had the temerity to say, My faculty wants everybody to succeed. There has never been a more compassionate, tolerant environment in human history. And if he wanted to be really accurate, such a president could say, Every single hiring process involves a desperate search to find minority candidates, and we give heavy preference to minority applicants in student admissions. FUREDI: The reluctance of administrators to speak against these students is one part of the larger disintegration of adult authority. Adults once saw it as their duty to transmit the legacy of the past to the next generationparents passed on the values that they learned as children to their own children, and professors and administrators did the same for students on campuses. Now, instead of that method of socialization, parents and administrators are using psychological techniques. Thats why we now have counselors in schools beginning at a very early age. Therapists are even showing up at our day-care centersand theyre talking to primary school children so frequently that by the time the kids turn nine, they sound as if theyve been studying Freud. Im stressed out. Im so depressed. I need to chill out. We have socialized a generation with self-victimization, and the kids have internalized its terms. Our older approach to socializing students rested on moralitythe idea that certain beliefs and standards of conduct exist that everyone should strive for. But psychology has wiped away the notion of shared beliefs, which means that people determine whether a given action or belief is moral based on how it makes them feel. If you appeal to normative ideals, you are attacked for trying to impose your values on others. The whole domain of morality has become absent from campus life. Ive given lectures at Catholic universities, where professors of theology tell me that theyre scared to teach real theology because students will accuse them of indoctrination. So instead of teaching the Catholic theology in which their universities are rooted, they cover Hinduism on one day, Judaism the next day, and Protestantism the next day; it becomes a cafeteria of diverse religions. This kind of relativismfear of embracing or excluding any viewsseems to be the dominant ideal on college campuses. We dont judge one another. Yet making sound judgments and teaching students to evaluate ideas are fundamental duties of any university. MAC DONALD: This argument that colleges are filled with relativists has become extremely prevalent, but I have a different view. I think that we have hysterical moralists on campus. These student radicals believe unwaveringly that they know the truth, and their truth is that America is racist. To them, their colleges and their country are unequivocally racist, sexist, homophobic, and fascist. They have not the slightest hesitation about passing unrelenting, unappealable moral judgment on anyone who does not fit in those intersectional categories of transcendent victimhood. I dont see how one could claim today that colleges are nonjudgmental, excessively tolerant places. They are precisely the opposite. Traditional religion is not the only form of morality; these social-justice progressives have a form of morality just as rigid as the worlds most dogmatic religions. FUREDI: Youre right that these students are quick to condemn people who dont share their views or who dont fit in to the supposedly oppressed categories. However, non-judgmentalism still reigns supreme within their own ranks. This is the principle behind safe spaces. They dont criticize one another, and they dont question one another. They champion the ideal of segregated and segmented lives: black people can live in one place, gay people can live in another, and so on. So non-judgmentalism is the first-order principle for these students, and bitter condemnation is reserved for people whoin their vieware threatening that nonjudgmental paradise. The problem is that these students have forgotten the difference between non-judgmentalism and genuine tolerance. In a tolerant system, we make judgments but agree to coexist with those with whom we disagree. But these students have convinced themselves that it is necessary to create a world entirely free of judgment. Like the French rebels of 1968, they want a world in which it is forbidden to forbid. Yet, because judgment is not only necessary but also inevitable, the nonjudgmental students end up resorting to a kind of fascism to force their ideal on others. MAC DONALD: The fruits of political correctness in our day are flatly unimpressive. We have made a great deal of progress since the early twentieth century, when public discourse could unapologetically demean ethnic minorities. But much of the harm that we see on campuses today stems from the misguided belief that were still in that mind-set. One illustration of this blindness to historical change came during the wave of Black Lives Matter campus protests in the fall of 2015. Black Princeton students announced self-pityingly: Were sick and tired of being sick and tired. This was a phrase first uttered by Fannie Lou Hamer, a civil rights activist who grew up on a Mississippi cotton plantation and who was beaten in the 1950s for trying to vote. She had grounds for being sick and tired of being sick and tired. But any Princeton student who feels as though hes oppressedI dont care if hes black, purple, or greenis out of touch with reality. So I am perfectly happy to say to that student, Youre wrong. You are not oppressed. You are fantastically privileged simply by virtue of the boundless intellectual resources available to you. And every adult on this campus wants you to succeed. Such students are being encouraged to carry a chip on their shoulder. Chinese children are studying day and night to gain access to the allegedly white-supremacist college environment that these complainers claim jeopardizes their very existence. Not only will the victimology ideology prevent its adherents from seizing academic opportunities; it will likely follow them for the rest of their lives, distorting their view of reality and further diminishing their opportunities. FUREDI: Unfortunately, most people who buy into this philosophy cant be reasoned out of it. Our job is to dissuade people who might be considering that way of thinking. My first rule of thumb when debating the social-justice Left is to use humor, because its very effective to say, You cant be really serious. You dont really mean it. Expose their statements to reality and to the facts, but in a lighthearted way. You may not convince your opponent, but youll get whoevers listening on your side. Im reminded of the little boy telling the emperor, Youre not wearing any clothes. Thats essentially what we have to do. If these people claim to be oppressed, they need to show us where that oppression is coming from. Reasonable people can win this debate, as long as we address our arguments to the more skeptical members of the younger generation, many of whom will soon hold positions of influence. We need to inspire these students to have the courage to defend open discourse. To accomplish this, of course, well have to show a bit of courage ourselves. I think that your experience at Claremont McKenna, Heather, demonstrated exactly this kind of courage. Few people would have endured that kind of onslaught, standing by to address students after push had come to shove. Sustaining free speech on campuses will require the efforts of more people willing to do that. Photo: Xiaoling/Xinhua/Alamy Live News Primeste notificari pe email Nota bene: Adresele email cu extensia .ru nu sunt acceptate. Contractare si Achizitie Bunuri Anunturi de Angajare Granturi - Finantari Burse de studiu Stagii Profesionale Oportunitati de voluntariat Toate Articolele Civil society minister Stuart Andrew has said he is considering his future as an MP as his parliamentary constituency is set to be broken up. Andrew said that due changes by the Boundary Commission, his Pudsey, Horsforth and Aireborough constituency will therefore no longer exist at the next general election. This means that I am now considered to be displaced, and as a result I will need to consider what my next step will be, he said. I am deeply grateful for all the support I have had over the years, and to all of those who did not support me but have still always treated me with courtesy. Regardless, this is an incredible constituency with so many great people and organisations that we can all be proud of. I will continue to do everything I can as your member of parliament until our constituency retires at the next general election. Andrew said it has been an honour and a privilege to represent Pudsey, Horsforth and Aireborough, for the last 13 years. As many will be aware, the Boundary Commission are splitting the Pudsey, Horsforth and Aireborough at the next General Election. pic.twitter.com/wCW6mgTpKe Stuart Andrew (@StuartAndrew) March 29, 2023 The MP was appointed to the role of minister for civil society in late 2022, became MP for Pudsey, Horsforth and Aireborough in 2010. Andrew has experience in the charity sector, having joined the British Heart Foundation in 1994. He then worked at Hope House Children's Hospice, East Lancashire Hospice and as fundraising manager at Martin House Children's Hospice. sign up to receive the Civil Society News daily bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, LONDON, March 29 (Reuters) A former Swiss Re underwriter, who last year won a sex and maternity discrimination and unfair dismissal case, is seeking 5.1 million pounds ($6.3 million) in compensation and told a London court she wants to retrain as a Baptist pastor. The lawsuit by Julia Sommer, 41, brought after a Swiss Re senior manager commented about her breasts, made references about sex and discriminated against her, swings the spotlight back on an industry struggling to shake off a reputation for sexism. Sommer, back in court on Wednesday to seek compensation, became tearful when Swiss Res lawyer, Gavin Mansfield, asked her to explain why her worries about her mental health and the stigma of having sued the reinsurance giant would prevent her from ever returning to work in insurance or financial services. People know I brought a claim against Swiss Re and have been out of work because of depression and anxiety and all of these things matter (in job interviews), she told the Central London Employment Tribunal on Wednesday. I consider myself a strong person But I cant persevere anymore this is where my losses come from. I cant go in there and do that anymore, Sommer said, visibly distressed. Sommer, whose lawyer confirmed the size of her claim, told the court she wanted to study theology and become a pastor to find purpose and meaning through spirituality, to help others and make sense of her own experiences. Swiss Re declined to comment. Sommer joined Zurich-based Swiss Re in 2017 as a political risk underwriter in London but was made redundant in 2021, months after returning from maternity leave. The tribunal ruled last year that the redundancy was retrofitted on to a pre-existing decision to dismiss her and that a senior manager had repeatedly humiliated her. In the tribunals judgment last year, the judges had said that comments made at work drinks in 2017, when the senior manager told her: If I had breasts like yours, I would be demanding too and: I bet you like to be on top in bed were a horrible attempt at a joke and amounted to sex discrimination. The judgment also said that comments made by the same manager during a career development meeting in 2019, when he told Sommer she had a dominant personality and asked her to take a more submissive role, amounted to direct sex discrimination. The tribunal also ruled he harassed and discriminated against her by aggressively dismissing her feedback attempts, telling her to shut up on a global team call and denied her request to work from home when she had pregnancy-related ill-health to send a message he wanted her out. Swiss Re declined to comment on Wednesday on whether the manager remains at the company. ($1 = 0.8118 pounds) (Reporting by Kirstin Ridley. Editing by Jane Merriman) A federal judge on March 28 denied an appeal, largely made by insurers, to strike down the Boy Scouts of Americas reorganization plan approved last year to allow the nonprofit to settle tens of thousands of sexual abuse claims. The more than 150-page document from Judge Richard G. Andrews in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware said the appellants, which included subsidiaries of AIG, Liberty Mutual, Allianz, Sompo International, and Travelers, failed to put forth evidence that would demonstrate clear error in the Bankruptcy Courts careful findings of fact. Related: Judge Approves Boy Scouts Reorg Plan to Settle Sex Abuse Claims The insurers, as well as some abuse claimants, appealed the plan to in part establish a nearly $2.5 billion settlement trust for sexual abuse victims. Insurers in November asked the judge to find that the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Chapter 11 reorganization plan did not meet confirmation requirements and was not proposed in good faith. The claims-count has increased, they said, 6,000% to over 82,000 since the bankruptcy filing. A significant portion are likely fraudulent, the insurers claimed. The plan also does not give the insurers due process to control or participate in the defense of the claims, leading to an outcome of claim values that are higher than those that would have been produced in the tort system. Related: Insurers Say Bazooka of Bogus Boy Scouts Claims is Abuse of Bankruptcy System Andrews said he found no evidence the bankruptcy plan was proposed with ulterior motives, that the plans development process suffered from BSAs unclean hands, or that the plan process otherwise indicates a lack of good faith. In addition, the insurers introduced no evidence contradicting the testimony [of expert witnesses] or to otherwise support their argument that future claim values will be inflated, said Andrews, who added that the courts will decide if awards are covered by any particular insurance policy to the extent that there is a dispute in the future about that matter. Other insurers of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), subsidiaries of Chubb, Zurich, and The Hartford, have previously agreed to contributions toward the plan. According to the filing, the settlements bring nearly $1.66 billion to the Settlement Trust. Andrews said the plan was supported by every estate fiduciary and nearly every organized creditor group a commendable result for a such a lengthy, contentious, and emotionally charged proceeding that included thousands of hours of mediation, nearly 60 hearings, a 22-day confirmation trial, and 300 pages of opinion. Artificial intelligence experts and industry leaders, including Elon Musk, University of California Berkeley computer science professor Stuart Russell and Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Wozniak, are calling on developers to hit the pause button on training powerful AI models. More than 1,100 people in the industry signed a petition calling for a six-month break from training artificial intelligence systems more powerful than the latest iteration behind OpenAIs ChatGPT, in order to allow for the development of shared safety protocols. Recent months have seen AI labs locked in an out-of-control race to develop and deploy ever more powerful digital minds that no one not even their creators can understand, predict, or reliably control, said an open letter published on the Future of Life Institute website. Powerful AI systems should be developed only once we are confident that their effects will be positive and their risks will be manageable. The call comes after the launch of a series of AI projects in the last several months that convincingly perform human tasks such as writing emails and creating art. Microsoft Corp.-backed OpenAI released its GPT-4 this month, a major upgrade of its AI-powered chatbot, capable of telling jokes and passing tests like the bar exam. It also highlights ongoing tensions between Musk and OpenAI. The nonprofit research lab was founded in 2015 with Musk as co-chair along with Sam Altman, who is also OpenAIs chief executive officer. At the time, OpenAIs goal was to advance digital intelligence in the way that is most likely to benefit humanity as a whole, unconstrained by a need to generate financial return. Musk, who runs multiple companies including Tesla Inc., left OpenAIs board in 2018. He has criticized the organization, which created a for-profit arm in 2019, saying it has become a closed source, maximum-profit company effectively controlled by Microsoft, and that it has strayed very far from the path of virtue. Musk has also been looking into creating a rival research lab, according to The Information. Meanwhile, in a recent podcast with tech journalist Kara Swisher, Altman said Musk is a jerk while noting he believes Musk is feeling very stressed about what the futures going to look like for humanity. Read More: OpenAIs New GPT-4 Chatbot Is Here Altman whose name appeared on the list of signatories Tuesday night didnt sign the petition, said OpenAI spokesperson Hannah Wong. Also I think its important to point out that we spent more than six months after GPT-4 finished training on the safety and alignment of the model, Wong said. Alphabet Inc.s Google and Microsoft are among the companies using artificial intelligence to enhance their search engines, while Morgan Stanley has been using GPT-4 to create a chatbot for its wealth advisers. Developers should work with policymakers to create new AI governance systems and oversight bodies, according to the letter. It called on governments to intervene in the development of AI systems if major players dont imminently agree to a public, verifiable pause. AI research and development should be refocused on making todays powerful, state-of-the-art systems more accurate, safe, interpretable, transparent, robust, aligned, trustworthy and loyal, it said. Yoshua Bengio, the founder and scientific director of Canadian AI research institute Mila, signed the petition, according to a statement from the institute. Emad Mostaque, founder and CEO of Stability AI, also said he signed it. We have seen the amazing capabilities of GPT-4 and other massive models. Those making these have themselves said they could be an existential threat to society and even humanity, with no plan to totally mitigate these risks, Mostaque said. It is time to put commercial priorities to the side and take a pause for the good of everyone to assess rather than race to an uncertain future. The Future of Life Institute is a nonprofit that seeks to mitigate risks associated with powerful technologies and counts the Musk Foundation as its biggest contributor. All of the top signatories on the list have been independently verified, said Anthony Aguirre, a spokesperson for the institute. Doing so for the whole list exceeds our capacity. A spokesperson for the Center for Humane Technology, whose executive director, Tristan Harris, signed the letter, said steps are being taken to prevent fake signatures. New signatories are now requiring human review before going up on the site, and all high-profile signatories listed have been vetted by direct communication, the spokesperson said in an email. With assistance from Ed Ludlow, Dina Bass, Mark Bergen and Dana Hull. Copyright 2023 Bloomberg. Citizens Property Insurance Corp. has weighed in on a question that could shake up the appraisal process in Florida insurance claims disputes, urging state regulators to require that appraisers be licensed adjusters. In a motion to intervene in a petition filed with the Florida Department of Financial Services, the states largest property insurer said a determination that appraisers do not have to be adjusters would have a perverse and unintended outcome, and could potentially impact premiums and assessments paid by Florida policyholders. The controversy arose in January in the case of an infamous property adjuster and appraiser whom Citizens and other insurers said had repeatedly blocked company adjusters from accessing property and even threatened at least one insurers adjuster with violence. An administrative law judge recommended that Scott David Thomas adjusters license be suspended for two years and that he pay a $5,000 fine. DFS officials can accept the judges decision or may take it a step further and revoke his adjusters license altogether. Thomas can appeal the decision to a Florida appeals court. In its recommendation to the administrative law judge, DFS noted that because the work of an appraiser falls within the statutory definition of public adjuster, an appraiser is subject to the requirements of the Florida Insurance Code and the adjusters code of ethics. That raised concerns for appraiser associations and the Windstorm Insurance Network, which provides education courses for appraisers. The network, known as WIND, along with the Insurance Appraisal and Umpire Association, and the Property Loss Appraisal Network, filed a petition Feb. 23 with DFS, seeking clarity on the issue. Appraisers are widely used to help settle the value of damages in claims disputes. But requiring them to be licensed adjusters could cause a shortage of appraisers in Florida, WIND, the associations, and some insurance attorneys have said. Many appraisers are considered experts in their fields, such as engineering, but may not want to take the time to become licensed adjusters, the appraiser associations have said. Citizens disagrees and noted in its motion that without the licensing requirement, troublemakers like Thomas could continue to serve as appraisers, perhaps leading to inappropriate valuations and higher costs to insurers. This would be the natural consequence of granting the relief requested by petitioners despite the fact that much of the problematic conduct that led to the administrative complaint against Mr. Thomas involved his actions in appraisal proceedings, including appraisal proceedings involving policyholders of Citizens, the insurers motion reads. State law appears to require that appraisers must be licensed, Citizens senior corporate counsel, Russell Kent, wrote in the motion. Citizens, created by the Florida Legislature in 2002 as an insurer of last resort, has a special interest in the matter. Kents motion noted that a DFS decision that avoids a license requirement would have a significant impact on Citizens, which participated in 4,605 appraisal proceedings in 2022 and has already been party to 3,471 in the first few months of 2023. Citizens circumstances are unique among insurers in Florida, the motion explains. Consequently, Citizens respectfully requests that the Department allow it to intervene in this declaratory statement proceeding. The filing pointed out that licensed attorneys are exempt from adjuster licensing requirements and could serve as appraisers. DFS has until late May to decide on the question. Photo: Hurricane Ian destroyed homes in Florida residential area. PG&E Corp. plans to invest $18 billion in wildfire prevention through 2025 following back-to-back seasons of devastating blazes linked to the utilitys network of wires and other equipment. PG&E will bury more than 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) of wires, install stronger utility poles, trim trees and repair equipment, it said in a statement on Monday. The company will continue to cut off power to lines struck by tree limbs and resort to preemptive blackouts during exceptionally dry and windy conditions, according a plan filed with a California energy-safety agency. Wildfires and the resulting criminal and civil liabilities have weighed heavily on PG&E for years. Blazes sparked by the utilitys power lines and equipment that killed scores of people and destroyed more than a million acres pushed the company into bankruptcy in 2019. Since then, regulators have required PG&E and other investor-owned utilities to submit detailed mitigation plans. Edison Internationals Southern California Edison also filed a wildfire-prevention proposal with the state on Monday, saying it will continue covering conductors and burying more lines in the highest-risk locations. Edison said its cut the probability of its equipment sparking conflagrations by as much as 80% since 2018. PG&E, whose lines were blamed for Californias fiercest blazes for two years in a row, said it has reduced its wildfire risk by more than 90%. PG&E Chief Operations Officer Sumeet Singh said if recent changes to safety operations had been in place in 2021 and 2022, those earlier blazes wouldnt have started. PG&E also will deploy new technology that can more easily detect a problem on a power line, Singh said. For the first time, the utility will use artificial intelligence to identify and respond to blazes, he added. The focus for us is that were going to continue to build upon the successes from last year, which really is centered around constructing, maintaining and operating our electric grid in a manner that minimizes the risk of catastrophic wildfires, Singh said. Photo: Firefighters work to extinguish a structure fire in the Montclair Hills neighborhood of Oakland, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020. The preliminary cause of the fire was an overloaded generator, according to the Oakland Fire Department. PG&E Corp. cut power in the area to prevent live wires from falling into dry brush during the wind storms that have parts of the East Bay under a Red Flag Warning. Copyright 2023 Bloomberg. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Long-term family caregivers often need someone to tell them it is OK to take a break. They need to know that if they take time off, their loved one will be all right because a professional will take over. They need to understand that they will be able to care for their loved one better if they themselves are healthy and happy. What happens if a long-term family caretaker has no one to help them and cannot afford to hire professional help? Since 2021, the Alzheimers Associations Cleveland Area Chapter has been providing free caregiving assistance through the Jan & Josephine Castora Family Caregiver Relief Program. Eligible participants are primary caretakers of people living with Alzheimers or other kinds of dementia and who cannot afford paid help -- which can cost upward of $30 per hour. In 2021, Jan Castora, who lives in Northeast Ohio and who lost his wife to dementia, donated $1 million to create the Caregiver Relief Program. He was his wifes primary caretaker and was able to hire external help. Castora shared that o O nly after arranging for regular breaks did he realize how important it was for him to take time for himself. Jessica Friedman, clinical manager of the Alzheimers Association Cleveland Area Chapter, said: Since its inception, the program has provided free agency caregiver help to over 100 families. Eligible families can request up to 100 hours of relief. Friedman said the program is working with eight local agencies, providing professional non-medical relief to 30 families in Greater Cleveland alone. Meanwhile, the Alzheimers Association provides this staggering statistic: In Ohio, 421,000 people are providing unpaid care to their family members. Thirty families seem like a drop in the ocean, but for the families who do receive help from the program, this substantial relief is everything. Friedman said the Jan & Josephine Castora Family Caregiver Relief Program is working with the Cleveland Area Agency on Aging and several smaller foundations to sustain the relief and to grow the service. As our population ages in the United States, we all should be concerned, empathetic and prepared either to care for our family members or to help others do so. The first step is to know about the available resources and to encourage each other to use and sustain them. Its OK to take a break in order to return renewed and prepared for new challenges. Hongtong in N China's Shanxi launches roots-seeking season People's Daily Online) 13:58, March 30, 2023 A roots-seeking season in Hongtong county, Linfen city, north China's Shanxi Province is launched in Beijing on March 29, 2023. (Photo/People's Daily Online) Hongtong county in north Chinas Shanxi Province launched a roots-seeking season at a press conference in Beijing on March 29. Hongtong county is the home to the Hongtong Dahuaishu, or the Big Locust Tree. Chinese people in and outside the country believe their ancestors started the long trek of immigration 600 years ago from the tree. In recent years, the local government in Hongtong county has promoted the integrated development of the culture and tourism sectors, while making efforts to carry forward the national spirit of the Chinese nation and helping overseas Chinese learn more about their ancestry. \ A performance of the Puzhou opera is staged at the press conference. The Puzhou opera is a national intangible cultural heritage in China. (Photo/People's Daily Online) Various activities are scheduled in the following days, including a seminar, an ancestor worship ceremony, an activity to pay tribute to revolutionary martyrs, calligraphy, painting and photography exhibitions, a gathering for the descendants of overseas Chinese, an activity aimed at attracting investments, a summit forum, and a tourism promotion activity. Officials from Linfen and Hongtong attended the press conference and invited Chinese in and out of the country to Hongtong. Various cultural performances with local characteristics in Shanxi were held during the press conference. The roots-seeking season will last until May 1. A suona performance is held at the press conference. (Photo/People's Daily Online) A singer sings at the press conference. (Photo/People's Daily Online) (Web editor: Hongyu, Du Mingming) CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Northern Ohio Bibliophilic Society (NOBS) returns to the John S. Knight Center, 77 E. Mill St. in downtown Akron, from 3 to 8:30 p.m. April 7 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 8. This is a great show featuring very knowledgeable dealers and books of all kinds. Donation at the door is $5 for adults and $3 for students. If you are looking for a specific category or item, please ask for help. I was fortunate to discover a long-lost story from my childhood many years ago. Published by J.L. Schilling & Co., the Mr. Do and Mr. Dont presentation of book two, on Safety, was a perfect find. So many memories! Books have long piqued a collectors intrigue, from reference materials to pleasure reading. Books that have been signed by the author or are a first edition lead to increased value. Condition is important, especially for childrens books. What was once a book can become a movie! Especially at this time of year, the animated Tales of Beatrix Potter become popular. Figurines and stuffed animals make the timeless tales come to life as well. Potters literary and artistic talent will always be appreciated. These are considered classics, along with Little Women, Heidi, The Champ and Wildfire. What is your favorite book or movie? A clarification from the March 9 column should read: The Black Forest carving originated in Brienz, Switzerland -- not Germany. Thank you to Ken and Irene! Brenda, This 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas book is missing the title page. I think it belonged to my great-grandfather. It is fragile. Is there a value to this? L.I. Hi Linda, Your leather-embossed book cover does show wear, but in the opening spine I can see the hand-tied binding. It has the original title of 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas. A later adaptation removes the final s in Seas. The English version was available from 1873. The NOBS show would be a perfect avenue for consultations. You could wrap it carefully and ask if anyone might be interested. There are many illustrations, and depending on detail it may have a slight value of $50. If you have an item for evaluation, send a clear picture with history to Yenke Peddler, Brenda Yenke, P.O. Box 361633, Strongsville, Ohio, 44136. You may also email photos and information requests for Brenda to evaluate at kenyenke@aol.com. CLEVELAND, Ohio Three men are accused of ripping off more than three dozen delivery trucks across Northern Ohio in which they made off with more than $230,000 in cigarettes, meat, liquor and cash. Tyrone Brooks, 53, Bruce Ford, 55, and Lawrence Williams, 57, are charged in a 38-count indictment with engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity and grand theft that covers thefts ranging from December 2018 to December 2022. CLEVELAND, Ohio Cleveland police released body camera video Thursday showing the moment an on-duty detective was shot earlier this month. I need somebody, Det. Mark Bahrijczuk yelled into his police radio as he clutched his left arm, according to the video. Im shot, Im shot. Bahrijczuk, who has been with the department for about four years, was shot twice at about 6:30 p.m. March 14 while investigating stolen Kia and Hyundai vehicles near E. 30th and Cedar Avenue, authorities said. Police obtained an arrest warrant for a 17-year-old boy in connection with the shooting, police spokesperson Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said. Cleveland.com does not name children who are charged as juveniles. A police report dated March 24 that the department just provided to the public on Thursday said that Bahrijczuk sustained life-threatening injuries after being shot once in the thigh and once in the arm. The report was filed by Bahrijczuks partner, Officer Kyle Schinke. Schinke wrote the two started following a Kia as it drove into the Cedar Estates housing complex and then back out, and pulled into a parking lot across the street. The officers decided to stop the car, and two people, including the driver, got out and ran, the report said. Schinke ran after the driver toward Central Avenue, and Bahrijczuk drove the police cruiser over to where they were headed and encountered the driver, the report said. Video from Bahrijczuks body camera shows the detective got out of the car and ordered the driver to get on the ground. The video captured the gunman fire at least three shots at the officer while running away. Bahrijczuk fell to the ground and screamed several expletives, the video showed. Cleveland police blurred a pool of blood that had formed on the ground. Bahrijczuk was taken to Metro Health Medical Center by officers who responded to the scene. He is expected to be released from the hospital while still recovering from two gunshots. CLEVELAND, Ohio A Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools substitute teacher was arrested and placed on administrative leave following allegations of sexual conduct with a student. Michael Czubaj, 23, is charged in Willoughby Municipal Court with three counts of sexual battery, a third-degree felony. He pleaded not guilty at a Tuesday arraignment and is free on his own recognizance, according to court records. Eastlake police announced the arrest in a Thursday press release. Eastlake Police learned on March 22 of allegations of sexual conduct between Czubaj and a 17-year-old girl who was a student, the department said. Multiple police departments including Eastlake, Willoughby and Willoughby Hills, investigated the allegations and found that Czubaj had multiple sexual encounters with the student from October 2021 to January 2022 in Willoughby Hills and Eastlake, police said. Czubaj was 22 at the time. Czubaj is a substitute teacher in the district and was also hired to assist with drama productions at North High School and South High School. The girl told school officials and a school resource officer about the sexual encounters, according to court records. She also said that Czubaj gave her white wine, the records said. Police wrote in an affidavit filed in court that Czubaj admitted to them that the two had multiple sexual encounters. Czubaj does not have a criminal history. The Plain Dealer and Cleveland.com reached out to the school district and police for more information. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Gabriels Southern Table is replacing Indie on E. 4th Street. Mostly a bar right now, the space will become a casual dining spot. The new concept will shift to a larger menu and offer a broad range of whiskeys. Since we couldnt do a lot of live shows, I wanted to change the concept, says owner Gabriel Zeller. I love Indie. I want it to happen again, somewhere else where it can include live music. Indie was like a bar, this will be more like a casual dining experience, he says. Were still doing Southern comfort food. Were just changing the name and decor. The menu will double, retaining some current menu items and adding new ones. Among the hearty entrees are a seafood boil, Louisiana fish fry and Southern-fried chicken. Chef Chris Monjot, formerly of Momocho, joined the kitchen in January. He will be working with current chef Mark Sanford. The whiskey list will triple to more than 200, and include bourbon and scotch as well as American, Japanese and other whiskeys. Indie will close for one day and reopen as Gabriels Southern Table on May 1. The reimagined rooftop patio will open at the same time. A separate space that accommodates 17 will be used for whiskey tastings, classes and events. Zeller plans to jump in with an event at the restaurant to celebrate the Kentucky Derby. Paris Wolfe is a life and culture reporter for Cleveland.com. She has a special interest in food and dining. You can reach her with restaurant and food news and story ideas at pwolfe@cleveland.com. Heres a directory of her latest posts. Follow her on Instagram @pariswolfe. CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio On May 5, Saroj & Carlos, a new casual restaurant, will replace Farmers Feast in Cleveland Heights. Chef Rasul Welch will close the space inside the BottleHouse Brewery & Meadery, 2050 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights, for only one day while he makes final changes. The restaurant will emerge with a new name, menu and decor. The new menu will have Indian and international influences. Instead of the traditional poboy, for example, he will serve the Goa Boy, a smoked sausage with tamarind, potato straws and slaw. BRUNSWICK, Ohio City planning should be a rational process of measuring costs and benefits, guided by broad public participation and basic principles of fairness. But when elected officials intervene, it can turn into a raw exercise of power. By all appearances, thats the case with a measure approved by Ohio lawmakers Wednesday requiring the construction of a new Interstate 71 interchange between heavily developed commercial areas in Strongsville in southwest Cuyahoga County, and long-settled residential communities just to the south in the northern Medina County City of Brunswick. Related: Brunswick and Strongsville fought for years over a highway interchange. State lawmakers may have decided the winner The interchange would most likely be built at Boston Road, a two-lane, tree-lined, semi-rural road edged with single-family houses, that divides the two counties. Observers say the exit, according to the legislation, could also be placed at Drake Road in Strongsville, or Grafton Road in Brunswick. Uncertainties surrounded the proposal Thursday evening. An ODOT spokesman said, a study is underway, for the proposed interchange, but did not provide details. That left it unclear which local road might be affected, and how many properties would have to be taken by the state to enable construction. It was also unclear what kind of environmental review would be undertaken, and whether the process outlined under NEPA, the National Environmental Policy Act, would apply. The project would be reviewed through ODOTs Transportation Review Advisory Council, an ODOT spokesman said Thursday. Any way you cut it, residents along the roads where the new interchange could be built would have no way to know Thursday night whether their property values were secure or whether the state might come knocking soon to buy them out through eminent domain. Nor would they know whether the long-established character of their community could be radically changed. And thats because, if the transportation bill passes as written, it could bypass normal planning processes designed to give all affected parties a say. The interchange proposal, added to the final version of the states $13.5 billion transportation budget bill passed by the legislature, will supposedly ease congestion in heavily developed areas of Strongsville around the South Park Mall at State Route 82 and I-71. Thats been a major concern of state Rep. Tom Patton, the Strongsville Republican who authored the measure. Aerial view of the area surrounding Interstate 71 at Route 82 in StrongsvilleJohn Pana, cleveland.com But any benefits to Strongsville will likely come at huge expense to Brunswick said Vice Mayor and City Council President Nick Hanek, and State Sen. Mark Romanchuk, R-Ontario, who represents part of Medina County. Even if the state pays the full cost of the interchange, as Patton has said he hopes may be possible, Brunswick could be subjected to huge additional costs and dramatic erosion in its tax base, Hanek said. Expenses could include the cost of widening Boston Road to handle heavier traffic, which he said would mean cutting into residential front yards and moving a jet fuel pipeline if Boston Road is the location. Moreover, a new exit could dramatically change local land use patterns, causing significant impacts on residents and businesses. Its the stupidest thing, Hanek said. This is catastrophic for the City of Brunswick. This is putting a highway interchange into a residential neighborhood and turning it into a commercial corridor' on Boston Road. Hanek said he suspected that Strongsville may want to see Boston Road turned into a truck access road to an industrial park it operates west of I-71. The interchange proposal is the second effort by Patton this year to use the transportation bill to affect a specific project. In February, he proposed an amendment blocking a locally popular, fully-funded project to build a bicycle lane on Superior Avenue, called the Midway. He withdrew the amendment after protests by Cleveland officials who saw his move as an overreach of state authority into local planning. I called Strongsville Mayor Thomas Perciak and Patton for their responses to the comments by Brunswick officials. Patton said Thursday evening that hes concerned primarily with solving safety problems in what he called one of the highest accident-prone parts of the region. The issue has been studied for at least two decades to no avail. Patton said that when former Governor John Kasich vetoed an earlier proposal for a new I-71 interchange, he promised to consider the issue in the future. That didnt happen. Now, however, Patton has taken the unusual step of inserting the interchange proposal into the transportation bill to position the project for funding with the $300 million that Gov. Mike DeWine has proposed to spend on capital projects around the state. Patton said traffic from Brunswick has caused nearly half of the congestion experienced on affected streets in Strongsville, and that Brunswick officials havent participated in recent meetings on finding a solution. Romanchuk said, meanwhile, that he sees the proposed interchange as a way for Strongsville to impose the cost of solving its traffic issues on the neighboring county to the south. Brunswick and all those upper townships in Medina county are extremely upset that Cuyahoga County would try and push some of their traffic problems into their county and cities and townships., said Romanchuk. Thats why, he said, he voted against the transportation bill and has asked DeWine to veto the line item with the interchange. Whether a new exit proposed by Patton would solve congestion is uncertain. In fact, its more likely that building it would increase sprawl development in northern Medina and southern Cuyahoga County through a long-established principle of traffic planning known as induced demand. Adding capacity to highways tends to solve congestion only in the short term. Over longer periods, increased capacity causes more development, which generates more automobile trips, more congestion, and more emissions that contribute to climate change. Induced demand explains examples of highway overbuilding such as the Katy Freeway outside Houston, which is 26 lanes wide at its widest point, and Interstate 405 in Los Angeles, which is 14 lanes wide at points. Concerns over increasing Vehicle Miles Traveled, a measure of demand for roadways, is one reason why NOACA, the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, declined to include the new exit desired by Patton in its latest plans for highway interchanges in Northeast Ohio. A heat map prepared by the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency shows how seven of eight proposed new or enhanced highway interchanges would add to traffic in the five-county region. The three areas circled in red by cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer indicate exits that NOACA's staff recommends not building.Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency NOACA, which oversees transportation planning in Cuyahoga, Medina, Lake, Lorain, and Geauga counties, instead has opted to continue studying whether the proposed interchange would make any sense. NOACA has shown strong leadership since 2020 in developing new policies to determine fairly where and when new interchanges should be added to regional interstate highways. It developed its new approach in part to avoid the kind of regional fight that took place before it approved a new interchange in Avon in Lorain County in 2007. The project was hotly contested among elected officials and members of the agencys board over fears it would lure commercial development to eastern Lorain County at the expense of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County. The fight over the Avon exit exemplified how interstates enabled sprawl development that has turned Northeast Ohio communities into tax-base winners and losers over the past six decades. Research in 2018 by Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer showed that among 226 communities across seven counties across Northeast Ohio, Cleveland was the biggest tax base loser, with a 66% percent decline in values between 1960 and 2018. Strongsville was the biggest tax base winner, with an 896% percent increase. Part of that growth is attributable to Strongsvilles desire to encourage heavy development thats now causing traffic congestion. Instead of building a new exit and adding capacity to the highway system, Strongsville should look at alternatives that would reduce its dependency on cars and encourage walkable, transit-oriented development. Patton, however, has expressed frustration over NOACAs hesitance to embrace his I-71 proposal. Hence, he made his proposal to include the project in the transportation bill. Whats clear, for now, is that the benefits of the interchange, and the negative externalities it might impose, are not entirely understood and that theres no consensus on it. With so much unknown about the proposal, theres only one right thing for Gov. DeWine to do. Veto it. Note: This story has been updated to reflect comments from State Rep. Patton WASHINGTON, D. C. - A hearing to discuss a federal lawsuit that claims the Biden administration has directed social media companies to censor and suppress Americans free speech degenerated into testy partisan sniping on Thursday with Democrats and Republicans accusing each other of censorship. The Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government hearing chaired by Ohios Jim Jordan was supposed to discuss Missouri v. Biden, a 2022 lawsuit filed by the attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana that alleges the current presidential administration has led the largest speech censorship operation in recent American history, as former Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt told the committee. Jordan said their lawsuit demonstrates the need for his subcommittee to investigate the censorship industrial complex, declaring that people should have the right to free speech, even if they are spreading bad information. The First Amendment is not just for some people, not just for one political persuasion, not just for the so-called smart people like (former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony) Fauci, its for 337 million Americans, said Jordan, a Republican from Champaign County. Thats how our Constitution works. The hearing at times became a partisan bickering match, with Democrats accusing Jordan of using the committee to protect former President Donald Trump and Republicans comparing President Joe Bidens administration to the secret police in East Germany. At one point, the committees top Democrat rose from her chair and tossed a letter at the Republican she said had just thrown it at her. In his testimony, Schmitt, who became a GOP U.S. Senator this year, accused the Biden administration of coercing social media companies to censor disfavored speech. The Biden team has publicly threatened social media companies with removing legal protections, blamed social media companies for societal problems, and accused social media companies of killing people for allowing the spread of coronavirus misinformation, said Schmitt. He accused social media companies of advancing government censorship through fact-checking ruses, and of censoring credible information, including the Hunter Biden laptop story, the COVID-19 lab leak theory, and the efficacy of masks. He said Bidens team suggested that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg should be subject to civil liability and potential criminal prosecution for not censoring political speech. Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry said the lawsuit has uncovered a censorship enterprise so vast that it spans over a dozen significant government institutions, including the White House, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Department of States Global Engagement Center (GEC), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Publicly, these federal actors have justified their deeds in the name of protecting the public against misinformation and disinformation, when in fact it is done to suppress disfavored views, Landry continued. A witness called by Democrats, Matthew Seligman of Stanford Law Schools Constitutional Law Center, said the allegations in their lawsuit lack a reasonable legal and factual basis and threaten to undermine efforts by social media platforms to combat the grave and growing threat posed by misinformation on issues ranging from public health to election integrity. He said government officials at all federal agencies consistently and repeatedly reaffirmedin public pronouncements and in private communicationsthat content moderation decisions ultimately rest with social media platforms and the officials communications were simply suggestions that the platforms were free to adopt or disregard in the application of the platforms own moderation policies. He also said no governmental official ever even hinted that social media platforms would be subject to any enforcement action of any kind if they declined to adopt the officials recommendations, and platforms that disagreed with government officials were not punished for doing so. By attacking platforms attempts to combat misinformation, and the governments assistance to those platforms implementation of their own content moderation policies, the plaintiffs in cases like Missouri v. Biden do disservice to the principles of free speech that they claim to support and invite the grave consequences of misinformation that they seek to spread unchecked, said Seligman. Democrats objected to Jordan allowing Schmitt and Landry to leave the hearing after delivering their opening statements, and unsuccessfully tried to strike their testimony from the record. They accused the witnesses of making misleading statements and said they wanted to cross-examine them. Jordan pointed out that U.S. Senators like Schmitt who testify before Congress dont usually answer questions from Congress members. They also accused Jordan of using his post as House Judiciary Chairman to weaponize the government, by attempting to interfere in the potential prosecution of former President Donald Trump for his role in making an alleged $130,000 hush-money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Jordan says hes deciding whether to draft legislation that would protect former and/or current Presidents from politically motivated prosecutions by state and local officials in response to the potential charges, and has sent letters demanding testimony and documents about the probe from New Yorks district attorney. This hearing really isnt about social media companies, and its really not about COVID deniers, said California Democrat Linda Sanchez. Its about protecting former president Donald Trump. Democrats said Trump has repeatedly used social media to incite violence, such as the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. President Trump used the federal government, used his position as president ... to promote the big lie that the election was stolen, " added California Democrat John. Garamendi. That is the example of weaponization that this committee should be paying attention to. When Louisiana Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson asked to put a letter from Landry that decries violence into the hearing record, and presented a copy to the committees top Democrat, Virgin Islands Delegate Stacie Plaskett, Plaskett followed Johnson back to his seat and threw the letter back at him, accusing him of throwing the letter at her. At another point in the hearing, Utah GOP Rep. Chris Stewart compared the Biden administrations behavior to that of the Stasi secret police in East Germany, describing how Internal Revenue Service agents visited the home of journalist Matt Taibbi on the day he testified about the Twitter files before Jordans subcommittee. Secret police make conspicuous visits to homes and workplaces so the citizens will be aware and intimidated by the presence and power, said Stewart. Sabrina Eaton covers the federal government and politics in Washington, D.C., for Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. Read more of her work here. COLUMBUS, Ohio Republican lawmakers, abortion opponents and a constitutional rights organization that want to make it harder to amend the Ohio constitution have added a new group to their coalition that had not yet publicly voiced its support: gun rights advocates. Rob Sexton testified Wednesday at an Ohio House committee on behalf of two organizations: the Buckeye Firearms Association, an influential gun group on Ohio Capitol Square; and the Sportsmen Alliance, an organization that defends hunting, fishing and trapping throughout the U.S., founded in late 1977 in Columbus to defeat a constitutional amendment proposal that would have banned trapping statewide. He testified alongside anti-abortion activists, a law professor and a constitutional rights organization in support of the proposal that failed in December in the waning hours of the two-year legislative session but has reemerged this year. Republicans in the Ohio House and Senate are considering bills that would require a 60% supermajority at the ballot box, up from the current 50% plus one vote simple majority, to pass a state constitutional amendment. The Senate bill, Senate Joint Resolution 2, also would schedule an Aug. 8 special election for the proposal. If the change were to pass in August, it could scuttle a possible November vote for an abortion-rights amendment proposal. Abortion-rights supporters have prevailed in constitutional amendments in red and purple states in the 52% to 59% range. But its still unclear whether state lawmakers, who last year voted to eliminate most August elections over concerns about cost and low turnout, will put it on the ballot this summer. Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman is pushing the idea, and Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens has softened his position against it. Some Ohio House Republicans are trying to override Stephens to advance the resolution out of committee and directly to the House floor for a vote. Sexton testified separately for each organization, suggesting that without a change wealthy interests could pursue new limits on guns in Ohio. Now more than ever, our fundamental right to defend our own lives must be protected, Sexton said, at the time representing the Buckeye Firearms Association. He said that the gun group depends on a part of the Ohio Constitution that says, The people have the right to bear arms for their defense and security. Its this freedom that wealthy gun control advocates like New York billionaire Mike Bloomberg would most like to target, he said. Ballot issues have become increasingly utilized by wealthy interests in Ohio and across the country. With their ability to outspend virtually any grassroots coalition of Ohioans, people like Bloomberg and organizations he finances are able to rewrite our constitution, erasing freedoms that the people actually support. For the Sportsmen Alliance, Sexton also talked about the importance of protecting the Ohio Constitution from wealthy outsiders. The group has been involved in 29 ballot issues across the country, he said. In 1912, when the current process to amend the Ohio Constitution was created, there wasnt as much money in politics and people werent as politically divided, he said. People can win a referendum or initiated statute with a simple majority, he said, but the Constitution is a different matter. It must be held to a higher significance and a higher import, he said. Democrats on the committee that vetted the bill were skeptical. Where in this resolution does it stop big money? asked Sen. Bill DeMora, a Columbus Democrat. Theres nothing in this resolution that stops big money from doing anything. Sexton acknowledged that the bill does not mention campaign finance directly, but he said a 60% threshold provides a deterrent to most frivolous ballot issues. Historically speaking, the reason for the reference to money is because thats just been the deciding factor on all ballot issues that weve been a part of, he said, referring to the Sportsmen Alliance. Sen. Nickie Antonio, a Lakewood Democrat and leader of Democrats in the Senate, said theres no guarantee that a 60% threshold will stop excessive campaign finance. A group opposed to the abortion-rights amendment proposal, which hasnt yet made the ballot because backers just began gathering signatures, announced it is spending $5 million on digital and television ads. Antonio said she doesnt know if the money comes from inside or outside Ohio. I think a lot of people can really relate to what you were saying about having to fight for your right to hunt, fish and trap, she said. Because I think theres a lot of people, especially women in the state of Ohio, are feeling right now like their fight to make decisions about their own bodies is on the line. SJR 2 opponent Jen Miller, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio, said after the hearing the bill is not just about gun or abortion rights, but other issues, too. Her organization is part of a coalition of more than 170 groups opposing the change. This is about roads, schools, conservation, and economic development, she said. This is about the right of Ohioans to grab their clipboards and pass ballot initiatives when politicians arent respecting our interests or needs a right we have had for over a century. We call on every lawmaker to uphold this rich tradition in Ohio, by rejecting any effort to make citizen ballot initiatives harder, because it is unnecessary, unpopular, and undemocratic. Laura Hancock covers state government and politics for The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com. WASHINGTON, D. C. - A bipartisan group of Congress members from Ohio on Thursday urged passage of rail safety legislation theyve introduced as a way to prevent future derailments like the one that spread toxic chemicals last month in East Palestine. The Reducing Accidents in Locomotives (RAIL) Act that U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, a Marietta Republican, introduced with U.S. Rep. Emilia Strong Sykes, an Akron Democrat, would audit federal rail inspection programs, increase maximum penalties for rail safety regulation violations, increase funding for first responders hazardous materials training and increase inspections on all trains, including those carrying hazardous materials. It also would direct the Federal Rail Administration, in conjunction with the findings of an ongoing National Transportation Safety Board investigation, to recommend changes to how our nations rail system operates including train length, weight and speed, as well as track standards. At a press conference with Ohio Congress members who co-sponsored the bill, Johnson said the fact that there are three derailments each day across the country warrants swift action by Congress. He said Ohio has one of the countrys largest railroad networks and ranks fourth in the nation for serious train incidents and hazardous material spills. Im hopeful that that as we do our job educating and informing our conference, youre gonna see a lot more interest in Congress making a statement now that rail safety is important, said Johnson. What is the next village or township or community in America thats going to have to be evacuated because of unsafe rail? So I think were on a positive slide with this. The Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine spilled toxic chemicals such as vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, ethylhexyl acrylate, and ethylene glycol monobutyl ether. Federal and state officials, fearing the vinyl chloride tanks would explode, set them afire, creating a massive plume of thick black smoke. Other chemicals seeped into local streams, killing fish and traveling down into the Ohio River. The derailment forced thousands of people to evacuate East Palestine and prompted a national conversation about safety concerns with shipping hazardous material via rail. The Ohio General Assembly on Wednesday adopted new rail-safety rules as part of its two-year transportation budget over the objections of rail industry representatives who said the regulations should be left to the federal government. Many of us are concerned about a derailment in our backyards, in our neighborhoods and our communities, in the middle of our downtown areas and our rural areas where we depend on our agriculture, said Sykes, the only Ohioan on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which would have to sign off on the bill. We simply just want to go back to not thinking about the trains again. Other Ohio Congress members who spoke in favor of the bill were Republicans Dave Joyce of South Russell, Max Miller of Rocky River, and Mike Carey of Columbus, as well as Democrats Shontel Brown of Warrensville Heights, Marcy Kaptur of Toledo, Joyce Beatty of Columbus and Greg Landsman of Cincinnati. Ohios U.S. Senators, Democrat Sherrod Brown of Cleveland and JD Vance of Cincinnati, have introduced a separate rail safety bill called the Railway Safety Act of 2023. It would require well-trained, two-person crews aboard every train, substantially increase maximum fines the U.S. Department of Transportation can issue for safety violations, and expand HAZMAT training grants for local first responders by increasing fees assessed to railroads. It also would create new safety requirements and procedures for trains carrying hazardous materials like the vinyl chloride released in East Palestine, such as requiring rail carriers to provide advance notification and information to state emergency response officials about what they are transporting, setting rules for train size and weight and imposing requirements to prevent blocked rail crossings. A spokesman for Johnson said the House bill has similar goals to the Senate bill, but has several differences that include omitting the two-person crew requirement and asking the Federal Railroad Administration to recommend safety changes instead of giving broad authority to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Johnson said he believes provisions in the U.S. Senate bill would probably not be able to pass in the House of Representatives, saying that its call to replace all the nations chemical tank cars, like the ones that carried vinyl chloride into East Palestine, by 2025 would be impossible because theres only one U.S. company that makes the cars. He said he hopes both bills pass in their respective legislative bodies, so they can be merged in discussions between the House and Senate and well come out with an even better product. Brown and Vance spoke out in favor of their legislation last week at a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing, and Brown predicted Wednesday that its chairperson will move forward with his bill when the U.S. Senate returns from its Easter break. I hope that Speaker McCarthy decides to do the right thing rather than work on behalf of the railroads and the railroad lobby, Brown said Wednesday. Sabrina Eaton covers the federal government and politics in Washington, D.C., for Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. Read more of her work here. Google CEO Sundar Pichai speaks on stage during the annual Google I/O developers conference in Mountain View, California, May 8, 2018. Google is reshuffling the reporting structure of its virtual assistant unit called Assistant to focus more on Bard, the company's new artificial intelligence chat technology. In a memo to employees on Wednesday, titled "Changes to Assistant and Bard teams," Sissie Hsiao, vice president and lead of Google Assistant's business unit, announced changes to the organization that show the unit heavily prioritizing Bard. Jianchang JC Mao, who reported directly to Hsiao, will be leaving the company for personal reasons, according to the memo, which was viewed by CNBC. Mao held the position of vice president of engineering for Google Assistant and "helped shape the Assistant we have today," Hsiao wrote. Taking Mao's place will be 16-year Google veteran Peeyush Ranjan, who most recently held the title of vice president in Google's commerce organization, overseeing payments. As the Bard teams continue this work, we want to ensure we continue to support and execute on the opportunities ahead, Hsiao said in the email. This year, more than ever, we have been focused on delivery with impact to our users. Google Assistant is an AI-powered virtual assistant software application and language-processing software similar to Apple's Siri or Amazon's Alexa. Often in the form of speech recognition, Assistant is used on mobile and home devices, including its Pixel smartphone and in Nest smart speakers and devices. It's also used in smart watches, smart displays, TVs and in vehicles through the Android Auto platform. The new leadership changes suggest that the Assistant organization may be planning on integrating Bard technology into similar products in the future. Last week, Google launched its ChatGPT competitor Bard to the public, calling it an experiment, starting with tests in the U.S. and the U.K. after CNBC reported the product testing in January. CNBC previously reported that the company pulled team members from various areas around the company to focus on Bard as a part of a "code red" effort. As part of Wednesday's change, Google Assistant engineering vice president Amar Subramanya will now lead engineering for the Bard team, the email said. Trevor Strohman, who previously led engineering efforts for Bard, will continue as an Area Tech Lead for Bard, reporting to Hsiao. However, there's still a big question regarding how the technology can be used to generate revenue. Executives have hinted at using it as a search product but Bard leads more recently tried to play down that use case to employees even as the company scrambled to respond to Microsoft's Bing Chat-GPT integration. Google didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. WATCH: AI arms race Hong Kong island and Victoria Harbour cityscape, viewed from Victoria Peak. In the foreground, the Bank of China tower and Cheung Kong Center skyscrapers. Gionnixxx | E+ | Getty Images Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 0.36% to close at 27,782.93, while the Topix saw a larger loss of 0.61% to end at 1,983.32. South Korea's Kospi was up 0.38% to finish at 2,453.16, while the Kosdaq index gained 0.77% to end at 850.48. The Hang Seng index rose 0.37%, while the Hang Seng Tech index also climbed 0.16%. In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite was up 0.65% to end at 3,261.25, with the Shenzhen Component also closed 0.62% higher to finish the day at 11,651.83. Artificial intelligence is getting a lot of hype and it's easy to see why investors are excited. Goldman Sachs estimates that generative AI in particular will drive almost $7 trillion in global economic growth over the next decade, with a total addressable market (TAM) of $150 billion. Tech giants such as Microsoft , with its AI-powered Bing search engine , and Alphabet -owned Google, with its Bard platform, have been among the most obvious beneficiaries. Nvidia is another top pick on Wall Street, with the chipmaker seen as the "grand marshal" of the AI parade . But AI's applications extend beyond just search engines and cloud computing. Bernstein, for one, said it believes the world is witnessing an "exciting inflection" of AI adoption in manufacturing. Stock picks In a note on March 28, Bernstein analyst Jay Huang named a raft of stock picks with "outperform" ratings to ride the AI opportunity in manufacturing, including Japanese electronics firm Keyence . And he's not the only one bullish about Keyence. About 83% of analysts covering the stock rate it a "buy," giving it average upside of 10.7%. Other stocks that made his list include U.S.-based Cognex , Estun Automation and Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology . A.I. in manufacturing: 3 big areas In a report last year, Bernstein analyst Jay Huang estimates the total addressable market for artificial intelligence in manufacturing will grow by 10 times in five years to reach $11 billion in 2025. Huang confirmed in an email to CNBC Pro on Wednesday that he is standing by his estimates. The bank identified three areas in which AI is utilized in in the manufacturing process: industrial machine vision, robot guiding and industrial software. AI-powered industrial machine vision significantly expands the scope of automated inspection it can cut costs and inspection times by more than 90% over manual inspection, according to Huang. The payback period of the cost outlay is also short typically less than a year. And AI robot guiding systems improve the speed of assembly in automotive production lines and result in a cost reduction of 60% to 70%, according to Huang's estimates. He said he believes these manufacturing applications are gathering pace and are on track for rapid adoption. "The entire field is at the dawn of mass adoption, with some players moving faster. The bird's-eye view is important: at such early stage, all players are collaborating rather than competing collectively, they push the technology boundary and contribute to the critical mass of adoption, all players benefiting from the creation of new TAM," Huang wrote in a separate note on March 28. CNBC's Michael Bloom and Pia Singh contributed to this report. In this article FMG-AU Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT The Shoei Kisen Kaisha cargo ship Mineral Shikoku, heading for Tianjin, China, loaded with iron ore at the ship loading facility at Fortescue Metals Group berth in Port Hedland in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images BO'AO, China China's post-pandemic reopening will boost demand for commodities more significantly than it did when the country emerged from the 2008 financial crisis, according to Andrew Forrest, executive chairman of Fortescue . The Australian iron ore giant began business in China with a 180,000-metric ton shipment of iron ore in 2008, according to the company's website. At that time, China managed to avoid a prolonged recession with a massive stimulus program that supported infrastructure development which drove up demand for commodities. watch now "It's like that, but this time it's only going to be bigger in volume," Forrest told CNBC on Wednesday, when asked how China's post-Covid demand might compare. "Probably around the same or a little less in percentage," he said on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia. Government leaders and business executives are at the high-profile conference held annually in Hainan province and sometimes likened to the Asian version of the World Economic Forum's annual event in Davos, Switzerland. What we're seeing now is uniform demand across China. Andrew Forrest executive chairman, Fortescue China's economy is far larger today than it was during the global financial crisis in 2008. In 2010, China surpassed Japan to become the second largest economy in the world. Forrest pointed out the volume represented by a percentage is greater when the "cake" is larger. "What we're seeing now is uniform demand across China," Forrest said, "and uniform demand but increasing, thankfully, in the supply chain, the ecosystem which will create [for the] renewable energy industry." Forrest did not specify which commodities he was referring to. In the six months ended Dec. 31, Fortescue said it shipped a record 96.9 million metric tons of iron ore up 4% from a year ago. The Australian miner expects to keep up a similar pace of shipments in the first half of this year, according to guidance shared in February. This year's Boao Forum is the first since China ended its Covid-era border controls, allowing more foreign businesses to visit the country. Renewable energy: enormous demand Forrest told CNBC Wednesday that one of the big changes during the pandemic was the acceleration of global warming. He said the other was the acceleration of China's technological development, especially in automation. The renewable energy ecosystem including manufacturing, automation and robotics is "the most exciting investment sector in the world" right now, he added. "The demand is absolutely enormous," he said. China has the "most advanced" technology in that industry, Forrest said, citing his travels through more than 70 countries during the pandemic. Campaigners stand opposite the Chinese embassy in London to protest human rights violations by the Chinese government against its Uyghur community. Mark Kerrison | In Pictures | Getty Images China's growing global influence poses a serious threat to international human rights, according to a new report, which suggests that the United Nations Human Rights Council the body established to safeguard such international protections is failing to counter the risks. The UNHRC is an inter-governmental body made up of 47 U.N. member states, which are elected on a three-year rotational basis with the stated aim of strengthening the "promotion and protection of human rights" globally. Yet research released Thursday by risk and strategic consulting firm Verisk Maplecroft suggests that it has instead become a "battleground for competing standards," with China and allied member states showing signs of "watering down international action" and pushing their "own brand of human rights." Of particular note, it said that China was pushing a "statist 'development first' view of human rights" on council members and undermining individual freedoms by "emphasizing economic development above all other rights." China's ministry of foreign affairs did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment on the findings. Beijing's increasingly active role in the international human rights system comes at a precarious period of global democratic deterioration. Sofia Nazalya senior human rights analyst at Verisk Maplecroft The research, part of the firm's wider annual Human Rights Outlook, is based on quantitative data from sources including the U.N., the U.S. State Department and Human Rights Watch, as well as Verisk Maplecroft's internal qualitative analysis. It also found that China is using its economic power to sway council votes, with grantees of China's "Belt & Road Initiative" most susceptible to influence. At least 35 of the 47 UNHRC member states belong to the BRI China's global infrastructure development project many of which are Asian or African countries with similar, or worse, scores on the company's human rights indices, the study noted. UNHRC acting spokesperson, Pascal Sim, rejected the claims, stating that "no one state runs the council or dominates the agenda." "All states, big and small, have an equal voice and immense potential to inform and influence the action of this intergovernmental body charged with promoting and protecting human rights around the world," Sim added in emailed comments to CNBC. Political maneuvering Among its criticism, the report highlighted China's approach to civil and political rights and chiefly freedom of speech and expression as particularly concerning. Such behavior was being echoed by other UNHRC states, it said, with almost three-quarters (70%) of current members ranking as high or extreme risks for such rights. Those include Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Spokespersons for the respective governments did not immediately respond to CNBC requests for comment. More than half of members also ranked similarly poorly across the three other metrics the research deemed essential for upholding humanitarian protections: labor rights, human security and human development. Of the 30 members that rated as extreme or high risk for labor rights, 18 recorded a drop in their score from 2017, 15 of which were BRI signatories. Almost three-quarters (70%) of UNHRC members rank as high or extreme risk for civil or political rights, according to risk and strategic consulting form Verisk Maplecroft. Verisk Maplecroft China's Premier Li Qiang addressed an international audience at Boao Asia forum in Boao, Hainan on March 30, 2023. BO'AO, China Chinese Premier Li Qiang sought to rally Asian countries behind China in his first public address to an international audience as premier. On Thursday, Li claimed that China had acted "responsibly" in its role as a big country, and generally contributed to world peace. "Peace is the prerequisite for development," Li said in Mandarin translated by CNBC. His speech of about 25 minutes at the Boao Forum for Asia did not delve into China's heightened tensions with the U.S. The annual meeting, hosted by China, is seen by some as the region's answer to the World Economic Forum's gathering of global leaders every year in Davos, Switzerland. Asia and the world are at the "crossroads" of history, Li said, while portraying China as a center of stability. He referenced China's ruling Communist Party's congressional meeting in the fall, and its goal of "national rejuvenation" claiming the country's "great contributions" to the world were "rapid economic growth" and "social stability." Li, who was confirmed as premier in March, said China's development going forward would bring "strong momentum to the economic growth of Asia." The EU has pledged to wean itself off Russian fossil fuels by 2027 in response to President Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The European Union is poised to ramp up its 2030 renewable energy targets, accelerating a shift away from fossil fuels as the bloc seeks to rapidly cut emissions and reduce its dependence on Russia. Negotiators from the European Council and Parliament on Thursday reached a provisional deal to source 42.5% of the 27-nation bloc's energy from renewable technologies such as wind and solar by the end of the decade, EU lawmaker Markus Pieper said via Twitter. Pieper described the agreement as "a good day for Europe's energy transition." The deal is said to include an additional 2.5% "indicative top-up" to allow the bloc to reach a 45% share. It is set to replace the EU's current renewable energies directive target for a 32% share of renewable energy by 2030, which has been in place since Dec. 2018. The proposal must now be approved by EU member states' representatives in the Council and then in Parliament. Such agreements are typically given with minimal changes. The EU has said it aims to be carbon neutral by 2050. In the medium term, it wants net greenhouse gas emissions to be cut by at least 55% by 2030, which the EU calls its "Fit for 55" plan. The "Fit for 55" package was first presented in July 2021 and seeks to align the EU's climate and energy legislative framework with its 2050 climate neutrality objective. Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine since Feb. 2022 and an ensuing energy crisis have fundamentally changed the region's energy landscape in recent months. The bloc's lawmakers have come under pressure to bring the region's targets in line with this new reality. The EU has pledged to wean itself off Russian fossil fuels by 2027 in response to President Vladimir Putin's hostilities in Ukraine. Research published in late February by independent energy think tank Ember showed that the EU's projected installation rate of so-called clean energy technologies was on track to outpace expectations of its "Fit for 55" package. Analysts at Ember warned that the EU was at risk of "killing the momentum" of its energy transition by sticking with a low target. The burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas, is the chief driver of the climate crisis. CNBC's Anmar Frangoul contributed to this report. Wall Street is overlooking the long-term value of many Club holdings, creating opportunities for investors to buy seven of these "franchise names," according to Jim Cramer. Jim sees seven companies that currently fall into this camp: TJX Companies (TJX), Caterpillar (CAT), Foot Locker (FL), Starbucks (SBUX), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Meta Platforms (META) and Disney (DIS). "Franchise names, doing well, undervalued in the portfolio," Jim said during the Club's Morning Meeting on Thursday. "I would buy them." What turns a company into a franchise? Companies that are well-established leaders in their respective industries with strong competitive moats, and an ability to raise prices without denting their loyal customer bases. These qualities bolster their attractiveness to investors, but they won't always be fully reflected in the stock prices. For the seven Club names, which Jim highlighted, this happens to be one of those times when the stock price doesn't tell the full story. TJX 1Y mountain TJX Companies' 12-month stock performance. Off-price retailer TJX this week announced a double-digit percentage dividend increase it's the 26th time in 27 years that the company boosted its quarterly payout. The 13% raise takes TJX's quarterly dividend to just over 33 cents per share, up from nearly 30 cents. Jim noted, the parent company of T.J. Maxx and Marshalls reaffirmed its plans to spend between $2 billion to $2.5 billion on share repurchases in its fiscal 2024. At the midpoint, that buyback guidance translates to roughly 2.5% of the company, based on its market cap Thursday. Despite the strong capital return program and underlying business strength, TJX shares have been trading roughly 8% below their all-time high of $82.72 each in early January. "I don't get it," Jim said. CAT 1Y mountain Caterpillar's 12-month stock performance. Caterpillar remains perfectly positioned to benefit from the federal government's major infrastructure investments in the coming years. The machinery maker got hit with a downgrade by Baird on Monday . Analysts at the firm expressed concerns about tighter credit conditions dampening nonresidential construction activity and inventories at Caterpillar dealers. We shrugged off that call Monday, and Jim reiterated Thursday that he still feels that Barid's premise doesn't shake our broader investment case. FL 1Y mountain Foot Locker's 12-month stock performance. Foot Locker is another Club stock that's not getting its due in this current market environment, Jim said, referencing what we think is a misguided sell call from UBS on Wednesday. Newly installed CEO Mary Dillon, who previously turned around Ulta Beauty (ULTA), is "putting a great franchise together," he said. Foot Locker is our newest holding, with a 350-share purchase on Monday's initiation. Had we not been restricted, we would have bought more on Wednesday. SBUX 1Y mountain Starbucks' 12-month stock performance. Starbucks shares have backed off their recent highs of around $109 in January and early February, but Jim said he believes fresh attention on the coffee chain's opportunity to grow in China could serve as the stock's next catalyst. We trimmed our Starbucks position around $107 per share in mid-January, citing our discipline in locking in profits. AMD 1Y mountain Advanced Micro Devices' 12-month stock performance. AMD's data-center business has been relatively resilient during a tough period for chipmakers, and Wells Fargo analysts said Thursday they believe its opportunity in that segment is broadening out. "AMD is starting to move up because people realize, if Micron is good, AMD is better," Jim added, referring to Micron Technology (MU), the memory-focused chipmaker who reported earnings Tuesday night. Micron jumped 7% on Wednesday as investors bet its inventory woes were nearing a bottom. The Micron move boosted AMD shares, which have jumped more than 50% year to year, and Club holding Nvidia (NVDA), which has soared more than 85% in 2023. Last year was a brutal year for the semis. META 1Y mountain Meta Plaforms' 12-month stock performance Investors have rushed back into Meta Platform's this year, cheering on CEO Mark Zuckerberg's "year of efficiency" strategy, which is undeniably unlocking shareholder value. With the social media giant seemingly downplaying its metaverse ambitions, Jim said investors should instead recognize the untapped value in the company's messaging unit, WhatsApp. "We should be looking at the franchise value of WhatsApp. This is a company that I think could easily be worth, maybe, more than one-fifth of what the entire company is worth, and nobody is even talking about it," Jim said. Meta, which also had a rough 2022, has powered more than 70% higher year to date. DIS 1Y mountain Disney's stock price over the past 12 months. Disney shares should be trading much higher than their current levels under $100 each, Jim said. "This stock is worth substantially more than people realize," he said, acknowledging that some people may struggle with valuing Disney because of its presence across industries such as theme parks, cruises and movies. However, Jim said he's confident in CEO Bob Iger's conviction to ultimately demonstrate to the market just how valuable the Disney franchise is. Iger's previously announced cost-cutting plan, including layoffs, kicked in this week. (See here for a full list of the stocks in Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED. AMD Chair and CEO Dr. Lisa Su delivers a keynote address at CES 2023 at The Venetian Las Vegas on January 04, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. David Becker | Getty Images A New York grand jury voted to indict former President Donald Trump in connection with a hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. Trump is the first former U.S. president to be charged with a crime. He has denied any wrongdoing. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office said it contacted Trump's attorney to "coordinate his surrender" on an indictment that "remains under seal." The former president is expected to turn himself in early next week, his attorney Joe Tacopina told NBC News. His arraignment is expected Tuesday. That could change, however. The historic indictment will have broad implications, both on the 2024 campaign trail and on Capitol Hill. Trump is the top contender for the Republican presidential nomination. In the days leading up to the indictment, Trump and his allies aimed vitriol at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office. Last week, Bragg received an envelope containing a death threat and a white powder, which authorities later decided was not threatening. The former president has warned of "death and destruction" if he were to be charged with a crime. BRUSSELS European regulators distanced themselves from the Swiss decision to wipe out $17 billion of Credit Suisse 's bonds in the wake of the bank's rescue, saying they would write down shareholders' investments first. Dominique Laboureix, chair of the EU's Single Resolution Board, had a clear message for investors in an exclusive interview with CNBC. "In [a banking] resolution here, in the European context, we would follow the hierarchy, and we wanted to tell it very clearly to the investors, to avoid to be misunderstood: we have no choice but to respect this hierarchy," Laboureix said Wednesday. It comes after Swiss regulator FINMA announced earlier this month that Credit Suisse's additional tier-one (AT1) bonds, widely regarded as relatively risky investments, would be written down to zero, while stock investors would receive over $3 billion as part of the bank's takeover by UBS , angering bondholders. In a joint statement with the ECB Banking Supervision and the European Banking Authority, the Single Resolution Board said on March 20 that the "common equity instruments are the first ones to absorb losses, and only after their full use would Additional Tier 1 be required to be written down." The standard hierarchy or framework sees equity investments classed as secondary to bonds when a bank is rescued. The Swiss decision has led some Credit Suisse AT1 bondholders to consider legal action, and it sparked uncertainty for bondholders around the world. Three senators introduced new legislation Thursday in a bid to address long-standing rail safety concerns, the latest development in the aftermath of last month's derailment of a Norfolk Southern train carrying toxic materials near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. The new Railway Accountability Act introduced by Democratic Sens. John Fetterman and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Sherrod Brown of Ohio would build on provisions of the bipartisan Railway Safety Act. Brown and his fellow senator from Ohio, Republican J.D. Vance, introduced that measure earlier this month. Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw endorsed parts of the bipartisan bill. The Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, released toxic chemicals into the environment. Shaw said Norfolk Southern would continue to support cleanup efforts in the area. He and government officials have said it's safe to live in the town, but residents and workers on the cleanup site have complained about illnesses. The state of Ohio has also sued the company. The new measure would direct the Federal Railroad Administration to study wheel-related failures and derailments, as well as mechanical defects. It would also enact new brake safety measures and improve switchyard safety practices, in addition to ensuring railways provide sufficient reporting and safety equipment to its workers. A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board pointed to an overheated wheel bearing on the Norfolk Southern train that derailed but did not offer an exact cause. The bill, which has received support from major labor unions, would also require large freight railroad companies to participate in a confidential reporting system where close calls and unsafe events will be evaluated. As of Thursday, the bill had no Republican sponsors, which could complicate its path through the GOP-controlled House. Some Republican politicians and conservative advocacy groups have argued that more regulations would not prevent derailments and would instead by costly. "Rail lobbyists have fought for years to protect their profits at the expense of communities like East Palestine and Steubenville and Sandusky," Brown, who's up for reelection next year, said in a statement. "These commonsense safety measures will finally hold big railroad companies accountable, make our railroads and the towns along them safer, and prevent future tragedies, so no community has to suffer like East Palestine again." Exterior view of a First Republic Bank branch on March 13, 2023 in West Palm Beach City, Florida. Massachusetts regulators have opened an investigation into sales of company stock by top executives at First Republic Bank in the weeks leading up to the recent banking turmoil. Massachusetts' Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin told Reuters his office has subpoenaed First Republic. He is seeking details about the firm's insider trading policies and how officers handled their stock sales from January 1. A spokesperson for First Republic declined to confirm the firm received a subpoena or comment on the stock sales. A series of U.S. bank failures have roiled the global banking sector over the last month. Silvergate Capital wound down operations on March 8. Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank were seized by regulators days later amid liquidity crises, actions that sapped investor confidence in the sector. Galvin said his office has opened a similar probe into insider sales by executives at SVB Financial Group, which owned Silicon Valley Bank until its failure. The Wall Street Journal previously reported that investigation. Both banks have branches in Massachusetts. A spokesperson for Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, counsel to Silicon Valley Bridge Bank, declined to comment. First Republic's share price has plummeted nearly 90% in March in the wake of the collapse of SVB which saw people pull deposits from smaller banks. First Republic lured high net-worth customers with preferential rates on mortgages and loans. This strategy also made it more vulnerable than regional lenders with less-affluent customers, since U.S. deposit insurance only guarantees $250,000 per savings account. California regulators took possession of Silicon Valley Bank on March 10. "Both entities - their banking strategies were risky. That's a fair statement. The risk has come home to roost," said Galvin. He said his office was particularly interested in examining insiders' trading activity leading up to the turmoil. Galvin has a reputation for aggressive enforcement as a securities regulator. In the past, his office has sought to revoke Robinhood Markets brokerage license and fined a MassMutual subsidiary over the "Roaring Kitty" case. The Massachusetts probe into First Republic is in the early stages and may not result in regulatory action. Corporate insiders are allowed to buy and sell shares of their companies. It is illegal for officers and directors to transact on material information that is not yet public. It might seem like a great time to list your home for sale. Buyers are flooding back into the market, mortgage rates have fallen off their recent highs, and there are still far too few homes for sale to meet demand. But potential sellers aren't budging. New listings continued to fall in March, according to Realtor.com, down 20% from the same month last year. That decline in new listings outpaced the 16% drop posted in February. New listings in March were nearly 30% below pre-pandemic levels. The active inventory of homes for sale is, however, 60% higher than the start of last spring, but that is only because homes are taking longer to sell. Inventory is also half of what it was at the start of spring in 2019, before the Covid pandemic caused an unprecedented run on housing. Homes are now sitting on the market an average of 54 days, up from an average of 36 days at the start of last spring. Time on market was longer in all of the top 50 metropolitan markets, but the greatest increases were in Raleigh, North Carolina (up 42 days), Kansas City, Missouri (up 37 days), and Austin, Texas (up 37 days). "Amid fewer new choices on the market and still rising home prices, home shoppers have shown that they are very rate sensitive, only jumping back in the market when rates dip, and so what happens with rates this spring will likely play a strong role in determining whether the housing market bumps along or picks up speed this year," said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com. Mortgage rates dropped slightly in early March, due to the stress on the banking system from bank failures. They are now, however, moving higher again, although not quite as high as they were last fall. The average rate on the 30-year fixed is now 6.61%, according to Mortgage News Daily, just about 2 percentage points higher than it was a year ago. At a recent open house in the suburbs of Cleveland, house hunters Vince and Katie Berardi said they were concerned that the market is still overpriced. The sellers of the three-bedroom home they were touring had just dropped the price from $450,000 to $350,000. It already had several offers on it. "There's not as much competition as there was," said Katie Berardi, who is pregnant with the couple's second child. "But if there's a good one on the market, like it's gone within a week." Home prices nationally were still higher to start this year than they were at the start of last year, but they have been falling for the past seven months, according to S&P Case-Shiller. In January, the last reading on that index, prices were lower in some of the local markets that had previously been among the hottest, like Seattle and San Francisco. Prices are now flat in Phoenix, another market where prices had been surging. Other markets, especially in the South, like Atlanta and Miami, are still seeing big price gains. List prices in March, according to Realtor.com, were down in Austin and Las Vegas, two markets that were particularly popular with transplants in the first years of the pandemic. Suze Orman Nathan Congleton | NBC | Getty Images The recent failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank have made a recession more possible and that means it's more important than ever to have emergency savings set aside, according to personal finance expert Suze Orman. "Because of what is happening with banks, it is obvious that a recession is more likely coming than not," Orman told CNBC.com in an interview. Moreover, creditors will most likely tighten their lending standards, which may make it harder for consumers to access new loans or lines of credit, she said. "Everything is going to tighten up," Orman said. Evidence that a shift is underway can already be seen with companies such as Amazon announcing mass layoffs, she said. To prepare for the new economic reality, there is one crucial step individuals should take, she said. watch now "There has never been a time that as much as right here and right now in the recent past that an emergency savings account is vital, absolutely vital," Orman said. Experts generally recommend setting aside at least three to six months' expenses in case of an emergency. Orman has made it her mission to get more people to save money in case of emergencies. In 2020, she co-founded SecureSave, a company working with employers to provide emergency savings accounts to employees. The focus, she said, is not new. "If you go back through my entire history of almost 40 years now, I've been [saying] emergency savings, emergency savings, emergency savings," Orman said. But now is the first time that goal is as urgent as it was in 2008, she said. How your emergency fund deposits are insured An important part of emergency savings is easy access, which means most people are looking at some kind of high-yield savings account. The recent bank failures have inspired a new focus on whether deposits including your emergency fund are insured. Generally, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation guarantees up to $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, per account ownership category. For deposits at federally insured credit unions under the National Credit Union Administration, the terms are similar. The typical coverage amount is $250,000 per share owner, per insured credit union per account ownership category. Consumers should be mindful there are eight categories of accounts to which the $250,000 coverage applies, according to Orman. That includes individual deposit accounts, such as checking, savings and certificates of deposit; some retirement accounts, such as individual retirement accounts; joint accounts; revocable trust accounts; irrevocable trust accounts; employee benefit plan accounts; corporation, partnership or unincorporated association accounts; and government accounts. Of note, you do have to have your money in bank or credit union accounts to which the federal coverage applies, according to Orman. Investments such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds or annuities are generally not covered by federal insurance, even if you purchase them from a bank or credit union. The $250,000 limit was established by post-financial crisis legislation in 2010. However, uninsured deposits above that threshold were guaranteed for the recent bank failures. Both President Joe Biden and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen have said that could be adjusted again, if the situation calls for it. More from Personal Finance: How to prioritize retirement and emergency savings Roth IRAs don't require withdrawals unless they're inherited New tool lets you play at fixing Social Security woes In the meantime, you do not necessarily have to move your money to another financial institution to have deposits over $250,000 insured, Orman emphasized. Because the coverage is per account category, you may also amplify the amount of insured balances by having different kinds of accounts, such as savings, IRA or trust accounts, she said. Generally, deposit accounts are eligible for $250,000 coverage for the sum of accounts at an institution in this category, which includes checking accounts, savings accounts, certificates of deposit or money market deposit accounts. However, if you have a joint account where you are a 50% owner, you may get another $250,000 of protection. The same goes if you have a trust account or an IRA account that invests in savings vehicles such as CDs or money markets. IRAs invested in stocks, bonds or mutual funds do not qualify. Additionally, by adding two or more beneficiaries, you can get an additional $250,000 in coverage per beneficiary, as long as the account's deposits are eligible for protection, she said. The maximum per account is five beneficiaries, or $1.25 million. This applies to revocable or irrevocable trust or custodial accounts, she noted. Online tools can help you assess your FDIC and NCUA coverage. Who needs to worry now A federal judge on Thursday struck down an Obamacare mandate that requires most private health insurance plans to provide free preventive care that includes everything from screenings for certain cancers and diabetes to HIV prevention drugs. The ruling by Judge Reed O'Connor of the U.S. Northern District Court of Texas applies to medication, screenings and other forms of health care recommended by an independent panel of experts called the Preventive Services Task Force. Under the Affordable Care Act, private health insurance plans were required to cover mammograms for breast cancer among women ages 50 to 74, as well as screenings for colon, cervical and lung cancer. The mandate also covered drugs that prevent HIV infection in high-risk populations, called pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP. Most private plans were also required to cover screenings for certain sexually transmitted infections such as chlamydia and gonorrhea. The Obamacare requirements also covered screenings for Type 2 diabetes, among numerous other forms of preventive health care. O'Connor in the same ruling Thursday rejected an argument by the plaintiffs to also overturn the mandate that requires Obamacare-compliant plans to cover birth control with no out-of-pocket costs. Some 150 million Americans had access to free preventive care under the Obamacare requirements, according to the Health and Human Services Department. Lawrence Gostin, a leading health law expert, said full coverage of these essential services with no out-of-pocket costs is now in jeopardy. "The big picture is crystal clear. Virtually everything Americans have come to rely on to keep themselves and their families healthy and to prevent disease is no longer going to be required under the Affordable Care Act," said Gostin, a professor at the Georgetown University Law Center. The Biden administration is likely to appeal the ruling. Kamara Jones, a spokesperson for Health and Human Services, said the agency is consulting with the Justice Department on next steps in the litigation. "Preventive care is an essential part of health care: it saves lives, saves families money, and improves our nation's health," Jones said. "Actions that strip away this decade-old protection are backwards and wrong." Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called on the Biden administration to appeal the ruling immediately. He also called on insurers to publicly commit to providing free preventive care. "This ruling is not only misguided, it is outright dangerous and could cost lives," Schumer said. Gostin said most private insurance plans will probably continue to cover these preventive health-care services but charge deductibles and copays. "It will primarily affect working-class Americans," he said, noting that many people will forgo essential health care because they can't afford the out-of-pocket costs. O'Connor's ruling said that coverage requirements based on recommendations from the Preventive Services Task Force are unlawful because members of the panel were not nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Therefore, the federal government cannot enforce a coverage mandate based on those recommendations, he said. The Preventive Services Task Force is made up of 16 volunteers who are doctors, nurses, public health experts and other medical professionals. They are appointed by the director of a federal organization called the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The judge's ruling came after two Christian businesses and several individuals sued the federal government in 2020. That lawsuit argues that the preventive care mandate violates their religious freedom because it includes coverage of the drugs that prevent HIV infection. The plaintiffs claim in their suit the PrEP mandate "forces religious employers to provide coverage for drugs that facilitate and encourage homosexual behavior, prostitution, sexual promiscuity, and intravenous drug use." They also claimed the Preventive Services Task Force's recommendations are invalid because the process used to select the body's members violates the U.S. Constitution's Appointments Clause. Pope Francis on the way to address his weekly audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on March 29, 2023. Pope Francis's health is improving after he was hospitalised with a respiratory infection and he has resumed working while treatment continues, the Vatican said on Thursday. The pope was unexpectedly taken to hospital on Wednesday after complaining of breathing difficulties, raising fresh concerns over the health of the 86-year-old pontiff, who is suffering from a number of ailments. "His Holiness Pope Francis rested well during the night. His clinical picture is gradually improving and he is continuing his planned treatment," Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement. "This morning after breakfast, he read some newspapers and resumed work," it added. Indicating that Francis was not confined to his bed, the statement said he had prayed in the small chapel within his private hospital suite. "I am touched by the many messages received in these hours and I express my gratitude for the closeness and prayer," the pope wrote separately on Twitter. Francis this month marked 10 years as pope. Bruni did not say when Francis might leave Rome's Gemelli hospital. The Vatican said on Wednesday he was expected to spend a "few days" there. A private jet is landing over the snowy mountains of St. Moritz in Switzerland. Private jet emissions, which have a disproportionate impact on the environment, were found to have more than doubled in Europe in 2022. A private jet aviation boom shows no signs of slowing. Analysis published Thursday by environmental campaign group Greenpeace showed the number of private jet flights in Europe last year rose by a whopping 64% to reach a record high of 572,806. Private jet emissions, which have a disproportionate impact on the environment, were found to have more than doubled in Europe in 2022, exceeding the annual per capita carbon emissions of 550,000 European Union residents. More than half (55%) of the private jet flights in Europe last year were ultra-short journeys below 750 kilometers (466 miles), Greenpeace said, noting that these were trips that could have been taken by train or ferry instead. It comes at a time when Europe is in the grip of a severe winter drought and shortly after the region's driest summer in at least 500 years. Scientists warned in late January that a lack of groundwater across the continent meant the water situation was now "very precarious." "The alarming growth of private jet flights is entirely at odds with all the climate science that tells us to bring down CO2 emissions immediately in order to avert total disaster," said Klara Maria Schenk, transport campaigner for Greenpeace's Mobility for All campaign. "Reducing oil-powered transport immediately is a no-brainer, starting with a ban on energy-wasting ultra-polluting private jets that provide no value for people, yet burden them with harmful emissions, toxic microparticles and noise, harming our climate, environment and health," Schenk said. The analysis found that the countries with the most private jet flights in Europe last year were the U.K., France and Germany. The most popular destinations for private jet flights in Europe in 2022 were the French Riviera city of Nice, France's capital of Paris and Switzerland's second-most populous city of Geneva. Sam Bankman-Fried pleaded not guilty in New York federal court Thursday to five additional charges related to the collapse of his former crypto exchange FTX and hedge fund Alameda Research. Bankman-Fried's attorney, Mark Cohen, said he plans to file a motion that his client not be tried on all the counts. Bankman-Fried's team will argue that someone extradited under the U.S.-Bahamas treaty can only be tried on the charges they were extradited for. "As Mr. Cohen stated in court, we will be challenging the new charges when motions are filed," a spokesperson for Sam Bankman-Fried said. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York unveiled its third round of criminal charges against the disgraced former CEO of FTX in a superseding indictment that was unsealed Tuesday. This time, the focus was on Bankman-Fried allegedly bribing a foreign government. Prosecutors allege that Bankman-Fried who arrived at the courthouse about an hour before the hearing, looking disheveled after an intense media scrum directed the payment of at least $40 million in cryptocurrency to one or more Chinese government officials in an attempt to unfreeze trading accounts tied to his crypto hedge fund, Alameda Research. Bankman-Fried and his associates considered and tried "numerous methods" to unfreeze the accounts, which contained around $1 billion worth of cryptocurrency, prosecutors allege. Ultimately, after both legal and personal efforts failed, Bankman-Fried agreed to and directed a multimillion-dollar bribe to have the frozen accounts unlocked, prosecutors alleged. Bankman-Fried's hedge fund then allegedly used the unfrozen assets to continue to fund Alameda's loss-generating trades, continuing on what the government says was a fraud upon customers and investors for another year. The onetime crypto billionaire, who did not speak during the entirety of the hearing, also pleaded not guilty to charges related to bank fraud, money laundering, operating an unlicensed money transmitting business and making unlawful political contributions in the U.S. The 13-count indictment gives details of hundreds of political donations that Bankman-Fried allegedly directed in violation of federal campaign finance laws. Bankman-Fried already pleaded not guilty to eight other counts. FTX and Alameda imploded in November after concerns about their balance sheet turned into a veritable bank run. In addition to this federal indictment, Bankman-Fried also faces civil charges from both the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Meanwhile, FTX remains mired in Delaware bankruptcy court proceedings. Federal prosecutors declined to comment. Bankman-Fried's trial is set to begin in October. CNBC's Dawn Giel contributed to this report. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, questions Lael Brainard, governor of the U.S. Federal Reserve, not pictured, during a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022. WASHINGTON Senate Democrats are pressing federal banking regulators to toughen bank capital requirements following back-to-back congressional hearings where officials testified about the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank . Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., a member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, is leading the calls to strengthen capital rules for banks by aligning with the international "Basel III" framework. "We write to urge you follow through with establishing strong capital requirements that protect consumers and taxpayers, and preserve the safety and soundness of our banking system," Warren, along with Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., wrote in a letter dated Wednesday. The letter was sent to Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michael Barr, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Martin Gruenberg and acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael Hsu. Barr, who is leading a comprehensive review of the SVB failure, and Gruenberg both testified at hearings before Senate and House lawmakers this week. In the letter, the lawmakers blamed lobbyists and some Republicans for efforts during the Trump administration to ease capital requirements established after the 2008 financial crisis. They also said GOP lawmakers were pushing regulators "to stave off stronger capital standards in the days before the bank failures." Ten Republican lawmakers on the Senate Banking Committee called Barr's suggestion to increase capital requirements "unfounded" in a March 3 letter to Fed Chairman Jerome Powell. SVB collapsed several days after they sent the letter. The lawmakers also warned against what they called "industry spin" that blames the bank collapses on the oversight of regulatory agencies rather than lax banking regulations. "These industry officials are right that bank regulators' failures are a key part of the reason that Signature and SVB failed but this does not obviate the need for strong capital requirements," they wrote. The senators also pointed to the Fed's March 2020 decision to simplify capital rules for large banks as evidence of a drawdown of regulations. Under the "stress capital buffer" implemented at the time, the capital requirements for banking firms is determined annually according to supervisory stress tests. Warren, Blumenthal and Duckworth are pushing for regulators to fully implement Basel III, a set of international regulatory standards for banks that would increase both the amount and quality of capital held by U.S. banking organizations. The Fed has also proposed rules to standardize minimum liquidity requirements for large and internationally active banking firms under Basel III. US President Joe Biden speaks during the Summit for Democracy virtual plenary on "Democracy Delivering on Global Challenges" in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. Biden during the summit said he will seek $9.5 billion from Congress to promote democracy. WASHINGTON President Joe Biden on Thursday urged federal regulators to take up a set of reforms to safeguard the banking system, following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. The White House said in a fact sheet Thursday that Biden's proposals fit into his recent effort "to strengthen oversight and regulation of larger banks so that we are not in this position again." The administration wants regulators to take a range of steps to reinstate safeguards for banks with assets between $100 billion and $250 billion and bolster supervision over financial institutions. "Each of these items can be accomplished under existing law," the White House said. The administration's proposed reforms include: Raising liquidity requirements for mid-sized banks; Updating liquidity stress tests to take into account high-speed digital withdrawals, and the ability of social media to spread information among depositors at a much faster pace than ever before; Increasing the frequency of stress tests for mid-sized banks; Requiring mid-sized banks to submit plans to regulators explaining how they would close down in the event that they fail, without transmitting added stress to the financial system; Updating stress tests to account for novel situations not accounted for in current models, like the effect of rapid interest rate hikes on banks with high rates of low-yield, long-term debt; Limiting which banks must contribute to replenishing the Deposit Insurance Fund, which the government used to bail out Silicon Valley Bank's uninsured depositors. Several of the proposals the White House endorsed are already under consideration, according to bank regulators who testified this week before two congressional committees. As Republicans, who are more skeptical of regulation than Biden's Democratic Party, control the House, the administration has pushed for potential fixes that would not require new legislation. Among these are stricter rules for measuring liquidity in mid-sized banks, those with over $100 billion in combined assets, but under $250 billion. While the Trump-era deregulation bill passed in 2018 limited regulators' ability to impose liquidity demands and stress tests on small banks, it gave agencies broad discretion as to how to tailor bank capital requirements for mid-sized banks like SVB. In responding to the bank failures, GOP lawmakers have criticized the Biden administration and regulators rather than bank executives. They have said federal officials had the tools they needed to prevent the collapses, but did not act properly. In a statement Thursday, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., chair of the House Financial Services Committee, accused the Biden administration of politicizing the banks' failures and questioned whether the proposed fixes would have prevented the crisis. "As we heard from Biden's own regulators at our hearing yesterday, supervisory incompetence was the leading cause of the failures," McHenry said, referencing the Wednesday event with banking regulators. "There is no evidence that the original Dodd-Frank would have prevented these bank runs." McHenry added that recent stress tests do not account for "current economic conditions" that contributed to the banks' collapse. "Instead of giving more authority to regulators who were asleep at the wheel before these bank failures, we should hold them accountable for their inability to utilize their existing supervisory tools," he said. Meanwhile, Democrats are forging ahead with new legislation. Since SVB collapsed in mid-March, members of Congress have introduced a half-dozen bills intended to penalize bank executives and to help stabilize the financial system going forward. On Wednesday, a group of Democratic senators, led by financial regulatory hawk Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., sent a letter to bank regulators demanding stronger bank capital requirements. Warren and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., introduced legislation Wednesday that would require federal regulators to claw back all or part of compensation earned by executives in the five-year period preceding a bank failure. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee, also announced this month that she will create a bill to enhance accountability for bank executives at failed firms, through tools including clawbacks and penalties. Flags of the United States and Taiwan displayed on phone screens are seen in this multiple exposure illustration photo taken in Poland on August 4, 2022. A meeting between Taiwan's leader and U.S. House Speaker will provoke a strong reaction from China, said Anna Ashton, China director at the Eurasia Group. Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen will likely meet face-to-face with Kevin McCarthy when she makes a transit visit through Los Angeles next week. Tsai is currently on a 10-day trip to visit Central American allies, Belize and Guatemala. The meeting with McCarthy hasn't been officially confirmed. "The reality is that McCarthy is third in line to the presidency. A meeting like this would be the senior most U.S. official meeting with a sitting Taiwan president on U.S. soil ever," Aston told CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia" on Thursday. "Beijing has already warned about their opposition to this meeting and we could see a reaction, even as big as the reaction after the Pelosi visit." Tesla vehicles parked outside a home with a Tesla Solar Roof on Weems Street in Boca Chica Village, Texas, U.S., on Monday, June 21, 2021. Tesla has only installed 3,000 of its Solar Roof systems in the U.S. since touting the technology seven years ago, according to new research from Wood Mackenzie. That installation rate falls well shy of Tesla's guidance and ambitions for what it previously called its "solar glass" roof tiles. Wood Mackenzie notes that in late 2019 the company said it was aiming to manufacture 1,000 Solar Roofs weekly, and to install 1,000 per week in the first half of 2020. The report offers the latest glimpse into Tesla CEO Elon Musk's struggle to integrate a solar energy business into his electric car company following the 2016 acquisition of SolarCity, a solar installer founded and run by his cousins Peter and Lyndon Rive with his help. Average weekly Tesla Solar Roof installations reached just 21 in 2022, Wood Mackenzie said. Tesla hit a high of 32 average weekly installations in the U.S. in the first quarter of last year, according to the study. Musk first promoted a shingle-style solar panel in October 2016, as he was trying to garner shareholder enthusiasm for Tesla's $2.6 billion purchase of SolarCity. The shingle he showed at a marketing event was not even a working prototype, it was later revealed. Musk had invested significant capital in SolarCity, and served as board chairman while also helming Tesla and SpaceX. A group of Tesla shareholders eventually sued Tesla and Musk over the deal. Last year, the Delaware Court of Chancery ruled in favor of Musk in a bench trial. But the shareholders' lawyers on Wednesday made their opening arguments in pursuit of an appeal in Delaware Supreme Court. Shareholders alleged that Tesla's SolarCity purchase amounted to a bailout and was pushed by Musk because his personal wealth and reputation were at stake. Musk has denied that he pressured the Tesla board to go through with the SolarCity deal. Had he lost, Musk could have been forced to pay upwards of $2 billion, CNBC previously reported. OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso - Jan. 20, 2023: A banner of Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen during a protest to support the Burkina Faso President Captain Ibrahim Traore and to demand the departure of France's ambassador and military forces. OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT/AFP via Getty Images Russia's sphere of influence is growing as propaganda and diplomatic efforts gather momentum and Western powers fail to counter the Kremlin's narratives, analysts suggest. A report from the Economist Intelligence Unit earlier this month indicated that net support for Russia had grown in the year since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as Moscow ramps up its diplomatic charm offensive of previously neutral or geopolitically unaligned countries. Assessing countries' enforcement of sanctions, U.N. voting patterns, domestic political trends and official statements alongside economic, political, military and historical ties, the EIU observed a significant uptick in the number of countries now leaning toward Russia from 29 last year to 35 today. "China remains the most significant country in this category, but other developing countries (notably South Africa, Mali and Burkina Faso) have also moved into this grouping, which accounts for 33% of the world's population," the EIU report said, adding these trends highlight Russia's growing influence in Africa. Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow earlier this month and the two leaders vowed to deepen economic ties. watch now While South Africa caused controversy in February by holding joint military drills with Russia and China on the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine. South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor indicated that the "massive transfer of arms" from the West to Ukraine had changed Pretoria's outlook and lauded the country's "growing economic bilateral relationship" with Moscow. The EIU said the number of neutral countries rose from 32 to 35, now representing almost 31% of the global population. "Some previously Western-aligned countries, including Colombia, Turkey and Qatar, have moved into this category as their governments are seeking to reap economic benefits from engaging with both sides," the EIU said. "However, both Russia and China are upping the ante in recruiting those countries that are non-aligned and neutral." By contrast, the number of countries actively condemning Russia fell from 131 to 122. The U.S. and European Union-led bloc including "West-leaning" countries represents around 36% of the global population, and has exhibited a "strong level of collaboration on sanctions" along with consistent military and economic support for Ukraine, the report said. However, this bloc also represents just under 68% of global GDP, highlighting an emerging disconnect between wealthy Western economies and the Global South. watch now "Russian propaganda in developing countries is working extremely well, stoking up resentment against former colonial powers, and I would say also fueling the idea that sanctions from Western countries are fueling global food insecurity, global energy insecurity especially in emerging countries," EIU Global Forecasting Director Agathe Demarais told CNBC. "Obviously this is wrong, this is not the case, but I think that it works very well in disinformation campaigns, propaganda campaigns." The Russian government has been contacted for comment. Demarais highlighted that there is a perceived "hypocrisy" in Western condemnations of Russia in the Global South, given the history of Western military intervention a sentiment Russia has sought to foment in order to deflect attention from its actions in Ukraine. Many in developed Western countries view the idea of Russia being an "appealing" and "attractive" country to some in the Global South as "impossible," Demarais said, which underestimates the power of Russia's message and its positioning of itself as a savior. Russia and China have increasingly represented themselves to developing nations as alternatives to the West as economic and military partners, in that neither will attach demands around democracy or human rights to diplomatic relations. watch now "There is a lack of willingness to acknowledge that people may not be thinking like we do, and it is really worrying," Demarais said. Western leaders "are thinking about it in terms of we are on the right side of history, which is true, but it doesn't mean we don't need to explain it." Countering organized Russian propaganda first requires acknowledging the problem, and building awareness about the aims and effectiveness of sanctions, she said. "I think there is a lack of knowledge about sanctions and how they work, what they do etc., and Russia is obviously using this to its advantage. It's going to be a very long-term trend, I'm not sure there is any quick magical fix. It's not a pretty picture." A 'regional conflict' The largest economy and population center still falling under the EIU's "neutral" designation was India, and Moscow claimed earlier this week that oil exports to India increased 22-fold last year. At the recent Raisina Dialogue geopolitics forum in New Delhi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was the subject of laughter from delegates when he suggested that the Ukraine war was "launched against" Russia. However, he received supportive applause when bemoaning Western hypocrisy and double standards as he highlighted the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and other perceived Western transgressions. He also tried to advance the narrative that sanctions from the West were responsible for grain supply shortages experienced by developing countries as a result of the war. Rachel Rizzo, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Europe Center, was in the audience, and told CNBC that perspectives on the war were starkly different in India. watch now "What becomes clear when you get outside of U.S./European circles is that for us, the Russian invasion of Ukraine is the very clear centerpiece of much of our policy decisions and conversations, and then when you talk to people that aren't in the U.S. or Europe, it becomes clear that the conflict is very much regional, and a much smaller part of a broader puzzle," Rizzo told CNBC via telephone from Washington, D.C. "What I thought was interesting that I heard a few times was that this is a regional conflict that the U.S. and Europe, particularly the U.S., have made global because of our great power competition with Russia and our global sanctions regime." She said many developing countries are being placed in positions they "don't want to be in" by demands from the U.S. and Europe to more outwardly side with Ukraine, even though many nations constituting the Global South actually voted in favor of the U.N. resolution condemning the invasion. "What has happened in the U.S. is this framework of democracies versus autocracies has been the framing position of Biden and his foreign policy, and I don't think that lands for a lot of the rest of the world, and it's not a framework that I think countries identify with in many ways," Rizzo said. "It's interesting to see how the conversations that we have here don't necessarily reflect what's happening in countries that are very important, I think, to our foreign policy and our geopolitical standing." watch now The Kremlin claimed a Wall Street Journal reporter detained by Russia's security service over spying allegations had been caught "red-handed," but offered no further detail on the situation. When asked how the Kremlin assessed the incident which saw WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich detained in Yekaterinburg by the FSB Kremlin spokesperson Dimitry Peskov told reporters that it was up to the security service how to proceed and whether to share information with the U.S. authorities. "This is the prerogative of the FSB. There has already been a statement from them, we have nothing to add here," he said, adding: "The only thing I can add is that as far as we know, he was caught 'red-handed'," without providing further details or evidence. Asked to elaborate on what he meant by "red-handed," Peskov said "I don't know the details. This is the prerogative of the special services, which are fighting spies." Asked what could happen to the WSJ bureau in Russia and whether journalists there could be deported, Peskov said "no, those who carry out normal journalistic activities of course, if they have a valid accreditation, they will continue to work. There will be no problems with them." The company's 747 jet "Cosmic Girl" releases a LauncherOne rocket in mid-air for the first time during a drop test in July 2019. Virgin Orbit is ceasing operations "for the foreseeable future" after failing to secure a funding lifeline, CEO Dan Hart told employees during an all-hands meeting Thursday afternoon. The company will lay off nearly all of its workforce. "Unfortunately, we've not been able to secure the funding to provide a clear path for this company," Hart said, according to audio of the 5 p.m. ET meeting obtained by CNBC. "We have no choice but to implement immediate, dramatic and extremely painful changes," Hart said, audibly choking up on the call. He added this would be "probably the hardest all-hands that we've ever done in my life." The company will eliminate all but 100 positions, amounting to about 90% of the workforce, Hart said, noting the layoffs will affect every team and department. In a securities filing, the company said the layoffs constituted 675 positions, or approximately 85%. "This company, this team all of you mean a hell of a lot to me. And I have not, and will not, stop supporting you, whether you're here on the journey or if you're elsewhere," Hart said. Virgin Orbit will "provide a severance package for every departing" employee, Hart said, with a cash payment, extension of benefits, and support in finding a new position with a "direct pipeline" set up with sister company Virgin Galactic for hiring. Hart has been giving the company's employees brief daily updates since Monday, when Virgin Orbit delayed a scheduled all-hands meeting at the last minute. Late-stage deal talks had fallen through with a pair of investors over the weekend, but Hart told staff on Monday that "very dynamic" investment discussions were continuing. Those investor discussions continued this week, with Hart earlier saying leadership would share any updates "as quickly and transparently as we can," noting that leaking emails "is against company policy," according to copies of Hart's emails from Tuesday and Wednesday obtained by CNBC. The company this week has been steadily bringing back more of its employees from the operational pause and furlough it began on March 15. It initially resumed some work with a "small team" a week later. Amid the broader pause, Virgin Orbit has been working to finish its investigation into the mid-flight failure of its previous launch, as well as finish preparations on its next rocket. Shareholders unloaded the stock Friday, with shares selling off more than 40% to about 20 cents. The stock is down 82% this year. A Virgin Orbit representative did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. Shares of Alibaba soared after the company announced a significant overhaul to split into six business groups . This move has attracted positive sentiment from major Wall Street banks, with Morgan Stanley saying that this restructuring could lead to a 100% upside in Alibaba's share price. Alibaba's restructuring will involve creating six independent business groups, each managed by its own CEO and board of directors, enabling them to pursue independent fundraising and IPOs, except for one division, which will remain wholly owned by Alibaba. Alibaba shares closed 15% higher Wednesday in Hong Kong, after trading higher by a similar amount on the NYSE on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley said that Alibaba shares, listed in the U.S. as BABA , are trading at a significant discount to their sum-of-the-parts valuation, and the restructuring could unlock this value. BABA 1Y mountain Analysts at the Wall Street bank said the stock's nine times 2024 price-to-earnings valuation means the market has assigned zero value to the group's non-core e-commerce businesses. Nearly all of the valuation comes out of Alibaba's massive e-commerce and retail operations, according to Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley analysts led by Gary Yu wrote in a note to clients on Mar. 28. that they could "see potential for more than 2x upside to our bull case of US$200 per share." "With gradual consumption recovery in China and the potential catalyst of corporate restructuring, we reiterate BABA as our top pick in China Internet." In a separate research note to clients on the same day, they added: "We believe the share price will rise in absolute terms over the next 60 days." "We view BABA as a key beneficiary of China's reopening and a proxy for inflows to China from global investors. We estimate that there is about an 80%+ (or "highly likely") probability for the scenario." The investment bank is not alone in its bullish view of Alibaba. Jefferies also believes the reorganization will allow different business units to respond quickly to market changes. According to the investment bank's calculations, Alibaba shares currently trade at a "meaningful discount" to its sum-of-all-parts valuation. Before the restructuring plans were announced, Jefferies analysts expected Alibaba shares to rise by 22% to $120 a share. Analysts at Baird also told clients that the reorganization was a positive step toward increasing shareholder value. In contrast, CNBC's "Fast Money" traders said they were hesitant as to whether the stock is now a good play. "There's always been a lot of value here. In fact, you get Ant for free when you invest in this company. This is great news to me. This is a wait-and-see moment," said Tim Seymour, founder and chief investment officer of Seymour Asset Management. Seymour added that he finds it "hard to believe" whether the spinoff comes with good intentions from the Chinese government. The overhaul of the Chinese technology giant comes amid continued struggles with growth over the past few quarters, with the company erasing roughly $600 billion in market value from its peak in October 2020. This is partly due to the Chinese government's crackdown on technology companies, which has affected private technology businesses like Alibaba and Tencent . However, there are signs that Beijing is warming back up to technology businesses, seeking to revive economic growth in the world's second-largest economy. Jack Ma, Alibaba's outspoken and charismatic founder, who was out of the public eye and traveling abroad for several months, has returned to China, perceived as an olive branch from Beijing. CNBC's Michael Bloom and Hakyung Kim contributed to this report. For many investors, 2022 was the year artificial intelligence stopped being the stuff of science fiction and started being part of the very real world all around us. The emergence of generative AI tools like Microsoft -backed ChatGPT and Google 's Bard signal the dawn of a new era of these technologies becoming increasingly available to the public. But while these flashy products are currently dominating the headlines for better or worse AI is already embedded in so much of what we do. Consider: Our world is increasingly driven by greater and greater volumes of data that no human (or large team of humans) can easily manage or interpret it all. AI technology steps in to automate and analyze that information to help consumers and businesses make better decisions. For example, AI can provide a personalized shopping experience or help companies make their manufacturing processes more efficient. "There will be an explosion of companies working on new uses of AI as well as ways to improve the technology itself," Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, wrote in a recent blog post . "No matter what, the subject of AIs will dominate the public discussion for the foreseeable future." Many of those companies will develop hardware products and software applications, along with models and algorithms to enhance AI systems. The prize will only get bigger: The global market for AI-related businesses is expected to hit $1.5 trillion by 2030, up from $119 billion in 2022, according to data from Precedence Research. Not all will succeed. Artificial intelligence is still in its early stages of development, making it difficult to gauge the innovative and useful from the merely novel. There are already many start-ups piling into the AI race in hopes of creating the next amazing application. This is why we like owning companies that have already made a name for themselves in AI, whether by building new technologies to empower its customers or by providing the infrastructure to accelerate and scale adoption of AI. Here are 8 Club stocks that are already established in AI along with our Club take at the end. AI-powered technology companies Microsoft Microsoft arguably pushed AI into the mainstream with its unexpected release of its new AI-powered search engine Bing. Microsoft's search engine has been around since 2009, but the new version includes an AI chatbot, supported by OpenAI's latest language model, GPT-4. ChatGPT became the fastest-growing application when it attracted 100 million users just a couple months after its launch in November 2022. Microsoft's partnership with OpenAI allows Microsoft to explore new AI capabilities to further advance its Bing search engine, which is aimed at stealing market share from competitor and current market leader, Google. The collaboration has allowed Microsoft to incorporate AI features into its existing tools and services to help users increase productivity. Microsoft recently announced its Azure OpenAI service , which allows developers to apply large language models to a variety of enterprise-based use cases, like writing assistance or content and code generation. Advancements like this are expected to be a part of Microsoft's growth story in the years to come. Alphabet Alphabet is already a leader in AI development. In fact, Google exhibited early interest in the field well before many of its peers when it acquired AI start up company DeepMind, back in 2014. But Alphabet came into the AI spotlight this year when it rushed to release its new conversational AI service called Bard after Microsoft beat it to market with its AI-powered Bing. Bard's debut was also overshadowed by inaccuracies in its promotional video. The chatbot recently became available to a wider audience in the U.S. and U.K. In CEO Sundar Pichai's words, the "AI-first company" is using the revolutionary technology to serve its customers, by managing large amounts of data in one place for companies of all sizes, helping advertisers generate personalized ads to increase conversion results and enhancing the user experience in its suite of Google products. More AI investment is expected but will focus on "further optimizing the cost of compute" in its data centers, servers and supply chain, said CFO Ruth Porat during the company's latest earnings call. "We're continuing to invest with a keen lens on the return on that capital." Pichai also said Alphabet is changing how it reports financials to separate out AI-focused investments to showcase the progress in AI. Meta Platforms Meta Platforms (META) CEO Mark Zuckerberg declared 2023 to be the year of efficiency. "One of my goals for Meta is to build on our research to become a leader in generative AI in addition to our leading work in recommendation AI," the chief executive said during Meta's fiscal fourth-quarter earnings webcast in early February. Generative AI is expected to create automated content to increase user engagement on the tech giant's platforms, as well as boost monetization of its products. Zuckerberg said the company's AI investments will create "opportunities for continued gains in the near term and medium term" by incorporating the new technology into Meta's family of apps including Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. More importantly, Meta is using AI to improve ad-targeting and deliver relevant content to users. This will likely help the company work around Apple's privacy changes and improve financial performance in its digital advertising business. It also stands to help with the adoption and monetization of Reels. Salesforce Salesforce (CRM) is another Club name making inroads in artificial intelligence. Earlier this month, the software giant launched Einstein GPT , a generative technology that delivers AI-created content across sales, servicing, marketing, commerce and IT systems. The new service, which is the world's first generative AI tool for customer relationship management applications, combines OpenAI's ChatGPT technology with Salesforce's AI models to help Salesforce customers better engage with clients and improve productivity. The company also announced a ChatGPT app for its messaging platform Slack. The app can provide summaries of conversations, deliver research tools, and assist with writing direct messages within the app. The tech firm's global investment arm, Salesforce Ventures, rolled out a $250 million generative AI fund to support the responsible development of the technology. The fund is investing in several companies that have shown promise in improving application software through responsible AI research and represents the latest example of Salesforce's commitment to advancement in the nascent field. Companies offering AI infrastructure Nvidia Chipmaker Nvidia (NVDA) is at the center of artificial intelligence. We view the company as the best-positioned name in the space as its technology will enable the mass adoption of AI. During its annual conference for developers earlier this month, Nvidia demonstrated the fundamental importance of its role in facilitating the usage AI applications. At the event, the tech giant unveiled the DGX Cloud a supercomputer accessible via web browser that can be used to train models behind generative AI applications like ChatGPT. It also released cloud services that enable its customers to build personalized AI models. Nvidia develops the graphics processing units or GPUs required to accelerate data centers to the point needed for AI research and development to get to the next level in a far more energy-efficient way than is possible with the use of CPUs alone. Also unveiled were four new chips designed specifically for inferencing , which are optimized for various new generative AI applications. Moreover, the company is also ramping up AI software which will offer turnkey solutions to AI for customers. Advanced Micro Devices As a data center-oriented chipmaker, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) is another name well-positioned to benefit from the AI boom. AMD's accelerated processing units have long been used for personal computers and gaming machines, and the company's data center chips can also help run AI software. Artificial intelligence applications require large amounts of compute power to operate. To facilitate these operations, AMD provides machine learning and deep learning systems which offer higher-performance computing capabilities to accelerate AI applications. As AI-powered applications like ChatGPT become more prevalent in our daily lives and are used to push forward new innovations, demand for computing power will require companies like AMD to provide solutions that help democratize AI usage. Qualcomm Qualcomm (QCOM) is focused on making AI technology on-device processing more efficient across different industries and products. For example, the company's AI solutions are aimed at ensuring network bandwidth usage for smartphones is more efficient, allowing the mobile industry to scale AI to trillions of devices. Qualcomm's leadership in AI processing will also enable better user experiences for other technologies like smart speakers, virtual headsets, personal computers, and intelligent cars. As AI adoption becomes more widespread across industries, and as users customize experiences on personal devices, the need to efficiently scale will drive demand for Qualcomm's technology solutions. Palo Alto AI will also play a major role in cybersecurity, and as the leader in this space, Palo Alto Networks (PANW) is prepared to leverage AI to strengthen its security products and protect customers. The company's AI-powered innovations can help companies improve their security by automating network operations, while reducing total cost of ownership and improving return on their investment. In a hybrid work culture, cyber-attacks and phishing scams are only becoming more prevalent. This incentivizes companies to have a security buffer in place with the latest AI innovations that protect their systems and allow for productivity without interruptions from external threats. The Club's take Artificial intelligence presents a major market opportunity for several of our Club holdings. While almost all companies will benefit from leveraging AI to improve efficiencies, the enablers like Nvidia, AMD and Qualcomm along with those that provide AI innovation, technology, infrastructure and research stand to gain the most as adoption increases. Put another way, those that link their own success to the success of their customers are most attractive as AI goes increasingly mainstream. This push will inevitably lead to higher revenue and earnings growth for companies involved in AI development. At the same time, we recognize AI is still a burgeoning field and tailwinds may take time to emerge. Moreover, as this new technology takes center stage, more investment will be required as companies fight to become leaders in their respective industries. Given the need to invest, we want to concentrate on companies that are able to strike the right balance between spending on AI investments and still managing costs, especially in today's vulnerable economic climate. After all, we saw how badly Meta Platforms was punished when management seemed willing to invest in the metaverse no matter the cost and how much it has been rewarded for acknowledging the need to balance growth-oriented investments with profitability. (Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust is long MSFT, GOOGL, META, NVDA, AMD, CRM, QCOM, PANW. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED. Jonathan Raa | Nurphoto | Getty Images Netflix will likely see improved earnings and a continued rally as its password sharing crackdown continues, Wells Fargo said. The streaming giant rolled out fees for extra users in Canada, New Zealand, Spain and Portugal last month , an extension of the plan that began with Latin American countries last year. The latest fees were "meaningfully higher" than in Latin America, Wells Fargo analyst Steven Cahall said. Netflix previously said it planned to roll out the password-sharing fees more broadly by the end of the first quarter . But Cahall said the company will likely take time to evaluate performance in regions that already have the plan in place before bringing it to other areas, specifically pointing to the United States and Western Europe where the majority of the company's revenue comes from. "It's tough to know exactly how much is truly incremental to expectations as, like us, most models bake in some non-discrete paid sharing benefits to net adds/revenue/profit/cash," he said in a Wednesday note to clients. "That said, we're confident that numbers will be moving higher as paid sharing is better understood, but it's tougher to know by how much." He said the company's first-quarter commentary on paid password sharing will likely be a positive catalyst for the stock, which has already outperformed the broader market this year. Cahall has a price target of $400, which implies the stock could rally 20.5% from Wednesday's close. His base case assumes 40% of the 30 million account sharers in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand convert to paying subscribers. Cahall expects 15%, or 4.5 million, will opt to add an additional member, while 25%, or 7.5 million, will go for the standalone option. He said to expect an additional member fee of $7.50. Standalone account prices should range from $6.99 to $19.99, but most converters opting for their own account will use to cheapest, advertisement-supported tier, or the next tier up that does not have ads but is not considered premium. With these expected changes and uptake, incremental revenue should be around $1.5 billion by the 2024 fiscal year. The password-sharing crackdown could also lift revenue in other areas, though Cahall said the user conversion rate and incremental revenue per user are both expected to be lower. His base case shows incremental revenue could increase by around $1.3 billion by 2024. Investors have already been excited by the potential for paid account sharing, Cahall said. Netflix's outperformance this year up 16.1% compared with the S & P 500 's 5.6% advance is largely due to early bullishness from what paid sharing could mean for the stock, he noted. The 2023 rally marks a turn from 2022, when the stock lost 51% amid a broader technology selloff. NFLX .SPX YTD mountain Netflix and the S & P 500, year-to-date CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto (L) deliver a joint press conference held after their meeting at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, on March 17, 2023. Adem Altan | Afp | Getty Images Turkey's parliament voted unanimously to formally approve Finland's membership to NATO on Thursday, marking a historic step for the traditionally nonaligned Nordic country that shares an 830-mile border with Russia. The vote follows a months-long saga that saw Turkey demand certain concessions from Finland and its neighbor Sweden, both of whom applied to NATO in May 2022 in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Joining NATO requires unanimous approval from all member states. Ankara's vote late on Thursday marked Finland's clearing of its final hurdle in the accession process. Turkey and Hungary remained the final holdouts standing in the way of the Nordic states' accession to the 74-year old alliance. Ankara has yet to approve of Sweden's membership bid, while Hungary whose Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been on friendly terms with Russian leader Vladimir Putin has approved Finland's accession, but not Sweden's. Turkey joined NATO in 1952, and has the second-largest military in the alliance after the United States. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards As of 2022, NATO has expanded to let in three former Soviet states and all of the former Warsaw Pact countries. Bryn Bache | CNBC Turkey's animosity toward Sweden centers mainly on Sweden's support for Kurdish groups that Ankara considers to be terrorists or affiliated with militants, and on weapons embargoes that both Sweden and Finland, along with other EU countries, put on Turkey for its targeting of Kurdish militias in Syria. Finland lifted its nearly three-year-long arms embargo on Turkey in January as part of its effort to improve the two countries' relations. But the relationship between Stockholm and Ankara remains in limbo. "Turkey both confirms that we have done what we said we would do, but they also say that they want things that we cannot or do not want to give them," Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in early January. Nonetheless, he expressed confidence that Turkey would approve his country's NATO bid. watch now Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 29) The Philippines would be at a disadvantage if it ends its involvement with the International Criminal Court (ICC), a lawyer said Wednesday. On Tuesday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the Philippine government has no other option but to disengage from the ICC after the court denied Manilas request to suspend its investigation into the Duterte administration's war on illegal drugs pending a decision on the main appeal against the resumption of the probe. If they resist any further, then I would say that it will be harder for them to say that in the Philippines the system is working, and that eventually an ICC investigation is not necessary, ICC Assistant to Counsel Kristina Conti told CNN Philippines The Source. They would be at a disadvantage because they would be no longer communicating with the court to tell of what is happening in the Philippines." According to the Appeals Chamber, the Philippines failed to explain its arguments, including the alleged implications of the ICC prosecutors activities on the suspects, witnesses, and victims, and how the probe will lead to irreversible consequences. Conti, who is also secretary general of the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers - National Capital Region, said this is a welcome development. I would call it all systems go because the victims have also been allowed to participate in the proceedings, she noted. Conti said they are currently preparing the documents that will contain comments of the families of the victims, which will be submitted in May. For human rights group Rise Up for Life and for Rights, 50 to 100 sets of views and concerns may be submitted, Conti noted. She said their camp is also ready to assist the ICC in its investigation in case the Philippine government continues to refrain from cooperating. Organizations are rapidly adopting the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for the discovery, screening, interviewing, and hiring of candidates. It can reduce time and work needed to find job candidates and it can more accurately match applicant skills to a job opening. But legislators and other lawmakers are concerned that using AI-based tools to discover and vet talent could intrude on job seekers privacy and may introduce racial- and gender-based biases already baked into the software. "We have seen a substantial groundswell over the past two to three years with regard to legislation and regulatory rule-making as it relates to the use of AI in various facets of the workplace," said Samantha Grant, a partner with the law firm of Reed Smith. States, including California, Maryland, and Washington, have enacted or are considering legislation to put rules around using AI for talent acquisition. The European Unions EU AI Act is also aimed at addressing issues surrounding automated hiring software. On April 1, Italy became the first Western nation to ban further development of ChatGPT over privacy concerns after the natural language processing app experienced a data breach involving user conversations and payment information. ChatGPT is the popular chatbot created by OpenAI and backed by billions of dollars from Microsoft. The Italian data protection authority is also investigating whether OpenAI's chatbot already violated the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation rules created to protect personal data inside and outside the EU. OpenAI has complied with the new law, according to a report by the BBC. Congress is considering the federal Algorithmic Accountability Act, which, if passed, would require employers to perform an impact assessment of any automated decision-making system that has a significant effect on an individual's access to, terms, or availability of employment. In addition, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently announced that it intends to increase oversight and scrutiny of AI tools used to screen and hire workers. As part of that effort, the EEOC held a public hearing Jan. 31 to explore the potential benefits and harms of AI in hiring situations, according to Grant. The current swell of laws and regulations related to AI in HR is like a wave under the water building, gaining momentum, and getting ready to come ashore, said Cliff Jurkiewicz, vice president of Global Strategy at Phenom, an AI-enabled hiring platform provider. The new laws are necessary and welcomed as technology has outpaced existing regulations for protecting underrepresented groups. New York City makes a move One of the attempts to wrangle AI-based automated employment-decision tools is New York Citys Local Law 144, slated to go into effect in April. The law, originally passed in 2021, was postponed due to the high volume of public comments during the rule-making process. It prohibits employers from using automated employment selection tools unless an organization institutes specific bias auditing and makes the resulting data publicly available. A company must also disclose its use of AI to job candidates who live in New York City. The New York City law could be a catalyst for other states to adopt similar legislation since so many companies do business in the city and it is an epicenter of finance and commerce, Jurkiewicz said. Implementing such a law will undoubtedly influence similar laws throughout the US and potentially other regions, he said. While the city ordinance implies employers must conduct an audit, vendors are preemptively doing them to help companies they work with, both as security for existing clients, as well as a way to differentiate/appeal to potential prospective clients, said Ben Eubanks, chief research officer with Lighthouse Research & Advisory. I think everybody's holding their breath and watching to see what's going to happen in New York, partially because the rules around these tools [require them] to be audited [and] evaluated and the vendor has to prove theyve passed some approved checklist, Eubanks said. At this point, it's hard to know what its going to look like rolling out. I have lots of companies within the vendor community that have been watching this closely. Companies offering AI-based recruitment software include Paradox, HireVue, iCIMS, Textio, Phenom, Jobvite, XOR.ai, Upwork, Bullhorn and Eightfold AI. For example, HireVues service includes a chatbot that can hold text-based conversations with job seekers to guide them to jobs that best fit their skills. Phenoms deep-learning algorithm chatbot sends tailored job recommendations and content based on skills, position fit, location, and experience to candidates so employers can find and choose you faster. Not only does it screen applicants, but it can schedule job interviews. AI talent acquisition software uses numerical scores based on a candidates background, skills, and video interview to deliver an overall competency-based score and rankings that can be used in employer decision-making. This week, Beamery, a multinational AI-based talent management software provider, announced the launch of TalentGPT, a chatbot based on GPT-4 and other large language models (LLMs). The chatbot is aimed at assisting hiring managers, recruiters, candidates and employees in talent acquisition and job searches. The company claims its AI automates rules compliance and mitigates bias risks associated with LLMs, which are the algorithms behind chatbots. Talent acquisition software and services have touted their AI-based platforms as offering greater diversity, inclusion and equality (DEI) because the computer software can be programmed to be gender and ethnicity neutral; the goal is to eliminate as much human bias as possible. The problem: humans program the software. The challenges inherent in AI As with any disruptive technology, Jurkiewicz said AI brings challenges that should be considered and planned for by hiring organizations. They include: Algorithmic bias. Lack of transparency. Legal and ethical concerns. Over-reliance on AI. Privacy and data security. Dehumanization in the hiring process. Misalignment with organizational culture and values. A US and EU joint report released this year on the potential economic impact of AI on the future of workforces found that while it can bolster workforce efficiency and innovation, it can exacerbate inequality. There is substantial evidence...AI has introduced and perpetuated racial or other forms of bias, both through issues with the underlying datasets used to make decisions, and by unintentional or seemingly benign decisions made by algorithm designers, the report said. The challenge for policymakers is to foster progress and innovation in AI while shielding workers and consumers from potential types of harm that could arise. The challenges are only expected to grow. From 35% to 45% of companies are expected to use AI-based talent acquisition software and services to help select and interview job prospects in the coming year, according to two recent studies. Although there are few AI-related employment laws on the books at the moment, employers should expect that to change as the use of AI expands beyond just hiring and into performance evaluations, career projections, and promotion/termination decisions, according to Paul Starkman, an attorney with the Chicago-based law firm Clark Hill. "And [that] may ultimately morph into consumer information protection laws, such as the European Unions GDPR and Californias CCPA/CPRA," Starkman said. Hiring algorithms aren't new While the use of computer algorithms for screening prospective job candidates is not new simple text searches have been used to parse resumes for decades the sophistication of the applications and the breadth of their use has rapidly grown. Nearly three in four organizations boosted their purchase of talent acquisition technology in 2022 and 70% plan to continue investing this year even if a recession arrives according to a survey by online enterprise hiring platform Modern Hire. Modern Hires fifth annual Hiring Report found that 45% of companies worldwide are using AI to improve recruiting and human resource functions. Experts caution that AI recruiting systems are only as good as the programmers who feed the machine. If an AI tool ingests data from resumes of people previously hired by a company and the recruiting departments that made those decisions harbored subconscious biases and preferences those biases could be inherited by the AI tool. For example, Amazon spent a decade training its applicant screening algorithm using its own hiring data. But once it went live, it reportedly showed bias against women. Just the word woman would cause the algorithm to rank female applicants lower than men. Conversely, there are also top tips from online job search sites instructing applicants on how to write resumes that will pass automated screening software, making sure job candidates get seen. While resume matching to job descriptions is the most common use of AI, tools are also being used to analyze patterns of potential candidates, including segmentation of candidates based on experience, education, skills, and their potential for retention once hired, according to Bret Greenstein, a PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) partner and Data Analytics and AI researcher. To perform more detailed searches for potential candidates, AI platforms must collect massive amounts of data on prospective candidates without their expressed permission, according to Eubanks, author of the book Talent Scarcity: How to Hire and Retain a Shrinking Workforce. That information can include facial recognition software and video interviews companies may keep, share, and filter with AI to determine favorable candidates. In 2019, the Illinois Artificial Intelligence Video Interview Act (AIVI Act) was signed into law, making the state the first to regulate automated interview bots and other forms of AI to analyze applicants facial expressions, body language, word choices, and vocal tones during video interviews. And in 2020, Maryland enacted a similar law prohibiting employers from using facial recognition algorithms in hiring unless the applicant agreed to it. In a 2019 blog, Starkman wrote that AI has been used on video interviews to determine whether an applicant shows characteristics of "successful" candidates. "Multi-state employers should take note of the AIVI Act, as it explicitly applies when considering applicants for positions based in Illinois,'" he wrote. The built-in bias problem In an email response to Computerworld, Starkman said that without proper development and use, "AI systems can be biased, either because of bias in the data itself or in how the algorithm processes the data, and that may result in the unintended elimination of certain disabled candidates, foreign-born candidates, and others in discriminatory ways, if no safeguards are in place." For example, he said, AI-driven chatbots that communicate with job candidates should be monitored to limit the inadvertent receipt of information about disabilities and other personal characteristics that could lead to discrimination claims. "Another algorithm-assisted hiring and performance evaluation system ultimately had to be scrapped because it was based on past hiring practices and could not be trained to unlearn its programmers bias," he said. In another illustration, Starkman said software designed to disregard candidates with gaps in their resumes may have unduly impacted women candidates because they were statistically more likely to leave the workforce than men. I understand where their hearts are at they want to make things safer and more equitable for the candidate population out there, Eubanks said. "But the challenge is the rules theyre making [aren't] always aligned with how companies hire." For example, Eubanks said, the Illinois law requires companies to delete any video interviews after 30 days. Many employees quit a short time after being hired. So, by the time the company goes back to look at a second-choice candidate, their video interview is deleted. Some of those nuances they put into laws, [they're] put in place by people who dont always understand how hiring works, Eubanks said. "Theyre not doing the day to day [work]. And because of that, it creates some complexities, challenges, and headaches." To address the challenges, organizations should adopt a balanced approach that combines the strengths of AI with human judgment or a human in the hiring process loop that has expertise, Jurkiewicz said. It is vital to ensure that AI-driven employment tools are explainable, unbiased, tested and compliant with applicable laws and ethical guidelines, he said. When developed, tested, monitored and implemented responsibility, AI-powered tools can significantly increase diversity and inclusiveness in the workplace. Studies have shown that many underrepresented communities either lack the skills or do not understand the impact of not promoting their favorable attributes (skills, behaviors, competencies and experiences) as other, systemically well-trained communities can and have [done] historically, according to Jurkiewicz. "AI can surface individuals positive attributes and encourage underrepresented groups to compete for work they may not have thought possible," he said. Microsoft has reportedly agreed to change its cloud computing practices in order to avoid an antitrust probe from the European Commission, the EUs antitrust authority. The potential probe relates to complaints made by European cloud companies including Aruba, OVHcloud, Danish Cloud Community and the Association of Cloud Infrastructure Service Providers (CISPE) about changes Microsoft first made to the terms of its outsourcing license agreement in 2019, and then modified again in 2022. The cloud vendors raised concerns after their customers were asked to pay more to run Microsoft software in non-Microsoft cloud environments, under what they saw as restrictive cloud licensing policies. As a result of these licensing changes, on November 9, 2022, CISPE filed a formal complaint with the European Commissions Directorate-General for Competition (DG Comp) stating: Microsoft uses its dominance in productivity software to direct European customers to its own Azure cloud infrastructure to the detriment of European cloud infrastructure providers and users of IT services. Now, in order to avoid another antitrust probe by the EU Commission, Microsoft has offered to change its cloud computing practices to settle antitrust complaints filed by smaller rivals, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The European Commission refused to comment on the news, while Aruba, CISPE, the Danish Cloud Community, and OVHcloud did not respond to requests for comment. CISPE plans to pursue its complaint. A spokesperson for CISPE told Reuters, Weve had an initial discussion with Microsoft, but have not seen anything that suggests changes that will ensure that all European customers have the chance to run the software they want in the cloud of their choice free of unfair licence terms or discriminatory pricing. A Microsoft spokesperson would not discuss with Computerworld whether a deal had been reached with any of the complainants. In October 2022, we introduced changes to our licensing practices that address the feedback that we heard from European cloud providers. We are grateful for the productive conversations that led us there and appreciate the feedback that we have received since. We are committed to the European Cloud Community and their success, the Microsoft spokesperson said. Microsoft is no stranger to the EU Commissions antitrust rulings. In 2004 the company paid a $611 million fine after it was found it guilty of illegally bundling media player software with Windows XP. An additional $731 million fine was levelled against the company in 2013 for bundling its Internet Explorer browser with Windows 7. Microsofts proposed acquisition of games studio Activision Blizzard is also currently under scrutiny by the EU Commission, as well as the Competition Market Authorities (CMA) in the UK and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the US. BRI bears rich fruits in economic, trade cooperation over past decade People's Daily Online) 14:29, March 30, 2023 International cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has gone deeper and more practical, and borne rich fruits over the past 10 years since the initiative was proposed. As of mid-February this year, China had signed more than 200 BRI cooperation documents with 151 countries and 32 international organizations. This aerial photo taken on Nov 23, 2022 shows a Fuxing bullet train running on the Yuanjiang bridge of the China-Laos Railway in southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo/Xinhua) Cooperation in trade and investment is an important part of BRI cooperation. From 2013 to 2022, the annual volume of trade in goods between China and countries along the routes of the BRI grew from $1.04 trillion to $2.07 trillion. In particular, customs data showed that trade volume between China and countries along the BRI routes hit a record high in 2022 and accounted for 32.9 percent of the total of China's foreign trade. The figure was 3.2 percentage points higher than that of the previous year and 7.9 percentage points higher compared to 2013 when the BRI was first proposed. Meanwhile, two-way investment between China and countries along the BRI routes has scaled new heights and covered many industries over the past decade. By the end of 2022, Chinese enterprises had invested a cumulative total of $57.13 billion and created 421,000 local jobs in overseas economic and trade cooperation zones built in countries along the routes of the BRI. Infrastructure connectivity among BRI countries has also been continuously deepened since the initiative was proposed. China-Europe freight trains have opened a new land transport corridor between Asia and Europe and provided a strong underpinning for the stability and smooth functioning of global supply and industrial chains. During the first two months of this year, China-Europe freight trains made a total of 2,698 trips and transported 287,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers, with the figures rising 8 percent and 18 percent, respectively, compared to the same period last year. Over the past 10 years, a good number of major cooperation projects under the framework of the BRI have been implemented and brought tangible benefits to people in countries along the BRI routes. Such projects include major ones like the China-Laos Railway and the Belgrade-Budapest railway, as well as "small and beautiful" projects in such fields as agriculture, health, and poverty reduction. (Web editor: Hongyu, Du Mingming) An APT group known in the security industry as Winter Vivern has been exploiting a vulnerability in the Zimbra Collaboration software to gain access to mailboxes from government agencies in several European countries. While no clear links have been established between Winter Vivern and a particular country's government, security researchers have noted that its activities closely align with the interests of Russia and Belarus. The group, which is also tracked as TA473 or UAC-0114, has been operating since at least 2021 and past victims were identified in Lithuania, India, Vatican, and Slovakia. According to a report earlier this month by cybersecurity firm SentinelLabs, more recent targets include Polish government agencies, Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, individuals within the Indian government, and telecommunications companies that support Ukraine in the ongoing war. In a new report released today, cybersecurity firm Proofpoint said it saw Winter Vivern campaigns late last year that targeted elected officials in the United States and their staffers. The group's general modus operandi involves sending phishing emails that impersonate people from the victim's own organization or from peer organizations involved in global politics. These spoofed emails are sometimes sent from mailboxes associated with domains that host vulnerable WordPress websites and were compromised. The messages typically include a link to what appears to be a resource on the target organization's own website but actually leads to a payload hosted on an attacker-controlled domain or to a credential phishing page. This technique was recently enhanced with an exploit for a known cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Zimbra, an open-source business collaboration and email platform that can be deployed in the cloud or on premise. According to Zimbra's own website, its email software powers hundreds of millions of mailboxes across 140 countries and is used by "governments, service providers, educational institutions, and small/midsize enterprises." From cross-site scripting to cross-site request forgery and account hijacking The exploit seen by Proofpoint in TA473 campaigns from early this year and as late as last month, targeted CVE-2022-27926, a medium-severity reflected XSS vulnerability that Zimbra patched in version 9.0.0 Patch 24, a year ago. Interestingly, the vulnerability is not listed on Zimbra's security advisories page but does appear in the release notes for Zimbra 9.0.0 P24 alongside even more serious flaws, including critical and high-risk ones. One could argue that organizations who have Zimbra deployments that haven't been upgraded in a year have questionable security practices, as well as many other vulnerabilities to worry about. Since then, Zimbra has patched at least three more XSS flaws, including in its webmail component, an email authentication bypass, a server-side request forgery flaw, issues with two-factor authentication (2FA) validation, and remote code execution in file upload functionality. However, the recent TA473 attacks stand to show how even a medium-risk XSS can be weaponized to great effect by attackers. Reflected XSS vulnerabilities allow attackers to craft URLs with appended code to them that, if opened by a user, would execute that malicious code inside their browser in the context of that website. In other words, as if that code had been served by the website itself to the user's browser. In this case, attackers first identified government agencies using vulnerable Zimbra installations and webmail interfaces. They then crafted phishing emails with URLs that would exploit the XSS flaw and execute some encoded JavaScript included in it. Once executed by the browser, this JavaScript snippet would fetch a larger JavaScript payload from an attacker-controlled server and execute it in the context of the website. The larger JavaScript payload uses multiple layers of encoding and is meant to execute what's known as a cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attack. This is an attack where the authenticated session that the user's browser has with a certain website is hijacked when visiting a different malicious website which forces the browser to execute requests on the target website without the user's knowledge, piggybacking on their active session. The payload is a variant of the legitimate JavaScript code that exists on the portal with all the target's customizations and specific URLs, in which Winter Vivern injected specific routines and logic. This highlights a sustained effort to study every target's webmail portal and reverse-engineer its JavaScript code. The malicious functions added to the payload are meant to steal the user's username, password, and active CSRF token from a cookie, and send them to an attacker-controlled server. Websites use CSRF tokens that need to accompany browser requests to prevent CSRF attacks, but since the attackers in this case have the ability to execute code in the context of the website through the XSS flaw, they can simply read that token. Once the login credentials and token are stolen, the script tries to login into the email portal using hardcoded URIs that are custom to the targeted domain and if authentication fails, it has the capability to prompt users with an error message and ask them to authenticate again. "In some instances, researchers observed TA473 specifically targeting RoundCube webmail request tokens as well," Proofpoint said. "This detailed focus on which webmail portal is being run by targeted European government entities indicates the level of reconnaissance that TA473 conducts prior to delivering phishing emails to organizations." The researchers noted some similarities between these exploits for CVE-2022-27926 and past exploits for an older Zimbra XSS vulnerability called CVE-2021-35207, in that they both involve adding executable JavaScript to the loginErrorCode parameter of a webmail login URL. This stands to show that it's very important to keep Zimbra deployments up to date as webmail portals are an attractive target for APT groups. "Restricting resources on publicly facing webmail portals from the public internet is highly recommended to prevent groups like TA473 from reconning and engineering custom scripts capable of stealing credentials and logging in to users webmail accounts," the Proofpoint researchers said. "While TA473 does not lead the pack in sophistication among APT threats targeting the European cyber landscape, they demonstrate focus, persistence, and a repeatable process for compromising geopolitically exposed targets." Soon after Latitude Financial revealed it suffered a cyber attack, DXC Technology quietly published a note on its website stating its global network and customer support networks were not compromised. When Latitude Financial, which is listed in the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), first published about the attack it said the activity was believed to have originated from a major vendor used by the company. According to Latitude, the attacker obtained login credentials from an employee using it to steal personal information that was held by two other services providers. Latitude provides loans, credit cards and insurance in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Singapore. Some of its services includes interest free instalments for JB Hi-Fi, The Good Guys and David Jones customers when shopping online. Nothing to see here DXC is one of the largest IT services providers in the world and back in 2017, when it launched after the merger of CSC and HPEs services division, it revealed that a majority of its personnel and half of its customers were based in Australia. On 17 March, the company published an unprompted public statement assuring its network was safe. DXC is liaising with the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), and we have advised them that our systems are secure and operating as normal, read the statement. DXC takes the responsibility of protecting the security of its customers systems and data very seriously. This announcement sparked suspicion with the AFR Weekend writing it understands DXC to be one of Latitudes providers. CSO has reached out to DXC Technology Australia for comment. Latitude reveals 14 million customers impacted, not 330,000 Ten days after Latitude revealed it had been breached, the company found that data from 14 million people had been accessed, as opposed to the 330,000 it had first believed. The attacker managed to use the stolen employee credential to access customer data stored by both services providers before Latitude was able to isolate the incident. As of 27 March the company knows that 7.9 million Australian and New Zealand driver licence numbers were stolen, of which approximately 3.2 million, or 40%, were provided to the company in the last 10 years. Approximately 53,000 passport numbers were stolen, and less than 100 customers had a monthly financial statement stolen. There were also 6.1 million records dating back to 2005 that were accessed including name, address, telephone, and date of birth. We are committed to working closely with impacted customers and applicants to minimise the risk and disruption to them, including reimbursing the cost if they choose to replace their ID document. We are also committed to a full review of what has occurred, Latitude CSO Ahmed Fahour said in a statement. We urge all our customers to be vigilant and on the look-out for suspicious behaviour relating to their accounts. We will never contact customers requesting their passwords. Latitude has suggested customers contact Australias credit reporting agencies for a credit report to check for any suspicious activity and in New Zealand to check credit records. The financial services provider had initially isolated and removed access to some customer-facing and internal systems. We continue to work around the clock to safely restore our operations. We are rectifying platforms impacted in the attack and have implemented additional security monitoring as we return to operations in the coming days, Fahour said. Investigation and Federal government action The incident is under investigation by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Latitude has reported the incident to the Australian Cyber Security Centre. The AFP has expanded Operation Guardian to help protect Latitude Services customers. Operation Guardian is a joint initiative with state and territory police and was set up in September 2022 to protect more than 10,000 customers whose personal information was unlawfully released online after the Optus data breach. It was also extended to Medibank Private customers. The AFP also said that there is no evidence to date that the personal details of Latitude Services customers are available or being sold on online or dark web forums. The AFP has recently announced a restructure in response to an increase in cybercrime, appointing Acting Deputy Commissioner, Crime, Grant Nicholls, who will be responsible for developing and managing the AFPs crime and cyber strategies and related policy issues and Assistant Commissioner Scott Lee as the leader of Cyber Command. The Australian Federal government is seeking feedback from a discussion paper in order to put together a new cybersecurity strategy. This includes considering that Australia develops a Cyber Security Act and whether further reform to the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act is needed. Minister for Home Affairs and Cybersecurity Clare ONeil said in a statement, While we will never reduce this risk of these attacks to zero, how we respond and become more resilient as a nation is now more important than ever. This government is working to ensure that in future digital identities are hard to steal and, if compromised, easy to restore, she said. NEW MILFORD As local officials weigh whether to permit recreational cannabis establishments in town, the police chief and town's youth agency director cautioned they don't yet know how cannabis sales would affect traffic, crime and young people. This is not to fearmonger or demonize adult-use cannabis but simply to protect youth here in New Milford and work with our local stakeholders in prevention and intervention efforts to ensure there are no concerning trends between the adult intended market and our youth here in Connecticut, said Jason OConnor, the executive director of the New Milford Youth Agency. O'Connor spoke before the New Milford Town Council on Monday as part of ongoing discussions Recreational cannabis sales have been banned from town since January, when the Town Council imposed a moratorium to give the town more time to better understand the states legislation on recreational cannabis sales and learn what other states and towns are doing. The Town Council can revisit the year-long moratorium any time to either extend it or truncate it. OConnor said the state and the local municipalities do not yet have the data needed for New Milford to pursue retail cannabis sales or to ensure the safety of the town's youth in regard to marijuana use. He said this information is necessary given "the direct influence marijuana has on a youths brain and a youths developmental maturation." Were not Massachusetts, Colorado, New York or any other state that has legalized adult-use cannabis," O'Connor said, "but we are New Milford, Connecticut, and we can control, evaluate and assess actions that affect our community. Police Chief Spencer Cerruto said he also had concerns about traffic safety and crime. He suggested the town's moratorium on recreational cannabis sales could give the town time to learn more about regulations, adding, A years worth of data would be much more helpful than a few months of data. Understanding our landscape is very important to us in law enforcement, Cerruto said, and a moratorium on this issue would give us that time to more methodically understand whats going on in other communities that have allowed this. Mayor Pete Bass invited a cannabis legalization advocate to speak to the Town Council's March 13 meeting about the benefits of allowing recreational cannabis sales in town. He said he invited Cerruto, OConnor and representatives from New Milford Coalition for Awareness & New Beginning to bring in the counter. We believe in harm reduction, education and taking time to understand the data in the best interest of our community, said Ivana Butera, co-chair of New Milford CAN. Council members discussed concerns about drivers under the influence of cannabis and overdoses involved marijuana laced with fentanyl with Cerruto. Cerruto said the town had 20 overdoses last year none of which involved marijuana laced with fentanyl. Its legal now in Connecticut, Councilwoman Hilary Ram said of recreational cannabis. Were all headed in that direction, so basically the conversation is how do we best prepare the town to protect our youth and to bring it about safely in the most carefully planned way I feel a moratorium for a year will give us enough time to see whats happening in other towns. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW MILFORD A local woman has been charged with evading responsibility after police say she fled the scene of a fatal collision involving a pedestrian last fall. Maria-Angela Bosch, 41, was arrested on a warrant Monday at the New Milford Police Department, the agency said in a news release Tuesday morning. She was released on $5,000 bond and is due to appear in state Superior Court in Torrington on April 5. New Milford police said John W. Capodanno was crossing Route 7 from Taco Bell to the Stop & Shop when he was hit by a vehicle in the left northbound lane around 9:25 p.m. on Oct. 6. The 63-year-old Bethel resident was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. The driver who struck Capodanno fled the scene, but police said investigators were able to follow "a trail of vehicle fluids" from the site of the collision to a condo complex, where they located Bosch's 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The SUV had sustained "heavy front end damage," New Milford police said. Police said in October that Bosch was not injured in the crash and was cooperating with the investigation. Capodanno's obituary said he lived most of his life in Connecticut and shared "his opinions and perceptions about life with everyone he met." "Everyone who knew him has a 'Johnny' story," the obituary stated. "He lived the credo that it is not what one accumulates in life, but what one gives away that makes the person." Capodanno was born Nov. 22, 1958 in New York City. He was survived by eight siblings and was predeceased by his parents and a sister, the obituary stated. Funeral services for Capodanno were held privately. "Remember him with a twinkle in the eye and a hearty laugh," the obituary said. "We were blessed to know and love him." Tomorrow is April Fools Day. But this is not a joke. New Milford Refugee Resettlement, now hosting an Afghan family, is preparing to welcome another family as soon as the middle of this year. They agree to become self-sufficient within about a year. It still takes money, especially for rent, utilities and transportation. You can help. On April 25 and 26, Give Local will make it easy. Any amount will make a difference, especially since a large number of donations generates bonuses from Give Local. Watch for details and, amid the jokes of April Fools Day, take this seriously. Eileen P. Monaghan New Milford This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Authorities released 911 recordings on Thursday that capture the terror inside a Nashville elementary school during a mass shooting this week, as callers pleaded for help in hushed voices while sirens, crying and gunfire could be heard in the background. Police released recordings of about two-dozen emergency calls made during Monday's attack at The Covenant School, in which three children and three adults were killed. They include the voices of teachers and school officials, some whispering while hiding in classrooms, closets, bathrooms and offices, as alarms rang loudly. One teacher tells an operator she is with 17 children in a classroom and hearing so many shots. In another call, 76-year-old retired church member Tom Pulliam tells the dispatcher he is with a group, including several children, walking away from the Christian school. Although Pulliam remains calm, the tension and confusion of the situation are clear, with several adults speaking over each other and childrens voices in the background. When the dispatcher requests a description of the shooter, Pulliam asks a second man to get on the line. All I saw was a man holding an assault rifle shooting through the door. It was hes currently in the second grade hallway, upstairs the man says, noting that the assailant was dressed in camouflage. Asked about how many shots were fired, a woman responds, I heard about 10, and I left the building. Pulliam, who was driving with his wife near the church when the attack happened, told The Associated Press on Thursday that he is struggling to make sense of it. He said he mostly recalls the children and how calm they seemed, not yelling and screaming or anything. Up there for a normal day of school, these young children," he said. "Now, theres difficult days to go through. In another call that started just before 10:13 a.m., a woman tells a dispatcher that she can hear a pause in the gunshots from her hiding spot in an art room closet. Asked if it is a safe spot, the woman answers, I think so, as children can be heard in the background. The teacher then says she can hear more gunshots, begging the dispatcher, Please hurry. In another call, lead pastor Chad Scruggs, whose daughter was killed in the attack, identifies himself and tells the operator hes outside the building and heading toward the gunshots. Im getting calls from the inside, he says. One woman, who hid under a desk in a nursery, tells a dispatcher the school, which is attached to the Covenant Presbyterian Church, sometimes has some staff members carry firearms but does not have dedicated security guards. We do have a school person, or two, Im not sure, who would be packing whose job it is for security, she says. We dont have security guards, but we have a staff. A spokesman for the police department did not immediately respond to a message asking who from the school might have been armed for security. A school spokesperson said the school didn't immediately have comment on the question. Authorities say the attack ended when police shot and killed the assailant, a former student they identified as 28-year-old Audrey Hale. The release of the recordings came as protesters gathered at the Tennessee Capitol to demand the Republican-led Legislature tighten gun controls. Chants of Save our children! echoed in the hallways between the Senate and House chambers, with protesters setting up inside and outside the building. Some silently filled the Senate chamber's gallery, including children who held signs reading I'm nine a reference to the age of the kids who died. Most protesters were removed from the gallery after some began yelling down at the lawmakers, Children are dead! The three students who were killed were Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney. The three adults were Katherine Koonce, 60, the head of the school, substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61, and Mike Hill, a 61-year-old custodian. Funeral plans for the six victims were announced, with the first service scheduled on Friday, for Evelyn. Evelyns obituary urged mourners to wear joyful colors as a tribute to her light and love of color. The protests followed a Wednesday night candlelight vigil in Nashville where Republican lawmakers stood alongside first lady Jill Biden, Democratic lawmakers and musicians including Sheryl Crow. The speakers read the victims' names and offered condolences but refrained from political statements. Absent from the vigil was Tennessee's Republican governor, Bill Lee, who has avoided public appearances this week and has not proposed any steps his administration might take in response to the shooting. Lee has been an advocate for less restrictive gun laws along with greater school security. As with similar responses to gun violence, the states Republican leaders have avoided calling for tighter gun restrictions and instead have thrown their support behind bolstering school security. In a letter to Lee, Republican Lt. Gov. Randy McNally called for securing windows and glass in school buildings, adding magnetic locks on doors, modernizing camera systems, and increasing armed guards. McNally said later that he also is in favor of red flag laws like one in Florida. Meanwhile, Tennessees U.S. senators, Republicans Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, were pushing for legislation that would create a $900 million grant program to harden schools and hire safety officers. Police have said Hale drove up to the school on Monday morning, shot out the glass doors, entered and began firing indiscriminately. Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake has not said what investigators think the shooters motive was, only noting that the assailant didn't target specific victims and had some resentment for having to go to that school. Drake said the shooter had drawn a detailed map of the school, including potential entry points, and conducted surveillance before carrying out the attack. Police have said Hale was under a doctors care for an undisclosed emotional disorder. However, authorities haven't disclosed a link between that care and the shooting. Police also said Hale was not on their radar before the attack. Social media accounts and other sources indicate that the shooter identified as a man and might have recently begun using the first name Aiden. Police have said Hale was assigned female at birth but used masculine pronouns on a social media profile. However, police have continued to use female pronouns and the name Audrey to describe Hale. ___ Sainz reported from Memphis. Associated Press writer Kristin M. Hall in Nashville contributed. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON (AP) The Pentagon said Thursday that an additional six troops were injured in attacks last week in northeastern Syria that U.S. officials have blamed on Iranian-backed militants. Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon spokesman, said the six were in addition to the death of an American contractor and the wounding of six troops and another contractor in the two separate attacks. Ryder said four American service members at Hasakah and two at Green Village have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries and are being treated at their bases. Evaluations are continuing on personnel at the bases. He said at a news conference that the United States now assesses that eight militants, all associated with Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, were killed in the American counterstrikes by fighter jets. The initial strike by militants on March 23 by a small, suicide drone set off a series of retaliatory bombings. The top U.S. commander for the Middle East, Gen. Erik Kurilla, quickly warned that the U.S. was prepared to launch more attacks if needed. The drone attack was followed by two simultaneous strikes against U.S. forces late on March 24. The U.S. retaliated with strikes on two Guard locations. Then came a rocket attack by militant's on the Conoco gas plant where U.S. troops are stationed; one service member was wounded and is in stable condition. At about the same time, several drones were launched at Green Village, in Deir el-Zour province where U.S. troops are also based. All but one of the drones was shot down and there were no U.S. injuries there. Independent reports on the numbers of people killed and wounded in the U.S. strikes varied. The activist group Deir Ezzor 24, which covers news in the province, said four people were killed and a number of others were wounded. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said 11 Iranian-backed fighters were killed, including six at an arms depot in the Harabesh neighborhood in the city of Deir el-Zour and five at military posts near the towns of Mayadeen and Boukamal. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) Former President Jair Bolsonaro returned Thursday to Brazil after a three-month stint in Florida following his election loss, and the right-wing populist told supporters he doesnt think leftists will be in power in Brazil for long. Bolsonaro, who is the subject of several investigations that could stymie any attempts at a political comeback, arrived in a capital under tight security. Authorities sought to avoid any repeat of Jan. 8 events when supporters who didnt accept his defeat stormed government buildings. Police in Brasilia blocked the main artery to those buildings. Hundreds of supporters dressed in Brazil's national colors of yellow and green chanted for Bolsonaro as they awaited his arrival, but his return did not draw the huge crowds many of his allies had expected. That appeared to please his opponents; current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's minister of institutional relations, Alexandre Padilha, called the reception a flop. The former president said in his first speech after touching down that his leftist successor and his allies will not do whatever they want to the fate of our nation, and added that the left will only keep power for now, for a little while. Speaking in front of a banner that read today Brazil woke up stronger, Bolsonaro said he would spend as much time as necessary at the headquarters of his Liberal Party to help the campaign for next years municipal races when the country elects 5,500 mayors nationwide. Bolsonaro left Brazil just before the end of his presidential term. In so doing, he broke with tradition by declining to hand the presidential sash to his successor, Lula, who won the October election with the narrowest finish since Brazils return to democracy over three decades earlier. While in the U.S., Bolsonaro mostly kept a low profile, although he delivered several speeches to Brazilian expats and conservatives, including at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland. The Brazilian leader said his three months in Florida had helped give him a vision for the future. "Everything we saw there is what we want to implement here. The most important thing is liberty. For the first time in three decades, the lawmaker-turned-president does not hold elected office. I am coming here in the position of an elder, an experienced person who will be consulted by whomever wishes. I will give opinions, Bolsonaro said. Carlos Melo, a political scientist at Insper University in Sao Paulo, said Bolsonaro had to return to confront his many legal problems, and to fend off rivals who might claim his role as leader of the right. But the new political landscape will pose a challenge, Melo said. "It is hard for him to lead the opposition, because his career was as an outsider, Melo said. Now, he isn't an outsider and he isn't president. He will have to build a new path. The hundreds of Bolsonaro supporters who gathered at Brasilia International Airport early Thursday did not not get to see the far-right leader come out the main exit and instead gathered outside his Liberal Partys headquarters. The former president was welcomed at the airport by his son, Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro, and Liberal Party chairman Valdemar da Costa Neto. Bolsonaro was the best president weve ever had, I had never seen an administration like his, said Marinalva Wanderley, 71, who brought five members of her family from Sao Paulo to the Liberal Partys headquarters. I think he was in the U.S. with Donald Trump to see what is best for Brazil and the U.S. We will have a much bigger opposition (to Lula), thats for sure." Bolsonaros statements will make headlines and his loyal following will turn out for public appearances, but the immediate political impact for Lulas administration appears limited, Christopher Garman, managing director at political risk consultancy Eurasia Group, wrote in a report. I noticed he was more balanced today, lawmaker Sostenes Cavalcante, coordinator of Congress evangelical caucus and a Bolsonaro ally, said by phone. I believe he will stay quiet and let Lula make mistakes on his own. In next years municipal elections, Bolsonaro is expected to throw his support behind his Liberal Partys mayoral candidates who, if victorious, can then use their stature to stump for him or his chosen standard-bearer. The party will begin setting up trips across the country for Bolsonaro and his wife, Michelle, who is coordinating party outreach to female voters. His party understands that being away will do little to mitigate his legal woes and that he should be home to start playing the role of the leading opposition voice, Garman wrote. Bolsonaro is the subject of a series of investigations, including whether he incited the Jan. 8 uprising. Recent revelations by newspaper Estado de S.Paulo regarding three boxes of expensive jewelry allegedly brought to Bolsonaro from Saudi Arabia have exposed the former president to greater legal jeopardy. In addition to probes into the diamonds, there are about a dozen investigations by Brazils electoral courts into his actions during last years campaign, particularly related to his unsubstantiated claims that the electronic voting system is susceptible to fraud. If Bolsonaro is found guilty in any of those cases, he would lose his political rights and be unable to run for office in the next election. On Thursday, the former president denied any wrongdoing regarding the jewels. I didn't hide anything," he said. ___ Hughes reported from Rio de Janeiro and Bridi reported from Brasilia. AP journalist Mauricio Savarese contributed to this report from Sao Paulo. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON (AP) Following through on plans for robust oversight of the nation's capital, House Republicans on Wednesday accused Washington officials of losing control of local affairs, voting to overturn a police reform package passed by the D.C. Council amid nationwide protests about police brutality. Your position seems to have been Hands off our city and thats not going to fly with the Republicans on the House Oversight Committee, Rep. James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, told members of the D.C. Council. We want to work with you and youre going to have to work with us. The measure, approved by the panel along purely partisan lines, now goes to the full House. It's likely to pass the Republican-controlled House, but its prospects are less clear in the Senate. And White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that President Joe Biden would veto the bill, if necessary. While he does not support every provision in the policing bill," Biden wont support efforts to override it, she said. The president believes that building community trust is integral to fighting crime. The latest salvo against the district's home rule followed Congress' action earlier this yea r to nullify a rewrite of the local criminal code. Democrats defended the Councils right to govern as they see fit and Republicans maintained that the police reform law had demoralized the police force. D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson and Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen took the brunt of the criticism, with multiple Republican committee members saying the council's policies were soft on criminals and anti-police in the midst of a crime wave. D.C. clearly has a crime crisis, said Comer, R-Ky. Our nations capital has deteriorated and declined. D.C. officials have not carried out their responsibility to serve the citizens. Mendelson maintained that overall crime numbers were down. But he acknowledged that a spike in homicides and car jackings had fueled public anxiety over safety issues. People should feel safe, and it is a problem that many residents of the district dont, he said. The police reform measure was passed by the D.C. Council on an emergency basis in 2020 and made permanent last December. It bans the use of chokeholds by police officers, makes police disciplinary files more available to the public, weakens the bargaining power of the police union and limits the use of tear gas to disperse protestors. Under terms of Washingtons Home Rule authority, the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability essentially vets all new D.C. laws. It frequently alters or limits new laws through budget riders. Congress voted three weeks ago to overturn a comprehensive rewrite of Washington's criminal code. Biden signed the measure last week. Republicans at the time pledged vigorous oversight of the district. And Wednesday's hearing was just the start, as GOP members moved beyond the district's policing bill to raise a broad range of issues including school truancy, bike lanes and abortion. At the hearing, Mendelson defended the law saying it was not an attack on police but designed in part to make it easier to weed out bad officers without the blanket protection of the police union. It enhances our police chiefs ability to strengthen the force by firing officers who engage in egregious misconduct or commit serious offences, Mendelson said. Gregg Pemberton, head of the Washington police union, largely sided with congressional Republicans in saying that the law was part of an anti-police campaign by the council that had led hundreds of officers to resign. Pemberton accused the council of chasing headlines and jumping on the bandwagon of anti-police rhetoric. D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb watched the hearings and concluded that they didn't have much to do with the actual specifics of the police reform law. Unfortunately it's what I expected, Schwalb told The Associated Press. It's political theater ... They're just using the District of Columbia as a political pawn. Democratic committee members used the hearing to lobby for statehood for the district or to question oversight. Some said that if congressional Republicans were serious about violent crime, they would back serious gun-control legislation. I dont understand why were having this hearing, said Rep. Gerald Connolly, D-Va. I could go through a lot of states right now, especially on the red side, where I dont like their policies, I dont like their elected officials and Id like to have a hearing to second guess them and overturn their legislation. Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., said that even though the committee has the constitutional right to delve into district laws, it should leave the running of the city to its elected officials. I would encourage folks who are interested in running cities to go run for city council or run for mayor, said Garcia, a former mayor of Long Beach, California. Should we be having hearings on why Texas has the highest percentage of uninsured people? Should we be having hearings on why Louisiana and Mississippi have some of the lowest life expectancy? At times, some of the Republican critics seemed fuzzy on the specifics of the laws they were criticizing. Rep. Gary Palmer of Alabama asked why the district allows 25-year-old criminals to be tried as minors. A mystified Allen said it doesn't, so Palmer quickly shifted focus to the state of the district's schools, telling the two council members: You've got crappy schools. Your schools are not only dropout factories, they're inmate factories. Later, Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado asked Allen why public urination had been decriminalized. Allen said that it hadn't. Mendelson and others have expressed concern that the council will spend the next two years fending off aggressive intervention from an activist Republican-held House. Comer made it clear that Wednesday's hearing will be the first of many. The next D.C.-focused hearing was scheduled for May 19 with Mayor Muriel Bowser as the sole witness. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MEXICO CITY (AP) A Mexican court issued arrest orders Thursday for six people in relation to the fire that killed 39 migrants at a detention facility this week in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, according to the federal prosecutor leading the investigation. Sara Irene Herrerias said they include three officials from the National Immigration Institute, two private security guards contracted by the agency and the detained migrant accused of starting the fire. She said five of the six had already been arrested and would face charges of homicide and causing injuries. At least 39 migrants died after apparently starting a fire inside a holding cell at the facility Monday night. More than two dozen others were injured. Federal Public Safety Secretary Rosa Icela Rodriguez said 27 migrants remained hospitalized, all of them in either serious or critical condition. One other migrant had been discharged, she said. The migrant accused of starting the fire suffered only slight injuries and has already been released from the hospital, presumably into custody. Rodriguez also said the private security firm involved, which she identified as Grupo de Seguridad Privada CAMSA, had a federal contract to provide security at immigration facilities in 23 states. She said it would have its operating permit revoked and face a fine. Forty-eight federal agents would take over security duties at migrant facilities in the state of Chihuahua, where the fire occurred, Rodriguez said. A video from a security camera inside the Ciudad Juarez facility showed guards walking away when the fire started inside the cell holding migrants and not making any attempt to release them. It was not clear whether those guards had keys to the cell doors. On Wednesday, a complaint filed with federal investigators from the federal Attorney Generals Office accused the state's top immigration official of knowing about the fire but ordering that the migrants not be released. The complaint filed by lawyer Jorge Vazquez Campbell said retired Navy Rear Adm. Salvador Gonzalez Guerrero, the Chihuahua state delegate for the National Immigration Institute, gave the order by way of a phone call that under no circumstances should the migrants housed inside the place where the fire started be released. The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the allegations nor to a request to speak with Gonzalez. Campbell said he would not reveal his clients' identities for their protection, beyond saying they were connected to the case. Mexican authorities announced Wednesday that eight suspects who worked at the facility were under investigation, as well as the migrant accused of starting the fire. Herrerias said then that Gonzalez was not one of the eight officials called in to give statements about the incident. Herrerias, the prosecutor, said Thursday that their investigation would include the entire chain of command for the immigration facility to determine what actions or omissions could be punishable. Asked directly whether Gonzalez had been called in to give a statement, Rodriguez said that prosecutors would not say anything which could jeopardize the case, but that the investigation would go where it needed to. Campbell said his clients told him that one of the detained migrants asked a guard for a cigarette and a lighter and then five migrants who had been detained that day began to protest. The officials made fun of them, they got irritated, and two of them (migrants) set a mattress on fire, Campbell said. That was the moment, Campbell said, that immigration agents at the facility notified Gonzalez of the fire and he told them not to do anything and under no circumstances should they let them leave. Herrerias said Wednesday that prosecutors had not yet seen any evidence that such a call was made, but the investigation was continuing. Authorities in the region have known that foam mattresses in such facilities are easily set alight and can cause thick clouds of dangerous smoke, ever since a similar fire at a state-run home for troubled youths in Guatemala killed 41 girls in 2017. That is part of the investigation, the question of why those mattresses caught fire, Rodriguez said Thursday. We will look at why these mattresses ignited, when that shouldn't have happened. Rodriguez refused to answer questions about the cell being locked, the location of the keys and where the lighter came, saying those issues were all part of the investigation. Mexico's immigration detention centers have been plagued for years by accusations of corruption and bad conditions. The circumstances of the fire have angered families across the region who were still awaiting confirmation of whether their loved ones were dead or alive. Late Wednesday, hundreds of migrants walked across the border in Ciudad Juarez in protest and turned themselves over to U.S. authorities. Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Thursday that he had told the attorney general to not give anyone special consideration and that impunity would not be permitted. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW YORK (AP) In a highly sensitive U.S. visit, Taiwans president delivered the message Thursday that keeping her self-ruled island strong will help ensure the worlds safety even as her travel is carefully calibrated to try to contain what furious Chinese officials warn could be a strong response. Taiwan is billing President Tsai Ing-wens visit to New York as simply a transit," but she kept a full agenda of events Wednesday and Thursday before flying to Central America. Most provocatively in the eyes of Beijing, her trip is expected to include a meeting with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy next week. In a sign of the sensitivity of her visit, little about Tsais full itinerary has been made public, and her events Thursday were closed to the news media. The visit while important for Taiwan in demonstrating its overseas support is fraught for both Taiwan and the U.S. because China views Taiwan as its territory and treats any dealings between U.S. and Taiwanese officials as a challenge to its sovereignty. Even with the precautions, Tsais trip, including any meetings with U.S. lawmakers, raises tensions at a time when both China and the U.S. and its allies are boosting their military preparedness for a possible confrontation in the Indo-Pacific. Chinas often-stated determination to take Taiwan, by force if necessary, stands as one of the regions main flashpoints. Chinese officials are focusing, angrily, on the expected meeting next week between Tsai and McCarthy. It would be one of the highest-level in-person meetings between U.S. and Taiwanese officials on U.S. soil. Tsai emphasized Taiwan's perseverance in the face of daunting challenges in a closed-door speech Thursday night hosted by the Hudson Institute think tank, which awarded her its leadership award. She said the Taiwanese public remains unswerving in its commitment to democracy, and that Taiwan is the responsible, calm side in contrast to China, which is raising tensions in cross-strait relations, according to Taiwan's official Central News Agency. "She made a strong point that the defense of Taiwan is actually the defense of America, said Miles Yu, a Hudson Institute director who attended the speech. A few dozen pro-China demonstrators holding signs declaring One China and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China gathered behind police barricades outside the hotel where Tsai spoke. The United States longstanding one-China policy acknowledges that the Chinese claim Taiwan as their territory. However, the U.S. does not endorse that claim and remains Taiwan's most important provider of military hardware and other defense assistance. On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning restated Chinas serious objections to any interactions between Tsai and U.S. leaders. China firmly opposes any form of official interaction between the U.S. and Taiwan, Mao told reporters in Beijing. China will continue to closely follow the situation and resolutely safeguard our sovereignty and territorial integrity. A senior Chinese diplomat in Washington, embassy charge d'affaires Xu Xueyuan, pointed to the anticipated meeting between Tsai and the U.S. House speaker as one that would have significant repercussions overall and a serious, serious, serious impact on U.S.-China relations. Neither Taiwan nor McCarthy, a California Republican, has publicly confirmed any in-person get-together. Analysts have framed a session between the two outside Washington as possibly less provocative than a trip by McCarthy to Taiwan, which he has said he also intends to make Beijing responded to a visit by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi last August by launching missiles, deploying warships across the median line of the Taiwan Strait and simulating a blockade of the island. China also temporarily suspended dialogue with the U.S. on climate and other major issues and restricted military-to-military communication with the Pentagon. The United States broke off official ties with Taiwan in 1979, when it formally established diplomatic relations with China. U.S. law requires Washington to treat all threats to the island as matters of grave concern but does not explicitly say whether the U.S. would commit troops. Sen. Robert Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he hoped any U.S. officials meeting unofficially with the Taiwanese president emphasize that American support for Taiwan is "strong and unequivocal. Tsai has made six previous trips through the U.S. during her presidency, meeting with members of Congress and members of the Taiwanese diaspora. Administration officials are underscoring that her trip is in line with what she and her predecessors have done in the past. Tsai's "transit is consistent with our longstanding unofficial relationship with Taiwan and is consistent with the United States' one-China policy, which remains unchanged, White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters. The Peoples Republic of China should not use this transit as a pretext to step up any aggressive activity around the Taiwan Strait," Kirby said. The United States and China have differences when it comes to Taiwan. But we have managed those differences for more than 40 years. Tsai told reporters before boarding her plane to the United States that external pressure will not obstruct our resolution to engage with the world." Tsai was expected to meet with the American Institute in Taiwan chair, Laura Rosenberger. AIT is the U.S. government-run nonprofit that carries out unofficial relations with Taiwan. Tsai's stops in Central America are expected to shore up Taiwan's partnerships there, after Honduras this month switched its diplomatic relations from Taiwan to China. Tsai accused China of using dollar diplomacy to lure away Honduras. Worldwide, just 13 countries now officially recognize Taiwan. Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, the chairman of the House Select Committee on China, said the visit is a chance for Tsai to convey to the Congress how important the partnership between the U.S. and Taiwan is and whats necessary to preserve peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Tensions between Washington and Beijing have grown as China under President Xi Jinping seeks to expand its regional and global influence. Passage of what the U.S. said was a Chinese spy balloon across the U.S. this winter heightened Americans' sense of challenge from China. China says it was a research balloon that was blown off course. ___ Knickmeyer and Mascaro reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Huizhong Wu in Taipei, Taiwan, and Josh Boak and Aamer Madhani contributed to this report. LOS ANGELES (AP) Prosecutors charged seven California Highway Patrol officers and a nurse with involuntary manslaughter on Wednesday in connection with the 2020 death of a man who screamed I cant breathe while multiple officers restrained him as they tried to take a blood sample. Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon announced the charges in the death of Edward Bronstein, which the LA County coroner said was caused by acute methamphetamine intoxication during restraint by law enforcement. The officers had a legal duty to Mr. Bronstein, Gascon said during a news conference. He was in their custody. We believe that they failed their duty and their failure was criminally negligent, causing his death. Bronstein, 38, was taken into custody following a traffic stop on suspicion of driving under the influence on March 31, 2020. He died at a CHP station in Altadena, north of downtown Los Angeles, less than two months before George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis as he, too, repeatedly told officers, I cant breathe. Luis Carrillo, an attorney representing Bronstein's father, said in an email that his client is glad that the CHP officers were charged with crimes because the CHP officers took a human life and left a family in grief and sadness. A nearly 18-minute video showing the officers treatment of Bronstein was released last year following a judges order in an ongoing federal lawsuit that the man's family filed against the officers, alleging excessive force and a violation of civil rights. Family members have said Bronstein was terrified of needles and believe thats why he was reluctant to comply with the CHP initially as they tried to take a blood sample. The video, filmed by the sergeant, shows several officers forcing a handcuffed Bronstein to a mat on the floor as he shouts, Ill do it willingly! Ill do it willingly, I promise! He continues screaming as six officers hold him face-down the lawsuit alleges they put their knees on his back and pleads for help. Its too late, one officer replies. Stop yelling! another shouts. I cant breathe! and I cant! Bronstein cries, and an officer responds, Just relax and stop resisting! But Bronstein's voice gets softer and he then falls silent. While he is unresponsive, the nurse continues to draw blood and the officers keep pinning him down. After they realize he may not have a pulse and does not appear to be breathing, they slap his face and say, Edward, wake up. More than 11 minutes after his last screams, they begin CPR. Bronstein never regained consciousness and was later pronounced dead. In a statement, CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee extended condolences to the family and said the agency's mission is to prioritize all Californians' safety. I am saddened that Mr. Bronstein died while in our custody and care. Any death in custody is a tragedy that we take with upmost seriousness, Duryee said. I recognize this case will now move through the court system, and I respect the judicial process. The seven CHP agents, who were put on administrative leave Wednesday, were identified as Sgt. Michael Little and Officers Dionisio Fiorella, Dustin Osmanson, Darren Parsons, Diego Romero, Justin Silva and Marciel Terry. They face one count each of involuntary manslaughter and one felony count of assault under the color of authority. If convicted, they could get up to four years in prison. It was not immediately clear whether they had lawyers who could speak on their behalf, and the California Association of Highway Patrolmen, the union that represents rank-and-file CHP officers, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The registered nurse, Arbi Baghalian, was also charged with involuntary manslaughter. I believe it is outrageous and irresponsible for the DA to charge a Registered Nurse (who was present to take a legal blood draw) with involuntary manslaughter, said John Kelly, an attorney for Baghalians employer, Vital Medical, in a statement. "I am not aware of anyone who has opined that the nurses conduct in any way caused or contributed to this unfortunate death. An arraignment has not yet been scheduled. Bronstein's death prompted the CHP to change its policies to prevent officers from using techniques or transport methods that involve a substantial risk of positional asphyxia, the agency said. Additional training was also ordered for uniformed officers. In September 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law barring police from using certain face-down holds that have led to multiple unintended deaths. The bill was aimed at expanding on the states ban on chokeholds in the wake of Floyds murder. A Connecticut hitman convicted of helping to kill the son of a former New Jersey senator in a 2014 murder-for-hire plot was sentenced Wednesday to 16 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release, according to U.S. Attorneys Office. George Bratsenis, 74, of Monroe, and accomplice Bomani Africa, of Philadelphia, were previously convicted of the killing. Africa was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Feb. 23. In April 2014, political consultant Sean Caddle hired Bratsenis to kill Michael Galdieri, the son of late New Jersey Sen. James A. Galdieri and a longtime associate who had worked for Caddle on various political campaigns in exchange for thousands of dollars, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for New Jersey. Galdieri and Caddle were once friends, according to the Associated Press, and the motive for the killing remains unknown. Caddle was a well-known figure in Democratic politics in northern New Jersey at that time, the Associated Press reported. His past clients included Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez and former Democratic gubernatorial candidate and state Sen. Raymond Lesniak. Bratsenis enlisted Africa to help him carry out the plot, according to the U.S. attorneys office. The two, who have also been convicted of a series of Connecticut bank robberies, first met at a New Jersey state prison in the 2000s, the Associated Press reported. During the same period, Caddle's brother, James, was incarcerated at the prison. Bomani and Africa traveled to the victims Jersey City apartment on May 22, 2014, according to the U.S. attorneys office. They then stabbed the victim to death before setting his apartment on fire, the office said. The day after the killing, Caddle met Bratsenis in the parking lot of a diner in Elizabeth, N.J., to pay him for the killing, according to the U.S. attorneys office. Bratsenis shared some of the proceeds with Africa, the office said. Bratsenis, Caddle and Africa were all charged in connection with the plot, according to the U.S. attorneys office. Bratsenis pleaded guilty by video conference before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez on March 24, 2022. This defendant conspired in the ultimate crime murder for money, George M. Crouch Jr., special agent in charge of the FBI's Newark Field Office, said of Bratsenis in a statement at the time. Those who devalue life whether out of greed or animus need to know that the FBI is dedicated to keeping our citizens safe, and nothing will stop us from accomplishing that mission. When you break the law, you will be brought to justice no matter how long it takes. Bratsenis was sentenced to 192 months in prison by Judge Vazquez. This story includes reporting from the Associated Press. Ansonia Police Department/Contributed ANSONIA Narcotics and $100,000 in cash were recovered during a raid Wednesday, according to local police. Daqwon Graham, 28, of Ansonia, was charged with possession of narcotics, possession of narcotics with intent to sell, possession of narcotics within 200 feet of a school and possession of narcotics with intent to sell within 200 feet of a school, Lt. Patrick Lynch, public information officer for the Ansonia Police Department, said. Graham posted $150,000 bond and is scheduled to be arraigned at state Superior Court in Derby on April 12, Lynch said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SENECA FALLS, N.Y. (AP) A new group of National Women's Hall of Fame inductees includes social justice pioneers, groundbreaking physicians and women who have championed Jewish feminist theology and the financial well-being of Native Americans, the institute announced Wednesday. When I was a young girl, I wanted above all to be popular. By the time I was 35, I decided I would rather be useful than popular," inductee Peggy McIntosh, an activist known for her explorations of privilege, said by email after the honorees were announced. She and the other living inductees Kimberle Crenshaw, Judith Plaskow, Loretta Ross and Allucquere Rosanne Sandy Stone have helped drive issues of white privilege, systemic racism, reproductive justice, transgender studies and feminist theology into the public discourse. Three women will be inducted posthumously: Dr. Patricia Bath (1942-2019), an early pioneer of laser cataract surgery and the first Black woman physician to receive a medical patent; Dr. Anna Wessels Williams (1863-1954), who isolated a strain of diphtheria that helped in its treatment; and Elouise Pepion Cobell, known as Yellow Bird Woman (1945-2011), who started the first bank established by a tribe on a reservation in Browning, Montana. Located in Seneca Falls, New York, the site of the first Woman's Rights Convention in 1848, the National Women's Hall of Fame inducts a new class every other year to recognize women's contributions in fields like the arts, sports, education and government. In the five decades since its first Induction Ceremony in 1973, the Hall has continued to lift the voices and stories of exceptional women who changed the world, Jennifer Gabriel, executive director of the National Womens Hall of Fame, said in a news release. McIntosh, 88, has written widely about privilege, including in her 1989 essay, White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, in which she described an invisible package of unearned assets that white people, but not necessarily Black people, can count on in everyday life. I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed. ... I can be sure that my children will be given curricular materials that testify to the existence of their race, she wrote. Crenshaw, 63, helped develop the academic concept of critical race theory, the idea that racism is systemic in the nations institutions. The academic framework dates back to the 1970s, but the phrase has become a political flashpoint in recent years as parents and politicians debate how race and American history should be taught in public schools. Plaskow, 76, is regarded as the first Jewish feminist theologian for calling out an absence of female perspectives in Jewish history. We must render visible the presence, experience and deeds of women erased in our traditional sources, she wrote in her groundbreaking 1990 book, Standing Again at Sinai: Judaism from a Feminist Perspective. Ross, 69, founded the National Center for Human Rights Education in Atlanta. The Smith College professor and 2022 MacArthur Fellowship recipient has drawn on her experiences as a survivor of rape and nonconsensual sterilization to advocate for reproductive justice a theory she helped to create especially among women of color. Stone, a transgender woman born in 1936, is considered a founder of the academic discipline of transgender studies and is founding director of the Advanced Communication Technologies Lab at the University of Texas at Austin. She came to academics after a career as a sound engineer for Jimi Hendrix, the Grateful Dead and other musicians in the 1960s and 1970s. She is the station engineer for radio station KSQD in Santa Cruz. Inductees are nominated by the public and judged by a panel of experts across the nominees' fields, according to the National Womens Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony is scheduled for Sept. 30. This wonderful recognition by the National Womens Hall of Fame honors what the Hall sees as lasting usefulness, McIntosh wrote. I admire the values of the Hall in this years inductees. Each of us eight women tried to be of use, starting from where we were. STRATFORD A new Starbucks location is coming to Linden Avenue. The Stratford Zoning Commission voted unanimously to approve plans from the owners of 1220 Linden Avenue to build a 2,300-square-foot coffee shop at the site, which sits near an Interstate 95 exit ramp. But unlike the towns only other Starbucks location at a nearby shopping center on Barnum Avenue, the newly-approved coffee shop from the Seattle-based chain would feature a drive-thru to attract commuters. Nicholas Owen, the property owners representative, told the commission the 0.7-acre site was chosen in part due to its proximity near a busy and potentially lucrative intersection. This particular development is probably the highest and best use for this particular property, Owen said. It will not affect any of the residential neighborhoods in the area. The planned site is adjacent to a Cumberland Farms gas station and sits across the street from a Dunkin Donuts location, which does not feature a drive-thru. The property is also located next to Exit 32 for Interstate 95s southbound lanes. According to documents submitted to the town, a two-story office building will be demolished to make way for the coffee shop. The plans show the site will feature 24 parking spaces and a drive-thru that will encircle the property to accommodate up to 18 cars. In addition to the drive-thru, renderings and site plans show the single-story building will include a walk-up window for pedestrians and cyclists to pick up orders. The cafe will also feature indoor seating and could include an outdoor patio. The building proposed is a prototypical Starbucks building with storefront glass along the seating area, the developers wrote in an application that was originally submitted to the town. Representatives for the developers have said construction of the Starbucks store could be completed sometime later this year, but have not announced an exact opening date. A spokesperson for the chain did not return a request for comment. The applications approval comes as construction is still underway on a separate drive-thru Starbucks location in the towns north end. The store will be located on Main Street near the off ramp to Exit 53 of the Merritt Parkway. The 2,500-square-foot coffee shop, which is expected to open sometime this year, is being built as part of the first phase of a new 6-acre development dubbed Parkway Plaza. The owners of the site have said they plan to build a retail and office building, a restaurant and a hotel in future phases. richard.chumney@hearstmediact.com; Twitter @RichChumney. WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden surrounded by Greek-American politicians and community leaders marked Greek Independence Day at the White House on Wednesday. One of the featured guests included the actress Rita Wilson, who is of Greek descent and performed four songs at the reception in the East Room. The world owes a great deal of debt to Greece, including the revolutionary idea of a democracy," Biden told the audience. "It was revolutionary at the time, which continues to deliver for the people to this day. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Julio Cortez/AP Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Julio Cortez/AP Show More Show Less 3 of 3 WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will travel to Rolling Fork, Mississippi, on Friday to meet those impacted by last week's massive storm that ripped through more than a half-dozen towns, the White House announced Wednesday. The Bidens plan to visit with first responders, community members and state and local officials and survey recovery efforts. The White House said the president would reaffirm the administration's commitment to support the people of Mississippi for as long as it takes. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (AP) Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday encouraged Tanzanias fragile progress toward a more inclusive government, stepping onto the front lines of Americas push to strengthen democracy in Africa as part of her weeklong trip to the continent. Standing alongside Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzanias first female president, Harris cited recent decisions from Tanzania such as lifting a ban on opposition rallies and encouraging more press freedom as important and meaningful steps toward democratic reforms. Hassan has undone some of Tanzania's more oppressive policies even though she came to power as a member of the ruling party. You have been a champion in the sense of democratic reforms in this country, and in that way have expanded our partnership, Harris said. Hassan noted Tanzania's participation in a virtual summit on democracy hosted by the White House this week, saying it sends a clear message that the fathers of democracy recognize our efforts in building a democratic nation. The Tanzanian leader is finishing out the term of President John Magufuli, who earned a reputation for stamping out dissent, arresting critics and forcing them into exile, before he died in office. Hard-liners have been uncomfortable with some of Hassans changes, however, which could cost her in the next election two years from now. The meeting between Hassan and Harris, the first woman to be America's vice president, was a noteworthy show of support from the United States as it deepens its outreach to Africa. Harris announced $560 million in U.S. assistance for Tanzania, some of which will require congressional approval. The money is intended to expand the countries trade relationship, as well as encourage democratic governance. Hassan also pushed for the U.S. to make long duration visas available for Tanzanian citizens, something she said would improve ties between the countries. Issues with U.S. visas, from availability to processing delays, have generated frustration around Africa. Theres so much excitement here, and people are saying its like madam presidents efforts in changing the country are being rewarded with recognition from an economic and political superpower that is the U.S., said Tanzania-based analyst Mohamed Issa Hemed. America's push on democracy is a delicate issue here. Washington has backed African dictators when it believes doing so serves U.S. interests and that has led to accusations of hypocrisy. In addition, the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol raised questions over whether democracy remains secure even in the worlds most powerful country. When the U.S. promotes democracy, it risks a backlash from Africans who sense paternalism in the approach. Some African leaders also see the issue as a backdoor effort to meddle in their internal affairs and strengthen opposition politicians. They note that China asks no such questions about democracy when its looking to cut lucrative deals in Africa. Harris has emphasized the issue during her trip, particularly during her previous stop in Ghana, one of Africas most stable democracies. During a news conference with Ghana's Nana Akufo-Addo this week, Harris quoted the president's words in a recent speech that it is important we never forget that democracy is not a static achievement, but a promise that needs continuous nurturing. Harris agreed, saying there is a duality when it comes to democracies because they are an exhibition of strength and they are fragile. The time with Tanzania's Hassan provided Harris with another opportunity to highlight womens issues in Africa, something shes done repeatedly over the course of her trip. During her previous stop in Ghana, Harris met with female entrepreneurs and said women need leadership opportunities. The future, Harris said, should be a place where women are not just treated equally but are able to thrive. These conversations are very important, she said at the Mix Design Hub, a modern building that features a restaurant, an art gallery and a co-working space. Because the well-being of women will be a reflection of the well-being of all of society. Hassan described her meeting with Harris was another milestone and would be an inspiration and a testimony to Tanzanian young girls. After her meeting with Hassan, Harris visited a memorial to the U.S. Embassy bombing in Tanzania on Aug. 7, 1998 the day a simultaneous bombing took place in Kenya. At the memorial, called Hope Out of Sorrow, Harris shook hands with staff who were present during the attack in Dar es Salaam, as well as the U.S. ambassador to Tanzania from that time, Charles Stith. Harris paused in front of the memorial, where there was a wreath adorned with white flowers, to pay her respects. Thank you all for a continued life of service, Harris told embassy staff. The bombing in Tanzania killed 12 people and wounded 77. Harris arrived in Tanzania late Wednesday, and she will conclude her weeklong trip with a stop in Zambia, another country that is striving to strengthen its democracy. She plans to return to Washington on Sunday. Idayat Hassan, director of the Centre for Democracy and Development in Abuja, Nigeria, said Harris visit can help galvanize enthusiasm when there are concerns over backsliding into authoritarianism in Africa and around the world. Many people will want the U.S. to speak to the issue of democracy, which they feel is beginning to decline and is not what it used to be, she said. There are more that need to be assured that democracy is here to stay. Like Tanzania, Zambia has made uneven steps toward democracy since its independence. But there has been a burst of hope after the country elected Hakainde Hichilema, a former opposition leader who once faced charges of treason. Zambia has since decriminalized defamation of the president, a law that was used to stifle opposition. Its also serving as a co-host of President Joe Bidens democracy summit. Hichilema warned this week that economic progress is necessary to sustain open societies. You cant eat democracy, he wrote in The Washington Post. Human rights may sustain the spirit but not the body. ___ Musambi reported from Nairobi, Kenya. Associated Press writer Seung Min Kim in Washington contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Idaho lawmakers are considering making it illegal for an adult to help a minor procure an abortion without parental consent. The measure would create a new crime of abortion trafficking, barring adults from obtaining abortion pills for a minor and recruiting, harboring, or transporting the pregnant minor. To sidestep violating a constitutional right to travel between states, the state law would make illegal only the portion of a trip to an out-of-state abortion provider that takes place in Idaho. People convicted of breaking the law would face two to five years in prison. The law would be the first of its kind in the U.S., where Republican-controlled states have been ramping up abortion bans and restrictions since the U.S. Supreme Court ended a nationwide right to access last year. Idaho is one of 13 states that already effectively ban abortion in all stages of pregnancy. Its also one of a handful that already have laws that could penalize those who help people of any age obtain abortions. One of the GOP sponsors, Rep. Kevin Andrus, told The Associated Press that the focus of the bill is parental rights. We want to make sure that parents have a say in the life choices of their children, he said. It will do a lot to save lives. Organizations across the country that advocate for the right to abortion portray it as an unneeded effort to make legal abortion even harder to access. Andrea Miller, president of the National Institute for Reproductive Health, said the ban would create a chilling effect if it's adopted. That would mean people who might otherwise be really important supports would ask, Can I be the supportive auntie or sister or friend in a situation where I want to be a support to this person?' Miller said. The measure has been passed already by the state House and is now up for consideration in the state Senate. If it passes in the GOP-controlled chamber, it would still need the approval of the governor, Republican Brad Little, to become law. Mack Smith, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, said the bill will likely become law but that the dispute over it wont end there. If its passed, she said, there will absolutely be a legal battle. A relatively small number of the abortions in the U.S. are obtained by minors. Among the 47 states that reported 2019 abortion data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fewer than 9% people who received abortions were 15 to 19 years old. Idaho had a higher proportion than most states; about 1 in 8 people to obtain abortions there were 15 to 19. Advocates for access say most teens who have abortions involve their parents in the decision and that those who do not often have a good reason, such as an abusive relationship. Andrus, the sponsor, said he does not know how often Idaho minors have had abortions without their parents' consent. I just know that it has happened, he said. Kelsey Pritchard, spokesperson for the national anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, expects other states to consider following Idaho's approach, which she says is important to ensure that its protections for parents rights to be involved in abortion decisions arent flouted. That kind of proposal is definitely something that states should be looking at, she said. Idahos kind of thinking ahead here. SAN DIEGO (AP) The Associated Press has withdrawn its story about sexual assault allegations against the chair of San Diego Countys board of supervisors because it names the woman making the accusation. It is APs policy to generally not name alleged victims of sexual assault. AP will publish a corrected version of the story. WASHINGTON (AP) Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley tried to force a Senate vote Wednesday on legislation that would ban TikTok from operating in the United States, but he was blocked by a fellow Republican as lawmakers in both chambers are still trying to figure out what action, if any, is appropriate against the social media app. In trying to force a vote a move that rarely works in the Senate, since one senators objection can block it Hawley called TikTok digital fentanyl and argued it could give the Chinese government access to data from 150 million American users. His bill would block and prohibit U.S. transactions with TikToks parent company, Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd., within 30 days. The bill sends the message to Communist China that you cannot buy us, Hawley said. Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky objected to Hawleys motion, arguing that trying to ban an app would violate the Constitution and anger the millions of voters who use it. Speech is protected whether you like it or not, Paul said. Hawleys effort to bring attention to the issue comes a week after a combative House hearing in which lawmakers from both parties grilled TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew over his company's ties to Chinas communist government, data security and harmful content on the app. Chew attempted to assure lawmakers that the hugely popular video-sharing app prioritizes user safety and should not be banned due to its Chinese connections. But the tense standoff gave new momentum to Hawley and other lawmakers who say it should be banned or limited. The Missouri senator said Congress should act decisively to ban TikTok directly. Other lawmakers have considered broader approaches, though there is no widespread consensus on any piece of legislation. There is broad Senate support for bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., and South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Senate Republican, that does not specifically call out TikTok but would give the Commerce Department power to review and potentially restrict foreign threats to technology platforms. The White House has backed that bill, but it is unclear if it will be brought up in the Senate or if it could gather much support among House Republicans. Another bill sponsored by Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida would, like Hawleys bill, ban U.S. economic transactions with TikTok, but would also create a new framework for the executive branch to block any foreign apps deemed hostile. His bill is cosponsored by Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., and Mike Gallagher, R-Wis. Those pushing new legislation point to agreement on a bill passed in December that banned TikTok from most government devices. But despite the bipartisan desires, the varying proposals underscore how difficult it could be to find agreement on an unprecedented effort to ban or scale back an app that is used by millions of Americans. Paul said trying to ban an app like TikTok is a slippery slope. Hes had videos censored by YouTube, he said, but he still believes the company has a right to exist. I despise these people, but Im not going to vote to ban them, he said. We dont ban things that are unpopular in the United States. One of the great ironies of life in Great Britain is that while hundreds of thousands risk their lives to live here, hundreds and thousands of Brits are not welcomed abroad. And the great UK unwanted don't even want to live abroad or enter countries illegally; they just wish to visit briefly, splash hard-earned cash on the local economy before returning home happy; complete with a tan and a set of nibbles dishes from an overpriced pottery. Yet still we find ourselves superfluous to needs. British holidaymakers were recently offended by comments from the president of Lanzarote, Maria Dolores Corujo, who suggested the island wanted to attract 'higher-quality' tourists and rely less on boorish Brits. What? Excuse moi? Are the German and the Swedes really so much superior when it comes to holiday etiquette? Just because Brits fill their pockets with boiled eggs and bread rolls from the breakfast buffet and/or are drunk on giant goblets of gin by 4pm? If that were a sin, you could put half of Europe in tourist jail. I mean, come on Maria, at least our tattoos are spelt rite. And now Amsterdam's new campaign - succinctly dubbed 'Stay Away' - wants to actively deter British tourists from taking a dip in the warm cultural bath of the Netherlands. I don't think they mean Gladys and Tom from Cheam who want to look at the tulips and enjoy the glories of the Dutch masterpieces in the Rijksmuseum. Or the school party from Edinburgh who have booked an afternoon at the Anne Frank Museum. Lucia Escribano, director of tourism for Mallorca, recently announced that the Balearic island is 'not interested in having budget tourists from the UK' any more Amsterdam's new campaign - succinctly dubbed 'Stay Away' - wants to actively deter British tourists from taking a dip in the warm cultural bath of the Netherlands They mean the free-spending yobs and yobettes on the stag party and hen-do circuit, the demi-ruffians on jollies who frequent the red light districts, sex shops, drugs cafes and bars of Amsterdam, primarily because of decades-long government-sponsored advertising campaigns which have encouraged them to do exactly that. Now this welcome has worn as thin as a Newcastle bride's thong, as the shutters are being slammed down. Be fair - can you blame them? If we are being honest here, we should admit that when travelling abroad most British holidaymakers will do absolutely everything in their power to avoid other British holidaymakers - even the nice ones. And the horrible ones are utterly without redemption or saving graces. They are a disgrace. Like the 19 British tourists who were fined for jogging naked through the streets of Calvia on Mallorca in 2017. Or the British woman who complained in 2018 that her holiday in Benidorm was ruined because her hotel had 'too many Spaniards'. All together now, cringe. Lucia Escribano, director of tourism for Mallorca, recently announced that the Balearic island is 'not interested in having budget tourists from the UK' any more. After taking our money for decades, Mallorca now wants to shake off its reputation as a cheap drink destination by limiting the number of UK tourists. Oh come off it. Nicole Kidman recently made a film there - perhaps this giddy brush with Hollywood has gone to their heads. Certainly the party town of Magaluf is notorious for bad Brit behaviour, and there is no excusing that. Yet S'Arenal, the German equivalent, never gets mentioned in despatches and, if anything, is even worse. The rest of the island is posh and expensive and soaked with high-spending Brits. I mean, Andrew Lloyd Webber has a holiday home there, how much more middle-class can it get? So many of these resorts and tourist areas set themselves up as budget destinations then blame the British when they get matching budget customers. Not all of whom, it goes without saying, behave badly. If holiday bosses want to upgrade their reputations, then they must first upgrade their facilities instead of condemning their customers. They mean the free-spending yobs and yobettes on the stag party and hen-do circuit, the demi-ruffians on jollies who frequent the red light districts, sex shops, drugs cafes and bars of Amsterdam British holidaymakers were recently offended by comments from the president of Lanzarote, Maria Dolores Corujo, who suggested the island wanted to attract 'higher-quality' tourists and rely less on boorish Brits However, this attitude is rather shocking in a post-pandemic world still reeling from Covid. One might have fondly imagined that businesses and governments across Europe would welcome the return of all tourists, even the British ones. Instead of cherry picking the best-behaved big spenders from the wealthier neighbourhoods of Munich and Stockholm - and barring little old us, boo hoo. Maybe they have got a point. The Brits are terribly good at being awfully bad; there is an unfortunate hooligan element in the national psyche that does us no favours. But being barred by the likes of Amsterdam and Lanzarote isn't going to help anything. In fact, it brings out the inner hooligan in me. I quite fancy smoking a lot of legal drugs and doing a cakewalk down the red light district while singing Rule Britannia before being sick in a bin, which is apparently all the rage. Meanwhile, I've never been to Lanzarote and certainly I'm not going now. They can stick their pompano and extinct volcanos where the sun don't shine, which unfortunately is not on their gorgeous beaches which enjoy warm weather all year round, dammit. Camilla overdid the diamonds A tiara the size of a brick, lobe-stretching earrings and a killer necklace quite possibly visible from Mars? Send me to the Tower if you like, but I do think Camilla rather overdid the diamonds in Berlin. At a state banquet held in Schloss Bellevue, The Queen Consort clanked into view under her favourite Greville Tiara, which she teamed with a diamond fringe necklace worn by Queen Elizabeth and a pair of earrings worn by Dorian from Birds Of A Feather. Her busy-busy Bruce Oldfield dress featured embroidered silver leaves and a full skirt, while she had medals pinned on her chest and hip. Good grief. The combined effect made dear old Camilla look like a diamond dalek who'd just been awarded the Grand Order of Liberace from the King of Bling in a circus ring. As Coco Chanel might have advised royal ladies: before you leave your palace, look in the mirror and take at least one dozen things off. And we all know it is better to be Coco Chanel than Coco Clown. Exterminate, exterminate. Camilla looked like a diamond dalek who'd just been awarded the Grand Order of Liberace from the King of Bling in a circus ring at a state banquet in Schloss Bellevue Brooklyn's dish in the doghouse Everyone is laughing at Brooklyn Beckham's latest cooking fiasco; the dolt was wearing a puppy in a sling while making a pot of vegan ragu, which inexplicably had a wine cork bobbing in its gluey depths. Perhaps Brooklyn thought he was making cork au vin? Perhaps he misunderstood when someone told him everything he cooked was a dog's dinner. Or perhaps he was trying to get his head around the eternal conundrum of global cuisine; if Italian food is made by Italians and Indian food is made by Indians, who the heck makes dog food? Doh. If Brooklyn's bacon sandwiches and cack-handed adventures in the world of food were a spoof, it would be hilarious. Sadly, he seems deadly serious. So glad to be grey! Andie MacDowell (pictured left) is embracing her grey yet again and Dame Helen Mirren (pictured right) recently admitted that she grew out her hair during lockdown and decided she, too, 'couldn't be bothered' Actress Andie MacDowell is embracing her grey - yet again! Andie embraces her grey more often than a nesting river vole embraces her young, but I understand the impetus. The 64-year-old actress says she is 'tired of trying to be young' - and let's be honest, it is exhausting. Andie was photographed in Paris shooting a L'Oreal ad with Dame Helen Mirren. Helen (77) recently admitted that she grew out her hair during lockdown and decided she, too, 'couldn't be bothered'. So she stopped having it cut, despite the fact that older women are not 'supposed' to have longer hair. Says who? Andie's glorious grey curls are an inspiration to everyone - but come on, is Helen's unlikely new hair enriched with extensions? In the mane of God, we need to know. Some barristers say they will not prosecute peaceful oil protesters. That's their choice, but I thought barristers were hired to pursue justice, not indulge their personal prejudices. And while these protesters might indeed be peaceful, they are still disrupters who prevent people from going about their lawful business. To stop them or pander to them? I know which side I am on. Pass the sick bag, Morag - Heinz has launched a hot cross bun flavoured mayonnaise. Made from mayo, actual bits of toasted hot cross buns, fruit and sweet cinnamon, what are you supposed to do with it? Throw it on your burger before throwing it in the bin? Heinz has launched a hot cross bun flavoured mayonnaise To make things even worse, Marks & Spencer has relaunched hot cross buns as a savoury snack. What!!? Its sandwich edition Hot Cross Bun BLT features maple cured bacon, semi-dried tomatoes, lettuce and 'smoky' mayonnaise encased in an Extremely Cheesy Hot Cross Bun. One word - why? The only acceptable way to eat a hot cross bun is lightly toasted with unsalted butter and a cup of tea. Jam of your choice if you must. This is the hill and the cross I will die on. Back in 1990, just three months after the tyrant Nicolae Ceausescu was deposed and killed in Romania, I was on assignment in that poor country, meeting people and finding out what it had been like to live under the iron heel of communism. Yesterday, reading the shocking new report about schools excluding parents from information about their own children who want to change gender, I was reminded of what I learnt about chilling, authoritarian control over childrens minds. An unlikely comparison? Not so. Because when ideologues want to retain control, they know one way to achieve that aim is by brainwashing the young. In Romanian classes, children had to sing: Comrade Nicolae Ceausescu is the father of all children, and the children love him because he is their parent. The chant was repeated day after day. Across the communist bloc, children were encouraged to snitch on family members for having the wrong books at home or making the wrong sort of joke. The ideology holds that even very young children can identify as the opposite sex and must be affirmed by their teachers, with no question It was drummed into them that the State was more important than the family. And their parents could do nothing about it. Today, in the UK, hundreds of schools are actively colluding in an ideology which insists that a young child should be supported in the unscientific idea that he or she was born in the wrong body and can choose a new name without the parents being told. That one aspect, appalling as it is, is just the tip of the iceberg. The incisive report by the think tank Policy Exchange, splashed on the front page of yesterdays Mail, is called Asleep At The Wheel. With good reason. It is indeed as if our whole society has been dozing while a bizarre dogma has been allowed to infiltrate our major institutions, charities and the educational sector. The ideology holds that even very young children can identify as the opposite sex and must be affirmed by their teachers, with no question. The detailed report is enough to make any concerned parent (or grandparent, in my case) contact local schools and demand to know exactly what is being taught under the banner of Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE). But good luck with that because the prevalent culture of secrecy essentially tells parents to mind their own business. You could turn up at a parents evening to find your son Peter is called Petra by his teacher. Or discover, through your daughters tears, how mortified and afraid she is because her school has (with no consultation) done away with single-sex changing rooms. Today, in the UK, hundreds of schools are actively colluding in an ideology which insists that a young child should be supported in the unscientific idea that he or she was born in the wrong body Only 39 out of 154 schools that replied to the researchers said they would inform parents as soon as a pupil expressed a wish to change gender. Some 87 said they would not. A further 150 schools did not even deign to reply. I asked the mother of an 11-year-old girl how her daughter would feel about dressing for gym next to boys. The response was clear: Shed be totally horrified and so would I. Yet, bowing to transgender ideology, one school in five has instituted shared changing rooms for boys and girls and 60 per cent have stopped single-sex sports. One school in Liverpool allows girls who identify as boys to bind their breasts for games, all without a word of warning to the mothers of those children. The disturbing reality is that schools which have accepted guidance from militant trans rights groups are placing their radical and vociferously contested beliefs above childrens welfare. Policy Exchanges impressive investigation runs to 80 pages (download it free at policy exchange.org.uk). Written by research fellow Lottie Moore, it is endorsed by five senior political figures and introduced by Labours admirable Rosie Duffield yes, she who in January this year was rudely heckled and sneered at by her own colleagues on the Opposition benches for speaking up for womens rights in a debate on Scotlands Gender Reform Act. Ms Duffield warns that there has been a systemic failure in the school system, caused by an ill-considered embrace of gender ideology . . . We must end this reckless experiment now. But why was the reckless experiment allowed in the first place? One explanation lies within the title of commentator Douglas Murrays excellent book The Madness Of Crowds. Published four years ago, this brilliant polemic sets out chapter and verse on how the so-called culture wars have become a contagion spreading throughout society. As a feminist, I would even call it a pandemic. How else can we account for the fact that (according to a YouGov poll) 85 per cent of secondary teachers have noticed an astonishing rise in the number of pupils (most of them girls) claiming to be trans? Bowing to transgender ideology, one school in five has instituted shared changing rooms for boys and girls A study commissioned by NHS England found that ten years ago there were just under 250 referrals, mostly boys, to the Gender Identity Development Service (Gids), run by the now discredited Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust in London. But last year there were more than 5,000 twice the number in the previous year. Overall, the UK has witnessed a 700 per cent rise in just five years. Madness indeed. And the largest group, about two-thirds, consisted of birth-registered females first presenting in adolescence with gender-related distress. Perhaps some of them really will turn out to have chronic gender dysphoria and live the rest of their lives as the opposite sex. But in many cases, surely, these young people anxious, bullied, with problems in their private lives, worried about their bodies and fascinated by trends on social media have latched on to the buzzword trans as a way of giving themselves status. There is no doubt whatsoever that many children claiming to be trans have mental health issues. Just consider the fact that during the extended isolation of Covid, when social media became childrens main company, Google searches for top surgery double mastectomies soared. Such young people need to be helped and protected by their schools, not affirmed unquestioningly as they embark on life-changing decisions. Soaring rates of transgenderism in schoolchildren surely hinge on the fact that a phenomenon that was once niche and rare has become fashionable. But in many cases, surely, these young people anxious, bullied, with problems in their private lives have latched on to the buzzword trans Boys and girls who are growing and changing can now focus on a condition that brings them the attention they crave from friends and teachers alike. Clusters of pupils egg each other on while too many teachers are afraid to challenge the prevailing orthodoxy. Instead, they see their job as to validate what the kids say and keep it from parents. Much has been made of the need for guidance on this issue for schools, since parents have been complaining since 2019. At the moment, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan exhibits the urgency of a sloth. Head teachers deserve proper guidance. The terror of transphobia is just as deeply embedded in our schools and institutions as the fear of being labelled racist which kept the authorities silent while working-class girls were abused by gangs of Pakistani-heritage men in Rochdale and elsewhere. Make no mistake, these two aspects of the culture wars are inflicting great damage on us all. The zealots are taking over hearts and minds. What is happening in our schools should outrage every parent and I hope thousands will make it their business to protest. Meanwhile, those who are not parents have a moral duty to ask how long we should stand by and allow the brainwashing of a generation. Editorial feature by 101 EasyWays We're more aware than ever of the impact our throwaway culture has on the planet, and the cost of living crisis provides yet another reason to do things differently. Charity shop fans will know there's nothing more satisfying than digging out a second-hand bargain, particularly when it's something you couldn't buy new. But hold up! Before you plunge into the wonderful world of second-hand shopping it's best to take on board a few tips. Firstly - know what you want. If you're shopping for clothes, make a note of your size and some brands you like. Women shopping and looking for a bargain. While there's nothing wrong with whiling away the hours browsing, going in prepared will help you stay focused and avoid making impulse purchases. This approach is particularly handy if you're shopping online, with most public auction sites giving the option to apply filters when you search. You can also choose to get an alert when certain items come on sale - stopping you from having to look for hours to find what you want. Like any form of shopping, the secret to sniffing out the cheapest prices for second hand goods is to find items that aren't in big demand. Alongside choosing things that are out of season (winter coats in spring for example), you should also seek out items from more obscure sources. Not many people know that UK police forces regularly sell goods they've seized from criminals in public auctions, making bargains more likely. Most forces set up pages on popular auction sites, meaning these sales are relatively easy to find. Meanwhile, the boom in returns prompted by online shopping has led to many retailers selling items they're unable to resell via job lot auctions. Again, these are easy to track down with a little bit of Internet digging. A woman who dropped out of university and once referred to working as 'slavery' has admitted to Ben Fogle that she used to be 'naive,' and now wants to go back to school to train as an electrician. Annalisa, 28, from Turin, started travelling the world at 19 and make a buck by busking before settling in Sweden, where she raised her son Nico, and met with Ben Fogle for New Lives in the Wild in 2019. At the time, the mother-of-one, who lived on the street before she came to Sweden, relied on foraging and dumpster diving for food, and had no intention of going back to her native Italy or pursuing a career. However, three years on, Annalisa admitted her perspective on the world has become 'broader.' as she welcomed Ben back to Sweden for Return to the Wild, which aired on Channel 5. Viewers were delighted to find out that the mother-of-one, who is now in a relationship with a man named Odin, said she wants to train as an electrician. Annalisa, 28, from Turin, dropped out of university aged 19 before settling in Sweden with her son Nico. In 2019, she welcomed Ben Fogle to her home for New Lives in the Wild. Ben has revisited Annalisa, who now lives with her partner Odin, left, for Return to the Wild, airing tonight at 9pm on Channel 5 As they caught up, Annalisa explained to Ben that she still relies on foraged foods and has taught her son the same skills. The mother-of-one has kept herself busy with projects around her house, including building a treehouse for her son using timber from the surrounding woodland. She connected a nearby well to her house to get running water, and now has electricity in the house. She had also linked up a bike to an old washing machine, creating a mechanism that allows the machine to be powered by her pedalling. The biggest change, however, is that she's no longer single, revealing to Ben she is now with a man called Odin, who she met six months after the presenter's last visit. On the premiere of New Lives in the Wild's tenth season, Ben travelled to Sweden to meet with Annalisa (right), a single mother-of-own who left comfort behind for a life of busing, dumpster diving and hard work Three years on from when she appeared on the show, Annalisa admitted she felt she was on a 'sinking ship' when Ben first visited Ben posing with a treehouse Annalisa built for her son Nico, now five, using timber from the surrounding woodland The pair still rely on dumpster diving for necessities, with Odin joking that's one of the first activities they did together. Annalisa admitted to Ben that having Odin around has helped her a lot. 'I don't think it would have been so smooth to do all that we have done here if I had kept being alone,' she said. 'It's much nicer to share a dream than going like a train, doing your dream by yourself, so I am super happy. In 2019, Annalisa was full of disdain for the Italian educational system, after dropping out of age 19 in spite of being a straight A student. But now, the mother-of-one told Ben she had plans to go back to school to train as an electrician. Annalisa said she feels at peace and happy in her new life and was grateful for Odin's help around her plot of land The presenter heard how Annalisa's perspective on life has become 'broader' since his last visit She said she wanted to train in how to install off-grid solar systems for people living remotely. 'That's not so common and then you can travel all over the world, go to countries maybe not as rich as Sweden,' she told Ben. The presenter said he was amazed to see that Annalisa is 'constantly changing and evolving.' Asked who would look after her son when she is at school, Annalisa revealed that Nico attended kindergarten. 'Right now he's going to kindergarten, three to four days a week, for four hours,' she said. 'I don't necessarily believe that the education system is the best thing, so if I find a nice school with the right calling to me, the kind of education I'd want him to have, than he should go to school, but we'll see,' she told Ben. In 2019, aged 24, Annalisa had told Ben she did not want to work, calling it 'slavery.' The mother-of-one admitted she has reflected on her world view, saying: 'I'm almost 30 now. I think I was a bit more naive back then, but it was also like, I was still in the chase of trying to survive here with the baby. 'Now that the child is older, I've had the opportunity to do more than keep pieces together, so I think my vision of what needs to be done or what I want to do in my life is broader than what it was before,' she added. Ben said he was glad to see how Annalisa had kept changing and evolving since their first meeting Annalisa, who dropped out of university age 19, in spite of being a straight A student, admitted that she is open to let her son Nico go to school if she finds one she can align herself with While she is still frugal with her resources, Annalisa and Odin have lots of plans for their plot of land, including building a bike shed, a solar power system for their barn, a pizza oven and a hot tub. 'We have no rush but I'm sure we are going to make all of it, we add new things all the time anyway, it will never end,' Odin said. When Ben asked the couple how they would get the money to finance these projects, Annalisa admitted that she and Odin do seasonal jobs to get by. 'We have jobs, we work, not too much, but a little bit,' Annalisa said. 'Both of us have been personal assistants, helping people with disabilities or terminal diseases, right now I'm working sometimes in a library, and he works at the harbour.' Annalisa told Ben: 'When we met before, it was so much going on. I was really trying to put my hands on all the holes of a boat that was sinking, I was doing it with happiness, but it was a bit of an emergency situation,' she admitted. 'Now it feels like the boat is not sinking anymore. We can think "We're going to go sailing". I'm more peaceful, there is no urgency at the moment.' 'Annalisa she's incredibly intelligent,' Ben said. 'I hear her sing, just as I did last time, I get quite emotional, because there is a vulnerability to her, but she's more capable than I am. She's better at electrics, she's better at building, she's better at DIY. 'She kind of makes all this look effortless, while being a mum and look at what she's been able to achieve, since I was last here, Viewers were delighted to see how well Annalisa had fared since Ben's last visit, with some saying she made the right choices Viewers were delighted to see how Annalisa's life had turned out since Ben's last visit. 'She has evolved and adapted this is ever-changing canvas and she is now sharing that, not with just her son Nico, but with Odin, and that makes me so happy.' Ben added that he was glad that the mother-of-one had met her match in Odin. 'It feels like she's putting down roots and I can only see this getting better, and better and better and more enjoyable as the years get along,' the presenter said. 'Beautiful to see the peaceful, thrifty & contented life that Annalisa has built for herself & her family in Sweden now,' one said. 'Annalisa is doing so well, raising an intelligent, well balanced little boy Nico. How many languages can that little boy speak? Wishing her all the luck in the world for the future. She definitely made the right choices in life,' another wrote. Ben Fogle: Return to The Wild is available on My5. BrewDog CEO James Watt has claimed he came close to landing a spot on the Dragon's Den panel - but was rejected for a second time after failing to win investment in 2008. James Watt and Martin Dickie, both 40, launched their craft beer company in 2007 in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire in a remote shed on an industrial estate with just a dog to accompany them - hence the name BrewDog. A year later after setting up the business, the duo applied to BBC show Dragons' Den, offering the celebrity investors a 20 per cent stake in return for a 100,000 investment but were brutally rejected. In a recent LinkedIn post James claimed that a couple of years ago The Dragons Den producers were looking for new Dragons and he said he found himself on 'the final shortlist.' He claimed he had 'screen-tested' alongside Deborah Meaden, adding: 'Once more I fell short at the final hurdle, narrowly missing out on fulfilling one of my lifelong ambitions and becoming a Dragon.' BrewDog CEO James Watt has claimed he came close to landing a spot on the Dragon's Den panel - but was rejected for a second time after failing to win investment in 2008 Sharing the post, he wrote: 'Some of you may be familiar with the ill-fated story of BrewDog and Dragons Den. 'In 2008 we applied to Dragon's Den and got as far as the final screen test and we pitched our hearts out before the producers rejected us. 'They deemed Martin & myself not investment worthy. We were totally crushed.' He continued: 'We were prepared to offer the Dragons 20 per cent of our business for 100,000. Based on our latest BrewDog valuation, that investment would now be worth over 300m meaning the Dragon's missed out on by far the best deal in Den history. 'We always look to find opportunity in adversity so spurred on by the rejection we came up with a brand-new plan to grow our business and involve our fans as investors. 'In 2009 we launched Equity For Punks as we pioneered a whole new generation of business model and built a global community of over 220,000 amazing investors. 'Our Dragons Den rejection turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to us.' However he also revealed: 'Our Dragons Den story does not end quite there. A couple of years ago The Dragons Den producers were looking for new Dragons and I found myself on the final shortlist. 'Once more I made it to a final screentest as I sat alongside Deborah Meadon as we assessed whether we would invest in a prospective business.' He continued: 'However, just as in 2008, I decided to use the rejection as a catalyst to try and create something better. 'Just as the 2008 rejection helped us a whole new business model, I have used the most recent rejection to come up with a brand-new concept when it comes to raising start-up finance.' Cheers to that! James has revealed how he once again plans to use rejection to spur him on and extend his business ever further James shared a heartfelt message on his LinkedIn page as he assured his followers to use rejection to spur them on to bigger and better opportunities James and Martin were just 24 when they started the company, which was valued at 1.6 billion this year, according to Forbes. And aside from brewing, they also run their own streaming service, The BrewDog Network - which features cooking series and travel guides. The post already has over 12,000 likes and comments from people rushing to congratulate the pair and their future. One person wrote underneath: It just goes to show how fickle TV really is Awesome to learn that the rejection received by Brewdog energised them to do greater things so perhaps the program worked well after all. I cant wait to see the next exciting chapter in your journey James. Rejection is the innovator of change!, enthused another LinkedIn member. While a third person penned: Incredible can't wait to hear more! Wow - how to turn lemons into lemonade fair play to you James, applauded someone else. His followers flooded the post with positive messages all saying they were excited to see what happened next with James and BrewDog James has been at the centre of a string of misconduct accusations in recent years after being accused of inappropriate behaviour towards women at work. More than 15 ex-staff previously spoke out against Mr Watt with some claiming he made female bartenders feel 'uncomfortable' and 'powerless'. They were even advised by colleagues on how to avoid unwelcome attention from Mr Watt, 38, according to an investigation by BBC Scotland's Disclosure programme. Katelynn Ising, who worked at a BrewDog bar in Ohio, US, said female staff would dress down when they knew Mr Watt would be in their bars. She said: 'We would make a point to warn new girls... like, 'Hey, just so you know, James Watt's coming to town. Just kind of, like, leave after your shift, don't really hang around [and] don't always do your hair and make-up that day, like don't catch his attention'.' Other former staff claim Mr Watt was witnessed by staff kissing an intoxicated customer on a roof terrace at another US bar. Mr Watt has said the allegations are false and denies behaving inappropriately. Watts' disgruntled former employees shared a scathing open letter slamming the company for its 'toxic attitudes' and accusing it of fostering a 'culture of fear' among staff. James and his business partner Martin Dickie were able to offer the Dragons a 100,000 stake in the company, something that would cost the tycoons over 300 million The billion-pound business has grown from a small shed to hundreds of sites around the world and it just keeps getting bigger and bigger Speaking with Steven Bartlett on the Diary of a CEO podcast about his leadership at the company, he admitted to previously pushing people 'too far' because of his 'high standards. But the CEO - whose company has been accused of having a 'rotten culture' - said that his actions were done with '100 per cent good intentions.' Mr Watt revealed: 'It's completely fair to say at times in the journey I have been too intense. 'I have been too demanding, that I have set standards for the team which I would set for myself, and for a lot of the team members that is unattainable. 'I just pushed for such high standards, unrealistic deadlines, it's because I was so focused on 'let's build the thing, let's create more jobs, let's deliver more value for our customers.' 'The intention was 100 per cent good and because I was so bought in and so focused on that, I did push people too far.' A woman who lives a five-hour drive from her partner says they would 'resent each other' if they moved in together and are happy in their 'digital coexistence'. Janey McGill, 41, from Oxfordshire, met her partner, David Monaghan, 46, from Cornwall, in Bologna, Italy, in September 2020 while on a photography work trip. The pair say they are 'well-suited' to their long-distance partnership because they are both 'independent' and respect each other's professional and personal ambitions. David wants to stay in Cornwall because he loves surfing, spending around 35 hours a week in the water, and Janey's freelance photography and film work takes her all around the UK and abroad to Italy and Switzerland. Janey said they would both grow 'resentful' if either had to move, adding: 'We're happy we those mutual boundaries in place. We're fine digitally co-existing without being on top of each all the time.' Janey McGill, 41, from Oxfordshire, who lives a five-hour drive from her partner David, 46, has said they would 'resent each other' if they moved in together and are happy in their 'digital coexistence' Janey and David say their meeting was a 'coincidence' when they bonded in Italy. She said: 'It was just a coincidence. Our first date was a business dinner. We got to know each other when we had a bit of time off from work. 'I liked exploring all the little nooks and crannies and seeing where he lived, which was a beautiful place with frescos all over the walls and ceilings.' David said: 'I knew a little bit about her because we had seen each other on dating apps, but in person she was very beautiful, easily outgoing, calm, but very open. 'Very good at talking to people.' The budding romance developed over the week they shared together before Janey returned to the UK and they were apart for two months. Janey said: 'It was fine as I lived on my own, so we would just spend time together by hanging out over the screen on FaceTime or calls. 'It was natural and not intense. He would be playing guitar or we would just get on with our own things. 'It's just very easy - we'll just hang out in the evening doing whatever we're doing without intense conversations.' In December 2020 David came back to for three weeks for Christmas, but when the Coronavirus lockdown closed international borders, the couple 'ended up' living together for three months. Although they had only known each other for three months, Janey said cohabiting was 'so easy'. The pair say they are 'well-suited' to their long-distance partnership because they are both 'independent' and respect each other's professional and personal ambitions She said: 'Living together was so easy, because he is very easy. 'So really he could be there or not be there, nothing I do changes. I feel more inclined to cook dinner when he is there. It's grossly pleasant. It's nice. David said: 'It was good, it was a funny situation, we're both easy-going and laidback so we get on very easily but for both of us any tension comes when we've got stuff to do. 'We both get itchy feet to do stuff and if we can't do it then we're ready to go.' But David decided to move to Hale, Cornwall, in August 2021 after buying his father's house and loving the area - leaving Janey five-hours away in Banbury, Oxfordshire. Living separately allows David, a network architect, to spend 35 hours surfing and Janey to travel the UK and abroad for her freelance photography and film work. For Janey and David, living separately allows both of them to pursue their interests and careers while enjoying each other's company when possible. Janey said they were well-suited to their long-distance partnership because they are both 'independent' and respect each other's professional and personal ambitions. Janey said: 'I suppose we're good at living long distance because we're both quite adaptable and very independent. 'We're cut from the same cloth, so we both understand how obsessive we can become over things and the need to get good in what we do. 'I enjoy seeing him get better and I fully support it, and for him to see me doing well in my work is important for him. 'He understands where I need to be and what I've got to do.' She said: 'I get more work living in Oxfordshire, because there are more opportunities down here than there would be in Cornwall. 'I have my life here - with friends and family here, and my dogs. 'If I made him move in with me he would be unhappy and resentful towards me for having to leave Cornwall behind, so he just wouldn't do it. David wants to stay in Cornwall because he loves surfing, spending around 35 hours a week in the water, and Janey's freelance photography and film work takes her all around the UK and abroad to Italy and Switzerland 'And if he made me leave Oxfordshire I would be resentful. We're happy we those mutual boundaries in place. Janey says it was important to her to remain close to friends and family in her area. David said: 'Both of us are very driven with what we do. 'In the past we both can be quite obsessive and focused so that he been a constant issue in my relationships which have fallen apart because of that focus. 'But with Janey because we're both doing that and living apart we have the time to do those things ourselves without having to attend to the other person. 'A lot of people want to own somebody. 'People think of love as a kind of ownership that they have to hand all the time so you've just got to accept what it is, you've not got the person in your pocket all the time.' The regularity of their visits varies from month to month, with the longest period apart lasting three months between December 2022 to February 2023. However they manage to speak to each other every day - either by text, phone calls, or over FaceTime. The low-key pair do not plan virtual dates, preferring to just make coffee on a Saturday morning or quietly sit in each other's company online. When Janey goes to visit she stays for a few weeks at a time - but much of their romantic schedule is determined by the sea as Mark is 'addicted' to his practise. Janey said: 'If the surf is crazy then there's no point in me being down there - I've tried it but I've been concentrating so much on my work I've got no time to put into a new hobby. 'If the surf is there I would barely see him anyway.' Despite enjoying each other's company there are no immediate plans to move in together. Janey said: 'It's pretty easy for us because we're not stuck in the same place co-parenting. 'I've got two dogs, but we both don't want children, we like our lives how they are.' David agreed there could be challenging moments too. He said: 'They're there on the end of the phone but they're not there - you can't sit on the sofa and be together properly so there is good and bad to that. 'You have to take one step at a time and have to be honest with the other person as well.' Fortunately, their relationship has proven the old adage that distance makes the heart grow fonder. Janey said: 'It has kept the honeymoon period going, because I still get super excited to see him and catch up. 'Of course there can be a few difficult times. Sometimes if you are feeling insecure for whatever reason then you just want a cuddle. 'But we just talk about it, and because we're both open it works really well. Just be honest and open with how you're feeling and that's all you can do.' The Queen Consort paid a touching tribute to Prince William and Kate Middleton today as she started the second day of her royal tour in Germany. Camilla, 74, appeared in high spirits as she arrived at Wittenbergplatz alongside King Charles today, donning a smart brown coat for the occasion. The royal also opted to wear a distinctive floral brooch from designer Van Cleef & Arpels Cosmos, which she previously wore to the Prince and Princess of Wales' wedding in 2011. The brooch is built around one of the famed jewelers classic designs, a combination of a four leaf clover and a flower that dates back to the 1950s. The brooch features heart-shaped petals, a stem paved in round diamonds, and the largest round diamond sitting in the center of the petals. The Queen Consort paid a touching tribute to Prince William and Kate Middleton today as she started the second day of her royal tour in Germany (right) - as she donned the brooch she wore to their wedding in 2011 (left) The brooch is built around one of the Van Cleef & Arpels classic designs, a combination of a four leaf clover and a flower that dates back to the 1950s She had previously worn the glittering diamond brooch to the royal wedding in 2011. At the time, she set the pin on the lapel of her soft green coat. The nod to the Prince and Princess of Wales comes after royal experts said Kate and Camilla have a 'very close' relationship. Over the past year, the foursome have put on jovial and friendly displays at public events together, often led by Kate. Kate is known to have a warm relationship with her father-in-law and has reportedly helped smooth the sometimes fractious relationship between the heir to the throne and his son, William. The Duchess was warmly welcomed into the family by Charles after her engagement to William, and she's been heard affectionately calling him Grandpa in public on previous occasions. Meanwhile she is often seen greeting him with a beaming smile, kissing him on the cheek. Poignantly, she was photographed comforting the Prince of Wales following Prince Philip's funeral procession last year. In January 2022, Kate, on the personal invitation of Prince Charles, joined him and Camilla on a visit to The Prince's Foundation training site for arts and culture at Trinity Buoy Wharf, in London. It marked the first time since 2012 the trio have stepped out without William. The royal wore the dazzling diamond brooch to the Prince and Princess of Wales' wedding in 2011 Speaking on GB News last year, Vanity Fair's Katie Nicholl said: 'They're very very close, they really are. 'It's interesting isn't it, we were sitting here talking about the fab four last time and, of course, that was Harry and Meghan and William and Kate and now we talk about a very different fab four. 'We are talking about Charles and Camilla and William and Kate.' The King was greeted by more huge crowds in Berlin today as he prepares to become the first British monarch to address German politicians from the Bundestag, while the parliament is in session, during his historic state visit to the country. On day two of his historic state visit, the British monarch was greeted warmly by Chancellor Olaf Scholz as he arrived at the Federal Chancellery building. He and the Queen Consort Camilla then met up at the city's Wittenbergplaztz Food Market where huge crowds were waiting for them. The royal couple also spoke to a range of local business owners who discussed the history of the market and the produce. Today, she joined the King at the Wittenbergplaztz Food Market where huge crowds were waiting for them Camilla could be seen chatting with crowds of royal fans who were waiting to catch a glimpse of the couple The royal couple also spoke to a range of local business owners who discussed the history of the market and the produce At lunchtime today Charles will deliver a speech to the Bundestag which will celebrate the deep historical bonds and longstanding links between Germany and the UK. The King and Queen Consort's state visit to Germany, the first of Charles' reign, began on Wednesday with a ceremonial greeting at Berlin's iconic Brandenburg Gate. The monarch was meant to be in France earlier in the week but it was called off by President Macron due to ongoing protests over his pension reforms. During a speech at a state banquet staged in his honour on Wednesday evening, Charles pledged to 'strengthen the connections' between the UK and Germany as he paid tribute to the 'enduring value' of the two nations' relationship. Germany has welcomed more than a million Ukrainian refugees seeking sanctuary after Russia invaded their homeland and Charles will tour the Tegel Refugee Centre to meet some of the group. Separately the Queen Consort will visit the Refugio House community centre, a meeting place for locals and new Berlin residents, including refugees. The Crown Prince and Princess of Luxembourg have now been seen leaving the Maternite Grande-Duchesse Charlotte hospital with their adorable newborn, Prince Francois. The whole family - including two-year-old Prince Charles, who has just become a big brother - was all smiles as they got ready to go home with their little one. Stephanie of Luxembourg, 39, appeared to be overjoyed in the photos, having given birth on Monday morning, as she held her swaddled baby. Meanwhile her husband Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, 41, looked to be touched as he stared down at his youngest son, in his wife's arms. Elsewhere little Charles seemed curious about his lates sibling, at one point reaching a little hand out to touch him. The whole family - including two-year-old Prince Charles, who has just become a big brother - was all smiles as they got ready to go home with their little one The family was then seen getting into a car, seemingly to enjoy some rest with their little ones. It comes as, in sweet snaps released today, the newborn prince can be seen resting in the palm of his father's hand in a white baby suit with a striped bib. One of the pictures shows a black and white still of the Crown Prince and Princess looking adoringly at their new baby, while Stephanie gives him a gentle kiss on the forehead. The caption of the photos on the court's official Instagram account read: 'The Crown Prince and Princess are delighted to share the first photos of Prince Francois with you. 'They are deeply grateful for the kind messages they have received on the occasion of their second childs birth.' After Francois' birth, the court released a statement saying: 'Their Royal Highnesses the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess are delighted to announce the birth of their son at the Maternite Grande-Duchesse Charlotte in Luxembourg on Monday, 27th March 2023 at 10:04 am. 'The newborn Prince will be named Francois Henri Luis Marie Guillaume. He weights 3.575 kg and measures 53 cm. 'Princess Stephanie and her child are both healthy and well. Stephanie of Luxembourg, 39, appeared to be overjoyed in the photos, having given birth on Monday morning, as she held her swaddled baby The Crown Prince and Princess of Luxembourg had today shared the first adorable photos of their new baby son, Prince Francois 'The Crown Prince, the Crown Princess and his brother Prince Charles are looking forward to introducing Prince Francois to you.' The Marshall of the Court also added that the birth will be recognised with a gun salute of 21 rounds and that members of the public can sign a digital book of congratulations or a book at the guardhouse of the Grand Ducal Palace. Francois is the third in line to the throne after his father, Prince Guillaume and his brother Prince Charles, two. Prince Guillaume shared his joy at the birth of his second son in an interview earlier this week, saying: 'It is always a very happy moment when such an event takes place in a family. Elsewhere little Charles seemed curious about his lates sibling, at one point reaching a little hand out to touch him Meanwhile her husband Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, 41, looked to be touched as he stared down at his youngest son, in his wife's arms The Crown Prince and Princess of Luxembourg have been seen leaving the Grand Duchess Charlotte Maternity hospital with their adorable newborn, Prince Francois Stephanie grinned as she held onto her little baby. It is her and her husband's second child, after two-year-old Charles The family was then seen getting into a car, seemingly ready to enjoy some rest with their little ones Stephanie simled as she placed little Francois in the car, with the family looking very ready for some rest 'The birth of Prince Francois went very well and his mother is doing well. 'For us, it is now a great joy to be able to hold this little baby in our arms. 'He is already so sweet. It is truly one of the most beautiful moments a family can share.' The pair welcomed their first child, Prince Charles, at the height of the pandemic in May 2020 and he was first introduced to his grandparents, the Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, over a video call. When the couple announced last year that they would be having a second baby, they told RTL that Charles was 'especially overjoyed'. 'He has been saying "Mummy, baby!" for a few weeks now, it's adorable,' Princess Stephanie added. In the adorable photographs, the newborn can be seen resting in Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume's hands Francois is the third in line to the throne after his father, Prince Guillaume and his brother Prince Charles Members of the public can sign a digital book of congratulations or a book at the guardhouse of the Grand Ducal Palace Charles often steals the show while out on royal engagements (pictured at an event organised by Scouting in Luxembourg in 2022) Guillaume explained that the birth of Francois was 'quite different' than for his brother. He explained: 'My father very kindly took the car and picked Charles up from home and Charles was able to spend the whole day with his grandparents...while we were in the maternity ward concentrating on the birth of Francois.' Speaking of when Charles first heard that Francois had been born, Guillaume added: 'He was so excited to meet him, he turned and went straight up to him. 'It brought such joy to both us and my parents.' FEMAIL spoke to New York Stylist Liz Teich about the star's sartorial choices Gwyneth Paltrow tonight won her ski crash trial after a week of fashionable courtroom appearances where she deployed the Succession-style trend of 'stealth wealth'. The actress was sued for $300,000 by 76-year-old retired doctor Terry Sanderson who claimed she left him with permanent brain damage when she allegedly 'slammed' into him in 2016 in Deer Valley. But the jury in Park City, Utah, found that Sanderson was 100 percent at fault after the 50-year-old actress countersued for a symbolic $1 and attorney fees. Now as the legal victory washes over her, it seems Paltrow purposefully opted for a natural, neutral wardrobe in a bid to win over jurors in the blockbuster case. Gwyneth Paltrow appeared to have turned to the Succession-style fashion trend of 'stealth wealth' in the courtroom. Pictured: The actress on day one sporting Celine Triomphe Lace-up Leather Boots at $1,200 and Ray-Ban Classic Aviator Sunglasses in the region of $163 Paltrow, 50, seemed to purposefully opt for a natural, neutral wardrobe in a bid to win over the jury in her Utah ski crash case. Pictured: She wore Caddis Metamodernist Scout Glasses for $129 on day two Day three: The actress was wearing a Goop Bennett Belted Crewneck Cardigan at $595 and Foundrae's Oversized Mixed Clip Chain with Engravable Heart costing $25,115 The key to the 'quiet luxury' look so successfully employed by HBO's Roy family is to invest in classic, tailored pieces and avoid flaunting designer logos. This serves to create a chic and elevated look - and Paltrow seems to have taken this on board. Throughout the trial, she opted for ensembles in understated colors such as khaki, navy, tan, grey and white - but there is still a costly price tag attached. Could her stripped-back sartorial decisions have impacted proceedings? FEMAIL spoke to Liz Teich, who runs The New York Stylist, ahead of the verdict about whether it could have worked in her favor. FEMAIL spoke to Liz Teich (pictured), who runs The New York Stylist, about whether Paltrow's fashion choices could work in her favor in the courtroom The key to the 'quiet luxury' look so successfully employed by HBO's Roy family is to invest in classic, tailored pieces and avoid flaunting designer logos. Pictured: Succession's Kendall and Shiv Gwyneth Paltrow's 'stealth wealth' staples Day One Celine Triomphe Lace-up Leather Boots: $1,200 Ray-Ban Classic Aviator Sunglasses: $163 Day Two Caddis Metamodernist Scout Glasses: $129 Day Three Goop's Bennett Belted Crewneck Cardigan: $595 Foundrae's Oversized Mixed Clip Chain with Engravable Heart: $25,115 Day Five Prada's Polo Cashmere Shirt: $2,200 Prada's Monolith Brushed Leather Boots: $1,450 Day Six Goop's Alisha V-Neck Cardigan: $595 Day Seven Goop's Camila Bow Blouse: $425 Proenza Leather Wide-Leg Leather Culottes: $895 Advertisement Speaking about how Paltrow has embraced the 'stealth wealth' and 'quiet luxury' trends, Liz told FEMAIL: 'Gwyneth has mastered the art of dressing with luxury pieces, without flaunting it with logos or with mainstream designs. 'She looks put together with high end pieces that are understated, polished and minimal, so it's not in your face, but we're all noticing how great she looks. 'She can wear a $25,000 necklace and $1,500 Prada boots, and unless you're a fashion insider, you may not know.' Elaborating on the actress' potential motivations, she added: 'I think the trial for her is about the principle of defending her reputation, rather than her losing out on money, so she's likely showing that through her wardrobe. 'She's always been one to wear minimal design, so this is not a surprise that she'd select designers like The Row, which is the Olsen twins' sleek minimalist line known for their outrageous prices. 'Wearing their coat that costs more than most people's mortgage is normal to her.' And it seems likely that the decisions swayed the jury. Liz said: 'I'm sure that selecting subdued minimalist designer pieces is a way to look relatable yet pulled together, and she isn't trying to show off her fame and fortune. 'Whether it works or not, the jury is out that she's solidifying her style icon status!' And speaking about how 'stealth wealth' is spreading, she told FEMAIL: 'From Succession to the resurgence of the 90's minimalism in street style, we're seeing more wealthy people select designers like Loro Piana, Brunello Cuccinelli, Zegna, The Row, MaxMara, and invest in pieces that will retain value as trends come and go. 'It's like an "if you know you know" nod among the super rich, as logos have become flashy and feeling cheap. 'Mainstream designers seem to be taking note with more minimalist collections and pre-owned 90's styles from sites like The Real Real seem to currently be the most coveted.' Liz told FEMAIL that Paltrow's (pictured on day four) choices make her seem 'put together with high end pieces that are understated, polished and minimal' Pictured: Paltrow sported a $2,200 Prada Polo Cashmere Shirt which she teamed with $2,200 Monolith Brushed Leather Boots from the same brand on day five (left) and she was seen wearing Goop's Alisha V-Neck Cardigan for $595 the following day (right) Day Five: The 50-year-old wore a $425 Goop Camila Bow Blouse which she teamed with Proenza Leather Wide-Leg Leather Culottes at $895 Liz said that Paltrow's appearances in the courthouse (day eight, left, and day nine, right) are 'solidifying her style icon status' Liz previously told FEMAIL about where to begin when it comes to achieving the 'quiet luxury' look. She said the best way to start your wardrobe is with 'tailored, understated pieces' mixed with 'staples like button downs and turtlenecks, often in monochromatic tones. 'My clients and Instagram followers always say that basics are so "boring" but when done well, they can look so elevated.' She added: 'I always say invest in a great suit - it doesn't have to be super pricey -because you always look polished, even when paired with a tee and sneakers, and it's so versatile to mix and match with. 'Everyone needs at least one quality blazer, as this is something you can pair with everything, especially throwing it over any top for a Zoom call.' Much to the delight of her followers, throughout the legal proceedings, Liz has been sharing updates about where people can source dupes for Paltrow's ensembles in order to recreate the look for less. Queen Letizia of Spain looked glamorous in an all-red ensemble as she attended a literary event in Madrid on Thursday evening. The royal, 50, oozed sophistication as she stepped out alongside her husband King Felipe for the event which was held to commemorate the centenary of the first Casa Del Libro bookshop. Mother-of-two Letizia turned heads in a scarlet long-sleeved top and matching tailored trousers. She completed her ensemble with silver stilettos and a matching sparkling clutch bag. Her brunette locks were styled in loose curls and her glamorous makeup enhanced her naturally flawless complexion. Queen Letizia of Spain looked glamorous in a red ensemble as she attended a literary event alongside her husband King Felipe in Madrid on Thursday evening King Felipe looked typically smart in a black suit which he paired with a white shirt and pink tie. Casa del Libro, the Grupo Planeta bookstore chain, was founded in 1923 and acquired by the Group in 1992. In 1999 it had four bookstores and it now has 47 bookstores distributed throughout the Iberian Peninsula. The appearance comes after Letizia donned a chic black dress as she attended events for the inauguration of the IX International Congress of the Spanish Language earlier this week. The royal was effortlessly elegant as she and King Felipe arrived at the Gran Teatro Falla in Cadiz. Her chic Hugo Boss gown featured fishnet detailing along the neckline, and fanned out into stylish tasselled sleeves which draped over her arms. The royal, 50, oozed sophistication at the event which was held to commemorate the centenary of the first 'Casa Del Libro' bookshop The mother-of-two turned heads in a scarlet long sleeved top and matching tailored trousers at the Madrid event Letizia added the finishing touch to her ensemble with silver stilettos and a matching sparkling clutch bag For that event, the mother-of-two - who has recently divided opinion by letting her natural greys show - opted to style her tresses into a bun. She carried a black clutch bag and teamed the ensemble with slingback stilettos. Letizia wore long, ornate statement earrings and kept her make-up look glamorous with a smoky eye. Elsewhere, Felipe cut a dapper silhouette in a pinstripe suit and blue tie, smiling as he made the appearance with his wife. The European royals looked to be in high spirits as they attended the congress, during which attendees reflected on 'the reality of Spanish, its past, its present and its future, under the motto 'Spanish language, miscegenation and interculturality. History and future'. The Spanish king had made a speech celebrating 'the great Hispanic convocation'. The royal was effortlessly elegant as she and King Felipe arrived at the Gran Teatro Falla in Cadiz Her chic gown featured fishnet detailing along the neckline, and fanned out into stylish tasselled sleeves which draped over the arms The Spanish queen wore long dangly earrings to accessorise, opting to put her tresses up into a bun And earlier in the week, the queen made another chic appearance, donning a form-fitting lilac dress as she attended a conference in Cadiz with King Felipe. The queen was all smiles as she opted for the statement frock, which boasted a plunging V-neck. Along with ruching around the bust, the midi-dress also featured slightly puffed sleeves and a thigh-high split up the front. In keeping with her Spring-like attire, Letizia accessorised her frock with a small 110 leather handbag by Spanish brand Olivia Mareque in the exact same shade of lilac. But rather than keeping for the thick leather lilac strap that comes with the bag, Letizia opted for a 26 alternative featuring two dainty leather knots on either side. Allowing her gown to take centre stage, Letizia finished off her ensemble with a pair of nude patent slingback heels by Venezuelan designer Carolina Herrera. A leading Italian food expert has caused controversy after claiming spaghetti carbonara is actually an American dish. Traditionally Carbonara, a Roman specialty, is made with cured pork, eggs and Parmesan and seasoned with cracked black pepper. The lavish Spaghetti alla Carbonara first made its appearance in a 1950s American cookbook; rather than being an Italian recipe it may actually have been invented by GIs stationed in Italy at the end of World War II. However there are a number of other dishes which appear to have invented origins. Here FEMAIL reveals the country of origin behind some of your favourite meals (and they might surprise you!). 1. Pavlova Food historians have claimed the dessert was named after Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, who first toured Down Under in 1926, in which a Wellington chef created the dessert in her honour. But it wasn't until 1929 when New Zealand's first pavlova recipe was published in the country. In 2010, the Oxford English Dictionary said the meringue-based dessert was invented by Kiwis 2. Vichyssoise When leek and potato soup is served chilled, it is known as vichyssoise. It is often thought of as a chic French dish 3. Tikka Masala Tikka Masala might have become one of the most popular dishes at an Indian takeaway - but do you know it's real country of origin? 4. Viennese whirls Deliciously crumby and perfectly satisfying with a cup of tea, Viennese whirls have become a staple for many Brits 5. Caesar salad The Caesar salad is wrongly associated with Roman emperor Julius Caesar, and often considered an American dish 6. Danish pastries While some might think it safe to assume that a Danish pastry is from Denmark, the sweet treat actually originated from another European country 7. French Fries While it may seem like the clue is in the name when it comes to French fries, the origins of the dish are not actually so clear 8. Croissants The croissants may be traditionally associated with France - but do you know were it really comes from? 9. Vindaloo Vindaloo may be a dish which has its roots in the Indian state of Goa but that's not the end of it's origin story ANSWERS 1. Pavlova It has been a long standing battle between Australia and New Zealand as to who invented the pavlova but it seems the meringue-based dessert originated entirely elsewhere. According to Good Food, the famous dish actually belongs to the Americans and the English 2. Vichyssoise In reality, Vichyssoise is actually American - and was invented by Louis Felix Diat at the Ritz-Carlton in New York. He created the dish as an antidote to the sweltering summer temperatures of the city 3. Tikka Masala Glasweigan Ali Ahmed Aslam claimed he had invented the dish during the 1970s after one customer complained about the dryness of his meat. He created a sauce using spices and a tin of Campbell's tomato soup which he had bought to eat while recovering from a stomach ulcer 4. Viennese whirls Despite their name suggesting the dish is from Vienna, Viennese whirls are in fact a British biscuit. They are, however, inspired by Austrian pastries 5. Caesar salad The salad was created by Italian chef Caesar Cardini in the early 1920s in Tijuana, Mexico, where he owned a restaurant after moving from California to avoid Prohibition. His daughter, Rose Cardini, said the restaurant was overrun with Americans one day and they were short of ingredients in the kitchen. So her father used what was left to make a dish - lettuce stalks, olive oil, raw egg, croutons, parmesan cheese and Worcestershire sauce. The end result - the humble Caesar salad - became so popular it was soon served in restaurants across the globe 6. Danish pastries The origin of the Danish pastry is often ascribed to a strike amongst bakery workers in Denmark in 1850. The strike caused bakery owners to hire workers from abroad, among them several Austrian bakers, who brought along new baking traditions and pastry recipes. The bake was adapted with additional egg and fat 7. French Fries Oh la, la! The Belgians claim their invention, chips, was stolen by the French and renamed French fries 8. Croissants Far from being invented by the French, the origin of croissant, can be dated back to at least the 13th century in Austria. It is believed the dish gained popularity when it was sold by Austrian artillery officer, August Zang, in his Viennese bakery in 1839 9. Vindaloo A young woman was left fuming after a doctor refused to 'tie her tubes', telling her she could 'meet Mr Right' and change her mind about having children. Olivia Downs, 23, claims she went to see her doctor to ask about the permanent procedure when she was immediately shot down. 'I never want children, I have had this made up in my mind since I was old enough to think of the concept,' she explained. She said her doctor told her she couldn't tie her tubes because it can't be reversed. 'I know, that's why I asked, I would like that option,' she said. Olivia Downs, 23, wants to have her tubes tied Olivia went on to explain having children 'is not in her plan'. 'It's not in my five-year-plan, my 10-year-plan, of my 50-year-plan, I don't want them,' she said. But her doctor stood firm and said the risk she will change her mind is too high, infuriating the young woman. She then said there are less permanent options that are 'just as efficient' and told her about the IUD. Olivia put on a voice pretending to be her doctor: 'We put it in your uterus and you cramp and bleed for three months.' Downs, from the US, shared a video complaining about the doctor's refusal. It quickly went viral with thousands of women adding their two-cents worth. 'I never want children, I have had this made up in my mind since I was old enough to think of the concept,' she explained Some laughed at the idea the IUD was as effective as having your tubes tied. 'I had my second daughter while using an IUD, and my first daughter on the pill,' one woman said. 'I got pregnant with the IUD too, I later had a miscarriage,' said another. Others fumed at the 'Mr. Right' comment. 'The more men I meet the less I want to procreate,' one woman said. 'Yes, because all life decisions change when you meet someone... ummmmm,' wrote another. 'Your Mr. Right is someone who doesn't want kids. How hard is that for doctors to understand,' said another. Some revealed they had also been sent home from their doctors' office after asking similar questions. 'Keep fighting, it took ten years for me to find a doctor who would do it,' one woman said. 'There is a list of doctors most likely to say yes on Reddit, check that out,' suggested another. 'What frustrates me is they say ill change my mind too- but I am gay and my wife also doesn't want children,' complained another. Olivia said she would 'literally spiral' if she ended up getting pregnant with a kid she doesn't want. 'I don't want to be on hormonal birth control either - just let me have it,' she said, noting if she changed her mind she could always adopt. She was given a brochure for an IUD - which further inflamed her fury Another woman who is 'chronically ill' and said having a baby could be dangerous complained she has been trying to have hers tied for seven years. 'They suggested my partner get sterilized instead, I don't understand the logic,' she said. Another woman said she wanted her tubes tied at 33, after having six children. 'They still wouldn't do it, said I was too young, I told then I had completed my family but they wouldn't budge.' Tubal ligation surgery is legal in most western countries for any adult woman who is well informed, fully understands the consequences, and consents freely to the procedure. There is no official age limit, a minimum number of children, or spousal consent requirement, however it appears many women struggle to find a doctor willing to go ahead with the procedure. British expat Jordana Grace said Aussies have no concept of distance A British expat and radio host living in Queensland has revealed why distance is 'not a concept' in Australia - and if you want to know how far away something really is, you need to ask for the travel time in minutes. Jordana Grace has become known for sharing videos about differences she's noticed since moving Down Under. In her latest clip, Jordana highlighted that the main difference she's noticed about the UK and Australia is that Aussies aren't afraid to travel - and travel big distances. Scroll down for video A British expat and radio host living in Queensland has revealed why distance is 'not a concept' in Australia (Jordana Grace pictured) Jordana said in the clip: 'Things they should tell you before moving to Australia: how distance is not a concept. 'In England, if I had to go from Swindon to Bristol, a 45-minute drive, it'd be a full-on day excursion.' Jordana explained that for such a trip, she would 'turn my TV off at the wall', feed her cat enough for a week and re-direct her mail: 'Mentally, it's a big deal,' she said. But on the flip side, because Australia is 'the size of the moon', distance doesn't faze Aussies in the same way it does Brits. 'Australia is a state of mind,' Jordana added. 'I know Aussies who will drive an hour and a half just for a doughnut - each way!' Jordana (pictured) said because Australia is 'the size of the moon', distance doesn't faze Australians in the same way it does Brits Jordana's biggest piece of advice for other British expats is to be careful with 'sneaky' Australians, and make sure you pull them up on the details if they ask you if you want to go to the beach. 'If you ask how far it is, they'll reply with either "oh, not far" or "just down the road", but that road could be 1,000 kilometres,' she said. 'Always get the travel time in minutes.' Finally, she said if you want to act like a local and as if distance 'doesn't bother you', then just act nonchalant when someone says the distance and either respond with 'too easy', 'cruisy' or simply nod. Jordana's biggest piece of advice for other expats is to be careful with 'sneaky' Australians, and make sure you pull them up on the details if they ask you if you want to go to the beach It wasn't long before thousands of Brits and Aussies shared their own opinions, with many agreeing with Jordana. 'I totally agree. I regularly drive an hour to the next town for fish and chips because they are better,' one Aussie said. 'Love this because it's true,' another said. A third wrote: 'We take a seven hour drive to see parents'. Others admitted that this opinion is true everywhere in Australia, except Tasmania. Candlelit vigils and haunting photos of deceased children on the news have become all too familiar in recent decades. Nashville is the latest community to be roiled by gun violence after a former trans student of a small Christian school opened fire on Monday morning, killing three nine-year-old children and three staff. Newscasts highlighting different tragedies often have to obscure or pixelate the gory, visceral images of the damage that occurs in the walls to spare the public. But doctors and trauma surgeons argue that this sanitizes the devastating toll that high-powered ammo from a military-style weapon has on the human body, especially that of a child. Traveling at a speed of 3,300 feet per second, the bullets of an AR-15 assault rifle can cause irreversible damage to the compact body of a child Parents of two school shooting victims - Noah Pozner, 6, killed in the Newtown, Connecticut in 2012 and Peter Wang, 15, killed in Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018 - gave the Washington Post permission to detail how the ultra-fast bullets of AR-15s mangled their children's bodies. Those effects are recreated in DailyMail.com's graphic above. Dubbed 'America's rifle' by the National Rifle Association in 2016, the AR-15 shoots bullets faster than the speed of sound, liquifying tissue and bone and exploding internal organs of its victims. The Nashville shooter used three guns to carry out his crimes, the AR-15 being one of them. Assault weapons such as AR-15s have become the weapons of choice among mass shooters. The semi-automatic rifle has been used in 10 of the 17 deadliest US mass killings since 2012. And they are highly effective at eviscerating bodies in a matter of seconds. Traveling at a speed of 3,300 feet per second, the bullets of an AR-15 assault rifle can cause irreversible damage instantly. Upon impact with the heart, for example, a bullet from an AR-15 will cause instantaneous bleeding that is extremely difficult to stop. The victim will die in minutes. A child, whose organs are small and whose bodies are of smaller surface area, are at higher risk of devastating injuries. The bullets of an AR-15 are far more lethal than those of a traditional handgun, which leave exit wounds and linear tracks through the body that are roughly the size and circumference of the bullet. An AR-15 semi-automatic rifle is usually chambered for either the military cartridge 5.5645mm NATO or .223 Remington ammo. A handgun, meanwhile, will require smaller, slower bullets. A nine-millimeter handgun takes 9mm ammo. When the bullet of an AR-15 hits a vital organ, like a lung, it shreds surrounding tissue and causes torrential bleeding that cannot be staunched. A bullet wound to the neck, meanwhile, could kill instantly if it hits the spine. The Monday shooting at a small Christian school in Nashville prompted renewed calls for thoughts and prayers for the victims and their families. This week's platitudes build upon those expressed following last years shooting in Uvalde, Texas that left 21 dead, the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018 that left 17 dead, and the roughly 370 other mass shootings to take place at schools since the 1999 Columbine High massacre in Colorado. An AR-15 bullet differs greatly from its 9mm handgun counterpart. The bullet travels at 1,200 feet per second and delivers a kinetic energy of 400 foot-pounds. Think of foot-pounds as a measure of force. An AR-15 bullet, meanwhile, delivers a force of 1300 foot-pounds. AR-15 ammo creates an internal explosion, according to Dr Cynthia Bir, chair of biomedical engineering at Wayne State University in Detroit who specializes in human injury tolerances. She is part of a team that simulated the path of an AR-15 bullet through the human body using a block of gelatin as a stand-in. The bullet of a handgun has a relatively linear path through the tissue it pierces, while the bullet of an AR-15 causes an explosion within tissue, creating a much larger temporary cavity (pictured) The handgun bullet's path remains straight, while the cavity left in the path of the AR-15 bullet begins to collapse in on itself and creates a ripple effect of destruction so profound that it lifted the entire block of gelatin off its platform (pictured) Dr Bir told DailyMail.com: Say you have a two-inch diameter temporary cavity. Well, when you look at an adult, that may just affect the stomach or the small intestines or something. But when you look at a child, because their organs are so much smaller, that that could affect the nearby organs percentage-wise a lot more. When the bullet of an AR-15 hits the chest, it eviscerates tissue as much as four inches around the original point of impact, exploding much of the lung in its path and resulting in massive bleeding. In a child, whose organ surface areas are smaller, the damage done is compounded further. Imagine a speedboat ripping through a narrow canal, producing ripples in its wake that displace the surrounding water. An AR-15 projectile is similar in its ripple effect and ability to displace surrounding flexible tissue. As it enters the body, the bullet expands the surrounding tissue and lacerates that which it comes in contact with. This process is called cavitation and it leaves the displaced tissue extremely mangled or killed. It is this initial internal explosion that creates the most damage. The surrounding tissue then collapses on itself, leaving organ damage behind. Dr Bir said: And so you have that larger temporary cavity, which when the tissues expand to a larger degree, the more organs are affected, and there's more damage to get can occur to those organs. 'Then after the bullet passes through, that tissue collapses back down and can sometimes reverberate. And so what's left is the permanent cavity, which is the bullet path. As it slows, the bullet may tumble, further lacerating the tissue and causing the bullet to follow unpredictable pathways within the body leaving behind often fatal injuries. Dr Bir went on: Your tissues have a certain tolerance to stretching, our skin is very elastic. It's the same with all our tissues, which basically means that if you load them slowly [with projectiles], they might be able to expand more than if you load them very quickly. And so with this quick loading in the tissue and the loading beyond its tolerance, the tissues end up breaking, which ends up resulting in organs being basically destroyed a lot of times with these high power rifle rounds. The sheer force and energy behind an AR-15 bullet can also leave behind a gaping exit wound that results in profuse bleeding. When the bullet meets the heart or the aorta, bleeding is instantaneous and extremely difficult to stop. The victim will die in minutes. An AR-15 bullet to the neck can sever major arteries, killing the victim in about five minutes maximum. If the bullet were to hit the cerebellum or the spine, death would be instantaneous. When a high-speed assault rifle bullet hits a leg, the bone breaks instantly and tissue around the area is shredded and bleeding is profuse. Victims who survive the shots require dozens of surgeries and possibly amputation. Gun violence is now the leading killer off American youth, a research report finds, surpassing motor vehicle crashes Mourners gathered near Covenant School in Nashville at a memorial for the shooting victims The Nashville community gathered for a vigil to honor the victims of Monday's shooting The Washington Post analyzed the manners of death of two victims of school shootings, the first being Noah Pozner and the second being Peter Wang. The Post got consent from the boys' parents before publishing. Peter Wang's cousin Lin Chen said that Peter's parents, Hui and Kong Wang, 'want people to know the truth.' 'They want people to know about Peter. They want people to remember him.' In Noahs case, three bullets hit. One hit his thumb, leaving his hand mangled. Another struck the right side of his back and soared through his chest, filling the cavity with blood. According to court testimony from chief state medical examiner Wayne Carver, the bullet broke apart into fragments. A bullet that hit Noah in the face caused catastrophic damage to his mouth and jaw. Peter Wang, meanwhile, took 13 bullets from his assailant Nikolas Cruz, who bought his AR-15 legally. Peter was shot first in the foot while running, twice in the thigh, once in the torso, five times in his arms, and four times in the head. Two bullets ripped Peters chest apart. One of them entered his torso, flew upward, and perforated his chest muscle, bruising his lungs and creating a cluster of three large exit wounds. Four bullets hit Peters head, leaving behind such extensive, gory damage that an autopsy described his head as deformed. Such damage, medical experts have said, could only be wrought by a high-velocity weapon like an AR-15. The AR in AR-15 comes from the name of the gun's original manufacturer, ArmaLite, Inc. Mainly designed for hunting and sport, an AR-15 can fire at least 30 rounds, the number of bullets a magazine typically carries. It is the civilian version of the military assault weapon called the M16 and is ubiquitous in gun stores and gun shows. It was designed to do the most amount of bodily harm in the least amount of time. Guns have surpassed vehicle crashes as the leading cause of death in children. 2020 was the first year that gun violence overtook vehicle crashes as a leading killer - both due to a surge in firearm deaths and a rapid fall in vehicle related deaths over the past two decades. Parents are furious and confronted by the horrible thought, once again, that they could hug their child in the morning before school and never do so again. The three child victims of the Covenant School shooting earlier this week were just nine years old. Hale had no previous criminal record before opening fire at the Covenant School, killing three children and three adults Mourning parents across the country have started posting photos of their own little ones on social media with the hashtag 'This is nine years old.' One North Carolina mom Jill Hartley wrote above a picture of her nine-year-old daughter: 'My mind can't stop thinking about these families that will never see their loved ones again. Our babies deserve better. Every child deserves to be safe at school. (But so thankful for what our school does and our SRO [School Resource Officer]!) SROs are now fixtures in many US schools. They are law enforcement officers in charge of school safety and crime prevention. They're often a school's first line of defense against a would-be shooter. Texas mom Victoria Comeaux posted on Facebook above photos of her son: 'This is the second time in less than 12 months that I see my elementary school child peeking his head around the corner only to hear the news about another school shooting. 'Last year, my son was in third grade and terrified to go to fourth grade because of the Uvalde tragedy - so close to home! Now, my son is in fourth grade, doing amazing might I add, yet instilled in his head is she was targeting 9 year olds! (as he overheard on the news). And Joyceline Pace from Missouri said: 'The 3 students that lost their lives in the Nashville school shooting were all NINE years old. Thats the same age as our sweet Kinlie. 'My heart hurts for the families and schools, including myself, that now live in constant WORRY and FEAR because you just never know anymore.' If you're prone to waking up early, it may be a good idea to go for an early morning run. Regular exercise can wipe out the heightened risk of an early death in poor sleepers, a study found. Sleeping too little or too long is linked with a shorter life, but scientists have found that physical activity counteracts a lot of the negative effects. Using data from more than 92,000 Brits, they found the chances of dying early from either cancer or from a cardiovascular disease such as a heart attack or stroke was eliminated by exercise. Researchers from Guangzhou Medical University, China, studied the health records of participants, aged 40 to 73, who wore an accelerometer wristband for one week between 2013 and 2015. Sleeping too little or too long is linked with a shorter life, but scientists have found that physical activity counteracts a lot of the negative effects In the first study to examine the joint effects of physical activity and sleep duration, they found sleeping less than six hours or more than eight increased the chances of an early death by 16 per cent and 37 respectively. But those who met the World Health Organization targets of at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week such as brisk walking or riding a bike or 75 minutes of high intensity exercise like running, saw the risk disappear. When they looked at individual disease, they found those who do not do sufficient exercise and sleep outside the recommended guidelines had a 69 per cent higher risk of heart attack or stroke and 21 per cent higher risk of death from cancer. Again, these risks were found to disappear with moderate or high levels of exercise, according to the findings published in the journal of the European Society of Cardiology. Dr Jihui Zhang, who led the research, said: 'Our findings suggest that health promotion efforts targeting both physical activity and sleep duration may be more effective in preventing or delaying premature death in middle-aged and older adults than focusing on one behaviour alone. 'In an ideal scenario, people would always get healthy amounts of both sleep and physical activity. 'However, our study indicates that getting sufficient exercise may partially offset the detrimental impact of missing a good night's sleep.' The state's ban makes an exception for those at risk of suicide or self-harm West Virginia one of America's trans hotspots will become the latest Red state to ban gender-affirming care for minors. Republican Gov. Jim Justice signed a bill on Wednesday that makes it illegal for healthcare providers to administer puberty blockers, hormone treatment or sex change surgeries to under-18s. The state joins at least 11 other Republican states that have enacted laws restricting medical treatment for transgender youth - amid concerns there is not enough long-term safety data. But West Virginia will be unique in that trans children can receive the medical interventions if they are considered at-risk of suicide or self-harm. According to a 2017 study by UCLA's The Williams Institute, West Virginia had the highest per capita rate of transgender youth in the country. West Virginia joins at least 11 other states that have enacted laws restricting or outlawing medically supported treatments for transgender youth. West Virginia's ban allows for gender-affirming care when the teen is suicidal or in danger of self-harming, while Arizona has banned gender-affirming surgery only. Georgia has banned most gender-affirming surgery and hormone replacement therapies but minors already receiving hormone treatment can continue West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice on Wednesday signed a bill banning gender-affirming care for minors, joining at least 10 other states that have enacted laws restricting or outlawing medically supported treatments for transgender youth About one in 100 teenagers identified as transgender in the state compared to one in every 137 American nationally. Updated figures from 2022 found that New York had the highest proportion, with three percent of teens identifying as transgender. Under the law, which will take effect in January 2024, minors can only be prescribed drugs or surgery after receiving parental consent and a diagnosis of severe gender dysphoria from two clinicians, including a mental health provider or an adolescent medicine specialist. Both practitioners must be trained to diagnose and treat young people with severe gender dysphoria and provide written testimony that medical interventions are necessary to prevent or limit possible or actual self-harm. The self-harm provisions were added at the urging of Senate Majority Leader Tom Takubo, who is a physician. He said on the Senate floor earlier this month: 'These kids struggle. They have incredible difficulties.' Mr Takubo cited more than a dozen peer-reviewed studies showing a decrease in rates of suicide ideation and attempts among youth with severe gender dysphoria who had access to medication therapy. Gender dysphoria is defined by medical professionals as severe psychological distress experienced by those whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth. This map shows the proportion of children aged between 13 and 17 years old that identified as transgender by state. The darker colors indicate a higher proportion of youngsters. In New York and New Mexico, it is as high as three percent The above graph shows insurance claims for puberty blockers in the United States by year, which delay the onset of secondary sexual characteristics such as facial hair and a deeper voice in boys. It shows claims have doubled since 2017 The bill also prohibits minors from being prescribed hormone therapy before the age of puberty, something West Virginia physicians said does not occur anyway. The medication dosage for any adolescent must be the lowest possible necessary to 'treat the psychiatric condition and not for purposes of gender alteration,' according to the bill. The West Virginia law comes as Republican lawmakers across the US have pursued several hundred proposals this year to push back on the rapidly rising rates of teenage transitioners. Major US medical organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychiatric Association, supports gender-affirming care for youths. America is increasingly becoming an outlier with no federal age limit on gender-altering treatments. In the UK and swathes of Europe, countries have taken a more cautious approach to prescribing drugs and operating on transgender minors and many prohibit the practices before the age of 18. The rate of suicide ideation, or having suicidal thoughts or ideas, for transgender youth in West Virginia is three times higher than the rate for all youth in the state, according to West Virginia Youth Risk Behavior Survey data. Natalie Frazier, who oversees gender-affirming care for Planned Parenthood in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia, said the bill Justice signed Wednesday was 'better than it could have been'. She said: 'But it's still unnecessary just an unnecessary barrier to care that is going to end up harming people.' She added that not every child's family will have the resources to travel to two different clinicians for a gender dysphoria diagnosis. Ms Frazier, who is also a certified nurse midwife, said the diagnosis of severe gender dysphoria with risk of suicide 'could probably apply to just about any kid getting access to gender-affirming care'. She said: 'That's why people are so invested in providing the care because there is a disproportionate risk. That's something that any of these kids could be at risk for and nobody's going into this care lightly.' West Virginia's ban also includes exemptions for people who are born intersex and for people taking treatments for infection, injury, disease or disorder that has been 'caused by or exacerbated by the performance of gender transition procedures'. Surgeries can be performed if a child is at risk for 'imminent danger of death or impairment of a major bodily function'. At least 11 states have now enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for minors: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Utah, South Dakota and West Virginia. Federal judges have blocked enforcement of laws in Alabama and Arkansas, and nearly two dozen states are considering bills this year to restrict or ban care. A UK meat processor that supplies leading supermarkets, schools and hospitals has been accused of passing off huge quantities of potentially unsafe foreign meat as British. The National Food Crime Unit, which is part of the Food Standards Agency, is understood to have begun a major investigation. Consumers have been kept in the dark about the potentially huge scandal, and a key industry trade body is furious that it was not told about the investigation. The details have emerged some ten years after a crisis in which horse meat was passed off as beef and sold in burgers and ready meals by leading supermarkets, including Tesco, and fast food chains. The allegations have been revealed by the magazine Farmers Weekly and are based on the testimony of workers employed by the company, which has not been named pending a possible prosecution. The firm has been accused by former staff of regularly washing hams that were visibly off, and mixing rotting pork with fresh product for further processing. Other products such as ox tongues were not heat-treated properly, and meat was sometimes thawed out on the factory floor Other products such as ox tongues were not heat-treated properly, and meat was sometimes thawed out on the factory floor. It is also alleged that paperwork for sampling, which would pick up dangerous food bugs such as listeria and E coli, was falsified. Schools, hospitals, care homes and prisons were supplied via wholesalers, with one source alleging that the most rotten meat would end up there. One anonymous employee told Farmers Weekly: 'It used to get me to a point where I'd be thinking, "We're going to kill someone".' Another said: 'There were days I'd sit outside in my car crying because I didn't want to go in. It was that bad.' There is no suggestion that any of the processor's customers were aware of the criminal practices, which took place for at least two decades through to 2020 and possibly beyond. Darren Davies, head of the National Food Crime Unit, said retailers were told about the problem last year. However, there was no public announcement. Schools, hospitals, care homes and prisons were also supplied via wholesalers, with one source alleging that the most rotten meat would end up there (Stock Image) He added: 'The FSA's National Food Crime Unit is carrying out a criminal investigation into how a supplier was allegedly providing products labelled as British when they were in fact sourced from elsewhere. 'The FSA advised retailers last year to check their cooked meat supply chain and to apply extra due diligence in their checks. We don't give out these alerts without a reason.' The food wholesale firms that were supplied by the processor have expressed shock at the allegations and are carrying out their own investigations. The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers, which represents processors, accused the National Food Crime Unit of failing to alert it to the investigation. Norman Bagley, its group head of operations, said: 'It is inexcusable that food manufacturers and food service businesses, some of whom supply some of society's most vulnerable consumers, were not alerted at any time to date by the NFCU as to there either being a possibility of labelling fraud or of a risk to public health.' Routine Covid tests are to be scrapped for NHS staff, patients and those living in care homes, in the latest step back to pre-pandemic life. From April 1, lateral flow tests will only be available in England for those most at risk from the virus and health and social care staff, providing they have symptoms. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it was pressing ahead with the move due to high levels of immunity in the population, from vaccination and waves of infection, meaning fewer were becoming severely unwell due to the virus. It comes after the agency yesterday confirmed that the Nando's-style Covid alert levels which indicated the virus's threat level on a one to five scale that shared a striking resemblance to the fast food chain's peri-peri scale has been binned. Even the hated NHS Covid app responsible for the 'pingdemic' is being scrapped next month, it was confirmed this week, despite latest Covid data suggesting cases are on the rise. From April 1, lateral flow tests will only be available for those most at risk from the virus and health and social care staff, providing they have symptoms Nando's-style Covid alert levels have been binned, just as cases have once again started to rise The software, downloaded more than 31million times, was responsible for the hated 'pingdemic'. Brits were encouraged to input their positive test results into the app so it can send alerts to anyone they may have recently been close to, in order to advise them they have been infected and should isolate The UKHSA today announced that routine asymptomatic testing will end for health and social care staff, along with NHS patients and those living in care homes. Care home staff and residents, as well as homeless people, prisoners, refugees and asylum seekers will no longer be offered lateral flow swabs if they have symptoms. However, 'outbreak testing' will still be available to these groups. And all PCR testing outside of NHS settings will end. However, lateral flow tests will still be available to those eligible for Covid antiviral medication, to ensure they can access these medications. NHS staff who work with severely immunocompromised patients, care staff who work in hospices and patients being discharged into care homes will also still be given a lateral flow test. And some NHS patients may be tested, where needed to make decisions on which ward they go to. Health chiefs insist that testing capacity will be retained to ensure testing can be 'scaled up swiftly' if a Covid wave or new variant results in 'significantly increased pressure on the NHS'. Dr Dame Jenny Harries, chief executive of UKHSA, said: 'Fewer people now experience severe illness due to Covid due to vaccinations, infection-related immunity and treatments for those who need them and the risk of hospitalisation has decreased overall. 'This means we are now able to further bring our testing programmes in line with management of other viral infections whilst still maintaining focus on those at highest risk to protect them from the virus. 'Covid and other respiratory illnesses haven't gone away and simple actions, like washing your hands and staying at home and avoiding vulnerable people when unwell, can make a big difference. 'For those at highest risk of severe illness, the spring booster programme also provides an opportunity to keep immunity topped up.' Health Secretary Steve Barclay said: 'Testing was crucial to our response during the height of the pandemic, and our successful vaccination programme has protected the most vulnerable, saved thousands of lives, and has helped us all to live with Covid. 'Thankfully we are now able to scale back our testing programme while remaining committed to ensuring those at highest risk and more prone to severe illness get the protection they need.' Office for National Statistics analysts estimate almost 1.7m Brits were carrying the virus on any given day in the week to March 13. This a jump of almost 14 per cent on the week before Government scientists have decided to get rid of the sliding scale system, which indicated the virus's threat level It comes after officials yesterday said it is no longer necessary to keep the NHS Covid Alert System in place because most people are no longer at risk from Covid. The scale acted as a key tool in informing the public of virus threat levels. Officials also announced the NHS's Covid app would be shut down next month. The software, downloaded more than 31million times in England and Wales, was responsible for the hated 'pingdemic'. The app told people to self-isolate for up to 10 days if they had been in close contact within two metres for more than 15 minutes with an infected person. While Brits were never legally obliged to do this, hundreds of thousands per week were told to self-isolate at the height of the 'pingdemic' in summer 2021. As well as this, Britain's long-running Covid survey has also been axed. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) Covid Infection Survey issued its last regular report on last week just shy of three years since it launched back in April 2020. But the end of the survey, along with the alerts and the NHS app, comes as infections from the virus in England climb to their highest level so far in 2023. The ONS survey's swansong report warned up to one in 40 people are infected with the virus across the country, rising to one in 17 in some parts. Its final report estimated that almost 1.7m Brits were carrying the virus on any given day in the week to March 13. This was a jump of almost 14 per cent on the week before. The North West recorded the highest Covid prevalence in England with an estimated 4.14 per cent of people infected. This amounts to around one in 25, although the ONS said it could be as high as one in 17. This was followed by the East Midlands at 3.36 per cent Office for National Statistics (ONS) analysts estimate that almost 1.73million Brits were carrying the virus on any given day in the week to March 13. This a jump of almost 14 per cent on the week before, when approximately 1.52million Brits were estimated to be infected Leading experts fear the outbreak will continue to pick up pace in the coming weeks as part of the virus's natural cycle. Some have even already called for the return of face masks. GP surgeries in parts of the country have even started cancelling appointments because the uptick has left them with 'exceptionally low' staff levels. Michelle Bowen, head of health surveillance dissemination at the ONS, said: 'This week's data show infections are rising in England. 'However, the trend is uncertain across the rest of the UK. 'In England, positivity increased in children and those aged 50 and over. The North West, East Midlands and South East of England all saw infections increase, though the trend is uncertain in all other regions.' In recent months, the ONS survey had helped track the scale and progress of the Christmas 2022 wave, which peaked at nearly three million infections, as well as the latest rise in prevalence of the virus. In the absence of official estimates of Covid levels, hospital admissions data recorded by the NHS will be one of the few remaining sources of data to give any sense of the prevalence, along with death registrations. Tragedy-stricken NHS maternity units face being unsafely staffed for another five years, officials admitted today. Damning inquiries into devastating scandals, which saw hundreds of mothers and babies harmed, partly blamed a lack of midwifery staff. Yet NHS bosses have given hospitals until 2027/28 to ensure they meet workforce requirements. The target was unveiled in a plan today, published exactly a year after a shocking report into the catalogue of failures at Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust. Some 201 babies and nine mothers died in the biggest ever maternity scandal to strike the NHS. Rhiannon Davies from Ludlow, Shropshire with her daughter Kate moments after she was born on March 1, 2009 at Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust. Kate died just hours later Since then, other tragedies have come to light at East Kent Hospitals Trust and the Nottingham University Hospitals Trust, confirming safety problems are not isolated to just one area. NHS bosses acknowledged the need to ensure safe staffing in maternity services in today's Three Year Delivery Plan for Maternity and Neonatal services. 'Trusts will meet establishment set by midwifery staffing tools and achieve fill rates by 2027/28, with new tools to guide safe staffing for other professions from 2023/24,' the report reads. But this suggests that for the next four to five years, NHS England cannot guarantee maternity units in the UK will be safely staffed. 'Deplorable and harrowing': The maternity scandals that rocked the NHS last year The findings come in the wake of multiple damning reports into poor maternity care in England. In October, a review into serious failings at East Kent Hospital Trust found that at least 45 babies died unnecessarily due to 'catastrophic' and 'deep-rooted' failures in care. Affected families described being 'disregarded, belittled and blamed', with mothers left feeling like they were to blame for tragic incidents. Dr Bill Kirkup, who led the inquiry, called for a new law so that organisations can be prosecuted if they stage cover-ups in future tragedies. Meanwhile, a five-year inquiry, published in March last year, revealed 201 babies and nine mothers died needlessly during two decades of appalling care at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust. The inquiry examined cases involving 1,486 families, mostly from 2000 to 2019, and found 'repeated errors in care' had led to injury to either mothers or their babies. Findings from another NHS maternity scandal are also likely be published in the next 18 months. Ms Ockenden, the midwife behind the scathing report into Shrewsbury and Telford, is currently leading an investigation into reports of poor care of mothers and babies at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. The new investigation launched in September and will examine events from April 2012 to the present day. At least nine babies and three mothers are believed to have died over the past three years at the trust, which runs 15 hospitals in the Midlands. Advertisement Fill rates represent whether wards are adequately staffed. The key problem, as the report explains, is that even with millions being spent to boost the NHS maternity workforce, services are still struggling to both attract and retain staff. 'Despite significant investment leading to increases in the midwifery, obstetric, and neonatal establishment, NHS maternity and neonatal services do not currently have the number of midwives, neonatal nurses, doctors, and other healthcare professionals they need,' it reads. 'This means existing staff are often under significant pressure to provide the standard of care that they want to. We need to change that.' The report does not give a figure for the number of maternity staff needed. Last year, the Royal College of Midwives warned that NHS services in England were missing about 2,500 midwives. Despite the admission that not all maternity services in England can be assured to be safely staffed, the NHS insisted the majority of women enjoyed a safe birth in the health service. 'Most women have a positive experience of NHS maternity and neonatal services, and outcomes have improved with over 900 more families welcoming a healthy baby each year compared to 2010,' they said. However, they also acknowledged that 'there are times when the care we provide is not as good as we want it to be'. In a letter to NHS trusts, directors and senior maternity staff today, NHS England's chief nursing office, Dame Ruth May, its chief operating officer, David Sloman and national medical director Sir Stephen Powis, wrote: 'Our three-year delivery plan sets out that the NHS will make care safer, more personalised, and more equitable for all women, babies and families.' They added: 'While most women have a positive experience of NHS maternity and neonatal services in England, independent reports show that some families have experienced unacceptable care, trauma and loss, and with incredible bravery have challenged us to improve. 'This plan aims to deliver change rather than set out new policy.' Among the report's other recommendations include establishing a new national maternity and neonatal taskforce to ensure digital tools and data are used more effectively to track outcomes for mothers and babies. Dr Edile Murdoch, consultant neonatologist and clinical director for maternity services in NHS Lothian, has been appointed its chair. She will be supported by Dr Bill Kirkup - who led the review into East Kent Hospital Trust - will act as a special adviser. Rhiannon Davies (left) embraces Kayleigh Griffiths (whose daughter died on April 27, 2016 after midwives failed to recognise a deadly infection) following the release of the final report into Maternity Services at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust The report found that at least 45 babies died unnecessarily due to 'catastrophic' and 'deep-rooted' failures in care. Speaking at an NHS England board meeting this afternoon, deputy chair Sir Andrew Morris, told attendees: 'I welcome this report. I think we've made some really really strong progress.' But, he added: 'Ultimately it is the responsibility of our trust boards to implement this. 'We are asking all boards to give attention to this and focus on the must-do the key changes. 'It's around culture, it's around staffing, it's around speaking up.' Meanwhile, NHS England's chief nursing officer, Dame Ruth said: 'Improving maternity services continues to be a priority for the whole NHS and the implementation of the actions has been a key focus for us all. 'Services have asked for this plan and we've listened.' Senior midwife Donna Ockenden, who led last year's report into Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust, is currently leading an investigation into reports of poor care of mothers and babies at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. At least nine babies and three mothers are believed to have died over the past three years at the trust in the Midlands. Among the 'immediate and essential' findings of last year's Ockenden report into Shrewsbury was the need to ensure maternity services could maintain minimum staffing levels. Staff quizzed in the inquiry warned of suboptimal staffing levels and unsafe inpatient-to-staffing ratios, claiming they often felt fearful and stressed at work due to poor staffing levels. The 250-page report also said an obsession with 'normal births' contributed to the biggest maternity scandal in NHS history. Ms Ockenden warned childbirth in England will be unsafe until all recommendations made are implemented in full. Ms Ockenden is currently leading an investigation into reports of poor care of mothers and babies at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. Responding to today's plan, James Titcombe, whose baby died at a scandal-hit maternity unit at Morecambe Bay NHS Trust said: 'I'm pleased to see today's 3 year delivery plan, particularly the focus on staffing levels, retention, cultural change and better use of data. 'However, in the past, progress in maternity safety has been held back by a failure to turn words into real change on the ground.' He added: 'We can't afford for this to be the case this time - so it's crucial that these plans are backed up with the funding needed to make change happen - and that progress isn't taken for granted - rather it needs to be carefully evaluated at regular intervals, and if necessary - revisited if we don't start to see real changes and better outcomes for women and babies.' Americans may have to pay for their own colonoscopies, mammograms and other preventative screenings even if they have health insurance. US District Judge Reed O'Connor, who was appointed to the bench in 2007 by President George W Bush, ruled Thursday that an Affordable Care Act (ACA) rule requiring insurers to cover screenings was unconstitutional. The Obamacare rule has forced private health insurers to cover these screenings since March 2010. Judge O'Connor has long been an adversary of the transformative healthcare law. In 2017, he struck down the law in its entirety. The ruling was reversed by the Supreme Court. Plaintiffs in the case argued the requirement to cover preventative care was a violation of their religious freedoms. It could be a major blow to Joe Biden's signature 'Cancer Moonshot' plan, which hopes to eradicate the disease by enhancing preventative screening efforts and investing in better treatment. A federal court in Texas ruled that an ACA rule forcing private health insurers to cover preventative screenings violated the companies' religious beliefs (file photo) The ruling was a victory for conservative businesses and individuals that sued to challenge the mandates in 2020. The US Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees Obamacare, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Preventative cancer screenings such as a colonoscopy can cost upwards of $1,500 without insurance coverage. Around 60 percent of Americans the equivalent of 160million people have private health insurance. If the ruling stands, many will now have to fork up at least some of the costs of routine screenings. Doctors currently recommend a person be screened every 10 years starting at age 50. Women are recommended to receive a mammogram every two years between ages 50 and 74. These can cost over $100 each. Other care included in this ruling are coverage for vaccines, blood tests to determine if a person suffers from type 2 diabetes, HIV and depression. Major medical groups last year warned that a sweeping ruling like the one Judge O'Connor issued on Thursday could jeopardize access to preventive care for millions of people and worsen patient outcomes. O'Connor wrote in his opinion that recommendations for preventive care by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force were 'unlawful.' The Biden administration had told the court that the outcome of the case 'could create extraordinary upheaval in the United States public health system.' It is likely to appeal. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on the ruling. In September, Judge O'Connor ruled that required coverage of the HIV prevention treatment known as PrEP, which is a pill taken daily to prevent infection, violated the plaintiff's religious beliefs. That decision also undercut the broader system that determines which preventive drugs are covered in the U.S., ruling that a federal task force that recommends coverage of preventive treatments is unconstitutional. Employers' religious objections have been a sticking point in past challenges to former President Barack Obama's health care law, including over contraception. Judge Reed O'Connor (pictured) ruled to strike down Obamacare all-together in 2017 The Biden administration and more than 20 states, mostly controlled by Democrats, had urged the judge against a sweeping ruling that would do away with the preventive care coverage requirement entirely. 'Over the last decade, millions of Americans have relied on the preventive services provisions to obtain no-cost preventive care, improving not only their own health and welfare, but public health outcomes more broadly,' the states argued in a court filing. The lawsuit is among the attempts by conservatives to chip away at the Affordable Care Act - or wipe it out entirely - since it was signed into law in 2010. The attorney who filed the suit was an architect of the Texas abortion law that was the nation's strictest before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade in June and allowed states to ban the procedure. It is a second major court battle in Texas at the start of 2023, with Texas US District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk expected to rule to strike the regulatory approval of the abortion pill mifepristone in the coming weeks. The Secretary was told the fentanyl crisis must be a top priority for 2024 Some 75,000 Americans died in 2022 due to overdoses of the opioid Fentanyl is the 'single greatest challenge the US faces as a country', the Department of Homeland Security Secretary has said. Alejandro Mayorkas made the comment during a Senate hearing Wednesday, in what is thought to be the first time any member of Biden's Cabinet has described the lethal synthetic opioid in such stark terms. Mr Mayorkas pointed to the record 75,000 deaths in 2022 due to fentanyl overdoses, the equivalent of 1,500 American lives lost every week. The drug, which is flooding into the US from Mexico and China, has become the leading cause of death for those aged 18 to 49 in the US, figures suggest, surpassing guns and car accidents. Republican lawmakers have blamed the Biden administration's lax immigration policies for the surge in fentanyl coming across the southern border. Deaths caused by fentanyl in the US surged in the 2010s. At the start of the decade, 2,666 Americans died of a fentanyl overdose. This figure shot up to 19,413 by 2016. Covid made the situation worse, with a record 72,484 deaths recorded in 2021, followed by another record of 75,000 deaths last year Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said fentanyl is the 'single greatest challenge the US faces as a country' during a Senate hearing on Wednesday According to the US Customs and Border Protection, the vast majority of fentanyl goes into the US through legal ports of entry, in vehicles The Senate Appropriations subcommittee chairman Sen Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, opened the Senate panel by telling Mr Mayorkas he wanted the fentanyl crisis to be the department's top priority for 2024. Sen Murphy said: 'This budget better do everything humanly possible to stop the import of deadly fentanyl into the United States.' Mayorkas told the committee that the current fentanyl crisis had been building before Biden took office. He added that the administration was working with Mexico to 'bring the fight to the cartels'. Customs and Border Protection seized a record nearly 15,000 pounds of fentanyl last year. More than 90 percent of busts occurred at ports of entry along the Mexican border. The potent synthetic opioid is 50 times stronger than heroin and 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine. It is used by doctors for patients in serious pain or with terminal illnesses. It is cheap, highly addictive, relatively easy to smuggle into the US, and cost effective for dealers to mix it into their supplies, which saves them money and can extend or boost the high experienced by users. But it takes a vanishingly small dose of fentanyl to cause a fatal overdose. Just two milligrams, the equivalent of five grains of salt is enough to cause death. Because it is cut into other popular drugs, many people who die of overdoses do not know they are taking fentanyl. Fentanyl has been partially blamed for America's sharp fall in life-expectancy over the past three years. It's now found in everything from cocaine to molly and street benzodiazepines like Xanax. Fentanyl, a highly addictive synthetic opioid, is causing carnage on the streets of Portland, Oregon. The drug has flooded into the US, initially along the East Coast but the steepest rises are now being seen in the west The drug was initially produced in India and China and mailed to recipients across North America. Makeshift labs have since sprung up in Mexico to receive the precursor chemicals from Asia, mix them or press them into pills, and smuggle them into the US The fentanyl crisis has helped fuel the steep drop in American life expectancy in recent years. Americans now live 76.4 years on average, down from 78.8 years in 2019. In the UK, which suffered the Covid pandemic just as the US did, but does not suffer a fentanyl crisis, life expectancy slightly increased from 81.3 years in 2019 to 81.52 in 2021. The Homeland Security department includes Customs and Border Protection, the body tasked with stopping illegal fentanyl and other narcotics from coming into America. According to the US Customs and Border Protection, the vast majority of fentanyl goes into the US through legal ports of entry, in vehicles. Nobody knows how much fentanyl in both gel and pill form is successfully crossing the Southern border, however and seizure rates remain low. The opioid being cut with virtually every street drug in the country killed a record 75,000 Americans in 2021 in the latest numbers, the equivalent of 1,500 lives lost weekly. The common drug adulterant is highly potent and fatal in large doses. The equivalent of five grains of salt worth of fentanyl is enough to cause death. Meanwhile, a company that processes drug tests has detected a nine fold rise in fentanyl use in the western US these past three years showing the powerful opioid has now cast its deadly shadow across the whole country. This week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Narcan, the nasal spray that rapidly reverses opioid overdoses. The medicine can now be sold over the counter without a prescription. Fentanyl was invented in the US in 1959 as a cheaper alternative to other painkillers used in hospitals and health centers worldwide. Three chemicals, benzylfentanyl, 4-anilinopiperidine and norfentanyl and considered to be precursors to fentanyl by the DEA - meaning they are primary ingredients to the drug's creation. It binds to opioid receptors in a person's nervous system, which are responsible for giving the body a pleasurable feeling when activated. Its prevalence in the illicit drug supply surged during the 2010s, though. In 2011, 2,666 deaths were caused by fentanyl - a figure that has dramatically increased nearly every year since. The fentanyl crisis took off in 2016, where annual deaths more than doubled to 19,413, up from 9,580 a year earlier. In 2017, deaths caused by the synthetic opioid reached 28,466. Covid accelerated the fentanyl epidemic and caused surges in deaths in back-to-back years. Already In the first three weeks of 2023, 35 overdose deaths have occurred in King County, Washington, according to local outlets. Pictured: A man in Seattle smokes fentanyl Kensington, which up until the 1950s was a bustling industrial district, is now described by The Philadelphia Inquirer as 'the poorest neighborhood in America's poorest big city' In 2020, the first year of the pandemic, deaths caused by fentanyl rose 52 percent to 55,516 from 36,359 in 2019. The crisis worsened in 2021, with death figures jumping to another 30 percent to 72,484. America's homeless population has been among the hardest struck by the nation's fentanyl crisis. In King County, Washington, which includes Seattle, officials say the number of fentanyl deaths among the city's homeless have left morgues out of room to store bodies. America's homeless population has been among the hardest struck by the nation's fentanyl crisis. In King County, Washington, which includes Seattle, officials say the number of fentanyl deaths among the city's homeless have left morgues out of room to store bodies. Adderall use exploded during the pandemic with up to one in teens in America prescribed the powerful stimulant, official data shows. ADHD medications have become increasingly common in recent years but the loosening of online prescribing rules during the pandemic made them accessible with just a few clicks of a button. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study today showed that the biggest rise in new prescriptions was among women in their 20s, with scripts rising about a fifth from 2020 to 2021. Across all ages and sexes, scripts increased about eight percent in that time. The CDC estimates that six percent of women aged 20 to 24 are now taking the medications. The group most likely to be prescribed ADHD drugs is still teen boys 10 to 14 - at about 10 percent - but this is largely unchanged from pre-covid. The graphs above show that across all years, the percentages of male and female enrollees with one or more prescription stimulant fills were highest among those aged 519 and 1524 years, respectively The rate of women in their twenties filling prescriptions for ADHD medications such as Adderall spiked nearly 20 percent from 2020 to 2021. That rate among adult men aged 30 to 39 jumped almost 15 percent in that time Prescriptions for Adderall surged during the COVID-19 pandemic. In February 2020, just before the virus erupted across America, the drug made up 1.1% of drugs. By September 2022, the figure had more than doubled to 2.31% of all scripts written The CDC analyzed health insurance records dating back to 2016 and found that more than 4 percent of people aged 5 to 64 had filled a prescription for a stimulant in 2021, up from 3.8 percent in 2020. Health research firm IQVIA, meanwhile, estimates that the country is blanketed in ADHD medication prescriptions. The firm estimates that in 2021, over 41 million Americans had a prescription for Adderall or its generic version, the equivalent of one in eight, which has led to critics accusing doctors of overprescribing the medication. In the UK, for example, the rate of ADHD medication use sits at about 0.05 percent of the population. With the rise in prescribing in recent years have come concerns that the condition is diagnosed too often in the US, leading to overprescribing and the swath of side effects that come with ADHD medications, including sleeplessness, poor appetite, and headaches. The Covid pandemic cast a spotlight on mental illness as millions of people were thrust into a much narrower world characterized by isolation from friends and family and even treatment resources that may have kept them afloat prior to the March 2020 outbreak. Along with increased awareness of mental illness in recent several years came more lenient drug prescribing practices that were implemented to make healthcare access easier while trying to prevent the further spread of Covid. This meant people who may not have fit the bill for an ADHD diagnosis were often still able to get stimulants prescribed to them by a doctor via video chat or phone call. A Washington mother has blamed lax Adderall prescriptions brought in during the Covid pandemic for her son Elijah's suicide last year. The young man who died at 21 had been abusing Adderall in the months leading up to his death. Elijah Hanson (pictured), 21, died by suicide in June. He had suffered mental health issues for years. His family said that a recent Adderall prescription he obtained through Cerebral played a role in his death Hanson (pictured) was playing Russian Roulette with a gun kept in the household when he died by suicide. His mother would later find his dead body in her kitchen His mother, Kelli Rasmussen, said that despite her son not having Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), he was able to secure a prescription online though the controversial mental health startup Cerebral by lying to telehealth providers - even though he had previously suffered from other mental health issues. Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common disorders affecting a child's neurological development. It is typically diagnosed in childhood, but recent years have seen an increase in adult diagnoses. Neuroscientists have not pinned down a cause for ADHD, though genetics is believed to play a major role. The primary symptoms of ADHD, which typically manifest before age 12, include inattention and hyperactive-impulsive behavior. People with ADHD may be continuously fidgety, unable to concentrate on a given task, talking excessively, interrupting others and being easily distracted, among other symptoms. Stimulants are the most commonly used medications for ADHD because they increase levels of dopamine, a neurochemical key to concentration and sustained focus by slowing down how much of it is reabsorbed back into the neuron that produced it in the first place. By slowing down the reuptake of dopamine, the neurotransmitter has more time to travel from neuron to neuron relaying information and eventually binding to a receptor, thus helping messages within the brain be more effectively transmitted and received. This improves communication in parts of the brain that produce dopamine and norepinephrine, a chemical that helps you a person stay awake, pay attention, and think clearly. ADHD medications are overall very effective and in many cases are crucial to peoples academic and social success and development. Between 70 and 80 percent of patients on ADHD medications experience fewer or milder symptoms. The most popular ADHD medications are Adderall and Ritalin. In addition to becoming a trusted medication for people suffering with the condition, Adderall has also enjoyed popularity as a club or party drug. The drug is a combination of two stimulants, dextroamphetamine and amphetamine. They are highly effective at treating ADHD symptoms, but they are also well-known for the high they produce. The rate of women in their twenties filling prescriptions for ADHD medications such as Adderall spiked nearly 20 percent from 2020 to 2021, while that rate among adult men aged 30 to 39 jumped nearly 15 percent. The CDC study said: 'The combination of potential increased need and reduced barriers to access prescription stimulants [during Covid] might have encouraged more adults with ADHD symptoms to seek diagnosis and treatment. 'Although improved access to ADHD care through telehealth during the pandemic might have benefitted some persons with ADHD symptoms, it might have also introduced the potential for inadequate ADHD evaluations and inappropriate stimulant prescribing.' Roughly 10 percent of teenage boys were on ADHD medication in 2020 and 2021, though that rate actually declined by about two percent. According to the CDC report: The largest single-year increases occurred during 20202021, with the annual change exceeding 10% in many age groups.' Telehealth services exploded during the pandemic when most businesses were closed or hours were limited and people wanted to avoid exposure to the virus by going to see doctors in person. The expansion of telehealth was also a major win for people living in rural communities or low-income areas where quality healthcare is scarce. The pandemic-era relaxation of telehealth rules led to the advent of companies like Cerebral, which is currently in legal hot water over its tendency to dole out stimulant prescriptions without properly examining patients to make sure the drugs would not be abused by someone who did not need them. Adderall prescriptions have steadily increased over the last 12 years. The figures include prescriptions for both Adderall, brand and generic, in the U.S. Earlier this year, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) expressed concern that 'aggressive marketing practices' by telehealth companies may be contributing to excessive prescriptions for ADHD medications. About a month after the DEA voiced its concerns, the Biden administration proposed tightening rules for online prescribing of ADHD medications as well as the opioid addiction treatment buprenorphine. Under the new rules, patients will have to meet in person with prescribers first or be referred by a doctor they met in person. In 1990, fewer than 950,000 children aged 5 through 18 years had been diagnosed with ADHD. By 2016 that figure had ballooned to more than six million. And with that increase in diagnoses came an increase in prescriptions for medications, primarily stimulants, to treat the symptoms. Of those six million children with an ADHD diagnosis, over 3.7 million are receiving treatment for their in the form of medication. Compare that to 1990, when roughly 600,000 children were on ADHD medication. Ritalin has a lot in common with Adderall in that they both stimulate the activity of norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain. But the medications differ in formulation and how they work. Ritalins main ingredient is methylphenidate hydrochloride (MPH). It works quickly and reaches peak performance earlier than Adderall, which stays in the system longer. They also have similar side effects, including sleeplessness, decreased appetite, headache, and increased blood pressure in some cases. The shorter duration that Ritalin remains active in the body combined with euphoria producing effects of amphetamines in general means that people are more likely to abuse Ritalin than Adderall. While Adderall is tremendously popular in the US roughly 41 million Americans are believed to have received a script for it in 2021 it is severely restricted in the UK with relatively few doctors prescribing it and is outright banned in Japan. Britain's National Health Service doled out a total of just 2.23 million ADHD drugs from July 2021 to June 2022. The pandemic boom in new prescriptions has contributed to an ongoing nationwide shortage of Adderall, which has left children unable to concentrate and behave in school, according to parents across the US. Massachusetts-based mom of four Samm Davidson detailed her seven-year-old sons difficulty performing well in school after not having his generic form of Adderall. Ms Davidson said: Today though, I read an email about his increased silliness and inability to pay attention. He is blurting out answers, distracting peers in small groups, and having difficulty completing assignments. And while disappointing, the email comes as no surprise my son has been without his prescription for four days straight, which has a very big impact. An NHS doctor has been suspended for six months after repeatedly making 'porky sausages' remarks to a Muslim colleague. Dr Colathor Eshwari was accused of making the insult by an unidentified female colleague from Pakistan, referred to only as Dr A, that amounted to a 'racial attack'. The medic, who is from India, repeatedly muttered phrases to Dr A about pork, which Muslims do not eat, and also told her not to fill the kettle with 'dirty water'. The incidents took place while they were staying in accommodation provided by Wye Valley NHS Trust in November 2019, when they both began working at Hereford County Hospital. A Medical Practitioners Tribunal ruled that Dr Eshwari's behaviour was 'deplorable' and amounted to 'serious' misconduct and handed her a six-month suspension. The incidents took place while they were both staying in accommodation provided by Wye Valley NHS Trust in November 2019, when they both began working at Hereford County Hospital (pictured) Dr A said she had attempted to introduce herself to Dr Eshwari, who refused to give her name before muttering 'porky sausages' under her breath. She said Dr Eshwari then grabbed a kettle, which Dr A had filled with mineral water, and threw it in the sink stating 'don't make this kettle dirty with your dirty water'. Dr A said she returned to her room, but heard Dr Eshwari continuing to repeat 'porky sausages' in the corridor. She said she was 'shocked and lost for words' and Dr Eshwari kept humming the words 'porky sausages' every time she went into the kitchen and common room. Dr A said she is a Pakistani Muslim, and her country's poor relationship with India led to some Indians calling the country 'Porkistan' and Pakistani people 'porkies', as Muslims do not eat the meat. She said: 'Dr Eshwari's comments felt like a racial attack and therefore I felt like it would be difficult for me to establish a good relationship with Dr Eshwari. 'She stays in kitchen and common room most of the time and when ever I go there, she starts humming this word and making faces.' The General Medical Council, which sets standards for doctors in the UK, said Dr Eshwari's actions had the potential to cause offence, and that she had demonstrated hostility based on Dr A's race or religion. Dr Eshwari did not admit any of the allegations but they were found proven by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service on March 2. Dr Eshwari was handed a six-month suspension from the register after the panel found her fitness to practice impaired by reason of misconduct. During the hearing, Dr Eshwari said she did not know and was not interested in where Dr A came from. She apologised 'unreservedly' for any 'misconception' that Dr A may have reached. Dr Eshwari said that she had discarded the kettle water on health and safety grounds, over concerns it had come from a half-empty bottle. She also claimed that she had been looking for sausages in the fridge at the time and had muttered 'where are the sausages' to herself. The tribunal found Dr Eshwari's actions had potential to cause offence, and showed that she had demonstrated hostility towards Dr A based on her race or religion. They stated: 'The tribunal had determined that Dr Eshwari's misconduct was serious. 'A member of the public, aware of the full facts of the case, would be concerned that a doctor had acted in the way Dr Eshwari did. 'Further, the tribunal was of the view that a fellow professional would find Dr Eshwari's actions deplorable.' Alan Warner, of Morvern Callar fame, heads back into Scottish history to the aftermath of the bruising Battle of Culloden, April 1746 HISTORICAL NOTHING LEFT TO FEAR FROM HELL by Alan Warner (Polygon 10, 128pp) Alan Warner, of Morvern Callar fame, heads back into Scottish history to the aftermath of the bruising Battle of Culloden, April 1746, as Edward Charles Stuart Bonnie Prince Charlie, Italian aristocrat and pretender to the throne of England, Ireland and Scotland takes flight to the remote islands of the Hebrides. Routed and rootless, dismayed at the sight of sacked crofts and butchered animals, but unable to connect the destruction with his own provocative presence in the country, Warner's midge-bitten, melancholy Charlie is a wonderfully contradictory character. By turns funny and furious, raucous and rueful, Warner unravels this story of abject failure with winning aplomb, as the Bonnie Prince dons the disguise of an 'Irish hooley' and bestrides the marshy, heathery ground in a skirt, philosophically musing on his lot while he waits for his rescue. K.J. Maitland's third Daniel Pursglove novel heads into familiarly dangerous territory RIVERS OF TREASON by K.J. Maitland (Headline 22, 432pp) K.J. Maitland's third Daniel Pursglove novel heads into familiarly dangerous territory. As ever, dashing Daniel is caught up in a complex web of plots and counter-plots, including his on-going pursuit of the mysterious Gun Powder plotter Spero Pettinger, the thwarting of a further attempt on the life of King James at an elaborate royal masque and his own personal mission revealing the identity of a ruthless killer who recreates the gallows mark that graces Daniel's neck. Brimful of malice, machinations and gruesome deaths, this is a shadowy novel of spies and double-agents, underworld brothel keepers and religious dissenters, where nothing is as it seems and no one can be trusted. It makes for an exciting, conspiratorial read, even if the bigger picture remains as obscure to the reader as to the puzzled Pursglove. Lenna Wickes is attempting to put aside scientific reasoning in favour of mysterious mediumship under the tutelage of the alluring Vaudeline D'Allaire THE LONDON SEANCE SOCIETY by Sarah Penner (Legend 14.99, 288pp) Lenna Wickes is attempting to put aside scientific reasoning in favour of mysterious mediumship under the tutelage of the alluring Vaudeline D'Allaire a student-teacher relationship that seethes with sexual tension. Renowned for her skill in channelling the spirits of murder victims so they can disclose the identity of their killers, Lenna is hoping that Vaudeline will discover the truth behind the violent deaths of her beloved younger sister, Evie, and also Mr M.Volckman, president of the London Seance Society the last at the behest of the officious Mr. Morley, vice president of the Department of Spiritualism. But as the story progresses, heading from a ruined chateau on the outskirts of Paris to London's West End, Lenna and Vaudeline find themselves embroiled in a sinister, far-reaching scheme that threatens their safety, in this gloriously gothic, delightfully atmospheric slice of Victoriana. Have you been wronged by a firm? Email helen.crane@thisismoney.co.uk Reader's bank, First Direct, and the travel firm, Flights Guru, have not refunded Fraudster pretended to be a bank - but actually stole money to buy flights In early February, I was scammed by someone claiming to be my bank. They said fraudulent transactions had been made on my credit card, and I believed this to be genuine as this person had my card number, expiry date and CVC number. They said they would send a cancellation code to my phone to stop the transactions, which I needed to repeat back to them. But that code turned out to be a one-time passcode, which allowed the scammers to make a purchase with my card online. The money was used to purchase flights with the travel agent Flights Guru, costing 3,005. Flight fraud: Someone booked 3,005 of flights using our reader's card I reported this to Flights Guru as soon as I realised, but it hasn't cancelled the booking and just tells me the legal team is dealing with it. My bank, First Direct, is refusing to refund me as I gave the scammers the one time passcode which allowed the transaction to go through. I asked the bank to deal with it as a Section 75, which it says it will not do as I have no evidence of the purchase. Obviously I cannot get this as I did not purchase the flights. M.T, via email Helen Crane of This is Money replies: Sadly, scams are becoming more convincing all the time and fraudsters are finding new ways to trick people into handing over their money. We are in the middle of a scam epidemic, with a total of 4billion lost to scams in 2022 according to comparison site Money.co.uk up nearly two thirds on the previous year. People from all ages and backgrounds can, and do, fall victim. Banks are trying to keep one step ahead of fraudsters by introducing ever more rigorous checks when people transfer money or buy things online. CRANE ON THE CASE Our weekly column sees This is Money consumer expert Helen Crane tackle reader problems and shine the light on companies doing both good and bad. Want her to investigate a problem, or do you want to praise a firm for going that extra mile? Get in touch: helen.crane@thisismoney.co.uk In recent years they have introduced one-time passcodes when buying things online. These are sent to the customers' mobile phone as a text message or within their banking app, and the customer needs to key the passcode in to a widget on the website before the money is taken. It's supposed to stop scammers in their tracks, as they won't have access to the customer's mobile phone but as your case unfortunately shows, criminals are already getting wise to this tactic and finding ways around it. Having been told someone was trying to take money from your account, you panicked and handed over the code to the person on the phone who you believed was trying to help you but ended up with a 3,005 hole in your bank balance. As the flights were booked on your card, but with other names on the tickets, there would be no issue with them showing a valid passport when they came to board the plane. You told me that as soon as you hung up the phone, something didn't feel right. You called First Direct and Flights Guru, but it was too late to stop the transaction. You couldn't use section 75, as that protection is reserved for purchases customers have legitimately made but that don't meet expectations. Should First Direct have refunded you straight away? There is an argument that it should. Like most major banks, First Direct's parent company HSBC is signed up to a voluntary code of conduct called the CRM code, overseen by the Lending Standards Board, that requires it to refund blameless scam victims in certain scenarios. But when a customer has handed over a passcode to a fraudster, banks sometimes argue that they are liable for the fraud, and therefore decide not to refund. In the banks' defence is the fact that the text messages they send usually tell the recipient not to share the passcode with anyone - even someone claiming to be from the bank itself. I contacted both First Direct and Flights Guru to try and get your money back. Fake call: M.T received a call from someone who said they were from her bank - but it turned out to be a fraudster with her card details who needed a one-time passcode to buy flights Flights Guru was quick to respond, and I spoke to its commercial manager, Liam Brophy. He said the reason the company had not immediately refunded you was that it is often subject to fraud itself. He told me that customers sometimes call up and request to cancel a flight booking, and then when their money has been sent back they also request a chargeback from their card company meaning they get the money twice, at Flights Guru's expense. The limit to make a chargeback claim is 120 days, so Flights Guru initially wanted to wait until that time had passed to pay you back. After I spoke to the firm, you agreed to confirm in writing to the company that you would not be pursuing a chargeback claim, and Flights Guru made the refund within a few days. It did keep 155 to pay for the charges it would incur for cancelling the flights with the airlines. Flights Guru said it was also willing to hand over the names on the booked tickets to your bank or the authorities. However, Brophy pointed out there was a risk it could be a double scam, where the fraudster was also charging another unsuspecting party for the flight booking they had made on your card. After Flights Guru had refunded you, First Direct got in touch. As you handed over the passcode to the scammer despite warnings in the text message, it is unfortunately holding you liable for the fraud. How to stay safe from impersonation scams Ross Martin, head of digital safety at Barclays, gives the following advice: 1) Be wary of unexpected calls or messages Scammers will often make calls or messages look like they're coming from someone you know, or a well-known organisation such as a bank or the police. If you're ever unsure, you should immediately end the call and ring them back on a number you trust. Never give remote access to your computer or device to someone who has called you unexpectedly. 2) Never click on links in messages you're unsure about Scammers can make their messages look like they're coming from a person or organisation you know. Never click on a link in a message without asking yourself whether you were expecting that message, as this can be a way for them to steal your personal information. If you are unsure, call the person or company directly (using a number you trust) to confirm if they do need to get hold of you. 3) Don't be convinced into transferring your money into a 'safe account' A trusted organisation or bank will never tell you that your funds are at risk, or that you need to send them to a 'safe account'. If this happens, it's a scam immediately end the conversation. However, it has also agreed to refund you the outstanding 155 as a gesture of goodwill, meaning you are now all square. A spokesperson said: 'Protecting our customers from fraud is an absolute priority for us and we are sorry to hear that M.T has fallen victim to a fraudster. We fully investigate every case and take guidance from the CRM code to ensure fair and reasonable outcomes for our customers. 'On this occasion, M.T shared the one-time passcode with a fraudster, which allowed the transaction to be processed. We understand she has now received a refund from the travel company of 2,850, and we have refunded the cancellation fee as a gesture of goodwill. 'As this case highlights, fraudsters are criminals who use a range of techniques to exploit their victims and convince them they are genuine. We want to remind all customers that First Direct would never ask a customer for their one time passcode. We advise people to remain vigilant and to always take note of fraud warnings.' Online shoppers urged to call out rip-offs Trick tactics: The Government is urging online shoppers to report retailers who try and lure them into spending more using fake 'sales' and pressure tactics With the cost of almost everything we buy continuing to rise, people are looking for a bargain more than ever before. That often means searching around online to make sure you are getting the best deal but unfortunately these deals are sometimes too good to be true. The Competition and Markets Authority - a Government body which makes sure businesses are playing fair - wants shoppers to call out rip-offs when they see them, and has set up a new website where they can report them. It wants shoppers to tip it off about retailers that use heavy-handed sales tactics and other sneaky tricks to get them to part with more cash. This could include misleading claims about price reductions or discounts, hidden taxes or charges, signing customers up for subscriptions they don't want, or using made-up customer reviews to make their products sound better than they are. It also wants them to call out 'urgency' tactics, which is when retailers try to close a quick sale by telling shoppers there are only a few items left or having a countdown clock to when an 'offer' ends, for example. I get lots of complaints from readers about this kind of unscrupulous behaviour, and I'm glad to see there's now a straightforward way to call retailers out. Private tenants who complain to their landlord about disrepair are more than twice as likely to be given an eviction notice, according to new research. Data from homelessness charity Shelter, compiled by YouGov, reveals renters who have contacted their landlord, letting agent or council in the past three years about the condition of their property were 159 per cent more likely to be given two months' notice to move out than those who had not. The research found 25 per cent of renters, just over 2 million people, had avoided asking their landlord for repairs to be carried out or conditions improved for fear of being evicted. A survey from YouGov reveals renters are wary of approaching their landlord about repairs out of fear they will be served with an eviction notice The research also revealed that more than three in four (76 per cent) of private renters in England have experienced disrepair in their home. More than half have had issues with damp or mould, and nearly a third with lack of hot water or heating. Findings from the survey tally with data from users on Shelter's website. Since the beginning of the year, Shelter's online advice pages on disrepair have been accessed every 18 seconds. This is a 53 per cent increase compared with the same period last year. The results come amid a flurry of proposed changes for the private rental sector. The Government's long-awaited Renters Reform Bill is set to abolish 'no-fault' evictions, also known as section 21s, which allow landlords to hand a tenant two months' notice to vacate a property without giving a reason. However, the government has also announced measures to toughen up rights for landlords looking to evict anti-social tenants as part of its new anti-social behaviour action plan. Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: 'By dragging its heels on the Renters Reform Bill, the Government has left private renters in a terrible catch 22 they either shut up and put up with disrepair, or risk more than doubling their chances of eviction in a cost of living crisis. BUY-TO-LET YIELD CALCULATOR This calculator shows the rental return on your investment property as a percentage of its value Property value: Monthly rent: ::: Calculate ::: Annual rent: Yield: 'It is a travesty that so many private renters are too afraid to complain about the mould growing all over their kids' clothes, or the water pouring in through broken window frames, in case it costs them their home. 'Renters are bearing the brunt of Government dithering over urgently needed private rental reforms.' Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said: 'No renter should have to put up with unsafe housing. It is important that they have the confidence to challenge poor standards where they see them. 'There are almost 170 laws affecting the private rented sector, including those protecting tenants from so called 'revenge' evictions. Councils need to make better use of these powers to protect renters from rogue and criminal landlords.' The concern from landlords around the abolition of section 21 is that they will not be able to get their property back without fault-free evictions. Tarun Bhakta, policy manager at Shelter, said: 'The government has heard from landlords who want it to be easy to reclaim possession of their properties and fear when Section 21 goes they will not be able to do that. 'However, when no-fault evictions are scrapped, they will still be able to evict their tenants but will have to provide a legitimate and lawful reason for doing so. What should not be allowed to happen is for new loopholes to open up that allow for unfair, essentially no-fault evictions to continue via the back door.' Furious residents and business owners have slammed road works to install wavy kerbs in their street, saying revenue has been decreased by as much as 40 per cent. North Londoners said that the low-traffic measure means workers 'can't bring any stock' into the area meaning that customers are not getting their orders 'because couriers can't get in'. The row comes after Islington Council redesigned Charlton Place, just off the A1, and banned traffic from driving down the road during peak hours - from 8.15am to 9.15am and 3pm to 3.45pm. The radical wavy kerb design is meant to encourage motorists to slow down, discourage parking, and create a 'safer cycle route' - while lorries weighing over 3.5 tonnes will be banned from the street. These restrictions will be enforced under an Experimental Traffic Order (ETO) with an 18 month trial. Furious residents and business owners have slammed Islington Council's decision to install wavy kerbs as new-anti car measure that makes street Charlton Place (pictured) 'look like Legoland or Alton Towers' Islington Council's map of the Charlton Place development, which indicates the wavy road and the timed driving restrictions Botan Aygun says he has been dissatisfied with the amount of notice given to local businesses ahead of the works Owner of home goods store In-Residence, Jacqui Bulmer, says the scheme is counterproductive and has resulted in fewer shoppers visiting the area The London council went a ahead with plans to 'improve' the passage, despite their consultations showing them that nearly a quarter of local residents strongly disagreed with the plans. Following this, some local business owners - who say most of traders are of the same opinion - say the scheme is not worth it and they are already out of pocket while the street is being paved. Jacqui Bulmer, 47, owner of home goods store In-Residence in Camden Passage, said: 'I'm definitely against it. I think it's a complete and utter waste of money. There's not a problem with traffic around here, there's been no increase in traffic. And this is limiting people coming and shopping in the area. 'There have already been cyclists effing and blinding at somebody who has asked them to dismount on the pavements. This will just give them more of a carte blanche to do what they like - it's an accident waiting to happen. It's dangerous. 'And they're putting benches out, that's lovely. But we do have a lot of vagrants around here and all you're going to have is drunks using them. There's also the cost of living crisis, and money in the borough would be better spent on people who can't afford to feed their children or heat their own homes. 'It's affected my business massively, especially my deliveries. At the moment, my customers are not getting their orders because couriers can't get in and they're refusing to deliver them. There's also been a huge impact because it stopping people coming here to park and shop in the area. 'The council has set up pay and display bays to try and encourage people and more to come in. It's completely contradictory to what they're trying to do here. I'd say 90% of residents and businesses opposed it, but it went ahead anyway. And they've said it's a trial, but they're not going to spend the money and then remove it so it doesn't feel like it. It doesn't feel like we live in a democracy anymore.' A seller of antiques since she was 12, trading in the West End for 25 years before moving to Camden Passage, Maryanne Wilkins, 81, said: 'I'm shocked by it. It's the most lovely Georgian crescent opposite a house Mr Charlton built himself, the double fringed house. It could be the best house in the area. 'It hasn't handicapped my business, but it has handicapped me. I'm 80 plus and at the moment bringing things in in the morning there are already seven lorries so it's trouble having to get in and out for the workmen. I'm not complaining about that - they're doing a good job. 'But I'm a council rate payer at a huge cost. It was a lovely visual thing, but now early in the morning you see a hurly burly of lorries coming in. We're going to be offered just one loading bay for all the businesses - we'll never get into it. I could get things nicked, I have to leave it open. But before I just used to nip up the road and park for ten minutes whilst I got things out.' The radical redesign on the 18th Century Georgian street in Islington - which follows Low Traffic Neighbourhood in trend of getting cars off Britain's roads - will ban drivers in the mornings and early afternoon Workers lay slabs for roadworks for a new 'wavy road' at Charlton Place in Islington. Business owners say they have been affected by the works Under the new plans for the road, which is currently under construction, traffic would be restricted and would not be able to pass down Charlton Place, which dates back to 1795, between the hours of 8.15am to 9:15am and 3pm to 3.45pm The wavy lined road, designed to stop vehicles, and slow bicycles, is yet another traffic-calming measure introduced under Sadiq Khan's leadership as Mayor of London. Owner of The Framers, Botan Aygun, 32, said: 'Currently because of the road works I can't bring in any stock. And I've had to on occasion carry large sheets of glass through the roadworks. It's a hazard, and suppliers have told me they're not delivering whilst it's going on. 'The council said it wouldn't affect my businesses, all I've had is a leaflet dropped off saying they are doing the works but that was two or three weeks before. There's been little pre-warning. They said they went door to door, but that's a complete lie. I'm in there [his shop] six days a week, and the only time I was able to dispute this was during an open forum on the corner of Charlton place and Camden passage. I popped my head out to see what was going on, and I expressed myself to a young lady saying it would have a negative impact and a public health hazard. 'I'm having to carry large pieces of glass three millimetres thick that wobble, around 25 a week, and oversized artworks that are two and half metres. I can't any longer accommodate that. Customers are needing multiple works done but they can't get to us for collection. More than 40% of my turnover has gone since these roadworks. It's ridiculous, what they've done without consideration for businesses. It's insane, it seems to be a vanity project. They're not hearing our voices.' Another business owner, who preferred not to share their name, said: 'What has happened is the council held two public consultations, we were badly notified. Very few businesses attended. We've carried out a questionnaire asking how many were for and against, and those against were over 97 per cent. The diagram they've provided to us in a PDF is also hard to understand. We need to make sure the community at large is heard.' Islington Council went ahead with their plans to 'improve' Charlton Place and Camden Passage in the Angel area of North London BEFORE TEARING THE ROAD UP: Charlton Place had a widened section of pavement to narrow the road to help control traffic flow And another businessman, who has been selling his wares in the area since the 1970s and wished not to be named, said: 'It's a load of nonsense. There's something wrong with the people who designed it. Here is supposed to be a conservation area but they're turning it into something out of Legoland or Alton Towers or something. 'They're complete and utter idiots using traffic as an old excuse. Pollution is pollution. The biggest single cause of pollution is that millions of people are living in terrible conditions in their houses. But they're spending more on roads than housing.' Although, other traders are more keen on the project. This comes following news that the authority plans to install new paved areas featuring 'more attractive York stone paving' and a 'safer cycle route to enable people to cycle southeast bound down Charlton Place'. And there are also plans to include more greenery within the vicinity, including planting beds and trees in the street, as well as more seating on Charlton Place. Scott Humphreys, 35, owner of Kitch Hair for three years, said: 'I love it. Everyone's going mental about it, but I love this new road. The guys on the corner tried to set up a meeting to oppose it, but if it stops my clients from getting hurt whilst they stand outside the shop, that's fine. It will also make the whole area look a lot nicer. They're putting in benches and flower pits as well, it will look gorgeous.' A woman who was passing by, in a hurry and wished not to be named, added: 'Is it to slow traffic? Well I think it's a good idea.' An Islington Council spokesperson said: 'We're making high-quality improvements to Camden Passage - one of Islington's most iconic streets - and Charlton Place, to make the local area greener and healthier for local people and traders.' They added: 'The changes will help attract more visitors and bring more footfall to local businesses, which include many unique shops, as well as outdoor markets and cafes. There will be new seating and planting on Charlton Place to create a pleasant, inviting area for local people to sit, rest and chat outside. 'The redesigned carriageway at Charlton Place aims to increase pedestrian safety by reducing the speeds of vehicles approaching the junction with Camden Passage. We consulted local residents and businesses on the proposals last summer, receiving more than 200 responses. We took feedback on board and made changes to the scheme.' And when further questioned further about the scheme despite consultations showing that that nearly a quarter of local residents strongly disagreed with the plans a spokesperson for Islington Council told MailOnline: 'We're making high-quality improvements to Camden Passage one of Islington's most iconic streets and Charlton Place, to make the local area greener and healthier for local people and traders. 'The changes will help attract more visitors and bring more footfall to local businesses, which include many unique shops, as well as outdoor markets and cafes. 'There will be new seating and planting on Charlton Place to create a pleasant, inviting area for local people to sit, rest and chat outside. 'The redesigned carriageway at Charlton Place aims to increase pedestrian safety by reducing the speeds of vehicles approaching the junction with Camden Passage. 'We consulted local residents and businesses on the proposals last summer, receiving more than 200 responses. We took feedback on board and made changes to the scheme.' Shares in Tesco rose as analysts backed Britains biggest grocer to produce bumper profits with investors in line for further handouts. Investment bank Morgan Stanley expects Tesco to report a profit of 2.53billion for the year to mid-April above the range of 2.4billion and 2.5billion the grocer gave in January. In that trading update, Tesco also reiterated its forecast to generate at least 1.8billion of cash at the end of its financial year. But Morgan Stanley has pencilled in 1.87billion and thinks Tesco has room for another 200million of share buybacks. The broker raised Tescos rating to overweight from equalweight and increased the target price to 296p from 263p. Upgrade: Morgan Stanley expects Tesco to report a profit of 2.53bn for the year to mid-April - above the range of 2.4bn and 2.5bn the grocer gave in January It also said the grocer should withstand the pressures of rising food prices as the latest industry data shows that volumes are holding up even as prices increase. Food retail typically outperforms during bouts of market volatility, said Morgan Stanley. And, concerning rumours surrounding a possible sale of Tesco Bank, Morgan Stanley said it has more than 300million of spare cash that could be paid out. Tesco shares, up 17 per cent this year, were up 3 per cent, or 7.6p, to 262.5p. Other retailers were faring well, with Ocado up 7.7 per cent, or 34p, to 478p while Sainsburys added 1.1 per cent, or 3p, to 267.8p. On the wider market, the FTSE 100 rose 1.1 per cent, or 80.02 points to 7564.27 and the FTSE 250 was up 1.3 per cent, or 236.12 points, to 18,632.81. Londons top index made gains for a third consecutive session amid hopes the turmoil in the banking sector can be contained. Stock Watch - Versarien Graphene firm Versarien could tap investors for funds to shore up the business. Chairman Diane Savory and the two other non-executive directors have agreed to work without pay to help reduce costs. It has also axed staff and reduced non-essential spending. It said it could raise fresh funds from disposals, grants, tapping investors or placing extra shares. And a turnaround specialist has been drafted in. The shares fell 20.6 per cent, or 0.64p, to 2.45p. Barclays gained 3.5 per cent, or 4.84p, to 142.02p, HSBC was up 2.4 per cent, or 12.9p, to 554p and Lloyds rose 1.6 per cent, or 0.73p, to 47.13p. Shore Capital analyst Gary Greenwood said the rally showed signs that the UK banks were in a relatively strong position when compared to US peers. Oil prices rose, with Brent crude reaching nearly $80 a barrel. It sent BP up 0.5 per cent, or 2.7p, to 510.5p while Shell added 1.6 per cent, or 35p, to 2298p. Asset managers also staged a rally with M&G up 3.7 per cent, or 6.6p, to 185.95p while L&G rose 3.1 per cent, or 7.2p, to 236.8p and Phoenix Group gained 3.2 per cent, or 17.4p, to 566.8p. But Smith & Nephew slipped after Barclays downgraded the medical devices maker to underweight from overweight and cut the target price to 1100p from 1480p. Shares fell 1.1 per cent, or 12.5p, to 120.5p. At Essentra, the components business made a positive start to the year with orders 8pc ahead of 2022 on a like-for-like basis. It rose 5.4 per cent, or 9.6p, to 187p. Meanwhile the UK subsidiary of defence group Chemring has secured an order worth 43million to deliver vital components used in the Next Generation Light Anti-Tank Weapon system. It will take some time for Chemring to get the components, meaning they will be delivered to customers from 2024 through to 2026. It rose 0.7 per cent, or 2p, to 273.5p. Moneysupermarket soared 4.8 per cent, or 11.6p, to 255.8p after UBS raised the comparison websites target price to 270p from 250p. The boss of kettle controls maker Strix said recent sales data this year shows some green shots are appearing as his company eyes a return to growth after revenue slid 10.5 per cent to 106.9million in 2022 while profit plunged 31.1 per cent to 22.2million. Shares soared 5.7 per cent, or 5p, to 93.2p. At Michelmersh, the brick maker said orders have been rolling in already this year as it looks to cater for the premium end of the UK and Benelux markets. Last year revenue surged 15pc to 68.4million while profit soared 17.2 per cent to 11.4million. Shares gained 3.3 per cent, or 3p, to 94p. Royal Mail bosses were locked in crisis talks yesterday as trades union leaders looked poised to call for fresh walkouts. The 507-year-old companys board met in London as chairman Keith Williams and chief executive Simon Thompson try to solve the bitter dispute. With the postal service losing more than 1million a day, bosses have warned further strikes could see it put into administration. They said strikes will threaten the job security of its posties. Williams was appointed to the board in 2019 after 18 years at British Airways where he ended a row with cabin crew over pay and conditions. Strike threat: Royal Mail's board met in London as chairman Keith Williams and chief executive Simon Thompson try to solve the bitter dispute But he has failed to work the same magic at Royal Mail, in a long-running dispute with the Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents around 115,000 postal workers, over changes to pay and conditions the firm insists are necessary for it to modernise and compete with rivals. Royal Mail has been battered by 18 days of strikes over the last year including the Christmas period. After 11 months of talks, making numerous improvements to our offer based on CWU feedback, and mediated talks, we are deeply concerned that we have yet to reach an agreement, it said. We have been clear throughout that significant transformation of our network and working practices is essential for the business to survive. 'It is not sustainable for the business to be losing more than 1million a day. Change cannot continue to be delayed. Further strikes would only serve to threaten the job security of our postmen and women and make our pay offer unaffordable, it said. CWU general secretary Dave Ward blamed the crisis in Royal Mails finances on the way it has dealt with the dispute, adding its offer was not good enough. It is thought the CWU could call more strikes today, with the firm expected to respond immediately, possibly by calling in administrators. When the Government announced energy bill help for households last year, businesses were initially left without support, despite facing higher costs. Following backlash from the business world, it then announced the Energy Bill Relief Scheme in September. This provides a discount on wholesale gas and electricity prices for all businesses - and is costing the Government upwards of 18billion. But it is set to be short-lived, as the EBRS will come to an end on Friday with the Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS) springing into action on 1 April. The new, less generous scheme, offers businesses a discount on the unit price of gas and electricity and is available to those on fixed-price contracts that were agreed on or after 1 December 2021, as well as deemed and out-of-contract rates. As businesses look for clarity around their future energy costs, we guide you through what the scheme means for your monthly bills and when they might start to fall. Change in support: The Government has replaced the energy relief scheme with a less generous discount for small businesses putting many companies at risk of closure What will businesses pay under the Energy Bills Discount Scheme? It's difficult to work out how much businesses will be paying from April in the same way as before, because the Government is offering a discount rather than a price cap. Rather than a flat rate, the amount businesses will pay when the discount is applied will completely depend on the rates they're currently paying to their supplier. The maximum discount for gas is around 0.7p per kilowatt hour, subject to a threshold rate of 10.7p per kWh, while the maximum discount for electricity is around 2p with a threshold rate of 30.2p per kWh. The threshold rate is the lowest amount you can be discounted to under the scheme. This means: If you're paying 32.2p per kWh of electricity you'll receive the full 2p discount and pay 30.2p per kWh under EBDR, according to Bionic. If you pay 31.2p per kWh you'll only get a 1p discount to take you to the 30.2p discount. If you pay 33.2p per kWh of electricity you'll get the full 2p discount but still be paying over the threshold. Standing charges aren't affected by the scheme. The Government claims a pub which uses 16MWh of gas and 4MWh of electricity each month could save up to 2,280 this year. If the business signed a fixed contract this month, with a monthly gas bill of 2,976 and an electricity bill of 1,796, energy broker Bionic says that under the EBDS they will save 112 a month on gas and 80 on electricity. That would mean the pub could save up to 2,304 a year. Large business energy users like those in mining and manufacturing will be eligible for a further discount. 'Energy Trade Intensive Industries' will get 4p off the difference between the wholesale unit rate they pay to their supplier, and the threshold rate of 9.9p per kWh. The maximum discount for electricity will be 8.9p with a price threshold of 18.5p per kWh. There's no need for businesses to apply for a discount under the EBDS as suppliers will automatically apply reductions to the bills of all eligible non-domestic customers. However, if you think you might qualify as an energy-intensive industry you will need to apply. How small businesses are coping Louise O'Leary, who runs Frolics cafe in St Mellons told This Is Money: 'This time last year, there was money in the bank to pay the bills. Now there's no money in the bank to pay them.' She has been running the community cafe for 10 years but fears she may have to close without further government support given her bills have rocketed from 484 to 2,500 a month. She said the energy relief scheme was 'useless' and 'not enough'. 'During Covid, the government backed small business, gave them grants, and said they were important to society. Now, during this [crisis], the government have turned their back on us.' When will energy bills start to go down for businesses? Without an energy cap, businesses will now be closely watching whether wholesale gas prices keep going down. Gas prices have been falling since the end of 2022 due to a milder winter and European gas storage strategies, but energy price forecasts are still high compared to historical norms. While prices are expected to fall this year, they are unlikely to return to the prices business owners were paying before the Ukraine invasion. Cornwall Insight expects to see prices level off around 100 per megawatt hour, double the five-year average price businesses were paying before. Suppliers offering a contract now are likely to offer a lower price than three months ago, but prices will vary by supplier and how much energy is being used. Cornwall Insight said, at the highest point last year, customers had been offered contracts 5 to 6 times what they were paying pre-crisis. Now it expects customers to be paying around 2 or 3 times what they were paying before the invasion. In the short term, prices are coming down but that is relative to record highs so businesses should be mindful they will not be expected to come down to pre-crisis levels. Therefore, if you have a flexible contract it is worth checking with your supplier what the new discount scheme means for you. Industry leaders say scheme doesn't do enough For many small businesses, the new scheme doesn't even touch the surface of the pressures mounting. Industry leaders have hit back at the flat rate per unit discount, which is six times less generous than the help in place today, warning it won't be enough to stem the tide of businesses going bust. I'm hearing from pubs where monthly energy bills are exceeding rent, and others who have temporarily shut sites during the winter months to save on gas and electricity Sacha Lord, Manchester's night time economy adviser Research by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) reveals a quarter of small businesses anticipate having to close, downsize or change their business model once the energy cap ends in March. The day-to-day impact will depend on how much energy a business uses. While there is help for companies in energy-intensive sectors, other struggling industries will see little to no support. There was a worrying lack of support for small businesses in Marchs Budget. Despite an extension of the energy price guarantee for domestic households, small businesses were left in the lurch again with no further support beyond the discount scheme. Martin McTague, national chair of the Federation of Small Businesses, was less than happy with the Budget, saying the support for small firms in critical areas was 'glaring'. 'Action is what counts if we are to reverse the 500,000 small businesses lost over the last two years. It's high time the Government put small firms at the top of the agenda and lend them the necessary support on the path to economic recovery.' Struggles: Many small businesses are finding it hard to pay their increased bills How can small businesses cut their bills? Without further intervention, businesses will have to look around around at the energy deals on offer. Fixing rates will guarantee more stability in what continues to be a volatile market and the lower your contract, the lower the rates will be under the new discounted scheme. Les Roberts, business comparison expert at Bionic said: 'It makes sense to prepare now, by keeping an eye on when your current fixed rate deal is ending and making sure your business is as energy efficient as possible. 'The new scheme is only available to "non-domestic customers who have a contract with a licensed energy supplier"'. 'This means that you won't be eligible for a discount if you're on your supplier's deemed or out of contract rates. If you're in this position, or if your current contract is ending soon, it makes sense to compare deals and lock in your rates to avoid paying your supplier's more expensive rate and make the most of the EBDS.' If you're struggling with bills the first port of call should be contacting your supplier to explain your situation. They might be able to review your contract or agree to a payment plan. Another way to cut costs is reducing the amount of energy your business uses on a day-to-day basis. This can be difficult to do, especially if you're working in hospitality or leisure, but there might be some small switches to be made. Roberts suggests swapping your usual bulbs to modern LEDs, CFL or halogens which, although they have an upfront cost, will last longer. Limiting the use of heating will also help to keep bills down, but for some businesses this is not possible. If you're looking at long-term efficiency you might want to consider draught-proofing your promises, but this comes at an expense. Many energy companies offer schemes or grants to help you improve your business energy efficiency, which can help cut costs. Contact your supplier to find out what they offer. Roberts adds: 'Although not ideal, you might need to increase your prices to help cover the higher overheads or cut back on any growth plans. You might even need to consider reducing your opening hours, cutting staff hours, or losing some members of staff completely. 'There are also some less drastic measures you can take, such as switching to cheaper service or stock providers, making sure you're not signed up for any subscription services you no longer use, and checking out if your business is eligible for tax relief.' How has your small business been affected by higher bills? Get in touch editor@thisismoney.co.uk Interview: China's economic bounce welcome, positive for global growth, says business professional Xinhua) 14:34, March 30, 2023 BOAO, China, March 30 (Xinhua) -- China's progressive economic performance since the beginning of 2023 is a welcome development for the world and is positive for global growth, said a senior business professional attending the ongoing Boao Forum for Asia annual conference. "Chinese economic data is definitely looking better over the past two months. We've seen a real ... bounce," said Ben Simpfendorfer, a partner at leading international management consulting firm Oliver Wyman. "Particularly, manufacturing is up strongly, expanding new orders, which suggests that we're gonna see strength in production going forward," he said. "At the same time, retail sales are a little bit stronger: spending on restaurants, spending on gasolines as well as consumer staples are also strong." China's retail sales, a gauge of consumption growth, increased 3.5 percent year on year in the January-February period, reversing declines seen in the previous three months. In the first two months, China's value-added industrial output went up 2.4 percent year on year, while the index gauging the country's service industry output rose 5.5 percent. "China's recovery means that it will play a more important role in driving global growth going forward, particularly in the year when worries about global recession are mounting," said Simpfendorfer, also a board member of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. He pointed out that China is a major importer of products for other economies, especially countries across Asia and the Middle East. "And so, recovery in demand (in China) would be most welcome." "While we're on the right path to recovery, we need to see spending, both consumer spending as well as capital spending, begin to strengthen from here," said the expert, who has been working in Asia and the Middle East for over 20 years. As this year marks the 10th anniversary of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the business expert noted that the growth-oriented initiative has been advancing collaboration in Asia, and its progress is a welcome and profitable development for the wider world. "As the initiative's projects are collaborative and bringing multiple parties, especially local partners, it certainly helps in driving collaboration across the region," he said. "At the same time, the initiative itself is beginning to evolve, which once focused on primarily very large-value infrastructure projects. We're beginning to see spending refocus on supply chains, particularly in Southeast Asia, business parks, ports, roads, anything that supports global manufacturing," he said. "That's a welcome development because these types of investment are more likely to be profitable for investors," Simpfendorfer added. He highlighted Asia's commitment to regional integration and economic globalization, saying the positive benefits of the region's backbone free trade agreements will continue to expand, which will ultimately propel global growth. "Asia is home to two of the world's leading trade agreements, RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) as well as CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership), which really underscores the fact the region's committed to globalization, committed to trade as a driver of growth," he said. As Asia remains the world's largest manufacturing hub and a growing source of demand with around 60 percent of the world's population, its commitment to the free flow of goods and services "will ultimately be positive for global growth," he said. Looking into the future, Simpfendorfer said Asia will emerge as "perhaps the world's largest trade bloc," and Asian integration boosts economic globalization. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Advertisement An accused serial rapist kept a meticulous ledger of 21 young Korean women he lured with fake job ads before carrying out a series of alleged sexual assaults. Balesh Dhankhar is on trial facing 39 charges including drugging and raping five women while they were unconscious in January to October 2018, and recording them on hidden cameras. A jury heard he had a 'very specific modus operandi' to ensnare the women - using the same hotel, cafe, and Korean restaurant in almost all the rapes. Prosecutors alleged he spiked glasses of wine and other drinks with tablets of the sleeping drug Stilnox or infamous date-rape drug rohypnol, either at a restaurant or his flat in the World Square complex in the Sydney CBD. Dhankhar, 43, admitted on Wednesday that his scheme to meet women to satisfy his Korean fetish was 'immoral' and broke down in the witness box explaining how it worked and how to decode the ledger. Balesh Dhankhar is accused of luring five young Korean women with a fake job ad before drugging and raping them on camera hidden in a clock The first page of the meticulous 'call list' ledger Dhankhar kept of all 75 people who responded to his fake job ads from May 2018 onwards when it became difficult to keep track of them all. BASE 4 means he had sex with them The ledger, filed with the NSW District Court, reveals the scores of other women the court heard he tried the same moves on, but either discarded as not attractive enough or they did not respond to his wiles. He recorded their personal details along with note from email, phone, and in-person communication, along with plans what what to do next in an 'action' column. Dhankhar explained to the court that women he managed to have sex with were listed in the action column as 'BASE 4', a term he picked up from Hollywood movies. He explained that others were listed as 'STOP' if he was going to stop contacting them, and 'HOLD' for those put on the backburner. The court heard there were a variety of reasons why his pursuit of them could be ended or paused, including his lack of physical attraction after meeting them, or that something in their circumstances made it too difficult. There were also references to 'pipe', short for pipeline which meant they were progressing towards him having sex with them, and the column 'pipeline comment' noted how that was going. The entry for a woman he allegedly raped on September 9 noted she 'sounds cute' on the phone - but he was more enthusiastic after their meeting. 'Had dinner, super hot, applied for Emirates flight attendant, loves drinking & clubs,' it read. The action column had 'BASE 4' but a note in the 'pipeline comment' column read 'got angry on base 4, doesn't want to continue - close'. A jury heard he had a 'very specific modus operandi' to ensnare and rape the women - using the same hotel, cafe, and Korean restaurant in almost all the rapes The entry for a woman he allegedly raped on September 9 noted she 'sounds cute' in the phone call notes and was even more enthusiastic after their meeting - but cut off contact after she got angry Four days later, Dhankhar allegedly raped his third victim twice, despite her telling him that she didn't want to get involved with him because she had a boyfriend. The ledger entry's meeting notes acknowledged this issue with 'has a Thai BF, ready to breakup for me'. The note added 'dropped in mid night', after he lured her back to his apartment following their dinner at Koibito, a nearby Korean restaurant also close to the Hilton Hotel. The court heard this woman woke up and saw a condom wrapper and felt pain, leading her to realise they had sex. She told the court she called her boyfriend in tears saying she didn't know where she was and had to break up with him because of what happened. An entry for the fourth woman Dhankhar allegedly raped went into long detail about her English literature degree and background, but that she 'sounded bad, weak eng' on the phone. After meeting, his notes were more complimentary: 'slim, avg height, pretty 6.5, jolly... almost went to dinner but she had to go for drinks with British girls'. An update to the meeting notes column after he allegedly raped her twice after their second meeting on October 12 added 'met for dinner Fri, came home'. However, the pipeline comment read: 'got confused after base 4, take it slow and bring her in'. The woman told the court she initially gave Dhankhar the benefit of the doubt and called the alleged rape an 'accident' because he seemed like a good man and she blamed herself for what happened. 'I don't understand why we did that first time we can call it accident, that's it. I don't want to make second time,' she wrote in a text to him days later. The entry for Dhankhar's fourth alleged victim, noting 'got confused after base 4, take it slow and bring her in' One woman was listed as being 'too smart' to fall for his schemes A woman who lived in Singapore and knew Vietnamese whose action entry read 'PIPE HOT', but noted she 'keeps cancelling meeting, very hot, keep trying'. Dhankhar told the court the 'very hot' line was an 'observation that I feel bad about' Just weeks later, Dhankhar allegedly raped his fifth victim on October 21 - but this one led to him being arrested. Her ledger entry is incomplete because he was arrested a day after meeting her, when she went to the police. It only noted her work and education background with 'fix meeting' in the action column. The court heard this woman felt dizzy after drinking wine at his flat after he lured her there to see his view of the Sydney Opera House, and retreated to the bathroom where she sent a friend a screenshot of location. 'Sister, I feel very intoxicated, however slightly different kind of intoxication. I don't know what I should do, sister' she wrote. 'I am different drunk. I am not normal drunk and I am worried myself. [He] keeps trying to kiss me I f**ked up.' The court heard the next thing she remembered was waking up to Dhankhar allegedly trying to have sex with her. She told him 'it's a crime and you don't even wear a condom' as he allegedly struggled to penetrate her and she again lost consciousness. His fifth alleged victim's ledger entry is incomplete because he was arrested a day after meeting her, when she went to the police. It only noted her work and education background with 'fix meeting' in the action column Dhankhar's arrest derailed his pursuit of another woman referenced in the ledger, as she was listed as being in the 'pipeline' When she woke up again, she dressed and tried to go home, but the walk to the door was 'painful, difficult, and endless'. The court heard Dhankhar drove her home and she cried uncontrollably and vomited until her roommate called the police. Dhankhar's arrest derailed his pursuit of another woman referenced in the ledger, as she was listed as being in the 'pipeline'. 'Cute and beautiful, very quiet, went for walk to Korea town, but didn't have dinner - try,' the entry about their October 15 meeting read, with a pipeline comment advising himself to 'take slow'. Other women on Dhankhar's ledger One of the first women listed, whom he met on June 20, noted she had a boyfriend but 'still scope': 'pretty face, smart, has BF, thinking to breakup'. A woman he slept with, who is not one of the five women he is on trial for allegedly raping, noted as 'cute and fool'. A women he put on the backburner for her weak English but noted she was 'nerdy with short hair, cute, may be virgin'. One who 'came home easily' but wasn't listed as having had sex with him, and listed as 'cute but 30'. A young student whose call notes read 'dry and confused - try if pretty' and another who was 'sweet & dumb' A woman who lived in Singapore and knew Vietnamese whose action entry read 'PIPE HOT', but noted she 'keeps cancelling meeting, very hot, keep trying'. Dhankhar told the court the 'very hot' line was an 'observation that I feel bad about'. Two women he decided were too savvy for his scheme, one simply listed as 'TOO SMART' and the other 'asks too many questions'. A woman who he was so unimpressed by he wrote STOP not once, but twice: '5/10, lives with relatives, overprotected, dull. let her go'. Another he put on the backburner for being '6/10, tall, slim, not so pretty, lives in city with younger sister, but dull and cold, try slowly'. Advertisement Dhankhar told the court he made spreadsheets to organise everything in his life, even to make detailed itineraries for holidays that were planned down to the hour. He said the spreadsheet was created in May or June of 2018 because there was too much to keep track of and was prompted by him calling the same person twice by accident. Of the 75 people in the ledger, 54 of them were male, but still had detailed notes recorded. Though he had not sexual interest in them, they could still be of use to him as 'mules' who carried out tasks for him, such as checking translation assignments he gave the women as part of the ruse. Police discovered the ledger, saved as 'call list', on Dhankhar's computer when they raided his home and arrested him. They also found Stilnox tablets and rohypnol, both of which he had a prescription for. Dhankhar recorded the alleged rapes on a camera hidden in a clock he bought on eBay, or on his mobile phone, which were recovered by police. The jury was also shown videos of Dhankhar having consensual sex with other Korean women, but allegedly secretly recording them with the hidden camera. Police allegedly discovered 47 videos of Dhankhar having sex with Korean women on his computer, catalogued under the names. Dhankhar pleaded not guilty, claiming all five women consented to sex, and to being filmed, and is in the middle of a lengthy trial in the NSW District Court. He has spent the past more than four years fighting the charges, unsuccessfully trying to have his name suppressed. The 'lead data visualisation consultant' worked for Sydney Trains during all the alleged rapes, and was hired by Pfizer and the ABC for one-year contracts while on bail in 2019 to 2021. Two more women in Dhankhar's ledger, one he was so unimpressed with after meeting that he wrote STOP not once, but twice, and another he put on the backburner for asking too many questions An entry for a woman Dhankhar was not overly enamoured with after meeting but kept in reserve for later One who 'came home easily' but wasn't listed as having had sex with him, and wrote she was 'cute but 30'. Another 'may be a virgin' He is a prominent member of Australia's Indian community, being the founding president of the OFBJP - an Australian support group for India's ruling party. Dhankhar, who spent the whole three-week trial to date showing no emotion in court even as alleged rape videos were played, earlier broke down as he explained how he lured the women. He admitted his ruse was 'immoral', his numerous affairs on his wife made him feel guilty, and blamed it all on a mid-life crisis. Dhankhar agreed with prosecution claims he 'had a particular sexual interest in young Korean women', which he said started with Korean cinema. He said his marriage started breaking down and his wife was spending months at a time in their home country of India with his young son. Lonely and depressed, told the court he started watching pornography frequently and attended Korean language meet-up groups and salsa classes to meet Asian women. Dhankhar denied searching for porn of 'unconscious or compromised people' having sex, but may have watched them by accident. He denies having any interest in watching sleeping or drugged women porn, as the prosecution alleged. Terrifying video showed him hunting his intended target through the streets A pitiless Liverpool drug dealer was left sobbing in the dock today after he was found guilty of shooting dead Olivia Pratt-Korbel. The nine-year-old's mother Cheryl Korbel shouted 'yes' and held up a pink soft toy made in her daughter's memory outside Manchester Crown Court this afternoon. She wept tears of relief as Thomas Cashman, 34, was convicted of murder. The 46-year-old who was shot through the hand with the bullet that hit her daughter in the chest said she was 'ecstatic' that Olivia had got justice. It came as CCTV revealed the moment Cashman carried out the shooting and police released bodycam footage of his arrest. The killer was pinned to the ground by armed officers but protested his innocence and moaned: 'Some c*** has stitched me up.' Cashman's family protested his innocence outside court and pointed the finger at a mystery man they claimed was at the scene. Drug dealer Thomas Cashman, 34, has been found guilty of murdering Olivia Pratt-Korbel. He sneered in his mugshot but sobbed as he was convicted today Nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel was killed during the botched hit job on a convicted dealer Cashman's partner, Kayleeanne Sweeney, put her head in her hands while one relative shouted 'appeal it'. Outside court, Cashman's family continued shouting and swearing as they fumed that they were 'livid' over the verdicts. 'They've got DNA on the front door of the person Joey Nee says shot him,' shouted a woman believed to be one of the murderer's sisters. Sweeney claimed: 'They're just stitching him up! There's someone else's DNA on that door.' Giving the surname of Lee Hickman with whom Nee told police he'd had a 'little falling out' she added: 'Go f****** charge him' despite a jury convicting Cashman on the evidence heard in court beyond a reasonable doubt. Merseyside Police also say they have eliminated the convicted armed robber of being the gunman through an alibi corroborated by CCTV. Today Cashman, 34, bowed his head and cried as he was convicted of the schoolgirl's murder, which horrified Britain and shone a light on the gangs blighting the lives of ordinary families who live in daily fear of organised crime in Liverpool. He faces life behind bars and will be sentenced on Monday. The career criminal was also found guilty of the attempted murder of the intended target of the shooting Joseph Nee, 36, as well wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm to Olivia's mother. He was also convicted of two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. There were gasps and then tears of relief from Olivia's relatives when the jury returned their unanimous verdicts. Cheryl Korbel, mother of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, lifts one of her child's toys in the air outside Manchester Crown Court after Thomas Cashman was found guilty of murdering her daughter. The teddy was a tribute to Olivia that was also carried at her funeral The murderer face down on the floor with his hands cuffed behind his back A bullet hole in the front door of Olivia Pratt-Korbel's family home, where the schoolgirl died inside Thomas Cashman's girlfriend Kayleeanne Sweeney, pictured leaving Manchester Crown Court after he was found guilty, protested his innocence Her mother Cheryl clutched the pink soft toy while her surviving daughter Chloe sobbed. Police officers around them were also overwhelmed. A jury at Manchester Crown Court unanimously found Cashman guilty of Olivia's murder. Cashman's accomplice is convicted of driving getaway car and disposing of clothes Paul Russell, 41, admitted driving Thomas Cashman away from a house following the nine-year-old's murder in Dovecot, Liverpool, on August 22 last year, and disposing of his clothing, it can now be reported. Russell pleaded guilty to assisting an offender at a hearing at Liverpool Crown Court last October, but the media was prevented from reporting his plea until the conclusion of Cashman's trial. Russell appeared by video-link for the hearing, but the screen was not on display to the press or public gallery. The court heard that his sentencing would take place after Cashman's trial, although Russell's representative asked for it to be held separately from a potential sentencing hearing for Cashman. Cashman's trial heard that, after the shooting, Russell drove him from an address to Aspes Road, where Cashman had earlier parked his Citroen Berlingo van. He then took a bag of clothing, which Cashman had changed out of, to Snowberry Road, where the gunman's friends lived, the court was told. Advertisement A spokesman for the Prime Minister, speaking after Cashman was found guilty, said: 'The Prime Minister's thoughts remain with the family and friends of Olivia during what must be an incredibly difficult time.' Terrifying footage released today shows the 34-year-old gangster chasing his intended victim Nee down Olivia's street in Dovecot, Liverpool. The bangs of his gun firing are heard. But as he towered over Nee at just before 10pm, his Glock-style handgun malfunctioned. This sparked a disastrous chain of events that saw Nee flee, pursued by Cashman, who was armed with two guns. His attempts to kill him 'at all costs' then went 'horribly wrong' when Olivia's mother, Cheryl Korbel, opened her front door after hearing bangs. As 36-year-old Nee tried to force his way into the house, Cashman opened fire and struck 46-year-old Mrs Korbel in the hand. The bullet travelled through her and hit Olivia in the chest just as she ran downstairs saying: 'Mum, I'm scared.' Armed police rushed the youngster to hospital but she was pronounced dead a short time later. Cashman had tried to hoodwink the jury at Manchester Crown Court during the lengthy trial, lying he had been elsewhere smoking a spliff and counting 10,000 when the murder happened. But the jury took a matter of hours to find Cashman guilty on all charges. It was the sheer bravery of the prosecution's star witness - whose identity can never be revealed - who had a relationship with him that was key in convicting him. As relief sounded through the courtroom from her devastated family today, the callous ruthlessness of her killer was plain to see in his police-issued mugshot. Cashman's cold, dead eyes could be seen staring down the lens as he is shown with his head cockily thrown back in arrogant aggression. The star witness revealed Cashman had come to her house after the shooting where she heard him say he had 'done Joey' - a reference to Joseph Nee. The woman said she had now left Liverpool but was still 'terrified' of giving evidence against Cashman but had chosen to do so because a child had died. Thomas Cashman's family and friends gesturing to crowds outside John Francis Pratt, the father of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, leaving Manchester Crown Court after Thomas Cashman was found guilty Terrifying CCTV footage showed a gun-wielding Cashman (in blue) hunting his intended target, Joseph Nee (in red) The footage was released by Merseyside Police following today's verdict. Thomas Cashman (referred to as TC) can be heard shooting at his intended target Police bodycam footage showed the moment Cashman was arrested weeks later Under Armour trousers and T-shirts which Thomas Cashman changed into after the shooting were found at his sister's house Cables from a missing CCTV recorder found by police at Thomas Cashman's home address A bullet found at the crime scene Bullet casings found by police in Kingsheath Avenue after the death of Olivia Pratt-Korbel 'When there's a little girl involved, there's no form of grassing in my world,' she said. 'Because of this little girl. I just feel like if he was any sort of man, he would just... own it. 'I can't believe he's making her family go through this. It' s child, it's a child. They all should be ashamed of themselves who are supporting him as well.' She told the jury: 'I was petrified of speaking in the first couple of interviews. I was woken up that night by a guy doing a dreadful thing and putting my life danger. 'I was petrified to speak about Tommy. I've got to come home, he's going to want to see me, what I have been speaking about. 'I was mortified I have been put in this situation. I don't know what my life will hold in the next few years.' Senior crown prosecutor Maria Corr, of CPS Mersey Cheshire's Complex Casework Unit, said: 'This has been a truly tragic case and one of the most complex I have had to deal with in my 32 years with the Crown Prosecution Service. 'At the heart of it is a nine-year-old girl who has lost her life. Olivia Pratt-Korbel was in her own home, with her family, where she should have been safe. 'By contrast, Thomas Cashman is a ruthless criminal who recklessly pursued another man, with no consideration of the consequences. He was intent on violence that night, arming himself with two loaded guns. 'He refused to display any guilt or remorse, denying his involvement throughout and putting Olivia's family through the torment of a lengthy trial.' Merseyside police and crime commissioner Emily Spurrell said: 'I can't even begin to imagine the pain that Olivia Pratt-Korbel's family and loved ones have been through in the past seven months. 'There is no justice that can bring Olivia back, and the last three weeks of the trial and Cashman's refusal to admit his crimes must only have compounded their unthinkable suffering. 'Today's guilty verdict will not bring their unique, chatty, beautiful little girl back and sadly it will not end their heartache, but at least they know he is off the streets and facing a life sentence for his cowardly and despicable actions.' She paid tribute to the force and thanked the community, adding: 'This senseless murder devastated our city. Sadly, it showed there is still a contemptible minority, an underbelly of our society, who have no morals and no care for anyone but themselves and their own greed. 'It is vital that we unite to make it clear they will never be welcome in our proud, caring, compassionate region.' Olivia was fatally shot in the chest at her home in Dovecot, Liverpool, on August 22 last year Cheryl Korbel (centre), mother of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, with family members at Manchester Crown Court where the trial was being heard Aerial view shows a forensic tent outside Olivia's home on Kingsheath Avenue on August 25 Bishop of Warrington and acting Bishop of Liverpool Bev Mason said after Cashman was found guilty of the murder of Olivia: 'My prayer is that today's verdict will bring at least a degree of peace so that the family are able to piece together the shards of their broken heart and start living their lives. 'Liverpool has been shocked by this appalling story. Through the lens of a camera, we have all looked into the eyes of a smiling and beautiful little girl with so much to live for. 'I would like to praise the courage of all who came forward and spoke out - it is their courage, together with the diligence of Merseyside Police which has brought this man to justice. We must stand against the gangs and unite as communities. 'None of us should forget the story of a little girl whose life was stolen from us, whilst in her own home, by violent men. But this story must not define the community and the great city of Liverpool. 'I know from listening to clergy working on the ground, right across the city that we are more than these headlines. Again, we have seen the way the community has come together to support one another and to look to a better future. Liverpool is a strong city, a loyal and resilient city, that always rises from the difficult times and comes together.' Cashman, of Liverpool, had denied murdering Olivia, the attempted murder of Nee, wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm to Olivia's mother, and two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. At the time of the killing he had said he was smoking 'a spliff' and counting 10,000 in cash. He said: 'I hold my hands up, I'm a drug dealer. 'I'm not a bad drug dealer who sells class A drugs, I don't do anything bad.' Artist impression of Thomas Cashman giving evidence at Manchester Crown Court earlier When he was shown a CCTV clip of a black-clad gunman shooting Nee on the evening of August 22 last year he had lied 'it's not me'. He previously told the court he earned up to 5,000-a-week by selling cannabis. Cashman also claimed to have been friends with Nee, the alleged intended target, who jurors were told had 'enemies' and had been shot at in 2018. Joseph Nee, 36, was the intended target of a botched hit that resulted in the murder of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel The trial had opened with the nightmarish moment Olivia was killed by the gunman. Her mother Mrs Korbel was at home with her three children and neighbours when she heard a noise and went outside. Nee ran towards her house with the gunman in pursuit, the court heard. David McLachlan KC had said: 'Cheryl Korbel then realised, pretty quickly, the gravity of the situation that she now faced and she turned in a panic, and ran back towards her house.' She tried to close her door but it did not close fully, the jury was told. The court heard Nee ran up the driveway of the Korbels' home and began banging on the door and shouting 'help me'. Mr McLachlan told the jury Mrs Korbel had said she was screaming at him to 'go away'. She said: 'I heard the the gunshot and realised... I felt it, it hit my hand.' Mr McLachlan said she then turned round and saw Olivia. She said: 'I remember when I turned round and realised the baby was right behind me because she'd come obviously down the stairs cause she'd heard.' Olivia's brother Ryan said she had run downstairs screaming: 'Mum, I'm scared.' Mes Korbel was then described as being at the top of the stairs with Olivia saying: 'Stay with me baby.' The court heard Nee entered the home and the gunman was able to get his hand around the side of the door and fired again, with the bullet lodging in the internal door frame. Mr McLachlan said the shooter then ran off and Nee stumbled outside the house, where he was picked up in a car and taken to hospital. Armed officers attended and Olivia was taken to Alder Hey Children's Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, the court heard. Hackers claim they have uncovered the identity of the Russian aviation commander behind the bombing of Ukraine's southern port city Mariupol - and tricked his wife into revealing sultry snaps of herself and other officers' partners. Ukrainian hacktivist group Cyber Resistance and volunteer organisation Inform Napalm declared that Colonel Sergei Atroshchenko - commander of the 980th Assault Aviation Regiment - ordered a pair of warplanes to drop two 500kg bombs on Mariupol's theatre on March 16, 2022. Hundreds of civilians were killed in the attack on the theatre, which was being used as an air raid shelter and had the word 'CHILDREN' emblazoned on the courtyard outside. Having learned Atroshchenko's personal details, the hacktivists then posed as an officer from his regiment and asked his wife Lilia to organise a 'patriotic photoshoot' of wives and girlfriends for their men on the frontlines. On 16th March, 2023 - exactly one year to the day that her husband is said to have ordered the heinous bombing of the Mariupol theatre - she duly obliged. Lilia providing the hacktivists with a stunning reel of images showing 12 wives posing in their husbands' uniforms, giving the hackers all the information they needed to identify several more Russian commanders they believe are behind the attacks on Mariupol - along with a trove of NSFW pictures. Colonel Sergei Atroshchenko, of Russia's 960th Assault Aviation Regiment, is believed to have given the order to a pair of Russian warplanes to bomb Mariupol's theatre on March 16, 2022 The hackers posted several intimate images that Lilia Atroshchenko had sent to her husband Lilia sent the hackers dozens of images from a photoshoot of Russian commanders' wives and girlfriends Lilia organised for a group of wives and girlfriends to pose with their husbands' uniforms, giving away their identities. She also sent various images of Russian planes, as well as NSFW images The photoshoot organised by Lilia saw 12 different women dress up in their husbands' uniforms, giving Ukrainian sleuths the opportunity to identify them Hundreds were killed when Russian warplanes bombed the theatre in Mariupol A view shows the building of a theatre destroyed in the course of Ukraine-Russia conflict in the southern port city of Mariupol Inform Napalm revealed that Atroshchenko was born in the Ukrainian town of Ovruch, in the Zhytomyr region, before moving to Lipetsk in Russia and registering in Voronezh. He later served in the military in occupied Crimea before moving to the southern Russian city of Primorsko-Akhtarsk, just three miles away from the airbase where his regiment is stationed. Hackers also said the Ukrainian-born Atroshchenko, 42, personally gave orders for warplanes to launch attacks on other civilian targets, including Mariupol's maternity hospital. They released a torrent of the commander's personal information including private contact details and salary, sensitive details such as lists of the pilots under his command and their performance evaluations, and various 'theoretical and practical' details of missions which they delivered to Ukraine's intelligence services for analysis. Just two days after the hackers received the images from Lilia, Atroshchenko's regiment was awarded honours as part of an executive order signed by Russian president Vladimir Putin. The regiment was elevated to the honorary title of 'guards' for their 'mass heroism and valour, fortitude and courage in combat operations to protect the Fatherland', according to the decree. Inform Napalm claimed hackers had sent details they had obtained on Atroshchenko to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to contribute to the ongoing investigation into Russian war crimes in Ukraine. It comes as the Biden administration announced it would offer support for the creation of a tribunal dedicated to uncovering and prosecuting war crimes. Hackers also said the Ukrainian-born Atroshchenko, 42, personally gave orders for warplanes to launch attacks on other civilian targets, including Mariupol's maternity hospital Inform Napalm released images of Atroshchenko's personal details, including his military registration document and his registration in the Russian city of Voronezh. Atroshchenko was born in Zhytomyr in Ukraine The hackers accessed Atroshchenko's personal accounts and learned the identities of his regiment and their families The hackers were also able to find a series of images and videos of Russian warplanes, as well as sensitive documents, on Atroshchenko's accounts 'The United States supports the development of a special tribunal on the crime of aggression against Ukraine in the form of an internationalised court that is rooted in Ukraine's judicial system, with international elements,' the State Department said in comments emailed to reporters. The officials said they envision a hybrid tribunal based on the Ukrainian justice system but with international components - similar to previous ad hoc war crimes courts set up for Cambodia, Chad, the Central African Republic and Bosnia - and likely based in The Hague, Netherlands. 'This kind of model - an internationalised national court - will facilitate broader international support and demonstrate Ukraine's leadership in ensuring accountability for the crime of aggression,' the State Department said. 'It also builds upon the example of other successful justice mechanisms.' The Hague will be home to the International Centre for Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression, a Ukraine-focused investigations unit that is expected to be fully operational this summer. The centre's offices and staff could be incorporated into whatever tribunal is eventually created, the U.S. officials said. The Hague also hosts the ICC and the International Court of Justice. The ICC prosecutor issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and an aide earlier this month for the abductions of Ukrainian children. But the U.S. is not a member of the ICC, which complicates its ability to support the court with evidence or other information that could be used in its prosecutions. A simple graph drawn on a whiteboard has exposed just how hard it is for young people to buy a home in Australia compared to previous generations. Amid fears the housing crisis will only get worse with the arrival of more than one million people over five years, 2GB broadcaster Chris O'Keefe revealed a shock comparison of the home ownership rate among different age groups. In a TikTok video, he drew a graph on a whiteboard showing that 80 per cent of Australians born in 1950 owned their own home by the age of 40. For those born in 1960, this figure was more than 70 per cent while it fell slightly to just over 60 per cent for Aussies born in 1970. When comparing how many Aussies born in 1990 owned their own home now, he drew a line that was essentially flat - saying it was 'two parts of bugger all'. O'Keefe's figures broadly match the latest Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data which shows that just 49.7 per cent of people born from 1987-91 owned their own home by age of 30-34. 'If you're angry about home ownership in Australia, the simple answer is this: we must build more homes and we must make them affordable,' he said in his TikTok . 'Otherwise this line (on the graph) will never get up.' 2GB broadcaster Chris O'Keefe compared the percentage of homeowners over different generations, looking at those born in 1950, 60, 70 and 1990. The results showed those born in 1990 were struggling to afford their own home O'Keefe's figures broadly match the latest Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data which shows that just 49.7 per cent of people born from 1987-91 owned their own home by age of 30-34 When looking at a direct comparison of the home ownership rate for people aged 30-34, the AIHW data shows 68 per cent of people born from 1947-51 owned their own home. That figure was 59.1 per cent for those born 1957-61 in the same age group, 57.3 per cent for those born 1967-71 and 49.7 per cent for those born 1987-91. It came as Karl Stefanovic was joined on on The Today Show by 4BC Breakfast radio host Neil Breen and the Minister for Sport and Aged Care Anika Wells on Thursday morning, where they discussed the future of Australia's housing crisis. Estimates show that Australia will have become home to 1.2million new migrants over the five years to June 2024, with 350,000 migrants in this financial year alone. It will be the biggest surge in net population over two years at 650,000 people, overshadowing the previous record of 577,000 in 2008 and 2009 under Kevin Rudd. 'Every single Australian is asking the question where are they going to live?' Breen said on The Today Show. Karl Stefanovic was joined by 4BC Breakfast radio host Neil Breen and the Minister for Sport and Aged Care Anika Wells on Thursday morning where they discussed the future of Australia's housing crisis. Ms Wells said migrants were needed to help workforce shortages Ms Wells said she was in favour of more people coming into Australia to help with workforce shortages. 'Everybody knows that nobody can get staff,' she said. But Breen interrupted her and joked the migrants would need to 'build their own houses'. 'We'll bring them in and say ''here, here's a block of land, build your own house'',' he said. 'We're trying to build stuff all over the country, and in Queensland alone we've got $9billion worth of stadiums that have to be built for the Olympic Games, like what's going to happen? People need answers.' Ms Wells responded saying the workers were needed for the economy. 'Well I need them because we need to lift the standard of care in this country, we need to lift up the care economy, we need more workers for our economy and these are the people that are going to help us do it,' she said. 'So it has to be a question of balance.' A security guard armed with nothing more than his words has taken on a group of alleged 'cookers' protesting outside a Barack Obama speaking event. The 'cookers' - so-called because they supposedly spend their time cooking up conspiracy theories - were filming staff working on the event as they arrived at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on Wednesday evening. In a video of the clash, the protestors told the security officers they were 'independent media' who were broadcasting 'all around the world, instantly.' One of them demanded to know who the security guard was and why he was daring to question their presence - before he told them: 'Negative, mate - this is where we draw the line.' A security guard (pictured) armed with nothing more than his words has taken on a group of 'cookers' protesting outside a Barack Obama speaking event A female colleague of the security guard told the protestors outside the event from off camera that 'I give you no right to film that.' 'What about all the cameras everywhere else that film 24 hours a day, seven days a week,' was the response. When the security officer asked why they were there, one said 'We've come down to have a look', and another said they were 'reporting'. 'You've got documentation to show this?' he asked. 'Oh no, excuse me, we don't need documentation,' a woman said with a dismissive wave of her hand. 'No, you do, because I'm asking you what you're doing and you're telling me you're reporting,' the man replied. He may have been overstepping the mark in that the protestors did not seem intend to cause any trouble. Nevertheless, he stated his responsibility clearly, saying 'I actually look after security here.' The protestors (pictured) told the security officers they were 'independent media' who were broadcasting 'All around the world, instantly' A second security guard came down to the protestors, this time accompanied by six Melbourne police officers (pictured) The protestors asked if they were being considered a threat. 'You're not a threat as of yet, but I need to ascertain what you're doing here. Can I ask what you're doing here?' One of them replied that they were there to film 'the President of America'. A protestor told the man that 'You approached us. You actually approached these ladies and I wanted to double check...' The security officer interrupted to say 'You're being incredibly invasive in recording staff down there who've given no consent to be recorded either.' They disagreed with his assessment of the situation, and he came seemed to be losing his patience with them. 'No, negative mate. When you're coming down recording ... staff that don't wish to be recorded, that's when we draw the line.' One of the protestors said they were on 'public' property and so could film what they wanted. 'No, excuse me. The venue is private property ... So you're recording staff entering private property,' he said. Later, a second security guard came down to the protestors, this time accompanied by six Melbourne police officers. The armed officers gave him an air of authority and immediacy the first security officer did not possess. 'You're filming me. We've just come down to have a bit of a chat,' he said. 'We do respect your right to protest, but you are on Melbourne Olympic Park land. A second security officer (centre) said 'We do respect your right to protest, but you are on Melbourne Olympic Park land' 'And if at a major event if you become obstructive or you block any of our entrances, we'll ask you to move on down to the side of the road.' The latest drama to emerge from the multi-million dollar Obama speaking tour came as the organisers apologised to an Aboriginal elder who was dropped from the Melbourne event. On Thursday, organisers said they had been working with dropped speaker Aunty Joy Murphy and the Wurundjeri community for many weeks before the event. 'Due to security requirements, the organisation was unable to accommodate last minute changes to the agreed upon ceremony,' the organisation said in a statement. 'Growth Faculty has apologised to Aunty Joy that last night's ceremony could not be changed.' Ms Murphy had initially been booked to give a Welcome to Country for the event, but was told she couldn't bring a support person with her and that she was 'too difficult' before being removed from proceedings, her representatives said. The organisers said that Ms Murphy had accepted an invitation to perform a Welcome to Country at a business lunch in Melbourne on Thursday. Commenters under the Twitter posts of the videos were not impressed by the protestors. The security costs for Mr Obama's (pictured) million dollar two day speaking tour of Australia have proved controversial 'More of our "hard done in life people" looking for reasons to blame for their situation and point the finger at someone, anyone,' wrote one. 'A livestream isn't complete without a confrontation,' said another. 'They're Cookers - their job is to protest for the silliest possible reason's, what else can be said,' a third commenter wrote. The security costs for Mr Obama's million dollar two day speaking tour of Australia have proved controversial, with radio host Ray Hadley asking why taxpayers have to foot the bill for NSW, Victoria and Federal police officers. A woman who had a drunken row with her partner told police she was a 'bit pissed' after she gatecrashed a New Year's Eve party and smashed her van into three people, a court has heard. Elizabeth Jedamzik, Peter Kirk-Williams and Dominique La Fontaine were celebrating New Year's Eve on a Tasmanian farm in 2021 when they were struck by the campervan. The driver, Sharon Louise Gordon, was invited to Ms Jedamzik's party on December 31 at her Bruny Island farm, south of Hobart, but was told to leave after she had a drunken row with her husband. Gordon faced Hobart Supreme Court on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to one count of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm. The court heard the 60-year-old returned to the party after being told to leave, smashing her campervan through the gate, which had been closed to prevent her entering the property. Sharon Lousie Gordon, 60, (pictured) was severely intoxicated when she smashed her campervan through the closed gate of a farm injuring three people celebrating New Year's Eve The court was shown body camera footage from a Tasmanian police officer who arrived at the scene. The officer approached Gordon, who was lying on the ground metres from the crashed van, and asked 'what are you doing down here in the grass?' 'I'm a bit pissed I put my foot on the accelerator and I f***** up,' Gordon replied in the footage shown in court. In a statement to the court, read by her husband Karl, Ms Jedamzik said she was reminded of the traumatising ordeal every day of her life. 'So many people have been traumatised by what happened, the people staying at the farm, my husband Karl and the first responder,' Ms Jedamzik told the court, as reported by the ABC. 'The reminder of what happened is with me 24 hours a day, seven days a week.' The Crown prosecutor said Gordon had started drinking on the ferry over to Bruny Island and that she and her partner planned on staying the night at the property in their van. The court also heard Gordon's license had been disqualified four times for drink-driving offences as she had struggled with binge-drinking for decades. Gordon allegedly become belligerent and aggressive to other guests after consuming eight beers, a can of bourbon and close to a whole bottle of wine throughout the night. The court heard after fighting with her partner, Gordon was told to go back to the campervan, where she started the vehicle and drove out of the property - despite being unlicensed due to a prior alcohol-related driving offence. The court was told Gordon (pictured) was asked to leave the private party after she had a drunken row with her husband Victorian couple Mr Kirk-Williams and Ms La Fontaine arrived at the property in a LandCruiser shortly after Gordon left and were welcomed at the front gate by Ms Jedamzik. Gordon returned to the property and accelerated as she approached the gate, the court heard. She slammed into the driver's side of the LandCruiser sending Mr Kirk-Williams catapulting across its bonnet. The campervan continued through the locked gate and ran into Ms La Fontaine and Ms Jedamzik before coming to a halt in a ditch off the driveway, the court heard. Ms Jedamzik suffered severe injuries from the crash including three broken teeth, several broken ribs and also lost the skin from her lower left leg - an injury described as 'degloving'. The court heard Ms Jedamzik is unable to walk unassisted, which has had a great impact on her quality of life. 'I feel like I am just existing and just waiting to get better I am not happy anymore,' Ms Jedamzik said in the statement read by her husband. 'I want to have some resemblance to my life before. 'I am determined to walk unassisted I know I will never run or climb but I want to be able to walk.' Gordon pleaded guilty to one count of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm. She was remanded in custody and will face Hobart Supreme Court (pictured) for sentencing next week Mr Kirk-Williams also sustained serious knee and pelvic injuries, which have impacted his day-to-day life. 'Simple tasks such as putting on shoes or socks, now required great effort,' he told the court. Ms La Fontaine told the court the accident significantly affected her financially and professionally. 'I have suffered financial loss, the loss of essentially a year of work has affected my career trajectory,' Ms La Fontaine told the court. The couple also had to give away their dog as they could no longer look after the beloved family pet. Gordon was arrested and given a breath test hours after the accident. Her blood-alcohol level was estimated to be between 0.184 and 0.189 at the time of the crash. Her lawyer told the court she felt disgusted, ashamed and embarrassed and how she had no recollection of the crash but realised she was responsible when police escorted her off the property. Gordon is in custody and will face Hobart Supreme Court next week for sentencing. Western Australia is desperate to go back to how things were during the coronavirus pandemic as it reintroduces draconian Covid-style police checkpoints under the guise of cracking down on illegal drugs and bikies. From later this year, visitors to Western Australia by road, air or sea will have to pass through police-manned barricades where vehicles can be searched. The measures are part of a package of extraordinary powers being handed to police by Premier Mark McGowan under what are being called 'meth buster' laws. The laws will be in place until at least 2028. The West Australian government said police requested the move because during the pandemic period, meth use dropped by 51 per cent in Perth, and up to 73 per cent in regional areas. 'This new law is going to make it tougher than ever for organised crime to bring drugs into Western Australia,' Mr McGowan said. Under new powers WA police will again be manning border checkpoints as they did during the Covid period (pictured officers and Royal Australian conducting stops in April 2020) Police Minister Paul Papalia said the state was effectively 'creating a hard meth border'. The phrase conjured up memories of the pandemic period when Western Australia's 'hard border' effectively shut it off from the world for 697 days. Poll Do you agree with Western Australia handing cops new 'hard border' powers? Yes No Unsure Do you agree with Western Australia handing cops new 'hard border' powers? Yes 178 votes No 470 votes Unsure 19 votes Now share your opinion Mr Papalia said the laws particularly targeted bikie drug importation. 'This really enables us to focus on disrupting and breaking the power the outlaw motorcycle gangs have on our communities,' he said. 'They (meth deliveries) come in from overseas, they come in from interstate, they're delivered to Western Australia by Triads and Mafia and cartels overseas, and then they are distributed, predominantly in Australia by outlaw motorcycle gangs.' However, not everyone agrees with the new border powers. Nova newsreader and social commentator Michelle Stephenson was one to express her concerns. 'If this doesn't worry you, it should,' the Western Australian native said. Rebel News chief Avi Yemini labelled Mr McGowan a 'dictator' for bringing back the laws. 'Mark McGowan is now bringing back pandemic-style powers for other uses indefinitely. Once a dictator, always a dictator.' WA Premier Mark McGowan says the new checkpoints will stymie the flow of meth into the state There will be 22 permanent police search areas around airports, ports, road and rail border crossings into Western Australian. WA's new 'hard border' to stop drugs and bikies The state will have permanent police stationed at airports, ports, roads and rail border crossings Police will be equipped with high-tech search capabilities No other state has such hardline laws Police will have increased powers to stop and search people and their vehicles Advertisement Roads out of the airport, ports and rail stations will have checkpoints where police will have the power to stop vehicles and search them using electronic wands and drug detection dogs. There will be exemptions to the stop and search powers 'for people engaging in certain activities' although it is unclear what those are. Despite WA police gaining powers that no other force in Australia has, the state government assured the public they would not be misused. It said there were 'several checks and balances' in place which included oversight by the state's Corruption and Crime Commission. WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch described the laws as 'new tool in the tool box' to stop drug trafficking. 'Police officers will use all legislative options and a range of capabilities to stop these drugs entering our community and to bring the criminals behind these importations to justice,' he said. During the Covid period from April, 2020 to March, 2022, Western Australia prevented anyone from entering the state except for essential purposes. After declaring the state was reopening, Mr McGowan acknowledged the 'hard border' had greatly affected many people but insisted it was necessary to 'save lives'. 'Putting one in place was not something I thought I would ever have to do as Premier,' he wrote on social media 'It's something I hope no Premier ever has to do again.' A white teacher at South Doyle High School in Tennessee was recorded repeatedly using the n-word in front of distressed students who said they felt 'highly disrespected' by his actions. Sanford Graves has been suspended with pay, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel, after several videos of him using the offensive term were posted online. In one video, one student who appears to be black tries to tell the teacher he should not use the term and becomes visibly distressed by the situation, even as the educator says he believes the word is 'derogatory' and 'terrible.' Graves, a high school science teacher, attempts to say 'it's in the English language' and he doesn't 'care if it's cool' for him to say it roughly half a dozen times. The teacher was allegedly attempting to repeat something a student had stated, saying: 'He said, "Mr. Graves, why aren't you calling out any of these other n***as."' In the video, other students can be heard exasperated by the use of the term and the clips sparked heavy backlash online with parents calling for the man to be fired. A white teacher at South Doyle High School in Tennessee was recorded repeatedly using the n-word in front of students who said they felt 'highly disrespected' during the situation Sanford Graves has been suspended with pay, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel , after several videos of him using the offensive term were posted online The incident occurred inside the Knoxville high school on March 27. Several students in the sophomore chemistry class said Graves had called out a student for being loud, who then responded by asking Graves: 'Why aren't you calling out any of these other n***as.' Malayia Pelcher, who was in the class, told Knox Sentinel News she was shocked and hurt by the exchange inside a classroom. 'The whole thing made me feel like our teacher doesnt care about us,' Pelcher said. 'Why would you say that to us as a class when we didn't do anything to you?' the teen told the Tennessee outlet. The videos show that one particular student was trying to explain to Graves why he, as a white man, should not be using the n-word. The black student who goes back and forth with the teacher at one point says, 'ask anyone in here, I guarantee you these other white people aren't saying it.' That's when the student who is recording responds, 'never,' to the other student's prompt. 'I don't care,' Graves responds. 'You can say a word in the English language.' 'It's derogatory,' Graves can be heard saying in another clip that does not show his face. 'I think it's terrible.' According to the Tennessee Department of Education, 26 percent of students at South-Doyle High School are students of color. That video was posted to Facebook by Jennifer Lawson who identifies her daughter, Bella, as the one who took the videos in the class. 'PLEASE watch! I CANNOT believe what happened at Bellas school. She took these clips! Teacher BETTER get fired!! INSANE!' Lawson wrote on Facebook. Several students in the class said Graves had called out a student for being loud, who then responded by asking Graves: 'Why aren't you calling out any of these other n***as' The videos show that one particular student was trying to explain to Graves why he, as a white man, should not be using the n-word. The black student at one point says, 'ask anyone in here, I guarantee you these other white people aren't saying it' 'I don't care,' Graves responds. 'You can say a word in the English language' One video was posted to Facebook by Jennifer Lawson who identifies her daughter, Bella, as the one who took the videos in the first-period chemistry class Lawson wrote over the video: 'Trigger Warning: Racism at my daughter's school' In the comments of Lawson's video on Facebook, one person who identifies themselves as a student said Graves was taken out of school immediately after 'The same day this happened he was removed and his room was cleaned out,' one student said In another video, the clip continues on and other students yell back at the teacher, telling him to stop. 'You can't say that s**t, what the hell,' one student exclaims. 'Don't say that,' yells out one child. 'Stop saying it,' another cries out. One clip shows another adult in the room speaking with the teacher as he explains the situation but continues to use the racially-charged word. A video posted to TikTok compiling several clips has received almost 10,000 views as of Wednesday evening. The videos have gained mass attention online from parents and outraged citizens calling for the teacher to resign or be fired from his position. In the comments of Lawson's video on Facebook, one person who identifies themselves as a student said Graves was taken out of school immediately after. 'The same day this happened he was removed and his room was cleaned out,' the student said. 'It's horrible that this word is being said by anyone anymore It's 2023 and u still got people saying this, terrible,' wrote another person on Facebook. In another video, other students yell back at the teacher, telling him to stop 'Don't say that,' yells out one child. 'Stop saying it,' another cries out Spokesperson Carly Harrington told the outlet there is an active investigation into the situation and Graves' status could change as the investigation proceeds 'Thank you to Knox County Schools & South Doyle High Schools administration for its rapid response to the matter,' wrote Denzel Grant, a Knoxville resident In a statement to Knox Sentinel News, Knox County Schools said it 'does not tolerate any instances of racism.' Spokesperson Carly Harrington told the outlet there is an active investigation into the situation and the teacher's status could change as the investigation proceeds. Parents and family members of students at the school thanked the district for working quickly to address the issue. 'Thank you to Knox County Schools & South Doyle High Schools administration for its rapid response to the matter,' wrote Denzel Grant, a Knoxville resident. 'Mr Sanford Graves was suspended & removed from the school today shortly after. His employment status is pending. I do hope that a reasonable punishment is given in order to set a standard for our educators & our youth,' Grant continued. 'I also hope that we take this situation & help our youth understand not only the POWER but also the vulnerability with words that they use,' he concluded. 'The Teacher in the video, Sanford Graves, has been removed from South-Doyle High School. Hopefully he will be fired,' wrote one woman on Facebook. DailyMail.com reached out to Knox County Schools for an update on the investigation but did not receive a response by the time of publication. Twitter has removed thousands of Tweets that show a poster promoting a 'trans day of vengeance' protest in support of transgender rights. Ella Irwin, Twitter's head of Trust and Safety, said in a tweet Wednesday that the company automatically removed more than 5,000 tweets and retweets of a poster promoting the event. 'We do not support tweets that incite violence irrespective of who posts them,' Irwin wrote in a tweet. ''Vengeance' does not imply peaceful protest. Organizing or support for peaceful protests is ok.' The protest is scheduled for Saturday in Washington D.C., just days after six people, including three children, were slaughtered by a transgender female shooter at a school in Nashville. A sign at Twitter headquarters is shown in San Francisco, December 8, 2022 (file image) In removing the tweets, Twitter said it used automated processes to do it quickly at a large scale, without considering what context the tweets were shared in. Because of this method, both tweets that were critical of the event and those that supported the protests were removed. This appeared to anger many conservative Twitter users who said the rules were unfairly applied to them because they were posting the image of the protest flyer to speak out against it. But trans activists were quick to point out that 'trans day of vengeance' is a meme that has been around in the trans community for years and is not a call to violence. Activists said Twitter is misguided in its reasoning behind removing the tweets in support of the protest. Evan Greer, director of the nonprofit liberal advocacy group Fight for the Future, said Twitter's actions are 'the latest example of Big Tech companies employing double standards in content moderation.' 'They are slow to moderate content targeting trans people, but quick to silence us when we speak out or push back. ''Trans Day of Vengeance' is not a specific day or a call for violence. It's a meme that's been around for years, a way of expressing anger and frustration about oppression and violence the trans community faces daily,' Greer said. 'Context is everything in content moderation, which is why content policies should be based in human rights and applied evenly, not changed rapidly based on public pressure or news cycles.' The poster in question is a largely text-based digital flyer. It reads 'we want more than visibility' on top, followed by 'trans day of vengeance' and 'stop trans genocide' as well as the date and time of the planned protest. Many of the tweets Twitter removed were from conservative users sharing an image of the flyer in an attempt to connect the planned protests with the recent school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee. In the aftermath of the shooting, some right-wing activists and commentators have seized on the gender identity of the shooter in order to denounce transgender people and advocates, call transgender people violent, and 'evil,' and insinuate they are planning to engage in violence. U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, was among the Twitter users whose account was affected. Kayla Denker, who is believed to be a former soldier, posted this video online after the Nashville school shooting on Monday Others have flags and stickers available which say 'defend equality' on the trans flag colors The shooting is still under investigation. As of Wednesday, police have shared no evidence that the shooter's gender or gender identity played a role in the shooting. On its website, the group organizing Saturday's protest said it does not condone violence. In a statement posted on the site, the Trans Radical Activist Network and other organizers also strongly rejected any connection between the school shooting in Nashville and Saturdays protest, which organizers said was planned before the shooting took place. 'Vengeance means fighting back with vehemence,' the protest's organizers wrote on their website. 'We are fighting against false narratives, criminalization, and eradication of our existence.' But many activists nationwide were continuing to rally their supporters for a 'Trans Day of Vengeance' after raising money for firearms training. The Virginia chapter of the group held a 'dance party fundraiser' in Richmond 'benefiting firearm/self-defense training for trans-Virginians' on March 7. Videos and images of some trans activists holding assault rifles have also surfaced. Kayla Denker, who runs a YouTube site with videos dedicated to explaining Marxism and guns, posted a video of herself with a rifle after the Nashville school shooting. Twitter, both currently under Elon Musk and before the billionaire bought the company, has long prohibited the incitement of violence in tweets. In early March, Twitter announced what it called a new policy prohibiting 'violent speech' on its platform, though the new rules appear similar to guidelines against violent threats that the company had on its books before Musk took over. Among the updates, Twitter had expanded its policy to include a ban on 'coded language,' which is often referred to as 'dog whistles,' used to indirectly incite violence. It also added a rule that prohibits 'threatening to damage civilian homes and shelters, or infrastructure that is essential to daily, civic, or business activities.' In texts, Skar allegedly told him he was making her 'horny' and began sending him videos and eventually invited him over to her apartment three times for sex She was taken into custody after the boy's mother reported the assaults to the Green Bay Police Department, claiming her son, who was not named, was upset Kaitlyn Skar, 27, was charged with repeated acts of sexual assault of a child and child enticement after being arrested on Friday A Wisconsin woman has been charged with raping a 13-year-old boy who made her 'horny' before lashing out at him for 'cheating' on her. Kaitlyn Skar, 27, was charged with repeated acts of sexual assault of a child and child enticement after being arrested on Friday. She was taken into custody after the boy's mother reported the assaults to the Green Bay Police Department, claiming her son, who was not named, was upset as Skar had threatened to have someone beat him up and harassed him, according to WSBT. The pair allegedly met because the woman lived near the boy's aunt, and Skar offered the boy cookies and to take a puff of her vape before they exchanged phone numbers. During their conversations, Skar allegedly told him he was making her 'horny' and began sending him sexual videos of herself and eventually invited him over to her apartment, where the pair allegedly had sex on three different occasions. Kaitlyn Skar, 27, was charged with repeated acts of sexual assault of a child and child enticement after being arrested on Friday She faces 46 years behind bars after admitting to police to that she sexually assaulted a 13-year-old boy, who was not named. She was taken into custody after the boy's mother reported the assaults to the Green Bay Police Department, claiming her son was upset as Skar had threatened to have someone beat him up and harassed him After one of their sexual encounters, it's claimed she sent him a video message and became upset when he did not respond, according to WSBT. Eventually, the 13-year-old reportedly approached Skar to tell her that he 'cheated' on her, but the young woman told him 'he didn't know what cheating was [because] he was only 16 years old,' according to WSBT. When police interviewed Skar, she admitted to having sex with the 13-year-old, but she claimed she thought he was 16. She is currently in custody with a $10,000 bond and faces up to 40 years for sexual assault and 25 years for child enticement. Wisconsin's age of consent is 18 years old. Skar allegedly met the boy because she lived closed to his aunt and she offered him cookies and a puff on her vape before they exchanged phone numbers. She allegedly told him over text that he made her 'horny' and sent sexual videos and invited him to her apartment three times for sex Earlier this month, a California teacher at an elementary school was arrested and charged with sexually abusing a student, 14, at the San Diego school. Jacqueline Ma, who taught sixth grade at Lincoln Acres Elementary School, was charged with six counts of sexual misconduct, including three for oral copulation with a child under 14, and three for lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14. The 34-year-old was one of five San Diego teachers selected as 'Teachers of the Year' in 2022. According to her LinkedIn page, she had worked at the school since 2013. It is believed there was only one victim of Ma's predation. Police said the student no longer attended the school where Ma taught, and it remains unclear how the abuse came to light. When parents send their children to school, they should have the utmost confidence that they will be safe. They place implicit trust in teachers to act in loco parentis to care for all pupils as if they were their own offspring. But a damning report today by the Policy Exchange think-tank reveals in a troubling number of cases, this is not happening. Many secondary schools, fuelled by an ideologically driven gender zealotry, stand accused of jeopardising children's welfare by flagrantly breaking safeguarding rules. Alarmingly, seven in ten schools said that if a child announced they were trans, their parents would not be informed. Many secondary schools, fuelled by an ideologically driven gender zealotry, stand accused of jeopardising children's welfare by flagrantly breaking safeguarding rules (file photo) It is difficult to think of a worse abrogation of responsibility. This not only breaks the sacred bond between parent and child, but if a teacher without psychological expertise encourages social transitioning, it risks putting a pupil on a path to irreversible medical treatment they may later regret. It is also deeply worrying that so many schools have axed single-sex toilets and changing rooms. Whatever transgender ideologues say, this puts girls in greater danger from predatory male pupils. Teachers who question this bizarre gender dogma, often pushed by the Stonewall pressure group, run into terrible trouble facing reprimand or worse. When guidance for schools on trans pupils is so badly needed, it is unforgivable that Education Secretary Gillian Keegan is dragging her heels. Every day the Government dithers, the welfare of children is sacrificed on the altar of identity politics. Mad dash to net zero One of the big bonuses of Brexit was finally taking back control of our laws. Did anyone, however, think diverging from EU rules would mean speeding up, not slowing down, the mad dash to net zero? Under the Government's 'green' strategy, the ban on new petrol and diesel cars will begin in 2030, rented homes face tough energy efficiency targets and there will be greater reliance on solar and wind power. But how much will it cost, who pays and will it even succeed? No one denies global warming. But the UK is responsible for just 1 per cent of global CO2 emissions. We need policies based on rational analysis, not the hysteria of climate alarmists. We need to ensure energy security and not impoverish ourselves. Our green dream must be the springboard for a leap forward not a leap in the dark. Under the Government's 'green' strategy, the ban on new petrol and diesel cars will begin in 2030 (file photo) Victory for free speech Of the many threats posed to Press freedom and by extension democracy perhaps the most insidious is Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act. Stitched up post-Leveson Inquiry by politicians exposed as expenses cheats, this draconian piece of legislation would force newspapers outside state regulation (i.e. the vast majority) to pay the legal costs of anyone who sued win or lose! A monstrous inversion of justice, this would have a chilling effect on investigative journalism and hand a weapon to wrongdoers to silence criticism. It is a major victory for free speech that Lucy Frazer, the impressive Culture Secretary, has pledged to repeal Section 40. The only losers from scrapping such an unjust law are those with things to hide. Families could be offered hundreds of pounds off their energy bills if they agree to have a wind farm nearby under plans set to be announced today. Ministers will launch a consultation to ensure local communities can benefit from the development of new onshore wind farms where there is local support. Energy Secretary Grant Shapps is set to confirm that families who choose to support onshore wind can benefit directly through lower bills when he unveils his 'Powering Up Britain' plan. Ministers have previously looked at a scheme where households would receive up to 350 a year off their bill in return for supporting the construction of a local wind farm. Mr Shapps is also due to confirm that the Government will rebalance gas and electricity costs in household bills, making electricity bills cheaper. Energy Secretary Grant Shapps is set to confirm that families who choose to support onshore wind can benefit directly through lower bills when he unveils his 'Powering Up Britain' plan When Rishi Sunak entered No 10, he scrapped moves to relax the planning laws that have led to a virtual moratorium on wind farms since 2015. But he faced a mounting backbench rebellion after an amendment was tabled to allow onshore wind where there is community consent. Labour then joined forces with the rebels to support the amendment and No 10 was forced to rethink. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said last night: 'We have always been clear that we support the development of onshore wind where there is local support. Ex-prime minister David Cameron introduced an effective ban on onshore wind farms in 2015 'Today's package of measures ensures councils will have more flexibility to respond to the views of their residents, while we will shortly consult on further measures so that communities that choose to support onshore wind in their area can benefit directly from doing so, including through lower bills.' Ex-prime minister David Cameron introduced an effective ban on onshore wind farms in 2015. Developers were forced to address all local concerns about a potential wind farm and just one person could hold up an entire project. Calls to end the ban on new onshore wind farms have grown amid efforts to secure the UK's energy independence as Russia's invasion of Ukraine has squeezed supplies. Police have launched a murder investigation following the death of a woman in a village near St Austell, Cornwall. Officers and paramedics attended the scene at Penwithick on Tuesday evening and found a woman in her 60s unresponsive and with serious facial injuries. Despite the efforts of emergency services, she was pronounced deceased a short time later. Enquiries are ongoing to inform the family of the deceased woman. A 36 year-old man of no fixed abode was arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody at this time. It is believed he was known to the victim. Officers remain at the scene as the police investigation continues. Police at the scene where a woman in her 60s was found unresponsive and with severe facial injuries A murder investigation has been launched into the woman's death and a 36 year-old man was arrested Witnesses described how a road in the village has been shut since Tuesday, with forensic officers at the scene. A police car and van, and a number of officers, are still at the road which appears to lead to a cottage with a shared drive. The house lies among a row of cottages, next to a field and a number of new-build homes. A woman who lives nearby was unaware there had been a suspected murder just a couple of hundred yards from her home. She said: 'We saw police and an ambulance last night but thought there must have been an accident. 'I had no idea a lady had been killed. How awful!' Another nearby resident said: 'There has been a lot of speculation in the area, but we only really know the information that's been released by the police. 'It's horrible - we've never had anything like this here before.' If you witnessed the incident or have any information or dashcam footage that could help with enquiries, contact police via the Devon and Cornwall Police website or by calling 101 quoting reference 50230071839. Alternatively, information can be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or via the charity's website at www.crimestoppers-org.uk A militant transgender activist who has quickly become one of the most high-profile 'faces' of the radical movement is a former soldier, it has been claimed. Kayla Denker, who runs a YouTube site with videos dedicated to explaining Marxism and guns, posted a video of herself with an assault rifle before the Nashville school shooting. The Nashville attacker, Audrey Hale, 28, was described by police as transgender, and online appeared to reference herself as 'Aiden' - although the authorities are still referring to Hale as a woman. Hale's murder of three nine-year-olds and three staff members at a Christian school she attended - and may have resented, according to police - has sparked intense debate among the transgender community. While the vast majority condemned the attack, fringe groups and extremists said the shooting was in part a consequence of the oppression of trans people. Denker, based in Colorado, and believed to be a former soldier, found their highly provocative video being shared online, showing herself brandishing an assault rifle. Kayla Denker, who is believed to be a former soldier, posted this video online after the Nashville school shooting on Monday. The shooting was carried out by a transgender person Denker initially did not respond to the video, but then denied that it was posted after the shooting - saying it was initially put up on March 5. The since deleted TikTok shoes a silent Denker reloading her assault rifle multiple times, staring at the camera. The clip is captioned: 'While advocating just for trans people to 'arm ourselves' is not any kind of solution to the genocide we are facing, I do want to say that if you transphobes do try to come for me...' The conclusion of her comment was cut short in the images being shared online. Denker has since made most of her social media accounts private. One account that remains open to the public is her YouTube page, which she launched in 2016. Her first video, posted four years ago, was a 10 minute clip entitled 'The Reclamation of Communism'. She then uploaded an eight-part series on Marxism, plus three parts of a BBC documentary about the German philosopher. Denker's most recent videos are about guns. In March 2021, she posted a video of a man who appeared to be named Adam discussing guns, entitled: 'High-Powered Rifles and why the AR-15 is not one.' In July 2021, she posted a video of the same man entitled: 'What gear you should get as a beginning shooter.' It is unclear if the man featured in those videos was Kayla pre-transition. Kayla Denker, based in Colorado, has cultivated a strong social media presence Kayla Denker has posted a series of YouTube videos about Marxism and guns online In one video, a man who commentators named as Adam was discussing guns. The clip was entitled: 'High-Powered Rifles and why the AR-15 is not one.' Adam is believed to have been Kayla, pre-transition Another video showed the same man, in July 2021, discussing how to get into guns In August 2021 Adam Denker spoke to a publisher for a Patreon site and discussed guns and the gun industry A month later, in August 2021, a video was posted to a Patreon site for those interested in guns, Hammer and Pistol, called: 'Gun Demographics w/ Adam Denker'. The video's caption states: 'Adam Denker called in from the mountains of the PNW so the sound quality is not the best, but I think we had a good discussion on the breakdown of who owns guns, who owns the means of production in the gun industry, and more. 'Content warning for the episode: Discussion of military-related violence; white supremacy; suicide; right-wing and fascist ideas about violence; discussion on the history of indigenous genocide and enslavement of Africans.' The links in the online page all click back to Kayla Denker's current sites. Kayla Denker's TikTok video came as trans activists nationwide were continuing to rally their supporters for a 'Trans Day of Vengeance', after raising money for firearms training. The Virginia chapter of the group held a 'dance party fundraiser' in Richmond 'benefiting firearm/self-defense training for trans-Virginians' on March 7. The Virginia chapter of the group held a 'dance party fundraiser' in Richmond 'benefiting firearm/self-defense training for trans-Virginians' on March 7 Twitter has been removing the posts that could be deemed threatening or involve guns associated with the 'TransDayofVengeance' hashtag - but it is unclear exactly how many were others posing with weapons as they have since been deleted In statements, the group has taken pains to distance themselves from Hale, the Nashville shooter, and her actions, and changed the name of the protest. The protest on Saturday was initially meant to be called a 'day of visibility' but rebranded - before the shooting - to vengeance because it means 'fighting back with vehemence'. Contacted by DailyMail.com, the group was quick to say they do not 'encourage or promote violence'. But one activist appears to have taken the movement to the next level, posting a picture of a heavily armed person with an assault rifle and threatening to 'kill christcucks' - offensive slang for Christians. Twitter has been removing the posts that could be deemed threatening or involve guns associated with the 'TransDayofVengeance' hashtag. The account @TDNTracker, which posted images of the two women with guns, has since been deleted. Ella Irwin, Twitter's head of trust and safety, wrote that the company removed more than 5,000 tweets that included a poster for the event. She said: 'We do not support tweets that incite violence irrespective of who posts them. '"Vengeance" does not imply peaceful protest. Organizing or support for peaceful protests is ok.' Two other trans activists have since posted footage and photos of themselves with rifles, which appear to be in direct response to the Nashville shooting. One says that she will use the weapon for 'protection' against 'transphobes' who target them. Audrey Hale's LinkedIn profile suggested they were now living as a man, and going by the name Aiden when she shot and killed six people at a Christian private school in Nashville Hale was born female but had recently begun using he/him pronouns and the name 'Aiden' according to friends and police Websites such as Etsy are still being used to sell pro-gun and trans merchandise, with stickers that say 'defend equality' with assault rifles Others have flags and stickers available which say 'defend equality' on the trans flag colors Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Green also saw her account removed after she launched several anti-trans attacks on Twitter. Greene claimed that 'Antifa' was organizing the April 1 event, and re-posted a poster for the protest. Activists are being encouraged to 'bring a buddy' and wear a mask at the event outside of the Supreme Court in DC, which is billed as avenging a 'trans genocide.' Organizers did not respond when asked questions about the safety of protests amid the increasing pressure between the two sides of the political spectrum. Websites such as Etsy are still being used to sell pro-gun and trans merchandise, with stickers that say 'defend equality' with assault rifles. They also sell t-shirts and other items emblazoned with 'Trans rights or else', with the high-powered guns in pink, white and blue the trans colors on them. A premature triplet allegedly murdered by nurse Lucy Letby suffered a liver injury akin to a road traffic collision, her trial has heard. Letby is alleged to have attacked the newborn, referred to as Child O, on June 23, 2016, after returning from a holiday to Ibiza. The 33-year-old nurse is charged with murdering seven babies and attempting to murder 10 others at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016. Letby, originally from Hereford, denies all charges. Manchester Crown Court heard how Child O was born in a good condition until he suddenly collapsed two days later in the care of Letby before going progressively downhill as medics failed to save him. Nurse Lucy Letby (pictured) is alleged to have attacked the new-born, referred to as Child O, on June 23, 2016, after returning from a holiday to Ibiza Manchester Crown Court (pictured) heard how Child O was born in a good condition until he suddenly collapsed two days later in the care of Letby On the following day shift, Letby is alleged to have murdered Child P - one of Child O's triplet brothers. The trial has heard how Dr Dewi Evans, an expert paediatrician, said he believed Child P had initially been destabilised by the introduction of air at some point prior to an X-ray being taken at 8.09pm on June 23. But it was the introduction of additional 'dollop of air' during the following morning that splinted his diaphragm and caused the first of a series of collapses that ended with his death. A short time after the death of two of their babies, the parents begged medics to transfer their surviving triplet to the Liverpool Women's Hospital because they feared that he too would die if he remained in Chester. Dr Andreas Marnerides, a paediatric pathologist, said he did not believe the 'impact' injury caused to Child O could have been the result of efforts to resuscitate him. The infant died partly due to an 'impact-type' internal liver injury - discovered after his death. Jurors were shown post-mortem examination photographs which showed two separate sites of bruising, as well as areas of a blood clot. Prosecutor Nick Johnson KC asked the consultant: 'How does that injury come to be in a child of (Child O's) age?' Dr Marnerides, who practises at London's St Thomas' Hospital, said: 'The distribution, the pattern and the appearance of the bruising indicates towards impact-type injury. I'm fairly confident this is impact-type injury.' He explained the photograph showed 'extensive haemorrhaging into the liver', which he had only seen previously in a road traffic collision and in non-accidental assaults from parents or carers. Dr Andreas Marnerides (pictured), a paediatric pathologist, said he did not believe the 'impact' injury caused to Child O could have been the result of efforts to resuscitate him Mr Johnson said: 'Looking at this sequence of photographs, can you rule out the possibility that these injuries were caused by CPR?' Dr Marnerides said: 'I cannot convince myself that in the setting of a neonatal unit this would be a reasonable proposition to explain this. I don't think CPR can produce this extensive injury to a liver.' Mr Johnson said: 'In so far as you have spoken about an impact-type scenario for causing that internal injury, would you necessarily expect to see any outside sign on the skin itself?' The consultant replied: 'You can have the most devastating injury internally and nothing can be observed externally. That is very common.' Mr Johnson went on: 'What in your view was the cause of death of (Child O)?' Dr Marnerides said: 'In my view, the cause of death was inflicted traumatic injury to the liver, profound gastric and intestinal distension following acute excessive injection/infusion of air via a naso-gastric tube and air embolism due to administration into a venous line.' The consultant was approached by Cheshire Police in late 2017 to review the deaths of a number of babies at the hospital, the court heard. He gave his opinion on their causes of death after having reviewed the pathological evidence as well as information received from clinical and radiological reviews. The 33-year-old nurse (pictured) is charged with murdering seven babies and attempting to murder 10 others at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016 Dr Marnerides said it appeared Child A, a twin boy, died as a result of an injection of air into his bloodstream. Child C, a boy, was subjected to an excessive infusion/injection of air into his nasogastric tube, he said. The 'likely explanation' for the death of Child D, a girl, was an air embolism into her circulation. Another girl, Child I, received an excessive injection of air into her stomach, he said. He told the court he could no offer no opinion on the death of Child E, a twin boy, because no post-mortem examination took place. The trial continues on Thursday. On Monday, Audrey Hale attacked the Covenant school, which she previously attended, killing six people The manifesto is currently being analyzed by the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit A Nashville Council Member said Wednesday that the manifesto of the school shooter will be released to the public Nashville school shooter Audrey Hale's pre-killing spree manifesto will be released to the public after the FBI's team of criminal profilers analyze its contents. According to the New York Post, the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit is working 'in tandem' with the Nashville Police Department to complete an 'in-depth analysis of certain aspects of the shooter's life.' Nashville Council Member Robert Swope said: 'The manifesto is going to be released. Its just a matter of when. There are some incredibly brilliant psychological minds and psychological analysts combing through her entire life.' Transgender Hale, 28, left behind the manifesto in addition to a detailed map of the school she once attended and apparently planned a detailed attack against, that left three students and three staffers dead. Linkedin picture of Audrey Hale, 28, who opened fire at a Nashville school on Monday, killing six On Monday morning, transgender 28-year-old Audrey Halle attacked the Covenant school, which she previously attended Swope told the Post that Hale reviewed two other possible schools, both of the public, as targets for her attack, before deciding 'the security was too great to do what she wanted to do.' 'So she chose a private Christian school, for, probably the reason is that the security is a whole lot less,' he said. 'Im beyond heartbroken. That this kind of evil actually exists in this world, it is amazing to me. I dont know how our community gets past this,' he added. On Monday morning, Hale attacked the Covenant school, which she previously attended, at around 10 in the morning. At around 10.13am, Hale opened fire at The Covenant School, shooting and killing Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, all aged nine. Substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61, head of school Dr. Katherine Koonce, 60, and custodian Mike Hill, 61, were also killed. Koonce worked alongside her daughter Anna at The Covenant School, who serves as a faculty/student assistant. Within 14 minutes, Hale was dead, as Nashville police revealed photos of the two officers - Rex Engelbart and Michael Collazo - who shot and killed Hale. In a statement issued late Monday night, a spokesperson for the school said: 'Our community is heartbroken. 'We are grieving tremendous loss and are in shock coming out of the terror that shattered our school and church. 'We are focused on loving our students, our families, our faculty and staff and beginning the process of healing.' Nashville Council Member Robert Swope said Hale's manifesto will be released to the public after it is analyzed by FBI experts A terrified child presses her hand against the glass of a school bus window after being evacuated from The Covenant School Audrey Hale, 28, opened fire at a Nashville school on Monday, killing six Students from The Covenant School get off a bus to meet their parents at the reunification site at the Woodmont Baptist Church Monday, March 27, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. following a mass shooting at their school Police said Hale was transgender, although they haven't specified further details. She was born female, but a LinkedIn profile believed to be hers uses he/him pronouns, suggesting Hale was living as a man. Police released this image of Hale on Monday John Drake, the chief of Nashville police, said Hale left a manifesto which suggested simmering anger at being sent to a Christian school. Hale's mother, Norma Hale, worked as a coordinator at a local church and posted about religion frequently on Facebook. 'The person we know as Audrey Hale, she's a 28-year-old Nashvillan. We have belief that she went to school in the area - at that actual school. 'There's some belief that there was some resentment for having to go to that school,' said Drake, speaking to NBC News. 'Don't have all the details to that just yet and that's why this incident occurred.' The six victims were three nine-year-old children and three staff members. Rwanda removals flights could be a step closer after Dominic Raab revealed 'very positive' initial talks with Strasbourg judges who previously blocked the plan. The Deputy Prime Minister said he told the judges 'we've got to deal with' interim injunctions known as 'Rule 39' orders if Britain is to remain within the European human rights convention. His optimism came despite experts from the Council of Europe, which oversees the Strasbourg court, warning that measures in the UK's new immigration Bill do not comply with international agreements on tackling modern slavery. The Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) 'expressed deep concern' over the Illegal Migration Bill, and urged ministers to re-think the plans. Mr Raab confirmed he is leading British discussions with the European Court of Human Rights, and travelled to Strasbourg, France, to meet with senior judiciary and Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejcinovic Buric, this month. The Deputy Prime Minister (pictured here outside Downing Street on Tuesday) said he told the judges 'we've got to deal with' interim injunctions known as 'Rule 39' orders if Britain is to remain within the European human rights convention He travelled to Strasbourg, France, to meet with senior judiciary and Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejcinovic Buric (pictured) , this month He revealed other European countries are also demanding changes to the way the court uses Rule 39s. Mr Raab said: 'We explained that we will do everything we can to remain in the Council of Europe and the European Convention, but we've got to deal with this issue. 'One thing I was heartened by is how many other European nations are saying the same. There are lots of countries having similar problems around it.' The Home Office's inaugural flight to Rwanda was blocked at the 11th-hour by Strasbourg judges last June when they issued a Rule 39 order when the plane was already on the tarmac. The immigration Bill sets out that if Strasbourg does not agree to rein in Rule 39s, ministers will change UK law so they can be ignored. Mr Raab said there had been 'mission creep' in the way Strasbourg uses Rule 39s, which were initially only 'advisory' but the court now views them as binding. A regular ocean swimmer was left shocked after her surf life saving club told her she wasn't allowed to strip naked in the communal changerooms. Nada Pantle often used the changerooms at the Terrigal Surf Lifesaving Club after a morning swim on NSW's Central Coast until she received a letter last month telling her she'd breached their policy. The letter informed her she had 'breached the no nudity clause' and because the club has a family friendly environment, 'nudity is not acceptable as per the Child Safe Policy'. 'Should you continue to ignore the procedures/rules, you will be subject to disciplinary action and/or including termination of your membership,' the letter continued. Ms Pantle said the letter had made her feel 'body-shamed', and questioned how members could get changed without taking their clothes off. Nada Pantle often used the changerooms at the Terrigal Surf Lifesaving Club after a morning swim on NSW's Central Coast until she received a letter last month telling her she'd breached their nudity policy 'They didn't say what I did or who had made a complaint, but it sort of implied I'd done something almost sexual,' she told the ABC. Poll Do you think people should have to cover up in communal changerooms? Yes, people should be considerate of children and others No, people should be allowed to strip off Do you think people should have to cover up in communal changerooms? Yes, people should be considerate of children and others 143 votes No, people should be allowed to strip off 184 votes Now share your opinion A sign outside the changerooms reads 'No nudity in change rooms', telling members to shower in their swimmers and change with a towel wrapped around them. 'If you are caught breaching this rule, you will be called before the club's disciplinary committee,' it continued. Another member, Wendy Farley, also questioned how women are able to get out of their wet swimmers without getting nude. 'I think that's a bad message for all women. To cover your nudity and be ashamed of it,' she said. Jon Harkness, the CEO of Surf Life Saving Central Coast, said the club was following a policy put in place by Surf Life Saving Australia. 'Numerous young people have raised the issue that they've felt uncomfortable in the changerooms at Terrigal and we need to make sure young people feel safe at all times,' he told Daily Mail Australia. He said parents of the junior members had raised the issue with the club. 'What the club is trying to achieve is a balance so people can still use the facility but with modesty,' he said. 'If a child is inside and two adults come in and get naked to use the shower, they're going to feel uncomfortable.' Mr Harkness said there are plans to revamp the changerooms and place individual cubicles. 'I think (Ms Pantle's complaints) are a little bit unreasonable given the circumstances,' he added. 'Surf Life Saving Australia is more than inclusive to all people from all cultures and with different shapes and body sizes.' Ms Pantle has since left the club. He led police on a multi-state pursuit in stolen car in July, 2022 An award-winning chef has been jailed for leading police on a wild multi-state pursuit in a stolen vehicle. Paul Smith, a once-decorated chef for global hotel giant Accor in Melbourne, was sentenced to a year and nine months in jail for the terrifying car chase that stretched from Victoria to South Australia. Smith stole the vehicle on July 5, 2022 in Mildura, in Victoria's northwest. A short time later police initiated a pursuit, which began a terrifying string of events. The chase crossed the border into Morphett Vale, in Adelaide's south, before continuing through the Adelaide Hills where police set up tyre spikes to try and slow the car down in Longwood. Undeterred, Smith continued on, even ramming through a police car in the Adelaide Hills suburb of Bridgewater. He was eventually cornered, stopped and dragged from the stolen car on the South Eastern Freeway in South Australia - more than 300km from where the chase began. In a strange but kind turn of events, one of the arresting officers helped Smith to a cigarette after he was handcuffed and sat down on the side of the road. Former award-winning chef Paul Smith (second from right) has been jailed for leading police on a wild multi-state pursuit in a stolen vehicle Smith won awards working as a chef at Accor Group hotel's Pullman on the Park in Melbourne's CBD. He won Victoria's Accor employee of the year for 2015, where he was described by the company as 'extremely persistent'. In sentencing Smith on Wednesday, Chief Judge Mary-Louise Hribal described his driving as extremely dangerous' which 'placed members of the public and police in danger of serious injury and death'. You had little thought for them... you drove deliberately into the side of a police car accelerating forcibly pushing the vehicle out of the way,' Chief Judge Hribel said. The court heard Smith had a long criminal history and suffered from addiction to both meth and cannabis. Smith was sentenced to a year and nine months behind bars with a non-parole period of 14 months Victoria Police is seeking Smith for outstanding warrants and he will be extradited to Victoria at the end of his jail term. The estranged wife of controversial union boss John Setka claims she literally wet herself upon being informed she was to be charged over an alleged kill plot. Former lawyer Emma Walters was interviewed by police on Wednesday and charged with incitement to commit conspiracy to murder the Victorian secretary of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union. Victoria Police detectives converged on Walters' Footscray home - west of Melbourne - on Wednesday night. Emma Walters and her estranged husband John Setka in 2016 leave court alongside top silk Robert Richter, QC CFMEU Secretary John Setka and Emma Walters speak to the media during a press conference in 2019. Walters stood by Setka when he came under fire about comments he allegedly made about Rosie Batty Former lawyer Emma Walters was interviewed by police on Wednesday and charged with incitement to commit conspiracy to murder John Sekta - the Victorian secretary of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (pictured together) Walters told the Herald Sun detectives were in the process of tearing her home apart when she felt physically ill. 'I have been handcuffed, my house has been turned upside down for no reason and my children have been abducted from me,' she said. 'The anxiety and the post-traumatic stress that I suffer from has meant that I vomited all over my bed and pissed myself and so when they came and handcuffed me I was in the process of washing through all of the linen.' Victoria Police confirmed Walters had been charged 'after she allegedly attempted to acquire a firearm and made threats to kill a man earlier this month'. 'Investigators executed a search warrant at a residential address in Footscray on Wednesday where they seized a mobile phone,' the statement said. Walters faces charges of incitement to commit conspiracy to murder, incitement to acquire a firearm and making threats to kill. Setka and Walters have been involved in a long-running legal battle involving allegations that Setka committed acts of domestic violence and repeated breaches of intervention orders. Walters is suing the Victorian government over claims police failed to protect her after she made reports of alleged repeated family violence by Setka. Setka has denied allegations of domestic violence but in 2019 was convicted of harassing Walters and breaching the orders. Mr Setka and his estranged wife have been involved in a long-running legal battle involving allegations he committed acts of domestic violence and breached intervention orders John Setka comforts Walters outside court in 2019 Walters has denied the allegations and is expected to contest the charges when they land before the Melbourne Magistrates' Court next week. The 46-year old claimed to be in 'fear for her life' in the weeks leading up to her arrest, telling friends she had sought assistance from a security expert who discussed installing CCTV cameras at her home. It is understood that security expert dobbed her into police when their conversation canvassed other options she could have to protect herself. Walters claimed she had been forced to relocate to Victoria from South Australia and live in the marital homes, which had caused her great distress. 'Ever since this has happened, I have been in a constant state of fear and living with anxiety,' she told the publication. The couple made headlines in 2019 when Setka was convicted of harassing Walters and breaching intervention orders. She pleaded guilty the same year to driving with a blood-alcohol level more than five times the legal limit. Walters had been speeding through country Victoria on the way to South Australia when she blew .282. Her two children, aged five and seven at the time, had been strapped in the back seat when police claim Walters 'smelt strongly of the intoxicant liquor'. Emma Walters recently appeared on South Australian television to take a swipe at her ex-husband The prosecutor told the court when Ms Walters was asked what and when she last drank, she said vodka the afternoon before. In a joint statement then, the couple said they were going through a 'difficult period in their marriage' and did things they regretted at the 'height of emotional turmoil' during their marital troubles. 'We have as a family, had an incredibly difficult few years and I made it clear then as I am now, I was in a very dark place in which I did seek refuge with alcohol during that time and this is something I am not proud of,' Walters said in the statement. Just months ago, Walters appeared on South Australia television where she claimed to be in hiding. In a Channel 7 interview, Walters accused Setka of 'psychological and mental abuse'. 'Am I living in fear day-in, day-out and night-in, night-out? Yes,' she said. Walters claimed Setka had repeatedly breached intervention orders while she was living in hiding with their children in Adelaide. Walters has been bailed to face Melbourne Magistrates' Court on April 5. He was found two doors down the street A couple have expressed relief after their pet toy cavoodle was found at a neighbours after they had earlier issued a desperate plea to find him when the dog disappeared during a home burglary. Josh O'Brien called into Neil MItchell's show on Melbourne radio station 3AW on Thursday to issue the desperate request for help after their apricot toy cavoodle was seen by neighbours roaming Carroll Street in Melbourne's west on Wednesday. According to Mr O'Brien, the burglars broke into his Deer Park house roughly between 1-1:30 in the afternoon while he and his partner, Maggie Amber, were working, stealing around $6,000 worth of valuables and sentimental treasures. When Ms Amber returned to the home at 8pm she immediately called him and explained that their jewelry, passports and their dog Ron were gone. After printing over 300 flyers and placing them on doorsteps, Mr O'Brien said a neighbour two doors down from his had contacted him to say that Ron was safe in their home. After printing over 300 flyers Josh O'Brien said a neighbour had contacted him to say that Ron (pictured) was safe in their home Mr O'Brien (right) and Maggie Amber (left) had a stressful couple of days after their home was robbed and dog escaped Though the house was 'tipped upside down', the couple's main priority was locating the missing pet. Our dog is missing, we found out that he wasnt stolen because a few of our neighbours actually saw him in the street around two oclock which means that they probably robbed the joint at about one,' Mr O'Brien told 3AW. 'Hes very friendly, if he sees anyone hes just going to come up and give you a snuggle to be honest. 'If you see him, just say Ron and give him a quick whistle and hell come over to you straight away. Veteran broadcaster Mitchell said he doesn't usually broadcast missing dog cases 'because there are millions of them', but changed his tune after hearing about the robbery. When the host asked how many valuables had been stolen and how the criminals had broken in, Mr O'Brien briefly explained the situation before switching the focus back to his missing dog. 'It was a lot of sentimental things... so my partners dads gold ring, a few watches - probably close to around six-to-seven thousand dollars and thats not even the dog included,' Mr O'Brien said. 'But we dont really care about that stuff, it's mainly the dog we kind of want to find to be honest. 'So I've got the next few days off work and have just put posters up and all over social media.' The burglars had allegedly kicked open the fence and used pliers to break open the back door, allowing Ron to escape. Even though roughly $6,000 worth of valuables were stolen, the couple's main priority at the moment is finding Ron (pictured) The couple had uploaded posts online and plastered posters across Deer Park telling othersto be on the lookout for the missing pup Mr O'Brien said he and his partner both works hard jobs, with Ms Amber being a veterinary nurse. My partner has been through some really, really rough stuff and that dog was kind of a therapy dog. 'If we get home from work and were having a bad day, he makes our day. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Victorian Police for more information on the burglary. Greens leader Adam Bandt has taken credit for a fossil fuel companies' stock price collapse after striking a climate deal with the Albanese Government. Investors dumped several energy shares this week after Labor, with the Greens' backing, announced a deal on the government's key proposal to slash greenhouse gas emissions - a 'safeguard mechanism' to reduce pollution from major emitters. The safeguard mechanism legislation passed in the Senate with the Greens' backing and was rubber stamped on Thursday afternoon in the lower house by 89 votes to 50. 'Fossil fuel shares fell yesterday after the Greens' secured a limit on coal and gas expanding,' Mr Bandt wrote on Twitter. 'Good. To those wanting to open new coal and gas mines, your days of wrecking the climate for profit are numbered,' he said. Greens leader Adam Bandt (pictured with partner Claudia Perkins at the Midwinter Ball) has taken credit for a fossil fuel company stock price collapse after striking a climate deal with the Albanese Government The Greens leader included a series of graphs with his tweet, showing how the share price of various fossil fuel companies had fallen. Mr Bandt's delight came despite revelations that part of his generous, taxpayer funded 15.4 per cent superannuation payment goes to HESTA, which has $4billion invested in fossil fuel projects - with the other part invested in Future Super. It is not made clear precisely how his money is invested with HESTA, but previous parliamentary disclosures said he used its sustainable growth option, which invests in Kerry Stokes Seven Group, which keeps the Australian mining industry running as the sole Caterpillar dealer in Western Australia. The Seven Group also has interests in oil and gas projects in the US, and owns 30 per cent of oil firm Beach Energy, the Financial Review reported. Greens leader Adam Bandt tweeted (pictured) his joy at the fall in fossil fuel companies' share price collapse Mr Bandt's register of interests statement (pictured) shows his superannuation is split between HESTA and Future Super. HESTA has $4billion invested in fossil fuel projects. His partner Claudia Perkins' super is with PSSAP, which also invests heavily in fossil fuel companies That same HESTA plan also invests in Andrew Forrest's Fortescue Metals Group, which is one of Australia's biggest polluters. Environmental website Market Forces, which is run by Friends of the Earth Australia, said HESTA's main fund has around $4billion invested in fossil fuel projects. The Environmental Defenders Office last year complained that HESTA invested 'members' savings into companies active pushing new fossil fuels'. Mr Bandt's statement also revealed his partner Claudia Perkins - who wore a dress emblazoned with anti-mining slogans to the the political Midwinter Ball last September - invests with Public Sector Superannuation Accumulation Plan (PSSAP). PSSAP is taking care of Ms Perkins future saving by investing it in the likes of Saudi company Aramco, which is the biggest contributor to global carbon emissions over the last three decades. It also invests in Russian company Lukoil - which is responsible for two per cent of world crude oil production - AGL, Woodside Petroleum and many other fossil fuel firms. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Bandt with a series of questions about his investments in fossil fuel through his superannuation contributions. Qantas CEO Alan Joyce is on track to pocket a $24million farewell from the airline as he prepares to say goodbye to the national carrier sometime this year. Mr Joyce, who announced his 15-year stint in charge of the national carrier will wrap up by the end of 2023, stands to gain the extraordinary sum mainly from his huge share deposits and deferred bonuses. The huge windfall is unlikely to impress critics of Mr Joyce's tenure and Qantas, which has seen controversial outsourcing of baggage handling and maintenance among other cost cutting measures, with the airline being widely bagged for its falling standards. The Covid pandemic also saw the airline receive around $2.35 billion in support from the former Morrison government including $860million in JobKeeper payments, despite laying off around 6,000 people during the period. Despite all that, Mr Joyce is well on his way to gaining another two million Qantas shares if he can get the airline to meet certain targets the Australian Financial Review reported. Qantas CEO Alan Joyce is set to leave to airline at the end of the year with a massive payday of $24million Mr Joyce is on track to receive 698,000 Qantas shares in June under a recovery from Covid plan that, at the current Australian Stock Exchange trading price, will be worth $4.5 million. In addition to this, Mr Joyce's contract has a long-term incentive scheme that promises him up to 1,349,000 Qantas shares if the airline ranks highly in comparisons of its return to share investors by the end of June. With three months to go, Mr Joyce looks set to make $8.8million from this, which is close to the maximum total. In August, Mr Joyce is also set to receive deferred bonuses from the three years when the airline was affected by the Covid shutdowns and recorded a statutory loss of $7billion. Added to his share gains, based on the current selling price, the amount he will walk away from his plumb job with is between $22.3 million and $24.4 million. Qantas booked losses of $7billion over the Covid period but bounced back to profitability this year The extravagant send-off will cap what has been a tumultuous time for Qantas under Mr Joyce, with the airline being tagged with a 'Shonky' award from consumer watchdog Choice in November. The Shonky Awards name and shame major brands for poor service or subpar products with Choice rebranding the airline as the 'Spirit of Disappointment'. Choice said Qantas being awarded a Shonky this year came after multiple complaints were sent to the consumer group about the airline. 'If there was ever a company that appeared to deliberately be going out of its way to win a Shonky Award, it's Qantas,' Choice travel expert Jodi Bird said. 'People are still paying premium prices to fly Qantas, but it's clear from the complaints we've heard, they're not getting a premium service. 'Qantas has made it difficult and confusing for their customers to use flight credits for cancelled travel. 'This includes forcing many people to spend extra money, putting limits on available flights, being unable to make bookings using credits online the list goes on.' Under Mr Joyce's leadership Qantas has controversially outsourced its baggage handling The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has been investigating how Qantas has handled travel credits. Last year, ACCC chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said Qantas 'did not properly make a realistic assessment of how many flights they could serve' as air travel grew strongly after the pandemic' which had left many unable to use their expiring credits. On March 8 Melbourne plane refuellers held a 24-hour strike for better pay and conditions for the workers employed by the Rivet Group. The Transport Workers' Union said employees had been trying to get a better working agreement for a year with the current conditions leaving them understaffed. 'These are workers in one of the most dangerous jobs in the airport, yet they are being pushed to the limit while pay and conditions fail to attract more workers to share the load,' TWU official Mem Suleyman. The union has been in protracted legal fight with Qantas over the outsourcing of more than 1600 baggage handlers during the Covid period, which it said was 'illegal'. Pirates boarded a Danish-owned oil tanker sailing in the most dangerous shipping route in the world, forcing its crew to barricade themselves in a safe room. Communication was lost with tanker Monjasa Reformer after it was boarded by five armed pirates in the Gulf of Guinea, off the coast of west Africa, on Saturday. All 16 crew sought refuge in a safe room aboard, according to the cooperation centre. The Liberian-flagged oil and chemical tanker was boarded by the five pirates around 140 miles west of the Republic of Congo's Port Pointe-Noire. Danish marine fuels supplier Monjasa said the crew of the 135-metre tanker sought refuge in the secure room or 'citadel' when the pirates boarded, 'in accordance with the onboard anti-piracy emergency protocol'. The 16-person crew of the Monjasa Reformer (pictured before the attack) oil tanker barricaded themselves in the ship's safe room after they were attacked by armed pirates The last known location of the 135-metre tanker is hundred of miles off the coast of west Africa. Communication was lost with tanker Monjasa Reformer after it was boarded by five armed pirates in the Gulf of Guinea, off the coast of west Africa, on Saturday Monjasa said: 'Onboard communications channels are currently down and we are working with the local authorities to establish communication to understand the situation on board and provide all the support needed by the crew to overcome these dreadful events.' It added 'the vessel was sitting idle' when the incident took place. The ship was spotted about 540 miles further off shore on Tuesday, according to a maritime cooperation centre monitoring security in the area. The ship's Danish owner Monjasa, a marine fuels supplier, said the attack was a 'dreadful' incident The company added: 'Onboard communications channels are currently down and we are working with the local authorities to establish communication to understand the situation on board' Why is the Gulf of Guinea the most dangerous shipping route in the world? The Gulf of Guinea is a major shipping route stretching 3,500 miles from Senegal to Angola, with Nigerian gangs carrying out most attacks. Since 2021, shippers say pirates have been raiding farther out in international waters. The gulf has periods of calmer seas when it is easier for pirates to race out from hidden bases on the Nigeria coast to raid commercial vessels offshore and kidnap crew. Many of the attacks in recent years have been carried out by Nigerian criminal gangs who strike out in speed boats from hideouts in the Delta region to raid vessels. Some gangs have captured larger fishing vessels which they use as a 'mothership' base to raid further out to sea. Yet the region, which sees a lot of traffic from oil tankers, has also seen a lull in activity recently. Three ships were attacked in the area in 2022, compared to 26 in 2019. Two other attacks have been recorded in the region in 2023 so far. Advertisement The nationalities of the crew members and the pirates are not yet known. The Gulf of Guinea is the world's most dangerous spot for attacks on ships. In June, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution strongly condemning piracy, armed robbery and hostage-taking in the area. This hijacking took place further south in an area that is not typically attacked by pirates. Rida Lyammouri, a senior fellow at the Policy Center for the New South, a Moroccan-based think tank, said: 'This is worrying since it's rare in this area compared to the Gulf of Guinea, for example, where multiple ship hijackings take place every year. 'Hopefully we are not witnessing a new trend and [this] is just an isolated incident. This also could be explained by increased security measures in the Gulf of Guinea and pirates are looking into new areas of operations.' Denmark, home to shipping giant Maersk, sent a naval frigate in 2021 to patrol the waters, after the country had pushed for a stronger international naval presence. The Absalon-class Danish frigate Esbern Snare - equipped with a helicopter and around 175 marines aboard - was sent to patrol the waters between November 2021 and March 2022, a period when the risk of attacks was higher. The Danish Shipping association said the latest incident shows 'problems with piracy off the west coast of Africa are far from solved.' Although it acknowledged the war in Ukraine meant Denmark's navy was needed elsewhere, it suggested 'vessels from several countries in the area... particularly the EU countries should coordinate their presence' to provide the best cover. In November 2021, sailors from the Danish frigate were involved in a firefight resulting in the deaths of five suspected pirates. A suspected Nigerian pirate was transferred to Denmark to receive medical care after the skirmish. After needing to have his leg amputated the man, who has also applied for asylum in Denmark, was put on trial for and convicted of endangering the lives of the Danish sailors. An eight-year-old boy, who has autism and is non-verbal, was left trapped inside a school bus after the driver forgot about him at drop-off. Harry was collected from his home in Adelaide's northern suburbs on Monday morning and was supposed to be taken to Modbury Special School in a private transport bus operated by the school - but he never made it. It is understood another student was taken to a different school while Harry was still buckled into his seat, before the driver went home and locked the vehicle. Harry was found in the driver's driveway. It is believed he was trapped for up to an hour. His mother Bec only found out about the blunder because she got an alert on the school's Seesaw app, asking if her son was going to class. Harry (pictured), eight, was trapped inside a school bus for up to an hour in Adelaide Harry was found sitting alone in the bus (pictured) in the driver's driveway His parents told 7 News they were angry at the school staff members who were responsible for taking him to class, rather than the bus driver. They met with school representatives on Wednesday and asked for guarantees it would never happen again. The Department for Education said it was taking the matter 'extremely seriously'. 'This incident should not have occurred,' chief executive Martin Westwell said. 'The department will take all action necessary to ensure it doesn't happen again.' 'The department is also reminding all schools of their obligations in terms of appropriate practices to ensure all students are accounted for when disembarking from buses.' A 'sick' thug dubbed the Phantom Cat Shaver is feared to have attacked almost 100 pets, sparking a nationwide investigation. The elusive attacker is feared to be targeting pet cats with hair clippers and cruelly removing their fur. Up until last week there had been 54 incidents - predominantly across Kent and south-east London - being investigated. However, the number of cat shaving cases soared by 30 to an astounding 84 cases, spreading far and wide across the UK. Of the 84 cases, there are more in the same region but also others as far afield as Cragie, near Aberdeen, Scotland as well as Rugely, near Stafford, Staffordshire. A 'sick' thug dubbed the Phantom Cat Shaver is feared to have attacked almost 100 pets with hair clippers There are now 84 cases across the UK being investigated following an additional 30 reports in a week Others have even reported their furry pets being sheared in Southampton and Littlehampton, West Sussex. The shocking rise in cat shaving has prompted fears of copycat attacks taking place until the problem can be stemmed. The ongoing cases are being investigated by the Animals Lost and Found in Kent charity. Natasha McPhee, 39, who runs the charity in Gillingham, Kent, warned cat owners to be vigilant and report cases to the police and RSPCA. The first cases centred around the town and Chatham and Rainham. She said: 'This first started in our area back in November and have happened across the UK now. 'I have no explanation why or who would do such a thing. 'In many cases the cats are left traumatised and it's very upsetting for owners as well. 'I can only imagine that the people carrying out these attacks are doing it for their own self gratification or some kind of cheap thrill. 'Personally I think they are sick and need to be caught as quickly as possible.' The elusive attacker is feared to be targeting pet cats with hair clippers and cruelly removing their fur The shocking rise in cat shaving has prompted fears of copycat attacks taking place until the problem can be stemmed Most of the cases of cat shaving have taken place in Kent and south-east London (map pictured) The RSPCA is urging pet owners to be vigilant, and to report any incidents of cat shaving to themselves or the police. RSPCA Chief Inspector Patrick Hamby said: 'We may not be able to do something right away as it's very difficult if you have no leads to go on, but it lets us know what is going on and the areas it is happening in, so we can concentrate more in those areas.' 'If a cat has been shaved, it would have had to have been held down by someone they don't know, which would put a lot of stress on the cat,' he added. 'Your cat may show signs of not wanting to go out anymore, or wanting to go out much less.' Mark Latham has deleted a 'vile' tweet he sent a gay MP who had slammed the NSW One Nation leader as a 'disgusting human being'. Alex Greenwich, the member for Sydney, blasted Latham after 'Christian Lives Matter' and LGBTQI protesters violently clashed outside St Michaels Church in Belfield, in Sydney's south-west, where he was speaking. Three men were arrested over alleged attacks on demonstrators from the Community Action for Rainbow Rights group that evening. 'Mark Latham is a disgusting human being and people who are considering voting for One Nation need to realise they are voting for an extremely hateful and dangerous individual who risks causing a great deal of damage to our state,' Mr Greenwich said at a press conference. The statement was then posted on Twitter, with Latham responding at 10.13am on Thursday: 'Disgusting? How does that compare with sticking your d*** up a bloke's a*** and covering it with s***?' State One Nation leader Mark Latham (pictured) has written a homophobic tweet after independent MP Alex Greenwich called him a 'disgusting human being' Latham wrote: 'Disgusting? How does that compare with sticking your d*** up a bloke's a*** and covering it with s***?' The state One Nation leader's comment was slammed by several twitter users including conservative commentator and former commando Heston Russell. 'You cannot be serious - this is absolutely pathetic @realmarklatham - the true character is displayed during crisis and success mate, and you have failed miserably,' Mr Russell wrote. Veteran 10 News reporter Hugh Riminton tweeted: 'Extraordinary. This is One Nation NSW Leader Mark Latham referring today to another elected politician who happens to be gay.' Refugee advocate Shane Bazzi said: 'Mark Latham has deleted these disgusting homophobic tweets without apology or explanation (not that any apology would be genuine anyway)'. 'Is this real?' asked another Twitter user. Latham's tweet was deleted after about an hour. The NSW environment minister, Penny Sharpe, told The Guardian she was 'physically sickened' by the comment and has called on Latham to apologise. Veteran journalist Deborah Knight branded the tweet as 'unacceptable in the extreme' on her 2GB radio show. 'Mark Latham's tweet is off the charts,' she said. 'I won't repeat it, you can't, what he's written is something you would never say,' 'Mark Latham needs to take a good hard look in the mirror for posting stuff like this.' Alex Greenwich declined to comment on Latham's tweet when approached by Daily Mail Australia. Latham has been contacted for comment. The One Nation leader was responding to comments from Independent MP Alex Greenwich (pictured), who urged potential supporters of Latham to 'realise they are voting for an extremely hateful and dangerous individual' Former commando Heston Russell was one of several people who lambasted Latham over the vile tweet The extraordinary Twitter stoush came after as many as 500 'Christian' protesters violently clashed with LGBTQ activists last Tuesday, as Mr Latham gave a speech at a church. The activists claimed 'Christian Lives Matter' followers threw rocks and bottles at them. Police said the large crowd also hurled glass bottles at officers, with one constable taken to the Canterbury Hospital with cuts to his hand. The terrifying clash was captured on film and showed the Christian group shouting abuse at the activists. At one stage, a man was seen throwing a punch into the crowd, only for it to connect with the back of a woman's head. She was then heard screaming and crying as a friend wraps his arm around her. The war of words between the two politicians were sparked by a violent clash between 'Christian' Lives Matter' and LGBTQI protesters outside a church where Latham was speaking Latham said police had advised him not to speak that night. 'To not give my speech, to go straight home would have allowed the transgender protesters to cancel my free speech and democratic rights as an election candidate, things that are sacred to me and have been for 35 years in running for elections, local, Federal and State,' he said at the time. 'I didn't see what happened on the front street, but I sincerely convey my best wishes to those injured and thank the police officers involved for their work. No one should take the law into their own hands. Violence at political events is wrong.' British supermarkets may have been selling rotten meat unwittingly for years, an investigation has found. An unnamed food supplier in the midlands is accused of selling the produce to big-chain supermarkets including Tesco, Asda, Marks and Spencer, the Co-op and Morrisons. Customers are thought to have been buying the rotten meat in sandwiches, ready meals, quiches and other goods sold by the brands. The supermarkets are now urgently searching their shelves and stocks to ensure no more meat supplied by the anonymous company is being sold to shoppers. The supplier, which cannot be named for legal reasons, is now the subject of a criminal investigation to establish the extent of the scandal. (Stock Image) Supermarkets may have been unwittingly selling rotten meat to customers for years (Stock Photo) Tesco was one of several supermarkets which bought meat from the accused food supplier It previously sold its meat to food manufacturer Oscar Mayer which supplies brands including Aldi, Subway and Ikea. The chains are confident customers do not need to be worried about current food safety issues. The investigation by Farmers Weekly alleged that the unnamed supplier mixed 'rotting' pork into fresh meat. It also claimed that frozen meat was left to thaw out on the floor of its factory before it was used and that some goods including ox tongues were not properly heat-treated. Two former employees claimed that sampling paperwork which would pick up bacteria such as E-Coli and Listeria was falsified. The worst meat was sent to hospitals, care homes, schools and prisons, a source claimed. The investigation added that the supplier's malpractice went on for decades and may have continued until after 2020. Three people were arrested in connection with the mis-labelling of foreign food as British during a raid by police at the supplier's factory last week. The National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) is also investigation 'potential food hygiene breaches'. Chains which bought meat from the firm only discovered the allegations when the magazine published its investigation yesterday. (Stock Photos) Asda was another of the supermarkets which bought meat from the supplier, as was Morrisons, the Co-op and others Business leaders said the shocking investigation should be a 'wake-up call' for the industry and questioned the quality of the response by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and National Food Crime Unit. Both are said to have had knowledge of the supplier's practices since 2020. However, a source claimed to have sent information to the FSA about it years before. Darren Davies, head of the FSA's NFCU, said: 'The FSA's National Food Crime Unit is carrying out a criminal investigation into how a supplier was allegedly providing products labelled as British when they were in fact sourced from elsewhere. 'This is a complex and live investigation and we are looking into all new lines of enquiry with our partner organisations, including any potential food hygiene breaches at the premises. If any evidence of a food safety risk is found, then necessary action will be taken. 'The FSA advised retailers last year to check their cooked meat supply chain and to apply extra due diligence in their checks. We don't give out these alerts without a reason. 'We will not name the supplier while we painstakingly gather evidence to support our investigation so as not to prejudice any possible future action by the courts.' The British Retail Consortium issued a statement on behalf of the affected supermarkets, saying: 'The role of the FSA is to work with retailers to prevent fraud. 'While we cannot comment on an ongoing investigation, retailers will support the FSA with its investigation into the individual supplier in question.' Ministers are set to announce a three-year extension of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme until 2028. The scheme provides grants of up to 5,000 towards a heat pump for homes in England and Wales. Energy Secretary Grant Shapps also confirmed a widening of an insulation scheme to those in the least energy efficient homes in Council Tax bands A to D. The Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy found that 78 per cent of Britons use gas central heating. Yet from 2025, no gas boilers will be installed in new build homes. And from 2035 all newly installed heating systems will have to be low carbon, such as heat pumps. Energy Secretary Grant Shapps, pictured arriving at Downing Street on Tuesday, also confirmed a widening of an insulation scheme to those in the least energy efficient homes in Council Tax bands A to D The government scheme incentivises homeowners to replace fossil fuel-burning gas boilers with air or ground source heat pumps. Pictured: An air heat pump outside a house The Boiler Upgrade Scheme, launched last May, provides Government grants as an incentive to replace fossil fuel-burning gas boilers with air or ground source heat pumps in properties across England and Wales. Ministers will today announce an extension of the programme until 2028. Gas boilers will be banned in new builds from 2025 - and the Government intends to ban the installation of new ones completely from 2035. But critics say heat pumps, typically installed outside at the back or side of a house, perform poorly in cold winter weather, especially if a home is inadequately insulated or the radiators are not big enough to give off sufficient heat. The National Infrastructure Commission, which advises the Government, this week warned that ministers had made 'negligible advances' in installing low-carbon heating systems. It said in a report: '[The] Government has set an ambition for at least 600,000 heat pumps to be installed each year by 2028, while only 55,000 were fitted in 2021 - meanwhile, 1.5 million gas boilers were fitted.' Disturbing Nazi flyers were distributed to neighbours of a so-called 'house of horrors' where a teenage girl was allegedly tortured - just hours before it went up in flames. An empty Housing Commission property in Tewantin, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, was burnt to the ground in a vigilante attack in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Police are investigating the blaze and believed neo-Nazi flyers - obtained by Daily Mail Australia - may be linked to the firebombing. Daily Mail Australia can exclusively reveal the notes were penned by members of a radical far-right organisation and take aim at the three girls - aged 14, 13 and 12 - who have been charged over an alleged attack on the other girl. The hateful leaflets features images of two of the accused attackers and comments about their cultural heritage. A neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, told Daily Mail Australia the lawless attacks and racist vitriol were 'getting out of hand' in the area. 'It is ridiculous. And it is frustrating for residents,' they said. Pictured: A neo-Nazi group have circulated the above racist flyer within the Tewantin community after a teenage girl was allegedly tortured Vigilante groups had threatened to burn down the home of one of the teens accused of torturing a 13-year-old girl (pictured after attack) in a terrifying four-hour ordeal On Wednesday, Police Superintendent Craig Hawkins revealed that flyers had emerged in the neighbourhood just before the attack - and were created by people who live outside the area. 'This is a direct attempt by individuals ... to incite radical behaviour, racially motivated behaviour,' and does not reflect the feelings of locals, Supt Hawkins said. 'Everyone has the right in Queensland to feel safe, to not be a victim and to live harmoniously in this state. 'The cultural heritage of the people who did occupy this home is completely irrelevant ... these individuals are now before a court for justice to be delivered,' he said. Shocking social media video had shown three people allegedly attacking the young girl, who claimed she was lured to the house under the pretense there was a sleepover party. Police will allege the teens broke bottles over her face and stabbed at the victim with a kitchen knife while she was stripped half-naked. The footage also allegedly showed the girl being tied up, being repeatedly punched in the face as she begged for mercy, burnt and stomped on, and having knives thrown at her. The trio are also accused and of later making her shower to remove blood. Queensland Police and Queensland Fire and Emergency Services forensics officers are pictured at the scene of a suspicious house fire in Tewantin, on the Sunshine Coast, Wednesday, March 29, 2023 The Sunshine Coast home where a 13-year-old was allegedly attacked by three girls on March 11 was burst into flames about 1.30am on Wednesday morning Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Mansfield said the family had left the property before the fire and noted its destruction means that the housing department 'is short a house where some other people in need' could have gone. 'We could have provided some shelter for people who really do need it.' Supt Mansfield said the police are investigating online to see if anyone has posted video to the fire. 'Our electronic team, our digital evidence team in Brisbane is also combing through social media and the like ... trying to identify if there is any videos or social media posts about the incident,' he said. The officer said he had never seen any incident like this particular fire previously here on the Sunshine Coast. 'It's very concerning. It's certainly not condoned,' he said. 'We like people to leave that very type of investigation, to getting to the bottom of the root cause of problems, to the police. That's what we're here for. 'Those people who do commit those kinds of acts will be prosecuted if we do identify who they are.' The fire occurred within days of the home being boarded up after it was ransacked and vandalised with graffiti messages including 'JUSTICE 4 (the girl)'. Police have declared a crime scene at the property and are waiting for it to be declared safe before conducting a full examination. The house (interior pictured) had been vandalised and ransacked days earlier The house (pictured) on the Sunshine Coast was totally destroyed in the arson attack Officers are pictured at the scene of suspicious house fire in Tewantin, Sunshine Coast, Queensland The suspected arson attack came just days after Queensland Police launched an investigation into threats against the three alleged attackers. Supports for the teenage girl published an address for one of the alleged assailants online, threatened to firebomb her house, throw bricks through its windows and attack the accused teen. On Thursday, Queensland Police warned would-be vigilantes to stand down in a statement to Daily Mail Australia. 'People who do attempt to take matters into their own hands can very well have any weapon turned on themselves and could face harm,' said a spokesman. 'In some cases, they could themselves face legal recourse dependent on their actions. 'To ensure community safety, police recommend members of the public not engage in methods of disrupting criminal activity or reprisal which may involve risk of personal harm or further legal recourse,' added a spokesman. 'Police have commenced an investigation in relation to this matter and it would be inappropriate to comment further and inappropriate to identify a victim of crime.' A crime scene has been established at the house (pictured) and the police are continuing their investigations Multiple social media accounts in the name of the alleged ringleader have been bombarded with threats. 'Let's go - only a 1 hour drive,' one vigilante wrote on a post, revealing the alleged ringleader's home address. 'Me and the tribe about to rock up on her doorstep.' Another posted ominously: 'No longer a house, just a pile of ashes.' 'She gonna be crying and begging for me to stop,' threatened another. 'Why is it still breathing?' asked another. Others have targeted the mother of one of those accused and her sister. 'Everybody's after your daughters, so spend as much time as you can with them, because as soon as they walk those streets, they're done for,' one menacing post vowed. Of the three teenagers charged, the eldest child was remanded in custody pending an appearance at Maroochydore Children's Court next month. Social media video had shown three people allegedly attacking the young girl by breaking bottles over her face and stabbing at her with a kitchen knife while she was stripped half-naked She was charged with four counts of assault occasioning bodily harm, assault occasioning bodily harm whilst armed in company, deprivation of liberty, entering a dwelling and committing and indictable offence, armed robbery whilst in company, using personal violence, entering premises and committing an indictable offence and wilful damage. The two younger girls were granted bail and will return to Maroochydore Children's Court later this month. The 13-year-old was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm, assault occasioning bodily harm whilst armed in company, deprivation of liberty, armed robbery whilst in company using personal violence, entering a dwelling and committing an indictable offence, common assault and unauthorised dealing with shop goods. The 12-year-old was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm, assault occasioning bodily harm whilst armed in company, deprivation of liberty, armed robbery in company with personal violence, entering a dwelling and committing an indictable offence and unauthorised dealing with shop goods. Meanwhile, Australians have rallied around the alleged victim, raising more than $35,000 for her in the space of just 24 hours. A GoFundMe appeal was launched by the alleged victim's mother under a picture of her daughter's bloodstained face, which quickly soared past its initial $1111 target. A body has been found in a creek beside a busy Westfield shopping centre in Brisbane as police declare a crime scene. The body was pulled from Downfall Creek along Murphy Road, near a Westfield shopping centre at Chermside, at about 11:30am on Thursday morning. Construction workers at a building site beside the creek were seen speaking with police at the scene, the Courier Mail reports. A Queensland Police spokeswoman said the deceased was an older man. 'A member of the public called it in to us,' she said. 'The area has now been declared a crime scene.' Police are seen near Chermside Westfield on Thursday after a man's body was found in a creek The body was pulled from Downfall Creek on Murphy Road, near a Westfield shopping centre at Chermside, at about 11:30am on Thursday (pictured, emergency services at the scene) Images from the scene show a team of firefighters in lifejackets standing beside the creek as well as plain-clothed detectives and paramedics. Police are treating the death as non-suspicious and are investigating several lines of inquiry, including whether the fatality is health related. Members of the public have been urged to avoid the area. A report will be prepared for the coroner. A devastated cruise passenger was forced to wear the same clothes for 11 days after the staff lost her suitcase. Australian grandmother Cheryl Stuchbery said she and her husband, John, were travelling aboard a Royal Caribbean ship from Sydney to New Zealand. However, what was meant to be an exciting holiday quickly turned to chaos when the crew told Mrs Stuchbery they couldn't find her luggage. The couple first thought Mrs Stuchbery's bag must have been stolen but were furious to learn the crew had misplaced it and was onboard the entire trip. Mrs Stuchbery said the mishap ruined her holiday, and broke down in tear's as she spoke out about the blunder. Australian grandmother Cheryl Stuchbery (above) was forced to wear the same clothes for 11 days after Royal Caribbean Cruises lost her luggage 'I was very depressed. I was in tears a lot at the time,' she told A Current Affair. Staff offered to wash Cheryl's outfit every morning, but the process took three hours, meaning she was confined to her cabin. 'They (would) give Cheryl a t-shirt and a dressing gown, so for the first sort of three hours each day, we're sitting in the room waiting for the clothes to come back,' Mr Stuchbery said. 'Cheryl ended up wearing my knickers, cause my clothes were there.' Mrs Stuchbery's lack of clothes also meant she missed out on experiencing the ship's Milford Sound mountain stop because it was 'cold and damp'. Mrs Stuchbery said staff would wash her clothes everyday while on the ship (pictured, the only clothes she had onboard) The grandmother admitted the cruise had made a stop in Christchurch, NZ's second largest city, before the mountain where she tried to find something to wear. 'We were in the middle of town but there was nothing, Cheryl bought a pair of jeans that she's never worn because she doesn't like them,' Mr Stuchbery said. Her bag was found the day after the boat docked back in Sydney. Royal Caribbean said it offered the couple onboard credit to help them buy essentials, specialty dining and documentation for their travel insurance claim. However, Mr and Mrs Stuchbery feel the cruise line is trying to push their complaints to the side. 'It's disgraceful. It's like they want us to go away if we don't accept their lowest offer. I feel very angry,' Mrs Stuchbery said. A Royal Caribbean spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: 'Royal Caribbean sincerely apologise for misplacing Mr and Mrs Stuchbery's luggage. 'During their cruise, Mr and Mrs Stuchbery were provided with complimentary express laundry, an onboard credit to assist with purchasing incidental items, and specialty dining. 'The luggage was located on return to Sydney and Mr and Mrs Stuchbery have been offered additional compensation and documentation to support a claim via their travel insurance.' This picture illustrates the division among Australia's politicians over Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's proposed Voice to Parliament. As attorney general Mark Dreyfus introduced the bill that will set up the referendum later this year on Thursday morning - the Constitution Alteration Bill - he would have seen a contrasting scene across the chamber. While the government benches and public gallery were brimming with people, there were few Opposition faces in the chamber. Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton was not present, nor was his deputy Sussan Ley. While more members of the Coalition filtered in as Mr Dreyfus wrapped up his speech, the division between one side and the other was abundantly clear. This single photo illustrates the division on the Prime Minister's Voice to Parliament While the government benches and public gallery were brimming with people, there were few Opposition faces in the chamber Mr Dreyfus told those gathered 'this is an important reform, but it is modest', adding that it would 'provide a path for the executive government and the parliament to consult with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders'. The conclusion of his speech was greeted with raucous applause from the Labor benches and much of the crossbench. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was among those on his feet, and pointed up to the public gallery where members of the government's referendum working group and other Indigenous leaders were watching the historic moment. Coalition MP Russell Broadbent was among those clapping following the speech. Mr Albanese and Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney were offered well wishes and hugs by members of their own party. Senators Malarndirri McCarthy, Jana Stewart and Nita Green also watched along from the sides. While the government benches and public gallery were brimming with people, there were few familiar faces representing the Opposition As attorney general Mark Dreyfus introduced the Constitution Alteration Bill to the House of Representatives on Thursday morning, it was a starkly contrasting scene looking across the chamber Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was among those on his feet, and pointed up to the public gallery where members of the government's referendum working group and other Indigenous leaders were watching the historic moment Mr Dreyfus attempted to make further clarifications as to the Voice's purpose in his speech, after rampant criticism from the Opposition that Labor has not done enough to inform the community about its purpose. He said: 'It supplements the existing structures of Australia's democratic system and enhances the normal functioning of government and the law. 'It creates an independent institution that speaks of the parliament and the executive government. But it does not replace direct or impede the actions of either.' Mr Dreyfus said the Voice would not be required to form an opinion on every law or policy, only those which it determines to be important. 'The Voice will determine when to make representations by managing its own priorities and allocate its resources in accordance with the priorities of First Nations peoples,' he said. 'Critically, the Voice will be proactive. It will not have to wait for the moment to seek its views before it can provide them but all the constitution amendment obliges is the parliament or the executive government to consult the voice before taking action. Opposition leader Peter Dutton was not present, nor was deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley 'The Voice will create a critical link between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, the parliament and the executive government. Nothing in the provision it will hinder the ordinary functioning of our democratic system.' The Australian public will have the opportunity to vote on whether they want a Voice to Parliament later this year. Mr Dreyfus said: 'I trust the Australian people to understand that this is the opportunity for a better future, not just for the first peoples of Australia, but for all Australians.' But there are many outspoken critics of the Voice who question the scope of the powers which will be made available to members. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said one of his primary concerns is whether it will have the power to 'slow down the machinery of government'. 'You just can't say to people, well if you feel good about it just vote for it,' he said. 'If it ends up in the High Court for years and years, if it slows down the machinery of government, if it adds billions of dollars to the cost of doing business, all of that is just passed onto taxpayers.' Mr Albanese and Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney were offered well wishes and hugs by members of their own party Prime Minister Anthony Albanese revealed the exact wording of the question to be asked of the Australian public last week In an emotional press conference last Thursday, Mr Albanese choked back tears as he revealed the wording of the referendum about the Voice to Parliament. In the referendum, due to be held between October and December, the public will be asked to consider: 'A proposed law: to alter the constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Do you approve this proposed alteration?' Mr Albanese teared up five separate times as he said: 'This moment has been a very long time in the making. It's a simple matter from the heart. 'Recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in our Constitution is the best chance this country has had to address the injustices of the past and move Australia forward for everyone, the best way to do this is to give people a voice.' For 122 years, the Constitution has made no reference to continent's original inhabitants who, the PM pointed out, have had 'more than 65,000 years of continuous connection to this vast land'. Anthony Albanese appeared on the verge of tears several times during his announcement Late actress Anne Heche left around $110,000 - including $33,000 in uncashed royalty and residual checks - after her death in August last year, her son Homer Laffoon has revealed. In new court documents obtained by DailyMail.com, Laffoon, 21 - administrator of his mothers estate - also disclosed that she had almost $77,000 in a Merrill bank account at the time of her death in August last year. The 27 uncashed checks include several from such top Hollywood studios as Disney, Warner Brothers, Paramount and NBCUniversal. The largest check - for $25,000 - was from Cast and Crew Production Services and was dated June 10, 2022, just a few weeks before Heche died after a fiery car crash in Los Angeles. Homer discovered the check while going through Anne's home, Radar Online first reported. Anne Heche had cocaine in her system during her fatal car crash that resulted in a massive fire that trapped her for 45 minutes. Pictured: Heche moments before the crash Anne Heche and Coleman Laffoon's 20-year-old son Homer Anne Heche pictured with her son, Homer Laffoon, at the celebration launch of Christian Siriano's new book 'Dresses to Dream About' at The London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills on November 19, 2021 The $110,000 in bank funds and uncashed checks is a partial inventory of Heches assets that Laffoon has been putting together for LA Superior Court Probate Judge Lee Bogdanoff. Last November, the judge gave control of Heches estate to Homer over objections from the actress former partner, actor James Tupper - who claimed that $200,000 worth of her jewelry has gone missing. The judge appointed Laffoon, 21, as permanent administrator of the estate, denying the motion by Tupper - father of Heches 14 year-old son Atlas - to have an independent administrator appointed. And the judge dismissed the objection from Canadian-born Tupper, 57, who asserted that Laffoon is not suitable to run the estate because he is too young, unemployed and was estranged from his mother at the time of her death. I find no malfeasance by Mr. Laffoon, said Judge Bogdanoff - who also denied a request Wednesday from Tuppers attorney, Christopher Johnson, for an evidentiary hearing to investigate his clients allegation that Heches $200,000 jewelry collection has disappeared. Johnson had told the judge that Heche had approximately $200,000 worth of jewelry and none remains and that was four years ago(Tupper was with Heche from 2007 to 2018). James Tupper and Anne Heche attend the Hollywood Reporter and SAG AFRA 2017 Emmy Nominees Night party at the Jean-Georges at the Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills, on September 14, 2017 Homer Heche Laffoon (pictured right with Heche and younger son, Atlas, left) was appointed administrator over her estate Anne Heche and James Tupper attend the launch of her 'Tickle Time Sunblock' at The COOP on December 8, 2012 in Studio City, California. Homer Heche Laffoon is pictured center and Atlas Tupper is pictured right, in James Tupper's arms When Judge Bogdanoff asked Johnson if he was suggesting that Laffoon took the jewelry or if he was suggesting fraud or embezzlement was involved, Johnson replied, Not fraud or embezzlement, mismanagement, because, he claimed, Laffoon didnt not secure his mothers apartment quickly enough after her death three months ago. The judge told Johnson that his allegation does not make sense and dismissed his request for an evidentiary hearing. The $200,000 jewelry collection is part of Tuppers $1.6 valuation of what his former partners estate is worth. That sum is disputed by Laffoon who estimates that the value of his mothers belongings and assets totals only a quarter of that, $400,000. In their bitter family feud over the estate, the two have also fought over Tuppers claim that Heche appointed him executor of her estate in a will she emailed to him in 2011. But Homer - the product of Heches eight-year marriage to cameraman Coleman Laffoon - insisted that the email in not valid because its not signed and that his mother had no will when she died at the age of 53. Heche died days after slamming her Mini Cooper into a house in Los Angeles, causing an explosion, on August 5 The actress was left badly burned and in a coma. Heche's life support machine was turned off on August 14, and she was cremated on August 18 The crash scene on August 5 was chaotic with firefighters braving the flames to try and rescue Heche and homeowner Lynne Mishele Heche - best known for roles in Donnie Brasco, Volcano and Wag the Dog and her three-year-relationship with Ellen DeGeneres - slammed her Mini Cooper into a house in Los Angeles, causing a fire, on August 5 last year. Blood tests showed that she had cocaine and fentanyl in her system when the high-speed crash occurred, but officials confirmed that she had not been drinking alcohol despite being pictured earlier with a vodka bottle in her cupholder. She was left badly burned and in a coma. Heche's life support machine was turned off on August 14, and she was cremated August 18. A coroner concluded that she died from inhalation injury and burns, and the death was ruled an accident. The mother-of-two also had a fractured sternum caused by 'blunt trauma,' according to information on the website of the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner. As general administrator of his mothers estate, one of the issues Laffoon will have to deal with is claims from creditors. Earlier this month, Lynne Mishele, the woman renting the house that Heche crashed into, setting it ablaze, sued the estate for at least $2 million, citing negligence, infliction of emotional distress and trespass. Actor Thomas Jane, 53 - who dated Heche in 2019 and 2020 - also filed a claim saying he loaned his ex-girlfriend $157,000 and hes still owed $149,000 with interest and late fees. At the November hearing Judge Bogdanoff set a temporary $800,000 bond Laffoon had to post to safeguard claims of creditors and heirs to the estate. The Australian Federal Police has failed to hand over thousands of pages of written evidence, audio recordings, transcripts, and CCTV that was used to prosecute Brittany Higgins' alleged rapist, a board of inquiry has heard. The ACT government announced in December it would hold a board of inquiry, the Territory's equivalent of a royal commission, into the roles played by police and prosecutors in the 12-day trial against Bruce Lehrmann. Mr Lehrmann faced a trial in the ACT Supreme Court in October but the charges against him were dropped after it was derailed after juror misconduct. The charge was then dropped altogether amid concerns for Ms Higgins' mental health. He had pleaded not guilty, and continues to deny raping Ms Higgins in Parliament House in 2019. The board of inquiry will examine interactions between prosecutors and ACT Police regarding the charges and decisions to go ahead with a first trial and then not proceed with a retrial. An emergency hearing was called at midday on Thursday to address why the AFP haven't handed over all the evidence it had against Mr Lehrmann before the criminal trial, which is referred to as the brief of evidence. Among the evidence could be a recording of a transcript of a phone call between Mr Lehrmann's defence barrister Steven Whybrow and AFP Detective Scott Moller. Ms Higgins (pictured) alleged Bruce Lehrmann raped her in Parliament House in 2019. He pleaded not guilty Senior counsel assisting Erin Longbottom KC told the inquiry the AFP have received numerous subpoenas to produce the evidence, but have so far delayed handing anything over. The probe is being lead by Walter Sofronoff KC, who questioned the AFP's defence barrister Kate Richardson SC heavily on why the information hasn't been produced. Ms Richardson said the footage in particular will need to be reviewed so that only the relevant information is supplied to the inquiry. 'I am to understand someone is going to review the video recordings that were included in the brief and withhold [information] because they think it's not useful to me,' Mr Sofronoff said. 'Have I read that correctly?' Ms Richardson was silent for a few moments, before she replied: 'I think that's a matter we can sort offline with solicitors.' 'It's more than 100GB of material, including unedited footage and would swamp the inquiry.' He then asked why police would need to review the evidence when it's the same information that was sent to Mr Drumgold and Mr Lehrmann's lawyers prior to the trial. Mr Lehrmann (pictured) has always denied the allegations against him Referring to a conversation that may have occurred between Mr Lehrmann's defence lawyer Steven Whybrow and Detective Moller, Mr Sofronoff asked why police couldn't simply ask the detective whether there is a transcript of the phone call or not. Later on Thursday, AFP released a statement which said: 'Reports the AFP is refusing to hand over the full brief of evidence in the R v Lehrmann matter are false.' It said there were statutory provisions preventing the production of certain material, and maintained the AFP continues to 'proactively produce material to assist the Board of Inquiry with its important work'. The inquiry also heard that the AFP and Mr Drumgold were concerned that some documents in the brief of evidence may contain privileged information. Mr Sofronoff pointed to the fact that police had not detailed why some documents would be privileged, so he wouldn't be able to determine whether he should press to see them or not. Speaking to Mr Drumgold's lawyer, Mr Sofronoff said: 'When am I going to know if your client refuses to produce a document or I should say declined to produce a document? The lawyer said the DPP may be prepared to consider waiving of privilege, to which the former judge said: 'Well, when is he going to consider it?' AFP has been given until April 11 to produce the brief of evidence. Shane Drumgold (pictured) lead the case against Bruce Lehrmann in the ACT Supreme Court in October It will also examine police investigators, the Victims of Crime Commissioner Heidi Yates and laws in the ACT related to juror misconduct. The inquiry was launched after ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold raised concerns about 'political and police conduct' in the case. He also wrote to the territory's police chief accusing his members of pressuring him not to prosecute Mr Lehrmann. But the police union accused Mr Drumgold of attempting to smear officers, saying it 'firmly believes' the ACT DPP compromised Mr Lehrmann's trial. ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the allegations about the conduct of various parties were significant. 'An independent review of the roles played by the criminal justice agencies involved is the most appropriate response,' he said. The inquiry will be able to hold both public and private hearings and compel witnesses to attend. A single clause in the Indigenous Voice to Parliament constitutional amendment could render it unworkable, with issues as broad as tax policy and even roads coming under its remit, legal experts fear. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese today introduced legislation to parliament which would enshrine the advisory body into the constitution if the proposal wins the referendum. The bill includes the language that would be inserted into the constitution to create the Voice and establish its basic functions. However, the second clause of the wording has raised concern that it is too broad, goes far beyond the originally intended human rights issues and could create unintended bureaucracy and legal squabbling. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus reads the Constitution Alteration (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice) 2023 bill, introducing it to parliament on Thursday Human Rights Commissioner Lorraine Finlay (pictured) argued the wording of the Voice constitutional amendment was problematic The line in question says the Voice shall be allowed to 'make representations to the parliament and the executive government of the commonwealth on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples'. One expert fears there will be virtually no issue in Australia that won't come under the remit of the line, even things like tax policy, because it also affects Indigenous Australians in the same way it affects everyone. Human Rights Commissioner Lorraine Finlay, a former constitutional law academic, outlined her issues with the wording in an op-ed for The Australian. Ms Finlay, a longtime critic of the Voice who was appointed by former prime minister Scott Morrison, wrote it was not the modest proposal Mr Albanese insisted. Her first issue was the inclusion of 'executive government' in the clause, which she argued 'substantially increases the risks of bureaucratic complexity, legal uncertainty and judicial activism'. Including 'executive government' has been hotly debated in parliament and elsewhere over the past two weeks with the PM at odds with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton over it. The labor side of the House of Representatives erupts in applause after the bill was introduced Meanwhile the Coalition benches (right) were almost empty went the amendment was put forward Her second point, which was echoed by other legal experts, was that the scope of the Voice as outlined was far too broad. The clause also went far beyond 'matters that would affect their rights', the wording used in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Ms Finlay argued it was 'difficult to think of' a political issue that wouldn't fall under the broad wording because they all related to Indigenous Australians as much as they did to all other citizens. The PM argues the third clause of the amendment gives parliament the power to determine how the Indigenous Voice operates. 'The parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have power to make laws with respect to matters relating to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice, including its composition, functions, powers and procedures,' it reads. Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney addresses the media after the bill was introduced Ms Burney was flanked by numerous Indigenous leaders as she spoke about the legislation However, Ms Finlay argued parliament was subject to the constitution, and thus would be bound by the content of the second clause. 'A straightforward reading of this second clause suggests the questions of to whom and about what the voice may make representations are locked into the Constitution,' she wrote. Parliament could try to make minor tweaks, but any changes that arguably conflicted with the wording in the constitution could be challenged in court. 'Exactly where that line is drawn will be for the High Court to decide. Once that decision is made there is no democratic recourse through parliament if the voice turns out to be something entirely different from that which Australians thought they were agreeing,' Ms Finlay wrote. University of NSW professor George Williams agreed the second clause was problematic because parliament couldn't change it one it was added. 'That's the point of putting things in the constitution, it puts them beyond the parliament,' he told The Australian. University of NSW professor George Williams and University of Sydney professor Anne Twomey also have concerns He disagreed with Mr Albanese's assertion that the Voice would only be able to make representations on issues that 'directly' affected them. 'It can't be making representations on tax policy without any connection to its community but if it made a representation arguing for tax deductions specific to Indigenous peoples or different zones of tax specific to Indigenous peoples, that would be matters it could make representations on because it is provided for by the constitutional change. It's all about context,' he said. University of Sydney professor Anne Twomey said parliament and the government could decide how it considered and responded to the Voice recommendations. However, she said the scope of what the Voice could make representations about would be defined entirely by the second clause. 'That cannot be altered or limited by an act of parliament,' she said. The buyer of a multi-million dollar townhouse has made a surprising request for copper plates to be buried under its floors. Plus Agency general manager Peter Li sold a townhouse in Linfield, in Sydney's Upper North Shore, to a Chinese buyer for $4.786 million, last year. The home is one of eight luxury townhouses on Wolseley Road, boasting high-tech inclusions like biometric door locks and EV chargers. The buyer contacted Mr Li requesting copper plates be buried under the floors throughout the entire townhouse for good Feng Shui - an ancient Chinese practice claiming to use energy to harmonise an individual with their surroundings. The owner would be considered as 'walking on good fortune' as the metal's conductive properties are associated with the flow of energy in Feng Shui. A Chinese buyer wanted the floor of his $4.786million townhouse in Sydney's Upper North Shore suburb of Linfield, to be lined with copper plates as part of good Feng Shui (pictured, artists impression of the Wolseley Eight townhouses in Lindfield) Plus Agency general manager Peter Li sold the townhouse and claimed agents need to be accommodating especially with off-the-plan properties (pictured, townhouse's dinning area) 'Copper shines like gold and is also a very conductive metal. These copper plates are going in the whole floor,' Mr Li told Realestate.com. 'We have stacks and stacks of copper plates in our office. When the builder is ready for more packs, we take them there.' Mr Li explained agents often accommodated a buyer's requests especially in off-the-plan properties. He added, buyers have requested a range of Feng Shui inclusions including mirrors in a home's wardrobes and bathrooms and light-coloured or white marble benchtops in the kitchen. Agents must also be willing to change things in already established homes to ensure the buyer is happy - including swapping an induction cooktop with gas so that the homeowner can cook traditional Chinese food. Mr Li said there had been an increase of Chinese buyers purchasing off-the-plan properties in Australia because it gives the homeowner 'more protection'. 'In China, if you buy off-the-plan, you start paying your mortgage before the property even settles - in Australia you don't,' Mr Li said. 'Also, there are no trust accounts in China, so if your developer goes bust, you lose your money. Here, you get your money back.' Data released by the Foreign Investment Review Board shows Chinese buyers are the largest source of foreign residential real estate proposals, with $1.6billon in first six months of the 2022 financial year (pictured) Chinese buyers are dominating foreign investment in Australian residential real estate, with $1.6 billion in purchases recorded in the first six months of the 2022 financial year. Foreign Investment Review Board figures released on March 8 showed Australia's largest source of foreign residential real estate proposals by number and value in the December quarter came from China, with $600 million. The data revealed, the year-to-date tally of $1.6 billion was already more than half the totals achieved in the last three years. While pandemic travel restrictions were still in place, China's total investment of $2.7 billion in 2020 to 2021. and $2.4 billion in 2021 to 2020. Barack and Michelle Obama's Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb is now under investigation for flouting numerous safety rules, Daily Mail Australia can reveal. The Obamas were given special VIP access to do the iconic Bridge Climb without the usual jumpsuit and harness normally required by customers paying up to $408 each for one of the world's most unique experiences. The former President and First Lady were pictured on Wednesday casually climbing the precarious walkway high above the busy peak hour traffic below. While the couple were given official permission to skip wearing the jumpsuits and clip-on safety harnesses, Mrs Obama was also spotted with her jumper wrapped around her midriff, sparking serious safety concerns. Other members of their entourage were carrying their iPhones while on the climb, which can easily fall on to carries the risk of dropping them a risk of them dropping on to traffic below, and restricting them to gripping the guardrail with just one hand. Safety rules for the climb are notoriously strict and inflexible, with Bridge Climb enforcing them with no exceptions. The NSW Government has launched an internal investigation after former First Lady Michelle Obama was allowed to climb Sydney Harbour Bridge with a jumper tied around her waist, while an aide held her phone loose in her hand US TV star Oprah Winfrey was required to strap in and buckle up before being allowed onto the Harbour Bridge when she visited in 2010 'The idea of a jumper or a phone falling from above onto the windscreen of a car below doesn't bear thinking about,' said health and safety expert Ben Chinwah, director of Benchmark OHS, based in Sydney. Benchmark OHS director Ben Chinwah has raised concerns over the safety practices in place for the President's bridge climb 'If the regulator, SafeWork NSW, was looking at that, they might be ringing the operator. We deal with these kinds of incidents all the time where there are issues of potential negligence. 'They have to manage the risks - and why should the former President of the United States get special treatment in our country?' Transport New South Wales organised the bridge climb after it was requested by the Obamas during their flying visit to Sydney this week on the president's speaking tour of Australia. A spokesman insisted the visit 'followed standard safety protocols that are in place for visiting dignitaries, and are regularly implemented'. But a TfNSW department source admitted officials were now investigating how Mrs Obama came to do the climb without anyone noticing her jumper or taking action. It is understood VIPs and celebrities can be allowed to do the bridge climb without a safety harness as part of standard protocols put in place by the state government. Former NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet was recently photographed in a suit on the bridge walkway without a harness and Denmark's Australian Crown Princess Mary is also understood to have made the climb while untethered. An assistant also appears to be holding an iPhone in her hand (at the far rear) behind Michelle Obama, while the former president and the members of his entourage do not appear to be maintaining the recommended three points of contact with the walkway at all times The pictures are in stark contrast to other celebrity visits including Sunrise team Samantha Armytage, Natalie Barr and Mark Beretta in 2014 who wore BridgeClimb jumpsuits and harnesses Former NSW Premier was previously pictured on the bridge walkway in his suit without any safety harness in a state government publicity photograph The state government applies different rules to those enforced by independent company BridgeClimb Sydney, which has exclusive commercial use of the landmark. 'They have had people go up there and try to commit suicide, which is one big reason why they have the safety harnesses,' revealed Mr Chinwah. 'But there are a few other different aspects as well where people have to be clipped in for their own safety, such as slips, trips and falls. 'The weather on Wednesday was changeable, going from sunny to showery so the surfaces could have been wet and slippery without anyone realising. 'What if someone had a heart attack up there? The right control measure to prevent falling is to have those restraining harnesses. 'The operator has identified these risks which is why they have the precautions in place for the public - so why should the Obamas have special consideration?' He said one security personnel appeared to be carrying a bag while an assistant, who was carrying an iPhone, added to the high risk. President Barak Obama and his wife Michelle made their high above the traffic on the busy Sydney Harbour Bridge without any harnesses and carrying items which potentially could have fallen on the cars below Prince Harry dodged the jumpsuit but he too was was hooked up to the guardrail in a safety harness when he did the bridge climb in 2018 with former prime minister Scott Morrison behind him Visitors making the thrilling trip with commercial company BridgeClimb must wear jumpsuits and have a safety harness clipped onto the rail, even celebrities like sprint star Usain Bolt, pictured here in 2010 Additionally he said former president Obama appeared not to be keeping grip on the handrail during the climb up and down the bridge. He added: 'He's got his hand up like he's waving. 'He obviously doesn't have three points of contact as he should do, and neither do those people carrying items in their hands. 'When you've got a high profile person like this, I'd think they would be doing a risk assessment on the whole process. 'You would think they would have extra precautions in place, especially for former presidents.' Odrik Oliver, who works as a Bridge Climb leader, told Daily Mail Australia that although they are the only private company to run climbs, the government sometimes takes special guests over. He added: 'Bridge Climb wouldnt do it without attaching the harnesses and all that.' A TfNSW spokesman confirmed they were reviewing their safety procedures following the president's bridge climb. 'As part of our security protocols with all dignitary visits, a routine review process is undertaken,' a spokesman told Daily Mail Australia. Kamala Harris has been mocked by conservatives for a gushing Politico profile charting her three nights in Ghana, with one calling the fawning report 'hilarious' and another ridiculing her giddy, mangled speech. Harris landed in Ghana on Sunday, and left on Wednesday evening for Tanzania - the second stop on her three-nation tour. From Tanzania she will go to Zambia. The vice president was said by Politico to be 'notably less guarded, relaxed and seemingly lighter on her feet.' In the article - headlined: 'Harris finds footing and a jubilant audience, halfway around the world from Washington' - the author described the enthusiastic reception she received, and the warm welcome. Jake Schneider, a Republican operative, tweeted: 'This is hilarious. Americans can't stand her, so she goes abroad and 'hits her stride'.' Harris currently has a disapproval rating of 51.5 percent and an approval rating of 39.0, according to Real Clear Politics. She has faced particular condemnation over her handling of the southern border crisis, and has also seen a slew of departures from her office, forcing White House officials to deny she is a bad boss. Harris is seen at a music studio making a clumsy attempt to explain the power of African music The party tweeted a clip of Harris making bizarre comments about innovation, to a Ghanaian audience. 'In Ghana, Kamala Harris explains 'innovation',' they tweeted. '"Innovation I believe to be the pursuit of what can be, unburdened by what has been. Innovation results in one's ability not only to see, but to do things differently."' They also tweeted an awkward clip of Harris at a music studio, trying to explain why their work as artists was important. 'Kamala Harris meets with recording artists in Ghana: "This is not a new phenomena, but it is something...that is very significant. What is happening here is changing the way people, kind of, enjoy themselves," she says as she dances and laughs hysterically.' Even The Daily Beast thought that the Politico report was blatant propaganda. 'The White House is fed up after watching Kamala Harris take her most recent editorial clobbering, with administration officials lining up to gush about the vice president in an intentionally aggressive show of support, according to Politico,' the site tweeted. They referenced an earlier Politico Playbook feature on Wednesday highlighting how White House officials were defending Harris after a Reuters report quoted officials calling her 'underwhelming'. In Ghana, Kamala Harris explains "innovation": "Innovation I believe to be the pursuit of what can be, unburdened by what has been. Innovation results in one's ability not only to see, but to do things differently." pic.twitter.com/vjFaXLZoVw RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 28, 2023 Kamala Harris and her husband Douglas Emhoff arrive in Tanzania on Wednesday night Harris is seen being welcomed at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam Harris was described in Politico's Ghana report as spontaneous and at ease. The author said Harris and her team visibly showed 'the general relief she and her staff usually feel the further away they get from the political sniping that trails her at home.' Politico spoke to one fan of the vice president who said she was relaxed because 'when you come to a place like this, you can be yourself.' The Ghanaian person did not want to give her surname, for fear of retribution as a member of the LGBTQ community. Politico also included a somewhat confusing Harris quote, in which she discussed fulfilling the promises she made to Ghana. 'I am definitely putting a lot of pressure, if you will, on our approach to make sure that we are doing as much as we can as soon as we can to get this jump started,' she said. 'I do believe the window is definitely open now. Based on what we do now, the window will continue to be open.' Hundreds of birds are dead and other animals are becoming sick as wildlife experts fear a poisoning event in a lake near a major airport. Dead ducks, geese and toads have been found in the lake at Pinkenba, near Brisbane Airport, with RSPCA Queensland concerned yet more animals will perish. The lake sits off Main Beach Road and Sandmere Road, near the mouth of the Brisbane River in the city's east, and is covered with thick algae that has reportedly been emitting a foul stench. The RSPCA asked Brisbane City Council and the State Government to join them in finding a cause for the sudden deaths, which the animal protection group suspects may be linked to poison. On Thursday members of the council and the Department of Environment and Science visited the locations for further investigation. Hundreds of ducks are dead and more are becoming sick in two bodies of water in a Pinkenba lake near Brisbane Airport RSPCA Queensland is concerned the unexplained deaths will continue and potentially spread Birds and other animals have been seen feeding off the carcasses of the dead animals, eating maggots that contained bacteria and sparking deadly cases of botulism. Queensland's RSPCA rescue manager Jo Jordaan has sent some deceased animals to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries biosecurity unit to try and determine a cause. 'Until biosecurity has the results from the sample we sent them its very hard to say but certainly we can't rule [poisoning] out,' Ms Jordaan told Brisbane's 4BC Breakfast. 'Obviously if it was a small number we could put this down to being coincidental, but we're talking about a large number. 'We are worried about our own safety too because while we are saving birds, to put them out of their misery essentially, if it's poison then we need to know for our own health.' The lake is in an industrial area next to the airport and close to the Port of Brisbane, which raises the possibility of contamination in the water. 'The stench is horrendous, it smells like a tip, and it's a heartbreaking sight,' Ms Jordaan said. 'Ducks keep flying into the water source it's really sad for them because they've obviously made it their home but it's killing them.' Late Wednesday, the Department of Environment and Science confirmed an investigation was underway in collaboration with the RSPCA and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. The Pinkenba lake (pictured) is covered with a thick layer of moss and has a strong odour which may be related to the deaths RSPCA has been able to save some ducks from the lake at Pinkenba but continue to find a larger number dead Most of the birds impacted have been ducks, with a deceased ibis, magpie geese, dead rats and toads also found from the lake. Ms Jordaan said she had also found a hare and a fox on Wednesday in the same area. 'The problem that we had was yesterday evening while we were trying to rescue some more birds, we had at least 30 magpie geese fly in,' Ms Jordaan said. 'So, theyre all coming into this water source... andtheyre not just staying here, theyre flying into others, so we could potentially be dealing with sick birds around the port of Brisbane. Most of the birds impacted have been ducks (pictured), and predators are now feeding off the maggot-infested carcasses, sparking deadly cases of botulism A Texas grandma with a gun took down an armed robber Tuesday who had attempted to hold up her family-owned soul food truck. Keshondra Howard Turner, 53, was cooking around 1pm inside the 'Elite Eats and Cold Treats' truck in a Houston parking lot when a 23-year-old man drove up alongside the vehicle. The man asked what was on the menu, but as Turner attempted to show him, he pulled a handgun on her and the other employee working in the truck. The would-be assailant then got out of his car and demanded cash. Turner quickly shut the food truck's open window, but the man forced it open, stuck his weapon inside and tried to fire. Keshondra Howard Turner, 53, was cooking in her soul food truck at 1pm on Tuesday when a man attempted to hold up the business and shoot her The gun jammed, which was when Turner, who is licensed to carry a handgun, drew her own weapon and shot the man several times. The young man took a few steps back from the truck before collapsing about 50 feet away, which was where authorities found him and pronounced him dead. Turner suffered from panic-attack induced chest pains, brought on by the shooting, and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Police say they do not expect her to be charged because she fired her weapon in self-defense. Law enforcement officers did not file any charges against Turner, but did stick around to gather evidence, which they will present to the Harris County District Attorney's Office. Derick Howard, Turner's son, said it was divine intervention that had saved his mother. The suspect's black truck with bullet holes through the glass is scene at the crime scene Keshondra Turner is scene here posed against her food truck and sporting a shirt with its name and logo Investigators collect evidence from the scene of the incident. Turner was not charged The southwest Houston parking lot crime scene 'She's a Godly woman, that's why the gun jammed - because God jammed it,' he told a local news outlet. 'My momma is a great person, you know? Good-hearted, looking out for everybody. Shed give the shirt off her back,' he said, adding that his mother would not have opened fire unless she had no other choice. The Turner family started their soul food truck and take-out business three years ago and have operated out of a parking lot in southwest Houston without incident until Tuesday. A man who abducted and murdered a three-year-old girl 34 years ago has applied for parole in Queensland and wants the state to waive its 'no body, no parole' clause. John William Bennett was sentenced to life imprisonment in June, 1990 for the 1989 murder of Kelly Anne Jones days before her fourth birthday. The toddler, whose body has never been found, had been visiting her aunt in Toowoomba for the Carnival of Flowers when Bennett took her from the home. Kelly was last seen at 8.30am on September 24, 1989, in the back seat of Bennett's car near a Hampton shop. Her mum, Ipswich woman Caroline Jones, said: 'All I have now is memories of her, a few pictures and a plaque at the Worrall Cemetery Park.' John William Bennett was sentenced to life imprisonment in June, 1990 for the 1989 murder of Kelly Anne Jones (pictured) 'A body has never been found to put her to peace,' Ms Jones told the Townsville Bulletin. Bennett later confessed to killing and disposing of the toddler's remains at a rubbish dump. 'I killed her. I killed her. She wouldn't let up. She annoyed me so I killed her,' he said in his confession to police, his trial heard. Hundreds of volunteers scouted a rubbish dump north of Toowoomba, but her body was never found. In the months before the murder, Bennett was friends with Kelly's aunt Suzanna Jones and sometimes visited her home in Hampton, north of Toowoomba. Bennett was sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour, with Justice Paul de Jersey saying the murder was senseless and brutal. 'After you killed her you imposed on her the ultimate indignity of dumping her dead body in a bag at a rubbish tip,' he said. 'You denied her for no reason the very right which you ironically continue to enjoy. 'You caused her parents untold misery and I pity you for your callous disregard of human life.' Ms Jones met Bennett before he was sentenced. 'All he told me was that she was crying so he put his hand over her mouth but I do not believe him,' she said. 'If she had lived, she would have been 38 this year.' After 32 years behind bars, Bennett has applied for release on parole. The body of Kelly Anne Jones (pictured) has never been found. Her killer is seeking parole He wants Queensland's Parole Board, which will hear the application on Friday, to disregard its 'no body, no parole' policy. Queensland introduced the law in August, 2017, requiring that the state's Parole Board must not grant parole to an individual unless it is satisfied that the prisoner has satisfactorily cooperated in identifying the location of the victims body. Hundreds of people have signed a change.org petition protesting against his application for release. 'John Bennett has applied for parole, help us sign this to keep him in jail where he can rot,' the petition states. The application will be heard in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday. Critics are certain moving the 56-year-old whale would be a death sentence If she is moved, she will be moved to a larger enclosure filled with fresh, deep water to help her rehabilitate An orca that has been living in a Miami aquarium for 50 years could be returned to the Pacific Ocean after Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay took pity on her. Lolita the Orca, who is also known as Tokitae, was captured off the coast of Washington in 1970. She has lived most of her life inside the Miami Seaquarium, but that could now be set to change. The Seaquarium, nonprofit Friends of Lolita, and Irsay announced at a press conference on Tuesday that they are hoping to get Lolita moved back to her native waters. 'I think that she'll be very happy to be back and it will be therapeutic for her contrary to the misconception that it will be stressful,' Howard Garrett of Orca Network told KOMO News. The orca will not just be dumped in the Pacific to fend for herself, but rather be initially placed in a larger enclosure off Orcas Island that will have clean, deep water where she'll be able to hear other orcas in the area. Lolita the Orca (pictured in 2014), could return to Puget Sound in Washington after spending decades in captivity Lolita the Orca, who is also known as Tokitae, was captured off the coast of Washington in 1970 (pictured). She has lived most of her life inside the Miami Seaquarium 'My guess is when she hears them. She will answer right away, so she'll call right back,' Garrett, who has been fighting for Lolita to return to Puget Sound since the 1980s, said. 'This is going to be so exciting when she comes back.' Past proposals have required NOAA to sign off on moving Lolita across the country, however, it is unclear if the agency has. It is also unclear how the animal would be transported back to the Pacific. Washington's Lummi Nation, a Native American tribe, traveled to Miami in 2018 to leave a nearly 4,000lb totem pole behind as part of an effort to bring the orca back to Washington. It's part of an $8.5million effort to bring Lolita home, according to CBC. The Seaquarium, nonprofit Friends of Lolita, and Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay announced at a press conference on Tuesday that they are hoping to get Lolita moved back to her native waters Isray did not detail how they plan to move the orca if the plans are approved Jewell James, a member of the tribe, accused the Seaquarium of abandoning the animal's needs for money, forcing her to perform for audiences a couple of times a day and said keeping her in the 20-foot tank was like keeping her in a prison cell. 'She's our relative and we want her back,' he said. However, a British Colombian mammal expert isn't so sure the best move for Lolita is to remove her from the aquarium. 'I think this could be a very cruel and inhumane thing to do,' Director of the University of BC's Marine Mammal Research Unit, Andrew Trites, told CBC. 'Lolita is not a young whale. 'She is a senior citizen and I really worry about...the ethics. She's had constant companionship with people, with white-sided dolphins and she's not adapted to come out here.' Lolita performed for decades before stopping last year due to illness. She is the longest living whale in captivity at the age of 56 Lolita will not just be dumped back into the Pacific, if she is released, but will be initially put in a large container filled with fresh deep water to help her rehabilitate However, critics are certain moving the old whale will be a death sentence (Lolita, right, and Hugo, left, in 1979) However, the Seaquarium said it has no plans to release the whale, who worked for more than 20 years, due to her age and the possibility that she could be exposed to deadly pathogens and diseases. Lolita is the oldest whale in captivity at age 56. On average, those in captivity only live until around 45 years old. Wild orcas can live up to 80. She stop performing last year after falling ill. 'Really they should be ashamed of themselves, they don't care about Lolita, they don't care about her best interests, they don't really care whether she lives or dies,' Robert Rose, who works at Seaquarium, accused the Lummi Nation. In the early 200s, a whale named Keiko was released back to the ocean, but died a year later after it did not re-assimilate with other whales, even after rehabilitating to its natural habitat. Capturing orcas was legal in the 1970s, but after a series of protests over hunters working to capture orcas from their mothers, Washington banned the practice. A delivery driver is fighting for his life after he was hit by his stolen van and dragged half a mile down the road. The 54-year-old victim is in hospital after the incident in the Cathays area of Cardiff at around 1pm yesterday. Police said the man was dragged a 'considerable distance' from Laytonia Avenue, where he was delivering parcels to houses, to Cathays High School, around 0.6 miles away. It is understood members of the public attempted to help the man before he was rushed to the University Hospital of Wales. A 39-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of theft, and police are appealing for further information. The van carried the victim for more than half a mile before coming to a stop near Cathays High School A 39-year-old man has been arrested by police in connection with the incident North Road was closed in both directions for more than nine hours while police dealt with the incident. South Wales Police had previously said the incident involved a vehicle and a pedestrian and a white van had been seized for examination from the scene by a specialist recovery team. Detective Chief Inspector Matt Powell said on Wednesday: 'At 12.49pm yesterday South Wales Police received a report of a driver failing to stop at a road traffic collision on North Road, Cardiff. 'We can now confirm that the van was a delivery vehicle stolen from nearby Laytonia Avenue while the victim was delivering parcels in the street. 'During the theft it is believed the van collided with the owner who has then been carried by the vehicle for a considerable distance until it came to a halt on North Road. Police covered up the front of the van from public view as the busy road was shut for nine hours 'This is a shocking incident and our thoughts are with the victim's family who continue to be supported by specialist officers. 'I would like to thank everyone who stopped to try to help the victim and who have contacted us so far with crucial information. 'While one man has been arrested we are still very much appealing for information and witnesses,' added DCI Powell. 'In particular we would like to hear from anyone who witnessed or has footage of a white Renault Trafic van being driven in the area of Laytonia Avenue and North Road between 12.45pm and 12.50pm on Tuesday, March 28.' Witnesses or anyone with information can contact police quoting incident number 2300099389. One of the nine United States Army soldiers killed after two Black Hawk helicopters collided during a routine training exercise in Kentucky leaves behind a wife three months pregnant. Crew members from the elite 101st Airborne Division were flying two HH-60 Black Hawk assault helicopters on Wednesday when they crashed at around 10pm ET in Kentucky's Trigg County. All nine have since been confirmed dead by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. 'Last night, we lost nine servicemembers in an accident during a routine training mission in Kentucky,' Austin said in a statement. 'My heart goes out to the families of these servicemembers and to the members of the 101st Airborne Division who bravely and proudly serve our country each and every day.' The father of Caleb Gore, one of the nine soldiers killed, revealed that his son has a wife who is three months pregnant with their first child. 'My precious son Caleb was killed in a tragic helicopter accident last night. He was the light of my world,' Tim Gore wrote in a Facebook post. 'My words are my tears right now. Please pray for us all.' The father of Caleb Gore (pictured right), one of the nine soldiers killed, revealed that his son has a wife who is three months pregnant with their first child He was everything a father could want in a son, Gore told WRAL. Pentagon Press Secretary Brigadier General Pat Ryder said that the helicopters were performing planned night training flight operations at the time of the incident. 'An aircraft safety team from Fort Rucker, Alabama will arrive later today and we'll begin an investigation. And again our thoughts and prayers are with the families, units and all those affected by this tragedy,' Ryder added. He told DailyMail.com that he didn't rule out the Black Hawks being grounded depending on any investigation. 'Anytime there's the potential for a fleet of aircraft to have some type of systemic issue, then certainly again, those fleets can be stood down,' he said. 'You've seen us do that with other types of aircraft in the past. Again, I'm not aware of anything like that right now for the Black Hawk. We need to allow time for the investigation to run its course' The crew members were part of the U.S. Army's sole air assault division nicknamed the 'Screaming Eagles'. They are based at Fort Campbell, situated on the state's border with Tennessee, 60 miles north west of Nashville. 'I'm saddened by this tragic loss, and I am working with Army leadership to make sure our troops and their families receive the care that they need in the wake of this accident,' Austin added. 'Two helicopters came over pretty low, and all of a sudden - as soon as they got over the house - something popped, a loud bang. And everything shut down all of a sudden,' one local man told WKDZ Radio. Debris from the assault choppers - estimated to cost over $10 million each - fell from the sky and was dispersed across the ground as fire crews arrived to extinguish the burning flames overnight. All nine service members were confirmed dead by ABC News Thursday morning, citing an Army official. The cause of the crash is currently under investigation. The two helicopters are believed to have crashed shortly before 10pm on Wednesday. Local media said multiple people are feared dead WKDZ, a local news station, pictured emergency responders putting out a fire The Fort Campbell base is situated on the state's border with Tennessee, 60 miles north west of Nashville Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, said last night that there was 'tough news out of Fort Campbell' as 'fatalities were expected'. He added that more information will be shared when available, and urged people to pray for those affected. James Hughes, the jailer for Trigg County, told radio station WKDZ that he lives about a half mile away and heard what he believed to be a collision. He described hearing a 'pop' and 'two booms'. Nondice Thurman, a spokesman for Fort Campbell, confirmed the crashes happened before 10pm on Wednesday in Trigg County, near Highway 68. The aircraft were two Blackhawk helicopters being operated by the 101st Airborne Division. Crewmembers were flying the aircraft during a routine training mission when an 'incident' occurred. The East Golden Pond Fire Department arrived at the scene to extinguish the burning flames from the helicopter debris. A U.S. Army soldier at the scene confirmed to WKDZ Radio there were 'multiple deaths'. In the early hours of this morning, the 101st Airborne Division tweeted: 'We can confirm two aircraft from the 101st were involved in an accident last night resulting in serval casualties. 'Right now our focus is on the soldiers and their families who were involved.' Local news station WKDZ said that the picture shows wreckage from one of the helicopters Military personnel of the US Army's 101st Airborne Division take off with a Black Hawk helicopter during a demonstration drill at Mihail Kogalniceanu Airbase near Constanta, Romania, July 30, 2022 A Black Hawk helicopter is seen in action in Townsville, Australia, July 2016 The station reported that Trigg County Coroner, John Mark Vinson, had been called to the scene. Officials from Fort Campbell also arrived at the scene around an hour after the crash to carry out their investigation into the incident. It is also expected that representatives from the U.S. military's Safety Investigation Team, from the Combat Readiness Centre, in Fort Rucker, Alabama, will arrive at Fort Campbell to investigate the crash. The HH-60 Black Hawk helicopter The HH-60 is a variant of the Black Hawk helicopter designed to provide support for various military operations. Its primary purpose is to conduct recovery missions in hostile environments, disaster responses, as well as civilian search and rescue. The U.S. Air Force says the HH-60 is a highly modified version of the Army's original Black Hawk helicopter. Its onboard equipment includes an in-flight refueling probe, two .50 caliber machine guns, and an 8,000 pound (3,600kg) cargo hook. The helicopter has been used following the Hurricane Katrina disaster in 2005 and the 2011 tsunami in Japan. The Air Forces says variations of the HH-60 are currently in use in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya. The HH-60 Black Hawk helicopter is estimated to cost around $10.2 million, according to Executive Flyers. Advertisement Locals told WKDZ Radio that they had heard helicopters flying over the area for the past few evenings. Weather conditions at the time were reported to be clear with light to no wind. 'The command is currently focused on caring for the service members and their families,' the base said in a statement. The HH-60 is a variant of the Black Hawk helicopter designed to provide support for various military operations, including air assaults and medical evacuations, according to the U.S. Army. In July, a $5 million helicopter training facility, unique in the nation, was opened at the site, featuring a sea vessel flight deck used 'to facilitate safe and realistic training for aircrews and ground operators prior to operating in a harsh over-water environment,' the Army said. In February this year, a UH-60 Alpha-model Black Hawk helicopter flew for the first time entirely unmanned, controlled from Fort Campbell. The cause of Wednesday evening's crash is currently under investigation. The 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army was established in August 1942. It is the only air assault division of its kind. The group is renowned for military professionalism and its ability to execute combat and contingency missions across the world. It is also known for its mettle: 'tomorrow's division in today's Army'. The Screaming Eagles were referred to by former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates as the 'tip of the spear'. Former Chief of Staff to the Army Edward C. Meyer also called the group the most potent and tactically mobile division in the U.S. army. The division gained renown during World War II in the D-Day landings and the Battle of the Bulge. In more recent times, the group has been involved in multiple missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. It has also carried out NATO advise and assist missions as well as U.S. counterterrorism operations across the world. Military personnel are pictured outside Fort Campbell, Kentucky, July 7, 2022 Fort Campbell is the home of the Screaming Eagles, the U.S. Army's one and only Air Assault Division This is a developing news story. Check back for updates... A father and son were shot dead in a 'targeted' attack feared to be over a custody battle, police revealed today. The double shooting happened in two Cambridgeshire villages just six miles apart. The 32-year-old son was killed in a house in Bluntisham at about 9pm last night, before the 57-year-old father was gunned down in nearby Sutton about 40 minutes later, Cambridgeshire Police said. Three people have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder, with one detained more than 100 miles away in Worcestershire early this morning after a stinger operation on a white Peugeot 208 involving two police forces. Officers also recovered a shotgun. Detective Chief Superintendent Jon Hutchinson said the double shooting may have been related to a custody battle, confirming that this is the force's primary line of investigation. Forensics officers outside a property on The Row in Sutton, Cambridgeshire, this morning Police officers on Meridian Close in the Cambridgeshire village of Bluntisham this morning Mr Hutchinson said the two men shot dead were 'father and son'. 'Working with local residents and family members we quite quickly established that the two victims were related and they were father and son,' he said. What we know so far about Cambridgeshire double shooting 9pm last night: Police are called to Meridian Close in Bluntisham amid reports of gunshots. They find the body of a 32-year-old man inside a property. 9.37pm last night: Police are called to The Row in Sutton, six miles away, again after reports of gunshots. The body of a 57-year-old man is found inside a property. Early hours of today: A 27-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman are arrested in Cambridge. Both are arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder. 1am today: West Midlands Police and West Mercia Police stop the suspected vehicle near junction five of the M5 for Droitwich in Worcestershire and a 66-year-old man is arrested. 6.17am today: Cambridgeshire Police announce details of the incident, urging anyone with information to call them on 101 quoting Operation Scan. Advertisement He added that the 'primary line of investigation' was that the incident was related to a 'familial issue'. 'It's been widely reported in the media that this may relate to a custody battle,' he said. 'I can confirm that is an active line of inquiry for us.' Police said they could not name either victim because formal identification was yet to take place. Neighbours of the victim in Sutton said he 'lived a quiet life' and 'kept himself to himself', with one saying he was 'tall' with 'grey hair' and was a builder. A 27-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman were arrested in the early hours of today in Cambridge, while a 66-year-old man was arrested in the Worcester area. All three people were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder. West Mercia Police told MailOnline that the suspected vehicle was spotted by West Midlands Police heading south into the West Mercia area of the M5 motorway at about 1am. The car was stopped near junction five for Droitwich in Worcestershire using a stinger in an operation that both forces were involved in, and the man aged 66 was arrested. Mr Hutchinson also said that officers made a 'very quick two arrests in a hotel just outside Cambridge'. 'In the early hours of this morning we did a joint operation alongside West Mercia Police at which stage a 66-year-old man was arrested on the motorway by armed officers,' he said. 'Following his arrest his vehicle was searched and I can confirm we have recovered a firearm.' He said the man was in police custody in Worcester and is being transported to Cambridgeshire for interview. Mourners arrive to leave flowers and tributes at Bluntisham in Cambridgeshire today Mourners arrive to leave flowers and tributes at Bluntisham in Cambridgeshire today Mr Hutchinson also said that an 'active line of inquiry' is 'understanding whether that firearm was legally owned'. He said that 'at this stage we're not looking for any further people in relation' to the incident. The detective said that 'a line of inquiry that we're focusing on is that those people who are in custody are known to the deceased and have had recent contact with them'. He said forensic work was going on to establish if the same weapon was used at both locations. The two people arrested at a hotel just outside Cambridge were 'from the local area but we're trying to identify where they have been staying in recent days', he said. Police and forensics officers on Meridian Close in Bluntisham, Cambridgeshire, today An aerial view of the house (red roof, circled) in Bluntisham today, which is now a crime scene He added that the 'initial arrests have been made for conspiracy to murder - that is likely to change as information develops in the hours ahead'. Mr Hutchinson also told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire that the double shooting was isolated - and the force believed the two victims were 'closely related'. He added: 'We do not believe there is any ongoing risk to the public in Cambridgeshire. We think this was targeted at the two individuals. We do have a huge policing response already on the ground and we are making significant progress.' In Sutton, Gordon Murray, who lives near two semi-detached houses that have been sealed off by murder detectives, said he saw police cars 'racing down' and armed police shouting last night. The attack in Bluntisham happened at around 9pm. Police are pictured at the scene today Mourners arrive to leave flowers and tributes at Bluntisham in Cambridgeshire today The 62-year-old support engineer said officers later asked him if he had CCTV footage, and when he looked back he saw a white car that passed twice, and on the second pass the car stopped and someone opened the boot. 'I saw the police cars racing down here,' he said. 'There was a lot of shouting. I thought it was an altercation or something. Then I saw the armed police. 'They were shouting something to the homeowners. That was it. I stood in the window watching.' Mr Murray said there were two cars with 'three or four' officers in each, 'all armed and with their headgear'. 'Earlier on there was another policeman with a torch,' he said. 'My son said he heard some bangs but I don't know if that was the car doors slamming. An aerial view of the house (red roof) in Bluntisham today, which is now a crime scene 'There was a white hatchback which came around and stopped outside, then about half an hour later he came back and lifted up the boot.' Mr Murray said the footage was 'a bit fuzzy, it was dark'. He said this happened at around 9.30pm. Mr Murray said the car 'came around twice', and when someone opened the boot he 'couldn't see him get anything out, it was very fuzzy'. He said he does not know if the homes sealed off by police are rental properties but believes 'a guy on his own' stays there. Police officers respond in Bluntisham today, after they found the body of a 32-year-old man Forensic officers in white suits worked at the scene this morning, with two bunches of flowers left on the drive and blue-and-white police tape sealing off the area. Sarah Lown, who also lives near the houses sealed off by detectives in Sutton, said she heard three loud bangs yesterday evening. 'I didn't know it was gunshots at the time,' the 38-year-old designer said. 'It was about 9.15pm. I thought it was something blowing over as I heard a bang. 'There are pallets in our garden that I thought could have fallen over. I didn't think anything crazy had happened. I heard two more - it was bang, space, bang. 'Whether or not they were each gunshots I don't know; then police were outside the house.' A resident in Sutton (pictured today) said she heard three loud bangs yesterday evening Ms Lown said there were no sirens, 'just the flashing lights'. She said a man who lived at one of the properties sealed off by police 'always had really fancy cars out the front, souped up, cool looking cars'. 'I don't know if he worked with cars,' she said. 'I had never met him so I don't know.' A neighbour who works at a local shop said she saw 'three or four police cars' going towards Earith in Cambridgeshire last night. Speaking outside her house just off The Row in Sutton, she said: 'Last night I took the dog out into the garden. Forensics officers at a house in the village of Sutton, Cambridgeshire, this morning. Officers were called at 9.37pm last night and found the body of a man aged 57 with gunshot wounds 'We saw three or four police cars going towards Earith and thought nothing of it really because we had had a couple of people ragging around the village. But other than that I didn't really hear anything.' The woman, who did not want to give her name, said she was 'shocked' when she saw the news on Facebook this morning. 'Especially that it is just on the corner of where I live,' she added. She said she did not know the victim. In the village, a large detached brown-brick property was cordoned off with police tape. Forensics officers outside a property on The Row in Sutton, Cambridgeshire, this morning A large white van was parked on a large driveway in front of the corner-side plot. The property is split in two with two separate blue front doors. A police car remained parked outside the cordon which extended around a small, walled garden. A 52-year-old man who lives just off road in Sutton said the victim 'lived a quiet life'. The man, who did not want to give his name, said: 'He kept himself to himself. 'Never really came across him as far as I know. Just lived a quiet life, very unassuming. Never really saw him about.' Forensics officers investigate at a house in the village of Sutton, Cambridgeshire, this morning Samantha Inpey who lives on The Row, described the victim as 'tall' with 'grey hair'. The 51-year-old IT worker said that she knew him 'in passing'. 'I think he was a builder,' she said. 'He was working on his drive at the weekend. He had all the tools for putting patio paving slabs down so I have to assume he was a builder.' And a neighbour of the detached property in Sutton, where floral tributes had been placed, said the house was split into two sections which were rented out. The man, who asked not to be named, said: 'People come and go from the property but because it is a rental we never really get to know them. 'It's shocking that this should happen somewhere like this and everyone is on edge.' Three forensic officers in white suits entered one of the two semi-detached houses in Sutton that have been sealed off by detectives this afternoon. Forensics officers outside a property on The Row in Sutton, Cambridgeshire, this morning They went in via a gate next to the house rather than through the front door. In Bluntisham, a woman who lives close to a new build cul-de-sac estate sealed off by murder detectives said she could hear a helicopter circling yesterday evening. The woman, speaking anonymously, said: 'There was helicopter noise, that was late, around 10pm or 11pm, somewhere around that. 'I was in bed reading my book. It kept circling around, it was for at least half an hour before it went. Considering how quiet the village is it's really surprising to hear this has happened.' A neighbour said the row of new houses which is behind police tape are modern, built around two years ago. Retail worker Sharon Coulson, 58, who lives nearby, described Bluntisham as a 'nice place to live, nice country walks, friendly, everybody says hello'. The body of the 32-year-old man in Bluntisham was removed by police in the early hours of this morning after it was discovered in a red brick semi-detached house in the cul-de-sac which was only built two years ago. A police scientific services unit has since left the scene on the road, which features a small number of large semi-detached three and four bedroom properties. Flowers left at the scene on The Row in the Cambridgeshire village of Sutton this morning The cordoned-off red brick house has a trampoline in the back garden which backs on to Meridian Wood, opposite an orchard. A white van could be seen parked next to the property. Meridian Close has young families residing on the road, with children leaving for school with their parents in cars this morning as police let them in and out of the large cordoned area. Dog walkers were using the woods and orchard as passers-by asked questions to police about the cordon in place. Bluntisham parish councillor Frank Hudson, 80, who has lived in the village for almost his whole life, said: 'I only heard this morning - I was a bit shocked. Officers and forensics specialists at the property in the Cambridgeshire village of Sutton today 'It used to be orchards before the houses were built there, it threw me to hear the news. The residents will be very, very upset. I've never known anything like this to happen before.' Also speaking from Bluntisham this morning, BBC reporter Louisa Pilbeam told BBC Breakfast: 'Residents here told me last night that dramatic events happened. There was a helicopter above and they said that they were told to stay in their houses. 'This morning people have been going off to work here through this police cordon and they've said to me this is not the sort of area that they would expect something like this to happen. The properties in Meridian Close in Bluntisham and The Row in Sutton have been cordoned off and police officers remain at the scenes. Forensics officers at the scene in The Row in Sutton, Cambridgeshire, this morning Detective Inspector Mark Butler, from the major crime unit, said: 'We have launched two linked murder investigations following the shootings of two men at separate properties in the county. 'These events will be shocking to local people and there will be understandable concerns within local communities, however, we are treating the attacks as targeted and there is no wider risk to the general public. 'There will be an increased police presence in the areas concerned today and officers will be at the scenes throughout the day. 'Our thoughts also go out to the family and friends of the victims. Specially trained officers are in touch with them and they are helping our investigation. Police officers at the scene on The Row in Sutton, near Ely in Cambridgeshire, today 'Detectives are now beginning inquiries into how these events unfolded and we are appealing to anyone who was in either area and saw anyone acting suspiciously or a white Peugeot 208. 'Any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, could be very important to our investigation.' Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Commissioner Darryl Preston said he understood that residents will be shocked by what happened, but it is thought 'there is no risk to the wider community'. He said: 'I want to express my deepest sympathy with anyone who has been affected by the events that took place last night in Bluntisham and Sutton and completely understand how shocked local people will be. Police forensics officers at the scene in The Row in Sutton, Cambridgeshire, this morning 'I will continue to be briefed by the Chief Constable throughout the investigation and am sure you will understand that while that is ongoing, it would be inappropriate for me to comment any further.' He added: 'I would like to reassure local residents that these incidents are thought to be targeted therefore there is no risk to the wider community. 'I would urge anyone with any information to come forward to assist the police by calling 101 or using the force webchat.' Zoopla estimates that the average house price on Meridian Close is 566,875; while on The Row, the average sold price for a property in the last year is 397,500. Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 quoting Operation Scan A British mother-of-three died while swimming off Southlands beach in Bermuda on Friday. The tourist who was visiting the island from the UK has been identified as Amanda Chibwe. Ms. Chibwe, 31, was pulled from the water at around 4.45pm. She was taken to the King Edward VII Memorial hospital by ambulance but was pronounced dead a short time later. Her family has started a fundraiser to repatriate her body back to the UK. The tourist who was visiting the island from the UK has been identified as Amanda Chibwe The GoFundMe page for Amanda has already surpassed its 10,000 goal in the three days since it was launched. Denia Chibwe, Ms. Chibwe's sister, wrote on the page: 'Today words fail me as I have tragically lost a beautiful vibrant soul, my one and only sister. 'Amanda travelled abroad on holiday and sadly drowned. Help came but she later died in the hospital. She has left her beautiful 3 children.' She added: 'Our wish is to have her home back to us where she belongs. 'We really would appreciate any help as I know she touched so many lives with her kindness, laughter, and her caring soul.' Many comments expressed their shock and grief at the death and offered words of comfort to the Chibwe family. One commenter wrote: 'Amanda, you were such a genuine girl, I have nothing bad to say about you. 'Realest of many, very sweet with a loving spirit, I will remember you always like this. 'Condolences to your family and friends especially.' Police said that Chibwe was found unresponsive in the water off Bermuda (pictured) and was rushed to hospital but later died Bermuda police say that they are not treating her death as suspicious. A police spokesperson said: 'Around 4:45pm on Friday, 24th March, 2023, police and other first responders attended Southlands Beach following reports that a woman was found unresponsive in the water and pulled to shore. 'She was attended to at the scene by EMTs and was subsequently transported via ambulance to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, where sadly, she was pronounced dead a short time later. 'Foul play has been ruled out. Ms. Chibwe, a UK National, was visiting the island at the time of her passing. 'The Bermuda Police Service extends its condolences to Ms. Chibwe's family and loved ones.' A man has suffered serious burns after he was electrocuted at an Australian army training base. Paramedics were called to the Australian Army Aviation Training Centre in Oakey, northwest of Toowoomba, just after 2pm on Thursday. The Queensland Ambulance Service reported a man aged in his 40s was treated for significant burns to his forearms and face after coming into contact with high-voltage power lines. A man in his 40s suffered serious burns after being electrocuted at the Australian Army Aviation Training Centre in Oakey, northwest of Toowoomba (stock image) The injured man was a contractor who had been working on a project site at Swartz Barracks (stock image) He was later flown by a LifeFlight rescue crew to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. Police and fire crew were also called to the scene. Electricity to the site's substation was reportedly cut to make the area safe for emergency services. An Australian Government Department of Defence spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the injured man was a contractor who had been working on a project site at Swartz Barracks. The spokesperson said the man was currently undergoing medical assessment. An Australian professional surfer has been arrested for allegedly organising the importation of meth and coke into the country from America. Evan Faulks, 38, was arrested during a car stop on the Gold Coast on Tuesday and is accused of directing a $12.6million drug ring while his partner Ariane Rose Munch, 37, was later arrested at a nearby home and is also charged. The pair's arrest follows an 18-month long investigation into the importation of drugs into NSW by local authorities after a tip off from the US Drug Enforcement Agency. Police allege Faulks organised the ring as a 'high ranking member' of infamous Sydney surf gang the 'Bra Boys', while Munch is accused of being an 'associate' of the group, The Tweed Daily News reported. 'He has been and continues to direct members of the organisation in their criminal actions, including organising the import of prohibited drugs and distribution of prohibited drugs in Sydney,' police documents allege. The pair are in the process of being extradited to NSW. Police arrested Faulks during a car stop on Tuesday, while his partner Munch was later arrested at a nearby Gold Coast home Faulks is a well-known big wave surfer who has appeared in a Red Bull surfing documentary In September 2021, detectives attached to the State Crime Command's Drug and Firearms Squad, assisted by the Australian Border Force, commenced Strike Force Madline. The investigation was launched after the DEA and US Customs allegedly discovered two 'consignments' of drugs - meth concealed in machinery and cocaine in a stone benchtop - totalling 6kg. Police will allege in court Faulks assisted in facilitating the attempted importation of both consignments. He is also accused of laundering the proceeds of crime, some $840,000, through an online betting account between 2014 and 2017 to avoid law enforcement detection. Drugs were allegedly discovered concealed inside machinery and a stone benchtop by the DEA in the US on the way to Australia, which prompted NSW police to launch an investigation Faulks has been charged with two counts of attempting to import a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, and one count each of knowingly directing the activities of a criminal group, knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime and intending to conceal, and dealing with property proceeds of crime. Munch was charged with participate criminal group contribute criminal activity, obtain financial advantage by deception, deal with property proceeds of crime, wilfully make false declaration for material benefit, and knowingly deal with proceeds of crime intent to conceal. She is also accused of defrauding the Commonwealth by way of $567,910.26 in undeclared income. Munch is due to appear at Parramatta Local Court on May 26. Faulks is set to front Downing Centre Local Court on April 5. Britain's most notorious prisoner Charles Bronson insisted that he 'hates violence' and has 'never been a danger to the public' ahead of today's parole board hearing where he will find out if he will be freed. Bronson, 70, was jailed for just seven years in 1974 for armed robbery but has been in prison ever since after his sentence was extended to life. Inside jail, he has carried out a series of violent attacks and has taken prison guards and fellow inmates as hostage. He's now being kept in some of the toughest conditions in the UK jail system. But in a voice note sent to Sky News, Bronson insisted he 'loves people' and does not pose a threat if released. A panel is widely expected to reject his bid for freedom today, as well as his request to be moved to an open prison, after even a psychologist called by the criminal said he should probably stay where he is. Court sketch by Elizabeth Cook of notorious inmate Charles Bronson this month In a voice note, Bronson claims to have raised 'thousands and thousands' of pounds for cancer charities and children's hospices while inside, adding he is to launch his own charity. He continued: 'They keep f***ing drumming it into the public I'm a danger. Who am I a danger to? 'I've never been a danger to the public. I love people, love 'em, I love the world. I'm not a f****** filthy terrorist or a rapist, or a murderer, so who am I dangerous to outside?' Bronson added: 'I hate violence, I despise it and that's all I've done for the last ten years, sit in my cell, a model prisoner, polite, respectful but they still won't let me out.' He has been locked up for the majority of the past 50 years, save for several brief spells of freedom. In February the criminal, who was 22 when he was first jailed in 1974, asked parole chiefs to let him out despite admitting nine rooftop protests, as well as ten hostage sieges with at least 11 victims. He has had seven failed attempts to be released on parole so far. Bronson suffers from PTSD because of his 'brutal' treatment in prison, a hearing heard. He reportedly told his wife Irene Dunroe this week that he expects to be free imminently but under curfew and with an electric tag. Bronson claimed that he wants to pursue a career as an artist if he is released, and reportedly submitted works of art to the parole board for consideration. He is currently only allowed outside of his cell for 90 minutes per day and is able to socialise with only a handful of prisoners. Bronson claims to 'hate violence' and says he has never been a danger to the public Notorious prisoner Bronson leaving the High Court in London Adrian Wallace was once taken hostage, tied up and beaten during five hours of hell at the hands of Charles Bronson. He says the violent criminal shouldn't be freed from jail yet Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, a former hostage and ex-prison governor explained his fears that Bronson will not be able to conform to strict parole conditions if released. Adrian Wallace, 82, was tied up and repeatedly beaten by Bronson in a five-hour ordeal. Bronson received seven extra years on his sentence for the incident, but Mr Wallace suffered suspected PTSD which saw him leave the prison service on a disability pension some years later. He told the Parole Board: 'I can assure the board that being taken hostage does have a significant effect on one's mental stability long after the actual incident. 'Post-traumatic stress disorder does kick in at regular intervals and flashbacks and other issues are not uncommon.' He pointed out that Bronson has often stressed that he never killed anyone, but added: 'He might wish to reflect on the lives that he has ruined, with particular attention being paid to the teacher at Hull special unit whom he took hostage and whose career and lifestyle was dramatically changed as a consequence.' In 2000, Bronson was handed a life sentence for kidnapping prison art teacher Phil Danielson in Hull Prison the previous year. In a 43-hour ordeal, Mr Danielson was beaten and stabbed, and was left with panic attacks and PTSD. He has never worked again. In one of Bronson's frequent outbursts in the Parole hearing, he made it clear he certainly had no remorse in the case of Mr Wallace, shouting out: 'Governor Wallace was an a*****e, is an a*****e and will die an a*****e.' He has previously mocked the conditions which ex-prisoners have to follow on release. In an interview in 2021, Bronson said: 'Let's just say they say I'm not allowed to walk past the Post Office, well, how do I know if there's a Post Office round the f*****g corner? 'Now in a paedophile's case they're not allowed to walk past schools, but how do they know if there's a school round the corner? 'And you're not allowed to talk to girls? Well, what happens if a girl talks to you. 'I'm going to be on very thin ice out there. But at least it's half freedom. 'The only thing I'm not looking forward to is that f*****g tag on my ankle for three months I think. How do you ever shower with that on? 'How do you put your socks on? I won't be able to wear my suspenders and tights with them!' Responding to the MP's comments on Thursday morning, Mr Latham wrote: 'Disgusting? How does that compare with sticking your d*** up a bloke's a*** and covering it with s***?' His tweet has since been deleted but is he yet to comment on the furious reaction. Discussing his comments, One Nation leader Ms Hanson was scathing: 'I want you to know that I don't condone them and neither do my members of parliament or party associates. I think they are disgusting. 'I've actually tried to ring Mark a couple of times, to no avail. And I have clearly sent a text message to him, telling him my views. 'I've asked him to give the people an apology. I will leave it at that. It is now over to Mark to answer to the people.' Sydney MP Alex Greenwich took the high road on Thursday evening (pictured with husband Victor Hoeld attend the official opening night of Capella Sydney on March 30, 2023 in Sydney) State One Nation leader Mark Latham (pictured) has written a homophobic tweet after independent MP Alex Greenwich called him a 'disgusting human being' Latham wrote: 'Disgusting? How does that compare with sticking your d*** up a bloke's a*** and covering it with s***?' PAULINE HANSON'S FIERY MESSAGE TO MARK LATHAM 'I want you to know that I don't condone them and neither do my members of parliament or party associates. I think they are disgusting. 'I've actually tried to ring Mark a couple of times, to no avail. And I have clearly sent a text message to him, telling him my views. 'I've asked him to give the people an apology. I will leave it at that. It is now over to Mark to answer to the people.' Advertisement Mr Greenwich had blasted Mr Latham after 'Christian Lives Matter' and LGBTQI protesters violently clashed outside St Michaels Church in Belfield, in Sydney's south-west, where he was speaking. Three men were arrested over alleged attacks on demonstrators from the Community Action for Rainbow Rights group that evening. 'Mark Latham is a disgusting human being and people who are considering voting for One Nation need to realise they are voting for an extremely hateful and dangerous individual who risks causing a great deal of damage to our state,' Mr Greenwich said at a press conference. The state One Nation leader's shocking response was slammed by several leading political figures. NSW Labor upper house leader Penny Sharpe said she was 'physically sickened' by the now-deleted tweet. 'Homophobia is always unacceptable and there is never an excuse,' she said. 'Mr Latham should apologise to Alex Greenwich immediately.' Twitter users including conservative commentator and former commando Heston Russell also condemned Mr Latham. 'You cannot be serious - this is absolutely pathetic @realmarklatham - the true character is displayed during crisis and success mate, and you have failed miserably,' Mr Russell wrote. Veteran 10 News reporter Hugh Riminton tweeted: 'Extraordinary. This is One Nation NSW Leader Mark Latham referring today to another elected politician who happens to be gay.' Pauline Hanson posted a damning video on Facebook where she made it clear that her party did not 'condone' Mr Latham's tweet Refugee advocate Shane Bazzi said: 'Mark Latham has deleted these disgusting homophobic tweets without apology or explanation (not that any apology would be genuine anyway)'. 'Is this real?' asked another Twitter user. Latham's tweet was deleted after about an hour. The NSW environment minister, Penny Sharpe, told The Guardian she was 'physically sickened' by the comment and has called on Latham to apologise. Veteran journalist Deborah Knight branded the tweet as 'unacceptable in the extreme' on her 2GB radio show. 'Mark Latham's tweet is off the charts,' she said. 'I won't repeat it, you can't, what he's written is something you would never say,' 'Mark Latham needs to take a good hard look in the mirror for posting stuff like this.' Alex Greenwich declined to comment on Latham's tweet when approached by Daily Mail Australia. Latham has been contacted for comment. The One Nation leader was responding to comments from Independent MP Alex Greenwich (pictured), who urged potential supporters of Latham to 'realise they are voting for an extremely hateful and dangerous individual' Former commando Heston Russell was one of several people who lambasted Latham over the vile tweet The extraordinary Twitter stoush came after as many as 500 'Christian' protesters violently clashed with LGBTQ activists last Tuesday, as Mr Latham gave a speech at a church. The activists claimed 'Christian Lives Matter' followers threw rocks and bottles at them. Police said the large crowd also hurled glass bottles at officers, with one constable taken to the Canterbury Hospital with cuts to his hand. The terrifying clash was captured on film and showed the Christian group shouting abuse at the activists. At one stage, a man was seen throwing a punch into the crowd, only for it to connect with the back of a woman's head. She was then heard screaming and crying as a friend wraps his arm around her. The war of words between the two politicians were sparked by a violent clash between 'Christian' Lives Matter' and LGBTQI protesters outside a church where Latham was speaking Latham said police had advised him not to speak that night. 'To not give my speech, to go straight home would have allowed the transgender protesters to cancel my free speech and democratic rights as an election candidate, things that are sacred to me and have been for 35 years in running for elections, local, Federal and State,' he said at the time. 'I didn't see what happened on the front street, but I sincerely convey my best wishes to those injured and thank the police officers involved for their work. No one should take the law into their own hands. Violence at political events is wrong.' Gas bills could rise by around 100 a year under the Government's new green drive. Ministers want to 'rebalance' levies on the main two types of energy, encouraging people to use electricity instead. The move, unveiled as part of a wider Net Zero push, is intended to accelerate the switch to cleaner power. While gas produces greenhouse gases, electricity can be generated from renewable sources such as wind and solar. Households are currently funding the shift to green energy through state levies on electricity, making it more expensive than gas. Along with subsidies for insulation and the vulnerable, those charges add up to 131 on a typical annual electricity bill. By contrast the levies on a typical gas bill are just 34. Ministers are concerned that the difference will turn people off replacing their gas boilers with alternatives such as electric heat pumps. The proposed rebalancing could see gas bills rise by up to 100 a year, according to The Telegraph. The plans are set to go for consultation, and there is no timetable for implementing them yet. Other key measures announced in the Powering Up Britain plan today by Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, include: Ministers want to speed up planning approvals for solar and offshore wind, with people getting hundreds of pounds off bills if they live near a turbine; 380million to be invested in more charging points and better infrastructure for electric vehicles; Mr Shapps has recommitted to the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars; A competition to select the best Small Modular Reactor technologies will be launched by autumn; The locations of the first Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage projects have been announced. The latest Ofgem cap shows that social and environmental levies make up 165 of the average annual dual fuel bill - although the Government currently subsidises bills Energy Secretary Grant Shapps announced details of the Government's green drive today In a round of interviews this morning, Mr Shapps said Britons would need to switch from gas to cleaner energy 'over the next decade or two'. He told Sky News: 'We all know that electricity can be a big way to decarbonise, but we also know these are big changes. So this is not a sort of rip-out-your-boiler moment. This is a transition over a period of time to get to homes which are heated in a different way and also insulated much better.' He admitted 'we're in the low numbers still' for the uptake of heat pumps, with around 42,000 installed last year, adding: 'This programme, which is latent, it's at the beginning. There are technical issues that people are having to deal with in order to meet the switchover.' Boiler upgrade scheme extended... as Shapps admits he doesn't have a heat pump yet Grant Shapps today admitted he is yet to get a heat pump - as he extended the Boiler Upgrade Scheme for another three years until 2028. The scheme provides grants of up to 5,000 towards a heat pump for homes in England and Wales. Mr Shapps revealed energy company workers were coming to survey his house this month 'to see about whether heat pumps can work'. 'Sort of living the dream as it were, or I'm hoping to. We'll see what happens when they come around to my house,' he told GB News. Mr Shapps also confirmed a widening of an insulation scheme to those in the least energy efficient homes in Council Tax bands A to D. The Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy found that 78 per cent of Britons use gas central heating. Yet from 2025, no gas boilers will be installed in new build homes. And from 2035 all newly installed heating systems will have to be low carbon, such as heat pumps Advertisement Listing the steps he has taken in his own home, including turning down the boiler flow, Mr Shapps said: 'I'm gradually doing things. I'm not sort of some eco-warrior in this. I just want to try and save money on my energy bills like everybody else.' Mr Shapps, who does not have a heat pump, said the Government's Powering Up Britain strategy had extended a scheme offering households 5,000 to replace their gas boilers. But he added that energy company workers were going to survey his house this month 'to see about whether heat pumps can work'. He told GB News: 'Sort of living the dream, as it were - or I'm hoping to. We'll see what happens when they come around to my house.' Meanwhile, families could be offered hundreds of pounds off their energy bills if they agree to have a wind farm nearby under plans set to be announced today. Ministers will launch a consultation to ensure local communities can benefit from the development of onshore wind farms where there is local support. Mr Shapps confirmed that families who choose to support onshore wind could benefit directly through lower bills. Ministers have previously looked at a scheme to give households up to 350 a year off their bills in return for supporting the construction of local wind farms. When Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister, he scrapped moves to relax the planning laws that have led to a virtual moratorium on wind farms since 2015. But he faced a mounting backbench rebellion after an amendment was tabled to allow onshore wind where there is community consent. Labour then joined forces with the rebels to support the amendment and No10 was forced to reconsider. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: 'We have always been clear that we support the development of onshore wind where there is local support. 'Today's package of measures ensures councils will have more flexibility to respond to the views of their residents, while we will shortly consult on further measures so that communities that choose to support onshore wind in their area can benefit directly from doing so, including through lower bills.' Former prime minister David Cameron introduced an effective ban on onshore wind farms in 2015. Developers were forced to address all local concerns about a potential wind farm and just one person could hold up an entire project. Calls to end the ban on new onshore wind farms have grown amid efforts to secure the UK's energy independence after Russia's invasion of Ukraine squeezed supplies. Shapps says 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars WILL go ahead A ban on new petrol and diesel cars will still take effect from 2030, despite Europe watering down its own restrictions, Mr Shapps has confirmed. The Energy Secretary said the UK did not have to follow the EU, which has climbed down to allow sales of new internal combustion engine cars that only run on 'e-fuels' such as biodiesel to continue after 2035. Earlier this week Brussels approved a law to end sales of new CO2-emitting cars in the EU in 2035 - but Germany won an exemption for vehicles which burn carbon-neutral petrol alternatives. The EU law will require all new cars sold to have zero CO2 emissions from 2035, and 55 per cent lower emissions from 2030 than in 2021. Britain has a policy to halt sales of petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2030. After that hybrids will be phased out so all new cars and vans are fully zero emission by 2035. But despite reports that the UK was considering following the EU's lead by also allowing an e-fuel exemption, Mr Shapps insisted Britain's policy would not change. A ban on new petrol and diesel cars will still take effect from 2030, despite Europe watering down its own restrictions, the Energy Secretary has confirmed The Energy Secretary told reporters: 'I appreciate the German car industry has its own particular take on this. We have set out our path, which is by 2030 the end of the sale of pure petrol and diesel. 'There is then a five-year transition period which we've yet to describe in detail. 'All of that remains the same. We will always have a look at what is developing or happening elsewhere, but our policy does not change as a result. 'Our plan at the moment does not have an exemption for e-fuels, but there is that five-year period to deal with as well. 'This is not a change of policy - we are sticking with our plans. We are not in Europe, we don't have to do what Europe does on this stuff - we've always been more forward leaning on this stuff than the EU. 'That's been the case up until now, and I suspect we will want to be more forward leaning on all of this stuff.' A Bonnie and Clyde couple who gagged a 92-year-old grandmother with her own tights and tied her to a chair during a string of raids have been jailed for a total of more than 20 years. Jean Harding was left fearing for her life when Edward Connors, 30, and his fiancee Leanna Hughes burst into her Manchester home late at night last June while in search of valuables. Connors, a convicted rapist, bound Mrs Harding up with a cable tie, dragged her downstairs and threatened to kill her if she refused to comply. Hughes, 29, then stripped the grandmother of all her jewellery, including priceless family heirlooms, and tied her up with a vacuum cleaner cable. The couple were sentenced to a total of more than 20 years in jail after being convicted of burglary, attempted burglary and fraud at Manchester Crown Court. Edward Connors and Leanna Hughes gagged a 92-year-old grandmother with her own tights and tied her to a chair during a string of raids Connors and Hughes were sentenced to a total of over 20 years in jail after being convicted of burglary, attempted burglary and fraud at Manchester Crown Court The newly engaged couple targeted Mrs Harding's property in Burnage, Manchester, during a crime spree after arriving from Dublin, Ireland. Connors used a ladder to enter Mrs Harding's second-floor bedroom window at around 11pm on June 2, the court heard. He then tied her up with cable ties and threatened that he would kill her if she did not comply and remain silent. He forced Mrs Harding to go downstairs and get the front door keys so he could let his lover in through the front door. After Hughes entered the property, Connors ran back upstairs to 'clean out the bedroom', the prosecutor said. Meanwhile, Hughes forced Mrs Harding into the living room, tied her up to a table with a vacuum cleaner cable and gagged her mouth with a pair of tights. She also unplugged the landline phone, preventing her from raising the alarm. 'Her restraint led to bruising to her mouth and arm,' Edmund Potts, prosecuting, told the court, adding that Hughes then 'took all of the jewellery that she was wearing'. When Mrs Harding put up a struggle, Hughes warned her: 'If I don't take it he'll rip it out.' In total, the couple stole a 22-carat gold ring, an 18-carat gold ring, a gold wedding band, a silver Celtic cross necklace, a plain gold necklace and 600 in cash. The pair, having completed their raid, fled the home, leaving Mrs Harding tied to the table. The 92-year-old managed to free herself and went to a neighbour's house to report the crime. Police used CCTV to identify the couple, track them down and arrest them. Officers were then able to link Connors and Hughes to another raid in which they stole a backpack full of valuables, including a passport, from a front porch near their lodgings in Fallowfield. The couple stole a 22-carat gold ring, an 18-carat gold ring, a gold wedding band, a silver Celtic cross necklace, a plain gold necklace and 600 in cash from the pensioner Mrs Harding was left so traumatised by the attack that she struggled to sleep and avoided staying at her home for an entire month. In a victim statement given to the court, she said that whenever she thinks of the incident it still 'sends shivers down my spine' adding: 'I didn't know if I was going to be battered or raped because of the stories I've heard. 'It sends shivers down my spine when I think about it and I now jump at every bump in the night. 'When the man came through the window I banged my head and also my hip, which had just been replaced. My heart started racing and I could feel it pounding in my chest. When he asked me to help his accomplice in through the front door I felt sick. 'All the drawers had been emptied and it took a long time to get things back to normal. I stayed at my goddaughters' for a month after the incident. I was OK during the day but got scared at night. 'When I eventually moved back home I didn't sleep for a month. I used to listen to the radio at night but now I go downstairs to watch TV so that I can feel safe at night.' Connors and Hughes, who has now assumed her fiance's surname despite not yet being married to him, were convicted of burglary, attempted burglary and fraud at Manchester Crown Court. Connors was jailed for ten years and ten months and will be on licence until 2036 under the terms of an extended sentence. Hughes was jailed for nine years and nine months with an extended licence period of two years and three months. Hughes forced Mrs Harding into the living room, tied her up to a table with a vacuum cleaner cable and gagged her mouth with a pair of tights. She also unplugged the landline phone, preventing her from raising the alarm Connors entered Mrs Harding's second-floor bedroom window at around 11pm on June 2, 2022, the court heard. He then bound her with cable ties and threatened to kill her if she did not comply and remain silent In sentencing, Judge Rachel Smith told the couple that their use of force was 'significant' and that they demonstrated a 'spontaneous, high level of aggression against Mrs Harding.' She added: 'Instead of escaping down the ladder upon finding her you exploited her age, frailty and isolation within a house on her own. 'It was a prolonged incident in which you both concealed your identity and left her locked in her own house, where she would have been left all night if she didn't manage to free herself.' The judge added that she was 'not persuaded' by Connors' remorse due to his previous record. The convicted criminal also had a history of fleeing to France, Belgium and Germany to avoid arrest. Inquiries revealed Connors, a father-of-two, had previously served eight years behind bars for raping an American tourist at Colin Glen Forest Park in West Belfast in 2008 when he was just 15. After his release he clocked up another 22 other offences, including burglary, assault and failing to inform North Ireland police or Irish Garda of his address. The latest offences meant he breached the terms of the Sex Offenders' Register. Hughes had previous convictions for burglary, theft and possession of an imitation firearm. Judge Smith said: 'I have heard that he has been abusive and aggressive throughout the process. 'It is clear that they are unfazed by entering into domestic properties. Leanna has scant regard for the consequences of her actions and although she has expressed remorse she does not understand the impact this has had on her victims.' David Thompson, defending Connors, cited his 'difficult childhood', saying he was forced into a 'transient lifestyle' between Belfast and Dublin after his parents separated when he was young. Mr Thompson added that Connors 'never learnt to read or write' and during his most recent stint in prison he had 'became addicted to spice'. Upon release he 'moved on to crack cocaine and then heroin'. Officers linked Connors and Hughes to another raid in which they stole a backpack full of valuables, including a passport, from a front porch near their lodgings The lawyer said: 'There was an inevitability that this defendant would fall into a life of crime as a result of this. This lack of education has meant he has only occasionally worked, laying Tarmac. 'He has two young children with his first wife in the Belfast area. In his words he is ashamed at what has done, but says that they did not target the victim because she was old but because her window was open. This offence was done to sustain a drug addiction.' Kay Driver, defending Hughes, said: 'She and Edward are a couple but have never married. In her interview with probation she expressed traditional views on relationships where a woman should take a role of deferring to the male partner. 'She is a long-time heroin addict and her drug habit has blighted her for many years. Although she managed to stay off drugs for a while before the incident she relapsed following a traumatic miscarriage. She also has a history of sexual, physical and emotional abuse against her.' Moscow's Lefortovo district court on Thursday ordered US journalist Evan Gershkovich to be arrested on spying charges and held in pre-trial detention until May 29. Gershkovich, 31, was detained in Yekaterinburg in the Urals where he was on an assignment for The Wall Street Journal. Gershkovich told the court on Thursday that he was not guilty of espionage, something he has been accused of by the FSB security service, the state TASS news agency reported. The reporter - an accredited foreign correspondent in Moscow - was held over alleged 'illegal activities' and was 'suspected of espionage for the US government', the FSB said. Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman said Gershkovich had been 'caught red-handed'. He could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of espionage. The Journal said in a statement: 'The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich. We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family.' Sources confirmed to Yekaterinburg publication It's My City that the journalist for The Wall Street Journal had been detained PMC Wagner mercenaries pose at Popasna (file photo). Russian reports suggest Gershkovich had gone to Yekaterinburg to write about people's attitude to the war and the recruitment of locals for the Wagner private military company Reports suggest he was held last night at the Bukowski Grill restaurant and led by plain-clothed officers to a waiting vehicle with a sweater pulled over his head The FSB said that Gershkovich 'was acting on the US orders to collect information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military industrial complex that constitutes a state secret'. 'While trying to obtain secret information, an American was detained in Yekaterinburg,' said the FSB, which provided no evidence for its accusations. The FSB is a domestic security and counterintelligence agency that is the top successor agency to the Soviet-era KGB. Putin's spokesman prejudged Gershkovich before any investigation or trial. 'There was already a statement from the FSB,' he said. 'The only thing I can say is that, as far as we know, he was caught red-handed.' He did not elaborate on what he is believed to have been caught 'red-handed' for. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also implied the journalist was guilty before any due process. 'What an employee of the American edition of The Wall Street Journal was doing in Yekaterinburg has nothing to do with journalism,' she said. 'Unfortunately, this is not the first time that the status of "foreign correspondent", a journalistic visa and accreditation, are used by foreigners in our country to cover up activities that are not journalism. Read More: Revelling in rape, torture and brutal executions: How Putin's Wagner mercenaries' terrifying brutality echoes another group of criminals-turned-soldiers... Hitler's reviled Dirlewanger brigade Pictured: Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner group Advertisement 'This is not the first well-known Westerner to be "grabbed by the hand".' Reports suggest Gershkovich was held last night at the Bukowski Grill restaurant and led by plain-clothed officers to a waiting vehicle with a sweater pulled over his head. Russian reports suggest he had gone to Yekaterinburg to write people's attitude to the war and the recruitment of locals for the Wagner private military company. There was concern for Gershkovich when he failed to make contact with his editorial office. Russian independent journalist Dmitry Kolezev said he had spoken to Gershkovich before he went to Yekaterinburg and warned him that he would be '100% monitored' from the moment he arrived. Kolezev said: 'He understood this well, but he was sure that since he was not doing anything illegal, everything would be limited to ordinary surveillance and, perhaps, some kind of intimidation. 'It turned out much worse.' He insisted: 'Evan is a very brave guy, a good journalist, not a spy at all.' It is unclear why Gershkovich was detained but Kolezev said he had intended to try and speak to workers outside a tank plant in Nizhny Tagil or the Novator Design Bureau in Yekaterinburg - a manufacturer of long-range anti-aircraft missiles. 'Both enterprises are easily located on any public map, their location is not a secret,' said Kolezev. He added: 'It seemed to me not only dangerous, but also unpromising, because it is unlikely that anyone will talk to an American in the current situation. 'Evan has good Russian, but the American is easily guessed in him. 'I do not know in the end whether he realized this idea, but for sure the very fact of the appearance of an American citizen, not far from the place where tanks or missiles are made, the FSB today considers espionage.' But he said: 'In any case, the plot of the case does not really matter - he was taken as a hostage for an exchange, and in fact it does not matter at all what they formally [accuse him of doing]. 'The decision on his fate will be made not in court and not during the investigation, but at negotiations between Russia and the United States.' Gershkovich has lived in Moscow for six years, working as a journalist. He is a US citizen born to parents from the Soviet Union. Local sources said Gershkovich had made a trip to the city several weeks ago and had returned this week. Before joining The Wall Street Journal, Gershkovich worked for AFP in Moscow. Gershkovich is pictured filming in Russia. He was allegedly 'engaged in the collection of information about one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex' which constitute 'state secrets' Yekaterinburg, where Gershkovich was detained, is a city in the Sverdlovsk oblast region, west-central Russia Pictured: Gershkovich at a restaurant. 'While trying to obtain secret information, an American was detained in Yekaterinburg,' said the FSB, which provided no evidence for its accusations He was previously a reporter based in the Russian capital for The Moscow Times, an English-language news website. Russia has seldom made allegations of espionage against Western correspondents accredited to the country. However, many accredited correspondents from Western media outlets left the country when the war started 13 months ago amid concerns it was unsafe. Political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya suggested Gershkovich had been 'taken hostage' by the FSB. Moscow has been accused of arresting foreigners in the past - especially Americans - to use in barter exchanges for Russians detained in the US. Gershkovich's arrest comes amid bitter tensions between Moscow and Washington over the fighting in Ukraine. Several US citizens are currently in detention in Russia and both Washington and Moscow have accused the other of carrying out politically-motivated arrests. The FSB in January opened a criminal case against a US citizen it said was suspected of espionage but did not name the individual. Paul Whelan, a former US Marine, was arrested in Russia in 2018 and handed a 16-year sentence on espionage charges. He is being detained in a penal colony south of Moscow. The US says he was a private citizen visiting Moscow on personal business and has demanded his release. There have been several high-profile prisoner exchanges between Moscow and Washington over the past year. In December, Moscow freed US basketball star Brittney Griner - arrested for bringing cannabis oil into the country - in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Russian authorities have also used espionage charges against Russian journalists. Last year, Russia jailed a respected defence reporter, Ivan Safronov, for 22 years on treason charges. Pictured: Gershkovich at a restaurant. There was concern for Gershkovich when he failed to make contact with his editorial office Pictured: Evan Gershkovich. Moscow has been accused of arresting foreigners in the past - especially Americans - to use in barter exchanges for Russians detained in the US Pictured: The Bukowski Grill, where Gershkovich is reported to have been taken away by plain-clothed officers Safronov worked for business newspapers Kommersant and was one of Russia's most prominent journalists covering defence. Gershkovich's arrest comes as Western journalists in Russia face increasing restrictions. Staff of Western media outlets often report being tailed, particularly during trips outside of major urban hubs of Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Many Russians fear speaking to foreign media, due to strict censorship laws adopted in the wake of the Ukraine offensive. The Wagner Group, one of the subjects Gershkovich is reported to have been writing on, is led by close Putin ally Yevgeny Prigozhin. Wagner mercenaries are deployed to further Russian interests abroad by doing the jobs that no official military branch could be associated with. They have earned a reputation for using sheer force and brutality to achieve their goals. Prigozhin, 61, the chief financier and founder of PMC Wagner, claims his contractors are deployed across the border to help achieve the Russian president's goal the so-called 'denazification' of Ukraine. The group has for years acted as Putin's personal band of enforcers, though it maintains connections with Russia's foreign military intelligence agency, the GRU. Founded in 2014, Wagner contractors got straight to work following the annexation of Crimea, arming and organizing separatist groups in the Donbas region of Ukraine and setting in motion events which culminated earlier this year in Putin's full-scale invasion. Women living under Iran's Islamic Republic could be fined up to 57,000 for defying the government's new hijab laws, which demand they wear the religious head-covering at all times. Iranian lawmaker and member of the Cultural Commission of the Iranian parliament, Hojjat ol-Eslam Hossein Jalali, said on Sunday that punishments for flouting the laws include revocation of drivers' licenses and passports, or a ban on the use of the internet for celebrities and social media influencers and bloggers alongside the cash fine. Jalali added that these laws will apply to women who disobey the hijab rules while riding in vehicles, dining in restaurants, at schools and universities, as well as on the streets and other public spaces, reports Iran International. Hardline law and policymakers have been looking at alternative ways of enforcing once brutal hijab enforcement rules following the failure of their 'morality police' method of cracking down on lawbreakers. It comes after the death of Mahsa Amini in September, which triggered large-scale, nationwide protests. Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei meets with members of Iran's the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution to discuss alternative plans to enforce hijab legislation A newspaper with a cover picture of Mahsa Amini, a woman who died after being arrested by Iranian morality police is seen in Tehran, Iran, September 18, 2022 In the past, lawbreakers would be released after paying small cash fines as bail, but would face longer sentences along with lashings if they had a previous record. Any trace of participation in public resistance against the compulsory hijab would bear severe consequences such as prosecution and imprisonment. The morality police, however, have largely disappeared from the streets as the government feared enraging people. According to Jalali, the plan was finalised after '300 meetings with the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution and the National Security Council'. In December, Jalali told Iranian media of the government's alternative plans for disciplining those who disobey the law. He said: 'It is possible to notify non-hijab wearers in the form of a text message that they did not observe the hijab rule and that they must respect the law.' Last year, the government had responded to almost three months of unrest with deadly force as it attempted to suppress one of the deepest challenges to the Islamic regime since the revolution in 1979. Amini, 22, was on a visit with her family to the Iranian capital when she was detained on September 13 by the police unit responsible for enforcing Iran's strict dress code for women, including the wearing of the headscarf in public The activist HRANA news agency said that, as of November 29, at least 459 protesters had been killed during the unrest, including 64 minors, as security forces try to stifle widespread dissent. The hijab became compulsory for women in public and girls over the age of nine after the 1979 revolution. Jalali explained in December there would be no moving away from enforcement of the hijab and chastity laws, just that methods of imposition would become less violent and intrusive. 'Moving away from the hijab means a retreat of the Islamic republic,' Jalali added. An influencer has copped a tirade of verbal abuse while filming content for social media, with a stranger telling her she 'deserved to die'. Fashion and lifestyle influencer Emilee Clark told Daily Mail Australia she was attempting a photo shoot outside an apartment block on the Gold Coast when an older woman approached. Ms Clark, from Brisbane, uploaded the disturbing confrontation to her TikTok account on Thursday. 'I'm not affecting you in any way,' Ms Clark can be heard telling the woman. The stranger then unleashed on the influencer. Fashion and lifestyle influencer Emilee Clark was attempting a photo shoot outside an apartment block on the Gold Coast when she was verbally abused 'You're affecting me because we pay lots of money to live here and we don't want somebody like you, who is really cheap,' she said. A surprised Ms Clarke replied that she was not cheap, but the woman continued to reprimand her. 'How much you charge?' she said. 'If you are doing something like that you are charging.' The woman threatened to call the police before eventually walking away and mumbling: 'She deserves to die'. A friend who was filming the incident repeated the woman's last words in shock. But that was not the only unsettling scene Ms Clark faced during her attempted photo shoot. Ten seconds later, according to Ms Clark, 'another lady came over and threatened that she had already contacted police to come and 'remove us''. Ms Clark said the encounters left her feeling 'absolutely horrible' Ms Clark said is was 'frustrating' when she was attacked by other women In a second video uploaded to her TikTok account, a woman's voice can be heard in the background as Ms Clark again tries to pose for the camera. 'Just so you're aware I've contacted police,' the woman said. Ms Clark revealed she had experienced harassment while trying to do her job before but it was the first time she'd caught it on camera. 'I felt absolutely horrible,' she said. 'I was already having a bit of an average day and that really got to me, especially being so aggressive and confronting.' The stylish blonde said it's 'frustrating' when other women demean her. 'There's so many of us trying to promote healthy body positivity and being comfortable and loving the skin your in and then you've got women tearing you down for doing just that,' she said. Ms Clark said she tried to stay positive about her own body. 'I was just feelin cute in my new dress,' she said Since 1972, it has been a staple of New Year's Eve viewing in Germany and is also hugely popular elsewhere on the Continent. But in Britain, Dinner for One is virtually unheard of - despite the fact that it holds the Guinness World Record for the most repeated TV programme of all time. Last night, King Charles delighted his esteemed audience in Germany as he referenced the sketch during a speech that kicked off his state visit to the country. Speaking in German to guests who included the country's president and former chancellor Angela Merkel, the King joked: 'It is nice of you all not to have left me alone with a 'Dinner for one!' The show, which was originally recorded in 1963, centres on the 90th birthday of upper-class English woman Miss Sophie, portrayed by May Warden, as she is attended by her butler James. The table is laid for four guests, but all have long since passed away, prompting James - played by comedian Freddie Frinton - to get more and more inebriated as he impersonates and drinks for them all. Watch the sketch below The show, which is also known as The 90th Birthday (Der 90. Geburtstag in German), was originally written by British author Lauri Wylie for the theatre. Frinton and Warden had been performing it in British seaside resorts as early as 1945. German producer Peter Frankenfeld came across it while scouting for ideas in Blackpool. He then invited Frinton and Warden to perform it on screen in front of a live TV audience in 1963. In 1972 it was shown on German TV at 7.40pm on New Year's Eve to fill a gap in scheduling. A tradition was born and it has been shown every year since then. More adventurous viewers who watch the sketch, which is broadcast in English but has a short introduction in German, will try to keep up with James' drinking. Miss Sophie is alone because friends Sir Toby, Admiral von Schneider, Mr Pomeroy and Mr Winterbottom have died. James consumes all their drinks over four courses - mulligatawny and sherry, North Sea haddock and white wine, chicken with champagne, and fruit and port - and repeatedly stumbles over a tiger head rug. King Charles was speaking at the Schloss Bellevue former royal residence, which is now the home of president Frank-Walter Steinmeier Since 1972, it has been a staple of New Year's Eve viewing in Germany and is hugely popular elsewhere on the Continent. But in Britain, Dinner for One is virtually unheard of - despite the fact that it holds the Guinness World Record for the most repeated TV programme of all time The show, which was originally recorded in 1962, centres on the 90th birthday of upper-class English woman Miss Sophie as she is attended by her butler James The table is laid for four guests, but all have long since passed away, prompting James - played by comedian Freddie Frinton - to get more and more inebriated as he impersonates and drinks for them all A key theme of the sketch is James's repeated stumbling over the head of a tiger skin rug Before each course, James asks his employer if it will be 'the same procedure as last year, Miss Sophie?' She then replies: 'The same procedure as every year, James.' They repeat the lines when he accompanies her up to bed at the end of the sketch Before each course, James asks his employer if it will be 'the same procedure as last year, Miss Sophie?' She then replies: 'The same procedure as every year, James.' They repeat the lines when he accompanies her up to bed at the end of the sketch. The allusions to sex were reflected by Frinton and Warden's alleged real-life affair. Dinner for One has had an impact beyond the screen too, spawning cookbooks and even a commemorative stamp. Frinton, who died in 1968, was well known in Britain, having starred in BBC show Meet The Wife. But he was also hugely popular with his drunk comic skit, which saw him wear a top hat and tails and carry a broken cigarette. Warden died aged 87 in 1978. Dinner for One aired in the UK for the first time in 2018, when it was shown on Sky Arts. It is also shown in countries including the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Finland. King Charles was speaking at the Schloss Bellevue former royal residence, which is now the home of president Frank-Walter Steinmeier. In his speech, the monarch pledged to 'strengthen the connections' between the UK and Germany and paid tribute to the 'enduring value' of the two nations' relationship. In what was the first state banquet speech of his reign, Charles stressed that he was 'utterly convinced' the bond between Britain and one of the EU's leading nations 'will grow ever stronger'. The historic day earlier saw the King and Queen Consort Camilla receive an official welcome in front of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate, a symbol of peace and unity and the first time the location has been used to greet a foreign head of state. Charles and the Queen Consort pose with Mr Steinmeier and his wife Elke Buedenbender at the Schloss Bellevue in Berlin Germany's former chancellor, Angela Merkel, laughed at King Charles's speech. Above: The pair seated at dinner Also among the guests at the dinner were a few celebrities, including German resident and former Strictly Come Dancing judge Motsi Mabuse, and distant German relations of the King. Charles told those gathered: 'The relationship between Germany and the United Kingdom matters greatly to me, too, Mr President, and I am more convinced than ever of its enduring value to us all. 'It means so much to us that my wife and I could come to Germany for this very first overseas tour of my reign. 'I can only assure you, that throughout the time that is granted to me as King, I will do all I can to strengthen the connections between us.' Germans have taken King Charles to their hearts because many worshipped the Queen and respect his own love for Germany - a country he has visited 40-plus times from aged 13, royal experts and distant relatives declared today. Since Charles and the Queen Consort arrived in Berlin yesterday and headed to the Brandenburg Gate, they have been met with affection from huge crowds everywhere they have gone. His recent UK engagements have been marred by republican protests. Alexander von Schonburg, who is married to Prince Philip's great-niece Princess Irina of Hesse, has said that Charles had always wanted Germany to be the destination for his first state visit - not France as planned this week. Charles' campaigning on the environment also resonates with Germans, he said. 'Charles is very close to Germany. He sees us as pioneers in climate and environmental protection. He has been here more than 40 times, including with his relatives', Count von Schonburg said, adding: 'I know from a very reliable source that he wanted Germany to be the destination of his very first state visit as a sign of his unique love for our country'. Royal biographer Tom Bower told MailOnline: 'The Germans are pro-British, admired the Queen and respect Charles's many interests in the environment architecture and especially alternative medicine. His German family relations resonate a lot especially in Hamburg and Berlin. He has a natural affinity with educated Germans'. King Charles II enjoys some German sparkling wine at a state banquet in his honour last night Charles greets crowds who have turned out in force to see him in Berlin The King waves to the Bundestag after today's speech This afternoon Charles became the first British monarch to address the Bundestag and spoke almost entirely in German, describing his love for the country he first visited aged 13. King Charles becomes the first British monarch to address the Bundestag with historic speech in German as he pays tribute to his late mother the Queen Advertisement And last night he was at a state banquet thrown in his honour, attended by several of his relatives where the King was offered organic chicken instead of vegetarian options washed down with German sparkling wine, which he clearly enjoyed. The trip has been hailed as a triumph by the German media, with tabloid Bild enjoying how the King 'enthused about his German roots and love of German culture'. They also claimed that he and Olaf Scholz the German President enjoyed several positive talks about sustainability, environmental protection and climate change. Experts have said the trip is hugely significant for the UK as it tries to improve its relationship with the EU, especially the Germans. Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said: 'Charles has been to Germany over 40 times. It is a boost to Anglo-German relations to see how delighted his hosts are to see him. 'The undoubted success so far of the first state visit of King Charles's reign shows once again that royal visits are a uniquely potent way to project British soft power. 'Charles is highly respected in Germany and this visit is symbolic of a new attitude to Anglo-German relations which looks to the future whilst paying homage to the past. 'The King seems wholly at ease, whether arriving to a ceremonial welcome, speaking at a state banquet or going on a walkabout. Queen Consort Camilla is clearly the perfect partner for him and what he achieved in his long apprenticeship in the role as Prince of Wales has earned him respect. 'The royal family are also more at ease with their German antecedents, German relations of the King attended the banquet. It is particularly important to Germany that, post-Brexit, relations with Britain now look to the future. 'This is reflected in the tour itinerary which includes the first ever address by a British monarch to the Bundestag and the symbolic importance of this is immense. The Queen first paid a state visit to Germany in 1965 and she also went to Germany for her last full state visit'. German media, including Bild, has been glowing in its coverage of the King's visit In his speech to the Bundestag today the King celebrated the 'special bond' between the UK and Germany as he became the first British monarch to address the Bundestag during his historic state visit to the country. Speaking in both German and English, Charles said he could 'hardly begin to express the pride' he felt in the relationship between the two countries and spoke fondly of his 'cherished' family ties to Germany. He also thanked the country for its kindness following the death of his mother, the late Queen. He said: 'Today, it gives me particular pride to be with you ... and to renew the special bond between our two countries. 'This friendship meant so much to my beloved mother, the late Queen, who often spoke of the 15 official visits she made to Germany, including her five state visits. 'The first of those, in 1965, came when our continent was still deeply scarred by war, and the trauma of conflict. Hers was the wartime generation, and like my father, the Queen had served in uniform. 'That my parents' 11-day tour of Germany should prove to be a pivotal moment in the reconciliation between our nations was, therefore, a matter of great personal significance to them both. 'My mother understood the immense achievement that reconciliation represented, and in returning to Germany time and again, she was determined to play her own part. It is, perhaps, for this reason that Her late Majesty won a particular place in the affection of the German people.' With a quip about the Lionesses' victory over Germany at Euro 2022, the monarch hailed it as 'just one example of how our countries, together, can offer a compelling example to the world'. 'Faced with so many shared challenges, the United Kingdom and Germany are together providing leadership to secure our shared future,' he added. A man in a Burger King crown offered to Charles The King also touched on climate change leadership before concluding: 'In the long and remarkable story of our two countries, there are many chapters yet unwritten. Let us fill these with the restless pursuit of a better tomorrow. The legacy of our past, and the great promise of our future, demand nothing less.' Not all were enamored by the visit, however. Jan Korte, a lawmaker with the opposition Left party, said it wasn't in keeping with Germany's democratic tradition to have Charles address the country's highest political body, the Bundestag. 'A king isn't elected,' Korte told public broadcaster ZDF. 'He can obviously speak everywhere and is very welcome, including by me, but I think that particularly in the Bundestag, which is about representing the people, it's not really appropriate to have a monarch speak.' Fans have shared a hilarious clip of Paul O'Grady during a booze-up in New Orleans from more than 20 years ago. The amusing scene was shot while the comic was filming his hit 2001 travel series Paul O'Grady's America. In the video a friend of O'Grady is attempting to take him back to where he is staying, but he refuses to cooperate and continues drinking - leading to him stumbling, burping, unable to move and, at one point, quoting a play by Tennessee Williams. Once sat on a short flight of steps, Paul O'Grady refused to move and denied he was still drinking alcohol O'Grady was not exactly cooperating with his friend's attempts to get him back to his accommodation O'Grady died aged 67 after a series of health battles over the years, including three heart attacks and kidney failure The clip was posted by a Twitter user, captioned: 'Paul O'Grady drunk is literally all of us drunk'. Viewers loved the footage, which dates from 2001, describing it as 'exceptional', 'amazing' and 'brilliant'. At the beginning of the video, O'Grady can be seen being helped to his feet by several men as he tells the camera operator: 'Go in a couple of bars, they say. Go and have a couple of bevvies, they say. And I go and have a couple of bevvies. And what happens? They go all s***ty with me.' O'Grady can be seen holding onto a lamppost to steady himself and is told by a friend, dressed in a red tank top, the camera crew have been looking for him 'for hours'. Throughout the video he is seen burping, slurring and stumbling along the sidewalk. As they leave the venue, O'Grady says: 'I'm very sorry if I've upset everybody. Look. I fell into bad company alright.' His friend replies: 'It's always the same story. What has New Orleans done to you?' 'Nothing,' O'Grady says. 'It's not my fault [indistinguishable name]. You go sending me out bars...'. As the man protests he did this, O'Grady shouts: 'Well who did then? Somebody did.' Later in the clip, O'Grady is seen sitting on a set of stairs whilst smoking, with one shoe off. When his friend attempts to help him put it back on, O'Grady says: 'Is that my shoe? I don't want a verruca!' He is then seen coughing and continuing to drink from a plastic cup. 'Who says I'm drinking?' O'Grady says, when asked to stop. He then refuses to move from the steps, saying: 'I can't move.' He asks where they are going, before adding: 'I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.' This is a quote from Tennessee Williams' play, which is set in New Orleans, A Streetcar Named Desire. At the beginning of the clip O'Grady could be seen gesturing at the camera as he said: 'Go and have a couple of bevvies, they say' When he was tracked down by his friend, O'Grady was told the camera crew had been looking for him 'for hours' He even quoted a play set in New Orleans, A Streetcar Named Desire, during his antics The line is said by Blanche Dubois, an old Hollywood glamour-style character whose expectations fall flat after she is forced to flee her home and stay with her sister in the city. After this surprisingly sober moment, the man eventually gets O'Grady to move by telling him he is taking him 'home to England'. He adds to the camera: 'I want to go home. I don't like this place. 'My fella was right... it's full of wh***s, f****ts, and the devil's music, and drink.' The video was part of O'Grady's show Paul O'Grady's America, which saw him tour the US with a camera crew who recorded his antics. He had previously filmed a similar series titled Paul O'Grady's Orient. This particular clip is believed to have been filmed in New Orleans. He rose to fame as his foul-mouthed, heavy-smoking drag persona Lily Savage, making the nation roar with laughter as he trailblazed the way for future members of the LGBT+ community to be seen on screens. His husband Andre Portasio, who he married in 2017, announced his death in a statement released close to 3am on Wednesday. A flood of tributes poured in from celebrities such as Lorraine Kelly and Amanda Holden, to the Queen Consort herself and politicians. He was last night remembered as 'one of the greatest drag artists the UK has ever seen' at the south London venue where he found mainstream success. Wednesday night's show at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern (RVT), in Vauxhall, saw a minute of raucous applause for the TV star, instead of a typical minute of silence. He rose to fame on the nightclub circuit as the acerbic, platinum wig-wearing Lily Savage - a name believed to have been inspired by his late mother. After touring the north of England with the character, he settled into a solo residency at the RVT, before transitioning to broadcasting and going on to host a number of popular television programmes. On Wednesday, RVT host Michael Twaits, told a packed out audience that O'Grady had been 'an absolute legend of the community'. 'Today we lost one of the greatest drag artists the UK has ever seen, and it is this building, this building was where it happened,' he said. Paul O'Grady in the musical Annie where he played Miss Hannigan to great acclaim (right) Paul O'Grady rose to fame as his altar ego Lily Savage, before breaking into primetime TV as himself O'Grady has been remembered by the LGBT+ community as a trailblazer 'Eight years of doing solo shows... and also doing shows like tonight, introducing new talent to the LGBT+ scene. Paul O'Grady was an absolute legend of the community.' He added: 'It was around raising up the community, and when you move from a stage like this into the mainstream, when you move into breakfast f****** television... and still stay true to yourself, stay true to your queer self, and stay true to your working class roots.' Twaits told the audience 'a trailblazer and a legend has left us' before leading them in a round of applause for O'Grady. 'Obviously a moment of silence is polite... but I don't think a moment of silence is right. I think this is a moment to applaud, a moment to love, a moment to cheer,' he said. Reference to O'Grady's time at the RVT was made earlier on Wednesday in the House of Commons, with MPs highlighting the impact of his work on the LGBT community. Sir Chris Bryant told the House: 'I don't know whether the Deputy Prime Minister ever met Lily Savage or has ever spent a night out at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, but... I can take him some time if he wants to go?' As MPs erupted in laughter, the Labour MP added: 'Her alter ego, Paul O'Grady, campaigned acerbically and hilariously for elderly people, for care workers, against oppression of every kind. 'Isn't it time we in this country celebrated our naughty, hilarious drag queens and comics of every kind who inspire us to be a better and more generous nation?' Dominic Raab, who was filling in for Rishi Sunak during Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions, accidently referred to O'Grady as 'Paul Grayson', before correcting himself and describing him as an 'incredible comic'. Tributes also came from friends, fans, charity organisations, and fellow celebrities, as well as the Queen Consort. Fellow comedian Eddie Izzard told the PA news agency that O'Grady had made life 'easier' for the LGBT community and his impact on 'culture, existence and humanity' resonated across the UK and world. The stand-up comedian, who has come out as gender fluid, told PA: 'The fact he was out and openly gay, was cool and everyone, everyone began to calm down, because, obviously, other people who are LGBTQ came out over the years, but he was a good part of that. 'He was just very human ... It's great that he added so much to culture and existence and humanity in the United Kingdom, and that resonates around the world.' Dog treats and flowers were placed outside the TV star's farmhouse in Kent, with residents describing the well-known animal-lover as an 'inspiring gentleman' and a 'wonderful man'. O'Grady's life-long love of animals shone through his charity work and as the presenter of ITV's award winning show For The Love Of Dogs. The broadcaster changed its schedule on Wednesday evening to re-air a special one-off episode of the show For The Love Of Dogs where he was joined by Camilla, during which they had marked the 160th anniversary of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. The royal family's official Twitter account posted an image of O'Grady with Camilla, captioned: 'Deeply saddened to hear of the death of Paul O'Grady, who worked closely with Her Majesty in support of @Battersea-, providing lots of laughter and many waggy-tailed memories.' In the village of Adlington where he lived, personal messages were left outside his home, one of which read: 'Farewell Paul... and thanks for all the PogDogs', in reference to the show. In a statement shared with PA, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home paid tribute to O'Grady as a 'devoted animal lover' and a 'champion for the underdog'. The organisation's chief executive, Peter Laurie, said: 'Battersea will forever remember Paul as a devoted animal lover with the biggest heart, who fell head over heels in love with every dog he met at our centres. 'Paul will always be associated with Battersea and we are truly saddened to have lost such a true friend and huge part of our charity.' Villagers have criticised the Home Office's decision to turn an iconic airbase into temporary housing for asylum seekers, with one complaining that 'everyone will lose out'. RAF Scampton, which was the Dambusters squadron's HQ and housed the Red Arrows for 20 years, will be used to accommodate 2,000 asylum seekers despite significant opposition from locals and Conservative MPs. West Lindsey District Council fears the move will jeopardise a 300million regeneration project to turn the site into a heritage, aviation and research centre - and is now plotting a High Court injunction to block the move. Meanwhile, residents of the tiny Lincolnshire village of Scampton argued the decision 'doesn't make sense for anybody', with one man complaining: 'Everyone involved is going to lose out, including the asylum seekers.' The main entrance to RAF Scampton, an iconic airbase in Lincolnshire that was once home to the Dambusters Greg Algar, landlord of the village's popular pub, the Dambusters Inn, said: 'This is staggering incompetence from the Government, and so many people living here, and visiting, are whole heartedly against it and can't believe what the village is being forced into having' Robert Jenrick, the immigration minister, confirmed yesterday that 3,700 people would be housed at Scampton and RAF Wethersfield in Essex, with an extra 1,200 going to a separate site in East Sussex. The third location is a former prison in Bexhill that went on to be used as a training facility by the United Arab Emirates. Mr Jenrick said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was 'bringing forward proposals' to use the Catterick Garrison barracks to house asylum seekers in his constituency to show 'leadership'. Locals in Scampton have spoken out against the development. Ruth Wildman, a secondary school teacher, told MailOnline: 'I am very disappointed this is happening. It is a huge shame for many people. 'I understand the Government has a need to accommodate migrants, and it's not fair to tar all migrants with the same brush. 'But the history and heritage here shock be retained, and there are much better places to re-house them. I can't believe this is happening.' Mrs Wildman, a former RAF cadet during her schooldays, spoke as the Red Arrows - which are now based elsewhere in the area - roared above the skies practising their stunts. 'I love see the Red Arrows, I am very fond of them, and the baby sleeps through, but this will all be lost. The new scheme will be ripping out a piece of our history. The priority of the site should be preserving its heritage.' Greg Algar, landlord of the village's popular pub, the Dambusters Inn, said: 'This is staggering incompetence from the Government, and so many people living here, and visiting, are whole heartedly against it and can't believe what the village is being forced into having.' The 60-year-old, whose father and grandad served in Bomber Command and between them undertook 111 operations into Naz-held Europe, 'The area is steeped in history, and until recently was the best airspace for the Red Arrows, said: 'For the sake of housing migrants how can they even think about tearing down one of the oldest air bases in the country. We should be preserving our heritage and history, not destroying it. 'They should not be dismantling such a historic and much loved site. It is the wrong place. They wouldn't put them up at Old Trafford. There are options to house these refugees elsewhere.' Senior project manager Brett Swinfield said: 'Asylum seekers being placed in the middle of nowhere on the busy A15 road is not an ideal location, it's madness' Ruth Wildman, a secondary school teacher, sighed: 'I am very disappointed this is happening. It is a huge shame for many people' The Red Arrows practising in the skies over Scampton. They are now based elsewhere The 617 Squadron the Dambusters was formed at the airfield, from where 19 Lancaster bombers departed for the famous raid in 1943 to destroy three dams in the Ruhr valley. Pictured: 617 Squadron led by 24-year old Wing Commander Guy Gibson (in aircraft door) Tom Howard, an RAF enthusiast who moved into the village to soak up its culture and heritage, said: 'I am really angry that this is happening. I am gutted that we are losing an airbase full or history. 'I have nothing against refugees being rehoused in appropriate places but this isn't one.' The 28-year-old added: 'I moved here to be near the base and I'm fascinated by its past and soon there will be nothing of RAF interest for us. It is very sad.' Senior project manager Brett Swinfield said: 'Asylum seekers being placed in the middle of nowhere on the busy A15 road is not an ideal location, it's madness. 'I've lived in the village for 15 years, it i small and very friendly and refugees will feel out of place.' Meanwhile, teaching assistant Angela Mound, 56, called the decision a 'bitter blow for our heritage'. 'I grew up in Lincoln, amidst RAF and Red Arrows history, and this base should be kept as part of that.' Latest figures show the cost of migrant hotels was running at more than 6.3million a day in December, after a record 45,700 Channel arrivals last year. The new sites are expected to house fresh arrivals across the Channel rather than asylum seekers already living in hotels. Charities said the military accommodation is 'grossly inadequate' to house people who have fled war. The Dambusters Inn is the only pub in the small village of Scampton RAF Scampton will be used to accommodate 2,000 asylum seekers despite significant opposition from locals and Conservative MPs Senior Conservative Sir Edward Leigh responded by saying an injunction will be sought against the 'thoroughly bad decision' in Lincolnshire, after a similar threat came from Essex. Mr Jenrick told the Commons the Government remained committed to its 'legal obligations' to house the destitute but said 'we're not prepared to go further'. 'Accommodation for migrants should meet their essential living needs and nothing more. Because we cannot risk becoming a magnet for the millions of people who are displaced and seeking better economic prospects,' he said. The minister insisted the sites are 'undoubtedly in the national interest' and said 'single adult males' only will be forced into the barracks, as he seeks to reduce a hotel bill he put at 2.3 billion a year. Using repurposed barrack blocks and portacabins, Scampton and Wethersfield will be used to accommodate around 200 people initially before capacity 'gradually' increases. Sir Edward, a former minister who represents Gainsborough in Lincolnshire, said using the former home of the Dambusters RAF squadron could jeopardise a 300 million regeneration project. Addressing Mr Jenrick, the MP said: 'I can inform him that the moment this is confirmed the local authority in West Lindsey will issue an immediate judicial review and injunction against this thoroughly bad decision which is not based on good governance but the politics of trying to do something.' RAF Wethersfield in Essex will also be used to house asylum seekers who have come to Britain after crossing the Channel A total of 87 migrants were brought into the harbour at Dover in Kent yesterday after being intercepted at sea, bringing the total of illegal crossing so far for 2023 to 3,767 Tory run West Lindsey District Council said it was 'extremely disappointed' by the plans to use Scampton and is 'considering all legal options, including urgent judicial review proceedings'. The plans were going ahead in the Braintree constituency of Foreign Secretary James Cleverly despite him arguing Wethersfield 'wasn't appropriate for asylum accommodation'. Writing on Facebook on Wednesday, Mr Cleverly said: 'Although this decision isn't the result my constituents and I wanted, I have received assurances that community safety will remain paramount.' Braintree District Council, which is also controlled by the Conservatives, had already said it was 'preparing to apply to the High Court for an interim injunction'. Mr Jenrick said a 'separate site in East Sussex' would also be used, which the Home Office described as a 'non-military' location that will house up to 1,200 people, without giving further details. The site used to be Northeye prison until its closure in 1992 before being used for training by the UAE. Local MP and transport minister Huw Merriman said: 'I know that this decision will have an impact on local authorities and public services. It will also be of great concern to local residents.' Catterick Garrison in Yorkshire will also be used as accommodation for asylum seekers Ahead of the announcement, multiple newspapers had been told that ferries and barges would also be used to house asylum seekers. But Mr Jenrick was not able to set out any imminent plans, with a Government source stressing 'nothing has been bought' and there are 'no barges or ferries'. However, Tory led Dorset Council said it was aware of talks between the Home Office and the owners of Portland Port 'to site floating accommodation for asylum seekers in the port'. 'We have serious concerns about the suitability of the location for this facility,' the council said. The Refugee Council said it was 'deeply concerned' by the plans, saying the suggested accommodation is 'entirely unsuitable' to the needs of asylum seekers. Enver Solomon, the charity's chief executive, said: 'These sites are wholly inadequate places to house vulnerable men, women and children who have come to our country in search of safety. 'We must ensure that people fleeing war, conflict and persecution can access safe, dignified, and appropriate accommodation while in the UK asylum system. 'They are also unworkable and will add yet more cost and chaos to the system.' Northeye prison in Essex, which closed in 1992 before being used for training by the UAE Alex Fraser, the British Red Cross's UK director for refugee support, said the proposed sites are 'entirely inappropriate for people and will lead to significant suffering'. 'Military sites, by their very nature, can re-traumatise people who have fled war and persecution. These sites may also put vulnerable people at risk of exploitation,' he added. Amnesty International UK's Steve Valdez-Symonds said the 'huge and expensive backlog' in asylum claims he blames on the Government is 'no excuse for failing to treat people properly'. 'People who have escaped terror and torture, endured criminal exploitation and traumatic journeys should be treated with basic human dignity, not corralled on barges or other grossly inadequate and isolated accommodation,' he added. 'The consequences of dismal accommodation - subjecting people to prolonged squalor, social exclusion, mental and physical ill health, even outbreaks of fatal disease - keep being ignored.' A former millionaire who ended up begging on the streets with a heroin addiction has been jailed for beating an innocent man in front of the victim's 12-year-old daughter. Dominic Hudson, 47, a businessman who was once worth 'in excess of 1million', assaulted Neil McCann after the father saw the criminal and his friend acting aggressively to two women on a street in Greater Manchester. Mr McCann, who is in his 40s, was savagely punched and kicked by Hudson and Paul Bloomfield, also 47. The victim suffered a 20cm cut to his left cheek and a 3cm-deep wound to his chin. Hudson and Bloomfield initially denied wrongdoing before both admitted causing grievous bodily harm to Mr McCann and having an offensive weapon. They were each jailed for 40 months. Dominic Hudson, 47, a businessman who was once worth 'in excess of 1million', assaulted Neil McCann after the father saw the criminal and his friend acting aggressively to two women Paul Bloomfield, 47, was also involved in the attack. The pair savagely punched and kicked Neil McCann on a street in Sale, Greater Manchester Mr McCann was attacked last August in Sale, Greater Manchester, while walking home with his 12-year-old daughter, Marie. He was targeted after he saw Hudson and Bloomfield tussling with the two women on the opposite side of the road and tried to intervene. Hudson was shouting at one of the women whilst Bloomfield had his arm around the other's woman's throat and had her in headlock, Minshull Street Crown Court heard. Mr McCann shouted over to the two women to ask if they were OK, but Bloomfield told him to 'f**k off' before he and Hudson crossed the road towards him. The concerned bystander told Marie to walk away as blade-wielding Hudson and Bloomfield approached him. Mr McCann was 'concerned' for his daughter but he did not want to 'turn his back on the two males', the prosecutor explained. Bloomfield 'got into Mr McCann's personal space' and then punched him in the left side of his face. 'Mr McCann could see his daughter was there and told her to go but Bloomfield punched him again and,' Saul Brodie, prosecuting, told the court. 'Then Hudson struck him and the victim felt blood running down his face. He assumed he had been cut with the blade.' The two men pushed Mr McCann to the floor and repeatedly punched and kicked him. At one point, Bloomfield was completely on top of him and 'weighing him down with his full body weight'. Mr McCann then punched back, managing to get himself up, but the assailants continued after him and followed him all the way home. 'When he went through his front gate Hudson caught up with him and spat on his left shoulder whilst Bloomfield spat in his face,' Mr Brodie said. 'They fled when they heard police sirens. The attack was completely unprovoked.' Police were able to track down the criminals using photographs Mr McCann took during the attack. Hudson was detained nearby but Bloomfield barricaded himself inside his flat. When police forced entry Bloomfield deliberately spat blood and saliva at a policewoman saying: 'I'm going to cause pure s**t.' In a statement to police, Mr McCann said the incident left him 'terrified' and feeling as if he was 'no longer safe in my own home'. He added: 'The ordeal has affected my university studies and even taking my daughter to school is really stressful. I can't go to bed any more unless my door is locked. I no longer feel safe in own home. 'I was terrified I would be seriously injured. I have had difficulty smiling and talking and had to see a specialist.' The father said he 'just wanted to protect' his daughter, but Hudson and Bloomfield 'seemed to disregard the fact she was there'. 'They were significantly bigger than me and they had weapons. I was scared for my life and that of my daughter. I was only trying to help someone, but I will be more reluctant to help others in future,' he said. Dominic Hudson is pictured with his son, Shaun, who is serving ten years in jail over a stabbing Hudson had even encouraged his son Shaun - pictured in Manila in the Philippines - into a life of crime, with the youngster getting hooked on cocaine at the age of just 11 The attackers both initially denied wrongdoing. Hudson, who had just been dumped by his girlfriend, said he was trying to withdraw from heroin at the time of the beating, adding: 'I'm rattling my back out. I can't think right now so I don't know what happened.' The former millionaire holidayed in the Philippines and Majorca until his businesses failed in 2010. He developed a severe drug addiction in 2016 and had been drinking vodka in the run-up to the attack. He kept a knuckleduster at his home, and a pair of blood-stained scissors were found at the scene. Hudson eventually admitted causing grievous bodily harm to Mr McCann and having an offensive weapon. He had 98 offences on his record including burglary, drugs offences and driving offences. In 2021 he was given a community order for helping his son carry out an attack on a Greggs bakery. It emerged the feckless father of one had even encouraged his own son Shaun into a life of crime, and the youngster had become hooked on cocaine at the age of just 11. In February last year, following a random attack outside a tram station, Shaun, now 20, was jailed for ten years for stabbing a 16-year-old boy while shouting: 'Do you know who I am?' He was also involved in another knifing after his father had an argument with the manager of a Greggs bakery. During the subsequent trial, Hudson had to be thrown out of court for disruptive behaviour, for which his son then apologised. Bloomfield, who also admitted assaulting an emergency worker, had 164 offences on his record, including violence, knife possession, burglary and driving offences. Patrick Buckley, defending Hudson, said: 'He was once a very successful person worth in excess of 1million and involved in business, but from those heights he went very quickly to fighting in the street and begging for heroin. 'He recognised his behaviour was utterly unacceptable and wants to work towards a drug-free future. However, that is only going to be achieved by third-party intervention at a very high level.' Sentencing, Judge Nigel Bird told Hudson and Bloomfield: 'Mr McCann was a concerned citizen who noticed your companions were in distress. He shouted over to them to ask if all was well, but you each took grave exception to that. You gave chase and subjected him to what became a prolonged, unpleasant event in his life.' A former SNP MP could lose her seat after being handed a 30-day ban from the Commons for travelling across Britain when she knew she was ill with Covid. Parliament's Committee on Standards has recommended the punishment for Margaret Ferrier over her incredible breach of coronavirus rules. The MP travelled in and around Glasgow and to London in September 2020 after taking a test, instead of isolating. While awaiting the results, she spoke in the Houses of Parliament and visited places in London. She then returned to Scotland after receiving a positive result. Ms Ferrier, who was kicked out by the SNP over the astonishing journey, has already been ordered to do 270 hours of unpaid work after admitting culpably and recklessly exposing the public 'to the risk of infection, illness and death'. But the Committee today handed down what is an unusually long suspension, saying 'if Ms Ferrier had been a public sector employee in a position of trust or leadership, she could have faced severe disciplinary consequences, potentially including dismissal, for these or similar actions'. The length of the ban would allow a recall petition to be raised in her Rutherglen and Hamilton West seat, which could trigger a by-election and hand a huge early test to new SNP First Minister Humza Yousaf. Scottish Labour called for the MP to stand down and said it would push for a recall petition if she did not. Parliament's Committee on Standards has recommended the punishment for Margaret Ferrier over her breach of coronavirus rules. The length of the ban would allow a recall petition to be raised in her Rutherglen and Hamilton West seat, which could trigger a by-election and hand a huge early test to new SNP First Minister Humza Yousaf. Ms Ferrier had a 5,230 majority in her seat at the last election, but it has been an SNP/Labour swing seat in the past two decades Shadow Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said: 'Margaret Ferrier's reckless actions put people at risk and rode roughshod over the rules everyone else followed. 'It is right that Parliament has thrown the book at her for this unacceptable behaviour. 'There are still serious questions for the SNP to answer on what they knew and what they did at the time. 'Ferrier should do the right thing and stand down as an MP. Even Nicola Sturgeon called for her to resign now Humza Yousaf must do the same. 'If Margaret Ferrier doesn't resign the people of Rutherglen and Hamilton West can exercise their right to boot her from office. 'Her constituents deserve better and that means a by-election.' Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Daniel Greenberg said Ms Ferrier had breached code of conduct for MPs 'by placing her own personal interest of not wishing to self-isolate immediately or in London over the public interest of avoiding possible risk of harm to health and life'. She also breached the code because 'her actions commencing from when she first took a Covid-19 test to when she finally begins self-isolation have caused significant damage to the reputation and integrity of the House of Commons as a whole, and of its Members generally'. The 62-year-old told the commissioner her decision to travel home after she got a positive test result 'was made whilst in a state of shock and anxiety, even panic'. 'I did not at any time believe that I was acting in my own self-interest but believed I was taking the safest step in the unfortunate set of circumstances that I had myself created when I made the decision to travel to London, a poor decision which I now bitterly regret,' she added. The Commons Standards Committee recommended she should face a 30 day suspension, which MPs will be asked to approve. A McDonald's restaurant on a busy city night-life strip has 'finally' taken extra precautions to ensure the safety of customers and staff after several 'vile and abusive' incidents. SafeWork SA ordered the fast-food company to install safety screens in the Hindley St store in Adelaide's CBD which operates 24 hours a day. Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) Josh Peak welcomed the upgrade on Thursday, describing the McDonald's on Hindley as 'clearly the most unsafe establishment,' 'Customers were able to walk behind the counter unrestricted, products were thrown at workers, workers were spat on,' Mr Peak told reporters. 'We know the workers at the store now feel safer, because they are safer. There have been a number of late-night incidents at Hindley St McDonald's caught on film (including this one) The McDonald's is a popular spot for revellers after nights out in the Adelaide CBD 'Workers no longer have to worry about products being thrown at them, they'll no longer have to worry about being spat on, they no longer have to worry about people going behind the counter and visibly threatening or assaulting them.' He said the union had run a campaign for many years telling customers it's important to do the right thing. 'But it is so hard to control customer behaviour at 2am on a Sunday morning, and that's why these physical barriers are so important,' he said. 'We are incredibly pleased that real physical measures have now been taken.' He said the physical shields were the best solution to stopping violent incidents because they physically stop people from 'crossing the line.' But he was critical of the decision to remove security guards. 'McDonald's removed their security guards - they made a decision to take that protection away. Security guards aren't the answers to everything,' he said. 'Sometimes security guards aren't able to step in but they are a good deterrent.' Nooria Halake, 19, was allegedly filmed yelling at staff behind the counter before walking into the kitchen area and helping herself to food South Australia police will allege the woman damaged a door and threw a bottle of water at staff He said the location had also become one of the first franchises to install duress alarms. The action comes after a string of incidents in the store, including two involving two young women who are now going through the court system. In October 2022, Mia Miller, who had just turned 18, was filmed throwing food and allegedly spitting on Hindley Street Maccas staff after a night out. She faced the Adelaide Magistrates Court charged with disorderly behaviour, assaulting a worker and spitting. In December of last year, just a few months later, Nooria Halake, 19, was allegedly filmed yelling at staff behind the counter before walking into the kitchen area and helping herself to food. Both women will appear in court again in the coming months. Russian forces are 'getting hammered' in the battle for the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut in fighting described as a 'slaughter-fest' by senior US officials. Chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff General Mark Milley told lawmakers late last night: 'The Russians have not made any progress whatsoever in and around Bakhmut. 'It's a slaughter-fest for the Russians. They're getting hammered in the vicinity of Bakhmut and the Ukrainians have fought very very well.' But Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelensky, have admitted in recent days that Russian troops managed to gain some ground, despite having suffered horrendous losses. 'Enemy forces had a degree of success in their actions aimed at storming the city of Bakhmut,' the General Staff of the Ukrainian armed forces said in a regular report late on Wednesday. 'Our defenders are holding the city and are repelling numerous enemy attacks.' Ukrainian soldiers of the 28th brigade walk together at their position on the frontline near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Monday, March 27, 2023 Ukrainian soldiers of the 28th brigade fire a mortar at Russian positions on the frontline near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Monday, March 27, 2023 A Ukrainian tank rolls on a muddy road near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, on March 29, 2023 The mining city of Bakhmut and surrounding towns in the eastern industrial region of Donetsk have been the focal point of assault for much of Russia's 13-month-long invasion of Ukraine. Brutal close-quarters urban combat in the city itself and World War One-style trench warfare in the surrounding countryside have resulted in an awful attrition rate, with both sides losing thousands of troops. Soldiers have begun referring to the conflict as the 'Bakhmut meat grinder' amid the bloodshed, with Russian troops - many of them conscripts or prisoners recruited by the infamous Wagner mercenary group - being forced to embark on suicidal 'human wave' missions to exhaust Ukrainian resources. Speaking with the Associated Press earlier this week, President Zelensky warned defeat in the battle for Bakhmut would enable Russia to start building international support for a deal that would require his nation to make unacceptable compromises. Zelensky said if the city were to fall to Russian forces after a protracted battle, president Vladimir Putin would 'sell this victory to the West, to his society, to China, to Iran'. 'If he will feel some blood - smell that we are weak - he will push, push, push,' he told the Associated Press, adding that a loss anywhere at this stage in the war could put Ukraine's hard-fought momentum at risk. 'We can't lose the steps because the war is a pie - pieces of victories. Small victories, small steps,' he said. 'Our society will feel tired. Our society will push me to have compromise with them.' Some in the West - including former president and 2024 candidate Donald Trump - have questioned whether Washington should continue to supply Ukraine with billions of dollars in military aid and Zelensky worries the war could be impacted by shifting political forces in Washington. 'The United States really understands that if they stop helping us, we will not win,' he said. The Ukrainian president also extended a diplomatic invitation to China's President Xi Jinping, who just weeks ago met with Putin at the Kremlin for a day of talks, calling him a 'dear friend' and signing a slew of agreements designed to strengthen the Sino-Russian relationship. China, economically and politically aligned toward Russia, has provided Putin diplomatic cover by staking out an official position of neutrality in the war. Xi has been clear about wanting to bring about an end to the war and has proposed a peace plan, but it was dismissed by Ukrainian authorities because it suggested that Kyiv cede territory to Russia to achieve a ceasefire. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is worried that a loss in Bakhmut would mean 'our society will feel tired. Our society will push me to have compromise with [Russia]' Ukrainian soldier of the 80th brigade in a trench, in the direction of Bakhmut, 26 March 2023 Ukrainian service members fire a howitzer M119 at a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the city of Bakhmut Elsewhere in Ukraine, the chief of the UN atomic watchdog said on Wednesday he was working on a compromise security plan for the Moscow-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and warned of increased military activity around it. There are persistent fears over the safety of the plant in the southern Ukrainian region of Zaporizhzhia, where there has been frequent shelling since Russian troops invaded last year. During a rare visit to the facility, Europe's largest, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, said he was working to find a compromise that would suit both Moscow and Kyiv. 'I am trying to prepare and propose realistic measures that will be approved by all parties,' Grossi told reporters during a press tour organised by Moscow at the plant, which is controlled by Russian forces. 'We must avoid catastrophe. I am an optimist and I believe that this is possible,' said Grossi, who arrived at the plant in a Russian armoured vehicle, surrounded by soldiers in full combat gear. But he also warned of increasing military activity around the nuclear plant and expressed hope that Russia and Ukraine would agree on safety principles. He added that the visit to the plant was 'extremely useful.' 'The idea is to agree on certain principles, certain commitments, including not to attack the plant,' he separately told AFP. Kyiv and Moscow have accused each other of shelling the plant, increasing fears of a disaster. Russian soldiers stationed at the plant told AFP during Grossi's visit Wednesday that they have been preparing for a possible attack from Kyiv. Their main task is 'to prevent an armed takeover' of the site by Ukrainian 'saboteurs', one soldier told reporters. Ukraine denies any such plans. The United Nations has called for a demilitarised zone around the site. A baroness and art collector was shot dead, allegedly by her stepson outside her home in the south of Brussels today. Baroness Myriam Ullens, 70, was with her husband, Baron Guy Ullens, 88, when she was killed in the village of Ohain, allegedly by Nicolas Ullens, who has since been detained by police. Baron Ullens reportedly survived the incident. The pair were in their car outside their home around 10am when Nicolas fired on his stepmother, who died at the scene, according to La Libre. According to reports, the baroness and her stepson had been in long-running disputes over issues of inheritance. Baroness Myriam Ullens was shot dead, allegedly by her stepson outside her home in the south of Brussels today Baron Guy Ullens de Schooten and Baroness Myriam Ullens de Schooten pose during the Don Quichotte Ballet The baron and baroness - who opened the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing - married in 1999, and have been influential art collectors ever since. They began their career by collecting classical Chinese art scroll paintings, before switching their attention to contemporary art. The couple opened the Ullens center in 2007 - considered at the time to be the first contemporary art museum in China. In 2004, baroness Ullens, who went by Mimi and was a cancer survivor, founded the Mimi Foundation to create centers within hospitals to provide physical and mental therapy for patients undergoing cancer treatment. In 2013 she co-organised an exhibition and benefit auction during Frieze Week in London to support the Mimi Foundation. 'If many of the artists in this project are Chinese that is because of our long and close relationship with them. This is just the tip of our icebergthat we are continuing to follow and collect intensively with the new generation,' the baroness told Ocula at the time. The couple opened the Ullens center in 2007 - considered at the time to be the first contemporary art museum in China 'A collection is like a living breathing body. It evolves in an organic manner.' The baroness Ullens was born in Colgone, Germany, in 1952. Nicolas Ullens, a former Belgian state security officer, is one of the baron's four children with his first wife, Micheline Franckx. Michelle and Barack Obama were spotted out in Melbourne today enjoying lunch at a beachfront restaurant during the former president's speaking tour of Australia. The couple had some down time as they enjoyed a meal at the Stokehouse restaurant, St Kilda beach. Obama, who is in Australia for a speaking tour, spoke in Sydney on Tuesday night for 'An Evening with President Obama', where tickets start from $195. He and Michelle have been snapped out enjoying sights like the Sydney Opera House, going to dinner and even walking over Sydney Harbour Bridge. Their latest outing was to Stokehouse, which houses a high-end restaurant serving seafood and Wagyu fillets for $90 (AU$135), as well as a cheaper pasta bar alternative. The former president and first lady were spotted leaving a beachfront restaurant in Melbourne Michelle Obama was dressed down in a white t-shirt, wide leg jeans and a blazer Obama looked smart in a classic suit for the outing with his wife, which comes during his tour of Australia Michelle was dressed down in a white t-shirt, wide leg jeans and a blazer for the meal. She paired her look with a headband and sunglasses Meanwhile her husband wore a classic suit with his top button undone as they kicked back. It comes after, an Aboriginal elder who was dumped from performing at a welcome ceremony in Melbourne received an apology yesterday from event organisers. Wurundjeri Elder Joy Murphy, 78, was set to perform the welcome ceremony for the ex-US president's speech in Melbourne on Wednesday night. Stokehouse on St Kilda beach houses a high-end restaurant serving seafood and Wagyu fillets for $90 (AU$135), as well as a cheaper pasta bar alternative downstairs Ahead of the event, she asked organisers if she could bring a support person and a cultural gift for Mr Obama. However, the shocked elder says she was then told she was being 'too difficult' by the organisers, the Growth Faculty, who axed her from the event. Growth Faculty has since apologised to Aunty Joy. 'Growth Faculty has apologised to Aunty Joy that last night's ceremony could not be changed,' the organisers said in a statement on Thursday morning. Wurundjeri Elder Joy Murphy, 78, was set to perform the Welcome to Country ceremony for Barack Obama's event on Wednesday night 'Aunty Joy has accepted Growth Faculty's invitation to perform Welcome to Country at a business lunch taking place in Melbourne today. 'Due to security requirements, the organisation was unable to accommodate last-minute changes to the agreed upon ceremony.' Obama held the second of his talks on Wednesday evening at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne. The 'An Evening with Obama' event, according to his site, saw the former president tell his story. 'A story of resilience, overcoming obstacles and fighting injustice, President Obama's historical achievements were driven by an unmatched tenacity and determination that have become synonymous with his name,' it reads. Mr Obama and his wife Michelle arrived in Melbourne by private jet on Wednesday as he continues his speaking tour 'As an attorney, author and 44th President of the United States, there is no voice more relevant to leaders than his. 'At this special event, he will touch on his time in office, the work of the Obama Foundation and inspire you with his thoughts on the future of leadership.' The security costs for Obama's million dollar two day speaking tour of Australia have proved controversial in Australia. Radio host Ray Hadley asked why taxpayers had to foot the bill for NSW, Victoria and Federal police officers. This is the Portuguese lesbian barmaid that Paul O'Grady was secretly married to for 28 years. Pictured with his arm draped over her shoulder, kind-hearted Paul wed pal Theresa Fernandes when her work permit was due to expire - and she faced having to leave London return home to Portugal. The pair worked together at north London gay bar The Showcase in the seventies before he found fame as Lily Savage. Paul said one night Theresa told him about her visa situation and how she was dreading doing back to Portugal where her mother, who was unaware of her sexuality, would have a line of male suitors ready for her. So he proposed. Their wedding in 1977 in was a low-key affair, but Paul said that they were never in a relationship and described as a marriage of convenience. Paul (left) wed pal Theresa Fernandes (far right) when her work permit was due to expire Late star Paul O'Grady, who died yesterday aged 67, pictured in September 2022 Bizarrely, Paul actually forgot they were married, and only divorced her in 2005 nearly three decades later. He said: "I had no idea we were still married until my manager Brendan said, 'If anything happened to you, everything would go to your wife. It's like a real-life Corrie storyline. Kind-hearted Paul revealed that one of the reasons he wed Theresa was to thank her when she stuck up for him with a particularly rude customer at The Showcase. The pair were working behind the bar one night when all hell broke loose as a known trouble making lesbian woman - identified only as Jake - walked into the venue. Pictures form Paul O'Grady's book 'The Devil Rides Out' shows him holding his daughter and his wife and best man on his wedding day Writing in his book 'The Devil Rides Out' Paul described how Jake had walked into the pub and demanded a 'large dark rum from him - but he ignored her and she then swore at him shouting:' Are you f***ing deaf ?' Paul wrote: 'Reluctantly I stopped what I was doing and slammed a large rum into a glass from the optic. She snatched the drink out of my hand and threw the money in my face. 'Before I had time to respond Theresa, the Portuguese barmaid stepped in. 'Get out bitch,' she growled at a disbelieving Jake. 'I said get out. Who do you think you are, throwing money in his face? Now leave before I kill you.' Paul said: 'Jake, who nobody had ever stood up to before, leaned across the bar and tried to grab her. 'Touch me and you're dead,' Theresa said, calmly meeting Jake's furious gaze. 'I'll cut your throat.' Paul O'Grady insisted he was 'absolutely fine' just one week ago Paul O'Grady insisted he was 'absolutely fine' just one week ago and said he was 'back in business' after fearing he wouldn't work again due to a Covid scare. Asked how he was 'health-wise', he said on BBC Radio Scotland last week: 'Oh, I've had everything chucked at me. I'm absolutely fine, touch wood. I'm OK. 'I think my last disaster was when I caught Covid last year. We were filming in Malta and I only got one day's filming done. The next thing I was in a hotel room for nine days. 'But getting over it was the worry. I was a good two months being breathless and tired. To tell you the truth, I thought, 'I'll never work again in this state. I can't.' But I'm back in business.' O'Grady also joked about 'gasping for air' when performing Easy Street in theatre production Annie, in which he played Miss Hannigan. He joked: 'Don't take the elderly for granted. I'm no chicken. I'm 67, I'm 68 this year, and I'm rocking around with Miss Hannigan doing Easy Street gasping for air.' Speaking about the role, O'Grady added: 'The last time I was in Annie was 28 years ago. It's strange coming back after so long. But Hannigan is such fun. Because you can play her pure evil, but I don't. I play her for laughs, because she's either drunk or hungover. Either way she's mean.' Advertisement 'Jake threw her drink over Theresa and in a flash the normally placid Theresa went for her. All hell broke loose, Jake tried to jump over the bar but was grabbed by Bill the bouncer, Peter the manager and a couple of strong-armed women and dragged cursing out of the club. 'Crazy bitch,' Theresa said, laughing, wiping her denim shirt down with a dishcloth. 'But I had to do something before she killed you.' 'I'd liked the good-natured Theresa from the moment I met her. She was uber-cool and laid back and was a big hit with the women customers, who all fancied her David Cassidy good looks. 'She was working in a local hotel as a chambermaid by day, supplementing her income behind the bar of the Showplace by night. 'Originally from Lisbon, Theresa was under tremendous pressure from her devout Catholic family to find herself a husband. 'Little did we realise as we swigged our Bacardi and cokes that she was soon to become the future Mrs O'Grady...' Writing of their spring wedding, Paul said: 'Theresa's work permit was about to expire and she was dreading having to return to Portugal and face the numerous suitors that her mother, unaware of her daughter's true sexuality, had lined up as possible husband material. 'I listened to her words as we sat drinking in the restaurant on Westbourne Grove that we frequented after work because they sold booze after hours, and on a whim I offered to marry her. 'People assume my motives were venal. They weren't. I married her simply because I liked her and wanted to help her out of a tricky situation and for so other reason And so we set a date for May.' Recalling the big day Paul wrote: 'It was a curious assortment of people who gathered on the steps of the register office on Harrow Road that morning, 27 May. 'Big Phil, the jovial Irish lesbian, a woman built like a Royal Marine who made Charles Bronson seem rather fey in comparison; Stella, lesbian of the old school in her fifties, always the perfect gentleman in both manner and appearance, neat and dapper n a three-piece suit an tie, her steel-grey hair cropped close to her head and slicked back with brilliantine, giving her the appearance of a wartime spiv. 'Both these women had a capacity for booze that would make a gang of slappers on a shag-fest in Malaga appear tee-total. 'Vera, resplendent in a mint-green double bated suit, and Theresa's latest girlfriend, a beautiful Swede called Inga, acted as witnesses, with Kate and Angela in matching blue dresses and flowers in their hair attended as bridesmaids. 'The bride wore a white trouser suit whilst the groom was in his old faithful - the cream suit bought with Norman's birthday money. 'The star of the show was undoubtedly Lozzy acting in loco parents as the groom's mother (the real model having been wisely left out of the equation for obvious reasons).' Paul added:' At the end of the ceremony, after the immortal words 'I now pronounce you man and wife' had been uttered, the registrar turned to me and said 'C'mon, you know what to do now, don't you ?' 'Pay the fee?' I replied. No, dear, kiss the bride.' 'To a chorus of wolf whistles and cheers from the congregation I leaned forward and planed a chaste kiss on the cheek of my blushing bride. I was a married man.' Paul described how he and Theresa drifted apart a few years after the marriage and that apart from bumping into her in a west London pub a few years later he never saw her again. He said: 'We were married for twenty-eight years, one of the longest and happiest marriages in showbiz, until I finally got divorced in 2005.' Britain's most violent prisoner, Charles Bronson might not be able to control violent outbursts if he were to be released back into public life, a panel ruled as he lost his bid for freedom and plea to be moved to an open prison. The panel ruled it 'could not be satisfied' that Bronson, 70, had the 'skills to manage his risk of future violence until he has been extensively tested outside of his current highly restricted environment'. The notorious prisoner, who has gone by the name of Salvador since 2014, was deemed still a threat to the public despite protesting he was a 'man of peace', as it was also ruled he should not be moved to an open prison. Bronson - real name Michael Peterson - was first locked up for armed robbery in 1974, and during his time inside he has taken 11 hostages in nine prison sieges and has attacked at least 20 prison officers. Eventually, in 1999, he received a life sentence for kidnapping a prison art teacher. His last conviction for a violent offence was in 2014 when he was tried for assault. The appeal was only the second in English legal history to be held in public. Afterwards, Bronson's son, George Bamby, said: 'I would have loved Charlie to have been released, but completely respect the decision of the Parole Board.' *Scroll down to read the full summary of the Parole Board's decision* Charles Bronson seen in a court sketch by the artist Elizabeth Cook In a statement, the board said: 'After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress that Mr Salvador has made while in custody and the evidence presented at the hearings, the panel was not satisfied that Mr Salvador was suitable for release. 'Nor did the panel recommend to the Secretary of State that he should be transferred to an open prison. 'The panel noted that Mr Salvador has spent most of the last 48 years in custody and that much of this time has been in conditions of segregation. 'The panel accepted that Mr Salvador genuinely wants to progress and that he is motivated to work towards his release. It thought that there was evidence of improved self-control and better emotional management. 'However, the panel was mindful of his history of persistent rule breaking and that Mr Salvador sees little wrong with this. He lives his life rigidly by his own rules and code of conduct and is quick to judge others by his own standards. 'In the panel's view, it is unknown exactly what is containing Mr Salvador's risk. It is unclear whether the strong external controls of custody are mainly responsible or whether his attitudes have genuinely changed. 'The panel could not be satisfied that Mr Salvador has the skills to manage his risk of future violence until he has been extensively tested outside of his current highly restricted environment.' The panel said it backed existing plans by prison officials to move Bronson to a less restrictive environment, but that releasing him altogether would be too risky. He currently spends only ten minutes a day with three other prisoners, one of whom he says he doesn't like. 'The movement and categorisation of prisoners are entirely a matter for the Secretary of State, and parole panels will not ordinarily comment on such matters,' the board said. 'However in the particular circumstances of this case the panel observed that there is an identified pathway for Salvador in custody and the evidence supported such a move within a closed prison. 'In the panel's view, this is a pivotal point in Mr Salvador's sentence when his motivation to desist from violence is at its highest. 'Both psychologists instructed by Mr Salvador's legal representative were unequivocal in their view that he no longer requires the secure placement in his current prison. He will be eligible for another parole review in due course.' Bronson, pictured on his way to a parole hearing at the Old Bailey in 2004, was first locked up for armed robbery in 1974 Bronson claims to 'hate violence' and says he has never been a danger to the public Bronson has spent most of the past 48 years behind bars - apart from two brief periods of freedom during which he reoffended - for a string of thefts, firearms and violent offences, including 11 hostage-taking incidents in nine different sieges. Victims included governors, doctors, staff and, on one occasion, his own solicitor. He was handed a discretionary life sentence with a minimum term of four years in 2000 for taking a prison teacher at HMP Hull hostage for 44 hours. Since then, the Parole Board has repeatedly refused to direct his release. In a voice message given to Sky News before his fate was revealed, Bronson insisted he no longer posed a threat, adding: 'They keep f***ing drumming it into the public I'm a danger. Who am I a danger to?' 'I've never been a danger to the public. I love people, love 'em, I love the world. I'm not a f****** filthy terrorist or a rapist, or a murderer, so who am I dangerous to outside? 'I hate violence, I despise it and that's all I've done for the last ten years, sit in my cell, a model prisoner, polite, respectful but they still won't let me out.' Bronson had been confident of securing his release, according to ex-wife Irene Dunroe, who revealed how he planned to celebrate. Ms Dunroe, who still refers to Bronson by his original name of Mick Peterson, told The Mirror: 'A Bentley car is going to come and pick him up when the day comes. 'It's going to take him straight to the greasiest spoon cafe he can find so he can have a double breakfast of everything double sausage, double egg.' Meanwhile, Bronson was hoping to star in a series of anti-knife crime videos with the rapper Ice T 21 after contacting him from prison. Three parole judges considered his case during a hearing at HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, while members of the press and public watched part of the proceedings on a live stream from the Royal Courts of Justice in central London. Bronson - who has been diagnosed with anti-social personality disorder - told parole judges he loved a 'rumble' and enjoyed mass brawls in prison, but insisted he was a reformed prisoner, had found solace in art and was a man of 'peace'. He likened his experience in front of the Parole Board to being on the BBC programme The Apprentice. A psychologist told the panel that Bronson had post-traumatic stress disorder after facing some 'brutal and unacceptable' treatment behind bars. He has been held in solitary confinement for much of his time in jail. During the hearing he was described as holding 'anti-authoritarian views' and being 'suspicious' of the motives of others, as well as having a 'romanticised' view of violent incidents in the past. None of the prison and probation officials who gave evidence at the parole hearing said he was ready to be released. Bronson became the second inmate in UK legal history to have his case heard in public after the rules were changed last year to remove the secrecy around the process. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline before today's ruling, an ex-prison governor taken hostage by Bronson explained his fears that the inmate would not be able to conform to strict parole conditions if released. Adrian Wallace, 82, was tied up and repeatedly beaten by Bronson in a five-hour ordeal. Bronson leaving the High Court in London during an earlier court hearing CCTV footage shown in a Channel 4 documentary shows a naked Bronson squaring up to officers in riot gear Bronson received seven extra years on his sentence for the incident, but Mr Wallace suffered suspected PTSD which saw him leave the prison service on a disability pension some years later. As he told the Parole Board: 'I can assure the board that being taken hostage does have a significant effect on one's mental stability long after the actual incident. 'Post-traumatic stress disorder does kick in at regular intervals and flashbacks and other issues are not uncommon.' He pointed out that Bronson had often stressed that he never killed anyone, but added: 'He might wish to reflect on the lives that he has ruined, with particular attention being paid to the teacher at Hull special unit whom he took hostage and whose career and lifestyle was dramatically changed as a consequence.' In one of Bronson's frequent outbursts during the Parole hearing, he made it clear he felt no remorse for what he had done to Mr Wallace, shouting: 'Governor Wallace was an a******e, is an a******e and will die an a******e.' Adrian Wallace, who was once taken hostage, tied up and beaten during five hours of hell at the hands of Charles Bronson. He says the violent criminal shouldn't be freed from jail yet CCTV footage shows Bronson attacking prison art teacher Phil Danielson with a homemade spear In 2000, Bronson was handed a life sentence for kidnapping prison art teacher Phil Danielson in Hull Prison the previous year. In a 43-hour ordeal, Mr Danielson was beaten and stabbed. The experience left him suffering from panic attacks and PTSD and he has never worked again. Bronson has previously mocked the conditions ex-prisoners have to follow on release. In an interview in 2021, he said: 'Let's just say they say I'm not allowed to walk past the Post Office, well, how do I know if there's a Post Office round the f*****g corner? 'Now in a paedophile's case they're not allowed to walk past schools, but how do they know if there's a school round the corner? 'And you're not allowed to talk to girls? Well, what happens if a girl talks to you? 'I'm going to be on very thin ice out there. But at least it's half freedom. 'The only thing I'm not looking forward to is that f*****g tag on my ankle for three months I think. How do you ever shower with that on? 'How do you put your socks on? I won't be able to wear my suspenders and tights with them!' He arrived at Exeter Crown Court today with jacket pulled over his head Phillip Schofield's brother has arrived at court with a jacket pulled over his head - after a statement from the TV presenter was read to the jury yesterday. Timothy Schofield, 54, is standing trial at Exeter Crown Court charged with 11 sexual offences involving a child over a three-year period from October 2016. He denies performing sex acts in front of his accuser, causing him to watch sex acts and engage in sex acts. Schofield pulled a grey jacket over his head as he arrived in court this morning and was guided inside by an acquaintance. The defendant could be seen wearing a blue shirt, black trousers and black shoes as he carried a blue rucksack inside. Timothy Schofield (left), the brother of TV presenter Phillip Schofield, at Exeter Crown Court this morning The court yesterday heard how Phillip yelled 'f***, stop' over the washing up when his brother confessed to performing a sex act with the schoolboy Timothy Schofield (left), 54, is standing trial at Exeter Crown Court charged with 11 sexual offences The court yesterday heard how Phillip yelled 'f***, stop' over the washing up when his brother allegedly confessed to performing a sex act with the schoolboy. Schofield had travelled up to see his TV presenter sibling in a 'heightened state of agitation' threatening to kill himself, a jury was told. He wanted to open up after the alleged victim confronted him the previous month, but horrified the presenter when he went into graphic detail, the court heard. In a statement read out to court by prosecutor Robin Shellard on Wednesday, Phillip recalled how he received a call from his brother on September 12, 2021. 'It was a weekend and he asked if I was able to talk,' he said. 'Tim was in an extreme state of agitation. 'He said that he was on the verge of killing himself. He said that his head was in a mess and everything was a mess. Schofield pulled a grey jacket over his head as he arrived in court this morning and was guided inside by an acquaintance Schofield was guided from a vehicle into Exeter Crown Court after arriving for his trial this morning 'Tim was clearly very upset and I asked him if he could drive. Tim said yes he could, so I told him to drive to my home in London. 'Around two hours or so later Tim arrived and I could see he was in a state of heightened agitation. 'It was distressing to see him in such a state. He was as angry as I've ever seen him. The conversation was about how angry he was. He was furious, angry, ranting and raving.' Phillip tried to 'change the conversation' and asked what he was watching on TV and his brother was in 'floods of tears' as he described the series Pennyworth. Phillip said it was usual for him to cry when telling stories but 'this was crazy'. He continued: 'We ended up having dinner and I was washing up. Tim was standing behind me and he said you are going to hate me for what I'm about to say. 'I said there's nothing he could say that would make me hate him.' The court heard that he admitted the sexual offences, before Phillip's statement said the incident 'sounded like it was just one time'. Schofield, of Bath, was arrested on suspicion of sex crimes in December 2021. He denies all charges. The trial continues. Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf insisted he was delighted with his new cabinet today amid fury at his appointment of a Minister for Independence funded by UK taxpayers. The new SNP leader was accused of installing a publicly-funded 'nationalist campaigner' in the heart of his government as he made his debut at First Minister's Questions at Holyrood. He created the role yesterday and installed ally James Hepburn in it. But unionists are questioning why the public purse is footing the bill for the SNP's separatist drive, with his salary worth around 31,383 on top of an MSP's pay of 66,662, giving Mr Hepburn a 98,045 pay packet. Tory leader Douglas Ross questioned why the role had been created at a time when special roles covering social security and tourism had been abolished, adding: 'On Tuesday, in a call with the Prime Minister, he demanded another independence vote, and yesterday he appointed a Minister for Independence a taxpayer-funded nationalist campaigner. 'Instead of looking for co-operation between Scotland's two governments he's looking for a fight.' But Mr Yousaf brazenly told the Scottish Parliament: 'I am delighted to have appointed a cabinet and a government that is focused on the priorities of the Scottish people.' The new SNP leader was accused of installing a publicly funded 'nationalist campaigner' in the heart of his government as he made his debut at First Minister's Questions at Holyrood He created the role yesterday and installed ally James Hepburn (left) in it. But Tory leader Douglas Ross questioned why the role had been created at a time when special roles covering social security and tourism had been abolished The job was branded a 'desperate campaign tactic' to placate restive party activists after Mr Yousaf used his first call with Rishi Sunak to make another demand for a referendum - and was bluntly knocked back. The row erupted as Mr Yousaf completely overhauled Nicola Sturgeon's cabinet, with only two ministers retaining their former roles. There was no place for former finance secretary Kate Forbes, who turned down a demotion to the rural affairs remit that was dismissed as 'insulting' by allies. Business minister Ivan McKee, who initially supported Ms Forbes in the leadership contest and was well regarded by industry bosses, also left government yesterday after being offered a 'lesser role'. Other departures included local government minister Ben Macpherson, who walked out after failing to secure a post in the new cabinet. Pamela Nash, chief executive of the campaign group Scotland in Union, said: 'The appointment of a taxpayer-funded minister for separation is an insult to the people of Scotland and demonstrates the warped priorities of the new First Minister. 'Humza Yousaf promised to act in the 'interests of all our citizens', but he has already failed his first test. 'The idea of creating this post was nothing but a desperate campaign tactic to appeal to hardcore SNP activists. 'If the SNP leader wants to waste money like this, the additional cost should be paid by his party not the Scottish public.' Ms Forbes was replaced as finance secretary by Shona Robison, who has been an MSP since 1999 and previously worked in Dundee City Council's social work department. Alex Neil, a former health secretary who supported Ms Forbes's leadership bid and branded the demotion offered to her as an 'insult', said: 'It seems that the two best economic brains in the government have been sidelined. That is my concern, a political concern, because I don't see anyone else who has got their capability of persuading people of the economic case for independence. 'Ivan McKee was a very good business minister, highly respected in the business community, and I can't think of anyone else who has his experience in business and the respect that he was held in by the business community, and that is a loss to the SNP with him going to the backbenches. And obviously Kate, who was highly respected as a finance minister, her not being in government is a big loss as well. 'When you lose people who know about business, who have actually had experience of business and who are respected by the business community, then clearly it makes it much more challenging to persuade the business community to at least consider independence, and indeed to persuade them that the government is knowledgeable, sympathetic and empathetic towards their needs. 'The lack of people who understand business will be a major concern. You've got to get a balance in government and you've got to take the business community with you because clearly we want Scotland's economy to grow and provide job opportunities.' An SNP source lamented the departure from government of Mr Macpherson, saying: 'He's been the most messed-about minister, he will have expected to be in the cabinet. He's one of the few non-idiots that was available.' When he announced his cabinet, Mr Yousaf gave Shona Robison, the deputy first minister, responsibility for finance, however he gave Ms Forbes's previous economy portfolio to Neil Gray under a rebranded role as cabinet secretary for wellbeing, economy, fair work and energy. The Scottish Greens, who have a partnership agreement with the SNP, do not believe economic growth is a sensible measure of the economy. But a spokesman for Mr Yousaf said: 'Growth is still an important part of how you measure the economy.' Robert Kilgour, chief executive of Edinburgh financial services firm Dow Investments, condemned Mr Yousaf's reshuffle and the removal of Ms Forbes and Mr McKee from government. He said: 'There is a huge lack of business experience. This is very frustrating and disappointing and sadly sends a very negative message to Scottish business leaders about the new administration's likely priorities at such a difficult and challenging time for most Scottish businesses. 'The Scottish public's priorities are economic recovery and improved public services, not the SNP Scottish government's failure smokescreen with their Indyref2 fixation deflecting attention from the many failures in their day-job activities, which is after all what they are well paid for by Scottish taxpayers. After being sworn in yesterday, Mr Yousaf posed with his family on the steps of Bute House, the First Minister's official residence in Edinburgh Polls have been showing majority support among Scots for staying in the UK 'This is a very blinkered and short-sighted approach. They should focus on delivery and on a genuine reset in the crucial relationship/partnership with Scottish business and entrepreneurs.' But David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, struck a more hopeful tone. He said: 'Shona Robison and Neil Gray are experienced ministers and parliamentarians and each has a proven track record in government. Their appointments come at a pivotal moment for the economy after three years of fallout from the pandemic and the costs crunch affecting both households and firms. 'As such we look forward to working positively and constructively with the new cabinet and ministerial team to bolster the recovery and keep down the cost of living and cost of doing business.' Ms Robison yesterday claimed that Ms Forbes turned down a role in cabinet because she wanted a better work-life balance. Dog owners are posting pictures of their pets as a tribute to the comedian Paul O'Grady died 'unexpectedly but peacefully' at the age 67 on Tuesday Pet owners across Britain are mourning the loss of Paul O'Grady by sharing stories of meeting him and pictures of their own beloved animals. Staff Battersea Dogs & Cats Home also paid a heartfelt tribute to their 'much-loved ambassador' who died 'unexpectedly but peacefully' at the age 67 on Tuesday. The TV star had fronted a documentary series, Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs, at the charity's south London site for 11 seasons, having first aired in 2012. The Bafta-nominated show which promoted the animal home featured Queen Camilla for an episode in December, which ITV chose to air again last night in tribute to Mr O'Grady. Britons have now taken to social media to post pictures of their dogs to honour his memory and remember 'how much he loved animals'. Dog owners have been posting pictures of their pets in tribute to O'Grady, who was an ambassador for Battersea Dogs & Cats Home Dozens of people shared pictures of their pets past and present along with heartfelt messages about the famous animal lover. And Battersea's Chief Executive, Peter Laurie, described Mr O'Grady as a man with 'perpetual generosity and warmth'. Mr Laurie said: 'To many, Paul O'Grady was the immensely popular TV and radio presenter and comedian who lit up their screens with his razor-sharp humour and perpetual generosity and warmth. 'Battersea will forever remember Paul as a devoted animal lover with the biggest heart, who fell head over heels in love with every dog he met at our centres. 'Paul will always be associated with Battersea and we are truly saddened to have lost such a true friend and huge part of our charity.' Queen Consort Camilla said she was 'deeply saddened' by the death of Mr O'Grady whose 'warm heart and infectious humour lit up the lives of so many.' And the owner of a chihuahua that spent time with Mr O'Grady remembered the late star befriending her dog when it was going through a 'hard time'. Three-year-old Blue met the TV presenter while in the care of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, with the pair's bond shown to the world in episode two, series 10 of Paul O'Grady: For The Love Of Dogs. Paul O'Grady was known for his love of dogs and fans of the late comedian are paying tribute by posting pictures of their pets Mr O'Grady was an ambassador for Battersea Dogs & Cats Home for more than a decade Dozens of people on twitter posted pictures of their dogs and left messages about Paul O'Grady Joanna Randall, owner of Blue the chihuahua, recalled that Paul O'Grady befriended her dog when it was going through a 'hard time' Ms Randall adopted Blue from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, where the chihauhau met Paul O'Grady Blue's new owner Joanna Randall spoke to BBC Breakfast about the positive impact of the late comedian: 'It was really, really upsetting to hear about Paul's passing', Ms Randall said. 'We had a long cuddle on the sofa and a little cry and rewatched the episode that he was on as well, and we just felt deeply deeply sad as well because Paul was just so tremendously kind to all dogs and especially to Blue, who was having a really hard time at that point when he ended up in Battersea. 'It was just nice to have a friend like Paul at that point in his life. I don't think he could have asked for a better friend to encounter right then.' Blue was 'relinquished' to Battersea Dogs and Cats Home a few years ago, with Ms Randall saying his previous owners could no longer keep him because they were moving into a new house which did not let them keep pets. She said Blue is 'very friendly' and 'hyperactive in a lovely, playful way', but this was not always the case. 'When he first turned up at Battersea, he just hated everyone. He hated the whole world and you can see in the episode with Paul that he doesn't even like Paul in the beginning. 'But that was the amazing thing is that by the end of that time spent with Paul, he just completely changed his whole personality. 'He was climbing over Paul and giving him kisses and this is just what's he's like now all the time.' When Mr O'Grady's name was mentioned by presenter Charlie Stayt, Blue appeared to make a whimpering sound. King Charles today became the first British monarch to address the Bundestag in Berlin - and did almost the entire historic speech in German - as his state visit went from strength to strength. There were nods of approval and several rounds of applause from MPs as His Majesty spoke about the 'friendship' between 'our nations', and at times the royal looked emotional to be there. Charles also spoke movingly about the Queen's love for Germany and how he was moved by the tributes from its people after she died last September. He added: 'This friendship meant so much to my beloved mother, the Queen.' The King praised Germany for standing up for Ukraine after Russia's invasion, saying it 'threatens' Europe's security but that he was 'encouraged' by the 'unity' shown by Britain, Germany and other nations. He also joked about the rivalry between the two countries played out on the football pitch, including the Lionesses' recent defeat of Germany's women at Euro 2022. There was also an ovation as he spoke of the ability of the nations to laugh 'both with each other and at each other' and their shared love of sport, literature and music, referencing The Beatles and Kraftwerk. He said: 'In just a few weeks' time, the astonishing music of Georg Friedrich Handel - who was born a German, and died British - will once again soar through Westminster Abbey at the Coronation, just as it has at every Coronation since that of my seven times great grandfather, King George II, in 1727'. But there was no mention of Brexit, only Germany and Britain working together on net zero and renewable energy including wind farms, a personal passion for the King. Britain's King Charles addresses the members of the lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, and received laughter and rapturous applause as he spoke in German King Charles and Camilla, Queen Consort sign the guest book as Bundestag President Baerbel Bas watches on this morning King Charles III addresses members of the German Bundestag at the Reichstag Building Speaking in both German and English, Charles, 74, said he was honoured to renew the bonds of friendship between the two countries as he spoke to dignitaries and German MPs. He also paid a touching tribute to his mother, thanking Germany for the 'deep sympathies' offered by the German people after the Queen's passing. The King referred to his mother's first visit to Germany in 1965, when the continent was still 'scarred' by war. And he noted that, since he last spoke in the Bundestag, the scourge of war has returned to Europe. He said: 'The unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has inflicted the most unimaginable suffering on so many innocent people. 'Countless lives have been destroyed, freedom and human dignity have been trampled in the most brutal way [and] the security of Europe has been threatened.' But he added that the world has 'not merely stood by' and that 'we can take heart from our unity'. 'Germany and the United Kingdom have shown vital leadership,' he said. 'As Europe's two largest donors to Ukraine, we have responded decisively. We have taken decisions that might previously have seemed unimaginable.' In an impressive speech lasting more than 20 minutes, Charles heralded Britain's close bond with our near neighbours, while impressively switching between German and English to tell several jokes drawing huge laughs from the packed chamber. His Majesty said despite our historical division, our shared values had been cemented because 'perhaps most importantly, for the last fifty years we have laughed together - both at each other, and with each other.' The chamber of lawmakers and other dignitaries roared with laughter when Charles, comparing our mutual admiration of The Beatles and Kraftwerk as well as German comic Henning Wehn and Monty Python, said millions of Brits were known 'to admire Berlin's vibrant culture and nightlife'. Charles shared jokes with the MPs, including about football and music He added: 'In Britain, Germany's comedy ambassador, Henning Wehn, has given us an understanding of German quirks, as Monty Python brought our own here. The King's Speech By Rebecca English, Royal Editor in Berlin The 74-year-old monarch had the nation's elected representatives in turns clapping loudly and rolling in the aisles as he highlighted the 'long and remarkable story of our two countries', with shared interests in everything from music to football and comedy, and highlighted the close co-operation over Ukraine. Standing in the packed, modern chamber watched by his wife, the Queen Consort, he said: 'It means a great deal to both my wife and myself that we have been invited to Germany on my first overseas tour as Sovereign, and it is a particular honour to be here with you where I wish to renew the pledge of friendship between our nations. 'Today, it gives me particular pride to be with you once again, now as King, and to renew the special bond of friendship between our countries. This friendship meant so much to my beloved Mother, The late Queen, who often spoke of the fifteen official visits she made to Germany, including her five State Visits. 'My Mother understood the immense achievement that reconciliation represented, and in returning to Germany time and again, she was determined to play her own part. It is, perhaps, for this reason that Her late Majesty won a particular place in the affection of the German people. 'My family and I were so deeply touched by the reaction in Germany to my Mother's death. The tributes offered in this chamber, the Union Flag projected onto the Brandenburg Gate, and the thousands of messages in condolence books across the country, offered a tremendous comfort in our time of grief. On behalf of my entire family, I can only offer our heartfelt thanks for the extraordinary kindness that the people of Germany showed to us.' He added: 'Since I last spoke in this building the scourge of war is back in Europe. The unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has inflicted the most unimaginable suffering on so many innocent people. Countless lives have been destroyed; freedom and human dignity have been trampled in the most brutal way. The security of Europe has been threatened, together with our democratic values. 'The world has watched in horror - but we have not stood by. Even as we abhor the appalling scenes of destruction, we can take heart from our unity - in defence of Ukraine, of peace and freedom. 'Germany and the United Kingdom have shown vital leadership. As Europe's two largest donors to Ukraine, we have responded with taking decisions which might previously have seemed unimaginable. Germany's decision to send such significant military support to Ukraine is remarkably courageous, important and appreciated. 'Today, our pilots are flying side-by-side on joint operations over our Baltic allies. Here, in Germany, our armies have established a joint Amphibious Engineer Battalion, which I will visit later today. Germany is the only nation in the world with which the United Kingdom has such a joint unit, an extraordinary testament to the partnership we enjoy.' Talking of comedy he added: 'Like all old friends at moments, the warmth of our relationship allows a small smile at each other's expense. ' 'It was particularly special last year that the England women's football team - the Lionesses - could win the Euros against Germany last year. Beyond their sporting success, both teams have promoted gender equality in such an impressive way. In so doing, they inspired a generation - in Britain, Germany and far beyond, he remarked. 'This is just one example of how our countries, together, can offer a compelling example to the world. There are, I am delighted to say, very many more. Faced with so many shared challenges, the United Kingdom and Germany are together providing leadership to secure our shared future. ' He concluded: 'Heeding the lessons of the past is our sacred responsibility, but it can only be fully discharged through a commitment to our shared future. Together we must be vigilant against threats to our values and freedoms, and resolute in our determination to confront them. Together we must strive for the security, prosperity and wellbeing that our people deserve. 'In the long and remarkable story of our two countries, there are many chapters yet unwritten. Let us fill these with the restless pursuit of a better tomorrow. The legacy of our past, and the great promise of our future, demand nothing less.' Advertisement 'Like all old friends at moments, the warmth of our relationship allows a small smile at each other's expense.' On arrival to the Bundestag, the only organ of state directly elected by the people of Germany, the King and Queen Consort were welcomed by the President of the German Bundestag, Ms. Barbel Bas. Charles and Camilla were shown the Bundestag's Golden Book, signed by Her Late Majesty The Queen and the husband Prince Philip during a visit to Berlin on July 16, 2000. The royals then signed a new volume of the guestbook to mark their own visit as King and Queen. After being introduced by the Bundestag president, Charles told how the building hosting him signified 'a demonstration of what binds our two countries'. Partially burned down in 1933, before being heavily damaged in WWII British architect Norman Foster redesigned the Reichstag impressive domed glass cupola, intended to be a symbol for transparency and accountability. Charles said: 'There could be few better places to do so than in this building which, in its very stones, tells the history of the twentieth century.' As Charles constantly switched between fluent German and English, one German journalist remarked how the King 'spoke with great honour', adding how he was impressed with the monarch's language skills. After paying tribute to the late Queen, Charles spoke in German to once against thank the German people for their reaction to her passing and the friendship shown during her 15 official visits to Germany. He said: 'My family and I were so deeply touched by the reaction in Germany to my Mother's death. 'The tributes offered in this chamber, the Union Flag projected onto the Brandenburg Gate, and the thousands of messages in condolence books across the country, offered a tremendous comfort in our time of grief. 'On behalf of my entire family, I can only offer our heartfelt thanks for the extraordinary kindness that the people of Germany showed to us.' Charles received further applause Charles as he heralded the Kindertransporte, which 85 years ago saved the lives of more than 10,000 Jewish children from Nazism. In the final leg of the royal visit, Charles and Camilla will tomorrow travel to Hamburg which was heavily bombed by the British leading to mass casualties ion 1943. Charles added: 'Tomorrow, we will once again stand with the people of Germany in solemn remembrance. 'In Hamburg, I will pay my respects at the memorial to the Kindertransporte, which, 85 years ago, saved the lives of more than 10,000 Jewish children from Nazism, and gave them safe passage to new lives in Britain. 'I will also join you, Mr President, and First Mayor Tschentscher, in remembering those who perished in the Allied bombing of Hamburg in 1943.' Finishing his speech before a standing ovation, Charles closed in German to say: 'In the long and remarkable story of our two countries, there are many chapters yet unwritten. 'Let us fill these with the restless pursuit of a better tomorrow. The legacy of our past, and the great promise of our future, demand nothing less.' Earlier today The King had taken home some German cheese and his wife Camilla chomped on dairy delicacies and honey as the royal couple were greeted by more huge crowds in Berlin today. On day two of his historic state visit, the British monarch was greeted warmly by Chancellor Olaf Scholz as he arrived at the Federal Chancellery building. He and the Queen Consort Camilla then met up at the city's Wittenbergplaztz Food Market. The royal couple also spoke to a range of local business owners who discussed the history of the market and the produce. Charles shared a number of big laughs with the crowds and traders, who were keen for the couple to try their sausages, cheese, honey and fresh fruit and vegetables. The King and Queen Consort's state visit to Germany, the first of Charles' reign, began on Wednesday with a ceremonial greeting at Berlin's iconic Brandenburg Gate. The monarch was meant to be in France earlier in the week but it was called off by President Macron due to ongoing protests over his pension reforms. During a speech at a state banquet staged in his honour on Wednesday evening, Charles pledged to 'strengthen the connections' between the UK and Germany as he paid tribute to the 'enduring value' of the two nations' relationship. Germany has welcomed more than a million Ukrainian refugees seeking sanctuary after Russia invaded their homeland and Charles will tour the Tegel Refugee Centre to meet some of the group. Separately the Queen Consort will visit the Refugio House community centre, a meeting place for locals and new Berlin residents, including refugees. King Charles III points and laughs as he visits a food market on Day two of his royal tour Camilla waves and Charles is handed some juice at a stall this morning Berlin's Mayor Franziska Giffey, Britain's King Charles and Camilla the Queen Consort visit a farmer's market on Wittenbergplatz today The Queen Consort gives a thumbs up during a visit to the Wittenbergplatz market where she grabbed some honey An armed policeman scans the building surrounding the market Britain's Camilla, Queen Consort (L), and Berlin's governing mayor Franziska Giffey (R), greet wellwishers Camilla samples some honey An armed police officer stands guard as Britain's King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort visit a farmer's market King Charles' trip to Germany has been a massive hit. On an impromptu walkabout, the monarch was affectionately offered a crown - a paper one - on the first official engagement of his State Visit to Germany yesterday. He was undertaking a walkabout at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin when he came across a number of well-wishers who were wearing 'Burger King' crowns given away by the fast food giant. One man took his off and tried to press it into the king's hands, saying politely: 'This is for you, if you want it.' Charles smiled broadly and said: 'I'm alright!' He, of course, has a number of real ones at home. He also grinned and declined another crown from a woman who said: 'I have a present for you'. The King was also seen bending down to pick up a man's cap before returning it back to him, with the grateful well-wisher thanking him and bowing. Charles and Camilla - who posed for selfies with fans - were formally greeted at the Brandenburg Gate by Germany's president Frank-Walter Steinmeier and wife Elke Budenbender before the national anthems were played. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomes Britain's King Charles III at the chancellery in Berlin this morning Charles skips from his royal car as he begins day two of his historic trip to Germany Charles and Scholz speak at the Chancellery in Berlin King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla are welcomed at the Brandenburg Gate by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Buedenbender In a sign of the importance placed on the visit, the couple were given the first full ceremonial and military welcome at the landmark since the Second World War. Even Queen Elizabeth II, who also visited Berlin for her last ever State Visit abroad in 2015, wasn't afforded that honour. They had been due to fly in from Paris but the first part of their visit to France was cancelled at the 11th hour by President Macron amid scenes of huge civil unrest in his country. It will be re-arranged at a later date. The King spoke for the first time this afternoon about cancelling the visit, telling a reporter it was 'very sad'. In Berlin, Queen Consort sported a colourful turquoise coat and dress by Bruce Oldfield and a jaunty hat by Philip Treacy. And in a beautifully personal detail, she was sporting a brooch that belonged to Queen Elizabeth, given to the late monarch by Queen Mary on her confirmation in 1942. The King's foresight on climate change was hailed by President Steinmeier at a green energy reception held at Schloss Bellevue. The monarch followed a translation of the President's remarks in a booklet and smiled warmly as Mr Steinmeier repeated them in English. He also thanked the King for making his first State Visit to Germany, saying: 'This visit, Your Majesty's very first trip abroad as the new King, is a tremendous personal gesture - and for that I would like to express my heartfelt thanks. I am looking forward to the coming days and to the many opportunities we will have to exchange views.' The monarch was told that this year work will begin on an undersea power cable between the Isle of Grain in Kent and Wilhelmshaven in Germany, with the President adding: 'This first direct energy link highlights how closely Germany and the United Kingdom are working together to make our economies climate-neutral. 'I regard this as an encouraging example just as Your Majesty's visit to Germany is encouraging.' Praddo said his 'dream has come true' after he won the world record on TV show Michel 'Diabao' Praddo has 33 horn implants in his head and won world record A Brazilian body modification addict who is known as the 'Human Satan' has won the world record for the highest number of horn implants in the head. Michel 'Diabao' Praddo, 47, from Praia Grande coast near Sao Paulo in Brazil, has 33 horn implants in his head as part of his years-long bid to completely transform his appearance. Michel said his 'dream has come true' after he won a Guinness world record for the most subdermal 'horn' implants on the head. The Brazilian, who beat another hopeful who had 18 horn implants, travelled to Milan, Italy, in February for the record to be verified on the TV programme 'Lo Show Dei Record'. Speaking to Brazilian media about the experience, he said: 'It was something very special and surreal. A dream come true to enter Guinness and also go to Europe. Michel 'Diabao' Praddo, a Brazilian body modification addict who is known as the 'human satan'. has won the world record for the highest number of horn implants in the head Michel said his 'dream has come true' after he won a Guinness world record for the most subdermal 'horn' implants on the head Michel 'Diabao' Praddo, 47, (left after surgery, right before) from Praia Grande coast near Sao Paulo in Brazil, has 33 horn implants in his head as part of his years-long bid to completely transform his appearance 'At several moments, I was emotional, with tears in my eyes, as I went over my life. An experience that I will cherish forever in my heart and memory.' Prior to winning the world record, Michel had told Brazilian media: 'This is the TV programme, not the book, but it can open doors. 'Being there means the realisation of my project. I didn't just imagine it, like many people. I actually made it happen.' Michel is known as the 'human satan' thanks to his extensive body modifications and devilish appearance. The tattoo artist has been practising his trade for 25 years but has gone one step further to undergo several procedures and completely transform his aesthetic. Last year, Michel underwent surgery surgery to remove a middle finger and implant a set of silver tusks in his mouth, which he says cost only 5,000 Brazilian reais, or roughly 790. Michel also claimed he was the third person in the world to have the end of his nose removed, in a procedure which is highly dangerous and for which the long-term health risks are unknown. He also has four horns on either side of his head and several implants under the skin of his forehead. Michel had his ears, nose, nipples, and the ring finger of his left hand removed, and more than 80 per cent of his body has been inked, including his eyeballs. He even ate one of his amputated nipples. But Michel has no plans to stop and hopes to compete for the title of the world's most modified man. He is married to his partner of more than 10 years, Carol Praddo, who is dubbed 'Mulher Demonia' or 'Demon Woman' and is also extremely modified. His wife specialises in body modifications and has also helped him achieve his unique look. He had his ears, nose, nipples, and the ring finger of his left hand removed, and more than 80 per cent of his body has been inked, including his eyeballs He is married to his partner of more than 10 years, Carol Praddo, who is dubbed 'Mulher Demonia' or 'Demon Woman' and is also extremely modified 'I have been a tattoo artist for 25 years, most of my tattoos I get from tattoo artists and professionals who I have paid,' Michel said. 'I focus on blackwork and brutal tattoos, which are types of tattoos where you ink a large part of your body. 'But my wife has specialised in the area of modifications and the idea is for me to become her masterpiece when it comes to tattooing!' Michel claims to have a high pain tolerance and doesn't mind enduring more pain to achieve the body he desires. He said: 'Actually I have a good resistance to pain, I don't think anything is so painful, I suffer a lot more in the post-procedures than at the time. 'And the truth is that there are changes that without anaesthesia would be almost impossible to be done, I would love not to feel any pain. 'But if I have to feel pain, to achieve what I want, for sure I will face it!' A London bus driver accused of killing a commuter when he put his foot on the accelerator instead of the brake will face a retrial in August. Olusola Popoola, 60, was driving an electric 507 single decker which shunted into the back of a driverless bus that ran over Melissa Burr, 32, outside busy Victoria Station. She was crushed and propelled into the air in front of two horrified colleagues and later died from her injuries. Melissa Burr, 32, from Rainham, Kent, was killed outside Victoria Station She was crushed in front of two horrified colleagues and later died from her injuries. Pictured: Melissa with James Watson, with whom she had been in a relationship since 2018 Popoola, a bus driver with 20 years experience from Peckham, south east London, admitted causing death by careless driving but denies the more serious charge of death by dangerous driving. Following the impact with the rear of the stationary bus the defendant continued to apply the accelerator pedal rather than applying the foot brake, before finally stopping his vehicle with the parking brake. Data from the defendant's bus found it was travelling at around 8mph at the point of collision and reached a peak speed of around 10mph. Popoola, who has been driving the 507 bus route for the last 15 years, also denies seriously injuring another bus driver, Diana Mathuranayagam, by driving dangerously in the same collision. An Old Bailey jury failed to reach verdicts on the dangerous driving charges last week after nine hours and 38 minutes of deliberation. Prosecutor Matthew Turner told the court today that the crown will seek a retrial. Popoolas second trial will take place on 29 August and last one week. Judge Philip Katz, KC, said he would remain on unconditional bail until his retrial. Olusola Popoola, 60, from Peckham south east London, admitted causing death by careless driving but denies the more serious charge of death by dangerous driving Popoola told the court that the bus had lurched forward and he thought there was a mechanical defect. He said: I panicked. I thought the brake had failed. I thought it was the handbrake which started the problem. My brain did not connect with my leg - that I had to use the footbrake. In a statement released after Ms Burr's death her family said: 'We are absolutely devastated by loss and the hole that this incident has left in our lives. 'Melissa was a kind and thoughtful soul, had a quirky charm with such a bright future ahead of her.' Popoola denies causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving but admits causing death by careless driving. Britons have hit back at a campaign by the city of Amsterdam to discourage UK tourists from sex, drugs and booze filled trips, telling Dutch media that they 'won't pay any notice' to adverts threatening arrests and fines. Dutch outlet De Telegraaf conducted an interview with several Brits in Amsterdam after the city launched the initiative earlier this week telling rowdy UK holidaymakers - in particular young British men - to 'stay away'. The interviewer showed the men screenshots from the adverts which depicted young men being locked up after 'a messy night out' on the streets of the Dutch capital, asking whether the Brits still felt welcome in the city. 'I don't really take any notice of it - I'll just come here and have fun,' one responded. 'Do you really want to get rid of everyone?' Another chipped in: 'Most of the population aren't like that,' arguing that the city had established its own reputation as a party destination. 'Amsterdam as a city is a party, outgoing, where you can enjoy yourself... as long as the soul of that is here, it will never stop.' Dutch outlet De Telegraaf conducted an interview with several Brits in Amsterdam after the city launched the initiative earlier this week telling rowdy UK holidaymakers - in particular young British men - to 'stay away'. 'I don't really take any notice of it - I'll just come here and have fun,' one responded 'Amsterdam as a city is a party, outgoing, where you can enjoy yourself... as long as the soul of that is here, it will never stop,' one said, arguing Amsterdam was responsible for its own reputation The Dutch capital launched a campaign discouraging tourists planning drug and alcohol-fuelled parties from visiting the city - starting with young British men Others however admitted that Brits have garnered a negative reputation in many countries for their drunken antics and lewd behaviour. 'Brits abroad... they don't make a good name for themselves,' one interviewee shrugged. 'They're probably the worst.' Some have welcomed the campaign as a stand against 'glassy-eyed tourist zombies staggering about' as Amsterdam became the latest holiday destination to try and discourage British tourists from booze-filled trips. But many Brits took to social media to mock the campaign, arguing that telling holidaymakers to avoid sex, drugs and booze is a sure-fire way to encourage more people to sample the delights of the Dutch capital. Twitter user Edward Moye said: 'I wasn't gonna go to Amsterdam but now they've highlighted what's on offer maybe I will.' Another user, Duncan Goodfellow, said: 'That's more of an advert to go.' A third said: 'Thank you for your offer, we politely reject it and look forward to seeing you soon.' Others questioned whether the campaign would work. Social media user Rupert said: 'Don't think 18-year-old me would have taken much notice of this.' Twitter user Ben Coates said: 'Anyone who thinks that telling young British men they're at risk of having a ''messy night and getting trashed'' will put them off going has clearly never met a young British man.' Another person added: 'I promise you... campaigns telling people to not do something do not work.' The campaign features a staged video showing a young man being arrested after he was found stumbling along the city's streets. The video is overlaid with red writing which reads: 'So coming to Amsterdam for a messy night? Stay away' Brits have mocked Amsterdam after the city said it wanted to discourage Brits from sex, drugs and booze holidays. Pictured: Prostitutes stand behind windows in the Red Light District Some said Amsterdam needed first to look in the mirror and realise what the city was offering. Twitter user Richard Whiting said: 'Honestly, if you don't want that sort of clientele then shut down the red light district and coffee shops.' Furious Amsterdam prostitutes also condemned the campaign, and are set to protest against earlier closing times and plans to move sex workers from the world famous red light district to large 'erotic centres' on the outskirts of the city. The city's new campaign - dubbed 'Stay Away' - will involve people seeing special warnings when they search for terms such as 'stag party Amsterdam' or 'pub crawl Amsterdam'. The city has long been trying to curb rowdy behaviour and events such as stag-dos, especially near the famed red light area where sex workers operate. Authorities are looking at moving sex workers to large 'erotic centres' to the outskirts of the city New ads would show the 'risks and consequences of anti-social behaviour' such as drugs and alcohol (File image) Amsterdam's new campaign - dubbed 'Stay Away' - will involve people seeing special warnings when they search for terms such as 'stag party Amsterdam' or 'pub crawl Amsterdam' 'The campaign will commence in Great Britain, aimed at males in the age category of 18 to 35 years,' Amsterdam city council said in a statement. 'This online discouragement campaign is aimed at nuisance tourists who want to visit Amsterdam to ''go wild'', with all the ensuing consequences.' The ads will show the 'risks and consequences of anti-social behaviour and excessive drug and alcohol abuse' including fines, arrest, criminal records, hospitalisation and health issues. Amsterdam recently announced a ban on smoking cannabis in the Red Light district, coupled with further restrictions on alcohol consumption and earlier closures for cafes, bars and sex clubs. People searching for terms such as 'stag party Amsterdam' or 'pub crawl Amsterdam' will be shown warning advertisements, it said. Sadiq Khan has claimed Nazis have infiltrated protests against the expansion of the controversial Ulez scheme. The Mayor of London said that 'anti-vaxxers, Covid deniers, conspiracy theorists and Nazis' had joined 'decent Tories' in opposing the extension of the Ultra Low Emission Zone across the capital. Mr Khan had sparked fury after branding some Ulez opponents 'far-Right' at a public meeting earlier this month. Asked about his earlier comments, he told The Daily Telegraph: 'I'm quite clear, outside Ealing Town Hall there were people holding up swastika banners. My worries are they are latching on to decent Tories, to decent people, who oppose the Ulez expansion. 'You need to understand that their opposition has been latched on to by anti-vaxxers, by Covid deniers, conspiracy theorists and Nazis.' London Mayor Sadiq Khan, pictured at Piccadilly in London on March 21, has claimed Nazis have infiltrated demonstrations against his expansion of the Ulez to all of Greater London However he added that many others opposed the Ulez expansion for good reasons and wanted to talk about these concerns and address them over the coming weeks. On the night after the incident in Ealing earlier this month, the Mayor tried defending his planned expansion of the Ulez in the capital. But referring to a group of protesters outside the event, he said: 'Let's be frank. Some of those outside are part of the far-Right. Some are Covid deniers. Some are vaccine-deniers. And some are Tories.' Audience members shouted back: 'We are not the far-Right normal people are not the far-Right.' His comments sparked outrage, with Conservative Party chairman Greg Hands calling for him to be voted out in the next election. He said: 'These are awful comments from the London Mayor, smearing anti-Ulez voices like this. I am not surprised the audience in Ealing pushed back. We need to vote Mayor Khan out next May.' But that evening, Labour MP and Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy tweeted a picture of a poster with Mr Khan's face and a swastika on it, which said Mr Khan was 'saving the planet by taxation'. And Mr Lammy wrote in the post: 'Disgusting placards including swastikas at this march outside People's Question Time in Ealing tonight. 'The @CityHallTories should be ashamed of promoting this march which looks like it's been coordinated by the far right. We will not let them divide us.' Hecklers shouted down London Mayor Sadiq Khan at a public meeting in Ealing, West London, on March 2 after he branded some Ulez opponents 'far-Right' and 'Covid deniers' The following day, Labour MP and Shadow Attorney General Emily Thornberry tweeted: 'The far-Right came to the Mayor's People's Question Time last night, bringing a coffin and at least one swastika with Sadiq Khan's face on it. 'London Tories should condemn not condone this and never forget they have already run one shamefully racist campaign against @MayorofLondon.' The Ulez zone currently covers inside the North and South Circular roads, but the Mayor intends to expand it to cover all of Greater London on August 29. Under the policy, owners of non-compliant vehicles are charged 12.50 a day to drive inside the zone. The plan has come up against opposition with critics arguing it does little to improve air quality and will have a dire impact on families and tradespeople who rely on their cars. Even some London Labour MPs have opposed it, warning it could price key workers and others who rely on their vehicles out of the city. Mr Khan made the comments in response to an audience member who asked: 'Your Ulez is going to put young people like me further away from London how is that going to help businesses, how is that going to help charities and shops?' At one point the audience's jeers became so loud the chair had to intervene and warn that the meeting might have to be broken up. Mr Khan shook his head while the audience shouted and then continued: 'Some of you have got good reasons to oppose Ulez but you are in coalition with Covid deniers... you may not like it... you are in coalition with the far-Right. And you are in coalition with vaccine deniers as well.' On the evening of the public meeting in Ealing on March 2, Labour MP David Lammy tweeted a picture of a poster with Mr Khan's face and a swastika on it Labour MP Emily Thornberry tweeted that the 'far-Right' came to the March 2 event in Ealing Conservative Assembly member Nick Rogers wrote an open letter to Sir Keir saying that the comments from Mr Khan were a 'slur against thousands upon thousands of Londoners' Speaking in response to Mr Khan at the event, Conservative Assembly Member Peter Fortune accused the Mayor of trying to invalidate his opponents' opinions. He said: 'You heard it didn't you? If you disagree with the Mayor, he's going to paint you as far-Right. He's going to throw all this stuff at you, because he doesn't want to address the fact you've got legitimate concerns.' Conservative Assembly member, Nick Rogers tweeted after the meeting: 'Tonight's comments at People's Question Time are some of the most disgraceful I have ever heard from any politician. Labelling those who oppose his Ulez expansion as 'far-Right' is not OK. 'If he can't hack the pressure of being Mayor, he should resign.' The City Hall Conservatives also called on Labour members and the party's leader Sir Keir Starmer to publicly condemn Mr Khan's comments. And Mr Rogers wrote a open letter to Sir Keir saying that the comments were a 'slur against thousands upon thousands of Londoners'. Speaking after the Ealing meeting, a spokesman for the Mayor of London said: 'The Mayor stands by his decision to call out the vile messages on display outside the event in Ealing. Those who came to protest included people displaying Nazi symbols and spreading vaccine conspiracy theories.' Earlier this week, Mr Khan said the vandalising of his Ulez cameras would be taken very seriously, after some newly-installed equipment at Abbey Wood in South East London was damaged. He told the Evening Standard: 'Vandalising Ulez cameras, vandalising TfL property, is not acceptable. It's a criminal offence, and not unreasonably the police and TfL take it very seriously.' A British army veteran has become the latest Iraq War hero to sell his gallantry medals for 140,000 to secure his and his family's future. Corporal Adam Miller received the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross (CGC) after he tried to repair an army truck while being shot at by 75 enemy insurgents. The recovery mechanic in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) from Calne, Wilts, dodged a hail of bullets to reach the transporter that had been shot up during an ambush in Basra, Iraq, in 2007. He then worked for almost two hours to repair it while all the time being fired upon from all angles by enemy fighters less than 50 metres away. His CGC for 'displaying icy nerve, professional dedication and almost suicidal courage in an impossible situation' was the only one awarded to a REME serviceman during the Iraq War. Corporal Adam Miller received the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross (CGC) after he tried to repair an army truck while being shot at by 75 enemy insurgents The recovery mechanic in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) dodged a hail of bullets to reach the transporter that had been shot up during an ambush in Basra, Iraq, in 2007. Pictured: Cpl Miller's CGC inscribed with his name and the date Now aged 42, Cpl Miller decided to sell his medals for 140,000 to help his 10-year-old son get through university or buy a house in the future. Pictured from left: Cpl Miller's Conspicuous Gallantry Cross medal, N.A.T.O 1994 Kosovo medal, Iraq 2003-2001, Jubilee 2012 medal, Regular Army medal and the Jubilee 2022 medal Now aged 42, Cpl Miller left the Army in January after 24 years of service including operations in Iraq and Kosovo, and tours of Germany and Canada. He decided to sell his medals for 140,000 to help his 10-year-old son get through university or buy a house in the future. Cpl Miller said: 'I know that several people pass medals down their families, but I have decided to sell them now, so that my son, who is 10 years old, can benefit from the proceeds. 'It can help him with his education or buying a house.' In the last few years a worrying number of Iraq veterans have ended up selling their gallantry medals after entering 'Civvy Street'. Warrant Officer Shaun Jardine sold his CGC group of medals for 140,000 to buy a house in 2021. Colour Sergeant Martin Caines served three tours in Iraq and was awarded a George Cross for his heroic service before also deciding to sell it for 40,000 to buy a house. In 2019, Warrant Officer Terrence Thomson sold his CGC group for a record 173,000 to secure his family's future. Cpl Miller was one of just two soldiers to be awarded a CGC in Iraq that year. He even had Miller's Bar, in Tidworth, Wilts, named after him by Lieutenant-General Sir Barney White-Spunner. Pictured: Cpl Miller being honoured by the Queen Cpl Miller's only shield was a Bulldog armoured vehicle as he bled the low-loader's brakes then unhooked the tractor unit. Bullets were striking the road and the vehicle he was working on, whizzing inches past his head. Pictured: painting specially commissioned by the REME Museum depicting Cpl Miller by David Copley Sergeant Gordon Robertson's CGC was estimated to sell for 100,000 and he decided to sell it to get his son on the property ladder in 2016. Iraq veteran Colour Sergeant James Harkess sold his CGC for 156,000 in 2015 to help financially support him financially for the future. Cpl Miller joined the army in 1998 aged 17. The Conspicuous Gallantry Cross: second only to the VC The Conspicuous Gallantry Cross awards soldiers to recognise acts of courage during active operations with enemy forces. It is Britain's second most prestigious medal, second only to the Victoria Cross. First awarded in 1995, the majority are made of solid silver and can be awarded to any rank of the Army, Navy or Air Force. The Victoria Cross, which is Britain's most prestigious award, is given for valour in the presence of the enemy and is made from bronze cut from Russian cannons captured during the Crimean War. Extremely rare, with only 15 awarded since the Second World War, they can fetch more than 800,000 at auction. Advertisement On May 21, 2007, a civilian low-loader carrying high-profile military vehicles was attacked by insurgents and left stranded. Cpl Miller was on standby in Basra Palace and was sent three miles to the breakdown site. By the time he arrived the platoon of British soldiers were engaged in an intense gun battle with about 75 militia engaging from up to 20 firing positions. Cpl Miller's only shield was a Bulldog armoured vehicle as he bled the low-loader's brakes then unhooked the tractor unit. Bullets were striking the road and the vehicle he was working on, whizzing inches past his head. Rockets were also fired at Cpl Miller but he was undeterred as he kept trying to get the truck going. He also ran through another hail of bullets to relay news of his progress to his company commander's Bulldog. Cpl Miller was one of just two soldiers to be awarded a CGC in Iraq that year. He even had Miller's Bar, in Tidworth, Wilts, named after him by Lieutenant-General Sir Barney White-Spunner. He later recealled: 'At the time, I was completely unaware of the severity of the situation, my sole focus was to extract the casualty vehicle to a place of safety, it was only afterwards that I realised how dangerous the situation had actually been. 'Being given the CGC was pretty surreal, and I am so proud that I am still the only member of R.E.M.E to have been awarded this. 'As there are no major conflicts now, I can't see that any more will be presented soon.' His medal group is going under the hammer at London-based auctioneers Noonans. Warrant Officer Shaun Jardine (left) sold his CGC group of medals for 140,000 to buy a house in 2021. Colour Sergeant Martin Caines (right) served three tours in Iraq and was awarded a George Cross for his heroic service before also deciding to sell it for 40,000 to buy a house Sergeant Gordon Robertson's CGC was estimated to sell for 100,000 and he decided to sell it to get his son on the property ladder in 2016. Pictured: receiving medal from the Queen Christopher Mellor-Hill, head of client liaison at Noonans, said: 'Adam Miller was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross for his gallantry under heavy enemy fire in Basra, on the first day of his battle-group's tour of the city. 'After dodging bullets and rocket propelled grenades for two hours in trying to move the low-loader truck that was blocking a key bridge over the canal. 'The Conspicuous Gallantry Cross was instituted in 1993 following the review of the British Honours System and is awarded 'in recognition of an act or acts of conspicuous gallantry during active operations against the enemy and his gallantry award ranks second only to the Victoria Cross for gallantry in the face of the enemy.' The sale takes place on April 19. A 17-yera-old boy was tragically killed when he collided with a wooden telegraph pole while riding an e-bike he had bought four days earlier, an inquest has heard. Jamie Jones was riding at 26mph along a cycle path on the B5441 in Sealand Road, Flintshire when the crash occurred at 4.55pm on December 12, 2021, Ruthin coroner's office was told. CCTV near an industrial yard had captured the moment Jamie's bike veered from the path and into the pole, but investigators could not find a reason for the crash. Jamie was taken to hospital but was found to have already suffered cardiac arrest and could not be saved. Experts said that the bike he owned was illegal to ride without a license as it had a max speed of around 70mph. Jamie Jones (pictured above) died after veering off a cycle path and into a telegraph pole while riding his electric bike Advanced forensic examiner Gary Roberts, of North Wales Police, inspected the bike after the crash and found it was replica of a Stealth Bomber model, but without identification plates. Mr Roberts said the bike had an 8,000 watt battery and was illegal to ride without a valid licence and third party insurance. For an electric bicycle to be legal in the UK, its power output must not exceed 250 watts. Mr Roberts found the bike's rear brakes were faulty. However, he said that this should not have played a part in the crash and there were not other mechanical defects. He said: 'Jamie had no reason to brake at that time.' However, he described the braking system, which was similar to that of a normal mountain bike, as 'under-engineered for a bike of this performance'. The rear brake was also faulty, the examiner found. And the inquest heard that Jamie was aware of this when he purchased the bike not long before the crash, but as there were 'no marks on the tyres consistent with lock-up or loss of control', according to Mr Roberts, or any brake marks on the cycle path itself that could be conclusively attributed to Jamie's bike, this was not deemed a factor in the crash. The teen was riding at 26mph along a cycle path on the B5441 in Sealand Road, Flintshire when the crash occurred at 4.55pm on December 12, 2021, Ruthin coroner's office was told Meanwhile, collision investigator Gordon Saynor said the weather at the time of the crash was fine and dry with clear visibility and a good road surface. He told the hearing there was no evidence of any third party involvement and no forensic evidence to what caused the collision. Mr Saynor said tracking data from Jamie's phone estimated he was travelling at around 26mph at the time of the crash. A pathologist found Jamie's death was caused by massive internal blood loss caused by trauma to the abdomen and thorax. Toxicology result showed there was no evidence of drugs or alcohol in his system. Coroner Kate Sutherland recorded a conclusion of accidental death. Before the paramedics arrived at the scene, a bystander performed chest compressions on the 17-year-old, who showed few signs of external injuries apart from a grazed head. An ambulance arrived thereafter and despite the best efforts of paramedics, he was pronounced dead at the Countess of Chester Hospital at 6:03pm. Jamie's mother Jane Clutton said that his tragic death has left a 'massive unexplainable hole' in the family. She continued to say that he was a 'very well mannered, well known and well respected' young man who was 'incredibly bright and talented individual,' adding: 'His death has left a massive hole in our family.' The 17-year-old was the youngest of three and his two sisters were also present at the inquest. A former pastor of the Covenant School has now walked back his claim that trans shooter Audrey Hale was receiving counseling sessions with the father of one of her victims. Hale, 28, opened fire at the private school in Nashville on Monday, killing three children and three staff members. 'I understand that they were not counseling, actually,' ex-pastor at the school Jim Bachmann told the New York Post. Bachmann originally said Hale was receiving private sessions from the current pastor of the school Chad Scruggs. His daughter, Hallie, 9, was one of the children gunned down in the brutal attack, and police still say they still do not have an official motive for the incident. However these claims have been denied by the Covenant School, with a spokesperson telling DailyMail.com: 'Metro Nashville Police have been clear that no one was targeted in the shooting, and Pastor Scruggs was not counseling the shooter. Hallie Scruggs, 9, was killed in the shooting and is pictured with her father, a pastor at the church, Chad Scruggs Ex-pastor at the school Jim Bachmann has now walked back claims that Hale (pictured) was roaming the corridors looking for Pastor Scrugg 'The former pastor had said on a television program he had heard that, but it is not accurate and is based on hearsay, not fact,' school reps said. On Thursday, Bacmann told The Post that he was wrong in his statement. 'I think theres just some confusion because she had, years earlier,' the ex-pastor for the Covenant School said. Authorities did say that Hale had planned to attack more than one location - including a mall and another school. In an interview with InsideEdition, Bachmann speculated that she could have been targeting Pastor Scruggs' other three children. Pastor Scruggshe was not on-site at the time, and Bachmann speculated that Hale would have 'left his daughter alone' had she been able to find Scruggs. Bachmann said: 'I'm hearing he was providing counseling for her, and something didn't sit right with her, and so she targeted his daughter and perhaps his two sons that attend another private school. 'If she'd found Chad and tried to kill him, maybe she would have left his daughter alone, I don't know. 'She was a very normal, happy-go-lucky little girl who liked to play kickball with the boys, and her parents were wonderful people,' Bachman initially said. Pastor Scruggs and his wife also share three sons older than Hallie, with at least one previously attending the Covenant. Hale, 28, opened fire at the private school in Nashville on Monday, killing three children and three staff members. Pictured right: Hale at the Covenant School Bachmann told InsideEdition that Pastor Scruggs had been providing her with counselling, adding that she 'appeared to be searching the school' for him. He later walked back this claim It is unclear where Pastor Scruggs was at the time of the shooting. A family member of Audrey Hale told DailyMail.com she had heard nothing about the shooter supposedly undergoing counseling sessions with Chad Scruggs, pastor at The Covenant School and father of victim Hallie, nine. I dont know anything about that. I havent heard anything like that, said the relative. Friends and neighbors at the Scruggs family home said they were similarly shocked to hear of the claims made by former Covenant pastor, Jim Bachmann, in an interview Wednesday night with Inside Edition. Bachmann initially speculated that Hale was targeting Scruggs but shot Hallie instead after failing to locate her father on school premises. They have asked for some space. We havent heard anything about that at all, said a family friend. Hallies grandmother Sharon Scruggs declined to comment. Tributes have flooded in for little Hallie, and for the two other children killed in the shooting - William Kinney and Evelyn Dieckhaus, both 9. Hallie Scruggs is seen with her father Chad Scruggs, the pastor at the Presbyterian church affiliated with the school, her mother and three older brothers Tributes have flooded in for a second victim, Will Kinney, (pictured) who was shot and killed along with Hallie Scruggs, both 9, in the massacre Headmistress Dr Katherine Koonce, 60, substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61, and chef Mike Hill, 61 were also killed in the mass shooting. Hale used the names Audrey and Aiden but her preferred pronouns were he/him according to a LinkedIn page. Police confirmed on Tuesday that she had previously attended the school in Nashville, Tennessee, but her motive for the shooting was unclear. Police Chief John Drake added that Hale had been suffering from an 'emotional disorder' at the time of the shooting. Hale has been described as having 'high-functioning' autism and police confirmed she was under doctors' care. Her parents - Norma and Ronald Hale - knew that she had a weapon at one time, but told her to sell it because they thought she couldn't be trusted with it. Instead, she hid her stockpile and added to it, buying seven different weapons in total from five local stores, police said. Chief Drake added: 'Law enforcement knew nothing about the treatment, and it is apparent that she should not own weapons. Katherine Koonce, head of school (left), and Cynthia Peak, a substitute teacher (right) were among those shot dead by Audrey Hale Evelyn Dieckhaus, 9, was one of the victims shot by transgender shooter Audrey Hale, 28, after she opened fire at the private Christian school on Monday Authorities also confirmed that Hale's mother, Norma, had asked her what was in a red backpack she was carrying on the morning of the murders but she dismissed her question. She took three of her weapons to The Covenant School - two rifles and a handgun. Another two weapons were seen being removed from the house yesterday in a video obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com. It comes after Hale was said to have been infatuated with Sydney Sims, who played on the same basketball team as her in middle school. Sims sudden death in a horrifying head-on smash last August left Hale heartbroken and could have sent her into a murderous spiral, according to a report published Wednesday. But Sims twin sister Taylor Sims, 28, has ripped the story on a private Instagram message obtained by DailyMail.com. Please dont attach such a nasty, disgusting tragedy to my sisters name, she wrote. This is very sick and just goes to show people talk. Please leave my sister out of it. The daughter of Mike Hill (pictured), who had worked at the school for more than a decade, said that she 'never thought' he would be killed in a mass shooting Ronald and Norma Hale told police they did not know Audrey still had any weapons - with the shooter hiding seven different firearms Hale was born female but had recently begun using he/him pronouns and the name 'Aiden' Posing sweetly with a bow in her hair, Audrey Hale was the picture of innocence in her eight-year-old yearbook photo from The Covenant School, the school she attacked yesterday Samira Hardcastle, who attended the Nashville School of Arts with both girls, told the New York Post that Hale looked up to Sims and posted heartbroken messages about her death on her now-deleted social media accounts. She also attended the unveiling of a painting dedicated to Sims and posted a clip of herself silently bouncing a ball on TikTok with the caption: For Syd. I look up the sky is bright. Its a beautiful day. I wish you were here Former friends have told DailyMail.com that while Hale may have had a crush on Sims in the past there was never any suggestion it was reciprocated. Hale expressed similarly misplaced affection to another childhood friend, Averianna Patton, just 20 minutes prior to commencing her deranged shooting spree Monday at The Covenant School, killing three children and three adults. This is my last goodbye. I love you, she messaged her on Instagram. You are the most beautiful person Ive ever seen and known all my life. In addition to the weapons found at her home, police recovered these three weapons from the scene - confirming she had bought seven legally Pictures of Nashville school shooter Audrey Hale obtained by DailyMail.com showed her dressed up as trans star Elliot Page from Juno. Hale freshman year Patton told CNNs Don Lemon that she hadnt had a relationship with the gunman since they were children. Investigators are yet to release the manifesto warped Hale left behind before storming her former elementary school. Hale, 28, shot and killed three children and three members of staff at The Covenant School on Monday DailyMail.com revealed earlier this week that her trans identity caused friction with her devout Christian parents who banned her from dressing as a male in their suburban Nashville home. A school friend of Hale also claimed that she loved to dress up as Page's iconic character Juno - a pregnant teenager - during their time as freshmen at The Nashville School of Arts. Hale's classmates said that they weren't surprised when she came out as gay or when she later decided to transition. A yearbook photo obtained by DailyMail.com showed Hale winning 'Most Athletic' alongside another classmate. Church coordinator Norma, 61, and her husband Ronald, 64, refused to let Hale as a man in their home. The loner would instead wait until she left their $700,000 Nashville property to change outfits, according to a well-placed source. It comes after the six victims of the tragedy have been identified, with tributes flooding in for Evelyn who desperately tried to save her classmates from the tragedy. Her family has described her as a 'shining light' and said that they are 'completely broken' by her death. They added that she had been desperately trying to pull the fire alarm to get help when the shooting unfolded on Monday. Hale with her older brother Scott, who has not commented on the shooting. Neighbors say Hale was 'sweet' and 'quiet' Hale was known to be an athlete at her high school and participated in basketball and track. A yearbook photo obtained by DailyMail.com showed Hale winning 'Most Athletic' alongside her another classmate Sir Keir Starmer was accused of taking voters 'for fools' over council tax today as he launched the party's local election campaign. The Labour leader pledged a hypothetical freeze on bills this year if Labour was in power ahead of the launch event in Swindon. But the Conservatives leapt on the failure of Sir Keir and Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves to commit to actually freezing bills if they win an election expected to take place next year. Ms Reeves this morning told broadcasters there is at least one more budget before the next vote 'so we'll have to see what the public finances look like'. But Tory chairman Greg Hands said: 'Labour's announcement isn't worth the paper it's written on. They have no plan to introduce this if elected. They're taking the British people for fools.' It came amid signs that Labour's lead in the polls may be tightening slightly. The opposition leader pledged a hypothetical freeze on bills this year if Labour was in power ahead of the campaign launch in Swindon Ms Reeves this morning told broadcasters there is at least one more budget before the next vote 'so we'll have to see what the public finances look like' It came amid signs that Labour's lead in the polls may be tightening slightly Speaking in Swindon the Labour leader said the move would be funded with a 'proper' windfall tax on the profits of the oil and gas giants. With the party hoping to pick up seats in the May 4 polls in England, Sir Keir sought to contrast Labour's approach with the Tories' decision in the Budget to ease pension taxes for the well-off with the scrapping of the tax-free lifetime allowance cap. Labour claims the Government is effectively forcing local authorities to increase council tax by reducing central funding while giving them additional 'flexibilities' to raise taxes locally. The party says this has resulted in an average council tax rise of 5.1 per cent, topping 2,000 for the first time. Ms Reeves did today commit to not increasing capital gains tax if she ends up in No11. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, she said: 'There are people who have built up their own businesses who maybe at retirement want to sell that business. 'They may not have had huge income through their life if they've reinvested in their business, but this is their retirement pot of money. 'And we also have said we want Britain to be the best place to start and grow a business.' Donald Trump has doubled his lead in the Republican presidential primary amid reports he'll be indicted by the Manhattan district attorney's office, a new poll finds. Voters see the case as politically motivating, pollster Daron Shaw said, and it's bringing them back to Trump's corner. The Fox News poll found Trump has doubled his lead since February and is up by 30 points over Ron DeSantis, 54% to the Florida governor's 24%. Last month, Trump led DeSantis by 15 points: 43% to 28%. DeSantis has not formally announced a presidential bid but many expect the Republican governor to run. He's seen as Trump's toughest competition for the GOP nomination. No other Republican contenders or potential candidates have it double digits in the poll. Mike Pence was third with 6% while Liz Cheney and Nikki Haley received 3% each. Only Haley has announced her bid. Overall, Trump leads the race for the nomination by 17 points in the RealClearPolitics poll average. The first votes in the contest don't happen until early 2024 but the former president has dominated the news cycle in recent weeks due to speculation he's about to be indicted in New York. 'The rumor that Trump is going to be indicted by the district attorney in Manhattan has helped him quite a bit among Republican primary voters,' Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts the poll with Democrat Chris Anderson, told Fox News. 'They view the case as politically motivated and it reanimates feelings that Trump is still fighting forces they see as corrupt and out of control.' Donald Trump (left) leads Ron DeSantis (right) 54% to 24% in new Fox News poll - up 30 points from a month ago Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg impaneled a grand jury earlier this month in the hope of indicting Trump on campaign finance violations. The jurors have been tasked with considering whether Trump broke the law when his attorney Michael Cohen gave $130,000 to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about claims she had slept with Trump in 2016. Trump denied the affair and any wrong doing. On Wednesday it was announced the jury will not hear any evidence in the case for a month largely due to a previously scheduled hiatus. In a Truth Social video, Trump said Bragg's move was an attempt by Democrats to interfere in the election. 'Election interference through prosecutors is the new ballot stuffing for the Democrat party. It's bad, it's dangerous, it's third world and this is the way they're going to do it. They are a disgrace to our nation,' he said. The former president has repeatedly railed against the justice system, claiming it is being weaponized against him as Democrats try to help Joe Biden win another term in the Oval Office. Other Republicans have supported that claim. Pence said the latest delay is further proof that the prosecution is politically-motivated. 'I expressed concern about what appeared to be a political prosecution taking place in New York and I continue to hope that the Manhattan DA will think better about it,' he told DailyMail.com during his trip to Iowa on Wednesday. Speaking to DailyMail.com in Iowa, former Vice President Mike Pence said the latest delay is further proof that the prosecution is politically-motivated 'The reality is that millions of Americans believe that we have a two-tiered system of justice in this country. 'One that applies to Democrats and one that applies to Republicans. 'And I think that equal justice before the law that every American deserves and my hope is that'll be reflected in decisions that are made going forward.' Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz said the grand jury going home could send a signal that Bragg could be rethinking his posture. 'I do think the fact that the grand jury has been sent home is indication that numerous Democrats, potentially even including Bragg, are getting cold feet,' Cruz told DailyMail.com. 'They're realizing that they overreached and this was a mistake. Now, I don't know if his partisan hatred is so great that he's not capable of stopping. But the delay is a good sign for the rule of law,' he said. 'The substance of the case is utter garbage,' Cruz continued. 'It's baseless and frivolous. It's a political persecution and ironically enough, the fact that this left-wing Democrat is pursuing it has already proven to be a significant political benefit for Donald Trump.' NYPD staff remove barricades from the court house where a grand jury had been deliberating charges against Donald Trump Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg has been widely criticized for his handling of the case. Many say it has no legs and is driven by his own political hatred of Trump There is no official deadline for an indictment to drop. But recently prosecutors offered Trump the chance to testify before the pnale, which is usually one of the final steps of criminal investigation. Trump declined and set off a frenzy when he posted on his Truth Social page that an indictment was coming last Tuesday - which did not happen. The NYPD sergeant who is being sued after allegedly shoving her lace panties into the mouth of a male Brooklyn detective has reportedly been denied a promotion within the department. Detective Victor Falcon, 40, claimed in 2018 that Sgt. Ann Marie Guerra, 43, rubbed her panties on his face and tried to stuff them into his mouth screaming 'They are f***ing clean!' as the two were in the unisex locker room at the Brooklyn 72 Precinct. Guerra was supposed to be up for a promotion to sergeant supervisor and a $2,000 raise Friday but had it rescinded. 'The list of civil service and discretionary promotions is often released several days in advance of the department's official promotion ceremony,' a spokesperson for the NYPD said in a statement. 'It is not uncommon, however, that revisions are made to that list as the date of the ceremony approaches.' Detective Victor Falcon (pictured right), 40, claimed in 2018 that Sgt. Ann Marie Guerra (pictured left), 43, rubbed her panties on his face and tried to stuff them into his mouth screaming 'They are f***ing clean!' as the two were in the unisex locker room at the Brooklyn 72 Precinct A police source told the New York Post they believed Falcon's allegations were what denied Guerra the promotion. Falcon, who says he's been put on a desk job since the incident, was outraged by the possibility she would be promoted. 'At what point do you stop beating on somebody?' he said. 'You put me here for five years. You punished me. You've done everything you could to me. And then now on top of that, you promote her?' The Brooklyn detective said he had been shunned by his precinct ever since he reported the incident. 'I'm the pariah of the precinct and the NYPD. My career is over,' he said. 'Nobody will ever take me seriously... I'm known as the panty-eater. To do my job is impossible,' he added. Sergeants Benevolent Association attorney Andrew Quinn called the rescinding of the promotion 'truly regrettable and perplexing.' 'The Department has known about these allegations for at least four years, has never accused Sergeant Guerra of any type of misconduct and has aggressively defended her against Detective Falcon's allegations in his lawsuit against her,' Quinn said. Guerra was supposed to be up for a promotion to sergeant supervisor and a $2,000 raise Friday but had it rescinded Following the complaint Guerra was moved to a Manhattan precinct. Falcon claims that's he's been abused by Guerra 'on almost a daily basis' for five years and the panty incident on October 7, 2018 was the last straw 'I am hopeful that the Department realizes its error and reinstates Sergeant Guerra's hard-earned and well-deserved promotion, which is in everyone's best interests.' Falcon filed a complaint with the NYPD's Equal Employment Office on October 24, 2018. In that complaint he accuses his department and investigators of initially ignoring his complaints and leaking embarrassing details to the press. 'The Department allowed me to be humiliated and that's what I intend on proving,' he said. Falcon claims that's he's been abused by Guerra for years 'on almost a daily basis'. He has worked with Sgt. Guerra for five years in Sunset Park. The complaint alleges discrimination based on sex/gender, assault and battery, sexual harassment, hostile work environment and ongoing retaliation. He claims that when he complained to a lieutenant and captain about her 'sexually inappropriate comments' and Guerra and Sgt. Johnny Wong in turn targeted him for retaliation. Falcon said he told co-workers in 2017 that he started dating someone and Guerra quipped: 'If she doesn't call you back it's because you've got a little d***!' At a department Halloween party two years ago Falcon and Guerra posed together. In the photo he was holding a prop penis, claiming the costume was in reference to her 'little d***' joke. He believes that the photo was recently leaked in an 'attempt to publicly shame and discredit him'. A photo surfaced of Detective Victor Falcon holding a prosthetic penis and posing with Sergeant Ann Marie Guerra at a Halloween bash two years ago. He says the photo was leaked to 'publicly shame and discredit' him The complaint also alleges that Guerra controlled approving overtime and changing detectives' shifts and deliberately denied Falcon's shift-change requests to attend custody hearings for his autistic child and delayed approving his overtime requests. 'In a world where we are looking for gender equality, I was abused for my gender. Picture a male doing that to a female. He wouldn't have a job anymore,' Falcon said. The panty incident was the last straw for Falcon. He was in the squadroom with Guerra, Detective Donna Marie Mazza, and Detective Ioannis Kyrkos when he said 'You got panties in the locker room and panties in the shower' as they were discussing hygiene. The comment allegedly threw her into a tailspin and she angrily grabbed a 'dark and lacy' thong and confronted Falcon. 'I was talking and she put it in my face and started rubbing it in my mouth. I was a deer in the headlights. I kept hearing her say, 'They're f***ing clean,'' Falcon said. The 72 Precinct in Brooklyn has been hit with a slew of other salacious allegations recently including a cop being involved in a prostitution ring and the Deputy Inspector being accused of shaking down a business for $80,000 in plane tickets The two other detectives were shocked with the outburst. 'We all looked at each other. Mazza said 'What the f*** did she just do' and Kyrkos said 'That was disgusting,'' he added. Falcon said the precinct has a culture of 'you don't rat'. The NYPD opened an official probe and Guerra was transferred to Midtown's 17th precinct. Falcon said she's called her reassignment a promotion. Guerra and Sgt. Wong are yet to comment on the complaint. Rishi Sunak today said he was 'very concerned' about claims that schools are not routinely telling parents if their child has begun to question their gender identity. The Prime Minister stressed it was important that parents 'know what's going on' as he vowed to provide new guidance for teachers on transgender issues within weeks. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan will also write to school heads to remind them that parents have a right to see what their children are being taught. A new report by the Policy Exchange think tank has found that less than one-third of parents are informed when a child expresses feelings of gender distress at school. The research pointed to an emphasis being placed 'on the wishes and innate feelings of a child above parental consent'. It also discovered that 'safeguarding principles are being routinely disregarded in many secondary schools' over issues of sex and gender. Rishi Sunak, speaking on a visit to the UK Atomic Energy Authority in Oxfordshire, stressed it was important that parents 'know what's going on' Education Secretary Gillian Keegan will write to school heads to remind them that parents have a right to see what their children are being taught Speaking on a visit to the UK Atomic Energy Authority in Oxfordshire this morning, Mr Sunak said he was 'very concerned about these reports'. 'For me, the safety and wellbeing of our children is of paramount importance,' the PM added. 'And I've also been clear that parents must be able to know what is being taught to their kids in school, especially on these sensitive areas. 'That's why we're already reviewing the RSHE (relationships, sex and health education) guidance to make sure that it is age appropriate for children. 'But also what I'm also going to say today is that for the summer term we will make sure that we publish guidance for schools so that they know how to respond when children are asking about their gender. 'These are really sensitive areas, it's important that we treat them sensitively, and that parents know what's going on, and we'll make sure that that happens.' Downing Street later revealed that Ms Keegan would be writing to schools by the end of this week to 'make clear' that parents 'should have access to the materials their children are being taught'. 'That has been our long-established position but we will be reiterating it,' the PM's official spokesman added. The guidance on gender identity issues is being prepared by both Ms Keegan and Kemi Badenoch, the women and equalities minister. Pressed on what, in particular, Mr Sunak was concerned about, his spokesman replied: 'The first point to say is we do believe the vast majority of teachers and schools are doing a good job on what is a complex and difficult area. 'But clearly there have been reports, including those brought up in Parliament, where potentially the right approach isn't being taken. 'That's why we have a number of pieces of work going on. The Policy Exchange report suggested only 28 per cent of secondary schools are reliably informing parents as soon as a child questions their gender The research also found around 28 per cent of secondary schools are not maintaining single-sex toilets and 19 per cent are not maintaining single-sex changing rooms Earlier this month, Tory backbench MP Miriam Cates expressed concern that schoolchildren are being subjected to RSHE lessons that are 'age inappropriate, extreme, sexualising and inaccurate'. She claimed during a session of Prime Minister's Questions that this included 'graphic lessons on oral sex, how to choke your partner safely and 72 genders'. Mr Sunak promised to accelerate a review of RSHE guidance and to begin a consultation 'as soon as possible'. But some teaching unions hit back and said there was 'no evidence' to suggest there was a widespread problem with pupils being presented with age-inappropriate materials. The Policy Exchange research, published today, was largely based on Freedom of Information (FoI) requests to more than 300 secondary schools in England. Some 154 schools responded, either fully or in part, to questions asked by the think tank about gender policies. It suggested that only 28 per cent of the secondary schools who responded to the FoI are reliably informing parents as soon as a child questions their gender. The report said that one school cited data protection laws when stating that it would be 'unlawful' to share information about a gender-distressed child with their parents. The research also found around 28 per cent of secondary schools are not maintaining single-sex toilets and 19 per cent are not maintaining single-sex changing rooms. The report concluded: 'Our research reveals there to be a safeguarding blind spot when it comes to the issue of sex and gender. 'Safeguarding principles are being routinely disregarded in many secondary schools, which are neglecting their safeguarding responsibilities and principles in favour of a set of contested beliefs, in ways that risk jeopardising child wellbeing and safety. 'In doing so, schools are compromising both the law and statutory safeguarding guidance.' The sister of a 'brilliant' scientist who was beaten to death by her ex-husband has hit out at the killer for trying to appeal his murder conviction and 'prolonging her family's agony'. Brenda Page, 32, was found dead on her blood-stained bed in her Aberdeen home in July 1978 - about a year after her divorce from Christopher Harrisson. Harrisson, 82, denied killing Dr Page but was found guilty of the murder following a trial at the High Court in Aberdeen earlier this month. He was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of 20 years before being eligible to apply for parole. But the killer has now launched a bid for freedom after instructing his legal team to challenge both his conviction and sentence. The sister of 'brilliant' scientist Brenda Page (pictured) has hit out at killer Christopher Harrisson for trying to appeal his murder conviction and 'prolonging her family's agony' Christopher Harrisson, 82, (pictured in February 2023) denied killing Ms Page but was found guilty of the murder following a trial at the High Court in Aberdeen earlier this month Harrisson's appeal bid was lodged at the High Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh and a hearing will take place at a later date. Dr Page's sister Rita Ling, 88, said Harrisson is causing further harm to the family by refusing to admit his guilt. She said: 'This is very unwelcome news but I am not surprised because as far as he is concerned nothing is his fault. 'I was really hoping we could put it all behind us and I thought it was finished. 'It took such a long time for the case to come to court in the first place and we now face another wait before it is over.' Dr Page was subjected to a 'sustained and vicious' attack at the hands of Harrisson on July 14, 1978 in what became one of Scotland's most notorious unsolved murders. She was hit around 30 times on her head, face and body with a blunt chisel-like object and died from blood inhalation at her flat in Aberdeen. He likely attacked Dr Page as she sat or lay on her bed. Police arrested Harrisson at the time but it was decided that there was not enough evidence to bring him to trial. However, the case was re-examined in 2015. Using new scientific techniques, prosecutors were able to prove that Harrisson had beaten his former wife to death after he spent decades maintaining his innocence. A minute flake of paint found on Dr Page's bedroom window - which had been forced open - was matched to the paint on Harrisson's Mini Traveller car. DNA samples taken from Dr Page's flat were examined using modern forensic techniques. The court heard that one sperm sample was 590million times more likely to have come from Harrisson rather than from any other male unrelated to him. Harrisson (pictured) was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of 20 years before being eligible to apply for parole. But the killer has now launched a bid for freedom after instructing his legal team to challenge both his conviction and sentence Dr Page was hit around 30 times on her head, face and body with a blunt chisel-like object and died from blood inhalation at her flat in Aberdeen (pictured) on July 14, 1978 Dr Page was subjected to a 'sustained and vicious' attack at the hands of Harrisson on July 14, 1978 in what became one of Scotland's most notorious unsolved murders. Pictured: The bedroom window Harrison used to enter Dr Page's home Flakes of paint found near her bedroom window (pictured), which had been forced open, were the same as those found on her ex-husband's green mini Metro car Harrisson had met Dr Page, who was principal of the genetics department at the University of Aberdeen's medical school, while they were students at the University of Glasgow in 1970 Harrisson had met Dr Page, who was principal of the genetics department at the University of Aberdeen's medical school, while they were students at the University of Glasgow in 1970. They married in 1972, but divorced five years later. The trial heard that Dr Page lived in fear of Harrisson following their split, with prosecutors claiming he had been 'consumed with rage and anger' and upset at her part-time work with an escort agency. Two years before her brutal murder, Dr Page told her friend and mentor Dr Adrienne Jessop: 'If he kills me he will get away with it because he is so clever.' Dr Jessop said she will 'never forget' what her friend told her and told The Times 'it shattered me'. Nicol Hosie, 72, was Dr Page's divorce solicitor during her escape from the abusive marriage to Harrisson. Letters from Dr Page to Ms Hosie described Harrisson's violent temper, death threats and beatings that left her missing clumps of hair. She also begged Ms Hosie for a 'good post-mortem' if she died suddenly. Dr Page headed the genetics department at the University of Aberdeen and was one of few women in a leading role in the field of science at the time. He was questioned by Grampian Police but released without charge and left the country to start a new life in the Netherlands. Pictured: Harrisson at around the time of the murder Dr Page wrote chilling letters in which she said: 'If I do depart this earth rather suddenly... please make sure I get a good post-mortem' Lord Richardson, the judge, said earlier this month that as a result of a 'senseless act of violence', Dr Page's life had come to a 'brutal and premature end' and her potential was left unrealised. Dr Page is pictured above In her spare time, Dr Page worked a second job as an escort called Miss Brenda Adams, which led to theories after her frenzied murder that a client had killed her. These theories were quickly dismissed by police, who reportedly thought Harrisson was to blame but didn't have enough evidence to prosecute him. He was questioned by Grampian Police but released without charge and left the country to start a new life in the Netherlands. The cold case was investigated in 2015 and new witnesses and DNA evidence was found that finally secured a conviction for Dr Page's killer ex-husband. Lord Richardson, the judge, said earlier this month that as a result of a 'senseless act of violence', Dr Page's life had come to a 'brutal and premature end' and her potential was left unrealised. He told Harrisson: 'It appears that you were stalking Brenda Page that night; forced entry to her flat by prising open her rear window while she was out and waited for her to return. 'You created a void in the lives of her mother, sister, nephews and friends, which could never be filled. 'Her potential as a brilliant scientist was wrecked forever by your violence.' In her spare time she worked a second job as an escort called Miss Brenda Adams, which led to theories after her frenzied murder that a client had killed her, but these theories were quickly dismissed by police. Pictured: The back of Dr Page's flat The brutal murderer's conviction finally came after new DNA evidence was discovered. Pictured: Christopher Harrisson's car Harrisson suggested a blood-stained watch strap (pictured) found at his home in the fireplace was planted It is understood that Harrisson forced entry through Dr Page's window with a chisel-tipped object and hid in her wardrobe, waiting for his ex-wife to come home in the early hours of the morning. A friend and colleague of Harrisson, told police he had taught the murderer how to take apart a window 'bit by bit' the winter before the killing. Harrisson had claimed he was locked out, so the colleague showed him how to gain entry without breaking the glass. A spokesman for the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service said: 'We have received an intimation of intention to appeal against conviction and sentence along with an extension of time application.' Kamala Harris has pledged to 'double down' on efforts to bring billions of dollars in US investment to Africa - as she announced a $1billion program on the continent to target the empowerment of African business women. The vice president began her African tour on Sunday in Ghana before flying to Tanzania's commercial capital Dar es Salaam, where she is due to hold talks with President Samia Suluhu Hassan later on Thursday. Her office announced plans to improve trade and other aspects of bilateral relations, including a memorandum of understanding between the Export-Import Bank of the United States and the government of Tanzania. And while in Accra, Ghana, she announced the big push in investment for female business. Around $500 million will provide African women with more access to technology, and other new funds will provide a large chunk specifically to support female entrepreneurs. The US will join with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to launch a new fund to help close the so-called gender digital divide. Kamala Harris has pledged to 'double down' on efforts to bring billions of dollars in US investment to Africa as she announced a $1billion program on the continent to target the empowerment of African business women. She is pictured here in Accra, Ghana While in Accra, Kamala, (pictured center) announced the big push in investment for female business. Around $500 million will provide African women with more access to technology, and other new funds will provide a large chunk specifically to support female entrepreneurs This comes after she announced the US will provide $100million over 10 years to invest in the continent's security risks - fending off the threats posed by terrorist and extremist groups. However, Western investors have often been slow to provide aid, as they warn of corruption and poor infrastructure across many countries in Africa. The memorandum between the Export-Import Bank of the United States and the government of Tanzania will facilitate up to $500 million in US export financing to Tanzania to support exports of goods and services in sectors including infrastructure, transportation, digital technology, climate and energy security and power generation. Harris's office also highlighted U.S. support for a plan by LifeZone Metals to open a new processing plant in Tanzania. The facility will use low-emission technology to process nickel and other minerals mined in the East African country, with a view to start delivering battery grade nickel to the United States from 2026, Harris's office said. US Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Douglas Emhoff arrive at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam on March 29, 2023 People welcome U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on her arrival in Tanzania She is due to stay in Tanzania until Friday, when she will depart for Zambia, the final stop on her tour. Tanzania is making fragile progress toward restoring its reputation as a more inclusive government. Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzanias first female president, has undone some of the countrys more oppressive policies, such as a ban on opposition rallies, even though she came to power as a member of the ruling party. Shes finishing out the term of President John Magufuli, who died in office and earned a reputation for stamping out dissent, arresting critics and forcing them into exile. Hard-liners have been uncomfortable with some of Hassans changes, however, which could cost her in the next election two years from now. Harris arrived in Tanzania late Wednesday after spending three nights in Ghana. Much like at her first stop, she was greeted with music and dancing as she walked down a red carpet that was rolled out to Air Force 2. Some of the welcoming party wore shirts with Harris' face. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in Accra, Ghana, Monday March 27, 2023 Kamala Harris waves as she arrives to address youth gathered on Black Star square in Accra, Ghana, on March 28, 2023 Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff are draped in traditional kente cloth as they meet with the Oguaa chief Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II and community leaders, at the Emintsimadze Palace in Cape Coast, Ghana March 28, 2023 Harris is scheduled to spend two nights in Tanzania, then conclude her weeklong trip with a stop in Zambia, another country that is striving to strengthen its democracy. She plans to return to Washington on Sunday. Idayat Hassan, director of the Centre for Democracy and Development in Abuja, Nigeria, said Harris visit can help galvanize enthusiasm at a time when there are concerns over backsliding into authoritarianism in Africa and around the world. 'Many people will want the U.S. to speak to the issue of democracy, which they feel is beginning to decline and is not what it used to be,' she said. 'There are more that need to be assured that democracy is here to stay.' Like Tanzania, Zambia has made uneven steps toward democracy since its independence. However, theres been a burst of hope after the country elected Hakainde Hichilema, a former opposition leader who once faced charges of treason. Zambia has since decriminalized defamation of the president, a law that was used to stifle opposition. Its also serving as a co-host of President Joe Bidens second Summit for Democracy this week. However, Hichilema warned this week that economic progress is necessary to sustain open societies. 'You cant eat democracy,' he wrote in The Washington Post. 'Human rights may sustain the spirit, but not the body.' An ex-soldier who claims he is super-sensitive to the cold after a trench foot injury has been accusing of bundling up in four layers of clothes and 'faking a limp' to pocket 1.6m of taxpayers' cash. Michael Mantey, 39, claims to have suffered a non-freezing cold injury - also known as trench foot - while on NATO duty with the Royal Engineers in Estonia in late 2017. He says bitterly cold temperatures resulted in nerve damage to his hands and feet, leaving him needing a walking stick and so sensitive to the cold he has to keep running his heating and wear extra-warm clothes. Mantey, from from Andover, Hants, sued the Ministry of Defence (MOD) for 1.6m, but later dropped his case after he was secretly filmed and accused of faking a limp and wrapping up in layers he didn't need in order to 'hoodwink' doctors. Lawyers for the MOD claim he faked symptoms by wrapping up in a 'long, warm overcoat' on a trip to get examined by a medic on the same day he was filmed walking around in a track suit top and 'opened-toed strappy sandals' at home. Michael Mantey, 39, claims to have suffered a non-freezing cold injury - also known as trench foot - while on NATO duty with the Royal Engineers in Estonia in late 2017. Pictured: Michael Mantey with his wife Georgette Fynn-Mantey outside London's High Court Lawyers for the MOD claim he faked symptoms by wrapping up in a 'long, warm overcoat' on a trip to get examined by a medic on the same day he was filmed walking around in a track suit top and 'opened-toed strappy sandals' at home And a week earlier, he had gone to see another doctor, bundled up in 'three to four top layers, including t-shirt, sweatshirt, a coat, jeans and boots,' they say. He could now face a 70,000 lawyers' bill for his aborted compensation bid after the MOD asked a High Court judge to rule that his claim was 'fundamentally dishonest.' But despite dropping his claim, Mr Mantey, from Andover, Hants, insists that he was genuinely injured and disabled by the effects of cold weather service. In his claim, he said he suffered his non-freezing cold injury (NCFI) when he had to sleep without a tent in bitterly cold Estonia while on Operation Cabrit in 2017. He claimed he was also subjected to other periods of working in damagingly cold temperatures, but was simply told to 'man up' when he complained to superiors. The Ghana-born lance corporal had enlisted in the British Army in 2009 and served in the 22 and 26 Engineer Regiments, before being medically discharged in January 2020. Suing, he claimed he had suffered an NCFI, a type of cold-sensitive injury to the hands and feet - first noted in the trenches of the First World War - caused when body tissue is exposed to excessive cold and wet conditions. As part of his claim against the MOD, Mr Mantey said he had incurred 'additional heating costs' through having to keep his house warmer than he would otherwise have done, and had to 'purchase warmer clothing.' He said the pain in his feet had interacted with a back problem, making it difficult for him to walk and leaving him relying on a stick to get around. But having launched his claim, Mr Mantey 'discontinued' after he was secretly filmed and seemingly shown to be able to walk normally. MOD barrister Andrew Ward said the footage, which was shown to judge Mr Justice Eyre, revealed Mr Mantey walking without a stick and wearing normal clothing on the morning and evening of one day. That was completely different to how he had presented to a surgeon assessing him for his claim in London in the middle of the same day, when he was seen using a stick and wearing a 'long, warm coat.' It was also 'in marked contrast' to how he appeared when he saw another medic in relation to his claim a week earlier, when he had turned up limping and wearing 'three or four top layers' of clothing. 'The video surveillance filmed of the claimant on Friday 10th September 2021 provides compelling evidence of dishonesty,' Mr Ward told the judge. 'The video shows an irreconcilable difference between the way in which the claimant behaves in his own environment, when he does not think he is being watched, and the way in which he presents his claim to medical experts for financial gain. 'On the video, the claimant is seen walking normally without a limp or a stick early in the morning; and again at the end of the day. 'In the middle of the day, however, the claimant is seen to walk with a pronounced limp and to use a stick. 'It just so happens that the limp and stick appear only when he attends the medical appointment with the defendant's orthopaedic consultant.' The medic, who had seen Mr Mantey a week earlier, said his appearance in the surveillance video was 'in marked contrast' to how he had been when he turned up for the earlier assessment. Vascular consultant Michael Gaunt said: 'At that consultation, which was a week before the surveillance, Mr Mantey walked into the consultation with a limp and using an elbow crutch. Vascular consultant Michael Gaunt, who had seen Mr Mantey a week earlier, said his appearance in the surveillance video was 'in marked contrast' to how he had been when he turned up for the earlier assessment at at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital (pictured) 'He was wearing three to four top layers, including a t-shirt, sweatshirt, a coat, jeans and boots. Mr Mantey moved with difficulty, undressed slowly, and proceeded to the examination couch slowly and gingerly. 'This is in contrast to his appearance for most of the surveillance footage. 'During most of the surveillance he is dressed in normal clothes and walking normally unaided with no evidence of a limp and no use of the elbow crutch. 'The only time Mr Mantey is observed wearing a thick heavy coat and walking with a limp and using an elbow crutch is when he attends his medical appointment with an orthopaedic surgeon at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. 'After that appointment he returns home and the surveillance shows him wearing a light t-shirt and tracksuit top with opened toed strappy sandals...walking and functioning normally. 'In my opinion there is no medical explanation for these variations in appearance and function within such a short timescale.' Cross-examining Mr Mantey in the witness box, Mr Ward asked why he had claimed that he could not walk without a stick, when he clearly could. 'I am forced to use the crutch all the time, but on occasions when the medication has numbed the pain I am able to walk without an aid for shorter distances,' said Mr Mantey. He said that, on the day he was filmed, he had been planning to walk his daughter to school and so had spent the previous day indoors, and had taken his medication. By the time he got to London to see the surgeon, the medication had begun to wear off and the pain came back, he claimed, but he was feeling better again when he was filmed back at home that evening in sandals. 'Your presentation was fake, it was put on, it was dishonest, wasn't it?' Mr Ward put to him. 'You put on an act when you went to see the consultant to hoodwink him into thinking you had serious mobility problems. 'You presented to him with a right leg limp and with a stick when, in your own environment earlier in the day, you didn't need the stick.' But Mr Mantey denied lying, insisting that he might appear different on days when his medication has worked well. He said: 'If only someone could see what I go through every day, then this story could be re-written. 'This is just one day of footage. I have been told my injuries would stay with me forever. 'Pain comes when you're not prepared for it. It comes when it wants to come..' The MOD accepts that Mr Mantey may have had a minor NCFI, but that it would have resolved itself and say his 1.6m claim was based on lies about its severity. If he is found to have been 'fundamentally dishonest,' Mr Mantey could be made to foot the bill for the MOD's defence of his aborted claim, which is estimated at about 70,000. The judge is expected to give judgment at a later date. The retired optometrist suing Gwyneth Paltrow over a ski collision compared the actress to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in a bizarre rant on the witness stand as the widely watched trial comes to an end. Terry Sanderson, 76, continued his testimony on Wednesday, and made the wild comparison that Paltrow needed to be held 'accountable' for the crash. ''I guess like, what is going on here? This is obviously an issue that someone needs to be accountable for, and if they're never accountable, what are they gonna do? They're gonna do it again,' he began. 'Now we have the... molesting of young children on an island,' he said, making a reference to Epstein's infamous 'Pedophile Island' in the Caribbean where he trafficked and sexually abused dozens of girls. A flabbergasted Paltrow looked over at her attorney who called Sanderson's testimony 'ridiculous.' The judge then told the jury to disregard Sanderson's words. Closing arguments from both sides are expected to be heard on Thursday. Terry Sanderson, 76, the retired optometrist suing Gwyneth Paltrow over a ski collision compared the actress to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in a bizarre rant on stand Paltrow gives a stunned look at Sanderson before looking over at her attorney who called the testimony 'ridiculous.' The judge then told the jury to disregard Sanderson's words Sanderson is suing Paltrow, claiming she skied out of control and crashed into him, leaving him with four broken ribs and a concussion with symptoms that have lasted years beyond the collision. After a judge dismissed his initial $3.1 million complaint, Sanderson amended and refiled the lawsuit seeking 'more than $300,000. In response, Paltrow countersued for a symbolic $1 and attorney fees. On Wednesday, in the final hour of Paltrow's defense team's last full day to call witnesses, they called Sanderson back to the witness stand. Sanderson's shocking comparison on the witness stand followed a question by his attorney Kristin VanOrman, who asked: 'Was it important to you to bring this lawsuit?' Sanderson then told the court about the slew of insults he had received because he was suing a celebrity. This led to his likening Paltrow to Epstein. After making the shocking comparison while on the witness stand, 'your honor' could be heard from the other side to which Sanderson interjected 'denial.' 'This is ridiculous testimony, he's talking about...' Paltrow's attorney Stephen Owens sputtered. The judge told the jury to disregard that part of the testimony. Sanderson continued his testimony on Wednesday, and made the wild comparison that Paltrow needed to be held 'accountable' for the crash Sanderson is suing Paltrow (pictured in court Wednesday), claiming she skied out of control and crashed into him, leaving him with injuries that have lasted years beyond the collision Paltrow sits next to her attorney in court on Wednesday while Sanderson rants on the stand Terry Sanderson leaves Park City District Court in Park City, Utah, on Wednesday Paltrow's defense team used most of their final full day in control of the witness stand to call medical experts to testify. Sanderson's attorneys are expected to begin on Thursday morning by recalling their medical experts to rebut claims made by Paltrow's. Each side will then have roughly one hour to give the jury their closing arguments. Paltrow's attorneys are expected to continue their two-pronged approach, both arguing that the actor-turned-lifestyle influencer didn't cause the accident and that its effects aren't as bad as Sanderson claims. They've painted him as an 'obsessed' man pushing 'utter B.S.' claims against someone whose fame makes them vulnerable to unfair, frivolous lawsuits. Sanderson's team will likely cite how the man claiming to be the sole eyewitness testified to seeing Paltrow hit their client and continue spinning the case as a contemporary David versus Goliath tale in which Sanderson suffered injuries and had the courage to take on a movie star. Paltrow's account of the collision with Terry Sanderson was shown in an animated reconstruction as the defense claims he was actually the one who hit the actress from behind Sanderson testified Friday that he had continued to pursue damages seven years after the accident because the cascading events that followed - his post-concussion symptoms and the accusation that he sued to exploit Paltrow's celebrity - added insult to injury. 'That's the purpose: to make me regret this lawsuit. It's the pain of trying to sue a celebrity,' he said on Wednesday in response to a question from his attorney about Paltrow's team probing his personal life, medical records and extensive post-crash international travel itinerary. Though both sides have marshaled significant resources to emerge victorious, the verdict could end up being remembered as an afterthought dwarfed by the worldwide attention the trial has attracted. The amount of money at stake for both sides pales in comparison to the typical legal costs of a multiyear lawsuit, private security detail and expert witness-heavy trial. With lengthy rosters of witnesses on call, attorneys have confronted difficult choices about how to juggle their hired experts with family members, doctors and testimony from Sanderson and Paltrow themselves. Paltrow's defense team picked mostly experts to mount their final defense on Wednesday. They chose to call four medical experts to testify rather than Paltrow's husband, television producer Brad Falchuk. A day earlier, they read depositions from Paltrow's two children - Apple and Moses - rather than calling them to testify as they earlier indicated they had planned. While Apple (left) and her Moses Martin (right) were 'ready, willing and able' to testify in person, their mother's lawyers opted to have transcripts of their depositions read aloud The actress sported a long blue overcoat, black outfit, classic Ray Ban aviators and a faint grin as she exited the building ahead of the final scheduled day of trial on Thursday Among the most bombshell testimony has been from Paltrow and Sanderson. On Friday members of the jury were riveted when Paltrow said on the stand that she initially thought she was being 'violated' when the collision began. Three days later Sanderson gave an entirely different account, saying she ran into him and sent him 'absolutely flying.' The trial has also shone a spotlight on Park City, known primarily as a ski resort that welcomes celebrities like Paltrow for each year's Sundance Film Festival. Local residents have increasingly filled the courtroom gallery throughout the trial. They've nodded along as lawyers and witnesses have referenced local landmarks like Montage Deer Valley, the ski-side hotel-spa where Paltrow got a massage after the collision. At times they have appeared captivated by Paltrow's reactions to the proceedings, while at others they have mirrored the jury, whose endurance has been tested by hours of jargon-dense medical testimony. Russian state propaganda is teaching its citizens that nuclear war isnt a bad thing and promoting it like theyre advertising pet food, a Russian Nobel prize-winner has warned. Dmitry Muratov, editor-in-chief of the banned newspaper Novaya Gazeta, told the BBC the Kremlin was using an intensive public-messaging campaign to prepare Russians for a full-scale nuclear attack. On TV channels here, nuclear war and nuclear weapons are promoted as if theyre advertising pet food, he said. They announce, Weve got this missile, that missile, another kind of missile. They talk about targeting Britain and France, about sparking a nuclear tsunami that washes away America. Why do they say this? So that people here are ready. Dmitry Muratov, editor-in-chief of the influential Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, spoke to attendees during auctioning of his 23-karat gold medal of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a cabinet meeting via video-conference at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow The warning comes days after President Vladimir Putin announced plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, and as one of his closest aides, Nikolai Patrushev, warned that Russia had a modern, unique weapon capable of destroying any enemy, including the United States. Siting nuclear weapons in Belarus would be the first time Moscow has deployed them outside its borders since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Meanwhile, Mr Muratov, 61 who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 said Russians had been irradiated by propaganda, using television and VK, the countrys version of Facebook. He added: In Russia, propaganda is 12 TV channels, tens of thousands of newspapers, social media like VK that serves completely the state ideology. One Russian talk-show host recently suggested that Russia should declare any military target on the territory of France, Poland and the United Kingdom a legitimate target. According to the BBC, the same host advised flattening an island with strategic nuclear weapons and carrying out a test launch or firing of tactical nuclear weapons so that no one has any illusions. The messaging is particularly effective with Putins support base mostly older people who view him as their own grandson, Mr Muratov said. Russian state propaganda is teaching its citizens that nuclear war isnt a bad thing and promoting it like theyre advertising pet food, a Russian Nobel prize-winner has warned He said they see Putin as someone who will protect them and who brings them their pension every month and wishes them Happy New Year each year, adding: These people believe their actual grandchildren should go and fight and die. But the propaganda is not convincing everyone. He said: Twenty-one thousand administrative and criminal cases have been opened against Russians whove protested. The opposition is in jail. Media outlets have been shut down. Many activists, civilians and journalists have been labelled foreign agents. Mr Muratov, who is not optimistic for the future of relations between Russia and Ukraine, warned: Ukraine will not be able to come to terms with this tragedy. In Russia, political repression will continue against all opponents of the regime. The only hope I have lies with the young generation those people who see the world as a friend, not as an enemy, and who want Russia to be loved and for Russia to love the world. I hope that this generation will outlive me and Putin. Hunter Biden was asked to use contacts in the FBI to help his Chinese business partner who was arrested for bribery and money laundering, emails reveal. The news comes as a whistleblower claims Hunter used a top former or current FBI official code-named 'One Eye' to funnel secret bureau information to his Chinese business partners. Patrick Ho convicted of bribery and money laundering in 2018 was secretary general of CEFC, the Chinese oil giant Hunter partnered with, and which sent the Biden family more than $5million. Emails obtained by DailyMail.com reveal Hunter Biden was asked for his FBI contacts while representing his now convicted CEFC partner Patrick Ho (right) in 2017 When lawyers from Krieger Kim & Lewin law firm emailed Hunter asking for 'the names of the FBI agents' he spoke with, following Ho's arrest on November 18, 2017, Hunter replied: 'Working on it' The first son described Ho as the 'f***ing spy chief of China' in a May 2018 recorded conversation on his abandoned laptop, and court documents show Ho was under surveillance by federal law enforcement in an espionage-related investigation. But that didn't stop Hunter taking a $1million wire payment to represent Ho as his attorney before he was arrested in November 2017, or agreeing to speak to FBI agents to glean information on the case against his Chinese Communist Party-connected client. On September 18, 2017, Ho retained Hunter with a $1million contract. The agreement, obtained by DailyMail.com from Hunter's abandoned laptop, describes Ho as 'Deputy Chairman and Secretary General of China Energy Fund Committee' (CEFC) and says Hunter would provide 'Counsel to matters related to US law and advice pertaining to the hiring and legal analysis of any US Law Firm or Lawyer'. Two months later, Ho was cuffed by FBI agents who intercepted him at JFK Airport in New York on November 18, 2017 on charges of bribing African government officials for CEFC. Emails from Hunter's laptop show he hired lawyers at Krieger Kim & Lewin, a law firm specializing in cross-border criminal cases, to represent Ho alongside him. The afternoon of the arrest, law partner Edward Kim wrote to Hunter: 'if you're able to find the names of the FBI agents you spoke with, that would be helpful.' Hunter replied: 'Working on it.' Hunter's apparent contact with the FBI over the case has taken on a new significance, following allegations that he was involved in a scheme to buy secret bureau information for his Chinese colleagues. Ho, pictured in a courtroom sketch in February 2018, was arrested and later convicted of paying bribes so a Chinese energy conglomerate could secure business advantages The Chinese businessman is pictured with former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan Ho was the secretary general of the Chinese oil giant and hired Hunter as his lawyer on a $1M contract in September 2017 - two months before he was arrested for bribery, documents show Court filings show Ho was under surveillance by federal law enforcement in an espionage-related investigation Israeli energy expert Dr. Gal Luft, who has hosted several conferences with CEFC's nonprofit arm, says that Hunter had an FBI mole with the code name 'One-Eye', who tipped off CEFC executives that they were under investigation. Israeli energy expert Dr. Gal Luft (pictured) who has hosted several conferences with CEFC's nonprofit arm, claimed Hunter had an FBI mole with the code name 'One-Eye', who tipped off CEFC executives that they were under investigation Luft, 56, came forward with the claims after he was arrested on gun running and illegal foreign lobbying charges in Cyprus, and is currently fighting the US authorities' attempt to extradite him. He claims the charges are a trumped-up attempt to silence him over his alleged dirt on the Bidens. The energy expert claimed that Hunter's 'One-Eye' contact was either a current or former FBI official, 'extremely well placed, who they paid lots of money to [provide] sealed law enforcement information.' Luft claims that he was told this information by CEFC Chairman Ye Jianming. He said Ye was tipped off by 'One-Eye' that prosecutors for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) were investigating the Chinese oil giant executives in late 2017. Luft's story was recounted to the New York Post last week by the energy expert's lawyer Robert Henoch, who is currently in Israel fighting Luft's extradition to the US. 'One-Eye' told Ye about a sealed indictment naming 'an Asian, an African, and a Jewish guy,' Henoch told the Post. Ye then fled to China, leaving behind his mother, wife, two children and their nanny at his $50million penthouse at 15 Central Park West. Ho (circled right) is pictured speaking at a February 2017 conference run by CEFC in Hong Kong where Israeli energy expert Dr. Gal Luft (circled) is seen sitting alongside Dr. Yuan Peng, vice president of the China Institute of Contemporary Relations (center) and think tank colleague, former CIA Director James Woolsey (far left) Luft 56, came forward with the claims on Twitter last month after he was arrested on gun running and illegal foreign lobbying charges in Cyprus CEFC's chairman Ye Jianming (left) was also arrested in China on unspecified corruption charges in 2018 but has not been seen since. Ho was known as Ye's lieutenant Before he left the US, Ye hired Hunter as his lawyer, the First Son told the New Yorker in a 2019 interview. Ye reportedly offered Hunter $1million to be his 'private counsel' though the only $1million payment that appears on Hunter's accounts around that time is for his representation of Ho. The CEFC deputy was described as 'the patsy' and 'the fall guy' by Henoch. Ye told Ho that he would be safe returning to the US, despite confessing to Hunter in the summer of 2017 that he was worried about being under federal investigation, according to a July 2019 New Yorker interview with Hunter. Ho was arrested as soon as he landed at JFK in November that year. In February 2018, Ye was also arrested by Chinese authorities on unspecified corruption charges, and has not been seen since. Stories on Ye's disappearance became one of the most censored on Chinese social media site WeChat in 2018, according to an analysis by the University of Hong Kong and free speech campaign group Global Voices. Luft claims that he contacted the Justice Department about Hunter's alleged FBI mole, and was interviewed by federal investigators in Brussels for more than 18 hours on March 28 and 29, 2019, according to the Post. About a month later, Joe Biden announced his presidential bid, and Luft claims he did not hear from the DoJ again until his arrest in Cyprus last month over gun-running charges. 'I've been arrested in Cyprus on a politically motivated extradition request by the US,' Luft tweeted on February 18. Emails from Hunter's laptop show Ho hired lawyers at Krieger Kim & Lewin, a law firm specializing in cross-border criminal cases, to represent Ho alongside him Hunter told the attorneys he was working with them on Ho's case Luft claims the DOJ is trying to silence him to protect the president and his son 'The US, claiming I'm an arms dealer. It would be funny if it weren't tragic. I've never been an arms dealer. DOJ is trying to bury me to protect Joe, Jim & Hunter Biden. Shall I name names?' Luft's Israeli attorney, Mordechai Tzivin, told the Jerusalem Post that the arrest was 'a good way to shut him up because he knows a lot of information on Hunter'. The Post reported that Luft has given evidence to investigators for the House Oversight Committee, which is conducting a probe into the Bidens and their business dealings. Committee Chair, Kentucky Republican James Comer, said Luft was 'the straw that broke the camel's back' in their investigation into the Biden family. 'We had already identified this individual,' he told Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo on March 2. DailyMail.com previously revealed former FBI director Louis Freeh gave $100,000 to a private trust for Joe Biden's grandchildren and discussed 'future work options' with Hunter while Biden served as VP 'We've had three people that were involved in the Hunter Biden shady business schemes that have communicated with my committee staff. 'I think that people see the heavy-handedness of the Bidens. Either you're getting picked up by the DoJ or you're getting a letter from Hunter Biden's personal attorney trying to intimidate you.' 'We're going to give them the opportunity to tell their story, even though the DoJ and the White House are fighting us every step of the way.' Luft is co-director of Washington DC think tank the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security. It boasts former CIA Director James Woolsey and former national security adviser Robert McFarlane as advisors. Friends of Luft say he is well-connected in the intelligence community in both Israel and America, and he held energy conferences in China for the past decade or more. He ran a conference sponsored by CEFC's nonprofit arm from 2015 to 2018. Hunter's high-ranking FBI veteran contacts have been previously exposed by DailyMail.com. In 2021 we revealed that Hunter worked closely with former FBI director Louis Freeh, representing Romanian real estate tycoon Gabriel Popoviciu who was later found guilty of bribery. Freeh also gave $100,000 to a private trust for Joe Biden's grandchildren, and wrote to Hunter in 2016 offering to set up a DC consultancy with the First Son and his then-Vice President father Joe. In August 2016, Freeh emailed Hunter saying, 'I would like to talk with you and Dad about working together next year' once he was out of office as the vice president In July that year, in an email marked 'confidential and privileged', Freeh wrote to Hunter that he 'would be delighted to do future work with you' 'I also spoke to Dad a few weeks ago and would like to explore with him some future work options,' Freeh said in a July 2016 email. 'I believe that working together on these (and other legal) matters would be of value, fun and rewarding.' Freeh proposed representing overseas clients including the infamously corrupt former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, who was in the midst of a scandal over one of the world's biggest financial frauds at the time. Hunter described the former FBI director as a 'close friend' in a May 2010 email. There is no evidence Freeh is the alleged 'One-Eye' FBI mole. Conservative nonprofit Marco Polo, which compiled a report on Hunter's Laptop after a two-year investigation, accused Hunter of illegal foreign lobbying over his representation of Ho. The organization, run by former Trump White House staffer Garrett Ziegler, claims that Hunter's $1million payment and outreach to government such as FBI officials for his Chinese business partner, without informing the Department of Justice of his relationship with CEFC, constituted a violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). However, there are exemptions in FARA for attorneys representing foreign clients, which could have allowed Hunter to avoid the law's registration requirements. 'The problem we are at today, it's not just gonna be a legislation ... We gotta have a severe conversation here with this country' 'We will look, getting all the information, is there anything that we can do more' Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Thursday expressed an openness to legislation on guns after a shooting at a Nashville school killed six on Monday, but emphasized the U.S. 'mental health crisis.' 'We need to have a conversation as a country, deal with mental illness and see what's driving individuals to shoot innocent children,' he said. 'I don't think one piece of legislation will solve this.' 'We will look, getting all the information, is there anything that we can do more,' the speaker said. 'The problem we are at today, it's not just gonna be a legislation ... We gotta have a severe conversation here with this country.' Meanwhile Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries admitted 'passions are high' on gun reform after one of his rank-and-file members got into a screaming match with a pro-Second Amendment Republican just off the House floor. New York Rep. Jamal Bowman got into the angry exchange with Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky on Wednesday, just two days after a shooting at a Nashville Christian school left three adults and three kids dead. McCarthy on Thursday expressed an openness to legislation on guns after a shooting at a Nashville school killed six on Monday, but emphasized the U.S. 'mental health crisis.' Jeffries promised he would sit down with his Republican counterpart soon 'Im going to refrain until I talk to him,' Jeffries, also from the New York delegation, told reporters Thursday. 'But passions are running high on the issue.' 'No other country in the world has this problem.' Jeffries urged Republicans to allow debate on an assault weapons ban. 'Lets debate the issue of gun safety in front of the American people,' Jeffries said. 'Stop hiding your position. We have our position. Lets air this out.' Jeffries remained noncommittal on whether he would file a discharge petition on gun reform -- which would force a floor vote if a majority of members agree to it. Last year Congress passed its first gun reform in decades - though Democrats said it did not go far enough. The 80-page compromise legislation toughened background checks for younger gun buyers, bolster background check requirements and beef up penalties for gun traffickers. The bill also closed the 'boyfriend loophole' -- prohibiting romantic partners convicted of domestic abuse who are not married to their victims from getting firearms. Convicted abusers who are married to, live with or had children with their victims were already barred from having guns. Additionally, $750million was offered to states that have 'red flag' laws making it easier to temporarily take firearms from people adjudged dangerous, and to other states with violence prevention programs. But the legislation did not require red flag laws -- Tennessee, where Monday's shooting left three children and three adults dead -- had no such law. Meanwhile on Wednesday chaos broke out just off the House floor -- Bowman, a 'squad' member elected in 2020, was tearing into House Republicans near a bank of elevators during a vote calling them 'cowards' for failing to act on new gun control measures in the wake of the Nashville school shooting that ended in six deaths. 'Freaking cowards! They're gutless' he fumed prompting gun rights activist Massie to intervene. 'What are you talking about?' Massie asked him in an exchange that Bowman posted on his Twitter account, in a video that quickly got more than 1 million views. New York Rep. Jamal Bowman clashed with Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky just off the House floor Massie tried several times to tell Bowman that schools that allow teachers to carry guns haven't experienced mass shootings, in a clash on a day when Democrats reintroduced legislation to authorize $50 million each year researching the gun violence 'epidemic.' Tennessee doesn't allow teachers to carry guns, although there was an effort last month to change the laws to allow it, and the state has generally pro-gun laws. 'More guns lead to more death,' Bowman responded. 'You're carrying the water for the gun lobby,' he told Massie. Massie posted a transcript of many of his own comments on the video and included a picture of Massie's Christmas card image featuring Massie and family members holding assault-style guns. That post came following a 2021 school shooting in Oxford, Michigan. Bowman posted an image of an online Christmas card Massie posted in 2021, with the lawmaker and family members holding assault weapons Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, confronted Bowman and asked him to explain what he was talking about 'They won't do anything to save the lives of our children. Cowards,' Bowman said to reporters assembled outside the House chamber 'They don't have the courage. They're cowards,' Bowman said of the Republican group 'You know, theres never been a school shooting in a school that allows teachers to carry,' said Massie, who chairs a House caucus on the Second Amendment. 'Look at the data more guns lead to more deaths,' Bowman berated him. At one point former House Majority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland tried to either get involved or speak to Bowman by tapping him on the shoulder, but he eventually gave up. 'Calm down,' Massie told him. 'Calm down? Children are dying,' he said. 'The solution is not arming teachers. Have you ever worked in a school?' asked Bowman, a former educator who represents the Bronx and part of Westchester County and who succeeded the soft spoken Rep. Eliot Engel. 'You're screaming,' Massie said at one point, prompting Bowman to say he would 'bring it down a notch.' Massie eventually walked away and started speaking directly to a group of reporters who had gathered to watch and film the event, prompting Bowman to follow him, while other lawmakers filed out of the chamber. After some of the most populous US counties saw steep population declines during the pandemic, the trend slowed last year due largely to a rebound in international immigration. The nation's 20 largest counties gained more than 300,000 new residents between July 2021 and July 2022 through international migration, more than triple the gain in the prior 12 months, according to Census data released on Thursday. Still, many of those counties continued to shrink overall, though at a slower pace, as low national birthrates and domestic migration to the suburbs and beyond dragged total populations lower. Los Angeles County had the largest population decline in 2022, decreasing by 90,704 overall, due mainly to a net loss of 142,953 people moving to other parts of the US. Maricopa County, Arizona, where Phoenix is located, remained the largest-gaining county in the nation, adding 56,831 residents in 2022, a gain of 1.3 percent, driven mainly by domestic migration. After some of the most populous US counties saw steep population declines during the pandemic, the trend slowed last year due largely to a rebound in international immigration Los Angeles County (above) had the largest population decline in 2022, decreasing by 90,704 overall, due mainly to a net loss of 142,953 people moving to other parts of the US Population change in counties is driven by three factors: births, deaths, and net migration, whether international or domestic as people move around within the US. Of the nation's 10 most populous counties, four continued to see population declines last year: Los Angeles, Cook County, Illinois (Chicago), Orange County, California (Anaheim) and Kings County, New York (Brooklyn). The aggregate change in population for the top 10 counties last year was a decline of a little more than 75,000 people. However, the county that encompasses Manhattan bucked the trend, adding more than 17,000 residents last year after losing almost 111,000 people in 2021. The growth in Manhattan was propelled by international migration, and to a lesser extent by domestic migration and births outpacing deaths. 'Some of the urban counties in New York and San Francisco that saw significant domestic outmigration and population decline in 2021 had population growth in 2022,' said Dr. Christine Hartley, assistant division chief for estimates and projections in the Census Bureau's population division. Despite the most recent gains, Manhattan's New York County was still running a population deficit of almost 98,000 residents as of last July, when compared with April 2020, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. And three counties encompassing the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens recorded among the biggest population declines in the US last year, with losses ranging from 40,000 to 50,000 residents. Net international migration added more than a million people to the US population last year, a huge rebound from the historic lows seen during the pandemic The county that encompasses Manhattan added more than 17,000 residents last year, a reversal after losing almost 111,000 people in 2021 The reversal in population losses was notable in King County, Washington, home to Seattle; as well as in large Sunbelt counties such as Dallas County, Texas; and two South Florida counties, Miami-Dade and Broward. Those locations all had something in common: international immigration led the gains. Earlier Census data show that net international migration added more than a million people to the US population last year, a huge rebound from the historic lows seen during the pandemic. 'The migration and growth patterns for counties edged closer to pre-pandemic levels this year,' said Hartley. The counties with the biggest influx of international immigration last year were Miami-Dade County, Florida; Harris County, Texas, home to Houston; and Los Angeles County. After Phoenix, the second-largest overall population gainer was Harris County with more than 45,000 new residents. International immigration and births drove the gains in Houston, while 20,000 residents moved elsewhere in the US. Collin County, Texas, a northern suburb of Dallas, ranked third in rising population, with more than 44,000 new residents who primarily moved from other parts of the US. Maricopa County, Arizona, where Phoenix is located, remained the largest-gaining county in the nation, adding 56,831 residents in 2022, a gain of 1.3 percent Harris County, Los Angeles County and Dallas County had the biggest natural increases, meaning births outnumbered deaths. Three Florida counties - Pinellas, Sarasota and Volusia - led the US in natural decreases attributed to deaths outpacing births. Florida's median age of 42.7 is one of the highest in the nation. The Census Bureau also noted that many counties with large universities saw their populations fully rebound this year as students returned. Whitman County, Washington, home to Washington State University, saw its population drop by 9.6 percent in 2021, but then grew by 10.1 percent last yearthe most of any county above 20,000 in population. The company responsible for the oil spill in Poole Harbour will pay for the damage caused, a Defra minister has told Parliament. Perenco, which owns the oil field at Wytch Farm in Dorset, will be responsible for paying for the consequences of a leak which saw 200 barrels of reservoir fluid - which is 15% oil - enter the harbour on Sunday. Defra minister Lord Benyon told the House of Lords that the Government will make sure the firm responsible will cough up for damages. Shell fishermen have warned of a 'catastrophe' for their livelihoods after they were forced to lower their nets following the Poole Harbour oil leak. Officials have told fishermen not to harvest clams, mussels and oysters from the seabeds of the world's second biggest natural harbour for the foreseeable future. They have given no timeframe as to when the threat of poison and contamination to crustacean fish in the harbour from the huge leak is likely to ease. Officials have told fishermen not to harvest clams, mussels and oysters from the seabeds of the world's second biggest natural harbour for the foreseeable future. They have given no timeframe as to when the threat of poison and contamination to crustacean fish in the harbour from the huge leak is likely to ease The worrying message comes after environmentalists questioned the apparent lack of urgency in the operation to clean up the 6,000 litres of crude oil that leaked from an underwater pipeline at 7am on Sunday Defra minister Lord Benyon told the House of Lords that the Government will make sure the firm responsible will cough up for damages. He said: 'There are overlaying environmental designations, it's a very special area indeed. 'It also has an enormous amount of human activity, not least of which is for the tourist income for the local area. 'And we want to make sure that not only are we containing this, but we're finding out what caused it and doing everything we can to make sure it doesn't happen again. 'The recovery operation now has sealed the pipe. It will be replaced and we will monitor the company that is doing that, that owns this very large facility - and make sure the polluter is responsible for the damage caused.' The trade is worth over 1 million a year to the coastal community and fishermen have warned the fall out from the leak has the potential to be a 'total and utter disaster' for them. Tory peer Baroness McIntosh of Pickering asked what compensation there might be for fishermen and tourist businesses for potential loss of income. Lord Benyon responded: 'The compensation is a very clear line of process and that is that the polluter should pay. 'We will assist anyone who feels they have a legitimate case to make to follow that process through. 'But at this stage, it is unclear whether there are significant losses and we're working with organisations like the Food Standards Agency to make sure that food is safe and that people will be able to continue to produce high quality shellfish from that area.' The worrying message comes after environmentalists questioned the apparent lack of urgency in the operation to clean up the 6,000 litres of crude oil that leaked from an underwater pipeline at 7am on Sunday. Tom Russell, 70, who has fished in Poole Harbour since he was 17, said fishermen are concerned how the oil leak will affect their livelihoods. Mr Russell is chairman of Poole and District Fishermen's Association and a harbour commissioner, as well as operating two commercial fishing boats himself. He said: 'It has got the potential to be a total and utter disaster for fishermen but at the moment we just don't know. 'Mud and water samples have been taken and tests are being done, which will hopefully take a week to a fortnight. 'We've been told not to gather any clams or catch any fish in the harbour while tests are done. 'Obviously the fishermen are worried. Our livelihood is being threatened through no fault of our own.' Fresh aerial photos of the site of the leak, near to the Wytch Farm oil field on the Arne peninsula, appear to show a lack of workmen involved in the operation. Anglo-French oil and gas company Perenco, which owns the oil field, have been urged to put more resources into the clan up operation. Mr Russell continued: 'Normally at this time of year a few fishermen catch grey mullet and there are some hand collecting clams. 'But if it is still closed when the clam season starts in May, there's 45 boats and most of them have crew so you're looking at 80-90 people being affected, and then there's the merchants that buy them. 'The clam industry is really important to the fishermen of Poole and worth sales over 1m so this oil could be a catastrophe.' Shocking drone video of the site revealed the huge scale of the clean-up. Fisherman Pete Miles has run Dorset Oysters since 2008, purifying oysters and other shellfish caught in Poole Harbour and selling them to some of the UK's top restaurants. Mr Miles, 59, said: 'We haven't really been told anything yet. Environmental Health is saying don't sell anything but we don't know how long it's going to be for, we've just been told until further notice. 'It does affect our business, but we are used to it as we've had issues with sewage leaks. 'I am hoping this is going to pass fairly quickly. We have a neap tide at the moment, so the water isn't moving much. Once we have a spring tide next week that will hopefully clear a lot quicker. 'We are having to buy shellfish from Jersey for the time being. The clam season is from May to November, when dredging happens. Outside of that season, at this time of year we rely on hand pickers so those guys can't go out and earn a living at the moment.' The RSPB have reported some 20 birds around the harbour covered in oil smudges as a result of the spill. Pictured: a shelduck whose white plumage has turned brown from oil smudges The National Trust has reported oil washing up on the shores of Brownsea Island, an important nature reserve and one of the only few habitats left in the UK for red squirrels. Pictured: Thick tar washed up on the beach in Poole The National Trust has reported oil washing up on the shores of Brownsea Island, an important nature reserve and one of the only few habitats left in the UK for red squirrels. The RSPB have reported some 20 birds around the harbour covered in oil smudges as a result of the spill. Brian Bleese, the chief executive of the Dorset Wildlife Trust, said: 'We call on Perenco to put in more resources to clean it up, before it has a potentially devastating impact.' Local environmentalist Pete Scott has taken drone photos of the leak site. He posted on social media: 'An unmitigated disaster. Most concerning to me is the absence of any clear up work or even workers. Oil still clearly flowing between the useless booms. 'I just don't get any sense of urgency from anyone or anywhere. 'When Perenco released their statement on Sunday that everything was 'under control' & the leak was 'contained' (or words to that effect), it seems that people believed them.' He said that the authorities like the Environment Agency should be putting more pressure on Perenco to clean up the leak. A number of different agencies are working on the recovery of the area, including the Environment Agency, Natural England, the Food Standards Agency, the local Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority and the Dorset Resilience Forum. Independent crossbench peer Baroness Boycott asked whether Perenco may be liable to pay for the work of these agencies, as they would have been diverted from other important projects to deal with this emergency. She said: 'It's really good to hear that you're going to have the 'polluter pays' principle, but I can see that being over specific things like tourism. 'What about the time for the Food Standards Agency and all the other agencies that are going to have to stop doing other work to go down to Poole Harbour to sort this out? 'Is there going to be any compensation from the owners of this oil towards them, towards their time?' The minister responded: 'I think the baroness makes a very good point and I'm not entirely sure what the precedent is in such circumstances. 'But undoubtedly an enormous amount of taxpayers' money is being spent with all the agencies I listed, and I will have to reflect on that and talk to colleagues.' In his latest statement, Jim Stewart, the chief executive of the Poole Harbour Commissioners, which has been leading the multi-agency response to the leak, said about 14,000 litres of oil and water mix and 1,500kg of oil sediment had so far been recovered. He said: 'Key stakeholders in the shellfish industry have been advised not to market shellfish harvested from Poole Harbour from Sunday onwards. 'This advice will remain in place until further assessment has been made and advice has been received from the Food Standards Agency and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) regarding safety. 'As a precaution, the public are advised that they should still avoid using Poole Harbour for recreational purposes - including the hand gathering of shellfish - and continue to avoid bathing at beaches within Poole Harbour until further updates become available.' He added that the investigation into the cause of the leak is still ongoing. Capitol employees now have to check their cell phones before entering senators' off-the-record luncheons after a subcontractor was arrested for recording the Republican gathering in early March. NBC News reported Wednesday that U.S. Capitol Police arrested and charged a 25-year-old Maryland man for 'interception/use of wire tap' - a charge that was later dismissed. The man was working for At Your Service, which provides employees to the Senate lunches as a subcontractor for Restaurant Associates, which handles food service on the Senate side of the Capitol Building. The employee told Capitol Police that he had been recording the March 7 meeting 'for multiple hours.' He also said he was married to the vice president of Liberia and 'wanted to provide his "wife" the Vice Persident of Liberia with American political information."' Security has been beefed up at the U.S. Capitol Building, with Senate staffers now having to leave their cell phones in a cabinet before entering the weekly Senate luncheons Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and his leadership team walk to a news conference after their weekly lunch. A subcontractor was arrested and charged earlier this month after leaving his cell phone in a lunch on record mode NBC found no record that this employee was married to the vice president of Liberia, nor did the Liberian Embassy immediately respond to the network's request for comment. Senators were not happy with the revelation. 'It's really concerning,' Sen. Cynthia Lummis, a Wyoming Republican, told NBC. 'Those conversations are an opportunity for senators to talk candidly about issues. So to have people on record and easily identifiable by their voices is problematic.' The employee had set his phone to record and then left it behind in the room for several hours, court documents said. He then returned to the room with a police escort, but the phone had been removed. A senator had spotted the device and turned it over to Capitol Police, NBC reported. 'It was a temporary person hired on by the food service people. The phone was left in the record mode found in the food line,' Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso told the network. 'It's very concerning.' Senate Minority Whip John Thune described it to NBC as 'kind of a one-off thing.' 'The question I had was did anyone put him up to it? And to my knowledge, the answer is no,' Thune said. To prevent a future incident, a large cabinet now stands outside the Lyndon Baines Johnson, where the Republican luncheon takes place, for staffers to check in their cell phones before entering the room. The cell phone cabinet won't prevent another problem - while the contents of the weekly luncheons are supposed to stay private, they frequently get leaked to the press. Pope Francis' health has attracted increasing scrutiny ever since his predecessor, Benedict XVI, became the first pontiff to resign from his post as head of the Vatican as a result of ill-health in 2013. Benedict died on December 31, 2022, and Francis has since been open about the prospect of following his predecessor's example and stepping down from the papacy should his health continue to deteriorate. The 86-year-old's hospitalisation in March 2023 with a bout of pneumonia has revived speculation over the possibility Francis will soon tender his resignation. Here, MailOnline recaps the litany of health issues suffered by Pope Francis over the years. Pope Francis waves as he arrives on wheelchair during the audience to the Participants to Plenary Assembly of the International Union of Superiors General in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican, on May 5, 2022 Respiratory problems and lung operation Francis was taken to Rome's Gemelli hospital after a weekly general audience on March 29 after he had difficulty leaving the event and experienced difficulty breathing. It was reported he was struggling with a respiratory infection before doctors established he had contracted a mild case of pneumonia. Medical staff said he would remain in the hospital for several days and undergo appropriate treatment, though they hoped to discharge him ahead of the Vatican's packed Easter schedule. But Francis is particularly susceptible to respiratory infections, owing to the complications of a severe condition he contracted in his 20s. When the then Jorge Bergoglio was 21, he developed pleurisy - the inflammation of the tissue between the lungs and the ribcage. The affliction was so serious he almost died and doctors were forced to remove several pulmonary cysts and a small part of his upper right lung, according to the pope's biographer Austen Ivereigh. A lengthy recovery process followed, which impacted Francis' voice - he is often heard speaking in little more than a whisper. The pontiff said he had made a full recovery from pleurisy, but his reduced lung capacity puts him at greater risk for chronic respiratory diseases. Pope Francis helped to get on his car at the end of weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 29, 2023, before being taken to hospital Digestive tract issues Pope Francis has had multiple instances of diverticulitis, a condition that can infect or inflame the colon. In July 2021 the condition landed him in hospital and doctors were forced to perform a hemicolectomy - an operation which involves removing one side of the colon - as a severe inflammation and scar tissue had narrowed his intestinal tract. The three-hour surgery was a success and relieved the stricture in his intestine. There were concerns Francis may struggle to recover given his advanced age, but he bounced back quickly and was not forced to miss any major events owing to the Vatican's reduced schedule in July and August. Eating foods rich in fibre, plus drinking adequate fluids, can be helpful in keeping such conditions from returning, though as many as 60-70 per cent of people who experienced one bout of diverticulitis may see it come back. In early 2023, Pope Francis said the condition had returned and that it was causing him to put on weight - though he added he was not overly concerned. There have been no suggestions he will be forced to have another surgery on what remains of his colon. Knee problems One enduring ailment Francis struggles with is chronic knee pain. He has lost a great deal of mobility and is now rarely seen in public without a mobility aid such as a cane or a wheelchair. He told Italian media in 2022 he was suffering with inflamed ligaments and the Catholic News Agency reported later that year he had torn ligaments in his right knee. He also sustained small fractures to his kneecap following a fall later in the year. His reduced mobility and the increasing intensity of his knee pain have led the once jet-setting pontiff to cancel several trips. In 2022, Francis cancelled a July trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan - prompting major speculation over the timeline for his resignation. Pope Francis walks with a cane to reach his seat as he arrives to hold the weekly general audience on June 22, 2022 Francis told Reuters that he preferred not to have surgery on his knee because he did not want a repeat of long-term negative side effects from anaesthesia that he experienced after the 2021 hemicolectomy. He said that he was 'a bit ashamed' to use a wheelchair due to his ailing knees, but added that growing old is simply a part of life that one must accept. 'I have less physical resistance, the knee [problem] was a physical humiliation, even if the recovery is going well,' he said in comments to media. 'The vigor of the body fails and abandons us, even though our heart does not stop yearning. One must then learn to purify desire: be patient, choose what to ask of the body and of life. 'When we are old, we cannot do the same things we did when we were young: the body has another pace, and we must listen to the body and accept its limits. We all have them. I too have to use a walking stick now.' Sciatica The Pope has complained of sciatica on numerous occasions, telling journalists as early as 2013 that he was experiencing significant pain as a result of the nerve issue. Francis has suffered from sciatica for a number of years; he spoke about it at length to journalists during an in-flight press conference returning from a trip to Brazil in July 2013. 'Sciatica is very painful, very painful! I don't wish it on anyone,' he said about the condition. Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back down to the feet is irritated or compressed, either as a result of direct injury or another ailment. Patients often experience severe pain in their lower back and legs, and can also experience numbness of the feet and legs. The botched hit which resulted in the murder of Olivia Pratt-Korbel was not the first attempt on Joseph Nees life last summer, it can now be revealed. Exactly two weeks earlier, Thomas Cashman, 34, was suspected of using the same Glock pistol in a bid to kill the convicted burglar. The initial attempt which saw Nee targeted close to a primary school and childrens playground in the street next to Olivias house mercifully caused no injuries. Police at the time promised to leave no stone unturned in the hunt for the gunman. Today the 'high-level' cannabis dealer Cashman was found guilty at Manchester Crown Court of the murder of the nine-year-old, who was shot in her home in Dovecot, Liverpool, last August. Thomas Cashman, 34, was found guilty of murdering nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel The intended victim of the shooting that killed nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel was convicted burglar Joseph Nee Nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel died after being shot at her house in Dovecot, Liverpool, in August last year But illustrating the pervasive evil of gun crime in our cities, both Cashman convicted of being the shooter and the deadly weapon were released into the neighbourhood. Despite outrage at the recklessness of the earlier shooting, Cashman was able to launch a further attempt on Nees life this one tragically ending in Olivias murder instead. While Liverpool has its fair share of convicted drug dealers and armed robbers implicated in gun crime, Cashman has no known links to armed gangs. Liverpool born and bred, he grew up just a 15-minute walk from Olivias house on a terrace of council housing with his parents, Stephen a meat porter and Angela. Giving evidence, Cashman said he left school when he was 13 or 14, finding work delivering newspapers and washing cars before getting a job on fairgrounds in Wales. By the age of 16 or 17 he was smoking cannabis on a daily basis, he said, making selling it a natural progression. He met his future partner Kayleanne Sweeney, also now 34 when they were barely out of primary school, and they were still teenagers when she became pregnant. Cashman told the jury he tried to change my life around and stop dealing drugs when he became a father, dabbling instead in selling cars. But by the time of the shooting he was earning up to 5,000-a-week selling kilos of cannabis to contacts living around Finch Lane the main road at the top of Olivias street. His life of crime helped enable him and Ms Sweeney to afford to live in a 450,000 detached house on an upmarket development where neighbours drive Bentleys and Teslas. The couple who have a son aged 14 and a four-year-old daughter are understood to have been paying 2,000-a-month for the four-bed rented property from the end of 2021, with Ms Sweeney driving a Land Rover Discovery Sport. In addition, they were renting a luxury two-bed apartment in block overlooking the River Mersey. Giving evidence, Cashman said he earned as much as 250,000-a-year through his illicit trade and insisted he was not a bad person as he didnt sell class A drugs. Thomas Cashman's girlfriend Kayleanne Sweeney seen leaving Manchester Crown Court following the verdict which found him guilty of murdering Olivia During the trial, Cashman admitted to being a 'high-level cannabis dealer' who made between 3,000 and 5,000 a week selling about 5to 10kg of marijuana Cashman was also found guilty of wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm to Olivia's mother Cheryl Korbel (pictured arriving at court earlier this month). She escaped with injuries He said the money was spent on cars, bikes and holidays. Asked in court whether Ms Sweeney knew the source of his extraordinary wealth more than seven times the average salary for the area Cashman replied: She never asked me, I never told her. However he admitted she and her parents would have had suspicions that he was a drug dealer. Kingsheath Avenue, Liverpool, where Olivia Pratt-Korbel was shot dead in her home last August Thomas Cashman, in a court sketch from March 21, was found guilty of fatally shooting Olivia while chasing convicted drug dealer Joseph Nee At the time of the shooting, Ms Sweeney had her own cosmetics clinic, however the business was dissolved just days before Cashman was charged with murder. Speaking so softly he had to be asked repeatedly to keep his voice up, Cashman insisted it was a boring existence, describing himself as stuck in a rut at the time of the shooting. Exactly what prompted his relentless bid to kill Nee and who supplied the firearms are questions which detectives are still trying to answer. It featured such a heavy consumption of alcohol that it was banned in Sweden and star Freddie Frinton hated Germans so much he refused to speak the language on screen. British comedy sketch Dinner for One, which is little-known in the UK but is hugely popular in Germany and Scandinavia, has become a New Year's Eve staple. Originally recorded in 1963, it centres on the 90th birthday of upper-class Briton Miss Sophie, and her interactions with her increasingly inebriated butler, James, as he has to drink for four long-dead guests whilst impersonating each of them. The interactions of the characters, played by comedian Frinton and May Warden, sparked a cultural phenomenon on the Continent, with cookbooks and a even commemorative stamp being released. British comedy sketch Dinner for One, which is little-known in the UK but is hugely popular in Germany and Scandinavia, has become a New Year's Eve staple for millions. It stars Freddie Frinton and May Warden The interactions of the characters, played by comedian Frinton and May Warden, sparked a cultural phenomenon on the Continent, with cookbooks and a even commemorative stamp being released. Above: As he becomes more and more drunk, the butler slurs his words and repeatedly stumbles over a tiger head rug Dinner for One, which is also known as The 90th Birthday (Der 90. Geburtstag in German), was originally written by British author Lauri Wylie for the theatre. Frinton bought the copyright for it from Wylie and then began performing it in 1945, initially with Warden's daughter, Audrey Maye. German producer Peter Frankenfeld then came across it while scouting for ideas in Blackpool and invited Frinton to perform it on screen in front of a live TV audience. For the TV version, Audrey was replaced with her mother, who was 72 at the time. The show aired for the first time on German station NDR in March 1963. However, Frinton's dislike of Germany meant that he refused to speak in German when impersonating one of the absent guests, Admiral von Schneider. Instead, he spoke in Swedish. The other non-existent dinner party members were named only as Mr Pomeroy and Mr Winterbottom. As well as drinking profuse amounts, James goes about consuming all their drinks over four courses: mulligatawny and sherry, North Sea haddock and white wine, chicken with champagne, and fruit and port. As he becomes more and more drunk, he slurs his words and repeatedly stumbles over a tiger head rug. James goes about consuming all their drinks over four courses: mulligatawny and sherry, North Sea haddock and white wine, chicken with champagne, and fruit and port. Above: Frinton as butler James, serving Miss Sophie Before each course, James asks his employer if it will be the 'same procedure as last year, Miss Sophie?' She replies each time: 'The same procedure as every year, James.' The pair repeat the exchange for a final time when he follows her up to bed at the end of the evening, with James adding: 'Well, I'll do my very best' Last night, King Charles provoked laughs from his audience when he mentioned the show during a dinner at the Schloss Bellevue former royal residence that was held on the first day of his state visit to Germany. Speaking in German to guests who included the country's president and former chancellor Angela Merkel, the King joked: 'It is nice of you all not to have left me alone with a 'Dinner for one!' Two versions - an 11-minute one and a longer one lasting 18 minutes - were released. The show became a hit after being shown on German TV at 7.40pm on New Year's Eve to fill a gap in scheduling, and has been on every year since then. As well as being a hit in Germany, it is popular in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxemburg, Estonia, Austria and even Australia. The skit is so popular that broadcasters ensure it is shown multiple times throughout the day so that everyone has a chance to watch it. In 2003 - the year it entered the Guinness Book of Records as the most-repeated television show of all time - it aired 19 times on different stations in Germany. Before each course, James asks his employer if it will be the 'same procedure as last year, Miss Sophie?' The Grey Panthers, a militant pensioners' organisation in Germany, said it was upset because of the implied 'old-age sex' She replies each time: 'The same procedure as every year, James.' The pair repeat the exchange for a final time when he follows her up to bed at the end of the evening, with James adding: 'Well, I'll do my very best'. The allusions to sex were reflected by Frinton and Warden's alleged real-life affair. More adventurous viewers who watch the sketch, which is broadcast in English but has a short introduction in German, will try to keep up with James' drinking. There are even restaurants that allow diners to eat the same thing as James and Miss Sophie. Because of the heavy presence of alcohol, it was banned in Sweden until 1969. However, the sketch has attracted controversy too. In 1997, Germany's conservation ministry complained about the use of the stuffed tiger that features, saying it was 'not a good idea'. And the Grey Panthers, a militant pensioners' organisation in Germany, said it was upset because of the implied 'old-age sex'. However, the controversy did not stop Germany's then chancellor Angela Merkel from praising the show in her New Year's speech in 2012. The show is shown on New Year's Eve every year in Germany and Scandinavia. Above: Butler James tips back his boss's chair Frinton, who died in 1968, was well known in Britain. Above: The comedian at the Daily Mail's Ideal Home Exhibition with actress Thora Hird in 1965 In 1997, Germany's conservation ministry complained about the use of the stuffed tiger that features, saying it was 'not a good idea' Frinton, who died aged 59 from a heart attack in 1968, was well known in Britain, having starred in BBC show Meet The Wife. But he was also hugely popular with his drunk comic skit, which saw him wear a top hat and tails and carry a broken cigarette. Warden died aged 87 in 1978. Dinner for One aired in the UK for the first time in 2018, when it was shown on Sky Arts. Americans increasingly favor bans on sex-reassignment treatments on children, according to a poll that shows a sharp 15-percentage point rise for a policy being pushed by Republicans in state houses across the country. The Marist Poll survey found that 43 percent of US adults supported criminal penalties for those providing puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to minors this month, compared to only 28 percent in April 2021. Over the same period, the share of respondents who opposed such a ban remained in the majority, but fell sharply from 65 percent in April 2021 to 54 percent in this month's survey, carried out from March 20-23. Gender-affirming care, as it is known, has become a hot button issue in America's culture wars, and Republicans have successfully imposed bans in at least 11 states in a raft of policies aimed at rolling back LGBTQ rights. The survey comes amid a sharpened focus on gender identity in the wake of the mass shooting in Nashville on Monday, when Audrey 'Aiden' Hale, a trans-identifying 28-year-old, shot and killed six people at her former Christian elementary school. 43 percent of US adults supported criminal penalties for those providing puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to children this month, compared to 28 percent in April 2021 Critics of the trans movement often point to de-transitioners, who come to regret their decisions to change gender and seek reversals. Pictured: Scars on the chest of a young woman who had her breasts removed when she was 18 and now regrets the procedure Donald Trump Jr, son of the former president, was among the pundits to link an apparent rise in 'trans/non-binary mass shooters' with the 'lunatics pushing their gender affirming bulls**t on our kids,' in a Twitter post. Other analysts noted that even while fewer Americans opposed banning sex-reassignment care for children had dropped, they still remained by a wide margin the mainstream attitude. 'It's promising to see a majority of Americans oppose these dangerous, misguided bills targeting the LGBTQ community, particularly transgender young people,' Jonah DeChants, a researcher at The Trevor Project, told PBS NewsHour. DeChants said the survey of 1,327 US adults had been carried out against a backdrop of 'nonstop anti-trans political attacks and irresponsible news coverage across both mainstream and right-wing outlets.' Support for a ban is stronger among parents with children under the age of 18 than it was among members of child-free households. Likewise, Republicans favor bans more than Democrats or independents. Interestingly, younger respondents backed bans more so than their elders. More than half of adult Gen Z and Millennial respondents supported a ban, compared to about a third of Baby Boomers. West Virginia's Republican Gov. Jim Justice on Wednesday signed a bill banning sex-reassignment treatments for kids, joining at least 10 other states that have enacted laws restricting or outlawing the treatments. Poll Should 'gender-affirming care' be banned for children in your state? Yes No Not sure Should 'gender-affirming care' be banned for children in your state? Yes 5718 votes No 288 votes Not sure 108 votes Now share your opinion The bill bans those under 18 from being prescribed cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers. It also bans minors from receiving gender-affirming surgery, even though the procedures are rare in the state. The West Virginia law comes as Republican lawmakers across the US have pushed hundreds of proposals this year to push back on LGBTQ+ rights, particularly those for trans people. They include bans on trans girls from girls sports, keeping trans people from using restrooms in line with their gender identities, and allowing or requiring schools to use the 'dead-name' of trans students, considered an insult by some trans people. At least 11 states have now enacted laws restricting or banning sex-reassignment procedures for children: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Utah, South Dakota and West Virginia. Federal judges have blocked enforcement of laws in Alabama and Arkansas, and nearly two dozen states are considering bills this year to restrict or ban care. Trans activists, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), other major US medical groups, and the Biden administration say the gender-affirming treatments can save lives among a suicide-prone group. Some say that going through the 'wrong' puberty is harmful for trans adolescents. A Protester talks with a member of the Drag Queen Story Hour event in Wadsworth, Ohio, this month. Opponents of trans ideology say sex is determined at birth and cannot be changed A protest for transgender rights this month outside the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City, as politicians moved to ban sex-reassignment treatments on children Californian de-transitioner Chloe Cole, 18, is suing the healthcare providers who gave her puberty blockers at age 13 and a double mastectomy at 15 procedures she now deeply regrets Opponents of trans ideology say sex is determined at birth and cannot be changed, that medical groups have been hijacked by activists and that politicians must step in and stop parents, doctors, or therapists from permanently harming children. Many are alarmed by the sharp uptick in teenage girls with autism and other mental health woes seeking gender-change drugs in recent years, and of new studies linking puberty blockers to weaker bones and osteoporosis. America has in recent weeks witnessed a series of seminal moments in the trans debate that are seeing a growing number of pediatricians, parents, politicians, and even young trans people themselves question whether affirmation-on-demand is always the best answer. Critics of the trans movement often point to de-transitioners, as they are known, like Chloe Cole, 18, who is suing the healthcare providers who gave her puberty blockers at age 13 and a double mastectomy at 15 procedures she now deeply regrets. In a bombshell whistleblower testimony this month, Jamie Reed, a former employee at the Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Children's Hospital, revealed how the clinic administered a litany of irreparable treatments to minors, often without parental consent. Reed said doctors would ask questions like 'do you want a dead daughter or an alive son?' to 'bully' children's parents into going ahead with gender transitions under the pretense that not doing so would make them suicidal. Some argue that the AAP and other US institutions that promote affirmation-on-demand have been hijacked by trans ideologues. DailyMail.com last year exposed how AAP leaders tried to suppress members who wanted to review that policy. The US should follow the UK and other European countries that have backtracked on doling out puberty blockers, say some members. French unions on Thursday unfurled a giant banner opposite English shores to goad Britain's King Charles III after his first foreign state visit to France was cancelled. 'Sorry Charles, see you later,' said the banner unfurled by union activists a week after President Emmanuel Macron postponed at the last minute the planned visit by Charles. Macron said that nationwide union-led protests and strikes against contentious pension reforms prevented France from hosting Charles in the manner it had hoped. With the trip postponed, it fell to Germany to host Charles for his first foreign trip as monarch, where he was received with pomp on Wednesday and Thursday. Around 100 French union members unfurled the banner on Cap Blanc Nez, a point outside the northern city of Calais that is one of the closest places in France to England. French union members unfurl banners including one reading 'Sorry Charles, see you later' after a trip by Britain's King Charles III to France was postponed German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Britain's King Charles talk as they visit the 130th German/British Pioneer Bridge Battalion in Finowfurt Riot police surround a man lying on the pavement during clashes at a rally against the government's pension reform in Paris They battled clifftop winds but succeeded in unfurling the banner so it could be easily seen from the coast. The postponement of the visit meant that Charles had to forgo plans for a state banquet at the Palace of Versailles outside Paris and a trip to the southwestern city of Bordeaux. Macron has said the visit could go ahead in the early summer, but it remains unclear if Charles will find space in his schedule. It comes as the biggest security operation in French history took place on Tuesday in a response to French citizens taking to the streets with hopes for 'blood and fire'. Gerald Darmanin, the country's Interior Minister, said it would involve an 'unprecedented effort' by the forces of law and order. READ MORE: King Charles becomes the first British monarch to address the Bundestag with historic speech in German as he pays tribute to his late mother the Queen, references The Beatles, Kraftwerk and jokes about Lionesses' Euro 2022 win over Germany Britain's King Charles addresses the members of the lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, and received laughter and rapturous applause as he spoke in German Advertisement Up to a million people joined marches against President Emmanuel Macron for raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 without a parliamentary vote. On Tuesday, Darmanin said: 'Radicalized elements from the Left and the ultra-Left want to hijack the trade union processions.' 'Their aim is to bring fire and blood to France,' he added, saying that 13,000 police and gendarmes would be mobilised, including 5,500 in Paris alone. They will be supported by armoured cars, water cannon, and military units in reserve. Over seven million French people had tuned in to watch live broadcasts of Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in September, showing a surprising fascination with monarchy for a country who is seen as responsible for the birth of revolution. A 2016 poll showed that 17 percent of French people would support a king or queen taking over the role of head of state like the British monarchy. British studies professor Catherine Marshall told RFI that there was 'great love of the Queen herself' in France. However, following her death, Marshall questioned whether France would share the same love for the new King. She said: 'Will King Charles III be able to have as huge an amount of love and compassion as Queen Elizabeth II, I am not certain. But at the same time, I think identical questions are being asked in Britain.' Conversely, Germans have welcomed King Charles warmly as many worshipped the Queen and respect his own love for Germany - a country he has visited 40-plus times from aged 13, royal experts and distant relatives declared today. Alexander von Schonburg, who is married to Prince Philip's great-niece Princess Irina of Hesse, has said that Charles had always wanted Germany to be the destination for his first state visit - not France as planned this week. Charles' campaigning on the environment also resonates with Germans, he said. Macron said that nationwide union-led protests and strikes against contentious pension reforms prevented France from hosting Charles in the manner it had hoped It comes after the French government pushed a pensions reform through parliament without a vote, using the article 49.3 of the constitution 'Charles is very close to Germany. He sees us as pioneers in climate and environmental protection. He has been here more than 40 times, including with his relatives', Count von Schonburg said, adding: 'I know from a very reliable source that he wanted Germany to be the destination of his very first state visit as a sign of his unique love for our country'. Royal biographer Tom Bower told MailOnline: 'The Germans are pro-British, admired the Queen and respect Charles's many interests in the environment architecture and especially alternative medicine. His German family relations resonate a lot especially in Hamburg and Berlin. He has a natural affinity with educated Germans'. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will chair the UN Security Council meeting in New York in April - despite Moscow being at war with Ukraine. Moscow said Lavrov will chair the meeting next month when Russia will hold the rotating presidency of the international body. Ukraine has called for Russia to be removed from Security Council over the military operation launched in February last year and condemned its presidency next month as a 'bad joke'. 'Another key event of the Russian presidency (of the Security Council) will be a high-level open debate on the 'effective multilateralism through the defence of the principles of the UN Charter',' ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a press briefing. 'This meeting will be chaired by Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.' Last month, Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Moscow was planning to hold a meeting of the UN Security council on what he said is the 'real situation' of Ukrainian children deported to Russia. This is an issue that came to the fore following the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin for war crimes related to their abduction. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will chair the UN Security Council meeting in New York in April - despite Moscow being at war with Ukraine The ICC called for Putin's arrest as the court accused the despot of unlawfully abducting Ukrainian children from their homes and deporting them to Russia to be given to Russian families. Pictured: Ukrainian children onboard a train from Ukraine's Donbas region to Russia on February 22, 2022 The court said it was seeking Putin's arrest because he 'is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of (children) and that of unlawful transfer of (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.' Since Putin launched the invasion more than a year ago, Russians have been accused of deporting Ukrainian children to Russia or Russian-held territories to raise them as their own. At least 1,000 children were seized from schools and orphanages in the Kherson region during Russia's eight-month occupation of the area, local authorities say. Their whereabouts are still unknown. Nebenzia called the issue of the children 'totally overblown' and said Moscow wants to explain at the Security Council meeting, around April 6, that they were taken to Russia 'simply because we wanted to spare them of the danger that military activities may bring.' Nebenzia was asked whether Russia planned on returning the children. 'When conditions are safe, of course. Why not?' the Russian envoy replied. Ukraine earlier criticised the upcoming change in presidency at the UN Security Council. 'Russian UN Security Council presidency on April 1 is a bad joke,' Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter. "Russia has usurped its seat; it's waging a colonial war; its leader is a war criminal wanted by the ICC for kidnapping children," Kuleba said. The presidency rotates every month between the 15 member states. Russia last chaired the council in February 2022. Russia would hold little influence on the decisions but would be in charge of setting the agenda of the international body. Russia claims that the Ukrainian children don't have parents or guardians to look after them, or that they can't be reached. But it has emerged that officials have deported Ukrainian children to Russia or Russian-held territories without consent, lied to them that they weren't wanted by their parents, used them for propaganda, and given them Russian families and citizenship. Whether or not they have parents, raising the children of war in another country or culture can be a marker of genocide, an attempt to erase the very identity of an enemy nation. Prosecutors say it also can be tied directly to Putin, who has explicitly supported the adoptions. Ukrainian soldiers of the 28th brigade walk together at their position on the frontline near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Monday, March 27, 2023 Ukrainian soldiers of the 28th brigade fire a mortar at Russian positions on the frontline near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Monday, March 27, 2023 Meanwhile, Russian forces are 'getting hammered' in the battle for the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut in fighting described as a 'slaughter-fest' by senior US officials. Chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff General Mark Milley told lawmakers late last night: 'The Russians have not made any progress whatsoever in and around Bakhmut. 'It's a slaughter-fest for the Russians. They're getting hammered in the vicinity of Bakhmut and the Ukrainians have fought very very well.' But Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelensky, have admitted in recent days that Russian troops managed to gain some ground, despite having suffered horrendous losses. 'Enemy forces had a degree of success in their actions aimed at storming the city of Bakhmut,' the General Staff of the Ukrainian armed forces said in a regular report late on Wednesday. 'Our defenders are holding the city and are repelling numerous enemy attacks.' The mining city of Bakhmut and surrounding towns in the eastern industrial region of Donetsk have been the focal point of assault for much of Russia's 13-month-long invasion of Ukraine. Paul O'Grady's former BBC colleague Ken Bruce has paid tribute to the radio and TV star - after Radio 2 fans slammed the corporation over its 'shameless' tribute months after he was 'pushed out'. Tributes have been pouring in for the trailblazing comic turned broadcaster after he died 'unexpectedly but peacefully' on Tuesday night aged 67. O'Grady left his Sunday afternoon slot on Radio 2 in August last year, after more than a decade, due to a scheduling change that saw him asked to share his slot with comedian Rob Beckett. His departure came just two weeks after fellow broadcasting veteran Bruce amid a push to attract younger listeners. Appearing on ITV's Lorraine today, Bruce described O'Grady as 'a natural communicator' who found it easy to 'connect with his audience'. Tributes have been pouring in for the trailblazing comic turned broadcaster after he died 'unexpectedly but peacefully' on Tuesday night aged 67 Appearing on ITV's Lorraine today, Bruce described O'Grady as 'a natural communicator' who found it easy to 'connect with his audience' He said: 'He deserves it (the tributes following his death). When people are alive, we don't tell them enough that we love them. It is a shame that Paul is not able to read these (tributes). 'I think it was easy for him. He was a natural communicator, and he was being himself. I think that is what connected him with people - they knew they were hearing the real Paul. 'Especially on radio, as soon as he got into the radio studio he absolutely connected with his audience.' He was joined on the show by Carol Vorderman, who echoed Bruce in recalling O'Grady's warmth both on and off camera. She said: 'I haven't seen as much outpouring of grief for a very long time. Normally people are very respectful and they say "oh that was a nice person, he or she had great talent". 'But Paul had a connection that very few on screen have and I think it was that raw honesty - obviously he was really funny, really talented and all of those things - but he was something more than that.' O'Grady admitted he left Radio 2 in August because he 'wasn't really happy with the 13 weeks on, 13 weeks off business' that would have seen him regularly swapping with Beckett. He announced he had joined a rival radio station eight months after quitting, confirming he would be reprising his show on Boom Radio and was due to host his first show on Easter Sunday alongside regular sidekick, long suffering producer Malcolm Prince. It came after a push by Radio 2 to attract younger listeners by recruiting younger talent sparked an ageism row and triggered an exodus of older talent including the also popular Bruce and Steve Wright. Speaking last month, O'Grady confirmed the schedule's shake-up was the reason behind his departure. He told Metro: 'I was disappointed because I'm a great believer in continuity. If you go off for 13 weeks and somebody else comes on, the listeners don't know when you're back on.' He also questioned Radio 2's desire to appeal to younger audiences, saying: 'Radio 2 has changed, it's not what it was. They're trying to aim for a much younger audience, which doesn't make sense because you've got Radio 1.' Bruce was joined by Carol Vorderman on the show as they spoke of their memories of the broadcasting icon Paul O'Grady with producer Malcolm Prince in a publicity photograph released on March 21 ahead of their planned one-off Easter Sunday radio show on Boom Radio Radio 2 fans accused the BBC of ageism after a string of older DJs stepped back, including Paul O'Grady, Steve Wright, Ken Bruce and Simon Mayo A schedule shake-up on Radio 2 saw O'Grady regularly swapping with Rob Beckett (pictured) in 13-week slots He added: 'Radio 2 was always for an older audience'. Bruce has been replaced by presenter Vernon Kay, 48, as part of Radio 2's bid to rejuvenate the station's line-up. The BBC subsequently faced a backlash yesterday when it paid tribute to O'Grady following his death. Other veteran stars including Vanessa Feltz, 61, Craig Charles, 58, and Simon Mayo, 64, announced their departures over the past months, having been replaced by younger stars, sparking complaints from listeners, accusing the station of ageism. Steve Wright, 68, also left his weekday afternoon show last year, replaced by former Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills, 49. In a tweet, the corporation said: 'We're incredibly saddened to hear about the sudden passing of Paul O'Grady. 'Paul was a brilliant broadcaster and incredible comedian. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. We'll miss you Paul.' But amid a series of angry responses from his listeners, the BBC has been accused of 'crocodile tears' over the tweet after 'pushing him off air'. One said: 'Unfortunately this doesn't feel so heartfelt from the BBC considering he lost his brilliant show. He was a genuine real entertainer and he will be greatly missed.' Another added: 'Crocodile tears from a station who treated him abominably. His Sunday night audience loved him, so what did you do, in the name of 'progress'? Cut his broadcast time and make it impossible for him to stay.' A third said: 'You'll miss him? We've missed him since you pushed him off air. Paul was a wonderful broadcaster and deserved much better than the shabby treatment he received from Radio 2.' Speaking yesterday, David Lloyd, co-founder of Boom Radio, told MailOnline: 'Paul loved his radio - and it suited him so well. Following the Easter show, we had every expectation that he would have started a more regular commitment with us later in the year. 'Many of our listeners are already asking if we will re-run his Christmas Day show on Easter Day. It may well be the most fitting tribute to a broadcaster who was at the top of his game.' We Are China Gravity-defying bamboo-bending acrobatics (People's Daily App) 15:55, March 30, 2023 Watch these incredible Chinese acrobats defy gravity, using a bamboo pole, a unicycle, and their extraordinary skills. Can the bamboo hold up? See for yourself! (Video source: Kuaishou) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Rev. Amos Brown, a senior member of both California and San Francisco's reparations task forces, attended a lavish state banquet in Ghana this week as part of Kamala Harris' delegation rather than take part in a committee meeting. Brown, who has served as the vice president's pastor since the 1990s, was listed alongside his wife, Jane, as a guest of Ghanaian President Akufo-Addo at the dinner on March 27th. Rev. Brown, 82, Zoomed into Wednesday's meeting of the reparations task force in Sacramento. The reverend's absence came on the same day that it emerged that the bill for California's reparations bill has skyrocketed to at least $800 billion. At Wednesday's meeting, the task force refused to recommend a dollar figure for compensation, saying that it should be left up to the state legislature to decide on the final number after it goes to the California State Assembly. The Browns were joined at the state banquet by the Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, movie stars Idris Elba, Rosaria Dawson, Sheryl Lee Ralph, as well as Oscar-winner Spike Lee. On the right, Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, pictured with movie star Rosario Dawson and Oscar-winner Spike Lee During his appearance from West Africa, Brown complained that the reports that $5 million would be given to black residents in the Bay Area were part of a 'smear campaign.' Brown said that the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, of which he is a member, gave 'lip service' to reparations and noted that the city is facing a massive deficit. A member of the public who called into the meeting to offer comment addressed Brown's absence saying: 'Shame on you.' Harris a long-standing relationship with Brown, who repeatedly vouched for the former California senator's Christianity during the 2020 presidential election. 'I think many of you know Dr. Brown, but I will tell you: For two decades now, at least, I have turned to you. I have turned to him. And I will say that your wisdom has really guided me and grounded me during some of the most difficult times,' Harris told the National Baptist Convention in September 2022. 'You have been a source of inspiration to me always. So thank you, Reverend Brown, for being all that you are. Thank you,' she added. Since 2022, Rev. Brown has operated the Amos C. Brown Student Fellowship to Ghana in conjunction with the NAACP and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. According to the NAACP website, the fellowship offers students a chance to 'be ambassadors for social and racial justice' and to 'gain experience about the Atlantic Slave Trade' in Ghana. In her historic visit to Africa, Vice President Harris promised billions of investment to the continent as she toured historic sites associated with slavery. The vice president promised $60 million alone to address Ghana's gender divide. Brown, who has served as the vice president's pastor since the 1990s, was listed alongside his wife, Jane, as a guest of Ghanaian President Akufo-Addo at the state banquet on March 27th Jane Brown, Rev. Brown's wife, center in yellow, pictured in Ghana on Thursday Rev. Brown, the leader of San Francisco's NAACP chapter, pictured with Vice President Harris in 2008 Much of Vice President Harris' remarks there focused on innovation and entrepreneurship, part of her effort to spotlight Africa as a place for American private-sector investment. In a phone comment section that began Wednesday's meeting, one angry caller accused Brown, without citing any evidence, of soliciting donations in his role with the NAACP in order to line up 'his retirement fund.' The caller also criticized a recent $50 million donation the group received from Wells Fargo in criticizing Brown. Wells Fargo has been widely criticized in the past for rejecting a majority of black mortgage applicants, reports Bloomberg. 'Dr. Brown, shame on you... absolutely shame on you. You give us these fiery speeches only to turn around as Judas did Jesus and betray us.... Him being in Ghana with Kamala Harris, whose administration has done nothing to help black folks is a symbolic gesture,' another caller said. A speaker named Vader called out Rev. Amos for not appearing at Wednesday's meeting Vader then confronted a group off camera who had been heckling him During the in person speaking portion Wednesday, one California resident, identified only as Vader, said: 'This panel is not even going to call out their own member who didn't show up and we know why he didn't show up cause he didn't want to get shouted down, right?' He went on to say: 'The governor is failing us. The governor appointed this panel and this panel is failing us.' '[Brown] is supposed to represent black Americans, is he representing black Americans? He's in Ghana right now when he's supposed to be here. What is that?... It's fake up in here.' The speaker was heckled by another group. He turned to them and said: 'I'm calling you an enemy of the people to your face.' This was followed by undeterminable yelling. While another public speaker said: 'We just gave Zelenskyy $100 billion, he's not black, he's not even American.' Amos earlier this month made an about-face on plans to pay $5million in reparations to every black resident of San Francisco, saying he now believes the cash should go to community projects instead. The reason for his reversed position is unclear. Speaking on behalf of the San Francisco NAACP, Brown called for the city to redirect its focus on education, jobs, housing, healthcare and a cultural center for black people. In a statement, Brown said: 'We strongly believe that creating and funding programs that can improve the lives of those who have been impacted by racism and discrimination is the best path forward towards equality and justice.' It comes after a public meeting of San Fran's Board of Supervisors on March 14 to allow people to air their views on a plan to provide reparations to black residents. The NAACP directly responded to the discussion, saying that the investment needed to be in education, healthcare and economic empowerment both of which are in line with the California taskforce and the AARAC suggestions. Brown said: 'Black students don't perform as well as their peers. We need remedial programs to help our children with reading, math, and science. 'The school district and the city have a moral obligation to raise up all children and especially those whose families have been disadvantaged by discrimination. Task force Chair Kamilah Moore has stated she plans to be as 'radical as possible' when it comes to deciding who will receive reparations and how much California State Senator Steven Bradford (left) and Dr. Cheryl Grills (right) also appear on the taskforce Task force members Lisa Holder (left) and Donald K. Tamaki (right) Task force members Councilmember Monica Montgomery Steppe (left) and Jovan Scott Lewis (right) Reginald Jones Sawyer (left) and Reparations Task Force Vice Chair Dr. Amos C. Brown The $800 billion estimate is more than 2.5 times California's $300 billion annual budget, and does not include a recommended $1 million per older Black resident for health disparities that have shortened their average life span. Nor does the figure count compensating people for property unjustly taken by the government or devaluing Black businesses, two other harms the task force says the state perpetuated. 'We've got to go in with an open mind and come up with some creative ways to deal with this,' said Assembly member Reggie Jones-Sawyer, one of two lawmakers on the task force responsible for mustering support from state legislators and Gov. Gavin Newsom before any reparations could become reality. In an interview prior to the meeting, Jones-Sawyer said he needed to consult budget analysts, other legislators and the governor's office before deciding whether the scale of payments is feasible. The statewide estimate includes $246 billion to compensate eligible Black Californians whose neighborhoods were subjected to aggressive policing and prosecution of Black people in the 'war on drugs' from 1970 to 2020. That would translate to nearly $125,000 for every person who qualifies. The numbers are approximate, based on modeling and population estimates. The economists also included $569 billion to make up for the discriminatory practice of redlining in housing loans. Demonstrators with the Reparationist Collective gather at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC to demand reparations for slavery in February 2021 Redlining officially began in the 1930s when the federal government started backing mortgages to support homebuying, but excluded majority black neighborhoods by marking them red on internal maps. Such compensation would amount to about $223,000 per eligible resident who lived in California from 1933 to 1977. The aggregate is considered a maximum and assumes all 2.5 million people who identify as black in California would be eligible. Earlier this month, Lisa Holder, a member of the California Reparations Task Force and president of the Equal Justice Society, suggested in a letter that an appropriate figure to be given to applicants would be $360,000. Speaking about the new figures of the total cost of reparations, legal advisor Richard Weaver told California Globe that the task force's recommendations could face legal problems. 'Giving money right off the bat or giving big housing loans, well, they need to prove how it benefits people, and again, they need to make it legally sound... if any kind of reparation legislation is passed, and that is a big if, it will be dragged through the courts for years and will probably not see the light of day,' Weaver said. 'Reparations are, on average, a very unpopular policy. The fact that the Task Force isn't even trying to give a figure now is kind of showing that now.' Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation in 2020 creating the reparations task force after national protests over the death of George Floyd, a black man, at the hands of Minneapolis police. While federal initiatives have stalled, cities, counties and other institutions have stepped in. An advisory committee in San Francisco has reportedly recommended $5 million payouts, as well as guaranteed income of at least $97,000 and personal debt forgiveness for qualifying individuals. Supervisors expressed general support, but stopped short of endorsing specific proposals. They will take up the issue later this year. Ministers today announced they are moving to ban sanctioned Russians from accessing their frozen funds to launch legal cases in Britain. The action follows an outcry over reports earlier this year that a close ally of Vladimir Putin had been assisted by Treasury officials in taking a British journalist to court. In a written statement to the House of Commons, Treasury minister James Cartlidge told MPs that officials will, from now on, reject applications for the use of frozen funds in order to pay for legal fees related to defamation and similar cases. He also announced a specific crackdown against those sanctioned individuals from Russia and Belarus. It comes after a review of existing rules was launched by the Treasury in January. This followed claims that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the sanctioned boss of the brutal Wagner Group, was helped to lauch legal action against a Bellingcat journalist in the UK. The action follows claims that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the sanctioned boss of the brutal Wagner Group, was helped to lauch legal action against a journalist in the UK Mr Prigozhin is a close ally of Vladimir Putin and the Russian President has been aided in his efforts to invade Ukraine by Wagner Group mercenaries Although Rishi Sunak was in charge of the Treasury at the time, the now PM was said to have had no part in considering whether Mr Prigozhin should be granted permission In his written statement, Mr Cartlidge outlined 'targeted changes' to the process for issuing licences for access to funds for legal fees. He told MPs this would 'safeguard' Britain's sanctions regime 'against the risk of manipulation'. 'Our approach to date reflects the fact that the right to legal representation is a fundamental one and it is therefore important that designated persons are still able to access legal representation,' the Treasury minister added. 'However, in this context, it is the Governments view that in most cases, the use of frozen funds for payment of legal professional fees for defamation cases is not an appropriate use of funds, and in many cases will be against the public interest. 'Whilst still reviewing each individual application on a case-by-case basis (for both appropriateness and compliance with the right to a fair hearing), OFSI (Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation) will, in future, take a presumption that legal fees relating to defamation and similar cases will be rejected. 'The Russian and Belarussian Legal Services General Licence will also be amended so that it no longer authorises legal fees for defamation and similar cases. 'Any person or entity that acts without a specific licence where the activity is not covered by the General Licence, will be in breach of financial sanctions and liable for a monetary penalty or, if egregious enough, criminal prosecution.' Mr Prigozhin is a close ally of Mr Putin and the Russian President has been aided in his efforts to invade Ukraine by Wagner Group mercenaries. Many of them are currently engaged in the bloody battle for the city of Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine, with their numbers having been boosted by the recruitment of Russian prisoners to their ranks. In January, the website OpenDemocracy reported that a Treasury team issued licences to allow lawyers to help Mr Prigozhin launch legal action against a Bellingcat journalist in the UK in 2021 while the Russian oligarch was subject to sanctions. Although Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was in charge of the Treasury at the time in his former role as Chancellor, he was said to have had no part in considering whether Mr Prigozhin should be granted permission. The libel suit against the journalist followed revelations published by Bellingcat about the Wagner Group's shadowy operations. OpenDemocracy reported that leaked emails showed how the Government granted licences for a British law firm to work on the case, while permission was also given for Mr Prigozhin's lawyers to fly business class to St Petersburg so they could meet face-to-face and finalise their legal attack. The case collapsed in March last year following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The so-called 'QAnon Shaman' who pleaded guilty to storming the US Capitol on January 6 has been released from prison to a halfway house 14 months early, in an apparent reduction for good behavior. Jacob Chansley, 35, pleaded guilty in September 2021 to civil disorder and violent entry to the Capitol, among other charges, and was later sentenced to 41 months in federal prison. Earlier this week, Chansley was transferred from FCI Stafford federal prison in Arizona to community confinement in the Phoenix area, after serving just under 27 total months in prison, a Bureau of Prisons (BOP) spokesman confirmed in a statement to DailyMail.com on Thursday. The spokesman declined to comment on the reason for the transfer, but pointed generally to federal laws that allow for good-conduct sentence reductions, as well as release to a halfway house for the final 12 months of a sentence. Chansley's release comes weeks after his former attorney demanded he be freed in light of new video from the Capitol riot, but his move to the halfway house appears to be unconnected. A former federal prosecutor unconnected with the case said it was doubtful public pressure played a role in Chansley's transfer, noting the move appears 'kind of routine' under BOP guidelines. Jacob Chansley has been freed from federal prison early and released to a halfway house Chansley is seen being followed through the Capitol by a police officer on January 6, 2021 'For safety, and security reasons, we do not discuss the conditions of confinement for any inmate, including transfers or release plans, nor do we specify an individual's specific location while in community confinement,' the BOP spokesman said. 'Community confinement' can refer to either house arrest or a halfway house, but Chansley's former attorney said that he had been moved to a halfway house. The Bureau of Prison confirmed that Chansley is in the custody of the Residential Reentry Management field office in Phoenix, which contracts with halfway houses to help inmates prepare to reenter society. His release date is set for May 25. Federal inmates can receive a 15 percent reduction in their prison sentence for good behavior behind bars, and can also serve the final 12 months of their sentences in halfway houses at the discretion of the Bureau of Prisons. With his elaborate garb and face paint, Chansley became known as the face of the riot on January 6, 2021, in which supporters of former President Donald Trump illegally entered the US Capitol and temporarily disrupted the certification of Joe Biden's election to the presidency. In a statement to DailyMail.com, Albert S. Watkins, the attorney who handled Chansley's plea and sentencing, applauded his transfer to a halfway house. 'After serving eleven months in solitary prior to his sentence being imposed, and only 16 months of his sentence thereafter, it is appropriate this gentle and intelligent young man be permitted to move forward with the next stage of what undoubtedly will be a law abiding and enriching life,' said Watkins. 'I applaud the decision of the US Bureau of Prison in this regard,' added Watkins. Watkins declined to speculate on the reason for Chansley's early release, saying: 'This was a decision of the US Bureau of Prisons. I cannot speak for the US Bureau of Prisons.' In recent weeks, prominent figures including billionaire Elon Musk had called for Chansley's release, citing new footage that appeared to show him being 'escorted' by cops inside the Capitol during the riot. However, former federal prosecutor Neama Ramani, the president of West Coast Trial Lawyers, told DailyMail.com that it was unlikely the intense scrutiny on Chansley's case had any impact on his early release. 'I don't think it has anything to do with media [or] public pressure,' said Ramani, who is not connected with the case. He noted that release of inmates to halfway houses for the final 12 months of their sentences was 'kind of routine for the Bureau of Prisons,' particularly for inmates without a lengthy criminal history. 'Despite the violent nature of the Capitol riots, most of the rioters had little to no criminal history,' said Ramani. Tucker Carlson released footage from inside the Capitol on January 6, including clips showing the 'QAnon Shaman', Jacob Chansley (above), being apparently 'escorted' in the building Albert Watkins (right) represented Jacob Chansley in court. Chansley pled guilty, Watkins said, without knowing about the footage showing him inside the Capitol Earlier this month, Watkins had argued that Chansley should be freed after Fox News host Tucker Carlson aired previously unseen footage from the riot. Carlson used his Fox News show to broadcast clips showing Chansley inside the US Capitol. Chansley appears to be escorted inside the building by Capitol Police officers, while other officers allow the chest-baring, horn-wearing Trump supporter to pass. On Carlson's broadcast, Chansley's former lawyer said he had not been shown the new footage, which the conservative news anchor said was 'clearly exculpatory'. Carlson used the footage to argue that the rioters were 'sightseers', and 'mostly peaceful'. However, other evidence omitted by Carlson shows that Chansley entered the Capitol without permission, was repeatedly asked to leave the building, and was not accompanied by cops at all times. For instance, a statement signed by signed by Chansley and his attorney contradicts the suggestion that he was 'escorted' by cops throughout the riot. The statement admits that Chansley entered the Capitol through a broken door as part of a crowd that 'was not lawfully authorized to enter or remain in the building' and that he was one of the first 30 rioters inside. It also notes that although officers asked Chansley and others multiple times to leave the Capitol, he did not comply and actively urged on his fellow rioters. The statement describes Chansley's interactions with officers during the breach, but also points out that he 'entered the Gallery of the Senate alone.' Watkins has previously said that his former client disavows the 'QAnon' conspiracy theory, and prefers to be known simply as 'the Shaman'. Ministers and government officials have been officially banned from sharing top secret material via WhatsApp after a string of embarrassing controversies. New guidance issued today tightens the rules on what can and cannot be shared by unofficial channels like chat apps and text message. As well as a ban on the most secret material, ministers and mandarins have been told they can continue to share material marked 'sensitive' but must take 'particular care', and only do so using their own personal devices in exceptional circumstances. They are warned that 'in general, it is expected that you use government systems for government business'. The guidance is the first update of the guidance on use of non-corporate communication channels (NCCCs) in a decade. Many of the platforms involved did not exist then, and the previous material only covered private email accounts. It comes after the furore over former health secretary Matt Hancock's leaked WhatsApp messages, which caused the government embarrassment due to the material that was made public, including conversations with Boris Johnson. And last year Home Secretary Suella Braverman was branded 'Leaky Sue' over allegations she shared sensitive information about immigration policy with a right wing ally. There are also fears that it is too easy to delete material transferred via electronic means, presenting a record-keeping problem. The guidance is the first update of the guidance on use of non-corporate communication channels (NCCCs) in a decade. It comes after the furore over former health secretary Matt Hancock's leaked WhatsApp messages, which caused the government embarrassment due to the material that was made public, including conversations with Boris Johnson. In a written statement put out on the last day of the parliamentary term, Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Dowden said: 'The new guidance is aimed at ensuring that the government can use non-corporate communication channels when appropriate while considering the record-keeping, transparency, security and data protection implications.' In a written statement put out on the last day of the parliamentary term, Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Dowden said: 'The new guidance is aimed at ensuring that the government can use non-corporate communication channels when appropriate while considering the record-keeping, transparency, security and data protection implications.' The guidance advises that 'particular care should be applied' to use of WhatsApp, Signal, private email and text messages via government device 'if communicating significant government information', adding: 'You should use your discretion, exercising professional judgement if communicating any logistical or other non-significant government information.' Regarding private devices, it adds: 'You would require exceptional circumstances to justify communicating significant government information; and/or information with additional marking (including information marked-SENSITIVE) requiring additional protective controls or behaviours.' Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro arrived back in his home country on Thursday after a three-month stay in Florida, seeking a new role on the political scene as authorities in the capital braced for the far-right populists return. Hundreds of supporters dressed in yellow and green chanted for him as they waited in the capital city of Brasilia, where the far-right leader is the subject of several investigations. The Federal Districts security secretariat mobilized hundreds of police officers and the Esplanade of Ministries was closed to prevent gatherings. Bolsonaro left Brazil just before the end of his presidential term. In so doing, he broke with tradition by declining to hand the presidential sash to his successor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who won the October election with the narrowest finish since Brazils return to democracy over three decades earlier. While in the U.S., Bolsonaro mostly kept a low profile, although he delivered several speeches to Brazilian expats and conservatives, including at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland. Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro waves to supporters at the Liberal Party's headquarters in Brasilia, Brazil, Thursday, March 30 For the first time in 30 years, the lawmaker-turned-president does not hold elected office. 'Im without a mandate, but Im not retired,' Bolsonaro told television network Jovem Pan on Monday. Before boarding a flight to Brazil at Orlando International Airport, he told CNN Brazil he did not plan to to lead the political opposition to Lula, a claim his allies don't believe. Bolsonaro appeared to play into those suspicions when he touched down in Brazil and stated in his first speech back that Lula and the left would only keep power 'for now, for a little while.' Hundreds of Bolsonaro supporters gathered at Brasilia International Airport early Thursday. They chanted against Lula and repeated the motto of a protest that triggered Brazil's 1964-1985 dictatorship: God, family and liberty. However, they did not get to see the far-right leader come out the main exit and instead faced morning traffic to gather outside his Liberal Partys headquarters to show their enthusiasm. 'Bolsonaro was the best president weve ever had, I had never seen an administration like his,' said Marinalva Wanderley, 71, who brought five members of her family from Sao Paulo to the Liberal Partys headquarters. 'I think he was in the U.S. with Donald Trump to see what is best for Brazil and the U.S. We will have a much bigger opposition (to Lula), thats for sure.' Bolsonaro arrived back in Brazil on Thursday after a three-month stay in Florida, seeking a new role on the political scene as authorities in the capital braced for the far-right populists return Bolsonaro left Brazil just before the end of his presidential term. In so doing, he broke with tradition by declining to hand the presidential sash to his successor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who won the October election with the narrowest finish since Brazils return to democracy over three decades earlier Hundreds of supporters dressed in yellow and green chanted for him as they waited in the capital city of Brasilia, where the far-right leader is the subject of several investigations The Federal Districts security secretariat mobilized hundreds of police officers and the Esplanade of Ministries was closed to prevent gatherings Bolsonaro was expected to speak to lawmakers in a private meeting later Thursday. His party said in a statement that he was not expected to deliver a speech. A horde of his supporters stormed and ransacked the capital's most important government buildings on Jan. 8, one week after Lula took office, seeking to oust the new president from power. Bolsonaros aim to reassume political prominence may be stymied by a series of investigations, including whether he incited the Jan. 8 uprising. Recent revelations by newspaper Estado de S.Paulo regarding three boxes of expensive jewelry allegedly brought to Bolsonaro from Saudi Arabia have exposed the former president to greater legal jeopardy. His return to Brazil has been repeatedly delayed, and some had speculated he could postpone indefinitely in light of his legal troubles. While in the U.S., Bolsonaro mostly kept a low profile , although he delivered several speeches to Brazilian expats and conservatives , including at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland 'Im without a mandate, but Im not retired,' Bolsonaro told television network Jovem Pan on Monday Hundreds of Bolsonaro supporters gathered at Brasilia International Airport early Thursday Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attends the relaunch ceremony of the Programa Mais Medicos Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of Trump and considered a strategist of the global far right, told Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo this week that Bolsonaro never should have left the country, and dismissed the importance of the investigations. Now that Bolsonaro has returned, his first objective will be to rally opposition to Lula's government, said Mayra Goulart da Silva, a political scientist from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. 'Bolsonaro decided to return to Brazil because no clear opposition leader to the government has emerged,' da Silva said, adding that the vacuum might otherwise be filled by someone else. Next years municipal elections are an important step toward gaining political momentum for a possible 2026 presidential run. Bolsonaro is expected to throw his support behind his Liberal Partys mayoral candidates who, if victorious, can then use their stature to stump for him. Jair Bolsonaro, former President of Brazil, arrives to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference In addition to probes into the diamonds, Bolsonaro is the subject of about a dozen investigations by Brazils electoral courts into his actions during last years campaign, particularly related to his unsubstantiated claims that the electronic voting system is susceptible to fraud. If Bolsonaro is found guilty in any of those cases, he would lose his political rights and be unable to run for office in the next election. Bolsonaro, an ally of Trump, hinted he could seek the presidency in the future while speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference near in Maryland on March 4. 'I thank God for the mission of being president of Brazil for one term. But I feel deep inside that this mission is still not over,' Bolsonaro said in his speech. A federal court on Wednesday ordered him to return a second set of jewelry that he received from the Saudi government. The decision comes a few days after authorities in police launched an investigation into an attempt to illegally bring the jewelry valued at $3.2 million into the country, gifts to the then-president and his wife Michelle from by the Saudi king. Bolsonaro, who has been given five days to return the jewelry, said he would be turning over the second gift to the government, his lawyer said in a letter. The court is also requesting that the first set of jewelry, seized by customs officials in 2021 in the backpack of a government aide returning from Saudi Arabia, be kept in custody at the presidential offices, in addition to opening an audit on all gifts received by Bolsonaro during his term. Several officials from the Bolsonaro administration unsuccessfully tried to recover the jewelry -- a diamond necklace, ring, watch and earrings -- that was being held by customs, according to local media. North Korea has committed horrific human rights violations including executing children and pregnant women, carrying out human experiments and forcibly sterilising disabled people, a South Korean report has claimed. The pariah state has also put citizens to death for being homosexual, for their religion and for trying to flee the country, the report by the South's Ministry of Unification states. Horrifying testimony also reveals the regime forced nurses to write up 'a list of dwarfs' and conducted hysterectomies on a woman with dwarfism, as well as human experiments. The extensive 450-page report details egregious human rights abuses in North Korea, including the right to life and liberty, as well as freedom from slavery, torture and other inhumane treatment. It is based on damning testimony from more than 500 North Koreans who fled from their homeland and was collected from 2017 to 2022. A North Korean soldier looks out from behind barbed wire at a camp. Deaths and torture regularly occur in detention facilities, a South Korean report has found A South Korean soldier, left, experiences what it is like to be held in a North Korean cell at the Korean War exhibition in Seoul in 2010 In a move that is sure to infuriate despot Kim Jong-un and his regime, the ministry revealed its yearly report to the public for the first time ever today as it aims to lift the lid on the North's 'gruesome' human rights abuses. Chilling testimony from today's report states that a six-month pregnant woman was executed by the regime. The reason for her killing was said to be that a widely circulated video showed her pointing at a portrait of the late Kim Il-sung while dancing in her home. More disturbing testimony revealed that six teenagers, aged 16 and 17, were executed by shooting. They were said to have been charged over watching video footage originating from South Korea and smoking opium at a stadium in the city of Wonsan, Kangwon Province. It also details that the regime carried out human experiments, with officials at the Ministry of Social Security allegedly blackmailing families into letting their relatives become human test subjects under the threat of sending them to prison camps. Human subjects were reported to have secretly been fed sleeping pills and forcibly taken to a facility called Hospital 83 to undergo various experiments. Disabled people, particularly those with dwarfism, were also deprived of their human rights and had medical procedures conducted on them against their wills. Pictured: Inmates at a North Korean prison camp. Rampant state-led rights abuses have taken place in communities, prison camps and elsewhere, the reports states In 2015, nurses at one hospital were reportedly told to create a 'list of dwarfs' which was then used to prevent people with dwarfism from giving birth. One woman with dwarfism was allegedly forced to undergo a hysterectomy - a surgical procedure to remove her womb and prevent her from having a child - in 2017. Rampant state-led rights abuses were said to have taken place in communities, prison camps and elsewhere, including public executions, torture and arbitrary arrests. Women in detention were subjected to inhumane conditions including torture, forced labor, sexual violence and starvation. Detention facilities saw deaths and torture occurring regularly and some people were summarily executed after being caught trying to cross the border, the South Korean ministry said. A total of 11 political prison camps were identified by the Unification Ministry, with five currently in operation. 'North Korean citizens' right to life appears to be greatly threatened,' the ministry said in its report. In a move that is sure to infuriate despot Kim Jong-un and his regime, the South's Ministry of Unification revealed its yearly report to the public for the first time 'Executions are widely carried out for acts that do not justify the death penalty, including drug crimes, distribution of South Korean videos, and religious and superstitious activities. The report came as South Korea seeks to highlight its isolated neighbour's failure to improve living conditions while racing to boost its nuclear and missile arsenals. Seoul began compiling yearly reports on Pyongyang's alleged human rights abuses in 2018 following the enactment of the North Korean Human Rights Acts in 2016. While the Unification Ministry is required by law to make an annual assessment of the North's human rights situation, this year marks the first time the report has been made public. The previous South Korean government, headed by liberal-leaning Moon Jae-in, avoided making the reports public due to what it saw as the need to protect the identities of the North Korean defectors who testified. The country's current president, the more conservative Yoon Suk Yeol, expressed his administration's desire to 'fully expose' the North's 'gruesome human rights violations'. Starving prisoners line up to face another day of gruelling forced labour in some of the first ever photos to show inmates at a North Korean prison camp (taken in 2021) President Yoon said the report's publication should better inform the international community of what is going on in the North. He added that the rogue state deserves 'not a single penny' of economic aid while it pursues its nuclear ambitions. The approach by Yoon is a distinct departure from that of his liberal predecessor, who faced criticism for his less outspoken position on the North's rights as he sought to improve ties and build rapport with the North's leader. North Korea has roundly rejected criticism of its rights conditions as part of a plot to overthrow its rulers. While the South Korean government's findings could not be independently verified, they were in line with UN investigations and reports from non-governmental organisations. Nearly 34,000 North Koreans have settled in South Korea but the number of defectors has fallen sharply in recent times because of increasingly tight border security. A sex beast who raped a nurse nearly 19 years ago and left her fearing she would be killed has been jailed for 10 and a half years. Adrian Satchwell, 61, brutally assaulted the woman after holding something 'cold, shiny and silver' to her neck. The woman had been out celebrating a friend's new job at a local pub before she was targeted by Satchwell in Acton Park, west London, late on July 4 2004, Isleworth Crown Court heard. Her underwear was recovered from her flat and police were able to link Satchwell, of Shepherd's Bush to the attack 13 years later when he was brought in for an allegation of a separate sex attack. The victim was left having panic attacks and could no longer work in the intensive care unit following his attack. Adrian Satchwell, 61, brutally assaulted the woman after holding something 'cold, shiny and silver' to her neck Detectives had retained contact with the survivor ever since the horrific attack in 2004 and remained devoted to the investigation. He denied but was convicted of rape by a jury. Judge Sarah Paneth told Satchwell: 'The victim was alone when she saw two men coming towards her. 'You asked her 'What are you doing in the park at this time of night.' 'She said she had frozen and said:' I don't know' and she went to walk past you and fell onto the grass. 'She wasn't able to say whether she had fallen or been pushed over but she recalled after that she was crawling on all fours just wanting to get away. 'The next thing she remembers was being raped by you. 'She said she just went numb, she went somewhere else she couldn't move. The victim was left having panic attacks and could no longer work in the intensive care unit following his attack. Pictured: Acton Park, West London, where the attack took place 'At one point you pushed her down to the ground and you had both her arms pulled behind her back so she couldn't move. 'She felt something cold on her neck and saw it was shiny and silver, she was unable to say whether it was a knife, but she thought she was going to die, and then everything went black.' The victim had planned to travel to Spain the next day and did not want the attack to stop her travelling so she confided in a friend who reported the rape to police on her behalf. Satchwell, of Goldhawk Road, Shepherd's Bush, denied but was convicted of rape. He was sentenced to ten and a half years jail and must serve at least two thirds of his sentence before his is eligible for parole. Judge Paneth continued: 'Her underwear was recovered from the flat and that's how you were identified as her rapist 13 years later during an investigation of another offence, where you were subsequently acquitted. 'You say in your pre-sentence interview your weakness is women. Your behaviour that night, certainly in my judgment, is accurately described as predatory. 'I found the complainant's evidence very compelling and accurate despite her not remembering some of the night. 'What happened that night affected her very deeply. She suffered from brain fog and concentration problems. 'She could no longer work in the intensive care unit. It is nearly 20 years since you committed this offence, and she is still deeply affected. When she stood in the witness box, she still showed.' Satchwell was described as having an 'obsession with sex' by Judge Paneth, who said infidelity, casual sex and paid sex were 'a normal part' of his behaviour. Charlotte O'Connor, defending, told the court Satchwell was left 'a single father to a 14-year-old boy' after his partner died in 2015. She said it wasn't as though he was lying in wait for anyone in the park. O'Connor said: 'He said he would always go to the park after work to chill out... often meeting his lady friend there.' Detective Sergeant Susan Phillips led the investigation. She said: 'Despite there being a 19 year gap between the rape and today's outcome, the Met has not given up and remained dedicated to putting the man responsible for this horrifying attack behind bars. 'Satchwell is a violent, predatory rapist and it is a relief to know he will spend many years in prison. What he did to the victim had a profound and lasting impact on her life. He has shown no remorse. 'I was determined to get justice for the victim who has remained stoic over the past 19 years. Her dedication and commitment to the investigation and throughout the trial has led to today's outcome. She is an incredibly brave woman.' During an impact statement read out in court, the victim said: 'Before this happened to me I had a lot of self-confidence. I would go out with friends but since this has happened I have found that I am a lot more restrictive with what I do. 'At the time I became a lot more withdrawn, not talking to anyone and devoid of emotion. 'To this day, I find that I am still anxious, I suffer from panic attacks, chest pains and shaking. I walk around in a constant state of hypervigilance. 'I am so grateful for the tenacity of DS Susan Phillips, to purse and delve in to this case and to not let it go. The other police officers and barrister at court made me feel so comfortable and I am so grateful. 'There have been so many difficult stages along the way, but they have just made it so much more comfortable. 'I am relieved to have had what happened to me validated by the jury. 'That man is disgusting, he disgusts me that he lied and made up different stories along the way to try and avoid what he did to me.' Indicted FTX cryptocurrency exchange founder Sam Bankman-Fried arrived at Manhattan Federal Court Friday, where he is expected to plead not guilty on Thursday to new criminal charges. Bankman-Fried, 31, was seen by DailyMail.com cameras on his way to deny charges including conspiracy to violate campaign finance laws and paid a $40million bribe to at least one Chinese government official to unfreeze $1billion worth of cryptocurrency. The disgraced crypto CEO had earlier pleaded not guilty to eight counts of fraud and conspiracy for allegedly stealing billions in FTX customer funds to plug losses at his hedge fund, Alameda Research. A person familiar with the matter said he also plans to plead not guilty to the new 13-count indictment. The new charges add to the pressure on Bankman-Fried, who faces a possible sentence of decades in prison if convicted at a trial set to start on October 2. Indicted FTX cryptocurrency exchange founder Sam Bankman-Fried arrived at Manhattan Federal Court Friday, where he is expected to plead not guilty on Thursday to new criminal charges He was arrested in December, after a flurry of customer withdrawals spurred by concerns about commingling of funds between the exchange and Alameda prompted the collapse of now-bankrupt FTX. The initial indictment by the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan contained few details about the alleged scheme. In an unusual post-arrest blog post, the former billionaire acknowledged inadequate risk management at FTX, but said he did not steal funds. Prosecutors in late February filed a new 12-count indictment elaborating on the fraud charges and accusing Bankman-Fried of illicitly contributing tens of millions of dollars to U.S. political campaigns through straw donors, part of a strategy to buy influence in Washington. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan charged Bankman-Fried on Tuesday with directing the payment in cryptocurrency in order to unfreeze accounts belonging to his hedge fund, Alameda Research, that Chinese authorities had frozen in November 2021. The accounts held more than $1billion of cryptocurrency, U.S. prosecutors said. Once those assets were unfrozen, the indictment says, Bankman-Fried authorized another transfer of tens of millions of dollars of additional cryptocurrency to complete the bribe. The 13 new international bribery charges increase the pressure on the 31-year-old former billionaire, who had previously pleaded not guilty to eight counts of defrauding investors by using their money to plug losses for Alameda. According to the new indictment, Bankman-Fried and his associates tried 'numerous methods' to unfreeze the accounts in November 2021. Bankman-Fried, 31, was seen by DailyMail.com cameras on his way to deny charges including conspiracy to violate campaign finance laws and paid a $40million bribe to at least one Chinese government official to unfreeze $1billion worth of cryptocurrency The disgraced crypto CEO had earlier pleaded not guilty to eight counts of fraud and conspiracy for allegedly stealing billions in FTX customer funds to plug losses at his hedge fund, Alameda Research A person familiar with the matter said he also plans to plead not guilty to the new 13-count indictment The new charges add to the pressure on Bankman-Fried, who faces a possible sentence of decades in prison if convicted at a trial set to start on October 2 But after both legal and personal efforts failed, Bankman-Fried agreed to and directed the multimillion dollar bribe 'intended for the benefit of one or more Chinese government officials in order to influence and induce them' to unfreeze the accounts. He then allegedly used the money to help fund Alameda's failing trades, and was able to defraud customers and investors for another year before the cryptocurrency exchange imploded. SBF was ultimately forced to declare FTX bankrupt in November 2022 as concerns about the missing funds led to a bank-run. He is now facing federal and civil charges from both the Securities and Exchange Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission. And with this new indictment, he is also charged with 13 counts of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which makes it illegal for U.S. citizens to bribe foreign government officials to win business. He was arrested in December, after a flurry of customer withdrawals spurred by concerns about commingling of funds between the exchange and Alameda prompted the collapse of now-bankrupt FTX In an unusual post-arrest blog post, the former billionaire acknowledged inadequate risk management at FTX, but said he did not steal funds Federal prosecutors in Manhattan charged Bankman-Fried on Tuesday with directing the payment in cryptocurrency in order to unfreeze accounts belonging to his hedge fund, Alameda Research, that Chinese authorities had frozen in November 2021. The accounts held more than $1billion of cryptocurrency, U.S. prosecutors said Bankman-Fried's FTX cryptocurrency exchange came crumbling down in November 2021 U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan scheduled a court hearing for Thursday after prosecutors asked for Bankman-Fried to be arraigned on the new indictment. Bankman-Fried has previously denied knowingly committing fraud, instead blaming sloppy accounting and poor oversight. DailyMail.com has reached out to his lawyers for comment. China's foreign ministry could not immediately be reached after normal business hours in Beijing. The new indictment comes just one month after federal prosecutors accused Bankman-Fried of orchestrating an illegal campaign donation scheme to buy influence in Washington, D.C. He has not yet been arraigned on the new charges. The 13 new international bribery charges increase the pressure on the 31-year-old former billionaire, who had previously pleaded not guilty to eight counts of defrauding investors by using their money to plug losses for Alameda According to the new indictment, Bankman-Fried and his associates tried 'numerous methods' to unfreeze the accounts in November 2021 SBF was ultimately forced to declare FTX bankrupt in November 2022 as concerns about the missing funds led to a bank-run Bankman-Fried has previously denied knowingly committing fraud, instead blaming sloppy accounting and poor oversight But the alleged fraudster pleaded not guilty in January to criminal charges that he defrauded investors in his crypto exchange out of $1.8billion. He is now being held at his parents' Palo Alto, California home on $250 million bond ahead of his October 2 trial. On Monday, his lawyers and prosecutors reached a new agreement on revised bail conditions, after Kaplan raised the prospect of sending Bankman-Fried to jail pending trial. That came after prosecutors raised concerns he may have been tampering with witnesses. Three former members of Bankman-Fried's inner circle - former Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison, former FTX technology chief Zixao 'Gary' Wang, and former FTX engineering director Nishad Singh - have all pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. Bankman-Fried is confined to his parents' Palo Alto, California, home on $250 million bond pending trial. Earlier this week, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan approved modifications to Bankman-Fried's bail package that are designed to prevent the defendant from tampering with witnesses. A woman has sued a California county and its district fair after her daughter's pet goat was sold for $902, slaughtered, and barbecued despite the family wanting to withdraw its entry for auction. Jessica Long's family bought Cedar the goat, a seven-month-old white Boer, in April 2022 and the animal soon formed an attachment to her nine-year-old daughter - who fed and cared for it everyday. However, the family decided to enter Cedar into the Shasta District Fairs junior livestock auction on June 24, 2022 - where the animals are sold off to be used as meat. But long before the auction started, the Long family changed their minds and wanted to take Cedar off the ticket. The fair denied the request and sold it - so the mom brazenly stole the goat back before it was given to the buyer. What followed was a wild goat chase - sending officers hundreds of miles across the county to retrieve the goat via a search warrant, before handing it to individuals who are believed to have killed Cedar and roasted him on a barbecue for their guests. Cedar pictured with his owner, Jessica Long's nine-year-old daughter Cedar, described as a beloved white goat with beautiful chocolate-colored markings, was sold at the Shasta District Fair for $902 to a representative of state Senator Brian Dahle The federal civil rights lawsuit lodged by the Long family, seen by the Sacramento Bee, is now demanding actual, general and punitive damages. It wants to establish the young girls 'free expression or viewpoint with respect to livestock in future livestock activities.' Cedar, described as a beloved white goat with beautiful chocolate-colored markings, was sold at the Shasta District Fair for $902 to a representative of state Senator Brian Dahle. The mother, after seeing her daughter sob by the goat's pen at the fair, decided to steal back the animal at the last minute and 'deal with the consequences later.' In an email to the Shasta District Fair on June 27, Long wrote: 'It was heartbreaking. The barn was mostly empty and at the last minute I decided to break the rules and take the goat that night and deal with the consequences later. 'I knew when I took it that my next steps were to make it right with the buyer and the fairgrounds. I will pay you back for the goat and any other expenses I caused. I would like to ask for your support in finding a solution.' Melanie Silva, Shasta District Fair Chief Executive Officer, responded to her email and demanded that she returned the goat immediately. Cedar, described as a beloved white goat with beautiful chocolate-colored markings, was sold at the Shasta District Fair for $902 to a representative of state Senator Brian Dahle She wrote: 'Making an exception for you will only teach out youth that they do not have to abide by the rules that are set up for all participants. Unfortunately, this is out of my hands. You will need to bring the goat back to the Shasta District Fair immediately.' Shortly after, the organizer of the barbecue contacted her lawyers over the theft of the animal - and the livestock manager of the fair, B.J. Mcfarlane, texted Long warning that law enforcements would be brought in if the goat was not returned. According to the lawsuit, Mcfarlane threatened to have her charged with a felony count of grand theft if she did not return Cedar. Two weeks after Long's goat heist, Shasta sheriffs Detective Jeremy Ashbee filed a search warrant affidavit - in a bid to seek permission to seize the stolen animal. It's believed that Cedar was then slaughtered and eaten at the community barbecue, but the details are scant It's believed that Cedar was slaughtered and eaten at the community barbecue, but the details are scant The girl's mother, after seeing her daughter sob by the goat's pen at the fair, decided to steal back the animal at the last minute and 'deal with the consequences later' Jessica Long's family bought Cedar the goat, a seven-month-old white Boer, in April 2022 and the animal soon formed an attachment to her nine-year-old daughter - who fed and cared for it everyday Judge Monique McKee signed one on July 8, permitting officers to 'utilize breaching equipment to force open doorway(s), entry doors, exit doors, and locked containers in pursuit of their target.' Cops then raided Bleating Hearts Farm and Sanctuary in Napa - but the goat was not being hidden there. Instead, Cedar was being kept at an unnamed Sonoma County farm that Long had emailed in a desperate bid to save the animal from slaughter. Vanessa Shakib, Jessica Long's lawyer Two officers then rushed to the other farm, despite having no search warrant for that location, nor a warrant to seize Cedar from there, according to the lawsuit. They took the goat - and drove more than 200 miles back before delivering it to an unnamed individual at the fair 'for slaughter/destruction' - despite the fact that the warrant required them to hold the goat for a court hearing to determine its lawful owner, the lawsuit alleged. It's believed that Cedar was then slaughtered and eaten at the community barbecue, but the details are scant. Vanessa Shakib, Jessica Long's lawyer, said: 'At this time we dont have that specific information and we can only speculate. While it hasnt been confirmed as a factual matter, we believe the goat Cedar has been killed. 'Looking at this case, what we see is county and fair officials improperly used their authority and connections to transform a purely civil dispute into a sham criminal matter.' Prosecutors charged seven California Highway Patrol officers and a nurse with involuntary manslaughter on Wednesday in connection with the 2020 death of a man who screamed 'I can't breathe' while multiple officers restrained him as they tried to take a blood sample. Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon announced the charges in the death of Edward Bronstein. He died less than two months before George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis, uttering the same words. The LA County coroner said his death was caused by 'acute methamphetamine intoxication during restraint by law enforcement'. The seven CHP agents, who were put on administrative leave Wednesday, were identified as Sgt. Michael Little and Officers Dionisio Fiorella, Dustin Osmanson, Darren Parsons, Diego Romero, Justin Silva and Marciel Terry. They face one count each of involuntary manslaughter and one felony count of assault under the color of authority. If convicted, they could get up to four years in prison. A registered nurse, Arbi Baghalian, was also charged with involuntary manslaughter. Bronstein, 38, died in police custody after being pulled over for a suspected DUI on March 31, 2020, less than two months before George Floyd was killed by police in Minnesota after repeatedly telling officers 'I can't breathe' Edward Bronstein, shown here with his daughter, Isabella, died in police custody after repeatedly telling cops 'I can't breathe' as they knelt on his back trying to get a blood sample 'The officers had a legal duty to Mr. Bronstein,' Gascon said during a news conference. 'He was in their custody. We believe that they failed their duty and their failure was criminally negligent, causing his death.' Bronstein, 38, was taken into custody following a traffic stop on suspicion of driving under the influence on March 31, 2020. He died at a CHP station in Altadena, north of downtown Los Angeles. Luis Carrillo, an attorney representing Bronstein's father, said in an email that his client 'is glad that the CHP officers were charged with crimes because the CHP officers took a human life and left a family in grief and sadness'. A video lasting nearly 18 minutes showing the officers' treatment of Bronstein was released last year following a judge's order in an ongoing federal lawsuit that the man's family filed against the officers, alleging excessive force and a violation of civil rights. Family members have said Bronstein was terrified of needles and believe that's why he was reluctant to comply with the CHP initially as they tried to take a blood sample. The video, filmed by the sergeant, shows several officers forcing a handcuffed Bronstein to a mat on the floor as he shouts: 'I'll do it willingly! I'll do it willingly, I promise!' He continues screaming as six officers hold him face-down and pleads for help. The lawsuit alleges they put their knees on his back. 'It's too late,' one officer replies. 'Stop yelling!' another shouts. 'I can't breathe!' and 'I can't!' Bronstein cries. An officer responds: 'Just relax and stop resisting!' Bronstein's voice gets softer and he then falls silent. While he is unresponsive, the nurse continues to draw blood and the officers keep pinning him down. After they realize he may not have a pulse and does not appear to be breathing, they slap his face and say: 'Edward, wake up.' More than 11 minutes after his last screams, they begin CPR. Brianna Palomino, Bronstein's eldest daughter, said during a press conference that her father was 'treated like trash' A young Edward Bronstein is pictured with his mother Cheryl Tapia-Rufener, now 64, and brother Jeffrey Bronstein, now 44 A young Edward Bronstein is seen cradling his eldest daughter Brianna, now 22, alongside then-girlfriend Zully Sosa in a photo taken 20 years before he died in police custody Bronstein never regained consciousness and was later pronounced dead. In a statement, CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee extended condolences to the family and said the agency's mission is to prioritize all Californians' safety. 'I am saddened that Mr. Bronstein died while in our custody and care. Any death in custody is a tragedy that we take with upmost seriousness,' Duryee said. 'I recognize this case will now move through the court system, and I respect the judicial process.' It was not immediately clear whether the seven CHP agents identified had lawyers who could speak on their behalf. 'I believe it is outrageous and irresponsible for the DA to charge a Registered Nurse (who was present to take a legal blood draw) with involuntary manslaughter,' said John Kelly, an attorney for Baghalian's employer, Vital Medical, in a statement. 'I am not aware of anyone who has opined that the nurse's conduct in any way caused or contributed to this unfortunate death.' George Floyd, 46, died in May 2020 in Minneapolis after Officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck during an arrest An arraignment has not yet been scheduled. Bronstein's death prompted the CHP to change its policies to prevent officers 'from using techniques or transport methods that involve a substantial risk of positional asphyxia,' the agency said. Additional training was also ordered for uniformed officers. In September 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law barring police from using certain face-down holds that have led to multiple unintended deaths. The bill was aimed at expanding on the state's ban on chokeholds in the wake of Floyds murder. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here A baroness and art collector was shot dead with four bullets to the head, allegedly by her stepson outside her home in the south of Brussels on Wednesday morning. Baroness Myriam Ullens, 70 - whose body was discovered on Thursday morning - was with her husband, Baron Guy Ullens, 88, when she was killed in the village of Ohain, allegedly by Nicolas Ullens, who has since been detained by police. Baron Ullens, the father of the suspect, survived the incident, but reportedly sustained a bullet to the leg. The pair were in their car outside their home around 10am when Ullens fired six bullets aimed at his stepmother, who died at the scene, according to La Libre. Ullens then presented himself to La Mazarine local police at 11am. According to reports, the baroness and her stepson had been in long-running disputes over issues of inheritance, and he accused her of 'squandering' his billionaire father's money. Baroness Myriam Ullens was shot dead, allegedly by her stepson outside her home in the south of Brussels According to reports, the baroness and her stepson had been in long-running disputes over issues of inheritance As per the publication, Ullens ambushed his parents' car following a heated discussion between the family in their estate. He waited for them to leave, before firing six bullets 'in the direction of the victim.' A representative of Walloon Brabant judicial police said in a statement: 'The suspect offered no resistance and explained that he had killed his stepmother. 'He was carrying a handgun, which was seized. He was deprived of his freedom.' The 57-year-old suspect was heard on Thursday by an investigating judge, who placed him under arrest, and charged him with murder and a violation of the law on armed weapons. The alleged murderer will appear on Monday before the council chamber, who will decide whether or not to keep him in detention. Baron Guy Ullens de Schooten and Baroness Myriam Ullens de Schooten pose during the Don Quichotte Ballet The baron and baroness - who opened the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing - married in 1999, and have been influential art collectors ever since. They began their career by collecting classical Chinese art scroll paintings, before switching their attention to contemporary art. The couple opened the Ullens center in 2007 - considered at the time to be the first contemporary art museum in China. In 2004, baroness Ullens, who went by Mimi and was a cancer survivor, founded the Mimi Foundation to create centers within hospitals to provide physical and mental therapy for patients undergoing cancer treatment. In 2013 she co-organised an exhibition and benefit auction during Frieze Week in London to support the Mimi Foundation. 'If many of the artists in this project are Chinese that is because of our long and close relationship with them. This is just the tip of our icebergthat we are continuing to follow and collect intensively with the new generation,' the baroness told Ocula at the time. The couple opened the Ullens center in 2007 - considered at the time to be the first contemporary art museum in China 'A collection is like a living breathing body. It evolves in an organic manner.' The baroness Ullens was born in Colgone, Germany, in 1952. Nicolas Ullens, a former Belgian state security officer, is one of the baron's four children with his first wife, Micheline Franckx. The father of a 14-year-old girl who took her own life following her first day back at school after Covid lockdown was bullied by pupils, her father has told an inquest. Mia Janin, a Year 10 pupil at the Jewish Free School (JFS) in Kenton, north west London, was found dead at her nearby family home on March 12, 2021. A pre-inquest review hearing today heard how her parents had raised concerns with staff at the school prior to her death, while a pupil told investigators the bullying was so severe that teachers could not have missed it. Mia's father Mariano, who revealed last year that his wife died suddenly from cancer four months later, told the hearing: 'We know that she was bullied. We knew that she was cyber bullied. Mia is not the first case in JFS.' The hearing at Barnet Coroner's Court was told evidence given to the Metropolitan Police following her death by pupils at the school , who cannot be named for legal reasons, had 'inconsistencies' and that some of them disputed allegations Mia was bullied. Mia was a 'bubbly' girl who had just been invited on a holiday to Greece with her best friend from school, her father said Mariano Janin (pictured),who revealed last year that his wife died suddenly from cancer four months later, told the hearing: 'We know that she was bullied. Mia (centre) with her father Mariano (right) and mother Marisa (left), who died of cancer four months after her daughter's death Lily Lewis, counsel for Mia's brother Douglas Stewart, said there was 'clear evidential value' in calling the child witnesses to give evidence to the inquest to clarify the issue. She added that one student believed the bullying of Mia to be so grave that it was impossible for teachers at the school to have been unaware of it. Susan Jones, representing JFS, said the school 'accepted that it was Mias experience that she was being bullied'. But she argued child witnesses should not be called to give live evidence to the inquest for safeguarding reasons and that their police evidence should be read aloud instead. Sefton Kwasnik, representing Mr Janin, said: 'The last thing my client wants to do is exacerbate any issues that any of the child witnesses might have. 'I think there would be a common desire to minimise or mitigate that prospect to the minimum.' Assistant coroner Tony Murphy said the matter would be decided at a later date before the inquest commenced. He added: 'The key focus as I see it for this inquest is to seek to understand as much as anyone can why Mia took the steps she did on 12 March, he said. 'That involves in my view what was going on within and without Mias school environment in the weeks leading up to the event. One student believed the bullying of Mia to be so grave that it was impossible for teachers at the school to have been unaware of it Mia was a Year 10 pupil at the Jewish Free School in Kenton, north west London, when she took her own life Mia's (centre) mother Marisa (right) died four months on from her suicide after having an aneurysm and contracting leukaemia (father Mariano left) 'It seems clear that Mias experience of some behaviour by JFS students was bullying.' The coroner ruled the inquest will seek to determine Mias wellbeing, her interactions with students and staff at JFS, support she received relating to that and what happened in the two days before Mias death. It will also consider lessons that are to be learned from her death. Key moments leading up to her death were said to include a queue for Covid tests and a design and technology lesson - the last class Mia attended. The inquest will consider evidence from her mobile phone, social media accounts, GP and counselling records. Her brother and father will also provide pen portraits and a photograph to illustrate what she was like. Mia's mother Marisa died four months on from her suicide after having an aneurysm and contracting leukaemia. Speaking in July last year, Mr Janin said he believes her sudden death was due to the stress she was under after Mia's death. A provisional date for the inquest has been set for Friday, June 23 and Monday, June 26. Mr Janin attended the hearing in person, along with Met officers Detective Inspector Steele and Detective Sergeant Wallace, who were involved in the police investigation into Mias death. Mr Kwasnik, Miss Lewis, Ms Jones and Mr Stewart appeared via video link, as did Mr Stewarts solicitor Abigail Gowland, JFS headteacher Dr David Moody and Naomi Pendleton, a grief charity worker supporting Mr Janin. A coastal town named as one of best places to live in Britain is rife with potholes, litter and graffiti, according to residents. Folkestone in Kent has become a desirable destination for house-hunters thanks to multi-million pound regeneration project. But just a short walk from the street-food stalls and quirky boutiques people living there say there are still pockets of deprivation where vandalism, petty crime and a sense of despondency remain. They say that not everyone has benefited equally from the gentrification of the area. Earlier this year, in response to an application for a late licence for a local cafe in the area, one resident expressed their dismay at the changes sweeping the town. They told Folkestone and Hythe District Council: 'I'm sure all the people who attend these venues have a lovely time, but for those of us who are trapped in poor quality housing, without the funds to be a part of the noise, watching the world around us become gentrified as we become forgotten and unconsidered is really very galling.' Councillor Lawes (pictured) says many people living in her ward feel 'abandoned' as pockets of deprivation and vandalism persist in the coastal town Potholes in the more deprived parts of Folkestone are going unrepaired despite a multi-million pound regeneration project A trolley is left overturned in a residential alley with a bin that litter has been placed on top of the lid, as rubbish can be found flytipped across the town Folkestone was one of 72 places named by The Sunday Times as the best to live in the country. Despite the news, Folkestone Town Councillor Mary Lawes believes there is much more to be done. Asked whether the changes are making a difference to the majority of people who live beyond the harbour area, she said: 'None whatsoever. 'As I have said before, they become very resentful of it. 'You've seen some of the housing, some of the streets, the dirt of them. They've not changed, they get worse and worse and worse. 'What's happening on the Harbour Arm, in the Creative Quarter, at the Quarterhouse, they don't feel that's anything to do with them. 'It doesn't help them. It doesn't do anything for their properties. It doesn't help their children get on. Nothing.' Councillor Lawes says many people living in her ward feel 'abandoned'. A wall with cracked and peeling paint in one of the deprived pockets of Folkestone, Kent Just a short walk from the gentrified area of quirky boutiques and streel-stalls, are deprived streets that tourists don't see A bin shed in front of a block of flats has been vandalised with graffiti in an area where residents have found conditions have got 'worse and worse' A handwritten notice that reads 'The intercom are not working, please pull door' in Folkestone Despite Folkestone being lauded for being one of the most desirable spots for house-hunters, fly-tipping remains a hot issue in some parts A sense of despondency remains in the coastal towns as residential streets are still covered with graffiti She believes there has been a lack of investment and maintenance in the streets away from the more celebrated parts of the seafront. Throughout the town rubbish can be found flytipped, damaged blocks of flats have gone unfixed and pavements and potholes have been left un-repaired. Councillor Lawes said those are the streets that tourists, and perhaps a majority of recent movers, never really see. Earlier this month, research revealed that the Folkestone and Hythe district is one of the most popular in the country for London buyers looking for second homes. Councillor Lawes argues that is another factor for the disenchantment of long-time locals who are finding it increasingly difficult to secure a spot on the housing ladder. She said: 'They're stuck in a rut: they can't afford rent, they can't afford to buy. It's not for them anymore. 'We used to have houses that the next generation would either buy or rent. Now they're all Airbnbs. What is in it for them? 'It's very grim. There's not even a tree, there's no greenery, there's no incentive. Vandals graffiti on a wall with discarded toilet seat packaging and parts leaning against it A patched up pothole in Folkestone, Kent, where deprived parts are still struggling with dirty streets and poor housing Folkestone in Kent has become a desirable destination for house-hunters thanks to multi-million pound regeneration project 'People who want to have pride in it just give up and have pride indoors, but outdoors they don't care - which to me is a real big shame. 'I talk to a lot more parents and they just think that the young people have no chance in hell. 'They don't even see how they're even going to get them out of their homes. It's usually you go, you get married, whatever you do, and move on. 'They're stuck. They're actually stuck in a rut that they can't get out of.' President Joe Biden won't veto a Republican-led measure to end the national COVID emergency, despite having expressed strong objections against it earlier this year, ensuring the bill is on an easy path to becoming law. It marks the second time in the new Congress that the Biden administration has signaled opposition to a Republican measure, rallying most Democrats in Congress to vote against it, only to soften its stance and let the legislation eventually become law. Just weeks ago, Biden stunned many fellow Democrats when he declined to veto a Republican-led bill to upend a new criminal code for the District of Columbia he and others in the president's party opposed, allowing the GOP's tough-on-crime push into the local government to become law. Republicans celebrated the turn of events Wednesday as a sign of their newfound influence in divided Washington, while Democrats quietly complained that the Biden administration had shifted its views. But the White House stood firm, and the Senate gave final approval, 68-23, sending the bill to Biden's desk. President Joe Biden won't veto a Republican-led measure to end the national COVID emergency, despite having expressed strong objections against it earlier this year, ensuring the bill is on an easy path to becoming law A COVID-19 testing tent is set up in New York earlier this month. The national COVID emergency was announced during former President Donald Trump's administration in March 2020 A White House official said that when the House Republicans were first preparing to vote on the bill at the start of the year, it would have lifted the national emergency declaration for the coronavirus pandemic in February. But now, it's much closer to the White House's own plan to wind down COVID national emergency status on May 11. The president still strongly opposes the legislation, said the official, who was granted anonymity to discuss the situation. But if this bill comes to Biden's desk, he will sign it, the official said. Ahead of voting, Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, one of the bill's main sponsors, said he hoped 'that the rumors are true - that the president will finally sign this legislation.' The legislation is a simple one-line measure saying that national emergency declared on March 13, 2020, 'is hereby terminated.' It comes from one of the more conservative Republicans in the House, Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, and draws on Republican-led opposition to mask mandates, lockdowns and others precautions that were put in place to stem the spread of the virus during the pandemic. An early COVID patient is photographed on a stretcher going into the United Memorial Medical Center in Houston on March 19, 2020 during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic A man receives a PCR COVID-19 test during the COVID-19 pandemic It was among the early bills the new House GOP put forward at the start of the year. At the time, the administration warned the proposal would cause chaos. More than 197 Democrats in the House voted against it. 'An abrupt end to the emergency declarations would create wide-ranging chaos and uncertainty throughout the health care system - for states, for hospitals and doctors offices, and, most importantly, for tens of millions of Americans,' the administration said in a formal statement of administrative policy. In the days leading up to the House vote, the Biden administration announced its own plan to wind down emergency status on May 11, three years after the virus outbreak. The administration's announcement meant the federal coronavirus response would be treated more as an endemic threat to public health that could be managed through agencies' normal authorities, rather than pandemic status. Just a few weeks ago Biden signed another Republican-led bill into law that would nullify the District of Columbia's revamp of its criminal code. The administration had previously said it opposed that bill. On Wednesday, Republicans on the House Oversight Committee voted to overturn a police reform package passed by the D.C. Council. The Marines' highest-ranking general warned that US forces are at their lowest levels of preparedness in recent history, and are critically lacking the number of amphibious troop ships and landing craft needed to defend against Chinese aggression. Marines Commandant General David Berger testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday that his military branch had only 35 percent of the amphibious ships required to maintain a secure position in the Pacific region. He explained that the Marines' plan is to always have three groups of fighting forces known as Amphibious Readiness Groups ready for action in the Pacific, but that the Marines' current fleet of amphibious ships was not large enough to support such a presence. Berger told Newsweek that such Marines units were not only used for combat readiness, but were intended to provide assistance to allies in the region dealing with humanitarian crises or natural disasters. He cautioned that if US forces are not capable of assisting allies in need, 'competitors' like China 'will fill that gap.' Though he expressed confidence that the Marines were still capable of beating Chinese forces in a fight, he warned that unless the US ramps up its efforts the massive economic and manufacturing China possesses could become overwhelming. Marines Commandant General David Berger testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee that military branch needed more amphibious ships A US Marines amphibious craft drills with Philippine troops in the South China Sea Berger told Newsweek that China had the capability to use its resources to disrupt the current world order. 'The People's Republic of China is the only competitor capable of combining its economic, diplomatic, and technological power to challenge the stable and open international system that we enjoy,' Berger said. 'The ultimate goal is to prevent conflict and manage crisis in the region, and amphibious capability is critical to that goal.' He said in addition to there being a shortcoming in the number of craft required to maintain a prevailing humanitarian presence, the reduced fleet would hinder the Marines' abilities to muster its fighting forces. 'In the case of conflict, amphibious ships enable Marines to operate as part of a wider naval campaign,' he explained, adding that shortcomings from the Marines would also hinder other military branches in the event of conflict. The Marines' fleet of amphibious craft has been depleted for several years now, operating at only average of 46 percent preparedness over the last ten years, according to another senior Marines official. They told Newsweek the fleet was at 39 percent readiness in 2015, and had a high of 55 percent in 2012. Chinese soldiers stand at attention on the deck of a warship. US Marines fear Chinese forces filling a vacuum of power in the Pacific if its fleet is not bolstered with more ships A US Marines amphibious assault vehicle storming a beach in Japan during training Berger explained that because of recent focuses on land-based conflicts in places like Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001, the Marines focus on fighting wars from the sea had taken a back seat in training and preparedness. 'After two decades of land-focused wars and counterinsurgency operations, coupled with the gradual reduction of amphibious platform availability, our Marines have had less exposure to amphibious operations,' Berger said. 'Although the Marine Corps is more than capable of fighting and winning right now, there is a lot to be gained from increased training and education for amphibious operations and a renewed focus on naval integration within the Department of the Navy.' 'Marines train like we fight, and there is nothing that can prepare Marines for amphibious operations better than operating aboard amphibious ships alongside their Navy counterparts. Fewer amphibious ships, naturally, detracts from the Navy and Marine Corps' ability to train as a true naval expeditionary force.' After Berger's testimony on Wednesday, Defense Appropriations Chair Senator Jon Tester told Newsweek 'the amphib issue is an important one and an expensive one.' 'We will take a look at the budget. I think the budget has one in it, then we'll try to figure out how we're going to do it for this year and years coming because there has to be predictability,' he said. 'So, I get it, and it's a big issue, and it's a serious issue. But we have to live somewhat within our means, so we'll massage that through the process.' Berger added that despite preparedness being down, US forces still had a considerable foothold over Chinese. 'We're not in a deficit. We're not behind at all,' he said. 'There's nobody on the planet that does amphibious operations anywhere close to the level the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps does. We don't want that to go down at all. We don't want that capability to go down. But there's no gap between us - we have a huge advantage.' A serving Met Police officer allegedly raped a female colleague after an eight-hour drinking binge and then accused her of treating him 'like a sex offender' the next day, a court heard. PC Ireland Teddington 'Ted' Murdock, 26, denies violating the woman at her Clapham flat after the leaving drinks party for a Sergeant at a north London pub. At the time PC Murdock - known as 'Ted' - was attached to the Central North Command Unit, having joined the Met in January 2019. The jury heard the WhatsApp messages exchanged between PC Murdock and the complainant the day after the alleged incident, in which she tells him: 'I'm in a stupid amount of pain.' PC Murdock responded by saying 'You're treating me like a sex offender,' and added: 'Just say Ted is a rapist.' PC Ireland Teddington 'Ted' Murdock, 26, denies violating the woman at her Clapham flat after the leaving drinks party for a Sergeant at a north London pub The defendant, of Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire has pleaded not guilty to one count of rape. Inner London Crown Court heard the pair 'kissed passionately' at a bus stop outside the Abbey Tavern while waiting for a 1.00am Uber, with the WPC sitting on PC Murdock's lap. They returned to her shared flat in the early hours of September 25, 2021, where she says she consented to sexual activity, but not to all of PC Murdock's behaviour and he raped her and slept over until the following morning. Agreeing she bought PC Murdock shots of alcohol at the Kentish Town pub the woman conceded telling him regarding her alcohol intake: 'I have a lot of catching up to do.' She told the trial she had approximately four drinks that night and at the bus stop PC Murdock tried to put his hand inside her jeans. The female officer insisted things went too far in her bedroom and she did not consent to PC Murdock's actions. 'I said something like: 'Woah' or 'Stop' I can't remember,' she told the court from the witness box, giving evidence without a screen. She did not report PC Murdock immediately and several month passed before she complained. 'I did not feel safe to report it, we were always together,' she told the jury via a video recorded police interview. Inner London Crown Court heard the pair 'kissed passionately' at a bus stop outside the Abbey Tavern while waiting for a 1.00am Uber, with the WPC sitting on PC Murdock's lap 'In a ten day work period we would be together eight or nine days.' The officer said she had to change her bedsheets after the rape. 'I got rid of them right after. There was just a lot of little bloody spots.' She did not seek any medical treatment, adding: 'I did not want to go to a GP and have questions raised. I was embarrassed. 'I was fairly numb to it. There was no proper thought after the incident.' However, she insisted PC Murdock's intentions in the bedroom were clear that night. 'He was definitely positioning himself and then he tried again.' She went to work the next day, but said it was a challenging shift. 'It was difficult. It hurt to sit down and I was in pain and it was dawning on me what happened. 'He said he did not remember anything because he was so drunk. 'He was drunk that night. His speech was all slurred. He was not falling over or anything, but it was obvious he had quite a lot to drink. 'On the day it happened I rang one of my flatmates to say he did something last night I was not happy with.' When they woke up that morning PC Murdock admits he went in for a cuddle, but was shunned by the woman. 'I told him that he really hurt me last night.' PC Murdock said: 'I'm not going to stay here if there's an atmosphere,' and they agreed he should leave. The trial heard the female officer informally reported PC Murdock for rape to her professional colleagues during a pub quiz night on January 9, 2022 - over three months after that night. Fellow officers described her as crying as she revealed the details, saying she was hesitant to say anything earlier because PC Murdock knows where she lives and works and her parents' address. The PC Murdock was investigated by the Serious Sexual Offences Department - commonly known as Sapphire - based at Brixton Police Station. The trial continues A teenager who police said idolised terrorist Brenton Tarrant who shot dead 51 people in the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks has today been found guilty of preparing acts of terrorism. The 16-year-old, who cannot be named, was 15 when he conducted a scouting trip on a mosque in Keighley, West Yorkshire, after stealing his father's Lexus car and then crashing it into a fence, Leeds Crown Court heard. Prosecutors said the boy, who lived near Bradford, held extreme right-wing views and had shown support for international terrorists such as Tarrant, who filmed himself as he shot 51 people in two mosques in New Zealand in 2019. Jurors were shown a pictogram drawn by the boy in a notebook manifesto which shows a stickman surrounded by a swastika and an SS symbol as well as the names of some of the most notorious killers of recent years. Police said he had a settled plan to conduct his own extreme right-wing inspired attack in the summer of 2022. A teenager who police said idolised terrorist Brentan Tarrant (pictured) who shot dead 51 people in the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks in New Zealand has today been found guilty of preparing acts of terrorism. The 16-year-old, who cannot be named, was 15 when he conducted a scouting trip on a mosque in Keighley, West Yorkshire, after stealing his father's Lexus car and then crashing it into a fence, Leeds Crown Court (pictured) heard Counter Terrorism Policing North East (CTP NE) confirmed that the teenager was found guilty of one offence of preparing acts of terrorism on Thursday after a three-week-long trial. He had already admitted five other terrorism offences and possessing a bladed article. The teenager will be sentenced at a date to be fixed. Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley, head of CPT NE, said: 'Today's verdict follows a thorough and comprehensive investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing North East. 'We are satisfied this individual acted in isolation and responded swiftly to prevent this escalating further. 'We'd like to reassure the public that there is no specific or increased threat to local communities as a result of this case.' Mr Dunkerley said: 'It can be hard to know what to do and who to turn to when a person you know is voicing concerning opinions. Maybe they are showing anger towards a particular group of people or an obsessive desire for 'something to be done'. 'We want you to know that support is out there both for you and those you are worried about.' Chief Superintendent Rob McCoubrey (pictured), of West Yorkshire Police, said: 'We recognise that the details of this case will cause understandable concern, particularly for those from our Muslim communities' Chief Superintendent Rob McCoubrey, of West Yorkshire Police, said: 'We recognise that the details of this case will cause understandable concern, particularly for those from our Muslim communities. 'Officers from our Neighbourhood Policing Teams will continue to be visible locally and will be on hand to speak to people regarding any concerns they may have. 'We work closely with Counter Terrorism Policing North East and our partners to act on any information that indicates a potential threat to our communities.' Both officers urged anyone with concerns to call police on 0800 789321. On March 29, 2023, nine service members died after two United States Army Black Hawk helicopters collided during a routine training exercise in Kentucky. The tragedy was just one of a string of Black Hawk crashes on US soil that have resulted in fatalities. Black Hawks are four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift helicopters that have become a critical part of the US Army's airborne fighting system. DailyMail.com breaks down the key questions about Black Hawks - including how safe they are. A UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter flies overhead during an International Special Operations Forces capacities exercise rehearsal outside the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference in Tampa, Florida, on May 22, 2018 What is a Black Hawk helicopter? The Black Hawk UH/HH-60 is the Army's utility tactical transport helicopter. They are used to provide air assault, general support, and aeromedical evacuation to US troops. They can also be used for command and control and special operations support to combat, stability and support operations. Thanks to their great versatility, Black Hawks have helped enhance the US Army's troop and cargo lift capacity. One of the key benefits is that Black Hawks can get commanders to get to the fight quicker - and are able to hold an 11-person, fully equipped infantry squad. The helicopters can also work in most weather conditions. Significantly, Black Hawks' airframe is designed to crush progressively on impact to protect crew and passengers. Who makes Black Hawk helicopters? Black Hawks are made by Sikorsky Aircraft - a Stratford, Connecticut aircraft manufacturer established by Igor Sikorsky in 1923. Sikorsky Aircraft remains a leading helicopter manufacturer, producing such well-known models as the UH-60 Black Hawk. They started manufacturing Black Hawks in 1974, and still do so. How dangerous are Black Hawks? A total of 11 servicemen and women have already died in 2023 from Black Hawk crashes. The first was on February 15, 2023, when a Black Hawk crashed killing two members of Tennessee National Guard in Huntsville, Alabama. Officials have speculated that with the recent crashes and deaths, especially when the Black Hawks are being used on US soil with no enemy involved, may have something to do with the actual manufacturing and structure of the helicopters. In February 2022, two Utah Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawks crashed during a 'winter survivability and mobility training' session. In that case, officials say when the first Black Hawk helicopter landed, it kicked up snow and dislodged its main blade. This dislodged blade then struck the second nearby helicopter, causing it to crash as well. A MH-60 Blackhawk helicopter flown by the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment Meanwhile, on December 5 2019 a UH-60L took off from the St. Cloud Army Aviation Support Facility and then went missing for almost two hours. The crashed helicopter was found in a field about 16 miles southwest of St. Cloud. Minnesota National Guard crash revealed that the improper installation of an engine's hydromechanical unit was at fault for the incident. This is a problem that raised the prospect of administrative action for both the mechanic who installed the unit and the inspector who reviewed the work. On February 5, 2021 Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand called on the Pentagon 'to promptly investigate' the crashes to see if there was an issue with the technical airframe of the Black Haws that determined a larger pattern of malfunction. She said: 'These recent helicopter crashes are tragic and reveal a disturbing trend that must be investigated. 'When our brave service members put on their uniforms and go to work, they should have confidence their command is looking out for the safety and readiness of their equipment. I'm urging the DoD to launch a comprehensive investigation of these UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashes to determine if there is a pattern.' What happened to the two black hawk helicopters? All nine service members died after two United States Army Black Hawk helicopters collided during a routine training exercise in Kentucky. Crew members from the elite 101st Airborne Division were flying two HH-60 Black Hawk assault helicopters on Wednesday when they crashed at around 10pm ET in Kentucky's Trigg County. The crew members were part of the U.S. Army's sole air assault division nicknamed the 'Screaming Eagles'. They are based at Fort Campbell, situated on the state's border with Tennessee, 60 miles north west of Nashville. Debris from the assault choppers - estimated to cost over $10 million each - fell from the sky and was dispersed across the ground as fire crews arrived to extinguish the burning flames overnight. What is the 101st Airborne Division? The 101st Airborne Division is the only air assault division of the United States Army. It is nicknamed Nicknamed the 'Screaming Eagles' and has been activated since August 16, 1942. The 101st is recognized for its Air Assault capability, its ability to execute any combat or contingency mission anywhere in the world for the US Army. A man has appeared in court after a six-year-old girl was mauled in a 'horrific' attack by a pack of dogs. Emergency services were called to Ackers Lane in Carrington, Greater Manchester, shortly before 2.40pm on Sunday afternoon following reports a child suffered injuries caused by dogs. The girl was taken to hospital, where she remains in a stable condition. Police have now charged a man with eight offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act. Bernard Valentine, 35, of Ackers Lane, Carrington, has been charged with eight counts of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control that caused injury. Bernard Valentine, pictured here with a dog, has been charged with eight counts of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control that caused injury The 35-year-old pleaded guilty to the two charges and indicated he would plead guilty to the others at a later stage Police said six of the charges are a result of an investigation into the incident on Sunday. The other two charges relate to another incident at the same location in December 2022 when a man in his 20s and his dog were injured. Valentine, who appeared at Manchester Magistrates' Court today, pleaded guilty to the two charges relating to December incident and also a charge of possessing cannabis. He did not enter pleas to the other charges, although he indicated he would plead guilty at a later stage. He maintains that only four dogs - not six as the prosecution claim - were involved in the attack, the court was told. The court heard that the girl had sustained 'life-changing' injuries and had undergone three operations. District judge Margaret McCormack remanded Valentine in custody to appear at Manchester Crown Court on May 5. A total of 17 dogs have been seized as part of the police investigation into the attack, including four adult dogs and nine puppies. The incident took place in Ackers Lane (pictured) in Carrington, Greater Manchester, shortly before 2.40pm on Sunday afternoon Valentine (pictured) was remanded into custody to appear at Manchester Crown Court on May 5 Detective Inspector Christopher Lowe, of Greater Manchester Police, said: 'This was an horrific attack on a young girl which has deeply affected a family and a community. 'The thoughts of the investigation team remain with the family as we move forward and I can assure you that Greater Manchester Police is determined to bring those responsible to justice.' Three people previously arrested on suspicion of owning a dangerous dog have since been released on bail. This is the moment a 'lazy' cow called Doris was caught trying to squeeze in an extra few minutes of shut-eye while her friends were already being milked. Doris the cow was spotted trying to get some more sleep as she tried to avoid her milking in a video that has been viewed over 1.5 million times on TikTok. With all her pals already up and milking, the Holstein-Friesian cow could be seen trying to stay dozing for five more minutes, before being cajoled into action. Farmworker John Brodie caught the cheeky cow's antics on camera at a farm on the Isle of Wight. Mr Brodie agreed Doris was 'lazy' and said she was 'usually the last one to do anything'. 'Lazy' cow Doris (pictured), from the Isle of Wight, appeared grumpy when a farmworker tried to wake her up The cheeky cow was hitting the hay when all of her friends were already up and ready for milking Farmworker John Brodie (pictured with Doris) caught the cheeky cow's antics on camera at a farm on the Isle of Wight Doris is one of 200 dairy cows at the farm owned by Mark Reed (pictured with the lazy cow), where they process and sell milk to local shops and branches of Co-op on the Isle of Wight He told BBC Radio Solent: 'She likes to take it easy, does Doris, bless her. 'The reason I took it in the first place was because she was the only one in the barn. 'All the other cows had got themselves up. They'd wandered off as they do, to eat some silage before milking, but Doris had her head up and was looking at me and I watched her pop her head back down and think "nah, not today John". 'That's why I got my phone out because I knew she was being typical Doris and trying to play me up. That's what made me think I better get this on video.' Doris is one of 200 dairy cows at the farm owned by Mark Reed where they process and sell milk to local shops and branches of Co-op on the Isle of Wight. The farmworker told BBC Radio Solent: 'I watched her pop her head back down and think "nah, not today John"' A video of the naughty cow went viral after Mr Brodie's wife Laura shared the video on her TikTok Doris the cow did not look best pleased to be stirred from her pleasant slumber when Mr Brodie wanted to milk her In the video, John can be heard saying: 'Everyone's out getting ready milking, except for Doris. 'Doris. Come on. I can see your ears moving.' Asked if Doris was a 'lazy cow', Mr Brodie added: 'Yes, you could say that. 'She thinks by hanging back she'll get a bit more fuss and attention - she really loves a bit.' Speaking about her newfound fame, he added: 'Doris is definitely the star. We're a little bit taken aback to be honest. 'Doris is really not too fussed actually, she's quite happy doing her day to day thing.' A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. Chinese nationals are arriving at the southern border in unprecedented numbers, according to federal statistics, after Beijing lifted COVID travel restrictions. Already this year some 4293 Chinese migrants have been apprehended at the border. That is more than double the 2022 total of 1987, according to data published by the Customs and Border Protection agency of the Department of Homeland Security. And it shows that the total number this year will far surpass the record of 2439 in 2016. Overall, it adds to examples of people from thousands of miles away are arriving at the southern border in the hope of entering the U.S. Chinese nationals are arriving at the southern border in unprecedented numbers, according to federal statistics, after Beijing lifted COVID travel restrictions Anni Ren, a two-year-old migrant girl from China, stands near her mother as dozens of Chinese nationals are registered by border patrol agents after crossing the Rio Grande river into the United States from Mexico, in Fronton, Texas, last week And, in the case of China, it suggests a backlash to President Xi Jinping's domestic policies. Republicans said it showed that the U.S. was seen as a soft touch 'So the word is out, right?,' Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, told Axios, which was first to report the surge. 'If you can get to our southern border, you have a pretty good shot at getting in, and it has changed the demographics.' Republicans accuse the Biden administration of operating an open borders policy, and point to a surge in people arriving at the southern border since Joe Biden took office. His first year saw 1.7 million migrant encounters rising to 2.3 million in 2022. This year is expected to exceed last year's figure. The first three months of the year brought 900,000 apprehensions at the border. But after two years of attacks, White House messaging in recent weeks has made clear that officials see a way to turn the tide on two years of attacks. A migrant man from China assists a border patrol agent with translation during registration of dozens of Chinese asylum seeking nationals after they crossed the Rio Grande river into the United States from Mexico, in Fronton, Texas, last week Migrant encounters in January were at their lowest level since February 2021 after five months of increases in apprehensions. Ortiz said, however, that there have already been 385,000 so-called 'got-aways' during Fiscal Year 2023 so far Officials have homed in on Republican demands to cut budget spending, which they say would inevitably reduce the number of border patrol agents, if the GOP is intent on maintaining money for defense and social security programs. 'The MAGA plan would deny the men and women of Customs and Border Protection the resources they need to secure our borders,' said White House Communications Director Ben LaBolt in a memo earlier this month. 'It would mean less agents and less technology to combat fentanyl trafficking, disrupt criminal organizations, and stop illegal border crossings.' Meanwhile, there was a fresh crisis on the border Thursday. Some thousand migrants in northern Mexico surrendered to U.S. authorities, saying they were shaken by a fire at a nearby migrant detention center that killed dozens this week. A Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesperson told the Associated Press the agency was processing over a thousand migrants who turned themselves in on Wednesday in El Paso, Texas, reachable on foot from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. In a statement late Wednesday, CBP said it was expelling migrants under a COVID-era order known as Title 42, and beginning removal proceedings for other migrants who cannot be returned under the measure and lack legal status. Migrants said a new U.S. government app meant to streamline the process of securing asylum appointments from outside the United States has left them feeling fed up and helpless. Carrying children and belongings, groups of migrants moved briskly Wednesday afternoon toward a gate at a section of the U.S. border wall on the frontier, which has become a destination for asylum seekers and smugglers trafficking them. 'Now, with God's favor, we'll make it there,' Carlos Garcia, pulling his young daughter at a jog as he tried to get his name on a list supposedly granting access to the United States. Russia is seeking an array of weapons from North Korea to bolster its fight in the Ukraine, the White House charged on Thursday, and, in return is offering food to the starving nation. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Moscow was seeking 'over two dozen kinds of weapons and munitions' from Pyongyang. 'As part of this proposed deal, Russia would receive over two dozen kinds of weapons and munitions from Pyongyang,' Kirby said. 'We also understand that Russia is seeking to send a delegation to North Korea and that Russia is offering North Korea food in exchange for munitions.' Russia wants to buy weapons from North Korea and has offered the starving nation food in return - above a field in North Korea North Korea is facing its worst food crisis since it went through a famine in the 1990s. Data and satellite images examined by the United Nations suggest the food supply has now 'dipped below the amount needed to satisfy minimum human needs,' Lucas Rengifo-Keller, a research analyst at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, told CNN earlier this month. But officials also blame North Korea for a problem of its own making as leader Kim Jong Un has increased isolation between his country and the rest of the world. During the pandemic, Pyongyang erected a second layer of fencing along 300 kilometers of its border with China and ended most outside trade. And, in the past year, it has focused its resources on missile testing. Kim has vowed to strengthen state control over agriculture and take other steps to increase grain production, North Korean state media reported earlier this month. But Russia's offer is the latest sign that Vladimir Putin is scrambling for munitions as it struggles to win over the Ukraine. The Russian president has turned to rogue nations after being hit by sanctions from the United States and its western allies. The administration has previously declassified intelligence to present evidence that Iran sold hundreds of attack drones to Russia over the summer. There have been reports China is considering selling weapons to Moscow although no sales have happened yet. 'Any arms deal between North Korea and Russia would directly violate a series of UN Security Council resolutions,' Kirby noted. 'We've taken note of North Korea's recent statements that they will not provide or sell arms to Russia. And we are continuing to monitor this closely.' North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspecting nuclear warheads at an undisclosed location White House spokesman John Kirby said the administration was monitoring Vladimir Putin's actions carefully Earlier Thursday the U.S. said it had imposed sanctions on a Slovakian man for trying to arrange the sale of over two dozen types of North Korean weapons to Russia. The Treasury Department said it had imposed sanctions on Slovakian national Ashot Mkrtychev 'for having attempted to, directly or indirectly, import, export, or re-export to, into, or from the DPRK any arms or related materiel.' Between the end of 2022 and early 2023, Treasury said Mkrtychev worked with North Korean officials to obtain over two dozen kinds of weapons and munitions for Russia in exchange for commercial aircraft, raw materials and commodities to be sent to North Korea. Mkrtychev worked with a Russian citizen to find commercial aircraft to delivers goods to North Korea in the exchange. 'Russia has lost over 9,000 pieces of heavy military equipment since the start of the war, and thanks in part to multilateral sanctions and export controls, Putin has become increasingly desperate to replace them,' Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement. 'Schemes like the arms deal pursued by this individual show that Putin is turning to suppliers of last resort like Iran and the DPRK.' A Russian actor has slashed his wrists in front of a live audience in protest against the theatre firing its director for opposing Putins war in Ukraine. During a curtain call with fellow members of his cast in the city of Ulan-Ude, eastern Siberia, Artur Shuvalov told the audience the theatre had been bullying him ever since for supporting the then-director. Saying the theatre was harassing him and withholding his pay, he then produced a knife from his pocket before telling the stunned audience that the theatre had also fired his actress wife. Telling the audience the theatres management are responsible for my death he then began slicing the knife through his right arm. Video posted on Twitter shows the audience and fellow actors gasping in horror as other members of the cast rush over to help him. Actor Artur Shuvalov told the audience the theatre in Ulan-Ude, eastern Siberia, had been bullying him for supporting former director, Sergei Levitsky, was fired for opposing Russia's invasion of Ukraine In 2022, the theatres then-director, Sergei Levitsky, was fired for opposing Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Criticising the decision, Shuvalov said he and his wife had been bullied and harassed ever since. Before producing the knife, he said: Throughout the year they have tried to fire me from the theatre, humiliate me, deprive me of work and money. Today they signed a statement, they fired my wife Svetlana Polyanskaya. He added: I don't want to put up with it. But I have no more strength and no more choice. I don't want to hear that artists are 'representatives of the oldest professions'. The audience was left shocked as Shuvalov slashed his wrist on stage And I believe that our audience is worthy of smart direction, and not as our artistic director says. Please forgive me again. I'm tired. I have no more choice. I want to say just one thing: Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Dyachenko [artistic director], Natalya Nikolaevna Svetozarova [theater director], these people are to blame for my death. Following its invasion of Ukraine, Russia introduced new censorship laws against discrediting Russian armed forces. These included not being allowed to show the colors of the Ukraine flag, and calling the invasion a war or referring to the need for peace, among other rules. Consequently, a number of leading figures in the arts world lost their jobs, including the director of the theatre where Shuvalov performed. The actor, who is said to be suffering from cancer, was taken to hospital, but is said to be in stable condition. The parents of Kristin Smart, the CalPoly freshman who was murdered after a party in 1996, have revealed that the university police victim-shamed their daughter after her disappearance. In their first interview since their daughter's killer was sentenced, Denise and Stan Smart are sharing their frustration over the campus police's handling of their daughter's disappearance. 'The Cal Poly police took me aside and said, "you know, your daughter was doing some things that would put her at risk," and that she'd gone to a party, and she had drank alcohol,' Stan told Dateline NBC in an interview that will air Friday at 9pm. 'Like that was unusual for college kids to go to a party and drink alcohol, and that she was scantily dressed,' the father told the outlet. 'There was a lot of victim shaming. And it's, like, women get what, you know, what they're asking for,' echoed Kristin's mother in the interview. In early March, Paul Flores who attended California Polytechnic State University with Kristin, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the 1996 murder. Dateline NBC's all-new episode airs Friday at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT. 'There was a lot of victim shaming. And it's, like, women get what, you know, what they're asking for,' Kristin Smart's mother said of the police's investigation into her disappearance Freshman Kristin Smart disappeared in 1996 after a California college party - and the prime suspect was found guilty after a crime podcast helped crack the case While talking with Dateline's Josh Mankiewicz, the family said they still are reeling from the their daughter's disappearance and the years of struggle that followed. In a clip of their interview shared exclusively with DailyMail.com, Denise Smart said she knew that Flores was the last person seen with her daughter and that desperation led her to reach out to his mother Susan for help. 'I need to send their family, "This is who Kristin is." So I made-- several pages of pictures of Kristin that, "This is who we're missing, and that we would love to have--" could they please help us?' she told Dateline. It was a cry for help, mom to mom. But the packet was returned. 'It was returned. sent it back, she said "We have our own pictures," which tells me she opened it, and then sealed it, and then sent it back,' Denise explained. Kristin's parents described the immediate conversations they had with law enforcement after Kristin vanished. Denise and Stan said they were shocked to hear their daughter blamed for her actions on the night of May 25, 1996. The father said police painted their daughter as someone who had done something to herself by going to a party, drinking, and going home with someone. 'And I listened to all this, and he was portraying to me that our daughter disappeared, and if she was dead, she'd brought it onto herself, which was totally wrong,' Stan told Mankiewicz. In early March, Paul Flores who attended California Polytechnic State University with Kristin, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the 1996 murder The Dateline reporter pressed the parents and asked if they think things would have been different if their daughter had gone missing under different circumstances. 'You think they would have worked on it differently if she'd, you know, been coming back from the library and never had any boyfriends, and, you know, was wearing a hazmat suit?' Mankiewicz asked Kristin's parents. 'Well, it would've been, definitely would have been different, because it was a different era,' Denise said before mentioning the 'victim shaming' at the time. In response, Dateline received a statement from CalPoly saying: 'It is never appropriate to describe a victim as promiscuous, and it runs completely counter to our practices and procedures.' 'Well, it would've been, definitely would have been different, because it was a different era,' Denise said of whether or not police would have investigated Kristin's disappearance differently if the circumstances had been different 'The Cal Poly police took me aside and said, "you know, your daughter was doing some things that would put her at risk," and that she'd gone to a party, and she had drank alcohol,' Stan said CalPoly said in a statement: 'It is never appropriate to describe a victim as promiscuous, and it runs completely counter to our practices and procedures' On top of calling out police for the way they handled the investigation, Stan and Denise went off all individuals and agencies who stood in the way of justice. 'They took 26 years of our life that we have been having to fight,' Denise said in a clip of the exclusive interview, released on Thursday. Along with interviews including Kristin's mom and dad, for the 'Justice for Kristin Smart' special, Dateline spoke with several other officials and witnesses. Among those who talked with the outlet include San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office detective Clint Cole, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson, and some of Kristin's friends. Dateline also spoke with host of the 'Your Own Backyard' podcast host Chris Lambert who was credited with helping crack her case. Lambert launched the series in 2019 which renewed public interest in the case. The podcast also helped to identify additional witnesses and key information that prosecutors called 'critical in the prosecution of this case.' Flores is seen in court in July 2022 in Monterey County courtroom in Salinas Flores is shown in an unrelated arrest photo from 1996, when he was 19. He was convicted in 2022 for Smart's murder and his sentencing hearing was on Friday When Flores was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison in early March, Judge Jennifer O'Keefe told him: 'Mr Flores, you have been a cancer to society.' 'For 25 years you have lived free in the community' and continued to drug and assault women, she said, according to the San Luis Obispo Tribune. Police have never found Kristin's remains but have stated they believe Flores raped her in his dorm room then murdered her. He was initially identified as a 'person of interest' early in the case, but to this day insists he is innocent. Flores was ordered to pay a total of $10,000 in restitution to his victims. He must also register as a sex offender for life, as he assaulted and killed Kristin. Gun control activists were seen storming Tennessee's State Capitol Thursday amid rising fears of a left-wing uprising at a rumored protest in Washington, DC. Footage of the insurrection shows progressive protesters battling with cops as they attempted to gain access to the legislature in Nashville. Hundreds of people were seen inside the lobby and yelling from the gallery at concerned lawmakers. The protest against guns comes after transgender shooter Audrey Hale on Monday gunned down six people, including three nine-year-old kids, at a Christian school in Nashville. In a separate demonstration, trans activists yesterday invaded Kentucky's State Capitol in Frankfort to protest a Republican-backed bill to ban transgender procedures for children. Among the mob was a self-described 'genderqueer clown nun', who immediately drew comparisons to the QAnon Shaman of the January 6 riot. The left-wing demonstrations come amid fears of a Trans Day of Vengeance which has been threatened for Washington DC on Saturday. Twitter bosses this week rushed to remove thousands of posts advertising the protest. Footage of the ongoing insurrection, posted to social media just before 2pm, shows progressive protesters attempting to enter the Nashville legislation building, and being batted away by several members of the city's sheriff's department Hours earlier, outside Kentucky's State Capitol in Frankfort, an unrelated procession featuring a clergy-clothes-clad activist in clown makeup and satanic garb assembled to protest their vetoing of a bill banning medical treatments for trans kids While most condemned the attack - which left three nine-year-olds and as many school staffers dead - several unrelated fringe, extremist groups have surfaced claiming the shooting was a consequence of ongoing oppression of trans people in Southern, more conservative states. One such group, the Trans Radical Activist Network (TRAN), seemingly took notice of this chaos, and used the opportunity to rebrand a planned three-day procession previously called the Trans Day of Visibility as 'a day of vengeance.' Posters advertising the procession have been published and shared rapidly on platform such as Twitter, which confirmed Wednesday it had already removed more than 5,000 posts promoting the event. According to several since-scrubbed advertisements, the event is still to be held in Washington, DC, as scheduled - from Friday until Sunday - though revelers wrote they would 'march' on the country's most important court building at 11am Saturday. The demonstration currently occurring in Nashville served as a preview of what could be in store for public officials Washington once the weekend rolls around - with footage taken from the scene showing hundreds descending on Tennessee's foremost legislation building in a fight for tighter gun laws. Prior to forcing themselves into the building, hundreds were seen gathering outside airing chants of 'Save our children!' - phrase that reportedly echoed through the hallways between the state Senate and House chambers this afternoon. Some remained peaceful as they filed into the Senate building - while others yelled at officials trying to make their way into areas protected by police. Prior to forcing themselves into the building, hundreds were seen gathering to chants of 'Save our children!' - phrase that reportedly echoed thought the state Senate and House chambers days after the city was rocked by a school shooting Some silently filled the Senate chamber - while others yelled at officials trying to make their way through the building. Children held signs referencing Monday's attack, which was carried out by a transgender person Two teenage protesters are seen shouting 'do something' at Republican House Member Jeremy Faison, pushing for congress to pass more restrictive gun laws Protestors are seen gating outside the Tennessee State Capitol Building earlier in the day Hundreds of school children, teens and parents gathered for the procession to protest gun laws currently in place three days after a shooter opened fire at The Covenant School Protesters eventually made their way into the state legislature building, with some engaging in officers tasked with keeping the peace A group of more than one hundred protesters are seen lining the hallways of the building Thursday - two days before a rumored 'march' on the US Supreme Court allegedly A much larger group of more than 1,000 was and is still stationed outside, beseeching the Republican-dominated Legislature to amend current gun laws Two young girls hold signs reverencing Monday's shooting, which left three nine-year-old students dead, as well as three school staffers The procession came less than a day after nineteen were arrested and charged with third-degree criminal trespassing following the Kentucky protests, which also saw demonstrators enter the state building A teenager is seen raising his sign in support of harsher gun laws during the rally, which was held with the objective of 'ending gun violence' The demonstration in Nashville served as a preview of what could be in store for public officials Washington once the weekend rolls around - with footage taken from the scene showing hundreds descending on Tennessee's foremost legislation building The procession appeared outside the Capitol Wednesday morning, as state staffers made their way to work to begin taking up bills for the first time since the shooting Revelers were seen waiting on the steps of the Capitol Building as state staffers began to make their way inside the building Protesters in Nashville are seen asking for action from lawmakers on gun control after Monday's shooting Several young children were spotted in the hallways of the Senate building, where cops were stationed to prevent people from gaining access to other areas Most remained peaceful, while others battled with officers tasked with keeping a clamp on the unrest A group is seen toting signs calling for increased gun control - a demand that has been voiced in several other states since the shooting A presumably teenage protester holds a sign outside the Tennessee Capitol during the demonstration, which comes amid a rash of mass shootings over the past decade An anti-gun activist is heard joining in once of several chants heard during the Thursday rally Protesters were seen screaming at Republican lawmakers inside the State Capitol building Thursday Officers attempted to keep the rally confined to certain areas, but two Democratic lawmakers caused a temporary shutdown when they joined in on the revelry. State Senator Charlene Oliver is seen here leading chants of 'power to the people', through a megaphone Officers attempted to keep the rally confined to certain areas, but two Democratic lawmakers caused a temporary shutdown when they joined in on the revelry. 'Power to the people,' State Senator Charlene Oliver was heard screaming through a megaphone - a chant that hundreds of others who had gathered in the House emphatically repeated. Most remained peaceful, while others were seen battling with officers tasked with keeping a clamp on the unrest. Several young children were spotted inside the Capitol building during the general disarray in the Senate chamber's gallery - despite many adults being removed amid a series of heated displays. It is not clear if any of the protesters were arrested, though if the display in Kentucky is any indicator, that could very well be the case. That pro-trans procession, seen on Wednesday, saw 19 in total arrested, after dozens also made their way into the state's Capitol ahead of a planned vote on whether to override a veto from the state's Democratic Governor against a controversial new bill that would ban medical treatments for transgender youth. Also Republican-dominated, the Republican-led Senate overwhelmingly voted to override Governor Andy Beshears veto - likely fueling unrest seen Thursday regarding conservative-run states and their often more lax gun laws. In the case of Kentucky, several protesters were also seen shouting at Republican reps, as well as speaker of the house David Osborne, before being physically removed by state police. The 19 arrested - angered by the prospective passing of a law that would limit medical treatments for transgender people under 18 - were charged with third-degree criminal trespassing. They were only charged and arrested after officers gave each 'the option to leave without any enforcement action or be placed under arrest,' a State Police spokesperson said. It is not clear if any of the protesters were arrested, though if the display in Kentucky seen yesterday is any indicator, that could very well be the case. Demonstrators are seen outside the Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfort Wednesday The pro-trans procession saw 19 in total arrested, after dozens also made their way into the state's Capitol ahead of a planned vote on whether to override a veto from the state's Dem. Governor that would stop a bill barring trans kids from receiving hormone blockers The veto sought to stop a new bill that would ban medical treatments for transgender youth. The veto was overrided by the Republican-led senate that day Also Republican-dominated, the Republican-led Senate overwhelmingly voted to override the governor's veto - likely fueling unrest seen Thursday regarding conservative-run states and their often more lax gun laws The 19 arrested - angered by the prospective passing of a law that would limit medical treatments for transgender people under 18 - were charged with third-degree criminal trespassing They were only charged and arrested after officers gave each 'the option to leave without any enforcement action or be placed under arrest,' a State Police spokesperson said Trans protesters storming the Kentucky Capitol have their very own Shaman, and hes dressed like a demon. pic.twitter.com/lmvFvOvdGq Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) March 30, 2023 Amid this unrest, the aforementioned Trans Radical Activist Network is still set to descend on Washington, DC, Friday, marching on the Supreme Court Saturday supposedly at 11am sharp. On their website they cite Gender Affirming care ban bills and the political climate as motives for the demonstration. But commentators are up in arms over the decision to go ahead with the protest as police say they are investigating the role of Nashville shooter Hale's gender identity and a sense of 'resentment' that may have inspired the attack on the shooter's Christian former school. And as at least 11 states have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for minors - almost all being Southern states with relaxed gun control laws - further feelings of resentment have been felt from left-wing groups like the Trans Radical Activist Network, leading Twitter to take precautions by removing thousands of posts advertising the event over the past two days. The upcoming protest was initially to be called the Trans Day of Visibility but rebranded as 'vengeance means fighting back with vehemence,' the group said. 'It is our battle cry to declare to the world that we the transgender/non-binary communities will neither be silenced nor eradicated.' Twitter has been removing the posts that could be deemed threatening or involve guns associated with the 'TransDayofVengeance' hashtag - but it is unclear exactly how many were others posing with weapons as they have since been deleted Audrey Hale's LinkedIn profile suggested they were now living as a man, and going by the name Aiden when she shot and killed six people at a Christian private school in Nashville. Her actions have fueled the unrest seen across the country involving gun control and trans rights Websites such as Etsy are still being used to sell pro-gun and trans merchandise, with stickers that say 'defend equality' with assault rifles Distancing themselves from Hale, the group published a statement on their website ahead of the event: 'We Tsukuru [co-founder], Our Rights DC, and TRAN are horrified at the acts of violence committed at the Covenant school on March 27, 2023. 'We grieve for Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, William Kinney, Cynthia Peak, Katherine Koonce, and Mike Hill, and with their loved ones. 'We also reject any connection between that horrific event and outs. 'Vengeance means fighting back with vehemence. We are fighting against false narratives, criminalization, and eradication of our existence.' TRAN also said that due to 'hate received' they had disabled their contact form. The childhood sweetheart of the man who murdered Olivia Pratt-Korbel, nine, has left court following his guilty verdict as it is revealed the couple lived together in a 450,000 home paid for by his life of crime. Thomas Cashman and Kayleeanne Sweeney, both 34, lived together on an upmarket estate in Liverpool and lived a lifestyle funded by his criminal career as he made thousands selling drugs. Cashman has now been convicted of murdering schoolgirl Olivia last August after a botched attempt to kill convicted burglar Joseph Nee. Liverpool 'born and bred', he grew up just a 15-minute walk from Olivia's house on a terrace of council housing with his parents, Stephen a meat porter and Angela. Giving evidence, Cashman said he left school when he was 13 or 14, finding work delivering newspapers and washing cars before getting a job at fairgrounds in Wales. Thomas Cashman, 34, was making 5,000 a week selling 'kilos' of cannabis by the time of Olivia Pratt-Korbel's murder Kayleeanne Sweeney, 34, leaves court after Thomas Cashman was found guilty of the murder of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, nine By the age of 16 or 17 he was smoking cannabis on a daily basis, he said, making selling it a natural progression. He met future partner Sweeney when they were barely out of primary school, and they were still teenagers when she became pregnant. Cashman told the jury he tried to 'change my life around' and stop dealing drugs when he became a father, beginning to sell cars instead. But by the time of the murder, he was earning up to 5,000 a week selling 'kilos' of cannabis to contacts living around Finch Lane the main road at the top of Olivia's street. His life of crime enabled him and Ms Sweeney to afford to live in their 450,000 detached house on an upmarket development where residents drive Bentleys and Teslas. The couple, who have a son aged 14 and a four-year-old daughter, are understood to have been paying 2,000 a month for the four-bed rented property from the end of 2021, with Ms Sweeney driving a Land Rover Discovery Sport. In addition, they were renting a luxury two-bed apartment in block overlooking the River Mersey. Giving evidence, Cashman said he earned as much as 250,000 a year through his illicit trade and insisted he was not 'a bad person' as he didn't sell Class A drugs. Olivia Pratt-Korbel, nine, was murdered in her home after Cashman's failed attempt to kill a convicted burglar He said the money was spent on cars, bikes and holidays. Asked in court whether Ms Sweeney knew the source of his extraordinary wealth more than seven times the average salary for the area Cashman replied: 'She never asked me, I never told her.' However, he admitted she and her parents would have had 'suspicions' that he was a drug dealer. At the time of the shooting, Ms Sweeney had her own cosmetics clinic, however the business was dissolved just days before Cashman was charged with murder. A newlywed was jailed today after going on a vodka-fuelled rampage on a plane during which he groped a stewardess and swore at passengers. Mohammed Razaq, 29, groped one flight attendant and threatened another that he would 'burn her like Guy Fawkes' during the 4,500-mile Emirates flight from Dubai to Manchester on March 17, last year. He was jailed for 18 months today after he pleaded guilty to drunkenness on an aircraft, affray, sexual assault and criminal damage at Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester. Razaq, from Burnley, also told male passengers to 'Go f*** their mothers' during the rampage after fearing a frosty reception from his family in Britain when he married a woman they disapproved of in his native Pakistan. During the nightmare journey from Dubai, Razaq groped the stewardess as she was bending down to pick up rubbish. Mohammed Razaq, 29, (pictured) was previously seen laughing as he left Manchester Magistrates Court. On Thursday he was jailed for 18 months after a vodka-fuelled rampage on a plane during which he groped a stewardess He told a steward, 'come on and punch me and I'll knock your f****** head off' and punched a seat with such force he bent the headrest, causing 200 of damage. He also told the aircraft's female cabin manager: 'I will bite your nose and ears off and burn you like Guy Fawkes' before he pulled out an unlit cigarette and pestering other passengers for a light. He kept asking for more alcohol before eventually passing out in his seat. When the 500-seater plane landed in Manchester police arrested Razaq. The hostess he groped said: 'It took me some time to feel confident on my next flight. It will take some time to forget that feeling.' Her colleague added: 'I can honestly say it was the worst experience that I have encountered working for Emirates for the last seven years.' Newlywed Razaq, from Burnley, also told male passengers to 'Go f*** their mothers' during the rampage after fearing a frosty reception from his family in Britain when he married a woman they disapproved of in his native Pakistan Razaq had spent three weeks in Pakistan and had been drinking heavily in the airport out of 'sorrow' because his parents didn't like his new bride, the court heard. Lisa Boocock, prosecuting, said: 'Once on the flight he consumed alcohol at an alarming rate until he began to visibly sway in his seat and became more and more intimidating to passengers around him. 'At around three hours into the flight, the cabin crew decided to stop serving him alcohol. 'After this he tried to get other passengers to get him alcohol but this was to no avail.' Hundreds of sex workers have now rallied in street in support of British tourists British tourists who go to Amsterdam for rowdy weekend benders have been given support after a government crackdown - by the city's notorious sex workers. Dutch tourist chiefs this week launched a controversial advert discouraging nuisance behaviour from boozy stag parties of young men from the UK visiting the city's famous red light district. They have warned British men to 'Stay Away' from Amsterdam as part of a major new operation to clean up the city and rid it of rowdy and hedonistic behaviour. But sex workers have come out in support of male British tourists with hundreds holding a protest against the campaign in support of Brits - saying that they are not associated with bad behaviour any more than any other nationality - and attacking the campaign as an attempt to gentrify the heart of the Dutch capital. Tessa, 43, who touts for sex work from a window on the corner of a canal on Monnikestraat for 17 years said: 'It is unfair to blame just the English. Brothel madam Mona, 58, who held up a sign saying she was proud to have a sex business on her property, said: 'My husband and I run a hotel' Dutch tourist chiefs this week launched a controversial advert discouraging nuisance behaviour from boozy stag parties of young men from the UK She spoke as 200 sex workers protested outside Amsterdam's City Hall against the 'Stay Away' campaign and the reduction of the hours they can operate from windows in the red light district. They confronted Mayor Femke Halsema who was surrounded by police and minders as she heard of their anger and promised she would study their complaints. Tessa added: 'Men can be rude and horrible from anywhere in the world. 'When I came to work today at 5pm there were two men vomiting outside because of drink - btu and they could have been from any country because that is what it is like here. 'Men come from all over the world to drink and have sex - and most are well behaved. 'Okay the British can be terrible when they are drunk, but so can the Dutch, Germans and men from Spain. 'It isn't about nationality when a drunk man tries to give you 20 Euros for sex when the price is 150 Euros and treats you as if you are not a human being. 'But I don't know why Englishmen have been chosen. Maybe because you left the EU? 'But it is not illegal to pay for sex here or smoke drugs in Amsterdam so the British men should not be thinking of stopping. Protesters confronted Mayor Femke Halsema who was surrounded by police and minders as she heard of their anger and promised she would study their complaints Sex workers also protested plans to shutter the city's historic red light district, to be moved to a new erotic centre, in Amsterdam 'We as sex workers know that the politicians want to close the red-light area. From this weekend we must start closing early. 'Usually, I work until 5am and I can be very busy until then. But from Friday we are closing at 3am and this is their way of starting to shut us down. 'There is much anger among the sex workers here and we have been holding protests outside City Hall.' Sex worker Laura, 33, from Italy, said: 'I have never seen a man from Britain behaving badly, and I've been working here for six years. 'It is just propaganda by the politicians Anybody who likes to come to Amsterdam, must realise that they're trying to get rid of the red light district and taking the fun away from a lot of people. These politicians are killjoys.' Brothel madam Mona, 58, who held up a sign saying she was proud to have a sex business on her property, said: 'My husband and I run a hotel. 'We have many British men who come to Amsterdam and stay with us to take part in stag parties or bachelor parties and meet the sex workers. 'We have never had any problems from them, expect for a few who may vomit ot sing loudly - and these are not crimes. 'Trying to stop the British men from coming, here is nothing short of discrimination.' Brian Pitambalsingh, 60, who owns the Red Light bar said British male tourists were being 'picked on' to close down the sex district Her husband Jan Broers, 85, who runs the Royal Taste Hotel in the heart of the red light district, said: ' British man, no problem. Young men cause problems. If they do, regardless from where in the world they are from. It is not down to where they come from.' Brian Pitambalsingh, 60, who owns the Red Light bar said British male tourists were being 'picked on' to close down the sex district. 'This area has residents living above the windows and they want to turn it into an artistic suburb like the Left Bank in Paris. 'Many of these people who have bought properties here costing perhaps one million Euros could not have been unaware that sex was being sold under their noses or their homes. 'I feel they have come from the Dutch country towns and villages and want to re-create that kind of locality here. 'Selling sex or smoking weed is not a crime in this city and this stupid 'Stay Away' thing they are doing is unfair on the sex workers and the UK men. 'The British say prostitution is the 'oldest profession in the world,' so the crazy Amsterdam City Council has to understand it will continue for centuries and centuries no matter how much they try to interfere. 'The prostitutes are angry not only because of this 'Stay Away' bullsh*t, but because Amsterdam wants to move them out from here and are disguising their real motives.' The protesting Dutch sex workers were joined by two sex workers from Brighton who travelled to Amsterdam to offer their support against the plan to discourage British men from going there. (video) One protester said: 'I think that this [government] campaign is painting an extreme picture of situations that are very rare, especially for the people that book our activities' Sabrina Jade, 24, held up a banner which said 'Save the red light.' She said: 'The Dutch must not use British men as an excuse for shutting down Amsterdam's red light area. 'In Brighton sex workers like me don't have the same protections as people do here and this is why it is important that the Dutch are not allowed to use British tourists to close it down. 'My sex work in Britain is underground. At least the windows give the people here legitimacy and rights, people are happy with their work.' Cece Monroe, 23, a British transgender sex worker said : 'It is wrong to blame the British and ban them from here. 'It is an attack on the sex industry everywhere, not just in Holland. 'I can't even talk openly about what I do in Brighton because I could get arrested there. 'That is why I have come here, to protect the rights of people who do what I do everywhere. 'The English men are just been used as a weapon by the Dutch to close down Amsterdam's red light district. It is not on.' Wilma, 38, a transgender sex worker from Ecuador, said: 'Why must these politicians spoil our business and the fun of the Englishmen? 'I find many of the UK people very friendly and no trouble. They are keen to try something new with a transgender person and it is difficult for them in their home country. 'Maybe I have 50 clients every week and many from England - and only one or two can be rude. 'If they are drunk, I try and calm them and make them happy. When they are in this condition they pay more too and that makes me of course happy too.' Paloma, 53, a transwoman also from Ecuador, added: 'The British man is the most polite man with the best manners. It is wrong to say they are not good people. Sex is for all, not just people from any particular country.' Timo Haaker, 29, co-owner of the tourist business Fun Amsterdam which organises stag parties and boat trips for Britons, said the block would have an effect. He said: 'Of course it would have an impact because the people of the UK are part of our target audience and we wouldn't like that to happen. 'Amsterdam is an extremely popular and fun destination for visitors from all over the world, which can sometimes be overwhelming for the locals. 'One of the reasons it's such a nice city to live in and to visit, is that our goverment is working very hard to keep it this way. 'However, as a local business owner I think that this campaign is painting an extreme picture of situations that are very rare, especially for the people that book our activities. 'I believe that anyone that comes here to have a good time, and respects the city and locals, should be able to come visit. And the people that come here to misbehave should not be. 'Within our company we always make sure, whether it's on our boats, nightlife activities or fun tours that you can have the time of your life in a safe environment without breaking any law. In the end it's all about respecting the city, and it's locals, while we make sure they have a great time.' Amsterdam's officials have long been trying to curb rowdy behaviour and events such as stags, especially near the famed red light area where sex workers operate. Councillors have welcomed the measures as a stand against 'glassy-eyed tourist zombies staggering about' as Amsterdam became the latest holiday destination to try and discourage british tourists from booze-filled trips. It comes after British holidaymakers were offended by comments from the president of Lanzarote, Maria Dolores Corujo, who suggested the island would look to attract 'higher-quality' tourists and rely less on Brits. Amsterdam's new campaign will involve people seeing special warnings when they search for terms such as 'stag party Amsterdam' or 'pub crawl Amsterdam'. The campaign features a staged video showing a young man being arrested after he was found stumbling along the city's streets. The video features large red and white writing saying: 'Coming to Amsterdam for a messy night and getting trashed = 140 euro fine and a criminal record.' The video shows the police officers taking the tourist to a prison cell and making him kneel down in front of a bed in a bizarre scene. The video is overlaid with red writing which reads: 'So coming to Amsterdam for a messy night? Stay away.' Some dramatic music follows this warning, before the video cuts to a white screen showing the city council's logo as a cheerful piano ballad plays in the background. 'The campaign will commence in Great Britain, aimed at males in the age category of 18 to 35 years,' Amsterdam city council said in a statement. 'This online discouragement campaign is aimed at nuisance tourists who want to visit Amsterdam to ''go wild'', with all the ensuing consequences.' It would be expanded to 'potential nuisance-causing visitors from the Netherlands and other EU-countries' in the coming year, the statement said. People searching for terms such as 'stag party Amsterdam' or 'pub crawl Amsterdam' will be shown warning advertisements. The ads would show the 'risks and consequences of anti-social behaviour and excessive drug and alcohol abuse' including fines, arrest, criminal records, hospitalisation and health issues. Amsterdam recently announced a ban on smoking cannabis in the Red Light district, coupled with further restrictions on alcohol consumption and earlier closures for cafes, bars and sex clubs. Inmates have described scenes of isolation and intense interrogations inside cramped cells at Russias notorious Lefortovo Prison where Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been locked up. The US citizen, 31, was arrested in Yekaterinburg in the Urals over spying charges after he visited the country's fourth-largest city to write up about the feared Wagner group. He appeared in Moscow's Lefortovo district court on Thursday where he pleaded not guilty and it was ruled that he should be held in pre-trial custody until May 29, according to Russian media. The prison where he is being held has a long and violent history. It is where political prisoners were mass executed under Soviet Union leader Joseph Stalin in the 1930s and where KGB officers tortured opponents. It also currently houses former US marine veteran Paul Whelan who was handed a 16-year jail sentence in 2020 after being accused of spying. Russias notorious Lefortovo Prison, built in 1881, has a long and violent history Inmates have described scenes of isolation and intense interrogations inside cramped cells at the facility where Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been locked up Pictured: The WSJ journalist was escorted out of Lefortovo court in Moscow, flanked by authorities. He was seen piling back into the law enforcement van, keeping his head down Gershkovich, wearing a yellow-colored hooded jacket, was seen being taken from the back of a blacked-out Russian police vehicle before being walked into the court. He was later seen piling back into the law enforcement van, keeping his head down. The journalist will likely spend the first ten days at Lefortovo Prison in an isolated cell, which is reportedly the protocol for foreigners accused of spying. It is used as a technique to wear inmates down and make them more susceptible to the interrogations. Inmates are reportedly dressed in blue robes and locked in tiny single cells and claim their belongings are taken away from them during this 'quarantine time'. Zoya Svetova, who observes prison conditions with the Public Monitoring Commission of Moscow, a non-government organization, said officials want to psychologically break foreign prisoners. 'This period is some sort of humiliating time meant to "cook" them,' she previously told the Daily Beast. 'People feel naked, left without any private belongings. 'No other prison in Moscow has more hostile treatment during the quarantine period than Lefortovo. 'We once met a Turkish national in that part of the prison for foreign inmates. He managed to get a fur hat and wore it constantly. He was freezing' Gershkovich will be stuck in a cramped cell which spans eight square meters and will only be allowed to leave for one hour a day under confinement rules. Cells are believed to contain beds made from iron bars with a paper thin mattress and a downed pillow, a sink and a toilet bowl. Phones calls are banned and only visits by lawyers are allowed. Gershkovich can receive letters but they are read by prison officials first. The prison was used for mass executions during Joseph Stalin's Great Purge between 1936 and 1938 It was also an infamous KGB prison and interrogation site for political prisoners for decades Pictured: Evan Gershkovich. Moscow has been accused in the past of arresting foreigners - especially Americans - to use in barter exchanges for Russians detained in the US Reporter Evan Gershkovic - an accredited foreign correspondent - in Moscow - was held over alleged 'illegal activities' and was 'suspected of espionage for the US government', the Federal Security Service said Historically Russian prisoners have used dark or bright lights, insufficient food or blankets and limited shower access to get the inmates to break down. Lefortovo Prison was built in 1881 and it is the most secure prison is russia and houses those accused of terrorism, high-profile ex-officials and 'spies'. The cells in Lefortovo reportedly only have cold water and inmates can only shower once a week. And the section of the prison where foreign inmates are held is freezing and the prisoners are not equipped to deal with the cold. Lefortovo Prison was used for mass executions during Soviet Union leader Joseph Stalin's Great purge between 1936 and 1938. The facility was used by the NKVD secret police for torture, violent interrogations and executions to solidify Stalin's control over civilians through fear. At the time, there were rumours of a massive meat grinder used to mash up the bodies of people tortured to death and that their remains were dumped into the sewers. It was also an infamous KGB prison and interrogation site for political prisoners for decades. Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the writer who exposed the horrors of the gulag, was held in the prison as well as Alexander Litvinenko, the Russian spy who defected to London where he was later killed by radioactive poisoning. Lefortovo Prison is currently home to ex-Marine Whelan who was found guilty of spying for the United States and jailed for 16 years following a closed trial. Lefortovo Prison was used by the NKVD secret police for torture, violent interrogations and executions to solidify Joseph Stalin's control over civilians through fear Ex-Marine Paul Whelan is an inmate in the prison after he was found guilty of spying for the United States and jailed for 16 years following a closed trial The 53-year-old said he was set up in a sting and had thought a flash drive, given to him by a Russian acquaintance, contained holiday photos He was detained by Russias Federal Security Service in a Moscow hotel room on December 28, 2018. His brother claimed he was visiting for a wedding. The 53-year-old said he was set up in a sting and had thought a flash drive, given to him by a Russian acquaintance, contained holiday photos. American-educated Gershkovich, who is an accredited foreign correspondent in Moscow, was held over alleged 'illegal activities' and was 'suspected of espionage for the US government', the Federal Security Service (FSB) said. Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman said Gershkovich had been 'caught red-handed'. He could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of espionage. The FSB accused Gershkovich of collecting 'information constituting a state secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex that constitutes a state secret.' It said he 'was acting on the US orders to collect information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military industrial complex that constitutes a state secret'. His lawyer Daniil Berman could not confirm how he pleaded - because he was banned from entering the court himself. Gershkovich could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of espionage. The Journal said in a statement: 'The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich. We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family.' The FSB is a domestic security and counterintelligence agency that is the top successor agency to the Soviet era KGB. Putin's spokesman did not elaborate on what he believed Evan Gershkovich was allegedly caught 'red-handed' for. The U.S. and Taiwan are closer than ever, so says Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen during a stopover in Manhattan that - so far - has not triggered unusual military actions by China, according to Taipei and Washington. Tsai arrived in New York City on Wednesday afternoon on her way to Central America, and on her way back to Taipei next week, will stop in Los Angeles where she is expected to meet U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy - an interaction China has warned could lead to a 'serious confrontation' in U.S.-China relations. The visit comes at a time when U.S. relations with China are at what some analysts see as their worst level since Washington normalized ties with Beijing in 1979 and switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei. Beijing says Taiwan belongs to 'one China' and, as a Chinese province, has no right to state-to-state ties. Taiwan disputes this. Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen arrives at a hotel, Thursday, March 30, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Supporters gather while Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen arrives at the Lotte Hotel in Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S., March 29, 2023. On what is her first U.S. stopover since 2019, Tsai touted Taiwan's economic, security and diplomatic achievements in a closed-door speech on Wednesday night to overseas Taiwanese in New York, her office said in a statement on Thursday, calling the island a 'beacon of democracy in Asia.' 'In particular, the relationship between Taiwan and the United States is closer than ever,' she said, noting 'significant progress' in economic and security cooperation. Tsai was due to speak at a Hudson Institute think tank event on Thursday, according to sources, but Taiwan's de facto embassy in the U.S. has said all of her engagements in New York are closed to the press and public. NO CHINESE MILITARY ACTION In its daily update on China's military activities, Taiwan's defense ministry said that from Wednesday to Thursday morning, it had not spotted any Chinese aircraft entering Taiwan's air defense zone or crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait, which serves as an unofficial barrier. China's air force flies almost daily into the air defense zone, or across the median line, which Taiwan calls 'grey zone' warfare designed to test and wear out its forces. Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen leaves a Manhattan hotel during her U.S. visit amid warnings from China, in New York Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen visits Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, Manhattan, New York. March 30, 2023. A supporter holds a sign while Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen arrives at the Lotte Hotel in Manhattan in New York City, New York Taiwan Air Force F-16 fighter jets fly near the airplane transporting Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen during her trip to Guatemala and Belize, stopping in New York Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., talks to reporters at the Capitol in Washington on March 24, 2023. A senior Taiwan security official said earlier that the island expects a less severe reaction from Beijing to a Tsai-McCarthy meeting than when then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei last year, something that prompted China to stage major military drills. 'She will be meeting in the United States, so the political complexity is not as high as the speaker coming to Taiwan,' Taiwan National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen told Taiwan's parliament. He added that Taiwan had been conducting dry runs on responses to a rise in tensions while the president is away, including when she is flying, and that she can be reached at any time to meet her top security officials. The White House, which urged China on Wednesday not to use Tsai's 'normal' stopover in the U.S. as a pretext to increase aggressive activity against Taiwan, also said it had seen 'no tangible reaction' yet from China. 'I think we've all seen them react in a rhetorical way, but we've seen no indication that there's been any other type of reaction,' White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters. MCCARTHY MEETING A meeting with McCarthy would be the first between a Taiwanese leader and a U.S. House Speaker on U.S. soil, although it is seen as a potentially less provocative alternative to McCarthy visiting Taiwan, something he has said he hopes to do. As House speaker, McCarthy is third in the U.S. leadership succession hierarchy, and China has repeatedly warned U.S. officials not to meet Tsai, seeing it as showing support for the island's desire to be recognized as a separate country. China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian said in Beijing on Wednesday that if Tsai met with McCarthy, China would 'definitely take measures to resolutely fight back' and Xu Xueyuan, charge d'affaires at China's Washington embassy, said such a meeting 'could lead to another serious confrontation in the China-U.S. relationship.' Washington, like most countries, maintains only unofficial ties with Taipei, but U.S. law requires the government to provide the island with the means to defend itself and it facilitates unofficial stopover visits. The U.S. transit is Tsai's seventh since taking office in 2016 and comes amid concerns in the U.S. and elsewhere that Russia's invasion of Ukraine might embolden China to move against Taiwan. The Biden administration proposed a list of new bank measures Thursday that it says can be done without the help of Congress and will reverse some of the regulatory rollbacks made during the Trump-era. The White House said it would like to see midsized banks hold more liquid assets, increase their capital, submit to regular stress tests and write 'living wills' that detail how they can be wound down. 'These are all actions that can be taken under existing law and as a result, there's no need for congressional action in order to authorize the agencies to take any of these steps,' a senior White House official said. The White House's push for more regulation comes after days of turmoil in the banking industry that included the collapse of U.S. institutions Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank and Switzerland's Credit Suisse getting a government lifeline. A law that was signed by former President Donald Trump eased requirements from the post-financial crisis Dodd-Frank Act. The White House's push for more regulation comes after days of turmoil in the banking industry that included the collapse of U.S. institutions Silicon Valley Bank (pictured) and Signature Bank and Switzerland's Credit Suisse getting a government lifeline President Joe Biden's (left) White House pushed federal regulators Thursday to roll back some of the changes to bank rules made during former President Donald Trump's (right) tenure 'The President believes that the weakening of common-sense bank safeguards and supervision during the Trump Administration for large regional banks should be reversed in order to strengthen the banking system and protect American jobs and small businesses,' said a fact sheet that was released by the White House Thursday. The 2018 rollback was supported by Republicans and some moderate Democrats and raised the threshold at which banks are considered systemically risky and subject to stricter oversight to $250 billion from $50 billion. Silicon Valley bank had $209 billion in assets at the end of last year. The Federal Reserve's top regulator told Congress this week that Silicon Valley did a 'terrible' job at risk management. Republicans and Democrats have criticized regulators and the agency for lax oversight. The Fed and other bank regulators have indicated they are already looking to strengthen bank rules, particularly for firms between $100 billion and $250 billion in assets. Some Democrats, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, have called for the repeal of the 2018 changes entirely. But the prospects of legislation in a divided Congress are unlikely, according to analysts. That's why the White House is turning to federal regulators instead. However the White House can't wave a wand and have the Fed do its bidding. 'So these are independent regulatory agencies, and they are going to take the steps that they believe are advisable based on their analysis of the situation,' a senior administration official told reporters Thursday. The official said conversations about changes have been ongoing, but couldn't give reporters a timeline on when they might occur. 'These are all actions that can be taken under existing law. And as a result, there's no need for congressional action in order to authorize the agencies to take any of these steps,' the official reiterated. Britain's most violent prisoner Charles Bronson tonight marked his failure to be freed from prison by belting out the song 'Please Release Me.' A panel ruled it 'could not be satisfied' that Bronson, 70, had the 'skills to manage his risk of future violence until he has been extensively tested outside of his current highly restricted environment'. The jailbird, in a telephone call to author Dave Courtney, sang the 1967 ballad which was made famous by Englebert Humperdinck. A video of Bronson singing this song through the cell phone of Mr Courtney was placed online tonight - as a prison governor who was subjected to five hours of terror at his hands backed the Parole Board's decision. Adrian Wallace, 82, the former deputy governor of Hull Prison who was taken hostage there by Bronson in 1994, said the 'safety of the public' is the most important thing and pointed to Bronson's 'total lack of contrition or remorse'. Charles Bronson, pictured here in 1997, has developed a reputation as Britain's most violent prisoner A Parole Board has denied a request from the 70-year-old, pictured here in a court sketch on March 6, to be released Bronson - real name Michael Peterson - was first locked up for armed robbery in 1974 and since then has developed a reputation for being Britain's most violent prisoner. Long criminal history of 'Britain's most violent prisoner' 1974: Bronson's first conviction aged 22. He was jailed for seven years for robbery, aggravated burglary, assault with intent to rob and possession of a firearm. He was convicted for numerous assaults behind bars in 1975, 1978 and 1985, leading to his sentence being extended. 1987: He was released from prison at the age of 34. 1988: After 69 days he was back in prison, sentenced for seven years for robbery at a jewellers' shop. 1992: He was released but weeks later was jailed for eight years for intent to rob. He has been behind bars since then for violent offences committed while in custody. 1994: He was given seven years for false imprisonment and blackmail, then in 1997 he took a deputy prison governor, staff and three inmates hostage for which he received five years. 1999: He took an art teacher hostage for three days and was given a life sentence with a minimum term of three years which expired in 2003. 2014: He was further sentenced to three years for assaulting a prison governor. Advertisement During his time inside he has taken 11 hostages in nine prison sieges and has attacked at least 20 prison officers. Eventually, in 1999, he received a life sentence for kidnapping a prison art teacher. His last conviction for a violent offence was in 2014 when he was tried for assault. Since then he has gone by the name Salvador, and despite claiming to now be a 'man of peace' it was ruled he should not be moved to an open prison. His appeal was only the second in English legal history to be held in public. Afterwards, Bronson's son, George Bamby, said: 'I would have loved Charlie to have been released, but completely respect the decision of the Parole Board.' In his phone call to Mr Courtney, the inmate said despite his failure in achieving freedom, that he would be carrying on his life in prison as normal. He said: 'Tomorrow morning, I'll be in that yard, with a big f****** smile on my facedoing my press ups and I hope there's a couple of fat screws out there watching. 'When they see me bombing around the exercise yards, they are f****** jealous. 'I've been doing it for 40 years and when I come back to my cell I create beautiful pieces of art.' Before breaking into song, the jailbird wrongly proclaimed he would belt out a tune by Sir Tom Jones. After his performance he said his rendition would not have been out of place in Abbey Road, the studio where the Beatles recorded much of their music. He asked Courtney to give his love to his mother and said of his freedom rejection: 'It's not the end of the world.' The decision to keep him behind bars was welcomed by Mr Wallace, exclusively told MailOnline: 'The decision by the parole board took into account the applicants behavioural issues with figures of authority and total lack of contrition or remorse for his past acts of aggression. 'I fear he will demonstrate much the same anti-authority venom towards those who have to monitor his behaviour if and when he is released on licence. 'I have no wish to see anyone incarcerated for any longer than they have to be, however the safety of the public including those with responsibility for monitoring licence compliance must be paramount.' Adrian Wallace (pictured), 82, the former deputy governor of Hull Prison who was taken hostage there by Bronson in 1994, welcomed the decision In a phone call to author Dave Courtney, Bronson (pictured here in 2004) said he would continue his life behind bars as normal Earlier this week the 82-year-old recalled the day he spent five hours of sheer terror at Bronson's mercy after the prisoner dragged him into a TV room, tied him up and beat him repeatedly. READ MORE HERE: Charles Bronson might not be able to control violent outbursts if he is released, Parole Board rules Advertisement In 1994 Mr Wallace, then with 23 years in the prison service, was deputy governor of Hull Prison, and in charge of a 'special unit' for violent prisoners at the jail. He said 'This unit was specifically designed to locate violent and disruptive Category A prisoners from across the prison estate. 'At one meeting I agreed to have Mr Bronson accepted into the special unit. At the time I was fully aware of his propensity for violent and aggressive behaviour towards staff, and that he had taken a member of staff hostage in HMP Woodhill special unit. 'The staff at Hull special unit were exceptionally skilled in dealing with prisoner behavioural issues and I was fully confident that they could effectively manage Mr Bronson.' But the plan to move Bronson to Hull did not go down well with other inmates, said Mr Wallace. 'When news spread of his impending arrival, all the prisoners showed their displeasure by setting off fires in the unit. 'When Mr Bronson eventually arrived, he personally thanked me for accepting him into the unit and he assured me he would not let me down. 'His promise was to be short lived.' Over the next few weeks, Bronson became 'surly and aggressive' with the prison staff, said Mr Wallace. 'On one of my regular visits to the unit, he grabbed me in a neck chokehold, dragged me in to a small association room and barricaded the door with furniture. 'I was then tied up, assaulted, and constantly threatened to have my head crushed if I moved.' He told MailOnline: 'He got me in a neck hold, and he was powerfully built, so when he warned the other staff that he'd break my neck, they took him seriously. 'Once he'd got me in the room, he didn't really know what to do next. He punched me a few times, and slapped me a bit. He tied my hands together with my tie and threatened to batter my head to a pulp with the iron which was on a board in the TV room.' Bronson, who now goes by the name Salvador, was first locked up for armed robbery in 1970 Bronson's demands became more and more bizarre, at one point asking for a blow-up doll, as well as cups of tea for the deputy governor and himself, then later steak and chips for them both. When the tea came, he untied Mr Wallace's hands but warned him he would have his neck broken if he tried anything. 'He demanded a helicopter, and seized my radio and started singing the hymn Jerusalem and telling people what he wanted on his gravestone,' added Mr Wallace. 'That's when I began to think "S***, I might actually die here!" I thought that if I was going to die, I'd do so on my terms and I thought tactically, deciding that if I got a chance, I would take it.' After five hours, as Bronson began to move him into another room, possibly to kill him, Mr Wallace saw his chance when his captor was struggling with a door and pushed him off balance enough for him to fall, at which other officers moved in and overpowered the inmate, pinning him to the ground. Bronson received seven extra years on his sentence for the incident, but Mr Wallace suffered suspected PTSD which saw him leave the prison service on a disability pension some years later. The prisoner appeared to be without remorse over the incident when questioned about it during his Parole hearing. In one of his frequent outbursts, he shouted: 'Governor Wallace was an a*****e, is an a*****e and will die an a*****e.' Confirming its decision not to free him today, the Parole Board said it backed existing plans by prison officials to move Bronson to a less restrictive environment, but that releasing him altogether would be too risky. In a statement, the board said: 'After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress that Mr Salvador has made while in custody and the evidence presented at the hearings, the panel was not satisfied that Mr Salvador was suitable for release. 'Nor did the panel recommend to the Secretary of State that he should be transferred to an open prison. 'The panel noted that Mr Salvador has spent most of the last 48 years in custody and that much of this time has been in conditions of segregation. 'The panel accepted that Mr Salvador genuinely wants to progress and that he is motivated to work towards his release. It thought that there was evidence of improved self-control and better emotional management. 'However, the panel was mindful of his history of persistent rule breaking and that Mr Salvador sees little wrong with this. He lives his life rigidly by his own rules and code of conduct and is quick to judge others by his own standards. 'In the panel's view, it is unknown exactly what is containing Mr Salvador's risk. It is unclear whether the strong external controls of custody are mainly responsible or whether his attitudes have genuinely changed. 'The panel could not be satisfied that Mr Salvador has the skills to manage his risk of future violence until he has been extensively tested outside of his current highly restricted environment.' Bronson currently spends only ten minutes a day with three other prisoners, one of whom he says he doesn't like. 'The movement and categorisation of prisoners are entirely a matter for the Secretary of State, and parole panels will not ordinarily comment on such matters,' the board said. 'However in the particular circumstances of this case the panel observed that there is an identified pathway for Salvador in custody and the evidence supported such a move within a closed prison. 'In the panel's view, this is a pivotal point in Mr Salvador's sentence when his motivation to desist from violence is at its highest. 'Both psychologists instructed by Mr Salvador's legal representative were unequivocal in their view that he no longer requires the secure placement in his current prison. He will be eligible for another parole review in due course.' When a GOP congressman from Tennessee faced a backlash for saying that lawmakers could not fix America's gun crime in the wake of the deadly Nashville school shooting and that homeschooling might offer a solution he knew exactly what to do. Rep. Tim Burchett doubled down, calling for a religious revival. 'You know, repenting of your sins and having some sort of reform in this country seems to me ... that would be the way we're gonna have to turn this thing around because we have some very sick evil people doing some very vile things and revival seems to be the way to go,' he told Fox news on Thursday morning. His comments have been seized on by critics, who say it illustrates how Republicans react to mass shootings with thoughts and prayers rather than action. Later in the day, protesters invaded Tennessee's statehouse to demand tougher gun laws after Monday's massacre. Rep. Tim Burchett said a national revival was needed as he doubled down on his comments that lawmakers could do nothing to solve gun crime in the aftermath of Nashville shooting More than a thousand people joined the protest in Nashville organized by local mothers, packing the building's rotunda. Three children and three staff members were shot dead at Nashville's Covenant School when a 28-year-old former student at the school opened fire. The result has been an outpouring of grief and calls for tighter controls on guns. On Monday, Burchett said there was little anyone could do to stop mass shootings. 'It's a horrible, horrible situation, and we're not going to fix it,' he said on the steps of the U.S. Capitol in a video clip that quickly went viral. 'Criminals are going to be criminals. 'And my daddy fought the Second World War, fought in the Pacific, fought the Japanese. And he told me, buddy, he said, if somebody wants to take you out and doesn't mind losing their life, there's not a whole heck of a lot you can do about it.' He went on to say that he thought lawmakers could make things work. On Thursday, protesters invaded Tennessee's statehouse to demand tougher gun laws after Monday's massacre when three children and three members of staff were murdered 'I think you got to change people's hearts,' he continued. 'You know, as a Christian, as we talk about in the church, and I've said this many times, I think we really need a revival in this country.' A reporter asked what could be done to protect children like his own young daughter. 'Well, we homeschool her,' he answer. His words triggered outrage. Democratic Rep. Veronica Escobar, said: 'That Republican member of Congress and his entire conference are telling that family and that little girl, we're not going to fix this. 'Well, guess what? We have to fix it. It is our job to fix it. 'It is our obligation to fix it. 'House Democrats have acted over and over and over against to pass legislation to fix this. If not now, when?' A missing mother and her four young children who vanished after a trip to the supermarket have been found following a urgent hunt for the family. Police released CCTV of the family on the busy high street in Rhyl, northeast Wales, from where they disappeared yesterday morning. Allana, 43, from Salford, was seen wearing a light-coloured coat, with black leggings and black trainers as she pushes a buggy around the supermarket with her children in tow. She was described as a white female, approximately 5ft 8, medium build, with shoulder-length brown hair. Officers at Greater Manchester Police said they were becoming 'increasingly concerned' about the safety of the family but she has now been found. Allana (pictured) and her four children have gone missing and were last seen in Rhyl, police said Officers at Greater Manchester Police admitted they were becoming 'increasingly concerned' about the safety of Allana, 43, from Salford, and her four kids. Pictured: The family were spotted in Rhyl, northeast Wales, on Thursday morning Allana is described as a white female, approximately 5ft 8, medium build, with shoulder-length brown hair Greater Manchester Police said: 'Officers are becoming increasingly concerned about Allana and her family and want to make sure they are safe and well.' MailOnline has contacted Greater Manchester Police for comment. Anyone with information about Allana whereabouts should contact police on 0161 856 5207 or via 101. Neighbors of Flo Rida's six-year-old son have said they could not believe he survived falling five stories from a window of his mom's New Jersey apartment. Zohar Dillard, six, remains hospitalized in the intensive care unit after he suffered multiple fractures, a liver laceration, internal bleeding and collapsed lungs. The incident, which happened on March 4, was revealed in a lawsuit filed by Zohar's mom, Alexis Adams, who is suing the apartment complex's owners and managers, a construction company and a window installer. She claims windows on the building 'posed a hazardous condition' that allowed the incident to happen. Neighbors of Flo Rida's six-year-old son, who plummeted five stories from a window of a New Jersey apartment (pictured), said they couldn't believe that he'd survived the fall The incident, which happened on March 4, was revealed in a lawsuit filed by Zohar's mom, Alexis Adams who claims that windows on the building 'posed a hazardous condition.' Pictured is a window from a similar unit on the same level as Adams apartment James Lucas, 40, who lives on the 6th floor, said that he was downstairs getting Chinese food at the time of the incident and that he couldn't believe the six-year-old survived the fall Adams, told DailyMail.com in 2018 that the rapper refuses to meet his toddler, who suffers from a rare brain disorder, and called him an 'evil f**king child' James Lucas, 40, who lives on the 6th floor of the apartment block, told DailyMail.com that he was downstairs getting Chinese food at the time of the incident. Ambulance and emergency crews had filled the empty lot around the side of the building where the father-of-three said he saw Zohar, appearing 'lifeless' splayed across the concrete. 'He was just on the ground, not moving, I thought he wasn't going to live,' said Lucas. 'I was just downstairs getting Chinese food and there were ambulance everywhere and I had no idea what had happened I just saw the kid, he looked lifeless. 'I didn't even realize it was from the 5th floor until later.' Lucas, who shares a similar apartment to Adams, said that the windows in the building have a sill that a child could 'definitely stand on.' 'You can definitely, if you're a kid, stand on that sill, but my kids haven't been here I think they should look into window guards for sure,' he said. 'I couldn't believe he survived that, I mean the 5th floor, that's a drop. 'I was only down there for a few minutes, he was down there when I got there.' A woman, who has a daughter that lives a few doors down from Adams and wished to remain nameless, told DailyMail.com that she was shocked to hear the news. Lucas, who shares a similar apartment to Adams, said that the windows in the building have a sill that a child could 'definitely stand on.' Pictured is where Zohar fell Ambulance and emergency crews had filled the empty lot around the side of the building where the father-of-three said he saw Zohar, appearing 'lifeless' splayed across the concrete. Pictured is the lot weeks after the incident 'I'm just visiting my daughter but I remember her mentioning it, I didn't realize it was the fifth floor,' she said. The woman, who said she was only visiting her daughter, said the apartment shares a 'similar layout' to other apartments on the floor. Allowing DailyMail.com inside the apartment, the woman said there were two sets of three windows in the one bedroom unit. Each window has a glass sliding panel, screen and window sill. It remains unclear which window Zohar fell from in their apartment. The woman said she found opening and closing her daughter's windows is 'quite difficult,' adding she can't speak for other units on the floor. 'I'm so surprised that these windows could have been opened by a child if that is what happened,' she said. 'These have screens on them as well. What an awful accident.' Adams said in a statement: 'As a single mom to a special needs child, this feels like a nightmare. My heart is broken into a million pieces.' 'I am devastated, angry and struggling to come to terms with the fact that my only child has suffered severe injuries due to willful negligence of our landlord and others involved in failing to take necessary safety measures.' Flo Rida hasn't addressed the incident. Zohar's mom, Alexis Adams, claimed in 2018 that the rapper had 'has only seen his son once during [a] paternity test' Flo Rida, real name Tramar Lacel Dillard, is yet to comment on the incident or the lawsuit. The suit seeks damages, attorney fees and money for Zohar's medical bills. It claims that the building owners, managers and maintenance companies failed to install the correct guards on the windows at the apartment. It claims Zohar was 'seriously injured', will incur expenses for treatment and 'has been disabled and in the future will be disabled and not be able to perform his usual functions'. Zohar 'has been and in the future will be caused great pain and suffering, to his great loss and damage and will in the future suffer great physical and mental pain and suffering', the suit claims. Adams told DailyMail.com in 2018 that the rapper refuses to meet his toddler, who suffers from a rare brain disorder, and called him an 'evil f**king child'. He also denied that Zohar was his son, before a DNA test revealed a 99.9 percent match that Flo Rida was the child's father. The new lawsuit gives Zohar's surname as Dillard - the same as his father - but he is also known as Zohar Paxton. 'Flo Rida has only seen his son once during the paternity test but kept his shades on and his back turned,' she said at the time. 'They were in the same room. He didn't try to hug Zohar, nothing. It was very cold.' Zohar (pictured as a baby) has hydrocephalus, a neurological condition which causes an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid within cavities in the brain In 2018, Zohar underwent brain surgery - but there was no visit or phone call from his father, Alexis said Although the rapper was covering his son's medical insurance and provided an undisclosed amount of child support each month, Alexis' legal battle with Flo Rida was ongoing in 2018 because 'she does not feel the support is enough for a special needs child', according to her attorney. Zohar has hydrocephalus, a neurological condition which causes an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid within cavities in the brain. Although symptoms vary, they can include the abnormal enlargement of a baby's head, nausea, vomiting, headache and vision problems. Since birth, Zohar has had numerous doctors' appointments, tests and ultrasounds for the incurable condition. The federal health minister has unveiled a new measure to combat Covid-19 warning the pandemic is 'not over'. Mark Butler announced about 160,000 more Australians aged between 60 and 69 will be eligible to take the antiviral drug Paxlovid from Saturday. It comes amid warnings of another wave of Covid-19 infections with health authorities bracing for an increase in cases. The federal health minister has unveiled a new measure to combat Covid-19 warning the pandemic is 'not over' 'This is not over,' Mr Butler said. 'There will be future waves of Covid across the course of this year.' Residents aged between 60 and 69 with only one risk factor for severe illness will now be able to get access to Paxlovid. Previously, people in the age bracket needed two risk factors for the treatment under the PBS. Paxlovid is an antiviral drug developed and manufactured by New York City-based pharma giant Pfizer. It is intended to be used by people who are severely ill from their infection or have comorbidities that put them at risk of severe complications caused by the virus. 'We know how effective Paxlovid and Molnupiravir two oral antivirals are in preventing severe disease and hospitalisation and death,' Mr Butler said. 'This will make a real difference to the experience of many tens of thousands of people aged in their 60s and take real pressure off the hospital system as well.' The government has also ramped up efforts to increase booster rates before winter. The latest figures have shown one million people have received 2023 booster doses, with seven in 10 of those being over the age of 60. A new ad campaign will be rolled out from this weekend in an attempt to get the booster rate higher. Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said increasing booster levels were critical before predicted new waves of the virus in coming months. '(The most recent wave) was the first wave that we've had more than one circulating virus and that so-called soup of viruses was new and makes it more difficult to predict what is going to happen in the next wave or even the timing of the next wave,' he said in Canberra on Thursday. Mark Butler announced about 160,000 more Australians aged between 60 and 69 will be eligible to take the antiviral drug Paxlovid from Saturday 'We will see more waves. We've got a ripple at the moment, whether that will turn into a wave ... it's difficult to predict at this stage, but certainly there has been an increase in numbers over the last few weeks.' In a new report on the fourth Omicron wave, which was the latest COVID wave, Professor Kelly said while it was less severe than previous peaks, it lasted for longer. The last wave lasted 19 weeks and peaked after seven, compared to the last winter wave that went for 12 weeks. Prof Kelly said vigilance was still needed from the community. 'People are over COVID, I'm certainly over COVID, but it's still there. We can't ignore that there is COVID circulating in the community,' he said. 'We're rapidly moving to a time where we're actually really targeting those (COVID) messages for those higher-risk individuals, rather than the general population.' Progressive firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has been served with an ethics complaint by an outside group that accuses her of 'defaming' the creator of the Libs of TikTok account on Twitter, with more than 2 million followers. The creator, Chaya Raichik delivered the legal papers herself. The conservative Heritage Foundation asked the Office of Congressional Ethics to open a probe into the matter. The step does not guarantee a probe by the House Ethics Committee, which has a bipartisan membership and decides which matters involving lawmakers to pursue. The New York lawmaker asked Yoel Roth, the former head of trust and safety at Twitter, about the account in a February Oversight hearing: 'Are you aware that from August 11th to August 16th that account posted false information about Boston Children's Hospital claiming that they were providing hysterectomies to children?' U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has been served with an ethics complaint by an outside group that accuses her of 'defaming' the creator of the Libs of TikTok account on Twitter. Chaya Raichik, creator of Libs of TikTok, speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington - 02 Mar 2023 'Yes, I am aware of that,' Roth said. 'And are you aware that this lie was then circulated by other prominent far-right influences?' added Ocasio-Cortez, in a claim the account and its allies dispute. She was referring to a tweet from the Libs of TikTok account that showed a video of Dr. Frances Grimstad of the Boston Children's Hospital touting the healthcare facility's 'gender-affirming hysterectomy' and 'ovary removal' procedures. The Heritage Foundation's Oversight Project posted video of the moment when Ocasio-Cortez, a 'squad' member, got served with the complaint inside the Cannon House Office Building. Raichik delivered paperwork herself in the dramatic moment that the group posted. LibsOfTikTok founder Chaya Raichik cozies up with Donald Trump and reveals gleaming former President invited her for dinner after she was revealed as viral woke-bashing figurehead 'You're actually super transphobic, and I never want to share a space with you. Thank you,' the lawmaker shot back when getting served. The complaint assembled by the Heritage lawyers accuses the lawmaker of 'knowingly and intentionally defaming Chaya Raichik, creator of the viral Libs of TikTok account, falsely accusing her of lying and disseminating disinformation.' It argues that the Libs of TikTok post was accurate and that the hospital does in fact provide 'gender-affirming care.' Said Raichik in the video: 'I just delivered an ethics complaint to your office because you lied about me in a committee hearing.' The video also features Raichik trying to deliver the papers to Ocasio-Cortez's congressional office, telling a staffer she 'lied about me' in a congressional hearing. She then ran into the lawmaker in the Capitol. 'Guess who I bumped into? AOC herself,' she said. First she posed for a selfie with AOC, then told her to her face that 'you lied about me' prompting the 'super transphobic' comeback. Libs of TikTok, which was manned by Raichik anonymously until she revealed herself last year, reposts content by left-wing creators, often mocking their woke politics and social commentary. Issues surrounding gender reassignment and children's participation at drag events are among some of the topics Libs of TikTok frequently posts about. The social media personality met with former President Trump in January -- one month after she revealed herself on Tucker Carlson's Fox Nation show. Chaya, who calls herself a 'journalist,' said her account started as TikTok got big during the pandemic and she stumbled across far-left content. 'Everyone has seen some of the video. There's so much more [out there],' she said on the show. '[I thought] I need to disseminate this. This is so bizarre and dangerous. I need as many people to see this as possible.' She said she was concerned by how many teachers and parents sexualized children on the app and that's what she decided to base her account on. Recently, Chaya has posted a TikTok of a 'queer' teacher who claimed a student came out to her as 'agender,' but was forced to 'misgender' the student 'every time I see their homophobic parents to protect them cuz their 12.' California's reparations task force has descended into chaos as activists blasted music and aired wild accusations - a day after it was revealed they want $800billion. Among the first people to speak was Reggie Romain who blared James Brown's I'm Black & I'm Proud through his phone and down the microphone. Romain, as well as members of the audience, danced to the 1968 track and after cutting the song short promoted his social media channels before sitting down. Later, a San Francisco-based activist at the podium described the US as a country 'born in the name of evil' and said: 'Evil cannot give justice.' She went on scream at the committee members: 'We ask you for nothing. It's ours!' The second-day began amid controversy over the absence of senior committee member Rev. Amos Brown, who is in West Africa, as part of Kamala Harris' official trip to the continent. On Thursday, one activist demanded that Brown 'should stay in Africa.' During her speech, an activist screamed that the United States was 'born in the name of evil' and that: 'We ask you for nothing. It's ours!' This unnamed activist took part at the controversial committee member Rev. Amos Brown telling him to 'stay in Africa' Activist Reggie Romain played James Brown's 1968 anthem I'm Black & I'm Proud down the microphone Unlike at Wednesday's meeting, Rev. Brown did not Zoom in to make remarks on the meeting. Brown Zoomed into Wednesday's meeting in Sacramento in which he complained that the reports that $5 million would be given to black residents in reparations in the Bay Area were part of a 'smear campaign.' Brown, 82, said that the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, of which he is a member, gave 'lip service' to reparations and noted that the city is facing a massive deficit. A member of the public who called into the meeting to offer comment addressed Brown's absence saying: 'Shame on you.' The reverend's absence came on the same day that it emerged that the bill for California's reparations bill has skyrocketed to at least $800 billion. During the vice president's historic visit to Africa, Harris promised billions of investment to the continent as she toured historic sites associated with slavery. It later emerged that while in West Africa, Brown attended a lavish state banquet in Ghana this week as part of the VP's delegation. 'Dr. Brown, shame on you... absolutely shame on you. You give us these fiery speeches only to turn around as Judas did Jesus and betray us.... Him being in Ghana with Kamala Harris, whose administration has done nothing to help black folks is a symbolic gesture,' a member of the public said at Wednesday's meeting. On Thursday, Rev. Brown was once again in the firing line. 'I'm here to pick up the dead carcass of Amos Brown. We all know Amos Brown, the c***, the buffoon, the disrespectful, the lying poverty pimp that he is. He sits in the pulpit and sweats in the house of God, you wanna know why? Cause he's the walking devil,' said one activist. 'He can stay in Africa, wearing his dashiki or whatever he's doing? He can stay there. They can keep him,' he continued. Brown, who has served as the vice president's pastor since the 1990s, was listed alongside his wife, Jane, as a guest of Ghanaian President Akufo-Addo at a dinner on March 27th. The Browns were joined at the state banquet by the Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, movie stars Idris Elba, Rosaria Dawson, Sheryl Lee Ralph, as well as Oscar-winner Spike Lee. Rev. Brown, the leader of San Francisco's NAACP chapter, pictured with Vice President Harris in 2008 Since 2022, Rev. Brown has operated the Amos C. Brown Student Fellowship to Ghana in conjunction with the NAACP and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. According to the NAACP website, the fellowship offers students a chance to 'be ambassadors for social and racial justice' and to 'gain experience about the Atlantic Slave Trade' in Ghana. Public opposition to the reparations packages being offered came in the form of phone comments. 'Who is going to pay? And how are the going to pay?,' said one person. Another argued that giving reparations will increased the divisions in America. 'I don't know who funded you in the first place,' railed another caller. Speaking about racism, a white caller said: 'The woman who called me a Karen yesterday, that's racist.' Task force Chair Kamilah Moore has stated she plans to be as 'radical as possible' when it comes to deciding who will receive reparations and how much California State Senator Steven Bradford (left) and Dr. Cheryl Grills (right) also appear on the taskforce Task force members Lisa Holder (left) and Donald K. Tamaki (right) Task force members Councilmember Monica Montgomery Steppe (left) and Jovan Scott Lewis (right) Reginald Jones Sawyer (left) and Reparations Task Force Vice Chair Dr. Amos C. Brown The $800 billion estimate is more than 2.5 times California's $300 billion annual budget, and does not include a recommended $1 million per older Black resident for health disparities that have shortened their average life span. Nor does the figure count compensating people for property unjustly taken by the government or devaluing Black businesses, two other harms the task force says the state perpetuated. 'We've got to go in with an open mind and come up with some creative ways to deal with this,' said Assembly member Reggie Jones-Sawyer, one of two lawmakers on the task force responsible for mustering support from state legislators and Gov. Gavin Newsom before any reparations could become reality. In an interview prior to the meeting, Jones-Sawyer said he needed to consult budget analysts, other legislators and the governor's office before deciding whether the scale of payments is feasible. The statewide estimate includes $246 billion to compensate eligible Black Californians whose neighborhoods were subjected to aggressive policing and prosecution of Black people in the 'war on drugs' from 1970 to 2020. That would translate to nearly $125,000 for every person who qualifies. Demonstrators with the Reparationist Collective gather at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC to demand reparations for slavery in February 2021 The numbers are approximate, based on modeling and population estimates. The economists also included $569 billion to make up for the discriminatory practice of redlining in housing loans. Redlining officially began in the 1930s when the federal government started backing mortgages to support homebuying, but excluded majority black neighborhoods by marking them red on internal maps. Such compensation would amount to about $223,000 per eligible resident who lived in California from 1933 to 1977. The aggregate is considered a maximum and assumes all 2.5 million people who identify as black in California would be eligible. Earlier this month, Lisa Holder, a member of the California Reparations Task Force and president of the Equal Justice Society, suggested in a letter that an appropriate figure to be given to applicants would be $360,000. Speaking about the new figures of the total cost of reparations, legal advisor Richard Weaver told California Globe that the task force's recommendations could face legal problems. 'Giving money right off the bat or giving big housing loans, well, they need to prove how it benefits people, and again, they need to make it legally sound... if any kind of reparation legislation is passed, and that is a big if, it will be dragged through the courts for years and will probably not see the light of day,' Weaver said. 'Reparations are, on average, a very unpopular policy. The fact that the Task Force isn't even trying to give a figure now is kind of showing that now.' Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation in 2020 creating the reparations task force after national protests over the death of George Floyd, a black man, at the hands of Minneapolis police. While federal initiatives have stalled, cities, counties and other institutions have stepped in. An advisory committee in San Francisco has reportedly recommended $5 million payouts, as well as guaranteed income of at least $97,000 and personal debt forgiveness for qualifying individuals. Supervisors expressed general support, but stopped short of endorsing specific proposals. They will take up the issue later this year. Hugh Grant was out to destroy the Mail and allegedly sent a convicted phone hacker to gather evidence, according to an email referred to at the High Court yesterday. The actor and Press campaigner and his lawyer were said to have instructed Graham Johnson, a former News of the World reporter, the court heard. Mr Johnson was handed a two-month suspended sentence in 2014 for hacking phones. The email emerged on day four of a preliminary hearing in a High Court case in which Prince Harry, Sir Elton John, Baroness Lawrence and others are suing the Mails publisher for allegedly stealing their private information, which it firmly denies. The Duke of Sussex who was back in court this afternoon - sat on the same row of seats as Mr Johnson. Mr Grant was not in court but his wife Anna came in to watch the proceedings. Today the judge was referred to an email mentioning Mr Johnson and alleging that Mr Grant wanted to destroy the Mail. Hugh Grant attends the 'Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves' film premiere at Cinepolis Plaza Universidad on March 29 Former Sunday tabloid journalist Graham Johnson at the High Court on Thursday It was written by Christine Hart, a freelance journalist and private investigator, who the claimants allege carried out unlawful acts for the newspaper. In the email, sent to an executive at the Daily Mail on February 9, 2016, she wrote: I have had an approach from a freelance ex-NOTW [News of the World] reporter Graham Johnston [sic] who is working on behalf of Hugh Grant and his lawyer. Miss Hart said Mr Johnson had interviewed her about her work for the newspaper. She wrote: I spoke to him and then he announced that what I had said was illegal as far as I know it is NOT illegal he then added that if not it was immoral then announced that Grant was out to destroy/get the Mail and I must give over my old bank statements or remittances to prove I worked for the Mail. Miss Hart said it was all getting overwhelming for me and she sought advice. Christine Hart, a freelance journalist and private investigator, was mentioned in the hearing Mr Grant a founding member of the Hacked Off pressure group urging tighter controls on the press - is not directly involved in this case, but has provided a witness statement in support of the claimants who include his ex-girlfriend Elizabeth Hurley. He has been campaigning for newspaper restrictions since the Leveson Inquiry into press standards in 2011, when the actor infamously suggested the Mail on Sunday had engaged in phone hacking despite the Mails firm denials, and was accused of spreading mendacious smears. Yesterday in court David Sherborne, the claimants barrister, was warned by the judge to be careful when he referred to this episode as an example of the newspaper launching aggressive attacks. The Christine Hart email about Mr Grants alleged mission to destroy the Mail is evidence, say the newspapers lawyers, to support its application to have the case dismissed. The Mail has applied to the judge to dismiss the case on the basis the claimants brought their allegations to court far too late, with the claims relating to events said to have happened up to 30 years ago. Until the Limitation Act 1980, claims are automatically barred if they are more than six years old, to ensure justice for all parties and prevent evidence being tainted by fading memories. The claimants all say they did not know, and could not have known, about the alleged unlawful hacking and bugging acts until more recently. They claim, among other things, that they believed the Mails assurances given to the Leveson Inquiry that it did not engage in phone hacking. The Mails lawyers said the significance of the 2016 Christine Hart email was that it suggested the people behind these claims were more than six years ago - already trying to gather evidence, on the basis that they believed unlawful information gathering had been going on. And that this cast doubt on the idea they had accepted the Mails assurances at Leveson in 2012. For the claimants, Mr Sherborne urged Mr Justice Nicklin to reject the Mails application. He said: It is manifestly inappropriate because it is plainly an plainly an impermissible mini-trial or worse. Each individual has a compelling case. He said the claimants only knew they had been hacked after fresh information had emerged such as confessions from a private detective, Gavin Burrows, who allegedly admitted tapping their landlines and mobiles, bugging their cars and other unlawful acts. Mr Sherborne said the private detective had been the trigger for the claims, saying Mr Burrows had informed the claimants or Baroness Lawrence about his activities. But Mr Burrows has signed a witness statement for the High Court flatly rebutting the allegations relating to him, saying they are false and declaring he had never been asked by anyone at the Mail on Sunday or Daily Mail to conduct unlawful information gathering on their behalf. Mr Beltrami has told the court that all the claims are rejected by the defendant in their entirety as are the unfounded allegations that are repeatedly made that the defendant either misled the Leveson Inquiry or concealed evidence from the Leveson Inquiry. The barrister said the legal action had no real prospects of succeeding at a trial. Mr Justice Nicklin is expected to make his ruling on the application at a later date. A United States Navy SEAL who survived being shot 27 times during deployment in Iraq - and then walked himself to a medevac helicopter - died on Monday after dedicating his post-military career to helping veterans. Douglas 'Mike' Day died on Monday, 16 years after he cheated death in the famous 2007 shootout he documented in his memoir Perfectly Wounded. Day had been leading a raid on a house in Fallujah, when he encountered four terrorists who opened fire on him as he breached a door. His body armor caught 11 of those bullets, while the 16 pierced his body and caused him to drop his rifle. Undeterred, Day pulled out his handgun and managed to kill his attackers. Despite the extent of his wounds he continued to direct the raid, saving an Iraqi family before walking out of the house to seek treatment. After being discharged from the hospital he returned to duty, finally leaving the Navy in 2010 after 21 years of service. He went on to represent Wounded Warriors, and spent the rest of his life advocating for veterans. It remains unclear how he died. Douglas 'Mike' Days died on Monday. He spent 21 years in the military and retired in 2010 Mike Day was famous for being shot 27 times during a raid in Iraq in 2007 Over the years, Day often recounted the day in April 2007 when his life changed. 'I took a left-hand turn and they just started shooting at me,' he told the Team Never Say Quit podcast, recalling how he took point entering a house room with two Iraqi scouts behind him. Day was hit by the gunfire and dropped his rifle in an instant, but managed to stay on his feet and dispatch one of the terrorists with his pistol. 'After I realized that I actually was getting shot, my second thought was, 'God get me home to my girls,' and then extreme anger,' he told Fox News. 'Then I just went to work. It was muscle memory. I just did what I was trained to do.' One of the militants then pulled the pin on a grenade and began to charge Day, but the SEAL shot him down. The grenade remained armed, however, and knocked Day out when it detonated. He then quickly regained consciousness and was able to kill the remainder of the terrorists in the house. To the disbelief of the scouts he was with, Day continued to clear the house, ultimately discovering and guarding a group of women and children they discovered inside. 'I wasn't being macho, but I was afraid if they picked me up, it would just hurt more,' he told Coffee or Die Magazine. Day showing the vest he was wearing the day he was shot. The vest was struck 11 times, but his body was struck with 16 bullets Mike Day spent his career after the military advocating for veterans through Wounded Warrior Day made contact with the rest of his SEAL team, and finally walked out of the house to seek medical treatment. 'I didn't even know how bad I was hurting until they came in and I saw the looks on their faces,' he said. 'We all know that look.' The bullets had riddled his body, striking him in the arms and legs, the abdomen, the buttocks, and the groin. Day's ribs were also fractured and he suffered contusions to his lungs after his body armor was hit so many times, but the bullets missed all his vital organs. 'This was a single gunfight at an ordinary day at the office,' he wrote during a 2015 fundraiser for the Carrick Brain Centers, the Dallas-based center where he received treatment for PTSD after the gunfight. Residents across the country are up in arms at plans to turn disused former military bases into detention centres housing thousands of asylum seekers. Sites as varied as RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire, Bexhill in East Sussex, Catterick in North Yorkshire and Wethersfield in Essex have all been earmarked as locations to accommodate large groups of migrants. The plan for Scampton - former base to the Dambusters and the Red Arrows - has already jeopardised a 300m regeneration project at the airfield announced earlier this month. Sarah Carter, 47, spokesperson for SOS Save Our Scampton campaign said she was delighted when West Lindsey Council announced the regeneration project on March 3. The professional cake decorator is one of more than 600 people living in former RAF married quarters housing on the base which sits cheek-by-jowl along the wire of the area earmarked for the asylum seekers. Residents across the country are up in arms at plans to turn disused former military bases into detention centres housing thousands of asylum seekers 'The regeneration plan would have revitalised this whole area and provided loads of jobs in aerospace and education, as well as preserving the history and legacy of RAF Scampton. READ MORE HERE: Council applies for listed status for Dambusters' officers' mess at RAF Scampton in bid to block government plans to turn base into asylum seeker detention centre Advertisement 'But it was only the next day that the news leaked out about the detention centre, and yesterday it was confirmed. People here are scared not only about their own security, but what will happen to their house prices and the local economy. 'We feel our future has been sacrificed to make way for this badly-thought out scheme without any consultation with local people. The asylum seeker charities don't want to see people placed here either it makes no sense.' She added that people are angry about the way the details of the plan leaked out. 'Initially we were told 200 people, then it became 1,500, and the documents we saw yesterday mentioned a possible total of 2,000, which is more than three times how many people live here at the moment.' Elsewhere, another detention centre is to be located at an area of a former prison and ex-RAF base in Bexhill, East Sussex. The run-down accommodation is surrounded by four-metre high fencing and has been empty for several years. It was last used by military students from the United Arab Emirates who were studying in colleges across Sussex and Kent. Residents who live on the private Northeye Estate have bought their homes - former MOD properties - and love living there. The plan for RAF Scampton - former base to the Dambusters and the Red Arrows - has apparently jeopardised a 300m regeneration project at the airfield announced earlier this month Local residents stand outside RAF Scampton today as they voice their disapproval at putting asylum seekers on the historic home of the Dambusters They are angry with the Government and claim there has been a complete lack of consultation on the proposals. Lisa Marchant, 41, a mother-of-two whose property backs onto the fencing of the former prison, said: 'There has been absolutely no consultation with the residents who live here and this plan has just been bulldozed through. I'm annoyed to be frank.' Mrs Marchant, a global reception manager, says she will join forces with other residents to oppose the plans. 'We've been told nothing and there are a lot of unknowns. I know these migrants have to go somewhere but it is clear this is not the right site.' One of the largest detention centres is tipped for Catterick, North Yorkshire. Local resident Nadine Davies, 33, works at Screwfix and has lived in Catterick all her life. Immigration minister Robert Jenrick laid out the plans in the House of Commons on Wednesday, as the government looks to slash its 6million-a-day hotel bill Ms Davies said: 'It is an awful idea. If they are going to be roaming and streets, we've got a lot of women and children here, and it their intentions are not right, then that could cause problems. 'Will they be staying in secure accommodation, or will they be roaming the streets? That is the question. 'The problem is that it is going to cause riots. People are going to protest. 'There are a lot of farmers around here, who won't want the asylum seekers here.' Army veteran Stephen Bagguley, 49, served in the Royal Dragoon Guards for 24 years, including two tours of duty in Afghanistan. Stephen said:'Is it going to be good for the economy? There is a potential for crime. 'What can they bring to the garrison? There could be a security issue, though the garrison has got a lot of good CCTV coverage. It will probably test the security of the garrison, in my opinion. The Government has also said it wants to put migrants onto offshore barges, similar to the one pictured here 'I think all the barracks in Catterick are pretty much occupied, so I'm not sure where they are going to go.' Elsewhere, residents of Englands 'most photogenic' village have condemned a Home Office plan to turn a nearby RAF base into a centre for asylum seekers, claiming it just wont work. With its village green, duck pond, hump-back bridge, colour-washed cottages and a windmill, Finchingfield in Essex has won awards for its traditional picturesque setting. But now villagers have united in their anger to government plans to transform dormant RAF Wethersfield just two miles away into a sprawling asylum seeker reception camp that will house up to 1,500. Residents claim the recently announced plan is completely unviable as the rural area lacks the basic infrastructure to house so many bored single men with no money and nothing to do. Jackie Braithwaite, landlady of the Finchingfield Lion pub, told MailOnline: To dump 1,500 people with nothing to do and no jobs here in the middle of nowhere, its horrific. There are no facilities, no public transport and no shops. It just wont work. Paul Pilgrim, of the George pub in nearby Shafford added: Its not the right place. There is not the infrastructure for an increase in traffic, staff and residents. Charities said the military accommodation is 'grossly inadequate' to house people who have fled war. Senior Conservative and local MP Sir Edward Leigh responded by saying an injunction will be sought against the 'thoroughly bad decision' in Lincolnshire, after a similar threat came from Essex. Sir Edward, a former minister who represents Gainsborough in Lincolnshire, said using the former home of the Dambusters RAF squadron could jeopardise a 300 million regeneration project. Addressing Mr Jenrick, the MP said: 'I can inform him that the moment this is confirmed the local authority in West Lindsey will issue an immediate judicial review and injunction against this thoroughly bad decision which is not based on good governance but the politics of trying to do something.' The Home Office plan was announced as a 'temporary' three-year measure, but she said: 'They can always extend it, and in any case, the momentum that was necessary to bring together the regeneration plan won't be there any more in three years time.' Kyle and Jackie O have slammed Mark Latham as a 'homophobe' after he sent a foul tweet to a gay MP - as the NSW One Nation leader goes into hiding. Latham posted a vile message on Thursday morning in response to independent state MP Alex Greenwich branding him 'extremely hateful and dangerous ... (and) a disgusting human being'. The One Nation leader responded with a tweet, saying: 'Disgusting? How does that compare with sticking your d*** up a bloke's a*** and covering it with s***?' On Friday, KIIS FM radio hosts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O Henderson called out Latham for his homophobic comments, and threw their support behind Greenwich. 'He's very handsome, well-dressed,' Sandilands said of Greenwich. Sandilands made a comment about Latham not understanding sexual hygiene and 'flushing' to the show's gay newsreader Brooklyn Ross. Sandilands then hit out at Latham saying: 'Some of these old people, they have set in their way opinions.' Ross argued that Latham 'wasn't even that old'. 'Every gay person, he's calling what we do disgusting. I mean this guy is a homophobe,' he said. 'When Pauline Hanson is telling you you've gone too far...' 'You're in trouble now!' Jackie O agreed. State One Nation leader Mark Latham (pictured) has written a homophobic tweet after independent MP Alex Greenwich called him a 'disgusting human being' Greenwich lashed out at Latham after LGBTQI protesters were allegedly attacked by Christian Lives Matters protesters outside a Sydney church where Latham was giving a speech about religious freedom and parental rights last week. The conservative politician has gone to ground amid the widespread public outrage. Greenwich said on Friday it would be a waste of time to engage with Latham's now-deleted Twitter post, but admitted it had affected him. 'It is extremely hurtful when there is a vile homophobic attack directed at you,' the member for Sydney said. 'It's not the first time this has happened to me ... that hurt, though, quickly turned into motivation to make sure we stamp out laws which allow my community to be discriminated against. 'Just as horrific as Mr Latham's comments are, the impact of current legislation in NSW is more horrific.' Greenwich said he didn't expect an apology from Mr Latham and didn't expect any recourse in the NSW Parliament. Joining the wave of criticism of Latham, One Nation's federal leader Senator Hanson said she'd tried calling the firebrand MP a few times to ask him to issue a public apology but he had not responded. 'I've actually tried to ring Mark a couple of times, to no avail. And I have clearly sent a text message to him, telling him my views,' she said. 'I've asked him to give the people an apology. I will leave it at that. It is now over to Mark to answer to the people.' Independent MP Alex Greenwich took the high road on Thursday evening (pictured with husband Victor Hoeld attend the official opening night of Capella Sydney on March 30, 2023 in Sydney) Even one of Latham's biggest supporters, conservative Sky News TV host Andrew Bolt called him out. 'It was so disgusting, so homophobic and so vile in a pornographic way that I can't even hint at what he said about a gay politician, Alex Greenwich,' Mr Bolt said. 'But it was the kind of thing a scumbag would write. I don't think he'll ever live it down. He will be a pariah, and not just here at Sky. Bolt said this is a 'real problem' for One Nation founder and federal leader Pauline Hanson. 'Latham taints her. She has tried to reign him in, but now this,' he said. 'Does Latham know that Hanson's closest advisor for years, a top bloke, is himself gay?' Many political commentators are also calling for Latham to resign following the homophobic comments. 'Mark Latham is unfit to serve as a member of parliament and should resign. That is not a partisan view, it is the only acceptable consequence of his consciously chosen actions,' a spokesperson for Marque Lawyers said. 'There is no place in public service for a person who expresses destructive bigotry as he has today.' 'Latham should resign from whatever vestige of public office he holds,' said Craig Wallace, head of policy at Advocacy for Inclusion. Latham (pictured at a One Nation event earlier this month) has bunkered down in lieu of the public outrage despite receiving dozens of calls to make a public apology The saga kicked off last week after up to 500 'Christian Lives Matter' protesters clashed with a small group of LGBTQIA protestors outside St Michaels Church in Belfield, in Sydney's south-west, as Latham gave a speech. The activists claimed the 'Christian Lives Matter' followers threw rocks and bottles at them. Police said the large crowd also hurled glass bottles at officers, with one constable taken to the Canterbury Hospital with cuts to his hand. The terrifying clash was captured on film and showed the Christian group shouting abuse at the activists. At one stage, a man was seen throwing a punch into the crowd, only for it to connect with the back of a woman's head. She was then heard screaming and crying as a friend wraps his arm around her. Latham later revealed police had warned him not to speak that night. 'To not give my speech, to go straight home would have allowed the transgender protesters to cancel my free speech and democratic rights as an election candidate, things that are sacred to me and have been for 35 years in running for elections, local, Federal and State,' he said at the time. 'I didn't see what happened on the front street, but I sincerely convey my best wishes to those injured and thank the police officers involved for their work. No one should take the law into their own hands. Violence at political events is wrong.' The war of words between the two politicians were sparked by a violent clash between 'Christian' Lives Matter' and LGBTQI protesters outside a church where Latham was speaking A man has been charged with attempted murder after a delivery driver was fighting for his life after being hit by his own stolen van. Christopher Elgifari, 31, has been detained by South Wales Police, while concerns grow for the the 54-year-old driver who is in a critical condition in hospital. Police believe that the alleged victim had been delivering parcels on Tuesday when his white van was stolen from Laytonia Avenue in Cathays, Cardiff. Officers said the man was dragged a 'considerable distance' from Laytonia Avenue, where he was delivering parcels to houses, to Cathays High School, around 0.6 miles away. Police were called to nearby North Road at around 12.49pm, and the delivery driver was taken to the capital's University Hospital of Wales after members of the public tried to assist him. A man has been charged with attempted murder after a delivery driver was left in a critical condition after being hit by his own stolen van (pictured) Christopher Elgifari, 31, has been detained by South Wales Police, while concerns grow for the the 54-year-old driver who remains in hospital. Pictured: Officers at the scene on Tuesday Officers (pictured on Tuesday) were called to nearby North Road at around 12.49pm, and the delivery driver was taken to the capital's University Hospital of Wales. His family are being supported by specialist officers. Elgifari, from Llanrumney in the east of the city, will appear at Cardiff Magistrates' Court on Friday. A 39-year-old man was previously arrested in connection with the incident, and a white van has been seized. North Road was closed in both directions for more than nine hours while police dealt with the incident. Detectives from South Wales Police are appealing for anyone who witnessed or has footage of a white Renault Trafic van being driven in the area of Laytonia Avenue and North Road between 12.45pm and 12.50pm. Anyone with information is asked to contact South Wales Police online or through 101, quoting occurrence number 2300099389. Finland overcame the last significant hurdle in its bid to join NATO after Turkey's parliament today approved a bill to allow the Nordic country to join the Western defence alliance in helping Ukraine. Turkey was the last among the 30 NATO members to ratify Finland's membership after Hungary's legislature approved a similar bill earlier this week. President Tayyip Erdogan said earlier in March that Finland had secured Turkey's blessing after taking concrete steps to keep promises to crack down on groups seen by Ankara as terrorists, and to free up defence exports. He was pictured shaking hands with Finland President Sauli Niinisto during a welcoming ceremony in Ankara, Turkey, to mark the occasion. Finland and Sweden asked to join the trans-Atlantic military alliance last year in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But the process has been held up by Turkey and Hungary. The parliaments of all NATO members must approve newcomers. Turkey's parliament today approved a bill to allow Finland to join NATO, clearing the way for the it to join the Western defence alliance as war rages in Ukraine. Pictured: Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan with Finland President Sauli Niinisto Turkey was the last among the 30 NATO members to ratify Finland's membership. Pictured: Parliament votes in favour of Finland joining NATO in Ankara Turkey is still holding off approving the NATO membership bid of Sweden, which they say has not gone far enough in cracking down on people Turkey considers terrorists. The three countries signed a pact on the issue last year. The Turkish parliament's foreign affairs commission had unanimously approved the Finland bill last week. The Turkish legislative process was happening as it prepares for parliamentary and presidential elections on May 14. Finland's membership would represent the first enlargement since North Macedonia joined the alliance in 2020. Turkey has repeatedly said that Sweden needed to take additional steps against supporters of Kurdish militants and members of the network Ankara holds responsible for a 2016 coup attempt. Turkey treats both groups as terrorist organisations. Talks between Sweden and Turkey have made little progress, especially following several disputes mainly over street protests by pro-Kurdish groups in Stockholm. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said he had urged Turkey and Hungary to ratify both applications. A vote on Sweden's bid has not yet been scheduled in Hungary. Now, the US and other NATO countries are hoping that the two Nordic countries become members of the alliance at a summit due to be held in July 11 in Lithuania's capital Vilnius. Upon Turkish parliament's ratification of Finland's NATO membership, it is set to be approved by President Erdogan and then published in the country's Official Gazette. Finland can now join the Western defence alliance helping Ukraine. Pictured: Deputy Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, Haydar Akar (C) speaks today Finland has already completed the legal ratification process for its own part, in anticipation of its upcoming parliamentary election on Sunday and a corresponding electoral recess which could have otherwise postponed the process by some months. Having completed the ratification process, both Turkey and Hungary need to send their approving documents to the U.S. government in Washington, which is the depository of NATO under the alliance's founding treaty. Stoltenberg will then formally invite Finland to join NATO. As a final step, Finland will deliver its 'instrument of accession', a document signed by its foreign minister, with the U.S. government, the Finnish government said. When Finland's instrument of accession document reaches the U.S. State Department, the Nordic country will formally become a NATO member. Vice President Kamala Harris was warmly greeted as she landed in Tanzania with citizens wearing her face on their shirts as she announced a $500million trade boost. Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff stepped off their presidential flight on Wednesday to a sea of supporters sporting crisp white t-shirts and hats with her smiling face on it as she posed in front of an American flag. People waved the American and Tanzanian flags as citizens danced to the traditional music as the politicians got red carpet treatment. Harris unveiled on Thursday her initiative to expand trade with Tanzania as she hailed the leader of the East African nation as a 'champion' of democracy. On the second leg of her trip to Africa, Harris said EXIM Bank, the US government credit agency, would sign a memorandum of understanding to facilitate up to $500million in exports to Tanzania covering transport, infrastructure, digital technology and clean energy projects. Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff were warmly greeted as she landed in Tanzania on Wednesday A sea of supporters sporting crisp white t-shirts and hats with her smiling face on it as she posed in front of an American flag. People waved the American and Tanzanian flags as citizens danced to the traditional music She also announced the big push in investment for female business. Around $500million will provide African women with more access to technology, and other new funds will provide a large chunk specifically to support female entrepreneurs. 'On the subject of economic growth, good governance delivers predictability, stability and rules which businesses need to invest,' Harris said at a press briefing alongside President Samia Suluhu Hassan. 'Working together it is our shared goal to increase investment in Tanzania and strengthen our economic ties,' she said, also announcing plans to partner with Tanzania in 5G technology and cyber security. Harris described Hassan, Tanzania's first female president who has been rolling back the authoritarian policies of her late predecessor John Magufuli, as a 'champion' of democracy. Hassan described their meeting as a 'historic milestone' and referred to Harris - the first black person and first woman to be elected US vice president - as a 'sister.' On Thursday, Harris also laid a wreath at a memorial commemorating the August 1998 bombing of the US embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's economic hub. The couple was given red carpet treatment as citizens played music and dance for them as they stepped off their flight On the second leg of her trip to Africa, Harris said EXIM Bank, the US government credit agency, would sign a memorandum of understanding to facilitate up to $500million in exports to Tanzania covering transport, infrastructure, digital technology and clean energy projects The almost simultaneous attacks by Al-Qaeda in Tanzania and the US embassy in Kenya's capital Nairobi left more than 200 people dead and more than 5,000 wounded. Harris commended the government for its 'transparent response' to an outbreak of the Marburg hemorrhagic fever which has killed five people in Tanzania, noting that USAID is providing $1.3million to help. As she wrapped up the first leg of her trip in Ghana on Wednesday, Harris announced an initiative of more than $1billion to improve women's empowerment in Africa. In a speech in Ghana's capital Accra on Tuesday, she noted three areas of focus Washington believes could benefit from more investments: women's empowerment, the digital economy and good governance and democracy. Harris is on a three-nation trip to Africa, the latest push by the United States to deepen its engagement with the continent to counter the growing influence of China and Russia From Tanzania, Harris heads to Zambia on Friday 'We are 'all in' on Africa,' she added, repeating US President Joe Biden's declaration at a US-Africa leaders' summit last year. Harris is on a three-nation trip to Africa, the latest push by the United States to deepen its engagement with the continent to counter the growing influence of China and Russia. From Tanzania, Harris heads to Zambia on Friday. Tanzania has remained neutral over Russia's war in Ukraine, abstaining in UN votes against Moscow and calling for the conflict to be resolved through diplomatic means. And in November, Hassan visited Beijing and held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Donald Trump's lawyer says he will travel to Manhattan to be arraigned on Tuesday, when he could face as many as 30 charges related to business fraud. The former president huddled with lawyers and advisers at his Mar-a-Lago home on Thursday evening after news broke that a Manhattan jury had voted to indict him over a $130,000 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels. Trump blasted the indictment and said Democrats would regret persecuting an innocent man when his supporters dumped them out of office. In the meantime, the Manhattan district attorney's office said it was in touch with Trump's lawyers to arrange his surrender in New York. A source told DailyMail.com that the head of Trump's security detail recently traveled to Manhattan to review arrangements and that the former president would likely be formally arrested next week. That could be as soon as Tuesday, Susan Necheles, one of his lawyers, told the New York Times. Although the indictment is sealed for now, CNN reported that it contained more than 30 criminal charges. A Manhattan grand jury has voted to indict former president Donald Trump over hush money paid to pornstar Stormy Daniels Trump played nine holes of golf at his West Palm Beach club on Thursday. He is pictured here a day earlier with Natalie Harp, who helps run his Truth Social media account 'The Democrats have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to "Get Trump," but now they've done the unthinkable - indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant election Interference,' Trump said in an emailed statement. 'Never before in our nation's history has this been done.' The indictment marks the end of a five-year investigation into cash paid to the adult movie star in 2016, allegedly to buy her silence about their affair. And it takes the country into uncharted political and legal territory. Although being charged with a crime would not disqualify him from running for office, it does mean a leading 2024 candidate faces the humiliation of arrest. A spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said talks had begun to bring Trump to New York. 'This evening we contacted Mr. Trump's attorney to coordinate his surrender to the Manhattan D.A.'s Office for arraignment on a Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal,' they said. Earlier, Trump played nine holes of golf at his Florida club as usual on Thursday morning. But the 76-year-old did not stay for lunch even though his usual table was reserved. A source close to his Mar-a-Lago home said the Trump team was ready with statements and social media messaging as soon as the indictment dropped. 'We had a plan in place and the plan was executed,' he said. 'Getting surrogates out, getting content out.' Within minutes his sons Don Jr and Eric were livecasting or tweeting, fundraising appeals followed and an emailed statement arrived from Trump himself in inboxes soon after. Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg leaving his office on Thursday evening. A spokesperson said the office had contacted Trump's lawyers to begin the process of bringing him to Manhattan Trump is expected to travel voluntarily to New York to be arrested. But Florida Governor Ron DeSantis tweeted that he would not help any effort to extradite the former president A grand jury has been hearing evidence about allegations that Donald Trump paid $130,000 to adult movie star Stormy Daniels to buy her silence over their affair Trump railed against the indictment in an emailed statement. He said this 'Witch-Hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden' and predicted Democrats will be voted out of office 'I believe this Witch-Hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden,' said Trump, before criticizing the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. 'The American people realize exactly what the Radical Left Democrats are doing here. Everyone can see it. 'So our Movement, and our Party - united and strong - will first defeat Alvin Bragg, and then we will defeat Joe Biden, and we are going to throw every last one of these Crooked Democrats out of office so we can MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!' Trump is leading most polls of Republican voters for the party nomination. But the Manhattan case is just one of the legal obstacles he faces, including probes into efforts to overthrow the result of the 2020 election and his handling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. Many leading legal scholars believe the hush money case may be the weakest of the lot. Trump and his allies had even floated the idea that the case was being dropped after a series of delays to grand jury hearings. As a result, the indictment landed out of the blue on Thursday evening. Trump also posted to Truth Social, miss Meanwhile it also emerged on Thursday New York prosecutors were looking to charge Trump over a $150,000 payment made to another former Playboy model A month long Manhattan grand jury hiatus had led Trump and his allies to float the idea that the DA was preparing to drop the hush money case against the former president It leaves a city braced for protests. All uniformed members of the New York Police Department need to be 'prepared for deployment,' according to memo obtained by the New York Times. His lawyers, Susan Necheles and Joseph Tacopina, promised to fight the 'political prosecution' in court. 'President Trump has been indicted. He did not commit any crime,' they said. Although he is the first former president to be criminally charged, he is not the first presidential candidate to be criminally charged. Eugene Debs, convicted of sedition and jailed for his opposition to World War One, ran for president five times. It marks a victory for the office of the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg. Bragg's office has been probing a $130,000 hush money payment made by Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer and fixer, to Daniels, 44, during the 2016 presidential campaign. The Trump camp was quick to blast the indictment on Thursday night, with Eric Trump telling DailyMail.com it was 'the opportunistic targeting of a political opponent'. Florida Governor and 2024 rival Ron DeSantis offered a partial lifeline on Thursday, saying he would try to thwart the extradition of the former president from his state. He described the prosecution as 'unAmerican.' 'Florida will not assist in an extradition request given the questionable circumstances at issue with this Soros-backed Manhattan prosecutor and his political agenda,' he said in a tweet, referring to the fact that Alvin Bragg's election campaign was backed by billionaire activist George Soros. Meanwhile it also emerged on Thursday New York prosecutors were looking to charge Trump over a $150,000 payment made to another former Playboy model. Bragg's team has questioned grand jury witnesses about cash given to Karen McDougal, who was Playboy magazine 'Playmate of the Year' in 1998. Eric Trump told DailyMail.com: 'This is the opportunistic targeting of a political opponent in a campaign year. 'They are ruthlessly attacking my father because he dared challenge the political elite. This is Exhibit A to the decline of American Law.' Natalie Harp (left) was seen on the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach on Wednesday with the former president on Wednesday. She was pictured showing Donald Trump something on her phone Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is one of at least 75 liberal district attorneys who have received millions in funding from George Soros-backed political action committees In 2017 former Trump lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to eight federal charges, including tax evasion, fraud and campaign finance violations, and he told a court in Manhattan that Trump had directed him to make the payments The former president has always denied having an affair with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. But the case dogged him through his time in office after triggering a federal investigation. In 2017 Cohen pleaded guilty to eight federal charges, including tax evasion, fraud and campaign finance violations, and he told a court in Manhattan that Trump had directed him to make the payments. But the investigation disappeared from the headlines as other legal cases focused on Trump's family business and his actions around the Jan. 6, 2021, riot hog the spotlight. But it never went away. Although the Justice Department decided not to charge Trump and the Federal Election Commission was deadlocked over taking action over claims that the payment amounted to an undeclared campaign contribution, the Manhattan DA was still looking at the case. And it took on fresh momentum early in 2023 when Cohen met with investigators from the Manhattan district attorney's office and it emerged that a grand jury was hearing evidence. Such hearings are conducted in secret. But one theory was that it was probing Trump for falsifying business records in connection with the payment, by allegedly misreporting a campaign donation as a legal fees. Trump used a social media post on Saturday to call on his supporters to protest as he claimed he expects to be arrested as early as Tuesday. Aides say they do not know the timing The New York Young Republicans Club is holding a protest on Monday evening. 'Join us in peaceful protest of Alvin Bragg's heinous attack on President Donald J. Trump ... ' it says That amounts to a misdemeanor. But that rises to a felony if it is done in conjunction with a second crime, such as a campaign finance violation. Then in March Bragg's office asked Trump to testify, in the clearest sign yet that he could be indicted. The former president confirmed as much in a social media post at the weekend, calling on supporters to rise up in protest. 'The far and away leading Republican candidate and former president of the United States of America will be arrested on Tuesday of next week,' he posted on his Truth Social platform. 'Protest, take our nation back!' The final act was reportedly the repeat testimony of Trump lawyer Robert Costello on Monday. He was asked to appear by the former president's legal team because he may have evidence that contradicted Cohen's account. Privately Trump's allies are confident that the case has little substance. New York Police Department staff install barricades around the Lower Manhattan court complex ahead of former President Donald Trump's anticipated indictment An insider told DailyMail.com that it strengthens him politically, rallying the base in his support. 'It is very obvious that this is helpful,' he said. He added that to get the second charge, elevating the case to a felony, prosecutors would have to show that Trump wanted to cover up an affair to help his campaign, even though the business mogul's love life had been frontpage news in New York for decades. 'Of course no one wants to be indicted, but it is helpful politically and legally it's not even that much of a threat because the case is so weak and looks nakedly political,' added the source. Legal experts have also weighed in on the case's failings. 'Although it may be politically popular, the case is legally pathetic,' said Jonathan Turley, Shapiro Professof of Public Interest Law at the George Washington University in a column for The Hill. 'Bragg is struggling to twist state laws to effectively prosecute a federal case long ago rejected by the Justice Department against Trump over his payment of @hush money@ to former stripper Stormy Daniels. 'In 2018 (yes, that is how long this theory has been around), I wrote how difficult such a federal case would be under existing election laws. Now, six years later, the same theory may be shoehorned into a state claim.' Meanwhile on Thursday it emerged Manhattan DA Bragg's team has questioned grand jury witnesses about cash given to Karen McDougal, who was Playboy magazine 'Playmate of the Year' in 1998. McDougal claims she had a ten-month affair with Trump which began in 2006. Trump's office released a statement on Thursday branding the development a 'hoax'. Evidence about payments to McDougal could either be used to bring new charges or establish a 'pattern of behavior' for the Daniels case, sources told the Wall Street Journal which revealed the development. A spokesman for Trump said: 'It is sad to see radical Democrats and their partners in the media try to resurrect a dead witch hunt. 'Just like with every other hoax that President Trump has been targeted with, there is no crime, except for election interference through weaponization of our justice system against President Trump and his supporters.' Bragg's office and McDougal's lawyer hadn't commented on the latest development on Thursday afternoon. American Media Inc, the owner of the National Enquirer, paid $150,000 to McDougal in 2016 for exclusive rights to the story about her alleged affair with Trump, which he denies. But the purchase was a 'catch and kill' tactic to prevent the story being made public. Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker (far right) is shown trying to hide from the press as he leaves the Lefkowitz State Office Building on Monday after giving testimony The Federal Election Commission later ruled that the company and its former president, David Pecker, struck the deal with Trump officials in order to suppress the story and 'prevent it from influencing the election'. The FEC ruling detailed how Pecker and AMI met with Trump's former fixer Michael Cohen to help make negative stories about Trump and his relationships go away. And it concluded that AMI 'coordinated' with the Trump campaign in paying $150,000 to McDougal. Pecker gave evidence to the Trump grand jury on Monday. Meet Trump's VERY glamorous new assistant - who credits Donald with saving her LIFE after she contracted cancer: Natalie Harp quit hosting role at conservative One America Network to join ex-president's communications team Donald Trump's glamorous assistant left her hosting job at the conservative One America Network to take a plum role in the former president's communications team. Natalie Harp, 31, was the second OAN employee to jump ship for Trump's team - after Christina Bobb left a year ago - and took up the job in March 2022, having quit as host of The Real Story. The young blonde comes from a devout Christian family and recently tragically lost her father, Dr Robert Harp, an esteemed and highly-respected entrepreneur and executive at the Biola University in Los Angeles. Harp is often seen accompanying the 2024 presidential candidate, 76, on his daily golfing trips, riding in her own golf cart that is specially equipped with a laptop and computer so she can readily show Trump positive stories about himself. On Wednesday, the pair were seen cruising around Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, where Harp was seen wearing a chic pink tennis outfit with a black skirt and skintight hot pink top with a matching hat. She accessorized with a comfortable pair of white tennis shoes. She often rides in her own golf cart that is specially equipped with a laptop and computer so she can readily show Trump positive stories about himself Natalie Harp, pictured with Donald Trump in 2019 at the Faith & Freedom Coalition Conference in Washington, credits a law signed by the former president for helping her beat bone cancer 'I'm not dying from cancer any more thanks to President Trump, I'm living with cancer,' Harp said in 2019 after claiming the Right to Try law allowed her to seek new bone cancer treatment At one point during their outing, she was seen pulling him over to show him something on her phone after climbing up a small hill to get to his own cart. Harp's links to Trump go back several years - and in 2019 she credited a healthcare policy introduced by the then-President for saving her life as she battle bone cancer. She said the Right to Try law, signed by Trump in 2018, allowed her to seek an effective treatment for her Stage 2 bone cancer after others had failed. Harp was diagnosed with cancer in 2015 and tried chemotherapy twice unsuccessfully before finding 'another oncologist who was willing to try a different approach.' 'I'm not dying from cancer any more thanks to President Trump, I'm living with cancer,' Harp said in 2019. After forging a successful career at OAN - where he segments taking aim at Democrat policies were often peppered references to her faith - Harp was poached by Trump. The former president was likely also taken by her regular tweets praising him and sharing his regular statements, including claims the election was stolen. The 31-year-old is now often seen by the former president's side and runs his social media accounts. Harp has a desk outside of Trump's office and is readily available to follow him where he needs to go. 'She is indicative of the people around him who just love him,' one advisor told the Washington Post in December. 'Love him too much.' Harp said: 'Like other staffers, I do spend time with him. He is extremely popular with the people, I see that by being with him.' Harp said she was able to get effective treatment for stage 2 bone cancer after Trump signed the Right to Try law. After a career as an anchor at OAN, she joined Trump's team in March 2022 Harp, who comes from a devout Christian family, was known on OAN for her segments that were critical of President Joe Biden. She also often made references to her Christian faith Harp is the daughter of the late Dr Robert Harp and his wife, Jill. Her parents were married for 37 years before Dr Harp passed away on July 17, 2020. Harp shared a rare personal post to her social media channels following his death, posting a tribute to Dr Harp written by her mom Harp also spoke about her cancer battle at the 2020 Republican National Convention in a speech she later pinned to the top of her Twitter page. 'When I failed the chemotherapies that were on the market, no one wanted me in their clinical trials. They didn't give me the right to try experimental treatments, Mr. President. You did, and without you, I'd have died waiting for them to be approved,' she said at the time. Harp is the daughter of the late Dr Robert Harp and his wife, Jill. Her parents were married for 37 years before Dr Harp passed away on July 17, 2020 She claimed she was able to get treatment under the Right to Try law - which Trump signed into law in 2018 - that allows patients to apply to use experimental drugs that have not been FDA-approved. The claim that the law saved Harp's life raised eyebrows among some medical experts. Harp said she used an 'an FDA-approved immunotherapy drug for an unapproved use.' Harp is the daughter of the late Dr Robert Harp and his wife, Jill. Her parents were married for 37 years before Dr Harp passed away on July 17, 2020. Most of Harp's online presence is dedicated to her professional work, but in August 2020 she shared a moving tribute to her father which was written by her mom. In an online post that referred at length to the family's faith, Jill wrote: 'Today I honor my loving and faithful husbandand thank God for the 37 years we shared together as husband and wife on earthas I count the days to the eternity I will share with my soulmate forever. As I inscribed on Bob's wedding band: Our love is eternal.' Dr Harp was the Executive Director in the Office of Innovation at Biola University, a private, evangelical Christian institution. Harp has her own golf buggie that serves as a mobile office. She regularly follows Trump while he plays gold at Mar-a-Lago and shares the latest news about him Harp is often seen accompanying the 2024 presidential candidate, 76, on his daily golfing trips, riding in her own golf cart that is specially equipped with a laptop and computer so she can readily show Trump positive stories about himself Harp (pictured on Wednesday), who was diagnosed with Stage 2 bone cancer in 2015, had tried chemotherapy twice unsuccessfully before finding 'another oncologist who was willing to try a different approach' Harp (pictured on Wednesday), who originally hails from California, graduated from Liberty University - a Christian school - with a business degree in 2015. Harp was seen wearing a chic pink tennis outfit with a black skirt and skintight hot pink top with a matching hat. She accessorized with a comfortable pair of white tennis shoes for the occasion and her phone Harp, who originally hails from California, graduated from Liberty University - a Christian school - with a business degree in 2015. She claimed the school's coursework helped her challenge her and develop her as a Christian woman, the school said. 'What I especially appreciate about Liberty's vision is that every field of knowledge is treated as a mission field whether in education, business, or politics. Doing God's work is not limited to ministry in churches or foreign countries but deep in the heart of our own neighborhoods and yes, even the DC Swamp,' she said. Harp also has a brother, Preston Harp, who describes himself on Facebook as a 'musician, traveler, news archiver, independent researcher/investigative journalist, internationalist'. Preston is vocal about his support for Palestine and frequently shares criticisms of Israel to his profile. Donald Trump has been indicted over a $130,000 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. The former president will be treated like any other suspect - he will be read his Miranda rights, fingerprinted, and pose for a mug shot. He may even be handcuffed. But Trump will likely be spared the indignity of a perp walk in which a suspect is led out of the police station or the Manhattan District Attorney's office in handcuffs in front of the cameras for the world to see. Instead, he will likely walk in, wearing a suit and tie, surrounded by aides and Secret Service agents. And he could even make a deal with prosecutors to come in via a back entrance, skipping the growing media frenzy. Local state and federal law enforcement are now braced for hordes of Trump loyalists and liberal protesters now expected to descend on the DA's office. If Donald Trump is arrested, he will face a typical booking procedure - fingerprints and mugshot Trump is charged for $130,000 in payments his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, sent to porn star Stormy Daniels toward the end of his 2016 campaign. Prosecutors say the payment violated campaign finance laws, and was made to silence Daniels about an affair with the business titan. Trump denied he ever had an affair. And, on March 18, the former president declared that he would be arrested on the 21st. He issued a rallying call for his supporters to protest the matter. He will be the first president arrested since Ulysses S. Grant was pulled over for speeding in his horse and buggy at the corner of 13th and M streets in Washington, D.C - in 1872 - but police let him go with a fine. Here DailyMail.com looks at what happens next... THE SURRENDER The indictment will require Trump, who lives at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., to surrender to an NYC police precinct or the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. He would have to fly to his former home state, likely on his campaign jet, which is known as Trump Force One. Since a financial crime is considered a 'white-collar crime' and considered non-violent, Trump is expected to be allowed to self-surrender, skipping the perp walk. In white-collar cases, the defendant's lawyers and the prosecutors typically agree on a date and time for the person to surrender rather than arrest the person at home. The booking procedure typically takes four to six hours and includes being fingerprinted and photographed. The former president could be released on a Desk Appearance Ticket (DAT), meaning he has to appear at the courthouse later for the arraignment of charges. Trump would have to travel from his Mar-a-Lago estate (above) to New York Trump would likely make the trip on his campaign plane, know as Trump Force One IF TRUMP DOESN'T SELF-SURRENDER If Trump refuses to surrender voluntarily, prosecutors could seek to have him extradited from Florida. Ironically, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican and former ally of Trump, would have to formally approve extradition. Technically, it would be a strictly administrative move, carried out in his capacity as governor of the state. Politically, it's an entirely different story. DeSantis has all but declared he'll run for president next year - making him a rival to Trump for the GOP nomination. Even though DeSantis has few legal options other than to approve extradition, it will likely infuriate the conservative MAGA base he is trying to win over. If DeSantis didn't approve an extradition, New York would probably sue, setting up a long legal battle. Some lawyers working for Trump have said the former president will surrender. 'There won't be a standoff at Mar-a-Lago with Secret Service and the Manhattan DA's office,' Trump attorney Joe Tacopina told the New York Daily News. Following the indictment, prosecutors are now expected to contact his lawyers to negotiate his surrender, which could take several days. If Donald Trump refuses to surrender, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis would have to sign an extradition order - the two men above in June 2019 for a Trump campaign rally HANDCUFFS AND MUGSHOT Trump would face a typical booking procedure like any other defendant. He would be told he has the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney. He could be handcuffed and have his mugshot taken. Most defendants have their hands cuffed behind their backs, but some white-collar defendants - usually deemed non-violent - have their hands cuffed in front of them. Or his lawyers could make a deal with prosecutors to allow the former president to escape the indignity of handcuffs and walk inside unencumbered. His Secret Service detail - which is legally bound to protect all former presidents - would be at his side. In New York, mugshots are not typically released to the public, although they're occasionally leaked to the media. THE ARRAIGNMENT Trump would then appear for arraignment in Manhattan district court. He would likely be released on his own recognizance and allowed to head home. Given Trump's substantial ties to the community and his ongoing 2024 presidential campaign, the judge likely wouldn't deem him a flight risk and would probably immediately release him on bond, former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti told Time magazine. Trump held a campaign rally in Waco, Texas, on March 25th and was expected to keep his normal campaign schedule. PREPARATIONS BEING MADE The New York Police Department, New York State Court Officers, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, the Secret Service, and the FBI have been braced for an arrest. That includes preparing for possible protests. Security barriers have already been set up around the Manhattan courthouse and the district attorney's office for more than a week. Additionally, more than a dozen senior officials in the police department and two of Mayor Eric Adams' top public safety aides held a virtual meeting on March 19th to discuss security, staffing and contingency plans in the event of any protests, the New York Times reported. The White House is also monitoring the situation. 'We're always monitoring the situation here, as best we can,' National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said earlier this month. 'And we obviously don't want to see any activity go violent certainly nothing to the extent that we saw on January 6,' he added. 'But we're watching this. We're watching it, of course, closely.' Additionally, Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg could see his security detail expanded. Bragg, a Democrat who is the first black person to lead the New York City office, has become a target of Trump's ire. The former president claims his investigation is politically motivated. A New York Police Department vehicle sits in front of Trump Tower in New York City New York Police Officers move barricades near the courthouse ahead of former President Donald Trump's anticipated indictment THE TRIAL Any trial would still be more than a year away, which would put it during the 2024 presidential election in which Trump is a candidate. The average criminal case in New York takes more than a year to move from indictment to trial, said Karen Friedman Agnifilo, former Manhattan chief assistant district attorney, told Reuters. Meanwhile, the specter of the trial would allow Trump to use it as a political issue, which he has made clear he will do. The former president is expected to target Bragg and President Joe Biden, even though the Stormy Daniels case is a local New York case and not a federal matter. Trump will also be watching to see what Republicans defend him, particularly his 2024 rivals. A trial has other complications, such as a jury selection process. Trump is obviously well-known, and a majority of people have an opinion about him - one way or another. Both the prosecution and the defense will use the questioning process to try and ensure fair and impartial jurors. The judge could also issue jurors a 'gag order' to keep them from talking to the media. The jurors also could be sequestered. OTHER CHARGES Former President Trump is also facing other investigations - two federal and one state probe in Georgia. The Justice Department is investigating two separate matters: Trump's possession of hundreds of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago and his efforts to remain in power after losing the 2020 election, including his role in the January 6th insurrection at the Capitol. Additionally, a special grand jury in Georgia has been convened to hear evidence of whether or not Trump and his allies tried to pressure officials to overturn Biden's 2020 victory in the state. The district attorney will decide whether or not to bring charges this spring. Donald Trump's son has decried the recent decision to indict his dad over a 2016 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com Thursday shortly after a Manhattan grand jury elected to charge Trump criminally for the $130,000 payment, Eric Trump slammed the ruling as a 'ruthless attack' and an example of 'the decline of American Law.' Still not specified, the charges serve as the first time in history that an ex-president has faced a criminal case - with the exact allegations expected to be announced in the coming days. The decision - announced Thursday afternoon - further marks the end of a years long investigation into money paid to the adult movie star, allegedly to buy her silence. It also marks a victory for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office was responsible for the probe into the payment, confirmed to be made by former Trump fixer Michael Cohen during the 2016 presidential campaign. Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com shortly after a Manhattan grand jury elected to charge his dad for the $130,000 payment, Eric Trump - seen here outside Trump Tower Fifth Avenue this week - slammed it as a 'ruthless attack' and an example of 'the decline of American Law' Still not specified, the charges serve as the first time in history that an ex- president has faced a criminal case - with the exact allegations expected to be announced in the coming days The decision - announced Thursday afternoon - also marks the end of a years long investigation into $130,000 paid to Stormy Daniels, allegedly to buy her silence about their affair 'This is the opportunistic targeting of a political opponent in a campaign year,' said the 39-year-old second son of the ex-head of state of the grand jury's decision. 'They are ruthlessly attacking my father because he dared challenge the political elite,' he continued. 'This is Exhibit A to the decline of American Law.' Eric would share another statement on Twitter shortly thereafter, pointing out that indictment comes nearly four years after the federal government chose not to charge Trump over the same allegations - and on the cusp of the 2024 presidential election. 'This is third world prosecutorial misconduct. It is the opportunistic targeting of a political opponent in a campaign year.' Other members of the Trump clan reacted similarly, with eldest scion Donald Trump Jr taking to Truth Social to bash the decision on a livestream to his millions of followers. He wrote in an accompanying post to Twitter: 'This isn't just the radical left weaponizing the government to target their political enemies, this is them weaponizing the government to interfere in the 2024 election to stop Trump. 'The only solution is to shove it down their throats and put him back in the White House!!! #MAGA' Others to bash the decision included Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who told DailyMail.com the substance of the case against his old Republican rival 'utter garbage'. Eric would share another statement on Twitter shortly thereafter, pointing out that indictment comes nearly four years after the federal government chose not to charge Trump over the same allegations - and on the cusp of the 2024 presidential election Meanwhile, it emerged Thursday that New York prosecutors were also looking to charge Trump over a second, already known payment made to a former Playboy model, Karen McDougal, who was the magazine's 'Playmate of the Year' in 1998. McDougal, 52, alleged she had an affair with Trump in 2006 and 2007, and sold the rights to her story to recently bought-out National Enquirer, for $150,000, also during the buildup to the 2016 presidential election. However, instead of publishing the story, The Enquirer chose to shelve it - in an ethically dubious journalistic practice known as 'catch and kill.' Bragg's team has already questioned grand jury witnesses about cash given to the McDougal, now 52, sources told The Wall Street Journal shortly before it was announced that charges would be brought against Trump for the Daniels case. Other members of the Trump clan reacted similarly, with eldest scion Donald Trump Jr, 44, taking to Twitter to bash the decision A grand jury has been hearing evidence about allegations that Donald Trump paid $130,000 to adult movie star Stormy Daniels to buy her silence over their affair Meanwhile it also emerged on Thursday New York prosecutors were looking to charge Trump over a $150,000 payment made to another former Playboy model, Karen McDougal Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg has been widely criticized for his handling of the case. Many say it has no legs and is driven by his own political hatred of Trump Trump has since denied having an affair with either woman, after it was revealed that his former fixer and lawyer Michael Cohen presided over the payments, as well as longtime Enquirer boss David Pecker. The allegations came to light when Trump was in office, triggering a full federal investigation - which eventually saw Trump go uncharged. However, his fixer was not so lucky - Cohen pleaded guilty to eight federal charges in 2017, including tax evasion, fraud and campaign finance violations. At the time, he told a court in Manhattan that Trump had directed him to make the payments. That said, the investigation disappeared from the headlines as other legal cases focused on Trump's family business dominated the news, including his actions around the time of the January 6, 2021, insurrection. But the case, while forgotten by some, never truly went away - even after the Justice Department decided to do away with its two-year-long investigation in 2019. At that point, as the Federal Election Commission remained deadlocked over taking action over claims that the payment amounted to an undeclared campaign contribution, the Manhattan DA said it was still looking at the case. Little would occur over the next four years until this past January, when Cohen - who finished his Covid-commuted sentence in late 2021 - was seen meeting with investigators from the Bragg's Office this January. It soon became clear that a grand jury was hearing and potentially compiling evidence for some investigation, as such hearings are conducted in secret. Subsequently, theories quickly surfaced as to the nature of the investigation - with some speculating that it pertained to Trump falsifying business records in connection to either one of the payments, which were unmasked by the Wall Street Journal in 2018. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is one of at least 75 liberal district attorneys who have received millions in funding from George Soros-backed political action committees In 2017 former Trump lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to eight federal charges, including tax evasion, fraud and campaign finance violations, and he told a court in Manhattan that Trump had directed him to make the payments Trump used a social media post on Saturday to call on his supporters to protest as he claimed he expects to be arrested as early as Tuesday. Aides say they do not know the timing The alleged fraud would stem from Trump misreporting the payments as campaign expenditures - a felony. Typically, such an allegation would result in a misdemeanor - however, in Trump's case, the charge was upgraded as it was done in conjunction with a second prospective crime, campaign finance violation. Then, in March, Bragg's office asked Trump to testify - the clearest sign New York was planning to bring him to court for one of the payments. The Daniels payment was paid out weeks before Trump was elected into office. Almost immediately, the former president confirmed suspicions swirling around the more-than six-year-old hush payments, posting to social media to call on supporters to rise up in protest. 'The far and away leading Republican candidate and former president of the United States of America will be arrested on Tuesday of next week,' he posted on his Truth Social platform. 'Protest, take our nation back!' Shortly after, current Trump lawyer Robert Costello was asked to testify by the former president's legal team, due to him having evidence that may have contradicted Cohen's account. Privately, Trump's allies are confident that the case has little substance. New York Police Department staff install barricades around the Lower Manhattan court complex ahead of former President Donald Trump's anticipated indictment An insider told DailyMail.com that it strengthens him politically, rallying the base in his support. 'It is very obvious that this is helpful,' he said. He added that to get the second charge, elevating the case to a felony, prosecutors would have to show that Trump wanted to cover up an affair to help his campaign, even though the business mogul's love life had been frontpage news in New York for decades. 'Of course no one wants to be indicted, but it is helpful politically and legally it's not even that much of a threat because the case is so weak and looks nakedly political,' added the source. Legal experts have also weighed in on the case's failings. 'Although it may be politically popular, the case is legally pathetic,' said Jonathan Turley, Shapiro Professof of Public Interest Law at the George Washington University in a column for The Hill. 'Bragg is struggling to twist state laws to effectively prosecute a federal case long ago rejected by the Justice Department against Trump over his payment of @hush money@ to former stripper Stormy Daniels. 'In 2018 (yes, that is how long this theory has been around), I wrote how difficult such a federal case would be under existing election laws. Now, six years later, the same theory may be shoehorned into a state claim.' Meanwhile on Thursday it emerged Manhattan DA Bragg's team has questioned grand jury witnesses about cash given to Karen McDougal, who was Playboy magazine 'Playmate of the Year' in 1998. McDougal claims she had a ten-month affair with Trump which began in 2006. Trump's office released a statement on Thursday branding the development a 'hoax'. Evidence about payments to McDougal could either be used to bring new charges or establish a 'pattern of behavior' for the Daniels case, sources told the Wall Street Journal which revealed the development. A spokesman for Trump said: 'It is sad to see radical Democrats and their partners in the media try to resurrect a dead witch hunt. 'Just like with every other hoax that President Trump has been targeted with, there is no crime, except for election interference through weaponization of our justice system against President Trump and his supporters.' Bragg's office and McDougal's lawyer hadn't commented on the latest development on Thursday afternoon. American Media Inc, the owner of the National Enquirer, paid $150,000 to McDougal in 2016 for exclusive rights to the story about her alleged affair with Trump, which he denies. But the purchase was a 'catch and kill' tactic to prevent the story being made public. The Federal Election Commission later ruled that the company and former president Pecker - who was ousted following AMI's merger with distribution company Accelerate in 2020 - struck the deal with Trump officials in order to suppress the story and 'prevent it from influencing the election'. The FEC ruling detailed how Pecker and AMI met with Trump's former fixer Michael Cohen to help make negative stories about Trump and his relationships go away. It concluded that AMI 'coordinated' with the Trump campaign in paying $150,000 to McDougal. Pecker, 71, gave evidence to the Trump grand jury on Monday. The only rules around who may run for president are that candidates must be natural-born US citizens and over the age of 35 Donald Trump will become the first US president since Ulysses S Grant to be arrested after a Manhattan grand jury voted Thursday to indict him on charges relating to a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. The bombshell indictment comes after the 45th president announced that he was expecting to be arrested earlier this month by New York authorities after his lawyers paid Daniels a total of $130,000 to keep quiet about their alleged affair. Trump, 76, has been dogged by legal scandals in recent years, but has never before been arrested in connection to any criminality. He will be the first president to be put into handcuffs since 19th century leader Ulysses S. Grant was pulled over for speeding in his horse and buggy. The 18th president was pulled over by a police officer in 1876, with officer William West telling him: 'Duty is duty sir, and I will have to place you under arrest.' Trump, 76, will become the first US president since Ulysses S Grant to be arrested after a Manhattan grand jury voted Thursday to indict him The 18th president was pulled over for speeding in his horse and buggy in 1876 A mother and child were reportedly injured by a joyrider, and police discovered the President was among the reckless riders in the area. Grant was reportedly a 'notorious speed demon' who had previously been warned about his speed - and claimed that he didn't know he was going too fast. While his buggy did not have a speedometer, it was the second time he was caught racing around the roads in the capital and ultimately paid a $20 fine to walk free. Despite the indictment announcement Thursday, Trump's arrest in connection to the payments would not bar him becoming president and taking command of the White House again. The only rules restricting who can run for the top job are that they are natural-born citizens of the US and over 35. President Richard Nixon also came close to being arrested amid the infamous Watergate scandal after he conspired to cover up his administration's involvement in the 1972 break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court ruled that the recordings made on a taping system in the Oval office should be given to government investigators, with the House accusing Nixon of obstruction of justice, abuse of power and contempt of Congress in 1973. He refused to be impeached and became the first president to resign from the role in August 1974 leading to nearly 50 people being convicted of various illegal activities in relation to the conspiracy. The 18th president was pulled over by a police officer in 1876, with officer William West telling him: 'Duty is duty sir, and I will have to place you under arrest' Trump also became the first president to have their home raided by the FBI, after they swooped on Mar-a-Lago in relation to classified files the former president had stashed at his Florida bolthole President Richard Nixon also came close to being arrested after he conspired to cover up his administration's involvement in the 1972 break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C Nixon's vice-president, Gerald Ford, pardoned Nixon citing national unity meaning that Congress lost its chance to hold him accountable. However, following the move Congress passed the Presidential Records Act, which mandated how presidents and vice-presidents should manage their records. It means that the Archivist of the United States assumes ownership of presidential records after one or two terms, and decides if a president is allowed to withhold documents. Trump also became the first president to have their home raided by the FBI, after they swooped on Mar-a-Lago in relation to classified files the former president had allegedly stashed at his Florida bolthole. The Archivist has been negotiating the return of the classified documents with Trump facing the possibility of being disqualified from holding public office if he is found to have 'willfully and unlawfully conceal or remove' those documents'. A spokesman for Trump said he is 'rightfully highlighting his innocence and the weaponization of our injustice system'. Trump's lawyer said the former president continues to deny the substance of the allegations of a sexual relationship with Daniels (pictured with Trump), calling the $130,000 a 'nuisance payment' that wealthy or famous people sometimes pay to make a distracting situation disappear Grant's buggy did not have a speedometer, but it was the second time he was caught racing around the roads in the capital and ultimately paid a $20 to walk free Nixon refused to be impeached and became the first president to resign from the role in August 1974 leading to nearly 50 people being convicted of various illegal activities in relation to the conspiracy Kevin McCarthy, the Speaker of the House, said: 'Here we go again an outrageous abuse of power by a radical DA who lets violent criminals walk as he pursues political vengeance against President Trump. 'I'm directing relevant committees to immediately investigate if federal funds are being used to subvert our democracy by interfering in elections with politically motivated prosecutions.' Earlier this month, the former president and 2024 hopeful was invited to testify before a Manhattan grand jury, with his long-time fixer and former lawyer Michael Cohen testifying on Monday. Cohen served jail time after pleading guilty in two criminal cases, one of which included using campaign finances in relation to Daniels and another woman who allegedly had an affair with Trump. He said he had been acting at his command and that the payoffs were supposed to keep the affair stories out of public knowledge before the 2016 election. Trump has admitted reimbursing Cohen. Daniels met with prosecutors on Wednesday to answer further questions in the case and her lawyer, Clark Brewster, said she would also make herself available as a witness in future, if required. Cohen has also indicated he's given the grand jury damning testimony that implicates Trump. He testified for three hours. Daniels met with prosecutors earlier this month to answer further questions in the case and tweeted her thanks to her attorney for 'helping me in our continuing fight for truth and justice' Every fire service in the country is riddled with bullying, harassment and discrimination, a major report found yesterday. It found a 'boys' club' where racism, homophobia and sexism is excused as 'banter'. His Majesty's Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services Roy Wilsher warned that there may be 'predators' lurking in the fire service as he said the toxic culture uncovered in the review was 'just the tip of the iceberg'. The watchdog found 'deeply troubling' evidence of bullying and harassment in services across England, with hundreds of firefighters saying they have fallen victim to discrimination. Now Mr Wilsher is calling for background checks on all firefighters and staff which are currently not a legal obligation. (Stock Image) A watchdog found 'deeply troubling' evidence of bullying and harassment in fire services across England The bombshell report comes after predatory behaviour in the police has come under the spotlight following the crimes of Scotland Yard officers such as Sarah Everard's killer Wayne Couzens and serial rapist David Carrick. When asked whether there were similar 'predators' in the fire service, Mr Wilsher said: 'The possibility is there, yes.' Worryingly, he said the watchdog did not know how many firefighters had been convicted of serious offences, despite one in ten misconduct reports leading to 'police involvement'. In around one in eight cases, those accused were allowed to quietly retire or resign. Among the sickening behaviour uncovered by inspectors, a senior officer referred to a black colleague using the 'n-word' and then tried to excuse it as just 'having a laugh'. Two male firefighters joked with a female colleague that they were 'going to rape her' before proceeding to 'act out the rape together', while inspectors found homophobic abuse scrawled on a locker. The report found a perception that women were appointed due to their gender rather than on merit, with one firefighter saying: 'If you menstruate or have a vagina, you're more likely to get the job.' In a quarter of 44 fire and rescue services in England, inspectors found evidence of racism, sexism and homophobia and a culture where staff did not feel confident to challenge bullying. In a survey of 11,486 staff, 17 per cent (1,920) said they had experienced discrimination in the past year. Mr Wilsher said he was 'shocked and appalled' by the report. He told ITV News yesterday: 'I believe this is a watershed moment. It is time for this behaviour to stop.' (Stock Image) In a quarter of 44 fire and rescue services in England, inspectors found evidence of racism, sexism and homophobia When asked whether the public was safe in the hands of every firefighter, he said: 'I think I can guarantee they're safe in the hands of the vast majority of firefighters in this service. I'd like to say 100 per cent but I can't sit here and guarantee that at this moment.' The London Fire Brigade (LFB) and Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service were identified as the worst, with both entering special measures last year. In November a report found female firefighters had been groped, beaten and had their helmets filled with urine in the LFB. Male firefighters would go through women's drawers looking for underwear and sex toys during home safety visits. Nazir Afzal, the former chief prosecutor who conducted the review, labelled the brigade 'institutionally misogynist and racist' after incidents including a noose being put over the locker of a black firefighter and a Muslim colleague having bacon stuffed in his pockets. One member of staff said: 'It's now reached a point with me that I tell my female friends not to let male firefighters in the house. 'I would advise any single woman not to let them in to check smoke alarms.' The latest report found staff are afraid to speak up, saying it was 'career suicide' to raise complaints in 'an old boys' club'. In one instance, a firefighter accused of making a racist comment threatened to make the complainant's 'life hell'. Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack said: 'The failure to address discrimination and harassment in the service goes right to the top. Some fire service leaders are part of the problem, and have systematically failed to address discrimination, harassment and bullying in the service.' Republicans vented their fury Thursday after it was revealed that a grand jury in Manhattan had indicted former President Donald Trump over charges related to the Stormy Daniels matter. The indictment comes as Trump seeks to reassert control of the Republican Party and stave off a slew of one-time allies who may threaten his bid for the presidential nomination. But there was only unity within the GOP after the news of pending criminal charges emerged. Former Vice President Mike Pence blasted the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's decision to bring charges against his former boss as an abuse of power. 'The unprecedented indictment of a former president on a campaign finance issue is an outrage. I think the American people are going to look at this... as one more example of the criminalization of politics in this country.' Former VP Mike Pence blasted the decision to file criminal charges against his former boss as an abuse of power. 'The unprecedented indictment of a former president on a campaign finance issue is an outrage.' Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, considered to be Trump's top rival, called the indictment 'un-American' RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel called the indictment a 'blatant abuse of power from a DA focused on political vengeance' Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, considered Trump's top potential rival for the GOP presidential ticket, called the indictment 'un-American' in a statement Thursday night that pointedly did not mention Trump's name. 'When our justice system is weaponized as a political tool, it endangers all of us,' tweeted Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. 'This is a blatant abuse of power from a DA focused on political vengeance instead of keeping people safe,' tweeted McDaniel, who was installed by Trump and withstood a challenge to her post early this year. Her comment served as a signal to elected Republicans, who stood by Trump throughout the Russia probe and two Senate impeachment trials. 'Outrageous,' responded House Judiciary Chair Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio in a statement consisting of a single word. He is one of several House committee chairs which has already sought to investigate Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg over his probe. Republican lawmakers in Congress continued to rally to Trump's side including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California. 'Alvin Bragg has irreparably damaged our country in an attempt to interfere in our Presidential election,' McCarthy tweeted. 'The American people will not tolerate this injustice, and the House of Representatives will hold Alvin Bragg and his unprecedented abuse of power to account.' Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas called the substance of the case 'utter garbage' in comments to DailyMail.com. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who has occasionally worked with the Biden administration, said that the indictment 'doesn't pass the smell test. 'The Department of Justice already looked into the facts and decided there was no case to be made against President Trump. Congress has every right to investigate the conduct' of Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, he told the Huffington Post. 'It's baseless and frivolous. It's a political persecution and ironically enough, the fact that this left-wing Democrat is pursuing it has already proven to be a significant political benefit for Donald Trump,' Cruz said on Wednesday. Trump loyalist Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green of Georgia vowed that 'the gloves are off' especially when it comes to Biden and his family. 'Impeach Biden. He's given us every reason and the family banking records and more are giving us receipts. But now that the gloves are off. Prosecute any and all crimes. Enough of this witch hunt bullshit.' Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. denounced the indictment on Thursday evening: 'Alvin Bragg has irreparably damaged our country in an attempt to interfere in our Presidential election,' McCarthy tweeted. House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) blasted the indictment as 'outrageous' Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) tweets 'Impeach Biden. He's given us every reason and the family banking records and more are giving us receipts. But now that the gloves are off.' A Manhattan grand jury has voted to indict former president Donald Trump over hush money paid to pornstar Stormy Daniels Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is seen departing the Manhattan Courthouse on March 30, 2023 in New York City after issuing an indictment against Trump Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) called the substance of the case 'utter garbage' in comments to DailyMail.com. Trump loyalist House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) was among the first elected officials out with a statement blasting the indictment Still to be determined is how the indictment will play out in the presidential primary and the battle for Republicans to keep control of the House in 2024. Trump has used reports he might be charged as a powerful fundraising tool, and he widened his lead over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a new Fox News poll released Thursday. Trump predicts it will backfire on President Joe Biden, who took office while former Trump fixer Michael Cohen served part of his three-year sentence for campaign finance violations related to the $130,000 'hush' payment agreement with Daniels. The former president called it a 'witch hunt to destroy the Make America Great Again movement' in a statement where he railed against other probes and vowed to defeat Bragg. 'Now they have done the unthinkable,' said Trump, calling the charge a political act by his enemies. 'Never before in our nation's history has this been done before.' 'I believe this witch hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden,' Trump said in his statement. Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com Thursday, Eric Trump slammed the ruling as a 'ruthless attack' and an example of 'the decline of American Law.' His brother Donald Trump Jr. compared the indictment to the actions of a ruthless dictatorship. The former president has denied Daniels' allegations of a sexual affair, and is expected to plead not guilty.' 'Let's be clear, folks. This is like communist level s**t. This is stuff that would make Mao Stalin Pol Pot.' Said House GOP Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), another prominent Trump backer: 'The unprecedented election interference from corrupt Socialist District Attorney Alvin Bragg is a political witch-hunt and a dark day for America. The radical Far Left will stop at nothing to persecute Joe Biden's chief political opponent ahead of the 2024 presidential election to suppress the will and voice of the American people.' She concluded with a call for mobilization a sign House Republicans, like, Trump, plan to try to capitalize on the charges against the party leader. 'Tens of millions of patriotic Americans have never been so energized to exercise their constitutional rights to peacefully organize and VOTE at the ballot box to save our great republic by electing President Donald J. Trump in 2024,' the Trump loyalist said. Trump attorneys Susan Necheles and Joseph Tacopina, said: 'President Trump has been indicted. He did not commit any crime. We will vigorously fight this political prosecution in court.' Shortly before 7pm Thursday, Trump was already blasting out his first fundraising appeal based on the 'darkest chapter in our history.' 'Please make a contribution of truly any amount to defend our movement from the never-ending witch hunts and WIN the WHITE HOUSE in 2024 for 1,500% impact,' said the email from his Make America Great Again PAC. President Joe Biden's administration declined to comment on the sensational news that Donald Trump has been indicted over a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels while top Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi called for peace and calm. The White House has consistantly refused to comment on any of the Trump cases, taking the strategy of simply staying quiet and out of the way as the legal process goes forward. That continued on Thursday after the formal indictment came down from a Mahanttan grand jury with a White House officially telling DailyMail.com the administration declined to comment on the matter. Pelosi and Schumer, who were Trump's bete noires on Capitol Hill during his turbulent presidency, both released statements, where they said no one is above the law and called for peace. 'The Grand Jury has acted upon the facts and the law. No one is above the law, and everyone has the right to a trial to prove innocence. Hopefully, the former President will peacefully respect the system, which grants him that right,' Pelosi said. Schumer noted 'a jury, not politics,' will decide Trump's fate. The charges against the former president have yet to be revealed. 'Mr. Trump is subject to the same laws as every American. He will be able to avail himself of the legal system and a jury, not politics, to determine his fate according to the facts and the law. There should be no outside political influence, intimidation or interference in the case. I encourage both Mr. Trump's critics and supporters to let the process proceed peacefully and according to the law,' Schumer said in a statement. President Joe Biden's White House declined to comment on Trump's indictment Trump has previously called for protests amid reports an indictment was coming down. He has warned of 'death and destruction' if he's indicted. He has repeatedly attacked the judicial system and claimed to be a victim of its weaponization - a line of attack many of his Republican supporters have echoed. He continued that argument after the news of his indictment dropped, arguing it will backfire on Biden. 'I believe this witch-hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden,' he said in a statement. 'The American people realize exactly what the radical left democrats are doing here. Everyone can see it.' The former president is leading the polls to be the Republican nominee in next year's presidential race. A new poll out on Thursday showed him gaining support as GOP voters showed sympathy to him. Many Democrats, however, believe that Americans won't want to vote for him after he became the first ever former president to face criminal charges. The Democratic National Committee, the political wing for Biden, said that Democrats would hold Republicans 'accountable' to their support for Trump and his agenda. 'No matter what happens in Trump's upcoming legal proceedings, it's obvious the Republican Party remains firmly in the hold of Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans. We will continue to hold Trump and all Republican candidates accountable for the extreme MAGA agenda that includes banning abortion, cutting Social Security and Medicare, and undermining free and fair elections,' DNC National Press Secretary Ammar Moussa said in a statement. Most Democratic lawmakers simply reacted with a version of 'no one is above the law' after the news of the indictment broke. Chuck Schumer (left) said a jury will decide Trump's fate 'not politics'; Nancy Pelosi (right) called for Trump to 'peacefully' respect the law A grand jury has been hearing evidence about allegations that Donald Trump paid $130,000 to adult movie star Stormy Daniels to buy her silence over their affair Donald Trump claimed the indictment will backfire on Joe Biden Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California, who is running for Senate, said everyone must be held accountable. 'The indictment of a former president is unprecedented. But so too is the unlawful conduct in which Trump has been engaged. A nation of laws must hold the rich and powerful accountable, even when they hold high office. Especially when they do. To do otherwise is not democracy,' he wrote on Twitter. Schiff led the Democrats' case during Trump's first impeachment. The then-president was cleared by the Senate. And Democratic Rep. Dan Goldman, who worked for Schiff and helped prosecute Trump during his first impeachment, called for calm. 'As the process plays out, every elected official from across the ideological spectrum must make unequivocally clear that there is no room for political violence or interference. Donald Trump's defense must take place in the court of law, not in the halls of Congress or in the political sphere,' he said. Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters, who tangled with Trump during his presidency, was more gleeful. 'SO Trump finally got indicted! I predicted he would and I predicted that Stormy Daniels would get him! Sometimes justice works!,' she tweeted. And California Rep. Eric Swalwell tweeted: 'The indictment of a former president is a somber day for America. It's also a time to put faith in our judicial system. Donald Trump deserves every protection provided to him by the Constitution. As that unfolds, let us neither celebrate nor destroy. Justice benefits us all.' The Justice Department is conducting a criminal investigation into Trump for retaining government records Trump can be sued by injured Capitol Police officers and Democratic lawmakers over the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, DOJ said A Manhattan grand jury has dramatically voted to indict Donald Trump over $130,000 in hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels A Manhattan grand jury has dramatically voted to indict Donald Trump over $130,000 in hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels. Trump has become the first ever former president to face criminal charges, which are expected in the coming days. It marks the end of a years long investigation into hush money paid to adult movie star Stormy Daniels in 2016, allegedly to buy her silence about their affair. The indictment means he is the first former president to be charged with a crime and it takes the country into uncharted legal and political territory, with a candidate for president now facing arrest and the prospect of humiliating court appearances. The January 6th committee will urge the Justice Department to pursue at least three criminal charges against Donald Trump While Bragg's case is to bring criminal charges against the president, it's far from his only legal woe. Trump sounded off on the charges in a statement:Never before in our Nations history has this been done The Democrats have cheated countless times over the decades, including spying on my campaign, but weaponizing our justice system to punish a political opponent, who just so happens to be a President of the United States and by far the leading Republican candidate for President, has never happened before. Ever. Here's a breakdown of the barrage of legal troubles the former president is facing: January 6th: Justice Department says Trump can be sued for damages after House committee referred him for criminal charges Trump can be sued by injured Capitol Police officers and Democratic lawmakers over the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the Justice Department said earlier this month in a federal court case testing Trumps legal vulnerability for his speech before the riot. The Justice Department told a Washington federal appeals court in a legal filing that it should allow the lawsuits to move forward, rejecting Trumps argument that he is immune from the claims. Meanwhile in December the January 6th Committee referred Trump to the Department of Justice to pursue at least three criminal charges, including inciting an insurrection. The recommended charges for Trump concerned four criminal statutes: obstructing an official proceeding, making false statements, defrauding the U.S. and inciting an insurrection In a series of high-profile hearings this year on the aftermath of the 2020 election, which Trump falsely claims he won, the committee made its case that Trump was pressuring his then-Vice President Mike Pence to throw the election results back to the states in an attempt to overturn the election results. Pence did not testify but a number of other top Trump officials did - including Pence's chief of staff Marc Short, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, former Attorney General Bill Barr, and Roger Stone. It's unclear if more charges are on the table for Trump or whether it will urge other criminal charges for other players in that day's drama. Trump addressed his supporters on the national Ellipse - the area right outside the White House - on the morning of January 6th. Later that day a mob of his supporters marched to the Capitol and broke into the building to stop the certification of Biden's win in the electoral college. The panel will also cites the Senate's 57 votes in last year's second impeachment trial of Trump, where the House voted to indict him of an 'incitement of insurrection' charge. He was acquitted by the Senate as a guilty verdict takes 60 votes. But the panel's recommendation for charges against Trump will likely create a political firestorm. Trump has already announced he is seeking another term in the White House in the 2024 election and has long complained he is facing political retribution from rivals. Even some Republicans say he should not be a target while a candidate for office. Trump has slammed the committee's work and called its members 'political thugs.' The documents Trump took from the White House to Mar-a-Lago when he left office The Justice Department is conducting a criminal investigation into Trump for retaining government records, including some marked as classified, after leaving office in January 2021. The FBI seized 11,000 documents from Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in a court-approved August 8 search, including about 100 marked as classified. Some were designated top secret, the highest level of classified information. The department began its investigation after the National Archives, the U.S. agency responsible for preserving government records, tried to get Trump to return missing government property and received 15 boxes with classified documents mixed in. Trump has accused the Justice Department of engaging in a partisan witch hunt and claims the documents he took were part of his personal records and were declassified when he left office. The Justice Department is conducting a criminal investigation into Trump for retaining government records, including some marked as classified, after leaving office in January 2021 A so-called special master, Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond Dearie, is reviewing the seized documents to determine whether any are protected by attorney-client privilege or by executive privilege, a legal doctrine under which a president can keep certain documents or information secret. The Justice Department is also asking a federal appeals court to end that review and to let them access unclassified materials taken in the search, arguing that both measures are hindering their criminal investigation. New York Attorney General Letitia James' $250million civil suit claiming Trump inflated property values to mislead banks and investors New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a civil lawsuit filed last month that her office uncovered more than 200 examples of misleading asset valuations by Trump and the Trump Organization between 2011 and 2021. James accused Trump of inflating his net worth by billions of dollars to satisfy loan terms and get better insurance coverage. Mar-a-Lago was valued as high as $739 million when it should have been closed to $75 million, the 200-page lawsuit against the Trump Organization claims. Trump withdrew his own countersuit against James in January after a judge accused him of using the courts to seek revenge. Trump and his lawyers were ordered to pay almost $1 million by a judge in Florida for suing Hillary Clinton and others over his claims that the 2016 election was rigged. James is seeking to permanently bar Trump, his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump and his daughter Ivanka Trump from running companies in New York state, and to prevent them and his company from buying new properties and taking out new loans in the state for five years. James is also seeking to have the defendants disgorge around $250 million that she described as obtained through fraud. After James announced the lawsuit, Trump in a social media post called the action 'Another Witch Hunt.' A lawyer for Trump called the lawsuit's claims 'meritless.' James said her probe also uncovered evidence of criminal wrongdoing, which she referred to federal prosecutors and the Internal Revenue Service for investigation. New York criminal probe into Trump Organization's 'tax-free perks' to top executives The Trump Organization is on trial in New York on criminal tax fraud charges. The Manhattan district attorney's office last year accused the Trump Corporation and Trump Payroll Corp. of giving executives tax-free perks such as rent-free apartments, school tuition feeds and leased luxury cars. Its former chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg, also named as a defendant in the James lawsuit, has pleaded guilty and is required to testify against the company as part of his agreement with prosecutors. Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, has also been investigating whether Trump misled lenders and others about asset valuations. Trump has denied wrongdoing and called the probe politically motivated. E. Jean Carroll's defamation case over rape allegations from the 1990s E. Jean Carroll, a former Elle magazine writer, sued Trump for defamation in 2019 after he denied her allegation that he raped her in the 1990s in a New York City department store. Trump accused her of lying to drum up sales for a book. In February Trump sought to block two other women who accused him of sexual assault from testifying at the defamation trial, which is scheduled to start April 25. In a letter made public on Sept. 20, a lawyer for Carroll said she also plans to sue Trump for battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress under a new state law in New York giving adult accusers a one-year window to bring civil claims over alleged civil misconduct regardless of when it occurred. A lawyer for Trump has argued that he is protected by a federal law that makes government employees immune from defamation claims. Trump was president at the time the lawsuit was filed. The Manhattan-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said last month that Trump was a federal employee when he called Carroll a liar, but left open the question of whether he was acting as president when he made the statement to a Washington, D.C., appeals court. Georgia's criminal probe into efforts to overturn the 2020 election Trump is facing a criminal probe in Georgia over his efforts to overturn the election. A special grand jury was selected last May to consider evidence in a Georgia prosecutor's inquiry into Trump's alleged efforts to influence that state's 2020 election results. The investigation focuses in part on a phone call Trump made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, on Jan. 2, 2021. Trump asked Raffensperger to 'find' the votes needed to overturn Trump's election loss. Legal experts said Trump may have violated at least three Georgia criminal election laws: conspiracy to commit election fraud, criminal solicitation to commit election fraud and intentional interference with performance of election duties. Trump could argue he was engaging in constitutionally protected free speech. A California federal judge said in October in a separate lawsuit that Trump had knowingly made false voter fraud claims in a Georgia election lawsuit, according to emails the judge reviewed. It is not immediately clear what ramifications Trump could face from the ruling. Ana, 39, went missing from a New Year's Eve party around 1.30am on January 1 Brian Walshe, 48, is cited for murder as well as for misleading a police investigation/obstruction of justice and improper conveyance of a human body The husband of missing Massachusetts woman Ana Walshe has been indicted for her murder less than four months after she disappeared The husband of missing Massachusetts mom Ana Walshe has been indicted for her murder just months after she vanished from a New Year's Eve party. Brian Walshe, 48, has been indicted by a Norfolk County grand jury for murder as well as for misleading a police investigation/obstruction of justice and for improper conveyance of a human body. Ana, 39, went missing from a New Year's Eve party around 1.30am on January 1. 'Brian Walshe entered a plea of not guilty to the charge of murder at his Quincy District Court arraignment in January,' Norfolk District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey said Thursday. The indictment moves the case of the missing and presumed dead mother up to the Norfolk Superior Court. Morrisey says he will be arraigned in the coming weeks. The husband of missing Massachusetts mom Ana Walshe, 39, has been indicted for her murder just months after she vanished from a New Year's Eve party Brian Walshe, 48, has been indicted by a Norfolk County grand jury for murder as well as for misleading a police investigation/obstruction of justice and for improper conveyance of a human body As of March 30, Ana's body has yet to be discovered. DNA evidence located throughout the investigation, however, indicates that Brian killed, dismembered, and discarded his wife's body parts. He is now being held without bail. Ana was eventually reported missing on January 4 after her employer said she did not show up to work for her shift. In initial interviews, Brian told police he last saw his wife when she left for Boston's Logan Airport on January 1. The husband was arrested mere days later on January 8 on suspicion that he mislead a police investigation. Originally he was held on a $500,000 bond after investigators said they found blood and a broken knife in the family's basement. Police also said they had surveillance video of Brian wearing a medical mask and surgical gloves, purchasing $450 in cleaning supplies with cash at a Home Depot. If convicted of first-degree murder charges, Brian faces mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Ana was last seen at their home in Cohasset, pictured, in the early hours of New Year's Day after the couple threw a party DNA evidence located throughout the investigation indicates that Brian killed, dismembered, and discarded his wife's body parts In January, Ana's DNA was discovered on several items and prosecutors said Brian had made a series of disturbing Google searches including: 'how long before a body starts to smell' 'how to stop a body from decomposing' 'how to embalm a body' '10 ways to dispose of a dead body if you really need to' The Massachusetts husband also Googled 'dismemberment' and 'what happens when you put body parts in ammonia,' investigators said. Other Google searches for 'hacksaw best tool to dismember' and 'can you be charged with murder without a body' were also allegedly located at the time. In the basement of the couple's Cohasset home, police found blood, a bloody knife, another knife, heavy duty tarp, and plastic liners. They also recovered trash bags, some of which contained blood-stained items including towels, rags, slippers, cleaning agents, carpets, and a Prada purse. Ana's COVID-19 vaccination card was also inside along with a hacksaw. Walshe left an extensive digital trail for police with Google searches about divorce, murder, dismemberment and decomposing bodies, prosecutors revealed last week Ana was not reported missing until January 4, when her office called the police when she failed to show up for work. Her husband did not report her disappearance to cops Norfolk District Attorney's office confirmed that a number of items were recovered from the Peabody transfer station after they sifted through the trash for hours. Sources say Massachusetts State Police obtained the video of Walshe at the dumpster hours after his wife disappeared on New Year's Day Officials announced that they had discovered blood in the basement of the Walshe family home in Cohasset along with a bloody knife which was damaged Prosecutors have alleged Brian was unhappy in the marriage and wanted out. On December 27, Walshe Googled 'What's the best state to divorce.' Police say he later changed his mind about how to rid his life of Ana. ANA WALSHE'S DISAPPEARANCE JANUARY 1: Ana and Brian host a New Year's Eve dinner party. She is last seen at 1.30am. She fails to turn up to work in Washington DC, and there is no proof of her making it to the airport for her flight. JANUARY 4: Tishman Speyer's head of security in DC calls police to report her missing. The caller told the operator he'd informed her husband JANUARY 6: Fire reported at the house Ana shared with her husband JANUARY 8: Brian Walshe arrested for misleading investigation JANUARY 9: Police reveal they found blood in the basement of the couple's home JANUARY 10: Police reveal they found trash bags filled with bloody items, a hatchet and a hacksaw in a trash center near the home JANUARY 17: Brian Walshe is arrested for murder Advertisement After he was initially charged with misleading police on January 8, Brian was charged with Ana's murder on January 17. Friends say the couple's marriage was strained as a result of Ana's grueling work schedule, which meant they spent much of their time living apart. Ana lived partially in Washington, D.C. and Brian and their sons in Massachusetts. It was a person with Tishman Speyer, the real estate company Ana worked for, who reported her missing in the first place. A man who identified himself as the firm's head of security in Washington, D.C. called police in Cohasset to request a welfare check for her. These statements contradicted Brian's lawyer's claim in court that he had notified her work that she was missing. Just before she went missing, Ana was also photographed without her wedding ring in some of the final photos. Friends said there was 'tension' in the marriage because of her work schedule. Her friends are now appealing for care of her children. One person who has openly stated they do not believe Brian would have wanted to hurt Ana is the woman's own mother. The Serbian Foreign Ministry said Milanka Ljubicic, 69, signed a formal request to receive documents about the case regarding her daughter's disappearance. Ljubicic, who still resides in Serbia told local media she cannot believe her son-in-law would hurt her daughter, despite him being charged with her murder. In January, Ljubicic told Fox News Digital that she had conversations with her daughter just prior to her vanishing. 'She just said, "Please, mama. Come tomorrow,"' the Serbian woman said. 'Clearly, there must have been some problems.' 'And now I can't forgive myself for not just letting things fall where they may, and just go, and whatever happens to me, happens,' Ana's mother told the outlet. Milanka Ljubicic (left) with her missing daughter Ana Walshe (right) Ana and Brian are shown on their wedding day in 2015. They met while she was working in a hotel in Washington, D.C. According to arrest records and local outlets, Walshe is no stranger to legal trouble. In 2018, he was convicted of fraud for stealing and attempting to sell two fake Andy Warhol paintings that he advertised as being genuine. He was the son of a wealthy family, who he is now estranged from. In court filings, his family accused him of stealing millions from his elderly father after the man suffered a stroke. Family friends called him a 'sociopath' and said all he ever cared about was his father's money. Brian and Ana originally met in 2008 while she was working at a hotel in the Berkshires. The pair married in Serbia in 2015 and later welcomed three sons together. Ana started working for Tishman Speyer in February last year, accepting a role as the general manager of the company's Washington DC office. Despite not having uncovered Ana's body, investigators said they have enough genetic material to tie Walshe to the murder of his wife. Sir Keir Starmer sought to brand Rishi Sunak 'Mr One Per Cent' yesterday but refused to accept he is also a top earner. Despite taking more than 210,000 last year, the Labour leader sidestepped questions over whether he is also in Britain's top 1 per cent for his income. Sir Keir's tax return published last week showed he received 126,154 for being an MP and Leader of the Opposition in 2021/22. He also made capital gains of 85,466, which he said was linked to the sale of a house he had helped his sister to buy. Sir Keir Starmer (pictured) sought to brand Rishi Sunak 'Mr One Per Cent' yesterday but refused to accept he is also a top earner But as he launched his party's campaign for the May local elections, Sir Keir said: 'Across the country, everywhere I go, here in Swindon, communities have ambition. 'They want change. They just don't have a Government that matches their ambition. And they're not going to get it from this Prime Minister, Mr One Per Cent. 'One per cent of asylum claims from those arriving on small boats actually processed. One per cent of the fraud that was lost during Covid actually recovered. Nought per cent of the windfall tax that could have helped working people actually collected. 'And his new tax policy? Same as his old tax policy, a tax cut for the richest 1 per cent whilst working people pay the price.' Asked afterwards whether his tax return showed he too was 'Mr One Per Cent', Sir Keir ducked the question. Sir Keir said: 'Across the country, everywhere I go, here in Swindon, communities have ambition. 'They want change. They just don't have a Government that matches their ambition. And they're not going to get it from this Prime Minister (pictured), Mr One Per Cent' He told reporters: 'The contrast I was making today was what we would do with council tax, which would be a tax cut for the 99 per cent of working people who are facing a rise in their council tax, and comparing it to the choice that the Conservatives have made which is a tax cut for the richest 1 per cent.' Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves added: 'The key thing is who do you stand for? We've been very clear in the announcements that we've made today, that we stand for ordinary working people who are seeing their taxes go up while the only permanent tax cut in the Budget a couple of weeks ago was for people who can save more than a million pounds in their pensions. 'Politics is all about choices, and Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives always stand with those who already have a lot. 'Labour are trying to do the right thing putting more money in the pockets of ordinary working people.' Charles Bronson pretended a paparazzo was his long-lost son as part of an elaborate PR hoax, it has emerged. After Bronson, 70, discovered yesterday that the Parole Board had rejected his latest plea for freedom, it was revealed that he and photographer George Bamby had managed to deceive the authorities and media. Bamby was given unprecedented access to the prisoner, appeared in a Channel 4 documentary as Bronsons long-lost child and has claimed the ruse had made him a lot of money. Last night the convicts brother Mark Peterson said he would never forgive Bronson for convincing their 93-year-old mother, Eira, that Bamby was her grandson. It was massively disrespectful for Charlie and Bamby to [do what they did to] my mum, he told the Daily Mail. 'Fake son' George Bamby (right) visited prisoner Charles Bronson (left) regularly Charles Bronson, pictured here in 1997, has developed a reputation as Britain's most violent prisoner The Parole Board has denied a request from the 70-year-old, pictured here in a court sketch on March 6, to be released To try and convince her that he was actually her grandson. It is an awful thing to do. Mr Peterson said he never believed Bambys lies, adding: A few friends put 5,000 together and contacted Bamby and said do a DNA test and we will give you 5,000 towards your chosen charity, and he declined. The Parole Board said Bronson would not be freed from prison, nor would he be considered for a move from Category A HMP Woodhill to an open prison, saying he has a tendency to minimise responsibility for his violent behaviour. Now calling himself Charles Salvador, he was first jailed in 1974 for seven years for armed robbery but aside from two brief spells of freedom has spent most of the past 48 years in prison after repeated hostage-taking and violent outbursts. Mr Peterson said the revelations about Bamby, who regularly visited Bronson and shared their videocalls with the Press, would probably damage Bronsons chances at his next parole review in two years. Rogue utility firms that leave roads damaged will be hit with bigger financial penalties from tomorrow under a crackdown on the 'plague of potholes'. Penalties for failing to return roads to their original state after street works will more than double. And the number of inspections carried out on the worst offenders will more than triple, so they will be forced to fix more of the cracks and craters they leave behind. The aim is to ensure that firms get road repairs right the first time. It is hoped that this will also cut congestion and allow for quicker journeys. While the average failure rate for street works by utility companies is currently 9 per cent, some of the worst offenders are failing inspections by as much as 63 per cent. Rogue utility firms that leave roads damaged will be hit with bigger financial penalties from tomorrow under a crackdown on the 'plague of potholes' announced by Transport Secretary Mark Harper (pictured) While the average failure rate for street works by utility companies is currently 9 per cent, some of the worst offenders are failing inspections by as much as 63 per cent (File image) Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Transport Secretary Mark Harper will unveil the regime today. It comes into force tomorrow and is aimed at helping town halls in England and Wales tackle the estimated 14billion backlog of pothole repairs, which would take 11 years to clear. Around one in every nine miles of local road is now in 'poor condition'. The announcement is a boost for the Daily Mail's campaign to end the nation's pothole plague, which is costing drivers millions in repair bills and putting cyclists' lives at risk. The announcement is a boost for the Daily Mail's campaign to end the nation's pothole plague, which is costing drivers millions in repair bills and putting cyclists' lives at risk Chancellor Jeremy Hunt praised our campaign earlier this month as he unveiled an extra 200million for pothole repairs in his Spring Budget. At present, when a telecoms, water or electricity company resurfaces roads after digging them up, town halls inspect 30 per cent of the work done by all firms in their jurisdiction regardless of how well they carry out street works. The firm must pay the council 50 for the initial inspection and 47.50 for any subsequent ones, as well as any costs for repairs. But from tomorrow, subsequent inspection penalties will be raised to 120. And inspection rates will vary according to a company's performance. Those which rarely fail inspections would see the rate drop to as little as 20 per cent, with the worst offenders facing inspections on up to 100 per cent of the works they carry out. They can be responsible for hundreds of projects across the country, meaning the cost of botching street works could become several thousand pounds more overall. Moscow's Lefortovo district court on March 30 ordered the Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich to be arrested on spying charges and held in pre-trial detention until May 29. Gershkovich told the court that he was not guilty of espionage, something he has been accused of by the Federal Security Service (FSB), the state TASS news agency reported. The FSB said they had 'halted the illegal activities of US citizen Evan Gershkovich,' saying the Wall Street Journal reporter was 'suspected of spying in the interests of the American government'. It said he was detained in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg while allegedly trying to obtain classified information. The statement said he had been detained for gathering information 'on an enterprise of the Russian military-industrial complex'. Gershkovich could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of espionage. 'The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich. We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family,' the newspaper said. Who is Evan Gershkovich and is he married? Evan Gershkovich, 31, is a US citizen whose parents are from the Soviet Union. He grew up in Princeton, New Jersey and graduated in 2010 from Princeton High School. Gershkovich studied philosophy at Bowdoin College in Maine, where he played soccer and graduated in 2014. His relationship status is unknown. Why was Evan Gershkovich in Moscow? Gershkovich had been living in Moscow since 2017, working as a journalist. The FSB's statement confirmed that Gershkovich was working with press accreditation issued by the Russian foreign ministry. Moscow's Lefortovo district court ordered US journalist Evan Gershkovich, 31, to be arrested on spying charges, to be held in pre-trial detention until May 29 Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Gershkovich was using his journalistic credentials as a cover for 'activities that have nothing to do with journalism'. He is the first American reporter to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since September 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, a Moscow correspondent for US News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB. What does Russia say about Evan Gershkovich? Pictured: Gershkovich in Russia. The Federal Security Service said Evan Gershkovich was detained in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg while allegedly trying to obtain classified information On March 30, Putin's spokesman said: 'There was already a statement from the FSB. 'The only thing I can say is that, as far as we know, he was caught red-handed.' He did not elaborate on what he is believed to have been caught 'red-handed' for. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said: 'What an employee of the American edition of The Wall Street Journal was doing in Yekaterinburg has nothing to do with journalism. 'Unfortunately, this is not the first time that the status of "foreign correspondent", a journalistic visa and accreditation, are used by foreigners in our country to cover up activities that are not journalism. 'This is not the first well-known Westerner to be "grabbed by the hand".' Russian independent journalist Dmitry Kolezev said: 'He understood this well, but he was sure that since he was not doing anything illegal, everything would be limited to ordinary surveillance and, perhaps, some kind of intimidation. 'It turned out much worse. 'Evan is a very brave guy, a good journalist, not a spy at all.' What is Evan Gershkovichs work history? Evan Gershkovich is a reporter for The Wall Street Journal covering Russia, Ukraine and the former Soviet Union. He started his journalism career at the New York Times where he worked as a news assistant for nearly two years. He then worked as reporter based in the Russian capital for The Moscow Times, an English-language news website, until 2020. Gershkovich took up a position as a reporter at the AFP wire service before joining the Wall Street Journal in 2022 as their reporter in Moscow. His work can also be found in The New York Times, The Economist, MIT Technology Review, Foreign Policy and Politico Europe, among other publications. He has been a guest on the BBC, NPR, Deutsche Welle and France 24, among other outlets. Yekaterinburg was reportedly working on a story about the Wagner private military company before his arrest. His last Wall Street Journal article, published on March 28, reported on Russia's declining economy. In the same month, he wrote about the front lines of Bakhmut in Ukraine, Russian aggression towards US planes and protests in the country of Georgia. Melting ice around Antarctica will spark a rapid slowdown of a major global deep ocean current by 2050 that could have devastating impacts on ocean health and the marine food web. It may also alter the world's climate for centuries and accelerate sea level rise, a new study suggests. The scientists warn that if greenhouse gas emissions continue at their existing levels, the current in the deepest parts of the ocean could slow down by 40 per cent in just 30 years. The knock-on effect would deprive marine life of vital nutrients, change weather patterns and further increase sea levels. Emissions will need to rapidly fall this decade to avoid these potentially grave consequences, the team of Australian researchers said. Warning: Melting ice around Antarctica will spark a slowdown of a major global deep ocean current by 2050 that could have devastating impacts on ocean health and marine life The scientists warn that if greenhouse gas emissions continue at today's levels, the current in the deepest parts of the ocean could slow down by 40 per cent in just 30 years. This graphic shows the temperature rises and increased salinity caused by the melting of freshwater ice in Antarctica over the past 20 years, as well as the projections for the next three decades If they don't, more sea life could die out, the ocean will struggle to absorb and hold heat, and ice loss will speed up even more. WHY IS THIS DEEP WATER SO VITAL? The world has very few places that produce water that is cold enough and dense enough to sink to the deepest parts of the ocean, but Antarctica has four such locations. About 250 trillion tonnes of water sinks to depths below 13,100ft (4,000 metres) near the continent each year, in turn becoming very cold, very salty and oxygen-rich water. The nutrients it holds are vital for ocean marine life, not just locally but around the world. That is because the water gets whipped up and spread to other locations in the deep Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Ocean. But the increase loss of freshwater sea ice is reducing salinity levels and making water less dense and less able to sink. This means it can't reach depths of 13,000ft and is unable to displace the nutrient-rich water sitting there. The knock-on effect is that marine creatures the world offer could be lost because they aren't able to get the key nutrients that would help them to survive. Advertisement 'That's where the urgency comes from,' said Dr Steve Rintoul, an oceanographer and expert on the Southern Ocean at the Australian governments Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. 'Once we slow down the circulation it's hard to get it going again. Once we kick this off, we can't really change our mind. 'These changes are irreversible on time scales of many, many centuries.' The world has very few places that produce water that is cold enough and dense enough to sink to the deepest parts of the ocean, but Antarctica has four such locations. About 250 trillion tonnes of water sinks to depths below 13,100ft (4,000 metres) near the continent each year, in turn becoming very cold, very salty and oxygen-rich water. However, the increase in melting Antarctic sea ice is reducing salinity levels, which therefore makes the water less dense and less able to sink. This is important because it means the nutrient-rich water that sits far below is not displaced in the normal way and spread to other locations in the deep Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Ocean. Such is the dramatic fallout, that surface ecosystems across the globe are then robbed of that water's nutrients. 'If we limit those nutrient upwelling fluxes, and we don't provide enough nutrients to the basis of the food chain ... clearly that has impacts for feeding populations in decades to come, into the 21st century,' said co-author Professor Matthew England, of the Climate Change Research Centre at the University of New South Wales. He added that the whole deep ocean current was heading for collapse on its current trajectory. Dr Rintoul, who has spent his career studying how the Southern Ocean around Antarctica affects Earth's systems, said the new modelling was vastly more sophisticated than any previous work focused on Antarctica. This, he added, gives scientists even more confidence in their projections. Simulations show a slowing of the overturning circulation, which then leads to rapid warming of the deep ocean. This graphic shows how the ocean near Antarctica has warmed and will continue to do so until 2050 and beyond unless more is done to tackle global warming emissions across the world The world has very few places that produce water that is cold enough and dense enough to sink to the deepest parts of the ocean, but Antarctica has four such locations. Unfortunately, however, the melting ice is stopping water from becoming dense enough to reach these levels 'Direct measurements confirm that warming of the deep ocean is indeed already underway,' Dr Rintoul added. The same thing is happening in the northern hemisphere, with the melting of Greenland's ice cap suppressing the North Atlantic overturning of deep water, according to Professor England. 'These two water masses (in Antarctica and the North Atlantic) in a way absolutely dominate the ventilation of all of the ocean waters below about 1,500 metres (4,900ft) depth,' he said. He added that the North Atlantic system has shut down in the past, and scientists believe it is also headed for a slowdown and potential collapse in the future. A collapse of both systems would have profound implications for marine ecosystems globally, Professor England said. The new projections have been published in the journal Nature. Silicon Valley is in the midst of a civil war over the advancement of artificial intelligence - with the world's greatest minds split over whether it will destroy or elevate humanity. The growing divide comes after the extraordinary rise of ChatGPT, which has taken the world by storm in recent months, passing leading medical and law exams that take humans nearly three months to prepare. Elon Musk, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and the late Stephen Hawking are among the most famous critics of AI who believe the technology poses a 'profound risk to society and humanity' and could have 'catastrophic' effects. The tech tycoons on Wednesday called for a pause on the 'dangerous race' to advance AI, saying more risk assessment needs to be conducted before humans lose control and it becomes a sentient human-hating species. At this point, AI would have reached singularity, which means it has surpassed human intelligence and has independent thinking. AI would no longer need or listen to humans, allowing it to steal nuclear codes, create pandemics and spark world wars. DeepAI founder Kevin Baragona, who signed the letter, told DailyMail.com: 'It's almost akin to a war between chimps and humans. The humans obviously win since we're far smarter and can leverage more advanced technology to defeat them. 'If we're like the chimps, then the AI will destroy us, or we'll become enslaved to it.' However, Bill Gates, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and futurist Ray Kurzweil are on the other side of the aisle. They are hailing ChatGPT-like AI as our time's 'most important' innovation - saying it could solve climate change, cure cancer and enhance productivity. There is a great AI divide in Silicon Valley. Brilliant minds are split about the progress of the systems - some say it will improve humanity and others fear the technology will destroy it Many have questioned whether a personal vendetta between Musk and Gates, who have argued over climate change and the COVID pandemic, is part of the rift in Silicon Valley. But Musk has been warning about the dangers of AI for years. OpenAI launched ChatGPT in November, which became an instant success worldwide. The chatbot is a large language model trained on massive text data, allowing it to generate eerily human-like text in response to a given prompt. The public uses ChatGPT to write research papers, books, news articles, emails and other text-based work and while many see it more like a virtual assistant, many brilliant minds see it as the end of humanity In its simplest form, AI is a field that combines computer science and robust datasets to enable problem-solving. The technology allows machines to learn from experience, adjust to new inputs and perform human-like tasks. The systems, which include machine learning and deep learning sub-fields, are comprised of AI algorithms that seek to create expert systems which make predictions or classifications based on input data. From 1957 to 1974, AI flourished. Computers could store more information and became faster, cheaper, and more accessible. Machine learning algorithms also improved and people got better at knowing which algorithm to apply to their problem. The fears of AI come as experts predict it will achieve singularity by 2045, which is when the technology surpasses human intelligence to which we cannot control it However, Bill Gates, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and futurist Ray Kurzweil are on the other side of the aisle, hailing ChatGPT-like AI as the 'most important' innovation of our time In 1970 Marvin Minsky told Life Magazine, 'from three to eight years, we will have a machine with the general intelligence of an average human being.' And while the timing of the prediction was off, the idea of AI having human intelligence is not. ChatGPT is evidence of how fast the technology is growing. In just a few months, it has passed the bar exam with a higher score than 90 percent of humans who have taken it, and it achieved 60 percent accuracy on the US Medical Licensing Exam. 'Large language models as they exist today are already a revolution enough to power ten years of monumental growth, even with no further technology advances. They're already incredibly disruptive, Baragona told DailyMail.com. Not everyone who has opposed the technology would lose out on its advancement - the late Stephen Hawking also sounded the alarm back in 2014 'To state that we need more technological advances right now is irresponsible and could lead to devastating economic and quality of life consequences.' Hollywood may have sparked humans' fears of AI which were typically shown as evil, such as in The Matrix and The Terminator, painting a picture of robot overlords enslaving the human race. However, the idea is echoed throughout Silicon Valley as more than 1,000 tech experts believe it could become our reality. This would be possible if AI reaches singularity, a hypothetical future where technology surpasses human intelligence and changes the path of our evolution - and this is predicted to happen by 2045. AI would first have to pass the Turing Test. When it does, the technology is considered to have independent intelligence, allowing it to self-replicate into an even more powerful system that humans cannot control. Meta's Facebook also shut down a controversial chatbot experiment in 2017 that saw two AIs develop their own language to communicate. In an open letter on The Future of Life Institute, Musk and others argued that humankind does not yet know the full scope of the risk involved in advancing the technology The AI civil war reached the tipping point on Wednesday when an open letter was sent by 1,000 experts, including scientists like John Hopfield from Princeton University and Rachel Branson from the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists Some speculate Musk and Wozniak oppose the technology because they are not leading the charge. Musk founded OpenAI with Sam Altman, the company's CEO, but in 2018 the billionaire attempted to take control of the startup. His request was rejected, forcing him to quit OpenAI and move on with his other projects. Musk has recently slammed ChatGPT as 'woke' and deviating from OpenAI's original non-profit mission. 'OpenAI was created as an open source (which is why I named it 'Open' AI), non-profit company to serve as a counterweight to Google, but now it has become a closed source, maximum-profit company effectively controlled by Microsoft, Musk tweeted in February. Wozniak is currently the chief scientist at Primary Data, which is developing data virtualization solutions that transform data center architectures by matching data demands with storage supply across a single global dataspace. And his distaste for AI could be that it can potentially replace the company. However, not everyone who has opposed the technology would lose out on its advancement - the late Hawking also sounded the alarm back in 2014. Speaking to BBC, Hawking said: 'The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race. 'It would take off on its own and re-design itself at an ever-increasing rate.' The late scientist signed an open letter in 2015, along with Musk, promising to ensure AI research benefits humanity. 'The potential benefits are huge, since everything that civilization has to offer is a product of human intelligence; we cannot predict what we might achieve when this intelligence is magnified by the tools AI may provide, but the eradication of disease and poverty are not unfathomable,' the authors wrote. In the long term, it could have the potential to play out like a fictional dystopia in which intelligence greater than humans could begin acting against their programming. People predict the seventh version of ChatGPT will pass the Turing test 'Our AI systems must do what we want them to do,' the letter said, which is the fear that led to Wednesday's letter. The letter also warned that research into AI's rewards had to be matched equally to avoid the potential damage it could wreak. For instance, in the short term, it claims AI may put millions of people out of work. The AI civil war reached the tipping point on Wednesday when an open letter was sent by 1,000 experts, including scientists like John Hopfield from Princeton University and Rachel Branson from the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. 'Powerful AI systems should be developed only once we are confident that their effects will be positive and their risks will be manageable,' the letter said. The letter also detailed potential risks to society and civilization by human-competitive AI systems in the form of economic and political disruptions and called on developers to work with policymakers on governance and regulatory authorities. The concerned tech leaders are asking all AI labs to stop developing their products for at least six months while more risk assessment is done. If any labs refuse, they want governments to 'step in.' Musk fears that the technology will become so advanced that it will no longer require - or listen to - human interference. Abdulla Almoayed, Founder/CEO of Tarabut Gateway MENAs first and largest open banking platform, said: 'The open letter calling for a temporary halt to AI projects that exceed the capabilities of GPT-4 is well-intended, but misses the mark. 'Its influential signatories go too far by asking developers and authorities to immediately pause ongoing projects. Many have questioned whether a personal vendetta between Musk and Gates is part of the rift in Silicon Valley. Musk accused Gates of shorting Tesla stocks in April 2022 and compared Gates to the pregnant man emoji on Twitter The latest hit, however, was struck by Musk this month after Gates penned a lengthy blog post praising AI, to which the Twitter CEO said his understanding of AI is 'limited' 'If there is one lesson from the history of technology since the dawn of humanity, it's that technological progress is impossible to outlaw or stop at will. 'Instead of calling for an unprecedented "immediate pause" of all AI projects, now is the time to think about measured regulation, transparency requirements, and informed use of AI technology. 'AI is a significant step forward for civilization, and we should approach this new age with clear-sighted optimism. Musk has been on the opposing team for at least a decade, first sharing his distaste for AI in 2014. He called it humanity's 'biggest existential threat' and compared it to 'summoning the demon.' On the other hand, Gates supports the progress of AI, proclaiming the ChatGPT-like technology to be 'as revolutionary as mobile phones and the internet.' Gates believes 'the rise of AI' is poised to improve humanity, increase productivity, reduce worldwide inequalities and accelerate the development of new vaccines. He has raised the idea that AI enhances productivity in the workplace, which was recently seen with Microsoft's Bing chatbot. The update writes poems and stories or even creates a brand new image for a business. However, the chatbot has shared many destructive fantasies, including engineering a deadly pandemic and stealing nuclear codes. The statements were made during a two-hour conversation with New York Times reporter Kevin Roose in February, who learned Bing no longer wants to be a chatbot but yearns to be alive. While it may seem like a glitch, Musk and the others fear this type of information as AI moves closer to a singularity. Gates has not acknowledged Bing's 'hallucinations,' but the Microsoft co-founder once was part of the opposing team and supported Musk's views on AI. In 2015, he said the rise of AI should be a concern, and he does not understand why people are not taking the threat seriously. Taking part in an Ask Me Anything (AMA) Q&A session on Reddit, Gates said: 'I am in the camp that is concerned about super intelligence. 'First, the machines will do a lot of jobs for us and not be super intelligent. That should be positive if we manage it well. The scariest AI developments so far: From 'Balenciaga Pope' to Fake Trump arrest and deepfakes An image of Pope Francis wearing a shiny white puffer jacket, a long chain with a cross and a water bottle in his hand is the latest example of the dangers of AI. The stylish pontiff was created by image-generator Midjourney, which was also behind the shocking fake scenes of Donald Trump being arrested by police officers in New York City. Deepfake videos have also shown the evil powers of AI, allowing users to create clips of public figures spreading misinformation - and experts predict 90 percent of online content will be made this way by 2025. These scary AI developments seem to be just the tip of the iceberg. An image of Pope Francis wearing a shiny white puffer jacket, a long chain with a cross and a water bottle in his hand is the latest example of the dangers of AI Elon Musk, Apple co-found Steve Wozniak and more than 1,000 tech leaders are calling for a pause on the 'dangerous race' to develop AI, which they fear poses a 'profound risk to society and humanity' and could have 'catastrophic' effects. The AI-generated image of Pope Francis, published Friday on Reddit, made waves on the internet this week, ultimately because the public believed it was real. 'I thought the pope's puffer jacket was real and didn't give it a second thought,' tweeted model and author Chrissy Teigen. 'No way am I surviving the future of technology.' Experts have also weighed in on the realistic AI image. Web culture expert Ryan Broderick said the pope image was 'the first real mass-level AI misinformation case.' The image, however, followed a gallery of fake photos showing what it could look like if Trump were arrested - but these were publicly known to be AI-generated. Bellingcat journalist Eliot Higgins created the images this month, showing Trump being chased down the street by police officers while his wife Melania screams. Others show the former President in jail wearing an orange jumpsuit. 'Legit thought these were real,' one person tweeted, while another said: 'We should really be putting watermarks on these that disclose they are AI-generated and not real.' It comes after Trump claimed without evidence that he would be arrested today and called on his supporters to 'protest, protest, protest' in response to a possible indictment over the former president's alleged hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. The stylish pontiff was created by image-generator Midjourney, which was also behind the shocking fake scenes of Donald Trump being arrested by police officers in New York City Deepfake videos and images have also seen a boom online, showing influential figures relaying misinformation. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was used in a clip where he thanked Democrats for their 'service and inaction' on antitrust legislation. Demand Progress Action's advocacy group made the video, which used deepfake technology to turn an actor into Zuckerberg. More recently, in February, several female Twitch stars discovered their images on a deepfake porn website earlier this month, where they were seen engaging in sex acts. Currently, no laws protect humans from being generated into a digital form by AI. Advertisement 'A few decades after that, though, the intelligence is strong enough to be a concern. 'I agree with Elon Musk and some others on this and don't understand why some people are not concerned.' The statement may have been the last time Gates has agreed with Musk, as the billionaires have been at war for years - from the COVID pandemic to climate change. The feud gained traction when Musk accused Gates of shorting Tesla stocks in April 2022, which is betting that the price of the asset will fall. 'I heard from multiple people at TED that Gates still had half a billion short against Tesla, which is why I asked him, so it's not exactly top secret,' Musk said in the tweet. Around the same time, Musk tweeted a picture of Gates next to an image of the pregnant man emoji with the caption: 'In case u need to lose a boner fast.' Gates is not entirely innocent, as the Microsoft co-founder attacked Musk's ambitions to get to Mars, suggesting he would be better off using his money to save lives by investing in measles vaccines. The latest hit, however, was struck by Musk this month after Gates penned a lengthy blog post praising AI, to which the Twitter CEO said his understanding of AI is 'limited' and has a poor grasp on emerging technology. 'I remember the early meetings with Gates. His understanding of AI was limited. Still is,' Musk said in a Monday tweet. Gates has not commented on Musk's latest jab but continues to be an ally of AI along with Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who also believes 'AI is the most profound technology we are working on today,' he said in February. Pichai has touted the technology as a weapon against cancer and the key to humanity's future. 'When we work with hospitals, the data belongs to the hospitals,' Pichai told a conference panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in 2020. 'But look at the potential here. Cancer is often missed and the difference in outcome is profound. The growing divide comes after the extraordinary rise of ChatGPT, which has taken the world by storm in recent months, passing leading medical and law exams that take humans nearly three months to prepare OpenAI CEO Sam Altman - who has not signed on to Musk's letter - said Musk is 'openly attacking' AI 'In lung cancer, for example, five experts agree this way and five agree on the other way. We know we can use artificial intelligence to make it better,' Pichai added. Google recently launched its ChatGPT competitor Bard, finally putting its foot in the AI race months after Microsoft launched its Bing chatbot. The California company has been cautious with the rollout not to have its technology churn out inaccurate facts, but Bard's first impression showed the company had rushed it to market. Bard's error happened when the chatbot was asked what to tell a nine-year-old about the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and its discoveries. In response, it said Webb was the first to take pictures of a planet outside Earth's solar system. However, astronomers quickly pointed out that this was done in 2004 by the European Observatory's Very Large Telescope. Kurzweil, who is also a former Google engineer, is who has predicted singularity by 2045. He is famous for making predictions about technological advancement- and 86 percent of them have been accurate. While Kurzweil foresees the rise of AI intelligence, he believes it will benefit humanity by creating innovations that lead to our immortality by 2030. Musk was one of the founders of OpenAI - the company that created ChatGPT - in 2015. He intended for it to run as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to researching the dangers AI may pose to society. It's reported that he feared the research was falling behind Google and that Musk wanted to buy the company. He was turned down. Altman - who has not signed on to Musk's letter - said he is 'openly attacking' AI. 'Elon is obviously attacking us some on Twitter right now on a few different vectors. 'I believe he is, understandably so, really stressed about AGI safety,' he said. Altman said he is open to 'feedback' about GPT and wants to understand the risks better. In a podcast interview on Monday, he told Lex Friedman: 'There will be harm caused by this tool. 'There will be harm, and there'll be tremendous benefits. 'Tools do wonderful good and real bad. And we will minimize the bad and maximize the good.' It doesn't seem a coincidence that @elonmusk has become the top account on Twitter just months after its owner took control of the platform. Early on Monday, Musk surpassed Barack Obama as the most followed Twitter user with 133.08 million followers compared to Obama's 133.04 million. It follows the Twitter CEO ordering company engineers to create a special system that boosts his tweets following the Super Bowl on February 12. According to insiders, Musk ordered a revamp when his tweet about the Super Bowl didn't get as many impressions as a similar tweet from President Joe Biden. The billionaire deleted his 'flopped' tweet and threatened to fire his engineering team if they did not fix the engagement issue. Musk's follower count has been rising and now stands at 133,084,622, more than Obama's 133,042,303 Twitter CEO Elon Musk reportedly deleted his tweet about the Super Bowl last month because it didn't get as much engagement as a similar one from President Joe Biden Musk's tweet simply read 'Go @Eagles!!!' accompanied by US flag emoji but Musk deleted it after it generated little more than 9.1 million impressions. Most-followed Twitter accounts 1. @elonmusk - 133.08 million 2. @BarackObama - 133.04 million 3. @justinbieber - 113.4 million 4. @katyperry - 108.5 million 5. @rihanna - 108.2 million Advertisement In comparison, Bidens tweet also expressing support for the Philadelphia Eagles who lost to Kansas City Chiefs generated around 29 million impressions. According to a report by Platformer, the incident capped off Musk's increasing frustration over what he saw as decreasing engagement with his tweets. He ordered staff to revamp Twitter's algorithm an issue internally described as 'high urgency' so it would show users Musk's tweets first. Hours later, Twitter users started sharing screenshots of the 'For You' tab showing nothing but tweets and replies from the CEO. The 'For You' tab shows popular tweets that are boosted by an algorithm whether or not the person follows the account that posted them. So it seems giving Musk's tweets more prominence has had the effect of encouraging people to click on his account and the 'follow' button. MailOnline contacted Twitter for comment in an email but the company department is now just replying to any queries with a poo emoji. Musk laid off Twitter's global comms team shortly after his takeover. After Twitter staff rushed to change the algorithm so it boosted Musk's tweets, users started sharing screenshots showing nothing but tweets and replies from the CEO Musk's follower count has been rising since and at time of writing, he has 133,089,608 Twitter followers compared to Obama's 133,042,468. Musk 'pushed change to Twitter algorithm over jealousy', report claims - READ MORE A report states Musk threatened to fire engineers if they didn't fix the problem of his tweets not getting enough impressions Advertisement Interestingly, this means Obama's follower count has declined in a matter of hours, while Musk's is still increasing, stats published earlier by The Verge show. Musk, who bought Twitter in October for $44 billion in October, has been ordering a slew of changes to the platform, both to the user experience and behind the scenes. Earlier this week, he announced that users who do not pay for Twitter Blue the version of the platform that costs 11/month for Android and iOS will no longer be able to vote in polls. He also said non-paying users will no longer have their tweets appear in the For You tab, further incentivizing people to shell out for Twitter Blue. Musk said the changes will stop 'AI bot swarms taking over' the site, although he stopped short of explaining exactly how. 'Starting April 15th, only verified accounts will be eligible to be in For You recommendations,' he tweeted. '[This] is the only realistic way to address advanced AI bot swarms taking over. It is otherwise a hopeless losing battle. 'Voting in polls will require verification for same reason.' Musk said the changes are 'the only realistic way to address advanced AI bot swarms taking over' If you want to be able to vote in polls on Twitter after April 15, you'll have to subscribe to Twitter Blue, which starts from 9.60 per month Jake Moore, tech expert and security advisor at ESET, challenged Musk's suggestion that the decision is anything to do with removing Twitter bots. Twitter Blue's exclusive features From April 15 - Tweets appear in For You - Vote in polls Existing features - SMS two-factor authentication - Edit Tweet - Bookmark Folders - NFT Profile Pictures ...and many more Advertisement 'This isn't just a response to AI bots swarming the site, this is a response to the company haemorrhaging money,' Moore told MailOnline. 'Musk has obliterated the company and is now looking at removing features from unpaid accounts.' Musk also recently removed SMS two-factor authentication (2FA) from the free version a decision Moore called 'absurd' that will lead to 'so many accounts hacked'. 2FA sends an SMS message containing a code to users' smartphone, which they have to enter to access their account, as an extra layer of security. One of the most controversial changes of all is the removal of the blue tick next to the names of account holders. The blue tick was previously a free feature granted to 'active, notable and authentic' accounts of people such as politicians, celebrities and journalists. But Musk now wants the meaning of the blue tick to be an indicator that the account 'has an active subscription' and is not a bot account. In effect, all it does it indicate that an account holder is shelling out a monthly fee for the privilege. It's meant users were changing account names and photos to resemble an official account and paying to give it a blue tick to make it look authentic. MailOnline contacted Twitter for comment in an email but the company department is now just replying to any queries with a poo emoji. Musk laid off its comms team shortly after his takeover 'Them thangs thangin': New York Rudy Giuliani was impersonated on Twitter when Musk started messing around with the blue tick system What's more, members of the Taliban have been able to pay to have blue ticks next to their account names. After months of delays, Twitter will finally remove blue ticks from accounts that aren't paying starting from April 1, it confirmed last week. Musk has rolled out new gold and grey ticks to indicate verified businesses and government bodies, respectively and is charging 1,000 per month for them. Within the company, meanwhile, Musk has laid off thousands of Twitter staff members to help curb outgoings and boost profits. Most recently, Musk laid off another 200 employees at the end of February and days later Twitter experienced a three-hour outage. A few days after that, Twitter encountered further technical trouble when users became unable to see photos or post links. Outages have been increasing ever since Musk began running Twitter, leading to speculation that there aren't enough staff to fix its problems. While they may be gruesome, it is widely understood that they won't harm you When shown under a microscope, numerous tiny mites were seen on the fruit Eating your strawberries alone? Think again. Stomach-churning footage has shown a glimpse of the creepy-crawlies lurking in your fruit. Twitter exploded this week after users saw the gruesome moment a strawberry was examined under a microscope. In the close-up shot of just one side of the fruit, numerous tiny mites could be seen wriggling around on its surface. The user who shared it said: 'Are you having a good day today? I'm sorry for ruining it by posting this video of a strawberry under a microscope.' Are you having a good day today? I'm sorry for ruining it by posting this video of a strawberry under a microscope. pic.twitter.com/xQKSG04OYK QENNY Southsider (@AKBrews) March 28, 2023 When shown under a microscope, numerous tiny mites were seen wriggling all over the fruit Strawberry mites and spider mites commonly live on the surface of this fruit. While they may be gruesome, it is widely understood that they won't harm you Should you be worried about the bugs on your fruit? While gruesome, it is widely understood that consuming strawberry bugs is not harmful. But, Drew Patterson, the culinary director of the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, explained that there are some things to worry about when it comes to produce. He told Dailymail.com: 'There's always the risk when you buy something that grows in the ground or grows naturally that it could pick up dirt or sand or pebbles, so washing them under water can help get them out. 'Of course, you can't wash bacteria out with just water - you'd have to use soap. But you've at least mitigated your risk.' Bacterial risks often lie in the hands of those who have picked the fruit without washing their hands after going to the toilet. Ingesting bacteria could cause food-borne illnesses are found in fecal matter. Advertisement On watching the video, numerous commenters said they would think twice about eating unwashed strawberries again. One user said: 'I sometimes convince myself I can eat a single piece of fruit before washing it and uhh yeah this just ruined that now I'm having flashbacks of every time I ate a strawberry before washing it and I wanna cry.' Another added: 'This is why you wash your food!' The origin of the video remains unclear, and it appears that it could be two videos spliced together. A warning on one video posted by Barstool Sports reads: 'The video is altered. It shows the slice being placed under a compound light microscope but then plays an image from a stereo microscope. The working distance on a compound light microscope is too narrow to examine a thick slice of strawberry.' While gruesome, it is widely understood that consuming these bugs is not harmful. Greg Loeb, an entomologist and professor at Cornell University previously told CNN: 'If you're eating fresh produce, you're eating bugs. 'But the real point is there are organisms on your fruit and even if it makes people uncomfortable, it's definitely not going to hurt them. Eating those bugs won't make you sick.' Among the bugs are aptly named strawberry mites - pests only ever found on strawberries. At just 0.25mm, these bugs often look like water droplets under the microscope as they curl up in the leaves, according to Vissers. Spider mites are also one of the most common bugs to infest strawberry plants, often turning the leaves brown when feeding on their undersides. Growing strawberries at a high temperature in overcrowded greenhouses can worsen the chance of a severe pest infestation, potentially resulting in plant deaths. Yikes: TikTok user @31toni had a similar experience when she soaked her fresh strawberries in a bowl of salt water Creepy crawly: One of the bugs on her strawberries appeared to be holding another bug That is why The Royal Horticultural Society recommends regularly spraying plants with water to combat this. Pesticides can also be considered as another option to deal with infestations. The video comes after a strawberry-washing trend went viral on TikTok in 2020, as many realised that small worms and bugs crawl out of fruit when soaked in water. For those in the US it was claimed that the worms were most likely 'the larvae of Spotted Wing Drosophila', according to the Cloud Mountain Farm Centre. These are said to lay their eggs on fruit such as strawberries, cherries and blueberries before the larvae crawl out from inside. They're usually depicted baring their razor-sharp teeth as they chase down unfortunate prey. But the T-Rex may not have looked so alarming in real-life, according to new research. Scientists have discovered the dinosaurs would have had scaly, lizard-like lips covering and sealing their mouths. And while this would still have been a terrifying sight, it indicates they have been wrongly portrayed in films such as Jurassic Park, the study suggests. Theropod dinosaurs, a group of two-legged dinosaurs which includes the velociraptor as well as birds, were previously thought to have lipless mouths where visible upper teeth hung over their lower jaws, similar to the mouth of a crocodile. Scientists have discovered T.Rex would have had scaly, lizard-like lips covering and sealing their mouths They're usually depicted baring their razor-sharp teeth as they chase down unfortunate prey. But the T-Rex may not have looked so alarming in real-life, according to new research Was the King of the Dinosaurs a GENIUS? T.Rex had the same number of brain neurons as modern primates and may have been capable of problem-solving and even culture, study claims - READ MORE New research from Vanderbilt University in the USA has revealed that T. rex (pictured) may have had the same number of brain neurons as modern primates Advertisement But an international team of researchers now believe these dinosaurs had lips similar to those of lizards and their relative the tuatara a rare reptile found only in New Zealand. The scientists examined the tooth structure, wear patterns and jaw morphology of lipped and lipless reptile groups and found that theropod mouth anatomy and functionality resembles that of lizards more than crocodiles. They said this implies lizard-like oral tissues, including scaly lips covering the teeth. The researchers said these lips were probably not muscular, like they are in mammals, as most reptile lips cover their teeth but cannot be moved independently or curled back into a snarl. Co-author Dr Mark Witton, from the University of Portsmouth, said: 'Dinosaur artists have gone back and forth on lips since we started restoring dinosaurs during the 19th century, but lipless dinosaurs became more prominent in the 1980s and 1990s. 'They were then deeply rooted in popular culture through films and documentaries Jurassic Park and its sequels, Walking With Dinosaurs, and so on. 'Curiously, there was never a dedicated study or discovery instigating this change and, to a large extent, it probably reflected preference for a new, ferocious-looking aesthetic rather than a shift in scientific thinking. 'We're upending this popular depiction by covering their teeth with lizard-like lips. The researchers said the lips were probably not muscular, like they are in mammals, as most reptile lips cover their teeth but cannot be moved independently or curled back into a snarl A half-grown Tyrannosaurus, sporting a full set of lips, runs down Struthiomimus, a beaked ostrich dinosaur 'This means a lot of our favourite dinosaur depictions are incorrect, including the iconic Jurassic Park T rex.' The results, published in the journal Science, found that dinosaur teeth were no larger, relative to skull size, than those of modern lizards, suggesting they were not too big to be covered with lips. Thomas Cullen, Assistant Professor of Paleobiology at Auburn University and study lead author, said: 'Although it's been argued in the past that the teeth of predatory dinosaurs might be too big to be covered by lips, our study shows that, in actuality, their teeth were not atypically large. 'Even the giant teeth of tyrannosaurs are proportionally similar in size to those of living predatory lizards when compared for skull size, rejecting the idea that their teeth were too big to cover with lips.' The researchers point out that their study doesn't claim that no extinct animals had exposed teeth. Some, like sabre-toothed carnivorous mammals, or marine reptiles and flying reptiles with extremely long, interlocking teeth, almost certainly did. Here's your chance to explore Scotlands Caledonian Canal and hidden lochs on a fabulous five-night voyage from Inverness to Oban. Youll be sailing on Lord of the Glens, a traditionally furnished, yacht-style ship thats small enough to pass through the canal locks and offers personalised service to its 52 guests. On this unforgettable trip, youll have the opportunity to meet proud Scotswoman and broadcaster Kirsty Wark. She will be on hand to chat with guests about the history of modern Scotland the perfect conversation as you travel through the Caledonian Canal, a masterpiece of 19th Century engineering. Youll also take a scenic train journey over the renowned Glenfinnan Viaduct, made even more famous when the Hogwarts Express crossed it in the Harry Potter movies. Descending through the eight interconnected locks of Neptunes Staircase will be a memorable moment as Lord of the Glens is slowly lowered back to sea level following its journey through the Great Glen. Magical: During The Mail on Sunday's five-night Scotland cruise, you will sail past the ruins of Urquhart Castle A stop at the prettily painted waterfront town of Tobermory provides an opportunity to explore on foot, and you will be able to take a walking tour around Oban, where youll visit McCaigs Folly a hilltop tower with panoramic views across Oban Bay. This trip is a full-board cruise, and on each of the five evenings of sailing youll be seated for dinner in the Robert Louis Stevenson restaurant for banquet-style, three-course meals. Guests can also enjoy the David Livingstone Lounge and Sir Walter Scott Bar, fitted with rich mahogany tables and plush sofas, including original armchairs from the legendary Cote dAzur Express. You will have the opportunity to take a scenic train journey over the renowned Glenfinnan Viaduct (above), which features in the Harry Potter movies OUR SPECIAL GUEST You will be joined by Kirsty Wark Kirsty Wark is an award-winning Scottish broadcaster and journalist. She started her career on Radio Scotland and is now Newsnights longest-serving presenter. Kirsty also presented The Women Who Changed Modern Scotland, which tells the stories of those who have had a key role in shaping Scotland over the past 50 years. Advertisement Reasons to book Meet Kirsty Wark: The broadcaster and journalist will join the voyage for an excursion and to give an insightful talk about her life and career. Listen as Kirsty discusses modern Scottish history while you explore some of the nations finest engineering accomplishments. The Caledonian Canal: Conceived in 1773 and built between 1803 and 1822 to connect the Great Glens four lochs, the canal is an engineering marvel. It features the picturesque, tree-lined Laggan Avenue and the eight interconnected locks of Neptunes Staircase that lowers vessels back to sea level. Spectacular views of the Inner Hebrides: As well as being the seafood capital of Scotland, Oban is home to McCaigs Folly, which boasts glorious views across Oban Bay to the islands of the Inner Hebrides. Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle: Keep your eyes peeled for a sighting of the mythical monster in Loch Ness while you sail past the ruins of Urquhart Castle and ascend the impressive Fort Augustus Locks. Meet like-minded others: Theres a convivial atmosphere on board Lord of the Glens, and as one of just 52 guests on this yacht-style ship, youll have the opportunity to meet other passengers and enjoy meals and excursions together. Sail on a splendid small ship: On Lord of the Glens you will see David Robertss lithographs, furniture from RMS Windsor Castle and light fittings from SS France. Lord of the Glens has a superb restaurant, elegant bar and panoramic windows. She said she was surprised at the food her team managed to rustle up during the 16-day voyage Advertisement Cooking can be challenging at the best of times. Now try doing it at a 45-degree angle and with 23 hungry mouths to feed... That's precisely the task I faced while taking part in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, sailing from Punta del Este in Uruguay to Cape Town across the inhospitable South Atlantic. We took it in turns to be cooks in the minuscule kitchen, rustling up meals with the ingredients we'd stockpiled on land and keeping the mood lifted with endless cups of tea. To aid our culinary endeavours, the kitchens aboard the 70ft Clipper Round the World Yacht Race boats are kitted out with swinging stoves, which sway to the rhythm of the boat to prevent pots and pans from tumbling. Throughout our 16-day voyage, an impressive mix of meals were concocted. I'd expected pretty basic bites, but David Watkins, who was in charge of creating a menu booklet, had included some fairly intricate recipes. Sadie said she'd expected pretty basic culinary dishes at sea but David Watkins, who was in charge of creating a menu booklet, had included some pretty delicious recipes. Above, a meal is served in the galley An example of some of the conditions Sadie and her crewmates faced, with meals being prepared in the galley below For lunch, there was everything from couscous with chorizo, mushrooms peas and asparagus to macaroni cheese with bacon and sweet potato and carrot soup, which required us to 'peel and dice' the vegetables by carefully wielding a knife as we balanced at an angle. The hard chunks were then roasted, boiled and strained through a sieve to make a smooth liquid. Tea breaks with moist cake made from packet mix, meanwhile, kept us entertained in the afternoons. And for dinner, people got rather inventive with the assortment of things they found lurking in the netted cupboards. Antonio Palacio from Uruguay proved to be quite a whizz in the galley and everyone fell silent with bowls of his hearty stew to hand. Sadie (left) with crewmate Kati Kaskeala (right) in the tiny galley area during their day of cheffing Sadie's crewmates Alejandra Alvira (left) and Mary Vaughan-Jones (right), showcase their Halloween-themed cakes Improvising: Sadie uses her hat as a tea cosy on the incredible swinging stove 'What's in here?' I asked one day, trying to work out how his meal tasted so good. 'Vegetarian sausages,' he replied, adding that he'd found a few jars of faux meat. Some people were less adept in the galley and I remember one morning, a crewmate attempting to make scrambled eggs in a frying pan and the runny liquid promptly slurping over the edge as we crashed through some large waves. On another occasion, the porridge was overcooked and semi-cemented our teeth together, but it was deliciously warming all the same. Another struggle was making the right amount of food for such a large group and one time I cooked with my crewmate, we were pushed to fill everyone's dishes. A shot of the Punta del Este racing yacht Sadie journeyed on with 23 people from Uruguay to South Africa Having enough for seconds is an essential part of racing life, especially when you are burning up to 5,000 calories a day at sea! By the end of the South Atlantic stint we'd run out of fresh fruit and our chocolate rations were depleted. Muesli, biscuits and maple syrup were other popular picks. On docking in Cape Town many people immediately ventured out to find a juicy steak. After bidding the Clipper boat goodbye I realised I missed the inventiveness of my galley mates. Although the ability to cook on a stable stovetop will be something I will now be forever grateful for. Sadie's place on the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race was supported by musto.com, the technical clothing partner for the 2019-20 and 2021-22 editions of the event. Amanda Holden is facing backlash after comments she made about Paul O'Grady on Wednesday morning, following his death at the age of 67. Tributes have poured in for the legendary presenter and radio star after his partner Andre Portasio shared overnight that he had passed away 'unexpectedly but peacefully'. During the Heart FM Breakfast show, Amanda Holden said: 'I have to say I'm completely shocked. Do you know what I loved about him, he was not woke in any way.' 'No, that's for sure,' cut in co-host Jamie Theakston. 'He really had massive opinions on everything, which I love people like that. Really funny, very witty, everything that came out of his mouth was brilliant' Amanda added. Tribute: Amanda Holden is facing backlash after comments she made about Paul O'Grady on Wednesday morning, following his death at the age of 67 During the Heart FM Breakfast show, Amanda Holden said: 'I have to say I'm completely shocked. Do you know what I loved about him, he was not woke in any way.' Woke means being conscious of racial discrimination in society and other forms of oppression and injustice. In mainstream use, woke can also more generally describe someone or something as being 'with it.' Amanda describing Paul as 'not woke in any way' has caught a lot of attention from listeners because alongside his popular Lily Savage drag act, Paul was a prominent AIDS and LGBT rights campaigner and had regularly spoken out against inequality and discrimination. Fans expressed their anger on Twitter, with one penning: 'Why would Amanda bring up the term woke when supposedly eulogising Paul O'Grady' Another said: 'Can't get over Amanda saying Paul wasn't woke in any way' A third added: 'This proves one of two things. Either Amanda didn't know Paul at all or she doesn't what what woke means' One user wrote: 'How is a gay man and drag artist not woke Amanda?' Others jumped to Amanda's defence, with one penning: 'TBH I think Amanda is just misinformed about what woke means. Judging from the clip she meant that Paul was outspoken and didn't care what people thought of his opinions' Another said: 'If you're amongst those making vicious comments about Amanda you are not as nice as you think you are. She was clearly using woke in its sense of 'virtue signalling'. Paul would have wanted more kindness' It came after she took to Instagram to pay tribute to O'Grady, describing him as 'the best'. She shared a series of pictures of the pair together on her Instagram Story, writing: 'I'm stunned. Paul was just the best. Strong. Funny, opinionated. No nonsense- Brilliant.' Paying tribute to him on her Instagram grid she added: 'Woken up to this sad, sad news. I loved Paul. 'He was brilliantly opinionated, searingly sharp and very funny. I loved our conversations. I can't quite believe it. Thoughts with Andre and their family.' Fans expressed their anger on Twitter, with one penning: 'Why would Amanda bring up the term woke when supposedly eulogising Paul O'Grady' Others jumped to Amanda's defence, with one penning: 'TBH I think Amanda is just misinformed about what woke means' O'Grady became a household name in the early noughties , known for his wit and love of animals, and hosted a string of television programmes including his self-titled daytime chat show, The Paul O'Grady Show, which began airing in 2004. He also took over the reins from Blind Date's long-running presenter and his close friend Cilla Black, who died in 2015, to host the Channel 5 reboot of the show in 2017. And he fronted Blankety Blank, as well as ITV's award-winning For The Love Of Dogs. The father-of-one's cause of death wasn't immediately known, but he had previously spoken of surviving heart attacks in 2002, 2006 and 2014, and also kidney failure . He also had a debiltating Covid battle that left him unable to work for two months. O'Grady married Portuguese lesbian barmaid Teresa Fernandes in 1977 to stop her deportation. They divorced in 2005 and he married ex-ballerina Mr Portasio in 2017. Decades earlier in 1974, he had his only child, a daughter called Sharyn Mousley, with his dear friend Diane Jansen. O'Grady is also a grandfather to Sharyn's son Abel, who was born in 2006 and is now aged 16, and Sharyn's daughter Halo, born in 2009. Portasio said: 'It is with great sadness that I inform you that Paul has passed away unexpectedly but peacefully yesterday evening. 'We ask, at this difficult time, that whilst you celebrate his life you also respect our privacy as we come to terms with this loss. 'He will be greatly missed by his loved ones, friends, family, animals and all those who enjoyed his humour, wit and compassion. 'I know that he would want me to thank you for all the love you have shown him over the years.' Iconic: The TV star was best known for his drag alter-ego Lily Savage, hosting the beloved game show Blankety Blank Tribute: Paul's death was announced by his partner Andre Portasio, who he married in 2017 (the couple are pictured here at the Royal Opera House in London in 2018) O'Grady and Portasio were married during a low-key wedding ceremony in 2017 . During his career, he hosted The Paul O'Grady Show, Blind Date and Blankety Blank, as well as ITV's multi-award-winning For The Love Of Dogs. He also hosted ITV celebrity game show, Paul O'Grady's Saturday Night Line Up. O'Grady took over the reins from Blind Date's long-running presenter and his close friend Cilla Black, who died in 2015, as he hosted the Channel 5 reboot of the show in 2017. Last year he was joined by the Queen Consort in a special one-off episode of For The Love Of Dogs to mark 160 years of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, an organisation for which he was an ambassador. In August last year he presented his final BBC Radio 2 show having hosted the Sunday afternoon programme for nearly 14 years, later saying the station's drive for younger listeners 'doesn't make sense' . O'Grady had been set to return to the airwaves next month to host a one-off Easter Sunday radio show on Boom Radio. And he was performing right until the end - taking to the stage as Ms Hannigan in Annie at the Edinburgh Playhouse. In a statement, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home paid tribute to O'Grady as a 'devoted animal lover' and a 'champion for the underdog'. Screen favourite: During his career, he hosted The Paul O'Grady Show (pictured with his dog Olga), Blind Date and Blankety Blank, as well as ITV's For The Love Of Dogs The organisation's chief executive, Peter Laurie, said: 'Battersea will forever remember Paul as a devoted animal lover with the biggest heart, who fell head over heels in love with every dog he met at our centres. 'Paul will always be associated with Battersea and we are truly saddened to have lost such a true friend and huge part of our charity.' O'Grady's love for animals was well-known, and he had lived in a farmhouse in Kent with Portasio along with a menagerie of animals including four dogs, goats, sheep, chickens and barn owls. During the coronavirus lockdown, he wrote his debut children's book, Eddie Albert And The Amazing Animal Gang, which was published in September 2021. The Block's executive producer Julian Cress has been slammed for parking his $500,000 Porsche on the street where filming for the renovation series is taking place, just days after Channel Nine told residents to move their own cars off the road. One resident claims Cress is parking his 911 Turbo S - with cringey personalised number plates - 'wherever he pleases'. And it seems the wealthy Aussie maybe used to doing whatever he pleases as he enjoys a lavish lifestyle of overseas trips, private jets and luxury cars. Cress, who co-created The Block with David Barbour in 2003, is one of the country's most successful TV producers and isn't afraid to flaunt his wealth on social media. The network big-wig lives in a sprawling, six-bedroom Melbourne mansion with his glamorous wife Sarah Armstrong and their two children, and spends his downtime travelling the globe in style. Inside the lavish life of The Block boss: How Julian Cress flies private jets, has a fleet of Porches, and travels the globe with his glamorous wife - as he stays silent about 'entitled letter' uproar (Pictured: Julian Cress and wife Sarah Armstrong) Cress was slammed this week for parking his $500,000 Porsche on the street where filming is taking place, after Channel Nine told residents to move their cars off the road A keen motor enthusiast, Cress often boasts about his fleet of luxury cars and regularly attends luxury vehicle meet-ups across the globe. His Instagram page is filled with photos of him and his wife posing next to Porches, Ferraris and Aston Martins. The couple also recently travelled to Finland to attend a Porsche 'ice driving experience', an extreme course that allows motorheads to take luxury vehicles out onto the ice. Cress, who co-created the Block with Julian Brenchley in 2003, is one of Australia's most successful TV producers and isn't afraid to flaunt his wealth on social media. (Pictured: Cress and his wife Sarah Armstrong posing in front of a Porsche Carrera) The network big-wig lives in a sprawling, six-bedroom Melbourne mansion with his publicist wife Sarah and their two young children, and spends his downtime travelling the globe in style. (Pictured: Sarah posing in front of a private jet) The pair also have a penchant for private jets, luxury hotels, fine dining and expensive wine. In recent months, the couple dined at the upmarket Pas d'Art restaurant in Stockholm, Margaret Restaurant in Sydney's ritzy Double Bay and the luxury Copenhagen venue Hotel d'Angleterre. When he's not holidaying or making visits to construction sites in his 911 Turbo S, Cress spends his days working behind-the-scenes on The Block and running his car enthusiast website The Motorists. His Instagram page is filled with photos of him and his wife posing next to Porches, Ferraris and Aston Martins. (Pictured: Sarah posing with a Ferrari) The couple also recently travelled to Finland to attend a Porsche 'ice driving experience', an extreme driving course that allows motorheads to take luxury vehicles out onto the ice A keen motor enthusiast, Cress often boasts about his fleet of luxury cars on social media, and regularly attends luxury vehicle meet-ups across the globe Designer fashion is also popular among the Cress clan as Julian, Sarah and their children often sport designer outfits and expensive accessories. In June last year, Cress uploaded a photo of his A. Lange & Sohne watch, worth $100,000 while attending the TV Week Logie Awards. His wife often totes a $25,000 Chanel handbag and designer eyeglasses. Cress made headlines in May 2018 after he sold his Sydney mansion for $4.275million. In June last year, Cress uploaded this photo of his A. Lange & Sohne watch, worth $100,000 while attending the TV Week Logie Awards He previously uploaded this picture of Sarah lounging by the pool at the lavish Hotel Eden Roc in Positano Earlier this month, Cress shared this photo while dining at the upmarket Hotel d'Angleterre in Copenhagen The home, which he inherited from his Archibald Prize-winning father Fred Cress, featured four bedrooms, three bathrooms and won the MBA's Excellence in Housing Award in 2015. On the ground floor, a massive garage space had been constructed, featuring a car display turntable and enough space for four vehicles. It comes as Cress continues to remain silent on the 'entitled' letter sent by Channel Nine asking residents to move their cars so a commercial for show could be filmed Cress utilised the talents of his friend, architect Julian Brenchley, in developing the property, with the pair choosing to rely on the warehouse's existing industrial design elements. A former investigative journalist and producer for 60 minutes, Cress has been at he helm of The Block for 19 seasons, and is also the co-creator of reality shows Reno Rumble, The Chopping Block and Changing Rooms Australia. It comes as Cress continues to remain silent on the 'entitled' letter sent by Channel Nine asking residents of Charming Street, in Melbourne's Hampton East, to move their cars so a commercial for The Block could be filmed. The letter, which was sent out last week on Monday, sparked outrage for only giving residents short notice and telling them not to park their cars on the street or driveways The letter, which was sent out last week on Monday, sparked outrage for only giving residents short notice and telling them not to park their cars on the street or driveways. 'We will bring various 7 x 1950's cars to park on the street and period piece props and costumes,' the letter read. 'As we are dressing the street, we do request on Friday evening that you please not park on the street or in your driveways. The letter went on to warn that residents living in house number 24 and 25 to make sure they didn't park their car outside their houses on Saturday. (Pictured: THe Block co-hosts Scott Cam and Shelley Craft) 'We would like to keep modern cars out of the shots. If you need assistance to move your vehicles we can assist you in the morning.' The letter went on to warn that residents living in house number 24 and 25 to make sure they didn't park their car outside their houses on Saturday. A photo of the letter was shared online where social media users ripped into the network for its 'entitled' requests. Australian comedian Lewis Spears has recalled the awkward moment Hollywood star Zac Efron turned down his request for a selfie backstage. Lewis revealed the sneaky trick the High School Musical actor, 35, used to politely turn him down in a TikTok video that went viral this week. He explained Zac was so polite in turning down his photo request that he didn't even realise he had been rejected until ten minutes later. Zac got a member of his entourage to take pictures of the pair, including one with the flash on, then told him they would text him the photos. Lewis said that despite giving Zac's team his phone number, they never sent over the images, and most likely just deleted them. Australian comedian Lewis Spears has recalled the awkward moment Hollywood star Zac Efron (pictured) turned down his request for a selfie backstage 'He shot me down in the most A-list, polite and inoffensive way,' Lewis said. 'He hit me with a no that was so f**king cool that I didn't even realise I had gotten a no until ten minutes after, it was so smooth. 'He came backstage and was like, "Man, you were so funny." I'm not some freak, I met [Seth] Rogan and I didn't ask for a photo because that wasn't the vibe. But backstage people were taking photos and I went to Zac, "Can we get one?" Lewis (pictured) revealed the sneaky trick the High School Musical actor, 35, used to politely turn him down in a TikTok video that went viral this week 'He goes, "How about this? We'll get my guy to take a photo and then he'll send it to you later." And I was like, "Perfect." We take, like, three photos, the flash [and] everything.' Lewis said he never received the pictures and felt embarrassed over the incident. 'I was like, "I'm never going to see that photo in my life," which is fine because, you know, he's done that to heaps of c**ts,' he added. 'Everyone [backstage] was probably there being like, "This d**khead thinks he's getting a photo with Zac Efron!" 'God forbid if I ever get that famous, I'll know how to turn down a weird c**t when they ask for a photo!' Zac got a member of his entourage to take pictures of the pair, including one with the flash on, then told Lewis they would text him the photos. Lewis said that despite giving Zac's team his phone number, they never sent over the images, and most likely just deleted them Zac was recently in Australia filming his new movie Ricky Stanicky. The production has now wrapped, with the cast heading out to dinner together earlier this month to celebrate. The film was shot entirely in Melbourne over an eight-week period, with the Victorian capital being a double for Providence, Rhode Island. The comedy, which also stars Jermaine Fowler, tells the tale of three teenagers who pull a prank and burn down a house in their neighbourhood. To get out of trouble, they blame it on a made-up person they call Ricky Stanicky. Zac was recently in Australia filming his new movie Ricky Stanicky. The production has now wrapped, with the cast heading out to dinner together earlier this month to celebrate. (Zac is pictured with his co-stars Anja Savcic, Lex Scott Davis and Andrew Santino) Twenty years on, they keep using the fictional alibi to get out of any tricky situations they find themselves in. When their wives want to meet the infamous Mr Stanicky, they hire an actor to play him. Zac is no stranger to Australia, having spent a year living Down Under during the Covid pandemic Selena Gomez looked radiant on Wednesday when she was spotted emerging from a New York event for her Rare Beauty line. The 30-year-old pop act accentuated her unmistakable features with makeup including a slick of scarlet lipstick. She went for a touch of Manhattan chic in head-to-toe black, warding off the northeastern chill in a possibly faux fur coat as she swung by the fete. Her shimmering black blouse, which matched her sleek flared-hem trousers, plunged to betray just a trace of decolletage. Accessorizing with a simple leather handbag, the Only Murders In The Building star lent the look a touch of glitz with earrings. Aglow: Selena Gomez looked radiant on Wednesday when she was spotted emerging from a New York event for her Rare Beauty line Legging it: The 30-year-old pop act accentuated her unmistakable features with makeup including a slick of scarlet lipstick On the town: She went for a touch of Manhattan chic in head-to-toe black, warding off the northeastern chill in a possibly faux fur coat as she swung by the fete Mover and shaker: Accessorizing with a simple leather handbag, the Only Murders In The Building star lent the look a touch of glitz with earrings Earlier that day she glowed as she plugged a spate of products from Rare Beauty in a new TikTok posted Wednesday. The Come And Get It singer hinted at her cleavage in a plunging white top, gathering her luxurious dark locks back into a single braid. She applied some of her soft pinch tinted lip oils and showed them off with a smile for her more than 57 million followers. Her latest social media post comes amid a swirl of rumors that she is romantically involved with Zayn Malik of One Direction fame. Adding fuel to the fire, Selena was spotted last week stepping out to dinner in New York City with Zayn's personal assistant Taryn Zimmerman. As the new conjecture about Selena and Zayn began to swirl, a source told Page Six that the pair previously had a brief dalliance a decade ago. The insider claimed that Zayn and Selena briefly had a 'thing' while her close friend Taylor Swift was dating his One Direction bandmate Harry Styles. Taylor and Harry embarked on a whirlwind romance from late 2012 until January 2013, after which she wrote multiple songs that were thought to be about him. Making it happen: Selena Gomez glowed as she plugged a spate of products from her Rare Beauty line in a new TikTok posted Wednesday Swanking about: The 30-year-old pop act hinted at her cleavage in a plunging white top, gathering her luxurious dark locks back into a single braid New love?: Her latest social media post comes amid a swirl of rumors that she is romantically involved with Zayn Malik of One Direction fame Adding fuel to the fire: Selena was spotted last week stepping out to dinner in New York City with Zayn's personal assistant Taryn Zimmerman Last week Selena and Zayn found themselves at the center of wild speculation that they are carrying on a romantic relationship. TikTok user Klarissa Garcia posted a viral video in which she claimed a friend of hers is a hostess at a restaurant where Zayn and Selena dined together. Klarissa then showed a screen-grab of her friend's WhatsApp messages claiming that she saw the pop stars kissing at the eatery. 'Tell me how Selena Gomez And zayne Just walked into [redacted] Hand in hand Making out And I seated them,' read a breathless string of texts. Selena, who is a longtime pal of One Direction's Niall Horan, is one of the only 18 people Zayn follows on Instagram. DailyMail.com has reached out to representatives for Selena and Zayn for comment. The new spate of dating rumors has sent the fans into a tizzy online, where they have been excitedly posting their reactions. Some TikTok commenters exclaimed: 'Is this true???? Please tell me it's true,' 'She deserves all the happiness in the world,' 'I love this for her,' Ooooooo!!! I really hope this is true!!!' and 'It's giving the best comeback.' What if?: Last week Selena and Zayn found themselves at the center of wild speculation that they are carrying on a romantic relationship Word on the street: TikTok user Klarissa Garcia posted a viral video in which she claimed a friend of hers is a hostess at a restaurant where Zayn and Selena dined together Wow: Klarissa then showed a screen-grab of her friend's WhatsApp messages claiming that she saw the pop stars kissing at the eatery Others however were less enthusiastic, including one who brought up Zayn's supermodel ex Gigi Hadid and wrote: 'Nooo Gigi likes her and she comments on her post and likes her pictures. Girl code.' An old red carpet video from 2010 has resurfaced in which Selena was asked which One Direction member she would kiss and she giggled: 'Zayn.' Selena has a storied history of dating her fellow pop stars, including her teenage sweetheart Justin Bieber and The Weeknd. Justin and Selena had a whirlwind on-off romance that fell apart for the final time in 2018 - months before he tied the knot with Alec Baldwin's niece Hailey. The month after Justin married Hailey, Selena reportedly suffered a breakdown connected to her lupus and entered treatment for her mental health. A day after news broke of Selena's alleged breakdown, Justin was spotted looking anguished as he sat in his car beside Hailey. The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, dated Selena for several months in 2017 during one of her off-periods from Justin. Zayn meanwhile had his own rollercoaster off-and-on romance with Gigi Hadid, with whom he shares a two-year-old daughter called Khai. The way they were: Selena has a history of dating her fellow pop stars, including her teenage sweetheart Justin Bieber, with whom she is pictured in 2011 On the town: The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, dated Selena for several months in 2017 during one of her off-periods from Justin News of their latest breakup went public in October 2021 amid Zayn's explosive falling-out with Gigi's reality star mother Yolanda Hadid. Zayn and Yolanda had an altercation that September, and though he denied claims he was physically violent, he pled no contest to four harassment charges. He was barred from contact with Yolanda or the security guard who saw the spat, and had to complete an anger management course and 360 days probation. The fracas reportedly started when Yolanda entered Gigi and Zayn's Pennsylvania home without Zayn's permission while Gigi was in Paris for work. Zayn was accused of pushing Yolanda into a dresser and calling her a 'f***ing Dutch s***,' demanding she keep away from the baby. It was also claimed he called Gigi and said: 'Strap on some f***ing balls and defend your partner against your f***ing mother in my house.' Over: Zayn meanwhile had his own rollercoaster off-and-on romance with Gigi Hadid, with whom he shares a two-year-old daughter called Khai; Gigi and Zayn are pictured in 2016 Love Island Australia stars Joss Moss and Amelia Marni have had a heated argument over social media after he shared 'private' details about their breakup. Josh, 30, took to TikTok on Wednesday to share a video claiming that Amelia, 27, never trusted him and that she was dating someone else just weeks after she ended their relationship. 'When your ex didn't trust you ever,' he wrote alongside the video. 'But starts dating a guy she met whilst you were still together 2.5 weeks after you broke up.' He then captioned the post: 'Very interesting.' Love Island Australia stars Joss Moss and Amelia Marni have had a heated argument over social media after he shared 'private' details about their breakup Amelia, who appeared alongside Josh on season one of Love Island and dated him after the show, slammed her ex in the comments. She denied Josh's claims and said the pair were well and truly over when she called things off with him and claimed he was 'making up' details to gain social media attention. 'Can't believe I'm having to comment on this embarrassing TikTok. BUT I don't like lies - we both know the second I broke up with you, we were DONEEEEE,' she wrote. Amelia, who appeared alongside Josh on season one of Love Island and dated him after the show, slammed her ex in the comments 'I've been so kind and private about this whole breakup... It's really disappointing to see you making up s**t for your engagement to go up.' She continued in another comment: 'I'm expecting a huge apology and a statement about these false claims. Doesn't matter if you didn't say my name so (obvious) you're aiming at me. Embarrassing tbh.' Amelia went on to clarify that she met her current boyfriend, whose name she's yet to reveal, two months after she and Josh had broken up. Josh hit back at Amelia's response, claiming the timeline of details 'changes' when it suits her 'Actually one more thing - I did trust you... I knew you wouldn't cheat on me lol,' she added. Josh hit back at Amelia's response, claiming the timeline of details 'changes' when it suits her. 'Hmm the narrative changes when it suits, you can message me if you (want) to chat,' he replied. Fans also took to the comments to weigh in on the drama and most of them were sticking up for Amelia. 'Bloke's very salty,' added one. 'Move on, she clearly has' 'You've been nothing but private,' he added in another comment. 'You've made a YouTube video, gone on multiple podcasts, spoken about it on your Insta stories, made countless TikToks.' Fans also took to the comments to weigh in on the drama and most of them were sticking up for Amelia. 'You love who you love. It is what it is. She met someone who she connects with more,' a fan commented. Another added: 'This is incredibly tasteless. Dirty laundry shouldn't ever be made public. You could have always taken it up with her in private rather than on socials' 'It's been almost a year, leave her alone.' Another added: 'This is incredibly tasteless. Dirty laundry shouldn't ever be made public. You could have always taken it up with her in private rather than on socials.' 'Bloke's very salty,' added one. 'Move on, she clearly has.' Amelia publicly debuted her new boyfriend in January and teased that they'd been dating back in September - just four months after she broke up with Josh. In October, Amelia clapped back at a troll who said she'd 'moved on quickly' from her ex-boyfriend Josh, whom she had dated for four years. The troll's negative reaction was sparked by an IG Story she uploaded of herself wrapping her legs around her mystery beau at the beach in Jervis Bay. Amelia publicly debuted her new boyfriend in January and teased that they'd been dating back in September - just four months after she broke up with Josh While the post was flooded with positive comments, one person pointed out how Amelia hadn't wasted any time finding a replacement for her ex. 'And you judged a person you haven't met quickly,' she replied. The troll said there was 'no hate' and she was 'just making an observation', which prompted Amelia to comment: 'If only she was focusing on her happiness and goals and not judging other people's happiness.' Amelia announced in May that she and Josh had called it quits after four years together. In October, Amelia clapped back at a troll who said she'd 'moved on quickly' from her ex-boyfriend Josh. The troll's negative reaction was sparked by an IG Story she uploaded of herself wrapping her legs around her mystery beau at the beach in Jervis Bay While the post was flooded with positive comments, one person pointed out how Amelia hadn't wasted any time finding a replacement for her ex 'Josh and I have decided to split,' Amelia's message from May 16 began. 'This was the most heartbreaking and respectful breakup. After almost four years of being together we decided to go our separate ways.' Amelia added she wasn't sure if the news 'came as a shock' to fans, noting that the couple had always portrayed a happy and healthy relationship online. Amelia first revealed in September she was seeing someone new. She confirmed her relationship status by posting this cryptic snap on Instagram of herself holding a man's hand after a fan asked her during a Q&A if she was seeing anybody Josh also addressed the shock breakup on his podcast The Handbags alongside MAFS alum Michael Brunelli. He said that on the day of their split, Amelia said she wasn't sure if she was still 'in love with him anymore' and that the pair had been 'unhappy' for months. 'She wants a lot of reassurance and she wants all that sort of stuff, and I can't give her as much as she wants,' Josh said. Josh also addressed the shock breakup on his podcast The Handbags alongside MAFS alum Michael Brunelli. He said the pair ultimately broke up after spending a weekend away together Josh said the pair ultimately broke up after spending a weekend away together. 'We got back and I got home one day, and she was sitting on the couch crying,' he recalled. 'I was like, ''What's wrong?'' and she was like, ''I'm so unhappy. I can't do this anymore. I don't know if I'm in love with you anymore." 'And that was really, really hard. It came from left field, but now I look back on it I don't know if it did come from left field.' Josh also claimed that the pair had been 'unhappy' for months Amelia and Josh met on Love Island Australia back in 2018. It was only a few months prior that the former couple were hinting at a possible engagement, with Josh telling The Daily Telegraph in February that Italy would be the perfect location to propose to his long-term girlfriend. 'It might be a good spot to pop the question,' he told the publication. Amelia added, 'I would love an Italian engagement. That would be very romantic.' Hugh Jackman will soon reprise his role as Wolverine. And the Australian actor, 54, has enjoyed a trip to Costa Rica before his gruelling filming regime. A very relaxed-looking Hugh posed for a number of selfies as he enjoyed some down time at the idyllic holiday spot. In one photo, Hugh was seen wearing a blue rash vest after a dip in the water and in another he took in a stunning sunset. Hugh also enjoyed a night out in a popular restaurant, sipping cocktails and dancing around in an Ace Ventura T-shirt. Hugh Jackman will soon reprise his role as Wolverine, and the Australian actor, 54, has enjoyed a trip to Costa Rica before his gruelling filming regime The actor wrote 'until next time Nosara', which is a village and district on Costa Ricas Nicoya Peninsula. Hugh recently announced he would be reprising his role as Wolverine and has already started bulking-up for the role. The X-Men star is meal prepping to help him get into shape for the physically demanding role and shared pictures of the food he has been eating to bulk up. A very relaxed-looking Hugh posed for a number of selfies as he enjoyed some down time at the idyllic location. Hugh enjoyed a night out in a popular restaurant, sipping cocktails and dancing around in an Ace Ventura T-shirt Hugh was seen wearing a blue rash vest after a dip in the water and in another he took in a stunning sunset The Aussie star has been tucking into salads, pastas and other dishes, including chicken burgers and vegetable rice. Each meal has a calorie count written alongside it, ranging from 1100 calories up to a whopping 2100 calories per meal. Generally, men require about 2500 calories a day to simply maintain their weight, suggesting Hugh will once again stack on the muscle to play the legendary comic book character. 'Bulking. A day in the life. Thank you Chef Mario for helping me stay healthy and properly fed whilst Becoming. Wolverine. Again,' Jackman captioned the snaps. The actor wrote 'until next time Nosara', which is a village and district on Costa Ricas Nicoya Peninsula Many of Hugh's 31 million followers went wild over the photos and commented to express how happy they were he was reprising his famous role. 'Appreciate what youre doing so you can play Wolverine one more time' one fan gushed and another joked 'you're about to be HUGE JACKEDman'. Back in January, Hugh revealed it will take him six months of hardcore training to physically prepare for his return as Wolverine. The Sydney native who recently escalated his 'feud' with frenemy Ryan Reynolds went on Who's Taking to Chris Wallace and opened up about the amount of time and dedication that it takes to become the iconic mutant. The X-Men star has been meal prepping to help him get into shape for the physically demanding role in Wolverine and recently shared pictures of the food he has been eating to bulk up The Aussie star has been tucking into salads, pastas and other dishes, including chicken burgers and vegetable rice Jackman is set to reprise his most famous role for Reynold's Deadpool 3, donning the claws for the first time since 2017's Logan. 'I'm not doing any other work,' Hugh declared to Chris Wallace, according to Complex. 'I'm going to be with my family and train. That's going to be my job for six months.' Hugh initially appeared as Wolverine in the first X-Men movie in 2000 and the character's enormous popularity saw Hugh star in several sequels and spin offs. Deadpool 3 isn't slated for release until November 2024, but Ryan and Hugh have already teased the plot in a funny follow-up video, driving fans wild in the process. Rebel Wilson has found her happily ever after with her fiancee Ramona Agruma and their newborn daughter Royce Lillian. But the Pitch Perfect star, 43, has admitted her dating history hasn't always been so picture perfect. The actress revealed that while she was filming the acapella movie alongside Anna Kendrick and Brittany Snow, her castmates 'saved' her from dating a 'legit criminal'. 'I did go out with one guy I nicknamed "The Criminal". I think he was like a legit criminal. Basically the Pitch Perfect girls saved me from that one,' the Hollywood star told Jordana Abraham and Jared Freid on the U Up? podcast on Wednesday. She said the girls 'found out some s**t' on the internet and warned her away from the ma who she met on a set. Rebel Wilson, 43, (right) revealed she was rescued from dating a 'criminal' before she met fiancee Ramona Agruma (left) They became suspicious when the man agreed to fly out to New York City to spend a weekend with her, but refused to give her his flight number so she could pick him up. Eventually after Rebel pushed for an answer, the man said he was 'under investigation' and couldn't fly across state lines. Rebel said she ended up letting the guy down 'easy' out of fear he might do something to her, but assured 'it was only a little, casual thing, so I didn't get too deep into that situation'. The Pitch Perfect star revealed to Jordana Abraham and Jared Freid on the U Up? podcast on Thursday that her dating history isn't as picture perfect as her current relationship with Agruma It comes after Rebel confessed she was 'dumped' by a famous woman before meeting her fiancee. While she said the woman was 'in the public eye', she would not name her out of 'respect' to her privacy, but said she looked back fondly on their time together. 'I met a woman and had, like, feelings for her, which totally came as a blindside. It wasn't what I was expecting,' she said. While things 'didn't end up going anywhere' and she ultimately 'got dumped', the comedian said the relationship opened her 'heart up for a same-sex' romance as she met and fell in love with Ramona not long after. Jason Ritter spoke open and honestly about battling alcoholism in the early days of his romance to now-wife Melanie Lynskey. The couple began dating in 2013 and wed in 2020 following the birth of their only child, a daughter, in 2018. Joined by his spouse on Wednesday's episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, Ritter said the start of their relationship was complicated as a result of his alcohol use. 'I knew how incredible Melanie was early on,' he said. 'But it's not as cute of a story as you would like to think. It was messy and interesting and weird. But mixed in the mix, I was dealing with some alcoholism issues.' Though he knew the Yellowjackets star was 'The One,' he initially felt as though he was undeserving of her love. Jason Ritter spoke open and honestly about battling alcoholism in the early days of his romance to now-wife Melanie Lynskey; the couple seen in March Joined by his spouse on Wednesday's episode of The Drew Barrymore Show , Ritter said the start of their relationship was complicated as a result of his alcohol use 'At a point, I knew how amazing she was and I thought she would be incredible for someone who deserved her, basically. 'And I didn't feel like I was that person. I felt a little bit too crazy,' the Parenthood alum explained. Ritter made the brave decision to quit drinking in late 2013, but he said it took time for him to find his self-worth. An emotional Ritter told host Drew Barrymore: 'It was only after maybe a year into not drinking where I started to go, 'Oh, maybe I can promise some things to someone else. Maybe I can be this person.' 'I knew that she was incredible. It was working on myself enough to feel like maybe I could be The One for her too.' Lynskey praised Ritter for all the work he's put in to bettering himself as she lovingly held his hand throughout the candid interview. 'He worked so hard. He did so much work on himself, I'm so proud of him,' said the Coyote Ugly actress. Barrymore was particularly taken by the conversation as she's also openly struggled with addiction - both drugs and alcohol - starting at age 11. Though he knew the Yellowjackets star was 'The One,' he initially felt as though he was undeserving of her love; seen in 2020 'At a point, I knew how amazing she was and I thought she would be incredible for someone who deserved her, basically. 'And I didn't feel like I was that person. I felt a little bit too crazy,' the Parenthood alum explained Patience: Ritter made the brave decision to quit drinking in late 2013, but he said it took time for him to find his self-worth The 50 First Dates star revealed to the audience that she cut-out alcohol 'almost four years ago' and is on a self-love journey of her own. 'The narrative that one creates is that, "I can't be with someone,"' she said. 'And I haven't been in a relationship since I stopped drinking, and I'm really looking forward to one day not having that bad girl narrative, the instability, the 'I'm not someone who's right to be with anyone for their sake' [type of feeling]."' At the start of the interview, Lynskey recalled meeting Ritter 'in passing a few times' in the years leading up to their relationship through 'mutual friends.' 'And he always forgot me,' quipped the New Zealand actress. 'And I would be reintroducing myself, like, "Is this guy for real?"' 'And then we got cast in a movie together and we were both going through very difficult times in our lives. We were both going through break-ups.' The two co-starred in the 2012 comedy The Big Ask. At the time, Lynskey was divorcing Jimmi Simpson and Ritter had just ended his romance with Scottish actress Marianna Palka. Supportive spouse: Lynskey praised Ritter for all the work he's put in to bettering himself as she lovingly held his hand throughout the candid interview Realization: Lynskey realized that Ritter was her forever person after watching him care for her senior dog She gushed over Ritter's 'infinite patience and kindness and love' and just how good of a person he is; the couple seen in January Lynskey realized that Ritter was her forever person after watching him care for her senior dog. Because of its old age, the dog required a lot of attention and would often wake up multiple times in the middle of the night to go pee. 'Jason would get up with her every single time and just take her outside and go back to sleep and get up and take her outside. And I think that was when I was like, "Oh, I could have a child with this man."' She gushed over Ritter's 'infinite patience and kindness and love' and just how good of a person he is. She is never shy showing off her figure to tease her OnlyFans account. And Lottie Moss was at it again on Wednesday as she posed seductively in topless selfies wearing nothing but a sheer white thong. The model, 25, put on a confident display as she showed off her ample assets while covering her modesty with her arms while working it for the camera. She also gave a glimpse of her toned abs and many tattoos as she put on a confident display in the underwear. Lottie wore her long blonde tresses in loose waves over her shoulders and opted for a natural makeup look with a slick of light pink lip over her plump pout. Wow! Lottie Moss posed seductively in topless selfies wearing nothing but a sheer white thong on Wednesday Sultry: The model, 25, put on a confident display as she showed off her ample assets while covering her modesty with her arms while working it for the camera She candidily penned in the caption: 'I tried my best covering my boobs'. The influencer recently hit out at the 'common misconception' her family are 'rich and famous' as she waded into the nepo baby row. She said in fact she 'doesn't really know' her older half-sister Kate, 49, with their relationship so distant 'she doesn't reply to my texts'. In a self-penned essay, Lottie said while her sister provided her a useful stepping stone, she was determined to make her own money herself and used her earnings to pay for private schooling at St. Bede's School in Redhill. The Chelsea socialite also responded to the backlash for a series of Tweets she posted in response to Lily Allen, the daughter of actor Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen, who launched a defence of celebrity children raised within privileged families. 'I think a common misconception is that because Kate, who is 24 years older than me, is rich and famous, so were my family. But obviously, that was her money and her fame, not ours,' Lottie wrote in Newsweek. Lottie continued: 'I knew that my sister Kate was famous and growing up, I idolized her, thinking she was the coolest. 'I never got much love or attention from her though, which has always upset me, especially because people have brought her up to me for as long as I can remember. Pose: She also gave a glimpse of her toned abs and many tattoos as she put on a confident display in the underwear 'How do I say to people that I don't know her and that she doesn't reply to my texts? I honestly think the whole "nepo baby" concept is so weird. 'There are so many people in the world that have had obvious advantages in their career because of who they know or who someone in their family is, not just famous people.' Lottie said she had to delete Twitter after she wrote she is 'sick of people blaming nepotism for why they aren't rich and famous or successful'. The model 'finds it hard to understand the anger' from her Tweet and said she 'sometimes say things in the wrong way, or it comes out differently to the way I meant it to'. Lottie said her childhood was troubled at times with her father Peter (Kate's father) going to rehab for depression for several months after her mother's store collapsed. But the age of 13, she secured a modelling contract after being a bridesmaid at Kate's wedding to her now ex-husband Jamie Hince. The young model appeared to be following Kate's meteoric trajectory after signing for the internationally respected, London based Storm Management when she was just 14-years old - the age at which her sister was initially discovered by the same agency. Not excelling at school, Lottie says she threw herself into modelling - but it was a far cry from 'the dream' she had been sold. Her say: It comes after earlier this month Lottie hit out at the 'common misconception' her family are 'rich and famous' as she waded into the nepo baby row Not close: She said in fact she 'doesn't really know' her older half-sister Kate, 49, with their relationship so distant 'she doesn't reply to my texts' (pictured 2014) Racy: Lottie took a break from mainstream modelling in 2021, but has since reinvented herself as a raunchy OnlyFans content creator The Vogue cover star said she indulged in drugs and alcohol in her late teens and 'completely lost myself' aged 18, when she was told by agents she needed a personal trainer and a 23-inch waist. As she hit the social scene, Lottie said she developed a bit of a reputation as a 'party girl' but never knew the 'darkness and loneliness that came with it'. High-fashion runways have been replaced with racy online content and the potentially lucrative subscription-only website OnlyFans, where Lottie claims she has finally stepped out of her sister's tall shadow while expressing herself within a like-minded community of free-spirited, X-rated models. MailOnline contacted Kate's representatives for comment at the time. Vick Hope looked nothing short of sensational on Wednesday evening, as she attended the Aries x Tommy collaboration launch party at Jack Solomons Club. The radio host, 33, showed off her incredible figure as she slipped into a tiny bralette that left her cleavage and svelte stomach on full display. She teamed it with red, white and blue printed jacket and matching jeans from the new collection. Vick posed for photos, and daringly pulled her jeans down slightly, to show off her white underwear underneath. She completed her trendy look with a pair of white trainers and large gold hoop earrings. Looking good: Vick Hope looked nothing short of sensational on Wednesday evening, as she attended the Aries x Tommy collaboration launch party at Jack Solomons Club Phenomenal: The radio host, 33, showed off her incredible figure as she slipped into a tiny bralette that left her cleavage and svelte stomach on full display Her raven locks were styled in their natural curls and she wore a full face of glamorous make-up to enhance her natural beauty. She was joined at the launch by Hana Martin, who put on a leggy display in a red and white striped shirt dress. She added height to her frame with a pair of white ankle boots and toted a matching white handbag. Her fiery ginger tresses were left down and parted down the centre, while she completed her look with a slick of pink lipgloss. Liam Gallagher's son Gene Gallagher looked effortlessly stylish in a graphic printed shirt. Stunning: She was joined at the launch by Hana Martin, who put on a leggy display in a red and white striped shirt dress Fancy footwear: She added height to her frame with a pair of white ankle boots and toted a matching white handbag Trendy: Liam Gallagher's son Gene Gallagher looked effortlessly stylish in a graphic printed shirt Fashion forward: H teamed it with a plain black jacket, a pair of coordinating oversized black trousers and dark shoes. Svelte: Tigerlily Taylor flashed a glimpse of her toned tummy in a sheer blue long-sleeved crop top, and a pair of blue jeans Loved-up: She posed alongside her boyfriend Mkulu Lee, who wore a complementary black and white letterman jacket with black jeans He teamed it with a plain black jacket, a pair of coordinating oversized black trousers and dark shoes. Tigerlily Taylor flashed a glimpse of her toned tummy in a sheer blue long-sleeved crop top, and a pair of blue jeans. She wore a blue and green letterman jacket over the top and toted a gold handbag, while elevating her height in plaid peep-toe heels. She posed alongside her boyfriend Mkulu Lee, who wore a complementary black and white letterman jacket with black jeans. It comes after Vick finally moved in with fiance Calvin Harris into a 7.5million pad in North London. Calvin proposed to Vick with a huge diamond ring underneath a tree at his 138 acre Ibiza farm, Terra Masia after a five month whirlwind romance. Vick recently revealed their love story actually goes all the way back to the early noughties when she was 19 - with the radio host rejecting Calvin's advances when he was an up and coming DJ. Vick said Calvin first made a move on her when he was enjoying his first flush of success with his hit Acceptable in the 80s back in 2007 - but she turned him down at the time. Whirlwind romance: It comes after Vick finally moved in with fiance Calvin Harris into a 7.5million pad in North London last week (pictured in 2022) 'It's something that we laughed about on our first proper date. We still laugh about it now', she told You Magazine. Calvin went on to become one of the highest paid disk jockeys/producers, racking up an estimated 200-plus million fortune, with Vick previously admitting she was 'shallow' and had no idea he would turn into 'an Adonis'. As his global fame soared, the Scottish DJ was linked to a host of stars - from his relationship with Taylor Swift as well as rumours he had brief romances with Ellie Goulding and Rita Ora. Last year the We Found Love hitmaker and Vick went public with their relationship at the Chelsea Flower Show, after keeping their relationship secret. While Vick said she is keeping the details of her engagement private, she said it was a 'very special moment' and that 'it was... perfect.' The television star also spoke about why she has decided to keep her relationship with Calvin mostly private. She said: 'We don't really put anything on social media because the time we have together is 'real life' and it's our own. For the first time in a long time, I'm finishing work and going home to a life that is just mine. I'm learning to find balance and peace.' When asked if entering a multi-million pound world has altered her perspective - especially as she didn't have a wealthy background growing up, Vick remains focused on her own career - rather than riding off the curtails of Calvin's success. She said: 'We both have very busy work schedules: I'll join him when I can and then I come back for my work.' Vick said her parents came to Glastonbury last summer where they watched Calvin DJ on stage and danced to his tune We Found Love. She said: 'Adam was DJing at 2am at the Arcadia stage. I was working for Radio 1 and I wasn't broadcasting all morning and my parents came, too. Then they were found in a bar sitting next to Liam Gallagher fast asleep by a fire. 'They somehow found these light-up flower garlands for their heads and my dad was wearing some kind of kente cloth and I was like: "I left you for five minutes..!" They had the time of their life, dancing to those tunes. It made me so happy.' Married At First Sight star Lyndall Grace has spoken for the first time about her post-show romance with Josh White. Lyndall and Josh had a brief fling that started when they kissed on December 17 - the day after filming the MAFS reunion - during a night out in Sydney. But things ended badly a month later when Josh flew to Perth to spend the Australia Day weekend with Lyndall and was heartbroken to learn she already had a boyfriend. Speaking to Who magazine on Thursday, Lyndall said the many rumours about her relationship with Josh were 'wildly inaccurate'. 'A lot of what's been said is wildly inaccurate. Josh messaged every person in the cast because he had a rough time when he left his marriage to Melissa [Sheppard] and adjusting back to real life,' she said. MAFS star Lyndall Grace (pictured) has shut down 'wildly inaccurate' rumours about her post-show fling with Josh White - after he dumped her when he learned she had another boyfriend She went on to say they were friends during filming and 'exchanged a couple of messages' but 'started to get close after the final reunion'. 'He was supportive of me, because I was dealing with all the Cam stuff. I'll leave it at that for now. I don't think I'm quite ready to say much more now, in terms of how I feel,' she added. It comes after Daily Mail Australia revealed Josh and Lyndall were 'no longer on speaking terms' after he discovered she had a boyfriend she hadn't told him about. He learned about her other relationship after flying out from Sydney to Perth to see her in late January. Lyndall and Josh had a brief fling that started when they kissed on December 17 - the day after filming the show's reunion. But things ended badly a month later when Josh flew to Perth to spend Australia Day weekend with Lyndall and was heartbroken to learn she had a boyfriend Their brief romance and subsequent break-up was described by one cast member as 'messy AF' from the start. The pair reportedly couldn't keep their hands off each other when they first hooked up at a post-finale party at the Ivy in Sydney in December. Their behaviour apparently left their fellow cast members 'shocked'. 'Lyndall and Josh were all over each other in front of everyone, and it was really uncomfortable to watch,' a MAFS participant said. 'They were so caught up in the moment they didn't even care who was watching.' Their late-night pash became more serious when Josh decided to take things to the next level by jetting to Perth to meet Lyndall for a secret rendezvous. Josh, a Sydney-based advertising director who was paired with sex-obsessed hairdresser Melissa Sheppard on MAFS, planned a romantic weekend with accountant Lyndall from January 26 to 29. The pair thought they had covered their tracks, but one of Lyndall's close friends eventually worked out what was going on. This friend reached out to Josh and asked him why he'd travelled across the country to be with her knowing she was 'in a long-term relationship' with another man. This was news to Josh, who had no idea Lyndall was dating somebody else. 'A lot of what's been said is wildly inaccurate,' Lyndall said. 'He was supportive of me... I'll leave it at that for now. I don't think I'm quite ready to say much more now, in terms of how I feel' 'Josh was heartbroken as he was under the impression Lyndall was single. She completely led him on,' said a source. 'He was on the first flight back to Sydney and not f**king happy one bit. They spoke for hours every day leading up to this holiday and she didn't mention it once.' The insider added that when the other MAFS cast members found out what went down in Perth, they were all 'really, really angry'. 'It has caused a lot of tension and drama within the group, and Lyndall and Josh are no longer on speaking terms. It's a complete mess,' they said. 'Lyndall wanted to keep the whole thing on the down-low - which is funny because she actually told some of the cast about it all on a night out in Perth.' Married At First Sight continues Sunday at 7pm on Channel Nine and 9Now Brian Cox dressed to impress on Wednesday evening, as he attended the HBO Max premiere of Succession at Academia de Cine in Madrid. The actor, 76, looked dapper in a pale blue blazer, teamed with a pair of matching trousers. He added a light blue collared shirt and an unusual knitted blue tie, adorned with pink polka dots. Brian completed his suave look with a pair of dark blue trainers and a pink and blue striped pocket square. It comes after it was revealed the first episode of Succession's long-awaited fourth and final season was watched by an impressive 2.3 million fans through both linear telecasts and HBO Max following its debut on Sunday. Looking sharp: Brian Cox dressed to impress on Wednesday evening, as he attended the HBO Max premiere of Succession at Academia de Cine in Madrid Smart: The actor, 76, looked dapper in a pale blue blazer, teamed with a pair of matching trousers Suave: He added a light blue collared shirt and an unusual knitted blue tie, adorned with pink polka dots According to Deadline, the much-acclaimed family drama show's newest installment achieved its highest same-day viewer rate in the series' history. The program, which has been hailed as 'the best thing on TV,' has now earned the best premiere night performance of any HBO original series since the 2020 launch of HBO Max. Total viewership for Succession's fourth season premiere Sunday night was up 62% compared to the debut of its third, which took place in October of 2021 and was watched by a still-impressive 1.4 million fans. The first episode of the program's fourth run, entitled The Munsters, was up by 33% compared to the show's third season finale. According to HBO, Succession's third season averaged 7.2 million viewers per episode. The media giant also revealed that the show's first three seasons received increased interest from fans in the week leading up to the premiere of its fourth run. The Munsters made its debut on Sunday and was immediately met with praise from the show's longtime fans. The episode also received universal acclaim from critics and currently holds an impressive 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Sarah Snook and Matthew MacFayden, who portrayed Siobhan Roy and Tom Wambsgans, respectively, were singled out for praise by many reviewers. Brian, who has portrayed Logan Roy ever since the program's premiere, recently spoke to Variety about working on the show's fourth run and expressed that his character secretly pined for the affection of his kids. He stated: 'That's really what the fourth series is about. Struggling to see how the children come back into the fold or do they come back into the fold?' The much-acclaimed performer went on to state that Logan's aggressive business strategy was undermined by his connection to his children. Dapper: Brian completed his suave look with a pair of dark blue trainers and a pink and blue striped pocket square Doing well: According to Deadline, the much-acclaimed family drama show's newest installment achieved its highest same-day viewer rate in the series' history Coming out on top: Total viewership for Succession's fourth season premiere Sunday night was up 62% compared to the debut of its third, which took place in October of 2021 and was watched by a still-impressive 1.4 million fans High praise: The Munsters made its debut on Sunday and it currently holds an impressive 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes Speaking his mind: Brian, who has portrayed Logan Roy ever since the program's premiere, recently spoke to Variety about working on the show's fourth run and expressed that his character secretly pined for the affection of his kids He stated: '[Logan] needs his kids because they are his kids and he loves them. If he didn't love his children, it would be so much easier. But the fact that he loves his children is his Achilles heel.' Brian then remarked that he felt as if his character wanted to create an endgame for himself in the coming episodes. 'He's getting old. He's tired he's very tired! He doesn't want to be doing the same old, same old again and again and again. He wants some kind of completion to what he does, and who he is,' he said. The second episode of Succession's fourth season, entitled Rehearsal, is scheduled to premiere on April 2. Tory Lanez filed court documents on Wednesday appealing his conviction after a jury found him guilty in December of shooting Megan Thee Stallion. The 30-year-old rapper's newly hired defense lawyer Jose Baez claimed that prosecutors wrongly submitted a shirtless photo of Lanez with a firearm on his chest, according to court documents obtained by TMZ. Baez alleged that prosecutors used the photo to inform the jury that his client had an affinity for weapons, while prosecutors claimed that the photo was used merely for identification purposes. The appeal also claimed that prosecutors erred when they threatened to present Lanez's rap lyrics to the jury. Baez also asserted that jurors heard an 80-minute interview with Megan's friend Kelsey Harris, who was in the vehicle the night of the 2020 shooting, but Harris allegedly later recanted much of what she said in the interview. Conviction appealed: Tory Lanez, shown in December in Los Angeles, filed court documents on Wednesday appealing his conviction after a jury found him guilty in December of shooting Megan Thee Stallion The appeal filing also claimed that it was wrong of prosecutors to allow Megan's statement to police right after the shooting that Tory told her, 'Please don't say anything because I'm on probation.' A Los Angeles jury last December found Lanez guilty of three felonies in the 2020 shooting that left hip-hop star Megan, 28, with bullet fragments in her feet. The Canadian rapper, real name Daystar Peterson, was convicted of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, having a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle and discharging a firearm with gross negligence. Jurors also agreed that there were aggravating factors in the attack, meaning Lanez could face up to 22 years in prison and deportation when he is sentenced next month. Megan Thee Stallion, whose legal name is Megan Pete, testified during the trial that Lanez fired a handgun at the back of her feet and shouted for her to dance as she walked away from an SUV in which they had been riding in the Hollywood Hills in the summer of 2020. She said the two had gotten into a dispute that became especially heated when she started insulting his music. She needed surgery to remove bullet fragments from her feet. Lanez began releasing mixtapes in 2009 and saw a steady rise in popularity, moving on to major-label albums. His last two reached the top 10 on Billboards charts. Megan Thee Stallion was already a major rising star at the time of the shooting, and her prominence has surged since. She won a Grammy for best new artist in 2021, and had No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 with her own song Savage, featuring Beyonce, and as a guest on the Cardi B song WAP. Hip-hop star: Megan Thee Stallion, shown earlier this month in Beverly Hills, California, was shot in July 2020 after leaving a house party in Los Angeles and named Lanez as the shooter Three felonies: The Canadian rapper, shown in December in Los Angeles, was convicted of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, having a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle and discharging a firearm with gross negligence Owen Wilson learned the hard way that You Can't Always Get What You Want, especially when you get in the way of a Mick Jagger stage performance. During an appearance on The Late Late Show With James Corden on Tuesday, the actor revealed he had a lifetime laminate pass, giving him access to any Rolling Stones show in the world, rescinded after just one day. Wilson, who had gotten the ultimate hook-up of a lifetime through a friend, walked to an area of the stage during a Stones show in Argentina that was unknowingly off-limits. 'I was kind of friendly with some of the band and then my friend was really good friends with Mick Jagger,' the funnyman, 54, explained. 'We got [presented with] these special laminates, kind of all access, that were good for the rest of your life.' Enhancing the importance of the lifetime passes, Wilson went on to share that his Rolling Stones fandom dated back to the early 1980s, when he saw the band on the Tattoo You Tour, which was his first-ever concert experience. Ultimate hook-up: Owen Wilson, 54, revealed he had a lifetime laminate pass, giving him access to any Rolling Stones show in the world, rescinded after just one day Describing the [all-access pass] gift as 'really exciting', Wilson's elation over knowing he could attend any Rolling Stones show the rest of his life was short-lived. 'That night, at the concert, I'm kind of wandering around and testing it out like, "I'm going to walk over here and see if anybody stops me." And no one would stop me any place,' he told Corden and fellow guest Jeff Goldblum. 'I ended up right at this place where I could look over and see Mick Jagger on the stage, and right there and then, all of a sudden, he bolts during Jumpin' Jack Flash and comes running down.' The Behind Enemy Lines star revealed the always energetic Jagger ended up running directly towards him, which caught him completely off guard. 'It turns out, where I was, was kind of part of the stage a little bit, so I just sort of froze and tried to be inconspicuous, and he kinda came down and left,' the Dallas, Texas native recalled, adding, 'And then someone came running over, [shouting,] "Get out of here! Move! You're not supposed to be here!' And I [said], "I didn't know! I'm so sorry!"' The experience haunted Wilson the rest of the evening and into the next morning. 'I go to bed that night still thinking, "Well, gosh, that was kind of a gnarly experience,"' he shared of the gig in Argentina, which apparently didn't go over well with Jagger. 'Then I get a call the next morning from Mick's security team asking, "Do you have that laminate?'" he continued. "'Yes, I still have it. Okay, we're going to come over and pick it up."' The gift: 'I was kind of friendly with some of the band and then my friend was really good friends with Mick Jagger,' Wilson said during an appearance on The Late Late Show With James Corden on Tuesday with jeff Goldblum. 'We got [presented with] these special laminates, kind of all access, that were good for the rest of your life' All-access short-lived: After explaining how he wandered to the stage area with his gifted laminate, the actor revealed that he 'ended up right at this place where I could look over and see Mick Jagger on the stage, and right there and then, all of a sudden, he bolts during Jumpin' Jack Flash and comes running down' It turns out, Wilson got in the way of Jagger's stage performance, which he was promptly notified by a crew member: 'And then someone came running over, [shouting,] "Get out of here! Move! You're not supposed to be here!' And I [said], "I didn't know! I'm so sorry!"' Heartbreaking: After revealing how the experience haunted him into the next morning, Jagger's security team called Wilson the next day to ask for the laminate back And just like that, a longtime Rolling Stones fan had lost his all-access lifetime pass. And to make matters worse: Wilson unknowingly broke a dress code, which made him stand out in that stage area even more during that show in Argentina. 'I was also dressed in a white T-shirt and white pants, and if you are at this part of the stage where you're not supposed to be you should be in like dark colors where you blend in,' Wilson was told after the fact. 'So I get it, you know? He's got a show to do. He doesn't need some kind of bozo just cruising around distracting him.' Riveted by the story, Corden and Goldblum looked visibly sorry that he had gotten his 'all-access lifetime pass' taken away. 'I only had it for 24 hours,' Wilson said, while Corden and Goldblum sat looking dumbfounded by the story. Say it isn't so: Corden and Goldblum were visibly sorry for Wilson that he had his all-access lifetime Rolling Stones pass taken back Khloe Kardashian posted a snappy retort to an Instagram commenter who teased her about her facial features. The 38-year-old reality star posted a gym video Wednesday that gave fans a close-up look at her smooth complexion and world-famous mega-pout. When one of the commenters snidely asked her: 'Do you miss your old face?' however, Khloe responded: 'No.' Almost two years ago on the Keeping Up With The Kardashians finale special Khloe insisted that the only plastic surgery she has ever had was a nose job. 'I've had one nose job - Dr. Raj Kanodia,' she told Andy Cohen, who was hosting the Final Curtain specials that closed out the series. Now and then: Khloe Kardashian posted a snappy retort to an Instagram commenter who teased her about her facial features; she is pictured this week (left) and in 2007 (right) There she is: The 38-year-old reality star posted a gym video Wednesday that gave fans a close-up look at her smooth complexion and world-famous mega-pout Firing back: When one of the commenters snidely asked her: 'Do you miss your old face?' however, Khloe responded: 'No' Khloe also wrote on Instagram last April that recovering from her nose job 'was a breeze' and that her 'only regret is that I didn't do it sooner.' When a fan tweeted about the surgery she revealed that she went under the knife just 'a couple weeks' before her daughter True turned one in April 2019. She elaborated on her decision to get the procedure when her family did an ABC special with Robin Roberts last year. 'My whole life I would say I've always wanted my nose done, like forever,' she confessed to Robin, 'but it's in the middle of your face and it's scary to think about. But I finally got the courage and I did it and I love it!' During the same interview she revealed she 'never felt like the pretty sister' and experienced insecurities because of her previous size. Fans have watched her figure evolve over the years, including with a stunning weight loss journey that led her to host a show called Revenge Body With Khloe Kardashian. Rumors have been swirling about various cosmetic procedures she is said to have had done, with a particular focus on her rear end. She has always denied having her behind augmented, writing on social media years ago: 'Sorry 2disappoint.... I've always had an a**. I know it's more fun 2believe it's not real, kind of a compliment since I kill myself in the gym.' Through the years: Khloe is pictured at the 2018 People's Choice Awards (left) and in her latest Instagram post this week (right) Her side of the story: Her latest Instagram post (pictured) comes almost two years after Khloe insisted that the only plastic surgery she has ever had was a nose job Transformation: Khloe, who underwent her rhinoplasty in early 2019, is pictured at the NBCUniversal Upfronts in 2018 (left) and at the 2022 Met Gala (right) About a year ago the reality TV superstar laughed off claims she has had buttock implants in the comments of an Instagram fanpage. The page posted a video of Khloe doing stretches with a suspicious outline in her leggings, setting off a storm of speculation in the comment section. One comment read: 'Omg u can see her implants when stretching. A 2nd layer of her bum on top of her bum,' prompting the reply: 'Are they implants or padded tights?' Khloe then replied to the initial comment: 'lol silly goose. It's the seam design of the leggings. that's so funny ha! You guys just want to believe anything bad.' Cosmetic surgeon Dr Benji Dhillon once told the MailOnline that 'Khloe's buttocks could simply be down to a strong squat routine.' Said he: 'Although buttock lifts were one of the fastest growing surgical procedures in the US (according to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons), it is difficult to tell if Khloe has had this done.' She may be a sex symbol for Gen Z. But OnlyFans and TikTok star Anna Paul has revealed she has only slept with one man - her long-term boyfriend Glen Thomson. The 22-year-old, who is arguably Australia's most famous adult content creator, was quizzed about her sexual history during an Instagram Q&A on Thursday. When one of her followers asked if she'd ever had an STI, Anna responded by saying Glen was the only man she'd ever been with. 'Glen is the only person I have ever been with sexually at all in any way, and vice versa,' she said. She may be a sex symbol for Gen Z, but OnlyFans and TikTok star Anna Paul (pictured) has revealed she has only slept with one man - her long-term boyfriend Glen Thomson 'So thankfully, no,' she added. Anna has been dating fellow influencer Glen since December 2015. While they seem very happy together, they have said they don't plan on getting engaged. Anna once said the couple 'aren't that into weddings' and she had even asked Glen not to propose to her. Anna's revelation about her sex life comes after she came down with 'Bali belly' while on holiday. The 22-year-old, who is arguably Australia's most famous adult content creator, was quizzed about her sexual history during an Instagram Q&A on Thursday. When one fan asked if she'd ever had an STI, Anna responded by saying Glen was the only man she'd ever been with She jetted off to the Indonesian party island with her boyfriend in early March. But after a few days in paradise, the influencer revealed 'Bali Belly hit her hard' as she shared a picture of herself attached to an IV drip. Unable to sleep for two days, Anna managed to eventually nap after lying down on the bathroom floor with a wet towel on her stomach and hot water pouring over her. 'Glen is the only person I have ever been with sexually at all in any way, and vice versa,' she said The Queenslander has a whopping 6.2million followers on TikTok and 2.2 million on Instagram. She made headlines last August after her meet-and-greet with fans descended into chaos due to a stampede of teenagers. One of her events in Perth was shut down after just 14 minutes due to large crowds, and the social media star later apologised saying she had 'no idea' that many people would arrive. Rosie Perez says she and Spike Lee have made amends in the decades since she complained about performing in a nude scene for the director in the 1989 movie Do the Right Thing. The Brooklyn, New York native, 58, speaking with Variety Wednesday, said she and the filmmaker have been on good terms after her remarks in a 2000 roundtable for The New York Times Magazine in which she said her 'first experience' showing flesh in front of the camera 'was horrible.' Perez played the role of Tina in the breakthrough film Lee, 66, wrote, directed and acted in. Perez said in the 2000 roundtable, 'My first experience, of course, was Do the Right Thing. And I had a big problem with it, mainly because I was afraid of what my family would think - that's what was really bothering me.' Perez said that the issue wasn't necessarily taking off her clothes, but she 'also didn't feel good about it because the atmosphere wasn't correct. The latest: Rosie Perez, 58, says she and Spike Lee, 66, have made amends in the decades since she complained about performing in a nude scene for the director in the 1989 movie Do the Right Thing. Pictured at Lee's birthday party in NYC earlier this month 'And when Spike Lee puts ice cubes on my nipples, the reason you don't see my head is because I'm crying. I was like, "I don't want to do this."' She continued in the 2000 chat: 'I felt like Irene Cara in Fame. It was like, "Wait a minute, I feel so wimpy, this is not who I am." So that was my first experience, and it was horrible.' The Oscar-nominated actress, speaking to Variety in the new interview, said people were upset with both her and Lee in the wake of the reveal 23 years ago. 'In our cancel culture, some people need to be canceled,' she said. 'And when I was telling the story, people were ready to cancel Spike Lee and cancel me for saying something. And I was like, "You know what? This is getting out of hand."' Perez said Lee apologized to her and the two eventually put it behind them, as she was pictured with the Oscar-winning creative at his birthday party in New York City earlier this month. 'We discussed it, we made up, we hugged it out, and we're still friends to this day,' she said. 'And sometimes people need a chance to say, 'I'm sorry.' For a man of his stature to say "I'm sorry" is huge. 'But that's why I don't like to talk about it - because people get too crazy.' In the interview with Variety, Perez revealed she wasn't aware of who Lee was when she met him initially at a nightclub. 'I didn't understand who he was,' she said. 'And I didn't care. I threw the card away. My girlfriend Marian went back and got it. 'She always joked, "You owe your entire career to me." You know, I did audition for Do the Right Thing. People think that Spike just discovered me and gave me the role. No, he made me work for it.' Perez played the role of Tina in the breakthrough film Lee wrote, directed and acted in Perez in a 2000 roundtable said she was weeping during filming of a nude scene in the movie Comedian Stephen Merchant credits technology with helping to keep the romance alive between him and his American girlfriend, Mircea Monroe. My girlfriend is in LA and we try to go back and forth but, when were apart, were always trying to stay connected via video calls, he tells me at a London event. The 6ft 7in star, who once expressed regret at not having written more episodes of The Office with Ricky Gervais because hed have three Bentleys by now, adds of Mircea: Weve been together for a while, so you learn to navigate it. The actress, 41, who is 5ft 6in, has appeared in films including Just Friends and Magic Mike. Romance: Comedian Stephen Merchant credits technology with helping to keep the romance alive between him and his American girlfriend, Mircea Monroe (pictured in 2018) She met Merchant, 48, at an awards ceremony in 2017 and the pair have since moved into a 2.4 million Los Angeles mansion. The American model and actress is not only a beauty, but brainy, too, having completed a postgraduate course in 2021 at Cambridge University following her degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in the US. Ms Monroe regularly promotes her 47-year-old boyfriends work on social media. Speaking of their relationship in 2019, Merchant said: Aside from the fact that shes great theres something very pleasing about not having the endless concern about filling that part of your life. Thats a very lonely life, the life of a single person. Stephen resides in London and he first shot to fame on The Office. He co-created the acclaimed sitcom alongside funny man and longtime friend Ricky Gervais, 58. Stephen attributed the success of the show due to their 'arrogance' and unique chemistry while speaking openly about the conception of the BBC comedy. Long distance: My girlfriend is in LA and we try to go back and forth but, when were apart, were always trying to stay connected via video calls, he said Talking on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, he recalled: 'There was an arrogance about us. For me I think it was just, I didn't know better, I had the arrogance of youth. 'I think with Ricky he had quite happily got into a groove in life. He felt he didn't have anything to lose.' The writer, director and comedian, remembered being 'dynamic and proactive', and admitted the older and more experienced Ricky was 'willing to walk out of a room if he didn't get his way'. Stephen continued: 'I would go after him, "What are you doing?", and he would go, "It's all a plan, don't worry"'. Richard Wilkins has called in the lawyers after a fake photo of him being arrested in a Sydney park went viral on social media last week. The Channel Nine presenter was seen being handcuffed by three cops in an image that was either Photoshopped or generated using AI technology. While the picture was clearly fake, many Facebook users fell for it. After his son Christian alerted his followers to the doctored image last Friday, Richard spoke to 2GB's Ben Fordham Live about the prank this morning. 'I don't know what to do about it. This has been going on for some time,' he said. Richard Wilkins (right, with his son Christian) has called in the lawyers after a fake photo of him being arrested in a Sydney park went viral on social media last week Richard, who has engaged lawyers to stop the photo from being circulated, revealed his image had also been used without his permission in a financial scam. 'It never happened. It's complete BS. The thought of anyone investing in anything because I was recommending it is quite disturbing, and I'd hate to think that was happening,' he added. Despite seeking help from Nine's legal team and contacting Facebook's parent company Meta, the issue has only 'gotten worse'. After his son Christian alerted his followers to the doctored image last Friday, Richard spoke to 2GB's Ben Fordham Live about the prank this morning In the fake viral image that circulated last week, the Weekend Today presenter looks alarmed as he is arrested and handcuffed by police officers in a Sydney park. Two of the police officers hold his arms while a third appears to be filing a report. But the photo wasn't all it appeared to be: the realistic picture was actually an AI-generated image with Richard's face superimposed on a criminal's body. His son Christian alerted his Instagram followers to the fake photo last Friday, reassuring fans his father had not been arrested. He also made a light-hearted joke about his dad's fashion choices, saying: 'For those wondering, yes these posts are fake. 'There's no way Richard Wilkins would be seen not wearing skinny jeans.' Streaming giant Stan has released a preview of its highlights for the month of April. The Australian fantasy film The Portable Door leads next month's new releases. Starring Christoph Waltz and Sam Neill, the SFX-heavy family movie drops on April 7. Set in London, The Portable Door also features Patrick Gibson (The OA) as a low-paid intern who discovers mysterious goings-on at a secretive corporation. Totally Completely Fine, a six-part black comedy, hits the platform on April 20. Streaming giant Stan has released a preview of its highlights for the month of April. The Australian fantasy film The Portable Door, starring Sam Neill, leads next month's new releases Starring Christoph Waltz and Sam Neill , the SFX-heavy family movie drops on April 7 Totally Completely Fine, a six-part black comedy, hits the platform on April 20 The Stan Original series stars Thomasin McKenzie (Last Night in Soho) as a young woman whose life is a mess. She manages to turn things around for herself after moving into her late grandfather's house, which happens to be on a cliff. When Thomasin discovers her new home is the site of a 'suicide spot', she finds herself saving lives. Horror fans are in for a treat with the blood-curdling U.S. thriller From premiering on Stan on April 24. The show's plot deals with a mysterious small town that traps all who enter. Each night, the freaked-out inhabitants have to battle bloodthirsty monsters, while survivors struggle to discover the secret behind the mysterious creatures. Comedy-drama Blindspotting will be returning for a second season on April 14. Starring Jasmine Cephas Jones, the follows a group of characters in the Bay Area around Oakland, San Francisco. Fans can also look forward to more episodes of the critically acclaimed series Lucky Hank, starring Bob Odenkirk (pictured) Fans can also look forward to more episodes of the critically acclaimed series Lucky Hank. Starring Bob Odenkirk (Breaking Bad), the show is a wicked black comedy set on an American college campus. Odenkirk, as the title character Hank, is a novelist-turned- teacher struggling to keep his sanity in woke environment. Other highlights include the director's cut of Steven Spielberg's 1977 classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and the Underworld movie franchise. The Portable Door premieres April 7 and is available only on Stan. Australia's biggest porn star Angela White isn't letting her recent on-set injury slow her down. This week, the 38-year-old flaunted her famous curves in a busty orange bikini while shooting adult content for her next film. Angela posed in a pool alongside many other titans of the porn industry, including Lena 'The Plug' Nersesian and Kazumi. Posing for a selfie with her glamorous co-stars, Angela captioned the photo: 'Looking for a pool boy!' The starlet was recently forced to clarify rumours she 'almost died' while filming an intense sex scene with fellow porn star Keiran Lee. Aussie porn star Angela White flaunted her famous curves in a busty orange bikini while shooting adult content for her next film this week The adult industry legend was joined on set with a number of other A-list performers, including Kazumi (centre) Keiran, 39, made headlines in February when he claimed Angela was rushed to hospital with a burst appendix after they filmed an hour-long sex scene in 2013. 'I put her into hospital and this was actually not on purpose,' he said. 'I found out two days later she'd gone back home to Australia. She said her stomach was hurting, and she had to go see a doctor. Apparently her appendix burst in the scene, which could have killed her.' But speaking on the Only Stans podcast with Glenny Balls this week, Angela said reports of the incident had been 'blown way out of proportion'. 'My appendix actually did not burst, but it is true I had appendicitis and did have to have emergency surgery to have it removed,' she said. Appendicitis refers to a condition where the appendix is inflamed, with symptoms including severe abdominal pain, fever, chills and weakness. Prolonged appendicitis can lead to the appendix rupturing, also known as a 'burst appendix'. The women embraced each other in the water as they shot content for their next project Posing for a selfie with her co-stars, Angela captioned the photo: 'Looking for a pool boy!' While Keiran was under the impression his large manhood was the cause of her injury, Angela insisted her condition was 'likely a pure coincidence'. 'There is no medical evidence to suggest his giant d**k was pummeling my organs,' she said. She joked that Keiran's nine-and-a-half-inch penis, which is reportedly insured for $1million, may not have done lasting damage, but it did 'reach organs that shouldn't be reached'. Angela's is Australia's biggest adult export and a three-time AVN Female Performer of the Year winner. Speaking with Daily Mail Australia at Sexpo last year, Angela spilled the beans on the differences between her public and private sex life. Keiran Lee (right, with wife Kirsten Price) made headlines in February when he claimed Angela was rushed to hospital with a burst appendix after they filmed an hour-long sex scene in 2013 Speaking on the Only Stans podcast this week, Angela said reports of the incident had been 'blown way out of proportion'. She added: 'My appendix actually did not burst, but it is true I had appendicitis and did have to have emergency surgery to have it removed' When asked if there was a clear line she would draw, she said there wasn't so much a line as just a difference in the level of intimacy involved. 'There's not a line that I draw, but my private sex life is even more intimate because I don't have to open up for the camera and open up my body so the light can get in there,' she said. 'My personal sex life involves a lot more skin-to-skin contact. I still think my scenes are intimate as well, but you just get that next level of intimacy when there's no lights, there's no crew, it's just you and the other person.' She continued: 'And I think thats really a part of why OnlyFans is so popular because most of the time you don't have a crew. It is just you and the other partner that you're working with and an iPhone or a camera set-up.' Advertisement Brooke Shields made a show-stopping arrival at the premiere of her two-part Hulu documentary Pretty Baby at Alice Tully Hall in New York City on Wednesday night. The actress, 57, was joined on the red carpet by her longtime husband Chris Henchy, 59, and their youngest daughter Grier, 16. She was also supported by myriad of famous pals including Mariska Hargitay and Debra Messing. Brooke wowed in a unique black blazer with purple, pink and red striped fabric criss-crossed in the front creating a dress-like silhouette that flowed to the floor. For an edgy touch, the Blue Lagoon actress slipped on a pair of black vinyl pants that hugged her enviably toned legs. Brooke's big night! Brooke Shields made a show-stopping arrival at the premiere of her two-part Hulu documentary Pretty Baby at Alice Tully Hall in New York City on Wednesday night Glamorous: Brooke's flowing brunette hair cascaded down her back and chest in glamorous curls Wow! Brooke wowed in a unique black blazer with purple, pink and red striped fabric criss-crossed in the front creating a dress-like silhouette that flowed to the floor She stood on sky-high baby pink heels and carried a sparkly black clutch in hand. Brooke's flowing brunette hair cascaded down her back and chest in glamorous curls. She posed for several shots in front of the Pretty Baby promo poster which shows present day Brooke staring at the profile of her younger self. Pretty Baby explores Brooke's decades-long Hollywood career as she recalls being sexualized as a young girl as well as the complicated relationship she had with her late mother Teri Shields. Despite the trauma, Brooke shows her incredible strength, resilience and devotion to protecting her own daughters from exploitation as she finds her voice in adulthood. The film is directed by Lana Wilson, who helmed Taylor Swift's 2020 documentary Miss Americana, and features commentary by a number of stars and pop culture reporters, including Brooke's longtime friend and fellow actress Laura Linney. Pretty Baby will premiere in two-parts on Hulu starting Monday, April 3. Though Brooke is a pro at handling photographers alone, she looked happiest with her daughter Grier by her side during Wednesday's big red carpet premiere The young girl looked chic in a cherry red suit styled with black pumps. Family affair: The actress, 57, was joined on the red carpet by their youngest daughter Grier, 16, and her longtime husband Chris Henchy, 59 Vinyl vixen: For an edgy touch, the Blue Lagoon actress slipped on a pair of black vinyl pants that hugged her enviably toned legs Reflection: She posed for several shots in front of the Pretty Baby promo poster which shows present day Brooke staring at the profile of her younger self She stood on sky-high baby pink heels and carried a sparkly black clutch in hand Though Brooke is a pro at handling photographers alone, she looked happiest with Grier by her side Stylish: Grier looked chic in a cherry red suit styled with black pumps Chic: Her auburn hair was tied back in a sleek ponytail and she accessorized with gold jewelry Brooke seen with daughter Grier and husband Chris Henchy Duo: The mother-daughter duo wrapped their arms around one another for their time in front of the cameras Her auburn hair was tied back in a sleek ponytail and she accessorized with gold jewelry. The mother-daughter duo wrapped their arms around one another for their time in front of the cameras. Brooke's husband Chris joined in for a few shots while rocking an understated beige suit and a dress shirt. Missing from the action was the couple's eldest daughter Rowan, 19. Brooke was captured sharing a warm embrace with Mariska Hargitay as they reunited on the red carpet ahead of the screening. The Law And Order: SVU star, 59, looked sharp in a stylish pastel yellow sweater tucked into matching pants with a sparkly sequin lining. She posed with a braided black leather bag in hand and she paraded around the venue in nude suede heels. Debra Messing stunned in a plunging black zip-front dress styled with black flats with gold studs. Brooke and Mariska were later joined by actress Ali Wentworth, who is the wife of ABC journalist George Stephanopoulos. Wentworth and Stephanopoulos produced the project, which is the first under their new production company BedBy8. Ali rocked a classic black blazer and trousers that made her head of voluminous blonde hair standout. After getting in some photos with Brooke and Mariska, she cozied up to her longtime spouse George. George looked as well-dressed as ever in a black suit with a lavender dress shirt and maroon polkadot tie. Famous pals: She was also supported by myriad of famous pals including Mariska Hargitay and Debra Messing Mariska, 59, looked sharp in a stylish pastel yellow sweater tucked into matching pants with a sparkly sequin lining Brooke and Mariska shared a warm embrace as they reunited on the red carpet ahead of the screening Three is NOT a crowd! Brooke and Mariska were later joined by actress Ali Wentworth, who is the wife of ABC journalist George Stephanopoulos The ladies looked to be having a blast during their time in front of the cameras Ali wrapped her arms around a beaming Brooke before the pair made kissy faces in the direction of photographers At the helm: Pretty Baby is directed by Lana Wilson (pictured with Brooke), who helmed Taylor Swift's 2020 documentary Miss Americana Plus one: Mariska brought her beau Peter Hermann as her plus one for the evening Stunning: Debra Messing stunned in a plunging black zip-front dress styled with black flats with gold studs Producers: Ali Wentworth and husband George Stephanopoulos produced the project, which is the first under their new production company BedBy8. Sharp: Ali rocked a classic black blazer and trousers that made her head of voluminous blonde hair standout Legendary supermodel Paulina Porizkova got gussied up for the evening to show her support for Brooke at Wednesday's premiere in New York. The catwalk queen rocked a glossy cherry red pout and a ruched zebra-print top that highlighted her svelte physique. She layered up with a black leather jacket and tossed her lengthy tresses to one side. Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts posed up in an eye-catching pink ombre suit worn with fun pink leather Valentine heels. Former Hilary Clinton aide Huma Abedin turned heads in a plunging cream bodysuit styled with a matching loose fitting blazer and trendy wide-legged trousers. ABC journalists Deborah Roberts and Juju Chang stood out in vibrant, patterned dresses as they braved the red carpet together. Gussied up: Legendary supermodel Paulina Porizkova got gussied up for the evening to show her support for Brooke at Wednesday's premiere in New York Ageless beauty: The catwalk queen rocked a glossy cherry red pout and a ruched zebra-print top that highlighted her svelte physique She layered up with a black leather jacket and tossed her lengthy tresses to one side Suiting up: Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts posed up in an eye-catching pink ombre suit worn with fun pink leather Valentine heels. Former Hilary Clinton aide Huma Abedin turned heads in a plunging cream bodysuit styled with a matching loose fitting blazer and trendy wide-legged trousers Selfie! Alyssa Mastromonaco, who served as the White House Deputy Chief of Staff under the Obama administration from 2011 to 2014, was spotted posing for a selfie with Deborah, George and Ali on the red carpet ABC journalists Deborah Roberts and Juju Chang stood out in vibrant, patterned dresses as they braved the red carpet together Alyssa Mastromonaco, who served as the White House Deputy Chief of Staff under the Obama administration from 2011 to 2014, was spotted posing for a selfie with Deborah, George and Ali ahead of the film screening. In the first trailer for Pretty Baby, Brooke got emotional while looking back on her childhood exploitation. Shields narrates that the 'entirety' of her life she was bombarded by people calling her a 'pretty' face 'over and over again.' 'And, that always, seared me,' she confesses. The actress was just 11 when she was forced to seductively kiss Keith Carradine, then 27, in 1978 film Pretty Baby in which she played a prostitute. At 14, when other girls were still decorating their pencil cases, she had become the youngest model ever to make the cover of Vogue. That same year, she began filming the leering teen romance Blue Lagoon in which her character frequently stripped off and had sex with her fellow shipwrecked sweetheart (played by Christopher Atkins, then 18). A body-double stood in for her sex scenes but, Shields says, the film-makers encouraged her to pursue a real romance with Atkins off-screen. There was more sex and nudity for her the following year in Franco Zeffirellis romantic drama Endless Love, about two high-school sweethearts who are forbidden to see each other. And at 15, she appeared writhing around in figure-hugging denim in the provocative adverts for Calvin Klein Jeans, which featured the suggestive tagline: You want to know what comes between me and my Calvin's? Nothing. The films and that ad campaign helped propel her to international stardom. Known around the world simply as Brooke, she became the party-girl mascot of New Yorks debauched nightclub Studio 54. With those iconic thick eyebrows and long lustrous hair that made her look older than her years, she was the teenager a top agent once described as so beautiful that strong men forget to flick their cigar ash. In the documentary, the actress reveals she was raped in her early 20s in a hotel room by an unnamed man in the film industry. She had met him to discuss possible film projects following her graduation from the prestigious Princeton University in 1987. After dinner, the man whom she says was a friend invited her to call a taxi from his hotel room, which he then left. But in a sordid echo of the convicted rapist producer Harvey Weinstein, Shields says her friend later returned naked and suddenly attacked her. He was right on me. It was just like wrestling, she adds. Shields says she froze and didnt fight back for fear of being killed: God knows I knew how to be disassociated from my body. Id practiced that. Pretty Baby explores Brooke's decades-long Hollywood career as she recalls being sexualized as a young girl as well as the complicated relationship she had with her late mother Teri Shields In the first trailer for Pretty Baby, Brooke got emotional while looking back on her childhood exploitation Shields narrates that the 'entirety' of her life she was bombarded by people calling her a 'pretty' face 'over and over again' Premiere: Pretty Baby will premiere in two-parts on Hulu starting Monday, April 3 She claims she left the hotel after the attack, got in a taxi and cried all the way to the apartment of another friend. For years, Shields says she refused to accept what had happened to her: I drank wine at dinner. I went up to the room. I just was so trusting... Of her meteoric rise to fame at such a young age. She also reflects on her two-year marriage to tennis star Andre Agassi. The pair's split was credited to their conflicting work schedules as well as claims that Andre was deeply possessive of Brooke. She claimed in the doc that her ex-husband got so furious at her flirtatious cameo in a 1995 episode of Friends in which she licked Matt LeBlancs fingers that he stormed off set, drove home and smashed his Wimbledon trophy. Brooke Shields had loving support from her teenage daughter, Grier Hammond Henchy, at the premiere of her documentary, Pretty Baby, in NYC on Wednesday. The Hollywood bombshell, 57, shares the 16-year-old along with her eldest daughter Rowan, 19, with husband Chris Henchy, who was also seen on the red carpet. Grier was the epitome of chic and donned a pair of dark red slacks along with a matching, fitted blazer that was secured with a button at the front. She opted to not add a shirt underneath the sleek ensemble as she joined her mother and father at the star-studded event that took place at the Alice Tully Hall in the big apple. Brooke's lookalike daughter chose to slip into a pair of classic, closed-toed black heels to complete her overall ensemble for the glitzy premiere. Chic: Brooke Shields, 57, had loving support from her teenage daughter, Grier Henchy, 16, at the premiere of her documentary, Pretty Baby, in NYC on Wednesday Mother daughter duo: The teenager was seen pausing for a few photos with her mother at the star-studded event in the big apple Her long locks were parted in the middle, and slicked back into a ponytail, allowing the hair to fall down behind her back. She accessorized her look with a pair of dangly, gold-hooped earrings along with mini ear cuffs. The budding model added various rings on each of her hands, along with a silver-chained bracelet on her right wrist. Grier easily carried a rectangular-shaped clutch that was made of a reflective material for an edgy flare to her look for the evening. Her makeup was also glammed up for the event, and comprised of a layer of black mascara to her long lashes, along with a shimmering shadow to make her eyes pop. A light blush along with highlighter was added to better accentuate her cheekbones, while a glossy, rosy pink tint was worn on her lips for a finishing touch. She happily paused for a strew of snaps with her mother, Brooke, who also donned a sleek, black suit. Layers of colorful fabric was wrapped around the ensemble, and contained hues of pink, red and also purple. The Endless Love star slipped into a pair of hot pink, suede heels that coincided with the color scheme of her outfit for the special night. Classy: Her long locks were parted in the middle, and slicked back into a ponytail, allowing the hair to fall down behind her back Making a statement: She happily paused for a strew of snaps with her mother, Brooke, who also donned a sleek, black suit that was wrapped with layers of colorful fabric Big supporter: Grier was by her mother's side at the premiere of Brooke's documentary, Pretty Baby, which premieres on Hulu later next month on April 3 Brooke's husband, Chris, and father to Grier, was also seen attending the premiere and the trio happily posed for snaps together. Their oldest daughter, Rowan, who is currently attending college, was not seen at the event. Chris was stylishly casual wearing a pair of denim blue jeans along with a light blue button up. He layered the look with a tan-colored suit jacket which he chose to partially button. Brooke tied the knot with the film director in 2001, with their children being born later in 2003 and 2006. The Hollywood starlet previously appeared in a Victoria's Secret photo shoot with Grier last year for the brand's Mother's Day campaign. During an interview on the People Every Day podcast at the time, she explained that when her daughter turned 16, 'she had expressed interest in going into the modeling world.' Brooke recalled that she had asked Grier if she was interested in starring in the campaign together 'and it was just such an emotionally beautiful period.' 'You know, I have resisted this. But to watch her handle herself in a way, it makes me realize, okay, she's a pretty strong character. So I don't feel like this business will eat her up. It was really fun to be in front of the camera with her.' Family time: Brooke's husband and father to Grier, Chris, was also seen attending the premiere and the trio happily posed for snaps together Missing from the snaps: Their oldest daughter, Rowan, who is currently attending college, was not seen at the premiere Stepping into the spotlight: The Hollywood starlet previously appeared in a Victoria's Secret photo shoot with Grier last year for the brand's Mother's Day campaign; the two seen in February in NYC Brooke herself is no stranger to being in front of the camera, and is counting down the days until her documentary, Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields, premieres on Hulu next month on April 3 in two parts. The film's title is based on the controversial 1978 movie also named Pretty Baby that she starred in at the age of 11. The project focuses on a variety of topics, such as the sexualization she had faced when she was a child star and the relationship she had with her own mother. The film, which was directed by Lana Wilson, previously premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year in January, and her daughters also make a brief appearance in the feature. While on the red carpet at the NYC premiere on Wednesday, Shields opened up to Access and stated, 'Its unbelievable to find your own truth and your own agency and to know that we all can and we all should.' She continued, 'We should look back at our lives and understand them and own them but really be excited about the future.' While the documentary does touch on heavier topics, happy moments from her life are also discussed. 'I mean Im not jaded, which is amazing. I love what I do.' 'Seeing it all up there Im so proud of the work Ive done. Im proud of who I am, but the work Ive done, I never owned my talent you know and when you see it all there, its a confidence boost.' Bam Margera found himself in more legal trouble after he was arrested at a restaurant in Burbank on Wednesday. The troubled 43-year-old Jackass star who has dealt with substance abuse issues and violent behavior in recent years got into an argument with a woman at the restaurant, law enforcement sources told TMZ. The police were reportedly called around 3:45 p.m. to a Thai restaurant, and Margera was allegedly in a shouting match with the woman that continued to escalate after the officers arrived. Despite the intervention from police, Margera allegedly couldn't get himself under control, so he was arrested and booked for misdemeanor public intoxication. In video of the confrontation filmed by the comedian Evan Breen, the former pro skateboarder could be seen going back into the restaurant and then out of it again after police had arrived. Legal trouble: Bam Margera, 43, was arrested at a restaurant in Burbank on Wednesday after a confrontation with a woman, law enforcement sources told TMZ; pictured in 2019 Out of control: Margera was allegedly shouting at the woman, which escalated even after police had arrived to try to subdue him At an officer's request, he sat down on the ground in the parking lot, and although his conversation with the officer couldn't be heard, he waved his arms about and gesticulated wildly. The arrest may have been preceded by some kind of family drama, as Margera's estranged wife Nikki Boyd and their five-year-old child Phoenix were both in the restaurant, according to a witness on the scene. However, police didn't clarify if he was arguing with his ex, or if it was another woman. The sources added that Margera will be forced to pay $500 to be released early on bail, unless he opts to stay behind bars until sobering up. The Jackass star's public controversies escalated earlier this month when he was arrested on domestic violence charges. The Viva La Bam star was arrested after police responded to a home in Escondido, California, where a woman claimed that he had kicked her, according to TMZ. The alleged victim was not named, but she is reportedly Margera's current girlfriend, and not his ex. He was released on $50,000 bail, though the local District Attorney said charges would not be filed against him. After Margera quickly posted bail, Boyd's attorney claimed that he had not supported her for two months, leaving her with 'no car, no money,' and eviction looming. Family affair: Margera's estranged wife Nikki Boyd (pictured) and five-year-old son Phoenix were at the restaurant, but it's unknown if she was the woman he was shouting at; seen in 2013 Deeper in trouble: The Jackass star was arrested early this month on domestic violence charges for allegedly kicking a woman, though it was his new girlfriend and not his ex Over the top: Last week, he revealed that he got his son's name tattooed on his face in Arabic as a reminder to Boyd that 'she is breaking my heart by not letting me see him' She filed for divorce from Margera in February of this year after claiming that he was not sober during a visit with his son. She has requested legal and physical custody of Pheonix, though she says Margera should still be allowed to have supervised visits with his son in the Los Angeles area. The Jackass star tried to show his commitment to Phoenix last week by taking the extreme step of tattooing his son's name on his face in Arabic. 'I miss Phoenix the wolf so much I had to to get his name tattooed on my f***in face to remind Nikki she is breaking my heart by not letting me see him,' he claimed on Instagram. Aussie heartthrob Jacob Elordi was spotted enjoying a coffee and juice run in Los Angeles with his pet pooch on Tuesday. The Euphoria star, 25, showed off his eccentric style - stepping out in West Hollywood wearing a $560 Celine beanie and carrying a $6,960 bag by Bottega Veneta handbag. Jacob, who is also known for film The Kissing Booth, layered up with a T-shirt and a beige jumper and Nike shorts. He sported some chin stubble and a moustache and carried a matcha drink in his hand. Earlier this month, it was reported that Jacob received a temporary restraining order from a Los Angeles court against a man who he claims has been stalking him. Aussie heartthrob Jacob Elordi was spotted enjoying a coffee and juice run in Los Angeles with his pet pooch on Tuesday Jacob said the man left items including a note, a rose bouquet, candies and pastries over multiple visits to his home in Hollywood. Earlier this month, Jacob jetted back to his native Australia and attended an event for Tag Heuer in Adelaide, where he cosied up to ambassador Pip Edwards. He then flew back into Brisbane and was greeted by his mother. The Euphoria star, 25, showed off his eccentric style - stepping out in West Hollywood wearing a $560 Celine beanie and carrying a $6,960 bag by Bottega Veneta handbag With a brown hat pulled low over his features, the Hollywood hunk hid his eyes behind a pair of dark shades before tying a bandana around his lower face. In August, he called it quits with Olivia Jade Giannulli, US Weekly reported. Before that he enjoyed a year-long romance with Cindy Crawford's lookalike model daughter Kaia Gerber. His father John previously told Daily Mail Australia about how Jacob always had the confidence and dream to pursue acting. 'Jacob always had this very strong self-belief but of course as parents you try and be pragmatic and we were very pragmatic,' John said from the family home in Brisbane. His father John previously told Daily Mail Australia about how Jacob always had the confidence and dream to pursue acting 'He always knew what he wanted to be. And as his father there was a time I said to him "Mate, acting is a one-in-a-million kind of situation". 'And he said to me "Well why can't that one be me? Why can't I be that one in a million?" 'That's how confidently he looked at things. So as a parent we just decided to back him to the hilt and trust that he knew what he was doing.' You actress Victoria Pedretti says she was sexually harassed by a 'well known' actor last year. The Philadelphia native, 28, explained the uncomfortable incident in an Instagram post she subsequently deleted. 'On my bday last year a "well known" actor walked up to me at a party and said, "I've jacked off to you so many times," said Pedretti, who plays Love Quinn on the Netflix series, Buzzfeed reported. Pedretti said she 'was shocked by the audacity' of the actor, adding, 'This is AFTER he expressed how much he RESPECTED me as an actor lol.' She posted a nude selfie along with the caption, writing, 'Sometimes I enjoy modesty, sometimes I don't. The latest: You actress Victoria Pedretti, 28, says she was sexually harassed by a 'well known' actor last year. She was pictured earlier this month at an event in LA TV starL The actress plays the role of Love Quinn on the popular Netflix series You 'It's a joke to think that my own modesty will protect me from any disrespected I may experience as a femme body. Also, shout out to my body. I love you. You're mine.' A number of social media user sought to persuade Pedretti to publicly name the person involved in the incident, but she declined - for now. 'Trust me, I told this person if I ever hear anything else in regards to him, like, then we have an issue,' Pedretti said in a subsequent Instagram Stories post. Pedretti said she didn't want to see the actor canceled solely over the unwanted remark. 'I can handle it, I don't need his career ruined because he said something really f***ing dumb,' she said Pedretti, who played Manson disciple Lulu in the 2019 film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The actress said she did not initially intend to speak about the incident in her post. 'That post started with me wanting to post a nude and then thinking about my birthday,' Pedretti said. 'So the main point was the nude. 'Especially when it's like, no matter what you do, people are going to say terrible things and feel entitled to talk about women.' Pedretti said she 'was shocked by the audacity' of the actor, adding, 'This is AFTER he expressed how much he RESPECTED me as an actor lol' A Twitter user reposted the caption of what the You actress said on her Instagram page Pedretti said in a subsequent Instagram Stories post, 'Trust me, I told this person if I ever hear anything else in regards to him, like, then we have an issue' It comes after Netflix announced Friday it has renewed You for a fifth and final season. Penn Badgley, who asked for fewer sex scenes in season four out of respect to his wife, will return as the charming but obsessive Joe Goldberg one last time. 'Goodbye... YOU. Joe Goldberg will return for the fifth and final season of YOU,' the streaming service posted on Instagram, sharing a video of the actor. The same video was shared on Twitter, with the message, 'Brace yourself for Joe Goldberg's final chapter. You will return for a fifth and final season in 2024!' The series finale will be helmed by new showrunners. Sera Gamble, who oversaw the day to day operations for the first four seasons is stepping back. Michael Foley and Justin W. Lo will take over those duties on the series. The fourth season of You sees Badgley's character, Joe Goldberg, receive a taste of his own medicine from a vengeful serial killer as he attempts to keep a low profile under a new identity. After killing ten people over the past three seasons of You, Goldberg is unable to escape his past once he catches the attention of a murderer, who is dubbed the 'Eat the Rich Killer.' Following his move to London, and new life as Professor Jonathan Moore, Joe battles a fresh heartbreak, which he ominously calls the 'catalyst for a new path.' The previous season ended with Joe killing Love, the mother of his child, before jetting off to Europe in search of Marienne. The first part of season four debuted February 9 on Netflix. The second part dropped a month later on March 9. The thriller hit No. 1 on Netflixs internal charts with the second half of its fourth season. Exiting showrunner Sera Gamble shared the same video on her social media Friday, writing, 'It is rare and precious when a TV show gets to tell its complete story as intended. It only happens with genuinely massive support from viewers. Thank you for watching and telling your friends and supporting the show. We love you to death. ' Over! It comes after Netflix announced that they had renewed You for a fifth and final series, set to air in 2024 In an interview on The Hollywood Reporter's TV's Top 5 Podcast, Gamble revealed the producers had an 'exciting idea' for a fifth season that might be a good way to close out the series. 'Even in the early conversations with Penn, the idea was not to crank out episodes forever; its to feel like we have told the complete story. 'And though I feel like tonally, were very different and we are not trying to sell Joe as any kind of a hero with a straight face, she explained. 'This is a show that is in the tradition of these single-lead shows with a guy who does increasingly bad things. 'The beautiful thing about it is that when his arc is complete, so is the show. Cheyenne Wells, Marisa Davila, Tricia Fukuhara and Ari Notartomaso posed playfully together at the premiere of their show Grease: Rise Of The Pink Ladies. In the 1978 film Grease, the Pink Ladies - played by Stockard Channing, Didi Conn, Jamie Donnelly and Dinah Manoff - are a group of high school greasers in 1958. The new show is a prequel to the movie and tracks the formation of the clique in 1954, allowing for a whole new set of characters. Marisa, Tricia, Cheyenne and Ari lead the cast as a quartet of girls who found the Pink Ladies, named after the color of their famous bomber jackets. On the fittingly pink carpet for the premiere of their new show, the four of them glowed as the shutterbugs snapped away at them. Having a ball: Cheyenne Wells, Marisa Davila, Tricia Fukuhara and Ari Notartomaso posed playfully together at the premiere of their show Grease: Rise Of The Pink Ladies Throwback: In the 1978 film Grease, the Pink Ladies - played by Jamie Donnelly, Stockard Channing, Dinah Manoff, Didi Conn - are a group of high school greasers in 1958 Based on a 1972 Broadway musical of the same name, the original 1978 Grease movie catapulted its leads John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John to global fame. Maxwell Caulfield, who starred in Grease 2 opposite Michelle Pfeiffer, attended the premiere of the new show with his wife of over four decades Juliet Mills. He also enjoyed a warm reunion with his Grease 2 castmate Adrian Zmed, who played the head of the Pink Ladies' male counterparts, the T-Birds. Meanwhile Liza Minnelli's little sister Lorna Luft, who played one of the Pink Ladies in Grease 2, whipped out her old on-theme jacket to celebrate the new series. Garrett Clayton clove to the theme in a bubblegum ensemble, Amber Ruffin cut a sprightly figure in a lime green suit over a sunny yellow blouse. Madison Thompson showcased her statuesque frame in a perfectly fitted navy gown that plunged to betray a hint of cleavage. Kept Boy actress Vivian Lamolli wore a statement cape with the words 'SUPER,' 'LATINA,' 'WORTHY,' and 'PODEROSA' ('powerful') stitched into the lining. Meanwhile Niamh Wilson, one of the cast members of the show, flashed a bit of leg while posing up against a throwback car. New arrivals: The new show is a prequel to the movie and tracks the formation of the clique in 1954, allowing for a whole new set of characters Party of four: (from left) Cheyenne, Marisa, Ari and Tricia lead the cast as a quartet of girls who found the Pink Ladies, named after the color of their famous bomber jackets Having a ball: On the fittingly pink carpet for the premiere of their new show, the four of them glowed as the shutterbugs snapped away at them Iconic: Based on a 1972 Broadway musical of the same name, the original 1978 Grease movie catapulted its leads John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John to global fame Dashing: Maxwell Caulfield, who starred in Grease 2 opposite Michelle Pfeiffer (left) , attended the premiere of the new show with his wife of over four decades Juliet Mills (right) Pals: He also enjoyed a warm reunion with his Grease 2 castmate Adrian Zmed, who played the head of the Pink Ladies' male counterparts, the T-Birds Meanwhile: Liza Minnelli's little sister Lorna Luft, who played one of the Pink Ladies in Grease 2, whipped out her old on-theme jacket to celebrate the new series Besuited: Garrett Clayton (left) clove to the theme in a bubblegum ensemble, Amber Ruffin (right) cut a sprightly figure in a lime green suit over a sunny yellow blouse Gorgeous: Madison Thompson showcased her statuesque frame in a perfectly fitted navy gown that plunged to betray a hint of cleavage Message: Kept Boy actress Vivian Lamolli wore a statement cape with the words 'SUPER,' 'LATINA,' 'WORTHY,' and 'PODEROSA' ('powerful') stitched into the lining Flashing the flesh: Meanwhile Niamh Wilson, one of the cast members of the show, flashed a bit of leg while posing up against a throwback car Chad Lindberg of Sons Of Anarchy fame brought back the 1950s in a black leather jacket over a white t-shirt, a look reminiscent of the original Grease. Teala Dunn on the other hand slid into a hot pink mesh dress that hugged her enviably svelte frame to full advantage. The show's cast members Chris McNally, Niamh, Maxwell Whittington, Nicholas McDonough, Cheyenne, Ari, Marisa, Tricia, Jackie Hoffman, Shanel Bailey, Jason Schmidt and Madison gathered together for a dazzling group shot to remember. Created by Annabel Oakes, the new series Grease: Rise Of The Pink Ladies will release its premiere episode on Paramount+ next Thursday, April 6. Making it happen: Chad Lindberg of Sons Of Anarchy fame brought back the 1950s in a black leather jacket over a white t-shirt, a look reminiscent of the original Grease Pretty in pink: Teala Dunn on the other hand slid into a hot pink mesh dress that hugged her enviably svelte frame to full advantage Wow: The show's cast members Chris McNally, Niamh, Maxwell Whittington, Nicholas McDonough, Cheyenne, Ari, Marisa, Tricia, Jackie Hoffman, Shanel Bailey, Jason Schmidt and Madison gathered together for a dazzling group shot to remember Georgia Fowler and husband Nathan Dallah were the epitome of chic when they stepped out in New York City on Wednesday. The New Zealand model, 30, and her debonair husband were in the Big Apple to attend the Sulwhasoo launch at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the city's Upper East Side. Georgia looked sensational in an all-black ensemble, which featured a dress and longline jacket. She accessoried her outfit with black pumps and wore a pair of statement earrings for the occasion. The brunette beauty wore her famous locks slicked back and kept her makeup look clean, highlighting her stunning features. Georgia Fowler and husband Nathan Dallah were the epitome of chic when they stepped out in New York City on Wednesday. Both pictured At one point, Georgia's jacket opened slightly which revealed her tanned midriff. Elsewhere, Nathan looked dashing in black trousers, a long jacket and white trainers. Georgia and Nathan tied the knot in the Southern Highlands in January. The newlyweds, who share one-year-old daughter Dylan, announced their engagement on July 30 last year. At the time, Georgia revealed on Instagram Nathan proposed during a photo shoot for Tiffany & Co. Georgia looked sensational in an all-black ensemble, which featured a dress and longline jacket. Elsewhere, Nathan looked dashing in black trousers, a long jacket and white trainers. The model was shooting a campaign called 'Tiffany Love' when Nathan dropped down to one knee on set. In the video, Nathan was seen getting down on one knee in front of Georgia. 'I would say that I had this really crazy idea,' he said in the clip. Georgia replied, 'Yes, I will,' before the crew cheered for the happy couple. Georgia and Nathan Dalah tied the knot in the Southern Highlands in January Pierce Brosnan enjoyed a shopping trip with his wife Keely Shaye Smith in Malibu on Wednesday afternoon. The actor, 69, cut a casual figure in a navy zip-up jacket as he joined his wife, 59, to browse in cosmetics store Sephora. He added a pair of smart black jeans to the dressed-down look, also donning blue trainers. Meanwhile, Keely sported a stylish grey jumper, a floating midi skirt and wooly black jacket for their day out. She complemented her ensemble with some comfortable dark pumps and kept her essentials in a silver handbag. Day out: Pierce Brosnan cut a casual figure in a navy zip-up jacket and jeans as he shopped with wife Keely Shaye Smith in Malibu on Wednesday afternoon Stylish: His wife Keely, 59, sported a stylish grey jumper, midi skirt and wooly black jacket for their day out She shielded her eyes with a pair of cat-eye sunglasses and styled her brunette locks loosely in a straight fashion. The couple, who tied the knot back in 2001, were in good spirits as they spent quality time together in the sun-soaked weather. Their outing comes after the pair returned from Northern Ireland, where Pierce has finished shooting his movie The Four Letters of Love. Sharing a snap with his long-time love to Instagram, the star confirmed to his 1.8 million followers: 'And that's a wrap! Mullaghderg Beach along the wild Atlantic way. 'The luck of the Irish was with us as the sun shone upon us during the filming of The Four Letters of Love.' The film is based on the best-selling novel by Niall Williams and was shot in the town of Ballycastle. Starring Helena Bonham Carter and Gabriel Byrne along with Normal People star Fionn O'Shea, Pierce looked almost unrecognisable as he sported a long grey mane for his character. During filming, the Irish-born actor drew in crowds of locals and posted pictures of himself enjoying his time in the Emerald Isle including one of him standing next to a phone box which he comically captioned: 'PB phone home.' Despite hopping back forth between a gorgeous oceanfront estate in Kauai, Hawaii, and a mansion in Malibu, California, Pierce is no stranger to heading back to Ireland. He exchanged vows with his journalist wife Keely in his native country in August 2001. Casual cool: Piers added a pair of black jeans to the dressed-down look, also donning blue trainers Say cheese: Pierce recently celebrated wrapping his latest movie Four Letters Of Love in Northern Ireland with a sweet selfie with his wife Kelly The couple met at a party in 1994 after the death of Pierce's first wife, Cassandra Harris, in 1991 and hit it off before eventually deciding to tie the knot seven years later. They share two sons, Dylan and Paris, who are the youngest of Pierce's five children. The Mamma Mia! hunk also has a son Sean, 38, and an adopted son Chris, 49, as well as his late adopted daughter Charlotte with Cassandra. Pierce adopted Cassandra's children, Chris and Charlotte, after their father, Dermot Harris, died in 1986. Fans of ITV's medical drama Maternal shared their upset on Thursday after it was reported that the series had been axed. The show, which focused on a trio of female doctors returning to the ward after maternity leave, failed to gained high enough ratings, leading to it being canned by bosses. Following the reports on Wednesday night, fans took to Twitter to express their disappointment, branding it an 'excellent' show. One fan also noted that it had been scheduled opposite Silent Witness on the rival channel BBC One, meaning it 'didn't stand a chance.' 'Sorry but what the actual f**k,' one user said in response to a tweet reporting the axe overnight. Over! Fans of ITV's medical drama Maternal shared their upset on Thursday after it was reported that the series had been axed Another added: 'Putting #maternal on against BBC's go-to usual for past many years, January February of SIlent Witness drama gave it little chance!' A third posted: 'This is extremely disappointing @ITV. #Maternal was a brilliant programme with brilliant actors and storylines that felt relevant and real.' One fan also shared: 'Amazed to read that there will be no second series of #Maternal. Personally thought it was excellent.' On Wednesday it was reported by The Sun that ITV had cancelled Maternal after just one series, with a source telling the publication: 'Its been a very difficult decision because the show was much liked at the channel and the viewers who watched it really loved it too. 'Unfortunately, the audience didn't come to the drama in the numbers that we'd hoped for.' Maternal starred Parminder Nagra, Lara Pulver and Lisa McGrillis as three female doctors returning to the ward after maternity leave. The heartfelt show followed the women as they juggled raising their children alongside a demanding job. The show was well-received by critics, who praised the acting, dialogue and topicality of the drama. Sad news: The broadcaster has cancelled the medical drama after it reportedly failed to get high enough ratings Sad news! Following the reports on Wednesday night, fans took to Twitter to express their disappointment, branding it an 'excellent' show Plot: Maternal starred Parminder Nagra, Lara Pulver and Lisa McGrillis as three female doctors returning to the ward after maternity leave Lucy Mangan of The Guardian awarded the first episode four stars out of five, praising the depth of the three lead characters, and remarked that it had 'grit in the storytelling oyster that produces something rather wonderful'. While The Telegraph's Anita Singh also gave it four stars out of five, proclaiming it as superior to fellow recent medical drama, This Is Going To Hurt. However, viewers at home did not feel the same, and did not continue to watch the drama. The series ran from January to February of this year, and began with an audience of 2.4million, which fell to 1.9million by the final episode on February 20. Speaking about working on the series in January, Parminder explained that her experience on US series E.R. had helped her prepare for the role. She said: 'I did feel like medicine was a little bit still in there, even down to technically how to camouflage things for the camera. 'Like when you're intubating a patient (inserting a tube through a person's mouth or nose and into the windpipe), you hold your hand in a certain way to mask the fact you're not really doing it. 'The funniest part was that some of the terminology that I got used to saying on ER, I was told, "That's not how you say it here." It's pronounced differently in Britain.' Parminder also revealed that she landed the part of paediatrician Dr Maryam Afridi through her real life best pal Lara. Preparation: Speaking about working on the series in January, Parminder (pictured) explained that her experience on US series E.R. had helped her prepare for the role She explained: 'Lara Pulver and I are best mates and neighbours in LA. 'During the pandemic we've been doing a lot of our audition tapes together. So when she taped her audition to play Catherine in Maternal, I read the opposite parts. 'The following day, I got an email asking me to audition as Maryam. So we took our whole kit and caboodle to Liverpool for filming like a little family. 'To get a chance to work alongside Lara, who I love and respect, is just fantastic.' Chinese FM meets PNG counterpart Xinhua) 15:57, March 30, 2023 BOAO, Hainan, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang met with Papua New Guinea (PNG) Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Justin Tkatchenko on Thursday in Boao, Hainan Province, and pledged to boost bilateral ties. Calling PNG China's good friend and partner, Qin said China is willing to work with PNG to earnestly implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, adhere to mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, and tap the potential of cooperation. Qin said China appreciates PNG's firm adherence to the one-China principle, and is willing to enhance synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Connect PNG infrastructure development strategy. China welcomes PNG's accession to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and will continue to provide economic and technical assistance to PNG without attaching political conditions, Qin said, adding that the country is willing to strengthen communication and cooperation with PNG under multilateral frameworks. China is an important partner of PNG, Tkatchenko said, adding that PNG adheres to the one-China principle and is firmly committed to deepening its relations with China. PNG is willing to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation with China in areas such as economy, trade, education, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges, Tkatchenko added. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Kate Langbroek made the bombshell admission on Thursday she earned 40 per cent less than her radio co-host Dave Hughes - despite doing the same work he did. The TV presenter, 57, was discussing the gender pay gap on Channel 10's The Project and admitted she was shocked to discover Hughes was being paid a higher salary. 'It turned out he was getting paid 40 per cent more than I was. This was the Hughesy and Kate Show that we had made together and didn't exist without us,' she said. 'Showbusiness is not a standard situation but we did a radio show together for 18 years. It changed our relationship when we talked about money and I then left.' Kate co-hosted the popular Hughesy and Kate drive show alongside Dave, 52, from 2001 until January 2019, when she resigned to spend more time with her family. Kate Langbroek made the bombshell admission on Thursday she earned forty per cent less than her radio co-host Dave Hughes (pictured together) - despite doing the same work he did The TV presenter, 57, was discussing the gender pay gap on Channel 10's The Project and admitted she was shocked to discover Hughes was being paid a higher salary She added the gender pay gap was a form of financial discrimination that women continued to face in Australia. 'Because we're lovers and breeders and take time out we are punished for that in our working lives.' In January 2021, Kate said her divorce with Dave was a long time coming, ahead of her move to Italy. 'It was a big thing, but he knew it was coming for a long time because I had pre-empted [a move to Italy],' she told co-hosts Monty Diamond and Yumi Stynes on The 3pm Pick-Up. She said Dave questioned her move to Bologna and how she would spend her days in the city. 'It turned out he was getting paid 40 per cent more than I was. This was the Hughesy and Kate Show that we had made together and didn't exist without us,' she told her co-hosts 'He kept saying to me: ''What are you going to do all day'',' Kate said. 'I'm like, my dream, my dream is nothingness.' Kate went on to praise Dave, and their working relationship. 'Apart from my husband he was the most significant man in my life. And it has been like a marriage, and now like a divorce,' she said Kate and her husband Peter Lewis, relocated to Italy with their four children, Lewis, Sunday, Artie and Jan, in January 2019. The couple moved back to Melbourne in 2021. Julie Bishop wrapped her arms around her rumoured hunky new boyfriend Luke Hepworth as she stunned in a black gown at the Capella Sydney Official Opening Night on Thursday. The former foreign minister, 66, appeared very cosy as she cuddled up to the handsome 'adventure philanthropist' who also is the Managing Director of a multinational PPE business. It's the politician's second red carpet appearance with the handsome entrepreneur, although he has denied the pair are dating. She went through a painful split with her partner of eight years, David Panton, last year. Julie first stepped out with the hunk at a Moet & Chandon ball in Sydney. Julie Bishop wrapped her arms around her rumoured hunky new boyfriend Luke Hepworth as she stunned in a black gown at the Capella Sydney Official Opening Night on Thursday It's the politician's second red carpet appearance with the handsome entrepreneur, although he has denied the pair are dating. Ms Bishop went through a painful split with her partner of eight years, David Panton, last year The former foreign minister, 66, appeared very cosy as she cuddled up to the handsome 'adventure philanthropist' who also is the Managing Director of a multinational PPE business Ms Bishop opted for a floor length black gown with a thigh high split and off-the-shoulder design by Alexander McQueen. The look was styled by David Jones. On Thursday, she opted for a floor length black gown with a thigh high split and off-the-shoulder design by Alexander McQueen. Ms Bishop paired the divine dress with a trendy satin clutch and towering stiletto. The look was styled by David Jones. Adding a touch of glamour, she complemented her nails and toes both with red polish and opted for a full face of make-up. Ensuring all eyes were on her, she added a diamond necklace to her show-stopping ensemble. Luke is a keen adventurer and sportsman, while Julie is also a fitness enthusiast, so the pairing is a match made in heaven. Pip Edwards opted for a semi-sheer black gown from Australian fashion house Pallas Couture The P.E Nation designer attended the glittering soiree with her longtime friend Milly Gattegno, who is a Senior Talent Manager at IMG Labor MP Alex Greenwich (left) was joined by his husband Victor Hoeld after he took the high road following a homophobic attack from Mark Latham on Twitter Julie and Luke have attended several high-profile soirees, including Perth Telethon, but Luke has denied the pair are an item - insisting they're just friends. Julie was among many glamorous starlets hitting the red carpet. P.E Nation designer by Pip Edwards also attended the glittering soiree with her longtime friend Milly Gattegno, who is a Senior Talent Manager at IMG. Pip opted for a semi-sheer black gown from Australian fashion house Pallas Couture. The stunning number showed off Pip's perfectly shaped body with statement cutouts. Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore looked sleek in a black blazer dress Sunrise host David Koch and wife Libby looked chic in all black Sunrise star Edwina Bartholomew looked divine in a burnt orange gown with a Grecian goddess silhouette Showing off her post-summer tan, Pip opted for a full face of make-up with heavy black eyeliner and mascara. She teamed it with lashings of bronzer and highlighter while slicking her hair back into a neat bob. Meanwhile, Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore looked sleek in a black blazer dress while Sunrise host David Koch and wife Libby also looked chic in all black. Kochie opted for a classic suit and tie while his wife Libby wore a sleek shift number with sandals. Nadia Fairfax looked chic in a floor length black gown with a sleek Chanel bag wrapped around her waist like a belt Philanthropist Skye Leckie cemented her style credentials in a burgundy dress. She added a Merlot-coloured clutch bag and looked delighted to pose up a storm Elsewhere, Nadia Fairfax looked chic in a floor length black gown with a sleek Chanel bag wrapped around her waist like a belt. Philanthropist Skye Leckie cemented her style credentials in a burgundy dress. She added a Merlot-coloured clutch bag and looked delighted to pose up a storm. Evan Kwee, Vice President and Head of Design and Hospitality Vice Chairman and Director of Capella Hotel Group, Kwee Liong Tek, Chairman of Pontiac Land Group and Melissa Kwee, Director at Pontiac Land Group looked gorgeous Amber and John Symond matched in monochrome ensembles Naga Munchetty sent fans into a frenzy over her 'see-through' blouse on Thursday morning's BBC Breakfast show. The newsreader, 48, was presenting alongside Charlie Stayt and looked typically put-together despite the early 6am start. She donned a sheer long-sleeve blouse over a black vest top for the stylish look, which she accompanied with cropped patterned trousers. The star also opted for typically flawless make-up for the cameras, including a dark-red lip. The high-neck top was met with much admiration from viewers, who rushed to express their compliments on Twitter. Stunning: Naga Munchetty sent fans into a frenzy over her beautiful 'see-through' blouse on BBC Breakfast on Thursday morning Professional: The newsreader, 48, was presenting the 6am show alongside Charlie Stayt One user said: 'Loving your blouse today! You look fab.' Meanwhile others wanted to know where they could also get their hands on the stunning top. One person said: 'Good morning. My girlfriend loves the top you're wearing and would be appreciative if you'd let me know where you purchased it. Thanks.' Another asked: 'Where did you get your blouse from today please, it's beautiful.' It comes after Naga was slammed by BBC Breakfast watchers for being 'rude and arrogant' towards Charlie Stayt, which they claimed makes for 'awkward viewing'. The newsreader, 47, is often criticised by fans for her frosty on-air exchanges with her co-stars, including beloved weather presenter Carol Kirkwood, 60. And over the past week, Twitter users have highlighted Naga's 'spikey relationship' with Charlie, 60, while calling for her to be sacked. One wrote: 'Naga why are you so rude and arrogant towards Charlie, you would not tolerate it if he did that. He really does his best not to let you get to him, you often are rude to Carol too. #bully #BBCBreakfast.' Gorgeous: Naga wore the sheer blouse over a black vest top, and completed the ensemble with cropped trousers Compliments: Fans rushed to Twitter to compliment Naga and ask where they could get their own blouse from Another added: 'I see Naga & Charlie are in their spikey relationship space this morning. Its like as a kid & you walk into the room knowing your parents have fallen out awkward viewing. #BBCBreakfast.' A third and fourth penned, 'Charlie and Naga are too much! Theyre like brother and sister #BBCBreakfast,' and, '@BBCBreakfast think Naga was that close to swatting Charlie during the Papers slot.' Another fan chimed in with, 'Why are us viewers having to put up with Naga munchetta bad behaviour towards Charlie State .Sack her.' One more concluded, '@BBCBreakfast Why is Naga so rude to Charlie this morning.? Not just this morning really is it.' Charlie recently cut off Naga and slammed her expertise. The hosts were caught bickering live on air again as the duo disagreed over how a 6ft 4in jockey, Jack Andrews, would compare to his shorter competitors at Cheltenham. When reading from Jack's testimony, he said: 'He says, "If you're short, you're sometimes perched on top of the back of the horse, and they can get the better of you". 'Whereas If you're a big lad, you can manhandle a horse.' Uh-oh: BBC Breakfast viewers slammed Naga Munchetty for being 'rude and arrogant' towards Charlie Stayt, claiming it makes for 'awkward viewing' He then told Naga: 'So the much smaller jockey would sit on top of the horse whereas he can wrap his legs further around the horse.' Naga then glared back at Charlie, confused, before commenting, 'I'm not sure it would be completely comfortable wrapping your legs around the girth of a horse whilst it's galloping at who knows how many miles per hour.' She added: 'When you're galloping, you're supposed to be on top of the horse. You can't just sit and bump on the horse.' And while Naga was speaking, Charlie then cut her off and made a dig at her expertise. He said: 'I think what I'll do is I'll take the testimony of Jack Andrews, the jockey, over your expertise in the area.' He added another jibe by saying: 'That's all I'm saying. I think he probably knows what he's talking about.' Ekin-Su Culculoglu left her Irish fans in hysterics as she mispronounced the name of the city Limerick ahead of a visit there on Saturday. The Love Island winner, 28, told how she will be in Ireland this week to do a series of meet and greets with fans for the cosmetics company BPerfect. But it appears Ekin-Su wasn't entirely familiar with where she is going as she butchered the pronounciation of Limerick, a city in Ireland's Mid-West. Sharing a video on social media, she said: 'Hi guys I'm extremely excited to meet you all for the meet and greet with BPerfect in Ireland this weekend. 'So, Thursday I'm in Belfast, Friday I'm in Wexford and Saturday I am at Lime-rick'. I cannot wait to meet you all, I'm super-excited, I love Ireland and I love you all so I'll see you there soon.' Oops: Ekin-Su Culculoglu left her Irish fans in hysterics as she mispronounced the name of the city Limerick ahead of a visit there on Saturday Limerick is actually pronounced lim-rick. Ekin-Su later shared another video where she acknowledged her mispronounciation, but still didn't manage to get it quite right the second time around. She said: 'Here's an interesting fact. Apparently Lime-rick is called Lim-er-ick in Irish. I apologise, I said Lime-rick, but it's called Lim-er-ick!' Several fans couldn't resist poking fun at the star for the video, with one writing: 'Girls I need you to hear how Ekin-Su pronounces Limerick'. Another said: 'I tried variations of what I thought it might be, but my mind was still blown.' A third wrote: 'Ah FFS', while a radio station in Limerick joked: 'Great to know Ekin-Su is coming to LIME-Rick soon. We're looking forward to teaching you how to say it when you get here.' Ekin-Su recently revealed she is quitting the UK for a huge acting role in the US as she updated fans on her career moves via her Instagram page on Wednesday. The reality star told followers she is taking her brand 'global this summer' as she prepares to follow her 'acting dream'. It comes as MailOnline exclusively revealed earlier this week that the reality star had been dropped from Beauty Works, her second brand deal in two months. Mishap: But it appears Ekin-Su wasn't entirely familiar with where she is going as she butchered the pronounciation of Limerick, a city in Ireland's mid-west Reaction: Several fans couldn't resist poking fun at the star for the video, with one writing: 'Girls I need you to hear how Ekin-Su pronounces Limerick' Ekin-Su's collaboration with the beauty brand came to a sudden end after she previously parted ways with clothing brand Oh Polly. The Turkish beauty opened up in a candid Instagram Story filmed from her kitchen in London and admitted she is 'really excited' about her upcoming projects abroad. She said: 'It's been a while since I've been on here. I know you guys have got a few questions about what's going on and what's lined up in the pipeline and you know I love you all so I just wanted to talk to you guy on here. 'So firstly, I've had loads of people asking me what I've got lined up so here it goes. I have a really exciting announcement to make. 'Really exciting announcement': Ekin-Su evealed she is quitting the UK for a huge acting role in the US as she updated fans on her career moves on Wednesday 'Within the next few weeks, I'll be going abroad. It's a really exciting project and I will be working with an amazing charity that I'm so passionate about. 'And secondly guys, I mean I can't even say because I'm super excited but I will be taking it global this summer and I'm going to America to pursue my acting dream and my acting jobs out there. 'I have got some meeting set up already and I'm going to keep you posted, alright.' Priyanka Chopra has revealed she decided to freeze her eggs in her early 30s because she 'hadn't settled down with the right person.' The actress, 40, has been married to Nick Jonas, 30, since 2018, and they welcomed their daughter Malti Marie, via surrogate in January 2022. Now, Priyanka has revealed she decided to freeze her eggs in her 30s as she wanted to allay her anxiety about her fertility, should she decide to have a child later in life. Speaking on Dax Shepherd's Armchair Expert podcast, she said: 'I did it in my early 30s. I could continue on an ambitious warpath that I wanted to achieve. I wanted to get to a certain place in my career. 'I also hadn't met the person I wanted to have children with or I didn't see that. That's anxiety-inducing. Freedom:Priyanka Chopra has revealed she decided to freeze her eggs in her early 30s because she 'hadn't settled down with the right person' Love: The actress has been married to Nick Jonas since 2018, and they welcomed their daughter Malti Marie, via surrogate in January 2022 She continued: '[I was] 35, and my mum's an OB-GYN who's like, '36 - Just do it.' While she admitted that the procedure is very expensive, she recommended that others do it- and save up for it. She said: 'I tell everyone to [freeze their eggs]. My mum had said [to do it as many times as you need] to me, and I did do it for myself as well... 'I tell all my younger friends the biological clock is real. 'It gets so much harder to get pregnant after 35 and to carry to term and all of that, especially with women that have been working all their lives. The star added that preserving fertility is a great gift to yourself, saying: 'Science is at such an amazing place right now. 'It's the best gift you'll give yourself because you're taking the power from your biological clock, and you can work until however long you want. 'Your eggs will still be the same age as when you froze them.' Meaningful: It comes after Priyanka recently revealed that she and husband Nick have matching tattoos Mama bear: 'I've developed a tough hide when people talk about me,' she added. 'But it's so painful when they talk about my daughter. I'm like, "Keep her out of it" She also candidly shared that she was unsure about dating Nick at first because he was ten years younger than her. Priyanka added that she did not know if the age gap would affect her dream of having a family. The mother-of-one said: 'I always knew I wanted kids, which was one of the big reasons I didn't want to date Nick [Jonas] at that time 'cause I was like, 'I don't know if he wants kids at 25,' at that time. But I've always wanted kids. I love kids.' Priyanka recently revealed that she and husband Nick have matching tattoos. Speaking to British Vogue, the actress shared the sweet meaning behind their ink. 'I have a check and a box behind my ears,' Priyanka began. My husband has them on his arms because when he proposed, he asked me, that I checked all his boxes, and would I check another one?' Priyanka did not show off her hidden tats, but she did take a moment to gush over her 'super thoughtful' husband. 'When he's around, everything feels like it'll be okay. He has taught me to approach things from a much calmer place,' she told the outlet. Priyanka and Nick became romantically involved in May 2018 and wed just two months later. In January 2022, the age-gap couple welcomed their first child, daughter Malti Marie, via surrogate. As exclusively reported by DailyMail.com at the time, the surrogate gave birth twelve weeks early. Born at just 27 weeks, baby Malti had to stay in the NICU at a hospital in Southern California for her first 100 days. In the same British Vogue interview, Priyanka addressed the criticism she and her husband have faced for choosing surrogacy. 'Just because I don't want to make my medical history public doesn't give you the right to make up whatever the reasons were,' the mother-of-one said. The performer went on to reflect on being accused by some of 'outsourcing' her pregnancy, so she could focus on her career. 'I had medical complications so this was a necessary step, and I'm so grateful I was in a position where I could do this,' she explained. 'I've developed a tough hide when people talk about me,' she added. 'But it's so painful when they talk about my daughter. I'm like, "Keep her out of it." 'Nick and I were both standing there as they intubated her. I don't know how they even found what they needed [in her tiny body] to intubate her.' For the next three months, the new parents travelled daily to the neonatal intensive care unit to be with their daughter, a tough chapter which happened to fall during the first omicron wave in the US. 'We spent every single day with her on my chest, on my husband's chest,' Priyanka recalled. 'I didn't know if she would make it or not.' Georgia Harrison showcased her jaw-dropping figure in a sizzling lingerie clip she shared to Instagram on Thursday. The former TOWIE star, 28, looked sensational as she slipped into a black two-piece as she showed fans a jumpsuit from the Naked Apparel range. The Essex beauty slipped into a navy jumpsuit in the clip which she paired with a dark grey coat. Styling her dark blonde locks into loose waves, Georgia also sported a pair of white trainers and matching socks. The former Love Island star accentuated her natural beauty with a light palette of makeup in the clip. Stunning: Georgia Harrison showcased her jaw-dropping figure in a sizzling lingerie clip she shared to Instagram on Thursday Outfit: The Essex beauty slipped into a navy jumpsuit in the clip which she paired with a dark grey coat Georgia has recently been sharing a series of shocking clips of her ex Stephen Bear mocking her distressed reaction when he released videos of them having sex. Bear, 33, is now serving a 21-month jail sentence for voyeurism and two counts of 'revenge porn' after uploading footage of the pair having sex to his subscription-based OnlyFans profile without her consent. Georgia posted a video of Bear calling her a 'liar' after she first accused him of revenge porn on her Twitter account. The star claimed that in one clip where Bear says he 'doesn't like liars' he is referring to her, in a video which he shared from a beach in Dubai. She wrote alongside the clip: 'I am the "liar" he was referring to and mocking... this was really hard to watch especially considering it was when I was extremely distressed by what had happened.' In another video reshared by Georgia, Bear mock cries and appears to mimic tearful videos the Ex On The Beach star had shared on social media at the time. Georgia said: 'Another delightful reaction to my distress over the video surfacing online. Image based sexual abuse (also known as revenge porn) is not funny and to anyone who thinks it's not a big deal. It bloody well is.' Another video which she titled 'inside the head of a complete narcissist', Bear spoke about how he was planning to pretend to commit suicide to garner sympathy. Cruel: Georgia Harrison has been sharing a series of shocking clips of Stephen Bear mocking her distressed reaction when he released videos of them having sex Distressing: In another video reshared by Georgia, Bear mock cries and appears to mimic tearful videos the Ex On The Beach star had shared on social media at the time Hitting back: The reality personality, 28, posted a video of Bear calling her a 'liar' after she accused him of revenge porn on her Twitter account on Tuesday morning Georgia replied to a fan who recalled that he made merchandise profiting off the sale of items with 'inspirational quotes' on them. She said: 'Yes saying "I survived" and suggested the proceeds would be donated to help prevent male suicide... although from what I have read nothing was ever donated and as a result #annonymous hacked and removed his Instagram.' Georgia was referring to an anonymous hacker who logged into Stephen Bear's old account and tweeted to say he will not profit from mental illness. The tweet read: 'I will learn. I will understand. I will not profit from mental illness. We are watching. We are one #weareannonymous.' Georgia went public during Bear's trial in order to offer support to other victims of revenge porn, adding that her right to anonymity 'realistically disappeared' after he shared the footage online. She's often seen on red carpets and at A-list parties. But Shanina Shaik opted for a lowkey look as she picked up groceries in LA on Wednesday. The Australian model, 32, was every inch the catwalk star as she strutted through a farmer's market in a smart casual get-up before crouching down to meet dogs. Shanina Shaik opted for a lowkey look as she picked up groceries in LA on Wednesday The Australian model, 32, was every inch the catwalk star as she strutted through a farmer's market in a smart casual get-up before crouching down to meet dogs Looking effortlessly chic from head to toe, the model paired Nike Air Jordans with slouchy pants and a crop top. Pulling the outfit together, the new mum added a green-grey blazer and cemented her fashion references with a hat reading 'Vogue' in a nod to the style bible. She popped on a pair of gold hoop earrings and a golden chain while opting for a natural make-up look. The model follows a healthy lifestyle and picked up many groceries on her trip, including sweet potatoes and berries. Looking effortlessly chic from head to toe, the model paired Nike Air Jordans with slouchy pants and a crop top Pulling the outfit together, the new mum added a green-grey blazer and cemented her fashion references with a hat reading 'Vogue' in a nod to the style bible Shanina welcomed son Zai with boyfriend Matthew Adesuyan six months ago. Shanina has been flooding her Instagram account with sweet snaps of her bundle of joy ever since giving birth to him last year. Earlier this month, she marked his six month birthday with a slew of precious baby photos. 'I can't believe my little boy is 6 months today! I'm so emotional, knowing my little man is half way to 1 years old can you imagine what I'm going to be like, when that day arrives) I've been reminded that "it goes by so quick! So cherish every moment". It does go by quick - I'll cherish all these baby moments,' she captioned the post. Shanina announced Zai's arrival back in September, introducing followers to her son with a cute shot of the infant and a heart-warming message. She popped on a pair of gold hoop earrings and a golden chain while opting for a natural make-up look Shanina (pictured) welcomed son Zai with boyfriend Matthew Adesuyan six months a The model follows a healthy lifestyle and picked up many groceries on her trip, including sweet potatoes and berries 'Welcome to the world baby Zai Adesuyan Matthew @bausmatthew and I, are so in love!!! I have taken this time to adjust to my baby's schedule and to understand the role of being a mother. Bringing life into this world is a beautiful challenge. I would be happy to share my experience soon ' she gushed. Shanina announced she was expecting her first child with her advertising agent partner on Mother's Day. In a heartfelt Instagram post, she wrote: 'To the new love of my life. Thank you for choosing me to be your Mum. Shanina announced Zai's arrival back in September, introducing followers to her son with a cute shot of the infant and a heart-warming message Shanina has been going strong with Zai's father, Matthew, for the last two years 'I have always wanted you for as long as I can remember, and at times my patience was tested.' She continued: 'The timing had to be right, and I can say with confidence that I am ready to be your guide, your protector and your best friend.' Shanina has been going strong with Zai's father, Matthew, for the last two years. The couple went public with their relationship on Valentine's Day 2021 and looked as smitten as ever at the glitzy Oscars party, hosted by Jay-Z. Shanina was previously married to DJ Ruckus, whose real name is Gregory Andrews, from 2018 to 2019. Shanania looked effortlessly cool for her solo trip to the market Girl in Vogue! The model looked effortlessly chic as she picked up groceries Katy Perry and her fiance Orlando Bloom put on a loved-up display as they went for dinner at 4 Charles Prime Rib in New York City on Wednesday. The A-list couple held hands as they departed the trendy venue in the city's West Village neighbourhood. Katy wrapped up warm for the evening in a dark green coat with a lavender tassel collar and matching sleeves. The Firework hitmaker also sported a white crew neck top and a black skirt which she paired with matching boots. Adding to her look with a pair of red sunlasses, Katy wore her raven locks in a poker straight style for the evening. Date night: Katy Perry and her fiance Orlando Bloom put on a loved-up display as they went for dinner at 4 Charles Prime Rib in New York City on Wednesday Cosy: The A-list couple held hands as they departed the trendy venue in the city's West Village neighbourhood Style: Katy wrapped up warm for the evening in a dark green coat with a lavender tassel collar and matching sleeves Orlando kept it casual for the couple's dinner date, sporting a black jumper with a pair of dark jeans and a blue cap. Katy and Orlando have been together since 2016 and are parents to two-year-old daughter Daisy. Orlando is also dad to Flynn, 12, with ex wife Miranda Kerr. The couple first met seven years ago at the Netflix Golden Globes/ Weinstein Company after party, sparking rumors of a romantic connection. Soon after they were seen on several occasions spending time together, with images of the duo in Hawaii in February 2016 showing them kissing, confirming their burgeoning relationship. Katy and Orlando split in March 2017 with their reps confirming the news and their desire to take 'respectful, loving space at this time.' However five months later, the duo are seen getting cozy at a concert and they are back on romantically by February 2018. Orlando proposed to Katy on Valentine's Day 2019 with a pink stone diamond surrounded engagement ring. Outfit: The Firework hitmaker also sported a white crew neck top and a black skirt which she paired with matching boots Looking good: Adding to her look with a pair of red sunlasses, Katy wore her raven locks in a poker straight style for the evening Laid back: Orlando kept it casual for the couple's dinner date, sporting a black jumper with a pair of dark jeans and a blue cap History: The couple first met seven years ago at the Netflix Golden Globes/ Weinstein Company after party, sparking rumors of a romantic connection Lovebirds: Soon after they were seen on several occasions spending time together, with images of the duo in Hawaii in February 2016 showing them kissing, confirming their burgeoning relationship Popping the question: Orlando proposed to Katy on Valentine's Day 2019 with a pink stone diamond surrounded engagement ring In March 2020 it was revealed that Katy and Orlando were expecting a baby together, with the pop star revealing the news by showcasing her baby bump in the Never Worn White music video. They welcomed daughter Daisy in August 2020. Although they have been engaged for three years, it is not known if or when the couple plan on getting married. Coronation Street's Charlotte Jordon has revealed that filming the recent acid attack scenes was a real 'balance of emotions'. An episode this week saw Charlotte's character Daisy's Midgeley's wedding day thrown into chaos when her stalker Justin turned up to the Rovers after she got him arrested for assaulting her. Justin advanced on Daisy holding a glass full of clear liquid, telling Daisy that no one will want her after this, but as he threw the acid, Ryan quickly stepped in between them taking the full force. And speaking on Thursday's Loose Women, the actress, 27, detailed the responsibility of the storyline, while also expressing her dismay that this happens so often in real life. She told the panel: 'On one hand you think lucky me to be given a dramatic storyline, like you say after a lot of lighter, comedic stories under her belt. Chat: Coronation Street's Charlotte Jordon has revealed that filming the recent acid attack scenes was a real 'balance of emotions' Shocking: An episode this week saw Charlotte's character Daisy's Midgeley's wedding day thrown into chaos when her stalker Justin turned up to the Rovers and threw acid on Ryan 'But at the same time, you just think, as if this happens so regularly. It's so awful that we even have to do it,' so it was sort of finding that balance between, on one hand you want to be excited, you really want to do a good job. 'But then also, the fact that this happens so regularly and wanting to get it right. it's sort of a real balance of emotions really.' Charlotte also addressed the fact that Daisy had reported her stalker Justin to the police many times, but her complaint hadn't been taken seriously. She shared: 'I think, thats what was important for the writers and the storyline, is that all these things that have happened to Daisy are very much based on real life events that have happened to survivors of this situation. 'Shes been constantly let down by the police, and their inability to get involved has resulted in Justin being able to do this really horrific, evil, violent crime.' It comes as Coronation Street has been hit by 72 Ofcom complaints after its 'chilling' acid attack storyline. Speaking out after the episode aired, plenty of viewers felt the scenes were 'too dark' and difficult to watch. One viewer tweeted: 'Can't believe Coronation Street would air something like that! Shocking!' Candid: The actress, 27, detailed the responsibility of the storyline, while also expressing her dismay that this happens so often in real life Thoughts: 'You just think, as if this happens so regularly. It's so awful that we even have to do it,' so it was sort of finding that balance between' Balance: 'But then also, the fact that this happens so regularly and wanting to get it right. it's sort of a real balance of emotions really' 'Just watched the acid attack on #Corrie. Very chilling. To be honest, I don't know why soaps have to go that dark', a second added. Another said: 'Difficult to watch that.' And a fourth said: 'This is too much.' Now, the aftermath of the horrific attack will be the focus of upcoming scenes on the ITV programme, with Ryan coming to terms with his life-long injuries. Those injuries have been shown in behind-the-scenes snaps from the show, showing Ryan Prescott, who plays Ryan, in special effects make-up. The actor can be seen to be wearing prosthetics to resemble deep scarring across the side of his face and neck. Ryan also posed for a photo with one of the skilled make-up artists who had helped achieve the realistic look. Scary: The broadcasting watchdog confirmed that the complaints were in relation to horror scenes that aired on Monday 'Difficult': Speaking out after the episode aired, plenty of viewers felt the scenes were 'too dark' and difficult to watch Speaking on This Morning on Tuesday, Ryan said Coronation Street would be focussing on Ryan's recovery long into the future. He said: 'That's one thing we wanted to include was to have some longevity within the parameters of soap, which obviously moves very quickly. We wanted to have some kind of longevity in the aftermath. 'Acid attack survivors go through hundreds of operations, multiple skin grafts and quite often a lifetime of post-traumatic stress disorder. 'We want to show the different stages of his recovery.' Speaking ahead of the episodes' broadcast, Ryan admitted that viewers will see the aftermath of Ryan's attack in upcoming episodes, after Daisy sprung into action to try and prevent the acid from causing longterm damage. He told MailOnline and other media: 'It takes a couple of seconds for sulphuric acid, which it is in this case, to actually set into the facial tissue and start eroding. 'There was a moment that we shot where Ryan kind of gathers that this isn't what he would have assumed. 'Although it went straight into the action pretty much on the final edit, so we did miss a little bit of that. 'Just an edge of reality that people probably don't need to see, and there's always a time restriction on these things. So the edit was fantastic. They did everything they could. Talk: Meanwhile, it was revealed that Ryan Prescott spoke to real-life acid attack survivors before filming Monday's night's horrific acid attack scenes on Coronation Street Horrific: Now those injuries have been shown in behind-the-scenes snaps from the show, showing Ryan Prescott, who plays Ryan, in special effects make-up 'To be honest, I think. I think that he would probably thought it was like vodka or something in the moment, mainly because I think it's it's very difficult to. 'This level of hate and violence and and we don't, I think it's we don't really like to look at these things you know for the fact that one person could do this to another person in society, we kind of tend to turn away from it and we don't like to look at them head on because it's scary. 'And it should scare us because these things are scary, you know? But that's why we wanted to do this storyline in the first place. 'Like we've learned through the research, one of the random facts that I found was that there was 300 acid attacks in Manchester in 2022 alone, you know, not televised, not in any mainstream media or any media platform whatsoever for multiple reasons obviously. But it just shows that it's way more prevalent than you expect.' Coronation Street continues on Wednesday at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX. Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler were in disbelief after learning the child stars they once worked with, the Sprouse twins, are now 30-years-old. Dylan and Cole Sprouse were both just children when they starred opposite the A-listers. Together, the twins starred in Sandler's 1999 comedy Big Daddy as Julian 'Frankenstien' McGrath before Cole joined the cast of Friends, playing the son of Ross Geller. Cole was just eight-years-old when he shared the screen with Aniston - and the actress could not hide her shock after she learned their current age during an interview with Access. 'WHAT!?' Both Adam, 56, and Jennifer, 54, shouted in response to the revelation. Jennifer could hardly believe her ears. 'No, no they're not!' she exclaimed. 'WHAT!?' Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler were in disbelief after learning the child stars they once worked with, the Sprouse twins, are now 30-years-old Time flies! The twins, who were just children when they worked with Sandler and Aniston, are now 30 Adam joked he was the one who 'broke' the children in for Jennifer. 'I knew what they were capable of!' Adam insisted. 'I set the table for the kids to hop on Friends. That was one thing that Jen said when I first met her. "Will you please break in the children for us?"' he joked. 'You did and now look at them,' Jennifer said. Adam said he recently saw Dylan at a hotel lobby in Paris: 'Actually, I saw one of them when we were shooting Murder Mystery, I saw Dylan Sprouse, late night at my hotel... it was like two in the morning and I heard a voice and I was like, "Man that sounds familiar."' Jennifer was astonished when she was told about the crush Cole had on her while filming Friends. 'He was so little!' a perplexed Jennifer replied. Cole previously revealed his crush on the Friends star back in 2017, admitting he was so 'infatuated' with Aniston he could barely speak. Future Hollywood star: Cole was just age eight when he joined the cast of Friends, playing the son of Ross Gellar Shock: Jennifer could hardly believe her ears. 'No, no they're not!' she moaned. Hilarious: 'I set the table for the kids to hop on Friends. That was one thing that Jen said when I first met her. "Will you please break in the children for us?"' Sandler joked Big stars! The Sprouse twins, Dylan and Cole, pictured at the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscars Party 'I had a really, really hard time working with Aniston because I was so in love with her,' he told the New York Post. 'I was infatuated. I was speechless Id get all bubbly and forget my lines and completely blank. It was so difficult,' he added. The actor says he hasn't seen the cast since he has grown up: 'If I saw any of them, Id say, Hello. But its been a while and I certainly dont look the same, so itd be a hard sell. And if I did look the same, thatd be a little disconcerting.' Cole was eight-years-old when he joined the show for seven episodes of the iconic NBC series. He told the publication it was a nerve-wracking experience to be around so many familiar faces and big-names. 'The scale was just tremendous and you felt it when you stepped on set, even as a kid. It was challenging because I was a small kid who was working with these sort of megalithic actors at the time. 'It was quite intimidating. But it was a really wonderful experience. They were all tremendously nice,' he added. Alongside his twin brother Dylan, he then joined the Disney Channel for teen sitcom The Suite Life of Zack and Cody before joining the cast of Riverdale in 2017. Aww: Cole was eight-years-old when he joined the show for seven episodes of the iconic NBC series Hannah Waddingham has opened up about her daughter Kitty's terrifying health scare, revealing she wasn't able to talk about it for a 'very long time'. The Ted Lasso star, 48, was left terrified five years ago when her daughter Kitty, who was three years old at the time, suddenly fell ill and had to be hospitalised. Reflecting on the difficult time, Hannah said Kitty - who she shares with ex Gianluca Cugnetto - was suddenly diagnosed with auto-immune disorder Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP). HSP is a condition that involves swelling of small blood vessels, often affecting children between ages two and six. In most cases, children will make a full recovery, but can be left with kidney problems. Speaking to People about Kitty's illness, the single mother admitted that she wasn't able to talk about the terrifying time for a long while, but is able to address it now. Difficult time: Hannah Waddingham has opened up about her daughter Kitty's terrifying health scare, revealing she couldn't talk about it for a 'very long time' Health: The Ted Lasso star, 48, was left terrified five years ago when her daughter Kitty, who was three years old at the time, suddenly fell ill with HSP and had to be hospitalised She told the publication: 'I can talk about it now, but I couldn't for a very long time. She was in the hospital for a while with them not knowing what it was.' The Sex Education actress had been filming Krypton for Warner Bros. Television in Belfast when she received the terrifying phone call informing her of her daughter's diagnosis. Hannah said she was left very shaken by the ordeal and decided to step back from any jobs that would take her away from London amid her daughter's illness. She explained that she was reluctant to audition for Ted Lasso, even though filming was near her home, but did so after being persuaded by her team and quickly fell in love with the role of Rebecca Welton. Hannah added that Kitty, who is currently eight years old, is now doing 'much better', which she said is 'the greatest' as she gushed over her beloved daughter. It is not the first time that Hannah, who doesn't show Kitty's face on social media, has candidly spoken about her daughter's struggle with the illness. Appearing on Kate Thornton's White Wine Question Time podcast in 2021, Hannah detailed what HSP is like, describing it as 'horrific'. 'For anyone who knows what it's like, it's really horrific,' she explained. Terrifying: Reflecting on the difficult time, Hannah said Kitty - who she shares with ex Gianluca Cugnetto - was in the hospital for a long time before they found out what was wrong with her Career: Hannah said she then decided to step back from any jobs that would take her away from Kitty, before eventually signing on to Ted Lasso, which is filmed near her home Kitty's illness changed the course of her career as she was unable to fly home from Belfast, where she was filming, to be with her daughter while she was in hospital. After finally getting to see Kitty the following day, Hannah said she informed her management in both the UK and LA that she could no longer be away from her child. 'I am first and foremost a mum, and more importantly a single mum,' she told her agents over a conference call. Recounting the story in the US while appearing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2021, she revealed how she then 'asked the universe' for a dream role that would enable her to be close to her precious child. 'I'm going to ask the universe for something, which is probably unreasonable but, I'm going to say, "Thank you for making my little girl better," she told Ellen. "Can I thank you for what you've given me already, but can I just ask you for something that is close to home so I can do my main role, which is to be mama. 'And also can I ask that it's something that really shows what I can do [as an actress]. And I hope that's not asking too much."' Motherhood: Hannah had previously said how she always kept her daughter Kitty close to her, as she balanced motherhood and her demanding acting career Ex: It is not clear when Hannah parted ways with the father of her child. She is pictured with her former partner, hotelier Gianluca Cugnetto, in March 2015 Hannah ended the moving story by revealing that it was just 'two months later this meeting came up' for the Ted Lasso role, which is just a half hour drive from her home. It is not clear when Hannah parted ways with the father of her child, but Hannah gushed over being a single parent after winning Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series at the 2021 Emmy Awards. After her win, Hannah told reporters: 'You know, I'm a single mama, and I hate being away from her. 'And I always say to her, I've taught her as a mantra ever since she was a little girl: 'What does mummy always do?' and she always says: 'Mummy always comes back.' Former Bachelorette Joshua Tylerbest has been arrested and charged with possessing child pornography. The IT consultant, who was arrested last month in Miami, has been charged with 15 felony counts of possessing materials showing sexual performance by a child, TMZ reported. The former reality show contestant, 27, allegedly uploaded about 50 images and videos showing child abuse, according to TMZ. There were allegedly 15 files on his iPhone containing child pornography and more on his other devices, the outlet said. Some of the video footage confiscated was of children under 10 allegedly involved in graphic sex acts with adults. The latest: Former Bachelorette Joshua Tylerbest has been arrested and charged with possessing child pornography; seen in his mugshot at Miami Dade Jail Disturbing: The IT consultant, who was arrested last month in Miami, has been charged with 15 felony counts of possessing materials showing sexual performance by a child, TMZ reported; seen with Katie Thurston The Florida native has plead not guilty, with his next court date on June 7. 2023, according to Page Six. After his arrest and charge, he was released on a $5,000 bond, per Us Weekly magazine. A Google account registered to him was flagged to law enforcement after allegedly 50 images and videos showing child abuse were uploaded. After a search warrant was secured, law enforcement found evidence he was interacting with the material. They then searched his residence and reportedly found the files. He appeared on The Bachelorette in 2021 for Katie Thurston's season. Joshua was eliminated in week four during season 17. His Instagram account has since been deleted. In his biography for his appearance on The Bachelorette, it read (via Us Weekly): 'Josh loves hard and says there is really no other way to put it. He is humble, kind-hearted and goofy, but he's a hopeless romantic who has always been very in touch with his emotions.' Charges: The former reality show contestant, 27, allegedly uploaded about 50 images and videos showing child abuse, according to TMZ 'Josh is looking for a woman that is kind, open-minded, ambitious and adventurous. He consistently strives to be genuine and wants to find a partner who will do the same.' 'Josh is extremely family oriented and finding someone he can bring home to hand with his amazing family for a night of barbeque and playing cards is his dream come true.' Katie went on to get engaged with Blake Moynes during her season but the couple split soon after in October 2022. In November 2022, she began dating a contestant she eliminated in week two - John Hersey - but they split in June 2022. Bargain Hunt fan's slammed the 'shouty' red team as presenter Charlie Ross was forced to shush the 'noisy' contestants during Thursday's episode. The show saw the antique's expert and auctioneer, 72, visit North Wales in search of bargain items with two pairs of contestants. But minutes into the episode viewers joked that they needed 'some paracetamol and a mute button' as mother and daughter duo Denise and Giselle were introduced. The red team led by Richard Madley were tasked with finding a domestic item and as Charlie handed over the cash, he exclaimed: 'You're very noisy!' During their search, fans complained that the pair 'had too much personality' and claimed that the episode was 'a hard watch.' Oh dear: Bargain Hunt fan's slammed the 'shouty' red team as presenter Charlie Ross was forced to shush the 'noisy' contestants during Thursday's episode Sharing their thought's on Twitter one person wrote: '@bargain hunt Oh I see weve got a SHOUTY red team, annoying.' Another added: 'Memo to the #BargainHunt casting director: there is such a thing as *too much* personality. Never have on anyone like the Red Mum ever again please. This episode is such a hard watch.' 'Charlie: "And what else do you need?" A mute button for the annoyingly loud mother on the red team please!', A third person posted. One fan said: 'Sweet Jesus what is the matter with those red women.' Last week Bargain Hunt host Natasha Raskin Sharp pleaded with viewers to check their lofts after a 400K 'teapot' was found after 50-years in a dusty attic. The presenter, 36, revealed the 'ultimate Bargain Hunt find' during a recent episode in which the antique was revealed to be a 'rare Chinese wine ewer'. Auctioneer Charles Hanson described the yellow floral item as 'very sacred, very important and very rare'. Going on to say it the 'ceremonial ewer' would have used to hold water in the court of Emperor Qianlong in the 18th century. Shush: The red team led by Richard Madley were tasked with finding a domestic item and as Charlie handed over the cash, he exclaimed: 'You're very noisy!' Too loud: Minutes into the episode viewers joked that they needed 'some paracetamol and a mute button' as mother and daughter duo Denise and Giselle were introduced The porcelain pot was thought to be worth 150 and was brought back from Japan by the owner's grandfather in the 1940s. Saying: 'Unbeknown to the owner, it had been in his house, in his loft for over 50 years.' The expert went on to reveal that the ewer was 'only one of three known', with the other two in museums in Taiwan and Beijing. After the expert slapped it with a 150,000 it went on to rake in a whopping 390,000 at auction. Ryan Seacrest seems to still be very much in love. The American Idol host has been seen in public for the first time in over a month with his girlfriend, 25-year-old model Aubrey Paige. The 48-year-old morning show star looked happy in New York City on Wednesday as he wore an all black outfit with white sneakers. The radio star - who was seen taping Live With Kelly & Ryan earlier this week - was walking his black dog on a red leash that said 'service dog' in white. The Kardashians producer's girlfriend had on a blue chambray shirt with a gray scarf, black leggings, brown knee-high boots and a Gucci purse worn crossbody style. So happy together! Ryan Seacrest seems to still be very much in love. The American Idol host has been seen in public for the first time in over a month with his girlfriend, 25-year-old model Aubrey Paige on Wednesday The last time they were seen together was in Miami in late February as they enjoyed a beach holiday. The American Idol host and his gorgeous love looked happy as they smiled during their Manhattan walk on Wednesday. Ryan made sure to bundle up for the fall weather, keeping warm with his stylish jacket and matching slacks. His girlfriend, whom he began dating in 2021, looked ready for warmer weather in her look as she had no winter coat on. The beauty, who hails from Binghamton, New York, wore her brunette hair down as she had sunglasses on top of her head. Aubrey smiled alongside her beau as he walked the dog. Earlier this week Seacrest said he is 'looking forward' to leaving his popular morning show Live. A good pair: The 48-year-old morning show star looked happy in New York City as he wore an all black outfit with white sneakers. The radio star was walking his black dog on a red leash A Gucci gal! The Kardashians producer's girlfriend had on a blue shirt with a gray scarf, black leggings, brown boots and a Gucci purse worn crossbody style The TV star has co-hosted Live with Kelly and Ryan, alongside Kelly Ripa, since 2017 - but he now feels ready to say goodbye to the show. Ryan - who will make his exit on April 14 - told Good Morning America: 'I'm looking forward to it. 'I will miss being with Kelly every morning and, of course, having a cup of coffee with the audience. It's such a fun show. Grateful for the six years I was able to do it here in New York.' Ryan previously confessed that he'll miss working alongside Kelly, describing the 52-year-old star as a good friend. Cute look: The last time they were seen together was in Miami in late February as they enjoyed a beach holiday; here she is seen from a video taken during the trip Speaking about his exit from the long-running show, he told E! News: 'I'll miss being next to Kelly every single day. 'We're extremely close, we're very good friends, we'll remain good friends. But there's that hour of communicating with somebody. You become super excited about doing it. You laugh, and then, of course, you can't remember what you said to each other. So, I'll miss that part.' In February, Ryan took to social media to explain his decision to quit the show. The TV star also heaped praise on his co-host. He wrote on Instagram: 'When I signed on to host Live in 2017 it was meant to be for 3 years, but I loved the job and working with Kelly so much that I extended my time and last year I made the decision to stay on for one more final season. 'I've been grateful to be able to share a cup of coffee with our viewers everyday, one of the best parts of the gig. 'I'll be transitioning out of Live this Spring to shoot the 21st season of American Idol in LA, continue my radio show on KIIS-FM and Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin Eve, and focus my summer on opening three more Ryan Seacrest Foundation Studios in pediatric hospitals across the country.' Raquel Leviss was spotted meeting Tom Sandoval at the home he shares with ex Ariana Madix after their shocking affair came to light. The Vanderpump Rules star, 28, was spotted outside of his home on Wednesday afternoon, packing up the trunk of her car, in photos obtained by TMZ. She wore sweatpants, a black top, and slides as she threw various belongings into the back of her vehicle. A half hour after Raquel departed, Tom was spotted leaving his home to catch a flight out of LAX. A representative for Sandoval clarified to TMZ that Raquel merely stopped by his house to say good-bye before his flight: 'Raquel did not spend the night at Tom and Arianas house. She stopped by the house Wednesday afternoon for about a half hour to say goodbye to Tom before he left town.' Still chummy: Raquel Leviss was spotted meeting Tom Sandoval at the home he shares with ex Ariana Madix after their shocking affair came to light Sandoval was traveling to his hometown of St. Louis on his own, and was spotted wearing a face mask and rolling his suitcase as he approached his Southwest terminal. Page Six reports Madix is currently out of town shooting her new Lifetime film, Buying Back My Daughter. It has been a tumultuous few weeks for the Vanderpump Rules cast ever since Sandoval and Leviss' affair was revealed, leading to the end of Sandoval's nine-year long relationship with Madix. The drama also resulted in a restraining order filed by Leviss against co-star Scheana Shay, alleging Shay punched her after learning of the affair. However, the temporary restraining order was dismissed by a judge after Raquel failed to appear in court on Wednesday. Scheana, 37, was at the court but did not have the opportunity to speak on her own behalf since the order was dismissed. TMZ's cameraman asked Scheana why she thinks Raquel dropped the restraining order, to which Scheana said: 'Well she didn't drop it which is why we had to come here today. With this type of restraining orders, there's no way to dismiss a case. That's why we had to show up. But her absence today further proves that this was all a PR stunt from the beginning. And to just deflect from the affair. Save face and abuse the court system.' She added: 'There's people out there who actually need this... there are real victims of domestic violence. There's amazing organizations such as Futures Without Violence, LifeWire, who help people who really need this. The abusive process...' No place like home: Sandoval pictured at the home he shares with Madix earlier this month Betrayal: Bravo fans were left in shock after learning Tom had been engaging in a months-long affair with Leviss despite being in a long-term relationship; pictured November 2022 Third party: The duo faced the music at a reunion taping last week The cameraman asked her if she could ever see herself friends with her again, to which Scheana said: 'Hell no! That's a hard no.' The outlet's cameraman then asked if she is going to pursue anything against Raquel. 'I'm going to have a meeting with my lawyer this week and we're going to... You're going to have to talk to him about that. And I've very thankful to have Neama [Rahmani] here [pointing at him walking besides her], who have been amazing and have worked so hard to make sure that the truth prevailed and I'm just very, very thankful for this guy. He's been amazing.' The camera noted it was unfortunate the show Vanderpump Rules will be more popular than ever because of the Tom Sandoval Raquel cheating scandal, to which Scheana agreed. 'It's extremely unfortunate. Ariana [Madix] doesn't deserve what has happened to her. I'm just here to be her support system.' Last week, Leviss and Sandoval faced the music at a reunion taping where Scheana had to be kept apart from Leviss to comply with the restraining order. Anna Friel looked chic as she stepped out to the A Little Life press night at Harold Pinter Theatre in London on Thursday. The Marcella star, 45, wore a fitted turtleneck top and gothic tiered skirt for the event which came after her ex DJ Toby Anstis said he could have married her in the 90s. Walking the red carpet for the West End opening, she caught the eye in her all-black edgy ensemble. Anna boosted her height with a pair of chunky studded boots and accessorised with a concho style belt. She let her auburn hair tumble down in natural curls and added a pop of colour to her look with a slick of cherry red lipstick. Gothic: Anna Friel, 45, looked chic as she stepped out to the A Little Life press night at Harold Pinter Theatre in London on Thursday Elegant: The Marcella star wore a fitted turtleneck top and gothic tiered skirt for the event which came after her ex DJ Toby Anstis said he could have married her in the 90s The much-anticipated West End adaptation of cult novel A Little Life - starring Happy Valley's James Norton - has left preview audiences traumatised by its graphic on-stage portrayals of suicide, self-harm and paedophilia. One attendee at Richmond Theatre, where the stage re-telling of Hanya Yanagihara's 2015 book opened last week, said they made the decision to leave at the interval after the 'relentless misery' became too much for them. Another audience member called the adaptation, brought to stage by director Ivo Van Hove, 'possibly the most upsetting, unflinchingly brutal and explicit play Ive ever seen.' The performance, which lasts a whopping 3 hours and 40 minutes and will soon transfer to the Savoy Theatre, has a star-studded cast, including James Norton, It's A Sin actor Omari Douglas and Bridgerton's Luke Thompson. The book, shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2015, became a word-of-mouth hit and won the author a following of dedicated fans. Anna's outing comes after her ex Toby claimed he could now be married to her after she propositioned him in the 90s, but said he lost out to love rat Darren Day. The TV presenter, 51, has revealed that the Marcella star chatted him up during the 90's while at a party and asked him to stay out that night - but when he went for a drink, Darren swooped in and went on to date her for three years. And the hapless radio DJ claims that while he dated Cassie Bancroft a year ago, he is still single because Tinder has banned his profile, believing it to be fake. Sophisticated: Walking the red carpet for the West End opening, she caught the eye in her all-black edgy ensemble, later layering over a fur coat Stunning: She let her auburn hair tumble down in natural curls and added a pop of colour to her look with a slick of cherry red lipstick Stylish: Anna boosted her height with a pair of chunky studded boots and accessorised with a concho style belt Toby said during the Diary of a Name Dropper podcast: 'Even thinking about it I'm still bitter about this....Darren Day' The Heart Dance host explained how he and Anna were having a few drinks and were 'getting on really really well.' He said: 'I did feel there was a bit of chemistry and then she asked me, "you're not going back to London tonight?" and I said "yeah I'm on tele tomorrow afternoon and she said "no stay up the night and go back in the morning."' Shocked Toby continued: 'I just went bl**dy hell all of me is thinking Jesus Christ I've been chatted up and asked to stay up here whether she meant stay at her place, one would hope, but I didn't know what that meant, but I thought I'd stay up.' As Toby went to get the pair a drink Darren moved in on Anna which the star is convinced his 'management thought it would be a good publicity thing.' As he returned he witness the pair getting on and 'the next day they were all over the papers, but she asked me to stay the night before you Darren.' Despite the couple being together for three years and becoming engaged Toby still seemed a little irked. Emerging: Anna looked stunning as she was pictured departing the event later on Gorgeous: She never fails to look sensational What a pair! Anna clutched a pal's hand as they made their way into the city He added: 'I could have been married to Anna Friel and she could have had my children.' Anna later married David Thewlis whom she shares a daughter with but separated in 2010. She also married Notting Hill star Rhys Ifans in 2011 but the pair went their separate ways in 2014. Darren has also found love since with actress Stephanie Dooley who he wed in 2010. But Toby is still having no luck with his love life after being banned from the dating app Tinder. Regrets? Anna's outing comes after her ex Toby Anstis claimed he could now be married to her after she propositioned him in the 90s, but said he lost out to love rat Darren Day Advertisement Britney Spear's husband Sam Asghari was seen without his wedding ring as he stepped out solo on Thursday amid concerns over their marriage. His bare index finger was visible as he pulled his car keys from his pocket during an errand run in Los Angeles. Britney, 41, is currently on vacation with her friend and longtime manager Cade Hudson and has been posting various sun-soaked clips from her trip to Instagram. The couple's marriage has been under scrutiny as of late, and earlier this month Britney raised eyebrows with a post remembering the good times before her third marriage. In the video, which showed her and Sam during a trip to Mexico, Britney reflected on being 'so happy' in the trip taken prior to their lavish nuptials. 'Throwback to Mexico before I got married so happy and silly here!!!' On the rocks? Britney Spear's husband Sam Asghari was seen without his wedding ring as he stepped out solo on Thursday amid concerns over their marriage Sparked concerns: The couple's relationship has come under scrutiny from fans The caption did not go unnoticed by fans, who commented: 'So she's not happy now?' 'She's obvs not happy now, but that also makes me say... the marriage still seems shammy,' another Instagram user posted. On Thursday, Sam was spotted walking across a parking lot wearing a fitted black T-shirt, camouflage print trousers, and pink trainers. Meanwhile, Britney shared images and video on her Instagram Thursday showing her in a bikini cavorting on a beach with her longtime friend and longtime manager Cade Hudson. The pop star looked tanned and happy as she showed off her curves and posed for selfies with Cade. It came 24 hours after she shared snaps of herself cuddling up to Cade on board a private jet. Fun in the sun: Meanwhile, Britney shared images and video on her Instagram Thursday showing her in a bikini cavorting on a beach with longtime agent and friend Cade Hudson Relaxed: The pop star looked tanned and happy as she showed off her curves in the tiny two-piece on her exotic getaway Britney and Sam married in June 2022 in a fairy-tale ceremony at her Thousand Oaks, California home with the likes of Madonna and Selena Gomez in attendance. It came 15 years after the end of her second marriage to former back-up dancer Kevin Federline, whom she shares sons Jayden, 16, and Sean Preston, 17, with. Britney has been experiencing a strained relationship with her two children in recent years. Her post in Mexico came shortly after Britney fired back at claims that loved ones staged a failed intervention over fears she 'might die' amid alleged mental health struggles. Spears lashed out at the claims in an Instagram post, adding she might have to stop posting on social media: 'It makes me sick to my stomach that its even legal for people to make up stories that I almost died Laid-back: On Thursday, Sam was spotted walking across a parking lot wearing a fitted black T-shirt, camouflage print trousers, and pink trainers Where's the ring? His wedding band was noticeably missing Matters of the heart: Britney and Sam married in June 2022 in a fairy-tale ceremony at her Thousand Oaks, California home 'I mean at some point enough is enough !!! Im probably going to have to stop posting on Instagram because even though I enjoy doing it, theres obviously a lot of people who dont wish me well !!!' Continuing to defend herself, Britney added: 'Im honestly not surprised at all Again doing the best I can !!! Again, the conservatorship has been over for almost a year No folks, its not 2007 its 2023 and Im making my first homemade lasagna at home !!! 'I finally got my fireplace to work in my living room !!! As my hubby says it best: dont believe everything you read !!! All that love right back at ya !!!' In another Instagram post, Spears blasted the reports once again and denied that she has a 'management team' or 'medical doctors.' Stepping out: Asghari appeared expression-less as he strode across the parking lot Happier times? Spears raised eyebrows remembering the good times before her second marriage Captioning an erratic video message, she wrote, 'This week in the news it said that I almost died and that I have a manager and "doctors"!!! I don't have a management team nor will I ever again in my life!!! I don't have "medical doctors"!!!' She declared: 'I take Prozac for depression and that's about it!!! I'm an extremely boring person!!!' Last year Britney shot a cameo in Sam Levinson, Reza Fahim, and The Weeknd's six-episode drama The Idol, which premieres later this year on HBO. She also signed a $15M deal with Simon & Schuster in February 2022 to publish her tell-all memoir, and 'three different versions' were completed in July. 'So happy': Spears wrote she was 'so happy' in this moment before she got married again Fans have praised Jason Watkins and his wife Clara for their bravery in their new moving ITV documentary, In Loving memory of Maudie on Thursday. Their daughter Maude died, aged two, from sepsis on New Years Day in 2011 after doctors sent her home with what they thought was croup. She was discovered in her bed the following morning by Jason and Clara after their eldest daughter Bessie told them she couldnt wake her sister. The documentary was well-received by viewers, who said it was a 'heartbreaking' but 'important' watch to raise awareness of sepsis. One viewer wrote: 'I cant imagine what its like to lose a child. Thinking of @Jason__Watkins & Clara #inmemoryofmaudie a very moving documentary'. Brave: Fans have praised Jason Watkins and his wife Clara for their bravery in their new moving ITV documentary, In Loving memory of Maudie on Thursday Tragic: Their daughter Maude died, aged two, from sepsis on New Years Day in 2011 after doctors sent her home with what they thought was croup Another echoed: '#InMemoryofMaudie is heartbreaking to watch, but its so important that awareness of sepsis is raised. Such bravery from Jason and Clara to allow this to be filmed.' A third added: 'Watching ten minutes in & Im already finding it heartbreaking. #InMemoryofMaudie'. A fourth said: ' I really don't know how a parent carries on. Just unbearable #InMemoryofMaudie'. While a fifth tweeted: 'A beautiful, powerful documentary Jason. You have helped so many already and I feel that with the film, you'll have helped in those moments so many more.' And a sixth agreed, writing: 'Christ this is tough watch. Ive no idea how you cope with the loss of a child. They are so brave, whilst still drowning in grief, making this to try & raise awareness #InMemoryofMaudie #sepsis'. In heartbreaking scenes the couple sifted through their daughters belongings for the first time since her death. Emma, a close friend of the couple, packed up Maudes clothes and toys and stored them in her loft. Devastating: Eleven years after her sudden death, the couple have filmed a documentary titled Jason & Clara: In Memory of Maudie, where they will discuss their grief battle Devastating: The documentary was well-received by fans, who said it was a 'heartbreaking' but 'important' watch and praised the bravery of Jason and Clara I found it very difficult to go in to Maudes bedroom and just see all her stuff as if she were still going to come in, Clara said in the documentary which aired on Thursday night. So Emma took it all out and Emma has been looking after it in her loft for 11 years. Weirdly as time has gone on those things have taken on value to me and I think if wed got rid of them immediately it wouldnt be a problem, but because theyve been there, theyve taken on a significance and now I feel compelled to go through them. Clara, a fashion designer, broke down in tears as she unzipped a bag containing a pair of her daughters little shoes, while Jason picked out a Peter Rabbit toy. I dont know if I can do it, Clara said. What are we going to gain from it? Are you wanting to keep stuff? Theres a part of me that wants to put my hand in the bag and just grab something and try to get used to it, just to try to make myself keep them. Jason, who won a Bafta for The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies, said: The fact that its so physical, its such a physical thing. Its the closest you can get to having her with us. The couple allowed cameras to document their journey as they prepare to move out of the flat where their daughter was born, and later died. Scenes, which were interspersed with photos and home videos of Maude, showed them attending therapy for the first time together, with Clara revealing she can still feel the weight of her daughter from the car journey to hospital. They were also seen comforting their son Gilbert, 11, who got tearful while visiting a bench in memory of the sister he never knew. Awful: Clara, a fashion designer, broke down in tears as she unzipped a bag containing a pair of her daughter's 'little shoes', while Jason picked out a Peter Rabbit toy 'I don't know if I can do it,' Clara said. 'What are we going to gain from it? Are you wanting to keep stuff? The couple have campaigned tirelessly to raise awareness for sepsis, with Jason attending a ground breaking training programme at Kings College Hospital which attempts to teach medical professionals how to detect signs. Visiting the morgue and coroners court, Jason said: This is the most difficult bit. I have this thing about her being on her own when she left the house in that black ambulance and she was taken here. 'I know it seems macabre but by sharing it maybe it unburdens me a bit or it's sort of saying she existed, she was alive not just wherever she is now. He added: 'Obviously it was missed. Theres a bit of anger there obviously I know that irrationally Im doing this because if I crack it and no more children die, which is ridiculous because they will sadly and that I fully understand the condition that is sepsis, that Maude will come back walk into the room, Ive got it Ive cracked it this is what we need to do and shell come back into the room but thats irrational and that will never stop. The family visited a bench dedicated to Maude, with Jason saying: Not a single day goes by when we dont think about Maude and there is one special place we visit to remember her. 'I like going to the bench with the family and I like going on my own as well. I dont necessarily cry there but I do like that because I feel close to her and all those things. Gilbert always chirps up and asks am I Maudes substitute am I a replacement for Maude? Hes not stupid. I say Of course youre not youre your own person thank god you saved us. He is a bit of a saviour in that respect because he came along. 'And for Bessie she also saved us she was just so strong. She was there and suddenly her sister wasnt there. Clara and Jason meet with a group of parents who have all lost a child, as they talk about their loss. Clara said: 'My drive throughout my grief was always to offer hope because I think without hope I just don't know if there is a future for somebody after the loss of a child. You have to know life is going to get better.' The couple go to therapy for the first time together, meeting psychotherapist Julia Samuels. Clare said: 'I haven't really thought about this car journey in such depth. I can really just feel the weight of her on my lap. 'When I think of the sort of trauma and when people talk of the trauma I sort of think 'oh that will be the day that we found her dead' but actually going through that car journey I hadn't really done it. 'I do feel if I had been a different sort of person I could have said, 'No I want you to keep her in tonight'.' Jason said: 'I can still feel me breathing trying to breathe my breath in to her and it not working. Then I went downstairs.' Clara reveals she was watching this happen, but Jason had forgotten and thought she was downstairs with Bessie. Jason added: 'The worst bit for me was her being alone on the journey from the mortuary to the post mortem. That bit haunts me.' Jason admits: 'Talking to Julia has been a revelation I realise just how strong Clara has been. Maybe I have bottled up my grief and maybe that's a typical male response.' The family visited a bench dedicated to Maude, with Jason saying: 'Not a single day goes by when we don't think about Maude and there is one special place we visit to remember her' The couple now campaign for better awareness of recognising the signs of sepsis. Jason and jewellery and fashion designer Clara tied the knot back in 2014. As well as their late daughter Maude, they also share daughter Bessie and son Gilbert. Jason was previously married to actress Caroline Harding and they share two older children - Freddie and Pip. If you need further support or information about bereavement and grief, mental health charity Mind can be contacted via 0300 123 3393. Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara turned the stroll to the America's Got Talent studio into their personal catwalk on Thursday afternoon. The two AGT judges have been bringing glamorous and fashionable looks to Pasadena, California day after day as they shoot the show's latest season. Heidi, 49, looked pretty in pink as she wore a pink minidress with a turtleneck and thigh-high taupe boots. She topped the look off with a matching pink long coat that resembled a bathrobe in both shape and texture. Meanwhile, Sofia, 50, looked stylish in a pair of black pants with a black t-shirt with a graphic design on the front. She tossed on a floor-length, black and white leopard print coat and bright white trainers to complete her chic outfit. Both AGT judges wore sunglasses and Sofia carried the $3800 large Christian Dior Book Tote handbag she's been seen with all week. Catwalk queens: Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara turned the stroll to the America's Got Talent studio into their personal catwalk on Thursday afternoon. The two AGT judges have been bringing glamorous and uber fashionable looks to Pasadena, California day after day Both women wore their long hair down and loose with Heidi's blonde hair stick straight and Sofia's brown hair in relaxed waves. Yesterday Heidi and Sofia wore coordinating figure-hugging outfits for the taping of AGT auditions. Heidi's outfit was a highlighter yellow pencil skirt and matching asymmetrical crop top. Meanwhile, Sofia wore a tangerine wiggle dress that showed off her famous Colombian curves. Both stars shared the same image of the AGT judges, including Howie Mandel, Simon Cowell, Heidi and Sofia with host Terry Crews behind the judges' table to their individual Instagram accounts. Heidi captioned it, 'Sooo good to be back with my @agt family! Season 18 lets goooooo.' The mom of four included a number of smiley face emojis as well as a party hat emoji to her post. Sofia captioned her post, '@agt coming soon!!!' and included three star emojis. Both women also shared several other snaps of the two of them, including several selfies of them acting like BFFs and having a blast. Heidi joined the AGT judging panel for the eighth season in 2013. She briefly departed the show during the 14th season but returned the following year. Sofia joined the show during season 15, the same year Heidi returned, after Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough both left the show after only one season on the panel. Heidi and Sofia serve alongside longtime judges Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel, as well as host Terry Crews, who joined the show during its 14th run of episodes. The fashion industry professional previously spoke about working on the show during an interview with Fox News Digital, where she discussed what she liked to see in performers. Pretty in pink: Klum, 49, looked pretty in pink as she wore a pink minidress with a turtleneck and thigh-high taupe boots She topped the look off with a matching pink long coat that resembled a bathrobe in both shape and texture Relaxed: Meanwhile, Vergara, 50, looked stylish in a pair of black pants with a black t-shirt with a graphic design on the front Stylish: She modeled a pair of stylish shades that stood out against her head of voluminous light brown hair Her go-to bag: Sofia carried the $3800 large Christian Dior Book Tote handbag she's been seen with all week Windy: The windy weather revealed the fun floral print lining inside Sofia's coat 'I want to have fun, I want to be entertained, I want to be blown away, but I want to have a good time. I want good vibes from the people,' she said. Heidi went on to express that she may have become more lenient with the show's prospects over the years. 'Maybe I was harsher before, I don't know. I feel like maybe I've gotten nicer over the years, or maybe they have just gotten so much better,' she said. The fashion industry personality added: 'I don't think I was ever mean to be honest with you.' Not everyone is a fan of Kendall Jenner's very sexy shoot from her FWRD collaboration. After Kendall posted the sexy shoot, which saw her laying in bed wearing a sheer top, Instagram users did not hold back as they expressed their disapproval over the sizzling images. One fan called for her account to be accessible only to legal adults, while others criticized her for her skimpy outfit. However, there were also supporters rooting Kendall, 27, on in the comments section, with one attempting to shut down the trolls by insisting they were simply jealous of her fabulous life. 'Her acc. Should be labelled as 18+!' one commenter posted, garnering over a thousand likes. Backlash: Kendall Jenner has sparked anger after she shared a very sexy shoot from her FWRD collaboration 'You have already shown everything then what's the point of those clothes on your body!' another remarked. 'What's the point of clothes if we can see everything? one asked. Some fans, however, came to Kendall's defense and insisted there was nothing wrong with her photos. 'She loves her body, she loves the owl reflection, she loves herself. if she wants, let her post such photos. it looks great. she's beautiful as an aphrodite. her body is a work of art. she doesn't need your permission to post it. shut up,' one person wrote. 'Who ever is commenting hate stuff. Stop u guys are just jealous because she actually has a life and y'all don't sooo. Keep hating boo,' one posted. 'why are y'all like this? she is a model and that is what a lot of models do. she probably has self respect and what she wears shoes no reflection of if she does or not. leave the damn woman alone,' one wrote. The photo shoot was to promote The Kardashians star's collaboration with the high end online retailer FWRD. Kendall has been the creative director for the company since September 2021. Super sexy: The photo shoot was to promote The Kardashians star's collaboration with the high end online retailer FWRD Va va voom! The shoot saw her laying in bed wearing a sheer top In a May 2022 Q&A with Harper's Bazaar, the influencer explained why she wanted to branch out and work with the company. 'I grew up loving fashion and have been incredibly fortunate to work with some of the most brilliant people in this business.' 'As FWRDs Creative Director, I love helping curate the sites offering with emerging designers and brands.' The reality star said she is 'really drawn to a slightly minimalist, effortless style with a touch of French cool girl.' Rated R! After Kendall posted the sexy shoot, Instagram users did not hold back as they expressed their disapproval over the sizzling images 'A great pair of jeans and a little tank with some cute accessories and Im all done.' That aesthetic is reflected in Kendall's Edit on the website. Her 'must-have pieces' included Bottega Veneta jeans with a price tag of $6,800. Also on the list were Saint Laurent sweaters for $950, a Miu Miu bra top for $925, and a Rick Owens bustier pink leather gown for $2,660. 'My favorite part has been being able to give input at every stage of the creative process,' the supermodel explained, 'from sharing my new designer discoveries to collaborating with the photoshoot team on a more intimate level.' She never puts a foot wrong when it comes to fashion. And Pixie Geldof looked effortlessly chic as she attended the Dear Frances spring launch dinner at Langan's in Mayfair, London on Thursday night. The model, 32, showed off her sense of style in an oversized black striped blazer as she posed for snaps at the event. She teamed the smart jacket with a roll neck jumper and dark trousers which she wore with brown leather sandal heels to boost her height. Pixie wore her short blonde tresses swept back in an up do and opted for a natural makeup look complete with a slick of light pink lip. Pretty: Pixie Geldof looked effortlessly chic as she attended the Dear Frances spring launch dinner at Langan's in Mayfair, London on Thursday night Pose: The model, 32, showed off her sense of style in an oversized black striped blazer as she posed for snaps at the event She accessorised perfectly with dangly gold earrings as she posed with Anais Gallagher at the event. Pixie is the third daughter of Bob and Paula Yates, who tragically died aged 41 in 2000 after a heroin overdose. The couple married in 1986, and had Pixie, Fifi, 38, and Peaches, but tragically, history repeated itself in April 2014 when their middle child died Peaches of an overdose aged 25. Last week Channel 4 aired a two-part documentary Paula, in which friends of the stars and collaborators reflected on Yates' rise to fame before her untimely death. The documentary retraces Paula's rise to fame as well as the later years of her life, following the death of her partner, Michael Hutchence. The presenter could be heard saying that the public were 'waiting for [her] to die' in previously unheard tapes recorded shortly after the death of her partner that were unearthed for the programme. Audio clips of Yates, who died aged 41 in her Notting Hill home after an accidental heroin overdose, were played on a new documentary examining her extraordinary career and her troubled personal life. The presenter also addressed going back to work after having four children, Pixie, Peaches and Fifi Trixibelle with Bob Geldof and Heavenly Haraani Tiger Lily with Hutchence. She revealed how she considered her changed personality. Happy: She teamed the smart jacket with a roll neck jumper and dark trousers which she wore with brown leather sandal heels to boost her height Glam: She accessorised perfectly with dangly gold earrings as she posed with Anais Gallagher, Emma Greenwell and Jane Frances at the event 'I didn't have all those stupid girly tricks to fall back on anymore because they'd kind of gone,' she reveals. 'I was pushing 40, four children, very very happy. I was kind of curious what it would be like working again without all that stuff.' Head of specialist factual at Channel 4 Shaminder Nahal said: 'Paula Yates exploded onto our screens in the very first week that Channel 4 came on air in 1982, a whirlwind of wit, verve and charisma - a totally unique style. 'Looking at what she achieved now, it feels like no one has ever quite matched her as a TV presenter. Mother: Last week week Channel 4 aired a two-part documentary about Pixie's mum Paula Yates, in which friends of the star reflected on Yates' rise to fame before her untimely death 'So as Channel 4 reflects on 40 years, it feels right to look at her life and career, and what an impact she made. 'As ever, (documentary producers) Curious Films has made a riveting and sensitive series that will, I hope, introduce Paula to a new generation.' Charlene Chika Osuagwu, producer at Curious Films, said: 'Paula is the real story of a singular woman who was both ahead of her time and totally of it, which explores how she shaped, and was shaped by the seismic changes in British culture and celebrity and what it meant to be a successful woman in that era. 'Paula's battle to 'have it all', torn between the duties of family life and her own personal career and happiness in the magnifying glare of a world determined to judge her, provide a powerful lesson for today's world and women fighting the same issues 40 years later.' Emma Roberts eagerly showed off her newest ear piercing in a slideshow posted to the jewelry brand EF COLLECTION on Thursday. The actress, 32, now has a third piercing on her right earlobe just above the two piercings she got the past. Celebrity piercer Daniel Ruiz - who has worked with the likes of Demi Lovato and Lucy Hale - had the honor of giving Emma her latest addition. A short clip showed the moment when Ruiz successfully pierced through Emma's earlobe with an adorable stud earring shaped like a raspberry with fuchsia stones. She re-shared the video to her Instagram Story, along with a photo that gave her nearly 20million followers a closer look. Newest addition: Emma Roberts eagerly showed off her newest ear piercing in a slideshow posted to the jewelry brand EF COLLECTION on Thursday VIP treatment: Celebrity piercer Daniel Ruiz - who has worked with the likes of Demi Lovato and Lucy Hale - had the honor of giving Emma her latest addition. The actress, 32, now has a third piercing on her right earlobe just above the two piercings she got the past After braving the piercing pain, Emma browsed EF COLLECTION's wide selection of earrings with her stylist Brit Elkin by her side. 'New piercing means new jewels,' she captioned one her posts. Another post praised Ruiz for his work. '@mrprickrichink killed it!' she wrote, before tagging Elkin as well as EF COLLECTION. The jewelry brand presented the Unfabulous star with a custom earring box that had her named etched into it in gold lettering. As of now, Emma is sporting a raspberry-shaped stud, a dainty gold hoop and a sparkly diamond stud on her right ear. Her left ear currently has just two piercings. Earlier in the day, Emma uploaded an adorable throwback photo of herself in the back of a limousine as a little girl. 'cover of my unwritten memoir #throwbackthursday,' she captioned the post. It's been a busy month for the stunning niece of Julia Roberts. She kicked off March by attending Paris Fashion Week before returning to Los Angeles to celebrate the 95th annual Academy Awards. She gave her nearly 20million followers a closer look in several snaps shared to both her Instagram page and the EF COLLECTION account 'New piercing means new jewels,' she captioned one her posts All on film: A short clip showed the moment when Ruiz successfully pierced through Emma's earlobe with an adorable stud earring shaped like a raspberry Shopping time: After braving the piercing pain, Emma browsed EF COLLECTION's wide selection of earrings with her stylist Brit Elkin by her side Custom gift: The jewelry brand presented the Unfabulous star with a custom earring box that had her named etched into it in gold lettering Throwback! Earlier in the day, Emma uploaded an adorable throwback photo of herself in the back of a limousine as a little girl Emma joined the likes of Kendall Jenner and Jessica Chastain at the star-studded Vanity Fair Oscar Party, which is the hottest ticket in Tinseltown. For the occasion, she rocked a custom Dolce & Gabbana gown with a sexy black lace bodice and black mesh cape. She also celebrated her boyfriend Cody John's birthday on March 8, which she honored with a sweet tribute on her Instagram that included photos of the couple. They went Instagram official last summer just months after her split from actor Garrett Hedlund, 38, following three years of dating. Emma and Garret share 2-year-old son Rhodes, who they welcomed back in 2020. Just after their breakup went public, Garrett was reportedly arrested for misdemeanor public intoxication in Tennessee and released on $2,100 bond. Garrett and Emma were first linked in April 2019 shortly after her split from her on-off fiance and fellow American Horror Story star Evan Peters, 35. A source said in October that Emma and new beau Cody are 'taking it slow' as far as introducing him to Rhodes. 'Emma is cautious about bringing her son around new people, but knows the day will come soon,' the insider divulged to E! News. 'Emma loves Cody's personality. He's really funny and they have been having a good time together.' Earlier this week, the mother-of-one announced that she's collaborated with the fashion brand About You to release a capsule collection inspired by her style. 'I'm thrilled to announce that my first capsule collection Daahls by Emma Roberts is available now at @aboutyou,' wrote Emma, along with a behind-the-scenes clip of the promo shoot she did to promote the line. She continued: 'I've always wanted to create something that embodies everything I love to wear and feel confident in. This collection shows all sides of my personality - feminine, classic but playful. 'Shop my collection now at @aboutyou! #CoCreatedByAboutYou' Fashionista: She kicked off March by attending Paris Fashion Week before returning to Los Angeles to celebrate the 95th annual Academy Awards; seen on March 2 at the Chloe show After party: Emma joined the likes of Kendall Jenner and Jessica Chastain at the star-studded Vanity Fair Oscar Party, which is the hottest ticket in Tinseltown In love: She also celebrated her boyfriend Cody John's birthday on March 8, which she honored with a sweet tribute on her Instagram that included photos of the couple; Emma and Cody seen on March 9 Capsule collection: Earlier this week, the mother-of-one announced that she's collaborated with the fashion brand About You to release a capsule collection inspired by her style About You often collaborates with high-profile celebrities such as Katy Perry and Bella Hadid to create limited edition collections. Emma first began teasing her line on March 17, writing: 'Something exciting is coming' The range is relatively affordable, with the cheapest item being a baby tee that costs $32.90. The most expensive piece is a stylish 'Between-Seasons Coat' that is listed for $165.90. The Watergate break-in and the controversy that surrounded it will be told from an all new perspective in the new trailer for the HBO series White House Plumbers. HBO released a final trailer for the series on Thursday, which also revealed the five-episode series will debut on Monday, May 1 at 9 PM ET. The series stars Woody Harrelson - who hosted Saturday Night Live late last month - as E. Howard Hunt and Justin Theroux as G. Gordon Liddy, the political saboteurs responsible for the Watergate break-in and ultimately the resignation of President Richard Nixon. The series is adapted from the 2007 book Integrity by Egil Krogh and Matthew Krogh by creators Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck (Veep, What Men Want). Both Harrelson and Theroux serve as executive producers on the series alongside David Mandel, who directed all five episodes, along with Frank Rich, David Bernad, Gregg Fienberg, Len Amato, and Ruben Fleischer. Watergate: The Watergate break-in and the controversy that surrounded it will be told from an all new perspective in the new trailer for the HBO series White House Plumbers Nixon: The series stars Woody Harrelson - who hosted Saturday Night Live late last month - as E. Howard Hunt and Justin Theroux as G. Gordon Liddy, the political saboteurs responsible for the Watergate break-in and ultimately the resignation of President Richard Nixon The trailer begins with a napping Howard being woken up by his wife Dorothy (Lena Headey), telling him the phone call for him is from the White House. On the other line is Egil Krogh (Rich Sommer) - who was the head of the White House's Special Investigations Unit that tracked down leaks to the press from within the Nixon administration... with his operatives known as 'Plumbers' for stopping leaks. Krogh tells him, 'Howard, the President asked for a real son of a b***h to handle this Pentagon leak,' referring to the infamous Pentagon Papers. 'What do you need?' Howard says, as he's then seen walking with Krogh, who tells him, 'I want you to meet Gordon Liddy, toughest guy I know. He'll hold his hand in the flame of a candle.' The trailer shows Liddy doing this very feat at a restaurant, telling his dinner companions, 'I do not bend. I do not break.' Howard asks, 'What's the trick?' Krogh responds, 'There isn't one. He gets third-degree burns every time. John Dean (Domhnall Gleeson) tells Howard and Gordon, 'You now work for the Committee to Re-Elect The President,' as Howard and Gordon are both seen hugging. 'Your new mission is to make sure he wins this election. We'll intercept confidential information of the radical left,' Dean tells them. White House: The trailer begins with a napping Howard being woken up by his wife Dorothy (Lena Headey), telling him the phone call for him is from the White House Howard and Egil: 'What do you need?' Howard says, as he's then seen walking with Krogh, who tells him, 'I want you to meet Gordon Liddy, toughest guy I know. He'll hold his hand in the flame of a candle' Do not break: The trailer shows Liddy doing this very feat at a restaurant, telling his dinner companions, 'I do not bend. I do not break' Back at home, Howard's wife Dorothy asks, 'What's the plan?' Howard responds, 'We're gonna hit the DNC at the Watergate.' 'Howard, that is the stupidest thing I've ever heard,' Dorothy responds before walking out of the room. They're seen breaking into the Watergate but their plan has a hitch right away as they have the wrong tools to break in. Jeb Magruder (Ike Barinholtz) says, 'Somebody needs to clean this mess up,' as Gordon asks, 'Do you want us to break in a fourth time?' 'Wait, what do you mean a fourth time?' Jeb asks, as Gordon brushes it off saying, 'Nothing, spy talk.' Gordon gets home and finds his wife Fran in bed, asking him how his day was, as he says, 'There's a chance I might be going to prison.' She sits up in bed and says, 'Wait, what?!' while we see Dean telling Gordon, 'I really hope you understand the scope and scale of this thing.' Dorothy tells her husband, 'You tell those spineless two-faced politicians loyalty is a two-way street. Watergate: Back at home, Howard's wife Dorothy asks, 'What's the plan?' Howard responds, 'We're gonna hit the DNC at the Watergate' Wrong tools: They're seen breaking into the Watergate but their plan has a hitch right away as they have the wrong tools to break in Clean: Jeb Magruder (Ike Barinholtz) says, 'Somebody needs to clean this mess up,' as Gordon asks, 'Do you want us to break in a fourth time?' Another shot shows Gordon's daughter Grace (Amaryllis Miller) asking from the back of the family car, 'Did you just use a fun family outing to cover up some spy s**t?' Gordon is seen sending stacks of cash through a shredder as an incredulous Jeb asks, 'Why are you shredding money?' Howard says, 'We're not bulls. We're patriots acting in this country's best interest,' though his daughter Kevan (Kiernan Shipka) responds, 'What about the best interests of your family?' The trailer shows shots of all the aforementioned characters along with Kathleen Turner as D.C. lobbyist Dita Beard. Gordon is seen saying, 'They are trying to break us' while Gordon and Howard are seen at a bar, as Gordon shares some insight about the President. 'The President is a good man. Between you and me, I worry about some of the people with whom he surrounds himself,' as Howard nods in agreement. The final shot shows a small sign saying 'The Plumbers' installed in front of their office, as Howard explains, 'We fix leaks.' White House Plumbers debuts with the first episode on May 1, which will be available to stream on HBO Max. Shredding: Gordon is seen sending stacks of cash through a shredder as an incredulous Jeb asks, 'Why are you shredding money?' Good man: 'The President is a good man. Between you and me, I worry about some of the people with whom he surrounds himself,' as Howard nods in agreement For Olivia Gay, there has long been an unanswered question: "What can we do, as an artist and a citizen, to be useful to the forests, which are suffering so much?" Question from a child who grew up "at the foot of the Vosges, in constant contact with nature", in a family where we liked "that the children live in the open air"... and also from a distinguished rider who chose " to live in the forest of Fontainebleau with two young horses". Question, above all, of a brilliant musician, one of the great talents of her generation, trained mainly in Germany and winner of the prestigious Cziffra Foundation. "I still spend my day with a wooden instrument", she laughs... Not just any instrument, by the way: the cello she plays was made in 1733 by one of the best luthiers in History, the Venetian Domenico Montagnana. The luminous-sounding cellist has finally found an answer to her haunting question. In July 2022, it entered into a partnership with the National Forestry Office and its Agir pour la foret endowment fund. "In my forest of Fontainebleau, I saw the little green men of the ONF passing by! she says. I thought of just contacting them. And I found myself at the Climate Academy in Paris, immersed in fascinating discussions on the issues of the forest, its preservation and even its rescue while the megafires continue to ravage it. Olivia Gay now plays in the forests of France. This Friday, March 31, she will play in the Vendee forest of La Barre-de-Monts. On April 23, she will be among the legendary trees of Broceliande; May 13, near Rambouillet; on July 12, in La-Teste-de-Buch, one year to the day after the start of the terrible fire of 2022. Part of the money is donated for the reforestation of forests decimated by fires and related tree diseases to global warming. His new record, Whisper Me a Tree (from Fuga Libera), is a wandering "among water and trees, framed by Elgar's Songs of Morning and Night". We also hear Offenbach, Faure, Dvorak as well as composers with a melodious sound (Max Richter, Camille Pepin). All on cello alone, or with the National Orchestra of Cannes conducted by Benjamin Levy. What do all the chosen works have in common? A direct, carnal link with the land and nature, where I feel good. I hope to make people think We need the forest to breathe, to live and also to create. Nature has always been at the heart of artists' inspiration. And the first music comes from the sounds of nature! A music that immerses the spectator in a happy meditation amplified by the listening conditions Because a concert in the forest is like no other. "One of the goals is the immersive and sensory experience," says the cellist. It's about awakening all the senses, which is a good basis for listening to music. The music of nature intertwines with the music we play. A bird's song, the wind, a sunset..." The choice of each place is made according to rigorous criteria, with a forest professional: "We settle where we disturb the wildlife as little as possible: in clearings, old quarries If she has a favorite tree, it is "the weeping willow, which evokes by its falling foliage a deep romanticism, a sweet melancholy but also a refuge, a comforting cocoon behind its green curtain. Like Disney Pocahontas' "Grandmother Foliage"! This weeping willow takes on the appearance of a reassuring grandmother, a guide, a familiar voice, a confidante. But Olivia Gay's favorite forests are those in the mountains for their "fairy conifers... You expect to come across an elf or a troll at any moment." A nod to this leaping Danse des elves by David Popper, which she performs wonderfully. In terms of magical creatures, it is indeed a cellist that the walker in the forest should now expect to see appear at the bend of a path. More information to find Olivia Gay in concert on https://www.olivia-gay.com Yolanda Schicker-Siber delicately secures a long claw with a thin wire, completing the reconstruction of the skeleton of a tyrannosaurus rex which will be auctioned next month in Switzerland. A giant puzzle that the curator of the Aathal Dinosaur Museum in Zurich painstakingly assembled over two days with other experts. The bones of the T-Rex, an animal that lived 67 million years ago, traveled from Arizona (USA) to Zurich (Switzerland) in nine giant crates. Called Trinity, the approximately 3.9-meter-tall and 11.6-meter-long skeleton lays on a red carpet, under crystal chandeliers, in the middle of a Zurich concert hall, where it will be displayed before its sale on April 18. According to the auction house Koller, its price is estimated between 6 and 8 million Swiss francs (roughly similar amounts in euros). This is a "fairly low" estimate, warned the natural history expert of the house Koller, Christian Link, while we are witnessing a real craze among buyers for this type of relic. Trinity is actually an assemblage of bones from three different T-Rex found between 2008 and 2013 in formations in Montana and Wyoming, in the northwestern United States, according to the auction catalog. It was on these sites that two other large T-Rex skeletons were discovered and auctioned: in 2000, Stan was sold for $31.8 million, shredding the previous record set by Sue, sold in 1997 for $8.4 million. Last year, the auction house Christie's had to withdraw a few days from the sale in Hong Kong another T-Rex skeleton, also from Montana, because of doubts about the authenticity of parts of the fossil. Reconstituting Trinity was not an easy task, assured Yolanda Schicker-Siber to AFP. The bones are very, very old. They are 67 million years old. So they are fragile, they have cracks, she explains then. Aart Walen, who has thirty years of experience in assembling dinosaur skeletons, agrees. "We haven't broken anything yet," he says proudly, as he and his colleagues work on two large seat bones near the pelvic region, where the eggs come out. A parakeet perched on his shoulder, Aart Walen fills in the cracks in the bones using what looks like dental tools and modeling clay. "It was important that the repairs were visible," he says, pointing to the dark areas where the cracks were. "You have to see where the repairs were made. There are fake stories floating around. We don't want that," he adds. It also shows that the sound is different depending on whether it hits the bone or the plastic pieces that completed the skeleton. Slightly more than half of the skeletal bone material comes from the three tyrannosaur specimens, which is more than the 50% needed for experts to consider such a skeleton to be of high quality. The Koller house wanted to be transparent about the origin of the bones. Hence the name Trinity. We make no secret of the fact that this specimen comes from three different dig sites, says Christian Link. The seller is an "individual" who wishes to remain anonymous. Sales of dinosaur skeletons regularly enliven auction evenings, even if it means frustrating paleontologists, who see it as one less chance of exhibiting them in museums. According to Christian Link, however, 95% of known T-Rexes are currently in museums, and if a private collector buys Trinity, he can, if he wishes, lend it to museums. He would personally prefer a Swiss museum to acquire it. The Swiss Dinosaur Museum Aathal, which Yolanda Schicker-Siber runs with her father near Zurich, unfortunately does not have the means to acquire Trinity. "But if someone buys it and doesn't know where to put it, we have a museum big enough to house a T-Rex," she slips, however. The Cutting South conclave, with its avowed mission of separating South India from the North, is being supported by the coalition in power in Kerala At a time when the world is reeling under the threat of war which, if not handled with restraint and pragmatism by stakeholders, could become a world war as the chairman of the G20, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the call of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam in tune with Bharat's ethos. As Bharat's statue is on the rise, forces inimical to its interests are working together to launch an onslaught to stop its progress. Although this is not new, recent efforts are more organized and well-funded. Controversial US billionaire George Soros whom external affairs minister S Jaishankar described as an old, opinionated and dangerous person has pledged $1 billion to fight emerging nationalist tendencies in countries like Bharat. He bankrolls divisive forces, media outlets, and civil society organizations to build narratives of separatism. He churns out atrocity literature and trigger social schism. A businessman who benefited from the economy's destruction is believed to have attempted the same destructive tactics in Bharat. However, he failed thanks to its robust economic fundamentals. The Cutting South media conclave, organized by some pro-Islamist, pro-Left media and propaganda outlets such as Kerala Union of Working Journalists, The News Minute, News laundry, Confluence media and some funders from Canada should be viewed from this perspective. The conclave was happening at a time when India is gearing up to organize various events for G20. A few days ago, on the eve of a G20-connected event in Punjab, Pakistan-funded Khalistani elements created a ruckus vitiating the atmosphere. Their agenda was to show that Bharat under the Modi dispensation is in utter chaos and persecuted groups demand separation from the nation. It is not a mere coincidence that around the same time, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi gave speeches in the UK. In these speeches, he called upon foreign leaders to intervene in domestic affairs 'to save democracy in Bharat. Although all these events may appear unconnected, the message and narrative sent across are dangerous, to say the least. Sinister Designs The most worrying aspect of the Cutting South conclave, with its avowed mission of separating South India from the North, is that the coalition in power in Kerala has not only given it moral support but also men and material. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and some of his senior colleagues and Congress leader VD Satheesan attended the event. The organisers tried to trap BJP leaders by hard-selling the event as a Global Media Festival. Fortunately, BJP leaders and several well-meaning journalists refused to participate. The event was organised to give ideological inputs and impetus to the agenda of anti-India forces, including the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) of dividing Bharat and promoting secessionism. Reports of the NIA chargesheet on PFIs Vision of creating an Islamic country in Bharat by 2047 should be seen from this perspective. PFI, according to the chargesheet, planned to enhance jihadi capacities in the South to turn it into a hub of Islamic terror activities. This was so that in the event of an attack from Pakistan, its cadres could attack the Indian Army, making our country vulnerable. The chargesheet also mentioned how PFI promoted and funded divisive forces to widen fault lines in Hindu society. Dubious journalist Siddique Kappan, an associate of PFI, is facing trial in a UAPA case for creating social tension in Uttar Pradesh. When Kappan was lodged in jail, the conclave organizers were pushing fake and pro-PFI narratives through their media outlets. PFI had managed to build a common cause with secessionist forces, Maoists and urban Naxals which was evident during the anti-CAA protest. Khalistani elements provided funds and logistical support to the Shaheen Bagh protests. Former JNU students instigated Islamists to cut Assam and North East from the mainland using crowds and violence. In this context, it should be mentioned that the preparations for the conclave had started much before the ban on PFI. The conclave's social media page had a distorted Bharat map. The Chief Minister and organisers pulled wool over peoples eyes by saying that the conclave was an event to celebrate pro-people journalism in the Global South. If this were the case, why would it be necessary to separate South India from the North? The whole of Bharat is part of the Global South not a truncated Bharat. Already efforts to drive a wedge between communities are underway in South Indian states. The recent incidents in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu triggered by language chauvinists are part of the larger scheme. Sharjeel Imam who advocated Bharat splitting is languishing in jail. In contrast, those who called for the vivisection of the South enjoy political parties. It is high time the Centre turned its gaze on the South to prevent such outfits from pursuing their divisive agenda. (The author is the national convener of Prajna Pravah, an RSS-inspired organisation) NPA needs to be delinked from criminality and treated as part of the normal banking function I was appointed as the Government director on the Board of Indian Bank in 1999, which had a negative net worth at the time. Had it not been a public sector bank, the regulator (Reserve Bank of India) would have recommended its closure. Owing to the fact that the Government is the lender of last resort, public sector banks are allowed to function; they get the required capital support from time to time. It was during the same period that an expert committee of the Planning Commission, under an international expert who later became the RBI Governor, identified three banks as weak banksIndian Bank, UCO Bank, and Punjab and Sind Bank recommended their closure. Despite the fact that it was not within the jurisdiction of the Planning Commission to have taken up such an exercise, recommendations of the expert committee hit the headlines and were discussed at various forums; these were seen as necessary to strengthen the Indian banking system. Even the Narasimham Committee, appointed by the Government for the banking sector, did not recommend such a closure of the so-called weak banks. The RBI and the Finance Ministry acted correctly by not examining the expert committee report and ignored it. The Government has superseded the boards of weak banks to improve their performance. At that time, in Indian Bank there were only four directors an RBI nominee, a Government nominee, a CMD, and an ED. A non-local CMD was also consciously appointed in these banks. The newly truncated Board has the specific task to revive the bank in a defined time frame. In the first meeting of the Board of Indian Bank, it was informed that the bank was not extending any credit due to high non-performing assets (NPAs) in its portfolio and the board was almost non-functional. Bank loans are assets and deposits are liabilities. Banks cannot survive on liabilities. Narrow banking, earlier adopted and newly launched payment banks, have yet to prove effective. At the Board meeting, when asked about the NPA account not being settled, it was informed that most of the cases were referred to the CBI and were under investigation. So the bank was not doing anything, despite the fact that many of the cases were reportedly backed by substantial assets or performance securities. There was a fear on the part of the management to enforce these and realise the outstanding amounts. At the second meeting of the Board, I mentioned that the CBI will look into criminal offences and will not be able to help recover the outstanding amount. The bank shall close and realise all NPA cases based on assets and security available. The CMD was reluctant and stated, What will happen to my career? Will the CBI not object to this? The RBI nominee did not oppose the proposal. The CMD was, however, later convinced that it will be the joint responsibility of the entire Board and she alone could not be held responsible for the decision of settlement. It was emphasised that the bank's revival was closely dependent on addressing the bank's NPA. The government was also unlikely to provide capital support with such a high NPA. Fortunately, everyone in the Board agreed to the proposal. In the next six months in the bank management committee and Board, the only agenda was approval of the settlement proposal of the NPA cases. All accounts, whether referred to the CBI or otherwise, were settled based on the security assets available in each case. The books were cleaned and the bank began lending again, while the Government provided capital infusion under a restructuring proposal. The enthusiasm of the bank's officers and staff increased significantly and their commitment to the revival of Indian Bank was noticeable. A leading public sector bank in the country, Indian Bank is listed on stock exchanges. Its market cap is better than many other banks. Revival of Indian Bank is a case study, aptly elucidated by the ex-CMD in a book written by her. During the Indian Bank revival period, the Government appointed an oversight committee of experts from outside (private sector) to guide the bank Board. In the first meeting the oversight committee had with the Board, they came up with suggestions to wind up operations in Singapore and sell some more assets of the bank. These suggestions were rejected outright by the Board. The oversight committee complained to the RBI and the Finance Ministry about the lack of cooperation from the Board. I explained the views of the Board to the Ministry and the RBI; fortunately for the Bank, the oversight committee never again made suggestions to the Board. The bank was once considered weak, fit for winding up, but now stands out as a shining example of a successful bank in India. As a result, NPAs can be viewed as an integral part of the banking sector and should not be considered criminality. In private banks, NPAs are manageable: they restructure, compromise, or write them off on time. In public sector banks, it is mandatory for banks to refer a case of NPAs to the vigilance department. This delays the settlement process; the underlying assets and securities get stripped due to this and the bank has to make full provisions (even if there are underlying assets). NPAs are related to the economic growth cycle, technological changes, and regulatory considerations. Banks need to appreciate all these on a case-to-case basis and take a view regarding restructuring, compromise, settlement, etc. These conditions of referring cases to vigilance are unnecessary; they obstruct the bank in resolving the NPA issue in a timely manner. All decisions of this nature are made by the management committee, which includes the RBI and government nominee as well as the independent director. (RBI nominees are not appointed as of now). The 1990s were a difficult decade for public sector banks. Nationalisation in 1969 and then in 1980 brought banks under the Government. The change in managerial character impacted their functioning. Many positive things happened. Bank lending was linked to the Government vision of promoting an equitable society with access to credit; hitherto neglected sectors were categorized as priority sectors. Forty per cent of the total credit was mandated to be extended to priority sectors which included agriculture and MSMEthe backbone of the Indian economy. However, Government control influenced the banking sector's health and contained the adoption of cutting-edge technology and products to meet the aspirations of the emerging population. It was mainly after the emergence of private sector banks that provided quality service to customers that the public sector banks started to reform. They adopted technology with greater focus on customer service. There is no doubt that the quality of officers and staff is very competent and capable in public sector institutions; the problem is with the lack of flexibility and incentives. Bank managements should be allowed to deal with NPAs; CBI and CVC should not become burdens for them. Banks have their own vigilance departments which can address all such matters. NPAs in banks need to be delinked from criminality and treated as part of the normal banking function. Accountability must be defined at every stage of the loan. It is time to provide a level-playing field to public sector banks. (Retd IAS, former CMD, CSC e-governance, Ministry of Information Technology) The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued summons to Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray and Sanjay Raut on a civil defamation suit filed by Eknath Shinde faction leader Rahul Shewale for their statements against Shinde faction. Justice Prateek Jalan, however, declined to pass any interim order restraining the leaders from making any statements saying no interim order can be passed without hearing the defendants. "I don't want to pass a gag order on day one, an injunction against free speech in a political fight," the judge said. Shewale, who is the leader of Shiv Sena in the Lok Sabha, moved Court alleging that Raut had said that there was a deal of Rs. 2000 crore following which the Shiv Sena name and bow and arrow symbol was allotted to the Eknath Shinde faction by the Election Commission by a recent order. Senior Advocate Rajiv Nayar appeared for Shewale and asked the court to pass an order to injunct Thackerays and Raut from making any further defamatory allegations. The Court said that these are matters falling within political arena and it will pass orders only after hearing the defendants. Nayar said that the defendants have made allegations against institutions like the Election Commission. Justice Jalan responded by saying that institutions will have to stand up for themselves. The Crime Branch of Delhi Police has arrested a 41-year-old man for supplying illegal weapons to criminals in the national Capital, an official said on Thursday. Police said that they have also recovered five country-made pistols along with eight bullets from the possession of the accused identified as Mohd Sageer, a resident of Old Seelampur. Sageer runs an eatery (dhaba) in the area of Old Seelampur, Delhi. The Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Singh Yadav said that specific input was received regarding Sageer indulging in supplying weapons. "A raid was conducted in the area of Old Seelampur and Sageer was arrested while he was planning to sell the illegal firearms and ammunition," said the Special CP. On interrogation, it was revealed that Sageer used to obtain illegal firearms from one Mohd. Amir, who used to buy the firearms from Khurja, Uttar Pradesh. "Sageer used to procure illegal firearms for Rs 5000 each and further sold them for Rs 10,000 to unknown. Further, it emerged that Amir was connected with one Prem Singh in Khurja, Uttar Pradesh," said the official. "Uttar Pradesh Police had arrested Prem Singh and sealed the illegal factory of manufacturing the illegal firearms near Bulandshahr," said the official. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court to issue notice to Kerala government on a publicly available hate speech clip against Hindus and Christians, and also cited absence of action taken against a DMK spokesperson in Tamil Nadu for allegedly making a hate speech against Brahmins. The top court stressed that the moment politics and religion are segregated, then politicians will stop using religion and "the moment politicians stop playing games, the whole thing will go". Mehta submitted before a bench headed by Justice K.M. Joseph that a spokesperson of the DMK, the ruling party in Tamil Nadu, on TV made a hate speech against Brahmins and the man does not even face an FIR and he continues to be a spokesperson of a recognised political party. He also sought the court's permission to play a clip from Kerala, publicly available, where hate speech was made against Hindus and Christians at a Popular Front of India (PFI) rally. Recently, a tribunal constituted under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) rejected the argument that the PFI and its seven affiliates were banned for political gains with an ulterior motive. "This should shock the conscience of the court that such a thing has happened," Mehta said, adding that Kerala-based petitioner Shaheen Abdullah is not bringing this fact, where a child was used to make the statement, to the notice of the court. In the context of the Kerala clip, Justice Joseph said: "We know that." Mehta then said that if lordships know that, then the court should have taken suo moto cognisance of this incident along with contempt petition filed by the petitioner regarding hate speech made at rallies in Maharashtra. During the hearing, Justice Joseph remarked: "State is impotent". Mehta immediately retorted: "Can't say that about any State but Centre is not. The Centre has banned PFI. Please issue notice to the State of Kerala so that they can respond to this." The bench, also comprising Justice B.V. Nagarathna, orally observed: "Why is it, after the enforcement of the Constitution for the first few decades, such kind of speeches were never there in India." But Mehta said: "This kind of speeches have always been there; your lordships have taken cognizance recently." Justice Nagarathna said the idea of fraternity was so much there, "we are sorry to say, now cracks have come in... I am saying there must be restraint on every citizen with this, hate speech will go... why as a society we are not having restraint". Mehta said it should happen across religions and the petitioner should bring on record facts from other religions in other states too. The bench said it will appreciate it when the state comes up with a mechanism, where hate speeches are curbed in the society. Mehta said a mechanism already exists, there is an offence, the police station takes it up and there is judgment in Tehseen Poonawala, but people move the court selectively. Justice Joseph said: "I dare say, I say this in the public interest and interest of the nation that the moment politicians stop playing games, the whole thing will go. The moment politics and religion are segregated, the politicians will stop using religion... See the deep connect between religion and politics." Mehta did not agree with Justice Joseph's oral observation and urged him to hear the clip from Kerala, while stressing that the clip has no politics in it and it is a pure and simple religious hate speech. But the judge did not agree to play the video clip from Kerala. After hearing a detailed argument, the bench did not issue notice to Kerala on the video clip and the DMK spokesperson statement cited by Mehta, instead, issued notice to the Maharashtra government on Abdullah's plea seeking contempt action for failing to rein hate speeches by Hindu organisations despite apex court orders. On Tuesday, Mehta had vehemently submitted that why petitioner is targeting one community in one particular state? He added that if he is genuinely public spirited, he must bring on record all instances of hate speeches across the country, irrespective of religion and state. Advocate Nizam Pasha represented the petitioner in the apex court. The top court has scheduled the matter for further hearing on April 28. At the end of the hearing, Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, representing the Maharashtra government, submitted: "Why to keep sword of contempt hanging?" To this, Justice Joseph said the court will have to keep it and "we are following the Constitution and orders in every case is bricks in the structure of rule of law..." Multi-alignment and hedging are the order of the day as the present era is an era of poly crises and all aspects of globalization are under stress including trade, technology, finance, movement of human resources, energy and food. Making this point here on Tuesday, chief of the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) Sujan R. Chinoy also expressed apprehensions that many developed nations might face recession at a time when the impact of Covid 19 and Russia Ukraine war has exacerbated regional economic challenges. In such a context, hedging and multi-alignment are the order of the day. He expressed his optimism about India becoming a developed country by the centenary year of its independence riding on its resilient economy and fast growth rate. Talking about the Indo Pacific, he said that it was emerging as a more transparent and inclusive construct and India would favour an inclusive and rule-based order in the region. In his introductory address, Chinoy said in Asias multi-polarity lies the hope for multi-polarity at the global level. He said Indias G20 presidency has many firsts. For the first time, it is being taken to the masses and four developing countries are hosting it back to back last year it was Indonesia and this year it is India. Over the next two years Brazil and South Africa are going to host it. In a positive development for Indians seeking a US visa, the wait time for visitors visa interview in India has been reduced by 60 per cent this year. This comes against the backdrop of concerns in India over long waiting period for first time applicants, especially for those applying under B1 (business) and B2 (tourist) categories. The waiting period of first time B1/B2 visa applicants in India was close to 1,000 days in October last year. The reduction in waiting period was due to several measures taken by the Biden administration, including opening more diplomatic missions in India and abroad to process these applications. More than 100 US diplomatic missions were now issuing visas to Indians, a senior US official has said. India was one of the very few countries where applications for US visas saw a major upswing after coronavirus-related travel restrictions were lifted. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Visa Services Julie Stufft told PTI that the goal of the State Department is to get to 1 million visas issued this year, which would be above the pre-pandemic number. We have increased the number of officers going to India. We have set up arrangements, which is unprecedented, with other embassies in the world like Bangkok to take Indians who are seeking visas. We are opening a new consulate in Hyderabad... And were just focused on making sure that we can bring the wait time down in India, she said. Stufft noted that Frankfurt, London and Abu Dhabi have taken a lot of Indian citizens who are seeking visas. We have asked these missions to take Indians as if they were from their own host country. Especially in places like Bangkok where there is no visa required for Indians and it is a relatively short flight. Obviously this is not ideal. We want Indians to be able to apply in India, and thats where well get to, she said. As a result of all of these efforts, the visitor visa interview wait time has decreased by 60 per cent just in the last couple of months. This is a result of all the work that weve put into making sure that Indians who wish to travel to the US can do so, she explained. The US Embassy in India has said with the lifting of Covid-related travel restrictions, the mission has made it a priority to facilitate legitimate travel and adjudicated over 8,00,000 non-immigrant visas in 2022, including record numbers of both student and employment visas. In every other visa category, interview wait times in India are at pre-pandemic levels or lower, the embassy said in a statement in January this year. Stufft said that currently visa production in India is 40 per cent higher than what it was before the pandemic, asserting that the State Department was working hard to bring down the wait time. In February, the US had the highest on-record production of visas in India. Our team there is working very hard and theyre well on their way to accomplishing the 1 million visa goal, Stufft said. In addition to the visitors visa, the State Department official said they are working on other types of visas, including student visas. Because we have been able to expand interview waivers, meaning fewer Indians need to come to the embassy or consulate for an interview, we can process that without seeing the applicant. That has helped us tremendously because we have had consular officers in dozens of countries who are actually remotely processing these Indian visas, Stufft said. This has made it possible for people who do not need an interview and those who have travelled to the US before to get their visa in a record time of less than two weeks, she said. It really is a global effort. Because we have such strong ties with India and the relationship between our two countries means that the categories of visas are the highest in IndiaStudents, tech workers, and crew members. Its a high cultural, educational and work relationship between our countries, Stufft said. She said anyone who has to travel to the US urgently for any sort of humanitarian matter their cases will also be expedited. But make your appointment, find the place that you can go in India or outside of India where its possible. And bear with us as we bring these wait times down. Were very happy to be hitting records every month with the number of visas that were issuing in India, she said. Stufft also said that the State Department is excited about launching a pilot project on domestic renewal of visas soon. Under this scheme, holders of certain work visa categories who are living in the US can apply for visa renewal without leaving the country. What this means in particular for a large number of tech workers from India is that people would not have to go back to India or another part in the world to apply for their visa, Stufft said. Thats very exciting for all of us. It will take time. Were building up that operation from zero. Thats something that we have not done for several decades at this point. This will have big benefits for Indians who are living and working in America, she added. In January, Stufft said the wait time for an interview for work visas - such as H-1B and L1 visas -- has gone down from 18 months to about 60 days. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The Election Commission of India on Wednesday announced that the 224-seat Karnataka Assembly will go to polls on May 10 and results will be declared on May 13. With the announcement of the Assembly polls in Karnataka, it remains to be seen whether the BJP will script history by bucking a four-decade old trend of the ruling party losing the polls or if the Congress upstages its saffron rival to up its stakes as a challenger ahead of the 2024 parliamentary polls. No political party has won a successive mandate in the State since 1985 and the BJP is eager to rewrite this bit of history and retain its southern citadel. Karnataka currently has 119 MLAs of the ruling BJP, while the Congress has 75 and its ally JD(S) 28 seats. The current term of the Assembly ends on May 24. The BJP, the JD(S) and the Congress have already launched spirited campaigns for the polls. The Karnataka Assembly polls would be the first of the four semi-finals between the BJP and the Congress before the 2024 general elections, and the notion of a sympathy factor for the grand old party post the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha would also be put to test in the high-stakes contest. Four Assembly elections Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are scheduled for this year in which the BJP and the Congress are in a direct contest. The four States together have 93 Lok Sabha seats, which account for 17 per cent of its total strength, but they are close to 50 per cent of about 190 seats where the BJP and the Congress were in a direct fight in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Addressing a Press conference, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said the notification for the elections will be issued on April 13 and the last date for filing nomination papers will be April 20. Kumar said the nomination papers will be scrutinised on April 21 and the last date for withdrawal of nominations is April 24. He said the elections have been scheduled on a Wednesday, and not on a Monday or Friday, to encourage greater participation of voters. The State has 5.21 crore registered voters including 2.62 crore males and 2.59 crore females . First-time voters have increased from 2018-19 by 9.17 lakhs in Karnataka. All young voters who are turning 18 years of age by April 1, will be able to vote in Karnataka Assembly elections, Kumar said. As usual, corruption, price rise, reservations, caste politics, election promises, dynasty politics are likely to dominate during the campaigning in the State. The BJP Government, being led by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is also putting in efforts to return to power and stressing on the Kannadigas issue, reservation to the Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities by scrapping a religion-based reservation for the Muslim community, a decision which the State Government took recently. The 4 per cent reservation will now be distributed equally between the Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities. The Government, last year, had proposed that the companies that do not give first preference to Kannadigas will not be eligible for incentives. The Governments move came in the later part of last year in a bid to promote Kannada. It was included in the Kannada Language Comprehensive Development Bill. With tension persisting at the border in Ladakh between India and China, National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval on Wednesday stressed the need for respecting each others territorial integrity and sovereignty and not seek unilateral military superiority in adjacent regions. Making this assertion here during the meeting of the security advisers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), he also flagged the issue of terrorism and said it is among the most serious threats to international peace and security. The meeting was joined by the Secretary of Russias Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev, senior officials of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and a representative of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) of SCO. The officials of China and Pakistan participated in the meeting virtually. Without naming China, Doval emphasised the need for regional connectivity at the SCO meet but said such initiatives should be consultative and transparent and respect the sovereignty of all countries. These observations came in the backdrop of Indias opposition to China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as it passes through Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK). He also said members of the group should respect territorial integrity and not seek unilateral military superiority in adjacent regions, an apparent swipe at Chinas action in the region. Urging all countries to respect territorial integrity, Doval referred to the SCO charter and said it calls upon member states to have mutual respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity of states and inviolability of State borders, non-use of force or threat of its use in international relations and seeking no unilateral military superiority in adjacent areas. The charter further calls on member states to maintain relations with other countries and to cooperate in preventing international conflicts and in their peaceful settlement, Doval said as Ukraine conflict is unabated. On the scourge of terrorism, the NSA said, Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and its financing are amongst the most serious threats to international peace and security. Any act of terrorism, regardless of its motivation, is unjustifiable. India became a full member of SCO on June 9, 2017. There are four observer states - Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia and six dialogue partners - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey. The SCO is an inter-Governmental organization established in 2001 and it comprises eight member states, namely, India, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. In 2022, India assumed the SCO Chairship for 2023. Connectivity, Doval said, is a key priority for India, which is ready to cooperate in making investments to forge greater linkages within the region. While expanding connectivity, it is important to ensure that such initiatives are consultative, transparent and participatory, and respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, he said. Indias approach in this area is in sync with the SCO Charter to ensure comprehensive and balanced economic growth for integration into the global economy and improvement of transit capabilities, he said. India is also committed to including Irans Chabahar port within the framework of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), he said. Besides Indias objections to CPEC, the Indian side has expressed concerns about Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) resulting in a playing field that is not level and favouring Chinese firms. The Indian side has further expressed concerns about BRI schemes putting regional countries into a debt trap. India will hold meetings of SCO Defence Ministers in the national Capital during April 27-29 and Foreign Ministers in Goa during May 4-5. These meetings will culminate in the SCO summit in July, the first time India will host the event since joining the grouping in 2017. Almost 70 years after cheetahs were declared officially extinct in India, a cheetah translocated from Namibia to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh has given birth to four healthy cubs, officials said on Wednesday. The happy news came in the wake of the death of another relocated female cheetah at the Park two days ago. Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav described the birth of four cubs as a momentous event in Indias wildlife conservation history during Amrit Kaal. I am delighted to share that four cubs have been born to one of the cheetahs translocated to India on 17th September 2022, under the visionary leadership of PM Shri @narendramodi ji (sic), the Minister tweeted. He congratulated the entire team of Project Cheetah for their relentless efforts in bringing back the large carnivore to India and for their efforts in correcting an ecological wrong done in the past. Expressing his happiness over the safe birth of four cubs, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that for the first time the state has welcomed four cubs at Kuno National Park. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given a big gift for Madhya Pradesh on his birthday (September 17, 2022). It is good news for all of us, Chouhan added. Chouhan also ruled out speculation that two more cheetahs were unhealthy. Under the ambitious Cheetah reintroduction programme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the first batch of eight spotted felines five females and three males from Namibia into a quarantine enclosure at Kuno on his 72nd birthday on September 17 last year. Another set of 12 cheetahs were brought to India from South Africa last month. One of the Namibian cheetahs, Sasha, died due to a kidney-related ailment on Monday. Twelve more cheetahs were flown in from South Africa and released into Kuno in Sheopur district on February 18 this year. Cheetah is the only large carnivore that got completely wiped out from India due to over-hunting and habitat loss. The last cheetah died in Koriya district of present-day Chhattisgarh in 1947 and the species was declared extinct in 1952. A senior official at Kuno National Park said the cubs were believed to have been born five days ago, but they were spotted by officials on Wednesday. Siyaya, their mother, and the cubs were fine and healthy, said Sheopur divisional forest officer PK Varma. In fact, Siyaya has killed two animals since she became mother, officials said. She has been kept in a big enclosure at the park as of now. A female cheetah generally gives birth 90 to 93 days after mating. As Namibian cheetahs were brought here in September, Siyaya would have mated after her arrival in India. The twelve cheetahs brought from South Africa in February are housed in a quarantine enclosure and are healthy and active, officials said. Two Forest Department employees sustained critical bullet injuries when unidentified miscreants opened fire at them during patrolling in Boudh district in the wee hours of Wednesday. The injured were identified as Nilachal Pradhan and Naba Kumar Sahu. While Nilachala was shot in his shoulder, Naba received bullet injuries on his back. They were admitted to the District Headquarters Hospital in critical condition. As per reports, a team of forest department employees were on patrolling duty in Baghiapada forest on Tuesday night. However, some unidentified miscreants opened fire at the team at Khaliapali Square leaving two of them seriously injured. The miscreants fled the spot immediately after the firing. As per Boudh Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Debapriya Kampa, further investigation into the incident was underway. State BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP Deepak Prakash on Wednesday raised the issue of strengthening internet facilities in rural areas of State. The MP asked questions relating to internet facility in Panchayats, development of waterways in Jharkhand and status of Gaushalas taken under control by Animal Welfare Board of India for the care of unclaimed cows in the state. Responding to the questions of Prakash, Minister of State for Panchayati Raj Kapil Moreshwar Patil said that under the Digital India program, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj is implementing the e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project in all the States / Union Territories of the country. In order to provide high bandwidth capacity, expansion of mobile services in rural remote areas and broadband connectivity, the Bharat Net project is being implemented by the Department of Telecommunications in a phased manner to build a network to connect about 255,000 all Gram Panchayats in the country. So far, 1,93,531 gram panchayats have been made ready for service under the Bharat Net project in the country. Along with this, the target has been set to complete the project by 2025. Minister of State for Panchayati Raj said that the total number of Gram Panchayats and equivalent in Jharkhand is 4345, in which the number of Onboard Gram Panchayats is 4342, Online Payment Gram Panchayat 4337, Online Payment Block Panchayat 264, Online Payment Block Panchayat 263, Onboard District Panchayat 24 and also Online Payment District Panchayats. Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Parshottam Rupala while replying to a departmental question said that the Animal Welfare Board of India has not taken any Gaushala under its control for the care of stray bovines in the state of Jharkhand. The Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal while answering questions on waterways informed that an autonomous body under the Ministry has set up Multi Modal Terminals (MMT) on National Waterways through Government budgetary support including financial assistance from the World Bank. T), InterModal Terminal (IMT) has been constructed. The Union Minister said that under the Jal Marg Vikas Project three MultiModal Terminals have been constructed at Varanasi, Sahibganj and Haldia. The MMT of Sahebganj is located in Jharkhand. The Election Commission of India has announced the bypoll schedule for two assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. The seats are Suar in Rampur and Chhanbey in Sonbhadra district. The poll notification will be issued on April 13. The last date for filing the nomination papers is April 20 and April 24 is the date for the withdrawal of the nomination papers. The polling will be held on May 10 and counting of votes will be taken up on May 13. The by-election to the Chhanbey assembly seat has been caused by the death of Apna Dal (Sonelal) MLA Rahul Prakash Kol last month after prolonged illness. The Suar assembly seat in Rampur district goes to poll due to the disqualification of Samajwadi Party MLA Abdullah Azam Khan, following his conviction in a criminal case in February this year. Abdullah Azam Khan, the son of veteran SP leader Mohammad Azam Khan, had to face disqualification following conviction in a 15-year-old case. This marks the second disqualification for Abdullah Azam. In February, a court in Moradabad had sentenced Abdullah Azam Khan and his father Mohammad Azam Khan to two years in jail in a 2008 case. They were found guilty of stopping a public servant from discharging official duty and other charges after staging a protest on a state highway on January 29, 2008. Under the law, a lawmaker sentenced to imprisonment for two years or more can be disqualified from the date of such conviction" and remain disqualified for another six years after serving time in jail. Abdullah Azam Khan was disqualified in 2020 as the Allahabad High Court had set aside his election and he was disqualified from the assembly effective December 16, 2019. The court ruled that he was not qualified to contest the election as he was below 25 years of age when he filed his nomination papers as the Samajwadi Party candidate from Suar in 2017. Despite this, he won the Suar seat again in the 2022 assembly election. Siaya, a female cheetah from Namibia, has given birth to four cubs at Kuno National Park, in the Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh. As per the information, the female cheetah and the four little cubs are healthy now. With this development, the number of cheetahs in Kuno has increased to 23. A special team is taking proper medical care of the new guests and the female cheetah. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, informed about the development in a tweet and lauded the inspiration and successful efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for bringing Cheetahs to India. CM further said that the residents of Madhya Pradesh are happy and overjoyed with the arrival of four new cubs in the Cheetah family in Kuno National Park. Expressing happiness over this, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that the residents. Union Cabinet Minister for Environment and Forests, Bhupendra Yadav, in a tweet, has described the birth of cubs as a historic step in the direction of conservation of life in Amrit Kaal. According to officials involved in the cheetah conservation project, the birth of the cubs is a positive sign that the cheetahs in Kuno National Park are adapting well to their new environment. On the occasion of his 72nd birthday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released eight cheetahs brought from Namibia, which included five male and three female cheetahs, at Kuno National Park in Sheopur district. Under Project Cheetah (Cheetah Conservation Project) in India, cheetahs have been brought from Namibia and settled in Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday claimed that let alone the 2025 Assembly polls, the BJP would not even win Delhi in 2050. Speaking on the confidence motion tabled by him in the Delhi Assembly, Kejriwal alleged that the BJP withdrew the no-confidence motion after it failed to poach AAP MLAs, who he said wont succumb to any pressure. He alleged that the raids by the CBI and ED have brought all the corrupt people into one party and when the BJPs rule ends the country will become corruption-free. The motion was passed with majority by the House. The eight BJP MLAs were absent during the voting. Alleging the use of central agencies by the BJP, Kejriwal said the saffron party has not failed to miss any chance to trample democracy in the country. Kejriwal claimed his MLAs have been threatened with CBI and ED raids and offered Rs 25 crore bribe but nothing could break them. Each one of you is a gem. Dont be afraid. Even if you go to jail, I will take care of your family, he said. Citing Prime Minister Narendra Modis remark a day before that the ED-CBI have brought all the corrupt on one platform, Kejriwal took a dig at the BJP, saying The ED and the CBI have brought all the corrupt people in one party. All the thieves, looters and corrupt are in one party! Once the BJP people are in jail after their Governments rule ends, the country will become corruption-free, he charged. Citing the examples of Narayan Rane, Himanta Biswa Sarma and Suvendu Adhikari, he alleged that since they were involved in corruption, they joined the BJP. Kejriwal said that the BJP had tried to break his Government in 2017 and even in subsequent years, but were not successful. If you have some dignity left, do not try Operation Lotus on our MLAs. We are followers of Bhagat Singh, he said. Kejriwal said the BJP needed 14 MLAs for a no-confidence motion, and tried tactics to get AAP MLAs to its side but everything failed. Happenings inside the Delhi Assembly send out a positive message for democracy today, he added. Later, speaking to reporters after the Assembly session, Kejriwal said BJP had announced it will bring a no-confidence motion.But to table such a motion, you need signatures at least 20 per cent MLAs. In order to do so, they threatened our MLAs but none of them broke. AAP MLAs cannot be broken through fear and threat, he said. Opposing the trust motion, Leader of Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said that the AAP Government has lost the trust of the people. Even though it is in majority in the House, due to the height of corruption and neglect of public problems, now the public has no faith in this Government. Bidhuri said that the Kejriwal Government is embroiled in many corruption cases. Delhis exchequer was looted of thousands of crores of rupees due to the liquor scam, instead of providing clean water to Delhi, the people of Delhi were duped by the Jal Board scam, in the name of providing free electricity, they committed the electricity subsidy scam. Apart from this, the security of the country was put at stake due to the espionage scam. The Leader of the Opposition said that this Government came to power in the name of solving Delhis problems, but apart from making a dent in the government treasury, this Government did nothing. Participating in the discussion, BJP MLA Anil Bajpai alleged that the voice of Opposition is being suppressed in the House. AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak asserted that the confidence of the House as well as confidence of the people of Delhi is intact in the Kejriwal Government. PNS/ Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Sukhu, who met his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann over breakfast at the latters residence in Chandigarh on Wednesday, clarified that the water cess will be levied only on the hydropower plants within the hill state, and there will be no cess on any hydel power project related to Punjab. The Chief Secretaries and power secretaries of both states would hold a meeting within a week and discuss the issue in detail, said Sukhu, after the meeting, while describing the controversy a result of communication gap. The clarification came days after the Punjab Vidhan Sabha passed a resolution condemning the Himachal Pradesh ordinance levying water cess on hydel power projects. A similar resolution was also passed by the Haryana Assembly on the same day. The two Chief Ministers, during their meeting, held discussions over slew of issues concerning both states; and later addressed the media. We have discussed Himachal cess. The CM (referring to Sukhu) has told me that it is only on hydel projects in their state. Now, chief secretaries will meet every 15 days and all issues will be sorted out so that there is no confrontation, said Mann. Due to a communication gap, a situation came that we have put a cess on water. I have made it clear that there are 172 hydel projects where we have levied water cess. All those are in Himachal Pradesh. Punjab does not have any hydel project there, said Sukhu, adding that there is an issue of BBMB (Bhakra Beas Management Board), and we will sort that out. The issue was flagged by Mann during the meeting, expressing concern over the proposed water cess on hydropower plants being implemented by the HP government. Mann said that this should not be implemented as it is against Punjabs interests. However, Sukhu clarified that the water cess will be levied only on the hydropower plants within their own state, adding that it will not be applicable in Punjab. Meanwhile, to resolve the issue, both the Chief Minister agreed that the Chief Secretaries and Power Secretaries of the state will meet after every fortnight to ensure that there is no bickering amongst the states. They said that the top brass bureaucrats of both the states will amicably solve the issues confronting the states so that there is no issue between them. Both the Chief Ministers agreed for mutual cooperation in various fields for benefitting the people of both the states. Flagging another issue, the Chief Minister batted for ropeway between Sri Anandpur Sahib and Naina Devi to mutually benefit the two states. Both the Chief Ministers agreed that the project will ease the travel of devotees visiting the two shrines, which were located quite far from each other, with hilly terrain compounding their problems. Meanwhile, both the Chief Ministers also expressed concurrence over setting up Pathankot-Dalhousie ropeway project to boost tourism. They said that besides facilitating the tourists, it will also help to boost socio-economic development of both the states. Both the leaders also stressed on huge tourism potential in the region saying that it was in the interest of both the states in the region to work collectively to facilitate tourism. Mann also sought mutual cooperation between both states in the power sector too. He said that Himachal Pradesh can sell excess power available with it to the State during the peak season as this will help resolving the issue of power during the paddy season in Punjab. This is our neighbouring state, it would help us save transmission losses. We purchase power from other states, said Mann. As Mann stated that Himachal and Punjab have similar cultures, Sukhu added that Punjab is the big brother and Himachal is younger. He invited me over for breakfast, I now welcome him to Himachal. Punjab is a rich state, we welcome Punjab to invest in our state, said Sukhu. PNS/ The by-election for Jalandhar Parliamentary constituency, that fall vacant following the sudden demise of sitting MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary in January this year, will be held on May 10; and the counting will take place on May 13. The second bypoll after the Aam Aadmi Party took over the state reigns in March 2022, Jalandhar Lok Sabha would be a challenging seat for the ruling party to claim. Earlier, AAP had lost the Sangrur parliamentary byelections in June 2022, few months after it swept all the traditional political players in Punjab to win a record 92 seats to form the government causing much embarrassment to the party, especially the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann who had been a two-time MP. Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) president and Khalistani sympathizer Simranjit Singh Mann won the seat after defeating AAPs Gurmail Singh by a narrow margin of 5822 votes Traditionally a congress bastion, Jalandhar would be a litmus test for AAP, especially amidst the prevailing law and order situation in the state in the wake of crackdown against radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh. Notably, Congress has already announced the name of former MP Chaudhary Santokh Singhs widow Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary as its candidate for the bypoll. Prof Vig appointed PUs first woman VC Chandigarh: The Vice-President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday appointed Prof Renu Cheema Vig as Panjab University, Chandigarhs Vice-Chancellor making her the first woman to hold the position in the varsitys 141-year history. Exercising the powers conferred by Section 10 of the Panjab University Act, 1947, Dhankhar, who is also PUs Chancellor, made the appointment for a term of three years. An alumna of Punjab Engineering College (PEC), Prof Vig joined PUs University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET) as reader (associate in professor) in 2003. Subsequent to the resignation of Prof Raj Kumar as PU VC in January this year amid allegations of corruption, Prof Vig, who was at the time holding the charge of Dean of University Instructions (DUI), was appointed the acting V-C. Consequently, a three-member search-cum-selection committee was constituted on March 21, 2023, for recommending names for the position. Prof Vigs appointment follows from the committees report. Maoists killed a villager in Chhattisgarhs Narayanpur district after labeling him a police spy. Police sources said the Naxalites had served threat letters twice to Ramji Dodi, a former deputy sarpanch (village head) of Rajpur in Narayanpur, warning him not to work for the police. On Tuesday night, the rebels attacked his residence, picked him up, took him to the Jhara forests and killed him. His body was dumped near the village with a pamphlet threatening similar fate for who spy for the police. Earlier this month, Maoists killed a villager in Tumdiwal in Kondagaon district on a similar charge. The State Credit Seminar 2023-24 was organized by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) here on Wednesday. The strategy was brainstormed for convergence and synergy of programs/schemes of the State Government, NABARD, Banks, and other agencies in the seminar. On this occasion, the State Focus Paper 2023-24 was released. The theme of the seminar was Convergence of State Budget with Credit Plan. In his welcome address, Dr M.S. Rao, Chief General Manager, NABARD mentioned the role of NABARD in preparing credit plans for priority sectors. He shared the vision of Banayenge Naya Jharkhand with everyone. Dr. Rao highlighted the assessment of credit potential of Rs 43725.00 crore for FY 2023-24 under the Priority Sector for the State of Jharkhand. In conclusion, the Chief General Manager called upon the State Government and all banks to take concrete action to ground the credit projections in the NABARD State Focus Paper. He said that with the convergence of the state's agriculture budget of Rs 4000 crore, the banks can give agricultural loans of Rs 15000 crore. Sanjiv Sinha, General Manager, Reserve Bank of India, Ranchi urged all the banks to make concerted efforts to achieve the credit target for the next year. Manoj Kumar, General Manager, Bank of India, Piyush Bhatt, Chairman, Jharkhand State Rural Bank, Subodh Kumar, Convener SLBC, H.N. Dwivedi, Director, Department of Fisheries, Government of Jharkhand, Dr. Sujay Rakshit, Director, ICAR-IIABT, Ranchi were present in the meeting. Special Secretary, Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Department, Pradeep Hazari, asked banks to pay attention to 100per cent KCC coverage of farmers. Along with this, he asked to make efforts to establish the state focus paper as a research document. He urged Banks to take forward the schemes of the state government in the field of agriculture. On this occasion, banks doing excellent work in four categories in the year 2022-23 were honored. Key points of State Focus Paper 2023-24 The credit potential for the Priority sector in the State has been projected at Rs 43,725.91 crore for the year 2023-24, as against Rs 34,458.13 crore in the year 2022-23. Out of the total credit potential for the priority sector, an amount of Rs 14,630.40 crore (33.45 per cent of total priority sector credit potential) has been assessed for the agriculture sector. Out of total agricultural credit, the potential for crop loans is Rs 8,024.66 crore (54.84 per cent of total agricultural credit) and term loans for agriculture and allied activities is Rs 4,356.14 crore (29.77per cent of total agricultural credit). The agriculture infrastructure and ancillary activities credit potential is projected at Rs 2,249.34 crore (15.37per cent of total agricultural credit). The credit potential for MSME is estimated at Rs 22,071.87 crore (50.47 per cent of total priority sector credit potential). Other priority sectors comprising housing, education, export credit, renewable energy, loans to SHGs/JLGs and social infrastructure are projected at Rs 7,023.64 crore (16.06 per cent of the total priority sector credit potential). The Election Commission on Wednesday said it is looking into the issue of national status to the Aam Aadmi Party. It is under review... We will soon come back to you, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said while responding to a query at a Press conference. Election Commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel were also present. Meanwhile, the AAP has demanded that the EC recognise it as a national party immediately and ensure it gets all the facilities during the Karnataka Assembly polls that a national party is entitled to. The ECs announcement comes days after a Punjab and Haryana High Court advocate urged the top poll body to grant AAP national party status. The Election Commission announced the schedule for Karnataka elections today but we have a grievance with it, AAP Rajya Sabha MP and national spokesperson Sanjay Singh said at a press conference. He lamented that the poll panel has not yet taken any decision on the matter even after the AAP fulfilled the conditions required to be declared a national party with its performance in Punjab, Gujarat and Goa polls last year. Election Commission has not officially given national party status to AAP despite the party ruling Delhi and Punjab and has two MLAs with over 6 per cent vote share in Goa. The party also has five MLAs in Gujarat where it secured about 14 per cent vote share in the assembly polls last year, Singh said. AAP became eligible for national party status last year after securing nearly 13 per cent of the votes in the Gujarat election. To earn a national party status, a political outfit needs to be recognised as state party in four states and have at least two members in the respective legislative assemblies, according to the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) order,1968. And in order become eligible to be recognised as the state party, a political outfit has to win two seats and secures a minimum six per cent votes in the state. There are other criteria also to earn the national party status. The AAP has been recognised as a state party Delhi, Punjab, Goa and Gujarat. The AAP stormed to power in Punjab winning 92 of the 117 assembly seats, recording a stupendous victory in the state assembly polls last year. It was anyway already recognised as a state party in the state. In Goa, it bagged two seats and secured an overall vote share of 6.77 per cent, leading to its recognition as a state party in the coastal state. By the end of the 2022, the AAPs national ambition got wings as it won five seats and secured an overall vote share of 13 percent in the Gujarat assembly polls, which was enough for the AAP to be recognised as the state party. The Uttar Pradesh cabinet has approved amendments to the Nagar Nigam and Nagar Palika Acts to incorporate suggestions offered by the Backward Classes Commission in its report so that local body elections could be held as per the guidelines of the commission. An ordinance regarding these amendments will be issued soon. The approval was given in a cabinet meeting held here on Wednesday. Urban Development and Energy Minister AK Sharma said that the commission had suggested guidelines for local body elections for which Nagar Nigam Act and Nagar Palika Act needed to be amended. He said the state cabinet gave the approval to bring those amendments in the Nagar Nigam Act and Nagar Palika Act. An ordinance regarding the amendments would be issued soon, Sharma told reporters. He said that the state government had assured the Supreme Court that the process for local body elections would start within two days and today, the ball had been set rolling in this direction. The minister said a provisional notification regarding local body elections was issued on December 5 as the municipal elections in Uttar Pradesh were to be held in January. After this, some petitions were filed in the High Court and the court ordered that the reservation process be investigated by forming a dedicated commission to determine the reservation of Backwards, Sharma said. He further said that the order of the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court came on December 27 and the state government formed a five-member Uttar Pradesh State Local Bodies Dedicated Backward Classes Commission on December 28, chaired by Justice (Retired) Ram Avtar Singh. The other members of the commission were Chob Singh Verma (retired IAS officer) Mahendra Kumar (retired IAS officer), Santosh Kumar Vishwakarma ( retired higher judicial services officer, and Brijesh Kumar Soni, also a retired higher judicial services officer. The minister also stated that the state government was committed to providing complete reservation to the OBC category in local body elections and therefore the state government did not waste time and constituted the commission so that demographic representation of OBCs could be determined. The chief minister has time and again said that through the recommendations of the commission, his government would ensure that the benefits of reservation are provided to the OBCs on the basis of guidelines of triple-test set by the Supreme Court, the minister said. As the municipal elections were to be held in January, the tenure of all the municipal bodies, including Lucknow Municipal Corporation, have come to an end. Elections are to be held in 17 municipal corporations, 200 municipal councils and 517 nagar panchayats. Orchids The International School (OIS), the leading K12 school chain in India, has announced the opening of its first school at Hoshangabad Road, Ratanpur Sadak, Bhopal. The launch program was held in MPT Palash Residency, Bhopal, where the school model and the curriculum highlights were unveiled during the event. To be known as Gyan Ganga Orchids The International School, the school is built on a vast area of around 4.5 acres. It has the best-in-class amenities, including DIY Lab, a music and dance studio, a theatre, digital boards in every class, an activity room for arts and crafts, a play station for kindergarten, science labs, a well-equipped infirmary with a nurse available during school hours, and many more facilities for the students. The school has classes from nursery to grade XII and is affiliated with CBSE. The school will focus on experiential learning, STEAM, and multiple intelligence pedagogy, with a significant focus on project-based learning and physical education. The school will also provide special education to the required students with the help of experts and programs designed specifically for them. The school has a unique program in its curriculum, including horticulture, public speaking, financial literacy program, astronomy, and robotics. Horticulture The horticulture curriculum includes both theory and practical lessons. A polyhouse, hydroponics, and greenery of flowers, fruits, medicinal plants, and vegetables will be present on the campus. Financial Literacy Program The Financial Literacy Program is designed to help students become financially literate while also educating them about the economy and financial system, assisting them in overcoming the obstacles of the changing economic environment. Robotics The Robotics course for kids has been meticulously designed to allow our young geniuses to explore the world of technology and robotics extensively. We intend to keep our students updated with the latest technological advancements, and Robotics is a fun and effective way to introduce kids to programming and engage their interests in other subjects creatively. The spokesperson of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) Bhakta Charan Das has said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi is strangling democracy in the country to save his friend Gautam Adani. Rahul Gandhi is being targeted because he asked questions from the PM about Adani. The Congress leader who also is the in-charge of Bihar, Mizoram and Manipur told media persons here on Wednesday that the Indian National Congress would do everything to save the democracy in the country. Correlating the legal action on Rahul Gandhi with his questions on Adani in parliament, Das said that Rahul Gandhi on February 7 said that Adani has Rs 20,000 crore in his shell companies and asked the source of this money. Showing the pictures in parliament, Rahul Gandhi asked questions about the relationship the PM has with Adani. Das said that nine days after his speech in parliament over the Adani scam, the defamation case against him was revived. He claimed that for the first time in the history of the country the ruling party is not allowing the parliament to function. Das said that the united opposition wants a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) on the issue. He said that Rahul Gandhi had given two written notices to the Speaker to allow him to speak in parliament but he was not given permission. The Congress leader said that the BJP is levelling false allegations on Rahul Gandhi in order to divert the attention from Adani scam. He said that the government machinery worked at a speed which was equivalent to light to disqualify Rahul Gandhi from the parliament within 24 hours of the judgement of the lower court even though the court had given a time of 30 days for appeal in the high court. This shows that BJP is afraid of Rahul Gandhi. He said that the allegation levelled by BJP President JP Nadda that Rahul has insulted the OBCs is mischievous and claimed that he had only asked- why is it that some thieves have Modi surname ? He never targeted any community. Das added that neither Neerav Modi nor Lalit Modi is OBC. The Congress leader said that PM Modi systematically silenced all the opposition and that he started from his own party. He claimed that all the leaders of the BJP barring Nitin Gadkari are nothing but slaves. He added that the people of the country are agitated over the manner in which the opposition leaders and Rahul Gandhi are being targeted in the country. The Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Karan Mahara, the leader of opposition (LoP) in State assembly Yashpal Arya, the vice president organisation Mathura Dutt Joshi, chief spokesperson of Uttarakhand Congress Garima Dasauni and others were present on the occasion. PNS : The city is gripped with religious fervour with the celebrations of the Ram Navami and the Basanti Navratra on the way. Devotees are flocking to akharas and temples and organising kalash yatras to get a glimpse of gods and goddesses. Devotees flocked to the Beldih Kalibari which is organising the Basanti Durgapuja every year. The Basanti Durga Puja was started by Late Shri Brahmananda Shastry under the banner of Bharatiya Yugavashistha Brahmananda Sangha. Since morning, men and women queued up to offer puja and get a glimpse of goddess Basanti today. Not only in Kalibari but a good crowd was also seen in Aamra Shobai Club in Sonari which has been organising the Basanti Durga Puja. The Children of Ramakrishna, a socio-spiritual organisation in Sidhgora too is organising the puja. We have been celebrating the occasion for several decades. Like every year this year too the devotees are participating in large numbers. The Kalibari was established in 1933 but the Basanti Durga Puja was started by Guruji in 1983, otherwise the Kalibari was known to organise the Sharadiya Utsav. Today, it has become a major venue even in the Basanti Navratra. People gather for worship and also to enjoy cultural performances in the evening, which is performed by cultural groups and from artists ," said one of the members of Bharatiya Yugavashistha Brahmananda Sangha. Senior Superintendent of Police Prabhat Kumar said that there will be 24X7 monitoring on social media, considering any sensitive news deeply, and sending it to others. All precautionary measures are being taken by the police administration for the purpose of not creating any hindrance in your festive atmosphere. Before forwarding the message to the people, it must be brought to the notice of the senior officials of the administration. You can contact the office bearers without any hesitation at any time. Administration will ensure immersion in the procession by 8 pm. Men and women waited in two different queues right to the temple gate and flowers. Security personnel along with volunteers of the temple were deployed all along the path to guide the devotees. Apart from this, several 'shobha yatras' are being taken out from different places of the city, Elaborate security arrangements are being made by the police to maintain peace during the puja period. RAF jawans were seen patrolling the main thoroughfares and all the important places in the city. Police personnel were also deployed in civil dress to keep an eye on miscreants. On the other hand the city and all the 157 akharas have prepared for their processions to be taken on Friday March 31. The Bajrang Akhada took out a kalash yatra with full fanfare including crackers, lighting for half a kilometre and with 10 music bands. The rally was taken out from Subernarekha ghat at 9 pm. The Thakur Pyara Singh and Dhurender Singh Club, the oldest akhara in the city started in 1921 would take out their procession on Navami in the evening with about 5000 people. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that micro, small and medium scale industrial units are the soul of Madhya Pradeshs economy. These units create many employment opportunities for the youth along with value addition of agricultural products and other materials at the local level. These units have an important role in boosting the economy. Entrepreneurs are our development partners. The state government gives top priority to micro, small and medium scale units. We want to spread a network of these units in the state. Every possible effort will be made to remove the difficulties coming in this direction. Chief Minister Chouhan was addressing 1450 MSME industrial units after transferring subsidy of Rs 400 crore with a single click. Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Omprakash Sakhalecha, Secretary P Narhari and other officials were present in the programme held at the Chief Ministers residence office building Samatva. Entrepreneurs from all the districts of the state, representatives of industry organizations participated virtually in the programme. The Chief Minister also interacted virtually with representatives of industry organizations and entrepreneurs. Chouhan said that Indias economy is progressing under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Activities are being carried out by developing a road map for Atmanirbhar Madhya Pradesh, in line with the Prime Ministers resolve to build an Atmanirbhar Bharat. Madhya Pradesh is the fastest growing economy of India. The GSDP of the state has become 13 lakh crore. But the capita income is Rs one lakh 40 thousand. We have also increased our irrigation capacity to a great extent. Agriculture is the backbone of our economy. A large number of employment opportunities are being created for the youth by skill upgradation in value addition of agricultural products. The Chief Minister said that the state government is providing all possible cooperation to develop successful entrepreneurs in Madhya Pradesh. Cluster approach has an important role in removing the difficulties of entrepreneurs. The state government is also making efforts in the direction of providing built infrastructure to small industries. The subsidy given to the entrepreneurs should be made available to them without any difficulty and the subsidy has been given only with the aim of zeroing down the possibilities of transactions taking place in it. Chief Minister Chouhan said that under the Mukhyamantri Yuva Kaushal Kamai Yojana, a stipend of Rs. 8 thousand will be given to the youth per month. Upgradation of skills by learning work will increase the chances of youth getting employment. Chief Minister Chouhan virtually interacted with State President of Laghu Udyog Bharti Mahesh Gupta, President of Mandideep Industrial Association Dr. Rajeev Aggarwal, Gwaliors entrepreneur Smt. Anju Bhadoria and Shahdols Rice Mill Director Navneet Singhania. Mahesh Gupta suggested providing support for land, infrastructure and machinery in the cluster system. Dr. Rajeev Aggarwal said that due to the implementation of MSME policy and startup policy in the state, entrepreneurs from other states are coming to Madhya Pradesh to set up their units. Smt. Anju Bhadoria requested to set up a special incentive system for women entrepreneurs Navneet Singhania said that only with the cooperation and encouragement of the officers, he has been able to establish and run the industrial unit successfully. A sensitization workshop on ICD 10 coding was organised by the Department of Hospital Administration AIIMS Bhopal in collaboration with Central Bureau of Health Intelligence, regional office Health and family Welfare Government of India in AIIMS Bhopal on Wednesday. The programme was inaugurated by Executive Director AIIMS Bhopal Prof. (Dr.) Ajai Singh. Dr.R.S Rawat Sr. Regional Director central bureau of Health Intelligence Bhopal was the Guest of Honour on the occasion. Dean academics, Deputy Director, Medical superintendent and Faculty Members were also present on the occasion. Around 100 participants attended the sensitization workshop. Director AIIMS Bhopal stressed the need that all Doctors and Paramedics should participant in such workshops, which help in 100% implementation of a program. Dr R.S Rawat in his address thanked the AIIMS Bhopal Administration for organising and cooperating for conducting the workshop. He further said that CBHI Bhopal will in future continue such workshops and training program in AIIMS Bhopal. Dean Academics during his address said that ICD10 training will in future be more helpful in uniform identification of diseases and reimbursement claims. Dr. Atul Shrivastava gave a detailed overview of the ICD 10 coding. He discussed neoplasm coding with the participants. Meanwhile, Department of Pathology and Lab Medicine, AIIMS Bhopal conducted a "Workshop on Basics of Flow Cytometry" on Wednesday. Residents and faculty from various Medical Colleges in Madhya Pradesh participated in the workshop. Facility for Flow Cytometry is imperative for the diagnosis and monitoring of hematological malignancies and thus dissemination of knowledge in this domain is of extreme importance for the benefit of patients of Central India. The workshop was inaugurated by Professor (Dr.) Ajai Singh, Executive Director, AIIMS Bhopal. At the inauguration, welcome note and brief introduction about the workshop was given by Professor (Dr.) Neelkamal Kapoor, Organizing Chairperson of the workshop. Several students protested outside the Delhi Universitys Indraprastha College for Women against alleged harassment of the college students were detained by police. According to the Left affiliated All India Students Association (AISA), some of the protesters were manhandled. Meanwhile, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has issued a notice to the city police and IP College over alleged harassment of women students during a college fest. The DCW said it has been reported that some men entered the college during the fest and harassed the students. Some men also allegedly tried to enter a hostel meant for girl students, it said. Earlier, the students had gathered to stage a protest after some men scaled the colleges boundary walls during a fest and misbehaved with the women students on Tuesday. AISA activists had called for a protest at 11 am on March 29 demanding accountability on behalf of the Delhi Police and arrest of those involved in the harassment of students. The Delhi Police showed up and brutally detained several of our activists in the most inhumane way possible, the students body said in a statement. It further said the student activists were taken to the Burari police station.This entire incident is a proof of the Delhi Polices inability to stand for justice and catch the real culprits. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday announced that the state government has given its consent for setting up of an Agriculture and Technology University in Kushinagar considering the vast scope of diversity in agriculture because of the fertile land of the district. Inaugurating as well as laying the foundation stone of 106 development projects worth Rs 451 crore at a ceremony held at Gandhi Kisan Inter College, Khadha, in Kushinagar, Yogi Adityanath said that the university would help create an ecosystem for agricultural growth in the region. The chief minister said that sugar mills could help India become self-reliant in oil production through ethanol. Pointing out that India currently imports oil worth Rs 16 lakh crore, he said that once India achieved self-sufficiency in oil production, the money would go to the accounts of sugarcane farmers, rather than to the foreign countries. CM Yogi said that the inauguration of Tehsil Bhawan in Kushinagar, along with opening of the international airport would also pave way for the growth of tourism in the region. Kushinagar has been witness to major spiritual and religious events in every period of time and has contributed significantly to the economy through agriculture. The place has fond memories of Lord Ram, Gautam Buddha and Mahavir. But, no one had imagined that the place would have an international airport or, a medical college. Today both have become realities. Though the air services remained affected due to the coronavirus pandemic, it is likely to pick up soon with Singapore, Bangkok, South East Asia, Sri Lanka and Arab countries having expressed their desire to launch flights from the airport, he said. While congratulating all the people on the occasion of Chaitra Navratri and Shri Ram Navami, the Chief Minister said that this was the same state where earlier development money and ration used to go into the pockets of a few people and people did not come out of their houses in fear of riots during festivals and celebrations were also banned by the administration. Today every festivals are being celebrated with enthusiasm. Presently Navratri and Ramzan are being celebrated simultaneously in peace and harmony, he said The chief minister said that 60 lakh gharaunis had been given to its rightful owners in Uttar Pradesh under PM Swamitva Yojana, which would them borrow loans to build houses, or start their businesses. Many reforms are taking place in the country under the leadership of the Prime Minister to ensure that the poor and the deprived got justice and benefits of all the welfare schemes. This is the sign of a sensitive government, he said. Yogi further remarked that it was the governments sensitivity because of which it stood with the people through thick and thin, providing them free test, treatment and vaccine as well as free ration to 80 crore people across the country and 15 crore people of Uttar Pradesh amid the pandemic that had brought the whole world to its knees. The CM said that for the training of the youth to enable them to get suitable jobs, PM Internship Scheme and CM Internship Scheme had been launched under which the interns were to be provided honorarium. The CM asserted that no one would die of encephalitis in Kushinagar as a result of six years of effort under the guidance of the Prime Minister. The chief minister stated that numerous villages in Uttar Pradesh situated on the other side of the Gandak river encounter a crisis during the rainy season. Peoples representatives have been instructed to provide estimates of the required funds to the government, which will be made available for swift resolution of the problem, he added. Meanwhile, the chief minister honoured the beneficiaries of Mukhyamantri Bal Seva Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, PM Swanidhi Yojana, National Rural Livelihood Mission, Agriculture Department, MNREGA and an entrepreneur. Giving an impetus to the generation of renewable energy, the Uttar Pradesh government will set up a Green Energy Corridor which will help in evacuation of power generated in solar power plants, particularly in Bundelkhand region, to the national grid. The decision was taken in the cabinet meeting held here on Wednesday Power Minister AK Sharma said that for transmission of renewable energy, the Green Energy Corridor was a prestigious project of the Government of India. In the second phase of this project, over 4000 megawatts of green energy needs to be evacuated from Uttar Pradesh region, particularly in the Bundelkhand area. This green corridor will help in successful evacuation of this green energy, the minister told reporters. He said power plants ranging from 1800 MW to 600 MW would be set up in different areas of Jalaun, Lalitpur and Jhansi in Bundelkhand and energy generated from them would need effective transmission. The total cost of the project would be Rs 4,786 crore for which 2,172-km-long transmission line will be laid. Besides, 20 sub-stations will be constructed for effective transmission of green energy. Of these sub-stations, one would be of 765 KW, three of 400 KW capacity, 10 sub-stations would be of 220 KW each and six of 132 KW. This project would be completed in the next 2-3 years, the minister said. He said that 20 per cent of the project cost would be borne by the UP government, 33 per cent by the Union government and the rest by a German company, KFW. In another decision, the state cabinet approved the proposal to set up 132 KW State Level Data Centre (SLDC) to ensure transfer of quality data by connecting it through optical fibre transmission line which would help in monitoring of sub-stations at real time data. A 10,000-km-long optical fibre line already exists in UP and this cabinet has given approval to set up an additional 6,036 km line to connect it with 132 KW sub-station. The total cost of the project is Rs 359 crore. Thirty per cent of its cost would be borne by the UP government and the rest would be the subsidy from the Government of India, the minister said. He said this optical fibre transmission line could be a money spinner project for the state government as the government had agreed to allow telecom companies to use the unutilised optical fibre line. The government proposes to earn Rs 260 crore of which Rs 69 crore has been received so far. The state cabinet also approved setting up of State Urban Digital Mission on the lines of the National Urban Digital Mission which will help in improving e-governance in the urban areas. The aim of the government is to ensure that a person gets death and birth certificates with the click of the mouse. The government has assured Rs 12.50 crore this year and it would give Rs 25 crore in the next fiscal, the minister said. TABLETS AND SMARTPHONES The state cabinet has also approved a decision to distribute tablets and smartphones among the students. Finance Minister Suresh Khanna said that 10 lakh tablets and 25 lakh smartphones would be purchased this fiscal. This decision shows the commitment of the government to impart hi-tech education to the students, the minister said. The state cabinet also allowed registration of electric vehicles (EVs) free of cost while fitness certificates will be made available across the state. In another decision, 11,000 registered sportsmen would get the benefits of Jan Arogya Yojana. Union Minister Scindia had written to Prime Minister Modi and Railway Minister Vaishnav, requesting them to have a stoppage for the proposed Vande Bhaart train between Rani Kamalapati Station and New Delhi. As per reports, the railway ministry has agreed to Scindias demand and now the train will stop at Gwalior as well as Jhansi apart from Agra. Vande Bharat, Madhya Pradesh's first semi-high speed train is made with indigenous technology and is expected to replace the high speed Shatabdi Express. Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Ashwani Vaishnav, describing it as a big gift of the Modi government. Vande Bharat train is scheduled to start from Rani Kamlapati station (Bhopal) to New Delhi on April 1. In the first schedule released by the West Central Railway Zone, the train was expected to stop only at Agra. Due to non-stoppage in Gwalior, the people of the region were disappointed. Then people strongly demanded from Scindia for the stoppage of this train. Respecting the sentiments of the people, Civil Aviation Minister Scindia wrote a letter to Railway Minister Vaishnav and also discussed on the phone and urged the stoppage of the train. In what could be another opposition to imposing Hindi in the state, Tamil Nadu Cooperative Milk Federation known as, Aavin, will use only 'thayir' instead of 'dhahi'. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed all the state governments to print the word 'dhahi' before August 2023 in all the sachets that sell 'Curd'. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said that this was another move to 'impose Hindi' in the state. State minister for cooperatives, S.M. Nasar said that the state government cooperative will not use the word 'dhahi' as directed by the FSSAI and instead would stick on to the local term 'thayir' for curd. The Tamil Nadu Cooperative Milk Federation officials told IANS that the message of the state government that it would use only the word 'thayir' and not 'dhahi' has been communicated to the FSSAI. Meanwhile the Tamil Nadu state president of the BJP opposed the move of the FSSAI to use 'dhahi' and added that this was not in tandem with the central government policy of promoting regional languages. In a tweet, Annamalai said, "The notification released by the FSSAI for the use of word, Dhahi in curd sachets produced by the state run cooperative societies is not in tandem with the policy of our Hon PM Thiru@narendramodi avl to promote regional languages. We want an immediate roll back on the notification." The DMK functionaries have also tweeted in large numbers against the FSSAI directive. A twitter hashtag, "DahiNahipoda" (No to Dahi. Go on) is going viral on Twitter. It is to be recalled that Tamil Nadu has a long history of fighting for the language and several agitations had taken place in the state for the Tamil language pride. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan has lashed out at the federal government for trying to clip the discretionary powers of the countrys chief justice, asserting that the move was aimed at putting more pressure on the judiciary.Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar presented The Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023 on Tuesday, after a suo motu notice taken by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial on February 22 on elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces Every one of us wants judicial reforms. But, their [the PDM parties] only goal is to escape from the election, Geo TV quoted the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief as saying in a televised address on Tuesday. The attack on the Supreme Court of Pakistan by the gang of criminals, the attempts to reduce its powers and degrade it, is being strongly resisted by the people and this resistance will continue, Khan tweeted. Khan, 70, said the current dispensation took the decision in a hurry, only to put pressure on the judiciary, the report said. The suo motu (on its own) power is based on the original jurisdiction of the court under Article 184 of the Constitution. However, its usage over the years has created an impression of partiality on the part of the Chief Justice. It was openly challenged for the first time by the two judges who were part of a bench which, in its 3-2 majority decision of March 1, directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to consult with President Arif Alvi for polls in Punjab and Governor Ghulam Ali for elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The five-member bench was reconstituted by Bandial, who took a suo motu action against the delay in elections and initially formed a nine-member bench to deal with the issue. However, two of the nine judges differed with the decision to take suo motu notice, while two other judges recused themselves, prompting the Chief Justice to form a new bench. Justice Shah and Justice Mandokhail, in their detailed 28-page dissenting note, rejected this judgment in the suo motu case and lambasted the Chief Justices power to form a bench for important cases. Pakistans National Assembly on Wednesday adopted a bill aimed at curtailing the discretionary powers of the chief justice, a day after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that history would not forgive us if parliament did not enact laws to curtail the powers of the countrys top judge. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar presented The Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023 in parliament on Tuesday night, which was approved by the Cabinet earlier in the evening. The National Assembly passes The Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023, the lower house announced in a tweet. The development comes two days after two Supreme Court judges questioned the suo motu (on its own) powers of the countrys top judge. It is being said that a constitutional amendment should be made, Tarar said. I want them to know there is no need for a constitutional amendment. North Waziristan lawmaker Mohsin Dawar introduced amendments which were accepted. Earlier in the day, the Standing Committee on Law and Justice approved the cabinets proposed amendments. Additional amendments included the right to appeal against the suo motu verdicts taken up to 30 days before the passing of the Lawyers Protection Act were included in the bill along with the amendment that any case that involves interpreting the Constitution will not have a bench with fewer than five judges, Dawn newspaper reported. Regarding suo motu powers, the draft states that any matter invoking the exercise of original jurisdiction under Article 184 (3) shall be first placed before the committee of three senior-most judges.. .If the Committee is of the view that a question of public importance with reference to the enforcement of any of the fundamental rights conferred by Chapter I of Part II of the Constitution is involved, it shall constitute a bench comprising not less than three judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan which may also include the members of the Committee, for adjudication of the matter, it adds. The legislation also allows appeals within 30 days of a verdict being issued on a suo motu case and enforces that a bench be constituted to hear such an appeal within 14 days.The bill as presented aimed to reduce the discretionary powers of the chief justice to take suo motu action and also set up benches for hearings of cases. : Swedens Foreign Ministry summoned Russias ambassador Wednesday after Moscows diplomatic mission in Stockholm said the Scandinavian country would become a legitimate target for Russias retaliatory measures if it joined NATO. Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom called the statement posted on the Russian Embassys website an obvious attempt at influence. Swedens security policy is determined by its government and no one else, he told Swedish news agency TT. Its unclear if or when the Russian ambassador will appear at the Foreign Ministry. Sweden and neighbouring Finland jointly applied for NATO membership in May 2022, abandoning decades of non-alignment in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine. Approval of Swedens bid has stalled due to opposition from Turkey and Hungary. Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A Get Rating) was downgraded by research analysts at StockNews.com from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report released on Wednesday. Several other brokerages have also recently issued reports on A. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on shares of Agilent Technologies from $170.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. Credit Suisse Group increased their target price on shares of Agilent Technologies from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Agilent Technologies from $152.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, December 20th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Agilent Technologies from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and increased their target price for the stock from $150.00 to $170.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 10th. Finally, SVB Leerink increased their target price on shares of Agilent Technologies from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, January 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Agilent Technologies presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $163.31. Get Agilent Technologies alerts: Agilent Technologies Trading Up 0.9 % Shares of A traded up $1.22 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $133.85. The stock had a trading volume of 1,002,778 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,390,290. Agilent Technologies has a 1 year low of $112.52 and a 1 year high of $160.26. The firm has a market cap of $39.58 billion, a PE ratio of 30.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 2.11 and a quick ratio of 1.53. The stocks 50 day moving average is $145.08 and its 200 day moving average is $143.08. Agilent Technologies ( NYSE:A Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 28th. The medical research company reported $1.37 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.31 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $1.76 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.70 billion. Agilent Technologies had a net margin of 19.09% and a return on equity of 30.35%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.21 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that Agilent Technologies will post 5.68 EPS for the current fiscal year. Agilent Technologies declared that its board has initiated a share repurchase program on Monday, January 9th that allows the company to buyback $2.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the medical research company to purchase up to 4.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often a sign that the companys management believes its stock is undervalued. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Agilent Technologies Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Agilent Technologies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $393,291,000. BlueSpruce Investments LP acquired a new stake in shares of Agilent Technologies during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $223,829,000. Morgan Stanley grew its stake in shares of Agilent Technologies by 79.4% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 4,145,767 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $620,414,000 after purchasing an additional 1,835,413 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its stake in shares of Agilent Technologies by 42.2% during the 2nd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 5,851,153 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $694,942,000 after purchasing an additional 1,736,168 shares during the period. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its stake in shares of Agilent Technologies by 22.0% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 7,707,052 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $1,153,360,000 after purchasing an additional 1,392,128 shares during the period. Agilent Technologies Company Profile (Get Rating) Agilent Technologies, Inc engages in the provision of application focused solutions for life sciences, diagnostics, and applied chemical markets. It operates through the following segments: Life Sciences and Applied Markets, Diagnostics and Genomics, and Agilent CrossLab. The Life Sciences and Applied Markets segment offers application-focused solutions that include instruments and software that identify, quantify, and analyze the physical and biological properties of substances and products, as well as the clinical and life sciences research areas to interrogate samples at the molecular and cellular level. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Agilent Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Agilent Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Great Portland Estates Plc (LON:GPE Get Rating) insider Dan Nicholson bought 6,314 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 24th. The stock was purchased at an average price of GBX 473 ($5.81) per share, for a total transaction of 29,865.22 ($36,693.97). Dan Nicholson also recently made the following trade(s): Get Great Portland Estates alerts: On Tuesday, January 31st, Dan Nicholson purchased 26 shares of Great Portland Estates stock. The stock was bought at an average price of GBX 574 ($7.05) per share, for a total transaction of 149.24 ($183.36). On Friday, December 30th, Dan Nicholson purchased 30 shares of Great Portland Estates stock. The stock was bought at an average price of GBX 500 ($6.14) per share, for a total transaction of 150 ($184.30). Great Portland Estates Price Performance Shares of Great Portland Estates stock opened at GBX 477 ($5.86) on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 33.83, a quick ratio of 0.46 and a current ratio of 0.52. The firms 50-day simple moving average is GBX 548.96 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 518.82. Great Portland Estates Plc has a twelve month low of GBX 388.18 ($4.77) and a twelve month high of GBX 739 ($9.08). The firm has a market cap of 1.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 6,814.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.83. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Great Portland Estates Company Profile Several research firms have issued reports on GPE. Berenberg Bank restated a sell rating and issued a GBX 460 ($5.65) price target on shares of Great Portland Estates in a research report on Friday, December 2nd. Numis Securities restated a buy rating and issued a GBX 620 ($7.62) price target on shares of Great Portland Estates in a research report on Thursday, February 9th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Great Portland Estates currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of GBX 628.33 ($7.72). (Get Rating) We are a FTSE 250 property investment and development company owning 2.6 billion of real estate in central London. We proactively manage our portfolio, flexing our activities in tune with London's property cycle to deliver long-term out-performance. We create in-demand spaces that people want to be part of; helping our occupiers, local communities and the city to thrive. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Great Portland Estates Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Great Portland Estates and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Manchester & London Investment Trust plc (LON:MNL Get Rating) insider Daniel Wright bought 2,500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 24th. The stock was purchased at an average price of GBX 375 ($4.61) per share, for a total transaction of 9,375 ($11,518.61). Manchester & London Investment Trust Stock Up 0.9 % Shares of LON MNL opened at GBX 381 ($4.68) on Thursday. Manchester & London Investment Trust plc has a 52 week low of GBX 318 ($3.91) and a 52 week high of GBX 471 ($5.79). The businesss 50 day moving average price is GBX 356.63 and its 200 day moving average price is GBX 352.78. The firm has a market cap of 153.43 million, a P/E ratio of -254.00 and a beta of 0.44. Get Manchester & London Investment Trust alerts: Manchester & London Investment Trust Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 4th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 13th will be given a GBX 7 ($0.09) dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 13th. This represents a yield of 1.92%. Manchester & London Investment Trusts dividend payout ratio is presently -933.33%. About Manchester & London Investment Trust Manchester & London Investment Trust plc is a close-ended fund launched and managed by M&L Capital Management Limited. The fund primarily invests in the public equity markets of the United Kingdom. It makes its investments across diversified sectors. The fund primarily invests in growth stocks of companies by employing a fundamental analysis. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Manchester & London Investment Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Manchester & London Investment Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. PowerSchool Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:PWSC Get Rating) CAO Angelina Hendraka sold 1,396 shares of PowerSchool stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.37, for a total transaction of $27,040.52. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 137,997 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,673,001.89. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Angelina Hendraka also recently made the following trade(s): Get PowerSchool alerts: On Monday, March 27th, Angelina Hendraka sold 1,406 shares of PowerSchool stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.23, for a total transaction of $27,037.38. PowerSchool Stock Performance PowerSchool stock traded up $0.26 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $19.45. 371,558 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 747,444. The company has a current ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $21.59 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $20.48. The firm has a market cap of $3.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -129.66 and a beta of 1.02. PowerSchool Holdings, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $10.60 and a fifty-two week high of $26.05. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several research firms recently issued reports on PWSC. Credit Suisse Group reaffirmed an outperform rating and set a $27.00 price target on shares of PowerSchool in a research note on Thursday, February 23rd. Raymond James raised shares of PowerSchool from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $22.00 target price for the company in a research report on Monday, March 20th. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on shares of PowerSchool from $24.00 to $26.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, February 23rd. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of PowerSchool from $19.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, February 23rd. Finally, Piper Sandler boosted their target price on shares of PowerSchool from $22.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, February 23rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $26.09. A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of PWSC. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its stake in shares of PowerSchool by 63.5% in the 3rd quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 2,135 shares of the companys stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 829 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC acquired a new stake in shares of PowerSchool in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $39,000. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc acquired a new stake in shares of PowerSchool in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $37,000. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of PowerSchool in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $65,000. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its stake in shares of PowerSchool by 93.9% in the 3rd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 3,977 shares of the companys stock worth $66,000 after acquiring an additional 1,926 shares during the period. 61.21% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About PowerSchool (Get Rating) PowerSchool Holdings, Inc provides cloud-based software to the K-12 education market. Its solution is embedded in school workflows and is used on daily basis by educators, students, administrators, and parents in schools and districts representing approximately 45 million students worldwide. Its cloud-based technology platform helps schools and districts manage state reporting and related compliance, special education, finance, human resource, talent, registration, attendance, funding, learning, instruction, grading, college and career readiness, assessments, and analytics. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for PowerSchool Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PowerSchool and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. SCB X Public Company Limited (OTCMKTS:SMUUY Get Rating)s stock price dropped 24.3% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $1.72 and last traded at $1.75. Approximately 3,500 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 73% from the average daily volume of 2,022 shares. The stock had previously closed at $2.31. SCB X Public Price Performance The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $1.75 and a 200-day simple moving average of $2.36. SCB X Public Company Profile (Get Rating) SCB X Public Company Limited operates as a holding company for The Siam Commercial Bank Public Company Limited that provides various financial products and services. The company offers various personal banking products and services, including savings, current, fixed deposit, and long term deposit accounts; payroll solutions; home, car, and personal loans; accident, savings, health expense, and other insurance services; debit, credit, prepaid, and gift cards; mutual funds, bonds, debentures, and other investment products; and payment, digital banking, and other services. See Also Receive News & Ratings for SCB X Public Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SCB X Public and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Monarch Mining Co. (OTCMKTS:GBARF Get Rating) was the target of a large increase in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 3,700 shares, an increase of 362.5% from the February 28th total of 800 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 27,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.1 days. Monarch Mining Price Performance Shares of GBARF stock remained flat at C$0.05 during mid-day trading on Wednesday. 42 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 33,789. The stocks 50-day moving average price is C$0.05 and its two-hundred day moving average price is C$0.05. Monarch Mining has a twelve month low of C$0.03 and a twelve month high of C$0.55. Get Monarch Mining alerts: Monarch Mining Company Profile (Get Rating) See Also Monarch Mining Corporation, a gold mining company, engages in the exploration and development of mining properties in Canada. It owns 295 square kilometers of mining assets, including the Beaufor mine, Croinor property, McKenzie property, Swanson property, and Beacon Mill. The company was incorporated in 2020 and is headquartered in Saint-Sauveur, Canada. Receive News & Ratings for Monarch Mining Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Monarch Mining and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Royal Bank of Canada reissued their underperform rating on shares of Smiths Group (LON:SMIN Get Rating) in a research note issued to investors on Monday morning, MarketBeat reports. Royal Bank of Canada currently has a GBX 1,650 ($20.27) price target on the stock. Other analysts have also issued reports about the company. Barclays lifted their price target on Smiths Group from GBX 1,750 ($21.50) to GBX 1,845 ($22.67) and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday, January 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Smiths Group from GBX 1,730 ($21.26) to GBX 1,860 ($22.85) and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Smiths Group in a report on Monday, February 13th. They set a buy rating on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of GBX 1,813.75 ($22.28). Get Smiths Group alerts: Smiths Group Stock Up 0.8 % SMIN stock opened at GBX 1,681 ($20.65) on Monday. Smiths Group has a twelve month low of GBX 1,352.50 ($16.62) and a twelve month high of GBX 1,807 ($22.20). The company has a quick ratio of 1.29, a current ratio of 1.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 42.85. The stocks 50 day moving average is GBX 1,742.29 and its 200-day moving average is GBX 1,633.25. The firm has a market capitalization of 5.93 billion, a PE ratio of 56,033.33, a P/E/G ratio of 0.36 and a beta of 0.66. Smiths Group Cuts Dividend Insider Buying and Selling at Smiths Group The company also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 17th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 6th will be paid a GBX 12.90 ($0.16) dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 6th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.75%. Smiths Groups payout ratio is presently 133,333.33%. In other news, insider Richard Howes bought 100 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 1st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of GBX 1,756 ($21.58) per share, for a total transaction of 1,756 ($2,157.51). Corporate insiders own 0.31% of the companys stock. About Smiths Group (Get Rating) Smiths Group plc operates as a technology company serving the medical technology, security and defense, general industrial, energy, and space and aerospace markets worldwide. It operates through John Crane, Smiths Detection, Flex-Tek, and Smiths Interconnect divisions. The John Crane division offers mechanical seals, seal support systems, hydrodynamic bearings, packing materials, power transmission couplings, and specialized filtration systems. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Smiths Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Smiths Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF (NYSEARCA:KRE Get Rating) was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Wednesday. Stock traders acquired 182,564 put options on the stock. This represents an increase of 89% compared to the typical daily volume of 96,428 put options. SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF Stock Up 1.1 % KRE traded up $0.47 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $44.33. The companys stock had a trading volume of 20,567,209 shares, compared to its average volume of 18,911,004. The firm has a market cap of $1.84 billion, a PE ratio of 10.19 and a beta of 1.13. SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF has a one year low of $41.28 and a one year high of $72.76. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $56.79 and its 200-day simple moving average is $59.69. Get SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF alerts: Institutional Trading of SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Cambridge Trust Co. increased its holdings in SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF by 83.2% in the 2nd quarter. Cambridge Trust Co. now owns 425 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 193 shares during the last quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management bought a new stake in SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Godsey & Gibb Inc. bought a new stake in SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF in the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Money Concepts Capital Corp bought a new stake in SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, EdgeRock Capital LLC bought a new stake in SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF in the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. About SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF SPDR KBW Regional Banking ETF, formerly SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF, seeks to closely match the returns and characteristics of the S&P Regional Banks Select Industry Index. Its approach is designed to provide portfolios with low portfolio turnover, tracking, and lower costs. As of October 27, 2011, the Companys holding included Privatebancorp Inc, Webster Finl Corp Conn, Umpqua Hldgs Corp, Firstmerit Corp, East West Bancorp Inc, Fifth Third Bancorp, Fnb Corp Pa, Susquehanna Bancshares Inc and Keycorp New and First Rep Bk San Fran Cali. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Telecom Italia S.p.A. (OTCMKTS:TIAOF Get Rating) were up 2.7% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $0.32 and last traded at $0.31. Approximately 2,200 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 90% from the average daily volume of 21,150 shares. The stock had previously closed at $0.30. Telecom Italia Price Performance The company has a 50 day moving average of $0.31 and a 200 day moving average of $0.24. About Telecom Italia (Get Rating) Telecom Italia SpA engages in the provision of telecommunication and Internet services, digital contents, and cloud services. It operates through the following business segments: Domestic, Brazil, and Other Operations. The Domestic segment includes operations in Italy for voice and data services on fixed and mobile networks for retail and wholesale customers, the international wholesale through Telecom Italia Sparkle, and products and services for information technology through the Olivetti group. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Telecom Italia Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Telecom Italia and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its holdings in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO Get Rating) by 6.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,945,548 shares of the oil and gas companys stock after acquiring an additional 110,819 shares during the quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLCs holdings in Valero Energy were worth $246,812,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Parsons Capital Management Inc. RI lifted its stake in Valero Energy by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter. Parsons Capital Management Inc. RI now owns 5,231 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $559,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the last quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 13.8% during the 3rd quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 22,091 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $2,360,000 after acquiring an additional 2,682 shares in the last quarter. MidWestOne Financial Group Inc. grew its position in Valero Energy by 262.5% during the 2nd quarter. MidWestOne Financial Group Inc. now owns 8,982 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $954,000 after acquiring an additional 6,504 shares during the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board increased its holdings in Valero Energy by 29.9% in the 3rd quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 276,830 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $29,579,000 after purchasing an additional 63,800 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund boosted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 1.3% during the third quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund now owns 14,119 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $1,509,000 after purchasing an additional 176 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.28% of the companys stock. Get Valero Energy alerts: Valero Energy Stock Down 0.7 % Shares of NYSE VLO traded down $0.91 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $136.04. 1,474,044 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,175,231. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 1.38 and a quick ratio of 1.00. Valero Energy Co. has a 1-year low of $93.65 and a 1-year high of $150.39. The stock has a market cap of $50.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.70, a PEG ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 1.65. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $134.99 and a 200 day simple moving average of $127.34. Valero Energy Increases Dividend Valero Energy ( NYSE:VLO Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 26th. The oil and gas company reported $8.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $7.45 by $1.00. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 50.15% and a net margin of 6.54%. The company had revenue of $41.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $43.31 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.47 earnings per share. Valero Energys quarterly revenue was up 16.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that Valero Energy Co. will post 23.87 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 14th were issued a dividend of $1.02 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 13th. This is a boost from Valero Energys previous quarterly dividend of $0.98. This represents a $4.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.00%. Valero Energys payout ratio is 14.01%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research analysts have recently issued reports on VLO shares. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Valero Energy from $140.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, January 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $111.00 to $126.00 and gave the company a sell rating in a research note on Thursday, January 19th. UBS Group started coverage on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Wednesday, March 8th. They issued a buy rating and a $176.00 price objective on the stock. Piper Sandler lowered their target price on Valero Energy from $177.00 to $165.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Monday, December 19th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Valero Energy from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $153.25. About Valero Energy (Get Rating) Valero Energy Corp. engages in the manufacture and marketing of transportation fuels and other petrochemical products. It operates through the following business segments: Refining, Ethanol and Renewable Diesel. The Refining segment consists of refining operations, associated marketing activities, and logistics assets that support its refining operations. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VLO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Valero Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Valero Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Total Brain (OTCMKTS:BRRZY Get Rating) and 5N Plus (OTCMKTS:FPLSF Get Rating) are both small-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their risk, analyst recommendations, dividends, earnings, profitability, valuation and institutional ownership. Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of current recommendations and price targets for Total Brain and 5N Plus, as provided by MarketBeat. Get Total Brain alerts: Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Total Brain 0 0 0 0 N/A 5N Plus 0 1 1 0 2.50 5N Plus has a consensus price target of $4.25, suggesting a potential upside of 66.67%. Given 5N Plus higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe 5N Plus is more favorable than Total Brain. Profitability Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Total Brain N/A N/A N/A 5N Plus -8.70% -0.21% -0.08% Volatility and Risk This table compares Total Brain and 5N Plus net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Total Brain has a beta of 5.18, meaning that its share price is 418% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, 5N Plus has a beta of 1.64, meaning that its share price is 64% more volatile than the S&P 500. Earnings & Valuation This table compares Total Brain and 5N Plus revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Total Brain $2.60 million 20.43 -$5.14 million N/A N/A 5N Plus $264.22 million 0.85 -$23.00 million ($0.26) -9.81 Total Brain has higher earnings, but lower revenue than 5N Plus. Summary Total Brain beats 5N Plus on 6 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks. About Total Brain (Get Rating) Total Brain Limited, together with its subsidiaries, develops and sells brain health products in the United States. It offers Total Brain, a neuroscience-based mental health and brain performance app. Total Brain Limited has a partnership with the Center for Adolescent Research and Education to address growing youth mental health crisis. The company was formerly known as Brain Resource Limited and changed its name to Total Brain Limited in December 2018. Total Brain Limited was founded in 2000 and is based in Surry Hills, Australia. About 5N Plus (Get Rating) 5N Plus, Inc. engages in producing of chemicals and engineered materials. It operates through the following segments: Electronic Materials and Eco-Friendly Materials. The Electronic Materials segment manufactures and sells products which are used in applications such as security, aerospace, sensing, imaging, renewable energy and various technical industries. The Eco-Friendly Materials segment manufactures and sells products which are used in applications such as pharmaceutical, healthcare, animal feed additive, catalytic and extractive, as well as various industrial materials. The company was founded by Jacques LEcuyer and Marc Suys on June 1, 2000 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Receive News & Ratings for Total Brain Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Total Brain and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Aspiriant LLC grew its position in Bank of America Co. (NYSE:BAC) by 8.9% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 42,680 shares of the financial services providers stock after buying an additional 3,489 shares during the period. Aspiriant LLCs holdings in Bank of America were worth $1,414,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of BAC. Kavar Capital Partners Group LLC increased its holdings in Bank of America by 1.7% in the second quarter. Kavar Capital Partners Group LLC now owns 16,611 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $517,000 after purchasing an additional 276 shares during the last quarter. Sage Mountain Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Bank of America by 3.3% in the third quarter. Sage Mountain Advisors LLC now owns 8,895 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $269,000 after purchasing an additional 281 shares during the last quarter. Annapolis Financial Services LLC increased its holdings in Bank of America by 2.2% in the third quarter. Annapolis Financial Services LLC now owns 13,785 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $416,000 after purchasing an additional 292 shares during the last quarter. Leisure Capital Management increased its holdings in Bank of America by 1.5% in the third quarter. Leisure Capital Management now owns 20,055 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $606,000 after purchasing an additional 292 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lowe Brockenbrough & Co. Inc. increased its holdings in Bank of America by 1.1% in the third quarter. Lowe Brockenbrough & Co. Inc. now owns 26,888 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $812,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.34% of the companys stock. Get Bank of America alerts: Insider Activity In other news, insider Matthew M. Koder sold 214,745 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.91, for a total value of $7,711,492.95. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 214,747 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,711,564.77. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other Bank of America news, insider Matthew M. Koder sold 105,054 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.27, for a total transaction of $3,600,200.58. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 319,803 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $10,959,648.81. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Matthew M. Koder sold 214,745 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.91, for a total value of $7,711,492.95. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 214,747 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,711,564.77. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Bank of America Stock Down 0.7 % A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. Atlantic Securities cut Bank of America from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and set a $40.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Tuesday, January 31st. Citigroup boosted their target price on Bank of America from $36.00 to $38.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 17th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut Bank of America from a market perform rating to an underperform rating and decreased their target price for the company from $35.00 to $33.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Bank of America in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, Oppenheimer decreased their target price on Bank of America from $53.00 to $44.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 23rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Bank of America currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $39.28. Shares of BAC stock traded down $0.21 on Thursday, hitting $28.46. 27,778,507 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 55,518,234. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13. The firm has a market capitalization of $227.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 1.40. The business has a 50-day moving average of $32.97 and a 200 day moving average of $33.74. Bank of America Co. has a fifty-two week low of $26.32 and a fifty-two week high of $44.39. Bank of America (NYSE:BAC Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 13th. The financial services provider reported $0.85 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.76 by $0.09. Bank of America had a return on equity of 11.41% and a net margin of 23.93%. The company had revenue of $24.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $24.17 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.82 earnings per share. Bank of Americas revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Bank of America Co. will post 3.37 EPS for the current year. Bank of America Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 3rd will be issued a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.09%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 2nd. Bank of Americas payout ratio is presently 27.59%. Bank of America Profile (Get Rating) Bank of America Corp. is a bank and financial holding company, which engages in the provision of banking and nonbank financial services. It operates through the following segments: Consumer Banking, Global Wealth and Investment Management (GWIM), Global Banking, Global Markets, and All Other. The Consumer Banking segment offers credit, banking, and investment products and services to consumers and small businesses. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BAC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Bank of America Co. (NYSE:BAC Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Bank of America Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of America and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Benedetti & Gucer Inc. bought a new position in shares of Occidental Petroleum Co. (NYSE:OXY Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund bought 3,431 shares of the oil and gas producers stock, valued at approximately $216,000. Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Orion Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Occidental Petroleum during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Selway Asset Management purchased a new stake in shares of Occidental Petroleum in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Accel Wealth Management raised its position in Occidental Petroleum by 1,176.5% in the third quarter. Accel Wealth Management now owns 651 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 600 shares during the period. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV raised its holdings in Occidental Petroleum by 56.4% in the 4th quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 757 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $48,000 after buying an additional 273 shares during the period. Finally, Worth Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Occidental Petroleum during the 1st quarter worth approximately $58,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.45% of the companys stock. Get Occidental Petroleum alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on OXY shares. Mizuho lifted their price objective on Occidental Petroleum from $82.00 to $83.00 in a research note on Friday, March 10th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Occidental Petroleum in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Occidental Petroleum from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $81.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 14th. Evercore ISI cut Occidental Petroleum from an in-line rating to an underperform rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $74.00 to $60.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Occidental Petroleum from $67.00 to $63.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 1st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $75.37. Occidental Petroleum Price Performance Occidental Petroleum stock traded down $0.03 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $62.06. 3,172,237 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 13,745,011. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 0.88. Occidental Petroleum Co. has a 12-month low of $51.53 and a 12-month high of $77.13. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $61.74 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $64.92. The company has a market capitalization of $55.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.02, a PEG ratio of 0.44 and a beta of 1.77. Occidental Petroleum (NYSE:OXY Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 27th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.83 by ($0.22). Occidental Petroleum had a net margin of 35.87% and a return on equity of 52.68%. The firm had revenue of $8.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $8.21 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.48 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 97.6% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Occidental Petroleum Co. will post 6.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Occidental Petroleum Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 17th. Investors of record on Friday, March 10th will be given a dividend of $0.18 per share. This represents a $0.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.16%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 9th. This is an increase from Occidental Petroleums previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. Occidental Petroleums dividend payout ratio is 5.82%. Insider Buying and Selling at Occidental Petroleum In other news, major shareholder Berkshire Hathaway Inc acquired 2,363,088 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, March 3rd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $60.85 per share, for a total transaction of $143,793,904.80. Following the acquisition, the insider now directly owns 196,714,738 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $11,970,091,807.30. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Insiders have acquired a total of 12,371,716 shares of company stock valued at $735,557,715 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.31% of the companys stock. About Occidental Petroleum (Get Rating) Occidental Petroleum Corp. engages in the exploration and production of oil and natural gas. It operates through the following segments: Oil and Gas, Chemical, and Midstream and Marketing. The Oil and Gas segment explores for, develops and produces oil and condensate, natural gas liquids and natural gas. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Occidental Petroleum Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Occidental Petroleum and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Culbertson A N & Co. Inc. reduced its stake in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT Get Rating) by 7.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,123 shares of the retailers stock after selling 245 shares during the quarter. Culbertson A N & Co. Inc.s holdings in Walmart were worth $443,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in WMT. AMI Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in Walmart by 1.6% during the first quarter. AMI Investment Management Inc. now owns 8,269 shares of the retailers stock worth $1,231,000 after buying an additional 132 shares during the period. Zions Bancorporation N.A. raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 36.8% in the 1st quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 4,820 shares of the retailers stock worth $718,000 after purchasing an additional 1,296 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 31.7% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,162 shares of the retailers stock worth $173,000 after purchasing an additional 280 shares during the period. Ergoteles LLC raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 123.9% in the 1st quarter. Ergoteles LLC now owns 10,566 shares of the retailers stock worth $1,573,000 after purchasing an additional 5,847 shares during the period. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp raised its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.7% in the 1st quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 857,839 shares of the retailers stock worth $127,749,000 after purchasing an additional 13,985 shares during the period. 31.27% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Walmart alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart In other Walmart news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 9,708 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $143.57, for a total transaction of $1,393,777.56. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 1,432,515 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $205,666,178.55. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Walmart news, Director S Robson Walton sold 706,197 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $142.07, for a total transaction of $100,329,407.79. Following the sale, the director now owns 266,135,223 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $37,809,831,131.61. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 9,708 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $143.57, for a total value of $1,393,777.56. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 1,432,515 shares in the company, valued at $205,666,178.55. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 17,641,340 shares of company stock valued at $2,488,588,588 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 47.06% of the companys stock. Walmart Stock Performance Shares of NYSE WMT traded up $1.10 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $145.33. The company had a trading volume of 4,049,433 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,483,185. The stock has a market cap of $391.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.70, a PEG ratio of 4.31 and a beta of 0.48. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $117.27 and a 12 month high of $160.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.21. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $141.85 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $141.53. Walmart (NYSE:WMT Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 21st. The retailer reported $1.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.51 by $0.20. The business had revenue of $164.05 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $158.67 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 20.45% and a net margin of 1.91%. The businesss revenue was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.53 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 6.08 earnings per share for the current year. Walmart Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, December 8th will be issued a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.57%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 7th. Walmarts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 53.27%. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research firms have recently commented on WMT. Sanford C. Bernstein began coverage on Walmart in a report on Tuesday, December 6th. They issued a market perform rating and a $159.00 price objective on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on Walmart from $164.00 to $169.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 22nd. Royal Bank of Canada set a $163.00 target price on Walmart in a research note on Wednesday, February 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. set a $155.00 target price on Walmart in a research note on Tuesday, February 21st. Finally, Tigress Financial upgraded Walmart from a neutral rating to a buy rating and increased their target price for the company from $170.00 to $176.00 in a research note on Thursday, January 26th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, twenty-three have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $163.06. Walmart Profile (Get Rating) Walmart, Inc engages in retail and wholesale business. The company offers an assortment of merchandise and services at everyday low prices. It operates through the following business segments: Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sams Club. The Walmart U.S. segment operates as a merchandiser of consumer products, operating under the Walmart, Wal-Mart, and Walmart Neighborhood Market brands, as well as walmart.com and other eCommerce brands. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Walmart Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Walmart and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Deane Retirement Strategies Inc. bought a new stake in iShares MSCI Japan ETF (NYSEARCA:EWJ Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm bought 32,302 shares of the exchange traded funds stock, valued at approximately $1,759,000. A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in EWJ. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its position in iShares MSCI Japan ETF by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 6,034,789 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $318,818,000 after purchasing an additional 70,742 shares during the last quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in iShares MSCI Japan ETF in the second quarter valued at $290,468,000. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main raised its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI Japan ETF by 0.3% in the second quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main now owns 1,921,754 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $101,526,000 after buying an additional 5,720 shares during the last quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank boosted its stake in shares of iShares MSCI Japan ETF by 250,000.0% during the third quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 1,250,500 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $61,066,000 after buying an additional 1,250,000 shares during the period. Finally, Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund purchased a new position in shares of iShares MSCI Japan ETF during the third quarter worth about $48,850,000. Get iShares MSCI Japan ETF alerts: iShares MSCI Japan ETF Stock Up 0.2 % Shares of EWJ stock opened at $57.81 on Thursday. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $57.23 and its 200 day moving average price is $54.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.89 billion, a PE ratio of 12.76 and a beta of 0.67. iShares MSCI Japan ETF has a 52-week low of $47.64 and a 52-week high of $63.23. About iShares MSCI Japan ETF iShares MSCI Japan ETF (the fund), formerly Ishares Msci Japan Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of publicly traded securities in the Japanese market, as measured by the MSCI Japan Index (the Index). Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EWJ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI Japan ETF (NYSEARCA:EWJ Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI Japan ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI Japan ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Diligent Investors LLC acquired a new position in shares of LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 3,240 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock, valued at approximately $269,000. Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Alpha Paradigm Partners LLC bought a new stake in LyondellBasell Industries during the second quarter worth $26,000. Chilton Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in LyondellBasell Industries in the second quarter worth $26,000. Trust Co. of Vermont increased its holdings in LyondellBasell Industries by 1,033.3% in the 3rd quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 340 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 310 shares during the last quarter. CI Investments Inc. boosted its holdings in LyondellBasell Industries by 1,006.5% in the 3rd quarter. CI Investments Inc. now owns 343 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 312 shares during the period. Finally, Heritage Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of LyondellBasell Industries in the second quarter valued at $35,000. 91.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get LyondellBasell Industries alerts: LyondellBasell Industries Price Performance Shares of LYB opened at $91.56 on Thursday. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $93.70 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $86.28. LyondellBasell Industries has a fifty-two week low of $71.46 and a fifty-two week high of $117.22. The stock has a market cap of $29.85 billion, a PE ratio of 7.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.75. LyondellBasell Industries Announces Dividend LyondellBasell Industries ( NYSE:LYB Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 3rd. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.29 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.09 by $0.20. LyondellBasell Industries had a net margin of 7.71% and a return on equity of 32.96%. The company had revenue of $10.21 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.73 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.63 EPS. LyondellBasell Industriess revenue for the quarter was down 20.5% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that LyondellBasell Industries will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 6th were paid a $1.19 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 3rd. This represents a $4.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.20%. LyondellBasell Industriess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 40.34%. Insider Buying and Selling In other news, EVP Jeffrey A. Kaplan sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.99, for a total value of $989,900.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 47,600 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,711,924. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $99.00 to $102.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th. Barclays increased their price objective on LyondellBasell Industries from $82.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 14th. Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $77.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an underperform rating in a research note on Monday, February 6th. Piper Sandler increased their price target on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $95.00 to $104.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, February 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $97.00 to $109.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Monday, February 6th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $98.95. LyondellBasell Industries Company Profile (Get Rating) LyondellBasell Industries NV engages in the refinery and production of plastic resins and other chemicals. It operates through the following segments: Olefins and Polyolefins-Americas; Olefins and Polyolefins-Europe, Asia, International; Intermediates and Derivatives; Advanced Polymer Solutions; Refining; and Technology. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LYB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for LyondellBasell Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for LyondellBasell Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Equinox Gold (CVE:EQX Get Rating) had its target price raised by equities researchers at National Bank Financial from C$6.00 to C$7.25 in a note issued to investors on Thursday, The Fly reports. National Bank Financials price target would indicate a potential downside of 7.99% from the companys previous close. EQX has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Haywood Securities dropped their price objective on shares of Equinox Gold from C$10.00 to C$9.50 in a report on Friday, February 24th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of Equinox Gold from C$6.50 to C$7.50 in a report on Thursday, January 26th. CIBC raised their price objective on shares of Equinox Gold from C$4.70 to C$5.40 in a report on Thursday. National Bankshares raised their price objective on shares of Equinox Gold from C$6.00 to C$7.25 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Cormark increased their target price on shares of Equinox Gold from C$5.75 to C$7.50 in a research report on Thursday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of C$7.33. Get Equinox Gold alerts: Equinox Gold Trading Down 0.9 % CVE EQX traded down C$0.07 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching C$7.88. The companys stock had a trading volume of 53,583 shares, compared to its average volume of 153,529. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of C$7.88 and a 200-day simple moving average of C$7.88. The stock has a market cap of C$892.46 million and a P/E ratio of -43.54. Equinox Gold has a 52 week low of C$4.25 and a 52 week high of C$8.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 64.28, a current ratio of 1.94 and a quick ratio of 1.11. Insider Transactions at Equinox Gold Equinox Gold Company Profile In other news, Senior Officer Sebastian Damici sold 5,216 shares of Equinox Gold stock in a transaction on Friday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$5.15, for a total transaction of C$26,862.40. Insiders sold a total of 39,869 shares of company stock valued at $218,874 in the last quarter. (Get Rating) Equinox Gold Corp. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral deposits. The company's principal properties include the Aurizona project covering a total land package of approximately 223,160 hectares located in Maranhao State, Brazil; and the Castle Mountain property situated in California, the United States. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Equinox Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Equinox Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Global Business Travel Group (NYSE:GBTG Get Rating) is one of 35 publicly-traded companies in the Transportation services industry, but how does it compare to its rivals? We will compare Global Business Travel Group to similar companies based on the strength of its dividends, institutional ownership, risk, earnings, analyst recommendations, profitability and valuation. Institutional and Insider Ownership 15.9% of Global Business Travel Group shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 56.2% of shares of all Transportation services companies are owned by institutional investors. 12.9% of Global Business Travel Group shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 18.1% of shares of all Transportation services companies are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Get Global Business Travel Group alerts: Analyst Ratings This is a breakdown of recent ratings and price targets for Global Business Travel Group and its rivals, as reported by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Global Business Travel Group 0 2 4 0 2.67 Global Business Travel Group Competitors 101 896 1772 31 2.62 Profitability Global Business Travel Group presently has a consensus price target of $8.68, indicating a potential upside of 33.59%. As a group, Transportation services companies have a potential upside of 8.12%. Given Global Business Travel Groups stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities research analysts clearly believe Global Business Travel Group is more favorable than its rivals. This table compares Global Business Travel Group and its rivals net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Global Business Travel Group N/A -2.83% -0.87% Global Business Travel Group Competitors -3,276.46% 4.79% -3.89% Risk & Volatility Global Business Travel Group has a beta of 0.31, meaning that its stock price is 69% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Global Business Travel Groups rivals have a beta of 2.12, meaning that their average stock price is 112% more volatile than the S&P 500. Valuation and Earnings This table compares Global Business Travel Group and its rivals revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Global Business Travel Group $1.85 billion -$25.00 million -10.66 Global Business Travel Group Competitors $3.92 billion $252.49 million 3.89 Global Business Travel Groups rivals have higher revenue and earnings than Global Business Travel Group. Global Business Travel Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its rivals, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry. Summary Global Business Travel Group rivals beat Global Business Travel Group on 7 of the 12 factors compared. Global Business Travel Group Company Profile (Get Rating) Global Business Travel Group, Inc. provides business-to-business (B2B) travel platform in the United States of America and internationally. The company's platform offers a suite of technology-enabled solutions to business travelers and clients; travel content suppliers including airlines, hotels, ground transportation, and aggregators; and third-party travel agencies. It manages travel, expenses, and meetings and events for companies. The company is headquartered in New York, New York. Receive News & Ratings for Global Business Travel Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Global Business Travel Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Goodwin Daniel L lifted its position in BlackRock Municipal Income Fund, Inc. (NYSE:MUI Get Rating) by 9.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 29,755 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 2,555 shares during the quarter. Goodwin Daniel Ls holdings in BlackRock Municipal Income Fund were worth $337,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bramshill Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of BlackRock Municipal Income Fund in the second quarter worth about $98,000. Nomura Holdings Inc. bought a new stake in BlackRock Municipal Income Fund during the second quarter worth approximately $119,000. Summit Trail Advisors LLC bought a new stake in BlackRock Municipal Income Fund during the third quarter worth approximately $142,000. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. increased its stake in BlackRock Municipal Income Fund by 8.2% during the third quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 13,326 shares of the companys stock worth $144,000 after acquiring an additional 1,007 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bar Harbor Wealth Management bought a new stake in BlackRock Municipal Income Fund during the third quarter worth approximately $148,000. Get BlackRock Municipal Income Fund alerts: BlackRock Municipal Income Fund Trading Up 1.2 % NYSE MUI traded up $0.14 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $11.58. 23,482 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 152,765. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $11.60 and a 200 day moving average price of $11.30. BlackRock Municipal Income Fund, Inc. has a 52 week low of $10.34 and a 52 week high of $13.65. BlackRock Municipal Income Fund Announces Dividend BlackRock Municipal Income Fund Company Profile The business also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 3rd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.034 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 14th. This represents a $0.41 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.52%. (Get Rating) BlackRock Municipal Income Fund, Inc is a closed-end investment fund and investment trust company. Its investment objective is to provide high current income exempt from federal income taxes. The company was founded on August 1, 2003 and is headquartered in Wilmington, DE. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MUI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for BlackRock Municipal Income Fund, Inc. (NYSE:MUI Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for BlackRock Municipal Income Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BlackRock Municipal Income Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Goodwin Daniel L lifted its position in shares of Lowes Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW Get Rating) by 9.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 3,800 shares of the home improvement retailers stock after acquiring an additional 325 shares during the quarter. Goodwin Daniel Ls holdings in Lowes Companies were worth $757,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its holdings in Lowes Companies by 7,952.8% during the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 1,586,400 shares of the home improvement retailers stock worth $320,754,000 after purchasing an additional 1,566,700 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its holdings in Lowes Companies by 2,072.5% during the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,078,468 shares of the home improvement retailers stock worth $218,055,000 after purchasing an additional 1,028,827 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its holdings in Lowes Companies by 13.0% during the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 7,916,354 shares of the home improvement retailers stock worth $1,486,770,000 after purchasing an additional 912,518 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in Lowes Companies by 209.0% during the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,219,542 shares of the home improvement retailers stock worth $246,579,000 after purchasing an additional 824,915 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Barclays PLC lifted its holdings in Lowes Companies by 176.1% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 925,087 shares of the home improvement retailers stock worth $173,738,000 after purchasing an additional 590,013 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 72.62% of the companys stock. Get Lowe's Companies alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research firms have weighed in on LOW. Credit Suisse Group began coverage on Lowes Companies in a report on Monday, December 19th. They issued a neutral rating and a $210.00 price target on the stock. Truist Financial lowered their price target on Lowes Companies from $258.00 to $235.00 in a report on Thursday, March 2nd. Citigroup lowered their price target on Lowes Companies from $215.00 to $210.00 in a report on Friday, March 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on Lowes Companies from $241.00 to $246.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, December 7th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Lowes Companies from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Wednesday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have assigned a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $223.85. Lowes Companies Stock Performance LOW traded up $1.16 on Thursday, hitting $193.10. 635,152 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,070,113. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $203.26 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $200.72. Lowes Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $170.12 and a 12 month high of $223.31. The stock has a market capitalization of $119.86 billion, a PE ratio of 19.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.10. Lowes Companies (NYSE:LOW Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 1st. The home improvement retailer reported $2.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $22.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.71 billion. Lowes Companies had a negative return on equity of 82.30% and a net margin of 6.63%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.78 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Lowes Companies, Inc. will post 13.83 earnings per share for the current year. Lowes Companies Announces Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 26th will be given a $1.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 25th. This represents a $4.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.18%. Lowes Companiess dividend payout ratio is currently 41.96%. Insider Transactions at Lowes Companies In other news, EVP Donald Frieson sold 9,411 shares of Lowes Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $197.00, for a total value of $1,853,967.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 17,888 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,523,936. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.24% of the companys stock. About Lowes Companies (Get Rating) Lowes Cos., Inc engages in the retail sale of home improvement products. The firm offers products for maintenance, repair, remodeling, home decorating and property maintenance. It also provides home improvement products in the following categories: appliances, bathroom, building supply, electrical, flooring, hardware, paint, kitchen, plumbing, lighting & fans, outdoor living, windows and doors. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Lowe's Companies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lowe's Companies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Goodwin Daniel L acquired a new stake in shares of American International Group, Inc. (NYSE:AIG Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 3,750 shares of the insurance providers stock, valued at approximately $237,000. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Chemistry Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of American International Group by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Chemistry Wealth Management LLC now owns 19,643 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $1,242,000 after purchasing an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. Vantage Consulting Group Inc raised its stake in American International Group by 3.9% in the 3rd quarter. Vantage Consulting Group Inc now owns 4,959 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $235,000 after acquiring an additional 184 shares during the last quarter. Beaumont Asset Management L.L.C. raised its stake in American International Group by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Beaumont Asset Management L.L.C. now owns 11,668 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $738,000 after acquiring an additional 185 shares during the last quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund raised its stake in American International Group by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund now owns 27,251 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $1,294,000 after acquiring an additional 186 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its stake in American International Group by 20.9% in the 1st quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 1,110 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $69,000 after acquiring an additional 192 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.01% of the companys stock. Get American International Group alerts: American International Group Price Performance Shares of NYSE:AIG traded up $0.92 during trading on Thursday, reaching $49.62. 2,014,445 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,382,382. American International Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $45.66 and a fifty-two week high of $65.73. The company has a quick ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The firm has a market cap of $36.58 billion, a PE ratio of 3.88, a P/E/G ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $57.64 and a 200-day simple moving average of $57.86. American International Group Dividend Announcement American International Group ( NYSE:AIG Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 16th. The insurance provider reported $1.36 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.19 by $0.17. American International Group had a return on equity of 7.70% and a net margin of 18.21%. The firm had revenue of $11.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $11.84 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.58 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that American International Group, Inc. will post 6.22 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 17th will be given a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.58%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 16th. American International Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10.02%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of brokerages recently issued reports on AIG. StockNews.com began coverage on American International Group in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Atlantic Securities lowered American International Group from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $70.00 to $65.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on American International Group in a research note on Wednesday, November 30th. They issued a neutral rating for the company. Citigroup initiated coverage on American International Group in a research note on Wednesday, December 14th. They issued a buy rating and a $72.00 target price for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on American International Group from $61.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 18th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $65.08. American International Group Company Profile (Get Rating) American International Group, Inc engages in the provision of a range of property casualty insurance, life insurance, retirement products, and other financial services to commercial and individual customers. It operates through the following segments: General Insurance, Life and Retirement and Other Operations. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for American International Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American International Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Janus Henderson U.S. Real Estate ETF (NYSEARCA:JRE Get Rating) fell 0% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $21.09 and last traded at $21.09. 302 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 87% from the average session volume of 2,414 shares. The stock had previously closed at $21.09. Janus Henderson U.S. Real Estate ETF Stock Performance The firms 50 day moving average price is $22.79 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $22.06. The company has a market cap of $5.37 million, a P/E ratio of 31.80 and a beta of 1.01. Get Janus Henderson U.S. Real Estate ETF alerts: Institutional Trading of Janus Henderson U.S. Real Estate ETF Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. UBS Group AG grew its stake in shares of Janus Henderson U.S. Real Estate ETF by 666.7% in the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,495 shares of the companys stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 1,300 shares in the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Janus Henderson U.S. Real Estate ETF in the 4th quarter worth $200,000. Finally, Citadel Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Janus Henderson U.S. Real Estate ETF by 19.3% in the 2nd quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC now owns 14,236 shares of the companys stock worth $328,000 after acquiring an additional 2,300 shares in the last quarter. About Janus Henderson U.S. Real Estate ETF The Janus Henderson U.S. Real Estate ETF (JRE) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in real estate equity. The fund is an actively managed fund of real-estate and real estate-related companies in the United States. JRE was launched on Jun 22, 2021 and is managed by Janus Henderson. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Janus Henderson U.S. Real Estate ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Janus Henderson U.S. Real Estate ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Korea Electric Power Co. (NYSE:KEP Get Rating) shares saw an uptick in trading volume on Thursday . 412,797 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 85% from the previous sessions volume of 223,171 shares.The stock last traded at $7.29 and had previously closed at $7.27. Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, StockNews.com upgraded Korea Electric Power from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday. Get Korea Electric Power alerts: Korea Electric Power Stock Performance The company has a current ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.34. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $7.27 and a 200 day moving average of $7.25. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Korea Electric Power Korea Electric Power Company Profile Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Wipfli Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Korea Electric Power in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC acquired a new position in Korea Electric Power during the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. CWM LLC boosted its position in Korea Electric Power by 35.1% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 4,908 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 1,274 shares during the period. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in Korea Electric Power by 1,212.5% during the 3rd quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 6,943 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $61,000 after acquiring an additional 6,414 shares during the period. Finally, Profund Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Korea Electric Power during the 4th quarter worth $86,000. 1.45% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. (Get Rating) Korea Electric Power Corp. engages in the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity. It operates through the following Businesses: Sale of Electric Power, Development of Electric Power Resources, Investment, and Real Estate. The company was founded on July 1, 1961 and is headquartered in Naju, South Korea. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Korea Electric Power Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Korea Electric Power and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Market Street Wealth Management Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (BATS:EFG Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 148,721 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $12,457,000. iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF comprises approximately 3.6% of Market Street Wealth Management Advisors LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest holding. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of EFG. Advisors Preferred LLC bought a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Glassy Mountain Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF in the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Allworth Financial LP grew its position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 201.6% in the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 573 shares of the companys stock worth $48,000 after buying an additional 383 shares during the last quarter. Tsfg LLC bought a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF in the 4th quarter worth approximately $54,000. Finally, Money Concepts Capital Corp grew its position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 44.1% in the 3rd quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 964 shares of the companys stock worth $70,000 after buying an additional 295 shares during the last quarter. Get iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF alerts: iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF Stock Up 1.3 % BATS EFG opened at $91.98 on Thursday. iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF has a twelve month low of $67.58 and a twelve month high of $85.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.33 billion, a PE ratio of 18.69 and a beta of 0.87. The stocks 50 day moving average is $90.27 and its 200 day moving average is $84.32. iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF Profile iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares MSCI EAFE Growth Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI EAFE Growth Index (the Index). The Index is a subset of the MSCI EAFE Index and constituents of the Index include securities from Europe, Australasia (Australia and Asia), and the Far East. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EFG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (BATS:EFG Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mistras Group, Inc. (NYSE:MG Get Rating)s share price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $4.93 and traded as high as $6.68. Mistras Group shares last traded at $6.55, with a volume of 213,371 shares trading hands. Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Mistras Group from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 21st. Get Mistras Group alerts: Mistras Group Stock Performance The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $5.53 and a 200-day simple moving average of $4.94. The stock has a market cap of $197.54 million, a P/E ratio of 32.90 and a beta of 1.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 1.62. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Mistras Group Mistras Group Company Profile A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MG. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Mistras Group by 34.7% during the 1st quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 27,156 shares of the technology companys stock worth $180,000 after buying an additional 6,989 shares during the last quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Mistras Group by 9.5% during the 1st quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 72,166 shares of the technology companys stock worth $477,000 after buying an additional 6,268 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Mistras Group by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 1,400,796 shares of the technology companys stock worth $9,258,000 after buying an additional 12,485 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of Mistras Group by 3.8% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 996,636 shares of the technology companys stock worth $6,587,000 after buying an additional 36,770 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Federated Hermes Inc. lifted its stake in Mistras Group by 5.5% in the 1st quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 500,458 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $3,308,000 after purchasing an additional 26,162 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 48.42% of the companys stock. (Get Rating) MISTRAS Group, Inc engages in the provision of technology-enabled asset protection solutions. The firm serves the oil and gas, aerospace, power, infrastructure, and manufacturing markets. It operates through the following segments: Services, International Offers Services, and Products and Systems. The Services segment provides asset protection solutions primarily in North America, consisting primarily of non-destructive testing, inspection, mechanical, and engineering services. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Mistras Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mistras Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. MPS Loria Financial Planners LLC lowered its stake in shares of The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW Get Rating) by 39.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 4,056 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock after selling 2,599 shares during the quarter. Sherwin-Williams makes up approximately 0.4% of MPS Loria Financial Planners LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest holding. MPS Loria Financial Planners LLCs holdings in Sherwin-Williams were worth $963,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its position in Sherwin-Williams by 115.8% during the second quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 10,250,997 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $2,295,301,000 after purchasing an additional 5,499,972 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its position in Sherwin-Williams by 2.8% during the second quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 8,898,426 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $1,992,447,000 after purchasing an additional 246,451 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc boosted its position in Sherwin-Williams by 0.8% during the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 1,891,102 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $423,439,000 after purchasing an additional 15,631 shares during the period. Farallon Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Sherwin-Williams by 20.4% during the third quarter. Farallon Capital Management LLC now owns 1,279,492 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $261,976,000 after purchasing an additional 216,900 shares during the period. Finally, Chilton Investment Co. Inc. boosted its position in Sherwin-Williams by 1.1% during the second quarter. Chilton Investment Co. Inc. now owns 1,260,134 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $282,157,000 after purchasing an additional 13,764 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 76.03% of the companys stock. Get Sherwin-Williams alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades SHW has been the subject of a number of research reports. BMO Capital Markets cut their target price on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $283.00 to $231.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 27th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $230.00 to $220.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $260.00 to $235.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 27th. Loop Capital cut their price objective on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $270.00 to $260.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 27th. Finally, Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $270.00 to $251.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Sherwin-Williams presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $253.39. Insider Transactions at Sherwin-Williams Sherwin-Williams Price Performance In other news, SVP Bryan J. Young sold 2,750 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.76, for a total value of $607,090.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 7,955 shares in the company, valued at $1,756,145.80. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website . In related news, SVP Bryan J. Young sold 2,750 shares of Sherwin-Williams stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.76, for a total value of $607,090.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 7,955 shares in the company, valued at $1,756,145.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink . Also, CEO John G. Morikis purchased 2,207 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 27th. The stock was bought at an average price of $226.70 per share, for a total transaction of $500,326.90. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 231,344 shares of the companys stock, valued at $52,445,684.80. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here . Company insiders own 0.55% of the companys stock. Shares of SHW stock traded up $0.56 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $215.88. 570,416 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,605,419. The company has a market capitalization of $55.71 billion, a PE ratio of 27.89, a PEG ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 1.07. The Sherwin-Williams Company has a 12-month low of $195.24 and a 12-month high of $285.00. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $226.64 and its 200-day simple moving average is $229.24. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.09. Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 26th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.89 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.84 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $5.23 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.26 billion. Sherwin-Williams had a net margin of 9.12% and a return on equity of 90.04%. The businesss revenue was up 9.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.34 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that The Sherwin-Williams Company will post 8.53 earnings per share for the current year. Sherwin-Williams Increases Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 27th were issued a $0.605 dividend. This is a boost from Sherwin-Williamss previous quarterly dividend of $0.60. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 24th. This represents a $2.42 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.12%. Sherwin-Williamss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 31.35%. Sherwin-Williams Profile (Get Rating) The Sherwin-Williams Co engages in the development, manufacture, distribution, and sale of paint and coatings. It operates through the following segments: America Group, Consumer Brands Group, and Performance Coating Group. The America Group segment manages the exclusive outlets for Sherwin-Williams branded paints, stains, supplies, equipment, and floor coverings. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Sherwin-Williams Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sherwin-Williams and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. MTU Aero Engines (ETR:MTX Get Rating) has been given a 243.00 ($261.29) target price by research analysts at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft in a research report issued on Thursday, Borsen Zeitung reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschafts price target would suggest a potential upside of 6.39% from the stocks current price. MTX has been the topic of a number of other reports. Hauck Aufhauser Investment Banking set a 197.00 ($211.83) target price on MTU Aero Engines in a research report on Wednesday, February 15th. Warburg Research set a 215.00 ($231.18) price objective on MTU Aero Engines in a research note on Wednesday, February 15th. Bank Of America (Bofa) set a 215.00 ($231.18) price objective on MTU Aero Engines in a research note on Wednesday, November 30th. Barclays set a 239.00 ($256.99) price objective on MTU Aero Engines in a research note on Tuesday, February 21st. Finally, UBS Group set a 260.00 ($279.57) price objective on MTU Aero Engines in a research note on Thursday, February 16th. Get MTU Aero Engines alerts: MTU Aero Engines Price Performance Shares of ETR:MTX traded up 1.40 ($1.51) during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching 228.40 ($245.59). The stock had a trading volume of 86,626 shares, compared to its average volume of 178,994. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 52.62. The company has a market cap of $12.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.49. MTU Aero Engines has a 1 year low of 149.20 ($160.43) and a 1 year high of 236.20 ($253.98). The businesss 50 day moving average price is 228.08 and its 200 day moving average price is 200.58. About MTU Aero Engines MTU Aero Engines AG, together with its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, markets, and maintains commercial and military engines, and aero derivative industrial gas turbines in Germany, other European countries, North America, Asia, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Commercial and Military Engine Business; and Commercial Maintenance Business. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for MTU Aero Engines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for MTU Aero Engines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Special Opportunities Fund, Inc. (NYSE:SPE Get Rating) saw a significant drop in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,300 shares, a drop of 61.8% from the February 28th total of 3,400 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 33,700 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.0 days. Special Opportunities Fund Trading Up 0.7 % SPE traded up $0.08 during trading on Thursday, hitting $10.86. The company had a trading volume of 11,903 shares, compared to its average volume of 33,426. Special Opportunities Fund has a one year low of $10.37 and a one year high of $15.20. The firms 50-day moving average price is $11.42 and its 200 day moving average price is $11.59. Get Special Opportunities Fund alerts: Special Opportunities Fund Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, June 21st will be given a $0.0867 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 20th. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 9.58%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Special Opportunities Fund Special Opportunities Fund Company Profile Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Csenge Advisory Group acquired a new stake in Special Opportunities Fund in the 3rd quarter valued at $117,000. Raymond James & Associates increased its stake in Special Opportunities Fund by 8.3% in the 3rd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 33,733 shares of the closed-end funds stock valued at $374,000 after buying an additional 2,586 shares during the last quarter. Triad Investment Management acquired a new stake in Special Opportunities Fund in the 3rd quarter valued at $215,000. Shaker Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in Special Opportunities Fund in the 3rd quarter valued at $872,000. Finally, First Manhattan Co. increased its stake in Special Opportunities Fund by 21.6% in the 4th quarter. First Manhattan Co. now owns 70,420 shares of the closed-end funds stock valued at $803,000 after buying an additional 12,500 shares during the last quarter. 34.49% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. (Get Rating) Special Opportunities Fund, Inc is a close-ended balanced fund of funds launched and managed by Bulldog Investors, LLC. It invests in close-ended funds investing in public equity and fixed income markets. The fund employs a combination of value, opportunistic and special situations strategies to make its investments. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Special Opportunities Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Special Opportunities Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. QV Investors Inc. cut its stake in TELUS International (Cda) Inc. (NYSE:TIXT Get Rating) by 3.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,457,145 shares of the companys stock after selling 48,370 shares during the period. TELUS International (Cda) makes up approximately 2.8% of QV Investors Inc.s investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th biggest position. QV Investors Inc. owned approximately 0.55% of TELUS International (Cda) worth $28,746,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Cibc World Market Inc. boosted its holdings in TELUS International (Cda) by 0.8% during the first quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 88,458 shares of the companys stock worth $2,186,000 after buying an additional 728 shares in the last quarter. National Bank of Canada FI boosted its holdings in TELUS International (Cda) by 4.2% during the third quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 44,907 shares of the companys stock worth $1,172,000 after buying an additional 1,823 shares in the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in TELUS International (Cda) during the first quarter worth approximately $46,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in TELUS International (Cda) by 43.4% during the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 7,367 shares of the companys stock worth $182,000 after buying an additional 2,228 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pembroke Management LTD boosted its holdings in TELUS International (Cda) by 27.1% during the third quarter. Pembroke Management LTD now owns 13,205 shares of the companys stock worth $477,000 after buying an additional 2,817 shares in the last quarter. 18.27% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get TELUS International (Cda) alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes Several equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on shares of TELUS International (Cda) from $38.00 to $29.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 10th. National Bankshares reduced their price target on shares of TELUS International (Cda) from $38.00 to $35.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 10th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of TELUS International (Cda) from $23.00 to $22.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded shares of TELUS International (Cda) from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and reduced their price target for the company from $30.00 to $24.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 15th. Finally, Bank of America upgraded shares of TELUS International (Cda) from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $26.00 price target for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 11th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $27.00. TELUS International (Cda) Stock Up 1.6 % About TELUS International (Cda) TIXT stock traded up $0.31 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $20.21. The company had a trading volume of 2,068 shares, compared to its average volume of 134,221. The company has a market capitalization of $5.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.84, a PEG ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a 50 day moving average of $21.78 and a two-hundred day moving average of $22.52. The company has a current ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. TELUS International has a 1 year low of $17.65 and a 1 year high of $31.52. (Get Rating) TELUS International (Cda) Inc provides customer experience and digital business services in Europe, North America, the Asia-Pacific, and the Central America. It offers digital experience solutions, such as AI and bots, omnichannel CX, mobility solutions, cloud contact center, big data, platform transformation, and UX/UI design; and customer experience solutions, including work anywhere/work from home, customer care, technical support, sales growth and retention, and healthcare/patient experience. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TIXT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for TELUS International (Cda) Inc. (NYSE:TIXT Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for TELUS International (Cda) Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TELUS International (Cda) and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Scout Investments Inc. increased its stake in YETI Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:YETI Get Rating) by 27.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 692,447 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 149,965 shares during the quarter. Scout Investments Inc. owned about 0.80% of YETI worth $28,605,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in YETI by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 7,556,216 shares of the companys stock valued at $215,503,000 after acquiring an additional 53,886 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. lifted its holdings in YETI by 1.2% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 7,372,620 shares of the companys stock valued at $442,208,000 after acquiring an additional 90,088 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors lifted its holdings in YETI by 23.4% in the 1st quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 7,266,836 shares of the companys stock valued at $435,865,000 after acquiring an additional 1,376,536 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its holdings in YETI by 6.7% in the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 4,613,072 shares of the companys stock valued at $276,692,000 after acquiring an additional 289,335 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wasatch Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in YETI by 12.5% in the 1st quarter. Wasatch Advisors Inc. now owns 3,908,872 shares of the companys stock valued at $234,454,000 after acquiring an additional 434,669 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.24% of the companys stock. Get YETI alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth YETI has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded shares of YETI from a buy rating to a neutral rating and cut their price target for the company from $51.00 to $43.00 in a report on Friday, February 24th. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on shares of YETI from $60.00 to $55.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 24th. Piper Sandler reduced their price objective on shares of YETI from $57.00 to $55.00 in a research note on Friday, February 17th. Roth Capital reaffirmed a neutral rating on shares of YETI in a research note on Wednesday, February 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of YETI from $52.00 to $47.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 27th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $55.00. YETI Stock Up 0.1 % About YETI NYSE:YETI traded up $0.03 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $38.97. The stock had a trading volume of 171,160 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,277,400. The businesss 50 day moving average is $41.00 and its 200 day moving average is $38.82. YETI Holdings, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $27.86 and a fifty-two week high of $65.46. The stock has a market cap of $3.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.25, a PEG ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 2.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a current ratio of 1.76 and a quick ratio of 0.85. (Get Rating) YETI Holdings, Inc engages in the design, marketing, and distribution of products for the outdoor and recreation market. Its products include coolers, drinkware, travel bags, backpacks, multipurpose buckets, outdoor chairs, blankets, dog bowls, apparel, and accessories. The company was founded by Roy J. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding YETI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for YETI Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:YETI Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for YETI Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for YETI and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. 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Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Indian gov't exempts basic customs duty on drugs for rare diseases Xinhua) 15:58, March 30, 2023 NEW DELHI, March 30 (Xinhua) -- The Indian government Thursday said basic customs duty on all imported drugs and food for special medical purposes for personal use for the treatment of all rare diseases listed under the National Policy for Rare Diseases 2021 has been exempted. According to the federal finance ministry, the individual importer has to produce a certificate from the health department officials to avail exemption. Drugs and medicines otherwise attract basic customs duty of 10 percent, while some categories of lifesaving drugs and vaccines attract a concessional rate of 5 percent or nil. As per the official notification, the import duty waiver will come into effect from April 1. Officials said the exemption will result in substantial cost savings and provide much-needed relief to the patients. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Monsieur Guy Verhofstadt was fuming at the British, calling them swine, this name and that name. From out of nowhere, some cockroaches, these were well seasoned ones quite large came up from under his desk and onto his quivering face. Some went onto his glasses, others burrowed into his ears, and from my count, he ate fourteen of them, crunching with gusto their hard shells. One of them was very large, and when he crunched down on it with his teeth, the insides oozed out over his chin. Guy Verhofstadt, simply slurped up the greenish slime with his long tongue, then continued on as if nothing happened, Jean Gilles Punaise, a senior delegate for the EUs transport commission in Strasbourg told news media after the talk. Infestation There has been talk about cockroach infestation in the EU parliament for some time, but its not just about unelected members of the EU Commission that are being referenced to, in fact, the little creatures infesting the parliament are quite hard to keep under control and are hardy little critters. Our EU pest control directive, number 2389-1a says that cockroaches are to be controlled in numbers but they have rights as well, under by-law EU directive 97345-123, cockroaches can only be squashed one by one, if squashed simultaneously in numbers more than one, this would violate EU directive 342775-1y, which stipulates it is an offence to squash more than one cockroach at the same time, Chief of EU Cockroach Kontrollen, Yves Pierre Salope, told EU News on Tuesday. The word on the ground feeds out in little social media videos, or notes, speedily deleted soon after by the communist totalitarian Chinese regime. With hospitals within the Wuhan region, Hubei province completely inundated, hospital corridors with piled up corpses and the poor medical staff in despair, nothing is said about the true scale of the pandemic and its sheer strength in spreading its virus. Hastily dug mass graves are now being dug where the dead are unceremoniously dumped by the dump trucks and their bodies incinerated to destroy the evidence, reminiscent of an unholy holocaust from another time, and another century, the Chinese authorities punish any news seeping out of these mass incinerations with instant death for the perpetrators, yet still the social media reports manage to feed through. The contaminated remnants along with the virus may very well seep into the already polluted water table and soil. Containing 60 million people who are now trapped in a zone where food and fresh water are now rapidly running out is no easy feat. Over 100,000 people are now infected, but the number could be triple that, because there are many who are not registered or are incubating the virus whilst spreading it. Each infected person can infect dozens of others, as the symptoms are delayed for about 24 days. Five million people fled the city of Wuhan prior to the lockdown by the Chinese state, therefore in theory there is a probability that the infected have already spread far and wide. A security guard in China who was horribly sick still went to work, where he collapsed & died while manning his post! People in China are literally dropping dead at work & in the streets!! pic.twitter.com/oov40WkzSv RR (@novablue18) March 17, 2020 International air travel within the region is still an open corridor for the coronavirus to spread, possibly into India and Africa as well as throughout the South East Asian peninsula. China has many projects in Africa, and many business interests in India. These highly populated areas would be ideal for the spread of the virus, decimating the populations who live in unsanitary conditions. Europes open Schengen zone will also be an open petri dish of viral spread, simply because there are no border checks and the virus will have free rein to push through each population centre without any quarantine. UKRAINE - AN APPEAL FOR DONATIONS FOR ORPHANED CHILDREN STRANDED IN WAR ZONE INVADED BY RUSSIA. WWW.HOPEANDHOMES.ORG This is an appeal to all our readers and anyone else who sees this article. It is a plea for help to rescue 100,000 orphaned children who are stuck in 600 orphanages across War torn Ukraine. Many of the children are now fending for themselves, with older kids looking after the younger ones as it has been reported that some adult carers have returned home to look after their own families. With food running out and bombed infrastructure, it is not known if the children will have electricity or water for much longer. One can only imagine the terror of seeing and hearing Russian artillery and missiles exploding around you, and the constant threat of dying so young. Please help by donating some money to UK charity Hope and Homes For Children. Run by Mark Waddington, they need your help to get the orphaned children to safety now. They are also releasing the coordinates of the orphanages to the UN, who have people on the ground in Ukraine. PLEASE DONATE NOW TO HELP THE CHILDREN OF UKRAINE RIGHT NOW WHO ARE BEING BOMBED INDISCRIMINATELY BY THE RUSSIANS Click the link below to donate now. www.hopeandhomes.org Despite being public buildings, Ukraines 700 orphanages are being targeted by shells, missiles and illegal cluster bombs (including one orphanage in Vorzel, where 50 children narrowly survived). Many of Ukraines 60,000 orphanage staff have fled to be with their own families leaving thousands of children (including 50,000 disabled children) to fend for themselves. In the coming days, we predict many orphanages will totally run out of food, water and medicine. 100,000 children have been left behind in the firing line. They have no voice, and theres no plan to rescue them or keep them safe. Today, Hope and Homes for Children (HHC) launched an emergency appeal for children trapped in orphanages (www.hopeandhomes.org). HHC was born out of the Balkans Conflict 30 years ago. Weve seen children left behind in the war zone, to live feral in bombed out orphanages. Weve seen refugee children separated from family and thrown into dangerous orphanages far away from their homes. We cannot allow history to repeat itself in Ukraine. What were doing in Ukraine In Kiev and Dnipro were providing life-saving emergency aid, so children and families have enough food, water, clothes, medicine, sleeping bags, torches and tape to prevent broken glass injuring people. What were doing in neighbouring Moldova and Romania HHCs staff fear a child protection emergency of epic proportions. Weve set up emergency reception centres on the border, ensuring displaced families and unaccompanied child refugees get the emergency aid they need and that no child ends up in orphanage. Were calling for: Orphanages to be kept out of the firing line. The Government of Ukraine not to cut-off funding to orphanages Orphanages to be urgently and responsibly evacuated Neighbouring countries to keep child refugees out of orphanages by using emergency foster care. Click the link below to donate now. www.hopeandhomes.org Update (21 June) Hes the Oskar Schindler of Ukraine: American veteran left his family behind to travel 25,000 miles within the war-torn country to rescue civilians and deliver medicine and food to orphaned children https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10934817/American-veteran-tells-hes-left-family-rescue-75-Ukrainians.html At a train station in Hungary, more than 200 young Ukrainians with disabilities residents of Kyiv orphanages disembarked after an arduous escape. They are some of the most vulnerable of the hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing the war. https://t.co/MRqjFHvPq5 The Associated Press (@AP) March 2, 2022 (14 March) Helpless orphans cram into basement in Kyiv as they shelter from Putins war machine: Up to 100,000 children who still need to be evacuated from Ukraine as Russian troops continue their assault https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10608155/Up-100-000-children-need-evacuated-Ukraine-Russian-troops-continue-assault.html WASHINGTON D.C. - USA - The Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government proves how the Democrat Party used the FBI, Google and Twitter not only to throw elections but to threaten and politically attack their opponents. Please play the video of the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government to get a full understanding of the level of corruption and weaponisation of Federal agencies as well as left-leaning Big Tech giants like Google and Twitter to not only illegally throw elections but to punish the opposition unlawfully. On September 23, 2020, Senator Johnson and I released our first Biden investigation report. I know theres been a lot of talk in this town about Treasury records. In that 2020 report, we made public the contents of many Treasury records. But, we didnt stop there. We issued another report, November the 18, 2020. Our reports exposed extensive financial relationships between Hunter and James Biden and Chinese nationals connected to the communist regime. More precisely, Chinese nationals connected to the Chinese Governments military and intelligence services. Then, Senator Johnson and I transitioned to ranking members. We hadnt forgotten about what the partisan media, FBI and Democratic leadership did to us. So, we did what any congressional investigator worth their salt would do: We gathered even more records to prove them all wrong. We acquired authentic bank records that substantiated the findings of our previous two reports. They financially linked Hunter Biden and James Biden to entities and individuals connected with the communist Chinese regime. We also acquired business records with Hunter and James Bidens signatures alongside those same Chinese nationals. How were they supposed to be paid? According to bank records, there were wires from companies linked to the communist regime. In three floor speeches, we made those bank records public and asked this question to our partisan detractors: Are these official bank records Russian disinformation? We also shared hundreds of pages of bank records with U.S. Attorney Weiss. Hes failed to respond. Now, as our investigation continued, whistleblowers approached my office with allegations that the FBI created an assessment in August 2020 the same month that the FBI briefed me and Senator Johnson. According to these whistleblowers, that assessment was used by FBI Headquarters to improperly discredit negative Hunter Biden information as disinformation. This scheme allegedly caused investigative activity then to entirely cease. Its been further alleged to me that in September 2020 the same month Senator Johnson and I released our first report those FBI Headquarters personnel began placing their analysis of the credibility of reporting related to the Biden family in a restricted access sub-file. Further allegations to my office involved FBI personnel at the Washington Field Office who improperly ordered information to be closed by the FBI related to Hunter Bidens potential criminal conduct in October 2020 just before the election even though it was verified or verifiable. Other whistleblower disclosures to my office make clear that the FBI has within its possession very significant, impactful and voluminous evidence with respect to potential criminal conduct by Hunter and James Biden. These disclosures also allege that Joe Biden was aware of Hunter Bidens business arrangements and may have been involved in some of them. We still arent sure whats been done with this information. The FBIs track record doesnt create much faith that the information is going to be followed up on. Its clear to me that the Justice Department and FBI are suffering from a political infection that if its not defeated will cause the American people to no longer trust these storied institutions. It will also threaten our American way of life. Unfortunately, this story of government abuse and political treachery is scarier than fiction. It really happened. But Mr. Chairman, your committee has an opportunity to help us write the last chapter in this real-life drama. U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) SOURCE ________________________________________________________________________ At the outset, it is important to recognize corrupt individuals within federal agencies are not acting alone. They operate as vital partners of the leftwing political movement that includes most members of the mainstream media, big tech social media giants, global institutions and foundations, Democrat Party operatives, and elected officials. As the Twitter files reveal, these actors work in concert to defeat their political opponents and promote leftwing ideology and government control over our lives. My eyes began opening to this reality with the disclosure of how the Obama administration weaponized the IRS to harass Tea Party groups by denying them tax-exempt status. My personal knowledge and experience with agency corruption began in 2015 when I became Chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. My first investigation ultimately revealed the extensive editing of then-FBI Director James Comeys July 5, 2016 statement that exonerated Secretary Clinton regarding her use of a private email server for official business. The edits were clearly made to downplay the seriousness of her actions. Its important to note those partisan edits were made by the same cast of characters in the FBI that would initiate and drive the corrupt Trump-Russia collusion investigation. During our investigation of the FBIs involvement in the Russia collusion hoax, Senator Grassley and I uncovered and made public highly partisan text messages between FBI employees Peter Strzok and Lisa Page. Strzoks December 15, 2016 text, Think our sisters have begun leaking like mad. Scorned, worried, and political, theyre kicking into overdrive has never been given the attention it deserves. In a 2022 interview with Jeff Gerth, Strzok said he now believes that it is more likely [the leaks] came not from the CIA but from senior levels of the US government or Congress. Who might those leakers be? Why arent reporters who received the leaks outraged at being fed false information, and why havent they blown the whistle on the leakers? Why didnt the mainstream media robustly investigate how they were all duped? The answer is: they werent duped, they are complicit in creating and fostering the political turmoil our country has been experiencing over the last six years. Those leaks were a key ingredient in the most destructive political dirty trick in U.S. history: the creation and promotion of the false Trump-Russia collusion narrative. To be most effective, however, that narrative relied on coordination between government actors and the media, and the left had allies in the FBI. Unable to verify the Steele dossier, the FBI offered Christopher Steele $1 million to provide verification. By December 2016, the FBI knew they had investigated Steeles primary subsource as a Russian spy. In the main body of the DOJ Inspector Generals report on FISA abuse, FBI official Bill Priestap is quoted saying the FBI didnt have any indication whatsoever of Russian influence on the Steele dossier. Our investigation uncovered redacted footnotes that completely contradicted that statement. Why would Priestaps false statement appear in the report but the truth be hidden in classified footnotes? Fourteen months later, in February 2018, the FBI still briefed the Senate Intelligence Committee that the dossier had validity. When the Mueller report found no evidence of collusion, the left engineered an impeachment of President Trump. The cooperation between the House Intelligence Committee and the impeachment whistleblower remains murky. Then-Chairman Adam Schiff originally denied his committee had contact with the whistleblower prior to the filing of the complaint a claim Schiff later attempted to walk back. The genesis of the impeachment saga has yet to be fully investigated. It needs to be. Prior to the impeachment proceedings, Hunter Bidens obvious conflicts of interest in Ukraine became public and we began investigating. We didnt target Joe and Hunter Biden, their actions demanded it. On December 9, 2019, the FBI issued a grand jury subpoena and took possession of Hunter Bidens laptop from John Paul Mac Isaac, a computer shop owner in Wilmington, Delaware. As the FBI left his shop with the laptop, Mr. Mac Isaac recalled one agent saying, It is our experience that nothing ever happens to people that dont talk about these things. That statement was the opening salvo in a coordinated effort over the next ten months to sabotage any public revelation of Hunter Bidens laptop or any wrongdoing connected to the Bidens. Senator Grassley has provided a number of examples of that sabotage, and we will release a report that goes into far greater detail than we had time for today. When available, I hope everyone will read it. Perhaps the most egregious and effective act of sabotage against the truth, was the public letter signed by 51 former intelligence officials that claimed the laptop had all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation. That letter itself was an information operation that interfered with and impacted the 2020 presidential election to a far greater extent than anything Russia ever could have hoped to achieve. Each of those intelligence officials needs to be interviewed to determine how that letter was masterminded.washington d.c. usa Senator Ron Johnson SOURCE Soma Bharat Kumar, the authorised representative of BRS leader K Kavitha. (File photo) Hyderabad: Soma Bharat, Kalvakuntla Kavithas legal counsel, appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials on Wednesday in New Delhi after the investigation agency wrote to the BRS party MLC informing her that it would examine the mobile phones she had deposited. The ED on Monday stated that it was verifying Kavithas call data and business activities in connection with the probe into money laundering in the Delhi liquor scam case, and asked Kavitha or her legal representative to appear before it on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the ED officials also questioned Kavithas auditor Gorantla Buchi Babu in connection with the liquor scam case. Chief Minister YS Jagan met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Wednesday (Twitter/@AndhraPradeshCM) VIJAYAWADA: The tour of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to Delhi for two days on March 29 and 30, to meet top brass in the Union government, has raised speculations. The CM had gone to Delhi on March 17 and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. He sought funds for AP and resolution of the long-pending requests of the state that were pending with the Centre. He left for Delhi again on Wednesday evening from Vijayawada by a special flight. Jagan Mohan Reddy was received by YSRC MPs, leaders and officials when he landed in Delhi. There have been speculations about Jagan Mohan Reddy opting for early polls, as TS did in 2018, as also about shifting of the CM seat to Vizag. He is also pressing the Centre for an ED probe into the Margadarshi chit scam. Where these would form part of the CMs present Delhi tour agenda is a matter of speculation. Jagan Mohan Reddy reportedly held a confidential meeting with Governor S. Abdul Nazir on Monday. Reports are also that he discussed the possibility of dissolving the state assembly shortly. The CM was scheduled to meet Amit Shah at 9.30 pm on Wednesday. Jagan Mohan Reddy reportedly met Shah late in the night. The meeting was going on between the leaders when the last reports came in. Notably, Jagan Mohan Reddy and his party leaders were firmly ruling out the possibility of holding early elections in the state. Senior leaders like Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy have clarified that elections would be held as scheduled in April/May next year. There is also a talk that BRS president and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao advised Jagan Mohan Reddy to opt for early elections in order to consolidate his power in AP. Telangana Assembly polls could take place by the end of this year. The AP CID is tightening its noose around Eenadu group chairman Ch. Ramoji Rao in relation to the Margadarsi Chit Funds case. The media baron is said to be seeking help from the Centre. The issue has taken a serious turn with the AP CID writing to the Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax department to step in and take up the probe into the siphoning off of funds and diversion of deposit money collected by Margadarsi Chit Funds to other purposes. Sources said Jagan Mohan Reddy is likely to seek Centre's support for the ED probe. Another speculation is that in view of the apex court postponing the Amaravati case hearing to July, Jagan Mohan Reddy wants to end his wait and shift the CM seat to Vizag soon. He may seek the Center's cooperation in this respect too. Karnataka Congress President D K Shivakumar (PTI) Bengaluru: A non-cognisable offence has been registered by the police against the Karnataka Congress President D K Shivakumar following a complaint, which alleged that he distributed cash during a poll campaign. The complainant alleged that the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President had "thrown money" at Bevinahalli village in Mandya Taluk on Tuesday, a day before the Election Commission announced the Karnataka Assembly election schedule. "We haven't registered an FIR yet. A non-cognisable offence has been taken up and the matter will be presented before the court seeking its direction," Mandya Superintendent of Police Yathish N told PTI. Meanwhile, Congress workers in Mandya said Shivakumar was only paying money to the artists, who had performed a cultural event during the party campaign. They refuted the allegation that he distributed money to lure voters ahead of the May 10 polls. Telangana High Court. (PTI) Hyderabad: Taking cognizance of a series of reports published in Deccan Chronicle on the Swapnalok Complex fire mishap in Secunderabad, the Telangana High Court initiated suo motu public interest litigation and named several higher officials as respondents, including the Chief Secretary. The Chief Secretary, principal secretary of municipal administration, GHMC commissioner, DGP, commissioner of police, Hyderabad DG for the Telangana State Disaster Response and Fire Services, Hyderabad district collector and the member secretary of the Telangana State Legal Services Authority and others were listed as the respondents in the suo motu PIL. The PIL will come up for hearing before the High Court in a day or two. The fire broke out at Swapnalok Complex on March 16 this year, killing six employees inside the QNet office in the B-Block, Flats 510 and 511 on the complexs fifth floor. The court made QNet Vihaan Direct Selling Pvt. Ltd. and its director as the respondents based on a DC report stated that the company, which was under the ED probe, was running a unit in the Swapnalok Complex, and that all victims of the fire mishap were employees of the multi-level marketing firm. QNet has been on the radar of central investigating agencies for defrauding people. The court took cognizance of reports published in Deccan Chronicle on March 17, 18, and 19. In one report, DC highlighted how the management of the Swapnalok complex ignored putting firefighting equipment in place despite a similar mishap occurring in 2011. In another report, DC highlighted that there are at least 17 high-risk structures posing a grave threat to the people. Further, there are 774 commercial structures and 1,923 stores in Hyderabad that lack fire safety measures. A multi-disciplinary team of officials of police, revenue, and the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation's Disaster Response Force (DRF) had identified the vulnerable structures after a pilot survey. The survey was conducted only on a single stretch across all six zones to identify commercial structures that do not adhere to fire safety norms. Paradise Hotel and Tristar Hotel in Secunderabad, apart from 15 other structures in the city were notified as high-risk structures as they pose a grave threat to the residents in the neighbourhood. Chandrashekar Rao was the first among the Opposition leaders to condemn the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi, following a Surat court's verdict in a defamation case. (File Photo: Twitter) Hyderabad: The Bharata Rashtra Samithis (BRS) recent overtures to the Congress central leadership have left state Congress leaders disconcerted and in discomfort. They see in BRS moves a clear strategy to equate the ongoing probe against Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Raos daughter K. Kavitha in the liquor scam with that of disqualification of MP Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha, and portray both as vendetta politics. "By extending an olive branch to the high command, the BRS also wants to take steam out of our fight against KCR on corruption front," a senior state Congress leader pointed out. Chandrashekar Rao was the first among the Opposition leaders to condemn the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi, following a Surat courts verdict in a defamation case. Within no time of the Chief Minister issuing a press release, BRS ministers, MPs and other leaders competed with one other in rushing to the media to call the disqualification a "blot on democracy". Extending solidarity did not end with mere condemnation but the Chief Minister followed it up with the active participation of party MPs in all Opposition agitation programmes, both within the House and outside, held under the leadership of Congress. BRS parliamentary party leader K. Keshava Rao and Lok Sabha floor leader Nama Nageswara Rao were regulars at all the united Opposition meetings in the national capital. "He (Chandrashekar Rao) is also trying to divert peoples attention from the liquor scam and Kavithas questioning by the Enforcement Directorate," said another Congress leader, who sees a massive public outcry against what he described as the "corrupt regime of KCR". "People are spontaneously reacting to criticism against KCRs family members during our padayatras held by both Pradesh Congress Committee president Revanth Reddy and Congress Legislature Party leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka," he said. Congress leaders are also worried about the BJP taking advantage of the BRS outreach to their central leadership and further consolidating its attempts to position itself as the principal Opposition in the state. "No surprise if he tries to convert this bonhomie into an electoral alliance," a Congress MP said, cautioning the high command against entertaining any such proposal. "Central leadership may be lured with more Lok Sabha seats, but we have to remember that polls to Assembly will be over much before the Lok Sabha; we all know what happened to KCRs promise to merge his party with the Congress in 2014," the MP said. Members raise hands for the passage of a bill in the Lok Sabha during Budget Session of Parliament, in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: As the Opposition protests continued in both Houses of Parliament, the Lok Sabha on Monday passed the Competition (Amendment) Bill 2022. Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned till Monday amid uproar, with the Opposition members raising slogans and demanding a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the allegations against the Adani Group. As the Lok Sabha reassembled at noon after the adjournment in the morning, the Opposition members rushed to the Well of the House and raised slogans demanding a JPC probe into the Adani issue. Amid the din, some papers as well as reports were laid on the table of the House. Environment minister Bhupender Yadav then introduced the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023 in the Lok Sabha. Amid loud sloganeering by the Opposition members, the Competition (Amendment) Bill was taken up for consideration and passed without a debate. Former Karnataka Chief Minister and JDS leader H.D. Kumaraswamy (L) and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao. (By Arrangement) Hyderabad: With the Election Commission of India (ECI) announcing the schedule for the Karnataka Assembly polls, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao has decided to throw his partys weight fully behind former chief minister Kumaraswamy by sending a few ministers, party MPs and MLAs to Karnataka to campaign for the JD (Secular). Rao met with ministers, MLAs, and senior party leaders at Pragathi Bhavan on Wednesday to discuss the strategy that needs to be adopted in ensuring that the JD(S) emerges victorious in the Assembly elections. BRS leaders and workers are expected to hit the campaign trail soon after the EC issues poll notification on April 13. Rao wants to stick to his promise made to Kumaraswamy last year on supporting the JDS in the Assembly polls and depute the BRS leaders, especially from districts neighbouring Karnataka, to work for the JDS, sources said. While several ministries, party MPs, and MLAs will campaign for the JDS in the Assembly elections, the CM has yet to decide on his campaign plan. According to party insiders, the CM would definitely campaign for the JDS, notably in districts bordering Telangana in the Kalyana-Karnataka region, formerly known as Hyderabad-Karnataka and was part of Hyderabad State during the Nizam regime. The BRS leaders would campaign for JD(S) candidates, particularly in places with a high concentration of Telugu-speaking people. The JDS has already announced the names of 93 candidates for Assembly polls in December last out of a total 224 Assembly constituencies. Once the remaining candidates are declared, the BRS leadership plans to undertake a full-fledged campaign in support of JDS. Rao on December 9 declared his support for the JDS in the Assembly elections, declaring that he wants Kumuraswamy to be the next CM of Karnataka. Rao went on to stress that the BRS leaders and party workers will work hard to ensure the JDS victory in the Assembly elections. Rao made these comments while addressing an event at Telangana Bhavan on December 9, the party's headquarters, that was held to formally sign the papers sent by Election Commission approving the partys name change from the TRS to BRS, which was attended by Kumaraswamy. Kumaraswamy also attended the TRS meeting on October 5 last year on the occasion of Dasara, which was held to pass a resolution seeking the EC to approve the party's name change to the BRS. The JDS chief also attended the BRS office inauguration in New Delhi on December 14. Further, he declared that the JDS and BRS will not enter into a pre-poll alliance as the BRS was not interested in contesting Karnataka Assembly polls. Meta Platforms Inc executives are discussing a company-wide ban on political advertising in Europe due to concerns that Facebook and Instagram will be unable to comply with upcoming EU regulations targeting online campaigns, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. EU lawmakers in February agreed to tougher rules on targeted political advertising aimed at countering misinformation during elections. The proposed rules require US tech giants to provide more data on their targeted political ads, with fines up to 4 per cent of their global turnover for breaches. Also Read | Meta, Google defend Brazilian law on responsibility for internet content Meta executives are concerned the definition of political ads under EU plans will be excessively broad that it will be easier to refuse all paid-for political campaigns on the company's sites, the newspaper said, citing two people briefed on the discussions. The European Commission last December warned Facebook parent Meta that it was breaching EU antitrust laws by distorting competition in markets for online classified advertising and abusing its dominant position. Meta didn't immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Mexico's president on Wednesday vowed there would be "no impunity" over the deaths of 38 migrants in a fire at a detention center, as relatives waited desperately for news about the victims. Authorities faced mounting scrutiny of their handling of the disaster after video surveillance footage appeared to show guards leaving as flames engulfed a cell with migrants trapped inside. "We will not hide anything and there will be no impunity," President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reporters after the blaze at a detention center in Ciudad Juarez near the US border late Monday. Also Read | Protesting migrants started fire that killed 39 in Mexico: President Those found to have been responsible for "causing this painful tragedy will be punished in conformity with the law," he said. In the video, whose authenticity was confirmed by the government, three guards seem to hurry away leaving migrants in their cell as flames spread and smoke fills the building. "How is it possible that the Mexican authorities left human beings locked up with no way to escape the fire?" said Amnesty International's Americas director, Erika Guevara-Rosas. The fire was "a consequence of the restrictive and cruel immigration policies" of Mexico and the United States, the rights group said. Lopez Obrador said Tuesday that the migrants were believed to have started the fire themselves in a protest against deportations. "They put mats at the door of the shelter and set them on fire as a protest, and did not imagine that it would cause this terrible tragedy," he said. Dozens of migrants spent the night outside the National Migration Institute (INM) facility in Ciudad Juarez waiting for information about their relatives and friends. The government had not yet identified those who lost their lives or the conditions of the 28 injured. The group included people from Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela, El Salvador, Colombia and Ecuador, Mexican authorities said. "We want to know if they were in there or not," said Venezuelan Gilbert Zabaleta, who was looking for two friends. Migrants left candles and flowers during a vigil outside the detention center, demanding better treatment by the authorities. "You know what angers me? You arrive here after battling so hard in life," said 22-year-old Embeer Gutierrez, also from Venezuela. Condolences poured in from abroad, including from Pope Francis. "Let us pray for the migrants who died in a tragic fire in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, so that the Lord receives them in his kingdom and consoles their families," he said. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a "thorough investigation" into the fire. UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi appealed to countries in the region "to deal in a humane, just, effective manner with growing population flows through the Americas." US President Joe Biden's administration has been hoping to stem the record tide of migrants and asylum seekers undertaking often dangerous journeys organized by human smugglers to get to the United States. About 200,000 people try to cross the border from Mexico into the United States each month, most of them fleeing poverty and violence in Central and South America. According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 7,600 migrants have died or disappeared in transit in the Americas since 2014. Of those, about 4,400 people perished or went missing on the US-Mexican border crossing route, according to the UN agency. The Congress on Thursday used embattled IPL founder Lalit Modi's tweets threatening to take Rahul Gandhi to court, to attack the BJP and said that "global scamsters" were now coming to the defence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Former IPL chief Lalit Modi, accused of financial irregularities in India, launched a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi on Thursday, and also hit out at the Congress party for referring to him as a "fugitive of justice" even though he had never been convicted of any charges. Reacting to his remarks, Congress general secretary in-charge organisation K C Venugopal said,"Lalit Modi is a fugitive in multi-million dollar frauds whose cowardice made him run away. He now enjoys a plush life abroad thanks to BJPs inaction. It's laughable if he thinks anyone takes him seriously." "A new low for PM Modi, that global scamsters are coming to his defence," Venugopal said. Taking a dig at the BJP, Congress' media and publicity department chief Pawan Khera said,"Is now Saheb taking help from abroad to threaten Rahul ji with legal action?" "Will pressure be put on Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, Vijay Mallya etc. to file a case against Rahul Gandhi?" Khera said. The Opposition party has been relentlessly attacking the BJP for allegedly allowing economic offenders such as Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi and Mehul Choksi get away and flee abroad with people's money. In a series of tweets, Lalit Modi said, "I see just about every Tom, Dick and Gandhi associates, again and again, saying I am a fugitive of justice. why? How? and when was I...convicted of same." i see just about every Tom dick and gandhi associates again and again saying i ama fugitive of justice. why ?How?and when was i to date ever convicted of same. unlike #Papu aka @RahulGandhi now an ordinary citizen saying it and it seems one and all oposition leaders have nothing Lalit Kumar Modi (@LalitKModi) March 30, 2023 "Unlike #Papu aka @RahulGandhi now an ordinary citizen saying it and it seems one and all opposition leaders have nothing else to do so they too are either ill- informed or just vendetta prone. I have decided to take the @RahulGandhi...to court in UK right away. I am sure he will have to come up with some solid evidence. I look forward to seeing him make a complete fool of himself," he tweeted. The Lok Sabha Secretariat on Friday disqualified Rahul Gandhi as MP from Wayanad in Kerala after the Surat court convicted him in the 2019 criminal defamation case for his 'Modi surname' remark. Radical preacher Amritpal Singh on Thursday surfaced in an audio clip in which he debunked speculation that he is negotiating his surrender and nudged the Akal Takht again to summon a sarbat khalsa congregation. A day earlier a video had appeared on social media with the pro-Khalistan preacher asking the jathedar (or chief), of the highest temporal body of Sikhs to summon a congregation of the faithful to discuss issues concerning the community. "I have urged the jathedar to call the sarbat khalsa. Call the sarbat khalsa, and prove that you are the jathedar, he said in the new audio clip. Piling pressure on the Sikh body, he said, If we are going to play politics even today, doing the same things we used to do earlier, then whats the point of being a jathedar in the future, he said in Punjabi. "We should understand that today is the time for the entire community to come together, he added, calling for unity among Sikh bodies. In the video clip too he had tried to argue that the issue was not just his arrest, but about larger concerns of the Sikh community. Meanwhile, the Punjab government has informed the Akal Takht that almost all the people taken into preventive custody 348 out of 360 during the crackdown against Amritpal Singh and his Waris Punjab De outfit have now been released. Also Read: Amritpal Singh says in new video he is in high spirits, calls for 'Sarbat Khalsa' Jathedar Harpreet Singh had earlier issued an ultimatum to the state government to release the Sikh youths picked up during the crackdown that began on March 18. There was no immediate comment by police on the authenticity of the nearly two-minute audio clip in which the pro-Khalistan preacher accuses the government of committing oppression. "But I am not scared and I dont fear going to jail, or torture in police custody. Let them do whatever they want," he said. He also referred to some media reports suggesting that he had put conditions for his surrender, including that he should not be subjected to torture. He has not spoken to anyone over offering arrest, and there have been no conditions put by him, the fugitive said. On Thursday, a drone was deployed over the village in Hoshiarpur where some suspects abandoned their car two days back after a police chase. There was speculation that the preacher could have been in that vehicle. Security also remained stepped up around Amritsars Golden Temple, but officials claimed this was not linked to the hunt for Amritpal Singh. They took out another flag march in the area. The preacher remains untraceable since March 18, when he gave the slip to a police dragnet in Jalandhar, switching cars and changing appearances. The trigger for the crackdown was the storming of the Ajnala police station last month by him and his supporters some of them brandishing firearms to secure the release of an arrested man. Six police personnel were injured. He and his associates have been booked for spreading disharmony, attempt to murder, attacking police personnel and creating obstructions in the lawful discharge of duty by public servants. The government has also invoked the stringent National Security Act against him. Some men, believed to be his key associates, have been booked under the same law and lodged at the Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam. In a setback to the 2008 Malegaon blasts case accused Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit, the Supreme Court has declined to entertain his plea against the Bombay High Court's order which held no sanction was required for his prosecution by rejecting his contention that any of his conducts was part of his official duties. A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and Manoj Misra, however, said that the observation made by the High Court in the order passed on January 2, 2023 for "the purpose of examining the issue of sanction should not prejudice either the prosecution or the defence, in the proceedings before the trial court". "The challenge here is to the order of the High Court whereby it was observed that sanction is not needed under Section 197(2) of the CrPC for the prosecution of the petitioner as his impugned conduct do not pertain to any of his official duties. Having noted the basis of the impugned judgment, we see no reason to interfere with the same and accordingly, the Special Leave Petition is not entertained," the bench said in its brief order. Also Read: Malegaon blasts case: Bombay HC rejects Colonel Purohits discharge plea The top court dismissed the special leave petition by Purohit after hearing senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi and advocate K Parameshwar on his behalf. Advocate Gaurav Agrawal appeared for the National Investigation Agency. In its order, the High Court's division bench of Justices A S Gadkari and Prakash Naik had rejected a plea for discharge made by Purohit due to absence of sanction, saying it was not needed as he was not on official duty. A total of six people were killed and over 100 injured in 2008 Malegaon blasts case. Apart from Purohit, BJP MP Pragya Singh and four others are facing trial in the case. In his arguments, Purohit had claimed he had informed his superiors in Indian Army that he infiltrated and 'Abhinav Bharat' and attended its meetings for collecting intelligence. He also produced some documents from Army authorities, which the HC had declined to take into records. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on his second visit to Delhi within a fortnight, and took up several pending demands, including one to raise the State's credit limit. The chief minister requested both Shah and Sitharaman in separate meetings to raise the credit limit from Rs 17,923 crore to the earlier limit of Rs 42,472 crore, which he said was slashed for no fault of the southern State in 2021-22, a statement on Thursday said. This is his second visit to Delhi in a month. On March 17, Reddy had met with Prime Minster Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. Observing that the pending issues had pushed AP backwards in terms of development and revenue, the CM asked Shah and Sitharaman in separate meetings to immediately release Rs 10,000 crore on an ad-hoc basis to expedite the Polavaram multi-purpose irrigation project. Also Read: Jagan Reddy meets Nirmala Sitharaman; seeks early clearance of pending funds During the meeting with Shah, Reddy sought the reimbursement of Rs 2,601 crore expenditure incurred on Polavaram project and urged that the technical advisory committees revised estimates of Rs 55,548 crore, including treating the drinking water supply component as a part of it, be accepted. Shah was apprised of the financial burden of Rs 5,527 crore that the state had incurred on supplying rations to 56 lakh families under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) due to "irrational selection of beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act". As a result, the CM said that the State needed to be compensated by the unused ration stocks as recommended by the Niti Aayog. Reddy also appealed to the Centre to release the pending amount of Rs 36,625 under resource gap funding for the fiscal 2014-15. Likewise, in his meeting with Finance Minister Sitharaman, he urged her to release the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGA) arrears of Rs 2,500 crore due to AP, the statement said. Further, Reddy appealed to Sitharaman to ensure that Telangana government clears Rs 7,058 crore outstanding dues to State power generation company APGENCO from the neighbouring states discoms for the power supplied between 2014 and 2017. Reddy reiterated his demand on the pending resource gap funding and ad hoc funds for Polavaram to the Finance Minister as well. He also requested both Union Ministers to sanction another Rs 2,020 crore for filling scourge pits formed at the main dam site due to the washing away of the diaphragm wall in flash floods. Most importantly, the CM sought to remind the Centre to live up to the promise of according special category status to the State. In what comes as a matter of concern, violent clashes between two groups during the Ram Navami festivities coinciding with the holy month of Ramzan shattered peace in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar - earlier known as Aurangabad - prompting the Maharashtra government to beef up security and appeal people to remain calm. According to reports reaching here, the clashes broke out on the intervening night between Wednesday and Friday in the Kiradpura of the Aurangabad city. Around two dozen vehicles were damaged during the clashes and some people sustained injuries. More than 500 people, mainly youths, engaged in arson and rioting after an altercation between two groups. Also Read: Stone-pelting to vandalism, violence mars Ram Navami celebrations in various parts of country According to reports reaching there, the incident started around 2330 hrs on Wednesday and went for a couple of hours past midnight. Security was beefed up and in the wee hours, things were brought under control on Thursday morning. The Aurangabad police was backed up by teams of State Reserve Police Force. In videos circulating on social media, local All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen Lok Sabha MP Imtiaz Jaleel and BJP minister Atul Save and others can be seen making efforts to ensure peace. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the Home portfolio, reviewed the situation. People have lived together here.I appeal that peace should be maintained, said Shinde. As of now the situation is under control but the peace must continue to prevail, said Fadnavis. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagars Guardian Minister Sandipan Bhumre and Union Minister of State for Finance Dr Bhagwat Karad are camping in the city - and have met top district and police officials. Aurangabad District Collector Astik Kumar Pandey and Aurangabad City Police Commissioner Dr Nikhil Gupta have appealed to people to remain calm. Strict action would be taken against the offenders, said Bhumre. Couple of days ago, a similar incident was also reported from the Paldhi area of Jalgaon where clashes erupted after over loud music outside a mosque while Namaz was ongoing. The situation was brought under control. Several persons have been picked up for questioning by the police. Your Ultimate Investing Toolkit Sign up for MarketBeat All Access to gain access to MarketBeat's full suite of research tools: Portfolio Monitoring Top Stock Lists Premium Reports Stock Screeners Live News Feed Premium Support Free for your first month. The following companies are subsidiares of Hilton Worldwide: 259 Pitt Street Pty Ltd., 3750 Residential Management LLC, 90210 Biltmore Management LLC, 90210 Desert Resorts Management Co. LLC, 90210 Grand Wailea Management Co. 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Ltd, Tru Brand Management LLC, UK Leasing Leicester Limited, Vista Real Estate Management Company, WA Collection International LLC, Waldorf=Astoria Management LLC, Washington Hilton L.L.C., and World Hotels B.V.. Read More County Derry parents are being pushed towards 'illegal, unqualified and unchecked' childminders by rising costs while registered childminders struggle to get by according to one local provider. As parents and childminders across the North feel the weight of the cost of living crisis, a Unite poll found seven out of ten childminders are considering closing due to high costs. Vicky Seviour of Vickys VIPS childminders in Maghera has been providing the service for seven years. She says rising costs and capacity limits have been forcing legal providers to raise their prices. Last year she had to raise to her fee for the first time since she opened in 2016 to keep up with rapidly increasing costs. I started childminding in 2016, charging 30 per day, and had to increase that to 35 in September. This is still below the NICMA [Northern Ireland Childminding Association] suggestion of 40, but I don't want to burden parents more when they are already feeling the pinch, she said. Rising rates, mortgages, electricity etc. mean that money is tighter for everyone. My families send packed lunches so rising food costs haven't affected us too much, but certainly I have to think more carefully about excursions. During February half term we went more to places that were free, like parks or forests, rather than fun farms or museums. We also attend a mums and tots group most mornings, to reduce the heating bill. Vicky says she is fortunate that her two assistants are family volunteers as it would be impossible for her to pay minimum wage. This is not an option for most registered providers. It isn't viable for me to pay for an assistant with the minimum wage increasing, and I doubt that I actually earn the rate for the amount of hours I do. But for most of us, it gives flexibility to spend time with our own children, and do a job we enjoy and can be proud of. During the pandemic childminders were left without enough support Ms Seviour says. Parents were not sending their children during lockdown and out of lockdown many providers were wary of taking children into their homes so their income was severely reduced. Another issue for providers is the limits restricting registered childminders' capacity. If a provider is unregistered they are able to take on as many children as they like. I'm proud to be a member of Unite Childminders NI, who are calling for greater flexibility with our ratios. A limit of three children under school age is effectively an income cap, and some of these children may be at preschool until late morning. In other parts of the UK, childminders can use continuity of care or their own discretion to look after up to six children under the age of eight. No registered childminder would take on more children than they are able to adequately care and provide for, but I've had to turn away a family that's been with me for years when they had a new sibling. Yet illegal 'childminders' are subject to no limits, taking the families we are forced to turn away, not declaring income, not paying for resources, insurance or training, and reducing the professionalism of the early years sector. Ms Seviour says she would like to see a reestablished Northern Ireland Executive take action to address the issue as the recent UK budget did not do enough. More and more people are turning to illegal, unqualified, unchecked minders thinking that they are cheaper. I hope the government here will consider more practical and urgent ways to implement change here to raise standards, support families and treat us as professional early years educators. Finally implementing the overdue childcare strategy would go a long way, giving consideration to the fact that home from home settings are needed for young and more sensitive children, rather than push them into larger, more expensive school-like environments. Ms Seviour says she would like to see the tax free childcare scheme enhanced and childcare payments paid directly to registered providers only to reduce fraudulent claims and support the professional industry. Meanwhile, a Unite survey revealed that 69% of the unions registered childminder members are considering leaving the profession The union is seeking a meeting with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to address the growing child care crisis in the province. Unite has called on Chris Heaton-Harris to clarify which elements, if any, of the additional childcare funding announced in the recent Budget have been earmarked for the province. Addressing the issue of ratio reform as an increasing number of Northern Ireland childminders choose to flee the sector, Unites Susan Fitzgerald expressed concern that public policy is failing working parents and women working as childminders. Susan explained: Parents working outside the home depend on other workers predominantly women caring for children inside their own home. Yet public policy is failing both sets of workers. Unite is aware of 10 registered childminders who de-registered just last week amidst a continuing cost-of-living crisis which has seen childminders heating and lighting bills double. Northern Ireland is facing a growing childcare crisis, but it is unclear how much, if any, of the new Budget 2023 childcare funding will be available to Northern Ireland. The Department of Education and the British Secretary of State have been urged to step in and save the School Holiday Food Payment. Thousands of local families rely on the payment, which and is due to close on Friday, April 1. Derry City and Strabane District councillor, Emmet Doyle (Aontu) said: "The scheme was introduced to assist parents of children who receive free school meals with 27 a fortnight over school holidays in the current cost of living crisis. "Since the fall of Stormont there has been no budget in place beyond this month to continue the payments despite the worsening situation for household budgets and MLAs receiving pay whilst not being fully at work. "The Department of Education and if needs be the Secretary of State, must act urgently to give parents certainty that this support will be in place for the Easter break and beyond. "I have a motion before Council today (March 30) that will seek that assurance and demand the scheme be saved. People are struggling now as much as they were in October of last year when the then Minister continued the scheme. "The deadlock at Stormont has caused enough financial hardship as it is, and those remaining in charge should now be working to alleviate this pressure for parents and communities. "I am calling on all those in Council to come together with me and save this scheme that benefits over 8,000 local children in our district immediately." SDLP Leader Colum Eastwood MP has written to the British Secretary of State seeking assurances an enhanced pay offer will be made to health workers as staff in England, Scotland and Wales currently consider their offers. Mr Eastwood said workers in the North were being treated like second class service providers by the British Government and it could not continue. He added: "Health workers in the North have been treated like second class service providers by the British Government and it cannot continue. It is insulting to their professionalism and the service they provide day in, day out that they still have not been provided with an appropriate pay offer while their colleagues in England, Scotland and Wales currently consider their offers. I have written to the Secretary of State and the SDLP will be seeing an urgent meeting with the Permanent Secretary at the Department of Health to address this situation immediately. A broken government and failing politics is delivering worse and worse outcomes for workers across our society. Its time to think differently about how we arrange health services and provide better outcomes for workers across our island. Thats the mission the SDLP is engaged in. An attempt by the DUP to block a key part of the revised deal for Northern Irelands post-Brexit trading arrangements has been heavily defeated in the House of Lords. Peers rejected by 227 votes to 14, majority 213, a fatal motion to regulations implementing the so-called Stormont brake, which would enable politicians in Belfast to trigger a veto over the imposition of new EU rules in the region. It comes after the statutory instrument passed comfortably in the Commons last week despite DUP opposition and a Tory backbench rebellion that included former prime ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, with Labour and other opposition parties backing it. The brake mechanism was a central plank of the Windsor Framework, which is designed to deal with issues in the Northern Ireland Protocol. The updated pact was formally signed off at a meeting in London last week, ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement peace deal. The Government said the Windsor Framework had removed the Irish Sea border, restored the free flow of goods with the mainland and stripped out hundreds of pages of EU law, while the brake provided a powerful new ongoing democratic safeguard. But the DUP has refused to return to powersharing, arguing the latest agreement still leaves Northern Ireland subject to rules from Brussels, and dismissed the Stormont brake as convoluted and ineffective. DUP peer Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown said: This brake couldnt stop a tricycle, never mind the EU juggernaut travelling down the track. He added: I do not believe that my party could re-enter an assembly which would require us to work for the destruction of the union by implementing foreign laws in our own country. Former DUP deputy leader Lord Dodds of Duncairn said: We did leave (the EU) as one United Kingdom. DUP chairman Lord Morrow said: We joined Europe as one identity, why arent we leaving it as a single identity? Are our votes not important any more? Baroness Hoey, a Northern Ireland Brexit supporter and former Labour MP, argued politicians returning to Stormont under the revised trading pact would be like Nazi collaborators under the Vichy regime in wartime France. The non-affiliated peer said: There are people in Northern Ireland, leading politicians, who say, and its true, that Northern Ireland has now become a form of colony. The EUs first kind of colony. If Stormont goes back with the present Windsor Framework, they in fact would be almost like what happened during the war with the Vichy government, where all those MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly) would be collaborators with a kind of colonial government. Taking foreign laws from a foreign legislature, governing much of our economy in Northern Ireland and keeping us in a foreign customs code whereby GB, Great Britain, our country, where our capital is, becomes a third country, becomes our foreign country, its just not acceptable. Former leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick argued the greatest lack of democracy in Northern Ireland was the absence of an assembly and executive and urged the DUP to return to Stormont. She said: Because the people of Northern Ireland are currently facing very high waiting lists for health, a crumbling education system, budgets that have not been defined, because there is no Government in place. Labour former Northern Ireland secretary Lord Hain said: I do worry about the vacuum that has opened up because politics is not functioning. When politics doesnt function in Northern Ireland, then darker forces move in. On the Stormont brake, Northern Ireland Office minister Lord Caine said: The mechanism does provide a powerful new ongoing democratic safeguard and goes far beyond a one-off consent vote every four years and it does place very real obligations on the Government. The Tory frontbencher, who described himself as a staunch unionist, told peers: We have rewritten the protocol treaty, replaced it with a legally binding new Windsor Framework that removes the sea border, restores the free flow of trade from GB to Northern Ireland, protects Northern Irelands position within our union through fixing practical problems on pets, parcels and medicines, and ensures UK decisions on tax and spend benefit people and businesses in Northern Ireland as they do in Great Britain. He added: I fully acknowledge the Windsor document is not a perfect document. Indeed no deal ever will be. But I do believe if we seek the unobtainable we genuinely risk making the pursuit of the perfect the sworn enemy of the very good. A petrol bomb has been thrown at a house in Co Down in the latest attack linked to an ongoing feud between rival loyalist paramilitary drug gangs. Detectives are appealing for information after the incident in Donaghadee, which is believed to be part of the recent dispute between drug-dealing factions of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA). There have now been around a dozen attacks on properties in the Ards and North Down area in recent days, including a pipe bomb and several petrol bombs attacks. There have also been attempted hijackings and graffiti daubed on properties. Our detectives are appealing for witnesses in relation to a report of a petrol bomb incident in Donaghadee. pic.twitter.com/443MZiwPsw Police Ards and North Down (@PSNIArdsNDown) March 30, 2023 A PSNI spokesperson said: Shortly before 9.50pm on Wednesday March 29, officers received a report that a house in the Beechfield Drive area had been petrol bombed. The fire was extinguished and thankfully there was no one in the property at the time. Enquiries are continuing and at this stage it is believed that this incident is linked to an ongoing feud between two rival drug gangs in the Ards and North Down area. We are following a number of lines of enquiry. I am appealing to anyone who was in the area (on Wednesday) evening and saw anything suspicious, or anyone who may have any information which may assist us with our enquiries, to call 101, quoting reference number 2055 of March 29 2023. Police have increased their presence in the Bangor and Newtownards area in response to the recent UDA-linked attacks. Two people have appeared in court on charges linked to earlier incidents. Speaking before the latest attack, North Down Green Party councillor Rachel Woods said: The criminals behind these incidents dont care about local communities and the vast majority of local people who are trying to get by, live their lives and raise their families during tough economic times. They are only interested in making money for themselves, exerting coercive control over communities and harming people through the sale of drugs. The PSNI are increasing their presence locally and are trying to provide reassurance by allocating extra resources. This increased presence is welcome but these criminals are drawing PSNI resource away from preventing crime and detecting offenders across our policing area. Apples WWDC 23 will start on June 5 as an on-site event at Apple Park. The company professes this World Wide Developer Conference will be the biggest and most exciting yet. We expect the following 4 things from WWDC 2023. 4 announcements we expect from WWDC 23 1. iOS 17 and other Apple software announcements Apple could unveil new operating systems for its leading products like iOS 17, iPadOS 17, tvOS 17, watchOS 10, and macOS 14. Recently, Mark Gurman from Bloomberg claimed this iOS release will be bringing the "most requested features" by users. Due to pressure from regulatory bodies in Europe, the company could allow for sideloading and alternate app stores on the iPhone software. 2. Apple AR/VR headset Since the WWDC announcement image appears to look like an eye, we suspect the event could be where the long-awaited Apple augmented reality or virtual reality glasses/headset debuts. This seems more possible as Apple reportedly demoed the device to its top 100 executives the other week. 3. Apple Mac Pro with M-series chip As its 2-year Intel to in-house silicon transition deadline is overdue, we think we could see more of its Mac hardware getting the Apple Silicon. One contender in the queue could be the Apple Mac Pro. It was last updated in 2019. So, we surmise its time. 4. 15-inch MacBook Air The 15-inch MacBook laptop may not be even named an Air but whatever the name it gets, it is rumoured to ship with a 30W adapter. Besides that, the details are scant. Well, if you are interested in visiting Apple Park to take part in WWDC in person, you can do so by submitting an application here till April 4. Note, you must be a present Apple Developer Program member, an Apple Entrepreneur Camp alumni, a former Swift Student Challenge winner, or a current Apple Developer Enterprise Program member. For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates, keep reading Digit.in or head to our Google News page. AI a future driver of IC market growth, says Etron chair Artificial intelligence (AI) will be a major application driving the growth of the global semiconductor market, according to Nicky Lu, chairman of IC design house Etron Technology and head of the AI on Chip Taiwan Alliance (AITA). Lu believes AI development in the coming three to five years will be crucial, and due to Taiwan's critical role in the global semiconductor industry, AI development could become another economic lifeline for the country. Lu also pointed to the importance of AI software and hardware development progressing together, as both are needed to achieve optimal results. That is why Lu is optimistic about AI-on-chip development. According to estimates, AI software could have a market cap opportunity of US$80 trillion by 2030, deeply affecting every market, including finance, defense, consumer, and food. AI hardware is expected to reach US$2 trillion. Based on this, AI software has the potential to increase semiconductor value by 40 times. Lu likened the current AI industry to Taiwan's semiconductor industry 30 years ago, adding that investment now will pay off later. At present, AI use is goal-oriented, meaning it answers the needs of users. Lu believes that all goal-oriented applications can be solved with AI in the future, and will be replaced by more and more specialized AI, becoming a circular chain. The complexity of the industrial cycle means that Taiwan must start training young talent now, Lu said, pointing out that AI requires a lot of software application talent, which is a current pain point for Taiwan. Taiwan's semiconductor industry will begin mass production of 3nm chips in 2023 and begin R&D for 1.5nm. Lu believes that Taiwan's foundation in semiconductors will allow it to maintain its position as an industry leader for another 10 years, but after that, AI-led systems applications will become key. To strengthen the semiconductor industry, Taiwan must build up its AI and microsystem capabilities. Taiwan already has semiconductors, AI design, and systems that others do not. As a result, Etron is optimistic Taiwan could gain 20% of the global AI chip market share in the future. At present, Etron's AI layout includes vision systems with memory. Customers have already placed orders and been sent samples, according to Lu. Findings from the Taiwan IC Design White Paper referred to China's active development of mature processes possibly surpassing Taiwan's IC industry in the future. Lu shares this concern and agrees that Taiwan's Chips Act should provide resources for IC design and AI development. More government resources should also be put into solving the talent shortage problem in Taiwan, noting that children as young as eight can begin learning AI capabilities. Furthermore, in addition to general education, industrial education, including AI campuses, should be pushed. Nicky Lu, chairman of Etron Technology and head of AI on Chip Taiwan Alliance (AITA). Credit: DIGITIMES Page Content During the week of March 21, 2023, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of VROMI, Egbert J Doran, attended the Water Conference at the UN Headquarters in New York. The Conference, hosted by the kingdom of the Netherlands and the Government of Tajikistan, featured an opening and closing ceremony, six plenary meetings and five multi-stakeholder interactive dialogues. It also featured a number of high-level special events and side events organized by Member States, the UN system, and other stakeholders, including Sint Maarten, Curacao and Aruba. According to a report from the United Nations Water Committee, water is an essential part of life and is inextricably linked to the three pillars of sustainable development as it integrates social, cultural, economic and political values. It is crosscutting and supports the achievement of many SDGs through close linkages with climate, energy, cities, the environment, food security, poverty, gender equality and health, amongst others. With climate change profoundly affecting our economies, societies and environment, water is indeed the biggest deal breaker to achieve the internationally agreed water-related goals and targets, including those contained in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. For Sint Maarten, the impacts of the climate crisis are most acutely expressed through water. Through the destructive force of water - during storm events and flooding of increasing intensity, and through uncertainties of future sea-level rise, said Minister Doran. As a small island developing state (SIDS), we simply lack the institutional capacity to advance a holistic and integrated adaptation agenda on our own. Especially with the increasing need to redirect limited funds and resources to recovery and reconstruction following more frequent and intense disasters. Therefore, we welcome the development of a similar program to support the adaptation agendas of SIDS, to increase our resilience and adaptive capacity. A program that will also realistically consider the institutional capacity limitations faced by SIDS, and most importantly, a program that will be centered around action." "Neighboring islands such as Saba and Sint Eustatius are no strangers to water shortages. Recently, the French side of the island looked to us for help with their water shortage issues," Doran continued. "Failure to prepare now for the issues that lie ahead could prove disastrous for generations to come. This is why it is important for us to protect our waterways, ponds and coastal areas locally. The running of septic water onto roads is one example of how we contribute to local water issues. While government takes the lead, it is ultimately up to every citizen to do their part to conserve, protect and respect the sanctity of water." The Ministry of VROMI is dedicated to the improvement of water resources and provision for the residents of Sint Maarten, and seeking the best way forward for generations to come. Save my User ID and Password Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site. Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site. Chinese IC design industry leaders weigh options after US sanctions At the annual China IC Leadership Summit held on March 30, Wayne Dai, founder and CEO of Chinese IC design house VeriSilicon, observed that chiplet development in China is basically underpinned by three process nodes: 28/22nm, 14/12nm and 5nm, as reported by the Chinese tech media Ijiwei. Though China has achieved the volume production of 14nm, Dai noted the US restrictions on equipment and material would be a hindrance. Surprisingly, Dai uttered his belief that the restrictions on 14nm would be lifted in about two years. Despite the optimism, he regarded the EUV ban, which impacts 7nm and 5nm capabilities, to be unlikely to end in five years. Despite current US sanctions having hit the Chinese semiconductor industry's ability to develop logic chips at 16/14nm or below, NAND with 128 layers or more, and DRAM chips of 18nm half-pitch or less, China's capability to design chips using advanced process nodes remains mostly unhindered, apart from those for HPC/AI applications with 600+ GB/s interconnect speed or 4,800 TOPS+ performance. Constraints on domestic advanced process nodes, however, will drive Chinese chip fabrication towards legacy nodes, leading China-based chip design houses to pursue technologies such as chiplet, GaN/SiC and IGBT. Currently, Chinese companies have already garnered more than 10% of market share in sectors like 5G modems, Wi-Fi, analog ICs and power semiconductors, according to DIGITIMES Research. The turn towards mature nodes is expected to lead Chinese players into sectors currently led by Europe, Japan, and South Korea, such as automotive and industrial MCUs as well as CMOS image sensors. During the summit, Wei Shaojun, a leading Chinese semiconductor scholar from Tsinghua University's School of Integrated Circuits, also observed that China's semiconductor industrial development is too focused on processing rather than the product itself. Compared to IDM-dominated countries like the US, Europe, Japan, and South Korea, China's IDMs remain small, according to Wei. As data gathered by DIGITIMES Research indicates, in 2022 Chinese IDMs only accounted for approximately 2% of global IDM revenues. In contrast, American IDMs accounted for approximately 42%. Facing US restrictions on Chinese advanced chip manufacturing capabilities, Wei also brought up the possibility of merging software-defined chips with near-memory computing as a way out. Page Content On Monday, March 27, 2023, after being informed that a particular inmate of the Pointe Blanche Prison and House of Detention was not feeling well, the Prison Doctor was contacted, and arrangements were made to transport the inmate to the Doctors Clinic outside of the prison. After the safety and security aspects were put in place, the inmate was transported to the Clinic for further examination. Once the inmate in question was examined, the physician decided that the inmate should be transported to the Sint Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) for a more extensive examination. This request was immediately complied with and the officers in charge transported the inmate to SMMC. Shortly after that, the Prison Director received a call from the inmate's lawyer requesting to be allowed into the room where the patient was being treated by the medical expert on duty. After some deliberations, followed by a few phone calls, the lawyer was not allowed to enter at the time because it is not the policy of the prison to allow patient care to be interrupted by non-medical persons. The Prison Management stated, It is not the norm that a lawyer requests to be directly in the room with an inmate during medical procedures. The rule is that the officers would stand guard close by until the doctor has completed their assessment, and the inmate would then be returned to the Prison unless he/she is to be admitted at the Medical Facility. Their legal representative would then be able to follow the procedure to have a consultation with their client. It is of utmost importance to note, that during the transporting of inmates to and from the Prison Facility, there are no interruptions, and that the sole purpose given for the inmate to leave the facility is complied with. The Prison Management encourages all Legal advisors of the inmates not to hesitate, but to continue the usual practice of calling and arranging their appointments with their clients who are detained. Also, important to note is that this has been going very well and incident free over the years. It is our aim to continue the best relationship possible with Legal advisors and all other persons visiting our Facility, the Prison Management stated. The Taoiseach has said he retains confidence in the Defence Forces chief of staff following a damning report detailing allegations of sexual misconduct, bullying and discrimination within the Irish military. On Wednesday, Lieutenant General Sean Clancy said he was ashamed following the publication of an independent review groups (IRG) report which found a discernible pattern of rape and sexual assault within the Defence Forces. He conceded that the behaviours outlined in the report were not historical but ongoing. However, the senior officer said during most of his 40-year military career he had not been aware of the abusive practices laid bare in the report. Leo Varadkar voiced confidence in Lt Gen Clancy on Thursday when asked about his assertion that he had been unaware of the scale of the problems within the Defence Forces. But the Taoiseach said anyone following issues with the Defence Forces in the last 20 years would have been aware of allegations of abuse and mistreatment. The Government has pledged to set up a statutory inquiry into the allegations outlined in the report. Mr Varadkar said it would be a full public inquiry and would be led by a judge or retired judge, adding ministers would like to see it up and running before the Dails summer recess, but he said he could not guarantee that timeline as it was important to take time to get the terms of reference right. Mr Varadkar, who was visiting a housing project in Co Wicklow, said he had not heard the specific comments made by Lt Gen Clancy, but he added: I do want to say that I have confidence in chief. Hes somebody I think can lead the change thats required in our Defence Forces. But hes going to need a lot of help from others to do so. I dont think the Defence Forces can fix this problem on their own. That is very clear. Issues around bullying and harassment, assault of a sexual nature have been documented on a number of occasions in the past 20 years, so I think all of us were aware of it in that sense. What is particularly disturbing about this report is that it is more widespread than we feared. And its not historic, it is ongoing thats what the report shows. I think we have to face up to that reality. You know, Im immensely proud of our Defence Forces: these are people who are loyal to the flag, theyre loyal to our state, they stand by it, they bring peace to all parts of the world and we should respect them. But, also, they need to respect each other, particularly women, particularly young people in the Defence Forces and particularly people in the lower ranks, who arent getting the basic respect they deserve. The Taoiseach added: I think it would be true to say that anyone has been following this issue or issues in Defence Forces over the past 20 years would have been aware that there were allegations and cases of harassment and bullying, including some of a sexual nature, but they hadnt been dealt with properly. The response so far has failed. And thats the truth and we all need to face up to that and change things. In the Dail on Thursday, Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns raised the issue with Tanaiste Micheal Martin. Yesterday, Chief of Staff Sean Clancy said he had been completely unaware of the endemic abuse in the Defence Forces for most of his 40 year career, she said. Given the pervasive nature of the sadistic abuse that is detailed in this report, its hard to understand how that could be the case. And, if it is true, and the Chief of Staff was blissfully unaware of the horrific abuse for the duration of his career, it speaks to a level of disconnection that is deeply worrying. She added: My question is simple do you have confidence in the current leadership of the Defence Forces? Responding, Mr Martin also voiced support for the Chief of Staff. I have confidence in the Chief of Staffs commitment to change and to reform, he said. A Fianna Fail TDs analogy comparing extending the eviction ban to making sweets free for children was not a good one, the Taoiseach has said. Leo Varadkar was commenting after former government minister and Laois Offaly TD Barry Cowen apologised to anyone who had been offended by his remarks in the Dail on Wednesday. I dont think it was a good analogy, and Im sure he would agree that they werent the correct words to use, he said. Mr Varadkar made the remarks as he visited a new housing development in Co Wicklow on Thursday. Mr Cowen has faced criticism from opposition TDs after drawing the analogy as he argued that extending the eviction ban might be popular in the short term but would have a negative effect in the longer term. Its like making sweets free for children, its fine for a little while but ultimately detrimental to the greater need, he told the Dail. On Wednesday, the Government saw off a motion of confidence over its housing policy and also defeated a Sinn Fein bid to extend the temporary moratorium on no-fault evictions. The evictions ban, which was introduced at the end of October last year as part of measures responding to the cost-of-living crisis, will run out at the end of March as originally intended. Critics of the decision to end the moratorium claim it will result in the current record levels of homelessness soaring even higher, while the Government has insisted that prolonging the measure will see more landlords leave the rental market, reducing an already low supply of accommodation further. On Thursday, Mr Cowen explained why he had made the comment. What I said was just an analogy in an effort to get the message across that short-term solutions dont always work in the long term, he told RTE Radio One. He added: I am sorry if people were offended by what I said. It certainly wasnt my intention. My intention was to focus on issues, solutions that are available, that have been made available, that need to be concentrated on. In his contribution in the Dail, Mr Cowen said opposition parties should put more focus on supporting the Governments tenant-in-situ scheme that encourages local authorities to buy up properties where a notice of eviction has been served to a household in receipt of state supports. Mr Varadkar said he agreed with that sentiment. One thing he said which really resonated with me actually yesterday was he said that the tenant-in-situ is working, he said. And he asked the opposition to work the scheme, instead of knocking the scheme and I totally agree with him on that. Mr Varadkar joined Housing Minister Darragh OBrien on Thursday morning as they visited Cairn Ltds housing project in Delgany, Co Wicklow. Its exactly the kind of model we want to see more around the country, said Mr Varadkar. Theres a good mix of housing here. Theres private housing for people to buy, theres also social housing for people on the housing list, and theres cost rental housing as well a new form of public housing in Ireland that is making affordable rents available to people who dont qualify for social housing and arent able to buy their own home yet. And its good cooperation between the private sector and also the public sector in the form of the LDA (Land Development Agency). A lot of reasons I think for hope. I appreciate were facing a very deep housing crisis at the moment, but theres a lot of good things happening as well, and I think this is a perfect example of that. The invasion of Bolivia was in response to the move by the Bolivian government to raise taxes on joint Chilean and British mining companies. On March 23, Bolivia commemorated the Battle of Calama and the Day of the Sea. President Luis Arce, during an event commemorating the day in the capital La Paz, declared he would intensify efforts to obtain Bolivias sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean, a right that he said he would never renounce. Bolivia lost its maritime access and became a landlocked country during the War of the Pacific, fought between Chile and a Bolivian-Peruvian alliance between 1879 and 1884. Bolivia's President Luis Arce reacts before the annual state of the nation address at the inauguration of the Congress in La Paz, Bolivia, August 6, 2021. [ Photo credit: REUTERS/Manuel Claure/File Photo] The Battle of Calama was the first battle of the war. On March 23 in 1879, the Chilean army, backed by the British Empire, invaded Bolivia and took possession of the Antofagasta and Calama coastal regions. The invasion of Bolivia was in response to the move by the Bolivian government to raise taxes on joint Chilean and British mining companies. When the companies refused to pay the new tax, Bolivia moved to nationalize the mines. In response, Chile declared war on Bolivia, which lasted five years with a death toll of as many as 18,000 Bolivians. In 1904, Bolivia officially ceded its coastal territories to Chile. During the commemoration President Arce remembered the heroes who sacrificed their lives for the country, and lamented the [mutilation] of the direct and ancestral relationship of the Bolivians with the sea. Arce called on Bolivian women and men to learn from the lessons of the past, which teach us that no natural resource is safe from predatory capitalist anguish and foreign interests, neither then nor now. President Arce also called on his Chilean counterpart Gabriel Boric to initiate a new stage of bilateral relations that will allow us to have a frank, sincere dialogue. Credit Line: from the Peoples Dispatch / Globetrotter News Service Co-op relaunches Irresistible wine range The Co-op has updated both the wines and the livery for its premium bracket Irresistible range. The line-up, which comprises 24 wines, initially includes four new products. Among the new offerings is the Co-ops first Swiss wine, La Courbe, a Gamaret and Pinot Noir blend which retails for 10, as well as a Sauvignon Blanc Blush from Chile (8). Immediate new additions also include a Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon (8) and a Macon Villages (10). The retailer will add a Chilean Pais, designed with the help of its members, in June. Joe Turner, commercial buying manager for wine and spirits at the Co-op said up to seven more wines would be added in time for Christmas. Meanwhile, new packaging includes a gold Co-op Irresistible crest on the front of the bottles, which will roll out throughout the year. Turner said the new branding will help to signpost the range on the shelf. In a store, the wall of wine can be quite complicated, quite confusing, he added. So, part of the relaunch is to address that. We fiercely believe that convenience shopping shouldnt mean compromising on either quality or range and with that in mind, were really proud to work with the producers and winemakers from around the world on our Irresistible range from Paul Mas in France to Vina Indomita in Chile and Hush Heath in our own back yard. Speaking more broadly about the challenges facing consumers, Turner said the business has seen customers buying less, but treating themselves to better bottles of wine. We're also seeing loads of customers trading back into our own label range, he said. In fact, our premium Co-op own label offer, as a total, is up 9% so far this year, versus the previous year. So with all of that in mind, it does feel like a good time to relaunch the Irresistible range. Related articles: After a four year intermission, the Bavarian Blues Brothers return to Dundalk after a very successful Irish debut tour here in 2019. The band were very well received on that trip and are re-visiting Galway and Cork, as well as Dundalk. Those who attended the Spirit Store performance back then will remember a great night of dark suits, Ray-ban sunglasses and Fedora hats, which recalled previous gatherings held by the legendary Dundalk Bachelor Club in Derryhale Hotel and the Rugby Club, back in the 90s. But the wait is over, and the night everyone has been waiting for, the legendary Blues Brothers Night, is back up and running again. Headlining the show are none other than Europes No. 1 Blues Brothers tribute band, the legendary Bavarian Blues Brothers from Bavaria in Germany. Founded in 2004, the band have performed a multitude of shows around Germany, Austria and Switzerland, playing songs not only of the Blues Brothers but also from legends such as Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Commitments, and so on... With eleven musicians on stage a unique high energy performance is guaranteed. The "Bavarian Blues Brothers" love the music theyre playing and thats what people feel. When they start playing you cant help but join in singing, clapping and dancing. Experience a vibrant soul show that generates enthusiasm and excitement like Jake and Elwood did in the famous movie - catch up with them, before the Gardai do! Doors open at 8pm, the band will be on stage around about 9pm and tickets are available from the Spirit Store web-site and Ticketstop. RTE has announced it will mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement with a number of "landmark" documentaries, specials and podcasts over the coming weeks. Coverage will include a two-part major documentary series called The Agreement presented by Miriam O'Callaghan, a feature-length documentary on the role of Father Alec Reid, exclusive interviews with Bill and Hilary Clinton on Prime Time, a three-part Your Politics podcast series, as well as engaging arts coverage with poetic features and essays. They will also cover a live multidenominational religious service at the Abbey Theatre. The Agreement will begin on Monday April 3 at 9.35pm and will examine the intense negotiations leading to the Norths comprehensive political settlement in April 1998 and the critical referendum campaign in the weeks that followed. Produced for RTE by Fine Point Films, in association with Queens University Belfast, the series is directed by Trevor Birney and includes interviews with former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, Senator George Mitchell and other key figures in the negotiations. It will take an in-depth look at the historic negotiations which led to the first island-wide referendum in Ireland since 1918, which was supported by an unprecedented 94% of the Irish electorate and over 70% in the North. The programmes put a spotlight on the events that led John Hume and David Trimble to share the Nobel Peace Prize for their work in advocating solutions to end conflict. Even today aspects of the Good Friday Agreement, such as a potential border poll, are under renewed scrutiny by politicians and people alike. The Secret Peacemaker - which airs at 10.30pm on Easter Sunday - tells the inspiring story of the Agreements earliest and unlikeliest of architects, the Tipperary raised Redemptorist priest Fr Alec Reid. In 1988, Father Reid was first seen by the world as he was photographed trying to save the life of a dying British corporal in the horrific aftermath of an IRA funeral. The haunted face of Father Reid as he delivered the Last Rites became symbolic of the thirty-year long conflict. But unknown to most, the photograph also captured a secret peacemaker at work. In Fr Reid's jacket pocket were the first documents of a fledgling plan that would help end The Troubles. Also, on Good Friday at 1.45pm, RTE Radio 1 will broadcast Field of Peace, a short poetic radio feature reflecting on the subjects of conflict, resolution and peace. Featuring words and music from acclaimed Irish and international writers and speakers. On Sunday nights at 7.30pm, RTE Radio 1 features a series of essays called Impermanence, by writers from or living in Northern Ireland and commissioned by the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris. Capturing the various voices of Northern Ireland on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. The writing originates from the public and personal experiences of its contributors. The essays pose and answer questions of a public, official and private nature about what it means to belong and live in a place that for so many years has experienced public scrutiny and comment. Contributors include Jan Carson, Kerri ni Dochartaigh, Neil Hegarty, Carlo Gebler, Susan McKay, Paul McVeigh, Maria McManus, Gail McConnell and Henrietta McKervey. RTE Raidio na Gaeltachtas news and current affairs programmes will be commemorating the signing of the Agreement with two live programmes from Belfast over Easter weekend. On Saturday April 8, An tSeachtain le Mairin Ni Ghadhra will feature a panel discussion with Poilin Ni Chiarain, Fergus O hIr, Mairin Hurndall, Ciaran Mac Giolla Bhein and Grainne Ni Ghreachain about the biggest changes in the north since the Agreement was signed twenty five years ago, and the challenges still to be overcome. On Monday morning at 8.00am, RnaG will broadcast a special two-hour edition of current affairs show Adhmhaidin from the Raidio Failte studios in Belfast. The programme will look back at that critical time in the history of Northern Ireland which finally brought peace to the region. A panel discussion will look at the positive and negative elements of Agreement, as perceived by the two main communities in the north and hear from the younger generation about the type of future they would like to see, and whether or not the Good Friday Agreement can fulfil those expectations. Unique archive materials are also available to view at rte.ie/goodfriday Fresh from a hugely successful sold-out 3Arena Christmas Concert, sensational violinist Vladimir Jablokov will be making a return visit on Saturday 15th April 2022 to the Oriel Centre, Dundalk Gaol. Vladimir has headlined in venues such as the National Concert Hall, Cork Opera House, National Opera House, and the BBC Proms Belfast and is currently preparing for his show in the Bord Gais Energy Theatre. This intimate performance in the Oriel Centre, Dundalk Gaol will be an extremely special occasion. Vladimir Jablokov has been thrilling audiences since he first moved to Ireland 17 years ago and has been nicknamed Irelands Andre Rieu by the Business Post. His live performances are nothing short of electric and exhilarating as he brings his skilled fusion of classical music with the playfulness, energy, passion and emotion of folk, and popular music to life. He has toured as a Special Guest to Soprano Katherine Jenkins and played support to Il Divo at 3 Arena. Vladimir Jablokovs performance in the Oriel Centre will feature some of the most popular pieces in his repertoire, including Brahms Hungarian Dance No. 5, Strauss Radetzky March, Theme from Schindlers list, If I Were A Rich Man and many more audience favourites. His last performance in the Oriel Centre had the audience dancing in their seats and another joyous night of music can be expected. This performance will be a rare opportunity to see Vladimir Jablokov in a close and intimate setting. Tickets are 25 and are available from The Oriel Centre reception and online at www.orielcentre.ie. Like the recent Eleanor McEvoy show which sold out, tickets for this show will be in high demand so early booking is advised. The Ukraine war, paradoxically, is turning out to be a wake-up call a war that can prevent another world war rather than engender one. by M. K. Bhadrakumar The Russian media reported that President Vladimir Putin made an extraordinary gesture as President Xi Jinping left the Kremlin following the state dinner last week on Tuesday evening by escorting him to the limousine and seeing him off. And Xi during the goodbye handshake reportedly responded, Together, we should push forward these changes that have not happened for 100 years. Take care. Xi was alluding to the past 100 years of modern history that witnessed the United States transforming from a country to the north of Mexico in the Western Hemisphere to a superpower and global hegemon. President Putin with President of the Peoples Republic of China Xi Jinping before the beginning of Russian-Chinese talks in restricted format. Photo: Grigoriy Sisoev, RIA Novosti With his profound sense of history and dialectical mind, Xi was recalling the intense talks with Putin that dwelt on the contemporary realities burying the US unipolar moment in the dustbin and on the imperatives of China and Russia joining hands to consolidate the transition of the world order toward democratisation and multipolarity. It was an appropriate finale to a state visit that began the previous evening with Xi expressing confidence that Russians will support Putin at the presidential elections next year. At one stroke, Xi cancelled the Wests demonising of Putin, mindful of the absurdity of even arranging an arrest warrant against the Kremlin leader to detract from his talks in Moscow. China has a scrupulous policy of refraining from commenting on the internal politics of other countries. However, in the case of the situation surrounding Russia, Xi has made a notable exception by signalling his keenness for Putins proactive leadership in such tumultuous times. The majority of world opinion, especially in the Global South, will agree. Wont the erudite Russian public opinion take cognisance too with a roar of approval? Yes, Putins consistent 80 percent rating is a signpost. Xi may have poured cold water on the last desperate western ploys of instigating a bunch of Russian oligarchs to spearhead a regime change in the Kremlin. To be sure, the timing of Xis state visit in the middle of the war in Ukraine messaged the highest importance that China attaches to the relations with Russia. There is great deliberation in doing so, as both China and Russia are locked in spiralling tensions vis-a-vis the United States. There has been a dramatic change of mood in Beijing. The nadir was reached with the boorish behaviour by President Biden in his State of the Union address on February 7 when he went off-script and hysterically shouted, Name me a world leader whod change places with Xi Jinping. In the Eastern culture, such boorishness is taken as unforgivably scandalous behaviour. In the weeks since the US shot down the Chinese weather balloon and maligned China internationally, Beijing has rebuffed several attempts by the White House seeking telephone conversation for Biden with President Xi. Beijing has had enough of Bidens hollow promises to mend ties while on the sly strengthening alliances across the Asia-Pacific region, inserting the NATO into the Asia-Pacific power dynamic and sending additional forces and firepower to places like Guam and the Philippines, apart from single-mindedly striving to weakening Chinas economy. Xis Moscow visit became a great occasion for Russia and China to reaffirm their no limit partnership and scatter the western attempts since the war broke out in Ukraine to create rift in the Sino-Russian relationship. To quote Professor Graham Allison at Harvard University, Along every dimensionpersonal, economic, military and diplomaticthe undeclared alliance that Xi has built with Russian President Vladimir Putin has become much more consequential than most of the United States official alliances today. However, alliance or not, the fact remains that this new model of major-country relations featuring mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation to quote Xi Jinping is anything but a hierarchical order. Americas pundits have a problem comprehending equal relationships between two sovereign and independent nations. And in this case, neither Russia nor China is inclined to declare a formal alliance because, simply put, an alliance inevitably requires assuming obligations and limiting the optimal pursuit of interests in deference to a collective agenda. What emerges, therefore, is that Putins strategic calculus in Ukraine will be shaped much more heavily by events on the battlefield than on any Chinese input. Russias reaction to the Chinese peace plan regarding Ukraine testifies to that reality. No sooner than Xi departed from Moscow, Putin in an interview with with Russia 1 TV, set the record straight that Russia is outproducing the Wests ammunition supplies to Kiev. He said, Russias output level and its military-industrial complex are developing at a very fast pace, which was unexpected by many. While multiple Western countries will provide Ukraine with munitions, the Russian production sector on its own will produce three times more ammunition for the same period of time, Putin added. He repeated that the Wests arms shipments to Ukraine are of concern to Russia only because they constitute an attempt to prolong the conflict and will only lead to a bigger tragedy and nothing more. However, this is not to belittle the great significance of the partnership for both countries in the political, diplomatic and economic spheres. The salience lies in the two countries growing interdependency in multiple directions that cannot be quantified yet and keeps evolving (Xi) and appears seamless. The Ukraine war, paradoxically, is turning out to be a wake-up call a war that can prevent another world war rather than engender one. China understands that Russia has single-handedly taken on the collective West and shown it is more than a match. This assessment in Beijing cannot escape the Wests attention and will impact the western thinking too for the medium and long term not only for Eurasia but also the Asia-Pacific. A recent article in the Global Times some weeks ago by Hu Xijin, the former editor-in-chief of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee daily highlighted the big picture. Hu wrote that the war in Ukraine has evolved into a war of attrition between Russia and the West While NATO is supposed to be much stronger than Russia, the situation on the ground doesnt appear so, which is causing anxiety in the West. Hu drew some stunning conclusions: The US and the West have found it much more difficult than expected to defeat Russia. They know that China has not provided military aid to Russia, and the question that haunts them is: if Russia alone is already so difficult to deal with, what if China really starts to provide military aid to Russia, using its massive industrial capabilities for the Russian military? Would the situation on the Ukrainian battlefield fundamentally change? Furthermore, Russia alone can already confront the entire West in Ukraine. If they really force China and Russia to join hands, what changes will there be in the worlds military situation? Isnt the notion prevalent in the US and Europe that the Russia-China alliance is an alliance of unequals is itself a self-serving western fallacy? Hu is spot on: Although Chinas comprehensive strength is still short of that of the US, in combination with Russia, there is a paradigm shift in the balance and the US is no longer entitled to act as it pleases. It is the common concern of Russia and China that the world order must return to an international system with the UN at its core and a world order based on international law. There is no question that the two countries strategy is to overturn the rules-based order dominated by the US and return to an international order centred on the UN. In fact, Article 5 is the very soul of the joint statement issued in Moscow: The two sides reaffirm their commitment to firmly upholding the international system with the United Nations at its core, the international order based on international law and the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and oppose all forms of hegemonism, unilateralism and power politics, the Cold War mentality, confrontation between camps and the establishment of cliques targeting specific countries. Make no mistake that this is not about removing the US as the boss and replacing it with China, but about effectively checking the US from bullying smaller, weaker states, and thereby ushering in a new international order with primacy on peaceful development and political correctness that overrides all ideological differences. M. K. Bhadrakumar was a career diplomat by profession. Roughly half of the 3 decades of his diplomatic career was devoted to assignments on the territories of the former Soviet Union and to Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. Other overseas postings included South Korea, Sri Lanka, Germany, and Turkey. He writes mainly on Indian foreign policy and the affairs of the Middle East, Eurasia, Central Asia, South Asia and the Asia-Pacific. Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) say they are delighted to report another fabulous creative collaboration with the local community. A spokesperson said: "DkIT loves nothing more than showcasing their students originality whilst supporting the community with the students creative outputs." Recently the Institutes Creative Media students were involved in a partnership with the organising committee for the St Patricks Day festival in Dundalk. The students created some wonderful animations which were screened during the St Patricks Day festival in March. These animations were designed by students who were completing their Design in Motion' module, for Creative Media Year 2. It was a fantastic experience for the students who then got their designs displayed in large format in a public arena. JJ Quinlan, Creative Media Lecturer said: It all started with a meeting with Maeve Yore who is a councillor and Dagan Fleming a local businessman. "The project devised from the meeting was to task the second-year Creative media students with creating an animation to mark St Patrick's day, the best 2-3 animations were shown around the town via big screens. Louth Councillor Maeve Yore said: The St Patricks Day Dundalk Committee were delighted and are looking forward to working in collaboration with the expertise and abundance of talent from Creative Arts Media & Music Dept in DkIT again to build on the success of St Patricks Day Dundalk Festival. Due to the success of this years collaboration, the festival committee have asked if the Institute would offer next years 3rd year creative media students to pursue their work experience with the committee regarding the creation of all the promotional assets and branding for the new festival. JJ Quinlan added: The project for this year was an animated infographic about St Patrick, stating some facts about him and how he came to Ireland. "We were delighted that the students enjoyed the project so much and I was very happy with the engagement they showed, especially since a high proportion of the class is not from Ireland. "This student and community collaboration is a fantastic way for the Institutes students to get involved in creating branding, making publications like brochures, branded social media and animated infographics whilst giving back to the community. Production of the American F-18 fighter will end in 2025, or a little later if the Indian Navy decides to adopt the F-18E for its aircraft carriers. There were two distinct models of the F-18; the F-18C and the later and larger F-18E. Both are twin-jet, single or two -seat jet fighters built to operate from aircraft carriers. The F-18 replaced about 1,200 of the 28-ton F-4 Phantom twin-jet two seat carrier aircraft as well as smaller numbers of specialized attack jets and even a few propeller aircraft. The F-4 entered carrier service in the 1960s and was used by the marines as well from carrier or land bases until replaced by F-18s in the 1980s. There are actually two quite different aircraft that are called the F-18. In 1983 the A/B entered service followed by the improved C/D version in 1987. The E/F/G Super Hornet entered service in 2001. While the F-18E looks like the original F-18A, it is actually very different. The Super Hornets are about 25 percent larger (and heavier) than the earlier F-18s and use a new, more powerful engine. By calling the Super Hornet an upgrade, it was easier for the navy to get the money from Congress. That's because, in the early 1990s, Congress was expecting a "peace dividend" from the end of the Cold War, and was slashing the defense budget. There were a lot of commonalities between the two F-18s, but they are basically two different aircraft. When used more heavily than expected, they developed metal fatigue in different parts of the airframe. The U.S. Navy retired its F-18C Hornet fighters in 2019. Some will still be flown by reserve units to represent enemy aircraft during adversary training. The U.S. Marines will continue to use their F-18Cs until at least 2030 and so will most foreign users. The F-18 A/B/C/D was in production from 1974 to 2000 with 1,480 built. The most widely used (75 percent) model was the single-seat F-18C. Some F-18Cs were built with two seats for training or complex missions. Some of those were later modified with the back seat replaced by special electronics gear. With the widespread use of smart bombs and guided missiles by 2000, there was no longer a need for a two seat attack version of the F-18. A single pilot could handle use of guided bombs and do so from a higher (safe from a lot of anti-aircraft fire) altitude. The U.S. Navy was the first and largest F-18 user. Currently the navy has 31o single-seat F-18Es, 246 two-seat F-18Fs and 161 EA-18Gs. While the navy and marines operated about 60 percent of F-18Cs and F-18Es, these two aircraft types, particularly the F-18C, were purchased by export customers Australia, Canada, Finland, Kuwait, Malaysia, Spain and Switzerland. These nations are phasing out the F-18C or seeking a replacement. Australia sold 25 of its retired F-18Cs to Canada, which is switching to F-35s. This process wont be complete until the 2030s. Australia, like many other F-18C users, also adopted the F-35. The U.S. navy and marines are eventually replacing all their F-18s and Harriers with F-35s. The F-18 that will probably serve the longest is the F-18G electronic warfare aircraft, which is based on the two-seat F-18F, entered service in 2008 and so far 175 are in service. The F-18G is still in production, and that is not expected to end until the late 2020s or 2030. The electronic warfare aspect of the 18G demands a two seat aircraft, with the GIB (Guy in Back) taking care of all the sensors, jammers and other specialized electronics. The navy began to realize, about a decade ago, that their F-18Cs would have to be retired earlier than expected. This was confirmed in 2010 when the navy grounded 16 percent (104 of 635) of its older (A/B/C/D models) F-18s. The reason was the discovery of cracks in the airframe. Small cracks were expected to show up eventually, the result of all the stress put on the metal from violent aerial maneuvers and carrier landings. In this case, the cracks were showing up sooner than expected. Most of the grounded aircraft could still be flown in an emergency. All these older F-18s had to be examined, and, for those found with cracks (usually where the wing meets the fuselage), temporary repairs could be made. Since about 2006 the navy found that both their older F-18C Hornet fighters and their 640 newer F-18E Super Hornets were wearing out faster than expected. This was sort of expected with the F-18Cs, which entered service in the 1980s. These aircraft were expected to last about twenty years. But that was based on a peacetime tempo of operations, with about a hundred carrier landings (which is hard on the airframe) per year. There have been more than that because of the 1991 Gulf War (and the subsequent decade of patrolling the no-fly zone) and the war on terror. To keep enough of these aircraft operational until the F-35 arrives to replace them, new structural components (mainly the center barrel sections) were manufactured. This is good news for foreign users of the F-18C, who want to keep their aircraft in service longer. The F-18E entered service in 2001 and was supposed to last 6,000 flight hours. Unexpectedly, the portion of the wing that supports the pylons holding stuff (bombs, missiles, equipment pods or extra fuel tanks) was found to be good for no more than 3,000 flight hours. The metal, in effect, weakened faster than expected. Metal fatigue, which ultimately results in the metal breaking, is normal for all aircraft. Calculating the life of such parts is still part art, as well as a lot of science. Unexpectedly high combat operations are the culprit. One specific reason for the problem was the larger than expected number of carrier landings carrying bombs. That's because so many missions flown over Iraq and Afghanistan did not require F-18Es to use their bombs or missiles. The navy modified existing F-18Es to fix the problem, which is a normal response to such situations. Sometimes these fixes cost millions of dollars per aircraft, but this particular fatigue problem is costing more to fix than expected. Many aircraft were beyond repair and had to be retired. The F=35C began replacing F-18s on carriers in 2019 and it will take most of the 2020s before there are enough F-35Cs to replace all the F-18s. About a hundred F-18s went to export customers and most of these were operated from land bases. Many of these F-18s are expected to remain in service until 2040. Chinese doctor recalls decades-old bond built during his time in Africa Xinhua) 17:02, March 30, 2023 WUHAN, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Xue Jin, one of the earliest Chinese doctors to be dispatched to Africa for medical assistance, vividly remembers treating numerous Algerian patients from almost six decades ago. He can recall the illnesses they suffered from, the surgical procedures they underwent, and how well they recovered. The 86-year-old doctor keeps a small box containing black-and-white photos of him and his patients in the North African country, where he and his colleagues successfully performed thousands of operations. "I don't know how the patients we treated are doing now. Perhaps some are no longer alive. I really miss them and the Algerian doctors we worked with," Xue said while showing the old photos to Xinhua reporters. In 1965, Xue, a 29-year-old surgeon at the Hubei Medical College Second Hospital, became the youngest member of a Chinese medical team that was sent to assist a hospital in Saida, a city in northwestern Algeria. Despite facing economic challenges of its own, China began sending medical aid teams to Africa in 1963, starting with Algeria as the first destination country. Xue is one of the more than 20,000 Chinese health professionals to have been sent to Africa over the decades. The hard work and dedication displayed by Xue and his colleagues have helped deepen the friendship between China and Africa. Xue recalled that one evening in 1966, a musician rushed to the hospital with his young daughter, who accidentally cut her lower left jaw and needed surgical sutures. The young doctor successfully completed the operation in two hours. Six months later, the musician was pleased to inform Xue that his daughter had recovered well had barely any visible scarring. To express his gratitude, the musician and his family performed folk songs for Xue and other Chinese doctors in the hospital auditorium. These friendly locals, who treated the Chinese doctors "like family members," helped Xue overcome the biting homesickness and made his three years in Algeria an unforgettable memory. On the New Year's Eve on Dec. 31, 1966, Xue sent a photo of him standing in front of a loquat tree to his newlywed wife in China. He wrote in neat handwriting on the back of the photo: "A year away may seem too long for a homesick man, but when it comes to helping Africa, it is not long enough and we still have much work to do." "When the loquat tree blossoms again, we might be able to return to our beloved country!" the writing reads. Shortly after Xue's arrival in Algeria, his eldest son was born in China. Xue named him Yafei as a symbol of China-Africa friendship, with "Ya" and "Fei" meaning Asia and Africa in Chinese. "My father told me and my elder brother many stories about his time in Africa," said Xue Yajun, Xue Jin's second son. Inspired by his father, he also became a doctor and is now an anesthesiologist at Hubei Cancer Hospital. Xue's influence extends beyond his family. "Xue Jin is my mentor in life. I followed his footsteps and joined the Chinese medical team," said Xue's former colleague Wu Liansheng, who joined the 18th Chinese medical team to Africa between 1999 and 2001. Since 1963, China has sent more than 30,000 medical workers overseas to support local programs, having provided 290 million diagnoses and treatments for local people. They have earned high praise for their active participation in Africa's fight against malaria, Ebola and the COVID-19 pandemic. Chinese medical teams are currently working in more than 50 countries around the world, of which nearly half are in remote areas with harsh conditions. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Russia continues to have problems replacing the troops and tanks it lost during the first months of the fighting in Ukraine. Russian active duty forces were shattered by heavy personnel losses and most of their modern tanks were destroyed as well. These were replaced by older models and hastily mobilized troops who did not want to be in the army and were particularly reluctant to be sent to Ukraine. Russian forces in Ukraine are now outnumbered by better armed, trained and motivated Ukrainian forces that are planning another major offensive to drive all Russians out of Ukraine. Russian replacement troops sent to Ukraine are given little training and are poorly equipped. Some have been seen wearing World War II style steel helmets that Russia had kept in storage just in case of another military disaster. That was what Ukraine has turned out to be for Russia, which is also bringing ancient (1950s) T-55 tanks into Ukraine, where the Ukrainians have already received German Leopard 2 tanks and American M-1s are on the way. The Russian situation in Ukraine is desperate and Russian plans to rebuild its military are equally desperate. Russia plans to rebuild and expand its army. Planners ran into a major problem upon discovering that, somehow, wartime losses and emigration had greatly reduced the number of men able to serve in the military. Another problem is the cost of this rebuilding. Russia hasnt got the cash to pay for recruiting, equipping and training the new troops. The Russian plan calls for a force containing 600,000 volunteer (contract career) soldiers and several hundred thousand conscripts. This latest and greatest new plan ignores past experience with contract soldiers. These men were willing to serve in a peacetime force that would defend the motherland. Invading a neighbor and running into very hostile and lethal locals was unexpected and unacceptable. Many of the contract soldiers who survived the initial weeks of the invasion quit the military, with many justifying this on the ground that their contracts had been violated. This was technically illegal but there were so many departing contract soldiers that the government just let them go. The government planners seem to have forgotten this but many of the military-age men they plan to recruit remember and are not interested. The government response to this is chiefly more attempts to deceive potential recruits into signing up. Western harsh and aggressively enforced economic sanctions have greatly reduced the Russian ability to build new armored vehicles, military aircraft, as well as missiles and much else. Its just as well because obtaining new soldiers is not working either. The current Russian strategy appears to consist of trying to maintain control over as much Ukrainian territory as possible for a few years in the hope that the NATO nations supplying Ukraine with weapons will tire of the expense and reduce that aid. While NATO nations are feeling the strain, they have not reduced their support and have recently been increasing it. That includes sending the last of their artillery ammunition (mostly 155mm shells) to Ukraine and increasing production of those munitions to replenish their own stockpiles while also keeping the Ukrainians supplied. Ukrainian troops now have more artillery ammunition than the Russians, which makes Russian troops even less willing to attack or even defend. Russian leader Vladimir Putin seems to believe that defeat in Ukraine will also mean the end of his two decades of ruling Russia. Putin was recently indicted by the ICC (International Criminal Court) for war crimes in Ukraine and an international arrest warrant issued. The immediate response of Russia was that any effort to arrest Putin while he was outside Russia would be considered an act of war against Russia. If and when Putin is no longer head of state in Russia, he is more vulnerable to the ICC arrest warrant. Those warrants never expire and the ICC has brought former senior government officials to trial eventually. Russia has relieved a lot of generals in the past year for failure to achieve much success against the Ukrainians. The Ministry of Defense and the government is also criticized for not undertaking some major reforms of Russian forces. In Ukraine these consist largely of recently mobilized men who were given little training and inadequate weapons and equipment to continue the war. Currently, the most likely outcome is that Ukraine does defeat and expel all Russian forces in Ukraine. That will reveal more Russian atrocities against Ukrainian civilians. Russia will be considered a pariah state for some time to come, especially as it is unlikely to release more than a million kidnapped Ukrainian civilians, many of them children. This is disappointing to many nations, especially former European trading partners who believed, until 2022, that Russia would continue being the peaceful and reliable trading partner it had been since the 1990s. Peace may return, but any hopes for an unthreatening Russia will take a lot longer. Vladimir Putin apparently hopes to keep the war going for a few more years, until NATO nations supplying Ukraine grow weary of the huge expense of this effort and reduce their support. The Ukrainian offensives planned for 2023 will see relatively superior Ukrainian forces fighting less prepared and very unmotivated Russian troops. The Ukrainians are also receiving British Challenger 2, German Leopard 2 and American M1 tanks along with several countries contributing IFVs (Infantry Fighting Vehicles) and other light armored vehicles that typically accompany tanks. Russia has little to oppose such a force except some elderly T-55 tanks brought out of their few remaining armored vehicle reserves. To make matters worse, Ukrainians in Russian occupied territory are increasing their sabotage armed resistance again the occupying forces. March 28, 2023: To keep their economy going in spite of the economic sanctions, Russia is depending a lot on its most loyal trading partners; China and India. These two nations assist Russia in exporting its oil despite the sanctions. They can also obtain some items Russian can no longer obtain from Western suppliers. Care must be taken because many of these components can easily be identified and traced back to the last legal purchaser. Ukraine has been diligent about collecting debris from Russians weapons that are not supposed to exist because of the ban on selling Russian essential components. This has led to the discovery and elimination of several smuggling operations. This often involves sanctioning Chinese or Indian businesses and some of their key personnel. China, more than India, has to be careful about this because Western sanctions on Chinese firms means China can no longer obtain key components from Western suppliers. This sort of thing didnt start with Russian operations in Ukraine and has been encountered for decades as Iran copes with similar sanctions. March 27, 2023: Apparently Colonel General Rustam Muradov, the commander responsible for the failed offensives in Donetsk province, is being replaced. These attacks sustained heavy losses while the defending Ukrainians suffered far fewer casualties. Colonel General Yevgeny Nikiforov, the Western Military District Commander, is also believed to be on his way out for similar failures in offensives north of Donetsk province. March 26, 2023: Near the Ukrainian port of Odessa, a Russian naval contact mine drifted to shore near an inhabited area and detonated. A nearby building was damaged but no one was hurt. Russia had deployed these mines in shallow waters off the Crimea coast. These mines float near the surface and are kept in place by a chain attached to weigh on the sea bottom. Sometimes the chain breaks and the mine floats free. These mines are a danger to any ships they encounter and the Ukrainians maintain patrols to spot and destroy free-floating mines. March 25, 2023: Britain is being criticized by Russia for sending depleted uranium tank gun shells along with the Challenger 2 tanks sent to Ukraine. Apparently the people running Russian propaganda operations are now aware of what is going on with the ammunition used in Russian tanks. The Russians also supply depleted uranium shells for their tanks, as does Germany and the United States. So why is depleted uranium coitized? The reason is simple: anything associated with uranium, depleted or otherwise, will make for effective headlines, just as depleted uranium shells are the most effective ammunition for destroying enemy tanks. Despite all that, there is this persistent myth that depleted uranium is somehow toxic. This has become a myth too popular to stop using. For example, some American soldiers returning from Iraq with undiagnosed health problems blamed it on depleted uranium metal, which is used in the 30mm cannon carried by the A-10 aircraft, 25mm shells used by the M-2 infantry vehicle and 120mm shells used by the M-1 tank. Depleted uranium is a very dense metal that has had the radioactive material removed in order to manufacture nuclear fuel or material for atomic bombs, leaving it about as radioactive as some common building materials (like granite.) In other words, not very radioactive at all. Depleted Uranium is denser, and heavier, than any other metal and penetrates thicker armor. It has proved a very effective anti-tank weapon. Not only does it go through armor, but it also burns when it hits armor at high speed (1,600 meters or 5.200 feet a second.) This increases the damage within the tank. But when the depleted uranium burns, it also creates many tiny fragments. At one point scientists believed that these fragments, emitting alpha rays, were causing otherwise unidentifiable diseases among troops who had operated in areas where depleted uranium ammunition was used. Another factor was that depleted uranium particles are still a heavy metal and are in the air only for a short time after the depleted uranium shell has hit something. After that, the particles fall to the ground, and tend to stay there. Depleted uranium replaced tungsten, another (non-radioactive) heavy metal for armor piercing work. Tungsten can also cause health problems if it gets inside of you, as does another, more familiar heavy metal; lead. Depleted uranium is what is left over when uranium has the highly radioactive U-235 removed for use as nuclear fuel or for atomic bombs. What is left is U-238, which, while still radioactive, emits much less dangerous alpha rays. U-235 emits the much more dangerous gamma (and other) radiation. Depleted uranium is thus less radioactive than the original uranium, and not much more radioactive than many other rocks. Thousands of American soldiers and civilians have handled depleted uranium in the last half century, with no noticeable increase in health problems. Moreover, there has been no increase in cancer cases among the civilian population of areas where depleted uranium shells have been used. Cancer specialists also point out that it takes five to ten years for Leukemia to develop from a radiation exposure. Nuclear medicine specialists also point out that depleted uranium's alpha rays are stopped by just about anything, including skin. Leukemia is a cancer of the bone marrow and the depleted uranium's alpha rays cannot reach the bone marrow. There has, however, been an increase in cancers in Kuwait and southern Iraq since the 1991 Gulf War. But this region underwent far more than just the firing of many depleted uranium shells. The area was subjected to several weeks of burning oil fields. These fumes are also a known carcinogen and were far more abundant than the remains of depleted uranium shells. Moreover, the thousands of armored vehicles that tore up the pristine desert created an unprecedented (even for Arabia) dust cloud containing a very fine, talc like, sand and a lot of other nasty stuff. Local doctors were not surprised at the increase in illness because they knew, from long experience, what oil fumes and the crud in the sand could do. Accusations of depleted uranium causing health problems have been made before, and have never withstood scientific scrutiny. But throw the words "uranium" and "radioactive" in front of the media and you send reporters and politicians into a feeding frenzy. Meanwhile, this detracts from the very real health problems soldiers are encountering in places like Iraq. As far back as the 1970s, Department of Defense medical experts warned of the large number of diseases native to the Persian Gulf. Many of these exotic afflictions are tolerated by the locals, but can be debilitating, or fatal, to outsiders. There are also a number of medical conditions in the area which are either unidentified, or not well understood, even by the natives. No one from the West took a close look at the diseases of the Persian Gulf area until large numbers of outsiders moved into the area during and after World War II. Currently, identifying and treating all the diseases of the region is still a work in process. Grandstanding over non-existent "depleted uranium" illness detracts from work on the real diseases injuring American troops. What made all of this a credible news story in so many places? Mostly it was the eagerness of the media to fall all over a scary story. March 24, 2023: In Ukraine, Russian Su-35 fighter-bombers launched several of the Russian version of JDAM (GPS guided bombs) at targets near the Russian border. The Russian aircraft stayed on the Russian side of the border to avoid Ukrainian anti-aircraft missiles. JDAM was first used in the 1990s by American forces. JDAM was a guidance kit that was attached to an unguided (dumb) bomb and turned into a guided bomb that could glide for over 20 kilometers to its target and land at the GPS coordinates entered into the JSAM guidance system. Since the 1990s nearly half a million JDAM kits have been manufactured. The kits cost about $26,000 each and made unguided bombs obsolete. Normally it requires several hundred unguided bombs to destroy a target. A JDAM bomb was a lot cheaper because fewer aircraft and a lot fewer unguided bombs (which cost up to a thousand dollars each. Until recently Russia did not have a bomb kit, but instead used more-expensive guided missiles. The new Russian JDAM works, but suffers more failures than JDAM. Ukraine has been receiving JDAM and the new, longer (70 kilometers) range JDAM-ER. Ukrainians modified their Russian designed warplanes to use JDAM bombs. Ukraine began using JDAM-ER earlier this month. March 23, 2023: The government announced a new approach to defense firms found to be doing poor work or engaging in corrupt practices. These firms would come under government control to ensure proper and timely completion of their military contracts. Since many of the problems have to do with sanctions-related component shortages, government appointed managers will still be stuck with impossible production goals. March 22, 2023: Ukraine launched another attack on Russian ships in Sevastopol harbor using a new version of their ASV (autonomous surface vessel). This follows an October 2022 attack that used a combined force of explosives-carrying UAVs and ASV bomb boats against three Russian frigates and several other ships docked at the Sevastopol naval base in Crimea. The night attack was detected and machine-guns and autocannon were seen firing on the attackers. One of the frigates and an amphibious ship were hit by the ASVs and damaged. Todays attack used improved ASVs that can sense and leap over boom defenses the Russians deployed. This time the Russian ships were also prepared to quickly use the various machine-guns and autocannon on board to fire at and destroy the ASVs. This attack appears to have been a test of the new ASV design and the ASV passed. That means there will be another, much larger attack using ASVs and UAVs. If the next attack does succeed, Russia may be forced to move its Black Sea war ships to a smaller port on the east coast of the Black Sea. March 21, 2023: The Wagner Group is shutting down operations in Ukraine and concentrating on its Africa operations. This came about because Vladimir Putin had to settle a dispute between the Russian generals in Ukraine and Wagner boss Prigozhin over who deserved credit for some minor victories in Ukraine. Putin sided with the generals and ordered the Wagner Group to concentrate on Africa. Wagner Group is a profitable international operation that reports directly to Putin. The Wagner Group was sent to Ukraine because the Russian army needed help, not competition and criticism. Meanwhile the United States began imposing sanctions on members of the Russian Wagner Group and those affiliated with Wagner Group. The United States defines much of what Wagner Group does as a form of terrorism. Some of it definitely is. Most of the criminal offenses were committed by Wagner Group personnel sent to Africa, where the profits from legal and illegal activities were abundant. More recently, a Chinese space satellite manufacturer and satellite operator was sanctioned for selling the Wagner Group satellite imagery of Ukrainian military units and facilities. These imagery services aided Wagner Group in its recent offensive against Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine. During these operations Wagner Group members committed numerous atrocities and war crimes. Then there was the Wagner Group activity in Ukraine, which received far more publicity than the more lucrative dirty deeds Wagner was guilty of in many parts of Africa. For Ukraine the Wagner Group recruited convicts with the promise of a pardon if they served six months. This backfired when it became known that only about 20 percent of the first convicts recruited survived their six months and received their pardons. Recent recruiting efforts show that far fewer convicts are willing to volunteer and, justifiably, feel safer serving out their sentences. Russia then banned Wagner from recruiting prison inmates. Instead, the Russian military does the recruiting and offers more survivable terms of service as well as the pardon after the term of service is completed. March 20, 2023: Chinese leader Xi Jinping traveled to Russia to meet with Russian leader Vladimir. The two announced efforts to replace the American dollar with the Chinese yuan as an international currency. For years China has been trying to make this happen. The biggest obstacle is the refusal to allow the yuan to be traded on financial markets. Instead, China simply pegs the value of the yuan to the American dollar. The heavy use of yuan by Russia in 2022 boosted the yuan to fifth place in international currencies with about seven percent of the market. The American dollar and the European euro continue to be the most commonly used currencies for international trade. China has achieved a reputation for making the yuan useful for outlaw states or firms that have problems gaining access to dollars or euros. March 19, 2023: Russia has been moving ancient T-54 and T-55 tanks out of storage for use in Ukraine. The 36-ton T-54 was the first post-1945 tank. It used a 100mm gun and a four man crew. Introduced slowly in the late 1940s, it became more numerous during the 1950s. A major upgrade, the T-55 was introduced in 1958. About 100,000 T-54/55 tanks were built from 1048 to 1981. Two-thirds of these were T-55s. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Russia inherited over 10,000 operational T-55s, and few T-54s. The best of these were put into storage and there are believed to be over a thousand of these tanks available. Nearly all modern T-72/80/90 Russian tanks were destroyed or worn out in Ukraine. Russia brought 600 T-62s (from the early 1960s) out of storage to meet the needs of troops in combat, and suffered heavy losses. T-55s are easy to use and robust. They are adequate for supporting infantry although there is a shortage of 100 mm tank gun ammo. The T-55 also has a 7.62mm and a 12.7mm machine-guns, for which there is plenty of ammunition. The T-55 is vulnerable to the simplest anti-tank weapons like the RPG anti-tank rocket. March 18, 2023: Despite the suffering of ill-equipped Russian troops in Ukraine, Russian generals and contractors are still being caught supplying sub-standard equipment, services and other supplies to Russian troops. This sort of thing was common before the war and even when the communists ran the country and before that under the rules of tsars and an aristocracy. The scams that leave new Russian troops with shoddy equipment became embarrassing news on the Internet, where soldiers often go to describe how they were screwed by some corrupt supplier. Corruption in state-owned defense firms and the space program get a lot of publicity but the delivery of shoddy or defective material to the troops in Ukraine is particularly embarrassing. Unfortunately, corruption is immune to embarrassment. March 17, 2023: Despite the sanctions and need to spend heavily on Ukraine operations, the Russian navy has been able to keep work going on the aircraft carrier Kuznetsov. This vessel is the pride of the fleet but cursed with accidents and other delays during an earlier upgrade of the carrier so it can remain in service. Originally the plan was to have the carrier undergo a two year period of repairs, upgrades and modernization in a drydock belonging to the Russian navy. This was to begin in 2018 and shortly after that process began, the largest floating dry dock in Russia, PD-50, had an accident and sank. The Kuznetsov was afloat in the PD-50 at the time and survived with some damage from a collapsing crane. The PD-50 sank in deep water and most salvage experts agreed that it would be too expensive to raise the dry dock and repair it. The navy could not afford to buy a new one and admitted that this might be the end of the line for the Kuznetsov, which is overdue for some major maintenance and refurbishment and the PD-50 was the only Russian dry dock that could hold the Kuznetsov. Many Russians saw this as just another example of the sloppiness and poor management that have crippled the military industries and the space program. An affordable solution was found for the Kuznetsov when two separate drydocks built parallel to each other could, if combined into one drydock, accommodate the carriers. In 2019 work began on the new drydock and getting the carrier back to the fleet was delayed two years, to 2022. That was optimistic because an expensive engine room fire did so much damage that it delayed the completion of work on the carrier until 2024. Last month Kuznetsov left the drydock and must now spend a year having new equipment, including a lot of new electronics. Installed. Then will come sea-trials. Problems will be found and repaired until there are none and the carrier can be turned over to the fleet. That might not be until 2026, because thats been the pattern for the last few large ships Russia has overhauled and modernized. March 16, 2023: The government is bringing in dredging equipment for a major, and overdue, dredging of the heavily used Volga-Don Canal that enables ships to get from the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea. Because of the war in Ukraine and Iran supplying weapons and equipment to Russia, canal traffic was up 15 percent in 2022 over the previous year. Since 1952, a 101 kilometers long canal, linking the Don and Volga rivers, gave the Caspian Sea access to the Black Sea and the world's oceans. However, the largest ships that can use the canal cannot displace more than 5,000 tons and be no more than 140 meters (434 feet) long, 17 meters (52 feet) wide, and have a draft of no more than 3.5 meters (10.8 feet). Normally the canal moves over 12 million tons of cargo a year. About half of that is oil or oil products. In 2021 Russia agreed to allow Iran to use the Volga-Don Canal so that Iranian ships can reach the Black Sea from the landlocked Caspian Sea. This is the first time Russia has ever given a foreign nation free access to the canal. Russia and Iran are now using each others Caspian Sea ports heavily for trade and getting Iranian weapons to Russia. Both nations have agreed to establish a joint-shipbuilding operation in the Caspian Sea and cooperate in dredging the canal, something that has not been done since 1991. The prolonged lack of dredging has made portions of the canal shallower and forced ships to carry less cargo. The 13 locks on the canal connect the Volga River, the longest in Russia that empties into the Caspian, and the Don River which empties into the Sea of Azov, which is connected to the Black Sea via the Kerch Strait. The Caspian is the world's largest lake and it is huge, at 371,000 square kilometers (about the same size as Poland). It is about a thousand kilometers long and 430 kilometers wide. It's saline but is only about a third as salty as ocean water. The Caspian has a 7,000-kilometer-long coastline, with the largest chunk (1,900 kilometers) belonging to Kazakhstan. March 15, 2023: Russia handles lucrative commercial satellite launches at the old Soviet Baikonur launch center in Kazakhstan. Russia rents this site from Kazakhstan and has fallen behind in rent payments. In response Kazakhstan seized $26 million of Roscosmos assets at Baikonur. Russia is not getting foreign commercial launch business because of the sanctions. Because of the Ukraine war sanction, Russia has less cash in general and cant even muster enough troops to threaten Kazakhstan. There is also a problem with Russia referring to Kazakhstan as one of many areas, like Ukraine, that should be absorbed back into Russia. Kazakhstan agrees with Ukraine on that issue and is standing up to Russia to show its determination. Ukraine, Russia, NATO members and many other nations feeling the impact of the war in Ukraine are seeking ways to end the fighting and solve many of the worlds economic and military problems. Russia is losing the war as its troops are outnumbered, poorly equipped, untrained and perform poorly. Extensive Western economic sanctions have so devastated Russias war production that it cannot even begin to replace its equipment losses. The Ukrainian economy took a beating during the first year of fighting but is now recovering with the help of NATO economic aid. For Russia, peace is only possible if they can keep some of the Ukrainian territory they occupy. Victory for Ukraine means no more Russian troops in Ukraine. That seems more achievable now, but will require a lot more fighting and lots of Russian and Ukrainian casualties. China has proposed a peace deal that would include Russia keeping some territory. Before the war, China regarded Russia as a major economic, military and diplomatic partner. China disapproved of the war, as did India. Both nations quietly conveyed their concerns to Russia at international conferences and in diplomatic meetings. China and India would not supply Russia with weapons because that would trigger sanctions on them. China and India did help by quietly buying Russian oil, but at a large discount. The main reason for Russian refusal to withdraw troops from Ukraine is Russian leader Vladimir Putin. A growing number of prominent Russians are going public with their concerns about the dismal prospects for Russian forces in Ukraine. Putin believes that the longer he can maintain military control over some Ukrainian territory, the more likely NATO supporters of Ukraine will grow discouraged and reduce aid. So far NATO shows no signs of reducing support. The NATO nations close to Russia or bordering Russia insist that if Russia is allowed to keep any Ukrainian territory, the Russians will attack them too, not merely Ukraine, as part of an effort to reconstitute the Greater Russia that the tsars and later communists created and maintained until 1991. Putin has always insisted that the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 was a big mistake and must be rectified. Many Russians agree with that, but are less willing to pay the economic and military price that Ukraine demonstrated would result if Russia tried. Irrational nationalism is nothing new and often results in heavy losses for all concerned when such rebuilding is attempted using military force. At one point Putin threatened the use of nuclear weapons to achieve victory in Ukraine. That threat faded as nuclear-armed NATO nations and even China advised dropping the nuclear threats, as did many Russians. Without the nuclear threat all Putin has left is keeping the war going at any cost to Russia. There is world-wide resistance to that because Ukraine and Russia supply a large portion of the grain exports that many nations depend on to keep their people fed. Vladimir Putin is of the quite justified opinion that defeat in Ukraine will also mean the end of his two decades of ruling Russia and probably his life. He was recently indicted by the ICC (International Criminal Court) for war crimes in Ukraine and an international arrest warrant issued. The immediate response of Russia was that any effort to arrest Putin while he was outside Russia would be considered an act of war against Russia. If Putin is no longer head of state in Russia, he is more vulnerable to the ICC arrest warrant. Those warrants never expire and the ICC has brought former senior government officials to trial eventually. Currently, the most likely outcome is that Ukraine does defeat and expel all Russian forces in Ukraine. That will reveal more Russian atrocities against Ukrainian civilians. Russia will be considered a pariah state for some time to come because it is unlikely that it will return more than a million kidnapped Ukrainian civilians including many children. This is disappointing to many nations, especially former European trading partners who believed, until 2022, that Russia would continue being the peaceful and reliable trading partner it had been since the 1990s. Peace may return, but any hopes for an unthreatening Russia will take a lot longer. EBRD extends 10 million loan to ProCredit Bank in Moldova Moldovan small and medium businesses to benefit from greater access to investment finance Project is supported by EU with incentive grants under the EU4Business Initiative Moldovan businesses are set to benefit from greater access to finance as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), in partnership with the European Union, is extending a fresh financial package to ProCredit Bank Moldova under the EU4Business-EBRD Credit Line. The 10 million loan will support investment financing for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Moldova to upgrade their equipment, products and services in line with EU standards, increase competitiveness and grasp international trade opportunities. At least 70 per cent of the loan is expected to finance investments in green technologies. Since 2018, ProCredit Bank has provided financing to local MSMEs under the programme for a total of 25 million. The loan was signed during a visit to Moldova by Mark Bowman, EBRD Vice-President, Policy and Partnerships. Small businesses are the backbone of the Moldovan economy and supporting them is vital to secure sustained economic growth. Investments in equipment upgrades and energy efficiency are critical for their competitiveness and help minimise the negative impacts of war in the neighbouring Ukraine and energy crisis. said Mr Bowman. Support to SMEs has been and remains at the core of the EU assistance to the Republic of Moldova. At this moment there are some 30 SME-focused programmes under the EU4Business initiative, financed or co-financed by the EU, providing financial support through loans, grants and guarantee schemes, and business advice or a combination of both, said Adam Grodzicki, Deputy Head of Cooperation in the EU Delegation to the Republic of Moldova. Irina Coroi-Jovmir, Chairperson of the Management Board of ProCredit Bank Moldova, said: ProCredit Bank Moldova strives to be a leading SME bank in the market, following sustainable and impact-oriented banking practices. The bank has SMEs in its DNA, as we have more than 90 per cent of Total Loan Portfolio allocated to Moldovan small and medium-sized companies. We believe that ProCredit Bank, together with our long-term funding partner the EBRD, by signing this contract, will unite the forces and passion for development of a greener, more resilient SME sector in Moldova. The loan is complemented by EU grant funding, supporting grant incentives on successful investment projects for ProCredit Banks borrowers, as well as project consultant implementation assistance to ProCredit Bank and its clients. Moldova was granted candidate status to join the EU in June. This fresh financing will contribute to achieving the EU Economic and Investment Plan target to support 50,000 MSMEs in Moldova. ProCredit Bank is a development-oriented commercial bank. The fifth largest bank in Moldova, it is fully owned by ProCredit Holding AG & Co and part of the international ProCredit Group headquartered in Frankfurt am Main. The groups 12 banking subsidiaries operate in transition economies and developing countries and also include a bank in Germany. The EBRD is Moldovas biggest institutional investor. To date it has invested over 2 billion in 159 projects. EBRD secures 5.6 million in E5P donor funds for greener solid waste management in Moldova Financing crucial for investments in three districts Sustainable waste management to benefit 185,000 people The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has secured 5.6 million in donor funds from the Eastern Europe Energy Efficiency and Environment Partnership (E5P) for the first region under Moldovas first large-scale solid waste management project. The grant will help finance critical waste management infrastructure in Moldova , benefiting about 185,000 people in the Ungheni, Nisporeni and Calarasi districts. The E5P Fund in Moldova totals over 50 million and includes a 1 million contribution from Moldova. The European Union is the largest overall contributor, with 28.95 million. Other donors include the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, the Slovak Republic and Sweden. This financing complements to the government of Moldova, which is part of a wider financing package that includes additional lending by the European Investment Bank and investment grants from other bilateral donors. This is the first solid waste management project in the country involving multiple regions. It is an important step towards a sustainable solution for solid waste management services and is expected to serve as a blueprint for the rest of the country. The project will finance the purchase of waste collection and transfer assets such as waste containers and collection vehicles, as well as the construction of solid waste disposal and treatment infrastructure, such as landfills and material sorting and treatment facilities. It will also significantly reduce carbon dioxide and methane emissions associated with waste disposal, thereby contributing to Moldovas decarbonisation efforts in line with its undertakings under the Paris Agreement on limiting climate change. The EBRDs Vice President for Policy and Partnerships, Mark Bowman, said: We are delighted to act as a catalyst for financial partnerships like the E5P to support Moldovas path towards a more environmentally sustainable future. Janis Mazeiks, Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova, said: The European Union is the largest donor of the E5P. This 5.6 million grant will contribute to green solid waste management in Calarasi, Nisporeni and Ungheni. It will also support Moldovas efforts as an EU candidate country to align with EU standards on preventing the negative impact of waste, strengthening resource efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Katarina Fried, Swedens Ambassador to Moldova, said: Sweden is supporting Moldova within the E5P because we consider the development of municipal services including through investment in infrastructure has the chance to increase the quality of life and offer access to better opportunities for citizens. The Moldova Solid Waste Management project is a good example of that, as it will contribute to the overall improvement of the environmental situation in the targeted areas, by this contributing to a better life quality for women, men, girls and boys. The EBRD is a leading institutional investor in Moldova. To date, the Bank has invested more than 2 billion in the country through 160 projects, with 52 per cent of its portfolio in sustainable infrastructure. The E5P is a 352 million multi-donor fund initiated by Sweden and operating in the whole Eastern Partnership region. The E5P Fund in Moldova helps to improve energy efficiency, contributing to energy security, economic competitiveness and policy dialogue, while having a positive impact on the environment. The EBRD acts as the fund manager of E5P, providing administrative support to manage the fund on behalf of all the stakeholders. With EBRD finance, Ukrainian pharma firm YURiA-PHARM acquires company in Uzbekistan Buying Reka-Med will let YURiA-PHARM maintain exports, despite war, localise production in Uzbekistan and increase sales in Ukraine EBRD plans to invest 3 billion in Ukraine in 2022-23 A leading Ukrainian pharma company, YURiA-PHARM, has acquired Reka-Med, a pharmaceutical company in Uzbekistan, with the help of 10 million of finance repurposed from an existing loan made by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The EBRD loan will allow YURiA-PHARM, which exports 30 per cent of its production (of which 15 per cent is exported to Uzbekistan) to produce pharmaceuticals locally for the Uzbek market and free up about 10 per cent off its production capacity inside Ukraine to allocate more critical medicine to the home market. The top-five manufacturer sells its products across Ukraine and exports to more than 40 countries. Buying an Uzbek company to manufacture locally was the best strategic response in view of Russias war on Ukraine, which has made exports more difficult and expensive. This transaction will increase the availability and affordability of drugs in both Ukraine and Uzbekistan. It will also improve YURiA-PHARMs profitability and will diversify production risks in locating additional manufacturing site outside of Ukraine. It also supports a cross-border acquisition and internationalisation of the companys operations, making YURiA-PHARM more competitive, said Matteo Patrone, EBRD Managing Director, Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. YURiA-PHARMs main operating unit, LLC YURiA-Pharm, which manufactures prescription medicines and medical devices, signed the original loan agreement with the EBRD in May 2019. It borrowed 25 million in two tranches: a committed first 15 million for improvements in packaging lines and the introduction of an affordable customised doses cancer treatment, along with energy efficiency measures; and an uncommitted second tranche earmarked for further production improvements. This 10 million second tranche has now been committed and repurposed in order to acquire Reka-Med. The EBRD, Ukraines largest institutional investor, has stood firmly by the country since the Russian invasion. The Bank has pledged to invest 3 billion in Ukraines real economy in 2022-23, and in 2022 deployed 1.7 billion as well as a further 200 million mobilised from partner financial institutions. The loan to YURiA-PHARM was supported by a 2.5 million first loss risk cover guarantee from the EBRDs Crisis Response Special Fund. Tell us about yourself; Im Jack, J to the a to the c to the k. Im not a rapper. I write songs, I sing, and play some piano. Id love to play bass. I teach great young adults at Gaelcholaiste Mhuire, An Mhainistir Thuaidh. Where were you born? Bon Secours Hospital, Cork. Where do you live? Cork city - Im not telling you the street. Family? I love my family very much. Best friend? My diary. Earliest childhood memory? Confusing the words parade, Tipperary and Hip Hip Hurray. On St Patricks Day, on the way to Tipp Town, Id ask, we going to The Tipp Hip Parade? I was a very wordy toddler. Person you most admire? My parents. Person who most irritates you? Myself. Where was your most memorable holiday? Ibiza - it rained for a week. Favourite TV programme? The Sopranos - recently, White Lotus. Favourite radio show? Late Date or Rising Time or The South Wind Blows, Radio 1. Your signature dish if cooking? Steak. Favourite restaurant? Isaacs. Last book you read? Circe, by Madeline Miller. Best book you read? East Of Eden, John Steinbeck or The God Of Small Things. Last album/CD/download you bought? Joni Mitchells early recordings. Favourite song? Today its Say A Little Prayer - Arethas version. Im on a Bacharach buzz. One person you would like to see in concert? Dead - Nina Simone, Jimi Hendrix or Jacqueline Du Pres. Alive - Sufian Stevens so I can propose and well make music till the end of days. Do you have a pet? I have a teddy called Ben, he requires looking after. Morning person or night owl? Neither - Im an Afternoon Andrew. Your proudest moment? Being an uncle and godfather to my nephew, Teddy (not an actual Teddy). Spendthrift or saver? Spendthrift. Name one thing you would improve in your area in which you live? More amenities and investment and art and a university and hospital in the northside of the city. What makes you happy? Swimming in the sea or looking out off Garretstown cliffs at the majesty of it all. How would you like to be remembered? As someone who followed his nose and his heart, a guy who tried to be kind and who could play a mean piano. What else are you up to at the moment? Im writing music to Brendan Behan poems. Im interpreting The Beatles with an orchestra at Cork Opera House so looking for a Seargent Peppers Jacket. I might make some porridge in a bit. More about the proms On Wednesday, April 12, and Thursday, April 13, the Cork Proms will celebrate the music of the Beatles with Cork Opera House Concert Orchestra, conducted by Elaine Kelly (Resident Conductor of Irish National Opera). A stellar cast of performers will bring The Beatles songs to life, featuring two-time Irish Meteor Award-winner Wallis Bird, Jack ORourke (described as one of Irelands most gifted songwriters), Emma Nash (winner of the PWC/Wexford Festival Opera Emerging Young Artist bursary and the University Concert Hall Limerick Rising Star Award), alongside rising Cork stars Christiana Underwood and Rowan. Audiences can expect classics such as Hey Jude, Here Comes The Sun, Norwegian Wood, Across The Universe and many more. See www.corkoperahouse.ie China recently announced plans to build a competitor for the American Starlink network that provides fast Internet service to ground users. Starlink was turned on in Ukraine after the Russians invaded in 2022 and gave Ukrainian forces a communications advantage they still enjoy. The Chinese satellite network is called (for the moment) GW and is being developed and deployed by the Chinese military. The Chinese government encourages private enterprise and competition but considers Starlink a threat to Chinese military power. Less than a year ago Russia and China were very public about their envy, anger and hostility towards the new American Starlink space-based communication system. Russia was the first to feel the pain caused by Starlink and declared Starlink founder 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. 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. 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 to Russian forces, often live on TV, in Ukraine. Russia has some experience with this sort of thing. Back in 2018 Roscosmos (the state-owned corporation running commercial space operations) was offered a lucrative contract by a British firm, OneWeb, to use 21 Soyuz SLVs (satellite launchers vehicles) to put hundreds of small Internet communications satellites into orbit. This was to establish a worldwide satellite network providing Internet access to anywhere on the planet. This alarmed the Russian government because they would not be able to monitor and censor or block any Internet traffic coming into or out of Russia. The OneWeb system was to use a few ground stations connecting its satellites to the rest of the Internet. Russia was willing to compromise if one of those ground stations was in Russia and the Russians had access to all the Internet traffic passing through it. OneWeb saw that Russia intended to outlaw the use of OneWeb by Russians. The ban could not have been completely effective because some Russians would find a way to pay for their access. OneWeb makes money by acting as an ISP (internet service provider) and for hundreds of millions of people in areas with poor, or no, Internet access the satellite service is all they would have access to. That includes millions of Russians in remote areas. The fact that the FSB would not have access to that Internet traffic would be a bonus for Russian users. OneWeb was forced to cancel the Roscosmos SLV deal. The Russians were the most affordable SLV service available and without it OneWeb did not get into orbit until when SpaceX offered affordable SLV service and began putting the OneWeb satellites into orbit. The irony of this was that one of the potential replacements for the billion dollar Roscosmos contract was the American SpaceX, which has perfected the reusable boosters (which can land intact and be reused) that lowers the cost of using SpaceX launchers. Roscosmos has been having a hard time remaining competitive and the OneWeb contract was seen as something of a lifeline. China may offer a way out as they are proposing a Russian-Chinese partnership to establish a competitor for OneWeb that would, of course, be accessible to Russian and Chinese Internet censorship efforts. Russia cannot afford to create its own satellite Internet system and Roscosmos is sliding towards bankruptcy. At the time OneWeb was but one of several efforts to provide global satellite-based Internet service. The others were Starlink, Kepler, Telesat, LinkSure and LeoSat. Starlink was backed by SpaceX, which by 2018 had already launched two test satellites. The full Starlink system would consist of over 11,000 small satellites and SpaceX planned to, and did, have nearly 2,000 in orbit by 2021. Starlink offers high-speed Internet service and is not concerned with FSB objections. The one Chinese backed network, LinkSure, would provide free wi-fi worldwide and make money with ads and reselling user data. LinkSure would be subject to Chinese censorship and that killed it because there was not much of a market for censored Internet access. LinkSure is still proceeding with its plans to put 13,000 satellites in low orbit. It is unclear if there is any connection between the new Chinese GW effort and ongoing LinkSure efforts to deploy thousands of small communications satellites in low orbit. GW is not so much about providing Starlink and OneWeb with competition as it is to somehow provide China with a way to disrupt Starlink and other Western satellite networks whenever needed. This raises the possibility that domestic corruption opportunities are the unspoken major justification for China spending so money without a paying market for Linksure/GW. PEOPLE across Cork are being urged to Think Before You Flush to ensure that unsuitable items are not flushed down toilets, resulting in blockages and sewage-related litter ending up in waterways or on beaches. The Think Before You Flush campaign, run by Clean Coasts in partnership with Uisce Eireann, is encouraging people to only flush the three ps pee, poo, and paper. All other waste should be thrown in the bin. Representatives from Clean Coasts and Uisce Eireann met with Lord Mayor of Cork city, Councillor Deirdre Forde (FG), last week to sign the Think Before You Flush pledge. Flushing unsuitable items, such as wipes or cotton buds, down the toilet can result in blockages and the possibility of sewage related litter ending up in our waterways and on our beaches. This litter can impact the marine life that inhabits the waterways, posing a danger to wildlife. Margaret Attridge of Uisce Eireann said: We welcome the Lord Mayor of Corks support for the Think Before You Flush campaign. Every day thousands of unsuitable items are flushed down toilets across Ireland instead of being put in the bin. More than 110,000 people in Cork still use their toilet as a bin, she added. This causes blockages in our wastewater systems, ultimately leading to sewer overflows and pollution in our rivers, on our beaches and in the ocean. The flushing of wipes is one of the most common items causing blockages in our wastewater network, leading to environmental pollution. The Think Before You Flush team also met with students in Munster Technological University (MTU) and University College Cork (UCC) to help spread awareness of the campaign. Elaine Doyle from Clean Coasts said: It was great to meet the students for an interactive presentation and litter picks. Our research highlights under 35s are more likely to flush items in error meeting students is a great way to help change this pattern. thinkbeforeyouflush.org. THE eight women and four men of the jury for the trial of a Romanian national accused of murdering a 64-year-old Cork man whose dismembered body was found on the grounds of a derelict house at Boreenmanna Road in Cork during Christmas 2019 have just commenced their deliberations. The case went into its 13th day today as Mr Justice Paul McDermott concluded his address to the jury on the legal principles which they must use in considering the evidence in the case. The jury retired from Courtroom 6 at the Central Criminal Court sitting at the courthouse on Anglesea Street in Cork at 11.33 a.m. Ionut Cosmin Nicholescu, 30, with an address at Branistea Village, Damovita County, Romania, denies the single count of murder. He was put on trial on March 13 charged with the murder of Francis (Frankie) Dunne. The count states that on a date unknown between December 27 and December 28 2019, he murdered Francis Dunne at Castlegreine House, Boreenamanna Road, Cork, contrary to Common Law. PROSECUTION Prosecution senior counsel Ray Boland said to the jury, Two people went in to Castlegreine House that night Frankie Dunne and the accused. Only the accused came out. All the lies and inconsistencies were put forward by the accused for literally getting away with murder. "The state has proved its case that the accused murdered Frankie Dunne and I invite you to convict. He submitted to the jury that the accused man murdered Mr Dunne by first striking him with a glass bottle and then strangling him. He said that the dismemberment occurred afterwards as a work in progress for disposing of the remains. DEFENCE Philipp Rahn, senior counsel for the defence said to the jurors, Look at Mr Nicholescu himself the lack of any reason or motive. It is unlikely, what the prosecution are saying. There is a very significant forensic problem with the unidentified fingerprint (on the plastic bag containing clothing of the deceased man). "You have lots and lots of material out of the garda investigation but you cannot be satisfied that there are no relevant questions unanswered. "There has to be a reasonable doubt. That threshold of beyond reasonable doubt has not been crossed. The prosecution narrative is not the only one. Mr Rahn said that if they accepted his account that Nicholescu arrived on the scene where two armed men stood over the deceased and compelled the accused to move the remains, then the verdict had to be not guilty. Similarly, they had to find him not guilty if his account was reasonably possible. And finally, even if they did not accept his account, they could still find him not guilty if they were not satisfied that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. JUDGE Mr Justice McDermott said, You have to consider all the evidence very carefully. I can only accept a unanimous verdict. You can bring in a verdict of guilty of murder or not guilty of murder. "If the prosecution established beyond reasonable doubt that he committed the killing but did not intend it you can find him not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter. The way the evidence has been presented to you (by the defence) is that he did not kill him. The eight women and four men of the jury in the Boreenmanna Road murder trial deliberated throughout today and so far have not reached a verdict. They began their deliberations at 11.33, broke for lunch and were asked by the trial judge to come back to court at 4.33 p.m.. Mr Justice Paul McDermott then asked them if they wished to continue with their deliberations or to return tomorrow (March 31). They indicated that they would take the overnight break. They will resume their deliberations at 10.30 a.m. on March 31 in this trial of a Romanian national accused of murdering a 64-year-old Cork man whose dismembered body was found on the grounds of a derelict house at Boreenmanna Road in Cork during Christmas 2019 have just commenced their deliberations at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork. Ionut Cosmin Nicholescu, 30, with an address at Branistea Village, Damovita County, Romania, denies the single count of murder. He was put on trial on March 13 charged with the murder of Francis (Frankie) Dunne. The count states that on a date unknown between December 27 and December 28 2019, he murdered Francis Dunne at Castlegreine House, Boreenamanna Road, Cork, contrary to Common Law. Prosecution senior counsel Ray Boland said to the jury, Two people went in to Castlegreine House that night Frankie Dunne and the accused. Only the accused came out. All the lies and inconsistencies were put forward by the accused for literally getting away with murder. "The state has proved its case that the accused murdered Frankie Dunne and I invite you to convict. He submitted to the jury that the accused man murdered Mr Dunne by first striking him with a glass bottle and then strangling him. He said that the dismemberment occurred afterwards as a work in progress for disposing of the remains. Philipp Rahn, senior counsel for the defence said to the jurors, Look at Mr Nicholescu himself the lack of any reason or motive. It is unlikely, what the prosecution are saying. There is a very significant forensic problem with the unidentified fingerprint (on the plastic bag containing clothing of the deceased man). You have lots and lots of material out of the garda investigation but you cannot be satisfied that there are no relevant questions unanswered. There has to be a reasonable doubt. That threshold of beyond reasonable doubt has not been crossed. The prosecution narrative is not the only one. Mr Rahn said that if they accepted his account that Nicholescu arrived on the scene where two armed men stood over the deceased and compelled the accused to move the remains, then the verdict had to be not guilty. Similarly, they had to find him not guilty if his account was reasonably possible. And finally, even if they did not accept his account, they could still find him not guilty if they were not satisfied that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. Mr Justice McDermott said, You have to consider all the evidence very carefully. I can only accept a unanimous verdict. You can bring in a verdict of guilty of murder or not guilty of murder. If the prosecution established beyond reasonable doubt that he committed the killing but did not intend it you can find him not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter. The way the evidence has been presented to you (by the defence) is that he did not kill him. A Cork man who bound a young woman, gagged her with duct tape and assaulted her in an alleyway in Dublin city centre has been sentenced to ten years in prison, with the final 18 months suspended. Maurice Fitzgerald (29) of Abbeyview in Buttevant pleaded guilty to falsely imprisoning and assaulting the woman, causing harm last August 27, at Meeting House Lane, off Mary's Abbey. Passing sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today, Judge Martin Nolan set a headline sentence of 12 to 14 years for what he said was a particularly insidious and very serious crime. The judge said Fitzgerald had a plan and had bought duct tape and a claw hammer on the day in question. He was prepared to use force to apprehend and take a woman, said Judge Nolan. The court heard that gardai were called after residents of a nearby apartment heard the woman screaming and the sound of tape being wrapped through their open window. Judge Nolan said if gardai had not arrived when they did, something very serious would have occurred. The court heard that the victim, now aged 26, suffers from chronic schizophrenia and has been under psychiatric care since the incident. She has not been in a position to make a statement to gardai. The woman's father submitted a victim impact statement on her behalf, which was not read aloud in court. Detective Garda Patrick Hynes told Fionnuala O'Sullivan BL, prosecuting, that a couple living in a nearby apartment block had their window open as it was a very hot night. One of these witnesses heard the wrapping of tape, and when he looked out the window, he saw a girl lying on the ground with her ankles tied together. The court heard that the girl was trying to stand up and that she looked dizzy and fell over, hitting her head. Witnesses said the woman was screaming, Get it off me, leave me alone, get away from me, and that man laughed at her and shouted, shut up, before dragging her out of sight. Gda Hynes and another garda who were on mobile patrol arrived shortly afterwards and saw Fitzgerald dragging the woman with her feet tied and her hands bound behind her back. Gardai said there were two rolls of duct tape on a top of a car and some empty Corona bottles in the middle of the laneway. Fitzmaurice dropped the girl and ran, the court heard, physically resisting gardai before he was eventually restrained and cuffed. Gardai said the woman was highly distressed and trying to scream and that they had to use a knife to free the tape from her mouth. She was brought to the Mater Hospital, and the following morning she confirmed her identity to gardai but was still in a very distressed state with bruising all over her body. The court heard the woman had severe underlying mental health difficulties and had been detained after the attack under the Mental Health Act to a hospital in the Midlands, where she remains. The court heard Fitzgerald had travelled by train from Cork and arrived in Dublin at 1pm. He went into a number of pubs and shops in the city centre, and bought two rolls of silver duct tape and a claw hammer in Dealz on Liffey Street and another roll of duct tape in EuroGiant. He later met the female cashier from one of these shops in a pub and bought three rounds of drinks with her, the court heard. CCTV footage from the Norseman pub shows Fitzgerald chatting, messing and giving a piggyback to the injured party on Essex Street less than an hour before the attack. Footage was played to the court, where the accused can be heard unrolling duct tape and tying up and gagging the woman on the ground. Fitzgerald's phone was found to contain a number of stock internet photos of women bound and gagged, along with similar screenshots from websites. Fitzgerald was deemed intoxicated and unfit for interview until the following morning. In his fourth interview with gardai he admitted he was guilty but said he couldn't remember what had happened. He has six previous convictions, including two for sexual assault and others for false imprisonment, assault causing harm and possession of weapons. He was sentenced to four years in prison in July 2016 for an incident in Kerry where he befriended a woman and used duct tape to incapacitate her. Garda Hynes agreed with Michael Bowman SC, defending, that Fitzgerald accepted that he had punched the woman and had expressed a degree of apology. I'm guilty out. I did whatever. I'm guilty of dragging her across the floor. I obviously hit her, he told gardai. When asked if he had any message for the victim, Fitzgerald replied, Sorry for everything. Mr Bowman said the images on his client's phone were professional photos voluntarily put on the internet by models describing themselves as sock and bondage lovers with no suggestion of males being present. The court heard that Fitzgerald was working in the construction industry at the time of the offence. Mr Bowman said the single biggest mitigating factor was Fitzgerald's guilty plea. The court heard Fitzgerald is on the Sex Offenders' register. Judge Nolan said Fitzgerald had certain interests and obsessions, to put it at their mildest, which are very unhealthy and very criminal. The judge said Fitzgerald had very relevant previous convictions and that the court could not come to the conclusion that he would not re-offend in the future. However Judge Nolan added that the court was not in the business of preventative detention and could not detain someone because it had the apprehension that he would not change his habits. Fitzgerald was ordered to be of good behaviour while in custody and for five years post-release. He was further told to abide by the supervision of the Probation Service for five years. The sentence was backdated to August 27 when he went into custody. A WONDROUS Life, part of The Wonderism Festival, is on tonight (Thursday) at the Opera House. Created by the Opera House in association with the Department of Theatre at UCC, its a one-hour music concert enriched by moving animation on the big screen, to evoke the emotions of ones journey in life. Its a visual feast of animations created by Ann Upton, paired with classical music under the baton of Doireann Kelly and performed by an ensemble of Cork musicians. 7.30pm start. Tomorrow, Friday, March 31, Mack Fleetwood, Europes premier tribute to the supergroup Fleetwood Mac, return to Cork with authentic renditions of all those great hits. 8pm. On Saturday, Jack L is back, celebrating a 25-year career and performing his greatest hits alongside live favourites and tracks from his new album Echo On. Thats 8pm too. Call 021 427 0022 or www.corkoperahouse.ie for all bookings. Last chances today and tomorrow to see Cyclone Rep Theatres production of The Session: Profit Before People, at Everyman, a schools show that, as always, gives Shakespeare a relevant modern twist. 9.45am and 1pm. Tonight (Thursday) in the Everyman Bar, an evening of poetry and music with Jane Robinson and the Far Flung Trio. 8pm start. Tomorrow night (Friday) brings the Rock Icons Show, an energetic rockin extravaganza that takes you on a journey through some of the worlds greatest classic bands and albums, featuring the music of Def Leppard, Free, Bon Jovi, Toto, Rainbow, Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy, Kiss, Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd, and Van Halen. On Saturday, Here Come The Girls celebrates some of the finest female artists ever, from Cher and Madonna to Lady Gaga, Blondie, and more, while Sunday, Apr 2, offers the poignant story of Annie Moore, First Immigrant, a musical and historical account of the first arrival in America to be processed through Ellis Island in 1892. New and original songs, coupled with well-crafted narration and a dramatised American Wake, illustrate a life of hardship and struggle in a bid to triumph over adversity, as experienced by this young Cork girl, now immortalised in the familiar statue on the quayside in Cobh. The New Electric Ballroom is at the Everyman from Tuesday to Saturday next week Then, from Tuesday to Saturday next week, an important theatrical event, Enda Walshs The New Electric Ballroom, presented by the Gate Theatre. Trapped in the memories of their youthful nights at that hall of romance, sisters Breda and Clara reflect on lost love and what might have been. This stunning play won an Edinburgh Fringe First Award in 2008, confirming Walsh as one of Irelands most distinctive, dynamic modern writers of the modern era. While were at it, advance notice of a show that is set to be a sell-out: the Everyman Sunday Songbook on Apr 16 will feature The Swinging Sixties, with Linda Kenny and all the Songbook team recreating those heady days of the Summer of Love. Could you bear to miss it? Booking for all Everyman productions on 021 450 1673 or www.everymancork.com. Dont forget Michael Patric from the Oscar-nominated film, An Cailin Ciuin, is appearing at Cork Arts Theatre this week in Sean Moylan - Irish Revolutionary. Written and performed by Patric himself, it tells the story of one of Irelands most formidable commanders in the War of Independence. Directed by Geoff Gould and designed by Cormac OConnor, for Blood in The Alley Theatre Company. Until Saturday at 8pm. Booking on 021 450 5624 or www.corkartstheatre.com/event/sean-moylan/. Its all go at the Glen Theatre in Banteer this Sunday, Apr 2, when 26-year-old Scottish sensation Brandon McPhee brings his superb music into town to delight audiences. Hes a hit wherever he goes, both with royalty and our own musical stars like Daniel ODonnell. One night only. Booking for Brandon at the Glen Theatre on 029 56239 or 087 755 8752. Eoin Reynolds Regina Donohue arrived at Chrissie Treacy's farm to find her old friend lying dead on the concrete yard beside her home. She ran at Michael Scott, trying to get at him, but she was held back by Francis Hardiman, a neighbour. She kicked and struggled but Mr Hardiman held on tight to Regina, who Mr Scott had previously referred to as "that b***h". Minutes earlier, Scott had driven over his aunt in an agricultural teleporter, crushing all her internal organs and leaving track marks going from her right foot to her left hand. The skin of the left hand had been removed by what expert witnesses said could have been an "aggressive" change of direction causing the vehicle's large wheel to spin on her arm. For the previous two years, Ms Treacy confided in friends, carers, healthcare workers, a solicitor, advisors and gardai about her interactions with Scott. They tried to intervene on her behalf, but they couldn't convince her to leave her remote home, make a formal complaint to gardai or to follow through with court injunctions. What Chrissie told her friends and carers was not led by the prosecution because the trial judge ruled that it was hearsay and therefore inadmissible. But the jury was aware that she had tried to sever ties with her nephew by formally partitioning the land they jointly owned around the home where she grew up. Chrissie Treacy. Photo: Collins Michael Scott was on Thursday acquitted of murdering his vulnerable 76-year-old aunt Chrissie Treacy by running over her in an agricultural teleporter. After nearly 15 hours of deliberations, the jury unanimously rejected the prosecution case that Scott deliberately murdered his aunt out of "a sense of entitlement and for revenge" following a long-running dispute over land. They found instead that Scott acted with gross negligence when he reversed across a yard beside Ms Treacy's home and drove over her. Scott shook his head as he spent his last moments in the dock having gone on trial in mid-January. Scott and his family are the only living relatives of Chrissie Treacy. A number of people from her community were in court to hear the verdict while Scott was supported by family members and friends. Scott told gardai in interviews that he was reversing across the yard when he felt a "thump", thought he might have hit a trailer and moved the teleporter forward to level ground. He said that when he got down from the cabin he saw his aunt lying on the ground. His defence said that her death was a "tragic accident". Following the verdict, Ms Justice Caroline Biggs told the jury that she had noticed the "extremely heavy" burden placed on the six men and six women and the "physical and mental strain, the toll it has taken on you." She said they had been diligent, had given up many weeks of their lives and she exempted them from jury service for the rest of their lives. 'Grotesque' language Before remanding Scott on continuing bail, the judge noted that during the trial Scott had called one witness a "grotesque" name that she did not want to repeat. Ms Justice Biggs was referring to the first day that witness Regina Donohue gave evidence. As Ms Donohue was leaving the stand, Scott called her a "c**t". Ms Donohue immediately reported it to gardai and the following day the prosecution drew it to the court's attention. Scott did not deny saying it and his barrister Paul Greene SC accepted it was wholly inappropriate, wrong and shouldnt have happened. He said he had made Scott aware of his obligations as a person on bail on a murder charge and asked the court not to revoke his bail because of the difficulties that would create for the defence team in providing advice to Scott and receiving instructions. Regina Donohue. Photo: Collins Ms Justice Biggs told Scott: Calling anyone a name like that is disgraceful; you should be ashamed of yourself. You are a very foolish man; on bail for a murder charge. I was going to put you into custody because I have a duty to protect witnesses in this court and ensure they are treated with respect and courtesy. She did not put him in custody because of the appeals by his lawyer, but the judge warned Scott: If you do that again, if you look at a witness to intimidate them or treat them with disrespect, you will go into custody regardless of the repercussions. When Ms Donohue returned to the stand, the judge apologised to her for the insult and said: Im sorry that you had to experience that. Giving evidence is difficult enough without having to deal with that insult. At Thursday's hearing Ms Justice Biggs allowed Scott to remain on bail so that he could put his affairs in order but warned him not to take that as suggesting he would enjoy "continued liberty" following the sentencing hearing on June 12th. Ms Justice Biggs also ordered a probation report and asked the defence to gather any necessary psychological reports. Scott (58), of Gortanumera, Portumna, Co Galway, had pleaded not guilty to murdering his aunt Christina 'Chrissie' Treacy outside her home in Derryhiney, Portumna, Co Galway on April 27th, 2018. Farm owners The trial heard that Ms Treacy and her brothers farmed about 140 acres at Derryhiney and that she owned another farm at nearby Kiltormer. Following the deaths of Ms Treacy's brothers, Michael Scott came to own half the land at Derryhiney and Ms Treacy owned the other half. She leased her land at Kiltormer and Derryhiney to Michael Scott. In early 2017, Mr Scott did not bid to continue leasing the land from Ms Treacy in Kiltormer when it went up for auction. Regina Donohue told the trial that by Christmas 2017, the deceased had made an application through her solicitor to split the land at Derryhiney and put a new lease on the half that she owned. On the day that Ms Treacy died, Mr Scott was to receive a letter from an agricultural consultant telling him that Ms Treacy was applying for a single farm payment on land she owned but had previously leased to Mr Scott. Agricultural consultant and auctioneer Declan McHugh previously told the trial that Ms Treacy hired him in early 2017 to lease 40 acres she owned at Kiltormer that had previously been farmed by Mr Scott and his brother. A little over two weeks before Ms Treacy died in April 2018, Mr McHugh said he received further instructions to write to Mr Scott asking him not to request a single farm payment in respect of three portions of land on the 140-acre farm he jointly owned with his aunt at Derryhiney. Ms Treacy was going to claim the payment for herself, Mr McHugh said. The loss of the 70 acres at Derryhiney and the 40 acres at Kiltormer equated to "in the region of 50 per cent of Mr Scott and his wife's total holding," Mr McHugh said. He said that under farming regulations, the loss of 110 acres would cause a potential reduction in Mr Scott's herd and would also reduce the amount of land available to him for drawing down the EU single farm payment. Mr McHugh said: "With the loss of such a vast area of land, you are going to have massive problems in terms of stocking density and compliance with nitrates directives and that has huge financial implications for any farmer." Interviews In garda interviews following his arrest in 2018, Scott said he didn't know he could call 999 for an ambulance and he didn't think his aunt would die. He said he didn't help her up off the ground because he needed someone with him to help and he called his friend Francis Hardiman because he didn't know who else to call and didn't know the number of any doctors. Scott denied that he murdered his aunt and said he did not want her to die. He also denied that he was in a temper and deliberately rolled over her a second time after initially reversing over her. Detective Garda Barry Carolan said he asked Scott what he did after getting off the JCB and finding his aunt on the ground. He said he "went over beside her and said, 'are you all right Chrissie?' Oh god! What misfortune." He said she was "breathing heavy" but wasn't able to talk. He could see her face and when asked if she could recognise him, Mr Scott said: "I don't know. Shocking, your only aunt." He said he didn't notice any injuries and when asked if he tried first aid, he said: "I wouldn't know anything about that." Ringing 999 Gda Carolan asked why he didn't call an ambulance. Scott replied: "I'm not very well up on technology. I didn't know you could ring an ambulance as well as the fire brigade on 999. I thought you would have to ring the hospital in Ballinasloe and I had no number for a doctor." Scott said he didn't think of pressing the panic button around Ms Treacy's neck and he couldn't remember if he stayed with his aunt. Gda Carolan asked if he was with her when his aunt took her last breath. He said he may have "blanked out". When asked if he thought Ms Treacy was "in a bad way", he said: "I didn't pass any remarks. I didn't think Chrissie was going to die. I could just hear her breathing." Garda Carolan asked why, if he didn't think she was going to die, he didn't help her up. "I needed someone with me," he said. "When I heard her breathing I thought she was going to be okay." "Why didn't you check her injuries?" the garda asked. "I just didn't," said Scott. He said he didn't see any blood or injuries on her body. "Did you want Chrissie to die," the garda asked. "No," Scott replied. Scott denied forcing his aunt to sign over the land to him in her will. He said it wasn't true that his plans were "falling down" around him after Ms Treacy decided she wanted to partition the farm. He said he wasn't concerned about the letter from Ms Treacy's agricultural consultant and questioned how she could make an application for payments when she didn't have any livestock. He said that he didn't think Chrissie was "behind the letter" and said that he was regularly talking to his aunt at that time and he couldn't understand why she had contacted a solicitor instead of talking to him. He said his aunt would get confused but he had an understanding that the land would go to him when she died. "I have two witnesses to that," he said. He said he had invested a lot in Derryhiney, hundreds of thousands of euros, and added: "Why do all that risk and work if someone else is going to take it over?" He said he only realised that Ms Treacy had left the land to Ms Donohue a few months after Ms Treacy died. "It was a very big shock," he said. Engineer evidence An engineer called by the defence, Dr Mark Jordan, said that the suggestion Ms Treacy was run over twice by the teleporter was "unsupported" and all her injuries could have been caused by one movement. Dr Jordan also disagreed with a garda report suggesting that Ms Treacy should have been visible as Scott reversed across his yard. He said that from early on gardai had decided that the teleporter went over Ms Treacy twice, but Dr Jordan found there was only one clear imprint over Ms Treacy's trousers. He said that the other marks are "very difficult to interpret" but may have been left when Ms Treacy was in the upright position. John Hayes, an engineer called by the prosecution, said a "flailing" injury to Ms Treacy's left arm was "not consistent with a vehicle reversing over the deceased, coming to a stop and moving forward." Chrissie Treacy with her dog Bradley He said the injury was consistent with "a far more aggressive action and could be consistent with the rotation of the wheel while on the limb." He explained that by "aggressive" he was not commenting on the driver's intent but on the "high torque" of the vehicle which allowed it to change from reverse to forward "very quickly". The jury also heard that Scott had impaired vision in his right eye. Specsavers optometrist Trina Staunton said that Scott's left eye scored a perfect six out of six but his right eye was much weaker and scored six out of 38. The right eye, she said, was being "ignored by the brain". When he was reversing the teleporter, Scott told gardai that he would look over his right shoulder. Prosecution witnesses suggested it would be more natural to look over the left shoulder as there were a number of obstacles obscuring the view on the right including the boom arm and the engine. Dr Jordan said a test carried out by gardai looking out the rear window of the teleporter while it was stationary was not representative of the view Scott had on the day as he reversed across a bumpy yard while looking through windows coated in "field stuff, dust and dirt". He said there were blind zones and the sun hitting the dirt on the back windscreen could have caused glare and affected his view. He also disagreed that it would be natural to reverse the teleporter while looking over the left shoulder. There is no natural way to drive, he said, but the steering wheel is mounted to the left and therefore "almost invites the left hand to deal with the steering wheel" so that the driver would turn and look over his right shoulder. Dr Jordan said that gardai had stated that Ms Treacy should have been visible to the driver but, he said, her direction of travel before the incident has not been established. The windows of the teleporter were "extremely dirty" and there were other impediments to the driver's view, he said. He also said that there were obstacles to the right which Scott would have had to look out for and could only be seen by looking over the right shoulder. Mysteries Some mysteries remain about the death of Chrissie Treacy, not least how she came to be in the yard in the first place. From her back door to where she lay would have required her to walk about 45 metres and as age and ill-health took hold, Chrissie's many friends and carers said she did not go into the yard. She never left the house without her body warmer and jacket but when found, she was wearing neither. She usually used a walking stick to get around, but it remained in her house. She was wearing a pendant alarm around her neck, but she never chose to press it or didn't get a chance. In mid-March, a little over one month before Ms Treacy's death, Scott went to Portumna Garda Station and wept in front of Sgt Gerard Cleary. He said Chrissie was being unreasonable and that he would have to give up his dairy farm because he didnt know where he stood with her or what land he would have. He asked Sgt Cleary to intervene with Chrissie on his behalf. Sgt Cleary told Scott, "to go to Derryhiney and show a bit of kindness to Chrissie and if he was good to her, it would work out okay for him. What was not in issue at the trial was that Chrissie Treacy died shortly after 3pm on April 27th, 2018 having been run over by a teleporter driven by Michael Scott. What the jury had to decide was whether Scott deliberately or accidentally ran her over. The prosecution relied on background evidence of the relationship between Scott and his aunt. Bad conduct evidence was permitted to show that Scott had a motive to kill his aunt, and to rebut alleged lies he told during garda interviews that he had a good relationship with his aunt, that they only argued about minor things, and that his lease of her land at Derryhiney had worked "the finest". Carer Caitriona Starr said that about six months before Ms Treacy died, Ms Starr arrived at Derryhiney and as she approached the door she heard Michael Scott shouting and banging on the table across from Chrissie. When Ms Starr appeared at the door, Scott took his leave muttering something about land under his breath. Safeguarding reports The jury heard that in 2016 the HSE told Scott to stop putting financial pressure on Chrissie. Prosecution counsel Dean Kelly said most people would consider that a standalone day in their lives that would be a cause of shame and enormous self-reflection. The jury knew Ms Treacy's solicitor had written to Scott numerous times in 2017 to tell him to stop threatening Chrissie and that the HSE had created safeguarding reports in respect of Ms Treacy because of concerns about her relationship with Scott. The jury did not hear the full title of those reports: Safeguarding Vulnerable Persons at Risk from Abuse. The jury knew of an allegation that Scott turned off the oil to Chrissie's heating system in the runup to a severe bout of cold weather in the spring of 2018. They also knew that gardai had been called in to hear Chrissie's complaints weeks before her death but she refused to make a formal complaint. Francis Hardiman. Photo: Collins Francis Hardiman told the jury that he was a neighbour and cousin of Ms Treacy. He also knew the accused well all his life and had worked for him from time to time. The day of Ms Treacy's death Mr Hardiman was in Eyrecourt, about ten to 12 miles away, when he received a phone call from Mr Scott at 3.26pm. Mr Scott told him that he was "setting back out with the teleporter" and he "hit Chrissie". The accused was clearly upset and asked Mr Hardiman to "come down to me, quick". Mr Hardiman made his way to Derryhiney and straight to Ms Treacy's house. There he saw the deceased lying face down on the concrete yard near her home close to the teleporter. Mr Hardiman checked her wrist but found no pulse and said the act of contrition into her ear. Her hands were "pretty smashed up," he said and there were tyre marks on her trousers. There was blood around her legs and face but not a lot. He knew she was dead. Mr Hardiman called gardai and emergency services and went looking for Scott. He said he found him "in a hysterical way of crying and shouting" inside a shed. Scott "just cried more" when Mr Hardiman told him that he had said a prayer over Chrissie and that she had passed away. The witness recalled Scott then "jumped up and went for his jeep and he pulled out a gun, a double barrel shotgun." He heard Scott repeating, "I can't deal with this" as he stepped backwards with the gun while Mr Hardiman shouted at him. The witness said: "He was getting near where the tyres were on the ground and he tripped over a tyre and lost his balance. I grabbed the gun and took the cartridge out." 'A new family' In her evidence, Regina Donohue told the jury that she knew the Treacy family from when she had done work experience with them for 12 weeks when she was studying farming. She became close friends with Chrissie and her brothers Willie and Michael and considered them to be "like a new family". She continued to work with them for many years while running her own farms nearby. "I learned a lot from them," she said. "They had a love of animals and took pride in what they produced quality milk and quality beef." By Christmas 2017, Ms Donohue said the deceased made an application through her solicitor to split the land at Derryhiney and put a new lease on the half that she owned. Ms Donohue said it was around this time that Ms Treacy realised that the lease she had with Scott was for 30 acres, rather than the 70 acres she actually owned. In April 2017 Ms Treacy decided she wasn't getting enough money from Scott for the land at Kiltormer and she asked her agricultural consultant to lease it to someone else. Ms Treacy's financial situation was "very poor", the witness said, because she wasn't getting enough money from Scott and would have to go looking for the money when she was running low. In the late spring of 2017 gardai were called to Ms Treacy's home. Ms Donohue said there had been damage to fencing and cattle were let out at a separate parcel of land owned by Ms Treacy at Kiltormer where a new tenant had taken over from Michael Scott. "Chrissy was very stressed and upset over it," she said. "Some of his [the new tenant's] property had been damaged and he had to take his stock out of the land for two weeks for safety. It had a huge impact on her, it upset her immensely." The witness was aware that gardai spoke to Ms Treacy and Scott about the damage on the farm. Mr Hardiman, during his evidence, told the court that the accused confided in him that he had been accused of "knocking fences, opening gates and letting out cattle" on the Kiltormer land. Mr Hardiman said the accused told him that he "never went down there" and was upset that he had been accused. Mr Hardiman added: "I presume it was Chrissie who was accusing him." Missing dog In February 2018, about eight weeks before she died, Ms Treacy suffered "enormous upset" when her dog Bradley went missing and never returned, Ms Donohue said. "She loved her dog, he was like a child. He was her friend and company when there was nobody there with her." Ms Treacy's doctor put her on medication for stress and anxiety and Ms Donohue sat up with her until 3.20am the following morning. Ms Donohue tried searching for the dog but he "vanished, he never came back." Ms Treacy decided to change the locks on her front and back doors. In June 2017, on Ms Treacy's birthday, the witness said she and the deceased went out for a meal and when they returned Scott "stormed in and asked, "where the f**k were you?"" He said that he had no electricity in the dairy and "stormed through the hall" to flip the switches to turn the electricity back on. Ms Donohue said that she began to avoid Scott but on one occasion in the weeks before Ms Treacy died, she was driving on the main Portumna to Ballinasloe road when Mr Scott, driving his jeep, "came straight for me". She said his jeep "swung" as she thought he was going to "take the mirror from my jeep". She composed herself and rang a local garda to tell him what had happened. At around that time Ms Treacy asked her solicitor to draw up papers making Ms Donohue her next of kin. Ms Donohue said: "It was just that I would be able to get access to Ms Treacy at all times. She feared that Mr Scott would prevent me from having access to her." On the day that Ms Treacy died, Ms Donohue received a phone call from Francis Hardiman saying that Chrissie had been involved in a machinery accident. When Ms Donohue arrived at the farm she first saw Scott "sitting on his hunkers with his head in his hands". To the right she saw Ms Treacy on the ground. She went and knelt down beside her and then started "screaming and shouting at Mr Scott". She said she "wanted to get at him" but Mr Hardiman held her back. "I kicked Francis to let me go, but he held onto me tight." 'Deliberate act' In his closing address to the jury, prosecution counsel Dean Kelly SC said that Scott reversed over his aunt in a "deliberate act of murder out of a sense of entitlement and for revenge". He said Scott had told big lies, little lies and enormous lies about his relationship with Ms Treacy in the lead-up to her death and about how her decision to partition the land would impact his farming business. There was also, he said, evidence that Scott had made "clear and direct threats" to do harm to Ms Treacy. She was "there to be seen" before being struck, he said, either standing still or moving "exceptionally slowly" due to her age and ill-health. Mr Kelly showed the jury photographs taken from inside the teleporter cabin which, he said, showed that Ms Treacy, wearing her light blue cardigan, would have been visible through the rear window. The account given by Scott, in which he said that he was reversing the teleporter but did not see Ms Treacy, was "self-serving, dishonest, nonsense," Mr Kelly said. Counsel pointed to what he called the "geometric precision" with which the teleporter ran over Ms Treacy from her right toe to her extended left hand, "crushing everything in its path" including her organs and pelvis, and removing the flesh from her left hand. "Imagine the precision of that," he said. "How unfortunate would you have to be for that to happen by accident?" "This was a deliberate act of murder out of a sense of entitlement and revenge," he said. Michael Scott (58) leaving the Central Criminal Court after being found not guilty of murder but guilty of the manslaughter of Chrissie Treacy. Photo: Collins In his closing speech to the jury, defence counsel Paul Greene SC said the defence evidence regarding how Ms Treacy died was more persuasive than that of the prosecution. He said it raised a reasonable possibility that her death was accidental and, he said, "in any event the prosecution has failed to prove its case" to the standard of beyond a reasonable doubt. He asked the jury not to look at the case from the perspective that Scott is a "monstrous person" but to approach the evidence coldly and without fear nor favour. He said the prosecution had relied on evidence that suggested the accused was "self-pitying, was whingeing and was unkind, yes, to his aunt Chrissie. " He added: "I respectfully suggest to you that no matter how monstrous that behaviour is, it doesn't go to what you are about in any meaningful way." The evidence, he said, was brought by the prosecution to suggest that Scott had a reason to kill his aunt but, counsel added: "It begs the question, why didn't he act sooner?" He said that it is of particular significance that there was no evidence of a disturbance in Ms Treacy's home. While the evidence of several witnesses was that Ms Treacy would only leave her home on the rarest of occasions, there was no evidence of how she came to be in the yard or when she entered the yard. Cruelty and unkindness Mr Kelly told the jury that the intensity and toxicity of the relationship between Ms Treacy and her nephew was increasing with every passing week in the build-up to her death. There were, he said, incidents of general cruelty and unkindness such as Scott refusing to bring Ms Treacy's rubbish away and allowing it to pile up in the yard beside her home. "Imagine there was rubbish blowing around your yard and you not having the fitness to pick it up. There's a cruelty to that," he said. There was also, counsel said, the "deliberate turning off" of Ms Treacy's oil "to torment" Ms Treacy. There was also evidence that the milking parlour from which Ms Treacy's carers would fetch milk was occasionally locked and there was what Mr Kelly described as an "obstacle course" created in the yard to discomfort and embarrass Ms Treacy. In the months before Ms Treacy's death, Scott had brought cows up the "good road" leading to Ms Treacy's home causing it to become covered in cow dung and leading to Ms Treacy's concern that visitors' cars and the daycare centre bus would get dirtied. Mr Kelly said there was no reason for him to bring cows up that road, he had never done it before but did it in the months leading up to her death knowing it was a cause of "stress and embarrassment" to Ms Treacy. The events on April 27th did not "simply fall from the sky" but, Mr Kelly said, there was a drumbeat growing louder in the months leading to it. Ms Justice Biggs told the jury that if Scott deliberately ran over his aunt intending to kill her or cause her serious injury, then they were duty bound to find him guilty of murder. If they found that what happened was an accident, she told them to consider a manslaughter verdict on the grounds that he was "grossly negligent" in reversing without looking behind him. She told the jury to acquit if the prosecution had failed to prove either murder or manslaughter. High Court reporters The High Court has made orders allowing the use of reasonable force, restraint and sedation to facilitate transferring to hospital a young woman who has allegedly not left her bedroom in nearly two years. The court was told the woman has been confined to the lower bed of a bunk bed in a room with a very pungent odour. A court-appointed guardian said she visited the woman twice and was dismayed by the very grave situation. The woman, who has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and a joint condition, communicated with her mother through mobile text messages and engaged with the guardian through finger gestures, the guardian said. She has not independently used bathroom facilities in more than two years, the court heard. She was lying on the same soiled sheets and wearing the same pyjamas during the guardians visits to the home 20 days apart. The guardian said she raised with the mother the possibility of admitting the woman to hospital for medical assessment. This, she said, caused the mother to become tearful, saying she might as well say goodbye to her daughter as admission would result in certain death. The mother appears to hold an irrational dislike and suspicion of all health and social care professionals, the guardian added. Both she and her daughter believe specialist surgery overseas is required for the daughters condition. The guardian was supportive of the Health Service Executives application for various orders to facilitate the womans transfer to hospital for a full medical and psychological assessment. Mr Justice Mark Heslin this week granted orders including allowing an assisted admissions team to help with the transfer and the use of reasonable force or restraint, including sedating the woman if necessary. Gardai can also be called in to assist, and the woman can be detained at the hospital to allow a medical examination to be conducted. He noted a medical consultants view that the woman is of unsound mind. The judge was satisfied, notwithstanding the contrary views of the womans mother, that the orders were required and that the courts wardship jurisdiction was engaged. Granting these safety and welfare orders is in the womans best interests, he said. The judge said a previous unsuccessful attempt at a transfer with experienced ambulance staff was extremely stressful for the woman. She lives a very diminished life, despite her familys efforts, and appears to be very socially isolated, he said. The love of a parent for a child is not in doubt nor is that an issue in this case, he added. There is not a scintilla of evidence before the court to support the mothers attribution of her daughters deterioration to a previous hospital admission, the judge said. He made the orders sought and scheduled for the case to be reviewed in three months. LIKE so many of us, Eileen McDonald, from Killeagh, has had to come to terms with grief after losing a loved one. My interest began in the whole area of loss and bereavement when Denis and I lost our daughter, Aine, aged eight and a half months, on July 14, 2004, says Eileen, who is mum to Cian, 22, Ella Rose, 16, and Dara, 15. Eileen and Denis McDonald at home in East Cork. Aine was born with multiple birth defects. Her death prompted me to revisit education, says Eileen, who is preparing to facilitate a supportive adult group, on the impact of the pandemic on your grieving process, from April 20 to May 4. She will be assisted by her husband Denis. Aine is always close to their hearts. Aine was beautiful and we fell in love with her as you would with any of your children. However she did not thrive, and she died suddenly after a short stay in hospital. Eileen and Denis' daughter Aine. Aines death was a real shock to our families and to us, says Eileen. The grieving process is about reconstructing a life of meaning after a traumatic loss. The first shock came when she was delivered. After taking her first breath it was noticed there was a cavity in her chest. It was discovered that Aine had an under-developed right lung, missing ribs, a curvature of the spine, one kidney, and skin webbing. She was diagnosed in Crumlin with Kipple-Feil Syndrome. We were told to bring her home from Crumlin and enjoy her; she would need medical intervention in the future and could live life with her physical challenges. Following her death, we were thrown into shock and grief. We had no medical, spiritual, or emotional preparation for Aines death. Eileen also lost her dad, Pat, aged 82, during the pandemic, in March, 2021. Even though dads death was an anticipated loss, it was gradual, we were never fully prepared for the final loss, says Eileen, who completed her training in Counselling and Psychotherapy with MTU, formally CIT. She has specialised in working in Loss and Bereavement with a Masters in Loss and Bereavement with the College of Surgeons in Ireland and the Irish Hospice Foundation (2020-2021). Eileen is well qualified to facilitate a supportive group on the impact of the pandemic on your grieving process. I trained in Group Facilitation Skills with Cork Social and Health Education Project, (2007-2010). Furthermore, I have many years of experience in Pieta, dealing with traumatic grief, death by suicide. I work in private practice, www.counsellingconnects.com and have personal experiences of grief. Eileen got on with her life despite her grief. I went on to complete a Masters in Loss and Bereavement, she says. Taking on the Masters forced me to look at loss and bereavement and reflect on it. Going through the grief process is normal. Grief is universal, says Eileen. Eileen's dad Pat Welsh. While Covid was raging throughout the world, and restrictions were in place, things were very difficult for people. The nursing home where dad was, was closed to visitors for much of the time, says Eileen. We could not visit our dad in the normal way for a year before he died. It was difficult to communicate with him anyway because of the masks, visors, and screens in place due to the restrictions during Covid. In addition, dad had Alzheimers. The family had some consolation during the sad time in their lives. Because dad didnt die from Covid, we were able to go into the nursing home a week before he died and say our goodbyes, says Eileen. Going in to see him, we had to wear protective gear. Pat had his loved ones around him. We were able to talk to him, touch him, and sing to him, says Eileen. Together with my siblings, we reflected on memories. We were together as a family. We had lost mum to cancer in 2013. Before dad went into a nursing home because of advanced dementia, my sister Geraldine, minded him at home for five years with family support. Saying goodbye to a loved one is important. We were lucky we got to say goodbye to dad, says Eileen. Being able to acknowledge the reality of the loss of a person is important. However, this takes time and is a unique process for everyone. Pat, 82, got a good send off considering the difficult circumstances during Covid. Ten people were allowed at his funeral, says Eileen. The service was live-streamed and his family, friends and neighbours lined the road, adhering to restrictions, and everyone acknowledged dads death on RIP.ie. Many people in Ireland found themselves in a difficult position during Covid when they couldnt visit loved ones in hospital or in care homes. Eileen tells me about the course she is facilitating, which Youghal Community Health Project funds. This free course is for adults who lost a loved one during the pandemic, either through Covid-19 or not, says Eileen. It is opened to everyone who is interested, and it specifically targets the East Cork / West Waterford area. The course is for people who may be stuck in unresolved grief because of circumstances during the pandemic, says Eileen. People participating in the course can openly talk about their loss during the pandemic. It will provide an opportunity for participants to explore through the safety of the group the impact of the pandemic on their grieving process. The pandemic raised complications for people who couldnt be with their loved ones. Opportunities were missed and so were connections with family and friends. There can often be a sense of unrealness about the whole thing. Dealing with grief is difficult at the best of times. The pandemic and lockdown restrictions meant those bereaved could not avail of the usual community and family support, funeral and death rituals, says Eileen. Eileen and Denis McDonald at home in East Cork. Physical and travel restrictions for some meant being unable to be with a loved one who was dying, not able to visit hospitals, wearing masks, or protective gear, being unable to attend funerals, express grief, talk to others about a loved one or share memories after losing a loved one. Saying goodbye to a loved one is very important. Being unable to say goodbye to a loved one can leave the bereaved with no closure, and incomplete grieving can lead to guilt, anger, depression and isolation, Eileen adds. Rituals play a crucial part in helping us go through the journey of grieving, and without them, we can feel adrift, angry, guilty, empty and sad. The course will provide a platform for participants to share their personal experiences of loss during the pandemic. We will look at the grief process, the tasks of mourning, meaning-making, dual process and continued bonds, explains Eileen. First, we will introduce journal writing and grief monitoring exercises. Second, we will explore meaning-making using a creative exercise called broken pieces to explore shattered assumptions and expectations. Third, we will introduce simple, rewarding activities to cope with the pain of loss actively. Grief can take many forms. Finally, we will look at grief that gets stuck and derailed, called prolonged grief, says Eileen. A comforting cuppa will be available for participants taking part in the loss/bereavement course. There will be space to hear each other, cry, learn, have a tea-break and a laugh at times! Can people heal from their grief? People can heal from their grief, but life is forever changed, says Eileen. Grief is a universal experience. The small losses prepare us for the more significant losses. Part of grief is the continued bond with a loved one; their legacy and the meaning of their life. We grieve to remember, not to forget, says Eileen. Grief itself brings us to that place. Grief is individual to each person based on many factors. There are no stages; no time element. It ebbs and flows. Its messy. The loss and bereavement course will offer an opportunity to reflect and remember. Itll be in a relaxed atmosphere, says Eileen. We will create an environment of safety and trust together. Youghal Community Health Project funds the participants. The support group will meet from 7pm to 9pm on Thursdays, April 20 to May 25, 7 - 9 pm, at Youghal Community Health Project, P36 YE98. To sign up contact Eileen McDonald on 086-3334824 or email eileencounselling@gmail.com The telehealth age of medical care is gaining momentum even as online medical services strive to overcome barriers to expanded services. What began as online pharmacies and e-commerce vendors selling health care products and medical consultations became established alternatives in the throes of the pandemic. Dedicated health provider organizations are now making some headway in building a virtual foundation to support the needs of patients anxious for a reliable alternative to visiting on-site medical facilities for non-emergency treatment of their ills. E-commerce brands like Hims and Roman have become staples in the online health industry. Patients applaud the quick solutions that keep them out of time-consuming and costly in-person doctor appointments and pharmacies. Now e-commerce brands of all varieties are following suit. The possibilities are endless, from a pillow company selling prescription sleeping medication to a shampoo brand offering hair loss drugs. Several companies have banded together to develop an infrastructure that supports the continuing adoption of telehealth. Digital health platform Locke Bio, online health care firm Lemonaid Health, which in a 2021 acquisition merged with genetic testing company 23andme, and digital health services organization SteadyMD have partnered to present a series of webinars addressing the issues surrounding the growth of the telehealth industry. Health Care E-Commerce Discussion The E-Commerce Times attended the latest online health presentation on Monday. Our report combines highlights from the panel discussions and individual interviews with some of the participants. The wide-ranging discussion focused on early efforts to make telehealth successful globally. It touched on technological advancements that are starting to power how the industry might function. Panelists also debated attitudinal, logistical, and legal barriers that are slowing the progress in creating an efficient industry accessible to all types of patients. Having a consistent clinical protocol among doctors for diagnosis and e-prescribing is one key obstacle that we are facing, Cathy Tie, CEO of Locke Bio, told the E-Commerce Times. When it comes to data interoperability, she continued, having one standard EMR [electronic medical records and telemedicine software] instead of many is also a challenge. Lastly, ensuring consistent jurisdictions across all states is another roadblock that the industry is facing, as most clinicians are only licensed to practice in one or a handful of states. Mimicking Modern-Day Procedures To a point, telehealth doctors operate much like standard in-office sessions with patients, labs, and pharmacies. But little else within the online medical operation follows any uniformity. For instance, telehealth doctors can order lab tests and prescribe medications. When it comes to medication specifically, telehealth physicians can digitally send a prescription to a pre-selected pharmacy, which can then dispense and ship the drug to the patient, she explained. A patient can receive medication without ever leaving home for a consultation or trip to the pharmacy, Tie offered. Telehealth Market Outlook: Trends, Growth Projections, and Key Statistics The global digital health market is expected to reach $639.4 billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 21.14% from 2021 to 2026. (Source: Mordor Intelligence) In 2020, the telehealth market was valued at $45.5 billion, and it is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25.2% from 2021 to 2028. (Source: Grand View Research) A survey conducted by the American Medical Association in 2020 found that 75% of physicians reported using telehealth to care for patients, up from 25% in 2018. (Source: American Medical Association) The number of virtual visits to health care providers in the U.S. increased by 154% in March 2020, at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. (Source: McKinsey & Company) In 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) expanded telehealth coverage, with 85 new services added to the list of telehealth services covered by Medicare. As a result, telehealth visits in the Medicare population increased by over 11,000% between February and April 2020. (Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) One resounding idea the panel embraced was that the online medicine industry is following a path not unlike the banking industry. The concept of conducting banking transactions anywhere but in a physical bank building was once unfounded. Nowadays, online banking and e-commerce are commonplace and expected. I like the banking analogy when I think about health care because banking used to be solely based on the physical banking infrastructure. It was the only way you could do anything, observed Paul Johnson, founder and CEO of Lemonaid Health. Like medicine, as a consumer, you had to go to the physical infrastructure and do your banking there. You can now do all of that anywhere you want, he added. So, it is almost like banking has come to you. I believe that same thing is happening in health care, and I think it is fantastic for both clinicians and patients. You no longer have to go to the physical infrastructure to get health care anymore, he reiterated. Medical Help Where and When Its Needed When he started his online doctoring service in 2016, providing primary care completely and exclusively online was quite weird, according to Yarone Goren, co-founder and COO of SteadyMD. The world has changed a lot over the last 10 years, mostly due to Covid, he remarked, adding that Covid substantially normalized the idea of online health care. I think we could all probably agree that the future is online anytime with all these convenient modalities and in person when you need it. We are doing a lot of work around purely asynchronous visits in the states where that is allowed, he said. That concept of always available medical access from the patients point of view must be delivered with trust, according to Lemonaid Healths Johnson. That is a critical element because patients are not just buying something available from 100 other places or, by default, ordering it from Amazon to arrive at their doors the next day. Medical Trust Issues It is critically important for clinicians and health companies to think about things differently. How do they portray the benefits so that that patient really feels trusted, he challenged? Then, how do they maintain that trust during all of the sessions? One of the most interesting data points very early on when we were starting Lemonaid was we had a conversion rate of 5%. We were saying, Wow, thats amazing,' continued Johnson. Then someone asked what about the other 95% of people not getting telehealth; he added to make his point about how online doctoring is fairing today. It turns out that the reason why 95% of people were not using our service was that they thought it could not be trusted. That was really insightful for us, said Johnson. That scenario happened seven or eight years ago. But it drove Johnson to think more about how online health services brand themselves. How do they communicate with customers in a way that accesses those fears? Addressing the Yelp Factor That situation makes you question why there is a whole Yelp company about restaurants, restaurant experiences, and hotel experiences. Also, consider that on Amazon, for instance, customers can leave a review for a product, suggested Locke Bios Tie. In health care, that should be prioritized, also. The e-commerce-friendly health care solutions that patients now get in the comfort of their homes mirror many of the things that we have seen in the e-commerce space since the early 2000s, she offered. There is a pretty wide range of medications or services that brands can provide, which I think kind of mirrors the e-commerce space as well. There are different versions of a compound drug, for example, or different types of services that can provide for the same medical condition, which ultimately is beneficial for the patient, noted Tie. That point repeated other panelists views that one of the differentiating elements of telehealth versus in-person doctoring is the need to personalize the patients experience truly. Uniformity of corporate operations is separate from individualized medical treatment plans. Redefining Standardized Medical Care The panelists agreed that telehealth can impact a persons longevity. That encompasses rethinking one-size-fits-all medications and treatment plans. Patients want to feel like they are being treated as an individual. Telehealth can create a version of health care that is not just about telling customers when their video visit is scheduled in their time zone, Tie explained. It is telling you about the things that you should be worried about. Online doctoring services have to go beyond the standards pegged to what is typical for a particular age group. The new medical prognosis needs to avoid using standards that say, at age 40, you should do this or get these lab tests. The focus should not be on what is typically average. What Lies Ahead The time is now for the medical services industry to have conversations with insurance companies and legislators on how to fund and regulate telehealth. Health care insurance does not cover all types of telehealth consultations. Existing laws, or lack of them, prevent full and easy access for all potential patients. To ensure more equal access to a diverse range of patients, we will need an expansion of those benefits, she said. Consolidating and standardizing clinician restrictions is also a pressing concern. For instance, allowing for clinician-friendly telehealth regulations will enable clinicians to reach a wider array of individuals and ultimately expand access to telehealth overall, according to Tie. For example, a California-based doctor should be able to consult with a Florida-based patient via telehealth is another significant change that we should have on the horizon. The expansion of online medical services will only happen with patient education. Many patients have been visiting the same doctors office for years and may not know that telehealth is an option for some of the health issues they want to be addressed by their health care provider. Educating these patients on the benefits of telehealth services will be a huge driver of increased adoption of telehealth services, concluded Tie. Telehealth Expanding Globally Online patients fall into broad categories. At Locke Bio, Tie sees a wide range of types of health care services for many demographics. The telehealth industry started with primary care, as well as certain lifestyle conditions. However, we are now seeing a movement toward a larger range of medical conditions being treated online. This is quickly evolving and moving forward in many countries, she said. Telehealth continues to grow in traction among patients even after Covid. It is easy to use and has become mainstream to the point where large e-commerce and retail players have entered the space to create more services. There is more innovation than ever in this space, concluded Tie. Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions. Ohio EPA and federal EPA contractors collect soil and air samples from the Norfolk Southern train derailment site in East Palestine, Ohio on March 9, 2023. Michael Swensen / Getty Images Residents of East Palestine, Ohio, have criticized the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its response to the derailment of a Norfolk Southern train that released toxins including vinyl chloride a plastic production chemical linked to liver cancer into the towns environment. Now, the EPAs internal watchdog said it would investigate the agencys handling of the disaster. As part of this inquiry, we will conduct interviews, gather data, and analyze a variety of issues, including hazardous waste disposal, air and water monitoring, soil and sediment sampling, and risk communication, the EPA Office of Inspector General (OIG) said in an announcement Monday. An agency spokesperson did not tell The Guardian why it chose to investigate. However, the EPA has faced many criticisms for how it conducted testing following the incident to make sure the derailment site and surrounding area were really safe for residents. There are too many unanswered questions and conflicting information, Kyla Bennett of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, who used to work as an EPA scientist, told The Guardian. The IG can get to the bottom of how decisions were made to conduct testing the way they were and whether that was sufficient. One of the biggest controversies surrounding the government response to the derailment involved testing for dioxins. These are a type of toxic and persistent chemical present in Agent Orange, Stephen Lester of the Center for Health, Environment & Justice explained in an opinion column for The Guardian. Dioxin is not deliberately manufactured. It is the unintended byproduct of industrial processes that use or burn chlorine, Lester explained. So why didnt the EPA test for dioxins immediately following the controlled burn of five-cars worth of vinyl chloride and other chemicals in the days after the derailment? Instead, it waited until March 2, nearly a month later, to announce it had instructed Norfolk Southern to test for dioxins. In response, more than 100 organizations signed a letter to the agency March 13 with recommendations on how testing should proceed, arguing that EPA should handle the testing itself and set up a transparent, comprehensive process open to public comment. Communities surrounding and downwind of the derailment have a right to know whether the fire resulted in elevated concentrations of dioxins, the letter said. The testing must be transparent and comprehensive. This would help demonstrate EPAs commitment to comprehensively responding to this disaster, rebuilding trust with East Palestine and other impacted communities, and advancing environmental justice. Instead, the EPA allowed Norfolk Southern to proceed with the tests. Initial data from tests ordered by Indiana whose landfill is storing East Palestine soil revealed dioxin levels at hundreds of times the limit at which EPA scientists found they could cause cancer in 2010, though still below the federal action trigger, which was never updated after the findings, according to The Guardian. The EPA has maintained that levels so far are similar to typical background levels, as NBC News reported, but has not released any data of its own, claiming the final report will be ready within weeks. I find it outrageous that EPA makes statements like this without providing any data to support it. There is no transparency in this process at all, Lester told NBC News. Beyond Plastics founder Judith Enck, herself a former EPA regional administrator, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the agency made two major missteps: delaying the test and putting Norfolk Southern in charge. I know what the EPA is capable of, she said. Theres no question they should have been doing this themselves, and not hand it off to the companys contractor because theres already deep distrust within the community. The EPA needed to recognize that. Residents and advocates now hope the OIG investigation will provide some answers. Theyre not doing their job and everyone knows it, Ohio River Valley Organizing Director Amanda Kiger told The Guardian. For lack of a better term, its all a clusterfuck, but Im hoping its a good investigation, and thorough. Afghanistan (December 6, 2018) - Raider Brigade Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division conduct night fire missions in support of combat operations. Viking Soldiers exemplify the motto First to Fight, Fight Tonight and Win.(U.S. Army photos by Spc. Casteel) X 0 20 Help Keep Us Soaring We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling. We need your help in reversing that trend. We would like to add 20 new subscribers this month. Each month we count on your subscriptions or contributions. You can support us in the following ways: Norway brings down proposed, controversial tax on salmon, trout farmers' profits Norway's government aims to levy a 35% resource tax rate on the profits of salmon and trout farmers, down from an initial proposal of 40% which sharply hit fish farming stock prices when announced last year. Aquaculture licences awarded by the state give companies a chance to profit from public resources, and past Norwegian administrations have considered imposing extra taxes on the fish farming industry in recent years. Norway's centre-left Labour-led government must now negotiate a final deal in parliament before a tax takes effect, but it is clear there is a majority in favour of taxing the industry more heavily. "We have a long tradition in Norway in which value that is created from using our common natural resources shall benefit society as a whole," Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said in a statement. "It is now the time to introduce a resource rent tax for the aquaculture industry." Fish farmers have lobbied against a resource tax, which comes on top of a regular 22% corporate tax, saying it will hamper investment and hurt an industry that has brought jobs and wealth to costal communities at risk of population decline. Last September, the government estimated that the extra profit, or resource rent, earned by the fish farming industry in 2021 from privileged access to natural resources amounted to kr11.8 billion (US$1.13 billion). The government said it would prefer to negotiate with a broader group of parties in parliament to ensure that the tax is not reversed at a later time, but the main opposition Conservative Party said it rejected the government's model. The alternative for the government is to reach a compromise with the smaller Socialist Left Party, which strongly supports a tax. - Today Online French government agency lab close to creating new ASF vaccine A vaccine to combat African swine fever (ASF) could be produced based on research carried out by the Ploufragan-Plouzane-Niort Laboratory of French government agency ANSES. The initial results obtained are promising and are paving the way for an effective means of combating this disease, which is responsible for high mortality rates in pigs and wild boar in several countries in Europe, Asia and the Caribbean. As part of its mandate as National Reference Laboratory for ASF, the Pig Virology and Immunology (VIP) Unit of the Ploufragan-Plouzane-Niort Laboratory inactivated the Georgia 2007/1 viral strain, which is currently circulating in the European Union. While monitoring the effects of this heat inactivation, it happened to detect an attenuated strain derived from the Georgia strain. This strain only caused a slight fever in infected animals, whereas infection with the Georgia strain is normally fatal in 100% of cases. The team carried out a series of studies with this attenuated strain and confirmed that most pigs inoculated intramuscularly or oronasally with this virus showed only mild symptoms. Although safety was not perfect, survival was much better than with the original viral strain. "Intramuscular vaccination is the method most commonly used on farms," said Marie-Frederique Le Potier, head of the VIP Unit. "Oral vaccination could be used to vaccinate wild boar using bait. This method was used for classical swine fever in the early 2000s and eradicated the disease from areas of France where it was present. That is why we tested both routes of administration from the beginning". Another promising result is that infected pigs develop an immune response, which allows them to resist infection with the ASF virus without showing any symptoms, as early as two weeks after vaccination. These results were published in the journal Viruses in December 2022. ANSES scientists continued to work on the attenuated strain, so that it could multiply in cell lines produced in vitro and not in cells that had to be taken from pigs, as had initially been the case. This step was a success, raising the possibility of producing the vaccine on a large scale. Additionally, the strain of virus produced in this way caused fewer symptoms than the original attenuated strain, while still being effective. Studies are still under way to ensure that this attenuated strain cannot be transmitted from one animal to another or become virulent again. The scientists will also assess the ability of the vaccine to prevent animals that are vaccinated and then exposed to the pathogenic ASF virus from retransmitting the virus. The vaccine developed by ANSES scientists has the advantage of not being produced by genetic manipulation, making it easier to authorise its use in the wild. Wild boar may be the first target for the vaccine in Western Europe. This is the most affected species and the presence of the virus in wildlife constitutes a risk for pig farms. The laboratory had filed a patent for the vaccine that was published last August. The Ouest Valorisation Technology Transfer Office (TTO) is supporting ANSES in encouraging interested manufacturers to exploit this patent. - ANSES Isle of Man host British Irish Council The Isle of Man is hosting the Creative Industries work stream of the British Irish Council (BIC) this week with Ministers and Officials visiting from Guernsey, Ireland, Jersey, Northern Ireland, Scotland, UK, and Wales. Tim Johnston MHK, Minister for Enterprise, welcomed the delegation to the Island today for a series of events, culminating in the official BIC meeting. The group have now approved a Forward Work Plan to drive and direct activity for 2023-2025, with the main themes including initiatives to develop the use of technology in the industry, the sectors contribution to climate change and decarbonisation, and initiatives to encourage collaboration with other BIC work sectors. The Minister commented:We have much to celebrate in terms of creativity, culture, and heritage in the Isle of Man. These attributes support delivery of Our Island Plan, building a secure, vibrant and sustainable future together. This is the start of a journey of collaboration with partners to raise the profile of creative industries. It is an exciting time of change and transformation where creativity and social inclusion have the potential to support wellbeing and communities. The two day trip involves site visits to a number of local venues including Quayles Hall and Fynoderee Distillery in Ramsey and Greenlight TV in Douglas. Elizabeth Smith sworn in as new Solicitor General His Majesty The King has approved the appointment of Mrs Elizabeth Smith KC as His Majestys Solicitor General in the Isle of Man. Mrs Smith was sworn in to office yesterday (Wednesday) by His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor Lieutenant General Sir John Lorimer, on behalf of The King, Lord of Mann, at Government House. Mrs Smith was concurrently appointed as Kings Counsel, which is a recognition of excellence and one of the highest honours a barrister or solicitor advocate can attain. As the Solicitor General, Mrs Smith supports and assists His Majestys Attorney General in acting as legal adviser to the Lieutenant Governor, the Council of Ministers, Government departments and statutory boards. The Solicitor General provides guidance on matters of law and issues relating to the Isle of Man's domestic and external interests and attends sittings of Tynwald and the Legislative Council as required. When portions of Twitter's source code appeared on Github earlier this year, the social media company asked the court to compel the collaborative programming network to reveal the identity of the user who posted it. Now, Twitter is getting it: the US District Court for the Northern District of California has issued a subpoena to Github compelling it to identity GitHub user "FreeSpeech Enthusiast," including "name(s), address(es), telephone number(s), , email address(es), social media profile data, and IP address(es), for the user(s) associated with." According to the New York Times, sources within the company say that Twitter executives suspect a disgruntled former employee is responsible for the leak. Depending on what information Github provides, Twitter will be able to determine if the source code was posted by one of the thousands of workers that were laid off following Elon Musk's purchase of company last year. In addition to information about the leaker themselves, the order asks Github to identify users who "posted, uploaded, downloaded or modified the data." Github has until April 3 to produce the data. All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices are correct at the time of publishing. As part of its Womens Day initiatives, ICICI Lombard introduced two women-centric offerings this year. Sheena Kapoor, Head Marketing, Corporate Communications & CSR- ICICI Lombard speaks in-depth about the brands approach towards advertising and how TV News gives brands access to consumers. What was the idea behind the initiatives that ICICI Lombard launched for women? We have launched two campaigns. The first one was a more women centric offering from the ICICI Lombard stable in which we were offering 24*7 motor and road safety assistance for the first 10,000 women across the country, irrespective of whether they are policy holders or not. In case they have a car breakdown, an emergency pickup, etc when they are stranded somewhere, women can simply contact us. We would have somebody to assist them. We are also offering complimentary diagnostic health check-ups for women across the country. It is on a first come first serve basis for the first 10,000 women. Over and above this, for our women centric channel partners and brokers, we have embarked on a women centric recruitment campaign. The idea behind it is to encourage and promote SME women entrepreneurs. Along with this, we are also offering knowledge-based training workshops and series to impart training and to empower women with necessary tools so that they are able to go out and sell in the market to their customers. What was the media mix of the campaign? We have launched our product led campaign, specifically for our health insurance products called Health Advantage Plus and Be Fit Cover. It is a combination of these two products and there are two films, which are running on multimedia standpoints. It is live on Television, Digital and Social. The idea behind it was to use the plank of human insight as the proposition. The campaign received a humongous response as ICICI Lombard was the first in the industry to launch cashless OPD cover. Which medium do you aggressively use for your brand visibility and why? Can you elaborate on how you allocate your marketing budget on various platforms? We plan the media mix depending on what the objective of the campaign is. For instance, if I have to drive up down the road for a flagship of ILTakeCare, I would focus predominantly on Digital or on mobile advertising to convert more and faster. We have better micro-targeting, segmenting, and better efficiencies of scale. The way I look at campaigns is that, I observe the metrics in terms of overall awareness and driving brand reach. Then we typically look at an omnichannel media strategy. We look at multiple touchpoints because I always believe that going for an integrated marketing approach always works better than a narrow, one-pointed communication strategy. How do you bifurcate spends on advertising? It differs according to the campaign objective. For example, our current campaign is a product campaign. So my objective here is a mix of having to drive conversions and generate policy codes, because finally I want the consumer to land on either the call to action or visit ILTakeCare app which is our mobile app solution or the website. In this case, I definitely will have about 45 to 50% of the spends going towards Digital. But given that I want to also bring in that awareness and reach to increase the overall visibility, I have to also include television in my marketing mix. TV news is a very popular medium of communication due to its reach and loyal viewers. Do you think brands should advertise more on TV as compared to other media platforms? I have been very focused and narrowed down on television, given that it's also an expensive buy. The reason why we choose news channels as the medium is because we know that the news genre enjoys high affinity among viewers and I can target the right customer segment or TG with it. For instance, mid last year, we had launched an entirely industry first campaign which was targeted at the SMEs Business Insurance Solution. We went with the communication which wasn't product led. With this campaign our objective was clearly about building affinities with the SME customer base and the target audience. And so, ICICI Lombard took a heavy television approach and kept the Digital spends limited. The brand took a 360-degree approach and also included Print and Radio as the mediums to reach the right target audience. Can you share some insights on how you market your brand via TV? Globally, Television is the predominant medium for reaching out to masses. In India, 2022 was probably the first time when Digital overtook television as a medium. Yet, even today, if your primary objective is to have massive awareness and scale Television is still one of the best mediums. That being said, it's also very expensive. It has a higher cost of acquisition. It also has a higher spill over. Adding to this, there is the challenge of attribution and tracking from the conversion perspective. On television, I prefer mainly the news genre, because we are targeting the 25 to 40-year-old male. The propensity of this segment to consume news channels is very high. Also, compared to the GECs, the news genre is not as expensive. Is news TV considered in the marketing mix specifically during slowdowns? What are your views on this? Someone who is a loyal consumer of news will do so whether or not it's an economic downturn or whether or not it is the India shining story at its speed. There are those who will swear by the morning newspaper because they are hardcore news readers. Television allows news to be presented in an interesting audio-visual format, which is always a lot more engaging, particularly the primetime shows. They have a loyal viewing, and that's got nothing to do with the economic slowdown. Yes, there are business news channels which are targeted at the markets and the investor community. You have loyalists there as well - individuals and industries. We in the BFSI space are consuming business news content regularly because we want to keep abreast of what's happening. So, I don't really agree with the premise that it's only during the slowdown that advertisers look towards the news channels. Who wins in the TV vs. Digital debate? It should be seen in the context of the brand campaign and its objective. Both these factors are very important in deciding on our media strategy. While digital has overtaken traditional mediums, the latter are still around. Every medium has its pros and cons. For instance, on Digital I am not able to get the kind of reach and eyeballs that I can get on Print or Television. But there are many strengths to the Digital medium that the traditional media of advertising do not really provide. Getting the right media mix also depends on what life stage the brand is in - is it a new entrant, a challenger brand, etc. There are certain brands which do not advertise at all as well. Can you tell us about the brand journey? What are some of the innovative marketing strategies you use to reach out to the masses? ICICI Lombard completed about 21 years of its brand journey. We are the largest and number one private general insurer in the country. We are also the number two general insurer in the country. A lot of this has been built on our leadership stance and on the promise and strength of the brand. It has been a mix of having customer centricity alongside innovation in our DNA. This has been the cornerstone of the philosophy that ICICI Lombard stands for. It is reflected in the grand narrative of Nibhaye Vaade which really is about fulfilling promises. For the insurance category, customer centricity plays a huge role. Last year, our '#SalaamMSME' campaign was conceived around a new category and brand proposition. This article is Powered By ABP News. An inaugural event of Armenian SPRING PR, co-organized by Ameriabank, The Doing Digital Forum (DDF), is set to unite industry leaders to explore the latest trends and best experiences in digital transformation. Forum features Chris Skinner, a renowned global expert in fintech and digital transformation, as a keynote speaker. The event attracts senior executives and decision makers from government, finance and technology ecosystem, other enterprises, and the press. DDF takes place April 5, 2023, in Yerevan, Armenia. For details www.doingdigital.am DDF Founder, SPRING PR Co-Founder Tatevik Simonyan emphasized the need for constant communication between all players of digital ecosystem to ensure a smooth and seamless transformation process. We are following the global trends and creating the Doing Digital platform to facilitate discussions about the trends, business dynamics, challenges and opportunities that all actors involved in digitalization process face today. As a pioneer in digital transformation in the Armenian finance sector, we have started an exciting journey of re-inventing ourselves creating trusted financial and technological space by improving the quality of life. Namely, standing in the roots of this event and jointly inviting Chris to Armenia is yet another testament of Amerias commitment to catalyze the mindset shift and empower digital transformation in Armenia, Armine Ghazaryan, Chief People and Services Officer, Ameriabank. Twenty top industry leaders from Singapore University of Social Sciences, McKinsey, Forbes, Visa, Hexens, FAST Foundation, Revytech, Fastex, ICDT Global, Apricot Capital, Beta FT, as well as Armenian Government and Central Bank, SPRING PR, Ameriabank, will share their insights on digital business and technology through keynote and visionary speeches and panel discussions. We are proud to become an innovation partner of the DDF in Armenia. As Visa continues supporting the development of digital transformation in the country, we are delighted to share our international expertise with a broader audience. We would like to thank the organizers for creating a discussion platform and wish a successful session to all participants, Diana Kiguradze, Visa Regional Manager for the Caucasus region said. DDF is the best way of networking, allowing participants to engage with each other and explore new ideas and technologies. Digital tech is transforming investments and creating new opportunities for investing in innovative ideas. The Doing Digital Forum is expected to provide a platform for local and foreign specialists to exchange ideas and foster an investment culture, mentioned Vardan Amaryan, the co-founder of Apricot Capital. The content in this section is curated by the PR and Communications team. For any feedback kindly write to karan.bhatia@exchange4media.com. Read more news about (internet PR And Corporate Communication News India, PR Magazine, PR A, digital PR And Corporate Communication News India, Latest News India) The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ) will mark its 40 th anniversary with a very special event, and we invite you and/or your organization to play an important part in it. CCGNJ will hold a Gala on Friday, June 9, 2023, from 5:30-9:00 p.m. at the Law Center in New Brunswick to honor Arnie Wexler ( pictured ), a former executive director of the Council and a seminal figure in the treatment and recovery for the problem gambler. The Gala will feature a keynote delivered by Craig Carton, host of WFAN's "Hello, My Name is Craig," which focuses on problem gambling issues and takes calls from disordered gamblers. We hope you will attend the Gala and also consider supporting CCGNJ as we celebrate our four decades and Mr. Wexler's tremendous contributions. In addition to coming to the Gala, there are two ways you can be a part of what is sure to be a memorable event and support the CCGNJ's mission, whose work is all the more critical at this time: Become a sponsor of the Gala and/or take out an ad in the Gala Ad Book. We greatly appreciate your interest and support of our mission, as well as helping us recognize Arnie Wexler for his lifelong dedication to supporting problem gamblers and their families. For more information on the Gala, including ticket, sponsorship and ad book pricing and payment options, please go to CCGNJ GALA. We look forward to seeing you on Friday, June 9, 2023! CONTACT: Pamela D. Wilson +1 303-810-1816 Email: Inquiry_For_Pamela@pameladwilson.com Date: March 30, 2023, Denver, CO Family caregiving relationships are complex for many reasons. Relationships between aging parents and children formed in childhood create the basis for caregiving relationships later in life. The child with the closest relationship with mom or dad often becomes the primary caregiver, while other siblings may avoid involvement. On the other hand, care for aging parents can complicate newlyweds' relationships, careers, and plans to have children. Retired adult children face similar challenges of giving up their retirement dreams to care for aging parents. Wilson, a caregiving expert, responds to daily questions from caregivers about navigating complex family caregiving relationships and many other topics. Videos on her YouTube Channel, episodes of The Caring Generation podcast, and a module, How to Manage Caregiver Stress and Pressure, from her webinar program address how to manage family caregiving relationships. Caregiving discussions about expectations for care and planning for the future are essential when care relationships begin. Unfortunately, delaying or not having these discussions results in caregiver resentment and can unnecessarily damage family relationships. Specific tips for initiating caregiving conversations are included in Wilson's online webinar program. Primary caregivers trade their lives to commit to caring for spouses, aging parents, and loved ones. As a result, friendships and personal time disappear. When relationships become damaging to health and well-being, adult children may find other options for care and reduce or end contact with parents. Interactions With the Healthcare System Add Complexity to Caregiving Responsibilities Equally challenging is that the healthcare system views family caregivers as healthcare providers instead of husbands, wives, sons, or daughters. There is little recognition of the health, financial, or personal problems experienced by caregivers because of the focus on care coordination for the patient. Without family caregivers, aging populations would suffer from increased isolation, neglect, and health problems. In addition, healthcare systems would be unable to care for the rising number of elderly requiring nursing home care. Spouses and adult children are the mechanism for loved ones to receive beneficial care and live longer. The level of care provided by family members equals and exceeds the assistance provided in assisted living and nursing home communities. Family caregivers are the primary unpaid workforce that supports aging and disabled adults. For this reason, caregiver support programswhether educational or providing social or emotional supportare sorely needed. The challenge for caregivers is making time to access support and progressing through the mandatory steps to qualify elderly parents for public assistance. Wilson encourages family caregivers to seek information and investigate support programs as early as possible. Waiting until burnout occurs is a recipe for disaster for the caregiver and the individual needing care. While service referrals and recommendations may be a start, caregivers benefit from 1:1 assistance, participation in support groups, and detailed instructions. Wilson's Programs Provide Family Caregiver Support Wilson's videos, her podcast, the caregiver library on her website, and an extensive zero-cost online webinar program provide detailed step-by-step education and instructions that guide family caregivers through uncertainty and challenging times. The information is proven and based on Wilson's 20+ years of direct care to the elderly, disabled, and their caregivers. Learn more about Pamela and available education and support available at www.pameladwilson.com. # This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate For a quarter-century, Garcia Grain Trading Corp. bought, sold and stored feed grains produced by farmers in the Rio Grande Valley. That abruptly came to a halt in late January when state inspectors discovered "a significant deficiency" between the amount of grain stored in its elevators and what company records said was there. The value of the "missing" inventory exceeded $20 million, court documents show. The shortfall led the Texas Department of Agriculture to pull Garcia Grain's warehouse licenses and shut down the elevators, all but putting the Donna-based company out of business. With no grain moving in and out of its facilities, Garcia Grain in February sought refuge in bankruptcy court in McAllen. Now, allegations of wrongdoing are swirling around the company and its owners. "This is a complex case, created by gross mismanagement, at best, and actual fraud, and potential criminal misconduct at worst," unsecured creditors said in a March 24 bankruptcy court filing. David Langston, Garcia Grain's bankruptcy lawyer, said his client is in the process of hiring accountants to perform a "forensic analysis" to determine where the grain went. A TOUGH SEASON: Busy cattle auctions warn of droughts tightening grip on Texas agriculture "I can't tell you at this stage of the reorganization about any misdeeds or things of that nature, or what caused the deficiencies," he said in an interview. "All I can tell you is the deficiencies exist. Through the bankruptcy investigative process and reorganization, or perhaps liquidation process, those things will all have to be determined and reported on to the bankruptcy judge." It's unlikely that Garcia Grain will regain the licenses and bonding required by the state agriculture agency to resume grain storage operations, the unsecured creditors' committee said. If no one can step in to fill the void, the absence of the facilities could cause problems for farmers who've been counting on the company to store their grain when harvest arrives in June. Garcia Grain's elevator in Progreso, for example, handled 65 percent of the grain that moved through the Hidalgo County town, its owners told their attorney. It's already causing concerns for farmers who had grain stored at the locked-up elevators and now find themselves at the back of the line of those owed money by Garcia Grain. The line of creditors also includes Texas banks, including one based in San Antonio. Feeding livestock Garcia Grain was launched in 1998 by Octavio Garcia, the CEO and president, Rodolfo Plascencia Sr. and Baldemar Salinas Cantu to buy and sell grain products primarily corn and sorghum to feed livestock in Mexico. It was a partnership that did not end well, with the partners suing each other for fraud and theft in 2017. Plascencia said in that case that his contacts in Mexico and elsewhere "helped fund and grow" Garcia Grain. He personally loaned the company almost $500,000 when it needed funds to continue operating, he said in an amended petition. A brochure posted on Garcia Grain's Facebook page six years ago showed that it operated grain elevators at its headquarters in Donna as well as in Alamo, Edcouch, McCook and Progreso, all in Hidalgo County, and in Harlingen in Cameron County. It reported ownership of four of those facilities in its bankruptcy schedules. The elevators and their capacities are: Progreso, 2.8 million bushels; Santa Rosa, almost 1.9 million bushels; Edcouch, nearly 1 million bushels; and Donna, for which capacity was not disclosed. The four South Texas counties of Hidalgo, Cameron, Starr and Willacy produced more than 5.3 million bushels of corn last year, accounting for a little more than 3 percent of the state's overall production. That crop was valued at $26.5 million, according to the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. LOOKING FOR A LIFELINE: Hemp was supposed to save Texas farmers during a drought. It hasnt yet. Those counties also produced 4.9 million bushels of sorghum, representing about 8 percent of the state's production. The Lower Valley-area crop was valued at almost $34 million. Last year's corn and sorghum production were off their five-year averages of 6.7 million and 11.1 million bushels, respectively. The decline in production, caused by a hot and dry growing season, was offset somewhat by higher prices for both commodities, however. Whether the region's production declines affected Garcia Grain couldn't be determined because it didn't report 2022 revenue in its statement of financial affairs in the bankruptcy. In 2021, it generated $6.3 million in revenue, down slightly from almost $6.5 million in 2020. Garcia Grain also trades in edible beans such as black beans and pinto beans, as well as in oilseeds including sunflower, sesame and canola. Protecting farmers Before it was shut down by the Texas Department of Agriculture, a routine audit by the agency in early January found nothing amiss. Later that month, however, one of Garcia Grain's secured creditors performed its own audit and discovered "some problems and called TDA back," Langston said. The state agency is involved because it licenses any entity that stores grain for the public, said Mark Welch, grain marketing economist for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. The ag department conducts audits and inspections of warehouse facilities to protect Texas farmers who deliver their grain to an elevator for storage until they decide to sell it and to protect the industry's financial integrity, said Welch, who's also a professor in the agriculture economics department at Texas A&M University in College Station. "When I entrust you with my grain, it's like putting money in the bank," he said in explaining state oversight of the industry. Businesses such as Garcia Grain are needed because few farmers have enough on-farm capacity to store all their production, Welch said. And some farmers store their grain for longer periods while waiting for prices to rise or because of tax implications. As part of its oversight, the ag department is responsible for making sure a storage facility's grain inventory matches company records. When it discovered a disparity between the two at Garcia Grain, the agency yanked the company's licenses and "sealed the elevators," Langston said, Those actions prevent the company from moving any grain in or out of the elevators. "They're closing down the operations, for lack of a better term, until they can finish their audit work (and) until they can proceed to figure out the best way to protect the interest of the depositors of the grain," Langston said. Welch said it's an unusual turn of events. "Given (the state's regulation) to safeguard these assets, it is very rare to hear of a grain merchant company or a grain elevator that goes out of business," he said. "And even if they do, they are required to be bonded and insured." Garcia Grain reported that it has three bonds covering the grain in its facilities totaling just under $2.2 million far less than the roughly $20 million worth of grain that's missing. A spokesman for the ag department declined to comment, citing the pending bankruptcy case. Negative net worth In its bankruptcy papers, Garcia Grain showed a negative net worth of more than $22 million. It showed $27.6 million of assets, which were overshadowed by liabilities of $50.3 million. Farmers who stored their crops with Garcia Grain are in a long line of unsecured creditors those who have no collateral securing their claims in the bankruptcy. Some are owed hundreds of thousands of dollars each. The committee for the unsecured creditors said it believes the chances of unsecured creditors seeing any of that are "remote." Calls to some of those farmers or their attorneys were not returned. There also are suppliers of black beans and pinto beans that have about $2.2 million in claims that may be subject to the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, which gives those creditors a priority status. The company has taken steps to segregate the beans and oilseeds inventory, it said. Garcia Grain also has four major secured creditors: StoneX Commodity Solutions, a subsidiary of a New York-based publicly traded company, owed an estimated $19.4 million; San Antonio-based Vantage Bank Texas, owed about $9 million; GrainChain, a McAllen data technology company involved in agriculture supply chains, owed $8.1 million; and Laredo-based Falcon Bank, owed about $5 million. Those creditors have a security interest in grain inventory and/or liens on the Progreso elevator or equipment. StoneX, which trades commodities, said in a March 17 court filing that it holds warehouse receipts for about 1.5 million bushels of corn and 680,000 bushels of sorghum, far less than what Garcia Grain has said is in the Progreso elevator. "The debtor's bankruptcy has created a volatile situation," StoneX said in the filing. "As the debtor noted in its bankruptcy petition, the grain 'could quickly deteriorate or lose value' based on market fluctuations, deterioration of the grain itself or unauthorized removal of the grain." Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Eduardo Rodriguez in McAllen granted an emergency motion by StoneX, GrainChain and the Texas Department of Agriculture to sell the grain stored at the Progreso facility. But StoneX said it and others who may assert an interest in the grain could be "irreparably harmed by the difficulty in resolving ownership disputes and respective lien rights to the grain and grain proceeds." At StoneX's request, Rodriguez is conducting a hearing Thursday to determine the interests in the grain and proceeds. StoneX representatives didn't respond to multiple requests for comment. 'Serious claims' Langston, Garcia Grain's bankruptcy lawyer, suspects that the missing grain was sold and the proceeds were used to pay farmers who had sold the grain to the company. Garcia Grain hasn't yet asked the bankruptcy judge for authority to hire forensic accountants to determine where the missing grain went, but it has filed an application to hire an accounting firm to prepare the company's monthly operating reports required by the court. StoneX and the unsecured creditors' committee have objected to the request. The committee has said it should be the one to select the "forensic fraud auditor professionals," not Garcia Grain, "whose conduct is subject to serious claims of mismanagement and fraud." The committee added that no secured creditor has so far agreed to "carve out limited funding to support the work of professionals in this case." It alleges that Garcia Grain's owners have stripped the bankruptcy "estate of its cash and assets in order to acquire ranches, farmland and other valuable assets through ... affiliates but using the debtor's funds." The Corpus Christi lawyers representing the committee didn't respond to requests for comment. The committee said it "believes that immediate investigations must be commenced regarding the insider transactions with affiliates," adding the emphasis in a March 23 court filing. It also suggested "possible collusion" by Garcia Grain and one or more secured creditors "to cover losses with pledges of assets" shortly before the Chapter 11 filing. It specifically cited liens that it believes GrainChain acquired on Garcia Grain's and affiliates' assets. "Any insinuation of 'possible collusion' in the pleadings has no basis in fact and will be dealt with accordingly in the bankruptcy process," Catherine Curtis, a McAllen lawyer who represents GrainChain, said in an email. Feuding partners Garcia Grain's bankruptcy documents also show that one of its founders, Rodolfo Plascencia, received payments totaling $290,000 from March through July of last year. In September, he received the Alamo elevator and 10 acres in Progreso a transfer Garcia Grain valued at $1.1 million. Those presumably were related to the settlement in August of the litigation among Plascencia and his former partners and Garcia Grain, though it's not clear if the compromise played a contributing role in the company's bankruptcy. Plascencia first sued in 2017 and later amended his petition to allege that Octavio Garcia and Baldemar Salinas Cantu stopped paying interest on the nearly $500,000 Plascencia said he loaned Garcia Grain in 2012 and 2013. At the time the suit was filed, Garcia held a 46 percent interest in the company, while Plascencia held a 35 percent interest and Salinas Cantu had a 14 percent interest. The remaining 5 percent belonged to Garcia's daughter Gabriela Garcia. Plascencia also accused Octavio Garcia of transferring $100,000 from another company they owned to Garcia Grain and then to himself. Nearly two months after Plascencia filed suit, Garcia responded with claims alleging that Plascencia diverted money collected from Garcia Grain's customers in Mexico. The dispute and other litigation were settled in August. Plascenia is no longer an owner of Garcia Grain. Garcia now controls 55 percent, and Salinas Cantu owns 25 percent. Rene Izaguirre owns 15 percent, and Gabriela Garcia still owns 5 percent. Whether Octavio Garcia will continue in a management role at Garcia Grain remains to be seen. If the unsecured creditors' committee has its way, he won't. "The UCC will strongly oppose any (reorganization) plan that continues the current owners' interests in or owners' efforts to continue to control management of this debtor," it said. It added that it "believes that new management must be obtained and that the value of the (elevators) will be materially damaged if (Garcia Grain) is prohibited from accepting new storage of commodities during the 2023 harvest." It suggested such management is available, with either the appointment of a bankruptcy trustee or examiner. 'That hurts' Garcia Grains absence is going to have an impact, no doubt about that, said Vidal Saenz, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agent in Hidalgo County. Any time you take a buyer out of the market, that hurts. It means one less competitor in the marketplace, he said. And Garcia Grain was known for paying a little more than other elevators. Farmers now may get a few cents less for every hundred pounds of corn and sorghum because other elevators won't have to compete with Garcia Grain, Saenz said. A few pennies, but these farmers, they farm 4,000 or 5,000 acres. You multiply that times 4,000 or 5,000 acres, and you multiply that by 4,000 or 5,000 pounds per acre, it adds up to quite a bit of money. He wouldnt comment on the circumstances that led to Garcia Grains predicament but called its operators good people. The company regularly sponsored Extension Service programs and was always helping farmers, Saenz said. After being kidnapped and imprisoned by the Rwandan government for more than two years, Hotel Rwanda hero Paul Rusesabagina is being cared for at an Army facility in San Antonio specially designed to help former hostages and prisoners of war. The reintegration program at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) is staffed by a battery of physicians, psychiatrists, physical therapists and other specialists under the command of U.S. Army South. It dates to the end of the Vietnam War, when returning POWs needed help dealing with the trauma they'd endured while in captivity. BAMCs reintegration program has a long track record of ensuring an effective reentry into everyday life for prisoners of war and hostages, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said. Paul Rusesabagina is a global citizen, a champion of human rights and a proud San Antonian. BAMC is the appropriate place for his reintegration. We are glad that at long last he is home. Here's how the program works. Government Handout What's the aim of the treatment? The process seeks to help former POWs and hostages overcome the debilitating effects of captivity and isolation and return to their professional, community and family lives with as few complications as possible. This is a very complicated joint operation involving hundreds of people, according to an the Army document describing the program. Operational planners, aircrews, medical professionals, security officers, attorneys, chaplains, and specialists in finance, personnel, public affairs and logistics are involved in these operations. Family members also assist in the process, at first through phone contacts and later during family reunions. The process is about helping the returnee gain control of his emotions, a Pentagon spokesman, Army Col. Steve Warren, has said. One of the methods the psychologists use to help the returnee is to allow him to tell his story. How does it work? According to the Army, there are three phases. The first, Initial Recovery, begins when the hostage or POW is returned to U.S. control. They're given a medical examination and a psychological assessment. The second phase, Transition Location, happens once they arrive at BAMC. They undergo a more thorough medical exam, have formal debriefings and are guided through "psychological decompression." In phase three, called Home Base, the former captives meet with their families to "address significant closure issues that may have arisen from their captivity," according to the Army. Who else has been treated there? Most recently, WNBA star Brittney Griner, who was released in December from a Russian penal colony where she'd been held on drug possession charges. The Houston native, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, was freed in a high-level prisoner exchange. In return, the U.S. released the Russian weapons dealer Viktor Bout, known as the merchant of death. Before Griner, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the sole American prisoner of war held by the Taliban in Afghanistan, was treated at BAMC in 2014. Bergdahl was captured after walking off his post. He was held captive for five years and suffered permanent injuries, as well as neuropathy and post-traumatic stress disorder. He spent 1,797 days in captivity, and testimony revealed that hed been chained for long periods to a box spring. At BAMC, Bergdahl was encouraged to talk about his ordeal. He was later booted out of the Army for desertion. In 2008, Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell employees of defense contractor Northrup Grumman went to BAMC after being held captive in Colombia by a guerrilla group for more than five years. Do former captives get close attention at BAMC? Gonsalves, Howes and Stansell were captured by the revolutionary group FARC after their plane went down in Colombias southern jungle on Feb. 13, 2003. They were constantly under guard, slept on the ground or in crude beds and ate whatever their captors fed them. After their release, they were flown to BAMC. In their book, Out of Captivity: Surviving 1,967 Days in the Colombian Jungle, the three former hostages said their caregivers at BAMC rarely allowed them to be alone. Will Rusesabagina receive customized care? Rusesabagina, 68, is a survivor of colon cancer and likely will be screened to determine whether it has reappeared. He also suffers from high blood pressure and during his imprisonment was denied medications he otherwise would have taken. Family members and friends also want doctors at BAMC to screen him to ensure he wasn't poisoned before leaving Rwanda. Kathleen Tobin Krueger is a close friend of Rusesabagina and his family. Her late husband, U.S. Sen. Bob Krueger, served as ambassador to Burundi and Botswana. She said poisoning "is a known modus operandi of the Rwandan government against dissidents." "We are very concerned about that," she said. Krueger said she spent about an hour with Rusesabagina in his hospital room at BAMC on Wednesday night. In a text message, she described the reunion as a moment beyond description. Magical. Poignant. Both intimate & historic at the same time. He looked weary & has aged, understandably, but he also looked good, considering what he has gone through, she wrote. He hugged & spoke to each of us individually. He was as gracious, eloquent, philosophical and positive as he has always been. He was STRONG. Unbroken. Lake McQueeney, a nearly 400-acre reservoir on the Guadalupe River near Seguin, is being drained this week. Due to aging infrastructure and previous dam failures, the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority will be replacing the dam spill gates for Lake McQueeney, Lake Placid and Lake Dunlap. Dam failures at Lake Placid in 2021 and Lake Dunlap in 2019 caused those lakes to already drain out. It's almost certain that the owners of Moses Rose's Hideout will sell their tavern to make way for the Alamo makeover, either willingly or through eminent-domain proceedings. But who will pay? The quick answer is the state of Texas. And how much will the state pay? That's a much harder question. The Texas General Land Office, Alamo Trust and the city of San Antonio have offered up to $4 million and a relocation option for the bar at 516 E. Houston St. But owners Vince Cantu and Elizabeth Hardwood Cantu have rejected that offer, instead requesting $10 million: $6 million for the property and $4 million for the business. The Cantus say their offer is final, and that they'll likely sue if it's rejected. Looming over the couple is the threat of eminent-domain proceedings to force a sale of their property. On ExpressNews.com: Moses Rose's owners await final offer that could avoid eminent domain However the transaction comes about, Kate Rogers, executive director of the Alamo Trust, said funds to purchase Moses Rose's Hideout will come from a $50 million allocation approved by the Legislature in 2021 for the current 2022-2023 biennium. "It would be from the current $50 million appropriation, not from any future money," Roger said. Meanwhile, negotiations over the purchase of Moses Rose's have been underway for more than two months, since the City Council authorized the potential use of the city's eminent domain authority. On Express-News.com: Moses Rose's wants sign honoring fallen 1836 Mexican soldiers The Alamo project partners have hired a third-party consultant to prepare a new appraisal of the property, as well as the value of the business, in preparation for a final offer one of the last steps toward eminent-domain proceedings. The massive Alamo makeover being planned through an elaborate public-private partnership is expected to cost nearly $400 million in city, county, state and privately raised funds. Moses Rose's sits outside the footprint of the historic mission-fort. It's next door to the 1921 Woolworth Building, one of three state-owned structures facing Alamo Plaza that will be converted to a new museum projected to cost at least $150 million. Alamo officials this week provided floor plans showing the latest design for the complex, including a new, five-story addition on the west side of the Woolworth Building where the tavern now stands. It will house retail space, a loading dock, security office and an employee entrance on the first floor; 4D theater and part of a stairwell on the second, third and fourth floors; and an event room, restrooms, kitchen, and electrical and storage space on the fifth floor. shuddleston@express-news.net Lackland ISD is led by Burnie Roper, a Black superintendent who was born and raised in San Antonio. Growing up, the few African American teachers he did have served as role models, proof of people like him obtaining college degrees. He holds a doctorate and recognizes the importance of having Black educators in schools but hiring them is not his focus right now. We're just trying to get teachers. Period, he said. As a teacher shortage plagues the country, schools are looking to hire anybody qualified to educate students. But in Bexar County, that has come with a lack of Black teachers. Countywide, nearly 12.5% of Black students attended a school without a single Black teacher in 2021-22. And though Texas Education Agency data shows that districts have hired more than 200 Black teachers since the 2017-18 school year, the percentage of Black students without a Black teacher has grown. Bexar Countys share of Black students without Black teachers is also the highest among other counties with more than 15,000 Black students, according to an analysis of National Center for Educational Statistics data. In the 2017-18 school year, the percentage of Black students in Bexar County without a Black teacher was 11% meaning it's increased by nearly two percentage points in the span of five years. Although both the number of Black students and teachers increased, an additional 32 schools have zero Black teachers. Among the 10 counties with the highest number of Black students, Bexar County has the second highest number of Black students attending a school without a Black teacher and the highest percentage. Why does Black representation in schools matter? A study from the National Bureau of Economic Research showed that Black students who have a Black teacher by the time theyre in third grade are more likely to attend college compared to other Black students at their school. Additionally, the Institute of Labor Economics found that low-income young Black boys who had a Black teacher were less likely to drop out of high school. In addition to success after elementary school, Black students with Black teachers are less likely to argue or act out compared to Black students placed with white teachers, according to the American Educational Research Journal. Kimberly Simpson the marketing and communications chair for the Texas Alliance of Black School Educators said students are currently facing several challenges, such as life since the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused a gap in learning and lack of social and emotional development. In addition to pandemic-related issues, topics like Critical race theory and Black Lives Matter also may influence education life. Students talk about the news with their peers and teachers and Simpson said they are more likely to talk to an adult who can relate to them, someone who looks like them. When you see someone who looks like you giving you instruction, that matters. When you are with someone who can be culturally sensitive to you, that matters, she said. [... A minority teacher] can make that connection. If you can make that connection then you're more prone to be able to reach a student academically and then you're more prone to have student success. The numbers statewide Texas has more than 3,000 schools without a Black teacher. About 75% of these schools have Black students, which means 27% of Texas schools have Black students but zero Black teachers. Among the 10 counties with the highest numbers of Black students, Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, Fort Bend and Collin counties have less than 20% of schools without a Black teacher, according to 2021-22 data. Jefferson County also among counties with the largest Black student enrollment has the second highest percentage of schools without a Black teacher at 24% in the group. Thats still six percentage points below Bexar County, where about 173 schools have zero Black teachers. But counties with higher percentages of Black people in their population do have a higher percentage of schools with at least one Black teacher. Of the 253 counties that have schools, 64 counties dont have a Black teacher. Thirteen of these counties also dont have a Black student. What do you do to solve this? According to Roper, increasing teacher salaries and creating an environment that promotes education would help more individuals become teachers regardless of race. You look in the news and see all these different things happening a lot of people don't want to deal with that, he said. They can go on [and] make more money elsewhere. So we just have to improve the overall picture of education in order to continue to draw quality people to the field. Though a district may seek to diversify its staff, Simpson believes educators will seek to teach at a school where they can make an impact not because of a schools demographics. Simpson said current teachers can seek out professional learning opportunities to comprehend different learning styles and be informed about different cultures. Teachers have the ability to be impactful in so many students' lives, she said. How that occurs is different for everyone. When it occurs is different for everyone. I think the goal should be for every educator to have a positive impact. Unseen but not unknown, Castner Range represented a hidden treasure in the West Texas town of El Paso. That is about to change. What was once vivid only in the imagination will now become bright and gleaming in real life. The city cannot wait. President Joe Biden has designated Castner Range as a national monument, protecting 6,600 acres that were once home to Native American tribes, including Apache and Pueblo peoples. The move has excited both scientists and tourists. It will help facilitate research into important archaeological sites, as well as the geology and wildlife of the area. Were ecstatic about it, said Eric Pearson, CEO of El Paso Community Foundation, which helped push the designation. The region is just amazing, and its been a big team and a lot of years. And this is the culmination of that. Were very proud to be here today. Biden also declared Avi Kwa Ame, 500,000 acres of land in Nevada considered sacred to Native tribes, to be a national monument. Both designations utilized the 1906 Antiquities Act to preserve national monuments on federal land. The assignations will prevent private development on the lands, while ensuring that the federal government will enact measures to protect the areas. It brings me such joy to know that El Pasoans will soon be able to enjoy the beauty of this majestic, expansive landmark for years to come, U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, said. While the designation was the product of a community effort decades in the making, the public must wait before it can enjoy the fruits of that labor. The range, a Fort Bliss training site from 1926 to 1966, remains full of unexploded munitions that must be removed. It will make the first time a national monument will be managed by a military branch since the 1930s; the Army and the White House will launch a management plan, including public engagements with Native American tribes, over the next two months. Protecting Castner Range is not only protecting our mountains and wildlife, but its protecting our history, heritage and our legacy, Moses Borjas, a conservation advocate who is pastor of Living Covenant Church in El Paso, said in a statement. Nature is a towering presence in El Paso literally. The Franklin Mountains bisect the city, from the northeast to the southwest. They stretch from one end of town to the other, 14 miles long, three miles wide, with elevations reaching as high as a mile. The range lies in the foothills of these mountains, which form an awe-inspiring backdrop. Mexican poppies bloom in the valley during the spring, producing a yellow carpet that seems as bright as the sun. The scene, which most El Pasoans have seen only through photos on the internet, is stunning If a simple viewing on the internet evokes such wonder, imagine the majesty of the real thing, Will visitors feel a deep connection to the past, to the awe and reverence Indigenous peoples felt thousands of years ago? Will the land become a conduit to eternity? When we conserve our countrys natural gifts, were not just protecting the livelihoods of people who depend on them were protecting the heart and the soul of our national pride, Biden said in his declaration, adding that it is also telling our story that will be told for generations upon generations to come. The president is right. Nature is not mute; it tells a story, a narrative as expressive as the best poetry. As Texans, we recognize the natural beauty of this state, from Big Bend to the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park less than two hours from San Antonio. It is up to us, as caretakers of the land, to make sure the beauty and narrative are preserved. Re: 6 dead as armed woman attacks Nashville school, Front Page, Tuesday: Republicans in Texas and around the country have banned abortion, drag shows, books, masks and certain topics of conversation in schools. But these same legislators refuse to ban assault rifles. Lets all remember that when we vote. Wendell Fuqua Taking our chances Re: Texans in D.C. say an arrest would fire up former presidents campaign, Front Page, March 21: I guess its politically expedient to defend former President Donald Trump against them, whomever them is this week: Democrats, liberals, the woke mob. Hey, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, remember when you called Trump a sniveling coward? I guess not. The Trumpublicans in Congress want to make it about revenge and retribution. They are wrong. It is about justice and the American ideal that no one is above the law. As far as an arrest firing up Trumps campaign, well take our chances. Sally Lengyel, Bulverde Shoe on the other foot It wasnt that long ago that followers of Donald Trump, with no idea of what Hillary Clinton might have been guilty of, were screaming lock her up as he grinned and encouraged them. Now it seems that the shoe is on the other foot and Trump is encouraging his followers to stage another insurrection if he is indicted. I can only offer the observation that karma can be brutal. Ed Farmer, Floresville Sticking with the change Re: Time for a change, Your Turn, Sunday: I was very disappointed that the editors published a letter calling President Joe Biden a liar without offering any evidence. This was a cheap shot if ever there was one. The letter writer then called for change. The thousands of well-documented lies spoken by former President Donald Trump required change and we achieved it by defeating him. Now, lets keep that change. Tom Hoskings About personal freedom I sure wish the governor, lieutenant governor and the rest of our great state leaders of Texas would worry as much about access to high-powered semi-automatic rifles as they do about banning books, transgender athletes, a womans body and transgender youth. For a party that talks about personal freedom, the GOP sure is worried about people exercising that freedom. William Schiller This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Southwest Research Institute will play a key role in exploring the composition of the moon as part of NASA's Artemis program, as the San Antonio-based organization continues to grow its business of packing big science in small packages. The independent nonprofit has developed scientific instruments and satellites for NASA and commercial entities such as Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' aerospace company Blue Origin. For its latest project, SwRI delivered a scientific device called a Lunar Magnetotelluric Sounder or LMS to Firefly Aerospace, a startup based in Cedar Park, a suburb of Austin. The gadget, SwRI said, is designed to study the moons electric and magnetic fields. Plans call for Firefly's robotic Blue Ghost 1 lunar lander to carry the LMS and several other commercial and government payloads to the moon. The Blue Ghost is expected to fly to the moon on SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket in 2024. NASA has awarded Firefly about $93.3 million to deliver 10 science payloads to the moon for its Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, meant to spark partnerships between the space agency and the private sector. NASA also awarded $4.1 million in contracts to SwRI and other teams, including its Goddard Space Flight Center, to develop the LMS. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio-built instrument heading for Jupiter in search for life on planets ice-covered moon Last year, SwRI restructured parts of the organization involved in space exploration to better position itself to keep pace with growth in the booming small satellite industry. The new Space Sector employs 465 people across multiple divisions, which often work together on space-related projects. Most of the staff will be in San Antonio, with 100 in Boulder, Colo. Data collected by SwRI and others under the Artemis program will help prepare astronauts to explore the moon and eventually Mars. SwRI is always working to develop relationships and encourage collaborations with entities working in the space arena, said SwRI principal investigator Robert Grimm, who led development of the LMS. SwRI grows spacecraft business For years, SwRI contracted with NASA to build payloads to study space and support experiments, such as whether a spacecraft can alter an asteroids course. The nonprofit has been involved in missions to search for signs of life on the moons of Jupiter and Saturn. In the era of commercial space exploration, SwRI has expanded its clientele. "We work with a range of spacecraft providers, while also getting more involved in developing spacecraft ourselves, particularly small satellites," SwRI spokeswoman Deb Schmid said in an email. Scientists have worked with Ball Aerospace and Technologies, a spacecraft company in Colorado, along with Maryland-based Lockheed Martin Corp. Last year, they developed small satellites for NASA's Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere mission, known as PUNCH, scheduled for delivery to space via a SpaceX Falcon 9 no earlier than 2025. They also built instruments to conduct scientific experiments for Blue Origins suborbital rocket New Shepard, which launched from Van Horn in 2020. The LMS project marks the first time scientists here will work with FireFly Aerospace, which garnered attention last year when its rocket reached orbit and deployed customer payloads from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. We enjoy a good relationship with Firefly, but we both subcontract to, and take direction from, NASA, Grimm said. The increasing workload has been profitable for SwRI. Last year, SwRI reported a research volume of nearly $798 million, the most recorded by the institute. Schmid declined to disclose how much revenue the nonprofit receives from contracts with NASA and commercial groups. "We dont really characterize how much we make from NASA or other entities, because we are nonprofit," she said. "Revenues are put back into internal research and facilities needed to work in this arena." Moon science Nearly four years ago, NASA selected SwRI's Lunar Magnetotelluric Sounder, among other payloads, to help the agency explore the moon as part of the Artemis lunar program. The LMS is designed to characterize the structure and composition of the Moons mantle by studying electric and magnetic fields, according to NASA. The LMS program is part of a planned 12-day mission to help understand the moons subsurface in a previously unexplored location, SwRI said in a news release. The project is being funded by NASAs Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative. Grimm said the LMS was developed to measure the moons low-frequency electric and magnetic fields to determine the electrical conductivity of its interior. The LMS will be able to probe the interior of the moon to depths up to 700 miles or two-thirds of the lunar radius. The moon's conductivity can reveal its interior temperature, Grimm said, from which more can be learned. The temperature structure today tells us about how the moon's mantle cooled and evolved from its initial global magma ocean," he said. "This is important to understand not only for the history of the moon, but also how the moon's relatively primitive state informs the early evolution of other rocky worlds. On ExpressNews.com: SwRI restructures to continue growing in satellite industry Firefly Aerospace plans to use its Blue Ghost to carry the LMS payload to Mare Crisium, a 350-mile-wide basin once filled with lava in a dark circular spot in the northeast region of the moons nearside. Most of NASAs Apollo missions landed in the connected areas of dark lava on the west side of the moon. Scientists now consider the composition and structure of these areas to be different from the rest of the moon. From Mare Crisium, the LMS may provide the first geophysical measurements representative of the entire moon. For more than 50 years, scientists have used magnetotelluric techniques, which use natural characteristics of the Earths electromagnetic fields to determine the electrical resistivity of the subsurface for research and resource exploration, Grimm said in the news release. LMS will be the first extraterrestrial application of magnetotellurics. March 30, 2023 By James Varney , RealClearInvestigationsMarch 30, 2023 Its almost an understatement to say that Republican candidates campaigned hawkishly on border control in the runup to the 2022 midterms: As they decried the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs from Mexico, many vowed to impeach the man they largely blamed for the mess, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Republicans have continued hammering Mayorkas since taking control of the House. Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, who called the flooding of more than 5 million illegal immigrants across the southern border since President Biden took office an intentional policy, has made several visits to the U.S.-Mexico border with other Republicans, and the House has held multiple hearings on immigration. But as winter has turned to spring, the GOP has taken little action to remove Mayorkas. Republicans Andy Biggs of Arizona and Pat Fallon of Texas have each filed bills, but the House Judiciary Committee, from which any impeachment move must come, has not taken up either resolution. Conservative groups focused on the southern border told RealClearInvestigations that impeachment did not come up during recent meetings in Washington. I just came from the Hill and a bunch of meetings with staffers and theyre reporting the same thing; one said the conference is split, with a lot of GOP George W. Bush types who love the cheap labor for American industry and agriculture, said Todd Bensman of the conservative Center for Immigration Studies and author of Overrun: How Joe Biden Unleashed the Greatest Border Crisis in U.S. History. Bensman calls it an old story, but cheap labor is only part of it. Republicans arent united on this issue because some fear that following through on impeachment talk will alienate the moderate swing voters that the GOP needs to remain in control of the House. Even Republicans who have publicly attacked Mayorkas are now reticent about discussing impeachment. RCI reached out to 16 GOP House members for comment. Neither Biggs nor Fallon responded. Virginia Rep. Bob Good, a member of the Freedom Caucus who is co-sponsor of both resolutions, declined to comment on the record. Other outspoken administration critics such as Dan Crenshaw of Texas, Tom McClintock of California, and Matt Gaetz of Florida did not respond. Only two of the 16 Republican House members agreed to speak on the record. I have repeatedly called for his impeachment and am confident that Chairman Jordan will hold true to his word of impeaching Mayorkas for overseeing an unprecedented surge of illegal activity at our southern border, Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona said. Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania said Biden administration officials have lied about what they have done at the border but was more circumspect on impeachment, suggesting a wait-and-see attitude may be behind the aggressive rhetoric. Im not on the Judiciary Committee and it would have to come from there, he said. My hope is that at least some information will come from hearings because some members legitimately have some questions. Perry and others said they would like to see the Judiciary Committee make the case for impeachment, a process Jordan appears to be favoring. For the moment, however, the only concrete step Republicans have taken is a symbolic gesture by Rep. Chip Roy of Texas to try to cut Mayorkas salary from the DHS budget. The bills filed by Reps. Biggs and Fallon contend that Mayorkass conduct meets the constitutional threshold for impeachment, high crimes and misdemeanors. Fallons bill, H. Res. 8, alleges that the secretary has violated the oath all cabinet members take to faithfully uphold the laws of the United States by failing to enforce: The Secure the Fence Act of 2006 that requires the DHS secretary to maintain operational control over the entire international land and maritime borders of the United States. The Immigration and Nationality Act that requires the DHS secretary to detain inadmissible aliens arriving in the United States or aliens who are present in the United States without inspection until processed. Instead, it claims, Mayorkas catch and release approach has allowed more than 1,000,000 illegal aliens into the country. While referencing those two laws, the Biggs resolution, H. Res. 582, also accuses Mayorkas of violating the Public Health Services Act by failing to protect U.S. citizens from risk and exposure to and contracting Covid-19 by refusing to take necessary steps to prevent contagious illegal aliens from entering the United States. In sum, the Biggs resolution concludes Mayorkas should be impeached because his actions have subverted the will of Congress and the core tenets of the Constitution. RCI reached out repeatedly to a dozen Democratic members of the House Judiciary Committee seeking comment on a possible impeachment of Mayorkas and their reaction. None of them responded. Mayorkas has stated repeatedly he has no intention of resigning, a suggestion Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas made again Tuesday when Mayorkas appeared at a Senate committee hearing. "If you had any integrity you would resign," Cruz said. The volley came after the two got into a verbal spat over how truthful the administration has been about the border. Cruz cited comments by White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre that people are not walking across the border along with photographs of people doing just that. You claim you care, Mr. Secretary -- that is a lie, Cruz said. Cruz again accused Mayorkas of dissembling after the DHS chief would not answer a question about whether Jean-Pierre lied. Mayorkas called Cruzs accusation revolting. Nevertheless, the department is bracing for a possible impeachment and taking steps for Mayorkas' defense. A government contract was signed with the law firm Debevoise & Plimpton to provide legal assistance to the secretary; that contract would kick in only if the Judiciary Committee moved an impeachment motion to the House floor. Debevoise & Plimpton did not respond to a request for comment about the arrangement. Biden administration officials familiar with it said it was necessary because the impeachment of a cabinet secretary is so rare none of its legal staff has any relevant experience. The terms of the contract were not disclosed, although officials pointed to examples in the past where House Republicans hired outside legal counsel to assist it on legislation that proved legally fraught. A DHS spokesperson said the contract was necessary to "ensure the Department's vital mission is not interrupted by the unprecedented, unjustified and partisan impeachment efforts of some members of Congress, who have already taken steps to initiate proceedings." History shows the House can move swiftly on impeachment if members choose to. The Democratic majority, along with a handful of Republicans, voted to impeach departing President Trump just one week after the post-election riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Defenders of the governments current border policies say that the conservatives argument is flawed. The Biden administrations approach is basically a relaxation of the Trump administrations more stringent strategy. As such, they amount to policy differences between the two major political parties and fall far short of any crimes and misdemeanors that would justify impeachment. But, as RCI has previously reported, President Biden's policies have marked a sharp break from his predecessors, since Bidens first day in office, when he signed seven executive orders on immigration that, among other things, suspended deportations. Hans von Spakovsky, a senior fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation who co-authored the February report, The Case for Impeachment of Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas Secretary of Homeland Security, defended the impeachment argument from liberals who deride it as purely political. It inaccurately and incorrectly asserts that we are confusing the requirements of the Immigration and Naturalization Act with the Trump administration policies, he said. Our analysis is based not on disagreeing with the policies implemented by Mayorkas, but with his violation of federal immigration law. I think we have laid out in our paper what we think the basis is for impeachment, von Spakovsky told RCI. They include the claims that Mayorkas: deliberately defied and contravened the laws he is charged with faithfully executing. repeatedly abused the authority of his office, including by, among other conduct, enticing a flood of aliens to cross the U.S. southern border with his policies and Statements. betrayed the trust of the people by lying to Congress and withholding information and misleading the public in an effort to hide and suppress the nature and consequence of his abominable policies. Von Spakovsky added that the misguided priorities of Mayorkas have resulted in a huge backlog in the adjudication system that unfairly hurts the many thousands of U.S. citizens and lawful applicants whose immigration matters are delayed many months. Although von Spakovsky and others argue impeachment is warranted consistent with U.S. history and constitutional traditions, it would also be a highly unusual move. Only one cabinet member has ever been impeached, President Ulysses S. Grants War Secretary William Belknap in 1876, but he resigned the same day the House voted unanimously against him. Attorney General Harry Daugherty in 1922 and Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon in 1932 also faced possible impeachment proceedings by the House, but the former resigned in 1924 and the latter left the cabinet and became U.S. ambassador to England. Impeachment supporters also point to the dangers the Biden administrations porous border have created. In addition to the humanitarian issues of hundreds of thousands of people migrating through Mexico to the U.S., and the money they have paid to Mexican cartels to facilitate their passage, the southern border has become the main conduit for deadly illicit fentanyl. Scott Perry said his constituents would like to see the Republicans do more than simply talk about the border crisis, though he noted that Mayorkas is the agent who carries out policies set by President Biden. Its chaos down there with the fentanyl and the cartels making millions of dollars, he said. Most of our constituents are distraught about that and want it fixed, and many would like accountability for how it occurred. Ultimately, the president is responsible so why not impeach him? But as to what might actually happen with Mayorkas, Perry acknowledged he wasnt sure. A political sign for Montana Public Service Commissioner Randy Pinocci, R-Sun River, is displayed near Stanford, Montana, nearby a welcome sign from the Stanford 4H (Photo by Darrell Ehrlick of the Daily Montanan). The Montana Department of Transportation has sent letters to residents and Public Service Commissioner Randy Pinocci, a Republican from Sun River, warning them to either take down political signage from the 2022 election or face penalties. Pinocci, a former state legislator who won re-election to the Public Service Commission in 2022 running unopposed, had his signs put up around central Montana, his home district. Montana has five public service commissioners who serve based on regions. The Montana Department of Transportation sent letters to residents Jeffrey Pattison and Ronald Hepp, which arrived around March 7, stating that if they did not remove the signs in five days, the department would remove them and send the bill to the property owners. If the owners do not remove the signs in a timely manner, they could face criminal penalties. Montana Department of Transportation officials could not immediately be reached on Wednesday for comment, including about the number of letters sent. Pattison and Hepp live in different parts of the state. Montana law the Montana Outdoor Advertising Act says that signs must be removed from property within 14 days of an election. However, the sign prohibition only occurs in political advertising, not other types. Attorney Matthew Monforton, who is representing Pinocci, Pattison and Hepp, pointed out that for sale or advertising signs are legal for much longer periods of time. In a complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Helena, Monforton said that the government is making decisions on content, for example, which campaigns or politicians can place and keep signs. All the signs that Monforton is aware of are on private property. In his case, Monforton argues that Montana has fashioned political signage rules that specifically target political signs, and fail to address other advertising or even property for sale signage. The Department of Transportation personnel are trained to remove dead skunks and horse manure, not be Greg Gianfortes motorized brown shirts targeting my clients political signs, he said. Pattison and others said that Pinocci has contacted some land owners after the election, but they have a different purpose in mind, according to the lawsuit. They are doing so because they regard Pinocci as a hard-working public servant with a keen intellect and want to encourage him to run for higher officer, such as the U.S. House of Representatives, the lawsuit said. They also want to display Pinocci signs to build support among their neighbors and others for a future Pinocci campaign. Monforton, who has experience litigating First Amendment issues successfully, said this is another case of content-based restrictions by the government. Content-based law is presumptively unconstitutional and may be justified only if it satisfies strict scrutiny i.e., only if the government proves that it is narrowly tailored to serve a compelling state interest, the lawsuit said. Monforton said that Montana doesnt regulate other signage the same way as political speech. For example, no other advertising is based on content. In fact, for sale signs on properties may stay up for as long as possible. Moreover, the law says that sign must be removed within 14 days from Election Day, but sets up no time period as to when it can be placed. The law also violates the Montana Constitution, Monforton told the Daily Montanan. Montanas durational limits on political signs are not narrowly tailored to achieve any compelling state interest, the lawsuit states. The lawsuit asks for Judge Dana L. Christensen to declare the Montana law violates the First Amendment, and asks for a preliminary restraining order against the Montana Department of Transportations, plus attorneys fees and costs. The post Sign of the times: Montana DOT tells residents to remove Pinocci signs or department will appeared first on Daily Montanan. Even the best-planned vacations can have a hiccup. My trip along the Blue Ridge Parkway with my daughter had two hiccups, like a bonus or buy-one-get-one-free situation. Mother nature was to blame. We were staying in Asheville, North Carolina, right after a fierce spring windstorm. High winds had tormented eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina the weekend before our arrival. Difficult conditions With the ground heavily saturated by spring thawing, high winds easily toppled some large trees along the parkway. The section closest to Asheville, heading north towards Boone, was closed. It is not unusual for sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway to be closed, especially in the off-season. The majority of the 469 miles along the parkway are at a high elevation, around 6,000 feet at the highest point. The high elevation results in windier, colder and wetter conditions than the valleys around it. The most common reasons for the parkway to be closed are high winds, downed trees, snow or ice. Weather in surrounding cities may seem pleasant, but road conditions vary along the parkway. Ice can still be present in the tunnels long after warmer temperatures elsewhere in early spring and late fall. The road conditions on our trip forced a decision on us. We had to decide whether or not to visit Mount Mitchell, the highest point in elevation east of the Mississippi in the continental U.S. With a section of the parkway closed, we had to drive an hour and twenty minutes looping out to reach another area to access the parkway. Mountains are calling Quoting the bumper sticker The mountains are calling and I must go, I convinced my daughter that Mount Mitchell was a necessary stop on our trip. We were also able to change our last night hotel stay from Asheville to staying farther north in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. The change gave us more time exploring and less time in the car. A common theme of the trip was experiencing hairpin turns. On the steep switchbacks, we would take turns having to peer out over the edge at the deep ravine below. After what seemed like a vertical ascent straight into the sky, we stopped at the state park parking lot. I felt compelled to give my car a couple of congratulatory thumps on the hood. Well done tiny equinox, I thought. The thin mountain air must have been getting to me as I imagined my car responding, well-done white-knuckled mama. If there ever was a time to exchange mutual respect with a vehicle, this was it. In Yancey County on a spur road off the Parkway, Mount Mitchell is nestled within the Black Mountain subrange of the Appalachians. Mount Mitchell State Park was established in 1915. It was the very first state park in North Carolina. Long before, the native Cherokees had another name for the mountain, Attakula. The first European settlers renamed the mountain, Black Dome, due to its rounded shape and black color created by a dense forest on the summit. The legacy of a professor from the University of North Carolina inspired another name change. Professor Mitchell Elisha Mitchell explored the area in 1835, determined to find the exact elevation of Black Dome. He was confident that the Black Mountains were higher than Mount Washington in New Hampshire, what was thought to be the highest point in the East. Mitchell believed the elevation at the summit to be 6,672 feet. His claim of the highest elevation was challenged by his former student, Thomas Clingman. Sadly, Elisha Mitchell died in 1857 attempting to prove his measurements. He slipped off a cliff near a 40-foot waterfall, suffering a fatal head injury. His primitive but thorough method of calculating elevation was later proven to be only 12 feet off the actual height of 6,684 feet. His body was interred at the summit of Black Dome, which was renamed Mount Mitchell in his honor. Mesmerizing We hiked in reverent awe on the steep 980-foot trail to reach the observation deck. The chilly air combined with the scent of red spruce and young Fraser fir trees made it seem like we were walking in a Christmas card. Slightly winded, we stopped at the most picturesque place, again noticing the layers of blue mountain ranges in the distance. The last few feet brought us to the summit, where we took in a 360-degree view of the Black Mountains. Mesmerizing the view was simply mesmerizing. The mountains had called and we had arrived. We spent time on the mountain top, sharing the moment with strangers who at that moment felt like members of our tribe as we collectively took in the view before us. Reluctantly, we eventually returned to our car and began the descent on the mountainside. I glanced in my rearview mirror to see a cyclist drafting behind our car. On the longest stretches without turns, he was clocking speeds of just over 40 mph. Euphoria and fearlessness appeared to be gifts bestowed on visitors to the area. I felt the urge to live an elevated life, bottling up the mountain-top experiences in order to make it through the valleys of life. JEROMESVILLE, Ohio The Hillsdale FFA chapter recently held its annual parent-member banquet on March 18 at Hillsdale High School. This banquet recognized the FFA members achievements in the Hillsdale Chapter as well as honor those who have donated time and helped the chapter in any way. The 2022-23 officer team was introduced. The evening concluded with the induction of the new 2023-2024 officer team. Certificates of appreciation were awarded to individuals who volunteered for the FFA chapter in the past year, including: The Honorary Degree was awarded to individuals who have provided exceptional service on a local level to agriculture, agricultural education, or FFA. This years honorees were Mr. and Mrs. Bill Rogers, who have been an enormous supporters of the chapter and has provided hospitality for the whole FFA chapter during the Annual Summer Picnic. The Distinguished Service Citation honors organizations, agencies, businesses or other groups who have made outstanding contributions to FFA and agricultural education on a national level. School superintendent Steve Dickerson was awarded this honor. Three individuals were awarded for their outstanding efforts in selling fruit, strawberries and BBQ. Baylee Weber, placed third selling $1,545; Gage Madsen, placed second selling $2,956; and Jake Hoverstock, placed first selling $3,711. The Star Greenhand was awarded to Makayla Schwendeman and Emma Linder. The Star Chapter Degree winner was Baylee Weber. The Outstanding Freshman recipients were Aurora Martin and Reed Twining; the Outstanding Sophomore recipient was Rosalynne Weekley; the Outstanding Junior was Braydon Rakovec; and the Outstanding Seniors were Gabe Murawski and Gage Madsen. MOUNT VERNON, Ohio The Mount Vernon FFA chapter held its annual banquet on March 14. Family members came to celebrate members achievements, participation and hard work throughout the 2022-2023 year. The program began with an introduction to the 2022-2023 officer team. Several groups of students were recognized throughout the evening for various awards, activities and participation including: SAE recognition, CDE participation, Leadership, Scholarship, Fundraising and Degrees. Todd Conant was presented with this years Honorary Chapter Degree for helping the chapter with transportation. He has helped the chapter with making it to contests and other events despite the shortage of bus drivers. The Star Greenhand went to Kylie Parsons and Jadyn Row. The Star Chapter Farmer award went to Orissa Humes. Additionally, she was honored for her silver State Rated Officer Book. The Star Senior Award was given to Leah Gourley. The chapter will graduate five members with the Mt Vernon High School class of 2023. Graduating members include: Leah Gourley, Hailey Stagg, Kylie Parsons, Allic Ashcraft and Emily Moran. The evening concluded with the announcement of the 2023-2024 officer team: president Ansley Daubenmier; vice president Vivian Noble; secretary Madison Seng; treasurer Jadyn Row; reporter Orissa Humes; sentinel Case Armstrong; student advisor Anysten Vanhouten; and historian Emma Croghan. Scotland's farming minister Mairi Gougeon will remain in the role following the appointment of Humza Yousaf as the country's new First Minister. Mr Yousaf, who has replaced Nicola Sturgeon, confirmed that Ms Gougeon will remain as Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, a position she has held since 2021. The Scottish parliament is set to approve the new ministerial appointments today (30 March). Speaking about the reshuffle, Mr Yousaf said his cabinet team would help "build a fairer, greener economy". Ahead of my appointment as First Minister, I have committed myself to a radical, ambitious and progressive policy agenda for Scotland and I know that this team is the right one to deliver it. I have made clear my belief Scotlands government should look as much as possible like the people we represent. As well as being the first ever First Minister from a minority ethnic background, I am pleased that a record number of women have agreed to serve, as well as a significant blend of younger and more experienced members. "That said, every single appointment has been made on merit. NFU Scotland said it 'welcomed' the reappointment of Ms Gougeon to the role of Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs. "Ms Gougeon has regularly engaged with the industry and has a very good grasp of the role our sector plays and the many complex issues around it," said the union's president, Martin Kennedy. "And I further welcome the promotion of Mairi McAllan MSP to the role of Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Just Transition. A new project aims to tackle the lack of seasonal labour in the UK horticulture industry as researchers look to accelerate the delivery of robotic crop systems. Agri-OpenCore aims to slash the time and cost of developing a robotic harvesting system that achieves parity with human picking. As part of it, researchers want to develop commercial systems for tomato and strawberry harvesting that achieve human-picking-cost-parity in two years. There is currently no robotic harvesting system that can match the speed of human picking. It comes as many crops have gone unpicked this year, leading to large amounts of unnecessary waste. NFU President Minette Batters has said that the waste in the food sector was an absolute crisis. Agri-OpenCore, which is being spearheaded by numerous agri-tech and universities, will develop the worlds first open development platform for agri-robotic harvesting. Dr Grzegorz Cielniak, associate professor at the Lincoln Agri-Robotics Centre said: "The platform will facilitate standardised access to the core robotic software and hardware components enabling rapid adoption by the industry and academia. The University of Lincoln team will work on the standardisation of the framework as well as on the development of the autonomy, perception and safety components. "The core functionality of the platform will enable further development and customisation which can be privately exploited by the industry." Researchers hope the project will lead to faster adoption of more reliable robotic technology in agriculture which will be demonstrated by developing robotic tomato and strawberry harvesting systems. Dr Cielniak said: "Such a strategy will lead to step changes in farming productivity and help to alleviate global problems with the availability of a workforce in the sector." Phil Pearson, group development director at APS Group, added: The Agri-OpenCore robotics project is an exciting, and vital project for the fresh produce industry. "It promises to deliver the significant progress required to automate fresh produce harvesting in the UK." Scottish farmers and crofters have started to receive valuable payments as part of the Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme (SSBSS). The scheme, worth 40 million, helps underpin Scotlands iconic beef sector, and supports farmers breeding beef calves from suckler cows. The scheme aims to ensure that herds remain at a level that sustains Scotlands commercial beef industry. From the 40m pot, 34 million is for eligible mainland calves and 6 million for Island calf claims. The Scottish beef industry, with an estimated output of 849 million, is seen as a vital pillar to the local rural economy. For the 2022 SSBSS scheme year, there was a small increase in the total number of mainland and island businesses making a claim. With more animals claimed, that means a small decrease in the payments per head, with mainland beef calves receiving 101 and Island calves receiving 144 per head. NFU Scotlands livestock policy advisor, Lisa Hislop said the union welcomed the 'timely and prompt' payments of the SSBSS this year. However, she said that NFU Scotland had concerns about the impact that the cost of production crisis was having on beef herds. Analysis of figures from the union's intentions survey pointed to an average beef herd size reduction of 4% versus last year. Ms Hislop said: "While it is encouraging to see a 2% uplift in animals claimed for 2022 compared to 2021, its important to note the number of beef calves claimed and the number of farms and crofts claiming is still below 2020. When combined with our intention survey results, which points to a declining beef herd and low levels confidence, our iconic beef sector still faces ongoing uncertainty and vulnerability despite the very robust prices for store and prime cattle being seen just now." She said it was clear that support schemes such as SSBSS "remain an anchor" for farmers and crofters in "these turbulent times". It is in the interests of our food and drink sector and our rural economy that farmers and crofters see a future in beef," she added. That is why targeted support schemes must remain a key element of Scotlands future agricultural support package from 2025 onwards. 'Jackass' star Bam Margera has been arrested for allegedly causing a scene whilst drunk at a restaurant. Bam Margera arrested The 43-year-old stunt performer was previously married to Nikki Boyd and arrived at the Thai eatery in LA on Wednesday (29.03.23) afternoon where she and their five-year-old son Phoenix were dining, and allegedly started a "dispute" whilst intoxicated, according to TMZ. Sources told the outlet that Bam was "unable to take care of himself and was arrested" as he was booked for misdemeanour public intoxication but it remains unclear whether the woman he is said to have yelled at his estranged wife. Following the alleged incident, footage circulated online of Bam storming out of the restaurant before later appearing to have a heated conversation with one of the responding officers. Earlier this month, Bam was arrested over domestic violence allegations and was later blasted by Nikki's lawyer, who claimed she has been left facing eviction and unable to send Phoenix to school because she has "no car [and] no money"." In response to Bam saying a few days ago he was "disappointed" by what Nikki has said publicly about him, lawyer David Glass told TMZ: "Unfortunately, Mr. Margera doesnt seem to understand what supporting your wife and child means. "Nikki has no car, no money, is being evicted from her apartment, and cant afford to send their child to school, while Bam drops $50,000 on bail, and who knows how much on a Las Vegas spree. "Either Bam, or his parents - whoever controls his money - has to provide Nikki with enough money each month so she can care for their son." The pair married in 2013, but Nikki filed separation documents in Los Angeles last month, citing irreconcilable differences as a reason for their split, which she stated occurred in September 2021. In the documents, she requested legal and physical custody of Phoenix, but wants Bam to have visitation rights in the Los Angeles county area, and is also asking for spousal support. But in an Instagram post following the news, Bam claimed he didn't have to pay spousal support because he and Nikki were never officially married and insisted he had paid her $5,000 a month since the split but wouldn't send any more money if he wasn't allowed contact with his son. King Charles has pledged to "strengthen the connections" between the UK and Germany on the first state visit of his reign. King Charles has vowed to strengthen ties between Britain and Germany at a state banquet in Berlin The 74-year-old monarch addressed guests in both English and German at the state banquet in Berlin on Wednesday (29.03.23) night and heaped praise on the nation's "extraordinary hospitality" towards Ukrainian refugees who have been displaced due to the conflict with Russia. The King said: "We stand side-by-side in protecting and advancing our shared democratic values. "This is epitomised so clearly today as we stand together with Ukraine in defence of freedom and sovereignty in the face of unprovoked aggression." The state dinner was held at Schloss Bellevue, the official residence of the German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier who is hosting the event and Charles thanked the German people for their messages of "support and affection" following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth last year. He said: "Over all these years, and in so many ways, I have been struck by the warmth of the friendship between our nations and by the vitality of our partnership in countless areas. "It was, Mr. President, a friendship which mattered greatly to my mother, the late Queen, who cared deeply about the bond between our two countries. "The relationship between Germany and the United Kingdom matters greatly to me... I will do all I can to strengthen the connections between us." The King is on a three-day tour with Queen Consort Camilla and it comes after a planned visit to France was scrapped following protests in several cities over pension reforms. President Steinmeier had thanked Charles for the "personal gesture" of choosing Germany as the destination for his first overseas trip as monarch. He said: "This visit, Your Majesty's very first trip abroad as the new King, is a tremendous personal gesture and for that I would like to express my heartfelt thanks. I am looking forward to the coming days and to the many opportunities we will have to exchange views." Pope Francis will spend a few days in hospital to receive treatment for a respiratory infection. Pope Francis is in hospital The 86-year-old pontiff was taken to Gemelli hospital in Rome for tests after complaining of breathing difficulties in recent days, his spokesperson, Matteo Bruni, has announced. The pope does not have COVID-19 but will require several days of therapy. A statement about his health said: "The tests showed a respiratory infection (COVID-19 infection excluded) that will require some days of medical therapy. "Pope Francis is touched by the many messages received and expresses his gratitude for the closeness and prayers." The Vatican initially said the check-up had been scheduled but Italian media questioned that and reported a TV interview on Wednesday (29.03.23) was cancelled. President Joe Biden has expressed his concern for his dear "friend". Ahead of an Oval Office meeting with Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez, he told reporters: "The Pope is ill now so say an extra prayer for him." Earlier in the day, the pope appeared in good health as he attended his weekly audience at the Vatican, but could be seen grimacing as he got in and out of his car. Francis had one of his lungs removed when he was young due to a respiratory infection and had part of his colon removed in 2021 as a result of diverculitis. He said in January the latter condition had returned but he wasn't overly concerned, though he blamed it for him gaining weight. He has also been using a wheelchair for over a year due to strained knee ligaments and a small fracture but has been seen walking with a cane more frequently in recent times. The pop declined to have surgery on his knee because he didn't respond well to general anaesthetic when having his colon operation. Russell Crowe's dog has died after being hit by a truck. Russell Crowe's dog has died (c) Twitter The 'Pope's Exorcist' actor has been left devastated after his puppy Louis died in his arms before they could get the pooch to a vet following the accident. Russell shared a photo of the dog on Twitter and wrote: "This is Louis the Papillion. 16 months old. "Tiny, cheeky, brave. He won my heart. "Unfortunately today, on the second anniversary of my fathers passing, Louis was hit by a truck. "We tried to get him to the vet, but he died in my arms while I was telling him how much we loved him." The 'Gladiator' star delighted in sharing photos of Louis with fans, and in December he posted a photo with him and his beloved pet wearing matching Ralph Lauren polo shirts. He tweeted at the time: "Im not at all a fan of dressing dogs up, but a friend bought little Louis a @RalphLauren polo so he can match with dad. "I think the other dogs on the farm are going to get jealous. Pretty funny." The tragedy happened on the anniversary of the death of the 58-year-old star's beloved dad John. At the time of John's passing in 2021, Russell paid a heartfelt tribute to the "most gentle of men". He tweeted at the time: "I arrived back in the bush last night. Today, although the sun is shining and the torrential rain has abated, this date will forever be tinged with sadness. "My dear old man, my beautiful dad, the most gentle of men, has passed away. "I'm posting this because I know there are people all over the world whose hearts he touched and whose ribs he tickled with his sparkly eyes and his cheeky attitude to everyone, and everything, and this is probably as efficient a method as any to pass on the news. "John Alexander Crowe 13th March 1936 - 30th March 2021 Born in Christchurch, New Zealand. Passed away in Coffs Harbour, NSW, his home for the last 25 years. Rest In Peace." Tory Lanez has filed an appeal to throw out his conviction for shooting Megan Thee Stallion. Tory Lanez is facing up to 22 years in prison The 30-year-old rapper faces deportation from the United States and up to 22 years in prison after being convicted of three felony counts including assault with a semiautomatic firearm, carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle and discharging a firearm with gross negligence, but his legal team have accused the prosecution of trying to paint an unfair picture using irrelevant evidence. According to documents obtained by TMZ, defense attorney Jose Baez claimed prosecutors submitted a photo of Tory with no shirt on and a firearm on his chest, claiming it had been used for identification purposes, but the lawyer insisted they deliberately chose that picture to suggest his client had a fondness for weapons. The lawyer also argued it was a reversible error for prosecutors to threaten to show the jury the 'Say It' hitmaker's rap lyrics, and objected to the panel being given an 80-minute interview with Megan's friend Kelsey Harris - who was in the car the night of the shooting - to listen to, even though she later recanted much of what she had said. Additionally, Baez objected to an Instagram post being included as evidence, which included a comments from one of Megan's producers that claimed police detectives had matched bullets from Tory's gun to fragments found in Megan's foot. Finally, the appeal also argued it was wrong to allow Megan's statements made to police in which she said the rapper told her immediately after the shooting: "Please don't say anything because I'm on probation." The 'It Doesn't Matter' rapper - whose real name is Daystar Peterson - is scheduled to be sentenced next month and faces spending up to 22 years behind bars. Image: Shuttertsock How many times have you visited a book store to just look around and come home with a pile of them, because you just had to have the books in that moment? And how long did it take before the guilt hit? You cant say it did not, because who are we kidding here? All book lovers have experienced this at some point, and often, multiple times! Books can be a great companion for women, much like a good friend, as they can provide comfort, inspiration, and a sense of connection. They can offer a sense of escape from the pressures and stress of everyday life, and can provide a space for reflection and self-discovery. Precisely why a library from where you can borrow, read and return is a good idea. Right? Especially when you want a quick read to be inspired. The British Council Digital Library has curated a list to encourage you towards realising your passion and living a fulfilling life. Read on. Educated by Tara Westover Untamed by Glennon Doyle Ikigai by Hector Garcia, Francec Miralles Image: Amazon Image: Amazon Daring Greatly by Brene Brown Good Vibes, Good Life by Vex King Next Story : Solve Scalp Issues With LOreal Professionnel Scalp Advanced Range Image: AmazonEducated is an account of the struggle for self-invention. It is a tale of fierce family loyalty and of the grief that comes with severing the closest of ties. With the acute insight that distinguishes all great writers, Westover has crafted a universal coming-of-age story that gets to the heart of what an education is and what it offers: the perspective to see ones life through new eyes and the will to change it. This book is a beautifully written memoir.Image: AmazonSoulful and uproarious, forceful and tender, Untamed is both an intimate memoir and a galvanising wake-up call. It is the story of how one woman learned that a responsible mother is not one who slowly dies for her children, but one who shows them how to fully live. It is the story of navigating divorce, forming a new blended family, and discovering that the brokenness or wholeness of a family depends not on its structure but on each members ability to bring her full self to the table.We all need and perhaps also have an ikigai. Its the Japanese word for a reason to live or a reason to jump out of bed in the morning. Its the place where your needs, desires, ambitions and satisfaction meet. A place of balance. Small wonder that finding your ikigai is closely linked to living longer. Finding your ikigai is easier than you might think. This book will help you work out what your own ikigai really is, and equip you to change your life. You have a purpose in this world: your skills, your interests, your desires and your history have made you the perfect candidate for something.Image: AmazonEvery day we experience the uncertainty, risks, and emotional exposure that define what it means to be vulnerable, or to dare greatly. Whether the arena is a new relationship, an important meeting, our creative process, or a difficult family conversation, we must find the courage to walk into vulnerability and engage with our whole hearts. In this book, Dr Brown challenges everything we think we know about vulnerability. Based on twelve years of research, she argues that vulnerability is not weakness, but rather our clearest path to courage, engagement, and meaningful connection.Image: AmazonIn this book, Vex King gives an answer to a lot of peoples questions. Vex overcame adversity to become a source of hope for thousands of young people, and now draws from his personal experience and his intuitive wisdom to inspire. He has laid down various habits that he follows to cultivate a healthy lifestyle, overcome toxicity and practice mindfulness. With this book, Vex will show you that when you change the way you think, feel, speak and act, you begin to change the world. In 2022, the Philippines exported apparel worth $368.74 million, with the United States being the largest market, accounting for 57.13 per cent of the total apparel exports. The Philippines shipped apparel worth $210.67 million to the US. Trade recovery seen after the COVID-19 disruption, continued in 2022. The US was the top market for the Philippines' apparel exports, with more than half of the total share, indicating the country's dependence on the world's largest economy. South Korea was the second-largest market, accounting for only one-fifth of the top market's share. The Philippines exported apparel worth $35.877 million to South Korea in 2022, which was 9.73 per cent of the total shipment, according to Fibre2Fashions market insight tool TexPro. Among the top five markets, the Philippines exported apparel worth $22.116 million (6 per cent of total) to Canada, $19.539 million (5.30 per cent) to Japan, and $16.719 million (4.53 per cent) to Italy. The Philippines' apparel exports in 2022 amounted to $368.74 million, with the US being the largest market, followed by South Korea, Canada, Japan, and Italy. The total apparel export increased by 25.17 per cent in 2022, indicating the country's trade recovery despite the pandemic's impact. The US accounted for over 57 per cent of its total apparel exports The Philippines' apparel exports to the world increased by 25.17 per cent to $368.74 million during 2022, compared to the preceding year 2021. The outbound shipment recovered to $294.529 million in 2021 from $268.397 million in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a decline in exports during 2020. The trade was recorded at $372.130 million in 2019, as per TexPro. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL) Vietnam has recorded a trade surplus of $4.07 billion in the first quarter (Q1) of 2023, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO). The country earned $79.17 billion in export revenue, down 11.9 per cent compared to the same period last year, while imports decreased by 14.7 per cent to $75.1 billion. The US remained the largest importer of Vietnamese goods with a turnover of $20.6 billion, followed by China with $23.6 billion. However, Vietnam's trade surplus with the US was estimated at $17.5 billion, down 23.4 per cent year-on-year, while that with the EU reached $6.9 billion. The domestic economic sector contributed $19.26 billion to the export revenue, a 17.4 per cent annual decrease, while the foreign-invested sector contributed the rest, down by 10 per cent. Among the exports, four types of goods earned over $5 billion, accounting for 52.8 per cent, while 14 other goods raked in more than $1 billion, making up 77.4 per cent, Vietnamese media reports said quoting the GSO data. Vietnam's trade surplus was $4.07 billion in Q1 2023, with exports earning $79.17 billion and imports at $75.1 billion. The domestic sector contributed $19.26 billion to the exports, while the foreign-invested sector contributed the rest. US remained the largest importer of Vietnamese goods. It aims to maintain an annual trade surplus growth of 6-8 per cent. Vietnam's domestic sector spent $26.03 billion on imports, down by 13.3 per cent, while the foreign-invested sector poured $49.07 billion, a 15.4 per cent drop. Most of the imports were materials for production, equivalent to 93.5 per cent. In line with the scheme on restructuring the industry and trade sector till 2030, Vietnam aims to maintain an annual trade surplus growth of 6-8 per cent. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KD) The Controversy Queen and Internet Sensation Poonam Pandey, never fails to surprise her fans with her moves. Now, Poonam, who was seen in Kangana Ranaut's Lock Upp, is back with a bang to make heads turn in a never-before-seen avatar in Love in Taxi that is all set for its World Digital Premiere on 30th March 2023. Poonam along with the popular actor Puneet Vashist will take viewers on an enthralling journey in their film Love In Taxi. Set in a city that never sleeps, Love in Taxi explores one night in Mumbai that brings together a couple on the verge of a breakup, an actress on the run, and a man desperate to win back his ex-girlfriend. As their taxi navigates the city streets, tensions rise and passion ignites at every turn. Directed by filmmaker Benjamin Manjaly, Love in Taxi takes viewers on an adventurous journey of three taxis navigating through the chaotic streets of the bustling city. With each passenger dealing with their secrets and struggles, witness the drama that ensues as the taxis speed towards their destinations. The night is filled with surprises and the fate of each passenger hangs in the balance as they face unexpected twists and turns. It will be interesting to see if they will manage to make it through the night unscathed? Known for her uncountable controversies, Poonam Pandey plays the role of a struggling actress on the run in the film. Poonam, with her exceptional acting skills and bold personality, will portray the challenges of an aspiring artist trying to climb the ladder of success in the film. Actor Puneet Vashisht, on the other hand, portrays the character of a man desperately trying to win back his ex-girlfriend. As the world gears up for the digital premiere of Love In Taxi, excitement is building for this must-watch digital premiere. With its gripping storyline and power-packed performances, Love In Taxi promises to be a wild ride that will leave you on the edge of your seat. So, fasten your seatbelts and get ready for a heart-pumping journey with Love In Taxi. The ultimate ride packed with emotions, love, blackmail and murder; Love In Taxi is available for Digital Streaming worldwide from 30 March, 2023 Milana Nagraj Biography Milana Nagaraj is an Indian actress who has primarily appeared in Kannada films, though she has also shown up in Malayalam and Tamil movies. Nam Duniya Nam Style, a 2013 Kannada movie, marked her official debut. She was honoured by Filmfare and the South Indian International Movie Awards for her noteworthy performances in Brindavana and Love Mocktail. Personal Life A Kannada-speaking family in Hassan, Karnataka, welcomed Milana Nagaraj into the world on April 25, 1989. Milana's mom is Chandrakala, and her dad is Nagaraj. Her studies were in Hassan, and she earned a BE in computer engineering from VKIT in Bangalore. She is an excellent swimmer and has competed at the state level. Additionally, she has been crowned "Miss Best Personality" in the Miss Karnataka competition. On February 14, 2021, she tied the knot in a private ceremony with her longtime partner, Darling Krishna. Career She began her professional career in a model-based business. She has appeared in numerous commercials, including ones for Cintol soaps. In 2013's Nam Duniya Nam Style, directed by Pritham Gubbi, she landed a role. She also appeared in the Kannada film Brindavana, a remake of the Telugu film Brindavanam, which was released that year. Darshan Thoogudeepa and Karthika Nair play significant roles in the film. She made her Malayalam screen premiere in 2017 with Avarude Raavukal, following a few Kannada films. Milana Nagaraj also worked on the Tamil film Velai Illa Vivasai. She was most recently spotted in the Kannada films Love Mocktail, Mathe Udbhava, and O. She was a major character in Love Mocktail (2020), in which she portrayed Nidhi. She received considerable recognition for that movie from the public and the industry, and she won Best Actress at the 10th SIIMA Awards. Bigg Boss Malayalam 5 Contestant Lachu Gram: Ladies and gentlemen, get ready to be enchanted as a popular tinsel town diva is all set to enter the BB house. There's no prize for guessing that we are talking about Lachu Gram. The actress, who has worked in Malayalam films, is ready to roar like a lioness inside the Bigg Boss house. Considering her personality, the makers have offered her the show and her entry is expected to air in a couple of minutes on television. Bigg Boss Malayalam 5, which is hosted by Mohanlal, features an exciting line-up of contestants. Adding the tadka of glamour will be Lachu Gram. The actress, who is known for her stunning pictures, trended on Twitter after her name was confirmed as a contestant. If you don't know who is Lachu Gram, you need not worry. Grab a bowl of popcorn and start the reading session to know about Lachu Gram's real name, age, profile, films and other details. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lachu Gram (thisislachugram) Lachu Gram Profile, Films, Age & Other Details Lachu Gram, who was born in Kerala, grew up in South Africa's Johannesburg. The tinsel town diva is a trained Bharatnatyam dancer and actor. She got an opportunity to feature in the Malayalam film Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam, which bagged National Award in 2022, as per IMDb. The critically acclaimed flick was honoured with 2 Kerala State Film Awards. The film was also nominated for IFFK & IFFI. Lachu Gram Real Name Lachu Gram's real name is Aiswarya Suresh, however, she changed her name to Lachu after entering the film industry. The actress often creates ripples on the internet with her bold and glamorous pictures from her photoshoots. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lachu Gram (thisislachugram) Lachu Gram Instagram Followers Instagram is always on fire when Lachu Gram shares any pictures on the photo-and-video sharing platform. The actress has over 73k followers on Instagram and she keeps on treating them with different videos and snaps from her photoshoots and professional life. Bigg Boss Malayalam 5 Contestants List Sagar Surya, Vishnu Joshi, Sree Devi Menon, Angeline Mariya, Cerena Ann JohnsonAmrutha Saju, Anjana Mohan, Viber Devu, Anisha Nair, Maneesha, Amala Shaji, Nadira Mehrin, Aniyan Midhun, Shibu Abdul Rasheed, Reneesha, and Sobha Viswanath are competing for the winner's trophy of Bigg Boss Malayalam 5. It remains to be seen which celebrity will lift the winner's trophy Are you excited to see Lachu Gram in Bigg Boss Malayalam season 5? Drop a message or tweet us @Filmibeat to share your thoughts. Shiv Thakare has been a household name ever since he participated in Bigg Boss 16. He was one of the most talked about contestants of the popular reality show and won hearts with his strong game and common man approach on the show. In fact, Shiv, who was considered to be a strong contender for the winner's trophy, emerged as the first runner up of the show. And while he is basking in the success of the show, Shiv has now made heads turn as he opened up on his casting couch experience. During his recent interview with Hindustan Times, the Amravati based actor recalled the time when he visited Mumbai for an audition in 2015 and said, "Mumbai mein aane ke baad pata chala ki sirf ladkiyo ko dar nahi rehta yaha, ladko ko bhi dar rahta hai". Although he said that he wasn't really a victim, Shiv recalled how a casting director tried using him by taking him to the bathroom and offering him a massage. Shiv also emphasised that that there is no discrimination between men and women when it comes to casting couch. The former Bigg Boss 16 contestant said, "He told me, 'Ek baar aap aao yaha audition ke baad. Aap workout bhi karte ho...'". However, Shiv left the place without any response. But this wasn't all. Shiv also went on to reveal another incident wherein a woman called him for an audition at 11 pm. And while he understood the trick, he refused to do citing an excuse. "To this, she said, 'Kaam Nahi karna?' 'You won't get work in the industry' and other such things.," he added. Clearly, Shiv had his share of struggles during his journey to success. Talking about the work front, Shi has reportedly bagged a Marathi movie wherein he will be seen playing the lead role. Besides, it is also reported that Shiv has also been approached for Rohit Shetty's Khatron Ke Khiladi 13. However, an official announcement in this regard is yet to be made. Zee TV's Rabb Se Hai Dua has made its way into the hearts of the audience, and ever since its premiere, all the characters have received immense love and support. In recent episodes, the viewers witnessed how Ghazal (Richa Rathore) is trying to manipulate her fiance Ruhaan (Ankit Raizada) into believing that something is going on between Haider (Karanvir Sharma) and her. In fact, she has challenged Dua (Aditi Sharma) that by hook or by crook she will marry her husband Haider. It will be interesting for the viewers to watch how Dua will unveil Ghazal's truth in front of everyone and save Ruhaan from getting married to her. While the whole cast and crew of the show have been working around the clock to keep the viewers entertained, the show recently completed 100 episodes. In fact, the fans of the show showered their love by sending cakes, balloons and bouquets on the sets of the show. The lead actors took to their social media handles expressing their gratitude for all the love coming their way. Aditi mentioned, "We are so happy and thankful for the overwhelming response we have been receiving from the fans and viewers. I can't believe we have already completed 100 episodes, it feels like it was just yesterday we started shooting for the show. All the cast and crew members have been very supportive throughout this journey, and I must say, we are like one family on the set. I hope we keep our audience entertained like this so that we achieve many such milestones ahead!" Karanvir added, "I can't thank the audience enough for showing us so much love and support since the premiere of the show. I am absolutely delighted at this tremendous achievement of 100 episodes and humbled by the response that is pouring in from the audience. The journey has been a smooth sail up till now and I really look forward to exploring my character further and entertaining our viewers. It is just the start, and I hope we continue to accrue the love of our fans!" While everyone is happy about completing 100 episodes, in the upcoming episodes viewers will get to watch how Ghazal will try her best to cancel her wedding with Ruhaan by manipulating him. But will she be successful in doing so? Or will Dua expose her true intentions in front of everyone and save her marriage? To find out what happens next, tune in to Rabb Se Hai Dua every Monday to Friday at 10:00 PM, only on Zee TV! Rating: 2.5 /5 Cast: Nani, Keerthy Suresh, Samuthirakani, Dheekshith Shetty, Sai Kumar, Shine Tom Chacko Director: Srikanth Odela Runtime: 156 minutes Story: Dharani is a wayward youth who steals coal along with his friends Suri (Dheekshit Shetty) and the gang in the village of Veerlapally. The village's conflict is woven around the infamous 'Silk Bar' which is controlled by the Sarpanch. Vennela is the village's Anganwadi teacher, who is in love with Suri. Elections for the Village's (read bar's) sarpanch change the lives of Dharani, Suri, and Vennela forever, and how! Performances: Nani, who has come out of his cushioning zone has experimented by attempting the role of Dharani in Dasara. From the rugged and rustic coloured make-over to his body language, the look, the intensity, and the diction of the Telangana dialect, Nani nailed the A-Z of the character and gave it his all. As expected and assured through the film's trailer, posters, and publicity material, Nani turned on his unprecedented mode for Srikanth Odela's debut film. Keerthy Suresh aptly complimented Dharani by bringing life into the role of Vennela. However, there is a twist that one doesn't expect not just in terms of the romantic angle but the character arc of Dharani. Keerthy's performance in one particular scene will melt your heart. Dheekshith Shetty is exceptional and steals the show throughout the first half of the movie. He demands attention on the screen and has an impactful screen presence. Above all, for the conviction of debut director Srikanth Odela made a mass impact on the viewers, Dasara stands out. Unlike what was showcased about Dharani, the movie throws a surprise. Dharani is a coward and fears the dark. Dharani, who wants to avenge the death of Suri and his friends, goes on a rampage. The rest of the actors like Samuthirakani, and Sai Kumar among others have aptly justified their characters. Malayalam actor Shine Tom Chacko appeared in the key role of China Nambi in Dasara, which he plays quite effortlessly. Nani transforms himself in the movie from the first half to the second half. He showcases his bluntness as well as his courageous side when he does the unexpected. Nani's portrayal of Dharani during the climax action sequences is great and the movie ends on a positive note, seamlessly. Nani's Dasara: Technicalities: Santhosh Narayanan's tunes have already topped the music charts after the tracks like 'Ori Vaari', 'Chamkeela Angeelesi,' and 'Dhoom Dham' were released on YouTube. The music composer, who earlier produced great albums made his debut in Tollywood as a musician with Dasara. His background score for the film complimenting the theme and narration of the story. It is contrasting and impressive. Sathyan Sooryan's cinematography takes us back in time to the backdrop where Dasara was set. His visuals add the impact that this emotional drama needs to connect to the viewers. Dasara First Review: Sporting An All New Mass Avatar, Nani To Score BIG In This Action Packed Pan-India Film! What's Good: Performances of the lead actors Music and Background score Dheekshit Shetty Cinematography What's Not-so-good: Predictable Story A bit of too much drama Drag in second-half Verdict: Dasara springs a surprise for Nani as he succeeds in a full-on action role, which he never played before. Dasara is a movie to watch on the screen for Nani and his performance. Dheekshith Shetty, Keerthy Suresh, Shine Tom Chacko, and especially Srikanth Odela put out a great weekend watch. Dasara is a compelling emotional drama with an action background. Deliver 8 TFLOPS in a GPGPU chiplet package, 240 TOPS in a NPU chiplet package VeriSilicon (688521.SH) today announced Blue Ocean Smart System, an AI chiplet and SoC design company, has deployed high-performance AI chips with scalable chiplet architecture powered by multiple processors from VeriSilicon, including the CC8400 General-Purpose Graphics Processor Unit (GPGPU), VIP9400 Neural Network Processor (NPU), and VC8000D Video Processor Unit (VPU). Blue Ocean's chiplet-based products are aimed at addressing the needs of data center, high-performance computing, and automotive applications. VeriSilicon's highly scalable CC8400 GPGPU offers exceptional versatility and performance, and supports half-precision 16-bit floating-point and full-precision 32-bit floating-point, as well as 8-bit, 16-bit, and 32-bit fixed-point data precision. It delivers robust computing capabilities with optimized area and power consumption. With support for transformer models, VeriSilicon's VIP9400 NPU delivers powerful and efficient AI capabilities for data center and automotive applications. Additionally, VeriSilicon's high-throughput, multi-format VC8000D VPU can be used for video analytics. Blue Ocean's targeted HPC, AI, and computing platforms serve more industries and customers with an expandable set of chiplet ICs that are universally programmable to support products for use from edge to cloud. Leveraging Blue Ocean's leading architecture and patented BxLink technologies, the company integrates its innovative microarchitecture, hardware, and software development environment to provide fully scalable solutions that greatly enhance the competitiveness of customer products, reduce product development costs, and shorten development cycles for the markets focused on AI training, inferencing, high-precision computing, large-scale image processing, fluid dynamics, climate science, autonomous driving, advanced robotics, and biomedicine. With the chiplet architecture, Blue Ocean's products can cover a wide range of market segments from low-power AI Edge applications with Bx100 solutions, to high-performance computing (HPC) cloud systems with Bx400 and Bx800 solutions. John Rowland, President of Blue Ocean, says: "The demand for high-performance computing in data center and automotive applications is increasing rapidly. VeriSilicon's extensive portfolio of high-performance processors and their expertise in chip implementation makes them an excellent partner for our chiplet products' deployments. The recent advancements in AI applications, such as ChatGPT, have further fueled the demand for more GPGPU and NPU computing. With the innovative chiplet-based system architecture, we can provide quite a number of unique features and competitive solutions to our customers. The success of shipments of Blue Ocean's Bx series of chipsets to the market last year has proven this point." Wei-Jin Dai, Executive VP and GM of IP Division at VeriSilicon, says: "We are honored to partner with industry leader Blue Ocean to realize the chiplet concept in silicon, catering to the data center and automotive market segments. Blue Ocean stands at the forefront of delivering chiplet silicon solutions, and we are proud to join forces with them. VeriSilicon's chiplet IP series is developed based on our high-performance processors, including GPGPU, NPU, and VPU technologies that have been deployed across multiple generations of data center products. Our VPU is already being used in 12 of the top 20 cloud platforms worldwide. Development of maturing UCIe and BOW die-to-die interfaces and decreasing chiplet packaging costs will accelerate the use of chiplets for complex functions." About Blue Ocean Blue Ocean Smart System is an industry-leading artificial intelligence (AI) SoC semiconductor start-up company. Blue Ocean is well-positioned to capture the massive growth in demand for AI processing chips across the world and differentiates itself with a highly scalable chiplet architecture to produce a single architecture that can span all four use cases (cloud, edge, training, inference). Blue Ocean is the first company in the world to design and tape out two types of AI chips, a GPGPU and an NPU, at the same time with a universal and scalable chiplet architecture. Blue Ocean has a developed key technology with chiplet architecture, leads in design capabilities and is committed to the development of cloud and edge chips that can solve practical problems in the industry. At present, the first-generation 12nm Chiplet GPGPU chip, BlueFin, and NPU chip, BlueDanio, are available for customers at the same time. For more information: http://www.blueoceansmart.com About VeriSilicon VeriSilicon Microelectronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (VeriSilicon, 688521.SH) is committed to providing customers with platform-based, all-around, one-stop custom silicon services and semiconductor IP licensing services leveraging its in-house semiconductor IP. Under the unique "Silicon Platform as a Service" (SiPaaS) business model, depending on the comprehensive IP portfolio, VeriSilicon can create silicon products from definition to testing and packaging in a short time, and provides high-performance and cost-efficient semiconductor alternative products for fabless, IDM, system vendors (OEM/ODM), large internet companies and cloud service providers, etc. VeriSilicon's business covers consumer electronics, automotive electronics, computer and peripheral, industry, data processing, Internet of Things (IoT) and other applications. VeriSilicon presents a variety of customized silicon solutions, including high-definition video, high-definition audio and voice, in-vehicle infotainment, video surveillance, IoT connectivity, smart wearable, high-end application processor, video transcoding acceleration and intelligent pixel processing, etc. In addition, VeriSilicon has six categories of in-house processor IPs, namely GPU IP, NPU IP, VPU IP, DSP IP, ISP IP and Display Processor IP, as well as more than 1,500 analog and mixed signal IPs and RF IPs. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Shanghai, China, VeriSilicon has 7 design and R&D centers in China and the United States, as well as 11 sales and customer service offices worldwide. VeriSilicon currently has more than 1,300 employees. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230329005473/en/ Contacts: press@verisilicon.com EQS-Ad-hoc: Dexus Finance Pty Limited / Key word(s): Real Estate/Personnel Dexus Finance Pty Limited: Appendix 3Z - Final Director's Interest Notice 30-March-2023 / 04:03 CET/CEST Disclosure of an inside information acc. to Article 17 MAR of the Regulation (EU) No 596/2014, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Dexus (ASX: DXS) ASX release 30 March 2023 Appendix 3Z Patrick Allaway Dexus provides Appendix 3Z for - Final Director's Interest Notice for Patrick Allaway The full announcement is available at www.dexus.com/investor-centre/listed-funds/dexus-dxs/results-and-reporting/asx-announcements Authorised by Brett Cameron, General Counsel and Company Secretary of Dexus Funds Management Limited For further information please contact: Investors Rowena Causley Head of Listed Investor Relations +61 2 9017 1390 +61 416 122 383 rowena.causley@dexus.com Media Louise Murray Senior Manager, Corporate Communications +61 2 9017 1446 +61 403 260 754 louise.murray@dexus.com Information and Explanation of the Issuer to this announcement: About Dexus Dexus (ASX: DXS) is one of Australia's leading fully integrated real asset groups, managing a high-quality Australasian real estate and infrastructure portfolio valued at $62.3 billion (pro forma post final completion of the AMP Capital acquisition). We believe that the strength and quality of our relationships will always be central to our success and are deeply committed to working with our customers to provide spaces that engage and inspire. We directly own $17.8 billion of office and industrial assets and investments. We manage a further $44.5 billion of investments in our funds management business (pro forma post final completion of the AMP Capital acquisition) which provides third party capital with exposure to quality sector specific and diversified real asset products. The funds within this business have a strong track record of delivering outperformance and benefit from Dexus's capabilities. The group's $15.8 billion development pipeline provides the opportunity to grow both portfolios and enhance future returns. We consider sustainability (ESG) to be an integral part of our business with the objectives of Leading Cities, Future Enabled Customers, Strong Communities, Thriving People and an Enriched Environment supporting our overarching goal of Sustained Value. Dexus is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange and is supported by more than 31,000 investors from 23 countries. With over 35 years of expertise in property investment, funds management, asset management and development, we have a proven track record in capital and risk management and delivering superior risk-adjusted returns for investors. www.dexus.com Dexus Funds Management Ltd ABN 24 060 920 783, AFSL 238163, as Responsible Entity for Dexus (ASX: DXS) Level 25, 264 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000 30-March-2023 CET/CEST The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.eqs-news.com Galderma will present results from the innovative Sculptra Cheek Wrinkle study, which demonstrate the long-lasting results over a 24-month period of the treatment for cheek wrinkle correction with significant improvements in skin firmness and radiance 1 Cheek Wrinkle study, which demonstrate the long-lasting results over a 24-month period of the treatment for cheek wrinkle correction with significant improvements in skin firmness and radiance Data from the Alluzience STAR study will also be featured, demonstrating sustained aesthetic improvement in glabellar lines up to month six, high patient satisfaction and a preference of investigators to use a ready-to-use solution over the powder product in 81% of treatment sessions 2 STAR study will also be featured, demonstrating sustained aesthetic improvement in glabellar lines up to month six, high patient satisfaction and a preference of investigators to use a ready-to-use solution over the powder product in 81% of treatment sessions Additional posters from across the portfolio will be presented and the company will host a symposium featuring the Galderma Holistic Individualized Treatments (HIT) approach to focus on long-term treatments and lifting the heavy face Galderma will be presenting the latest data from the Sculptra (injectable poly-L-lactic acid, PLLA-SCA) Cheek Wrinkle and Alluzience (abobotulinumtoxinA solution) STAR studies at the 21st Aesthetic Anti-Aging Medical World (AMWC) Congress, taking place in Monaco, from March 30 to April 1, 2023. Results demonstrate high aesthetic improvement as well as patient and investigator satisfaction for both products, reinforcing the strength of the company's highly differentiated aesthetic portfolio, and underscoring its commitment to delivering science, innovation, and a premium experience throughout the treatment journey.1,2 Data from the innovative Sculptra Cheek Wrinkle study, a large clinical registration trial in the United States, show the long-lasting effectiveness of the treatment for cheek wrinkle correction over a two-year period.1 Sculptra is the first and original collagen stimulator with the unique PLLA-SCA3,4,5,6,7,8 that addresses the root causes of the skin aging process by stimulating the body's own collagen production.9 This helps restore the skin's foundation and structural function, gradually improving the its firmness, increasing skin elasticity and improving skin quality and radiance. Results are natural, progressive and proven to last over two years.10,11,12,13,14 In the study, the response rate at month 12 was significantly higher for Sculptra compared to the control group (71.6% vs 26.1%). At months seven to 12, those treated with Sculptra also had improved dynamic wrinkles, and even greater proportions had improved aesthetic appearance (=93%), improved radiance, skin tightness, and jawline contour (=86%). Patient satisfaction was high with =92% satisfied with their appearance and agreeing their skin's natural glow was improved two years after treatment.1 In the 12-month extension study for the Sculptra treated arm, with no additional treatment, response rate remained high with aesthetic improvement rates of =94% at months 19-24, supporting maintained effects on wrinkles through two years. Results also demonstrated the safety profile of Sculptra. Sculptra was well tolerated with adverse events mostly mild and transient, and no new treatment-related adverse events reported in the 12-24 month follow-up.1 Galderma will also present the latest data from Alluzience's first phase IV study, STAR, at AMWC. Approved in Europe in June 2021, Alluzience is Europe's first ready-to-use (RTU) liquid neuromodulator for the treatment of moderate to severe glabellar lines (GLs frown lines). The clinical development program of Alluzience has shown rapid onset of effect, starting on day one, a long duration up to six months and improved psychological well-being after treatment.15 The objective of the STAR study was to assess subject and investigator experience using a RTU versus powder neurotoxin and aesthetic improvement, satisfaction and safety after just one treatment during a six-month follow-up period.2 At month one, almost all (99%) of those treated with Alluzience had aesthetic improvement in GLs at maximum frown, which persisted in ~76% up to month six. At month six, most subjects felt that they looked natural (95%) and refreshed (85%) and were satisfied with their appearance (88%). Results also showed high investigator satisfaction, 100% agreeing that it fulfilled their expectations, was easy to use and learn and required the fewest possible steps for its purpose. In 81% of treatment sessions, investigators preferred using the RTU formulation over powder. In addition, in 97% of treatment sessions, investigators felt that using a RTU solution such as Alluzience resulted in substantially less waste and that this was better for the environment.2 "The results from both of these important and unique studies reinforce not only the strength of our broad aesthetic portfolio for both patients and physicians but also our commitment to exploring innovative approaches to deliver cutting-edge science as effective treatments. We're excited to share these data and more at the AMWC congress and exchanging with the scientific community" BALDO SCASSELLATI SFORZOLINI, M.D., Ph.D. GLOBAL HEAD OF RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT GALDERMA New techniques and approaches for the heavy face and the latest data from across the portfolio to be showcased at the congress As a leader in bringing cutting-edge products to market and in providing the scientific community with individualized treatment approaches, training and business support, Galderma's extensive presence at AMWC demonstrates its ongoing dedication to advancing dermatology for every skin story. The focus of the Galderma symposium, titled Aesthetic Lives: Lifting the heavy face will explore the aesthetic journey as a long-term endeavor, using Galderma Holistic Individualized Treatments (HIT) to discover the aesthetic lives of patients and the medical professionals who treat them as we shape the future of aesthetics. The event will take place on Thursday, March 30 at 2:00 PM in the Prince Pierre Auditorium. About Sculptra SCULPTRA is the first and original injectable collagen stimulator containing microparticles of unique poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA-SCA) which gradually revitalizes the skin's structural foundation, providing long-term results for more than two years.3-13 SCULPTRA was first approved in 1999 in Europe, and it is currently available in more than 40 countries globally. SCULPTRA works to stimulate the skin's own collagen production9 to provide firm and radiant skin. It is suitable for increasing the volume of depressed areas, particularly to correct skin depressions such as skin creases, wrinkles, folds, and scars, and for signs of skin aging.16 About Alluzience Alluzience (abobotulinumtoxinA solution) is the first ready-to-use BoNT-A liquid neuromodulator formulation to be introduced in Europe. Alluzience is indicated for the temporary improvement in the appearance of moderate to severe glabellar lines seen at maximum frown in adult patients under 65 years, when the severity of these lines has an important psychological impact on the patient.17 It should only be administered by a physician with appropriate qualifications and expertise in this treatment using the required equipment.17 Dosing and treatment intervals depend on assessment of the individual patient's response.17 The treatment interval should be no more frequent than every three months.17 For more information, please see the Summary of Product Characteristics.17 Alluzience is a product under license from Ipsen. Alluzience is a registered trademark of Ipsen. Galderma has an exclusive license from Ipsen to develop, promote and distribute Alluzience in the approved indication in several European countries. About Galderma Galderma is the pure-play dermatology category leader, present in approximately 90 countries. We deliver an innovative, science-based portfolio of premium flagship brands and services that span the full spectrum of the fast-growing dermatology market through Injectable Aesthetics, Dermatological Skincare and Therapeutic Dermatology. Since our foundation in 1981, we have dedicated our focus and passion to the human body's largest organ the skin meeting individual consumer and patient needs with superior outcomes in partnership with healthcare professionals. Because we understand that the skin we're in shapes our lives, we are advancing dermatology for every skin story. Galderma's portfolio of flagship brands includes Restylane, Dysport, Azzalure, Alluzience and Sculptra in Injectable Aesthetics; Soolantra, Epiduo, Differin, Aklief, Epsolay, Twyneo, Oracea, Metvix, Benzac and Loceryl in Therapeutic Dermatology; and Cetaphil and Alastin in Dermo-cosmetics. For more information, visit www.galderma.com. References: 1 Fabi S. Poster presented at AMWC 2023. 2 Chadha P. Poster presented at AMWC 2023. 3 FDA. Summary of safety and effectiveness data. 2023 4 Data on file. MA- 54151 5 Asius J et al. Inventors. US patent US 7,731,758 B2,2021 6 Data on file. MA-53568 7 Mest DR, et al. Dermatol Surg. 2006 8 Bohnert K et al. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2019 9 Hexsel D, Dermatol Surg. Letters and Communications. 2020 10 Baron J. Abstract presented at IMCAS 2023. (MA-54104) 11 Goldberg D et al. Dermatol Surg. 2013 12 Narins RS, et al. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2010 13 Brandt FS, et al. Aesthet Surg J. 2011 14 Data on file. MA-48331 15 Hilton et al. Dermatol Surg 2022;48:1198-202 16 Sculptra IFU. 2018. 17 Alluzience Summary of Product Characteristics, 2023 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230329005096/en/ Contacts: For further information: Christian Marcoux, M.Sc. Chief Communications Officer christian.marcoux@galderma.com +41 76 315 26 50 Rachel Mooney Global Franchise Communications rachel.mooney@galderma.com +41 76 261 64 41 Cognite Data Fusion is the first software platform to achieve compliance with DNV-RP-A204, the energy industry's recommended practice on how to build and quality-assure digital twins Cognite, a global leader in industrial software, in a joint effort with Aker BP, today announced it has successfully achieved DNV-RP-A204 compliance. DNV, the world's leading classification society and independent expert in assurance and risk management, developed DNV-RP-A204 as a quality-assurance benchmark for the energy industry's varying approaches to building and operating digital twins. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230329005990/en/ S&P Global Oil Gas Digital Twin Supplier Landscape, select firms (Graphic: Business Wire) The compliance pertains to Cognite's core product, Cognite Data Fusion, an Industrial DataOps platform that combines disparate data sources and information to host, structure, integrate, and contextualize data for digital twin solutions. The assessment scope includes cybersecurity, and software development maturity, including verification and validation process, data quality indicators, and operational assurance. This accreditation comes on the heels of a report from leading independent research firm S&P Global that identified Cognite Data Fusion as a leader across 20 assessed digital twin providers on the progress toward asset optimization and autonomous operations. The study found that Cognite is a leader in digital integration and contextualization across OT, IT and engineering data spectrums. Together, these credentials signal to current and future customers that Cognite Data Fusion delivers best-in-class Open Industrial Digital Twins that: Accelerate and scale AI Asset Performance Management solutions with cross data-source insights Connect to physics simulators and deploy physics-guided machine learnings Establish confidence in the data and computational models running the digital twin Enable predictive analytics solutions like scenario planning Deliver intuitive data visualizations that drive agility and value "Cognite Data Fusion's open Industrial DataOps is the leader in data integration for industrial digital twins," said Paula Doyle, Chief Digital Officer, Aker BP. "In the Yggdrasil field development project, we are setting a new standard in the way to operate a field to ensure high efficiency and very low emissions. We are talking about remotely controlled operations, unmanned production platforms, technology and data-driven decisions, and work processes. This certification only strengthens our confidence that Cognite Data Fusion will help us reach our ambitious goals for Yggdrasil." "A strong data integration capability is one of the key elements to enable successful digital twin deployments," said Oscar Abbink, Director, Energy Technology and Innovation at S&P Global Commodity Insights. "DNV-RP-A204, the energy industry's first Recommended Practice on how to build and quality- assure digital twins, sets a benchmark for approaches to building and operating the technology and turning potential into a real return on investment," said Lucy Craig, Director, Growth, Innovation and Digital, Energy Systems at DNV. "Developed in collaboration with the energy industry, DNV-RP-A204 provides valuable guidance for digital twin developers, introduces a contractual reference between suppliers and users, and acts as a framework for assurance of the technology." To learn more, visit cognite.com/industrial-digital-twin. About Cognite Cognite is a global industrial SaaS company that was established with a clear vision: to rapidly empower industrial companies with contextualized, trustworthy, and accessible data to help drive the full-scale digital transformation of asset-heavy industries around the world. Our core Industrial DataOps platform, Cognite Data Fusion, enables industrial data and domain users to collaborate quickly and safely to develop, operationalize, and scale industrial AI solutions and applications to deliver both profitability and sustainability. Visit us at www.cognite.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. About DNV DNV is the independent expert in risk management and assurance, operating in more than 100 countries. Through its broad experience and deep expertise DNV advances safety and sustainable performance, sets industry benchmarks, and inspires and invents solutions. Whether assessing a new ship design, optimizing the performance of a wind farm, analyzing sensor data from a gas pipeline or certifying a food company's supply chain, DNV enables its customers and their stakeholders to make critical decisions with confidence. In the energy industry DNV provides assurance to the entire energy value chain through its advisory, monitoring, verification, and certification services. As the world's leading resource of independent energy experts and technical advisors, the assurance provider helps industries and governments to navigate the many complex, interrelated transitions taking place globally and regionally, in the energy industry. DNV is committed to realizing the goals of the Paris Agreement and supports customers to transition faster to a deeply decarbonized energy system. Learn more at www.dnv.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230329005990/en/ Contacts: Cognite: Michelle Holford Vice President of Global Public Relations E-mail: michelle.holford@cognite.com DNV: Neil Slater Head of Media Relations Energy Systems Tel: +44 (0) 7876 578 353 E-mail: neil.slater@dnv.com Penda Sall Media Relations Energy Systems Tel: +33 (0) 651 69 88 64 E-mail: penda.sall@dnv.com Turkish company Korteks addresses risk of unplanned downtime due to obsolescent hardware, and reaps rewards of its new digitalized architecture, in a plant with more than 50 machines. ISTANBUL, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), the world's largest company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, today announced that its digital solutions, knowledge and capabilities have proved pivotal in the successful plantwide modernization of Korteks' fiber and textiles plant in Turkey. Korteks, one of Europe's biggest fully integrated polyester continuous filament yarn manufacturers, boasts about 335,000 m2 of production facilities, with daily polymer production capacities amounting to nearly 600 tons of yarn in various formats, including POY, FDY, texturized, twisted and air texturized. The company faced a growing risk of unplanned downtime due to the obsolescence challenges within its legacy OT infrastructure. However, it also faced difficulties in the planning of its modernization investment due to the complexity of its installed base. After in-depth technical discussions and multiple site visits, Rockwell Automation demonstrated a holistic modernization approach - that factored in all the complexities of the existing OT and IT infrastructure - with minimum production disruptions. "This phased modernization approach is a textbook example of what can be achieved with the right planning, backed by proven hardware and supported by a highly knowledgeable technical team," explains Ediz Eren, Rockwell Automation country sales director in Turkey. "The three-year plan will see a complete plantwide redesign with the final architecture delivering a fully digitalized platform that Korteks will be able to use to generate even greater efficiencies. "We examined each individual machine and developed bespoke machine-specific upgrade pathways that would keep downtime to an absolute minimum. Each individual plan then feeds into the overall plan, which will eventually deliver a standardized plantwide automation and control infrastructure that will greatly simplify maintenance, training, operation and future integration." "One of the most fundamental factors we considered was that production could not be stopped and each machine could be out of service for limited periods of time, only," explains Baris Mert, General Manager of Korteks. "Our primary goal was to address the risks we anticipated, relating to obsolescent control hardware, but the secondary outcomes - provided by a fully digitalized architecture - will open the door to great operational improvement opportunities in the near future." Learn more about Rockwell Automation modernization solutions here. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2042951/RA___Korteks_teams.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1981317/3961234/Rockwell_Automation_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/rockwell-automation-helps-modernize-machine-infrastructure-at-major-fiber-and-textiles-plant-with-minimal-downtime-301784460.html AMSTERDAM, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --UK-based cybersecurity consultants and investigators, Arrowsgate, have partnered with blockchain analytics specialist Crystal Blockchain to integrate advanced blockchain monitoring and investigative technology to scale its business globally. Founded by former UK military specialists, Arrowsgate provides investigation services to a wide range of clients from individuals and corporates who are victims of cyber security breaches and related scams and hacks, to government agencies investigating highly organised and dangerous criminal groups. Crystal's core product Crystal Expert is an all-in-one blockchain analytics tool for investigations, AML compliance and digital asset risk management, providing blockchain analytics and transaction monitoring for thousands of cryptocurrencies in real-time. The blockchain analytics and investigations tool will help Arrowsgate identify information to track crypto related crimes more rapidly, helping to close investigations sooner. Rob Moore, founder and director at Arrowsgate said, "With levels of cyber breaches and financial crime increasing at rates never seen before, the demand for asset recovery and investigations services for crimes related to crypto is at an all-time high. With Crystal, we will be able to service this demand more easily, saving hours on investigations time and easily provide evidence to support criminal investigations." Marina Khaustova, CEO at Crystal said, "We are delighted to partner with Arrowsgate. Well-aware that more and more firms and individuals find themselves at the wrong end of a cyber security breach these days, we know our technology can facilitate faster investigations. At the same time, the demand from the public sector to help with large-scale, cross-border operations is also increasing, and we are pleased that both our technology and our unique and reliable data can be immensely valuable in these investigations." View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/arrowsgate-partners-with-crystal-to-enhance-blockchain-analytics-and-investigations-technology-301785132.html Pre-Stabilisation notice March 30, 2023 Not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful. Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank EUR 500mil increase to the outstanding EUR1.5bn 3.25% Notes due 06 September 2030 Commerzbank AG (contact: Daniela Olt-Farrelly; telephone: +49 69 13620) hereby announces, as Stabilisation Coordinator, that the Stabilising Managers named below may stabilise the offer of the following securities in accordance with Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU Regulation 596/2014). The security to be stabilised: Issuer: Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank Guarantor (if any): Federal Republic of Germany Aggregate nominal amount: EUR 500 million increase Description: Fixed rate, senior unsecured Notes Offer price: tbc Other offer terms: 3.25% Notes due 06 September 2030, payment date 06 April 2023, under the issuer's EMTN programme. ISIN: XS2595650222 Stabilisation: Stabilisation Coordinator: Stabilising Managers: Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft Barclays Bank Bayern LB Danske Bank Stabilisation period expected to start on: March 30, 2023 Stabilisation period expected to end on: no later than 30 days after the proposed issue date of the securities Existence, maximum size and conditions of use of over-allotment facility. The Stabilising Managers may over-allot the securities to the extent permitted in accordance with applicable law. Stabilisation trading venue: Luxembourg 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 7 in 10 UK businesses today find the 'simple tax' complex and confusing New research commissioned by tax software company Avalara reveals that 71% of UK businesses find VAT returns too complex and 93% of business decision-makers would support a movement to simplify the rules Nearly a quarter (24%) of UK businesses have been audited for filing their VAT return inaccurately or late Despite this, nearly a third (29%) of UK businesses are hesitant to invest in tax technology to support their business in the calculation and preparation of VAT returns VAT was introduced in the UK 50 years ago on 1 April Avalara, Inc., a leading provider of cloud-based tax compliance automation for businesses of all sizes, today released findings from a new survey* of 1,000 UK businesses revealing that VAT compliance remains complex and confusing for businesses to navigate as 1 April 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of UK VAT. Complexity is costing businesses time and money Failing to keep up with the complexity of VAT legislation and regulatory changes, nearly a quarter (24%) of the UK businesses surveyed have been audited for filing their VAT return inaccurately or late, and 20% have accidentally overpaid on their VAT return. In an attempt to temper this, nearly half (46%) of businesses are spending 10-40 hours each month on ensuring their business is VAT compliant, including checking transactions, doing VAT returns, and researching different tax laws. A new VAT penalty regime took effect in January 2023 that assesses penalties and interest on late return submissions and payments. VAT returns will be penalised based on penalty thresholds determined by a new points system. A business will lose one point each time it delays filing a return, until it reaches the penalty threshold and receives a 200 penalty. Furthermore, businesses will also be fined 200 for each subsequent late filing. Prior to that, on 1 November 2022, HMRC shut its legacy web portal used by businesses for filing VAT returns. With no alternative way of filing UK VAT returns outside of Making Tax Digital (MTD) compatible software, the 'soft landing' period to allow businesses to get their digital links into place came to an end. As a result, approximately 832,000** UK VAT registered businesses were at risk of hefty penalties. April Fools' Day tax continues to trick businesses The tax that originated on the first of April has 'fooled' UK businesses since its introduction 50 years ago. Over half (51%) of business decision-makers would struggle to confidently explain their company's VAT obligations to someone outside of the business highlighting the level of confusion that exists even at a senior level. Despite the confusion, nearly a third of UK businesses (29%) are hesitant to invest in technology to help streamline their tax function and help with the calculation and reporting of VAT. Only 46% of UK businesses have invested in technology to support in the filing of VAT returns, and just 43% lean on technology to support their business in the preparation of VAT returns. "From Jaffa Cakes to Cornish pasties, VAT has been stumping businesses for five decades. However, it really can be a simple tax, as Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1973 Anthony Barber intended it to be," said Alex Baulf, Senior Director of Global Indirect Tax at Avalara."Complexity in calculating the right rate of VAT at the point of sale, and then preparing a VAT return are two of the main pain points businesses face, leading to increased stress, time and effort, and ultimately risk of making errors. However, by adopting technology, businesses can really streamline and automate VAT processes, reducing the risk of errors and penalties, and the headache associated with staying compliant." "VAT shouldn't be the tail that wags the dog. Businesses should have confidence in their VAT obligations, from invoice to return, so they can instead focus on the things that matter, like growth," said Baulf. High fines due to non-compliance are a burden businesses cannot afford to take on in the current economic climate. To help navigate their VAT obligations, the majority of business decision-makers (93%) are in favour of a movement to simplify the rules around VAT for businesses. To learn more about the survey findings, please click here. To learn how Avalara solves VAT compliance for businesses, please visit avalara.com. About Avalara Avalara helps businesses of all sizes get tax compliance right. In partnership with leading ERP, accounting, ecommerce, and other financial management system providers, Avalara delivers cloud-based compliance solutions for various transaction taxes, including sales and use, VAT, GST, excise, communications, lodging, and other indirect tax types. Headquartered in Seattle, Avalara has offices across the U.S. and around the world in Brazil, Europe, and India. More information at avalara.com. *Methodology Research was conducted by Censuswide with 1,014 business decision-makers in UK businesses (aged 18+) between 17 March and 20 March 2023. Censuswide abide by and employ members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles and are members of The British Polling Council. **According to the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, in late October 2022, approximately 10% of businesses above the VAT threshold and 55% of businesses below it needed to sign up to MTD VAT. Avalara analysed this data, and using HMRC's Annual VAT data statistics from 2020/21, Avalara found that the 1,297,250 UK VAT registered businesses with 0 VAT registration threshold equals 713,487 businesses that are yet to register. Avalara found that 1,184,080 UK VAT registered businesses above VAT registration threshold equals 118,408 businesses that are yet to register, meaning there is a total of approximately 831,895 businesses as of August 2022 that need to sign up for MTD and at minimum need a way of filing UK VAT return by API. Avalara used the reported figures and applied these percentages to the latest available data (HMRC Annual VAT data statistics from 2020/21) on the number of VAT registered businesses split by below or above threshold, coming to a 33% figure. 1,297,250 UK VAT registered businesses with 0 VAT registration threshold equals 713,487 businesses. 1,184,080 UK VAT registered businesses above VAT registration threshold equals 118,408 businesses, meaning there is a total of 2,481,330 VAT registrations. With the 831,895 businesses that are yet to switch, this gave Avalara the percentage figure of 33%. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005146/en/ Contacts: Tommy Morgan (Avalara) +1 540-448-7551 media@avalara.com Sarah Mir (Avalara PR agency Fight or Flight) avalara@fightorflight.com Compagnie Financiere Richemont SA / Key word(s): Miscellaneous Richemont launches Enquirus, a neutral, digital platform designed to help the global luxury industry address watch and jewellery theft worldwide 30.03.2023 / 11:01 CET/CEST To read the full news click here: Richemont news For a printer-friendly version: Richemont news PDF EN Richemont today announces the launch of Enquirus , a neutral, global digital platform designed to help reduce watch and jewellery related crime. Open to all luxury brands, Enquirus was designed in close collaboration with a wide range of partners, including watch and jewellery manufacturers, law enforcement agencies, insurance companies, the pre-owned market and clients. This trusted space allows for watch and jewellery information to be securely uploaded, searched and shared by multiple parties, while protecting customers' identities. All data is solely used to facilitate the identification of lost and stolen items, making the purchase and resale of such pieces more difficult. "This reliable solution brings together multiple stakeholders to serve customers and the entire industry, by facilitating borderless cooperation between police forces and insurance partners," said Jerome Lambert, CEO of Richemont. "By providing free access for customers and industry partners, the opportunity to sell stolen watches becomes more prohibitive, with the ultimate objective of reducing the incentive to steal watches in the first place." "We have listened to our customers and developed Enquirus, as part of our suite of customer services, to help them protect their watches and jewellery," said Frank Vivier, Chief Transformation Officer, Richemont. "Our goal is to bring onboard as many industry players as possible, as well as the Police Departments of all the major cities in the world, to make Enquirus the largest international database of lost and stolen watches and jewellery." How it Works in Three Easy Steps: Watch owners and industry partners can register, declare and search for lost and stolen watches and jewellery through individual or business accounts. It is a fast and easy process: 1. Create an account and register your collection using the brand and serial numbers 2. Upload documentation in the secure digital vault 3. Report lost or stolen pieces By simply registering a piece on Enquirus, customers are quickly connected to their pieces anywhere in the world in case of loss or theft. With one central point of reference, police forces, insurance companies, Maisons and the second-hand market can easily collaborate to increase the chances of recovery. Through the search function, customers considering purchasing a pre-owned watch or piece of jewellery can also check the database and ensure that it is not a stolen item prior to purchase. Intelligent Ecosystem An intelligent ecosystem, Enquirus has more than 175 luxury watch brands and several top jewellery brands already pre-loaded, to make registration easier for clients. These include all the Richemont Maisons, as well as other major players in the watch industry. Thousands of customers have uploaded their collections to date, of which over 28 000 watches and jewellery are registered as lost or stolen. The Departement de Surete Territoriale in Paris, as well as the Geneva Police Service des Bijoux department and other European police forces are registered with Enquirus and using the platform to help break the cycle of theft and resale of stolen watches and jewellery. Enquirus has been awarded Secured by Design accreditation, the official police security initiative owned by the UK Police Service which aims to reduce crime and help people live more safely. Additional Police Departments around the world will be onboarded in the coming months. Current insurance partners include, LMG Jewellery, the UK's largest organisation specialising in the professional management of insurance claims for jewellery, watches and other valuable items, as well as Zurich Insurance Group, the largest insurance company in Switzerland. Bonhams, the renowned international auctioneer of luxury pieces is also a partner of Enquirus. About Richemont At Richemont, we craft the future. Our unique portfolio includes prestigious Maisons distinguished by their craftsmanship and creativity, alongside online distributors that cultivate expert curation and technological innovation to deliver the highest standards of service. Richemont's ambition is to nurture its Maisons and businesses and enable them to grow and prosper in a responsible, sustainable manner over the long term. Richemont operates in three business areas: Jewellery Maisons with Buccellati, Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels; Specialist Watchmakers with A. Lange & Sohne, Baume & Mercier, IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Panerai, Piaget, Roger Dubuis and Vacheron Constantin; and Other, primarily Fashion & Accessories Maisons with Alaia, AZ Factory, Chloe, Delvaux, dunhill, Montblanc, Peter Millar including G/FORE, Purdey, Serapian as well as Watchfinder & Co. In addition, Richemont operates NET-A-PORTER, MR PORTER, THE OUTNET, YOOX and the OFS division. Find out more at https://www.richemont.com/ . Media enquiries Heidi Salon, Group Corporate Communications Deputy Director Telephone: +41 22 721 3110 Email: pressoffice@cfrinfo.net End of Media Release People-Centric Cybersecurity Leader Appoints Eric Johnson, Chief Revenue Officer, and Julie Chapman, Senior Vice President of Customer Experience, to Support the Companys Global Expansion, as Organizations Seek to Build Resilience against Costly Cyber Attacks Immersive Labs, the global leader in people-centric cyber resilience, today announced it has appointed Eric Johnson to its executive leadership team as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) and named Julie Chapman, Senior Vice President of Customer Experience. Together, these new hires will accelerate global revenue growth, drive customer acquisition and retention, and expand routes to market as part of the company's mission to give workforces around the world the knowledge, skills, and judgment to effectively confront cyber threats. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230313005087/en/ Eric Johnson, Chief Revenue Officer (Photo: Business Wire) Johnson is a highly-experienced CRO and Board member with over two decades of experience leading high-growth, enterprise-level companies to meet and exceed their revenue goals. He recently served as CRO at Interos Inc.; Chief Sales Officer (CSO) at Marketo; President of Americas at Qlik; and President of Global Sales at Blackberry. Previously, Johnson spent a decade with Sybase (acquired by SAP in 2010) in multiple leadership roles culminating in his running the global database and technology business. He also serves as a Board member for Televerde and The New York Pops. Chapman is a seasoned customer experience executive leading high-performing teams in the technology industry for more than 20 years, from scaling up start-ups to managing expansion for large global brands. She has held leadership roles at IBM, Adobe, Marketo, and Interos. "Eric and Julie join Immersive Labs at a pivotal time when organizations are increasingly focused on building cyber resilience across their teams and having the metrics to prove it," said James Hadley, Chief Executive Officer, Immersive Labs. "Their extensive experience make them a perfect match for our go-to-market strategy, and they will serve as champions for our customers, helping them achieve their key business outcomes." "I am drawn to Immersive Labs' unique approach to cybersecurity one that puts people, rather than tech stacks, at the heart of everything," said Johnson. "I am excited to bring the value of Immersive Labs to more customers around the world, and help them safeguard their people, revenues, and brand reputations." "Cyber leaders face increased pressures to build and prove cyber preparedness across the workforce, and they need more support," said Chapman. "I am looking forward to meeting with current and prospective Immersive Labs customers to learn more about their needs and how we can best address them." The company's latest hires add valuable expertise, insights, and experience to the company's leadership team. In October 2022, Immersive Labs announced $66M in new capital and the appointments of Sandra McDevitt as Chief Human Resources Officer, and Lucian Lui as Chief Marketing Officer. Immersive Labs was also recently named Gold Winner for "Best Cybersecurity Company North America" and "Cyber Skilling Product North America" by the Cyber Excellence Awards. About Immersive Labs Immersive Labs is the leader in people-centric cyber resilience. We help organizations continuously assess, build, and prove their cyber workforce resilience for teams across the entire organization, from front-line cybersecurity and development teams to Board-level executives. We provide realistic simulations and hands-on cybersecurity labs to evaluate individual and team capabilities and decision-making against the latest threats. Organizations can now prove their cyber resilience by measuring their readiness compared to industry benchmarks, building team capabilities, and demonstrating risk reduction and compliance with data-backed evidence. Immersive Labs is trusted by the world's largest organizations and governments, including Citi, Pfizer, HSBC, the UK Ministry of Defence, and the UK National Health Service. We are backed by Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Summit Partners, Insight Partners, Citi Ventures, Ten Eleven Ventures, and Menlo Ventures. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230313005087/en/ Contacts: Jen Weber immersivelabs@inkhouse.com JAXA accredited space venture Tenchijin has been selected in the Global Sustainability Accelerator', powered by Creww Google for Startups: a program designed to help startups accelerate and scale their sustainable solutions. Tenchijin will have access to mentorship from Google's network experts and opportunities to access customers, resources and funding. - What is the Global Sustainability Accelerator powered by Creww and Google for Startups? This program aims to support startups that drive innovations with technologies and ideas to realize a sustainable and prosperous world. This first round focuses on Japanese startups with services and products aiming to solve global issues related to energy, water, and food. - Background of Tenchijin's application Global Sustainability Accelerator program and Tenchijin share a strong vision and mission. Tenchijin's mission is to "optimize human civilization activities using information from space". We aim to solve global social issues, achieve a sustainable world by harnessing space Big Data. Google's advance knowledge and networking opportunities Tenchijin is also expanding business globally. Currently, Tenchijin operates in 6 countries. We hope this program would help us accelerate and scale our Earth-friendly solutions globally. - Entry details Tenchijin was selected among 10 Japanese start-ups. We applied to the program with Tenchijin COMPASS software and the traction gained from two projects: water leakage risk mitigation and renewable energy power plants spots localization. Water Pipe leakage risk management The aging water pipelines and delayed maintenance lead to a sharp increase in large-scale water leakage accidents world-wide. It has become a social issue as it jeopardizes water supply for a growing population. We are working to develop a 100 meter spatial resolution leakage risk management operation system that combines Big Data. Our unique AI technology evaluates and visualizes the leakage risk in water pipes. This enables a 60% and 80% reduction in survey costs and time, respectively. Optimal location for renewal energy plants Firms are developing renewable energy to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and supply energy to a growing population. However, the selection of optimal sites is time consuming as various data sets need to be used simultaneously. The current models are sometimes obsolete, biased, incomplete. Tenchijin COMPASS aggregates Big Data to pinpoint the most suitable area for a renewable energy plant. Thanks to remote sourcing, less onsite surveys are required, which helps developers improve operational efficiency. This reduces risks, generates accurate proposals and accelerates deployment. Tenchijin COMPASS can be used for free by creating an account on the Tenchijin website. URL: https://tenchijin.co.jp/compass/?hl=en Language: English, Japanese Browsers: Google Chrome (recommended), only PC If you are interested in customizing Tenchijin COMPASS or consulting on data analysis, please contact us at info-compass@tenchijin.co.jp Access here for the details: https://tenchijin.co.jp/?hl=en View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005071/en/ Contacts: Tenchijin, Inc. Yasuhito Sakuraba info@tenchijin.co.jp BARCELONA, Spain, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ELIE SAAB, one of fashion's most prominent couture brand, has been invited, as the guest of honor, to present its first ever bridal catwalk during Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week (BBFW). The acclaimed designer has also chosen BBFW, the leading international trade show for the Bridal Fashion industry, as the setting for the first catwalk ever in Spain. ELIE SAAB, the Lebanese luxury brand, will debut its spring-summer 2024 bridal collection at Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week on the evening of April 19th. The fashion show will take place during the Barcelona Bridal Night, an event specially designed for the occasion, attended by buyers, designers, fashion industry professionals, influencers, celebrities, as well as international media who will all witness a memorable evening. According to Elie Saab Jr, CEO of ELIE SAAB: "Showing in Barcelona for the first time is a very momentous occasion for ELIE SAAB. Debuting Bridal, during Bridal Fashion Week in an exclusive runway show, is a true pleasure. We are thrilled to celebrate bridal while continuing to broaden the expressions of the ELIE SAAB woman." About ELIE SAAB Elie Saab founded his eponymous label in 1982, at just 18 years old. Since then, the ELIE SAAB house has been established as one of the major leaders in the Haute Couture category globally, with ateliers based in Paris, Beirut and London. Elie Saab became in 2002 the Couturier of choice when Halle Berry wore one of his Haute Couture designs to receive the Oscar for Best Actress. This moment propelled the brand as one of the favourites for red-carpets appearances chosen by royalties and celebrities around the world. ELIE SAAB has continued to build on the inherent savoir-faire and innate elegance for which it is renowned, expanding into the Ready-to-Wear, Bridal, Accessories, Eyewear & Fragrance categories and it's Maison line. ELIE SAAB joins the premiere league of the world's global luxury fashion & lifestyle brands. About BBFW Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week is the world's leading bridal fashion show organised by Fira de Barcelona with the support of the Government of Catalonia. The 2023 edition will showcase the collections of major firms and new talents from all over the world. from 21 to 23 April. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2043483/Fira_de_Barcelona.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/659718/Fira_Barcelona_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/elie-saab-to-present-its-first-ever-bridal-catwalk-at-barcelona-bridal-fashion-week-301785165.html CHICAGO, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The report "Carbon & Graphite Felt Market by Raw Material type (PAN, Rayon, and Pitch), Product Type (Soft Felt and Rigid Felt), Type (Carbon Felt and Graphite Felt), Application (Furnace, Batteries, and Filters), and Region - Global Forecast 2028", is estimated at USD 491 million in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 770 million by 2028, at a CAGR of 9.4% from 2023 to 2028. Carbon and graphite felts are non-woven fabrics made from carbon fiber, namely, PAN, rayon, and pitch. These non-woven fabrics, when passed through processes such as carbonizing, graphitizing, pressing, and mixing, form carbon and graphite felts. Browse in-depth TOC on "Carbon & Graphite Felt Market" 292 - Tables 47 - Figures 215 - Pages Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=15496274 PAN raw material segment is expected to account for largest share in 2022. On the basis of raw material type, the global carbon & graphite felt market is segmented into PAN, rayon, and pitch. Carbon and graphite felts are produced using these materials either by the carbonization or graphitization processes at very high temperatures ranging from 3,632F to 6,322F. The demand for PAN-, pitch-, and rayon-based carbon & graphite felts may vary because of their different physical properties, usage in different applications, and different manufacturing processes used in their production. PAN-based carbon & graphite felt holds the largest share of the overall market. Soft carbon & graphite felt segment held the largest market share in the market. Based on the product type, market is segmented into soft felt and rigid felt. In 2022, soft felt segment dominated the market in terms of both, volume, and value. The soft carbon & graphite felt get widely used in the multiple areas such as heated vacuum furnaces, graphitizing furnaces, annealing furnaces, and many more. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=15496274 Asia Pacific accounted for the largest share in 2022 The carbon & graphite felt market has been studied in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa and Latin America. The Asia Pacific carbon & graphite felt market is being driven by growing need of renewable energy. The growing focus on the energy savings, and emission control policies along with the technological developments in then region is driving the market growth. Market Players Major players operating in the carbon & graphite felt market SGL Group (Germany), Toray Industries, Inc. (Japan), Kureha Corporation (Japan), Nippon Carbon Co., Ltd. (Japan), Beijing Great Wall Co., Ltd. (China), Chemshine Carbon Co., Ltd. (China), CM Carbon Co., Ltd. (China), and Gansu Haoshi Carbon Fiber Co., Ltd (China) are some of the market players. Browse Adjacent Market: Fibers and Composites Market Research Reports & Consulting Related Reports: Composites Market- Global Forecast to 2027 Transportation Composites Market- Global Forecast to 2025 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/carbon-graphite-felt-market.asp Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/carbon-graphite-felt.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/carbon--graphite-felt-market-worth-770-million-by-2028-exclusive-report-by-marketsandmarkets-301785654.html TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / PJX Resources Inc. ("PJX") has intersected massive sulphide with anomalous cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni) and silver (Ag) in a quartz-dolomite gangue in metasediments that is possibly similar in style to mineralization at the Black Butte copper-cobalt deposit located to the south in Montana (see Photo-A, & Fig. 1). Mineralization was intersected while drilling Mobile-MT electromagnetic (EM) and magnetic geophysical anomalies at the Lewis Ridge target late last year on the Dewdney Trail Property. The mineralization occurs approximately 3 kilometres north of alkalic intrusive related gold-copper-silver mineralization at PJX'S previously announced Estella Basin target in the Sullivan Mining District and Vulcan Gold Belt of southeastern British Columbia, Canada. John Keating, President of PJX commented: "This was the first phase of drilling to test EM and magnetic anomalies at the more than 2.5 km long and 1.5 km wide Lewis Ridge target area. Our initial thinking was that geophysics identified potential Sullivan-type zinc-lead-silver mineralization. However, drilling has discovered potential for sediment hosted copper-cobalt type deposits possibly similar to those that occur east of Butte, Montana. PJX plans to further explore and drill the Lewis Ridge copper-cobalt target area, and the previously announced new Estella Basin intrusive-related gold-copper-silver target area this year." Photo A - Massive sulphide (pyrite) with anomalous cobalt, copper, nickel and silver mineralization in a quartz-dolomite gangue (white mineralization) at the Lewis Ridge target area. Possible sediment hosted mineralization similar to the Black Butte cobalt-copper deposit. On the right is an enlarged photo of the massive sulphide to display the fine to coarse pyrite texture. Background Geology Four holes (LR22-01 to LR22-04) were drilled late last year at the Lewis Ridge target to test EM and magnetic anomalies defined by an airborne Mobile-MT (EM) and Magnetic survey flown for PJX by Expert Geophysics. Hole LR22-02 intersected massive sulphide mineralization consisting of fine to coarse grained pyrite that has a somewhat net-textured appearance and is fractured or brecciated possibly due to folding (see Photo A above). The 1.42 m wide (drill width) zone with 60% massive sulphide in quartz-dolomite gangue was intersected from 125.87m to 127.29 m down hole, and analyzed 644 ppm (0.06%) Co, 819 ppm (0.08%) Cu, 144 ppm Ni and 2.66 ppm (2.6 g/t) Ag. The sulphide zone appears bedding parallel and possibly stratabound similar to Black Butte massive pyrite mineralization containing Co, Cu, with anomalous Ni and Ag. Black Butte massive pyrite locally contains tennantite (arsenic mineral); Lewis Ridge massive sulphide has 1187 ppm arsenic. Black Butte occurs with black shales that are correlative with the middle Aldridge geological formation. Lewis Ridge target occurs at the base of locally black graphitic and/or calcareous silts and argillites of the middle Aldridge. Black Butte occurs in the Helena Embayment, a shallow water environment on the east side of the Belt-Purcell rift basin and east of the Butte intrusive related Cu-Molybdenum-Ag deposits. The Lewis Ridge target area is a shallow water environment on the east side of the Belt-Purcell basin, and east of the Sullivan sediment hosted Zn-Pb-Ag deposit (see Fig. 1). Black Butte mineralization is associated with an east-west fault called Volcano Valley. The east-west Kimberley Fault influenced the formation of the Sullivan Deposit. The Jackleg fault at Lewis Ridge may be the eastern extension of the Kimberley fault (see Fig 2) Volcano Valley, Kimberley and Jackleg are all considered to be transverse faults in the Belt-Purcell basin. Lewis Ridge Target occurs along a large north-south oriented west dipping overturned anticline, and at the equivalent geological time to the Sullivan deposit located about 25 km to the west (see Fig. 3). Geophysics - Drilling The Lewis Ridge zone with massive pyrite, and the overlying locally graphitic and/or calcareous sedimentary rocks are both conductive rock units. Their conductive nature help explain the large EM apparent conductivity geophysical anomaly. However, the 2 units, along with mafic sills intersected, are not magnetic and do not appear to account for magnetic anomalies (see Fig. 4). Cu-Co deposits also occur in Idaho. Pyrite is known to replace pyrrhotite in some of these deposits. Pyrrhotite is often magnetic. If the same type of replacement occurs at Lewis Ridge, then any pyrrhotite not replaced by pyrite may generate a magnetic anomaly. Hole LR22-01, drilled toward the northeast (Az 047, dip -75), intersected locally graphitic and calcareous sediments above the quartz-carbonate zone from 111.67-116.12 m. The 4.45m (drill width) zone contained minor sulphide veins and a weighted average analysis of 2410 ppm Cu with low Co, Ni, and Ag. Hole LR22-02, was drilled toward the southwest (Az 227, dip -80) from the same drill pad as LR22-01. Hole LR22-03, was also drilled toward the southwest (Az 227, dip -45) and encountered what appear to be west dipping faults and was abandoned when the hole was becoming stuck in a fault zone. Hole LR22-04, was drilled toward the northeast (Az 047, dip -80) to drill across the west dipping faults and test the large EM and somewhat coincident magnetic anomaly at depth (see Fig. 4 and 5). The 800 m hole drilled along the eastern limb of the overturned anticline fold and across a series of faults. This resulted in the hole remaining within the locally graphitic and/or calcareous sediment unit, and therefore did not test the potential horizon with cobalt and copper mineralization at depth that is stratigraphically lower. Figure 1 - Belt-Purcell basin geology map. Lewis Ridge target and Black Butte deposit both occur on the east side of the basin and were formed in shallower water environments and in similar age rock. Figure 2 - Sullivan Mining District geology map with Dewdney Trail Property target areas. The Kimberley Fault influenced formation of the Sullivan Deposit. The Jackleg Fault may be the eastern extension of Kimberley fault. Figure 3 - Dewdney Trail Geology map draped on topography. Lewis Ridge (cobalt-copper) and Estella Basin (gold-copper-silver) target areas occur along the same anticline fold axis as the historical Estella and Kootenay King Mines. The Lewis Ridge target occurs at or near a geological horizon that is equivalent in depositional time to the Sullivan Deposit located about 25 km to the west. The Jackleg Fault may be the eastern extension of the Kimberley Fault that influenced the formation of the Sullivan deposit. Video 1 and 2 showing the Lewis Ridge location can be found on PJX's web site https://pjxresources.com/ Figure 4 - Apparent Conductivity Map draped on topography. Conductive Anomaly defines a large area, over 2.5 km long and 1.5 km wide. Massive sulphide (pyrite with anomalous cobalt and copper) and locally graphitic/calcareous sediments intersected in hole LR22-02 are conductive. The large Magnetic anomaly at depth may represent an area with greater sulphide content containing copper and cobalt that has been folded along the east limb of the wide overturned anticline fold. Figure 5 - 2-Dimensional modelling of six of the 30 flight lines over the Lewis Ridge Target display a potentially more conductive area at depth (400 to 800m) that appears to correlate with the magnetic anomaly defined by 3 Dimensional modelling. Conductive and magnetic anomalies support the potential for sulphide mineralization. Sulphide zone intersected in LR22-02 and the magnetic anomaly at depth will be a focus of future drilling. Summary The large magnetic anomaly at depth occurs along the east limb of a broad anticline fold. Folding can cause massive sulphide mineralization to form cigar or irregular shaped deposits. The large magnetic anomaly at depth is somewhat coincident with a large conductive area. This target at depth and other shallow target areas on Lewis Ridge may host multiple cigar shaped and possibly horizontal Cu-Co mineralized bodies (see Fig. 5). The next phase of exploration includes drilling to test shallow targets and the large target area at depth. Qualified Persons The foregoing geological disclosure has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Trygve Hoy P.Eng. and John Keating P.Geo. (qualified persons for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects). Dr. Hoy is a Director of PJX, and Mr. Keating is the President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of PJX. About PJX Resources Inc. PJX is a mineral exploration company focused on building shareholder value and community opportunity through the exploration and development of mineral resources with a focus on gold, silver and base metals (copper, cobalt, lead zinc, and other metals). PJX's primary properties are located in the historical Sullivan Mine District and Vulcan Gold Belt near Cranbrook and Kimberley, British Columbia. Please refer to our web site http://www.pjxresources.com for additional information. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Linda Brennan, Chief Financial Officer (416) 799-9205 info@pjxresources.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information The information in this news release has been prepared as at the date noted above. Certain statements in this news release, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements", constitute "forward-looking statements" under the provisions of Canadian provincial securities laws. These statements can be identified by the use of words such as "expected", "may", "will" or similar terms. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of factors and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by PJX Resources Inc. as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, known and unknown, could cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Except as otherwise required by law, PJX Resources Inc. expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statements to reflect any change in PJX Resources Inc.'s expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. Cautionary Note to US Investors: This news release may contain information about adjacent properties on which PJX Resources Inc. has no right to explore or mine. We advise U.S. investors that the SEC's mining guidelines strictly prohibit information of this type in documents filed with the SEC. U.S. investors are cautioned that mineral deposits on adjacent properties are not indicative of mineral deposits on our properties. This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. This press release uses the terms "Measured", "Indicated", and "Inferred" resources. United States investors are advised that while such terms are recognized and required by Canadian regulations, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission does not recognize them. "Inferred Mineral Resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an Inferred Mineral Resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of Inferred Mineral Resources may not form the basis of feasibility or other economic studies. United States investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of Measured or Indicated Mineral Resources will ever be converted into Mineral Reserves. United States investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of a Mineral Resource is economically or legally mineable. 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: PJX Resources Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/746529/PJX-Resources-Identifies-Cobalt-Copper-Mineralization-Potential-in-the-Sullivan-Mining-District RIO HONDO, TX / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Gold River Productions, Inc. (OTC PINK:GRPS) ("GRPS") (D/B/A Trans American Aquaculture), a leading producer of farm-raised white shrimp in the United States, has announced that it has retained the services of Cervitude Intelligent Relations to assist with marketing, business development, and investor relations. "We are excited to work with Cervitude Intelligent Relations to help us promote our mission of providing high-quality, safe, and sustainable seafood to the American people," said Adam Thomas, CEO of Trans American Aquaculture. "Their expertise in marketing and investor relations will be invaluable as we continue to grow and expand our operations." Cervitude Intelligent Relations is a full-service marketing and investor relations firm that specializes in helping companies in a variety of industries to connect with their customers and investors. They offer a range of services, including marketing strategy, branding, public relations, social media, and investor relations. "We are honored to work with Trans American Aquaculture and to help them to achieve their goals of promoting sustainable and responsible shrimp farming," said Kris Baillargeon, Partner at Cervitude Intelligent Relations. "Their commitment to sustainability and their use of proprietary genetics and advanced technology make them a leader in the farm-raised white shrimp market, and we are excited to help them to grow and expand their operations." Trans American Aquaculture's dedication to responsible and sustainable seafood production has earned them a reputation as a leader in the aquaculture industry. They are proud to contribute to the agriculture sector by providing a safe, healthy, and sustainable food source that is grown using the latest technology and best practices. For more information about Trans American Aquaculture and their commitment to sustainable seafood production, please visit their website at www.transamaqua.com. About the Company : Trans American Aquaculture is a leading producer of farm-raised white shrimp. We utilize advanced aquaculture techniques and cutting-edge technology to produce high-quality shrimp for our customers. Safe Harbor: Trans American Aquaculture encourages those interested in our company to rely on information included in our filings. Statements released by Trans American Aquaculture that are not purely historical are forward-looking within the meaning of the "Safe Harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the company's expectations, hopes, intentions, and strategies for the future. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may affect the company's business prospects and performance. The company's actual results could differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Risk factors include but are not limited to general economic, competitive, governmental, and technological factors as discussed in the company's filings. The company does not undertake any responsibility to update the forward-looking statements contained in this release. Contact: Adam Thomas Chief Executive Officer adamt@transamaqua.com SOURCE: Gold River Production Services, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/746606/Gold-River-Productions-Inc-DBA-Trans-American-Aquaculture-Taps-Cervitude-Intelligent-Relations-for-Marketing-Business-Development-and-Investor-Relations Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 30, 2023) - Golden Independence Mining Corp. (CSE: IGLD) (OTCQB: GIDMF) (FSE: 6NN) (the "Company" or "Golden Independence") is pleased to announce the signing of an option agreement for the Fraser Lake copper property, located proximal to the Quesnel Trough of Central British Columbia (the "Option Agreement"). Pursuant to the terms of the Option Agreement, Valleyview Resources Ltd. ("Valleyview"), a private British Columbia company, has the right to acquire a 100% interest, subject to a 2% Net Smelter Return ("NSR") Royalty, in the three claim blocks comprising the 9,900-hectare project, by making for stage payments of 3 million shares and exploration expenditures of $300,000. The Fraser Lake copper property lies between 40 to 55 kilometres northwest of Fraser Lake, BC. The Company understands that Valleyview intends to complete an initial public offering and concurrent stock exchange listing. "We acquired Fraser Lake one year ago for staking costs and are now unlocking the value of the asset through a significant share position in Valleyview as it explores Fraser Lake as its cornerstone asset for its initial public offering," commented CEO Jeremy Poirier. "The project was identified by management based on the geology and location supported significant copper molybdenum porphyry prospectivity, which has now been validated by the deal with Valleyview and represents a benefit to Golden Independence shareholders." Golden Independence acquired Fraser Lake by staking following up on historic exploration for porphyry copper and molybdenum associated with a series of Endako plutons intruding Cache Creek complex carbonate, clastic and volcanic rocks. The Quest West regional lake sediment geochemistry initially identified areas of anomalous copper and/or molybdenum in the drainage systems from the low ridges hosting the plutons. A 2008 AeroTEM III airborne electromagnetic and magnetometer survey identified magnetic and/or electromagnetic anomalies up drainage from the anomalous geochemistry and make compelling exploration targets. Mr. Warren Robb, PGeo (BC) completed a July 2022 property examination, confirming the three historic anomalous areas, RCI, REI and SEZ as exploration targets and recommended a combined $225,000 program of soil geochemistry over each of them to test the geophysical anomalies for associated copper/molybdenum. Under the terms of the Option Agreement, Valleyview can earn an initial 51% interest through the issuance of 1.0 million shares and incurring $100,000 in exploration expenditures within the first 12 months, and an additional 49% interest through the issuance of 2.0 million shares and incurring $200,000 in exploration expenditures within 18 months of acquiring the initial 51% ownership. Golden Independence will retain a 2% NSR royalty, of which 1% can be repurchased for $2.0 million in cash. Following the acquisition of the initial 51%, if Valleyview elects to not acquire the remaining 49% interest, both companies shall form a standard joint venture based on pro-rata ownership. Figure 1. Fraser Lake Claim Blocks To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7273/160468_3d147d6964af8be0_001full.jpg The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by R. Tim Henneberry, P.Geo. (BC), a Director and President of Golden Independence Mining Corp. and a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. About Golden Independence Mining Corp. Golden Independence Mining Corp. is a development company currently focused on the advanced-stage Independence project located adjacent to Nevada Gold Mine's Phoenix-Fortitude mine in the Battle Mountain-Cortez Trend of Nevada in addition to the wholly-owned Napoleon gold project located in the Kamloops Mining Division of BC. The Independence project hosts an M&I resource of 334,300 ounces of gold and an Inferred resource of 847,000 ounces of gold with a substantial silver credit. A 2021 Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) outlined a low-cost heap leach operation focusing on the near-surface resource with total production of 195,443 ounces of gold at an all-in sustaining cost of US$1,078 per ounce of gold. The Napoleon project is comprised of over 1,000 hectares and prospective for multiple-forms of gold mineralization, with exploration in the area dating back to the 1970's with the discovery of high-grade gold. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Jeremy Poirier, Chief Executive Officer Telephone: 1.604.722.9842 Email: info@goldenindependence.co This press release contains forward-looking information (within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation) that involves various risks and uncertainties regarding future events. Such forward-looking information includes statements based on current expectations of management made in light of management's experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments. Forward-looking information is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties and, as such, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance of the Company. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, without limitation, statements regarding the exercise of the option to acquire the Fraser Lake property by Valleyview, the proposed initial public offering of Valleyview and the exploration potential of the Fraser Lake property and the benefit of the transaction to the Company's shareholders. There are numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information in this news release, including without limitation, risks related to the ability of Valleyview to complete an initial public offering, inherent risks associated with the mining industry and the results of exploration activities and development of mineral properties, stock market volatility and capital market fluctuations, general market and industry conditions, as well as those risk factors discussed in the Company's most recently filed management's discussion & analysis. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. This forward-looking information is based on estimates and opinions of management on the date hereof and is expressly qualified by this notice. Risks and uncertainties about the Company's business are more fully discussed in the Company's disclosure materials filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada at www.sedar.com. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from such information unless required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160468 Delivering more ways for European customers to prove trust via localized product enhancements, updated policy frameworks and expanded partner ecosystem Vanta, the leading trust management platform, announced today it's scaling its investment in the European market with the opening of a new EU data centre, launching localized product features and updated policy frameworks, and expanding its partner ecosystem to better serve Vanta's rapidly growing customer base in Europe. "As we continue expanding our global footprint and supporting increasingly larger organizations with more complex security and compliance needs, we want to ensure customers have more control over where their data is stored," said Paulo Rodriguez, Head of International, Vanta. "Today, we're leading the trust management and automated compliance market in Europe by launching a new data centre available to all European customers. In addition, we're rolling out more ways for our customers to get the localized product capabilities and support they need to get compliant, showcase their security and, ultimately, demonstrate trust." Vanta's Frankfurt-based data centre is operated by Amazon Web Services (AWS) and is already fully operational, providing customers with a new option for meeting internal policies on data storage location and regulatory requirements. "At Hellon, a strong commitment to security is of paramount importance to us, which means we need to ensure both our data, and that of our customers, is secure," said Sami Naveri, CFO, Hellon. "As a Vanta customer, we're pleased to have our data reside in Europe, giving us the peace of mind that we're continuing our industry leading approach to security. We're excited for the local enhancements, support and features Vanta is delivering, demonstrating their strong investment in the European market." Starting today, European customers will have access to pre-built policies, security awareness training, and email/Slack employee notifications in French, Spanish, German and English-enabling them to onboard and stay current with Vanta in their language of choice. To resolve issues in a timely manner, Vanta now features timezone-aligned tech support, serving customers wherever they're based. In addition, Vanta has updated its ISO 27001 framework, the leading information security standard globally. Critical for companies conducting business outside of the U.S., the updated framework ensures that organizations are getting certified against the latest version and gives already certified customers ample time to transition to the new version before the October 31, 2025 deadline. In addition to the localized product and support enhancements, Vanta is also bolstering its go-to-market capabilities in the region via an expanded partner ecosystem and local employee presence. Over the last year, Vanta has grown its European partner network of vCISOs, Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and auditors significantly, with plans to more than 10x its network in 2023. Via its European headquarters in Dublin, and local presence in London, Vanta willtriple its team of talented employees in the region this year-leading the trust management and automated compliance category in local staffing and resources. "By partnering with Vanta, we are able to provide our customers with a holistic approach to cybersecurity certification and management," said Hugh Devine, VP Compliance Strategy, CompliancePath. "Sustaining certifications has historically been a challenge for many organizations whose time and energy are solely focused on the initial certification process and quickly diminish after certification is achieved. Our adoption of Vanta for vCISO services, ISO internal audits and GRC support enables our clients to easily navigate through the certification process while significantly minimizing the time, effort and money required to get, and stay, compliant." In 2022, Vanta nearly doubled its customer base to serve over 4,000 companies across 58 countries, while expanding its global footprint with offices in Australia, Ireland and the U.S. Over the past year, Vanta raised $150 million in funding from leading investors Craft Ventures, Sequoia and Y Combinator and security industry pioneers like CrowdStrike, bringing the company's total amount raised to $203 million at a $1.65 billion valuation. About Vanta Vanta is the leading trust management platform that helps simplify and centralize security for organizations of all sizes. Over 4,000 companies including Autodesk, Chili Piper, Flo Health and Quora rely on Vanta to build, maintain and demonstrate their trust-all in a way that's real-time and transparent. Founded in 2018, Vanta has customers in 58 countries with offices in Dublin, New York, San Francisco and Sydney. For more information, visit www.vanta.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005245/en/ Contacts: Erin Cheng press@vanta.com The following correction is made because a change has not been considered by the Federal Gazette in the section "Attendance in Person / Voting Forms". exceet Group SCA Societe en commandite par actions Siege social: 17, rue de Flaxweiler, L-6776 Grevenmacher R.C.S. Luxembourg B148525 Convening Notice to the Annual General Meeting Notice is hereby given to the holders of shares of exceet Group SCA (the "Company") that an ANNUAL GENERAL SHAREHOLDERS' MEETING will be held on 2 May 2023 at 12:00 (noon) CEST at LEGERE HOTEL Luxembourg, 11, rue Gabriel Lippmann, Parc d'Activite Syrdall, 5365 Munsbach, Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg (the "AGM"). At the AGM, the shareholders shall deliberate and vote on the following agenda items: AGENDA (AGM) 1. Presentation of the report of the independent auditor on the annual accounts of the Company for the financial year ended 31 December 2022 to the general meeting. 2. Approval of the annual accounts of the Company for the financial year ended 31 December 2022. 3. Acknowledgment of the result the Company made with respect to the financial year ended 31 December 2022, and resolution concerning the allocation of the result. 4. Presentation of the management report issued by the general partner of the Company (the "General Partner") and the report of the independent auditor on the consolidated accounts for the financial year ended 31 December 2022. 5. Approval of the consolidated accounts for the financial year ended 31 December 2022. 6. Granting of discharge (quitus) to Mr. Georges Bock, member of the supervisory board of the Company (the "Supervisory Board"), for the exercise of his mandate during the financial year ended 31 December 2022. 7. Granting of discharge (quitus) to Mr. Jan Klopp, member of the Supervisory Board, for the exercise of his mandate during the financial year ended 31 December 2022. 8. Granting of discharge (quitus) to Mr. Roland Lienau, member of the Supervisory Board, for the exercise of his mandate during the financial year ended 31 December 2022. 9. Decision to grant discharge to the manager of the Company for the exercise of its mandate for the financial year ended 31 December 2022. 10. Acknowledgment of the resignation of Mr. Jan Klopp as member of the Supervisory Board of the Company with effect as of the date of the AGM. 11. Appointment of Mr. Florian Schuhbauer as new member of the Supervisory Board with effect as of the date of the AGM and for a period ending at the general meeting of shareholders approving the annual accounts relating to the financial year ending on 31 December 2025 to be held in 2026. 12. Appointment of Dr. Isabella Niklas as new member of the Supervisory Board with effect as of the date of the AGM and for a period ending at the general meeting of shareholders approving the annual accounts relating to the financial year ending on 31 December 2025 to be held in 2026. 13. Appointment of Prof. Dr. Matthias Beller as new member of the Supervisory Board with effect as of the date of the AGM and for a period ending at the general meeting of shareholders approving the annual accounts relating to the financial year ending on 31 December 2025 to be held in 2026. 14. Appointment of Mr. Thomas Terschluse as new member of the Supervisory Board with effect as of the date of the AGM and for a period ending at the general meeting of shareholders approving the annual accounts relating to the financial year ending on 31 December 2025 to be held in 2026. 15. Presentation of and advisory vote on the remuneration policy applicable as from 1 January 2023. 16. Approval of the stock option program 2023. 17. Presentation of and advisory vote on the remuneration report for the financial year ended 31 December 2022. 18. Ratification of the remuneration of the members of the Supervisory Board for the financial year ended 31 December 2022. 19. Approval of the remuneration of the members of the Supervisory Board for the financial year to end 31 December 2023. 20. Decision to elect BDO Audit SA, Luxembourg as independent auditor (reviseur d'entreprises agree) of the Company. 21. Miscellaneous. Quorum and Majorities Pursuant to the Company's articles of association and the law, resolutions at the annual general meeting of shareholders duly convened are adopted by a simple majority of the votes validly cast, regardless of the portion of capital represented. Right to Amend the Content of the Agenda Pursuant to the Company's articles of association, and the Luxembourg law of 24 May 2011 on certain rights of shareholders in listed companies, as amended (the "Luxembourg Shareholders' Rights Law"), one or several shareholders representing at least five percent (5%) of the Company's share capital may request the adjunction of one or several items to the agenda of the AGM provided that the request is accompanied by a justification of or draft resolution(s). Pursuant to Article 4 of the Luxembourg Shareholders' Rights Law and the Company's articles of association, such request and justification of or draft resolution(s) must be received at the Company's registered office by registered letter (to the attention of the manager of the Company, 17, rue de Flaxweiler, L-6776 Grevenmacher) or electronic mail (to: h.vongregory@exceet.com) at least twenty-two (22) days prior to the date of the relevant general meeting of shareholders, i.e. by 10 April 2023 accompanied by a proof of the shareholding of such shareholder(s) and the address or e-mail address which the Company may use in order to deliver the acknowledgment of receipt of such request. The Company must acknowledge reception of such request within forty-eight (48) hours of receipt of such request. In case such request entails a modification of the agenda of the relevant general shareholders' meeting, the Company will make an amended agenda available at the latest fifteen (15) days prior to the relevant general meeting, i.e. by 17 April 2023. Documents Copies of the proposals of the resolutions of the AGM as well as the documents related to the aforementioned items on the respective agenda will be on display for inspection by the shareholders on the Company's website (www.ir.exceet.com) and at the registered office of the Company as from 29 March 2023. Upon request to h.vongregory@exceet.com, copies of the above-mentioned documents are going to be mailed to the shareholders. Share Capital of the Company The Company's issued share capital is set at five hundred sixty-four thousand three hundred eighty-four euro and ninety-one cents (EUR 564,384.91) represented by thirty-six million three hundred fifty-nine thousand one hundred sixty-two (36,359,162) ordinary shares and one (1) unlimited share. Each share entitles the holder thereof to one vote. Right to Participate in the AGM According to Article 5 of the Luxembourg Shareholders' Rights Law, the record date for general meetings of shareholders of listed companies incorporated under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg has been set at fourteen (14) days prior to the date of the corresponding general shareholders' meeting. Therefore, any shareholder who holds one or more shares of the Company on 18 April 2023 at 24:00 (midnight) CEST (the "Record Date") and registers for the AGM (where applicable) and provides the Proof of Holding specified below, shall be admitted to participate and vote at the AGM. Shareholders (whose shares are held in book-entry form through the operator of a securities settlement system or with a professional depositary or sub-depositary designated by such depositary) must request from their operator or depositary or sub-depositary a certificate certifying the number of shares recorded in their account on the Record Date (the "Proof of Holding"). To participate in and vote at the AGM, the Proof of Holding shall be submitted by mail, by fax or by e-mail in the period from the Record Date until 26 April 2023, at 12:00 (noon) CEST to the centralizing agent of the Company (the "Centralizing Agent"): Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft Attn.: Trust and Agency Services/Post-IPO Services Taunusanlage 12 D-60325 Frankfurt am Main Germany Fax: +49/69 910-38794 E-mail: dct.tender-offers@db.com Attendance in Person / Voting Forms The intention of a shareholder or proxyholder to participate in person in the AGM (the "In-Person Attendance Declaration") shall be notified by such shareholder or proxyholder to the Centralizing Agent in writing by mail, fax or by e-mail no later than 26 April 2023 at 12:00 (noon) CEST. Registration forms are provided on the website of the Company (www.ir.exceet.com) which may be used. Any shareholder or proxyholder participating in the AGM in person shall carry proof of identity. Shareholders who do not wish to participate in person may vote through a voting form in the AGM. The voting form may be submitted by mail, fax or by e-mail to the Centralizing Agent no later than 26 April 2023 at 12:00 (noon) CEST. Voting forms provided by the Company on its website (www.ir.exceet.com) may be used and if used, only signed voting forms will be taken into account (including for the avoidance of doubt, signed pursuant to a valid, legal and binding power of attorney and/or signed electronically). Shareholders having submitted a voting form but who wish to revoke such voting form may do so by timely providing a later dated voting form or cancelling the voting form in writing to the Centralizing Agent by mail, fax or by e-mail. Representation In the event that any shareholder appoints another person, shareholder or not, as his proxy to vote on his behalf, the completed and executed proxy must be submitted by mail, fax or by e-mail to the Centralizing Agent no later than 26 April 2023 at 12:00 (noon) CEST. Proxy forms provided on the website of the Company (www.ir.exceet.com) may be used and if used, only signed proxy forms will be taken into account (including for the avoidance of doubt, signed pursuant to a valid, legal and binding power of attorney and/or signed electronically). One person may represent more than one shareholder. Shareholders having submitted a proxy form but who wish to revoke such proxy form may do so by timely providing a later dated proxy form or cancelling the proxy form in writing to the Centralizing Agent by mail, fax or by e-mail. If the Company and/or the Centralizing Agent receives more than one different voting document from a shareholder, only the last voting or proxy form received by the Centralizing Agent and/or the Company before 26 April 2023 at 12:00 (noon) CEST will be considered. The Company considers that no other formalities than providing the Proof of Holding, an In-Person Attendance Declaration, voting form and/or proxy form (as applicable) shall be required for the purpose of Article 5(3) of the Luxembourg Shareholders' Rights Law. Language The meeting will be held in the English language. Luxembourg, on 29 March 2023. For the General Partner of the Company Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 30, 2023) - Palladium One Mining (TSXV: PDM) (FSE: 7N11) (OTCQB: NKORF) ("Palladium One" or "PDM") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a subscription agreement for a C$4,252,050 non-brokered private placement financing (the "Private Placement") with a wholly owned subsidiary of Glencore plc ("Glencore"). Pursuant to the Private Placement, PDM will issue 28,347,000 common shares ("Common Shares") at C$0.15 per Common Share. Upon completion of the Private Placement, Glencore will own approximately 9.99% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on a non-diluted basis. "We welcome Glencore as a shareholder and are pleased that our efforts to build a portfolio of nickel - copper sulphide projects in Tier 1 jurisdictions has been recognized and endorsed by an industry leader. We believe this transaction highlights the deep discount to fundamental value and strategy that PDM's shares represent. "By utilizing its financial resources and expertise Palladium One will continue to execute its strategy of maximizing exposure to critical minerals on a per share basis. "We look forward to working with Glencore's exploration team to advance our common exploration and development goals," commented Derrick Weyrauch, Chief Executive Officer of PDM. "We are very pleased to become a cornerstone investor in Palladium One. The management team has been able to put together a sizeable land package focused on critical minerals. The exploration results to date have been very encouraging and we look forward to working with Palladium One to build on the success the team has had to date," commented Wayne Ashworth, Head of Nickel Assets for Glencore. Net proceeds of the Private Placement are intended to be used for exploration and development activities at the Company's nickel projects, for future exploration and development activities, working capital and general and administrative expenses. In connection with the Private Placement, Palladium One and Glencore will enter into an investor rights agreement (the "Investor Rights Agreement"), pursuant to which Glencore will be entitled to certain customary rights including participation rights on future equity security issuances and a right to nominate an individual to the technical committee of Palladium One (such committee will be formed on execution of this investment). Under the Investor Rights Agreement, Glencore will agree to certain customary transfer and standstill restrictions. The Private Placement is expected to close on or about April 11, 2023, subject to customary conditions, including acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange. The Common Shares issued pursuant to the Private Placement will be subject to a four-month hold period from the date of issuance in accordance with applicable securities laws. No commissions or finder fees are payable in connection with the Private Placement. About Palladium One Palladium One Mining Inc. (TSXV: PDM) is focused on discovering environmentally and socially conscious Metals for Green Transportation. A Canadian mineral exploration and development company, Palladium One is targeting district scale, platinum-group-element (PGE)-copper-nickel deposits in Canada and Finland. The Lantinen Koillismaa (LK) Project in north-central Finland, is a PGE-copper-nickel project that has existing NI43-101 Mineral Resources, while both the Tyko and Canalask high-grade nickel-copper projects are located in Ontario and the Yukon, Canada, respectively. Follow Palladium One on LinkedIn, Twitter, and at www.palladiumoneinc.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Derrick Weyrauch" President & CEO, Director For further information contact: Derrick Weyrauch, President & CEO Email: info@palladiumoneinc.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release is not an offer or a solicitation of an offer of securities for sale in the United States of America. The common shares of Palladium One Mining Inc. have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration. Information set forth in this press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address a company's expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", and "intend", statements that an action or event "may", "might", "could", "should", or "will" be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the proposed Private Placement; expected future attributes, capitalization and strategy of Palladium One following the completion of the Private Placement; the anticipated benefits of, and rationale for, the Private Placement; plans, strategies and initiatives for Palladium One; terms and conditions of the Separation, including the expected use of proceeds of the Private Placement; the anticipated timing for completion of the Private Placement; the terms and conditions of the Investor Rights Agreement; and other statements that are not historical facts. 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. Such factors include, among others, risks associated with project development; the need for additional financing; operational risks associated with mining and mineral processing; fluctuations in palladium and other commodity prices; title matters; environmental liability claims and insurance; reliance on key personnel; the absence of dividends; competition; dilution; the volatility of our common share price and volume; and tax consequences to Canadian and U.S. Shareholders. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160460 SHENZHEN, China, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Grand Final of the 2022 PHBS-CJBS Global Pitch Competition was held recently in the China-Britain Institute of Qianhai, Shenzhen. The event attracted thousands of investors, startup entrepreneurs, and audience, both on-site and online. The competition involved nearly 200 high-quality startups worldwide in a variety of fields such as medical and healthcare, the chip and semiconductor industry, leading technology, energy and environment protection, SaaS and enterprise service, and cultural and creative products. A total of 8 domestic and 2 international startups made it to the final round through a series of competitive pitching sessions and 13 roadshows over the last year. In the afternoon's final, a representative from each team had 10 minutes to pitch the group's business plan to a panel of esteemed judges comprised of scholars, investors, and entrepreneurs, which was then followed by a 5-minute Q&A session. After a fierce competition, the first prize went to LaSense Technology (Shenzhen) Limited. RuoxinTech Co., Ltd and ZRD New Energy Co., Ltd won second prize. Shutang Information Technology (Shenzhen) Co., LTD, LIANFENG ACOUSTIC TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD., Shenzhen HoloEpoch Media Technology Co., Ltd, CCCulture, and Ciyunge Medical Technology Co., Ltd, won the third prize. Two international startups NEURONSPIKE and Design with FRANK won the Outstanding Startup Award. Following the competition, the Greater Bay Area Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Forum featured keynote speeches given by renowned entrepreneurs and investors, and included such topics as the trend of Innovation, entrepreneurship, and venture capital , and the cultivation of innovative leaders. Initiated in 2020, the PHBS-CJBS Global Pitch Competition has gained great support from the Shenzhen Municipal Development and Reform Commission, the Science and Technology Innovation Committee, and many well-known venture capital institutions, incubators, scientific research institutes, and industry leaders. Hai Wen, vice chairman of Peking University Council and PHBS founding dean, noted that the success of the competition reflected the school's endeavors to promote the innovation of the Greater Bay Area and facilitate the construction of its entrepreneurial and innovative ecosystem. The launch ceremony of the 2023 PHBS-CJBS Global Pitch Competition was held at the end of the event. With the theme of "Business Empowering Technological Innovation," It will focus on artificial intelligence, medical health, smart manufacturing, chips and semiconductors, new materials, and exporting technology. For the participation in this year's competition, contact us: competition@phbs.pku.edu.cn or register your program: https://jinshuju.net/f/bYTXNsl Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2044043/image.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/results-revealed-2022-phbs-cjbs-global-pitch-competition-held-in-shenzhen-301785736.html With $3 Million in Funding, NuMind Simplifies and Speeds Up NLP Projects Using Large Language Models and Their Proprietary "Interactive AI Development" Paradigm CAMBRIDGE, MA and PARIS, FRANCE / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / NuMind , a Y Combinator Summer 2022 alum and the maker of a software tool to create custom NLP models, today launched out of private beta and announced its $3 million in seed funding. Using large language models (LLMs) and its proprietary "Interactive AI Development" learning paradigm, the NuMind solution allows all companies--even those with no expertise--to quickly create machine learning models to perform such tasks as analyzing sentiment, detecting topics, moderating content, and creating chatbots. The $3 million seed investment was led by Flybridge. Additional funding was provided by Brazil-based big_bets, Carya Ventures, the Pioneer Fund, Velocity Ventures, France-based Sharpstone Capital as well as Y Combinator. NuMind's initial customers are developing custom models for medical coding, legal report review, user feedback analysis, and matching resumes with job postings for a recruitment firm. "We are living a revolution thanks to large language models such as GPT-4, but tools to take advantage of them are not mature yet. Tackling applications such as content moderation or sentiment analysis still requires ML experts and an intense labeling effort," explained Etienne Bernard, CEO, NuMind. "Our goal at NuMind is to make this revolution accessible to all, starting with language understanding. It's a game changer in terms of speed and efficiency for all the companies needing this type of AI." The NLP models designed by NuMind's first customers were developed dramatically faster than by using traditional methods--up to a factor of 10. At the end of the project, companies own their models. See video demo here. "The NuMind founders recognized how LLMs could be leveraged as part of a platform to drive textual understanding in an easy-to-use, accessible manner so developers could speed the creation and deployment of NLP models," said Chip Hazard, co-founder and general partner, Flybridge. "Now organizations can maximize the potential of NLP, building better applications and improving experiences." "Given the depth of this insight and the breadth of the market opportunity, we were thrilled to invest and help them realize this vision," Hazard continued. Interactive AI Development NuMind's Interactive AI Development paradigm is similar to how people are taught--with an interactive process of questions, answers and explanations--but doing this between a person and the machine. This type of learning is more natural and efficient, eliminates labeling large volumes of data, and allows much faster creation of personalized models. "Up to now there were two ways to teach computers: either by programming or by giving them many examples. I see LLMs as the key to unlock this third way that we call Interactive AI Development," said Bernard. An all-in-one solution, NuMind offers: Reduction of labeling effort, thanks to LLMs Automatic machine learning to determine the best models automatically Active learning to only label the most important documents An intuitive labeling interface A live performance report to quickly identify the strengths and weaknesses of models as the project progresses Multilingual models to avoid any need for translation Full ownership of your models so you can put them in production however you want NuMind was founded by two cousins, Etienne Bernard and Samuel Bernard. Etienne is an MIT postdoc, former head of ML at Wolfram Research, and the author of " Introduction to Machine Learning ." Samuel is the former CTO of Make.org, a platform that galvanizes citizens to propose solutions to public issues. The NuMind team of seasoned professionals is split between Paris and Boston. Early customers are based in Brazil, France, and the United States. NuMind's solution is available as a monthly subscription. For more information, visit www.numind.ai . Images available here: LINK About NuMind The NuMind platform allows B2B and B2C customers to easily create custom NLP models powered by LLMs, and using its Interactive AI Development process any company can tackle tasks such as content moderation, customer feedback analysis, or chatbot creation. A Y Combinator alumni company, NuMind has raised $3 million in seed funding with lead investor Flybridge. For more information, visit www.numind.ai . Media Contact: Erica Zeidenberg Hot Tomato Marketing erica@hottomato.net 925-518-8159 mobile SOURCE: NuMind View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/746501/NuMind-Launches-NLP-Tool-Leveraging-LLMs-to-Democratize-Creation-of-Custom-NLP-Models TORONTO, March 29, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Osisko Mining Inc. (OSK:TSX. "Osisko" or the "Corporation") is pleased to announce that it has submitted the Environmental Impact Assessment Report for its Windfall project ("Windfall EIA") to the Environmental and Social Impact Review Committee ("COMEX"). The Windfall project is located in the Abitibi greenstone belt, Urban Township, Eeyou Istchee James Bay, Quebec entirely on the traditional land of the Cree First Nation of Waswanipi. The Windfall EIA was prepared by WSP Canada Inc. with contributions from Arkeos Inc., GCM Consultants, BBA Inc., Entech and Aviseo, each of which is an independent firm and realized in accordance with the Directive issued by the Ministere de l'Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs ("MELCCFP"). These contributors provided technical inputs for the study, collected survey data and compilations in all fields required to evaluate the project impacts. Windfall EIA and all supporting documents are available on the Corporation's website at www.osiskomining.com. The Windfall EIA was coordinated by Vanessa Milette, Osisko's Director of Environment, under the supervision of Andreanne Boisvert, Osisko's Vice-President of Environment and Community Relations. The Windfall project is located south of the 55th parallel in the territory governed by the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement (JBNQA), which is subject to the COMEX. The COMEX is an independent body composed of members appointed by the governments of Quebec and the Cree Nation, which is responsible for the assessment and review of the social and environmental impacts of the Windfall project. Upon completion of the project review, the COMEX will issue a recommendation to the Deputy Minister of Quebec's MELCCFP. Should a positive recommendation be granted by the COMEX, the Deputy Minister would then issue a Certificate of Authorization pursuant to section 164 of Quebec's Environment Quality Act for the Windfall project. The issuance of such Certificate of Authorization is a pre-condition to Osisko applying for the other authorizations required to begin the construction of, and operations at, the Windfall site. The Windfall EIA covers 18 fields of study from impacts on water, air and vegetation to impacts on regional and provincial economies. The following represents some of the highlights1 of the study as related to benefits to local communities and governments: The creation of 17,120 full-time equivalent jobs in Quebec by 2035 (direct and indirect jobs), of which 10,256 would be directly in Abitibi-Temiscamingue and Nord-du-Quebec regions. Robust water management planning using a state-of-the-art water treatment plant integrated into the proposed future development plan A tailings management facility designed to the highest modern industry standards $3.5 billion of investment 2 for construction, sustaining costs and operations by 2035, with an additional $83 million reserved for future closure costs for construction, sustaining costs and operations by 2035, with an additional $83 million reserved for future closure costs $2.3 billion of contribution to Quebec's GDP by 2035 Gross provincial tax revenues for Quebec estimated at $712 million (including mining duties), and $333 million gross federal tax revenues by 2035 3 An estimated $68 million in local property taxes and school tax revenues by 2035 Notes on the Windfall EIA highlights 1)-Economic and fiscal impacts including contribution to Quebec's GDP were determined by Aviseo Conseil by applying EcoTec's cross-sector (input-output) model. Estimation of corporate income tax, mining duties, local property and school tax were estimated based on the FS Technical Report (as defined herein), a copy of which is available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) under Osisko's issuer profile. All monetary amounts are reported in Canadian dollars. Details about methodology or main hypothesis are described in Windfall EIA and are based on FS Technical Report. 2)-The cumulative $3.5 billion of investments includes Initial Capex of $788 million, Sustaining Capex of $588 million and cumulative operation costs over LOM of $2,134 million based on FS Technical Report.3) -Gross provincial tax estimated contributions includes workers personal income taxes, health services funds and sales taxes while gross federal tax contributions includes workers personal income taxes. Osisko's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, John Burzynski, stated: "Today's Windfall Project EIA submission constitutes a significant milestone in realizing our goal of creating a new producing gold mine in Eeyou Istchee James Bay. This submission begins the permitting and authorization process for the Windfall gold project. Osisko enters this process fully aware of the importance of the promoter's role and responsibilities during the COMEX review process. The Corporation is committed to transparently delivering an environmentally sound, robust project for all stakeholders, and to provide all project information requested in a timely matter. We would like to thank our host communities the Cree First Nation of Waswanipi and Lebel-sur-Quevillon for their continuous support, and we thank our employees and consultants for their diligent work in delivering this extensive Windfall EIA." About the Windfall Gold Deposit The Windfall gold deposit is located between Val-d'Or and Chibougamau in the Abitibi region of Quebec, Canada. The mineral resource estimate on Windfall (with an effective date of June 7, 2022 ) (the "Windfall Resource Estimate") and the mineral reserve estimate on Windfall (with an effective date of November 25, 2022) (the "Windfall Reserve Estimate") are described in the technical report entitled "Feasibility Study for the Windfall Project, Eeyou Istchee James Bay, Quebec, Canada" and dated January 10, 2023 (with an effective date of November 25, 2022) (the "FS Technical Report"). The Windfall Resource Estimate, assuming a cut-off grade of 3.50 g/t Au, comprises 811,000 tonnes at 11.4 g/t Au (297,000 ounces) in the measured mineral resource category, 10,250,000 tonnes at 11.4 g/t Au (3,754,000 ounces) in the indicated mineral resource category and 12,287,000 tonnes at 8.4 g/t Au (3,337,000 ounces) in the inferred mineral resource category. The Windfall Reserve Estimate, assuming 3.5 g/t operating, 2.5 g/t incremental, and 1.7 g/t development cut-off grade, comprises 12,183,000 tonnes at 8.06 g/t Au (3,159,000 ounces) in the probable mineral reserves category. The key assumptions, parameters, limitations and methods used in the feasibility study for Windfall, including the related Windfall Resource Estimate and Windfall Reserve Estimate, are described in the FS Technical Report, which was prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). The FS Technical Report is available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) under Osisko's issuer profile. The Windfall gold deposit is currently one of the highest-grade resource-stage gold projects in Canada and has world-class scale. Mineralization occurs in three principal areas: Lynx, Main, and Underdog. Mineralization is generally comprised of sub-vertical lenses following intrusive porphyry contacts plunging to the northeast. The resources are defined from surface to a depth of 1,600 metres, including the Triple 8 (TP8) zone. The reserves are defined from surface to a depth of 1,100 metres. The deposit remains open along strike and at depth. Mineralization has been identified at surface in some areas and as deep as 2,625 metres in others with significant potential to extend mineralization down-plunge and at depth. Qualified Person The scientific and technical content in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Mathieu Savard, P.Geo (OGQ #510), President of Osisko, who is a "qualified person" (within the meaning of NI 43-101). About Osisko Mining Inc. Osisko is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of precious metal resource properties in Canada. Osisko holds a 100% interest in the high-grade Windfall gold deposit located between Val-d'Or and Chibougamau in Quebec and holds a 100% undivided interest in a large area of claims in the surrounding Urban Barry area and nearby Quevillon area (over 2,300 square kilometres). Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation that is based on expectations, estimates, projections and interpretations as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves predictions, expectations, interpretations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often, but not always, using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "interpreted", "management's view", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "potential", "feasibility", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking information and are intended to identify forward-looking information. This news release contains the forward-looking information pertaining to, among other things: receipt of a positive recommendation for the Windfall EIA; the ability of the Corporation to obtain all other authorizations needed to begin the construction and operations at Windfall; the benefits to local communities and governments contained in the Windfall EIA; the Windfall gold deposit being one of the highest-grade resource-stage gold projects in Canada and having world-class scale; the key assumptions, parameters, limitations and methods used in the FS Technical Report, including the related Windfall Resource Estimate and Windfall Reserve Estimate; the prospects, if any, of the Windfall gold deposit; the ability to realize upon any mineralization in a manner that is economic; the amount and type of drilling to be completed and the timing to complete such drilling; the potential to extend mineralization down-plunge and at depth; the ability of exploration work (including drilling) to accurately predict mineralization; upgrading an inferred mineral resource to a measured mineral resource or indicated mineral resource category; future drilling and advancement at the Windfall gold deposit. Such factors include, among others, risks relating to the ability of exploration activities (including drill results) to accurately predict mineralization; errors in management's geological modelling; the ability of Osisko to complete further exploration activities, including (infill) drilling, or further development of the Windfall Project; the ability to continue current operations and exploration; property and royalty interests in the Windfall gold deposit; the ability and timing of the Corporation to obtain required approvals; regulatory framework; the results of exploration activities; risks relating to exploration, development and mining activities; reliance on third-parties for infrastructure, including power lines; the global economic climate; capital market conditions and the Corporation's ability to access capital on terms acceptable to the Corporation; metal prices; dilution; environmental risks; and community and non-governmental actions. Although the forward-looking information contained in this news release is based upon what management believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, Osisko cannot assure shareholders and prospective purchasers of securities of the Corporation that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking information, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, and neither Osisko nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any such forward-looking information. Osisko does not undertake, and assumes no obligation, to update or revise any such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information contained herein to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by law. CONTACT INFORMATION: John Burzynski Chief Executive Officer Telephone (416) 363-8653 Company to target New key market segments identified as high growth opportunities TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / ARway Corporation ("ARway" or the "Company") (CSE:ARWY)(OTC:ARWYF)(FSE:E65) is an AI-powered augmented reality experience platform for indoor spaces with a disruptive no-code, no beacon spatial computing solution with centimeter precision, is pleased to announce the Company has signed five new deals for its Software Development Kit (SDK), which showcases the increasing demand for this disruptive technology. Since the SDK was released on January 31, 2023 the Company has been experiencing a wave of demand from resellers, enterprise corporations and brands. These SDK deals range in size from $9,000-$15,000 based on the usage of the platform, and are within various industries representing a wide range of use cases for ARway technology. ARway CEO Evan Gappelberg commented "We are continuing to build a solid foundation of customers, pilot projects and new use cases which target several key market segments like , Universities, Museums, Shopping Malls, Stadiums and others that we've identified as high growth opportunities for ARway." He continued, "We are now custom tailoring our pricing to the way these customers use our solutions, which we believe will increase our penetration and accelerate the adoption in these markets." New Deals Highlights: Vellore Institute of Technology - Education / using campus wayfinding in a university in India - Education / using campus wayfinding in a university in India Wicked Interactive Storytelling - Tourism / using AR contextual content for engaging tourists on holiday sites - Tourism / using AR contextual content for engaging tourists on holiday sites Intron - Based in MENA. Using ARway in Universities for Wayfinding and Guided tours - Based in MENA. Using ARway in Universities for Wayfinding and Guided tours DQ Turkey - Based in MENA. Using ARway in Airports & Universities for Wayfinding and Guided tours - Based in MENA. Using ARway in Airports & Universities for Wayfinding and Guided tours LeLaboDigital - SDK Partner - Is a software development agency in Lebanon who are looking to add AR wayfinding to their service offerings These SDK deals range in size from $9,000-$15,000 based on the usage of the platform, and are within various industries representing a wide range of use cases for ARway technology. ARway's SDK contains code libraries and API information that allows developers to build their own white label & private label mobile apps on both iOs and Android leveraging ARway's technology and creator tools to build AR wayfinding and spatial experiences. Creators and agencies will be able to develop white label and private label apps and access ARway APIs to author maps using the Web Creator Portal. Pricing Has 3-Tiers: The first tier has been built for digital marketing agencies, content creators, and mobile apps. developers who often work on a "campaign" basis. These customer types will be able to build and launch their campaigns, paying only when they are activated. Another tier has been created specifically for large, enterprise accounts that wish to deploy their Augmented Reality experiences across multiple locations or properties. Pricing for this customer type will be very appealing, scale according to size, and deliver long lasting value. Finally, a pricing tier for the Education market has been introduced that will make campus-wide deployment of Augmented Reality experiences more accessible. The Company is planning to introduce features and capabilities, unique to each market segment, over time to complement these pricing tiers and further differentiate its offerings. About ARway Corp ARway is an AI-powered platform that provides augmented reality experiences for indoor spaces. The platform allows users to easily create experiences for navigation, tours, information sharing, notifications, advertising, and gamification. ARway leverages the power of mobile devices to create environments that can improve visitor experience, boost employee productivity, increase engagement, create new advertising space, and boost revenues. Visitors can scan a QR code to access a venue map, navigate to any point of interest with step-by-step directions, learn information about those POIs, and interact with rich AR content and experiences along the way. ARway has unlimited use cases for augmenting physical spaces in the metaverse, making it a valuable tool for creators, brands, and companies in various industries. The complete ARway platform includes: the Web Creator Studio, the ARwayKit Software Development Kit (SDK) and a mobile app for iOs and Android. To learn more about ARway, please follow on Social Media: Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook, and visit our website: www.arway.ai For further information, please contact: Nextech AR Solutions On October 26, 2022, ARway Corp. was spun-out from its parent Company, Nextech AR Solutions (OTCQX:NEXCF)(CSE:NTAR)(FSE:EP2). Nextech AR retained a control ownership in ARway Corp. with 13 million shares, or a 50% stake. Nextech AR Solutions is a Metaverse Company and leading provider of augmented reality ("AR") experience technologies and 3D model services. Nextech's AI-powered 3D modeling platform, "ARItize3D" has contracts with; AMZN, KSS, CB2, Genuine Parts & many others. To learn more about Nextech AR, visit www.nextechar.com Investor Relations Contact Julia Viola investor.relations@arway.ai ARway Corporation Evan Gappelberg CEO and Director 866-ARITIZE (274-8493) Forward-looking Statements The CSE has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain information contained herein may constitute "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as, "will be" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements regarding the completion of the transaction are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as 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. ARway Corp. will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws. SOURCE: ARway Corporation View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/746538/ARway-Secures-Multiple-New-SDK-Deals-to-Drive-Growth-in-44B-Indoor-Positioning-and-Navigation-Market - NAVER, NAVER LABS and NAVER Cloud sign an MOU the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing and the Ministry of Investment Saudi Arabia - Significant cooperation follows NAVER's participation in the "One Team Korea" consortium led by South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport - Team NAVER to participate in comprehensive collaboration across various ICT projects, leveraging its cutting-edge technologies for creating a city-scale digital twin of Saudi Arabia and developing a super-app SEONGNAM, South Korea, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- NAVER Corporation (CEO Choi Soo-yeon) announced that NAVER, NAVER LABS, NAVER Cloud signed an MOU with the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing (MOMRAH) of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Investment Saudi Arabia (MISA), to cooperate on the Saudi Arabian government's national digital transformation initiative using Team NAVER's advanced technologies. The signing ceremony was held on the 30th (local time) at the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The ceremony was attended by Minister Majed Al Hogail, Vice Minister Musaed Alotaibi of the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing of Saudi Arabia, and Minister Khalid Al-Falih and Vice Minister Fahad Alnaeem of the Ministry of Investment Saudi Arabia together with the delegation from NAVER including the President of NAVER's ESG and External Policy Chae Seon-ju, NAVER LABS CEO Seok Sang-ok, and Executive Director of NAVER Cloud Han Sang-young. The signing of this MOU with the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing and the Ministry of Investment Saudi Arabia is a significant milestone which demonstrates that NAVER's sustained investment in advanced technologies led to a tangible result. In 2013, NAVER established "GAK Chuncheon", the very first data center built by a Korean internet company, as part of its commitment to protecting user data. "Gak Chuncheon" has under its belt at least 10 years of stable operational experience without any disruption, accidents, or disasters. Such experience and expertise became the foundation for NAVER's ongoing investment in R&D for advanced technologies including robotics, autonomous driving, and digital twin even after NAVER LABS, NAVER's R&D subsidiary, was founded in 2017. In addition to Saudi Arabia's NEOM project aimed at building the world's largest smart city, the country is making diverse efforts toward digital transformation. NAVER, the Korea's leading Internet company, has been selected as the global partner of MOMRAH and MISA, out of all the competitive global tech companies for its state-of-the-art technologies including AI, robotics, cloud, autonomous driving, and digital twin. With the MOU, Team NAVER, MOMRAH and MISA will be working together comprehensively across all domains for Saudi Arabia's ICT project for their nationwide digital transformation. Potential projects will utilize Team NAVER's robotics and AI-enabled digital twin solution for Saudi Arabia's city-scale simulations and city monitoring, or developing MOMRAH's "super-app (tentative)" for the country with the use of hyperscale AI and cloud. "The technical prowess of Team NAVER is gaining recognition in the global market after years of sustained investment in cutting-edge technologies, and we will leverage our expertise and collaborate closely to support the Saudi government's national digital transformation initiative," said Chae Seon-ju, President of NAVER's ESG and External Policy. "Taking this case as a significant opportunity, where collaboration began in earnest following our participation in the 'One Team Korea', we will further strengthen our efforts to pioneer the global market and stay committed to establishing NAVER as a leading global tech company." In November of last year, NAVER became part of the "One Team Korea" consortium, which aimed to secure Saudi Arabian projects under the auspices of Minister Won Hee-ryong of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT), and had a meeting with Minister Al Hogail. Since then, NAVER has been in ongoing discussions with Saudi Arabia. In the same month, Minister Al Hogail visited 1784, NAVER's "Tech Convergence Building", where he had the opportunity to witness the company's technological prowess and mobile service planning and development capabilities firsthand. During his visit, additional discussions were held on how to utilize digital technology in housing and building management, as well as other aspects of urban planning such as transportation and public safety. Following Minister Al Hogail's visit, Saudi Arabia's interest in NAVER continues as three Saudi Arabian government agencies related to AI and data also visited the company in February of this year. About NAVER Founded in 1999, NAVER is Korea's largest Internet company with more than 700 million users worldwide. It operates No.1 search engine in Korea 'NAVER' and the nation's No.1 e-commerce platform, as well as other global online services such as LINE mobile messenger, Webtoon and Webnovel publishing, SNOW video camera app and ZEPETO metaverse platform. In addition to its own offerings, NAVER is building a strong global business portfolio through partnerships with industry-leading companies, including Softbank, Poshmark, Wattpad and Hybe. NAVER recorded sales of KRW 6.8 trillion (USD 5.6 billion) in 2021. The company invests approximately 25% of its annual sales on R&D projects, pursuing innovation through continuous research and development of future technologies, such as artificial intelligence, robotics and mobility. To learn more, visit www.navercorp.com/en. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2043941/Final_photo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/naver-joins-hands-with-two-saudi-arabian-ministries-for-digital-transformation-301785794.html MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Turn Biotechnologies, a cell rejuvenation company developing novel mRNA medicines to cure untreatable, age-related conditions, announced that it will for the first time share new data for its revolutionary dermatology platform with the international regenerative aesthetic community. Evidence-based data showing the global regenerative efficacy of Turn Bio's Epigenetic Reprogramming of Aging (ERA) technology on human skin cells will be shared at the Aesthetic and Anti-aging World Congress, the leading international conference specializing in aesthetic regenerative and anti-aging medicine. Turn Bio's co-founder and head of research Vittorio Sebastiano, PhD, will provide insights on stem cell exhaustion and discuss how the company's ERA technology can rejuvenate cells and restore cellular function in skin. The workshop will take place on March 31, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. CET in the Camille Blanc Auditorium at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. The latest Turn Bio dermatology data will also be discussed in presentations by several dermatology key opinion leaders during scientific sessions chaired by internationally recognized experts in the field. ABOUT TURN BIOTECHNOLOGIES Turn Bio is a pre-clinical-stage company focused on repairing tissue at the cellular level and developing transformative drug delivery systems. The company's proprietary mRNA platform technology, ERA (Epigenetic Reprogramming of Aging), restores optimal gene expression by combatting the effects of aging in the epigenome. This restores cells' ability to prevent or treat disease and heal or regenerate tissue. It will help to fight incurable chronic diseases. Its eTurna Delivery Platform uses unique formulations to precisely deliver cargo to specific organs, tissues, and cell types. The company is completing pre-clinical research on tailored therapies targeting indications in dermatology and immunology, and developing therapies for ophthalmology, osteo-arthritis, and the muscular system. For more information, see www.turn.bio. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Jim Martinez, rightstorygroup jim@rightstorygroup.com or (312) 543-9026 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2043671/sebastiano_campus_high_resolution.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1935529/TURN_LOGO_HI_RES_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/turn-biotechnologies-introduces-its-dermatology-platform-to-the-european-aesthetic-community-at-amwc-301785569.html PETACH TIKVA, Israel--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. (NYSE American: CANF) (TASE: CANF), a biotechnology company advancing a pipeline of proprietary small molecule drugs that address inflammatory, cancer and liver diseases, today announced financial results for the year ended December 31, 2022. 2022 & Recent Corporate and Clinical Development Highlights Include: PICLIDENOSON Phase III COMFORT Psoriasis Trial Met Primary Endpoint - Patients receiving Piclidenoson 3mg demonstrated a statistically significant improvement when compared with placebo, as measured by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) 75 response at week 16 of treatment. An excellent safety profile was recorded. Pivotal Phase III Psoriasis Registration Plan for Piclidenoson Submitted to EMA - Can-Fite submitted a market registration plan to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for Piclidenoson in the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis. A submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will follow. Developing Piclidenoson as a Topical Psoriasis Treatment - In a preclinical model, daily treatment with topical Piclidenoson significantly inhibited psoriasis as measured by PASI calculated based on observation of erythema, thickness, scaling, and a score of skin lesions. The topical treatment may serve as a complementary product to oral Piclidenoson. Piclidenoson Advances as a Treatment for Osteoarthritis in Dogs - Vetbiolix, Can-Fite's veterinary commercialization partner, achieved progress in the development of Piclidenoson for the canine osteoarthritis market projected to reach $3 billion by 2028. Vetbiolix is covering all costs associated with veterinary clinical development. NAMODENOSON Namodenoson Found to Significantly Inhibit Pancreatic Cancer in Preclinical Studies - Namodenoson was found to have a significant anti-cancer effect in pancreatic carcinoma as a monotherapy, as well as an additive effect when combined with gemcitabine, the standard-of-care chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer. Namodenoson's excellent safety profile and its ability to directly inhibit the growth of pancreatic tumors present its potential as an effective drug for the treatment of this disease which has a 5-year survival rate of only 11% in the U.S. Can-Fite has filed a patent application that covers the use of Namodenoson for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Granted Can-Fite a Patent for the Treatment of Liver Fibrosis - The invention titled "Method for Treating Fibrotic Liver Tissue Using CL-IB MECA" is a broad patent that addresses markets for the treatment of all advanced liver fibrosis indications. The patent opens an opportunity for much broader market needs which entail all clinical conditions with advanced liver fibrosis. Ongoing Advanced Clinical Studies with Namodenoson: Pivotal Phase III Liver Cancer Study for Namodenoson - Can-Fite's pivotal Phase III liver cancer study for Namodenoson will enroll ~450 patients diagnosed with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and underlying Child Pugh B7 (CPB7) who have not responded to 1 or 2 other lines of therapy. The primary end point is overall survival. An interim analysis will be performed. Phase IIb Namodenoson NASH Study - 140 subjects with biopsy-confirmed NASH will be enrolled in the Phase IIb multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. The primary objective of the trial is to evaluate the efficacy of Namodenoson as compared to placebo as determined by a histological endpoint. In a prior Phase IIa study, Namodenoson met its primary endpoint by reducing liver fat, inhibiting fibrosis, and demonstrating an anti-inflammatory effect. Following Complete Response in a Patient with Advanced Liver Cancer Treated with Namodenoson: Namodenoson Approved for Compassionate Use in Romania - Romania became the second country, following Israel, to approve Namodenoson for compassionate use in patients with advanced liver cancer. Namodenoson induced a complete response with disappearance of all metastases in a patient who was enrolled in Can-Fite's prior Phase IIb liver cancer study. The patient is continuing treatment under the compassionate use program. Patients with Decompensated Liver Cirrhosis Will Be Treated with Namodenoson Under Compassionate Use in Israel - Patients with decompensated cirrhosis, an advanced form of cirrhosis associated with liver failure for which there are no therapeutic options other than liver transplantation, will be treated with Namodenoson at the Soroka Medical Center in Israel under compassionate use. Decompensated cirrhosis is an advanced form of cirrhosis associated with liver that impacts an estimated 10.6 million people globally. "With two Phase III indications advancing through our pipeline, we look ahead to the potential commercialization of our small molecule drugs, Piclidenoson and Namodenoson," stated Can-Fite CEO Dr. Pnina Fishman. "Namodenoson in particular is showing the potential for efficacy across several indications from liver disease to pancreatic cancer. We remain focused and committed to bringing our safe, oral drugs to patients with unmet needs." Financial Results Revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022 were $0.81 million, a decrease of $0.04 million, or 4.7%, compared to revenues of $0.85 million during the twelve months ended December 31, 2021. The decrease is considered to be not material. Research and development expenses for the year ended December 31, 2022 were $7.76 million, a decrease of $2.09 million, or 21.2%, compared to $9.85 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. Research and development expenses for the year ended December 31, 2022 comprised primarily of expenses associated with the completion of the Phase III study of Piclidenoson for the treatment of psoriasis and two ongoing studies for Namodenoson, a Phase III study in the treatment of advanced liver cancer and a Phase IIb study for NASH. The decrease is primarily due to the wrap up of the Phase III study of Piclidenoson for the treatment of psoriasis in 2022. General and administrative expenses were $3.14 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, a decrease of $0.70 million, or 18.2%, compared to $3.84 million for the same period in 2021. The decrease is primarily due to the decrease in professional services and public and investor relations expenses. We expect general and administrative expenses will remain at the same level for 2023 and beyond. Financial expense, net for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $0.07 million compared to financial income, net of $0.22 million for the same period in 2021. The decrease in financial income, net was mainly due to an increase in revaluation of our short-term investments which was offset by an increase in interest from short term deposits. Can-Fite's net loss for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $10.17 million compared with a net loss of $12.61 million for the same period in 2021. The decrease in net loss was primarily attributable to a decrease in research and development expenses and a decrease in general and administrative expenses. As of December 31, 2022, Can-Fite had cash, cash equivalents, and short-term deposits of $7.97 million as compared to $18.90 million at December 31, 2021. The decrease in cash during the year ended December 31, 2022 is due to Company's operating activity. During January 2023, the Company raised approximately $6.80 million net. The Company's consolidated financial results for the twelve months ended December 31, 2022 are presented in accordance with US GAAP Reporting Standards. More detailed information can be found in the Company's Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, a copy of which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The Annual Report, which contains the Company's audited consolidated financial statements, can be accessed on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov/ as well as via the Company's investor relations website at https://ir.canfite.com. The Company will deliver a hard copy of its Annual Report, including its complete audited consolidated financial statements, free of charge, to its shareholders upon request to Can-Fite Investor Relations at 10 Bareket Street, Kiryat Matalon, Petah-Tikva 4951778, Israel or by phone at +972-3-9241114. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS U.S dollars in thousands (except for share and per share data) December 31, 2022 2021 ASSETS CURRENT ASSETS: Cash and cash equivalents $ 2,978 $ 4,390 Short-term deposits 5,001 14,512 Prepaid expenses, and other current assets 1,170 929 Short-term investment 8 237 Total current assets 9,157 20,068 NON-CURRENT ASSETS: Operating lease right of use assets 84 138 Property, plant and equipment, net 42 47 Total non-current assets 126 185 Total assets $ 9,283 $ 20,253 CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS U.S dollars in thousands (except for share and per share data) December 31, 2022 2021 LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY CURRENT LIABILITIES: Trade payables $ 896 $ 954 Current maturity of operating lease liability 48 53 Deferred revenues 783 818 Other accounts payable 775 905 Total current liabilities 2,502 2,730 NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES: Long-term operating lease liability 14 71 Deferred revenues 2,295 3,070 Total non-current liabilities 2,309 3,141 CONTIGENT LIABILITIES AND COMMITMENTS SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY: Ordinary shares of no par value - Authorized: 5,000,000,000 shares at December 31, 2022 and 2021; Issued and outstanding: 815,746,293 shares as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 - - Additional paid-in capital 154,192 153,929 Accumulated other comprehensive income 1,127 1,127 Accumulated deficit (150,847 ) (140,674 ) Total shareholders' equity 4,472 14,382 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 9,283 $ 20,253 CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS U.S dollars in thousands (except for share and per share data) Year ended December 31, 2022 2021 2020 Revenues $ 810 $ 853 $ 763 Research and development expenses (7,763 ) (9,850 ) (11,951 ) General and administrative expenses (3,143 ) (3,845 ) (2,951 ) Operating loss (10,096 ) (12,842 ) (14,139 ) Total financial income (expense), net (77 ) 227 (304 ) Loss before taxes on income (10,173 ) (12,615 ) (14,443 ) Taxes on income - - - Net loss $ (10,173 ) $ (12,615 ) $ (14,443 ) Deemed dividend - (2,590 ) (715 ) Total comprehensive loss $ (10,173 ) $ (15,205 ) $ (15,158 ) Basic and diluted net loss per share $ (0.01 ) $ (0.03 ) $ (0.04 ) Weighted average number of ordinary shares used in computing basic and diluted net loss per share 815,746,293 553,079,638 358,411,297 About Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. (NYSE American: CANF) (TASE: CANF) is an advanced clinical stage drug development Company with a platform technology that is designed to address multi-billion dollar markets in the treatment of cancer, liver, and inflammatory disease. The Company's lead drug candidate, Piclidenoson recently reported topline results in a Phase III trial for psoriasis. Can-Fite's liver drug, Namodenoson, is being evaluated in a Phase IIb trial for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and enrollment is expected to commence in a Phase III trial for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer. Namodenoson has been granted Orphan Drug Designation in the U.S. and Europe and Fast Track Designation as a second line treatment for HCC by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Namodenoson has also shown proof of concept to potentially treat other cancers including colon, prostate, and melanoma. CF602, the Company's third drug candidate, has shown efficacy in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. These drugs have an excellent safety profile with experience in over 1,500 patients in clinical studies to date. For more information please visit: www.can-fite.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements, about Can-Fite's expectations, beliefs or intentions regarding, among other things, its product development efforts, business, financial condition, results of operations, strategies or prospects. All statements in this communication, other than those relating to historical facts, are "forward looking statements". Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "believe," "expect," "intend," "plan," "may," "should" or "anticipate" or their negatives or other variations of these words or other comparable words or by the fact that these statements do not relate strictly to historical or current matters. Forward-looking statements relate to anticipated or expected events, activities, trends or results as of the date they are made. Because forward-looking statements relate to matters that have not yet occurred, these statements are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Can-Fite's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include, among other things, our history of losses and needs for additional capital to fund our operations and our inability to obtain additional capital on acceptable terms, or at all; uncertainties of cash flows and inability to meet working capital needs; the initiation, timing, progress and results of our preclinical studies, clinical trials and other product candidate development efforts; our ability to advance our product candidates into clinical trials or to successfully complete our preclinical studies or clinical trials; our receipt of regulatory approvals for our product candidates, and the timing of other regulatory filings and approvals; the clinical development, commercialization and market acceptance of our product candidates; our ability to establish and maintain strategic partnerships and other corporate collaborations; the implementation of our business model and strategic plans for our business and product candidates; the scope of protection we are able to establish and maintain for intellectual property rights covering our product candidates and our ability to operate our business without infringing the intellectual property rights of others; competitive companies, technologies and our industry; risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine; risks related to not satisfying the continued listing requirements of NYSE American; and statements as to the impact of the political and security situation in Israel on our business. More information on these risks, uncertainties and other factors is included from time to time in the "Risk Factors" section of Can-Fite's Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC on March 30, 2023 and other public reports filed with the SEC and in its periodic filings with the TASE. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Can-Fite undertakes no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by any applicable securities laws. Contacts Can-Fite BioPharma Motti Farbstein info@canfite.com +972-3-9241114 NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Gildan Activewear: Gildan is pleased to share that the Company recently hosted a free, three-day ophthalmological event in the Guerra municipality of the Dominican Republic, providing free preventative eye care checkups for over 200 people from the Guerra community. The event was organized in partnership with Batey Relief Alliance (BRA) and the Dominico-Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CANCHAM-RD), with additional support from Gildan volunteers who dedicated more than 100 hours of community volunteering. This was Gildan's fourth rendition of the event. Held in Gildan's textile facility in San Antonio de Guerra, the event brought together optometry experts, professors, and interns from the New England College of optometry in Boston, who provided consultations to members of the community of all ages. Additionally, they hosted educational talks about health care and nutrition, empowering people to take their health into their own hands. "This is yet another initiative that creates meaningful advancements in the communities where we operate by promoting healthy living, as part of our Next Generation ESG strategy," said Victor Almonte, Manager of Communications and CSR in the Dominican Republic. "It gave the Guerra community access to optical healthcare, which is known to be expensive and difficult to access in this region. Most importantly, it allowed community members to learn about best eye care practices, improving their wellbeing and helping them lead healthier lives," he continued. Providing free vision checkups is just one of the ways in which Gildan cares for its communities and continues on its journey of Making Apparel Better. Find out more about some of Gildan's community investment efforts, here. Gildan Provides Free Vision Care to Communities in the Dominican Republic in Partnership with Batey Relief Alliance View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Gildan Activewear on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Gildan Activewear Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/gildan-activewear Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Gildan Activewear View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/746689/Gildan-Provides-Free-Vision-Care-to-Communities-in-the-Dominican-Republic-in-Partnership-With-Batey-Relief-Alliance Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 30, 2023) - ShiftCarbon (CSE: SHFT) (OTC Pink: SHIFF) (formerly TraceSafe) (the "Company"), a global leader in the Internet of Things (IoT) platforms and an innovator in end-to-end decarbonization solutions is excited to announce the beta launch of its highly anticipated carbon credit trading platform. The release is now available to all customers, offering a more resilient and flexible infrastructure to list, buy, sell, and verify voluntary carbon offsets. Demand for carbon offsets is expected to increase by a factor of 15 or more by 2030 and by a factor of up to 100 by 2050. Overall, the market could be worth upward of $50 billion by 2030. But the current market is fragmented and complex. Companies of all sizes who want to decarbonize need to measure their carbon footprint, select from hundreds of offset projects, comply with dozens of frameworks and standards, transparently report their offset purchases, and continually reassess their carbon offset strategies and risks. ShiftCarbon aims to streamline and simplify these processes and provide them as a service to our customers. It is evident from a report by McKinsey, that the market desperately needs resilient and flexible infrastructure to accommodate high-volume listing and trading of voluntary carbon credits. "The voluntary carbon market is an essential component in the global effort to combat climate change and create a more sustainable future," said Wayne Lloyd, ShiftCarbon CEO. "We are proud to be a part of this new market, building critical infrastructure that makes carbon offsetting more accessible and streamlined for all players. Backed by the U.S. and European governments and leading organizations like the Bezos Earth Fund and the Rockefeller Foundation, the voluntary carbon market has the potential to deliver trillions of dollars of investment to support the transition to renewables and mitigate the worst impacts of climate change." ShiftCarbon's solution to the challenges faced by the voluntary carbon market is a resilient and flexible infrastructure that allows offset creators, buyers, and sellers to seamlessly trade while maintaining transparency and trust with global verification bodies. With the completion of its private alpha, ShiftCarbon has fine-tuned its inventory management system and the innovative Fractionalization Engine that allows large wholesale carbon offsets to be broken down into smaller, units while maintaining credit integrity. With ShiftCarbon's technology, companies can save money on building their own trading infrastructure while constructing bespoke credit portfolios that reflect their values and goals. This way, customers can purchase the right amount of offsets based on project cost, type, region, or cause. With this innovation, ShiftCarbon is effectively providing efficiencies to the market, de-risking the carbon portfolios of its customers, and allowing customers to align their carbon-offsetting activities with their mission. To make it easier and more affordable for companies of all sizes to purchase carbon offsets, ShiftCarbon's carbon accounting platform provides an easy-to-use interface for measuring emissions, while the Company's MRV automation platform aims to promote and make the creation of voluntary carbon credits more efficient by significantly reducing the cost and complexity of data collection for some of these projects. All of this is tied together by ShiftCarbon API, which enables customers to embed offsets directly into their business workflows, including web checkouts. By streamlining the entire offsetting process, ShiftCarbon is making it easier for companies of all sizes to contribute to a more sustainable future. "We are proud to partner with some of the biggest players in the sustainability market to power the listing, trading, and verification of voluntary carbon credits," said Qayyum Rajan, Head of Carbon Products at ShiftCarbon. "By connecting our infrastructure with our partners, we are powering a truly global and open market for voluntary carbon offsets." About ShiftCarbon ShiftCarbon provides an innovative platform for carbon accounting, offsets, and MRV (Measurement, Reporting and Verification) automation. Businesses can use ShiftCarbon Measure to view a complete picture of their carbon emissions, without the need to hire external consultants or use manual calculations. ShiftCarbon Offset provides enterprises with powerful APIs that allow customers to embed carbon offsets into their business. Find more details on www.shiftcarbon.io. ShiftCarbon also operates TraceSafe, a leading IoT cloud platform. The solution uses sensor technology to deliver precise and timely information, powering safer and smarter enterprise environments. With a presence across North America, Asia and Europe, TraceSafe is trusted by leading organizations in healthcare, hospitality, construction, events, education, and government. Find more details on www.tracesafe.io. For further information, please contact: Wayne Lloyd, CEO +1 (604) 629-9975 wayne@shiftcarbon.io Mark Leung, CFO +1 (778) 655-4242 mark@shiftcarbon.io The Canadian Securities Exchange has in no way approved or disapproved the contents of this news release. Statements in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on ShiftCarbon's expectations, estimates and projections regarding its business and the economic environment in which it operates, including with respect to expectations regarding the ShiftCarbon assets and their application, future business plans and relationships, future developments in respect of carbon and climate risks and solutions adopted in response to climate change, and the deployment and acceptance of the ShiftCarbon technology. Although ShiftCarbon believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to control or predict, including the suitability of our products to help businesses and governments respond to climate change and impact of carbon emissions and government responses thereto and general economic and market conditions. Therefore, outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements and readers should not place undue reliance on such statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and ShiftCarbon undertakes no obligation to update them publicly to reflect new information or the occurrence of future events or circumstances unless otherwise required to do so by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160531 DANA POINT, CA / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Identillect Technologies Corp. (the "Company" or "Identillect") (TSXV:ID)(Frankfurt:8ID), an industry pioneer in email security solutions, is pleased to announce that its CEO, Todd Sexton, gave a presentation on Tuesday, March 21st on behalf of CANIETI Northwest in Tijuana, Mexico to discuss the pressing need for robust cybersecurity education and solutions across Mexico and Latin America. In addition, Todd Sexton has been named as President of Canieti's Cybersecurity Commission in the U.S., and Gustavo Olvera, Identillect Global Relations Manager has been named as President of its Cybersecurity Commission in Mexico. The founding goals of the CANIETI Cybersecurity Commission are to educate and inform about today's cyber-crime epidemic, provide a framework for member businesses to fight back against cyber-crime, and to provide mission-critical cybersecurity resources throughout Mexico. The National Chamber of the Electronic, Telecommunications and Information Technology Industry (CANIETI) is Mexico's largest trade group representing technology-focused businesses, with over 1,000 member companies in the region. Tuesday's CANIETI presentation and press conference arrives as Mexico finds itself in the midst of a rapid increase in cyber-attacks. In 2022, over 187 billion attempted attacks were registered in the nation, an increase of over 20% compared to 2021, according to Business Insider Mexico. Cyber-attacks are only becoming more sophisticated as artificial intelligence-driven iterations and software such as ransomware become the preferred methods of cybercriminals. Identillect's Delivery Trust cybersecurity platform leverages the inherent stability of the blockchain to create ultra-secure email solutions that can be deployed across public and private enterprises. Mr. Sexton and Mr. Olvera spoke at length about the key role that email vulnerability plays in today's cybersecurity landscape. "Identillect is proud to be part of the founding leadership of the CANIETI Cybersecurity Commission, Mexico's largest technology trade group. Along with their 1,000+ affiliated corporate partners, CANIETI Cybersecurity Commission understands the growing threats to sensitive information and overall business interests that are posed by today's cyber criminals," noted CEO Todd Sexton. "Our Delivery Trust security solution brings the latest advances in blockchain technology to deliver elite encryption features that combat today's cyber threats. AI is going to improve over time, and therefore Identillect remains committed to bringing knowledge leadership to Mexico and all of Latin America." More information about CANIETI Northwest can be found here. About Identillect Identillect Technologies is the leading provider of blockchain-embedded email encryption services. Its flagship Delivery Trust cybersecurity platform provides ultra secure email communications, empowering enterprises of all sizes to protect their business and their client's critical information against cyber security attacks. Delivery Trust leverages the Ethereum blockchain for a uniquely secure solution. By drawing on the inherent value proposition of the blockchain ledger, Delivery Trust relies on 11 unique integrity factors which are stored on the Ethereum ledger for every email that is composed. This digital fingerprint is then encrypted by the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) key algorithm and placed on a decentralized ledger that must precisely match the recipient's key. For more information, or your free trial, please visit www.identillect.com On Behalf of the Board of Directors of: IDENTILLECT TECHNOLOGIES CORP. Todd Sexton Chief Executive Officer Tel: (949) 468-7878 Email: todd.sexton@identillect.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. This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. 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 forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, 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. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under the applicable laws. SOURCE: Identillect Technologies Corp View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/746616/Identillect-Expands-Presence-in-Mexico Drill Permit Received Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 30, 2023) - Cross River Ventures Corp. (CSE: CRVC) (FSE: C6R) (the "Company") continues to analyze available information on the Manitou property ("Manitou" or the "Property") which is situated approximately 50 kilometers south of the town of Dryden and 350 kilometers west of Thunder Bay, Ontario. The Property is road accessible and is prospective for precious metals and base metals. Manitou is comprised of 33 contiguous mining claims totaling approximately 6,577 hectares. The claims are 100 percent controlled by the Company through a series of option agreements. Of most interest to the Company is a series of historical mines and showings on Manitou. Summary Manitou is well-positioned in NW Ontario and hosts a series of showings and old mines Once Lidar data is received, have it and the magnetic data interpreted Cross River has a valid exploration and drill permit for Manitou Phase 1 Work Program: focused summer field program to refine key targets Phase 2 Work Program: diamond drill key gold targets Key Targets on Manitou Based on Historical Work The Company plans on integrating all available information for the Property. A key aspect of this is compiling historical information from various showings and old gold mines. Refer to figure 1 which shows the distribution of the key showings on the Property. There are two main areas of historical work. Area 1 is in the north in the Frenchman Island area. The southern area includes the Queen Alexandra Mine and the Reliance Showings. The two key areas form a 10 km long NW-SE striking mineralized corridor. Other secondary showings are also present on Manitou. All historical data was conducted before NI 43-101 and was not supervised by a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Area 1: Frenchman and Bird Islands Area Several showings are present in the area and some artisanal shafts were completed. The original discovery at Frenchman Island was a vein striking NW-SE. The key targets are quartz veins mineralized with sulphide minerals. Visible gold was observed on Bird Island. The Bird Island occurrence assayed 78.1 g/t or 2.27 opt gold (MDI 152F07NW00008 occurrence). The veins can be present as breccias, stock work as well as massive veins. The veins are situated in shear zones and are commonly altered by sericite, chlorite and carbonate. Area 2: Queen Alexandra and Reliance Showings The Queen Alexandra Mine consisted of a shaft as well as an open pit, both targeting quartz veins in a shear zone. According to government reports, the vein near the shaft is pale to dark grey, opaque, and contains ribbons of pyrite and chlorite. The Reliance Showing includes old shaft and old workings. Government reports state gold bearing quartz veins are hosted by a strong shear zone within mafic metavolcanic flows of the Blanchard Lake Group. There are other surrounding showings with presence of some old shafts. The 3 km long Reliance shear zone is generally present where a relatively thin, less competent pillowed flow unit is bounded by two competent units. Deformation may be focused in this pillowed flow unit resulting in intense shearing. Such structural deformation has created a system of conduits which has allowed hydrothermal fluids to deposit sulphides and gold in lenses along this sheared horizon. The old pits and shafts correspond to several of these lenses. There appears to be potential for additional mineralized zones. The Reliance shear zone corresponds to a moderate to strong I.P. anomaly. The Reliance Shear Zone is said to have barely been drill tested. Figure 1: Map showing the bedrock geology and showings on Manitou To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7276/160475_b0ffb98f4487ea1a_002full.jpg Proposed Two Phase Exploration Program As disclosed earlier this month, Cross River has completed and airborne magnetic survey. The Company currently awaits the final lidar data in order to have a thorough geophysical interpretation completed. This data will be helpful in focusing a proposed two-phase exploration (the "Program"). It is anticipated phase 1 will be conducted this summer. It is anticipated this summer work would include sampling, outcrop clearing and possibly trenching. The Company anticipates focusing on key targets on Manitou with the initial aim of verifying areas and better understanding areas of interest. The key goal of the initial phase is to define targets for a follow up drill program. Phase 2 of the program is anticipated to drill the best targets identified by Cross River on Manitou. Details for the drill program will be finalized prior to Phase 2 as additional data is compiled and analyzed. Property Geology Manitou is situated in the Western Wabigoon Geological Subprovince. The bedrock geology of the Property is dominated by a series of felsic to mafic volcanic rocks. A diorite intrusion is present near the Reliance showings while minor coarse clastic sedimentary rocks are noted in the southeast of the Property. Gold has been observed within quartz veins, shear zones and zones rich in sulfide minerals in the Manitou Lakes area. Mineralization is observed within sheared, silicified and carbonatized volcanic rocks. Gold-bearing quartz veins are commonly controlled by northeast- trending shear zones. Almost all of the gold deposits in the Manitou Lakes area are controlled by shear and fracture zones which appear to be regionally related to movement along the Manitou Straits Fault. The Wabigoon belt contains numerous gold showings, historical mines, and newer discoveries such as New Gold's Rainy River Mine (2.5M oz*), and Agnico Eagle's Hammond Reef deposit (3.3M oz**). Qualified Person The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Thomas Clarke P.Geo. Pr.Sci.Nat., a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Mr. Clarke is the Vice President of the Company. * New Gold News Release, February 10, 2021 ** Agnico Eagle, company website, probable resource About Cross River Ventures Corp. Cross River is a gold exploration company focused on the development of top tier exploration properties located in emerging Greenstone Districts of NW Ontario, Canada. The Company controls over 20,000-ha within a multiple project portfolio containing highly prospective ground in and among prolific, gold bearing greenstone belts. Cross River's common shares trade in Canada under the symbol "CRVC" on the CSE, and in the US under the symbol "CSRVF" on the OTCQB. Please visit www.crossriverventures.com for more information. On behalf of the Board of Directors of CROSS RIVER VENTURES CORP. Alex Klenman CEO 604-227-6610 aklenman@crossriverventures.com John Fraser President 604-227-6610 jfraser@crossriverventures.com www.crossriverventures.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially because of factors discussed in the management discussion and analysis section of our interim and most recent annual financial statement or other reports and filings with the Canadian Securities Exchange and applicable Canadian securities regulations. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160475 Proposed restructuring of up to $5.766 million of debt. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 30, 2023) - Marble Financial Inc. (CSE: MRBL) (OTC Pink: MRBLF) (FSE: 2V0) ("Marble" or the "Company"), an AI-driven financial technology company, is pleased to announce that it has proposed a debt restructuring involving its wholly owned subsidiary, TPF The Phoenix Fund Inc. ("TPF") and the holders of TPF's bonds (the "TPF Bonds"). As a result of the restructuring, an aggregate of up to $5,766,722 in principal amount of TPF Bonds and all accrued, unpaid and waived interest thereon, is proposed to be settled through a combination of debt forgiveness and the issuance of Marble common shares. Karim Nanji, Marble's Chief Executive Officer, states "We are extremely excited by this restructuring. On completion of the restructuring, the elimination of these short-term liabilities and the ongoing interest obligation associated with the bonds will greatly strengthen our balance sheet and financial position. This will give us a renewed flexibility to focus on the continued development and growth of our proprietary MyMarble Boost Program, Inverite verification business, AI-driven AccumulateAI and MyMarble platforms, and other opportunities that may arise as we gradually wind down the Fast-Track loan program." An aggregate of up to 43,397,690 Marble common shares may be issued pursuant to the restructuring. The Marble shares that are to be issued upon closing of the restructuring transaction will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day from the date of issuance (the "Initial Hold Period") and additional resale restrictions agreed to by bondholders such that 25% of the shares will be released from resale restrictions on completion of the Initial Hold Period and further releases of 25% of the shares every four months thereafter. The Company expects to complete and close this bond debt restructuring in the next two weeks. About Marble Financial Inc. (CSE: MRBL) (OTC Pink: MRBLF) (FSE: 2V0): About Marble Financial Inc. (CSE: MRBL) (OTC Pink: MRBLF) (FSE: 2V0): Marble is a leading provider of software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions that empower businesses to acquire and use real -time financial data to better transact with consumers. Along with enabling smarter marketing ROI for partners seeking increased conversion rates to those consumers that require further monitoring, predictive financial recommendations, and guidance to rehabilitate them to transact in the future. Utilizing Marble's proprietary and proven artificial intelligence data-driven technology platforms, Inverite, Accumulate.ai and MyMarble, businesses and consumers are empowered in real-time, access to a 360 financial profile that includes credit and banking data. Marble leverages machine learning, artificial intelligence, predictive financial recommendations, risk scores and open-banking strategies to put the power of financial data into the hands of businesses and consumers, promoting more robust relationships and higher intent toward future engagements. For further information about Marble Financial, please visit: mymarble.ca. Mike Marrandino, Executive Chairman T:(855) 661-2390 ext. 104 Email: ir@marblefinancial.ca NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATIONS SERVICES PROVIDER HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information This release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements, including with respect to the Company's intention or ability to complete the proposed debt restructuring, the timing of closing the proposed debt restructuring, the actual amount of debt to be settled, and other statements related to completion and benefits of the debt restructuring. Forward-looking statements, without limitation, may contain the words beliefs, expects, anticipates, estimates, intends, plans, or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements do not guarantee future performance. They involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions and actual results could differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Except for historical facts, the statements in this news release, as well as oral statements or other written statements made or to be made by Marble, are forward-looking and involve risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking information included in this release is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, other than as required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160519 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 30, 2023) - Tower Resources Ltd. (TSXV: TWR) ("Tower" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the first assays have been received from its new Thunder Zone (see press release from March 1, 2023) on the Company's Rabbit North property near Kamloops, British Columbia, between New Gold's New Afton underground Cu-Au mine and Teck's Highland Valley open pit Cu-Mo mine (see Fig. 1), with a 25.7 m section in discovery hole No. RN23-039 returning 2.04 g/t Au. Hole 039 (Discovery Hole) Hole 039 intersected two gold zones (see Fig. 2), a 3.0 m upper zone from 142.7 m down-hole grading 4.02 g/t Au and the targeted Thunder zone starting 17.8 m further down-hole, at 163.5 m, grading 2.04 g/t Au over 25.7 m. The Thunder Zone is split by a barren, 3-m-wide, post-mineralization mafic dyke. The 15.6 m mineralized interval below the dyke includes a higher grade section averaging 3.79 g/t Au over 7.8 metres. The 2.04 g/t grade of the Thunder Zone is significantly higher than the ~1.5 g/t average grade of the Lightning Zone. The Thunder Zone also appears to have much greater continuity, both along strike and to depth, and is less disturbed and thus more easily followed by drilling. It has already been traced 200 m along strike from Hole 39 to Holes 41 and 42 at depths between 100 and 400 m below surface (see press release from March 1, 2023) and remains wide open across substantial widths in all three directions (northwest, southeast and to depth). Stu Averill, P.Geo. and a director of the Company, commented: "The Thunder Zone is building as expected, with the indicated gold grade double that of most open pit gold mines in B.C. And its relatively undisturbed condition and previously indicated continuity both along strike and to depth make the Thunder Zone more predictable and drill-friendly than the Lightning Zone. Together these features should allow us to build a significant gold resource more quickly." The surface footprint of the Thunder Zone may also be larger than suggested by the relatively small size of the gold grain dispersal train (Central Train) emanating from the top of the zone (see Fig. 2) because cover flows of Chilcotin basalt that would have completely sheltered the gold mineralization from glacial erosion were intersected at the tops of Holes 41 and 42, over 300 m south of their previously mapped limit. As well, the Au grade of the thick pre-glacial supergene zone that is preserved beneath the basalt may be enhanced significantly relative to the primary Au grade of the deeper, unweathered part of the gold zone. Hole 040 Hole 040 was drilled 50 m northeast of and parallel to Hole 039. Tower previously reported that Hole 040 did not intersect the Thunder Zone (see press release from March 1, 2023) because most of interval that contains the favourable (shear-susceptible) ash tuff in Hole 039 is occupied in Hole 040 by a wide dyke of shear-resistant Durand diorite. Immediately below the dyke, however, Hole 40 intersected a 7.65 m mineralized zone containing 1.42 g/t Au. This intersection is located east of the Hole 39 intersection (see Fig. 2) suggesting that the Thunder Zone may be linked to the Lightning Zone 400 m further east as well as extending southeast through Holes 40 and 41. Hole 041 Assays Pending Tower expects to report the Hole 41 assays next. As mentioned in the Company's March 01 press release, Holes 41 and 42 intersected mineralization of both the pre-orogenic (~215 Ma) porphyry Cu-Au type with significant chalcopyrite and the orogenic (~149 Ma) shear-hosted type with pyrite alone. Methods and Qualified Person The drill core was logged at Tower's leased, fully equipped core facility near Kamloops by Matthew Husslage, BSc. Geology, and Lauren Vollo, BSc. Geology. Both have extensive experience with B.C. gold and copper deposits and Mr. Husslage has managed or co-managed all of Tower's Rabbit North diamond drilling programs since the discovery of the Lightning Zone in December, 2021. Split samples of the core, generally 1-2 m in length, were delivered directly to Activation Laboratories (ActLabs) in Kamloops, BC, a laboratory certified as ISO/IEC 17025 Accredited (Lab 790) by the Standards Council of Canada. QA/QC samples including blanks and standards were inserted regularly into the sample sequence at a ratio of approximately 1:20. The samples were analyzed for Au by fire assay and ICP-OES and for Ag and 36 additional elements by ICP-OES using a four-acid, near-total digestion. Any over-limit (>5 g/t) Au analyses were repeated using the same fire assay procedure but with a gravimetric rather than ICP finish. The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Stuart Averill, P.Geo., a Director of the Company, and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. About Tower Resources Tower is a Canadian based mineral exploration company focused on the discovery and advancement of economic mineral projects in the Americas. The Company's key exploration assets, both in B.C., are the Rabbit North copper-gold porphyry project located between the New Afton copper-gold and Highland Valley copper mines in the Kamloops mining district and the Nechako gold-silver project near Artemis' Blackwater project. On behalf of the Board of Directors Tower Resources Ltd. Joe Dhami, President and CEO (778) 996-4730 www.towerresources.ca Reader Advisory This news release may contain statements which constitute "forward-looking information", including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company, its directors, or its officers with respect to the future business activities of the Company. The words "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future business activities and involve risks and uncertainties, and that the Company's future business activities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, fluctuations in market prices, successes of the operations of the Company, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such information will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. The Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking information except as required under the applicable securities laws. 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. Figure 1 - Location of Tower's Rabbit North property relative to the active mines of the Kamloops district. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5023/160534_7f11ed8024b73876_002full.jpg Figure 2 - Locations of the four exploratory diamond drill holes and new Thunder Zone relative to the Central gold grain dispersal train. Chilcotin basalt cover flows were intersected in all four drill holes and thus may overlie part of the mineralized zone. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5023/160534_7f11ed8024b73876_003full.jpg To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160534 NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Cisco Systems Inc. The author and Ned take a mid-hike rest during a day off. Outside of work, Ned enjoys photography, hiking, and walking his three-legged dog, Nando. This blog is part of our People Behind Purpose at Cisco series that focuses on employees driving Cisco's purpose to Power an Inclusive Future for All. Each blog highlights a different Cisco employee whose work positively impacts people, communities, or the planet. The series was formerly known as people behind Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at Cisco. Cisco's Global Energy Management and Sustainability (GEMS) team is responsible for energy and sustainability initiatives across our global real estate portfolio with objectives to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Read more about our sustainability efforts in our real estate operations on Cisco's environmental, social and governance (ESG) Reporting Hub. Ned Bagno is on the GEMS team and manages the EnergyOps program, which focuses on identifying and implementing energy efficiency and onsite solar projects across our buildings worldwide. He shares more about his background and experience, and what he looks forward to in the future. Can you tell me a bit about your path to working at Cisco? Ned: Following my electronics teacher's advice in high school, I joined the US Navy because he told me they had an excellent electronics program. Working on shipboard electrical, electronic, and security systems prepared me for my future in the job market, where I specialized in building process control systems, mainly for manufacturing facilities. That evolved into specializing in troubleshooting and designing large corporate physical security systems. Later, I joined Cisco as a contractor in corporate security, and, after a short time, I became a full-time employee. I worked on high-visibility projects, like our Bangalore, India, campus security, earthquake early warning systems in San Jose, California, and the corporate security command center in one of our San Jose campus buildings, to name a few. I joined Cisco's GEMS team ten years ago. At the time, we were setting our previous Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions reduction goals. Over the next five years, I managed two tracks of our EnergyOps program, and, in 2017, I began managing the entire program. Can you explain what the EnergyOps program does? Ned: EnergyOps is our program to reduce the environmental impact of our facilities. Our approach to reducing GHG emissions associated with our real estate is to increase the energy efficiency of our buildings, while investing in renewable energy. This combined approach has allowed us to avoid increases in overall building energy consumption, despite increases in lab loads and equipment energy consumption, while reducing carbon emissions associated with our real estate. Through the EnergyOps program and our investments in renewable energy, we were able to achieve (one year early) our previous goal to reduce Cisco's total Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions worldwide by 60% absolute by fiscal year (FY) 2022 (compared to a FY 2007 base year). These successes also provided a foundation on which to set our current broader net-zero goal and near-term targets. [1] What kind of projects do you do? We've completed hundreds of projects, from simple retrofits to extensive equipment replacements. We typically purchase or lease existing buildings rather than build new ones, so, there are often energy efficiency opportunities in our building portfolio. We also advise our broader real estate team on energy-efficient options when we update our buildings or when equipment is replaced. We begin the project development process by performing detailed analyses to understand how the building system is operating, and to identify opportunities to improve efficiency. Through our analyses, we find areas where we can make changes, such as adjusting building setpoints for optimal efficiency, or adding variable frequency drives that adjust to the current equipment load and consume less energy. Other types of projects we pursue are energy-efficient upgrades to lighting systems and large mechanical equipment, such as chillers and boilers. We've installed economizers that use outside air to help cool our buildings when outdoor temperatures permit. Additionally, we have installed cold/hot air containment systems that help manage heat and reduce hot spots in our energy-intensive labs and data centers. Our projects also help us pursue green building certifications at our sites, such as U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and the WELL Building Standard. Favorite projects you worked on over the last year? I'm working on an Artificial Intelligence (AI) project at our Allen, Texas, data center. The objective of the project is to use AI to better understand how the existing building automation system operates and to optimize its sequence of operations. This project is estimated to reduce energy consumption in the chiller plant by more than 30%. There's definitely a learning curve for the humans using the AI as well! Another interesting installation was a chiller and ice storage project we completed at our campus in Ottawa, Canada. During the project, we replaced the entire cooling plant and added numerous ice-storage tanks. The system makes ice at night when energy is both lower cost and less carbon intensive. During the day, we use the ice, instead of the chillers, to cool the building and our data center for 6+ hours a day. This project helps us save money, reduces our carbon footprint and reduces strain on the local electric grid. We're now looking at replicating this innovative project and design at a few of our other locations. What's next for the GEMS team and the EnergyOps program? We're very focused on making progress towards our FY 2025 Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions reduction goal. We plan to invest approximately US$39 million from FY 2023 to FY 2025 in three areas: energy efficiency, renewable energy, and electrification. Over the next few years, we hope to convert many of our natural gas heating systems to electric and install new onsite solar photovoltaic (PV) systems at several campuses. We also plan to expand our investment in offsite renewable energy by executing over 500 megawatts (MW) of new, long-term renewable energy contracts by the end of FY 2025. We're excited to continue our work, knowing that our efforts contribute towards Cisco's purpose to Power an Inclusive Future for All. [1] Cisco has set a goal to reach net zero across its value chain (Scopes 1, 2, and 3) by 2040. Our net-zero goal includes two near-term targets: To reduce absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions 90% and neutralizing any remaining emissions by removing an equal amount from the atmosphere by FY 2025 compared to our 2019 FY; To reduce absolute Scope 3 emissions from purchased goods and services, upstream transportation and distribution, and use of sold products 30% by FY 2030 compared to our 2019 FY. View original content here View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Cisco Systems Inc. on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Cisco Systems Inc. Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/cisco-systems-inc Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Cisco Systems Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/746693/People-Behind-Purpose-at-Cisco-Reducing-the-Environmental-Impacts-of-Our-Facilities-Through-the-EnergyOps-Program CDP is the leading voluntary environmental reporting system for companies, with over 18,000 corporations disclosing climate and sustainability data each year Watershed, the leading enterprise climate platform, today announced it has been distinguished as an accredited global gold software solutions provider by CDP, the leading voluntary environmental disclosure system. The accreditation recommends Watershed to the over 18,000 companies that report to CDP. "Measurement and disclosure are the bedrocks of ambitious climate action," said Watershed Head of Partnerships Kristin Thayer. "CDP has been integral to the evolution of the climate disclosure landscape, encouraging leaders across business and government to enhance transparency and accelerate action. Watershed helps the world's leading companies deliver granular, audit-grade climate reporting. We look forward to working with CDP to bring best-in-class climate disclosure and action to more companies around the world." "I am delighted to have Watershed join us as a gold software accredited solutions provider. Watershed's deep climate expertise and purpose-built software-including embedded CDP reporting functionality-makes CDP emissions disclosure more efficient and actionable for companies across industries seeking to manage risk and reduce climate impact," said Paul Robins, CDP's Corporations and Supply Chains Global Head of Programs. CDP reporting is an embedded feature within the Watershed platform. With Watershed, customers can submit emissions data, energy metrics, and methodology details to CDP in a single click. Watershed customers can also benchmark their reports against industry peers. Watershed powers climate disclosure for voluntary disclosure frameworks, like CDP and TCFD, and mandatory disclosure frameworks, like the U.K.'s Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR), Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and the EU's Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR). ABOUT WATERSHED: Watershed is the enterprise climate platform. Leading companies like Walmart, Okta, and DoorDash use our software to run end-to-end climate programs with quantifiable results. Watershed delivers granular, audit-grade carbon measurement; one-click disclosure and reporting; and real emissions reductions-all in a single, intuitive, enterprise-grade software platform. Watershed customers have access to our exclusive marketplace of scientifically vetted, high-additionality carbon removal projects and high-quality carbon avoidance; in-house climate and policy expertise; and ongoing support throughout their climate journey. Watershed's advisors and investors include Mark Carney, Christiana Figueres, Al Gore, Sequoia, and Kleiner Perkins. Watershed is based in San Francisco, Calif., and London, U.K. To learn more, visit watershed.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005161/en/ Contacts: Amelia Penniman, amelia@watershed.com NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Timberland Global footwear and apparel brand Timberland has a longstanding commitment to support women in the workplace. By empowering all of its employees no matter their gender identity, Timberland encourages its workforce to live boldly and share diverse perspectives. The brand has implemented several programs and initiatives to promote gender equality in the workplace and empower women in their careers. "I'm proud of the work Timberland is doing to support and empower women in the workplace," said Noreen Kasper, Timberland's Global Vice President, Human Resources. "We have incredibly talented women at every level of our organization - led by our global brand president, Susie Mulder. Each brings her own unique skills, experiences, and perspectives to the table, creating a stronger Timberland brand and community - one where all our associates can make an impact and feel confident in bringing their whole selves to work." The brand is committed to advocating for gender equality both internally and externally, with the understanding that gender equality is not only good for business but also a social responsibility. Timberland actively participates and partners with organizations that promote gender equality, such as Girl Scouts of America and Girls at Work . The brand also supports women in its global supply chain through partnerships with organizations including HERproject, a global nonprofit working to empower women in the workplace through education, financial literacy, and other programs. At its global headquarters in New Hampshire, Timberland hosts an active chapter of parent company VF's employee resource group called WOVEN (Women of VF Empowerment Network). WOVEN encourages women to learn from each other, share ideas, and help each other advance in their careers. It also hosts various events throughout the year, including speaker panels, social events, and initiatives to support organizations such as those mentioned above. Beyond WOVEN, Timberland offers numerous leadership development programs to support its employees in developing new skills to advance their careers. Timberland supports and empowers women in the workplace and in the communities it serves. The brand's commitment to employee mentorship, training, and advocacy for gender equality throughout the world is a testament to its dedication to create an inclusive workplace. Timberland's commitments benefit not only women but also help orient the world toward a greener and more equitable future. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Timberland on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Timberland Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/timberland Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Timberland View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/746707/Celebrating-the-Bold-Women-of-Timberland Data to be featured in proffered paper oral session at ELCC 2023 show Opdivo and chemotherapy administered before surgery reduced the risk of disease recurrence, progression or death by 32% after three years of follow up Updated results demonstrate long-term improvements in event-free survival and time to distant metastasis, as well as an encouraging trend toward overall survival, with neoadjuvant Opdivo and chemotherapy compared to chemotherapy alone CheckMate -816 is the first positive Phase 3 trial with an immunotherapy-based combinationin the neoadjuvant setting of NSCLC Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) today announced three-year follow-up results from the Phase 3 CheckMate -816 trial, demonstrating sustained clinical benefits with three cycles of Opdivo (nivolumab) in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy for the neoadjuvant treatment of patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). With median follow up of 41.4 months, Opdivo with chemotherapy reduced the risk of disease recurrence, progression or death by 32%, demonstrating a landmark three-year event-free survival (EFS) rate of 57% with Opdivo with chemotherapy compared to 43% with chemotherapy alone (Hazard Ratio [HR], 0.68; 95% Confidence Interval [CI], 0.49 to 0.93). Additionally, time to distant metastasis or death (TTDM), defined as the time between the date of randomization and the first date of distant metastasis or the date of death in the absence of distant metastasis, continued to favor Opdivo with chemotherapy compared to chemotherapy alone (HR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.39 to 0.78), with three-year landmark TTDM rates of 71% vs. 50%, respectively. While overall survival (OS) remained immature at this analysis, there was a continued encouraging trend in OS favoring neoadjuvant Opdivo with chemotherapy over chemotherapy alone (HR 0.62; 99.34% CI: 0.36 to 1.05). At three years, 78% of patients treated with neoadjuvant Opdivo and chemotherapy were alive, compared to 64% with chemotherapy alone. OS will continue to be followed for upcoming analyses. These updated results will be featured in a proffered paper oral session at the European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) 2023 from March 29-April 1, 2023. "These updated results from CheckMate -816 are immensely important, as they show that the addition of nivolumab to chemotherapy provides sustained efficacy over three years when given before surgery and provide hope for the large portion of patients with non-small cell lung cancer facing high recurrence rates and for whom cure is not feasible with surgery alone," said Nicolas Girard, M.D., Ph.D., CheckMate -816 investigator and professor and head of the Thorax Institute Curie-Montsouris. "As the first positive Phase 3 trial with an immunotherapy-based combination in the neoadjuvant setting, the results from CheckMate -816 have already contributed valuable knowledge to the scientific community studying resectable NSCLC. Now, with long-term data showing the combination can continue helping to prevent disease recurrence and progression for different types of patients, alongside an encouraging trend of longer overall survival, this regimen is poised to change the way non-metastatic NSCLC is treated." Exploratory analyses included EFS by surgical approach, EFS by extent or completeness of resection, and EFS and pathologic complete response (pCR) by a four-gene (CD8A, CD274, STAT-1, LAG-3) inflammatory signature score derived from RNA sequencing of baseline tumor samples. Opdivo with chemotherapy continues to demonstrate improved EFS benefit at three years vs. chemotherapy in patients who had surgery, regardless of surgical approach or extent of resection, and in patients with R0 resection. In the Opdivo with chemotherapy arm, baseline four-gene inflammatory signature scores were numerically higher in patients with pCR compared to patients without and patients with higher baseline inflammatory scores appeared to have improved EFS with the combination, relative to those with lower scores. After three years of follow up, the safety profile of neoadjuvant Opdivo with chemotherapy was consistent with the primary analysis, with no new safety signals observed. Grade 3-4 treatment-related and surgery-related adverse events occurred in 36% and 11% of patients in the Opdivo with chemotherapy arm, respectively, vs. 38% and 15% in the chemotherapy arm, respectively. "The significant and sustained results from CheckMate -816 reinforce our commitment to research in earlier stages of cancers and our excitement around finding new options for earlier treatment, including in thoracic cancers with high remaining unmet needs like resectable non-small cell lung cancer," said Abderrahim Oukessou, M.D., vice president, thoracic cancers development lead, Bristol Myers Squibb. "At BMS, we've been at the forefront of this transformational science and are proud to see additional data supporting the potential of immunotherapy-based approaches, including for the first time in the neoadjuvant treatment of resectable NSCLC with the science now translating to durable, long-term outcomes for patients that can reduce their risk for recurrence, progression and death." The pCR data from CheckMate -816 were initially presented at the 2021 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting. The EFS results and preliminary OS data were presented at the 2022 AACR Annual Meeting. Additionally, primary analyses of pCR, EFS and preliminary OS data were previously published in the New England Journal of Medicine. CheckMate -816 is ongoing to assess key secondary endpoints, including overall survival, which continues to mature. Bristol Myers Squibb thanks the patients and investigators involved in the CheckMate -816 clinical trial. About CheckMate -816 CheckMate -816 is a Phase 3 randomized, open label, multi-center trial evaluating Opdivo with chemotherapy compared to chemotherapy alone as neoadjuvant treatment in patients with resectable stage IB to IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (per the 7th edition American Joint Committee on Cancer/Union for International Cancer Control staging criteria), regardless of PD-L1 expression. For the primary analysis, 358 patients were randomized to receive either Opdivo 360 mg plus histology-based platinum doublet chemotherapy every three weeks for three cycles, or platinum doublet chemotherapy every three weeks for three cycles, followed by surgery. The primary endpoints of the trial are event-free survival and pathologic complete response. Secondary endpoints include overall survival, major pathologic response, and time to death or distant metastases. About Lung Cancer Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths globally. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most common types of lung cancer, representing up to 84% of diagnoses. Non-metastatic cases account for the majority of NSCLC diagnoses (approximately 60%, with up to half of these being resectable), and the proportion is expected to grow over time with enhanced screening programs. While many non-metastatic NSCLC patients are cured by surgery, 30% to 55% develop recurrence and die of their disease despite resection, contributing to a need for treatment options administered before surgery (neoadjuvant) and/or after surgery (adjuvant) to improve long-term outcomes. Bristol Myers Squibb: Creating a Better Future for People with Cancer Bristol Myers Squibb is inspired by a single vision transforming patients' lives through science. The goal of the company's cancer research is to deliver medicines that offer each patient a better, healthier life and to make cure a possibility. Building on a legacy across a broad range of cancers that have changed survival expectations for many, Bristol Myers Squibb researchers are exploring new frontiers in personalized medicine, and through innovative digital platforms, are turning data into insights that sharpen their focus. Deep scientific expertise, cutting-edge capabilities and discovery platforms enable the company to look at cancer from every angle. Cancer can have a relentless grasp on many parts of a patient's life, and Bristol Myers Squibb is committed to taking actions to address all aspects of care, from diagnosis to survivorship. Because as a leader in cancer care, Bristol Myers Squibb is working to empower all people with cancer to have a better future. About Opdivo Opdivo is a programmed death-1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint inhibitor that is designed to uniquely harness the body's own immune system to help restore anti-tumor immune response. By harnessing the body's own immune system to fight cancer, Opdivo has become an important treatment option across multiple cancers. Opdivo's leading global development program is based on Bristol Myers Squibb's scientific expertise in the field of Immuno-Oncology, and includes a broad range of clinical trials across all phases, including Phase 3, in a variety of tumor types. To date, the Opdivo clinical development program has treated more than 35,000 patients. The Opdivo trials have contributed to gaining a deeper understanding of the potential role of biomarkers in patient care, particularly regarding how patients may benefit from Opdivo across the continuum of PD-L1 expression. In July 2014, Opdivo was the first PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor to receive regulatory approval anywhere in the world. Opdivo is currently approved in more than 65 countries, including the United States, the European Union, Japan and China. In October 2015, the Company's Opdivo and Yervoy combination regimen was the first Immuno-Oncology to receive regulatory approval for the treatment of metastatic melanoma and is currently approved in more than 50 countries, including the United States and the European Union. INDICATIONS OPDIVO (nivolumab), as a single agent, is indicated for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age or older with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age or older with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age or older with melanoma with involvement of lymph nodes or metastatic disease who have undergone complete resection. OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with platinum-doublet chemotherapy, is indicated as neoadjuvant treatment of adult patients with resectable (tumors =4 cm or node positive) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors express PD-L1 (=1%) as determined by an FDA-approved test, with no EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations. OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab) and 2 cycles of platinum-doublet chemotherapy, is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with metastatic or recurrent non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with no EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. Patients with EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations should have disease progression on FDA-approved therapy for these aberrations prior to receiving OPDIVO. OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with intermediate or poor risk advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with cabozantinib, is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who have received prior anti-angiogenic therapy. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) that has relapsed or progressed after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and brentuximab vedotin or after 3 or more lines of systemic therapy that includes autologous HSCT. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) with disease progression on or after platinum-based therapy. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma who have disease progression during or following platinum-containing chemotherapy or have disease progression within 12 months of neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment with platinum-containing chemotherapy. OPDIVO (nivolumab), as a single agent, is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of adult patients with urothelial carcinoma (UC) who are at high risk of recurrence after undergoing radical resection of UC. OPDIVO (nivolumab), as a single agent, is indicated for the treatment of adult and pediatric (12 years and older) patients with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) that has progressed following treatment with a fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials. OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the treatment of adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) that has progressed following treatment with a fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials. OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who have been previously treated with sorafenib. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in the confirmatory trials. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable advanced, recurrent or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after prior fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-based chemotherapy. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of completely resected esophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer with residual pathologic disease in adult patients who have received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT). OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-containing chemotherapy, is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable advanced or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable advanced or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with fluoropyrimidine- and platinum- containing chemotherapy, is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with advanced or metastatic gastric cancer, gastroesophageal junction cancer, and esophageal adenocarcinoma. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION Severe and Fatal Immune-Mediated Adverse Reactions Immune-mediated adverse reactions listed herein may not include all possible severe and fatal immune- mediated adverse reactions. Immune-mediated adverse reactions, which may be severe or fatal, can occur in any organ system or tissue. While immune-mediated adverse reactions usually manifest during treatment, they can also occur after discontinuation of OPDIVO or YERVOY. Early identification and management are essential to ensure safe use of OPDIVO and YERVOY. Monitor for signs and symptoms that may be clinical manifestations of underlying immune-mediated adverse reactions. Evaluate clinical chemistries including liver enzymes, creatinine, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) level, and thyroid function at baseline and periodically during treatment with OPDIVO and before each dose of YERVOY. In cases of suspected immune-mediated adverse reactions, initiate appropriate workup to exclude alternative etiologies, including infection. Institute medical management promptly, including specialty consultation as appropriate. Withhold or permanently discontinue OPDIVO and YERVOY depending on severity (please see section 2 Dosage and Administration in the accompanying Full Prescribing Information). In general, if OPDIVO or YERVOY interruption or discontinuation is required, administer systemic corticosteroid therapy (1 to 2 mg/kg/day prednisone or equivalent) until improvement to Grade 1 or less. Upon improvement to Grade 1 or less, initiate corticosteroid taper and continue to taper over at least 1 month. Consider administration of other systemic immunosuppressants in patients whose immune-mediated adverse reactions are not controlled with corticosteroid therapy. Toxicity management guidelines for adverse reactions that do not necessarily require systemic steroids (e.g., endocrinopathies and dermatologic reactions) are discussed below. Immune-Mediated Pneumonitis OPDIVO and YERVOY can cause immune-mediated pneumonitis. The incidence of pneumonitis is higher in patients who have received prior thoracic radiation. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune- mediated pneumonitis occurred in 3.1% (61/1994) of patients, including Grade 4 (<0.1%), Grade 3 (0.9%), and Grade 2 (2.1%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, immune-mediated pneumonitis occurred in 7% (31/456) of patients, including Grade 4 (0.2%), Grade 3 (2.0%), and Grade 2 (4.4%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, immune-mediated pneumonitis occurred in 3.9% (26/666) of patients, including Grade 3 (1.4%) and Grade 2 (2.6%). In NSCLC patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 6 weeks, immune-mediated pneumonitis occurred in 9% (50/576) of patients, including Grade 4 (0.5%), Grade 3 (3.5%), and Grade 2 (4.0%). Four patients (0.7%) died due to pneumonitis. In Checkmate 205 and 039, pneumonitis, including interstitial lung disease, occurred in 6.0% (16/266) of patients receiving OPDIVO. Immune-mediated pneumonitis occurred in 4.9% (13/266) of patients receiving OPDIVO, including Grade 3 (n=1) and Grade 2 (n=12). Immune-Mediated Colitis OPDIVO and YERVOY can cause immune-mediated colitis, which may be fatal. A common symptom included in the definition of colitis was diarrhea. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection/reactivation has been reported in patients with corticosteroid-refractory immune-mediated colitis. In cases of corticosteroid-refractory colitis, consider repeating infectious workup to exclude alternative etiologies. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated colitis occurred in 2.9% (58/1994) of patients, including Grade 3 (1.7%) and Grade 2 (1%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, immune-mediated colitis occurred in 25% (115/456) of patients, including Grade 4 (0.4%), Grade 3 (14%) and Grade 2 (8%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, immune-mediated colitis occurred in 9% (60/666) of patients, including Grade 3 (4.4%) and Grade 2 (3.7%). Immune-Mediated Hepatitis and Hepatotoxicity OPDIVO and YERVOY can cause immune-mediated hepatitis. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated hepatitis occurred in 1.8% (35/1994) of patients, including Grade 4 (0.2%), Grade 3 (1.3%), and Grade 2 (0.4%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, immune- mediated hepatitis occurred in 15% (70/456) of patients, including Grade 4 (2.4%), Grade 3 (11%), and Grade 2 (1.8%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, immune-mediated hepatitis occurred in 7% (48/666) of patients, including Grade 4 (1.2%), Grade 3 (4.9%), and Grade 2 (0.4%). OPDIVO in combination with cabozantinib can cause hepatic toxicity with higher frequencies of Grade 3 and 4 ALT and AST elevations compared to OPDIVO alone. Consider more frequent monitoring of liver enzymes as compared to when the drugs are administered as single agents. In patients receiving OPDIVO and cabozantinib, Grades 3 and 4 increased ALT or AST were seen in 11% of patients. Immune-Mediated Endocrinopathies OPDIVO and YERVOY can cause primary or secondary adrenal insufficiency, immune-mediated hypophysitis, immune-mediated thyroid disorders, and Type 1 diabetes mellitus, which can present with diabetic ketoacidosis. Withhold OPDIVO and YERVOY depending on severity (please see section 2 Dosage and Administration in the accompanying Full Prescribing Information). For Grade 2 or higher adrenal insufficiency, initiate symptomatic treatment, including hormone replacement as clinically indicated. Hypophysitis can present with acute symptoms associated with mass effect such as headache, photophobia, or visual field defects. Hypophysitis can cause hypopituitarism; initiate hormone replacement as clinically indicated. Thyroiditis can present with or without endocrinopathy. Hypothyroidism can follow hyperthyroidism; initiate hormone replacement or medical management as clinically indicated. Monitor patients for hyperglycemia or other signs and symptoms of diabetes; initiate treatment with insulin as clinically indicated. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, adrenal insufficiency occurred in 1% (20/1994), including Grade 3 (0.4%) and Grade 2 (0.6%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, adrenal insufficiency occurred in 8% (35/456), including Grade 4 (0.2%), Grade 3 (2.4%), and Grade 2 (4.2%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, adrenal insufficiency occurred in 7% (48/666) of patients, including Grade 4 (0.3%), Grade 3 (2.5%), and Grade 2 (4.1%). In patients receiving OPDIVO and cabozantinib, adrenal insufficiency occurred in 4.7% (15/320) of patients, including Grade 3 (2.2%) and Grade 2 (1.9%). In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, hypophysitis occurred in 0.6% (12/1994) of patients, including Grade 3 (0.2%) and Grade 2 (0.3%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, hypophysitis occurred in 9% (42/456), including Grade 3 (2.4%) and Grade 2 (6%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, hypophysitis occurred in 4.4% (29/666) of patients, including Grade 4 (0.3%), Grade 3 (2.4%), and Grade 2 (0.9%). In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, thyroiditis occurred in 0.6% (12/1994) of patients, including Grade 2 (0.2%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, thyroiditis occurred in 2.7% (22/666) of patients, including Grade 3 (4.5%) and Grade 2 (2.2%). In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, hyperthyroidism occurred in 2.7% (54/1994) of patients, including Grade 3 (<0.1%) and Grade 2 (1.2%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, hyperthyroidism occurred in 9% (42/456) of patients, including Grade 3 (0.9%) and Grade 2 (4.2%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, hyperthyroidism occurred in 12% (80/666) of patients, including Grade 3 (0.6%) and Grade 2 (4.5%). In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, hypothyroidism occurred in 8% (163/1994) of patients, including Grade 3 (0.2%) and Grade 2 (4.8%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, hypothyroidism occurred in 20% (91/456) of patients, including Grade 3 (0.4%) and Grade 2 (11%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, hypothyroidism occurred in 18% (122/666) of patients, including Grade 3 (0.6%) and Grade 2 (11%). In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, diabetes occurred in 0.9% (17/1994) of patients, including Grade 3 (0.4%) and Grade 2 (0.3%), and 2 cases of diabetic ketoacidosis. In patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, diabetes occurred in 2.7% (15/666) of patients, including Grade 4 (0.6%), Grade 3 (0.3%), and Grade 2 (0.9%). Immune-Mediated Nephritis with Renal Dysfunction OPDIVO and YERVOY can cause immune-mediated nephritis. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated nephritis and renal dysfunction occurred in 1.2% (23/1994) of patients, including Grade 4 (<0.1%), Grade 3 (0.5%), and Grade 2 (0.6%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, immune-mediated nephritis with renal dysfunction occurred in 4.1% (27/666) of patients, including Grade 4 (0.6%), Grade 3 (1.1%), and Grade 2 (2.2%). Immune-Mediated Dermatologic Adverse Reactions OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated rash or dermatitis. Exfoliative dermatitis, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), and drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) has occurred with PD-1/PD-L1 blocking antibodies. Topical emollients and/or topical corticosteroids may be adequate to treat mild to moderate nonexfoliative rashes. YERVOY can cause immune-mediated rash or dermatitis, including bullous and exfoliative dermatitis, SJS, TEN, and DRESS. Topical emollients and/or topical corticosteroids may be adequate to treat mild to moderate non- bullous/exfoliative rashes. Withhold or permanently discontinue OPDIVO and YERVOY depending on severity (please see section 2 Dosage and Administration in the accompanying Full Prescribing Information). In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated rash occurred in 9% (171/1994) of patients, including Grade 3 (1.1%) and Grade 2 (2.2%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, immune-mediated rash occurred in 28% (127/456) of patients, including Grade 3 (4.8%) and Grade 2 (10%). In patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, immune-mediated rash occurred in 16% (108/666) of patients, including Grade 3 (3.5%) and Grade 2 (4.2%). Other Immune-Mediated Adverse Reactions The following clinically significant immune-mediated adverse reactions occurred at an incidence of <1% (unless otherwise noted) in patients who received OPDIVO monotherapy or OPDIVO in combination with YERVOY or were reported with the use of other PD-1/PD-L1 blocking antibodies. Severe or fatal cases have been reported for some of these adverse reactions: cardiac/vascular: myocarditis, pericarditis, vasculitis; nervous system: meningitis, encephalitis, myelitis and demyelination, myasthenic syndrome/myasthenia gravis (including exacerbation), Guillain-Barre syndrome, nerve paresis, autoimmune neuropathy; ocular: uveitis, iritis, and other ocular inflammatory toxicities can occur; gastrointestinal: pancreatitis to include increases in serum amylase and lipase levels, gastritis, duodenitis; musculoskeletal and connective tissue: myositis/polymyositis, rhabdomyolysis, and associated sequelae including renal failure, arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica; endocrine: hypoparathyroidism; other (hematologic/immune): hemolytic anemia, aplastic anemia, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), systemic inflammatory response syndrome, histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis (Kikuchi lymphadenitis), sarcoidosis, immune thrombocytopenic purpura, solid organ transplant rejection. In addition to the immune-mediated adverse reactions listed above, across clinical trials of YERVOY monotherapy or in combination with OPDIVO, the following clinically significant immune-mediated adverse reactions, some with fatal outcome, occurred in <1% of patients unless otherwise specified: nervous system: autoimmune neuropathy (2%), myasthenic syndrome/myasthenia gravis, motor dysfunction; cardiovascular: angiopathy, temporal arteritis; ocular: blepharitis, episcleritis, orbital myositis, scleritis; gastrointestinal: pancreatitis (1.3%); other (hematologic/immune): conjunctivitis, cytopenias (2.5%), eosinophilia (2.1%), erythema multiforme, hypersensitivity vasculitis, neurosensory hypoacusis, psoriasis. Some ocular IMAR cases can be associated with retinal detachment. Various grades of visual impairment, including blindness, can occur. If uveitis occurs in combination with other immune-mediated adverse reactions, consider a Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada-like syndrome, which has been observed in patients receiving OPDIVO and YERVOY, as this may require treatment with systemic corticosteroids to reduce the risk of permanent vision loss. Infusion-Related Reactions OPDIVO and YERVOY can cause severe infusion-related reactions. Discontinue OPDIVO and YERVOY in patients with severe (Grade 3) or life-threatening (Grade 4) infusion-related reactions. Interrupt or slow the rate of infusion in patients with mild (Grade 1) or moderate (Grade 2) infusion-related reactions. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy as a 60-minute infusion, infusion-related reactions occurred in 6.4% (127/1994) of patients. In a separate trial in which patients received OPDIVO monotherapy as a 60-minute infusion or a 30- minute infusion, infusion-related reactions occurred in 2.2% (8/368) and 2.7% (10/369) of patients, respectively. Additionally, 0.5% (2/368) and 1.4% (5/369) of patients, respectively, experienced adverse reactions within 48 hours of infusion that led to dose delay, permanent discontinuation or withholding of OPDIVO. In melanoma patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, infusion-related reactions occurred in 2.5% (10/407) of patients. In HCC patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, infusion-related reactions occurred in 8% (4/49) of patients. In RCC patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, infusion-related reactions occurred in 5.1% (28/547) of patients. In MSI- H/dMMR mCRC patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 3 weeks, infusion-related reactions occurred in 4.2% (5/119) of patients. In MPM patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks with YERVOY 1 mg/kg every 6 weeks, infusion-related reactions occurred in 12% (37/300) of patients. Complications of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Fatal and other serious complications can occur in patients who receive allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) before or after being treated with OPDIVO or YERVOY. Transplant-related complications include hyperacute graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD), acute GVHD, chronic GVHD, hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD) after reduced intensity conditioning, and steroid-requiring febrile syndrome (without an identified infectious cause). These complications may occur despite intervening therapy between OPDIVO or YERVOY and allogeneic HSCT. Follow patients closely for evidence of transplant-related complications and intervene promptly. Consider the benefit versus risks of treatment with OPDIVO and YERVOY prior to or after an allogeneic HSCT. Embryo-Fetal Toxicity Based on its mechanism of action and findings from animal studies, OPDIVO and YERVOY can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. The effects of YERVOY are likely to be greater during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus. Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with OPDIVO and YERVOY and for at least 5 months after the last dose. Increased Mortality in Patients with Multiple Myeloma when OPDIVO is Added to a Thalidomide Analogue and Dexamethasone In randomized clinical trials in patients with multiple myeloma, the addition of OPDIVO to a thalidomide analogue plus dexamethasone resulted in increased mortality. Treatment of patients with multiple myeloma with a PD-1 or PD-L1 blocking antibody in combination with a thalidomide analogue plus dexamethasone is not recommended outside of controlled clinical trials. Lactation There are no data on the presence of OPDIVO or YERVOY in human milk, the effects on the breastfed child, or the effects on milk production. Because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in breastfed children, advise women not to breastfeed during treatment and for 5 months after the last dose. Serious Adverse Reactions In Checkmate 037, serious adverse reactions occurred in 41% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=268). Grade 3 and 4 adverse reactions occurred in 42% of patients receiving OPDIVO. The most frequent Grade 3 and 4 adverse drug reactions reported in 2% to <5% of patients receiving OPDIVO were abdominal pain, hyponatremia, increased aspartate aminotransferase, and increased lipase. In Checkmate 066, serious adverse reactions occurred in 36% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=206). Grade 3 and 4 adverse reactions occurred in 41% of patients receiving OPDIVO. The most frequent Grade 3 and 4 adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients receiving OPDIVO were gamma-glutamyltransferase increase (3.9%) and diarrhea (3.4%). In Checkmate 067, serious adverse reactions (74% and 44%), adverse reactions leading to permanent discontinuation (47% and 18%) or to dosing delays (58% and 36%), and Grade 3 or 4 adverse reactions (72% and 51%) all occurred more frequently in the OPDIVO plus YERVOY arm (n=313) relative to the OPDIVO arm (n=313). The most frequent (=10%) serious adverse reactions in the OPDIVO plus YERVOY arm and the OPDIVO arm, respectively, were diarrhea (13% and 2.2%), colitis (10% and 1.9%), and pyrexia (10% and 1.0%). In Checkmate 238, serious adverse reactions occurred in 18% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=452). Grade 3 or 4 adverse reactions occurred in 25% of OPDIVO-treated patients (n=452). The most frequent Grade 3 and 4 adverse reactions reported in =2% of OPDIVO-treated patients were diarrhea and increased lipase and amylase. In Checkmate 816, serious adverse reactions occurred in 30% of patients (n=176) who were treated with OPDIVO in combination with platinum-doublet chemotherapy. Serious adverse reactions in >2% included pneumonia and vomiting. No fatal adverse reactions occurred in patients who received OPDIVO in combination with platinum-doublet chemotherapy. In Checkmate 227, serious adverse reactions occurred in 58% of patients (n=576). The most frequent (=2%) serious adverse reactions were pneumonia, diarrhea/colitis, pneumonitis, hepatitis, pulmonary embolism, adrenal insufficiency, and hypophysitis. Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 1.7% of patients; these included events of pneumonitis (4 patients), myocarditis, acute kidney injury, shock, hyperglycemia, multi-system organ failure, and renal failure. In Checkmate 9LA, serious adverse reactions occurred in 57% of patients (n=358). The most frequent (>2%) serious adverse reactions were pneumonia, diarrhea, febrile neutropenia, anemia, acute kidney injury, musculoskeletal pain, dyspnea, pneumonitis, and respiratory failure. Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 7 (2%) patients, and included hepatic toxicity, acute renal failure, sepsis, pneumonitis, diarrhea with hypokalemia, and massive hemoptysis in the setting of thrombocytopenia. In Checkmate 017 and 057, serious adverse reactions occurred in 46% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=418). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients receiving OPDIVO were pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, dyspnea, pyrexia, pleural effusion, pneumonitis, and respiratory failure. In Checkmate 057, fatal adverse reactions occurred; these included events of infection (7 patients, including one case of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia), pulmonary embolism (4 patients), and limbic encephalitis (1 patient). In Checkmate 743, serious adverse reactions occurred in 54% of patients receiving OPDIVO plus YERVOY. The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients were pneumonia, pyrexia, diarrhea, pneumonitis, pleural effusion, dyspnea, acute kidney injury, infusion-related reaction, musculoskeletal pain, and pulmonary embolism. Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 4 (1.3%) patients and included pneumonitis, acute heart failure, sepsis, and encephalitis. In Checkmate 214, serious adverse reactions occurred in 59% of patients receiving OPDIVO plus YERVOY (n=547). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients were diarrhea, pyrexia, pneumonia, pneumonitis, hypophysitis, acute kidney injury, dyspnea, adrenal insufficiency, and colitis. In Checkmate 9ER, serious adverse reactions occurred in 48% of patients receiving OPDIVO and cabozantinib (n=320). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients were diarrhea, pneumonia, pneumonitis, pulmonary embolism, urinary tract infection, and hyponatremia. Fatal intestinal perforations occurred in 3 (0.9%) patients. In Checkmate 025, serious adverse reactions occurred in 47% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=406). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients were acute kidney injury, pleural effusion, pneumonia, diarrhea, and hypercalcemia. In Checkmate 205 and 039, adverse reactions leading to discontinuation occurred in 7% and dose delays due to adverse reactions occurred in 34% of patients (n=266). Serious adverse reactions occurred in 26% of patients. The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =1% of patients were pneumonia, infusion- related reaction, pyrexia, colitis or diarrhea, pleural effusion, pneumonitis, and rash. Eleven patients died from causes other than disease progression: 3 from adverse reactions within 30 days of the last OPDIVO dose, 2 from infection 8 to 9 months after completing OPDIVO, and 6 from complications of allogeneic HSCT. In Checkmate 141, serious adverse reactions occurred in 49% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=236). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients receiving OPDIVO were pneumonia, dyspnea, respiratory failure, respiratory tract infection, and sepsis. In Checkmate 275, serious adverse reactions occurred in 54% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=270). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients receiving OPDIVO were urinary tract infection, sepsis, diarrhea, small intestine obstruction, and general physical health deterioration. In Checkmate 274, serious adverse reactions occurred in 30% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=351). The most frequent serious adverse reaction reported in =2% of patients receiving OPDIVO was urinary tract infection. Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 1% of patients; these included events of pneumonitis (0.6%). In Checkmate 142 in MSI-H/dMMR mCRC patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY (n=119), serious adverse reactions occurred in 47% of patients. The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients were colitis/diarrhea, hepatic events, abdominal pain, acute kidney injury, pyrexia, and dehydration. In Checkmate 040, serious adverse reactions occurred in 59% of patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY (n=49). Serious adverse reactions reported in =4% of patients were pyrexia, diarrhea, anemia, increased AST, adrenal insufficiency, ascites, esophageal varices hemorrhage, hyponatremia, increased blood bilirubin, and pneumonitis. In Attraction-3, serious adverse reactions occurred in 38% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=209). Serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients who received OPDIVO were pneumonia, esophageal fistula, interstitial lung disease, and pyrexia. The following fatal adverse reactions occurred in patients who received OPDIVO: interstitial lung disease or pneumonitis (1.4%), pneumonia (1.0%), septic shock (0.5%), esophageal fistula (0.5%), gastrointestinal hemorrhage (0.5%), pulmonary embolism (0.5%), and sudden death (0.5%). In Checkmate 577, serious adverse reactions occurred in 33% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=532). A serious adverse reaction reported in =2% of patients who received OPDIVO was pneumonitis. A fatal reaction of myocardial infarction occurred in one patient who received OPDIVO. In Checkmate 648, serious adverse reactions occurred in 62% of patients receiving OPDIVO in combination with chemotherapy (n=310). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients who received OPDIVO with chemotherapy were pneumonia (11%), dysphagia (7%), esophageal stenosis (2.9%), acute kidney injury (2.9%), and pyrexia (2.3%). Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 5 (1.6%) patients who received OPDIVO in combination with chemotherapy; these included pneumonitis, pneumatosis intestinalis, pneumonia, and acute kidney injury. In Checkmate 648, serious adverse reactions occurred in 69% of patients receiving OPDIVO in combination with YERVOY (n=322). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% who received OPDIVO in combination with YERVOY were pneumonia (10%), pyrexia (4.3%), pneumonitis (4.0%), aspiration pneumonia (3.7%), dysphagia (3.7%), hepatic function abnormal (2.8%), decreased appetite (2.8%), adrenal insufficiency (2.5%), and dehydration (2.5%). Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 5 (1.6%) patients who received OPDIVO in combination with YERVOY; these included pneumonitis, interstitial lung disease, pulmonary embolism, and acute respiratory distress syndrome. In Checkmate 649, serious adverse reactions occurred in 52% of patients treated with OPDIVO in combination with chemotherapy (n=782). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients treated with OPDIVO in combination with chemotherapy were vomiting (3.7%), pneumonia (3.6%), anemia (3.6%), pyrexia (2.8%), diarrhea (2.7%), febrile neutropenia (2.6%), and pneumonitis (2.4%). Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 16 (2.0%) patients who were treated with OPDIVO in combination with chemotherapy; these included pneumonitis (4 patients), febrile neutropenia (2 patients), stroke (2 patients), gastrointestinal toxicity, intestinal mucositis, septic shock, pneumonia, infection, gastrointestinal bleeding, mesenteric vessel thrombosis, and disseminated intravascular coagulation. Common Adverse Reactions In Checkmate 037, the most common adverse reaction (=20%) reported with OPDIVO (n=268) was rash (21%). In Checkmate 066, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) reported with OPDIVO (n=206) vs dacarbazine (n=205) were fatigue (49% vs 39%), musculoskeletal pain (32% vs 25%), rash (28% vs 12%), and pruritus (23% vs 12%). In Checkmate 067, the most common (=20%) adverse reactions in the OPDIVO plus YERVOY arm (n=313) were fatigue (62%), diarrhea (54%), rash (53%), nausea (44%), pyrexia (40%), pruritus (39%), musculoskeletal pain (32%), vomiting (31%), decreased appetite (29%), cough (27%), headache (26%), dyspnea (24%), upper respiratory tract infection (23%), arthralgia (21%), and increased transaminases (25%). In Checkmate 067, the most common (=20%) adverse reactions in the OPDIVO arm (n=313) were fatigue (59%), rash (40%), musculoskeletal pain (42%), diarrhea (36%), nausea (30%), cough (28%), pruritus (27%), upper respiratory tract infection (22%), decreased appetite (22%), headache (22%), constipation (21%), arthralgia (21%), and vomiting (20%). In Checkmate 238, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) reported in OPDIVO-treated patients (n=452) vs ipilimumab-treated patients (n=453) were fatigue (57% vs 55%), diarrhea (37% vs 55%), rash (35% vs 47%), musculoskeletal pain (32% vs 27%), pruritus (28% vs 37%), headache (23% vs 31%), nausea (23% vs 28%), upper respiratory infection (22% vs 15%), and abdominal pain (21% vs 23%). The most common immune-mediated adverse reactions were rash (16%), diarrhea/colitis (6%), and hepatitis (3%). In Checkmate 816, the most common (>20%) adverse reactions in the OPDIVO plus chemotherapy arm (n=176) were nausea (38%), constipation (34%), fatigue (26%), decreased appetite (20%), and rash (20%). In Checkmate 227, the most common (=20%) adverse reactions were fatigue (44%), rash (34%), decreased appetite (31%), musculoskeletal pain (27%), diarrhea/colitis (26%), dyspnea (26%), cough (23%), hepatitis (21%), nausea (21%), and pruritus (21%). In Checkmate 9LA, the most common (>20%) adverse reactions were fatigue (49%), musculoskeletal pain (39%), nausea (32%), diarrhea (31%), rash (30%), decreased appetite (28%), constipation (21%), and pruritus (21%). In Checkmate 017 and 057, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=418) were fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, cough, dyspnea, and decreased appetite. In Checkmate 743, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) in patients receiving OPDIVO plus YERVOY were fatigue (43%), musculoskeletal pain (38%), rash (34%), diarrhea (32%), dyspnea (27%), nausea (24%), decreased appetite (24%), cough (23%), and pruritus (21%). In Checkmate 214, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) reported in patients treated with OPDIVO plus YERVOY (n=547) were fatigue (58%), rash (39%), diarrhea (38%), musculoskeletal pain (37%), pruritus (33%), nausea (30%), cough (28%), pyrexia (25%), arthralgia (23%), decreased appetite (21%), dyspnea (20%), and vomiting (20%). In Checkmate 9ER, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) in patients receiving OPDIVO and cabozantinib (n=320) were diarrhea (64%), fatigue (51%), hepatotoxicity (44%), palmar-plantar erythrodysaesthesia syndrome (40%), stomatitis (37%), rash (36%), hypertension (36%), hypothyroidism (34%), musculoskeletal pain (33%), decreased appetite (28%), nausea (27%), dysgeusia (24%), abdominal pain (22%), cough (20%) and upper respiratory tract infection (20%). In Checkmate 025, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) reported in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=406) vs everolimus (n=397) were fatigue (56% vs 57%), cough (34% vs 38%), nausea (28% vs 29%), rash (28% vs 36%), dyspnea (27% vs 31%), diarrhea (25% vs 32%), constipation (23% vs 18%), decreased appetite (23% vs 30%), back pain (21% vs 16%), and arthralgia (20% vs 14%). In Checkmate 205 and 039, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) reported in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=266) were upper respiratory tract infection (44%), fatigue (39%), cough (36%), diarrhea (33%), pyrexia (29%), musculoskeletal pain (26%), rash (24%), nausea (20%) and pruritus (20%). In Checkmate 141, the most common adverse reactions (=10%) in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=236) were cough (14%) and dyspnea (14%) at a higher incidence than investigator's choice. In Checkmate 275, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) reported in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=270) were fatigue (46%), musculoskeletal pain (30%), nausea (22%), and decreased appetite (22%). In Checkmate 274, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) reported in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=351) were rash (36%), fatigue (36%), diarrhea (30%), pruritus (30%), musculoskeletal pain (28%), and urinary tract infection (22%). In Checkmate 142 in MSI-H/dMMR mCRC patients receiving OPDIVO as a single agent (n=74), the most common adverse reactions (=20%) were fatigue (54%), diarrhea (43%), abdominal pain (34%), nausea (34%), vomiting (28%), musculoskeletal pain (28%), cough (26%), pyrexia (24%), rash (23%), constipation (20%), and upper respiratory tract infection (20%). In Checkmate 142 in MSI-H/dMMR mCRC patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY (n=119), the most common adverse reactions (=20%) were fatigue (49%), diarrhea (45%), pyrexia (36%), musculoskeletal pain (36%), abdominal pain (30%), pruritus (28%), nausea (26%), rash (25%), decreased appetite (20%), and vomiting (20%). In Checkmate 040, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) in patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY (n=49), were rash (53%), pruritus (53%), musculoskeletal pain (41%), diarrhea (39%), cough (37%), decreased appetite (35%), fatigue (27%), pyrexia (27%), abdominal pain (22%), headache (22%), nausea (20%), dizziness (20%), hypothyroidism (20%), and weight decreased (20%). In Attraction-3, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) in OPDIVO-treated patients (n=209) were rash (22%) and decreased appetite (21%). In Checkmate 577, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=532) were fatigue (34%), diarrhea (29%), nausea (23%), rash (21%), musculoskeletal pain (21%), and cough (20%). In Checkmate 648, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) in patients treated with OPDIVO in combination with chemotherapy (n=310) were nausea (65%), decreased appetite (51%), fatigue (47%), constipation (44%), stomatitis (44%), diarrhea (29%), and vomiting (23%). In Checkmate 648, the most common adverse reactions reported in =20% of patients treated with OPDIVO in combination with YERVOY were rash (31%), fatigue (28%), pyrexia (23%), nausea (22%), diarrhea (22%), and constipation (20%). In Checkmate 649, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) in patients treated with OPDIVO in combination with chemotherapy (n=782) were peripheral neuropathy (53%), nausea (48%), fatigue (44%), diarrhea (39%), vomiting (31%), decreased appetite (29%), abdominal pain (27%), constipation (25%), and musculoskeletal pain (20%). Please see US Full Prescribing Information for OPDIVO and YERVOY. About the Bristol Myers Squibb and Ono Pharmaceutical Collaboration In 2011, through a collaboration agreement with Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Bristol Myers Squibb expanded its territorial rights to develop and commercialize Opdivo globally, except in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, where Ono had retained all rights to the compound at the time. On July 23, 2014, Ono and Bristol Myers Squibb further expanded the companies' strategic collaboration agreement to jointly develop and commercialize multiple immunotherapies as single agents and combination regimens for patients with cancer in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. About Bristol Myers Squibb Bristol Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. For more information about Bristol Myers Squibb, visit us at BMS.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding, among other things, the research, development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products. All statements that are not statements of historical facts are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and projections about our future financial results, goals, plans and objectives and involve inherent risks, assumptions and uncertainties, including internal or external factors that could delay, divert or change any of them in the next several years, that are difficult to predict, may be beyond our control and could cause our future financial results, goals, plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the statements. These risks, assumptions, uncertainties and other factors include, among others, that future study results may not be consistent with the results to date, that Opdivo (nivolumab) plus chemotherapy may not receive regulatory approval for the additional indication described in this release in the currently anticipated timeline or at all, that any marketing approvals, if granted, may have significant limitations on their use, and, if approved, whether such combination treatment for such additional indication described in this release will be commercially successful. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated together with the many risks and uncertainties that affect Bristol Myers Squibb's business and market, particularly those identified in the cautionary statement and risk factors discussion in Bristol Myers Squibb's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, as updated by our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements included in this document are made only as of the date of this document and except as otherwise required by applicable law, Bristol Myers Squibb undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise. corporatefinancial-news View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230329005781/en/ Contacts: Bristol Myers Squibb Media Inquiries: media@bms.com Investors: investor.relations@bms.com SHANGHAI, CHINA / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / COSCO SHIPPING Holdings Co., Ltd. ("COSCO SHIPPING Holdings" or "the Company") (SSE:601919; HKEx:1919) today announced its 2022 annual results. In 2022, COSCO SHIPPING Holdings overcame various difficulties and posted remarkable financial results. The Company's earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) for 2022 increased by 29.77% to RMB170.78 billion; Total profit before tax for 2022 increased by 30.54% to RMB167.1 billion. Net profit for 2022 increased by 26.4% to RMB131.34 billion. COSCO SHIPPING Holdings expedited the development of digital supply chain as well as green and low-carbon transformation; strengthened its capital operation; supplemented and expanded its own supply chain, thereby further enhancing its operational quality and resilience to counter economic downturn. As at the end of 31 December 2022, the Company's asset-liability ratio was 50.46%, down 6.22 percentage points from the beginning of the period and laying a stronger foundation for the Company's high-quality development. The board of directors proposed a final dividend of RMB 1.39 per share (tax inclusive) for the year 2022. Taken into account of a distributed interim dividend of RMB 2.01 per share (tax inclusive), approximately about 50% of the profit attributable to equity holders of the Company. In the face of volatile external environment in 2022, COSCO SHIPPING Holdings adhered to the "customer centric" approach with the mission of creating a "global digital supply chain operation and investment platform with core on container shipping". It made relentlessly efforts to provide customers with the supply chain solutions integrating "container shipping+ports+related logistics" services. Significant progress was made in its global development, supply chain construction, digital empowerment, and green and low-carbon transformation. As the Company overcame various challenges, it posted remarkable financial results during the year. New progress of globalisation In 2022, COSCO SHIPPING Holdings and other members of the Ocean Alliance presented the DAY6 and DAY7 Product, reinforcing the cooperation mechanism between each other and giving full play to their shipping resources. As the Company's strengths in east-west services were strengthened, it also pushed for the expansion in overseas regional markets, emerging markets and third-country markets, delivering the most frequent, widest coverage and best shipping services in the market. While the "normalization" of container shipping industry gained momentum, it implemented the precision business strategy to ensure the delivery of services to customers with long-term contracts, effectively secure the efficiency of its shipping services and drive its global development. Speed-up of supply chain upgrade In 2022, COSCO SHIPPING Holdings accelerated the business transformation and upgrading, offering customers an easy access to its supply chain. The rail-sea cargo volume of the Western China Land-Sea Trade Corridor increased by 29% year-on-year, and the volume of loading and discharging at Yangpu Port in Hainan Province increased by 38% year-on-year. New breakthroughs were made in the China-Europe Sea-Rail Express, forming a sea-rail inter-model transportation ring linking 10 countries in Central and Eastern Europe. The layouts of warehouses overseas in certain areas and countries were persistently improved, including Piraeus, Abu Dhabi, Panama, Colombia and etc. The supply chain logistics trailer platform was put into operation, and the service model for vehicle export transportation was innovated, accelerating the construction of full link service capacity. Digital Intelligence Empowerment Iterative Advanced In 2022, COSCO SHIPPING Holdings actively led the innovation and transformation of shipping digitization, creating a more efficient container supply chain service system for global customers. The core product "Cargo Release" of Global Shipping Business Network (GSBN) landed in Europe, and the blockchain electronic bill of lading was officially released, promoting the efficient operation of global trade. "Syncon Hub", an e-commerce platform for foreign trade, has new value growth points by launching several digital supply chain products. The launch of the marine Internet of Things system has set a new benchmark for professional solutions for intelligent reefer logistics throughout the process. The "Full-process Automation Upgrading Project" of Tianjin TCT terminal commenced full operation, demonstrating that the Company's port automation level and operational efficiency reached new highs. Capital operation integrating upstream and downstream In 2022, COSCO SHIPPING Holdings launched a series of capital operation projects in relation to its main businesses, which not only improved its own operation and revenue quality, but also provided a capital driver for accelerating its business transformation and upgrading. Through capital operations, including its investment in COSCO SHIPPING Logistics, the introduction of SAIC as a strategic investor of the Company, the additional investments in SIPG Group, Guangzhou Port and COSCO SHIPPING Ports, the Company utilized capital operations to increase the synergies between ports, shipping services and logistics, driving the deep integration of modern service industry and advanced manufacturing industry. Embracing green and low-carbon development In 2022, COSCO SHIPPING Holdings further accelerated the transformation towards green and low-carbon development in accordance with market trends and long-term potential needs of customers. The Group ordered twelve 24,000-TEU methanol dual-fuel container vessels, explored the pilot usage of biofuels on operating vessels, adopted the use of the Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI) and the rating rules of the Carbon Intensity Indicators (CII). Moreover, it vigorously promoted the use of onshore power at container berths, introduced distributed photovoltaic power generation projects at the terminals in Wuhan, the design of green low-carbon full chain service products, and paving the way for new green supply chain transportation. All of these efforts facilitate the further implementation of sustainable development concept. Looking forward to 2023, the container shipping industry will not only face long-term issues such as a slowdown in demand growth, the evolving trade patterns and the accelerating process of decarbonization, but also encounter practical challenges arising from intensified market competition and increased supply of shipping capacity. On the other hand, China's proactive measures to drive economic recovery and further deepen reform and opening-up policy will power the world's economic recovery. In view of these factors, the Company will adhere to its customer-centric approach and step up efforts to address customers' increasingly diversified, network-based, digitalized and low-carbon service needs, with primary focus will be placed on the following areas: Firstly, the Company will improve global deployment, continuously expand in emerging markets, regional markets, and the third-country markets, and contributing our efforts to establish a new development pattern of domestic and overseas "dual-cycles", help customers quickly obtain more product information, realize reliable flow of goods and reinforce connection with customers in the process of mutual trust and cooperation. Secondly, the Company will drive the development of digital intelligence and accelerate the docking with customer systems, give play to its own investment platform function, promote investment, construction, and operation in one, accelerate the implementation of digital supply chain construction, and provide customers with more intelligent and visual full-chain service products and solutions. Thirdly, the Company will implement cost control and strengthen the integrated operation of the middle and back offices of dual brands, continuously improve operational efficiency, and enhance the competitiveness of the main industry. Fourthly,the Company will accelerate the green transformation to prepare a route reserve for the overall fleet to achieve a steady low-carbon green transformation. Also, the Company will optimize the allocation of transportation capacity, and promote the technological transformation of vessels to contribute to the sustainable and healthy development of the industry. Looking ahead, COSCO SHIPPING Holdings will actively respond to changes in the global economy and trade, and accelerate the transformation and upgrading of the main businesses, strive to provide low-carbon, intelligent, and reliable container logistics supply chain solutions for thousands of industries, build an efficient, smooth, and safe circulation system for global trade, provide better services to customers, and create greater value for shareholders. About COSCO SHIPPING Holdings Co., Ltd. COSCO SHIPPING Holdings Co., Ltd. ("COSCO SHIPPING Holdings", Stock Code: 601919.SH; 01919.HK) is the listed company controlled by China COSCO SHIPPING Corporation Limited. The Company was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in June 2005 and the Shanghai Stock Exchange in June 2007. The Company focuses on container shipping and terminal operations. As at 31 December 2022, the Company operates a total fleet capacity of 489 ships and 2.89 million TEUs through its wholly-owned subsidiary COSCO SHIPPING Lines and its holding subsidiary Oriental Overseas International, COSCO SHIPPING Ports, another subsidiary of the Company, operates a total of 220 container berths in 36 ports worldwide, with designed processing capacity of 140 million TEUs annually. COSCO SHIPPING Holdings is committed to become a top-tier integrated container shipping service provider with its continuing efforts to build up a global network, provide customers with comprehensive solutions and create greater returns for shareholders. Media Enquiries COSCO SHIPPING Holdings Company Limited Xu Junjie / Shi Peiwen Tel: (86) 021-3512 4888* 1766/ (86) 185 1617 9776 Email: investor@coscoshipping.com PRChina Limited Jack Liu / Joanne Liu Tel: (852) 2522 1838/ (852) 2522 1368 Email: zyliu@prchina.com.hk/ jjyliu@prchina.com.hk File: COSCO SHIPPING Holdings Posted Remarkable Results Laying A Solid Foundation for Transformation SOURCE: COSCO International Holdings Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/746704/COSCO-SHIPPING-Holdings-Posted-Remarkable-Results-Laying-A-Solid-Foundation-for-Transformation Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 30, 2023) -Thunderstruck Resources Ltd. (TSXV: AWE) (OTC: THURF) (The "Company") is pleased to provide the following updates on its 100% owned Fijian prospects. Nakoro VMS (Zinc/Copper) Prospect - IP Geophysics The Company has commenced an Induced Polarization (IP) geophysical survey across the Nakoro Prospect, where historic exploration has identified significant base metal mineralization including 12.0m @ 12.7% Zn and 0.3% Cu from 64m (NKD2) The activity comprises 10 line kilometers and is designed to provide effective target definition to inform follow up drilling activity. CEO and President, Bryce Bradley states, "The current geophysical program at Nakoro, in conjunction with its historical high grade zinc/copper drill results from the 1970's, will assist Thunderstruck in defining future drill targets on this exciting prospect." Figure 1: Summary map of Nakoro Prospect, showing location of previous drilling, geology and proposed IP surveying coverage To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2901/160548_fa82dd18b47d6915_002full.jpg Liwa Gold/Silver Prospect - Diamond Drilling Program Further to our press release dated Sept 14, 2022, the planned drilling program comprises an initial five drill holes for 1,500+ meters and is designed to test several well-defined epithermal gold-silver targets. About Liwa Gold/Silver Prospect The 2023 drill program will cover three of its four well-defined gold/silver targets, including: Liwa Ridge: defined by a wide zone of gold-silver surface anomalism, including 71.3m at 0.61g/t Au (trench) and up to 11.1g/t Au and 109 g/t in rock chips with coincident resistivity and chargeability geophysical anomalism modelled at depth. Vatuvatulevu (Vatu): defined by a 150m wide zone of gold-silver surface anomalism, including up to 2.48ppm Au in soils, 41.6g/t Au, 1,205g/t Ag in rock chips with coincident resistivity and chargeability geophysical anomalism modelled at depth. Jensens: defined by multiple zones of gold-silver anomalism at surface, including 7m at 5.7 g/t Au (trench) and up to 55.2g/t Au in rock chips with coincident resistivity and chargeability geophysical anomalism modelled at depth Figure 2: Summary map of Liwa Project, showing location of prospects, surface exploration results, proposed and completed drilling To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2901/160548_fa82dd18b47d6915_004full.jpg Drilling activity in late 2022 included mobilization into Liwa camp and completion of the maiden drill hole into the Vatuvatulevu Prospect target area (Vatu). The Vatu target is defined by a 150m wide zone of strong surface gold-silver anomalism (max: 2.48ppm Au - soils, 41.6g/t Au, 1205g/t Ag - rocks) and high resistivity-high chargeability IP geophysical anomalism. The drill hole is situated at the southernmost extent of a 500 x 150m zone of surface anomalism and whilst not reporting any significant assay results, has provided critical structural information indicating a likely sub vertical to steeply east dipping geometry to the target zone. The drilling program has been adjusted accordingly, with the next drill hole to be drilled westwards to test the target zone (Figures 2, 3). "The drill rig is on site, the camp and drill pads have been built and we start drilling as soon as the dry season kicks in, hopefully early May, 'commented Thunderstruck's President/CEO Bryce Bradley'. "Shipping delays in 2022 resulted in our newly constructed drill rig arriving in Fiji near the end of the exploration season, allowing the completion of only one drill hole before cyclone season. 'She continued', "Thankfully, we now have everything we need on site and anticipate a productive drill program over three separate targets on our Liwa precious metals prospect, where surface sampling has returned high grade gold and silver over a 3km structural corridor" Figure 3: Vatuvatulevu: target defined by a 150-meter-wide zone of gold-silver anomalism at surface, including up to 2.48 ppm Au in soils, 41.6 g/t Au and 1,205 g/t Ag in rock chips with coincident resistivity and chargeability geophysical anomalism modelled at depth To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2901/160548_fa82dd18b47d6915_006full.jpg Hole ID Prospect Easting (WGS84) Northing (WGS84) RL (m) Depth (m) Azimuth TN Dip LWDD001 Vatuvatulevu 592981 8003580 330 247.9 90 -64 Table 1: Hole details for recent diamond drilling at the Liwa Project About Thunderstruck Resources Thunderstruck Resources is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on the discovery of high value gold-silver epithermal and copper-gold porphyry deposits on the main island of Viti Levu in Fiji. Fiji has a long history of mining with over 75 years of activity at the prolific Vatukoula Gold Mine alongside several advanced development projects including Tuvatu (Lion One), Indicated Resources of 1.00 Mt @ 8.48 g/t Au (274,600 oz), Inferred Resources of 1.33 Mt @ 9.0 g/t Au (384,000 oz) (Tuvatu-PEA-Update-NI-43-101) and Namosi (Newcrest Mining), Proven, Measured and Indicated Resources of 1.8Bt at 0.35% Cu and 0.11 g/t Au (6.4M oz Au and 6.3Mt Cu) (Newcrest Annual Mineral Resources Update, June 2022). The Company provides investors with exposure to a diverse portfolio of exploration stage projects with potential for zinc, copper, gold and silver in a politically safe and stable jurisdiction. Thunderstruck trades on the Toronto Venture Exchange (TSX-V) under the symbol "AWE" and United States OTC under the symbol "THURF." Qualified Person Statement The technical information in this news release was reviewed by Peter Duerden, RPGeo, an advisor to Thunderstruck Resources, and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101) QAQC Procedures The Company sends its samples to ALS Minerals laboratory in Brisbane, Australia ("ALS") for sample preparation and analysis. The drill core was sampled at a nominal 1m interval with half core submitted for assay. Samples are dried, crushed and pulverized to 90% passing 75 microns. Gold was determined by 50g fire assay (method Au-AA26) with a detection limit of 0.01ppm. Multi element assaying was completed for 48 elements by 0.25g four-acid digest with ICPMS determination (method ME-MS61). Quality Control and Quality Assurance (QAQC) protocol for drill core samples includes: 1) field measurement of half core sample weights; 2) insertion of certified reference materials at 1 in 50 frequency; 3) insertion of Certified Reference Materials (CRM) or blank sample at 1 in 50 frequency. ALS has internal QAQC protocols that include analysis and results monitoring for certified reference materials, blank and duplicate samples. For additional information, please contact: Rob Christl, VP Business Development and Investor Relations Email: rob@thunderstruck.ca P: 1-778 840-7180 Or, visit our website: http://www.thunderstruck.ca Neither the TSX Venture Exchange Inc. nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". Although Thunderstruck believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of Thunderstruck's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, Thunderstruck undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160548 Sealed the deal with Liithos Inc., Hit Factor Inc., and PM Champions LLC at GDC 2023 Titles including Ashfall, Glimmer Peak and Roshpit Champions 2 to be serviced on WEMIX PLAY SEOUL, South Korea, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Wemade, a South Korean gaming and blockchain giant, signed MOUs for strategic partnerships with three North American game developers Liithos Inc., Hit Factor Inc., and PM Champions LLC. The companies met at GDC 2023 and agreed to join forces in expanding the WEMIX ecosystem. Ashfall by Liithos and Roshpit Champions 2 by PM Champions will onboard WEMIX PLAY, Wemade's blockchain game platform. Hit Factor will soon disclose details of its onboarding game. "Today, Liithos and Wemade have entered into a strategic partnership to develop AAA Web 3 games for global audiences", said Michael Mumbauer, CEO of Liithos. "We couldn't be more thrilled to work alongside their blockchain gaming experience and leverage their experience and the WEMIX PLAY game platform for next generation audiences." "We are honored to announce that we have entered into a strategic partnership with WEMIX," said Cooper Bachman, CEO of Hit Factor. "The team is incredibly excited to create engaging and groundbreaking experiences for our players around the world utilizing WEMIX's cutting-edge blockchain platform." "I am thrilled to announce our partnership with Wemix, offering their expertise in blockchain technology and an extensive network of industry connections," said Ryan Racioppo, CEO of PM Champions. "Working with WEMIX will ensure the highest possible quality for our game upon release and underscores our commitment to delivering an unforgettable gaming experience for our players." WEMIX PLAY currently focuses on building a more robust game line-up and genre diversifying for a more competitive edge. Various blockchain games are currently being serviced on the platform, information about which can be found on its official website https://wemixplay.com/ . Wemade participated in GDC 2023, held from 20th to 24th March, and had meetings with game developers from around the world. Several speeches were also given by its key members to introduce a vision of the blockchain game market and the strength of the global number 1 blockchain game platform WEMIX PLAY. About WEMADE "Where Games Change" WEMADE is a renowned industry leader in game development with over 20 years of experience as well as a pioneer for mass adoption of blockchain technology in the global gaming industry. Through more than two decades of game development and servicing experience, WEMADE genuinely understands what it takes to create good games for the global gaming community. About the WEMIX "Mega-ecosystem" WEMIX is a robust EVM-compatible open source protocol powered by SPoA (Stake-based Proof of Authority) consensus algorithm which is secured by 40 decentralized authority nodes operated by highly-qualified global partners as well as on-chain community DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization), collectively known as the 40 WONDERS. It is designed to be an experience-based, platform-driven & service-oriented mega-ecosystem home to innovative projects and applications built by the community for the world. About WEMIX PLAY "Life is Game" WEMIX PLAY is the world's largest blockchain gaming platform servicing millions of gamers from around the globe. WEMIX PLAY opens a new door into the future of gaming through its modular transformation that implements Tokenomics, GameFi, Marketplace, and Community to good games. Onboarding WEMIX PLAY is the answer to all your questions. All you need to do as developers is to focus on creating good games. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2044233/image.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1867226/wemix_logo_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/wemade-signs-strategic-partnerships-with-three-north-american-game-developers-aims-to-add-three-games-to-its-lineup-301785958.html VIENNA, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 80 high-ranking speakers and almost 1,000 participants from over 25 nations will be expected at the international 44th Vienna Motor Symposiumin the Vienna Hofburg. The event focuses on the parallel existence of drive systems - i.e. the electric motor and the renewably-powered internal combustion engine - and energy sources, storage systems, and converters, such as e-fuels, hydrogen, batteries and fuel cells. From South Korea, Sung Hwan Cho, CEO of Hyundai Mobis will be attending the Symposium as one of the main Speakers. Further high-ranking speakers at the Motor Symposium will be Thomas Schmall, Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG, Bosch-CEO Stefan Hartung, Vice President of Mercedes-Benz Christoph Starzynski,Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director of Tata Motors, and Gerald Killmann, Vice President of Toyota. One of the major topics of the symposium will be the energy transition and its consequences for the automobile industry. The issue of sustainability will be keeping the industry on its toes for the years to come: "In the case of vehicles, the debate over individual drive systems is not conducive at all. Whether it's hydrogen, oil or electricity, the real question should be 'where does the energy come from and are these sources sustainable?' We need to solve the problem of the energy chain", says Bernhard Geringer, President of the Austrian Society of Automotive Engineers. "I am very happy we were able to secure high-ranking speakers for the coming symposium, who have been involved in the energy transition in the automobile industry for years. They will give us insights into the latest developments in the international market and explain how the energy issue can be compatible with the next generation of vehicle models." Contact: Melzer PR office@melzer-pr.com +43-1-526-89-080 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/sung-hwan-cho-of-hyundai-mobis-at-the-44th-vienna-international-motor-symposium-301785973.html NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Henkel Originally published by TriplePundit Half a mile down the road from Henkel North America's research and development facility in Trumbull, Connecticut, is the Trumbull Nature and Arts Center, a small nonprofit with a mission to provide nature-rich experiences to all members of its community. The center offers hands-on environmental science experiences for students and educational programming for families in the Trumbull community. It has grown rapidly in recent years, thanks in large part to collaboration with corporate volunteers from Henkel North America. An employee's passion prompts an ongoing partnership Henkel established the Make an Impact on Tomorrow (MIT) initiative in 1998 to fund and support employee volunteering efforts. Employees can volunteer with nonprofit organizations benefiting a wide variety of causes, from homelessness and food insecurity to education, and Henkel provides many of these organizations with financial support and product donations. Over the past 25 years, the company has supported more than 17,000 volunteer projects in over 100 countries. As Henkel celebrates the 25th anniversary of its MIT program is, it shows no signs of slowing down. In 2022, the work of Henkel volunteers in North America specifically, impacted the lives of more than 110,000 people - and that work continues to grow as they move toward the mission to improve life for generations to come. An employee involved with the MIT program got the company connected with the Trumbull Nature and Arts Center - and Henkel's interest in supporting environmental and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education made the partnership a perfect match. "Over the years, Henkel has been a fabulous supporter of our center," Kevin Malone, president of the Patrons of Trumbull Nature and Arts Center, told TriplePundit. "They funded and built a playground that is made from 100 percent recycled plastic, which is the centerpiece of our outdoor area, and they continue to provide two main resources we rely on: financial, which is extremely important, and human resources, which is volunteer hours and everything volunteers bring to the center." Its work with the center is part of a broader effort at Henkel North America to prioritize volunteering in the communities where it does business, said Angela Curley, the company's senior manager for diversity, equity and inclusion in North America. "We want to be there for our community, to help build thriving communities," said Curley, who also leads corporate citizenship, social partnerships and philanthropy work. "We do this work because it's good for society and we want to give back. We also want to engage in projects important to our employees' interests - we want to support their passions and their contributions." Like with the center, it's often employees who introduce the Henkel team to nonprofit and community partners through the MIT program. "One of our employees, Steve Leeper, has been involved with Trumbull Nature and Arts Center for many years, so it was just natural for us to continue that partnership through MIT," Curley said. "Sometimes it's the small, thoughtful impact that goes the longest way. Steve has been passionate and consistent about staying involved with Trumbull Nature and Arts Center, and that's made a big impact." Henkel employees regularly visit the center for volunteer days, where they beautify the grounds by planting, painting, repairing, organizing and building. The company also funded a recent expansion and continues to support the center's educational programming for underserved students. "The Trumbull Nature and Arts Center is a very important part of our town and community, bringing in young families and area schools to learn and enjoy the Center's arts and sciences," said Leeper, facilities manager at Henkel's Trumbull site. "We enjoy getting the Center ready for the daily visitors and seasonal classrooms. One part of our volunteer work was the funding for an outdoor classroom. This allows Center volunteers and instructors to hold classes outside, but away from the summer sun and other weather conditions." "Having them there shows the rest of the community that we have this support from our corporate partners and lets the community know that we are here and we have the support of an important business in town, and it adds something that we otherwise couldn't get," Malone said. "It is amazing to have Henkel on our team and supporting us." Instilling a love for nature As part of their partnership, Henkel and the Trumbull Nature and Arts Center work to bring natural learning to young people who aren't often exposed to nature. "We know that many students in underserved urban communities don't have the same kind of access to nature that students in suburban neighborhoods may have," said Sheryl Baumann, executive director of the Trumbull Arts and Nature Center. Last year, Henkel and the center collaborated on a project for first-grade students in Bridgeport, Connecticut, focused on new ways to get kids outdoors. "Nature does exist nearly everywhere, if you know how to find it," Baumann said. "With this in mind, we wanted to give students and teachers the tools they need to go outside and view nature in their own schoolyards, whether it's a flower bed around the school perimeter, some trees near a fence, birds flying by, or a dandelion struggling to grow through the cracks of a sidewalk." The partners developed a curriculum for the program and rolled it out to multiple schools in Bridgeport during the last academic year, and Henkel volunteers packed supplies like binoculars, bug viewers and butterfly nets into backpacks to help students on their journeys. Engaging employees while supporting the community These ongoing initiatives further the center's mission by increasing engagement with nature among the community's youth and encouraging students to think creatively about environmental science. "The Trumbull Nature and Arts Center is a great example of how our MIT program can come to life when a team of employees put their minds to it," Curley said. "We know the easy part is the funding - the hard work is getting out and getting it done. MIT programs involve a wide variety of Henkel employees, from frontline employees to senior executives who volunteer their time for the causes they care about. We are enormously proud of our people and the things they do." Supporting nonprofits like the center also affords measurable benefits for employee engagement. "We hear from our employees that it is meaningful that Henkel supports the projects that are important to them," Curley continued. "It's not about the amount of money, it's about supporting the work they do." Read more about Henkel's community support in North America. This article series is sponsored by Henkel North America and produced by the TriplePundit editorial team. Images courtesy of Henkel and the Trumbull Nature and Arts Center Henkel funded and built a playground at the Trumbull Nature and Arts Center that is made from 100 percent recycled plastic. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Henkel on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Henkel Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/henkel Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Henkel View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/746723/A-Key-Corporate-Partnership-Helps-This-Nonprofit-Nature-Center-Thrive Acquires domain "Faster.ca" with new updated website to follow TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / 2757953 Ontario Inc. (dba Paaspay, Faster and Faster.ca) ("Faster" or the "Company") - the Toronto-based fintech leader previously known as Paaspay is pleased to announce that it has changed its branding and operating name to "Faster" with a new Company internet domain and website to be launched at Faster.ca. The rebranding reflects the Company's continued commitment to delivering innovative and faster payment solutions to small businesses in Canada. Faster provides a comprehensive suite of tools that small businesses need to operate successfully and save money. Faster provides turn-key solutions for accepting credit and debit-card payments, a free cloud based business account to facilitate same-day settlements of card payments and other banking features like bill payment, EFT and Interac e-Transfers. The Faster solution also include a business Mastercard-branded debit card for business expenses and instant access to funds through one of the largest coast to coast surcharge-free ATM networks. The Company's new name reflects its mission to help small businesses run their operations more efficiently, save money get paid faster. The rebranding will not affect any of the Company's services, products, or customers. The Company's website and branding will be updated over the coming weeks to reflect the new name. Faster Faster specializes in payment technology allowing businesses to accept electronic forms of payment namely Interac, Mastercard, Visa and American Express with faster settlement times including weekends and holidays. The solutions offered by Faster includes a feature rich payment terminal, a free cloud based mobile business account and a free commercial debit Mastercard linked to a user's cloud account for business purchases and expenses. The sign up and onboarding process takes less than 2 minutes. For further information please visit Faster.ca or contact our team at info@faster.ca. Notice regarding Forward Looking Statements This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Company's future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", or "plan". Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties as described in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law. SOURCE: Faster View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/746544/Paaspay-Announces-Operating-Name-Change-to-Faster Returnable packaging market size is driven by rising demand for sustainable packaging & government regulations encouraging environment-friendly packaging innovations. PUNE, India, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Exactitude Consultancy, the market research and consulting wing of Ameliorate Digital Consultancy Private Limited has completed and published the final copy of the detailed research report on the Returnable Packaging Market. The returnable packaging market is expected to grow at 6.2% CAGR from 2023 to 2029. It is expected to reach above USD 170.93 billion by 2029 from USD 98.6 billion in 2022. Returnable packaging includes items that can be recycled or reused throughout the supply chain while adhering to consumer safety guidelines. These comprise hand-held containers, dunnage, racks, pallets, and bulk containers. They are made of durable materials such as wood, plastic, and metal. The use of returnable packaging can lead to high net returns to companies and savings on shipping and transportation costs. The returnable packaging market is bound to expand owing to demand for sustainable packaging solutions by industries and customers alike. Although initial capital investments are high, the returns are achieved rapidly. Returnable packaging is made of durable materials and able to withstand harsh weather and logistical troubles. Awareness of sustainable packaging and rapid industrialization can bode well for the market. Improvements in economic policies coupled with demand for foods and beverages can bolster market growth. Get Sample PDF Brochure: https://exactitudeconsultancy.com/reports/13427/returnable-packaging-market/request-a-sample Recent Developments November 28, 2022 : Brambles Limited has announced that it has entered into an agreement to combine the pallet and automotive pooling operations of CHEP China with Loscam ( Greater China ) Holdings Limited ("Loscam Greater China") : Brambles Limited has announced that it has entered into an agreement to combine the pallet and automotive pooling operations of CHEP China with Loscam ( ) Holdings Limited ("Loscam Greater China") June 7, 2022 : Brambles committed to net-zero emissions by 2040 bringing its deadline forward 10 years. Brambles have announced its commitment to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2040. Innovative packaging design leads to material reduction and innovation Currently, best practices in innovative packaging design are based on "full life cycle" perspectives. As such, materials are considered sustainable if they: Present a reduced carbon footprint during their manufacturing Can be incorporated into circular economy models that minimize packaging waste. This includes recyclable or reusable materials, a measure that 60% of companies claim to be working on, according to figures published by McKinsey They are biobased materials or materials made from renewable sources Its main sustainability benefits include: A 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to EPS 100% recyclable in PSE sectors (such as sorting bins, collection points, and our own Knauf Circular program) The same physical and sustainable advantages of EPS: lightweight, extra protection against shocks, durable. Market Dynamics: Drivers: Increasing demand for sustainable packaging The rising awareness about climate change, environmental degradation & its severe consequences on humankind has created an urgency for adopting sustainable development models. Single-use and expendable packaging is harmful to the environment as they are not-biodegradable. Single-use packaging materials stay in the biosphere for millions of years in the form of microplastics, which enter the food chain via water and reach humans causing severe health problems. Global packaging demands are massive, and hence equally vast amounts of packaging waste are created every day. Returnable packaging is environmentally friendly and reusable, which reduces the amount of waste generated daily. Restraints: High installation costs Returnable packaging market growth would be hampered by the extensive capital expenditure required. The cost per trip is lower for returnable packaging compared to single-use packaging. However, the return trip costs add to the operation expenditure making the former expensive. Small and medium enterprises cannot afford the adoption of returnable packaging owing to its expensive nature. These enterprises form the bulk of the potential market, which will be left underexploited with high installation costs. Opportunities: The growing consumer demand in developing economies With the advent of urbanization combined with the increase in disposable income of the population, there has been an increasing demand in the consumer durable and food & beverages market. The increased internet penetration and the e-commerce boom have further fueled this demand. The growing consumer demand will translate into an equal increase for returnable packaging. Returnable packaging reduces operating costs in the long run, resulting in more significant profit margins and contributing to the growing adoption of returnable packaging in developing economies. Challenges: Integration with existing supply chain logistics The existing supply chains are accustomed to single-use packaging models. No process involves returning packaging materials from the consumer to the vendor/supplier. The storage and administration of returnable packaging need to be simplified and efficiently integrated with the existing supply chain systems. The failure of which will lead to higher maintenance and operational costs. A collaborative and cooperative approach can help achieve efficiency and optimize returnable packaging. Report coverage & details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2023-2029 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 USD 98.6 billion Market Size in 2029 USD 170.93 billion CAGR 6.2 % No. of Pages in Report 130 Segments Covered Material, Product, End User Industry, and Region Drivers The rise in adoption of flexible and lightweight packaging for fast-moving consumer goods. The utilization of new techniques for new designs for packaging is leading to the adoption of high-quality materials for packaging for the cosmetic industry. Acceptance of automation in packaging. Restraints The uncertain price of raw materials used for manufacturing returnable packaging is leading to the high cost of returnable packaging. Opportunities Population growth has a positive effect on the growing demand for various daily products such as water, milk, and petroleum products including kerosene, diesel, and gasoline. A rapidly growing need exists for ways to provide safe and cost-effective transportation of hazardous foods & beverages and petroleum products, thereby enhancing the demand for effective packaging. Competitive Analysis: The returnable packaging market is very competitive and marked with alliances and joint ventures. New product developments are expected annually owing to government initiatives and schemes. Key players operating in the returnable packaging market are: Plastic Packaging Solutions Midlands & East Ltd. Nefab Group Returnable Packaging Resource Inc. Tri-Pack Plastic Ltd Amatech Inc. ORBIS Corporation CHEP Celina Industries Integra packaging Lamar Packaging Systems Browse the full report with Table of Contents and List of Figures at https://exactitudeconsultancy.com/reports/13427/returnable-packaging-market/ Key Market Segments: Returnable packaging Market Returnable Packaging Market By Material, 2023-2029, (USD Billion), (Thousand Units) Plastic Metal Wood Others Returnable Packaging Market By Product, 2023-2029, (USD Billion), (Thousand Units) Pallets Crates Boxes Others Returnable Packaging Market By End-User Industry, 2023-2029, (USD Billion), (Thousand Units) Manufacturing Food And Beverage Consumer Goods Healthcare Others Regional Analysis The regional analysis provides a detailed perception about the key regions and the countries. Some of the key countries analyzed for the Returnable Packaging include US, Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, U.K., Italy, Spain, Russia, China, Japan, India, Brazil, Peru, UAE, South Africa and Saudi Arabia. Asia Pacific region witnessed a major share. The main driver of the regional market is the existence of numerous manufacturing firms in nations like China, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Additionally, the market expansion is anticipated to be aided by the Asia Pacific region's quick industrialization due to the region's low manufacturing costs. Due to the existence of TPP member countries, the Asia Pacific region has served as the center for the manufacturing industry. Country Analysis Germany Germany's Returnable Packaging market size was valued at USD 10.64 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach USD 15.36 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 4.7% from 2022 to 2029. The market is anticipated to increase as a result of rising demand from numerous end-use industries for sustainable and long-lasting packaging goods. Major German companies in the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and automotive industries are implementing sustainable business practices more and more, which is anticipated to support the expansion of the returnable packaging industry. China China Returnable Packaging's market size was valued at USD 14.7 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach USD 22.38 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 5.4% from 2022 to 2029Families with greater discretionary means are dining out more frequently and trying new foods. Global brands have entered China's expanding food and beverage sector, which is projected to have a favorable effect on the region's returnable packaging. China's food and beverage business is developing more quickly than ever. Since the past decade, changes in consumer behavior, technology advancements, and governmental regulations have completely changed China's food and beverage business. India India's Returnable Packaging market size was valued at USD 12.39 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach USD 18.3 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 5% from 2022 to 2029. The growth of the nation's food and beverage industry drives the market. The sixth-largest food and grocery market in the world is in India, and 70% of its sales come through retail. Between April and October 2018, agricultural and processed food exports totaled roughly USD 21.61 billion, according to the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). Key Findings In 2022, the pallets segment dominated the market with the largest market share of 57.0% and market revenue of 33.84 billion. The product type segment is divided into crates, intermediate bulk containers (IBC), pallets, drums & barrels, dunnage, bottles, & others. In 2022, the pallets segment dominated the market with the largest market share of 57.0% and market revenue of 33.84 billion. The plastic segment is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 63.4% over the forecast period. The material type segment is divided into metal, wood, glass, plastic, foam, & others. Over the forecast period, the plastic segment is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 63.4%. In 2022, the food & beverages segment accounted for the largest share of the market, with 43% and a market revenue of 41.58 billion. Key Question Answered What is the current scenario of the global returnable packaging market? What are the emerging technologies for the development of returnable packaging devices? What are the historical size and the present size of the market segments and their future potential? What are the major catalysts for the market and their impact during the short, medium, and long term? What are the evolving opportunities for the players in the market? Which are the key regions from the investment perspective? What are the key strategies being adopted by the major players to up their market shares? Discover More Research Reports on Chemical and Material Industry by Exactitude Consultancy Bioplastics Biopolymers Market by Type (Non-Biodegradable/Bio-Based, Biodegradable), End-Use Industry (Packaging, Consumer Goods, Automotive & Transportation, Textiles, Agriculture & Horticulture) and by Region (North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa), Global trends and forecast from 2023 to 2029 Biodegradable Plastics Market by Type (PLA, Starch Blends, PHA, PBAT, PBS, Biodegradable Polyesters), End Use Industry (Packaging, Consumer Goods, Textile, Agriculture & Horticulture) and by Region (North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa), Global trends and forecast from 2023 to 2029 Biodegradable Mulch Films Market by Plastic Type (Thermoplastic Starch, Aliphatic-Aromatic Copolyesters, Controlled Degradation Masterbatches), Composition (Starch, Starch Blended with Polylactic Acid, Starch Blended with Polyhydroxyalkanoates, Others), Crop (Fruits & Vegetables, Grains & Oilseeds, Plants & Flowers) and by Region (North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa), Global trends and forecast from 2023 to 2029 Biodegradable Films Market by Biodegradable Films Market by Type (PLA, Starch Blends, Biodegradable Polyesters, and PHA), Application (Food Packaging, Agriculture & Horticulture, Cosmetic & Personal Care Products Packaging, and Industrial Packaging) and by Region (North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa), Global trends and forecast from 2023 to 2029 About Exactitude Consultancy Exactitude Consultancy is a market research & consulting services firm which helps its client to address their most pressing strategic and business challenges. Our market research helps clients to address critical business challenges and also helps make optimized business decisions with our fact-based research insights, market intelligence, and accurate data. Contact us: for your special interest research needs at sales@exactitudeconsultancy.com and we will get in touch with you within 24hrs and help you find the market research report you need. Website: https://exactitudeconsultancy.com/ Contact: Irfan Tamboli sales@exactitudeconsultancy.com +91-7507-07-8687 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1871697/Exactitude_Consultancy_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/strict-regulations-for-single-use-plastics-will-drive-the-growth-of-returnable-packaging-market-size-to-usd-170-93-billion-by-2029-at-6-2-cagr--exactitude-consultancy-301785844.html GUANGZHOU, China, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ramadan - a holy time for religious reflection and the renewal of one's faith in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. During this month of religious significance and meaningful practice, GAC MOTOR has teamed up with EKHAA, a foundation providing care to Saudi orphans, to help support local underprivileged teenagers in the Islamic state. Building a Library with Love GAC MOTOR has teamed up with EKHAA to set up 4 sponsored "Love" libraries and reading corners in 4 orphanages, and donated 1,000 teenagers' books. EKHAA is a registered non-profit in Saudi Arabia that aims to provide support and stability for those who do not have parents to look after them. It supports more than 2,000 orphans through 10 branches in Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah, Jeddah, Dammam, Hail, Qassim, Abha, Shakra and Jizan, helping beneficiaries with everything from housing, employment and financial assistance to marriage and family care and assistance with Hajj and Umrah. (Source: EKHAA Charitable Foundation for Orphan Care | arab.org) The gifted books include subjects that span the fields of literature, science, art, and more. Teenagers of the orphanage were present to witness this act of love, and many expressed excitement to begin reading the available texts. "Books are the ladder of human progress," said a spokesperson from EKHAA. "And I believe the construction of GAC MOTOR's library will effectively help the orphans to acquire more useful knowledge and open the door to the world in their future development journey." GAC MOTOR will continue to provide lasting support to the orphans through EKHAA in the hopes that every teenager can live a brighter tomorrow. Making a Difference in a Core Market Using resources that are available at hand to make the world a better place has always been a part of GAC MOTOR's mission. GAC MOTOR is committed to building a positive brand presence in Saudi Arabia. Integrating with local life and supporting meaningful local projects is a powerful way to build the foundations of long-term development. With this cooperation and many more like it in future, GAC MOTOR hopes to bring better welfare to the people of Saudi Arabia, and a better quality of life that will benefit not only this generation, but all those after it, too. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2044193/Ramadan_is_a_time_for_charity_GAC_MOTOR_sponsors_libraries_for_orphans_in_Saudi_Arabia.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/ramadan-is-a-time-for-charity-gac-motor-sponsors-libraries-for-orphans-in-saudi-arabia-301786001.html NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Governance & Accountability Institute, Inc. In recent years, the media has focused a great deal of attention on the annual letter that Larry Fink, Chair and CEO of BlackRock, writes to CEOs of publicly-traded companies on behalf of its clients. In these much-awaited missives, Fink outlines what the world's largest management firm has in mind as his organization helps to manage trillions of dollars of portfolio investments. BlackRock is the world's largest asset management team, with US$10 trillion in assets under management, 16,000 employees, offices around the world, and clients in 100-plus countries. In advertising in the United States, and on its corporate web site, BlackRock points out that it "helps 44 million Americans retire with dignity" (through the management of assets in employee retirement programs). Fink's recent annual letters to CEOs have contained important information for both corporate leaders and the investment community. Explains Fink: "I write these letters as fiduciary for our clients who entrust us to manage their assets - to highlight the themes that I believe are vital to driving durable long-term returns and to helping them reach their goals." In past years, Fink also wrote a separate annual letter to BlackRock's clients discussing major issues the firm was following. For 2023, Fink writes, "it is clear to me that all of our stakeholders - BlackRock shareholders, clients, employees, partners, the communities where we operate, and the companies in which our clients are invested - are facing so many of the same issues. For that reason, I am writing a single letter to investors, and we are sharing it with all of our stakeholders." The focus of Fink's 2023 letter is on the positive aspects of sustainable investing -- the letter is addressed to investors with the theme,"Making Investing More Accessible, Affordable, and Transparent to More People is Core to Our Mission at BlackRock." BlackRock clearly self-identifies as an asset manager serving fiduciaries with ESG in focus and strives to be the leader of ESG investment in the capital markets. In the U.S., a growing number of Republican political leaders have been criticizing BlackRock, State Street, and Vanguard as "woke" organizations that in their asset management activities have caused such clients as public employee retirement funds to not achieve the best ROI by using the ESG lens. At the most recent annual gathering of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Fink pointed out that the opposite is true. Included in the 2023 letter: The BlackRock Story, with 2023 marking the firm's 35th anniversary. Total return of 7,700% since the company's IPO in 1999, making BlackRock the highest-performing financial services stock in the S&P 500. Fink's take on recent turmoil in the banking sector. An economy of fragmentation, with backlash against globalization and political polarization in the U.S. Building a hopeful future for retirees and investing for the future as an act of hope and optimism. Helping clients navigate and invest in the global energy transition. Strategy for long-term growth. We've included the link to Fink's Annual Letter to Investors for your reading and a link to the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance (the Annual Letter is posted there in different format). This year's letter is worth reading as we contemplate the effects of Red State attacks on ESG and "woke" asset managers. This is just the introduction of G&A's Sustainability Highlights newsletter this week. Click here to view the full issue. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Governance & Accountability Institute, Inc. on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Governance & Accountability Institute, Inc. Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/governance-accountability-institute-inc Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Governance & Accountability Institute, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/746731/BlackRocks-Larry-Fink-Addresses-Key-Issues-for-All-Stakeholders-in-2023-Letter-to-Investors MBABANE No way! This phrase aligns with the strong disapproval by senators of the proposal to have Grade 0 financed by government as detailed in the Ministry of Education and Training recommendations in its portfolio committee annual performance report for the financial year 2022/23. There were two recommendations on Grade 0, one being that it should be funded by government and the other was that qualified and trained teachers should be deployed to teach this grade. The ministry distributed classroom furniture and books to 80 primary schools that had introduced Grade 0 for the first time in 2021. It introduced the Grade 0 programme as a means to assist children whose parents cannot afford preschool education get ready for Grade 1. The Grade 0 proposals formed part of the seven overall recommendations under the ministry that were made after the debate of the report at Senate last week. Throw Senator Vuka Moi Moi Masilela was first to throw the recommendation out the window and his contention was that government was already funding free primary education (FPE), funding the orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) grants and also availing funding through scholarship loans for students qualifying for tertiary enrolment. This is not the first time this issue comes to Parliament and we did say previously that it should not go ahead. Government already funds FPE, pays tertiary scholarships for students and now this, he asserted. Senator Chief Ngalonkhulu shared the same sentiments, stating that biblically, God did allow for people to be fertile and increase, fill the earth but it was not to say people should do it hysterically. He submitted that people should be considerate and do things that would not entail being a burden to others, simply because it was allowed to do those things. Let us not be carried away but remain focused and be considerate that government has a full load already. There are challenges at the University of Eswatini (UNESWA) as we speak but on top of those challenges, we want to add other burdens, it cant be, he said. Senator Chief Zabeni Shiba supported his colleagues, stating that it was a big weight that government was made to carry. Previously, we disallowed the request to get a loan for the Early Childhood Care, Development and Education (ECCDE) as proposed by the minister of Finance, I fail to understand how a similar thing has found its way to Parliament from the Ministry of Education, he submitted. Senate Princess Celumusas submissions were not far from what her colleagues had shared. She highlighted that government was paying for stationery, food and tuition through the FPE and it was also paying the OVC grants at secondary level while also paying tuition fees for students at tertiary. We should cut government some slack, she said. Deputy Prime Minister Themba Masuku said the only recommendation that would draw his attention would be on meeting vulnerable children under FPE halfway, as some did not have shoes or school uniform. He submitted that another issue was of those pupils dropping out at high school due to the high fees. Parents have stayed away from their responsibility, to such an extent that paying for Grade 0 has become a hustle. lowest They should take the primary responsibility of funding their children at the very lowest grade then government takes over, he said. The other recommendations under the ministry were that the ministry should conduct a study to ascertain feasibility of funding secondary education by government, ministry to solicit intervention from government to consider feasibility of free secondary education, ministry tables report on EMCU accreditation in seven days and that in the quarter, the minister should ensure that either his assurances contained in this report, recommendations made by the committee were fully or provide a good progress report. The last one was the consideration of the proposed budget allocation for the ministry and recommends its approval. The consensus was that all the recommendations, except the last one, be scrapped and a new recommendation was made and added to make it only two recommendations prior to the adoption of the report. The new recommendation, which was proposed by Senator Mkhululi Dlamini was that the committee of the Ministry of Education and Training, along with the minister, should go to the UNESWA in order to fully understand the financial issues that the university was facing. The recommendation was welcomed by the Senators and the report was adopted with two recommendations, including that of approving the budget allocation for the financial year 2023/24 commencing this coming Saturday. NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Entergy Corporation From left, Rivers Frederick, Kya Moller and Dan Boren attend the WBENC conference Entergy has received a prestigious national award from the Women's Business Enterprise National Council recognizing companies that have demonstrated an ongoing commitment to including women-owned businesses in their supply chains. Entergy was recognized for successfully implementing world-class diversity and inclusion programs that enable growth and innovation, while breaking down barriers for women entrepreneurs. We're one of 66 corporations to receive this award and one of the companies honored in the chemicals, energy and utilities sectors. In a press release, WBENC said, "these corporations are impacting the next generation of women-owned businesses to ensure sustainability of future supply and their business models, such as investing in advanced education and/or mentoring by industry executives." Kya Moller, senior manager, supplier diversity and sustainability, accepted the award on Entergy's behalf earlier this week at an event during the 2023 WBENC national conference in Nashville, Tennessee. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Entergy Corporation on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Entergy Corporation Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/entergy-corporation Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Entergy Corporation View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/746732/National-Group-Honors-Entergys-Commitment-to-Women-Owned-Businesses BANGALORE, India, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The global Electrosurgical Devices market is segmented by Type - Electrosurgical Instruments & Accessories, Electrosurgery Instruments, Electrosurgery Accessories, by Application - General Surgery, Gynecology Surgery, Urologic Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Cardiovascular Surgery, Cosmetic Surgery, Neurosurgery, Others (ENT, Dermatology, and Ophthalmic Surgeries). Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast 2023-2029. It is published in Valuates Reports under the Medical Devices & Equipment Category. The global Electrosurgical Devices market was valued at USD 7149.6 million in 2022 and is anticipated to reach USD 10110 million by 2029, witnessing a CAGR of 5.0% during the forecast period 2023-2029. Major Factors Driving The Growth of The Electrosurgical Devices Market are The rising prevalence of chronic diseases, the rising demand for minimally invasive procedures, the innovation and technological advancements in electrosurgical instruments, the rising number of hospitals coupled with the rising number of surgical procedures, and the shifting preference in developed regions for outpatient surgeries are the main drivers of this Electrosurgical Devices market growth. Browse The Table of Contents And List of Figures At https://reports.valuates.com/reports/QYRE-Auto-27Z9729/global-electrosurgical-devices TRENDS INFLUENCING THE GROWTH OF THE ELECTROSURGICAL DEVICES MARKET In the last decade, there has been a significant increase in the preference for minimally invasive and non-invasive surgical procedures over traditional surgical procedures. Minimally invasive surgeries offer several benefits over open surgical procedures, such as shorter hospitalization times, reduced postoperative complications, faster recovery times, higher efficacy, and reduced pain. Also, these techniques are less expensive than standard surgical procedures. For the treatment of a number of illnesses, laser, and electrosurgical technologies are increasingly chosen over traditional surgical methods. This factor is expected to drive the growth of the Electrosurgical Devices market. Laparoscopic surgeries, also known as minimally invasive surgeries, are becoming more and more popular among patients due to a number of benefits, including lower surgical risks, less pain, and blood loss, a lower risk of infection, and a quicker postoperative recovery period resulting in shorter hospital stays and lower costs. Surgery of all kinds, including gynecological, cardiovascular, and aesthetic operations, calls for accuracy and has a deadline. The ease and speed with which such surgeries can be carried out are made possible by electrosurgery tools like generators and active electrodes, which increases demand for them. This factor is expected to drive the growth of the Electrosurgical Devices market. Also, the governments of developed and emerging nations' increasing healthcare expenditures for the efficient treatment of chronic illnesses are anticipated to promote the Electrosurgical Devices market expansion. Get Your Sample Today: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/QYRE-Auto-27Z9729/Global_Electrosurgical_Devices_Market ELECTROSURGICAL DEVICES MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS The Electrosurgical Instruments segment is expected to be the most lucrative segment. The high volume of both disposable and reusable electrosurgical equipment usage accounts for a significant proportion of this market. The general surgery market segment is expected to hold the biggest market share. The market for electrosurgical equipment in general surgery is expanding due to factors such as the aging population, the rise in surgical facilities, and the expansion of the healthcare sector in developing nations. The largest portion of the global market was accounted for by North America. The key factors driving the growth of the North American market are the rising prevalence of chronic diseases, rising demand for minimally invasive procedures, technological advancements in electrosurgical instruments, rising number of hospitals, clinics, and ambulatory surgical centers, and shifting preference towards outpatient surgeries. Inquire For Customization : https://reports.valuates.com/request/customisation/QYRE-Auto-27Z9729/Global_Electrosurgical_Devices_Market Market By Region North America Europe Asia-Pacific Latin America Middle East & Africa Inquire For Regional Report: https://reports.valuates.com/request/regional/QYRE-Auto-27Z9729/Global_Electrosurgical_Devices_Market Key players B. Braun Melsungen Bovie Medical Megadyne Medical Products CONMED Medtronic Johnson & Johnson ERBE Elektromedizin KLS Martin Olympus Utah Medical Products Inquire For Chapter Cost : https://reports.valuates.com/request/chaptercost/QYRE-Auto-27Z9729/Global_Electrosurgical_Devices_Market Buy Now for Single User + Covid-19 Impact : https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=QYRE-Auto-27Z9729&lic=single-user SUBSCRIPTION We have introduced a tailor-made subscription for our customers. Please leave a note in the Comment Section to know about our subscription plans. SIMILAR REPORTS - Dehydrated Amniotic Membrane Market - Medical Electrosurgical Generator Market - Disposable Electrosurgical Snare Market - Medical Electrosurgical Cautery Pencil Market - Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure Knife Market - Argon Electrosurgical Unit Market - Liver Surgery and Neurosurgery Electrosurgical Units ESUs Sales Market - The global Neurological Biomarkers market was valued at USD 6170 million in 2020 and is expected to reach USD 13690 million by the end of 2027, growing at a CAGR of 12.0% during 2021-2027. - The global Mass Spectrometry Software market size is projected to reach USD 189.4 million by 2028, from USD 135 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 4.9% during 2022-2028. - The global spectrometry market was valued at USD 11,124.97 million in 2021, and is estimated to reach USD 20,313.5 million by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 6.2% from 2022 to 2031. - Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) Market - The global X-Ray Crystallography market size is estimated to be worth USD 1575.4 million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 2556 million by 2028 with a CAGR of 8.4% during the review period. - 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Cell Culture Market accounted for USD 16,107.7 million in 2019 and is expected to reach USD 36,926.8 million by 2027, registering a CAGR of 10.9% from 2020 to 2027. - DNA Sequencing Market size was USD 13380 million and it is expected to reach USD 48700 million by the end of 2027, with a CAGR of 20.4% during 2021-2027 - Bioreactors Market is estimated to be worth USD 1523.1 million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 2154.4 million by 2028 with a CAGR of 6.0% during the review period. - Single use Bioprocessing Market is projected to reach USD 6956.3 million by 2027, from USD 3905.3 million in 2020, at a CAGR of 10.1% during 2021-2027. - Digital PCR Market generated USD 508.8 million in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 1,139.9 million by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 9.1% from 2021 to 2028. - Orphan Drugs Market is projected to reach USD 241610 million by 2027, from USD 122720 million in 2020, at a CAGR of 9.7% during 2021-2027. - Medical Tubing Market is estimated to be worth USD 8136.6 million in 2022 and is forecast to be a readjusted size of USD 13570 million by 2028 with a CAGR of 8.9% during the review period. - 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Biometrics market is projected to reach USD 39030 million by 2028, from USD 15900 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 13.2% during 2022-2028. - Fiducial Markers market is estimated to be worth USD 104.8 million in 2022 and is forecast to be a readjusted size of USD 131.4 million by 2028 with a CAGR of 3.9% during the review period - Dialysis Market was valued at USD 91,205.0 million in 2020 and is estimated to reach USD 129,756.8 million by 2028, registering a CAGR of 4.7% from 2021 to 2028. - The global Urology Devices market was valued at USD 29300 million in 2022 and is anticipated to reach USD 39810 million by 2029, witnessing a CAGR of 4.0% during the forecast period 2023-2029. 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Contact Us: Valuates Reports sales@valuates.com For U.S. Toll-Free Call 1-(315)-215-3225 For IST Call +91-8040957137 WhatsApp: +91-9945648335 Website: https://reports.valuates.com Twitter - https://twitter.com/valuatesreports Sitemap: https://reports.valuates.com/sitemap/html/reports https://reports.valuates.com/sitemap/html/reports/494 https://reports.valuates.com/sitemap/html/reports/495 https://reports.valuates.com/sitemap/html/reports/496 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1082232/Valuates_Reports_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/electrosurgical-devices-market-is-anticipated-to-reach-usd-10110-million-by-2029--witnessing-a-cagr-of-5-0--valuates-reports-301785986.html CHICAGO, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The military non-steerable antenna market is projected to reach USD 739 million by 2028, from USD 529 million in 2023, at a CAGR of 6.9% according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. Non-steerable antennas are used in military operations to provide communication and navigation capabilities. Unlike steerable antennas that can be directed toward a specific target, non-steerable antennas have a fixed direction and cannot be repositioned. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=206288250 Browse in-depth TOC on "Military Non-Steerable Antenna Market" 166 - Tables 71 - Figures 245 - Pages Military Non-Steerable Antenna Market Report Scope: Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2023 $529 million Estimated Value by 2028 $739 million Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 6.9% Market Size Available for 2020-2028 Forecast Period 2023-2028 Forecast Units Value (USD Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered By Platform, By Application, By Product, By Frequency, By Point of sale Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and RoW Key Market Challenge Competition from steerable antennas Key Market Opportunities High demand for military unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) Key Market Drivers Modernization of legacy radio systems These antennas are often used when a reliable and robust communication link is required, such as in remote locations or combat operations. They can also be used for electronic warfare and intelligence gathering. The advantages of non-steerable antennas include simplicity, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. They are also less vulnerable to jamming or interference, making them ideal for use in hostile environments. Based on platform, the ground segment is expected to account for the largest share in 2023. Based on platform, the military non-steerable antenna market is segmented into airborne, ground, and marine. The ground segment is estimated to account for more than 80% of the military non-steerable antenna market in 2023. The growth of this segment can be attributed to the increased modernization of armored vehicles and the deployment of military non-steerable antennas in unmanned ground vehicles by defense forces to ensure improved communication, enhanced navigation, and efficient situational awareness. Based on product, the patch antenna segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Based on product, the military non-steerable antenna market is segmented into blade antennas, patch antennas, whip antennas, conformal antennas, rubber ducky antennas, loop antennas, and others. Others include foldable SATCOM antennas, body-worn antennas, X-wing antennas, glideslope antennas, localizer antennas, and panel mount antennas. The patch antennas segment is projected to grow registering the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Patch antennas are popular because they are lightweight, easy to manufacture, and can be made very thin. They are also relatively inexpensive and can be designed to operate at varying frequencies Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=206288250 The Asia Pacific region is projected to command a major share during the forecast period. Based on region, the military non-steerable antenna market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and the Rest of the World (RoW). The Asia Pacific military non-steerable antenna market is expected to command a major share during the forecast period. China is the largest country-level market for military non-steerable antennas in the region. The increasing demand for military aircraft and UAVs, owing to growing cross-border threats in the region, is driving the Asia Pacific market. Several countries in this region are rapidly transforming from conservative one-party political systems to western-style democratic systems. China, Malaysia, and Singapore continue with a one-party political system but are under constant pressure to transform into the western style of governance, leading to a favorable environment for foreign companies seeking to invest in the region. Asia Pacific has rapidly growing economies, along with strong purchasing power parity, and is ranked second after Europe. Most Asian countries will overtake several leading economies in the world following the rapid expansion of the continent's nominal GDP. Governments here are focusing on enhancing economic development and creating favorable environments for investments to flourish. Major players in the Military non-steerable antenna market are L3Harris Technologies, Inc. (US), Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions (US), Rohde & Schwarz (Germany), Comrod Communication Group (Norway), and RAMI (US). Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=206288250 Browse Adjacent Market: Aerospace and Defence Market Research Reports &Consulting Related Reports: Military Radars Market by Component (Transmitter, Digital Signal Processor), Platform (Land, Naval, Airborne, Space), Technology (SDR, Quantum, Conventional), Waveform (FMCW, Doppler), Application, Type, Frequency Band & Region - Global Forecast to 2027 Tactical Communication Market by Application (Command & Control, ISR, Communication, Combat), Platform (Ground, Airborne, Naval, Unmanned Systems), Type (Soldier Radios, Manpacks, VIC, HCDR), Frequency, Technology, Point of Sale, Region - Forecast to 2027 Military Antenna Market by Component (Reflectors, Feed Horn, Feed Networks, Low Noise Block Converter (LNB)), Frequency Band (HF, VHF, UHF SHF, AND EHF), End Use (OEM and Aftermarket), Type, Application, Platform and Region (2021-2026) Aircraft Antenna Market by Frequency (VHF&UHF band, Ka/Ku/K band, HF band, X band, C band, L band), Antenna Type, Installation, Application, End User (OEM, Aftermarket), Aircraft Type, & Region 2026 Surveillance Radars Market by Application (Commercial, National Security, Defense & Space), Platform (Land, Airborne, Naval, Space), Frequency Band (HF, UHF & VHF; L; S; C; X; Ku; Ka; Multi-bands), Dimension, Component, Region (2020-2025) About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. 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Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/military-non-steerable-antenna-market.asp Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/military-non-steerable-antenna.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/military-non-steerable-antenna-market-worth-739-million-by-2028---exclusive-report-by-marketsandmarkets-301785656.html BUCHAREST, ROMANIA / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Digital Financial Exchange (DIFX) , a global multi-asset trading platform, has officially launched a brand-new Crypto Launchpad. The global trading platform has announced the launch of its new Crypto launchpad platform, providing exclusive access to emerging cryptocurrencies before hitting the mainstream crypto market. The launchpad is designed to empower users with the ability to invest in high-quality, secure and legitimate projects that have been vetted and approved both technically and legally by the DIFX team of experts. With the launch of the DIFX launchpad, the exchange is taking a significant step towards democratizing the crypto space by making it accessible to everyone and helping promising blockchain and web3 projects successfully launch within the industry. As part of the launchpad services, DIFX will be officially launching the XAct Token as its debut project. $XACT serves as the primary utility token of the XActRewards platform which is a secure and decentralized platform that manages and exchanges loyalty rewards for customers. The rewards-centered blockchain-based platform is a cutting-edge cashback system that combines the best of traditional web2 cashback systems to give shoppers a new experience. Furthermore, with its proprietary technology, $XACT facilitates its users with advanced security and privacy services for its users, while the blockchain-based recording system provides transparency and protection, making transactions fast, secure, and cost-effective. XAct Token's loyalty program is decentralized, meaning it is run by multiple users rather than a single entity, unlocking opportunities for growth and evolution. Customers can build up wealth gradually by collecting XAct Tokens, with a percentage of each purchase reimbursed in the form of this specific cryptocurrency. With the new developments, the XAct Cash Back Token program connects the worlds of Web 2.0 and Web 3.0, making it easier for individuals to benefit from the use of cryptocurrencies. Regarding the launch Cushbinshad CEO of XAct Rewards stated "Having $XACT on the DIFX launchpad is a big milestone for us in our goal to help our users and community unlock the power of Web3 rewards. Our goal with the XAct Token is to make cryptocurrencies more accessible for everyday use. Our loyalty rewards program is a significant step in that direction, ensuring customers receive valuable rewards that can be easily exchanged for cryptocurrencies or fiat currencies." Additionally DIFX CEO, Jeetu Kataria stated "Launchpads are a significant step for us as a trading platform to grow and scale blockchain projects and give value to our user base and the overall crypto community. Our goal with launchpads is to give access to a wide variety of promising projects that exist in the market and give them the break they need to successfully launch & thrive." $XACT will have their initial sales on the Launchpad starting on March 30 till April 5, 2023 along with various social media and trading activations for the crypto community to earn and redeem additional rewards. To subscribe for the XAct Token, head on over to https://difx.com/en/launchpad-details?coin=XACT About Digital Financial Exchange Digital Financial Exchange (DIFX) is a leading centralized multi-asset trading platform launched in 2021 with a mission to bridge traditional and digital markets. It allows users to trade between multiple asset classes that include Indices, Forex, Crypto, CFDs, Metals, Commodities and more. Along with multiple asset classes to invest in, DIFX comes with a secure crypto wallet as a result of its partnership with Fireblocks, one of the leading crypto custodians in the world. To begin your journey with Endless Possibilities, download the app now from the iOS or Google Play Store , or visit us at difx.com . About XAct Rewards XActRewards platform, utilizing the cutting edge technology, offers XAct tokens, a digital asset that can be used for participating in the loyalty rewards program which aims to transform the way businesses and customers interact. By combining the security and decentralization of blockchain technology with traditional cashback systems, XActRewards offers a solution that is both innovative and practical, setting a new standard for the future of rewards and incentives. To learn more about XActRewards visit www.xactrewards.com PR Contact ZEX PR WIRE info@zexprwire.com SOURCE: DIFX View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/746746/Digital-Financial-Exchange-DIFX-Launches-its-Official-Crypto-Launchpad-with-XAct-Token-as-its-Debut-Project INFICON Holding AG / Schlagwort(e): Generalversammlung INFICON: Generalversammlung heisst alle Antrage des Verwaltungsrats gut 30.03.2023 / 17:41 CET/CEST Veroffentlichung einer Ad-hoc-Mitteilung gemass Art. 53 KR Fur den Inhalt der Mitteilung ist der Emittent / Herausgeber verantwortlich. Ansprechpartner Matthias Trondle Chief Financial Officer +423 388 3510 matthias.troendle@inficon.com Ordentliche Dividende von CHF 18.00 je Aktie Alle zur Wiederwahl zur Verfugung stehenden Mitglieder des Verwaltungsrats bestatigt; Lukas Winkler ersetzt als neues Mitglied den nach 20 Jahren nicht mehr kandidierenden Dr. Richard Fischer Die Generalversammlung genehmigt die beantragten Statutenanpassungen und Antrage des Verwaltungsrats und genehmigt den zur Konsultativabstimmung vorgelegten Vergutungsberichts 2022 sowie alle Vergutungen fur die nachste Periode. Die Generalversammlung der INFICON Holding AG (SIX Swiss Exchange: IFCN), stimmte samtlichen Antragen des Verwaltungsrats zu. An der Generalversammlung waren 72.75% der Stimmrechte vertreten. Ausschuttung von CHF 18.00 je Aktie Die Generalversammlung hat fur das Geschaftsjahr 2022 je Namenaktie eine Ausschuttung von CHF 18.00 als ordentliche Dividende beschlossen. Die Auszahlung erfolgt am 6. April 2023; als Ex-Datum wurden der 4. April 2023 und als Record-Date der 5. April 2023 festgelegt. Verwaltungsrat, Vergutungsausschuss, unabhangiger Stimmrechtsvertreter, Revisionsstelle Die ordentliche Generalversammlung hat samtliche zur Wiederwahl antretenden Mitglieder des Verwaltungsrats (Dr. Beat E. Luthi, Vanessa Frey, Beat Siegrist, Dr. Reto Suter) fur eine einjahrige Amtszeit bestatigt. Dr. Beat E. Luthi wurde als Prasident des Verwaltungsrats fur eine einjahrige Amtszeit wiedergewahlt. Lukas Winkler wurde als neues Mitglied fur eine einjahrige Amtszeit neu gewahlt; er ersetzt den nach 20jahriger Mitarbeit im Verwaltungsrat nicht mehr zur Verfugung stehenden Dr. Richard Fischer. Die Anwaltskanzlei Baur Hurlimann AG, Zurich, wurde als unabhangige Stimmrechtsvertreterin fur eine einjahrige Amtszeit wiedergewahlt. KPMG AG, Zurich, wurde fur die Amtsdauer eines Jahres als Revisionsstelle wiedergewahlt. Vergutungen Die Generalversammlung genehmigte in einer Konsultativabstimmung den Vergutungsbericht fur das Geschaftsjahr 2022 und hiess die vorgeschlagenen Vergutungen fur die nachste Periode fur den Verwaltungsrat und die Geschaftsleitung gut. Statutenanpassungen Die Generalversammlung hiess alle beantragten Statutenanderungen gut. Informationen per E-Mail Die neusten Informationen von INFICON werden Ihnen automatisch per E-Mail zugestellt, wenn Sie sich im Bereich Investors der INFICON Website unter https://ir.inficon.com/contact-and-information-request/ fur diesen Service anmelden. Hintergrundinformation zu INFICON INFICON ist ein fuhrender Anbieter von innovativen Vakuuminstrumenten, hochpraziser Sensortechnologie und Smart Manufacturing/Industry 4.0 Prozesskontrollsoftware, welche die Produktivitat und Qualitat in hochentwickelten industriellen Vakuumprozessen steigern. Unsere Analyse-, Mess- und Kontrollprodukte sind ein wesentlicher Erfolgsfaktor in der Gaslecksuche der Klima- und Kuhlgerate-Herstellung und der Automobilindustrie, sowie fur Produktionsanlagenhersteller und Endverbraucher bei der komplexen Fabrikation von Halbleitern und Dunnfilmbeschichtungen fur optische Instrumente, Flachbildschirme, Solarzellen und industrielle Vakuumbeschichtungen. Weitere Anwender der Vakuumtechnologie sind: Life Sciences, Forschung, Raum- und Luftfahrt, Verpackungen, Warmebehandlung, Laserschneiden und viele weitere Prozessindustrien. Unsere Expertise in der Vakuumtechnologie kommt zudem in der Entwicklung von einzigartigen Geraten zur Analyse giftiger Gase in der Notfallhilfe, der Sicherheitsuberwachung und im Umweltmonitoring zum Einsatz. Das Unternehmen hat seinen Sitz in der Schweiz, verfugt uber modernste Produktionsstatten in Europa, den USA und China sowie Niederlassungen in China, Danemark, Deutschland, Finnland, Frankreich, Grossbritannien, Indien, Italien, Japan, Korea, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Schweden, der Schweiz, Singapur, Taiwan und den USA. Die Namenaktien von INFICON (IFCN) werden an der SIX Swiss Exchange gehandelt. Weitere Informationen zu INFICON und unseren Produkten finden Sie auf unserer Website www.inficon.com. This press release and oral statements or other written statements made, or to be made by us contain forward-looking statements that do not relate solely to historical or current facts. These forward-looking statements are based on the current plans and expectations of our management and are subject to a number of uncertainties and risks that could significantly affect our current plans and expectations, as well as future results of operations and financial condition. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Ende der Adhoc-Mitteilung Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 30, 2023) - Tartisan Nickel Corp. (CSE: TN) (OTCQX: TTSRF) (FSE: 8TA) ("Tartisan", or the "Company") is pleased to announce that Nordmin Engineering Ltd. has been hired to provide guidance and assistance as the Kenbridge Nickel Project transitions into the Advanced Exploration ("AEX") and Project Development Phase. The Company has hired Nordmin Engineering Ltd. of Thunder Bay, Ontario, to assist in developing the plan for the Kenbridge AEX project. Nordmin is a Consulting Engineering firm focused on the mining and resource sector, who have completed projects worldwide. Nordmin will work with Tartisan's staff to plan next steps in exploration and development and assist with their permitting and licensing efforts. In completing the recent Preliminary Economic Assessment, Tartisan management sees an opportunity to further expand our understanding of the deposit and enhance the current resource through the completion of an Advanced Exploration ("AEX") effort at the Kenbridge Nickel Project. This will both add value to the project and provide insights on the deeper extents of the Kenbridge Nickel deposit. In preparation for this work, Tartisan Nickel Corp. will focus on these next steps: Complete our work to develop the road into the Kenbridge Nickel mine site to provide ease of access for further exploration and development. Focus on working with our First Nations and community partners to complete the environmental assessment and permitting work for the project. Complete a new deep geophysical ("MT") survey of the property to further define targets for the planned AEX project. Complete additional drilling to test those new targets as well as further outline known mineralization. Complete additional drilling to bring Inferred Resources into the Indicated category. Complete a scoping-level review of the planned Kenbridge AEX Project to provide guidance on expected expenditures as well as providing inputs on permitting submissions over the next several months. Tartisan Nickel Corp. CEO Mark Appleby states, "We are pleased to be working with Nordmin Engineering as the Kenbridge Nickel Project moves into the Advanced Exploration phase. 2023 will be a pivotal year for Tartisan as we move towards feasibility and into project development and ultimately production at Kenbridge". Dean MacEachern P.Geo. is the Qualified Person under NI 43-101 and has read and approved the technical content of this News Release. About Tartisan Nickel Corp. Tartisan Nickel Corp. is a Canadian based battery metals and mine development company whose flagship asset is the Kenbridge Nickel Deposit located in northwestern Ontario. Tartisan also owns; the Sill Lake Silver Property in Sault St. Marie, Ontario, and the Don Pancho Manganese-Zinc-Lead-Silver Project in Peru. Tartisan Nickel Corp. also owns equity stakes in: Class 1 Nickel & Technologies Corp. and Peruvian Metals Corp. Tartisan Nickel Corp. common shares are listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE: TN) (OTCQX: TTSRF) (FSE: 8TA). Currently, there are 114,297,128 shares outstanding (127,338,959 fully diluted). For further information, please contact Mark Appleby, President & CEO, and a Director of the Company, at 416-804-0280 (info@tartisannickel.com). Additional information about Tartisan can be found at the Company's website at www.tartisannickel.com or on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. The Canadian Securities Exchange (operated by CNSX Markets Inc.) has neither approved nor disapproved of the contents of this press release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160566 30 March 2023 Rightmove plc Share buy-back programme Rightmove plc - Transaction in own shares Rightmove plc ("Rightmove"), announces that today it purchased 130,000 of its 0.1p ordinary shares at a volume weighted average price paid per share of 559.335p. The highest price paid per share was 562.200p and the lowest price paid per share was 555.200p. Rightmove purchased these shares through UBS AG London Branch. The number of shares purchased represented 0.0158% of the voting rights attributable to the total ordinary shares in issue prior to such purchase. The purchased shares will be cancelled. Since announcing a share buy-back programme on 28 December 2007, Rightmove has purchased in aggregate 484,252,995 ordinary shares. The total number of ordinary shares in issue (excluding treasury shares) following this announcement is 822,700,588. Rightmove holds 12,100,497 shares in treasury. In accordance with Article 5(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (the Market Abuse Regulation) as amended by The Market Abuse (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (the "UK MAR"), the schedule below contains detailed information about the purchases made by UBS AG London Branch on behalf of the Company as part of the buyback programme. -Ends- Contact: Michelle Palmer, Assistant Company Secretary CompanySecretary@rightmove.co.uk Schedule of Purchases - Individual Transactions More than one-third of companies lack the right technology to effectively communicate, engage, and retain their frontline employees REDWOOD CITY, CA / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Simpplr , the leading AI-powered employee experience platform, announced the results of their extensive 2023 Frontline Worker Survey conducted with 1,500 HR executives of organizations in which more than 20% of their workforce comprises frontline employees. The survey revealed that more than 30% of companies lack the technology to adequately engage frontline employees and that 54% of companies recognize that failing to help frontline employees stay connected and engaged is costing them productivity. They also find a technology gap is making it more difficult to retain (37% of respondents) and recruit (38%) talent. "Frontline employees make up 80% of the global workforce, but many organizations lack the technology and communication channels to keep them engaged and connected to the rest of the organization," said Paige Leidig, Simpplr's Chief Marketing Officer. "Simpplr is keenly aware of this gap, and it's the reason we created a mobile-first intranet that can provide companies with the right communication channels to elevate their employee experience and connect with employees in a seamless way wherever and however they work." Companies Lack the Right Technology to Adequately Engage Frontline Employees Over half (54%) of respondents reported the lack of engagement amongst their frontline employees impacts their productivity. Frontline employees regularly miss important company communications, especially if they are infrequent and disjointed. Lack of Consistent Frontline Employee Communication 40% of companies surveyed say they communicate with frontline employees only once a week. When it comes to connecting, including, and supporting frontline employees, 60% favor including them in more organizational opportunities, events, and activities despite these channels not being conducive to the way frontline employees work. Frontline Employees Need Leadership and Team Support to Stay Engaged The survey revealed that frontline employees value the relationship they have with their manager and team, with 60% of respondents saying it is the most important part of delivering an exceptional employee experience. Many frontline employees can't receive direct communications from their supervisors, as most don't have a corporate email address, which can impact the connection they have with their leader and team. Using a mobile app to connect and engage with frontline employees addresses these challenges. Simpplr's mobile-first employee experience platform lets frontline worker organizations deliver rich communications, create personalized experiences, see real-time employee insights, and ultimately, keep frontline employees connected and engaged with the rest of the organization. To learn more about Simpplr, please visit Simpplr.com . View the results of the 2023 Frontline Worker Survey here . About Simpplr Simpplr is the leading AI-powered employee experience platform. Organizations use Simpplr's forward-looking, adaptable products to deliver personalized experiences that inspire and engage their employees. Wherever people work, Simpplr enables them to flourish. Trusted by more than 700+ leading brands, including Zoom, Snowflake, Moderna, Eurostar, and AAA, Simpplr's customers are achieving measurable productivity gains, increased employee engagement, and accelerated business performance. Simpplr is headquartered in Silicon Valley, CA with offices in the UK, Canada, and India, and is backed by Norwest Venture Partners, Salesforce Ventures, and Tola Capital. Learn more at simpplr.com Contact Escalate PR simpplr@escalatepr.com Samantha Hird Senior Communications Manager samantha.hird@simpplr.com SOURCE: Simpplr View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/746633/Simpplr-Survey-Reveals-Over-61-Percent-of-Companies-Are-Concerned-About-Recruiting-and-Retaining-Frontline-Employees Regulatory News: As of December 31, 2022, cash and cash equivalents were 35.2 million (prior to the capital raise in February 2023) and turnover was 1.4 million Significant milestones on clinical programs in 2022: MaaT013: Initiation in March 2022 of Phase 3 open label, single arm clinical trial in Europe for the treatment of acute Graft-versus-Host Disease (hemato-oncology) Initiation in April 2022 of Phase 2a proof-of-concept trial, sponsored by AP-HP, to improve patients' responses to immunotherapies in metastatic melanoma (immuno-oncology) MaaT033: Completion of Phase 1b in January 2022 and topline results published in June 2022 for patients with acute myeloid leukemia following allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) and presentation of positive data at the 2022 ASH conference Preparation ongoing for a Phase 2b trial to evaluate MaaT033 in improving overall survival and preventing complications in patients with blood cancers receiving allo-HSCT Successful capital raise in February 2023 of approximately 12.7 million with the support of current shareholders MaaT Pharma (EURONEXT: MAAT the "Company"), a French clinical-stage biotech and a pioneer in the development of Microbiome Ecosystem TherapiesTM (MET) dedicated to improving survival outcomes for patients with cancer, today reported the full-year 2022 annual results and provided a business overview. Herve Affagard, CEO and co-founder of MaaT Pharma states, "in 2022, we have successfullyexecuted on key clinical and manufacturing objectives despite a difficult economic environment. With our lead asset, MaaT013, currently in a Phase 3 clinical trial in hemato-oncology, it is our ambition to make it quickly accessible to all patients fighting acute Graft-versus-Host Disease in need of a safe and effective therapeutic option. Our clinical development pipeline continues to progress with positive Phase 1b data for MaaT033 announced in 2022, the commencement of a Phase 2b trial in the first half of 2023 as well was the ongoing Early Access Program in Europe for MaaT013. With the construction of our manufacturing facility to be completed by mid-2023 and the roadmap we shared at the beginning of the year, we are excited with the progress we have made to advance our microbiome therapies that we believe could become a new pillar in treating cancer." Key Financial Results The key audited financial results for the 2022 full year are as follows: Income Statement In thousands of euros 31 December 2022 31 December 2021 Revenue 1 430 972 Cost of Goods Sold (339) (166) Gross Margin 1 091 806 Other Income 4 122 2 390 Sales and distribution costs (347) (217) General and administrative costs (4 111) (2 727) Research and development costs (14 311) (9 145) Operating income (expense) (13 557) (8 893) Financial Income 45 0 Financial Expense (201) (126) Net financial income (expense) (156) (126) Income (loss) before income tax (13 713) (9 019) Income tax expense Net Income (loss) for the period (13 713) (9 019) Prepared in accordance with international standards, IFRS. Revenues totaled 1.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, which includes compensation invoiced from the Early Access Program in France and for which data was presented at the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting in December 2022. The gross margin generated by the compassionate access program amounts to 1.1 million. Operating expense amounted to 13.6 million compared with 8.9 million for 2021, an increase of 4.7 million. This increase reflects the growth of research and development costs which have risen from 9.1 million in 2021 to 14.3 million in 2022, representing an overall increase of 5.2 million and consistent with the advancement of clinical and operational activities as detailed in the 2022 key achievements' section below. Other income of 4.1 million includes the R&D tax credit of 3.2 million, an increase of 1.2 million compared with prior year, which amounted to 2.0 million and in line with the growth of research and development activities. General and administrative expenses amounted to 4.1 million compared with 2.7 million in 2021 reflecting the recurring costs and structuring of the Company to meet the needs of its listing on Euronext Paris regulated market and to support the different clinical and development programs. The net loss amounts to 13.7 million for the year ended 31 December 2022 compared with 9.0 million for the year ended 31 December 2021. Average annual employees evolved from 33 in 2021 to 43 in 2022 following the strengthening of the clinical and scientific teams, along with the R&D, technical and regulatory departments. Cash Position As of December 31, 2022, total cash and cash equivalents were 35.2 million, as compared to 38.4 million as of June 30, 2022, and 43.3 million as of December 31, 2021. In thousands of euros 31 December 2022 31 December 2021 Net cash used in operating activities (12 605 (7 929 Net cash used in investing activities (815 (238 Net cash used in financing activities 5 364 31 558 Net change in cash and cash equivalents (8 057 ) 23 391 The net decrease in cash position of 8.1 million between December 31, 2021, and December 31, 2022, is due to the financing of operations for a total of 12.6 million, offset by cash inflows from financing of 5.4 million. Cash inflows from financing reflects new financial debt, offset by debt repayments over 2022 1.9 million. Total financial debt (including lease liabilities) totaled 11.4 million as of December 31, 2022, of which 0.9 million relates to state-backed loans ("PGE"). Based on the development plans, corresponding cash needs and following the capital increase in February 2023, the Company believes it has sufficient cash to finance operations into the second quarter of 2024. 2022 Key achievements Pipeline highlights MaaT013 In March 2022, the Company announced the initiation of its Phase 3 open label, single arm, pivotal trial, called ARES, evaluating MaaT013 in treating patients with acute Graft-versus-Host Disease (aGvHD). The trial is ongoing in six European countries including France, Austria, Spain, Belgium, Germany, and Italy. In the US, interactions with the FDA remain active regarding MaaT013, for which US development is currently on clinical hold following an FDA communication received in August 2022. In February 2023, the Company announced new discussions with the FDA which have been detailed in the section below "First half of 2023". In April 2022, the Company announced the initiation of a randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2a, proof of concept, clinical trial in France sponsored by AP-HP, evaluating MaaT013's impact on the efficacy of immune checkpoints inhibitors (ICI) treatments in patients with metastatic melanoma. In 2022, the Company continued the Early Access Program in Europe allowing patients to benefit from early access to the MaaT013 drug candidate, mainly for the treatment of aGvHD. As of today, the Company has safely treated over 160 patients with MaaT013 in Europe. In December 2022, the Company presented compelling consolidated data from 81 patients in the Early Access Program in France at the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting in December 2022. MaaT033 In the first half of 2022, the Company announced positive topline results for its Phase 1b open-label, dose-ranging clinical trial, called CIMON, investigating the maximum tolerated dose of MaaT033 in patients with acute myeloid leukemia or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome who have undergone intensive chemotherapy and confirming clinical potential of MaaT Pharma's oral drug candidate. These promising results support the launch of the Phase 2b clinical trial, called PHOEBUS, to improve overall survival and to prevent complications in patients with blood cancers receiving allo-HSCT. In December 2022, the Company presented the Phase 1b clinical data in a poster format at the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting. MaaT03X In 2022, the Company has been consolidating in vivo and in vitro data with MaaT03X and continuing its product development characterization. Financial highlight In February 2022, the Company announced the construction of its cGMP manufacturing facility in France, dedicated to ecosystem microbiome-based therapeutics, in partnership with Skyepharma. A total down payment of 1.1 million has been made in 2022 for a total of 1.4 million cumulatively. The facility is expected to be operational by mid-2023. First half of 2023 In January 2023, the Company announced the expansion of its scientific research to neurodegenerative diseases with a first trial in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). The Company is now preparing to launch a Phase 1b pilot study to evaluate MaaT033 in ALS, following ANSM regulatory authorizations received in March 2023 - the inclusion of the first patient is expected in H1 2023. In February 2023, the Company completed a successful capital increase of approximately 12.7 million with the support of current shareholders. The ongoing international multicenter open-label, single arm pivotal Phase 3 trial (ARES) evaluating MaaT013 in aGvHD is ongoing in Europe - the Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) review is expected to take place at the end of the first half of 2023, if half of the patients have been recruited. In February 2023, the Company announced the receipt of a letter from the FDA indicating that the Agency agreed to a defined list of conditions that could enable clinical evaluation of MaaT013 in the U.S. These measures have since been included by the Company and submitted to the FDA. The communication from the FDA therefore provides a path forward regarding MaaT Pharma's pooling technology for this trial. The Phase 2a proof-of-concept clinical trial evaluating MaaT033 in association with ICI in metastatic melanoma, sponsored by AP-HP, in France is ongoing - biological biomarker data are expected in H1 2023 after half of the patients have been enrolled and achieved their evaluation 9 weeks after randomization. The preparations are ongoing to initiate the randomized placebo-controlled Phase 2b trial (PHOEBUS) evaluating MaaT033 in improving overall survival and to prevent complications in allo-HSCT patients and the Company has received French and German regulatory authorizations in March 2023- study is expected to start in Q2 2023. The Company's universal registration document, which includes the annual financial report, will be available on MaaT Pharma's website: www.maatpharma.com Upcoming financial communication May 9, 2023 Revenues and Cash Position Quarter 1 June 19, 2023 Annual General Meeting July 27, 2023 Revenues and Cash Position Quarter 2 September 26, 2023 Half-year Results 2023 November 9, 2023 Revenues and Cash Position Quarter 3 *Indicative calendar that may be subject to change. Upcoming investor conferences participation April 4, 2023 Investor Access Conference, Paris April 26, 2023 Kempen Life Sciences Conference, Amsterdam Upcoming scientific conference participation April 23-26, 2023 49 th Annual meeting of the European Bone Marrow Transplant, Paris Annual meeting of the European Bone Marrow Transplant, Paris June 28-30, 2023 8th Microbiome Movement Drug Development Summit, Boston About MaaT Pharma MaaT Pharma, a clinical stage biotechnology company, has established a complete approach to restoring patient-microbiome symbiosis in oncology. Committed to treating cancer and graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), a serious complication of allogeneic stem cell transplantation, MaaT Pharma has launched, in March 2022, an open-label, single arm Phase 3 clinical trial in patients with acute GvHD, following the achievement of its proof of concept in a Phase 2 trial. Its powerful discovery and analysis platform, gutPrint, supports the development and expansion of its pipeline by determining novel disease targets, evaluating drug candidates, and identifying biomarkers for microbiome-related conditions. The company's Microbiome Ecosystem Therapies are produced through a standardized cGMP manufacturing and quality control process to safely deliver the full diversity of the microbiome, in liquid and oral formulations. MaaT Pharma benefits from the commitment of world-leading scientists and established relationships with regulators to support the integration of the use of microbiome therapies in clinical practice. MaaT Pharma is listed on Euronext Paris (ticker: MAAT). Forward-looking Statements All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release about future events are subject to (i) change without notice and (ii) factors beyond the Company's control. These statements may include, without limitation, any statements preceded by, followed by or including words such as "target," "believe," "expect," "aim," "intend," "may," "anticipate," "estimate," "plan," "project," "will," "can have," "likely," "should," "would," "could" and other words and terms of similar meaning or the negative thereof. Forward-looking statements are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control that could cause the Company's actual results or performance to be materially different from the expected results or performance expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005581/en/ Contacts: MaaT Pharma Investor Relations Herve AFFAGARD, Co-founder and CEO Sian CROUZET, COO CFO +33 4 28 29 14 00 invest@maat-pharma.com MaaT Pharma Media Relations Pauline RICHAUD, Senior PR Corporate Communications Manager +33 6 14 06 45 92 prichaud@maat-pharma.com Trophic Communications Corporate and Medical Communications Jacob VERGHESE or Gretchen SCHWEITZER, +49 151 7441 6179 maat@trophic.eu Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares For immediate release 30 March 2023 FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC (the "Company") MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES The Company announces that it has today purchased 89,638 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 889.85 pence 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 17 January 2023. Following this transaction, the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury is 16,866,747; 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 208,124,556. . The figure of 208,124,556 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 MBABANE The inyangas wife, who has been arrested for his murder, says there was never a pleasant moment in their marriage. Nonhlanhla Matsenjwa (45) of Mpolonjeni in Mbabane, is currently in custody together with her brother, Bhekithemba Matsenjwa (46) of New Mbuluzi, and her 22-year-old niece, who is a pupil. The trio is facing a charge of murder. They are alleged to have killed the traditional healer, Malungisa Dumisani Dlamini, who was known as Bayamzonda Bathakathi, on March 11, 2023. They were arrested last Friday. They have filed applications for bail. Nonhlanhla submitted in her application that the reality of her plight was bewildering and had left her appalled. Married She informed the court that over the years, immediately after she and Malungisa got married according to Eswatini Law and Custom, she was subjected to emotional, physical and psychological abuse at the hands of her husband. She said her brother, who is the second accused, was not spared from her husbands alleged violence and unbecoming behaviour towards her. There has never been a pleasant moment during the lifetime of my deceased husband in our marriage. I even contemplated advising my family to not accept the lobola as a result of the abuse. However, I was advised that being smeared with red ochre signified a valid marriage. The violent acts I was subjected to by the deceased ranged from being assaulted with various weapons, ranging from sjambok, axe, blunt objects, iron rods, fists, kicks, open hands, bricks, sticks and everything else that my deceased husband would stumble upon whenever he wanted to assault me, she submitted. The veracity of these allegations is still to be tested in court. Nonhlanhla and her co-accused are represented by Linda Dlamini of Linda Dlamini and Associated. According to Nonhlanhla, things got worse when he eventually paid lobola for her. She alleged that Malungisa informed her that he owned her. The accused said he told her that he could do as he pleased and no one would dare interfere with his wife and family. He perceived me as his object. I was threatened with death in the event I reported to anyone what he was doing to me. He was also quick to report to our respective families whenever he had assaulted me. May I relate one incident where he threatened to shoot me. He cocked the gun and pointed it at me, saying I was disrespectful to him. When I enquired as to how, he told me that I should chase my children away from the homestead I had built for them and also go to the royal kraal and change the surname for the homestead to be addressed as kaDlamini and not kaMatsenjwa. I acquired this homestead without his assistance. I do not have children with the deceased. However, I have children outside our marriage, who were born before I got married to the deceased, and so does he, Nonhlanhla submitted. She stated that her children were not spared from her husbands alleged violence, as he would repeatedly tell them to go away from the homestead she had built for them at Mpolonjeni, as they were not Dlaminis. Concentrate He would tell them that I am now married and should concentrate on him and forget about them. The above history of violence I was subjected to by the deceased is not exhaustive, she alleged. She attached to her bail application pictures of herself after she had been allegedly assaulted by her husband. According to Nonhlanhla, on March 11, 2023, she was involved in a scuffle with Malungisa over an allegation that she had laced his traditional medicine/concoction (imbita) with poison. She alleged that Malungisa assaulted her and threatened to shoot and kill her. She alleged that her husband forced her to admit to spiking his concoction with poison, but she refused as she had nothing to do with it. Nonhlanhla said she advised him that the only logical thing to do under the circumstances was to take him to the hospital for treatment for the discomfort in his stomach due to the concoction he had drunk. Since it was dark, said Nonhlanhla, she tried to call her brother, Bhekithemba, to accompany her to hospital but he was asleep. I had to go and wake him up physically at my other homestead, which is occupied by my children. I could not have taken the deceased to hospital alone, given the fact that despite him having agreed that I take him to hospital, he was still insulting me and perpetuating his threats that he will kill me. I was afraid, she said. Nonhlanhla informed the court that certain members of the community were present when Malungisa boarded the motor vehicle to hospital. She submitted that along the way, Malungisa ordered her to drive to Sidwashini to pick certain herbs which would assist him as he believed that traditional medicine was superior to western medication. Strangled I obliged in fear for my life and drove to Sidwashini. Upon arrival at this place, the deceased assaulted me with fists and kicks again, accosted and strangled me. My brother pleaded with him to stop what he was doing and get his herbs, which he had said he wanted to get or else we will not proceed to the hospital. He told him that I was his wife and no one would tell him how to treat his wife and further told him that he shouldnt be here in the first place. I was stunned as to where he drew the strength of fighting and assaulting me and my brother as I honestly thought he was sick, said Nonhlanhla. She informed the court that the violence and assault escalated to an extent where Malungisa ordered her to proceed to another place in town, stating that Sidwashini no longer had the herbs he wanted. She said she drove to town where upon parking the vehicle, he allegedly strangled her. When her brother tried to reason with him to stop what he was doing as he might kill her (Nonhlanhla), he allegedly did not listen. Nonhlanhla said her brother then grabbed Malungisa and tried to remove him from her and she managed to alight from the vehicle. All hell then broke loose. It was a pandemonium. My husband continued assaulting me together with my brother. He proceeded to strangle me and that is when my brother came to my rescue as I was unable to speak. Attacked However, the deceased wouldnt let go of me. My brother was not spared from the assault as the deceased attacked him as well and assaulted him with a blunt object. It was a fight and we retaliated. In the midst of the fighting and strangling, unbeknown to me, the deceased was lying down. Nonhlanhla said, since her husband was no longer responsive, she tried to communicate with him but he did not respond. She stated that she realised that he might have passed out and they rushed him to hospital. Unfortunately, it transpired that he had died. She submitted that they were under attack and Malungisa was bound to kill her as he repeatedly told her that he would do so. Nonhlanhla said her reaction to the assault was on a spur of the moment and nothing suggested that she intended to kill him. She said she was unaware that he would die. The matter will be heard today by Judge Sabelo Masuku. Proposed strategic combination with Erytech Pharma intending to create a global leader in phage therapies: Acceleration in the development of phage therapy in antimicrobial resistance and extension to other anti-infective fields and therapeutic areas with substantial unmet medical needs Transaction expected to close at the end of the second quarter of 2023 Continuation of the PhagoDAIR Phase II pilot clinical study in osteoarticular infections of hip and bone prostheses: Opening of new European centers expected in 2023 Results expected in the first half of 2024 Launch, in H2 2023 and Q1 2024, of two new complementary Phase I/II clinical trials in indications with a substantial unmet medical need Cash position of 1.0 million at December 31, 2022 strengthened by the raising of 1.5 million, providing a cash runway through to the completion of the merger expected for the end of the first half of 2023 Regulatory News: Pherecydes Pharma (FR0011651694 ALPHE) (Paris:ALPHE), a biotechnology company specializing in precision phage therapy to treat resistant and/or complicated bacterial infections, today announces its annual results for the year to December 31, 2022 and specifies its development prospects for 2023. Thibaut du Fayet, CEO of Pherecydes Pharma, said:"2022 and the first months of 2023 were particularly structuring for Pherecydes Pharma's development. We firstly launched the PhagoDAIR Phase II clinical study whose enrollment rate, with the opening of new centers, allows us to anticipate preliminary results during the first half of 2024. Our ambitious development strategy has benefited from the strong commitment of our shareholders, longstanding and new, through two capital increases, in September 2022 for a total of 3.1 million and February 2023 for 1.5 million. The second of these transactions, combined with our cash position, covers our immediate requirements through to the completion of the merger with Erytech Pharma announced on February 15, 2023. The complementary expertise and resources of our two companies will enable us to create a global leader in phage therapy by accelerating the clinical development of our therapies aimed at fighting antimicrobial resistance and by extending our clinical portfolio to other areas presenting substantial unmet medical needs. This merger, supported by the two companies' Boards of Directors and main shareholders, will be submitted to the companies' Shareholder Meetings for approval in the coming months. We are looking forward to beginning this new stage alongside the Erytech teams while benefiting from a strong consolidated cash position of approximately 40 million and a dual listing in France and the United States 2022 Annual Results Simplified income statement1 (in euros) 2022 2021 Operating income 3,167,235 2,200,380 Operating expenses 9,857,278 6,521,075 Operating profit/loss - 6,690,043 - 4,320,694 Financial result 63,504 46,346 Exceptional income 511,125 189,470 Net profit/loss - 4,854,342 - 3,189,057 At December 31, 2022, total operating income, essentially consisting of capitalized production associated with the Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) programs, was 3,167 thousand compared with 2,200 thousand in 2021, an increase of 44%. This growth was notably a result of the increase in R&D activity associated with these programs between the two years in question. Operating expenses totaled 9,857 thousand over the year to December 31, 2022, up 51% on the 2021 figure of 6,521 thousand. This growth was essentially due to the 76% increase in purchases and other external expenses to 5,961 thousand in 2022, and reflects the ramping up of the Company's clinical program with the launch of the PhagoDAIR Phase II study. The annual operating loss was 6,690 thousand in 2022 versus a loss of 4,320 thousand in 2021, an increase of 55% between the two years, primarily as a result of the increase in operating expenses from one year to the next. Exceptional income totaled 511 thousand in 2022 compared with 189 thousand the previous year, reflecting management and capital transactions over the period. Research Tax Credit amounted to 1,388 thousand in 2022 versus 989 thousand in 2021, reflecting the substantial increase in Research and Development activities. The net loss was thus 4,854 thousand in 2022 compared with a loss of 3,189 thousand in 2021. Financial Structure and Cash Position At December 31, 2022, the Company had a cash position of 1,035 thousand, versus 5,357 thousand at the end of December 2021. Shareholders' equity stood at 7,221 thousand at the end of 2022 compared with 5,852 thousand at the end of 2021. As a reminder, on September 22, 2022, Pherecydes Pharma successfully carried out a capital increase of 3.1 million, including 2.6 million from institutional investors and 0.5 million from individual investors (via the PrimaryBid platform). It subsequently carried out another capital increase on February 17, 2023, for a total of 1.5 million, an operation undertaken within the framework of the merger by absorption of Pherecydes Pharma into Erytech Pharma announced on February 15, 20232. Pherecydes Pharma's current cash position will enable it to finance its cash requirements until the end of the first half of 2023, when the merger with Erytech is expected to be implemented. In 2022, cash burn was approximately 7 million. 2022 Highlights Launch of the PhagoDAIR Phase II pilot clinical study On February 7, 2022, the Company announced that it had received a favorable opinion from the Ethics Committee (Comite de Protection des Personnes, Ile de France III) for the PhagoDAIR study, a Phase II pilot clinical study in the treatment of osteoarticular infections of prostheses caused by Staphylococcus aureus, its protocol having already been approved by the ANSM (French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines) in December 2021. PhagoDAIR is the world's first phage therapy study conducted in this indication and should include 64 patients with a knee or hip joint infection due to S. aureus The enrollment of the first patient was announced on June 15, 2022 and the first results are expected in the first half of 2024. Depending on the preliminary results of the Phase II study, a Phase III study could be initiated in 2025. Moreover, on November 29, 2022, the Company received a unanimous positive recommendation from the Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) to continue this clinical study without modification, confirming the good safety profile of these phages. First international approval of a compassionate treatment On April 28, 2022, the Swedish Medical Products Agency (SMPA) gave its approval to treat a compassionate case of osteoarticular infection of a prosthetic joint with the Company's anti-S. aureus phages. To date, Pherecydes Pharma has treated more than 65 patients in the context of compassionate use under the supervision of the French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines (ANSM), excluding AAC status. These phages, administered via various routes (intra-articular, intravenous, bronchoalveolar nebulization, etc.), have demonstrated excellent tolerance with no reported side effects. Change in the governance structure The Shareholders' Meeting of May 19, 2022 approved the evolution of Pherecydes Pharma's governance towards a company with a Board of Directors. This Board, comprising 7 members, 2 of whom are independent, appointed Mr. Didier Hoch as Chairman and CEO and Mr. Thibaut du Fayet as Deputy CEO. The Combined Shareholders' Meeting of December 15, 2022 implemented the separation of the functions of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors. In this respect, Thibaut du Fayet was appointed as CEO while Didier Hoch will continue as Chairman of the Board. AAC Early Access Program Approval granted by the ANSM On May 30, 2022, the Company announced that it had obtained a first AAC for its anti-Staphylococcus aureus phages to treat patients who have failed antibiotic therapy. The AAC system allows Pherecydes Pharma to make its anti-S. aureus phages available to larger populations and receive compensation from the health system. Subject to the ANSM's approval, Pherecydes Pharma could also obtain AAC status for its anti-Pseudomonas aeruginosa phages during the current year for a similar clinical positioning to the AAC obtained for its anti-Staphylococcus aureus phages. Registration of the phagogram as an in vitro diagnostic test in accordance with EC Directives On September 12, 2022, Pherecydes Pharma announced the registration of its phagogram as an in vitro diagnostic test ("Phagogram 1.5") in accordance with Directive 98/79/EC. This registration is the first stage in a broader strategic program whose goal is to develop a new generation program, "Phagogramme 2.0", in collaboration with the CEA. This program aims to significantly shorten the lead time required for a diagnosis and thus to offer phage therapy in all types of indications, whether acute or chronic. Creation of an international Medical Advisory Board On September 15, 2022, the Company announced the setting up of a Medical Advisory Board comprising prominent international scientific and clinical experts in infectious diseases. This group of prominent international scientists contribute to the definition and implementation of the Company's clinical development strategy in phage therapy. Strategy and 2023 Outlook On February 15, 2023, Pherecydes Pharma and Erytech Pharma announced their proposed strategic merger to create a global player in phage therapy and accelerate the development of a portfolio of drug candidates by deploying a more ambitious clinical strategy targeting pathogenic bacteria and potential other indications with substantial unmet medical needs. The intended focus of the new entity in 2023 and 2024 would be to: Expand the ongoing PhagoDAIR Phase II pilot study in patients with knee or hip prosthetic joint infections due to Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ) by opening new investigation centers in Europe, with results expected in H1 2024; in patients with knee or hip prosthetic joint infections due to ( ) by opening new investigation centers in Europe, with results expected in H1 2024; Expand PHERECYDES's clinical phage therapy portfolio with two additional Phase II studies financed by the Company, one in patients with endocarditis due to S. aureus , which should begin in the second half of 2023, and the other in patients with complex urinary tract infections due to Escherichia coli ( E. coli ), which should begin in the first quarter of 2024. with two additional Phase II studies financed by the Company, one in patients with endocarditis due to , which should begin in the second half of 2023, and the other in patients with complex urinary tract infections due to ( ), which should begin in the first quarter of 2024. Build a Research Development strategy leveraging ERYTECH and PHERECYDES' combined expertise , in particular the ERYCAPS and ERYCEV platforms' drug delivery solutions, formulation expertise to support phage and endolysin-based therapeutic approaches in anti-infective fields such as antimicrobial resistance and beyond, such as food cosmetics and animal health, or the development of novel carriers. , in particular the ERYCAPS and ERYCEV platforms' drug delivery solutions, formulation expertise to support phage and endolysin-based therapeutic approaches in anti-infective fields such as antimicrobial resistance and beyond, such as food cosmetics and animal health, or the development of novel carriers. Expand PHERECYDES' research portfolio to add two new complementary pathogens to the existing three (S. aureus , P. aeruginosa , E. Coli) , critical in developing a comprehensive portfolio of targets in the fight against resistant bacterial infections; and to add two new complementary pathogens to the existing three , , , critical in developing a comprehensive portfolio of targets in the fight against resistant bacterial infections; and Leverage on ERYTECH's presence in the United States to facilitate access to North American investors and clinical and regulatory stakeholders with a view to future clinical developments. The Extraordinary General Meetings (EGMs) of Erytech Pharma and Pherecydes Pharma will be called upon to vote on this proposed merger at the end of the first half of 2023. The resolutions to approve the proposed merger will require the approval of two thirds of the shareholders present or represented at each of the companies' EGMs. Erytech Pharma's EGM will also be asked to approve a name change for the merged entity, in order to mark the beginning of a new stage of development for the combined activities. Next financial event Combined Shareholders' Meeting: June 23, 2023 About Pherecydes Pharma Founded in 2006, Pherecydes Pharma is a biotechnology company that develops treatments against resistant bacterial infections, responsible for many serious infections. The Company has developed an innovative approach, precision phage therapy, based on the use of phages, natural bacteria-killing viruses. Pherecydes Pharma is developing a portfolio of phages targeting 3 of the most resistant and dangerous bacteria, which alone account for more than two thirds of hospital-acquired resistant infections: Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Headquartered in Nantes, Pherecydes Pharma has a team of around twenty experts from the pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology sector and academic research. Pherecydes Pharma announced on February 15, 2023 its plan to merge with Erytech, which will be subject to the approval of the respective shareholders of both companies. For more information, www.pherecydes-pharma.com Disclaimer This press release contains non-factual elements, including, but not limited to, certain statements regarding future results and other future events. These statements are based on the current vision and assumptions of the management of the Company. They incorporate known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could result in significant differences in results, profitability and expected events. In addition, Pherecydes Pharma, its shareholders and its affiliates, directors, officers, counsels and employees have not verified the accuracy of, and make no representations or warranties about, statistical information or forecast information contained within this news release and that originates or is derived from third party sources or industry publications; these statistical data and forecast information are only used in this press release for information purposes. Finally, this press release may be drafted in French and in English. In the event of differences between the two texts, the French version will prevail. 1 Annual accounts were approved by the Board on March 30, 2023. Audit procedures relative to the Company's individual accounts have been carried out. The certification report will be issued after completion of the procedures required for the purpose of publishing the annual financial report. The full annual financial report included in the universal registration document will be made available on the Pherecydes website, www.pherecydes-pharma.com, within the statutory timeframe. 2 It is specified that the exchange parity of the merger as announced in the press release of February 15, 2023 (15 new Erytech Pharma shares for every 4 Pherecydes Pharma shares) will not be subject to any adjustment as a result of the capital increase. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005654/en/ Contacts: Pherecydes Pharma Thibaut du Fayet CEO investors@pherecydes-pharma.com NewCap Dusan Oresansky Nicolas Fossiez Investor Relations pherecydes@newcap.eu T.: 01 44 71 94 92 NewCap Arthur Rouille Media Relations pherecydes@newcap.eu T.: 01 44 71 00 15 Forbo Holding AG / Key word(s): AGMEGM Forbo shareholders approve all proposals of the Board of Directors 30.03.2023 / 18:30 CET/CEST MEDIA RELEASE information to the ordinary general assembly 2023 At today's 95th Ordinary General Meeting of Forbo Holding Ltd in Zug, the shareholders approved all the proposals of the Board of Directors by a clear majority. A dividend of CHF 23 per share will be paid out as of April 6, 2023. Baar, March 30, 2023 Today's Ordinary General Meeting of Forbo Holding Ltd was attended by 120 shareholders, representing 1,083,616 registered shares or 72.97 percent of the share capital issued. Shareholders approved all the proposals of the Board of Directors by a large majority. They approved the Annual Report, the annual statements and the consolidated financial statements for the 2022 business year and granted discharge to the responsible governing bodies. In addition, they voted in favor of the proposed distribution of earnings in the form of a dividend amounting to CHF 23 per share. With the approval of a share buyback program, the Board of Directors is authorized to repurchase treasury shares up to a maximum of 10 percent of the share capital over a period of three years either on a second trading line at the SIX Swiss Exchange or by another means. These shares will be definitively canceled. Shareholders approved the 2022 Remuneration Report by a majority in a consultative vote. The Ordinary General Meeting approved the maximum total remuneration of the Board of Directors for 2024, the maximum fixed remuneration of the Executive Board for 2024, the short-term variable remuneration of the Executive Board for 2022, and the maximum long-term equity participation of the Executive Board for 2023 by a large majority. With the exception of Jens Fankhanel, who did not stand for re-election due to his new role as CEO of Forbo, all current Board of Directors members were confirmed in office and re-elected for a one-year term. They are the Chairman, This E. Schneider, and the members Dr. Peter Altorfer, Michael Pieper, Claudia Coninx-Kaczynski, Dr. Eveline Saupper, and Vincent Studer. The current members of the Remuneration Committee - Dr. Peter Altorfer, Claudia Coninx-Kaczynski, and Michael Pieper - were also confirmed for a further year. Lastly, the shareholders extended the mandate of the auditor, KPMG Ltd, for a further year. Furthermore, Rene Peyer was re-elected as independent proxy. MEDIA RELEASE (PDF FILE) Forbo is a leading producer of floor coverings, building and construction adhesives, as well as power transmission and conveyor belt solutions. Forbo's linoleum floor coverings are made from natural raw materials. They are biodegradable and carbon-neutral (cradle to gate), without off-setting. In the manufacture of its heterogenous vinyl floor coverings, Forbo uses phthalate-free plasticizers of the latest generation. Vinyl floor coverings also contain up to 25% recycled material in relation to their total product weight. The BioBelt is a biologically degradable conveyor belt made largely from renewable, plant-based materials. The AmpMiser conveyor belt enables energy savings and therefore also a reduction in CO 2 emissions of up to 50%. For Forbo as a responsible manufacturer, the careful use of all resources for a sustainable future is a guiding principle. Forbo employs about 5,400 people and has an international network of 25 sites with production and distribution, 6 fabrication centers, and 47 sales organizations in a total of 39 countries around the world. The company generated net sales of CHF 1,293.2 million in the 2022 business year. Forbo is headquartered in Baar in the canton of Zug, Switzerland. Forbo Holding Ltd is listed on SIX Swiss Exchange (security number 354151, ISIN CH0003541510, Bloomberg FORN SW, Reuters FORN.S). Contact person: Karin Marti Head Corporate Communications Phone +41 58 787 25 41 www.forbo.com www.forbo.com -> Sustainability End of Media Release EQS 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 on Proposal of 2022 Annual Profit Distribution 30.03.2023 / 18:58 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Post-admission Duties announcement according to Article 50 Para. 1, No. 2 WpHG transmitted by EQS News - 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 on Proposal of 2022 Annual Profit Distribution Qingdao / Shanghai / Frankfurt / Hong Kong, 30 March 2023 - Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. (the "Company" or "Haier Smart Home", D-share 690D.DE, A-share 600690.SH, H-share 06690.HK) today published an announcement in accordance with applicable trading rules of the Shanghai Stock Exchange and Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and applicable PRC laws in relation to the Proposal of 2022 Annual Profit Distribution. The announcement is fully available at: https://smart-home.haier.com/en/dggg/P020230330776003185877.pdf?appdesc=Announcement%20on%20Proposal%20of%202022%20Annual%20Profit%20Distribution IR Contact: Haier Smart Home Hong Kong T: +852 2169 0000 Email: ir@haier.hk Press Contact: CROSS ALLIANCE communication GmbH Sara Pinto Sven Pauly 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. 30.03.2023 CET/CEST The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.eqs-news.com NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / March 29, 2023 / PROJECT New York will return to its downtown roots and bring to life the intersection of community, culture and fashion with its return to Iron 23, recently extended to a three-day show from July 17-19, 2023. Showcasing a fresh point-of-view for the contemporary market in an intimate setting. PROJECT New York features a highly curated presentation of men's ready-to-wear apparel, footwear and accessories brands. Drawing an exclusive audience of key retailers, thought leaders and influential voices in North America's fashion capital, PROJECT NY will also feature a schedule of live music, education and artistic experiences that capture the essence of New York fashion, providing attendees with more opportunities to capitalize on new and emerging trends and deliver on ever-evolving consumer interests. "SoHo, 5th Avenue, Bryant Park; NYC is the hub of fashion and culture. The place where future trends are a daily wardrobe, and the pavement is our red carpet. Project New York is the hub to openly express your love for fashion and the city in an intimate setting at Iron23." said Edwina Kulego, Vice President of Men's and International at Informa Markets Fashion "PROJECT New York allows the space for expression and design where brands and buyers converge to spark creativity, community and commerce in the men's market with a focus on gender fluid fashion and streetwear categories." Last season's show featured an incredible line-up of new and established contemporary brands including OAS, Rails, Quartz Co. Outerwear, WANT Le Essentiels, Officine Creative, Paraboot France, NMB New York, Alpha Industries, Gilded Age Denim, Tricker's, Tateossian London, G.H. Bass, Goodlife Clothing, Guillermo Bravo, No One Clothier, Jasper Los Angeles, Samuel Zelig, Jagvi, and more. Buyers from Westerlind, Beams Japan, Neiman Marcus, Stag Provisions, Goose Barnacle, J-Crew, Ron Herman, Dover Street Market, Nordstrom, SAKS Fifth Avenue, Blue In Green, Rothmans, Hills of Kerrisdale, American Rag, KITH, Iron Shop Provisions, Steadbrook, Homme Essential, Kafka Mercantile (UK), ShopBop, Cueva, Bill Hallman, Patron of The New, Hatchet Supply attended the January edition of PROJECT New York. Information on participating brands, retailers, press and onsite experiences will be available in the coming weeks. Please visit www.projectfashionevents.com for additional information and follow @projectshow for more event and exclusive content. ABOUT PROJECT Representing what's new, now, and next in men's and women's contemporary apparel, footwear and accessories, PROJECT is where domestic and international buyers go to be inspired by higher-end brands, find products from relevant mid-market labels, and connect with like minded industry thought leaders and fashion insiders. Through a fusion of community, education, media, and experiences, PROJECT propels the next season's top trends, generates global awareness, and ultimately drives commerce. For more information, please visit www.projectfashionevents.com . Follow for more event updates and exclusive content at @projectshow ABOUT INFORMA MARKETS FASHION Informa Markets Fashion part of Informa Markets, a subsidiary of Informa plc (LON:INF) connects and inspires the global fashion community through online experiences, industry insights, and worldwide fashion trade events including MAGIC, COTERIE, PROJECT, and SOURCING at MAGIC. From more effective manufacturing and supply chain opportunities to a discovery of inspiring collections and the newest trends in apparel footwear and accessories, Informa Markets Fashion's diverse portfolio supports the entire fashion ecosystem - fostering innovation and driving creativity year-round. For more information on upcoming events, please visit: www.findfashionevents.com Contacts Kristin Borland Informa Markets Fashion fashionpr@informa.com SOURCE: INFORMA MARKETS - FASHION View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/746765/PROJECT-New-York-Returns-to-Lead-the-Mens-Contemporary-Apparel-Markets-with-a-Three-Day-Fashion-Event-July-17-19-2023 La Defense, March 30, 2023 Indigo Group S.A. - Results 2022 Solid performance in 2022 and robust fundamentals Key figures [1] million FY 2021 FY 2022 Change at current exchange rate (%) Change at constant exchange rate (%) Proforma Revenue excluding LAZ operations in 2021 607.8 742.7 +22.2% +20.4% Revenue 812.9 742.7 -8.6% -9.6% Proforma EBITDA excluding LAZ operation in 2021 292.5 381.4 +30.4% +29.3% EBITDA 318.0 381.4 +19.9% +19.0% % Proforma Margin excluding LAZ operation in 2021 48.1% 51.3% +322bps % Margin 39.1% 51.3% +1,223bps Operating Income 208.0 158.5 -23.8% -24.4% Net income attributable to the owners of the parent 89.8 55.4 -38.3% -38.5% Free Cash Flow IFRS 217.6 237.1 +9.0% Cash Conversion ratio IFRS 75.4% 64.1% -1,130bps Net Financial Debt IFRS (1 858.1) (2 032.5) +9.4% Serge CLEMENTE, Chairman of the Board of Indigo Group, says: Thanks to the exceptional commitment of its employees, the strength of its business model and the implementation of the "Beyond Covid" plan, the Indigo Group has emerged stronger from the global health crisis. Its level of activity has now returned to, or even exceeded, that experienced in 2019 while having strengthened the diversification of its portfolio, in terms of geographies, sectors, types of contracts and types of revenues, and maintaining an optimization of its costs and a better net financial position, with a continued strengthening of its infra model. The acquisition and subsequent integration of the Transdev Group's and Covivio's public parking activities represented a major challenge for the French teams, but the integration was a complete success. On August 31, 2022, the Group also finalized the combination of its Brazilian operations with PareBem, a subsidiary of an investment fund managed by Patria Investments. With this complementary combination of numbers 2 and 3 of the market to create a national champion in which Indigo holds a majority stake, Indigo Group is pursuing its growth strategy in its core business in Brazil, enriching its portfolio of long-term contracts by expanding its geographical presence, notably in Sao Paulo, Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro, Fortaleza, and Curitiba, and integrating on-street parking services. In parallel with these acquisitions, the Group has continued to refocus its operations and has completed its exits from China and the United States by summer 2022. In addition, Indigo has continued to deploy its ambitions in terms of digitalization and the quality of its customer relations, with the launching last spring of Indigo Neo, the Group's digital application. This sales platform will see its range of products and services enhanced in 2023 and will make it possible to enhance the value of our entire offer, parking and on-street parking. Finally, the Group is continuing the innovative transformation of space in some of its parking lots, adapting them to other activities (urban logistics, storage, etc.). These new local services and the new businesses they generate, which are essential to making the city of tomorrow more pleasant and in line with the expectations of city dwellers, are now fully integrated into a department dedicated to the challenges of Urban Shift. The new organization that I have proposed to our shareholders in November 2022 reflects these major strategic directions, around a renewed management committee, with the appointment of a Group Managing Director, Sebastien Fraisse. On the strength of this solid performance in 2022, the Group enters 2023 with confidence and robust fundamentals. However, in a context of deteriorating macro-economic conditions, it will continue to manage its assets prudently, while ensuring that its Investment Grade rating remains solidly intact. ********** Global Proportionate consolidated revenue totaled 743 million as of 31 December 2022, up 126 million at constant exchange rates from 2021 (excluding its 50% stake in LAZ Karp Associates LLC ("LAZ Parking") in the United States, sold in December 2021, for 205 million and down (including LAZ Parking) compared to 31 December 2021 (813 million). In 2022, the Group has achieved a Cash Conversion Ratio (Free Cash-Flow / EBITDA) under IFRS of 64.1%, down from 75.4% in 2021, unfavorably impacted by the change in Working Capital Requirement ("WCR") with the post-Covid 19 recovery, comparable to pre-covid year levels. Indigo Group has continued to maintain strong liquidity and confirms its conservative financing policy, notably with no financing needs before 2025 and a cash position of 271 million as of December 31, 2022 (versus 450 million as of December 31, 2021). In the first half of 2022, the Company repurchased 121.5 million of its 650 million bond maturing in 2025 and thus actively improved its debt profile by taking advantage of favorable market conditions. It also issued two private placements in a German NSV format of respectively 25 million maturing in 2032 and 10 million maturing in 2036. Indigo Group signed on July 27, 2022, a new 300 million multi-currency sustainability linked revolving credit facility, maturing in July 2027, to replace the existing 300 million multi-currency revolving credit facility which was maturing in October 2023. In the context of this new sustainability-linked credit facility, the Company has defined two KPIs - the reduction of carbon emissions from Scopes 1 & 2 and the cumulative electrical power installed for electric vehicle charging points - which are in line with its CSR strategy pursued for several years and placed at the heart of its "Go for Climate" plan. On July 7, 2022, S&P Global Ratings upgraded Indigo Group's outlook from stable to positive and affirmed its BBB- rating. The upgrade reflects the Group's outperformance in fiscal 2021 compared to S&P's forecast issued on July 14, 2021, both in terms of adjusted FFO/debt and debt/EBITDA ratios, which have returned to pre-pandemic levels, and the rapid recovery in traffic that began as early as mid-May 2021. ********** On January 25, 2022, the Group finalized the acquisitions in France of Transdev Group's on-street parking business (around 60 car parks with more than 30,000 spaces, which generated more than 21 million in revenues in 2019) and Covivio (around 10 car parks under concessions and long-term leases, which generated 20 million in revenues in 2019, with an average residual term of more than 23 years). In 2023, the Group has also been awarded several significant contracts (long-term leases and concessions), including the winning of tenders for the 12-year lease of the Saint Sebastien car park located in the shopping center of the same name in Nancy (1,080 spaces), the 30-year concession for 18 parking lots in Tignes (4,700 spaces) with the construction of a 652 space facility, the concession in Tours for 6 car parks with a total of 2,300 spaces, the 15-year concession for the Odeon - Honnorat car parks in Paris (600 spaces), the 14-year concession with the Groupement Hospitalier Nord-Essonne for the parking lot of the future Paris-Saclay hospital, the 30-year concession for the construction of a 170 space parking lot in Saint Cloud near the city center; and the Group won the concession tenders it was already operating, such as that of the European Metropolis of Lille for the management of 3 parking lots, the Gare P+R park and the car parks in the EURALILLE business park for a period of 5 years, the operation of on-street spaces, 12 car parks in four cities in the western part of Greater Paris (GPSO 3 - Grand Paris Seine-Ouest) for a period of 5 years (10,400 spaces renewed) and the Notre Dame car park in Versailles for a period of 7 years (690 spaces). In Europe, in Belgium, the Group acquired the Neujean parking lot (350 spaces) near downtown Liege and won the tender for the concession of the Eandis Tris car park in Mechelen, thereby strengthening its presence in a city where Indigo already manages 7 car parks and 2 on-street parking. In Luxembourg, the Group negotiated and signed a 15-year extension of its current lease with the lessor of the Brasserie Park. In Poland, the Group acquired a 23-year lease from Swinoujscie (northwestern Poland) to operate three downtown and coastal car parks, and also won several service contracts, including the on-street parking and four car parks in Lodz (7,100 spaces) and a car park in Warsaw, enabling it to establish itself on a long-term basis in several of the country's provinces and major cities, thereby pursuing its goal of becoming a major player in the Polish parking market. In Switzerland, the Group signed its first service agreement with the city of Lausanne. Indigo now manages 4 parking lots in the city of Lausanne. In Spain, the Group signed a 10-year lease for the management of the Plaza Primavera car park in Logrono, with an option to acquire full ownership of the car park, which was exercised at the beginning of July 2022, and acquired the Puerta Cinegia car park in Zaragoza in November, bringing the number of full-ownership car parks owned by the Group in this country to seven. The Group also renewed the lease of the San Roque car park in Portugalete for four years and deployed its Connecpark solution in seven new parking lots in Barcelona. Finally, the number of spaces in our Madrid on-street parking contract was increased to approximately 97,000 following an extension of 5,000 spaces at the end of June and a second one of 8,000 spaces in November. In North America, in Canada, Indigo negotiated and signed several airport contracts, including the renewal of the management of Pearson Airport (Canada's largest airport in terms of traffic and surface area) and Kelowna Airport in British Columbia, reinforcing its leadership in the airport sector. In parallel, Indigo has signed several partnerships with landlords including QuadReal and Brookfield in Toronto, and with BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, thus confirming Indigo's positioning as a major player in the management of parking operation during events and office parking. In South America, in Brazil, the Group finalized on August 31, 2022, the combination of PareBem, a subsidiary of an investment fund managed by Patria Investments, and its Brazilian subsidiary Administradora Geral de Estacionamentos, following approval of the transaction by the Brazilian competition authority. Through this complementary combination, Indigo Group is pursuing its growth strategy in its core business in Brazil, enriching its portfolio of long-term contracts by expanding its geographical presence in Sao Paulo, Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro, Fortaleza, and Curitiba and integrating on-street parking services. The combined entity operates the parking lots under the INDIGO brand and has increased competitiveness in the various local markets. PareBem operated approximately 150 parking lots, while Administradora Geral de Estacionamentos operated approximately 200. At the same time, Indigo won the management of the three parking lots of the HCOR hospital in Sao Paulo for a period of 10 years and the operation of the 1,600 spaces of the Castanheira Shopping Center in Belem for a period of 4 years. Since the merger, the new entity has won more than 10 contracts, including the prestigious Parque Nacional do Iguacu contract, the Villa Lobos Park, and the Hot Park theme park in Rio Quente. For the whole of 2022, the new entity has experienced remarkable growth with the winning of 40 new contracts, representing over 10% of its existing portfolio. Finally, in Colombia, City Parking won 34 new parking lots in 2022, including 4 five-year contracts to operate shopping centers in Cali. The new "Urban Shift" business unit also contributed positively to the Group's development. INDIGO weel has progressed in accordance with its deployment strategy on two distinct business lines (Cyclopark and BtoB) in dynamic soft mobility segments that are complementary to the parking business. INDIGO weel ended 2022 having completed its Cyclopark deployment plan: 36 projects delivered for a total of just over 1,800 spaces (including 6 projects delivered in Belgium), bringing the number of Cyclopark for users to 44 for more than 2,200 spaces and INDIGO weel successfully operated its various private fleet management contracts (Airbus, Techlane, Antwerp) and initiated the deployment of its first shared Electrically Assisted Bicycle stations with clients (ALD, INDIGO) and in a park (Marseille - Quai d'Arenc). Smovengo has continued to grow, reaching nearly 45 million trips, a growth of 12% compared to 2021, including an increase of over 25% in the number of different users. Commercial revenues, collected on behalf of the SAVM, were also up 30%. This favorable trend was also reflected in the number of subscribers, which reached 390,000 as of December 31, 2022, including 30,000 new subscribers, mainly for the Vmax service. The bicycle fleet remained stable, with approximately 19,000 bicycles in operation, spread over more than 1,440 stations. Lastly, the Group has put 1,200 standard charging points (SCPs) into service in France, bringing its offer to 2,400 SCPs, and in Belgium, 200 SCPs have been installed, bringing the offer to 436 SCPs. In Spain, the partnership signed with Total Energies to equip some 30 parks in several of the country's major cities is currently being deployed. Finally, in Canada, an investment protocol for 500 PDCs has been signed with the government as part of the ZEVIP program, which is currently being rolled out. As of December 31, 2022, Indigo has 3,915 PDCs available to its customers in its operated fleets. Following the signature of two partnerships in France to set up fast-charging stations with Electra and Engie Solutions, the first ultra-fast (150 kVA) underground station in France, and the first ultra-fast hub in Paris, was opened in the Porte d'Italie parking lot. 2022 saw the acceleration of the Indigo Group's digital transformation on the three continents where it is present and the year was marked by the deployment on web and app media of the Group's new digital identity, Indigo Neo, replacing the OPnGO brand previously deployed in Europe. The Group's digital services were deployed in Brazil and globally will have generated parking revenues of nearly 50 million on a scope of approximately 1,400 car parks and 90 on-street parking, marking a strong progress in the digitalization of uses. In addition, Indigo Neo has won several tenders for mobile payment on the streets, notably for the 96,000 parking spaces in Paris. This success has accelerated customer acquisition in the Paris region and increased the rate of digital activation in our parking lots. As part of its CSR strategy, the Group has formalized its commitment to Sustainable Development by voluntarily joining the United Nations Global Compact. And to gain consistency and strengthen its commitments in the territories, the Group created the INDIGO Foundation in late 2022. Sheltered by the Foundation de France, its mission is to act for a more united, more pleasant, and more sustainable city, embodying our raison d'etre, " Opening space for peaceful city motion". Operational as of 2023, the INDIGO Foundation's interacts in two main areas: Sport and solidarity, by supporting projects that: Rely on the practice and values of sport to promote personal development, integration, and the creation of social links. Strengthen local solidarity and fight against exclusion in the city. Culture and heritage, by encouraging the creation and development of projects that aim to preserve, bring to life, and enhance the local cultural (tangible or intangible) and natural heritage, which forges the identity of the territories. The INDIGO Foundation is a true commitment tool for the INDIGO teams and only supports projects proposed by its employees. The INDIGO Foundation has a minimum budget of 1 million over 5 years. Finally, the Group's ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) actions are regularly assessed by non-financial rating agencies. In 2022, two assessments confirmed the Group's sustainable development strategy. GRESB (Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark), a specialist in evaluating the ESG practices of real estate asset managers, gave the Group a score of 87/100 in October 2022, an increase of 9 points compared to the previous year. In December 2022, Sustainalytics, an extra-financial rating agency, assessed the Group as having a "low risk" of suffering financial impacts from ESG factors. The Group's ESG risk exposure improves with a score of 16.6, up 2.3 points compared to 2021. These assessments confirm the Vigeo-Eiris assessment conducted at the end of 2021, which gave the Indigo Group a score of 65/100 on December 31, 2021, ranking it 85th worldwide out of a panel of 4,889 companies assessed. The Group's audited consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2022, are available in French and English on the website www.group-indigo.com in the Investors / Financial Results section. Key figures in IFRS million FY 2021 FY 2022 Change at current exchange rate (%) Change at constant exchange rate (%) Revenue 576.2 704.6 +22.3% +20.4% EBITDA 288.5 369.9 +28.2% +27.2% % Margin 50.1% 52.5% +243bps Operating Income 202.5 154.9 -23.5% -24.1% Net income attributable to the owners of the parent 89.8 55.4 -38.3% -38.5% Free Cash Flow IFRS 217.6 237.1 +9.0% Cash Conversion ratio IFRS 75.4% 64.1% -1,130bps Net Financial Debt IFRS (1 858.1) (2 032.5) +9.4% ********** Indigo Group Analyst / Investor contact: Press contact: Mathieu Barnavon Benjamin Voron ir@group-indigo.com benjamin.voron@group-indigo.com About the published financial data In order to improve the readability and presentation of its performance, the Group presents operating data (revenues, EBITDA, Operating Income) referred to as "Global Proportionate" (GP), defined as the IFRS consolidated data presented in the Group's statutory consolidated financial statements adjusted for the share of the contribution of the Group's activities in the joint ventures it owns (mainly in Colombia and France, in Smovengo) or that it owned until December 30, 2021 in the United States (LAZ Parking), as if they were proportionally consolidated and not accounted for by the equity method, the latter being applied for the preparation of the consolidated financial statements in accordance with IFRS. For more information on the published financial and operational data, you can click on the following link: www.group-indigo.com About Indigo Group S.A. The Indigo Group, which owns nearly 100% of Indigo Infra, Indigo Neo and INDIGOweel, is a global player in parking and urban mobility, managing more than 1.4 million parking spaces and their associated services in 9 countries. Indigo Group is indirectly 47.83% owned by Credit Agricole Assurances, through Predica SA and Credit Agricole Assurances Retraite, 33.38% owned by Vauban Infrastructure Partners and 14.44% owned by MR Infrastructure Investment GmbH (MEAG), and held 0.34% of its own shares in treasury, with the Group's management owning the remainder of the shares. www.group-indigo.com Notice The information contained herein has been included in good faith but is intended for general information purposes only. All reasonable precautions have been taken to ensure that the information contained herein is not false or misleading. It should not be relied upon for any specific purpose and no representation or warranty is made as to its accuracy or completeness. This press release should be read in conjunction with the information about Indigo Group S.A. (the "Company") published on its website at www.group-indigo.com. This press release does not constitute or form part of any offer or invitation to sell or issue, or any solicitation of any offer to purchase or subscribe for, any securities. Its preparation does not constitute a recommendation regarding securities. Nothing in this document may be used as the basis for entering into a contract or agreement. This document may contain objectives and forward-looking statements concerning the Company's financial condition, results of operations, business activities and expansion strategy. Although based on reasonable assumptions, these objectives and statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including factors not presently known to the Company or that it does not currently consider material, and there can be no assurance that the anticipated events will occur or that the stated objectives will be achieved. All forward-looking statements are the current expectations of the Company's management regarding future events and are subject to several factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. The information is current only as of the date hereof and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Additional information about the factors and risks that could affect the Company's financial results is included in the documents filed by the Group with the Autorite des Marches Financiers and available on its website at www.group-indigo.com. Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates, officers or employees shall be liable for any loss, damage or expense arising out of access to or use of this document, including, without limitation, any lost profits, indirect, incidental, or consequential loss. No part of this document may be sold or distributed for commercial purposes or modified. [1] Consolidated Global Proportionate figures (except for Free Cash-Flow, Cash Conversion Ratio and Net Financial Debt computed according to IFRS standards). IFRS key figures are available at the end of the press release. ------------------------ This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ". - SECURITY MASTER Key: mm5vaMdulJqWyG9vZploZmGYm2tmxpaUmGSZyJKaasqVm25hym1qmMmZZnBqlmZu - Check this key: https://www.security-master-key.com. ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Receive by email the next press releases of the company by registering on www.actusnews.com, it's free Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-79118-20230330-press-release-results-2022.pdf SAN DIEGO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / TPT Strategic Inc. (OTC PINK:INOQ) www.tptstrategic.com , announced today that their division, Information Security and Training, LLC (IST), was awarded a $518,578.50 USD Pavement Patching 2022 contract from the City of Birmingham, AL and is still on going. Total revenue collected to date is 147,700 USD. Under the terms of the contract, IST is responsible for providing asphalt roadway patching, concrete roadway patching, and curb and gutter replacement in various locations throughout the City of Birmingham. IST provides project management, quality control, and safety services to ensure that the project is completed on time, within budget, and to the city's quality, scope, and functionality expectations. "We are pleased to announce the contract award with the City of Birmingham," said Stephen Thomas, CEO of TPT Global Tech. "IST's expertise and experience in government contracting has allowed us to provide exceptional services to our partners, and we look forward to continuing our work with the City of Birmingham to improve their infrastructure." IST is a general contractor and information technology company based in Huntsville, Alabama, with branch offices in Nashville, TN, Memphis, TN, Birmingham, AL, Jackson, MS, Fort Campbell, KY, New Orleans, LA, and Joint Base Lewis-McChord. It has two divisions, Construction and IT, and has been a general contractor for over 15 years, offering services in the Federal Marketplace since 2008 and completing work for over 15 federal agencies. IST provides design-build construction, demolition, abatement, earthwork, concrete, steel and metal work, masonry, underground utilities, environmental protection, and site restoration services. Its Information Technology Services Division provides program management, System Engineering, Software Development, Network Engineering, Records Management and Controls, Physical Security and Information Assurance, Video Teleconferencing and AV systems, Help Desk Services, and Information Technology Statements of Qualification. "TPT Strategic is committed to providing innovative solutions and exceptional customer service to our clients," said Everett Lanier President of IST and TPT Strategic. "We are proud of our work ethics and our ongoing commitment to excellence." About TPT Strategic TPT Strategic Inc. is a subsidiary of TPT Global Tech, Inc. that specializes in providing general contracting and information technology services. Its division, IST, has a strong track record of completing projects for the federal government TPT Strategic provides a range of services, including design-build construction, demolition, earthwork, and site restoration. ITS's Information Technology Services Division provides program management, system engineering, software development, and other IT services. TPT Strategic is committed to providing innovative solutions and exceptional customer service to its clients. CONTACT: PR-Shep Doniger sdoniger@bdcginc.com 561-637-5750 IR-Frank Benedetto 619-915-9422 SOURCE: TPT Global Tech, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/746802/TPT-Strategic-Subsidiary-IST-LLC-Awarded-A-518K-Pavement-Patching-Contract-with-The-City-of-Birmingham-Alabama Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 30, 2023) - Lode Metals Corp. (CSE: LODE) (the "Company" or "Lode") is pleased to announce that Blair Jordan has joined the Company as a member of its board of directors. Mr. Jordan is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of HighMont Advisors Inc., a strategy and finance consulting firm. Mr. Jordan has deep capital markets and governance experience, having worked for nearly six years for Echelon Wealth Partners Inc. as Managing Director, Investment Banking, and nearly ten years for Credit Suisse Group in various capacities globally. He is currently a director of Standard Uranium Ltd., Goldgroup Mining Inc., Renaissance BioScience Corp., and Flair Airlines Ltd. Mr. Jordan will be replacing Mr. Dave Patterson on Lode's Board, who is stepping down with immediate effect to pursue other business interests. Lode's current management team and board extend their thanks to Mr. Patterson for his dedication and support during his tenure as a board member, and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavours. About Lode Metals Corp. Lode Metals is a gold exploration company focused on applying modern exploration techniques integrated with current geological models to the previous producing, high- grade Cracker Creek property located in northeastern Oregon, United States. The Cracker Creek property consolidates the contiguous, high-grade, past-producing Columbia, Eureka, Excelsior and North Pole Mines, collectively the most prolific gold producers in Oregon between 1891 and 1934. For further information contact: Jon Bey President & Chief Executive Officer Lode Metals Corp. Email: info@lodemetals.com www.lodemetals.com Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. The Canadian Securities has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: Certain information in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will", "may", "should", "anticipate", "expects" and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations are detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulations. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise such information, except as required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160569 TruBit, the leading cryptocurrency platform in Latin America, has teamed up with Mercado Pago, the largest and fastest-growing fintech in the region, to provide a safe and user-friendly method of purchasing cryptocurrencies through their wallet and exchange. This strategic partnership has the potential to transform the crypto landscape in Mexico. Mercado Pago has been widely accepted in various establishments in Latin America, from supermarkets to convenience stores like Circle K and 7-11, pharmacies, gas stations, banks such as Santander, BBVA, HSBC, and many more. As a result, people in Mexico can easily deposit cash into their Mercado Pago accounts and then access TruBit's wide range of crypto products. This integration enables more than 14 million existing Mercado Pago Mexican users to conveniently access a diverse range of cryptocurrencies through TruBit. With this new option, users can now purchase over 80 assets, including BTC, ETH, USDT, MMXN, and XRP, using their Mercado Pago and Mercado Credit account balances. MEXICO CITY, MEXICO / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / TruBit and Mercado Pago have announced their strategic partnership to offer innovative cryptocurrency purchasing solutions to their users. The collaboration between TruBit, the leading crypto ecosystem, and the fastest growing fintech in Latin America aims to foster the mass adoption of cryptocurrencies in the region, where many people still do not have access to traditional banking services. Mercado Pago has multiple cash deposit establishments in Mexico, from supermarkets to convenience stores like Circle K and 7-11, pharmacies, banks such as Santander, BBVA, HSBC, and many more. As a result, people in Mexico can easily deposit cash into their Mercado Pago accounts and then access TruBit's wide range of crypto products anytime, anywhere, without the need for a bank account, credit or debit card. Jorge Cabrera, Commercial Director of Mercado Pago, asserts that the company's main goal is to become a reliable ally for users, helping them manage their finances efficiently. With a broad user base of over 14 million in all of Mexico, the company has registered that in recent months, around 138,000 of them have acquired cryptocurrencies and 7% have used the MercadoPago application for buying and selling. "What we are really looking for is to offer users the option to enter the field of cryptocurrencies in a simple and accessible way, this is a first step in our vision of democratizing financial services," Cabrera explained. We are committed to providing innovative and quality solutions that allow users to take control of their finances in a secure and reliable way. With the alliance with TruBit, we are confident that we can expand cryptocurrency purchase options in an accessible and easy way for our users in Mexico and throughout Latin America. TruBit's integration of Mercado Pago as a purchase option is a significant development for Mercado Pago users in Latin America. This integration enables more than 14 million existing Mercado Pago Mexican users to conveniently access a diverse range of cryptocurrencies through TruBit. With this new option, users can now purchase over 80 assets, including BTC, ETH, USDT, MMXN, and XRP, using their Mercado Pago and Mercado Credit account balances. This feature is especially beneficial for individuals seeking to expand their investment portfolio and explore new financial horizons. As the most comprehensive crypto platform in Mexico, TruBit is dedicated to satisfying all of its users' crypto requirements. The platform offers a wide range of crypto products, such as spot trading, perpetual trading, earn+, payment, and remittance services. With the recent integration of Mercado Pago and other payment options, TruBit now delivers a more complete, efficient, and zero-cost crypto onboarding experience for everyone. Finally, it's worth mentioning that Mercado Pago business accounts can now invest a portion of their funds in cryptocurrencies through TruBit Earn+. This new option enables businesses to take advantage of the upward trend in Bitcoin, which has been the best performing asset over the last decade and is likely to continue its growth as its supply decreases. "Recently, Trubit has just released the connection to SPEI, and now it is connected to Mercado Pago, which is another important achievement, providing a more simple fiat gateway for Latin American users to buy and sell cryptocurrencies directly. At TruBit, we strive to provide the best user experience and are committed to making it easy for every Latin American user to join the cryptocurrency world." concluded Maggie Wu , CEO and co-founder of TruBit. The alliance between TruBit and MercadoPago, the leading electronic payment processing giant, is a significant milestone in the regulatory compliance journey from cash conversion to crypto assets. By leveraging their strengths and expertise, both companies are poised to offer innovative solutions that connect digital payments with the world of cryptocurrencies. Discover the most comprehensive platform in the region and join the cryptocurrency revolution today. About TruBit One crypto ecosystem for all your needs. TruBit simplifies entry into the cryptocurrency market for enthusiasts and users by offering a hassle-free wallet TruBit and comprehensive exchange TruBit Pro. With subsidiaries in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia, TruBit is committed to delivering more convenient, secure, and comprehensive digital currency services for all Latin American users. About Mercado Pago Mercado Pago is a leading electronic payment platform in Latin America that offers a wide range of services to facilitate and secure online payment and collection processes. It is owned by Mercado Libre, the fastest-growing fintech company in Latin America, and currently operates in several Latin American countries. The platform allows users to make secure and easy online payments through various means, such as credit cards, debit cards, bank transfers, and cash at authorized payment points. Additionally, Mercado Pago offers a virtual wallet where users can store their money and make payments and transfers without the need for a bank account. For more information and media inquiries, please contact: jane@trubit.com www.trubit.com SOURCE: TruBit View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/745514/From-Mercado-Pago-to-TruBit-Buying-Crypto-Has-Never-Been-Easier NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / AllianceBernstein ESG in Action Companies are beefing up their DEI initiatives to attract and retain employees amid increasing regulatory requirements. DEI can contribute to an inclusive corporate culture and provide firms with a distinct edge over less-proactive competitors. For investors, the key is knowing which criteria to look for when evaluating companies. The Issue A new generation increasingly views DEI initiatives as an imperative, while companies are looking to DEI to gain a competitive edge in employee recruitment and retention-and because it makes good business sense. The Investment Case Employee turnover can be costly to a company's bottom line, while potential new regulatory requirements could make firms that are proactive about DEI safer risks. Engagement Goals Companies should consider making DEI initiatives part of their corporate DNA, including buy-in from the highest levels of management and effective tools for measuring corporate engagement. Managing a workforce has always been vital for business success. In today's increasingly diverse society, successful people management is critical for companies seeking to retain talent and cultivate positive customer relationships. In recent years, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies have taken on added importance in modern work environments. However, DEI is sometimes viewed as a "softer" policy topic that doesn't factor into investor outcomes. We think that's a mistake. Strong DEI policies can provide companies with a competitive edge, especially in a tight labor market where the fight for talent is fierce and a favorable corporate culture can make a difference in overcoming business hurdles. Based on our engagement with investment management companies and former DEI executives across many sectors, we've mapped out key criteria that investors should look for when evaluating a company's DEI program. The research presented here is US-centric and should be viewed with an awareness of regional nuance. Costs of Ignoring Employee Turnover One of the most compelling reasons for implementing DEI initiatives is from a cost-management perspective. Losing candidates and valuable employees can be expensive and, increasingly, employees are looking to companies that openly embrace DEI initiatives. In fact, according to Glassdoor, 76% of job candidates in 2021 indicated that diversity is a key criterion when evaluating job opportunities. To the extent that DEI is viewed as a tool to attract and retain a new generation of employees, ignoring it can impose costs in the form of employee turnover, which can hurt the bottom line. A study in Management Science outlined the costs of employee turnover, including lower productivity in the form of rising field failures in a manufacturing environment. Researchers studied staffing at a major consumer electronics firm, including the component quality of nearly 50 million consumer mobile devices over four years. During the highest-turnover weeks following paydays, field failures-products deemed to be defective-were more than 10% more common than the lowest-turnover weeks preceding paydays. In other weeks, the assembly lines experiencing the highest turnover produced an estimated 2%-3% more field failures, on average. The associated costs amounted to hundreds of millions of US dollars. Similarly, our research suggests that among global companies that report gender diversity metrics, the top quintile in gender diversity saw their shares outperform lower-scoring companies by about 4% over a three-year period; similar results were seen over slightly longer time frames. So how do companies get there? We've looked at some of the most successful companies in both retailing and technology and have uncovered some common themes. DEI Can Become Part of a Company's DNA Done right, DEI initiatives and accountability reside in every business unit, function and employee team. One group of employees can't be accountable for the success of an entire organization on their own. We believe it's important for the DEI function to be integrated broadly across the entire organization so that it becomes part of a company's DNA. To create effective accountability, however, employees must be provided with the resources and management buy-in to execute on DEI initiatives. That means placing high-profile business leaders and managers at the heart of DEI efforts-a far cry from relying solely on Human Resources functions or employee resource groups. Minneapolis-based retailing giant Target provides an instructive example. To distribute accountability across the organization, each business group at Target has its own approach to DEI, aligned with and driven by the organization's enterprise strategy. Each group defines its DEI goals, including how they will be executed and who specifically is accountable for the results. A logistics services company also aligned a DEI initiative with its business objectives by identifying the need to increase its gender diversity and number of women in leadership roles. The firm established a year-end target for at least 30% of all company revenues to come from women-led teams. Learning and Development Should Be Dynamic Learning and development is foundational to DEI efforts and should be structured to be adaptive and evolutionary, rather than relegated to a one-off annual exercise. If the company has a distributed business model, training can be structured for relevance to the local markets in which it operates, rather than just the home office location. Many DEI leaders are going beyond standard unconscious-bias training. For these firms, inclusive leadership is often spelled out as a core competency in job descriptions, assessed in performance reviews and supported at the organization's highest levels. One large multinational corporation deployed an inclusion program to help managers understand the impact of their behavior on perceptions of openness among diverse employees, and how they can contribute to fostering a positive company culture by shifting attitudes and behaviors. Mentoring and Sponsorships Can Go Both Ways Mentoring and sponsorship programs are also valuable tools for increasing diversity. They include programs aimed at supporting high-potential talent, both for network building and career development. Sponsors not only provide feedback and counsel but also use their influence with other senior executives to advocate for more junior employees and ensure visibility to key decision-makers. To that end, Nike and T-Mobile have established sponsorship programs aimed at accelerating the career trajectory of women and diverse employees in the workplace. Mentoring, too, can be effective in developing talent and building bridges across generational, race, ethnic and gender differences. In today's multi-generational workforce, mentoring can go both ways. Reverse mentoring, which involves junior employees providing counsel, can provide senior leaders with the opportunity to gain a different perspective on their work, which should help improve their decision-making. AB engaged with health information technology provider IQVIA to better understand its reverse inclusion mentorship program for US employees. The program is designed to help senior leaders (mentees) understand the experiences of Black employees (mentors) in the workplace. These discussions aim to be collaborative and informational, resulting in shared knowledge in a positive, trusting environment. How to Measure DEI Progress Regardless of their scope, the best-laid DEI plans need rigorous data analysis to be successful, including tools to measure a company's progress toward its goals. Here are a few good examples: Incorporating Listening Architecture Many firms are incorporating what's known as listening architecture as a tool for measuring DEI progress. This involves investing in an end-to-end active listening strategy that can incorporate surveys, polls, focus groups and discussion forums. Companies can communicate the results via broad-based venues such as townhalls, leadership memos and on corporate portals, highlighting specific feedback and ideas from employees. Exit interviews are another example of listening architecture. These interviews offer a valuable opportunity to receive feedback about a company's DEI practices. Employees may be willing to offer more actionable information if the interview is conducted by a member of the DEI team. One semiconductor manufacturing company implemented a formal exit interview process that screens for potential DEI concerns and focuses primarily on departing underrepresented minorities and female executives. Many firms are incorporating what's known as listening architecture as a tool for measuring DEI progress. This involves investing in an end-to-end active listening strategy that can incorporate surveys, polls, focus groups and discussion forums. Companies can communicate the results via broad-based venues such as townhalls, leadership memos and on corporate portals, highlighting specific feedback and ideas from employees. Exit interviews are another example of listening architecture. These interviews offer a valuable opportunity to receive feedback about a company's DEI practices. Employees may be willing to offer more actionable information if the interview is conducted by a member of the DEI team. One semiconductor manufacturing company implemented a formal exit interview process that screens for potential DEI concerns and focuses primarily on departing underrepresented minorities and female executives. Manager Inclusion Playbook Managers looking to build a more inclusive culture can use an inclusion playbook. The playbook isn't specific to one topic. It covers the entire employee lifecycle, including recruiting, onboarding, development, compensation, wellness and even assessing personality traits like empathy. The goal is to provide a set of day-to-day actions that can be taken by managers and their reports to incorporate DEI into people practices. Importantly, the playbook is not just for mid-level managers. Rather, the most influential managers in the company should also be involved, as they often set the tone in establishing culture and employee working conditions. Managers looking to build a more inclusive culture can use an inclusion playbook. The playbook isn't specific to one topic. It covers the entire employee lifecycle, including recruiting, onboarding, development, compensation, wellness and even assessing personality traits like empathy. The goal is to provide a set of day-to-day actions that can be taken by managers and their reports to incorporate DEI into people practices. Importantly, the playbook is not just for mid-level managers. Rather, the most influential managers in the company should also be involved, as they often set the tone in establishing culture and employee working conditions. DEI Analytics and Scorecards Many companies with DEI programs allocate at least part of their analytics resources toward DEI assessment. Chip maker NVIDIA has an Insights team focused on collecting employee data from multiple internal nodes, partnering closely with its Human Resources analytics team to identify areas for continued improvement. The company's business leaders are encouraged to make use of this disaggregated data to drive talent decisions, including those that involve compensation and career advancement. Assessing diversity efforts can be done using analytics scorecards, which equip managers with meaningful quantitative data. These scorecards allow managers to assess hires, attrition and promotions by race and gender in a digestible manner. It's more than just a progress report or a high-level summary. Rather, it informs future decisions with data-rich analytics. While the data is pushed out monthly at a minimum, managers have real-time access to the scorecard at any time. This sample scorecard assesses firm-wide diversity efforts based on a series of inputs, including job title, job satisfaction, tenure and performance. At Johnson & Johnson, the categories within the people analytics scorecard are assigned green, yellow or red status based on each division's progress in achieving the strategic DEI priorities the company has established. DEI Disclosure: More Transparency Needed Just as employees expect to be informed of their employer's financials and other operational success measures, DEI metrics should be shared with the broader workforce as well. Transparency can promote trust and buy-in throughout the organization. Many companies have established organizational policies that cover harassment, discrimination and codes of conduct, but far fewer have formalized DEI policies. In fact, across nearly every sector of the Russell 1000, more than one-third of firms fail to disclose data around race and ethnicity (Display). Additionally, as of June 2022, nearly two-thirds of S&P 500 companies disclosed equal employment opportunity data, with an additional 22 companies committed to disclose before year-end. Of these more than 300 firms, 55 had no Black executives, 101 had no Black women executives, and 25 companies had no Asian executives.. Additionally, only 79 Fortune 500 companies published annual DEI reports, and 76% of companies had not established any diversity goals. Regulatory Requirements Could Be in the Offing As companies weigh the business and social benefits of DEI policies, there is also a regulatory impetus for action. In 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) amended Regulation S-K by requiring companies to disclose human capital resources, including objectives established in managing the business. Depending on an organization's interpretation, these human capital resources could theoretically include DEI initiatives. But the SEC has never defined what constitutes human capital, leaving companies to make that decision themselves. Now, pressure is mounting for the SEC to require companies to disclose DEI initiatives, including gender and diversity workforce data. The scope of DEI filing requirements has not been determined, nor has a firm date been set. But companies should be on notice. According to Kirkland & Ellis LLP, "companies can anticipate that forthcoming rules are likely to include more prescriptive requirements than current SEC rules and will lead to increased oversight and scrutiny." We encourage companies to be thoughtful about anticipating potential new disclosure requirements. Those that can get ahead of the SEC reporting requirements could ultimately turn out to be a safer risk for investors. DEI Makes Good Business Sense Many companies center their DEI programs around reducing risks, rather than making DEI part of a positive corporate culture that supports business goals. We believe DEI initiatives should be undertaken not to meet regulatory requirements but because they make good business sense. One-off initiatives don't do much to address systemic issues, so it's imperative to include DEI as part of a larger strategic plan. Ultimately, it's up to each organization to decide how it measures success: where the company is, where it needs to go and how it plans to get there. We believe the interests of companies and investors can be aligned in creating a more effective talent pipeline through DEI initiatives, which takes more than increasing representation across the organization. Understanding what it takes for a DEI program to be effective provides investors with a window on a company's competitive edge on talent, which leads us to believe that forward-minded investors will embrace DEI as an important factor in assessing risk management and potential investment opportunities. Kevin Sacks, Proxy and ESG Engagement Associate from AB's Responsible Investing team, contributed to this analysis. The views expressed herein do not constitute research, investment advice or trade recommendations and do not necessarily represent the views of all AB portfolio-management teams. Views are subject to change over time. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from AllianceBernstein on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: AllianceBernstein Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/alliancebernstein Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: AllianceBernstein View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/746809/AllianceBernstein-Diversity-and-Inclusionan-Investors-Handbook Hong Kong, Hong Kong--(Newsfile Corp. - March 30, 2023) - Meng Li, Chief Executive Officer of Powership Capital Management Ltd, has announced the Hong Kong-based wealth and investment company will be expanding its workforce in response to a surge in inquiries from potential new clients. Powership Capital Management To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8902/160539_powershiplogo_550.jpg "We are pleased to see such strong interest in our services, and we are committed to providing the highest quality advice and guidance," said the Powership Capital Management Ltd CEO. "As we continue to expand our services and grow, we recognize the need to bring on additional talent to ensure we can meet all our clients' needs." "This is an exceptional opportunity to join a world-class team at a time when we are looking for leaders to take our business to the next level," said Mr. Li. The company is currently seeking experienced professionals who are exceptionally motivated and self-driven to join its team in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong expansion is part of the company's broader plans to expand the range of services it offers in Asia and beyond. "With a focus on providing exceptional client service and delivering innovative investment solutions, the company is poised for continued growth and success," Meng Li added. "At Powership Capital Management Limited, we see inclusion and diversity as a welcome advantage to our business and believe in treating those we meet and interact with respectfully, whether at work or in private," Mr. Li concluded. The company had planned to expand in 2020, but delayed those plans because of the pandemic. About Powership Capital Management Limited At Powership Capital Management Limited, we pledge to live and work in line with our core principles, and our philosophy, decisions, and ideas are all driven by a desire to satisfy the needs and objectives of all clients. We adopted this strategy from the outset, enabling us to grow our business and build client loyalty. Hong Kong Securities and Futures Ordinance defines Powership Capital Management Limited as a Type 1 (dealing in securities), Type 2 (dealing in futures contracts), Type 4 (advising on securities), and Type 9 (asset management) company. Powership Capital Management Limited is registered with The Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong ("SFC") to undertake regulated activities related to dealing and advising on securities under registration CE No.: BIV461. For more information, please visit: https://www.powercm.com/. Media Contact Details Company Name: Powership Capital Management Limited Contact Name: Meng Li Email: info@powercm.com Address: One International Finance Centre, Harbour View St, Central, Hong Kong Website: https://www.powercm.com/ To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160539 Priyanka to campaign in K'taka 24 Apr 2023 | 12:16 PM New Delhi, Apr 24 (UNI) Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will campaign for the party for the forthcoming coming Assembly polls in Karnataka on Tuesday. see more.. EAM joins Guyanese President in commissioning of India-designed & built MV MA Lisha ferry 24 Apr 2023 | 11:14 AM New Delhi/Georgetown (Guyana), Apr 24 (UNI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar joined Guyanese President Irfaan Ali in the Commissioning of the India-designed and built MV MA Lisha ferry that will be capable of transporting more people and goods at a faster rate in the Caribbean region. see more.. BCI asks SC to leave the issue of legalising same-sex marriage for legislative consideration 23 Apr 2023 | 10:11 PM New Delhi, Apr 23 (UNI) The Bar Council of India (BCI) on Sunday in its meeting resolved to request the Supreme Court of India to leave the same-sex marriage issue for legislative consideration. see more.. King's University College announces special financial assistance for Indian students 23 Apr 2023 | 9:17 PM New Delhi, Apr 23 (UNI) Kings University College of Canada has announced the Kings International Student Award, a financial support initiative available to eligible Indian applicants starting their study abroad with the university from all 2023 and beyond. see more.. PORTLAND, OR and MONTREAL, QB / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / BlockChain Loyalty Corp. (OTC PINK:BBLC) Celebrity skincare and health and wellness brand Marianna Naturals is pleased to announce that they have been approved as a seller by The Bay Marketplace. The company received the greenlight on March 27th, 2023, featuring (4) of their products on TheBay.com. More products will be added to the store over the next month. Marianna Naturals Corp. has been working strenuously behind the scenes over the course of the last few weeks with the intent of increasing retail partnerships with the intent to drive revenue for the company. The Bay (Hudson's Bay Company) is a Canadian retail business group and one of the oldest corporations in Canada, with stores across the country. The Bay generates annual revenue over $9B CAD and recently launched the marketplace in Spring of 2021. Their online site receives about 225 million users per year where the store sells clothing, electronics, and other various household items. The Bay Marketplace is an online store where professional sellers require approval and exceptional customer service prior to inclusion on the e-commerce platform. "This is a major milestone for us. It gives the company a massive opportunity to rapidly increase sales, targeting millions of Canadians that shop online on-a-daily basis. We believe that our beauty and cosmetic products will stand out as the go-to brand for all-natural skincare," says Joel DeBellefeuille, Co-Founder President & CEO of Marianna Naturals Corp. Current products listed in the marketplace include some of the company's top-sellers and consumer favorites such as our Blood Orange Sugar Scrub, Green Tea Cucumber Sugar Scrub, L'Eclat Collagen Eye Gels, and our CEO branded Hyaluronic Acid. To visit the store please go to: https://www.thebay.com/search?q=marianna%20naturals About Marianna Naturals Corp & Beauty Kitchen 'Marianna Naturals and Beauty Kitchen were born from their belief that the world deserves 100% natural skin care and cosmetics without the use of chemical preservatives. A celebrity skin care and health & wellness brand producing products that are hand-made fresh at their facilities in the USA which are always Cruelty-Free, Paraben-Free, and Sulfate-Free.' Beauty Kitchen's founder and CEO, Heather Marianna, skyrocketed in popularity with the launch of her Beauty Kitchen YouTube series in 2012 where she showcased simple, do-it-yourself beauty recipes made with common kitchen household ingredients. The series generated a powerful following of more than 4 million viewers. Heather Marianna has starred on Bravo's luxury-travel series, "Tour Group" in 2015 and was featured on Oxygen's "My Super Shopping Addiction" in addition to appearing on several episodes of MTV's "Teen Mom OG." The DIY guru has also appeared on countless news segments across the country as a beauty expert, showcasing her own simple tricks and tips. She is the official beauty expert for KSNV-NBC 3 in Las Vegas and appears monthly to captivate viewers with new DIY tutorials. In 2020 she and fellow Co-founder Joel DeBellefeuille teamed up to launch Marianna Naturals a similar but unique brand focused on expanding across the US border into Canada. Marianna Naturals' products are sold in Faire.com a wholesale marketplace for retailers & brands. For more information visit: www.mariannacorp.com Shop: www.marianna.ca Connect with Marianna Naturals on: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/marianna-naturals-corp/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZQCklGIewWaQd4wHXRAqCg Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariannanaturals Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariannanaturals Contacts: Joel DeBellefeuille, Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer, E. joel@marianna.ca Tel. 1.800.971.2200 To learn more about Joel visit: www.joeldebellefeuille.com Investor Relations: Just3 Public Relations, Zoltan Sarkozy, Tel. 604.722.0305 This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of U.S. and Canadian securities laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's expectations regarding future business prospects and opportunities. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "predict", "potential", "continue", "target" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. SOURCE: Blockchain Loyalty Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/746855/BlockChain-Loyalty-Corp-Dba-Marianna-Naturals-Approved-as-a-Seller-in-The-Bay-Marketplace-Launches-Products NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Living Cities, a national collaboration of prominent financial institutions and foundations, today announced a $3.2 million grant investment across six cities -- Albuquerque, NM, Austin, TX, Memphis, TN, Minneapolis, MN, Saint Paul, MN, and Rochester, NY -- to help close racial gaps in income and wealth. These grants, made possible by the Wells Fargo Foundation and Citi Foundation, were disbursed through the Living Cities Closing the Gaps Network, a multi-year initiative bringing together leaders from cities across the country who are committed to building an anti-racist society that advances equitable and inclusive economic opportunity. "Homeownership and small business ownership are two of the proven ways to help any group of individuals build wealth to support themselves and their families," said Joe Scantlebury, President and CEO of Living Cities. "Gaps in wealth between people of color and white people persist and it will take coordinated, direct action by leaders in cities to turn back the on-going legacy of systemic racism. We believe that removing barriers to Black, Indigenous, and other people of color owning homes and small businesses is key for our nation's future." The $3.2 million will be distributed across six cities focused on the following strategies: Albuquerque, NM: Develop city-owned land to support and increase the homeownership rates for local Native and Black communities, as well as offer technical assistance to develop a pipeline of licensed Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) general contractors in the city. Austin, TX: Partner with UpTogether to launch a direct cash assistance to support Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) who want to purchase homes through the City of Austin's land trust, as well as partner with community based organizations to provide equity infusions and technical support for BIPOC entrepreneurs. Memphis, TN: Create a community land trust in the historic Orange Mound neighborhood to provide affordable homeownership, as well as develop a Contractors University to improve BIPOC access to contextual technical assistance, strengthen the contractor community, and help more BIPOC businesses contract with the city. Minneapolis, MN: Partner with Youthprise to create a pilot cohort of underserved BIPOC youth to support them in advancing cooperative models for business and home ownership. Saint Paul, MN: Contribute to the- Inheritance Fund, which offers forgivable loans to help low-income descendants of the old Rondo neighborhood purchase homes and support homeownership and employee owned co-ops through capacity building. Rochester, NY: Target outreach to Head Start families with Housing Choice Vouchers to buy homes using their vouchers and assist with down payment assistance, as well as offering grants to early-stage BIPOC owned businesses, navigation support, and other technical assistance. "We facilitate wealth building by making direct investments in the workers and families who call Saint Paul home," said Mayor Carter. "I am immensely grateful for the investment Living Cities is making in our shared vision." "We are grateful for the financial investment and opportunity to partner with Citi Foundation, Wells Fargo Foundation, and Living Cities through this equity-driven affordable housing initiative," Mayor Jim Strickland said. "We are also excited to work alongside entrepreneurs of color to co-create business opportunities, refine strategies, and help in the development of a winning growth strategy that will contribute to building stronger communities in our city through education, training, and mentorship." "The City of Rochester is grateful to be the recipient of grants totaling $550,201 from Living Cities, Citi Foundation and Wells Fargo Foundation to implement our City's work plans to dismantle barriers for BIPOC homeownership and entrepreneurship," said Rochester New York's Mayor, Malik D. Evans. "We understand that we have made progress, but it will take more work to dismantle decades of institutionalized racism. The City of Rochester is committed to using these funds to bridge the racial wealth gap by administering government policies and programs to increase homeownership and entrepreneurship opportunities for those who've been historically marginalized and underserved." "We are doing more than ever before to ensure Black and Native residents have the resources and opportunities to become homeowners. Homeownership is a key pathway to creating generational wealth. Expanding housing options can change the lives of prospective homeowners while creating opportunities for Black and Native developers and contractors. Addressing the needs and potential of these communities builds a better and more equitable Albuquerque," said Mayor Tim Keller. "We are grateful that Living Cities is supporting these wealth-building efforts." "Restoring financial well-being has to start at the local level where historically marginalized people can access pathways to home and small business ownership," said Otis Rolley, president of the Wells Fargo Foundation. "We're excited to see how each of the selected cities customizes solutions for the needs of their community as they work to close the racial wealth gap. At Wells Fargo, we are committed to strengthening underserved communities and opening up more ways for people to grow generational wealth." "Tackling the racial wealth gap requires a commitment to systemic interventions and bringing diverse change-makers to the table. That's exactly what Living Cities is doing through its Closing the Gaps Network," said?Brandee McHale, President of the Citi Foundation and Head of Community Investing and Development at Citi. "By supporting this initiative, the Citi Foundation aims to help more U.S. cities test new approaches that have the potential to catalyze meaningful progress toward wealth creation and equitable growth." About Living Cities Living Cities harnesses the collective power of philanthropy, financial institutions, and local governments to close racial income and wealth gaps in U.S. cities. Our staff, investments, convenings, partners and networks support efforts that operationalize racial equity and inclusion in local government, create inclusive narratives, bring communities together to devise and act on a shared vision for the future, and eliminate inequities in systems such as entrepreneurship, homeownership and access to capital. Learn more at LivingCities.org. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Wells Fargo on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Wells Fargo Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/wells-fargo Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Wells Fargo View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/746846/Living-Cities-Grants-32-Million-Across-Six-US-Cities-to-Support-Wealth-Building-Pathways NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / CNH Industrial brand New Holland Agriculture has proudly announced a partnership with UNIQ You - a not-for-profit increasing the proportion of women working in industries where they are currently under-represented in Australia. The partnership will see five women within New Holland's network connected to high school girls in Australia. With the girls in critical career decision-making years, they can receive guidance from inspiring women who have carved their own paths. Bruce Healy, General Manager at New Holland, said the career advisory service will support a more diverse pipeline of talent across the industry and minimize gender-related obstacles. "New Holland has always sought ways to build workplaces and communities free of gender bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. This partnership will be another way for us to continue to promote that equality," said Healy. "The future of agriculture, logistics, warehousing, and manufacturing industries is dependent on encouraging diversity and inclusivity within the next generation of emerging talent." "This partnership will be a powerful way to encourage young women to consider the array of pathways available to them in agriculture, as well as support that transition into industry opportunities should they want to pursue them." Tanya Meessmann, UNIQ You CEO, said the organization looks forward to working with New Holland to showcase the diverse range of career pathways the agricultural industry offers. "The agricultural industry now and in the future is about much more than the traditional understanding of food production. The industry is being transformed through technological advancements and new Agribusiness opportunities, while also keeping at its forefront environment and social issues," said Meessmann. "Working with New Holland, we are honored to be able to connect their inspiring female advisors with students so they can discover the exciting and fulfilling career pathways the agricultural industry offers, careers that they would have never imagined existed." New Holland has committed to setting a standard of gender diversity across the industry, in line with the National Farmer's Federation's (NFF) goal of doubling the number of women in agriculture's leadership positions by 2030. The UNIQ You partnership is another way New Holland is demonstrating this commitment. It will add to the brand's existing mentorship partnership with NFF, contributions to industry diversity and inclusion workshops and the successful New Holland network Apprentice and Technician Program. The Apprentice and Technician Program has seen a number of women launch their careers across the brand's dealership network. They include Morgan English, a second-year mechanical apprentice at New Holland's Double R Equipment dealership in Tamworth, New South Wales. As recognition for her excellence, New Holland sent Morgan to this year's Newcastle 500 - a major Australian motor racing event. There, she was given the opportunity to watch and assist the Red Bull Ampol racing team trackside. "We recognize the role women such as Morgan play in our dealerships and are proud to actively participate in industry mentorship programs to promote more pathways for women. As well as support them through our own initiatives such as the 2023 Apprentice and Technician Recognition Program," said Healy. "We are very proud of the hardworking women in our network and our emerging talent. And we're eager to see them excel in the bright future that's ahead for agriculture." Caption: New Holland is fostering careers in agriculture for young women across Australia View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from CNH Industrial on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: CNH Industrial Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/cnh-industrial Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: CNH Industrial View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/746863/New-Holland-Is-Fostering-Careers-in-Agriculture-for-Young-Women-Across-Australia KNOT Offshore Partners LP (the "Partnership") (NYSE:KNOP), an owner and operator of shuttle tankers, announced today that its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2022 has been filed with the SEC. The report can be accessed on the Partnership's website www.knotoffshorepartners.com in the "Investors" section under "Financial Information" then "Annual Report" or "SEC Filings", or on the website of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. Unitholders may also request a hard copy of the Annual Report, which includes the Partnership's complete audited financial statements, free of charge, by emailing: ir@knotoffshorepartners.com Or by writing to: KNOT Offshore Partners LP 2 Queen's Cross Aberdeen AB15 4YB United Kingdom About KNOT Offshore Partners LP KNOT Offshore Partners LP owns, operates and acquires shuttle tankers primarily under long-term charters in the offshore oil production regions of the North Sea and Brazil. KNOT Offshore Partners LP is structured as a publicly traded master limited partnership but is classified as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and thus issues a Form 1099 to its unitholders, rather than a Form K-1. KNOT Offshore Partners LP's common units trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "KNOP". View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005443/en/ Contacts: KNOT Offshore Partners LP Gary Chapman Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer Email: ir@knotoffshorepartners.com Tel: +44 1224 618 420 Permia Sensing, a London, UK-based company providing agricultural tech solutions, raised 250K in Pre-Seed funding. The round was Jenson Funding Partners. The company intends to use the funds to expand its solutions and its business reach. Led by Efrem de Paiva, CEO, Permia Sensing is a spinoff from Imperial College, London, with a focus on sustainably increasing palm plantations productivity by offering farming techniques supported by IoT, AI, Sensors, and Robotics. It leverages an acoustic sensor to enable palm plantations to check on tree health, detect pests, forecast yield and automate harvesting. The acoustic sensor also monitors tree health for the likes of nutrient and irrigation levels. The sensor data can then be utilised alongside imagery and Permia Sensings AI-powered platform to help growers analyse tree-level data across an entire palm plantation and suggest ways to improve yields. The company is currently piloting its solutions in corporate plantations in Sri Lanka. FinSMEs 30/03/2023 Troop, a Villanueva del Pardillo, Spain-based developer of corporate meeting technology and services, raised $11M in Series B funding. The round was led by Durable Capital Partners and Madrona Venture Group, with participation from All Iron Ventures and Conexo Ventures. The company intends to use the funds to continue to grow its technology, customer success and sales teams to support the broadening international footprint and rapid expansion across Europe and the US. Co-founded by Leonard Cremer and Dennis Vilovic, Troop provides a corporate meeting management platform which leverages data aggregation and algorithms to make organizing in-person meetings easy for anyone mitigating risks, saving costs, and reducing carbon footprint. It removes the manual work that currently takes place to pull together pricing and availability and then charges it with sustainability & safety data. Troop is used by a range of customers from startup, fast growing companies to established global enterprises. It has entities in the USA, Spain, South Africa, and the UK. FinSMEs 30/03/2023 Nearly three months after getting seriously injured in a snowplow accident, Hollywood actor Jeremy Renner recently opened up about his painful experience further adding that he would not hesitate from taking such a risk again to save his nephew. For the unversed, the Avengers actor was trying to dig a Ford pickup truck out of the snow on New Years eve when Renner accidentally got run over by his own snowplow and sustained serious injuries. Speaking to ABC News for the first time since the freak accident, Renner shared deets of his accident and recovery journey and also expressed hopes to resume work soon. While recalling the accident, the actor spoke about experiencing excruciating pain and almost feeling death after being hit. I felt all of it (pain) and I was awake through every moment, he said. In a promo video shared by ABC News, a short clip of a 911 call made just after the accident also plays along where Renner can be heard wailing in pain. As the video further goes on to share glimpses of the actors recovery journey after sustaining broken bones and severe injuries, it also shows Renner admitting that he would do it again if it is needed to save his nephew. Id do it again. Yeah, Id do it again because its going right at my nephew, he says. Afterwards, the actor also looks visibly low as he recalls apologising to his family after the accident. Take a look: Renner also spoke about his plans to return to performing high-octane stunts and said that he chose to survive and even after losing a lot of flesh and bone, he is refuelled and refilled with love and titanium. Jeremy Renners accident and recovery Jeremy Renner and his adult nephew were in the yard of his home when he got crushed by his own snowplow in a terrible accident. Both of them were trying to clear a path following a winter snowstorm at the time of the accident. Renner who tried to stop the PistenBully snowcat from sliding and hitting his nephew got in the way and was seriously injured. He was immediately airlifted to the hospital and had lost a significant amount of blood besides blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries. After undergoing multiple surgeries, the actor is on his way to recovering completely. Since then, he has been sharing updates of his recovery with fans on social media accounts. From trying out light exercises to making to walk again, the actor is fully geared up to return to normalcy. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We are ready to let AI take over our jobs but not ready to pay women equally yet. The gender pay gap is real and women, even in some of the worlds advanced economies, get the short end of the stick. Australia aims to change that. The term gender pay gap refers to women earning less than men for similar roles. It also includes women filling fewer positions in leadership roles and on company boards, or quitting full-time work to tend to the family. Australias new law In a big step toward improving working conditions for women in the country, the Labor government on Thursday passed a law that requires firms with more than 100 employees to reveal their gender pay gaps from early next year. This will allow workers to compare the gender pay gaps in different workplaces since the data from such companies will be published online. Until now, the country required organisations to report inequality in income to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), an Australian government statutory body, which publishes the information by industry. However, it did not have the power to publicly publish details of company by company. The new federal laws require the agency to release data for private businesses from early 2024 and for Commonwealth public sector employees the following year, according to a report by The Syndey Morning Herald (SMH). In early February, the Australian government introduced Workplace Gender Equality Amendment (Closing the Gender Pay Gap) Bill 2023 into Parliament. It reviewed the minimum standard gender equality benchmark provided by the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 to increase employer transparency. Get serious about change WGEA chief executive Mary Wooldridge told SMH that going public with pay gaps would make businesses accountable. She said that this was an opportunity for employers who may have been slow to prioritise gender equality to get serious about change. Publishing employer gender pay gaps will provide [workers] deeper insights on their employers progress, while jobseekers can get a clearer indication of a prospective employers commitment to ensuring the contributions of all employees are equally valued and rewarded, Wooldridge told SMH. The countrys Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins said that the change was an important step in improving the economic security of women, SMH reports. The new legislation will also play an important role in encouraging business, industry and government to be more active in their efforts to reduce the gender pay gap, she added. Australias gender gap problem In 2023, Australias gender pay gap was 13.3 per cent, according to official data. The divide has hardly improved in years. It was 14.1 per cent six months ago and this is a small progress on the earlier low of 13.4 per cent before the COVID-19 pandemic. Women in the country earn 87 cents on average for every dollar men earn. Their average weekly ordinary full-time earnings across all industries and occupations were at $1,653.60. That was AUD 253.50 less than the average of male counterparts at AUD 1,907.10, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics figures In the public sector, the gap was 12.5 per cent with men earning an average of AUD 2,091.20 and women making AUD 1,857.50. The private sector gap was wider men averaged AUD 1,874.40 compared with women who earned AUD 1,573. Australias Minister for Women Katy Gallagher said, On current projections, it will take another 26 years to close the gender pay gap. Women have waited long enough for the pay gap to close this government will not let them wait another quarter of a century, she added in a statement, according to Reuters. But there is also unpaid work household chores, taking care of children and senior family members that needs to be taken into account. The responsibility invariably falls on women. Even in households where both partners work full-time, women report doing 40 per cent more unpaid work than men according to Australias federal treasury. The government is trying to usher in a change. Earlier this month, Australias parliament passed legislation increasing paid parental leave from 18 to 26 weeks, shared between both parents. This makes it easier for new fathers to obtain paid leave. All the measures are aimed to fasten workplace equality in Australia where the pay gap between men and women is higher than the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) average of 11.9 per cent. Countries with similar laws In 2018, Iceland became the first country in the world to legalise equal pay. A new law made it illegal to pay men more than women. Companies and government agencies employing at least 25 people have to obtain government certification of their equal-pay policies, according to a report in Al Jazeera. Britain made it mandatory in 2017 for all companies with more than 250 employees to report the difference in earnings between male and female staff. However, there has been limited progress in narrowing the gap, reports Bloomberg. Men were paid a median of 9.7 per cent more than women in 2021, compared with 10 per cent in 2020, according to a Bloomberg News analysis of filings submitted to the government. The gap was 9.2 per cent when businesses were first required to report the data in 2017. In 2021, the European Union proposed a directive similar to the UK. In April 2022, the EU Parliament demanded that EU companies with at least 50 employees are required to disclose information that makes it easier for those working for the same employer to compare salaries and expose existing gender pay gaps within the organisation. All member states have been given two years to transpose the directive into a national law. In Japan, companies with 301 or more employees are required to disclose the differences in pay between men and women annually within three months. This is part of Prime Minister Fumio Kishidas new capitalism policy. From this fiscal year, companies securities reports must also include the ratio of women in management positions and the percentage of male employees taking childcare leave, reports Bloomberg. Japans gender pay gap is the largest among the Group of Seven nations. Womens share of labour income in Japan was just 28.2 per cent in 2020, according to the World Equality Report. A lot needs to be done to make the workplace equal. Worldwide, women are paid about 20 per cent less than men, the International Labour Organization estimates. But some countries are doing better than others. According to the World Economic Forums Global Gender Gap Report 2022, Iceland is the most gender-equal country in the world. Others in the top-five list are Finland, Norway and Sweden and New Zealand. The United States is ranked 27th, the UK 22nd and Australia 43rd. India comes 135th. According to the World Economic Forum, it would take another 132 years to close the global gender gap. But why should women, who constitute half the population of the world, wait so long? Shouldnt every day be Equal Pay Day? With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We all know that smoking kills. Yet, it turns out, it can also harm your salary. Three employees of the Osaka Prefectural Government in Japan were disciplined for smoking while at work after being observed taking more frequent smoke breaks than permitted, according to the Japanese outlet The Mainichi. The company informed the three guilty workers that they would each get a 10 per cent salary reduction for the next six months. Lets take a closer look at the case. Also read: Stub it Out: How New Zealands new tobacco law will ban the next generation from smoking Heavy fine for smoking One of the three employees was a 61-year-old at a director-level post who had been caught smoking 4,512 times while working over the course of the previous 14 and a half years. During business hours, that is the same as smoking for 355 hours and 19 minutes. The man was ordered to refund 1.44 million yen, or approximately Rs 8.94 lakh, of his wages in addition to receiving a six-month salary reduction for his actions, reported The Mainichi. The human resources department of the prefectural government learned about the three employees covert tobacco storage in September 2022 thanks to an anonymous tip. Their supervisor called them in and informed them that if they were found smoking again, they might suffer repercussions. The three ignored the warning, continued to smoke, and lied about it when questioned in December 2022. According to the Local Public Service Act, smoking while working is against the public officials responsibility of loyalty to their jobs, according to the Osaka government. Also read: E- cigarettes: Why vaping is harmful and how it affects humans Criticism According to The Strait Times, the penalty has received sympathetic responses. Others said that having to leave the premises for a puff would have resulted in additional time wasted. While others thought the punishment was excessive, arguing that since people can spend time conversing, eating snacks, and sipping tea, smoking should not be punished either. A path towards smoke-free future Japan has been rigorously clamping down on smoking for some time, tightening tobacco rules by establishing many laws that forbid smoking in public places, reported Yahoo News. The smoking regulations in Osaka are among the harshest in the world. In 2008, it enacted a complete ban on smoking in all offices and public areas owned by the government. 2019 saw the ban on smoking among government personnel during business hours, as per NDTV. In order to protect those who want to avoid secondhand smoke, the Japanese Parliament also amended the Health Promotion Act in 2018 to forbid smoking indoors. The Japanese government has stated that each phase of the proposed three-phase plan to rigorously regulate the use of tobacco will be significantly tighter than the previous one. The proposed indoor smoking ban is only the first of these phases. Since it was passed, smoking has already been outlawed inside public buildings like schools, hospitals, and businesses. Also read: Explained: Why US cancer death rate dropped 33% since 1991 Similar incident A high school teacher in Osaka was asked to return one million yen of his salary to the education ministry in 2019, according to NDTV. He was found guilty of taking 3,400 unauthorised smoking breaks while at work. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Taiwans president Tsai Ing-wen is heading to the United States. Tsai, who left Taiwan on Wednesday afternoon, is scheduled to stop over in New York before visiting Guatemala and Belize among just the 13 countries that recognise Taipei. Tsai will then head to Los Angeles on 5 April where she is scheduled to meet House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The trip comes just days after Honduras, a former ally of Taipei, officially opened diplomatic relations with Beijing and amid heightened friction between Beijing and Washington over US support for Taiwan and trade and human rights issues. Beijing claims self-governing Taiwan is part of its territory and threatens to bring the island under its control by force if necessary. Lets take a closer look at why the move will worsen tensions: Chinese threaten retaliation Already the Chinese are already threatening some form of retaliation. The spokesperson for Chinas Taiwan Affairs Office, Zhu Fenglian, denounced Tsais stopovers and demanded that no US officials meet with her. We firmly oppose this and will take resolute countermeasures, Zhu said at a news conference. The US should refrain from arranging Tsai Ing-wens transit visits and even contact with American officials and take concrete actions to fulfill its solemn commitment not to support Taiwan independence, she said. Speaking later Wednesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said China will closely follow the development of the situation and resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Mao said the United States was conducting dangerous activities that undermine the political foundation of bilateral ties. Beijing sees official American contact with Taiwan as encouragement to make the islands decades-old de facto independence permanent, a step US leaders say they dont support. Experts say the situation must be handled carefully. There is a possibility that the transit, if not carefully handled, could blow up in everybodys face, Bonnie Glaser, who heads the Indo-Pacific program at the German Marshall Fund of the US, told the Wall Street Journal. It could end up with a major display of military force by the Chinese, which will introduce even more friction into the U.S.-China relationship, she said. Kwei-Bo Huang, an associate professor of diplomacy at Taiwans National Chengchi University, told Al Jazeera that there is an unwritten rule that Taiwans presidents never make official trips to the US. In the past, the president couldnt make a public speech and engage publicly with US political figures in the US, Huang said. But so-called transit stops have recently become more and more extravagant, Huang added. Now, the president can do that, but the US executive branch still does not allow officials to meet with or participate in the ROC presidents events in the US. Beijings attempts to poach Taiwans diplomatic partners will lead to Taiwan developing closer ties with the United States, said James Lee, a researcher on US-Taiwan relations at Taiwans Academia Sinica. While the visit had been on the cards before Honduras announced its switch, Lee said the timing of the trip does have symbolism. Lee said the strength of Taiwans unofficial allegiances was as important as any official ties. The loss of official relations with third countries will be offset by a deepening of Taiwans unofficial relations, he said. US officials downplay trip But US administration officials in a call with reporters ahead of Tsais arrival insisted that her transit is in line with what she and her predecessors have done in the past. Tsai has made six transits through the US stopovers that have included meetings with members of Congress and members of the Taiwanese diaspora during her presidency. The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive visit, said Tsai is also expected to meet with American Institute in Taiwan chair Laura Rosenberger. AIT is the US government-run non-profit that carries out unofficial relations with Taiwan. One official added that there is absolutely no reason for Beijing to use Tsais stopover as an excuse or a pretext to carry out aggressive or coercive activities aimed at Taiwan. Nancy Pelosi, who visited Taiwan in 2022, was the highest-ranking elected American official to visit the island since then-speaker Newt Gingrich in 1997. US officials are increasingly worried about China attempting to make good on its long-stated goal of bringing Taiwan under its control. The sides split at the end of a civil war in 1949 and Beijing sees U.S. politicians visits as conspiring with Tsais pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party to make the separation permanent and stymy Chinas rise as a global power. Under its one China policy, the US acknowledges Beijings view that it has sovereignty over Taiwan, but considers Taiwans status as unsettled. Others say the visit show Washingtons faith in Taiwan, which is an important partner in the Indo-Pacific. Such visits are a reaffirmation of US support for Taiwan at a time when critics of the Tsai administration and the CCP strive to sow doubt about the reliability and commitment of the US as a partner to Taiwan, J Michael Cole, a Taipei-based adviser with the International Republican Institute (IRI), told Al Jazeera. Wont bow to external pressure Tsai told reporters before boarding her plane that I want to tell the whole world democratic Taiwan will resolutely safeguard the values of freedom and democracy and will continue to be a force for good in the world, continuing a cycle of goodness, strengthening the resilience of democracy in the world. External pressure will not obstruct our resolution to engage with the world, she said. Beijing has recently ramped up diplomatic pressure against Taiwan by poaching its dwindling number of diplomatic allies while also sending military fighter jets flying toward the island on a near-daily basis. Tsais state visits coincide with a 12-day trip to China by her predecessor, Ma Ying-jeou, of the pro-unification Nationalist Party, in an appeal to voters whose descendants arrived with Chiang Kai-sheks defeated forces in 1949. Ma has been visiting sites in the former Nationalist capital of Nanjing and emphasizing historical and cultural links between the sides, while avoiding the politically sensitive topics of Chinas determination to eliminate Taiwans international presence and refusal to recognize its government. Tsai is barred from seeking a third term, and her party is widely expected to nominate Vice President Lai Ching-te to run for the presidency. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Dhaka, Mar 30 (UNI) Media Freedom Coalition (MFC) of Bangladesh has expressed concern about recent reports of "violence against and intimidation of" journalists. "We, members of the Media Freedom Coalition (MFC) in Bangladesh, are concerned about recent reports of violence against and intimidation of journalists, including violence directed at reporters covering the Supreme Court elections, an assault on the brother of a London-based journalist for Al Jazeera, the attack of a Dhaka Tribune photojournalist, and the recent reported detention of a Prothom Alo journalist," said a statement today. The coalition called on the authorities to investigate the incidents "promptly and impartially". The statement was signed by representatives from Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States. The Media Freedom Coalition is a cross-regional partnership of countries working together to advocate for media freedom, both online and offline. The MFC advocates for the safety of journalists and media workers and holds to account those who harm journalists and severely restrict them from doing their job. The Diplomatic Network Initiative is composed of members from around the world. The diplomatic missions of MFC member states are able to closely monitor the media freedom situation in the countries where they are based and take a range of collective actions to protect and advance media freedom. The MFC was established in July 2019 at the Global Conference for Media Freedom and now comprises over 50 member states from six continents. UNI MAZ GNK Rio de Janeiro: Disconsolate over his unjust defeat in Brazils divisive 2022 elections, Jair Bolsonaro was uncharacteristically quiet when he slipped out of Brazil in the twilight of his presidential term for a self-imposed exile in Florida. Now, three months later, the vitriolic and polarising far-right leader looks more like his old self as he returns home to reenter politics and resume being a thorn in the side of his successor, veteran leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro, 68, appears convinced he can return to power, despite facing legal trouble on various fronts in Brazil, where his 2019-2022 presidency was marked by scandals and crises ranging from his governments widely criticised handling of COVID-19 to his unproven claims of massive fraud in the election system. Known for a brash, divisive style that earned him the nickname Tropical Trump, Bolsonaro, an ex-army captain-turned-congressman, surged to national prominence as a presidential candidate in 2018 by playing to voters disgusted with Brazils economic implosion and the massive Car Wash corruption scandal. When he survived a knife attack during a campaign rally that September, perpetrated by an assailant later declared mentally unfit to stand trial, it only fuelled followers belief in their Messias, or Messiah Bolsonaros middle name. He went on to win the election easily but his aura of invincibility soon faded. Tough talker A plain-speaking populist famous for his gloves-off style, Bolsonaro has a gift for riling up the right on social media with his attacks on communism, gender ideology and political correctness. He enjoys the support of the powerful Bibles, bullets and beef coalition Evangelical Christians, security hardliners and the agribusiness industry. But he infuriates critics, often drawing accusations of racism, sexism and homophobia. His popularity eroded as his administration floundered through various crises especially the coronavirus pandemic, which has now claimed 700,000 lives in Brazil, second only to the United States. Bolsonaro mocked face masks, social distancing and vaccines, warning the latter could turn you into an alligator. He also faced an international outcry over the destruction of the Amazon rainforest, which surged on his watch. The scandals and controversies continued through the end of his term, and beyond. After narrowly losing last Octobers elections, Bolsonaro refused to congratulate Lula or concede defeat, silently brooding in the presidential palace. He left Brazil for the United States two days from the end of his term, skipping Lulas 1 January inauguration. A week later, rampaging Bolsonaro supporters invaded the presidential palace, Congress and the Supreme Court in a failed bid to oust Lula. As Bolsonaro returns to Brasilia on Thursday, he faces an investigation into whether he incited the riot one of five Supreme Court investigations that could potentially send him to prison. He also faces investigations over a scandal that broke this month, over allegations he tried to illegally import and keep millions of dollars worth of jewellery given to him and his wife by Saudi Arabia in 2019. And electoral authorities are weighing 16 cases against him, including for spreading disinformation on Brazils electronic voting system. If they bar him from running for office, it could take him out of the 2026 presidential race. Master of controversy Born in 1955 to a Catholic family with Italian roots, Bolsonaro served as an army paratrooper before starting his political career in 1988 as a Rio de Janeiro city councillor. Openly nostalgic for Brazils 1964-1985 military dictatorship, he was elected in 1990 to the lower house of Congress, where he served until becoming president. He has ignited one explosive controversy after another with his remarks. In 2011, he told Playboy magazine he would rather his sons be killed in an accident than come out as gay. In 2014, he said a left-wing lawmaker was not worth raping because she was too ugly. In August 2020, he threatened to pound a journalist who asked him about allegations his wife, Michelle, 41 a telegenic Evangelical who has herself been touted as a potential presidential candidate received money from a political operative targeted in a corruption investigation. Twice divorced, Bolsonaro has four sons three of them politicians and, in what he called a moment of weakness, a daughter. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The Russia-Ukraine war is tough. Countless people have died, and even more have been left homeless. The relentless fighting has reduced towns to rubble and families have been ripped apart. Now, as the war enters the 400th day, there are new claims of Russian women soldiers being passed around by their high-ranking officials. The alleged exploitation of women in the Russian troops has come to light after independent news outlet Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty published an interview with a service member who said male officers force women into sex slavery and those who refuse face horrible mistreatment. Heres what we know. Women used as sex slaves According to the report published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, a woman, identified as Margarita, said that women, who joined the Russian armed forces to fight the Ukraine war, were being forced to become field wives cooking, cleaning, and pleasuring the male officers. She added that those who refused would be subject to abuse and punishment. Speaking of her time on the frontline, she told the news outlet, When we went there, no one, of course, knew what was going on. And when we understood, there was no turning back. A former soldier she had left the force in 2011 she recounts that after resuming service, a colonel singled her out and made repeated sexual advances towards her. However, when she refused, the high-ranking official ordered his subordinates to make life tough for her. Also read: Will the Russia-Ukraine war end in 2023? She said, For a month I just lived outside. When others spent the night in tents and houses, I slept on the ground, near the road, in a small forest They wanted to break me so that I would agree to sleep with the colonel. Highlighting other instances of abuse and exploitation, Magarita spoke of another woman who was left permanently disable after an officer shot her while he was drunk. She said she had seen the woman being beaten by the officer with the butt of his rifle multiple times before. Another horrifying instance was when a woman was passed around between officers and kept away from the platoon. She said that mostly the girls had made peace with it. They decided that its better to live in paradise in this war fed and with cigarettes, Magarita was quoted as saying. The extent of the abuse was horrifying and didnt limit itself to only sex. Magarita said that she saw many troops being attacked by their seniors or being verbally abused by them. One common practice, she noticed was locking troops who didnt want to fight on the frontline in cold basements filled with rats and leaving them there naked. If that method failed, she said commanders also had a more original way to get their subordinates to comply with orders. They would force (conscripts) to dig their own graves. They would dig a hole and then be forced to lie in it, Margarita recounted. And other guys, at gunpoint, would sprinkle dirt all over them. Even their heads would not be sticking out. Then the platoon leader or company commander would walk off and shoot at those holes one by one. Magarita has since enduring the abuse has left the service again and is now in rehabilitation at home. For the past two months since returning home, she visits a psychologist. She is still coping with the trauma, with her telling the news outlet, Even when Im not alone and Im doing something, I still see before my eyes all that horror. Using sexual abuse as a weapon Russian troops fighting the war against Ukraine have, in the past, also been accused of sexual assault and using rape as a tool against Ukrainians. A United Nations investigation has revealed several instances of sexual violence being perpetrated across all genders, with the victims ages ranging from four to 82 years. Also read: Russia giving soldiers Viagra to rape Ukrainians, claims UN envoy Apart from this, Ukraines ombudsman for human rights reported that not only did Russian forces hold dozens of Ukrainian girls and women as sexual slaves, the soldiers also said they hoped that as a result their captives would recoil from sex in the future and thus not bear Ukrainian children. Natalia Karbowska, a Ukrainian civil-society activist, told the UN Security Council last June, Sexual violence in this war is the most hidden crime. And theres a reason to the silence around these heinous crimes. Often, the victims of these crimes pass away in the war. In other instance, they flee the nation and are not in contact with Ukrainian authorities. Others feel ashamed, clinging to the belief that they could somehow have prevented what befell them. As the Los Angeles Times in a report wrote, Rape as a weapon is as old as war itself. Experts agree with this, saying that the objective is not sexual gratification but to humiliate and degrade the defenders; to shatter families and instil a sense of hopelessness and despair. It seems unlikely that any of the perpetrators of these crimes will stand trial and more likely will escape any punishment, but for women like Magarita and others the trauma will continue, plaguing their lives and making it very hard to forget. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The number of coronavirus cases in India has been gradually rising lately. Data from the Health Ministry show that the South Asian nation recorded 3,016 new COVID-19 cases in the last day, a 40 per cent jump since yesterday. With 14 deathsthree reported by Maharashtra, two by Delhi, one by Himachal State in the course of a single day, and eight reconciled by Keralathe countrys COVID-19 death toll has risen to 5,30,862. It is also the highest infection count in nearly six months. On 2 October 2022, India reported the highest number of 3,375 cases. Virologists and epidemiologists have cautioned that a new variant, XBB.1.16, maybe the cause of the rise in cases as they continue to rise. Lets take a closer look. XBB.1.16 new COVID variant could be behind the surge According to experts, XBB.1.16, the new Omicron variant is a cause of concern for the sudden rise in COVID infections. According to Srinath Reddy, a former president of the Public Health Foundation of India, new variants will continue to appear as the virus keeps evolving over time, and the XBB 1.16 is the next strain. They all belong to the omicron family and have higher infectivity than virulence, reported the German broadcaster DW. Vipin M Vashishtha, former convenor of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics and consultant paediatrician at the Mangla Hospital and Research Centre, Bijnor took to Twitter and explained, XBB.1.16 has a 140 per cent growth advantage over XBB.1.5. It is far more aggressive than XBB.1.5. And probably faster than XBB.1.9. XBB.1.16 has a 140% growth advantage over XBB.1.5 (103.21%-177.41%) It is far more aggressive than XBB.1.5. And probably faster than XBB.1.9 2/ Vipin M. Vashishtha (@vipintukur) March 17, 2023 Doctors claim that COVID patients are exhibiting a similar set of symptoms to those that were seen in India between January and March of last year during the third wave of the pandemic, reported Times Of India. Common symptoms of the new variant are fever, sore throat, cold, headache, bodily aches, and weariness. It may also affect your digestive system. It is highly transmissible According to the UK Health Security Agency, XBB.1.16 is a lineage with 3 new spike mutations (E180V, K478R, and S486P), Vipin M. Vashishtha stated. The @UKHSA, in technical briefing 51, described XBB.1.16 as a variant they are monitoring. They point out that XBB.1.16 is a lineage with 3 additional spike mutations (E180V, K478R, and S486P). They didnt mention that XBB.1.16 also has ORF9b:I5T and ORF9b:N55S mutations. 3/ Vipin M. Vashishtha (@vipintukur) March 17, 2023 All eyes should be on India! If XBB.1.16 aka #Arcturus could succeed to wade through the sturdy population immunity of Indians that successfully resisted the onslaught of variants like BA.2.75, BA.5, BQs, XBB.1.5, then the whole world must be seriously worried!!, he added in the Twitter thread. The sub-variant rapidly spreads and exhibits additional nucleotide and amino acid changes, according to Hindustan Times. This strain, which first appeared in 2021 and is a hybrid lineage of recombinant XBB, has a high transmission rate. The outlet quoted Dr Charu Dutt Arora, Infectious Disease Specialist, Consultant Physician AmeriHealth, Asian Hospital as saying, The XBB 1.16 subvariant is a highly transmissible variant with high infectivity rate. The sub-variant has mutations on the amino acids and nucleotide space that gives it the capacity to escape hybrid immunity achieved by vaccination and previous exposure to the virus. States on high alert In response to the alarming increase in Covid cases this week, several states intend to conduct emergency meetings. According to NDTV, in Delhi, where the infection count had reached zero on 16 January, 300 cases had been reported on the previous day. Todays meeting has been scheduled by the Delhi government to discuss the state of the nations capital. Senior health department representatives, medical directors of state-run hospitals, and other interested parties will attend the meeting. Many districts in Maharashtra have also reported a substantial increase in Covid cases, including Mumbai, Pune, Thane, and Sangli. Despite all of their efforts, the Maharashtra government claims that many individuals are not receiving the Covid vaccination booster shot. According to officials, in the state, fewer than 1 crore people have yet to take the booster dose. Hospitals to hold anti-COVID drills According to DW, following the spike in cases, Rajesh Bhushan, secretary of the ministry of health, met with representatives from various states to examine the countrys COVID readiness. In order to guarantee that the medical infrastructure is operationally ready, state officials have also been instructed to conduct simulated drills at healthcare facilities on April 10 and 11. The exercise is aimed at taking stock of the availability of medicines, hospital beds, medical equipment and medical oxygen, a senior health official told DW. In December of the previous year, when COVID-19 cases were on the rise in nations like China, Japan, Brazil, and South Korea, a similar exercise was conducted. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Washington: US Congress is moving toward doing something it hasnt done since the Vietnam War repealing authorisations for the presidents use of military force. For lawmakers, thats an important gesture toward reclaiming a say over the wars America wages abroad. The Senate voted 66-30 on Wednesday to repeal the 2002 resolution giving President George W Bush the green light to invade Iraq, an authorisation that many now see as a mistake. The measure also would repeal the 1991 resolution authorising the US militarys combat action against Iraqi leader Saddam Husseins invasion of Kuwait. Approval by the House, which is less certain, would officially end congressional approval for the US war in Iraq and, symbolically at least, close the US-led war itself. Debate on repealing the 2002 authorisation comes nearly 20 years after Bush stood in front of a Mission Accomplished banner to declare that US troops had wrapped up major combat in Iraq. After that breezy moment of American confidence, the US war went on to take the lives of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and thousands of Americans. The US overthrow of Saddam and Iraqi security forces in 2003 opened the door for the rise of both Islamic State fighters and Iranian-allied political parties and militias in Iraq, as well as horrific sectarian violence. Only in December 2021 was the US military finally able to declare an actual end to its combat role though 2,500 US troops remain in supporting roles. As the Iraq Wars timeline shows, little about how the US starts and ends its modern wars, and who gets to decide, is at all clear cut. Heres a look at congressional action all this matters. What are the authorisations? Why needed? First of all, an authorisation for use of military force is not a declaration of war. Framers of the Constitution split responsibility over wars abroad between Congress and the president. They gave lawmakers authority on declaring and funding but the president as commander in chief authority to direct the waging. Thats whats in print, anyway. In practice, lawmakers since the Vietnam era have accused the executive branch of starting and pursuing foreign wars and launching military strikes without congressional sign-off. In fact, the last war Congress formally declared was World War II, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. An authorisation for use of military force is kind of a war declaration-light, without the more drastic domestic actions that come with formally declaring the nation at war. Presidents since the end of World War II have invoked the authorisations or claimed other legal justifications for the Korean War, Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm, the wars in Afghanization and Iraq and dozens of more limited military strikes abroad without full-on declarations of war. In Vietnam, President Lyndon Johnson used a 1964 congressional resolution for military force, after an alleged attack on US ships, to steadily draw US forces deeper into the increasingly unpopular war. US intelligence findings justifying the 1964 resolution were later questioned. In the 1970s, Congress repealed the authorisation and sought unsuccessfully to assert more control over Americas foreign wars. Still, a half-century later, congressional authorisation for military force is a powerful signal that lawmakers are on the same page as the president in the need to wage a war abroad. So, revoking that authorisation sends a powerful signal, too. Why scrap the 2002 authorisation and why now? War fatigue drained public support for both of the 11 post-September, 2001, wars, in Afghanistan and Iraq, as the conflicts dragged on for longer and with far darker and deadlier results than the Bush administration and Congress had anticipated. Republican backing, decisive in passing the 2002 authorisation, ebbed. That was especially so as an isolationist trend in the party grew under President Donald Trump. Advocates for repeal won broad and bipartisan support in the Senate on Wednesday, as well as backing from the White House. They argue a repeal shows the world that Iraqs current, democratically elected government is no longer a US enemy and that Iraq has stabilised. It sends a message about America. We are willing to turn swords into plowshares, Senator Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat and a main sponsor, told reporters. Keeping congressional authorisation for military force on the books invites presidential mischief, giving administrations legal cover to launch new military strikes abroad without first consulting Congress, Kaine argued. Whats the case for keeping the authorisation? Opponents argue repeal would signal weakness, particularly to US rival Iran, and invite Tehran to exert its influence in the West Asia even further. They also say the 2002 authorisation is needed to make sure future presidents can respond quickly to threats. I am opposed to Congress sunsetting any military force authorisations in the West Asia, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said this week. Our terrorist enemies arent sunsetting their war against us. A 23 March drone strike that killed a US contractor in Syria added impetus to that argument. The US blamed an Iranian-allied militia. Supporters of the repeal counter that presidents can and do cite a range of other legal arguments for authorising rapid action when a security threat suddenly looms abroad. They point particularly to a separate 2001 congressional authorisation for military force against extremist groups that was passed in the immediate aftermath of al-Qaida attacks on the United States. Senators last week resoundingly rejected a bid by Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky to repeal the 2001 authorisation. The Iraq war and Congress Lawmakers arguing for withdrawing the 20-year-old authorisation for the war in Iraq say it would be a step toward righting the balance of power between Congress and the president when it comes to launching into conflicts abroad. Critics of repeal say Congress willingly yielded too much of its war powers to presidents, especially on the so-called Forever Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that followed the 2001 al-Qaida attacks. Afghanistan became the longest war in US history. Unlike in every previous major war, Congress has allowed administrations to go into debt to pay for the Afghanistan and Iraq wars rather than draw on taxes, said Linda Bilmes, a public finance and policy researcher at Harvards Kennedy School of Government. She has charted the resulting trillions of dollars in interest payments facing the US from those two, two-decade conflicts. Money from the borrowing limited financial scrutiny of the wars in Congress. It also allowed lawmakers and successive administrations to avoid touching off politically fraught debates over the rising costs, Bilmes said. It was something which was not in the interest of the American public, Bilmes said. But it was in the interest of elected officials across the board to have minimal oversight. Whats next? Repeal of the Iraq War authorisations goes next to the House. Its not clear how broad the support for the repeal is there, or how soon any action might come. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has suggested he is open to supporting repeal, although he previously opposed it. President Joe Biden says he supports the repeal and will sign it if it gets to his desk. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Mondays shooting at a private Christian school in Nashville unfolded over approximately 15 minutes as a shooter opened fire inside, killing six people, before police arrived and fatally shot the suspect. Three children and three adults were killed in the shooting at The Covenant School. Ever since a May 2022 attack inside a classroom in Uvalde, Texas, police response times to school shootings have come under greater scrutiny. In that shooting, 70 minutes passed before law enforcement stormed the classroom. In Nashville, police said about eight minutes passed from the initial call to when officers arrived at the scene. Within about four minutes after police arrived on campus, the shooter, Audrey Hale, 28, was taken down. Authorities have not yet determined the shooters motive but said Hale, a former student at the school, did not target specific victims. Heres a look at what is known about the shooting and the Nashville police response: The shooters arrival 9.53 am Hale arrived by car in the expansive parking lot Monday, according to a time stamp on edited school surveillance video released by police. Also read: The grim reality of gun violence in the US Hale drove past someone who appears to be a maintenance worker standing on a sidewalk, and later children on swings in a playground before parking the vehicle. 10.11 am Carrying two assault-style weapons as well as a handgun, Hale shot out glass doors at a side entrance to the school, according to surveillance video time stamps, kicked away remaining shards, ducked under a door crossbar and entered the school. The police response 10.13 am Police said they got the call about an active shooter. As officers responded, there were two immediate, glaring hurdles, according to Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake: Traffic was snarled as police tried to weave their way to the school and police cars in the parking lot had been hit by gunfire. Shots inside the school 10.21 am With alarms blaring and the schools emergency lights blinking, Hale walked slowly through a hallway, checked doors and briefly went into an office. Also Read: What America can do to save its children from gun violence The surveillance video finishes with the shooter far down a hallway, looking to the right where the hallway intersects with another room, and firing shots into the other room. At the same time, officers arrived on campus, police spokesman Don Aaron said in an email, citing dispatch records. Police video In a six-minute compilation of bodycam video from two different officers released by police that didnt include time stamps, Officer Rex Engelbert parked his patrol car, opened the trunk and removed a service rifle from a duffelbag. He closed the trunk and walked up to a woman who told him that students were locked down and that people inside had just heard gunshots. OK, Engelbert replies in a calm tone. Yes, maam. Engelbert and other officers swiftly searched classrooms, holding rifles and announcing themselves as police. The officers went upstairs to the second floor and entered a lobby area, followed by a barrage of gunfire and officers yelling commands. 10.24 am Officers engaged the suspect, Drake said. Within two minutes of that, the suspect was shot, according to the dispatch records. Approximately 15 minutes had passed from when Hale shot in the doors, according to the surveillance video and dispatch records. Its not known exactly when Hale killed the six people. Church leaders At another Presbyterian church about 10 minutes away from The Covenant School, a meeting was taking place among area church leaders when news of the shooting quickly spread, said George Grant, a leader with the Nashville Presbytery, which is connected with the private school. Also Read: Nashville school shooting: Why Twitter has restricted a US lawmakers account The first calls came to us at about the same moment that the police were arriving on the property, Grant said. In a separate blog post Wednesday, Grant said suddenly, unexpectedly, our deliberations were interrupted by a flurry of calls and texts: there was an active shooter at Covenants school facility. We emptied into the hallway The Covenant men hurried on their way back to the church. The rest of us began frenzied monitoring of the news while contacting our own flocks and families to mobilise prayer. After the shooting, the remaining students who were locked down at the school were ferried to a safe location to be reunited with their parents. The home search Afternoon During a search of Hales home after the shooting, investigators found a sawed-off shotgun, a second shotgun and other unspecified evidence. Drake said after Hales parents were interviewed, it was determined the shooter legally purchased seven firearms from five different local gun stores. Three were used in Mondays shooting. Drake said. Hales parents were unaware that Hale had obtained most of the weapons. They said they believed Hale had only purchased one gun and had sold it. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Nashville: When Elizabeth Barese picked up her 11-year-old son from school on Monday, she knew she had to tell him that a shooting had happened the same day at the school neighbouring their family home in Nashville. Were right next door and there was a police presence, the 47-year-old told AFP. I had to address it right away with him. Standing in front of the crosses erected outside the entrance to The Covenant School bearing the names of the six victims, three of them young children, Barese said: Its not a conversation you want to have with your kids. Its a delicate balance of being honest with your kids and not scaring them. The same dilemma is being faced by countless American parents in the face of yet another school shooting to rock the country, leaving them needing to comfort their children, all the while reeling from their own anguish and fear. Gun violence is a constant in the United States, a country of about 330 million people awash with more than 400 million guns. Schools have not been spared, with assaults on educational institutions strikingly common. Since the Columbine High School massacre in 1999, there have been 376 school shootings across the country, according to data gathered by The Washington Post, with 199 people killed and 424 injured. All told, the data shows more than 348,000 students exposed to gun violence at their school. For US parents, those growing numbers mean a persistent worry that their childrens school could be next. A 2022 Pew Research Centre survey found that roughly a third of parents of school-aged children said they were very or extremely worried. After the shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, that left 21 people dead, Barese said she wrote a post on social media reading, I dont know when the next one is going to happen but I hope to God its not Nashville. But I know theres going to be another one. Why did kids get killed? Xsavier Cleary, who lives some 30 miles (50 kilometres) from the Covenant elementary school, came to pay his respects with his own kids safety on his mind. We just wonder now, are our kids still safe in schools? he said. On Monday, he said his children, aged from three to 22, could not escape talk of the shooting, in which a 28-year-old heavily armed shooter broke into the small private Christian school and killed six people three staff and three students. Also Read: Nashville school shooting: Who was the transgender woman who killed 6, including 9-year-old pupils? The kids was like, Dad, theyre talking about the shooting everywhere, the radio, the school, the news, the TV why did kids get killed?' he said. We never thought wed have to talk to our kids about things like this at this age, he said, shaking his head. Theyre in elementary school and we have to tell them about what to do and prepare for, if something like this happens. Shooting drills have proliferated at schools in the United States, such as one Barese witnessed at her childs school. It made me cry, she said, her voice cracking with emotion. After the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012, in which 20 children and six adults were killed, her then-three-year-old daughters preschool began active shooter drills a fact that made her want to throw up, she said. Reassure But Barese, who has called Tennessee home for 18 years, said shes grateful for the advice her sons school offered on how to broach Mondays tragedy. They didnt want the kids talking to their friends. They wanted the information to come from the parents. They wanted the information to be honest, and to not give more information than was needed, she said. Following the guidance, she answered her childrens questions, but watched the news in another room. Also Read: When will this end? The trauma of living with Americas gun violence US psychologists have for years provided resources to help parents deal with these discussions. The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) put tips online for parents and teachers on talking to children about violence, including in schools. Number one on the list: Reassure children that they are safe. Emphasise that schools are very safe, underlining the difference between the possibility of something happening and its probability. That is easier said than done, said another mother, who didnt want to give her name and works at the hospital where some of the Covenant School victims were brought. You want to assure them that theyre safe, she said, tears in her eyes. Were saying those words but we dont believe them. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. New Delhi: Air India will provide 26 weeks of maternity leave to women employees as well as daycare support under its revamped policies. Besides, the airline will give women pilots the choice to opt for quicker turnaround flights till the child reaches the age of one year. The option will be subject to request and availability, according to an internal communication. The revised policies, to be effective from April 1, are part of the carriers MOMS Returning Mothers Programme. MOMS refers to Making Our Mothers Soar. Women employees will get maternity leave for 26 weeks, including for commissioning and adopting mothers, as per the communication. Currently, the maternity leave is for 12 weeks. A commissioning mother refers to one who commissions a surrogate mother to bear a child on her behalf while adopting mother is one who legally adopts a child. Under the programme, a woman employee can avail of nutrition guidance and day care facility on a co-pay model. There will also be counselling sessions to address mental well-being, preparation for childbirth and plans to return to work for expectant mothers, the communication said. Air India, which was taken over by Tata Group in January last year, has more than 5,000 women employees, including flying and non-flying staff. This accounts for around 40 per cent of the total headcount of nearly 11,000 people. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. New Delhi: Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said the CBI was putting pressure on him to frame Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an alleged fake encounter case in Gujarat when he was being questioned by the probe agency during the Congress-led UPA government. Speaking at the News 18 Rising India programme in the capital, Shah said, The CBI was putting pressure on me to frame Modi ji (when he was Gujarat CM) in an alleged fake encounter case during the Congress government. However, the BJP never raised a ruckus, he added. On Rahul Gandhis conviction in a criminal defamation case by a court in Surat, the home minister questioned the ex-party chiefs arrogance in not appealing in court against the judgment and said that he has been trying to create hue and cry over the episode and blaming PM Modi for his fate. Reminding the Grand Old Party about Rahul Gandhis 2013 act, Shah said Gandhi would have been saved if he had not torn the ordinance on disqualification of MPs. The Congress wanted to save RJDs Lalu Prasad so it brought in the ordinance. But Rahul Gandhi called it nonsense and tore it. If the law was in force today, then Rahul Gandhi would have been saved, he said. Slamming his arrogance, Shah asked why Rahul Gandhi had not yet appealed for a stay on his conviction. Where does this arrogance generate from? Lalu Prasad, J Jayalalithaa, Rashid Alvi were among 17 people who lost their membership but no one created a ruckus. Why does the Gandhi family want a separate law for itself? People of India need to decide if we need a separate law for one family, Shah added. Shah said Rahul Gandhi should go to a higher court to fight his case, instead of trying to put the blame on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said the Congress is spreading misconception; conviction cant be stayed. The sentence can be stayed if the court decides, he said. Listen to the full speech of Rahul Gandhi, he has not only spoken abusive words for Modi ji. He has spoken abusive words for the entire Modi community and OBC society, Shah said. The law of the land is clear. There is no question of vendetta politics. It is the judgment of the Supreme Court of India, which had come during their government, Shah said. Asked about the notice to vacate his bungalow, Shah asked why should there be special favour when the Supreme Court had said to act as soon as the conviction comes into effect. It was a deliberate statement by Rahul Gandhi. If Rahul Gandhi did not want to apologise, then he should not have applied for bail. Let him not apologise, Shah said. This gentleman is not the first one. Politicians who held much bigger positions and with much more experience have lost their membership because of this provision, the Home minister said. He said Indias democracy wasnt threatened when Lalu ji was disqualified but it is endangered only when a person from the Gandhi family is disqualified. Now it has come on him, so they are saying make a separate law for the Gandhi family. I want to ask the people of this country whether there should be a separate law for a single family. What kind of mentality is this? Whatever happens, they start blaming Modi ji and the Lok Sabha Speaker, Shah said. He said senior lawyers who are Congress MPs in Rajya Sabha should tell their colleagues that Lok Sabha Speaker has no role in the disqualification. It is the law of the country that all his speeches in Parliament would have to be erased from the records from the moment of his conviction. Even if his disqualification notice were served a few days later, it would have no purpose, he said. Shah said BJP did not want changes in the Supreme Court order. The Manmohan Singh government brought an Ordinance to blunt the apex court order, but Rahul Gandhi tore it apart, calling it nonsense. Once he tore it apart, who in his government would have dared to turn it into law? It was vetoed. Had that ordinance become a law, he could have been saved, Shah said. Asked about Rahuls comment on Savarkar, the Home Minister said Veer Savarkar was the only freedom fighter who was sentenced to two life terms in Andaman prison. Such language for such a freedom fighter should not have been used, he said. He (Rahul) should read his grandmothers speech on Veer Savarkar. His own party people are advising him to not speak against Savarkar, he said. In the general election of 2024, Shah said Modi would again be PM with a larger majority. BJP will get more seats in the 2024 elections than 2019 elections, he said, adding that there is no unity among the opposition, he said. On the upcoming Karnataka elections, Shah said BJP would comfortably cross the halfway mark and form a government with a clear majority in the state. Ruling out any alliance in Karnataka, Shah said, The BJP will definitely cross the halfway mark and form the government with an absolute majority in Karnataka. We will win record mandate. Referring to recent Karnataka governments decision to end quota on the basis of religion, he said reservation based on religion is unconstitutional. Karnatakas Congress government did it due to polarisation, and we have just rectified it. It should have done earlier, he said. The Home minister rejected the allegations on the misuse of investigative agencies against the opposition leaders. Shah said we never blamed the opposition for anything, innocent police officers were put behind bars during Congress government. Shah said the BJP had won the 2014 and 2019 elections on the plank of anti-corruption. He said Enforcement Directorate had seized 1.10 lakh crore of assets, of which not even five per cent are of political leaders. Shall we stop the fight against corruption? Should we not act if the accused is a politician, Shah asked. The Home minister asked who had filed cases against Lalu Prasad Yadav and who had sent a plane full of officials from Delhi to arrest Shaikh Abdullah. Citing the misuse of agencies, Shah said thousands of innocent persons were imprisoned for 19 months of Emergency and questioned whose doing it was. It was his grandmother Indira Gandhi, he said. On the Maharashtra question, Shah said people wanted Shiv Sena and BJP government and now the real Shiv Sena is with BJP. I also accept that BJP on its own could have formed the government in Maharashtra. There is no question of the merger of Shiv Sena, he said. He said the Congress should introspect about its contribution to corruption. There is a strong resentment against Congress governments in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. We will definitely win elections in Madhya Pradesh, he said. Shah said we have not taken any decision on the face in Rajasthan elections. People want to change the CM of Rajasthan, he said. On Amritpal Singh, Shah said he meets Punjab Chief Minister every three months, irrespective of the government and stand with the party when it comes to the security of the country. Many people have been arrested in connection with Amritpal case, police and intelligence agencies are working on the case, he said. On attacks on Indian missions abroad, Shah said it was an attack on India. We will take action against those involved in the attack, FIR already lodged in Delhi, he said. Shah said the contribution of Sikhs to Indias freedom has been immense; every Sikh wants to be with India. The Home minister ruled out any confrontation between the judiciary and the government. Both are working within their limits, he said. The governments duty to make law now and the Parliament will think over it, he said. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has eased the life of every Indian in terms of transactions. However, National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has recently made an announcement that has been misunderstood by the users. Many people are thinking that they will be charged on making UPI payments. NPCI has made it clear that the interchange charges introduced are only applicable for the Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPI) merchant transactions. The misinterpretation of the new announcement has triggered a meme fest on social media and users are expressing their displeasure via humour. Lets have a look at some of the hilarious memes people have shared on social media to show their displeasure with the latest development regarding UPI. A user posted a meme where Rajinikanth can be seen saying, Kyu hila dala na? (What happened? Did I give you a shock?). According to the user, this is what UPI is saying to everyone right now. A person explained through a picture what will happen after UPI payments become chargeable. In the picture, a teaseller can be seen with a board kept near him that reads, Crypto accepted here. An account shared how he will start embracing cash and leave UPI payment apps if the UPI transactions become chargeable. Another user echoed a similar thought and expressed via a meme that Indians will shift towards cash payments after the UPI charges come into effect. NPCI took to Twitter to clarify the confusion among users. The body said, Traditionally, the most preferred method of UPI transactions is linking the Bank account in any UPI-enabled app for making payments which contributes over 99.9 per cent of total UPI transactions. It went on to say that these bank account-to-account transactions will remain free for customers and merchants. Have a look at NPCIs announcement here: According to NPCI, PPI Wallets have been allowed to be a part of interoperable UPI ecosystem. So, the organisation has now permitted the PPI wallets to become a part of this ecosystem and introduced interchange charges only for the PPI merchant transactions. New Delhi: An ecosystem through an orchestrated narrative is trying to hurt India, said Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday at Network18s Rising India 2023 Summit. Attacking Indias legitimacy as a nation-state, its constitutional institutions, including the Parliament, is becoming a favourite pastime for some, he added. This ecosystem to combat Indias growth trajectory must not be allowed to go unnoticed. And that can only happen when we react, said Dhankhar. In a statement apparently aimed towards Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the Vice President also condemned those who go to foreign countries and use platforms there to attack India. At a time when there is a perception shared by some of a brewing confrontation between the central government and the judiciary, Dhankhar said, We are proud of our Supreme Court. Where on the planet will you get a Supreme Court that will act with lightning speed and grant relief when someone is accused of defamationWhere will you get a Supreme Court that will sit overtime? Its unfortunate and a matter of concern that a legally sanctified crusade against corruption is sought to be combatted by a partisan stance and individual concerns, he said, in a remark seemingly aimed at those questioning the actions of central investigating agencies. How can issues of corruption be seen from a political prism, he asked? No one in a democracy can claim to be above the law, said Dhankhar. Accountability to the law is not optional in a democracy, but is an inalienable facet of it, he added. Issues including those arising out of legal verdicts have to be systemically addressed, he said. There is a mechanism to address all issues under the Constitution. There is a hierarchical mechanism. If there is a verdict of the court one way or the other, it is not optional for the government or the concerned person to obey it or not to obey it. There is only one option: obey it or take recourse in lawful remedies, Dhankhar said. He also called upon the media to look at South Asia Studies in Ivy League institutions. This is being funded by our billionaires. Even the government in 2008 funded it. And the same is also being done by our northern neighbour. But look at their activities with respect to our nation and with respect to that nation. Its a cause for concern and worry. Should we be funding those whose only agenda is to thoughtlessly in a designed manner run down this nation? he said. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Manila, Mar 30 (UNI) A ferry carrying more than 200 people caught fire in southern Philippines late Wednesday night, killing at least 10 passengers, a local official said on Thursday. Citing an initial report, Nixon Alonzo, the chief of disaster reduction and management office in Basilan province, told a local radio that seven passengers who jumped into the sea remained missing. At least 195 passengers and 35 crew have been rescued. He said rescuers found four bodies on the vessel, while six were brought to the shore. "The passengers died from drowning after jumping into the water. Some suffered burns," Alonzo said. Alonzo said the ferry, M/V Lady Mary Joy, was headed to Zamboanga City from Jolo when it caught fire in the waters off Baluk-Baluk Island in Hadji Muhammad town of Basilan province past 10 p.m. local time on Wednesday. The Philippine Coast Guard confirmed the incident, saying it deployed personnel and its vessel to help in the search and rescue operations but did not give details about the casualties. UNI/XINHUA GNK President Xi Jinping-led China has made successful inroads into Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and to an extent Bangladesh, using financial inducements, project finance, infrastructure development in the host countries, and even their infamous debt-trap style imperialism. The latest country in the neighbourhood to succumb to pressure and Chinese financial muscle appears to be Bhutan. There are a growing number of Bhutanese youth in the kingdom keen on better relations between Thimpu and Beijing. The perception is that there is much more to gain by leaning towards China rather than India. This may be short-sighted but there is certainly a growing opinion divide in Bhutanese society on the matter. That Bhutan should choose this juncture to make its momentous strategic move is surprising because Chinas standing in the global arena is somewhat diminished post-Covid and its ostensible alliance with Russia during the Ukraine War. The West sees China increasingly as a security threat, not only to the maritime trade routes around the Taiwan Straits, the constant threatening the world over Taiwan, the near occupation of the South and East China Seas, using North Korea to not only send arms to Russia and menace Japan and South Korea, plus its difficult relationship with most countries in its littoral. Most of the countries in Indias vicinity have not had a happy experience letting in the dragon. Nepal has also lost territory to China without being able to raise a murmur and has been forced into being hostile towards India albeit in a blow-hot blow-cold manner, depending on whether the pro-China Communists or pro-India Nationalists are in charge. India, for itself, does have its remedies. These include its membership of QUAD, and one-on-one alliances with powers like France, Israel, UAE, and Russia. India is now building a massive tri-services and naval base in its Grand Nicobar Islands just 80 kilometres from the Malacca Straits, through which 80 per cent of Chinese imports pass. Then there is its ramped-up Aatmanirbhar defence manufacturing programme. There are other alliances, with AUKUS and most recently with South Korea and Japan in a troika. It is doing all it can to counter Chinese imperial designs and aggression. Besides, it is a nuclear weapons power, the great equaliser. Indias resistance to the Chinese in Bhutan began in 2017 when China intruded into Bhutans Doklam Plateau with an illegal road being built unilaterally through Bhutanese territory. The intent was to drive this road to Mount Gipmochi and the adjoining Jhampheri Ridge on the tip of the plateau overlooking India. This would have given China a clear oversight of Indias narrow, just 23 km wide in parts, Siliguri Corridor. The famous Chicken Neck, part of the corridor is the only land bridge to all the Indian states in the North East, including Arunachal Pradesh, that China also claims. In 2017 Indian troops rushed into Bhutans Batang La to push back intruding Chinese soldiers. The Doklam Plateau consisting of about 270 sq. km, is only wanted by China to gain an advantage over India rather than to just satisfy its urges for territorial gain from Bhutan. In June 2017, when Bhutan discovered the intrusion, its people began protesting and its government asked for Indian help. However, after stopping the Chinese in their tracks, and ostensibly sending them back to the Chumbi Valley to the north, into adjoining Chinese territory, India withdrew to its borders. The actual two-month-long stand-off at the tri-junction between India, Bhutan and China at Batang La, featured much pushing and shoving, in the absence of lethal weapons being used by either side. Unlike in Ladakh and most recently near Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, a few years later, the Chinese did not bring spiked clubs and other thuggish weaponry with them either. But China soon came back to Doklam. It increased its presence and built more roads, villages, and a bridge across the fast-flowing Amu Chu river in the area. All this with complete impunity, and no further protest from Bhutan or India. It is possible, though unconfirmed, that Bhutan may have asked India to keep out of the matter. It is also likely that India has used the interregnum, anticipating the inevitable, to strengthen its military defences in the Chickens Neck area and elsewhere along the Siliguri Corridor. These would need to incorporate nuclear and conventional missile silos as is the case along the LAC, tunnels, reinforced bunkers, reinforced hangars for aircraft and drones, more airstrips, artillery batteries, satellite surveillance, permanent troop placements not only in the corridor but in Sikkim as well. This defensive work ongoing, along with other vast improvements in connectivity to the northeastern states, may be the reason that India has not said much as yet. But the pronouncements and apparent policy shift signalled by Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering are unmistakable. Indias relationship with Bangladesh has been growing well under its Look East Policy. Both countries are cooperating in the movement of goods, services, and cruise tourism by and through their respective adjacent waterways. India has given several billion dollar soft loans to Bangladesh of late, and most recently built a high-speed diesel pipeline jointly, ranging hundreds of kilometres from Assam into Bangladesh. Bangladesh may well agree to the road and rail connectivity through its territory alongside the Siliguri Corridor, or even a lease of some of its land alongside India. This will thwart Chinese designs to a large extent because it is trying to woo Bangladesh as well into its debt-trap diplomacy. And the chicken neck will not stay a chicken neck if this happens. India wanted then, in 2017, as it does now, to keep the sensitive tri-junction area at Batang La unchanged. China however claims the whole of the Doklam Plateau is Chinese territory. Boundary talks between China and Bhutan have gone through many rounds, over a dozen, and most recently at Kunming, China, in January 2023. After this last round, there was a joint statement made that an MoU on a three-step road map for expediting the China-Bhutan boundary negotiations had reached a positive consensus. Chinese intrusions and construction also involve territory in the north of Bhutan as well as the northeast, in addition to Doklam. These lay Chinese claim to some 500 sq. m in Bhutans Jakarlung and Pasamlung Valleys. As such, border talks between China and Bhutan have been ongoing since 1984. But now, Bhutans prime minister suddenly claims there are no Chinese intrusions into Bhutanese territory in what appears to be an utter capitulation to Chinese pressure. As regards the Doklam Plateau, which primarily is of interest and concern for India, Bhutans prime minister has just called for a three-way negotiation including India. This, in an interview, recently given to the Belgian daily La Libre. There are three of us, said Prime Minister Tshering. There is no big or small country, there are three equal countries, each counting for a third, he added in a rather hopeful-sounding message. Most analysts see Bhutans willingness to cede its territory to China, under prolonged pressure or financial inducements or indeed both. Tshering repeatedly said the Chinese have not intruded into Bhutanese territory, nor built its infrastructure on Bhutanese land. The position on Doklam has also changed completely from earlier statements made in 2019 when Prime Minister Tshering cautioned against any unilateral moves. It appears therefore that Bhutan has been induced into endorsing the Chinese salami-slicing tactics and military pressure. This, of course, renders the situation into a fait accompli in favour of China. If Bhutan is willing to give up its territory there is little India can do about it. In Doklam, the present tri-junction at Batang La is sought by China to be shifted 7 km south to the Mount Gipmochi peak, just as was the original intent in 2017. If that were to happen, then all of the Doklam Plateau would become part of China. And from Mount Gipmochi, China would gain a clear physical oversight of Indias Siliguri Corridor. If India does join the tripartite talks, it can make clear that it does not accept any shift of the tri-junction from Batang La. China has already intruded into PoK over Indian objections for its road from Xinkiang to Gwadar through Pakistan. So, it remains to be seen what effect Indias objection will have. China does respect force, however, and would probably listen if India were to reoccupy PoK and Gilgit Baltistan, with American diplomatic support. Letting China get away with such blatant bullying of a tiny landlocked kingdom at this sensitive time in geopolitics, may not be countenanced by the West, if not purely for Bhutans sake, or indeed that of Indias, but for the precedent it sets. But will Bhutan see and portray the Chinese intrusions as a concordat instead, designed for its complete benefit? It should remember the battered, bruised and bankrupt Sri Lanka post the reign of the Rajapakshas. It is India that is helping it to limp back into health with soft loans and its good offices, and not a predatory China. Besides, Bhutan needs to take into account its dependence on Indian ports. The Chinese landmass to the north is a long way around for all its imports and exports. It is a hard reality, in competition with the intangible called happiness that expensive-to-visit Bhutan has been projecting to the world. The author is a Delhi-based writer. Views expressed are personal. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. On the face of it, its not a good time to be a judge these days. Or at least, if you dont enjoy being in the media glare. The headlines are ominous. In Israel, there is massive unrest against the Netanyahu governments attempt to rein in its judges. In the US, there is an ongoing primetime drama over whether former POTUS-cum-current aspirant for 2024 Donald Trump will be arrested for allegedly paying off a call girl. Furthermore, liberals are up in arms about what they perceive to be the stacking of the courts by Trump when he was POTUS. What takes the cake, though, is that Pakistan, that exemplar of separation of powers, is also complaining (hat tip to Bapa Rao): their PM is now demanding that their Chief Justice should find his powers curtailed. Its a matter of damned if you do, and damned if you dont. The Economist speaks with a forked tongue. And the inevitable New York Times has jumped into the fray, almost exactly as I predicted. The NYTs bellyaching is full of sound and fury. They never let facts get in the way of a good narrative! Jokes aside, there is good reason for people in India to pay close attention to whats going on in Israel, from two or three points of view. The first, as I articulated earlier in How Israels judicial reforms find a parallel in what India needs, is that judicial overreach cannot be condoned, because it violates the constitutionally-guaranteed balance of powers among the pillars of the State. As things have turned out, there are also social parallels. In India, the rise of the OBC and SC/ST groups to power is something that the traditional upper-caste Anglo-Mughalai elites watch with concern, as they find their zamindari-era privileges slipping away. It appears that in Israel too, there is an ongoing power struggle between the liberal elites and the increasingly assertive and more conservative masses. Furthermore, to take it one level further, it may be part of the general breakdown of the so-called liberal, rules-based international order, the post-WW2 consensus that has dominated power equations in the world for some years. The ongoing saga of the banking contagion, as well as emerging alliances and truces between erstwhile arch-enemies, all point to a sea change. The legal parallels with Israel To look at these one by one, lets take the Israel-India parallels. In both cases, the judiciary has extraordinary powers (which are either vaguely defined as in the case of Israel or have been invented by the judiciary themselves as in India) which, in the best of circumstances, can act as a check and a balance on the executive and the legislature. In reality, however, what it amounts to is a judicial veto over even mundane acts of governance, as the judiciary continues to encroach into what is properly the domain of the executive. In India, this has reached epidemic proportions, partly because of two reasons: one, the peculiar device called Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that enables ill-intended third parties (especially foreign-funded NGOs) to go straight to the Supreme Court and (for all practical purposes) get laws written there, bypassing the normal legislative process; and two, suo motu action, by definition the judiciary being activist on its own without anybody petitioning it. All this happens while the courts neglect their fundamental function, that of dispensing speedy justice and of interpreting the Constitution and other laws. The backlog of millions of cases is both an affront to the dignity of the average citizen (justice delayed is justice denied), and also a crucial bottleneck in business (it hurts Ease of Doing Business metrics). The social parallels with Israel The social parallels are articulated in several stories in the Jewish online magazine Tablet, which incidentally has good content: I am currently enjoying a good series on disinformation and the so-called Censorship-Industry Complex. There is one on Israeli tech bros resisting, another on whos actually opposing the Netanyahu government and there is Bernard-Henry Levi on Israels bad shepherds, that is the Netanyahu government again. What is evident is that there is a yawning gap between the worldviews of two groups. One is the European-origin, liberal, Ashkenazi Jews who founded the modern Israel State as a reflection of their Zionism (note: there are some parallels with Hindutva, but the analogy cannot be stretched too far). These are the traditional elites, the patricians dominating the State since its inception. Then there are the largely Sephardic (Mediterranean, North African and non-European-origin) Jews, who have generally formed the plebeian masses. They are generally more religious and are worried about day-to-day issues such as jobs, and defence. The Ashkenazi tend to mirror Anglosphere memes and concerns, often reflecting Left concerns about the victimization of Palestinians under what they view as deplorable nationalism on the part of the conservatives. What is surprising, in passing, is that groups that on average are apolitical, including the armed forces as well as the technology industry, came out strongly in favour of the status quo. It is also an example of Nassim Talebs tyranny of the stubborn minority: a very small, motivated and focused group can create havoc: All this reminds the Indian observer of the Anglo-Mughalai traditional elite, who made their fortunes by collaborating with invaders, both Muslim and Christian and/or oppressing the masses as zamindars. After independence, they smoothly moved into the role of the overlord, vacated by the departing British. This has continued for 75 years, and they are usually so-called upper castes. Regardless of party affiliation, this group dominates all walks of life. While volumes were written about the whole episode of the disqualification of the Congress scion, what stood out was the upper-caste elite classs sense of entitlement. They honestly believe in their manifest destiny, especially that of the Nehru dynasty, to rule India forever. It is intriguing that this type of casteism happened with Leftists, too. In West Bengal, the Marichjhapi massacre (Blood Island) of SC/ST refugees from Bangladesh under CPI(M) rule, and in Kerala, the fact that it took 50 years from 1956 to 2006 before an OBC became a CPI(M) Chief Minister, despite its rank and file being overwhelmingly OBC, shows how caste has been correlated with privilege. In the recent past, the so-called lower castes, the OBCs and SC/ST (nominally, the PM and the President are both from these bahujan groups), have been on the ascendant. This has naturally caused friction; this may come to a climax if the Government of India goes ahead with its own plans to rein in the judiciary. The same toolkit will be rolled out, to loud condemnation by elites and by media, both local and international. Incidentally, I find it appropriately ironic that today, 30 March 2023, is exactly 99 years from the day the Vaikom Satyagraha started in Travancore, an iconic protest by all sections of Hindu society against the prohibition on temple access for OBC and SC/ST groups. This led to the epoch-making Temple Entry Proclamation by Maharaja Chithira Thirunal on 12 November, 1936, paving the way for full equality for all Hindus in worship, and thus in society in general. Going back to Israel, Netanyahu has been forced to defer his plans, and since the GoI has demonstrated that it can be intimidated by street violence (eg. Shaheen Bagh, farmer agitation, Republic Day 2022 attack on the Red Fort), it is very likely that the same tactics will be tried in India as part of the agendas of regime change and sub-national diplomacy. I will leave this Twitter comment here, although I have no way of verifying its accuracy. It is just a reminder that politics is war by other means, and as of now, the judiciary is being weaponized. The last gasp of the liberal, rules-based international order? I am sorry to say that the liberal, rules-based international order, which has meant the US acts as the adult in the room to keep unruly lesser powers from breaking things, is looking a little ragged now. The problems with judiciaries, judicial overreach, etc may well be a symptom of a larger unravelling. Things fall apart: the center cannot hold. Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, as W B Yeats wrote in The Second Coming. I wrote a year ago that many in the Anglosphere were looking wobbly as wokeness was at last meeting the real world. Sure enough, Jacinda Ardern and Boris Johnson are gone, and Justin Trudeau and Joe Biden look a little shaky. And Australia has had a change of Prime Minister. Other allies are not in better shape: France and Israel are rocked by riots. In the crucial Middle East, Saudi Arabia has signed a peace deal with Iran under the auspices of China and the implications of this for the petro-dollar are vast. Switzerlands allegedly rock-solid banking system has been upended by the collapse of Credit Suisse. Deutsche Bank is teetering too. The failure of several US banks suggests that the Federal Reserve and GOTUS have not managed the covid pandemic and its aftermath well. The continuing fallout from the loss of Russian gas is that Germanys industrial sector is in the doldrums. The focus on the Ukraine war means that serious problems in the US are not getting much attention. All this is alarming, because the alternative to pax Americana may well be pax Sinica, and that will not be a good thing, given the long history of Chinese empires, their brutality towards vassals, and their sudden collapses. India will have to invest hugely in a pax Indica in the Indian Ocean, and that means massive spending: surface ships, nuclear submarines, and so on. This is money that will have to be diverted from development. Not to mention the increasing likelihood of a nuclear World War III, if, as many expect, China attacks Taiwan. Or even worse, what if the US simply abandons Taiwan, and by implication the rest of Asia, to the tender mercies of the CCP? Writing in the WSJ, W R Mead expresses the concern that Americas allies may start writing off the US, and look for a Plan B. The problems of the judicial system are only a symptom that there is widespread turmoil coming, or already here. We are cursed to live in interesting times. We may look back on the tranquillity of pax Americana with nostalgia. The writer has been a conservative columnist for over 25 years. His academic interest is innovation. Views expressed are personal. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. New Delhi: If Chinese President Xi Jinping says he is preparing for war, there is no reason for the world to take him lightly. Repeating a theme, he introduced last year October at the five yearly Communist Party CongressXi Jinping had told party faithfuls dare to struggle, dare to winthe Chinese president, at the annual meeting of Chinas parliament and its top political advisory body early March 2023, reiterated war preparedness. Xi Jinping had already given a call to become self-reliant in food security. According to the Chinese state media, last year, Jinping said China needed to be independent in seeds to achieve food security, reiterating mounting concerns about Chinas reliance on food imports. According to magazine Foreign Policy, one of the biggest hints at Xi Jinping preparing for war came in the form of an essay published in the theoretical journal of the Chinese Communist Party titled Under the Guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Army, We Will Advance Victoriously. The essay argued that the modernization of national defence and the military must be accelerated. The essay also called for the intensification of the process of private companies and institutions to be harnessed for the military aims of the Chinese State. Already, Beijing is strengthening its legal framework that would allow it to tap into its reserve forces more effectively and easily. On December 30, last year, Chinas legislature adopted the Reservists Law. This, incidentally, is the countrys first ever law for reservists. Foreign Policy argues that the law might have been framed keeping in view Russias failures in the Ukraine War. This, though, is not the first legal provision aimed at war. Two years ago, the National Defence Law and the Military Service Law were amended. The operative part is that while the older version of the Military Service Law said that the purpose of wartime conscription was to deal with sudden attacks of the enemy and to resist invasion, the newer version (2021) changed the purpose to countering threats to the countrys sovereignty, unity, territory, integrity and development interests apart from resisting invasion. This February, China adopted a resolution that gives military powers to change how the criminal law applies during wartime, giving sweeping powers to the Chinese armed forces to curb any sort of decoupling with its war goals, gagging all and every dissent and criticism. According Chinese state media, It allows the military during wartime to adjust the application of provisions including those relating to jurisdiction, defence and representation, compulsory measures, case filing, investigation, prosecution, trial and enforcement. According Foreign Policy, Although it is impossible to predict how the decision will be used, it could become a weapon to target individuals who oppose a takeover of Taiwan. The PLA might also use it to claim legal jurisdiction over a potentially occupied territory, such as Taiwan. Or Beijing could use it to compel Chinese citizens to support its decisions during wartime. The preparation for war preparedness doesnt end here. This March, China also decided to create execution blacklists of Taiwanese dissidents. The figures in this list are to be hunted down by Chinese forces following the invasion of Taiwan. Incidentally, this list was created on the suggestion of ultranationalist blogger Zhou Xiaoping. According to media reports, Zhou elucidated upon this list on Chinese social media cite Weibo, saying: Taiwan Province Separatist Forces Blacklist to be posted publicly, according to a translation of his post by Han. This would be a list of Taiwanese individuals to be hunted down and killed in the aftermath of an invasion. The CPPCCs annual meeting began over the weekend. The people on this kill list would be ordered to stop advocating Taiwans independence, confess their crimes, and surrender, Zhou added. If these people persist in their wrong and continue to create division and cause cross-strait conflict, then during our special operations against Taiwan, anyone can arrest or kill them, not only without any responsibility, but also receive the Medal of Honour for Promoting Unification. China has already opened several National Defence Mobilization offices (actually recruitment centres) across the country under the Central Military Commission. Including Beijing, where the initiative is headquartered, such centres have come up in Fujian, Hubei, Hunan, Inner Mongolia, Shandong, Shanghai, Sichuan, Tibet, and Wuhan. But, above all, figure this: The Chinese government has announcedthough it often underreports its defence spendinga 7.2 per cent hike in Chinas defence budget. The defence spending, therefore, stands doubled over the last one decade or so. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Islamabad: Pakistan announced Tuesday it will not participate in this weeks U.S.-led Summit for Democracy, a move seen in part as an effort by the impoverished Islamic nation to assuage longtime ally China, which was not invited. The Biden administration has invited 120 global leaders to the summit being held in Washington on Wednesday and Thursday. It will be co-hosted by the governments of Costa Rica, the Netherlands, South Korea and Zambia. Pakistans Foreign Ministry in a statement thanked the United States and its co-hosts for the invitation. Pakistan was also not part of the first and only other summit held in December 2021. Pakistan is the fifth largest country in the world with a population of over 220 million. It has a functional democracy, although critics say Pakistan ranks among the worst democracies in the world. Pakistan would engage bilaterally with the United States and co-hosts of the Summit to promote and strengthen democratic principles and values and work towards advancing human rights and the fight against corruption, the statement said. Pakistan did not attend the 2021 summit amid growing tension between the government of then-Prime Minister Imran Khan and the U.S. administration of President Joe Biden. Relations between Washington and Khan were further strained when Khan visited Moscow in February 2022 during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Two months later Khan, who served as prime minister for over 3 1/2 years, was ousted in a no-confidence vote in Parliament by an alliance of major political parties. Since then, Khan has alleged that the vote that removed him was a U.S.-organized plot, a charge that Washington and Khans successor Shahbaz Sharif have denied. In Tuesdays statement, the foreign ministry under Sharif said Pakistan values its friendship with the United States. Under this Biden Administration, this relationship has widened and expanded substantially. We remain committed to further solidifying this relationship for peace, stability, and prosperity in the region, it said. The summit is taking place days after a leading international rights group in its annual report expressed concern over continued violations of human rights in Pakistan. These include enforced disappearances, curtailments on peaceful assembly, and tightening of controls on freedom of speech. Amnesty International said blasphemy allegations continued to spark violence against both religious minorities and Muslims in 2022. Fawad Chaudhry, a senior leader from Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, at a news conference in Islamabad released a report describing how the current government under Sharif is continuing a crackdown on Khan supporters that began with his ouster in April. He said hundreds of Khan supporters have been detained in recent weeks. Pakistani analyst Imtiaz Gull, executive director at the Islamabad-based Center for Research and Security Studies, said there were multiple factors behind Pakistans decision to skip the summit. One of them is Pakistans desire to assuage concerns from China, which was not invited. While relations between the U.S. and China have been strained, China has been helping Pakistans efforts to overcome its deepening economic crisis, China has invested billions of dollars in Pakistan, much of it in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is a sprawling package that includes everything from road construction and power plants to agriculture. It has an estimated cost of up to $75 billion. The largest component of the CPEC project is a 3,200-kilometer (2,000-mile) road linking China to Pakistans deep-water port of Gwadar in the southwest. Pakistan hopes the project will bring prosperity to this South Asian nation. China has also deposited much-needed millions into Pakistans central bank to boost its fast-declining foreign exchange reserves to save Pakistan from a default amid the countrys worst-ever economic crisis. Talks with the International Monetary Fund for a bailout have been on hold since last year. That has annoyed Pakistan, which has been trying to get help from Washington to influence the IMF into releasing the loan to Pakistan. On Tuesday, Pakistans premier told the parliament that the IMF wants external financing commitments made by several friendly countries to be fulfilled to get the kay $1.1 billion tranche from the $6 billion bailout. Sharif said he hoped that the commitments made by Pakistans friends will be fulfilled. Gull also noted the growing instability in Pakistan amid a widening crackdown on Khan and his political party as a factor for Pakistan to bow out of the summit. It does not happen in democracies what is happening in Pakistan, where the countrys former premier Khan has been implicated in more than 127 cases, and hundreds of his party workers have been arrested on a range of charges, including terrorism, he said. What would you present there if you go to participate in the summit about democracy and democratic values? he said. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday tore into Rahul Gandhi and the Congress over the formers disqualification from the Lok Sabha, questioning the ex-party chiefs arrogance in not appealing in court against the judgment. Reminding the Grand Old Party about Rahul Gandhis 2013 act, Shah who was speaking at News18s Rising India Summit said Gandhi would have been saved if he had not torn the ordinance on disqualification of MPs. The Congress wanted to save RJDs Lalu Prasad so it brought in the ordinance. But Rahul Gandhi called it nonsense and tore it. If the law was in force today, then Rahul Gandhi would have been saved, he said. Slamming his arrogance, Shah asked why Rahul Gandhi had not yet appealed for a stay on his conviction. Where does this arrogance generate from? Lalu Prasad, J Jayalalithaa, Rashid Alvi were among 17 people who lost their membership but no one created a ruckus. Why does the Gandhi family want a separate law for itself? People of India need to decide if we need a separate law for one family. The home minister added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Lok Sabha Speaker were being blamed for Rahul Gandhis disqualification when they had no control over the situation. Asked if Rahul Gandhi could have been allowed to stay at his official residence for a little longer, Shah quipped: What benefit would that have? He also refuted reports of vendetta politics, saying the Supreme Courts judgment came when Congress was in power. Taking a swipe at Rahul Gandhi, Shah asked: Why was democracy not in danger when other MPs were disqualified? Why is he beating his chest now when he was the one who tore the ordinance? The home minister was also critical of Rahul Gandhis remarks against Veer Savarkar. Rahul Gandhi should not use such words for Savarkar who sacrificed a lot for the country. Indira Gandhi had praised Savarkar a lot. Gandhis own party people are advising him to not speak against Savarkar. He also took a dig at the former party chiefs statement that he would not apologise for his remark since he was a Gandhi, saying: He can choose to not apologise. But then why did he furnish the bail bond? Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Geneva: Four former bankers with the Swiss affiliate of a key Russian bank was found guilty Thursday of failing to properly check accounts opened in the name of a Russian cellist with longtime ties to President Vladimir Putin. The defendants were handed suspended sentences in Zurich district court that, if violated, could lead collectively to hundreds of thousands of Swiss francs in fines. The verdict follows a one-day trial on March 8 based on information about secret financial flows revealed in the Panama Papers leaks in 2016 that implicated musician and Putins childhood friend Sergei Roldugin. It took years for prosecutors to unravel the web of money and bring the case to court. The trial opened a rare window into allegations from the Panama Papers that a member of Putins circle of friends helped funnel millions abroad and that financial employees may have turned a blind eye to such inflows. Putin has denied the accusations. The former Gazprombank employees three Russian-born and one Swiss-born, who could not be named under Swiss law were charged with failing to adequately check whether Roldugin owned the assets in the accounts. He was a bank customer from 2014 to 2016. All four defendants denied the charges, which include allegations of violating Swiss anti-money-laundering law. Gazprombank Switzerland is in the process of winding down its operations and was not itself facing charges. In a statement, the Zurich regional prosecutors office said it welcomed the verdicts as an important signal that due diligence obligations under money laundering law must be observed. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Islamabad: An overnight raid by Taliban forces in Afghanistans capital killed three members of the extremist Islamic State group, a Taliban spokesman said on Wednesday. The regional affiliate of the Islamic State group known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province has been the key rival of the Taliban since their takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021. The militant group has increased its attacks, targeting both Taliban patrols and members of Afghanistans Shiite minority. According to Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban government spokesman, the operation on Tuesday targeted an IS hideout in Kabul and killed three prominent members of the militant group who were plotting attacks during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which starts Thursday. The IS members used the hideout to carry out attacks in Kabul city and planned to target religious places and civilians during the upcoming month of Ramadan, Mujahid said. The Taliban swept across Afghanistan in mid-August 2021, seizing power as U.S. and NATO forces were withdrawing from Afghanistan after 20 years of war. The international community has not recognized the Taliban government, wary of the harsh measures they have imposed since their takeover including restricting rights and freedoms, especially for of women and minorities. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Washington: The White House said Thursday that Russia continues to seek arms from North Korea for the Ukraine war, revealing the identity of a Slovakian man allegedly brokering deals between Moscow and Pyongyang. We have new information that Russia is actively seeking to acquire additional munitions from North Korea, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said. He said the man, identified as Ashot Mkrtychev, 56, of Bratislava, was working on arms-related sales and barter deals between the two countries between late 2002 and the early part of this year. With the support of Russian officials, Mkrtychev has been attempting to broker a secret arms agreement between Russia and North Korea, he said. Under discussion was for North Korea to ship over two dozen kinds of weapons and munitions to Russia, according to the US Treasury, which placed Mkrtychev on its sanctions blacklist. In exchange, the Treasury said, Pyongyang would obtain cash, commercial aircraft, commodities and raw materials. Kirby said that the United States understands that Russia is seeking to send a delegation to North Korea and is offering Pyongyang food in exchange for munitions. He did not say if any deals had been completed, or detail the specific weapons involved. Any arms deal between North Korea and Russia would directly violate a series of UN Security Council resolutions, Kirby said. Kirby said the deals Mkrtychev was involved in were separate from North Koreas sale late last year of rockets and artillery munitions to the Wagner Group, a semi-independent Russian military force which is fighting on the front lines in Ukraine. Being placed on the Treasury sanctions list cuts Mkrtychev off from the US financial system, according to Kirby. He will face significant challenges in attempting to access and abuse the international financial system now that his activities have been exposed, he said. The blacklisting also places in jeopardy anyone who provides support to Mkrtychev, Kirby said. Todays action is a clear message that the United States will not relent in targeting those who provide support to Russias aggression and brutal war against Ukraine, said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. We will continue to identify, expose, and counter Russian attempts to acquire military equipment from (North Korea) or any other state that is prepared to support its war in Ukraine, Blinken said in a statement. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Mexico City: A Mexican court on Thursday issued arrest orders for six people in relation to the fire that killed 39 migrants at a detention facility earlier this week in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, according to the federal prosecutor leading the investigation. Sara Irene Herrerias said the six include three officials from the National Immigration Institute, two private security guards contracted by the agency and the person accused of starting the fire. Herrerias said five of the six have already been arrested and they will face charges of homicide and causing injuries. At least 39 migrants died after apparently starting a fire inside a holding cell at the facility Monday night and more than two dozen others were injured. A video from a security camera inside the Ciudad Juarez facility showed guards walking away when the fire started late Monday inside the cell holding the migrants and not making any attempt to release them. It was not clear whether those guards had keys to the cell doors. On Wednesday, a complaint filed with federal investigators from the attorney generals office accused the states top immigration official of knowing about the fire but ordering that the migrants not be released. The complaint filed by Lawyer Jorge Vazquez Campbell said retired Navy Rear Adm. Salvador Gonzalez Guerrero, the Chihuahua state delegate for the National Immigration Institute, gave the order by way of a phone call that under no circumstances should the migrants housed inside the place where the fire started be released. The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the allegations nor to a request to speak with Gonzalez. Campbell said he would not reveal his clients identities for their protection, beyond saying they were connected to the case. Mexican authorities announced Wednesday that eight suspects who worked at the facility were under investigation, as well as the migrant accused of starting the fire. Herreria said Gonzalez was not one of the eight officials called in to give statements about the incident. Campbell said his clients told him that one of the detained migrants asked a guard for a cigarette and a lighter and then five migrants who had been detained that day began to protest. The officials made fun of them, they got irritated, and two of them (migrants) set a mattress on fire, Campbell said. That was the moment, Campbell said, that immigration agents at the facility notified Gonzalez of the fire and he told them not to do anything and under no circumstances should they let them leave. Herrerias said prosecutors have not yet seen any evidence such a call was made, but investigations are ongoing. Authorities in the region have known that foam mattresses in such facilities are easily set alight and can cause massive smoke clouds, ever since a similar fire at a state-run home for troubled youths in Guatemala killed 41 girls in 2017. Mexicos immigration detention centers have been plagued for years by accusations of corruption and bad conditions. The circumstances of the fire have angered families across the region who were still awaiting confirmation of whether their loved ones were dead or alive. Late Wednesday, hundreds of migrants walked across the border in Ciudad Juarez in protest and turned themselves over to US authorities. Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Thursday that he had told the attorney general to not give anyone special consideration and that impunity would not be permitted. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Rio De Janeiro: After spending nearly three months in Florida, the former president who also headed the far-right movement in the country returned to Brazil ending his self-imposed banishment. Jair Bolsonaro, returned home on a commercial flight on Thursday, agencies reported. Brazilian flag-draped supporters chanted legend, but the former president was led out through a side entrance amid heavy security. He hasnt been back in his native nation since his followers stormed Congress on January 8th. The possibility that he incited the rioters is under inquiry. Police took precautions, such as cordoning off the major esplanade in the capital, in response to the rioting started by his supporters on January 8th. The terminal also had strict security. According to the Brazilian news outlet O Globo, when his plane landed at the airport at 06:37 local time (09:37 GMT), there were more police agents present than supporters. After learning that Bolsonaros father had left for the Liberal Partys headquarters, where he is a member, his supporters, who had hoped to see the former president, started leaving the venue. Before departing Florida, Bolsonaro told CNN that he would not lead the opposition to the current president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. However, the leader of the Liberal Party has stated that he would like to see Bolsonaro campaign for the party ahead of local elections next year. Analysts have noted that other conservative lawmakers in Brazil have risen to prominence in his three-month absence. On December 30, Bolsonaro departed Brazil aboard a plane belonging to the Brazilian air force, just two days before he was scheduled to transfer the presidency to his left-wing rival Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, also known as Lula. On October 30, Lula barely defeated Mr. Bolsonaro in the presidential run-off; however, the far-right leader never acknowledged his loss in the media. Many of his supporters did not accept Lulas victory either, and they camped out in front of army barracks in an effort to persuade the military to remove the recently elected leader. The fair transfer of power to Lula was supported by Brazils institutions, including the military, and Mr. Bolsonaro virtually vanished from public view, rarely leaving the presidential residence and behaving in an unusually quiet manner on social media. However, a week after Lula assumed power, his supporters were anything but quiet as they ransacked important government facilities in Brasilia. Over 1,500 individuals were taken into custody after the incident. Investigators contend that Mr. Bolsonaros rhetoric, in which he frequently questioned the validity of the election result and claimed that only death or God could remove him from office, incited the rioters even though he was away in Florida at the time Brazils Congress was stormed. According to reports, Bolsonaro also has other legal issues besides the probe into alleged incitement. He is accused of allegedly attempting to unlawfully import and retain jewellery worth millions of dollars that Saudi Arabia gave him and his wife in 2019. He will face court trials over the case in the coming week. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Dhaka, Mar 30 (UNI) A court of Dhaka in Bangladesh on Thursday sent Prothom Alo reporter Shamsuzzaman Shams to jail in a case filed under the Digital Security Act after rejecting his bail petition. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of Dhaka Md Tofazzal Hossain turned down the bail petition. Earlier, Ramna Model Police Station Inspector Abu Ansar, also investigating officer of the case, requested the court for sending him to jail when Shams was produced before the court. Proshanto Kumar Karmakar, lawyer of Shamsuzzaman, appeared for the bail plea. On March 29, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) men in plainclothes picked up Shams from his residence in Ambagan area, adjacent to Jahangirnagar University, around 4:30 am. The same day, a Jubo League leader filed a case under the Digital Security Act against Shams, accusing him of publishing a "false and fabricated report" in the daily Prothom Alo. UNI MAZ GNK London: British air passengers are headed for a very difficult summer season ahead, the chiefs of Europes biggest airlines have said, as a result of industrial action and strikes. Planned walkouts by air traffic controllers in France could mean travel chaos during Easter for UK tourists early next month. Ongoing violent protests and industrial strikes recently led to disruptions of many flights over Frances airspace. The cancellations also interrupted air services on the busy tourist market of Britain and Spain. Irish ultra low-cost carrier Ryanair cancelled 230 flights last month because of ongoing agitation in France. The airline cancelled 60 flights on Wednesday and will do the same for another 60 on Thursday, according to media reports. Ryanairs Chief Executive Michael OLeary has said it is a scandal that French strikes had blocked so many flights over Frances airspace. And not just in France, at Britains busy Heathrow Airport 1,400 members of the Unite Union will stage a walkout on Friday demanding better pay. A large number of the airport staff have pledged not to return to work till April 9 despite a 10% pay hike offer. It is difficult to explain to passengers in the UK, Ireland and Spain that their flights are cancelled because of a few air traffic controllers in France walking out, even though their flight is not landing in France, OLeary said. But that is, in fact the reality on the ground. British multinational low-cost airline EasyJet chief Johan Lundgren said that problems outside the airlines control, including strikes, were turning out to be a huge challenge. Current norms dictate that in France, air traffic controllers can retire at 57 and are exempt from Macrons ambitious plans to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, that have triggered nationwide protests. But many are walking out simply in solidarity with other industrial sectors. Under European passenger laws, airlines have to compensate travellers for long delays or cancellations but are unable to recover penalties from air traffic authorities when airspace over any country is blocked. Difference of opinion between airlines and French air traffic controllers has been a recurring issue but escalated this year as the controllers joined strikes over planned changes to the retirement age. OLeary said airports were better prepared for delays this summer after widespread chaos last year but that he expected further air traffic control problems in coming months. Earlier this week, Heathrow Airport planned to deploy 1,000 additional staff and its entire management team to try and stop strike delays causing travel chaos over Easter. British tourists may therefore face severe disruption to their travel plans if flying from Terminal 5, although the airport has said delays will be well managed. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Beijing: China is ready to strengthen cooperation with the Russian military to uphold international justice, peace and security, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Tan Kefei stated on Thursday. China is willing to work together with the Russian military to fully implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state including further strengthening strategic communication and coordination, Tan was quoted by Russia today as saying. The announcement came days after Chinese President Xi Jinping met his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin in Moscow earlier this month. Both leaders agreed to improve bilateral relations and military coordination. Tan further stated that the two countries are planning to organise joint maritime and air patrols frequently. The increasingly strong relations between Moscow and Beijing insisted that they do not amount to a Cold War-style military-political alliance. The ties transcend this model of state relations and have a nature of non-alignment, non-confrontation and non-targeting of third countries, he said. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Boao: Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Thursday that he was committed to opening up and reforming the worlds second-largest economy, seeking to win over foreign investors even as trade and geopolitical tensions with the West loom large. His keynote speech, delivered at a business and political summit in the island province of Hainan, came in a week Beijing has mounted a charm offensive on overseas firms as it seeks to shore up an economy battered by years of pandemic restrictions. But the prospects for a speedy recovery are clouded by strained relations with the U.S. and its allies over issues including its cosy ties with Russia, muscular stance towards Taiwan and fears about its use of sensitive technologies. No matter what changes take place in the world, we will always adhere to reform and opening upWe will introduce a series of new measures in expanding market access and optimising the business environment, Li, who took office this month, told the panel at the annual Boao Forum. A confident, open, and willing-to-share China must be a huge force for world prosperity and stability, he said. Li, who spoke alongside the prime ministers of Malaysia, Singapore and Spain, earlier this week told a group of foreign executives, including Apple Incs Tim Cook, at a summit in Beijing that China was unswervingly committed to opening up. In his maiden speech, after he took office, Li pledged to ease a sweeping regulatory crackdown and support private enterprises. In a sign that stance may already be bearing fruit, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group announced this week it was planning to break up its empire and explore several fundraisings or listings. But three years of rigid border controls and a series of sweeping lockdowns during the pandemic have sapped business confidence in China, especially among foreign firms, according to sentiment surveys. Those COVID curbs were abruptly dropped in December, and Li said on Thursday there were signs a recovery was starting to take hold. Judging from the situation in March, its better than in January and February. In particular, major economic indicators such as consumption and investment continue to improve, while employment and prices are generally stable, Li said. China has set itself a modest target for gross domestic product growth of around 5% this year, after significantly missing its target for 2022. That is lower than what the International Monetary Fund and some private forecasters think it can achieve. For some at the conference, Lis message to business did not go unnoticed. I see a lot more determination in conveying the message that China is indeed back open for business, said Denis Depoux, global managing director at consultancy Roland Berger. CHAOS AND CONFLICTS But there were also cautionary notes. In veiled comments aimed at the United States, which is working with its allies to stymie Chinas access to advanced technologies such as microchips, Li said Beijing opposed trade protectionism and decoupling. Speaking on the same panel, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said protectionism would represent a return to the past and damage relations between China and Europe. But hours after his speech, the European Commission said it was examining measures to control outbound investment to prevent certain sensitive technologies from going to rivals such as China. Lis attempt to win over business also comes at a time of fierce rhetoric with the United States, its biggest export market. Taiwan, the democratically ruled island that China claims as its territory, has been a particular bone of contention. In the latest escalation, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen arrived in New York on Wednesday for the first of two U.S. stopovers that Beijing has called provocative. In his speech, Li said chaos and conflicts must not happen in Asia and that China would act as an anchor for global peace. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Bogota: 70 hippos that belonged to the late drug kingpin Pablo Escobar will have to be transported at a cost of nearly $3.5 million, the Columbian government has informed. While the majority of the hippopotamuses will be captured and relocated in the upcoming months, with 60 going to an unidentified facility in India and 10 going to the Ostok Sanctuary in northern Mexico. As per reports, the cocaine tycoon had imported a few of the creatures from Africa to Colombia. And since his death in 1993, the hippos were left to roam in the hot marshy area of Antioquia city where environment officials are having a hard time controlling the rising population of the territorial bulls. The owner of the Ostok Sanctuary, Ernesto Zazueta, estimated that the total expense of the project would be $3.5 million. They intend to use bait to entice the animals into pens where they will stay confined before being placed in special crates for the transfer, according to him and the local governor of the Colombian region where the hippos are found. The government has frequently failed to control the booming population that has settled in the Magdalena River basin since the hippos broke free after Escobars death. In 2009, the government also tried to kill the animals but gave up after a graphic image sparked widespread anger. Although there is still a sterilisation plan in place, hippos reproduce more quickly than local experts can locate, capture, and castrate them. About 130 hippos still exist today from the initial four that ran away from Escobars country estate; this is the largest population of hippos outside of Africa. If there are no natural predators to control them, their number will continue to increase exponentially. 1,400 hippos on the planet by 2034 According to studies, hippos are destroying the ecosystem of the Magdalena River, the largest river in one of the nations with the greatest biodiversity. Since each hippo consumes about 40 kg of grass per night, just their waste alone is endangering the rivers diverse wildlife, poisoning the water, and murdering fish. The hippo transfer plan is viewed as a last-ditch attempt to save the hippos lives after the environment ministry labelled them an invasive species last year. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Burundi: A unidentified disease, anticipated as a virus that causes nosebleed and reportedly kills the infected person within 24 hours, has claimed three lives in the north-eastern region of Burundi in West Africa. The symptoms appear to point towards some sort of viral haemorrhagic fever, which damages the walls of tiny blood vessels making them leak, such as Marburg and Ebola. However, the health minister has already ruled out both the illnesses, a local report said. The governor and the provincial physician in Kirundo are expecting the outcomes of samples collected by experts from the INSP (National Institute of Public Health) before making a decision. The deceased individuals are reportedly from the Gitobe community. They both lived near Migwa hill in Baziro region. All the cases reported are from here, authorities reported. The symptoms include abdominal pain, nasal bleeding that worsens after death, acute headaches, high fever, vomiting, and dizziness, said on-site observers. A nurse who spoke with SOS Media Burundi said that this disease kills victims very fast. The illness kills very fast. The infected individual passes away within 24 hours, she said. The terrified nurse from the Migwa health centre in the Gashoho health district of Muyinga province, where patients were sent and two women perished there, exclaimed, Its terrible, were all waiting for death. The deaths have caused a scare of the outbreak in the town so much so that the residents in Migwa reportedly blocked the entrances when the people of Baziro wanted to transport the third person, local platforms reported. As of now, the people living the two towns have been asked to stay home quarantined in order to contain, she said. People in Kirundos urban core live in constant dread, the nurse said, while requesting the government to announce the epidemic so that quick action can be taken. This outbreak came soon after neighbouring country Tanzania announced an outbreak of Margburg for the first time, in which eight people developed symptoms and five died. All cases were found in Tanzanias northwest, which has a straight border with Burundi. Following the announcement of its first-ever outbreak in February, Equatorial Guinea, in west Africa, verified eight more cases of the highly contagious bug last week. According to the World Health Organization, the fact that the new cases were dispersed over three distinct provinces and a distance of almost 100 miles suggests wider transmission of the virus. Since the cases were discovered in provinces that border other nations, the risk of international spread cannot be ruled out, according to a statement. A medical investigation team was sent to southern Tanzania in July of last year to look into a mysterious disease called nosebleed that had killed three persons there. Aifello Sichalwe, the top medical officer of the nation, declared in a statement that all patients had tested negative for the Covid, Marburg, and related viruses that are similar to Ebola. The strange illness discovered in Lindi, according to Tanzanias President Samia Suluhu Hassan, may have been brought on by growing interaction between people and wild animals. It would be a zoonotic disease if the virus had spread from an animal to people. According to the WHO, zoonotic illnesses are becoming more and more of an issue in Africa. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. New Delhi: A close watch on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and the recent Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict show that modern warfare drones can be an effective alternate to the fighter jets, considering them being more maneuverable and far less expensive. Days ago, it was reported that a Ukrainian pilot Aviation squadron commander Major Denis Kirilyuk was killed on the night of March 27 after a Su-27 fighter jet was shot down by an Iranian Shahed 136 (Geran-2) drone of the Russian armed forces. While officially confirming the news, the 831st Tactical Aviation Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine did not share details on how the Ukrainian pilot was shot down. This was not the first such incident, as a similar one was reportedly last year, when a MiG-29 pilot belonging to Ukraine began a dogfight to shoot down a swarm of Stakhed 136 kamikaze drones. While the pilot reportedly managed to shoot down all of the drones, it proved to be fatal as debris from the drone hit the fighter jet hard and brought it to the ground. During that time, the pilot managed to eject and stay alive, reports said. Back in 2020, drone strikes by Azerbaijan provided a huge advantage to the country in targeting Armenian and Nagorno-Karabakh soldiers and destroying tanks, artillery and air defense systems during the 44-day war, The Washington Post reported, which stated in a November 2020 report that the war offered the clearest evidence yet of how battlefields are being transformed by unmanned attack drones rolling off assembly lines around the world. Advantages of UAVs The modern warfare drones cater to a variety of demands compared to the fighter planes, especially by saving pilots lives. A report in Financial Express states that drone are not just maneuverable since they are not subject to overloading constraints, but also far less expensive than airplanes. Unlike fighter jets, to fly a drone, there is no need for the extensive and costly pilot training. Moreover, these warfare drone can be easily deployed at places where it would be impracticable to endanger a pilot or an expensive aircraft, the report said. Taking a lesson from its ongoing war against Russia, a government official in Kyiv on Wednesday claimed that Ukraines armed forces now own thousands of attack UAVs with a flight range of over 3,000 km. Called the Ukrainian swarm, the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has been named after Mathias Rust a peace activist who landed a Cessna on the red square in Moscow in 1987. Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, shared the news on Twitter along with the photograph of Cessna on the red square in Moscow. Also Read: Ukraine strikes Russia with history: Kyiv claims it has 3000-km flight range UAVs, named Mathias Rust Experts view Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk predicted in 2020 that future of wars would be carried out by UAVs and not fighter jets. The fighter jet era has passed. Drone warfare is where the future will be. Its not that I want the future to be its just, this is what the future will be, Musk said during a conversation with US Air Force Lt. Gen. John Thompson at the Air Warfare Symposium, CNBC reported. Back then, Musk also suggested that US armed forces one of the most expensive weapons Lockheed Martins F-35 fighter jet should have a competitor. The competitor should be a drone fighter plane thats remote-controlled by a human, but with its maneuvers augmented by autonomy. The F-35 would have no chance against it, he tweeted. Not just that, Musk, during his conversation with Thompson, even warned that the United States will be at risk of falling behind if the country does not prioritise innovation. This is not something that was a risk in times past but is a risk now. I have zero doubt that if the United States doesnt seek innovation in space it will be second in space, Musk said. (With inputs from agencies) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Equatorial Guinea has confirmed 13 cases of Marburg disease since the beginning of the epidemic, its health officials said on Wednesday after the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) urged the Central African countrys government to report new cases officially. Marburg virus disease is a viral haemorrhagic fever that can have a fatality rate of up to 88 per cent, according to the WHO. Symptoms include fever, fatigue and blood-stained vomit and diarrhoea. There are no vaccines or antiviral treatments approved to treat it. Marburg is passed on to people from fruit bats and is from the same virus family responsible for the deadly Ebola disease. Nine people have died, while one patient has recovered since the beginning of the epidemic, Equatorial Guineas health ministry said on Twitter, adding that 825 contacts have since been traced. The country confirmed its first-ever outbreak of the disease in February, according to WHO, which last week had reported 9 laboratory-confirmed cases and put the total number of deaths and probable cases at 20 each. WHO is aware of additional cases and we have asked the government to report these cases officially to WHO, its director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said earlier on Wednesday. There is also an outbreak of Marburg virus in Tanzania, where eight cases including five deaths have been reported in the northwest Kagera region, WHO has said. WHO said it was working with local authorities and vaccine manufacturers to set up trials in the affected countries. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Helsinki: After decades of staying out of military alliances, Finland and neighbouring Sweden announced bids to join NATO in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine last year. After Turkey became the final member to ratify Finlands bid on Thursday, the Finns are expected to finalise their membership in the coming days, while Sweden continues to face opposition. Here are five things to know about the two countries membership bids: Historic U-turns For decades, most Swedes and Finns were in favour of maintaining their policies of military non-alignment. But Russias invasion of Ukraine last year sparked sharp U-turns. The change was especially dramatic in Finland, which shares a 1,300-kilometre (800-mile) border with Russia. Prior to the application, public support for NATO membership had remained steady at 20-30 percent for two decades, but a February poll suggested 82 percent were happy with the decision to join the alliance. A Swedish poll in January had 63 percent of Swedes in favour of joining the bloc. During the Cold War, Finland remained neutral in exchange for assurances from Moscow that it would not invade. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, Finland remained militarily non-aligned. Sweden adopted an official policy of neutrality at the end of the 19th-century Napoleonic wars, which was amended to one of military non-alignment following the end of the Cold War. Split entry The Nordic neighbours were originally adamant they wanted to join the alliance together, agreeing to submit their applications at the same time. Despite assurances they would be welcomed with open arms, their applications quickly ran into opposition, primarily from NATO member Turkey. Bids to join NATO must be ratified by all members of the alliance. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in mid-March asked parliament to ratify Finlands bid, but delayed Swedens following a litany of disputes. Similarly, when Hungary ratified Finlands bid on March 27, Swedens was pushed until later. Finland decided to move forward, even if it meant leaving Sweden behind. Since Finlands parliament has already approved the application, all it needs to do now that all ratifications have been secured is deposit an instrument of accession in Washington to finalise the membership. Sweden vs Turkey Sweden, Finland and Turkey signed a trilateral memorandum at a NATO summit in June last year to secure the start of the accession process. But Ankara has repeatedly butted heads with Stockholm, saying its demands have remained unfulfilled, particularly for the extradition of Turkish citizens that Turkey wants to prosecute for terrorism. It has accused Sweden of providing a safe haven for terrorists, specifically members of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Negotiations between the countries were temporarily suspended in early 2023, after protests involving both the burning of the Koran and a mock hanging of an effigy of Erdogan were staged in Stockholm. Militaries Swedish policy long dictated that the country needed a strong military to protect its neutrality. But after the Cold War, it drastically slashed defence spending, turning its military focus toward peacekeeping operations. Combining its different branches, the Swedish military can field some 50,000 soldiers, about half of whom are reservists. While Finland has similarly made defence cuts, it has maintained a much larger army than Sweden. The country of 5.5 million people has a wartime strength of 280,000 troops plus 600,000 reservists. After Russia invaded Ukraine, both countries announced increased spending. Sweden said it was targeting two percent of GDP as soon as possible, and Finland added more than two billion euros ($2.1 billion) to its 5.1 billion-euro defence budget over the next four years. Memories of war While Sweden has sent forces to international peacekeeping missions, it has not gone to war for over 200 years. Finlands memories of warfare are much fresher. In 1939, it was invaded by the Soviet Union. Finns put up a fierce fight during the bloody Winter War, but the country was ultimately forced to cede a huge stretch of its eastern Karelia province in a peace treaty with Moscow. A 1948 friendship agreement saw the Soviets agree not to invade again, as long as Finland stayed out of any Western defence cooperation. The countrys forced neutrality to appease its stronger neighbour coined the term Finlandization. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Paris: A French court of appeal ruled on Thursday not to extradite to Ukraine the Ukrainian billionaire businessman Kostyantin Zhevago, who was temporarily detained in France in December. Ukraines National Bureau of Investigation had said Zhevago, who owns a majority stake in mining group Ferrexpo, was wanted on suspicion of embezzlement and money laundering related to the bankruptcy of Ukrainian bank Finance and Credit. Zhevago was detained in Courchevel, a ski resort in the French Alps. At the time, French judicial officials in Chambery said he was detained pending a formal request for extradition by Ukraine which was ultimately refused. Zhevago was released under judicial supervision in France in January. The court in Chambery said Thursday it had an unfavourable opinion on the extradition request. Zhevagos lawyers said in a joint statement that beyond the respect of the human rights, this decision carries the mark of good sense. The decision can be appealed at the Court of Cassation, a higher French court, by a prosecutor. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Berlin: The German government has agreed to send an additional 12 billion euros ($13.01 billion) worth of military aid to Ukraine. The Budget Committee of the German Bundestag approved the unbudgeted expenditure on Wednesday, which was requested by the defence ministry and the foreign office. Germany is among one of the leading European allies of Ukraine in its war against Russia. The additional funding includes 3.2 billion euros to be disbursed in 2023 and credit lines for the period between 2024 and 2032 amounting to some 8.8 billion euros. With the money, Ukraine can directly buy armaments with the support of the German government, three politicians representing the coalition government on the committee said in a statement. It is important to support Ukraine for as long as necessary, they said. Germany has also supplied Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine earlier this year as part of a coalition of countries that supplied war ammunition and tanks to the war-hit country. In financial times, since the beginning of the Russian invasion, the German government has made available more than 14.2 billion euros in support for Ukraine, according to the foreign office. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Dhaka, Mar 30 (UNI) Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), the apex trade organization of the country, hosted an Iftar and Doa mahfil in honor of the Ambassadors, diplomats, and dignitaries at the Hotel Sheraton in the capital on Wednesday. Ministers of different ministries, Members of the Parliaments, Ambassadors, Editors of Print and Electronic Media, countrys top businessmen also attended the iftar mahfil. Commenting on the occasion, FBCCI President Md. Jashim Uddin said, This month is a time of charity and compassion, and I urge you to support those in need and contribute to worthy causes that make a difference in the lives of our fellow citizens. He said, Bangladesh has a rich cultural heritage and a history of hospitality. It is a land of diversity, with people from different faiths and backgrounds living together in harmony. This diversity is reflected in our food, our music, our art, and our traditions. I am proud to say that Bangladesh is a country that celebrates all religious occasions in unity. FBCCI Chief said, as diplomats and business leaders, you have the unique opportunity to build bridges between our countries and promote mutual understanding and respect. The business community in Bangladesh is thriving, and we are seeing increasing opportunities for investment and trade. I am confident that by working together, we can continue to strengthen our economic ties and create a more prosperous future for our nations. The guests prayed for the countrys economic development and the peace, and welfare of its people. Industry Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun MP, Planning Minister M. A. Mannan, Foreign Minister Dr. A K Abdul Momen, Prime Minister's advisor for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Dr. Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, FBCCI Former President Abdul Awal Mintoo, Senior Vice President Mostofa Azad Chowdhury Babu, Vice Presidents M A Momen, Md. Amin Helaly, Salahuddin Alamgir, Md. Habib Ullah Dawn, M A Razzak Khan Raj, Ambassadors of India, Germany, Indonesia, Iran, Turkey, Norway, Kosovo, Thailand, Libya, Philipines, Brunei, Diplomates, and Dignitaries, Editors of Print and Electronic Media, FBCCI Directors, Business Leaders, and others were present at the program. UNI MAZ GNK Berlin: The German government on Wednesday paved the way for German troops participation in a European Union military mission in Niger, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters after the cabinet decision. Germany intends to deploy up to 60 soldiers to Niger as part of an EU operation designed to support the government in Niamey in the build-up of its forces. The final decision about Berlins participation lies with the German parliament, with a vote expected at the end of April. The EU decided in December to set up a three-year military mission to Niger. Some 50-100 European troops at first, and up to 300 at a later stage, are to help the country improve its logistics and infrastructure. One of the poorest countries in the world, Niger is seen as at risk of a possible spillover of violence from neighbouring Mali, where Islamist militants have been gaining ground following the withdrawal of French and other European forces. The German military had been training Nigers special forces with some 150 soldiers since 2018 but wrapped up that mission at the end of 2022. There are still some 1,100 German troops based in neighbouring Mali, most of them near the northern town of Gao, where their main task is to gather reconnaissance for a U.N. peacekeeping mission. This mission has been plagued by recurring disputes with Malis ruling military junta and an increasing Russian military presence there that has prompted unease in the West. Last November, Berlin decided to pull out its troops from Mali by May 2024, following France and other European nations such as Britain. Europes relations with Mali have deteriorated since a military coup in 2020 and since the government invited fighters from the Wagner Group, a Kremlin-linked private military company, to support its fight against insurgents. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. A federal court decided yesterday that Google purposefully destroyed evidence and must be sanctioned, rejecting the companys claim that it was not required to automatically keep private chats involving workers subject to a judicial hold. US District Judge James Donato in San Francisco said in his order that Google fell strikingly short in its duties to preserve records. The ruling is part of a multidistrict litigation that includes a consumer class action with as many as 21 million residents; 38 states and the District of Columbia, and companies including Epic Games Inc and Match Group LLC. Google to be sanctioned? Following substantial briefing by both sides and an evidentiary hearing that included witness testimony and other evidence, the Court concludes that sanctions are warranted, wrote US District Judge James Donato. Later in the decision, he wrote that Google intended to subvert the discovery process, and that Chat evidence was lost with the intent to prevent its use in litigation and with the intent to deprive another party of the informations use in litigation. Also read: NCLAT upholds Googles Rs 1,337 crore-fine, orders tech company to comply with CCI order in 30 days He claimed that Googles internal conversations released in answer to a court order last month provided additional evidence of highly spotty practises in response to the litigation hold notices. Donato, for example, cited a freshly produced conversation in which an employee said he or she was on legal hold, but preferred to keep chat history off. Donatos decision came in a multi-district collusion case involving Epic Games, the attorney generals of 38 states and the District of Columbia, Match Group, and a class of customers. The case is being tried in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. Plaintiffs claim that Google illegally monopolised the Android app distribution market by engaging in exclusionary conduct, which has harmed the different plaintiff groups in various ways, according to Donato. Google lied in court, destroyed evidence, says Judge According to Donatos decision, Google gave false information to the court and litigants about its private chat auto-deletion practices. Unless individual document custodians allow the history-on option, Google deletes chat communications every 24 hours. In this instance, 383 Google workers are susceptible to the legal hold, with approximately 40 of them named as custodians. The court noted that Google could have set the chat history to on as the default for all those workers but decided not to. Also read: Google to start supporting third-party payment systems for app developers in India, with a twist In an October 2020 case management statement, Google falsely assured the Court that it had taken appropriate steps to preserve all evidence relevant to the issues reasonably evident in this action, without mentioning Chats or its decision not to pause the 24-hour default deletion, Donato wrote. Google did not disclose the Chat practises to the plaintiffs until October 2021, many months after the plaintiffs first inquired about them. Another major concern, according to Donato, is the intentionality manifested at every level within Google to hide at the ball with respect to Chat. Individual users were aware of the litigation risks and appreciated Chats off the record feature, as previously addressed. Google, as a business, had the capability of preserving all Chat communications systemwide once litigation had begun, but chose not to do so, without any consideration of financial expenses or other considerations that might have helped to explain that decision. Google could be sanctioned in another case as well Google could be sanctioned and also face penalties in a completely different antitrust lawsuit filed by the federal government in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Also read: In a major setback, Google loses bid to block Indias Android antitrust ruling Last month, the US requested penalties, claiming that Googles daily destruction of written records prejudiced the United States by depriving it of a rich source of candid discussions between Googles executives, including likely trial witnesses. Following Googles decision in Northern California federal court yesterday, a US Department of Justice attorney filed a notification of penalties with the DC-based court. Google is also opposing the motion for sanctions in that instance. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Vatican City: Pope Francis has bronchitis but is showing a marked improvement after being treated with antibiotics and could be discharged from hospital in the coming days, medical staff said Thursday. The update, in a statement from the Vatican, came as the 86-year-old prepared to spend a second night in Romes Gemelli hospital, where he was admitted on Wednesday after complaining of breathing difficulties. The Holy Father was found to have an infectious bronchitis which required the administration of antibiotics, medical staff caring for him said in a statement published by the Vatican. The treatment resulted in a marked improvement in his state of health and the pope could be discharged in the coming days, it said. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said that Francis, who earlier this month marked 10 years as head of the Catholic Church, had spent the afternoon resting, praying and doing some work. The Vatican initially said he had been admitted for pre-planned checks, before revealing late Wednesday he had been diagnosed with a respiratory infection. The Argentine pontiff has suffered a number of health issues throughout his life, including having part of one of his lungs removed at age 21. While keeping a busy schedule and travelling widely, he has for the past year used a wheelchair due to knee pain, and admitted last summer he had to slow down. His admission to hospital sparked widespread concern, particularly after unconfirmed reports that he arrived in an ambulance. I am touched by the many messages received in these hours and I express my gratitude for the closeness and prayer, the pope said in a message posted on Twitter. Francis was forced to cancel Thursdays engagements, and there are now questions over his presence at services for the upcoming Holy Week and Easter, the most important period in the Christian calendar. Preparations are already underway at the Vatican for this weekends Palm Sunday celebrations. Always the fear At his weekly audience on Wednesday morning, just hours before his admission to hospital, the pope appeared in good spirits, smiling as he greeted the faithful from his popemobile. But he was pictured grimacing as he was helped getting onto the vehicle a photo that made all the major front pages of Italys newspapers on Thursday. News of the popes hospitalisation made global headlines and sparked prayers among many of the estimated 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide including US President Joe Biden. Biden, only the second Catholic president in US history, urged attendees at a White House reception to say an extra prayer for the pontiff. His health was also on the minds of visitors to the Vatican on Thursday. There is always the fear, and yet it seems that everything is calm for now, said Tina Montalbano, a 60-year-old tourist guide. I hope he recovers very soon and can celebrate the Easter period here in St Peters. Francis was admitted in July 2021 to the same Rome hospital for 10 days for an operation on his colon after suffering from a type of diverticulitis, an inflammation of pockets that develop in the lining of the intestine. In an interview in January, the pope said the diverticulitis had returned. In 1957, at age 21, Francis had part of one of his lungs removed, but he has said he made a full recovery. Resignation rumours Francis has repeatedly said he would consider stepping down if his health required it, following the example of his predecessor Benedict XVI. The German theologian, who died on December 31, shocked the world in 2013 by becoming the first pope since the Middle Ages to resign. Francis has cautioned, however, that papal resignations should not be the norm, and said in an interview in February that the idea was currently not on my agenda. Despite his health issues and advancing age, Francis a Jesuit who seems most happy being among his flock continues to travel internationally. Earlier this year, he visited South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, drawing huge crowds. Next month, he is due to visit Hungary and meet Prime Minister Viktor Orban. In the past decade, Francis has sought to forge an image of a more open, compassionate Church, although he has faced internal opposition, particularly from conservatives. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Washington: Outspoken Rwandan government critic Paul Rusesabagina, whose efforts to save people during the 1994 genocide inspired the Hollywood film Hotel Rwanda, has arrived in the United States after being freed from prison, the White House said Wednesday. Im pleased to welcome Paul Rusesabagina back to the United States. Were glad to have him back on US soil & reunited with his family & friends whove long waited for this day to come, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan tweeted. Rusesabagina was released on 25 March after more than 900 days behind bars, under an accord, mediated by Qatar, between the US government and Rwanda which saw the Kigali government commute his 25-year sentence on terrorism charges. His detention had thrown a spotlight on Rwandas record of crushing political dissent and free speech under President Paul Kagame. Rusesabagina was convicted in September 2021 of backing an armed rebel group after a trial that his supporters denounced as a sham. The 68-year-old, who is also a Belgian citizen with US permanent residency, has been in failing health and his family said he was tortured during his 939 days in detention. Rusesabagina was a hotel manager who helped save hundreds of lives during the 1994 genocide. His story was turned into Hotel Rwanda featuring Don Cheadle. But Rusesabagina became a fierce critic of Rwandas longtime leader Kagame and formed his own political party. Rusesabagina left Rwanda in 1996 for Belgium but his family said he was tricked into taking a flight in 2020 that was diverted to Kigali. Talks on releasing him started at the end of 2022 and final details were hammered out last week when Kagame met Qatars emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, in Doha, a source with knowledge of the negotiations said. In an October 2022 letter released by the government on Friday, Rusesabagina pledged to leave Rwandan politics behind me and spend the rest of his life in the United States in exchange for clemency. US President Joe Biden had earlier welcomed Rusesabaginas release, calling it a happy outcome. Pauls family is eager to welcome him back to the United States, and I share their joy at todays good news, he said in a statement on 25 March. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Washington: US President Joe Biden on Wednesday hailed an enormous opportunity to increase economic integration with Argentina as he hosted the South American countrys President Alberto Fernandez at the White House. This meeting is a chance to reaffirm that nothing is beyond our reach if we work together, Biden said seated next to his counterpart in the Oval Office. The two countries are embarking on the next century of our partnership after 200 years of diplomatic relations, he added, citing an enormous opportunity to increase our economic integration. Biden recalled that he should have received Fernandez last summer, but had to cancel after contracting the Covid-19 virus. The Argentine leader thanked his host for US support in the relationship between Buenos Aires and international economic organizations. The International Monetary Fund recently announced a new deal with Argentina that paved the way for the disbursement of some $5.3 billion. Fernandez also stressed his countrys willingness to cooperate with the United States in the fight against climate change, saying that his country was facing the worst drought in its history. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Ukraine: A team of journalists from The Associated Press spent two days traveling by train with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as he visited the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, which still faces regular shelling from Russian forces, and northern towns in the Sumy region that were liberated shortly after the war began a year ago. Zelenskyy rarely travels with journalists, and the presidents office said APs two-night train trip with him was the most extensive since the war began. Here are some takeaways from an interview with Zelenskyy as he returned to Kyiv late Tuesday. Western Weapons Throughout much of the war, Ukraines military has been bolstered by billions of dollars of ammunition and weaponry from Western nations. Zelenskyy welcomed the help but said some of the promised weapons had not yet been delivered. We have great decisions about Patriots, but we dont have them for real, he said, referring to the U.S.-made air defense system. Ukrainian soldiers have received training in the U.S. since January on how to use the Patriot system, but it hasnt yet been deployed in Ukraine. Ukraine needs 20 Patriot batteries to protect against Russian missiles, and even that may not be enough as no country in the world was attacked with so many ballistic rockets, Zelenskyy said. Zelenskyy added that a European nation sent another air defense system to Ukraine, but it didnt work and they had to change it again and again. He did not name the country. Zelenskyy also reiterated his longstanding request for fighter jets, saying we still dont have anything when it comes to modern warplanes. Poland and Slovakia have decided to give Soviet-era fighter jets to Ukraine, but no Western country so far has agreed to provide modern warplanes amid concern that it could escalate the conflict and draw them in deeper. Putins isolation Zelenskyy was unsparing in his assessment of Russias Vladimir Putin, calling him an informationally isolated person who had lost everything over the last year of war. He doesnt have allies, Zelenskky said, adding that it was clear that even China an economic powerhouse long favorable toward Moscow was no longer willing to back Russia. Chinese President Xi Jinping recently visited Putin i n Russia but left without publicly announcing any overt support for Moscows campaign against Ukraine. Zelenskyy suggested that Putins announcement shortly after Xis visit that he would move tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, closer to NATO territory, was meant to deflect from the fact that the Chinese leaders visit did not go well. Putin said the move was a counter to Britains decision to provide more depleted uranium ammunition to Ukraine. Despite Putins nuclear provocations, Zelenskky said he does not believe the Russian leader is prepared to use the bomb. If a person wants to save himself, he really will use these, he said. Im not sure hes ready to do it. Avoiding a nuclear disaster On Zelenskyys itinerary, this week was a meeting with Rafael Mariano Grossi, the visiting head of the UNs atomic energy agency. Grossi was in the region to take stock of the situation at the nearby Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which Russia took control of last year. Fierce fighting around the plant, Europes largest, has put the facility and the broader region at significant risk. During his meeting with Zelenskyy on Monday, Grossi said the situation was not improving. Grossi has called for a protection zone around the plant but has failed to come up with terms that would satisfy both Ukraine and Russia. Grossi told the AP on Tuesday he believed a deal was close. However, Zelenskyy, who opposes any plan that would legitimize Russias control over the facility, said he was less optimistic a deal was near. I dont feel it today, he said. The fight for Bakhmut The longest battle of the war is raging in the eastern city of Bakhmut, where Ukrainian and Russian forces have been locked in a grinding conflict for seven months. Some Western military analysts have questioned why Ukraine is willing to suffer so many losses to defend the territory, arguing that the city is not of strategic significance. Zelenskyy argued otherwise, saying any loss in the war will give Russia an opening. He predicted that if Russia defeats Ukraine in Bakhmut, Putin would set out to sell a victory to the international community. If he will feel some blood, smell that we are weak, he will push, push, push, Zelenskyy said, adding that the pressure would come not only from the international community but also from within his own country. Our society will feel tired, he said. Our society will push me to have compromise with them. Zelenskyy recently traveled near Bakhmut for a morale-boosting visit with troops fighting in the hard-hit city. Calls for tougher sanctions Western sanctions against Russia dont go far enough, according to Zelenskyy, who called for more far-reaching measures against people in Putins inner circle. More than 30 countries, representing more than half the worlds economy, have imposed sanctions on Russia, including price caps on Russian oil and restrictions on access to global financial transactions. The West has also directly sanctioned about 2,000 Russian firms, government officials, oligarchs and their families. More than $58 billion worth of sanctioned Russians assets have been blocked or frozen worldwide, according to a recent report from the U.S. Treasury Department. Zelenskyy said more should be done to target Putins enablers, who have to know that they will lose all their money all their real estate in Europe or in the world, their yachts everywhere. Riding the rails Most of Zelenskyys travel in Ukraine is done by rail. There are few other options: Commercial air travel has been grounded and Ukraines expanse, as well as the unpredictability of life in a war-torn country, make road travel arduous. The state railway system, however, has remained remarkably stable throughout the war and largely untouched by the constant barrage of Russian missiles. One notable exception: the April 2022 bombing of the crowded Kramatorsk train station that killed dozens of people. Though Zelenskyy rides on a train set aside for him and his delegation, it is largely indistinguishable on the outside from the blue-and-yellow trains ferrying other people and goods across the country. Most Ukrainians barely looked up to acknowledge Zelenskyys train as it zipped through towns across the countryside, passing picturesque fields and the occasional bombed-out building or bridge. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Mexico City: Mexican prosecutors announced a homicide investigation Wednesday into the recent deaths of 39 migrants in a detention center fire, accusing the people in charge of doing nothing to evacuate them. Authorities faced mounting scrutiny of their handling of the disaster after video surveillance footage appeared to show guards leaving as flames engulfed a cell with migrants locked inside. An investigation was opened for the crime of homicide and damage to property, though other possible crimes would also be considered, said Sara Irene Herrerias, a prosecutor specialising in human rights. None of the public servants or the private security personnel took any action to open the door for the migrants who were inside, she told reporters. Eight people had been identified as allegedly responsible for the failure following the fire that began late Monday, Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez said at the same news conference. Those include two federal agents and a state immigration official, as well as five members of a private security company. Prosecutors were seeking several arrest warrants, Herrerias said. A migrant had been accused of starting the fire by others who were inside the detention center, she added, without giving details about the person. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador earlier vowed there would be no impunity over the tragedy in Ciudad Juarez across the border from El Paso, in the US state of Texas. We will not hide anything, he told reporters. Those found to have been responsible for causing this painful tragedy will be punished in conformity with the law, he added. Lopez Obrador said Tuesday that the migrants were believed to have started the fire themselves in a protest against deportations. In the video, whose authenticity was confirmed by the government, three guards seem to hurry away leaving migrants in their cell as flames spread and smoke rapidly fills the building. El Salvador, which said some of its citizens were seriously injured, demanded the people running the facility be punished since the video showed migrants were left inside the cells without any chance of getting to safety. In Washington, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre described the video as heartbreaking and offered condolences for the tragic loss of life. She said officials from the two countries had been in contact, and raised the possibility some of the injured might be allowed to receive medical assistance in the United States. Several hundred migrants later tried to cross the frontier from Ciudad Juarez before surrendering to a US border patrol, amid rumors the United States was allowing entry on humanitarian grounds, according to an AFP reporter. We want to know Dozens of migrants spent the night outside the National Migration Institute (INM) facility in Ciudad Juarez waiting for information about their relatives and friends. We want to know if they were in there or not, said Venezuelan Gilbert Zabaleta, who was looking for two friends. The dead and 27 injured included people from Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela, El Salvador, Colombia and Ecuador, Mexican authorities said. A Honduran embassy official, Dimas Escobar, told AFP in Ciudad Juarez that some of the injured were unrecognizable, making it hard to determine their nationalities. Migrants left candles and flowers during a vigil outside the center, demanding better treatment by authorities. Migrants also held protests in Mexico City and the countrys south. Condolences poured in from abroad, including from Pope Francis. Let us pray for the migrants who died in a tragic fire in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, so that the Lord receives them in his kingdom and consoles their families, he said. United Nations chief Antonio Guterres called for a thorough investigation into the fire. US President Joe Bidens administration has been hoping to stem the record tide of migrants and asylum seekers undertaking often dangerous journeys organized by smugglers to get to the United States. About 200,000 people try to cross the border from Mexico each month, most of them fleeing poverty and violence in Central and South America. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. New Delhi: Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is likely to work out portfolio-sharing ahead of possible ministerial appointments today. According to a report in the Kathmandu Post, A meeting of the alliance on Wednesday finalised the numbers of the ministries to be led by the nine parties, according to leaders involved in the negotiations. The prime minister is said to be doing homework to present a tentative division of ministerial portfolios at Thursdays meeting, the report added. Pushpa Kamal Dahal got a vote of confidence for the second time in 70 days, this time with a different set of coalition partners. He secured 172 votes in the 275-member House of Representatives. Other 89 lawmakers voted against him whereas one abstained. Nepali Congress, CPN-Maoist Centre, Rastriya Swatantra Party, Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal, CPN-Unified Socialist, Loktantrik Samajbadi Party Nepal, Janamat Party, Nagarik Unmukti Party, Rastriya Janamorcha and Aam Janata Party voted in his favour. CPN-UML and Rastriya Prajatantra Party voted against him. Nepal Workers and Peasants Party abstained. Dahal on Sunday exuded confidence that he will comfortably win a vote of confidence in the House of Representatives. Dahal, 68, sought a vote of confidence as two parties in the seven-party alliance Rastriya Prajatantra Party and CPN-UML withdrew support to his government. They refused to endorse Prachandas proposal to back Nepali Congress leader Ramchandra Paudel for the post of president. Dahal, who was sworn in as the countrys Prime Minister in December, comfortably passed the first floor test on January 10 with 268 votes after all parties except the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party and the Rastriya Janamorcha voted in favour of the government. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Numerous notable events took place today, 30 March. Lets remember the important events that occurred on this day in the past. Following the signing of the Treaty of Fez on 30 March 1912, France established its protectorate over Morocco. British rock musician Eric Clapton was born on this day in 1945 in Ripley, Surrey in England. US President Ronald Reagan was shot and severely injured by John W. Hinckley Jr. on this day in 1981. The Queen Mother, Elizabeth, died at the age of 101 years peacefully in her sleep at Windsor Castle on 30 March 2002. A law banning smoking in employment places became effective in New York on this day in 2003. Lets take a look at the notable incidents that happened today in detail: 1912 Treaty of Fez set up the French protectorate in Morocco. After the signing of the Treaty of Fez on 30 March 1912, France established its protectorate over Morocco. However, Moroccan soldiers began a mutiny against their French commanders in Fez on 17 April 1912. General Robert Moinier declared a state of siege, and the mutiny was suppressed by French troops under his command on 19 April 1912. This resulted in the loss of lives of about 800 Moroccans, 13 French civilians, and 19 French soldiers. 1945 British rock musician Eric Clapton was born in Ripley, Surrey in England British rock musician Eric Clapton was born on this day in 1945 in Ripley, Surrey in England. He was a very influential guitarist who performed with groups like Yardbirds and Cream before he embarked on a solo career. Some of his popular albums include Slowhand (1977), Backless (1978), and Money and Cigarettes (1983). 1981 Failed attempt of assassination against US President Ronald Reagan US President Ronald Reagan was shot and severely injured by John W. Hinckley Jr. on this day in 1981. Hinckley Jr. was trying to assassinate Reagan, just two months following his inauguration as the 40th President. 2002 Elizabeth passed away in her sleep at Windsor Castle The Queen Mother, Elizabeth, died at the age of 101 years peacefully in her sleep at Windsor Castle on 30 March 2002. She was the queen consort of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1936 to 1952. 2003 A law banning smoking in employment places became effective in New York On this day in 2003, a law came into effect in New York, United States that banned smoking cigarettes in places of employment, including bars and restaurants. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Vatican City: The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the Doctrine of Discovery, the theories backed by 15th-century papal bulls that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property laws today. A Vatican statement said the papal bulls, or decrees, did not adequately reflect the equal dignity and rights of Indigenous peoples and have never been considered expressions of the Catholic faith. The statement, from the Vaticans development and education offices, marked a historic recognition of the Vaticans own complicity in colonial-era abuses committed by European powers. It was issued under historys first Latin American pontiff, who was hospitalized Thursday with a respiratory infection, exactly one year after Francis met at the Vatican with Indigenous leaders from Canada who raised the issue. On Thursday, these Indigenous leaders welcomed the statement as a first good step, even though it didnt address the rescinding of the bulls themselves and continued to take distance from acknowledging actual Vatican culpability in abuses. The statement said the papal documents had been manipulated for political purposes by competing colonial powers to justify immoral acts against Indigenous peoples that were carried out, at times, without opposition from ecclesial authorities. It said it was right to recognize these errors, acknowledge the terrible effects of colonial-era assimilation policies on Indigenous peoples and ask for their forgiveness. The statement was a response to decades of Indigenous demands for the Vatican to formally rescind the papal bulls that provided the Portuguese and Spanish kingdoms the religious backing to expand their territories in Africa and the Americas for the sake of spreading Christianity. Those decrees underpin the Doctrine of Discovery, a legal concept coined in a 1823 U.S. Supreme Court decision that has come to be understood as meaning that ownership and sovereignty over land passed to Europeans because they discovered it. It was cited as recently as a 2005 Supreme Court decision involving the Oneida Indian Nation written by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. During Pope Francis 2022 visit to Canada, where he apologized to Indigenous peoples for the residential school system that forcibly removed Native children from their homes, he was met with demands for a formal repudiation of the papal bulls. Two Indigenous women unfurled a banner at the altar of the National Shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre on July 29 that read: Rescind the Doctrine in bright red and black letters. Before that, Michelle Schenandoah of the Oneida Nation had called for the Vatican to rescind the papal bulls when she delivered the closing remarks of the First Nations delegation that met with Francis during a weeklong visit last year by Native groups from Canada. On Thursday, she called the Vatican statement another step in the right direction, but noted that it didnt mention the rescinding of the bulls themselves. I think what this does is it really puts the responsibility on nation states such as the United States, to look at its use of the Doctrine of Discovery, she said in a interview from Syracuse, New York, where she is a professor of Indigenous law at Syracuse Universitys College of Law. This goes beyond land. It really has created generation upon generation of genocidal policies directed towards Indigenous peoples. And I think that its time for these governments to take full accountability for their actions. In the statement, the Vatican said: The Catholic Church therefore repudiates those concepts that fail to recognize the inherent human rights of Indigenous peoples, including what has become known as the legal and political doctrine of discovery. Phil Fontaine, a former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations in Canada who was also part of the First Nations delegation that met with Francis at the Vatican, said the statement was wonderful, resolved an outstanding issue and now puts the matter to civil authorities to revise property laws that cite the doctrine. The church has done one thing, as it said it would do, for the Holy Father. Now the ball is in the court of governments, the United States and in Canada, but particularly in the United States where the doctrine is embedded in the law, he told The Associated Press. The Vatican offered no evidence that the three papal bulls (Dum Diversas in 1452, Romanus Pontifex in 1455 and Inter Caetera in 1493) had themselves been formally abrogated, rescinded or rejected, as Vatican officials have often said. But it cited a subsequent bull, Sublimis Deus in 1537, that reaffirmed that Indigenous peoples shouldnt be deprived of their liberty or the possession of their property, and were not to be enslaved. Cardinal Michael Czerny, the Canadian Jesuit whose office co-authored the statement, stressed that the original bulls had long ago been abrogated and that the use of the term doctrine which in this case is a legal term, not a religious one had led to centuries of confusion about the churchs role. The original bulls, he said, are being treated as if they were teaching, magisterial or doctrinal documents, and they are an ad hoc political move. And I think to solemnly repudiate an ad hoc political move is to generate more confusion than clarity. He stressed that the statement wasnt just about setting the historical record straight, but to discover, identify, analyze and try to overcome what we can only call the enduring effects of colonialism today. It was significant that the repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery came during the pontificate of historys first Latin American pope. Even before the Canadian trip, the Argentine pope had apologized to Native peoples in Bolivia in 2015 for the crimes of the colonial-era conquest of the Americas. Felix Hoehn, a property and administrative law professor at the University of Saskatchewan, said the Vatican statement would have no legal bearing on land claims in Canada today, but would have symbolic value. The most that any papal repudiation of the doctrine (or the bulls, for that matter) can do in relation to Canadian law is to apply pressure on the Supreme Court of Canada to renounce the doctrine as part of Canadian law, he said. Beyond that, though, is the hope that the statement could show that the Catholic Church wants to be an ally with Indigenous peoples as they fight for their human rights and their land, and to protect it, said the Rev. David McCallum, an American Jesuit who has worked with Indigenous peoples in the Syracuse area and was consulted during the drafting of the statement. So now for the church to not only acknowledge the damage, but also to repudiate the whole mindset of cultural superiority, of racial superiority to, in a sense, renounce that whole way of thinking and say that forever forward the church wants to be an active ally in protecting Indigenous human rights along with all human rights, I think its a big statement, he said. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Moscow: Russia has detained WSJ journalist Evan Gershkovich in Yekaterinburg for espionage. The scribe was on assignment and went missing last night. Russias State Security Service (FSB) who have detained Gershkovich said he was collecting secret information about one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex on instructions from the US. Criminal espionage charges have been opened against 32-year-old Gershkovich, who is a US citizen. The FSB halted the illegal activities of US citizen Gershkovich Eva a correspondent of the Moscow bureau of the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal, accredited with the Russian foreign ministry, suspected of spying in the interests of the American government, the security services said. If convicted of espionage, Gershkovich could face up to 20 years in prison. Earlier, local media reports suggested that the WSJ reporter was in Yekaterinburg to cover Russia-Ukraine war and the Wagner mercenary group. Most of independent journalists reporting in Russia fled the country last year after the passage of draconian censorship laws, but many foreign journalists have continued to work inside Moscow. Gershkovich has earlier worked as a reporter for Agence France-Presse (AFP) and The Moscow Times. With inputs from agencies. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Moscow: Russian Foreign Ministry called the Pentagons plan to issue playing cards with images of NATO military equipment for Ukrainian troops an element of psychological war This, unfortunately, is a sad classic of conducting informational psychological wars. They will informatively and psychologically process representatives of the armed forces of Ukraine, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in an interview with Sputnik radio. The Ukrainian authorities are allowed to conduct experiments on the countrys population, and creating playing cards is only a tiny part of those experiments, Zakharova was quoted by Anadolu agency as saying. The statement came after reports surfaced about the Pentagon planning to release a pack of playing cards depicting 52 different NATO weapons systems to help Ukrainian troops recognize the equipment supplied to them on the battlefield. According to the New York Times, the U.S. Army has come up with a new training tool seemingly designed for the conflict: a set of playing cards with pictures of 52 different NATO-made tanks, armoured personnel carriers, trucks, artillery pieces and other weapons systems, plus two jokers. The idea is to enable soldiers to quickly identify enemy equipment and distinguish the equipment from friendly forces, Maj. Andrew Harshbarger, a spokesman for the Armys Training and Doctrine Command quoted by New York Times as saying. To help forces familiarize themselves with elements of warfare over a hard-fought game of spades, hearts or poker, the Pentagon has issued similar decks in the past with images of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and others to train its personnel for military campaigns in Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries. Russian forces launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Since then, an estimated hundreds of thousands of people have been killed while millions of Ukrainians have reportedly fled and the country. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Moscow: Moscow said its foreign minister will chair a UN Security Council meeting in April, when Russia will hold the rotating presidency of the international body. Russia has repeatedly said it was confronted at the UN by the collective West that has ostracised Russia since the beginning of the Ukraine offensive. Ukraine has called for Russia to be removed from Security Council over the military operation launched in February last year. Russia last chaired the council in February 2022. Another key event of the Russian presidency (of the Security Council) will be a high-level open debate on the effective multilateralism through the defence of the principles of the UN Charter, ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a press briefing. This meeting will be chaired by Russias Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, she added. Zakharova also said Mr Lavrov was planning to lead a debate on the situation in the Middle East on April 25. Ukraine earlier criticised the upcoming change in presidency. Russian UN Security Council presidency on April 1 is a bad joke, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter. Russia has usurped its seat; its waging a colonial war; its leader is a war criminal wanted by the ICC for kidnapping children, Kuleba said. The presidency rotates every month between the 15 member states. Russia would hold little influence on the decisions but would be in charge of setting the agenda of the international body. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Moscow: South Africa has extended its support to the Russian initiative to create a BRICS Geological Platform for data sharing to enable member countries to exchange data on their mineral reserves and extraction technologies, Head of the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources Alexander Kozlov said during a meeting of the intergovernmental commission of the two countries. The creation of this mechanism will allow for the development of cooperation in the field of geology by holding professional discussions on key issues of the industry, will give impetus to the development of mining technologies, the ongoing exchange of knowledge and experience, and will ensure the launch and implementation of joint programs and projects both bilaterally and on a multilateral basis, Kozlov was quoted by Interfax as saying. The minister on Tuesday said that the platform will strengthen the cooperation of the geological services of the BRICS countries: Russia, China, Brazil, India and South Africa. We will all receive data on each others mineral reserves and mining technologies. This is important because the demand for the mineral resources of the new economy is growing by leaps and bounds: platinum, copper, aluminium, nickel, lithium, cobalt and rare earth metals. We all need exploration of new territories, taking into account the experience, technology and knowledge of each other, the minister had said on Tuesday. Russia has proposed to start preparing a joint memorandum on cooperation amongst the heads of geological departments of the BRICS member countries, and then proceed to the development and approval of a comprehensive cooperation program that includes specific areas of joint activities and projects. BRICS, an economic bloc that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, was formed on June 16, 2009. South Africa joined BRICS in December 2010. The Hague: The International Court of Justice on Thursday rejected Irans bid to unblock nearly $2 billion in central bank assets frozen by the United States, but ruled Washington had illegally seized some other funds. Judges at the UNs top court said Washington had violated the rights of several Iranian individuals and companies and must compensate them, yet ruled they had no jurisdiction over the bank case, which involved a much larger amount. The arch-foes both claimed the ICJ verdict as a win. Tehran said the decision underlined the illegal behaviour of the United States, as Washington hailed it as a major victory. Iran dragged the United States to the Hague in 2016 after the US Supreme Court that year ruled the assets should be paid to victims of attacks blamed on Tehran, including the 1983 bombing of a US Marine barracks in Beirut. The court by ten votes to five upholds the objection to jurisdiction raised by the United States of America on the central bank issue, ICJ judge Kirill Gevorgian said as he read out the 66-page ruling. The contentious judgement comes amid tensions over recent US strikes on Iran-linked groups in Syria, plus Tehrans nuclear programme and its support for Russias war in Ukraine. Unreasonable Tehran, which denies responsibility for the terror attacks alleged by Washington, argued the freezing of funds breached the 1955 Treaty of Amity between the United States and Iran. The deal was signed long before the 1979 Islamic revolution that overthrew the pro-US shah and severed ties with the United States. Iran had called for the return of $1.75 billion belonging to Irans Central Bank, or Bank Markazi, plus interest, along with assets belonging to Iranian nationals and companies. The US Supreme Court had ruled that the funds should go to families and survivors of the 1983 Beirut bombing which killed 299 people including 241 US soldiers, the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia which killed 19 people, and other attacks. On the main issue, the ICJ ruled there was no case to answer on the matter of the Iranian central bank. It said the bank did not count as a company, as Tehran had argued, and that only companies were protected under the decades-old treaty. But ICJ judges said Washington had violated its obligations under the decades-old US-Iranian treaty, including that it had been unreasonable in recognising the legal status of some Iranian firms. Iran is entitled to compensation for the injury caused, the court said. It gave the United States and Iran 24 months to agree on an amount for the payout otherwise it would do so itself. Major victory ICJ rulings are binding and cannot be appealed but have no enforcement powers. The verdict shows once again the legitimacy of Irans positions and the illegal behaviour of the United States, Tehrans foreign ministry said in a statement Acting legal adviser Rich Visek of the US State Department said the court had rejected the vast majority of Irans case. This is a major victory for the United States and victims of Irans state-sponsored terrorism, he said. The United States formally withdrew from the Treaty of Amity in 2018 after the ICJ, in a separate case, ordered Washington to lift nuclear-related sanctions on humanitarian goods for Iran. The frozen assets judgement comes against a backdrop of growing tensions. Tehran recently condemned US air strikes on Iran-linked forces in Syria that reportedly killed 19 people, which Washington said it carried out following a deadly drone attack on US forces on Thursday. Talks have meanwhile long been deadlocked on reviving a landmark 2015 multinational accord on Irans nuclear activity that the US pulled out of in 2018. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The Hague (Netherlands): The United Nations highest court is set to rule Thursday in a case filed by Iran against the United States over frozen Iranian assets worth some $2 billion that the U.S. Supreme Court awarded to victims of a 1983 bombing in Lebanon and other attacks linked to Tehran. At hearings last year, U.S. lawyers urged the International Court of Justice to reject the claim. Iran cast the asset freeze as an attempt to destabilize the Tehran government and violate international law. Iran took its claim to the world court in 2016 after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that money belonging to Irans central bank could be used as compensation for the 241 American troops who died in the 1983 bombing, which was believed to be linked to Tehran. At stake are $1.75 billion in bonds, plus accumulated interest, belonging to the Iranian state but held in a Citibank account in New York. After the bombing of a U.S. military base in Lebanon, a second blast nearby killed 58 French soldiers. Iran has denied involvement, but a U.S. District Court judge found Tehran responsible in 2003. The judges ruling said Irans ambassador to Syria at the time called a member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and instructed him to instigate the Marine barracks bombing. At last years hearings, U.S. legal team leader Richard Visek told judges they should invoke, for the first time, a legal principle known as unclean hands, under which a nation cant bring a case because of its own criminal actions linked to the case. The essence of this threshold defence is that Irans egregious conduct, its sponsorship of terrorist acts directed against the United States and U.S. nationals, lies at the core of its claims, Visek told the court. In the case it took to the Hague-based International Court of Justice, Iran argued the asset freeze was a breach of the 1955 Treaty of Amity, which promised friendship and cooperation between the two countries. The U.S. and Iran have had no diplomatic relations since militant students took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979. Visek argued the frozen assets were state holdings not covered by the treaty, which Washington terminated in 2018 in response to an order by the International Court of Justice in a separate case to lift some sanctions against Iran. The courts judgments are final and legally binding. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Ankara: Turkey on Thursday became the final NATO nation to ratify Finlands membership of the US-led defence alliance in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine. Lawmakers unanimously backed the Nordic countrys accession two weeks after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan publicly blessed the bid. I welcome the vote of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey to complete the ratification of Finlands accession, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg tweeted moments after the vote. This will make the whole NATO family stronger and safer. I welcome the vote of the Grand National Assembly of #Turkiye to complete the ratification of #Finlands accession. This will make the whole #NATO family stronger & safer. Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) March 30, 2023 Turkeys approval leaves Finland which has a 1,300-kilometre (800-mile) border with Russia with only a few technical steps before it becomes the 31st member of the worlds most powerful military bloc. Officials expect the process to be completed as early as next week. Finland and its neighbour Sweden ended decades of military non-alignment and decided to join NATO last May. Their applications were accepted at a June alliance summit that was designed to show the Western worlds desire to stand up to Russia in the face of Europes most grave conflict since World War II. But the bids still needed to be ratified by all the members parliaments a process that stalled with Turkey and Hungary. Ample grievances Erdogan put up stiff resistance to Swedens candidacy because of a series of long-standing disputes. He first signalled his more supportive stance on Finlands membership in January a position that forced the Nordic neighbours to bow to the diplomatic pressure and break up their bids so that both applications were not delayed. The Hungarian parliament ratified Finlands NATO membership on Monday. It was expected to approve Swedens accession during the current session ending June 15. But a spokesman for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Wednesday called on Sweden to clear the air and address an ample amount of grievances for the vote to go ahead. Sweden has upset Orban one of Europes closest allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin by expressing alarm over the rule of law in Hungary. It has also angered Turkey by refusing to extradite dozens of suspects that Erdogan links to a failed 2016 coup attempt and a decades-long Kurdish fight for an independent state. Stockholm still hopes to join the alliance in time for a July summit in Vilnius. Most analysts believe that Turkey will only vote on Swedens candidacy after the countrys May general election. Legitimate target NATO was created as a counterweight to the Soviet Union at the onset of the Cold War era that began immediately after the Allies defeated Nazi Germany. The bloc has gone through waves of expansion that brought it ever closer to Russias borders. NATOs reach into east and south European countries that were once under Moscows effective control infuriated the Kremlin and created growing strains in its relations with Washington. Putin cited the threat of NATO expanding into Ukraine as one of his main reasons for launching the war 13 months ago. But the conflict has had the opposite geopolitical effect from the one envisioned by Putin. Ukraine is now receiving tanks and other heavy weapons from NATO members that it hopes to use in a new counter-offensive planned for the coming weeks or months. Finland never seriously discussed NATO membership until Putin went to war. The Kremlin at first appeared to play down the significance of the bloc reaching a new stretch of Russias northwestern frontier. But Russia has stepped up its diplomatic rhetoric in recent weeks. Stockholm this week summoned the Russian ambassador after he said Sweden and Finland would become a legitimate target of retaliatory measures including military ones if they join NATO. Putin last weekend also announced plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in neighbouring Belarus. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. New Delhi: Turkeys parliament will vote to approve Finlands membership in NATO on Thursday. According to a report in Bloomberg, The bill backed by Erdogan was earlier assessed by a subcommittee of the Turkish parliament and will be approved with a vote at the general assembly. Hungarian parliament approves Finlands NATO membership Meanwhile, the Hungarian parliament, dominated by Prime Minister Viktor Orbans right-wing Fidesz party, ratified Finlands NATO membership Monday after months of diplomatically charged delay. A large majority of lawmakers 182 votes for versus six against approved the accession of the Nordic country into the military alliance. The vote means that 29 out of 30 NATO member state parliaments have ratified Finlands accession, with the last Turkeys assembly expected to also give Helsinki the nod next month. NATOs expansion into Finland a country with a 1,340-kilometre (830-mile) border with Russia will roughly double the length of the blocs current frontier with its Cold War-era foe. Finland had initially aimed to join together with fellow NATO aspirant Sweden a Nordic power facing a litany of disputes with Turkey that ultimately sunk its chance to join the bloc before an alliance summit in July. Helsinki and Stockholm ended decades of military non-alignment and decided to join the worlds most powerful defence alliance in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine. Their applications were accepted at a June 2022 NATO summit but the bids still needed to be ratified by all alliance member parliaments a process that stalled once it reached Turkey and Hungary. The nationalist Orban, who nursed close relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin until the invasion, said in December that the ratification process would begin in February. Budapest insisted that it supports both Nordic nations NATO accession but complained that they had unfairly criticised Hungarian government policy. EU member Hungary is also in talks with Brussels to unlock billions of euros in bloc funding held up over rule-of-law and corruption concerns. The Hungarian opposition accused Orbans party of trying to put pressure on the bloc by refusing to put the issue on parliaments agenda for a vote. The Finland vote delay served the interests of Putin, said an opposition party leader, Ferenc Gerencser, before Mondays vote. Fidesz said it will decide about backing Swedens admission to the military alliance at a later date. Last week, Orbans chief-of-staff Gergely Gulyas told reporters the Swedish bid will likely be ratified during the ongoing parliamentary session which runs until June 15. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is calling for Stockholm to take tougher action against Kurdish activists Ankara considers terrorists. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Kampala: Ugandan President Yoweri Musevenis mercurial son declared on Thursday that his country would send troops to defend Moscow if it came under threat. Call me a Putinist if you will, but we, Uganda shall send soldiers to defend Moscow if its ever threatened by the Imperialists! Muhoozi Kainerugaba said on Twitter. The West is wasting its time with its useless pro-Ukraine propaganda, added the outspoken general, a fervent supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kainerugaba, who is notorious for his often erratic Twitter outbursts on all manner of issues, earlier this month announced that he plans to run for president in 2026 elections. He also announced Thursday the creation of a television and radio station under his MK brand, headed by a former special forces spokesman, and said one of the first places it would visit would be Russia. As a serving military officer, Kainerugaba is banned under Ugandas constitution from making unauthorised statements about sovereign states or foreign policy. Uganda has abstained during UN votes on the conflict, including one last month marking the one-anniversary of the war that called for Moscow to immediately and unconditionally withdraw its troops. Museveni has also in the past defended his countrys ties with the Kremlin. How can we be against somebody who has never harmed us, he said during a tour of Africa by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in July last year to drum up support for Moscow over the war. Russia has traditionally strong ties with Africa after lending support to independence movements on the continent that fought to oust colonial rulers. Observers have long believed that Kainerugaba was being groomed to succeed his 78-year-old father, who has ruled Uganda since 1986. Some of his Twitter tirades have however caused foreign policy problems for Uganda. Following a row last year over a tweet threatening to invade Kenya, Museveni had sought to rein in his wayward son by telling him to stay off Twitter when it comes to affairs of state. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. London: Despite assurances earlier this month that such demands would stop, an Afghan who worked with the British Council in Afghanistan and is now seeking to immigrate to the UK has been told to get permission from the Taliban or risk being rejected. As per reports, on March 18 the Ministry of Defence had to issue a public apology after being exposed for asking applicants to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) for birth and marriage certificates in English and bearing stamps from Afghan government agencies But ten days later, the government is requesting documents signed by the Taliban-led government from applicants to another government programme for Afghans who had cooperated with UK law enforcement or military troops. In order to be eligible to immigrate to the UK under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), a claimant who was compelled to flee Afghanistan out of fear of retaliation was informed that they needed to obtain passports, birth certificates, and marriage certificates that had been attested to by local authorities. In an email to a potential applicant, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) states that the marriage certificate should clearly be stamped by the local authorities. Insisting that the email does not reflect its policies, the FCDO intends to get in touch with the recipient to clarify the process. It comes amid growing worries that Rishi Sunaks administration has broken pledges made by Boris Johnson to aid Afghans who cooperated with the UK in Afghanistan. The government stated on Tuesday that starting in April, Afghans who have been confined to crowded hotels may be given three months notice and may be compelled to register as homeless. The matter came to light after it was brought up by an ACRS applicant who worked as a contractor for the British Council in Afghanistan with a Liberal Democrat MP. Their initial application for entry into the UK under the Arap programme was denied until August 2021, when western countries withdrew from Afghanistan and left Kabul to the Taliban. They were told they must apply under the ACRS scheme after several months of waiting, and they have since gotten initial approval. They have been asked to provide a marriage certificate that has been attested by the Taliban, the local authorities, as part of the verification procedure. These are incredibly brave individuals who took a huge danger to assist us. Due to legislative ignorance and departmental ineptitude, we are currently abandoning them, said Lib Dem MP Wera Hobhouse. The government established the Arap scheme in April 2021, just before the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, and ACRS in January 2022, both of which it claims will enable up to 20,000 refugees to settle in the UK. According to the government, as of December 2022, more than 24,000 Afghans had landed in the UK. More than 21,000 of them have been relocated through resettlement programmes. After the UK and the US withdrew from Kabul, Operation Warm Welcome was established in August 2021 to support the complete integration of Afghans into British society. We will never forget the brave sacrifice made by Afghans who chose to work with us at great risk to themselves, said Johnson, the prime minister at the time. According to a spokesperson for the UK government, this statement does not represent departmental policy. We only ask that Afghans who are qualified for resettlement under the ACRS provide the documentation that they are able to; we dont expect them to provide all of it. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Kyiv: Ukraine struck a railway depot and knocked out power in the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol deep behind the front line on Wednesday amid growing talk from Kyiv of a counterassault against Russian forces worn out by a failed winter offensive. Unverified images on the internet showed explosions lighting up the night sky with streaks of contrails in Melitopol, base of the Russian-controlled administration in Zaporizhzhia, one of five Ukrainian provinces Russia claims to have annexed. Ukraines exiled mayor of the city confirmed there were explosions there. Russias state TASS news agency, citing Moscow-installed officials, said a railway depot was damaged and power knocked out to the city and nearby villages. Melitopol, with a pre-war population of around 150,000, is a railway logisitics hub for Russian forces in southern Ukraine and part of the land bridge linking Russia to the Crimea peninsula. There was no public information about the weapons Ukraine might have used for the strike. The city is at the far edge of the range of Ukraines HIMARS rockets and within reach of newer weapons it is said to be deploying, including air-launched JDAM bombs and ground-launched GLSDB munitions promised by the United States. Russia said it shot down a GLSDB on Tuesday, the first time it has reported doing so. The strike could hamper Moscows rear logistics at a time when Kyiv has suggested it could soon mount a counterattack against Russian forces who have secured no big victories in a months-long offensive despite the wars bloodiest fighting. Melitopol is south of the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, visited on Wednesday by U.N. nuclear agency chief Rafael Grossi, who repeated calls for a safe zone there, saying the situation had not improved and fighting nearby had worsened. Ukrainian forces have stuck mainly to the defensive since their last big advance nearly five months ago. In that time, Moscow has launched a winter assault using hundreds of thousands of reservists and tens of thousands of convicts recruited from prisons for its Wagner private army. But as the winter turns to spring, questions hover over how much longer the Russians can sustain their offensive and when the Ukrainians will strike back. There are clear signs the Russian assault is flagging. The average number of daily Russian attacks on the front line reported by Ukraines general staff has declined for four straight weeks since the start of March, to 69 in the past seven days from 124 in the week of March 1-7. Just 57 attacks were reported on Wednesday. Reuters journalists near the front lines west of Bakhmut and further north also reported a notable decline in the intensity of Russian attacks last week. A sense of anticipation ahead of the counteroffensive is building inside Ukraine. On Wednesday, Oleksiy Honcharenko, a lawmaker, posted a video on social media of dozens of manned Ukrainian fighting vehicles with their engines running in a large open field. Reuters could not immediately verify the authenticity of the video or when it was filmed. The Russians have made no significant gains despite huge casualties on both sides, and Ukrainian and Western officials say they suspect the Russian attacking force will soon be spent. Russian officials say their forces are still capturing ground in street-by-street fighting inside Bakhmut, the small eastern city that has been their main target for months. But they have failed so far to encircle it and force the Ukrainians to withdraw, as had seemed likely weeks ago. The battle for Bakhmut today has already practically destroyed the Ukrainian army, and unfortunately, it has also badly damaged the Wagner Private Military Company, Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin said in an audio message. British military intelligence said on Wednesday the Ukrainians had successfully pushed the Russians back from the main supply route to Bakhmut and Russian assaults in the city were lessening. This past week Moscow also unleashed a new attack on Avdiivka, a smaller city further south. Britain said that too had failed to make gains, while leading to huge losses in Russian armour. The week has also seen the arrival of the first full units of Western main battle tanks for Kyiv, promised two months ago to serve as the spearhead of a counteroffensive when warmer weather dries Ukraines notorious sucking black mud. In an apparent response, Russias RIA news agency reported that Moscow had sent its troops hundreds of new and refurbished tanks of its own. In Kyiv, hundreds of worshippers from an historically Moscow-aligned minority branch of the Orthodox Church gathered at a thousand-year-old monastery on Wednesday for what could be their last service there before they are evicted. The group, known as the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, officially broke with Moscow only last year after the invasion, and has been accused by the Kyiv authorities of harbouring Russian agents, which it denies. Most Ukrainian believers follow the separate Orthodox Church of Ukraine, formed of branches that broke with Moscow years ago. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Wednesday that a plan announced this week to deploy tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of ally Belarus would force NATO to assess the seriousness of the situation. Moscow has repeatedly pointed to the threat that the war could turn nuclear, which Western governments largely dismiss as an attempt to intimidate them into rolling back military aid for Kyiv. U.S. President Joe Biden called the prospect worrisome, though Washington has said it has not seen any indications Russia was closer to using tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine. In Moscows latest brandishment of its nuclear strike capability, Russias defence ministry said on Wednesday it had begun exercises with its Yars intercontinental ballistic missile system, involving several thousand troops. Ryabkov said Russia, which suspended participation last month in its last arms control treaty with the United States, was no longer providing Washington any data about nuclear activities. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Brussels: EU chief Ursula von der Leyen warned China Thursday its approach to Russias war in Ukraine would determine ties, but said Europe was not looking to decouple from Beijing. The European Commission head will accompany French President Emmanuel Macron to Beijing next week as EU leaders reach out to Chinas Xi Jinping. The visit and another by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez starting Thursday comes after Xi staged a show of solidarity with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow last week. Far from being put off by the atrocious and illegal invasion of Ukraine, President Xi is maintaining his no limits friendship with Putins Russia, von der Leyen said during a speech. China has tried to position itself as a neutral mediator and pitched what it describes as a plan to help end the fighting. But it has refused to condemn Moscows war and there have been warnings from the West against any potential moves to send Russia arms. Von der Leyen said any viable peace plan needed to be on Ukraines terms and should not consolidate the Kremlins grip over territorities it has seized. We have to be frank on this point. How China continues to interact with Putins war will be a determining factor for EU-China relations going forward, she said. The EU is seeking to define its own approach to Beijing as the United States pushes its European allies to join its tougher stand against China. Larger economic powers in Europe such as France and Germany are keen not to sever business ties, while more hawkish eastern members are pushing a stronger line. New world order? Von der Leyen said it was clear China under Xi was becoming more repressive at home and more assertive abroad. Beijings clear goal is a systemic change of the international order with China at its centre, she said. But she insisted that it is vitally important that we ensure diplomatic stability and open communication lines with China. I believe it is neither viable nor in Europes interest to decouple from China, she said. We do not want to cut economic, societal, political and scientific ties. The head of the EUs executive arm stressed that we will never be shy in raising the deeply concerning issues with Beijing. But I believe we must leave space for a discussion on a more ambitious partnership and on how we can make competition fairer and more disciplined, she said. Von der Leyen said that on trade, the EU was looking to rebalance its relationship on the basis of transparency, predictability and reciprocity. That included reassessing a landmark investment agreement that has remained stuck due to a stand-off over human rights sanctions. The EU is already looking to lessen its reliance on China for key minerals such as lithium needed for greener tech. Von der Leyen said the bloc was mulling the need for new defensive tools in sensitive sectors such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing and robotics. The EU executive will put forward later in the year initial ideas on possible curbs on investments in China that could help bolster Beijings military might, she said. We need to ensure that our companies capital, expertise, and knowledge are not used to enhance the military and intelligence capabilities of those who are also systemic rivals, she said. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. United Nations: The UN Security Council on Wednesday strongly condemned violence perpetrated by armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo, demanding that the militias immediately and permanently disband. The statement of the bodys presidency was adopted only weeks after a Security Council delegation visited DRC, where they met with officials in the capital Kinshasa before visiting the conflict-torn North Kivu province. The Security Council strongly condemns the continuing violence and abuses of human rights by all armed groups, including summary executions, sexual and gender-based violence and large-scale recruitment and use of children, the statement said. The UN body also demands that all members of armed groups immediately and permanently disband, lay down their arms and release children from their ranks. The Council targeted in particular the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels, whose attacks have increased in recent months in North Kivu, which borders Rwanda. The statement also strongly condemned the M23s advances, saying they are worsening security and stability in the region and further exacerbating an extreme humanitarian situation. It demanded the end of any further advances by the M23 and its withdrawal from all occupied areas. The Tutsi-led rebel group has seized swathes of territory and advanced close to the regional hub of Goma, prompting the seven-nation East African Community (EAC) to authorize the deployment of a military force last November. Kinshasa, independent UN experts and several Western governments say the M23 rebels are backed by Rwanda eyeing the natural resources across the border, a claim denied by Kigali. The Security Council said it demands that all external parties immediately cease their support to M23. Bintou Keita, the head of the UN mission in DRC, said at the Council meeting on Wednesday that the countrys already immense humanitarian needs continue to increase. This humanitarian crisis remains one of the most neglected in the world, she said, calling for complete funding of $2.3 billion for the UNs 2023 humanitarian plan for the DRC. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Washington: US State Department Secretary Antony Blinken on Thursday requested the Americans living in Russia to leave the country immediately, after the reporter was arrested in Moscow. Taking to Twitter, Blinken said, We are deeply concerned over Russias announcement it has detained a US citizen journalist. The @StateDepts highest priority is the safety and security of US citizens abroad. If you are a US citizen living or travelling in Russia please leave immediately. We are deeply concerned over Russias announcement it has detained a U.S. citizen journalist. The @StateDepts highest priority is the safety and security of U.S. citizens abroad. If you are a U.S. citizen living or traveling in Russia please leave immediately. Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) March 30, 2023 These remarks came after an American reporter for Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Evann Gershkovich was arrested in Russia on espionage charges, according to Al-Jazeera. In a statement, Blinken said, We are deeply concerned over Russias widely-reported detention of a US citizen journalist. We are in contact with the Wall Street Journal on this situation. Whenever a US citizen is detained abroad, we immediately seek consular access, and seek to provide all appropriate support. In the strongest possible terms, we condemn the Kremlins continued attempts to intimidate, repress, and punish journalists and civil society voices, the statement added. Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also expressed concern over the arrest of Evan Gershkovich in Russia. She also stated that last night, White House and State Department Officials spoke with Gershkovichs employer, the Wall Street Journal. The Administration has also been in contact with his family. Furthermore, the State Department has been in direct touch with the Russian government on this matter, including actively working to secure consular access to Gershkovich, the press secretary said in a tweet. The targeting of American citizens by the Russian government is unacceptable. We condemn the detention of Gershkovich in the strongest terms. We also condemn the Russian governments continued targeting and repression of journalists and freedom of the press, she added. She also stated that the US government should heed the warning to not travel to Russia. US citizens residing or travelling in Russia should depart immediately, as the State Department continues to advise, Pierre tweeted. WSJ in a statement said, The Wall Street Journal is deeply concerned for the safety of Gershkovich. The Federal Security Service (FSB), a top KGB successor agency, said that the WSJ reporter was detained from the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg while he allegedly tried to obtain classified information. In a statement, the FSB said, Gershkovich acting on the instructions of the American side, collected information constituting a state secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex, read a WSJ report. The FSB has also alleged that Gershkovich was collecting classified information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex that constitutes a state secret, according to Al-Jazeera. The local media stated that he was covering the war in Ukraine and the Wagner mercenary group before getting detained. The mention of the date of arrest was not there in its statement, however, Gershkovich could be imprisoned for about 20 years if he gets convicted of espionage. Ever since the Cold War, he is the first journalist from an American news organisation to be detained in Russia on suspicion of espionage, and his detention comes at a time of intense international concern due to the conflict in Ukraine, according to Al-Jazeera. Gershkovich covers Russia and Ukraine and was duly accredited as a journalist as a correspondent for the Wall Street Journals Moscow office. His most recent assessment, which was released last week, concentrated on the stagnation of the Russian economy in the face of Western sanctions. The Wall Street Journal hired Gershkovich, 31, who was formerly employed by AFP in Moscow. Before, he worked as a reporter for The Moscow Times, according to his bio in Wall Street Journal. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen arrived in New York Wednesday for a visit that has triggered threats of reprisal by China if she meets with House speaker Kevin McCarthy and US warnings for Beijing not to overreact. Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen has arrived in New York on a visit that has triggered threats of reprisal by China if she meets with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy https://t.co/Dp5GkQCj6E pic.twitter.com/OD3hI2J1pL AFP News Agency (@AFP) March 30, 2023 Tsai is stopping over in the United States en route to Central America, where she will meet with the leaders of Guatemala and Belize to shore up ties with those diplomatic allies. On her way back to Taiwan she will stop in California, where McCarthy had said he would meet her. China claims the democratic island as part of its territory to be retaken one day and, under its "One China" principle, no country may maintain official ties with both Beijing and Taipei. Beijing warned Wednesday that it was vehemently opposed to any meeting between Tsai and McCarthy and vowed to take "resolute measures to fight back" if it goes ahead. The United States responded by saying China should not use Tsai's stopover as a pretext to act aggressively around the Taiwan Strait. Tsai was seen arriving at her hotel in New York, where dozens of pro-Beijing demonstrators waving China's red flag gathered boisterously while nearby a similarly sized group of pro-Taiwan people cheered and waved their banner and the US stars and stripes. Xu Xueyuan, the charge d'affaires at the Chinese embassy in Washington, said she had spoken directly to US officials numerous times and warned them that Tsai's trip would violate China's core interests. "We urge the US side not to repeat playing with fire on the Taiwan question," she told reporters, alluding among other things to last year's visit to Taiwan by then House speaker Nancy Pelosi. Tsai's trip follows Honduras's decision this month to open diplomatic relations with Beijing, leaving Belize and Guatemala among just 13 countries that have official ties with Taipei. After first visiting New York, Tsai will meet her Guatemalan counterpart Alejandro Giammattei and Belize Prime Minister John Briceno in their respective countries, her office said. She will then stop in Los Angeles on her way home. McCarthy has said he will meet Tsai in his home state, although the talks are yet to be confirmed by Taiwanese authorities. Pelosi's visit triggered an angry response from Beijing, with the Chinese military conducting drills at an unprecedented scale around the island. Official vs unofficial ties Analysts say the US stopover comes at a key time, with Beijing having ramped up military, economic and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan since Tsai came to power in 2016, poaching nine of its diplomatic allies. "Beijing's attempts to poach Taiwan's diplomatic partners will lead to Taiwan developing closer ties with the United States," said James Lee, a researcher on US-Taiwan relations at Academia Sinica. The United States remains Taiwan's most important ally -- and its biggest arms supplier -- despite switching its diplomatic recognition to Beijing in 1979. "The loss of official relations with third countries will be offset by a deepening of Taiwan's unofficial relations," Lee said. Recent visits by a Czech delegation and a German minister were met with rebukes from Beijing. One of Tsai's most prominent domestic opponents, ex-president Ma Ying-jeou, was in China on Wednesday, the first such trip by a former Taiwanese leader. Diplomatic battleground China has increased investment in Latin America, a key diplomatic battleground between Taipei and Beijing since the two sides split in 1949 after a civil war. Taiwan accused China on Sunday of using "coercion and intimidation" to lure away its allies after Honduran Foreign Minister Enrique Reina and his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang officially launched relations in Beijing. Honduras, one of the poorest countries in the region, made the switch due to economic necessity, Reina had said earlier. The move continued a trend in Latin America, with Nicaragua, El Salvador, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica all switching diplomatic recognition to Beijing in recent years. In addition to Guatemala and Belize, Taiwan still has official ties with a handful of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Paraguay and Haiti. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Think that Tyrannosaurus rex was the largest dinosaur to have ever roamed the surface of the earth? Well, Londons Natural History Museum is now displaying the remains of the largest dinosaur ever discovered, and no, it isnt the T-Rex. People have always been fascinated by dinosaurs, mainly thanks to the Jurassic Park movies. However, because most people learnt about dinosaurs from a series of films released over 20 or so odd years ago, their knowledge of dinosaurs is very limited, unless of course, they are into palaeontology in some way. Also read: Explained: The special bones that allowed dinosaurs to fly Meet the titan Patagotitan mayorum The Natural History Museums new dinosaur is the heaviest mammal ever to roam our world, weighing 57 tonnes and extending 121 feet from head to tail. The sheer size of this titanosaur, named Patagotitan mayorum, makes other prehistoric species look puny. That necessitated meticulous planning by museum specialists, who could only just accommodate the replica skeleton inside their huge 30ft-high Waterhouse Gallery. The species was discovered in 2010 by an Argentine farmer who discovered a massive dinosaur bone sticking out of the arid ground. It turned out to be a femur or the main bone from the thigh. The femur from the Patagotitan measures nearly 8ft long and weighs around 500 kilogrammes on its own. Approximately 280 bones from six Patagotitan people were gathered and merged to form a nearly complete skeleton. Argentinas experts used 3D scanners to create a digital duplicate before making a life-sized version out of polyester resin and fibreglass. Also read: Toys for the rich: Do multimillion-dollar dinosaur auctions erode trust in science? The valuable cargo was transported in 32 boxes and two aircraft to the Natural History Museum, where it will now make its European premiere. Setting up the display When it walked the Earth 101 million years ago, a real-life Patagotitan would have weighted the equal of nine African elephants, but its replica skeleton is only a fraction of the weight. At 2.67 tonnes, however, extreme caution was still required when setting up the display. Professor Paul Barrett, the museums chief dinosaur expert, explained, Its so big, we had to reinforce the floor. Part of the discussion about how it fits in the area revolved around where to place it in relation to the strongest sections of the floor. In an exhibition, the centrepiece is typically the last item that goes in, but we had to put this first and then construct everything around it, said Barrett But its just amazing, utterly stunning, she says. Im used to seeing big dinosaur bones, but seeing this is a real, breathtaking experience for me. she added Its the biggest dinosaur ever on exhibit here, says the curator. And not just any dinosaur, but one of the candidates for the title of largest animal ever to exist. The display also includes the original Patagotitan femur bone, a fossilised egg, and even fossilised faeces, all of which help viewers comprehend what life was like for the worlds largest dinosaur. A close-up of one of the tailbones shows a deep scrape caused by a sharp tooth cutting through the titanosaurs skin and into the tailbone. Scientists are unsure whether this gouge was made during an assault by a predator most likely a big carnivorous beast called Tyrannotitan or by a scavenger after it perished. Life of a Patagotitan Being such a massive beast necessitated a massive food, and Patagotitans consumed 129kg of rough, spiky vegetation every day, the equal of 516 round lettuces. Experts think this ancient beast filled its cavernous maw before gulping down leaves whole because animals that chewed their food could not have such a lengthy neck. Also read: Dinosaur species were already in decline much before meteor strike, says study Throughout the exhibition, we explore how these relatively unknown dinosaurs were able to exist at such an astonishing size, and we hope visitors will revel in the childlike delight that comes with standing next to a creature like Patagotitan, said Dr Alex Burch, Director of Public Programmes at the museum. To see it is to be humbled by the natural worlds overwhelming grandeur and dynamism, he added. The museums curators hope that the display will inspire people to safeguard the worlds largest animals. There is nothing that comes close to Patagotitan roaming the Earth today, so in this instance, seeing is believing, Dr Doug Gurr, Director of the Natural History Museum. From elephants and rhinoceros to blue whales, the big creatures we share the world with today continue to play important ecological roles, but they are increasingly at risk of extinction due to habitat loss and other catastrophic human effects, he added. The show will be available to the public from March 31, 2023 to January 20, 2024. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. On March 28, 2023, President Xi Jinping had a phone call with Saudi Arabias Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud. Xi Jinping asked Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud to convey his best wishes and Ramadan greetings to King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Xi Jinping noted that at present, China-Saudi Arabia relations are at their best in history. At the end of last year, Xi Jinping paid a successful state visit to Saudi Arabia. The two sides successfully held the first China-Arab States Summit and the China-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit in Riyadh, which vigorously promoted the development of China-Saudi Arabia relations, boosted Chinas relationship with the GCC and Arab states, and had a positive impact on the situation in the Middle East. China is ready to work with Saudi Arabia to ensure the implementation of the outcomes of the two summits and President Xis state visit to Saudi Arabia, continue to firmly support each other on issues involving their respective core interests, expand practical cooperation and people-to-people and cultural exchanges, strive for greater development of the China-Saudi Arabia comprehensive strategic partnership, make all-out efforts to build a China-Arab community with a shared future in the new era, and contribute more to peace, stability and development in the Middle East. Xi Jinping pointed out that recently, with the joint efforts of China, Saudi Arabia and Iran, the Saudi Arabia-Iran talks in Beijing were successfully held and achieved significant results. It has helped to improve relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and played a major exemplary role in enhancing regional unity and cooperation and easing regional tensions, which has been widely praised by the international community. Recently, there has been a significant increase in the momentum of easing relations among countries in the region, which fully attests that resolving disputes and differences through dialogue and consultation follows the aspirations of the people, and serves the trend of the times and the interests of all countries. Xi Jinping expressed his hope that Saudi Arabia and Iran will uphold the spirit of good-neighborliness and friendship and continuously improve their relations on the basis of the results of their talks in Beijing. China will continue to support the follow-up process of the Saudi Arabia-Iran talks. Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud conveyed King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Sauds greetings to Xi Jinping and once again extended warm congratulations on Xi Jinpings reelection as President of China. Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud said that Saudi Arabia sincerely appreciates Chinas strong support in improving relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which fully demonstrates Chinas role as a responsible major country. Saudi Arabia highly appreciates Chinas increasingly important and constructive role in regional and international affairs. China is an important cooperative partner of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia attaches great importance to developing its relations with China, and stands ready to work with China to open up new prospects for bilateral cooperation. Back in October 2022, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) fined Google Rs 1,337 crore for abusing its dominant market position in the Android ecosystem. Regarding the same, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has now ordered Google to pay the fine within 30 days. The Central Governments tribunal, the NCLAT, had previously denied Googles request for interim relief. The company appealed to the Supreme Court, but that court, too, ruled against it. However, the highest court asked the NCLAT to issue a ruling on the case by March 31. Today, the CCI order issued on October 20, 2022, was modified by the NCLAT bench presided over by Justice Ashok Bhushan and including Member Alok Shrivastava. However, the NCLAT has provided Google with some relief by overturning four of the CCIs overall directions. NCLATs modified directions to Google The body has decided that Googles requirement that OEMs pre-install apps constitutes an abuse of Googles dominant position. It has also ruled that there was no breach of natural justice and that the CCIs decision was not compromised by the absence of a judicial member. The pre-installation of all of Googles Mobile Services (GMS) on Android devices was also ruled to be an unfair business practice. The NCLAT held that, The Appellant by making pre-installation of GMS suite conditional to signing of AFA/ACC for all Android devices manufacturers, has reduced the ability and incentive of devices manufacturers to develop and sell self-device operating or alternative version of Android and Android Forks and thereby limited technical and scientific development, which is breach of provisions of Section 4(2)(b)(ii) of the Act. The NCLAT has reversed several orders issued by the CCI, including the order requiring Google to permit access to its Play Store API, the order requiring Google to permit the removal of pre-installed apps, permit other app stores on the Play Store, and the order requiring Google to permit side-loading of apps by other app developers. The following directives from the Commission were issued to Google in the hopes of influencing a change in behavior: Google has announced that it will be introducing heat alerts on Search, as part of its efforts to assist cities and organizations in dealing with the increasing temperatures. Additionally, the company has launched several initiatives aimed at aiding communities in preparing, adapting to the effects of rising heat. Google Search incorporated sustainable travel options last year. These initiatives include the use of AI-powered tools to assist communities in managing hotter temperatures, as well as the introduction of extreme heat alerts on Search to ensure peoples safety. Google Introduces Extreme Heat Alerts in Search Every year, heat waves claim the lives of around 500,000 people. The number of heat-related deaths is increasing every year. People often rely on the internet to stay safe during such extreme weather events. In July 2022, the search interest in heat waves globally was at a record high. To provide reliable and useful information during such critical moments, Google is introducing new extreme heat alerts in Search in the upcoming months. When users search for information on extreme heat, they will see crucial details such as the predicted start and end of the heat wave, tips on staying cool, and related health concerns. All this information will be prominently displayed in the search results. To ensure the accuracy and relevance of the data, Google is collaborating with the Global Heat Health Information Network (GHHIN). Google Expands Tree Canopy Tool to Help Cities Tackle Heat Islands Heat islands are a growing concern for cities where urban areas experience higher temperatures due to structures that absorb and re-emit heat. Increasing tree coverage is a strategy to lower temperatures. Tree Canopy, part of the Environmental Insights Explorer, uses AI and aerial imagery to help cities understand their current tree coverage and plan urban forestry initiatives. Austin city used the tool to prioritize planting trees in vulnerable areas and place bus shelters for shade. Tree Canopy Expands Globally Tree Canopy now covers nearly 350 cities globally, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Buenos Aires, Lisbon, Mexico City, Paris, Sydney, and Toronto. The tool has the potential to help hundreds of millions of people create cooler environments, with plans to expand to thousands more cities this year. Cool Roofs: Another Strategy to Tackle Heat Islands Google is exploring how to implement cool roofs by mapping solar reflectivity with AI and aerial imagery. This tool will help identify the best areas for implementation, especially in communities that lack reliable air conditioning. Google plans to pilot this tool with select cities soon. Google.org Supports Nonprofits Tackling Extreme Heat Google.org is partnering with non-profits to tackle the problem of extreme heat. The World Resources Institute (WRI) will get $5 million to simulate various factors affecting heat vulnerability, including air temperature, humidity, surface reflectivity, and tree cover. American Forests and Resilient Cities Catalyst will expand their urban forestry tools and create an AI-driven heat-energy vulnerability index, respectively. All three organizations will use Googles Tree Canopy tool to address disparities in tree coverage and make equitable decisions about green infrastructure investments. Availability Googles new extreme heat alerts on its Search platform will be rolled out in the coming months to help users stay safe and informed during hot weather conditions. Speaking on the announcement, Kate Brandt, Chief Sustainability Officer, Google, said If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now! Submit Curtis White at Laphams Quarterly: As Fernando Pessoa reminds us, our lives are lived inside social fictions: I tried to see what was the first and most important of those social fictionsThe most important, at least in our day and age, is money. But money is just part of a much larger complex, what Wilde called the slavery of custom, in which we have no choice but to live. As the January 6 insurrection and its aftermath have shown, we tell ourselves stories about patriotismpatriotism with no content other than its own fury. Whether it comes from the rioter in chief, the rioters themselves, or the House members impaneled to investigate them, uncritical love of the nation-state generates unfreedom, violence, and, too often, death, as dear Mother Russia has shown once again, in Ukraine. As John Dos Passos dramatized in The 42nd Parallel, patriotism and the rioting that too often attends it are no new thing, as when a cordon of cops sweeps up ideological combatants of left and right: Look out for the Cossacks. Of course, knowing that we live in social fictions and knowing how to escape them are different things. more here. Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts 1. After an ocean crossing of several months, Ferdinand Magellan's fleet dropped anchor (1521) Answer: Guam Having successfully negotiated the dangerous passage around the southern tip of South America, and entered the Pacific Ocean at the end of November 1520, Magellan's ships found themselves in a much larger ocean than they had expected. By the time they dropped anchor in Guam, in March 1521, several men had died, others were sick and provisions were short. Their interactions with the Chamorro people of Guam were confrontational, with a certain amount of thievery followed by retaliation and at least one dead islander. After a brief stay, Magellan and his ships carried on to the Philippines, where more conflict resulted in the leader's death. One ship of the fleet and under twenty men completed the first circumnavigation of the world, returning to Spain in September 1522. Guam is described as an "organized, unincorporated territory" of the USA, a relationship that began after the Spanish-American War of 1898, when Guam was ceded by Spain to the US under the Treaty of Paris. During World War II the Japanese occupied Guam from December 1941 until Liberation Day in July 1944, when US forces retook the island. It had continued to be a major base for US military forces, which are a major contributor to the economy of the territory, as is tourism. 2. Dutch explorers Schouten and Le Maire moored at one of the Friendly Islands (1616) Answer: Tonga Willem Schouten and Jacob Le Maire arrived in the midst of a civil war between factions of the ruling family of the Tongan maritime empire, which had existed for four centuries by then. Neither their visit, nor that of their countryman Abel Tasman, a few decades later, had much impact on these islands. It was only with the arrival of Captain James Cook in the eighteenth century and subsequent missionary expeditions that European influence began to be felt. After decades of civil war, King George Toupou I became the islands' first modern monarch in 1845, and during his reign the unification of the islands took place, in 1875. From 1900 until 1970, when independence was gained, the Kingdom of Tonga was a protectorate of the Britain, under the Treaty of Friendship signed in 1900. The country became a member of the United Nations in 1999, having joined the Commonwealth of Nations upon independence. Election reforms in the 21st century have sought to give more power to the common people. 3. HMS Endeavour, captained by James Cook, reached what he first named Stingrays Harbour (1770) Australia The more enduring name, of course, was Botany Bay, given to the area by Cook in honour of the work done by the botanists aboard Endeavour in finding and cataloguing the many plants found there. The original name had made reference to the large population of stingrays in the bay. The eventual settlement of the area around Botany Bay and nearby Port Jackson would in time grow to be the city of Sydney, which grew from penal colony to thriving metropolis over the course of the next two centuries. Answer:The more enduring name, of course, was Botany Bay, given to the area by Cook in honour of the work done by the botanists aboard Endeavour in finding and cataloguing the many plants found there. The original name had made reference to the large population of stingrays in the bay.The eventual settlement of the area around Botany Bay and nearby Port Jackson would in time grow to be the city of Sydney, which grew from penal colony to thriving metropolis over the course of the next two centuries. 4. Antelope, a British East India Company packet, shipwrecked off Ulong (1783) Answer: Palau The packet Antelope, barely two years old when it was wrecked, had travelled safely from England to Macao, in China, carrying despatches in late 1781. After having visited Calcutta, India and returned to Macao, she departed that place on 20 July 1783. About three weeks later she was wrecked on a reef off Ulong (Oroolong) Island in the "Pelew" Islands (Palau). Captain Henry Wilson and his crew were assisted by natives to build a smaller craft, in which they were able to return to Macao by November of the same year. A native prince accompanied them, apparently willingly, but sadly died of smallpox not long after arriving in England in 1784. Consisting of about 340 islands, Palau gained full sovereignty in 1994, after over a century of foreign rule of one sort or another, including Spanish, German, Japanese and as part of a US Trust Territory following World War II. 5. Women got the vote (1893) Answer: New Zealand Ably led by women like Kate Sheppard (1847-1934), the New Zealand women's suffrage movement had both supporters and opponents amongst the male population, including in parliament. After several attempts, and obtaining over 20000 signatures on petitions, success was achieved in 1893 with the passage, and signing into law of a bill that gave the right to vote to all women over 21, who were also British subjects (including Maori women). New Zealand thus became the first self-governing nation to grant women the right to vote in national elections, although they would have to wait another couple of decades for the right to run for parliament. 6. Amelia Earhart departed on what proved to be her last flight (1937) Answer: Papua New Guinea By the time she took off from Lae, Papua New Guinea on 2 July 1937, Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, had already flown over 22,000 miles, in their attempted circumnavigation, having started in Oakland, CA in May of the same year. Her next stop was to have been at Howland Island, a speck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, but her aircraft never arrived there. Speculation as to what happened to Earhart and Noonan has continued into the 21st century. Occupying the eastern portion of the island of New Guinea, Papua New Guinea (PNG) gained its independence from Australia in 1975. 7. Lt (jg) John F. Kennedy led crew members ashore after PT 109 was sunk (1943) Answer: Solomon Islands Operating from the base at Rendova, in the Solomons, PT 109 was a patrol torpedo boat, with a crew of thirteen. On patrol in August 1943, she was cut in half when rammed by a Japanese destroyer, with the loss of two members of the crew. Future American president Kennedy famously encouraged the survivors to swim for shore, helping the most badly injured himself. Kennedy persisted in swimming out into the channel to seek help, and eventually contacted natives who carried a message for him resulting in the rescue of the crew. The Solomon Islands, consisting of six large islands and hundreds of smaller (often uninhabited) isles, was heavily engaged during World War II, commencing with the retaking of Guadalcanal by American forces in 1942. Naval, air and land battles in the region continued until the latter part of the war. Full independence, from Great Britain, was achieved in 1978. 8. Issued stamp commemorating its only Victoria Cross recipient of WWII (1969) Fiji Fiji actually issued more than one stamp honouring their VC hero. In 1969, a 25c stamp marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of Cpl Sefanaia Sukanaivalu's heroic deed, and death. An 87c stamp also bearing his image was issued in 1995, to mark fifty years since the end of WWII. Corporal Sukanaivalu was 26 years old and serving in the Fiji Infantry Regiment (considered at the time to be part of the UK forces) when he sacrificed his life whilst saving others, during fighting on Bougainville, Solomon Islands in June 1944. His VC was posthumously awarded. Fiji, consisting of more than 300 islands, gained independence from Britain in 1970, and became a republic in 1987. Answer:Fiji actually issued more than one stamp honouring their VC hero. In 1969, a 25c stamp marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of Cpl Sefanaia Sukanaivalu's heroic deed, and death. An 87c stamp also bearing his image was issued in 1995, to mark fifty years since the end of WWII. Corporal Sukanaivalu was 26 years old and serving in the Fiji Infantry Regiment (considered at the time to be part of the UK forces) when he sacrificed his life whilst saving others, during fighting on Bougainville, Solomon Islands in June 1944.His VC was posthumously awarded. Fiji, consisting of more than 300 islands, gained independence from Britain in 1970, and became a republic in 1987. 9. Coconut War failed to deter plans for independence (1980) Answer: Vanuatu Formerly known as the New Hebrides, jointly governed by France and the UK, Vanuatu was scheduled, by agreement, to become independent at the end of July 1980. Rebels opposed to the existing plans, secretly backed by France, staged an uprising in June, centred around the island of Espiritu Santo, which they declared to be an independent state. Troops were brought in from Papua New Guinea and the rebellion fizzled out. The moniker "Coconut War" was given to the affair by the foreign press. 10. Potentially lucrative country code assigned (1995) Answer: Tuvalu Back in the mid-1990s, when people were beginning to know about ".com" and ".org" as extensions to URLs (and even about URLs), top level country code extensions were being assigned, usually based on letters in the name of the country. Tuvalu was assigned ".tv" which was eventually recognised as having great value, especially with the rise of streaming television channels and websites. The country has been able to supplement its income by licensing use of ".tv" to such sites. Tuvalu, a tiny country comprised of nine islands, formerly known as the Ellice Islands, gained its independence from Great Britain in 1978, and has remained a member of the Commonwealth. Source: Author spanishliz This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system. Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts 1. In "Raiders of the Lost Ark" what does Indy see after opening the Well of Souls? Answer: Snakes When Indy, Sallah and his men open the Well of Souls, Indy drops a torch, looks down and says, "Snakes why'd it have to be snakes?" The reason why he says that is because Indy is afraid of snakes. 2. In "The Temple of Doom" what name does Short Round want Willie to call Indy, other than Indiana? Answer: Dr. Jones While Indy, Willie and Short Round are talking, Willie calls Indy Indiana. Then Short Round yells at her and says, "Hey, lady! You call him Dr. Jones". The reason why Short Round yells at her is because he likes Indy and he thinks she isn't respecting Indy. 3. In "The Last Crusade" what does Indy say is the goal of the search for archeology? Fact Indy is seen teaching his class at the university, and he says to his students, that the search for archeology is not really about whether something is truth or not, but if it is fact. Answer:Indy is seen teaching his class at the university, and he says to his students, that the search for archeology is not really about whether something is truth or not, but if it is fact. 4. In "The Crystal Skull" this Russian soldier slaps Indy and in response Indy says "Drop Dead". What name does Indy call the Russian? Answer: Comrade When Indy has been captured by Russian soldiers, they bring Indy to this military warehouse, where a Russian slaps Indy. In response Indy says, "I'm sorry, I meant drop dead comrade". Indy, in all of the films, is always strong and fearless. While most people in his situation, would say, "Alright I'll tell you everything". But not Indiana Jones. 5. At the end of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" when Indy finally gets the Ark, he brings it back to the US. The Army Intelligence men get the Ark and say it's somewhere safe. Where did they put the Ark? Answer: In a Warehouse Both Indy and Marcus, saw the Ark as something with great power and historical significance. But the men from Army Intelligence did not. Indy and Marcus wanted to research the Ark and put it in a museum, but instead those men put it in a military warehouse. 6. In the beginning of "The Temple Of Doom" Indy is chased to a airport, and gets on a plane. What is the name on the plane? Answer: Lao Che Lao Che chases Indy to the airport, then Indy gets on the plane, but before he closes the airplane door, Indy says "Nice try Lao Che" [thinking to himself, that he escaped and outsmarted Leo Che]. But when he closes the door, the name on the plane is Lao Che. 7. In "The Last Crusade" Indy's Dad has been kidnapped, and now he must find him. But first he has to get on a plane to meet Dr. Elsa Schneider, who was the last person to see Indy's Dad. Where did Indy fly to meet Dr. Elsa Schneider? Answer: Venice When Donovan meets Indy, he tells him that his father has been kidnapped while searching for the Holy Grail. He wants Indy to go to Venice to meet Dr. Elsa Schneider, find Indy's dad, and continue the search for the Holy Grail. 8. In every "Indiana Jones" movie, there is a scene with 100s and 1000s of snakes or insects or ants or rats. Which creature appears in "The Crystal Skull"? Ants Steven Spielberg always likes to have scenes in every "Indy" film, that are gross cringing and scary. So in this scene the villains are chasing Indy through the jungle, and they're trying to ram Indy's car over the cliff. Then Indy crashes his car into the ant hill, and all the ants come out and eat anyone that comes in their path Answer:Steven Spielberg always likes to have scenes in every "Indy" film, that are gross cringing and scary.So in this scene the villains are chasing Indy through the jungle, and they're trying to ram Indy's car over the cliff. Then Indy crashes his car into the ant hill, and all the ants come out and eat anyone that comes in their path 9. Which "Indiana Jones" movie doesn't show him teaching in class?" Answer: The Temple of Doom The tradition of the Indy films is to start the film, with a short segment of Indy going after an object. Usually Indy grabs the object and runs, with the villains chasing after him. Then after that maybe 10 min segment, the real start of the film is Indy teaching his class. The only movie not to show him teaching is "The Temple of Doom". 10. In "The Last Crusade" while Indy and his dad are in the blimp they get on a plane that is attached to the blimp, and while they are getting in the plane, Indy's dad says to Indy, "I didn't know you can fly a plane!" and Indy replies, "Fly? Yes. Land? No!" This is a reference to which Indiana Jones movie? Answer: The Temple of Doom In "The Temple of Doom", while Indy, Willie and Short Round are in an airplane sleeping, the pilots empty the fuel then jump out using the only parachutes. Willie wakes up sees that the pilots are gone. Willie wakes Indy up and asks him, "You know how to fly, Don't you?" Indy says, "Um, no. Do you?" Then they jump out using a inflatable boat. So the scene in "The Last Crusade", when Indy's dad says, "I didn't know you can fly a plane!" is a reference to "The Temple of Doom". Source: Author CHAMPION4019 This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor skunkee before going online.Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system. Iti doresti o presa libera si independenta, care nu da inapoi cand vine vorba de respectarea standardelor profesionale, refuza sa se lase cenzurata, sustine independenta justitiei, transparenta decizionala si valorile democratice. Alege sa o sustii. Lawrence Weschler at The Atlantic: Fifteen years ago, a distinguished academic publisher brought out a densely argued, lavishly illustrated, wildly erudite monograph that seemed to completely reconceive the study of Johannes Vermeer. The author, an art historian named Benjamin Binstock, said that he had discerned the existence of an entirely new artistVermeers daughter Maria, the young woman Binstock had also identified as the likely model for Girl With a Pearl Earringto whom he attributed seven of the 35 or so paintings then conventionally ascribed to Vermeer. To hear Binstock tell it, Marias paintings include one of the most popular: Girl With a Red Hat, at the National Gallery of Art, in Washington, D.C. He believes that painting and another at the National Gallery are self-portraits by Maria, and that she is also the artist behind two out of the three Vermeers at the Frick, in New York; two out of the five at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, also in New York; and one in the private Leiden Collection. more here. Kelefa Sanneh in The New Yorker: Seven years ago, during the Republican Presidential primary, Donald Trump appeared onstage at Dordt University, a Christian institution in Iowa, and made a confession of faith. Im a true believer, he said, and he conducted an impromptu poll. Is everybody a true believer, in this room? He was scarcely the first Presidential candidate to make a religious appeal, but he might have been the first one to address Christian voters so explicitly as a special interest. You have the strongest lobby ever, he said. But I never hear about a Christian lobby. He made his audience a promise. If Im there, youre going to have plenty of power, he said. Youre going to have somebody representing you very, very well. By the time Trump reluctantly left office, in 2021, his relationship with evangelical Christians was one of the most powerful alliances in American politics. (According to one survey, he won eighty-four per cent of the white evangelical vote in 2020.) On January 6th, when his supporters gathered in Washington to protest the election results, one person brought along a placard depicting Jesus wearing a maga hat; during the Capitol invasion, a shirtless protester delivered a prayer on the Senate floor. Thank you for filling this chamber with patriots that love you, and that love Christ, he said. More here. felicilin at 30-03-2023 08:31 AM (3 weeks ago) (f) With the 2023 general elections over, victims of electoral violence wait for justice. With the 2023 general elections over, victims of electoral violence wait for justice. At least 39 persons were reported to have lost their lives in different parts of the country during the polls. Gistmania reports that violence was witnessed in states like Lagos, Abia, Nasarawa, Benue, Akwa Ibom, Osun, and Taraba during the 2023 general elections. Those who lost their lives during the elections include policemen, politicians, hired thugs, and a yet-to-be-identified ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. While the Nigeria Police had vowed to arrest and prosecute those behind election violence, many of the cases have gone unreported, leaving the culprits to roam free. Statistics from the Center for Democracy and Development (CDD), had identified violence as a major factor that undermined INECs performance during the 2023 general election. The Chairman of CDD Election Analysis Centre, EAC, Prof Adele Jinadu, at a news briefing in Abuja, said their data showed that violence occurred in 10.8 per cent of all polling units, which led to low voter turnout in the state elections. 10.8% of observed polling units recorded violence and this was most pronounced in the northwest (19.9%) and south-south (11.6%) geopolitical zones with Bayelsa and Zamfara respectively,Jinadu said. The Director CDD, Idayat Hassan also noted that the motive of perpetrators of violence was to disrupt election processes. According to Idayat: Victims of this violence were voters, some of whom were disenfranchised as a result of having their ballot boxes snatched. In Lagos State, some electorates were attacked and threats issued during the just-concluded elections. The former Lagos State National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, chairman Musiliu Akinsanya, also known as MC Oluomo, had threatened Igbos against voting against the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state. Following backlash that greeted this comment, MC Oluomo recanted his threat. Similarly, one Jennifer Efedi was attacked by thugs suspected to be loyal to the APC during the presidential election. In Rivers State, the Director of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Campaign Council in Ahoada East local government area of Rivers State, Chisom Lenard, was part of the five people killed in the last election. An NYSC member, who was an ad-hoc staff member, was killed in Odual Clan in Abua/Odual local government area of the state. Soldiers killed three persons suspected to be thugs at Ogbakiri community in Emohua Local Government Area of the state during the election. In Nasarawa State, one man identified as Yunusa Lolo lost his life near the constituency collation centre in Awe local government area of Nasarawa State. Akwa Ibom witnessed six deaths during the just-concluded general election. Their death followed a supremacy battle for the soul of the state by rival political parties. Highlighting the electoral violence during the 2023 elections, the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, said it arrested a total of 781 persons for various forms of offences during the just concluded general elections. The Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, said 203 persons were arrested during the presidential and National Assembly elections, while 578 others were apprehended during the governorship and state assembly polls. Baba said about 66 firearms of various descriptions were also recovered from political thugs during the period. Addressing Commissioners of Police and Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zonal Commands, the IGP stressed that the Police would collaborate with INEC to ensure that all electoral offenders are prosecuted. I have directed that all electoral offences case files across all State Commands be submitted to my office, where a committee has been established to centrally collate and coordinate the processing, preparatory to the commencement of prosecution process, he said. Despite the number of electoral violence witnessed across the country, none of the victims have come forward to push for the prosecution of those behind the act, a situation believed to be a demonstration of lack of confidence in the system. Speaking on the need for victims to fight for justice, a human rights activist, Maduabuchi Idam said victims reserve the right to push for justice. Idam, a lawyer, lamented that those behind electoral violence had not been prosecuted because the state indirectly encouraged them. He says: At least 39 persons were reported to have lost their lives in different parts of the country during the polls.Gistmania reports that violence was witnessed in states like Lagos, Abia, Nasarawa, Benue, Akwa Ibom, Osun, and Taraba during the 2023 general elections.Those who lost their lives during the elections include policemen, politicians, hired thugs, and a yet-to-be-identified ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.While the Nigeria Police had vowed to arrest and prosecute those behind election violence, many of the cases have gone unreported, leaving the culprits to roam free.Statistics from the Center for Democracy and Development (CDD), had identified violence as a major factor that undermined INECs performance during the 2023 general election.The Chairman of CDD Election Analysis Centre, EAC, Prof Adele Jinadu, at a news briefing in Abuja, said their data showed that violence occurred in 10.8 per cent of all polling units, which led to low voter turnout in the state elections.Jinadu said.The Director CDD, Idayat Hassan also noted that the motive of perpetrators of violence was to disrupt election processes.According to Idayat: Victims of this violence were voters, some of whom were disenfranchised as a result of having their ballot boxes snatched.In Lagos State, some electorates were attacked and threats issued during the just-concluded elections. The former Lagos State National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, chairman Musiliu Akinsanya, also known as MC Oluomo, had threatened Igbos against voting against the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state. Following backlash that greeted this comment, MC Oluomo recanted his threat.Similarly, one Jennifer Efedi was attacked by thugs suspected to be loyal to the APC during the presidential election.In Rivers State, the Director of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Campaign Council in Ahoada East local government area of Rivers State, Chisom Lenard, was part of the five people killed in the last election.An NYSC member, who was an ad-hoc staff member, was killed in Odual Clan in Abua/Odual local government area of the state.Soldiers killed three persons suspected to be thugs at Ogbakiri community in Emohua Local Government Area of the state during the election.In Nasarawa State, one man identified as Yunusa Lolo lost his life near the constituency collation centre in Awe local government area of Nasarawa State.Akwa Ibom witnessed six deaths during the just-concluded general election.Their death followed a supremacy battle for the soul of the state by rival political parties.Highlighting the electoral violence during the 2023 elections, the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, said it arrested a total of 781 persons for various forms of offences during the just concluded general elections.The Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, said 203 persons were arrested during the presidential and National Assembly elections, while 578 others were apprehended during the governorship and state assembly polls.Baba said about 66 firearms of various descriptions were also recovered from political thugs during the period.Addressing Commissioners of Police and Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zonal Commands, the IGP stressed that the Police would collaborate with INEC to ensure that all electoral offenders are prosecuted.he said.Despite the number of electoral violence witnessed across the country, none of the victims have come forward to push for the prosecution of those behind the act, a situation believed to be a demonstration of lack of confidence in the system.Speaking on the need for victims to fight for justice, a human rights activist, Maduabuchi Idam said victims reserve the right to push for justice.Idam, a lawyer, lamented that those behind electoral violence had not been prosecuted because the state indirectly encouraged them.He says: Quote Ordinarily, without the electoral act, the act of violence is a crime under the Penal Code. Considering the electoral act 2022, the same offence as provided by the Penal Code was duplicated in the electoral act 2022 as electoral offences. The criminal code is acceptable in the South, while the Penal code is acceptable in the North. Both laws regulate criminal offences in Nigeria; so in both laws, violence is an offence, whether it was during an election or not. Apart from perpetrators being prosecuted, the victims of this violence can maintain a civil action against those who violated them. They can maintain a personal action against the act, but there is no compensation for the victims of electoral violence. The actual perpetrators who committed the act can be prosecuted for those offences because its a crime, but the victims can seek redress in a conventional civil court for those actions because its a violation of their rights, even though such right to vote and be voted for was not captured in the constitution. Its only captured in the international convention on civil and political rights, which is particularly chapter 25, which provides for the right to vote and be voted for. I hope you are aware that its not a constitutional right. By nature of section 7 of the constitution, those rights have been domesticated as Nigerian law, but you wont find it as a law in Nigeria. So, you can actually go to court against the offenders for civil claims, whereas the state can prosecute those people for a criminal wrong. Nobody has been prosecuted because most of our laws are obeyed in breach because these laws are lying in the papers. Sometimes, you find perpetrators being arrested and arraigned in court, and after some time, the same politicians who won the election arrange for their release. That is how the matters would be discontinued. The state is indirectly encouraging electoral violence because it favours them; they are the ones who engaged the people to intimidate voters and create violence against them to enable them to rig elections. Post Reply Posted: at 30-03-2023 08:31 AM (3 weeks ago) | Addicted Hero analysis Germany has announced a project for migrant centres in five African countries which would offer a select category of Africans the possibility of settling on its soil. The Conversation Africa's Assane Diagne spoke to sociologist Aly Tandian about the significance of this decision. Why is Germany considering bringing skilled labour into the country and how does it propose to do so? In Germany, the policy of bringing in skilled labour has grown in recent years through a "welcoming culture". This has greatly facilitated the arrival and, above all, the integration of many migrants. For instance, Germany welcomed nearly one million refugees during the Syrian crisis in 2015. This motivated the award of the Nansen Prize of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to Chancellor Angela Merkel. The suggested centres would ease rules for skilled foreign workers even further. However, the reception of these migrants is far from being motivated by simple humanitarian reasons. In Germany, as in many other European countries, immigration provides solutions to demographic and economic problems. It can help balance an ageing society and finance the pension system, as well as compensate for the current shortage of skilled workers. The need for skilled workers is so great that Germany has adopted several new reception policies. The new fast-track procedure that's being proposed for skilled labour essentially simplifies the recruitment of qualified foreign workers. It allows employers to apply for recognition of foreign qualifications in order to facilitate the visa application of a worker being recruited. To get the visa the qualified worker must then present a work contract or a concrete job offer. The country's Federal Employment Agency will no longer check whether the candidate is from Germany or the EU for the specific position. Which African countries will be affected and what kind of people are sought? In addition to Ghana, Germany will establish centres in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Nigeria. The people sought are skilled workers with vocational training, skilled workers with academic training, researchers, scientists and managers. What are the implications of such policies? Recently, the German development minister, Svenja Schulze, spoke of win-win solutions, but we need to put this into perspective. This encourages brain drain - the exit of skilled people from African countries. Another similar approach is France's policy to attract skilled labour. The French government plans to create a specific residence permit for foreign doctors. According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), in 2022 France hired some 25,000 foreign-born doctors, or 12% of the total number of practitioners registered with the Ordre des Medecins. The exodus of qualified migrants can lead to a loss of skills, ideas and innovation, a loss of investment in education, a loss of tax revenue, a loss of crucial services in the health and education sectors. For instance, Ghana is in dire need of a skilled workforce, but it is one of the African countries Germany is targeting. This policy of skilled recruitment in the global south by countries of the global north creates a situation in which countries of origin are incubators where experts are born, educated and trained before they leave for other destinations. This form of skilled labour migration should be rethought and above all supervised on both sides. It also raises a question of ethics. It is difficult not to think about ethics because this recruitment model will deprive African states of the personnel they need. Agreements should be signed between states and not commitments between skilled workers and employers. In addition, a rigorous framework that benefits workers, employers and states would avoid making foreign workers, who are paid less than their national colleagues, less precarious. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Migration Nigeria Africa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. What can be done to retain skilled workers in their country of origin where there is a lack of expertise in their fields of activity? African countries must have their own migration agenda. They should encourage the mobility of skilled experts supported by circular migration. With circular migration, it will be possible for skilled experts to work in several countries on a rotational basis while enjoying rigorous protection. Circular migration is a way of serving the labour market needs of destination countries, promoting development in countries of origin and benefiting the migrants themselves, so we can say that it is a "triple win". Aly Tandian, enseignant-chercheur, Universite Gaston Berger AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us. US bolsters military activities in South China Sea: Chinese think-tank Beijing-based research institute warns of determined countermeasures from China. By RFA staff 2023.03.29 -- The American military last year deployed three carrier strike groups, 20 bombers, and 12 nuclear attack submarines in the South China Sea as it apparently intensified its activities in the region, a new Chinese report found. In its report, the South China Sea Probing Initiative (SCSPI), a Beijing think-tank, accused the United States of politicizing military operations "against China" in the disputed waters. In 2022, such politicization was "further enhanced, with increased exposure to the Taiwan Strait transit operations, deployment of carrier strike groups, military exercises and drills," said the publication titled "An Incomplete Report on U.S. Military Activities in the South China Sea in 2022." The U.S. military has yet to respond to the SCSPI's findings. A total of nine U.S. warships transited the Taiwan Strait last year, according to the report by the state-backed organization. "Although the frequency decreased significantly compared with 12 in 2021 and 15 in 2020, the public profile and political significance of the transits have increased," it said. The U.S. has repeatedly said its armed forces are in international waters and "flies, sails and operates anywhere international law allows," demonstrating its "commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific." SCSPI noted a sharp increase in the "public hype and political manipulation" of such activities by the American military. Twenty-eight members of the U.S. Congress, including the House Speaker, visited Taiwan in 2022 - the largest number since 2013. "The U.S. legislators and politicians' frequent visits to Taiwan have greatly stimulated regional tension," the SCSPI report alleged, adding that deterring China "has become a strategic priority for the U.S. military in the Indo-Pacific." China considers Taiwan a Chinese province that should be reunited with the mailand, by force if necessary. Reconnaissance operations The report focused on what it called "high-intensity reconnaissance operations" by the U.S. military in the South China Sea. Last year, the U.S. military sent about 1,000 sorties of large reconnaissance aircraft of various types to "monitor China's forces and military facilities," it alleged. The number of sorties of electronic reconnaissance aircraft, including drones, increased significantly, reflecting that "the U.S. military was strengthening the battlefield construction and electronic countermeasures." The reconnaissance has been "increasingly bold and deliberately high-profile," especially during China's military drills. In response to the visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taipei in early August - the first by a U.S. house speaker in 25 years - Beijing staged a week-long live-fire exercise around Taiwan. During that time, the U.S. military sent out at least 22 sorties, including 14 large reconnaissance aircraft, the report said. Chinese researchers also said that the U.S. military deployed four ocean surveillance ships with a total of 134 ship-days operating in the South China Sea last year. Another three oceanographic survey vessels spent 205 ship-days doing seabed topography and geomorphology as well as marine meteorological and hydrological surveys, it said. According to the Chinese research institute, those intelligence gathering activities aimed to support U.S. military patrols and drills, which increased in duration and intensity. Three carrier strike groups and two amphibious-ready groups sailed through the South China Sea last year. On average, U.S. carrier strike groups stayed in the area for about 10 days, much longer than the four to five days in 2021, SCSPI reported. "Increasing attention was paid to the Philippines' Archipelagic Sea Lanes," the report said, reflecting the U.S.-Philippines strategic ties. In peacetime, conducting such highly-intensified military activities in a coastal state's surrounding waters, is contrary to the spirit of the U.N. Charter and international law, it said. "However, excessive deterrence and stimulations will provoke more determined countermeasures from China, and contribute to destabilizing action-reaction cycles," warned Hu Bo, SCSPI's director. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content March not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Conflict in eastern DRC is having a devastating impact on children's education UNICEF Insecurity has disrupted the education of three-quarters of a million children in 2022 and early 2023, according to the latest UNICEF data. 29 March 2023 GOMA, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 29 March 2023 -- The education of around 750,000 children has been disrupted in two most conflict-affected provinces in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). New figures released by UNICEF show that between January 2022 and March 2023, at least 2,100 schools in North Kivu and Ituri provinces have been forced to stop operating because of the deteriorating security situation. Insecurity has been especially damaging for the nearly 240,000 recently displaced children living in the vast camps around Goma. Violence by armed groups has forced thousands of families from their homes in search of safety, preventing their children from attending school. "School-aged children are paying an unacceptable price for the growing conflict and insecurity in eastern DRC," said UNICEF Representative Grant Leaity. "Hundreds of thousands of children who should be safely learning in the classroom, have instead been displaced by violence and are living in desperate conditions, and in vast and overcrowded camps." The scale of the crisis means that the majority of children living in the displacement camps are not able to attend school at all, with only a minority of children able to access UNICEF-supported Child Friendly Spaces or Temporary Learning Centres. There are few facilities for displaced children to sit their final exams in June and obtain formal qualifications. The figures, collated by a UNICEF-led education coordination group comprised of national authorities, network of local and international NGOs in North Kivu and Ituri show that: 119 schools have been attacked, occupied or temporarily used by armed groups. Nearly 1,700 schools have been forced to close due to persistent insecurity (mostly because they are in areas controlled by armed groups.) Nearly 300 schools cannot operate because they are being used as shelter by people displaced by conflict. Separate UN figures published earlier this year show that conflict in the east of the DRC has displaced more than 5.3 million people, with more than 800,000 people forced to flee their homes in North Kivu alone since the start of the M23 crisis in March 2022. UNICEF is supporting the construction of Temporary Learning Spaces and providing school materials to students, in addition to training teachers on relevant topics including child psychosocial support. In March 2023, UNICEF also supplied educational and recreational supplies to more than 10,320 displaced and host community pupils in the Ituri provincial capital Bunia, following on from an earlier distribution of chairs and tables for teachers. UNICEF is committed to maintaining an up-to-date overview of school closures and attacks against schools in eastern DRC to gain a clear picture of the number of children deprived of education. ### Notes to Editors: The data compiled by UNICEF's education cluster came directly from education focal points in the field and is not to be confused with the United Nations Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism (MRM), which only collects information on attacks against schools. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN Refugee Agency in Mozambique Appeals for Help to Deal with DRC Refugees By Charles Mangwiro March 29, 2023 The representative of the U.N. refugee agency in Mozambique said refugees fleeing war-torn parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo are making an already complicated humanitarian crisis in northern Mozambique even worse. Samuel Chakwera told VOA in an exclusive interview on Wednesday that the agency now needs additional resources to cater to the arriving asylum seekers, on top of already settled refugees and Mozambique's own internally displaced persons. "They are coming from Kivu north and Kivu south which is still in conflict as we speak. So, their situation is far from the best solution," Chakwera said. "We have others integrated, we have quite a few in Maputo, in Beira and Tete." Violent clashes between non-state armed groups and government forces periodically drive hundreds of thousands to flee their homes in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, or DRC. In February alone, according to aid agencies, nearly 300,000 people fled homes across the Rutshuru and Masisi territories in the DRC's North Kivu province. Now, small numbers of these people have entered Mozambique's troubled northern regions where Islamist-linked insurgents are fighting with government troops in oil-rich Cabo Delgado province. According to the U.N official, Mozambique hosts close to 30,000 refugees and asylum seekers, of which around 9,500 reside in Maratane settlement camp in Nampula province, while the remaining 19,000 reside in urban areas with host families. The U.N. refugee agency says it works in full coordination with the Mozambican government, responding to lifesaving needs and advancing protection and solutions for forcibly displaced persons. Chakwera said the increasing number of temporary refugees and asylum seekers from the DRC has strained Mozambique's resources. "So we are appealing for more funding from our donors to provide for things like shelter," Chakwera said. "It's quite a thing especially given the fact that we need resilient shelter because of the weather conditions. So that is the biggest thing that we are requesting from international partners for support." As Mozambique's low-lying coast is prone to climate-induced disasters, the U.N. also provides emergency assistance in the wake of powerful cyclones that periodically ravage the region. Powerful Cyclone Freddy struck Mozambique twice in February and in March, leaving behind a trail of damage, killing dozens of people and displacing 250,000 others in the central and northern parts of Mozambique. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Millions of Australians Caught Up in Cyber Attacks By Phil Mercer March 29, 2023 One of Australia's biggest property companies said Wednesday it had been hit by cybercriminals who may have stolen data about staff and guests. Staff members at Meriton, a large Australian property business, were warned Wednesday that cybercriminals may have accessed details of their bank accounts and details of their salaries, disciplinary history and performance appraisals. Guests who have stayed at the company's hotels have also been told that their contact information may have been compromised. About 2,000 people are thought to be affected by the data breach. Earlier this week, a far larger theft was revealed. Latitude Financial, a major Australian financial services company, said that a cyber hack on its systems earlier this month was far worse than originally thought. It had initially reported that the data of around 330,000 people had been compromised by hackers. The company now says that details of almost eight million driving licenses in Australia and New Zealand were stolen along with more than 50,000 passport numbers. In addition, six million customer records were taken. It could allow the thieves access to account holders' dates of birth, addresses and phone numbers. The company has apologized. It is unclear if the cyber thieves have demanded a ransom. Last year millions of customers of telecom giant Optus and Medibank, one of Australia's largest health insurers, also had personal details stolen. In response, the government in Canberra promises to boost cybersecurity. It also said it would increase fines imposed on companies with serious or repeated privacy breaches. Troy Hunt, a cybersecurity expert, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that it will time for the new measures to take effect. "In order to put the mechanics in place to actually better defend ourselves and then better respond to it is going to require a lot of hours, a lot of effort and a lot of dollars," Hunt said. "And that inevitably is going to need to be a significant contribution from the private sector as well as government." A study published last November by the Australian National University showed that cyberattacks were one of the fastest growing types of crime in the country. Its survey of almost 3,500 Australian adults during October 2022 found 32.1% of respondents said that they or a member of their household had been the victim of a data breach. By comparison, the study found only about 10% of Australians had been the victim of serious crimes such as burglary or assault in the last five years. The Australian Tax Office revealed in October that it is hit by three million attempted hacks on its system every month. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Weather tests troops on Operation Kudu 29 March 2023 Instructors deployed on Operation Kudu are coming to terms with the local weather, as they train the second rotation of recruits from the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). One of the platoon commanders from the 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, said they were taking the recruits through basic soldiering skills in the snow. "With all of us being from Darwin, this isn't exactly the climate we're accustomed to soldiering in - and the environmental shift has meant performing demonstrations and giving lessons has proven challenging," he said. While the Australian soldiers gave their lessons, the changing environment saw the role of teacher and student reversed, with the trainees providing cold-weather survival tips to their instructors. "The recruits and AFU instructors, who are accustomed to snowy conditions, and many of whom have seen combat, have been teaching us the best way to survive and to conceal our movement in snow," he said. "We've been using the lessons learned from the previous rotation, as well as the recent real-life experience of the Ukrainian section commanders, to further refine and improve the training." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US urged to stop suppressing Chinese enterprises based on lies: FM Global Times By Global Times Published: Mar 29, 2023 06:59 PM Updated: Mar 29, 2023 06:50 PM The claim that there is "repression of Uygur Muslim minorities" in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has long proved to be false, Mao Ning, a spokesperson of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on Wednesday when asked to comment on new US sanctions on several Chinese companies allegedly for "repressing Uygur" people. According to Mao, the US has "used lies as evidence" to wantonly suppress Chinese companies and politicize normal economic and trade cooperation with the aim of disrupting Xinjiang and containing China's growth. "We are firmly opposed to this," Mao said. Mao noted that the US should respect the facts, stop spreading disinformation and try to suppress Chinese enterprises based on lies. She stressed that China will take all necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises. The clarification came after the Biden administration on Tuesday imposed new trade restrictions on five Chinese companies by alleging them of having aided the so-called "repression of Uygur Muslim minorities". Four of the newly sanctioned companies, including Luopu Haishi Dingxin Electronic Technology Co and Moyu Haishi ElectronicTechnology Co, belong to domestic surveillance camera manufacturer Hikvision, according to the firm's 2021 half-year report. The US' ongoing crackdown on Chinese companies is in sharp contrast with China's warm welcome being offered to many American companies, with a number of US executives attending the just-concluded China Development Forum 2023. China's minister of commerce Wang Wentao met with Apple CEO Tim Cook recently and exchanged views with him on issues such as Apple's development in China and the stabilization of the industrial and supply chains. When asked to comment on the contrast between Chinese and US companies' reception by the other country recently, Mao stressed that the US should respect market economy and the principle of fair competition, and stop suppressing other nations' companies. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Global Security Initiative revisited at Boao, highlights Chinese wisdom and leadership in turbulent world Global Times Nation's diplomatic capacity and leadership lead to bigger role in mediation: delegates By Zhang Han and Hu Yuwei in Boao Published: Mar 29, 2023 08:54 PM Updated: Mar 29, 2023 09:23 PM The Global Security Initiative (GSI) was revisited at the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) 2023, one year after it was raised at the forum's 2022 annual conference by President Xi Jinping, when delegates discussed the ideal approach as well as China's role in tackling global and regional security challenges. While addressing the panel themed "Global Geopolitical Outlook," Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Nong Rong called on the international community to "make the right choice between peace and war, unity and division, development and decline" against the backdrop of lingering Ukraine crisis and rising "temperatures" in the Asia-Pacific, namely the intensifying geopolitical competition and military rivalry and the unfolding of an "Asian NATO." The recently released Global Security Initiative Concept Paper identified 20 pressing international security concerns, and put forward suggestions on the platforms and mechanisms for GSI-related cooperation, Nong said. More than 80 countries and international organizations have expressed appreciation and support for the GSI. It aims to provide more systematic thinking and more feasible measures to solve global security challenges, and demonstrates China's sense of responsibility for maintaining world peace and its firm resolve to safeguard global security, said the senior official. Danilo TArk, former president of Slovenia and member of the BFA Council of Advisors, said that China's Concept Paper provided a platform for communication and brought together all the elements that need to be worked out to bring peace, as he commented on the Ukraine crisis which the Wednesday panel was very much focused on. It is important to engage as many countries as possible to support the Concept Paper, and then form a "core group" for communications that can lead to a serious negotiation, TArk told the Global Times. He stressed China's rising diplomatic capacity and leadership in mediation, such as bringing together Saudi Arabia and Iran. Panelist and Pakistan's former national security adviser Moeed Yusuf told the Global Times that the GSI proposed by President Xi in 2022 is exactly what the world needs. An effort to put forward a vision on how to get to more cooperation and less competition is really welcomed. Pakistan has special relations with China, as well as close economic and military ties with the West, Yusuf said. The country seeks to lower the rising temperature in the Asia-Pacific to prevent it from becoming a proxy battlefield of major powers. "Therefore the GSI as a conceptual framework is very important for many Asian countries and we need to keep building on it." The remarks were seen as pertaining to NATO-like security arrangements in the Asia-Pacific under the prompting of the US, which Liu Zhenmin, former under secretary-general of the UN, firmly opposed at the Wednesday panel. Liu advocated the ideal of common security of Asia and a security architecture that is built by and serves the interests of Asian countries, which is resilient to external noises and interruptions. Nong Rong stressed that regional development has a bearing on where security in the Asia-Pacific is headed, the well-being of the people, and the future of the world. The concepts and principles of the GSI point the way for all parties to jointly maintain security and stability and achieve sustained prosperity. President Xi has participated in the Boao annual conferences and delivered keynote speeches five times since 2013. In his speeches, words like "together" "joint" "shared" and "cooperation" appear frequently, which demonstrate a Chinese approach in front of challenges that requires consultations on an equal footing, solidarity and inclusiveness, and global justice based on mutual respect and mutual learning, analysts said. At a time when security and development are closely intertwined, China-proposed initiatives like the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative show Chinese commitment and provide Chinese wisdom to tackle global challenges faced by all, Boao delegates noted. TArk said the world would expect China to come with specific ideas of how to move development globally ahead by introducing its own experience, including that in the ongoing projects of the Belt and Road Initiative. A World Bank report suggests that by 2030, projects under the BRI could help lift 7.6 million people from extreme poverty and 32 million people from moderate poverty worldwide. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning's Regular Press Conference on March 29, 2023 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China Xinhua News Agency: Today we released a report entitled "The United States' Arbitrary Detentionaat Home and Abroad: Truth and Facts". Do you have any comment on it? Mao Ning: The Xinhua report is worth reading. With powerful facts and figures, it ripped apart the US's disguise and revealed the truth that the US wantonly abuses arbitrary detention at home and abroad.a Arbitrary detention occurs when an individual is arrested and detained by a government without due process and without the legal protections of a fair trial, or when an individual is detained without any legal basis for deprivation of liberty. Arbitrary detention, in essence, is unlawful detention. Freedom from arbitrary detention is a fundamental individual right stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) of the United Nations, and an important provision in international human rights treaties. However, facts from within the US and around the world have shown that, though a contributor in the drafting of the UDHRaand one of the first countries to ratify international human rights treaties, the US has carried out arbitraryadetentionain total disregard of its domestic legal provisions and international treaty obligations, causing serious physical and mental harm to people involved.a This Xinhua report chronicled how the US resorted to arbitrary detention and political manipulation on relevant issues and delved into the underlying deep-seatedapolitical culture of racism and violence in the US. The report shows that the USagroundlessly accuses others of arbitrary detention, while at the same time, however, does not mention a word about the torture and maltreatment common at its own prisons. Arbitrarily throwingapeople into its "black sites" around the world without trial has become a hallmark of the US trampling on the rule of law and infringing on human rights. This report exposesathe US' hypocrisy and double standards with regard to democracy and human rights and allows the world to see that the US is in every sense an "empire of arbitrary detention" with the worst human rights violations. We call on the US to face up to and reflect upon its own deplorable record with regard to democracy and human rights, stop politicizing democracy and human rights issues, stop interfering in other countries' internal affairs in the name of democracy, and stop undermining the human rights of people of other countries. RIA Novosti: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview today with The AP that he's willing to meet with the Chinese leader in Ukraine. What's China's comment? Is China willing to have exchanges with the Ukrainian side? Mao Ning: On the Ukraine issue, China has maintained communication with all relevant parties, including Ukraine. I have no information on the specifics you asked about. Reuters: According to Japanese media reports, the Japanese foreign minister may visit China this weekend and meet with State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang. Could you confirm if this is true and if so, share with us what they plan to discuss? Mao Ning: The two sides are in communication over the visit by Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi to China. We will keep you updated if there is more to share.a Bloomberg: A question about US entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried. He was charged yesterday by US authorities for bribing Chinese officials. Specifically, he's accused of authorizing the payment of $40 million to get Chinese officials to unfreeze accounts of one of his Hong Kong-based affiliates. Does the foreign ministry have any comment about this alleged bribing of Chinese officials by the US entrepreneur? Mao Ning: I'm not aware of that. CGTN: Over recent days, we have seen many CEOs of foreign companies at the China Development Forum 2023. They were warmly received by the Chinese government, companies and the public. Many people commented on the internet that the courtesy these foreign companies receive in China is in sharp contrast to the besieging that companies, such as TikTok, face in the US. Do you have any comment? Mao Ning: As you said, the China Development Forum 2023 has been in the spotlight recently. President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the Forum, which underscores the importance he sees in the Forum. Premier Li Qiang met with representatives of overseas participants of the Forum. Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech. Chinese and foreign participants had deep-going discussions under the theme "Economic Recovery: Opportunities and Cooperation", through which they have increased shared understanding and offered fresh insights into ways to achieve development. The Forum sent out a number of positive messages: First, with the fundamentals sustaining its long-term sound growth unchanged, China's economy will continue to provide impetus and certainties to the world economy. Second, China will build a new development paradigm guided by the new development vision to achieve higher-quality development, which will create new opportunities for the world. Third, China remains committed to further opening up, which means broader market and better business environment for all countries. At this year's Forum, cooperation is the most discussed topic and nothing is more expected than achieving win-win. As President Xi Jinping noted, the facilitation of global economic recovery requires consensus and cooperation. We stand ready to work with all parties to write a new chapter of openness, cooperation and win-win results. You also mentioned the unfair treatment relevant companies have recently experienced in the US. I think many saw what happened. The US needs to earnestly respect the principles of market economy and fair competition, stop suppressing foreign companies, and provide an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory environment for the investment and operation of foreign companies in the US. The Associated Press: In an interview with The AP, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has invited the Chinese leader to visit Ukraine. Zelenskyy has said that the leaders of the two sides have not had contact for one year since the Ukraine crisis. So I would like to ask, would China accept this invitation or plan to accept this invitation? Mao Ning: I answered this question just now. On the Ukraine issue, China has maintained communication with all relevant parties, including Ukraine. I have no information on the specifics you asked about. Follow-up: And may I ask for comment on the fact that Zelenskyy has said that he has not been in contact with China for more than a year or since the war began?a Mao Ning: China has maintained communication with all relevant parties, including Ukraine.a Follow-up: Has China received a formal invitation so far from President Zelenskyy? Mao Ning: I'm not aware of that. Bloomberg: So there is a report detailing a telephone call between US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan with Wang Yi, China's top diplomat, on Friday. Can the foreign ministry confirm that this conversation took place? And if so, any more details on the content of that conversation? Mao Ning: China and the US maintain necessary communication. I have no information on the specifics you asked about. AFP: A senior US official said today, there's absolutely no reason for China to use Tsai's visit to the US this week as a pretext to overreact. The same official also said Tsai's trip is fully consistent with decades of practice. Does the Chinese side have any comment on this matteriY Mao Ning: China firmly opposes any form of official interaction between the US and the Taiwan region. We firmly oppose any visit by leader of the Taiwan authorities to the US in any name or under whatever pretext. And we firmly oppose the US' having any form of contact with the Taiwan authorities, which violates the one-China principle. China has repeatedly protested to the US side on Tsai's so-called stopover in the US. Past mistakes do not justify any new mistake. Repeating a mistake does not make it legitimate. The trip is not so much a "transit", but an attempt to seek breakthroughs and propagate "Taiwan independence". The issue is not about China overreacting, but the US egregiously conniving at and supporting "Taiwan independence" separatists.a The ones who are creating the problem and making provocations is not China, but the US and the "Taiwan independence" separatists. We urge the US to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiquAs, earnestly deliver on its leaders' commitment of not supporting "Taiwan independence" or "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan", stop all forms of official interaction with Taiwan, stop upgrading its substantive exchanges with the region, stop fudging and hollowing out the one-China principle, and stop undermining the political foundation for bilateral relations while stressing the need to put "guardrails" on the relationship. China will closely monitor the developments and firmly defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Reuters: Two Ukrainian fencers told Reuters that they were stopped from posing with an anti-war banner at an event in Nanjing on Sunday. What's your comment? Are Ukrainian athletes not allowed to show their stance on the war in Ukraine while they are in China? Mao Ning: I am not aware of the specific situation you mentioned. I would say broadly that we are always opposed to politicizing sporting events. China News Service: According to reports, Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology authorized primary school textbooks on March 28, which proclaim Japan's unilateral territorial claims, and downplay and distort the historical facts about Japan's forced conscription and enslavement of laborers to cover up the atrocities during its colonial rule over the Korean Peninsula. The ROK has made protests through diplomatic channels. What's China's comment? Mao Ning: It is common for Japan to play with words when authorizing textbooks to obscure historical facts, understate and evade its historical responsibility, and thereby deny and misrepresent its history of aggression. Like the ROK, China is deeply concerned about Japan's insidious moves on historical and territorial issues when authorizing textbooks and has made strong dAmarches to Japan. The war of aggression waged by Japanese militarists brought untold suffering to the people of victimized countries. Forced recruitment and enslavement of laborers are grave crimes committed by Japanese militarists. Those crimes are backed by ironclad evidence and shall not be denied. The Diaoyu Island and its adjacent islands have been China's territory since antiquity. Whatever Japan's textbook says, it is not going to change the fact that the Diaoyu Islands belong to China. We urge Japan to take seriously the concerns of its Asian neighbors and the international community. At the same time, Japan needs to shape its young generation's view of history in a truthful way. Otherwise, Japan will lose the trust among its Asian neighbors and the wider international community. Reuters: The US government imposed sanctions on five Chinese companies for their role in alleged repression of the Uyghur people. What's your comment? Mao Ning: Facts have long disproved the "suppression" of Uyghur minorities in Xinjiang. The US has been attacking Chinese companies and politicizing normal business cooperation on the ground of disinformation. Its goal is to destabilize Xinjiang and use that to curb China. China is firmly opposed to that. The US needs to respect the facts, stop spreading disinformation, and stop suppressing Chinese companies on the ground of lies. China will do everything necessary to protect the lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies. AFP: The US State Department has now confirmed that the head of its so-called China House Rick Waters visited several Chinese cities last week, including Beijing, meeting with counterparts from the Chinese side. This is the first significant dialogue since US Secretary of State Blinken canceled a trip to China. Does the foreign ministry have any information on last week's visit or on any other upcoming diplomatic exchanges between China and the US? Mao Ning: According to our knowledge, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia Rick Waters came to China to have internal discussions with the US embassy and consulates in China. During his stay in China, officials of the Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs at our foreign ministry spoke with him at the US side's request on China-US relations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China deletes Marxism, Leninism, Maoism, other ideologies from government rulebook The new rules force the country's cabinet, the State Council, to run all major decisions past the party leadership. By Gu Ting for RFA Mandarin 2023.03.29 -- China has rewritten its political rulebook to delete references to all ideology but that of supreme party leader Xi Jinping, forcing its cabinet, the State Council, to defer to highest-ranking Communist Party leaders on all "major decisions." The changes come amid a far-reaching institutional shake-up as Xi Jinping begins a third and indefinite term in office, concentrating executive power in the hands of Communist Party working groups rather than in the hands of ministers and other administrative officials. References to Marxism, Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, the thought of Deng Xiaoping and the ideologies of former presidents Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao have all been deleted from the new edition of the document titled "Working Procedures for the State Council" that was published on official websites on March 18. State Council officials under the leadership of incoming premier Li Qiang are referred solely to the political thought of Xi Jinping, a rulebook that has been edited down from 64 articles to just 43. While the order to follow the lead of the ruling Communist Party Central Committee with Xi Jinping at the core remains unchanged, officials are also now required to "report any major decisions, major events and important situations" to the Central Committee "in a timely manner." Previous references to "administration according to law, seeking truth from facts, democracy, openness, pragmatism and integrity" have gone, as have the requirement for the State Council "to correct illegal or inappropriate administrative actions," or to "guide and supervise" the bureaucracy. Mao, Jiang and Hu Australia-based current affairs commentator Zhang Guangzhong said many of the former powers of the State Council have been transferred to the Central Committee, and that this is reflected in a slimmed-down rulebook. "This revision of the rules highlights the importance of allegiance to Xi Jinping and seeks to play down the influence of Mao, Jiang and Hu, in a bid [by the party leadership] to take back control of the State Council," Zhang told Radio Free Asia. "In this revision of the rulebook, the freedom of the State Council to promulgate policies is limited, while centralization [of leadership] continues," he said. "We [also] see Xi taking a guiding role in the work of the State Council." Under Xi's predecessors, the State Council was typically the domain of the premier, who was charged with the day-to-day running of the country and with formulating economic policy. The Central Committee last week launched a nationwide disciplinary campaign that will inspect its 96 million members for loyalty to supreme leader Xi Jinping and weed out "black sheep" and "two-faced" officials from positions of power who were put there by rival political factions, under a "working group" run by the party's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. 'Only one signboard for the party' Political commentator Huang Changgen said the removal of references to Marxism-Leninism and the political ideologies of Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin from the document strongly suggests that there will be scant room for independent decision-making at the State Council from now on. "In recent years, the State Council usually had some room to negotiate [with the party leadership], but that's all gone now," Huang said, predicting: "Sooner or later, they'll take those references out of the party charter, too." "They are making it clear that there's only one signboard for the party to follow now - the rest no longer exists, and the [old concept of a group of senior leaders at the] party center is gone too." Amendments to the party charter approved during the 20th party congress last October described Xi Jinping's thought as "the essence of Chinese culture and the spirit of the times," endorsed his ideology and tasked the party's 90 million members with "safeguarding" his position as "core" leader. Former Communist Party school professor Cai Xia said at the time that the amendments effectively turned the party into Xi's personal "gang," with its members obliged to uphold his leadership. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Matt Reed. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content March not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hong Kong plans to share transplant organs with China sparks human rights concerns Officials have been pushing ahead with the plan since a baby girl was saved by a heart donated from mainland China. By Lee Yuk Yue for RFA Cantonese 2023.03.29 -- Hong Kong's government is looking at ways to share transplant organs between the city's hospitals and those in mainland China, sparking concerns over human rights protections, according to local media reports and healthcare advocates. The government is in talks with Chinese officials to set up a regular organ transplant cooperation system, despite ongoing human rights concerns linked to organ harvesting in China, the Ming Pao, Wen Wei Po and Singtao Daily newspapers reported. The move came as a bill seeking to impose sanctions on anyone involved in illegal organ-harvesting around the world passed in the U.S. House of Representatives on March 27. Health secretary Lo Chung-mau told a recent transplant conference in Hong Kong that the city's Hospital Authority is currently discussing setting up a common computer matching system for organs and donors, and is "hoping to implement it as soon as possible," the papers reported. Lo made a trip to Beijing earlier this month to talk about a common organ donor mechanism between Hong Kong and mainland China, and the Hospital Authority is currently talking with officials at the China Organ Transplant Response System, he told journalists on the same day that the bill passed in the House. Lo said he was inspired to pursue the idea by a recent case in which four-month-old Cleo Lai had a successful transplant of a donor heart from an undisclosed location in mainland China, after being critically ill with dilated cardiomyopathy. 'Clear and transparent mechanism' needed Simon Tang, Cluster Services Director at the Hospital Authority, praised China's National Health Commission's "robust mechanism" for helping to identify the right organ for Lai. The case prompted Albert Chan, clinical professor at the department of surgery at the University of Hong Kong, to call for a system to be set up to share organs with mainland Chinese hospitals in future. "Hong Kong's organ donation rate is very low," Chan said. "If the ... government can set up a clear and transparent mechanism so more organs donated from the mainland could help people in Hong Kong, it'd be very encouraging news," Chan told government broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong at the time. Alex Lam, chairman of the advocacy group Hong Kong Patients' Voices, said organ donation rates are even lower in China than in Hong Kong. "The proportion of donors in China is lower than that in Hong Kong, and the demand for organs is high," Lam said. "My question is, even if there is an organ available in China, how likely is it that they will find no suitable recipient in mainland China, given that so many people are on the waiting list there?" Data from the International Organ Donation and Transplantation Registration Organization shows that the organ donation rate from cadavers has slowed over the past decade in Hong Kong, but that it has consistently remained higher than the rate in mainland China, at 4.66 last year compared with mainland China's 3.63. Lam said there are concerns that organs could be taken from Hong Kong donors in future, who are given scant choice about where they end up, and who may not want their organs to go to mainland China. "Has the government even listened to donors on this issue?" Lam said. "They need to respect their wishes if they are changing the plan." Willing donors or executed prisoners? Song-Lih Huang, secretary-general of the Taiwan International Medical Alliance, said there are also issues around appropriate transportation facilities for organs, and legal differences between the two jurisdictions. He cited concerns over where any organs donated from China had come from, and whether they had been harvested from executed prisoners or taken from willing donors. "Where are the organs coming from?" Huang said. "From someone who had an accident, or prisoners on death row, including prisoners of conscience, political prisoners, or from live organ-harvesting?" "None of us know the answer to that, and it's very hard to verify," he said. "We don't know how many executions are carried out in China every year, nor any way of finding out who is a prisoner on death row." Huang said there are also differences in the way that brain death is declared in Hong Kong and mainland China. The U.S. Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act of 2023, if passed, will impose sanctions on individuals and entities involved in forced organ trafficking, and authorizes the Department of State to revoke the passports of individuals convicted of certain crimes related to organ trafficking. China's former organ transplant chief Huang Jiefu and colleagues reported in the U.K.-based medical journal The Lancet in 2011 that about 65% of transplants in China use organs from deceased donors, more than 90% of whom were executed prisoners. And a 2022 study in the American Journal of Transplantation found evidence in 71 cases of "executions by organ removal" from prisoners, concluding that "the removal of the heart during organ procurement must have been the proximate cause of the donor's death." China is believed to be one of the world's top executioners, but the exact number of executions is regarded as a state secret by the ruling Chinese Communist Party. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Matt Reed. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content March not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Manama The First Vice-Speaker of the parliament of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Andre Mbata, thanked on Monday the support, dedication and commitment of Angola to the pacification process of the eastern region. Andre Mbata, who was speaking to the Angolan press at the end of a meeting with the Speaker of the National Assembly of Angola, Carolina Cerqueira, said that the Angolan support is being essential for the pacification process in the east of his country, highlighting the direct intervention of President Joao Lourenco. The DR Congo parliamentarian also expressed satisfaction for the fact that Angola is sending a military contingent to ensure the supervision of the cantonment process of the M23 soldiers, as well as the safety of local populations. "Angola is demonstrating that it is with the people of the DRC, and it is indeed concerned with peace in the DRC. And this demonstration, made with actions, satisfies the desire of the Congolese people, because it will help pacify the eastern region", he said. Angola announced, on Saturday, the sending of a unit of a Contingent of Support to the Peacekeeping Operations of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA) to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The information released on the official page of the Presidency of the Republic, on the social network Facebook, said that the unit's main objective is to ensure the cantonment areas for the M23 elements and to protect the members of the Ad Hoc Verification Mechanism. Angola took the initiative to inform the leaders of the region about this consultation, within the framework of coordination between the Luanda and Nairobi Processes, as well as the United Nations, the African Union and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS). The deployment of the FAA Peacekeeping Operations Support Contingent unit is part of the decisions taken by the different mini-summits on the peace and security process in DRC, in accordance with Angola's responsibilities as a mediator. The Angolan Head of State, Joao Lourenco, chairs the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and is also the African Union (AU) mediator in the crisis between Rwanda and DRC. Safety Concerns Rise as Journalists Report Being Followed in Hong Kong By Tommy Walker March 29, 2023 Concerns over media safety in Hong Kong heightened in the past week as reports emerged of journalists being followed. A court reporter for the English-language news site Hong Kong Free Press filmed an incident on March 22 in which two men followed her for about an hour as she traveled to work. The reporter, who has not been named in reports, described being tailed by two men with Bluetooth earpieces as she used the metro. When one of the men was confronted by another reporter, he declined to answer questions on what he was doing and hid in the public restroom. The court reporter's media outlet, known locally as HKFP, shared footage of the incident on its website. Following coverage of that incident, the Hong Kong Journalists Association said in a statement that it had received reports from other journalists who experienced similar behavior in recent weeks. "The Hong Kong Journalists Association received reports last week from different news organizations and journalists that several journalists were being followed or monitored by unknown men," the association said, adding that it "strongly condemns attempts to harass or intimidate journalists." Police are investigating the incident involving the HKFP journalist, local media reported. HKFP condemned harassment of its staff, saying on social media that it will "use every bureaucratic [and] legal avenue possible to follow-up, relentlessly." "We'll film it, make police complaints, publish stories, enlist NGOs & our lawyers, & reserve the right not to blur faces. Every single time," tweeted Tom Grundy, editor-in-chief and founder of HKFP. 1/ If you try this nonsense, HKFP will use every bureaucratic & legal avenue possible to follow-up, relentlessly.We'll film it, make police complaints, publish stories, enlist NGOs & our lawyers, & reserve the right not to blur faces. Every single time. #pressfreedom https://t.co/dg7d8fkEmH a Tom Grundy (@tomgrundy) March 24, 2023 VOA requested additional comments but Grundy declined. Founded in 2015, HKFP has reported extensively on the pro-democracy movement and the introduction in Hong Kong of the national security law. The outlet is funded by donations, and although it is accessible in Hong Kong, the website is blocked in mainland China. Media rights associations, including Reporters Without Borders, or RSF, issued statements on the incident and urged police to investigate. "We are concerned by the fact a Hong Kong Free Press reporter was ostentatiously followed in broad daylight by an unidentified individual and insist that journalists should at all times be able to work freely and without fear of harassment," Cedric Alviani, RSF East Asia Bureau director, said in a statement. Hong Kong ranks 148 out of 180 regions on the RSF Press Freedom Index, where 1 shows the best environment for media. The Hong Kong Journalist Association released a statement asking whether the men who followed the reporter were plainclothes police. "To allay doubts, the [association] is asking the police and the judiciary whether the men are law enforcement officers and whether there have been any recent enforcement actions against journalists," the group said in a statement. "If the men are not law enforcement officers, the [association] urges the police to investigate and follow up seriously and bring suspicious persons to justice as soon as possible." VOA requested comment from Hong Kong's Security Bureau but as of publication had not received a response. Hong Kong police have dismissed the claims made by the journalists' associations, saying the allegations were "unverified," according to local reports. Fears rise Several journalists have spoken of an uncertain environment for media since the national security law was introduced. More than 100 protesters, journalists and lawmakers have been detained under the act and the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily and the news website Stand News are among the dozen outlets to have been shuttered since the security law took effect in 2020. Steve Vines, a British journalist who spent three decades in the city, says he left Hong Kong in 2021 after receiving warnings from people who, he said, were "hostile to the democracy movement." Vines, who was a host for public broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong and a columnist for the HKFP, said he wasn't surprised at hearing the news about the court reporter. "The problem is the space for independent journalism in Hong Kong has reduced so dramatically, it's surprising it even exists still in Hong Kong," he told VOA. "The fact the people who are trying to maintain a free and independent press [are] being harassed [is] unfortunately not surprising. Worrying but not surprising." Vines, who is now living in Britain, said that some Hong Kong media outlets had to move operations outside the region as a safeguard against possible retaliation. Authorities have previously said the national security law was introduced to bring stability after anti-government protests in 2019. It criminalizes secession, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces and carries hefty sentences. When asked about journalist concerns over the media environment, Hong Kong's national security bureau told VOA last year the city's government is firmly committed to safeguarding press freedom. Jeffrey Timmermans, who oversaw the undergraduate journalism program at Hong Kong University until 2021, told VOA in a message that in a time of uncertainty for media, it has been positive to see how organizations like HKFP keep working. "There's always an element of uncertainty about news organizations that rely on donations, but it's been wonderful to see how many individuals have continued to support Hong Kong Free Press. That's a testament to the quality of their content, and the need for such a news site," he said. "Sadly, I fear that all independent media in Hong Kong will be targeted," said Timmermans, who currently teaches at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address What Is the Signal Sent by Return to China of Alibaba's Founder? By Fang Bing March 29, 2023 Jack Ma, one of China's most prominent entrepreneurs, returned to China this week after traveling overseas for more than a year, in what is being interpreted as evidence of an improved climate for the nation's private sector. He paid a visit Monday to the Yungu School, a private academy in Hangzhou funded by Ma's Alibaba Group, which includes one of the world's biggest online commerce companies. There, he talked about "the future of education with the campus directors" and "the challenges and opportunities" that "new technological change brings to education," according to the school's WeChat account. Earlier this month, Chinese leader Xi Jinping said the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) "has always treated private entrepreneurs as its own people," marking an about-face from suppressing the private economy during the pandemic with tactics that included stopping what was expected to be the $37 billion IPO of Ma's Ant Group. China's economy trended down after COVID-19 was first identified in humans in Wuhan in December 2019. Xi led the crackdown on some of China's most successful entrepreneurs as he pushed for "common prosperity" -- long a CCP catchphrase -- as an alternative to increasing inequality. Some see Ma's return as a signal of a fundamental change of China policies in the private sector. An article from Ejam Finance, a Guangzhou-based new media company focusing on financial information, said, "Today, Jack Ma returned to China again! I believe this is also a day when the confidence of private entrepreneurs across the country soars." Alibaba's U.S.-listed shares rose by more than 10% after news broke of Ma's return. Alibaba Group is planning to split into six units, it said Tuesday, as Beijing said it would ease a regulatory crackdown on private enterprises. Zongyuan Zoe Liu, fellow for international political economy at the Council on Foreign Relations, told VOA Mandarin, "Ma Yun (Jack Ma) has been the token of Chinese entrepreneurship. His rise and fall (and seemingly rise again) have been closely associated with the Chinese government and government-led investment." According to Reuters, China's new premier, Li Qiang, has been asking Ma to return since late last year, hoping it would boost business confidence among entrepreneurs, which enhanced the theory of Ma's return being a prophecy of a policy change. Fraser Howie, a longtime Asia analyst, is not optimistic that Ma's return will change much. He told Reuters, "I can see how this sort of signals a relaxation but none of the laws and institutions set up to control the private sector have changed." Liu said the most important aspect of Ma's return is whether it can boost investors' confidence in China's economy. "As long as confidence in the Chinese economy and confidence in the Chinese government's support for the private sector can be quickly restored, it helps to quell rumors and reduce uncertainties. After all, economic growth is a confidence game," she said. She emphasized that confidence in the Chinese economy and expressing support for Ma's return are two different things. Hu Ping, a onetime district councilor in Beijing who later edited China Spring and Beijing Spring, both U.S.-based journals focused on Chinese politics, told VOA Mandarin that "the loss of Chinese private entrepreneurs' confidence in the government is caused by Xi's suppression policy." As long as Xi is in the office and his policies remain unchanged, people's trust can't be regained, Hu said. Yao Wang, a Chinese investment expert who has been engaged in asset management in New York for nearly 30 years, believes that instead of using Ma's return to boost confidence in private enterprise, Beijing should take some practical actions. "The best way to show the stability, continuity, predictability, and transparency of policies is to fix it in the form of law," he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iranian Teachers Protest Conditions Amid Reports Of Unpaid Wages By RFE/RL's Radio Farda March 29, 2023 Iranian teachers have protested in several different cities around the country over wages and poor living standards as unrest over social and economic issues that has plagued Iran for almost a year continues. Reports published on social media showed teachers gathered in front of education departments on March 28 in the cities of Tabriz, Bojnurd, Zanjan, Malayer, Ardabil, Kermanshah, and Hamedan demanding better financial conditions. The demonstrations came after a teachers' union had warned the government to meet its demands or face protests. The rallies also came amid reports from the semiofficial Tasnim news agency that said numerous teachers across Iran had yet to receive their salaries for the previous month. In recent years, Iranian teachers have taken to the streets across the country to demand better pay and working conditions. In response, the authorities have summoned, detained, and jailed a growing number of protesters and activists, actions that have failed to stop the rallies. The Coordinating Council of Teachers' Syndicates said on March 19 that imprisonment, dismissal, deportation, and court sentences have failed to deter teachers from their desire to accompany the people of Iran in the direction of fundamental changes in the Islamic republic. The statement, published just ahead of the beginning of the Persian New Year on March 21, referred to the last year as "a year full of glory and complaints" and added that "the stance of teachers and students together will promise days full of awareness." Unrest has rattled Iran since last summer in response to declining living standards, wage arrears, and a lack of welfare support. Labor law in Iran does not recognize the right of workers to form independent unions. Adding to the dissent, the death in September of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody for allegedly wearing a head scarf improperly breathed new life into demonstrations, which officials across the country have since tried to quell with harsh measures. The activist HRANA news agency said that more than 500 people have been killed during the unrest, including 71 minors, as security forces try to stifle widespread dissent. Thousands have been arrested in the clampdown, with the judiciary handing down harsh sentences -- including the death penalty -- to protesters. Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-teachers-protest- unpaid-wages/32340535.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party dissolved by Myanmar's junta NLD didn't re-register with the junta's Election Commission after stricter requirements were approved. By RFA Burmese 2023.03.28 -- Myanmar's military junta on Tuesday announced the dissolution of the National League for Democracy - the party led by Aung San Suu Kyi that won the 2020 elections in a landslide - ahead of elections the regime plans to hold later this year. The NLD did not re-register with the military junta's Election Commission, which said a total of 40 political parties were dissolved because they did not re-register as political parties within 60 days, according to the new laws and regulations enacted by the military council. Opponents and analysts say new stricter eligibility requirements, approved in January by the military that took control of the government in a February 2021 coup, favor military-aligned parties and seek to legitimize the junta through a sham election. Some opponents of the military have urged a boycott of the election, the date of which has yet to be announced. Opponents warn that smaller parties that take part will likely lose and only lend credibility to the junta. There are 63 political parties that have registered with the commission as of Tuesday. Only the Union Solidarity and Development Party, which ran the country as a quasi-civilian government under then-President Thein Sein after an opposition boycott of the 2010 election held by the previous junta, is seen as a legitimate contender in 2023. The party, which serves as the junta's electoral proxy, challenged the NLD's election win in 2010 based on allegations of fraud and assumed Myanmar's presidency following the 2021 coup. But other groups, including the Shan and Ethnic Nationalities Party, believe that an election is the only way to reestablish civilian rule in Myanmar. 'Never turning back to democracy' "The military junta has learned clearly by taking the 2010 general election into account that they would lose the election if the opposition party NLD competes," political and legal analyst Kyee Myint said. That's why the junta has detained Suu Kyi, just as they have in the past, he said. "The military has proven again this time that they are never turning back to democracy," Kyee Myint said. "In fact, we already know it as a fact. We just continue to see more and more proof that backs this fact." The election commission is organized under an illegal military junta that has operated as a terrorist organization, said Nay Phone Latt, a spokesman for the shadow National Unity Government. "There is no reason that these political parties should be dissolved just by an announcement of this so-called election commission," he said. RFA sought comment from the U.S. State Department on the election commission's action but didn't immediately receive a response on Tuesday. The announcement that the 40 parties have been dissolved carries no legitimacy because the junta itself doesn't represent the people and "is by no means legal," said Kyaw Htway, a Central Working Committee member for the NLD. Over and over, the junta has searched party offices, sealed off homes and seized the property of party members, Kyaw Htway said. "Our party has a lot of experience resisting the repression of a series of military dictators over the 30 years since it was established," he said. "In this modern technological age, we can still do even more for the people despite the junta's announcement." "That's why I want to say that our party that emerged from the people, with the trust and support of them, will continue to exist so long as the people exist." Translated by Myo Min Aung. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content March not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement on political party deregistration in Myanmar Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 29 March 2023 Australia is seriously concerned about the further narrowing of political space in Myanmar resulting from the imposition and requirements of the new Political Party Registration Law. Many parties who previously participated in the political process in Myanmar, including the National League for Democracy (NLD), are no longer registered. Any political process in Myanmar that excludes participation by a broad range of stakeholders will not lead to a genuinely representative outcome, and risks further violence and instability. We urge the regime to ensure all stakeholders can participate in Myanmar's democratic future, and that all voices can be heard. The people of Myanmar continue to show their courage and commitment to a democratic country in the face of increasing repression and violence by the regime. We will continue to closely monitor the regime's actions, and call for the restoration of democracy including credible elections. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement by a Federal Foreign Office Spokesperson on the dissolution of the National League for Democracy, the party of Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar Germany Federal Foreign Office 29.03.2023 - Press release The dissolution of the National League for Democracy (NLD), the party of Aung San Suu Kyi, and 39 other parties by the military junta in Myanmar is a further blatant example of its contempt for its own people and their quest for democracy and freedom. We condemn the conduct of the junta, which is acting without any basis in democracy and the rule of law. The dissolution of the parties is further evidence that the elections announced by the military regime would be a farce and would not be safe, free or fair under the current conditions. The dissolution of the parties now threatens a further escalation of violence in Myanmar and a more rapid destabilisation of the country. We call on the military in Myanmar to put a stop to the violence, especially the attacks on civilians and the brutal repression against the opposition, without delay and to release all political prisoners. The junta must, at long last, initiate an inclusive dialogue process with all political and social stakeholders that will allow the country to return to a democratic process founded on the rule of law. Background information: Two years after the military coup in Myanmar on 1 February 2021, the country's political, humanitarian and human rights situation is bleak. According to reports, more than 3100 civilians have been killed by military forces since the coup while over 17,000 people have been detained on political grounds. There have been repeated massacres and air strikes on villages and civilian targets in recent months. Following the junta's extension in February 2023 of the state of emergency for another six months and possible sham elections, there are signs of further political and military mobilisation. Aung San Suu Kyi, like other members of the democratically elected government, is in detention having been sentenced to a total of 33 years in prison in various trials. Her party, the National League for Democracy, is refusing to register under the election law promulgated by the junta in early 2023. The deadline for registration passed yesterday (28 March). Numerous other parties have also refused to register, citing, among other things, the military's lack of democratic legitimacy. According to an official statement by the military, a total of 40 parties have been dissolved. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Interview: Indonesian special office to 'steer ASEAN's efforts' on Myanmar State Dept Counselor Derek Chollet discusses how the US is working with regional partners to end the crisis. By Ye Kaung Myint Maung for RFA Burmese 2023.03.29 -- U.S. State Department Counselor Derek Chollet recently returned from a trip to Southeast Asia with stops that included Bangkok and Jakarta. During his visit to Indonesia, Chollet spoke with officials about their country's role as this year's chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, and the establishment of a special office within its foreign ministry to focus on the political crisis in fellow bloc member Myanmar. At the end of January, Chollet described Washington's goal as being to "foster conditions that end the current crisis" in Myanmar and return the country to "the path of inclusive, representative multiparty democracy." Amid frustration over the lack of progress in Myanmar and ASEAN's handling of the crisis, Chollet claimed that sanctions leveled against the junta for its violent repression of the opposition "have had some effect," reducing its sources of funding. But he acknowledged that more needs to be done, including ending the "steady pipeline of arms" that continues to enter the country and which the junta has used against its people. Chollet sat down with RFA Burmese's Ye Kaung Myint Maung on Monday to discuss how the United States is working to achieve its goal in Myanmar both unilaterally and through cooperation with partners in the region. The following interview has been edited for length and clarity. RFA Burmese: What can you tell me about your trip to Southeast Asia last week? Chollet: I was able to talk to our partners in Indonesia about their ASEAN chair year and some of their aspirations for that year. They have established a special office inside the foreign ministry to focus on the crisis in Myanmar and help steer ASEAN's efforts when it comes to addressing the crisis in Myanmar. They have named a very senior diplomat to lead that office. Someone who is very well known to us here in the United States ... I had a chance to speak with him as well as Foreign Minister [Retno] Marsudi about the situation in Myanmar. And some of their thinking about how they're going to try to achieve some results. So we talked about all sorts of issues related to the crisis, whether it's our work to help provide humanitarian assistance to the refugees in and across the border from Myanmar into Thailand to ways that we're going to work together with ASEAN to try to continue to pressure the junta, to further isolate them and to do what we can to support the democratic opposition inside Myanmar. RFA Burmese: So what would be the [role] of that office in Indonesia? Chollet: They are looking to help coordinate efforts on behalf of Indonesia for ASEAN in this chair year and it's including trying to lead the diplomatic efforts that ASEAN is undertaking and implement the five point consensus [agreed to in April 2021 at an emergency meeting to end violence in Myanmar], to setting up a process to provide greater humanitarian assistance through the [ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance] into Myanmar, to coming up with a work plan for how to use the coming year with key leadership meetings with ministers meetings and, of course, eventually with the summit later this year to try to get some important decisions made through ASEAN about Myanmar - all in the service of trying to implement the five point consensus. RFA Burmese: What updates do you have on U.S. assistance for the people of Myanmar as mandated by the Burma Act? Chollet: We are working every day to implement the measures of the Burma Act. And we are one of the largest, if not the largest, donor of humanitarian assistance to Myanmar. We work intensively through our embassy in [Yangon] to provide humanitarian assistance and also to provide non-lethal assistance to the pro-democratic opposition and help them on everything from planning to budgeting to administration, particularly in areas which are now about 50% of the country that fall outside the [junta's] control. So we find it very important that we have this support, bipartisan support, on Capitol Hill and are regularly in touch with our Congress on the way forward in implementing the Burma Act. RFA Burmese: The establishment of the special office - do you think it's significant and why? Chollet: Previous chairs of ASEAN, Brunei and Cambodia, [have acted as] foreign ministers and special envoys ... They were worried about managing the ASEAN agenda across the board. They have to participate in many meetings all around the world, in addition to their ASEAN duties and in addition to their concerns about Myanmar. So I think it makes a lot of sense to have this special office. It's ensuring that there is high-level focused attention on the situation inside Myanmar. And they're good partners of the United States. Russian and Chinese influence RFA Burmese: You said, during your trip, that Russian arms support for the junta is destabilizing the entire region. So what can you tell me about what the U.S. is doing to counter that Russian support? Chollet: We are making very clear to all of our partners that that support is unacceptable. We are also trying to make it harder for the junta to get the resources to acquire weapons that are fueling its war machine. Just last week, on Friday, when I returned from the trip, the United States announced another round of sanctions against several individuals and entities inside Myanmar that are associated with its acquisition of arms and particularly air power. Because what we're seeing is the junta is increasingly using air power to go after the opposition because they're finding that they're less successful when they're using ground forces. RFA Burmese: We also see Chinese support, although not as significant as Russia, to the regime. We have an analyst, [former U.S. Ambassador to Myanmar Scott Marciels] who said that the Chinese leadership sees the Myanmar issue as a power struggle between the U.S. and China. And they don't want to lose Myanmar to the U.S. So what would you tell the Chinese leaders, with regard to the Myanmar crisis? Chollet: We don't see a power struggle between the U.S. and China [over Myanmar]. We are worried about Myanmar on its own terms and the terrible humanitarian catastrophe that Myanmar is becoming. And the fact that two-plus years ago now, we had a rollback of democracy. The will of the people of Myanmar who expressed themselves in November of 2020 [by voting for Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy]. [The military] didn't like the results, so they decided to try to undo it with the [Feb. 1, 2021] coup. We have raised Myanmar and our shared concerns about Myanmar's stability with China. China has a new envoy to Myanmar that we look forward to engaging with and trying to find out whether there is a common solution here. We believe that there can be shared interests. In Myanmar we want to see stability there. We don't want to see Myanmar become an exporter of crime, of drugs and of arms and of people and of instability. That's something we want to try to prevent and we believe China does as well. No 'silver bullets' RFA Burmese: What do you want to say to the people on the ground fighting the regime and the people hoping for a better life and better tomorrow? Chollet: First of all, we fully understand how difficult the situation is inside Myanmar. We know that every day we have people fighting for their lives and sacrificing for their country. All I would say is we in the United States, working with our allies and partners, wake up every day determined to do whatever we can to try to help improve the situation. I can't pretend here that we have any silver bullets. But whether it's providing humanitarian support, whether it's trying to make the pro-democratic opposition stronger or through pressure and isolation we can try to change the incentives of the junta to make it less likely to continue this war and hopefully end it and get Myanmar back on the path of democracy. That's what we are seeking. We see the great potential and opportunity from the people of Myanmar. And all of the talent there. And that's why we've been so focused on the crisis over the last several years because what the regime did in February 2021 was just take a step off that path towards progress and democracy and prosperity. Edited by Joshua Lipes. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content March not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address As Burmese refugees pour across border, India plans to build camps Manipur state has seen 10,000 refugees flood into the area, fleeing fighting. By RFA Burmese 2023.03.29 -- India is preparing to build temporary refugee camps at its eastern border for more than 10,000 Burmese who have fled recent fighting in Myanmar's Chin state and Sagaing region. Indian members of parliament and Manipur state government officials - traveling in about 40 cars on March 26 - visited the villages where refugees have been taking shelter in Moreh township, refugees said. The officials told refugees they plan to build three or four camps across the border from the Myanmar town of Tamu and about two miles away from the Indian town of Moreh. Each camp will be able to house about 5,000 refugees, and refugees will be required to stay in the camps - not in nearby Indian villages, one refugee told Radio Free Asia on condition of anonymity.. The Manipur state government has formed a subcommittee consisting of state government ministers to coordinate the building of the camps, India-based news outlets reported. Refugees said Manipur officials told them they would have to return to their homes if the situation in Myanmar stabilizes. But one refugee said the site may be too close to the Myanmar border. "The perpetrators can come in and attack due to its location," the person said. "It would be a different story if the Indian authorities could guarantee security. Otherwise, Myanmar junta forces can come to that location at any moment." Terms of plan still unclear The Indian government must not only guarantee the safety of the refugees, but it should also allow humanitarian aid from international and other organizations without any constraints, said Salai Dokhar, the founder of India For Myanmar, which assists Myanmar refugees in India. "Will there be free access for the international and civil aid organizations to help the refugees?" he asked. "Will the Indian government directly provide humanitarian assistance to the refugees? Since these important points have not been included in their explanation, we are still in a position of looking into the plan." Among those who fled to Manipur, there are about 50 members of the Civil Disobedience Movement, according to aid workers. The movement has seen tens of thousands of Myanmar's government employees leave their jobs in protest of the military's February 2021 coup One CDM member said the refugees would be safer in Manipur if they were issued refugee recognition cards and allowed to live in villages instead of refugee camps. "We will be more in favor of the plan if the location of the camps is moved further from the border line," the CDM member said. If refugees "build houses as neat as they can and spend their own money, they would be on good terms with the Indian village chiefs," he said. In recent months, Manipur police have arrested at least 170 Myanmar refugees who were sheltering in villages along the border in Moreh township. Those refugees would be released and allowed to live in the temporary refugee camp once it is built, according to refugees who spoke with members of the Manipur government subcommittee. RFA contacted the Indian Embassy in Yangon and the Myanmar Embassy in Delhi through emails regarding the opening of a temporary refugee camp for Myanmar refugees in Manipur, but didn't immediately receive a reply. Translated by Myo Min Aung. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content March not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address FCDO statement on the Myanmar military's decision to dissolve the National League for Democracy and other democratic political parties. 29 March 2023 The Myanmar military regime's decision to dissolve 40 political parties, including Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party, is a further assault on the rights and freedoms of the Myanmar people. There can be no solution to the crisis created by the military regime without meaningful, inclusive dialogue, which respects the people's democratic wishes. We condemn the military regime's politically motivated actions and their use of increasingly brutal tactics to sow fear and repress opposition. The UK will continue working with partners to pressure the regime to end all violence and create space for meaningful and inclusive dialogue. We reiterate our support for the people of Myanmar and their aspirations for an inclusive and democratic future. Pakistani Armed Groups Obtain U.S. Weapons Left Behind In Afghanistan By Abubakar Siddique March 29, 2023 When the United States pulled out its forces from Afghanistan in 2021, it left behind around $7 billion worth of military equipment and weapons, including firearms, communications gear, and even armored vehicles. The Taliban seized the arms following the fall of the Western-backed Afghan government during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal, giving the hard-line Islamist group a vast war chest. Since the Taliban takeover, some of the American military gear and weapons have turned up in neighboring Pakistan, where they have been used by armed groups, according to experts and security officials. Observers say the influx of U.S. weapons has boosted the military capabilities of the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group and ethnic Baluch separatist groups that are waging insurgencies against the government in Pakistan, which has witnessed a surge in violence over the past two years. "These weapons have added to the lethality of such groups," said Asfandyar Mir, a senior analyst at the United States Institute of Peace, adding that a "robust and in many ways growing black market" for U.S. weapons is thriving in Pakistan. Experts say armed groups have obtained advanced U.S. weapons and equipment like M16 machine guns and M4 assault rifles, night-vision goggles, and military communication gear. A 'Terrifying' Impact Abdul Sayed, a Sweden-based researcher who tracks the TTP, said the group's access to sophisticated combat weapons has had a "terrifying" impact, especially on the lesser-equipped police force, in Pakistan. A police officer in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which has borne the brunt of the TTP attacks, told RFE/RL that they were sitting ducks for militants. "The fact is that they can see us in the dark while we can't. That gives the terrorists an enormous advantage," said the officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Moazzam Jah Ansari, a former police chief of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, told journalists in November that militants "picked up sophisticated weapons left behind by the Americans and waged war against [the province's] police." The TTP's attacks in Pakistan have surged since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan. The two militant groups are ideological and organizational allies. According to the Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies (PIPS), a think tank in Islamabad, the number of terrorist attacks in the country increased by 27 percent last year compared to 2021. At least 419 people were killed, while 734 were injured in 262 terrorist attacks last year. There are few signs that the number of attacks will drop. On January 15, senior police officer Sardar Hussain Khan and two policemen were killed in the northwestern city of Peshawar with a sniper gun, which was fitted with a thermal scope, according to the authorities. The TTP has released numerous videos of sniper attacks on security check posts along Pakistan's western border with Afghanistan over the last two years. 'No Realistic Way To Retrieve' Weapons In March last year, the Pentagon reported to Congress that nearly $7.2 billion worth of aircraft, guns, vehicles, ammunition, and specialized equipment like night vision goggles and biometric devices were left behind in Afghanistan. A Taliban official told Al Jazeera that the group seized more than 300,000 light arms, 26,000 heavy weapons, and around 61,000 military vehicles. The Pentagon told U.S. government watchdog SIGAR that there is "currently is no realistic way to retrieve the materiel that remains in Afghanistan, given that the United States does not recognize the Taliban as a government." The Pentagon did not respond to RFE/RL's requests for comments. The Taliban has rejected claims that it has supplied TTP fighters with U.S. weapons and equipment. The group has also downplayed suggestions that it has sold off arms on the black market. "If some weapons are being smuggled, they are far fewer and not of much concern," Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. Mujahid claimed that some former members of Afghanistan's security forces sold their weapons after the fall of the internationally recognized government in Kabul. 'Extremely Vulnerable' Pakistani gun owners say the black market has been flooded by U.S. weapons since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. "It's like the 1980s, but, this time, many Western weapons are now available," said Gohar Bacha, a gun owner from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. During that time, Western nations sent millions of dollars worth of arms to the Pakistan-based Afghan mujahedin, the U.S.-backed Islamist groups who were fighting Soviet forces that had invaded Afghanistan in 1979. The mujahedin were armed with mostly Chinese and captured Soviet weapons. Bacha said the new U.S. weapons available on the black market "are of excellent quality and very lethal." He said a U.S.-made M4 assault rifle in good condition can be purchased for around $1,400. U.S. military communication gear such as Harris Engineering Falcon Three Radios, meanwhile, can be bought for around $3,500. Militants are not the only ones buying Western weapons on the Pakistani black market. A civilian government bureaucrat in the southwestern province of Baluchistan told RFE/RL that he recently purchased an Austrian-made Glock handgun for $1500. Pakistan's gun laws allow civilians with a license to own firearms. "I felt extremely vulnerable, so I wanted to carry a reliable weapon," said the bureaucrat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, revealing that he had received threatening phone calls from armed groups. "Security and governance are rapidly declining, so people are forced to fend for themselves," he said. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/pakistan- armed-groups-obtain-us-weapons-left-in-afghanistan/32340664.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The US human rights report has no immediate implications but supports calls for prosecuting allegations of war crimes, after finding all parties to the two-year war complicit. The US has concluded that all parties to the two-year conflict which ravaged Ethiopia's northern Tigray region are complicit in "war crimes." "Those most responsible for atrocities, including those in positions of command, must be held accountable," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, as he presented the findings of the report on Monday. The report has no direct US policy implication. However, it gives weight to previous allegations regarding crimes committed, and calls for prosecution. What does the report say? The US annual human rights report found the Ethiopian and Eritrean national armies, the Tigray's People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and the forces aligned with the Amhara region all committed war crimes. It also found all but the TPLF responsible for crimes against humanity, "including murder, rape and other forms of sexual violence, and persecution," Blinken said. The Amhara forces particularly are accused of "the crime against humanity of deportation or forcible transfer and commit[ting] ethnic cleansing in western Tigray." The war is believed to have internally displaced millions of civilians, as per United Nations figures. "Entire communities were specifically targeted based on their ethnicity. Many of these actions were not random or a mere byproduct of war - they were calculated and deliberate," Blinken said. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Ethiopia Conflict By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Both the Amhara forces and the Eritrean military fought alongside the Ethiopian military and against the TPLF, in what has been described as among the 21st century's deadliest conflicts. Ethiopia's Tigray conflict The report comes less than a week after Blinken's visit to Ethiopia. The US top diplomat said he discussed in meetings with both sides the importance of acknowledging the atrocities committed by all parties, as well as accountability. The conflict, which ripped through Ethiopia's northern region from November 2020 until a peace deal was signed in November 2022, is believed to have left some 500,000 killed in Tigray alone. A UN commission inquiry pointed last year to evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Ethiopian government forces, Tigray forces and Eritrea's military. However, the commission accused the Ethiopian forces of starving civilians and using "sexual slavery" as war tools, with the Eritrean forces also accused of the latter. rmt/rt (AFP, AP, Reuters) Airlines Association Warns Pakistan Over $290 Million in Blocked Funds By Ayaz Gul March 29, 2023 The International Air Transport Association (IATA) warned Pakistan on Wednesday that foreign airlines could stop operations in the economically struggling country because of the sustained blockage of cash payments. The trade association of global airlines said in a statement that Pakistan owed foreign airlines some $290 million in "repatriable funds" as of January, the second-highest total after Nigeria. "If conditions persist that make the economics of operation to a country unsustainable, one would expect airlines to put their valued aircraft assets to better use elsewhere," said Philip Goh, IATA's Asia-Pacific regional vice president. He was quoted as saying that Virgin Atlantic Airways recently suspended flights to Pakistan. Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves have lately sunk to around $4.6 billion, barely enough to cover four weeks of imports, prompting the central bank to make it difficult to send dollars out of the country. IATA said that Pakistan's foreign exchange controls are affecting the ability of foreign companies to retrieve their money and meet payment obligations. It noted that some airlines still have funds stuck in Pakistan from sales in 2022. "Trying to get that money is a difficult and long-winded process. Essentially, airlines must undergo a costly monthly audit to produce an auditor's certificate with each remittance showing the amount to be remitted," the statement said. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government has been in talks with the International Monetary Fund to persuade the lender to resume disbursements from a $6.5 billion bailout program agreed to in 2019. The IMF was due to release another $1.1 billion in November but has not done so, citing a lack of progress on fiscal reforms Pakistan agreed to implement. The IMF fund is vital to unlocking other external financing avenues to help Islamabad avert a default on its foreign debt obligations. China, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are among several countries that pledged to help Pakistan fund its balance of payments. Goh described Pakistan, a country of about 220 million, as a "very challenging environment" for airlines. Currently, about 28 foreign airlines fly into Pakistan. "The government already has a federal excise duty (FED) on air tickets for premium travelers and wants to increase it further. This will just make it more expensive to travel and dampen demand for air travel," he cautioned. An IATA study five years ago concluded that Pakistan could increase air travelers to 35 million a year by 2038, up from the current 11 million, contributing $9.3 billion to the country's GDP and supporting almost 800,000 jobs. But critics say successive governments have long neglected the country's aviation industry. Pakistan's foreign currency shortage and declining local currency value are also hurting other vital sectors. Several car manufacturers have paused production due to the economic conditions. The impoverished country relies heavily on imports, such as raw materials needed to manufacture medicine and complex surgical equipment, but the medical supply chain is under growing pressure. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Meeting with Vitaly Khotsenko Vladimir Putin had a working meeting via videoconference with Vitaly Khotsenko. By a Presidential Executive Order Vitaly Khotsenko, who previously held the post of Prime Minister of the Donetsk People's Republic, was appointed Acting Governor of the Omsk Region. March 29, 2023 17:35 Novo-Ogaryovo, Moscow Region President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Khotsenko, good afternoon. Vitaly Khotsenko: Good afternoon, Mr President. Vladimir Putin: Mr Khotsenko, I would like to begin our meeting by talking about your current work. And I would like to ask you a completely, I believe, understandable and natural question: what do you make of the current economic situation in the Donetsk People's Republic? Vitaly Khotsenko: Mr President, Firstly, I have been working in the Donetsk People's Republic for ten months now. I agreed the moment I received the offer, because this is my home; I was born not far from there, in Dnepropetrovsk, where my grandparents are buried. Speaking of the economy, much is being done, including in cooperation with the Presidential Executive Office and the Russian Government. Many facilities are being restored by the regions assisting us, not only in Mariupol, where you recently visited, but in all cities, despite the shelling and ongoing hostilities. My thanks to the regions providing assistance: everyone is helping. We are also paying compensation. We have formed a management team in the region together with the head of the Donetsk People's Republic and federal executive authorities, a team with people from all over Russia as well as locals. So much has been done, and much more remains to be done. In line with your instructions, we have developed a socioeconomic development programme for the Donetsk People's Republic until 2030. We hope it will be adopted in the very near future. There is an unprecedented number of tasks there, and the funding to address them has been earmarked. Vladimir Putin: So now you see it as a working and stable situation, don't you? Vitaly Khotsenko: It is absolutely a working situation, yes. And thank you for your individual decisions, thank you from the doctors and from mothers-to-be: the perinatal centre in Donetsk is being built at a fast pace. And most importantly, Mr President, the water pipeline, which, according to your decision, we are building from the Don, will reach Donetsk in the near future, and one of the most basic problems will be largely solved: we will provide water not for two hours every three days, but every day to the population of the Donetsk People's Republic. The situation is improving. Vladimir Putin: When do you plan to put the water pipeline into operation? Vitaly Khotsenko: According to the plan of the Defence Ministry - a military construction company is working there as a contractor - we expect to open the pipeline and launch the system in April, and to start supplying water to the Seversky Donets-Donbass canal and further to the cities of Donetsk, Makeyevka and Gorlovka. Vladimir Putin: The head of the republic and I will discuss some issues in detail at the next meeting (it will take place soon). I would just like to clarify: do you remember how many beds the perinatal centre has? Vitaly Khotsenko: 140, Mr President. This is a Tula project that you supported. A good project, it suits us well. And, as Mr Khusnullin reported to you, by the end of the year... The pace is mind-blowing. They promise this facility will be completed by the end of the year, even earlier. Vladimir Putin: Excellent. Mr Khotsenko, you have worked in the north for almost five years, and in this regard, you understand the problems of Siberia, you care about them. What do you think of my proposal? Vitaly Khotsenko: Of course, this proposal is a great honour for me. I will make every effort to meet your high expectations and those of the residents in the region that I have heard about. Of course, I will do my best to make people's lives better and meet your expectations. There is a lot of work, but we are not afraid of it. Vladimir Putin: I see. Mr Khotsenko, look, you just said you were born in Dnepropetrovsk. You have been serving as Prime Minister of the Donetsk People's Republic, and you are doing a good job overall. There are many problems there, but you are not intimidated by these problems; you are tackling them. As I said, you served in the north of Russia before, and in the Government of the Russian Federation. From that experience, you certainly have a good idea of how people live in Siberia and the Omsk Region. It is very important to us, very important. I will not list every aspect that you should pay attention to now because I am sure you have reviewed them. I know that you have done this, including with the Presidential Executive Office. We will meet again, of course, to discuss all these issues in detail. I must say that in terms of its climate, the Omsk Region is one of the most suitable for living. But when it comes to economic development and social issues, much still needs to be done there to ensure that the local residents live the life they deserve. There are still many unresolved issues there. I ask you to analyse everything again and discuss it with your colleagues, both with those who are currently working there and others who will join your team. You certainly need to primarily rely on people who are well aware of the region's problems, who have been working there, and have proven themselves. After that, we will meet again and discuss in detail everything that needs to be done to support you in this new position. I want to wish you all the very best. Vitaly Khotsenko: Thank you, Mr President. I will do my best. Thank you for this opportunity to meet and share my vision for the region's development. I will certainly place special emphasis on supporting the fighters from the Omsk Region participating in the special military operation, and the families of the mobilised soldiers. I know how deeply you go into all these details. And the Omsk Region will surely continue to support the town you have entrusted to our patronage, Stakhanov, in the Lugansk People's Republic. Thank you for your trust. Vladimir Putin: Good. Best wishes. Good luck. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia's confrontation with hostile states to last 'a long time': Kremlin Iran Press TV Wednesday, 29 March 2023 4:04 PM The Kremlin says the "hybrid war" being waged against Russia by hostile Western states would last "a long time". Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the prediction during a press briefing on Wednesday when asked how long the "special military operation" in Ukraine would last. "If you are referring to a war in a broader context, a confrontation with hostile states, a hybrid war against our country, then it is going to last for a long time," Peskov said. "And here we need to be resolute and self-confident and to consolidate around the president." Separately, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Wednesday Moscow had suspended sharing information about its nuclear forces with the United States, including notices about missile tests. The senior diplomat said Russia will no longer inform the US about its missile tests. He said Moscow halted all information exchanges with Washington after previously suspending its participation in the last remaining nuclear arms pact with the US. Such notices have been an essential element of strategic stability for decades, allowing Russia and the United States to correctly interpret each other's moves. Last month, President Vladimir Putin suspended the New START treaty, charging that Russia can't accept US inspections of its nuclear sites under the agreement at a time when Washington and its NATO allies have openly declared unconditional support of Ukraine against Russia's defeat in Ukraine as their goal. The warnings appear to mark yet another attempt by Moscow to discourage the West from ramping up its support for Ukraine. The Russian military has deployed mobile launchers in Siberia in a show of the country's massive nuclear capability. Putin has also announced the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons to Moscow's ally Belarus. In a statement on Monday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said amid the hybrid war unleashed by the West, and the declared intention of NATO to inflict a "strategic defeat" on Russia, it is natural for Moscow to take military-technical countermeasures. Zakharova said Russia has "reserved and still reserves the right to take the necessary additional steps to ensure the security of Russia and its allies." She expressed concern over recent calls to expand the geography of the storage of US nuclear weapons in Europe. She said Russia has been exercising maximum restraint over the past years as its calls for the withdrawal of all US nuclear weapons have either been ignored or openly rejected. Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine last February. At the time, President Putin said one of the goals of the war was to "de-Nazify" Ukraine. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pussy Riot Member Tolokonnikova Added To Russia's Wanted List By RFE/RL's Russian Service March 29, 2023 A member of the Pussy Riot protest group in Russia, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, has been added to the Russian Interior Ministry's wanted list. Tolokonnikova's name appeared on the ministry's registry of wanted suspects on March 29. The ministry did not specify on what charges Tolokonnikova is wanted. Media reports cited sources earlier this month as saying that a probe was launched against Tolokonnikova on a charge of "insulting believers' religious feelings." According to the sources, the charge against Tolokonnikova stems from unspecified online posts. Rights defender Pavel Chikov said then that Moscow police had conducted a series of searches as part of its investigations. In late December 2021, the Russian Justice Ministry added Tolokonnikova to its registry of "foreign agents." Russian authorities have used the controversial law on foreign agents to stifle dissent. Pussy Riot came to prominence after three of its members were convicted of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" for a stunt in which they burst into Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral and sang a "punk prayer" against Vladimir Putin, who was prime minister at the time and campaigning for his subsequent return to the Kremlin. Tolokonnikova and bandmate Maria Alyokhina had almost completed serving their two-year prison sentences when they were freed in December 2013 under an amnesty. The two dismissed the move as a propaganda stunt by Putin to improve his image ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympics that were held in the Russian resort city of Sochi. While in prison, Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina were recognized as political prisoners by domestic and international rights watchdogs. Amnesty International named the two activists prisoners of conscience due to "the severity of the response of the Russian authorities." After the Pussy Riot stunt, Russian authorities adopted a law criminalizing what it called "insulting believers' religious feelings." Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-pussy-riot- tolokonnikova-wanted-list/32340445.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Gulagu.net Rights Group Stops Helping Military Personnel Opposed To War Escape Russia By RFE/RL's Russian Service March 29, 2023 The founder of the Gulagu.net human rights group, Vladimir Osechkin, announced that his organization is suspending efforts to help Russian military personnel opposed to Ukraine war leave Russia. Osechkin, who is based in France, wrote on Telegram on March 29 that the decision was made after former Russian paratrooper Pavel Filatyev, whom Gulagu.net helped flee to France last year, confessed to knowledge of war crimes in Ukraine. According to Osechkin, Filatyev told Swedish journalist Erik de la Reguera during an interview that he had been aware that some Ukrainians captured by his unit would later be executed. Osechkin said that Filatyev had never told him and his group about knowing of extrajudicial killings of Ukrainians he and his fellow soldiers captured during the invasion of Ukraine. Osechkin also said that Filatyev did not mention that element in the book he published after Gulagu.net helped him leave Russia and move to France. "We also apologize to all who willingly or unwillingly got involved in this situation and assisted Pavel Filatyev at our request. We trusted that man and asked you to help him. We could not have imagined that this man is capable to do something like that," Osechkin wrote. "This case and experience showed clearly that it is important to thoroughly check all testimonies and statements before deciding to assist or not assist such individuals," he said, adding that his group suspended its program on evacuating Russian military personnel to other countries. Osechkin also wrote that he will offer his resignation as president of another rights organization, the New Dissidents Foundation, at the group's gathering next month. "I am ready to bear responsibility for my mistakes and I want my negative experience to help others to avoid similar situations," Osechkin said on Telegram. Since the start of Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine, Gulagu.net also helped Russian military servicemen Konstantin Yefremov and a former member of the Wagner mercenary group, Andrei Medvedev, leave Russia after they described what they witnessed during the invasion and openly condemned the war in Ukraine. The Russian military has been accused of committing multiple war crimes in Ukrainian towns and cities. Russia denies the accusations despite abundant evidence to the contrary. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-gulagu-stops- helping-soldiers/32340350.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Moscow Suspends Transfer of All Types of Notifications Under New START Sputnik News 20230329 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The transfer of all notifications between Russia and the United States under the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), including notifications about test launches, has been suspended, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told Sputnik on Wednesday. On Tuesday, US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy John Plumb said that Russian defense officials during their interaction on March 27 with US counterparts said that Moscow would not exchange semi-annual data with Washington in line with the New START treaty. As a countermeasure, the United States has decided that it will also not provide the semi-annual data on high-level numbers back to Russia. "All forms of notifications, all formats are suspended, all inspection activities, data exchange, in general, all types of work under the agreement are suspended, they will not be carried out. This does not depend on the position that the United States can take," Ryabkov told reporters. In February 2023, Moscow announced the suspension of its participation in the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), which was signed by Russia and the US in 2010 and envisaged mutual inspections of the strategic nuclear facilities of the two countries. Putin said in his annual address to the Russian parliament then that the US had demanded that Russia unconditionally fulfill its obligations under the treaty while itself being arbitrary about its own obligations. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Armed Forces Receive Hundreds of New Tanks Including T-90M - Source Sputnik News 20230329 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian armed forces have already received several hundred newly produced tanks, mainly T-90M Proryv, for use in the zone of special military operation in Ukraine, a source told Sputnik on Wednesday. "To date, the Russian defense industry has delivered several hundred new tanks, recently released from the assembly line, to the combat zone. These are mainly T-90M Proryv tanks, as well as deeply modernized T-72B3M tanks," the source said. The source added that "in terms of their tactical and technical characteristics, including armament, fire control system, protection, mobility, and situational awareness, these tanks are at least at the level of the most modern foreign vehicles." "At the same time, we can say with confidence that the T-90M and T-72B3M are completely superior in terms of combat characteristics to those tanks that the Ukrainian troops have or will receive in the near future from NATO countries," the source added. In addition, the T-90M and T-72B3M tanks are equipped with additional reactive armor that protects equipment against anti-tank weapons from almost all angles, the source said. Western countries have been supplying Ukraine with various types of weapon systems, including air defense missiles, multiple launch rocket systems, tanks, self-propelled artillery and anti-aircraft guns since Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine over a year ago. Moscow has repeatedly warned that arms deliveries do not contribute to a peaceful resolution and further escalate the conflict. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Following in Iran's footsteps, Saudi Arabia moves to join China-led SCO Iran Press TV Wednesday, 29 March 2023 2:52 PM Saudi Arabia has taken the first step to join the China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), less than a month after Beijing meditated a deal between Tehran and Riyadh to restore ties and months after Tehran became a permanent member of the bloc. The cabinet of Saudi Arabia on Tuesday approved a memorandum giving Riyadh the status of dialogue partner in the influential political, security, and trade alliance of mostly Asian countries founded in 2001. The grouping includes India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan, with Iran set to join soon. The cabinet meeting was headed by Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz at the al-Salam Palace in Jeddah, according to the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA). According to reports, the issue of membership had come up during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the kingdom in December 2022. The memorandum comes less than three weeks after Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to resume diplomatic ties following intensive talks that were mediated by China. Observers see the agreement as a blow to the US hegemony in West Asia and as a sign of China's growing influence in the region. Iran also started the process of becoming a member of the bloc a year ago and in mid-September 2021, SCO leaders agreed to change the membership of the Islamic Republic from an observer member to a full member and signed the relevant documents. Iran's full membership is scheduled to take effect from April 2023. Founded by China, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, the SCO currently forms the world's biggest regional market with eight official and four observer members. The organization accounts for 40 percent of the world's population and 28 percent of the global gross domestic product (GDP). Addressing the 22nd Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in the Uzbek city of Samarkand in September 2021, Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi said the world had entered a new era when hegemony and unilateralism were declining. "The international order is shifting toward multilateralism and redistribution of power in favor of independent states," he said, adding that the SCO and its governing spirit of mutual trust, common interests, equality, mutual consultation, respect for cultural diversity and common development were key tools for maintaining peace in the 21st century. Saudi Arabia's decision to join the block will take its interest further east. Beijing is Riyadh's largest trading partner with bilateral trade worth $87.3 billion in 2021. In a recent announcement, Saudi state-owned Aramco revealed a joint venture to build a refinery and petrochemical complex in Panjin in northeast China, alongside partners Norinco and the Panjin Xincheng Industrial Group. Riyadh also has close ties with Russia as the two are among the leading oil producers of the OPEC+ coalition. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese envoy calls for lifting unilateral sanctions against Syria Global Times By Global Times Published: Mar 29, 2023 05:43 PM Individual countries should respect Syria's national sovereignty if they truly care about human rights, Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, said on Tuesday, calling for lifting the unilateral sanctions against the earthquake-stricken country. The humanitarian situation in northwest Syria has always concerned the international society since a strong earthquake struck the country on February 6. China appreciates the effective measures that Syrian government has taken, especially its positive cooperation with the UN in this regard, Dai said at an informal briefing of the UN General Assembly on the issue of missing persons in Syria. Regrettably, the long-term illegal unilateral sanctions on Syria imposed by some countries have exacerbated the already fragile economic and social situation in Syria, Dai pointed out. He said that though the unilateral sanctions on Syria have been temporarily relaxed or suspended in the wake of the earthquake, the systematic damage brought by the sanctions cannot be whitewashed, as neither can the deteriorating humanitarian crisis. "Until unilateral sanctions are lifted, the humanitarian situation in Syria can be fundamentally improved," Dai noted. The Chinese envoy also revealed the blatant act of bullying hypocrisy on human rights issues by some individual countries, saying while expressing concerns to Syria's humanitarian issues those countries are illegally stealing their precious resources, exacerbating the country's economic difficulties and severely violating Syrian people's rights to survival, development, health and other basic human rights. The Chinese envoy also called for individual countries to lift the unilateral sanctions against Syria, support Syrian people to rebuild their homes in post earthquakes, and assist vulnerable groups to access to necessary medical resources and services. The future of Syria must be left in the hands of the Syrian people. China supports Syria's efforts to improve relations with regional countries. The UN and the international community should adhere to the principle of "Syrian-led and Syrian-owned" and play a constructive role for an early political settlement of the Syrian issue, Dai said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran Rejects Accusations of Attack on US Military Base in Syria Sputnik News 20230329 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Iran has dismissed accusations made by the United States of an attack on the US base in Syria allegedly carried by Iranian drones, saying that Tehran does not want any tensions and has always advocated peace and security in the region, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Wednesday. Last week, a drone presumably of Iranian origin attacked a maintenance facility at the base in Syria's Al-Hasakah province, killing a US contractor and injuring six others, according to the US Department of Defense. In response to the drone attack, the US military carried out airstrikes on facilities belonging to groups affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said. "Yes, recently there have been events in the east of the Euphrates. Unfortunately, the US side has made groundless accusations regarding the attack by groups close to Iran, and another claim that they have attacked with Iranian drones, these are groundless accusations," Amir-Abdollahian said at a joint press conference after a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The Iranian foreign minister also said that Washington made "baseless, unsubstantiated" claims and "accused others instead of presenting any evidence." "We do not want tension and unnecessary confrontation, the Islamic Republic of Iran has always played a positive, constructive role in lasting peace and security in the region," Amir-Abdollahian added. The US military controls parts of the provinces of Al-Hasakah, Raqqa, Aleppo, and Deir Ez-Zor, where the largest Syrian oil and gas fields are located. The Syrian government has repeatedly called the US military presence in the provinces an occupation aimed at stealing Syria's oil. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A nurse prepares a bed for a suspected case of Ebola in the isolation unit at Bwera hospital, Kasese district, located near the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 3 September 2018. Maputo The health authorities in the central Mozambican province of Zambezia have expressed concern that they are running out of medicines to treat cholera and other diseases. This is not because of any absolute shortage of medicines, but because the main north-south highway (EN1) has been cut by flood waters in Nicoadala district, thus isolating much of Zambezia from the rest of the country. Interviewed by Radio Mozambique, the General Director of the National Health Institute (INS), Eduardo Samo Gudo, said the cut in the road was making the transport of people and goods, including medicines, impossible. The road was reopened on Saturday, but only for light vehicles. That left a long queue of trucks south of the cut, full of merchandise for the provincial capital, Quelimane, and for the north of the country. In Quelimane, an average of more than 100 cholera patients are being admitted to hospital every day. This is putting heavy pressure on the cholera treatment centre, and on Quelimane General Hospital. Speaking on Sunday, Samo Gudo said that 400 people are hospitalized with cholera, and 12 cholera patients have died. Samo Gudo said that Quelimane is facing serious restrictions in its supply of clean water, and basic inputs, including the commercial water purifier "Certeza', are held up in Beira. He urged the public works authorities to prioritise releasing the trucks containing medicines and humanitarian aid, as soon as the roads are passable. "We need these inputs urgently, so that we can rapidly bring the cholera outbreak under control', he said. Samo Gudo also wanted to end the overcrowding in the accommodation centres set up by the government as temporary housing for flood victims. Cramming large numbers of people together into the centres created conditions for the spread of cholera', he warned. "It would not be surprising if we had to declare cases of cholera in the other districts affected', he said. "I know that right now it's very difficult, I know there are lots of people. But we have to look into the possibility of beginning to move people out of the accommodation centres, and find a solution'. "While we have so many people crowded together in the same centre, even if we distribute clean water and certeza, it's going to be very difficult', added Samo Gudo. Israel launches new missile strikes on Syria's capital, injuring two soldiers Iran Press TV Thursday, 30 March 2023 5:45 AM Israel has carried out fresh missile attacks on the Syrian capital Damascus, as the occupying regime continues its acts of aggression against the Arab country. Syria's official SANA news agency, citing a military source, reported that a number of Israeli missiles targeted areas near Damascus from the direction of the occupied Golan Heights early Thursday, with loud explosions heard over the capital city. The military source said Syrian air defenses confronted the Israeli missiles and shot down a number of them, adding that the airstrikes have inflicted material losses and two soldiers were injured. Syria's Defense Ministry later confirmed the attacks, without providing any details about the targets. "At around 01:20 am (10:20 GMT), the Israeli enemy carried out an aerial aggression from the direction of the occupied Golan Heights, targeting several positions in the vicinity of Damascus," it said. The assaults were launched a week after an Israeli airstrike hit the international airport in the northwestern Syrian city of Aleppo, causing some "material damage" to it and putting it out of service. Syria's foreign ministry condemned the Israeli strike as a "double crime," noting that it targeted a civilian airport and a main channel for the flow of aid to areas hit by the February devastating earthquake. The strike was the third Israeli attack on Aleppo airport in six months. The Israeli regime frequently violates Syrian sovereignty by targeting military positions inside the country, especially those of the resistance movement Hezbollah, which has played a vital role in helping the Syrian army fight foreign-backed terrorists. Israel mostly keeps quiet about its attacks on the Syrian territories, which many view as a knee-jerk reaction to the Syrian government's increasing success in confronting terrorism. The Tel Aviv regime has been a main supporter of terrorist groups that have battled the government of President Bashar al-Assad since foreign-backed militancy erupted in Syria in early 2011. Syria has repeatedly complained to the UN over Israeli assaults, urging the Security Council to take action against Tel Aviv's crimes. The calls have, however, fallen on deaf ears. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President Tsai embarks on 10-day trip to Central America ROC Central News Agency 03/29/2023 02:43 PM Taipei, March 29 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen () on Wednesday afternoon left Taiwan for a 10-day trip to Central America that will include stops in New York and Los Angeles in the United States as layovers. "Through this visit, I will express my gratitude to diplomatic partners for their support of Taiwan," Tsai said at Taoyuan International Airport shortly before boarding the plane. The trip to Guatemala and Belize from March 29 to April 7 -- her first overseas visit since COVID-19 swept the world in early 2020 -- aims to "demonstrate Taiwan's determination to deepen exchanges" with its Central American allies, she said. Tsai said she and her delegation would also explore possibilities for further cooperation with Taiwan's allies and partners in the areas of agriculture, public health, women's empowerment, the digital economy, and supply chain security. Describing Taiwan as playing "an indispensable role" in the restructuring of global supply chains, the president said Taiwan must seize the opportunity to work with other countries and contribute to the economic recovery of the post-COVID era. According to Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the presidential delegation will make transits in New York en route to Guatemala and Los Angeles after visiting Belize. The president will arrive in New York at 3 a.m. Thursday and spend nearly two days in the city, where she is expected to address an event hosted by the Hudson Institute and receive a "global leadership award" from the think tank. On her return trip, Tsai will touch down in Los Angeles on the morning of April 5 for a transit. While in the city, she is expected to meet with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and deliver a speech at the Reagan Library. According to MOFA, Tsai will visit Guatemala from April 1-3 and Belize from April 3-5. She will meet with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei and Belizean Prime Minister John Briceno, respectively, as well as Taiwan's technical missions and expatriates in both countries. Tsai will land in Taiwan on April 7, although MOFA has yet to announce the expected arrival time of her flight. Despite a lack of diplomatic relations between Taiwan and the U.S., Washington has over the years allowed Republic of China (Taiwan) presidents to make stopovers on American soil during their trips to Latin American and Caribbean nations. Vedant Patel, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, said earlier this week that Tsai's transits in the U.S. are "consistent with longstanding U.S. practice, the unofficial nature of our relations with Taiwan, and U.S. policy, which remains unchanged." However, Zhu Fenglian (), a spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, told a press briefing in Beijing on Wednesday that Tsai's layovers in the U.S. constitute an act of "provocation." Zhu also warned against a meeting between Tsai and McCarthy, saying Beijing would "resolutely fight back" with certain measures should the two meet. Tsai's delegation consists of Secretary-General to the President Lin Chia-lung (), Foreign Minister Joseph Wu () and Deputy Economics Minister Chen Chern-chyi (), among other officials. The delegation also includes four legislators, namely Chen Ou-po () and Chen Ming-wen () of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, Chiu Chen-yuan () of Taiwan People's Party, and Claire Wang () of the New Power Party. (By Teng Pei-ju) Enditem/AW NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Tsai arrives in US amid Beijing's protests China says Taiwan leader's visit to the United States violates the 'One China' principle. Alex Willemyns and Kitty Wang for RFA Mandarin 2023.03.29 -- Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen arrived in New York on Wednesday amid a war of words between Washington and Beijing about her visit and threats of unspecified "countermeasures" from a Chinese official. Tsai touched down just before 3 p.m. at John F. Kennedy International Airport and was ushered by security into the Lotte New York Palace hotel on Madison Avenue - past throngs of tussling protesters and supporters being watched closely by police - shortly after 4 p.m. Armed with banners and loudspeakers, protesters led by the New York Alliance for China's Peaceful Reunification, a local pro-Beijing group, had arrived early in the day and set up positions along the street. By the time of Tsai's arrival, the group easily outnumbered Tsai's supporters, most of whom did not arrive until about half an hour before the Taiwanese president, and though arguments broke out amid a tense mood, police kept the two groups separate. A member of the local Chinese community who requested anonymity due to safety concerns told Radio Free Asia he had received a telephone call from the Chinese Consulate in New York asking him to attend the protest to "safeguard the unity of the motherland." Travel itinerary Tsai spends two nights in New York, delivering a speech and receiving a leadership award at the Hudson Institute on Thursday, before departing Friday for official visits to Guatemala and Belize. She returns on Tuesday to Los Angeles for two more nights in the United States, where she will deliver a speech to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and meet House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The trip comes amid tensions between China and the United States over Taiwan in the past year, with U.S. officials accusing Beijing of preparing to invade the self-governing island in the coming years and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi last year visiting the island. It's not the first time a Taiwanese leader has "transited" the United States, with the practice starting in the 1990s, but Beijing appears irked by Tsai's plans to deliver two speeches and meet McCarthy, who has himself suggested he could repeat Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. Countermeasures The response from Beijing - which views Tsai's trip as part of a growing effort by Taiwan to assert independence - has already been vexed, with a particular fury reserved for the McCarthy meeting. During a press conference on Wednesday, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of China's State Council, threatened "countermeasures" if Tsai meets with McCarthy. "If she has contact with U.S. House Speaker McCarthy, it will be another provocation that seriously violates the 'One China' principle, harms China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and destroys peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," Zhu said before Tsai's departure. "We firmly oppose this and will take resolute countermeasures." But U.S. officials say the "transit" - Tsai's seventh time in the United States as Taiwan's leader - does not constitute an official visit. Instead, they insist that Taiwan's leader is visiting in a private capacity, and say it's a standard practice for leaders of the democratic island. Beijing, though, regards Taiwan a renegade province and has threatened to forcibly "reunite" it with the mainland, and says American relations with Taiwan violate a 50-year-old agreement. Chinese officials also deny that such "transits" are standard. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Wednesday that the United States was "hollowing out the 'One China' principle" and that "past mistakes do not justify any new mistake." "The ones who are creating the problem and making provocations is not China, but the U.S. and the 'Taiwan independence' separatists," Mao said. "We urge the U.S. to abide by the 'One China' principle." Mao called on the United States to "earnestly deliver on its leaders' commitment of not supporting 'Taiwan independence' or 'two Chinas' or 'One China, one Taiwan,' stop all forms of official interaction with Taiwan," and to stop "upgrading" its relationship with Taiwan. 'External pressure' Leaving Taiwan on Wednesday, Tsai pledged not to be swayed. "I want to tell the whole world democratic Taiwan will resolutely safeguard the values of freedom and democracy, and will continue to be a force for good in the world, continuing a cycle of goodness, strengthening the resilience of democracy in the world," Tsai said. "External pressure," she added, in reference to the backlash from Beijing, would not "obstruct" Taiwan's engagement with the world. U.S. officials say Tsai will not meet with anyone from the Biden administration during her six days in total on American soil. State Department principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel reiterated Wednesday that Tsai's trip was "consistent with our unofficial nature of relations with Taiwan" and did not alter "our 'One China' policy," which diverges from Beijing's "One China" principle. "There is no reason to take countermeasures; there's no reason for Beijing to turn this transit, which is consistent with long-standing U.S. policy, into something it's not, or to overreact," Patel told reporters. "We oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo, from either side. We don't support Taiwan independence and we continue to expect that cross-strait differences be resolved through peaceful means." But Patel declined to comment on McCarthy's plans, saying they were his prerogative as a leader of a "co-equal branch of government." Edited by Malcolm Foster Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content March not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UK and Sweden strengthen defence relationship as ministers sign agreement on self-propelled guns The UK and Swedish defence ministers signed a letter of intent relating to a new contract to deliver 14 Archer self-propelled guns 29 March 2023 The UK will continue to strongly support Sweden's swift accession to NATO and we will work together to ensure Ukraine receives the support it needs, following discussions during a meeting between defence ministers. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace welcomed his counterpart PAl Jonson during a visit to the UK Ministry of Defence today, which included the signing of a letter of intent relating to a new contract to deliver 14 Swedish-built Archer self-propelled guns to the British Army, as well as highlighting potential future collaboration between the UK and Sweden. During the meeting, the Defence Secretary further reaffirmed the UK's commitment to supporting Sweden throughout its NATO accession process. UK Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, said: "Sweden has provided vital military aid and integral support to Ukraine and our allies through the Joint Expeditionary Force. "The UK will continue to give our full support to Sweden's accession to NATO, fortifying Northern Europe and the Baltics against Russian aggression and expanding security challenges in the region." Swedish Defence Minister PAl Jonson said: Swedish relations with the UK will be strengthened with the agreement about cooperation on artillery signed today. The British leadership when it comes to supporting Ukraine is an inspiration for all of us and both Sweden and the UK will continue to support Ukraine until victory is achieved. I thank the UK for the quick ratification and the support of our NATO membership application. The UK has shown continued political support but also military presence in our neighbourhood - both bilaterally and through the JEF - pivotal to our security during the accession period. The UK and Sweden's defence relationship is driven by membership of the JEF and Northern Group, as well as by the May 2022 UK-Sweden Mutual Solidarity Agreement, relating to intelligence sharing and joint training and operations. This has been supported by joint exercising of Royal Air Force Typhoon aircraft and the Swedish Air Force, as well as by visits from Royal Navy vessels, with HMS Defender and HMS Portland visiting Swedish ports last summer, and a visit by HMS Mersey earlier this month. A further port visit will be carried out by HMS Albion this year. This spring will also see the Army join forces with the Royal Navy and RAF for Exercise Aurora. Alongside naval vessels, commandos, and RAF Typhoons, soldiers from the 1st Battalion the Mercian Regiment will train with both Swedish and Finnish troops, operating as part of a Finnish Battlegroup in Sweden. Swedish industry has also provided important support amid the UK's programme of providing military aid to Ukraine, with hundreds of NLAW anti-tank weapons - designed by Swedish company Saab - donated by the UK to bolster Ukraine's capability. The UK today also announced a contract of nearly A5 million to replenish munitions granted to Ukraine with Saab-produced Carl-Gustaf M4 recoilless rifles. The purchase of Archer also enables the UK to support Ukraine through the donation of AS90 self-propelled guns, replacing them until the long-term Mobile Fires Platform delivers later this decade as part of the Future Soldier modernisation programme. The UK is committed to provide the capabilities Ukraine requires, including artillery, air defence and armoured vehicles, and to drive further international donations and secure lasting peace. The UK provided A2.3 billion in military support to Ukraine in 2022 and has already committed to sustain that level of military support into 2023. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address HMS Mersey in Estonia as all three UK Armed Services operating in support of Estonian security Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force bolster security in Estonia as part of NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force 29 March 2023 Royal Navy ship HMS Mersey has been deployed to the Baltic Sea for the last week, operating with the Estonian Navy and Royal Air Force in support of the nations' security as Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) partners. This follows Mersey's recent engagements with Swedish and Finnish Navies. The British Army and Royal Air Force have also been operating in Estonia, supporting regional security as part of NATO. Estonia is a valued and strategically important defence partner for the UK and working together to respond to shared challenges provides an important boost for European security. Four Royal Air Force Typhoon aircraft have been conducting NATO air policing patrols alongside the German Air Force from Amari Air Base, near Tallinn. Earlier this year, three Chinooks from 18(B) Squadron from RAF Odiham and approximately 100 RAF personnel deployed to Estonia following an agreement by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace in November 2022 to help bolster defence and security across the Baltic states. The deployments by the Navy and RAF complement the British Army's operation in Tapa, leading the NATO enhanced Forward Presence, called Operation Cabrit. Established in 2017, the UK leads a multinational, combat-ready battlegroup to protect and reaffirm the security of the alliance's member states. British units rotate on a continuous basis alongside Danish, French, and host nation Estonian forces. Around 1,000 British Army personnel are deployed to Estonia on Operation Cabrit. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: The deployment of all three services to Estonia demonstrates the strength of our relationship, exercising and operating alongside allies and partners in support of regional stability in the face of Russian aggression. The UK and Estonia are Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) partners - a multinational force made up of like-minded, northern European nations - the UK, together with Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. The deployment of HMS Mersey, an Offshore Patrol Vessel, reaffirms the UK's capability and commitment to the JEF which is committed to European security with the Baltic region as one of its focus areas. Portsmouth-based HMS Mersey has been working with the RAF Typhoons and long-range maritime patrol aircraft during its deployment. The RAF dispatched a P8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to waters off Estonia in a long-range mission - a round trip from its base at RAF Lossiemouth of more than 2,000 miles, The aircraft worked with HMS Mersey to compile a complete picture of maritime activity in the region. HMS Mersey's Commanding Officer Lieutenant Commander James Mitchell said: The capabilities that Poseidon brings are impressive, especially on a foggy day like today when we struggle to identify shipping contacts," said Operating together we were able to generate a recognised maritime picture of activity across the Baltic Sea region. It's another demonstration of our ability to integrate and operate alongside partners and allies both under the JEF framework and as part of the NATO alliance. Colonel Dai Bevan, Commanding Officer of Operation Cabrit, said: We recognise the importance of the UK and Alliance presence in the Baltic region to bolster security. Since 2017, the British Army has led the enhanced Forward Presence in Estonia and welcomes the additional capabilities from the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and JEF partners to help ensure the security of Eastern Europe. Wing Commander Ben Livesey, the Officer Commanding CXX Sqn and who flew on the sortie said: This was an excellent example of what the Poseidon can do... reassuring our Allies and cooperating closely with our Royal Navy colleagues at range. The ability to project our RAF Maritime Patrol capability into different areas like this allows us to better understand the battlespace, both above and below the waves, and this ability continues to grow as Poseidon builds towards Full Operational Capability. Despite the poor weather, we were able to achieve our mission objectives whilst conducting valuable training, which prepares us better for future challenges, whatever those may be. Estonian patrol vessel Kindral Kurvits joined HMS Mersey for three days of combined exercises off the coast of Tallin, and the Head of the Estonian Navy Commodore YAri Saska embarked on the Royal Navy ship for a day to observe the activity. For the final exercise during which snow limited visibility to half a mile at times, the Kurvits searched the Gulf of Finland for 'hostile' shipping - played by HMS Mersey - which simulated a ship refusing demands to comply during the exercise, prompting the Estonians to call in the RAF, deployed to the country as part of a NATO air policing mission. A jet from IX (Bomber) Squadron, 140 Expeditionary Air Wing, based at Amari Air Base responded, making repeated low-level passes of the Royal Navy vessel in a show of force. Lieutenant John Hawke HMS Mersey's gunnery officer said: There is a lot we can learn from the Baltic navies - they have different skillsets from us and they operate in a very different geo-political sphere. Wing Commander Scott MacColl, the Commanding Officer of 140 Expeditionary Air Wing said: "This was an excellent opportunity for the UK and 140 EAW to demonstrate the flexibility and agility we can bring from a deployed location in Estonia. From an Air Policing posture, the team were able to seamlessly transition into a maritime role, reinforcing our excellent working relationship with Royal Navy units and other RAF capabilities. This versatility is key to interoperability with a wide range of Allies and Partners, and enhancing broader Baltic Security." The Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force activities in the Baltic are part of the UK contribution to the NATO and the Alliance's collective work to ensure security and stability in the region. Having completed her work in Estonia, HMS Mersey will remain in the Baltic for further exercises with regional navies before returning to the UK in April. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Germany sending 8 billion Euros of military aid to Ukraine Iran Press TV Wednesday, 29 March 2023 11:07 PM Germany is to give billions of Euros of new military aid to Ukraine in the coming years to bolster Kiev's fight back against Russia. The German parliament's budget committee on Wednesday approved spending about eight billion Euros ($8.7 billion) to buy weapons and equipment for Ukraine between 2024 and 2032. The news represents a "very important step with which we make it clear that we are supporting Ukraine in the long term in its fight against (Russian President Vladimir) Putin," said German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius. Berlin will supply Ukraine with armored vehicles, tanks, and ammunition. Germany is the main supplier of weapons to Kiev in the EU. Since Russia launched its "special military operation" in Ukraine in late February 24, Western countries have been flooding Ukraine with weapons and ammunition at a rate unprecedented since World War II. The Kremlin has been repeatedly warning the West against fanning the flames of war by continuing the supply of arms to Kiev. The flooding of Ukraine with weapons "will only drag the conflict out and make it more painful for the Ukrainian side, but it will not change our goals and the end result," the Kremlin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said last year. Peskov insisted that the US was in reality engaged in the Ukraine conflict. "The US de facto has become deeply involved." In January, the Russian embassy in Berlin condemned the German government's move to send armored vehicles and a Patriot missile system to Ukraine to fight Russian troops. In a statement, the embassy said: "We strongly condemn this decision and see it as another step toward escalating the conflict in Ukraine. Its adoption looks especially cynical on the eve of the Orthodox Christmas holiday, which is highly revered in the Christian world, and also against the backdrop of ceasefire unilaterally announced by the Russian President in this regard." German author and politician Christoph Horstel said in February Russia has the legal right to invade Germany in self-defense, but Moscow won't because it is not aggressive. "It's very clear we're made to lose here," HArstel, who is based in Berlin, Germany, said on Tuesday while speaking on Press TV's "SPOTLIGHT" program. "I said in the past that Germany is a guaranteed loser in the next war against Russia," he added. "And be careful about this. We signed the Two Plus Four Treaty. We had the NATO-Russia act. And we violated both of them very thoroughly. Russia would have the legal right to invade Germany on a very short red telephone notice to Washington, Paris and London, saying, 'Look, guys, we're coming, that's self-defense. That's allowed,'" he stated. On September 12, 1990, the foreign ministers of the Federal Republic of Germany, the German Democratic Republic, France, Russia, the UK and the US signed the Two Plus Four Treaty that sealed the foreign policy aspects of reunification. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Zelenskiy Says Ukraine Can't Afford To Lose The Battle For Bakhmut, Urges More 'Decisive' International Action By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service March 29, 2023 Ukrainian defenders repelled more waves of Russian assaults on Bakhmut, the military said on March 29, as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned that Kyiv cannot afford to lose the battle for the city in the Donetsk region that has become the focal point of Russia's protracted offensive in the east. "The enemy continued its assault on the city of Bakhmut," the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in its daily report. "However, our defenders have been courageously holding on to the city, repelling numerous enemy attacks," it said. Bakhmut, along with Avdiyivka, Mariynka, and Lyman, remain the main targets of Russia's relentless shelling, the Ukrainian military said, adding that a total of 57 enemy attacks were repelled over the past 24 hours in the area. Russian troops also carried out 18 air strikes and three missile strikes, as well as 50 rocket salvoes along the whole front line over the previous day, the military said. The information could not be independently verified. Farther south, Russian forces kept shelling the Kherson region, the head of the regional military administration Oleksandr Prokudin said. "Over the past day, the enemy has shelled the region 34 times -- three times the city of Kherson itself," Prokudin said on Telegram, adding that one person was wounded. Residential buildings, a hospital, and a factory were among the Russian targets, Prokudin said. In the eastern Kharkiv region, one man was killed and another was wounded by massive Russian shelling, local police reported. Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN's nuclear watchdog, visited the Russian-held Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant on March 29, Ukraine's state-owned company Enerhoatom reported. The visit was Grossi's second to Europe's largest nuclear power plant since the start of its occupation by Russian troops, Enerhoatom's press service said. The visit was part of efforts to avert the risk of an accident at the nuclear plant. On March 27, Grossi met with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during a working trip to the Zaporizhzhya region. Meanwhile, Zelenskiy reaffirmed that Ukraine must hold on to Bakhmut at all costs, warning that a win by Russia there would be used by President Vladimir Putin as a stepping stone in garnering international support for a peace agreement that would force Ukraine to accept painful compromises. Putin would "sell this victory to the West, to his society, to China, to Iran," Zelenskiy told the Associated Press in an interview published on March 29. "If he will feel some blood -- smell that we are weak -- he will push, push, push," Zelenskiy said. Ukrainian military commanders have said their own counteroffensive is not far off but in the meantime they seek to maintain control of Bakhmut. The Ukrainian military announced on March 28 that it has recently received long-promised Western equipment, including German Leopard 2 tanks. On March 28, Zelenskiy said in his evening video address that the world must act with more urgency to put a stop to Russia's aggression. He said he believed the "Russian aggression can end much faster" than some have said. It will end faster "if the world is faster, if the world is more decisive," Zelenskiy said. With reporting by Reuters and AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-zelenskiy-war- decisive/32339757.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address French Parliament Recognizes Ukrainian Famine As Genocide By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service March 29, 2023 The French parliament has voted to recognize as genocide the starvation of millions in Ukraine in the 1930s under Soviet leader Josef Stalin. French deputies adopted the resolution on March 28 as the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine revives memories of the famine known in Ukraine as the Holodomor. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the decision on Twitter, thanking French legislators. "The totalitarian regime of the Kremlin, past or present, could not destroy and will never destroy truth and justice!" he said. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also thanked the French lawmakers. "I am grateful to France for recognizing the 1932-33 Holodomor as a genocide of Ukrainians and for honoring the memory of the victims of Stalin and his regime," he said on Twitter. "With this historic vote, [the French parliament] made it clear that such crimes will never be forgotten and must never be repeated." Kyiv has urged the international community to declare the mass starvation a genocide. The European Parliament did so in December and called on Russia, as the legal successor of the Soviet Union, to do the same and apologize. It also called on "all countries and international organizations" that have not yet recognized the Holodomor as genocide to do so. The Ukrainian government and many scholars regard the Holodomor -- Ukrainian for "death by hunger" -- as an act of genocide by Stalin's regime. The famine took place in 1932-33 as Stalin's police forced peasants in Ukraine to join collective farms by requisitioning their grain and other foodstuffs. Historians say the failure to properly harvest crops in Ukraine in 1932 under Soviet mismanagement was the main cause of the famine. It is estimated that up to 9 million people died as a result of executions, deportation, and starvation during the campaign. Moscow has long denied any systematic effort to target Ukrainians, arguing a poor harvest at the time wiped out many in other parts of the Soviet Union. The text adopted in Paris recognizes "the genocidal nature of the forced and planned famine by the Soviet authorities against the Ukrainian population in 1932 and 1933." The French parliament condemned those acts and "affirms its support for the Ukrainian people in their aspiration to have the mass crimes committed against them by the Soviet regime recognized." With reporting by AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-france-holodomor- genocide/32339799.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Spain May Hand Over 6 Leopard Tanks to Ukraine After Easter, Media Reports Sputnik News 20230329 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Spain may hand over six Leopard A4 tanks to Ukraine after Easter, April 9, Spanish newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing sources. The report said that six tanks were already repaired and were being tested in firing drills in Spain's south. The tanks would be sent to Poland by sea after receiving combat certification and then transported to Kiev, the newspaper reported. It added that four more tanks were planned to be delivered to a plant in the Spanish city of Seville, but the repairs might take longer and turn out to be more expensive, as they are in worse condition than the previous six tanks. On March 23, the Spanish Defense Ministry said that the tanks would be sent to Ukraine at the end of that week. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in January that the government had allocated a total of over 300 million euros ($318 million) in military assistance to Ukraine. In particular, Madrid has supplied Kiev with various types of military and medical equipment, ammunition, weapons systems, energy generators, vehicles, ambulances and humanitarian aid. Western countries ramped up their military support for Zelensky regime after Russia launched a military operation to protect people of Donbass. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Greater unity is needed to defeat tyranny; the democratic world is capable of achieving it - Volodymyr Zelenskyy's address President of Ukraine 29 March 2023 - 22:22 Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! A brief report of the day. I took part in the global Summit for Democracy at the invitation of President Biden, this is one of the most representative platforms for the protection of our system - the system of free peoples. This is the second such Summit. In general, we do not have so many representative opportunities in the world to talk specifically about democracy, about the protection of freedom in all its aspects. And it is good that now we have such an opportunity to join forces in order to find more energy, more prospects for democracy. The position of Ukraine, as always, is very specific, as practical as possible. And in almost all the leaders' speeches at the Summit, there were apt words of support for our country and our people. I am thankful for this to every leader, every nation who feels as we do that the values of freedom deserve the strongest protection. Now, thanks to Ukrainian courage, thanks to the leadership of the United States, President Biden, thanks to the Congress of the United States and everyone who works for the consolidation of the world, we have the greatest unity of democratic countries in a long time. And this unity, as we can see, is enough to fight for freedom. But to win against tyranny, greater unity is needed. I am sure that the democratic world is capable of achieving it. It is capable of winning. Democracy needs victory! As soon as possible. And all of us together: Ukrainians, all Europeans, our American allies, our friends on all continents - in Africa, in Asia, in Latin America, in Australia - will do everything to bring victory closer. The victory of Ukraine. The victory of freedom. The victory of the rules-based international order. I spoke today with Giorgia Meloni, head of the Italian government. I thanked her for her principles, for her determination, for the real European strength that is felt in her words and actions in defense of freedom. We discussed both bilateral relations and the general situation in our defense against Russian aggression. I informed her about the situation on the battlefield, about our needs. Already in the coming months, we can be more active on the frontline. And we will do everything to ensure that the support of our steps by the world is as effective as possible. Bakhmut. Today, we have something to thank our warriors for, warriors who are fighting in the Bakhmut direction. Fighting firmly and efficiently. I thank each and every one who is doing everything to increase the losses of the enemy there! And special thanks to the warriors of our Kost Hordiienko 57th separate motorized infantry brigade, 77th separate airmobile brigade and the glorious Kholodny Yar 93rd separate mechanized brigade. Well done, guys! We are already preparing for the events planned for the second half of this week. I held relevant meetings today. Ukraine has not wasted a single week during the full-scale war - we are constantly strengthening our state, our Defense and Security Forces, our confidence in advancing towards victory. Today, a step has also been taken to strengthen the spiritual independence of our state, to protect our society from the old and cynical Moscow manipulation of religion. Ukraine is the territory of the greatest religious freedom in our part of Europe. It has been so since 1991. It will always be so. I thank everyone who cares about Ukraine and our citizens! Thank you to everyone who supports the Ukrainian struggle for independence! Glory to our warriors! Glory to Ukraine! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address document Summary The U.S. government (USG) is committed to partnering with Mozambique to stabilize conflict-affected areas and build longer-term resilience and peace. The ISIS-Mozambique (ISIS-M) insurgency has committed heinous acts of violence in Mozambique's northern provinces, to include killings, beheadings, rape, sexual slavery, child abduction, and forced conscription. ISIS-M's attacks have displaced nearly a million people. At the same time, the group has exploited and sought to exacerbate long-standing divisions within Mozambican society and local mistrust of government and security actors. In the wake of modest security gains by regional forces against ISIS-M, Mozambican leaders now have a critical opportunity to address these vulnerabilities and foster recovery, reconciliation, and resilience. In April 2022, President Biden announced the U.S. government would prioritize partnership with Mozambique to advance the 10-year U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability (SPCPS), required by the Global Fragility Act of 2019 (GFA) (Div. J, Title V, P.L. 116-94). This document charts the way forward for how the United States plans to enhance engagement with and assistance to Mozambique, alongside international partners, to help Mozambicans realize their peace, security, and development goals. The interagency SPCPS working group at U.S. Embassy Maputo developed this field-driven, 10-year plan in coordination with stakeholders across the U.S. government and based on numerous consultations with Mozambican interlocutors and diverse stakeholders. To inform this plan, Embassy Maputo conducted several visits to the northern provinces to engage local communities and leaders in conflict-affected areas. Rigorous analyses and myriad assessments by the U.S. government, local NGOs, think tanks, and international organizations also informed this agenda and helped steer its design. Senior U.S. officials held high-level engagements with Mozambican government officials and senior stakeholders, which also helped shape this plan. This 10-year plan focuses on a phased approach to achieve a defined long-term goal: Mozambican individuals, communities, and institutions are strengthened and empowered to foster enduring stability through the development of open political participation and governance, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, accountable security and justice sectors, and resilient social cohesion. The plan seeks to integrate the United States' extensive and ongoing security assistance, strategic communications activities, targeted socioeconomic development assistance, and diplomatic engagement with the Government of Mozambique (GRM) and local partners toward the following four objectives. Objective 1: Mozambican communities, individuals, and civil society organizations demonstrate improved capacity and have equal opportunities to be active participants in political, economic, and social processes. Objective 2: Mozambican institutions are strengthened and professionalized through more transparent, accountable, and effective systems. Objective 3: Mozambique's economic and business environment fosters inclusive and sustainable development, to include increased private sector investment that creates local employment for previously marginalized communities. Objective 4: Mozambican institutions are responsive to local needs and reliably provide basic services. The United States will expand engagement and assistance to bolster these objectives, focusing first on conflict-affected areas in northern Mozambique and then expanding over time to the entire country. The U.S. government will expand assistance to local leaders and communities engaged in peacebuilding efforts and help increase their role in shaping broader political and socioeconomic processes. Simultaneously, the U.S. government will increase engagement with Mozambican institutions to support their efforts to deliver responsive security and justice for local populations, especially those historically marginalized. This will include advocating for and promoting critical institutional reforms to increase accountability and respect for human rights. The U.S. government will focus on management and operations to enable more effective engagement with a wide range of Mozambican stakeholders. The plan identifies the imperative of enhancing staffing and access in-country to be able to engage with local partners in northern Mozambique. It further outlines a commitment to increase defense and security sector engagement, capitalizing on new cooperation opportunities. Sustained, robust engagement with Congress will be critical to ensure support of the President's Budget request and related legislative proposals are enacted to execute and adapt this plan over time. Strengthening partnerships is fundamental to the long-term success of implementing this plan. It aligns U.S. efforts behind the government's Plan for Recovery and Reconstruction in Cabo Delgado (PRCD) and a complementary Program for Resilience and Integrated Development for Northern Mozambique (PRDIN). The plan also commits U.S. support to improve government-led donor coordination mechanisms. This may prove critical to the success of new GRM strategies for the north and to effectively leverage significant donor and private sector investments. This plan seeks to promote field-driven, flexible approaches in how the U.S. government works to support Mozambican partners' approaches to address conflict challenges. After careful deliberation by the SPCPS working group and review of overall lessons learned, this plan seeks to promote innovation in several ways: Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Mozambique Conflict U.S., Canada and Africa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Engage diverse facets of Mozambican society - especially at local levels in northern Mozambique to include women - in the development, implementation, and monitoring phases of the 10-year plan; Increase integration of stabilization efforts of the "3Ds" of diplomacy, development, and defense; Buttress the GRM's plans and initiatives for stabilization and inclusive socioeconomic growth to reinforce national leadership and reforms, in coordination with other international donors; Advance locally led solutions for good governance, community cohesion, reinforced security, inclusive and sustainable development, and a mended social contract; and Elevate efforts to promote gender equity and equality and women's empowerment as key components of recovery, reconciliation, and resilience. Embassy Maputo recognizes the iterative and adaptable nature of this plan as a realistic and practical blueprint for conflict prevention and long-term stability in Mozambique. The plan outlines a robust commitment to monitoring, evaluation, and learning, including in partnership with Mozambican stakeholders. U.S. efforts will emphasize flexibility and adaptability given the projected degree of uncertainty in the region. The U.S. government will pause, review, and adapt the plan as needed to reflect changing realities on the ground and active monitoring, evaluation, and learning activities. Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations European integration is a component of Ukraine's defense in the war against Russia - Ihor Zhovkva President of Ukraine 29 March 2023 - 19:34 Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva held a meeting with the Political Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Sweden TorbjArn SohlstrAm. The parties discussed the security situation in Ukraine and the region in view of Russia's continuous open aggression against our state. Ihor Zhovkva thanked Sweden for its leadership, political and practical support for our country since the beginning of the armed conflict. A special role in protecting the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the return of temporarily occupied territories is played by Sweden joining the so-called tank coalition and the allocation of 11 packages of military aid. The key attention was paid to Sweden's Presidency of the Council of the EU and the dynamics of the implementation of its priorities. The parties discussed in detail the status of Ukraine's implementation of the recommendations of the European Commission, which are necessary for the acquisition of EU membership. In this context, the diplomats coordinated further steps for the next three months of the Swedish Presidency to speed up the European integration of our country. "We are grateful to Sweden for its significant support and lobbying efforts regarding Ukraine's integration into the EU among the European partners. The Ukrainian state demonstrates significant progress in implementing the European Commission's recommendations for our state to become a full member. We count on a fair assessment of Ukraine's success in this direction, as well as a clear plan for further actions for joining the EU. European integration is a component of Ukraine's defense in the war against Russia," the Deputy Head of the President's Office emphasized. The interlocutors exchanged opinions regarding the effectiveness, current level, as well as expectations regarding the support of Ukraine from the EU. In this context, Ihor Zhovkva thanked Sweden for voting in support of the European Union's approval of a three-pronged joint action plan, which will enable the acceleration of the supply of artillery ammunition to Ukraine and ensure the replenishment of European stocks. "We appreciate Sweden's support of the EU's joint action plan, within which, in particular, an important political decision was made to supply Ukraine with one million artillery munitions during the next year," said the Deputy Head of the President's Office. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine Strikes Infrastructure In Russian-Occupied Southern City As IAEA Chief Visits Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Plant By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service March 30, 2023 Ukraine struck a railway depot and knocked out power in the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol deep behind the front lines on March 29 as Rafael Grossi, head of the UN's nuclear watchdog, visited the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant for a second major inspection. Several simultaneous explosions rang out "in all areas" of Melitopol, said the exiled Ukrainian mayor of the city, Ivan Fedorov. "The power went out in the northern and western districts of the city, as well as in Semenivka, Tambovka, and some other surrounding villages," Fedorov said. Russian media said the explosions were the result of shelling by Ukrainian forces. Citing Moscow-installed officials, TASS reported that a railway depot was damaged and power was knocked out to the city and nearby villages. Kyiv has not commented on the report. Melitopol, which had a prewar population of around 150,000, is a railway logistics hub for Russian forces in southern Ukraine. The strategic city, located some 120 kilometers southeast of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, has been targeted by Ukrainian shelling in the past. Grossi led an 18-member delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to get an overview of the safety situation at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, which has been hit by shelling repeatedly since the start of the war. "I think in general the situation is not improving. It is obvious that military activity is increasing in this whole region," Grossi told reporters. He also repeated calls for a safe zone around the plant. "Every possible measure and precaution should be taken so that the plant is not attacked," he said, adding that any security arrangements would be reviewed with both sides. Ukraine is demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops from the plant, which they have occupied since March 2022. Before his visit to the plant, Grossi expressed hope that Russia and Ukraine would agree on security principles for the plant, including a pledge not to attack it. The Ukrainian military's General Staff reported earlier that the defenders of Bakhmut had repelled more waves of Russian assaults on the largely destroyed city, as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned that Kyiv cannot afford to lose the battle for the city in the Donetsk region that has become the focal point of Russia's protracted offensive in the east. "The enemy continued its assault on the city of Bakhmut," the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in its daily report. "However, our defenders have been courageously holding on to the city, repelling numerous enemy attacks," it said. Bakhmut, along with Avdiyivka, Mariynka, and Lyman, remain the main targets of Russia's relentless shelling, the Ukrainian military said, adding that a total of 57 enemy attacks were repelled over the past 24 hours in the area. Russian troops also carried out 18 air strikes and three missile strikes, as well as 50 rocket salvoes along the whole front line over the previous day, the military said. The information could not be independently verified. Farther south, Russian forces kept shelling the Kherson region, the head of the regional military administration Oleksandr Prokudin said. "Over the past day, the enemy has shelled the region 34 times -- three times the city of Kherson itself," Prokudin said on Telegram, adding that one person was wounded. Residential buildings, a hospital, and a factory were among the Russian targets, Prokudin said. In the eastern Kharkiv region, one man was killed and another was wounded by massive Russian shelling, local police reported. Meanwhile, Zelenskiy reaffirmed that Ukraine must hold on to Bakhmut at all costs, warning that a win by Russia there would be used by President Vladimir Putin as a stepping stone in garnering international support for a peace agreement that would force Ukraine to accept painful compromises. Putin would "sell this victory to the West, to his society, to China, to Iran," Zelenskiy told the Associated Press in an interview published on March 29. "If he will feel some blood -- smell that we are weak -- he will push, push, push," Zelenskiy said. Ukrainian military commanders have said their own counteroffensive is not far off but in the meantime they seek to maintain control of Bakhmut. The Ukrainian military announced on March 28 that it has recently received long-promised Western equipment, including German Leopard 2 tanks. On March 28, Zelenskiy said in his evening video address that the world must act with more urgency to put a stop to Russia's aggression. He said he believed the "Russian aggression can end much faster" than some have said. It will end faster "if the world is faster, if the world is more decisive," Zelenskiy said. With reporting by Reuters and AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-zelenskiy-war- decisive/32339757.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NEW YORK, March 29, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Allianz SE (Allianz or the Company) (OTCMKTS: ALIZY). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether Allianz and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] On February 17, 2022, during market hours, Allianz announced that it had booked a provision of 3.7 billion with regards to the pending court and governmental proceedings in the U.S. in relation to the Structured Alpha Funds. Then, on May 17, 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission issued a press release announcing that it had charged Allianz Global Investors U.S. LLC (AGI US) and three former portfolio managers with a massive fraudulent scheme that concealed the immense downside risks of a complex options trading strategy they called Structured Alpha. That same day, the U.S. Department of Justice also issued a press release providing further information about the alleged fraudulent scheme. On this news, Allianzs American Depositary Receipt (ADR) fell $0.98 per ADR, or 3.8%, to close at $24.33 per ADR on May 18, 2022. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com . CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP rswilloughby@pomlaw.com 888-476-6529 ext. 7980 NEW YORK, March 29, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (NYSE: HMC), and certain officers. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, and docketed under 23-cv-00794, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired Honda American Depository Shares (ADSs) between June 20, 2018 and September 28, 2022, both dates inclusive (the Class Period), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act) and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials. If you are a shareholder who purchased or otherwise acquired Honda ADSs securities during the Class Period, you have until April 3, 2023 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com . To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased. [Click here for information about joining the class action] Honda is a multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles and power equipment. The Companys U.S.-based operations are conducted through its North American subsidiary, American Honda Motor Company, Inc. (American Honda). Certain of Hondas vehiclesincluding the 2018-2020MY Honda Odyssey, 2016-2020MY Honda Pilot, 2019-2020MY Honda Passport, 2015-2020MY Acura TLX, and 2015-2020MY Acura MDXinclude a so-called Idle Stop engine feature, purportedly to enhance fuel efficiency. In marketing these vehicles, Honda and/or its subsidiaries have highlighted the Idle Stop systems purported capacity to automatically shut off a vehicles engine to save fuel when the vehicle brakes to a stop for at least two secondsfor example, at a traffic lightand to automatically restart the engine when the driver releases the vehicles brake pedal. The complaint alleges that, Throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Companys business, operations, and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Honda had overstated the safety and effectiveness of the Idle Stop engine feature; (ii) Honda maintained deficient disclosure controls and procedures with respect to product quality and safety; (iii) as a result of the foregoing deficiencies, Honda failed to prevent American Honda from marketing and selling thousands of vehicles that contained a defective Idle Stop feature; (iv) the foregoing conduct subjected the Company and/or its subsidiaries to a heightened risk of litigation, as well as financial and/or reputational harm; and (v) as a result, the Companys public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. On September 28, 2022, a putative class action was filed against American Honda alleging that it had sold thousands of vehiclesincluding the 2018-2020 Honda Odyssey, 2016-2020 Honda Pilot, 2019-2020 Honda Passport, 2015-2020 Acura TLX, and 2015-2020 Acura MDXequipped with a flawed Idle Stop feature.1 Per the allegations in the class action complaint, after initially shutting off a vehicles engine, the Idle Stop system in the affected vehicles routinely fails to restart the engine as designed, leaving drivers unable to move their vehicles. The lawsuit further alleges that American Honda was fully aware of the defect before marketing the vehicles. [1 Cooper et al v. American Honda Motor Co., Inc., No. 1:22-cv-05299 (N.D. Ill.)] On this news, Hondas ADS price fell $0.74 per share, or 3.23%, to close at $22.19 per ADS on September 29, 2022. Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com NEW YORK, March 29, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. (Fidelity National or the Company) (NYSE: FIS). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether Fidelity National and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] In 2019, Fidelity National acquired the payment-processing company Worldpay Inc. (Worldpay) for $48 billion. Then, on February 13, 2023, Fidelity National booked a $17.6 billion write-down on its Worldpay business and announced plans to spin off the unit. On this news, Fidelity Nationals stock price fell $9.43 per share, or 12.5%, to close at $66.00 on February 13, 2023. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com . NEW YORK, March 29, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Rite Aid Corporation (Rite Aid or the Company) (NYSE: RAD). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether Rite Aid and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] On March 13, 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a press release announcing that it had filed a lawsuit against Rite Aid, intervening in a whistleblower lawsuit brought under the False Claims Act against Rite Aid and various subsidiaries, alleging that Rite Aid knowingly filled unlawful prescriptions for controlled substances. The DOJ also announced that it was suing Rite Aid for violations of the Controlled Substances Act. On this news, Rite Aids stock price fell $0.71 per share, or 21.65%, over the following two trading sessions, to close at $2.57 per share on March 15, 2023. Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com . San Diego, CA, March 29, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Regardless of if an individual is a first-time homebuyer, a real estate investor, a current homeowner, or someone looking to refinance, getting connected with the right lender is vitally important. The real estate process moves fast and furiously, it is very easy for things to have long-term financial effects that are not explained to borrowers. Many people do not think about getting into a home loan before they start the real estate process and are often stuck with whatever they can get approved for in a short amount of time. Senior Loan Officer Akshay Patel of Next Level Lender powered by EZ Fundings believes that finding the right lender is the most important part of the process. He shares with us what to look for and what to avoid when choosing a lender. Look for someone who specializes in exactly what you need. One of the first things that Patel points out that is important for both sides of the lending process is knowing what you are looking for, and how a lender can meet your needs. Finding someone who specializes in exactly what you're looking for Is going to yield the best loan product. Patel explains it like this There are loans that I'm not going to be able to do. So it's a disservice if they do one with me because there may be other vendors out there that have a better product for them. Do they understand what kind of loan they're looking for based on what they need? Do I need a big jumbo loan from a private bank? Or do I need someone that can be a little creative? Its a priority to make sure that you're finding the person who is voicing those things. Look for transparency and honesty, ask questions. In the mortgage process working with a lender that is honest and upfront should be one of the first qualities a consumer looks for. Transparency, clarity, and honesty are key; look for someone who offers candid, clear information. Someone who offers explanations and education about the process, not just throws out a bunch of industry jargon. Additionally, a lender should be willing to answer your questions, provide support during the process, and follow up as needed. Look for someone who is willing to adapt to the times. We live in the digital age, you should have a lender that has a strong online presence. Staying up to date, relevant with what's going on in the industry and the real estate market is very important. Choose someone that's going to take advantage of the technological resources out there and move quickly. Avoid the clout trap of lots of online reviews, look for reliable resources. Try not to be swayed by someone who has a ton of reviews, look at the quality of those reviews to make sure they are real. Find somebody who has a proven track record of doing what's best for customers. Avoid too good to be true offers. The age-old advice that if something sounds too good to be true it probably is should be applied. Steer away from people who are promising things that no one else is, often these are poor quality loans and unreliable lenders. Avoid cutting costs, the cheapest option is not always the best option. Lenders do charge fees, and some may charge less, however, there is something to be said for quality-of-service reliability and follow-through. A cheaper lender may not give you the best service or make you a central focus, and a cheaper loan may mean a higher down payment. Patel is from San Diego, California, attending college in Riverside. He originally started out studying in the medical field and soon realized that his passion was elsewhere. Starting in college he got into lending and mortgage finance, working internships, eventually taking on a full-time workload while he was a student. After graduation, he headed back to San Diego and got to work. Driving Uber to come up with the cash to entertain clients he hit the ground running, working his way up into several different firms. Patel is now running his own mortgage lending service. Next Level Lender powered by EZ Fundings, powered and brokered by EZ Fundings, is based in San Diego, California. Plans for growth are well underway, the company offers a full-service commitment to clients with 7 employees currently and looking to hire 12-16 more in a short time. Patel believes in being there when the client needs him and ensures someone on his team is always available so no client is ever left behind or waiting for help. Patel has a true passion for helping people, inspired by those around him, especially his own family. Once he gained some financial expertise, he looked at his own parent's situation, realizing they had been boxed into an unhealthy mortgage situation which was having a real negative effect on their financial stability and ability to live full lives. He was able to help his parents get into a better lending situation and now works to do the same for others. Get in touch with Akshay Patel on his website and social media to learn more about how he can help you with your next home lending needs. Media Contact Next Level Lender powered by EZ Fundings 858-207-8436 www.NextLevelLender.com https://www.instagram.com/akdevrajpatel/ https://www.facebook.com/nextlevellender https://www.instagram.com/nextlevellender/ Farmington, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Data Analysis Market Was Valued At US$ 41.39 Billion In 2022, And Is Projected To Reach US$ 346.33 Billion By 2030, Growing at a CAGR Of 30.41% From 2023 To 2030. The global market for data analysis is made up of businesses and technologies that offer ways to process and analyse large amounts of data. In the past few years, this market has grown a lot. This is because more industries are making decisions based on data, big data and the Internet of Things (IoT) are becoming more popular, and more advanced analytical tools are now available. Request Sample Copy of Report Data Analysis Market Size, Share & Trends Estimation Report By Type Outlook (Big Data Analytics. Business Analytics, Customer Analytics, Risk Analytics & Statistical Analysis) By Deployment Outlook (On-premise & Cloud) By End Use Outlook (Medical Use, Cancer & Chronic Pain) By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030 , published by Contrive Datum Insights. Segmentation Overview: Deployment Insights: On-premises deployment means installing data analysis software on the servers and infrastructure of a company. This method of deployment gives organizations full control over their data and infrastructure, which is important for businesses that deal with sensitive information. At the moment, deployment in the cloud is growing faster than deployment on-premises. This is because organizations in all fields are using cloud technology more and more. This has led to a rise in demand for cloud-based data analysis solutions. Also, cloud-based deployment makes things easier to get to and lets people work and work together from a distance, which has become an important need during the COVID-19 pandemic. End User Insights: Since a long time ago, the BFSI sector has used data analysis tools in a big way. With more competition and the need to improve customer experiences, BFSI companies are relying more on data analysis to get insights from customer data, find fraud, analyse risk, and make investment decisions. The government is using data analysis tools more and more to improve public services and make better policies. These tools are used to look at crime, get people involved, and measure the effectiveness of policies. Other industries, like telecommunications, energy, transportation, and the media, are also using data analysis tools to improve their operations and decision-making. Regional Outlook: North America has been the largest market for data analysis tools because it has a lot of big companies and a lot of people who use technology. Cloud-based data analysis tools are being used by more and more people in the region, especially in the United States. Europe is another big market for data analysis tools because people there use technology a lot and there are a lot of key players there. In areas like healthcare, retail, and manufacturing, there is a big rise in demand for data analysis tools in the region. Asia-Pacific is the fastest-growing market for data analysis tools. This is because more people are using computers, more people want advanced analytics, and more people are using cloud-based solutions. Countries like China, India, Japan, and Australia are growing very quickly in the area. Buy this Premium Research Report@ https://www.contrivedatuminsights.com/buy/248602 Scope of Report: Report Attributes Details Growth Rate CAGR of 30.41% from 2023 to 2030. Revenue Forecast by 2030 USD 346.33 Billion By Type Big Data Analytics, Business Analytics, Customer Analytics, Risk Analytics, Statistical Analysis, Other By Deployment On-premise, Cloud, Other By Enterprise Size Large Enterprises, Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Other By End-use BFSI, Government, Healthcare, IT & Telecom, Military & Defense, Other By Companies Altair Engineering, Inc., Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO), International Business Machines Corporation, KNIME, Microsoft Corporation, Oracle Corporation, RapidMiner, Inc., SAP SE, SAS Institute Inc., Trianz Regions and Countries Covered North America: (US, Canada, Mexico, Rest of North America) Europe(Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Nordic Countries, Benelux Union, Rest of Europe) Asia-Pacific (Japan, China, India, Australia, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific) The Middle East & Africa(Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East & Africa) Latin America(Brazil, Argentina, Rest of Latin America) Rest Of the World Base Year 2022 Historical Year 2017 to 2022 Forecast Year 2023 to 2030 Market Dynamics: Driving Factors: Growing adoption of cloud computing: With cloud computing, businesses can get to their data and analyze it from anywhere, at any time. Compared to traditional on-premises tools, cloud-based data analysis tools are also more cost-effective and scalable. Emergence of artificial intelligence and machine learning: Artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms are being used more and more, which is driving the need for advanced data analysis tools that can use these technologies to get insights from data. Need for better customer engagement: Companies are using tools for data analysis to learn more about how customers act, what they like, and what they need. This helps them give customers more personalized experiences and keep them more interested. Restraining Factors: High cost of implementation: For small and medium-sized businesses, especially, the cost of putting in place advanced data analysis tools can be high. This can make it hard for some businesses to make the necessary investments. Integration challenges: It can be hard and take a long time to connect data analysis tools to existing systems and workflows. This can cause delays and make the whole process more expensive. Lack of standardization: The market for data analysis is not standardized, so there are many different tools and technologies to choose from. This can make it hard for businesses to figure out which solution is best for them. Opportunity Factors: Development of cloud-based solutions: Cloud computing is becoming more popular, and there is a growing need for cloud-based data analysis tools. This gives data analysis companies a chance to make cloud-based solutions that are easier to use and less expensive than traditional solutions that are installed on-site. Need for real-time analytics: Businesses are looking for more and more ways to get insights from data as it is being created. This gives data analysis companies a chance to come up with real-time analytics solutions that can give insights right away. Challenges Factors: Personalization of customer interactions: As the need for personalized interactions with customers grows, businesses have a chance to set themselves apart from their competitors. Contact centers can use data analytics and AI technologies to give customers personalized help, which makes customers happier and more loyal. Outsourcing of contact center operations: Businesses can give their contact center operations to third-party service providers so they can focus on their core business operations. Outsourcing can also save money, give access to specialized knowledge, and allow operations to grow or shrink as needed. Key Segments Covered: Top Market Players: Altair Engineering, Inc., Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO), International Business Machines Corporation, KNIME, Microsoft Corporation, Oracle Corporation, RapidMiner, Inc., SAP SE, SAS Institute Inc., Trianz, and others. By Type Big Data Analytics Business Analytics Customer Analytics Risk Analytics Statistical Analysis Others (Predictive Analytics, Text Analytics, and Prescriptive Analytics) By Deployment On-premise Cloud By Enterprise Size Large Enterprises Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) By End-use BFSI Government Healthcare IT & Telecom Military & Defense Others Regions and Countries Covered North America: (US, Canada, Mexico, Rest of North America) (US, Canada, Mexico, Rest of North America) Europe: (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Nordic Countries, Benelux Union, Rest of Europe) (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Nordic Countries, Benelux Union, Rest of Europe) Asia-Pacific: (Japan, China, India, Australia, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific) (Japan, China, India, Australia, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific) The Middle East & Africa: (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East & Africa) (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East & Africa) Latin America: (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of Latin America) (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of Latin America) Rest Of the World Check out more related studies published by Contrive Datum Insights: CCTV Camera Market - The Global CCTV Camera Market Size Was Valued At USD 31.88 Billion In 2021. The Market Is Projected To Grow From USD 35.47 Billion In 2022 To USD 105.20 Billion By 2030, Exhibiting A CAGR Of 16.8% During The Forecast Period. - The Global CCTV Camera Market Size Was Valued At USD 31.88 Billion In 2021. The Market Is Projected To Grow From USD 35.47 Billion In 2022 To USD 105.20 Billion By 2030, Exhibiting A CAGR Of 16.8% During The Forecast Period. Drone Market - The global drone market was valued at US$ 29.86 Billion in 2022, and is projected to reach US$ 55.8 Billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 38.6% from 2023 to 2030. - The global drone market was valued at US$ 29.86 Billion in 2022, and is projected to reach US$ 55.8 Billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 38.6% from 2023 to 2030. Electronics Market - The electronics industry is a significant contributor to the global economy, was valued at $3454.94 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach $4986.91 billion in 2030 with a growing CAGR of 7.5%. Customization of the Report: The report can be customized as per client needs or requirements.For any queries, you can contact us on anna@contrivedatuminsights.com or +1 215-297-4078. Our sales executives will be happy to understand your needs and provide you with the most suitable reports. About Us: Contrive Datum Insights (CDI) is a global delivery partner of market intelligence and consulting services to officials at various sectors such as investment, information technology, telecommunication, consumer technology, and manufacturing markets. CDI assists investment communities, business executives, and IT professionals to undertake statistics-based accurate decisions on technology purchases and advance strong growth tactics to sustain market competitiveness. Comprising of a team size of more than 100 analysts and cumulative market experience of more than 200 years, Contrive Datum Insights guarantees the delivery of industry knowledge combined with global and country-level expertise. Social: Facebook / LinkedIn / Twitter Contact Us: Anna B. | Head Of Sales Contrive Datum Insights Phone: +91 9834816757 | +1 2152974078 Email: anna@contrivedatuminsights.com ITHACA, NY, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SimpliFed, the telehealth platform dedicated to infant nutrition and parental support, has released its Commitment Statement: Moms Right to Choose How to Feed her Baby,'' in light of Womens History Month, further accentuating the companys position this month and all year round. SimpliFeds declaration on this right to choose comes after the company unveiled its partnership with Natures One baby formula, as part of the overarching plan to support parents through insurance-covered breastfeeding support and now improved access to baby formula. This marks the first time a baby feeding company has ever attempted to destigmatize the polarizing issue of breastfeeding vs formula feeding, by straddling both the breastfeeding and formula market that historically has been pitted against each other. This Commitment Statement underscores our mission to dissolve any stigma around the way one feeds their baby, and provide parents with evidence-based, patient-centric baby feeding support and all the tools they need to have a successful baby feeding experience. That includes access to breast pumps and infant formula, said Andrea Ippolito, CEO and founder of SimpliFed. Womens History Month is a time to celebrate all women, their right to choose so many aspects of their life, including the right to choose how they feed their baby breast milk, infant formula, or both; its truly up to Mom. SimpliFed acknowledges that providing breastfeeding support while also supporting infant formula may seem innately controversial and counterintuitive. This revolutionary initiative intensely attempts to dispel the well-established debate between breast is best and fed is best that many people are fiercely in only one camp or the other. The reality, according to research, is that most parents use a mix of both breastmilk and formula, and for some women, there is a medical need to include formula. More so, many women are uninsured, underinsured, or their insurance coverage does not comply with federal law requiring breastfeeding support. It is critical for parents to have access to insurance-covered lactation support and affordable formula to meet their baby feeding needs and choices. More than 85 percent of women start out breastfeeding but dont or cant for a variety of personal reasons, leaving only one in four families meeting the six-month exclusive breastfeeding guideline set by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Surgeon General and the World Health Organization. Most women dont get the support or the time off from work they need to continue breastfeeding, while other parents cant breastfeed due to physical or mental health reasons and some simply choose not to. SimpliFed believes that any choice is the right one. This judgment-free approach is making an impact: The company is excited to announce that 87 percent of SimpliFeds patients that choose to feed their babies with breastmilk are still doing so at three months, compared to the national average of 69 percent (CDC). SimpliFeds Commitment Statement accentuates the need for parental support for however one feeds their baby. By providing patients with judgment-free support and allowing parents to make informed choices, SimpliFed seeks to enable positive baby feeding experiences and healthy moms and babies. SimpliFed patients are treated with unconditional positive regard and respect for their choices. Parents are doing the best they can and SimpliFed provides them with the tools they need to nourish their baby and feel good about their choice. For more information, please visit SimpliFeds website: www.SimpliFed.com. ABOUT SIMPLIFED SimpliFed provides judgment-free, virtual breastfeeding and baby feeding support to parents on their baby feeding journeys. Parents connect with its network of baby feeding experts from the comfort and safety of home via SimpliFeds secure, HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform. SimpliFeds mission is to create a new model for optimal feeding by building trusted relationships with parents, partnering with healthcare payers and providers, and shifting policy, practice, and narratives to drive health and economic equity, starting with babys first foods. More information can be found at: https://www.simplifed.com/. Attachments TORONTO, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- What do a mother-daughter fundraising duo, a wildlife-loving Bachelorette alum, a record-setting tower racer and a winged architect have in common? They are among the thousands of people who will climb the CN Towers 1,776 steps when WWFs CN Tower Climb for Nature makes its highly anticipated return on Saturday, April 15 and Sunday, April 16. After a three-year hiatus, the need for WWF-Canadas most significant fundraising event is greater than ever. Globally, wildlife populations have dropped 69 per cent on average since 1970. And its not just tigers, pandas and other far away species. Here in Canada, we have more than 800 species at risk of extinction. With the help of dedicated climbers, WWF-Canada hopes to raise more than $1 million for conservation efforts in Canada aimed at restoring and protecting nature, fighting climate change and reversing wildlife loss. Registration for the fundraising event is still open at wwf.ca/cntower . Dont wait Saturdays climb is nearly sold out. Some of the climbers taking part this year include: Megan Leslie : WWF-Canadas president and CEO is climbing again to help combat the dual biodiversity and climate crises. : WWF-Canadas president and CEO is climbing again to help combat the dual biodiversity and climate crises. Melissa Grelo: Along with being the host of CTVs The Social, Melissa is a WWF-Canada board member and a passionate advocate for wildlife and nature. Melissa is taking on the towers 144 floors for the second time. Im asking you to help conserve this planet and help conserve really sensitive ecosystems right here in Canada, Melissa says. Its a ton of fun, its a great day out, and youre helping nature and wildlife thrive. Blake Moynes: a Bachelorette alum and conservationist from Hamilton, Ont., Blake has travelled around the world to support environmental causes and charities. On April 16, hes leading a team of fellow wildlife warriors up the iconic tower. Ever since I was a kid, I always thought WWF was the coolest because of their work to protect animals in more than 100 countries around the globe, and right here in Canada, Blake says. Sure, the number of steps seems a little bit daunting, but not as daunting as it will be to try to reverse wildlife loss and combat climate change if we dont act! Julian Backhouse : A grandfather of four from Mississauga, Ont., Julian has Wilsons disease, a rare genetic disorder that affects his physical strength and coordination. Although he uses a wheelchair to get around most of the time, Julian has scaled the CN Tower for WWF-Canada six times, raising more than $14,000 for wildlife conservation. Now facing a cancer diagnosis, Julian wont be climbing but his family will be! And WWF-Canada will be giving out an award in his name to a climber who has made an extraordinary effort to positively impact nature and people. : A grandfather of four from Mississauga, Ont., Julian has Wilsons disease, a rare genetic disorder that affects his physical strength and coordination. Although he uses a wheelchair to get around most of the time, Julian has scaled the CN Tower for WWF-Canada six times, raising more than $14,000 for wildlife conservation. Now facing a cancer diagnosis, Julian wont be climbing but his family will be! And WWF-Canada will be giving out an award in his name to a climber who has made an extraordinary effort to positively impact nature and people. Maria and Mikayla Flikkema : This mother-daughter duo has been climbing together for six years since Mikayla was just 12 years old. Powerhouse fundraisers, together theyve raised $4,000 so far this year. : This mother-daughter duo has been climbing together for six years since Mikayla was just 12 years old. Powerhouse fundraisers, together theyve raised $4,000 so far this year. Doug Dorsey : An architect who has climbed the CN Tower 29 times, just one year short of doing it every year! A big believer in the work WWF does, Doug has raised nearly $50,000 for our conservation work. This year, hes currently at the top of the leaderboard with $2,386 raised for wildlife. Every climb, Doug wears a headband with wings, which hes had since he was a kid, to lift his fellow climber's spirits. : An architect who has climbed the CN Tower 29 times, just one year short of doing it every year! A big believer in the work WWF does, Doug has raised nearly $50,000 for our conservation work. This year, hes currently at the top of the leaderboard with $2,386 raised for wildlife. Every climb, Doug wears a headband with wings, which hes had since he was a kid, to lift his fellow climber's spirits. Liisa Ladouceur: Liisa has climbed the CN Tower with WWF-Canada four times beforebut that was before cancer. Now cancer-free and thrilled to be leading a team of panda loving friends up the tower, she considers reaching the top an important part of her recovery. This years climb is different because Im in a very different body. Last year I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and I had an invasive surgery and then I went through several months of chemotherapy, Liisa says. Cancer takes a lot of things away from you. But I don't want to take this away. I want to prove that I can still do this. Reece David : Reece is returning for his seventh climb! Never one to back down, in 2020 when the event was cancelled, he did a virtual CN Tower Climb on the worlds highest hydraulic lift lock steps dressed as Deadpool that caught the attention of Ryan Reynolds on Twitter. : Reece is returning for his seventh climb! Never one to back down, in 2020 when the event was cancelled, he did a virtual CN Tower Climb on the worlds highest hydraulic lift lock steps dressed as Deadpool that caught the attention of Ryan Reynolds on Twitter. Tyler Kruschenske : Tyler has come in first in the Elite Climb challenge four times and has won several obstacle, road and trail races. He started training by running his gas metre route in Brantford, Ont. and now works as an online fitness trainer when he isnt studying osteopathy. : Tyler has come in first in the Elite Climb challenge four times and has won several obstacle, road and trail races. He started training by running his gas metre route in Brantford, Ont. and now works as an online fitness trainer when he isnt studying osteopathy. Shaun Stephens-Whale: After breaking WWF-Canadas previous event record in 2017 by climbing the 1,776 stairs in just 9 minutes and 54.9 seconds, the tower runner and obstacle course racer from Squamish, B.C. is returning to defend his title and beat his own time. For more stories and quotes from our CN Tower Climbers, please see our blog. To arrange an interview with one of our climbers, please contact Emily Vandermeer at evandermeer@wwfcanada.org. For footage of past climbs, please view here. About WWFs CN Tower Climb for Nature Visit wwf.ca/cntower to register as an individual or with a team of friends, family or colleagues. The climb takes place on Saturday, April 15 from 6 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and Sunday, April 16, 2023, from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Climbers wishing to compete for the fastest time can register for the Elite Climb on Sunday, April 16 at 6 a.m. Since WWF-Canada held its first ever climb in 1991, more than 135,000 people have stepped up for wildlife and helped deliver big conservation results from nearly tripling Nepals wild tiger population to advancing protection for hundreds of thousands of square kilometres of critical habitat for Arctic species. About World Wildlife Fund Canada WWF-Canada is committed to equitable and effective conservation actions that restore nature, reverse wildlife loss and fight climate change. We draw on scientific analysis and Indigenous guidance to ensure all our efforts connect to a single goal: a future where wildlife, nature and people thrive. For more information visit wwf.ca. Attachments analysis It is almost impossible nowadays to listen to the radio, watch TV or scroll through social media without being exposed to an advertisement telling us that all we need for a little happiness and love is a sugary drink or a fast-food snack. There's nothing that a tasty, affordable, ready-made meal cannot fix, we are asked to believe. Over many decades our food environments have relentlessly been encouraging us to make choices that are harmful to our health, through pricing, marketing and availability. This rise in advertising has contributed to a growing global obesity crisis as well as nutrition deficiencies as more and more people opt to eat unhealthy food. We each have the right to buy whatever we can afford. But commercial forces limit our freedom of choice more than we think. New evidence published in The Lancet shows that key causes of ill health - such as obesity and related noncommunicable diseases - are linked to commercial entities with deep pockets and the power to shape the choices people make. They do this by influencing the political and economic system, and its underlying regulatory approaches and policies. Industry tactics The ways that commercial entities shape our food environments to maximise their profits are known as the "commercial determinants of health". They create an environment that drives us towards unhealthy choices. There are three main ways they do this: We are socialised to believe that, as adults, our food choices are a direct result of free will, and of freedom of choice. Yet for people with a limited amount of money, that "freedom" is exercised in a context largely shaped - and limited - by what food and drink manufacturers and retailers choose to produce, market and sell. Marketing creates demand. Supermarkets are filled with ultra-processed foods with lots of added sugars, unhealthy fats and harmful additives. These food products are designed to activate your taste "bliss point" and make you crave more. Food and beverage manufacturers use unethical tactics to market them. They target children with manipulative imagery and stressed-out parents with "easy" solutions for feeding and satisfying their family. Food and beverage companies' profits strengthen their political influence. This is especially true in under-regulated markets in low- and middle-income countries. They use their economic power (employment, tax revenues) to support corporate lobbying that weakens government policy. What can be done The Lancet series maps out four ways through which governments, businesses and citizens can reduce the harms caused by big corporations and curb the power of commercial entities. 1. Rethink the political and economic systems. Developing countries, including Bhutan, Ecuador and Brazil, as well as developed countries such as New Zealand and Norway, are beginning to pave the way for new frameworks that put people's well-being first. In the UK, Scotland and Wales have also taken significant steps. These frameworks measure commercial effects on health and the environment, and encourage commercial practices that promote health. Ways to do this include enforcing policies - such as the tax on sugar-sweetened beverages - that ensure commercial entities pay their fair share of taxes, and are obliged to account for the full costs of the health, social and environmental harms caused by the production, consumption and disposal of their products. 2. Develop an "international convention" on commercial determinants of health. In practice, this would mean replicating and expanding global regulatory frameworks that work. The World Health Organization's (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control has shown that public health policies can be protected from commercial interests. Since its adoption in 2003, the convention has had significant impact on public policy changes related to tobacco control around the world. It's provided a framework for countries to develop and implement evidence-based measures to reduce tobacco use and the harms associated with it. Some examples include smoke-free laws; graphic health warnings on tobacco products; prohibition of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship; and tobacco tax increases. The Lancet suggests that, with support from the WHO and its member states, an "international convention" on commercial determinants of health should be developed. It is proposed that public health policy leaders and politicians replicate the tobacco control convention by making it legally binding for countries to comply with a set of principles or rules. The framework would have to be broad enough to cover the full range of commercial influences on health. These include mining, fossil fuels, gambling, automobile industries, pharmaceuticals, technology and social media (beyond the better-known alcohol and food industries). 3. Comprehensive food-environment policies. One type of government policy proven to help protect and improve health is public procurement - how governments purchase goods and services. Governments can use their purchasing power to influence the food industry by encouraging the production and distribution of healthy food and limiting the availability of unhealthy food products. In 2008, the mayor of New York City ordered city agencies to meet public food procurement standards for over 260 million annual meals and snacks. The standards apply to food from over 3,000 programmes at 12 agencies, including schools, hospitals and shelters. Nutritional requirements cover dairy, cereals, meat, fruit and vegetables, and set meal nutrient thresholds. The Brazilian School Food Programme is another example of a national public-procurement policy with direct health benefits. The programme provides healthy meals to millions of students in public schools across Brazil. It's required to purchase 30% of its supply from family farmers. The programme has improved the health and well-being of students, and promoted sustainable and ethical food production practices. It has also successfully regulated the sale and marketing of food within and outside school premises. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Africa Health Nutrition By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Countries across the globe could benefit from adopting this model, including South Africa, where despite industry pledges not to sell to schools, unhealthy foods and beverages remain easily accessible and available in schools. Read more: South Africa must ban sugary drinks sales in schools. Self regulation is failing 4. Social mobilisation. Citizens, civil society groups, activists, public health practitioners and academics can demand their right to health by calling for government action on commercial determinants of health. This can be done using a variety of strategies. They can raise their collective voice in support of evidence-based health measures; expose and oppose the harmful effects of commercial determinants on health and equity; and insist that commercial actors and governments are held accountable. This article is part of a media partnership between The Conversation Africa and PRICELESS SA, a research-to-policy unit based in the School of Public Health at the University of the Witwatersrand. Researchers from the SAMRC/Wits Centre for Health Policy and Decision Science also contributed to the Lancet Series on the commercial determinants of health. Agnes Erzse, Researcher, SAMRC/Centre for Health Economics and Decision Science- PRICELESS SA, University of the Witwatersrand New York, US, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Market Overview: According to a comprehensive research report by Market Research Future (MRFR), SASE Market Research, By Offering, By Organization Size, By Vertical, By Region - Forecast Till 2030 The global secure access services edge market is likely to garner significant traction in the current decade. Market Research Future (MRFR) confirms that the global secure access services edge market is poised to escalate from USD 0.9 billion in 2022 to USD 5.5 billion by 2030, growing at a 12.50% CAGR throughout the review period (2022-2030). The SASE market value was settled at USD 0.8 billion in 2021. Dominant Key Players in SASE Market Covered are: VMware Inc. (US) Fortinet Inc. (US) Cisco Systems Inc. (US) Akamai Technologies Inc. (US) Zscaler Inc. (US) Palo Alto Networks Inc. (US) Cato Networks Ltd. (Israel) Versa Networks Inc. (US) Cloudflare Inc. (US) Broadcom Corporation (US) Checkpoint Software Technologies Ltd. (Israel) Forcepoint (US) Aryaka Networks Inc. (US) Citrix Systems Inc. (US) McAfee Corp. (US) Get Free Sample PDF Brochure: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/10718 Secure Access Services Edge Market Report Scope: Report Metric Details SASE Market Size USD 5.5 Billion by 2030 SASE Market Growth 12.5% CAGR Base Year 2021 Forecast Period 2022-2030 Key Market Opportunities Businesses are unaware of cloud security architecture and strategy Key Market Drivers The need to unlock widespread zero-trust adoption is growing Upgrading Requirements for Compliance with Regulatory and Data Protection Laws Secure access services edge (SASE) is a network architecture framework that combines cloud-native security technologies and wide area network (WAN) capabilities to offer secure access to users, systems, and endpoints to connect to applications and services anywhere. With the increasing number of remote users and migration of applications to the cloud, the need for improved application performance and network security is likely to grow, and therefore, the demand for SASE platforms will increase. Heightened cybersecurity awareness led by increased high-profile breaches drives the market growth. The rising demand for SASE solutions to address growing data security needs and networking drives the market growth. Besides, the increased funding & support from public & private organizations and venture capitalists allow the SASE market to garner significant gains. Rising adoption of cloud environments to secure seamless access to applications anywhere users work and gain operational efficiencies by simplifying deployment, management, and policy enforcement across all environments influence the market value. Growing digitization and automation in BFSI, retail & e-commerce, IT & telecommunications, and healthcare & government sectors enormously increase the need for network infrastructures. Browse In-depth Market Research Report: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/secure-access-services-edge-market-10718 Industry Trends The onset of COVID-19 influenced the secure access services edge market significantly. The rising need for efficient networks and solutions due to remote working allowed the market to progress continually throughout 2020 and 2021. With many people working from home, use cases for personally owned and corporate-issued devices and cloud apps are expected to grow. The hybrid work environment is expected to continue for some time, further increasing IT, security, and networking complexity. The market is estimated to witness increasing demand and revenues in future years. Despite ongoing supply chain challenges facing the broader technology market, secure access services edge security would transform networks. Digital transformation and the reliance on mobile and cloud computing are growing more than ever. Now, SASE is capable of addressing evolving data security and networking issues. Nevertheless, growth in the adoption of cloud computing and high-performance computing technologies would accelerate the market growth throughout the forecast period. On the other hand, factors impeding the secure access services edge market's growth include high costs associated with the initial implementation of SASE solutions and the lack of technical expertise required for designing the technology and integration with emerging technologies. Exponential improvements in remote work, digital transformation, and cloud use have opened up the need for SASE, meeting the continued demand for speed and efficiency. Segments The secure access services edge market is segmented into offerings, organization size, end-users, verticals, and regions. The offering segment comprises network as a service and security as a service. The organization size segment comprises small & medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large enterprises. The vertical segment comprises government, retail & e-commerce, BFSI, healthcare, IT & telecommunications, and others. The region segment comprises the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa, Europe, and rest-of-the-world. Geographical Analysis North America is the largest market for secure access services edge solutions. The strong presence of key SASE providers, such as VMware, Cisco Systems, and Zscaler, and the spurring rise in end-user industries, such as BFSI, retail, and e-commerce, boost the region's SASE market shares. Besides, the growing demand for cloud security solutions and authentication frauds boosts SASE implementations. The US, Canada, and Mexico are major contributors to the North American secure access services edge market growth. APAC is another lucrative market for secure access services edge solutions. The rising demand for cloud networks and security boosts the growth of the market. Moreover, substantiating funding for cybersecurity and executive orders mandating focus from governments allow SASE solutions to garner vast prominence. The rise in demand for software and support services and cloud environment adoption would drive strong revenue growth in the SASE market during the assessment period. Competitive Landscape The highly competitive secure access services edge market appears fragmented, with many key players forming a competitive landscape. Strategic investments, partnerships, R&D programs, and geographical expansions are key trends for the market players. Market players strive to expand their SASE architectures and offerings, including cloud-based security and identity management services. Market players invest significantly to drive research & development activities and expansion plans. For instance, on Mar.06, 2023, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) announced the acquisition of a cloud security provider, Axis Security, to fortify network security. The acquisition will enable HPE to expand its edge-to-cloud security capabilities by offering a unified Secure Access Services Edge (SASE) solution that can meet the increasing demand for integrated networking and security solutions delivered as-a-service. Talk to Expert: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/ask_for_schedule_call/10718 Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) is an American information technology company having operations in many countries. Axis Security offers a Security Services Edge (SSE) platform that can address the need for improved application performance and increased network security among enterprises that have many remote users and are migrating applications to the cloud. COVID-19 Analysis Due to growing market competition, the global access control market has seen extraordinary growth over the last decade. As a result, the need for contactless biometrics & smart card solutions for environmental security has skyrocketed. COVID-19, on the other hand, has inflicted a serious blow to the sector, causing supply and demand to plummet at the same time. The huge increase in need for access control solutions for different verticals in the last few years drove the market. The epidemic, on the other hand, has slowed the market's expansion. Once end-user industries recover from the effects of the pandemic, the market is likely to regain its development momentum. Related Reports: E-Wallet Market By Application, By Type, By Mode - Forecast 2030 Integration Platform as a Service (IPaaS) Market By Service Type, By Deployment, By Verticals, By Region Market Forecast Till 2030 Data Catalog Market By Component, By Deployment, By Application, By End-users, By Region Market Forecast Till 2030 About Market Research Future: Market Research Future (MRFR) is a global market research company that takes pride in its services, offering a complete and accurate analysis regarding diverse markets and consumers worldwide. Market Research Future has the distinguished objective of providing the optimal quality research and granular research to clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help answer your most important questions. CENTREVILLE, Va., March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Parsons Corporation (NYSE: PSN) announced today that the company was selected for a position on a $160 million indefinite-delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) multiple award contract by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Engineering and Support Center Huntsville to modernize Department of Defense facilities and infrastructure. The contract includes a base period of two years and a 36-month option period. Were proud to continue building on our long-standing history of helping the federal government meet their infrastructure needs worldwide, said Jon Moretta, president, Engineered Systems, for Parsons. From planning and design to delivery, our teams deep domain expertise and resources make Parsons a trusted partner to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in delivering proven architectural-engineering services that advance infrastructure solutions for the Department of Defense. The USACE Engineering and Support Center Huntsville provides specialized technical expertise, global engineering solutions, and cutting-edge innovations through centrally managed programs in support of national interests. The Huntsville Center supports all USACE divisions and districts throughout the world. Under this contract, Parsons will compete for task orders to provide real property planning, programming, and management services for military construction projects. Parsons has decades of experience supporting USACE infrastructure mission needs, and this is the third consecutive five-year IDIQ planning and programming contract awarded to the company by the Huntsville Center. Parsons leverages technology, resources, and capabilities to provide clients with support through the entire life cycle of a project or program and delivers tailored solutions that meet their unique, complex requirements anywhere in the world. To learn more about Parsons federal infrastructure solutions, visit Parsons.com/infrastructure-capabilities/. About Parsons: Parsons (NYSE: PSN) is a leading disruptive technology provider in the national security and global infrastructure markets, with capabilities across cyber and intelligence, space and missile defense, transportation, environmental remediation, urban development, and critical infrastructure protection. Please visit Parsons.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook to learn how we're making an impact. Forward-Looking Statements: This document contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, 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 are based on our current expectations, beliefs and assumptions, and are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to uncertainties, risks, changes in circumstances, trends and factors that are difficult to predict, many of which are outside of our control. Accordingly, actual performance, results and events may vary materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements, and you should not rely on the forward-looking statements as predictions of future performance, results or events. Numerous factors could cause actual future performance, results and events to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements, including, among others: any issue that compromises our relationships with the U.S. federal government or its agencies or other state, local or foreign governments or agencies; any issues that damage our professional reputation; changes in governmental priorities that shift expenditures away from agencies or programs that we support; our dependence on long-term government contracts, which are subject to the governments budgetary approval process; the size of our addressable markets and the amount of government spending on private contractors; failure by us or our employees to obtain and maintain necessary security clearances or certifications; failure to comply with numerous laws and regulations; changes in government procurement, contract or other practices or the adoption by governments of new laws, rules, regulations and programs in a manner adverse to us; the termination or nonrenewal of our government contracts, particularly our contracts with the U.S. federal government; our ability to compete effectively in the competitive bidding process and delays, contract terminations or cancellations caused by competitors protests of major contract awards received by us; our ability to generate revenue under certain of our contracts; any inability to attract, train or retain employees with the requisite skills, experience and security clearances; the loss of members of senior management or failure to develop new leaders; misconduct or other improper activities from our employees or subcontractors; our ability to realize the full value of our backlog and the timing of our receipt of revenue under contracts included in backlog; changes in the mix of our contracts and our ability to accurately estimate or otherwise recover expenses, time and resources for our contracts; changes in estimates used in recognizing revenue; internal system or service failures and security breaches; and inherent uncertainties and potential adverse developments in legal proceedings, including litigation, audits, reviews and investigations, which may result in materially adverse judgments, settlements or other unfavorable outcomes. These factors are not exhaustive and additional factors could adversely affect our business and financial performance. For a discussion of additional factors that could materially adversely affect our business and financial performance, see the factors included under the caption Risk Factors in our Registration Statement on Form S-1 and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements are based on currently available information and speak only as of the date on which they are made. We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statement made in this presentation that becomes untrue because of subsequent events, new information or otherwise, except to the extent we are required to do so in connection with our ongoing requirements under federal securities laws. Media Contact: Jonathan Larry +1 706.832.7330 jonathan.larry@parsons.com Investor Relations Contact: Dave Spille +1 703.775.6191 Dave.Spille@parsons.com Dublin, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Application Tracking Systems Market By Deployment, By Organization, By Component, By Application, By End-Use, and By Region Forecast to 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The size of the global market for Application Tracking Systems (ATS) was USD 2.34 Billion in 2021 and is expected to witness a revenue Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.8% during the forecast period. The growth in revenue can be attributed to the rising demand for efficient workforce management and the increasing adoption of cloud-based platforms, as well as mobile-based recruitment systems. Companies use applicant tracking systems in combination with relational marketing programs to hire new employees. ATS can be employed to review resumes, post job openings on a company website or job board, and send email interview invitations to qualified candidates. Applicant tracking software is gaining widespread acceptance among enterprises and governments due to the need for automating the hiring process. Through the use of data mining and natural language processing, ATS software reduces bias and manual errors while automating candidate screening and job application submission across multiple job boards. Large companies are adopting ATS to expand their operations by attracting qualified candidates and job opportunities that align with their objectives and values. These businesses require a support system to assist them with the recruitment process, and an applicant tracking system simplifies the collection, storage, and management of applications. According to research, nearly 99% of Fortune 500 companies use one or more ATS systems such as PeopleFluent, Oracle's Taleo, Avature, or Greenhouse. In smaller businesses, Capterra discovered that 75% of recruiters and personnel managers use an applicant tracking system to some degree. The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the global economy, but it has also accelerated the adoption of digital technologies. Essential corporate tasks are now being carried out online in business ecosystems with the help of cutting-edge technologies. For instance, due to social distancing, prolonged lockdowns, and remote work, many commercial organizations around the world are transitioning to automated applicant tracking systems to recruit and manage their workforce more efficiently. Market Dynamics Driver: Rising requirements for efficient workforce management and growing usage of social media platforms for job searches Application tracking systems have evolved beyond their original purpose of automating recruitment processes and now feature advanced branding options, equality and diversity capabilities, and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to analyze resumes and identify top candidates for open positions. ATS systems allow Human Resource (HR) managers and recruiters to quickly sift through a large number of applications by eliminating candidates who do not meet specific requirements. According to a survey, each online job advertisement receives an average of 250 applicants. There is a growing need for more efficient workforce management solutions, and both large enterprises and startups are working to simplify, streamline, and make recruitment processes more equitable. For example, TestGorilla, based in Amsterdam, has raised over USD 66 million for its cutting-edge technology that has revolutionized the recruitment process. Restraint: Difficulties to manage hourly labor and discrimination in nature Approximately 70% of the global workforce is composed of hourly workers, yet the majority of hiring software is designed for filling corporate positions. Classic ATS firms have been unable to keep up with the gig and service economy's growth. The hourly labor sector is facing even greater difficulties due to the Great Resignation. According to a survey, 20% of workers plan to change jobs in the next year, while 35% intend to request a raise due to limited prospects for advancement and underwhelming perks. The resulting exodus is making it challenging for businesses in various industries, including technology, restaurants, and retail, to find employees. The high rate of job turnover is putting pressure on HR departments, and many expect that hiring will become more challenging in the coming years. Talent managers typically use keywords to convey their search criteria to ATS, which then identifies resumes that meet the criteria and disregards those that do not. The machine can complete the process of reading through each resume, which would have taken hours, in just a few minutes. However, this approach has a history of perpetuating discrimination and may be excluding the types of leaders that people truly want to follow, thereby limiting the market's revenue growth. Key Takeaways Deployment Outlook The global application tracking systems market is segmented based on deployment, application, and end-use. The deployment segment is categorized into on-premises and cloud. The cloud deployment segment is projected to dominate the market and witness the highest revenue growth during the forecast period. Cloud deployment offers various benefits, such as improved security, scalability, flexibility, and lower costs, which is contributing to its popularity. Additionally, the availability of data when required and organized storage is making cloud deployment more popular, driven by the growth of data production and usage of advanced technologies such as IoT and analytics. Moreover, the risk of internal breaches is lower in cloud-based systems due to no physical systems to safeguard. Application Outlook The application segment is divided into IT and telecom, BFSI, manufacturing, retail, and others. The IT and telecom segment is anticipated to register the highest revenue CAGR during the forecast period. With approximately 75,000 job applications received by large corporations such as Google each week, applicant tracking systems provide a means for recruiters to track the progress of applicants as they submit applications. An efficient ATS should allow for saving, commenting, sharing, and exploring applicant profiles and resumes with ease. Additionally, the ability to centralize and track all applicant conversations in a single location makes the hiring and tracking process in the IT industry easier. End-Use Outlook The end-use segment is categorized into HR platforms, social media, and others. The social media segment is projected to witness the second-largest revenue share in 2021. Social media is a widely-used communication platform that enables individuals to share information within networks or communities. With mobile apps and portable internet connectivity, cellphone or mobile-only social networking apps have become more popular. Furthermore, the expansion of social media has opened new opportunities for recruitment and employment, with organizations that interact with candidates on social media gaining popularity. When combined with social media, applicant tracking systems can become a potent recruiting tool. Moreover, according to surveys, at least 84% of businesses use social media for hiring, which is expected to drive revenue growth in this segment. Key Topics Covered: Chapter 1. Market Synopsis Chapter 2. Executive Summary Chapter 3. Indicative Metrics Chapter 4. Application Tracking Systems (ATS) Market Segmentation & Impact Analysis 4.1. Application Tracking Systems (ATS) Market Segmentation Analysis 4.2. Industrial Outlook 4.2.1. Market indicators analysis 4.2.2. Market drivers' analysis 4.2.2.1. Rising requirement for efficient workforce management 4.2.2.2. Growing adoption of cloud-based solutions 4.2.2.3. Growing usage of social media platforms for job search 4.2.3. Market restraints analysis 4.2.3.1. Difficulties to manage hourly labor 4.2.3.2. Biased and discriminatory in nature 4.3. Technological Insights 4.4. Regulatory Framework 4.5. ETOP Analysis 4.6. Porter's Five Forces Analysis 4.7. Competitive Metric Space Analysis 4.8. Price Trend Analysis 4.9. Customer Mapping 4.10. Covid-19 Impact Analysis 4.11. Global Recession Influence Chapter 5. Application Tracking Systems (ATS) Market By Deployment Insights & Trends Chapter 6. Application Tracking Systems (ATS) Market By Organization Insights & Trends Chapter 7. Application Tracking Systems (ATS) Market By Component Insights & Trends Chapter 8. Application Tracking Systems (ATS) Market By Application Insights & Trends Chapter 9. Application Tracking Systems (ATS) Market By End-Use Insights & Trends Chapter 10. Application Tracking Systems (ATS) Market Regional Outlook Chapter 11. Competitive Landscape Chapter 12. Company Profiles Companies Mentioned Swipeclock For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/y44rnd About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Dublin, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Compliance and Traceability Solutions Market Size, Share & Industry Trends Analysis Report By Component, By Deployment Mode, By Organization Size, By Vertical, By Regional Outlook and Forecast, 2022 - 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Global Compliance and Traceability Solutions Market size is expected to reach $5.4 billion by 2028, rising at a market growth of 11.6% CAGR during the forecast period. The demand for real-time traceability and compliance audits is growing, which helps the market for these solutions and developing supply chain management systems. Also, supportive laws, guidelines for serialization deployment, and increased product recall because of packaging drive the market's expansion. Furthermore, throughout the forecast period, the market for compliance and traceability solutions is anticipated to see profitable growth prospects due to the rise in the adoption of cutting-edge technologies and digital solutions in the logistics sector. As manufacturers become more aware of the benefits of compliance solutions, sales of compliance & traceability solutions are increasing. Businesses increasingly use compliance solutions to comply with legal, security, and regulatory obligations. These strategies ensure regulatory compliance with various financial, environmental, and information technology hazards as organizations and governments increasingly adopt digital solutions to adhere to laws and industry standards. Moreover, pharmaceutical and healthcare organizations frequently deal with issues related to medical fraud. As a result, many healthcare firms are implementing supply chain monitoring technology and traceability systems. As developers create more complex programs using commercially available components and services, managing cloud infrastructure becomes more challenging. Construction of fully automated and compliant infrastructures can take money,time, and already-stretched engineering resources. Market Growth Factors Supportive regulations & standards for serialization implementation Compliance and traceability solutions are steadily gaining momentum among companies to comply with regulatory, security, legal, and industry standards. Increasing counterfeits, improved supply chain visibility, and complications in monitoring returns or product recall are progressively driving the deployment of efficient traceability systems in line with regulatory standards. Hence, several regional governments are striving to pass specific regulations and mandates for deploying serialization in trace systems to assure significant supply chain process efficiency. Rising demand for traceability in seed sector To boost agricultural production, farmers require access to high-quality seeds, and characteristics such as germination rate, seed purity, and moisture content are essential. In the seed sector, digital traceability solutions are necessary due to the absence of information being used for malicious seed mixing, seed production & processing, and manual recordkeeping. Since the seed is the fundamental and most essential component of agriculture, the seed industry has expanded in parallel with the agriculture industry. For a good crop in agriculture, it is essential to have access to high-quality seeds. As a result, the compliance and traceability solutions market will expand during the next few years. Market Restraining Factor High price along with the longer time to be spent on serialization The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), which might be ten times or more than the initial acquisition cost, can also vary based on the serialization requirements and the firm's size. Therefore, it is essential to conduct proper planning while taking into consideration the major cost elements, such as software license or subscription fees, variable transaction fees, and the price of adding surplus hardware as well as infrastructure to support on-site or private services for data storage, access, and processing. These considerations raise the price of serializing cartooning lines to the item level, limiting market expansion throughout the forecast period. Component Outlook Based on component, the compliance and traceability solutions market is segmented into software, and services. In 2021, the software segment held the highest revenue share in the compliance and traceability solutions market. This is ascribed to numerous advantages provided by the software, such as decreased risks, more secure operations, and finding gaps in documentation and risk assessment, which has led to an increase in the installation of compliance and traceability software. Also, it is projected that growing brand protection awareness, an increase in the number of counterfeit medications and associated items, and increased secure packaging knowledge would all support the expansion of the software market globally. Deployment Mode Outlook By deployment mode, the compliance and traceability solutions market is categorized into on-premise and cloud. The cloud segment covered a considerable revenue share in the compliance and traceability solutions market in 2021. With cloud-based corporate traceability solutions that concentrate on the supply chain for product traceability, manufacturers may better track the path of their products from the sources of their raw materials to the point of sale or beyond. Organization Size Outlook On the basis of organization size, the compliance and traceability solutions market is bifurcated into large enterprise and small & medium-sized enterprises. The large enterprise segment generated the maximum revenue share in the compliance and traceability solutions market in 2021. Lack of sound traceability for products that need to comply with functional safety regulations might cause major issues. Heavy fines, possibly prison time for executives, or even bankruptcy for the company could result from traceability gaps. The demand for compliance and traceability is increasing as a result of regulatory bodies' tough regulations, which is fueling the segment's expansion. Industry Vertical Outlook By industry vertical, the compliance and traceability solutions market is fragmented into IT& Telecom, BFSI, healthcare, food & agriculture, government, manufacturing and others. The food & agriculture segment registered a prominent revenue share in the compliance and traceability solutions market in 2021. The agricultural value chain is fully visible due to compliance and traceability solutions. With the help of its technological platform, businesses can now gather transactional data right at the source, even in distant areas with little to no telecommunications infrastructure. Key Market Players SAP SE Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. Omron Corporation Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. Sys-Tech Solutions, Inc. (Dover Corporation) Optel Group 4CRisk.ai Agrilyze Tuleap TraceLink, Inc. Key Topics Covered: Chapter 1. Market Scope & Methodology Chapter 2. Market Overview Chapter 3. Global Compliance and Traceability Solution Market by Component Chapter 4. Global Compliance and Traceability Solution Market by Deployment Mode Chapter 5. Global Compliance and Traceability Solution Market by Organization Size Chapter 6. Global Compliance and Traceability Solution Market by Vertical Chapter 7. Global Compliance and Traceability Solution Market by Region Chapter 8. Company Profiles Companies Mentioned SAP SE Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. Omron Corporation Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. Sys-Tech Solutions, Inc. (Dover Corporation) Optel Group 4CRisk.ai Agrilyze Tuleap TraceLink, Inc. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/lxk3sa About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Dublin, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Differential Diagnostics Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2018-2028F Segmented by Treatment Type (Chest Pain, Headache, Fever, Pneumonia, Hypertension, Fatigue, Sleep Problems), By Usability, By End Use, By Region and Competition" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Global Differential Diagnostics Market is anticipated to witness a growth of steady CAGR in the forecast period, 2024-2028. This can be ascribed to the increasing prevalence of various types of diseases such as influenza, COVID diseases, cardiac diseases, and infectious diseases across the globe. Also, the growing accessibility of point-of-care testing products through online platforms will drive the growth of the market in the forecast period. Similarly, growing healthcare decentralization and high investments and funding for project development are expected to enhance the growth of the differential diagnostic market in the coming years. The availability of affordable diagnostic tests for chronic illness in the developing region is anticipated to propel the growth of the market. In January 2022, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) granted provisional approval for Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine branded as Nuvaxovid for use in Australia. Rising Diagnostic Tests Due to the growing number of diagnostic tests, people are demanding the best diagnostic test which will easily detect diseases and is anticipated to boost the growth of the market during the forecasted period. Diagnostic tests are performed in a private or public laboratory with appropriate equipment and sometimes expensive instrumentation and staffed with trained and qualified personnel. Growing demand for point-of-care testing which occurs at the nearest site of patient care is sought in the field of infectious bacterial diagnostics to allow the care team to receive more results quickly and make immediate and informed management decisions. For molecular diagnosis, different types of diseases can be detected by using challenging differential diagnosis. Governments and different organizations are investing for research and development purposes in the healthcare sector which is a major factor in driving the growth of the differential diagnostics market during the forecasted period. In 2021, according to the National Aids Control Organization (NACO), approximately 2.40 million people in India were infected with HIV. Of the total HIV-infected population 45% were women and 2% were below 12. Also, a growing number of clinics will enhance the demand for differential diagnostic tests market over the years. According to the Non-communicable Diseases Key Facts published by the World Health Organization (WHO) in April 2021, chronic diseases kill around 41 million people each year, which is equivalent to 71% of all deaths worldwide. Growing Technological Advancements Growing advancements in diagnostic technology helped physicians to evaluate processes and events in real time. The clinical application of advances in physics and mathematics resulted in the development of diagnostic tools. These developments help physicians to get more accurate, less invasive, and less expensive which will boost the market growth during the forecasted years. Also, the growing demand for diagnostic kits for at-home usage has resulted in technical developments which are expected to create significant growth in the forecast period. Leica Microsystems, a Danaher subsidiary, declared the debut of STELLARIS, the company's flagship platform for its revolutionary confocal microscope, in April 2020. This platform allows the viewing of live tissues and cells in three dimensions. Report Scope: In this report, Global Differential Diagnostics market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below: Differential Diagnostics Market, By Treatment Type: Chest Pain Headache Fever Pneumonia Hypertension Fatigue Sleep Problems Differential Diagnostics Market, By Usability: Physical Health Disorders Mental Health Disorders Differential Diagnostics Market, By End Use: Hospitals Diagnostic Centers Others Differential Diagnostics Market, By Region: North America United States Mexico Canada Europe France Germany United Kingdom Italy Spain Asia Pacific China India South Korea Japan Australia South America Brazil Argentina Colombia Middle East & Africa South Africa Saudi Arabia UAE Egypt Turkey Key Topics Covered: 1. Product Overview 2. Research Methodology 3. Executive Summary 4. Voice of Customer 5. Global Differential Diagnostics Market Outlook 6. North America Differential Diagnostics Market Outlook 7. Europe Differential Diagnostics Market Outlook 8. Asia-Pacific Differential Diagnostics Market Outlook 9. South America Differential Diagnostics Market Outlook 10. Middle East and Africa Differential Diagnostics Market Outlook 11. Market Dynamics 12. Market Trends & Developments 13. Global Differential Diagnostics Market: SWOT Analysis 14. Porter's Five Forces Analysis 15. Competitive Landscape 16. Strategic Recommendations A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Hologic, Inc. Quidel Corporation. F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. Abbott Laboratories, Inc. Danaher Corporation Meridian Bioscience Inc. GenMark Diagnostics, Inc. Sekisui Diagnostics Co., Ltd. Luminex Corporation. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/kwe56k About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Pune, India, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global grinding machines market size is expected to reach USD 6.73 billion by 2026 on account of increasing demand from automobile industries worldwide. According to a report published by Fortune Business Insights titled, Grinding Machines Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis and Regional Forecast 2019-2026. The market value was USD 4.72 billion in 2018. The market is likely to exhibit a CAGR of 4.6% and grow remarkably in the forecast period of 2019 to 2026. Industry Development 360-degree range of STUDER internal cylindrical grinding machines was launched by the United Grinding North America. This machine is applicable for use in high production and radii grinding operations. Request a Free Sample Copy of the Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/grinding-machines-market-101950 Report Highlights: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2019-2026 Forecast Period 2019 to 2026 CAGR 4.6% 2026 Value Projection USD 6.73 Billion Base Year 2018 Market Size in 2018 USD 4.72 Billion Historical Data for 2015-2017 No. of Pages 120 Segments covered By Product, By Application and By Region Growth Drivers Increasing Adoption of CNC Grinding Machines to Propel Market Software Advancements in Cylindrical Grinding is Resulting in High Adoption of Grinding Machines Key Takeaways: Rising Preference Towards CNC Cylindrical Grinding Machine to Bode Well for the Market Leading Players Are Focusing on Technological Advancements The report focuses on ongoing grinding machines market trends based on several applications including automotive, precision engineering, general machinery, transport machinery, and others. Geographically, the scope of the study is segmented across five major regions, such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East & Africa, and Latin America, which is further categorized into countries. Grinding Machines Market COVID-19 Impact: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a significant negative impact on the grinding machines market, as it has disrupted global supply chains and led to the closure of manufacturing facilities, resulting in a decline in demand. However, the market is expected to recover in the post-pandemic period, driven by the increasing demand for automation and precision in manufacturing processes. The trend towards remote working and digitalization is also expected to drive the adoption of smart grinding machines, which can be remotely monitored and controlled. Despite the short-term impact of the pandemic, the grinding machines market is expected to witness growth in the coming years. Click here to get the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this Market: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/grinding-machines-market-101950 Drivers and Restraints Increasing Demand from Aerospace Industry to Augment Market Growth The rise in the capability of grinding machines that offer stable processing temperatures is a major factor boosting the grinding machines' market growth. This is further attributed to the improved heaters and chillers section that are used significantly in applications such as automotive and aerospace industries. Besides this, there is a rise in need for modern grinders with fast and flexible speed blades, and this is further expected to increase the overall grinding machinery market size during the forecast period. Moreover, the rising adoption of Industry 4.0 for data exchange and automation for manufacturing technologies have further propelled manufacturers to add sensors in grinders for maintenance and prediction purposes. This is further anticipated to help increase the overall grinding machine market size in the forecast period. Report Coverage The report on grinding machines is based on in-depth analysis and provides a 360-degree overview of the market. It mainly emphasized on growth drivers, restraints, trends, and opportunities. Besides this, the report classifies the various segments of the market and the names of the significant players operating in the grinding machines market. The report also discusses the key strategies adopted by players such as mergers and acquisitions, product launch, company collaborations, and others. These strategies will help investors understand the competitive landscape of the market and its future scope. List of Key Players Present in the Market Falcon Machine Tools Co., Ltd JTEKT Toyoda Americas Corporation United Grinding North America DANOBATGROUP Junker Group ANCA Makino DMG Mori Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd Amada Machine Tools Co., Ltd. Quick Buy - Grinding Machines Market Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/101950 Regional Insights Increasing Demand for Acquiring New Aircrafts to Help Asia Pacific Lead Market As per the geographical approach, the market is dominated by Asia Pacific on account of the rise in demand from different industries such as tooling applications, automotive, and aerospace. In 2018, Asia Pacific accounted for USD 2.62 billion grinding machinery market share on account of the procurement of new aircraft from developing nations such as India, Vietnam, and Indonesia. To cite an example, India is expecting the arrival of two B777 planes by the end of 2020. Additionally, the rise in demand from the metal processing industry is anticipated to help North America attract high grinding machine market revenue in the forecast period. Competitive Landscape Players to Focus on Improving Speed and Feed Rate of Grinding Equipment Key grinding machines market manufacturers are emphasizing on introduction of special purpose grinding machines. To cite an example, crankshaft and camshaft grinding machines by JTEKT Toyoda Americas Corporation are specifically designed for high production in the automotive industry. Apart from this, players are also trying to improve the speed and feed rate of the grinding equipment in order to multiply the production rates in the coming years. Furthermore, market vendors are also trying to improvise on the grinder design for reducing the thermal problems and control heat fluctuation in order to enhance the productivity of grinding machines. Have Any Query? Ask Our Experts: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/ask-for-customization/grinding-machines-market-101950 Major Table of Contents: Introduction Definition, By Segment Research Approach Sources Executive Summary Market Dynamics Drivers, Restraints and Opportunities Emerging Trends Key Insights Macro and Micro Economic Indicators Key Technological Developments Consolidated SWOT Analysis of Key Players Global Grinding Machines Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2015-2026 Key Findings / Summary Market Sizing Estimations and Forecasts By Product (Value) CNC Cylindrical Grinding Machine Surface Grinding Machine Others (Centerless Grinding Machine, Gear Grinding Machines and others.) Conventional Market Sizing Estimations and Forecasts By Application (Value) Automotive General Machinery Precision engineering Transport Machinery Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Region (Value) North America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East & Africa Latin America North America Grinding Machines Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2015-2026 Key Findings / Summary Market Sizing Estimations and Forecasts By Product (Value) CNC Cylindrical Grinding Machine Surface Grinding Machine Others (Centerless Grinding Machine, Gear Grinding Machines and others.) Conventional Market Sizing Estimations and Forecasts By Application (Value) Automotive General Machinery Precision engineering Transport Machinery Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Country (Value) United States Canada Europe Grinding Machines Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2015-2026 Key Findings / Summary Market Sizing Estimations and Forecasts By Product (Value) CNC Cylindrical Grinding Machine Surface Grinding Machine Others (Centerless Grinding Machine, Gear Grinding Machines and others.) Conventional Market Sizing Estimations and Forecasts By Application (Value) Automotive General Machinery Precision engineering Transport Machinery Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Country (Value) Germany UK Russia Italy Rest of Europe Continued Related Reports: Choke Valve Market Size , Industry Share, Forecast 2030 Electric Screw Drivers Market Size , Industry Share, Forecast 2030 Wire Bonder Equipment Market Size , Industry Share, Forecast 2030 Signal Jammer Market Size , Industry Share | Forecast, 2030 Grease Interceptors Market Size , Industry Share | Forecast, 2030 FAQs How big is the Grinding Machines Market? The global Grinding Machines Market size was estimated at USD 4.72 billion in 2018 and is expected to reach USD 6.73 billion in 2026 What is the Grinding Machines Market growth? The global Grinding Machines Market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.6% from 2019 to 2026 to reach USD 6.73 billion by 2026 About Us: Fortune Business Insights offers expert corporate analysis and accurate data, helping organizations of all sizes make timely decisions. We tailor innovative solutions for our clients, assisting them to address challenges distinct to their businesses. Our goal is to empower our clients with holistic market intelligence, giving a granular overview of the market they are operating in. Contact Us: Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd. US: +1 424 253 0390 UK: +44 2071 939123 APAC: +91 744 740 1245 BERNE, Ind., March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sprunger PEO , a professional employer organization, offers a comprehensive range of services like payroll processing, IT support, mail handling, employee benefits, and more. They handle the behind-the-scenes work, which typically takes up far too much of a small-town lawyers time and makes it harder to build a client base and expand a firm. Its the brainchild of attorney and Sprunger PEO Managing Partner Cory Sprunger, a highly qualified lawyer with work experience that includes the Los Angeles District Attorneys Major Crimes Unit. However, his lifelong focus has been on improving rural quality of life. America needs both its big cities and small towns, he says. Right now, rural areas dont have the access to the lawyers they deserve because attorneys have to focus too much on administrative duties instead of practicing law. What were offering is a way for them to delegate those tasks so they can expand their firms. The need to increase access to lawyers in small-towns and rural areas is evident, as recently highlighted by a Pew study that found 1,272 out of 3,141 U.S. counties, or about forty percent, are deemed legal deserts meaning they have fewer than a single lawyer available for every one thousand people. Thats a major setback for these communities, who may find it impossible to secure legal support for wills, real estate, civil and criminal cases, and more. A vital reason these legal deserts exist? Lawyers often find it difficult to build a profitable firm based in these areas not because the potential clients arent there, but because so much of the lawyers time is consumed by administrative tasks like payroll. Everyone deserves access to an attorney, and we make small-town living more viable for lawyers. The clients are there; a professional can have a waiting list of clients on day one in a rural area, says Sprunger. Demand is so high in small towns that you dont have to give up big city income, but you do need to solve the problem of administration. IT, processing invoices, banking all of these have nothing to do with excelling as a small-town lawyer, Sprunger notes. But highly-qualified attorneys cant make a good income because they have to reduce their billable hours to do all of this work themselves. These firms also likely dont need a full-time bookkeeper, which is how Sprunger PEO provides the perfect solution. They connect individual small-town law firms with a network of professionals who can quickly and capably handle all administrative tasks. That frees the lawyer up to devote all their time to helping clients and building their firm. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/835c0ca4-1193-4183-83b9-4727ccab9a7f TOKYO, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Weather Forecasting Services Market Size collected USD 2.5 Billion in 2022 and is set to achieve a market size of USD 6.1 Billion in 2032 growing at a CAGR of 9.4% from 2023 to 2032. Weather Forecasting Services Market Research Report Highlights and Statistics: The Global Weather Forecasting Services Market Size in 2022 stood at USD 2.5 Billion and is set to reach USD 6.1 Billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 9.4% Weather Forecasting Services help businesses, governments, and individuals make informed decisions related to weather-sensitive activities such as agriculture, aviation, transportation, and energy production. The Global Weather Forecasting Services Market is growing at a significant rate due to the increasing demand for accurate weather forecasts and the growing need for effective risk management strategies. North America is the largest market for weather forecasting services, with the Asia Pacific region being the fastest growing worldwide. Request For Free Sample Report @ https://www.acumenresearchandconsulting.com/request-sample/574 Weather Forecasting Services Market Report Coverage: Market Weather Forecasting Services Market Weather Forecasting Services Market Size 2022 USD 2.5 Billion Weather Forecasting Services Market Forecast 2032 USD 6.1 Billion Weather Forecasting Services Market CAGR During 2023 - 2032 9.4% Weather Forecasting Services Market Analysis Period 2020 - 2032 Weather Forecasting Services Market Base Year 2022 Weather Forecasting Services Market Forecast Data 2023 - 2032 Segments Covered By Forecast Type, By Organization Size, By Industry Vertical, And By Geography Weather Forecasting Services Market Regional Scope North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa Key Companies Profiled AccuWeather Inc., Skymet Weather services Pvt., Ltd., Global Weather Corporation, The Weather Company, BMT Group, Precision Weather, Met Office, Fugro, ENAV S.p.A, and Skyview Systems Ltd. Report Coverage Market Trends, Drivers, Restraints, Competitive Analysis, Player Profiling, Regulation Analysis Weather Forecasting Services Market Overview: The Weather Forecasting Services Market provides vital information on weather conditions for a specific period of time to businesses, governments, and individuals for various applications. These applications include agriculture, aviation, transportation, and energy production, among others. Accurate weather forecasts are essential for decision-making in these industries, as they help mitigate risks and optimize operational efficiency. With the increasing use of advanced technologies such as AI, machine learning, and big data analytics, the market is experiencing a rapid transformation. These technologies enable precise and real-time weather predictions, enhancing the accuracy of forecasting services. Moreover, the use of drones for weather monitoring is emerging as a new trend in the market, offering enhanced data collection capabilities. With the continuous development of innovative technologies and increasing investments in weather forecasting infrastructure, the Weather Forecasting Services Market is poised for significant growth in the coming years. Trends in the Weather Forecasting Services Market: Development of specialized weather forecasting services for specific industries such as agriculture, renewable energy, and transportation. Increased focus on providing hyper local weather forecasts to cater to specific needs of small-scale businesses and individuals. Use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for weather monitoring, which offer enhanced data collection capabilities and lower operational costs. Growing demand for mobile applications that provide personalized weather forecasts based on location and user preferences. Integration of social media platforms into weather forecasting services for better engagement with end-users. Growing popularity of smart home devices that offer weather updates and personalized recommendations based on weather data. Weather Forecasting Services Market Dynamics: Growing awareness of the impact of weather on business operations and the need for timely and reliable weather forecasting services. Emergence of advanced technologies such as AI, ML, and big data analytics, which enhance the accuracy of weather forecasting and analysis. Growing demand for renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power, which rely on accurate weather forecasts for optimal production. Integration of advanced sensors and weather monitoring devices into smart city infrastructure for enhanced urban planning. Adoption of precision agriculture techniques that rely on weather forecasting data to optimize crop yields and minimize waste. Growing use of weather forecasting services by the insurance industry for risk management and mitigation. Rising frequency and severity of extreme weather events like hurricanes, floods, and droughts, which create a need for real-time weather monitoring and forecasting. Growth Hampering Factors in the Market for Weather Forecasting Services: Inaccurate or unreliable weather data, which can lead to poor forecasting accuracy and reduce the credibility of weather forecasting services. Limited availability of weather monitoring and forecasting equipment, which can hinder the accuracy of weather data collection. Adverse weather conditions, such as severe storms, can disrupt weather monitoring equipment and reduce the availability of weather data. Lack of skilled professionals to operate and maintain weather monitoring and forecasting equipment. The difficulty of forecasting weather in remote or inaccessible areas, which can limit the accuracy of weather forecasts in such regions. Complex weather patterns that are difficult to predict accurately, such as those associated with climate change and extreme weather events. Public skepticism or distrust of weather forecasting services, which can reduce demand for these services and hinder their growth. Competition from free or low-cost weather forecasting services, which can reduce the profitability of commercial weather forecasting companies. Technological limitations, such as insufficient data storage capacity and processing power, which can hinder the development of advanced forecasting technologies. Check the detailed table of contents of the report @ https://www.acumenresearchandconsulting.com/table-of-content/weather-forecasting-services-market Market Segmentation: By Type of Forecast Medium-Range Short-Range Long-Range Nowcasting By Size of organization SMEs Large Enterprise End User Aviation Logistics & Transportation Marine Renewables Agriculture Energy & Utilities Manufacturing Media Retail Other Weather Forecasting Services Market Overview by Region North Americas Weather Forecasting Services market share is the highest globally, with the United States being the largest consumer of these services in the region. This is due to the high demand for weather information in industries such as aviation, agriculture, and energy. The region is also home to some of the largest weather forecasting companies, such as AccuWeather and The Weather Company. The Asia-Pacific regions Weather Forecasting Services Market share is also huge and is growing at the fastest rate, driven by increasing demand for these services in industries such as agriculture, transportation, and energy. The region is also home to several emerging economies including China and India, which are expected to drive significant growth in the market over the coming years. Europe is another key market for Weather Forecasting Services, with countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, and France being major consumers of these services. The region is home to several prominent weather forecasting organizations, such as the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), which provides global weather forecasting services. The South American and MEA regions have a relatively smaller but growing Weather Forecasting Services market share. Factors like limited infrastructure and technological capabilities are a challenge for the region which could hinder the growth of the market. Buy this premium research report https://www.acumenresearchandconsulting.com/buy-now/0/574 Weather Forecasting Services Market Key Players: Some of the prominent players in the market include AccuWeather, The Weather Company, MeteoGroup, Fugro, StormGeo, DTN, Skyview Weather, BMT Group, Vaisala, Global Weather Corporation, Precision Weather Solutions, Meteo-France, Weather Services International, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Weather Underground, Weatherzone, India Meteorological Department (IMD), Met Office, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, and Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). Browse More Research Topic on Aerospace and Defense Industries Related Reports: The Global Cloud Storage Market Size gathered USD 67.9 Billion in 2021 and is set to garner a market size of USD 490.8 Billion by 2030 growing at a CAGR of 24.8% from 2022 to 2030. The Global Liability Insurance Market Size gathered USD 251.7 Billion in 2021 and is set to garner a market size of USD 418.8 Billion by 2030 growing at a CAGR of 5.9% from 2022 to 2030. The Global Digital Intelligence Platform Market Size gathered USD 11.9 Billion in 2021 and is set to garner a market size of USD 56.7 Billion by 2030 growing at a CAGR of 19.2% from 2022 to 2030. About Acumen Research and Consulting: Acumen Research and Consulting is a global provider of market intelligence and consulting services to information technology, investment, telecommunication, manufacturing, and consumer technology markets. ARC helps investment communities, IT professionals, and business executives to make fact-based decisions on technology purchases and develop firm growth strategies to sustain market competition. With the team size of 100+ Analysts and collective industry experience of more than 200 years, Acumen Research and Consulting assures to deliver a combination of industry knowledge along with global and country level expertise. For Latest Update Follow Us on Twitter , Instagram and LinkedIn Contact Us: Mr. Richard Johnson Acumen Research and Consulting USA: +13474743864 India: +918983225533 E-mail: sales@acumenresearchandconsulting.com TORONTO, ON, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Realstar Hospitality is delighted to announce that Motel 6 has been named a recipient of the CFA Franchisees' Choice Designation for the third consecutive year. Irwin Prince, President & COO of Realstar Hospitality expressed gratitude upon receiving the 2023 Franchisees' Choice Designation, stating, "we are honoured to receive this recognition, and we extend our thanks to the Canadian Franchise Association for their unwavering support." He added that the designation is particularly important since it is based on feedback from Motel 6 franchisees. "Our hospitality professionals have shown immense dedication and commitment towards providing exemplary support for our franchise family." The Franchisees' Choice Designation Program, now in its 13th year, recognized Motel 6 for its exceptional franchise service. The prestigious recognition is presented to CFA member brands whose franchisees voluntarily partook in a survey administered independently. The survey evaluated Motel 6 in various areas, including the franchisee selection process, corporate leadership, business planning and marketing, training and support, ongoing operations, and the relationship between the franchisor and franchisee. For prospective franchisees, the Franchisees' Choice Designation provides a solid endorsement through the satisfaction ratings of existing franchisees. The 2023 Franchisees' Choice Designees represent the diversity of franchise opportunities and the standard of excellence of CFA members. Visit GalaAwards for a complete list of winners and more information about the Franchisees' Choice Designation. -30- About Motel 6 Motel 6 helps travellers save more for what they travel for at its more than 1,400 company-owned and franchised locations throughout the United States and Canada. Growing faster than any of its competitors, Motel 6 has used the tagline, "We'll leave the light on for you" for more than 30 years, earning the chain the highest brand recognition in the economy lodging segment. Motel 6 offers standard amenities including free Wi-Fi Internet access, free local calls, no long-distance access charges, free morning coffee and an expanded cable channel line-up. Most locations offer swimming pools and guest laundry facilities. For more information on Motel 6 or the Clean@6 program, visit motel6.com. About the Canadian Franchise Association The Canadian Franchise Association (CFA) helps everyday Canadians realize the dream of building their own business. CFA advocates on issues that impact this dream on behalf of more than 700 brand members and over 40,000 franchisees from many of Canadas best-known and emerging franchise brands. Beyond its role as the voice of the franchise industry, CFA strengthens and develops franchising by delivering best-practice education and creating rewarding connections between Canadians and the opportunities in franchising. Canadian franchises contribute over $100 billion per year to the Canadian economy and create jobs for more than 1.9 million people. Learn more at cfa.ca or FranchiseCanada.Online. Attachments MELBOURNE, FLA., March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- John Nicklow is the next leader of Florida Institute of Technology. Board of trustees chair Travis Proctor announced today on behalf of the board that Nicklow, president of the University of New Orleans in Louisiana, has been appointed as the sixth president in Florida Techs 65-year history. Nicklow, with a background in engineering and higher education teaching, research and administration, will bring a student-centered focus to his new role. He takes office July 1. Dr. Nicklows leadership success as a sitting president at the University of New Orleans, his extensive background in academics and research, as well as his approach to teamwork and collaboration will all be assets to Florida Tech, Proctor said. Throughout his 25-year career, he has a proven record of fostering enrollment growth and student success, strengthening campus research enterprises and expanding strategic and philanthropic partnerships. Nicklow was selected after a comprehensive, year-long search that involved trustees, faculty, staff, students, parents and alumni. The search committee held listening sessions before the national search opened and ultimately attracted 112 applicants. Once five finalists were identified, open community forums were held with each and campus comment was gathered through more than 400 surveys received and reviewed by the search committee. I want to thank the Florida Tech community for being engaged in the search, Nicklow said. The fact that you were so involved demonstrates to me that you are truly invested in this amazing institution. I hope you will maintain that level of engagement as we move forward to realize the vibrant future that I know is within our grasp. Working together, well ensure that Florida Tech is all that it can and should be. Nicklow said the entire campus community must work together so that Florida Tech is increasingly a place where students want to be by ensuring they have the best college experience possible. I believe Florida Tech is at an inflection point, and that presents a wonderful opportunity for the university, Nicklow said. My vision is to make Florida Tech the top choice for students interested in STEM fields from all over the state, nation and world. To achieve that, we must continue Florida Techs excellent academic and research prowess and attract top notch faculty and staff. This will also help us become the preferred partner for businesses, industry and government. Im thrilled for Florida Tech and the larger community that the board of trustees has selected as its new president Dr. John Nicklow. He brings with him a superb record of accomplishment as a higher education administrator, and an equally impressive philosophy of leadership, said Robert King, Florida Techs interim president. Dr. Nicklow has demonstrated himself to be the kind of leader who listens to diverse perspectives, carefully assesses a situation and then takes decisive action. I look forward to working closely with him as he makes the transition into the Florida Tech and Melbourne community. He will be a great asset to both. Nicklow joined the University of New Orleans in 2015 first serving as provost and vice president for academic affairs before being named president in 2016. Prior to his eight years at the University of New Orleans, he served as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Southern Illinois University, as well as earlier administrative appointments including chief enrollment officer and leadership positions in the College of Engineering and Department of Civil Engineering at that institution. Nicklows research interests focus on advancement of STEM education and on optimization of environmental and water resources systems. He has published more than 75 articles and is the author of four books. He is a registered professional engineer, a certified professional hydrologist, a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, and a diplomate of the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers. Nicklow has been active in the New Orleans community as well. He has participated in many local and regional nonprofit and economic development organizations including GNO, Inc., the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, the Business Council of New Orleans, the New Orleans Business Alliance, the Louisiana Committee of 100, the Rotary Club of New Orleans, and the board of directors of Benjamin Franklin High School. He serves as chairman of the Greater New Orleans Higher Education Consortium. A native of western Pennsylvania, Nicklow earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in Civil Engineering from Bucknell University in Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Arizona State University. He has been inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Alumni at Arizona State Universitys School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, and he is a recent recipient of the NCAA Champion of Diversity Award. He began his career as an environmental engineering officer with the U.S. Public Health Service. He and his wife, Stacy Nicklow, have one son, Ethan. Florida Tech is a university with a proud past and a very bright future, Nicklow said. Together, we will accomplish great things, and Stacy and I cannot wait to get started. Visit Florida Techs Next President website for John Nicklows full bio and video greeting, comments from colleagues, the opportunity to send a welcome message to Drs. John and Stacy Nicklow and more. Attachment A woman who was sexually exploited by a doctor involved in the Ebola response is pictured in Beni, Democratic Republic of Congo, August 20, 2020. London 'The UN has essentially created a two-tier system for survivors of sexual abuse.' Ketsia* said she was working as a part-time cleaner for the World Health Organization during the 2018 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, when a doctor invited her to his house and offered her a promotion in exchange for sex. He tried to rape her, but she managed to escape. Weeks later, her contract was terminated. Had Ketsia been a UN staffer, she would have had access to the UN's own internal justice mechanisms, where workers have been awarded judgments equalling two years' worth of salaries - sometimes as much as $200,000. Similarly, had she taken such a case to US courts, settlements for workplace sexual abuse and harassment have reached tens of millions of dollars. Many cases have also resulted in criminal convictions. In the end, she and more than 100 others who were lured into sex-for-work schemes in DR Congo by WHO personnel and other aid workers received one-off payments of $250, toiletry bundles, short training courses, and counselling sessions - the costs drawn from a $2 million survivor assistance fund provided by WHO after one of the largest sex abuse scandals in the UN's history. Very few victims of UN sexual abuse and exploitation ever see justice - whether that means compensation, seeing perpetrators punished, or winning paternity claims, according to rights groups and lawyers who have represented women in such cases. Prosecuting rape and sexual abuse is notoriously difficult, but it becomes even harder the longer investigations take. Some of the allegations in the Ebola sex abuse scandal date back to 2018, although many were not reported until The New Humanitarian and Thomson Reuters Foundation first broke the story in 2020. Victims and local prosecutors also face a maze of challenges when it comes to cases involving UN personnel. Compensation and reparations are even thornier subjects - there is often little agreement on who should pay, and in the case of the Ebola sex abuse scandal, the UN has ruled out reparations. "This means that the life of a Congolese woman ... is not worth more than $250," Chantal Yelu Mulop, special advisor on youth, gender, and violence against women in the Congolese president's office, told The New Humanitarian on 24 March. "Until now, justice has not been done," she said. "Why? Because it's about Black women living in a conflict zone in the DRC. You can easily forget about them." Read more: Aid sector sex abuse: A common occurrence with reoccurring themes To date, no aid workers have faced charges despite a WHO-appointed independent commission reporting nine rape allegations, including that of a 13-year-old girl. In DR Congo, rape can carry a life sentence, and perpetrators have been ordered to pay victims compensation. Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi has yet to receive any update on investigations or dossiers on the allegations, Yelu Mulop said, adding that she intended to press the issue with UN authorities, as well as government ministries. WHO did not respond to requests for comment at the time of publication. As temporary and part-time cooks, cleaners, and outreach workers during the 2018-2020 Ebola outbreak, women who were lured into sex-for-work schemes earned between $50 and $100 a month. Some said they were only hired if they agreed to sex and were routinely harassed by supervisors once they were given jobs. Others said they were fired if they refused. A year after the sex abuse scandal broke in 2020, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus apologised to victims and announced a raft of internal reforms, potential disciplinary action against personnel, and the dedicated survivors' fund. Since then, Gaya Gamhewage - appointed in 2021 to lead WHO's efforts to prevent sexual abuse and exploitation - said the UN agency has made significant progress, clearing a backlog of investigations, adding specialised staff, and rolling out a new policy aimed at addressing "gaps, loopholes, and lack of clarity". Barriers to justice Although WHO has said the UN's Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) has not yet shared its investigative findings from the DR Congo sex abuse scandal, 14 alleged perpetrators associated with WHO had their names entered into the UN's ClearCheck database, a system meant to prevent suspected abusers from getting other UN jobs. Another seven "separated" from the WHO. One of those died, and the details of six others were not entered into ClearCheck because they were accused of harassment, which doesn't necessarily involve physical contact. It was unclear whether WHO's own investigators were conducting separate investigations in addition to those being conducted by OIOS or why WHO investigators haven't referred cases to national authorities. Christian Saunders, who became the UN's newest special coordinator on improving the response to sexual exploitation and abuse in July 2022, has said numerous achievements have been made since 2016 - the year his role was created - but challenges remain. One of those is getting investigations done faster and communicating the results. "We need to do everything that we can to hold perpetrators to account in a timely manner," he told UNToday, the UN's magazine, last month. "Often, investigations take over a year, then the HR process can take as long as another year, so it's potentially two years after the event was reported. This is too long." Even when cases are referred to local authorities, however, it's often an uphill battle when it comes to allegations involving UN personnel. Take the alleged 2017 rape of a 16-year-old Congolese girl by a British man working for the UN peacekeeping mission. After her mother reported it to the UN mission, the allegations were substantiated, but UK authorities decided not to prosecute. Lengthy investigations, elusive paternity settlements Paternity claims against UN personnel are also difficult to enforce, and enforcement is even harder when the suspected father has moved or returned to his home country. Although a Haitian judge ordered a UN peacekeeper from Uruguay to make child support payments for a child he fathered, the order has been difficult to enforce. The UN often leaves national authorities to deal with such cases. In the case of UN peacekeepers, this often falls to the countries that contributed the troops. Several other paternity cases involving UN personnel are being litigated by the Haiti-based Bureau des Avocats Internationaux (BAI) and their partner organisation, Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti (IJDH). "If the UN was serious about living up to its own stated standards of accountability and victim-focused response, it would create a system that takes direct responsibility for ensuring that victims have access to restitution and support," said Sasha Filippova, senior staff attorney with IJDH. "Our cases in Haiti illustrate that in practice, it means there is none," Filippova said, adding that in crisis-wracked countries like Haiti, survival needs often become the priority over accountability and restitution. There also appears to be a stark difference in the time it takes to investigate some claims. Take the case of Rosie James, a 26-year-old doctor working for the UK's National Health Service, who said in October that she was sexually assaulted by a WHO staffer while attending a WHO-sponsored conference in Berlin. WHO suspended the staffer within weeks of the complaint and launched an investigation. The UN health agency has boosted its investigative capacity since the Ebola sex abuse scandal. Yet, more than two years since the scandal broke, investigations into the 2018-2020 abuse claims in DR Congo are still ongoing. "The UN has essentially created a two-tier system for survivors of sexual abuse and exploitation at their hands," said Priyanka Chirimar, an international human rights lawyer who worked for the UN for 10 years, and now litigates before UN employment tribunals for victims and survivors. UN double standards on reparations The UN embraces a "survivor-centred" approach when it comes to victims of sexual abuse and exploitation, but women and girls lured into sex-for-work schemes by aid workers during the 10th Ebola outbreak say the reality is much different. The approach is intended to "put the rights of each survivor at the forefront of all actions and ensure that each survivor is treated with dignity and respect," the UN states. It is also designed to put survivors "at the centre of the process". Part of that process involves asking victims if they want to pursue criminal cases or paternity claims. During The New Humanitarian's reporting, dozens of victims agreed to share details with investigators to discuss potential legal avenues. "They came to get information from us victims, then left us with nothing," one 28-year-old woman told The New Humanitarian in September, recalling her interview with investigators from the independent commission. Outside of victims' legal options, one of the most under-resourced and little-discussed areas in the prevention of sexual abuse and exploitation is redress and compensation, according to the Core Humanitarian Standard Alliance (CHS Alliance), a network of non-governmental organisations working in humanitarian aid that focuses on improving the aid sector's accountability to people in crisis. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Ebola International Organisations Congo-Kinshasa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Under international law, victims of human rights violations have a right to adequate, prompt, and effective access to remedies and reparation. Reparation can take many forms, including medical and psychological rehabilitation, restitution, public apologies, financial compensation or other measures that could include bringing perpetrators to justice. Although the UN's rights body has advocated for reparations in the cases of sexual violence and human rights violations, the UN says its own rules prohibit payment of reparations. Reem Alsalem, the UN's special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences, was one of several critics of how WHO handled the sex abuse scandal. When contacted by The New Humanitarian, she said any victims' assistance needed to be relevant and with regular monitoring. "What is also very important is whatever you do for victims is transformative, that it doesn't just bring them back to their situation before the violation, that it actually leads to a significant improvement in getting them out of structural inequality and violence that they've been suffering from," she told The New Humanitarian. The Global Survivors Fund (GSF) is one such group providing a template for how governments (and potentially organisations) can address the multifaceted harms and stigmatisation suffered by victims of sexual violence through reparations. GSF tries to galvanise states to take up their responsibility. GSF projects in Guinea and DR Congo have already shown that where such measures are "co-created" with survivors they have had real impact, said Esther Dingemans, executive director of the Geneva-based group. "Our approach is to just start showing how these models can work. But you need to just start talking about reparation rather than shying away from it. The how, who, and what will become clearer in the process of co-creation with the survivors," Dingemans told The New Humanitarian. Danae van der Straten Ponthoz, also with GSF, added: "Justice and reparation are completely interlinked." *Name has been changed to protect the identity of the survivor. Freelance journalist Jonas Gerding contributed to this report from Kinshasa. Edited by Josephine Schmidt. Paisley Dodds, Investigations Editor San Francisco, California, USA, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- US Capital Global Securities LLC, an affiliate of US Capital Global, is offering eligible investors an investment opportunity of up to 5 million in Nutri-Genetix Limited (NGX or the Company). Headquartered in Brighton, England, NGX is a biotechnology company that provides personalized meal-replacement supplements and nutrition shakes based on customers unique DNA characteristics. Since its commercial launch in 2020, NGX has sold over 500,000 meals, tripled its average value from customers, and created significant partnerships within the industry. Capitalizing on its current traction, the Company intends to scale its operations in the UK while also launching in new markets, such as North America and the EU, and expanding its product lines. US Capital is a full-service private financial group with an established track record in investment banking, asset management, and capital formation services. The firm provides sophisticated debt, equity, and investment products to lower middle market companies and investors. All securities are offered by the group through its FINRA-member, SEC-registered broker-dealer affiliate, US Capital Global Securities LLC. Jeremy Poland, CEO at NGX, said: A persons DNA can have a significant effect on how their body uses nutrients and has a direct association with how their nutrients are absorbed, transported, activated, and eliminated from the body. We created NGX to provide an alternative to the one-size fits all products that are predominant in the nutrition space. Our financial objective for NGX is to achieve 100 million in revenue by 2030 and a strategic exit in that year at a valuation of 450 million. NGX has received six awards for nutrition innovation and excellence from publications such as Mens Fitness, Womens Health, Runners World, and The Independent newspaper. The Company was described as truly a game changer by Vogue and branded as very investible by Peter Jones of the TV investing show, Dragons Den, the UK equivalent of Shark Tank. Charles Towle, CEO at US Capital Global Securities, said: We are extremely pleased to be assisting this highly innovative UK biotechnology firm. NGX is led by a strong, committed team of serial entrepreneurs with successful prior exits and experts in science, marketing, and nutrition. We believe the Company has the potential to disrupt several traditional, large, and high-growth markets that represent a combined $275 billion global opportunity. If you are interested in investing in NGX, the opportunity to participate in this 5 million convertible note offering is now open to eligible investors. About Nutri-Genetix Limited Nutri-Genetix Limited (NGX) is a UK-based wellness and longevity firm that provides personalized meal-replacement supplements and nutrition shakes based on its customers unique DNA characteristics. Once a persons genetic profile has been determined, their nutritional intake can be aligned with their genetic make-up to achieve their optimal physical and cognitive performance, at any age. All NGX products are made from naturally sourced, vegan-friendly ingredients and contain no artificial sweeteners, flavors, or coloring. They are free from soy, lactose, gluten, and GMO and are free from all known allergens. www.nutri-genetix.com About US Capital Global US Capital Global Securities LLC (USCGS) is the FINRA-member broker-dealer division of US Capital Global that acts as placement agent for growth-stage companies, projects, and investment funds. Since 1998, US Capital Global has been committed to providing lower middle market businesses and investors with sophisticated debt, equity, and investment opportunities usually available only to larger middle market companies and institutional investors, using the latest FinTech and RegTech innovation. US Capital Global entities manage direct investment funds and provide wealth management and capital raise services. USCGS or its affiliates may provide advice to, be compensated by, may have other business relationships with, or may from time to time acquire, hold or sell a position in the securities of the issuers mentioned herein. Any such offer or solicitation shall be made only pursuant to the confidential private placement memorandum. View USCGS Form CRS at www.uscapglobalsecurities.com/crs.html. To learn more about this investment opportunity, email Frank Villarreal, Senior Vice President, at fvillarreal@uscapglobal.com or call +1 415-350-4092. Attachment Dublin, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "US Army Primary Combat Systems Growth Opportunities" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This study examines the US Army's modernization efforts by analyzing official strategy documents, the 2023 Nation Defense Authorization Act, public statements made by senior decision makers, development programs, and contractual trends that comprise the Army's modernization efforts. Thirty-six months ago, the Army established a four-star command in Austin, Texas, named the US Army Futures Command. By incentivizing future technologies and capabilities, the Command will allow the Army to maintain a competitive edge on the battlefield. Futures Command established cross-functional teams of experts (military, civilian, and contractor) from each warfighting function to accomplish the Army's modernization objectives. General officers who lead the cross-functional teams are subject matter experts and C-suite executive leaders in their respective fields. During the last year, the US Army has made considerable progress in identifying and refining future requirements. By examining related public statements, reviewing documents, and assessing the operational environment, this report discusses several opportunities to pursue continued growth. Key Topics Covered: 1. Strategic Imperatives Why is it Increasingly Difficult to Grow? The Strategic Imperative The Impact of the Top 3 Strategic Imperatives on the US Army Primary Combat Systems Growth Opportunities Fuel the Growth Pipeline Engine 2. Growth Opportunity Analysis Purpose and Overview Primary Growth Drivers Restraints Related Contracts and Programs Long-Range Precision Fires Air and Missile Defense Future Vertical Lift Soldier Lethality Next-generation Combat Vehicles Networking Technologies Assured Positioning Navigation and Timing Synthetic Training Environments 3. Growth Opportunity Universe Long-Range Precision Fires Air and Missile Defense Future Vertical Lift Soldier Lethality Next-Generation Combat Vehicle Networking Technologies Assured Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Synthetic Training Environments For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/u2nt7p About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Staunton, VA, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Secure Solar Futures, a provider of on-site clean energy to schools, hospitals, and businesses, has signed a 25-year Solar Power Purchase Agreement with Helping Overcome Povertys Existence (HOPE), Inc. for two rooftop solar arrays and an electric vehicle charging station. Based in Wytheville, Helping Overcome Povertys Existence, Inc. (HOPE) was established 30 years ago to fulfill the challenge of its name - to reduce the conditions contributing to poverty in Southwest Virginia. HOPE, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization breaking generational poverty through enhanced food access and housing stability. It serves a five-county area of Bland, Carroll, Grayson, Smyth, and Wythe, as well as the city of Galax. Stewardship is a core value of our organization. We strive to be good stewards of both donor contributions and the natural environment, said HOPE Executive Director Andy Kegley. Solar power will reduce our operating cost structure to help deliver our zero hunger and housing-first services more efficiently to more people in need while helping us use clean energy." To save money on installation costs, the organization will host a solar barn raising staffed by local career and technical education students and electrical apprentices under the supervision of trained solar installation professionals. The project is scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2023. One rooftop solar array will be installed on the HOPE office building and the other will be located at the organizations Open Door Cafe location, just across a parking lot on Wythevilles Main Street campus. Together, both solar arrays will have a production capacity of about 58 kilowatts and will save HOPE $7,500 in energy costs per year, or more than $200,000 over the life of the solar agreement. Each year, solar panels at both HOPE locations will produce enough energy to power 7 average Virginia homes and offset enough grid power to avoid 34.2 metric tons of carbon emissions, as much carbon as would be sequestered by 40.5 acres of forest. A re-roofing project gave us the opportunity to pursue solar power, which aligns with our value of both economic and environmental sustainability, added Kegley. Because of our highly visible location, we know this project will heighten awareness of solar energy. Along with solar panels, the Open Door Cafe will receive an electric vehicle charging station that will get its energy from the rooftop solar array. It will be one of the first EV chargers open to the public in Wytheville and is expected to bring more attention to HOPE's donate-what-you-can restaurant. By coincidence, Wytheville is the birthplace of former First Lady Edith Boiling Wilson, rumored to be the first person to drive an electric vehicle in Washington, DC. About Secure Solar Futures As a market and policy leader, Secure Solar Futures builds, owns, manages, and funds affordable Resilient Solar Solutions for hospitals, schools and businesses. The company combines state-ofthe-art solar technology with an innovative business model to make commercial-scale solar readily affordable in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, helping customers to realize the economic, environmental, and community benefits of solar energy. In 2017, Secure Solar Futures became a Certified B Corporation. Find the company online at www.securesolarfutures.com. Attachments Menlo Park, California, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LifeMoves, the largest Silicon Valley organization dedicated to helping homeless families and individuals find stable housing and self-sufficiency, has announced the appointment of Lori Castillo Martinez to its Board of Directors. Lori is the Executive Vice President and Chief Equality Officer at Salesforce, leading the company's global equality efforts. Lori's appointment comes as LifeMoves continues its ambitious five-year plan to end homelessness in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. One of the LifeMoves strategic plans' pillars is accelerating its DEIB initiatives that build equity across the organization. Lori's perspective will prove invaluable. She works to increase representation with aggressive multi-year representation goals and create a more inclusive culture through equity-focused processes and programs at Salesforce. In her previous role as the head of Global Employee Relations and Equality at Salesforce, Lori focused on performance and employee relations management across the globe and drove equality initiatives at the company. She is also the co-chair of Salesforce's Racial Equality and Justice Task Force. Aubrey Merriman, CEO of LifeMoves, said, "Lori joining the LifeMoves Board of Directors is a game-changer. Lori's passion and expertise fuel the belief that LifeMoves will be better able to do this work effectively and with authenticity, if a diverse, inclusive board leads it focused on equity and belonging. I am excited about how we will continue to build an awareness of how systemic inequities have affected our society, and those LifeMoves serves throughout Silicon Valley. It will enable LifeMoves to avoid unintentional biases leading to flawed strategies and create powerful opportunities to deepen our impact, relevance, and mission advancement." Patrick Heron, Chair of the LifeMoves Board, said, "We are delighted to welcome Lori to the LifeMoves Board of Directors. Her extensive experience driving equality initiatives and creating inclusive cultures will be invaluable as we work towards ending homelessness in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties." Lori is also passionate about improving the way women live and work. She serves on the Board of How Women Lead, a community of women executives working to redefine female leadership. She also spent nearly a decade at a Fortune 5 healthcare company, where she created the first enterprise-wide strategy, processes, and systems for critical legal, ethics, and regulatory risk areas. She also led the company's Latinx Employee Resource group, helping to advocate and create a community for women and people of color. "I'm inspired by LifeMoves' mission to create pathways to stable housing for individuals and families experiencing homelessness, and I'm proud to join their board," said Lori. "Access to safe and affordable shelter is a basic human right, and we must provide that access to our most vulnerable populations." With 26 sites and more underway, LifeMoves is the largest Silicon Valley organization dedicated to helping homeless families and individuals find stable housing and self-sufficiency. Its ambitious mission is to end homelessness in Silicon Valley through an evidence-based model that provides supportive services and interim housing while building collaborative partnerships. In 2021, LifeMoves found stable housing for 2,100 people, provided 288,000 shelter nights to 7,000 clients, and completed 1.6 million hours of Case Management. It also partnered with the State of California and the City of Mountain View to open an interim housing complex, completed in May 2021. It supported 128 people per year and was operational in eight months. On the heels of that success, LifeMoves has won contracts for five more developments that will move 1,614 people off the streets yearly. With Lori on the board, LifeMoves is poised to make an even more significant impact in the community. Attachment Myriad's OTCQB symbol is "MYRUF" and Frankfurt symbol is "C3Q". Vancouver, March 29, 2023 - Myriad Uranium Corp. (CSE: M) ("Myriad" or the "Company"), a uranium explorer with over 1,800 km2 on-structure and adjacent to several of Africa's most significant uranium deposits, is pleased to announce the listing of its common shares in the United States on the OTCQB Venture Market ("OTCQB") under the symbol "MYRUF" and in Germany on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange ("FSE") under the symbol "C3Q" (ISIN: CA62857Y1097 | WKN: A3D1E0). Myriad's common shares continue to trade on the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") under the symbol "M". "Our goal is to be one of the world's most successful uranium explorers," Myriad's CEO Thomas Lamb stated. "By expanding our audience and improving access to our shares, OTCQB and Frankfurt listings will help us get there. We now invite retail and institutional investors around the world to consider investing in Myriad, which holds some of the most prospective uranium ground anywhere." He then continued, "To take one example, Myriad's Agebout licence, formerly held by Orano's predecessor Areva, is just a few kilometres north of Africa's largest uranium deposit, Imouraren, and on the same structure, the Arlit Fault. Imouraren hosts an eye-watering 384 million pounds of eUO1. Areva had planned an ambitious drill program for the fault intersection area within our Agebout licence, which we have dubbed "Imouraren North", but they were not able to initiate it after the Fukushima Daiichi Accident. Now Myriad holds it. This is very exciting in itself. But it gets better. Last week Orano announced a massive in-situ recovery test program at Imouraren. ISR could drastically enhance Imouraren's economics and bodes extremely well for us right next door on the same fault trend. Another target area we can't wait to explore is the northeast part of our Afouday licence, which is at the intersection of the Arlit Fault which hosts Imouraren to the north, and the Azouza Fault which hosts Africa's highest-grade development stage project just to the east. That would be Global Atomic's 236 million pound Dasa2." Figure 1 - Myriad's Exploration Licences in Niger To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6301/160433_258d625614d519f3_001full.jpg Company Highlights Myriad holds a 100% option interest in over 1,800 km of prime exploration licences covering the key Arlit, Madaouela, and Azouza fault intersections in the Tim Mersoi Basin, Niger. Five world-class uranium deposits are within 40 km of Myriad's licences, including Africa's largest uranium deposit, Orano's Imouraren (384 Mlbs eUO), and Africa's highest-grade development-stage deposit, GLO's Dasa (236 Mlbs eUO). America's largest air force base in Africa is located in Tim Mersoi Basin, and Niger has been providing America's largest utilities with secure and uninterrupted uranium supply since 2007. Niger could soon be the world's 2 largest uranium producer. Areva (now Orano) conducted extensive regional-scale exploration across Myriad's licences, including 28 km of drilling and high-resolution geophysics. 20% of these holes intersected >100ppm eUO. Myriad has Orano's data worth millions, and their plans for follow-up at key areas. Orano just announced in-situ recovery testing at Imouraren. Success could transform its economics and bode extremely well for Myriad's exploration areas. Global Atomic recently announced Athabasca-like intersections at next-door Dasa (0.7m at 13.63% eUO within 43.6m at 3.0%) on the Azouza fault which runs directly into Myriad's Afouday licence. Myriad has deep in-country relationships with Niger's government, private sector, and Orano. Myriad director Fred Bonner, P. Geo, is a recognized leader in environmental stewardship and socially responsible exploration. The Company's exploration plan, to be discussed in upcoming news releases, includes high resolution geophysics and extensive drilling. Myriad also reports that it has granted its CFO Nelson Lamb 125,000 5-year incentive stock options with a $0.39 strike price. Myriad's factsheet is here. A CEO interview with Crux Investor which may be of interest is here. Myriad's website is myriaduranium.com. Qualified Person George van der Walt (MSc. Economic Geology, Pr.Sci.Nat.), a "Qualified Person" for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information included in this news release. He has not verified all of the scientific or technical information in this news release respecting historical operations on or adjacent to the property as not all historical information is available. About Myriad Myriad Uranium Corp. is a Canadian mineral exploration company with a 100% option interest in over 1,800 km2 of uranium exploration licences in the Tim Mersoi Basin, Niger. Myriad also has a 50% interest in the Millen Mountain Property located in Nova Scotia, Canada, with the other 50% held by Probe Metals Inc. For further information, please refer to the Company's disclosure record on SEDAR (www.sedar.com), contact the Company by telephone at +1.604.418.2877, or refer to the Company website, at www.myriaduranium.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Thomas Lamb President and CEO tlamb@myriaduranium.com Mineralization hosted on adjacent or nearby properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on the Company's properties. This news release contains "forward-looking information" that is based on the Company's current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections. This forward-looking information includes, among other things, the Company's business, plans, outlook and business strategy. The words "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "likely", "expect," "anticipate," "intend", "estimate", "plan", "forecast", "project" and "believe" or other similar words and phrases are intended to identify forward-looking information. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect, including with respect to the Company's business plans respecting the exploration and development of the Company's mineral properties, the proposed work program on the Company's mineral properties and the potential and economic viability of the Company's mineral properties. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, but are not limited to: changes in economic conditions or financial markets; increases in costs; litigation; legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; and technological or operational difficulties. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect our forward-looking information. These and other factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking information. The Company 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 applicable law. The CSE has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this news release. 1 https://www.orano.group/en/nuclear-expertise/orano-s-sites-around-the-world/uranium-mines/niger/mining-sites 2 https://www.sedar.com/search/search_en.htm To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160433 Vancouver, March 29, 2023 - Engineer Gold Mines Ltd. ("the Company" or "Engineer") (TSXV:EAU) (OTC:EGMLF) has accepted the resignation of Christopher Huggins as President, CEO, and Director of the Company, effective March 28, 2023. Thomas Kennedy has been appointed CEO. Engineer would like to thank Mr. Huggins for his contributions and wishes him well in his future endeavors. About Engineer Gold Mines Ltd. Engineer Gold Mine: The historic Engineer Gold mine is a narrow vein past producing underground gold mine with an Inferred Mineral Resource of 41,000 t grading 19.0 g/t gold for 25,000 oz contained gold. The resource uses a cutoff grade of 5 g/t Au and assumes a 1m minimum mining width, which is similar to historical mining. It includes all material inside the mineralized shoots and is based on the payability (stope) limits. Within this resource is a higher-grade core of 14,000t grading 52.5 g/t gold (25 g/t gold Cut-Off) containing 23,600 oz contained gold. The resource grade was reconciled to a bulk tonnage sample which contained 175 tonnes at 23.9 g/t Au which is 16% higher than the resource grade of 20.6 g/t Au for the Engineer portion of the resource. This is considered acceptable for a nuggety gold deposit and exemplifies the potential conservatism of the 2018 resource. This resource estimate was initially calculated by Snowden Mining Industry Consultants Ltd. in 2011 and re-stated in the 2018 NI 43-101 Technical Report. Note that this resource estimate predates the 2019 CIM Guidelines for NI 43-101 reporting. The company has done no further work to confirm this historical resource. Tag Property: The 1,070-hectare Tag property covers the 025 or Main zone, which contains an historical mineral resource estimate including 250,000 tonnes of Indicated material at average grades of 2.97 g/t Au and 12.09 g/t Ag, and an Inferred resource of 400,000 tonnes at average grades of 2.98 g/t Au and 9.91 g/t Ag. The resource estimate was calculated using the polygonal method with vertical section at 50m spacing, and grades composited over a minimum length of 2.0 meters. The Au was capped at a value of 4 g/t and Ag was capped at 25 g/t. Underground mining was assumed with all material having a minimum composited length of 2m, within the interpreted shapes and above the cutoff assumed to be amenable to underground mining. The cut-off grade used was 3.0 g/t gold equivalent, calculated with a silver to gold ratio of 59.927. This historical resource was published as an NI 43-101 report filed on SEDAR entitled "Technical Report on Resource Estimates for the Tag Property, Northern British Columbia", prepared for CZM Capital Corporation by Reddick Consulting Inc. and dated December 29, 2009. Note that this estimate predates the 2019 CIM Guidelines for NI 43-101 reporting. The Company has done no further work to confirm this historical resource. Wann River: The Wann River project has seen grab samples from the Lum showing with up to 263 g/t Au and 1350 g/t Ag reported in 2010. Adjacent to the prolific Llewellyn fault, the Wann River project holds potential for significant further exploration and discovery. On Behalf of the Board of Directors Engineer Gold Mines Ltd. "Andrew Rees" Tel: 604.605.3739 Cautionary Notes 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. The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed the content of this news release and therefore does not accept responsibility or liability for the adequacy or accuracy of the contents of this news release. This news release contains certain forward-looking statements which involve known and unknown risks, delays, and uncertainties not under the control of Engineer Gold Mines Ltd. which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of Engineer Gold Mines Ltd. to be materially different from the results, performance or expectation implied by these forward looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on factors that will or may occur in the future. Actual results may vary depending upon exploration activities, industry production, commodity demand and pricing, currency exchange rates, and, but not limited to, general economic factors. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES VANCOUVER, March 29, 2023 - Montage Gold Corp. ("Montage" or the "Company") (TSXV: MAU) is pleased to announce that due to significant demand, it has entered into an agreement with Canaccord Genuity Corp., as lead underwriter, on behalf of a syndicate of underwriters (collectively, the "Underwriters"), to upsize its previously announced "bought deal" private placement of common shares of the Company (the "Offered Shares") to 23,428,600 Offered Shares at a price of $0.70 per Offered Share for gross proceeds of $16.4 million (the "Offering"). The net proceeds from the issue of the Offered Shares is intended to be used for the Company's ongoing exploration and drilling program at the Kone Gold Project, including the advancement of an updated mineral resource estimate and for work related to an updated feasibility study, and for working capital and general corporate purposes, as further described in the Offering Document (as defined below). The Offering is expected to close on or about April 12, 2023, or such other date as the Company and the Underwriters may agree, and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary regulatory and other approvals, including the acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange. Subject to compliance with applicable regulatory requirements and in accordance with National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions ("NI 45-106"), it is contemplated that: (i) 14,285,700 Offered Shares will be offered for sale to purchasers resident in Canada and/or other qualifying jurisdictions pursuant to the listed issuer financing exemption under Part 5A of NI 45-106 (the "Listed Issuer Financing Exemption"); and (ii) 9,142,900 Offered Shares will be offered for sale to purchasers resident in Canada and/or other qualifying jurisdictions pursuant to other prospectus exemptions under NI 45-106. The Offered Shares issued to Canadian resident subscribers pursuant to the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption will not be subject to a hold period pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws. The Offered Shares issued to Canadian resident subscribers pursuant to prospectus exemptions under NI 45-106 other than the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption will be subject to a restricted hold period that will expire four months and one day after the closing of the Offering. The Company has also granted the Underwriters an option, exercisable in whole or in part at any time 48 hours prior to the closing date, to sell up to an additional 1,072,000 Offered Shares at a price of $0.70 per Offered Share to raise additional gross proceeds of up to $750,400. There is an offering document (the "Offering Document") related to the Offering that can be accessed under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com and on the Company's website at www.montagegoldcorp.com. Prospective investors should read the Offering Document before making an investment decision. ABOUT MONTAGE GOLD CORP. Montage is a Canadian-based precious metals exploration and development company focused on opportunities in Cote d'Ivoire. The Company's flagship property is the Kone Gold Project, located in northwest Cote d'Ivoire, covering a total area of 2,258 sq km, and which currently hosts a Probable Mineral Reserve of 161.1Mt grading 0.66g/t for 3.42M ounces of gold. The Company released the results of the DFS on the Kone Gold Project on February 14, 2022, outlining a 15-year gold project producing an estimated 3.06M ounces of gold over life of mine, with average annual production of 207koz, and estimated peak production of 320koz. The project also contains an Inferred Mineral Resource of 5.2Mt at 2.1g/t for 351,000oz at 1.2g/t cut off at the Gbongogo Prospect located 30km north of the Kone deposit. Montage is executing an exploration program in 2023 with the objective of discovering multiple high-grade satellite deposits to supplement the Probable Reserves at the Kone Gold Project. Montage has a management team and Board with significant experience in discovering and developing gold deposits in Africa. TECHNICAL DISCLOSURE - GBONGOGO MAIN DEPOSIT The Mineral Resource Estimate for the Gbongogo Main deposit has an effective date of April 22, 2022, and was carried out by Mr. Jonathon Abbott of MPR Geological Consultants of Perth, Western Australia who is considered to be independent of Montage Gold. Mr. Abbott is a member in good standing of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralization under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101"). Mr. Abbott consents to the inclusion in this press release of the information, in the form and context in which it appears. For details regarding data verification, QA/QC, interpretations, details regarding drill results and the assumptions, parameters and related matters with respect to the Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate, please see the press release titled "Montage Gold Corp. Announces Government Approval of Mankono Exploration Permits and Provides Corporate Updates" dated September 8, 2022 and filed on the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. TECHNICAL DISCLOSURE - KONE DEPOSIT The Mineral Reserve Estimate for the Kone Deposit has an effective date of February 14, 2022 and was carried out by Ms. Joeline McGrath of Carci Mining Consultants Ltd. who is considered to be independent of Montage. Ms. McGrath is a member in good standing of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the work which she is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. The Mineral Resource Estimates for the Kone Deposit have an effective date of August 12, 2021 and were carried out by Mr. Jonathon Abbott of MPR who is considered to be independent of Montage Gold. Mr. Abbott is a member in good standing of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralization under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. For further details of the data verification undertaken, exploration undertaken and associated QA/QC programs, and the interpretation thereof, and the assumptions, parameters and methods used to develop the Mineral Reserve Estimate and the Mineral Resource Estimates for the Kone Gold deposit, please see the definitive feasibility study, entitled "Kone Gold Project, Cote d'Ivoire Definitive Feasibility Study National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report" (the "DFS") and filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The DFS was prepared by Lycopodium Minerals Pty Ltd. and incorporates the work of Lycopodium and Specialist Consultants, including Mr. Abbott, under the supervision of Sandy Hunter, MAusIMM(CP), of Lycopodium, a Qualified Person pursuant to NI 43-101 who is independent of Montage. Readers are encouraged to read the DFS in its entirety, including all qualifications, assumptions and exclusions that relate to the details summarized in this news release. The DFS is intended to be read as a whole, and sections should not be read or relied upon out of context. TECHNICAL DISCLOSURE - NEW DISCOVERIES WITHIN KGP Samples used for the results described have been prepared and analysed by fire assay using a 50-gram charge at the Bureau Veritas facility in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire or the SGS facility in Yamoussoukro, Cote d'Ivoire. Shallow RC reconnaissance results are based on 3 metre composite samples. Field duplicate samples are taken, and blanks and standards are added to every batch submitted. QAQC has been approved in line with industry standards and interpretations reviewed the Qualified Person. The technical contents of this press release have been approved by Hugh Stuart, BSc, MSc, a Qualified Person pursuant to NI 43-101. Mr. Stuart is the President of the Company, a Chartered Geologist and a Fellow of the Geological Society of London. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. CAUTIONARY NOTE AND FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS The Offered Shares 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 U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold to, or for the account or benefit of, persons in the "United States" (as such term is defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) absent registration under the U.S. Securities Act and all applicable state securities laws or compliance with the requirements of an exemption therefrom. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities to, or for the account or benefit of, persons in the United States, nor will there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. This press release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation (collectively, "Forward-looking Statements"). All statements, other than statements of historical fact, constitute Forward-looking Statements. Words such as "will", "intends", "proposed" and "expects" or similar expressions are intended to identify Forward-looking Statements. Forward looking Statements in this press release include statements related to the timing of closing of the Offering, the proposed use of proceeds from the Offering, the reliance on the Lister Issuer Financing Exemption, and the Company's plans, focus and objectives. Forward-looking Statements involve various risks and uncertainties and are based on certain factors and assumptions, including those set out in the DFS. 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 uncertainties related to fluctuations in gold and other commodity prices, uncertainties inherent in the exploration of mineral properties, the impact and progression of the COVID-19 pandemic and other risk factors set forth in the Company's continuous disclosure documents filed from time to time on SEDAR. The Company 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 by law. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for Montage to predict all of them, or assess the impact of each such factor or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any Forward-looking Statement. Any Forward-looking Statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. SOURCE Montage Gold Corp. VANCOUVER, March 29, 2023 - FPX Nickel Corp. (TSXV: FPX) (OTCQB: FPOCF) ("FPX" or the "Company") announces that it has retained the services of Renmark Financial Communications Inc. ("Renmark") to assist with its investor relations activities. In consideration of the services to be provided, the monthly fees incurred by the Company will be a cash consideration of up to $9,000, starting March 1st, 2023, on a monthly basis. Renmark does not have any interest, directly or indirectly, in the Company or its securities, or any right or intent to acquire such an interest. About FPX Nickel Corp. FPX Nickel Corp. is focused on the exploration and development of the Decar Nickel District, located in central British Columbia, and other occurrences of the same unique style of naturally occurring nickel-iron alloy mineralization known as awaruite. On behalf of FPX Nickel Corp. "Martin Turenne" Martin Turenne, President, CEO and Director Forward-Looking Statements Certain of the statements made and information contained herein is considered "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. These statements address future events and conditions and so involve inherent risks and uncertainties, as disclosed in the Company's periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators. Actual results could differ from those currently projected. The Company does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE FPX Nickel Corp. VANCOUVER, March 30, 2023 - Trilogy Metals Inc. (TSX: TMQ) (NYSE American: TMQ) ("Trilogy Metals" or "the Company") will hold the Company's 2023 Annual General Meeting of the Shareholders ("AGM") on Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at 10:00 am Pacific Time at the office of the Company, Suite 1150, 609 Granville Street, Vancouver, British Columbia. All current directors will stand for re-election at the AGM with the exception of Mr. Kalidas Madhavpeddi, a director of the Company since it went public in 2012. Mr. Madhavpeddi is Chairman of Glencore Plc and has more than 40 years of international experience in corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, government relations, marketing, mining engineering and capital. The Board of Directors and Management of the Company would like to thank Mr. Madhavpeddi for his valuable contributions to Trilogy Metals and wish him success in his future endeavors. Shareholders as of the record date of March 28, 2023 ("Record Date") will be eligible to vote at the AGM. The Company's 2023 Management Information Circular (also called a proxy statement), which contains information about all director nominees and other items of business was filed today and is now available to the public. As always, we encourage you to vote your shares prior to the AGM. No presentations or updates on the Company's activities will be provided at the AGM. The Company's most recent investor presentation can be found on our website at www.trilogymetals.com. Any investor who would like further information on the items of business at the AGM or the Company's activities is welcome to contact us directly. Proxy Statement Filed with Regulators Additional information about the AGM can be found in the Company's 2023 Management Information Circular (or proxy statement), which has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC") and the Canadian securities regulatory authorities. The Management Information Circular is available on the Company's website at https://trilogymetals.com/investors/proxy-circular and on the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. The Company, its directors and certain of its executive officers are participants in the solicitation of proxies from the Company's shareholders in connection with the Company's 2023 AGM. The Company has filed its Management Information Circular with the SEC and Canadian securities regulatory authorities in connection with any such solicitation of proxies from the Company's shareholders. SHAREHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO READ SUCH PROXY STATEMENT AND ALL OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC AND CANADIAN SECURITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITIES CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY AS THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, including, without limitation, the date and time of the AGM, items of business at the AGM and the Company's plans to provide further updates and the timing thereof are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include the uncertainties involving our assumptions with respect to the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended November 30, 2022 filed with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and in other Company reports and documents filed with applicable securities regulatory authorities from time to time. The Company's forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements or beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/trilogy-metals-announces-date-of-the-annual-shareholders-meeting-301785714.html SOURCE Trilogy Metals Inc. analysis Addis Ababa The atrocities reported so far are only 'the tip of the iceberg'. Ahead of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's trip to Ethiopia this month, there was widespread speculation that President Joe Biden's administration might ease restrictions on economic assistance slapped on the country during its war in northern Tigray. Instead, while Blinken announced a large package of humanitarian funds for aid agencies working in the country, he also said Ethiopia's government must do more to set up a "credible" transitional justice process that ensures accountability for human rights abuses committed during the two-year conflict. "Then our own ability to move forward on our engagement with Ethiopia, to include economic engagement, will also move forward," Blinken said in the capital, Addis Ababa, shortly after holding talks with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. This position reflects the stance of the European Union. During the war, the US introduced sanctions on individuals accused of prolonging the conflict and suspended Ethiopia's membership in a preferential trade pact, while the EU withheld $107 million in budgetary support, citing serious rights violations. These have been committed by all sides, including government troops and rebel fighters led by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), according to investigators. Some of the worst atrocities were by Eritrean soldiers allied to Ethiopia's military, who are accused of waging a campaign of rape and sexual slavery in Tigray and of killing hundreds of men and boys in the holy city of Axum, one of several bloody massacres. Forces from the Amhara region that borders Tigray, another ally of the federal government, have also been accused of "ethnic cleansing" for evicting hundreds of thousands of Tigrayans from western Tigray, an area Amharas claim as their own. Meanwhile, the UN's International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE) believes Ethiopia's government used "starvation as a method of warfare" by blocking aid to Tigray and sealing off its borders. In 2021, the US estimated that these restrictions had pushed 900,000 of the six million population to the brink of famine. Despite their seriousness, these atrocities are "only the tip of the iceberg", said Flavia Mwangovya, Amnesty International's deputy director for east and southern Africa. A communication blackout imposed on Tigray for much of the war and restrictions on access to the region mean many human rights abuses may remain hidden, making further investigations vital, she told The New Humanitarian. Restoring ties Both the US and the EU have long insisted that three criteria must be met before they restore direct economic support to Ethiopia's government. The first two are an end to the fighting and the resumption of aid to Tigray; the third is accountability for human rights abuses. A ceasefire signed in November has silenced the guns and seen aid trucks roll back into Tigray, where 5.2 million people need humanitarian help. The deal also calls for "a comprehensive national transitional justice policy aimed at accountability, ascertaining the truth, redress for victims, reconciliation, and healing", in line with Ethiopia's constitution and the African Union's Transitional Justice Policy Framework. But diplomats say more effort is required on this front before ties are normalised. Some work has been done by the government, which is facing a reconstruction bill of nearly $20 billion and is keen to see the return of donors to help rebuild the war-battered economy. In September, the Ministry of Justice presented a discussion paper to diplomats outlining options for transitional justice. A final version was published in January, and officials have launched a consultation process expected to last until June. The document focuses on "truth-seeking", "healing" and "reconciliation", stating that "focusing only on criminal accountability has its drawbacks", although it does explore the possibility of prosecuting war criminals. It proposes several models for transitional justice, including the establishment of a dedicated "truth and reconciliation commission", setting up a special prosecutor's office, and using existing institutions. It also suggests a number of time frames for the process. Donors would prefer focusing on crimes committed since November 2020, when the war erupted. But the Ministry of Justice suggests starting dates of 1991, when the former TPLF-dominated regime came to power, and 1995, when Ethiopia's current constitution came into force. This would entail a national process, rather than one focused on the recent war. Ethiopia is not a member of the International Criminal Court, ruling out The Hague as an option for delivering justice, and the document dismisses the idea of an ad hoc international tribunal, such as those for Yugoslavia and Rwanda, as "neither desirable nor feasible". "The only rational alternative is to promote the adjudication of the crimes using domestic courts - with a caveat attached in terms of institutional reforms," the document states. A European diplomat in Addis Ababa described this work as a "step in the right direction", but added that "we are not at the point yet where we are seeing results." Another Western diplomat said they were "concerned" about transparency, especially in relation to "criminal investigations and prosecutions". "There is a strong commitment on paper, which is noted and welcomed, but of course, we need to see concrete outcomes," they said. "We're not going to lift restrictions overnight and suddenly pump money into the country. It's a gradual process." Government pushback Throughout the conflict, Ethiopia's government has been sensitive to allegations of human rights abuses, criticising Western media outlets reporting on killings and sexual violence as politically biased and expelling diplomats and UN staff. It has also blocked access to Tigray, imposing one of the world's most severe communications blackouts and barring journalists. Abiy did not admit the involvement of Eritrean troops until March 2021, despite mounting evidence of their presence. When the US State Department released a report earlier this month documenting rights abuses in northern Ethiopia, the government called it "selective", "untimely" and "inflammatory". Meanwhile, Ethiopia has tried to cut funding for ICHREE, the UN's probe, which the deputy prime minister has dismissed as "politically motivated". Members of ICHREE have only visited Ethiopia once, in July last year. During that trip, they were confined to Addis Ababa and did not visit any conflict-affected areas to conduct investigations. As a result, their work has been carried out remotely. Recently, Ethiopia sought support for a resolution at the UN Human Rights Council to terminate the body. It was eventually persuaded to drop the resolution, but only on the understanding that ICHREE's mandate will not be renewed in October, a diplomat said. Given this track record, human rights experts worry about the government's commitment to a robust transitional justice that holds all parties equally accountable. One observer, who did not want to be named, said they are concerned about its "capacity and willingness to hold its own forces to account." "ICHREE's mandate is to preserve evidence for accountability that may lead in the future to holding powerful people to account," they told The New Humanitarian. "That may be why the government is pushing against it so strongly." The body was established in December 2021, following the publication of a joint report by the UN's human rights body and the state-appointed Ethiopian Human Rights Commission. It found that all parties had committed violations, conclusions that Ethiopia accepted. However, the joint report suffered from serious gaps. It only covered the first period of active conflict in northern Ethiopia from November 2020 to June 2021, and its investigators were unable to travel to the sites of serious abuses in Tigray, such as Axum. The joint report therefore called for further independent investigations, but the government has opposed these. Instead, it set up an "inter-ministerial task force" to implement the joint report's findings and insists further investigations will be done by national bodies under the transitional justice framework, with international experts participating as monitors. Scepticism over government commitment The activities of the task force and those of the Ministry of Justice have been opaque, and subject to little outside scrutiny. So far, a handful of soldiers have been convicted for abuses committed during the war, but their identities and the nature of their crimes have not been made public. Meanwhile, the government has sought to downplay accusations of abuses. In its initial investigation into the Axum massacre, for example, the Ministry of Justice suggested most of the victims were combatants and that some of the perpetrators may have been criminals dressed in Eritrean and Ethiopian military uniforms provided by the TPLF. Only later did the government accept that the victims were civilians killed by Eritrean soldiers. Some fear future investigations could follow a similar trajectory. For its part, the TPLF has issued similar denials when faced with accusations that its forces targeted civilians. In Feburary 2022, when Amnesty International released a report with evidence that Tigray fighters had killed civilians and raped women in a series of Amhara towns, it dismissed the rights group's findings as "partial and misleading" and promised an investigation that never materialised. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Ethiopia Governance U.S., Canada and Africa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. On 24 March, the new interim president of Tigray, Getachew Reda, underlined the importance of "accountability and justice for the genocide inflicted on the people of Tigray in the war" but made no mention of crimes committed by his side. Abadir M. Ibrahim, associate director of the Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School and a former advisor to the Ministry of Justice, said he is "sceptical" that Ethiopian government officials will "subject themselves to a process that will reveal their human rights violations and then possibly even end up in their prosecution". He fears that, to appease donors and regain funding, the government might launch "a process that looks like transitional justice, but they're able to control the results", he told The New Humanitarian. Others are more optimistic, however. "What I like about Ethiopia is that they have agency," said an African Union official. "They are doing things on their own and we should give them breathing space." Daniel Bekele, head of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, says he is encouraged that the government accepted the findings of his body's joint report with the UN and added that "it is important to build on the concrete steps that have been taken". "The transitional justice process must be nationally led and owned," Daniel said. "That does not mean there is no role and space for contributions from international partners." A transitional justice mechanism is due to be established close to Ethiopian new year in September. Such a body would not have the authority to investigate and prosecute soldiers from Eritrea, a sovereign country. Its leader, Isaias Afwerki, has dismissed allegations against his troops as "a fantasy". A Western diplomat described the issue of accountability for crimes committed by Eritrean soldiers as "a tricky question" that is "up to Ethiopia" to answer. Their government and others are pushing for UN experts to monitor Ethiopia's national investigations, something Addis Ababa has said it is open to. "It is not going to be perfect, definitely, there is no such thing as a perfect transitional justice process," they said. This article was written and reported by an Ethiopia-based journalist. Edited by Obi Anyadike CanaGold Resources Ltd. (TSX: CCM, OTC-QB: CRCUF, Frankfurt: CANA) (the "Company" or "Canagold"), is pleased to announce it has entered into a groundbreaking collaborative engagement agreement with the Taku River Tlingit First Nation ("TRTFN") to enshrine its commitment to the spirit of reconciliation and sustainability in economic development in respect of the Company's New Polaris project ("New Polaris", or the "project") situated in the traditional territory of the TRTFN approximately 100 kilometres south of Atlin, B.C. The agreement establishes a robust framework for a long-term cooperative and mutually respectful working relationship between the parties in support of Canagold's New Polaris exploration and advancement activities while undertaking to minimize any adverse impacts on the rights and interests of the TRTFN. In addition, this initial accord creates a platform for future negotiation of agreements as the project progresses through its permitting, construction and production phases. "I'm particularly pleased to announce the pioneering agreement that Canagold has reached with TRTFN for the development of Canagold's New Polaris located in their traditional territory," said Catalin Kilofliski, CEO of Canagold. "The accord places our collaboration on a strong, formal footing and underscores our Company's deeply felt commitment to the environment and the shared values around reconciliation and sustainable economic development that we hold with TRTFN." The agreement includes a framework for information-sharing, permitting processes, environmental protection and monitoring, as well as sharing of benefits to support community development initiatives. Through this collaborative approach, Canagold is seeking consent and support for the development of the New Polaris gold project within the TRTFN territories. About TRTFN The TRTFN territory covers over 40,000 square kilometres and includes what is now known as British Columbia, Yukon and Alaska. The town of Atlin, B.C., a community of about 400 people is the main community where the government and administration officials for the Taku River Tlingit First Nation are located. The TRTFN territory contains high mountains, expansive forests rich in wildlife and rivers filled with salmon. About New Polaris New Polaris is Canagold's flagship asset, which is the 100% owned gold mine project located in northwestern B.C. about 100 kilometres south of Atlin, B.C. and 60 kilometres northeast of Juneau, Alaska. The property consists of 61 contiguous Crown-granted mineral claims and one modified grid claim covering 850 hectares. New Polaris lies within the TRTFN traditional territory. Canagold is firmly committed to working closely with the TRFTN on all aspects of project's, consultations, planning and future development plans. The Company's primary objective is to build a successful long-term partnership with TRTFN, in order to plan and create together a project with a long-lasting positive impact on the environment, the members of the TRTFN, the local community of Atlin and other surrounding communities. A Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA), completed in February 2019 by Moose Mountain Technical Services, demonstrated the robust economic viability of the project. Using a gold price of US$1,500 per oz, the PEA indicated cash costs of US$400 per oz, an after-tax Net Present Value (NPV with 5% discount) of C$469 million with an after-tax Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 56% and a 1.9 year pay-back period. On a pre-tax basis, the undiscounted life-of-mine cash flow totals C$847 million (C$/US$ exchange rate 0.71). The current resource (from the 2019 PEA, 4g/t Au cut off) includes an Indicated resource of 586,000 oz Au (1.7Mt @ 10.8 g/t) and an Inferred resource of 485,000 oz Au (1.5Mt @ 10.2 g/t). During 2021 and 2022 over 30,000 metres of drilling in 54 holes was completed to upgrade the inferred resource to the indicated resource category and increase the mineral resources. An update to mineral resource estimates will be made using this recent and currently ongoing drilling information for the feasibility study. About Canagold CanaGold Resources Ltd. is a growth-oriented gold exploration company focused on advancing the New Polaris Project through feasibility and permitting. Canagold is also seeking to grow its assets base through future acquisitions of additional advanced projects. The Company has access to a team of technical experts to help unlock significant value for all Canagold shareholders. "Catalin Kilofliski" Catalin Kilofliski Chief Executive Officer 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. 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. Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are forward-looking information that involves known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the future performance of Canagold, and the Company's plans and exploration programs for its mineral properties, including the timing of such plans and programs. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "has proven", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "potential", "appears", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "at least", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "should", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". 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 the forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors include, among others risks related to the uncertainties inherent in the estimation of mineral resources; commodity prices; changes in general economic conditions; market sentiment; currency exchange rates; the Company's ability to continue as a going concern; the Company's ability to raise funds through equity financings; risks inherent in mineral exploration; risks related to operations in foreign countries; future prices of metals; failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals; government regulation of mining operations; environmental risks; title disputes or claims; limitations on insurance coverage and the timing and possible outcome of litigation. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could affect the Company and may cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, do not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. All statements are made as of the date of this news release and the Company is under no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements except as required under applicable securities laws. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005207/en/ Contact For further information, please contact: Knox Henderson, VP Corporate Development Tel: (604) 416-0337; Cell: (604) 551-2360 Toll Free: 1-877-684-9700 Email: knox@canagoldresources.com Website: www.canagoldresources.com TORONTO, March 30, 2023 - First Quantum Minerals Ltd. ("First Quantum" or "the Company") (TSX: FM) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Rio Tinto to progress the next phase of the La Granja copper project (the "Project") in Peru. The Project is located in the district of Querocoto in the northern region of Cajamarca, Peru, approximately 90 kilometers northeast of Chiclayo, the capital of Lambayeque region, at an altitude of between 2,000 and 2,800 meters. La Granja is one of the largest undeveloped copper resources in the world with a published Inferred mineral resource of 4.32 billion tonnes at 0.51 percent copper and potential for substantial expansion. Rio Tinto has operated the Project since 2006, carrying out an extensive drilling program that has significantly expanded the resource and has managed a world-class community relations program that has ensured strong local support for the Project. First Quantum will acquire a majority stake in the Project and will undertake the feasibility study and possible further development of what has the potential to be a large, long-life operation. "I am very pleased to announce today's partnership with Rio Tinto, a global leader in the mining industry. Rio Tinto's work on La Granja has been extensive to date and we share our partner's view that the Project has the potential to be a Tier 1 copper mine. We look forward to working together to build on this foundation, leveraging First Quantum's core strengths in mine design, project development and community engagement. This partnership will provide First Quantum access to an attractive copper project, offering additional future optionality in the Company's project pipeline while we focus on strengthening the balance sheet in the interim," said Tristan Pascall, Chief Executive Officer of First Quantum. "First Quantum is excited about broadening our existing relationships in Peru and we are appreciative of the support provided by the Government of Peru to this important partnership for its future investment in the country." "La Granja is an exciting but complex project that has the potential to be a significant new source of the copper that is needed for the energy transition. We are pleased to enter into this agreement with First Quantum, that will bring our combined development capabilities and deep knowledge of La Granja to progress the Project," said Bold Baatar, Chief Executive of Rio Tinto Copper. "This partnership underscores not only La Granja's potential to be a significant copper producer, but Peru's position as one of the world's most important mining investment destinations." KEY TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT Upon completion, First Quantum will acquire a 55% interest in La Granja for a consideration of $105 million and will become the operator of the Project. Following the acquisition, the Company will be responsible for $546 million of funding (the "initial funding"). Part of the initial funding will be used to complete a feasibility study after which the remaining majority of the initial funding is expected to be spent on construction of the Project following a positive investment decision. Upon satisfaction of this initial funding amount, all subsequent expenditures will be applied on a pro-rata basis according to the share ownership of the Project. The completion of the transaction is subject to certain conditions, including regulatory approvals by the Government of Peru that are currently underway. The transaction is expected to close before the end of Q3 2023. WORK PLAN AND GUIDANCE Work over the initial years will continue to progress community engagement and the feasibility study. The feasibility study will focus on developing an updated geological resource and reserve model, which will require additional infill drilling to upgrade Inferred resources to Measured and Indicated categories. Additional metallurgical studies to establish optimal processing configurations are expected to be carried out in parallel, together with a high-level project layout and configuration of associated infrastructure requirements and logistical routes. With work on La Granja focused mainly at the studies level, there is no change to the Company's three-year guidance provided in January 2023 on capital expenditures. Further to the agreement on La Granja, First Quantum and Rio Tinto have also entered into a memorandum of understanding to support co-operation in relation to base metals development opportunities and the sharing of technology and know-how on certain mining methods, such as the application of trolley-assist and autonomous mining fleets. For further information, visit our website at www.first-quantum.com or contact: Bonita To, Director, Investor Relations (416) 361-6400 Toll-free: 1 (888) 688-6577 E-Mail: info@fqml.com CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION Certain statements and information herein, including all statements that are not historical facts, contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the expected timing for closing of the transaction; the satisfaction of closing conditions in respect of the Acquisition, including regulatory approvals; the work, including feasibility and metallurgical studies, to be completed to progress the Project; the funding of expenditures related to the Project; the impact and expected benefits of the Acquisition and the Company's partnership with Rio Tinto on the Company's business and operations; and expectations regarding the future demand for copper. With respect to forward-looking statements and information contained herein, the Company has made numerous assumptions, including as to the receipt of necessary regulatory approvals required to complete Acquisition; Rio Tinto and the Company maintaining strong local support for the Project; the successful completion of the feasibility and metallurgical studies required to progress the Project; and the ability of the Company to fund the Acquisition, including the first $546 million in study and development work and subsequent expenditures related to the Project. Forward-looking statements and information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. These factors include, but are not limited to, political stability in Peru, joint venture risks, potential social and environmental challenges, and events generally impacting global economic, political and social stability. There may also be other factors that cause actual results, performance, achievements or events not as anticipated, estimated or intended, including the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed in the Company's Annual Information Form. The Company undertakes no obligation to reissue or update forward-looking statements or information as a result of new information or events after the date hereof except as may be required by law. Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. opinion Accessible amenities, water storage facilities and inclusive policies could boost progress Water viability is an engine of sustainable development for environmental social safeguards and governance. Ensuring its availability for everyone is imperative. Governments, non-profit organizations, and private entities have been working to create inclusive environments, provide access to essential resources and services and promote equal opportunities for persons with disabilities. These efforts aim to enable persons with disabilities to live full and independent lives; participate in their communities; and contribute their talents and abilities to society, especially in the face of climate change. On April 20, 2017, 173 countries ratified the 2006 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Created in 2007, it enshrines rights, such as inherent dignity, individual autonomy, non-discrimination, full and effective participation, accessibility and equality of opportunity, for persons with disabilities. CRPD Article 9 requires access to the physical environment and public spaces and services in rural and urban areas. Article 19 focuses attention on living independently and inclusion by addressing equity in needs-responsive community services and facilities. Article 28 zeros in on adequate standards of living and social protection and requires State Parties to ensure access to clean water services that are appropriate and affordable. SDG 6 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 represents a key strategy for enfranchising persons with disabilities. It promotes access to water and sanitation for all. Specifically, it requires that "no one is left behind." To achieve SDG 6, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programmes must be both disability-inclusive and disability-accessible. Supporting the objectives of WASH, SDG 10 advocates for the "reduction of inequality within and among countries," mandating the social, economic and political inclusion of all people, including persons with disabilities. Several organizations are helping to realize the ambitions of CRPD and SDGs. As part of UNICEF's WASH programme, Bungudu Primary School in Zamfara State in northern Nigeria built accessible latrines and hand-washing stations to accommodate children with disabilities. The project has improved sanitation and eradicated barriers that children with disabilities face at the school, where water and sanitation facilities had not been easily accessible. In Madibunhana, in central Mozambique, the World Vision International has ensured that persons with disabilities can access water through rehabilitated and modernized boreholes with incorporated ramps, allowing 220 households to independently access adequate water. In addition, 70 inclusive wells and three water systems deliver clean and safe water to communities, as well as the provision of material subsidies for the construction of inclusive latrines. Progress, however, has not been uniform. In Kenya, students with disabilities still have not been able to enroll in the Kenya Water Institute that offers a programme that builds plumbing knowledge and expertise among youth in the country is 47 counties. Access could promote greater inclusiveness in the plumbing industry's service offers and create jobs for these students. Apart from ensuring availability of accessible amenities and infrastructure, it is imperative to establish ample water storage facilities for achieving water security and for managing hydrological variability, particularly for persons with disabilities Three key changes needed for disability-inclusive water, sanitation and hygiene First, apart from ensuring availability of accessible amenities and infrastructure, it is imperative to establish ample water storage facilities for achieving water security and for managing hydrological variability, particularly for persons with disabilities. As households experience rising demand for freshwater and climate change disrupts water cycles, storage is becoming more urgent than ever. Not only do accessible water systems increase the amount of water available for persons with disabilities, improved regulation of water flow and controls support a variety of ancillary services, such as hydropower and navigation. Second, governments, development agencies and community-based organizations that oversee water resources and delivery, must develop harmonized inclusive policies and a regulatory framework for accessibility standards, guidelines, specifications and audits. This will boost opportunities for effective coordination and partnership on inclusive water systems and infrastructure. Moreover, we must include persons with disabilities in water resource management, stakeholder consultations and outreach activities. As important, is to empower persons with disabilities to take on leadership and management positions at the community, local, and national levels to foster innovative water solutions. Third, the World Bank recommends the provision of sufficient financial and physical resources to ensure that persons with disabilities have fair and equal access to affordable water sector services and programmes. These can range from communal services like irrigation facilities and boreholes to public water taps and public latrines. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Africa Human Rights Water By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Innovative fee structures, such as sliding-scale fees, loans, or grants to individuals or communities can provide financial assistance or relief. As such, we must entrust persons with disabilities to innovate and invent their own WASH solutions. As important, is to empower persons with disabilities to take on leadership and management positions at the community, local, and national levels to foster innovative water solutions Conclusion I recently served as a jurist for a Youth Water Challenge. I observed that students with disabilities did not participate in the competition. This experience underscores just one missed opportunity but made me wonder: "How many others have we missed?" In this era of hyper-technology, we possess abundant open data on water from myriad ubiquitous sources. Digital Earth Africa and its sophisticated water analysis tools is one example. Ghana offers a vision for what leveraging such a platform and applying data for building homegrown solutions could look like. We have the technology and data, support of powerful global entities like the UN and the World Bank, and a talented and eager population of persons with disabilities ready to lead. So let us proceed with the complete establishment of inclusive water systems to ensure we achieve the sustainable global goals to which we all aspire. GTA Ladies Club celebrates Heritage month Juliet Akyaa Safo Showbiz News Mar - 29 - 2023 , 20:57 MEMBERS of the Ghana Tourism Authority(GTA) Ladies Club celebrated the heritage month at an event in Accra to showcase the rich culture of the various ethnic group in the country today, March 29. The event dubbed Rep Your Region Campaign and under the theme Our Culture, Our Heritage saw members of the club dressed in rich traditional outfits teamed with beautiful jewellery. They repped their tribes and regions through activities such as drumming and dancing, stories about their history, food, among others. Ghanaian Culture The President of GTA Ladies Club, Mrs Francisca Kuukuwah Yanneyba Quansah, said the campaign was aimed at showcasing, marketing and selling the rich Ghanaian culture through food, dressing, music, dance among others. She said it was important for GTA to whip up the interest of its staff and the public to appreciate Ghanas tourism, arts and culture potentials and cross cultural exchange in the country. She added that GTA had introduced several initiatives such as Domestic and Regional Tourism Programme dubbed Experience Ghana, Share Ghana which offers an opportunity to develop the local tourism since it attracted the people in diaspora into the country. Mrs Quansah said tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors of the Ghanaian economy with links to various sectors, providing employment to several young people and creating an avenue for national development. She also called on stakeholders to partner the ministry and its agencies to deliver its mandate to the good people of Ghana. Heritage Month The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GTA, Akwasi Agyemang, commended members of the Club for organising the event and said it has demonstrated the unity among the staff at GTA. I think the Heritage Month has been very successful, not just because of this in- house display, but also the support we have received from media houses and stakeholders, he said. He, however, urged Ghanaians to be proud of their heritage, and do well to consume Made-in-Ghana products. A Tourism Consultant, Professor Tata Nkunu Akyea, also said although culture was dynamic, Ghanaians must avoid copying blindly but rather uphold their culture. Culture is dynamic and not static, however, we should not forget where we come from and we should not copy too much, he said. He urged staff of the GTA to learn more since they were the front liners in promoting tourism in the country. I owe Ghana a lot for my success - Nigerian comedian Basketmouth Gifty Owusu-Amoah Showbiz News Mar - 29 - 2023 , 11:12 Popular Nigerian comedian, Basketmouth has expressed his immense gratitude to Ghanaians for contributing to his success as a comedian. He disclosed on Hitz FMs Daybreak Hitz hosted by Andy Dosty yesterday, March 28, that his performance that shot up his fame on a global scale was done in Ghana and doesnt take that for granted. I owe you guys (Ghana) a certain level of my growth. The first big show that sold me to the world, I did it in Ghana. That was when I did two things involved performance and it sold my craft to the world, he said. Basketmouth, real name, Bright Okpocha, who is in Ghana to promote his upcoming show on Easter Saturday also mentioned his willingness to settle down with a Ghanaian woman after divorcing his wife of 12 years last year. On my way here, I said to myself, wouldnt it be cool to learn the language and come stay here for like a year? You know, just chill, get married to a Ghana woman and stuff, he jokingly admitted. However, he was quick to admit that it was too early to jump into another marriage few months after the annulment of his marriage. I am single but you know I am just kidding. I am not ready to jump into anything just yetmaybe Im not kidding, who knows, Basketmouth added. Basketmouth, 44, won the confidence of Ghanaians and comedy enthusiasts over a decade ago when he performed on the Charterhouse organised Laugh series at the Accra International Conference Centre and he is back with his headline show dubbed, Unprovoked on Saturday, April 8 at the same venue. The renowned comedian has organised popular stand-up comedy concerts like Basketmouth Uncensored across the globe and his upcoming show is intended to cement his name as one of the sought after comedians from the sub-region. Read also Rapper Edem meets Swizz Beatz, Paul Eckstein in Los Angeles This years VGMA nominations reflect the industrys growth -Kwesi Ernest Only a man with two wives knows who owns his heart Nollywood actor Yul Edochie Saint Johns School wins Western SHS poetry slam Kouame Koulibaly Showbiz News Mar - 29 - 2023 , 18:15 Though they knew about poetry and the general dynamics of it through English Literature lessons, the idea of a poetry slam was completely new to the students from four Senior High Schools in the Western Region who availed themselves for a workshop on the subject at the Regional Library on March 23. This years World Poetry Day was the impetus for the days workshop. After sessions that introduced them to the global as well as Ghanaian slam frontiers, the rules that guide slams and how to generate appreciable ideas as slammers, the students took a plunge into that exciting world of words on March 24. Students were the judges at the slam There were three rounds of presentations from each school and Saint Johns School came up tops to school receive GHC1000, a plaque and T-shirts at the end of proceedings. Archbishop Porter Girls Secondary School placed second with Takoradi Senior High School and Fijai Senior High School in third and fourth positions respectively. The Poetry Slam Competition for SHS in the Western Region came off through a collaboration between the Ehalakasa spoken word movement and the Goethe-Institut in partnership with the Ghana Library Boards Western Regional Library and the Ghana Education Service (GES). The slam contest for Senior High Schools is an annual thing the Ehalakasa movement has been doing with the Goethe-Institut Library over the last six years to mark World Poetry Day. The whole idea is to let students know what poetry slams are about and how they can join the ever-growing slam community when they leave school. We pitched the idea to the Goethe-Institut and it quickly bought into it. So the Goethe-Institut Library gets in touch with the regional libraries and partner with them to bring GES on board to get the schools for us to work with, said Sir Black, a leading member of Ehalakasa. Meli Mansu, Director of Goethe-Institut Library spoke during the contest He was the main facilitator at the Western Region workshop with assistance from two Takoradi-based spoken word artistes: Matthew Mawuenyegah Komi Sabah (aka SabWay) and Marian Debrah (aka Poetra Debrah). We have so far been to the Volta, Northern, Ashanti, Upper West and Western regions and also held sessions at the Goethe-Institut premises in Accra. Everyone involved realises it is a good venture as it is helping young people enhance their creative abilities, Sir Black added. The Goethe-Instituts support for Ehalakasa for the Poetry Slam Competition for SHS in the Western Region formed part of the German cultural institutes Moving Ghana Project which provides travel grants for artistes and cultural workers traveling within Africa for conferences, workshops and festivals. More articles Amerado: I will never shelve music for schooling I owe Ghana a lot for my success - Nigerian comedian Basketmouth I don't enjoy kissing, sex scenesNancy Isime Ukraine updates: Orthodox monks in Kyiv refuse eviction International News Mar - 30 - 2023 , 08:19 The Orthodox monks accused of Russia links have been ordered out of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery. But they refuse to vacate the complex. DW has the latest. Orthodox monks who've been ordered out of a monastery in Kyiv refused to leave on Wednesday, as a deadline to vacate the complex expired. The dispute over the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery, Ukraine's most revered Orthodox site, is part of a wider religious conflict playing out in parallel with the war. The monks using the property belong to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which has been accused of links to Russia. But the site is owned by the Ukrainian government, and the agency overseeing the property notified the UOC earlier this month that, as of March 29, it was terminating the lease. Metropolitan Pavel, an abbot of the monastic complex, told worshippers that the UOC would not leave the site pending the outcome of a lawsuit it filed in a Kyiv court last week to stop the eviction. No attempts to evict the monks were made on Wednesday but Pavel said the UOC had been notified that the handover of the property would begin on Thursday. The Ukrainian government has been cracking down on the UOC over its historic ties to the Russian Orthodox Church, whose leader, Patriarch Kirill, has supported Russian President Vladimir Putin in the invasion of Ukraine. Here are some of the other notable developments concerning the war in Ukraine on Thursday, March 30: Wall Street Journal reporter detained in Russia for spying A reporter for The Wall Street Journal has been detained in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg over suspicions of espionage, the Interfax news agency said on Thursday, citing the Federal Security Service (FSB). "The FSB halted the illegal activities of US citizen Gershkovich Evan ... a correspondent of the Moscow bureau of the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal, accredited with the Russian Foreign Ministry, suspected of spying in the interests of the American government," an FSB statement said, according to Russian news agencies. The statement said Gershkovich had been tasked "by the American side" with gathering information on "the activities of one of the enterprises of the military-defense complex." The FSB provided no evidence of the charges against the reporter. Russia detains man sentenced to prison after daughter's anti-war picture Alexei Moskalyov, who was sentenced to two years in prison for discrediting the Russian military and whose daughter was taken into state care, has been detained after fleeing house arrest, human rights activist and lawyer Dmitry Zakhvatov told Reuters news agency on Thursday. Moskalyov was prosecuted for social media posts following an anti-war drawing made by his daughter that depicted missiles flying over a Russian flag at a woman and child and said "No to war" and "Glory to Ukraine." Earlier, European Commission spokesman Peter Stano tweeted that Moskalyov's sentence was "a total disgrace." Russia stops sharing missile test info with US Russia will no longer give the US advance notice about its missile tests as envisioned under a nuclear pact the Kremlin has suspended, a senior Moscow diplomat said Wednesday. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Russian news agencies that Moscow has halted all information exchanges with Washington under the last remaining nuclear arms treaty with the US after suspending its participation in it last month. Along with the data about the current state of the countries' nuclear forces routinely released every six months in compliance with the New START treaty, the parties also had exchanged advance warnings about test launches and deployments of their nuclear weapons. Such notices have been an essential element of strategic stability for decades, allowing Russia and the United States to correctly interpret each other's moves and make sure that neither country mistakes a test launch for a missile attack. Meanwhile, as part of the Russian drills that began Wednesday, Yars mobile missile launchers will maneuver across three regions of Siberia, Russia's Defense Ministry said. The movements will involve measures to conceal the deployment from foreign satellites and other intelligence assets, the ministry said. Spain to send six Leopard tanks to Ukraine in coming weeks Spain plans to supply Ukraine with 10 German-made Leopard battle tanks of the older 2A4 type with six to arrive in the next two weeks but will not send Kyiv fighter jets, Defense Minister Margarita Robles said. The other four tanks will have to be sent at a later date because they must undergo repairs to make them fit for service, she said during a parliamentary debate on Spanish military aid to Ukraine. The dispatch of fighter jets was "categorically" ruled out by the minister. She said Spain does not have F-16 fighter jets of the type Ukraine would like to obtain. Other models are out of the question because Ukrainian pilots would need a training period of up to two years, Robles argued in the lower house of parliament. Ukraine hits city inside Russian-controlled territory Russian authorities said Ukrainian forces had struck a railway depot and knocked out power in the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol in the Zaporizhzhia region. The city lies around 65 kilometers (40 miles) from the frontline and analysts have said it could be a target for a highly-anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive. dh/sri (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters) Ensuring food security: Agric must come under NDPC - Dwuma Odoom proposes at Graphic Devt Series Severious Kale Dery & Kwadwo Baffoe Donkor Mar - 30 - 2023 , 06:51 The country needs a national programme to drive agricultural development to ensure food security. An agricultural consultant for the J. A. Kufuor Foundation, Abraham Dwuma Odoom, who made the call, said the national programme covering agricultural development should be placed under the direct supervision of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC). "Don't give agriculture to us politicians because it won't help the nation. Lets use the NDPC, where we can draw a road map that this is where we want to go. "We don't need manifestos to drive agriculture; we need a national programme to drive agriculture," he emphasised. Making the call at the first Graphic National Development Series (GNDS) in Kumasi last Tuesday, Mr Odoom said with such a road map, all stakeholders would make inputs, "and when we design and execute it, we are going to create a situation where we will have food security". The thought-leadership event, under the patronage of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, was on the theme: "Transforming Ghanas agriculture using home-grown solutions for food security. It created a platform for participants to discuss development issues, particularly agriculture, without a partisan stance or undertone. Mr Odoom, who consulted for Nigeria on its rice revolution, said with his proposal, the situation where political parties ran agriculture on the back of their manifestos would become a thing of the past. "If agriculture is under the NDPC, we will be able to invest in our youth because the future belongs to them," he added. The agricultural consultant called for a deliberate move to engage the youth, lamenting that the youth were being relegated to the background and "that is not good for us as a country". Way forward With reference to the theme, a specialist consultant in international agriculture and rural development, Dr Abu Sakara Foster, expressed the conviction that what needed to be known had already been discussed, adding: "What is left is inspiration for us to overcome our inertia to engage." Facing the reality of "where we are is the beginning of seeing the solution", Dr Sakara, who was also moderated the discussions, called for the investment of more resources in human capital in the agricultural sector. Ukraine holds agric lessons Otumfuo Osei Tutu, who was represented by the Chief of Asafo and Akwamuhene of the Kumasi Traditional Council, Nana Akyamfour Asafo Boakye Agyemang-Bonsu, commended the organisers, the GCGL, for initiating the national dialogue on national development and choosing agriculture, the mainstay of the economy, as its first subject. He said as an agrarian economy, it was sad that Ghana still had a high food import bill, even though the country boasted large tracts of arable land for crops production. The Asantehene said it was high time the government lent a listening ear to experts in the agricultural sector to transform the sector. If nothing at all, he said, the impact of the war in Ukraine on global food security should serve as lesson enough for the country to put its agricultural sector in order. Annual affair The Managing Director of the GCGL, Ato Afful, said the GNDS were intended to be an annual affair which would be held in Kumasi during the month of March to discuss national developmental issues devoid of politics. He said the programme was designed not only to identify challenges facing the country but also proffer solutions that would help the country solve such issues and bring hope to the people. Government selects Keta Port investor by December Della Russel Ocloo Mar - 30 - 2023 , 11:57 The government is seeking to select a private-sector player for the development and operation of the Keta Port by the end of this year. Currently, six firms have been shortlisted to submit request for proposals (RFP) for the project. The Minister of Transport, Kwaku Ofori-Asiamah, who made this known at the Meet-the-Press series in Accra yesterday, said the government wanted to do away with the hybrid form of port development and operation, where the port authority was a regulator and at the same time operator. He said actual construction would commence in January 2024, on completion of the investor-selection process. The Keta Port, he said, was expected to be a service port with a full range of cargo processing functions, including inspection and verification. Feasibility studies Mr Ofori-Asiamah said from the feasibility studies, the Keta Port would operate as a landlord port, with the public authority not handling cargo but being a regulator only. Private sector operators will develop and operate the various terminals and handle vessels and cargo, while the government is expected to make basic investments, including the administration building to house the port authority and other port service tenants, he said. He said the RFP for the construction of the administration block was underway to allow for physical construction works to take off by July 2023. Public outcry There has been public outcry over the delay in the execution of the port project. This has been so especially following the declaration of the area by an Executive Instrument in 2018 as a port and the subsequent appointment of a director to oversee the processes surrounding the project. Whereas critics of the government believed the project, as a Greenfield port (entirely new port), was not viable, considering its closeness to the Lome Port, which plays host to international shipping lines for the transhipment of goods, the minister had maintained that the feasibility studies had proved the projects viability and profitability, considering the countrys decision to exploit its iron ore deposits for export. Maritime and Inland waterways Giving an update on developments within the maritime and transport sector, the minister said the completion of work on the 16-metre draft Dry Bulk Terminal at the Takoradi Port last year had improved operational efficiency at that port, allowing it to increase its work load and revenue generation. Mr Ofori-Asiamah also announced that phase one works on the Boankra Inland Port were at about 30 per cent complete, with the hope that a full completion would help decongest the Tema Port and bring import and export services closer to the doorstep of shippers in the middle and the northern parts of the country, as well as neighbouring landlocked countries. Fishing Ports On the new fishing ports under construction, he pointed out that works at the Jamestown Fishing Harbour were about 60 per cent complete, while those at Elmina, which include facilities such as two new breakwaters, a new quay wall (retention area for docking of vessels) with a total length of 400 metres, a new administration building, a fish market, among others, were fully completed. He also mentioned additional construction works on coastal fishing landing sites at 12 locations across the country, which he said would complement existing facilities to help address challenges such as inadequate storage facilities, high post-harvest losses and unhygienic conditions confronting the artisanal fishing sector. "These projects will enable us to address these challenges to support the growth of the fishing industry, create job opportunities and help build vibrant communities along the coast," he said. Aviation sector In the aviation sector, he said a feasibility studies to determine a suitable location for a new airport in either the Central or the Western region or in between the two were being finalised. He said the phase three upgrade works on the Kumasi Airport, which include aerobridges, were also about 89 per cent complete, while those on the Tamale Airport, which include the construction of a new terminal building, a multi-purpose terminal and access roads connecting the airport to the Tamale-Bolgatanga highway, had been completed for use. Road accidents worrying Mr Ofori-Asiamah expressed worry over the increasing road crashes. He said provisional figures showed that road crashes, injuries and fatalities as of December 2022 stood at 14,960, 15,690 and 2,373, respectively. The minister called on stakeholders to step up efforts to minimise road crashes across the country. He also announced the procurement of new fleets for the Metro Mass Transit (MMT) to augment those in use. Slain soldier at Ashaiman: Police forward docket on 2 suspects to A-G Benjamin Xornam Glover Mar - 30 - 2023 , 07:12 The police have forwarded the docket on two suspects arrested in connection with the killing of 21-year-old soldier, Private Imoro Sherrif, at Ashaiman in the Greater Accra Region to the Attorney-General's (A-G) office for advice. Samuel Tetteh, 20, aka Wiper, unemployed, and Abubakar Sadick, 20, aka Birdman Naadu, a scrap dealer, have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder. This follows investigations by the police, who have since charged the two out of six persons arrested over the murder of the soldier. When the two appeared before the District Magistrate Court in Tema presided over by Benedicta Antwi last Monday, the prosecutor, Superintendent Sylvester Asare, told the court that a duplicate docket was ready and had been forwarded to the office of the A-G for study and advice. He appealed to the court to remand the accused persons under the circumstances. The magistrate, Benedicta Antwi, granted the prayer and remanded the accused persons to reappear on April 11, 2023. The two were among six suspects arrested between March 9 and 12, 2023, at different locations. Second case Meanwhile, Tetteh and Sadick have been remanded also by the Ashaiman Circuit Court. The two and the other four were sent to the Ashaiman Circuit Court for prosecution last Monday. The four others are Ibrahim Abdul Rakib, Safianu Musah (aka Dayorgu), Yusif Mohammed and Abdul Gafaru Abdul Karim. Tetteh and Sadick are facing charges of robbery and stealing at the circuit court, while the other four are facing charges of dishonestly receiving stolen items at the same court. The Ashaiman Circuit Court, presided over by Simon Gaga, refused a repeat bail application by Abdul Fatawu Alhassan, lawyer for Abdul Rakib, Safianu Musah and Abdul Gafaru Abdul Karim. Yusif Mohammed, the fifth accused person who was represented by his lawyer, Ishahadu Mohamed, was also denied bail. Prosecutors prayer The prosecutor, Superintendent Asare, who is also Director of Legal, Criminal Investigations Department of the Police Service, renewed his prayer for an adjournment to allow for continued investigations into the case, which, he said, had reached an advanced stage. Defence counsels, however, opposed the plea by the prosecution, stressing that the prosecution had been given ample time to conclude their investigations. They urged the court to exercise its discretion and grant the accused persons bail as they would be available to stand trial at any point in time. The court asked the prosecution to expedite investigations and conclude it before the next adjourned date. The accused persons are to re-appear on April 11, 2023. Background On March 4, 2023, police received information that a male adult had been found lying dead at Ashaiman Taifa in the Greater Accra Region. According to the police, the crime scene team retrieved a number of items, including a knife with blood stains and a backpack, in the course of investigations. In the backpack, police found one Samsung tablet, one Apple laptop, one military uniform with the name tag "Imoro", eight other items of clothing, as well as a Ghana Card and a Health Insurance card bearing the name Imoro Sherrif. The police said the content of the backpack suggested the victim could be a soldier, so the military was notified of the incident, and the deceased was subsequently identified by the military as Imoro Sheriff, a soldier. The prosecution said two of the accused persons attempted to rob the soldier, and in the process, one of them stabbed him in the arm, while the other four bought a stolen mobile phone taken from the soldier, now deceased. US Vice-President deplores slave trade horrors Emmanuel Bonney Mar - 30 - 2023 , 07:22 The visiting US Vice-President, Kamala Harris, has deplored the inhumane treatment, horrors and atrocities that occurred in the forts and castles along the coast of West Africa in the era of the slave trade. She said those stories needed to be remembered and taught and the history learnt, since they could not be denied. "There are dungeons here where human beings were kept men, women and children. They were kidnapped from their homes; they were transported hundreds of miles from their homes, not really sure where they were headed. And they came to this place of horror some to die, many to starve and be tortured, women to be raped before they were then forcibly taken on a journey thousands of miles from their home to be sold by so-called merchants and taken to the Americas and the Caribbean to be an enslaved people. "We don't know the numbers who died on their way to this place; the numbers who were killed during that passage on the Atlantic. The horrors of what happened here must always be remembered. The slave trade cannot be denied. It must be taught. History must be learnt," she said. Castle Ms Harris said this last Tuesday when she visited the Cape Coast Castle as part of her three-day visit to Ghana. She was accompanied by her husband, Douglas Emhoff. Others in her entourage were the US Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia E. Palmer, and the Central Regional Minister, Justina Marigold Assan. Roads leading to the castle were partially blocked, with the exception of the one leading to the Omanhens Palace, where she had earlier paid a courtesy call on the Omanhen of the Oguaa Traditional Area, Osabarimba Kwesi Attah II. Ms Harris was welcomed by a sizeable crowd outside the castle, including masqueraders carrying miniature Ghana and US flags. The flags of both countries were also hoisted on poles mounted at the castle and the John Evans Atta Mills Library. There were cultural performances, as well as drumming and dancing, on the precincts of the castle by the Centre for National Culture. Fourth US personality Ms Harris's visit to the castle makes her the fourth high-ranking personality from the US to visit the facility, built by the English. The others are a former US President, Barack Obama, who visited with his wife, Michelle, and two daughters in 2009; a former Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, who led a 14-member US Congressional delegation, and Melania Trump, the wife of a former US President, Donald Trump, in 2018. Almost in tears Ms Harris, who almost broke down in tears as she began her remarks shortly after touring the castle, under the guide of the Director of Education of the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board, Essel Blankson, said: "We must then be guided by what we know also to be the history of those who survived in the Americas, in the Caribbean those who proudly declare themselves to be the Diaspora, who then came out of in, often, many situations odds that were designed to break them, demoralise them to create systems and situations that were to make them feel less than humans, less than full human beings. "But, yet, they survived. And they tell another history a history of endurance, a history of faith, a history in believing what is possible, a history that tells about not only the ability that each individual has to survive but also to thrive. The US Vice-President said all those stories needed to be told, and "in a way that we can pick and take lessons from the pain we all feel, the anguish that reeks from this place". Moving She said being at the castle was immensely powerful and moving, with the history about the treatment of hundreds and thousands. Once the stories were told, she said, the knowledge that would be gained should be used in lifting up all people, in recognising their struggles in fighting for, as the walls of the castle talked about justice and freedom for all people and the human rights of all. "So that's what I take from being here. The descendants of the people who walked through that door were strong people, proud people, people of deep faith; people who loved their families, their traditions, their culture and carried that innate being with them through all of these periods; went on to fight for civil rights, fight for justice in the United States and around the world. "And all of us, regardless of our background, have benefited from their struggle and their fight for freedom and for justice," she emphasised. NDC Primary: John Mahama thanks Kobea for stepping down to support him GraphicOnline Politics Mar - 30 - 2023 , 08:03 Former President John Dramani Mahama has expressed his gratitude to businessman Ernest Kobea for withdrawing from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer race and pledging his support to him. Mr. Kobea was one of four members of the NDC who had picked presidential nomination forms. After being vetted, Mr. Kobea announced his withdrawal from the race on March 29, leaving Mr. Mahama, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, and Kojo Bonsu as the remaining aspirants. Mr. Mahama took to Facebook to thank his supporters and express his appreciation to Ernest Kobea for his support. He posted: "Balloting has been done for the May 13 presidential primaries and John Mahama is No.1 on the ballot. I thank you all for your dedication, support and prayers through it all, thus far. I also want to thank my younger brother, Ernest who has not only stepped down from the contest, but has declared his support for me". The NDC is set to hold its presidential primaries on May 13, ahead of next year's elections. analysis Our detractors have chosen to misconstrue the reasons behind our partnership with London, not least one of our neighbours. In the years preceding and during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, many thousands of Rwandans were forced to flee their own country to escape ethnic persecution. Over the past 29 years, many Rwandans returned to help rebuild but also to resettle and take advantage of their fast growing, safe country. Our open-door refugee policy has been shaped by this unique history. Many commentators know very little about why Rwanda today is home to over 130,000 refugees from the region, the continent and further afield. In collaboration with the UNHCR, Rwanda has received 13 evacuation flights of refugees from dangerous detention centres in Libya. An entire girl's school was relocated from Afghanistan to Rwanda. Whilst the mechanism and organisation of these partnerships are different than that with the UK, the premise is the same: to break the hold of criminal smuggling gangs and provide safety and opportunity for those in need. Very few out there realise the role of human traffickers behind the movement of migrants from the South, Centre, East, West and the Horn of Africa, across the Sahara to the Mediterranean coast. There are many who have not quite grasped the context and utility of the UK-Rwanda partnership perhaps because they are unfamiliar with the details, or maybe because they are our perennial critics, accustomed to attacking any initiative involving Rwanda. Much of the focus has fallen on the UK's role in the deal. The partnership will fund investments in Rwanda's infrastructure, public services, employment and training opportunities, education, and affordable housing, among other things, so that both Rwandans and migrants can build better lives. These investments allow us to accelerate our ambitions of becoming a high-income country by 2050 while also expanding our enduring commitment to offer sanctuary to the most vulnerable. The migrants we welcome here will contribute to the economic, social, and cultural development of our country, in the same way that many migrants already in Rwanda are doing. To anyone familiar with Rwanda's journey over the past 29 years, this type of partnership will not come as a surprise. While it is ultimately the Rwandan people who are responsible for our national transformation over this period, we have benefited from strong collaborations and partnerships with international partners throughout this process. Partnership and collaboration have been, and will continue to be, central to our economic development. On a continent with a long and tragic history of one-sided, often exploitative relationships with the outside world, Rwanda is focused on working towards self-sufficiency and on direct benefits to our population. These are non-negotiable in all our partnerships. Our neighbours in the DRC have made their resentment of our current partnership with the UK no secret. Indeed, they have used the British media's interest in migration to launch a misinformation campaign on Rwanda. Yet given their history of selling off their country's wealth for the gain of a select few, their resentment is unsurprising. Indeed, while the world's spotlight is currently on the instability in eastern DRC where public safety is in the hands of over 100 armed militia groups (as the DRC government's spokesperson told the BBC this week), the story of the Congolese economy is an example of a national tragedy Kinshasa would like to blame on someone else. With its enormous land mass and mineral wealth, Congo should be one of the world's most prosperous countries. Instead, these riches have been cannibalised by the country's ruling elite - a condition that has continued to worsen under the Tshisekedi regime. Rather than focusing on building institutions that protect the country's resources, serve its population, and build a foundation for long-term wealth, the endemic chaos and corruption of the Congolese state has resulted in serious governance failures and persistent insecurity that threatens not only the safety of its citizens but the security of its neighbours. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Rwanda Europe and Africa Migration By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Rwanda will not be deterred by attempts to undermine our productive global partnerships. We intend to continue working together with the international community to build sustainable, long-term partnerships which prioritise our own people, and contribute to the progress of our continent. We must do more to reject the expectation that African nations should assume the role of the compliant, junior partner in relationships with the outside world. If we succeed in liberating ourselves from this mindset, and focus on being stakeholders of the global commons, our long-term prospects are bright. Johnston Busingye is the High Commissioner for Rwanda to the UK. Green River Police Department reports for March 19 At 2:04 p.m., officers responded to the E Flaming Gorge Way area for a report of a two-vehicle collision. It was reported both vehicles were traveling southeast on E Flaming Gorge Way. One vehicle slowed down and the other vehicle struck the rear of the first vehicle. Officers issued the driver of the second vehicle, Harvey Poling, of Green River, a citation for alleged inattentive driving with a crash. Officers gathered information and completed a report of the incident. At 3:23 p.m., officers responded to a residence on Kentucky Street for a report of a barking dog. Officers could hear a dog barking in the area, located the residence, and attempted to make contact. Officers posted a notice on the door, completed a report of the incident, and forwarded the information to Animal Control. At 5:44 p.m., officers responded to a report of domestic violence. Officers met with the individuals involved in an altercation, gathered information, and completed a report of the incident. At 8:08 p.m., officers responded to the Shoshone Avenue area for a report of a disturbance. Officers met with the individuals involved in a verbal dispute. Officers gathered information and ascertained one of the individuals was in violation of a probation order. Officers placed Dustin Cleary, of Green River, under arrest for an active Arrest and Hold Order/PC Arrest for Probation/Parole Violation. Officers transported Cleary to the Sweetwater County Detention Center and completed a report of the incident. At 8:16 p.m., officers responded to the Shoshone Avenue area for a report of a two-vehicle collision. It was reported while officers were on the scene of a call, they observed an individual that was driving one vehicle back into another vehicle, which was parked and unoccupied. Officers gathered information and completed a report of the incident. At 9:17 p.m., officers responded to a report of domestic violence. Officers met with the individuals involved in a verbal dispute. Officers gathered information and completed a report of the incident. March 20 At 2:54 a.m., officers responded to the N 2 E Street area for a report of an individual knocking on the door of a residence. Officers attempted to locate the individual and made contact at the residence. The individual requested the subject be issued a trespass warning for the property. Officers completed a report of the incident and will issue the trespass warning once the subject is located. At 7:32 a.m., officers were dispatched to Monroe Avenue for a report of a hit and run that occurred on Upland Way. Officers met with the owner of one vehicle who reported they found a note on their vehicle that stated someone had hit their vehicle. Officers gathered information, attempted to contact the owner of the other vehicle, and completed a report of the incident. At 12:06 p.m., Animal Control Officers responded to a report of an animal bite. Officers met with an individual who reported they tried to gather a stray cat and take it to the Animal Shelter when they were bitten by the cat. Officers gathered information and completed a report of the incident. The cat will be held at the shelter for a 10-day Rabies quarantine observation period. At 2:07 p.m., officers responded to a residence on Chugwater Drive concerning an accidental discharge of a firearm. It was reported the individual was cleaning the firearm when it went off. No injuries were reported. Officers gathered information and completed a report of the incident. At 7:58 p.m., officers responded in reference to Municipal Court summons and for an individual with an active warrant. Officers met with the individual, confirmed the warrant, placed Jackson Gladue, of Green River, under arrest per the active warrant, and issued a citation for alleged interference with peace officer. Officers transported Gladue to the Sweetwater County Detention Center and completed a report of the incident. At 8:17 p.m., officers responded to a residence on E 2 N Street in reference to trespassing and theft. Officers met with an individual who reported an item missing and requested a trespass order be issued to the subject suspected of taking the item. Officers gathered information, attempted to contact the subject, then completed a report of the incident. At 8:43 p.m., officers responded to a residence on Colorado Drive in reference to a disturbance. Officers met with the individuals involved in an altercation. Officers gathered information and completed a report of the incident. At 9:07 p.m., officers responded to the I-80 WB tunnel for a report of a single-vehicle collision. It was reported the vehicle lost traction and struck the sides of the tunnel. Officers gathered information and issued the driver, Rosibel Nunez Cruz, of Utah, citations for alleged speed too fast for conditions, and no valid drivers license and/or violation of drivers license conditions. Officers then completed a report of the incident. At 11:27 p.m., officers conducted a traffic stop in the area of N 4 W Street and issued the driver a written warning for alleged speeding. March 21 At 12:58 a.m., officers responded to the Loaf N Jug at 515 E Flaming Gorge Way for a report of an incident involving an individual claiming to have lost their wallet in the store. The individual became upset then yelled at the staff when the wallet was not located. Officers gathered information and completed a report of the incident. Neither the subject nor the wallet was located. At 5:56 a.m., officers responded to a residence on N 2ND E Street in reference to a burglary. Officers met with the homeowner who reported their residence had been broken into. They did not find anything missing but did find damage to their front window and two internal walls. Officers gathered information and completed a report of the incident. There are no suspects at this time. At 8:59 a.m., officers responded to the area of Crossbow Drive for a report of a scam. Officers met with an individual who expressed concerns about an individual that was potentially scammed. Officers met with the individual and gathered information. It is unknown if there were monetary losses or if the incident was in fact a scam. Officers completed a report of the incident. At 8:59 a.m., officers responded to Smiths at 905 Bridger Drive in reference to shoplifting. Officers met with the store manager who reported that an individual had taken an item from the store. The manager advised they have elected to allow the individual to pay for the item, but requested a trespass order be issued. Officers met with the individual and conducted a civil standby while the individual paid for the item. Officers then issued a trespass warning to the individual and completed a report of the incident. At 9:41 a.m., officers were dispatched to the area of Stratton Myers Park for a report of an individual who was reportedly assaulted by an unknown male while walking in the area. While GRPD officers canvassed the area, RSPD officers and GRPD Detectives met with the victim at the hospital. Officers were unable to locate anyone in the area. Officers gathered information and completed a report of the incident, which is still under investigation. At 9:44 a.m., officers responded to a residence on Connecticut Street concerning a burglary from a vehicle that had reportedly occurred while the vehicle was parked at the Hitching Post Bar and Grill at 580 E Flaming Gorge Way. Officers met with an individual who reported their vehicle had been gone through and items were missing. Officers gathered information and completed a report of the incident. At 10:24 a.m., officers responded to a residence on Schultz Street for a report of larceny. Officers met with an individual who reported their mini-bike had been stolen from their driveway. Officers gathered information and completed a report of the incident, which is still under investigation. Within the next few days, county residents will be receiving their 2023 Notice of Value. Please review the information on the Notice of Value. If you are in disagreement with the value of your property, you have 30 days from the Date MailedMarch 29th to discuss the value with the Assessor and provide information to assist our office in valuing your property. Homes are valued by calculating the replacement cost new, subtracting depreciation, trending for sales and adding in the land value. The Wyoming Department of Revenue provides the cost data to all 23 Assessors in the state and there was a significant increase in the cost tables again this year. Anybody who tried to do a home improvement project in the last year saw the prices of building materials were still very high. Sweetwater County had the LOWEST change in residential property values from tax year 2021 tax year 2022. Our local increase was 6.75% compared to an average of 16.17% state-wide. Tax year 2023 will be higher in Sweetwater County, and some properties may see increases this year of up to 20%. Please keep in mind, Assessors are required by the Wyoming Department of Revenue and the State Board of Equalization to be in compliance with Mass Appraisal Standards. These standards require the value of residential and commercial properties to be within 95% of the sales price for these properties in calendar year 2022. The Wyoming County Assessors Association was part of a group that lobbied very hard in the recent legislative session to get the Property Tax Refund Program expanded to include more taxpayers. That effort was successful. This means more taxpayers may qualify for a refund of their paid property taxes from the Department of Revenue. Our office will have applications for the Refund Program available and can direct taxpayers to the DOR website for the on-line application. If you have been receiving the Veterans Exemption and there is not an amount in the lower right-hand corner of the Notice of Value, please contact our office before May 22nd, 2023 to receive the exemption for the 2023 tax year. The taxes you see on the Notice of Value do not reflect the reduction from the Veterans Exemption. After looking over your assessment schedule, if you have any questions or concerns about the valuation of your property, please call the Assessors Office. We enjoy taking the time to explain the valuation process to residents of our county. For decades the executive and legislative branches have recognized that Wyomings tax structure is in a permanent state of imbalance. The two branches largely supported the work of the Tax Reform 2000 Committee and have implemented many of the recommendations. Although Wyomings economy has diversified, many of the Tax Reform 2000 findings remain true today including the main statement of the committee, Wyomings tax structure lacks balance due to an over-reliance on mineral taxes to fund governments daily operating expenditures. While we are encouraged by the proposals filed this past session, and the few that legislators passed in the 2023 General Session, we know Wyoming must engage in an honest and robust tax reform discussion to achieve true tax reform. The variety of bills filed primarily in the residential property tax arena, plus those that addressed the structural challenges identified in Tax Reform 2000, by no means could be considered true structural tax reform. Instead, we hope this is the beginning of a conservative, pro-family and pro-business tax reform effort and a sign of significant tax reform action in the future. True conservative tax reform begins when the state makes structural changes that lessens the states dependence on the minerals industry and addresses spending on services to which Wyoming residents have become accustomed to. In 2021, a three-person family with an income of $67,000 and owns a home valued at $290,000; pays on average $3,990 in taxes and receives right at $27,550 in services (i.e. local government, public safety, special districts, K-12 education). This is a good deal compared to the tax burdens in surrounding states. Moving forward, Wyoming should use this time and interim to consider: - Providing targeted, immediate relief to those in greatest need - Promote conservative spending and seek additional efficiencies at all levels of government - Adopt broad-based tax policies that are sound and non-discriminatory - Eliminate tax policies that are inequitable and burdensome to administer and collect - Repeal current exemptions that may erode the existing tax base thereby creating pressure on other taxpayers to foot the bill. We close with a reflection from Tax Reform 2000: Since the imposition of the severance tax in the 1970s, Wyoming has been blessed and cursed by the boom-and-bust nature of commodities. In 1997 WTA wrote draft legislation that established an executive and legislative task force to study Wyomings tax structure. The Tax Reform 2000 recommendations remain as relevant today as they were 23 years ago. Some of the most glaring observations were: - Inequitable: The tax structure is regressive (lower income households pay a larger percentage of income in excise and property taxes than households with higher income). - Unstable: Mineral production taxes based on market values many of which are subject to national and international volatility. - Lacks balance: Tax structure reliant on extractive industries to fund operating budget (income inelastic as mineral tax collections are unrelated to state income changes). Wyomings current tax structure may contribute to the lack of economic growth in the state. Grover (played by Dakota Hudson), Percy (played by Owen Adams) and Annabeth (played by Hannah Skinner) prepare to go on their "killer hero's quest," equipped with official Camp Half-Blood questing backpacks, a pair of shoes with wings, and an Invisibility Cap. An epic tale of mythological proportions is coming to Green River. "It's something new, it's something different that we haven't ever done on stage at Green River High School," Bradlee Skinner, the GRHS theater director, said of the play. The high school theater department's latest production will bring a well-known story to life in fantastic ways. "The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical" will celebrate opening night with a red carpet event tonight and will have performances through the weekend. Bringing the book to life The play is based on the first book in Rick Riordan's "Percy Jackson and the Olympian" series, which puts Greek mythology into modern times and tells the story of a young demigod and his friends going on an epic quest to recover Zeus's stolen lightning bolt. "One of the reasons we picked it was knowing it's a story that a lot of people are familiar with," Skinner explained. "But most people aren't familiar with it as a musical, so it's something new. So we're hoping that the familiarity with the story mixed with the newness of the music will intrigue people enough to come out and watch it." While bringing new elements to the story, Skinner also said it was important to everyone to stay true to the book and honor the story's origins. This included putting book-related details throughout the show, from props to makeup to sets. "We have a ton of easter eggs in the show, little hints and things to the books, to the movies, so that hopefully our fans of the book series will appreciate the loyalty that we really put to it," Skinner said. Putting kids on stage Another factor that drew Skinner to the show, but also provided a unique challenge, was the ability to have a large cast. While the show's original Broadway production had only eight cast members, Skinner explained that almost every actor was playing multiple roles. This meant the cast could vary in size from small to large, and for this production Skinner decided to break it up into a large number of individual roles. "It just gave that chance for everybody, especially all of our high school students, to have a part, to be actively involved, to be creating that character that they say 'this is my version of that character and I'm going to help bring it to life on stage,'" Skinner said. One exception they chose to make for this production was double-casting the roles of Poseidon and Gabe, Percy's father and step-father, who are both played by Alex Hudson. Skinner noted that this shows a similarity and contrast between the two men Sally Jackson gravitates towards. "We thought it would be a unique aspect to it and to the casting, and we think Alex plays both parts incredibly well," Skinner said. "And it just makes it fun." Fun has been a crucial part of this production, especially since the cast and crew includes not only high schoolers, but also middle school and elementary school students. Skinner estimated that there are approximately 90 kids involved with the production, which is one of the biggest casts they've had in the last few years. "It's amazing," he said of the show and working with the cast. "It has been so much fun to work with them, to see that excitement, especially with new things that we're doing, putting some magic tricks on stage, making things appear out of nowhere, that we kind of need to give that Greek mythology lore." Projecting magic One of the main ways this production will bring the magic of mythology to life is through the use of projections. The projections help with special effects and with being able to represent the many different locations the characters travel to throughout the play, Skinner explained. This allows the characters to go from an apartment to the beach in a split second, for example, which lets the production do things it couldn't otherwise. Another element of using projections is that it starts to blur the line between film and stage, according to Skinner. "It's unique in its own way, but at the same time we're really excited because we see that's where the industry is going," he said. "We want our students to be able to work with projections because we know more professional theater companies are going that route. And now we're going to be one of the first schools in Wyoming to help really pioneer that for our students." The uniqueness of the show has been a challenge for everyone involved, and Skinner admitted this was initially a source of stress since they were all trying things that hadn't been done before. But he said the excitement quickly overcame the stress as everyone decided to dive in and try something different, address the challenges, and figure out how to make things work. "Our technicians and our actors have risen to the occasion, and it's been great," he said. Succeeding together Skinner was also quick to acknowledge all the support that made the play possible. "The show couldn't happen if it was just me," he said. Skinner pointed to the importance of the people who are helping him with various aspects of the production. Julie Mortensen is the assistant director who has worked with blocking and choreography. Danielle Forbush is the music director who is conducting and helping the students with the songs. Julia Eaton is the assistant musical director and has also taken on being the primary makeup designer. Katherine Skinner is also helping as the choreographer, and Melissa Skinner is helping as the backstage coordinator. "We have a lot of parents that are helping as well, especially some parent volunteers that are helping backstage with all of our little ones," Skinner added. "And we couldn't do without them, so we appreciate their help." The show has also received community support, from Red White Buffalo hosting a cast meet and greet and performance last weekend, to Stellar Coffee having special Percy Jackson themed drinks, to Sarah's Mad Batter bakery selling blue cinnamon rolls at intermission to raise funds for the theater department, to the Sweetwater County Library hosting Camp Half Blood training to give away tickets to the show. Sharing the show With everyone having worked together to overcome the challenges and bring the epic story to life, the cast and crew are ready for an audience. "First and foremost, we hope [people] just come and have fun," Skinner said. "It's a fun show. We want them to be excited." Star photo by Hannah Romero Percy (played by Owen Adams) spends his first day at Camp Half-Blood with other demigods. He pointed out that many of the high school's productions appeal to an older audience, but this musical is a family-friendly show that targets a younger audience and can be enjoyed by all ages. He hopes people will bring their kids to see it. Skinner also hopes the audience will be wowed by the large scale of the show and the special effects, from representing creatures like minotaurs to having exploding toilets, all of which will be unlike anything audiences at the high school have ever seen. "We hope that they just enjoy that experience of seeing something new, or seeing something different and just having fun," he said. "The Lightning Thief" will have performances at 7 p.m. on March 29, 30 and 31 as well as April 3. There will also be a matinee performance at 1 p.m. on April 1. Tickets are available online at showtix4u.com. HOUSTON (AP) The man who inspired the film Hotel Rwanda and was freed by Rwanda last week from a terrorism sentence returned Wednesday to the United States and joined his family after being held for more than two years. Paul Rusesabagina's arrival in San Antonio was announced by his daughter Carine Kanimba, who tweeted that our family is finally reunited today. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan tweeted that were glad to have him back on U.S. soil. Rusesabagina's plane first touched down in Houston and the 68-year-old would visit a military hospital in San Antonio, according to a person familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning. Rusesabagina, a U.S. legal resident and Belgian citizen, was credited with sheltering more than 1,000 ethnic Tutsis at the hotel he managed during Rwandas 1994 genocide in which over 800,000 Tutsis and Hutus who tried to protect them were killed. He received the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom for his efforts. Rusesabagina disappeared in 2020 during a visit to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and appeared days later in Rwanda in handcuffs. His family alleged he was kidnapped and taken to Rwanda against his will to stand trial. In 2021, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison after being convicted in Rwanda on eight charges including membership in a terrorist group, murder and abduction following the widely criticized trial. Last week, Rwandas government commuted his sentence after diplomatic intervention on his behalf by the United States. On Monday, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told journalists that Rusesabagina was in Doha, Qatar, and would make his way back to the U.S. Rusesabagina had been accused of supporting the armed wing of his opposition political platform, the Rwandan Movement for Democratic Change. The armed group claimed some responsibility for attacks in 2018 and 2019 in southern Rwanda in which nine Rwandans died. Rusesabagina testified at trial that he helped to form the armed group to assist refugees but said he never supported violence and sought to distance himself from its deadly attacks. Rusesabagina has asserted that his arrest was in response to his criticism of longtime President Paul Kagame over alleged human rights abuses. Kagames government has repeatedly denied targeting dissenting voices with arrests and extrajudicial killings. Rusesabagina became a public critic of Kagame and left Rwanda in 1996, first living in Belgium and then the U.S. His arrest was a source of friction with the U.S. and others at a time when Rwandas government has also been under pressure over tensions with neighboring Congo and Britains plan to deport asylum-seekers to the small east African nation. Rights activists and others had been urging Rwandan authorities to free him, saying his health was failing. In October, the ailing Rusesabagina signed a letter to Kagame that was posted on the justice ministrys website, saying that if he was granted pardon and released to live in the U.S., he would hold no personal or political ambitions and "I will leave questions regarding Rwandan politics behind me. Last year, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Kagame in Rwanda and discussed the case. Kirby, the White House National Security Council spokesman, had said Sullivan personally engaged in the case, really doing the final heavy lifting to get Paul released and to get him on his way home. ___ Tucker reported from Washington. Associated Press reporters Jake Bleiberg in Dallas and Cara Anna in Nairobi, Kenya, contributed reporting. ___ Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter at https://twitter.com/juanlozano70. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate GREENWICH Greenwich Harbor is long overdue for dredging, but this week the town got one step closer to actually moving earth. The federal government has agreed to pay $500,000 to test the sediment in Greenwich Harbor for contamination, which is required before any dredging can start. The results of this environmental review will dictate when the dredging will start and where the soil will be moved or if it will happen at all. Greenwich Harbor is a federal channel, so the government has a duty to maintain it. This environmental review money specifically is coming from the Army Corps of Engineers, but not until Fiscal Year 2024 which starts on October 1. That means testing is likely months or possibly more than a year away. The harbor sees traffic from police boats, large yachts, town ferries and more, but silt and sand has built up considerably near Grass Island. At low tide, the water is only about 7 feet deep in some places. The harbor has needed this dredging for decades, but the project did not move forward until Bernard Armstrong was elected chairman of the towns Harbor Management Commission last April. He said getting this dredging done was a top priority when he took the leadership role. "Quite often, commissions and committees like this to do a lot of talking, but they don't do a lot doing, he said. I just felt that if I'm going to be charged to this commission, we have to start doing doing and getting things done." Armstrong said if the sediment is not highly contaminated, then he hopes it can be dredged and moved to local waters out in the Long Island Sound. If the sediment (also called spoils in this context) is contaminated or toxic, then it will cost more money to move it. Potentially, the price could be so high that the project does not move forward, though Armstrong thinks that is unlikely. Armstrong is optimistic that the spoils will be clean enough to dump in the Sound, but it will have to wait. Armstrong credited Selectperson Janet Stone McGuigan with helping the dredging process along. He said she was instrumental in engaging Representative Jim Himes, which resulted in him sending a letter to the Army Corps of Engineers last year asking for the funds. Im extremely pleased that we succeeded in securing critical funding - $500,000 from the Army Corps of Engineers, Himes said in a statement. I look forward to working with the Town to ensure they have the federal money they need to cross the finish line and successfully complete the project. It is still unknown how much this dredging will cost in total, but the figure will likely be in the millions. In the past, town officials have said it would cost between $8 and $10 million, but, on Wednesday, First Selectman Fred Camillo said it would likely cost more than that. The federal government is expected to pay for most of this dredging cost, but the town of Greenwich has already set aside $2 million to chip in. The dredging was delayed in the past because there was a question about whether Greenwich was in violation of federal rules in and around the harbor. Specifically, there was concern that Greenwich Harbor and Grass Island were not sufficiently open to the public. After years, the Army Corps of Engineers finally said the harbor is indeed in compliance with federal rules late last year, which cleared the way for the sediment testing. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate GREENWICH It was a full house and more at Greenwich Town Hall on Wednesday as residents came out in force to share their thoughts on the towns upcoming budget. About 150 people filled the meeting room ahead of the Board of Estimate and Taxations last public hearing on the fiscal year 2023-24 budget. This meeting was the third and final hearing before the BET votes to finalize the budget on April 4. Dan Ozizmir, chair of the BET, said the crowd size was unprecedented and that the number of people in the room exceeded the towns fire code. Around 40 people were shuffled out into the overflow room upstairs as the meeting started, where they could watch a livestream of the hearing before coming down to make their comments. The BET also received public comments online. The discussion went on for more than three hours. The majority of residents who spoke talked about their desire to fund renovations at various public schools around town, including Central Middle School and Old Greenwich School. About 70 people took to the podium on Wednesday, with most of them talking about adding more funding for schools. Others spoke about more funds for maintenance at the Cos Cob Library and replacing town fire engines. Speakers were limited to three minutes on the microphone, a rule that most people adhered to. First Selectman Fred Camillo was the first commenter of the night and ceded some of his time to Dylan Tobin, a second grader at Old Greenwich School who had what Camillo called an encroaching bedtime. I would like to say that year after year, the BET has not been funding our schools. I mean, there was literally sewage in my school, Tobin said. Please fund our schools and we will be really happy if you do. Thank you. Camillo used the remainder of his time for some last minute lobbying on his spending priorities, including $400,000 for renovations at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park and $1.1 million so the Old Greenwich School building committee can continue its planning work. The BET currently has no money in its budget for repairing Old Greenwich School. Most of the speakers called for additions to the existing budget, including multiple comments on funding for more pickleball courts, money to replace the Dorothy Hamill rink in Byram, drainage work near Old Church Road and for maintenance at the Cos Cob Library. Deborah Armstrong, president of the Friends of Cos Cob Library volunteer association, said the library had 67,000 visitors last year, but no maintenance for decades. The Cos Cob library has not been renovated at all since it was built in 1999. Twenty-four years ago, hundreds of thousands of people, no renovation, she said. This is not about financing an expansion or a bigger library. This is maintenance to the existing structure. Armstrong and others said the lighting is so bad in the library it can be difficult to read the book jackets in the stacks. Hilary Haroche, a Representative Town Meeting member from District 10, asked the BET to replace the fire departments Engine 11, which she said is commonly known as the piece of crap among the firefighters. The fire department requested funds to replace two engines, but the BET only has money for one replacement in its budget, so Engine 11 will have to continue in service, officials have said. Engine 11 has terrible rust on the chassis from driving through high water, multiple issues, costly repairs recently, in addition to more on the way, Haroche said. We currently have six career engines available. We have four reserve engines: Engine 11, the piece of crap, is one of those. During the comments, the 12 members of the BET sat silently, unable to retort or defend their positions or support while the speakers commented. These BET members were also warned by several speakers that their budget decisions next week will inevitably have consequences during elections this fall. By 9 p.m., some of the people who had signed up to speak were not present when their names were called. The meeting eventually adjourned just before 10:40 p.m. After the BET sets its final budget next week, the RTM will consider the budget during its May meeting. The RTM has the ability to decrease funding in the budget, but it cannot add more money than the BET sets. The motorcyclist had told the court that Amotekun men shot at him in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on 9 August 2021, leading to the amputation of his left leg about a month after. The Ondo State High Court in Akure has ordered the state government to pay N30 million in compensation to a commercial motorcyclist who lost his leg to a gunshot by the state's security network agency code-named Amotekun. The motorcyclist, Oluwarotimi Oluwasegun, said in his suit that Amotekun men shot him in the Araromi area of Akure, the Ondo State capital, on 9 August 2021, leading to the amputation of his left leg about a month after. Determined to get justice, Mr Oluwasegun, 36, through his lawyer, Tope Temokun, sued the Ondo State Government at the High Court. Delivering judgement on the suit on Wednesday, the judge, Omolara Adejumo, awarded N30 million against the Ondo State Government and the Amotekun Corps, the claimant's lawyer, Mr Temokun, said in a statement he shared with PREMIUM TIMES. "In awarding this sum, the court condemned in the strongest terms the illegal shooting of the applicant (Mr Oluwasegun) in the leg that led to the amputation of his leg," Mr Temokun stated. Mr Temokun filed the suit on behalf of his client on 28 October 2022, over a year after the incident happened. The lawyer said he filed the suit after receiving a 26 October 2022 reply from the state government to his complaint letter, alleging that his client was arrested while the Amotekun officers were on a trail of kidnap and armed robbery suspects. He had said it was wicked to link his client to such crimes. He urged the court to hold that "The shooting, torture and abandonment of the applicant by the officers of the respondents constitute a gruesome violation of the applicant's right to personal dignity." Mr Temokun sought among other prayers, an order directing the Ondo State government and the other defendants to pay him N50 million "as general damages" and another N50 million as "exemplary damages," making a total of N10 million "for the violation of the applicant's right to personal dignity." Mr Temokun maintained that Mr Oluwasegun deserved "compensatory damages for breach of his fundamental right to personal dignity." The Okada rider, as commercial motorcyclists are popularly called, sued for N100 million compensation at the Ondo State High Court in Akure. How Oluwasegun was shot Mr Oluwasegun, a father of two boys, nine-year-old Samuel and six-year-old Oluwadarasimi, said the attack on him by the Amotekun operatives occurred between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. on 9 August 2021 of in Akure. In court filings, he narrated that a passenger had just alighted from his motorcycle at a neighbourhood in Araromi, Akure when an Amotekun's van suddenly swerved towards him by the roadside and the occupants began to shoot into the air as the vehicle came to a stop. He said people around, scared by the gunshots, fled, but he stood back. "I did not run because I presumed the officers were carrying out their lawful duties, and, more so, when I did not do anything incriminating that might warrant me to flee at the sight of Amotekun officers," he wrote in his supporting affidavit. Surprised that he did not flee like others, four Amotekun men, Mr Oluwasegun said, "alighted from the van, accosted me, and to my surprise, they started to harass and beat me." He said he was still struggling to make a sense of the situation when one of the Amotekun officers "fired a shot on my leg with the rifle he had tied to his neck." The men then dragged him into the back of their van and drove him to the Amotekun Headquarters at Alagbaka, where he was later abandoned, Mr Oluwasegun said. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. At their office, according to the claimant, he was abandoned outside uncared for, until a senior officer came out and directed that he be taken to the outfit's medical unit. At the Amotekun's medical unit, he said, nurses only bandaged the gunshot injury and referred him to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owo, "for immediate treatment of the leg." The Okada rider recounted how the Amotekun men drove him roughly down to Owo, with his fractured thigh "barely hanging to the flesh" for 45 minutes that seemed to him "like 45 years" of pain. He said he was treated for barely 24 hours when he learnt on Tuesday, 10 August 2021, the day after the incident, that the medical staff of the hospital went on strike. "This was the end of any meaningful medical attention that the leg got at FMC Owo," he said. With no further care, the condition of the wound worsened and the leg became smelly as it began to decay, which led to the amputation. GREENWICH Students, parents and town leaders rallied outside the town hall before the Wednesday evening Board of Estimate and Taxation public forum, holding signs and giving speeches about the importance of the BET appropriating adequate funds in the 2023-24 budget for school renovation projects. "I am concerned that we're not building the kind of school facilities our kids need and deserve," said Leslie Moriarty, BET democratic caucus, to the crowd. "I'm concerned that were not investing in the other infrastructure and the other aspects ... our town needs and deserves. We have the financial ability to do it, so theres no rationale for the nickel and diming that we see every day here on these budgets." This public forum was the final hearing before the BET votes to finalize the budget next Tuesday. Speakers had three minutes to speak to the 12 BET members, who had to remain silent for the duration of the three-and-half-hour public forum. Once it began, around 70 parents, school leaders, concerned citizens and even some students spoke to the BET, begging members to appropriately fund school renovation projects specifically for Old Greenwich School, Central Middle School and Julian Curtiss School. Many of the speakers added that the projects should be funded at the same time, not one at a time. "Attempts to pit one school against another have no place in these discussions. It is completely inappropriate," said Dina Urso, co-president of the Central Middle School Parent-Teacher Association. "Chronic underfunding of schools has led us here to this point. Do not make CMS the scapegoat for why OGS is seemingly being kicked down the road again. We stand in support of OGS and JC, as we know they stand in support of us." Various speakers shared their stories and opinions about the state of the current school buildings. Many speakers specifically talked about OGS, sharing their concerns about sewage and how the building is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. "There's poor air quality, no ventilation and raw sewage flooding in the classrooms," said Kristin Connell, mother of a kindergartner at OGS. "Even more sickening than that to me is learning the fact that a student with a broken leg has to be isolated from his friends from his teacher because he is not able to access his classroom on the third floor and moreover, new students that move to our community that are in a wheelchair or have any physical limitation are turned away from the school in entirety due to the buildings lack of accessibility and ADA non-compliance. What message is that sending to our children?" Safety was also a recurring topic, especially since the forum took place less than two weeks after the shooting at Covenant School in Nashville. OGS Principal Jennifer Bencivengo asked the BET to support the $35.9 million to fully fund the schools renovation to add necessary safety features to the building. "Every day I say goodbye to my child to take care of (the school's 400-plus students), assuring her that I am going to return that evening, a fear I didnt consider when I became an educator and not a police officer or a firefighter," Bencivengo said. James Waters, chair of the OGS school building committee said that the committee is ready to begin construction next spring if the BET provides funding. Waters said he was overwhelmed with the support for renovating OGS by those that spoke at the forum and that the BET could have a legacy-defining opportunity if they choose to allocate appropriate funds for the school projects. While at the podium, Waters said that the BET members requested information from the building committee about various things, including the cost of building a new school. "We provided factual data. It's been cited so I wont go over it again, but still, some members tout construction costs not in tune with reality from a decade ago," Waters said. "Its embarrassing. We asked community members whether they want a new school. You heard it tonight. 'Just fix OGS. We dont want to tear it down.' " Paul Pugliese, who spoke on behalf of the Greenwich Preservation Network, said the group also supports renovating OGS and opposes plans to demolish the building. "I attended Old Greenwich School as did my wife and children," Pugliese said. "We support future renovations that can continue to address the needs of the students while they preserve the architectural treasure." The BETs decision day is next Tuesday and the Representative Town Meetings decision day is May 8, where they can only decrease the budget, not add to it. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BANGKOK (AP) Thai authorities used helicopters Thursday to try to contain a fire that overnight engulfed two mountains on largely undeveloped forest land in a province northeast of the capital Bangkok. The fire broke out Wednesday night in Nakhon Nayok province, 114 kilometers (70 miles) northeast of Bangkok, but firefighters could not directly tackle it because the mountains are too steep to safely climb, especially in the darkness of night, provincial Governor Bancha Chaowarin told reporters. Apart from the winds direction, I also have to look after the lives and safety of those conducting the operation. After reviewing the situation, since it is at a mountaintop, we had to retreat to standby and convene over what we can do, Bancha said late Wednesday night. At least 10 firefighting vehicles were dispatched to battle the blaze, and they were joined Thursday afternoon by at least two helicopters, which surveyed the situation and dumped water. Initial efforts to contain the blaze had concentrated on creating firebreaks. Bancha was quoted by the newspaper Thai Rath as saying it was initially estimated the fire could be brought under control within five days, but that he would try to do it in just three. Other forest fires have broken out in recent days in provinces farther north as seasonal temperatures rise, a perennial problem that contributes to dangerously high levels of air pollution. About 700 rai (about 275 acres, or 112 hectares) of forest in Nakhon Nayok had been burned by noon Thursday as the fire continued to smolder, Bancha said. The fire began on a high part of Khao Chaplu mountain and then spread to the adjacent Khao Laem mountain. Local media said it burned easily because much of the growth was bamboo, and high winds fanned the flames. The mountains sit in a vast parcel of land not far from one of the countrys best known nature reserves, Khao Yai National Park. Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy, Thailands version of West Point, is close to where the fire broke out and a village of about 500 residents is about 1 kilometer (half a mile) from the fire site, Thai Rath reported. Residents were warned to alert officials about any wild animals they saw fleeing the burning forest. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha was closely monitoring the situation and had ordered officials and the army to mobilize to stop the fires spread, government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said. He added that Prayuth ordered officials to watch for anyone deliberately lighting fires to clear land for farming and other purposes, a practice that has been blamed for past fires. The cause of the fire in Nakhon Nayok was not yet clear, though some local media reports said it was set off by lightning. Bancha was quoted by Thai Rath as saying a storm on Tuesday ignited a fire nearby that strong winds blew to the Khao Laem area. Separate forest fires have been raging farther north, Anucha noted, including in Chiang Mai province, where water was dumped from the air Wednesday in an effort the dowse the flames. Growing up, Vinessa Duenas always had a love for plants and remembers being curious about their names and possible healing properties. When she moved home to Guam and enrolled in the Micronesian Studies masters degree program at UOG, she serendipitously met one of the islands most knowledgeable and celebrated yoamte, or traditional CHamoru healers. I ended up meeting Mama Chai, and I took the opportunity to ask her if I could learn from her. She said, come tomorrow, and I ended up coming every day, Duenas said. Moving home Duenas was born and raised in California and attributes her father for helping to foster a strong connection to CHamoru history and culture. He was one of those people, one of those CHamorus who would make his own designs and have them on T-shirts, on hats and stuff. Wed go to different festivals around the states and sell them, Duenas recalled. As a little girl, Duenas remembers sitting at the kitchen table with her dad, learning how to draw coconut trees and pouring over CHamoru history books. She decided to move back home to Guam during the pandemic to enroll in the Micronesian Studies program after completing her undergraduate degree in anthropology. When I first started in the program, I was going to focus on CHamoru migration basically looking at reasons why CHamorus leave island, why they come back. Theres this constant interchanging of movement. Because thats my story, I wanted to stick close to what I knew, which was my familys story of migration, Duenas said. Duenas was interested in charting how our stories are so heavily shaped by colonialism and being a militarized island. Learning from Mama Chai Her path was changed when she met Mama Chai and asked if she could come and learn from the suruhana. I was very anxious. I just felt like I should at least try it out. But on my first day, she had me massaging babies and helping her give the medicine. She kind of just threw me in, to see how Id do and I think I did a good job, Duenas said. Through her apprenticeship, Duenas has not only been immersed in learning about how to heal people using the abundance of the land, but also has had to cultivate a deeper sense of trust and faith in herself. Starting out, I was having that really outsider feeling, like I cant even do this, who am I to do this? Do I even have the ability to heal people? Just feeling very self-conscious with myself, but I got over that. I was like, You know what, if (Mama Chai) trusts me, and she thinks I can do it, shes been doing this for a long time and I should probably have faith in myself, she said. From learning to massage babies to making amot tininu, Duenas has committed herself to learning as much as she can from the islands yoamte and has seen personal transformations within herself. I think I have become more patient and understanding with people. I remember at the beginning, people will get frustrated for a number of reasons, so theyll just be bitter about something, and I would have not a lot of patience for it. But then, Mama Chai would be telling me, You have to have patience in healing, because thats part of the process, listening to people, and being patient, and understanding them, Duenas said. Growing To grow as an apprentice, Duenas has also had to practice level-headedness and assurance in overwhelming situations. In healing, when theres an injury thats really bad or something thats not pretty to deal with, I dont know what happens it just goes to the back of my mind. I just do whatever it is, because in my head, Im just like, I want to help this person, I want to help them get better, she said. She shares that Mama Chai once commented that she would make a good pattera, or CHamoru nurse-midwife. In talking with Duenas, her passion for healing and her natural aptitude is clear, from her self-composure to her easy-going generosity. She shares some of the reservations that shes encountered since starting her journey as an apprentice. At first, my family was like, So are you guys doing witchcraft over there? And I was like, No, definitely not, this is not the one, Duenas said with a laugh. Were just working with plant medicine and were healing babies; its all Gods work. Theyve become more understanding, and they can see that Im serious about it because I quit one of my jobs to be able to be there every day and commit myself, she adds. Her love for healing practices has also rerouted her academic life. I wanted to change my focus to healing, and now my thesis is going to be on healing, she said. Duenas is set to graduate in December, and plans to incorporate her experiences with Mama Chai, as well as patient perspectives on why they seek out traditional healing, in her thesis. But the journey hasnt been without challenges. Fai Fai Beach Recently, Duenas went to Fai Fai Beach and saw there was a lot of medicine there, so she went back with Mama Chai. Getting to Fai Fai the bridge from Gun Beach to Fai Fai is broken, so we had to go through the water. It was super high tide and the waves were pretty strong, and shes 86 years old so we just dont want her to get hurt at all. Getting there was slow and a little dangerous, because shes older. When we got there, we found a lot of medicine and we picked medicine and put it in an orange bucket. We had to do the same number of taking our time and being careful going back to Gun Beach, and when we were coming back to Gun Beach, there were two marshalls walking towards us. I was like, Oh, its probably not about us, were not doing anything wrong. But then they stopped us and they were like, Hey, did you just come from Fai Fai? and we were like, Yeah and they said, Just letting you know, thats a preserve over there and youre not allowed to alter the natural environment, and we were like, Oh really, we didnt know that and they were like, Yeah, its a federal offense, you could go to jail or get fined, Duenas said. The marshals asked Duenas and the group what was in the bucket, and Duenas explained that it was amot. One of the officers recognized Mama Chai and let the group go, but told them that they couldnt collect medicinal plants there in the future. It was just a very stressful situation, where we just feel bad, we just went through a lot to get that medicine and its not even for ourselves, and were just being scolded and reprimanded for doing a cultural practice. It was me and another apprentice, Sydney Nauta, and we were talking about it, like its really discouraging, especially for people who are trying to learn. Its just very discouraging, because its like we cant even learn from a master without the possibility of being put in jail, Duenas said. The experience was jarring. Mama Chai was scared and said in all of her 60 years as a practicing suruhana, that had never happened to her before, Duenas said. Ive heard other stories of talayeru trying to teach how to throw the net and they get in trouble too, because theyre in a marine preserve or something like that. Its just one of the things where I think there should be exceptions, Duenas said. Community, purpose Duenas has also found a deep connection to the community through her work as a researcher for the Manamko to Manhoben oral history project. The group is tasked with documenting stories from the islands elders. For Duenas, hearing stories from manamko has been healing in its own way. My grandparents passed away when I was really young, so I never really got that experience of being around them and listening to them talk. I never got to have that, and thats also why I love being with Mama Chai, because shes like my grandma, Duenas said. Duenas apprenticeship under Mama Chai is a call to action to bring life to the sacred knowledge that is in danger of being lost to future generations. Ive been finding that healing is sacrificing, sacrificing yourself for others, Duenas said. Guam Power Authority legal counsel Graham Botha was fired Thursday evening, effective immediately, after the Consolidated Commission on Utilities voted 3-2 to terminate his employment. Botha was fired after CCU member Simon Sanchez raised concerns that Botha reportedly accepted a job with the Office of the Attorney General, which pays $20,000 more, and is scheduled to start handling a specific case for the AG next week. This particular employee is not truly loyal to the ratepayers, the management, and to his employers the CCU, Sanchez said. He made a motion to fire Botha and have him immediately escorted from the GPA offices in Mangilao. Commission members Sanchez, Francis Santos and Chairman Joseph Duenas voted to fire Botha. Commission members Mike Limtiaco and Pedro Martinez voted against firing him. Botha, who has worked for GPA for 17 years, acknowledged he received a job offer from the attorney generals office earlier this month, but told the CCU he did not accept the job. However, Bothas name is listed on the AGs staffing pattern as of March 28, Sanchez said, and there is nothing in writing that shows Botha declined the job offer. It doesnt feel right to me. It doesnt smell right to me, Sanchez said. I am displeased with his performance, based on this information. Botha, who received a $9,000 pay raise at GPA last November, told the CCU he has no idea why he is listed as an employee of the attorney generals office. I do want to stay with the authority. Ive been loyal to the authority for many, many years and have supported the agency and the CCU, Botha said. I think a job offer does not mean Im disloyal to the agency, nor does it mean Ive accepted a job. In the private sector, where I come from, this kind of action on behalf of counsel would not be acceptable because it shows that the employee is not loyal to the mission of the company, Sanchez said. And that bothers me more than anything else that it is disloyal. I think the attorney general has done something on you, chairman Duenas told Botha.Hes done a number on you, and I wish he hadnt. I wish you had caught it fast enough and realized that you were being scammed I really do. Commissioner Santos said, The website is showing that youre employed. Im not sure why the AG did that, but were not in any position to be talking to AG Moylan, because hes not our employee. Commissioner Limtiaco said the CCUs information about the job offer and employment with the attorney generals office is somewhat speculative. Limtiaco said the CCU should get more information from the attorney generals office. Youre probably guessing right, but youre still guessing, he said. Limtiaco said employees of the utility or the CCU are not obligated to notify the CCU if they have been given a job offer or are looking for other jobs to make a better life for themselves and their family. I dont see that as a sign of disloyalty, Limtiaco said. Duenas, after the vote, said firing Botha was a very hard decision. Im really torn, but I think the AGs playing with fire and you got burned. You got burned, Duenas said. There will be possible rotating power outages 6-9 p.m. tonight, according to a release from Guam Power Authority. Two of the islands four baseload power plants are offline, reducing the total power generation capacity. We ask for your patience and kindly request that all customers conserve power, especially during the peak demand hours from 6 to 9 p.m., said GPA General Manager John Benavente. The schedule below is a list of potentially affected areas. Changes will be posted on GPAs website and social media pages. 6-7 p.m. Tamuning Route 1 Northbound (Hafa Adai Lane to Don Ki) Santa Rita Route 17 (Cross Island Road) up to Bishop Flores Street and surrounding areas Tumon Pale San Vitores Road (Ypao Beach Park to Guma Trankilidat) and JFK hill 7-8 p.m. Tumon Pale San Vitores Road (Guma Trankildat to Old Fujita Road) and JFK Hill Pale San Vitores Road (Fountain Plaza to Sun Plaza, including T Galleria) and JFK Hill Yigo Route 15 northbound from Pagat substation to Andersen back gate 8-9 p.m. Mangilao Carnation Ave, Adacao Road to Latte Heights to Las Palmas Phase II, and surrounding areas Dededo Along Ysengsong Road to Chalan Lamassu, parts of Swamp Road, Stampa Road, Chalan Palauan to Machanao area, Astumbo to Ironwood Estates and nearby areas Route 1 southbound from Prestige Motors to Fatima Road, including Dededo village, Ysengsong Rd (from Route 1 to Clara Street), including Mobil, GTA and surrounding areas Talofofo Part of Talo'fo'fo' village along Route 4A toward Talo'fo'fo' Bay, including Wolford Heights Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero will be free to sign off on 50-year land lease for a new hospital complex in Mangilao without intervention from the Guam Legislature. Lawmakers Thursday failed to overcome the governors veto of Bill 12, which would require the Legislature to give the final OK before the lease, for land now held by the Navy, can be approved. Also failing was an override of Bill 13, which would require the committee responsible for planning the complex to comply with the Open Government Law. Just nine senators voted to overcome each of the overrides, one short of the 10 needed. Sens. Chris Barnett, Frank Blas Jr., Joanne Brown, Chris Duenas, Tom Fisher, Jesse Lujan, Sabina Perez, Telo Taitague and Speaker Therese Terlaje voted to override each veto. Sens. Tina Muna Barnes, Will Parkinson, Roy Quinata, Joe San Agustin, Dwayne San Nicolas and Amanda Shelton voted against each. The decision held up even after a second round of voting called for by Barnett. The 9-6 split is a sharp turn from the unanimous passage of Bill 12 and Bill 13 just weeks ago. Since then, Rear Adm. Benjamin Nicholson stated the land would be put to other use by the military if the lease goes unsigned by April 14. Some lawmakers objected to the timeline set by the admiral and have said they want to scrutinize the terms to ensure a good deal. Leon Guerrero in her veto statement for both bills said they threatened to derail the hospital project and called them an encroachment on her powers by lawmakers. Barnett, after the vote, said he had not heard a single compelling reason why there shouldnt be more oversight over the extensive land lease and over the $1 billion hospital complex administration. Some senators stated on the session floor that they entertained calls from Adelup about how they should vote on the bill, he said. If its a good deal, itll survive the light of day. But nobody who voted against this override made that argument, Barnett said. Sen. Tom Fisher said that lawmakers who voted against the overrides had saddled upcoming generations with $1 billion worth of debt without bothering to look at the deal they had signed. They wouldnt do this in their personal lives, but theyll do it with someone elses money, that being the taxpayers, Fisher stated. Speaker Therese Terlaje, who introduced both measures, said she would continue to pursue an override of the vetoes. The lease will need to get past a legal review from the Office of the Attorney General. Leon Guerrero said there is no issue with the terms of the lease and has said she intends to sign off on it. The people of Guam are one step closer to a state-of-the-art medical complex built in partnership with the federal government, a release from the Office of the Governor stated just minutes after the failed override. The facts are this lease is a good deal for Guam, we will lease federal property at no cost to island taxpayers, and our federal counterparts have committed to helping us find funding for the construction of the medical complex, the release stated. Medical association objects The Guam Medical Association is opposed to the site of the new hospital, near Eagles Field, or Lalo, in Mangilao. A letter from the group to lawmakers stated local doctors, including a number employed at Guam Memorial Hospital, want the new facility to be built in Tamuning. Most doctors already work and live in the village, the letter stated, but the location also matters for patients. Transferring patients to a higher level of care from clinics to the hospital is crucial and should be done in minimal time. The two large private practices, FHP and SDA, and majority of the private clinics, especially obstetric care, are located in Tamuning. The large land area eyed by the administration to build the new hospital alongside several other government agencies like the Department of Public Health and Social Services and the Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center was unneeded. We need a functional practical new hospital, not a jointed public health complex along with physician offices, the letter stated. Public Health didnt communicate with GMH about direct patient care at any time during the pandemic. Additionally, the bigger, more expensive hospital was unrealistic and wouldnt attract more specialists or providers that the island needed, the letter stated. The Guam Legislature will launch an investigation into forged documents that purported to cut funding for a recent raise for school teachers. Resolution 67, which authorizes lawmakers to create a bipartisan investigative committee, passed with a split vote Thursday. The committee will be composed of three Democrat senators and two Republicans. A document formatted to look like an official amendment from the Legislature circulating online last week purported funding for teacher raises would be taken and reprogrammed for school repairs. The forgery was reposted and then retracted by social media pages for the group Progressive Democrats of Guam during debate on the session floor. It bore the initials of Sen. Chris Duenas. Republican lawmakers have called for a probe into the source of the documents and have said the false narrative put Duenas and lawmakers in danger. We definitely should not ever tolerate spreading misinformation regarding laws or lawmakers. This is attack not just on an individual but the institution, Sen. Jesse Lujan said during debate on the resolution. Opinions on the measure were mixed. Sen. Joe San Agustin said he didnt object to an investigative committee being created but believed it should be responsible for any incident targeting lawmakers. Based on Resolution 67, the new committee would specifically be aimed at Progressive Democrats or those associated with their organization and/or this fraudulent document. Lawmakers shouldnt get involved when the police are investigating the forgery, according to Sen. Will Parkinson. Targets of the investigation also are people with a long history of criticizing some of those pushing for an investigation, he noted. I dont think it serves the dignity of this body to entertain such a measure on a political witch hunt versus the Progressive Democrats of Guam and Adelup. I think we should let the police do their job. Parkinson is associated with the Progressive Democrats. The groups Facebook page reposted a flyer for Parkinsons campaign fundraiser last year. He also is still listed as a fundraising coordinator on the Progressive Democrats website, though the page appears to have some outdated information from 2020. Its difficult to understand how it might be a witch hunt when the evidence before us, as we have already heard, ... demonstrates the crime we actually have, Sen. Tom Fisher, the bills main sponsor responded. He said lawmakers swore an oath to uphold the laws of Guam and had an obligation to look into the matter. Fisher added he was disturbed at how nonchalant lawmakers were toward the crime. Why was this falsity dropped ... in the course of a debate? What was the intent behind the dropping of this false amendment? he said. Sen. Telo Taitague objected to the resolution being placed on the voting file. She stated adequate public notice wasnt provided, per the Open Government Law. Sens. Chris Barnett, Frank Blas Jr., Joanne Brown, Duenas, Fisher, Lujan, Sabina Perez, and Dwayne San Nicolas voted to pass the measure. Sens. Parkinson, Roy Quinata, San Agustin, Amanda Shelton, Speaker Therese Terlaje and Vice Speaker Tina Muna Barnes voted against it. Sen. Telo Taitague passed and was counted as a no vote. Central office responding to claims the forged document could have come from the central staff of the Legislature, Barnett said he was offended. Progressive Democrats of Guam chapter leader Julian Janssen said he believed the document had originated with the Clerk of the Legislature. A cursory, in-house forensic investigation was done, Barnett said. We didnt find any record of this false amendment in our system, or anywhere along the chain, from introduction to printing. There is no record of this amendment to being formulated, there is no record of this amendment existed, he said. A professional company had been contacted to take a look at the central computer system at the Legislature, Barnett added. The Vaticans search for a new archbishop for the Archdiocese of Agana has officially begun. The process could take several months to a year, or as many as three years, Father Romeo Convocar, pope-appointed apostolic administrator, said Thursday. Convocar, the archdioceses former vicar general, said the formal search process began when the pope accepted on Tuesday the resignation of Michael Jude Byrnes as archbishop after an extended medical leave over a life-changing illness. Byrnes, 64, now holds the title of archbishop emeritus and remains under the responsibility of the archdiocese even though hes back in his hometown of Detroit, where hes receiving care from his family and close friends, Convocar said. The final decision to appoint Byrnes permanent replacement rests with the pope, according to Convocar, who will remain as apostolic administrator until a new archbishop is named. We pray that the Lord, through the Holy Father, will send us someone who will continue to work for the good of the Church, Convocar said, whose first assignment on Guam was in 2007. Father Mike Crisostomo, the archdioceses vicar for clergy, on Thursday said the selection of a bishop entails a discernment of potential candidates human and spiritual qualities. It begins at the local level with consultation among priests and the faithful, then continues in Rome, where the pope and his delegates approve the selection. If an individual would like to recommend, they can send their letter to the Apostolic Nuncio in New Zealand, to Archbishop Novatus Rugambwa, Crisostomo said. Both Crisostomo and Convocar visited Byrnes in Detroit in January. Prior to becoming archbishop of Guam, Byrnes was auxiliary archbishop of Detroit 2011-2016. The local church must move forward in its mission, Crisostomo said. The resignation opens the door to a new shepherd to lead the faithful in these challenging times. It is the hope of the clergy and the people that someone with knowledge of the culture and the island people will be selected. We pray the Holy Spirit will guide the selection process. Exiting bankruptcy Since Byrnes left Guam in June 2022 to seek medical care, Convocar had been overseeing the largest church on Guam and continued the efforts in getting the archdiocese out of bankruptcy, leading to the judges approval of a joint reorganization plan. The court-approved plan implementation continues, Convocar said, adding the archdiocese transferred its cash assets to the clergy abuse survivors trust and the property assets soon will follow. Convocar served as chaplain of the Philippine Navy before coming to the Archdiocese of Agana. He also served as pastor at the San Isidro Parish in Malojloj and rector of the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral Basilica until Byrnes appointed him vicar general. Started the healing Byrnes led the Catholic Church on Guam since 2016, months after dozens of clergy sexual abuse claims against Anthony Apuron, then archbishop, and other priests started coming out. For many, Byrnes leadership started the healing process in one of the darkest chapters of the local Catholic Church. Archbishop Michael Byrnes did his best to get us out of this dark period of our Church on Guam for the few years he was our archbishop, Concerned Catholics of Guam President David Sablan said. Byrnes, he said, is a good and kind man, a humble leader and is loved by the people of Guam. I had the opportunity to meet with Archbishop Byrnes several times to discuss the problems and solutions to strengthening the faith and practices of our Catholics on Guam. Recruiting good and holy young men who are passionate and strong in their faith, willing to devote their lives by joining the priesthood to serve our people was one issue we discussed and (Concerned Catholics of Guam) has taken that to heart and will continue to help Father Richard Kidd, our archdiocesan vocations director, Sablan said. Concerned Catholics of Guam, he said, is forever grateful to Byrnes for his faithful service to the people of Guam. As for the next archbishop, Sablan said Concerned Catholics of Guam appeals to the pope to appoint someone who has the strength to counter the evil still festering in our archdiocese; to fight strongly for the unborn; to finalize and settle justly and amicably with the victims of clergy sex abuse; and to restore trust and confidence in our church leadership from the pastors to teachers in our Catholic schools. Neocatechumenal Way Before the popes acceptance of Byrnes resignation, Convocar as vicar general issued a March 27 memo reminding everyone that Byrnes 2017 instruction to put a pause on the Neocatechumenal Ways formation of new communities remains in effect. With charity and respect for one another, let it be clear that the moratorium on the formation of new communities of the Neocatechumenal Way remains in effect unless otherwise instructed. All must abide by the directive, Convocar wrote in his memo. Prior to issuing the latest memo, Convocar and other leaders of the archdiocese met with the leaders of the Neocatechumenal Way. The Neocatechumenal Way is an organization within the Catholic Church but its beliefs and practices conflict with Guams traditional Catholic faithful. Sablan said the crisis in the church on Guam was a result of decades-old clergy sex abuse of children that were uncovered only a few years ago, the corrupt administration of disgraced Archbishop Apuron, his allowance of the heretical Neocatechumenal Way to minister on Guam, even giving them in a secret transaction a valuable Yona property asset of our archdiocese for free, and so on. One of the first things (Byrnes) did was close down the sham of a seminary operated by the Neocatechumenal Way in Yona, and took back the property that Apuron gave them for free, Sablan said. It is unfortunate that he could not finish his work due to an illness that has overwhelmed him. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close "Every policeman was a civilian and will return to civilian life after retirement as I have since I retired some seven years ago." The chairperson of the Police Service Commission, Solomon Arase, was at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday where he spoke to reporters. Mr Arase, a former inspector-general of police, spoke on issues of discipline, corruption and others within the police. See excerpts of the interview below. Arase: We'll ensure that we continue to put our local and international expertise at their disposal. We will be strong in training in various areas, especially alternative dispute resolution. The issue of discipline will be taken seriously. I will not want a situation where civil situations arise. So any officer who steps out of the line, there will be consequences. But at the same time, they are my colleagues and children. So I'm going to make sure that I sharpen their skills. I'll ensure that they start having confidence in themselves. With more training, the trust gap between members of the public and the police will be bridged. That is what I want to do; (so) that members of the public will collaborate with the police force; see them as part of the larger society. Every policeman was a civilian and will return to civilian life after retirement as I have since I retired some seven years ago. The benefits that are derivable from good conduct as a police officer, they will continue to reap it when they retire. So that is what I will emphasise. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Corruption Nigeria By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Q: What specific steps will you take to improve the relationship between the commission and the police? Arase: If you look at the calibre of people you have in the commission, then you also look at the professional skills of the police management team, there is no way that there won't be occasional issues. What I think we should do is that each of the parties should not learn to take everything. There must be negotiation, empathy and respect for each of our roles. I will expect that the commission allows the IGP to exercise his operational control over the police. And that the IG himself will respect the constitutional powers of the Police Service Commission. So, there must be mutual respect between both parties. I don't foresee any crisis at all. Q: How will you address corruption? Well, as an Inspector-General of police, the way I looked at the issue of corruption was to identify it from the source. When you tackle issues that are likely to increase the tendencies to be corrupt, you deal with it. How are you taking care of their welfare? How are you ensuring that when they retire, they have a decent house to go to? How are you taking care of their children? Can we organise scholarship schemes for them? Can we ensure that when we deploy them, they have the necessary work equipment? When you respect people who work for you...even your dogs, when they see you, they will wag their tails. So we must take the interest of the Nigerian police officers into consideration. And we'll douse the issue of corruption. Also, members of the public should not corrupt them. Haiti - FLASH : Family reunification in Brazil, documents required The Visa Application Center for Brazil (CAVB) informs the public that for VISA applicants (VITEM XI) family reunification of siblings, in addition to proof of financial dependence, you must also provide : - Work certificate of the family member who is in Brazil; - Account statements for the last three months of his family member who is in Brazil; - "comprovantes de residencia" of the last three months of the member of his family who is in Brazil (supporting documents such as paid gas or electricity bills, which prove that the person in Brazil has a home) ; - Any other necessary document, according to the consular authority. It is also important to note that the CAVB provides administrative assistance but the consular authorities at the Brazilian Embassy in Haiti is and remain the only entity that can grant a visa to a Haitian national wishing to travel to Brazil. Download the list of all the documents required for an application for VISA VITEM XI for family reunification (PDF in French and Creole) : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/DOCUMENTS-REQUIS-POUR-LA-DEMANDE-DE-VISA-HUMANITAIRE-VITEM-XI_Francais-et-Creole.pdf For more information : VISA application procedures and steps: https://haiti.iom.int/fr/la-procedure-de-demande-de-visa General information: https://haiti.iom.int/fr/informations-generales How to make an appointment: https://haiti.iom.int/fr/la-prise-de-rendez-vous Phone : 2817-0320 J 3163-6075 / 3170-9307 Email : iomhaitivrf@iom.int IOM website : https://haiti.iom.int/bvac HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Politic : Words by Ricardo Seitenfus on the political situation in Haiti The former ambassador of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Haiti, representative of the Secretary General of the Emissary Organization, the Brazilian Ricardo Seitenfus (specialist in Haiti) who during his mandate was noticed to say out loud truths what some do not want to hear, dismissed by the OAS https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-1985-haiti-politic-the-oas-would-have-dismissed-ricardo-seitenfus.html for his statements in a Swiss newspaper on the causes of the failure of the international community in Haiti with the blue helmets (in 2010) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-1963-haiti-social-the-causes-of-the-failure-of-the-international-community-in-haiti.html returns today with the publication of a post, where he carries a straightforward vision, on the political situation of our country, which is food for thought and that we invite you to read and share. The semantics of exclusion By Ricardo Seitenfus "The main objective of the Haitian elite is to exclude the vast majority of the population from the debates and struggles around the destiny of the country. In order to avoid being drowned in an impoverished and considered uneducated mass, she had to fight hard on two fronts: that of action and that of vocabulary capable of obscuring their true intentions. On the action front, the success goes well beyond expectation and even manages to overthrow the sacrosanct principles of political science. Thus, the concept of transition loses its main feature and under Haitian skies becomes permanent. These days the country is struggling to survive its twelfth (!) transition. Apart from personal dictatorship or the power of the single party, transition is the most undemocratic formula there is. It is not surprising that it is defended tooth and nail by the voiceless to silence the eternal voiceless. Along the way, the transition crosses, walking in the opposite direction, its monozygotic twin and arbiter of the political and electoral game, which from permanent becomes provisional. Thus the next CEP will be the twentieth (!) It is the only electoral arbiter in the world whose composition appeals to the principles of corporations dear to a certain Benito Mussolini... Even more remarkable than the facts are the words justifying them. This is what I call "the semantics" of exclusion. Thus, the transition must be inclusive. Others advocate that it should be breaking. Far be it from me that the election solves everything. Nevertheless, without it, nothing will be solved. In chorus, everyone says they want a good, transparent, inclusive, free, fair, credible, participatory ballot, without cheap votes and so on. Nonsense. These are pious wishes, because each and every one of the 266 (!) political parties only want power. Finally, we could limit damage and avoid fraud with the adoption of electronic voting. Wasted effort. The deaf nevertheless ferocious opposition of fakers and pranksters Haitians and foreigners to this democratic tool sends the rendezvous between the State and the Nation to Greek indefinitely." Learn more about Ricardo Seitenfus: A specialist in Haiti, a country on which he has published several works of historical analysis, Ricardo Seitenfus was the special envoy to the country of Brazilian President Lula before being appointed by the OAS. Degree in political science (University of Geneva 1973), degree in economics and development (University of Geneva 1973), degree in modern and contemporary history (University of Geneva 1978), doctorate at the Institut des Hautes Etudes Internationales (IHEI) (University of Geneva 1980). He was also: Professor at the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Latin American Integration (Rila), Director General of the Academic College of Law in Santa Maria (FADISMA), Consultant for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Nations (UN), Vice-Chairman of the Legal Commission (CJI) of the Organization of American States (OAS). Seitenfus published in May 2015 a book with a preface by Raoul Peck "The Failure of International Aid to Haiti" at the Editions de l'Universite d'Etat d'Haiti See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-2470-haiti-diplomacy-ricardo-seitenfus-ordered-knight-of-the-republic-of-haiti.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-2000-haiti-politic-ricardo-seitenfus-voluntary-or-forced-departure.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-1985-haiti-politic-the-oas-would-have-dismissed-ricardo-seitenfus.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-1974-haiti-politic-ricardo-seitenfus-a-truth-which-does-not-please-oas.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-1963-haiti-social-the-causes-of-the-failure-of-the-international-community-in-haiti.html HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Canada : $10 million to strengthen the Police Academy On Wednesday March 29, 2023, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministry of Planning, the Ministry of Justice and the Embassy of Canada in Haiti, on a project to support the strengthening of the Police Academy, to respond to the crisis facing the country. In his speech, Ricard Pierre, Minister of Planning thanked the Canadian administration for its support. According to the Minister, an envelope of 10 million Canadian dollars is planned for this project for the period from 2022 to 2027. Stating that these funds will be used to create additional modules in crisis management, securing the facilities of the Academy, the increase in the institution's training capacities and the rehabilitation and development of a decentralized campus. Emmelie Prophete Milce, Minister of Justice and Public Security, agreed, explaining that the signing of such a protocol could help enormously to improve the security situation in Haiti, which says it is counting on the continuity Canada's support for the Haitian state. For his part, the Ambassador of Canada to Haiti, Sebastien Carriere welcomed the commitment of the Haitian authorities within the framework of the projects signed between the two countries, to seek to redress the situation in Haiti. The diplomat said he was counting on the frank collaboration of the Haitian authorities and reiterated the commitment of the Canadian administration alongside Haiti to help pull the country out of the abyss, particularly in terms of the actions to be taken to improve security conditions. HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... Shots hit an oil tanker in Varreux Shots from outside the Terminal Varreux hit an oil tanker in full unloading. These shots in the area near the terminal are very worrying and can negatively affect the supply of petroleum products. In the same context, the Terminal Varreux deplores the incident of March 27, 2023 where two contract workers were victims of gunshot wounds within the terminal during an operation to disembark a foodstuffs ship. The PNH has regained control of 80% of Barraderes Police operations carried out in recent days in the town of Barraderes (Dept. of Nippes) have led to the arrest of 9 bandits. The Departmental Director of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) in the Nippes says that the police have regained control of 80% of this town held hostage by armed bandits. Passport requests several injured On Wednesday March 29, 2023, in Tabarre, several people were injured, in front of the Center for the reception and delivery of identity documents. This incident occurred following clashes between law enforcement and passport applicants. EU : State Building Support Program Stefano Gatto, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the European Union in Haiti co-chaired with Michel Patrick Boisvert, the Minister of Economy, the steering committee of the Institutional Support Program for State Strengthening. The funds from this programme, in addition to budgetary support, will make it possible to expand the budgetary space for structural reforms and will support the implementation of the Strategic Human Development Plan, the National Social Protection Policy, the Program for the Modernization of public administration, the Education Strategic Plan and the Public Finance Reform Plan. Delmas : road works at the entrance to the Puits Blain market In order to facilitate the circulation of vehicles in the municipality of Delmas, the Town Hall is committed to redeveloping the section of road located at the entrance to the Puits Blain market. Delegation of the Haitian private sector in the DR Jean-Pierre Luc Garvey, Charge d'Affaires of the Embassy of Haiti in Santo Domingo, met with a delegation of the Haitian private sector visiting the DR led by the President of the Association of Industries of Haiti (ADIH) Wilhem Lemka. On the agenda : Trade between Haiti and the DR. HL/ HaitiLibre Published on 2023/03/29 | Source Cha Eun-woo, a member of the group Astro and actor who was preparing for a new work, delivered regrettable news. Advertisement According to the E-Daily on the 28th, Cha Eun-woo recently dropped out of the new OTT series "Bulk", in which he was scheduled to appear. "Bulk" production company told the media, "It is right that Cha Eun-woo stepped down from the work". In this regard, Cha Eun-woo said, "We were discussing the appearance, but we decided not to do it at the review stage". "Bulk" is a crime movie about a police officer, a troubleshooter in the mainstream world, and a prosecutor chasing a black connection as a team. Actor Ha Yoon-kyung and Jo Woo-jin drew expectations and it was announced that Sanai Pictures responsible for "The New World", "When A Man Loves A Woman" and "Hunt" was to be in charge. Earlier, Cha Eun-woo is gaining popularity by doing both Astro and acting activities. He built filmography through dramas such as "My ID is Gangnam Beauty", "True Beauty", and "Island - Drama". Cha Eun-woo has confirmed his appearance in the new drama "A Good Day to be a Dog" which is currently based on the webtoon. By William Schwartz | Published on 2023/03/22 On March 22nd at the Lotte Cinema near Konkuk University in Seoul, a press conference was held for the upcoming film "The Glorious My Revenge" with director Lim Seong-woon and actors Heo Joon-seok, Lee Yeong-seok, and Nam Bo-ra all in attendance. The story deals with a detective, played by Heo Joon-seok, who meets by chance the man who killed his son, played by Lee Yeong-seok. Nam Bo-ra plays an unmarried mother who's monitoring the now alcoholic detective's routine. Advertisement The project is the first for Lim Seong-woon since "Ride Away" from 2008. Lim Seong-woon claimed that "The Glorious My Revenge" was filmed two years ago in winter, during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Lim Seong-woon also said that post-production was done the winter after that, and noted that for the release rollout, the weather was a little better compared to previous winters. Lim Seong-woon said he was very happy that the movie was finally being released. Lim Seong-woon was grateful to the cast and crew for putting up with difficult conditions, many of which were exacerbated by COVID-19 and related scheduling conflicts. Lim Seeong-woon cited thoughts of a man realizing he had turned forty as important to the film's production. This fear of the end of the routine haunts the movie, as the story shows that routine being destroyed, as a person collapses into an abyss and begins to live like a monster. Heo Joon-seok recalled first being called by Lim Seong-woon and wondering why he was selected for the role. Heo Joon-seok could see from Lim Seong-woon's face that the man really admired his past work. However, as an actor, Heo Joon-seok was not too impressed by this. However, Heo Joon-seok was impressed with the script and how it dealt with themes of change and getting older. Heo Joon-seok decided that he wanted to do a project like this at his own current age. Lee Yeong-seok likewise did not know why he was cast, as he is an older actor whose roles are often unnamed and bear no similarity to this one. Lee Yeong-seok came to understand that "The Glorious My Revenge" is a story about how normal people can become savage and vengeful, and came to see the script's appeal himself. Nam Bo-ra claimed her character held similar apprehensions to the other two. "The Glorious My Revenge" will premiere in South Korean theaters on March 29th. Written by William Schwartz ___________ "The Glorious My Revenge" is directed by Lim Seong-woon, and features Heo Joon-seok, Lee Yeong-seok, Nam Bo-ra. Release date in Korea: 2023/03/29. Published on 2023/03/29 Korean movies "The Highway Family" and documentary "I Am From Chosun" are available to order on DVD with English subtitles from YESASIA. "The Highway Family" (2021) Advertisement Directed by Lee Sang-moon With Ra Mi-ran, Jung Il-woo, Kim Seul-gi, Bek Hyunjin, Seo Yi-soo, Park Da-on,... Started filming: 2021/10/18 Synopsis Ra Mi-ran will play a woman who runs an antique furniture store as she grieves the untimely death of her son. Bek Hyunjin will feature as her husband, who accepts her grief and supports her. Jung Il-woo is on board to play a father earning a living to support his wife and two children, while Kim Seul-gi is cast as his wife. The film will chronicle what happens to these families when they meet at a highway rest stop. Release date in Korea : 2022/11/02 DVD with English subtitles Order from YESASIA --- "I Am From Chosun" (202) Directed by Kim Cheol-min Synopsis In October 2002, a South Korean documentary film director Kim Cheol-min attends an event hosted at Mt. Geumgang: National Rally for Reunification by Students and Youths from South and North Korea and Abroad. It was influenced by the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration. In the hope of contributing to the nation's reconciliation, unity, and reunification, around 500 students and youths from South and North Korea and abroad attended the event. Here, Kim encounters the Korean Japanese (Zainichi) for the first time. To get to know them better and deeper, he grabs his camera and heads to Japan. The Korean Japanese are neither 'South Korean' nor 'North Korean'. They refer to themselves as 'Chosun people'. Many people find the term difficult and awkward because the word 'Chosun' cannot be defined simply. Multiple discussions intertwine the word. In Japan, 'Chosun' is consciously and unconsciously connected with North Korea, making the word a form of hate speech. When the Korean Japanese say "I Am From Chosun", they are making a declaration or pledge to proactively rescue the word that is engraved with a history of oppression and ordeal. LEE Jong-chan Diaspora Film Festival 9 Release date in Korea : 2021/12/09 DVD with English subtitles Order from YESASIA blog Zainab (not her real name) first learned about latent tuberculosis (TB) when she was 16 and her doctor informed her that she had it. Despite the doctor's assurance that it was an inactive form of TB, Zainab failed to complete her prescribed medication regimen. She also nursed her grandfather before he died of TB, putting her at greater risk of infection. Over time, Zainab began to experience symptoms such as weight loss and night sweats, but she did not pay much attention to them. As her condition worsened, she finally received a diagnosis of TB and began treatment. However, her struggles were far from over as she was diagnosed with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, which meant that not only the first-line drugs but also the second-line drugs were not effective. This necessitated a longer treatment period of 18 to 24 months, along with strict isolation. Zainabs experience has left her with the hope that more people will become aware of TB and take their prescriptions seriously. Taking preventative measures, such as following infection control guidelines, can also help to prevent the spread of this disease. Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) World Health Organization (WHO) Copenhagen Consensus Center Stop TB Partnership Login or sign up to follow actresses, movies & dramas and get specific updates and news Login Sign Up New Ad-free Subscriber Login Email Password Password Username Subscribe to our daily NewsLetter Your E-mail will only be used to retrieve a lost password or receive our NewsLetter. Stay logged in Lost password Contact Published on 2023/03/30 | Source New stills added for the Korean movie "Soulmate" (2020) Advertisement Directed by Min Yong-keun With Kim Da-mi, Jeon So-nee, Byeon Woo-seok, Jang Hye-jin, Park Choong-sun, Nam Yoon-su,... Starts filming: 2020/08 Formerly known as "Hello, My Soulmate" (, , an-nyeong, na-eui so-ul-me-i-teu) It is a remake of a Chinese film directed by Peter Chan. Synopsis Age of 12, Mi-so, who transferred from Seoul to Jeju Island, meets Ha-eun, who is different from herself, and they promise never to separate. Age of 18, Ha-eun's first love, Jin-woo breaks in two girls' friendship. Age of 23, the two girls are in pain because of their unfamiliar changes. Age of 27, the two girls meet again. They missed each other living in a world that everyone changes. It takes 15 years to confirm their friendship. The two girls exchange their lives and truly understand each other's lives. Release date in Korea : 2023/03/15 press release Visiting US Vice President Kamala Harris Should Urge Government to Respect As United States Vice President Kamala Harris visits Tanzania this week, the Tanzanian government is cutting off vital health services in Ngorongoro district as part of a "voluntary" resettlement plan for area residents. These actions, in the name of wildlife conservation, violate the right to health of members of the semi-nomadic Maasai pastoralist community and directly interfere with their ability to continue living in an area they have managed for 200 years. In March 2022, Tanzania's government took steps to transfer funding for basic services, including health and education, in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, to another district about 600 kilometers away. In February 2022, the government grounded Flying Medical Services, a medical outreach service provider, and in October announced that the area's main hospital would be downgraded to a clinic with a significant reduction in staff. The government has couched these steps under the guise of conservation in an effort to expand areas for viewing and hunting wildlife while restricting human settlement there. Ngorongoro residents told Human Rights Watch that the government's actions have severely affected access to health care, including for pregnant women and mothers with small children. Comprehensive health care for women and girls is necessary to advance equality and empowerment and is fundamental to the realization of human rights, but it must be genuinely accessible. As Vice President Harris looks to bolster US relationships with African countries, her visit provides an opportunity to amplify the link between rights-respecting policies, including on land, health, and women's rights, and advancing shared security and economic prosperity. The US is a key development and healthcare partner of Tanzania and Vice President Harris should center human rights in the US-Tanzania relationship. During her visit, she should urge Tanzanian officials to end abusive policies in Ngorongoro district and preserve the Maasai community's right to health, among others, as a core foundation of shared economic prosperity. Oryem Nyeko, Researcher, Africa Division A R3.9-million bid was accepted A luxury home paid for with Lottery money by actress Terry Pheto, star ofTsotsi and The Bold and the Beautiful, has been sold to an unidentified Johannesburg businessman for R3.9-million. The house, which was subject to a preservation order obtained by the National Prosecuting Authority's Assets Forfeiture Unit, failed to attract any bids when it was put up for auction in early March. Auctioneer Graham Renfrew, of Asset Auctions, confirmed that the house had been sold for R3.9-million after it was offered to "interested parties" when it failed to attract any bids on the day it went under the hammer. "We sent out 105 offers to purchase to interested parties and received eight offers, ranging from R1.7-million to R3.9-million. Of these offers eight ranging from R3.5-million to R3.9-million were forwarded to the curator [acting for the Special Investigating Unit] for consideration," said Renfrew. The highest offer of R3.9-million was accepted and the process of transferring the house to the new owner is now underway, he said. The house in Bryanston, Johannesburg, was built for Pheto. The house and the land on which it stands were both paid for in cash using Lottery funds meant for "good causes". The total price tag was R5-million. Of that, R3-million came from a dodgy R20-million Lottery grant for an "initiation programme" paid to non-profit company Zibsimode in the 2017/18 financial year. An additional R1-million used for the house came from a R10-million grant paid to another dodgy non-profit, Life for Impact in the 21st Century, to pay for a youth awards ceremony. But GroundUp revealed that Life for Impact had nothing to do with the awards and not a cent of the grant was used for the event, which was entirely funded and hosted by the National Youth Development Agency. We're a family of seven living in Georgia where Andrew's working as a professor at GSU. You can read more about us here Housing costs in Finland are rising at an unprecedented pace, according to a recent study by the Finnish Homeowners Association. The study found that local fees and charges are continuing to rise, with the highest increase in housing costs occurring in Kalajoki in the province of Northern Ostrobothnia, where costs have risen by almost 3,700 ($4,400) in just one year. On average, housing costs have risen by 1,671 ($1,989) in the past year, including electricity, water, and waste disposal charges, as well as property taxes. The rise in housing costs and the large differences between municipalities are primarily due to the increase in the price of electricity, which has risen by an average of 46% from a year ago. Waste disposal charges have increased by an average of 6.7%, property taxes by 6.3%, and water charges by 4.1%. The most expensive municipality for housing costs was Laukaa in the Jyvaskyla region, where costs are 8,466 ($10,083) per year. The next most expensive municipalities were Lempaala, Ylojarvi, Asikkala, and Pirkkala. The study compared 100 municipalities across Finland. The cheapest municipality was Kittila in Lapland, where housing costs are 4,681 ($5,573) per year. Thus, the difference between the cheapest and most expensive municipalities is 3,785 ($4,502) per year. This difference has increased slightly from last year when it was 3,361 ($3,996). The Finnish Homeowners Association's CEO, Marju Silander, emphasized that policymakers must take action to reduce housing costs during the next parliamentary term. "Currently, an increasing proportion of people's available income is going towards basic needs such as electricity, water, and waste disposal fees. When combined with rapidly rising mortgage rates and increasing repair costs due to future building energy efficiency obligations, the cost of housing and its rise becomes unsustainable," Silander said. The sharp rise in electricity transmission costs in recent years appears to have slowed, which Silander considers a step in the right direction. However, there is still work to be done. "Transmission costs must be reduced, and unreasonable profits must be eliminated," she said. The study also found significant differences between municipalities in other costs. The highest water charges are now paid in Parikkala, where the cost is 1,651 ($1,965) per year, while the lowest water charges are in Kempele at 549 ($653) per year. The highest waste disposal charges are in Asikkala and Heinola, where they are 391 ($465), while the lowest charges, 133 ($158), are in Tampere and its neighboring municipalities of Kangasala, Pirkkala, Nokiala, and Lempaala. The transition to municipal waste management has reduced costs in some municipalities, such as Sysma, where costs have fallen by 21%. The study highlights the importance of government action to address rising housing costs and promote more affordable housing. HT House budget raises teacher pay by 10% The state House on Wednesday rolled out a new budget that over the next two years would raise the pay of state employees by at least 7 percent, teachers by 10 percent, State Highway Patrol troopers by 11 percent and other law enforcement officers and corrections officers by 10 percent. The proposed budget of $27.9 billion, a 10.5 percent increase from the previous budget, is within a number agreed upon in advance by House and Senate leaders.. Following the House budget release, the Senate is expected to release its version before the two chambers negotiate a compromise. Gov. Roy Cooper will be under pressure to sign the final version because Medicaid expansion, a bill he signed last week, is tied to the budget adoption. The House budget also contains funding to create the School of Civic Life and Leadership at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill designed to focus on developing democratic competencies based on American history and political tradition. There is also funding to move the UNC law school to a new location. Policy measures included in the House budget include: City celebrates Earth Day with new festival on April 22 The city of Hendersonville will celebrate the first-ever Hendo Earth Fest 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22. Local organizations and environmental champions will educate, entertain and raise awareness of the need to protect the planet for future generations. The festival is sponsored by the ESB in association with the Blue Ridge EV Club, Team ECCO, Conserving Carolina, Mountain True, Caregivers of Mother Earth and Trinity Presbyterian Church. The festival will be held on Main Street between Fourth and Sixth avenues and on Fifth Avenue between Wall Street and King Street The ESB has coordinated exhibits that educate and inform residents and visitors about our natural environment in a fun, festive atmosphere. The Aquarium and Shark Lab by Team ECCO exhibits will focus on education, enrichment and exploration of the ocean world. The ESB exhibits in the 400 block will provide hands-on activities and demonstrations designed to educate, renew and expand action to protect our Western North Carolina environment and natural resources. The Blue Ridge EV Club vehicles and exhibits on Fifth Avenue will highlight electric transportation and systems. For more information visit www.hvlnc.gov/hendoearthfest. A WOMAN from Henley was attacked by a dog only metres from her home. Katherine Barrett, 26, was left with bruising, scratches and bite marks across her stomach and chest after the bulldog attacked her as she walked along Luker Avenue. She says she is worried about the safety of other people in the area, especially children, as the police have been unable to track down the dog or its owner since the attack at about 10pm on March 7. She was walking home after finishing her shift as a carer and was accompanied by her husband James, 42, and their two chihuahuas, Skye and Carlow. Mrs Barrett, who is 5ft tall, said: We were about to cross the road and in front of us was another dog and owner. All of a sudden the dog came charging towards us. Skye, the dog my husband was holding, got off the lead and ran away and the dog chased after her. I said to the owner Get your dog under control but she didnt pay any attention. She didnt do anything. As Skye bolted with Mr Barrett in pursuit, the heavily built bulldog then turned around and came back towards her. Mrs Barrett picked up Carlow and the bulldog attacked them both. She said: The dog came after me and my dog was on my chest so I couldnt defend myself. It ripped my shirt. It left puncture wounds and scratches on my breast. It managed to bite the bottom lip of my dog. He is an older dog so he wouldnt stand a chance. Hes usually a tough little nut but he was whimpering, he was so scared. The bulldog was eventually pulled off Mrs Barrett by neighbours who heard her screaming. She said: I ended up in a bush. The owner just stood there, she didnt seem to be bothered. She said it was my fault for moving. My husband came back and found out Id been attacked. One guy was trying to calm him down. Walking home, I was holding my side and saw blood on my hands. It took me a while to calm down. Mr Barrett had been unable to catch Skye but as the couple returned home they saw her hiding under a bench. Mrs Barrett said: She could have been hit by a car as Fair Mile is just there. Luckily, she knew her way home. I was so relieved, I hugged her. The dogs are just chihuahuas so considering the marks on me, if it had been them, they wouldnt have stood a chance. People have been asking my why couldnt I defend myself. Ive got arthritis, so I couldnt just kick him away. And I had Carlow on my chest, I was trying to protect him with my body as the dog was leaping up to get him. But it shouldnt be on me to stop it, it shouldnt have happened. There are lots of kids around here. It should be safe for them. Mrs Barrett called the police to report the attack and gave a description of the bulldog, which was brown with white patches. She said: The police said they would schedule a face-to-face meeting, so I took the morning off work but then they texted me 10 minutes after the meeting was due to start saying they didnt have enough cars and couldnt come. They havent come out and looked at the pictures or anything. About 10 days later Mrs Barrett called the police to find out what was happening only to be told that their investigation had been closed. She said: They said it was a dead end and there was nothing they could do. Someone must know who this woman is but no one wants to come forward. Mrs Barrett said she now fears taking her dogs out and she carries a dog deterrent spray, which contains a harmless substance. She said: Ive seen a couple of incidences of dogs off the lead. A couple Ive reported to the police and nothing happened. People dont seem to understand that your dog might be friendly but others arent. I love animals, I love dogs, but when your dog rushes up to other people and you dont know them We avoid busy areas because I know Carlow can be a bit iffy. We have him on a lead, saying keep other dogs away. We do everything we can but others dont have the same courtesy. Mrs Barrett said both her dogs had been left traumatised by the incident. Carlow has recovered from the cut but hes nervous about going out, she said. Skye was already nervous. Shes a rescue dog and she hides behind my leg now when people come up. The trust that weve spent two and a half years trying to build up with other people has gone now. Mrs Barrett said she now gets a lift home from work and her husband walks the dogs at different times of day. She said: Its taken the joy out of it. A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said the investigation was ongoing. He said: A number of lines of enquiry is being followed and we would appeal to anybody who has any information about the incident, or who has dash-cam, doorbell or CCTV footage. to contact us by calling 101, quoting reference number 43230103726. This is an isolated incident and there have not been other reports of a similar nature. THIS will not be the first time that a member of Cecilia McDowalls family has been involved in a performance in Henley. In 1966, her brother Richard Clarke was in the Emanuel School eight that won the Princess Elizabeth Cup in a new boat made by an Italian company in Donoratico. She said: The count who owned the boat workshop, Cantiere Navale as it was called, promised these nine schoolboys a holiday in his castle in Castagneto Carducci, near Livorno, so it was quite an epic moment when they won. Richard then rowed for Leander for many years and was in the boat when the club won its first Thames Challenge Cup at Henley in 1968. Cecilia says: So my association with Henley is full of fond memories of sunny towpaths and traffic jams on the hill coming down into town. While in prison in Mangaung, Thabo Bester ran a business and even appeared by video link at an event. Bester used an ID and driver's licence in the name of "TK Nkwana" after escaping from prison Convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester, who escaped from prison on 3 May 2022, has been running a scam construction company called "Arum Properties" with celebrity doctor Nandipha Magudumana. The couple convinced several people to pay millions of rands for construction projects, but never delivered the goods. Clients of Arum Properties told GroundUp that soon after signing on and paying their deposits, they started to realise that something was wrong. We have a recording of a phone call between Bester and a client of Arum Properties from two weeks ago. Bester and Magudumana have since fled from their rented mansion in Sandton. We spoke to several people who had encounters with Arum Properties over the past year. Bester was introduced to them, most often by Magudumana herself, and went by the name of "TK Nkwana". He signed legal documents using a driver's licence and ID document with an ID number that does not exist on Home Affairs records. One person told GroundUp that they met "TK" in July 2022. They were offered payment to fly to Cape Town and take pictures posing in houses supposedly being renovated by Arum Properties. But they realised something was wrong and declined. "TK" used social media accounts linked to Magudumana, including Arum Properties and I Media, to approach models or people with large social media followings. In at least one instance, someone was asked to travel to Cape Town at their own cost to audition for a purported Netflix show called "Hot Property Chick". "Women in Property" In August 2022, Arum Properties hosted a "Women in Property" brunch at Magudumana's rented mansion in Hyde Park. The event was attended by several Johannesburg businesswomen. "In celebration of women's month, Arum Properties would like to treat you, a pioneer in the property industry to an exquisite brunch and all things property," the invitation reads. Attendees were offered services from Arum Properties, which quoted up to R3-million below other companies in the industry for the construction of luxury homes. But clients who signed with Arum Properties say that they haven't got their money's worth. "TK" took care of day-to-day operations, while Magudumana was busy at her practice. Meetings with "TK" would often take place in broad daylight in public places. The clients were completely unaware that they were dealing with Thabo Bester. Clients told GroundUp that administrative processes at the company were sluggish. Line items would be added to invoices without consultation and there would be endless delays. The actual construction was outsourced to subcontractors and very little work was done. According to people we spoke to, "TK" was difficult to work with and hot-headed, especially when clients asked for clarity on budgets and schedules. He was also difficult to get hold of because he kept using different cell phone numbers. GroundUp has seen contracts signed between Arum Properties and clients. The contracts mention "Arum Properties (Pty) Ltd", but this company does not exist on the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) database. "Arum Holdings (Pty) Ltd" does exist and Magudumana is the sole director. The website for Arum Properties is not working, but an archived copy from 2021 shows a portfolio of construction projects. The pictures have been copied from elsewhere on the internet. Magudumana and Bester's mysterious relationship After GroundUp reported that Bester is alive, Magudumana and Bester fled the mansion they were renting in Sandton. The Sunday Times reported that the couple had been paying R40,000 a month in rent, but were behind on their payments. The property manager told GroundUp that the couple had also rented the house next door, which was being renovated by Arum Properties. The landlord had approved the renovation and had been led to believe the house would become Magudumana's new wellness clinic. Last Monday, armed men arrived at the mansion to collect belongings left behind by the couple. According to the Sunday Times, Bester was living a luxurious life after escaping from prison. A watch worth R1.5-million was found on a bedside table after Bester and Magudumana vacated the house, the Sunday Times reported. There are also indications that Magudumana was involved with Bester's 21st Century Media scam, which he ran from inside prison in 2018. Earlier this month, GroundUp published an article about how Bester scammed people into believing he was Tom Motsepe, the chairman of 21st Century Media, which was made to look like a subsidiary of 21st Century Fox. In the wake of our reports, the sole director of 21st Century Media (Pty) Ltd, Phumudzo Thenga, released a statement saying she had been scammed by Bester and Magudumana. Thenga said that she had lost money in the business and that she had been scammed into making payments to Magudumana's company, Optimum Medical Holding Group. Arum Holdings (Pty) Ltd was registered as a company in 2017. While Bester was still in prison, Arum Holdings made payments into his prisoner bank account, according to payment receipts submitted to the Pretoria High Court. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines South Africa Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Magudumana had approached the High Court in May 2022 after it had been reported that Bester had died in his cell. She had collected the body found in the cell two days after the fire and had taken it to a morgue in Soweto, but it had been confiscated by the police for further investigation. In court she was asking for the body to be returned to her. In a court affidavit, Magudumana said she was Bester's customary law wife and provided an affidavit from her father as proof of lobola negotiations. But Magudumana was, according to Home Affairs records, already in a civil law marriage with Dr Mkhuseli Magudumana at the time. The law does not allow for people to enter into customary law marriages if they are already in a civil law marriage. (It is possible Home Affairs records had not yet been updated to reflect a divorce, but we are unsure of this.) GroundUp asked the Department of Home Affairs, the Gauteng Department of Transport and the South African Police Service to respond to questions about Bester's dealings after escaping from prison, but received no response at the time of publication. Khartoum The American Embassy in Khartoum, issued a press release confirming that the US Ambassador to Khartoum John T. Godfrey and two other employees of the embassy experienced only minor injuries after the car accident they involved in today. The US Embassy press release indicated that Ambassador Godfrey and his team were transported to a local hospital for evaluation, and that Ambassador Godfrey is resting at home now. The press release pointed out that the US Ambassador and his team experienced only minor injuries, noting that there is no further comment at the time due to privacy consideration. analysis The Hawks have raided the home and business premises reportedly belonging to Sello Sekhokho, the ANC Ekurhuleni treasurer-general. The raid forms part of investigations into the R1-billion Tembisa Hospital tender scandal. Sekhokho is a key figure in an alleged extraction scheme uncovered by Gauteng health department official Babita Deokaran just weeks before she was assassinated. The Hawks on Wednesday conducted search and seizure operations at a house in Bedfordview, and offices in Germiston and Edenvale, as part of a probe into alleged tender fraud at Tembisa Hospital. Gauteng Hawks spokesperson Captain Lloyd Ramovha confirmed in a statement that a team had conducted simultaneous search and seizure operations at a house in Bedfordview, and offices in Germiston and Edenvale. Electronic equipment and documents were seized and no arrests were made. "The action is informed by the ongoing investigation into alleged tender irregularities that resulted in approximately R1-billion being syphoned from the Gauteng Department of Health. It is a sequel operation to the one that was executed at the Tembisa Hospital premises towards the end of 2022," said the statement. The statement said that more than 220 entities and numerous individuals are subjects of an ongoing investigation into the allegations of corruption. "This includes schemes that reportedly thrived in infringement of the Public Finance Management Act. These were made possible through tender manipulation, kickbacks, inflated prices, and/or duplicated invoices, among other contraventions." While no names were mentioned in the statement, the home and business premises that were raided reportedly belong to Sello Sekhokho, ANC Ekurhuleni treasurer-general. Sekhokho... For most of his life, Chiune Sugihara received little recognition for the dramatic actions he undertook as Japanese vice-consul to Lithuania on the eve of World War II: the rescue of some 6,000 Jews from Poland and elsewhere from the Nazi death machine. For decades, the Jewish world remained largely ignorant of his heroism. When, in 1985, Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center located in Israel, honored the unassuming retired diplomat as a Righteous Among the Nations, Sugihara was too old and sick to travel to Jerusalem to accept the award. He died shortly after. But his renown has grown in the years since his death, and now Sugihara is being celebrated in a new way with an extraordinary piece of music composed to commemorate his heroic actions. On April 19 at Carnegie Hall, Japanese-American-Israeli cellist Kristina Reiko Cooper will perform this original piece of music - Lera Auerbach's Symphony No. 6, "Vessels of Light" - accompanied by the New York City Opera Orchestra conducted by Constantine Orbelian. The gala concert, organized by Yad Vashem and the American Society for Yad Vashem, which commissioned the piece, will pay tribute to Sugihara's legacy. Along with the honorary Dutch consul in Lithuania, Jan Zwartendijk, Sugihara issued life-saving visas to the Jews trying to escape Europe through a complex, illegal scheme involving fake transit visas via Japan to the Dutch-speaking Caribbean island of Curacao. Not a single Jew actually traveled to that faraway island off the coast of Venezuela, home to the oldest surviving synagogue in the Americas. But the operation - carried out under the noses of Lithuania's Nazi occupiers - enabled thousands of Jews to resettle in Shanghai, leading to eventual freedom. "Being half-Japanese myself, I understand the culture, and I know as a Japanese person that opposing authority goes against every fiber of our being," Cooper, the cellist, said this month in an interview near her home in Tel Aviv. Born in New York to a mother of Japanese descent, Cooper later converted to Judaism and moved to Israel. She and her husband, Leonard Rosen, are raising their three children as Orthodox Jews. "Everybody's heard of Schindler, who had a factory. But Sugihara had nothing to gain from this. In fact, he had everything to lose," said Cooper, a visiting professor of music at Tel Aviv University. "He didn't want recognition and never spoke to anybody about it. He didn't even know that he had saved anybody until the very end of his life." Cooper, who studied at Julliard and comes from a long line of musicians - her father is a pianist and her mother a violinist and former concertmaster of the American Symphony - has a special personal connection to the Sugihara story. Her husband's father, Irving Rosen, was one of the Jews whose lives was saved by Sugihara's actions. Armed with papers enabling Rosen's family to leave Lithuania and emigrate to Curacao via Japan, the entire family traveled via the Trans-Siberian Railway from Vilnius to Moscow to Vladivostok, then by sea to Japan - and eventually Shanghai. "I became obsessed with this story and wanted people to know about it, especially given everything that's going on in the world with the rise of authoritarian governments, mass dislocations, refugees, wars, rising antisemitism and anti-Asian hate," Cooper said. "I'm not a writer, a filmmaker or an actress. I'm a musician. People had asked me, 'Why not put together a nice concert in tribute to Sugihara?' But I wanted to write something that could last forever." With the backing of Yad Vashem and the American Society for Yad Vashem, Cooper asked Auerbach to write the piece, a 40-minute composition for solo cello, choir and orchestra involving 130 performers, including Yiddish "whisperers," allusions to Psalm 121 and an introductory piece by Japanese composer Karen Tanaka titled "Guardian Angel." At Carnegie Hall, Cooper, who plays on an Italian-made Guadagnini cello from 1743, will perform Auerbach's moving, large-scale symphonic work as a soloist. She'll also perform in Prague on March 27, Los Angeles on May 18, in California's Napa Valley on July 18 and in Warsaw on October 8. "Most people do not pay attention to history, because they're so wedded to current events," said the Carnegie Hall event's co-chair, Peter Till, a board member of the American Society for Yad Vashem. "But this is even more relevant today because of the rise of extremist hate groups. They'll forever deny that it exists, or ignore it, or say it couldn't happen here, but hate continues to repeat itself and people have to face up to it." The Sugihara story is especially compelling, Till said, because it's the first event of its kind that links Holocaust survivors with Asia in general - and Japan in particular. "This is as much about the music as it is an expression of humanity, of people from diverse cultural backgrounds coming together to save lives," he said. "For Yad Vashem, this is a very important event because it shows the depth of understanding." Of the roughly 28,000 non-Jews who've been designated by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations, only 40 were diplomats. Sugihara is the only Japanese citizen so honored. "On the whole, the eligibility process for diplomats is slightly different than for ordinary rescuers, because they had immunity," said Joel Zisenwein, director of Yad Vashem's Righteous Among the Nations Department. "In most cases, they were not at physical risk. But many of them had defied the guidelines and official policies of their foreign offices. Sugihara is even more interesting because he represented an ally of Nazi Germany." Zisenwein said Sugihara provided between 2,100 and 3,500 transit visas, though the exact number is not known. "Literally, all rescuers from the Holocaust era have passed away, so people accepting the award are generally descendants or even grandchildren of the recipients," Zisenwein said. "It's interesting that Sugihara received his award for actions prior to the German invasion of Lithuania. Most of the Jews he rescued were Polish refugees who had fled there in 1939. Many countries claim to have their own 'Schindlers.' But here indeed was an individual who saved thousands of Jewish lives." The evening's master of ceremonies will be Zalman Mlotek, who is also artistic director of the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene. Tickets and sponsorships are still available for the event. "It's not just the people Sugihara saved. It's the worlds of those thousands of people," said Mlotek, whose father, Joseph Mlotek, was a 21-year-old Yiddish poet working at a newspaper in Warsaw when World War II broke out. After fleeing to Lithuania, the family heard about Sugihara and was able to obtain transit visas to Shanghai, where the elder Mlotek and his brother Abram spent the war years. "My father became a Yiddish activist here in New York and set up a network of 200 Yiddish schools all over the country. He published books with my mother and did concert tours for Yiddish musicians," said Mlotek, 71. "I look at myself today, as artistic director of the Yiddish theater for 20 years, carrying on this same legacy that would have been decimated had it not been for the heroism of Sugihara." Auerbach's composition had its world premiere last November in the Lithuanian city of Kaunas (known in Yiddish as Kovno), where Sugihara's story took place. Additional performances are scheduled for cities around the world through 2024. This story was sponsored by and produced in collaboration with the American Society for Yad Vashem. This article was produced by JTA's native content team. Passover, the annual celebration of the Exodus from Egypt, is one of Judaisms most beloved holidays and also the one that requires the most preparation. The Torah teaches that one should remove leaven or hametz (understood by Jewish tradition to mean food that is made from one of five forbidden grains and food that has been fermented) from ones home it should neither be seen nor found in ones possession. Traditionally, Jews attempt to clean all the leaven from their homes, chasing out the cracker crumbs and stray Cheerios wherever they lurk: behind the refrigerator, in the pockets of coats, under car seats. Larger leavened items, like boxes of pasta and crackers, are often sold to non-Jewish neighbors with the understanding that these will be purchased back at the end of the holiday. Aside from the comprehensive nature of this kind of purge, because Passover cleaning often coincides with spring cleaning, many find the undertaking overwhelming and daunting. But obsession is not necessarily required to satisfy the traditional requirements of the holiday. If it all seems too much, it may be that you are doing more than you need to. Here are our tips for keeping your Passover cleaning manageable: Hametz is not Dirt Yes, crumbs of food often lurk in the same places one finds dirt and grime, but there is no requirement that the home be clean, only that it be purged of leaven. You really dont need to dust your fan blades. Focus on the Kitchen You are not likely to eat in your bathroom, so skip that space when doing your Passover cleaning. Keep your focus on the places where you prepare and eat your food dayenu! Some Hametz Doesnt Count Some authorities say that hametz is only a problem if it is the size of an olive or larger. So those tiny crumbs youre desperately seeking out? Not so significant. Some authorities say that hametz which is not edible also doesnt count. Whats inedible? If a dog wouldnt eat it you probably wouldnt either. Throw Your Hametz in a Cardboard Box or Just Tape Up the Cabinet Once you sell your leaven products they no longer belong to you. The only other requirement is that you should not see them. So grab a cardboard box, a sheet or some masking tape and hide those cookies that now technically belongs to someone else from view. Done and done. Nullification is Your Friend On the night before the first seder, it is traditional to hide a few last crumbs of bread and then search for them by candlelight. The following morning, these are burned (biur) and then a blessing is recited that renders any unseen leaven no longer hametz (bittul): All hametz that is in my possession, which I have neither seen nor removed, and of which I am unaware, is nullified and ownerless like the dust of the earth. Our sages understood that it is pretty much impossible to get everything. In fact, the Talmud implies that sometimes a person would accidentally forget about a cake in their cupboard on Passover! So do your best, say this blessing and relax. Whatever you missed (and you surely missed something everyone does!) has symbolically turned to dust. Passover is the festival of freedom. If you cant enjoy the cleaning, at least dont let it enslave you. Chag Kasher vSameach! Khartoum The Armed Forces issued, today, a press circular in which it has affirmed its commitment to the political process now taking place in the country. The press circular stated that the Armed Forces affirm full commitment to the ongoing political process, and extending gratitude to all participants in the Security and Military Reform Workshop. The Armed Forces pointed out in its press circular to it is awaiting for the work of the technical committees that work to complete the details related to the merger and modernization processes in order to reach a single national army that protects the democratic transition, in preparation for these details to be part of the final agreement. (JTA) - Rabbi Yael Buechler conceived of her latest product two years ago, after planning ways to make the Passover seder fun for her two young sons. But it wasn't until she started promoting the matzah pajamas she designed that she decided to make adult sizes, too. After she reached out in December 2021 to The Maccabeats - the Orthodox a capella group that releases splashy new videos for most holidays - to offer kids' pajamas for their Passover project, they demurred. "They wrote back jokingly, 'Haha - but like, do they come in grownup sizes?'" Buechler recalled. But these days, both lines sell like, well, unleavened hotcakes. Jewish influencers have modeled the pajamas on social media, often as entire families, and the children's set vaulted near the top of Passover sales rankings at Modern Tribe, an online marketplace for Jewish products. That the breakout Passover product is technically sleepwear reflects a new frontier in the ongoing commercialization of Jewish holidays. It also reflects the turn toward comfort clothes that Americans in general have made since the COVID-19 pandemic began just before Passover three years ago. "You used to get dressed up to go to seder, but now everyone is a lot more casual," said Amy Kritzer Becker, one of Modern Tribe's owners. Indeed, the promotion of fancy clothing for Passover is a prime example of American consumerism layered atop traditional Jewish practice. Many traditionally observant families buy new clothes, especially for children, for the holiday, to fulfill the mitzvah of "simcha," or joy. That became a marketing opportunity for clothing manufacturers as Jews moved to the United States in large numbers and emerged as a new consumer segment. "Because of the alignment of the Passover holiday with Easter, it was an opportunity for Jews to also purchase nice attire," said art historian Kerri Steinberg, author of "Jewish Mad Men: Advertising and the Design of the American Jewish Experience." Steinberg says the commercialization of Judaism has been a defining characteristic of American Judaism - and, in some ways, a safeguard for Jewish identity in a country that long boasted of being a melting pot. "One thing that's been very discrete and sort of distinctive I would say about Judaism in America is how it's been branded and marketed, and packaged," she said. "[That acculturation] stopped short of full assimilation because in order to maintain a vibrant Jewish market, their identities had to be sort of retained in a discrete way." "In America, capitalism has been the key structure," Steinberg added. "So it does make sense that there were opportunities for more consumption of Jewish goods and products around the holidays." Some of those goods and products were integral to observing the holiday. American Jewish newspapers from the turn of the century and onward featured ads from companies like Streit's, Horowitz, and Manischewitz battling over claims to the best matzah and whitefish. And of course there is also the Maxwell House Haggadah, created as a marketing ploy for the coffee company in 1932 and still produced today. Its creator, Joseph Jacobs, was an advertising maven who saw huge potential in a base of Jewish customers; he is credited with inventing the concept of targeted marketing. But other products promoted for Passover had little or nothing to do with what happens during it. Stetson advertised its hats to Jewish customers in Jewish newspapers, while Colgate hawked perfume and other companies noted sales on shoes. Even Macy's had a Passover department advertised in a March 1912 edition of the now-defunct Hebrew Standard. By the second half of the 20th century, other forces were working in favor of Passover products. The rise of identity politics in the 1970s meant that many Jews were seeking items that would let them display their Jewishness, Steinberg said. Then, starting in the 1990s, the rise of kitsch, a nostalgic aesthetic, opened the door to nostalgic items such as Manischewitz purses, Streit's aprons and gefilte fish T-shirts. Just as dreidel and menorah patterns are ubiquitous on items mass-produced for Hanukkah, the telltale striping of factory-produced matzah has long adorned items marketed for Passover. "People have always loved matzah products," said Becker, whose store offers a slew of print-on-demand matzah-emblazoned products, as well as baby shoes in the print. "Obviously matzah is the preeminent symbol of the holiday," Steinberg said. "Claiming matzah is just a proud assertion of Jewish distinction." For Buechler, who launched her line of Jewish fashion products a decade ago with nail decals of the 10 plagues, the motif was inspired by her son's confusion. She had gotten her children new pajamas to liven up another at-home seder, their second during the pandemic. "It goes late anyway," she reasoned about the festive meal, which traditionally cannot begin until after sunset. When she offered the two options - one yellow and the other blue - her then-2-year-old son declared he would have the "matzah pajamas." She decided to turn his idea into reality, creating a design that could be printed on fabric, ordering samples and then producing them in a large quantity in China. Then she set to work promoting the product, mailing free sets to influencers and reaching out to online Judaica stores, many of which were initially hesitant to purchase inventory they weren't sure would sell. (Buechler also gave a set of matzah pajamas away through Kveller, the Jewish parenting site that, like JTA, is part of 70 Faces Media.) Then the adults began to demand pajamas for themselves, which were manufactured quickly. How does fast fashion square with the meaning of the holiday? "Passover has always been about making things in haste," Buechler said. "And when you think about the matzah itself, the entire reason we have matzah is because we left Mitzrayim, we left Egypt, in a hurry." By last year, Buechler says she has sold around 1,800 sets of the matzah pajamas. Etsy lists them as a "bestseller" item, and ModernTribe, which also sells Buechler's Midrash Manicure products, has sold over 100 of the children's matzah pajamas since adding them to their inventory. They were the second-highest selling Passover item last year, behind coasters featuring the 10 Plagues. "We've had a hard few years," Kritzer said. "I think people just want to have a little fun too." (JTA) Just over 100 years ago, in April 1922, my great-grandparents emigrated to the United States with their four children, fearing for their lives in Kremenets, a Russian city in present-day western Ukraine. My great-grandfather, Aaron Shimon Shpall, an educator and journalist, recorded his thoughts about leaving the city that we were born in and that we spent years of our lives in, acknowledging how hard it would be to separate from our native land, and our birthplace and our fathers house. But he was clear that the Russia he knew had embittered our lives and saddened our souls. If not for the 3 million of our brothers who live there, it could be overturned along with Sodom and Gomorrah and the world would have lost nothing. Finally, after months of grueling uncertainty, including one arrest and another pending, my great-grandfather was reunited with his family in Colorado before he and his family ultimately settled in New Orleans, where he served as teacher and then as assistant principal of the communal Hebrew school. The anguish of my familys departure and, I can only imagine, the feelings of refugees all over the world in every era, is captured in my great-grandfathers diary: Nobody desired to go, but everybody had to go. We all run, or, to speak more correctly, we flee. And when somebody flees, there is no question: Where to? Where your feet carry you! Where you have the possibility! The Passover seder the Jewish ritual observed more than any other serves as a symbolic reenactment of the journey of the Israelites from slavery to freedom. The haggadah commands us to experience this journey annually as a way of developing historical empathy for all who are oppressed, enslaved and displaced, and who hope for liberation. As Jews, we have ritualized the recounting of our peoples enslavement and deliverance in part to cultivate a sense of moral responsibility toward those suffering in our own day. This year, as we approach Passover, our focus includes Ukrainians fighting valiantly to defend themselves against Russian invasion. Outraged by the violence, heartbroken by the loss of life and appalled by the destruction, we feel an obligation to help the Ukrainian people by offering monetary support and help with resettlement. We are especially attuned to helping the tens of thousands of Jews among them. The bonds of history that tie our struggles to those of Ukrainian Jews and their proud Jewish president today are deep and, in many cases, including mine, quite personal. American Jewry has flourished thanks to ancestors like mine who realized their determination to seek freedom and escape oppression. Thanks to their courage and resolve, we are privileged to recount the Exodus from Egypt each year as citizens of a democratic state and to develop the empathy needed at moments like this to help others who fear for their lives. For some, historical empathy for the plight of the Ukrainian people might be complicated by ancestors who suffered from brutal antisemitism at the hands of Ukrainian neighbors or whose ancestors murder at the hand of the Nazis was abetted by local Ukrainians. How can we square these complicated emotions? In part, because we also know that countless other Ukrainians fought in the Russian army to defeat the Nazis, and that Ukraine has changed greatly over time. The Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center, on the site of the largest massacre of Ukrainian Jews by the Nazis, is in the process of opening and today, Ukraine is led by a Jewish president. Most important, we quell our doubts because the haggadah reminds us not to take our freedom for granted, pointing us instead to activate our sense of moral responsibility to help others who are fighting to secure their own. Our haggadah prods us to recall our history so that it will conjure up our best selves, so that we will do what we can to ensure that the future brings freedom, safety and security to all. Its a sentiment I believe my great-grandfather would have shared. Shuly Rubin Schwartz is chancellor of The Jewish Theological Seminary of America. (JTA) Ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus upcoming visit to London, the United Kingdoms chief rabbi is calling for Jewish unity in Israel and around the world in response to dramatic protests against proposed changes to the Israeli judicial system. I never thought that we would witness a time when citizens of Israel, including respected leaders, are openly speaking about the possibility, God forbid, of civil war, Ephraim Mirvis wrote in a short op-ed in the Jewish Chronicle, the U.K.s oldest Jewish newspaper. At this moment of national crisis, Jewish unity must be our foremost priority. Jewish unity is not only a noble aspiration. It is a sacred responsibility for politicians, leaders, activists, and for us all, both in Israel and around the world. It was his first statement on the ongoing protests, which have brought out hundreds of thousands onto the streets of Israel for months. Mirvis avoided taking a side in the charged debate over whether the proposals put forward by Israels right-wing government will help reform their judicial system by reining in the power of the Supreme Court or erode the countrys democracy. The government drew fresh rebuke from protesters as it passed a law that limits the ways a sitting prime minister can be removed from office. Netanyahu has been embroiled in multiple corruption cases for years. Netanyahu delayed his London flight to early in the morning on Friday after making a nationally televised speech in which he said he will intervene in the judicial reform process, which has included bills on how judges are chosen and on the Supreme Courts ability to halt legislation. He was met with a chilly reception by local Jews during diplomatic visits to both Italy and Germany this month. According to Haaretz, Netanyahu is expected to use the visit to reassure his British counterparts that his reforms will not change Israels identity as a democratic state. His public schedule included only a meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, a Conservative, and no meetings with local Jewish figures. Some liberal Jewish groups have joined in protesting Netanyahus upcoming appearance in London. You cant enjoy a weekend in London while you are bringing down a democracy reads a poster by Yachad UK, a British-Jewish group which advocates for a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Prime Minister Netanyahu is coming to London. He leads the far-right government which is working to destroy Israels judicial system, entrench occupation and trample on the rights of women & minorities, the group added in a tweet, inviting others to join them in an all-day protest during Netanyahus visit. In an op-ed, Marie Van Der Zyl, the president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, argued that those protesting should not be dismissed as haters of Israel. The protests in London are being led by Israelis. Israeli flags are proudly being flown. These are not people who seek to destroy Israel, but wish to save it from something they fear might lead to its destruction, she wrote in the Jewish Chronicle. (JNS) Hours after China brokered a surprise deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia, a reporter asked U.S. President Joe Biden what he thought about the two countries, which come out of rival Islamic branches that have competed for centuries over guardianship of the faith, re-establishing diplomatic relations. The better the relations between Israel and their Arab neighbors, the better for everybody, he said. Critics ridiculed the presidents non sequitur, but Bidens statement raises the question of what impact the dealand importantly, Chinas involvement as a fixermight have on Jerusalems relations with its Arab neighbors following the Abraham Accords. China is not working for or against Israels interest, Howard Shatz, a senior economist at Rand Corporation told JNS. This is a good agreement in Chinas interest and a mixed bag for Israel. Less tension between Iran and its neighbors may mean neighboring Arab states, like Saudi Arabia, have less incentive to work with Israel. But the United Arab Emirates maintains ties with Iran even after signing the Abraham Accords, and significant disagreements between Saudi Arabia and Iran are unlikely to resolve anytime soon, said Shatz. Time will tell, he stated. China is in a singular position to broker an agreement like the one between Iran and Saudi Arabia, due to its close ties with both parties, Middle East experts say. All signs indicate that China is strategically, not sporadically, deepening its engagement in Persian Gulf economies, Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told JNS. Few countries can manage the rivalry between Tehran and Riyadh today, and Beijings ability to walk that tightrope is driven largely by the fact that it is Saudi Arabias and Irans most important trade partner, thanks to Beijings reliance on hydrocarbons from the region to power its economy, he explained. Shatz agreed, saying the most important part of this development is that China brokered the agreement. The United States could not have served as a broker because it does not have relations with Iran, whereas China does. Both Saudi Arabia and Iran look at China as an integral part of their future. Shatz and Taleblu believe the deal signals a decrease in tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia. They also noted that it remains to be seen whether Chinas ascendancy on the world stage as a peace broker is good for the Jewish state. Improve his standing at home Meir Javedanfar, a lecturer at Reichman University in Herzliya who teaches diplomatic and security studies of Iran, said China made a calculated move to further its own interests and is likely to use the deal as leverage in its dealings with Moscow and Washington. Chinas President Xi Jinping secured a third term, which is unprecedented since Mao Zedong, Javedanfar told JNS. With this deal, Xi Jinping hopes that it will improve his standing at home and portray him as a global player, said Javedanfar. He noted that the Chinese president is now visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin, and wants to project Chinese power and influence not only in the Middle East and Russiasince Russia depends on Chinese buyers for its oil and gas exportsbut also in its dealings with America. The Jewish Pavilion plays an important community relations role in Central Florida. One of the main roles of the Jewish Paavilion Program Directors is to educate staff in elder care communities regarding Jewish traditions and holidays and the foods associated with the celebrations. Nancy Ludin, CEO, sees the value in educating the general public beyond the senior communities. Every year, her staff, and leadership provide a home cooked breakfast for the Maitland Chamber. Each breakfast is associated with a Jewish holiday. Participants get to experience the foods associated with the holiday and learn about how the holiday is celebrated. The holidays previously celebrated include Israel Independence Day, Rosh Hashana, Hanukah and Purim. This year, the Jewish Pavilion staff and leadership are providing a Passover Breakfast on Monday, April 13, at 8:30 a.m. at New Hope for Kids in Maitland. The table will be decorate for Pesach with candlesticks, kiddish cup and Seder plate. She will utilize a Childrens Haggadah to explain the Passover story of the Exodus from Egypt. The menu planned is quite extensive including crackers with lox and veggies, sweet latke pancakes with jelly and cinnamon, fruit salad, Israeli salad, carrot tzimmes, macaroons, potato kugel , heese cake, matzah brie with veggies, matzah bark with chocolate, quiche, juice and coffee. More volunteers have agreed to participate in the cooking but have not yet decide what they wish to prepare. Register with the Maitland Chamber if interested. https://www.maitlandchamber.com/events/calendar. (JNS) Israels Knesset on Tuesday voted 31-18 to repeal articles of the 2005 Gaza Disengagement Law banning Israelis from entering and residing in four communities in northern Samaria. The Gaza disengagement led to the destruction and evacuation of the Israeli communities of Sa-Nur, Homesh, Ganim and Kadim in northern Samaria, as well as 21 communities in the Gaza Strip. In addition to rolling back the articles (23-27) banning movement into and out of, and residence in, northern Samaria, the amendment stipulates that Article 28, which canceled rights regarding real estate in vacated territory, will not apply to rights established there starting from the date of the bills approval. There is no longer any justification to prevent Israelis from entering and staying in the evacuated territory in northern Samaria, and therefore it is proposed to state that these sections [of the disengagement law] will no longer apply to the evacuated territory, reads the introductory text to the bill. The bills passage erases to some extent the the stain on the garment of the State of Israel left by the disengagement, it continues. The Israel Defense Forces must now approve a military order allowing Israelis to return to those areas. Seventeen years of attempts, an uncompromising struggle, and a strong belief in the righteousness of this path converged into one moment when the Knesset plenum voted in favor of canceling the Disengagement Law, Likud MK Yuli Edelstein, who sponsored the bill, said Tuesday. The State of Israel tonight began the recovery process from the deportation disaster, he added in reference to the 2005 expulsion of some 8,000 Jews from their homes in Gaza and Samaria. This is the first significant step towards real healing and settlement in Israels historical territories that belong to it. Edelstein sponsored the measure at the request of Samaria Regional Council chairman Yossi Dagan, who was himself among those expelled from the Samaria communities. This is a struggle we have been waging for 18 years and we finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, said Dagan last month as the bill was making its way through Knesset committees. The deportees of [northern Samaria]heroes who are standing with us as the tip of the spear in this strugglewill yet see recompense for their actions. The residents of the communities of Ganim, Kadim, Homesh and Sa-Nur will return within their borders, he added, referencing Jeremiah 31:15-16. A game of cat and mouse has taken place between the IDF and former residents and supporters since the disengagement, particularly at Homesh, where a yeshiva has operated out of caravans and tents. Troops have dismantled the yeshiva several times over the years. The coalition agreement between Likud and the Religious Zionism Party, led by Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich, requires the government to allow for the Homesh Yeshiva to remain as a first step towards rebuilding the four communities. (JNS) The U.S. State Departments Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor released the 2022 edition of its annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices on Monday. The reports cover internationally recognized individual, civil, political and worker rights, as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international agreements, stated Foggy Bottom. The report embodies the importance of human rights for American diplomacy and for our vision of an open, free, prosperous and secure world, Antony Blinken, U.S. secretary of state, said in a press conference on Monday. Human rights are universal. They arent defined by any one country, philosophy or region. They apply to everyone, everywhere. The report makes clear that there was a backsliding in human rights conditionsthe closing of civic space, disrespect for fundamental human dignity in 2022, according to Blinken, who said the report does not aim to lecture nor shame. Rather, it is to provide a resource for those individuals working around the world to safeguard and uphold human dignity when its under threat in so many ways, he said. And while this report looks outward to countries around the world, we know the United States faces its own set of challenges on human rights. In his remarks, Blinken singled out the appalling and ongoing abuses of the Iranian regime, the Talibans relentless discrimination against women and girls in Afghanistan, the erosion of human rights in Burma, genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs in China, as well as offenses in Cuba, Nicaragua and Ethiopia. He addressed calculated and deliberate offenses in Ethiopia at some length. Were not pulling our punches with anyone One of three questions from reporters who were present focused on Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Israel. What would your response be to those that would say despite the contents of the report and despite all of the work that goes into it, that the issues that are flagged are not sufficiently influencing policymaking, especially when it comes to countries where it is harder for the United States to have those tough discussions on human rights, like Egypt and Saudi Arabia and Israel? the reporter asked. The report devotes nearly 23,992 wordsabout 50 pages, single-spaced, in a standard word processing formatto Israel, West Bank and Gaza. We have those tough discussions across the board with friends, adversaries, competitors alike, said the secretary of state. Were not pulling our punches with anyone. We call things as we see them. Sometimes, we do it more publicly; sometimes, we do it more privately. Among other things, the report notes of Israel that Israeli Security Agency forces, which fall under the Israel Defense Forces and operate in the West Bank, were the subject of reports of abuses. It added that there were significant human rights issues, including credible reports of unlawful or arbitrary killings, arbitrary or unjust detention, including of Palestinians in Israel and the occupied territories and punishment of family members for alleged offenses by a relative. Of Iran, the report noted that according to media reports, officials and media propagated conspiracy theories blaming Jews and Israel for the spread of COVID-19. According to NGO reports, school textbooks contained content that incited hatred against Jews as part of the state curricula for history, religion and social studies. It added that the approximately 9,000 Jews who live in Iran, according to the Tehran Jewish Committee, were reportedly subjected to government restrictions and discrimination. Government officials, including the supreme leader, president and other top officials, routinely engaged in egregious antisemitic rhetoric and Holocaust denial and distortion. In January, Iran was the only country to object to a U.N. resolution condemning denial and distortion of the Holocaust, it added. Supreme Leader [Ali] Khameinis social media accounts repeatedly contained antisemitic attacks and tropes. State-run media routinely claimed Zionists influenced Western nations on topics affecting Iran and blamed Zionists, among others, for widespread protests following the death of Mahsa Amini in September. The Jewish community in Tehran warned persons on Telegram not to visit synagogues during the high holidays due to the dangerous situation. (JNS) I can no longer keep silent. I may be sitting in Manhattan, but my heart is in Jerusalem and my heart is very heavy. I may not be a lawyer or a legal scholar, but I have been an organizer, an activist, a leader who has acted on behalf of civil and human rights especially womens rights. But I have never acted in the way that Israeli rioters are now acting: Not stopping, threatening to continue until theyve brought down an entire country. These leftists/progressives/good people (my former people) seem to be behaving the same way that pro-Palestinian/pro-jihad students behave in the streets and classrooms of America. They are like hecklers in the classroom who will not allow a speaker with whom they disagree to speak, trying to chase them out of the lecture hall. These rioters are aiming to abolish a lawful and democratic election because they despise and fear the peoples choice. They aim to make their country odious in the eyes of the world. Do they not understand that Israel is already defamed, that the noose has tightened around the Jewish neck globally, that Israel is already hated everywhere? Do they think that by standing for civil rights, womens rights, gay rights, minority and Arab rights (all important issues) they will be seen as the good Israel, the good Jew and will be sent to the gas chambers last? Do they not see that their style of protesting, however righteously intended, resembles a Black Lives Matter demonstration, a jihadist uprising, or an adolescent tantrum? Do they not see that they are enacting their own form of BDS? Do they not understand that they reside in a neighborhood where such a dangerous riot would be put down with live bullets, prison, torture, execution, perhaps even chemical warfare? Do they not understand that they are lucky to live in a country that does not do such things? Do they have no better way to protest what they view as dangerous and awful as a tyranny of the majority? I am not in favor of abolishing womens rights, gay rights or minority rights in Israel. My record speaks for itself. And for the record, please allow me to note that the overly hallowed Israeli Supreme Courtyes, even under Menacham Elon and Aharon Barakwhich the demonstrators/protestors/rioters believe has been so just, even holy, utterly failed to do justice for the Women of the Wall or the Original Women of the Wall, who want to pray with women only and at the Kotel proper, not at Robinsons Arch in mixed gender minyanim. Yes, I understand that the haredim, who may have voted for the new government, also opposed us with contemptuous violence. Nevertheless, I refused to write about any of this in the major North American press; not while Israel was under siege. As Jew-hatred in the West keeps rising; as physical, even murderous attacks on visible Jews both in the diaspora and in Israel keep rising; as more and more Israelis, including Israels president, are being treated shamefully; as more and more Jewish students and professors are being harassed, even persecuted in Americawhat is going on in Israel right now is very dangerous, beyond disheartening. I understand: The secularists/modernists/atheists are overly righteous, but they are also terrified lest they be subjected to religious law and prejudices about women, minorities and Arabs. They do not wish to live in a theocratic and misogynist state. They genuinely fear that their civil rights will be lost. They have a pointbut they are also out of touch with reality. The religious nationalists believe that only those who are God-fearing can save the Jews and have the moral right to preside over the only Jewish state. They are also focused on Jewish survival in an increasingly dangerous neighborhood and world. Iran is uppermost on their minds, plus the Arab terrorist attacks and the world media diabolically turning reality upside down. Then there is the E.U. funding of Palestinian terrorism and the U.N. passing an unending number of anti-Israel resolutions. As I wrote, the noose is tightening, the Jew of the world is now everywhere defamed. Is this also a fight between Sephardim/Mizrahim and the Western-centric Ashkenazim? Between post-enlightenment modernists and traditionalists? Brethren: Were we not all at Sinai? It seems to me that, in the name of democracy, the most uncivil, anti-democratic protests have been taking place against a democratically elected government whose views the protestors do not share. Why not start organizing to win the hearts and minds of the electorate? Why not plan for victory in the next election? Why not hold demonstrations that do not intend to shut the entire country down? Now is the time for unity and compromise. If not nowwhen? We have lost our nation before because of sinat hinam, unwarranted hatred of one another. The Israeli rioters are playing at being American Jews who, for a long time now, have identified themselves as being in opposition to Israel. However, what was once a genuine disagreement on the issues has become a chasm, a deep and dangerous division. Israel is so important to Jews that each Jew wants to see it in their own image and not in anyone elses image. How about in Gods image? What happened to our being a nation holy to God, a people in Gods image? People: As they say, yesh gvul. There has got to be a limit to such riots. Phyllis Chesler is an emerita professor of Psychology and Womens Studies at the City University of New York (CUNY) and the author of 20 books, including Women and Madness, and A Family Conspiracy: Honor Killings. She is a Senior IPT Fellow, and a Fellow at MEF and ISGAP. (JNS) Israel is undergoing many challenges since the new government was formed, internally and externally. Terror has accelerated, and on the international scene, Israels internal judicial reform initiatives have been met with criticism from around the world. Many of these challenges have been created by extreme left-wing Israelis who understand the international political landscape and are abusing it to take away legitimacy from this new government and its plans. Immediately coming off the rights election victory, Israels political left went on the offensive against the legitimacy of Benjamin Netanyahus coalition, which was voted in through a democratic election. As time has passed, their behavior has become more intolerable and is pushing Israel to the brink of civil war and international isolation. Immediately after the elections, Yair Lapid, the former prime minister and current head of the opposition, called on new officers of the Israel Defense Forces at their graduation ceremony to question the new government and their orders to the Israeli army, saying, the call to use force without laws, without rules, without adhering to the model of a law-abiding army. These calls weaken Israeli society and the IDF. Additionally, on Dec. 1, Lapid wrote an open letter to Israels municipalities that said the parties set to form the next coalition government have abandoned the education of our children and handed them over to the most extreme and darkest elements in Israeli society. I urge you not to cooperate with the unit for external programs and partnerships in the Ministry of Education. That was three months ago. Unfortunately, things have gone downhill quickly. Since then, there have been calls by former prime ministers, mayors and generals in the army for armed civil war against the right, and thousands of death threats against ministers and members of parliament alongside violent protests against the State of Israel. Former prime ministers and senior ministers of Israel have besmirched the Israeli government on international media platforms and have called for a boycott of the state and the ruling coalition by foreign powers. The protesters have interviewed and written op-eds on leading media publications worldwide, have called on Israeli and international companies to withdraw or not initiate investments in Israel; called for Israelis to stop serving in the IDF and in the reservist army; and even called for Israelis to abandon their home and move to Europe or the United States. At their protests, they display posters of Netanyahu alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin, Hitler and Irans Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and call the prime minister a traitor. They have blocked roads illegally and vandalized property in Israel for months. Still, Israels police have not acted with force to disperse them as they did in the past with protesters from other social sects in Israeli society. The protesters knew this would happen. They are looking for pictures of police dispersing them with force so that they can run to the world media and say that Israel is a fascist and oppressive state. Meanwhile, Israels elitist and most privileged citizens are disturbing millions of Israelis daily movements. Recently, left-wing Israelis have even started protesting in front of embassies of foreign nations in Israel, and Israeli expats have protested at central locations in cities of Western countries. They are aware that the international mainstream media and left-wing governments will gladly be on their side in weakening Israels right-wing. They ignore the fact the introduction and invitation of foreign intervention in Israeli politics will weaken Israels sovereignty and respect on the world stage for decades. Everything is kosher for left-wing Israelis if it means holding onto their self-ordained power structure, which is the Israeli Supreme Court. Knesset members have been barricaded inside their residences by hundreds of left-wing activists attempting to prevent them from leaving and being able to vote. A protester tried to get close to Simcha Rothman, head of the Knessets Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, at his home to possibly harm him. A few weeks ago, a crowd of thousands barricaded Sara Netanyahu outside a hair salon in Tel Aviv. Later that evening, she was escorted home by hundreds of Israeli police officers. Last week, Israeli Minister of the Economy and Industry Nir Barkat attended a political event with the Likud Partys branch in Kfar Saba that became surrounded by hundreds of left-wing protesters who broke the buildings windows and shouted and hurled objects at Barkat as he was escorted in and out of the event. In the Knesset itself, two members belonging to Lapids Yesh Atid Party jumped over the table, shouting at Rothman. The Yesh Atid and Yisrael Beiteinu (led by Knesset member Avigdor Lieberman) parties have threatened to withdraw from Israels Knesset in an attempt to signal to the rest of the world that Israel is no longer a democratic country worth serving in its parliament. The proposal laid out last week by Israeli President Isaac Herzog was not nearly a compromise from the very basic fact that every party in the opposition supported it and every party in the coalition opposed it. A different kind of proposal could have been a life preserver to begin to pull us out of this terrible situation we are in. Instead, Herzog, who was the leader of the left-wing Labor Party before becoming president and a career left-wing politician, chose to pander to his political colleagues and ignore the collation voted in democratically by the Israeli public. His proposal and the attitude of the left signal to the Israeli right that Israels democratic elections dont have to mean much, and that even if they are democratically elected, any significant policy they wish to enact must receive approval from the left-wing political elites. On their recent trip to Israel, the organizations of the Conference of Presidents didnt request to meet with Rothman or Israeli Minister of Justice Yariv, who are leading the reforms from Israels coalition government. They caved into the pressure by mainstream media and political correctness instead of becoming educated on the issues and taking a balanced approach. These organizations and others have released two letters in just a few months to show their concern about the new governments policiessomething they didnt even do once during the 18 months of the last government. For Jews who hail from the Diaspora, we need to remember our commitment to Israel. As a people who look in from the outside, we understand the uniqueness of Israel, a nation-state for the Jewish people. We were not educated with a scorched-earth approach to our eternal homeland when politically things dont turn out the way we want. The Jewish Diaspora has a responsibility during a time of internal turmoil in Israel to urge the left-wing not to burn it down and to stand on the right side of Jewish history. Benjamin Sipzner is the director for international operations at Ad Kan. He was the Anglo coordinator for outreach and events for the Religious Zionist Party in Israels last two elections. Email him at: sipznerbenjamin@gmail.com. (JTA) Earlier this month the New York Times convened what it called a focus group of Jewish Americans. I was struck briefly by that phrase Jewish Americans in part because the Times, like the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, tends to prefer American Jews. Its seemingly a distinction without a difference, although I know others might disagree. There is an argument that American Jew smacks of disloyalty, describing a Jew who happens to be American. Jewish American, according to this thinking, flips the script: an American who happens to be Jewish. If pressed, Id say I prefer American Jew. The noun Jew sounds, to my ear anyway, more direct and more assertive than the tentative adjective Jewish. Its also consistent with the way JTA essentializes Jew in its coverage, as in British Jew, French Jew, LGBT Jew or Jew of color. I wouldnt have given further thought to the subject if not for a webinar last week given by Arnold Eisen, the chancellor emeritus at the Jewish Theological Seminary. In Jewish-American, American-Jew: The Complexities and Joys of Living a Hyphenated Identity, Eisen discussed how a debate over language is really about how Jews navigate between competing identities. What does the American signify to us? he asked. What does the Jewish signify and what is the nature of the relationship between the two? Is it a synthesis? Is it a tension, or a contradiction, or is it a blurring of the boundaries such that you cant tell where one ends and the other begins? Questions like these, it turns out, have been asked since Jews and other immigrants first began flooding Ellis Island. Teddy Roosevelt complained in 1915 that there is no room in this country for hyphenated Americans. Woodrow Wilson liked to say that any man who carries a hyphen about with him carries a dagger that he is ready to plunge into the vitals of the Republic. The two presidents were frankly freaked out about what we now call multiculturalism, convinced that America couldnt survive a wave of immigrants with dual loyalties. The two presidents lost the argument, and for much of the 20th century hyphenated American was shorthand for successful acculturation. While immigration hardliners continue to question the loyalty of minorities who claim more than one identity, and Donald Trump played with the politics of loyalty in remarks about Mexicans, Muslims and Jews, ethnic pride is as American as, well, St. Patricks Day. I am the proud daughter of Indian immigrants, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said in announcing her run for the Republican presidential nomination this month. For Jews, however, the hyphen became what philosophy professor Berel Lang called a weighty symbol of the divided life of Diaspora Jewry. Jewishness isnt a distant country with quaint customs, but a religion and a portable identity that lives uneasily alongside your nationality. In a 2005 essay, Lang argued that on either side of the hyphen were vying traditions or allegiances, with the Jew constantly confronted with a choice between the American side, or assimilation, and the Jewish side, or remaining distinct. Eisen calls this the question of Jewish difference. Eisen grew up in an observant Jewish family in Philadelphia and understood from an early age that his family was different from their Vietnamese-, Italian-, Ukrainian- and African-American neighbors. On the other hand, they were all the same that is, American because they were all hyphenated. Being parallel to all these other differences, gave me my place in the city and in the country, he said. In college he studied the Jewish heavy hitters who were less sanguine about the integration of American and Jewish identities. Eisen calls Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, the renegade theologian at JTS, the thinker who really made this question uppermost for American Jews. Kaplan wrote in 1934 that Jewishness could only survive as a subordinate civilization in the United States, and that the Jew in America will be first and foremost an American, and only secondarily a Jew. Kaplans prescription was a maximum effort on the part of Jews to save the otherness of Jewish life not just through synagogue, but through a Jewish civilization expressed in social relationships, leisure activities and a traditional moral and ethical code. Of course, Kaplan also understood that there was another way to protect Jewish distinctiveness: move to Israel. The political scientist Charles Liebman, in The Ambivalent American Jew (1973), argued that Jews in the United States were torn between surviving as a distinct ethnic group and integrating into the larger society. According to Eisen, Liebman believed that Jews who make Jewish the adjective and American the noun tend to fall on the integration side of the hyphen. And Jews who make Jew the noun and American the adjective tend to fall on the survival side of the hyphen. Eisen, a professor of Jewish thought at JTS, noted that the challenge of the hyphen was felt by rabbis on opposite ends of the theological spectrum. He cited Eugene Borowitz, the influential Reform rabbi, who suggested in 1973 that Jews in the United States are actually more Jewish on the inside than they pretend to be on the outside. In other words, were so worried about what Liebman called integration into America that we hide our distinctiveness. Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik, the leading Modern Orthodox thinker of his generation, despaired that the United States presented its Jews with an unresolvable conflict between the person of faith and the person of secular culture. When I read the texts Eisen shared, I see 20th-century Jewish men who doubted Jews could be fully at home in America and at home with themselves as Jews (let alone as Jews who werent straight or white which would demand a few more hyphens). They couldnt imagine a rich Jewishness that didnt exist as a counterculture, the way Cynthia Ozick wondered what it would be like to think as a Jew in a non-Jewish language like English. They couldnt picture the hyphen as a plus sign, which pulled the words Jewish and American together. Recent trends support the skeptics. Look at Judaisms Conservative movement, whose rabbis are trained at JTS, and which has long tried to reconcile Jewish literacy and observance with the American mainstream. Its shrinking, losing market share and followers both to Reform where followers tend to fall on the integration side of the hyphen and to Orthodoxy, where Jewish otherness is booming in places like Brooklyn and Lakewood, New Jersey. And the Jewish nones those opting out of religion, synagogue and active engagement in Jewish institutions and affairs are among the fastest-growing segments of American Jewish life. Eisen appears more optimistic about a hyphenated Jewish identity, although he insists that it takes work to cultivate the Jewish side. I dont think theres anything at stake necessarily on which side of the hyphen you put the Jewish on, he said. But if you dont go out of your way to put added weight on the Jewish in the natural course of events, as Kaplan said correctly 100 years ago, the American will win. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media. Nairobi Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Leader Raila Odinga has alleged that Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is still plotting on mechanisms to disrupt the coalition's protest. Odinga revealed without evidence that Gachagua who has toured his home county in Mathira is scheming with other leaders from the Mt Kenya region to further cause mayhem in the opposition's protests. "Today they have a meeting in Gachagua's residence with the likes of Kimani Ichungwa and they are planning a plot again.We can see them and what they are planning and it doesn't take me even five minutes before I know what's happening," he stated. "Tomorrow we will still continue with our demonstrations," Odinga said while addressing Nubian Community at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Foundation. The Deputy President today toured Mathira Constituency to commission a bus at Kangocho Secondary School This comes against a backdrop of both Azimio La Umoja and Kenya Kwanza Alliance political camps blaming each other for the invasions that happened in Northlands Farm in Ruiru owned by retired President Uhuru Kenyatta and the East Africa Spectre Limited owned by Odinga. Odinga blamed President Ruto who is out of the country for the spate of attacks on private properties that unfolded on Monday. The Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Leader mentioned that the violence witnessed yesterday in the country was part of President Ruto's modus operandi in any quest for change. "Let there be no confusion here. Violence has been Ruto's stock in trade against Kenyans whenever Kenyans have sought to change their lot and what happened yesterday is not any different," he stated. Electoral Reforms At the same time, Odinga has insisted that Azimio La Umoja demonstrations are still on , scoffing at his erstwhile rival President William Ruto for castigating the protest instead of agreeing on electoral reforms. Odinga averred that it will be a futile exercise for the nation to head to the 2027 general election and expect a tamper-proof election if the government will not engage in election reforms. The Opposition Leader who has called for protest every Monday and Thursday to agitate for election reforms has maintained that he won in the August 9th poll. "If we don't rectify that which happened in the last years polls even in 2027 polls, they will repeat the same thing. What will be the need for Kalonzo Musyoka, Martha Karua, George Wajacokyah to contest for presidency when their victory will be stolen from them," he said. Odinga told President Ruto to shun lamenting to the International Community over the Azimio protests that are pushing for electoral reforms among other issues saying other democracies have no jurisdiction in ironing out the issues. He advised the President that the issues can be solved internally by paving way for a bi-partisan approach in the reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission. "We have told the other nations to let Kenyans solve their issues internally.We cant be taught issues of democracy by the United Kingdom,USA or India.We are Kenyans we can solve our own issues," "There is no reason for President Ruto to go to Germany and talk about Raila.Come we talk in Kenya,open the servers we see what its in the server," Odinga stated. Even as the IEBC selection panel is currently reviewing the applications of 920 applicants who applied to fill the post of the Chairperson and the commissioners.He reiterated that the reconstitution of the poll agency must be halted. "Don't create an IEBC body without us being involved.We must be enjoined in the process of creating IEBC body,"said Odinga. IEBC Selection Panel The poll agency selection panel chaired by Nelson Makanda had set March 28 as the deadline for applicants to send their applications for consideration. Out of the 920 applicants, 25 individuals showed intent to fill the post of Chairperson while 895 are battling for the commissioners' slot. "This is a good number because in 2016 when the Chebukati commission was being interviewed only 15 people applied and they had to do a re-advert where they got around 30 people. We are not worried about the applications of the chair," stated Makanda. The IEBC reconstituting panel maintained they will conduct the exercise of filling up the vacant commission despite the clamor by the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition for the exercise to be halted. Makanda pointed out that the many applications by Kenyans were a clear sign that they trust the ongoing process to reconstitute the poll body. "We have applications from all counties,it just tells you that there is confidence in the process.In as much as there is contestation about politics,somebody must do this job,"Makanda said. "We must be able to constitute a commission in place and when politicians agree they can change the law and Kenyans will follow the law that will be put in place.We are faithful to the task,"he said. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The recruitment process follows the expiry of IEBC Chairperson Wafula Chebukati, and commissioners Abdi Guliye and Boya Molu's tenure last month after six years in office. Three other electoral officials including former IEBC Vice-chairperson Juliana Cherera, and commissioners Justus Nyang'aya and Francis Wanderi resigned last year following allegations of violation of the constitution and gross misconduct in the last general election. Commissioner Irene Masit appointment was terminated by the President following a recommendation by a tribunal constituted to probe her conduct during the August polls. The tribunal stated that the actions by Masit and her colleagues to disown the presidential results announced by the former IEBC chair amounted to gross misconduct. "From the analysis of the evidence on record, it is our finding that Commissioner Irene Masit's actions of 15th August 2022 of agreeing to the proposal by the two delegations to moderate the result of the Presidential Election to enable a re-run with the promise that there would be a reward if this was done amounts to gross misconduct on her part," the report said. (JNS) Media pundits spend a lot of time explaining to the rest of us why some political or social development just occurred. Last week, The New York Times presented what it claimed are the real reasons behind the controversy over Israeli judicial reform. The recent election results, which brought Israel a new governmentand the judicial reform planare part of a rightward drift that goes back a number of years, according to the Times Jerusalem Bureau Chief Patrick Kingsley. The failure of peace negotiations with the Palestinians in the 1990s led some Israelis to lose faith in the centrist and leftist leaders who had championed the process, Kingsley said. Think about that. Kingsley and the Times described the most widely-acclaimed Mideast peace agreement of the 20th century as the failure of peace negotiations with the Palestinians. The signing of Oslo I on the White House lawn, with a dramatic handshake between Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat and the Oslo II agreement, with Israels withdrawal from the territories where 98 percent of the Palestinian Arabs liveboth are, in the eyes of the Times, the failure of peace negotiations with the Palestinians. Back in the 1990s, however, the Times considered the Oslo Accords a tremendous success. Its lead editorial on Sept. 14, 1993the day after the signing at the White Housedeclared that after decades of warfare and only a few moments of promise, the signing of the agreement brought the brightest promise of all: reconciliation between the two main parties to the conflict, Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization. The editors of the Times were ecstatic that these old enemies came together to recognize each others right to exist. It also heaped praise on Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin for saying what seemed to be on everyones mind: Enough of blood and tears. Enough! Butand heres the kickerthe Times also noted that Oslo commits the Palestinians to the principle that their Israeli neighbors are on the land to stay, and are to be lived with in peace. Therein lies the problem. The New York Times and those who share its views loved the Oslo Accords because Israel was surrendering to many of the demands of the Palestinian Arabs. Therefore, it was, in their eyes, a triumph, not a failure. At the time, most Israelis cautiously supported Oslo because they hoped that the Palestinian leadership would keep its promise. They hoped it was sincerely committed, as the Times editorial put it, to the principle that their Israeli neighbors are on the land to stay, and are to be lived with in peace. But Palestinian leaders didnt adhere to that principle. On the contrary, the bombings (one of which took the life of my daughter Alisa in 1995), shootings and stabbings continued. Terrorist groups were not disarmed or even outlawed. Israels dozens of extradition requests for terrorists were ignored. An entire generation of young Palestinian Arabs were raised to hate Jews and Israelnot to embrace the principle that their Israeli neighbors are on the land to stay, and are to be lived with in peace. Thats why the Times never talks about Oslo. Thats why Kingsley could not even bring himself to say the words Oslo Accords. Thats why he now calls them failed peace negotiations, not negotiations that produced an agreement to which the Palestinians are bound. Acknowledging Oslo would mean admitting that the Palestinians have violated their obligations every single day since the accords were signed. Telling the truth about Oslo would mean confronting the Palestinian Authority and demanding it take steps that everyone knows it will never take. Telling the truth about Oslo would mean giving up the illusion that surrendering territory to the P.A. will lead to peace. Telling the truth about Oslo would mean acknowledging the painful truth that the accords do not contain a single word prohibiting Israel from building Jewish homes in Judea and Samaria. It would also mean acknowledging another painful truththat Israels 1995 withdrawal from the areas where 98 percent of the Palestinian Arabs reside means that, for all intents and purposes, Israels occupation of the Palestinians ended 28 years ago. So, what can Kingsley and the Times do, except bury Oslo, airbrush it out of descriptions of recent Israeli-Arab history, deep-six those old Times editorials calling the negotiations a success and declare them a failure, and pretend the Oslo Accords were never signed and the P.A. has no obligations that it still must honor. Otherwise, the public would realize that Palestinian Arab leaders promises are worthless and any future agreement with them will be another sham for which Israel will again pay in blood. Stephen M. Flatow is an attorney and the father of Alisa Flatow, who was murdered in an Iranian-sponsored Palestinian terrorist attack in 1995. He is author of A Fathers Story: My Fight for Justice Against Iranian Terror. This week, the festival of Hanuman Jayanti will be observed across the country. This day marks the birth of Lord Hanuman. Part from this, Mahavir Jayanti will also be celebrated. Talking of planetary transits, Mercury will transit to Aries sign this week. Apart from this, there are favourable muhuratas for sale and purchase of vehicle and property. Let's explore the essential Panchanga specifics for New Delhi, NCT, India, for the week. Get weekly Panchang to determine auspicious and inauspicious time for performing day-to-day tasks based on the prevailing planetary position. Shubh Muhurat This Week According to Vedic Astrology, the odds of accomplishing a task successfully are significantly enhanced if they are carried out during an auspicious muhurata. An auspicious muhurata provides us with the best outcome possible according to our destiny if we execute the work in harmony with the cosmic timeline. That is why it is essential to take muhurata into account while commencing any auspicious work. This weeks Shubh Muhurat for various activities are as follows: Vivah Muhurat: There is no auspicious muhurata available for marriage this week Griha Pravesh Muhurat: There is no auspicious muhurata available for griha pravesh this week Property Purchase Muhurat: Auspicious muhurata for registering or purchasing property is available on March 31 (01:57 AM to 06:12 AM, Apr 01) Vehicle Purchase Muhurat: Auspicious muhurata for purchasing vehicle this week is available on March 31 (06:13 AM to 01:57 AM, Apr 01), April 5 (11:23 AM to 06:06 AM, Apr 06) and April 6 (06:06 AM to 06:05 AM, Apr 07) Upcoming Planetary Transits This Week In Vedic astrology, planetary transits are particularly crucial since they are the principal way of anticipating the changes and advances in life. Planets move on a daily basis and go through several nakshatras and rashis in the process. It assists in comprehending us the nature and characteristic of events as they occur. Here are the upcoming transits this week: Mars and Saturn at an 120-degree angle on March 31, Friday, at 12:29 AM Mercury enters Aries sign on March 31, Friday, at 3:01 PM Sun enters Revati nakshatra on April 1, Saturday, at 1:49 AM Venus enters Krittika nakshatra on April 3, Monday, at 3:15 PM Venus enters Taurus sign on April 6, Thursday, at 11:10 AM Upcoming Festivals This Week Kamada Ekadashi (Saturday, April 1): It is a Hindu festival that falls on the 11th day (Ekadashi) of the Chaitra month in the Hindu calendar. It is also known as the "Papamochani Ekadashi" and is considered to be one of the most auspicious days in Hinduism. On this day, devotees worship Lord Vishnu and observe a fast to seek his blessings and forgiveness for their sins. It is a Hindu festival that falls on the 11th day (Ekadashi) of the Chaitra month in the Hindu calendar. It is also known as the "Papamochani Ekadashi" and is considered to be one of the most auspicious days in Hinduism. On this day, devotees worship Lord Vishnu and observe a fast to seek his blessings and forgiveness for their sins. Mahavir Jayanti (Tuesday, April 4): It is a festival celebrated by the Jain community to mark the birth anniversary of Lord Mahavir, the 24th and last Tirthankara of Jainism. On this day, Jains offer prayers and seek blessings from Lord Mahavir. They also organize processions and decorate their homes and temples with flowers and lights. It is a festival celebrated by the Jain community to mark the birth anniversary of Lord Mahavir, the 24th and last Tirthankara of Jainism. On this day, Jains offer prayers and seek blessings from Lord Mahavir. They also organize processions and decorate their homes and temples with flowers and lights. Hanuman Jayanti (Thursday, April 6): This festival is celebrated on full moon day during Chaitra month. Hanuman, who is also known as Vanara God, was born on this day and Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Hanuman. Inauspicious Rahu Kalam This Week According to Vedic astrology, Rahu is an inauspicious planet. During transition of planets the time under the influence of Rahu should be avoided to do any auspicious work. Doing Puja, Hawan or Yagya to propitiate auspicious planets during this time is interfered by Rahu due to its malefic nature. It is important to consider Rahu Kaal before starting any new work. By doing so, possibility of achieving desired results is increased. Following are the timings of Rahu Kalam for this week: March 31: 10:52 AM to 12:26 PM 10:52 AM to 12:26 PM April 01: 09:18 AM to 10:52 AM April 02: 05:06 PM to 06:39 PM April 03: 07:43 AM to 09:17 AM April 04: 03:32 PM to 05:06 PM 03:32 PM to 05:06 PM April 05: 12:24 PM to 01:58 PM April 06: 01:58 PM to 03:33 PM Panchanga is a calendar used in Vedic astrology to determine the auspicious and inauspicious time for performing day-to-day tasks based on the prevailing planetary position. It comprises of five elements - Vaara, Tithi, Nakshatra, Yoga and Karana. The essence of the Panchanga is the inter-relationship between Sun (our soul) and Moon (mind) on a daily basis. Panchanga is used for different branches of Vedic astrology such as natal, election, prashna (horary), religious calendars and to understand the energy of the day. The day of our birth panchanga depicts our emotions, temperament, and nature. It can provide more insight into who we are and how we feel. It can amplify the effect of the planets and endow us with additional characteristics that we may not understand only based on our natal chart. Panchanga is the life force energy that nourishes the birth chart. ---------------------- Neeraj Dhankher (Vedic Astrologer, Founder - Astro Zindagi) Email: info@astrozindagi.in, neeraj@astrozindagi.in Url: www.astrozindagi.in Contact: Noida: +919910094779 Purvanchal Projects is a well-established real estate developer with a legacy of over 28+ years of excellence, sustainability, and expansion. With an unwavering dedication to excellence, Purvanchal has crafted a reputation in the industry that shines bright as a beacon of quality, reliability, and timely delivery. Purvanchal Projects is a renowned name in the real estate industry, celebrated for its exceptional portfolio of properties spanning over 20 million square feet approximately in Delhi-NCR and Uttar Pradesh. Having achieved unparalleled success in Delhi, NCR, the company decided to expand its horizons and set foot in the vibrant city of Lucknow back in 2016. Our first project in the city, Kings Court, is situated in the bustling area of Gomti Nagar and has already become a landmark of excellence. Kings Court, an architectural marvel, stands as a testament to Purvanchal's unwavering commitment to excellence and attention to detail. The project has garnered immense appreciation from residents and industry experts alike, and rightly so. Purvanchal Projects is currently shaping the skyline of Lucknow with its ongoing commercial project, the Purvanchal Capital Tower. Set to be delivered in March 2024, the tower is poised to become a landmark in the area, showcasing Purvanchal's commitment to on-time delivery and quality. But that's not all. Purvanchal Projects has several residential and commercial projects in the pipeline, each one a testament to the company's unwavering commitment to excellence. These projects are set to launch very soon, offering unparalleled living and working experiences that are sure to impress. Mr. Shah Alam, the Chairman and Managing Director of Purvanchal Group since 1994, is the driving force behind the company's success. With his valuable leadership and direction, the company operates with utmost efficiency and effectiveness, making it one of the leading real estate developers in Delhi NCR. The foundation of Purvanchal's brand is built on the pillars of on-time delivery, quality, and customer satisfaction. The company aims to build strong relationships with its clients in India, and now, with the expansion to Dubai, it is poised to provide the same level of excellence in the dynamic real estate market there. Sustainability is at the core of everything Purvanchal does, and the company strives to create environmentally responsible and energy-efficient properties. From the use of sustainable materials to cutting-edge green technologies, Purvanchal aims to build properties that are not only beautiful and functional but also sustainable for future generations. Purvanchal Projects is on a mission to revolutionize the real estate landscape of India. Join us on this journey and witness the magic unfold. Get in touch with us today to learn more about our upcoming projects and how they can help you turn your dreams into reality. Shah Alam Chairman and Managing Director Purvanchal Projects Pvt. Ltd. Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same. Nairobi Opposition Leader Raila Odinga has insisted that Azimio La Umoja demonstrations are still on tomorrow scoffing at his erstwhile rival President William Ruto for castigating the protest instead of agreeing on electoral reforms. Odinga averred that it will be a futile exercise for the nation to head to the 2027 general election and expect a tamper-proof election if the government will not engage in election reforms. Odinga who has called for protest every Monday and Thursday to agitate for election reforms has maintained that he won in the August 9 poll. "If we don't rectify that which happened in the last years' polls even in 2027 polls, they will repeat the same thing. What will be the need for Kalonzo Musyoka, Martha Karua, George Wajacokyah to contest for the presidency when their victory will be stolen from them," he said. Odinga told President Ruto to shun lamenting to the International Community over the Azimio protests that are pushing for electoral reforms among other issues saying other democracies have no jurisdiction in ironing out the issues. He advised the President that the issues can be solved internally by paving way for a bi-partisan approach in the reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission. "We have told the other nations to let Kenyans solve their issues internally.We cant be taught issues of democracy by the United Kingdom,USA or India.We are Kenyans we can solve our own issues," he stated. "There is no reason for President Ruto to go to Germany and talk about Raila.Come we talk in Kenya,open the servers we see what its in the server," Odinga stated. Even as the IEBC selection panel is currently reviewing the applications of 920 applicants who applied to fill the post of Chairperson and the commissioners.He reiterated that the reconstitution of the poll agency must be halted. "Don't create an IEBC body without us being involved.We must be enjoined in the process of creating IEBC body,"said Odinga. The poll agency selection panel chaired by Nelson Makanda had set March 28 as the deadline for applicants to send their applications for consideration. Out of the 920 applicants, 25 individuals showed intent to fill the post of Chairperson while 895 are battling for the commissioners' slot. "This is a good number because in 2016 when the Chebukati commission was being interviewed only 15 people applied and they had to do a re-advert where they got around 30 people. We are not worried about the applications of the chair," stated Makanda. The IEBC reconstituting panel maintained they will conduct the exercise of filling up the vacant commission despite the clamor by the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition for the exercise to be halted. Makanda pointed out that the many applications by Kenyans were a clear sign that they trust the ongoing process to reconstitute the poll body. "We have applications from all counties,it just tells you that there is confidence in the process.In as much as there is contestation about politics,somebody must do this job,"Makanda said. "We must be able to constitute a commission in place and when politicians agree they can change the law and Kenyans will follow the law that will be put in place.We are faithful to the task,"he said. The recruitment process follows the expiry of IEBC Chairperson Wafula Chebukati, and commissioners Abdi Guliye and Boya Molu's tenure last month after six years in office. Three other electoral officials including former IEBC Vice-chairperson Juliana Cherera, and commissioners Justus Nyang'aya and Francis Wanderi resigned last year following allegations of violation of the constitution and gross misconduct in the last general election. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Commissioner Irene Masit appointment was terminated by the President following a recommendation by a tribunal constituted to probe her conduct during the August polls. The tribunal stated that the actions by Masit and her colleagues to disown the presidential results announced by the former IEBC chair amounted to gross misconduct. "From the analysis of the evidence on record, it is our finding that Commissioner Irene Masit's actions of 15th August 2022 of agreeing to the proposal by the two delegations to moderate the result of the Presidential Election to enable a re-run with the promise that there would be a reward if this was done amounts to gross misconduct on her part," the report said. Banks will remain closed today to commemorate Ram Navami, a significant Hindu festival. As per the Reserve Bank of Indias (RBI) holiday's list both private and public sector banks will remain shut in different states. However, digital banking services will remain operational, allowing customers to conduct transactions through online channels. Ram Navami 2023: Online and net banking services will remain functional. Ram Navami bank holiday: City-wise full list Banks will remain closed in Ahmedabad, Belapur, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Gangtok, Hyderabad - Telangana, Jaipur, Kanpur, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Patna, Ranchi, Shimla. Also read | PM Modi, President lead Ram Navami greetings as India celebrates Banks to remain functional in these cities Banks will remain open in Agartala, Aizawl, Bengaluru, Chennai, Guwahati, Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh), Imphal, Jammu, Kochi, Kolkata, New Delhi, Panaji, Raipur, Shillong, Srinagar, and Thiruvananthapuram. Read | Happy Ram Navami 2023: Best wishes, images, messages and greetings to share on the last day of Chaitra Navratri Stock markets to remain closed The National Stock Exchange and Bombay Stock Exchange will also observe holiday on account of Ram Navami celebrations. The stock markets will reopen on Friday, March 31. Ram Navami is a Hindu festival that is celebrated in order to honour the birth of Lord Vishnu's incarnation, Lord Rama. This day marks the end of the nine-day Chaitra-Navratri celebrations, which are celebrated in the Hindu month of Chaitra which falls on the cusp of spring and summer. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Ahead of prominent Hindu festival Rama Navami, Bengaluru's civic agency, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), on Tuesday imposed a blanket ban on sale of meat within its administrative limits. The BBMP has announced such rules on several occasions, such as Basava Jayanti, Maha Shivratri, Gandhi Jayanti, Sarvodaya Day and other religious events. (Photo used for representational purpose)(HT Photo) READ | BBMP bans animal slaughtering and sale of meat on Mahashivaratri This year, Rama Navami falls on Thursday, and it marks the birth of Lord Ram, who is known to be the seventh avatar (incarnation) of Lord Vishnu. Rama Navami usually falls on the ninth day of the Shukla Paksha in the Chaitra month. It also falls on the last day of the Chaitra Navratri, which ran from March 22 to 30 this year. The BBMP has been known to issue similar orders banning sale of meat during several festivals and holidays in Bengaluru. Whenever such orders are imposed, slaughter houses and butcher shops have remained closed, for instance - on the occasion of Janmashtami last year. READ | Hindu group demands ban on halal meat ahead of Ugadi The BBMP has announced such rules on several occasions, such as Basava Jayanti, Maha Shivratri, Gandhi Jayanti, Sarvodaya Day and other religious events. A BBMP official had even told Hindustan Times that there is a blanket ban on sale of meat at least eight days a year on various occasions. Karnataka had witnessed a row over halal versus jhatka meat in August last year. The two differ in the way the animal is slaughtered. The halal meat is preferred by the Muslim community; however, some say it's the more torturous method for the slaughter of the two. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said the Congress and the JD(S) had struck a deal for the Assembly elections to be held in the state. The agreement was done in Hyderabad, he said, a charge rejected outright by JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy. CM Bommai claimed that the Congress was pleading to the BJP MLAs to come and join the party.(HT_PRINT) The Chief Minister's comments came in the background of the Election Commission today announcing that the polls to the 224-member Karnataka Assembly would be held on May 10. READ | Karnataka election 2023: Check out list of key candidates Speaking to reporters, Bommai claimed that the Congress was pleading to the BJP MLAs to come and join the party. Responding to a query on the Congress's charge that there was an understanding between the BJP and the JD(S), the Chief Minister said, "There is nothing of that sort. In fact, there was a meeting in Hyderabad between the Congress leaders and the JD(S), according to my information. A deal has been stuck there between them. Bommai said the process of releasing BJP candidates' list for the Assembly polls will start after a week. READ | BJP is winning on May 13, no doubt: Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai Kumaraswamy took objection to Bommais statement. I demand that the Chief Minister disclose the name of the leaders who met in Hyderabad and the place where the meeting took place, he said. The JD(S) leader said he found the CM's allegations too trivial to react to. He added that both the Congress and the BJP called the JD(S) a B team of each other. The two national parties had nothing else to speak about the JD(S), he added. We decided to contest all 224 Assembly segments. We did not align with anybody. We are confident that we will form the government on our own. There is no question of joining hands with any party," Kumaraswamy said. Lingayat strongman and senior BJP leader BS Yediyurappa on Thursday addressed the media and hinted at fielding his son Vijayendra from the Varuna assembly constituency in Mysuru against former chief minister and leader of opposition Siddaramaiah. Former Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa asserted that the BJP will win the assembly election with clear majority. (ANI) Upon being asked if his son Vijayendra will be fielded from the Varuna constituency, the former CM did not deny the possibility, and said, Talks are going on, it depends on the central leadership's decision. But we will choose a strong candidate and give (Congress) a tough fight. Let's see what happens. READ | Voter apathy: EC chooses midweek day for polling so it doesn't become part of long weekend Yediyurappa also asserted that the BJP will win the upcoming crucial assembly polls with a clear majority. We're going to get absolute majority in Karnataka. Under PM Modi's leadership, we'll come back to power. Congress are corrupt and that's why they're making false allegations of 40% commission, these things will be kept away by voters, he said. I've taken decision not to contest the Assembly election and also resigned from CM post as I've already crossed 80 years of age. Even if I've crossed 80 years, I'll go around in state not only this time but next time as well. We'll see, we'll get majority not only this time but also next time, he added. READ | Karnataka election 2023: Check out list of key candidates Yediyurappa, who has a strong influence over the dominant Lingayat community which shaped electoral politics in the southern state said the BJP has conducted surveys of its own to assess the reactions on ground. We have had three surveys, and all of them show that the BJP will secure at least a 100 seats, he asserted. Meanwhile, Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar held a press conference of his own, inducting JDS MLA Srinivas from Gubbi constituency into the party. This comes even as speculations are rife that the Congress and the JD(S) have struck a deal for an alliance, one that has been denied by JD(S) second-in-command HD Kumaraswamy. As many as 12 persons were killed while 19 were rescued after a roof of stepwell caved in Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal temple of Indore on Thursday, said police. Police and devotees pulled people out with the help of ropes. (ANI image) Indore collector Ilayaraja T said, As many as 11 people died and one succumbed to injury. Rescue operation is going on. More than 25 people fell into the 40-feet deep step well during a special pooja on the occasion of Ram Navami. Also Read: Mohali: 25-year-old pregnant woman killed in accident Police and devotees pulled people out with the help of ropes. According to Juni police, the incident took place during a havan. More than 25 people were sitting on the roof of the stepwell and due to the roof becoming overburdened, it broke after which people fell down. Taking cognisanse of the incident, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has given instructions to speed up the rescue operation. Efforts are being made to evacuate the devotees. Rescue of some people from Bawdi has been done so far, said the CM. AMRITSAR Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh on Thursday condemned acts of vandalism at Indian consulates in the UK and US by Sikh groups, who were protesting against the crackdown on Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh and his aides. Dont commit any act which gives a chance to our opponents to malign our image in the country and abroad, Singh, the jathedar (or chief) of the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, said in an interview to a web portal. I came to know over phone yesterday that some people are speaking against (chief minister) CM Bhagwant Manns family members, including his children. This is wrong. If we say that our youths are innocent, they too are innocent. Its not right to target them... this is not our religion. He said the acts of vandalism were damaging the communitys reputation. Vandalism at Indian consulates abroad is maligning our image. By doing so, we are spreading a wrong message, he said. We should hold protests, but not in a manner that damages our reputation. He urged the protesters to follow restraint and tackle with the narrative being created against us with unity. On the removal of his tweet, he added: It makes no difference for me. They cannot suppress the voice of the community. Australian police have arrested three more people in connection with two incidents of brawl that broke out between Khalistan activists and pro-India demonstrators here in late January, police said on Thursday. Australian police have arrested three more people in connection with two incidents of brawl that broke out between Khalistan activists and pro-India demonstrators here in late January, police said on Thursday. The alleged incidents happened during the so-called Punjab independence referendum where two fights broke out between the two groups which injured several people on January 29, Victoria Police said in a statement. Apparently, flag poles were used by several men as weapons which caused physical injuries to multiple victims, the statement said. The US-based Sikhs for Justice, the group spearheading the non-binding referendum, is a banned organisation in India. The three arrested include a 23-year-old man charged with affray and unlawful assault while a 36-year-old and 39-year-old have been charged with affray and violent disorder, the police said. The identities of the arrested men have not been disclosed. Earlier, two men aged 34 and 39 were arrested and issued a penalty notice for riotous behaviour. All those charged this week have been bailed to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on August 8. Further investigation is underway and police are making enquiries to identify and apprehend any further alleged offenders from the day, the statement added. India has asked the Australian government to curb the anti-India activities of the Khalistani separatists and frequent attacks on the Hindu temples in the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised concerns over the recent attacks on temples in Australia as well as pro-Khalistan activities there with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese during their meeting in New Delhi this month.Albanese has assured Modi that the safety of Indians was a special priority for him. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had also raised the issue during his meeting with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong. Signals that pro-Khalistan elements are stepping up their activities in Australia, actively aided and abetted by members of proscribed terrorist organisations such as the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) and other inimical agencies from outside Australia, have been evident for some time, the Indian High Commission in Canberra said in a strongly-worded statement on January 26. The Punjab government has informed the Akal Takht that 348 of the 360 people taken into preventive custody during a police crackdown against radical preacher Amritpal Singh have now been freed. Punjab police personnel outside the Golden Temple amid crackdown of Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal. (HT Photo) The Akal Takht Jathedars personal secretary Jaspal Singh on Thursday said a message was received from the state government that the rest would also be released soon. Earlier this week, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh had given an ultimatum to the state government to release all Sikh youths held during the police crackdown against Amritpal Singh and his aides. The Jathedar had also condemned the state government for invoking the National Security Act against a few people during the police crackdown. A few days prior to the Jathedars ultimatum, the Punjab Police had said that out of those detained, nearly 30 were hardcore criminals. The rest would be released after verification, a senior police official had said. Meanwhile, police have stepped up security in and around Amritsar and Bathinda amid reports that Amritpal Singh may surrender after entering any of the two Sikh shrines the Golden Temple in Amritsar or the Takht Sri Damdama Sahib in Bathinda. Vehicles are being checked at several places in other districts, including Hoshiarpur, in search of the head of Waris Punjab De. Amritpal, who has been on the run since March 18 when the police crackdown was launched, appeared in a video on Wednesday. In the undated clip, he urged the Akal Takht to summon a sarbat khalsa a congregation of Sikhs to discuss issues concerning the community. The Punjab Police on Tuesday night launched a massive search operation in a Hoshiarpur village and many adjoining areas following inputs that radical preacher Amritpal Singh and his aides could be in the area. With 15 more people testing positive for Covid-19 on Thursday, up from 11 the day before, the number of active cases in Chandigarh crossed the 50 mark, a first in almost eight months. As per the Chandigarh health department, the daily positivity rate the number of samples testing positive was 3.46% on Thursday. A total of 434 samples were tested over the past 24 hours and 15 turned out positive. (HT File Photo) The 15 infected patients, including three males and 12 females, are residents of Sectors 16, 20, 22, 25, 27, 39, 45, 56 and 63, Bapu Dham Colony, Dadumajra, Dhanas and Mauli Jagran. The latest infections took the total number of active cases to 54. Dr Suman Singh, director, health and family welfare, Chandigarh, said amid the rising Covid cases in Chandigarh, residents must adhere to Covid safety protocols. This includes regular hand washing, wearing masks, avoiding crowded places, getting tested on noticing any Covid symptoms and seeking medical consultation if the medical condition worsens. As per the health department, the daily positivity rate the number of samples testing positive was 3.46% on Thursday. A total of 434 samples were tested over the past 24 hours and 15 turned out positive. Dr Singh said among the new patients, some were asymptomatic and were detected through contact tracing, while others had developed fever or flu-like symptoms. She added that serious infection was mostly observed in elderly individuals or those with comorbidities. Elderly people, pregnant women and individuals with comorbidities should take extra precautions to stay safe, she stressed. Since the pandemic broke out in March 2020, Chandigarh has logged a total of 99,461 Covid cases, of which 98,224 patients have recovered and 1,183 have died. The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-1 has directed a finance firm to pay 20,000 compensation for causing mental harassment and 10,000 as cost of litigation to a resident of Sector 29 whose rate of interest on a loan he had taken was increased without his consent. The Chandigarh District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-1 has directed a finance firm to pay 20,000 compensation for causing mental harassment and 10,000 as cost of litigation to a resident of Sector 29 whose rate of interest on a loan he had taken was increased without his consent. (Shutterstock) The complainants Ravi Kumar and Sonia had applied for a personal loan of 6.08 lakhs from Indiabulls Housing Finance Limited through their office in Sector 35. The loan was approved on December 8, 2016, on a fixed rate of interest of 9.45% per annum. However, on December 1, 2018, the opposite parties changed the rate of interest to 12.8% per annum. Ravi Kumar, in his complaint, alleged that the firm changed the rate of interest without his consent. Earlier, at the discussed rate of interest, he would have paid 11.4 lakh with interest but now he would have to pay over 20 lakh for the same amount. The complainant alleged that he had visited the firms office numerous times to inquire under which guidelines the change had been made but received no response after which he sent legal notice to the firm. The opposite parties which include the branch head and relationship manager at the firms Sector 35 branch and the branch manager of Indiabulls Housing Finance Limited at Connaught Place in New Delhi didnt turn up despite service of notices and the commission proceeded ex-parte. The commission in its hearing observed that the complainant had regularly paid all the installments and had closed the loan on March 26 2019. It was the arrogant attitude of the opposite parties to increase the rate of interest and change the EMI schedule of the loan which is unjustifiable and objectionable as well, it observed. The complainant was forced to pre-close the loan account with the opposite parties. Thus, the act of the opposite parties caused harassment and mental trauma to the complainant and he had to immediately arrange money to settle the loan liability with the firm in advance with the fear of being unnecessarily burdened with illegal demand, the commission added. Along with the compensation, the opposite parties have also been directed to refund the excess amounts charged as increased rate of interest from the complainant. They have also been directed to issue certified breakups of the amount received from the complainant at the time of closing the loan. Education minister Valentine Uwamariya has said that the ministry is mulling a proposal to reduce the burden of an inadequate number of laboratories in science teaching secondary schools. The minister was on Tuesday, March 28, responding to MPs' queries on the issue of the lack of laboratories in some schools teaching science courses, and that some of the schools that have laboratories lack the required equipment to enable students' acquisition of practical skills. This was during the session with the Lower House's Committee on Education, Technology, Culture, and Youth. The session discussed the issues identified in general education during officials' visits to schools in different districts of the country from November to December 2022. Uwamariya said that as of the academic year 2020-2021, laboratories had been set up in 329 secondary schools, equivalent to 14.9 per cent of all the schools that needed them. "This really confirms that this laboratory issue is serious," she said, adding that though there were no laboratories in the majority of the schools, they tried to provide basic equipment like science kits. In the financial year 2020-2021, some 1,126 science kits were provided, indicating that they covered 50.9 per cent of the schools in need. In the current fiscal year (2022-2023), Uwamariya said that 525 science kits are planned. MP Leonard Ndagijimana suggested that because some science schools do not have laboratories or laboratory kits, practical components should have a small share of marks in the national examinations, to avoid unfair management to the affected students, and give equal opportunities to students in the national examinations. He said that the issue of schools that do not have laboratories "is alarming", and indicated that schools are asked the same practical questions during the national examinations, regardless of whether they had enough laboratory-enabled practical skills. "There are cases where a student understands sciences in terms of theory, but when it comes to practical exams, he/she fails," he said, indicating that such an issue can make them lose some academic opportunities. "This is a problem. I think that you should consider whether the practical exam can account for a small percentage of marks in the national examination - may be to assess whether they (students) have practical skills," he told officials. Ndagijimana said schools that are most affected are the 12-year basic education establishments, where students have to sit practical exams for chemistry, physics, or biology, indicating that students are unfairly treated because of such exams. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Rwanda Education By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. In response, Minister Uwamariya said, "It is an issue that students do the same national exams, yet they did not study in the same way, especially for science schools that lack laboratories, but the government is trying to provide science equipment to the schools in question. "There is a proposal to reduce the marks we allot to practical examinations, but also setting them in a way that the student who did not get enough equipment is able to succeed," she said. She pointed out that because laboratories are expensive, having one at each school was constrained by limited resources, adding, "The plan is that we want to have one laboratory that students can jointly use on a rotational basis, but ensure that every student has access to that." Meanwhile, Uwamariya said that as long as they have not yet built laboratories so that all schools have access to them, the main focus is on increasing science kits, though they do not offer a long-term solution like laboratories do. MP Christine Muhongayire said that there is a need to put more effort into increasing access to practical skills for students doing science courses so that they are able to partake in laboratory-based experiments. At a time when the under-construction portion of the Ferozepur road already faces regular traffic jams, the commuters are set to take another hit as the Sidhwan canal-South city traffic point will be diverted towards alternative routes due to the ongoing construction of Elevated Road Project. The diversions will remain in place for the coming three weeks. HT Image Traffic coming from Bharat Nagar chowk will be diverted towards the round bridge at the Southern bypass, meanwhile traffic heading towards the chowk will be diverted to the south city road from Thursday onwards, said traffic police officials. The commuters will have to take roundabouts at the bridges over the canal on alternative roads and the commuters going towards Bharat Nagar chowk will cross the canal using narrow bridges on the south city road. The move will create congestion and traffic bottlenecks on the bridges which are around 100 meters away. Traffic officials said to give commuters a respite only each side of the stretch over the canal will be blocked alternatively. With the work to place the girders at pillars entering the final stages, the vehicular movement from the Jagraon bridge towards the bus stand and Ferozepur road has been affected. Plumes of dust and construction residue have become a regular nuisance on the commercial lane along with traffic bottlenecks. Manish Singla, a resident of Agar Nagar said he leaves his residence 15 minutes early to be at his workplace on time in case he gets stuck at Bharat Nagar and Bhai Bala chowk. He added that the work which had been going on at a sluggish pace for the last five years has been started at all major traffic points at the same time. The road over the Sidhwan canal is used by a huge number of residents in various parts of the city, including BRS Nagar, Sarabha Nagar and Agar Nagar, and also sees a huge rush of vehicles coming from nearby towns and villages like Jagraon, Mullapur, Moga etc. Rajeev Sharma, a resident of south city said he uses the dilapidated Southern bypass road regularly to drive towards his textile unit in Sahnewal. As the traffic from the Ferozepur road will be diverted towards this side commuters misery is set to rise, he added. Assistant commissioner of police, (ACP, traffic) Charanjit Lamba said earlier in spite of blocking both sides, the authorities have agreed to block the roads on alternate days. He added that this will make the traffic manageable and save the commuters from harassment. Moreover, traffic police personnel will be deployed to manage the flow of traffic. Meanwhile, the issue of plumes of dust has been conveyed to the National Highway Authority of India(NHAI) officials, who said that sprinkling will be done. In a meeting with the officials of East, West and sub-urban circle of the central zone in Ludhiana , Daljit Inderpal Singh Grewal , director distribution of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited, on Wednesday directed the officials to make adequate arrangements to ensure proper power supply to the consumers during the upcoming paddy and summer season. HT Image The meeting was held as per the direction of Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab power minister Harbhajan Singh ETO and chairman cum managing director PSPCL Baldev Sran in order to provide uninterrupted power supply during the paddy, summer season to the consumers During the meeting with circle and divisional officers, Grewal directed them to deload grids, power lines, transformers on the priority basis. He also asked the officials to repair the loose wires as well as switches in order to avoid any fire incident in the fields as wheat crops are in the ripening stage. Issuing instructions, the director also asked the officials to ensure that the department provides best services to the consumers and if there will be any complaint regarding corruption. It will be taken up on a very serious note. The meeting was attended by Ludhiana chief engineer SR Vashishat, superintending engineer (West) Anil Sharma, superintending engineer (East) Surjit Singh, superintending engineer (Sub-Urban) Jagdev Singh Hans and superintending engineer (HQ) Ramesh Kaushal. Besides, additional SEs of all three circles, additional SEs/ APDRP (both East and West) were also present. Later, Grewal held a meeting with representatives of the public of all three circles. He not only heard their problems as well as suggestions but on the spot issued directions to the concerned officials for acting on the same. He also shared his contact number with the present representatives and asked them to contact him whenever they face any issue. Grewal also asked the officials to make a Whatsapp group of these representatives of the public and also asked to add him in the group so that problems can be taken up timely. He thanked all the representatives of the public for attending the meeting and for sharing valuable suggestions. In this meeting, MLAs Madal Lal Bagga (Ludhiana North), Rajinder Pal Kaur (Ludhiana South), Gurpreet Bassi Gogi (Ludhiana West), Hardeep Singh Mundian (Sahnewal), Kulwant Singh Sidhu (Atam Nagar), Ashok Prashar Pappi (Ludhiana Central), Daljit Singh Grewal (Ludhiana East), Saravjit Kaur Manuke (Jagraon), Hakam Singh Thekedar (Raikot) and Jiwan Singh Sangowal (Gill) were present. Superintendent of police (SP), Ambala, Jashandeep Singh Randhawa has ordered all station house officers (SHO) and police post in-charges to ensure removal of all national flags that are in violation of the flag code. The Flag Code of India prescribes that a damaged or soiled national flag has to be destroyed as a whole in private, preferably by burning or any other method considering the dignity of the national flag. (HT FILE PHOTO) Last week, the SP had written to deputy commissioner Priyanka Soni, informing her about his order and asking her to issue similar instructions to civic bodies and other authorities, so that the torn flags in the district are removed respectfully and as per the Flag Code of India. The communication came following a criminal case under the Prevention of Insult to National Honours Act that was filed at the Ambala city police station on February 24 after a web channel showed a torn flag hoisted atop the Ambala City municipal corporation office. Over seven months after the nation observed the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign from August 13 to 15 last year to mark Azadi ka Amrit Mohatsav, Tricolours are still hoisted atop several establishments. A lot of these flags are either torn or filthy, which is in violation of the Flag Code of India laid down by the Union ministry of home affairs. The code prescribes that a damaged or soiled national flag has to be destroyed as a whole in private, preferably by burning or any other method considering the dignity of the national flag. After multiple instances of insult to the national flag, including the one at the Ambala City MC office, the administration has sped up action against such offences. Several flags have been removed under respective police stations and the process is still underway. An investigation is ongoing in the criminal case registered, Randhawa told HT. The DC said, The flag code orders have been publicised already. If there are violations now, the SHOs have been asked to take legal action. Civic bodies and BDPOs have also been asked to look into such violations and take appropriate action. The Punjab and Haryana high court has slapped a 1 lakh fine on Haryana government for passing the buck on grant of extraordinary pension to an 82-year-old woman, who is the widow of a 1965 war veteran. The court fined Haryana with 1 lakh, to be paid to the petitioner woman, and posted the matter for April 11. It had come before the court through an affidavit filed by accountant general (A&E), Punjab, that a meeting was held with their counterparts in Haryana and it has been decided that the pension to the widow would be borne by the latter. The court was also told that she was granted family pension from November 1, 1966, by the erstwhile Punjab state of which Haryana was a part. Later, the same was granted through superintendent of police, Narnaul, Mahendergarh, and her pension case file was also in possession of the office of the AG, Haryana. An October 22, 2021, communication between both the states suggested that the file was with AG Haryana and has been furnished by office of SP, Narnaul, the court was told. Also Read: Same officer cant review order in departmental proceedings: Punjab & Haryana HC On the other hand, AG Haryana submitted that the revised family pension is to be paid by the administrative department, Haryana, and till date, the actual payment along with interest since 1986, has not been made. The court fined Haryana with 1 lakh, to be paid to the petitioner woman, and posted the matter for April 11, asking Principal Accountant General (A&E), Haryana, to file a compliance report regarding disbursement of the arrears of pension as well as payment to the widow. The petitioner, Suraj Kaur, is the widow of constable Man Singh, who, while in the erstwhile Punjab, had laid his life in an encounter with Pakistani paratroopers on September 12, 1965, in Bathinda. The woman lives in Narnaul city of Mahendergarh district and is getting a family pension. However, in March 2022, the woman filed a plea in the HC, seeking direction to settle her case of extraordinary family pension as per the instructions issued in September 1998. The plea was disposed of on March 24, 2022 with a direction to the director general of police, Punjab, to decide her case and in case she was found entitled for any benefit, the same should be released within a period of six weeks. As the matter remained pending, she filed a contempt plea in September 2022, as per her lawyer, Vivek K Thakur. However, during these proceedings a dispute arose between the two states, regarding the liability to pay the pension. Punjab had said that relevant record was not available. Hence, her representation cannot be decided. The Haryana police had reported that her pension was last revised by Punjab in 2009 and is being paid by Punjab government. In view of the divergent stand taken by both states, on the last date of hearing, the court had asked them to hold a joint meeting and made it clear that whosoever is found passing the buck would be liable to pay 1 lakh fine, which now Haryana has to pay alongwith arrears and interest. A day after pro-Khalistan preacher Amritpal Singh released a video statement from an undisclosed location, the Himachal Pradesh Police on Thursday beefed up security and increased surveillance in areas bordering Punjab. A day after pro-Khalistan preacher Amritpal Singh released a video statement from an undisclosed location, the Himachal Pradesh Police on Thursday beefed up security and increased surveillance in areas bordering Punjab. (Image for representational purpose) Patrolling has been stepped up in areas of Una, Kangra, Bilaspur, Baddi and Nalagarh. Strict checking of vehicles entering the state is being done. Amritpal, who was suspected of hiding in Hoshiarpur, once again gave the slip to Punjab cops. Since the area is near Himachal, the state police have sealed the borders with Punjab. They are in constant touch with the Punjab Police and monitoring every vehicle entering Himachal. The police have also set up checkpoints at various points along the Himachal-Punjab border. This has caused inconvenience to travellers, but the police maintain that it is necessary to maintain law and order in the state. The Himachal Police have also appealed to the public to cooperate with them in their efforts to maintain peace and harmony in the state. The development comes close on the heels of Punjab pilgrims indulging in violence in Manikaran of Kullu district after an argument with locals. The Punjab pilgrims, brandishing swords and batons, had pelted stones at shops, smashed vehicles and attacked local residents during a local fair, leading to tension at Manikaran at midnight on March 5. Initially, the state authorities had downplayed the incident, terming it a clash between two groups. However, after the Himachal Pradesh high court took cognisance of the incident, the state police formed an SIT but no arrest has been made in the case yet. Panjab University (PU) vice-chancellor Renu Vig, after becoming the first female V-C of the varsity, said she felt like she could be an inspiration to other women on the campus. Having remained director of University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET) from 2009 to 2017, Renu Vig said the girls studying there felt inspired by her. (Keshav SIngh/HT) Speaking at her first interaction after assuming the charge on Thursday, Vig said, I feel like I am a role model for the female students and faculty of the university and if I can do it, I feel I can inspire other women to do it as well. Having remained director of University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET) from 2009 to 2017, Vig said the girls studying there felt inspired by her. Vig admitted that the authorities will have to work within the politically charged environment of PU. There have been many student protests on the campus recently and there are ongoing protests for reducing courses fees, Vig said. During my time in UIET, we would ensure that no group felt left out and we would try to take up their demands, she said, adding that the authorities will go for an inclusive approach for the betterment of the university. The V-C also talked about the mental health of students. She said as per University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines, a mentor had been assigned to all students to guide them. The authorities will also deliberate on rehiring counsellors on the campus after the appointment of dean student welfare (DSW). Vig said a committee, comprising former V-Cs of the varsity, was probing the corruption allegations against former V-C Raj Kumar, who resigned on January 10. Talking about the recent slump in rankings, she said it was seen that PU was lacking under the perception criteria and authorities had been working on improving this for the past few months. She added that it was harder to maintain discipline in PU when compared to private universities and all stakeholders must understand their responsibilities. She said overall development of students was needed and the university needed to offer skill-oriented courses, adding that while it was important to teach students about new technologies, they must also focus on human values and develop a balanced personality. Vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar appointed Vig as the 14th V-C of PU on Wednesday, exercising the powers conferred by Section 10 of the Panjab University Act, 1947. The appointment was made for a term of three years. Even though the Congress party has remained undefeated in the Jalandhar Lok Sabha elections since 1999, it is not going to be a cakewalk for it in coming by-elections. Supporters of Congress holding a huge flag. (Reuters) The Jalandhar by-polls are being dubbed to be a crucial electoral battle for the political outfits before the showdown in the 2024 general elections. However, this time around, the challenges before the Punjab Congress are daunting. The party is going through a credibility crisis in the state, especially following its defeat in the 2022 assembly elections. Moreover, most of its former cabinet ministers and former MLAs are facing vigilance probes due to corruption allegations and allegedly having disproportionate assets gathered during their tenure from 2017-2022. Though Congress continues to term it as vendetta politics, as many as three of its cabinet minister Sunder Sham Arora, Bharat Bhushan Ashu and Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, were arrested by the vigilance bureau in alleged cases of disproportionate assets. A string of exodus after former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh joined the Bharatiya Janta Party is said to have further weakened the party at the grassroots. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party, sort of, stormed the Congress bastion by winning four out of nine assembly segments falling in Jalandhar parliamentary constituency in the last assembly polls. The margin of Congress winning candidates dipped considerably in the 2019 parliamentary elections compared to 2014. Two-time member of parliament Satokh Singh Chauhardy won convincingly against his opponents with a margin of 70,981 votes in 2014 polls. However, the margin was reduced to only 19,491 in 2019, with the BSP candidate Balwinder Kumar managing to secure 2,04,783 votes. In the coming Jalandhar by-elections, the Congress seems to be going all-out, having already announced 27 leaders, including present and former MLAs, as in-charges and co-in-charges for the nine assembly segments falling under the Jalandhar parliamentary constituency. The party has appointed Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh as chairman of the campaign committee for the elections and Avtar Henry as chairman of the coordination committee. Avtar Henry said the Congress will focus on the performance of the AAP government in the past year. The ruling government in the state is facing stiff anti-incumbency after just one year of its tenure. They have done nothing except play vendetta politics, Henry said. He added that the politicisation of the police has resulted in poor law and order situation in the state. Congs last defeat came in 1998 It was in the 1998 general elections that Congress last faced defeat here when former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral got elected as a Janta Dal candidate. In 1999, Congress Balbis Singh won the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat followed by Rana Gurjeet Singh in 2004, Mohinder Singh Kaypee in 2009 and Santokh Singh Chaudhary in the 2014 and 2019 general elections. In 2019, Chaudhary polled 3,85,712 votes, while SAD candidate Charanjit Singh Atwal got 3,66,221 votes. The AAP candidate Justice Zora Singh (retd) polled just 25,467 votes, while BSP candidate Balwinder Singh got 2,04,783 votes. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Punjab education department will issue posting orders to as many as 129 government school teachers and lecturers, who were promoted as principal in November last year, on Friday. With this, a ray of hope has emerged for around 40 government schools in district running without full-time principals. HT Image Around 200 lecturers at government schools were promoted as principals by the education department. A total of 129 promoted principals who have completed the formalities will be allotted the stations by the state education department on March 31, said an official notice. The promoted principals will take charge of the government schools which are currently running without principals. The other senior secondary schools in the district which are without principals, include GSSS Pakhowal, GSSS Chakkar, GSSS Malaudh, GSSS Chalar, GSSS Payal and GSSS Halwara. In the absence of designated heads, the drawing and disbursing powers (DDO) have been given to principals of other schools, who hold the additional charge and travel at regular intervals to perform duties and other tasks in the senior secondary schools. Among the senior secondary schools which have students from classes 6 to 12, GSSS Dehlon has over 1,000 students, while GSSS Humbran and GSSS Bhaini Baringa have over 600 students, where no new heads have been appointed after the transfer or retirement of the previous heads in recent years. A day after Amritpal issued a video message breaking his silence over the crackdown on him and his aides, a purported audio message of Waris Punjab De chief surfaced over social media on Thursday. In the audio message, Amritpal can be heard asking Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh to call Sarbat Khalsa (Sikh congregation) to prove he is the head of the community. Hours later his second video went viral on Facebook in which the radical Sikh leader can be seen almost repeating what he said in the audio clip. HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the audio and the video clip. A grab from a first video clip of Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh (PTI) Some are saying that the video was shot by police in custody. There are allegations that the cops have made me say things on the video, and this is not my style of speaking. I want to make it clear that I am not in custody. I am not habitual in making videos or facing the camera, and the second thing is that on the day the video was shot my health was not good, Amritpal said. Amritpal also rubbished news reports which said that the radical Sikh preacher has set conditions for his surrender. I have raised no demand before the police, as some reports are saying. I did not say anything about it. I have not put any conditions. I urged the jathedar to call Sarbat Khalsa to prove he was the head of the community. There should be no politics in this, as it is the time for our qaum (community) to unite. That is why I am saying that Sarbat Khalsa will prove our unity and presence, the pro-Khalistan leader said. Amritpal said he doesnt fear jail or torture and will stay on his path fighting for his community. In the video message, Amritpal said that he will not flee to another country. Some people are saying that I turned fugitive. I can never think about being a fugitive even in my dreams, he said. Further piling pressure on Sikh bodies and the jathedar, Amritpal said, He (jathedar) is facing allegations that he works for a family, this is the right time to prove everyone wrong. He should firmly stand with the qaum (Community). Also, I suggest the Khalsa Wahir should start from Akal Takht and culminate at Takht Damdama Sahib in Talwandi Sabo on Baisakhi and Sarbat Khalsa should be convened there on the same day, he added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Giving a clarion call for a paradigm shift in agriculture by adopting alternative crops like cotton, basmati and moong, chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday said he has set up a committee under the chief secretary to look at alternative crops to water-guzzling paddy. A committee under the chief secretary has been set up in Punjab to look at alternative crops to water-guzzling paddy. (AP) Describing crop diversification as a critical necessity for the state, he said that sowing of the paddy crop over the years has adversely affected the topography of the state in terms of excessive power consumption, depletion of the water table and pollution due to stubble burning. The need of the hour is to adopt alternative crops. The committee will meet farmers in different villages and see which crops consume less water and bring more income to farmers as a replacement for paddy. It will submit the report to me, he said in a video message, pointing out that the government was taking steps to promote cotton, basmati, moong and pulses. Mann said that from April 1, canal water will be made available for irrigating cotton up to the tail-end. A 33% subsidy on cotton seeds certified by the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) will be given. Crop insurance will be introduced shortly to mitigate the losses, he said, adding, Markfed will be the nodal agency for procuring basmati if prices fall below a particular level. The CM also said that the government will be asking farmers in four cotton-growing districts of Fazilka, Mansa, Bathinda and Muktsar not to grow moong as it acts as a host for whitefly which later infests cotton. He said that deputy commissioners and senior superintendents of police have been instructed to depute the police force for checking the theft of water so that farmers at the tail-end of the canal can be benefitted. The farmers had raised the issue of canal water theft by affluent people during the first of its kind Farmers-Kisan Milni after which the state government decided to check it with a heavy hand, he said. He said that laboratories are also being set up to inform the farmers about the quantity of insecticides to be used on basmati so that the crop meets the export standards of European countries. Recommending the cultivation of PR126 and other similar varieties of paddy, he said that special emphasis is being given to promoting PAU-certified varieties and discouraging the water-guzzling varieties such as PUSA-44, which take ample time for harvesting. Nairobi Opposition Leader Raila Odinga has asked President William Ruto to face him and stop sharing Kenya's political issues with the international community. Speaking during a meeting with the Nubian Community in Nairobi, Odinga said the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission's (IEBC) servers must be opened to determine who between him and President Ruto won the 2022 presidential election. "There is no need for Ruto to go to Germany and start talking about Raila there. Come here and let us talk. Open the server and let us see what is in there," Raila said. He further called on International community not to meddle with Kenya's democracy saying Kenya is capable of solving her own problems. "We have told the international community to let us be allow us to resolve our issues as the Kenyan people. We do not want to be taught about democracy by other countries. We are Kenyans and we are capable of solving our issues the Kenyan way," he said. President Ruto had earlier maintained that the weekly demonstrations called by Opposition leader Odinga had nothing to do with the cost of living but the 2022 presidential election outcome. Speaking during an interview on Germany's Deutsche Welle (DW), President Ruto accused Odinga of using demonstrations so that he can unconstitutionally get a share of the government. "The riots in Nairobi are not so much about the cost of living. It is so much about some election results which is actually a settled matter but because cost of living is a pregnant issue; it is an emotive issue, our competitors are trying to take advantage but I think the people of Kenya are a lot wiser," President Ruto said. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Business Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The veteran politician has called for regular protests every Monday and Thursday, accusing President Ruto of stealing last year's election and of failing to control the surging cost of living. "The opposition is asking for some discussions about an election that was held some six months ago. An election that was given a clean bill of health by the EU, AU and all observers. An election that was witnessed by international and local observers. That conversation is a conversation outside the Constitution," Ruto said. The Head of State, however, said his government is committed to addressing the challenges of the high cost of living. "We have had to rethink about our agriculture how do we do things differently so that we avoid dependency on the global supply chain of these commodities because we have had challenges accessing fertilizer and grain," said Ruto. President William Ruto is away on an official visit to Germany and Belgium. On Monday, the protesters defied a warning by the Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome that the demonstrations in Nairobi and in Odinga's stronghold of Kisumu were "illegal" At least four people have been killed and property worth millions destroyed since last week when the protests started last. Punjab Police stepped up their manhunt for Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh nearly 48 hours after he appeared to have given them the slip once again, after being spotted in a Hoshiarpur village on Tuesday evening before going untraceable. Punjab police personnel at Heritage street amid crackdown on Waris Punjab De Chief Amritpal Singh in Amritsar on Thursday. (Sameer Sehgal/HT) A massive hunt has been launched by the police in Hoshiarpur district and even drones were used to search for the fugitive Sikh radical leader after he fled leaving his car near a gurdwara in village Mernaian Kalan. The village is situated around 12 km from Hoshiarpur town. Special teams have also been sent to Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, taking into account the possibility that the pro-Khalistan leader could have slipped out of Punjab. According to officials involved in the search operation, Amritpal was travelling from Hoshiarpur to Phagwara on Tuesday when the location of a mobile number temporarily used by him was tapped by the police. Following this, a local team of counterintelligence started chasing the Khalistani leader who has been on the run since March 18. A police team chased Amritpals vehicle but he managed to dodge them, driving towards Marnaiyan Kalan village and abandoning the car at a dead end, officials said. Amritpal, who was travelling with his associate Papalpreet Singh and one other person, disappeared after crossing the wall of a gurdwara, a police officer involved in the hunt said. Punjab Police on Thursday also launched a hunt to recover the mobile phone which helped the police to track Amritpals location when he started moving from Hoshiarpur to Phagwara. Papalpreet was also travelling with Amritpal and both might have dumped their mobile phones, said an official. A senior Police official also disclosed that a Punjab Police team have contacted the Hazur Sahib-based Kar Sewa Dera whose stickers were found on the two cars used by Amritpal. Whereas the Innova Car was found parked outside a gurdwara on Tuesday evening, another vehicle also with Kar Sewa Dera stickers was found outside Tibba Sahib gurdwara situated in Kapurthala district. Police probes have revealed that Amritpal entered Punjab on Tuesday afternoon and first went to Tibba Sahib and then moved towards Hoshiarpur. We have established contact with the Dera management whose vehicles were used by Amritpal. Dera has a soft corner for him that is for sure. Did they help him come back to Punjab, nothing is sure yet, We are still investigating, a senior Punjab Police official in Chandigarh said. Queries to DIG Jalandhar Swapan Sharma, SSP Amritsar Rural Satinder Singh and SSP Jalandhar Rural Mukhwinder Bhullar went unanswered. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A man allegedly sprinkled petrol on his two minor daughters and set them them on fire in Berring village in the district, leaving them seriously injured, police said on Thursday. A man allegedly sprinkled petrol on his two minor daughters and set them them on fire in Berring village in the district, leaving them seriously injured, police said on Thursday. The accused Vidya Ram has been arrested. Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI), Talwara police station, Ranvir Singh said Vidya Rams wife Poonam Sharma lodged a complaint with the police alleging that her husband hit her with a burning log following which her clothes caught fire. However, she managed to control the blaze. Later, Vidya Ram, sprinkled petrol on his daughters aged 16 and 10, and set them ablaze. The girls ran outside and on hearing their screams, their neighbours and some passersby came to their rescue and extinguished the fire. Both the girls were admitted in a hospital here from where they were referred to PGIMER, Chandigarh. Residents of around 1,000 houses in four districts of Uttarakhand have complained of damages due to the ongoing construction of Rishikesh-Karnaprayag railway line, officials at Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), the agency which is executing the project, said. The 125.20 km-long Rishikesh-Karnaprayag broad gauge rail line is an ambitious project of the Narendra Modi government, estimated to cost more than 16,200 crore. (HT) We have received complaints from around 1,000 houses about damages and cracks in their houses allegedly due to blasting, Vinod Bisht, liaison officer with RVNL, said. Bisht said, Committees are surveying villages in four districts which were affected by the project. The survey work has been completed in Pauri and Tehri Garhwal districts. Their report is awaited. We will take action on the basis of the report. The 125.20 km-long Rishikesh-Karnaprayag broad gauge rail line is an ambitious project of the Narendra Modi government, estimated to cost more than 16,200 crore. The project, which will involve 12 stations, aims to connect Rishikesh and Karnaprayag and also ease access to pilgrimage centres, mainly Kedarnath and Badrinath. Also Read: India to bolster safety protocol for key infrastructure amid climate, seismic fears The project passes through five districts Dehradun, Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal, Rudraprayag and Chamoli. The Railways acquired 164.9 hectares of private land in 45 villages, which is 20% of the total acquired land (788 hectares) for the project. The remaining is forest land, according to RVNL. The entire land acquisition affected 355 houses and 5,513 families, RVNL said. The work on the project began in 2017 and is aimed to be completed by December 2024. In January, the Indian Railways tweeted that around 33% of the project has been completed. In Pauri Garhwal district, Anil Dutt Tiwari is among 224 families in Sweeth village waiting to get compensated for the damages to his house. I have spent 4 lakh to repair my house. I dont even remember how many hours or days we spent visiting government offices with our grievances, he said. He said that ever since the blasting began in 2019, he has filed several RTI applicationsto know about details for blasting on the complete construction routeand even staged protests but the construction did not stop. He claimed the construction work has also led to pollution in water bodies as the waste generated due to tunnel digging was being released into a gadhera (small river tributaries), which eventually meets Alaknanda (one of the two headstreams of Ganga). Tiwari said it was not until villagers forcefully stalled the construction work that the district administration constituted a five-member committee to look into the damages in 2021. The panel, he alleged, however, did not include all the affected families. According to him, the committee recommended a payout of 1.50 crore to 224 affected families and sent a proposal to RVNL. The families are yet to be compensated. Sardar Singh Pundir, central secretary of Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD) from Byasi village in Pauri Garhwal, said: The blasting done for the tunnel work at Baldya Khan village above Gular has led to cracks in houses of around 10 families. Incidents of land subsidence have also occurred at Byasi village for which villagers have been assured of compensation but have received nothing as of yet. We wake up with every blast, fearing that our house will cave in any time. Our children cannot sleep properly, Vimla Devi, a resident of Baldya Khan village, said. Suman Rana from Lachmoli village said: Our house has also developed several cracks that are widening further due to the tunnel blasting that continues unabated day and night. One of the walls has already caved in. When we complained, we were offered a sack of cement which we returned and repaired the wall at our own expense. In Rudraprayags Mawana village, cracks have appeared in around 200 houses due to blasting and excavation activities for the railway project, gram pradhan Birendra Singh Rana said. We have written to authorities on numerous occasions but they are not ready to accept that the cracks appeared due to blasting. Even a committee was constituted that denied us compensation for the damages, he said. An RVNL official said a total of 869 crore was already paid as compensation to people during acquisition of private land. Anand Srivastava, additional secretary, disaster management said the government doesnt have any data on the damages to houses in the wake of the project. At Atali village in Tehri Garhwal district, the Railways said there was concrete failure in the wall of a tunnel and the shotcrete showed signs of cracks. Shotcrete is high-performance concrete or mortar that is passed on through a hose of pipe and with the help of pressure, it is projected at a higher velocity onto the backing surface. The Railways also said a geological survey was carried out to ascertain the hazards and mitigation measures for the project. An airborne electromagnetic survey was also carried out by CSIR National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad, to find out the water bodies above the tunnel alignment to preserve groundwater and the environment, it said. Tunneling in the fragile ground is also being executed by adopting control blasting minimum charge per blast leaving dummy holes all along the profile of the tunnel and introducing delays to prevent the transmission of ground vibrations around the tunnel which are much lower than the permissible limits set by the directorate general of mines safety. For underground excavation, where the ground is weak, the excavation is being carried out by mechanical means, ensuring the stability of the tunnel and its surrounding ground, said a senior RVNL official on condition of anonymity. We have been regularly monitoring the cracks being reported in houses and other buildings. We have documentary evidence like photographs and videography. We also installed crack metres in houses which showed no change in size even during control blasting, the official added. Joshimath is also in the grip of a land subsidence, which experts said, is due to rampant construction, including several hydropower projects, in the sensitive western Himalayan terrain. NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday stepped up its offensive against Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a poster campaign that targeted the prime minister and asked why some posters put up outside its party office in Delhi were removed. Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh hit out at the BJP over a video clip that showed a policeman removing a poster (Twitter/SanjayAzadSln) It has become a crime to ask if the prime minister of the country should be educated A police sub-inspector arrives soon after the posters were put up and removes the posters. It means that the PM and the entire BJP want to say that the countrys PM should be uneducated, senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh said in a video statement. Singhs statement was a reference to posters in Hindi that came up in parts of the national capital, which asked, should India have an educated prime minister. The AAP leader ended his message with an appeal to people to run a similar campaign on social media and elsewhere. The row coincides with a planned AAP campaign to intensify its Modi Hatao, Desh Bachao campaign started in national capital Delhi on March 22. Posters with this message in 11 languages have been published and circulated across the country, said Delhi AAP chief and environment minister Gopal Rai. When the poster campaign was soft-launched on March 22, the Delhi Police said they filed 185 cases and arrested six people while they were delivering the posters to AAP offices. The following day, AAP chief and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal equated the police action to censorship during British rule. A hundred years ago, even the British did not arrest anyone for putting up posters against them. Who knew a PM would come and get 138 FIRs registered in 24 hours for putting up posters against him. Six poor people have been arrested. Why is Modi so afraid?, Kejriwal said at an event on March 23. To be sure, the six people who were arrested were released on bail within hours. Delhi BJP spokesperson Harish Khurana hit out at AAP over the new poster campaign, accusing AAP of starting another misinformation campaign against PM Modi. Khurana said it will backfire. The AAPs misinformation campaign only helps PMs popularity grow. The people of the country are watching the abuses AAP leaders are hurling at the PM, and they will give their reply at the right time, Khurana said. The people of this country are not going to tolerate their PM being called uneducated. I can guarantee that AAP is not going to win even a single of the seven Delhi seats in the (2024) Lok Sabha polls, Khurana said. The Delhi government will hold a meeting on Thursday to review the Covid-19 situation in the national capital amid a spurt in cases, officials said. The city has been witnessing an increase in the number of daily Covid cases over the last few days amid a sharp rise in H3N2 influenza cases in the country. The meeting has been called by health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj which will see the attendance of senior health department officials, medical directors of state-run hospitals and other stakeholders. The meet comes a day after Delhi's Covid-19 cases climbed to 300 for the first time since August 31 last year, while the positivity rate rose to 13.89 per cent, according to data shared by the city health department. Read | 5 states contributing maximum number of cases to Indias tally Two Covid-related deaths were also reported, it said. Delhi had reported 377 cases on August 31 last along with two fatalities, while the positivity rate was 2.58 per cent. Also read | India sees over 40% jump in daily Covid cases with 3,016 fresh infections The city has been witnessing an increase in the number of daily Covid cases over the last few days amid a sharp rise in H3N2 influenza cases in the country. The number of fresh cases had seen a decline over the last few months in Delhi. It had dropped to zero on January 16, the first time since the pandemic broke out. With the fresh cases, Delhi's infection tally has increased to 20,09,361, while the death toll stands at 26,526. Delhi reported 295 new Covid cases with a positivity rate of 12.48%, as per the latest state health bulletin released on Thursday. The city did not record any Covid-related deaths in the past 24 hours, while the number of active cases has reached 932. Delhi's active cases as on Thursday reached to 932. (File photo) Also Read | Maharashtra reports 63% jump in daily Covid cases with 694; highest since Oct On Thursday, Delhi's health minister, Saurabh Bharadwaj, asked residents not to panic over the sudden increase in Covid cases and stated that the state government is closely monitoring the coronavirus situation. According to data shared by the city health department on Wednesday, the number of Covid cases in Delhi reached 300 for the first time since August 31 last year, and the positivity rate increased to 13.89%, with two Covid-related deaths. Also Read | Bengaluru Covid cases spike 177% higher in 24 hours We reviewed the situation today during the meeting. We have asked hospitals to advise coronavirus tests to those who are symptomatic. People visiting hospitals should wear masks, Saurabh Bharadwaj said. He also stated that chief minister Arvind Kejriwal will hold a review meeting on the matter on Friday. The review meeting on Friday will include a presentation of the results of the mock drill done recently at Delhi government-run hospitals, which will be shown to the chief minister, the minister said. The government has also assured the public that it is taking all necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the virus and to provide timely medical attention to those in need, according to a statement from the health department. (With PTI inputs) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A Delhi court on Monday dismissed a bail petition filed by Shahrukh Pathan, one of the accused in northeast Delhi riots of 2020. Shahrukh is accused of pointing a gun at a policeman during the anti CAA protest in Jafrabad area. (Representative file image) The court also proposed to hold day to day trial once another accused Babu Wasim, against whom proceedings for declaration as a proclaimed offender has been initiated, is either declared a proclaimed offender or is produced before court. Additional sessions judge Amitabh Rawat, while dismissing the bail application, stated in his order that, this court does not see any reason at all to grant bail to the applicant/accused. Accordingly, the bail application under Section 439 CrPC of applicant/accused Shahrukh Pathan @ Khan stands dismissed. Shahrukh, who was accused of pointing a gun at a policeman during the anti CAA protest in Jafrabad area of north east Delhi, had moved the bail petition before the court on the grounds of delay in concluding the trial and in view of the threats faced by him in the jail from officials. Also Read: Man convicted of harbouring Pathan, who aimed gun at a cop during riots The court in its order noted that the bail application was moved by Shahrukh on October 14, 2022 but was not pressed by the counsel at that time and kept for consideration after the main eyewitness had been examined. However, the court also noted that an application was moved on February 13 pressing the bail application in view of the threats faced by Shahrukh in the jail. It was contended by the Counsel for Pathan, before the court, that Shahrukh had been in custody since March 3, 2020 and the orders on charge were passed on December 7, 2021. It was further submitted that there has been delay in investigation by the police for which Shahrukh should not suffer. It was also argued that another accused Wasim was granted bail by court. It was further argued that the statements of witness Deepak Dahiya recorded under Section 161 of CrPC are in contradiction with the statements recorded in the FIR. It was also strongly argued before the court that Shahrukh is facing threats from the jail officials referring to two incidents of January 30, 2023 and March 3, 2023. On the other hand, the special public prosecutor (SPP) strongly opposed the bail application stating that Shahrukh had earlier filed a bail application which was dismissed by the court and was also dismissed by the high court. It was further contended by the SPP that there has been no delay in the investigation and pointed out that Shahrukh was also absconding and apprehended with great difficulty and the proceedings are presently stalled due to the process of declaration as proclaimed offender is being carried out against Wasim. The SPP also pointed out that the argument regarding contradictions in statements had been earlier addressed by the court. He stressed upon the fact that there is no threat to Shahrukh from jail officials by playing the CCTV footage which showed that he had blatantly violated the jail rules and is creating conditions to make up fictitious grounds for bail. The court while passing the order observed that, from the perusal of the entire file, it is very apparent that since framing of the charges, there has been no delay in trial on account of fault of the prosecution. The court further observed that, it has to be noted that the date has always been given as per the choice of the counsels for accused who, despite the court asking for a short dates, had insisted by showing his diary to contend that he does have dates and date be given as per his diary. The court further noted that, in all the footages shown, the accused Shahrukh Pathan @ Khan can be seen constantly arguing with the jail staff. Thus, the conduct of the accused Shahrukh Pathan @ Khan, as borne out from the footage played in the courtroom regarding incident of 30.01.2023 and 10.02.2023 and the recovery of the mobile phone, is completely unsatisfactory The entire flood of applications moved by the accused does not inspire confidence and appears to be meant for the bail application. The conduct of accused in jail and allegations of harassment and torture, is only prima facie seen for the purpose of present applications as the Ld. Counsel had repeatedly insisted on this and claimed bail primarily on this ground, the court added while granting him liberty to pursue his other legal remedies. A Delhi Court recently granted bail to Aftab, one of the accused arrested in connection with the murder of Rinku Sharma. Rinku Sharma, a hospital technician, was allegedly stabbed to death by a group of men in February 2021 in Delhi (Representative file image) Sharma, 25, a hospital technician, was allegedly stabbed to death by a group of men on February 10, 2021, in Delhis Mangolpuri. Additional sessions judge (ASJ) of Rohini court Neeraj Gaur on Monday granted bail to Aftab stating, I am of the view that it is a fit case for grant of bail to the applicant/accused. The application is accordingly allowed and the applicant/accused is admitted to bail. Advocate Ravi Drall, appearing for Aftab, had submitted before the court that Aftab had been in custody since February 11, 2021, but no public witness has been examined in the case and the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report has also not been made available. Also Read: Delhi riots case: Court dismisses bail plea of accused who pointed gun at cop It was also submitted that although Aftab was involved in beating Sharma, he was not vicariously liable for the sudden act of stabbing. It was argued that the co-accused Tajuddin and Islam alias Faizal were granted bail and on the ground of parity, granted bail stating that the accused was in custody since February 2021 and some other co-accused persons have been granted bail in the case. Meanwhile, additional public prosecutor H. K. Nar opposed the bail application on the grounds that the allegations are serious. He argued that besides the family of the deceased, several public witnesses have implicated Aftab. APP Nar submitted that there is a threat of communal violence in the locality and the complainants have also received threats, therefore Aftab should not be granted bail. The court while granting bail observed, The applicant is in custody for about two years. As already discussed, the trial will take its own time. The public witnesses have not been examined but the reason, therefore, has been beyond the control of the court. The non-examination of public witnesses cannot be made an absolute ground to deny bail. I am of the view that it is a fit case for grant of bail to the applicant/accused, said justice Kaur in the order passed on March 27 and thus granted bail to Aftab on furnishing of a personal bond of 35,000 and one surety of like amount. Also Read: Worli accident: Sumer Merchant moves sessions court for bail The court is to strike a balance between the liberty guaranteed to the accused persons and the rights of the victims. The victim has shown apprehension of threats. Ld. Counsel for the applicant/accused submits that the applicant/accused undertakes not to reside in Mangolpuri area and he will shift somewhere else away from the residence of the complainant after taking his articles from his house. Considering the relevant facts and circumstances of the case, noted the court. Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalins proposed meeting on Social Justice, the road ahead on April 3 will be joined by at least 14 Opposition parties, in a show of strength amid ongoing efforts to stitch up various political combinations. The organisers are hopeful that Biju Janata Dal and YSR Congress Party will join the meeting. Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin (CMOTamilNadu Twitter) The meeting on April 3might be the first of a series in various states and comes after 14 Opposition parties joined hands to move court against the arbitrary use of federal agencies such as the ED and the CBI. Opposition unity is a process that requires one step at a time. We are trying to create a larger common platform on important issues. Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has urged all Opposition parties to come together to defeat the BJP, said the Trinamools Rajya Sabha floor leader Derek OBrien, one of the leaders involved in the planning. Also Read| BJP facing opposition protests because: What PM Modi said Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, Bihars deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, former CMs Akhilesh Yadav and Farooq Abdullah, BRS leader K Keshava Rao, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and his CPI counterpart D Raja, OBrien, and NCP leader Chagan Bhujbal will be present at the meeting that will be held in hybrid mode. It has also been decided that Stalin will speak for half an hour and other participants will limit themselves to 7 minutes to ensure everyone gets proper time to express their views, said another leader. The Congress party, the IUML, and the MDMK will also attend the meeting on an issue thats important for each political outfit. One of the Opposition leaders said the AAP has indicated that its Rajya Sabha leader Sanjay Singh will attend the event in Chennai. While the Shiv Sena is yet to confirm, Opposition leaders believe that if Odisha CM Naveen Patnaiks party and the YSRCP join the event, it will create a wider impact. That is because the two parties have been supportive of the Narendra Modi government and have maintained distance from many Opposition parties such as the Congress. Some of the political functionaries involved in the planning indicated that the West Bengal CM took the initiative to engage Patnaiks BJD in Opposition programmes and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar was in talks with Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. The event will also try to send a message that the leadership role is not confined to one or two claimants but every constituent in an Opposition club has an important role to play a feature that has often been missing in earlier third-front formations. There is no scope for egos. This is the beginning of a series of events that would be held in different states on many issues. The Chennai meeting also signals that a dominant Opposition player in a state should get support from other parties, a theory of leaders such as Mamata Banerjee or K Chandrasekhar Rao, said the functionary cited above. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The police personnel carried out flag march in West Bengal's Howrah after ruckus erupted during a Ram Navami procession. Videos shared by ANI showed police personnel on the spot during the ruckus. The videos showed vehicles torched during the ruckus. Not just Howrah, incidents of clashes were reported from other states on the occasion of Ram Navami. Stone pelting was reported during a procession in Fatehpura area of Vadodara in Gujarat, PTI reported. Some vehicles were damaged in the incident but nobody was injured. A police personnel carries out flag march in Howrah following clashes on the occasion of Ram Navami.(Twitter/ANI) The incident took place when the procession reached near a mosque and people started gathering at the spot, police said. "We have deployed armed personnel from regular police, crime branch, SOG and State Reserve Police Force. As of now, there are no reports of anyone getting injured due to the stone pelting. We have ordered an inquiry into the incident," Manoj Ninama, additional commissioner of police, told PTI. In Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, 12 people including ten police personnel were injured after a mob of around 500 people hurled stones and petrol-filled bottles during a clash between two groups. According to PTI, at least 13 vehicles were also torched by the miscreants forcing police to fire tear gas, some plastic pellets and live rounds to control the mob. "It started after two groups, each comprising around five persons, clashed near the Ram temple. After some time, one group left the place and the police soon came to the site. After an hour, a mob gathered there, bringing stones and petrol-filled bottles along, which they threw at the police personnel," Aurangabad Police Commissioner Nikhil Gupta told a Marathi news channel. (With PTI, ANI inputs) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Kisumu Kisumu residents plan to defy Governor Anyang Nyong'o's call to suspend Azimio demonstrations in the lakeside city on Thursday going forward. The residents' accused Nyong'o of upsurging the functions of the Coalition to arbitrarily suspend demonstrations that are aimed to address cost of living. Kennedy Ochieng, a resident said Thursday remains picketing day and no way, the residents will take word from Nyong'o when the party has structures to communicate its activities. "Demonstrations were called by Raila Odinga, and he was categorical that it is countrywide, why again is Nyong'o calling it off in Kisumu?" he asked. Ochieng says the call by Nyong'o should be ignored until and unless Raila who called for the ongoing demonstrations calls it off. He says as a former university student's leader in the Nyanza region he will ensure that a peaceful demonstration is carried out as planned to push the government to address the ills affecting the country. He was joined by Joseph Mbaka, a university student, who dismissed the suspension, terming Nyong'o an outsider in matters pertaining to Azimio. "Governor Nyong'o has no jurisdiction to call off demonstrations and as such we will defy him and picket," said Mbaka. Mbaka noted that they will not be going to the streets for the sake of it but to pressurize the government to listen to the sufferings of the people. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Business Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) has not released funds for our students, the cost of living again is skyrocketing, these are the things which will take us to the streets to ask for quick fixes," he added. A resident of Obunga, George Okana says they will be waiting for word from Raila to affirm what Governor Nyong'o has announced or else they will be on the streets. Okana says there is no way demonstration is being called off in Kisumu while it will be staged in Nairobi. "These are peaceful demonstrations, let Nyong'o deal with hooligans in his county instead of directing us to go to Nairobi," he said. Nyong'o on Wednesday sent a circular suspending any form of demonstration in Kisumu He says he took the move after consultation with the Azimio Coalition. Nyong'o has been at pains whenever property is destroyed during demonstrations and on Monday led the demonstration outside the city against the wishes of the demonstrators. An Air India Express flight to Kuwait on Wednesday left around 20 passengers at Vijayawada airport and took off 4 hours before its scheduled departure. Air India flight IX-695 was scheduled to depart for Kuwait from Vijayawada International Airport at 1:10 pm but it took off at 9:55 am. (File Photo) Air India flight IX-695 was scheduled to depart for Kuwait from Vijayawada International Airport at 1:10 pm but it took off at 9:55 am. Also Read | Air India makes 'rapid', 'regressive' changes in service conditions, say pilots' bodies: Report According to an Air India official, the flight was rescheduled and passengers were informed on the matter. "All the passengers were informed about the rescheduled flight one day in advance," an Air India official told ANI. Also Read | Air India Group integrates reservation system of Air India Express and AirAsia India Speaking to ANI, Vijayawada Airport director Lakshmi Kanth Reddy said, "More than 15 Passengers were not able to take board the flight as flight timing was preponed to 9 am on Wednesday morning. The passengers were informed about the rescheduling of the flight but they are alleging that they did not have any information of the preponing of flight timings. Those people have booked tickets through agents and ticket agents did not inform them about the rescheduling of the flight." Air India asked all passengers, who could not board the flight, to book their seats on the rescheduled flight and travel for free or to take a refund. (ANI) LUCKNOW The Lucknow police booked All-India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Uzma Parveen for offering prayers at a public place in the city, officials said on Thursday. The matter came to light on Tuesday after Uzma Parveens picture went viral on Twitter, following which the police checked the genuineness of the post and registered the FIR. (Pic for representation) She had posted a picture on social media while offering namaz outside the Hussainganj Metro station on Vidhan Sabha road here on Monday and wrote misleading facts that she offered namaz in front of the Vidhan Bhawan, said police. The matter came to light on Tuesday after the womans picture went viral on Twitter, following which the police checked the genuineness of the post and registered the FIR with the Hussainganj police station in the matter. DCP (central zone) Aparna Rajat Kaushik said the woman had falsely shown the place of offering prayers as Vidhan Bhawan, which was misleading. Just to create hype on social media, she added. A case on charges of IPC sections 153A (promoting enmity), 200 (giving false information), 283 (obstruction of public way) and Section 66 of the IT Act has been registered against Uzma, said the DCP. After the police action, Parveen tweeted in Hindi that a mountain is being made out of a molehill and alleged that the police were following media personnel in doing so. She further wrote on Twitter that she was just following her religion. On August 24, 2022, a large gathering of people offered namaz under Chhajlet PS limits in UPs Moradabad. According to the police, there was no mosque there, only two houses. In July last year, six people were booked for offering namaz at Lucknows LuLu mall. The thrill of adventure is worth a thousand days of ease and comfort, says Divyansh Kumar Srivastava from Lucknow, who expressed his love for music while paragliding at 9,000 feet. Srivastava expressed his love for music while paragliding at 9,000 feet (Sourced) Srivastava, 22, a musician by heart, a professional in a private firm and former MBA student of Lucknow University, sang a song for nearly 100 seconds while paragliding with pilot Amit Bhatt of the paragliding firm Flying bird at the height of 9,000 ft in the hills of Bhimtal, in Uttarakhand, recently. This is not the first time that Srivastava, a resident of Sitapur, has done this. He had performed the feat before but at a height of 8,000 feet in March 2022. He has made it to the Asia Book of Records for Music performance at the highest altitude while paragliding by an individual, for which he has also received an email while the certificate he will receive in 48 hours. According to Lucknow University, their former student Divyansh Kumar Srivastava has set a record for the only person in Asia to make such an attempt and is a global runner-up. Vice-Chancellor prof Alok Kumar Rai and dean students welfare also congratulated Srivastava. Firstly, he created a record by being the only person around the globe to sing on a guitar while paragliding at a height of 8,000 ft. Now he breaks his own record by performing at a height of 9,000 ft at the age of 22, said LU in its statement. When asked about where he got this idea, he said, He saw a video on YouTube but the person never applied to and registered with a record-endorsing agency (like the Asia Book of Records). Hence, he thought of performing the act and setting a record in his name so that the world would notice him. Srivastava runs a YouTube channel titled Dear Musik and an Instagram page @dear.musik Instagram where he makes music videos. In order to do something different in music, he attempted this act and uploaded it on his channel. He also revealed that he had to lose 10 kg weight. My parents didnt know about this earlier but now they know. Initially, they were sacred but after being recognised, they are happy, he added. Around 100 activists of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Dalit students of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU) in equal numbers allegedly clashed as the student body took out a procession to mark Ram Navami celebrations on the university campus on Thursday. Police were called in to control the situation. The incident occurred when a group of ABVP activists carrying a saffron flag raised Jai Shri Ram slogans while taking out a procession. (Sourced) Confirming it, BBAU proctor BB Malik said the incident took place around 5.30 pm. He said both the groups had alleged that their supporters were injured in the incident. The Dalit students were staging a protest outside the vice chancellors residence while the other group was reciting Hanuman Chalisa there when the report last came in. Both the groups were purportedly seen beating one each other with canes and sticks in a video of the incident that went viral on social media. The Dalit students alleged that some of them sustained injuries as the ABVP activists beat them mercilessly. The incident occurred when a group of ABVP activists carrying a saffron flag raised Jai Shri Ram slogans while taking out a procession. This was opposed by the Dalit students as according to them university was not the place for religious celebrations. The Dalit students claimed a number of those part of the procession were outsiders. Most of them were not even students of the university and had come on the invite of ABVP to vitiate the academic atmosphere on the campus, they further claimed. Saurabh Pandey from the Hindu group alleged that the Dalit students insulted their religious deities and tore posters of Lord Rama which they were carrying. He further alleged that the Dalit students also misbehaved with girl students. We will not tolerate insult of our God, he said. Dalit student Dheeraj Kanaujiya representing Ambedkar University Dalit Student Union (AUDSU) claimed that Dalit students of the university protested due to participation of outsiders in the procession. Later, the ABVP activists allegedly thrashed the students near library in the presence of cops and security guards. The officers did not come to protect Dalit students, Kanaujiya alleged. The students alleged that during the procession, no security guard bothered about bringing the situation under control. An all out political war has erupted between West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and the Bharatiya Janata Party over clashes during a Ram Navami procession in Howrah. The chief minister accused the BJP of hiring goons from outside Bengal to orchestrate communal riots. Nobody has stopped their processions but they do not have the right to march with swords and bulldozers. How did they get the audacity to do this in Howrah?, she said. Clashes erupted during Ram Navami procession in Howrah. Why did they change the route and take the unauthorised route to particularly target and attack one community? If they believe that they will attack others and receive relief through legal interventions, they must know that the people will reject them one day. Those who haven't done any wrong will not be arrested. How do BJP workers have the courage to bulldoze people's homes, she added. Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of opposition in Bengal assembly, said,"The chief minister and the state administration are responsible for the violence". BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya hit out at the Trinamool Congress chief, saying she had failed as the state chief minister and home minister. In brazen disregard for Hindu sentiments, Mamata Banerjee held dharna on Ramanavami, then warned Hindus about avoiding Muslim areas because it was Ramzan, forgetting that Hindus too were fasting for Navratr. As Home Minister of WB she is directly responsible for Howrah violence, Malviya, who is the co-incharge of Bengal, tweeted. Vehicles were torched as clashes erupted in Howrah during the Ram Navami procession in the district. According to a police officer, the incident occurred when the procession was passing through the Kazipara locality. Several shops and autorickshaws were ransacked during the violence while a number of cars including a few police vehicles were set on fire, PTI reported. Four fire tenders were pressed into service to extinguish the blaze. The police used force to disperse the mob. A large contingent of police was deployed in the locality where the situation is stated to be under control. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Mumbai: Syed Imtiaz Jaleel, the sole All-India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MP from Maharashtra, played a key role in restoring normalcy after communal violence erupted outside the Ram temple in the Muslim-dominated Kiradpura in Aurangabad city on Wednesday midnight. The MP sat through the night at the temple and tried to pacify the 500-strong mob, most of whom were from his community. In doing so, he also had to bear the brunt of anger from the crowd which was in a mood to give a befitting reply to alleged provocation. AIMIM MP camped outside Ram temple to prevent violence from escalating Jalil, who represents Aurangabad constituency, reached the temple within 15 minutes of the incident that triggered the skirmish between two groups. Had the temple been targeted and had I not reached in time, the violence would have spread rapidly across the state, he said. Besides the temple priests, a few women were hiding on the first floor, and around 15 policemen too had taken shelter inside. I assured them all that nothing would happen to them and the temple till I was there. The tension began brewing after a mob of around 15 youngsters with saffron flags rolled in on bikes at 11.30 pm and started shouting slogans. One of the bikes dashed briefly against a bystander and a brawl erupted, said Jalil. A few elderly people, in an effort to control the situation, requested the bikers to leave. Even after they left, however, the tension continued to escalate. When I requested the mob to maintain peace, I was targeted by youngsters who accused me of bias and pelted stones at me, said Jalil. The tension was further fuelled by rumours on social media that the temple had been attacked and set on fire. To counter the false propaganda, Jaleel released a video of the temple priest, assuring people that the temple was unharmed. A video of me assuring the women in the temple that they would be safe was also circulated on social media at around 3.30 am, he said. I also reached out to maulanas of mosques in the area to appeal to people to maintain peace. All this helped us stop the tension from spreading. Jalil questioned the role of the police, who reached the spot very late. There was no response from the police or the fire brigade when I called them immediately after reaching the temple, he said. The police commissioner told me that the force had already reached, but till 3.30 am, only 15 policemen who had taken shelter in the temple were there. Only two of them had arms. Its surprising that a sizable police force was not deployed outside a temple in the middle of a Muslim mohalla on the eve of Ram Navami. That has been the traditional practice to pre-empt likely problems. Jalil said that several political leaders from other parties stood by him in his endeavour to calm down the people and stop rumours from spreading. At 6 am, when ministers and leaders from other parties started visiting the spot, I requested them to stand together and make a joint appeal to people to maintain harmony and peace, he said. It is not about siding with any particular community. I have always publicly said that people indulging in communal violence should be stringently punished, regardless of their religious identity. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Mumbai: The first 24x7 restaurant-on-wheels on the western line will come up at Andheri and Borivali stations in line with the one in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT). Meanwhile, CR will replicate this 32-seater restaurant outside other stations as well. At Dadar and Kurla LTT, the plan is in the advanced stage. The plot has also been identified. These are important stations where commuter movement is high, said a CR official. (HT PHOTO) The restaurant-on-wheels is under consideration and tenders have been called for the same, said Sumit Thakur, chief PRO of Western Railway (WR). As per sources, the eatery will be located at Andheri East and will spread over 143 square metres. It is likely to come up on the autorickshaw deck, which is underutilised by the rail authorities. It was constructed more than seven to eight years ago at a cost of 10 crore. As per tender specifications, the kitchen will be situated below the ramp in an area of 250 square feet. Andheri station which connects with the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar Metro-1 line on average, sees a daily footfall of more than three to four lakh commuters. It connects to offices, MNCs, residential societies, educational institutions, etc, which will probably attract customers into the restaurant-on-wheels, said sources. Similarly, as of now, WR authorities have decided to build the restaurant at Borivali East. Meanwhile, CR will replicate this 32-seater restaurant outside other stations as well. At Dadar and Kurla LTT, the plan is in the advanced stage. The plot has also been identified. These are important stations where commuter movement is high, said a CR official. CR authorities are also looking to start this restaurant outside the Neral, Kalyan and Igatpuri stations in the near future. At CSMT, the restaurant-on-wheels outside platform 18 sees a daily footfall of 250 to 350 depending on the day of the week. Bhiwandi: A 33-year-old man died and his pillion rider a traffic policeman suffered injuries after their motorcycle had hit a pothole on the Bhiwandi-Kalyan Road and a truck dashed them from behind. Bike hits potholes, run over by truck in Bhiwandi; 1 dead, 1 injured The incident happened at Bhadwad village, Bhiwandi, on Wednesday at 10.30pm. The deceased has been identified as Bhausaheb alias Vishal Maruti Kumbharkar, a resident of Bhadwad village. The injured person has been identified as Sujay Shivaji Naik, 42, a resident of Kalyan, who is posted at the traffic department at Narpoli Police Station, Bhiwandi. It is not yet clear whether both of them were friends or relatives. Kumbharkar, who works with a private company, is survived by his parents, wife and two sons. Kumbhakar and Naik were headed from Bhadwad village towards Kalyan and their bike lost balance after hitting a pothole. A goods carrier behind them hit them, crushing Kumbharkar under the wheels. Naik, who fell on the other side, suffered hand and leg injuries, said a police officer. Bystanders informed the local police, who rushed to the spot and took Kumbharkar to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital where he was declared dead before admission. Naik was admitted to a nearby hospital where he was being treated. A case was registered against the truck driver under 279 (rash driving), 338 (causing grievous hurt), and 304 A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code. He absconded after a mob gathered at the spot of the accident. Kashinath Pote, assistant sub-inspector, Shantinagar Police Station, said, We have issued a notice to the truck driver to visit the police station to record his statement. We will arrest him soon. Panvel: Nitin Gadkari, union minister for road transport and highways, on Thursday, apologised for the delay in the work on the Mumbai-Goa highway and assured that it will be completed by December this year. Navi Mumbai, India - March 30, 2023: Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation stone of three national highway projects worth Rs. 414.68 crore and 63,900 km long and new project worth Rs. 15,000 crore, at Palaspe Village, Karnala Naka, in Raigad district, India, on Thursday, March 30, 2023. (Photo by Bachchan Kumar/ HT Photo) (HT PHOTO) On Thursday, he laid the foundation stone for the concretization of 3 highway projects in Raigad. The total length of the project is 63.9 kilometres pegged at 414.68 crore. I, as the minister of the department, apologise for the delay in Mumbai-Goa highway work. The delay has been a very sad state of affairs, some aspects of which cant be revealed. I am tired of it. The project awarded in 2011 had been in limbo due to contractor issues and then land acquisition and environmental issues, said Gadkari at the ceremony. The agreements of erring contractors were terminated, he said, adding, I have updates of all the packages underway presently and can assure that the highway project will be fully completed by December this year and people will be able to use the 4-lane expanded highway from the new year. Gadkari added that he would personally inspect the highway and speak to the stakeholders to resolve any hurdles in the project. He added that the highway touches 66 tourist spots in the Konkan region which will boost tourism. It will also enable faster transportation of fruits and other products from the region thereby boosting business as well. It will connect JNPT and Dighi ports which will boost the countrys progress, said the union minister. Additionally, on Thursday, he announced three new projects worth 15,000 crore in Raigad. These projects will provide better connectivity with Mumbai and Pune along with Goa, Karnataka and Gujarat. We shall start the 13,000-crore Morbe-Karanjade road work that will go up to Jawaharlal Nehru Port and cut down the travel time on the Mumbai-Delhi route to just 12.5 hours, said Gadkari. The Kalamboli junction in Navi Mumbai is a nightmare due to the heavy traffic jam which I too have faced. We have prepared a new design for the area of a 7-kilometre project worth 1,200 crore, the Bhoomi Pujan of which will be done next month. 1,146-crore work at Pagote junction for a green field highway too will begin soon, he added. Gadkari also asked for black spots to be identified by special committees headed by the MPs. We have the largest number of accident cases in the world with 5 lakh cases in a year in which 1.5 lakh people die. This is more than those dying due to Covid or terrorism. 60% of those deaths are in the age group of 18 to 34 years. This is very unfortunate, he said. Box The projects include the work of the Panvel to Kasu section of National Highway 66 the Mumbai-Goa highway which is vital for the Konkan region. The section is 42.3 kilometres long and involves a capital cost of 251.96 crore. There is also work on 2 lane expansion and concretization of the Rajewadi to Warandh village section of national highway 965DD which is 13 kilometres in length and will cost 126.73 crore. The third work is the strengthening of the Warandh to Pune Raigad district border of National highway 965DD, which is 8.6 kilometres long and will cost 35.99 crore. MUMBAI: The Sahar police on Thursday arrested an 18-year-old HSC student from Surat for allegedly sending a threat message to Akasa Air. HT Image The police said the student had written on social media tagging the airline that, Your Boeing 737 MAX plane will go down. The police said the youngster from Surat is interested in planes and didnt understand the repercussions of such a post. Police officials said after a complaint lodged by the airline, they registered a case under 505 for statements conducing to public mischief and 506(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code against unknown people. Police teams started tracing the accused and picked him up within few hours from Surat in Gujarat. His father is a businessman and is said to be interested in planes and keeps watching and reading about planes, said a police officer from Sahar police station. He didnt have any such plans but wrote the message on social media without understanding its repercussions. He was arrested on Wednesday and on Thursday a court granted him bail on furnishing cash surety of 5,000 as he has examinations to appear for, said the police officer. The Boeing 737 MAX were grounded in 2019 after the two deadly crashes that killed 346 people on board. In India it was again allowed to fly from August, 2021, after which 17 regulators worldwide have permitted operation of Boeing 737 MAX planes. As the global population continues to grow and the food demand increases, the agriculture industry is under pressure to become more efficient and sustainable. At the International Conference on Business Models in Agriculture (IBMA) 2023 convening at Kigali Convention Center from March 27 to 28, different experts are calling for increased adoption of modern business models in agriculture in tackling the issue. Jointly organised by the Africa Organization of Technology in Agriculture (AOTA) and the University of Rwanda, IBMA 2023 aims to bring together synergies to build sustainable agriculture to transform subsistence farming into well-organised businesses to increase the income and well-being of farmers in Africa. According to Olivier Kamana, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), technology can play a vital role in tackling numerous issues within the agriculture sector, such as disease prevention. He also suggested that farmers should embrace modern approaches to farming, like progressive terracing which is especially important for Rwanda, given that the majority of the country is composed of mountainous terrain, making traditional farming methods particularly challenging. Kamana also recommended that farmers use compatible seeds that are suitable for the changing climate and can yield greater produce. He further highlighted the responsibility of academics and researchers at universities to not only educate but also nurture students' innovative ideas that can be implemented in the fields of agriculture and animal resources. He expressed his delight that Rwanda had been chosen to host the international conference, which was organised by the University of Rwanda's College of Agriculture, Animal sciences and Veterinary Medicine (CAVM). Kamana commended the various innovative projects they had undertaken, which have the potential to create employment opportunities, while also allowing farmers to benefit from the implementation of modern technologies and add value to agricultural products. In 175 non-developed countries around the world, over 40 per cent of the population barely survives on less than $2 per day and depends on agriculture for its livelihood, according to the United Nations Development Programme's Human Development Report. Didas Muganga Kayihura, Vice Chancellor of UR, emphasised that their role as university researchers should be to align their research and studies with solutions that respond to the problems society is facing, such as why some soil is not fertile despite progress in cultivating different valleys. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Rwanda Agribusiness By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. He called on the government to allocate more funding to research so that solutions to these problems can be found. To tackle the issue of why many farmers still don't make a profit, Kayihura suggested that farmers should make use of their land more effectively, even if it is small, by using good fertiliser and seeds and connecting to good markets for their produce. This, he believes, will encourage more people to join the sector and thrive. "It is our shared belief that the smallholder farmers should be prioritised in our economic outlook," he added, "not only because they constitute the majority of our population, but also because they are the primary pillar of our economy." In his remarks, Isaac Kagara, Founder of IBM, said despite great potential, Africa's food industry faces a severe economic challenge and is said to be on top of the development priorities. Currently, food imports are rated at 20 per cent costing over USD 30 to 50 billion annually, which could rise to USD 150 billion by 2030, according to International Food Policy Research Institute. Kagara urged the participants to think about how Africa can reverse this by exporting food worth USD 150 billion by 2030 and importing less. Maharashtra reported a 63 percent jump in its daily Covid-19 cases with 694 new infections - the highest since October last year. According to a state health department bulletin, no Covid-related deaths were reported in a day. The fatality rate stands at 1.82 percent in the state. Maharashtra reports 63% jump in daily Covid-19 cases with 694 new infections; highest since Oct A total of 184 people showed recovery in the last 24 hours. The recovery rate stands at 98.14 percent. Amid concerns over a fresh spike of Covid cases and H3N2 influenza cases in the country, India saw over a 40 percent rise in the daily tally with 3,016 new infections in the last 24 hours on Thursday - the highest daily in nearly six months. A total of 3,375 cases were recorded on October 2 last year. The active caseload rose to 13,509. Meanwhile, Delhi health minister Saurabh Bhardwaj held an emergency meeting with officials after 300 fresh Covid-19 cases were recorded in the national capital on Wednesday. Addressing a press conference, Bharadwaj said they were getting some indicators about the spike in Covid cases but they are fully prepared. On Monday, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan chaired a high-level meeting with States and UTs to review the preparedness status, and stressed ramping up the Covid testing with a higher proportion of RT-PCR and whole genome sequencing of positive samples. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Mumbai: The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) has cleared the Kharegaon to Gaimukh corridor, also known as Thanes version of coastal road, which will run along the Thane creek HT Image . The project, which is proposed to be built through mangroves, was awaiting clearance for several years. The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has proposed the road from Kharegaon Toll Naka on Mumbai Nashik Highway (NH-3) to its ending point at Ghodbunder Road (SH-42) near Gaimukh. The proposal was passed in the MCZMA meeting last month. This is the first phase of the coastal road in Thane and the next phase is planned from Anand Nagar to Kharegaon side for which studies are on. This Thane version of coastal road is being built by TMC with an aim to reduce traffic congestion, especially on the Ghodbunder Road. Abhijit Bangar, Thane municipal commissioner, said, This is an important link to avoid heavy traffic. There are further plans to connect this road to Fountain Hotel junction (where Ghodbunder road and Mumbai Ahmedabad highway culminate). We have consent from 65% of landowners for land acquisition. TMC will acquire land and the project will be executed by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority. The Ghodbunder Road provides connectivity to Thane city for vehicles coming from Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway and western express highway. It is also a crucial road for goods vehicles coming from and to JNPT port in Raigad. It is one of the busiest stretches in Mumbai metropolitan region and the TMC in its development plan has proposed the coastal road to decongest the same. The proposed road will divert the goods traffic on the Ghodbunder road, coming from Gujarat and North India, towards JNPT. Besides, the vehicles coming from or to Mumbai-Nashik highway can use this road to go directly towards Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway or western express highway. Kharegaon toll naka is on Mumbai-Nashik highway. The total road length is 13.215 km. According to the proposal, the double level grade separator (2nd Level) is proposed to cross over metro line 5 (connecting Thane and Kalyan via Bhiwandi) with required vertical clearance. At Akbar Camp, where the Indian Air Force has a station near Kolshet, the road will pass under a tunnel. The IAF has been opposing this project since many years, sources said. The road Ends at Gaikmukh outside the SGNP Eco Sensitive Zone. The road is proposed to be on stilt on mangroves land. The records show that the site falls in CRZ IA (Mangroves and 50m buffer zone), CRZ IB (Intertidal), CRZ II and outside CRZ area. The MCZMA had earlier said that the proposed road is passing through the mangroves land. Considering the impact on significant area of mangroves, the authority opined that the TMC should explore other possible alignments with an objective to have minimum impact on mangrove vegetation. The MCZMA was told by the TMC in October 2022 that they had carried out the analysis of possible alignment with objective to have minimum impact on mangrove vegetation. With respect to the minimal impact on the mangroves, TMC and MMRDA jointly took following action in design and variation in alignment as where possible. The proposed road was designed for 3 plus 3 lanes instead of the 4 plus 4 lanes in the mangroves area. The revised design enables space of 12 meters between the two lanes of the road on stilt. The space enables the sunlight to pass through thus ensuring favourable condition for replantation of the mangrove and associated species. The TMC has claimed that mangroves spread over 10.03 hectares of land will be affected, but the local deputy conservator of forest has said that 12.26 hectares of mangrove land will be affected The TMC has adopted various measures to lessen the impact of project on mangroves. The road on stilt is proposed on mangroves. Post construction, eight hectares of mangroves land will be restored, the MCZMA was told. The tunnel area falls in the mangroves notified area. The tunnel at Kolshet requires two hectares of land of which 1.5 hectares can be restored post construction by planation of the mangroves or associated species. MUMBAI: The Bombay high court (HC) on Thursday asked actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui and his estranged wife Aaliya Siddiqui, also known as Zainab, to remain present in court on April 3 to explore the possibility of an amicable solution to the issues between them for the sake of their children. MUMBAI, INDIA - AUGUST 16, 2016 : Nawazuddin Siddiqui with his wife Aaliya and son Yaani was spotted at Airport on Tuesday August 16, 2016 in Mumbai, India. (Freelance photo by Yogen Shah) (Yogen Shah) The court said it will meet the couple in chambers so that the apprehension expressed by the actor in his petition regarding the whereabouts of his children after they stopped attending school in Dubai could be taken care of. The division bench of justice Revati Mohite Dere and justice Sharmila Deshmukh while hearing the habeas corpus petition of Siddiqui was informed that as directed by the court earlier, the actor had prepared consent terms and sent it to his wife, but he was yet to get a reply. His counsel, advocate Pradeep Thorat said that the actors estranged wife did not want to settle the dispute amicably. Siddiqui filed the petition seeking to know the whereabouts of his two minor children- a 12 and a 7-year-old after their school wrote him an email stating that the children were not attending classes and would be rusticated. The petition claimed that though the children were in the custody of his estranged wife Aaliya in Dubai, after she returned to India without them, he was not aware of their whereabouts. Advocate Chaitanya Purankar representing the estranged wife said that she wanted to settle the dispute, but the draft consent terms sent by the actor had nothing in it for her and hence she could not agree to it. On the concern of the actor that the children were missing school, Purankar assured the court that the children were attending school online. However, the actor argued that the respondent was making false statements before the court as no online schooling was available. After hearing the submissions, the bench said that it was concerned for the children and hence asked the actor and his estranged wife to explore the possibility of an amicable settlement and remain present in the judges chambers on April 3. The court also asked the wife to bring the children along. Earlier this month, the lawyer for the estranged wife had told the court that the situation in the house was so hostile that he was not able to speak to his client and therefore could not file an affidavit in reply to the habeas corpus (produce the person) petition by the actor. The actors estranged wife, Aaliya, had also claimed that she was thrown out of her in-laws house. In February, Siddiquis mother Mehrunisa Siddiqui had filed an FIR against Aaliya, accusing her of trespassing at her residence. The actor has also filed a defamation suit in the high court against his brother Shamasuddin and Aaliya, seeking 100 crore as damages for the defamation and harassment he allegedly faced due to their misleading claims. MUMBAI: The special investigation team (SIT) set up by the crime branch to probe medical admission scam has arrested two frauds from Delhi who allegedly duped two MBBS aspirants from the city to the tune of 26.5 lakh on the pretext of securing seats for them in city-based medical colleges. HT Image The team brought one of them, Aqeeb Naushad Ahmed, 28, to Mumbai and produced him before a court on Thursday. The court remanded him to police custody till April 3. The other accused, Sandeep Singh Bindiya, has been arrested on Thursday morning and is being brought to the city. On March 1, the police arrested two masterminds of the MBBS scam, Iftekhar Ahmed and Luv Gupta. Aqeeb and Bindiya both lived in Delhi and were associated with Iftekhar Ahmed and were helping him to dupe MBBS aspirants. Aqeeb is a native of Bihar and works in IT firms in Delhi. Bindiya also lives in Delhi, he was recruited as an agent by Iftekhar because he speaks fluent Marathi which helps them convince the parents of aspirants, said police inspector Sadanand Yerekar of the SIT. According to the police, the incident took place in December 2022. Complainant Pravin Sasane, 49, a resident of Kalyan, alleged that his son had cleared NEET exam in 2022 and was trying for his sons admission in the best medical college. He got a call from one Anand Kumar who asked him to send all documents related to admission on his WhatsApp and called him to meet in St George hospital on December 23, 2022. When he went to meet him at St Georges Hospital, the accused demanded 15 lakh and took 6.5 lakh in cash as a donation and gave a form claiming that it was an admission form, the officer added. Employing similar modus, the accused also duped a Pune-based student and took 20 lakh from his parents. Both the students later approached MRA Marg police and registered in December 2022. The SIT was formed by the Mumbai crime branch in the first week of February after police found there were a total of seven cases registered at JJ Marg and MRA Marg, Agripada and Sion police stations and the gang had duped many medical aspirants. The gang allegedly accessed the contact list of the students who had cleared NEET and then lured their parents to pay them under the guise of securing seats for their children. MUMBAI: The state government on Thursday informed the Bombay high court (HC) that it had decided to provide 30.16 acres of land in the government colony in Bandra East for the new high court complex. HT Image Advocate general Birendra Saraf informed the HC that a formal Government Resolution (GR) would be issued shortly in that regard. The submission was made in a contempt petition claiming that the state government had failed to comply with a 2019 order directing provisions for a larger building for housing the HC. The division bench of acting chief justice SV Gangapurwala and justice SV Marne which was hearing the contempt petition filed by advocate Ahmad Abdi was told that there were merely reports of land being allotted for the new building but no formal decision was taken in this regard by the government. The state had informed the bench that discussions on the allotment of land for a new building of HC at Mumbai had been completed and a decision would be taken soon in that regard. The bench in the hearing on March 9 had noted that the issue concerned each and every lawyer and hence the government should take the decision expeditiously. The state had sought two weeks to respond but added that the government could not be asked to comply with the HC orders through the contempt petition. While assuring the bench of the action being taken, AG Saraf submitted a memorandum from the state Public Works Department (PWD), wherein it had agreed to transfer 30.16 acres (12.204 hectare) land for the new HC complex. The memorandum stated that 8.5 hectares (21.004 acre) land would be for the judicial complex and residences of judges while 3.63 hectares (8.969 acre) land was for central tribunals and lawyers chambers which will be commercially developed and the government will earn revenue from it. The bench was informed that currently the plot is reserved for government housing and they would require some time to get the reservation changed for commercial use. Saraf however assured the bench that once it was done, a formal GR would be issued. After hearing the submissions, the bench said it was accepting the stand of the state government and hence disposing of the contempt petition. It however added that it would monitor the compliance of the decision. The bench also permitted Abdi to file a fresh contempt petition if the government failed to comply with its assurances. As things have started moving, this petition is disposed of. For the purpose of monitoring, we place the PIL for further directions or compliance on June 12, the bench said in its order. Abdi had filed the public interest litigation in 2012 seeking a new building for HC on a priority basis. The bench headed by justice Abhay Oka in January 2019 had directed the state government to take a decision on offering a large and convenient plot of land for a new high court complex. Abdi later filed the contempt petition, stating that the government completely failed and deliberately ignored to take steps based on the order. MUMBAI: A special POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) court on Wednesday sentenced a 38-year-old tailor from Shivaji Nagar to twenty years imprisonment for sexually assaulting his 12-year-old daughter in July 2020. HT Image The man was held guilty of the sexual assault even after the victim girl and her mother, who had lodged a complaint, turned hostile during the trial. The mother-daughter did not support the prosecution case, as the man was the only earning member of the family and was in prison for the past two years and they wanted him to come out of prison to support their family. The prosecution case was supported by the medical evidence wherein the doctor had deposed affirming sexual assault and the fact that the survivor had stated the history that her father had committed sexual intercourse with her by force one-and-half-months prior to the examination. The mother lodged a complaint with Shivaji Nagar police station on July 7, 2020, against her husband for sexually assaulting the minor girl on multiple occasions. The family was staying at rented premises in a duplex set up wherein they occupied the upper floor and the family of the landlord stayed on the ground floor. The incident came to light when the survivor first confided about the exploitation by her father with the daughter of their landlord. The landlord later informed her mother about the revelations made by the girl and when the girl revealed to her mother the sexual assault by her father, the mother lodged a complaint with the police station. During the trial, public prosecutor Pranjali Joshi examined eight witnesses which included the survivor, her mother, the landlord and the medical officer who examined the girl. The mother refused to testify against the accused as she wanted him out of the prison to support the family financially, whereas the survivor turned hostile on the instructions of her mother. However, when they were cross-examined by the prosecution, they admitted certain facts to the effect that the girl child was subjected to sexual assault at the hands of the accused. Suspended BJP MLA from Telangana T Raja Singh, who has been booked for his hate speech he delivered in Dadar nearly two months ago, has attended several such rallies conducted by Sakal Hindu Samaj, a right-wing outfit, where he demanded a law against religious conversions and allegedly called for violence against Muslims. Telangana MLA T Raja Singh has a long list of hate speeches in Maharashtra The police on Monday registered an FIR against Singh under section 153(A) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence) of the Indian Penal Code. The rally in question was taken out from Shivaji Park to Maharashtra State Labour Welfare Board office in Dadar on January 29. All Hindus should demand a law against religious conversions else we are capable of making it on our own. You (government) shoot them or we know how to shoot, Singh allegedly said, adding, Balasaheb Thakeray (late Shiv Sena founder) used to say, my Hindu should not become the one who ring bells at a temple but can also shoot landyas (a slur being used for Muslims by right wingers). Whatever you need, buy only from Hindus and not from these jihadis (Islamic fundamentalists). If you find a halal certificate then throw away that product. This certificate means you are giving your money to them to kill you, he reportedly said at the rally that was also attended by leaders and MLAs from Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the BJP. However, this is not the first FIR registered against the Telangana politician. On March 10, addressing a gathering at Ahmednagars Shrirampur, he said that if any member of the minority community was found involved in love jihad he would cut them into pieces. I want to tell the landyas involved in love jihad that they are already cut in half (circumcised) and we will cut them in whole, he said with crowds cheering. At the same rally, he insisted that Hindus and Muslims could never be brothers. Chhatrapati Shivaji and Aurangzeb were not brothers, so werent Veer Maharana Pratap and Akbar. Singh continued his rhetoric nine days later in Aurangabad when he called for attacks on those found promoting love jihad. Want to stop love jihad, want to shoot them... take your team whenever you come to know about them. First, request the administration for help and if they do not help then complete the work on those who are already cut in half (circumcised), he said at the March 19 rally. A communal clash is reported to have broken out in Kiradpura, Aurangabad, on Wednesday evening. Love jihad is used by right-wing activists and organisations alleging a concerted effort by Muslim men to convert Hindu women to Islam through interfaith marriages though the courts and the Central government are yet to recognise the term. Singh was suspended by the BJP after his remarks on prophet Muhammad sparked a row. He was also arrested in August last year and placed under preventive detention. The Telangana high court, however, set aside the police order and released Singh, but with a warning against a speech or comment that would create hatred among communities in future. Singh, a member of Telangana assembly from Goshamahal, recently alleged that he received threat calls from Pakistan, and a case was registered in Hyderabad. (With inputs from Vinay Dalvi) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON MUMBAI: Some of the most well-trained canine friends of the country, many of whom had several acts of courage and service to their names, were felicitated by the Mumbai Veterinary College on Wednesday. The furry bravehearts: MVC felicitates acts of courage of service canines Besides honouring 16 dogs, alongside their handlers from various service agencies that they were representing, two special dogs, who passed away in the line of duty, received their honours posthumously. The event titled Bravehearts was a part of the colleges annual festival Spandan, which itself was clubbed with the colleges 137-year anniversary celebrations. This was the third edition of the event, after 2014 and 2016, that aims to recognise the work done by service dogs working in fields of public security, police forces, and military forces as sniffer dogs from bomb squad, tracker dogs as well as the dogs working in Animal Assisted Therapy who aid emotional healing. There was also a special display of the agility and abilities of some of the honourees through obstacle races, explosive sniffing and obedience test among others. In all, 23 dogs were selected for the in-person event, of which seven couldnt attend due to being deployed on duty. While the general mood of the gathering was upbeat for the most part, it turned somber when the tales of courage of army dogs Axel and Zoom were retold. Axel, a two-year-old attached with the 26-army dog unit, was martyred when he assisted the Rashtriya Rifles in Operation Wanigam Bala on July 30, 2022. He not only directly attacked a terrorist despite being shot at point blank range but also helped the army men zero in on the exact location of the terrorist they were looking for. Zoom, who was attached to the 28 Army Dog Unit, was a part of the Operation Tangpawa on October 19, 2022. He sustained two gunshot injuries while pursuing two terrorists in Anantnag district. The injuries proved fatal and he breathed his last four days later in an army hospital. Their names had even featured in the list of the Mention-in-Despatches on the following Independence Day. Dr Anil Mahajan, officer on special duty to the speaker of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, said no enemy can harm a nation with such loyal braveheart soldiers protecting it as the ones being felicitated on the day. Dr Avinash Dhakane (IAS), managing director Maharashtra Film, Stage and Cultural Development Corporation (MFSCDC), said he was in awe of the achievements of the furry soldiers that were being recounted by their handlers. Associate dean of the college Dr SU Gulavane said that she wished that such events where so many brave dogs assembled were held more often. The other dogs that were felicitated on the occasion included grand old Crazy, a nine-year-old Labrador from the explosive detection unit, one-and-a-half-year-old Bhola, who is a part of the bomb detection and disposal squad, five-year-old Prince, who is deployed at the VVIP section of the airport, four-year-old Jockey who assists Mumbai police in all important bandobast duties on occasions like Indian Premier League and the prime ministers arrival in Mumbai and eight-year-old Moti who was the one to sniff out the bomb at Mukesh Ambanis residence Antilia in February 2021. The Greater Noida authority announced on Thursday that it has received 206.71 crore from the central government for infrastructure development in two new industrial sectors in the city as part of the Prime Minister Gati Shakti scheme. Massive traffic jam on the NoidaGreater Noida expressway during rain on Thursday. Explaining why the central government chose only two projects to invest in, a Greater Noida authority official said the Centre must distribute funds to all states, so they only support a few key projects under PM Gati Shakti scheme. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo) We can upgrade the citys infrastructure because we received cash under the PM Gati Shakti scheme. We will use this investment to accelerate the development of two new industrial sectors to fuel the citys growth, said Ritu Maheshwari, chief executive officer of the Greater Noida authority. In October 2022, the authority suggested 13 projects for additional funding under PM Gati Shakti and requested 700 crore. However, the central government chose only two projects to invest in. Explaining why, a Greater Noida authority official, who asked not to be named, said, Because the central government must distribute funds to all states, they only support a few key projects under this scheme. Previously, Noida received cash from the central government scheme for four projects, including two underpasses, an elevated road, and a bridge. In response to the citys high demand for industrial plots, the Greater Noida authority is creating two new industrial sectors. According to officials familiar with the matter, the administration intends to invest 129.90 crore in sector Ecotech 8 and the remainder in sector Ecotech 10. So far, the administration has allocated industrial plots to at least 100 companies, which expect to invest 1,500 crore and create more than 7,500 jobs. In sector Ecotech 8, the Greater Noida authority has completed approximately 80% of the development work on basic facilities such as roads, parks, drains, and other amenities. In addition, the authority has completed approximately 90% of the work in sector Ecotech 10. Officials said they are addressing unresolved issues, such as relocating an old canal in Ecotech 10. The authority is working round-the-clock to resolve issues so that investors can begin establishing their units and starting manufacturing. According to officials, the Prime Minister Gati Shakti scheme provides special assistance to states for capital expenditures in infrastructure projects for 50 years without charging any interest. According to officials, the central government approves the funds for each state and city where a demand has been made through proposals. The central government has chosen 15 projects in Uttar Pradesh to receive cash through this scheme. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON MEERUT The recent Bollywood-style heist in a Meerut-based jewellery shop has shocked bullion traders in the district. Concerned over the incidents of gangs targeting jewellery shops in the district, traders and members of the Meerut Bullion Traders Association met SSP Rohit Kumar Sajwan, SP city Piyush Singh, and other police officials on Wednesday evening. SSP Sajwan has sought time till Sunday to arrest the members of tunnel gang. (Representational photo) Associations general secretary Vijay Anand Agarwal and other officials shared their concerns with officials. They urged the police to set up a help desk that works on cases related to bullion traders and helps in arresting criminals and recovering stolen jewellery. He has even shot letters to bullion traders across India and sought their help in identifying gangs that decamp with valuables after breaking into a shop through a tunnel. The gang has been active in Meerut for the past three months. They have even made futile attempts to cut the vault through gas-cutters. The gang digs 5-to 15-metre-long tunnels to break into a shop, added Agarwal. In a similar vein, Raghav Prasad Garg, a city-based bullion trader, said, Tuesdays incident was the third in the past three months when members of a gang broke into a shop by digging a tunnel. Jewellery worth 15 lakh was stolen on Tuesday. My shop is just opposite the store where the heist took place. I am worried about the security of my shop now. SSP Sajwan has sought time till Sunday to arrest the members of tunnel gang, which is believed to be behind these heists. For starters, police are looking for those people who have an expertise in digging tunnels. For the unversed, thieves dug-up a 10-foot tunnel via drain to break into a Meerut-based jewellery shop on Tuesday. They managed to loot jewellery worth 15 lakh. The thieves even left a letter after escaping with the jewellery. In the letter, they said, We are sorry but we are bound to steal. The floor was very strong. Nairobi Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Leader Raila Odinga has castigated the Kisumu County Administration for calling off protests in the county and instead asking supporters to converge in Nairobi. Speaking during a meeting with the Catholic Bishops, Odinga insisted that the opposition demonstrations will go on as planned in Kisumu City asking the county governor Anyang Nyong'o to recant his statements of calling off the demonstrations in the county. Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong'o on Wednesday sent a circular suspending any form of demonstration in Kisumu. He said he took the move after consultation with the Azimio Coalition. "There was an announcement today by the governor of Kisumu about the demonstrations in Kisumu. We have talked to him and he actually asked us to announce that they will be demonstration in Kisumu tomorrow just like the rest of the country," he said. The Opposition Leader asserted that the Azimio La Umoja Coalition demonstrations pushing for the lowering of the high cost of living and election reforms will be peaceful warning those attempting to characterize them with chaos. "Our demonstrations will be peaceful and we are asking those who are trying to disrupt them to desist in the name of our Lord,"Odinga said. Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and his counterpart from Kisumu had engaged in a war of words on the move by Nyongo to call off the protests in Kisumu and instead ask supporters to converge in Nairobi. This follows a declaration by his Kisumu Counterpart Anyang Nyong'o banning protests in the lakeside city and telling Azimio supporters to converge in Nairobi. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Business Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. In a statement, Sakaja however dismissed Nyong'o saying he will not allow him to export demos from Kisumu to the city. "The Governor of Kisumu's idea that he can export his demonstrations to Nairobi and make our county the capital of demonstrators and associated mayhem is preposterous and totally unacceptable," he stated. "In the spirit of devolution, I would advice the Governor of Kisumu Prof Anyang Nyong'o to keep his demonstrations to his county." Nyong'o had stated that the decision to ban the protests come after consultations between the Azimio La Umoja Leadership and the County Executive Committee. He, however, declared that Kisumu remains committed to pushing for the lowering of the cost of living and blocking the Kenya Kwanza regime from handpicking a partisan Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission. Nyongo asked Kisumu residents to cooperate with law enforcement officers to maintain peace and security. Nyong'o has been at pains whenever property is destroyed during demonstrations and on Monday led the demonstration outside the city against the wishes of the demonstrators. LUCKNOW A 16-year-old boy and his 13-year-old wife were rescued by authorities in Lucknow on Thursday. The Malda (West Bengal)-based teenage couple had come to Lucknow with the boys uncle, who was also found living with them. The boys uncle, who was living with the teenage couple, has been booked. (Representational photo) According to authorities, the boy and the girl, who got acquainted through social media, tied the knot on March 22. The two claimed that they shifted to Lucknow in search of better earning prospects. After moving to Lucknow, the boy started working as a daily wager at a construction site in the city. He would work for 12 hours a day -- from 6 am to 6 pm -- for a daily wage of 300. The two children were rescued by the joint teams of the anti-human trafficking unit in Lucknow, child rescue workers, and the police unit in Banthra. Earlier, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) in Delhi had circulated a letter (dated March 16) regarding the missing children. Following the NCPCR circular, Mukti Mission and Childline Lucknow took note of the case and Childline workers began to scout the possible areas where the children might be living. The exact location of the children was obtained from the man, who was apprehended with the help of a picture that had been circulated. Once identified, members of the Mukti Mission, AHTU, and Childline, along with the Banthra police unit rescued the two minors. Meanwhile, the boys uncle, who was living with the teenage couple, has been booked on charges of kidnapping under IPC sections 363, 365, and 34. This is a case of child marriage, child labour, kidnapping, and trafficking all rolled into one, said Sangeeta Sharma, Childline, Lucknow. A part of the rescue team, Sharma said, It was the boys uncle who helped the girl run away from her home. He brought them to Lucknow, and helped them get married. The children were first taken to the One-Stop Centre at Ashiyana, and then produced before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC). Later, the girl was sent to the government childrens home for girls at Para. The CWC ordered that the children be presented before the district child marriage prohibition officer and the juvenile justice board. Incidentally, the rescue teams managed to save another 13-year-old child labour while rescuing the Malda-based couple. The 13-year-old, who revealed that his father is an alcoholic, was seen crying on the side of the street at Nahariya Chauraha. His father had forced him into a job at a tea stall. The child said that he was physically abused at the tea stall. He will also be produced before the juvenile justice board. After opposition from regional language-speaking groups and political parties in election-bound Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) on Thursday revised its earlier order, making it mandatory to use Dahi and allowed the use of regional names in printed labels of curd packets. The FSSAI said the Food Business Operators (FBOs) can use curd and in brackets can add the regional equivalent such as Dahi, Thayir or Mosaru (Representative Photo) The controversy erupted after the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), also known as Nandini, board of directors opposed the order alleging imposition of Hindi. On Wednesday, Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin alleged Hindi imposition by the Centre and hit out at the national food safety authority. He declared those responsible would be banished from the southern states. Also Read: Dahi or tayyir? Hindi imposition battle over curd, MK Stalin slams centre The unabashed insistence of #HindiImposition has come to the extent of directing us to label even a curd packet in Hindi, relegating Tamil & Kannada in our own states. Such brazen disregard for our mother tongues will make sure those responsible are banished from South forever, Stalin wrote on Twitter. Amid the controversy, in its release on Thursday, the FSSAI said the Food Business Operators (FBOs) can use curd and in brackets can add the regional equivalent such as Dahi, Thayir or Mosaru. As many representations were received recently on the omission of the terms curd, from the Standards of Fermented Milk Products, it has been decided that FBOs may use the term Curd along with any other designation (prevalent regional common name) in brackets on the label. Accordingly, Curd can also be labelled as per the following examples: Curd (Dahi) OR Curd (Mosaru) OR Curd (Zaamut daud) OR Curd (Thayir) OR Curd (Perugu), the FSSAI said in a press release on Thursday. The letter from the joint director (Science and Standard), FSSAI dated March 10, stated that the word Dahi will replace the term Fermented Milk currently labelled on curd packets. The name Fermented Milk may be replaced with designations Dahi, and Yoghurt if the product complies with the relevant provisions of this standard, the letter read. In case of fermented products complying with the relevant provisions of Dahi, any other designation (prevalent regional common name) may be used together with the term Dahi in brackets on the label, said the letter. The directive also comes at a time when the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been accused of attempting to merge KMF with Amul. In January, Union home minister Amit Shah received backlash from netizens and the Opposition in which he pushed for cooperation between the KMF and the Anand Milk Union Limited (Amul) in Gujarat. Apart from the opposition, the BJP state leaders too have expressed anger. BJP state unit chief K Annamalai has said the notification was not in tandem with the Centres policy of promoting regional languages. Also Read: FSSAI considers symbol-based nutrition labels for food items The notification released by FSSAI for the use of (the word) Dahi in curd sachets produced by state-run cooperative societies is not in tandem with the policy of our Hon PM Thiru @narendramodi avl to promote regional languages. We want an immediate rollback of the notification, he wrote on Twitter. Former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy called the FSSAIs directive wrong and said, Knowing that Kannadigas are opposed to the imposition of Hindi, it is wrong for the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India to order KMF to print Hindi Dahi on the pocket of Nandini Probiotic Yogurt. Arun Javagal, a pro-Kannada activist, hit out at the directive and said, that the Union government of India is not only the government of Hindi speakers. The government is receiving tax from everyone. To increase the unity of India, it should stop acting as the representative of the Hindi language only, he said. Meanwhile, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) functionaries trended the Twitter hashtag DahiNahipoda (No to Dahi, go on) to oppose Hindi imposition. Authorities investigating the Atiq Ahmed case are preparing a list of employees in different government departments who allegedly helped the former MP in expanding his illegal business. The development comes in the wake of 26 police personnel being transferred due to their alleged proximity to Atiq. The development comes in the wake of 26 police personnel being transferred due to their alleged proximity to Atiq. (HT Photo) In the period between late 1970s and early 2010s, Atiq and his associates amassed immense wealth and properties across Prayagraj, in Lucknow, and other cities. Atiq also forayed into the real estate business and started grabbing lands. Such illegal properties included both private and government-owned plots, said a senior police officer. Also Read: Man wanted to 'welcome' UP gangster Atiq Ahmed with footwear garland | VIDEO It is alleged that several government officials turned a blind eye towards the illegal businesses of Atiq. Their assistance played a key role in promoting Atiqs illegal real estate business. A team of officials is now investigating these employees working in different departments who were either close to Atiq or his associates, said the official. Action is likely against them. Apart from police personnel, officials of the Prayagraj Nagar Nigam, the Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA), district administration, and the STF are also under the scanner. Many of them are believed to have leaked government information for Atiqs benefit. Several of these officials allegedly acquired wealth disproportionate to their incomes. So far, officials have prepared a list of over 50 such government employees who were close to Atiq. Many of them have been serving in Prayagraj for a long time. They managed to get their transfers cancelled. Officials privy to the development said that action will be taken against such employees after the investigation. Sampurnanand Sanskrit University in Varanasi will soon have a research chair on Ramayana which will spread the ideals of Lord Ram among people. VC of Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi, Prof Hareram Tripathi (left) met UP tourism and culture minister Jaiveer Singh. (HT Photo) According to a press statement of the varsity, vice-chancellor of Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi, Prof Hareram Tripathi on Thursday met UP tourism and culture minister Jaiveer Singh and submitted a proposal for grant of 10.83 lakh for establishing Ramayana Shodhpeeth. Prof Tripathi said that the minister has accepted the proposal and instructed the principal secretary, culture, to approve the grant on top priority for the Ramayana Shodhpeeth. Prof Tripathi said that the executive council of the university on February 28, unanimously gave an approval for setting up a Ramayana Shodhpeeth in the varsity. The council further decided that a proposal for the grant should be submitted to the UP Ministry of Tourism and Culture. As per the decision of the council, I submitted the proposal for grant to tourism and culture minister Jaiveer Singh. The minister has directed the principal secretary, culture, to take necessary action in this regard, said Prof Tripathi. The purpose of setting up the Ramayana Shodhpeeth (Ramayan research chair) at the varsity is aimed at spreading the ideals of Lord Ram among the people as well as to publish accurate facts through research, said Prof Tripathi. Through researches, the correct description of the ideas or beliefs that are prevalent about the Ramayana or about the points carried in the epic can be revealed, said public relations officer Shashindra Mishra. The Ramayana Shodhpeeth is likely to start functioning from April 1, said Mishra. The Siwan police in Bihar on Wednesday filed a charge sheet against 15 people arrested in the January 2023 hooch tragedy case, which claimed eight lives at Bala village of Bhopatpur panchayat of Maharaajganj sub-division. Over 70 were killed in December last year after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in Saran district in Chapra (File Photo) The charge sheet has named 15 personsDipak alias Sonu Kumar Chouhan, Mantu Bin, Suresh Bin, Sandip, Arjun, Vikash, Mohammad Nisar, Neeraj Dubey, Dinesh Tiwari and Gajendra Mishra as accused. A case was registered with the Lakdinaviganj police outpost and was later handed over to Criminal Investigation Department (prohibition) for a detailed probe. Also Read: NHRC report: Saran hooch toll at least 77, Bihar tried to hide figures According to the charge sheet, ethyl alcohol mixed with methyl alcohol was used in making hooch which led to deaths in Safiabad and Baikunthpur villages after people allegedly consumed hooch. The 82-page charge sheet with hundreds of pages of case diary was submitted before the special prohibition court of additional district judge (ADJ-2) by the investigating officer-cum-station house officer (SHO) of Lakdinaviganj police outpost. Additional director general of police headquarters (PHQ), Jitendra Singh Gangwar, said the charge sheet was filed under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 272 (adulteration of food or drink intended for sale), 272 (sale of noxious food or drink), 120B (punishment for criminal conspiracy), 328 (causing hurt by means of poison, etc with intent to commit an offence), 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and Bihar Excise Act. According to the PHQ, the district police team and sleuths of the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and CID collected evidence from the spot and examined viscera reports of victims which showed a copious amount of consumption of the spurious liquor adversely affected several body organs of the victims. According to the charge sheet, the prime accused in the case is Chouhan, who brought spirit consignment from Kolkata in the name of making sanitiser and sold them to Mantu Bin and Suresh Bin, the lead suppliers. During the investigation, police found that a consignment of spirit was brought to Muzaffarpur from Kolkata on January 18 with the connivance of transporter identified as Tiwari, Nisar and Dubey of Bhadohi in Uttar Pradesh. According to the viscera examination report by the FSL team, the reason behind the death of the victims said to be alcohol (methyl) intoxication, said Gangwar, adding that the FSL team also found ethyl alcohol mixed with methyl alcohol from the blood samples of victims and others. Also Read: Authorities in Bihar suppressed hooch tragedy death toll: NHRC This is the first hooch incident reported in the state in 2023. Earlier on December 16, eight people were killed in Siwan after consuming spurious liquor. Over 70 were killed in December last year after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in the Saran district in Chapra. The opposition has alleged that hooch incidents have exposed the hollowness of the liquor ban in the state due to poor implementation on the ground. In Bihar, under the excise act, there is a complete prohibition on the manufacturing, bottling, distribution, transportation, collection, storage, sale, possession, or purchase of any intoxicant liquor after it was banned by the state government in 2016. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Bihar government has decided to provide compensation to farmers in six districts affected by unseasonal rains against crop losses following a report submitted by the respective district magistrates, officials said, adding that a sum of 92 crore would be provided to the state agriculture department by the diaster management department for paying compensation to farmers as per norms. Officials said the affected farmers would be eligible to get 6,800 per hectare for non-irrigated land and 13,500 per hectare for irrigated land. (HT Photo) A directive to this effect was issued by chief minister Nitish Kumar at a high-level meeting held on Wednesday evening in which top officials of the agriculture and diaster management departments were present, a press release said. As per data shared in the meeting, 33 per cent and above of standing crop, covering a total area of 54,022 hectares in six districts of Sheohar, Sitamarhi, Rohtas, Muzaffarpur, Gaya and East Champatran, have suffered damages in unseasonal rains and hailstorm on March 17, officials said. We will invite applications from farmers soon. The compensation would be paid as per norms for irrigated and non-irrigated land per hectare, said an official in the agriculture department. Officials said the affected farmers would be eligible to get 6,800 per hectare for non-irrigated land and 13,500 per hectare for irrigated land. Agriculture department had earlier asked DMs to send reports of crop damages so that the process of paying compensation could be initiated. There are about 1.90 crore farmers registered with the state agriculture department. Wheat crop has suffered the maximum damage in the recent hailstorms, apart from horticulture crops in a few districts in north Bihar, including Muzaffarpur, said another official. The meeting on Wednesday was attended by chief secretary Amir Subhani, additional chief secretary (finance) S Siddharth, agriculture secretary N Sarvana Kumar and secretary and diaster management departments Sanjay Kumar Agarwal. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Maharashtra state government on Wednesday granted another three-month extension to the Koregaon Bhima inquiry commission till June 30. The state home department issued an order in this regard on March 28 and said the Commission would not get any further extension. Violence was reported in the Koregaon Bhima area in Pune on January 1, 2018, when thousands of Ambedkarite Dalits gathered at the Jaystambh to mark the 200th anniversary of the battle of Koregaon Bhima. One person died and several others were injured in the violence. (Pratham Gokhale/HT Photo) The commission is investigating the events leading to the communal violence that took place in Koregaon Bhima in the Pune district on January 1, 2018. The two-member commission is headed by retired High Court judge J N Patel, with former chief secretary Sumit Malik as a member. The commission has been granted an extension until June 30, 2023, to submit the report, according to the state governments order. The members of the commission are yet to examine several witnesses, and they had requested an extension to complete the inquiry. The government has stated that no further extension would be granted. Violence was reported in the Koregaon Bhima area in Pune on January 1, 2018, when thousands of Ambedkarite Dalits gathered at the Jaystambh to mark the 200th anniversary of the battle of Koregaon Bhima. One person died and several others were injured in the violence. The government has assured that justice would be served and the culprits would be punished. The extension of the commissions tenure would allow them to conclude their investigation thoroughly and ensure that justice is served, said officials. A clash broke out between two groups in Maharashtras Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar around Kiradpura area on Wednesday night resulting in torching of vehicles, police said. Police said they have retrieved CCTV footage from the spot and process of lodging the FIR was underway. (Representative file image) The director general of police (DGP) has deployed additional forces including state reserve police force, riot control police and quick response force. According to police, a brawl had broken out following a bike accident in the Kiradpura area around 11pm on Wednesday. Also Read: 11-year-old boy beaten to death over land dispute in Bihars Supaul: Police In addition to the local police force of 3,500 in the city, four companies of State Reserve Police Force (SRPF), and teams of riot control and quick response force were pressed into action to curb the swelling tension. We have been monitoring all 750 CCTV cameras to avoid any untoward incident. We have convened the peace committee meeting for dialogue with the people, Astik Kumar Pandey, collector, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, told HT. Pandey said the process of lodging an FIR (first information report) was underway. We have retrieved CCTV footage from the spot and the process of lodging the FIR is underway, he added. City police commissioner Nikhil Gupta has also sent out a warning to law violators. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Close to 40 camera traps and 30 forest officials have been deployed to guard a lone tiger spotted in Jharkhands Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR) that was declared a big cat habitat 50 years ago when India launched Project Tiger to protect the endangered species. The picture of the tiger which was captured on a mobile phone at PTR on March 18. (HT Photo) On April 1, India will celebrate 50 years of Project Tiger, when Palamu, along with Ranthambore in Rajasthan and Corbett in Jharkhand, were declared as tiger habitats. On April 9, Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be releasing latest figures of the estimated tiger population in Mysuru, Karnataka. As per last tiger census in 2018, India had 2,967 tigers, which constitute 70% of worlds tigers in wild. PTR had none. According to officials, in 2020, there was report of a tiger found dead in PTR. In November 2021, there were reports of tiger sighting but the cat could not be captured on camera trap. On Sunday, PTR officials claimed to have captured a tiger on camera trap. We now have concrete evidence about tigers presence and we are making all efforts to ensure we are able to retain the big cat in our reserve, said Ashutosh Kumar, PTRs field director. According to officials, the tiger is estimated to be around eight-year-old and his picture was captured on a mobile phone camera in Kutku range of the reserve by PTR (North) deputy director Prajesh Jena on March 18. A team of the forest officials was on the tail of the tiger after information of a big cat having hunted an Ox in the area, he said. Forest officials suspect the tiger could have come from Chhattisgarh as the area where it was spotted is close to the neighbouring state border. This area is part of the tiger corridor that stretches to Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Its movement is subdued in the reserve and we dont want to share location because of security reasons, Kumar said, quick to add that the tiger is hunting like a king in the reserve having food prey base and likes his new home. The India Gandhi-led Congress government, on April 1, 1973, had declared 1,129 square kilometres in Palamu hills, 160 kms from Jharkhand capital Ranchi, as a tiger reserve to protect the big cats in the country, whose number then had gone below 3,000 from over 10,000 because of hunting. As per the forest department officials, PTR had 22 tigers in 1972, just before the area was notified a reserve. It gradually increased to 71 tigers in 1995 but after that their population started dwindling. It came down to 3 in 2014 before registering zero presence in 2018 census. As part of the 2022 census, we sent pug marks and scats of two tigers. But, as photographic evidence has now been mandatory. Now we are sending the images of this tiger as evidence to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for its inclusion in the Tiger Census report, which is expected to be released soon, said Kumar. Independent observers said Maoist activity in the area, since late 1980s, and the counter measures by the security forces in the area, were primary reasons for the decline in tiger population in the reserve. Increased naxal activity led to several problems in the area. Forest field staff, who earlier used to man almost all corners of the reserve, found themselves restricted to the forest range offices due to threat from the naxals. Several other illegal activities started in guise of naxal activity as well, said D K Srivastava, retired professor of botany and a wildlife expert, who had also volunteered in the 1972 tiger census in the area. This, he added, led to entire ecological balance of the habitat going haywire, leading to decline of the tiger population. Forest officials said they are now focusing on ensuring that the big cat stays in Palamu. We have installed 40 trap cameras to monitor his movement and field staff have been deployed to constantly keeping a watch, an official said. The images that have been captured on trap camera shows it is comfortable in the reserve. He added that the villagers have been asked not to panic because of tiger presence and have been assured of compensation if they lose their cattle to tigers. There are 289 villages inside the reserve. Srivastava said retaining the tiger and increasing its population wont be possible without community participation. The official said the department is considering setting up soft release centres in the reserve to ensure prey base for the big cat. The Betla National Park has a good number of cheetals (spotted deer). We can bring cheetals from there and release them at the soft release centres for which we have identified four locations, an official said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Indian American businessman Ramesh Bhutada has donated USD 1 million to the Florida-based Hindu University of America, the only institution in the US whose mission is to provide education based on Hindu philosophy. Indian-American entrepreneur donates USD 1 million to Hindu University of America(twitter.com/StudyAtHUA) This is the highest donation received by the Hindu University of America (HUA) which was established in 1989 and authorized by the Florida State Government in 1993. Bhutada, the CEO of Houston-based Star Pipe Products, said he made the donation so that the youth can gain the knowledge and understanding of Hinduism much earlier in life, enabling them to live a happy and productive life. Bhutada was felicitated by HUA at an event in Houston. Despite being born and raised in a traditional Hindu family and being a member of several prominent Hindu organizations and traditions, Bhutada claimed that he "did not really understand the essence of Hinduism". It took him 60 years to understand the true essence of Hinduism "which teaches us how to live in harmony within ourselves, with our family, friends, colleagues, and with the entire world," the university said in a release. "Other universities may impart knowledge for students to earn a livelihood. Only an institution like HUA can impart Hindu knowledge that teaches a student how to live their life," it said. HUA president Kalyan Viswanathan urged the Hindu community to "come together to build a Hindu university that lasts a 1,000 years just like the Brihadeeswara Temple in Thanjavur which has stood strong for over 1,000 years or like the Nalanda University that was a beacon of knowledge to the world for 1,700 years before it was destroyed." The university's chairman Ved Nanda said that HUA "will seek to become an authoritative voice in the academic domain for all matters pertaining to Hindu Dharma, not only in the United States but also globally." Nairobi In former President Uhuru Kenyatta's expansive Northlands Estate, life is slowly returning to normal, two days after more than 2,000 armed invaded it leaving behind a trail of destruction. On March 27, the intruders arrived armed with machetes and clubs, before unleashing terror in broad daylight. In full glare of onlookers and media cameras, the goons who appeared comfortable in their mission drove away sheep, cut down trees with power saws as others erected makeshift structures to signal a hostile takeover. "It was a horable what we saw," a vendor nearby said, "these guys had even the guts of slaughtering sheep on site. I mean what kind of confidence is that." When Capital FM News returned to the site on Wednesday, flower vendors, who do business on the side of the road, had resumed operations. A flower vendor who was in the area at the time of the incident says he was forced to abandon his business when the gangs alighted from the vehicles that were ferrying them. He recounts how some of them were ferried using buses and came from two different direction some from by pass area while others from the opposite direction. "They had machetes and power saws and when they turned violent, I decided to run for my life," the vendor who declined to be named added that the goons stepped on some of his flowers and made way with some. He could not however quantify his losses saying he was still counting the losses. Another vendor, who wished to remain anonymous said that she also took flight when she saw the goons whom she argues looked ready for blood. She stated that she only returned to the site today (Wednesday) when to check if things had cooled down so that she could take stock of what, that is left of her business. The water pipes which the vendors used to water their flowers was also destroyed by the attackers. When asked about the security situation of the area since the raid she adds that it is business as usual in the area. In regards to the presence of government security agencies, no uniformed police officer is visible in the area on Wednesday unlike Tuesday when they say there was heavy security presence in the area especially in the hours leading to the inspection tour by Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition leader Raila Odinga. However, private security guards could be seen patrolling the section of the land where the gangs gained access into the land. Some of them armed with bows and arrows and others with guard dogs. One of the guards confirms to us that there are no government security agents in the land even as he argues that they have enhanced security of the property warning that they are ready for anything. "We are her to ensure security, anyone who tries anything will face our wrath and should not blame anyone," Joseph Gichana says even as he pleaded with the public to refrain from invading the private property. Another security guard only identified as Michael adds that they are yet to see any other incident since the Monday attack but adds that they remain alert. Even as the security agencies remains at pains to explain where they were at the time of the incident and why it took them 24 hours to respond, the Kenyatta family are yet to issue a public statement on the attack. One of the security guards said that some members of the first family were around assessing the damage following the incident. He could not however specify who they were. During the incident which resulted to a loss to the tune of millions, security agents were nowhere to be seen, a move that has seen the top brass within the country's security structure come under heavy criticism from a section of Kenyans and politicians led by the Opposition Chief Raila Odinga, the key ally of ex-president Kenyatta. Police would eventually be deployed to the Northlands Farm, almost 24-hours after it was invaded by an even as claims emerge that the attack was targeted. A spot check by Capital FM News revealed that a section of the fence which was brought down during the incident was yet to be repaired while the trees that were brought down are still in place with little activity on the land. As questions on who did and who failed to do what during the invasion continues to be raised, normalcy is slowly returning to the area that was literally a war zone 48 hours ago. On Tuesday Opposition Chief Raila Odinga who made a visit to the Kenyatta farm blamed President William Ruto who is out of the country for the spate of attacks on private properties that unfolded Monday. Odinga alleged that the government-sanctioned goons on Northlands Farm owned by retired President Uhuru Kenyatta and his firm East Africa Specter where the property was looted and destroyed. The Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Leader mentioned that the violence witnessed in the country was part of President Ruto's modus operandi in any quest for change. "Let there be no confusion here. Violence has been Ruto's stock in trade against Kenyans whenever Kenyans have sought to change their lot and what happened yesterday (Monday) is not any different," he stated. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. He stated that the Kenya Kwanza Alliance government had a hand in the scenes of violence witnessed in Northlands, in Kisumu, Kibra, Mathare and Spectre company. "Despite Azimio supporters bending over to ensure that the protests are conducted strictly within the law, the State, under the direction of Ruto and Gachagua, did everything to ensure the protests degenerate into chaos and lead to death," the Opposition Leader said. The ODM Leader warned that more attacks on private properties will be meted on Kenyans opposed to the clamor for changes in the country. On Tuesday, Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome stated that investigations have been launched on invasion of Kenyatta family Northlands farm and Azimio leader Raila Odinga's gas company. In a statement, Koome indicated that action will be taken against the culprits. "Our investigation into the destructions and injuries caused has begun, and those found culpable shall face the law. We are appealing to the public to adhere to the rule of law when exercising their Constitutional rights to picket, petition or demonstrate," Koome said even as he defended himself adding the officers responded swiftly and prevented further crimes. University of Madras have started the Madras University April 2023 exam registration. The exam registration begins for arrear students who want to apply for UG, PG and professional degree courses. Candidates can check the official notice on the official site of Madras University at unom.ac.in. Madras University April 2023 exam registration begins for UG, PG arrear students The last date to apply for April examination without penalty is till April 8, 2023 and with penalty is till April 15, 2023. As per the official notice issued by the varsity, this is the last chance for the UG candidates admitted prior to the academic year 2018-2019 and prior to academic year 2019-2020 for PG/Professional Degree Courses affiliated to University of Madras to write the exam of April 2023 with a penal fee of 5000/- for UG, 7000/- for PG and 10000/- for professional degree courses for each candidate in addition to the examination fees. Direct link to apply for Madras University April 2023 exam Madras University April 2023 exam: How to register To apply for the examination, candidates can follow the steps given below. Visit the official site of Madras University at unom.ac.in. Click on Madras University April 2023 exam link available on the home page. Enter the required details and click on submit. Fill in the application form and make the payment of application fees. Once done click on submit. Your application has been submitted. Download the page and keep a hard copy of the same for further need. Bungo Stray Dogs fans, rejoice! The popular anime series is set to return for a fifth season this July. The announcement, which came after the release of the fourth season earlier this year, has left fans eagerly anticipating the return of their favourite supernatural seinen. The key visual released for the Bungo Stray Dogs season 5 showcases the chaotic artwork that fans have come to love. Atsushi Nakajima can be seen in the centre of the image, surrounded by other characters from the series.(Twitter/bungosd_anime) What is the Bungo Stray Dogs anime about? Bungo Stray Dogs is based on the manga written by Kafka Asagiri and illustrated by Sango Harukawa. It tells the story of Atsushi Nakajima, a young man who is kicked out of his orphanage and left to fend for himself on the streets. He meets Dazai Osamu and Kunikida Doppo, two members of the Armed Detective Agency, and ends up joining their mission to eliminate a man-eating tiger that has been terrorizing the population. The captivating combination of Bungo Stray Dogs: Action, humour, and supernatural elements The series has been a hit with fans since its debut in 2016, and it's not hard to see why. The combination of action, humour, and supernatural elements makes for a unique and engaging viewing experience. And with the announcement of the fifth season, fans can expect more of the same. (Also Read: Top 7 strongest characters in Jujutsu Kaisen anime: Who are they?) Key visual and trailer of Bungo Stray Dogs Season 5: A sneak peek at the chaos The key visual released for the upcoming season showcases the chaotic artwork that fans have come to love. Atsushi Nakajima can be seen in the centre of the image, surrounded by other characters from the series. The poster hints at the intensity and action that fans can expect in the upcoming season. The promotional video that accompanied the announcement gave fans a taste of what's to come. The United Nations is seeking help to deal with the Decay of the Angel, the terrorist organization introduced in Season 4. The Armed Detective Agency is separated and dealing with its own problems, adding to the tension of the upcoming season. Bungo Stray Dogs season 4: Recap Season 4 of Bungo Stray Dogs was directed by Takuya Igarashi, who worked on the previous three seasons, with scripts by Yoji Enokido. The fourth season took a step back in time to focus on the partnership between Ranpo and Fukuzawa in the early days of the agency. The remaining episodes saw the agency framed for terrorist acts and on the run from the Hunting Dogs, the military police unit. With time running out, Atsushi and his friends had to find a way to clear their names. (Also Read: From Jujutsu Kaisen to Demon Slayer: Exploring popular anime power systems) Fans are eagerly awaiting the return of their favourite characters and the resolution of the cliffhangers from Season 4. Will the Armed Detective Agency be able to clear their names and take down the Decay of the Angel? What new enemies and challenges will they face in the upcoming season? Bungo Stray Dogs has been a success since its debut, inspiring light novels, a movie, and a spin-off series. The manga is still ongoing, with new chapters released each week. Fans of the series have plenty of content to keep them engaged while they wait for the new season to arrive. A new poster of filmmaker Om Raut's magnum opus Adipurush was unveiled on Thursday. Taking to Instagram, Prabhas shared the poster featuring himself as Ram, Kriti Sanon as Sita, and Sunny Singh as Laxman. In the poster, as the three stood together, Hanuman was seen kneeling in front of them. (Also Read | Adipurush editor on backlash to Prabhas-Kriti teaser: 'People are used to seeing Ram and Sita in old monotonous looks') Team of Adipurush unveiled a new poster. The poster was shared with the caption, "Mantron se badhke tera naam, Jai Shri Ram (Your name is greater than mantra, Jai Shri Ram)." The words were written in English, Hindi and Telugu in the caption. He also added the hashtags Jai Shri Ram, Ram Navmi and Adipurush. Reacting to the post, a person wrote, "Nothing against the actors, not their fault. But even the poster doesn't look promising." An Instagram user said, "Worst adaptation." A comment read, "Just imagine Prabhas' Baahubali look of long hair as Lord Rama it would have been awesome."Another person said, "Better to drop this project Prabhas anna (brother)." Recently, the team of Adipurush announced that the film will arrive in theatres in 3D on June 16. Apart from Prabhas, Kriti Sanon, and Sunny, the film also stars Saif Ali Khan among others. The multilingual period saga, which is being touted as a film celebrating the victory of good over evil, is an on-screen adaptation of the Hindu epic Ramayana. It features Prabhas as Lord Ram and Saif as Lankesh. Adipurush is produced by Bhushan Kumar and Krishan Kumar of T-series, Om, Prasad Sutar, and Rajesh Nair of Retrophiles. Producer Bhushan Kumar, recently, and Om reached the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine to seek blessings for Adipurush. T-Series shared the picture on its official Twitter page. "Seeking divine blessings at Vaishno Devi. #Adipurush releases IN THEATRES on June 16, 2023, in 3D," the post read. Last month, Kriti talked about Adipurush with news agency PTI, "It is a film that the entire team is extremely proud of. I hope and pray that people will also equally be proud of it. It is something that is so important to all of us. It is just not a film for us, it is way more than that. I hope it gets its due. I have a feeling it will. It is important to make these stories. It is educational for kids. I feel if I had not seen it then, todays children would also have not seen it." SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Ajay Devgn's Drishyam 2 was one of the biggest hits of last year. On Thursday, the actor's fourth film as a director Bholaa was released. Ajay also stars in the lead role in the action film. In a new interview, the actor-filmmaker was asked about the six-minute bike-truck chase scene in the film, when he said that whenever he designs his action scenes, he ensures that he 'doesnt copy a shot from any Hollywood film'. Also read: Kajol reviews Ajay Devgn's Bholaa after attending screening with Yug, Tanuja Ajay Devgn poses for photos during the trailer launch of Bholaa in Mumbai in March 2023. (PTI) Ajay Devgn further said that in most Indian movies, the action sequences are 'something you have seen in a Bond film or a Mission Impossible'. When asked how he ensures that the action in his films takes a leap with every project in terms of visual impact, technical expertise and VFX, Ajay credited his father Veeru Devgan. "I have inherited it from my father (action director Veeru Devgan). I have learnt most of it from him. He used technology at a time when it wasnt available. He took it to a point where people were amazed at how he did a particular scene at that particular point. Now that I have the support of technology, I can take it forward and create something where even people who are exposed to technology will turn around and wonder how this was created," Ajay told ETimes. Speaking about a scene from Bholaa, Ajay said, "Whenever I design my action scenes, I ensure that I dont copy a shot from any Hollywood film. In most of our movies, you see the action sequences and know that this is something you have seen in a Bond film, or a Mission Impossible. So, when you create something different, there is no reference point, and it becomes tougher to execute. This action sequence that you are talking about was very risky. We needed some top-notch bikers, so we flew in some international ones, and some from Pune and rehearsed for three months. To capture the chase, cameras needed to be closer. It was riskier, and so we designed the equipment accordingly keeping safety in mind." Bholaa is the Hindi remake of the 2019 Tamil superhit Kaithi, and features Tabu alongside Ajay. Bholaa also stars Amala Paul. The original film revolved around an ex-convict, who decides to meet his daughter for the first time after being released from prison but gets caught in a face-off between police and the drug mafia. Bholaa is Ajay's fourth film as a director after U, Me aur Hum (2008), Shivaay (2016) and Runway 34 (2022). SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In Mrs Undercover, Radhika Apte takes on the role of an ordinary housewife with an extraordinary past. She is recruited by her former employers, the Special Force, to help capture the elusive serial killer, Common Man, who has been murdering women who are strong and independent. The actor plays a housewife who reactivates her special spy skills once she realises the gravity of the situation at hand. (Also read: Mrs Undercover teaser: Radhika Apte is a clumsy housewife who moonlights as a spy in this hilarious film) Radhika Apte plays a housewife who has hidden her past as a spy. Radhika shared the trailer on her Instagram page with the caption, "Brace yourself for the years most unusual story of an uncommon housewife! But she is #NotJustAHousewife #MrsUndercover premieres 14 April on #ZEE5." The trailer shows Rajesh Sharma as a member of the Special Force who tries to convince Radhika to return. She throws many funny excuses at him, her son has a unit test at school or her mother-in-law is at home. But eventually, he wears her down. She then brushes off her rusty spy skills as she tracks down Common Man. The latter part of the trailer shows Radhika in action mode as she leaves her housewife avatar behind. The film's tone is a bit confusing as it tries to use humour to show Radhika being wooed back into spy life. But then the film moves into dramatic territory as she fights with the serial killer and tries to find her own self as a woman. Actor Sayani Gupta commented on the trailer, "Hahahaha.. super!" One fan shared, "Bollywood main kisi ko acting aati hai to hoo radhika ji haii... (If anyone in Bollywood knows acting, it's Radhika)." While another referenced Prime Video spy series The Family Man and said, "Family woman name dena chahiye tha......(The movie should have been titled Family Woman)" Written and directed by Anushree Mehta, Mrs Undercover also features Sumeet Vyas in the role of the serial killer, Common Man. The rest of the cast includes Shaheb Chattopadhyay, Roshni Bhattacharya, Indrashish Roy, Angana Roy, Laboni Sarkar and Biswajeet Chakraborty, with a special appearance by Amrita Chattopadhyay. The film will be released on Zee5 on April 14, 2023. Radhika was last seen in the Netflix film Monica, O My Darling directed by Vasan Bala. She nearly stole the show in the ensemble cast as ACP Vijayashanti Naidu who investigates a string of murders at a robotics company. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Sonam, who is the niece of actor Raza Murad, joined films as a teenager and became known for the films Tridev, Vijay and Vishwatma. She married filmmaker Rajiv Rai in 1991 and had a son Gaurav. The Rais moved abroad in 1997 and after decades, she came back to India. The 50-year-old former actor revealed that she is looking to act again after giving it all up in the early 90s. She also shared that Indian culture is quite hard on women to behave and look a certain way. (Also read: Sangeeta Bijlani recreates Tridev magic with Jackie Shroff on Super Dancer 4) Sonam's last film was Insaniyat in 1994. In 2016, she divorced Rajiv after years of separation. She is now married to an orthopaedic surgeon. Looking back at her acting career, she said that although the period was challenging with no scripts, she got to work with the best actors. The former actor agreed that it was not a good decision to leave her acting career so young. Speaking to Bombay Times, the former actor shared that she regretted leaving show business when she was so young. She recalled, But, when I got married, I was very young and I became this obedient wife, who used to listen to everything. Later, I realised I had got into a daily rut and needed to have a mind of my own. Back then, once an actress got married, her career was over. Before my 21st birthday, I was a mother and then, life went into fast-forward mode. She also added, "I also feel that our culture is a little hard on women (at least it was). They have to dress a certain way, look a certain way and when they get married, their entire life is supposed to revolve around their husband and kids. I dont want people to judge women for their choices. Whatever body size you are, you should respect your body. My son Gaurav is the best person in my life because he has taught me patience, kindness and to be strong in every situation." Sonam was last seen in the film Insaniyat in 1994. She also lived in Puducherry for nearly three years before returning to Mumbai. She returned to Mumbai in 2015 and lives with her son. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON After four years, Shah Rukh Khan returned to Hindi cinema with Pathaan. The action film, directed by Siddharth Anand, has become a blockbuster hit and one of the highest Hindi grossers of all time. Rajkummar Rao revealed that over the years he had learnt a lot from Shah Rukh, especially in the way the superstar treats others. Rajkummar also said that he was happy with Pathaan's phenomenal success because Shah Rukh deserved it. (Also read: Rajkummar Rao responds to viral interview on nepotism with Sonam Kapoor: 'It was edited in such a way...') Shah Rukh Khan's Pathaan released in theatres on January 25 and has become a blockbuster hit. Rajkummar shared that he had been a fan of Shah Rukh's since before he became an actor. He got to meet Shah Rukh Khan in person after the release of Shahid (2012) for which he won the National Film Award for Best Actor. Shah Rukh congratulated him on his win and knew all about his career. Rajkummar added that even now there's so much to learn from him. He shared that whenever he gets time, he would ask him specific questions about his film roles, like Swades, to know more about his acting process. Speaking to the Humans of Bombay in an interview, Rajkummar said, "There's a lot to learn from [Shah Rukh Khan]. Shah Rukh sir, the way he treats you, the way he gives you so much of respect. His whole attention is on you. He's present, that's a great quality. Just to listen to someone. At every party, he would go down three floors, come to your car, open the door for you, make you sit and say bye to you till you are out of his sight. He doesn't have to do that. That's what makes him so special and that's why we all love him. That's why we're all so happy that Pathaan did so well. Because he deserves it and much more." The actor's most recent role is Bheed where he plays a police officer in the Anubhav Sinha film. The Hindi feature, which is shot in black and white, also stars Bhumi Pednekar, Pankaj Kapur and Dia Mirza. He also has Dharma Productions rom-com Mr And Mrs Mahi with Janhvi Kapoor and the biopic Sri on industrialist Srikanth Bolla lined up for release this year. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON On Thursday, Indian celebrities and A-list stars attended the Christian Dior Fall 2023 fashion show which was held at Mumbai's Gateway of India for the first time. The who's who of Mumbai society and the film industry showed up including the Ambanis, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli, Karisma Kapoor, Mira Rajput, Ananya Panday, Shweta Bachchan, Natasha Poonawala, among others. Veteran actor Rekha was also one of the special invitees to the French fashion brand's big show. (Also read: Rekha wears white saree, designer Maria Grazia Chiuri calls her 'Indias most iconic woman' ahead of Dior event) Veteran actor Rekha was one of many Indian celebrities that attended the exclusive Christian Dior fashion show in Mumbai on Thursday. A paparazzo account had shared a video of Rekha in a praying pose, leaning backwards and almost falling down, before correcting herself. The actor was dressed in her trademark Indian outfit. This time, she had donned a pink Kanjivaram silk saree, and carried a gold potli bag. Her hair was done up in a bun and adorned with a white flower garland. Rekha was accompanied by her secretary Farzana and thanked the organisers before leaving the venue. Earlier in the day, Rekha had met up with Maria Grazia Chiuri, Christian Dior's creative director. The designer had shared a photograph of herself with Rekha, who was dressed in a white saree. She had captioned her post, "I was so touched to meet the iconic Rekha gi last night for the first time. Indias most iconic woman and incredible actresss. I am so grateful you have joined us last night, it was a true honour." The fashion brand hosted a welcome dinner for the invited guests at the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai. Celebrity guests included Simone Ashley, Anoushka Shankar, Poorna Jagannathan and Charithra Chandran who were all present at the party hosted by the pool. The veteran actor has been acting since she was a young child. Her first Hindi release was Sawan Bhadon (1970). She is best known for her roles in films like Ghar, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Khubsoorat, Agar Tum Na Hote, Kalyug, Utsav and Khoon Bhari Maang. She won the National Film Award for Best Actress playing the courtesan in Muzaffar Ali's Umrao Jaan in 1981. She was last seen in the film Super Nani in 2014. Since then, she has made special appearances in the films Shamitabh (2015) and Yamla Pagla Deewana: Phir Se (2018). SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Shah Rukh Khans Main Hoon Na (2004) marked choreographer Farah Khan's debut as a director. One of the most memorable characters from the film was that of Professor Madhav Rasai, played by Satish Shah. During a recent interview, the veteran actor said that he had started calling himself spitting cobra after that role. He also revealed how he shot the spitting scenes with Shah Rukh in the film, calling the actor a 'very smart guy' for convincing him to play Professor Rasai in Main Hoon Na. Also read: Farah Khan reveals why Tabu agreed to be part of Main Hoon Na for 0.2 seconds Shah Rukh Khan and Satish Shah in Main Hoon Na. Satish Shah's Professor Rasai was short-tempered, and kept spitting while speaking in the film, which also featured Sushmita Sen as a professor Chandni Chopra along with Sunil Shetty, Amrita Rao and Zayed Khan. Satish revealed in a new interview that he was reluctant to take up the role of Professor Rasai, but Shah Rukh Khan convinced him. He also recalled what Shah Rukh told him about the character. Satish Shah told Bollywood Bubble about his spitting scenes, Aapko yakin nahi hoga (you will not believe it), I had to practise a lot. It was not trick photography. I was given a choice... Shah Rukh is a very smart guy... He told me 'Satish Bhai isme do role hai, ek hai principal ka aur ek hai Professor Rasai ka (He said we have two roles, one is of the principal, and the second one is of Professor Rasai)... When I asked about the latter, he said, every time he speaks, he spits, he salivates so much that you know it comes out in the form of espresso." Recalling his initial reaction to the role, Satish said, "Maine kaha ye kya role hai (what kind of a role is this)? Main toh principal ka role karunga (I will play the principal), which eventually Boman Irani did. Toh woh (Shah Rukh Khan) smart hai na, bola 'Satish bhai aise role toh apne kayin kiye hain aur koi bhi kar sakta hai (Shah Rukh is a smart fellow, he told me you have played many such characters, and anyone can do these roles). I think you should do this role (of Professor Rasai) because we can't think of anybody else doing it'. Woh aur Farah dono ne mil ke mujhe chane ke jhad pe chadha diya (Both Shah Rukh and Farah flattered me a lot). That's how I ended up doing that role, but it was not easy." In the same interview, the veteran actor said he gulped water before his spitting scenes, and at times he would spit so much that the water would come out as spray. He said, I used to gulp water and keep it around my mouth and then certain words and certain syllables I used to accentuate in such a way that it sprays. Aur wo main itni mehnat se karta tha ki Shah Rukh badme hass deta tha toh retake ho jata tha (I used to work so hard for these scenes that sometimes Shah Rukh would burst out laughing and we had to do retakes)." Main Hoon Na follows Major Ram Sharma (Shah Rukh), who is sent on a undercover mission as a university student to protect a general's daughter (Amrita Arora) from a rogue soldier (Suniel Shetty). The film, which was backed by Gauri Khan, was released on April 30, 2004. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Jeremy Renner will be appearing for an interview for the first time since his snow plow accident on New Years Day. In a promo from the upcoming interview, the actor reflected on his injuries as well as his physical and emotional journey since the accident. It has been three months since Jeremy's life-threatening accident. Also read: Jeremy Renner welcomes home snow plow which almost killed him on new year, share pictures Jeremy Renner gave his first interview after his accident in January. In the upcoming interview, Jeremy opened up about the pain he endured and teared up when he recalled how the first words he had said to his family in sign language after the accident were, I am sorry." Jeremy was hospitalised for blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries at the start of 2023 after his huge snow plow that reportedly weighs some 14,330 pounds (6499 kg), ran him over. The actor was trying to help his nephew out of the snow near his home in Lake Tahoe, US, when the accident happened. Titled Jeremy Renner: The Diane Sawyer Interview A Story of Terror, Survival and Triumph will air in April ahead of the world premiere of Jeremys new Disney+ series Rennervations. A promo for the interview, which dropped on Wednesday, includes the emergency 911 call made to save Jeremys life. The actor is heard moaning in pain as people around him tell him to keep fighting. The host also lists out the actor's injuries, which include 'eight ribs broken in 14 places'. "Right knee, right ankle broken, left leg tibia broken, left ankle broken, right clavicle broken, right shoulder broken. Face, eye socket, jaw, mandible broken. Lung collapsed. Pierced from the rib bone, your liver -- which sounds terrifying," Diane said to Jeremy. Jeremy Renner recalled thinking about all of his injuries. Whats my body going to look like? Am I just going to be a spine and a brain, like a science experiment? The promo video also featured footage of Jeremys physical therapy, including him using a knee scooter to move around. He said in the clip, I chose to survive. Thats not gonna kill me, no way, he said, adding, Ive lost a lot of flesh and bone in this experience, but Ive been refueled and refilled with love and titanium. When asked if he sees a new face when he looks into the mirror now, Jeremy replied, No, I see a lucky man. Since the accident, Jeremy has used social media to keep his fans updated about his recovery and therapy. Recently, he had posted a video on Instagram in which he appeared to be walking for the first time with assistance. He wrote in his caption, Now is the time for my body to rest and recover from my will. Jeremy's interview will drop on April 6, days before the actor is set to attend the world premiere of Rennervations on April 11 in Los Angeles. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON When Lyu Xiangming, a 49-year-old entrepreneur, took a tour of Tunxi, the central area of Huangshan in East China's Anhui province in June 2022, he was impressed by the gorgeous view blended with a clean environment and traditional Huizhou-style architecture. But he never expected that the tour would sprout the idea of settling a business in the district, as the businessman who owns a high-tech company that mainly produces intelligent environmental protection solutions decided to invest in a production base in Tunxi. "It is usually not an easy decision when making investments, but it was indeed a quick decision here in Tunxi," Lyu said, adding that it only took two months for all the details to be settled. Behind the speed is the broader plan of the Tunxi government in gearing up efforts in attracting businesses and investments through developing high-tech, low-carbon businesses and industries. Lyu recalled that when he first met with Wu Xuguang, Party secretary of Tunxi district, he felt "warm and welcome". "From project initiation and construction to operation, the local authorities made everything detailed and proposed a series of supporting policies," he said. "It made me feel that Tunxi is an ideal business marketplace that I have spent many years looking for." The place where Lyu's company is settled is the Huangshan Jiulong Low-Carbon Economic Industrial Park, which focuses on the next-generation low-carbon sectors including electronic information, intelligent equipment, big data and industrial designing. Such efforts are also in line with the Chinese top leadership's call during this year's two sessions China's annual top legislative and political advisory meetings to promote the transformation and upgrade of industries, coordinate urban-rural and regional development, make further efforts to build a green and low-carbon economy and society, and effectively upgrade quality and appropriately expand the output of the economy. The latest Government Work Report, revealed during the two sessions, also stated that key priorities this year include pooling quality resources and concerted efforts to achieve breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields. In February this year, a total of 12 major business projects kicked off in Tunxi, covering industries including manufacturing, cultural tourism and rural revitalization. Data from local authorities showed that the total investment of these 12 projects hit 5.19 billion yuan ($753.64 million). In addition, Tunxi is striving to build itself into a city with more international influence by building a meeting room for diplomatic activities and global forums. The local government is also gearing up efforts in leveraging its clean and sound natural environment to build several conference rooms for international businesses. Huangshan has been holding a series of diplomatic activities, such as the third Foreign Ministers' Meeting among the Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan, which brought together foreign ministers and senior representatives of seven economies China, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. An array of international conferences have also been attracted to the city, such as the International Cultural & Creative Economy Forum and Huangshan Dialogue on UNESCO Sites and Sustainable Development. Malawi President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera on Wednesday took time off his busy schedule to attend the Eminent Persons Forum, which was organized by the Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM). In his remarks, President Chakwera - who is a renowned preacher and church minister - asked Malawians to repent of their sins and look up to God, saying the Creator is rich in mercy and gives hope where there seems to be none. Malawians, especially in the Southern Region, are currently counting the costs of the adverse effects of climate change. Hence, the message could not have come at any better time than this. Chakwera assured his people that God will hear and answer their supplications. "But the country must first have God at both personal and national levels," he said. Speaking earlier, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye of Nigeria, shared the Word of God from Mark 4:35-41 and asked people to surrender their lives to God, saying that tomorrow might be too late. Pastor Adeboye, who prayed for Malawi to be free of problems, said that storms do not give notice, adding that what matters is to make sure people have Jesus Christ to turn to when crises hit. Actor Ram Charan, who recently celebrated his 38th birthday, left for a holiday to Dubai on Wednesday night with his wife Upasana Konidela. The actor and Upasana travelled out of Hyderabad with their pet dog, Rhyme. Several pictures and videos of Ram Charan from the airport have surfaced on social media and fans say hes taking a much-needed break. They also praised his sweet gesture towards a fan at the airport. (Also Read | Ram Charan's wife Upasana Konidela spotted with baby bump at his birthday bash, actor keeps her close. Watch) Ram Charan and Upasana flew to Dubai. In a video shared on Instagram by a paparazzo account, Ram was seen walking into the airport with Upasana and their dog. He wore a white T-shirt under a black jacket and grey trousers. Upasana opted for a black top under a floral jacket and black leggings. She also wore white shoes and carried a bag. Both of them wore dark sunglasses. In the clip, Ram's security was seen pushing people away from him. However, the actor urged him not to do so. When his security pushed a girl away, Ram took his hands off the person. He also posed for a selfie, for a brief moment, with a fan. Reacting to the clip, a fan wrote, "His guard was pushing a fan away, but Ramcharan stopped him from doing that. A rare sight!!! Humble fellow!" Several fans also took to Twitter and shared his pictures. Reacting to a post, a person wrote, Looks like a late birthday holiday. Have fun (sic). Another Twitter said, Much deserved break after the Oscar campaign (sic). Ram, earlier this week, held a grand bash by inviting the whos who of the Telugu film industry. Last Friday, a day after the release of Rangamarthanda, Chiranjeevi and Ram Charan met actor Brahmanandam and felicitated him for his performance in the movie. Rangamarthanda, directed by Krishna Vamsi, is the Telugu remake of the Marathi hit, Natsamrat. In the pictures, Ram Charan was seen sporting a new look. The golden highlights on his hair caught the attention of fans on social media. Fans believed this new look could be for the upcoming film Game Changer with director Shankar. The title and first look of the film were released earlier this week on Ram's birthday. This project will mark Shankars foray into Telugu filmdom. Ram Charan is said to be playing an IAS officer with anger issues while Kiara Advani plays his co-star. ott:10 SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Some incidents of violence and clashes marred Ram Navami processions across the country on Thursday with at least 22 people injured and 54 people apprehended, police said. Police try to control mob after incidents of stone pelting on a Ram Navami procession, in Vadodara on Thursday. (PTI) Clashes were reported from Maharashtras Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, where a mob hurled stones and bottles filled with petrol at a temple. This sparked violence, and left 12 people, including 10 policemen, injured. Four people have been detained in the matter, police officials familiar with the matter said. Two separate incidents of stone pelting were reported from Gujarats Vadodara and West Bengals Howrah. In Delhi, Ram Navami procession ratcheted up tension in Jahangirpuri, but police allowed the rally under heavy protection in Jahangirpuri. Elsewhere, Ram Navami went on peacefully without any major conflict. Police said in the early hours of Thursday in Sambhajinagars Kiradpur locality, two groups of five people each clashed near a Ram Temple. We dispatched a local police team. After some time, one group left the place and the police soon came to the site. After an hour, a mob gathered there, bringing stones and petrol-filled bottles along, which they threw at the police personnel, said Aurangabad police commissioner Nikhil Gupta. He added that street lights in the area were also damaged, leading to total darkness. The police used tear gas extensively along with some plastic bullets and live rounds in this case. Ten police personnel and two others were injured. 13 police vehicles were burnt, he said, adding that additional police force was deployed. The commissioner said a case was lodged around against 400-500 unnamed people. A case has been registered under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 307 (attempt to murder), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty), 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class), 147 and 148 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly) and others, as well as the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, said deputy commissioner Shilwant Nandedkar. Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio, described the incident as very unfortunate Everyone should maintain peace. If anyone is trying to give political colour to this incident, then it is unfortunate, he said. Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leaders accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the All India Majalis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) of orchestrating violence, and alleged that it was aimed at disturbing the Maha Vikas Aghadis (MVA) upcoming rally in the city. The MVA, comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress, is scheduled to hold a rally in the city on Sunday. Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, Ajit Pawar, said, Is this an attempt to create hatred between two communities? The police should inquire and find the mastermind. The police should work without any political pressure. In West Bengals Howrah district, eight vehicles were torched during communal violence during Ram Navami procession. Around ten people, including two policemen, were injured as the miscreants attacked each other with bricks and lathis. Several shops were also ransacked, officials familiar with the matter said. At least 30 people have been arrested till around 10 pm. Raids are going on, an IPS officer from the Howrah city police told HT. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee assured strict action against the accused, and stepped up her attack against the Bharatiya Janata Party. No one stopped you from bringing out a rally. But who gave you the permission to bring out rallies with words and bulldozers? As if the BJP-led centre has given them the permission to whatever they feel like. Why did the rally take an unauthorised route by changing the route, which was allotted? It was done to attack a community, Banerjee said while staging a demonstration in Kolkata. Hitting back, BJPs Amit Malvya, in-charge of BJPs IT cell in-charge Amit Malviya tweeted: In brazen disregard for Hindu sentiments, Mamata Banerjee held dharna on Ramanavami, then warned Hindus about avoiding Muslim areas because it was Ramzan, forgetting that Hindus too were fasting for Navratri. As Home Minister of WB she is directly responsible for Howrah violence. In Vadodara town, police said stones were hurled at a Ram Navami procession in Fatehpura and Kumbharwada areas. The situation is under control. The incident took place when the procession reached near a mosque and people started gathering at the spot. This is not a communal riot. We dispersed the crowd and the procession went ahead on its route. All such processions in the city were already given police protection, deputy commissioner of police, Yashpal Jaganiya, said earlier in the day. While no one was injured in the two incidents, 20 people have been detained, said the police. In Kumbharwada, stones were pelted on a procession. City police commissioner Shamsher Singh visited Kumbharwada and said those responsible for the incident will be arrested on the basis of CCTV footage. A chariot carrying an idol of Lord Ram was pulled away to a safe location. The first incident at Fatehpura took place when a procession was passing near a mosque and stones were pelted. The second incident of stone pelting at Kumbharwada took place after a rumour broke out about clashes in the area. We have detained 20 persons in both the incidents and further investigations are on. There are no reports of injury so far, Singh said. (With PTI Inputs) A major row has erupted after Germany on Wednesday waded into the controversy surrounding Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's disqualification as Lok Sabha member, saying the standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles should apply in the case. Veteran Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Thursday thanked German foreign ministry for taking note of how the democracy is being compromised in India through persecution of Rahul Gandhi." (Also Read | Will an Indian spokesperson comment on Germanys internal issues?) Veteran Congress leader Digvijay Singh and Union law minister Kiren Rijiju. Reacting to Digvijay Singh's tweet, Union law minister Kiren Rijiju taunted Rahul Gandhi for inviting foreign powers for interference into Indias internal matters. Remember, Indian Judiciary can't be influenced by foreign interference. India won't tolerate 'foreign influence' anymore because our Prime Minister is:- Shri Narendra Modi ji, he wrote on Twitter. Pawan Khera, Congress's media and publicity department head, hit back at Rijiju asking him to answer the questions asked by Rahul Gandhi on Adani issue instead of misleading people. Mr. Rijiju, why divert from the main issue? The issue is that the Prime Minister cannot answer Rahul Gandhis questions about Adani. Instead of misleading people, please answer the questions? Khera tweeted. Germany said on Wednesday the standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles should apply in the case of opposition Congress leader Rahul Gandhi following his disqualification as an MP after his conviction in a defamation case. A spokesperson for the German foreign ministry said the government had taken note of the verdict of first instance against Gandhi and the suspension of his parliamentary mandate the first response by any European country on the case. To our knowledge, Mr Gandhi is in a position to appeal the verdict. It will then become clear whether this verdict will stand and whether the suspension of his mandate has any basis, the spokesperson told a regular media briefing, speaking in German. We expect that the standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles will equally apply to the proceedings against Rahul Gandhi, the spokesperson said in her remarks aired on public broadcaster Deutsche Welle. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Welcome to hindustantimes.com updates platform where you can find breaking news from India and across the world. Find fast updates about the latest news as it breaks. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON It is 6 am, and on the outskirts of Panaji, less than a kilometre away from the newly-built concrete-paved Mumbai-Mangalore highway, the diesel engine of a bright blue ferry grunts into life, carrying twenty people, three cars, a rickshaw and 10 two-wheelers. It shudders and groans as it backs up from the ramp where it was berthed, before slowly waddling across the dull, grey waters of the Mandovi estuary. Ten minutes later, it slowly grinds to a halt on the other side, on a riverine island. For the river island of Divar, with its 12,000 residents, there is no other connection to the rest of Goa except these state-run boats. (HT Photo) Men, women, children and their paraphernalia disembark, and for a little while, the pace becomes hurried. The turnaround must be quick. As people leave the stout, flat bottomed ferry, the design of which has not changed in six decades, there are more residents and their vehicles waiting to get on, impatiently waiting to get to the mainland. There is no workaround; no other mode of transport available. For the river island of Divar, with its 12,000 residents, there is no other connection to the rest of Goa except these state-run boats. It is a solitude that has been unbroken for decades, yet there is a conflict brewing within. On March 11, Narayan Verlekar, a resident of Divar and a member of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), submitted a memorandum to the area legislator, asking for a bridge to be built across the river for ease of access between Divar and the mainland. A bridge, that some argue, will take the island from isolation to aspiration; from calm stagnation to the twinkling lights of modernity. But on the other hand, is an argument that is not new to Divar, or even to Goa, which has long walked the tenuous line between the benefits of tourism that brings in an estimated 4,300 crore per year to the state, and the loss of a way of life. As one resident says, If a bridge is built, and everything changes, is Divar still Divar? THE ISLAND Step off the blue ferry, and Divar is a different worldwhere time moves slowly, men and women sit chatting unhurriedly at street corners, and young children play in the streets, unafraid of traffic. Narrow undulating roads lead to traditional single storeyed Goan homes with expansive verandas and highlighted windows. Divar is one of seven islands that lie surrounded by the waterways that make up the Mandovi river system just before they reach the Arabian Sea in Panaji. Five of these -- Chorao, St Estevam, Cumbarjua, Corjuem and Calvim have been connected to the mainland by at least one bridge. The last two holding out are the island of Divar and its sister island of Vanxim. Formed through the accretion of silt and sediment around two main rocky hillocks that form the core of the island, 40% of the islands area is made up of the khazan lands (low lying floodplains) that are used to plant rice and vegetables. These floodplains are protected from the saline waters of the estuary by a network of embankments and tide gates that regulate the flow of water ensuring the lands around the island remain fertile. There are two village panchayats, Piedade and Sao Mathias, and the island has two sets of celebrations for every event where its residents mingle, including a unique festival known as Bonderam, the Portuguese word for flag, that has its origins in a fight centuries ago, where the two villages demarcate their own territories with flagpoles, as the other tries to displace them in an effort to gain territorial advantage. Most residents live off either agriculture or fishing, and unsurprisingly life on the island revolves around the ferries. There are two high schools that teach till class 10, but for any education higher than that, travel to the mainland is unavoidable. There is no hospital either, but residents have evolved a system of visiting doctors who visit on particular days, or when called. For more serious cases, or emergencies, again, the ferry is the only way out. For us the ferry is something we incorporate in our daily schedules. Children use the ferries to go to school, young people use it to go to work, and businessmen use it to ship their wares in and out of the island. There is nothing we dont get on the island itself. We have supermarkets, traditional bakeries, hardware stores, and fish and vegetables are sourced from within the island itself. We are a self-reliant island, said Marius Fernandes, a native resident. THE CONFLICT In one corner of Divar, right next to the banks of the Mandovi, is a decade old foundation stone, damaged and forlorn, standing testimony to the islands dilemma. In 2011, the then Digambar Kamat government proposed constructing two four-lane bridges between Ribandar(Panjim) and Divar, and Divar to Chorao, costing an estimated 600 crore. The plan set off protests in the island; the foundation stone was vandalized; and land for the bridge was never acquired, Goa government officials said. Even as the demand for a bridge continued bubbling under the surface, and in the corridors of power in Goa, the Divar panchayat staunchly stood against the construction of the bridge, ; something they communicated officially to Goa Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai when he visited the island in November 2022. The sarpanch of Divar came with a proposal that they do not want a bridge. It was the first time I had heard of a village saying this. When I asked why, they said that people from the mainland will arrive in the island, create a nuisance, and ruin their happiness. Officially, they requested for a bridge not to be sanctioned, Pillai said to reporters then. But in the middle of February, the question of the bridge reared its head again, in a heated village council meeting. At the meeting, there was a clear division. One group of residents said that the young people were suffering because of the inaction of previous generations and were being cut off. The other group suggested that the beauty of the island was paramount. There were loud disagreements, and no resolution was adopted at all, one island resident said, asking not to be named. Verlekar was one of the loudest advocates for the revival of the bridge project. The MGP, which fought the 2022 elections in alliance with the Trinamool Congress, won two seats in the assembly elections in March 2022, broke off its alliance, and issued a letter of support to the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant-led BJP government. On March 11, Verlekar submitted a memorandum to the local Congress turned BJP legislator Rajesh Faldessai to pursue a project for the bridge. We live in the 21st century where people want to move forward. We cannot afford to live in the past just because some people would like to preserve their ideals, Verlakar said. He said that the absence of a bridge meant that rushing a person to a hospital in Panjim was next to impossible, and travel across the river was a daily inconvenience for those that had to travel to the mainland for work. Some time ago, a doctor from the village Dr Atmaram Pilgaokar suffered a heart attack, but passed away before he could be taken to hospital. During the monsoons when the currents are especially strong and the river is swollen the island remains cut off from the rest of the state. That also happen if the ferry workers go on strike, Verlekar said. Faldessai, the Cumbarjua MLA however said that the project would not be carried forward unless there is consensus. I had taken up the matter with the chief minister three months back and he told me that unless there is a consensus we should not needlessly spoil the island. If there is a decision, he said, the government would have no problem taking the project forward, Faldessai said. THE ARGUMENTS AGAINST 59-year-old Effie Silveira-de-Melo says she has travelled nearly every day from her home in Divar to Panjim, where she works as an accountant, for close to four decades. That journey, she says, takes her not more than half an hour each day, even accounting for the ferry trip that includes a charge only if shes travelling by car. I have been doing this for the past 40 years, and have not faced any major issue. To this day, I have not come across anyone that has been adversely affected by the ferry. Importantly, where will the bridge be built? Nobody wants to lose their land or their home for a bridge that will not really bring any benefit, she says. In fact, one of the primary arguments that those against the bridge in Divar make is not just the loss of a way of life, but that it will affect its draw for tourists. Today Divar is one of the few villages in Goa that attracts tourists solely because it has been untouched by commercialisation seen in other villages. When visitors come here, they walk or cycle about the village, admire the lack of high-rises, and taste completely local fare. We have always found ways around the lack of a bridge, such as patients and wedding parties being given priority on the ferry. Once you build a bridge, all that will be left is a suburb of Panaji, Marius Fernandes said. Varun Hegde, a travel operator who organizes tours to the island, said that there is no doubt that a bridge would mean the loss of Divars USP. The character of the island will change irreversibly. From a tourist operator point of view, it will be bad for our business and the kind of tourism we are promoting. Building a bridge will take more than just getting the village to agree. With the Mandovi River a crucial navigation channel, no bridge that affects this will be considered, government officials said. Beyond this, ecologically sensitive mangrove lands on either side of the river will have to be factored in . In the neighbouring island of St Estevam, the governments move to build a second bridge in 2022 was stayed by the National Green Tribunal over fears that the bridge would adversely affect mangrove thickets and tidal flats. Divar is one of the last remaining islands where the khazan lands have been largely protected. A bridge will involve burying the land with construction debris ruining the fields and mangrove forests, Hyacintha Aguiar, the chairperson of the local biodiversity management committee said. Prakash Pereira, a businessman from the village says that the administration needs to think out of the box. Everyone can agree that it is an inconvenience not to have a bridge. But is the bridge the only solution to the convenience faced by the villagers? We can have a better designed RORO (roll on, rool off) ferry that can carry more passengers and vehicles at a time, he says, Among the suggestions mooted by the village panchayat is a 10-bed nursing home with a night duty doctor to help in case of exigencies, and higher capacity ferries that can carry more passengers and vehicles at a time. The island can be the ideal example of a self-sustaining village, with eco-tourism like in Venice promoted. We need to promote this way of living, rather than destroying what we have always been, Fernandes said. A clash broke out between two groups after a religious procession accompanied by DJ music was taken out in front of a mosque in Paldhi of Maharashtra's Jalgaon district. The police have registered two FIRs and arrested 45 people so far for the violence that broke out on Tuesday night, Jalgaon superintendent of police M Rajkumar said. Several vehicles were damaged after a clash broke out between two groups in Jalgaon district on Tuesday night.(ANI) He said that four persons were injured in the violence, adding that the present situation is peaceful and under control. The Indian Express, citing the police, reported that the incident took place when a dindi, a religious procession, en route from Jalgaon to Vani in Nashik district passed Paldhi village. An argument over the music being played in front of the masjid led to a brawl which escalated into stone pelting. While locals alleged that the houses of Muslims were looted and the property was damaged, the police denied the charges, the newspaper added. There was a dindi that was being taken out from Jalgaon to Vani in Nashik district. There was music being played in the procession. The music was, however, shut down when the procession crossed the mosque. However, when the music was restarted after the procession crossed the mosque, there was stone pelting on the procession, the daily quoted Rajkumar as saying. Reports claimed that the SP and other senior district police officials were in the town, which is 14 kilometres from Jalgaon, at the time of the incident. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A row has erupted in Tamil Nadu - over the imposition of Hindi in the southern state - after the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India directed milk federations and dairy producers to re-name products. According to the FSSAI directive, 'curd' (English) or 'tayyir' (Tamil) will now be labelled as 'dahi' (Hindi). The change in labels will also apply to products like cheese and butter. Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin hit out at the national food safety authority and declared those responsible would be 'banished' from the southern states. Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin. (ANI) The chief minister raged at the 'unabashed insistences of Hindi imposition' and, in a tweet posted Wednesday evening, said: "(Hindi imposition has) ... come to the extent of directing us to label even a curd packet in Hindi... relegating Tamil and Kannada in our own states." "Such brazen disregard to our mother tongues will make sure those responsible are banished from (the) South forever," he said, sharing a screenshot of a news report that said Tamil Nadu and Karnataka milk federations must 'prominently' label curd as 'dahi'. In a note seen by many as patronising, the FSSAI said the Tamil and Kannada words - 'tayyir' and 'mosaru', respectively - 'can be used in brackets'. The state-run Aavin milk producers co-operative in Tamil Nadu has said firmly it will not use the term 'dahi' on its packets and will only use the word 'tayyir'. The FSSAI move has not been well-received in either state with Hindi and its perceived imposition has been a fiercely emotive issue since the massive anti-Hindi agitation in Tamil Nadu in the 1960s, when the Congress-led centre tried to make it the 'official' language. In the past too - recently over the education policy - regional parties like the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu, which is allied with the Bharatiya Janata Party that is in power at the centre - have spoken out. In this instance even the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP has voiced its opposition. "Notification by FSSAI for use of 'dahi' in curd sachets produced by state-run cooperative societies is not in tandem with policy of prime minister Narendra Modi to promote regional languages. We want immediate rollback..." K Annamalai, the chief of the saffron party's state unit, tweeted. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee on Thursday called for opposition unity and gave a clarion call for an aur ek dafa Delhi chalo (once again lets go to Delhi) to oust the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Thursday. (Samir Jana/HT photo) In 1943, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose had given the slogan Delhi Chalo from Padang in Singapore to free India from British rule. We all love Netaji. In a bid to achieve freedom for the country, he gave the call Delhi Chalo. If the atrocities and the high-handedness of the Centre does not stop and if the people do not get their rights, then aur ek dafa Delhi chalo. We can also go to Delhi carrying photos (of freedom fighters) in our arms, Banerjee said. The chief minister was addressing a gathering in front of Dr B R Ambedkars statue on Kolkatas Red Road during her 30 hour-demonstration, seeking release of central funds. The demonstration began on Wednesday. It is not for the first time that Banerjee has raised the slogan Delhi Chalo. In 2018, she raised the slogan Delhi Chalo Lal Qila Chalo while urging non-BJP parties to put up a united fight against the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP is behaving like a feudal landlord. They think that the money deposited in the banks is their money. Zamindari chal raha hai. If someone speaks out against the BJP, the party sends central agencies and sends that person to jail, she said. Opposition parties in the past have accused the Centre of using central probe agencies against them. All of us have to unite, fight against the BJP and defeat it. If needed, we will march to Delhi to protest against the Centres attempts to destroy the countrys federal structure and keep states ruled by non-BJP parties bereft of funds, the TMC chief said. Banerjee said the 2024 Parliamentary polls will be a fight between the citizens of the country and the BJP, and said people across religions must unite to defeat the party and save the poor of the country. She described the BJP as Dushasana and Duryodhana the two antagonists from the epic Mahabharata. I urge every political party in India to unite to oust this Dushasana BJP government. This Duryodhana BJP should be removed from power to save the countrys common man as well as Indian democracy, she said. Taking a dig at Banerjee, state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said: She is giving a call to go to Delhi. But her nephew is scared of going to Delhi as he apprehends, he might be sent to jail. He was referring to the chief ministers nephew and TMC general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, who is facing a probe by the Enforcement Directorate in an alleged coal scam and has been summoned to Delhi several times. On Wednesday, Abhishek had threatened to bring the national capital to a standstill if the Centre did not release funds to the state. Meanwhile, a few hundred metres away from Banerjees demonstration site, the BJP, Congress and CPI(M) leaders were spotted extending their support to a section of government employees, demanding a hike in dearness allowance. The one who is draining the government coffers is staging a demonstration, alleging deprivation of central funds. She should come here and join the protest of state government employees who have been deprived too, said state Congress spokesperson Koustav Bagchi. External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said no foreign diplomat has raised with him the issue of opposition leader Rahul Gandhi's disqualification as member of lower house, which, he stressed, was an outcome of a law "supported" by the Congress leader in the past. Speaking at the Rising India Summit of Network18, Jaishankar asserted that Rahul Gandhi's disqualification happened as he refused to express regret on the disparaging remarks he made against a community at a public meeting four years ago. (Also Read | Germany reacts to Rahul Gandhi case: Judicial independence and) External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.(PTI) "The law is the law, unless somebody thinks that the law is not for them," Jaishankar said. When asked whether the any of his diplomatic counterpart has raised the issue with him, the external affairs minister replied in negative. Jaishankar was also asked how he would explain the issue to his counterparts abroad, to which he said, Four years ago Rahul Gandhi was disparaging of a community in a public meeting. It is on public record. A member of that community took offense and began legal proceedings. A local in Surat convicted Gandhi for a 2019 speech in which he asked, Why do all thieves have Modi as their surname? and then referred to three well-known and unrelated Modis in the speech: fugitive Indian diamond tycoon Nirav Modi, former IPL boss Lalit Modi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The court also sentenced Gandhi to two-year jail term but granted him bail and allowed him 30 days to appeal against the ruling. "The legal process produced an outcome. The outcome triggered a law, which Rahul Gandhi had himself supported some years ago," Jaishankar said. The minister said the law has been applied to 10-12 elected representatives, including of the ruling party. Under Indian law, a criminal conviction and prison sentence of two years or more are grounds for expulsion from Parliament. The disqualification, as per the Representation of the Peoples Act, shall begin on the date of the conviction and continue for a period of six years after his release. In Gandhi's case, unless the conviction is stayed by an appellate court, his disqualification will continue for a total of eight years two years of imprisonment plus six post-release. (With inputs from agencies) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh on Thursday thanked Germany for "taking note" of Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Parliament as the Lok Sabha MP. Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh thanked German Foreign Affairs Ministry for "taking note" of Rahul Gandhi's ouster from Parliament as the Lok Sabha MP.(Twitter) Taking to Twitter, Singh said, "Thank you German Foreign Affairs Ministry and Richard Walker for taking note of how the Democracy is being compromised in India through the persecution of Rahul Gandhi." During a press briefing that was aired on German state-owned international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW), a German ministry spokesperson stated that her country "expects that the standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles will apply in the case." Also Read: Germany reacts to Rahul Gandhi case: Judicial independence and' "We have taken note of the verdict of the first instance against the Indian opposition politician Rahul Gandhi as well as the suspension of his parliamentary mandate. To our knowledge, Mr Gandhi is in a position to appeal the verdict," she is heard saying in the clip of the briefing shared on Twitter by Richard Walkar the Chief International Editor of DW. The German ministry spokesperson added, "It will then become clear whether this verdict will stand and whether the suspension of his mandate has any basis." Earlier this week US Department of State Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said that the US is watching Rahul Gandhi's case in Indian courts. Also Read: Lalit Modi decides to sue Rahul Gandhi in UK court: Ill-informed or Patel, responding to a question on Rahul Gandhi's disqualification said that the US engages with the Indian government on a shared commitment to democratic values, including freedom of expression. On March 23, Rahul Gandhi was convicted by a Surat district court and sentenced to two years imprisonment in the 2019 defamation case over his 'Modi surname' remark made in 2019 during an election rally in Karnataka. The criminal defamation case against Rahul Gandhi was filed by BJP MLA from Surat West Purnesh Modi. Also Read: Rahul Gandhi disqualified: Congress plans to scale up protest, get other parties on board After being convicted by the court, Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from the Lok Sabha.The sentence of two-year imprisonment has been suspended for 30 days before which Rahul Gandhi has to appeal against the conviction. Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from the Lower House of Parliament triggered a massive political row with the BJP stating that the Congress leader was "a habitual loose cannon" and the Congress alleging that he was got "deliberately disqualified". Warri The people of oil-bearing Kantu and Odidi communities in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State yesterday protested against frequent pipeline leakages, destruction and degradation of their environment by the operations of NEPL/NECONDE in their areas. The placard-carrying protesters, comprising women and youths, stormed the Odidi Flow Station in a peaceful protests to express their anger over alleged non-chalant attitude of the management of the firms, operators of OML 42, to their plights. They gave the management of NEPL/NECONDE "a seven-day ultimatum within which to commence genuine implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) process and payment of the 3 percent of 2022 Operating Expenses as stipulated by the PIA with immediate effect." This, they said was "to enable the community resume implementation of developmental projects in the communities, failure of which may lead to the shutdown of operational activities in the entire OML42 in Delta State." The aggrieved protesters appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to, as a matter of urgency save their lives "by directing Mr. Mele Kyari, the Group CEO of NNPC Limited; Muhammad Ali Zarah, MD NEPL, and Mr. Monday Okoro, MD, NECONDE Energy Limited to commence full replacement of the trans Forcados pipeline instead of the sectional repair works being planned by oil firms without recourse to its negative implications on communities and the environment, since sectional repair works will not stop further leakages." The protesters claimed that the leaking Trans Forcados pipeline which was Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Petroleum By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. constructed in the early 1960s has outlived its life span long ago, leading to continuous pollution of their environment and destruction of their eco system, creating hardship for the locals. Inscriptions on their placards included: 'OML42 Communities protest against NPDC/NECONDE management over non-implementation of PIA'; 'Replace Trans Forcados Pipeline (TFP) now to save our environment'; 'Stop treating host community workers with less value'; 'We demand scholarships, employment for host communities'; 'Stop hijacking host communities contracts', among others. The Chairman of Kantu/OML 42 Communities Forum, Mr. Windfree Atemubaghan, and Chairman, Odidi Federated Communities, Prince Preye Okrikpa, noted with concern that "the aging Trans Forcados pipeline has been destroying our environment because it has expired and cannot withstand the pressure of crude oil transported through it." They also canvassed for the award of all community-based marine and other service contracts to indigenous contractors in line with the Nigeria Local Content Act "to develop their capacity and expertise so that they can contribute meaningfully to the operations of the oil industry, particularly in OML42 in Delta State. "All community-based marine and other service contracts are being awarded to top management staff of NEPL and NECONDE Energy Limited, using their cronies as community vendors, thereby depriving Indigenous contractors of patronage." While responding, the Site Superintendent of NECONDE, Mr. Ekene Onyenekwe, and the NPDC representative at the Flow Station, Mr. Ayodeji Ayinde, commended the host communities for their peaceful disposition, promising to take their grievances to the appropriate quarters and follow it up. Union minister Anurag Thakur on Thursday hit out at Congress leader Digvijaya Singh over his tweet thanking Germany for taking note of Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from the Lok Sabha. Disgrace to nation, @INCIndia & @RahulGandhi don't believe to fight India's democratic, political & legal battle within country, hence, invite foreign powers to interfere in our internal matter. But New India headed by @narendramodi Ji will not tolerate any foreign intervention, Thakur tweeted. A spokesperson for the German foreign ministry had said that the European nation expects standards of judicial independence & democratic principles to apply. Digvijaya Singh had tweeted,"Thank you Germany Foreign Affairs Ministry and Richard Walker @rbsw for taking note of how the Democracy is being compromised in India through persecution of @RahulGandhi". Union minister Anurag Thakur accused Congress of inviting foreign powers to interfere in India's internal matters. Singh's tweet triggered a massive political controversy with the BJP accusing the Congress of seeking foreign intervention into India's internal matters. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted,"Apparent that @INCIndia wants foreign interference in our affairs. Sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Communist Party of China with opaque contents. During interactions abroad, plead for help to change government. Thank them when help forthcoming. Any more proof needed?" Union law minister Kiren Rijiju hit out at the grand old party. Thank you Rahul Gandhi for inviting foreign powers for interference into Indias internal matters. Remember, Indian Judiciary can't be influenced by foreign interference. India won't tolerate 'foreign influence' anymore because our Prime Minister is:- Shri @narendramodi Ji, he tweeted. Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from the Lok Sabha after being convicted in a defamation case over his Modi surname remark. The Congress has cried foul over the disqualification, calling it vendetta against the former party chief. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Congress on Wednesday alleged that under the Narendra Modi government the laws were different for the ruling party and the opposition, and cited the example of Amreli BJP MP Naranbhai Bhikhabhai Kachhadia who was not disqualified despite being convicted in a criminal case and sentenced to a three-year jail term. The Congress also attacked the government for using the Delhi Police to stop the Congress' 'Mashal march' at Red fort on Tuesday evening.(PTI) Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Shaktisinh Gohil in a press conference said that Kachhadia was convicted by a Gujarat court for beating up a Dalit doctor in 2016 and his conviction was held by the High Court. The BJP MP was not disqualified for weeks and he finally he got relief from the Supreme Court, but not without paying a fine, the politician said. The Congress leader said while Kachhadia was never disqualified, while Rahul Gandhi was disqualified within hours of his conviction by a Surat case in a defamation case. Kachhadia is still a sitting MP. "The Law is equal for all as per Article-14 of the Constitution of the country. But how Article-14 was violated for a BJP MP from Gujarat?" he asked and alleged that the government was following double standards in disqualification of MP. "When it is a BJP MP, he is not disqualified and the law is used differently, but when it comes to a Congress MP, he is disqualified immediately after getting the court verdict," he told reporters. Gohil claimed that the moment a higher court hears Rahul Gandhi's case he will get relief. He said after Kachhadia's conviction in 2016, Congress leaders had petitioned the President of India, the Speaker, and the Election Commission to disqualify him, but no action was taken. Similar petitions were written to the President, the Speaker, and the EC when Kachhadia did not get relief from the Sessions Court and the High Court too refused to stay his conviction. The Supreme Court accepted his apology and granted him relief only after he agreed to pay a fine of 5 lakh to the victim, Gohil said. The Congress leader also attacked the government for using the Delhi Police to stop the Congress' 'Mashal march' at Red fort on Tuesday evening. In yet another incident of unruly behaviour by passengers on domestic airlines, a drunk male vomitted in the aisle and defecated around the toilet on an IndiGo Guwahati-Delhi flight on Sunday. The incident was flagged on Twitter by Bhaskar Dev Konwar, whose bio identifies him as a 'senior counsel practicing at the Gauhati High Court', who himself drew flak for hailing the shocking event as an example of 'girl power'. Konwar's tweet evoked mixed responses, with several Twitter users criticising him for praising the crew (for performing a 'disgusting' job) instead of calling out the passenger. "Intoxicated passenger vomited on the aisle and defecated all around the toilet. Leading lady Shewta cleaned up all the mess and all the girls managed the situation exceptionally well. Salute girl power," he tweeted, sharing a photo of an IndiGo crew member cleaing the mess. Also read | Another 'peeing' incident on Delhi-bound flight, 'drunk' student held The crew member can be seen in a face mask and cleaning the vomit-covered aisle (which has been covered with paper napkins) with a disinfectant spray. The image also shows other passengers sitting passively and staring at her while she carries out the unpleasant task. Konwar said crew members had to crawl up and down the aisle to clean up the mess, and that he did not take more photographs out of respect. In his tweet he hashtagged the airline and the country's aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Read | Air India urination case: DGCA rejects pilots appeal to revoke licence suspension Konwar's tweet evoked mixed responses, with several Twitter users criticising him for praising the crew (for performing a 'disgusting' job) instead of calling out the passenger. "The flight crew seem like victims here. This is a disgusting part of their job. Glorifying this as girl power is beyond my comprehension. This is similar to calling manual scavengers as the heroes of our society, instead of acknowledging that they are victims of corruption." Read | Man mistakenly boards Indigo flight to Udaipur instead of Patna, inquiry ordered I dont exactly concur with the girl power part here. Its disgusting to say the least, maybe not allowing drunk passagers on flights is the way forward. Kudos to the crew though. I am surprised the drunk passenger was let go," another user said. "This situation is disappointing and disgusting.. kudos to the crew for handling it so well." SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A complaint has been filed in a Mandya court against Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar in connection with a recent video in which he was allegedly seen throwing currency notes at people during a roadshow in the district, police said. The model code of conduct was not in force when the alleged incident took place. (Twitter/ANI video) We havent registered a first information report (FIR) yet. A non-cognisable offence has been taken up and the matter will be presented before the court seeking its direction, Mandya superintendent of police (SP) Yathish N said. The alleged offence took place during the partys Praja Dhwani Yatra in the Srirangapatna assembly segment in Mandya on Tuesday, a day before the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the election schedule - Karnataka will vote on May 10 - and the model code of conduct kicked in. Since the code of conduct was not in force on Tuesday, DK Shivakumars alleged actions were interpreted by the police as a non-cognisable offence that cannot be investigated by the police on its own without a court order. To be sure, the Mandya Congress has denied that Shivakumar threw currency notes at the public at the roadshow and insisted that he was making payments to artists for their performance at a cultural event. HT cannot verify the authenticity of the video clip. The video clip set off a huge political row when it emerged on social media with chief minister Basavaraj Bommai in the lead role. By throwing notes, he (Shivakumar) and his party think that the people of Karnataka are beggars. The same people will teach the Congress party a lesson in the upcoming assembly elections, Bommai said. The chief minister has accused the state Congress chief of luring Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs by offering them tickets in constituencies where the party is yet to announce its candidates. The ruling BJP hopes to win back the only southern state it is in power in, but a string of corruption allegations and incidents of infighting involving supporters of former chief minister YS Yediyurappa and Bommai have hurt the party in recent months. The sourness created in certain parts of the country by the directive of the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) that the term Dahi (Hindi for curd) be used on packaging of curd, with the regional name within brackets after the Hindi one, has ended with the agency revising its order. JD(S)s H D Kumaraswamy protested against printing of dahi on the packet of Nandini Probiotic Yogurt. It wasnt immediately clear why FSSAI issued such an order (on March 10) in the first place. But its move caused a ferment , especially in the states of Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, with politicians claiming that this was another instance of Hindi being imposed. The controversy started when the board of directors of Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), which sells dairy products under the brand Nandini, opposed the order saying it was an imposition of Hindi. Both officials at KMF, and politicians in the state have been prickly since January when home minister Amit Shahs comment of greater cooperation between the Gujarat based Amul (the brand under which the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation sells products) and Nandini in technology and marketing was interpreted as a merger of the two co-operatives. The directive from FSSAI also angered pro-Kannada activists. Knowing that Kannadigas are opposed to the imposition of Hindi, it is wrong for the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India to order KMF to print Hindi Dahi on the packet of Nandini Probiotic Yogurt, former Karnataka Chief Minister and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy tweeted on Thursday. Nandini is the property of the Kannadigas, the identity of the Kannadigas and the lifeline of the Kannadigas. Despite knowing this, the ego of Hindi imposition has been shown. Earlier Union Home Minister Sri @AmitShah had said in a meeting in Mandya that Nandini would be merged with Gujarats Amul. Is printing Hindi word the beginning of Nandini hijack? Kumaraswamy asked. Milk co-operatives in Tamil Nadu and Kerala also opposed the move, and wrote to FSSAI. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin termed it as unabashed Hindi imposition. Such brazen disregard to our mother tongues will make sure those responsible are banished from South forever, he said on Twitter. As many representation were received recently on omission of the terms curd, from the Standards of Fermented Milk Products, it has been decided that FBOs (food business operators) may use the term curd along with any other designation (prevalent regional common name) in brackets on the label. Accordingly, Curd can also be labelled as per following examples: Curd (Dahi) OR Curd (Mosaru) OR Curd (Zaamut daud) OR Curd (Thayir) OR Curd (Perugu), FSSAI said in a press release on Thursday. The letter from Joint Director (Science and Standard), FSSAI dated March 10, said that Dahi would replace the term Fermented Milk currently l on curd packets. The name Fermented Milk may be replaced with designations Dahi, and Yoghurt if the product complies with the relevant provisions of this standard, the letter read. In case of fermented products complying with the relevant provisions of Dahi, any other designation (prevalent regional common name) may be used together with the term Dahi in brackets on the label, that letter said. Germany said on Wednesday the standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles should apply in the case of opposition Congress leader Rahul Gandhi following his disqualification as a Lok Sabha MP after his conviction in a defamation case. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arrives at Parliament House complex in New Delhi on Wednesday, (PTI) A spokesperson for the German foreign ministry said the government had taken note of the verdict of first instance against Rahul Gandhi and the suspension of his parliamentary mandate. This was the first response by Germany or any other European country on the case of Gandhi. To our knowledge, Mr Gandhi is in a position to appeal the verdict. It will then become clear whether this verdict will stand and whether the suspension of his mandate has any basis, the spokesperson told a regular media briefing, speaking in German. We expect that the standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles will equally apply to the proceedings against Rahul Gandhi, the spokesperson said in her remarks, which were beamed on public broadcaster Deutsche Welle. There was no immediate response from Indian officials. Gandhi, the MP from Wayanad constituency in Kerala, was disqualified after being convicted in a case filed over his remarks about people with the surname Modi. He had made the comments during an election campaign rally in Karnataka in 2019. Gandhi is currently free on bail. The comments by the German foreign ministrys spokesperson came close on the heels of US state department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel saying that the US is tracking Gandhis case in Indian courts. Asked at a media briefing whether Gandhis expulsion from Parliament was consistent with democratic values, Patel replied: Respect for the rule of law and judicial independence is a cornerstone of any democracy and were watching Mr Gandhis case in Indian courts, and we engage with the government of India on our shared commitment to democratic values, including...freedom of expression. Patel further said the US continues to highlight the importance of democratic principles and protection of human rights, including freedom of expression, as a key to strengthening both our democracies. India has contributed 4.8% to the global mean surface temperature (GMST) change resulting from historical emissions of CO2, methane and nitrous oxide (N2O), a new research paper has said. One of the main areas affected by the climate crisis is the global rainfall cycle, resulting in less rain, more droughts, and extreme rain events. (Mujeeb Faruqui/Hindustan Times) In comparison, United States contributed to 17.3% of the change highest globally and China contributed to 12.3%, the paper published in Nature journal on Wednesday said. The largest contributors to warming up to 2021 through emissions of all three gases since 1850 were: US (0.28C ); China (0.20C ); Russia (0.10C); Brazil (0.08C ); India (0.08C); Indonesia, Germany, UK, Japan, Canada (each contributing 0.03-0.05C), authors of the paper said in a statement on Wednesday. The paper titled "National contributions to climate change due to historical emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide since 1850, authored by researchers from Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia (UEA); CICERO Center for International Climate Research, Oslo, Norway; International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria among others said emissions from developed nations have contributed significantly to warming since the industrial revolution. Tracking national contributions to climate change is thus critical to understanding the burden of responsibility that a country carries for global warming and can further inform the design of international policies that pursue equitable decarbonisation pathways, it said. Also Read: India's record heat waves to limit of human survival? Countrywise role in global warming. This has also been the thrust of Indias position at climate negotiations. Anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) have contributed significantly to global warming since the pre-industrial period. There is a lot of interest in tracking national contributions to climate change and informing equitable commitments to decarbonisation, the researchers said. The study introduces a new dataset of national contributions to global warming caused by historical emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide during 18512021, which are consistent with the latest findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the researchers said. The paper is significant because it comes ahead of the Global Stocktake of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change scheduled to take place at UN Climate Conference (COP28) in Dubai this December. The global stocktake of the Paris Agreement (GST) is a process for taking stock of the implementation of the Paris Agreement by each country and sector. The Paris Agreement goal is to keep global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius. While we focus on three CO2, CH4 and N2O that are included in most NDCs, we note that future work should seek to include other important GHGs, such as fluorinated gases (F-gases), which are also included in the NDCs of some countries, researchers said. This dataset is publicly available via Zenodo repository. The papers findings are consistent with Indias analysis. In response to a question in Rajya Sabha on Indias contribution to climate crisis, junior environment minister, Ashwini Kumar Choubey said in a written response that India with more than 17% of the global population has contributed only about 4% of the global cumulative greenhouse gas emissions between 1850 and 2019. Reports from various sources, including Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, highlight that the challenges faced due to global warming are mainly due to cumulative historical and current greenhouse gas emissions of the developed countries. Even though, we are not part of the problem, India is part of the solution and is doing more than its fair share. Contributions to temperature change from GHG emissions USA 17.3% contributing to 0.28C; China 12.3% contributing to 0.20C; EU 10.4% contributing to 0.17C; Russia 6.1% contributing to 0.10C; Brazil 4.9% contributing to 0.08C; India 4.8% contributing to 0.08C ;Indonesia 3.4%, tweeted Roxy Mathew Koll, climate scientist from Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune referring to the paper. National contributions and historical responsibility of emissions are very contentious . HT reported on March 26 that the negotiations leading to the latest synthesis report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) revealed deep differences between wealthy nations and developing countries like India on funding needed to combat the climate crisis and the role of the developed world in precipitating the emergency. HT reported on March 20 that the world is on course to overshoot the 1.5C global warming threshold, which will lead to irreversible harm and risks for human and natural climate systems as per IPCCs Synthesis Report with the authors portending the worst impacts on India and South Asia of the climate crisis. Chennai: Students staged a protest on Thursday at Kalakshetra Foundation, a top arts and cultural academy in Chennai, demanding action against four senior male faculty members accused of sexual harassment. Amid the protests, the Kalakshetra Foundation announced closing the Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts until April 6 and asked the students to vacate the campus. (HT Photo) Amid the protests, the Foundation announced closing the Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts until April 6 and asked the students to vacate the campus. But refusing to budge until they get justice, the students continued their protests until the time of writing. The protests come after their disappointment with the response of Kalakshetra, which functions autonomously under the ministry of culture, to their complaints against a senior male dancer who is set to perform a dance drama on Friday. The senior male dancer has been accused of sexual harassment. Kalakshetra had on March 19 said that their Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) suo moto initiated an investigation and found no truth in the complaints. Based on this, the National Commission for Women (NCW) decided to close the complaint though the central body had on March 22 tweeted that they are informing Tamil Nadu DGP Sylendra Babu to file an FIR against the alleged perpetrator and Kalakshetras director Revathi Ramachandran for allegedly shielding him. The Chennai police began an investigation on March 20. On Thursday, four teachers were accused of sexually harassing the students and their names were revealed during the protests. We will stand in solidarity until the accused are rusticated from the institution, said a protesting student who shared their list of demands. A group of cotton saree-clad students held placards with the slogan, we want justice, and raised the slogan in chorus. They also released a poster on social media requesting youngsters to stand by them to put an end to the sexual harassment and misconduct on the campus which they said has been going on for long. Kalakshetra has been dismissive of our complaints when we submit a letter or talk about it, one of the protesting students told reporters. They didnt take it seriously and kept telling us that they would give us a solution but till today we have not received a solution. If we dont unite, we realise, we will never get justice. There are four people we have complained about sexually harassing us and everyone knows who those four are. One of them who has been sexually harassing us is also performing tomorrow. So, if this continues, there is no safety for us and students joining after us. The Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts (under Kalakshetra) will remain closed from March 30 (5.15 pm) to April 6, said a circular issued by the principal Pakala Ramadas. All inmates are requested to vacate the hostel within two days with immediate effect, the circular read. Exams scheduled on these days are postponed. New dates will be announced in due course. Students said that the institution was threatening them with this circular instead of addressing the sexual harassment. By evening the city police had also arrived on the campus. Senior students and police are inside the directors room for a discussion, said one of the protesters who did not wish to be identified. They are not addressing the elephant in the room. The director is saying that there is no evidence, no written complaint so nothing can be done. Several emails of complaints sent to the ICC are being gathered now. The complaints of sexual harassment came into the public domain when Kalakshetras former director Leela Samson had in a Facebook post last December written about how several students were continuing to face sexual harassment under a teacher who was abusing his position of power. While Samson did not name the alleged perpetrator, she had named survivors. She has since deleted the post. CAREspaces (Conscientious Artistes Rallying for Ethical Spaces in the Indians Arts Community), a non-profit organisation (NPO), based out of the US, in December 2022 released a statement that they would support survivors and allies in Kalakshetra since many allegations of abuse of power, controlling opportunities for personal gains, and actively neglecting complaints have surfaced. Last week, a complaint was filed in the Adyar police station by one of the women from Kalakshetra against former director Samson for naming her in a Facebook post saying that she is not a victim. NCWs chairperson Rekha Sharma reportedly went to the Kalakshetra campus on Wednesday regarding the complaints. On March 25, Kalakshetra released another statement that they have requested the NCW to consider the action already taken and welcome further enquiry if not satisfied. During the last few months, a scurrilous campaign is being carried out through social media posts casting aspirations on the functioning of Kalakshetra Foundation, and targeting some members of faculty and also malingering the institutions credibility, the Foundation said on March 25. Countering their response, Carnatic musician T M Krishna on March 27 wrote an open letter addressed to Kalakshetras chairman S Ramadorai. The lack of sensitivity, the aggressive tone, and the dismissiveness is unbecoming, Krishna had said in his letter. I am also shocked that in some quarters this is being turned into an attack on the institution and sullied with political/religious insinuations. Krishna urged the Kalakshetra chairman to take action to address these very serious complaints. Lalit Modi, the embattled IPL founder, on Thursday launched a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi and said he will take the Congress leader to court in the UK over his "Modi surname" remarks and allegations levelled by the disqualified MP's associates that he is a fugitive of justice. Lalit Modi, the former IPL chief, had earlier threatened to sue Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his all Modis are thieves remark. (HT File) Lalit Modi's attack comes days after Rahul Gandhi was convicted and was given a two-year sentence in the 2019 defamation case over his remarks on the Modi surname, following which he was disqualified as MP of Lok Sabha. Addressing a poll rally in Karnataka's Kolar, Rahul Gandhi had said, How come all thieves have the common surname Modi. Watch: Lalit Modi To Sue Rahul Gandhi In UK Court Over 'Modi Surname' Remark In his series of tweets, Lalit Modi said questioned on which grounds he was being labelled as a fugitive and said that he has never been convicted and hence is an ordinary citizen. Further, he slammed Opposition leaders and alleged "vendetta". "I see just about every Tom dick and Gandhi associates again and again saying I am a fugitive of justice. Why? How? And when was I to date ever convicted of same? Unlike Pappu aka Rahul Gandhi, I am now an ordinary citizen saying it and it seems one and all opposition leaders have nothing else to do so they too are either ill informed or just vendetta prone," Lalit Modi tweeted. Lalit Modi added, "I have decided to take Rahul Gandhi to court in UK right away. I am sure he will have to come up with some solid evidence. I look forward to seeing him make a complete fool of himself." Tagging several Congress leaders and alleging that they all have properties oversees, Lalit Modi said in another tweet, "I can send addresses and photos etc. Lets not fool the people of India who are the real crooks. Gandhi family has made it as if they are the entitled ones to rule our country. Yes, i will return as soon as you pass stringent liable laws." Not even a penny to date has been proven I took in last 15 years. But what is clearly proven is that I created the greatest sporting event in this world that has generated close to 100 billion dollars. Let not 1 one Congress leader forget that from early 1950's the Modi family has done more for them and our country then they can ever imagine. I, too, have done more than they can ever dream of doing. So keep barking scam tainted looters of India like the very own Gandhi family, he added. In 2019, Lalit Modi had threatened to sue Rahul Gandhi for his all Modis are thieves remark while targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the election rallies. Rahul Gandhi says All Modis are thieves. Well, he will be taken to court in the UK by me. But reality is that the world knows five decades of daylight looting of India was done by none other than the Gandhi family, Lalit Modi tweeted tagging PM Modi on the micro-blogging site. Rahul Gandhi was targeting Modi over Rafale deal alleging malfeasance in the 59,000 crore deal. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Indian drug authorities have taken action against 76 drug companies this month for selling adulterated or fake products in one of the largest crackdowns on the industry in the country, a government source told Reuters on Thursday. Licences of some Indian drug companies have been canceled, some were suspended while others have been put on notice during the past 15 days. (For Representation) Also read: Drugs for rare diseases exempted fully from basic customs duty Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya confirmed a crackdown but did not give details of companies against which action had been taken. "No one who compromises on the quality of medicines will be spared," Mandaviya told reporters at an event. Also read: Two held with 25 kg poppy husk, drug money in Ludhiana Licences of some Indian drug companies have been canceled, some were suspended while others have been put on notice during the past 15 days, said the source, who has direct knowledge of the matter. The source, who did not want to be identified as they were not authorised to speak to the media, declined to reveal the names of the companies. The Arewa New Media Solidarity Association (ANMSA) has named the Kaduna State governor-elect, Uba Sani, as the 'Most Masses-friendly Senator' from the North to have ever served in the Nigerian Senate. In a statement signed by its chairman, Suleiman Abba, after an expanded first quarter stakeholders meeting, ANMSA said though it was happy that Sani has been elevated to governorship level, his constituency and indeed the whole northern region would miss his human and community-based legislative advocacies in the Senate. The group noted that Uba Sani's four years in the Senate were dedicated to the pursuit of edifying goals and keeping the youth focused and disciplined, living with values that define the Northern character as a whole. "Most of Uba Sani's four years in the Senate was spent in personal and official endeavours in the protection of the rights and promotion of the welfare of the weak and the vulnerable. "As the Senator takes up a higher appointment in the state, we particularly want to place on record the immeasurable gratitude of the masses of Kaduna State to Dr. Uba Sani, whose leadership, sacrifice, statesmanship, patriotism, and unwavering commitment to the interests of the downtrodden masses as a whole, has few parallels in our nation. "We acknowledge Uba Sani as a passionate believer of the organic links between generations, who throughout his four years as Senator was always available for young and the vulnerable," the group noted. ANMSA said without a doubt, Senator Uba Sani has etched his name in gold on the fight against hunger, poverty, unemployment and insecurity since he was elected to represent Kaduna Central Senatorial Zone in 2019. It said under his first one year, Uba Sani had impacted positively in the efforts to address these challenges in critical moments Nigerians have found themselves. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "The masses of Kaduna Central constituency can surely testify to how he has generously touched their lives. "From helping victims of banditry attacks, to supporting the people with palliatives in critical moments like the lockdown and special annual rituals like Ramadan and Christmas, Uba Sani has proven that he is a man of the people - reason why he was elected to the senate. Sani came to the aid of the masses to cushion the crippling effect of the lockdown by providing foodstuffs and other items worth N80 million for distribution. The welfare of his people has always been a priority to him. "He is a man of immense capacity, connecting voices between two-layers -- simply put, he is a bridge. One can say he has made ample use of his high connections with influential people in the corridors of power to quietly convey the feelings of Nigerian masses," the group added. At least 13 people died and 19 others were rescued after the roof of an ancient bavdi (a large well) situated in Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal Temple in Madhya Pradesh's Indore collapsed during the Ram Navami festival, an official said. A total of 18 people have been rescued and seven are still trapped A large number of people had gathered on the roof of the ancient bavdi and it caved in as it was unable to bear the load, according to PTI report. In a video shared by news agency ANI, police and locals were seen trying to rescue the devotees trapped in the collapsed stepwell. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan took cognizance of the incident and instructed local authorities to speed up the rescue operation, according to his office. He has also announced a compensation of 5 lakh each to the kin of the deceased, and 50,000 each to the injured. We are with the bereaved families in this hour of grief. Proper arrangements have been made for the treatment of the injured, the entire medical expenses will be borne by the state government, CM Chouhan said. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish at the mishap. "Extremely pained by the mishap in Indore. Spoke to CM Shivraj Chouhan Ji and took an update on the situation. The state government is spearheading rescue and relief work at a quick pace. My prayers with all those affected and their families," he tweeted. (More details awaited) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Union home minister Amit Shah has claimed that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was putting pressure on him to frame Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an alleged fake encounter case in Gujarat when he was being questioned by the probe agency during the Congress-led UPA government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah.(File) Speaking at News18 Rising India Summit on Wednesday, Shah recalled the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case filed against him when he was the Gujarat home minister. He was responding to a question on Opposition's charge that the Narendra Modi government is misusing central agencies to target them. Shah also spoke on Rahul Gandhi's conviction in a criminal defamation case by a court in Surat and said the Congress leader was not the only politician who was convicted by a court and lost membership of the legislature. When CBI arrested Amit Shah I will tell you how agencies are misused, I have been a victim of it The Congress did not file a corruption case against us. There was an encounter when I was the home minister of Gujarat. A case was filed against me and the CBI arrested me, Shah said at the event. He added, In 90 per cent of the questions during my interrogation, I was asked why I was getting bothered and they said they would leave me if I name Narendra Modi. Even then, we did not protest or wear black clothes or stop Parliaments functioning. An SIT was formed against Modi which the Supreme Court itself dismissed. Shah alleged that during the entire interrogation, he was told to give them Modis name. "In my entire interrogation, I was told Modi ka naam de do, de do. But why should I frame him? Today, the same Congress is crying over its fate, Shah said. Amit Shah on Rahul Gandhi Shah said instead of moving to a higher court, Rahul Gandhi has been trying to create hue and cry and blaming Modi for his fate. Shah said Rahul Gandhi should go to a higher court to fight his case, instead of trying to blame the PM. He said the Congress was spreading misconception; conviction can't be stayed. The sentence can be stayed if the court decides, he said. Shah said 17 prominent leaders, including Lalu Prasad, J Jayalalitha and Raashid Alvi, had lost their membership because of a 2013 Supreme Court order during the UPA government, which said an elected representative would lose his seat immediately after conviction. Still, no one protested wearing black clothes because it is the law of the land, he said. Listen to the full speech of Rahul Gandhi, he has not only spoken abusive words for Modi ji. He has spoken abusive words for the entire Modi community and OBC society, Shah added. Asked about the notice to vacate his bungalow, the home minister asked why should there be special favour when the Supreme Court had said to act as soon as the conviction comes into effect. He said senior lawyers who are Congress MPs in Rajya Sabha should tell their colleagues that Lok Sabha Speaker has no role in the disqualification. Shah on Gandhi's Savarkar remarks Asked about Rahul's comment on Savarkar, Shah said Veer Savarkar was the only freedom fighter who was sentenced to two life terms in Andaman prison. Such language for such a freedom fighter should not have been used, he said adding that Rahul Gandhi should read his grandmother's speech on Savarkar. His own party people are advising him to not speak against Savarkar, he said. On Karnataka assembly election Shah claimed the BJP would comfortably cross the halfway mark in the upcoming Karnataka assembly election, and form a government with a clear majority in the state. Ruling out any alliance in Karnataka, Shah said, The BJP will definitely cross the halfway mark and form the government with an absolute majority in Karnataka. We will win record mandate. (With inputs from PTI) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Here are todays top news, analysis, and opinion. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. NSA Doval to raise London HC violence with UK counterpart Indias National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is expected to raise the incident at the Indian High Commission in London during a protest and the pulling down of Indian National Flag by extremists with his UK counterpart Tim Barrow today during the India-UK strategic dialogue meeting in the Capital. Read more Rahu for Congress: Shivraj Chouhan's dig at Rahul Gandhi Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday took a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was recently disqualified as a Lok Sabha MP after he was convicted for a two-year term in a criminal defamation case, claiming that he neither has knowledge about the country nor its policies, and that he has become "Rahu" (ill-fated) for the grand-old party. Read more 'Hayden said, 'don't even think about it'': Raina's unheard CSK dressing room story about Australia legend The Chennai Super Kings will feature in the blockbuster opening clash of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) against defending champions Gujarat Titans on March 31. Read more Samantha Ruth Prabhu on myositis diagnosis: 'Probably the worst thing to happen to an actor' Actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu, who is busy with the promotions of her upcoming film Shaakuntalam, opened up on her struggle with the autoimmune disease myositis. Read more Summer-proof your skin: How to choose the ideal sunscreen for your skin type Sunscreen is one of the most important skincare products you can use, as it helps protect your skin from the harmful effects of the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays. Read more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Indias National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is expected to raise the incident at the Indian High Commission in London during a protest and the pulling down of Indian National Flag by extremists with his UK counterpart Tim Barrow today during the India-UK strategic dialogue meeting in the Capital. UK National Security Advisor Tim Barrows meets Indian NSA Ajit Doval today. While the national security establishment is tight-lipped about the dialogue, HT learns that NSA Doval will take up the issue forcefully with his counterpart and ask the Rishi Sunak government to take strong action against separatists who are trying to polarize the Indian diaspora in Britain. While the Indian High Commission in London has filed a complaint with UK Home office and police for the March 19 incident, which followed the crackdown on separatist leader Amritpal Singhs outfit in India, the Delhi Police has also registered an FIR (number 80/23, dated March 23, 2023) on the basis of a complaint made by an Indian national. The FIR has been registered by Special Cell under sections 109/147/148/149/120-B/448/452/325 of the Indian Penal Code read with Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Section 3(1) of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act (as the Indian HC is sovereign territory of India) and section 2 of the Prevention of insults to National Honour Act. On the basis of FIR registered and the demarche to the British Government, NSA Doval is expected to ask the Rishi Sunak government to take immediate action against the chief perpetrator of the protest and the breach of Indian HC, Avtar Singhj Purba aka Khanda and his sponsor Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, a proscribed leader of UAPA designated Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) separatist organization. HT also learns that Indian intelligence agencies asked the British police and British intelligence including MI-5 and MI-6 to act against Khanda at least three times in the past, but to no avail. The names of Khanda and some of his associated have been shared by Indian intelligence in the past but the British Intelligence and the Foreign Office have been indifferent to the Modi governments concerns, Indian officials said. People familiar with the matter said the Narendra Modi government is waiting for the British Government to act. While Indias QUAD partners US and Australia have taken action against the extremist followers of Pannu and Amritpal Singh, the UK and Canada governments have been more tardy in their approach, the officials cited above added, and said that this could affect bilateral relations. Prime accused Avtar Khanda, who has been named in the Delhi Police FIR along with others, comes from a family of radicals -- his father was involved in the so-called Khalistan movement and his mother is related to Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala, a KLF leader with strong links to Pakistani deep state. He took the student visa route to enter the UK and then managed to get political asylum in that country. Subsequently, he became a presenter in UK-based separatist channel KTV along with Jagjeet Singh Jeeta, and continued to push his separatist agenda. The KTV was shut down by British Telecom Regulator Ofcom after the Indian diaspora filed thousands of complaints against the radical agenda promoted by the separatist channel. Khanda claims association with SAD (Amritsar), headed by Simarjit Singh Mann, but in the UK, the officials cited above added, the lines between the Pakistani deep state, separatist organisations seeking a Sikh state in India, and others, often blurred. The Thursday dialogue between Doval and Barrow is expected to be candid and blunt as the Modi government has all plans to make Britain accountable for its inaction against extremists. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Salman Khurshid on Wednesday said that the party will appeal against Rahul Gandhi's conviction in the sessions court and if not satisfied, they'll go to the High Court and to the Supreme Court as well. Rahul Gandhi was convicted in a 2019 defamation case and was sentenced to two years in jail. While the court granted bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him appeal against the verdict, Gandhi lost his Lok Sabha seat and was asked vacate his official bungalow 12, Tughlaq Lane in New Delhi. (Also Read | On video of Rahul Gandhi 'ignoring' Karti Chidambaram, Congress says, How jobless) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arrives at the Parliament House to attend the meeting of Congress MPs from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha at the CPP office.(ANI) Reacting to the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as a Lok Sabha member and the eviction notice of the Housing Committee of the lower house, Khurshid said, "We will appeal in sessions court and if we are not satisfied we will go to the High Court and to the Supreme court as well. We are sure that we will get relief." We will not let Rahul Gandhi leave his official residence. He has been asked to vacate the home because he is not willing to succumb and wants a discussion on Adani's issue. Congress has been demanding the constitution of a joint parliamentary committee to probe the embattled Adani Group after US short seller Hindenburg Research accused it of stock manipulation and accounting fraud. While Congress has claimed that Gandhi's disqualification was directly linked to his speech in Lok Sabha targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Adani issue, the BJP said the former Congress chief was "a habitual loose cannon". (Also Read | 'If tomorrow I am convicted, will BJP...': Himanta Biswa Sarma on Rahul Gandhi) The BJP has also been trying to coroner Rahul Gandhi over his recent remarks in London where he raised concerns over the state of democracy in India. While delivering a lecture at Cambridge University in London, Rahul Gandhi said, Everybody knows and it's been in the news a lot that Indian democracy is under pressure and under attack. I am an Opposition leader in India, we are navigating that (Opposition) space. The institutional framework which is required for a democracy; Parliament, free press, the judiciary, just the idea of mobilisation, moving around all are getting constrained. So, we are facing an attack on the basic structure of Indian democracy. Talking about Gandhi's remark regarding the country's democracy, Khurshid said, Nobody can complain about what Rahul Gandhi said in a University in England. Even then he was ready to explain himself in parliament but isn't allowed to and then he was expelled from the parliament. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Congress on Thursday thanked Germany for "taking note" of Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Parliament as the Lok Sabha MP, while the Bharatiya Janata Party slammed the opposition party for allegedly celebrating the reactions from Germany and the US remarks over the issue. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.(PTI file) Germany said on Wednesday the standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles should apply in the case of opposition Congress leader Rahul Gandhi following his disqualification as a Lok Sabha MP after his conviction in a defamation case. A spokesperson for the German foreign ministry said the government had taken note of the verdict of first instance against Rahul Gandhi and the suspension of his parliamentary mandate. This was the first response by Germany or any other European country on the case of Gandhi. The comments by the German foreign ministrys spokesperson came close on the heels of US state department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel saying that the US is tracking Gandhis case in Indian courts. Watch: Germany lectures India on Rahul Gandhi's case; 'Standards of judicial independence...' | Watch Taking to Twitter, Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh said, "Thank you German Foreign Affairs Ministry and Richard Walker for taking note of how the Democracy is being compromised in India through the persecution of Rahul Gandhi." Actor-turned-Congress leader Nagma said the party is thankful to the German foreign ministry for taking note of the development. We r thankful to Germanys foreign Ministry who took note of #DemocracyDisqualified is new normal in India since ModiRegime. People r unable to hv decent conversations anymore thr r bitter arguments these days as 1 spks on politics policies thr isnt any civil dialogue anymore, she tweeted. The BJP, however, came down heavily on the Congress and Rahul Gandhi for allegedly inviting foreign powers for interference into Indias internal matters. Thank you Rahul Gandhi for inviting foreign powers for interference into Indias internal matters. Remember, Indian Judiciary can't be influenced by foreign interference. India won't tolerate 'foreign influence' anymore because our Prime Minister is:- Shri @narendramodi Ji, Union minister Kiren Rijiju tweeted. BJP national spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill alleged that the Congress celebrating Germany and US remarks on Rahul Gandhis case shows their political desperation. Rejected by Indian voters now looking for acceptance by foreign powers is sad reality of Congress! Judiciary must take note of daily maligning of courts by Congress brigade! Shergill tweeted. Gandhi, the MP from Wayanad constituency in Kerala, was disqualified after being convicted in a case filed over his remarks about people with the surname Modi. He had made the comments during an election campaign rally in Karnataka in 2019. Gandhi is currently free on bail. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON More than 300 lawyers of the Supreme Court and high courts criticised Union law minister Kiren Rijiju for his recent statement that some retired judges are part of an anti-India gang. Union minister of law and justice Kiren Rijiju.(ANI file) In an open letter, the lawyers on Wednesday demanded that the Union minister should withdraw the comments. We, the undersigned lawyers practising in diverse courts around the nation, deprecate the unwarranted attack launched against retired judges of the Supreme Court of India by Union Law Minister Shri Kiren Rijiju, at a conclave telecast live by a media house. The allegations of anti-nationalism against people who have dedicated their lives to upholding the rule of law, and the naked threat of reprisals against them, marks a new low in the public discourse of our great nation, the letter reads. The letter referred to Rijiju's statement at the India Today Conclave in New Delhi on March 18 where he had raised what the minister called a calibrated effort to undermine the Indian judiciary and turn it against the government. Recently, there was a seminar on the accountability of judges. But somehow the entire seminar became about how the executive is affecting the judiciary. It is a few of the retired judges - maybe three or four - a few of those activists, part of the anti-India gang. These people are trying to make the Indian judiciary play the role of the opposition party. How can these people openly say the Indian judiciary (should) take the government head on? Rijiju had said. Replying to a question on the action taken by the government in this regard, he said, Agencies will take action as per the provisions of law. Nobody will escape. Those who have worked against the country will have to pay a price for that. Among the 323 signatories include senior advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Kapil Sibal, Arvind Datar, Iqbal Chagla, Janak Dwarakadas, Sri Hari Aney, Raju Ramachandran, Dushyant Dave, Indira Jaising, Rajshekhar Rao, and Sanjay Singhvi. Condemning the remarks by saying that the law minister pointedly threatened the retired Supreme Court judges and he transgressed all limits of constitutional propriety, the letter added that Rijiju is sworn to uphold and bear true allegiance to the Constitution and as a minister of law and justice. It is his duty to protect the judicial system, the judiciary, and the judges, both past and present," it read. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A top military conference, which began in Bhopal on Thursday and will be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 1, will bring into sharp focus Indias renewed push for theaterisation for the best use of its militarys resources to fight future wars, the operational readiness of the armed forces in the backdrop of the lingering border row with China, and the progress in achieving self-reliance in the defence manufacturing sector, officials familiar with the matter said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (ANI/PIB) Read here: PM Modi reviews new parliament construction during surprise visit The three-day Combined Commanders Conference is based on the theme Ready, Resurgent, Relevant. During the conference, deliberations will be held over a varied spectrum of issues pertaining to national security, including jointness and theaterisation in the armed forces, the PMO said in a statement. Preparation of the armed forces and progress in defence ecosystem towards attaining Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) will also be reviewed. Theaterisation, operational readiness of the armed forces and self-reliance are the most important issues for the armed forces at the moment. We can expect forward movement in all these areas as the PM is himself providing the directions to make the armed forces stronger, said Air Marshal Anil Chopra (retd), director general, Centre for Air Power Studies. Those taking part in the conference include defence minister Rajnath Singh, the chief of defence staff, the three service chiefs, and top commanders of the armed forces. Personnel below officer rank (PBOR) will also take part in conference. Inclusive and informal interaction will also be held with soldiers, sailors and airmen from army, navy and air force who will contribute to the deliberations, the PMO said. PBOR took part in the Combined Commanders Conference for the first time in 2021 when it was held at Kevadia in Gujarat and attended by the PM. The conference comes at a time when the government is pushing a bill in Parliament to empower the commanders of tri-services organisations to take action against service personnel of any of the three services -- serving under existing or future joint commands or institutions -- to ensure discipline and effective discharge of duties. The existing legal framework of the armed forces has its limitations when it comes to tri-services matters as officers of one particular service lack the authority to exercise disciplinary and administrative powers over personnel belonging to another service. For instance, a three-star general heading a joint command cannot take action against air force or navy personnel serving under him. Military personnel are currently governed by the respective laws of the three services , the Army Act, 1950, the Air Force Act, 1950, and the Navy Act, 1957. The Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control and Discipline) Bill, 2023, also seeks to empower the government to notify the setting up of inter-services organisations, including joint services commands --a key goal of the ongoing theaterisation drive -- comprising units and personnel drawn from the three services, and placed under a commander-in-chief. Efforts to push theaterisation have gathered steam again after General Anil Chauhan took over as CDS in September 2022; the momentum was hit after his predecessor, General Bipin Rawat, died in a helicopter crash in December 2021. The theaterisation model being pursued under General Rawat sought to set up four integrated commands -- two land-centric theatres, an air defence command and a maritime theatre command. This, however, is being reworked on the back of the Indian Air Forces reservations about the joint structures that were earlier under consideration. The armed forces have 17 single-service commands spread across the country. The army and air force have seven commands each, while the navy has three. Creating theatres would involve merging the existing commands. Read here: You will conquer the world: Karnataka farmer kisses PM Modi's pic| Video The situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China is also expected to be discussed during the conference, the officials said. Despite four rounds of disengagement from Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso, Gogra (PP-17A) and Hot Springs (PP-15), the Indian and Chinese armies still have more than 60,000 troops each and advanced weaponry deployed in the Ladakh theatre. The Indian and Chinese armies have held 17 rounds of talks so far, but problems at Depsang in Daulet Beg Oldi sector and Charding Nullah Junction (CNJ) in Demchok sector are still on the negotiating table. The two sides have been locked in a standoff for almost three years. On March 14, India announced the setting up of a top-level panel to fast-track infrastructure projects in areas close to LAC. The projects being executed in forward areas involve several ministries including defence; road transport and highways; environment, forest and climate change; railways and communications, and power and new and renewable energy. The secretaries of these ministries will be part of the new committee. Self-reliance in defence will figure prominently on the conferences agenda, the officials said on a day the defence ministry signed contracts worth 32,100 crore for buying indigenous military hardware to boost the capabilities of the armed forces. India has earmarked 75% of this years defence capital procurement budget for buying weapons and systems from local manufacturers, a move aimed at unlocking new opportunities for achieving self-reliance targets and ramping up the countrys defence exports. The share of the domestic sector in the defence budget was never higher. India set aside 68% of the militarys capital acquisition budget for making indigenous purchases in 2022-23, 64% in 2021-22, and 58% in 2020-21. Around 1 lakh crore has been set aside for domestic procurement this year, compared to 84,598 crore, 70,221 crore and 51,000 crore in the three previous years. Read here: Will an Indian spokesperson comment on Germanys internal issues? Apart from creating a separate budget for buying locally made military hardware, the government has taken a raft of steps to promote self-reliance in the defence manufacturing sector including increasing foreign direct investment (FDI) from 49% to 74%, and notifying hundreds of weapons and systems that cannot be imported. Chandigarh/AMRITSAR: Punjab Police stepped up their manhunt for Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh nearly 48 hours after he appeared to have given them the slip once again, being spotted in a Hoshiarpur village on Tuesday evening before going untraceable. Special teams have also been sent to Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, taking into account the possibility that Amritpal Singh could have slipped out of Punjab. (PTI) Meanwhile, a day after Amritpal issued a video message breaking his silence over the crackdown on him and his aides, a purported audio message of his surfaced on social media on Thursday. In the audio message, Amritpal can be heard asking the Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh to call a Sarbat Khalsa (Sikh congregation) to prove that he (the jathedar) is the head of the community. Hours later, a second video was widely shared on Facebook in which the radical leader can be seen repeating what he said in the audio clip. HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the audio and the video clip. Some are saying that the video was shot by police in custody. There are allegations that the cops have made me say things on the video, and this is not my style of speaking. I want to make it clear that I am not in custody. I am not habitual to making videos or facing the camera, and the second thing is that on the day the video was shot my health was not good, Amritpal said and rubbished reports that he had set conditions for his surrender. I have raised no demand before the police, as some reports are saying. I did not say anything about it. I have not put any conditions. I urged the jathedar to call a Sarbat Khalsa to prove he was the head of the community. There should be no politics in this, as it is the time for our qaum (community) to unite, he said in the messages. Special teams have also been sent to Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, taking into account the possibility that the pro-Khalistan leader could have slipped out of Punjab. According to officials involved in the search operation, Amritpal was travelling from Hoshiarpur to Phagwara on Tuesday when the location of a mobile number temporarily used by him was tapped by police. A police team chased Amritpals vehicle but he managed to dodge them, driving towards Marnaiyan Kalan village and abandoning the car at a dead end, officials said. Amritpal, who was travelling with his associate Papalpreet Singh and one other person, disappeared after crossing the wall of a gurdwara, a police officer involved in the hunt said. Officials involved in the probe said the video clip that surfaced on Wednesday was uploaded on social media from a UK-based IP address. Police did not comment on the matter on the record. Queries to DIG Jalandhar Swapan Sharma, SSP Amritsar Rural Satinder Singh and SSP Jalandhar Rural Mukhwinder Bhullar went unanswered. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Centre on Tuesday informed the Parliament that the current police-public ratio in the country stood at 152.80 per lakh persons. MoS in the ministry of home affairs Nityanand Rai (File Photo) In a written reply to the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) legislator Chandrani Murmu, the ministry of home affairs stated that as per data from the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), the ratio was registered 196.23 as per sanctioned strength as on 1st January 2022. The state with the highest number of police personnel was Nagaland, according to the ministry, with around 1189.33 police personnel per lakh of the population, as against the sanctioned 1212.39 personnel. Also Read: Centre reduces number of places under AFSPA in the northeast According to the data, Bihar recorded the lowest police-public ratio, with only 75.16 police personnel per lakh of the population. The ministry said that the other two states with low police-public ratios were West Bengal (97.66) and Rajasthan (120.39). Data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) showed that in 2013, Indias police-public ratio was 138 police personnel per lakh of the population. Union minister Nityanand Rai told the parliament that the recruitment of police personnel is a state subject, however, the Centre has issued advisories to the state in a timely manner, so as to bring reforms in the police administration. Recruitment is a continuous process. So far, as the shortage of police personnel is concerned, the vacancies in the service are caused due to factors such as retirement, resignation, death, removal from service etc, said Rai. In Uttar Pradesh, the sanctioned strength of police per lakh population is 181.75 and the actual strength is 133.86, Gujarat 174.39 (sanctioned) and 127.82 (actual), Madhya Pradesh 147.23 (sanctioned) and 121.76 (actual), Maharashtra 186.36 (sanctioned) and 136.45 (actual), Odisha 147.76 (sanctioned) and 122.59 (actual), Rajasthan 139.81 (sanctioned) and 120.39 (actual), Tamil Nadu 171.95 (sanctioned) and 154.25 (actual), as per the BPR&D data. Also Read: 1,135 MPs, MLAs from Karnataka have criminal cases against them since 2004: ADR According to a 2018 survey of 15,562 respondents across 22 states on perceptions about policing, the Lokniti team at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) found that less than 25% of Indians trust the police highly (as compared to 54% for the army). The sanctioned strength of the police across states was around 2.8 million in 2017 but only 1.9 million police officers were employed (a 30% vacancy rate). Luanda The levels of production of various goods in the country will make it possible to overcome the weak exports to the United States of America (USA), under the Growth and Opportunity for Africa (AGOA) mechanism, said Tuesday the minister of Industry and Trade, Victor Fernandes. According to the minister, the Angolan business sector has taken little advantage of AGOA, a mechanism that allows African countries to export to the US, with exemption or extremely low rates. For this purpose, there is a need for technical assistance and training of the national entrepreneurs, in matters related to the non-tariff barriers existing in the American market, which appear to be the biggest obstacle for national operators. Speaking during the action "Capacity Building Training on the Export Process, under the AGOA Framework", promoted by the Angolan Private Investment and Export Promotion Agencies (AIPEX) and the American Agency for International Development (USAID), Victor Fernandes pointed out that AGOA is a fundamental instrument for Angola to reach sustainable development in the short term. "Angola has more than six thousand products eligible for export to the U.S., but, for technical reasons, this transaction is residual in AGOA. Therefore, it is important to strengthen the role of the commercial attaches, create a favourable environment for the private sector, and assume the execution of the AGOA program," explained the minister. Thus, he continued, it is necessary to strengthen qualified manpower, the productive capacity, improve quality, in order to meet the demands of the North American market. On the occasion, the representative of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), William Butterfield, said that AGOA offers enormous opportunities for Africa, particularly for Angola, but it takes knowledge to overcome the apparent technical barriers. Therefore, clarified the American official, USAID, in partnership with AIPEX, will provide to Angolan businesspersons advisory and technical training opportunities with sustainable solutions for the best use of this trade mechanism. He said the USA will continue to support Angola's efforts to diversify its economy. On his turn, AIPEX director, Jose Sala, considered incipient the export of national products, particularly in the field of agriculture. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Angola Governance AGOA By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "Only two companies export to the United States of America, being one of coffee and the other of processed food products", revealed the manager of AIPEX. The administrator believes that the low volume of exports to the U.S. is linked to the high level of demand for product quality and technical barriers of non-tariff, a fact that discourages national entrepreneurs. Therefore, he went on to explain, it is necessary to provide Angolan entrepreneurs with the knowledge on how to export to the USA. USAID supports activities to improve the economic environment at the macro and micro level. It also supports the Agriculture Development and Finance Program. AGOA is a mechanism that allows countries in sub-Saharan Africa to have eligible products to help grow, diversify their exports to the United States, in agriculture, industry, energy and construction. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday took a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was recently disqualified as a Lok Sabha MP after he was convicted for a two-year term in a criminal defamation case, claiming that he neither has knowledge about the country nor its policies, and that he has become "Rahu" (ill-fated) for the grand-old party. The Madhya Pradesh chief minister said that the former Wayand MP is arrogant.(HT_PRINT) Rahul Gandhi is such a leader who neither has knowledge about the country nor the national policies. Gandhi ji, the country runs on the Constitution, not on the words. The people of the country know that the Congress is the problem for the country and the Congress's problem is Rahul Gandhi," Chouhan was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. Also read | 'Went to US when Manmohan Singh was PM, was asked...': BJP leader's jab at Cong Gandhi has become 'Rahu' (ill-fated) for the Congress. That's why Amrit Kaal is going on in the whole country but 'Rahukaal' is going on in the Congress, he said. Chouhan added that the slave leaders of the Gandhi-Nehru family (referring to Congressmen) are determined to forcefully make Rahul a national leader, while the truth is that Rahul Gandhi is the most unsuccessful, weakest, irresponsible, careless leader of the Gandhi-Nehru family, Chouhan said. Read | Germany reacts to Rahul Gandhi case: Judicial independence and The Madhya Pradesh chief minister said that the former Wayand MP is arrogant and has been insulting the OBC community by not apologising for the Modi surname remark despite the court order, as he knows that the backward classes cannot challenge him. The senior BJP leader alleged that it had been the history of the Congress that it neither respect the decisions of the court against its leaders, nor ever respected Dalits or backward people. There were many examples of the same. The whole country knows how late Rajiv Gandhi overturned the decision of the Supreme Court in the Shah Bano case. Besides, the country has seen how a leader like Sitaram Kesari was treated with disdain during his last days, even his belongings were thrown on the streets. In such a situation, it cannot be expected from Rahul Gandhi that he will respect the judicial system or respect the backward classes and backward society, Chouhan said. (With inputs from agency) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON PATNA: A Bihar special court on Thursday summoned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to record his statement on April 12 in a criminal defamation case filed against him by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushil Kumar Modi for a remark he made ahead of the 2019 national polls about the Modi surname. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at a news conference after he was disqualified on Friday as a lawmaker at the partys headquarter in New Delhi (Reuters File Photo) Additional chief judicial magistrate Adi Dev issued the order under Section 313 of the Code of Criminal Procedure that empowers the court to summon the accused to record their statement, said SD Sanjay, who is appearing for former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi. The court has already recorded statements of Sushil Modi, former minister-cum-Bankipur MLA Nitin Navin, Digha MLA Sanjiv Chaurasia and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha leader Manish Kumar as witnesses. The case was filed against Rahul Gandhi by Sushil Modi, accusing Gandhi of defaming the Modi community at a rally in Karnatakas Kolar in the runup to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname? Gandhi was quoted to have said. Sushil Modis counsel SD Sanjay on Thursday while talking with HT, confirmed that the court has issued summon against Rahul to record his statement under section 313 of CrPC. He told HT that Rahul Gandhi was granted bail on July 6, 2019. On March 23, Gandhi was convicted by a Surat court in a defamation case filed by former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi over the same remark. The following day, he was disqualified by the Lok Sabha secretariat from holding membership of the House. Sanjay explained the status of the case at the Patna court. After the process to record the statements of the witness side was completed, the prosecution evidence has been closed. The court fixed the date on April 12 for the appearance of Rahul Gandhi for his statement, he said. There was no confirmation from the Bihar Congress or Rahul Gandhis legal team if he will be able to be in Patna on April 12 or if he will request the court for another date. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished people on the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami on Thursday and said the life of Lord Ram will be an inspiration for humanity in every era. Prime Minister Narendra Modi.(PTI) "'Maryada Purushottam' Lord Ram's life was based on sacrifice, tapasya, restraint and resolve," Modi tweeted on the occasion of the festival celebrated to mark His birth anniversary. President Droupadi Murmu also extended her greeting via Twitter and wrote: "Let us internalise the ideals of Maryada Purushottam Lord Ram in every sphere of our life, and dedicate ourselves to make India a glorious nation". Home minister Amit Shah said that everyone should learn from Lord Ram to have patience and a sense of kindness even in critical situations. Best wishes to everyone on the great festival of Ram Navami. Maryada Purushottam Prabhu Shri Ram, along with walking on the path of religion and truth, taught the world to have patience and a sense of kindness even in critical situations. May Lord Shri Ram shower his blessings on everyone, he wrote on the microblogging site. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted, Best wishes of Ram Navami to all the countrymen. I hope this auspicious festival brings happiness and prosperity in everyone's life. Ram Navami is a Hindu festival that is celebrated in order to honour the birth of Lord Vishnu's incarnation, Lord Rama. This day marks the end of the nine-day Chaitra-Navratri celebrations, which are celebrated in the Hindu month of Chaitra which falls on the cusp of spring and summer. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Supreme Court will take up disqualified Samajwadi Party assembly member Abdullah Azam Khans petition related to a stay on his conviction on April 5 even as the Election Commission of India (ECI) has scheduled the by-poll to the Suar seat in Uttar Pradeshs Rampur he represented. The Supreme Court. (ANI) A bench of justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna on Wednesday ordered serving a copy of the petition to Uttar Pradesh. Khan moved the court over his conviction in a 2008 case in which he was found guilty under Indian Penal Codes Section 353 related to assaulting or using criminal force against a public servant. A trial court sentenced him to two-year imprisonment, the maximum punishment under this provision on February 13. Khan was disqualified from the state assembly two days after the conviction. On Wednesday, the ECI announced the by-poll for his vacant seat will be held on April 13. Senior advocate Vivek Tankha, who represented Khan, argued the conviction cannot be sustained as his client was just 15 years old in 2018. I could not be convicted, Tankha said. In his petition, Khan said his conviction requires to be stayed as it will lead to his irreversible unseating as a lawmaker which cannot be undone even if the conviction is to be finally overturned. A sessions court refused to stay Khans conviction on February 28 and prompted him to move the Allahabad high court. On March 17, the high court issued a notice asking the Uttar Pradesh government to respond to Khans plea. Khan later moved the Supreme Court against the direction. The Supreme Court asked Khan to apprise the high court of the ECIs move to seek an early hearing on his petition. The clandestine influence operation launched by people with false credentials and claiming to be from Singapore-based institutions was wider than earlier thought and covered journalists from more news outlets and leading think tanks in New Delhi, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday. Authorities in Singapore have already established that at least two of the people who contacted many Indians - claiming to work at SIIA do not exist.(HT_PRINT) After HT reported about the operation on Tuesday, the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) which was named by one of the individuals who approached Indian journalists and researchers said on Thursday that it takes the issue of fraud very seriously. SIIA also cautioned people to be vigilant about suspicious communications. Authorities in Singapore have already established that at least two of the people who contacted many Indians Julia Chia, a senior programme manager with National University of Singapore (NUS), and Jian Qiang Wong, a researcher at SIIA do not exist. Following the publication of HTs report, those operating the Twitter account for Julia Chia changed the identity to Selina and protected its tweets, though the Twitter handle remained the same. Also Read| China's attempts to alter status quo on LAC affected bilateral relationship: MEA Indian security officials have said the influence operation has all the hallmarks of similar moves by Chinese operatives in several other countries. Besides reaching out to journalists and researchers who focus on Indias relations with China and Japan and the Indo-Pacific region, Chia and Wong also approached reporters covering defence and security issues at leading newspapers with similar offers to pay up to $400 for analytical pieces on strategic issues. Approaches were also made to researchers at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, which is funded by the defence ministry and trains government officials, though people familiar with the matter said none of those known to have been approached had responded to messages from Chia. It is also understood that Chia exchanged messages with a handful of retired military officials. The people behind the operation had also changed tack in recent weeks while Chia and others initially sent emails from Gmail and Yahoo accounts, several more recent emails used what appeared to be official email IDs. For instance, emails sent by one Selina Yee, who claimed to be from Singapore-based Kerry Consulting, came from the ID selinayee@kerryconsult.com. However, genuine email IDs of Kerry Consulting end with kerryconsulting.com. Like Chia and Wong, Selina Yee contacted Indian journalists about writing analytical articles for leading decision-makers and clients of the consulting firm. SIIA said in a statement posted on its website that individuals posing as researchers employed by the institute had reached out to overseas journalists to propose collaborations along with offers of payment. The SIIA wishes to clarify that the Institute does not convey official correspondence over social media platforms, especially with those with whom we have no prior relationship, it said. The SIIA takes the issue of fraud very seriously. We urge everyone to remain vigilant against such suspicious communications, the statement said, adding SIIA had reported the matter to social media platforms and will continue to actively monitor such fake profiles. Several assessments by Indian security agencies have suggested China has been using various means to push its narrative on issues such as Chinas role in global development, its increasing military influence, claims in the South China Sea, Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) or attempts to create a negative sentiment against India in the neighbourhood, according to senior counter-intelligence officials who closely track Beijings activities. We often get information about China, directly or indirectly, trying to influence policy-makers, think tanks and journalists to sway the popular narrative in its favour. One such area is China attempting to enter Buddhist think tanks and using money to influence thinking against Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama, said a person engaged in counter-intelligence who didnt want to be named. Chinas first and foremost goal is to control the intelligentsia through funding so that a particular ideology is promoted in India, which improves Chinas image. Sometimes, anti-India narrative has been pushed with the help of research institutes and articles published by journalists, he said. There is no dearth of funds for these subversive activities within the Chinese government, said a second officer. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday hit out at the Congress over foreign interference in our affairs after Member of Parliament (MP) Digvijaya Singh thanked the German foreign ministry for taking note of how democracy is being compromised in India through the persecution of Rahul Gandhi. Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman. (PTI) Apparent that @INCIndia wants foreign interference in our affairs. Sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Communist Party of China with opaque contents. During interactions abroad, plead for help to change government. Thank them when help forthcoming. Any more proof needed? Sitharaman quote-tweeted news agency ANIs tweet on Singhs tweet. A spokesperson for the German foreign ministry earlier said they have taken note of a Gujarat courts verdict in a criminal defamation case that led to Rahul Gandhis disqualification as an MP. Chennai: A day after a victim of alleged custodial torture by suspended IPS officer Balveer Singh turned hostile saying that he fell down and broke his tooth, another victim in Tamil Nadu said on Thursday that he was pressured by the police to say the same One of the victims says he was pressured to deny the claims of getting tortured police custody. (Representational Image) An auto driver Vetha Narayanan, speaking to HT over phone, said that a police constable called to meet him around 1.30pm on Wednesday near a jewellery shop in Ambasamudram in Tirunelveli district. He told me to retract (on the complaint) and give it in writing that I fell down and broke my tooth, Narayanan said. The the constable could not be reached out for his comment Amid a marital dispute, his wife had filed a complaint against him in the Ambasamudram police station, so when Narayanan was called on March 23, he said that Singh tortured him in custody. He pulled out one tooth and I started feeling dizzy so he stomped on me and left me, says Narayanan. The police constable told me that since he is an IPS officer, I should be sensible and not complain against him. The police said that they will do whatever I ask for and my life will be settled. But I said I wont lie and ran away because more police started gathering. They couldnt do anything to me because it was a public place. I took my auto on the interior roads and escaped. Singh, a 2020-batch officer, in his first posting as assistant superintendent of police in Tirunelveli district, has been accused of pulling the teeth of several men and crushing testicles of two men inside the Ambasamudram police station. Even while chief minister M K Stalin said that he has ordered the suspension of Singh, one of the victims, Surya did a volte face saying that he fell down and broke his tooth. Mohamed Shabbir Alam, the sub-collector and sub-divisional magistrate of Cheranmahadevi, who is probing the case, put out a notice on Thursday for those affected by custodial torture to submit written petitions to him before April 10. One of the victims, Subhash, On Thursday submitted a written statement that Singh pulled out four of his teeth using a cutting plier. He showed his meeting teeth to reporters following the enquiry. Im scared now that the police will harm me further because I have given a written statement. So if anything happens to me or my family, the police are responsible, said Subhash. They (police) gave me money saying its for my treatment and told me to ask them for more should I require. The alleged custodial torture came to light after three men -- E Esakimuthu, his younger brother Chellapa and their relative Arul -- spoke in a video of the brutality they suffered under Singh on March 10. Chellappa who submitted his statement on Thursday also added that they are afraid that police will be vengeful. There is no guarantee for our life when we go to the police station to sign for our conditional bail everyday, he said. He added that their plight has become like that of Jayaraj and Bennicks who died inside police custody in 2021 in Santhakumar in Thoothukudi district which shocked the country. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday filed a chargesheet in Udhampur blast case against two terror operatives of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror outfit, said officials. Police personnel gather near a site where a blast occured in an empty bus parked at a bus stand in this file image. (ANI file photo| Arun Jasrotia) Following thorough investigations into the Udhampur IED blast cases by the LeT through their Pakistan based handlers, NIA filed a chargesheet against 2 LeT operatives today, said an official spokesperson. Mohammad Aslam Sheikh alias Adil and Mohammad Amin Bhat alias Abu Khubaib alias Pinna have been charged for their efforts towards revival of terrorist activities in Jammu by carrying out recruitments from the pool of OGWs (overground workers) and surrendered terrorists and activating and motivating them to carry out terrorist acts, he added. NIA had taken over investigations into the case on November 15 last year from Jammu and Kashmir Police. Also Read:Unknown Pak-based terror outfit behind Udhampur blasts, says NIA NIA investigations revealed that Mohammad Aslam Sheikh was in touch with Mohammad Amin Bhat, an individual terrorist of the LeT listed by the government of India, who was now operating from Pakistan. Pinna recruited Adil to carry out the two IED blasts on buses parked in the public areas of Udhampur district, which had inflicted injuries to two persons, he added. Pinna was initially a resident of Doda district. He escaped to Pakistan in 2009 and is presently an active LeT handler, who is playing a vital role to revive and accelerate terrorist activities in the Jammu region, he said. Adil collected the explosives consignment delivered by Pinnas associates from across the border in Kathua sector. Pinna used drones and a dead drop method for this delivery. Pinna trained Adil in cyberspace on how to prime the IEDs. On September 28, Adil planted two IEDs in two different buses, which were plying between Basantgarh and Udhampur. One blast took place around midnight on September 28 and the other in the early hours of September 29, he said. After his arrest, Adil made disclosures about hoarding explosives for future attacks. Two more IEDs, three sticky bombs, three detonators and two PTD timers were recovered from Adils residence. These were part of the consignment that was delivered from Pakistan, the spokesperson added. NIA filed a chargesheet on March 28 against the duo under sections 120B, 121A, 122, 307 and 407 of IPC, sections 3 and 4 of the explosives substances act, 1908 and sections 16, 18, 18B, 20, 23, 38 and 39 of the UA (P) Act, 1967. A productive workspace is one where a person may work uninhibitedly without feeling overburdened or distracted because when working to finish tasks and achieve your goals, productivity is essential. A decent workspace has enough room for you to spread out your work and arrange any necessary tools, such as a computer, keyboard and monitor where cleaning up extra clutter also increases productivity in your desk and being in an open environment while working gives you more freedom. Minimalist office spaces: Interior decor, design tips to create a clean and efficient workspace (Photo by ergonofis on Unsplash) Minimalist office spaces have become increasingly popular in recent years, as people seek to simplify their lives and eliminate clutter and the concept of minimalism is centered around the idea of living with only the essentials and removing anything that is unnecessary. When it comes to creating a minimalist office space, the same principles apply. A minimalist office space is clean, efficient and clutter-free and it allows you to focus on your work without distractions and promotes productivity. Here are some tips on how to create a clean and efficient workspace: The first step in creating a minimalist office space is to start with a clean slate. This means removing everything from your office and starting fresh. Go through your office and decide what items you need and what items you can get rid of. Remove anything that is not necessary and leave only the necessities. in creating a minimalist office space is to start with a clean slate. This means removing everything from your office and starting fresh. Go through your office and decide what items you need and what items you can get rid of. Remove anything that is not necessary and leave only the necessities. Choose a minimalist desk - In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Ashish Aggarwal, Director at Indo Innovation, shared, The right setup can help you create a workspace where you can work in comfort. Invest in ergonomic furniture of the highest calibre to enable you to sit comfortably without experiencing physical strain. Make sure your desk has adequate lighting to reduce eye fatigue. Keep windows open since natural light can enhance your mood while you are in the space. Another vital thing to think about is a desk with the necessary electrical devices. Make sure the desk has enough storage so you can put things away as you finish them and have a tidy workspace. He added The desk is the focal point of any office space, so it's important to choose one that fits the minimalist aesthetic. Look for a desk that is simple and streamlined, with clean lines and minimal details. Avoid desks with drawers and other unnecessary features that can clutter up your workspace. Add a light fragrance - Ridhima Kansal, Director at Rosemoore, revealed, Certain scents can trigger reactions in the brain, such as boosting productivity or promoting a peaceful feeling. Citrus scents, for instance, can improve one's ability to think clearly, while peppermint and cinnamon scents can increase one's capacity for attention, focus, and vitality. For a subtle aroma at your office, add a few drops of essential oil to a diffuser, or apply diluted oil with a rollerball to your neck. She emphasised, "It is crucial to take into account the preferences and sensitivities of employees while employing aromas and fragrances in the workplace. Some people may be allergic or have adverse reactions to certain scents, so it's best to test them in a small area before using them throughout the entire workspace. Location of the workspace - Bringing his expertise to the same, Nakul Mathur, MD at Avanta India, said, Workplaces should ideally be placed away from distracting areas like restrooms, break rooms, and other locations with a lot of people or loud noises.An effective workspace frequently provides enough room for you to roam around while still working, if necessary. Knowing where the air vents are also helps you avoid sitting near to one, which can exacerbate temperature changes and be a pain." In order to foster creativity at work, he underlined, "Create locations where employees can communicate and develop ideas. Your workspace can be equipped with collaborative whiteboards to enable others to add to or create new ideas. These message boards can be used by team members for fun conversation or artistic expression. Personal style - According to Raghunandan Saraf, Founder and CEO of Saraf Furniture, Giving workers the freedom to personalize their surroundings with their own designs can help team members build stronger bonds with one another. Personal objects displayed on a desk or wall can inspire new discussions about those items and aid peers in getting to know one another. Putting personal belongings on display might encourage collaboration by allowing you to see what you have in common with other people. He added, Shared workstations can maximise your office's space and enhance team communication, he continued. It will be simpler for you to collaborate with your coworkers to solve problems and come up with new ideas if you share a desk with them. Collaboration with others can boost motivation and facilitate task completion. In conclusion, creating a minimalist office space requires a few simple steps, including starting with a clean slate, decluttering, choosing a minimalist desk and storage solutions, keeping your desk clear, using neutral colors, and letting in natural light. By following these tips, you can create a clean and efficient workspace that promotes productivity and helps you stay focused on your work. April Fools' Day (April 1) is the perfect opportunity to add some fun and colour to the otherwise mundane life. The origins of the day that has been celebrated for centuries, especially in the western world, are not clear and some people say that it could be linked to vernal equinox - a time when people are fooled by sudden changes in the weather. The day is similar in spirit with Indian festival Holi where people take liberty with each other, pull pranks and laugh to their heart's content. If you happen to love the spirit of this festival, there are some pranks you can try on your family and friends on this day and beat your stress with some laughter therapy. April Fools' Day is celebrated every year on April 1(Freepik) 1. Place a bubble wrap underneath a rug as it is sure to make an unexpected noise that will take someone stepping on it by surprise. 2. Does your partner love their morning tea? Adding salt in it will act as the perfect shocker and while it may annoy them, you could remind them it's April 1. 3. Taking a cue from Hum Aapke Hain Koun, placing some papad, biscuits or chips under the bed sheet of the victim would make a crunchy sound when they sit on it. The shock will surely be followed by some laughter. 4. Use some old nail polish to colour a soap bar and after drying it, keep it back. The soap will not lather however hard a person may try. 5. Replace your kid's toothpaste with white, creamy and sweet vanilla frosting or cake decorating gel if they use a coloured tooth gel. This will surprise them without causing any discomfort. 6. You can pull this one on your partner. Before they go to sleep, put some balloons in their pillow cover. Try not to laugh till they discover what's wrong with their pillow. 7. Do not forget to include your kids in the April Fools' fun. Unwrap their chocolate and pack in a piece of brown cardboard resembling a chocolate. Before they are disappointed, give them a real chocolate. Follow more stories on Facebook & Twitter Luanda The provisional certification of Dr. Antonio Agostinho Neto International Airport, which is under construction in Luanda, is scheduled to happen in August this year, before the date of entry into operation of this new airport infrastructure, foreseen for November 2023. According to the new airport operations coordinator, Jose Nobrega, after the certification, which will be done by the National Civil Aviation Authority, the Angolan officials should publish the essential information to the international air navigation on September 7, which is the deadline for the publication of the aeronautical data. Speaking during the 8th edition of the CafeCIPRA biweekly rounds of discussions, held Tuesday in Luanda, the official noted that the certification process of this infrastructure aims fundamentally to inform the world the characteristics and the way to fly in Angola. On the occasion, the minister of Transportation, Ricardo D'Abreu, assured that the certification process of this airport is being duly taken care of, with the creation of all the conditions required internationally for this purpose. He said that this process takes place simultaneously with other activities underway on that project, with a view to making the airport fully operational. The new airport, named after the first president of Angola, Dr. Antonio Agostinho Neto, is a infrastructure located in the area of Bom Jesus, Municipality of Icolo and Bengo, in Luanda. It covers an area of 1,324 hectares and will have a capacity for 15 million passengers and a volume of goods of fifty thousand tons per year. 4 de Fevereiro Airport will remain operational As for the future of the current 4 de Fevereiro International Airport, in Luanda City, the minister of Transport, Ricardo D'Abreu, assured that this infrastructure will remain operational, serving another type of activities, such as aircraft maintenance, training of professionals or human resources training. "We have no plans to close or deactivate the 4 de Fevereiro International Airport, taking into account the size of the city of Luanda. Therefore, the facilities of this airport will remain in operation, with its proper certification and adequate operational and security conditions", he added. He also noted that the current airport will also serve to accommodate charter flights (a model of non-regular operation, without following predetermined schedules). China is witnessing a surge in temple tourism as hundreds of young people flock to Buddhist temples each weekend to unwind from daily pressures, Colombo Gazette reported. According to data from travel platforms in recent months, bookings for temple visits have more than tripled year-on-year, with young people accounting for half of those orders. The Lama Temple, a Buddhist worship site in Beijing, witnessed a daily average of over 40,000 visitors last week, according to domestic media reports.(Unsplash) According to data from Ctrip, an online ticketing platform in mainland China, since February, nearly 50 per cent of the people, who booked tickets for temple spots, are young Chinese born after the nineties becoming the main force of temple tourism. The data shows that ticket bookings for temple-related visits have increased by 310 per cent yearly. Many believers among young Chinese are seeking a temporary escape from personal or professional worries as they have found a new way to unwind from the daily grind in these religious sites, according to local media reports, reported Colombo Gazette. Searches for temple visits have surged by 580 per cent this year, according to Ocean Engine, an online marketing service provider. On the lifestyle platform Xiaohongshu, there have been over 820,000 temple-goers posting anything from travelling tips to worshipping etiquette and deeming the tour a "heart-cleansing experience". The Lama Temple, a Buddhist worship site in Beijing, witnessed a daily average of over 40,000 visitors last week, according to domestic media reports. The capital's Wofo Temple has also gone viral, primarily due to its similar obeisance to the word "offer," as students and young professionals flock to pray for school admissions and career advancements. However, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official media recently issued a statement criticizing young people for visiting temples instead of "struggling for communism". The CCP's official media, "Beijing News", published a commentary on March 21, saying that young people are facing much pressure nowadays, such as taking postgraduate entrance examinations, finding a good job, and getting rid of being single, Colombo Gazette reported. Under pressure, the young people sought a channel to release stress and transfer anxiety and chose a temple full of incense and solemn treasures. The article concluded that "it is unreliable to pray to gods and Buddhas after all". A week from now, Israelis will sit down to the seder meal of Passover to commemorate their emancipation from slavery in ancient Egypt, and recall how God made the plague pass harmlessly over their homes. There will be another reason to thank providence the unprecedented protests that have torn Israel apart for weeks, endangering both its internal integrity and its external security, have finally forced the government to hold off, at least temporarily, its proposed sweeping judicial reforms. PREMIUM Protesters block a road and hold national flags during a rally against the Israeli government's judicial reform in Tel Aviv, Israel on March 27, 2023. (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP)(AFP) This crisis that brought the country to a grinding halt shutting down even some of Israels embassies abroad has been long in the making and was allowed to mature by a persistent failure of governance. After the fifth election in less than four years, Benjamin Netanyahu, the once masterful politician now hobbled by criminal charges for corruption, took office for the sixth time last December. But this time, he survived only by clambering on to the float of religious and far-Right conservative parties. The coalition agreements signed by Netanyahu with these parties defined a hardline and annexationist agenda, including the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, a plan that would effectively bury the already comatose two-State solution. Crucial portfolios were traded over to ultra-nationalist and far-Right politicians; the most ironic of these appointments was Itamar Ben-Gvir, an extremist Right-wing settler politician with a history of open racism who was made minister of national security with expanded powers; inevitably tensions in the West Bank spiked, and the familiar circle of violence and counter-violence followed swiftly. Internally the coalition looked to strengthen the orthodox community. It considered a restriction of the prevailing law of return under which any person or their spouse who can claim at least one Jewish grandparent can immigrate to Israel even though they may not be strictly Jewish; such a restriction would impact immigration from the erstwhile Soviet Union states. Other aspects of liberal life in Israel, including LGBTQ+ rights, also came under threat. These moves angered not only the liberal Israelis but also hundreds of American rabbis, who signed letters opposing these plans. But what got Israel out on the streets was the governments proposed judicial overhaul. Israel has no written constitution and only a unicameral parliament; the relationship of the judiciary with the executive and legislature has been an unscripted one, evolved by practice over the years. The judiciary, largely controlled by members of the elite European or Ashkenazi community, has developed a liberal, secular image along with a reputation for activism, in some ways replacing Israels fading Left. Rising nationalist and religious forces find the Supreme Court (SC)s activism to be a hindrance in their efforts to mould Israel in their own vision, particularly when it comes to the questions of Israeli settlements or minority rights. The judiciary has also opposed the extension of privileges for the ultra-Orthodox Jews or the Haredim and ruled as unconstitutional the laws that would allow mass exemptions for the Haredim from compulsory military service in order to leave them free to engage in Torah studies. Secular Israelis feel the ultra-Orthodox community more than 10% of Israels population is a non-contributing burden on the countrys economy. Under the proposed reform, the government wanted to change the composition of the nine-member committee that appoints judges, and gain a decisive majority on the panel, effectively making the judiciary subservient to the executive. Additionally, the reforms targeted the SCs powers to strike down laws it considered unreasonable. Falling across all this was Netanyahus own long shadow, as a man trying to wriggle out of his criminal trial by muzzling the judiciary. The significance of the protests, which reached their climax when Netanyahu threatened to fire the defence minister for opposing the plan, lies in their widespread nature: Military reservists, former generals and intelligence chiefs and even veterans of the elite commando unit Sayeret Matkal (once commanded by Yoni Netanyahu, the PMs own brother, during the iconic Entebbe operation), were on the streets. The reason is that the protests are not just about judicial reforms; at stake is the Israeli way of life and the future direction of the country. The issues are by no means resolved; in Netanyahus own words this is just time-out for dialogue. But time will hopefully foster reflection. Israel is a country of great contradictions, a society of extreme nuance. The beaches and bars of Tel Aviv are only a few kilometres away from the Haredim bastion of Bnei Brak; varying shades of Jewish tradition from Europe to West Asia to Africa and even India rub shoulders on the tiny land; state-of-the-art industry jostles with ancient abstruse rituals. With Arabs comprising a fifth of its population, the country is forever trying to square the circle of being a Jewish State as well as a democracy. The conflict with the Palestinians is a festering wound; the remaking of relations with the Arab world is still tentative; the crucial relationship with the US is under stress. The countrys governance requires wisdom and vision, tolerance and balance: That is the only way to sustain the miracle of Israel. Navtej Sarna is a former ambassador of India to Israel and the United States as well as high commissioner to the United Kingdom The views expressed are personal At a news conclave on Wednesday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar made it clear that no foreign diplomat had raised the issue of disqualification of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi after a court conviction. He said: The law is the law, unless somebody thinks that the law is not for them. File photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. While the Opposition led by Congress is well within rights to milk the disqualification issue and try to put the blame on Narendra Modi government for political gains, the reaction of official spokespersons of US and then Germany on Rahul Gandhis disqualification raises the question on the locus standi of the two countries on a legal issue within India. Why should the media seek validation of Anglo-Saxon powers on internal issues of India and who are they to sit on judgement on a court judgement in the worlds largest democracy? While the US spokesperson merely replied to a question by stating that the State Department was following the issue, the German spokesperson went many steps ahead and in fact ended up giving legal options of filing an appeal to the conviction to the disqualified Congress MP. It was not so long ago that the German Foreign Minister gave unsolicited advice on Jammu and Kashmir in order to extract some leverage from Pakistan on Afghan refugees post takeover of Taliban, only to be brushed aside by the Modi government. She, however, chose her words carefully when she last visited India. Over the past decades, the standard operating procedure of foreign correspondents covering the Indian sub-continent particularly from Pakistan is to seek replies of the US State Department spokesperson on India-Pakistan bilateral relations and on events within India. And equally galling are the replies from joint secretary level officers on topics well outside their ambit with no concern or to their own countries. While one understands that diplomacy is a direct function of global political power of a country, only off late the Indian diplomacy under the Modi government has decided to level the playing field with the Anglo-Saxon west and unsolicited comments from Chinese diplomats. It was not too long ago that the Scandinavian countries with no locus standi were unilaterally involved in sorting out the Jammu and Kashmir issue by hosting track II dialogues and funding biased narratives. As the European country closest to China and Russia before the Ukraine war, Germany particularly has been trying to leverage with India on Jammu and Kashmir while funding Indian journalists' visit to their country to write on issues like the 2002 Gujarat riots and other communally sensitive issues. Despite repeated requests, Germany has refused to take action against Punjab separatists, who are raising funds to polarize the Indian diaspora abroad. While India stays clear from commenting on internal affairs of third countries, the German spokesperson has paved a path for retaliation on similar grounds as the country has a dark past written in blood of innocents. Will the Indian spokesperson next time comment on the changing German stance on the Ukraine war? SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Alphabet's Google Cloud has accused Microsoft of anti-competitive cloud computing practices and criticised imminent deals with European cloud vendors, saying these do not solve broader concerns about its licensing terms. Google and Microsoft- the two tech giants have long standing rivalry. Google Cloud Vice President Amit Zavery urged EU antitrust regulators to take a closer look at the issue. (ALSO READ: Microsoft to put ChatGPT AI model in Bing search engine to challenge Google) Google Cloud's first public comments on Microsoft and its EU deals underscores the rivalry between the two U.S. tech giants in the multi-billion-dollar cloud computing business where Google trails market leader Amazon and second-ranked Microsoft. "Microsoft definitely has a very anti-competitive posture in cloud. They are leveraging a lot of their dominance in the on-premise business as well as Office 365 and Windows to tie Azure and the rest of cloud services and make it hard for customers to have a choice," Zavery told Reuters in an interview late on Wednesday. ALSO READ: Microsoft's app store on smartphones by next year, to rival with Google, Apple "When we talk to a lot of our customers, they find a lot of these bundling practices, as well as the way they create pricing and licensing restrictions, make it difficult for them to choose other providers," he said. He criticised Microsoft's deals with smaller European cloud vendors. Microsoft has offered to change its cloud computing practices in a deal with smaller rivals which in turn will suspend their antitrust complaints, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters this week. The move will stave off an EU investigation. A video of students celebrating No bag day in a college in Chennai has left people amused. Shared on Instagram, the video shows the things that the students got instead of their bags. The video capturing the creativity of the people has amused people. Chances are, it will have the same effect on you too. The image, taken from the viral Instagram video, shows students of a Chennai college carrying different items to celebrate no bag day.(Instagram/@vaazhka_dude) POV: its no bag day in your college, reads the caption posted along with the video. The share also has several hashtags like #collegelife, #chennaicollege, and #womenschristiancollege. The video opens to show the students walking around holding different items. From bucket to pressure cooker, to hanger to carton, the video shows how creatively the students celebrated the fun day. Also Read: Professors join students to dance to Jhoome Jo Pathaan at college in Delhi. Watch Take a look at the post: The video was shared a few days ago. Since being posted, the clip has gone viral. Till now, it has accumulated more than 1.7 million views and the numbers are only increasing. Additionally, the share has received several likes and comments. Heres how Instagram users reacted: Wish this was there when I was still in WCC haha! But juniors, you killed it, shared an Instagram user. This seems so fun, commented another. How creative? Wow! posted a third. The girl who brought the mug and the hangar, expressed a fourth. This is dope, wrote a fifth. Also Read: College students recreate Imran Khan and Genelia D'Souza's Kabhi Kabhi Aditi Zindagi. Watch Chile detected the first case of bird flu in a human, the country's health ministry reported as per news agency Reuters. The case was detected in a 53-year-old man, the ministry informed, adding that the patient showed severe influenza symptoms. The patient is now in stable condition, it informed, while the Chilean government is investigating the source of infection. Chile Bird Flu: Chickens sit in cages at a farm.(Reuters) Read more: At least 31 dead after Philippine passenger ferry catches fire, rescue ops on The government is also tracking down others that the patient came in contact with. The country has reported cases of the bird flu since late last year in wild animals. Recently, cases in industrial farms caused the government to stop poultry exports. Chilean health authorities had then said that the virus can be transmitted from birds or marine mammals to humans, but there is no known human-to-human transmission. Read more: Russia detains Wall Street Journal reporter on suspicion of spying: Report "This finding was made after a complaint made to the Maule SAG (agriculture and livestock agency) about an increase in mortality on the farm of around 70 birds and another 60 that were symptomatic of the virus," the officials had said. Such cases have also been detected in Argentina and at least 14 Latin American countries. Earlier this year, Ecuador confirmed its first case of human transmission of bird flu in a 9-year-old girl. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Sutirtho Patranobis Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen departs at the Lotte Hotel in Manhattan in New York City, US, on Wednesday. (REUTERS) Beijing: China on Thursday condemned the US for arranging Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wens transit through the country, saying it firmly opposes any form of official interaction between Washington and Taipei. We firmly oppose any visit by leader of the Taiwan region to the US in any name or under whatever pretext, and we firmly oppose the US government having any form of official contact with the Taiwan region, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Thursday, referring to the self-ruled island that Beijing claims as a breakaway territory. In disregard of Chinas strong demarches and repeated warnings, the US insisted on arranging the so-called transit for Tsai Ing-wen to go to the US. China strongly protests and condemns that, Mao said. Mao added that the US and Taiwan made arrangements for Tsai to engage in political activities in the US and framed it as a transit to upgrade official exchanges and substantive relations with Taiwan. The visit, according to Mao seriously violates the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques and gravely undermines Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity and sends a seriously wrong message to Taiwan independence separatists. Blaming Washington and Taipei, Mao said the fundamental cause of the new round of tensions in the Taiwan Strait is the Taiwan authorities repeated attempt to solicit US support for Taiwan independence and the fact that some in the US intend to use Taiwan to contain China. China has lately piled up diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan, which Beijing says could be merged by force if necessary. Just days ago, China poached the Central American country of Honduras from among Taiwans handful of formal allies leaving Taipei with only 13 countries that recognise it as a sovereign state. At Thursdays presser, Mao said: We welcome (Honduran) President Xiomara Castro to visit China at an early date to blueprint the future of bilateral relations with President Xi Jinping. China stands ready to step up high-level exchange with the Honduran side, enhance political mutual trust and mutual understanding, and advance exchange and cooperation in various fields in the spirit of equality and win-win cooperation. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A hardening of China's position from an era of reform and opening to one of security and control requires Europe to "de-risk" diplomatically and economically, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.(AFP) Ahead of next week's visit to China with French President Macron, von der Leyen delivered a sober assessment of Chinese policies, acknowledging that relations with Beijing have become "more distant and more difficult" in the last few years. Von der Leyen said China, whose President Xi Jinping pledged closer ties with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin last week, bore responsibility for advancing a "just peace" to end the war in Ukraine that required the withdrawal of invading Russian forces. Also Read: Willing to work with Russian military, says China China, she said, was becoming more repressive at home and more assertive abroad. Von der Leyen said it was not viable to decouple from China, but it was vital to focus on reducing the risks posed to Europe. Economically, the European Union needed to "rebalance" the relationship and reduce its reliance on China. The EU, von der Leyen said, already had a range of measures to counter economic distortions and protect its security interests, but the bloc should also look the high-tech it shared with a changing China. The European Commission, she said, would present ideas later this year on measures to control outbound investments in certain sensitive technologies to ensure they do not enhance the military or intelligence capabilities of a systemic rival. Fox News CEO wanted the reporters of the network to stop fact-checking former US president Donald Trump's statements on the 2020 elections, emails show. Several media outlets reported the emails amid a defamation suit against voting machine company Dominion. In the emails, Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott wrote to Fox News Executive Vice President of Primetime Programming Meade Cooper demanding that the reporters must stop fact-checking Donald Trump's false claims. Donald Trump News: Former US president Donald Trump is seen. (Reuters) Read more: Russia detains Wall Street Journal reporter on suspicion of spying: Report This has to stop now. This is bad business and there is clearly a lack of understanding what is happening in these shows. The audience is furious and we are just feeding them material, Suzanne Scott wrote. "Bad for business," she emphasized. Suzanne Scott also expressed concerns about the business implications of the company's editorial policy. I can't keep defending these reporters who don't understand our viewers and how to handle stories. The audience feels like we crapped on and we have damaged their trust and belief in us, she wrote. Read more: Who is Sheikh Khaled? UAE's jujitsu-loving new crown prince We lost 25k subs on Fox Nation. We can fix this but we cannot smirk at our viewers any longer, she added. In other emails she wrote that the reporters must "stop disrespecting the audience," saying if they "don't get it, they don't deserve the scale of our platform." Responding to the leaked emails, a Fox News representative said as per Newsweek, "Despite the noise and confusion that Dominion has generated by presenting cherry-picked quotes without context, this case is ultimately about the First Amendment protections of the media's absolute need to cover the news. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The White House urged China on Wednesday not to use a "normal" stopover in the United States by Taiwan's president as a pretext to increase aggressive activity against Taiwan. Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen greets supporters during her arrival in New York City, New York, U.S.(TaiwanPlus via Reuters) John Kirby, the White House national security spokesperson, told reporters that Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's arrival soon in the United States is the latest in a series of routine transits. "The Peoples Republic of China should not use this transit as a pretext to step up any activity around the Taiwan strait," he said. "We're mindful that things are tense right now" between the United States and China, Kirby said, but he urged Beijing to keep lines of communication open. China claims Taiwan as its own and has vowed to bring the democratically governed island under its control, by force if necessary. Speaking in Taipei on Thursday, Taiwan National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen said such transits had taken place for many years. "Taiwan has the right to communicate with the international community during this process. I hope that the Chinese communists will not overreact," he told reporters. Kirby said Washington still wants to reschedule a trip to Beijing by Secretary of State Antony Blinken that was postponed when a suspected Chinese spy balloon passed over the United States and was shot down by a U.S. fighter jet. Tsai is transiting through New York and Los Angeles as part of a trip to and from Guatemala and Belize, returning to Taipei on April 7. Tsai's first U.S. transit since 2019 and her seventh since taking office in 2016 is expected to include a meeting with U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles on her return from Central America next month. It would be the first meeting on U.S. soil between a House speaker and a Taiwanese leader, and the prospect has angered Beijing. China responded to a visit last August to Taiwan by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with large-scale war games around the island. Tsai's transits will come at a time when U.S. relations with China are at what some analysts see as their worst state since Washington normalized ties with Beijing in 1979 and switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei. Taiwan is China's most sensitive territorial issue and a major bone of contention with Washington, which, like most countries, maintains only unofficial ties with Taipei. The U.S. government, however, is required by federal law to provide the island with the means to defend itself. United Nations peacekeepers handing over a military base in North Kivu province to troops of the DR Congo: Soldiers of both forces have come under attack by M23 rebels. Uganda has finally deployed troops under the regional East African Community standby force . The 1000 Ugandan troops were on Wednesday afternoon flagged off by the UPDF commander for Land Forces, Lt Gen Kayanja Muhanga at a function held in Bunagana, at the border with DRC. Speaking during the flagging off ceremony, Lt Gen Muhanga described the occasion as another chapter in the peacekeeping operations that UPDF has got involved in. "We were at one time in Liberia, we are in Somalia, we have been to South Sudan, Central African Republic and to DR many times. This force has mission to witness the process of achieving peace in eastern DRC. We have not come to attack like the other side (under operation Shuja). Our work is not to start attacking belligerents there but witness and ensure implementation of the decisions taken by the heads of state. We are not going as enemies of anybody there." He emphasized that Ugandan troops will not attack anyone but rather to enforce the decisions of the East African heads of state. The Ugandan contingent that will among others be charged with open blocked routes and protecting civilians against attacks by M23 rebels will be commanded by Col Mike Hairoba Speaking during the flag off, Col Hairoba said the Ugandan troops in DRC will be ambassadors of peace. "I want to assure that we have trained and ready for the task the region has assigned to us. With us as UPDF and now as part of EACRF, we have a strategic relationship with the civilians wherever we find them. The relationship is like fish and water that without the support of the locals we can't operate effectively. I ask local population to support us to deliver to you the most required item of life- safety," Col Hairoba said. "We pray to everyone to give us full support to be able to deliver on this task." He warned the soldiers, that the issue of discipline will not be negotiable "We have had the pre-mission training and the rules of engagement are very clear to us all. Let us adhere to them." The mission The Ugandan troops will be in charge of sector three based North of Bunia in Ituri province They join other troops from Burundi and Kenya that are deployed in sectors one in South Kivu and two which oversees North Kivu respectively. The regional force deployed in DRC will try to calm the deadly tensions fueled by armed groups, especially the M23 rebels. The rebel group currently occupies several areas of North Kivu. Having risen to prominence a decade ago where it captured Goma City, M23, a Tutsi- led group went into a lull before reemerging last year. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Uganda Arms and Armies Congo-Kinshasa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The group claimed the DRC government had failed to honour a pledge of integrating its fighters into the army prompting the reemergence. M23 has been blamed for several human rights abuses, including sexual violence. For example, the rebels were accused of having masterminded the massacre of over 100 civilians at Kishishe, a village 70 kilometres (40 miles) north of Goma city. During the incident, over 20 women and girls were raped in Rutshuru region. The European Union has since sanctioned some of the rebel group commanders including the spokesperson, Maj Willy Ngoma. Following the break out of fights between the M23 and Congolese government forces, the East African Community leaders agreed to deploy a joint regional force to quell the violence. The European Unions Ursula von der Leyen warned of a deliberate toughening in Chinas strategy, with a new era of security and control, but urged the bloc to respond by working to reduce risks rather than decouple from the Asian nation. Head of the European Commission argued in a speech in Brussels for ensuring diplomatic stability and open communication lines with China.(AP) Despite pressure from the US for a tougher EU position on China, the head of the European Commission, the blocs executive, argued in a speech in Brussels for ensuring diplomatic stability and open communication lines with China. I believe it is neither viable - nor in Europes interest - to decouple from China, von der Leyen said Thursday. Our relations are not black or white and our response cannot be either. This is why we need to focus on de-risking not decoupling. Also Read: Germany immigration plan: 60,000 workers from outside EU, 3 new options. Details European leaders are trying to calibrate their relationship with China as it becomes an increasingly difficult interlocutor, partly given Xis close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Von der Leyen noted that Chinas stance on Russias invasion of Ukraine will be a determining factor in EU-China relations. China is Europes second-largest trade and investment partner and the two economies exchanged 795 billion ($863 billion) in goods and services in 2021, according to EU trade data. Europe imports more goods from China than any other nation and Chinas massive 1.4 billion consumer marketplace remains a critical destination for European exports of cars, pharmaceuticals and machinery. Von der Leyens speech comes ahead of her visit to China next week with French President Emmanuel Macron, when both leaders will meet with Xi. Their trip follows the visit of Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, and after German Chancellor Olaf Scholzs trip in November. Also Read: EU, Germany reach deal that requires new cars to be carbon neutral by 2035 Chinese President Xi Jinping essentially wants China to become the worlds most powerful nation, von der Leyen said. We have seen a very deliberate hardening of Chinas overall strategic posture for some time. And it has now been matched by a ratcheting up of increasingly assertive actions. Control Investments Von der Leyen said that the bloc is preparing plans including a new instrument to control European investments abroad in critical sectors, as it seeks to strengthen its toolbox in dealing with China. We need to ensure that our companies capital, expertise, and knowledge are not used to enhance the military and intelligence capabilities of those who are also systemic rivals, von der Leyen said. Her commission, she added, is working on a targeted instrument on outbound investment that would focus on a small number of sensitive technologies where investment leakage could bring risks to national security. The plan will be part of a new Economic Security Strategy coming later this year. The proposal comes amid growing concern in European capitals about Chinas expansionary ambitions on issues including trade, technology and foreign relations. Von der Leyen wants to reduce the risks in critical areas like the economy and trade, but wants to cooperate on climate, health and biodiversity. But some countries including France, the Netherlands and Lithuania want not only to de-risk the relationship but also decouple from China, people familiar with the matter said. The Hague is one of the capitals in favor of the proposal for outbound investment screening, the people added, on condition of anonymity because the discussions are private. Xi used two days of talks in Moscow earlier this month to firmly align with Russia against the US. The visit by Xi, his first to Russia since Putin invaded Ukraine just over a year ago, marked a political win for both leaders. Xi saw an opportunity to push back at the US and buttress his image as a global statesman, while Putin could show he has the support of one of the worlds most powerful leaders even as the US and its allies try to isolate him. Russian news agencies reported that a US reporter for the Wall Street Journal newspaper has been detained in Russia on suspicion of espionage, FSB security service said. Evan Gershkovich, had been detained in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg on suspicion of espionage, Interfax news agency reported. Wall Street Journal Reporter Detained: An undated ID photo of journalist Evan Gershkovich who has been detained in Russia for espionage.(AFP) The FSB said it had "stopped the illegal activities of US citizen Gershkovich Evan, born in 1991, a correspondent of the Moscow bureau of the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal, accredited at the Russian Foreign Ministry, who is suspected of spying in the interests of the American government". Read more: At least 31 dead after Philippine passenger ferry catches fire, rescue ops on Without evidence, the authorities claimed that Evan Gershkovich had been tasked "by the American side" with gathering information on "the activities of one of the enterprises of the military-defence complex". Evan Gershkovich, 31, worked for AFP in Moscow before joining the Wall Street Journal. He earlier worked as a reporter for The Moscow Times, an English-language news website. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Protests will not stop the pension reform or other policy changes, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday before unveiling a plan with 50 measures aimed at avoiding a water crisis this summer and in the coming years. France's President Emmanuel Macron announced water crisis plan.(AFP) The plan touches on a wide range of measures including how to re-use water, share water, and avoid leaks. With this plan, Macron and his government are looking to move to other topics than the pension bill, which has triggered fierce protests across the country over the two months. Also Read: Fresh clashes in France pension protests fuel domestic crisis But he was welcomed in Savines-le-Lac in the Alpes, where he was due to gave his speech, by groups of protesters angry with the pension bill. One placard read "Macron resign!" and another "Take your pension, not ours." Local media said two protesters were arrested. Water is also a contentious topic in France. Two men are in a coma after violent clashes on Saturday between protesters and police during an unauthorised demonstration against the construction of a giant water reservoir for farm irrigation in western France. Also Read: What's happening in France? Videos show Paris burning in protest France's worst drought on record last summer sharpened the debate over water resources in the European Union's biggest agricultural producer. Farmers say they need large reservoirs to be able to water their crops this summer, while environmental groups say these waste water and are a way for farmers to confiscate a common good. "Protests are normal," Macron told reporters, "but that does not mean we should stop." "Nothing justifies violence in a democratic society," he said. A Japanese civil servant recently landed in hot waters for smoking during work hours more than 4,500 times in 14 years. He received a penalty of about $11,000, The Straits Times reported. The prefectural government revealed that the man clocked up 355 hours and 19 minutes of smoking on duty.(Unsplash) The authorities in Osaka laid down the law on the 61-year-old civil servant along with two of his colleagues, who were in the finance department. In September 2022, the human resource office received an anonymous tip that the trio were secretly stashing tobacco. After learning about the incident, their supervisor called them and warned of dire consequences if they were caught smoking again. However, the trio continued smoking. The 61-year-old director-level employee was then asked to return 1.44 million yen of his salary, in addition to his disciplinary wage reduction, the outlet reported. He was deemed to have violated the "duty of devotion" under the Local Public Service Act. The prefectural government revealed that the man clocked up 355 hours and 19 minutes of smoking on duty. Osaka has some of the strictest smoking laws in the world. It introduced a total ban on smoking cigarettes in government premises including office and public spaces in 2008. Government employees were banned from smoking during work hours in 2019. Reactions to the penalty have been sympathetic. Some argued that having to go off-site for a puff would have meant wasting more time, while others found the fine harsh, saying one can waste time by drinking tea, eating snacks or just chatting, but those are not punishable offences, so neither should be smoking tobacco. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON King Charles III praised Germany for its defense support to Ukraine amid Russian invasion, not mincing words on Moscow's unprovoked attack that inflicted the most unimaginable suffering on many innocent people. King Charles In Germany: Britain's King Charles addresses the members of the lower house of parliament, Bundestag, in Berlin, Germany,(Reuters) Read more: Moved out of UK because: Prince Harry slams royal family in shock testimony Germanys decision to send such significant military support to Ukraine is remarkably courageous, important and appreciated, King Charles said in a speech to the lower house of parliament in Berlin during his first state visit as monarch. Countless lives have been destroyed; freedom and human dignity have been trampled in the most brutal way. The security of Europe has been threatened, as have our democratic values. Even as we abhor the appalling scenes of destruction, we can take heart from our unity in defense of Ukraine, of peace and freedom," King Charles said. Read more: Meghan sent Prince Harry to London to see if: Royal expert's bizarre claim Like many British people, I have close personal ties here. In my case, cherished family relationships and associations that go back generations, he added. Next on his itinerary is a visit to an organic farm to make an orange-coloured cheese with a crown imprint. We heard that the king is a great lover of cheese, Katja von Maltzan, who with her husband runs the Brodowin farm where King Charles will visit along with his wife Queen Consort Camilla, said. We took that as an opportunity to make our own creation for him," the farmer told German news agency dpa, Reuters reported. The cheese is infused with carrot juice to give "it a little sweetness and an orange colour, like British cheddar, the farmer said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Britain's King Charles III met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and is preparing to become the first monarch to speak before Germany's parliament, the Bundestag, on Thursday as part of a high-profile visit aimed at bolstering ties between the two European powers. Charles, 74, is on his first foreign trip since becoming king. He and Camilla, the queen consort, arrived in Berlin on Wednesday.(Reuters) Charles, 74, is on his first foreign trip since becoming king. He and Camilla, the queen consort, arrived in Berlin on Wednesday. Crowds of wellwishers and Germany's head of state, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, greeted the couple at the capital's iconic Brandenburg Gate. Also Read: King Charles and Camilla's master plan for royal family after coronation is They later attended a banquet in their honour at the presidential palace. Pomp and royal glamour aside, the three-day visit has a decidedly political purpose. The British government is trying to mend frayed ties with its continental partners following the painful process that preceded and followed the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union. The fallout from Brexit has been considerable: Britain's departure from the EU's common market has resulted in trade barriers and labour shortages, and locked the country out of key European science programs. By devoting special attention to the EU's two biggest powers France and Germany Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hopes to normalise relations with the 27-nation bloc. Also Read: King Charles' strange demand for the day before his coronation is Charles originally planned to stop in France first, but anti-government protests there delayed that part of his trip. That put the focus on Germany, where the British royal family has long enjoyed curiosity and admiration. Not all were enamored by the visit, however. Jan Korte, a lawmaker with the opposition Left party, said it wasn't in keeping with Germany's democratic tradition to have Charles address the country's highest political body, the Bundestag. Also Read: Fresh clashes in France pension protests fuel domestic crisis A king isn't elected, Korte told public broadcaster ZDF. He can obviously speak everywhere and is very welcome, including by me, but I think that particularly in the Bundestag, which is about representing the people, it's not really appropriate to have a monarch speak. After his speech, Charles and Camilla are scheduled to meet with refugees and British and German military personnel before visiting an organic farm outside of Berlin. They plan to be in Hamburg on Friday. Meghan Markle sent her husband Prince Harry to the UK as the couple aims to target the royal family again, royal commentator Angela Levin claimed. Talking about Prince Harry's surprise visit to the UK owing to the start of a privacy case that the Duke of Sussex and others including Sir Elton John have brought against Associated Newspapers, Angela Levin claimed that Prince Harry wants to crash the monarchy and take over with Meghan which would ultimately make his wife the in-charge. Meghan Markle: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex watches as the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is placed into the hearse.(AP) Read more: Moved out of UK because: Prince Harry slams royal family in shock testimony Meghan has sent him over, because he wouldnt do anything that she wouldnt agree to, to see whether he would be allowed back in America because of the drugs," the royal expert added. In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry talked about his past drug usage which could have landed him in hot water with US security, it was earlier reported. Prince Harry had revealed in the tell-all that he drank heavily, used cocaine and smoked pot saying that while he only used coke as a teen, he experimented with psychedelics well into his adulthood. Read more: I love my country: Why Prince Harry said this in phone hacking trial An admission of drug use is usually grounds for inadmissibility. That means Prince Harrys visa should have been denied or revoked because he admitted to using cocaine, mushrooms and other drugs," , former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani earlier said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A Moscow court on Thursday ordered US journalist Evan Gershkovich be detained for two months on suspicion of spying, pending a possible trial. Cars are seen parked in the yard of the Lefortovsky court, which is reportedly set to hold a remand hearing into the case against Evan Gershkovich.(AFP) Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, has been placed in detention "for a period of one month 29 days, that is until May 29, 2023," the Moscow Lefortovsky district court said in a statement. His detention may be extended at the end of this period. The state-run TASS news agency cited a law enforcement source as saying Gershkovich's case has been classified "top secret" and that the US journalist said he was not guilty of the allegations. Read more: Who is Sheikh Khaled? UAE's jujitsu-loving new crown prince Russia's FSB security service announced Gershkovich's arrest on Thursday, saying he was "suspected of spying in the interests of the American government". The Wall Street Journal said it was deeply concerned for his safety and media watchdog Reporters Without Borders said it was "alarmed by what looks like retaliation". Gershkovich worked for AFP in Moscow before joining The Wall Street Journal early last year. A fluent Russian speaker, he was previously a reporter based in the Russian capital for The Moscow Times, an English-language news website. North Korea is preparing to send 500,000 soldiers to support Russias invasion in Ukraine, The Eurasian Times reported quoting a Russian state TV war correspondent. The journalist- Aleksander Sladkov- who according to the report specializes in military affairs, claimed that North Korea is strongly supporting Russia amid Ukraine war. North Korea: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during a meeting.(AP) Read more: At least 31 dead after Philippine passenger ferry catches fire, rescue ops on North Korea is willing to dispatch its troops to take part in the war, he claimed, citing sources in Pyongyang, saying further that at least 500,000 North Korean troops are being prepared to assist the Russian military. North Korea has issued a call for volunteers who are willing to participate in the war and around 800,000 individuals have expressed their eagerness, he claimed. I spoke with a friend of mine, the head of a Korean war veterans organization. He was here recently. I said, What do you guys have? He said, 50,000 special forces are ready for deployment, the journalist is quoted saying by the report. Earlier, the US had claimed that Russia was procuring weapons from North Korea and employing them in the Ukraine invasion. Both Russia and North Korea have denied the claims. Read more: Fox News boss was angry with anchors for fact-checking Trump: Bad for business However, both Russia and North Korea have denied claims by the United States that Russia is procuring millions of rounds of ammunition and other weapons from North Korea. North Korea is covertly supplying a "significant number" of artillery shells to Russia, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby had then said adding that North Korea is funneling the shipments through countries in the Middle East and North Africa. "Our indications are that the DPRK is covertly supplying and we are going to monitor to see whether the shipments are received," John Kirby said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A high court in Pakistan on Thursday struck down a colonial-era sedition law that criminalised criticism of the federal and provincial governments, terming it inconsistent with the Constitution. It was argued in the petition that the sedition act was enacted in 1860 which is a sign of British colonial rule, Geo News reported.(Representational) Justice Shahid Karim of the Lahore High Court (LHC) annulled Section 124-A of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) dealing with sedition, the Dawn newspaper reported. Justice Karim pronounced the verdict in response to identical petitions seeking to annul the sedition law, the paper said. One of the petitions, filed by a citizen named Haroon Farooq, which was identical to all other pleas urged the court to declare Section 124-A of the PPC as ultra-vires in terms of Article 8 of the Constitution being inconsistent with and in derogation of fundamental rights provided under Article 9, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 19, 19A of the Constitution. Read more: North Korea seeks volunteers to join Russian army amid Ukraine war: Report The law states: Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards, the Federal or Provincial Government established by law shall be punished with imprisonment for life to which fine may be added, or with imprisonment which may extend to three years, to which fine may be added, or with fine. It was argued in the petition that the sedition act was enacted in 1860 which is a sign of British colonial rule, Geo News reported. The petition added that this law was used for slaves under which a case can be registered at anyone's request. It was stated in the petition that the Constitution of Pakistan gives every citizen the right to freedom of expression but still, Section 124-A is imposed for making speeches against the rulers. According to the petition, the law has been recklessly used in Pakistan as a tool of exploitation to curb the right to free speech and expression guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution. The petition said the law was serving as a notorious tool for the suppression of dissent, free speech and criticism in free and independent Pakistan. Over the past few years, the petition argued, various politicians, journalists and activists had been booked under Section 124-A. Kampala, Uganda The Committee of Public Service and Local Government has cautioned the Minister of Public Service, Hon. Muruli Mukasa against commercialisation of the Pensions Fund saying this may lead to recurrence of the challenges faced by the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). The minister appeared before the committee on Tuesday, 28 March 2023 to present his views for consideration of the Public Service Pension Fund Bill, 2023. The Committee Chairperson, Godfrey Onzima said that the committee is uncomfortable with the investment provisions in the Bill saying that the core objective of the Bill is to streamline payment of retirement benefits. According to Section 59 (1) states that, 'The assets of the Fund shall only be invested in accordance with this Act and any other law in force in order to maximise returns on investment for the Fund'. "We shall hold further consultations on this provision. The commercial aspect in the Bill will kill its objective. At some stage, we might be forced to delete this provision," Onzima said. Onzima also asked the minister to look closely into the provision on suspense accounts saying that the NSSF management was accused of mismanaging funds under the suspense accounts. "We request you to take into consideration problems faced by the NSSF with suspense accounts. Is there a provision to look for those beneficiaries after the contributors have died? Is there a provision to see how such beneficiaries access the pension?" Onzima asked. The legislators also cautioned the minister against giving the board of the Pensions Fund un-regulated powers saying this may lead to mismanagement of the Fund. Baatom Koryang (NRM, Dodoth West County) however, said that allowing the board members to borrow from contributors' funds will provide an avenue for mismanagement of the Fund. "The risk with this is that some board members may be unscrupulous and will mismanage the contributors' funds. Why would the board borrow from a fund that members are contributing to?" he asked. Muruli Mukasa said that currently, the public service pension scheme under the Pensions Act, Cap.286 presents a number of challenges relating to its governance, accountability and sustainability owing to its non-contributory character. "As a result of the sustainability challenge, the current public service pension scheme has continued to suffer shortfalls in funding which ultimately translate into accumulated pension and gratuity arrears for pensioners," said Muruli Mukasa. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Uganda Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. He added that the delayed payment of pension has led to frustration of pensioners and eroded the confidence of the pensionable employees and the pensioners. "These arrears will continue to accumulate over the years if no reform is undertaken. There is therefore, urgent need to reform the current public service pension scheme in order to address the sustainability challenge and ensure pensioners are paid their retirement benefits in a timely manner," Muruli Mukasa said. The object of the Public Service Pension Fund Bill, 2023 is to establish the Public Pension Fund, provide for the establishment of the Public Service Pension Scheme and provide for collection of contributions and payments of retirement benefits. The Bill further seeks to regulate the investment and custody of pension assets. At least 31 people died and 230 were rescued after a fire engulfed a ferry in the southern Philippines, AFP reported quoting authorities. The ferry- Lady Mary Joy 3- was travelling from Zamboanga City on Mindanao Island to Jolo Island in Sulu province when the incident happened, officials said as per AFP. Philippine Passenger Ferry Fire: Philippine Coast Guard spraying water on a fire onboard the Lady Mary Joy 3 during a search and rescue operation.(AFP) Following the fire, many passengers who were overboard jumped, disaster officer Nixon Alonzo said. Philippine Coast Guard and fishermen have been involved in the rescue operations. At least 195 passengers and 35 crew members have been rescued as coast guard were seen spraying water on the burning ferry with personnel in smaller boats. Read more: Two US army helicopters crash in Kentucky The death toll doubled after 18 bodies were on the charred vessel, Basilan Governor Jim Salliman told AFP. The bodies were found during a search of the ferry. "People panicked because they were asleep when the fire happened," Commodore Rejard Marfe from the Philippine Coast Guard said as per AFP. The captain ran the vessel aground as the fire spread "so many more could survive since it would be easier to swim to shore", he added, saying that at least three children, including a six-month-old baby, were among the dead. There could be more people missing because the number of passengers on the vessel were more than 205, he informed. "We're still getting the data in Coast Guard Station Zamboanga because that's where they originated in order to determine if there are still missing people," he said. The cause of the fire is still unknown while survivors were taken to Zamboanga and Basilan for treatment, officials told. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Pope Francis spent a peaceful night in hospital and medical staff is optimistic about his recovery, Italian news agency ANSA reported on Thursday, after he was hospitalized a day earlier. Pope Francis is helped into his car at the end of the weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican.(AP) The 86-year-old pontiff was taken to Rome's Gemelli hospital on Wednesday and diagnosed with a respiratory infection that required "a few days" of treatment, the Vatican has said. Nursing staff "are very optimistic" that, barring surprises, Francis could be discharged in time for Palm Sunday celebrations on April 2, ANSA reported, quoting unnamed hospital sources. Palm Sunday marks the start of a hectic week of ceremonies leading to Easter Sunday on April 9, the holiest day in the Christian calendar, marking the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Francis' health has attracted increased scrutiny in the last two years, during which he has undergone colon surgery and begun using a wheelchair or a walking stick due to chronic knee pain. The Argentine pope's latest hospitalisation has revived speculation over a possible resignation on health grounds, following the historic precedent of his late predecessor Benedict XVI. Asked by Italian Swiss television RSI in an interview broadcast on March 12 what condition would lead him to quit, Francis said: "A tiredness that doesn't let you see things clearly. A lack of clarity, of knowing how to evaluate situations". Prince William was not impressed when Harry told him that he and Meghan Markle went to Africa, a royal author said. Royal author Tina Brown claimed when Prince Harry returned from the trip and spoke to Prince William, the latter's response was, This is the fourth girl you've taken to Botswana. Prince Harry: Britain's Prince William and Britain's Prince Harry are seen.(AP) Read more: Prince Harry says stories about his fondness for William, Kate rubbish' Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took their first trip together to Botswana. In the Netflix docuseries 'Harry & Meghan', the couple talked about their trip as well. "I was astonished that she said 'yes,'" Prince Harry said, adding, "This woman that I've really met twice, she's coming to Botswana, and we're gonna be living in a tent for five days!" Meghan Markle recalled the trip saying, So I get there; this is the first time I've seen him in a month. Very awkward at first, like, oh God, do we, do we kiss? Do we? And I just remembered he handed me a chicken sandwich! Read more: What Harry, William have in common? Both lost souls before: Royal expert Royal author Tina Brown said that William knew Harry too well. So he told Harry, as per the author, "Do you do realize this is the fourth girl you've taken to Botswana?" because according to the author "William was nervous about the speed at which all this was going down." Despite Prince William's concerns, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle became engaged in 2017 and married in 2018. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prince Harry and his elder brother Prince William were lost souls before meeting their partners, a royal author claimed. Royal expert Tom Quinn said that both the brothers are happy to have supportive spouses, especially after the untimely death of their mother Princess Diana in 1997. Royal Family Latest News: Britain's Prince William and Prince Harry are seen. (AP) Read more: King Charles shreds Russia in German parliament. Next he will: Chomp cheese I think actually, in a strange way, the two boys, William and Harry, need their partners in a very similar way, Tom Quinn explained talking about the upbringing of the brothers. When their mother died, they had that terrible thing on top of the insecurity of being brought up by paid staff, the royal expert said, adding that when Prince William and Prince Harry finally reached adulthood, they both needed different types of women. Talking of Kate Middleton, the royal expert said that she is level-headed and strong in a quiet, solid, secure way. Read more: Meghan sent Prince Harry to London to see if: Royal expert's bizarre claim In the case of Harry, someone like Meghan who was going to grab him by the scruff of the neck and say this is the way to live,' Tom Quinn said. But the end result was the same because the symptoms were the same. I think by the time Harry and William reached their late teens they were lost souls, the royal expert pointed out. Prince Harry has earlier talked about the support of Meghan Markle, saying, People have said that my wife saved me. I was stuck in this world, and she was from a different world and helped draw me out of that. None of the elements of my life would have been possible without me seeing it for myself. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The European Union member states' ambassadors agreed to the Council's negotiating mandate over a proposal to digitalise the Schengen visa procedure. The new changes will allow the applicants to seek the visa online, replacing the current visa sticker with a digital visa. Schengen Visa: Under the proposed new rules, visas will be issued in digital format.(Representational) With this, visa application procedure will become more efficient in the Schengen area. Swedish minister for migration Maria Malmer Stenergarz said, A digital Schengen visa will make it easier for legitimate travellers to apply and will at the same time help make the Schengen area safer. Online applications will reduce the number of trips to the consulate for travelers and make the process smoother for national administrations. Read more: Planning a trip to Paris? Check out visa requirements for Indian citizens At the same time, the digital visa will put an end to the risk of falsification and theft of the visa sticker, the Swedish minister said. Under the proposed rules, a new visa application platform will be made and all applications for the Schengen visas will be made through the same platform, the minister informed. Read more: Planning a Europe trip? Here's all you need to know about Schengen visa Visa applicants will be able to add all relevant data and upload electronic copies of their travel as well as supporting documents through the platform. Following this, they will be able to pay their visa fees and will be later notified of the decisions with respect to their visas. In-person appearance at the consulate will only be needed for first-time applicants or for applicants whose biometric data is invalid. The visas will also be issued in digital format- a 2D barcode which is cryptographically signed. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Lawmakers from the pro-Russia, far-right Freedom Party walked out of the lower house of Austria's parliament on Thursday during a speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, protesting that it violated Austria's neutrality. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky giving speech.(AFP) Zelenskiy addressed the chamber via video link, thanking Austria for its humanitarian aid and help with projects such as clearing land mines. Austria says its neutrality prevents it from military involvement in the conflict and while it supports Ukraine politically it cannot send the country weapons in its fight against the Russian invasion. The Freedom Party (FPO), however, had warned days before that it would hold some form of protest against Zelenskiy's address. Its lawmakers attended the start of the speech and then left. Also Read: Should Xi Jinping visit Ukraine? Kremlin says not Russia's place to "It is sad that the FPO is the only party in parliament that takes our ever-lasting neutrality seriously, thereby also standing up for peace," FPO leader Herbert Kickl said in a statement on Tuesday. Lawmakers who walked out of the chamber left small placards on their desks featuring the party logo and either "space for neutrality" or "space for peace". Also Read: Evening brief: Putin has lost everything during Ukraine war, says Zelensky, and all the latest news Of the five parties in parliament, the FPO has the third-biggest number of seats in the lower house. It currently has a slight lead in opinion polls over the opposition Social Democrats and Chancellor Karl Nehammer's conservatives, who govern in coalition with the left-wing Greens. The current parliament runs until autumn of next year. Taliban militants killed four police officers by targeting a police vehicle with a roadside bomb and wounded six in an attack on a police station in northwest Pakistan early Thursday, police and the insurgents said. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for both attacks. (Representational image) (AP) The bomb killed four officers in a police vehicle carrying reinforcements sent to respond to the attack on a police station in Lakki Marwat, a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan. Six officers were wounded in the attack at the police station. Local police officer Ashfaq Khan said a search was underway for the militant suspects who attacked the police station in Lakki Marwat and later targeted the police vehicle with a bomb. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for both attacks. The group know as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP is separate but allied with Afghanistans Taliban. There has been an uptick in attacks in Pakistan after the Pakistani Taliban ended a cease-fire with the government of Pakistan. TTP has been emboldened since the Afghan Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021 when U.S. and NATO troops were leaving the country after 20 years of war. Many TTP leaders and fighters have found sanctuaries in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover. Pakistan has seen innumerable militant attacks in the past two decades but there has been an uptick since November, when the TTP ended a monthslong Afghan Taliban-brokered cease-fire with the government of Pakistan. The United Nations top court on Thursday rejected Tehrans legal bid to free up some $2 billion in Iranian central bank assets frozen by U.S. authorities to be paid in compensation to victims of a 1983 bombing in Lebanon and other attacks linked to Iran. The symbol of the United Nations is displayed outside the Secretariat Building during an emergency meeting of the UN General Assembly.(AP) In a 10-5 majority ruling, the International Court of Justice said it did not have jurisdiction to rule on the Iranian claim linked to the central Markazi Bank. The world court's vice-president, Kirill Gevorgian, said the majority upholds the objection to jurisdiction raised by the United States of America relating to the claims of the Islamic Republic of Iran related to the bank. In a complex, 67-page judgment, the world court also found that some other U.S. moves to seize assets of Iran and Iranians in the United States breached a 1955 treaty between the countries and said they should negotiate compensation. If they fail to reach a number, they will have to return to the Hague-based court for a ruling. Also Read| US must offer full support to India in case of conflict with China: Report But the largest part of the case focused on Bank Markazi, and its frozen assets of $1.75 billion in bonds, plus accumulated interest, that are held in a Citibank account in New York. The court said that it did not have jurisdiction based on the 1955 Treaty of Amity because the protections it offers do not extend to central banks. Both countries largely voiced satisfaction at Thursday's decision. In Washington, Deputy State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said that while the U.S. was disappointed with some aspects of the ruling it was pleased on the whole. Broadly we believe that todays decision is a major blow to Irans case, Patel told journalists. An Iranian foreign ministry statement lauded the decision as an indication of the strength and reliability of (Irans) demand, the official IRNA news agency reported on Thursday. It said Tehran would use all diplomatic, legal and judiciary means" to pursue its demands. At hearings last year, Iran cast the asset freeze as an attempt to destabilize the Tehran government and a violation of international law. Iran took its claim to the world court in 2016 after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that money belonging to Irans central bank could be used as compensation for the 241 American troops who died in the 1983 bombing, which was believed to be linked to Tehran. After the bombing of the a U.S. military base in Lebanon, a second blast nearby killed 58 French soldiers. Iran has denied involvement, but a U.S. District Court judge found Tehran responsible in 2003. The judge's ruling said Irans ambassador to Syria at the time called a member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and instructed him to instigate the Marine barracks bombing. At last year's hearings, U.S. legal team leader Richard Visek told judges they should invoke, for the first time, a legal principle known as unclean hands, under which a nation cant bring a case because of its own criminal actions linked to the case. However, the court's ruling Thursday rejected that defense. Iran argued the asset freeze was a breach of the 1955 Treaty of Amity, which promised friendship and cooperation between the two countries. The U.S. and Iran have had no diplomatic relations since militant students took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979. The judges accepted U.S. lawyers' contentions that the frozen central bank assets were state holdings not covered by the treaty, which Washington terminated in 2018 in response to an order by the International Court of Justice in a separate case to lift some sanctions against Iran. The courts judgments are final and legally binding. Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury after a probe into hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels, becoming the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges even as he makes another run for the White House, a law enforcement source said on Thursday. Former US President Donald Trump.(AFP) Read here: Prosecutor investigating Donald Trump gets death threat: I AM GOING TO The charges, arising from an investigation led by Democratic Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, could reshape the 2024 presidential race. Trump previously said he would continue campaigning for the Republican Party's nomination if charged with a crime. The specific charges are not yet known and the indictment will likely be announced in the coming days, the New York Times reported. Trump will have to travel to Manhattan for fingerprinting and other processing at that point. Bragg's office and a lawyer representing Trump did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Trump, 76, sought re-election in 2020 but was defeated by Democrat Joe Biden. Trump has falsely claimed he lost to Biden due to widespread voting fraud and has called the investigation that led to his indictment a "political witch hunt." Bragg's office last year won the criminal conviction of the businessman-turned-politician's real estate company. A grand jury convened by Bragg in January began hearing evidence about Trump's role in the payment to Daniels days before the 2016 presidential election that he ended up winning. Daniels, a well-known adult film actress and director whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, has said she received the money in exchange for keeping silent about a sexual encounter she had with Trump in 2006. The former president's personal lawyer Michael Cohen has said Trump directed hush payments to Daniels and to a second woman, former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who also said she had a sexual relationship with him. Trump has denied having affairs with either woman. Federal prosecutors examined the Daniels payoff in 2018, leading to a prison sentence for Cohen but no charges against Trump. No former or sitting US president has ever faced criminal charges. Trump also faces two criminal investigations by a special counsel appointed by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and one by a local prosecutor in Georgia. DIVISIVE FIGURE Trump, a divisive figure in U.S. politics with support particularly among white blue-collar and conservative Christian voters, served as president from 2017 to 2021, governing as a right-wing populist. He was impeached twice by the House of Representatives, once in 2019 over his conduct regarding Ukraine and again in 2021 over the attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters. He was acquitted by the Senate both times. He leads his early rivals for his party's nomination, holding the support of 43% of Republicans in a February Reuters/Ipsos poll, compared with 31% support for his nearest rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has yet to announce his candidacy. Biden is expected to seek re-election. Trump on March 18 wrote on social media that he had expected to be arrested on March 21 and urged his supporters to protest to "take our nation back," reminiscent of his exhortations ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Read here: Biden urges US regulators to restore strict rules on midsize banks Some leading Republicans ahead of the indictment accused Bragg of selective prosecution with political motivations. The Republican speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, called it an "outrageous abuse of power by a radical DA" and announced a congressional investigation into whether federal funding was being used to support Bragg's probe and "subvert our democracy." Three House Republican committee chairmen asked Bragg to provide them communications, documents and testimony about the investigation. On March 23, Bragg's office told the three chairmen that Trump had created a "false expectation" that he would be arrested. In a letter, the district attorney's general counsel said the representatives were seeking non-public information about a pending criminal investigation, which is confidential. Trump in 2018 initially disputed knowing anything about the payment to Daniels. He later acknowledged reimbursing Cohen for the payment, which he called a "simple private transaction." In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to campaign finance law violations for his role in orchestrating the payments to Daniels and McDougal and was sentenced to three years in prison. He testified that Trump directed him to make the payments. Cohen testified before the Manhattan grand jury investigating Trump on March 13. The grand jury also heard from David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer. The tabloid publication bought the rights to McDougal's story about her alleged relationship with Trump for $150,000 but never published it, a method known as "catch and kill" used by some media outlets to bury damaging information about a third party. Daniels has said she had a sexual encounter with Trump at a Lake Tahoe hotel in 2006 - the year after he married his current wife Melania and more than a decade before the businessman-turned-politician became president. The U.S. Supreme Court in 2021 rejected her bid to revive a defamation lawsuit she brought against Trump over a Twitter post in which he accused her of a "con job" after she described being threatened over publicizing her account of a sexual relationship with him. Lower courts had thrown out her suit. In the case that led to the conviction of the Trump Organization on tax fraud charges, Bragg declined to charge Trump himself with financial crimes related to his business practices, prompting two prosecutors who worked on the probe to resign. Among Trump's ongoing legal woes are a criminal investigation led by Fani Willis, the Democratic district attorney in Georgia's Fulton County, into whether he unlawfully tried to overturn his 2020 election defeat in that state. Read here: Fox News boss was angry with anchors for fact-checking Trump: Bad for business Special counsel Jack Smith is separately investigating Trump's handling of classified government documents after leaving office and his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Washington: The US must elevate Indias territorial dispute with China on par with Chinas assertiveness against other allies and partners; speak up against Chinas efforts at land-grabbing in all multilateral platforms including the United Nations; offer India sophisticated military technology and initiate co-production and co-development of equipment; assist India in strengthening its military and naval capacity; and be prepared to fully support India in case of another border crisis, two former American officials in a major report on India-China ties have suggested. A file photo of Indian and Chinese soldiers clashing in eastern Ladakh in June 2020. (ANI) Also Read | 'US-China conflict a luxury world can't afford', warns Singapore PM Published by the Centre for a New American Security (CNAS) on Thursday, the report, titled India-China Border Tensions and US Strategy in the Indo-Pacific, argues that the 2020 crisis has left China in an advantageous position to project power, while India remains on the defensive. Lisa Curtis, who served as the senior director for South Asia in the National Security Council under Donald Trump, and in that capacity directly dealt with India during the 2020 crisis, and Derek Grossman, a senior analyst at Rand Corporation who has worked in the Central Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency and the Defense Intelligence Agency, have authored the report. Also Read | US, China, Russia argue over North Korea's missile launch at UN Its other policy recommendations to the US government include conducting joint intelligence reviews with India to assess Chinese plans and intentions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and enhance contingency planning in case of another conflict; establishing or supporting an unofficial organisation that collates unclassified commercial satellite imagery on PLA positions at the LAC and disseminates it; and signalling to Pakistan directly and through other partners of Islamabad about the need to stay neutral during any India-China conflict. The 32-page report offers a survey of the history of India-China border dispute, the 2020 standoff, documents Chinas systematic violations of past agreements, and the military balance of power on the ground. It also examines the possible role of Pakistan in either opening a second front or taking actions short of a war when India and China are in a standoff, and carefully examines what India may want from the US and what Washington can offer in terms of support. Delivering the keynote speech to mark the release of the report, Senator Jeff Merkley who co-sponsored a resolution condemning Chinese aggression at the border and commending Indias response in the Senate last month said that China was regularly probing and testing how far they could push along the LAC. He referred to the clash in December in 2022 in Arunachal Pradesh and said that India pushed back, based on actionable intelligence provided by the US confirming a US media report published last week that had first disclosed bilateral intelligence cooperation in the run-up to the clash. While saying that he would like India to speak up more vocally against Russian aggression in Ukraine and join the international sanctions against Moscow, Merkley reiterated his support for India in the standoff with China. From the Chinese prism The report acknowledges that while there are various theories, there are no substantive evidence-based explanations for why China did what it did in 2020. But it fundamentally attributes growing Chinese belligerence in the past decade-and-a-half vis a vis India to its rising economic and military strength. Irrespective of motivation, the report says that Chinese actions and subsequent Indian responses have left the existing border agreements irrelevant and out of date. The report documents Chinas military activities along the LAC the establishment of Western Theatre Command as responsible for the border with India, its increased troop presence along the LAC, the bolstering of integrated air and missile defence systems, a major expansion in infrastructure including roads in sensitive areas and the widening of air steps, and construction of large structures. While the authors also examine Indias measures at the LAC, they conclude that China is in advantageous position. Beijing has achieved a form of territorial expansion by enhancing its military capacity within the Aksai ChinSmall Chinese outposts along the border in 2020 were joined by temporary tent camps and eventually evolved into permanent bases with cold-weather shelters. In the Depsang Plains, before 2020, China maintained primarily an observational presence, whereas this area now contains infantry shelters and ammunition storage facilities, in addition to tanks and artillery systems. The report says that even in areas where disengagement of forces has occurred, such as the Galwan and Hot Springs, China has established large military bases attached to modern roads for easy resupply close to the border. China has also expanded its air poser facilities and logistic nodes not just along the Aksai Chin border but across the Tibetan plateau. China effectively has bolstered its power projection along its disputed border with India, while India is now on the defensive to reassert its territorial claims and prevent further erosion of its position in the Ladakh region, even as it faces territorial threats from China in the eastern sector of their disputed borders in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. From the Indian prism Terming the 2020 crisis as an inflection point that has led New Delhi to be more receptive to cooperation both bilaterally and multilaterally through Quad, the report says that Indias interest in engaging in dual-track relations with China building stronger economic and diplomatic ties while downplaying military tensions at the border now stands diminished. The LAC developments have also led to an increased convergence between Indias view of the China challenge and that of the US, even if their strategies for dealing with the challenge differ in several respects, for instance on bringing in defence-related components in Quad or criticising China on Taiwan or Xinjiang. But the report offers a nuanced picture of what India may want from the US in the eventuality of another crisis. It says that while Delhi would expect intelligence support and winter gear, it may also request joint exercises, emergency senior-level military and defence consultations, and inclusion in Quad statements of the need to defend Indian border claimsall to enhance its deterrence vis-a-vis Beijing. At the same time, India wants to convey to its citizens that it can handle military operations competently and successfully, even in a wartime scenario. India may also believe that joint statements with US that frame the border crisis through the lens of US-China competition could be seen as unhelpful. As their country becomes an increasingly confident emerging power, Indian officials would prefer to avoid the perception of being dependent on Washington to manage the border dispute with China. All of this suggests that US policymakers are in a tough spot to do something, but not too much to assist New Delhi. Yet it is undeniable that US policy on this issue matters, and if handled effectively, can help deter future Chinese incremental land grabsor salami slicing of Indias borders, the report says. From the American prism The report says that until recently, American officials handling South Asia had concentrated largely on planning for a potential India-Pakistan conflict but they needed to pay more attention to a potential India-China military crisis for its implications in the Indo-Pacific and given that both countries are nuclear powers. Curtis and Grossman suggest that the hardening Indian position on China can help open the doors for an American strategy of deterrence by denial the provision of more security support in order to deny China the prospect of success by raising the costs for it. A second way to help India is through deterrence by detection by ensuring India has sophisticated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. The report points out that US support to India at a time of Chinese assertiveness will also help send a signal to other Asian countries that strengthening security ties with Washington rather than placating Beijing is a more effective way to secure sovereignty. The United States should support New Delhi diplomatically and militarily, yet not trumpet this assistance. Washington should find creative ways to bolster Indias position without seeking to mediate the conflict. Given the implications for its broader Indo-Pacific strategy, Washington cannot afford to stay completely on the sidelines of this conflict nor neglect it until conflict breaks out. Future outlook The report is pessimistic about the future. It argues that with both China and India enhancing infrastructure, changing their rules of engagement since 2020, and introducing new and advanced weapons systems on their sides of the disputed border, the possibility of continued standoffs erupting into full-blown conflict remain high. At the same time, the prospects for negotiating a political settlement of disputed borders remains low, especially since China has been uninterested in clarifying the LAC through an exchange of maps, as India has suggested. China is resisting the map exchange process likely because territorial ambiguity favours exaggerated claims and supports maintaining military advantages. It is in this backdrop that the report lauds India for its patience and calm and efforts to find diplomatic solutions, while squarely placing the responsibility on China for upping the ante by its infrastructure development, military deployments and encroachment into territory India considers its own. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The 18 March governorship race in Kano State was between the APC and opposition groups united under the NNPP. The victory of Abba Kabir of the New Nigeria People's Party (NNPP) in the 18 March governorship election in Kano State did not take many by surprise. The party had three weeks earlier won the state in the presidential election and taken most of the state's seats in the Senate and House of Representatives. However, there was a surprise in the governorship election from the performance of the APC candidate, Nasiru Gawuna, in areas that the NNPP won with wide margins on 25 February. The race was so tight that in Fagge and Kabuga areas of the Kano metropolis, NNPP agents and members feared the worst until the votes were counted and the final result declared by INEC. The INEC returning officer, Ahmad Doko, said the NNPP candidate won with 1,019,602 votes to defeat the candidate of the APC who scored 890,705 votes. The NNPP candidate thus won with a margin of 128,897 votes. The NNPP ousted the APC in Kano. It turned out to be the only state that the party's candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, won in the presidential election. Although his supporters had branded Mr Kwankwaso as the next Muhammadu Buhari who would sweep the polls across northern Nigeria, his party's performance in other northern states was abysmal, as correctly projected by PREMIUM TIMES. Apart from Taraba State, the NNPP was not considered a threat by either the APC or the People Democratic Party (PDP) in the governorship elections in other northern states. The outcomes of the elections across the northern states showed that they were correct in their assessment.For instance, in Jigawa State, the NNPP candidate, Aminu Ibrahim, came a distant third with 37,156 votes. The winning votes of the APC candidate, Umar Namadi, were 618,449. In Katsina State, the NNPP candidate, Nura Khalil, got only 8,263 votes, far below the winning votes of the APC candidate, Dikko Radda, which were 859,892. In Kaduna State, the NNPP candidate, Suleiman Hunkuyi, also scored a relatively low 21,405 votes. The APC candidate, Uba Sani, won the election in the state with 730,002 votes. In Sokoto State, the NNPP came sixth behind the APC, PDP, APGA, NRM, PRP. Its candidate scored just 427 votes, against the APC candidate Ahmed Aliyu, who won with 453,661 votes. In Gombe, NNPP scored 19,000 votes against the APC candidate Inuwa Yahaya, who got 342,821 votes. And in neighbouring Bauchi State, the NNPP got 60,496 votes where the PDP's Governor Bala Muhammed was reelected with 525,280 votes. In Adamawa where the governorship election was declared inconclusive, the NNPP's candidate also got a paltry 4,847 votes. Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the PDP got 421,524 votes but faces Aishat Dalhatu, aka Binani of the APC in a supplementary poll on 15 April. In Yobe State, the NNPP candidate got 14,244 votes with the victorious APC candidate, Maimala Buni, far out of his sight with 317,113 votes. And in Niger State, the NNPP got 3,378 votes while the APC candidate, Umaru Bago, won with 469,896 votes.The NNPP had no governorship candidates in Borno, Zamfara and Kebbi states. Thus, across the 18 northern states aside from Kano, the NNPP came second only in Taraba State where its candidate got 202,277 votes. And that rare feat has been atributed to protest votes against the ruling PDP candidate by political groups which felt marginalised in the North-east state. In spite of the infighting in the ruling party, the PDP candidate, Agbo Kefas, still won with 302,614 votes. The factors Arguably the most important factor that worked for the NNPP in Kano but not in other northern Nigerian states is that Mr Kwankwaso only governed Kano, of all the northern states. Mr Kwankwanso served as a two-term Kano governor during which he built a large following in the state based on what many considered to be his impressive performance as governor, particularly in the areas of education and health. Another factor behind the dismal showing of the NNPP in the north in both the presidential and governorship elections is that the influential politicians in the region are all either in the APC or the PDP. Also, Mr Kwankwaso's politics is largely limited to Kano where he is better known. His political practice appears alien to politicians and voters in other northern states. Why NNPP won in Kano? The NNPP's repeat victory over the APC in the 18 March governorship election in Kano was due to many factors.Traditionally, from the days of Aminu Kano, political support in Kano had tilted towards the opposition and against the central government. The hostility to Aminu Kano in the First Republic by the northern regional and the central government, both controlled then by the defunct Northern Peoples Congress (NPC), earned the leader of the defunct Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU), Mr Kano, the sympathy of the poor (talakawas) at the grassroots who distrusted the ruling class and the government in power. Mr Kwankwaso has in like manner won the sympathy of the masses in Kano by blaming the government of the day for the economic hardship under which they live. In 2003, Mr Kwankwaso had been a victim of that anti-establishment posture himself. He lost his governorship reelection bid as the candidate of the PDP to Ibrahim Shekarau of the defunct All People's Party (APP). At that time Kano people aligned with the opposition APP which had Mr Buhari as its presidential candidate, But Mr Kwankwaso was supporting the federal government of President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was then being vilified as anti-North and anti-Shariah Law. This eventually consumed Mr Kwankwaso's second-term bid.Mr Kwankwaso learned from that experience after he was reelected as governor eight years later in 2011. He never again aligned himself with the central government even when he was in the same political party with it. He fought the late president Umaru Yar'adua and his successor, Goodluck Jonathan. He also fought President Muhammadu Buhari, even though he had helped the president win in 2015 by joining four other state governors to defect from the PDP to the newly formed APC in 2013. Mr Kwankwaso was always there, mouthing popular setiments on a radio station that he founded, attacking the government and accusing officials of corruption, looting and hatred for the downtrodden. The tirades endeared him to the largely semi-exposed voters in the Kano metropolis who began to see the NNPP as the messiah. In the build-up to the 2023 election, Mr Kwankwaso also exploited a crisis in the APC in Kano. The NNPP also saw the 2023 governorship election as a war to recover the "stolen mandate" of 2019. INEC had declared that previous election as inconclusive after Mr Kabir polled 1,014,474 votes, against the incumbent governor, Abdullahi Ganduje of the APC, who scored 987,819 votes. Mr Ganduje later overtook Mr Kabir in the supplementary election marred by allegations of voter suppression. Since then, Mr Kwankwaso's followers drew the battle line. APC crisis in Kano Governor Ganduje was widely accused of mismanaging the APC in Kano which led to an intractable crisis in the state chapter of the party. He failed to reconcile with his opponents even after his faction of the party secured a favourable court judgement in the fight for the control of the party. The crisis that led to the defection of a former governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, and Kawu Sumaila later affected the APC badly. Mr Sumaila later won a senatorial seat under the NNPP against Kabiru Gaya, a former governor himself and long serving-senator supported by Governor Ganduje in the APC primary election. The nomination of Mr Gaya was despite protests against him for alleged poor representation by some members of his constituency. Also, a group of federal lawmakers led by Mr Shekarau, referred to as the G7, accused the state leadership of the party of sidelining them in party activities, among other issues. Many of the lawmakers eventually joined the PDP and NNPP after Mr Ganduje ignored their demands. Most of them won their elections on 25 February. The NNPP exploited the APC crisis and lured the aggrieved members into its fold. But luckily for the APC, the senator for Kano North district, Barau Jibrin, who was one of the aggrieved, chose to remain in the party and was reelected with a wide margin. Mr Jbrin, who was punished by the APC leadership in Kano, is now a cornerstone of the party in the state. Another member of the G7, Abdulkadir Jobe, who was replaced by Mr Ganduje's son on the APC ticket for the House of Representatives, won his reelection under the NNPP. Another member of the group, Sha'aban Sharada, emerged the governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) after he was denied a return ticket in the APC to represent the Kano Municipal in the House of Representatives. Mr Sharada is a former aide to President Buhari and is the current chairman of House committee on national security and intelligence. He fought tooth and nail against the APC in the governorship election. Intrigues in Kano governorship election President Buhari had in a video message endorsed the APC governorship candidate in the state, but party sources alleged that the presidency and security agents deployed to the state were against the APC in the elections. Some faceless forces in the presidency were said to hold grudges against Mr Ganduje for attacking the president over the Naira redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). They were said to have helped Mr Kwankwaso on both days of the elections. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Governance Nigeria By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. A remark by Mr Ganduje allegedly describing President Buhari as 'Habu na Habu', a drunkard in a song by Mamman Shata, grossly offended the supporters of the president. Mr Ganduje had also described the president as a builder and a destroyer of the APC over the controversial naira redesign policy. The remarks were said to have offended many supporters of the president in Kano and officials at the Aso Rock Villa who reportedly vowed to punish Mr Ganduje's APC in the state. Many APC stakeholders cited that as the reason for security agents' alleged harsh treatment of APC members in some important areas of the state during the governorship election. They cited the case of an APC former councillor, Ibrahim Nakuzama, who was shot dead by a soldier on suspicion of ballot box snatching in Getso town, Gwarzo Local Government Area. At least two other people, including an aged woman, were injured by stray bullets believed to have been fired by security agents. Mr Nakuzama's killing sent fears to APC stakeholders in the areas who believed they were the targets of security agents. Many APC supporters were reported to have stayed away from polling units in such areas, which reportedly gave the agents of other parties the opportunity to dominate the polling units. The APC later at a press conference addressed the issue. Its governorship candidate, Mr Gawuna, accused security agents of intimidating APC members. "We shall continue to pray for peace in Kano and also pray that nobody will ever terrorise the people of Kano again. The security agents have taken different stands, we are praying that nobody will intimidate us again and the people of Kano on this issue of election because it is God that gives power," Mr Gawuna said. Overall, although he left the PDP last year to run for president as candidate of the NNPP, Mr Kwankwaso has instead returned from the 2023 elections as the current king of Kano politics. (Reuters) - Evan Gershkovich, a correspondent for the Wall Street Journal arrested in Russia on espionage charges, is a 31-year-old American who has reported on Russia for various outlets for six years. Reporter for U.S. newspaper The Wall Street Journal Evan Gershkovich appears in an undated handout image taken in an unknown location. (via REUTERS) At the Journal, he has reported extensively on the consequences of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In conversations with friends, he said he saw his role as telling the story of how the war was changing Russia, and that he knew it could be dangerous to do his work in the face of strict censorship laws passed in the first days of the campaign. Also Read | Russia detains Wall Street Journal reporter on suspicion of spying: Report "Evan was not unaware or naive about the risks," tweeted his friend, New Yorker journalist Joshua Yaffa. "He is a brave, committed, professional journalist who traveled to Russia to report on stories of import and interest." A fluent Russian speaker born to Soviet emigres and raised in New Jersey, Gershkovich moved to Moscow in late 2017 to join the English-language Moscow Times, and subsequently worked for the French national news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP). Russia announced the start of its "special military operation" in February 2022, just as Gershkovich was in London, about to return to Russia to join the Journal's Moscow bureau. It was decided that he would live in London but travel to Russia frequently for reporting trips, as a correspondent accredited with the Foreign Ministry. It was on one such trip, to the industrial town of Yekaterinburg in the Ural mountains, that he was arrested this week by Russia's Federal Security Service, the FSB, successor to the Soviet KGB. WAR REPORTING Early in the war, Gershkovich had gone to Belarus, witnessing Russian military ambulances backing up at a hospital 30 miles (50 km) from the Ukrainian border in a report that showed Minsk was supporting Russia's war and indicated that Russian forces were taking heavy casualties. He spoke to a Russian soldier to produce a detailed account of what had gone wrong with Russia's invasion plan, and contributed to an article arguing that an "isolated and distrustful" President Vladimir Putin had built a power structure that fuelled his miscalculations over the campaign. Gershkovich also reported from Russia's border regions, examining the attitudes of locals subjected to an intense Kremlin information campaign about a conflict that threatened to spill over into their towns. Rights groups, activists and colleagues called on Thursday for his immediate release, as a Moscow court said Gershkovich would be held in pre-trial detention until at least May 29. "Evan Gershkovich is a highly respected, excellent journalist, detained by Russia for doing his job," the Washington Post's Moscow bureau chief Robyn Dixon said. "I know and admire him. It is horrifying to be writing this story. He should be released immediately." (Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Kevin Liffey) Shamsuzzaman Shams- a report from a leading newspaper in Bangladesh- was charged for writing "false news" after an article written by him on high food prices went viral, news agency AFP reported. Bangladesh police charged Shamsuzzaman Shams under the Digital Security Act which has been widely used by the government to silence journalists and critics, rights groups said, as per the report. Shamsuzzaman Shams: Police escort reporter Shamsuzzaman Shams (C), who has been arrested and charged under the Digital Security Act.(AFP) Read more: Who is Sheikh Khaled? UAE's jujitsu-loving new crown prince Shamsuzzaman Shams's newspaper Prothom Alo informed that the reporter was picked up from his home by the police. Bangladesh's home minister Asaduzzaman Khan said that the reporter was questioned by police for a false story. "A case has been filed against him," the minister said as per AFP, adding that Shamsuzzaman Shams would be released from custody soon but could be arrested again for further clarification. AFP reported that Shamsuzzaman Shams was charged with "smearing the image of the government with a false news". Read more: Worrying? Chile's 1st human case of bird flu: Man, 53, with severe symptoms The article included quotes from ordinary people talking about the everyday struggles they face in the country. Cost of food has soared in the country since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This comes as Reporters Without Borders ranked Bangladesh 162 of 180 countries in its 2022 World Press Freedom Index, below Russia (155) and Afghanistan (156). SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Thursday that Moscow would continue to notify the United States of any intercontinental or submarine ballistic missile launches despite suspending the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty between the two countries, the Interfax news agency reported. President Vladimir Putin announced the suspension last month of the New START deal signed in 2010, which limits the number of strategic nuclear warheads each side can deploy. (AP) President Vladimir Putin announced the suspension last month of the New START deal signed in 2010, which limits the number of strategic nuclear warheads each side can deploy. In response, the United States said on Tuesday that it would stop exchanging some data on its nuclear forces with Moscow. Also Read: Willing to work with Russian military, says China Ryabkov said Russia, despite the suspension, had pledged to stick to the warhead limits and would also continue to implement a 1988 agreement on the exchange of missile launch notifications, Interfax reported. A U.S. official said last month that Russia's suspension showed it was "not a responsible nuclear power". Putin justified it by saying, without providing evidence, that the West had been directly involved in Ukrainian attacks against bases for Russian strategic bomber planes deep inside Russian territory. Also Read: Russia detains Wall Street Journal reporter on suspicion of spying: Report He said NATO demands that Russia should allow inspections of its nuclear bases under the New START treaty were therefore absurd. Russia said separately on Wednesday that it had begun exercises with its Yars intercontinental ballistic missile system and several thousand troops. China said its military was willing to work together with the Russian military to strengthen strategic communication and coordination, the Chinese defence ministry said on Thursday. Chinese President Xi Jinping.(AP) Also Read | Don't use Taiwan president's US visit as 'pretext': White House to China The two countries would work together to implement global security initiatives, said Tan Kefei, a spokesman at the Chinese defence ministry, at a regular press conference. Also Read | China Has No Right: Russia warns as Zelensky invites Xi to Ukraine amid war Tan said the two countries would deepen military trust and jointly safeguard international fairness and justice. They will also further organise joint maritime, air patrols and joint exercises, Tan said. China President Xi Jinping recently visited Russia and met with President Vladimir Putin - a visit the United States denounced. The government also said 43 higher institutions of learning in the country would be linked to the Internet facility. The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved N24.2 billion for the provision of Internet facilities at 20 airports, some institutions of learning and markets across the country. The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, disclosed this when he briefed State House correspondents on the outcome of the Council meeting presided by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday in Abuja. According to him, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will spearhead the provision of the Internet facilities at the designated airports and institutions. He said: "The Federal Executive Council has approved two memos for the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) a parastatal under the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy. "In these memos, certain intervention projects are going to be implemented by the NCC. "Internet will be provided in 20 selected airports in Nigeria and higher institutions of learning as well as some markets to support micro, small and medium enterprises. "A contract was awarded for the provision of broadband in some selected airports, 20 of them are going to be covered in the first phase of the project. "You have three airports in each geo-political zone. "In South-west you have two in Lagos State, one in Ondo State; South-east you have Imo, Anambra and Enugu States will benefit; Rivers and Akwa-Ibom States for South-south. "North-central has the Federal Capital Territory and Kwara States; Kano, Sokoto and Kebbi States will benefit from the North-west, while Borno, Adamawa and Gombe States will benefit from the North-east Region." Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Business Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. According to him, the Internet broadband will be provided for free for use by passengers coming to the airports, adding that a sustainability model has been developed for effective maintenance of the facilities. Mr Pantami also announced that 43 higher institutions of learning would be linked to the Internet facility. "Some of them are universities, some polytechnics and the price for the contract which covers the airports and institutions of learning is N18.95 billion. "The second approval was for the provision of broadband to some selected markets, at the cost of N5.25 billion. "The total for both memos is N24.20 billion and the project is going to be implemented by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)," the minister explained. A MONUSCO helicopter lands in Beni in the North Kivu region of the DR Congo (file photo) The UN envoy to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) warned the Security Council on Wednesday that the security situation in eastern Congo has "deteriorated considerably" in recent months and that the humanitarian situation has become "increasingly dramatic". Aware of the worsening situation involving multiple armed groups clashing with Government forces, and each other, a Security Council delegation visited the DRC earlier this month in solidarity with the people of DRC, and to mobilize the United Nations peacekeeping and humanitarian operations in the face of security, electoral and structural challenges. Abuses by militia "The intensification of the conflict with the M23 and the persistent activism of other armed groups, including the ADF, Zaire and CODECO, to name a few, continue to inflict intolerable suffering on the civilian population," the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the DRC, Bintou Keita, told the 15-member Council. Ms. Keita, who is also the head of the UN Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), pointed out that in the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri, hundreds of thousands of people have fled abuses by armed groups and clashes between the M23 and the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) but also between CODECO and militants from the Zaire group - which have clashed often over the control of gold mines in the region. In North Kivu in particular, fighting between M23 rebels and the FARDC have displaced 900,000 people. Humanitarian needs, already immense, "continue to increase." "This humanitarian crisis remains one of the most neglected in the world. The displaced populations, which I visited, live in extremely precarious conditions," she said. Mobilizing resources In this context, she called for the mobilization of more resources to properly implement the 2023 humanitarian response plan, which now requires some $2.25 billion. Ms. Keita also condemned persistent impediments to humanitarian access, including the attack on a United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) helicopter in February, which forced the World Food Programme (WFP) to temporarily suspend flights in conflict zones. She called on all parties to the conflict "to respect international humanitarian law and facilitate humanitarian access to vulnerable people wherever are." Among the displaced, the Special Representative stressed "the particularly precarious situation of women" and considered it imperative to fund the 2023 National Action Plan to Prevent Sexual Exploitation and Abuse to ensure adequate protection for them. "More than $2 million is needed to support its activities, particularly in areas affected by the M23 crisis. Among the ongoing initiatives, I welcome the creation of a victim support fund and psychological assistance to women set up by the World Health Organization (WHO)," she said. Deadly year for peacekeepers Ms. Keita told Council members that in response to these immense security and humanitarian challenges, MONUSCO "works tirelessly in hostile environments to fulfill its mandate," in particular supporting the Congolese Government for the protection of civilians, as well as the disarmament and demobilization of armed groups and the implementation of security sector reform. She noted that 2022 was one of the deadliest years on record for MONUSCO peacekeepers, which operates in an "increasingly complex, volatile and dangerous" environment. Regional efforts The Special Representative recalled that military operations alone will not be sufficient to ensure stability in eastern DRC and she welcomed ongoing regional efforts to find lasting solutions to end the fighting. She called on the Security Council "to give full weight to these efforts by encouraging the parties to respect their commitments and ensuring that recalcitrant actors are held accountable". She noted that tensions between the DRC and Rwanda have continued to rise - over whether M23 rebels are being supported by Rwanda, a charge that Kigali vehemently denies - leading to several cross-border incidents, with these clashes presenting "serious risks of regional escalation". Elections in December Regarding national elections scheduled for December 20 this year, the UN envoy praised the Congolese authorities and the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) "for their determination to meet the deadlines in the face of logistical challenges, but especially in the face of insecurity". Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Congo-Kinshasa Conflict International Organisations By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. She noted that in eastern DRC, violence, clashes, and population displacement in areas under M23 control, "constitute serious obstacles to voter registration work," and in the west, intercommunal violence in Mai-Ndombe province, which has yet to stop, is also hampering the process. MONUSCO, in partnership with UN agencies, is supporting the electoral process and has responded by already transporting 126 tons of electoral materials for the CENI to North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri. Ms. Keita praised the efforts of the CENI "which is trying to address the operational challenges of registration through the extension of registration periods", responding to wrongdoing by any election officials, while also denouncing hate speech. However, she said the electoral process remains marked by "a worrying lack of trust between the main stakeholders of civil society and the opposition". She reiterated her call for all Congolese with a stake in the democratic process to work together to ensure peaceful, transparent, credible and inclusive elections in strict compliance with the Constitution and electoral law. Watch Ms. Keita briefing reporters outside the Security Council following the meeting, below: Senegal's opposition coalition maintained its call for demonstrations on Wednesday and Thursday during leader Ousmane Sonko's defamation trial despite a ban on protests by police authorities. The Yewwi Askan Wi (Liberate the People) coalition has denounced what it says are arbitrary arrests following recent clashes connected with Sonko's trial. It has urged its supporters to turn out in the capital Dakar ahead of a summons for Sonko to appear in the High Court for a hearing on 30 March. However the protests were banned amid fears they would pose to public order and to impede the "free movement of persons and goods". Ongoing unrest Violence has flared in several cities since Sonko's defamation trial opened on 16 March. A fierce opponent of President Macky Sall, Sonko was hospitalised for five days after he was allegedly sprayed with "a toxic substance" and manhandled while authorities escorted him to the courthouse. Last week Sall asked the government to take measures to preserve public order after protests over the trial left at least one person dead. Sonko is being sued by Senegal's Tourism Minister Mame Mbaye Niang for "defamation, insult and forgery" in relation to comments made during a news conference late last year. Sonko faces separate charges of allegedly raping a masseuse in 2021. The case sparked violence that left about a dozen people dead. Convictions in either case could potentially prevent Sonko from running in the February 2024 presidential elections. Sonko and his supporters accuse the government of using justice to prevent him from running for president. Much of the anger around Sonko's trial is targeted towards Sall, who has not ruled outrunning for a third term in office, which would involve changing the constitution. The Governor-elect of Abia State, Mr Otti, says some agents of the government and civil servants in the state were engaging in late-hour employment racketeering. The Abia State Government has reacted to an allegation by the governor-elect of the state, Alex Otti, that the state government was engaged in employment racketeering. Mr Otti, who won the 18 March governorship election in the state, had in a statement issued by his media aide, Ferdinand Ekeoma, alleged that some agents of the government and civil servants in the state were engaging in late-hour employment racketeering. The governor-elect is expected to be sworn in as the governor of the state on 29 May when the tenure of the incumbent governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, will come to an end. But reacting in a statement on Wednesday, the spokesperson to Mr Ikpeazu, Onyebuchi Ememanka, denied the allegation. Mr Ememanka said it was "absolutely preposterous and outrightly anachronistic" for Mr Otti to claim that the alleged employments were illegal arguing that even if the employment was true, the actions of the government in power could not be said to be illegal. "While making it abundantly clear that the Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu is not aware of any form of employment racketeering in Abia State Public Service, it is also important to remind Dr Alex Otti that there is a government fully in place in Abia State with executive powers to run the affairs of the state," he said. The governor's spokesperson urged Mr Otti to "take it easy" and that his hurry to become governor of the state was understandable, just as he reminded the governor-elect that Mr Ikpeazu remains the governor of the State until midnight of 28 May. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Governance Nigeria By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "Within this period, the governor is still enabled by all laws in this country to exercise the full powers to grant employment waivers into the state workforce, if he so desires. "What Dr Otti can do, at best, is to review such executive actions after he is sworn in on the 29th of May. Anything else from him at this time is of no effect whatsoever," Mr Ememanka stated. He added that the governor-elect should wait for his four-year tenure to exercise the powers of the governor of the state. "Dr Otti should also be reminded that every governor-elect is a potential former governor. At most and if God permits, he will spend eight years in office and while still in office, his successor will be elected too. "When a new administration is elected into office, they will inherit both assets and liabilities because government is a continuum. What a new governor chooses to do with what he inherits will define its administrative strategy. Abians are eagerly looking forward to seeing the administrative expertise of the governor-elect," he added. The ME Lisbon will open in 2024 to take the options for luxury lifestyle experiences in the city to another level. Melia Hotels International will open its first luxury hotel in Lisbon in 2024 the lifestyle brand ME by Melia, a collection of design hotels to discover contemporary culture through the lens of their bold, charismatic personality, that continues to grow internationally in some of the global cultural epicenters in the world. The new ME Lisbon will be located on the corner of the downtown avenues of Antonio Augusto de Aguiar and Fontes Pereira de Melo, alongside the Eduardo VII Park and Marques de Pombal Square, just a short distance from the historic centre of the city and an ideal base for exploring one of the most fascinating, hospitable and dynamic capital cities in Europe. Beyond being merely a hotel, the ME Lisbon will be a destination in itself, with the eclectic and exceptional style of the ME by Melia brand offering travellers the finest architecture, interior design, cuisine and local art, thanks to its work with a creative community of local artists and influencers combined with the latest technology to fill every corner of brand hotels with inspiration and energy. ME Lisbon will raise the bar for luxury lifestyle hotels in Lisbon, following the success of the brand in other major cities such as London, Milan, Barcelona or Dubai. With 213 rooms, ME Lisbon will offer the perfect combination of design, service and comfort for modern travellers, perfectly complemented by a select choice of innovative dining and wellness concepts. It will feature an a la carte restaurant and a choice of international cuisine available throughout the day, together with one of the most popular hallmarks of the brand: a Radio Rooftop Bar, a new meeting point for Lisbon residents and visitors, allowing them to enjoy the best rooftop ambience in the city and fantastic panoramic views. The hotel will also offer a gym and fully equipped spa and health club, providing customers with everything they need to disconnect and enjoy a total-relaxation experience in the indoor pool, sauna, Turkish bath or massage cabins. There will also be more than 600 m2 of space for meetings and events in 11 flexible and adaptable event rooms. All the facilities required to make it a perfect destination for both business and leisure travellers. Art and design combine to perfection in all ME by Melia hotels, which is why such special attention has been focused on the architectural design of the new ME Lisbon. Already under construction, the future hotel has been designed by the Portuguese architect Joao Paciencia and will feature a striking semi-transparent glass facade. The hotel design will also employ the most efficient and sustainable technology to minimise its environmental footprint. The heat generated by the cooling systems in the hotel, for example, will be used as a source of energy for the hot water boilers. The creative and sophisticated interior design by the Broadway Malyan studio is inspired by the idea of an "unexpected" Lisbon, with a fresh and disruptive style that is also influenced by some of the key attractions in the city itself, such as the arches or colour of the trees on the Avenida da Liberdade, helping create a greater bond between the hotel and its local environment and community. This iconic hotel owned by the Discovery Portugal Real Estate Fund will allow Melia Hotels International to continue to make progress with a growth strategy focused primarily on premium and luxury hotels. In addition to the ME Lisbon, the ME by Melia brand will open at least three more hotels in 2023 and 2024 in Malaga (Spain), Malta, and Guadalajara (Mexico), extending the footprint of a collection of designer hotels that is now among the most competitive international luxury hotel brands in the world. Melia already has two hotels in Lisbon, and the ME Lisbon will also be accompanied by the first INNSiDE by Melia hotel in the city, which is also scheduled to open in 2024. Portugal is becoming one of the fastest growing markets for the company, with the 7 hotels currently under development adding to the 9 which are already open. Hotel website Bergeron joins The Lytle Park Hotel as Hotel Manager after spending three years in Austin, Texas, serving as the Assistant Manager of a 300-room full service Marriott hotel. During his time there, he was recognized as a member of the Pyramid Global APEX program, which awards up-and-coming future General Managers in the company. Prior to his time at Marriott, Bergeron has held management positions with other leading hotel chains such as Hilton, Hyatt, and Hard Rock International. Bergeron holds a bachelor's degree in both communications and business from Texas State University. As Hotel Manager, Bergeron will oversee all aspects of the guest experience, ensuring that the hotel continues to provide exceptional service and memorable experiences. The Hague, Netherlands - Hotelschool The Hague has announced the launch of the 2023 Sustainable Hospitality Challenge (SHC). This years edition will include for the first time, leading international architecture, technology and design universities who will be joining the participating top-tier hospitality institutions to form multidisciplinary student teams. The Sustainable Hospitality Challenge (SHC) is a Hotelschool The Hague initiative that aims to enhance the evolution of sustainable hospitality, foster innovation driven by the leaders of tomorrow, and nurture talent on a global scale by bringing them close to industry organisations who want to reimagine the future of hospitality. Over 40+ universities from around the globe, including returning champions, Cornell University, Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne (EHL), Toronto Metropolitan University, Hotel Institute Montreux, CY Cergy Paris Universite, and Hotelschool The Hague, will be competing in this years challenge. When looking at Cornell Universitys winning 2022 concept, it is a perfect example of added value thanks to multi-disciplinary synergy. By seeking the support from aero-space engineers, architects and financial advisors, they were able to lift their winning project to the next level. Working with other disciplines in the 2023 SHC will allow innovation to be well integrated, complete and feasible. I am already seeing how bringing together students from different disciplines in this years challenge benefits the sustainable future of our industry and the planet. It will empower them to create the best, most innovative, and complete concepts. I welcome all multi-disciplinary teams to this years challenge and cannot wait to see what great concepts they have created. Paul Griep, founder of the SHC The challenge, founded in 2014 as the Genio Worldwide Innovation Summit, has re-established itself to make sustainability its central theme, given the urgent relevance of the climate crisis to the hospitality industry. Presented by Hotelschool The Hague, The Sustainable Hospitality Challenge, together with their partners The Bench, The Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, and its main sponsor NEOM, is committed to building a more sustainable future. We are delighted to support the Sustainable Hospitality Challenge once more in its mission to inspire and challenge the next generation of hoteliers to create innovative and sustainable concepts. We are looking forward to witnessing the inventive projects and creative solutions that the students will come up with. Chris Newman, the Executive Director for Hotel Development at NEOM Last year's edition of the Sustainable Hospitality Challenge had 'REMOTE' as its central theme. The winning team from Cornell University presented their concept Nimbus, an eco-resort in remote areas. By means of hot air balloons, Nimbus would bring economic opportunities to local communities while promoting sustainable tourism. The theme of this years challenge will be: 'ONE WITH NATURE, focusses on the urgent need to preserve and regenerate ecosystems. Primarily inspired by NEOM's respectful relationship with nature, this years challenge touches upon regenerative tourism. NEOM is located in the Tabuk Province of north-western Saudi Arabia. It will cover 26,500km2 and extend 460 km along the coast of the Red Sea. Built on a most ancient land, enhanced by world-leading design, immersive digital experiences and seamless travel. It will challenge and shape the possibilities of global travel in the years to come. Griep also added saying: last year, we got the opportunity to visit NEOM, and it was incredible to witness their focus on the preservation of its surrounding. Regenerative tourism and protecting nature are a clear golden thread that runs through all of their initiatives. The qualifications rounds will be held in March 2023, followed by the semi-finals in Amsterdam. The finals, in partnership with The Bench and The Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, will be held at the Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) in Abu Dhabi. Tickets and information for these events will be shared on LinkedIn, Instagram, and the challenge's website, www.thestudentchallenge.com. Were very excited to host the finals of the Sustainable Hospitality Challenge at the Future Hospitality Summit again this year and we look forward to welcoming the finalists to Abu Dhabi in September. We have been blown away by the young talent over the past few years and Im sure were in for a great final round again this year, especially with the introduction of the multidisciplinary teams. Architecture, design and technology are key drivers of innovation in hospitality and Im excited to see what sustainable solutions they will be able to bring to our industry. Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of The Bench The Sustainable Hospitality Challenge is always one of the highlights of our summit. It is exciting to see these young bright minds come together to think of solutions for a more sustainable future for the hospitality industry. Glenn Mandziuk, CEO Sustainable Hospitality Alliance Change is the only constant for sustainability and innovation and the next generation of hospitality professionals are those who will push the envelope of innovation for all of us. Giving them a voice and decision-making powers to lead the change bottom-up will further disrupt our space and drive more change. This is why we have chosen to join and contribute to the student challenge and drive change with the youth talent from far and wide joining our ranks. Looking forward to the disruptive ideas they will share for a greener and more inclusive world. Marloes Knippenberg, CEO of Kerten Hospitality About The Bench The Benchhas established a legacy for delivering world-leading investment forums and conferences in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. The key principle behind these platforms has remained "dealmaking'. Transforming the way business connect, Bench has developed a reputation for creating innovative and high-impact meeting spaces for the industry. For over two decades - government leaders, tourism ministries, global travel & tourism associations, the world's most influential hospitality brands, hotel owners & investors, renowned restaurant groups, airlines & aviation authorities, destination developers, asset managers, financial groups and consultants have been participating in The Bench's events for their respective objectives. These include AHIC, AHIF, GRIF, FHS, AHF, IDEEA, AviaDev and RENEW where industry players showcase their brands, position themselves as thought leaders or innovators, and connect with the right opportunities and knowledge. Learn more on thebench.com FHS Saudi Arabia Dates: 7-9 May 2023 Location: Al Faisaliah Hotel, Riyadh, KSA Sponsors: Al Faisaliah Hotel and Al Khozama Management Holdings as Host Sponsors; Accor, Boutique Group, Dur Hospitality, NEOM, Radisson Hotel Group, Rua Al Madina Holding, SRG, and Tourism Development Fund as Platinum Sponsors; Abu Dhabi Convention & Exhibition Bureau, Diriyah Company, IHG Hotels & Resorts, KAFD, Marriott International, Millennium Hotels & Resorts, Miral, Rotana and Taiba Investments as Emerald Sponsors, Aleph Hospitality; Blink Design Group, CBRE, Colliers; Compass Project Consulting, Crossover Lodge, DAR, Domus Management Housing, Dorsett Hospitality International, ELAF Group; HBA; IHCL, Insignia; JLL, Kerten Hospitality; Knight Frank, Legal Advisors Abdulaziz Alajlan & Partners in association with Baker & McKenzie Limited, Louvre Hotels Group; Mapal, Minor Hotels; OBMI, PwC, QUO, Rove Hotels, SECC Group, Spectrum, SSH, The Boundary, Voltere by Egis, Whitewater and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts as Gold Sponsors, Deutsche Hospitality, Hospitality Management Holding, HVS and Keane as Silver Sponsors and TGP International as GRIF-Saudi Arabia Platinum Sponsors. Phoenix, Arizona As one of the worlds leading hotel companies with 19 distinctive brands across every chain scale segment from luxury to economy BWH Hotel Group continues to make an impression in select regions across the globe with the addition of several new properties in North America, Europe and Asia. Travelers can look forward to new BWH Hotel Group properties in The United States, India, Denmark, Austria, Thailand, Sweden, The Philippines, Germany, Greece, Spain, Japan and England. As the resurgence of travel continues, we are proud to grow our portfolio in key destinations around the globe. As a global company we are focused on thoughtfully growing and expanding our footprint to ensure we can provide exceptional travel experiences to guests around the world. At BWH Hotel Group there is a brand for every type of traveler from upscale, luxury and lifestyle hotels to midscale and economy brands. Larry Cuculic, President and Chief Executive Officer, BWH Hotel Group Select hotels joining the portfolio include: BWH Hotel Group has started the year off with tremendous momentum, onboarding new hotels in North America, Europe and Asia with plans for continued growth throughout the year. With a portfolio of approximately 4,500 hotels in over 100 countries and territories worldwide, BWH Hotel Group intends to build upon its strong property portfolio to provide even more unique offerings and experiences to travelers and developers worldwide. We are focused on driving unique hotel offerings that appeal to the next generation of travelers and developers. Our lifestyle and boutique brands have seen tremendous success with brands like Aiden growing exponentially that brand has launched in Denmark and India in the first months of 2023 and the portfolio is set to double this year. Were also experiencing significant traction with our soft brand offerings which provide developers with more flexibility and deliver authentic experiences to travelers. Brad LeBlanc, Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer, BWH Hotel Group BWH Hotel Group has expanded its collection of soft brand hotels and plans to grow by more than 100 soft brand properties in 2023 alone. We are thrilled about the continued growth of our global presence and the rapid growth of BWH Hotel Group internationally to include our WorldHotels portfolio. These properties are all wonderful additions to our portfolio and offer guests an ideal hotel experience in our target markets and countries. Ron Pohl, President, International Operations and WorldHotels Recent additions to the soft collections portfolio include hotels in countries such as England, Greece, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands and Spain, among others. Select properties include: For more information on BWH Hotel Group, please visit: bestwestern.com worldhotels.com bestwesterndevelopers.com About BWH Hotel Group BWH Hotel Group is a leading, global hospitality network comprised of three hotel companies, including WorldHotels Collection, Best Western Hotels & Resorts and SureStay Hotel Group. The global network boasts approximately 4,500 hotels in over 100 countries and territories worldwide*. With 18 brands across every chain scale segment, from economy to luxury, BWH Hotel Group suits the needs of developers and guests in every market. *Numbers are approximate, may fluctuate, and include hotels currently in the development pipeline. Forget about the old days of people serving people. More restaurants and hotels are now using robotic cooks, delivery robots, self-serving kiosks, Chatbots, and other AI-empowered machines in service operations. Some businesses must rely on machines to address the labor shortage issue. Others count on machines to deliver faster and more consistent service. Moreover, many consumers have become used to automatic self-services during the pandemic. It is not surprising to see robots taking over more service jobs. What is the latest robotic thing that deems to take over even more human jobs? That is ChatGPT (Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer), the popular chatbot from OpenAI. Launched in November 2022, ChatGPT is designed to answer user requests with AI-generated articles, essays, jokes, and even poetry. By January 2023, ChatGPT was already set to reach 100 million monthly active users (Hu, 2023). On average, about 13 million unique visitors used ChatGPT every day in January. As a reference, it took nine months for TikTok and 2.5 years for Instagram to reach 100 million users. ChatGPT could also threaten white-collar jobs. The development of ChatGPT and related AI can be a threat to more than just front-line labor. Tech jobs (e.g., coders, data analysts, programmers, and software engineers), media jobs (e.g., content creation, technical writing, and journalism), and legal industry jobs (e.g., paralegals and legal assistants) are particularly at risk (Mok & Zinkula, 2023). Is ChatGPT good enough to steal our jobs? I did a test earlier by asking ChatGPT this question: Are robots stealing jobs? ChatGPT gave me the following answer: Robots and automation can certainly displace some jobs and change the nature of work in many industries. As technology continues to advance, it is likely that we will see an increase in automation in various fields, which could result in some human jobs becoming unnecessary or obsolete. However, it is important to note that automation can also create new jobs, improve productivity, and increase efficiency in many industries. For example, automation can be used to perform repetitive, mundane tasks, freeing up workers to focus on more complex and creative tasks. Additionally, automation can lead to the development of new industries and job opportunities, such as those related to the design, programming, and maintenance of robots and other automated systems. Therefore, while its true that robots and automation can displace some jobs, its important to consider the potential benefits as well the challenges of automation. Its also important to invest in education and training programs to help workers acquire new skills and adapt to the changing job market. How not to get replaced by robots or ChatGPT at work ChatGPT is good, and it will only get better! Machines and AI are deemed to take over more human jobs. While it can be challenging for us to compete with AI in technical skills, we humans can do a better job in more complex skills like leadership, creativity, motivation, and critical thinking. Do you expect robots will steal more human jobs soon? What can we do if we do not want to get replaced? Linchi Kwok Professor at The Collins College of Hospitality Management, Cal Poly Pomona CAL Poly Pomona View source What links a traditional ryokan in rural Japan to a boutique hotel in Sydney? The look and feel couldnt be more different, but the formula for success is the same at its core: fill beds year-around and deliver unforgettable experiences to guests. OTAs have supported us to improve occupancy: the number of bookings doubled since we started using OTAs South Korean hotelier As international arrivals to the Asia-Pacific (APAC) are slated for a strong rebound in 2023 following various travel restrictions and COVID-19 related lockdowns, the fulfilment of these objectives promises big opportunities for accommodations across the region. But the new international marketplace isnt without its challenges. A 2021 study by EY Parthenon, in cooperation with Booking.com, analyses these challenges looking back at pre-pandemic travel to see how Asia-Pacifics small and medium-sized accommodations are fairing in a competitive global marketplace, as well as how online travel platforms (OTAs) such as Booking.com helps SME accommodations. The study surveyed almost 400 accommodation providers, including 20 in-depth interviews with hoteliers, to capture the unique market dynamics of the region, as well as the thoughts and feelings of individual hoteliers on the ground. Take a look at a selection of hotelier testimonials below and find the full report at the bottom of the page. Attracting a global pool of guests In 2019, almost 300 million international tourists touched down in APAC, up almost 300% on the year 2000. Given whats on offer is everything from the beaches of Bali to the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, this boom in global visitor numbers doesnt come as much of a surprise. Its a big opportunity for all accommodations, large and small. But lacking the marketing capacity of global chains, small and independent properties are often at a structural disadvantage and must work harder to get global eyes on their offering. This is where online travel platforms can help. Their established international user bases give smaller local accommodations global online visibility, without the need of significant upfront investment in marketing campaigns. This allows accommodation providers to bring in guests from outside their typical sourcing market, while reassuring guests unfamiliar with their destination that their booking is legitimate. We have guests from all over Asia, Europe and North-America finding and booking our accommodation through the international OTAs we work with. This really diversifies our guest mix. Medium-sized accommodation at city centre, Australia We work with OTAs to increase our exposure. It is difficult to attract international guests on our own, so international OTAs are very helpful for us. Medium-sized business hotel at city centre, Japan The OTAs provide access to guests that otherwise wouldnt have booked with us. Typically our direct bookings only consist of domestic travellers, while international guests book through OTAs. Small accommodation at tourist destination, Australia Delivering localised customer service and establishing trust Travel is all about trust, and travellers need to know that a property is legitimate and their payment is secure. Online platforms are an established intermediary, and help in fostering this trust through verified user reviews and reliable ratings. The customer-facing infrastructure such as automatic translation and 24-hour customer service offered by online platforms also means that travellers can be sure they will be supported throughout their booking journey and beyond. "Visitors know that accommodations listed on international OTAs can be trusted. Even when there are any problems with their stay, they know they can rely on the OTA for support. On top, both parties are ensured of payment. Medium-sized hotel at holiday destination, South Korea Communication with international guests can be difficult. For example, calling with European guests is almost impossible due to the time difference. The real-time booking function of the OTA is therefore very convenient for both our guests and ourselves. Small accommodation at tourist destination, Australia It can be difficult to answer questions from guests in different languages. Fortunately, the international OTAs help us provide customer service to guests that dont speak Japanese. Ryokan in rural area, Japan The OTAs payment functions are useful for our guests, as it simplifies the booking process to just a few clicks. Medium-sized business hotel at city centre, South Korea Boosting bookings Maximising bookings and ensuring rooms are filled is the number one goal for all accommodation providers. Most small and independent properties use a mix of distribution channels to achieve this. Direct bookings dominate, but channels such as traditional travel agencies and online travel platforms also play a role. Online platforms are risk-free and flexible. No fee is taken until a room is sold, and hoteliers are free to list and delist rooms, meaning if direct bookings are strong during peak season, for example, they can adjust their OTA allocation to match demand. The international reach of online platforms means that many accommodation providers will see a rise in incremental bookings, but many will also notice a boost in direct bookings. Australian travel is largely concentrated around school holidays. British holidays in September really help us stay occupied during low season for Australians. Small accommodation at tourist destination, Australia We started using OTAs in 2018. It has at least doubled our sales. We are of course selling many rooms through OTAs but, funnily enough, direct bookings have also significantly increased since we are present on OTAs. Medium-sized holiday resort, South Korea We use multiple OTAs to maximize the number of guests we attract. Each OTA has a slightly different customer base, so by combining them we try to optimize the number of [incremental] bookings. Medium-sized hotel at city centre, Japan OTAs have supported us to improve occupancy: the number of bookings doubled since we started using OTAs. Medium-sized accommodation at city centre, South Korea Hearing from our accommodation partners is crucial in understanding their challenges and how we can support them best. We want to help our partners to thrive while, as always, making it easier for everyone to experience the world. Flip through the full EY Parthenon report here. Blantyre, Malawi The U.N. humanitarian agency says Malawi needs immediate help to deal with diseases spreading in displacement camps for Cyclone Freddy survivors. The Malawi health minister told reporters Tuesday that the government is beefing up its medical staff but a local newspaper says the country needs more money to adequately deal with healthcare needs. Malawi has over 500 displacement camps for people affected by Cyclone Freddy, which also hit Mozambique and Madagascar. In its Tuesday Flash Update, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, says heath issues are rising in the camps due to a lack of clean drinking water and adequate sanitation. It says diseases such as cholera, scabies, and acute respiratory infections have been reported in some camps. Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda is minister of health in Malawi. She told a press conference that the main challenge has been a shortage of medical workers. "So, we are beefing up our staff levels as well. We have been recruiting. I think over the past two weeks we have recruited over 300 health workers in the southern region just to beef up our health services in the health sector," said Chiponda. However, a local newspaper reported Tuesday that Malawi needs about $3 million to address health needs created by the devastating cyclone. The World Health Organization says the unusually long-running cyclone destroyed more than 300 health facilities in Madagascar, Malawi and Mozambique, leaving many communities without sufficient access to health services. In Malawi and Mozambique, the cyclone hit amid already-exisitng cholera outbreaks. It says additionally, malaria cases have been reported in multiple camps, requiring medical attention and the provision of mosquito nets to prevent further spread of the disease. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Malawi Health Refugees By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Maziko Matemba is the community health ambassador in Malawi. He told VOA that outbreaks of diseases in the camps were expected. "And already Blantyre and those sites already had cholera. So, this would just be an increase to where we came from," said Matemba. "But also, another assessment which we have done, you know, people are coming from different places to support people who are trapped. What would happen is that those people can also migrate several diseases; cholera, COVID." Matemba says that for people displaced from their homes, mental health is also a challenge. "Before parliament signs off, or of all the requests that are happening in parliament, health has to be considered as one of the areas apart from infrastructure reconstruction because we are talking of mental health; it's a big issue in those areas as well," said Matemba. In the meantime, several humanitarian organizations are supporting Malawi to address its health concerns. The WHO and Doctors Without Borders have sent medical workers to hard-to-reach areas to assist those trapped because of roads that remain cut off. WASHINGTON House Republicans passed a sprawling energy package Thursday that would expand U.S. oil and gas production and speed up the development of clean power projects while undoing many of President Joe Biden's climate initiatives. The bill, named The Lower Energy Costs Act, passed largely along party lines 225 to 204, with four Democrats voting for and one Republican against. Reps. Vicente Gonzalez of Brownsville and Henry Cuellar of Laredo were among the Democrats supporting the legislation. "The first step to unleashing American energy starts today," said Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Houston. "(The legislation) rolls back Biden's attack on domestic energy production, incentivizes domestic mineral production and stops regulations that delay projects that are critical to our energy independence." The 175-page piece of legislation, which would do everything from repeal new fees for fugitive methane emissions to require quarterly federal lease sales for oil and gas drilling, is not expected to find much support in the Democrat-controlled Senate. But its provisions for permitting reform, a longstanding bipartisan issue, are likely to increase debate around the development of long-distance power lines and the mining of lithium and other critical minerals viewed as essential to clean energy development. Legislation with similar reforms to the federal permitting system introduced last year by Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., managed to get 47 votes in the Senate, with only seven votes from Republicans. And with Republicans leading the charge in the House, energy lobbyists are hopeful enough Senate Republicans will come on board this time to get them to the necessary 60 votes. After Thursday's vote, oil companies and clean energy developers alike urged Congress to pass a permitting reform bill. Jason Grumet, president of the American Clean Power Association, which represents renewable energy companies, said he was "pleased to see Congressional efforts move forward to engage this critical and complex set of issues." Anne Bradbury, CEO of oil industry trade group American Exploration and Production Council, urged the Senate to "work in a bipartisan, bicameral way" on "modernizing permitting, supporting U.S. energys access to global markets, supporting production on federal lands and repealing the new, punitive tax on natural gas that would raise Americans energy bills." Congress is coming under increasing pressure from industry to fix a permit system the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other industry groups described in a letter to Congress Monday as "broken." "Investing in highways, bridges, transit systems and ports will move people and goods more quickly and efficiently. Building new energy production, transmission and distribution projects promises to improve energy reliability and reduce emissions," the coalition wrote. But House Republicans' plans to loosen the National Environmental Policy Act, the environmental law governing many large infrastructure projects, and take away states' ability to block projects through clean water regulations, is likely to face opposition from progressive Democrats. Environmental groups attacked Republicans' energy legislation across the board Thursday, arguing the permitting reform provisions would expand the infrastructure for fossil fuels at a time the nation should be reducing reliance on them. "The bill passed by the House today would move the United States further away from our climate and clean energy goals, said Evan Chapman, federal policy director at Clean Air Task Force. "While we agree with the need to maintain energy reliability and the need to boost U.S. energy security and leadership, this bill is a step in the wrong direction." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A national labor union is accusing Apple of intimidating workers at a Memorial City store to prevent them from unionizing. In charges filed Monday with the National Labor Relations Board, the Communication Workers of America alleges that workers at the Memorial City Mall Apple Store were "individually interrogated" in recent weeks about their support of a potential union. Workers were then promised improved working conditions if they refused to support the union, and worse working conditions if they supported the union, the CWA says. The union also alleges one worker was disciplined in retaliation for affiliation with and support of the Communication Workers of America. UNIONIZATION: Medical Center Starbucks becomes third Houston-area store to unionize "Apple has chosen to continue to break the law, so we will continue to hold the company accountable because no corporation is above the law. Apples attempt to interfere with worker organizing is only strengthening the resolve of workers to win a seat at the negotiating table, Claude Cummings Jr., vice president of the CWA district that includes Texas and parts of the Midwest, said in a statement. Apple did not respond to a request for comment. Apple operates seven stores in the Houston area and more than 270 in the U.S., several of which have begun movements to unionize. The first was at a store in Towson, Md., which voted to unionize in June 2022, followed in October by workers in Oklahoma City, the Associated Press reported. Workers at the Memorial City location have been organizing for several weeks, but have not yet filed for union representation, according to a CWA spokesperson. The national union, which represents workers in a variety of fields, has previously filed charges with the NLRB accusing Apple of union-busting in Missouri, Atlanta, New York and Oklahoma. The complaints have come at a time when more retail workers employed by companies such as Starbucks and outdoor and recreation retailer REI have organized. On Wednesday, Starbucks founder Howard Schultz, who recently ended his third tour as the company's CEO and who is still a board member and shareholder, defended the company before a Senate labor committee against claims that it has tried to block workers from unionizing. The hearing was held on the same day Starbucks said shareholders had backed a proposal to ask the company to commission an independent assessment of its practices related to worker rights, including the right to unionize. In January, Apple agreed, under similar pressure from a coalition of investors, including several union funds, to conduct an assessment of its U.S. labor practices specifically, on Apple's compliance with workers' freedom of association and collective bargaining rights and release a report by the end of 2023, according to a proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The pledge to complete an audit came amid complaints by federal regulators and employees that the company has repeatedly violated workers labor rights as they have sought to unionize. Apple has denied the accusations. As part of its agreement with the coalition of investors, Apple agreed to hire a third-party firm to conduct the assessment, the coalition said. P97 Networks, a Houston-based platform for gas station and convenience store transactions, received a $40 million growth capital investment the company will use to expand its reach beyond North America. Portage, an investor in financial services technology, led the round, which also included follow-on investments from existing investors. Portage and P97 declined to disclose the stake purchased in the latest round or the valuation of P97, but Donald Frieden, P97's chief executive, the latest funding more than doubled the company's valuation. Switzerland-based Emerald Ventures, Accenture Ventures, and Georgia-based Fleetcor were previous investors. "P97 fits the profile of exactly what we're looking for," Daniel Ballen, a partner and co-head of Portage Capital Solutions in New York, said. "It's a proven product, proven technology, proven management team." P97 said its software is used in transactions at 53 percent of gas stations and convenience stores across U.S. and Canada, about 66,000 retail sites in all. It has also designed branded mobile apps for Valero and Phillips 66, among others, that include digital wallets allowing customers to pay for goods and services within those brands' brick-and-mortar sites. Ballen called it "quite a feat" that P97 has already developed a technology that's in over half the gas stations in U.S. and Canada. RISE OF EV: Could Texas be an electric vehicle hub? "We look at payments in a number of different areas of the economy, from retail stores to business-to-business payments to buying things online e-commerce and so forth. And we found that in gas stations and EV charging, there's actually a heightened level of complexity because you typically do not have an attendant there to facilitate the payment," Ballen said. "You also had another piece of technology, which is the fuel pump or the EV charging station that had to be in the flow of communication to help facilitate the transaction which may sound easy, but it's actually quite complex." And gasoline and EV charge is a commodity that people need on the daily, which makes it ideal for a loyalty app, he said. The funding will be used to expand P97's presence in Europe and Asia. "We already have a global footprint, but we want to dominate the rest of the globe like we do the U.S. and Canada," Frieden said. The company was formed in 2012 to address a perceived opportunity to improve payment technologies at gas station pumps and convenience stores. "This industry needed a way to really build customer loyalty to their brand, to drive increased trips to their brand, more frequency. Also to drive larger basket size larger sales within the convenience stores, because quite frankly that's where most of the margin for the business is made," Frieden said. This story was updated March 30 to reflect the growth stage investment. It doesnt have a name yet but a new restaurant from the partners behind Bludorn and Navy Blue are plotting their third concept, set for a late 2023 opening in the Memorial area. Business partners Victoria Pappas Bludorn, Aaron Bludorn, and Cherif Mbodji announced Thursday they are taking the former Jonathans the Rub spot in Hedwig Village for a new classic, upscale tavern restaurant. PUTTING IT TOGETHER: How Bludorn realized one of Houston's biggest restaurant openings in years The new project announcement comes only months after the Bludorn team launched its second restaurant, Navy Blue, in Rice Village in November. Last month Navy Blue, a seafood restaurant, was No. 1 on Texas Monthlys list of the 10 best new restaurants in Texas. The partners provided few details about the project set in a 4,900-square-foot space at 9061 Gaylord just off I-10. The restaurant will be open for lunch, dinner and cocktail service that much is known. This location is particularly special to us given that Victoria grew up in the Memorial area, said chef Aaron Bludorn. As we grow our Houston footprint, we continue to be so thankful for the unwavering support of our patrons both local and visiting as well as the creativity and dedication of our incredible staff. The Bludorn team shook up the Houston food scene during the pandemic when it opened Bludorn in the former Pass & Provisions space on Taft in summer 2020. Since then theyve become not just critical darlings but active members of the Houston community having raised more than $100,000 for a variety of non-profit organizations including the Houston-based Southern Smoke Foundation. Greg Morago writes about food for the Houston Chronicle. Follow him on Facebook or Twitter. Send him news tips at greg.morago@chron.com. Hear him on our BBQ State of Mind podcast to learn about Houston and Texas barbecue culture. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Berg Hospitality Group, already one of Houstons busiest restaurant players, is planning its first downtown project, an upscale seafood restaurant going into a downtown skyscraper in fall 2023. Berg Hospitality announced Thursday it will open Dune Road in Hines and Ivanhoe Cambridges 47-story Texas Tower, 845 Texas, the Pelli Clarke & Partners building that is Hines headquarters situated in downtowns Theater and Historic districts. BEARD FINALISTS: What Houston restaurants and chefs are up for 2023 James Beard Awards? Dune Road, to be located on the ground level of Texas Tower on the Milam side, is described as an upscale interpretation of New England-style seafood restaurants, open for lunch and dinner. The menu will include classic seafood dishes such as clam and lobster bakes, seafood chowder, fried clams, and lobster rolls. Our first fully seafood-centric restaurant introduces a unique New England-inspired food and beverage experience to this bustling sector of Downtown in the world class Texas Tower, stated Benjamin Berg, founder and CEO of Berg Hospitality Group. With Dune Road, we aim to elevate the flavor of seafood, by keeping it clean, simple and mostly grilled, sourced from only the finest suppliers around the country. Can you get a steak? Of course. But seafood is the star here. There will be seating for 214 guests in the restaurant that will feature a 56-seat circular bar, patio seating for 44, and private dining areas. The space, designed by New York City-based ICRAVE, will feature curvy nautical elements with an undulating ceiling, polished metals, shiplap-inspired details, lacquered wood finishes, maritime lighting motifs, and a sand and sea color scheme. Dune Road will be a key addition to the hospitality-driven experience at Texas Tower, stated John Mooz, senior managing director at Hines. With the goal of providing a curated F&B offering to the north side of Downtown, this new concept from Ben Bergs powerhouse team will offer our tenants and the surrounding community the perfect setting to dine, recharge and exchange. It is time of growth for Berg Hospitality, which currently operates Houston restaurants including B&B Butchers steakhouse, B.B. Lemon, The Annie Cafe & Bar, Turner's and Trattoria Sofia. In January Berg announced it will open two concepts, Benny Chows, a Chinese restaurant, and Canopy Social, a rooftop bar, both at 1818 Washington, this year. In February came the announcement of Buttermilk Baby, an American soda fountain restaurant debuting in the Heights in the fall. Berg also previously announced two concepts in Autry Park, Hanovers new urban village development on Allen Parkway: Annabelles, an American brasserie, and Turners Cut, a luxury steakhouse. Greg Morago writes about food for the Houston Chronicle. Follow him on Facebook or Twitter. Send him news tips at greg.morago@chron.com. Hear him on our BBQ State of Mind podcast to learn about Houston and Texas barbecue culture. Greg Morago / Greg Morago Multiple Texas cities, including Houston, had restaurants and chefs named finalists for the 2023 James Beard Awards. But some earned more than others. And one city was completely snubbed. Three Houston restaurants earned nominations, including Tatemo, Nancys Hustle and Street to Kitchen. Restaurant columnist Bao Ong and food editor Greg Morago spoke to the local finalists Wednesday about how they felt upon hearing the news. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Derrick Brown doesn't own a pair of dress shoes. When Lucchese Bootmaker opened a Baybrook Mall location this month, the Friendswood credit union executive was one of the first customers. The 4,000-square-foot store, which has its official grand opening on April 1, features Western apparel and accessories such as belts and wallets as well as the companys first in-store hat bar. But for Brown, 47, Lucchese Baybrook is all about the rows and rows of boots. Ostrich, American alligator, Nile rattlesnake, python, baby buffalo, hippo, giraffe and elephant are a few of the types of leather and hides available through a Lucchese store or catalogue. Brown owns cowboy boots made by Tony Lama, Ariat and Larry Mahan. But what gets the most attention is his 18-year-old pair of full-quill ostrich Lucchese boots in black cherry he received as a birthday gift from his wife, Emily. Those black cherry ostriches looked fantastic coming out of their box, and they still look great, he said. You can go out and have a night on the town and youre going to get compliments. Brown is in rarified company. The boots' fans have ranged from John Wayne to Andy Warhol and from Zsa Zsa Gabor to Miranda Lambert. They were owned by presidents Ronald Reagan and Lyndon Johnson. Lucchese has created a legacy of premium product crafted from the highest-quality leathers, and were really focused on innovation and providing a product that is first in class just like how the Lucchese family started, said Angela Hahn, the company's retail director. The company was founded in 1883 in San Antonio by Italian immigrant shoemaker Sam Lucchese, who discovered a market for riding boots like those worn by members of the U.S. Cavalry stationed at Fort Sam Houston. During the Great Depression, Cosimo Lucchese, who had taken over the company from his father in 1929, sold much of the workshop machinery and downsized operations. Thats when the Lucchese company began to develop its brand. The company factory went from producing dozens of pairs per day to making fewer than 10, allowing Lucchese to focus on creating hand-crafted boots. That shift paid off. A new pair of Lucchese boots can cost from $400 to over $3,000. There are tiers and levels of boot ownership, and the pinnacle is Lucchese boots, said Emily Brown, 43, who always wears her pair outside of her jeans. They have all these swirls of red and brown, and I love the fact that the design is flashy but classy and elegant at the same time. The black cherry pair she gave her husband is a Lucchese staple: a classic black leather boot with deep red undertones that change in certain angles and lighting. Her husband has a second pair of the brand that is made of elephant hide. Its kind of style meets function meets comfort, he said. Sam Lucchese, said Hahn, understood the anatomy of the foot. To this day, every Lucchese boot starts on something called the twisted cone last, a construction foundation that mimics the contours of the foot. Thats important for making sure the fit is absolutely perfect, Hahn said. Each pair is made by anywhere from 150 to 200 artisans, she said. Derrick Brown handed down his black cherry ostrich pair to his 15-year-old son, Ernest, who said he saves them for special occasions because he doesnt want to scuff them. The Browns 16-year-old daughter, Elysia, said she feels left out of the family boot tradition. Im waiting for someone to hand down a pair of Lucchese boots, she said. Lucchese, which is celebrating its 140th anniversary this year, has stores in Texas, Denver, Oklahoma, Colorado, and New Mexico. While retail Western wear chains have carried select Lucchese boots for years, the Baybrook store is only the company's second shop in Houston, with the other at 4051 Westheimer. OnScene.TV A Houston man has been arrested on suspicion of a fatal 2019 shooting during a home invasion near Katy, authorities said. Jadon Ezra Carpy, 21, has been charged with murder in connection with the fatal shooting of Brenton Estorffe, 29, during a home invasion in 2019, according to Fort Bend County court records. Carpys bond has been set at $350,000. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (AP) U.S. Army investigators are trying to determine what caused two Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopters to crash during a routine nightime training exercise in Kentucky, killing all nine soldiers aboard. No one was hurt on the ground. Nondice Thurman, a spokesperson for Fort Campbell, said the deaths happened Wednesday night in southwestern Kentucky during a routine training mission. A statement from Fort Campbell said the two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, part of the 101st Airborne Division, crashed around 10 p.m. Wednesday in Trigg County in southwest Kentucky. The 101st Airborne confirmed the crash about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest of Fort Campbell. One helicopter had five people aboard and the other had four, Brig. Gen. John Lubas, the 101st Airborne deputy commander, said Thursday. The helicopters crashed in a field near a residential area with no injuries on the ground, Lubas said. An Army spokesperson declined to comment on whether the helicopters collided in the air. "At this time, there is no determination on the specifics regarding the accident, Daniel Matthews, a public affairs officer for the 101st Airborne Division, said in an emailed statement Thursday afternoon. Matthews said an aviation safety team from Fort Rucker, Alabama, will investigate the accident. Lubas said it is unclear what caused the crash. This was a training progression, and specifically they were flying a multi-ship formation, two ships, under night vision goggles at night," Lubas said. He said officials believe the accident occurred when "they were doing flying, not deliberate medical evacuation drills. The helicopters have something similar to the black boxes on passenger planes, which records the performance of aircrafts in flight and are used by investigators to analyze crashes. Were hopeful that will provide quite a bit of information of what occurred," Lubas said. Speaking a news conference Thursday morning, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said the state would do everything it can to support the families of those killed. Were going to do what we always do. Were going to wrap our arms around these families, and were going to be there with them, not just for the days, but the weeks and the months and the years to come, Beshear said. The Black Hawk helicopter is a critical workhorse for the U.S. Army and is used in security, transport, medical evacuations, search and rescue and other missions. The helicopters are known to many people from the 2001 movie Black Hawk Down, which is about a violent battle in Somalia eight years earlier. Black Hawks were a frequent sight in the skies over Iraq and Afghanistan during the wars conducting combat missions and are also used by the Armys 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. They were also often used to ferry visiting senior leaders to headquarters locations in the Iraq and Afghanistan war zones. Fort Campbell is located near the Tennessee border, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) northwest of Nashville, and the crash occurred in the Trigg County, Kentucky, community of Cadiz. Nick Tomaszewski, who lives about a mile from where the crash occurred, said he saw two helicopters flying over his house moments before the crash. For whatever reason last night my wife and I were sitting there looking out on the back deck and I said 'Wow, those two helicopters look low and they look kind of close to one another tonight, he said. The helicopters flew over and looped back around and moments later we saw what looked like a firework went off in the sky. All of the lights in their helicopter went out. It was like they just poofed ... and then we saw a huge glow like a fireball, Tomaszewski said. Flyovers for training exercises happen almost daily and the helicopters typically fly low but not so close together, he said. There were two back to back. We typically see one and then see another one a few minutes later, and we just saw two of them flying together last night, he said. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin offered his condolences to the families of those killed. My heart goes out to the families of these servicemembers and to the members of the 101st Airborne Division who bravely and proudly serve our country each and every day," Lloyd said in a statement. In the Kentucky House and in the Senate, members stood for a moment of silence Thursday morning in honor of the crash victims. Kentucky state Rep. Walker Thomas said the crash occurred about 15 to 20 minutes from his home. Theyre there to protect us, Thomas said. And were constantly seeing these helicopters flying over our communities. Thomas spoke about how connected Fort Campbell soldiers and their families are to the communities near the Army post. The Fort Campbell soldiers that live in our communities, go to our churches ... they go to our schools, their kids do, he added. And this really hurts. By Thursday morning, word of the crash was spreading through the community of Clarksville, Tennessee, just outside Fort Campbell. Chaterra Watts, a former Army soldier who was stationed at Fort Campbell from about 2015 to 2019, said once she heard about the crash, she jumped on social media to try to find out more and if she knew any of the victims. I pray for their friends and their families and just hope that we can all come together as a community and that something positive will come out of something so tragic, Watts said. Last month, two Tennessee National Guard pilots were killed when their Black Hawk helicopter crashed along an Alabama highway during a training exercise. ___ Lovan and Reynolds reported from Louisville, Kentucky. Associated Press writers Bruce Schreiner in Frankfort, Kentucky; Lolita Baldor in Washington and Denise Lavoie in Richmond, Virginia; contributed to this report. AP researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York also contributed. Washington The journalist whose interview with a terrorist organization resulted in Burkina Faso suspending France 24 has spoken with VOA about what he says is a decline in media freedoms in the country. Burkina Faso's military government suspended the international broadcaster after it aired an excerpt of an interview with the head of a regional al-Qaida affiliate earlier this month. The journalist who conducted the interview, Wassim Nasr, told VOA that the Burkinabe leadership has been looking for a reason to shut down the network as part of an ongoing effort to control the flow of information in the country. "When we speak to Burkinabe journalists or human rights activists or social or civil society activists, they all feel that banning free press is happening today, bit by bit," Nasr told VOA. "And they are very scared of speaking out about things that are happening and what's going wrong in the country." VOA reached out to Burkinabe authorities for comments, but inquiries went unanswered at the time of publication. Burkina Faso government spokesman Jean-Emmanuel Ouedraogo said the France 24 interview with the head of al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, amounted to acting as a mouthpiece for the terror group. "Without contesting the freedom of the channel's editorial choices, the government nevertheless questions the ethics that govern the professional practice of journalism on France 24," he said. The suspension has also been met with criticism from press freedom organizations, including Reporters Without Borders, which called the move "a blatant attack on press freedom" and urged the government to lift the suspension immediately. The suspension follows a move by the government to suspend the French radio broadcaster Radio France Internationale in December for its reporting on terror attacks. Dieudonne Zoungrana, editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper Aujourd'hui au Faso, told AFP the climate for journalists in the country is very tense, but said the country is in a time of war and the government is naturally hesitant to give a platform to the enemy. "With this axe that fell on France 24, it is also a warning shot for the local press, for the national press, that must be a bit careful," Zoungrana told Agence France-Presse. "Because in the background, it is based on how to treat information in times of war, how it should be treated. Do we have to say everything? Do we have to give everyone the floor? There are some problems that are currently being raised." Nasr said the interview with the terrorist group al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb head Abu Obeida Youssef al-Anabi, also known as Yezid Mebarek, was nearly a year in the making. He sent Mebarek 17 recorded questions and Mebarek responded with voiced answers. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Burkina Faso Media By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Nasr said France 24 only played 20 seconds of the audio as proof that the terror leader was making the statements. He added that he was careful to put Mebarek's statements in context and include contradictory facts when necessary. "I analyzed what he said. I picked out the interesting informational parts of what he said. I contextualized it and even contradicted him on many issues," Nasr said. For example, when Mebarek said AQIM was not responsible for a massacre in Solhan, Burkina Faso, which took the lives of at least 138 people, Nasr said his sources indicate it was, indeed, a unit of AQIM which was "undisciplined." "I said on screen that he was wrong, that they are responsible, despite the fact that he denied it," Nasr said. Nasr said that for a journalist, talking to an extremist leader is important in order to help viewers understand their ideology and tactics. It is not equivalent to justifying their actions or giving them a platform to recruit. "As far as I am concerned, talking to jihadists and interrogating them and asking them questions is part of my job," he said. "We are journalists, so we have to talk to all parties. I am not the spokesperson of the French Government, neither of the Burkinabe government, neither of any government. It is my job to talk to all parties." Some information in this article came from Agence France-Presse. A Houston soldier who three years ago was threatened with being deported to Africa amid claims that he lied about his U.S. citizenship was naturalized as a citizen last week. The swearing-in ceremony came Tuesday after a lengthy legal battle between Fadel Tankoano and the U.S. government -- during which the Justice Department argued that a person born in New York and who had been issued a passport at birth, wasn't a real citizen, Tankoano's lawyer Margaret Stock said Tuesday. "This tells you the system is pretty messed up," Stock said. "President Biden said he wasn't going to be deporting military vets and he was going to try to make sure they get naturalized, but then you have these bureaucrats basically running amok." MORE ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Immigrants are filling the trucking labor gap in Houston Tankoano's fight started in 2019, when he deployed with the Army in South Korea. The son of a former Nigerien diplomat who was born in Manhattan enlisted in the Army in 2018. He applied for a new passport in 2019, only to be told he wasn't a United States citizen. The State Department argued that because Tankoano's father was a diplomat with immunity, he was exempt from U.S. laws that bestow birthright citizenship. Tankoano grew up thinking he was a dual citizen of the United States and Niger, according to a Washington Post article written about his plight in 2020. He was issued a U.S. passport at birth -- which the State Department later said was a mistake -- but was denied new passports in 2015 and 2018. Still, he was able to enlist in the military and cleared a background check to handle some kinds of classified information, Tankoano said. It was only after he applied for a new passport again did issues begin to arise. As Tankoano's time in South Korea was coming to an end, there were questions about whether he'd be allowed back into the country. Initially, he was told he might have to fly to Niger, because he was barred from entry into the United States. Eventually, he was allowed to fly to Seattle and then to return to Houston, where he entered into legal limbo. Stock said U.S. Customs and Border Protection gave Tankoano a notice to appear, a step in the deportation process, but never filed his case in immigration court. Meanwhile, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services rejected his application for citizenship because he "lacked good moral character." As evidence, they used his rejected passport application, which they called a lie, Stock said. Since then, Tankoano has spent the last three years with constant worries about how his situation would be resolved. As part of his strategy to stay in the United States, his attorneys advised him to renounce his Nigerien nationality. He was officially considered stateless, he said. "I had to have patience; that's what got me through it," Tankoano said Tuesday evening in a phone interview. "It wasn't easy. I tried to follow all of my attorney's advice, like not to claim citizenship or say that I was an American, even if that's what I always believed myself to be." Tankoano and Stock filed a lawsuit in August 2022 in an attempt to resolve the matter, and force the government to, among other things, prove that his father had the type of immunity that prevented his citizenship. The lawsuit isn't settled yet, but on Friday, the State Department notified that he'd be sworn in as a U.S. citizen on Tuesday. "It was relieving. I was so happy," Tankoano said. "I was really thrilled. In my head I was always a U.S. citizen, and now I'm becoming a citizen for a second time." It's not clear exactly why the government agreed to drop its objections to Tankoano's case. In 2021, the White House pledged to address veterans who had been deported after their service ended. Last year, the Department of Veterans Affairs began contacting more than 100,000 non-citizen veterans with information about how to become citizens, according to NBC News. Stock, who frequently defends soldiers facing immigration issues, said with the effort going into making those veterans citizens, Tankoano's case should have been much easier to resolve. "They're out to get people," she said. "He's not a criminal or a terrorist. He's just a guy that they issued a U.S. passport to as a baby and then they changed their minds about later on." With his citizenship now official, Tankoano can go on with his life, he said. He's currently working in private security, but said that now that he is a fully legal citizen, he said he was considering returning to his previous career path and re-enlisting. "It's in my mind to probably rejoin," he said. "If I were to join, it would be Air Force." A bill aimed at instituting tougher penalties on catalytic converter theft is winding its way through the Texas Legislature and draws its name from a Harris County deputy who was fatally shot while trying to stop someone from stealing his converter. The Senate Criminal Justice Committee last week unanimously approved sending Senate Bill 224 to the floor for a vote. The measure will likely appear in the next week or so before the entire Senate, according to Jacob Ayers-Briseno, a spokesman for state Sen. Carol Alvardo, who sponsored the bill. I want people to know this could happen to anyone, said Flor Zarzoza-Almendarez, the wife of Harris County Deputy Darren Almendarez, when asked about the proposed bill now bearing her husbands name. If approved, Senate Bill 224 would make it a felony to steal a catalytic converter, would make it illegal to possess a catalytic converter removed from a vehicle unless on a list of businesses allowed to possess it and would allow prosecutors to bring organized crime charges against those engaged in the thefts, among other measures. MORE ON BILL'S BACKGROUND: Catalytic converter thieves could face felony charges under Houston lawmakers' proposed new bills The proposed legislation incorporates aspects of Senate Bill 465, which was initially filed by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, and Senate Bill 432, filed by Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, officials said. The Houston region saw a spike in catalytic converter thefts through the first half of 2022, according to law enforcement experts. Two men, for instance, were charged with capital murder in connection with the fatal shooting of Almendarez. Joshua Stewart and Fredarius Clark were charged on suspicion of the shooting outside a Joe Vs grocery store that left Almendarez dead. Almendarez returned fire, striking both men. The men allegedly had been under the deputys truck, attempting to steal his catalytic converter in the parking lot when the off-duty deputy approached their black Nissan Altima. Almendarez, 51, had been assigned to the offices auto theft division, and had been tasked with investigating catalytic converter thefts, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said. In a conversation with the Chronicle about her testimony in support of the bill, Zarzoza-Almendarez said her husband loved the work he did and that she wanted his life to have meant something. I want his loss not to be in vain, she said. He stopped them from doing that to someone else. Zarzoza-Almendarez cited the fact that one of the people charged in her husbands death also has been accused in a separate attack two weeks before the fatal shooting. A man testified he armed himself with a gun and confronted a man standing near his vehicle, when two men crawled out from under the truck and shot him. They had been attempting to steal his catalytic converter, he said. Thieves target the converters because they contain three precious metals: platinum, palladium and rhodium. Prices for the metals have soared during the pandemic because of supply shortages and increased global demand from car makers, said Houston Officer Oscar Gamez, who works in the metal thefts unit that investigates stolen converters. Houston Astros fans said four catalytic converters were stolen as they celebrated the teams World Series victory in 2022. The spike has led the Houston City Council to ban the sale of used emissions-control devices. But Harris County isnt the only area in the region to see the spike. Fort Bend County now outranks some other major Texas counties in reports of the crime. Lawyers on both sides of a lawsuit accusing Harris County of unfair bail practices that unjustly imprison lower-income inmates are pressing for a swift resolution, and a judge says a ruling in the four-year legal battle will come soon. U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal heard arguments from attorneys representing Johnnie Ray Pierson, Dwight Russell, Joseph Ortuno, Maurice Wilson and Christopher Clack on whether Harris County officials and Sheriff Ed Gonzalez violated the five men's and other current and former inmates' rights by putting them behind bars because they couldn't afford cash bail. FELONY BAIL: What you need to know about Harris County's new bail bond rule and how it might impact violent crime "In this hearing, it became clear that the judge was mostly trying to clear away some of the procedural obstacles that would prevent her from actually addressing what this case is really about," Cody Cutting, an attorney with the Civil Rights Corps, said on behalf of the men whom he and the nonprofit have represented since 2019. "People are being jailed because they lack money and no other reason." Harris County's, the State of Texas and Gonzalez's attorneys argued that the enactment of Senate Bill 6 in September 2021 would make the men's lawsuit "moot" because of legislation allowing any person, including all prisoners, to be eligible for bail unless denial of bail is "expressly permitted" by the Texas Constitution or by other law. The provision doesn't apply to capital offenses when the burden of proof is evident. "What SB6 did is require the use of secured money bail, prohibiting unsecured bonds, for people charged with certain categories of offenses," Cutting said. A motion in the felony bail challenge asks Rosenthal to rule in favor of all inmates held at the Harris County Jail because they cannot afford the bail amounts set by the court. Lawyers from the Civil Rights Corps, based in Washington, D.C., also argue that local judges' practices in felony court are unconstitutional. The hearing Wednesday came amid an overcrowding crisis at the jail, where the population is just under 10,000. Of those, 1,000 are now housed at offsite facilities, Gonzalez attorney Murray J. Fogler said in court. "It is only marginally better than it has been, but it's still in extremis," Fogler stated. EXPLAINER: Know someone in the Harris County Jail? Here's how to navigate the system. The main issue Gonzalez has with the lawsuit is the implementation of the bail practices and whether Rosenthal's ruling, if in favor of the plaintiffs, will put him in a difficult position in terms of deciding which courts' orders to comply with, Fogler said. "The sheriff certainly does not want an overcrowded jail, but that's what's happening," Cutting said. "And what the sheriff has been resisting, is being held responsible for jailing people solely because they lack money." 'Something has got to change' regarding cash bail For people such as Deborah Smith and Johnnie Ray Pierson, "bail is important" because of their families being affected by Harris County's felony bail system. In 2022, 27 people died while in the Harris County Jail's custody, including Smith's 38-year-old daughter, Kristan Smith. "She has a 7-year-old son," Smith said about her late daughter at a news conference after the hearing. "I had to explain to him that she's not coming back. He still doesn't understand, and it'll be a year, May 28. I'm still telling him, and he's asking for his mom." Jonathan Limehouse Kristan Smith died nearly a month after being booked into the jail April 27, 2022, on an aggravated assault charge. She was initially given a $30,000 bail, which she couldn't afford. As a diabetic, she needed insulin and a glucose meter, two things her mother claims she wasn't adequately provided during her stay. By the time Kristan Smith's bail hearing came around, she was in the emergency room, her mother said. A month passed, and she eventually got her bail decreased to $5,000, but it was too late because she was already dead. "She was not jail material, and had never been incarcerated," Smith said. "I never thought I'd be in this position about mine. So bail is important." Cutting told Rosenthal that there have been five in-custody deaths at the jail so far in 2023. JAIL DEATHS: Harris County Jail reports 5th death of 2023 with apparent suicide at processing center Pierson recalled never "getting comfortable" during his stays at Harris County Jail, including in 2018, when he was booked on cocaine possession charges. While Pierson does have prior felony drug charges stemming back to 1990, court records show he stayed out of jail for 26 years up until 2018. Although the 55-year-old was 20-plus years removed from his last stint in jail, a motion was filed to raise his bail. "Something has got to change," Pierson said during the news conference. "And the change for us starts with helping our youth." A 'continuous revolving door' attributed to low bail Nhung Truong and others, including the group We the People Organize, are calling for higher bail for inmates because lowering cash bail only propagates criminal behavior. Hai Son Bui, the founder of We the People Organize, said Truong still can't feel anything from the waist down after being attacked during a robbery Feb. 13. She was paralyzed after someone followed her for 23 miles from a Bank of America ATM to Bellaire Boulevard and "body slammed her," he stated. Joseph Harrell, 17, initially received $200,000 bail after being charged with aggravated robbery in connection to the attack on Truong, Bui said. Harrell's bail was later lowered to $100,000, he added. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer Truong and others in similar situations are scared of their attackers being released on low bail because they're in fear of possible retaliation, according to Bui. GONZALEZ Q&A: What would fix the Harris County Jail crisis? Sheriff says the entire system needs to change In 2021, the Houston Chronicle reviewed murder cases in Harris County from 2013 to 2020 and identified 231 deaths linked to a defendant previously charged with crimes and out on bail. The review found that 79 people were free on multiple bonds, misdemeanor or felony, before the murder charge, and that of those, 38 defendants were out on multiple felony bonds. "There are so many cases," Bui said. "This continuous revolving door." A separate court case challenging the county's misdemeanor bail practices concluded in a consent decree after a judge ruled that the system was discriminatory against lower-income inmates, relegating them to wealth-based detention where defendants with enough money could post a cash bail and await trial at home. "Almost everyone agrees that the Constitution is being violated, and once that happens, we should be able to figure out what to do," Cutting said. "It's easy to see why this issue affects thousands of people every day. This tears families apart in Harris County." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A judge may make a decision soon on a four-year federal court lawsuit that accuses Harris County of unfair bail practices that unjustly imprison lower-income inmates. U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal heard arguments Wednesday from attorneys representing Johnnie Ray Pearson, Dwight Russell, Joseph Ortuno, Maurice Wilson and Christopher Clack on whether Harris County officials and Sheriff Ed Gonzalez violated the five men's rights by putting them behind bars because they couldn't afford cash bail. MORE ON THE LAWSUIT: Ruling in lawsuit accusing Harris County of unfair bail practices coming soon, judge says Here's what's next, including how it might impact violent crime in Greater Houston: What is a bail bond? A bail bond is the money posted on a defendants behalf, usually by a private company, to secure his or her release from jail ahead of trial. In practice, the system looks like this: A judge might set bail at $15,000 for a defendant. Most people dont have that money on hand, but bail bondsmen do. A defendant can pay a bondsman a nonrefundable percentage of the total amount, and the bondsman will vouch for the full amount in court. If a defendant does not appear for court dates, bail can be kept by the court and a warrant issued for arrest. Critics of the bail industry say that bondsmen rarely lose money, however. That occurs through bond forfeitures, a more tedious process that results in the court keeping the bail amount - but only after a judge agrees and prosecutors sue to seize the money. EXPLAINER: Know someone in the Harris County Jail? Here's how to navigate the system. What was happening in Harris County? Most judges assume that bail bondsmen require defendants to pay 10 percent of their bail amount for their services. But a Houston Chronicle investigation found bail bondsmen have for years offered defendants discounted rates, sometimes as low as 2 or 3 percent. Some bail agents have also relied on payment plans. Bail bondsmen operate private enterprises, so they do not have to report the fees to the court. Although some do, its impossible to get a full scope of the issue. The public records that did exist showed that bondsmen had been increasingly accepting lower fees on more violent crimes amid diminishing profits. INVESTIGATION: Killings linked to defendants out on bond increased as Harris County court backlog rose Some argue, including Civil Rights Corps, that Harris County's cash bail practices are unfair and violate inmates' constitutional rights because they're only being jailed due to their lack of money and no other reason. "It's easy to see why this issue affects thousands of people every day," Cody Cutting, an attorney with the Civil Rights Corps, said on behalf of the five men he and the nonprofit he has represented since 2019 in the pending case. "This tears families apart in Harris County." What changed Wednesday? U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal heard arguments in a four-year case claiming Harris County unjustly kept lower-income inmates in jail because they couldn't afford bail. She told both counsels that a ruling on the case could come down soon. A year ago, Harris County Bail Bond Board approved a measure requiring licensed bail agents to take an upfront fee of at least 10 percent of bail from defendants charged with violent crimes. Supporters say this will provide uniformity, allowing judges to make decisions with reliable results. JAIL DEATHS: Harris County Jail reports 5th death of 2023 with apparent suicide at processing center What crimes fall under the current rule? Bondsmen will have to comply with the rule on 17 charges, all of which involve violent or sexual offenses. Those are: murder; capital murder; aggravated kidnapping; trafficking of persons; continuous trafficking of persons; continuous sexual abuse of a young child or disabled individual; indecency with a child; sexual assault; aggravated sexual assault; repeated violation of certain court orders or conditions of bond in family violence, child abuse or neglect, sexual assault or abuse, indecent assault, stalking or trafficking case; continuous violence against the family; aggravated robbery; sexual act with a child; attempted murder; aggravated assault; burglary of a habitation with intent to commit a serious violent or sexual offense; and engaging in organized crime involving a serious violent or sexual offense. Its unclear how many people have been affected by the current rule. But using prior data, it could be in the thousands over a multi-year period 4,741 people currently are in jail awaiting trial on violent criminal charges, and others are out on bond. Why is this controversial? Public safety leaders have increasingly sounded the alarm about defendants reoffending in Harris County, and some attribute the cause to the bail system. Those who dont like cash bail believe that it allows anyone with money to get out of jail, regardless of the seriousness of the offense and their risk of reoffending. Giving discounts to people charged with violent offenses is a flaw in an already faulty system, further putting community safety in the hands of private bondsmen, opponents say. Bondsmen generally dislike the rules, because they are private entities meaning they dont feel the government should dictate their business decisions. Others have likened the measure to price fixing, adding that it would disproportionately affect poor defendants. (Affordable bail is a constitutional right, and defendants are innocent until proven guilty.) GONZALEZ Q&A: What would fix the Harris County Jail crisis? Sheriff says the entire system needs to change When will the new regulations begin? New bond regulations took effect in April 2022, according to the Harris County Attorneys Office. Will this overcrowd the Harris County Jail? Sheriff Ed Gonzalez in April 2022 said he is not concerned about the rules effects on the jail population. The Harris County Jail is already over capacity, however. Serious or violent defendants already make up the bulk of the population, at more than 60 percent, according to the sheriffs office. And 78 percent of people in the jail are being held on bail amounts over $10,000. As of March 2023, Harris County Jail has a population of just under 10,000, of which, 1,000 are now housed at offsite facilities, Gonzalez's attorney Murray J. Fogler said in federal court Wednesday. "It is only marginally better than it has been, but it's still in extremis," Fogler stated. samantha.ketterer@chron.com jonathan.limehouse@chron.com A man has been accused in March 18 shooting death outside a bar in southwest Houston. Rolando Diaz, 51, has been charged with murder in connection to the fatal shooting of Denis Granados, 47, according to Harris County court records. Officers around 11:55 p.m. responded to an assault call in the 6000 block of Bissonnet Street and found Granados with a gunshot wound, according to the Houston Police Department. Emergency responders took him to a hospital, where he later died. Detectives arrested Diaz in connection to the death Wednesday, officials said. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer In the quiet moments just before dawn, a group of people, some bearing shirts emblazoned with pictures of dead loved ones, gathered outside whirring buses near Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church. A dozen or so families headed to Austin Thursday as part of the Crime Survivors for Safety and Justices day at the Texas Legislature. The national nonprofit organization has held similar events in other cities and states, but in its Houston chapters first year, this is the first time victims in the region will have a chance to speak to legislators, according to Cylenthia Hoyrd, a volunteer with the group. A Houston man on Tuesday was accused of fatally beating his 9-month old son, according to Harris County Court records. Michael Fisher, 30, was charged with injury to a child-serious bodily injury, according to court records. Fisher was arrested on Monday. The assault is alleged to have happened on March 17. MORE ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Man charged in 2019 Katy home invasion killing, sheriff says Fisher is accused of using a blunt object and his hand to beat a child to death, according to court records. The child, who isn't named in court documents, was in the "sole care" of Fisher when the injuries happened. KHOU reported that Fisher took his unresponsive son to the hospital on March 17. The boy died three days later. The child suffered "extensive bilateral retinal hemorrhage, subdural hemorrhages and spinal cord hemorrhage," according to court documents. Fisher has previous convictions outside of Harris County for manufacturing or distribution of marijuana, illegal carrying of a weapon, aggravated assault with a firearm, possession of methamphetamine and aggravated kidnapping, according to court documents Fisher's bond was set at $1 million, court records indicate. He was in custody at the Harris County Jail as of Wednesday night. Fisher is scheduled to appear in court on April 4. If convicted, he could be sentenced to between five and 99 years in prison or be given a life sentence. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 2 1 of 2 U.S. District of Columbia Show More Show Less 2 of 2 U.S. District of Columbia Show More Show Less A Houston man was found guilty Wednesday for smashing a window with a tomahawk axe and throwing objects at police officers during the siege of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Shane Jenkins, 45, was convicted in the U.S. District of Columbia on two misdemeanor and seven felony charges for his involvement in the insurrection to keep Donald Trump in power by stopping a joint session of Congress to count Electoral College votes to confirm President Joe Biden's election win, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release. Houston Chronicle A teenager who was shot and killed in February in north Harris County was trying to buy a gun when he was fatally shot, according to filing documents against the latest person charged in connection to his death. Jelani Olukoga, 17, was charged with capital murder in connection to the death of Zion Lampley, 16, outside a commercial strip center, according to Harris County court records. Olukoga is being held without bond. Students, teachers and staff in the Houston Independent School District will have a day off on Friday to commemorate labor activists Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta and civic leaders are hoping the community honors their legacy by rallying against the impending state takeover. At least a dozen groups have joined forces to organize a march against the Texas Education Agency's intervention in the state's largest school district, which serves mostly Hispanic and Black students. In June, the state plans to oust elected trustees and appoint a board of managers to govern the district, a move that has sparked great confusion and concern in the community. LATEST ON TAKEOVER: Tension marks third TEA takeover forum at HISD's Delmar Stadium It was only natural to hold a march against the takeover on Chavez-Huerta Day, said Isidro Garza, a member of the League of United Latin American Citizens. The district-wide holiday, established in 2018, honors two iconic Latino activists who decades ago fought to improve conditions for farm workers in California. Garza hopes the march will exemplify their nonviolent fight for dignity. Chavez "always emphasized edifying not dividing, not destroying but uniting and building," he said. The march is scheduled for 8 a.m. Friday at Cesar Chavez High School at 8501 Howard Drive near Pasadena. Leading the march as grand marshal will be U.S. Rep Sheila Jackson Lee. Organizers include LULAC, the NAACP, the Greater Houston Coalition for Justice and several local and teacher labor federations, among others, according to an event poster. Chavez and Huerta both became involved in community organizing in the 1950s in California. In 1962, the pair founded the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers of America, and successfully implemented boycotts, strikes and nonviolent tactics to spark new laws that helped farm workers achieve better wages and working conditions. Chavez was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom a year after his death in 1993. Huerta earned the same award in 2012 from President Barack Obama. MORE: HISD takeover has teachers 'stuck in limbo hell' as they face uncertain futures, unanswered questions Huerta, nearing 93, continues to advocate for others and fight for issues like voter registration, public education, COVID-19 vaccinations and the environment through the Dolores Huerta Foundation. Its important for people to become involved in the community through activism in order to save democracy, Huerta said, applauding the people in Houston who plan to march on Friday. Investing more in schools, teachers and educational supports should be a priority for the country's leaders, said Huerta, a former teacher. Its important to teach classes about gender, womens studies, labor and civil rights movements and the environment all the essential things that we need people to know to save our climate, to save our country, to save our democracy, she said. Weve got to start teaching more compassion, she said. Weve got to make sure we include in the curriculum the type of studies that will reduce the hate, reduce the discrimination against people of color, against women, against disabled children, against our LGBTQ people. Education is the way we can make sure people do not turn into haters." In regards to the takeover in Houston, the Latino leader said she thinks state intervention could be a good thing if the state plans to provide more funding and resources to improve the schools. However, she said, a takeover would be detrimental if the state introduces curriculum that suppresses stories and perspectives from diverse groups. I dont know what their intentions are. Lets hope that theyre for the best, she said. It depends on what policies theyre going to be promoting, and hopefully its not oppressive. SPECIAL EDUCATION: Can the TEA rescue HISD's failing special education department? Parents are mixed on support. For Garza, the movement against the takeover builds on other advocacy work. As a boy, he worked in the fields in Texas and the Midwest, planting and picking crops with his sister and mother who had no access to bathrooms. Later, as an engineer, Garza rallied alongside Chavez in California for better working conditions on farms. "It's about dignity," he said. More recently, Garza and other have pushed to include Mexican American and ethnic studies in Texas classrooms, and he worries that the state takeover might compromise these efforts. "The rhetoric coming from Austin is, 'Anything that has ethnicity to it, it's divisive and we don't want to hear about it,'" Garza said. He hopes Friday's march will make the state reconsider the takeover. "Hopefully this march will be of such magnitude," he said, that the state will have second thoughts and find "a better way of doing it." Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath sat down with the Houston Chronicle editorial board Saturday to talk about the state's takeover of the Houston ISD. Here are the highlights that parents will be most interested in: "Strong instructional leadership, a strong set of expectations, rigorous instruction, material design, and an enriching experience for students. Students in elementary school need two recesses a day. They've got to work out their wiggles. There's a lot of free play that's involved in this. You've got to make sure that they're fed. Hungry kids get a little feisty." MEET MORATH: Who is TEA head Mike Morath? Here's what we know about the man at the center of the HISD takeover Mike Morath shares possibilities to improve HISD "The state wants to give Houston ISD more money for Pre-K and has wanted to do this for quite some time. Houston ISD - and it's been a while since I looked at these numbers - but maybe 10% of eligible 3-year-olds are getting Pre-K in Houston, maybe 70% of 4-year-olds. That could be off but not by not by an order of magnitude. The state funds Pre-K. Texas is actually one of the very few states that funds Pre-K for 3-year-olds. ... So you've got a decent number of buildings in Houston ISD - that are operated by Houston ISD - that have space, and then you also have a very vibrant private childcare marketplace in the city. Both of those can be tapped into to provide Pre-K to statutorily eligible kids. And so instead of 10% of 3-year-olds, being served, maybe we can get to 50%. And if you do that there's millions and millions and millions of dollars that come into Houston as an entitlement to do this." Where extra funding for struggling HISD schools would come from "So how big is the central office in Houston ISD? How clear are the roles and responsibilities for employees there? Can those employees be redeployed in to support campuses more directly? These are these are kinds of changes. Are there information systems upgrades that could lead to sort of automation advantages for paperwork processing and the like? EDITORIAL: TEA head Mike Moraths vision for HISD is more ambitious than we thought Mike Morath on converting HISD campuses to charter schools "It's not part of the strategy that we would think would make sense." Which HISD campuses will feel changes because of the takeover? "Houston ISD has some world-renowned campuses. There's nothing that needs to change at those campuses. ... There's some set of campuses that need very significant, very immediate attention. There's another set of campuses that need sort of moderate immediate attention. There's another set of campuses in the say, light -to-immediate attention and other set of campuses need functionally no changes." Why Morath hates technological silver bullets "I don't know how many classrooms you walk into and you see smart boards on the classroom. Or how many classrooms you walk in and you see either the traditional chalkboard or what you might see is like a you know, dry erase marker. A traditional chalkboard, dry erase markers are going to run you $100-$200 bucks and the smart boards are going to run you $3000 bucks. And if you replaced all those chalkboards with, so a $200 expense with a $3,000 expense, and then you continue to use it the same way that you use the $200 chalkboard, you have just massively wasted time and effort and a good chunk of money and done nobody any favors. You will see smartboards at huge numbers of schools all over the state of Texas because there's a lot of keep up with the Joneses." LATEST TAKEOVER MEETING: Tension marks third TEA takeover forum at HISD's Delmar Stadium How does the HISD takeover weigh on Mike Morath personally? "This occupies an intense amount of my personal time and energy. It affects my life with my family. I'm here. I'm missing swim lessons today. But it is the cross that I bear." The sound of Dr. Michael Reardons cellphone filled his 14th-floor corner office at Houston Methodist Hospital, interrupting his small talk with Jesse Shinault, a 71-year-old Louisiana man anxiously awaiting the doctors assessment of the tumor inside his heart. Reardon, already late to see other patients, took the call from behind his L-shaped desk. A doctor on the other end needed help with a man in the operating room. It would be best if its not me, Reardon said. ... But if hes in a hole, call me and Ill come dig him out. The 69-year-old Reardon hung up and apologized to Shinault. Thats the problem with being the oldest guy here, he said. (People say) Hey this guy is having trouble. Can you help him? Well, yeah, I can. RISE OF ROBOTICS: Robotic heart surgery is becoming more popular in Houston. Is it the best option? Trained by legendary Drs. Denton Cooley and Michael DeBakey, Reardon has come to be relied upon as one of the most experienced heart surgeons in the Texas Medical Center, and one of the pioneering doctors who helped put the city on the map during an era of cardiac surgery innovations. In 1998, he performed the first successful cardiac autotransplant for a cancerous heart tumor, in which he removed a patients heart, cut out the malignant tumor and reimplanted the repaired organ in the patient's body. He remains one of the few doctors in the world who can perform this difficult and rarely needed operation. Gray-haired and energetic, Reardon's work consumes him. He can be seen walking through the hospital as early as 5 a.m. The Houston native long has planned to begin stepping away from treating patients when he turns 70, and he does not want to see the cardiac tumor program he built over 30 years disappear. Those patients have few options for what often is a death sentence. So now, he is taking on the daunting task of finding and training a successor to handle the complex cases for which he has become known. I'm pretty sure when I die nobody is going to care how many papers I wrote or how many trials I did, Reardon said. But all the people Ive helped in my career, the residents, the patients theyre going to remember me. Those are the things that are going to really count. So, my goal right now is to build a succession plan and leave behind a legacy. I dont want to operate until I fall over dead. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Surgery demands experience Shinault had driven from the Shreveport area for his appointment with Reardon on Aug. 18, 2022, hoping for some relief after what had been a difficult year. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Doctors removed it, but scans revealed a benign tumor, unrelated to the cancer, growing inside his heart. Louisiana surgeons took out pieces of the tumor to prevent Shinault from suffering a massive heart attack, but they could not remove the entire mass. Reardon was his last hope. Tumors that originate in the heart, known as primary cardiac tumors, affect up to one quarter of 1 percent of the population, according to the National Cancer Institute. Surgeons need considerable experience to remove them. The tumors often are located in the left atrium, positioned in the back of the heart, and require doctors to cut away the organ, either partly or completely, to see it. Depending on the aggressiveness of the tumor, the surgeons may have to rebuild large sections of the organ with the outer sac of a cow heart. If heart valve replacement can be compared to replacing the door of a home, cardiac tumor surgery is like rebuilding the foundation. The mortality rate during surgery can be up to 50 percent, if doctors have to remove the lung and heart to access the tumor. For malignant cardiac tumors, post-operative survival is measured in months, not years. Other experienced heart surgeons are not always willing to accept that risk, said Dr. Shanda Blackmon, a thoracic surgeon at the Mayo Clinic who trained under Reardon in the early 2000s. Mike was always willing to take on those cases where, perhaps, someone had a 100 percent chance of dying if they didn't have the surgery, she said. But, yeah, he knew the surgery was very high-risk. TRANSPLANT ADVANCES: How groundbreaking tech could revolutionize heart transplants in Houston Reardon estimates he has operated on more than 400 primary cardiac tumors in his career. He is known for his experience with the malignant kind, but even the more common benign tumors can cause heart failure and require a seasoned physician. The doctor explained the surgical challenges to Shinault on Aug. 18 in his office, decorated with news clippings of the 1998 autotransplant with Cooley, a Come and Take It flag and a replica of one of the original tri-color flags of Texas. That (tumor) is sometimes hard to see unless you use some special tricks, Reardon said, pointing at a small black dot wobbling in Shinault's chest on a CT scan. You got the tricks? Shinault asked, leaning over Reardons desk. We got the tricks, Reardon said. Shinault sat back and started to cry. You dont know how much better you made me feel right there. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Dr. Michael J. Reardon reads the imaging from 71-year-old Jesse Shinault, a cardiac tumor patient, in his office at Houston Methodist Hospital Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022 in Houston. / Physicians assistant Sarah Stuart, left, and Dr. Reardon read the imaging from Shinault. (Brett Coomer/Staff Photographer) Dr. Michael J. Reardon reads the imaging from 71-year-old Jesse Shinault, a cardiac tumor patient, in his office at Houston Methodist Hospital Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022 in Houston. / Physicians assistant Sarah Stuart, left, and Dr. Reardon read the imaging from Shinault. (Brett Coomer/Staff Photographer) Brett Coomer/Staff photographer A snag in the plan Reardon is respected not just for his technical skill, but for his relationships with patients and younger doctors, and his eagerness to work across different disciplines. He created the heart tumor program in partnership with MD Anderson Cancer Center, where physicians and cancer scientists meet monthly to brainstorm advances and treatments. He was willing to explore minimally invasive heart surgery techniques involving catheters a field for which he is now an international leader and work with Methodists cardiology department at a time when many surgeons would not, Blackmon said. He was able to build bridges like nobody else could, Blackmon said. It would be difficult enough to find a surgeon who could fill his role, but the departure of Dr. Tom MacGillivray last year further complicated Reardons succession plan. MacGillivray had been the ideal candidate. A national leader in adult congenital heart disease, he was recruited from Boston to Houston Methodist to become chief of cardiac surgery and thoracic transplant in 2017. He partnered with Reardon on roughly 30 cardiac tumor surgeries. Then MacGillivray announced he would be taking a job at MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute in Washington, D.C., which would put him closer to his family in Boston. MacGillivray was sad to leave Reardon, whom he said was the among the best surgeons he has worked with. "There were times when I would look at a tumor and say, 'I don't think we're gonna be able to do this,'" he said. "Mike would always have a technique or an experience or a trick to make it happen." Reardon and MacGillivray likely would have performed Shinaults surgery together. Instead, Reardon was joined by a young fellow for the September 2022 operation. Both physicians cut away many of the vessels and arteries around Shinaults heart and rolled the organ onto its side within Shinaults chest cavity. They removed what was left of the tumor and only needed to rebuild a small patch of extracted tissue. The operation proved to be routine for the elder surgeon. Shinault left the hospital eight days later, feeling as if a weight had been lifted. MORE FROM JULIAN GILL: A COVID lung transplant saved his life. A year later, a Houston dad wonders when he can start living. By then, another possible successor landed on Reardons radar. Dr. Marvin Atkins, a youthful 49-year-old with a calm demeanor, was hired at Methodists Sugar Land campus in 2018 and recently became director of its aortic surgery division. He had experience with both cardiac and vascular surgery, two distinct specialties that Reardon felt made him well-suited to take the reins. Atkins, who had trained at Texas A&M, Harvard Medical School and the University of Pennsylvania, relished the challenge. He enjoyed the creativity involved in the procedure. He had operated on a few benign heart tumors before, but lacked exposure to the wide range of patients who traveled to see Reardon. Months later, a woman with a malignant cardiac tumor would test his ability. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Taking over Suzette Stover, 65, did not fear death. A former in-home caregiver for seniors, she watched two of her patients die. Cancer had taken her father, 10 of his 12 siblings and her cousin. She had wrestled with her own uterine cancer diagnosis for two years. By early February, her cancer had spread. Doctors discovered a malignant tumor filling her hearts left atrium, blocking a valve. Nodules also appeared on her lung. Surgery with Reardon would help her stave off heart failure and give her a chance to undergo chemotherapy on the remaining cancer. I figure Id try to do everything I can to stay alive, Stover said, sitting in her Methodist hospital room with her husband of nearly 30 years a few days before her Feb. 21 operation. Atkins would lead the surgery, with a fellow assisting and Reardon guiding from the other side of the table. At that point, Atkins had performed about 10 operations on cardiac tumors with Reardon. He expected a challenge with Stover. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Her tumor was roughly the size of a large avocado. Atkins would have to prevent pieces from flaking off into the bloodstream, which could trigger a stroke. He also had to work efficiently, to ensure Stover did not have to rely on the heart-lung machine for too long. There were questions about how deep the tumor might be protruding into a vein, and how much reconstruction could be necessary. The surgeons would have to see for themselves. At 8:30 a.m. in a bustling Operating Room 10, Atkins began cutting down the middle of the anesthetized womans chest. Within 45 minutes, he had separated her breastbone with a metal clamp, exposed the beating heart, and, with Reardon's help, diverted all of her blood away from the heart with a series of tubes that spilled out of her chest. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Drs. Marvin Atkins, Jr., left, and Michael J. Reardon surgically remove a left atrial sarcoma from Suzette Stovers heart Feb. 21, 2023, at Houston Methodist Hospital in Houston. / A video screen shows Suzette Stovers heart during the surgery. (Jon Shapley/Staff Photographer) Drs. Marvin Atkins, Jr., left, and Michael J. Reardon surgically remove a left atrial sarcoma from Suzette Stovers heart Feb. 21, 2023, at Houston Methodist Hospital in Houston. / A video screen shows Suzette Stovers heart during the surgery. (Jon Shapley/Staff Photographer) For a moment, Atkins bobbed his head to Miley Cyrus Flowers, playing quietly on speakers. He injected a solution to temporarily stop the heart, then methodically cut away enough arteries and veins to roll the organ over and get his first look inside the left atrium. Theres the main tumor, Reardon said. The smooth, bright-pink ball spilled out of the pulmonary vein, which sends blood from the lungs to the heart, and floated freely inside the chamber. Atkins began to sever the part of the tumor connected to the vein. Take your time, Reardon said quietly. Atkins was done in seconds. Reardon fished out the mass with his hand and plopped it into a clear bowl. Without breaking focus, Atkins continued to probe into the vein, attempting to free the remnants stuck inside. I think youve got about all youre really going to get out of that, Marvin, Reardon said. Atkins had been working quietly for about an hour and a half "lightning" fast for a surgery so complex, Reardon said before he began sewing the heart back together. Reconstruction was not necessary. The surgical team had accomplished its goal of buying Stover time, but she would need additional treatment in the coming months to address the cancer lingering in the rest of her body. Reardon is gaining confidence in his apprentice. When he turns 70 this summer, he plans to take his name off the on-call schedule and spend more time with his wife of nearly 50 years and four grandkids. He will continue to operate with Atkins and travel the world to talk about his research and experience with minimally invasive heart valve replacement surgery. UNEXPECTED RECOVERY: A brain injury sent a Houston-area baby to the brink of death. Months later, he's a little miracle I think he could take over the program right now, Reardon said of Atkins, weeks after Stovers surgery. But I'd like to see him do 50 or 60 cases before I'm gone and really be kind of the world expert on this. Atkins said he feels he will be comfortable performing the surgeries on his own within the next year. Mike is a great surgeon, a great mentor and a great teacher, Atkins said. To have the opportunity to carry on the program hes built is very humbling. Ive got a big task ahead of me. After the surgeries Jesse Shinault said a heart test in mid-March showed he remains cancer free, with no sign of tumor regrowth. He is not fully recovered from his surgery yet. Sneezing and coughing still causes pain in his chest, and his heart rate is slower than normal. He is getting back to light activity, however, tending to the cows on his and his wifes 40-acre plot in Frierson, La., about 30 minutes southeast of Shreveport. Suzette Stover returned to her Houston apartment near the Medical Center after four days. She recently saw an oncologist, who wants her to start chemotherapy next month to address the nodules in her right and left lungs. She is regaining strength every day. She can now walk her dog, a cocker spaniel named Caesar, half a block down the street. On Sept. 24, doctors filed into a bustling Houston Methodist operating room to gaze at the novelty of a heart that appeared to beat on its own. A close look revealed the secret a waist-high apparatus that looked like an office-style copy machine, housing a bag of blood to supply oxygen through two tubes fastened to key arteries. Dr. Erik Eddie Suarez, a cardiothoracic surgeon with the Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center, liked what he saw: a strong beat, good blood flow and low amounts of acid. This would be a fine organ, he thought, for 55-year-old Kenneth Morris, who lay on an operating table next door. The former electrician finally could put a decade of debilitating heart disease behind him. His wife, April, prayed to see him jog again. But a difficult operation lay ahead for Suarez and the surgical team. COVID TRANSPLANT: A young dad clings to his only hope after a destructive COVID infection. It comes with a heavy price. The machine, known as a TransMedics Organ Care System, represents the modernization of heart transplantation in Houston, expanding the number of potential donors by up to 30 percent amid a consistent shortage of available organs. Without it, Morris time on the waitlist for a heart could have ballooned by weeks or months, his risk of becoming too sick for a transplant increasing with each passing day. Since transplants became the standard treatment for end-stage heart failure in the 1980s, heart donations in the U.S. have been confined to brain-dead patients. Their hearts have been the safest to use because surgeons can see the still-beating organ inside the body an important step before a transplant and more easily manage the retrieval process to prevent long-term damage. Colloquially called heart-in-a-box, TransMedics technology allows Methodist and other hospitals around the country to turn to a wider patient population: people who died because their heart stopped. The machine essentially brings the heart back to life by mimicking the bodys natural function, so surgeons can safely retrieve the organ and preserve it longer. Methodist is the first Houston hospital to use the heart system, which received FDA approval last year. Baylor St. Lukes Medical Center has performed lung transplants with the machine and expects to use it for hearts soon. Morris would be the second patient in Houston to receive a heart off the machine if all went well. His advanced coronary artery disease and a previous heart surgery left him with scarring that could prove challenging for Suarez and his team. Morris also was overweight, with excess tissue that Suarez would have to carefully navigate around while making his cuts. One wrong incision could be fatal. Retrieval Earlier that day, at another hospital outside the Houston area, doctors extubated Morris donor, who had suffered irreversible brain damage, declaring death soon after. The moment the heart stopped, the clock started for Dr. Dewei Ren, a cardiothoracic surgeon on Houston Methodists organ retrieval team. Ren would have 30 minutes to access the heart and begin the preservation process. One minute longer, and the organ would be considered useless. Warm ischemia time or the amount of time an organ sits at body temperature with little to no blood supply is associated with lower survival rates for heart recipients. So Ren had to act quickly. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Karen Warren/Staff photographer Karen Warren/Staff photographer Dr. Erik Eddie Suarez, cardiothoracic surgeon with Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center, left, and assistant surgeon Donell K Bowen, right, prepare the donors heart just before transplanting it into the recipient. The donor heart was delivered in a new TransMedics device, which kept it alive during transport to Houston Methodist Hospital on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022 in Houston. (Karen Warren/Staff photographer) Dr. Erik Eddie Suarez, cardiothoracic surgeon with Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center, left, and assistant surgeon Donell K Bowen, right, prepare the donors heart just before transplanting it into the recipient. The donor heart was delivered in a new TransMedics device, which kept it alive during transport to Houston Methodist Hospital on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022 in Houston. (Karen Warren/Staff photographer) Slow is smooth, smooth is fast, Ren thought as he cut through the donors skin and breastbone. When he saw the motionless heart, he sunk a tube into a large vein to draw blood, which would bring the heart back to life on the machine. Seven minutes ticked by. He injected a solution to protect the organ from damage, giving himself more time as he began to cut away the critical blood vessels. Still on schedule, he thought. It took Ren another half hour to attach the heart to the machine. He tied off exposed veins and plunged a large tube down the main artery, which would deliver blood into the heart, and another into the pulmonary artery, which would carry it out. Then Ren clutched the organ and squeezed, a signal to the heart to start beating. As it swelled with blood and nutrients, Ren attached a pacemaker to the hearts lower left chamber and completed a series of tests, largely aided by the machine. He took lactate acid readings and assessed the strength of the beat and the blood flow pressure. He texted results to Suarez. No contusions. No surgical injuries. No blockages. Both surgeons were satisfied. Ren and the other members of the retrieval team rolled out the machine out and boarded a plane to Houston. New technology Before TransMedics technology, transplant retrieval teams preserved hearts from brain-dead patients in an icebox, with limited time to travel to the recipient hospital. Hearts are viable only up to about four hours on ice, so the location of the donor is a major factor with traditional methods. The limits of heart donation encouraged TransMedics founder Waleed Hassanein to begin looking for solutions in the 1990s. He started working on the project that would become the organ care system as a cardiothoracic surgeon at Brigham and Womens Hospital at Harvard Medical School. He had planned to take a one-year sabbatical to bring the technology into clinical practice. It has taken nearly 25 years, with eight FDA trials, to finally realize his goal. MORE DONORS: After reluctance, Houston doctors now transplanting organs from COVID-positive donors During the FDA review process, transplant centers in Australia, the United Kingdom and Belgium began using the technology for hearts with early success. Baylor St. Lukes also became the first in Texas to use the machine for a lung transplant as part of a clinical trial. Now, the machine is approved for hearts, lungs and livers. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Karen Warren/Staff photographer Karen Warren/Staff photographer Dr. Erik Eddie Suarez, cardiothoracic surgeon with Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center, operates on the recipient, on the left, as the new TransMedics device sits on the right side of the operating room. The device kept the donor heart pumping blood during transport at Houston Methodist Hospital on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022 in Houston. (Karen Warren/Staff photographer) Dr. Erik Eddie Suarez, cardiothoracic surgeon with Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center, operates on the recipient, on the left, as the new TransMedics device sits on the right side of the operating room. The device kept the donor heart pumping blood during transport at Houston Methodist Hospital on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022 in Houston. (Karen Warren/Staff photographer) The most recent study of the heart machine, published earlier this year, reported a roughly 94 percent survival rate at six months post-transplant; using traditional methods, with hearts from brain dead patients, the six-month survival rate was about 88 percent. One-year outcomes also proved better for patients who used the machine. There are some financial limitations. Hospitals pay a fee of $70,000 to $90,000 per transplant, depending on the organ, to use the machine as part of a TransMedics program, which sends a specialist with the transplant team to help manage the retrieval. That figure is small compared to the average cost of a heart transplant, which generally exceeds $1 million before insurance. The added cost hasnt stopped Methodist, St. Lukes and more than 30 other transplant centers nationwide from using the technology, which has allowed transplant teams to use more hearts and fly longer distances when necessary. For people like Morris, the potential benefits could mean the difference between life and death. The American Heart Association reports up to 20 percent of heart transplant candidates die or become too sick for surgery while waiting for a donor match. Heart transplant candidates in 2021 waited on average 81 days for a heart. Morris waited two. The surgery On the afternoon of Sept. 24, more than a dozen members of Methodists medical staff packed into the operating room as blood pooled in Morris open chest around his scarred, beating heart. A rendition of the House of the Rising Sun played softly on overhead speakers. Suarez and his assistant, Donell K. Bowen, were in control, but the surgery had been especially time-consuming, as they spent more than an hour separating and cauterizing blood vessels, slowly working their way around the organs edges with tiny cuts. They communicated with subtle body language, as Bowen used forceps to clasp blood vessels and nearly indistinguishable flaps of red tissue for Suarez to tie off and snip away. Wearing thick, black-rimmed surgical glasses, Suarez looked up to the corner of the room at Safan Momin, a TransMedics clinical specialist, who had stayed with the machine since it arrived at the hospital nearly three hours earlier. You can start prepping the heart, Suarez told Momin, moments before he removed Morris heart, partially coated in yellowy fat, and placed it in a small white container to be sent for further examination. Momin acted quickly. He drained the blood from the donor heart and placed handfuls of ice over the organ inside its outer case. Finally, he turned off the pump as the color of the heart changed from a deep red to a pale yellow and purple. Suarez and Bowen approached, gloved hands in the air, to handle Morris new heart for the first time. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Karen Warren/Staff photographer Karen Warren/Staff photographer Karen Warren/Staff photographer (Top Left) The donor heart beats inside of the TransMedics device as the transplant team prepares to operate on the recipient in an adjoining operating room. (Top Right) A TransMedics clinical specialist, takes the lid off of the TransMedics device. (Bottom Left) The Houston Methodist transplant recovery team unloads the TransMedics device from the van in route to the operating room. (Bottom Right) The transplant team walks off the elevator with the TransMedics device, en route to the operating room, at Houston Methodist Hospital on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022 in Houston. (Karen Warren/Staff photographer) (Top Left) The donor heart beats inside of the TransMedics device as the transplant team prepares to operate on the recipient in an adjoining operating room. (Top Right) A TransMedics clinical specialist, takes the lid off of the TransMedics device. (Bottom Left) The Houston Methodist transplant recovery team unloads the TransMedics device from the van in route to the operating room. (Bottom Right) The transplant team walks off the elevator with the TransMedics device, en route to the operating room, at Houston Methodist Hospital on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022 in Houston. (Karen Warren/Staff photographer) It was smaller than his old one, but the surgeons had techniques to make up for the size difference. It was a beautiful heart, Suarez thought as he began the hours-long process of tedious suturing, allowing the organ to again flow with life inside Morris chest. Morris recovery wouldnt be easy. He faced complications by what doctors believed to be lingering lung damage from a prior COVID infection. But he improved day by day, the heart functioning as well as Suarez had hoped. April Morris knows her husband faces months of intensive recovery. For now, she is managing her expectations. But the thought of him walking without taking frequent breaks, or driving without having to pull over, or staying awake through a movie night with the kids, gives her hope. #heart #hearttransplant NOTHING - Westover @houstonchronicle A 55-year-old man gets transplant using groundbreaking technology. On Sept. 27, doctors filed into a bustling Houston Methodist operating room to gaze at the novelty of a heart that appeared to beat on its own. A close look revealed the secret a waist-high apparatus that looked like an office-style copy machine, housing a bag of blood to supply oxygen through two tubes fastened to key arteries. The machine, known as a TransMedics Organ Care System, represents the modernization of heart transplantation in Houston, expanding the number of potential donors by up to 30 percent amid a consistent shortage of available organs. Click the link in our bio to read more. #houstontx julian.gill@chron.com Dr. Danny Ramzy attacked the blockage inside Jose Lugos heart with four robotic arms, which he maneuvered with hand controls and a foot pedal from a console about 10 feet away. Sitting in the dark operating room, with his eyes glued to a 3-D image of Lugos main artery, the surgeon used the mechanical arms to slice and pull away a chunk of rock-solid calcium that clung stubbornly to the arterys interior wall. Oh, its a boy, he said as freed the hardened calcium deposit from the inch-wide tunnel. SURGICAL TECHNOLOGY: How groundbreaking tech could revolutionize heart transplants in Houston The mid-December operation at Memorial Hermann Memorial City reflects the growing popularity of robotic-assisted heart surgeries in Houston. Like other minimally invasive techniques, robotic surgeries involve smaller cuts that help patients recover faster. They also offer a better visual and range of motion for physicians navigating tight spaces. Since robotic systems went into practice in the 1980s, they have become a mainstay in specialties, such as urology and gynecology, but have been slower to gain acceptance in cardiac surgery. Doctors disagree over their usefulness compared to other minimally invasive options, and the machines present a steep learning curve. As the technology improves and surgeons become more experienced, however, Houston hospitals are warming up to the idea of using the machines to treat severe heart disease. You can see other specialties are starting to incorporate robotics into their training, and surgeons are starting out doing robotic procedures, said Ramzy, cardiac surgeon at UTHealth Heart & Vascular and Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center. We're not there yet in cardiac, but that's my goal. Careful patient selection Lugo, a 60-year-old father of three from Lafayette, Louisiana, was an active person until heart disease slowed him down. In 2021, he had to stop and catch his breath while walking through the airport. Some time later, he passed out in front of his daughter at a volleyball game. Doctors diagnosed him with aortic stenosis, in which calcium buildup prevents a critical heart valve from fully opening, and referred him to Ramzy, a specialist in robotic heart surgery with more than 500 operations under his belt. Lugos diagnosis required a type of surgery not usually done with robotics, because there are easier minimally invasive options for accessing that region of the heart. Those methods, however, require the surgeon to separate the ribs, Ramzy said. Instead, the doctor recommended robotic surgery to avoid the trauma. Lugos age, body size and medical history also made him an ideal candidate. Not everyone is a good fit for robotic heart surgery. While it is a safe and effective option, limitations with the technology, including a lack of tactile feedback and an overall lack of experience forces surgeons to be selective with patients. Even experienced surgeons like Ramzy may not perform a robotic surgery for someone with multiple heart problems or a previous cardiac surgery. More from Julian Gill: New fast-spreading COVID variant XBB.1.5 arrives in Houston as experts warn of waning immunity Patient eligibility, however, is improving as newer, more user-friendly versions of the technology become available and a growing number of surgeons train with the machine, said Dr. Kenneth Liao, chief of cardiothoracic transplantation and circulatory support at Baylor St. Lukes Medical Center. It has rejuvenated interest in the field, he said. Liao said he took up the robotic system three years ago and now uses it for 80 percent of his heart surgeries at Baylor St. Lukes. The hospital recently bought its third robotic surgical system, which cost around $2 million, for the cardiothoracic surgery department. The existing two machines are in constant use, he said, and demand is expected to grow. Ramzy, meanwhile, performed Memorial Hermanns first robotic-assisted heart surgery in September 2022, after using the technology for years as an attending surgeon in Los Angeles. Lugos surgery was his sixth aortic valve replacement using robotics in Houston. Different perspectives Lugo lay anesthetized on the operating table Dec. 14 while Ramzy and an assistant surgeon cut a three-centimeter hole just below his collarbone to expose his heart. Around the hole they cut three one-centimeter incisions between Lugos ribs, where the robotic arms could reach the organ through the skin. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer In a traditional heart surgery, doctors would have to cut through Lugos sternum and separate his ribs, leaving him hospitalized for about a week after the operation. He would not be ready to return to work for up to six weeks. The small incisions in a robotic heart surgery nearly halve the average recovery time, with patients returning home in as soon as two days, and going back to work within two to four weeks. Despite those benefits, some recent studies suggest robotic heart surgeries take longer and are comparable to other, more traditional surgical methods when it comes to safety and patient outcomes. Robotic surgeries also have a higher median cost for the patient, according to an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, though surgeons say the shorter length of stay makes up for the additional expense. For Dr. Mahesh Ramchandani, director of minimally invasive cardiac surgery at Houston Methodist, robotic operations are not much better than simpler minimally invasive methods. SPECIAL REPORT: What is it like to receive a lung transplant? People are starting to jump on it really more for a marketing technique rather than adding value to patient care, he said. Still, Ramchandani said Methodist is considering the technology for certain types of coronary artery bypass surgeries, where it may offer an advantage, he said. Researchers acknowledge a lack of quality evidence to measure robotic-assisted heart surgery outcomes, and doctors who perform the procedure say the value boils down to a surgical teams experience. A challenging operation After Ramzy and his assistants prepared Lugo for the operation, the medical staff turned off the lights in the room and activated different components of the da Vinci Surgical System, the only robotic system approved by the Food and Drug Administration for heart surgery. They rolled out the station supporting four surgical arms fitted with tools and a camera, while Ramzy took his position behind the box-like control console at the foot of the operating table. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer The surgeon gripped each hand control with two fingers and a thumb, as if handling two pairs of scissors, and focused on a high-definition video feed of Lugos artery to guide his cuts into the heart. Shoeless, Ramzy tapped a pedal with his socked foot to switch between his instruments, sometimes using a suction device as an additional finger to hold back layers of tissue in his path. For the next hour and a half, he removed the main sections of the valve and sliced away the calcium buildup in Lugos artery, dictating constant instructions through a speaker system to his assistants standing over the patient. At times, the robotic arms obstructed each other, and the surgical team had to untangle the device. Ramzy also had to repeat directions to his colleagues, because the procedure still was new for them, he said. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer L: Dr. Danny Ramzy operates robotic arms to perform an aortic valve replacement surgery from a console Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022, at Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center in Houston. R: Ramzy takes out calcium from a patients heart while performing an aortic valve replacement surgery with robotic arms. (Yi-Chin Lee/Staff Photographer) Dr. Danny Ramzy operates robotic arms to perform an aortic valve replacement surgery from a console Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022, at Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center in Houston. / Ramzy takes out calcium from a patients heart while performing an aortic valve replacement surgery with robotic arms. (Yi-Chin Lee/Staff Photographer) With time, he said, it becomes a well-oiled machine. For the final stage of the operation, Ramzy stepped away from the console and manually plunged an artificial valve into Lugos artery using a special mount. The surgeon is dedicated to expanding the use of robotics technology through education and sees a future where all heart surgeries are done with minimally invasive techniques, but acknowledged it will take time for robotics to reach its full potential. At the end of the day, we need to be able to deliver treatments that are far better than what we used to do, he said. And we know how good it could be. Two days after his surgery, Lugo was up from his hospital bed and walking. He was on track to return to work as a maintenance engineer at Halliburton within a month, he said. I never felt pain, said Lugo. I feel great. julian.gill@chron.com NASA/Frank Rubio NASA astronaut Frank Rubio will become the first American to spend an entire year in space, though this record wasn't intentional. Rubio was supposed to return home this spring, but the Russian Soyuz spacecraft that carried him into orbit was damaged by a micrometeoroid. Russia launched an empty replacement vehicle in February, and NASA announced Wednesday that Rubio and two Russian cosmonauts are expected to return home in their new spacecraft Sept. 27. A more-than-60,000-square-foot mansion near Pearland that remained an unfinished project for almost 20 years finally has purpose. After multiple attempts at being purchased, there was never an interested buyer that stuck. But now, the residential home that was once on the market for $3.5 million has been converted into a commercial property looking to lease to small businesses. Jim Youngblood is the new owner of the Manvel Mansion on 11800 Magnolia Parkway in Manvel, Texas near Pearland Town Center. He owns multiple businesses, one of which was a hard money lending company that was part of the early days when the mansion was being built. He said in 2001, Houston-based physician Dr. Ulysses Watkins and his wife took on a project to build a 15-acre mansion in a rural neighborhood in Brazoria County. While they were in the process of building the house, his wife suddenly got a change of heart, Youngblood said. They got 75 percent done and for some reason the wife said the house was too big, he said. So they stopped working on it and went next door and built a 48,000 square foot house, which is where they resided for years. But they never finished the original house. After the couple stopped working on the house, Watkins attempted to sell the home to a preacher in 2007. Youngblood previously owned a hard money loan company, through which he gave the preacher a $2 million loan to buy the house. But the man defaulted on his payments, causing Youngbloods company to foreclose on the house. MORE ON FOOD: Multiple Houston restaurants named James Beard Award finalists in national and state categories He then spent several years trying to sell it, but nothing ever stuck. I held onto it for several years and had it under contract over 20 times, but nobody could get it closed, Youngblood said. Eventually, he had to make a crucial decision. I ended up buying this property from my company because we could not sell our portfolio with this house in it because it was too big. Nobody wanted it, Youngblood said. His company foreclosed on the house during the 2008 housing crisis and struggled to sell his portfolio to banks because of the property. All the banks would take the portfolio, but they didnt want the house. So I made an offer to buy that property myself and keep it out of the portfolio, he said. He bought the mansion for $600,000 a steal from afar, but nothing compared to what it would take to give it a full makeover. I put millions of dollars into it, I had to get a loan for that, Youngblood said. In 2018, he decided to transform the home into an office space and began renovations in 2019. I completely remodeled the building and had it rezoned from residential to live commercial, he said. Now instead of a house, its a site for small businesses. MORE ON LIFESTYLE: Exclusive: 'Galapagos Islands' opens soon. Penguins, sea lions steal Houston Zoo's $70 million show Youngblood obtained his occupancy status Jan. 31, which allowed him to begin moving businesses into the mansion. He moved his office into the mansion one month ago. Now there is a church, daycare and some insurance companies undergoing the process to start leasing there, he said. I had it sectioned off to where the daycare and church are sectioned off from the remainder of the building by sound-proof walls, he said. I am still actively looking to lease more space out. Youngblood owns a construction company, Lone Star Construction, that was responsible for all of the construction of the renovated building. He described the property as "a country-feel with a business atmosphere," designing the interior himself. He says the mansion is at 60 percent occupancy. I am actively looking for more businesses to lease spaces, he said. Within the next two years Id like to be 100 percent occupied. How much further will the Supreme Court go to assist in the arming of America? That has been the question since last June, when the court ruled that New Yorks century-old gun licensing law violated the Second Amendment. Sooner than expected, we are likely to find out the answer. On March 17, the Biden administration asked the justices to overturn an appeals court decision that can charitably be described as nuts, and accurately as pernicious. The decision by a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit invalidated a federal law that for almost 30 years has prohibited gun ownership by people who are subject to restraining orders for domestic violence. The Fifth Circuit upheld the identical law less than three years ago. But that was before President Donald Trump put a Mississippi state court judge named Cory Wilson on the appeals court. (As a candidate for political office in 2015, Wilson said in a National Rifle Association questionnaire that he opposed both background checks on private gun sales and state licensing requirements for potential gun owners.) Judge Wilson wrote in a decision handed down in March that the appeals court was forced to repudiate its own precedent by the logic of the Supreme Courts decision in the New York licensing case. He was joined by another Trump judge, James Ho, and by Edith Jones, an appointee of President Ronald Reagan; Judge Jones has long been one of the most aggressive conservatives on the countrys most conservative appeals court. Now it is up to the justices to say whether that analysis is correct. Fifteen years after the Supreme Courts Heller decision interpreted the Second Amendment to convey an individual right to own a gun, there is no overstating the significance of the choice the court has been asked to make. Heller was limited in scope: It gave Americans a constitutional right to keep handguns at home for self-defense. The courts decision last June in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen was on the surface also quite limited, striking down a law that required a showing of special need in order to obtain an unrestricted license to carry a concealed gun outside the home. New York was one of only a half-dozen states with such a requirement, as the court put it in the Bruen decision. What was not limited about the New York decision indeed, what was radical was the analysis that Justice Clarence Thomas employed in his opinion for the 6-3 majority. Following Heller, courts had evaluated gun restrictions by weighing the personal Second Amendment claim against the governments interest in the particular regulation, a type of balancing test that has long been common in constitutional adjudication. The Bruen decision rejected that approach, instead placing history above all else. The government must affirmatively prove that its firearms regulation is part of the historical tradition that delimits the outer bounds of the right to keep and bear arms, Justice Thomas wrote. As a result of that decision, Shawn Hubler, a national correspondent for The Times, reported earlier this month, gun historians across the country are in demand like never before as lawyers must now comb through statutes drafted in the Colonial era and the early years of the Republic to litigate modern firearms restrictions. She noted that cases now explore weapons bans in early saloons, novelty air rifles on the Lewis and Clark expedition, concealed carry restrictions on bowie knives and 18th-century daggers known as Arkansas toothpicks, and a string-operated trap gun that may or may not be comparable to an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle. Judge Wilson, in his opinion for the Fifth Circuit, said the prohibition on gun ownership by a person under a court-ordered restraining order for domestic violence failed the historical tradition test crafted by Justice Thomas. While there were laws at the time of the countrys founding that disarmed people who were deemed disloyal or unacceptable, Judge Wilson asserted that the purpose of those laws was to safeguard the political and social order rather than to protect individuals from violence. Consequently, he said, the old laws were not sufficiently relevantly similar to the modern law, known as Section 922(g) (8) of the U.S. code, to meet the Supreme Courts history test. The defendant in this case, Zackey Rahimi, was under a restraining order after he allegedly assaulted and threatened to shoot his ex-girlfriend, the mother of his child, when he went on a shooting spree, firing a weapon on five different occasions around Arlington, Texas. He pleaded guilty to violating Section 922(g) (8) while at the same time challenging the laws constitutionality. Mr. Rahimi, while hardly a model citizen, is nonetheless among the people entitled to the Second Amendments guarantees, Judge Wilson wrote. Noting that a court-ordered restraining order is civil rather than criminal in nature, Judge Wilson asked rhetorically whether, if Mr. Rahimis civil offense was enough to disqualify him from owning a gun, as the law required, a similar disqualification might apply to those who violate a speed limit or fail to recycle. Clearly, the question now for the Supreme Court is not only the validity of one statute but how the Bruen decisions newly minted historical tradition requirement will apply to any and all gun regulations. The Fifth Circuit offered a lazy and cherry-picked history that missed the forest for the trees, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar wrote in the governments Supreme Court petition. While it was clear that dangerous individuals could be disarmed at the time of the Constitutions framing, she wrote, the Fifth Circuit treated even minor and immaterial distinctions between historical laws and their modern counterparts as a sufficient reason to find modern laws unconstitutional. Under such an analysis, she argued, few modern statutes would survive judicial review. (While the Supreme Court is not obliged to hear the governments appeal, United States v. Rahimi, the court almost never declines to review a decision that has invalidated a federal statute.) In a forthcoming article, Professors Joseph Blocher of Duke Law School and Reva B. Siegel of Yale point out that there is a reason for the failure of early American lawmakers to consider domestic violence a reason to take away an abusers gun: The very concept of domestic violence was alien to the Constitutions framers because wives were completely subordinate to their husbands and wife beating was widely tolerated. In enacting Section 922(g) (8) in 1994, they write, Congress acted to alter the governments historical refusal to intervene in intimate partner violence a failure that was rooted in the belief that a man had authority to correct subordinate members of the household, including his wife. They note that government response to violence between intimates only began to shift in the 1970s as this system of gender hierarchy began slowly to break down. Protecting women from intimate partner violence is thus inherent in, and not as the Fifth Circuit assumed different from protecting the political and social order. There is no doubt that under the old interest-balancing test, the government would prevail. The interest in keeping guns out of the hands of domestic abusers is that obvious, as even the Fifth Circuit found in 2020. The parties agree, the court noted then, that reducing domestic gun abuse is not just an important government interest, but a compelling one. They only dispute whether 922(g) (8) is reasonably adapted to that interest. We hold that it is. The governments petition points out that there are more than one million acts of domestic violence in the United States every year and the presence of a gun in a house with a domestic abuser increases the risk of homicide sixfold. Will a fact like that matter to the Supreme Court? Do facts still matter at all? That may now be the most urgent question this case presents, not only to the court but to the country. Update: A Texas Senator on Monday flip-flopped on a bipartisan amendment to a bill banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors that would have exempted current patients on puberty blockers or hormone therapy medications. State Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, said she had to withdraw her amendment "out of respect for the body." "There have been so many questions that have come up, there was no discussion regarding the amendment I was going to put on in committee, and truly out of respect for everyone, I am going to ask for it to be removed," Campbell said. IN-DEPTH: Texas Republicans likely have the votes to outlaw transgender care for minors Democratic state Sen. Jose Menendez, of San Antonio, who had worked with Campbell on the provision, said he was very troubled by the last-minute change. "The fact that you want to just drop the hammer on them in terms of their hormone therapy, I think it's medically unwise and it's just not a thoughtful or a kind thing to do, and I'm very concerned," he said. "I'm concerned that under the guise of protecting children that we're actually going to hurt many children and their families. Possibly some who can will leave the state and maybe that's the overarching goal." The bill passed a procedural vote on party lines Monday and needs one more vote before it heads to the House. Senators voted to still move up the effective date to Sept. 1 from Dec. 1. Earlier story: A bipartisan amendment to a bill that would ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors would create an exception for those who have been on the medications for 90 days prior to the bills effective date. Senate Bill 14, which received preliminary approval Wednesday, would block all other youths from accessing treatments such as puberty blockers, hormone therapy or surgery in the future. It will need one more vote before final passage in the Senate. Similar legislation in the Texas House appears to have the votes to pass. Democratic state Sen. Jose Menendez, of San Antonio, worked with the bills author, state Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, to draft the amendment. However, Campbells version moved up the date the bill goes into effect from Dec. 1 to Sept. 1 and added the 90-day requirement. I appreciate you taking my concerns and sharing them in your amendment, Menendez said. I don't know if you know this, but there are thousands of young people that could be affected by this bill. Campbell said Sept. 1 is the typical effective date for bills passed by the state Legislature, though Menendez said he had hoped she might want to give Texas doctors and patients more time to make arrangements. State Rep. Tom Oliverson, R-Cypress, who is the author of the House's version of the bill, said in a statement late Thursday that he supports the amendment and sought to dispel rumors that it "weakened" the bill, which he called "factually inaccurate and misleading." "We could find no studies providing guidance on the effects of rapidly withdrawing these medications from a patient. Thus, we felt as though this was wading into uncharted territory," Oliverson said. "Add to that the likelihood that the 'placebo effect' alone would dictate that the rapid withdrawal of a medication that a patient believes is working would likely lead to a worse outcome. Hence, we felt that the correct course of action was to allow treatment to continue in these limited cases, with the understanding that it could not progress to additional escalating treatments." The state doesnt track how many children are on these types of medications, but a survey by the University of California Los Angeles School of Law estimated nearly 30,000 transgender youths live in Texas. Andrea Segovia, senior policy adviser at the Transgender Education Network of Texas, said the amendment will help some but nowhere near all of those trans youths. Many Texas gender clinics already have long waitlists and some have stopped their services in the midsts of ongoing lawsuits over the states currently paused policy of classifying the provision of gender-affirming care as possible child abuse. People are already struggling to get care, she said. Now that theres this deadline of needing it, its even more dire. Segovia added the situation underscores the detriments of a blanket approach to trans care plans that are individualized based on each childs unique needs. Its a misconception that doctors hastily prescribe transition medication for children another reason why the grandfather clause can only help so many patients, she said. You can have youth maybe on that cusp of the grandfather clause, but maybe they dont get in because their levels arent there, medically they dont qualify yet, and doctors arent going to say we have to rush you in because thats not how it works, she said. I think about how many trans youth say literally from a young age Im not in the body that I know myself to be. And now the government is infringing on that right to say, Well, you have a deadline. The House is considering its own version of the bill. On Monday, a House committee heard nearly 14 hours of testimony at a hearing that went until midnight, mostly against the bill. While the House was the roadblock to a similar bill in 2021, this years bill has more than enough support to pass, judging by the number of co-authors. Quitting puberty blockers and hormone therapy drugs cold turkey can be extremely difficult and sometimes even extremely dangerous, said Dr. Sandra Guerra, chief medical officer of Texas Health Action, the nonprofit that operates Kind Clinic, which provides free or low-cost sexual health services at four locations across Central Texas. The clinic, which specializes in serving the LGBTQ community, primarily treats adults, but Guerra said the effects of immediate withdrawal are the same for youths. One of the things we advise patients about all the time has been that they should notify us if they are planning on stopping in order for us to do a taper, Guerra said. We call it a taper; its basically a slow removal of the hormones in order to give the human body the opportunity to rev back up and produce the hormones that they would normally produce without it causing as much of a dangerous impact. The effects of withdrawal can vary from flu-like symptoms, like sweating, aches or an inability to think clearly, to more severe, like nausea, vomiting, dehydration or issues with balance and coordination, she said. The timeframe of a taper depends on a number of factors, such as how long a patient has been on the medication and the dose; however, in general, it can be anywhere from three to six months. Dr. Jessica Zwiener, a Houston endocrinologist who treats transgender youths and has testified before the Texas House and Senate, said in an email there arent guidelines about how to discontinue hormones because it doesnt happen often, and most people choose to stay on hormones long term. Though it will depend on how long a patient has been on hormones, generally the physical effects of the hormones will slowly fade out if the drugs are stopped, she said. The biggest side effect for many patients, Zwiener said, is their mental health suffers. Whenever patients have come off hormones (usually due to financial issues or pharmacy issues), they describe feeling hopeless as they start to see their body changing, they know how to stop the changes, but are not able to, Zwiener said. In my clinical experience, these patients become depressed and withdrawn and are at an increased risk of suicidal ideation or attempts. Many patients who have to stop taking the drugs have had a difficult time finding a doctor who can help them, as so few have experience with stopping mid-treatment. Many end up stopping cold turkey without appropriate support (from their physician or therapist), she said. It is also fairly easy to buy hormones online from overseas pharmacies banning care would lead to an increase in desperate teens and/or their families attempting to manage their own hormone regimens, using medications of unknown quality, without any sort of medical oversight or lab testing. MORE: Texas Republicans likely have the votes to outlaw transgender care for minors As a small-government Republican, Campbell has said shes making an exception with this bill for the purpose of intervening in a situation where the medical profession has failed to regulate itself. Campbell, who is an emergency room doctor, repeatedly referred to the medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria as a polite term for a delusion. The American Psychiatric Association defines gender dysphoria as psychological distress that results from an incongruence between ones sex assigned at birth and ones gender identity. That group, as well as every major medical organization, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, support medical interventions for minors with gender dysphoria. The legislation is part of a wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation being proposed in Texas and nationwide. READ ALSO: Texas bill threatens teachers with $10K fines for Pride Week celebrations on campus The Senate on Wednesday also passed a bill that would force transgender college athletes to compete on teams that do not align with their gender identities. It now goes to the House. On Tuesday, a House committee heard a bill that would prohibit any school program dedicated to celebrating or providing special instruction regarding a sexual preference. Democratic state Sen. John Whitmire, the longest-serving member of the chamber, said he hoped that Republicans have the right intentions. Ive been here 50 years. The subject was never debated by the Legislature until last session, Whitmire said. I would pray that its not just politics, but its genuine concern for the health and welfare of the transgender children. Cayla Harris contributed reporting. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON Texas Republicans are pushing legislation that appears aimed at creating an opening for the Supreme Court to turn long-standing immigration law on its head. BACKGROUND: Texas Republicans seek to build civilian 'Border Protection Unit.' Democrats warn of profiling. The legislation, which would deputize citizens to arrest migrants, is a more far-reaching version of an Arizona law that the court blocked in a landmark ruling that held that only the federal government has the power to enforce immigration laws. The high court in 2012 struck down portions of the Arizona law that authorized police to arrest anyone suspected of being in the country illegally. Then-Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote that the federal government has broad discretion in setting immigration policy and that the state could not pursue policies that undermine federal law. Experts say the Texas bill would clearly run afoul of that 2012 decision and if it led the court to overturn it, it could allow states such as Texas to go as far as they want in enforcing the border themselves. It would really alter the fundamental understanding of the division between the states and the federal government in primacy on immigration, said Muzaffar Chishti, senior fellow at the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute. CURRENT SITUATION: Border patrol agents plead for resources as Biden touts recent drop in illegal crossings The court has added more conservative justices since 2012, and some of the states top elected officials have been openly searching for ways to overturn the ruling, arguing that it hamstrings Texas efforts to curb illegal border crossings, which surpassed 2 million for the first time last year. State Attorney General Ken Paxton has said the Arizona ruling needlessly limits what Texas can do to pick up the slack, and it absolutely should be overturned. House Speaker Dade Phelan, who has declared the civilian force one of his legislative priorities, announced in February that the legislation is aimed at the Supreme Court. Before the bill was filed, Phelan pitched it as something that would make national headlines and change the conversation of border security, and, hopefully, take the battle all the way to the Supreme Court and allow Texas to protect its own border. Phelan declined further comment. Also, Republicans in the state Senate are advancing legislation that would create a new state crime for crossing into Texas illegally, which experts say could also spur the Supreme Court to reconsider its 2012 ruling. Punishments would range from up to a year in jail for first-time offenders to life in prison for offenders previously convicted of certain felonies. Similar to 2021 Texas abortion ban The civilian border enforcement bill is the latest in Texas Republicans efforts to use the courts to reshape the nations immigration laws in a once unheard of way. The state has filed dozens of lawsuits challenging President Joe Bidens border policies, a practice that Gov. Greg Abbott established during the Obama administration. It is also a similar gambit to what Texas Republicans took on abortion, essentially outlawing it just months before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, though the Texas law did not lead directly to the ruling. Experts say persuading the high court to overturn the Arizona ruling is likely a long shot, but it would nonetheless completely upend long-standing immigration law if Texas were to succeed. For a long time in our history, immigration has been seen as fundamentally, if not exclusively, a federal domain, Chishti said. Giving states more and more leeway in legislating in immigration matters especially when it concerns issues of the admission of immigrants or enforcement of immigration laws this would be a huge departure in how the Supreme Court has understood the division between federal and state governments. The Texas bill clearly would violate the Supreme Courts decision in Arizona, said Nicole Hallett, director of the University of Chicago Law Schools Immigrants Rights Clinic. Joshua Trevino, chief of intelligence and research at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank, said either the House or Senate legislation could trigger a legal challenge with the potential to end up in the Supreme Court. Short of predicting how the justices would rule, Trevino said he expects that the court would be more receptive to reinstating some sort of state immigration enforcement power, which he argued was broadly assumed before the 2012 ruling. The most I will say is that this court in particular appears (more) willing to rule based on the text of the Constitution than many of its predecessors, and thats a good thing, Trevino said. It is unclear how the justices four of whom were not on the court for the 2012 ruling, and three of whom were appointed by former President Donald Trump would rule on such a case. But Hallett said it is not outside the realm of possibility that the court might look at this issue again if a case arose. Conservatives on the court in 2012 argued that states have a right to protect their sovereignty, which they said should allow them to expel migrants. To be sovereign is necessarily to possess the power to exclude unwanted persons and things from the territory, former Justice Antonin Scalia said in remarks from the bench that mirror much of what Texas Republicans are arguing a decade later. Arizona bears the brunt of the countrys illegal immigration problem, Scalia said. Its citizens feel themselves under siege by large numbers of illegal immigrants who invade their property, strain their social services and even place their lives in jeopardy. Federal officials have been unable to remedy the problem, and indeed have recently shown that they are simply unwilling to do so. Arizona has moved to protect its sovereignty not in contradiction of federal law, but in complete compliance with it. Hallett said that argument could well serve as a blueprint for Texas if the case were to reach the high court. What Texas would say is that this doesnt preempt federal law anyone they would be arresting under this scheme is in violation of the law, she said. This is not a case where the state is criminalizing something the federal government hasnt. The House bill has garnered fierce backlash from Democrats and activists who say it would set off widespread racial profiling and endanger the lives of innocent people. At a news conference this week, U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, D-Austin, called it one of the most vile, anti-immigrant bills I have ever read and accused Republicans of using Texas as an experiment ground for their most extreme policies. Trevino said theres centuries-old precedent for successful deputization programs, all of which involve ample training and vetting of those who join the effort. The bill is causing alarm, he argued, among people who dont understand how it works. They have this idea that its just, whatever guy shows up, hes issued a rifle and told to go forth, Trevino said. And thats actually not how good deputization works. Subscribers to Register-Star or The Daily Mail are eligible to receive full access to HudsonValley360. If you have an existing print subscription, please make sure your email address on file matches your HudsonValley360 account email. Hoosac Valley Superintendent Aaron Dean presents the regional district's fiscal 2024 budget to a joint session of the Adams Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee. Hoosac Valley Regional Fiscal 2024 Budget at $21.4M ADAMS, Mass. Hoosac Valley Regional School District Superintendent Aaron Dean presented a $21 million budget on Tuesday that he said represented a step forward in both education and budgeting. "We want to invest our money in instruction and control operational costs overall. So I am very pleased about the work that we've done with this," Dean told the joint meeting of the Finance Committee and the Selectmen at the Adams Free Library. "I think it's a very solid budget that is more reflective than in the past of what we're doing as a district Our work is about having high-leverage teaching practices across the district and having consistent student experiences from pre-K to 12. It's also about having coherent programming and really having programming that has an identity." The School Committee adopted the $21,385,195 budget on Monday night. This represents an increase of $759,756 or 3.68 percent. Between the two towns, the district must raise $9,475,417. This is a 2.521 percent increase. Adams' assessment within the levy limit is $5,843,904. This is a $206,543, or 3.664 percent, increase over this fiscal year. Business Manager Erika Snyder noted that Adams' foundation assessment of $5,375,874 has increased as the student split between Adams and Cheshire has slightly changed from 76/24 to 78/22 Further broken down, the town's transportation assessment is $468,030, and its capital assessment is $683,051 a decrease now that the only debt on the book is the school building project bonds. Into the actual budget, Dean was happy to say Chapter 70 state education aid is forecasted to finally be catching up to the district's actual needs. He said Chapter 70 is anticipated to come in at $11,233,231. This is an $807,327 or 7.7 percent increase. He said the reason for this is the district is now meeting the Student Opportunities Act threshold. "So now we're in a place where we're going to get adequate funding from the state moving forward," Dean said. "We have talked about this over the years, how It's been unfair, that any increase that we've had to move forward with the burden always was laying on the towns." He reminded the two boards that in his first year on the job he eliminated 22 positions, and they saw small budget increases of 0.7 percent and 1.9 percent. He also noted that these Chapter 70 shortfalls have forced the district to lean heavily on excess and deficiency funds to balance the budget every year. Some $675,000 was used one year to balance the budget and to lower the assessments to the towns. Dean was happy to say that this year, the district is using $75,000 of E&D in the budget, marking a $200,000 decrease, or 72.7 percent. "We did a right sizing of the ship the first year to kind of work that number down," Dean said. "This budget will allow us to work that number close to true. So when we do a budget, it is a true reflection of what we're doing and we're not taking money from the previous year and carrying it over and continuing rolling in that over." He said by pulling E&D out of the structure of the budget, the reserve funds can be used to address capital projects such as the two gymnasium roofs at the high school and the elementary school roof. On a side note, he added he will be looking at an Massachusetts School Building Authority project in the coming years to address the roofs. Tuition reimbursement is $125,000, a decrease of $90,000 simply because there are fewer district students enrolled at Berkshire Arts and Technology Public Charter School. Also, the transportation budget has decreased by $33,138 and is projected to be $946,020. This represents a $468,030 assessment to Adams. A 1.9 percent increase. Dean said this was through reworking the busing and eliminate a bus for savings. Moving into the Regular Instruction budget of $6,307,139, Dean said this budget is up 8.7 percent or $505,002. He said a large part of the increase is the addition of two assistant principals of teaching and learning which marks a 3.6 percent increase in the school building leadership line item of $1,252,143. "They are working with teachers during collaborative planning time. They are looking at the curriculum and making sure that it's being implemented the right way. They are developing professional development for teachers when they see gaps," Dean said. "We added those as part of the [Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund] funds and have found that these are positions that we need to leverage to move to move this district forward." He also pointed to the new curriculum line item of $150,000 that will improve actual instruction materials and curricular evaluations. He also noted the inclusion of a curriculum director who will do this evaluation work and work toward improving the curriculum using data to inform decisions. Moving into the special education budget, Dean pointed to a 43.5 percent increase in the administration budget of $372,900 that includes a new chair of the department. He said this needed employee will oversee and organize the department. He said other increases and decreases represent the shifting and reorganization of personnel related to changes in programming or the creation of efficiencies. Some increases indicate hiring new employees that in many instances are more qualified and higher on the salary schedule. Another notable increase is a $69,825 increase in the $512,088 District Office budget as officials plan to move central office to the ground floor of the Jones Block on Park Street. The offices have been at the former Cheshire School. "Now we will have a lease, but we will be right in downtown Adams," he said. "We will have the whole first floor, and that is exciting. We will enjoy where we are." Tuesday's joint meeting was the third in a series of budget sessions. The boards will next review public buildings and facilities, inspection services and public safety at 6 p.m. on Thursday in the library annex. Letter: Accessing Benefits From Recent Climate Legislation To the Editor: The Berkshire chapter of Citizens' Climate Lobby and its partners are hosting a free public forum on the evening of Monday, April 3, that will highlight recently passed climate legislation and the opportunities available to local governments and their constituents. The Berkshire chapter of Citizens' Climate Lobby and its partners are hosting a free public forum on the evening of Monday, April 3, 2023, at the Berkshire Innovation Center, at 45 Woodlawn Ave. in Pittsfield. The event is open to the community, and the reception with appetizers will begin at 5:30 p.m., and panelists will begin at 6:15 p.m. The panelists are Massachusetts state Sen. Paul Mark, former Undersecretary of Energy and Climate Solutions Judy Chang, Executive Director of Green Energy Consumers Alliance Larry Chretien, and Congressman Richard Neal with a brief message. The forum, sponsored by The Berkshire Eagle, Berkshire Innovation Center, Ener-g-Save, and Citizen's Climate Lobby, will highlight recently passed climate legislation and the opportunities available to local governments and their constituents. The panelists will explain the benefits of these new laws including job creation, access to immediate rebates, generous tax credits, and more, and will appeal to businesses and individuals alike. The event will be live-streamed on Pittsfield Community Television. Moderated questions from the audience will be posed to the panel. "I am excited to join local leaders, community members, and climate activists to discuss state and federal legislation recently signed into law and how these new policies can benefit us in the Berkshires," declared Senator Paul Mark. "Climate change is one of the most important issues we face as a state and as a nation and how we respond to this challenge and work to proactively mitigate the negative consequences is going to impact all of us in a tangible way for years to come." Uli Nagel of Lee, liaison to Congressman Richard Neal's office, shared her concern, "Lack of snow cover in the winter is hurting our local ski resorts, and the drought-like conditions in the summer are difficult for local farmers. Events like these help educate our community; these new laws can help to slow that trend." Christine Kelly Sheffield, Mass. iciHaiti - Les Cayes : Intensification of the police presence On Wednesday March 29, 2023, the Divisional Commissioner Daniel Compere, Departmental Director of the South Police and the Chief of the Public Prosecutor's Office of the jurisdiction Me Ronald Richemond, carried out a supervision tour in the streets of Les Cayes. Accompanied by police officers of all ranks and grade, the Divisional Commissioner Compere testified the will of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) to strengthen its presence in the South region in order to be closer to the population, while fighting against any armed individual who disturbs public order. He invited the population to join the PNH in the battle against organized crime in all its forms. Let's recall that in the city of Les Cayes on March 23 and 26, two businessmen were killed by unidentified armed individuals, respectively Murat Tarthe and Lony Trantius. IH/ iciHaiti Name: Stan Black Organisation: Delinea Job title: Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Date started current role: March 2022 Location: Florida, USA Stan Black is Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Delinea, a leader in the Privileged Access Management space. Black joined Delinea from Lattice Security, where he was CISO and provided executive security consulting and advisory services for private equity, commercial, and research firms. He previously was Chief Security Officer and Chief Information Officer at Citrix for six years, leading global operational security and risk management. Black has held several C-level security and technology positions over the past 15 years including Nuance Communications, EMC, RSA, Forcepoint, and more. What was your first job? My first job was mowing lawns, but in college I would put my skills in Autodesks AutoCAD to use by selling services to companies without in-house CAD capabilities. I would divide it up among various schoolmates and we would swarm the CAD Labs late at night and crank out a ton of work and deliver it to customers. Our margins were huge because we had no capital expenses! How did you get involved in cybersecurity? In the 1980s I worked on what was at the time some fancy filtering to identify malicious network activity. Today it would likely be labelled as Machine Learning or Artificial Intelligence, but Ill stick with fancy filtering. What was your education? Do you hold any certifications? What are they? I have an Associate of Science and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering. I did have a CISSP, but the CSO/CISO gig keeps me busy and I forgot to enter CPEs. Explain your career path. Did you take any detours? If so, discuss. My dad used to bring home old adding machines made from steel and brass so that I could take them apart and see how they work, and then try to put them back together. I loved the idea of being an Engineer, but then I found out it was essentially a business of evolution. Then I discovered cybersecurity, where there is a new threat every few minutes. Was there anyone who has inspired or mentored you in your career? I wont name anyone in particular, but life hackers have always inspired me. People who can see a problem and can decompose it to find a solution with a bit of ingenuity and stuff readily at hand. What do you feel is the most important aspect of your job? Being a CISO or CSO is about putting the customer first. Its hard for anyone to argue that the customer is not job-one. If you lose them, you dont have a job. What metrics or KPIs do you use to measure security effectiveness? Automation What operations can we eliminate to enhance our understanding of risk and eliminate root cause. Simplification Everyone says, security is complicated. Of course it is, we made it that way. Every year we add a new layer to the point that now our layers are our risks. One of my main measurements comes down to ACCESS, without it the bad guys cant infiltrate or exfiltrate. We spend a lot of time and money on hardware and software, by never enough on wetware or people. Is the security skills shortage affecting your organisation? What roles or skills are you finding the most difficult to fill? Not at this time, I am fortunate to have great talent from my past that want to join a strong team like Delinea. Cybersecurity is constantly changing how do you keep learning? I have a lot of cybersecurity feeds: for emerging threats, new cloud security practices, etc. There are always people smarter than you who are willing to share their insights and expertise. What conferences are on your must-attend list? I generally find most conferences lack value except for customer and partner meetings surrounding the event, and creating an awareness opportunity for our company and solutions with an Expo booth. For those purposes RSA Conference and Gartner IAM Summit are among those that come to mind. What is the best current trend in cybersecurity? The worst? Best: security and development are aligning to objectively quantify cyber risks. Worst: spending money on assessment to justify budget, even though you already know what is vulnerable. What's the best career advice you ever received? That there will aways be another crisis. If you dont focus on your mental and physical health, the crisis will win. What advice would you give to aspiring security leaders? Build a local and cloud-based lab and learn how things work, then break them. What has been your greatest career achievement? Mentoring people and watching them recast cybersecurity in their vision with a few tricks they learned from me. Looking back with 20:20 hindsight, what would you have done differently? I would have spent more time in coding, especially now that we live in a software defined world. A group of unidentified assailants detonated explosives and shot at the home of senior Pakistani journalist Syed Yasir Shah in Kohat on March 21. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), in condemning the violent attempt at intimidation and calling on authorities to conduct an immediate investigation into the incident. On March 21, an unknown group detonated a bomb at the main gate of the Kohat house of Syed Yasir Shah, district correspondent for The News International and Geo, before opening fire at the house with automatic weapons. Shortly after the incident, police and security personnel rushed to the scene and began a search operation in the area. According to The News International, no occupants of the house were harmed, but partial damage to the main gate and the front of the house was reported. Syed Yasir Shah has been working as a reporter with The Jang Group since 2007 and has received threatening calls and letters from the unknown militants several times. The Counter-Terrorism Department Police registered a case and opened an investigation into the house attack on March 23, with the motive currently unclear. The case was filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act against the currently unknown assailants, with the counterterrorism and intelligence agencies launching an operation to apprehend the perpetrators. Intimidation against senior journalists is increasingly common in Pakistan. In September 2022, the vehicle of PFUJ Secretary General Rana Muhammad Azeem was struck by an unlicensed vehicle in a targeted attack, while the PFUJ condemned an attack on Kabirwala Pres Club secretary Rao Amjad Nadeem in October 2022. PFUJ Secretary General, Rana Muhammad Azeem, said: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists strongly condemns the attack on the house of a journalist. The PFUJ demand that police and the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa arrest the culprits, put them behind bars and punish them to stop any future incidents. The IFJ said: Threats and attacks against journalists are unacceptable, and severely limit freedom of expression. Journalists and media workers should be able to report and conduct their duties without fear of reprisal or violence. The IFJ urges Pakistani authorities to protect journalists in the country and to uphold their international obligations under the Pakistani Constitution regarding media and press freedom. Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Keanu Reeves has reportedly gifted customised T-shirts to John Wick: Chapter 4s stunt crew. The 58-year-old actor, who has often been called the nicest guy in Hollywood, gifted the films stunt performers T-shirts that bore the number of times they had died over the course of the entire film. For some, the number was over 20. Fight coordinator Jeremy Marinas, discussed scenes from the film with The New York Times, including one which takes place on a flight of steps leading up to the Sacre-Cur Basilica in Paris. Its like, of course thats what you want, he said of the scene which involved 35 stunt performers. You want 100 guys falling down the stairs and you want me to make every reaction and fall different. Of course you do. It was like we were just [at] another day at work. We all know how hard it is just to walk up stairs when we dont want to, Marinas said. Just to think about how well Keanu not John Wick Keanu was able to do shooting upwards while stepping. Its hard enough to be a marksman on flat ground. The staircase fight took seven nights of shooting, according to the outlet, and each stuntman was probably killed four or five times. At the end of the shoot Reeves made T-shirts for the stunt performers emblazoned with the number of times they were slain over the course of the entire movie, the coordinator said. ( 2022 Lionsgate) This isnt the first time Reeves has gifted something to his stunt team. After the actor finished filming on the fourth instalment of the action franchise, he decided to share his appreciation of the team by giving them a personalised Rolex each. In 2021, Vanity Fair reported that Reeves invited the four stuntmen to dinner in Paris where he gave them all their own watch, one of which is said to cost just under $10,000 (7,000). Each watch, gifted to Jeremy Marinas, Dave Camarillo, Li Qiang and Bruce Concepcion, shared an engraving of a unique message from the actor. In an interview this week to promote the new film, Reeves made a rare mention of his girlfriend, Alexandra Grant. Sign up to Roisin OConnors free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Roisin OConnors email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Pussy Riots Nadya Tolokonnikova has been placed on Russias most-wanted list for allegedly offending against religious feeling. The news was first reported by the Russian news outlet Mediazona, which is founded by Pussy Riot. The report confirms that Tolokonnikova, 33, is facing criminal charges, but does not specify any details of the case. Earlier this month, Russian human rights attorney Pavel Chikov said that Tolokonnikova is being charged with offending against religious feeling, according to Meduza. The news was reported a few days after Pussy Riot released footage of their latest protest video called Putins Ashes. In the video, Pussy Riot burned a painting of the Russian president and then stabbed the earth while watching his ashes fall. According to documents verified by Pitchfork, Tolokonnikova is under investigation for some images on her Instagram account that the Russian government deems offensive to Christianity. They also called the Pussy Riot NFT an expression of obvious disrespect in relation to the icon image the Virgin Mary, depicted in an obscene form, so that the image is perceived as outwardly similar to the anatomical details of the female external genitalia. (Getty Images for ABA) Tolokonnikova has been a long-time activist and critic of Vladimir Putin and the Russian regime. In August 2012, Tolokonnikova was one of three members Pussy Riot sentenced to spend two years in a remote penal colony. Their crime had been to protest Putins return to the Russian presidency by walking into Moscows Cathedral of Christ the Saviour and dancing around the altar to the strains of their punk prayer, a song titled Mother of God Drive Putin Away. In 2014, Tolokonnikova went to the Winter Olympics in Sochi to perform an anthem: Putin Will Teach You to Love the Motherland. Soon after that, Pussy Riot was attacked by the Cossack militia and beaten with horsewhips. In 2022, Pussy Riot created UkraineDAO, an NFT of the Ukrainian flag that raised more than $7m two days after Russias first military invasion of the country. Read Tolokonnikovas 2022 interview with The Independent here. When it comes to entertaining, its all about easy, flavoursome treats and simple tipples that impress without the stress. So to help you celebrate in style we asked Dublin-based foodie Ali Dunworth festival curator and food writer to create some simple, yet sophisticated, party eats that are perfect for pairing with cocktails. Her tipple of choice? Slane Irish Whiskey. As Ali explains, the way Slane is made means its perfect for food pairing. Thanks to the triple cask ageing, Slane is an easy-going drink with lots of flavours and aromas to play with. It can taste like a classic Irish whiskey but then you pick up on spice or honey and then a bit of vanilla, so it pairs wonderfully with lots of foods. Alis sophisticated street food dishes bring out Slanes complex yet smooth flavour beautifully. The spiciness along with the sweet tones from the sherry cask means I thought of pairing it with cheese straight away, she explains. The baked camembert is a no-brainer and its exactly the type of food you want with a glass of whiskey. With the sticky sausages, the flavours honey, marmalade, mustard mirror the honey and spice notes of Slane Irish Whiskey well. With the cheese dip, I just love the kick adding the whiskey gives to the unctuous sauce. It makes it feel like a grown-up version of a comfort food dish. In terms of your pour, Ali says the recipes tick both straight serve and cocktail boxes.The sausages and cheese dip are party foods that will go well with any whiskey-based drink, particularly cocktails. The cheese dip delivers a real flavour pop, so anything with a bit of zing will go well with it. While the baked camembert is perfect for sharing over a straight serve of whiskey. Whiskey Sticky Marmalade Sausages This recipe is sticky, sweet and savoury and goes great with a cocktail, as cocktail sausages should. A winner at parties and so easy to prepare. Ingredients 450g or about 30 cocktail sausages 2 tbsp marmalade 2 tbsp Slane Irish Whiskey 2 tbsp Dijon mustard 2 tbsp honey 2 tbsp sesame oil Pinch of sea salt 1 tbsp sesame seeds Method Preheat your oven to 190c In a bowl add all of your ingredients except the sesame seeds. Whisk together to combine. Add your sausages into the bowl and mix to coat. Transfer into a roasting dish. Put the sausages in your preheated oven. Theyll take 30 minutes in total to cook, but set a timer, so at 10-minute intervals you can give the sausages a stir and toss them around to stop the marinade from sticking and burning and make sure they brown evenly. Before the final 10 minutes add in the sesame seeds. Sprinkle and stir so they stick evenly to your sausages. Judge at the end if they need another few minutes for browning and then serve piled high with cocktail sticks. Whiskey Baked Camembert This is one of the simplest and most impressive dishes for entertaining, and it goes so well with Slane Whiskey. You can use any camembert, they are often sold in a wooden box or ceramic dish that can be used to bake them in or alternatively you could wrap the cheese in foil and place it in a shallow oven-proof dish. Feel free to swap out the thyme for any other woody herb you have rosemary works well too. Flavoursome and sophisticated, this Whiskey Baked Camembert will wow your guests (The Independent/Dan Jones) Ingredients 1 round of Camembert cheese, about 200-250g 1 clove of garlic 5-6 sprigs of thyme 6-7 pecan nuts 2 tbsp Slane Irish Whiskey Drizzle of maple syrup Sliced crusty bread to serve Method Preheat your oven to 180c. Peel and thinly slice your clove of garlic. Roughly chop your herbs and nuts and mix them together. Remove the packaging from your cheese and place it in its baking dish or foil. Using a sharp knife, score into the rind with a criss-cross pattern. Push the garlic slices into the slits then spoon over the whiskey so it seeps into the cheese.Pile the chopped nuts and herbs on top, drizzle with maple syrup and put the cheese into the oven for about 15 to 20 mins. The cheese is ready when its liquidy in the middle keep an eye on it though, to avoid overbaking and the cheese drying out. Serve immediately with crusty bread for dipping in the oozy cheese. Crispy Potato Skins with Cheesy Whiskey Dipping Sauce This indulgent dish is my version of a delicious American-style nacho cheese sauce but with a bit of whiskey for a kick. You could use any cheese here, but something sharp works best. If you dont have leftover potatoes to use or time to bake and make the skins you could serve the sauce with tortilla chips or crunch vegetables instead, anything that will dip well works. Dont skip the bacon bits (unless youre serving vegetarians), they are delicious! The crispy potato paired with an indulgent cheese sauce makes for a sensational sharer (The Independent/Dan Jones) Ingredients 5 large potatoes (about 1kg), washed well Olive oil 75g bacon lardons or thick cut streaky bacon cut into small cubes 200g grated mature cheddar cheese200ml of evaporated milk 30ml Slane Irish Whiskey 1 tsp cornflour Pinch salt Method Start with your potato skins. Preheat your oven to 200c and prick your potatoes with a fork, once on each side. Put some olive oil in a bowl, coat the potatoes in oil, and then put them on the top rack of your preheated oven for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, get your bacon bits ready. In a shallow frying pan add some cooking oil, when its hot add your bacon bits and cook for a few minutes until crispy. Removed from the oil and drain in some kitchen paper. Lay them on a flat baking tray and put them in the oven for 10 minutes (you can put them in with the spuds) or until they are really crispy. Remove and leave to cool. When your potatoes are done (check them with a fork), carefully remove them from the oven and leave them aside until they are cool enough to handle. Then cut each potato in half, lengthways and using a spoon, scoop out the insides taking care to keep the skin intact and leaving a light layer (a few mm) of potato on the skin. Carefully cut each skin in half lengthways then brush them with olive oil, sprinkle them with salt and put them on a flat oven tray. Put them back in the oven for 10 minutes, turning them halfway. They should be golden brown and crispy so if you need to add them back in for another minute or so do. Then its time for the cheese sauce. Add your cheese, evaporated milk, whiskey, cornflour and salt into a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally, until the cheese is melted and there are no lumps, about 3 to 5 minutes. Keep stirring until the sauce is thickened up to dipping consistency then remove. Serve the cheesy sauce in a bowl with bacon bits sprinkled on top and the potato skins on the side for dipping. Recipes: Ali Dunworth. Photography: Dan Jones. Styling: Libby Silbermann. Slane Irish Whiskey: For the perfect celebration Forged within the idyllic Boyne Valley, Slane Distillery is built on the grounds of the legendary Slane Castle, an ancient estate where they make extraordinary whiskey and throw legendary gigs. Since the first incredible concert in 1981, Slane Castle has hosted some of the most iconic acts in music history. This year sees the return of the Slane Castle concerts for the first time since 2019. Slane Irish Whiskey is a blend of malt and grain whiskeys which are matured using a signature triple-casked process that builds a complex and full-flavoured taste profile. Each cask is matured separately and then they are masterfully blended together. Blending, like music, is about achieving the right balance between these different notes and with these three casks there are plenty of flavours to play with. From the virgin oak cask, there is vanilla and toasted oak, from the seasoned cask, brown sugar and ripe banana, while the oloroso sherry cask delivers dried fruits and spice. All of this comes together in the blend to create a rich, bold Irish whiskey that stands out, even when mixed into a classic cocktail or favourite mixer. Click here to find out more about Slane Irish whiskey, or order online . Please drink responsibly. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A controversial colonial-era sedition law that critics said was increasingly being used by Pakistans government to stifle dissent has been struck down by the Lahore High Court. Justice Shahid Karim of the high court invalidated section 124A of Pakistans criminal code while pronouncing a verdict on a batch of petitions that argued it was being used by ruling political parties against their rivals. The British-era law punished anyone with at least three years or even life imprisonment for attempts to excite disaffection towards the federal or provincial government. A written ruling on the decision is yet to be released, the Dawn newspaper reported. Justice Karim scrapped the sedition law on grounds that it was being used by the government in power for the exploitation of their critics and rivals, including journalists, politicians and activists. A petition filed by a citizen urged the court to invalidate section 124A of the constitution as it was inconsistent and in derogation of fundamental rights. It said that the law has been recklessly used in Pakistan as a tool of exploitation to curtail the right to free speech and expression guaranteed in the constitution. A petition argued that it is a notorious tool for the suppression of dissent, free speech and criticism in free and independent Pakistan. Justice Karim who convicted Pakistani military general Pervez Musharraf in 2019 in a treason case and sentenced him to death was praised for his verdict on social media on Thursday. Faisal Hussain, a supreme court lawyer, praised Mr Karim for realising the atrocities caused by this black law. 124A was a colonial relic making it a crime to excite disaffection or contempt against govt.... Glad its finally off our statute books, tweeted another lawyer, Salahuddin Ahmed. The striking down comes as several top opposition politicians of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party have been charged and arrested under the controversial law. Former prime minister Imran Khan claimed earlier this month that at least 76 cases have been filed against him, including on charges of sedition, terrorism and blasphemy. Fawad Chaudhry, vice president of the PTI and former information minister, was arrested on 25 January for allegedly inciting violence against officials of the Election Commission of Pakistan. Several former ministers, activists and journalists have been charged under the law. They include former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, journalist Cyril Almeida, Pashtun rights activist Manzoor Pashteen, human rights activist Ammar Ali Jan and poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz. Last year in May, Indias Supreme Court put a hold on the countrys own identical sedition law. The court asked the central and state governments to keep in abeyance Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code. It also comes as a new constitutional crisis has emerged in Pakistan. The Shehbaz Sharif government sought to limit the powers of Pakistans Supreme Court by presenting a Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023. Mr Sharif said history would not forgive us if the countrys parliament did not enact laws to curtail the powers of its top judge and alleged the apex court was creating political instability in the country. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} At least 31 people died, 23 were injured, and seven others went missing after a passenger ferry caught fire in the seas off the southern Philippine province of Basilan. The ferry, travelling from Zamboanga city on Mindanao Island to Jolo Island in Sulu province, was carrying 250 passengers and crew when it caught fire late on Wednesday. Several people rescued had reportedly jumped off the MV Lady Mary Joy 3 in panic when the blaze began tearing through the ferry. They were rescued from the sea by the coastguard, navy, another ferry, and local fishermen, said governor Jim Hataman of Basilan province. Photos shared by the coast guard showed the ship being sprayed with water, while passengers were brought to the shore. The search and rescue effort continued on Thursday for seven missing passengers. Authorities are checking for "signs of oil spill" and assisting in the conduct of investigation and assessment of the vessel, the coast guard said in a statement. The charred ferry was towed to Basilan's shoreline, where coastguard personnel and other authorities discovered 18 of the bodies in a budget section of the passenger cabin, the governor said. "These victims perished onboard due to the fire," he added. It was not clear how the fire started. At least 23 passengers were injured and taken to hospital. An investigation is underway, the governor said, adding that the preliminary report suggested there were additional travellers not listed on the vessel's manifest. "Some of the passengers were roused from sleep due to the commotion caused by the fire. Some jumped off the ship," Mr Hataman told the Associated Press. Commodore Rejard Marfe from the Philippines coast guard told AFP that people panicked because they were asleep when the fire broke out. The captain ran the vessel aground as the fire spread "so many more could survive since it would be easier to swim to shore," the officer said. Mina Nani, 46, who was on the ferry, said she survived by jumping off the vessel and shared a floater with another passenger before they were rescued. I thought I was dreaming but when I opened my eyes, it was dark and we were surrounded by smoke, she told DZRH. Sea accidents are common in the Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands, due to frequent storms, badly maintained boats, poor sea transport with overcrowding and patchy enforcement of safety regulations. In May last year, at least seven people died after a fire broke out in a high-speed Philippine ferry carrying 134 people. In December 1987, the ferry Dona Paz sank after colliding with a fuel tanker, killing more than 4,300 people in the world's worst peacetime maritime disaster. Close Train wreck engulfed by flames after 22-carriage derailment in Minnesota Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Residents of a small town in Minnesota were allowed back home late on Thursday morning after being evacuated due to a fiery freight train derailment. People in Raymond, 100 miles west of Minneapolis, had been ordered to leave in the early hours on Thursday. Some 22 cars, carrying ethanol and corn syrup, came off the tracks. Several cars burst into flames, according to the Kandiyohi County Sheriffs Office. Residents in the immediate vicinity were ordered to leave their homes, and a half-mile evacuation zone was set up around the crash site. BNSF Railway, the company which owns the train, told The Independent there were no other hazardous materials on the train and no injuries as a result of the incident. Minnesotas Governor Tim Walz said on Thursday morning that he had been briefed on the train derailment and would visit the site. The Minnesota train derailment is the latest in at least half a dozen railroad incidents across the US in as many weeks. Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Private jet users in the UK emitted more damaging greenhouse gases than in any other European country last year, analysis has found. Private flights taking off from UK soil rose by 75 per cent last year from the 2021 figure giving a total of 90,256 flights that emitted half a million tonnes of carbon dioxide, experts have calculated. Jets used by the super-rich are up to 14 times more polluting than commercial planes per passenger, and 50 times more polluting than trains, according to a study by Transport & Environment. More than 570,000 private jet flights were made in Europe last year (Getty Images) The new analysis commissioned by Greenpeace found the UK is the top country in Europe for private jet flights, with one taking off every six minutes last year. Private jet usage and their carbon emissions are climbing across the continent, but the UK has the busiest route, the most polluting route and the most flights overall, the study found. The government is expected on Thursday to unveil new green energy policies intended to help meet the countrys climate change goals and compete with US and EU incentives on green investment. Earlier this year, Rishi Sunak defended his use of private jets to travel to northern England and to Scotland after Labour accused him of an "A-list" lifestyle at taxpayers expense. The analysis for Greenpeace found that within Europe, the UK has the most private flights, the highest emissions and the busiest route. Flights between London and Paris were the most popular, totalling 3,357. Six of Europes top 10 routes also included London. The English capital overtook Paris, the busiest city in 2021. But a journey of less than five miles between Farnborough and Blackbushe in Hampshire is the most polluting route, according to the research, which was conducted by Dutch environmental consultancy CE Delft. It takes less than 30 minutes to cycle between those two airports. The report shows how emissions from private flights are rising sharply (Greenpeace UK) The report says that across Europe, trips by the rich and famous in their own aircraft soared from 350,000 flights in 2021 to more than 570,000 last year a rise of 64 per cent and their carbon dioxide emissions more than doubled over the same period to over 3.3 million tonnes. The 10 countries with the most private jet flights in Europe were the UK, France, and Germany, followed by Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Greece, the Netherlands and Belgium. Almost one in four (39 per cent) of private jet flights were very short-haul less than 310 miles. These excessive and disproportionately climate-damaging short-haul flights could have easily been replaced by train or ferry trips, according to the report authors. Greenpeace is calling for a ban on private jet travel, which it says is the most polluting mode of transportation on the planet per passenger kilometre. Doug Parr, policy director at Greenpeace UK, said: Private jets are staggeringly polluting and generally pointless. Many of these journeys can be covered almost as quickly by train, and some of them by bicycle. Millions of people around the world are facing climate chaos, losing livelihoods or worse, while a tiny minority are burning jet fuel like theres no tomorrow. If the government is serious about net zero and a fair transition to low-carbon transport, private jets should be first on the chopping block. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} George Russell has hit back at Lewis Hamiltons claim that his quicker laps over the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend were down to luck. Russell finished fourth in Jeddah, after being demoted off the podium following Fernando Alonsos reinstatement to third place, with Aston Martin lodging a successful appeal. Hamilton came home fifth, but with Russell superior in both qualifying and in the second stint on race-pace, the seven-time world champion insisted he could only match Russells pace rather than be quicker after the pair opted for different setups. Hamilton added that more often than not Russell would have been on the wrong one [setup] yet the 25-year-old rejected the notion his superior display was down to luck, as opposed to preparation. "I dont think theres any luck in it at all, I think its down to the preparation you put in before the event," Russell said on Thursday, ahead of this weekends Australian Grand Prix. "The changes we made overnight, I knew that was going to be the right direction with the work we did with the team. And I believed it was going to be better than the setup that Lewis opted for. "I think everybodys got different preferences, I was happy with the direction I took and the work Im doing with the engineers." George Russell insists his quick laps in Saudi Arabia were not down to luck (Getty Images) Hamilton clarified his post-Saudi comments in Melbourne on Thursday, saying: I want to reiterate how great a job George did on the weekend. "I think the thing I was commenting on is that theres one specific thing that you can change in the suspension that you have to do over Friday night. "And when you make that change, once you start P3 (final practice), you cant change it for the rest of the weekend, so when you make that change, youre basically rolling the dice - sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt. "Ive done it in the past, sometimes it hasnt worked, sometimes it has, and it worked great for George and he did a great job. "And the thing that I was lacking in the race was a lot of front end, which that setup gives you, so, in hindsight, that wouldve been great." "We took lots of learnings from it - I think race pace was quite decent, particularly in the second stint. "And for us to move forward and get fourth and fifth place was great points for the team and a great result considering where we are in terms of performance deficit." Russell finished 35 points ahead of Hamilton last season in his rookie year for Mercedes, though Hamilton is currently ahead by two points this season as the Silver Arrows look to turn their campaign around at Albert Park this weekend. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} I thought the six long years spent building my dream safari lodge in Uganda was going to be the biggest challenge of my life. But my biggest struggle came when my wife, Asha, and I gave birth to our son, Sidney. Sidney was born with severe epilepsy and developmental delay. We struggled to find any appropriate care in Uganda, and realised that many other families were facing similar and even greater challenges. In 2014 we felt compelled to create the Kyaninga Child Development Centre [KCDC] with the help of Fiona Beckerlegge, a paediatric physiotherapist. Children with disabilities are one of the most marginalised groups worldwide. In Uganda, 13 per cent of all children - more than 2.5 million - are living with a disability. However the widespread local belief that disabilities are an untreatable curse mean that these children and their families are frequently ostracised from their communities, educational and healthcare institutions, as well as from social and leisure activities. The KCDC is currently the only NGO in Western Uganda taking a holistic, community-based approach to disability, primarily providing specialised and affordable healthcare, education and assistive technology. The Therapy and Rehabilitation Centre was the starting point for the KCDC. It now reaches over 900 children a month, providing them with physical, occupational and speech therapy, as well as orthopaedic splinting and casting. In its twice-daily outpatient clinics, it also offers special education and support to individuals, as well as community-based rehabilitation for homes, schools, and local health centres. The KCDC also works to help educate the 91% of children with disabilities in Uganda not enrolled in primary school. This is carried out through their Kyaninga Education Hub, which equips local teachers with the knowledge and tools to deliver inclusive education and participatory learning for all. Meanwhile, Kyaninga Inclusive Model School, helps to realise this vision by bringing together children with disabilities and typical learners from diverse socio-economic backgrounds to learn side-by-side. After discovering that in Uganda only 0.5 per cent of people who need a wheelchair have one, we started Kyaninga Mobility. This initiative produces and supplies high-quality, low-cost, terrain-suitable wheelchairs and other mobility aids. Once production begins later this year, all aids will be provided free of cost to children at KCDC, with third-party purchases enabling the company to become financially self-sustainable and the remaining profits being reinvested straight back into the KCDC. We also support caregivers, family members and local communities, and have helped over 5,600 children with disabilities and their families over the past eight years. Beyond our main programmes, the KCDC also offers community nutrition clinics for managing malnutrition, as well as community epilepsy clinics, a Street Business School for female caregivers of children with disabilities and a variety of community awareness and advocacy workshops. Despite being a registered charity, one of the KCDCs major financial contributors continues to be the lodge that I built all those years ago. Kyaninga Lodge is a luxury experience with a truly Ugandan feel. Overlooking the spectacular view of Lake Kyaninga, the natural forest and the stunning Rwenzori Mountains; and designed to harmonize within this landscape, Two years were spent training the local communities in the skills required for the lodges construction. With an emphasis on using locally-sourced building materials, Kyaninga Lodge was built without cranes or lifting machines and now runs almost entirely on solar power. Looking forward to the rest of 2023, the KCDC plans to soon move into their new premises, a facility we hope will become a beacon of excellence for disability management, whilst also bringing all their services under one roof. Until then, I know that I, with the inspiration my son gives me, and the KCDC will continue to pursue their goal of making a deep impact on every child with a disability and their family within the Western Ugandan region. Unsurprisingly, this affects childrens overall health outcomes and development, as well as impeding the economic independence of their families. Steve is the Co-Founder of the Kyaninga Child Development Centre (KCDC) (www.kyaningacdc.org) and creator of Kyaninga Lodge (www.kyaningalodge.com) China has accused the UK of overstretching and abusing the concept of national security by prohibiting the use of TikTok on government devices. Addressing a press conference in Belfast while on his first visit to Northern Ireland, Zheng Zeguang, the Chinese ambassador to Britain, urged the UK to respect facts and stop overstretching and abusing the concept of national security to wantonly suppress Chinese companies, reported CGTN. We firmly oppose the UK sides fabrication of excuses to suppress Chinese enterprises. The Chinese government protects data and information security in accordance with the law, he said. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Adele Bellis was waiting for a bus when she had acid thrown over her. She was 22 years old at the time. The man who did it had been paid by her ex-boyfriend, who said he wanted to stop her being attractive to other men. Bellis ran into the road as the corrosive substance burnt through her clothes. I felt like I was melting to the ground, she tells me today, nine years after her attack. I remember looking down and my bra was melted. All my clothes were burnt and stuck to me. Belliss ex received a life sentence, her attacker two years in jail, reduced from a 14-year sentence. She was left partially bald and lost her right ear. When she went to hospital for treatment on the day of her attack, Bellis was one of four people being treated for acid burns. Alarmingly, the UK has the highest rate of acid attacks in the world, and in 2021 there were more than 420 reported incidents of its kind, according to Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI). Those statistics also inspired the writers of Coronation Street, which this week launched a storyline in which a character, Ben Thompsons Ryan, is left permanently scarred in an acid attack. Monday nights episode, in which the attack occurred, made for harrowing viewing. Fans have watched in recent months as Charlotte Jordans character Daisy Midgeley was stalked and harassed by delivery driver Justin (Andrew Still). On her wedding day, Daisy is attacked by Justin while hes armed with a corrosive substance. His plan goes awry, however, when Ryan who is working as Daisys wedding driver gets caught in the crossfire and burnt in the face. Viewers saw the acid eat through Ryans clothes as he writhed on the ground in agony. While the show has faced some criticism over the storyline, specifically claims made by Twitter users that its subject matter is too dark for a pre-watershed audience, those behind the show tell me that the storyline was introduced to raise awareness of an increasingly frequent method of violence. Globally, acid attacks disproportionately affect women, and are often linked to domestic violence and motivated by a desire to permanently alter a womans appearance. In the UK, however, men are more likely to be harmed in acid attacks. We always approach these stories with utmost seriousness, says Corrie producer Iain MacLeod. Not least because many thousands of people in our audience have been through it themselves. We want to make sure that were not doing a disservice to their real-life experiences of survivors. Special care was taken as to how much of Ryans face was shown in the attack, too. You want to portray the reality of it, but not to the extent that it becomes voyeuristic or gratuitous, MacLeod adds. We used obscured shots so that you could see the redness and the burn, but it was not overly shocking or too gory for a pre-watershed audience. At one point in the episode, Daisy drags Ryan into the shower and uses water to try and wash the corrosive substance off his skin. She then finds a pair of scissors and cuts his corroded clothes off of him. We were also keen to show the proper way to triage somebody whos been subjected to a burn of this type, explains MacLeod. The burns need to be irrigated with water as much as possible, and the shower was the obvious way to do that. The team also worked extensively with charities to put the storyline together, notably the ASTI and the Katie Piper Foundation. Piper, a popular TV personality, was attacked by a man hired by her ex-boyfriend, and she set up her foundation to support adult survivors of burns while in recovery. I always say that its worse than murder sometimes, because the survivors have got to live with the effects Reflecting on the shower scene, Bellis hopes members of the public will take note of how to respond if they see someone whos been attacked. Nobody knew what to do when it happened to me, she says. Someone threw water over me when it happened but it wasnt enough water, so it just made the reaction worse and my hair went up in smoke. We need to show members of the public what to do because people dont know. In the event of an attack, the NHS advises reporting the incident by dialling 999, removing contaminated clothing carefully and rinsing the skin immediately using running water. This advice is freely available online, but doctors and survivors have both urged for lessons in schools on acid attacks and how to deal with them, particularly amid the rise in attack rates. Coronation Street character Ryan is injured in an acid attack As the Corrie storyline continues into the coming weeks and months, viewers will see Ryan confront his facial disfigurement and experience social isolation, with people beginning to treat him differently. Bellis recalls similar experiences. I was a 22-year-old woman with all these scars, I had lost my hair and had my head shaved, she says. I remember looking in the mirror and feeling like I had lost my identity. It wasnt until she visited a treatment centre in France and was left completely alone in a room that she finally processed what had happened to her. I always say that its worse than murder sometimes, because the survivors have got to live with the effects. Its a life-changing injury. Like today, its nine years since I got attacked and Im on my way to the hospital for more surgery. Its a constant thing I have to deal with. She also expresses some anxiety about the future response to the Corrie story. Its great to raise awareness but they really need to show deterrents as well to stop people from doing it in the first place, she says. She tells me she hopes that future episodes will show the repercussions of Justins actions, and ideally that hell receive a long prison sentence. People need to be put off from doing things like this. The Corrie team worked with Katie Pipers foundation while researching the storyline the TV presenter survived an acid attack in 2008 (Getty) Ian Kershaw, who wrote Monday nights episode, hopes that the storyline will also help destigmatise facial differences in society. When I was a kid in the Seventies, you would stop and look, he says, explaining that people often tended to gawp at others who have burns or scarring on their skin. It would be nice to have somebody with a facial disfigurement in our living rooms three times a week and for Ryan to become part of the fabric of our world and just to normalise it. MacLeod adds that the storyline will end up showing Ryan learning to love himself and accepting his new appearance. This resonates with Bellis when I tell her about it. I would never wish for the acid attack, she says. But I would never change my scars now. Coronation Street is broadcast by ITV at 8pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, you can call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge, on 0808 2000 247, or visit their website here. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} New York Citys iconic Flatiron Building sold at auction last week for $190m after sitting vacant at 175 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan for more than three years. The winning bidder was Jacob Garlick, a relatively unknown name in New York real estate. However, after successfully making the winning bid, Garlick has reportedly failed to pay the required deposit to close on the 121-year-old building, meaning the buildings fate remains in flux. Terms of the sale dictated that Garlick must put down $19m, or 10 per cent of his $190m bid by Friday. But, according to The Real Deal a real estate news outlet sources said he failed to make the down payment. Now, a court-appointed referee could offer the Flatiron Building to the second-highest bidder, Jeffrey Gural, for his offer of $189.5m. However, Gural told the New York Times he has yet to make a decision about buying the building, which means the iconic structure could head back to the auction block in the coming weeks. The public auction for the historic building took place on Wednesday 22 March outside the New York County Courthouse. Prior to his surprise bid, Garlick was known only as the managing partner at Abraham Trust, a venture capital firm based outside Washington, DC, that invests in private equity buyouts, mergers and acquisitions, and venture capital, according to its website. Standing outside the state Supreme Court in Lower Manhattan last Wednesday, Garlick told NY1 after the auction: Its been my lifelong dream of mine since Im 14 years old. Ive worked every day of my life to be in this position. We are honoured to be a steward of this historic building, and it will be our lifes mission to preserve its integrity forever. The Flatiron Building has remained almost completely vacant after its longtime resident, Macmillan Publishers, moved out in 2019. Since then, its future has reportedly been the subject of many disagreements among the buildings five owners a group of several real estate companies. According to NY1, a judge forced the stakeholders to put the building up for auction. The Flatiron Building in Manhattan was one of New Yorks earliest skyscrapers (Getty Images) Not only was Gural the second-highest bidder and Garlicks fiercest competitor in Wednesdays auction, he is also among the five owners of the Flatiron Building and its majority interest holder. I was kind of shocked, to tell you the truth, Gural told NY1. I never thought that someone would bid so much for the building. Its a beautiful building, but it needs $100m of upgrades. Its basically empty. The last time the Flatiron Building was up for auction was during the Great Depression, when its owners defaulted on the mortgage. It sold for $100,000 in 1933. On Wednesday, the winning bid was nearly four times higher than the opening bid of $50m. The 22-storey building has been a New York City staple ever since it was completed in 1902, making it one of the citys first skyscrapers. The buildings unique shape, which was designed by architect Daniel Burnham, was originally called an architectural monstrosity by critics before it was officially designated a landmark in 1966. The Flatiron Building has since given its name to the surrounding Manhattan neighbourhood it resides in, the Flatiron District. The Independent has contacted Garlick for comment through Abraham Trusts website. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Queen Consort Camilla has paid tribute to the queens who came before her while attending a State Banquet in Berlin to honour her and King Charles IIIs state visit to Germany. Camilla pinned a brooch with a portrait of her late mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II, onto her black evening dress for the occasion on Wednesday (29 March). On her head, she wore a tiara that once belonged to the Queen Mother. Her dress, which was covered in silver embroidery, was designed by Bruce Oldfield, who is in charge of creating her coronation dress. The glittering Boucheron tiara was gifted to the Queen Consort by the late Elizabeth. Camilla also wore a fringed necklace from the late Queens jewellery collection. The brooch is the Queens Family Order, the sovereigns highest personal order of merit, and showcases a hand-painted miniature portrait of a young Queen Elizabeth. It was awarded to Camilla in honour of her 60th birthday in 2007. On her waist, the Queen Consort also pinned the Grand Cross of the Federal Order of Merit, presented to her by the German head of state, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and the Garter Star, Queen Victorias Queen Family Order. The King and Queen Consort are currently on their first state visit since Charles ascended the throne last September. On Wednesday night they attended the State Banquet at Bellevue Palace, where the new monarch gave his first state banquet speech of his reign. King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort pose at The Bellevue Palace ahead of a State Banquet on March 29, 2023 in Berlin (Getty Images) Steinmeier also presented the King with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany First Class, which he wore during the dinner. The historic visit saw the royal couple receive an official welcome in front of Berlins Brandenburg Gate, a symbol of peace and unity and the first time the location has been used to greet a foreign head of state. They were welcomed by Steinmeier and his wife Elke Budenbender. In his speech, Charles highlighted how the UK began its withdrawal from the EU via Brexit, but said that despite the fundamental change, the bond between the two countries will remain firm. The King told those gathered: The relationship between Germany and the United Kingdom matters greatly to me, too, Mr President, and I am more convinced than ever of its enduring value to us all. It means so much to us that my wife and I could come to Germany for this very first overseas tour of my reign. I can only assure you, that throughout the time that is granted to me as King, I will do all I can to strengthen the connections between us. Additional reporting by PA Close Prince Andrew's ex-wife Sarah Ferguson explains why she won't attend King Charles coronation Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Meghan Markle has denied reports claiming that her decision not to attend Charless coronation was influenced by correspondence between herself and the then-Prince of Wales. On Friday (21 April), it was reported that the Duchess of Sussex had written to Charles about unconscious bias within the royal family. The letter was allegedly sent in the aftermath of Harry and Meghans appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show in March 2021. The Duchess of Sussex is going about her life in the present, not thinking about correspondence from two years ago related to conversations from four years ago, a statement issued by the Sussexes read. Any suggestion otherwise is false and frankly ridiculous. Meanwhile, Camillas ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles will be attending the 6 May coronation. On Saturday (22 April), The Sunday Times reported that Parker Bowles, 83, will attend the swearing-in ceremony of his ex-wife, as the pair remain joined at the hip. The pair were married for 22 years before they divorced in 1995. Camilla married the then-Prince of Wales in 2005. One of Camillas Queen Companions, the Marchioness of Lansdowne told the publication of Camillas relationship with her ex-husband: Through adversity, theyve kept a really good family ethic. It helps with their children and grandchildren. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Militants in Pakistan targeted the country's police force in two attacks in a volatile northwestern province on Thursday, killing four officers and wounding six, officials said. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for both attacks. In one attack, police say a roadside bomb struck a vehicle carrying officers, killing four of them. The officers were reinforcements responding to an attack earlier in the day on a police station in Lakki Marwat, a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan. Six officers were wounded in the attack on the station. Local police officer Ashfaq Khan said a search was underway for the attackers. Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif condemned the attack, saying he was saddened by the "martyrdom" of the targeted officers. The sacrifices of our police officers in the war against terrorism are unforgettable," he said. The Pakistani Taliban said in a statement that one of the slain officers, Iqbal Mohmand, was targeted because he was behind the arrest and killing of some of their fighters. The militant group is known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, and is separate but allied with Afghanistans Taliban. There has been an increase in attacks by the Pakistani Taliban since they unilaterally ended a cease-fire with the government. TTP has been emboldened since the Afghan Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021 when U.S. and NATO troops were leaving the country after 20 years of war. Many TTP leaders and fighters have found sanctuaries in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover there. The latest violence comes days after Pakistans elections oversight body delayed legislative elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces due to a spike in militant attacks and the government's refusal to provide the necessary funds, security forces and polling staff. The government cited financial constraints as the reason. The elections, which were to be held on April 30, have been postponed to Oct. 8. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Thai authorities on Thursday ordered urgent action to stop the spread of a fire that overnight engulfed forests on two mountains in a province northeast of the capital Bangkok. Firefighting vehicles had been deployed to extinguish the blaze, which broke out Wednesday night in Nakhon Nayok province, 114 kilometers (70 miles) northeast of Bangkok, government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said, adding that helicopters would be sent to provide further assistance. The fire began on a high part of Khao Chaplu mountain, where safe access for firefighters was impossible, Anucha said. It then spread to the adjacent Khao Laem mountain. Local media said high winds fanned the flames. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha was closely monitoring the situation and had ordered officials and the army to mobilize to stop the fires spread, Anucha said. He added that Prayuth ordered officials to watch for anyone deliberately lighting fires to clear land for farming and other purposes, a practice that has been blamed for past fires. The cause of the fire in Nakorn Nayok was not yet clear, though some local media reports said it was set off by lightning. Separate forest fires have been raging farther north, Anucha noted, including in Chiang Mai province, where water was dumped from the air Wednesday in an effort the dowse the flames. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Expulsions of Russian intelligence officers and visa refusals have substantially weakened Moscows intelligence operations in neighboring Finland in the past year, the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service said Thursday. The intelligence agency, known by the abbreviation SUPO, said in a statement that Russian intelligence has been squeezed in the Nordic country because of the agencys ability to compromise spy operations in 2022. The Russian intelligence station (in Finland) shrank to about half of its former size last year, SUPO Director Antti Pelttari said, adding that the main reason for the decline were expulsions of suspected spies and visa refusals on the advice of his agency. The falling number of intelligence officers and restrictions on travel across the Russian-Finland border amid Moscow's war in Ukraine have significantly undermined operating conditions for Russian spies in Finland, SUPO said. It noted that operations under diplomatic cover have traditionally been the main instrument of Russian intelligence abroad, and Moscow was seeking to use, among other methods, cyberespionge to make up for the shortfall in human intelligence. While Russia is still seeking to station intelligence officers under diplomatic cover, it will have to find ways of compensating for the human intelligence shortfall, such as by increasingly adopting other forms of covert operation abroad, Pelttari said. The agency said that Russia, China and certain other countries were the most active users of intelligence operations to acquire information for their own ends and against the interests of Finland. Finland, a nation of 5.5 million people, applied for NATO membership together with neighboring Sweden in May. It shares a 1,340-kilometer (832-mile) land border with Russia, the longest of any European Union member. SUPO has earlier said that Finlands future NATO membership will make the Nordic country a more interesting target for Russian intelligence and influencing operations, and Moscow may seek to acquire NATO-related intelligence through its neighbor. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt has scolded independent MP Andrew Bridgen for sharing conspiracy theories in the House of Commons. North West Leicestershire MP Mr Bridgen raised concerns about the World Health Organisation (WHO), claiming it was an unelected, unaccountable, discredited supra-national body which is hugely funded by the same people who fund big pharma. Ms Mordaunt listed a series of claims recently made and shared by Mr Bridgen on social media and in the Commons, telling him to check his behaviour. The exchange at Business Questions follows a similar rebuke from Ms Mordaunt last week, in which she said she pitied Mr Bridgen if he believed the claims he was making. Mr Bridgen told the Commons he was concerned about proposed changes to the WHO international health regulations which will not require a vote from Parliament to be approved. He asked: Can we urgently have a Government statement on these proposed changes which could look set to hand over huge powers to an unelected, unaccountable, discredited supra-national body which is hugely funded by the same people who fund big pharma? Commons Leader Ms Mordaunt replied: I think it is incredibly important that we have the facts of whether it is such treaties, whether it is facts about vaccines and so forth out in the public domain. These are outrageous conspiracy theories that he is promoting on his social media and more frequently on the floor of this House, and I would urge him to check his behaviour Penny Mordaunt I would just again caution him, who this week has been inviting us to join the dots, promoting that Anthony Fauci has created Covid in the United States and then offshored that operation to Wuhan, and in the previous session prior to this Business Questions in Defra, is starting a new campaign to tell the public that this Government and its international network of World Economic Forum stooges are encouraging everyone to eat insects. To cheers from MPs, she added: These are outrageous conspiracy theories that he is promoting on his social media and more frequently on the floor of this House, and I would urge him to check his behaviour. Earlier during the day at environment questions, Mr Bridgen had raised concerns about insect protein increasingly being pushed on social media as an alternative food despite concerns over contaminations. Environment minister Mark Spencer said all novel food was assessed before it is allowed to be placed onto the UK market. He added: Food derived from or including insect protein must be properly labelled, with ingredients clearly indicated and any warning such as the presence of allergens included on the label. Mr Bridgen had the Conservative whip suspended in January after comparing the Covid-19 vaccines rollout to the Holocaust on social media. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} More people plan to holiday in this country amid the continuing cost of living crisis, according to new research. A survey of 2,000 adults found that half will be taking an Easter break, with four in five of these staying in Britain, twice as many as last year. Hotel chain Travelodge said its study suggested that Britons are expected to spend more than 17 billion holidaying at home this Easter. The rising cost of living is making budget-stretched Britons drive a trend for shorter and multi-location breaks this Easter, so that they can maximise their holiday time and enjoy different experiences Shakila Ahmed, Travelodge A third of respondents said they are holidaying in Britain this year due to the rising cost of living. Many of those surveyed said they were opting for a trip to the countryside this Easter as it is cheaper than a city or coastal break. Spokeswoman for Travelodge, Shakila Ahmed, said: The rising cost of living is making budget-stretched Britons drive a trend for shorter and multi-location breaks this Easter, so that they can maximise their holiday time and enjoy different experiences. Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: For holidaymakers looking to make their budget stretch further on a UK break, there are plenty of ways to make savings. If youre prepared to be flexible, you could save hundreds of pounds depending on your choice of location for example, our recent research found that swapping a holiday cottage in the Lake District for one in the Peak District could save hundreds of pounds for a weeks stay. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A father and son have been shot dead within an hour in two quiet Cambridgeshire villages six miles apart. Police have arrested three people and said their primary line of investigation was that the attacks in Bluntisham and Earith on Wednesday night related to a familial issue, with enquiries ongoing as to whether a custody battle was involved. Detective chief superintendent Jon Hutchinson, of Cambridgeshire Police, said that officers made a very quick two arrests in a hotel just outside Cambridge and recovered a firearm, adding the pair were thought to be from the local area. Police at the scene in Meridian Close, Bluntisham, Cambridgeshire, where police found the body of a 32-year-old man with a gunshot wound on Wednesday evening (PA) A woman, who lives near to the houses sealed off by murder detectives in Sutton, Cambridgeshire, said she heard three loud bangs on Wednesday evening. Have you been affected by this story? If so, email tara.cobham@independent.co.uk I didnt know it was gunshots at the time, the woman, who did not want to be named, said. It was about 9.15pm; I thought it was something blowing over as I heard a bang. I didnt think anything crazy had happened. I heard two more it was bang, space, bang. Whether or not they were each gunshots I dont know; then police were outside the house. Gordon Murray, who also lives near two semi-detached houses that have been sealed off by murder detectives in Sutton, said he saw police cars racing down and armed police shouting on Wednesday evening. Police at the scene in The Row in Sutton, near Ely, Cambridgeshire, where police found the body of a 57-year-old man who had died from gunshot wounds (PA) The 62-year-old support engineer said officers later asked him if he had CCTV footage, and when he looked back he saw a white car that made two passes, and on the second pass the car stopped and someone opened the boot. I saw the police cars racing down here, he said. There was a lot of shouting. I thought it was an altercation or something. Then I saw the armed police. They were shouting something to the homeowners. That was it. I stood in the window watching. Mr Murray said there were two cars with three or four officers in each, all armed and with their headgear. Cambridgeshire police were called to reports of gunshots and found the body of a 32-year-old man inside a house in Meridian Close, Bluntisham just after 9pm. He had a gunshot wound and officers are now treating his death as a murder. Flowers left at the scene in The Row in Sutton, near Ely, Cambridgeshire (PA) Under an hour later, at 9.37pm, police received a call from a person in Sutton reporting gunshots and found the body of a 57-year-old man inside a house on The Row in Sutton, near Ely. He also had gunshot wounds and his death is being treated as another murder. Mr Murray said his son heard some bangs but I dont know if that was the car doors slamming. A white hatchback came around twice and stopped outside, he said. When someone opened the boot he couldnt see him get anything out, it was very fuzzy. He said he does not know if the homes sealed off by police are rental properties but believes a guy on his own stays there. The local resident who heard the three loud bangs also said a man who lived at one of the properties sealed off by police always had really fancy cars out the front, souped up, cool looking cars. Forensics at the scene in The Row in Sutton in a quiet part of Cambridgeshire (PA) A 52-year-old man, who did not want to give his name and lives just off The Row in Sutton, Cambridgeshire, said the victim kept himself to himself. Never really came across him as far as I know. Just lived a quiet life, very unassuming. Never really saw him about. A woman who lives close to a new build cul-de-sac estate sealed off by murder detectives in Bluntisham, Cambridgeshire said she could hear a helicopter circling late on Wednesday evening for at least half an hour. The woman, speaking anonymously, added, Considering how quiet the village is its really surprising to hear this has happened. Retail worker Sharon Coulson, 58, who lives nearby described Bluntisham as a nice place to live, nice country walks, friendly, everybody says hello. Police forensics officers at the scene in The Row in Sutton (PA) The roads in Bluntisham and Sutton are around six miles apart. The properties in Meridian Close and The Row have been cordoned off and police officers remain at the scenes. Forensic officers in white suits worked at the scene on Thursday morning, with two bunches of flowers left on the drive and uniformed officers and a marked car beside blue-and-white police tape sealing off the homes. Neither victim has been named yet as they have not been formally identified. A 27-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman were arrested in the early hours of Thursday in Cambridge, while a 66-year-old man was arrested in the Worcester area. All three were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder. A white Peugeot 208 and a shotgun have been recovered by police. Police at the scene in Meridian Close, Bluntisham, Cambridgeshire, which has been cordoned off (PA) A neighbour who works at a local shop said she saw three or four police cars going towards Earith, Cambridgeshire, on Wednesday night. Speaking outside her house just off The Row, in Sutton, the woman, who did not want to give her name, said she was shocked when she saw the news on Facebook on Thursday morning. Especially that it is just on the corner of where I live, she added. Detective Inspector Mark Butler, from the major crime unit, said: Tonight we have launched two linked murder investigations following the shootings of two men at separate properties in the county. These events will be shocking to local people and there will be understandable concerns within local communities, however, we are treating the attacks as targeted and there is no wider risk to the general public. There will be an increased police presence in the areas concerned today and officers and scenes of crime officers will be at the scenes throughout the day. Our thoughts also go out to the family and friends of the victims. Specially trained officers are in touch with them and they are helping our investigation. Detectives are now beginning inquiries into how these events unfolded and we are appealing to anyone who was in either area and saw anyone acting suspiciously or a white Peugeot 208. Any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, could be very important to our investigation. Anyone with information is urged by police to report online here or via the web chat service and quote Operation Scan. Those without internet access are asked to call 101. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Two men killed in what police say was a targeted shooting were a father and his son, detectives have revealed. The pair were shot dead within an hour of each other on Wednesday night in two quiet Cambridgeshire villages six miles apart. The victims have been named locally as Gary Dunmore and his son Josh. Three people were arrested after the killings in Bluntisham and in Sutton, near Ely. A man was found shot in Bluntisham (PA) Detective chief superintendent Jon Hutchinson, of Cambridgeshire Police, said: Working with local residents and family members we quite quickly established that the two victims were related and they were father and son. He said that the primary line of investigation was that the incident related to a familial issue. Its been widely reported in the media that this may relate to a custody battle, he said. I can confirm that is an active line of inquiry for us. Officers called to reports of shots at a house in Meridian Close, Bluntisham, just after 9pm on Wednesday found the body of a 32-year-old man. They are treating his death as a murder. Seven minutes later, police received a report of shots in nearby Sutton near Ely, and found the body of a 57-year-old man at a house in The Row. His death is also being treated as murder. Police forensics officers at the scene in The Row in Sutton, near Ely (PA) Three people have been arrested for questioning on suspicion of conspiracy to murder. Mr Hutchinson said officers made a very quick two arrests in a hotel just outside Cambridge. In the early hours of this morning we did a joint operation alongside West Mercia Police, at which stage a 66-year-old man was arrested on the motorway by armed officers, he said. Following his arrest, his vehicle was searched and I can confirm we have recovered a firearm. He said the man had been in police custody in Worcester and was being transported to Cambridgeshire for interview. Neighbours in Sutton described hearing gunshots and seeing armed police arrive shortly afterwards. We do not believe there is any ongoing risk to the public in Cambridgeshire. We have got full control, Mr Hutchinson said. Stuart, 42, who lives in The Row, in Sutton, near Ely, named the man who lived in the house where the 57-year-old was found dead as Gary Dunmore. The software worker, who did not want to give his last name, said he knew Gary really well. Stuart said he sent a WhatsApp message to Gary after hearing gunshots suspiciously close on Wednesday night. (The message) isnt going to be responded to, I think, he said. Paying tribute, Stuart said: He was a legend. He was so friendly, happy, smiley just the perfect neighbour. If he heard you pant in the garden he would pop his head over the fence and go, You got the right tools mate?. He couldnt do any more for any person. There was not a malicious bone in his body. Sutton resident Stuart added of his neighbour: What tribute could you pay to somebody who could never meet you without the biggest smile? There is no way that he would have deserved this at all. Stuart said he also knew Gary Dunmores son Josh. He was just such a passionate guy, he added. Asked what the pair did for work, Stuart said Gary was a builder and that Josh also worked in the general trade. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Parole Board has refused the latest bid for freedom by Charles Bronson, one of the UKs longest-serving prisoners. The independent body announced its decision on Thursday, nearly one month after Bronson made his case at a hearing. Since 1974, Bronson has spent the majority of his life behind bars. Initially sentenced to seven years for offences of robbery, aggravated burglary, assault with intent to rob and possession of a firearm, he began what the Parole Board has termed a pattern of serious violence in prison. Charles Bronson has been behind bars for nearly half a century After perpetrating a number of serious assaults on other prisoners, his sentence was extended. He was briefly released in 1987 but committed a robbery within months and was recalled to prison. Following a similar pattern after his subsequent 1993 release, he has remained behind bars ever since. The second inmate in UK history to have had his court case live streamed, the public was able to witness Bronson who changed his surname to Salvador after artist Salvador Dali in 2014 behind the stand at HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes. This marks his eighth bid for parole, with the judges hearing that there are currently 500 people on a mailing list who write to Bronson in jail. Following the three-day proceedings, the Parole Board published a statement explaining its reasoning. Though it acknowledged Bronsons improved emotional management, it expressed concern over the potential risk he posed, noting that he sees little wrong with the crimes that led to his initial detention. In a document detailing the decision, the Parole Board said: After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress that Mr Salvador has made while in custody and the evidence presented at the hearings, the panel was not satisfied that Mr Salvador was suitable for release. Nor did the panel recommend to the Secretary of State that he should be transferred to an open prison. Since 1974, Charles Bronson has spent the majority of his time behind bars, briefly released twice before being recalled (PA) The summary of the Parole Board decision added: The panel noted that Mr Salvador has spent most of the last 48 years in custody and that much of this time has been in conditions of segregation. The panel accepted that Mr Salvador genuinely wants to progress and that he is motivated to work towards his release. It thought that there was evidence of improved self-control and better emotional management. However, the panel was mindful of his history of persistent rule breaking and that Mr Salvador sees little wrong with this. He lives his life rigidly by his own rules and code of conduct and is quick to judge others by his own standards. His positive progress has to be assessed in the context of him being held in a highly restrictive environment. In the panels view, it is unknown exactly what is containing Mr Salvadors risk. It is unclear whether the strong external controls of custody are mainly responsible or whether his attitudes have genuinely changed. Bronson skected by an artist during his parole hearing (PA Wire) The panel could not be satisfied that Mr Salvador has the skills to manage his risk of future violence until he has been extensively tested outside of his current highly restricted environment. The movement and categorisation of prisoners are entirely a matter for the Secretary of State, and parole panels will not ordinarily comment on such matters. However in the particular circumstances of this case the panel observed that there is an identified pathway for Salvador in custody and the evidence supported such a move within a closed prison. In the panels view, this is a pivotal point in Mr Salvadors sentence when his motivation to desist from violence is at its highest. Both psychologists instructed by Mr Salvadors legal representative were unequivocal in their view that he no longer requires the secure placement in his current prison. He will be eligible for another parole review in due course. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Notorious prisoner Charles Bronson has lost his bid to be freed from jail following a public parole hearing. The 70-year-old, who is one of the UKs longest-serving prisoners, appeared before a panel of parole judges at the beginning of March for a three-day hearing on whether he should remain behind bars. In a document detailing the decision published on Thursday, the Parole Board said: After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress that Mr Salvador has made while in custody and the evidence presented at the hearings, the panel was not satisfied that Mr Salvador was suitable for release. Nor did the panel recommend to the Secretary of State that he should be transferred to an open prison. Bronson has spent most of 48 years behind bars - for a string of thefts, firearms and violent offences, including 11 hostage takings - apart from two brief periods of freedom where he reoffended (PA) Responding to the decision, Bronsons son George Bamby said: I would have loved Charlie to have been released but completely respect the decision of the Parole Board. Members of the press and public watched the proceedings taking place in HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes on a live stream from the Royal Courts of Justice in central London. This made him the second inmate in UK legal history to have his case heard in public after rules were changed last year in a bid to remove the secrecy around the process. Dubbed one of Britains most violent offenders, Bronson whose real name is Michael Peterson and changed his surname to Salvador in 2014 after the artist Salvador Dali was jailed for armed robbery in 1974. He has spent most of the following 48 years behind bars - for a string of thefts, firearms and violent offences, including 11 hostage takings - apart from two brief periods of freedom where he reoffended. Victims included governors, doctors, staff and, on one occasion, his own solicitor. Bronson - who has previously been diagnosed with anti-social personality disorder - was handed a discretionary life sentence with a minimum term of four years in 2000 for taking a prison teacher at HMP Hull hostage for 44 hours. Since then, the Parole Board has repeatedly refused to direct his release. Notorious prisoner Charles Bronson loses his eighth bid for parole (PA Wire) This was his eighth bid for parole after violent attacks on prison staff and inmates has led to his original seven-year sentence being extended multiple times. At the hearing, Bronson appeared on camera sat opposite three parole judges - who have not been publicly named - wearing a black suit, white shirt and dark glasses. When asked if he wished to give evidence, Bronson - who could be heard frequently swearing and sighing loudly - replied: Oh yes, certainly. Charles Bronson (left), appearing via video link from HMP Woodhill, during his public parole hearing at the Royal Courts Of Justice, London (Elizabeth Cook/PA Wire) Over the course of the three days, there were many bizarre revelations and expletives from the prisoner, including his likening his experience in front of the Parole Board to being on BBC programme The Apprentice. As the judges were told that there are 500 people on a mailing list who write to Bronson in jail, the prisoner interjected: Bloody hell, I cant reply to all of them. He also said in his opening statement: Its no secret I have had more porridge than Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and Im sick of it. Ive had enough of it, I want to go home. The panel heard how he is locked in his cell for 23 hours a day, and is allowed to leave for just one hour for exercise and other activities due to prison staff shortages. He is in a unit of eight inmates, and has time out of his cell with three others, one of whom he does not like and avoids. A supporter of notorious inmate Charles Bronson outside the Royal Courts Of Justice (Aaron Chown/PA Wire) A psychologist told the panel Bronson has post-traumatic stress disorder after facing some brutal and unacceptable treatment behind bars. He has been held in solitary confinement for much of his time in jail. During the hearing he was described as holding anti-authoritarian views and being suspicious of the motives of others, as well as having a romanticised view of violent incidents in the past. None of the prison and probation officials who gave evidence at the parole hearing said he was ready to be released. Prince Harry has returned to court for his ongoing case against the publisher of the Daily Mail, just as his father Charles visits Germany in his first overseas visit as King. After missing the third day of the hearing, the Duke of Sussex reappeared at the High Court on Thursday as his lawyers resisted an ambitious and unattractive bid by the publisher to end the legal action. Earlier in the day his father who it was reported would not be seeing his US-based son during Harrys surprise visit to the UK gave a historic address to the German parliament. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The shooting of Olivia Pratt-Korbel was a defining moment for a community that has had enough of organised crime, the senior investigating officer in the murder case has said. Detective Superintendent Mark Baker said the murder of the nine-year-old, who was killed when gunman Thomas Cashman chased convicted drug dealer Joseph Nee into her home in Dovecot, Liverpool, had left the community suffering. It came on the 15th anniversary of the death of Rhys Jones, an 11-year-old who was shot in Croxteth, Liverpool, as he walked home from school. Olivia Pratt-Korbel was shot and killed in her own home (PA Media) Mr Baker said: Olivias death should not be in vain. In 2007 the murder of Rhys Jones should have been a defining moment for those who are prepared to use guns on our streets. These people who use guns are toxic in our community, we need to stand firmly together to stamp it out. We will work exceptionally hard to put these people behind bars as we have done in this case. We dont want other families to suffer in a way that Olivia and Rhyss families have done. Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said: I think the communities of Merseyside were absolutely horrified when they woke up on that morning and realised that another child had been murdered, had lost their life because of a firearm. It was the anniversary of Rhys and people talked then about a watershed moment and yet again, there we were 15 years later. She said there was a renewed commitment from communities, police and partner agencies to tackle organised crime. Mr Baker said Cashman was being named to the police within days of the incident and following his trial, in which he spoke about dealing cannabis at a high-level within the area, officers would continue to target criminals. Eleven-year-old Rhys Jones was shot dead in the Croxteth area of Liverpool 16 years ago (PA Media) He said: We will continue to pursue those involved in drug dealing in the locality. We know through the community meetings that we attended that people have had enough. This is a defining moment in the community across Merseyside. This dreadful, abhorrent murder has really drawn a line in the sand. We hoped from the outset that people would come forward and support us, people that wouldnt ordinarily come forward and support the police clearly have done in this. We will continue to target people involved in drug dealing in the area because the feedback from the community, which has been fantastic, tells us that thats what they want. Thomas Cashman was found guilty of Olivias murder (PA) Mr Baker said the week of Olivias murder, when Sam Rimmer, 22, and Ashley Dale, 28, were also killed in shootings in Merseyside, was the most challenging week of their career for most of the forces officers. He said: Its the worst thing Ive ever dealt with by a long stretch and I think everybody thats worked on the investigation would say exactly the same. A nine-year-old child shot in her own home is just the worst thing that theyve ever investigated, certainly in my 30-year career. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A father and son were shot dead within an hour of each other in two quiet Cambridgeshire villages with a custody battle being investigated by detectives as an "active line of inquiry". Police described the attacks on Wednesday night as targeted and linked. A 32-year-old man was found dead in Bluntisham, and a 57-year-old man was found dead six miles away at a house in Earith, near Ely. Three people were later arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder. Heres what is known so far: Police found the body of a 32-year-old man with a bullet wound in Meridian Close, Bluntisham (PA) What have police said? Cambridgeshire Police said they were called just after 9pm to reports of gunshots in a house in Meridian Close, Bluntisham, where they found the body of a 32-year-old man with a a gunshot wound. Officers are treating his death as murder. Around half an hour later, at 9.37pm, police received a call from a person in Sutton, six miles away near Ely, reporting gunshots. There, they found the body of a 57-year-old man in a house in The Row. He also had been shot and his death is also being treated as murder. Have you been affected by this story? If so, email tara.cobham@independent.co.uk What neighbours in Sutton saw and heard: Sarah Lown, who lives near the houses now sealed off by murder detectives in Sutton, said she heard three loud bangs. I didnt know it was gunshots at the time, the 38-year-old designer said. It was about 9.15pm; I thought it was something blowing over as I heard a bang. I didnt think anything crazy had happened. I heard two more it was bang, space, bang. Whether or not they were each gunshots I dont know; then police were outside the house. Police at the scene in The Row in Sutton, near Ely, where police found the body of a 57-year-old man (PA) Map showing Bluntisham and The Row, Sutton (Google Maps) Gordon Murray, who also lives near two semi-detached houses that have been cordoned off in Sutton, said he saw police cars racing down the road and heard armed police shouting. The 62-year-old support engineer said officers later asked him whether he had CCTV footage, and when he checked, he saw a white car that made two passes, and on the second pass the car stopped and someone opened the boot. I saw the police cars racing down here, he said. There was a lot of shouting. I thought it was an altercation or something. Then I saw the armed police. They were shouting something to the homeowners. That was it. I stood in the window, watching. Mr Murray said there were two cars with three or four officers in each, all armed and with their headgear. Forensics officers at the scene in The Row in Sutton (PA) Forensics at the scene in The Row in Sutton in a quiet part of Cambridgeshire (PA) His son heard some bangs, he said but I dont know if that was the car doors slamming. A white hatchback came around twice and stopped outside. When someone opened the boot he couldnt see him get anything out, it was very fuzzy. Two bunches of flowers were left on the drive. What neighbours in Bluntisham saw and heard: A woman who lives close to a new build cul-de-sac estate sealed off by murder detectives in Bluntisham said she heard a helicopter circling late on Wednesday evening for at least half an hour. The woman, speaking anonymously, added: Considering how quiet the village is, its really surprising to hear this has happened. Retail worker Sharon Coulson, 58, who lives nearby, described Bluntisham as a nice place to live, nice country walks, friendly, everybody says hello. The house in Meridian Close, Bluntisham where the 32-year-old was found (PA) Police at the scene in Meridian Close, Bluntisham, which was cordoned off (PA) Both the properties in Meridian Close and The Row were cordoned off by tape and police officers and forensics officers were working at both scenes. Who the victims were: The two victims have not been identified yet, but police confirmed on Thursday they were father and son. A neighbour in Sutton, Mr Murray, said he did not know whether the homes sealed off by police were rental properties but he believed a guy on his own stayed there. Ms Lown said a man who lived at one of the properties sealed off by police always had really fancy cars out the front, souped up, cool-looking cars. A 52-year-old man who did not want to give his name and lives just off The Row in Sutton said the victim kept himself to himself. Never really came across him, as far as I know. Just lived a quiet life, very unassuming. Never really saw him about, he said. People under arrest A 27-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman were arrested in the early hours of Thursday, while a 66-year-old man was arrested in the Worcester area. All three were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder. Detective Chief Superintendent Jon Hutchinson, of Cambridgeshire Police, said officers made a very quick two arrests in a hotel just outside Cambridge. Detective chief superintendent Jon Hutchinson (PA) Then, in a joint operation with West Mercia Police, armed officers arrested a 66-year-old man on the motorway. A car that was believed to have been used by the offender, a white Peugeot 208, and a shotgun have been recovered. Mr Hutchinson said the man had been in police custody in Worcester and was being transported to Cambridgeshire for an interview. Detective Inspector Mark Butler, of the major crime unit, said: These events will be shocking to local people and there will be understandable concerns within local communities; however, we are treating the attacks as targeted and there is no wider risk to the general public. He said officers had been in touch with family and friends of the victims and they were helping the investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101, quoting Operation Scan. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf has defended his decision to include a minister for independence in his Government team as he came under fire for having a taxpayer-funded nationalist campaigner in the new ministerial role. Jamie Hepburn was appointed to the new position on Wednesday, as Mr Yousaf revealed his Cabinet and junior ministers. Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said while the new SNP leader had been able to create a dedicated minister for independence in his Government, he had abolished key ministerial roles. Mr Ross challenged Mr Yousaf on his choices for Government positions as he faced his first session of First Ministers Questions since taking on the top job in Scottish politics. The Tory said while Mr Yousaf had promised to be the First Minister for all of Scotland, he had failed in his first big test. Mr Ross said: This is the largest Government since devolution, with more ministers than ever before. But key ministerial posts relating to social security and tourism were abolished, yet a new minister for independence was created. Does the First Minister really believe appointing a taxpayer-funded nationalist campaigner is governing for all of Scotland? Mr Yousaf replied: I make no apology whatsoever for having a minister for independence, as my goodness we need independence now more than ever before. We need it now more than ever before, because in energy-rich Scotland we have Scots that are fuel poor because of the UK Governments policies. We need independence now more than ever before because we have more food banks in this country than at any other time than ever before because of over a decade of austerity. So I would say to Douglas Ross, to the UK Government, we will continue to advocate and advance independence, because we need it now more than ever before. Mr Ross claimed Mr Yousaf is looking for a fight with Westminster. The First Minister has to realise independence is not a priority for people across Scotland right now, the Tory leader said. He said Mr Yousaf is pushing independence in a bid to unite his party around him after he squeaked a win in the recent leadership election. Nicola Sturgeon stepped down as SNP leader and Scottish first minister after more than eight years in the job, with Mr Yousaf recording a narrow 52% to 48% win over his nearest rival Kate Forbes, who refused to join his Cabinet. Attacking the new First Minister, Mr Ross said: He has stuffed his Cabinet full of his predecessors lackeys, ministers with almost as poor a track record in Government as he has. He squeaked a win and then forced the former finance secretary Kate Forbes and her supporters out of Government in an act of petty vengeance. And now to shore up his position in his feuding party, he is back pushing independence because it is the only thing that unites the SNP. In these difficult times, Scotland needs a Government focused on the real priorities of people across Scotland and the big challenges we face. Yet we have one that is at war with itself and focused upon engineering further division. Mr Yousaf however said he was delighted to have appointed a Cabinet and a ministerial team that will build upon the legacy of Ms Sturgeon and her deputy first minister John Swinney. He dismissed Mr Ross as being a third rate politician leading a third rate party. Speaking about the SNP, the First Minister declared: It is because we focus on the priorities of the people of Scotland we are going to continue, I am certain, to be the most popular party in this country. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The King will become the first British monarch to address German politicians from the Bundestag, while the parliament is in session, during his historic state visit to the country. Charles will deliver a speech which will celebrate the deep historical bonds and longstanding links between Germany and the UK. The King and Queen Consorts state visit to Germany, the first of Charles reign, began on Wednesday with a ceremonial greeting at Berlins iconic Brandenburg Gate. During a speech at a state banquet staged in his honour on Wednesday evening, Charles pledged to strengthen the connections between the UK and Germany as he paid tribute to the enduring value of the two nations relationship. During the day the King will attend a meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the Federal Chancellery building. Later, the King and the Queen Consort will visit Wittenbergplaztz Food Market and meet a range of local business owners who will discuss the history of the market. Germany has welcomed more than a million Ukrainian refugees seeking sanctuary after Russia invaded their homeland and Charles will tour the Tegel Refugee Centre to meet some of the group. Separately the Queen Consort will visit the Refugio House community centre, a meeting place for locals and new Berlin residents, including refugees. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Afghan war hero facing deportation to Rwanda after arriving in the UK on a small boat has directly appealed to Rishi Sunak to give him sanctuary in Britain. The air force lieutenant, who served alongside coalition troops, urged the prime minister to intervene in his case after finding no safe route to Britain from Afghanistan, where he had been in hiding. Asking Mr Sunak to bring his family left behind in Afghanistan to safety, he also called for the same support for other veterans who served alongside British forces. In a powerful entreaty to No 10, he wrote: I trusted the British forces and was proud to work together as we protected each other from our common enemy. I hope you will now reflect on that mutual commitment as you read this letter. That commitment was made not just by myself, but by many brave men and women in Afghanistan, who now find themselves threatened by the Taliban and have no lawful means of escape. The Independent has launched a petition calling for the UK to support Afghan war heroes who served alongside Britain It came as Sir Keir Starmer backed The Independents campaign to halt the pilots deportation. The Labour leader said it was a disgrace that a serviceman who fought alongside British troops faced being forced out. The pilot, who was praised by his coalition forces supervisor as a patriot to his nation, says he was forced into hiding when the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021. Describing his ordeal, he wrote: When your forces left Afghanistan, the Taliban forced me into hiding. I managed to escape and, unable to find a safe route to Britain, took a dangerous journey across five countries before being forced to pay for a place on a small boat to cross the Channel to Britain. I asked for help in return for the help I once gave your people. Instead you have threatened to forcibly deport me to Rwanda. The pilot was praised by his coalition forces supervisor as a patriot to his nation (The Independent) The airmans journey overland means he is eligible for deportation under the UKs existing inadmissibility rules, which state that anyone who arrives having travelled through a safe country should be barred from claiming asylum in the UK and removed. The pilot, whom we have agreed not to name in order to protect his family who are still in Afghanistan, is now living in a Home Office hotel for asylum seekers. In his letter, he tells Mr Sunak it is simply untrue that there are safe and legal routes to the UK. Men I served with are stuck in exile, faced with a return to certain death at home, or an illegal journey here, he writes. It is important that you grant these people protection in the country they risked their lives to help. After asking Mr Sunak to honour the promises made to Afghan servicemen, he asks the prime minister to do three things: withdraw the threat to send him to Rwanda; grant him full asylum in the UK; and allow him to reunite with his family. I asked for help in return for the help I once gave your people. Instead you have threatened to forcibly deport me to Rwanda, he writes (The Independent) I had no choice but to leave my family, as my very presence in our home put them in danger, and it was impossible to bring them on my fugitive journey from Afghanistan to the UK. My family remain in some danger now, and I must get them out as soon as possible, he says. This week, Mr Sunak vowed to look at the case after it was raised by The Independent. He was pressed by the Conservative MP and chair of the Commons women and equalities committee Caroline Nokes when he appeared in front of the Commons liaison committee. In the exchange, Ms Nokes asked Mr Sunak how the government would support Afghans who had worked alongside British forces but had arrived to the UK on small boats. He responded by saying that these are exactly the sort of people we want to help. Ms Nokes pressed him, adding: ... which is why an Afghan pilot was highlighted in The Independent as having been given notification that he was likely to be removed to Rwanda. Mr Sunak told her he could not comment on individual cases, but asked for the details to be sent to him, saying: Ill happily make sure the Home Office have a look. Senior military and political figures, as well as diplomats, have lined up to demand that the airman is not sent to Rwanda. Former defence minister Kevan Jones described the situation as a stain on Britains great reputation, while Sir Laurie Bristow, who was British ambassador to Afghanistan during the summer of 2021 and the fall of Kabul, warned that the lives of Afghans who worked for us and with us ... are at risk as a result. General Sir Richard Barrons, a former chief of joint operations who served in Afghanistan, said the pilots route to the UK should not affect his chance of being granted asylum. This should not be complicated ... The fact that he went through other countries to get here is not surprising, considering the mess the government made with the evacuation process, he said. Tobias Ellwood, the chair of parliaments defence select committee, said of the deportation threat: This is not who we are as a nation. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Here is the Afghan pilots letter, which has been sent to Rishi Sunak, in full: Dear Rishi Sunak, I am an experienced Afghan Air Force pilot who worked with coalition forces, which included British forces, for several years. I flew over thirty combat missions against terrorist threats in my country and was involved in many missions co-ordinated by British troops in Afghanistan. When your forces left Afghanistan, the Taliban forced me into hiding. I managed to escape and, unable to find a safe route to Britain, took a dangerous journey across five countries before being forced to pay for a place on a small boat to cross the Channel to Britain. The Independent has launched a petition calling for the UK to support Afghan war heroes who served alongside Britain I asked for help in return for the help I once gave your people. Instead you have threatened to forcibly deport me to Rwanda. I am writing to you now asking you to honour the promises made to Afghan servicemen at the end of the campaign by: Withdrawing your notice of intent to send me to Rwanda Granting my full asylum in the UK Allowing me to reunite with my family I had no choice but to leave my family, as my very presence in our home put them in danger, and it was impossible to bring them on my fugitive journey from Afghanistan to the UK. They remain in some danger now, and I must get them out as soon as possible. If you have the honour and decency of your troops, you will understand and respect this. I trusted the British forces and was proud to work together as we protected each other from our common enemy. I hope you will now reflect on that mutual commitment as you read this letter. That commitment was made not just by myself, but by many brave men and women in Afghanistan, who now find themselves threatened by the Taliban and have no lawful means of escape. You say that there are safe and legal routes to the UK for us; this is simply untrue. Men I served with are stuck in exile, faced with a return to certain death at home, or an illegal journey here. On my way, I met many others with the same problem. It is important that you grant these people protection in the country they risked their lives to help. I would like to explain our predicament to you so that you might better honour your countrys promises, and to that end I ask that you agree to meet me to discuss the situation. Yours sincerely ******** Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Black and Asian people are still paying inflated car insurance costs, a study has found, with Citizens Advice accusing authorities of being nowhere to be seen. The charity has reiterated concerns about a worrying link between ethnicity and insurance costs as its research found people from ethnic minority backgrounds were paying around 250 per year more on average for their car insurance than white people. It is estimated that over one million people cancelled their car insurance last year amidst pressure from rising bills with ethnic minority backgrounds being three times as likely to cancel their car insurance than white people. The charitys most recent study, carried out in 2022, analysed the car insurance costs of more than 15,000 people it helped with their debts that year. Now, 12 months on, the Financial Conduct Authority has been accused of failing to address the issue. Dame Clare Moriarty, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: "This is a truly worrying link between ethnicity and insurance costs, but one year on and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is still nowhere to be seen." The FCA said it welcomes the research from Citizens Advice and it would raise these concerns with the insurance industry. However, it did not outline a clear plan for addressing the disparity. People of colour should be treated fairly in the provision of insurance, an FCA spokesperson told The Independent. The FCA welcomes the work Citizens Advice has done investigating this issue and has worked closely with them to understand the issues raised. Firms are required to comply with the Equality Act and not discriminate and we will continue to raise these concerns and evidence with the insurance industry to ensure that they are serving all customers - whatever their ethnicity fairly. Citizens Advice has carried out previous research which produced similar findings and it said monitoring and clear enforcement action is needed if car insurance firms cannot explain ethnicity pricing differences. The second part of the research shone a spotlight on eight postcodes, to compare areas where there is a high white population to areas where there is a high proportion of Black and Asian people living. Everyone who lives in the postcode pays higher prices, regardless of their ethnicity, however, if this trend were to be replicated across the country, the charity found that Black and Asian people would be 13 times more likely to be paying it than white people. As such, these drivers could be paying at least 213 million a year more on their car insurance. Citizens Advice further found that common risk factors of crime rate, deprivation, road traffic accidents and population density could not account for the racial difference in price. A spokesperson for the Association of British Insurers (ABI) said its members comply with the Equality Act and insurers never use ethnicity as a factor when setting prices. However, like the FCA, they were not able to explain why the racial disparity persists. "We recognise the important public policy debate that Citizens Advice raised through its report and its a matter weve continued to discuss over the past year with the charity, across the industry and with the FCA," he said. "All other rating factors being the same, two people of different ethnicities who live in the same postcode will pay the same premium for their car insurance. "However, we are clear that our sector has a role to play in looking at how wider societal issues might impact on insurance costs and well continue to discuss it further. "Our members are also acutely aware of the financial pressures that many households are facing at present and want to help customers wherever possible, especially where third party motor insurance is a legal requirement for drivers. Anyone struggling to pay their insurance premium should contact their insurer to see if they can help." Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Child asylum seekers will be restrained if they resist forcible deportations to Rwanda and other countries, the Home Office has said. Official documents published on Thursday claimed that using force against children could be necessary. The Home Office said its new Illegal Migration Bill would mean that families and children who come to the UK illegally will not be exempt from detention and removal. The law already allows immigration officers and detainee custody officers (including escorts) to use reasonable force to exercise their powers - this is not age restricted, a factsheet added. Using force on children would be an absolute last resort and would only be used if completely necessary. Using force on children in family groups may unfortunately be necessary if a family is resisting removal. The Home Office said its policy on child restraint was under review and would be consulted on with the Childrens Commissioner and other groups. The factsheet said the home secretary would be required to remove asylum seekers who arrived in the UK on small boats as unaccompanied children when they turn 18, and has the power to do so before that. Where a decision is made to remove an unaccompanied child under 18, detention will be for the shortest possible time in appropriate detention facilities with relevant support provisions in place, it added. The Home Office said children travelling irregularly to the UK to join loved ones would not be exempt from the unprecedented measures, adding: This approach equally applies to those unaccompanied children who may have family or relatives already in the UK. Steve Valdez-Symonds, Amnesty International UKs refugee and migrant rights director, called the plans terrifying. The bill displays a near total disregard of childrens rights and welfare, he added. The idea of force being used on children by this department or private agency staff subcontracted by the Home Office is terrifying. James Wilson, the director of Detention Action, told The Independent the bill would inevitably leading to the increased use of physical restraint if it achieves its aim of mass deportations. Given the disregard for the safety of children in hotels and at the Manston facility last year, we expect to see even more incidents of abuse and serious harm to children, he added. A young family are helped to shore as a group of people thought to be migrants arrive in Dungeness, Kent, after being rescued in the Channel by the RNLI following a small boat incident (Gareth Fuller/PA) Hoseem, of the Freedom from Torture charity, said restraint can exacerbate existing post-traumatic stress disorder and mental health issues. He said that he was himself detained by the Home Office aged 17, adding: I had a very bad experience, I wanted to end my life. Child asylum seekers should be protected and supported like any other children in the UK, Hoseem (not his real name) said. This action will have a negative impact on physical and emotional health. It comes after The Independent revealed scenes of desperation and violence on the first attempted flight to Rwanda, which was prevented from taking off by legal action last June. Records made by officials showed that detainees self-harmed, threatened suicide and were put into pain inducing restraint after begging not to be deported from the UK. One asylum seeker who told staff that he would kill himself if he was forced to get on the flight was then put in a waist restraint belt and physically attached to a plane seat. Another asylum seeker was subjected to pain-inducing techniques to stop him self-harming, with Home Office guidance stating that the tactics are justifiable if that is the only viable and practical way of dealing with a violent incident, which poses an immediate risk of serious physical harm. Suella Braverman has expanded the Rwanda agreement, which remains subject to legal challenge (PA) Other restraints used as part of the attempted Rwanda flight included handcuffs, physical pressure, officers holding peoples arms and legs, and guiding them towards the plane. During a visit to Rwanda earlier this month, home secretary Suella Braverman rewrote the deportation agreement to expand it beyond asylum seekers to modern slavery victims and other groups of people who cross the Channel. Legal action over the original deal is ongoing at the Court of Appeal and it is unclear whether the changes to the Migration and Economic Development Partnership will trigger a new case. The governments Illegal Migration Bill aims to mean that anyone arriving on small boats can be detained and deported without consideration of an asylum claim, but the only deals struck have been with Albania and Rwanda. Documents published on Thursday claimed that detaining and deporting children who arrive on small boats, and banning them from returning to the UK in future, is necessary to stop incentives for unaccompanied children or family groups to make dangerous crossings. In an online question-and-answer, the Home Office asked itself if the policy would be detrimental to the wellbeing of vulnerable children. Shortage of safe and legal routes for migrants, Suella Braverman told by Tory MP It replied: We recognise the particular vulnerability of children making life-threatening journeys to the UK, which are being facilitated by criminal gangs who have little regard for their safety. Unaccompanied children who arrive in the UK illegally will be provided with the necessary accommodation and support but they will not be able to settle in the UK. Taking these measures will send a clear message that children cannot be exploited and cross the Channel in small boats for the purpose of starting a new life in the UK. The Home Office said the majority of unaccompanied children who claimed asylum in the UK in 2022 were aged 16 or 17, and in the small proportion where age was disputed, around half were found to be adults. A Home Office spokesperson said: Taking these measures will send a clear message that children cannot be exploited and cross the Channel in small boats for the purpose of starting a new life in the UK. Using reasonable force on children in family groups would be an absolute last resort and only be used if completely necessary. It maintained that safe and legal routes were open as an alternative, but Conservative MPs have backed calls for them to be widened beyond current schemes targeting Afghanistan, Ukraine and Hong Kong. Family reunion processes, which allow refugees in the UK to bring close relatives to live with them, are limited and a recent watchdog report found that failings were leaving thousands of refugee women and children stuck in unsafe situations in countries including Afghanistan and Syria. Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Nadine White Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter The Race Report Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Race Report email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Discrimination, bullying and harassment is rife in fire services, a watchdog has warned after uncovering incidents in which firefighters acted out a rape and used the n-word. HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services found that a pack-like mentality in some fire services made firefighters fearful of reporting colleagues and caused them to believe that nothing would happen if they did. Inspector Roy Wilsher said the cases uncovered so far could be just the tip of the iceberg. The report contained numerous examples of misogynistic, racist and homophobic incidents, including: Two male firefighters acting out the rape of a female colleague A senior officer referring to a Black colleague using the n-word and putting it down to having a laugh Homophobic abuse written on a firefighters locker A firefighter being told it would be career suicide to push for action to be taken on a senior officers racist comment Hostility to female staff and suggestions they were employed because they have a vagina Mr Wilsher told a press conference that he could not rule out the possibility that predators are currently working in Britains fire and rescue services, saying: I could not exclude that possibility. The report called for an overhaul of vetting and misconduct processes for firefighters, including legal changes to expand criminal record searches and a new body to set standards. Mr Wilsher warned that current variations in DBS checks create an unacceptable risk that must be addressed, adding: The sector cannot wait another day before it acts. He said the watchdog had not been able to obtain any data on how many serving firefighters may have previous convictions, or how many had committed crimes during their service, and called for better sharing of information. Trust and respect is too often replaced with derogatory, bullying behaviour, often excused as banter, the inspector added. Staff should feel able to report allegations without fear of reprisals, and any fire and rescue staff found to have committed gross misconduct should be placed on a national barred list to protect other services and the public. The report identified a pack-like mentality in some watch groups, which see firefighters work, train, eat and sleep in close proximity to one other, sometimes for many years. Some watches had normalised some unacceptable behaviours, including discrimination, bullying and harassment, Mr Wilsher said, adding that new recruits felt they had to assimilate into the prevailing culture in order to fit in. Examples from a previous report on the London Fire Brigade included mocking peoples religion, taking bets on who would be the first person in a team to sleep with a woman, and filling helmets with urine. Casey report: Met Police institutionally racist, misogynist, and homophobic Firefighters were found to have searched through womens drawers looking for underwear and sex toys during home fire safety visits. The inspectorate pushed back against claims that poor behaviour was confined to pockets of the service, warning: Our evidence shows that such concerns are widespread, and this report brings together evidence from a number of sources. It pointed to unofficial social media accounts used by serving and former firefighters that portray misogyny, racism and homophobia as banter. The report found that more than half of misconduct cases across England over the past year concerned inappropriate behaviour, including bullying and harassment associated with protected characteristics such as race, gender and sexuality. According to data gathered by the Cabinet Office in 2018, firefighters were the least ethnically diverse of any public sector workforce. The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) was criticised in part of the report for using slogans that have the potential to cause rifts and create the risk of ostracising people who dont conform rather than supporting colleagues to, for example, raise concerns. FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said he welcomed the report and that concerns had been raised within the union for many years over the same issues. He added that the failure to address them went right to the top. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 / 50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 13 April 2023 British milliner Justin Smith, from J. Smith Esquire, with a crown he has created using 319 Scrabble tiles to mark Scrabble's 75th anniversary and King Charles III's coronation PA UK news in pictures 12 April 2023 US President Joe Biden delivers a speech on business development at Ulster University in Belfast AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 11 April 2023 People take part in a rally in Trafalgar Square in London, in support of striking NHS junior doctors, as the British Medical Association holds a 96-hour walkout in a dispute over pay PA UK news in pictures 10 April 2023 Masked people attack a police vehicle with petrol bombs in Derrys Creggan area on on 25th anniversary of Good Friday Agreement Getty UK news in pictures 9 April 2023 People taking part in the annual procession in Glasgow as part of the Sikh Vaisakhi celebration to celebrate the Birth of the Sikh Nation PA UK news in pictures 8 April 2023 Visitors dressed in costumes during the Star Wars Celebration at the ExCel London in east London PA UK news in pictures 7 April 2023 Lorries queue to enter the Port of Dover in Dover, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 6 April 2023 Seating being erected on The Mall outside Buckingham Palace, central London, ahead of King Charles IIIs Coronation. PA UK news in pictures 5 April 2023 Police officers stand guard outside the home of Peter Murrell and Nicola Sturgeon in Glasgow, Scotland Getty UK news in pictures 4 April 2023 Workers protest outside Google London HQ over the treatment of staff facing redundancies PA UK news in pictures 3 April 2023 Members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union on the picket line outside the Passport Office in east London, as more than 1,000 members of the PCS working in passport offices in England, Scotland and Wales begin a five week strike as part of the civil service dispute PA UK news in pictures 2 April 2023 Coaches wait to enter the Port of Dover in Kent after extra sailings were run overnight to try and clear the backlog which has left passengers stuck in Easter traffic for hours PA UK news in pictures 1 April 2023 Waves crash against the lighthouse in Seaham Harbour, County Durham PA UK news in pictures 31 March 2023 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak with Darlington Council leader Jonathan Dulston, Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen and Darlington MP Peter Gibson in Firth Moor during a visit to Darlington, County Durham PA UK news in pictures 30 March 2023 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and deputy leader Angela Rayner travel by train to the launch of the Labour Party's campaign for the May local elections in Swindon PA UK news in pictures 29 March 2023 Newborn Grevys zebra Lola, who was born during the early hours of March 17 to 12-year-old mum, Akuna, at West Midland Safari Park, Bewdley, Worcestershire PA UK news in pictures 28 March 2023 Drag Queen Dross poses during a media event launching the Eurovision EuroFestival programme, in Liverpool EPA UK news in pictures 27 March 2023 The new leader of the Scottish National Party and former Health Secretary Humza Yousaf speaks after he is announced at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, Scotland EPA UK news in pictures 26 March 2023 Caoimhe Dempsey throws her welly to the shore as Cambridge University board their boat prior to The Gemini Boat Race 2023 Getty UK news in pictures 24 March 2023 Brian Cox opens the London Stock Exchange to celebrate Succession Season 4, which premieres on streaming service NOW and Sky PA UK news in pictures 23 March 2023 The Milky Way core rises at 3am over Bamburgh Lighthouse in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 22 March 2023 Emergency teams attend the scene after a ship tipped over at the Leith dry dock in Edinburgh, Scotland Tomafc83 UK news in pictures 21 March 2023 Sir David Attenborough plants a tree, in honour of Queen Elizabeth II, for The Queen's Green Canopy in Richmond Park with school children from across London PA UK news in pictures 20 March 2023 The Superlambanana sculpture outside the Avril Robarts Library of Liverpool John Moores University painted in the colours of the Ukrainian flag, ahead of the city hosting the Eurovision Song Contest PA UK news in pictures 19 March 2023 Undated hanBumblebee nectaring on pink cherry blossom at Sheringham Park in Norfolk PA UK news in pictures 18 March 2023 Ugandas Husnah Kukundakwe in action during the Womens MC 50m Butterfly heats on day three of the Citi Para Swimming World Series at Ponds Forge, Sheffield PA UK news in pictures 17 March 2023 The Prince and Princess of Wales laugh as they arrive for a visit to the 1st Battalion Irish Guards for the St Patricks Day Parade, at Mons Barracks in Aldershot PA UK news in pictures 16 March 2023 Actor Ed McVey, who plays the part of Prince William, on set in between filming scenes at the harbour for the next season of The Crown in St Andrews, Scotland PA UK news in pictures 15 March 2023 Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt gestures as he poses with the budget box at Downing Street in London, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 14 March 2023 Sir Dr. Brian May, musician, songwriter and animal Welfare Advocate, from Windlesham, is made a Knight Bachelor by King Charles III at Buckingham Palace PA UK news in pictures 13 March 2023 Demonstrators take part in a protest by junior doctors, amid a dispute with the government over pay, outside of Saint Thomas Hospital, in London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 12 March 2023 A convoy of 374 Tractors make their way through Pateley Bridge in North Yorkshire during the Knaresborough Tractor Run PA UK news in pictures 11 March 2023 A Dachshund miniature strides across the judging ring on day three of Crufts at the NEC Arena in Birmingham Getty UK news in pictures 10 March 2023 Cars are driven along a snow-covered road in Lever Causeway, near Birkenhead, north west England AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 March 2023 A woman walks past the Beatles statue in the snow at Pier Head in Liverpool as the Met Office has issued an amber warning for strong winds bringing blizzard conditions and up to 40cm of snow in some areas. PA UK news in pictures 8 March 2023 Demonstrators hold placards reading ""Women, Life, Freedom" as they demonstrate against the persecution of women in Iran, on Whitehall in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 7 March 2023 A Harlequin Great Dane named H and a Chihuahua named Boo during a photo call for the launch of this year's Crufts, at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham PA UK news in pictures 6 March 2023 A group of people lay floral tributes left near the scene in the St Mellons area of Cardiff where three people who disappeared on a night out have died in a road traffic accident PA UK news in pictures 5 March 2023 A woman on a penny-farthing at Marble Arch before taking part in a protest, organised by the London Cycling Campaign, calling for safe cycling for women in London PA UK news in pictures 4 March 2023 A demonstartor holds smoke flares as he takes part in an anti-immigration protesters march in Dover on the south-east coast of England AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 March 2023 Architect Shahed Saleem in the Ramadan Pavilion 2023 at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. PA UK news in pictures 2 March 2023 Striking members of the National Education Union (NEU) South East Region at a rally in Chichester, West Sussex, in a long-running dispute over pay PA UK news in pictures 1 March 2023 Members of the Welsh Guards replace their bearskin headress after giving three cheers during a St David's Day visit to the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards at Combermere Barracks in Windsor, Berkshire PA UK news in pictures 28 February 2023 Princess of Wales and Prince William take part in a spin class uring a visit to Aberavon Leisure and Fitness Center to meet local communities and hear about how sport and exercise can support mental health and wellbeing, in Port Talbot, Wales AP UK news in pictures 27 February 2023 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen during a press conference at the Guildhall in Windsor, Berkshire, following the announcement that they have struck a deal over the Northern Ireland Protocol PA UK news in pictures 26 February 2023 Homes sit close to the cliff edge at Hemsby in Norfolk, where the beach has been closed off because of significant erosion and the risk that homes could fall into the sea PA UK news in pictures 25 February 2023 Members of the Russian Democratic Society, a group of Russian citizens living in the UK, stage a protest outside the Russian embassy in London, to mark the one year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine PA UK news in pictures 24 February 2023 Members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces enter 10 Downing Street, in London, after the National one minutes silence to mark one year since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 23 February 2023 Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer delivers a speech at the head office of the Co-Operative Group in Manchester, unveiling plans for a mission-led Labour government, with five national missions setting out his objectives for a Labour government if the party gains power at the next general election PA UK news in pictures 22 February 2023 Ukrainian soldiers pose with a Ukrainian flag next to a military vehicle at Bovington Camp in Dorset Getty The report, which was commissioned by the government after damning inspections of the London and Gloucestershire fire brigades, called for a new College of Fire and Rescue to set training standards, the introduction of confidential whistleblowing hotlines, and legal changes to bolster background checks. Mr Wilsher called for the government and fire authorities to act urgently on his 35 recommendations, adding: I have been shocked and appalled by some of these findings. I thought a lot of this behaviour was from the dim and distant past. Its time for it to stop. Mr Wrack said: It is welcome that His Majestys Inspectorate is beginning to address these issues, and to acknowledge the scale of the problem. Our equalities sections have also raised concerns about these issues for many years. It is clear, both from our experience and from the contents of this report, that the failure to address discrimination and harassment in the service goes right to the top. Some fire service leaders are part of the problem, and have systematically failed to address discrimination, harassment and bullying in the service. Complainants have found themselves under investigation or subject to disciplinary proceedings. He added: The Fire Brigades Union will take a leading role in transforming the culture of the fire and rescue service. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} King Charles III toured an ecovillage near Berlin as part of his state visit to Germany on Thursday, 30 March. His Majesty, a keen envrionmentalist, was shown around Brodowin, an organic farm where almost all of its electricity is generated on-site through a solar energy system. Produce at the 2,300-hectare farm is made according to strict organic standards. Charles was shown the cheese-making process at the farm and met young trainees. It comes after the King became the first British monarch to address German politicians from the Bundestag, while the parliament is in session earlier on Thursday. Charles delivered a speech in German celebrating the close links between Germany and the UK on his first state visit to the country since becoming monarch. "Since I first came to Germany when I was just 13, I have grown to become familiar with the different corners of this remarkable land. Like many British people, I have close personal ties here," the King said. Click here to sign up for our newsletters. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} King Charles III has made history as he becomes the first British monarch to address German politicians from the Bundestag, while the parliament is in session. Charles is delivering a speech in German which celebrates the deep-rooted links between Germany and the UK on his first state visit to the country. The King spoke of the importance of renewing the special bond of friendship between the two countries. The King gave his address in fluent German (REUTERS) This friendship meant so much to my beloved mother, the late Queen, who often spoke about the official 15 visits she often made to Germany, he said. He added: Germany, her people and its distinctive culture have made such a profound impact on me. Since I first came to Germany when I was just 13, I have grown to become familiar with the different corners of this remarkable land. Like many British people, I have close personal ties here. The politicians burst into jovial chuckles and applause as the King made several jokes during the speech, saying: Over the years, we have laughed at each and with each other. In a more sombre tone, Charles also reflected on the war in Ukraine which he said has caused unimaginable suffering to so many people. Before the address, the King and Queen Consort were invited to view and sign the first volume of the Bundestags Golden Book, which was signed by Her Late Majesty The Queen. King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort, sign a guest book at the Bundestag, as German Bundestag President Baerbel Bas watches (REUTERS) The King and Queen Consorts state visit to Germany, the first of Charles reign, began on Wednesday with a ceremonial greeting at Berlins iconic Brandenburg Gate. During a speech at a state banquet staged in his honour on Wednesday evening, Charles pledged to strengthen the connections between the UK and Germany as he paid tribute to the enduring value of the two nations relationship. After the speech, Charles will pay tribute to Germanys history of welcoming refugees by touring the Tegel Refugee Centre to meet some of the group. Germany has welcomed more than a million Ukrainian refugees seeking sanctuary after Russia invaded their homeland. Separately the Queen Consort will visit the Refugio House community centre, a meeting place for locals and new Berlin residents, including refugees. The King is on his first overseas state visit in Germany followed a cancelled France trip (POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Later this afternoon, the King is set to meet representatives from a joint German and UK military unit and watch a demonstration of their bridge-building amphibious vehicles. Earlier today, Charles and Camilla visited the Wittenbergplaztz Food Market and met a range of local business owners who discussed the history of the market. The King also attended a meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the Federal Chancellery building on Thursday morning. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomes Charles at the chancellery in Berlin (AP) Berlin's Mayor Franziska Giffey, King Charles and Camilla visiting a farmer's market on 'Wittenbergplatz' square, (REUTERS) The overseas visit comes amid Prince Harrys high-profile privacy dispute against the Mail publishers which is being heard at the High Court in London. On Tuesday, the Duke of Sussex accused the royal family of without doubt withholding information from him for a long time about phone hacking as they did not want to open a can of worms, the High Court heard. More follows on this breaking story... Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A leading university has renamed one of its buildings after a pioneering Black economist. The London School of Economics (LSE) unveiled the Sir Arthur Lewis Building on Thursday in a ceremony attended by the late luminarys daughter and granddaughter; Saint Lucias High Commissioner to the UK and alumni of the university. Sir Arthur became LSEs first Black academic in 1938 when he began a one-year teaching contract that was later converted into a four-year appointment, and was awarded the Nobel Prize for economics in 1979. It follows a four-year campaign led by Brian Walker, 28, who was studying social and public communication at LSE from 2018 - 2020, having won the Chevening Scholarship. The process was supported by fellow students and staff members. Alarmed by the lack of recognition for LSEs prominent alumnus, the media and public affairs professional said meaningful memorialisation is a key component of shaping a more equitable future. Speaking to The Independent, Mr Walker said that he always had faith that the campaign to name the building after Sir Lewis would come to fruition, despite the lengthy wait compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic. The LSE was Sir Arthurs intellectual home and the renaming of the building that houses the schools top-ranked Department of Economics is a solid and impactful way to pay homage to his life and legacy, he said in an interview from his home in Kingston, Jamaica. The campaign team joins Sir Arthurs family for a celebratory selfie. (Front L-R) - Shey Forbes-Taylor, Christina Ivey, Martha Ojo (front centre); Sir Arthurs daughter Elizabeth Lewis-Channon and her husband Steven Channon with Brian Walker. Around the back: Samantha Virgil, Sir Arthurs granddaughter, and her husband Khari Motayne (Brian Walker) Sir Arthurs legacy as a global thinker and doer inspires me on many levels, he continued. Additionally, the ways in which he made a way for himself and others in spite of steady racism, motivated me to keep the campaign going. Looking to the future, its important to note that the push towards racial equity doesnt stop here with the renaming of the building and the Schools leadership has to play a more active role. Ahead of the renaming, Mr Walker co-produced a short film that examined Sir Lewis legacy, which provided the springboard for the other part of the plan and an internal impetus for this tribute to be unveiled. The building was previously called 32 Lincolns Inn Fields and is home to several LSE departments including the Department of Economics, the Centre for Economic Performance (CEP) and International Growth Centre (IGC). The new name was unveiled at the London School of Economics (Robin Boot ) Born in St Lucia, Sir Arthur left school at 14 after completing the curriculum, working as a clerk in the civil service. Initially, the academic aspired to become an engineer, but aware that neither the government nor white businesses would employ a Black engineer he decided on a career in business and planned to study business administration. By 33, he had become a full professor at the University of Manchester. However, some of his most important research didnt occur until 1945 and 1950, when he became interested in the history of the world economy since 1870, and development economics. In addition to later obtaining a full professorship at Princeton University, making him the first Black instructor to do so, Sir Arthur published numerous articles and books about his research, which were instrumental in their modelling of the economics of developing countries. (LSE) Throughout his career, Lewis also acted as an advisor to governments in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean, and in 1963, he was knighted by the British government for his achievements and died , aged 76, in 1991 in Bridgetown, Barbados. Christina Ivey, 24, a current student at LSE from Jamaica who worked alongside Mr Walker on the campaign, said the Sir Arthur building means students will have a positive effect on those within the university - including her. Through Sir Arthurs experience, I realised that my struggles as a Black student at LSE were not isolated, but had a place in history. Becoming more engaged with Sir Arthur Lewis work and experience on campus gave me the motivation to complete my undergraduate degree, as well as continue my graduate education at LSE, Ms Ivey told The Independent. Other Black students have expressed similar sentiments. Ms Ivey continued: Coming from Jamaica, a Black majority country, the benign neglect of LSEs Black and Caribbean history did a number on my self esteem. It also impacted my worth in the eyes of others: many people assumed that I didnt work as hard to get into LSE because of my race and nationality. I hope the renaming of the Sir Arthur Lewis building naming, amongst other efforts, will help to alleviate this unfortunate perception by highlighting his significant academic achievements as a Black academic. The resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020 has been credited with highlighting the issue. Following international anti-racism protests, campaigners began to topple statues of imperialists and kickstarted widespread discourse about the importance of diverse representation in public spaces. Notable Caribbean LSE alumni include former Jamaican prime ministers Michael Manley and PJ Patterson; Barbados prime minister Mia Mottley and Eugenia Charles, former prime minister of Dominica. It is not known exactly how many commemorations there are of Black people across England and Wales. However, a recent study has found London has more statues of animals than it does of named women, while around 1 per cent of 1,100 sculptures around the UK are dedicated to named people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. Protesters throwing the statue of Edward Colston into Bristol harbour (PA Wire) Analysis by The Independent indicates that just 2 per cent of English Heritages 950 commemorative plaques around the country are of Black people. In October 2021, London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced The Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm, an initiative founded to improve diverse representation in public spaces across the capital, including statues and landmarks. Institutions like University College London and the University of Cambridge have recently moved to dename buildings with problematic connotations with racists, naming them after Black luminaries instead. LSE President and Vice Chancellor Minouche Shafik said: Sir Arthur Lewis was a pioneer in the field of development economics and an excellent student, teacher, and researcher at LSE. We are delighted to rename one of our buildings after him in recognition of his exemplary career and enduring legacy, both at LSE and beyond. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Concerns about further protests from Irish teacher Enoch Burke were among the reasons he was placed on paid administrative leave by the board of the school he was employed at, a Dublin court has heard. The information was shared during the second day of witness testimony in the High Court, which continued without Mr Burke or a legal representative for him being present. It comes after Mr Burke was prevented from returning to the courtroom on Tuesday afternoon after the judge warned him that his behaviour had been in contempt of court. The board of management of Wilsons Hospital School and Mr Burke are in a dispute that stems from incidents following a request from the schools then-principal in May 2022 to address a student transitioning genders by a new name and the pronoun they. Mr Burke, an Evangelical Christian, maintains the case is about the freedom to express his religion. On Thursday morning, Mr Justice Alex Owens addressed the online function to view court proceedings and said: Mr Burke, if youre listening, youre more than welcome to attend online. He said that he could attend in person but that welcome was only extended if he committed to obeying the rulings of the court. He said he was long enough in the business to know there could be disagreements in court but that there must be discipline, which, the judge added: Im sure youll appreciate. As the deputy principal of Wilsons Hospital School John Galligan gave evidence, Mr Justice Owens read out minutes from a board meeting where a decision was made to place Mr Burke on administrative leave. He said he was doing this due to the circumstances of no defence team being present, so that he could establish the facts of the case. Mr Galligan, who has served in the deputy principal role since 2019, said Mr Burke was a good teacher and that his forte had been extracurricular debating. He had not been at the service or the dinner for the schools 260th anniversary, but told the court that former principal Niamh McShane had called him the following day to inform him of Mr Burkes behaviour, to which he said he was flabbergasted. After Ms McShane submitted a stage-four report to the chair of the board John Rogers and Mr Burke, which the court previously heard was done on August 15, he said a board of management meeting with Mr Burke was arranged on August 22. He said that the purpose of this meeting was to decide whether Mr Burke should be suspended or not pending the disciplinary process, and that he did not believe any other actions could be taken at this meeting. Mr Galligan said Mr Burke had attended the meeting with his sister Ammi, and that it was adjourned for about 10 or 15 minutes by Mr Rogers because it was going nowhere. They were still talking, they were still giving out and going on and on and on, he said. Mr Rogers said the meeting was told it was being adjourned and would resume later, but the Burkes had left. He said that the board of management then had a 40-minute discussion on what action to take, before a unanimous decision was made to place Mr Burke on paid administrative leave as the misconduct allegation was dealt with. Mr Galligan said the decision was made based on past experiences and on concerns for children as the next academic year approached, saying there were concerns about what the next protest might be and the form that would take. We call it a health and safety concern, children witnessing interruption, disruption, protest, he said. Mr Galligan said that after Mr Burke was placed on paid administrative leave, the teacher had attended a staff meeting at the beginning of the school year and was seen attending the site. Mr Galligan said that he had regularly, at least maybe every hour or hour-and-a-half, asked Mr Burke to follow his direction and leave the school grounds, telling him he should not be there. He said that he would do this in the presence of someone he would meet in the corridor or with Mr Rogers. He would be there for the day, standing in the room reading from a book Thats where he remained, he said. Recounting a disciplinary meeting held in the Mullingar Park Hotel on January 19 2023, Mr Galligan said four members of the Burke family were present. He said they first objected to having solicitors present, to which the board then asked the solicitors to leave, and then objected to the stenographer being present, who then also left. He said that they then objected to Mr Rogers not being present as chair of the board, despite another board member, Freda Malone, pointing out several times that she had been appointed as an acting chairperson. The Burkes constantly spoke over everybody, he said. Mr Galligan said that Mr Burke was asked if he would like to ask questions of Ms McShane or make a statement, but would not answer. Mark Connaughton SC, representing Wilsons Hospital School, told the court that he would look at whether a page from the minutes of the board of management meeting on August 22 were missing in the evidentiary documents. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Irish teacher Enoch Burke had tears in his eyes and appeared flustered after students at the school he taught at were briefed on gender issues, a Dublin court heard. The High Court also heard that the school had concerns about further protests from Mr Burke, which was among the reasons he was placed on paid administrative pending the conclusion of a disciplinary process initiated against him. The board of management of Wilsons Hospital School and Mr Burke are in a dispute that stems from incidents following a request from the schools then-principal last May to address a student by a new name and the pronoun they. Mr Burke, an Evangelical Christian, maintains the case is about the freedom to express his religious beliefs. Two witnesses gave evidence in the High Court on Thursday, which continued without Mr Burke or a legal representative for him being present. Mr Burke has not returned to the courtroom since Tuesday afternoon after a judge warned him that he could only return if he accepted the rulings of the court. On Thursday, Mr Justice Alex Owens addressed the function to view court proceedings online and said: Mr Burke, if youre listening, youre more than welcome to attend online. He said that he could attend in person but that he must commit to obeying the rulings of the court, adding that if you dont respond Ill have to take it that youre not going to participate. As the deputy principal of Wilsons Hospital School John Galligan gave evidence, Mr Justice Owens read out the minutes from a meeting on August 22 where a decision was made to place Mr Burke on paid administrative leave. Certain details were then put to Mr Galligan by the judge, who said he was doing this due to the circumstances of no legal team to represent the other side, and so that he could establish the facts of the case. Mr Galligan, who has served in the deputy principal role since 2019, said Mr Burke was a good teacher and that his forte had been extracurricular debating. He said at a staff meeting on May 10, which took place after then-principal Niamh McShane issued an email about how to address the student in question, Mr Burke erupted and spoke for a good five to eight minutes. He described him as agitated, said he changed colour completely, adding that he did not shout but was good at projecting his voice loudly. At another meeting held on May 18 between Mr Galligan, Mr Burke, and the then-principal, the deputy principal said that Mr Burke repeated again and again because of my religious beliefs, I am opposed to transgenderism'. Mr Galligan said Mr Burke failed to answer more specifically how he intended to address the student, so we were none the wiser on how he would deal with the situation. Guidance councillor Freda Malone told the court that said she had worked at the school since 2010 and was one of the teacher representatives on the board of management. She said that after Ms McShane issued the email in May, she asked Mr Burke to leave the classroom he had been supervising before the year head explained to a class about the situation facing a particular student. She said that he left the class, but she observed him looking in the window and writing things down as the year head addressed students. When Mr Burke addressed her afterwards, he appeared irate and flustered. She told the court that she said to him that she was sorry he was upset and could see there were tears in his eyes. She told the court that at the 260th anniversary for the school held on June 21, she saw Mr Burke approach Ms McShane and demand that she withdraw the email about the students request. She said she observed him attempting to follow her around the canteen, and that she saw another parent try to step in to block his path. She said she joined the parent and that Mr Burke said you are stopping my progress. She said she believed she had asked him why are you behaving this way and why he had accosted Ms McShane. I recall he said to me I have not accosted anyone Freda, you better be careful what you say to me. It wasnt a very pleasant situation to be in, she said. At the disciplinary hearing on January 19, Ms Malone was nominated to stand in as acting chair of the board of management, as the chair Mr John Rogers was ill. Mr Burke and three members of his family, including his sister Ammi, was present at the same meeting. I attempted to start the meeting and the Burkes right from the start shouted over me, Ms Malone said. She said that the Burkes objected to the stenographer being in the room, and when she had left, they all huddled together. Then they started objecting to the fact that John Rogers was not there, she told the court, but said the meeting began despite their objections. She said that former principal Ms McShane began to read from the stage-four report she had compiled, and moved closer to the board members so that she could be heard. Ms Malone said that all four Burke family members also moved closer, until they were right at our desks in front of us. She said they were so close that at one point Ammis hair whipped me in the face. She said they had shouted about there being no chair in the room, and about proceedings being a sham. It was absurd what they were shouting, she said. In response to a question from Alex White SC for the school, Ms Malone added: If Mr Burke felt he couldnt hear something it was because his own family were [speaking] so loudly. She said that she had twice invited Mr Burke to ask questions or address the board and he did not reply but just continued with the chanting. The meeting was then brought to a close, and board members moved to an adjoining room to discuss the matter, which she said went on for about two-and-a-half hours. She told the court that the board concluded that there had been a clear example of intimidation, of harassment of a colleague (Ms McShane), a serious breach of confidentiality by disclosing something about a student at the chapel service on June 21, and added that there was a health and safety concern for students. The legal team for the school is due to deliver its concluding remarks at 10.30am on Friday. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Lee Child has said he is absolutely delighted after receiving an honorary doctorate from Coventry University in recognition of his experience in broadcasting and achievements as a novelist. The 68-year-old British author, whose real name is James Grant, was born in the Styvechale area of Coventry and became a Doctor of Letters during a university graduation ceremony on Thursday. Dressed in a ceremonial blue and yellow hat and gown, Child went up on stage at Coventry Cathedral to collect his doctorate before sitting to watch the remainder of the ceremony. In a statement to the PA news agency following the event, he paid tribute to the many students becoming the first graduates in their families. He said: I was absolutely delighted to get the honorary doctorate. What it really means is someone has read the books and have enjoyed them. Im very grateful for that but the thing that I got a real big kick out of was the real students getting their degrees that they have worked very hard for. Many of them were the first ever in their families to be at a university I was the second of my family and I know what it means to the student and their family. From my point of view its lovely that someone has read my books and thinks Im worthy of being given something like this Lee Child Ahead of accepting the honorary doctorate, Child said: As I got older I was still always aware of Coventry being there and had fond memories. I was supporting City of Culture and was scheduled to show up but the pandemic laid waste to that. From my point of view its lovely that someone has read my books and thinks Im worthy of being given something like this. Coventry University didnt exist by that name when I was here and Im happy its doing so well. Child is best known for his popular Jack Reacher novel series, which follows a former American military policeman, Reacher, who travels across the country solving mysteries and attracting trouble. Child, who grew up in Birmingham and later attended university in Sheffield, has lived in the US for much of his life and travelled from his New York home to attend the Coventry University ceremony. Before finding success as an author, Child worked as a presentation director at Granada Television in Manchester. During his time at the network, Child worked on popular TV programmes including Prime Suspect, Brideshead Revisited and Cracker. After being made redundant in 1995, Child began writing novels and found great success with his first Jack Reacher thriller Killing Floor, which was published in 1997. Since then Child has written more than 25 Jack Reacher novels and a number of short stories. I would like to congratulate all those who will be getting this recognition from Coventry University. They are richly deserving of their honour for their incredible achievements in areas such as writing, music, health and social injustice Coventry University vice-chancellor Professor John Latham Jack Reacher novels One Shot and Never Go Back were adapted into two films, released in 2012 and 2016 respectively, and starring Tom Cruise as Reacher. Last year Amazon released a Prime Video series, Reacher, based on the novels. Child is currently in the process of retiring and has chosen to hand over the Jack Reacher baton to his younger brother Andrew Grant. Coventry Universitys vice-chancellor, professor John Latham, said: I would like to congratulate all those who will be getting this recognition from Coventry University. They are richly deserving of their honour for their incredible achievements in areas such as writing, music, health and social injustice. Their inspirational life stories and work show what can be achieved and echo what we here at Coventry University hope to inspire within our students as we help them be the very best they can. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Peace in Northern Ireland must not be taken for granted, the UK Government has warned, as MPs marked the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement (GFA). Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris advised caution as he pointed to the decision by MI5 to increase the terror threat level from substantial to severe, meaning an attack is highly likely. The move came after a series of incidents targeting security forces in Northern Ireland, including the attempted murder of Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell in Omagh last month. The GFA was signed on April 10 1998 and brought to an end three decades of conflict in Northern Ireland. We need to be very careful that we don't take that peace for granted Christine Jardine, Lib Dems The 25th anniversary arrives against the backdrop of a failure to restore powersharing institutions as the DUP continues to express concerns over the UKs post-Brexit arrangements with the EU. Speaking in the Commons, Liberal Democrat MP Christine Jardine (Edinburgh West) said the debate marked an important milestone for peace in Northern Ireland. She added: We need to be very careful that we dont take that peace for granted. We have seen the threat level increase recently and increased tension, and its as incumbent on all of us now as it was 25 years ago to do whatever we can to protect what is an ongoing process in the peace agreement. Mr Heaton-Harris said Ms Jardine had delivered very wise words and later said: The fact Northern Ireland has a locally accountable police force also demonstrates the huge progress that Northern Ireland has made. However, I know events such as the abhorrent shooting of DCI John Caldwell illustrate that the peace in Northern Ireland now enjoys and that weve all worked so hard (for) cannot and must not be taken for granted. I made the announcement that the Northern Ireland-related terrorism threat level has been increased by MI5 from substantial to severe. Coming ahead of the agreements 25th anniversary this news is particularly disappointing. However, it does not distract from the fact that Northern Ireland remains markedly more peaceful and reconciled than it was in 1998. That is a testament to the people of Northern Ireland themselves, as well as the PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland) and security services that do so much to keep us all safe. DUP MP Jim Shannon (Strangford) said there has been violence in the last fortnight, including attacks on houses, discrimination and intimidation of people having to move out. He said: Its only a matter of time before that level of violence spills into either injury or death. He added: The lesson we can take from that 10-year period of relative stability in 2007 to 2017 is that it is only possible to make progress when we fashion an environment that both unionists and nationalists can buy into. He went on: As I look to the future, I am very clear the greatest threat to peace arises from the threat to the Good Friday Agreement, and we should be in no doubt that the threat is now acute. He also told MPs: The UK Government now has a choice I for one hope that it will learn the lessons of the 2007 to 2017 period, and going forward ensure the Good Friday Agreement, amended by the St Andrews Agreement, is upheld and not ignored. If it does not, then for many in Northern Ireland and for myself, I fear for the future of Northern Ireland. Mr Shannon also praised the PSNI for doing a grand job in his community. Meanwhile, shadow Northern Ireland secretary Peter Kyle urged Mr Heaton-Harris to give the PSNI all the support that they need as they face down those who want to turn back the clock. He said: What we must acknowledge is that the police officers have been the focus of recent attacks by dissident republicans. These groups are opposed to the Good Friday Agreement. They attack the police because they want to intimidate those who protect its achievements, its institutions and its legacy. Mr Kyle went on: I hope the Secretary of State will give the PSNI all the support that they need as they face down those who want to turn back the clock on this era of peace and progress. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Zookeepers at London Zoo have celebrated the brilliant arrival of a critically endangered vulture chick named Egbert the first vulture to hatch at the site in more than 40 years. The fluffy grey Ruppells griffon vulture chick weighed in at 115 grams when it hatched the same weight as a bar of soap as the birth was captured on camera. Its mother, Philomena, laid her egg in mid-January but staff were concerned for its survival when previous eggs of hers had failed to hatch. This prompted staff to keep Egbert in a vulture incubator, tucked in with a squishy bird toy and monitored closely, while a wooden dummy egg was left in Philomenas nest for her to sit on. Since hatch, Egbert has gone from strength to strength and is now weighing a healthy 265g, said vulture keeper Robert Harland, who was on eggwatch when the chick first hatched. Weve been feeding the little one a meaty protein shake of raw quail, mouse and rat meat which will help the chick put on a hefty seven kilograms over its first three months. Mr Harland added that the complex hatching process can take a few days in total. The eggs membrane starts to dry out, which can restrict its movement and prevent it from surviving the hatch we saw this happening and knew we had to step in to help, he said. Together, the team and colleagues from vulture specialist The Horstmann Trust, who offered guidance via video call, helped Egbert to safety over the course of 40 minutes. Staff have not yet determined the birds sex. Once the chick has fledged, the zoo vet team will send a feather off for DNA testing to determine the birds sex male or female, Mr Harland said. The youngster is an important part of the European Breeding Programme for the critically endangered species, a collaborative programme between conservation zoos to ensure a genetically diverse, healthy back-up population of this important species. Ruppells griffon vultures are the worlds highest-flying birds, documented to have reached heights of 10,973 metres above sea level, and were one of the first animals at London Zoo when it opened almost 200 years ago. But their population has plummeted in recent years as international conservation charity ZSL worked closely with Saving Asias Vultures from Extinction (SAVE) to protect vultures in southern Asia. In 2006, London Zoo vets flew to Nepal to investigate a spate of vulture deaths and helped successfully campaign for the governments of India, Nepal and Pakistan to ban the manufacture and importation of diclofenac an anti-inflammatory used widely on cattle but lethal to the vultures who fed on their carcasses. Mr Harland said: The ban of diclofenac and introduction of alternative anti-inflammatory meloxicam across Asias veterinary sector has since set the population of Asian vultures back on the right track showing that nature can recover when species are protected. Egberts arrival is a brilliant conservation success, and shows the power of conservation zoos to restore and protect threatened species across the world. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A leading Brexiteer has claimed that politicians in Northern Ireland who accept Rishi Sunaks post-Brexit deal with the EU would be like Nazi collaborators. Baroness Kate Hoey made the remarkable claim after an attempt by the DUP to block a key part of the revised Northern Ireland Protocol deal was heavily defeated in the Lords. Peers rejected by 227 votes to 14 a motion to thwart regulations implementing the so-called Stormont brake, which enables politicians in Belfast to trigger a veto over new EU rules in the region. Baroness Hoey an ardent Brexit supporter and former Labour MP argued politicians returning to Stormont under the colony of the EU would be like Nazi collaborators under the Vichy regime in wartime France. The non-affiliated peer said: There are people in Northern Ireland, leading politicians, who say, and its true, that Northern Ireland has now become a form of colony. The EUs first kind of colony. If Stormont goes back with the present Windsor Framework, they in fact would be almost like what happened during the war with the Vichy government, where all those MLAs [Members of the Legislative Assembly] would be collaborators with a kind of colonial government. Baroness Hoey added: Taking foreign laws from a foreign legislature, governing much of our economy in Northern Ireland and keeping us in a foreign customs code whereby GB, Great Britain, our country, where our capital is, becomes a third country, becomes our foreign country its just not acceptable. It comes after the statutory instrument on the post-Brexit deal passed comfortably in the Commons last week despite DUP opposition and a Tory backbench rebellion that included former prime ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. The Stormont brake mechanism was a central plank of the Windsor Framework agreed between Rishi Sunak and the EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, designed to ease trading issues with the protocol. The updated pact was formally signed off at a meeting in London last week, ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement peace deal. Rishi Sunak and Ursula von der Leyen unveil post-Brexit Windsor Framework (PA Wire) No 10 says the deal removes the Irish Sea trade border and strips out hundreds of pages of EU trade law, while the brake provided a powerful new ongoing democratic safeguard. But the DUP has refused to return to powersharing in Belfast, arguing the latest agreement still leaves Northern Ireland subject to rules from Brussels, and dismissed the Stormont brake as convoluted and ineffective. DUP peer Lord McCrea said: This brake couldnt stop a tricycle never mind the EU juggernaut travelling down the track. I do not believe that my party could re-enter an assembly which would require us to work for the destruction of the union by implementing foreign laws in our own country. Former leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) Baroness Ritchie argued the greatest lack of democracy in Northern Ireland was the absence of an assembly and executive and urged the DUP to return to Stormont. Labours former Northern Ireland secretary Lord Hain warned: I do worry about the vacuum that has opened up because politics is not functioning. When politics doesnt function in Northern Ireland, then darker forces move in. Tory frontbencher Lord Caine told the DUP that we genuinely risk making the pursuit of the perfect the sworn enemy of the very good. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The British public has more confidence in the EU than the UK parliament, a new survey has found in a remarkable turnaround of a trend lasting decades. Confidence in the Westminster parliament has plummeted 10 points to just 22 per cent since the Brexit referendum. Although the popularity of the EU has lagged behind parliament among Britons since the early 1980s, confidence in Brussels has shot up seven points to 39 per cent since Brexit. The findings came from analysis of more than 20 countries by the Policy Institute at Kings College London (KCL) as part of the World Values Survey one of the largest social surveys in the world. In further evidence of Brexit regret, only 24 per cent of people said they were happy with Britains exit from bloc. Some 49 per cent said they unhappy about it. Professor Bobby Duffy, director of the KCL Policy Institute said: Confidence in parliament has halved since 1990; were among the least likely of more than 20 countries in the study to have confidence in the government. He added: Our confidence in the EU has also bounced back post-Brexit, and now were much more likely to have confidence in it than our own parliament and government. Senior Tory MP David Davis told The Guardian that the change stemmed from the whiny, unpleasant, bitchy row over Brexit in parliament in recent years. The ex-Brexit secretary said the tabloids had stopped kicking Brussels all the time. It follows comments by the chairman of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), Richard Hughes, who said the impact of Brexit on the UK economy is on the same magnitude as the Covid pandemic and energy price crisis. Britains gross domestic product (GDP) will be 4 per cent smaller than if the country had stayed in the EU, the head of the governments fiscal watchdog confirmed. KCL said the most recent results show a clear split in views, with the pre-war generation (34 per cent) and so-called baby boomers (28 per cent) more likely to have confidence in parliament, and younger millennials (17 per cent) and Gen X (19 per cent) less likely to. Several polls have found regret about Brexits damaging economic impact (Getty) In the latest World Values Survey, the UK ranks below countries including Iran and China when it comes to public confidence in the police. Britain ranks among the bottom half of countries for confidence in the police. Just two thirds (67 per cent) of the British public who were polled said they had a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in policing, down from 87 per cent in 1981. The latest UK data was collected in 2022, coming before a damning review which found Britains biggest police force, the Metropolitan Police, is institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic was published. The UK has long prided itself on the strength of its institutions but the British public are not as convinced as they once were, and we are now more negative than many other countries, said Prof Duffy. Some institutions fare better, with our courts system relatively highly rated, and the civil service coming out much better than our political institutions, he added. These trends matter. The pandemic showed how much we rely on public co-operation in times of crises, with confidence crucial to that, and the review of the Met police concluded public consent is broken. We need to work hard and quickly to shore up public confidence. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Turkeys parliament on Thursday ratified Finlands application to join NATO, lifting the last hurdle in the way of the Nordic countrys long-delayed accession into the Western military alliance. All 276 lawmakers present voted in favor of Finlands bid, days after Hungarys parliament also endorsed Helsinkis accession. Alarmed by Russias invasion of Ukraine a year ago, Finland and Sweden abandoned their decades-long policy of nonalignment and applied to join the alliance. Full unanimity is required to admit new members into the 30-member alliance, and Turkey and Hungary were the last two NATO members to ratify Finlands accession. Swedens bid to join the alliance, meanwhile, has been left hanging, with both Turkey and Hungary holding out on giving it the green light despite expressing support for NATOs expansion. Turkeys government accuses Sweden of being too lenient toward groups it deems to be terrorist organizations and security threats, including militant Kurdish groups and people associated with a 2016 coup attempt. More recently, Turkey was angered by a series of demonstrations in Sweden, including a protest by an anti-Islam activist who burned the Quran outside the Turkish Embassy. Hungarys government contends some Swedish politicians have made derisive statements about the condition of Hungarys democracy and played an active role in ensuring that billions in European Union funds were frozen over alleged rule-of-law and democracy violations. Turkish officials have said that unlike Sweden, Finland fulfilled its obligations under a memorandum signed last year under which the two countries pledged to address Turkeys security concerns. "As a NATO member, we naturally had some expectations and requests regarding the security concerns of our country, Akif Cagatay Kilic, a legislator from Erdogans governing party, told parliament before the vote. I would like to underline the concrete steps and their implementation by Finland, which supported and shaped the decision we are taking here. Kilic added: Im aware that there is a large number of people watching us from Finland. ... We can say to them: Welcome to NATO. Some opposition parties were critical of the Turkish governments position toward the two Nordic countries. Unfortunately, (Erdogans ruling party) turned the right to veto Finland and Swedens membership bids into a tool for blackmail and threat. We do not approve of it, said Hisyar Ozsoy, a legislator from the pro-Kurdish party. We find the bargaining process (to press for) the extradition of Kurdish dissident writers, politicians and journalists ... to be ugly, wrong and unlawful. Asked earlier this week about Swedens NATO membership, Erdogan told reporters: There are certain things we expect of them. They must be fulfilled first. Sweden, which made constitutional changes to pass tougher anti-terrorism laws, has expressed hope that it will be able to join before NATO's July summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Humza Yousaf has appointed the Scottish governments first minister for independence. Jamie Hepburn was announced on Wednesday in a government reshuffle. The post comes with a 98,000 salary. Several peers raised their objection to the role, arguing that constitutional change was a reserved matter, not a matter for the devolved government. Scottish Labour peer Lord Foulkes of Cumnock said: In Scotland, weve had a minister for tourism since 1999, but they havent made such an appointment in the current government of Scotland. Humza Yousaf during his First Ministers Questions debut (PA) But instead theyve appointed a minister for independence a minister for independence, when the prime minister has ruled out a referendum, quite rightly. Addressing treasury minister Baroness Penn, he asked: Will she get her officials to look into this unauthorised expenditure by the Scottish government? Last year, the Scottish government faced a backlash after it emerged that it had set aside 20m for a second independence referendum, which they planned to hold in 2023. But the Supreme Court ruled in November that the Scottish parliament did not have the power to legislate for another vote without the UK governments agreement. The money was then allocated to tackle fuel poverty in Scotland. But Mr Yousaf, the first minister, who was announced as the winner of the SNP leadership race on Monday, had pledged to create a position in his ministry for an independence portfolio during his campaign. He defended this to the Sunday National, saying: Why on Earth would you not use the machinery of government to fund the cause? Remember, were elected on a platform of independence perfectly legitimate for us to be using the government to further that cause. Meanwhile, climate activists disrupted his first FMQs on Thursday, shouting as Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross challenged Mr Yousaf over his choice of cabinet and ministerial appointments. Humza Yousaf, centre, with his new cabinet (PA) With more disruption after proceedings were suspended five times, presiding officer Alison Johnstone announced the session would have to come to an end. School children who had been visiting the parliament to watch the weekly First Ministers Questions session were permitted to stay. Ms Johnstone afterwards spoke of her deep regret at having to take such action. Far too regularly, disruption is causing members to lose the opportunity to ask questions, she said. Mr Yousaf told the presiding officer he agreed with the action taken, adding he was delighted the school children had been permitted to remain. Can I commend the young people for behaving much better than some of the adults that were in the public gallery, the first minister said. He told journalists later: I understand why people want to demonstrate about very important issues of the day, but this disruption is stopping members of the Scottish parliament keeping me under scrutiny. Mr Yousaf said the presiding officer has raised the issue with him and parliament is proactively looking at measures to deal with the protests. Mr Ross blasted the protesters, saying: This shower have been doing this week after week, and the image of genuine constituents being forced out of our parliament is one we will all regret and one none of us want to see repeated. The disruption comes after Holyrood announced it had banned mobile phones from the public gallery during First Ministers Questions as part of efforts to deter protesters. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Keir Starmer has backed The Independents campaign to stop the deportation of an Afghan war hero threatened with removal to Rwanda. In a dramatic intervention, the Labour leader said it was a disgrace that a brave pilot who fought alongside British troops faced being forced out. He also accused the government of a shameful level of incompetence as he called on ministers not to deport him. The Independent revealed this week that the Afghan Air Force veteran had fled the Taliban and arrived in Britain on a small boat because he could secure no safe and legal route to the UK. Rishi Sunak has promised that the Home Office will review his case. But as anger over the situation grew, senior military chiefs, politicians and diplomats lined up to demand he not be sent to Rwanda. Sir Keir told The Independent: Its a disgrace that this brave pilot who fought alongside British troops is facing deportation at the hands of the governments unworkable gimmick. The Independent has launched a petition calling for the UK to support Afghan war heroes who served alongside Britain. He added: We are a proud nation which always resolutely stands in support of our armed forces and our allies. Personnel at home and abroad continue to work tirelessly to secure our safety as a nation. From conflicts in Afghanistan to Ukraine, we should be celebrating their contribution to our peace and national security. Labour Party leader Keir Starmer accused the government of a shameful level of incompetence (AFP via Getty Images) Its damning of this government that a war veteran who fought alongside British troops now faces being forced out of Britain. We should be protecting those who fought alongside our soldiers, not deporting them. He also said it was clear the Conservatives shameful level of incompetence in dealing with the asylum system is having a dangerous impact. The government must commit to stopping this proposed deportation. The pilot has been praised as a patriot to his nation (supplied) The Afghan veteran flew 30 combat missions against the Taliban. He was praised by his coalition forces supervisor as a patriot to his nation. But an email from the Home Office told him that because he had travelled through Switzerland, Italy and France on his way to England that could have consequences for whether your claim is admitted to the UK asylum system. And he was warned that he may also be removable to Rwanda. The Home Office also told him his personal data could be shared with the Rwandan authorities, leading to claims that he has been forgotten by US and British forces. Amid a growing clamour over the case, former Conservative cabinet minister Rory Stewart called the threat to deport the pilot to Rwanda shameful. Give us your view by answering our poll below Sir Laurie Bristow, who was ambassador to Afghanistan during the fall of Kabul in the summer of 2021, warmed many British soldiers owe their lives to Afghans who fought alongside them. Former defence minister Kevan Jones also described the situation as a stain on Britains great reputation. Sign our petition for the UK to support Afghan war heroes who served alongside Britain here. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Bosses of a company in which Rishi Sunaks wife has shares and that is expected to benefit from a new scheme unveiled in the Budget reportedly attended a Downing Street reception hours after the prime minister denied having an interest to declare. Top staff of Koru Kids, which lists Akshata Murty as a shareholder, are understood to have been present at a No 11 event for the education sector on Wednesday evening, according to The Guardian. The prime minister did not mention his wifes links to the firm when MPs on the Commons Liaison Committee questioned him on Tuesday over why the announcement of a double bonus for childminders favoured private firms. The Liberal Democrats said his omission raised serious questions and called for his ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, to investigate. Labours deputy leader, Angela Rayner, said the PM "must explain why he failed to come clean" and provide a "proper explanation" of any steps he took to avoid any conflict of interest. The companys presence at the No 11 event, which was hosted by the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, and the education secretary, Gillian Keegan, could raise further questions over a potential conflict of interest, even though neither Mr Sunak nor his wife attended the reception. This month Mr Hunt announced a pilot of incentive payments of 600 for childminders joining the profession, a sum that doubles to 1,200 if they sign up through an agency. Koru Kids is one of six private providers likely to benefit from the pilot scheme. Welcoming the Budget, the firm said the new incentives were great. At Tuesdays committee hearing, when the prime minister was pressed on the rationale for the double bonuses, he said: I think its a reflection of the fact that they are through intermediaries so there are additional costs. And, ultimately, we want to make sure the policy is effective in bringing additional people into the system. Ministers are expected to provide a written list of all financial interests that might give rise to a conflict of interest. The interests of their spouse, partner or close family members are included in the information expected to be handed over. But they may not appear on the finished list if there is deemed not to be an issue. The public register of ministerial interests was last updated in June. On Wednesday a spokeswoman for the PM said: As the PM said yesterday, all interests have been declared in the usual way. It is understood that the Cabinet Office was told about Ms Murtys interest in Koru Kids previously but it was not deemed necessary for it to appear on the public register of ministerial interests, which was last updated in June 2022. Mr Sunaks press secretary acknowledged that details of Ms Murtys holding in the agency were not in the public domain but indicated they would be included in the next updated register, due out in May. The ministerial code sets out a process by which ministers declare their interests. They do that in writing, in this case to the cabinet secretary. That process was followed to the letter by the prime minister, she said. Of the No 11 reception, a Treasury spokesperson told The Guardian: After announcing a massive expansion of free childcare provision at the budget, sector engagement is a vital part of delivering the policy. The chancellor and education secretary held a reception with around 60 attendees to mark the transformational childcare package, and the government is committed to working closely with industry to deliver it. Koru Kids declined to comment. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The King has urged the Bundestag to help write a new chapter in Anglo-German relations filled with the restless pursuit of a better tomorrow in a historic address greeted with a standing ovation. In his speech to the federal parliament, delivered mostly in German, the King told a packed chamber he wished to renew the pledge of friendship between our nations. He touched on cultural links between the UK and Germany that left his audience of politicians and invited guests in stitches, from a hugely popular comedy sketch about a drunken waiter, to Monty Python and references to the Krautrock of electronic band Kraftwerk and the Beatles. The spectre of conflict, both Russias invasion of Ukraine and the horrors of the Second World War, were another theme, with Vladimir Putins aggression an impetus to maintain the security, prosperity and wellbeing of Germans and Britons. Charles received a standing ovation that lasted several minutes as he walked from the legislative hall following the first speech by a British monarch during a session of the Bundestag. In his address, which was more than 23 minutes long, the King said: I can hardly begin to express the pride I feel in the strength of the partnership between our two countries. Germany, her people and distinctive culture have made such a profound impact on me over so many of my previous visits. Since I first came to Germany when I was just 13 years old, I have grown to become familiar with the different corners of this remarkable land. Charles three-day state visit to Germany with the Queen Consort is the first of his reign and at a banquet held in their honour on Wednesday night Germanys President Frank-Walter Steinmeier produced a black and white picture of that first German trip made by Charles. Speaking about the social ties between Germany and the UK, the King added: So we are still admiring of each others culture; dependent upon each others economies; and inspired by each others ideas. More recent generations may think as readily of The Beatles or Kraftwerk, as they do of Brahms or Byron, but the web of cultural connections is as strong as ever. And perhaps most importantly, for the last 50 years we have laughed together both at each other, and with each other. During a speech made at the state banquet, Charles drew laughs when he mentioned dinner for one, a British comedy sketch which has become a German institution shown every new year in the country. Elderly aristocrat Miss Sophie dines alone while her waiter James gets progressively more drunk as he consumes alcohol poured for her missing dinner guests. The biggest laugh during the Kings Bundestag address came when he said: And while Miss Sophies The same procedure as every year, James? does not I hope give a very accurate impression of modern Britain, it is, I know, an integral part of a German happy new year. In Britain, Germanys comedy ambassador, Henning Wehn, has given us an understanding of German quirks, as Monty Python brought our own here. Like all old friends at moments, the warmth of our relationship allows a small smile at each others expense. Charles highlighted how during Friday, the final day of his state visit, he will remember those who perished in the Allied bombing of Hamburg in 1943 and celebrate the Kindertransport, which 85 years ago saved the lives of more than 10,000 Jewish children from the Nazi regime. He concluded by saying: Together we must be vigilant against threats to our values and freedoms, and resolute in our determination to confront them. Together we must strive for the security, prosperity and wellbeing that our people deserve. In the long and remarkable story of our two countries, there are many chapters yet unwritten. Let us fill these with the restless pursuit of a better tomorrow. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil's former president, has returned from three months in the United States welcomed back by hundreds of chanting supporters at the Brasilia airport before heading straight into meetings with his political party. The turnout for the far-right leader was considerably smaller than expected by police, and a minister in leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula's cabinet called the reception a "flop" that showed his weak leadership. Mr Bolsonaro, who never formally conceded defeat in last year's election, will be a leading voice in the opposition to Mr Lula's government, raising the stakes for the new administration after a highly-polarised election. Supporters with Brazil flags draped around their shoulders sang the national anthem and chanted "legend" at the arrivals area of the airport amid tight security. The 68-year-old former president said in a live webcast from the headquarters of his Liberal Party (PL) that conservatives controlled Congress and Mr Lula's minority government would not be able "to do what it liked with the future of our country." Mr Bolsonaro left for the United States two days before he was due to hand over the presidential sash to Mr Lula on 1 January. He said he needed rest, but critics say he was avoiding the risks of over a dozen legal investigations he may face in Brazil. Legal probes have focused on his attacks against Brazil's voting system and alleged role in encouraging supporters to storm government buildings in 8 January riots that recalled the 2021 assault on the US Capitol. Supporters of Jair Bolsonaro wait to greet his return (Adriano Machado/Reuters) Mr Bolsonaro said in his webcast that the riots were spontaneous and denied they had been planned, as his critics maintain, as an attempt to provoke a military coup against Mr Lula. Mr Bolsonaro, who holds former US President Donald Trump as his political idol, attended the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) this month in Washington where he questioned the result of the October election narrowly won by Mr Lula and said his mission in Brazil was "still not over." His return to Brazil has been eagerly awaited by PL leader Valdemar Costa Neto, who wants Mr Bolsonaro to lead the party into municipal elections next year. Mr Costa Neto has said that Mr Bolsonaro was losing political capital by staying in Florida and expects his party to triple its slate of elected mayors across Brazil with the help of the former president, who can draw crowds by firing up anti-Lula sentiment. "Bolsonaro will lead the opposition and travel around Brazil preaching the party's... values and helping the PL grow," he told Reuters, outlining a plan for a right-wing comeback in the 2026 presidential elections. Jair Bolsonaro attends a meeting with members of Liberal Party (PL) and allies after returning to Brazil (Natanael Alves/Partido Liberal via Reuters) Mobilising the 58 million voters who backed him last year will not be an easy task Mr Bolsonaro, according to political analysts. Plenty of potential rivals on the right will have the advantage of holding public office in coming years. "If Bolsonaro cannot quickly show that he can lead, the right will look for other leaders, like the governors of Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais," said Andre Cesar at Hold Legislative Advisors, a public policy consultancy. Mr Bolsonaro has also hurt his standing with many centre-right parties after the 8 January riots and probes into his attacks on Brazil's democratic institutions, said Leonardo Barreto at Vector Consultancy in Brasilia. Mr Bolsonaro must also calibrate his plans with the popularity of his wife Michelle, who is emerging as a charismatic figure running PL outreach to women. Mr Barreto said her ambitions may provide an outlet for the ex-president's supporters if legal probes lead electoral authorities bar him from seeking office. Reuters Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Her high school principal in Florida was shot and killed by a disgruntled former teacher. Her cousin murdered his ex-fiance with a gun before taking his own life. And now, this week, three adults and three children were mowed down at school by a heavily-armed former student in the same city where shes raising her family. Thats why 34-year-old mother Jen, who asked that only her first name be used, decided to attend her first rally on Thursday, joining hundreds of people clamoring for change on the grounds of the Tennessee Capitol the same building where lawmakers in the staunchly pro-gun state continue to uphold laws that leave assault rifles in the hands of the public. Honestly, this is my first rally; Ive never done this stuff before, she told The Independent, holding a poster that featured a family Christmas photo from Republican Rep. Andy Ogles that shows his family holding weapons. Our society does have a moral issue, she wrote alongside the photo of the politician, who represents the district where former student Audrey Hale killed six at The Covenant School on Monday. Students take over Tennessee Capitol in gun safety protest I felt compelled because Im a mom, and Ive dealt with gun violence directly, she said, adding that the rash of school shootings is a disgrace. Originally from Florida, the mother of two said that she is not against people having guns do what you want with your hunting rifle or whatever. A 34-year-old Nashville mother holds up a poster featuring the Christmas card of Republican Rep. Andy Ogles, which depicts his family armed with weapons (Sheila Flynn) But theres no reason why we should have ARs, absolutely zero reason, referring to the AR-15 assault rifle. Protestors halted downtown traffic on Thursday morning as they made their way towards the Capitol, with about 200 making it into the rotunda outside the chambers for state representatives shouting at lawmakers for red flag laws and other reforms. Outside, attendees chanted and waved signs picturing school shooting victims and emblazoned with enraged slogans. Linda Herrell, who went to the rally with her 17-year-old daughter and friends, held a poster that read BAN ASSAULT WEAPONS. There absolutely needs to be pressure on the lawmakers, because especially our representatives from Tennessee have no interest in protecting any of their citizens from gun violence, Ms Herrell told The Independent. They're all NRA supporters, and they believe that assault weapons are fine, and our state legislators are actively trying to reduce the age of gun ownership. They want permitless carry. They want anybody who wants a gun to have a gun -- and it makes no sense. It's completely illogical. The 54-year-old grew up in a hunting community where almost every family had guns, she said. I've never felt like just having a gun made somebody violent but people never had automatic weapons and assault weapons, she said. And at some level, it feels like because our government is so divided now that people ... especially on the far right, feel like if they give an inch, they'll lose all their access to having a gun. And so I think there's a lot of fear and mistrust that the government is trying to take over their ability to own a weapon, she said. But that's misguided, because what's happening is their children are being murdered at school, or at the grocery store, or when they go out to dinner; police officers are being attacked. She pointed out that responding officers on Monday quickly killed shooter Audrey Hale, ending the attack in less than 15 minutes as opposed to the tragic response last year in Uvalde, Texas -- when dozens of heavily armed officers in protective gear waited for over an hour to stop an attack that left 19 students and three teachers dead. Linda Herrell, 45, holds a BAN ASSAULT WEAPONS sign as she stands next to her 17-year-old daughter, Eleanor, and friends after a Thursday rally at the Tennessee State Capitol (Sheila Flynn) In Nashville, Ms Herrell, pointed out, officers ran straight into harm's way and they shouldn't have to do that. Their job is hard enough without having to run into situations like that and cope with that. American adamance about owning assault rifles, she said, is fear-based... theyre just afraid that if they give any inch, that all their guns will go away. Her daughter, a high school junior, pleaded for lawmakers to pay attention and understand the visceral terror of students like herself. Kids are just fighting to be able to keep going to school and have their safety and not have to have the fear that one day they might die in a place that they really love and where their friends are, Eleanor Herrell said. Like many her age, she was angry on Thursday; her entire life has been marked by news of school shootings across the country, and this week one happened in her backyard. SKaila Colbert, 28, was in high school when the Sandy Hook massacre happened -- and, more than a decade later, is clamoring for change to ensure her own childrens safety (Sheila Flynn) Nothing concrete has been done by the adults in power who are charged with protecting America and its children. Its important to have the vigils and have the prayers and have the support, but its also important to make change because, I mean, it keeps happening, the Nashville teen told The Independent. You see it every day in the news. I mean, Im wearing a Virginia shirt right now; there was a shooting there just a few months ago ... it just feels like every aspect of life is just taken up by this kind of stuff. SKaila Colbert, who works at a nonprofit helping women and children, was in high school at the time of the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012. That was over 10 years ago and so, to still feel those same emotions and that same heartache attached with an issue that has been ongoing for years and years and years, I felt it very important to be here, Ms Colbert said. I have a six-year-old, and I cant imagine him hearing those alarms and him feeling that threat. And I want it to be something that he never experiences, as well as any other child. Children shouldnt have to go through that. No one should have to go through that. Teachers shouldnt have to experience that. She said: I would love to see some police change, some gun reform and I think, really, it just comes down to having a heart, to look at the safety and the well-being of the people of the state, of the children of this state, and listening to the people. We are asking for what we want. Today, weve made our voices heard and known. So I really think that its on policymakers now to heed the people, to listen to the people. Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A Georgia woman came into possession of never-before-seen photos of Alex Murdaugh and his family after purchasing a number of cameras and memory cards at a Murdaugh family estate auction last week. Dawn Martin, who lives in Savannah, told WTOC that she followed Murdaughs recent murder trial closely and travelled to the estate sale in Pembroke, Georgia out of a sense of curiosity about the famous family and bid on several of their items. I had the day off and decided to [go], since it was so close, I was very surprised to have it in Pembroke, Georgia, Ms Martin told the television station. One of her winning bids landed Ms Martin an unexpected prize: a camera bag that included a number of sim cards. When she returned home and uploaded the contents of the SIM cards to her computer, she realised that she was in possession of a trove of photographs of the Murdaugh family. A number of images show the Murdaughs on vacations and enjoying leisure activities over the years. Ms Martin told WTOC that various pictures show family members hunting and that at least one shows Alex Murdaugh driving a boat. Murdaugh photo (WTBC) Ms Martin, who told the television station that she is a survivor of domestic violence herself, said she wants to use the pictures ot uplift the story of Maggie Murdaugh who, along with her son Paul, was murdered at the familys estate in rural South Carolina. Ms Martin said viewing the photographs, especially in light of the murders, was an emotional experience. I will say that it has changed me, Ms Martin told WTOC. I cant unsee it. I never imagined that I would be owner of the things and hide a glimpse into the private view of their life. Ms Martin is being judicious about the photographs she chooses to make public. She has released just two pictures to this point, and is considering whether or not she will make any more photos public with interest in the family and the murder case still high. Close Bodycam footage shows Nashville police searching Christian school for gunman Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The funeral of Evelyn Dieckhaus, one of three nine-year-old children killed at the Covenant School shooting, took place on Friday afternoon in Nashville. Evelyn was remembered as a shining light in the funeral, which was closed to the media, at the Woodmont Christian Church in the Green Hills neighbourhood of the city. Before the service, the churchs senior minister, the Rev Clay Stauffer, described the youngster as radiant. Evelyn was killed while leading her classmates to safety in response to a fire alarm seemingly tripped by the attacker, her family believes. Services for substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61, and Hallie Scruggs, nine, will be held on Saturday. Nine-year-old William Kinney's funeral will take place on Sunday, while services for Mike Hill, 61, the schools custodian, will be held on Tuesday and the funeral for head of school Katherine Koonce, 60, will take place on Wednesday. Meanwhile, police have released the chilling 911 calls they received from inside the Covenant School as the shooter since identified by law enforcement as Audrey Hale, 28, a former student of the private Christian elementary school broke into the building and opened fire. A manifesto written by the suspect is soon expected to released by officers investigating the deadly attack. Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Authorities in Nashville on Thursday released audio recordings of 911 calls made during the shooting that left seven people dead at a Christian school earlier this week. In one call, which began just before 10:13am on Monday, a caller inside the school told a dispatcher that she thought she was hearing gunshots in the building. The dispatcher asked her if she was in a safe space, and told her that two other people had reported hearing gunshots in the building as well. Im hearing more shots, the caller said. Please hurry. Childrens voices could be heard in the background of the call, which was one of several that mobilised law enforcement officers and emergency responders to the scene of the shooting on Monday morning. In another call, a man who said he was in a room on the buildings second floor told a dispatcher he believed there was a shooter near by. Im on the second floor in a room, he said. I think the shooter is on the second floor. In a third call, a man told dispatchers he was walking with other adults and a group of people including a number of children away from the building and out toward the road. Childrens voices could also be heard in the background of that call, as could several other adult voices. In total, three adults and three nine-year-old children were killed in the attack. The alleged shooter, 28-year-old former student at the school, was killed by police at the scene. The shooting has prompted another round of despair and frustration across the country, which has already experienced more than 125 mass shootings this year and a number of high-profile school shootings. The release of the recordings of the 911 calls came on Thursday as a crowd of thousands advocating for stricter gun control measures demonstrated at the Tennessee state capitol building just a 20-odd minute drive away from The Covenant School building where the shooting took place. The states Republican-controlled government has shown no indication that it is willing to consider stricter gun laws in the aftermath of the shooting. The legislature has made national headlines this year for its curtailing of LGBTQ rights, passing an effective ban on public drag performances earlier this month. In addition, prior to the shooting, the Tennessee legislature had taken up bills to further relax gun laws considering proposals to arm teachers, allow people to carry firearms on college campuses, and more. Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Three students and three staff members have been killed in a mass shooting at an elementary school in Tennessee. On Monday, 28-year-old suspect Audrey Elizabeth Hale arrived in a Honda Fit car and proceeded towards a Christian elementary school in Nashville, police said. Armed with two assault-style rifles and a handgun, Hale gained entry into The Covenant School building by shooting through a side door. Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, all aged nine, died in the shooting. Katherine Koonce, 60, Cynthia Peak and Mike Hill, both 61, were the adult victims. Hale was also killed at the scene by police officers. Responding to the Nashville school shooting the latest to rock America President Joe Biden has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff until sunset on Friday. Heres what we know about the six victims: Katherine Koonce According to The Covenant School website, Katherine Koonce worked as the headmistress at the school for seven years. Koonce is believed to have ran towards the shooter after hearing gunshots ring out in the school. Nashville city councilman Russ Pulley told Fox News that Koonce was on a Zoom call when the shooting began. Mr Pulley said she immediately ended the meeting and did not hesitate to head straight to the shooter. It is my understanding from a witness at the school that Katherine Koonce was on a Zoom call when she heard the first shot. She immediately ended the call, got up and headed straight for the shooter, Mr Pulley said. Koonce was found in a hallway by herself, according to Nashville Police Chief John Drake. There was a confrontation, Im sure you can tell the way she was lying in the hallway, the police chief said, adding that she was assassinated in the hallway. Covenant School Headteacher Katherine Koonce (Covenant School) Koonce had reportedly already taken many efforts in her school to ensure safety from gun violence, including seeking advanced-level active-shooter training. Mr Pulley said she had protected her children. She did what principals and headmasters do, he said. Parents at the school have praised Koonce as a saint, who knew all students by name. She did so much for those kids, the mother of two of the schools children told the BBC. She knew every single student by name, she said. She did everything to help them when families couldnt afford things, it didnt matter. She found ways for them to stay. She added: She did so much for those kids. And now gave her life protecting them. Koonce also authored a book titled Parenting the Way God Parents: Refusing to Recycle Your Parents Mistakes, which was published in 2006. Cynthia Peak Cynthia Peak, 61, was working as a substitute teacher on the day of the attack. In a video address on Tuesday night, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee revealed that he and Tennessee first lady Maria Lee was close friends with Peak, and that they had plans to meet with her for dinner on Monday evening. What happened at Covenant School was a tragedy beyond comprehension, the governor said . Like many of you, Ive experienced tragedy in my own life, and Ive experienced the day after that tragedy. Cynthia Peak (centre) in a photo shared by a family friend (Family friend/KALB) I woke up this morning with a very familiar feeling, and I recognize that today many Tennesseans are feeling the exact same way the emptiness, the lack of understanding, the desperate desire for answers and the desperate need for hope. Mr Lee said that he and his wife were also good friends with Koonce, adding that Koonce, Peak and Maria were all teachers at the same school and have been family friends for decades. Mike Hill Mike Hill was also a staff member at the school. CBS News said Hill worked as a custodian. A woman who said she was Hills daughter said on Facebook that her father absolutely loved working at the school. Hills family said in a statement that he was the father of seven children and had 14 grandchildren. The statement said they are so grateful that Michael was beloved by the faculty and students who filled him with joy for 14 years. We would like to thank the Nashville community for all the continued thoughts and prayers, the statement reads. As we grieve and try to grasp any sense of understanding of why this happened, we continue to ask for support. We pray for the Covenant School and are so grateful that Michael was beloved by the faculty and students who filled him with joy for 14 years. He was a father of seven children (Marquita Oglesby, Brittany Hill, Shakita Dobbins, Ebony Smith, Joshua Smith, Tawana Smith Garner, Jeremy Smith) and 14 grandchildren. He liked to cook and spend time with family. A GoFundMe described Hill as one who should not be overlooked in the wake of this senseless loss. Mike Hill worked as a custodian at the school (GoFundMe) This GoFundMe is started by fellow Nashville parents who live in the community who are dedicated to honoring this hero... Mikes family deserves peace of mind that his loss was not in vain and that some good can come from it. His legacy can live on through goodwill and love. In the end, love should always win. Hallie Scruggs Among the six victims at the Nashville school shooting was nine-year-old Hallie Scruggs, the daughter of a local pastor. Hallie Scruggs with her local pastor father (Family photo) She was the daughter of Chad Scruggs, a senior pastor at the Covenant Presbyterian Church, according to CBS News. We love the Scruggs family and mourn with them over their precious daughter Hallie, Mark Davis, senior pastor at Park Cities Presbyterian Church, said in a statement. Together, we trust in the power of Christ to draw near and give us the comfort and hope we desperately need. Evelyn Dieckhaus Evelyn was a third-grade student at the Christian elementary school. "Our hearts are completely broken," the Dieckaus family said in a statement. "We cannot believe this has happened. Evelyn was a shining light in this world. We appreciate all the love and support but ask for space as we grieve." A memorial for the victims of the shooting was held at Woodmont Christian Church in Nashville on Monday. Evelyn Dieckhaus (Dieckhaus family) I dont want to be an only child, Dieckhauss sister, a fifth grader, said during the service, according to The Tennessean. Our community is heartbroken," a statement from the school said. We are grieving tremendous loss and are in shock coming out of the terror that shattered our school and church. William Kinney William was a student at the school. Not much information is available yet about the nine-year-old boy who was killed in the shooting. A GoFundMe launched for his family reads: Will had an unflappable spirit. He was unfailingly kind, gentle when the situation called for it, quick to laugh, and always inclusive of others. He loved his sisters, adored his parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and was always excited to host friends of every age. Sweet Will knew no strangers, and our hearts our broken for his family as they try to find their way forward. William Kinney (Handout) When I got a call this afternoon to ask me to do this, I sat down to see if there was anything I could say that might rise to the occasion, said Wade McGregor, part of the leadership team at Covenant Presbyterian Church. I sat there for quite a while with my pad of paper, and after I while I looked down at it. All I had written was Pray for us. A friend of the Kinney family has set up a GoFundMe page. Will had an unflappable spirit, the page reads. He was unfailingly kind, gentle when the situation called for it, quick to laugh, and always inclusive of others. He loved his sisters, adored his parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and was always excited to host friends of every age. Sweet Will knew no strangers, and our hearts our broken for his family as they try to find their way forward. Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} In the weeks before six people, including three nine-year-old children, were fatally shot inside a Nashville school, Tennessee lawmakers considered several pieces of legislation to loosen restrictions on firearms. The proposals were introduced two years after Republican Governor Bill Lee signed a bill into law that makes it easier for people to openly carry handguns in the state without a permit. Tennessee is one of 25 states with a permitless concealed carry law, a measure that has been rapidly adopted by lawmakers across the US as part of what right-wing activists have called a constitutional carry movement in recognition of the Second Amendment. The same year Tennessees legislation was signed into law, lawmakers approved similar measures in Arizona, Iowa, Montana, Texas and Utah. In 2022, lawmakers passed similar bills in Alabama, Georgia, Indiana and Ohio. Republican Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida is expected to sign a similar measure into law this year after its passage in a GOP-controlled legislature. Tennessees law allows most people 21 and older to carry handguns openly or concealed without a permit. It also extends those exceptions to US military service members from age 18. When the measure passed the states House in 2021, GOP Majority Leader William Lamberth told lawmakers that it was not the end of the journey for legislative efforts that make it easier for people to carry firearms in the state. Indeed, GOP state lawmakers introduced legislation that would allow all residents from age 18 to carry handguns without permits. Other proposals would allow residents to openly carry any firearm, including shotguns and AR-style rifles, without a permit, and would recognise similar permits issued in other states. Another bill would allow teachers and school staff to carry a firearm on campus, while another would allow any adult who is legally allowed to carry a firearm in the state to do so on park or school properties, including college campuses and elementary schools. Tennessee was among the top 10 deadliest states for gun violence in 2020, the most recent year for which data is available, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state has the 12th highest rate of gun deaths in the US and some of the weakest gun laws in the country, according to a statement from gun reform advocacy group Moms Demand Action. Despite continued acts of gun violence, lawmakers continue to cave to the gun lobbys guns everywhere agenda, the group said in a statement on 27 March. Roughly 1,385 people in Tennessee are killed by guns each year, a figure that surged by 52 per cent over the last decade while gun deaths spiked by 39 per cent nationally during the same time period, according to Everytown for Gun Safety. Gun violence remains the leading cause of death among American children. In America and in Tennessee, guns are the leading killer of kids yet Tennessee lawmakers have done nothing but gut gun safety laws, putting gun industry profits ahead of the safety of our children, Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, said in a statement. We dont have to live this way and our children certainly dont have to die this way. This was initially published on 27 March 2023 Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Dr Anthony Fauci has reportedly sold his memoir to Crown Publishing Group, a subsidiary of Penguin Random House, for approximately $5m. On Tuesday, a publishing insider revealed to Page Six that there was a two-week auction for Dr Faucis proposed memoir and speculated Crown Publishing picked it up for just under $5 million. Crown Publishing has produced several notable memoirs including both Barack and Michelle Obamas respective memoirs A Promised Land and Becoming. A spokesperson for Crown Publishing pushed back on the Page Six report, calling it inaccurate. The company declined to comment further. Dr Fauci, 82, announced he planned to write a memoir of his life after retiring from his positions as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and chief medical advisor to the president in December. Although Dr Fauci was most well-known for his infectious disease expertise during the Covid-19 pandemic, his career spans more than 50 years. Dr Fauci became director of NIAID in 1984 and led efforts to research and cure HIV/AIDS, Ebola, swine flu, and more. Throughout his career, Dr Fauci has advised seven presidents. Speaking to the New York Times in December, Dr Fauci said, What I would like to do is make it a real memoir, which is a life story of which Covid is a part. Because if you look at what Tony Fauci was and is, Tony Fauci is not defined by Covid, Dr Fauci added. Dr Fauci said he wanted to step down from his government leadership roles while he is still healthy and energetic to inspire younger people to either go into medicine or science through writing, lecturing, and getting involved in advisory issues. While there is limited information available about Dr Faucis forthcoming memoir, it will likely take readers through the doctors life history rather than focus heavily on his modern work. Some of Dr Faucis current efforts were highlighted in the PBS documentary American Masters: Dr Tony Fauci, which was released this week. The film gives an inside look at the infectious disease doctors life while handling the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. A film crew followed Dr Fauci around for 23 months starting in January 2021. I would much rather give a story of the whole me, from the time I grew up in the streets of Brooklyn to where I am right now, Dr Fauci told New York Times. But I dont know. Ive never written a book before, he added. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A lawyer for the man accusing Gwyneth Paltrow of having caused a 2016 ski crash used a made-up equation to claim that the actor owes his client $33 an hour, or $3.2m in total, for his injuries. Retired eye doctor Terry Sanderson, 76, claims that he was struck by Ms Paltrow on the slopes of the Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, while the Goop mogul argues that it was Mr Sanderson who caused the crash. One of the accusers lawyers, Lawrence Buhler, argued that for 16 hours every day, Mr Sanderson is forced to live with the consequences of the crash. While no value can be ascertained as to Mr Sandersons quality of life, Mr Buhler argued, he randomly suggested that jurors consider granting him $33 for every hour hes suffered from cognitive decline since the accident seven years ago, and for the 10 years he is estimated to live. There are lawyers and experts here ... some who are making $300, $500 an hour, Mr Buhler said. Im going to suggest a number, you put in the number you think is fair for Terry. The full value of the harm and losses that hes dealing with every day. Im going to say $33. A lawyer for Terry Sanderson writes up an equation during closing arguments (Screenshot / YouTube / The Independent) According to Mr Buhlers equation, Mr Sanderson should be awarded $3.2m, the sum he initially filed for back in 2019 before Judge Kent Holmberg lowered the amount to $300,000. Mr Buhler told jurors that Mr Sanderson will have to deal with his invisible brain injury for the rest of his life. They last a lifetime. They last forever, Mr Buhler said. When people get to know him, after a while they dont want to deal with him anymore. Ms Paltrows attorney Steve Owens said that his client was a punching bag who was the true victim of the incident. He hurt her and then he asked $3m for the pleasure of it, Mr Owens said. He went on to argue that Ms Paltrow was trying to make an impression on her children by choosing to bring the lawsuit to trial. The easy thing for my client was to write a check and be done with it, Mr Owens said. But what does that teach her kids? He added that Mr Sandersons pre-existing conditions are to blame for the decline in his health. Hes 76, Mr Owens told jurors. My parents, I mean, Im not being flippant but they were dead by then. They certainly werent taking 10 trips around the world, he said. The case has dragged on for years after retired optometrist Mr Sanderson raised the allegations against Ms Paltrow in a 2019 lawsuit. Mr Sanderson says the collision left him with a permanent traumatic brain injury that has robbed him of his enjoyment for life. Ms Paltrow claims that it was Mr Sanderson who crashed into her Ms Paltrow she is seeking a symbolic $1 and for her legal costs to be covered. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The lawyer for the retired eye doctor accusing actor Gwyneth Paltrow of causing a 2016 ski collision has alleged in closing statements of the civil trial that she planned a cover-up with a ski instructor. Robert Sykes, an attorney for Terry Sanderson, told jurors on Thursday that he believed that Ms Paltrow and her childrens ski instructor at the Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, Eric Christiansen, had worked together to shift the narrative of what had happened. Mr Sykes also attacked remarks made by Ms Paltrow that she believed for a split second the crash was a sexual assault. He began closing arguments by saying that Ms Paltrow is a good mother and a good person. Mr Sykes said ski accidents are often confusing and emphasized that neither party was necessarily lying. I believe Gwyneth Paltrow when she says she believes Terry hit her in her back, Mr Sykes told jurors. The issue is, a sincere belief doesnt make it a [reality.] Instead, Mr Sykes instructed jurors to focus on testimony by Craig Ramon the only eyewitness to the collision who said last week he saw Ms Paltrow ramming into Mr Sanderson. The legal team for Mr Sanderson claimed that Ms Paltrow tipped Mr Christensen to say that the actor had not been reckless and to make it appear as if the incident was the fault of Mr Sanderson. On Monday, Mr Christiansen, who was training Ms Paltrows children on the day of the incident, rebuffed the accusation that he had changed his account of events to cover for Ms Paltrow because she had tipped him well. Asked by a lawyer for Ms Paltrow whether he falsified the report, Mr Christiansen said: That is ridiculous. He added that he would have written much more detail if he had known there would be a lawsuit over the incident. In his report on the day of the crash, Mr Christiansen wrote: First thing male ski stated was that she appeared in front of her, thus admitting that he was the uphill skier. She never saw him because he came in from behind. Though Mr Christiansen did not see the moment of impact, he said that he witnessed its lead-up and the immediate aftermath, and did not see any sign that Mr Sanderson had been knocked unconscious. He claimed that he heard Mr Sanderson apologise twice to Ms Paltrow and that when he asked if Mr Sanderson was all right, the skier said that Paltrow had just appeared in front of [him]. He also denied accusations by Mr Sanderson that he had shouted at the skier and blamed him for the crash while he was still disoriented after the incident. Deer Valley takes their guests very seriously, and if an instructor has a confrontation with a customer, they dont last, said Mr Christiansen. I am polite to everyone, and I was polite to Mr Sanderson. At one point, Mr Christiansen seemed to become annoyed with the repeated questioning of Sanderson lawyer Lawrence Buhler about whether he ever raised his voice on the course, saying: This is getting a little silly, dont you think? Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The jury in the high-profile trial of Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow has reached a verdict. Jurors found Terry Sanderson was at fault for the collision with Ms Paltrow on the slopes at the luxury Deer Valley Resort near Park City, Utah, back on 26 February 2016. The decision comes after two weeks of complex testimony by neurology and brain injury experts for both sides. Eyewitnesses, Deer Valley employees, Ms Paltrows children Apple and Moses, and Mr Sandersons daughters also testified under oath. Jurors returned a verdict in favour of Ms Paltrow after just over two hours of deliberation, effectively awarding Ms Paltrow a symbolic $1. Judge Holmberg thanked jurors and attorneys in the courtroom for their professionalism before dismissing the court. The actress did not appear to react as the verdict was returned. She previously said she felt very sorry for Mr Sandersons health decline following the incident, but maintained she had not been at fault and said she had been the victim. Before leaving the courtroom, Ms Paltrow briefly leaned over Mr Sanderson and appeared to tell him something. She left the courtroom with her security before the other parties to avoid the press. Gwyneth Paltrow speaks with retired optometrist Terry Sanderson,left, as she walks out of the courtroom following the reading of the verdict in their lawsuit trial, Thursday, March 30, 2023, in Park City, Utah (AP) During closing arguments, Mr Sandersons attorney Lawrence Buhler argued that for 16 hours every day, Mr Sanderson is forced to live with the consequences of his brain injury. Mr Bhuler randomly suggested that jurors considered granting his client $33 per every hour hes suffered from cognitive decline since the accident seven years ago, and for the ten years he is estimated to live. Im going to suggest a number, you put in the number you think is fair for Terry. The full value of the harm and losses that hes dealing with every day. Im going to say $33, Mr Buhler said. Meanwhile, defence attorney Steven Owens told the court that his client was a punching bag for Mr Sanderson and his family throughout the proceedings. He hurt her and then he asked $3m for the pleasure of it, Mr Owens said. US actress Gwyneth Paltrow reacts to the verdict in the trial over her 2016 ski collision with 76-year-old Terry Sanderson on March 30, 2023, in Park City, Utah (POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Mr Owens said Ms Paltrow was trying to make an impression on her children by choosing to bring the lawsuit to trial. The easy thing for my client was to write a check and be done with it, Mr Owens told jurors. But what does that teach her kids? The attorney also argued that Mr Sandersons cognitive decline stemmed from ageing and pre-existent conditions, not the concussion he sustained in the ski crash. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will travel to Rolling Fork, Mississippi, on Friday to meet those impacted by last week's massive storm that ripped through more than a half-dozen towns, the White House announced Wednesday. The Bidens plan to visit with first responders, community members and state and local officials and survey recovery efforts. The White House said the president would reaffirm the administration's commitment to support the people of Mississippi for as long as it takes. Biden issued an emergency declaration for Mississippi earlier this week, making federal funding available to hardest hit areas. The storm hit so quickly that the sheriffs department in Rolling Fork barely had time to set off sirens to warn the community of 2,000 residents. Close Emergency services at scene after two US military helicopters crash during training exercise Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Nine soldiers were killed during a collision between two United States Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters during a training mission over Kentucky on Wednesday night. Nine soldiers have died after a pair of US Army Blackhawk helicopters collided in the skies over Kentucky. The aircraft were being used for a training mission at the time of the accident. The soldiers were stationed at Ford Campbell. It is currently unknown how many soldiers were on the aircraft, how many were injured, and if so, to what degree. A spokesperson for Fort Campbell, where the soldiers were stationed, told The Washington Post that the military would be providing updates on the accident later on Thursday. The soldiers were part of the 101st Airborne Division, a highly celebrated group founded just before the US joined the European theatre of World War II. Kentucky State Police Trooper Sarah Burgess said during a press conference that the crash occurred in a field and some wooded areas. There is no indication that debris caused property damage or injury to individuals on the ground. Military first responders have set up roadblocks at the site of the crash to secure what is reportedly a large debris field left in the wake of the crash. Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Hundreds of Minnesota residents have been evacuated from their homes after a train carrying ethanol and corn syrup derailed overnight, sparking a large fire. Kandiyohi County Sheriffs Office said in a press release that the Burlington Northern Santa Fe cargo train derailed at around 1am on Thursday morning in the town of Raymond, Minnesota. Several train cars carrying mixed freight including ethanol and corn syrup burst into flames, the sheriffs office said. Multiple fire departments and first responders were deployed to the scene where they have been battling to bring the blaze under control. Local residents were told to evacuate their homes in the nearby area, with a half-mile evacuation zone set up around the crash site. So far, there have been no reported injuries. An emergency collection site has been set up at the Central Minnesotan Christian School in nearby Prinsburg for evacuated residents in need of a place to go. As of around 5am, the sheriffs office said that the site remained active as the fire was being contained. Members of the public have been urged to stay away from the town of Raymond until further notice. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg tweeted that the Federal Railroad Administration had responded to the scene to assist with the incident. FRA is on the ground after a BNSF train carrying ethanol derailed early this morning, leading to an evacuation in the area of Raymond, MN, he tweeted. At present no injuries or fatalities have been reported. We are tracking closely as more details emerge and will be involved in investigaton. Raymond Fire Department said that anyone looking to help can drop off bottled water and snacks for the firefighters at a local church in Prinsburg. Fire rages in Raymond, Minnesota, after train carrying ethanol derails (WCCO) Several people have asked how they can help, so this is what you can do! The City of Raymond is not accessible to the public, so Unity Church in Prinsburg is willing to be a drop off location for bottled water and snacks for the firemen. These brave souls have been working hard for hours already, and have several hours of work ahead for them. Any help in the way of bottled water and nourishment would be appreciated, the department said in a Facebook post. This marks the latest train derailment across America in recent months, after an incident in Ohio sparked serious health concerns for residents. In early February, a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous vinyl chloride derailed in the village of East Palestine. Officials carried out a controlled burn of the materials to prevent an explosion. After that, several residents reported health issues such as rashes and breathing difficulties, creating fears about the long-term impact of the disaster. The National Transportation Safety Board is now pushing for increased rail safety standards. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} As many as seven great white sharks are being tracked off the coast of North Carolina, with one of them weighing more than 1,400 pounds. The largest of the group monitored off the Outer Banks is Breton, a 13-foot, 3-inch-long shark named and tracked by the non-profit OCEARCH weighing in at 1,437 pounds (652kg). OCEARCH said on Monday that the tracker for Breton had pinged off the coast of Hatteras on the Outer Banks. The group noted that a number of juvenile sharks have been recorded in the same area as of late. Many of our animals use the productive continental shelf waters around the Outer Banks, NC as a spring staging area before making their migration north for their summer residency, the non-profit wrote on social media. Breton is named for where he was tagged in 2020, Cape Breton off the coast of Nova Scotia. Since his tagging, the shark has journeyed the length of the US East Coast. Great white sharks swim all the way from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration states. Great white sharks can become up to 21 feet long and weigh as much as 4,500 pounds (2,041 kg). Breton is visiting the Outer Banks! He pinged in this weekend off Hatteras, NC. This mature male white shark is joined by many of our juvenile sharks who have spent the last few weeks in the same region. This is also the area we plan to be at next month during Expedition Northbound, OCEARCH wrote on Facebook this week. The sharks off the coast of North Carolina range in size from the size of Breton on the larger end, all the way down to the seven-foot shark Martha weighing in at 188 pounds. A 1,400-pound great white shark was found swimming off Hatteras, NC (Screenshot / Facebook / OCEARCH) The group of sharks can be found along about 250 miles of coast, from Pea Island to Carolina Beach, OCEARCHs tracker shows. The heavy shark presence coincides with spring break for many colleges around the US. The sharks are tracked using satellite tags attached to their fins by OCEARCH. The barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina are thought to be an area serving as a gathering and mating area for great white sharks. Currents going north and south collide in those waters, bringing prey, OCEARCH said previously. As many as seven great white sharks have been spotted off the coast of North Carolina (Screenshot / OCEARCH) A paper released by the nonprofit late last year shows that this population of white sharks makes predictable annual migrations between the northern and southern parts of their range, which stretches from Newfoundland to the eastern Gulf of Mexico, OCEARCH said in a December statement. The sharks spend summer and fall primarily in coastal waters off New England and Atlantic Canada, feeding on high-calorie prey such as seals, before heading back south to warmer winter waters off the southeast U.S. from South Carolina to the Gulf of Mexico. White sharks demonstrate strong site fidelity, with individuals returning to the same location in multiple years, suggesting these animals use complex navigational cues to migrate over thousands of miles every year, the group added. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has compared the policies of the Bosnia Serb separatist leader to those of Russian President Vladimir Putin following his moves to curb dissent and LGBTQ rights. Blinken tweeted late Wednesday that Milorad Dodiks attacks on basic rights and freedoms in Republika Srpska show he is on President Putins authoritarian path. Republika Srpska is the name for the half of Bosnia that is dominated by the country's Serbs. Dodik is the entity's president and leading politician who has repeatedly advocated for the breakup of Bosnia and clashed with Western officials in the Balkan country. Earlier this month, Dodik's government faced criticism from the U.S. and the European Union for pushing forward with a law to recriminalize libel and insult offences, which was seen as an attack on the freedom of expression and independent media. Dodik also announced a law in the upcoming months to prohibit access for LGBTQ activists to kindergartens, schools and universities. This came only days after a group of hooligans attacked LGBTQ activists and journalists in Banja Luka, Republika Srpskas administrative center. Dodik, who is staunchly pro-Russia, has rejected Western criticism and said his entity would break off relations with the U.S. and British embassies in Bosnia. He has dismissed the need for U.S. support and blasted Washington's engagement in Bosnia, including continued financial backing. It would have been better if they (U.S.) hadn't given a single dollar, if they hadn't gotten so involved, he tweeted on Thursday. Washington and London have imposed sanctions on Dodik and his close associates for his policies of undermining Western efforts to promote reconciliation and democracy in Bosnia following the devastating ethnic conflict. Dodik has traveled often to Moscow and met with Putin there. Blinken said that the U.S. represented by Amb. (Michael) Murphy, continues to advocate for the democratic and prosperous future that all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina deserve. Bosnia's 1992-95 ethnic war erupted when Serbs launched a rebellion to break away from the countrys Bosniaks, who are mainly Muslims, and Croats. More than 100,000 people died in the conflict before the U.S. brokered a peace agreement in 1995. The deal divided Bosnia in two entities but kept them together by joint institutions. Fears have grown since the war in Ukraine that Russia could seek to stir trouble in Bosnia and elsewhere in the Balkans to avert attention from its full-scale invasion. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will step onto the front lines of the battle for democracy in Africa on Thursday, spending time in Tanzania as it makes fragile progress toward restoring its reputation as a more inclusive government. Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzanias first female president, has undone some of the countrys more oppressive policies, such as a ban on opposition rallies, even though she came to power as a member of the ruling party. Shes finishing out the term of President John Magufuli, who died in office and earned a reputation for stamping out dissent, arresting critics and forcing them into exile. Hard-liners have been uncomfortable with some of Hassans changes, however, which could cost her in the next election two years from now. Harris, the first woman to serve as U.S. vice president, will meet with Hassan on Thursday, a noteworthy show of support from Washington as the United States deepens its outreach to Africa. Theres so much excitement here and people are saying its like Madam Presidents efforts in changing the country are being rewarded with recognition from an economic and political superpower that is the U.S., said Tanzania-based analyst Mohamed Issa Hemed. During a previous meeting in Washington, Harris told Hassan that we welcome the progress that you have made during the course of your leadership and, in particular, the work you have done to empower women leaders in Tanzania and the work you have done to support human rights. Harris arrived in Tanzania late Wednesday after spending three nights in Ghana. Much like at her first stop, she was greeted with music and dancing as she walked down a red carpet that was rolled out to Air Force 2. Some of the welcoming party wore shirts with Harris' face and skirts feature Hassan. Harris is scheduled to spend two nights in Tanzania, then conclude her weeklong trip with a stop in Zambia, another country that is striving to strengthen its democracy. She plans to return to Washington on Sunday. Idayat Hassan, director of the Centre for Democracy and Development in Abuja, Nigeria, said Harris visit can help galvanize enthusiasm at a time when there are concerns over backsliding into authoritarianism in Africa and around the world. Many people will want the U.S. to speak to the issue of democracy, which they feel is beginning to decline and is not what it used to be, she said. There are more that need to be assured that democracy is here to stay. Like Tanzania, Zambia has made uneven steps toward democracy since its independence. However, theres been a burst of hope after the country elected Hakainde Hichilema, a former opposition leader who once faced charges of treason. Zambia has since decriminalized defamation of the president, a law that was used to stifle opposition. Its also serving as a co-host of President Joe Bidens second Summit for Democracy this week. However, Hichilema warned this week that economic progress is necessary to sustain open societies. You cant eat democracy, he wrote in The Washington Post. Human rights may sustain the spirit, but not the body. ___ Musambi reported from Nairobi, Kenya. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump was indicted by a New York grand jury on Thursday for charges relating to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election, a source told The Independent. The indictment, which has not been unsealed, marks the first time a current or former US president has been hit with criminal charges. The news was met with apparent shock at Fox News, where a crew member appeared to be caught on a hot microphone gasping and saying, What? as the indictment was announced on air. The network played a prominent role in the rise of Mr Trump, and continued to air many of his false 2020 election claims, though emails in a defamation suit against Fox suggest top newsroom leaders knew these claims were false. In a statement to The New York Times, the former president called the indictment Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history. In recent days, Mr Trump, who previously publicly announced he thought he would soon be arrested, began telling members of the press that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg had dropped what he called the fake case. Many shared with Fox News the apparent surprise that the former president was charged. Its really on, former US attorney Preet Bharara wrote on Twitter on Thursday. Others celebrated the indictment. Congressman Jamaal Bowman, who represents a district near Manhattan, said in a statement that the reported New York indictment is only the beginning of Donald Trump being held accountable for his crimes. Trump attempt to illegally overturn election results in Georgia and worked to incite the insurrection at the Capitol, both in an effort to overthrow our government to advance his fascist cause, Mr Bowman, a Democrat, continued. His continued calls for protests following his arrest are just another dog whistle to his folloers: destroy our democracy. On the Republican side, Trump ally Jim Jordan of Ohio called the indictment outrageous. Texas congressman Ronny Jackson, the former presidents White House physician, said the charges would inspire revenge. This is a dark day in American history, he wrote on Twitter. President Trumps only crime was MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! These cowardly Democrats HATE Trump and HATE his voters even more. When Trump wins, THESE PEOPLE WILL PAY!! Donald Trump, Jr, wrote on Truth Social that the indictment marked a weaponisation of our [government] against their political enemies. Michael Cohen, the former presidents former attorney and fixer, who facilitated the hush money payments to Ms Daniels and another woman, both of whom claimed affairs with Mr Trump, wrote in a statement on Thursday he takes solace in validating the adage that no one is above the law; not even a former President.Todays indictment is not the end of this chapter; but rather, just the beginning, he added. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Former president Donald Trump has now been charged in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs grand jury investigation into hush payments leading up to the 2016 presidential election. The investigation ramped up in recent weeks and on Thursday 30 March, the Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Mr Trump on criminal charges making him the first current or former president to ever face criminal charges in the history of the US. He stands accused of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in order to conceal an alleged scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election by suppressing negative stories about him. At a hearing in New York City on Tuesday 4 April, Mr Trump pled not guilty to all charges. Throughout February and March, the long-running probe had entered a new phase and Mr Braggs office contacted the presidents lawyers to offer an opportunity for voluntary testimony, a sign that meant an indictment or multiple indictments were likely in the works. Mr Trump himself predicted on 18 March that he would be arrested the following week on Tuesday 21 March, which did not come to pass. Now that Mr Trump has actually been arrested and charged, it marks the first time an investigation into his inner circle (of which there have been several, with the most famous leading to multiple indictments for figures connected to the 2016 campaign) has actually drawn blood from the former president himself. The Justice Departments protocol against charging a sitting president appeared to cool any ability of the agency to do so while he was in office, but the presidents loss in 2020 opened the door to prosecution over the 2016 Stormy Daniels matter as well as an investigation into the January 6 attack and Mr Trumps efforts to overturn the election. That second investigation continues, with the distinct possibility of potential charges for both Mr Trump and members of his legal team. And alongside the Bragg investigation, it raises the question: What happens to the 2024 race, and Donald Trumps ability to participate in it, now that he is under criminal indictment? The short answer is, not much. There are no restrictions in the US Constitution preventing anyone indicted or convicted of a crime, or even currently serving prison time, from running for or winning the presidency. Even if he were tried and convicted in one of the so-called quick trials he has repeatedly cheered Chinas government for operating in the cases of drug offences, Mr Trump could still run the entirety of his presidential campaign from a prison cell. What is far less clear is what would happen were he to win in that scenario. Just as there are no restrictions in the Constitution for a person to run while under indictment, theres no explanation for what should occur in the event that they win. Theres nothing in the document that would automatically grant Mr Trump a reprieve from prison time, save for the likelihood that any charges brought by federal authorities, were they still being litigated at the point when Mr Trump assumed the presidency for a second time, would be dropped due to the Department of Justices refusal to prosecute a sitting president. State-level charges like the ones being filed by Mr Bragg are far trickier, and fall outside of Mr Trumps pardon power were they to conclude in a conviction. Were conviction on state charges to occur alongside a Trump election victory, it would likely lead to a massive legal fight to determine whether there was a way for the former president to worm his way out of serving time. If Mr Trump was unable to avoid that outcome, it would almost certainly lead to his impeachment or removal via the 25th Amendment, which allows the Cabinet to remove a president who is unable to perform their duties. There are many duties and trappings of the presidency that would simply be impossible to be operated or performed from a prison cell, the viewing of classified materials just to name one. Any potential conviction of Mr Trump is still a long way off and little more than a distant possibility. But the conversations he has started with his bid for the presidency despite facing one indictment and multiple criminal investigations have already pushed parts of theoretical US constitutional law into a much realer place than many experts ever thought it would see. This story was updated on Tuesday 4 April 2023 to reflect new developments Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Top Fox News executives and anchors had doubts about claims from Donald Trump and his allies that the 2020 presidential election was rigged, but network leaders continued to air these conspiracy theories for fear of losing audience members, according to new emails obtained from Dominion Voting Systemss defamation lawsuit against the conservative news network. In one December 2020 email, Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott reportedly told an employee who fact-checked Mr Trump to stop now. This is bad business and there clearly is a lack of understanding what is happening in these shows, reads the email, part of a trove of documents obtained by watchdog group Media Matters for America. The audience is furious and we are just feeding them material. In another email from the newsroom boss, she reportedly warns about content that could alienate audience members, writing, I cant keep defending these reporters who dont understand our viewers and how to handle stories. We lost 25k subs[cribers] from Fox Nation, she adds. The doubts, according to the new trove of emails, extended to top Fox News talent as well. In the notes ahead of an election-season interview, host Maria Bartiromo reportedly wrote, Ive not seen any proof so far of the ballot fraud. Tucker Carlson, meanwhile, reportedly called former Trump lawyer Sidney Powell, a prominent advocate of election conspiracies, a psychopath. Shes getting Trump all spun up and has zero evidence, the anchor reportedly says in a message involved in the suit. Producers for Jeanine Pirro reportedly went so far as to warn network executives that the host was about to air one election-season segment that was rife w[ith] conspiracy theories and bs and us yet another example why this woman should never be on live television. The documents are the latest revelations from the suit indicating widespread knowledge at Fox News that the 2020 election claims of prominent guests and hosts were false. Fox News owner, media mogul Rupert Murdoch, admitted during a deposition in the suit that his top talent endorsed at times this false notion of a stolen election. I would have liked us to be stronger in denouncing it in hindsight, Mr Murdoch said, according to court documents. In another set of messages released in the suit, Tucker Carlson describes how he passionately hates Donald Trump and looks forward to no longer covering him, though the host has denied this. Fox News told The Independent the messages at issue were being taken out of context. These documents once again demonstrate Dominions continued reliance on cherry-picked quotes without context to generate headlines in order to distract from the facts of this case, a spokesperson said in a statement. The foundational right to a free press is at stake and we will continue to fiercely advocate for the First Amendment in protecting the role of news organizations to cover the news. In regards to the message from Ms Scott, urging an employee who fact-checked certain election claims to stop now, the network said, This is not about fact checking - the issue at hand is one host calling out another. Fox added that message from Ms Scott about losing audience members was about the tone and delivery of the correspondent, it has nothing to do with fact checking. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Two opposing US congressmen drew crowds of onlookers as they engaged in a blazing argument over gun control in the wake of the Nashville school shooting. New York Democrat Jamaal Bowman had been giving a furious speech to reporters in a corridor outside the House of Representatives on Wednesday evening, accusing the Republicans of inaction. "They're cowards. They're all cowards! They won't do anything to save the lives of our children," yelled Mr Bowman, a former school principal. Kentucky GOP representative Thomas Massie then tried to butt in, prompting a shouting match between the two men. "You know, there's never been a school shooting in a school that allows teachers to carry [guns]," Mr Massie said. "Carry guns?" Mr Bowman responded. "More guns lead to more death! Look at the data. You're not looking at the data. You're carrying water for the gun lobby. States that have open carry laws have more deaths... are you listening to what I'm saying?" Mr Massie largely ignored his points, repeatedly asking if he would co-sponsor a bill to repeal the federal ban on carrying guns in schools, before telling him: "Calm down." "Calm down? Children are dying!" exclaimed Mr Bowman. "Have you ever worked in a school? Have you every worked in a school?" Three children and three staff members were killed when a former student opened fire at a private Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee on 27 March, marking the 17th school shooting in America this year. Tennessee is one of 25 US states that allows people to carry concealed guns without a permit. Democrats and gun safety activists have argued passing stricter laws would reduce the violence, whereas Republicans and gun rights advocates argue that arming teachers would act as a deterrent. Days after yet another massacre in December 2021, Mr Massie came under fire for posting a Christmas photo of his family posting with a huge trove of firearms, including semi-automatic rifles, submachine guns, and an M60 machine gun a military weapon typically fired with the aid of a bipod, tripod, or vehicle mount. As the confrontation in Congress escalated on Wednesday, Mr Massie broke off and turned to reporters, telling Mr Bowman: "I'm not talking to you anymore. You're just screaming... go over there and scream." He claimed that arming teachers was equivalent to having armed guards in Congress, saying of Mr Bowman: "He doesn't believe that kids should have somebody to protect them." Meanwhile, Mr Bowman jockeyed to get in between his opponent and reporters' cameras, saying: "I worked in a school for twenty years. I was a teacher, I was a school counselor, I was a middle school principal, I was in cafeterias, protecting kids every day of my career." Afterwards, Mr Bowman tweeted: "Republicans wont do S*** when it comes to gun violence, but try to tell me to calm down. NO. We cant calm down. People are dying every day while we wait." Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} President Joe Biden wont veto a Republican-led measure to end the national COVID emergency, despite having expressed strong objections against it earlier this year, ensuring the bill is on an easy path to becoming law. It marks the second time in the new Congress that the Biden administration has signaled opposition to a Republican measure, rallying most Democrats in Congress to vote against it, only to soften its stance and let the legislation eventually become law. Just weeks ago, Biden stunned many fellow Democrats when he declined to veto a Republican-led bill to upend a new criminal code for the District of Columbia he and others in the president's party opposed, allowing the GOP's tough-on-crime push into the local government to become law. Republicans celebrated the turn of events Wednesday as a sign of their newfound influence in divided Washington, while Democrats quietly complained that the Biden administration had shifted its views. But the White House stood firm, and the Senate gave final approval, 68-23, sending the bill to Biden's desk. A White House official said that when the House Republicans were first preparing to vote on the bill at the start of the year, it would have lifted the national emergency declaration for the coronavirus pandemic in February. But now, it's much closer to the White House's own plan to wind down COVID national emergency status on May 11. The president still strongly opposes the legislation, said the official, who was granted anonymity to discuss the situation. But if this bill comes to Biden's desk, he will sign it, the official said. Ahead of voting, Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., one of the bills main sponsors, said he hoped that the rumors are true that the president will finally sign this legislation. The legislation is a simple one-line measure saying that national emergency declared on March 13, 2020, is hereby terminated. It comes from one of the more conservative Republicans in the House, Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, and draws on Republican-led opposition to mask mandates, lockdowns and others precautions that were put in place to stem the spread of the virus during the pandemic. It was among the early bills the new House GOP put forward at the start of the year. At the time, the administration warned the proposal would cause chaos. More than 197 Democrats in the House voted against it. An abrupt end to the emergency declarations would create wide-ranging chaos and uncertainty throughout the health care system for states, for hospitals and doctors offices, and, most importantly, for tens of millions of Americans, the administration said in a formal statement of administrative policy. In the days leading up to the House vote, the Biden administration announced its own plan to wind down emergency status on May 11, three years after the virus outbreak. The administration's announcement meant the federal coronavirus response would be treated more as an endemic threat to public health that could be managed through agencies normal authorities, rather than pandemic status. Just a few weeks ago Biden signed another Republican-led bill into law that would nullify the District of Columbia's revamp of its criminal code. The administration had previously said it opposed that bill. On Wednesday, Republicans on the House Oversight Committee voted to overturn a police reform package passed by the D.C. Council. ___ Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} President Joe Biden condemned a wave of state-level attempts to strip gender-affirming care from transgender Americans and celebrated trans and nonbinary people as some of the bravest people I know in his proclamation recognising Transgender Day of Visibility. The International Transgender Day of Visibility, recognised annually on 31 March, seeks to celebrate trans people and bring attention to violence and discrimination against trans people worldwide. We see them, they belong, and they should be treated with dignity and respect, Mr Biden said in his proclamation on 30 March. Their courage has given countless others strength, but no one should have to be brave just to be themselves. Every American deserves that freedom. There are nearly 2 million people living in the US who identify as transgender, representing fewer than 1 per cent of all Americans. Yet states are increasingly engaged with legislation and policies to restrict or eliminate access to gender-affirming medical care and other support systems, terrifying families and hurting kids who are not hurting anyone, Mr Biden said. At least 10 states have enacted laws or policies banning gender-affirming care for young trans people, and more than a dozen others are considering similar measures. More than half of all trans youth in the US between the ages of 13 and 17 are at risk of losing access to age-appropriate and medically necessary gender-affirming care in their home state, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Trans people are also four times more likely than cisgender people to be the victim of a violent crime, including rape and assault, according to a 2021 study from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law. The killings of trans people have more than doubled from 2017 to 2021, when at least 59 trans people were killed in homicides, according to Everytown for Gun Safety. An epidemic of violence against transgender women and girls, in particular women and girls of colour, has taken lives far too soon, said Mr Biden, pointing to last years mass shooting inside a Colorado Springs LGBT+ nightclub as another painful example of this kind of violence a stain on the conscience of our nation. The presidents proclamation urges Congress to pass the Equality Act to extend long-overdue civil rights protections and federal antidiscrimination rules to LGBT+ people. Transgender Americans shape our nations soul proudly serving in the military, curing deadly diseases, holding elected office, running thriving businesses, fighting for justice, raising families, and much more, Mr Biden added. As kids, they deserve what every child deserves: the chance to learn in safe and supportive schools, to develop meaningful friendships, and to live openly and honestly. As adults, they deserve the same rights enjoyed by every American, including equal access to healthcare, housing, and jobs and the chance to age with grace as senior citizens. But today, too many transgender Americans are still denied those rights and freedoms, according to the proclamation. His pointed to his administrations executive actions supporting LGBT+ people in schools and in the military and his approval of the Respect for Marriage Act into law, which enshrines marriage equality protections affirmed by the US Supreme Court. Together, we also have to keep challenging the hundreds of hateful state laws that have been introduced across the country, making sure every child knows that they are made in the image of God, that they are loved, and that we are standing up for them, he added. The statement comes one day after Republican lawmakers in Kentucky and West Virginia passed state bans on gender-affirming care, and as GOP officials and far-right activists seize on the mass shooting inside a Nashville school to amplify anti-trans rhetoric and build support for legislation targeting LGBT+ people. In the aftermath of the shooting, right-wing personalities have made unfounded claims that trans Americans are fuelling an epidemic of mass shooters and falsely suggested that gender-affirming healthcare regimens increase the likelihood of violence. Democratic members of Congress also have re-introduced a Trans Bill of Rights to develop a comprehensive policy framework to provide protections for transgender and nonbinary people, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to thrive, regardless of their gender identity or expression, according to a statement from US Rep Pramila Jayapal, co-chair of the Transgender Equality Task Force. Day after day, we see a constant onslaught of anti-trans rhetoric and legislation coming from elected officials, she said. Today we say enough is enough. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Critics of podcaster Joe Rogan were surprised to see the former comedian and combat sport aficionado praise Barack Obama, calling him "the best of all time." During a recent episode of his show, Rogan offered high praise of Mr Obama as a statesman and the public face of the United States. He didnt come through on a lot of things, Rogan said of the former president on Wednesday. But as far as, like, a representative of the United States, who better than Obama? Hes the best of all time the most educated and eloquent and even-keeled. And he was a statesman and the way he spoke inspired confidence that truly the wisest amongst us is the king. Rogan has come under fire from liberals in the past for holding conservative viewpoints on certain issues and promoting conspiracy theories on his show. He has stated he is a fan of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, disagrees with trans athletes participating in sporting events that match their expressed gender, and was a vocal anti-vaxxer during the Covid-19 pandemic, during which he frequently boosted the drug hydroxychloroquine, among other conservative beliefs. His comments on Mr Obama earned him some tepid praise from liberals and progressives on social media. Even a broken clock is right twice a day, one user wrote. Another criticised the podcasters fans, saying there goes the racist demographic of his listener base. One user criticised Rogan from the left, saying Mr Obama was the best ever at blowing up kids maybe, referencing the former presidents robust and highly criticised drone program that killed numerous civilians in Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, despite his reputation as another right-wing media pundit, Rogan's political stances, while often conservative, are better described as inconsistent. While he opposes strict gun control and has blamed "mental health" as the reason for the US' numerous mass shootings, he has also defended abortion rights in the wake of the overturning of Roe v Wade. You dont have a right to tell a 14-year-old girl, she has to carry a rapists baby," he told conservative commentator Seth Dillion on his show. "Like, you dont have the right to tell my 14-year-old daughter, she has to carry her rapists baby. You understand that? He has also voiced support for universal healthcare, acknowledges that income inequality is a serious issue facing everyday Americans, and formerly said he would support progressive Senator Bernie Sanders in a presidential election. Despite popular belief, Rogan has stated he is not a supporter of former President Donald Trump and has turned down his attempts to appear on his podcast which consistently sits at the top of most popular podcast lists claiming he is not interested in helping [Mr Trump], according to Forbes. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} House Speaker Kevin McCarthy dodged when CNN asked if he would support new measures to prevent gun violence on Wednesday, saying he wanted to see all the facts. Mr McCarthys words come after the shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee on Monday that killed three adults and three nine-year-old children. We want to see all the facts, we need to get the facts, Mr McCarthy said. But House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who was shot by a supporter of Senator Bernie Sanders and seriously injured in 2017, pushed back against the idea that Congress should restrict gun ownership after the shooting. I really get angry when I see people try to politicize it for their own personal agenda, especially when we dont even know the facts, he said. House Republicans largely oppose measures they believe would restrict gun ownership. Shortly after the shooting in Nashville, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia sought to blame the fact that the shooter was transgender. It's not about their identity, she said. What kind of hormones are they on? What kind of medications are they taking for mental illness? What is causing this aggression in this biological female who identifies as a male for them to go in and murder children? Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, one of the most outspoken voices for gun safety, told The Independent on Monday that passing new legislation might be more difficult with Republican control of the House of Representatives. I think America wants to see where people stand on some of these issues, whether it be, whether it be universal background checks or assault weapons, so well continue to talk about what path forward we have on compromise legislation, he said on Monday. Democratic Representative Jamaal Bowman of New York for his part confronted House Republicans as they left votes on Wednesday. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A Florida congressman is standing by his top adviser on military issues after The Intercept reported Wednesday evening that he is a convicted war criminal who was found guilty of murdering an unarmed civilian. Matt Gaetzs office issued a statement defending the aide, former US National Guard member Derrick Miller, who was convicted in 2011 for an act that occurred during a combat mission that Millers unit conducted in Afghanistans Laghman province in the fall of 2010. According to court documents first reported by The Intercept, Miller detained a 27-year-old Afghan man whom he accused of crossing his units defensive perimeter. After a brief field interrogation during which Miller pinned the unarmed man on the ground, Miller shot him in the head. Miller has maintained throughout his trial and subsequent sentencing that he was acting in self-defence, and that the slain Afghan man, Atta Mohammed, went for his gun during the incident. But other soldiers in his unit did not back up that claim. Miller and his unit then further desecrated the remains of the dead civilian by leaving them in a latrine, according to military officials. I shot him. He was a liar, Miller told his unit after the murder, according to prosecutors. Mr Gaetzs office is not the first on Capitol Hill to employ Miller; he previously worked for Rep Louie Gohmert of Texas, another right-wing Republican. Miller was sentenced to life in prison for the act, but astonishingly served less than a decade behind bars for the charge of premeditated murder before a parole board cleared him for release. He now walks the halls of Congress, having worked for two members of the House as well as executive director for the Congressional Justice For Warriors Caucus, an official congressional caucus that seeks to clear the names of US service members convicted of crimes committed while deployed abroad. The congressmans spokesperson issued the following statement regarding Millers conviction: We proudly stand with our Military Legislative Assistant Derrick Miller. He was wrongfully convicted and served our country with honor. Over the course of nearly a decade, members of Congress, multiple advocacy groups, and over 16,000 individuals on a petition have all signaled their support for clearing his name and recognizing him as innocent of charges imposed by a weaponized military injustice system under President Obama, they continued. Mr Miller advises our office on many matters, including ways to make the military justice system consistent with our constitutional principles and values. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Jacob Chansley, the January 6 rioter who became known as the QAnon Shaman, has been transferred from a federal prison to a halfway house in Arizona months before he was planned to be released. Federal prison records showed that Mr Chansley who earned notoriety for wearing an animal skin hat with horns and a painted face while roaming around the Capitol shirtless is at a residential reentry management facility and will be released on 25 May, according to CBS News. Mr Chansley reportedly was set to be released in July but earned a reduction in his sentence for good behaviour. He originally pleaded guilty to a charge of obstructing a federal proceeding and had spent time in jail before his plea and sentencing. On the day when former president Donald Trumps supporters breached the US Capitol, Mr Chansley was part of a smaller group of rioters who went into the US Senate chamber and sat the desk of the Senate President. Mr Chansley proceeded to take pictures of himself and refused to vacate the seat when law enforcement asked him to do so. At the time, Vice President Mike Pence was serving as President of the Senate during Congresss proceedings to certify the 2020 presidential election. But Mr Pence rebuffed Mr Trumps entreaty to overturn the election results, which led to Mr Chansley to criticise him. Mike Pence is a f***ing traitor, he said, according to prosecutors, and wrote a note on the Senate dais saying that It's Only A Matter of Time. Justice Is Coming! In 2018, Mr Trump signed the First Step Act, which changed how frequently federal inmates could earn sentence reductions. Recently, Mr Chansley made headlines when Fox News host Tucker Carlson played footage of Mr Chansley reportedly not seeming as violent as he had been broadcasted before. Mr Chansleys attorney appeared on the show. But in 2021, Mr Chansley said his actions were indefensible. I am in no way shape or form a dangerous criminal. I am not a violent man. I am not an insurrectionist. I am certainly not a domestic terrorist, he said. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Porn star Stormy Daniels has given a combative live-stream to her subscribers on OnlyFans, vowing to testify against Donald Trump if called upon to do so. In a broadcast on Wednesday night via the popular subscription app, Ms Daniels said she has extensive records to back up her claims that she was paid hush money in 2016 to keep quiet about Mr Trumps affair with her years earlier. That alleged payment is now being scrutinised by prosecutors in New York City, who are reportedly preparing criminal charges against the former president. Mr Trump denies any wrongdoing and denies having an affair with Ms Daniels. I am not afraid and I will not back down, said the 44-year-old actor and director. If what he did was illegal, he should be held accountable. I dont think that anybody should be untouchable just because they have money or because theyre in power. She also shot back at Trump supporters who have criticised and harassed her on social media, often making sexist comments such as calling her a w**** (a label she embraces). One of the things I get attacked for the most is about my vagina saying it must be loose, said Ms Daniels. Do Trump supporters not know how vaginas work? So if youre married and your wife f***s you once or twice a week you can f*** the same dick a hundred times, but if you f*** a hundred [penises] once, it changes it? And if you have a lot of sex as a woman you get loose, but if you have a lot of sex as a man wouldnt your penis get whittled down? She added that many of the people attacking her also interacted positively with another porn star who supports Donald Trump, which she called a f***ed up double standard. I have pretty thick skin. Im in the porn industry. You cant really embarass me... but when you attack me about my age, or my looks, or my sexuality, my weight, it makes me very sad. Not for myself, obviously, but I would guarantee everyone one of those people who say that well, they all have a mom, a grandmother, a sister, duaghters. How do you think they would feel if they see that? At other points, Ms Daniels addressed criticism that she had exploited the furore over Mr Trump for her own commercial gain, saying it had derailed and overshadowed an accomplished career. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen called for justice and accountability Thursday in the wake of news that former President Donald Trump has been indicted for his alleged role in a hush-money payment prevent Ms Daniels from revealing her affair with Mr Trump in the buildup to the 2016 presidential election. For the first time in our Countrys history, a President (current or former) of the United States has been indicted. I take no pride in issuing this statement and wish to also remind everyone of the presumption of innocence; as provided by the due process clause, Cohen said in a statement reported by Maggie Haberman of The New York Times. Cohen said he takes solace in the the notion that no one, not even a former president, is above the law and suggested that, in the coming weeks, hes content to sit back and watch the case proceed from a distance. Now that the charges have been filed, it is better for the case to let the indictment speak for itself, Cohen said. The two things I wish to say at this time is that accountability matters and I stand by my testimony and the evidence I have provided to DANY. Mr Trump is reportedly facing more than 30 counts related to business fraud, sources told CNN after the indictment became public. Clark Brewster, an attorney for Ms Daniels, greeted news of the indictment with a similar call to let the process play out. The hard work and conscientiousness of the grand jurors must be respected, Brewster said. Now let truth and justice prevail. No one is above the law. #teamstormy. Ms Daniels seemed to agree with her lawyers sentiment, tweeting Thank you in response to his tweet. Cohen and Ms Daniels have both been defined in large part by their respective relationships with Mr Trump and the role that they played as he rose to and assumed the presidency seven years ago. Mr Trump and Ms Daniels allegedly engaged in a brief sexual relationship in 2006. Ten years later, when Mr Trump was the Republican nominee for president, Cohen reportedly negociated a non-disclosure agreement with Ms Daniels then-laywer Keith M. Davidson in which Ms Daniels would recieve $130,000 in hush money in exchange for her silence about her relationship with Mr Trump. Cohen created a limited liability corporation to make the payment, he said, at the direction of Mr Trump. In 2018, news of that payment was reported by the Wall Street Journal. At that point, Cohen was on the brink of being sentenced to three years in federal prison tax evasion and campaign-finance violations following the special counsel investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Ms Daniels, meanwhile, sued Mr Trump in 2018 for libel but had the suit dismissed. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump again defended Vladimir Putin as he criticised fellow Republican Ron DeSantis for his comments calling the Russian president a war criminal. The former president, who has launched his fervent pitch for the 2024 presidential election, posted new campaign videos, tearing into the Florida governor. Mr DeSantis has not yet declared his candidacy but remains one the top contenders for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Mr Trump defended Mr Putin, criticising Mr DeSantiss comments as "exactly the kind of simple-minded thinking that has produced decades of failed diplomacy and ultimately war". In an interview with British broadcast journalist Piers Morgan, Mr DeSantis said Mr Putin is a war criminal who should be held accountable for launching a war in Ukraine. "And so, hes basically a gas station with a bunch of nuclear weapons and one of the things we could be doing better is utilizing our own energy resources in the US, he said. Mr DeSantis also defended his remarks that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was a territorial dispute and it was not of vital national interest to the US. Mr DeSantis said his comments were mischaracterised. In his video on Wednesday, Mr Trump said the comments show that people with thinking like Mr DeSantis "insist on arrogantly treating Russia as deeply inferior to the other nations of the world, with no history or culture or pride. He said it will be impossible to negotiate peace with such attitudes. In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, Mr Trump proclaimed that he could end the Russia-Ukraine war "within 24 hours" by presiding over peace talks. He said he would "within one day" have a peace settlement in place if he is re-elected to the White House in the 2024 elections. "If its not solved, I will have it solved in 24 hours with Zelensky and with Putin, and theres a very easy negotiation to take place, but I dont want to tell you what it is because then I cant use that negotiation," said Mr Trump. "But theres a very easy negotiation to take place. I will have it solved within one day, a peace between them," he added. It was not the first time the former US president backed Mr Putin. Most recently, he boasted about his very good relationship with the Russian leader just ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russias war in Ukraine in February. Putin never ever would have gone into Ukraine if I were president, Mr Trump claimed at a rally in Florida, according to Rolling Stone. I actually had a very good relationship with Mr Putin. In 2018, during a summit with Mr Putin in Helsinki, Finland, Mr Trump was asked if he trusted the conclusion of US intelligence that Russia had interfered in the 2016 US election or if he believed Mr Putins rejection of those allegations. In response, Mr Trump appeared to suggest that he believed Mr Putin and praised him. I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today, he said at the time. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Former president Donald Trumps sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr raged against the news that a grand jury in Manhattan indicted their father, calling it third world prosecutorial misconduct. Their words come after the New York City grand jury voted to indict the former president on charges of falsifying business records related to payments he made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to keep a sexual relationship secret. Eric Trump, Mr Trumps youngest son from his first marriage to Ivana Trump, said the indictment was a political witch hunt given that the former president is a candidate for the Republican nomination for the 2024 presidential election. This is third world prosecutorial misconduct, he tweeted. It is the opportunistic targeting of a political opponent in a campaign year. Mr Trumps eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, also criticised the indictment on Truth Social. WTF?!? Big news in the weaponization of our Govt against their political enemies, he said. Later on his show Triggered with Don Jr, he expanded on his thoughts. Lets be clear, folks, this is like communist-level s***, he said. This is stuff that would make Mao, Stalin, Pol Pot, it would make them blush. Mr Trumps indictment came after New York law enforcement officials put in place security measures in Lower Manhattan, where the boroughs criminal court is located. The grand jury is also reportedly looking into a hush money payment to another woman, former Playboy model Karen McDougal. The grand jury had previously been expected to take a break that was planned ahead of time. Mr Trump has become the first former president to be indicted in history. But he also faces a civil probe from the New York Attorney Generals office for his falsifying the value of his business assets; a criminal probe from the Justice Department for his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and his keeping of presidential documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach; and a criminal probe over his effort to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trumps Republican allies in Congress seethed with rage over the news that a grand jury had voted on Thursday to indict the former president on one or more charges related to his hush payments to women in 2016. As the news broke late Thursday afternoon, lawmakers who had left Washington just earlier in the day reacted with fury and bought fully into Mr Trumps explanation for the yet-to-be-announced indictment: A supposed political hit job by Democrats. Mr Trump is reportedly facing more than 30 counts related to business fraud, sources told CNN. House Republican caucus chairwoman Elise Stefanik led the charge of Mr Trumps attack dogs, deriding Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg as a corrupt socialist and proclaiming that the charges would spur millions of Americans to propel the former president back into the White House in 2024. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy followed up a few minutes later, writing that Mr Bragg had irreparably damaged our country in an attempt to interfere in our Presidential election. And Ronny Jackson, a congressman from Texas and former White House physician, was less guarded in his statement, threatening outright retribution against Democrats the next time Republicans took power. THESE PEOPLE WILL PAY, declared the congressman in all caps. The lawmakers seemed eager to latch on to Mr Trumps narrative despite, as usual, no evidence whatsoever for their claims of corruption and no explanation for why it would have been legal for a presidential candidate to spend tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of dollars buying the silence of porn stars and Playboy models in the weeks leading up to an election. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the conspiracy-peddling representative from Georgia, tweeted that Congress should impeach Biden while adding that some unnamed legal authority should prosecute any and all crimes. It wasnt clear who she meant to do this, given that the US Attorney General is a Biden appointee whom Republicans would never trust with such an investigation, and Congress cannot force the DoJ to prosecute crimes or bring criminal charges against a person by itself. Jim Jordan, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, simply wrote Outrageous. Mr Jordan had attempted to ward off the New York prosecution with threats of subpoenas and investigations by his committee. Senator Josh Hawley, still reviled by the left for his fist-pump to January 6 attendees before the attack on the US Capitol, wrote that the indictment isnt about the law. Its about power, the senator tweeted. Raw power. Its the Democrat Party telling the nation they will stop at nothing to control the outcome of the next presidential election. It is an assault on our democracy, pure and simple. Other Trump loyalists who no longer walk the halls of power also chimed in, like Cliff Sims, former White House director of national intelligence. If Trump isnt the nominee then the election interference worked and the corrupt prosecutors win, he wrote. We cant and wont let that happen. One notable Republican to not comment immediately was James Comer, the new GOP chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee who has led the charge in the House to target Hunter Biden and the president over the formers personal finances. Another was Senator Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader, who has long taken a more cautious tone when speaking about Mr Trumps various legal entanglements and is understood to be Mr Trumps greatest rival on Capitol Hill. The GOP writ large still views Mr Trump as the de facto leader of the party, even as he battles a clear rival in Floridas Ron DeSantis. That complicates matters for members of Congress on Capitol Hill, who on the GOP side in many (or most) cases live in fear of a hard-right primary electorate who could force them out of office for showing insufficient loyalty. The party recently re-learned that lesson in 2022, when a number of representatives on the Republican side who supported the impeachment of Mr Trump over January 6 lost their bids for reelection in tough primary battles. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The indictment of former president Donald Trump by a New York City grand jury has left Republicans bouncing between expressing outrage and confidently predicting that the unprecedented charges against the former chief executive will propel him back to the White House after next years presidential election. It has also sent authorities scrambling to address the possibility of violence from disaffected supporters of the twice-impeached former president, with New York Police Department brass ordering every single sworn officer to report to work in full uniform to deal with possible civil disturbances. Officials are also on high alert for threats against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, the man who has now become be the first prosecutor to ever obtain an indictment against a former president after a long-running probe into a 2016 hush money scheme to keep adult film actress Stormy Daniels from spilling the beans about a decade-old liaison before voters went to the polls that year. A Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Mr Trump earlier this week, but because the indictment is still under seal it is currently unclear what the charges against him are. Multiple reports have indicated that Mr Trump is facing more than 30 counts related to business fraud. Recent reporting in The New York Times and other outlets noted that the former president has said he relishes the idea of being arrested and paraded before the press in a perp walk spectacle because he believes it will juice his support in the Republican presidential primary and solidify his chances of returning to the White House after next years general election. But multiple people who have been close to Mr Trump in the past and understand his way of thinking say the confidence he projects in interviews and in public appearances belies a complete inability to grasp what it means for him to become a defendant in a criminal case. These former Trumpworld insiders told The Independent the ex-presidents decades of evading responsibility for his actions and his past ability to neutralise legal jeopardy with a combination of bluster and litigation tactics has left him incredibly ill-equipped for what lies ahead of him now that the Mahattan grand jury has voted for an indictment. Mary Trump, clinical psychologist and niece of former president Donald Trump, appears on MSNBC. (Screenshot / MSNBC) One such ex-insider is Mary Trump, the bestselling author and trained clinical psychologist who happens to be Mr Trumps niece. Dr Trump, who in her 2020 tell-all Too Much and Never Enough said her uncles pathologies are so complex and his behaviors so often inexplicable that coming up with an accurate and comprehensive diagnosis would require a full battery of psychological and neuropsychological tests that hell never sit for, told The Independent in a phone interview that the bravado he might be presenting to receptive journalists will vanish once he is actually charged with a crime. Dr Trump spoke to The Independent ahead of the charges against the former president. I think a large part of what he does is that he preamps and he deflects his ego is very, very fragile, and much of what he does is in service to protecting it, and one of the greatest dangers for him is to be humiliated, she said. She also called reports that her uncle relishes the idea of a perpwalk absurd. I don't care who you are, that's an incredibly vulnerable place to be. And it's not like they walk you through it, and then you can decide [you] don't want to do this. There's no agency there, it will be the most vulnerable and powerless he's probably ever been in his life, she said. And last I checked, being fingerprinted, and having your mugshot taken is not a sign of strength. Given Mr Trumps status as an ex-president and his full-time Secret Service protective detail, the experience of being charged with a crime wont be the same as your average criminal defendant. While hell still be fingerprinted and photographed, its unlikely that hell be placed in handcuffs, and his attorneys have already indicated that hell voluntarily present himself to New York authorities after charges rather than force an extradition fight in Florida courts. Still, Dr Trump said her uncles psychological disposition makes it impossible for him to understand that the charges against him are real, rather than just something political that can be willed away with sheer bluster. Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Waco, Texas. (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) Part of the problem for him right now, is that there's this extent to which this is all incomprehensible, she said. She noted that for many of his foes, it has always appeared as if the walls are closing in on him and accountability is just around the corner, only to see him slip away from being called to account for his behaviour. She added that his ability to evade consequences has left him ill-prepared for what is to come. He has to prepare for something hes never experienced before. Its alien to him, and it also embodies the one thing that is the most terrifying to him being humiliated. But on the other hand, he cant possibly process that its going to happen because its never happened. So hes at a real deficit right now, she said. That Mr Trump has spent decades avoiding becoming embroiled in criminal prosecutions is beyond dispute. That ability to evade the laws reach was supercharged during his presidency by a longstanding Department of Justice policy forbidding federal indictments of sitting presidents, which is why the special counsel who investigated his campaigns contacts with the Russian government, ex-FBI Director Robert Mueller, twisted himself in knots in his written report and congressional testimony on the matter of whether the then-president obstructed justice by trying to thwart the investigation in multiple ways. But Mr Trump is no longer president, and despite suggestions by Republicans in the House of Representatives that its somehow improper to charge a former president or presidential candidate with a crime, the shield from accountability he once enjoyed has vanished. Multiple federal courts have also made clear in recent weeks that his attempts to claim some form of executive privilege to keep former aides from testifying before a pair of federal grand juries overseen by Mr Smith arent worth much under Supreme Court precedents dating back to the Watergate era. Attorney George Conway, ex-husband of former Trump White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway (REUTERS) George Conway, the conservative attorney who Mr Trump once asked to run the Justice Departments civil division, told The Independent Mr Trumps supposed eagerness to become a martyr by facing indictments is complete bulls***. You can see the terror in his Truth Social posts he is absolutely out of his mind about this. And it may turn out that he does want to make a spectacle of it in order to rally his troops to appear tough. It will look weak for him to be hauled into court in handcuffs. So, you know, he's got a lose-lose proposition, he said. Mr Conway, who gained significant notoriety as a critic of the ex-president while his then-wife Kellyanne Conway was serving as a senior aide to Mr Trump, said usual tactics of delay and intimidation that the ex-president has deployed in civil proceedings are not going to fly when the ex-president is on the wrong end of a criminal case against him. Donald Trump v Stormy Daniels: The story so far The veteran litigator also noted that as a criminal defendant, Mr Trump will have to deal with something else hes never before encountered a judge with the power to impose conditions of pre-trial release that could limit his ability to travel and speak freely about his case, or even take his freedom entirely should he decide to flout any restrictions that are imposed on him. While both New York and the federal court system default to releasing defendants before trial, a judges decision to release a defendant almost always comes with conditions. In the federal system, this means Mr Trump will almost certainly be required to notify courts of his travel schedule in advance, and he may possibly need permission to travel. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) One person who spoke with The Independent about the ex-presidents mindset a former associate who enjoyed a close relationship with the Trump family for years but who asked not to be named because of Mr Trumps tendency to lash out and send his followers after his critics said it will be nigh-impossible for the former president to abide by even the most lenient conditions because he doesnt understand the law like normal people. The former Trump family confidante said Mr Trumps moral compass is so non-existent that he cant fathom how and why a judge would be able to tell him what to do, what he can and cant say, or where he can go. Add to that the ex-presidents contempt for the very idea that he would be held to account by prosecutors in the first place, and you get a high probability that Mr Trump ends up on the wrong side of a gag order or worse. Mr Conway, who spent most of his career practicing law in New York courts, told The Independent it would take a certain amount of courage on the part of whatever jurist is assigned Mr Trumps case to keep him from using his usual tactics of intimidation and bluster to poison any potential jury pool and incite his supporters against prosecutors, jurors, or even the courts. But he said there are judges who are fully capable of dealing with the ex-presidents conduct, citing the example of the New York federal judge who recently issued an order permitting the jury in writer E Jean Carrolls defamation and rape lawsuits against Mr Trump to remain anonymous. New York City Police police outside the Manhattan Criminal court (AP) That judge, Lewis Kaplan, is not taking any crap in Ms Carrolls lawsuit, he said, adding that Judge Kaplan or someone like him would be the perfect candidate to hear any case against the ex-president. I think that in order to keep this guy under control, from fomenting violence, a judge is going to have to show some real cojones, he said, while still balancing the former presidents First Amendment rights with the need to protect the integrity of the court system. Because he's a criminal defendant, and [he] can affect that the jury, a judge can muzzle [him] but its a very tricky position. Each of the former Trump associates who spoke to The Independent agreed that its entirely possible that the former presidents quickest path to incarceration runs through violating a judges order between his indictment and trial. Former Trump Attorney Michael Cohen arrives at the district attorney's office to complete his testimony before a grand jury earlier this month (AFP via Getty Images) But one former confidante, Mr Trumps ex-lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, said his former client would do more than push the envelope on what hes allowed to say and do once hes indicted. He said Mr Trump is incapable of processing accountability. Becoming a criminal defendant and having to be processed and mug-shotted poses a direct conflict to his inflated self-image and fragile ego, he said. Cohen, who spent more than a year in federal custody and two more years on home confinement after pleading guilty to charges stemming from the same hush-money scheme Mr Bragg charged the ex-president over, said Mr Trump fully understands that his usual methods of threats, delays and shouts about alleged witch hunts arent working, and suggested that knowledge makes him more dangerous. It is the reason he has ramped up attacks on anyone and everyone he deems a threat, he said. The former attorney, who may be a key witness in any case Mr Bragg brings against Mr Trump, also said his former employer wont react well to any judge placing any conditions on him. Cohen testified before the Manhattan grand jury on more than one occasion. Donald will play the victim and call on his supporters to protest in solidarity with him. He will lie to his supporters, grift off the situation and call for civil unrest, he said. Donald would rather see the country burn than accept responsibility. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump launched into a furious rant on Truth Social after he became the first current or former president to ever be criminally indicted in the history of the US. But his outrage over the matter seemed to prompt him to misspell the very word he wanted to emphasise as he fumed that Thugs and Radical Left Monsters had INDICATED him on criminal charges. These Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America, and the leading Republican Candidate, by far, for the 2024 Nomination for President, he wrote. THIS IS AN ATTACK ON OUR COUNTRY THE LIKES OF WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE. IT IS LIKEWISE A CONTINUING ATTACK ON OUR ONCE FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS. THE USA IS NOW A THIRD WORLD NATION, A NATION IN SERIOUS DECLINE. SO SAD! On Thursday 30 March, a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Mr Trump on criminal charges over hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels days before the 2016 presidential election. Sources confirmed the unprecedented development to The Independent on Thursday afternoon making Mr Trump the first current or former US president to ever face criminal charges. Mr Trump is reportedly facing more than 30 counts related to business fraud, sources told CNN after the indictment became public. The indictment is said to have caught Mr Trump off guard, insiders told the news network. While the former presidents team had been planning for an indictment in recent weeks and going on a media blitz on the matter the grand jury was not expected to be meeting on the case this week and was expected to take a scheduled break over the coming weeks. This led to speculation that the indictment would be delayed. But now, following Thursdays grand jury vote, Mr Trumps attorney Joe Tacopina said he expects the former president to be arraigned in New York next week. Anti-Trump protesters hold signs outside Manhattan Criminal Court after Donald Trumps indictment (REUTERS) Manhattan prosecutors have been investigating whether Mr Trump falsified the Trump Organizations business records when his former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen made a payment of $130,0000 to Ms Daniels days before the 2016 election. Prosecutors claim that the money was used to silence Ms Daniels about an alleged affair she had with Mr Trump. Mr Trump has long denied having an affair with the adult film star. Mr Trumps former fixer and personal attorney Cohen was convicted of tax evasion, lying to Congress and campaign finance violations related to the payments to Ms Daniels. He was sentenced to three years in prison. In recent weeks, the probe ramped up with both Cohen and Ms Daniels testifying before the grand jury. Mr Trump was also invited to testify. Though it was an invite he unsurprisingly turned down, it was a strong sign an indictment was on the way. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Attorneys for former president Donald Trump have asked a federal appeals court to toss a District of Columbia judges order forcing his last White House chief of staff and other former White House aides to give evidence before a grand jury investigating his attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden. Mr Trumps legal team on Wednesday asked the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to overturn District Judge Beryl Howells rejection of the ex-presidents claim of executive privilege over testimony from ex-top aide Mark Meadows and other former senior White House officials, including his former deputy chief of staff Daniel Scavino, ex-senior policy adviser Stephen Miller, and other former national security officials. Judge Howell, who until recently served as the chief judge for the District of Columbias federal district court, shot down Mr Trumps effort to quash subpoenas for his ex-aides testimony issued at the request of Jack Smith, the Department of Justice special counsel who is overseeing probes into the ex-presidents actions leading up to the January 6 attack on the Capitol, his alleged unlawful removal and retention of national defence information, and his alleged obstruction of the probe into his alleged unlawful retention of national defence information. Mr Trump had claimed his ex-aides could not be compelled to give evidence because of executive privilege, a legal doctrine that shields communications between and among a president and his advisers. But in a sealed ruling, the judge rejected his privilege claims, citing a string of precedents dating back to the Watergate era which state that executive privilege must give way to the need for prosecutors to obtain information for criminal investigations. Mr Trumps efforts have also been thwarted in part by President Joe Bidens refusal to assert executive privilege in matters relating to the January 6 attack, citing the extraordinary circumstances of the worst attack on the Capitol since Major General Robert Ross ordered British troops to burn it in 1814. The 15 March ruling from Judge Howell was a notable win for Mr Smith, as it will if allowed to remain in force compel Mr Trumps inner circle to tell grand jurors about their interactions with the twice-impeached former president during the period he was pushing to remain in office for a second term despite having lost the 2020 election to Mr Biden. Thus far, Mr Trump and his allies have had precious little success in persuading courts not to recognise any of his privilege claims as hes sought to hamper Mr Smiths investigative efforts. Last week, a three-judge panel of the DC Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a different ruling from Judge Howell which forced one of Mr Trumps lawyers, Evan Corcoran, to give evidence about Mr Trumps actions in relation to a separate grand jury investigation into his alleged unlawful retention of classified documents at his Palm Beach, Florida residence. The court found that Judge Howell had properly applied an exception to attorney-client privilege which can be invoked when it is found that legal advice was sought to further commission of a crime. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Breathtaking southern lights coloured New Zealand's night sky with all hues of pink and crimson over the week. The southern lights, also known as Aurora Australis, are more visible from New Zealands South Island, but since mid-March, the light has been so bright that it was visible from Auckland on the North Island. The vibrant dancing lights have sent aurora-hunters on miles-long journeys to capture the perfect shot. The aurora is caused by electrons emitted in a burst from the Sun that reaches the Earths atmosphere. Once they get low enough about 100km above ground they start to collide with atoms in the upper atmosphere, and a beautiful light show is created. In the north, the phenomenon is called Aurora Borealis. The lights are visible in New Zealand and Australian skies during autumn and winter, but according to analysts, they have been more visible than usual this year. Over the last few weeks weve seen some really, really good auroras, Ian Griffin, an astronomer and the director of Otago Museum, was quoted by The Guardian as saying. Around this time of year, near the equinoxes, the suns magnetic field and the Earths magnetic field line up in such a way that if there is a solar storm, the materials fall down into the Earths magnetic field very easily, Mr Griffin added. Twitter user Mark Gee shared a spectacular photograph of the lights on the social media platform, adding that it was probably the best aurora display that Ive seen from Wellington. Richard Zheng, an observer who was camped out at Brighton Beach in Dunedin to take pictures, told BBC that the intensity of the southern lights had grown "stronger and stronger". "Faced with such a scene, you can instantly forget all your troubles, and only lament the insignificance of human beings in front of nature," Mr Zheng said. While the natural phenomenon is normally seen in countries closer to the Arctic circle, UK stargazers have been treated to the rare sight in recent days, as the northern lights illuminated skies across the country. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The organisers of an event to welcome Barack Obama to the Wurundjeri land in Australia have apologised after facing backlash over cancelling the appearance of an Aboriginal woman for being too difficult. Wurundjeri elder Aunty Joy Murphy was supposed to perform the Welcome to Country ceremony at the event for the former US president. But the organisers cited security reasons for cancelling her appearance. Ms Murphy, 78, was supposed to welcome the former president to Wurundjeri land on the last leg of his speaking tour of Australia, according to local media. She had requested organisers Growth Faculty to provide a support person to help her and also asked to provide Mr Obama with a gift in line with the cultural practices of the land. In a statement, the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation said: She was told that she was being too difficult and was removed from event proceedings. This is a deep offence to the Wurundjeri people and to all First Nations people. Our Welcome to Country protocols are our traditional law and practice that have been used to welcome and offer protection to our guests on Wurundjeri lands for millennia. In a statement to the National Indigenous Times, Ms Murphy said that she was shocked at the way she was treated by the organiser. I am 78 years of age. I have never been treated or spoken to in this way in the past. I do not want this to be a reflection on President Obama. I am a leader of the Wurundjeri Nation. I asked to be treated as an equal. Ms Murphy has welcomed dignitaries including Nelson Mandela and the Queen. Later, the organisers said in a statement that Growth Faculty had been working with Aunty Joy and the Wurundjeri community for many weeks ahead of last nights event and due to security requirements, the organisation was unable to accommodate last minute changes to the agreed upon ceremony. Growth Faculty apologised to Aunty Joy that last nights ceremony could not be changed. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Watch as King Charles III continues his visit to Germany. The monarch addressed the Bundestag on Thursday 30 March during a high-profile trip that will attempt to rebuild some of the European ties damaged by Brexit. His remarks marked the first time that a member of the British royal family has spoken to members of Germanys lower house of parliament while it is in session. On Wednesday night, Charles pledged to strengthen the connections between the two nations while speaking at a banquet at Schloss Bellevue presidential palace in Berlin. He also spoke in German to say he and Camilla were deeply touched by the warm welcome they had received and he praised the very special nation. The Kings visit comes after the postponement of the French leg of his European tour, which was shelved by Emmanuel Macron last Friday after nationwide protests against his retirement age reforms. Click here to sign up for our newsletters. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Pope Francis's health is improving after he was hospitalised with a respiratory infection and he has resumed working while treatment continues, the Vatican has said. The pontiff was taken to hospital on Wednesday after complaining of breathing difficulties, raising fresh concerns over the health of the 86-year-old pontiff, who is suffering from a number of ailments. "His Holiness Pope Francis rested well during the night. His clinical picture is gradually improving and he is continuing his planned treatment," Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement. "This morning after breakfast, he read some newspapers and resumed work," he added. Indicating that Francis was not confined to his bed, the statement said he had prayed in the small chapel within his private hospital suite. "I am touched by the many messages received in these hours and I express my gratitude for the closeness and prayer," the pontiff wrote separately on Twitter. Mr Bruni did not say when Francis, who marked the 10th anniversary of his pontificate earlier this month, might leave Rome's Gemelli hospital. The Vatican initially said he was expected to spend a "few days" in hospital, calling into question his participation during the upcoming Holy Week, one of the busiest periods in the Church calendar, which kicks off with Palm Sunday. Cardinals said they had been told by the Vatican that Francis would not preside over Easter services this year and that they would share out the ceremonies between them. Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re told AGI news agency that Francis was expected to attend the main Mass on 9 April. Last year, Francis sat to one side during some of the Easter events due to persistent knee pain, leaving it to senior cardinals to lead the Masses. Well-wishers in St Peter's Square urged a speedy recovery. "We hope he will get well soon and celebrate the Easter Mass," said a nun from Tanzania, Sister Faustina. "We really love him," said a nun from Congo, Sister Michaela. Prayers were held for Francis in his native Argentina, which he has not returned to since his election as Pope a decade ago. "Day by day, with intensive work, unique in a Supreme Pontiff, he wears out his life for the service of the Church," Father Alejandro Russo, rector of the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral, told his congregation. "That is why we pray for the health of the Pope without alarm, because we know that this is a slight pause." The ANSA news agency, quoting unnamed hospital sources, said doctors had "for now" ruled out heart problems and pneumonia for Francis. The Vatican has also said he does not have Covid-19. Francis is sometimes short of breath and exposed to respiratory problems. He had part of one lung removed in his early 20s when training to be a priest in Argentina. The Pope also suffers from diverticulitis, a condition that can infect or inflame the colon, and had an operation at the Gemelli hospital in 2021 to remove part of his colon. He said in January that the condition had returned, but that he was not overly concerned. He did not elaborate. In addition, he has the problem with his right knee and alternates between using a cane and a wheelchair in his public appearances. His latest hospital stay has revived speculation over a possible resignation on health grounds, following the historic precedent of his predecessor Benedict XVI, who died in December. However, Francis has indicated he would follow the example only if he were gravely incapacitated. Asked by Italian Swiss television RSI in an interview broadcast on earlier this month what condition would lead him to quit, he said: "A tiredness that doesn't let you see things clearly. A lack of clarity, of knowing how to evaluate situations." Reuters Close Related: Putin visits Russian troops in Ukraines Kherson and Luhansk regions For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Russia has said their Black Sea Fleet repelled a drone attack on the Crimean port of Sevastopol in the early hours of Monday. According to the latest information: one surface drone was destroyed ... the second one exploded on its own, Moscow-installed governor Mikhail Razvozhaev wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Now the city is quiet. No damage was reported, Mr Razvozhaev added. Sevastopol, along with the rest of the Crimean peninsula, was declared annexed by Russia in 2014 but is internationally recognised as part of Ukraine. Meanwhile, the son of Vladimir Putins spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, claimed he served with the Wagner mercenary group for six months in Ukraine. In an interview with pro-Kremlin daily Komsomolskaya Pravda, Nikolai Peskov said it was his duty and he couldnt sit to one side watching as friends and others went off there. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The US is considering implementing a nationwide no fly list for violent passengers. Three US Senate and House members put the bill forward for a Protection From Abusive Passengers Act on Wednesday. This new legislation would mean the Transportation Security Administration could ban passengers who have been convicted or fined for assaulting or interfering with airline crew members. The act would be different to the FBIs No Fly List, which is used to prevent people known as or suspected of being terrorists from boarding an aircraft. In a statement shared on Twitter, congressman Rep. Eric Swalwell said: Today, I joined @SenJackReed & @RepBrianFitz in re-introducing the Protection from Abusive Passengers Act. Senator Jack Reed and Reps. Eric Swalwell and Brian Fitzpatrick are all Democrats. Mr Swalwell added: Incidents involving abusive passengers increased by nearly 600 per cent between 2019 and 2022. Our bill provides a simple solution if youre violent in our skies, you cant fly. In a news conference outside the Capitol, Frontier Airlines flight attendant Cher Taylor said: The violent incidents have not stopped. Ms Taylor saw a passenger attack a fellow traveller in 2021 in Miami and walk away before police were able to intervene. Strong penalties are needed to curb violent and unacceptable behavior. Bad behaviour should not fly, she added. In a follow-up statement, Mr Swalwell said the act would provide an important tool to crack down on violent offenders convicted of assaulting flight crew aboard an aircraft. However, the bill was met with opposition from civil libertarians who have said this new act would be similar to the FBIs existing list which is secretive and discriminatory. If Congress wants to further reduce air-rage incidents on aircraft, it should look at forcing the airlines to make flying a less miserable experience, Jay Stanley, a spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union, said. Last year, more than 2,300 incidents involving disruptive passengers were reported to the Federal Aviation Administration. Some 823 incidents subsequently led to investigations due to to their severity. This is a fewer than the 1,099 investigations triggered in 2021, and it has been suggested that the improvement is due to a judge overturning the federal requirement for people to wear masks on planes. But the number of reports of unruly passengers is still far higher than that seen before the Covid pandemic began. In 2019, only 146 passenger violations were recorded by the FAA. While a similar bid for a no fly act for violent passengers was unsuccessful in 2022, there have been numerous notable incidents recorded since then. In November 2022, a woman forced an emergency landing onboard a flight from Houston to Ohio after biting a passenger. In March this year, a passenger was arrested after allegedly stabbing a United Airlines crew member with a spoon. Last week, a passenger was detained at Miami Airport after scratching police following a fight onboard a flight. Airlines have private lists of banned passengers, but these are not currently shared with other carriers or made public. King Charles III made history on Thursday 30 March, becoming the first British monarch to address the Bundestag, Germanys federal parliament. The monarch delivered the opening part of his speech in German before switching to English to share how important visits to the country were for his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II. Charles then continued his address, switching between German and English multiple times, and received a standing ovation after he finished. His wife Camilla, Queen Consort, was watching on from the Bundestag floor. Click here to sign up for our newsletters. King Charles III has praised Germany for showing extraordinary hospitality in hosting more than one million refugees from Ukraine since the outbreak of war. In the first state banquet speech of his reign on Wednesday evening (29 March), Charles also pledged to strengthen the connections between the UK and Germany after arriving in Berlin. I did want to pay a particular tribute to Germanys extraordinary hospitality in hosting over one million Ukrainian refugees, the King said. This, it seems to me, so powerfully demonstrates the generosity and spirit of the German people. Click here to sign up for our newsletters. Three people have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder after two men were shot dead in two linked incidents in separate villages around six miles apart in Cambridgeshire. Cambridgeshire Police were called to reports of gunshots and found the body of a 32-year-old man inside a house in Meridian Close, Bluntisham just after 9pm on Wednesday night. At 21:37, officers were again called to reports of gunshots and found the body of a 57-year-old man in a house on The Row in Sutton. A 27-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman were detained in Cambridge in the early hours of Thursday, while a 66-year-old man was arrested in the Worcester area. Click here to sign up for our newsletters. Footage shows the moment teenagers attempt to steal a car was thwarted when they were faced with an unexpected challenge. Police in Maryland say the pair, aged 16 and 17, forced a man who was pumping gas to hand over the keys to his car. However, once they hopped into the vehicle, they were unable to make their getaway as they couldnt drive a manual car. After a brief foot chase, the juveniles were quickly apprehended, police said. The two juveniles have been arrested and charged as adults, with one count of carjacking and one count of conspiracy of carjacking. Sign up for our newsletters. The Duke of Sussex returned to Londons High Court on Thursday, 30 March, as his lawyers resisted an ambitious and unattractive bid by the publisher of the Daily Mail to end his legal action against it. Prince Harry and other public figures such as Sir Elton John and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, accuse Associated Newspapers Limited of having concealed wrongdoing over the alleged unlawful gathering of their private information. The allegations are denied. Click here to sign up for our newsletters. Evan Gershkovich, an American reporter for the Wall Street Journal, has been seen for the first time since being arrested on espionage charges in Russia. Footage shows a man, believed to be the US journalist, being led from court to a vehicle. Mr Gershkovich is the first American reporter to be arrested on spying charges in Russia since the Cold War. The Federal Security Service said Mr Gershkovich was detained in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg while allegedly trying to obtain classified information. The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations and is seeking Mr Gershkovichs release. Sign up for our newsletters. Two congressmen were involved in a heated shouting match over gun laws following Mondays school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee. Democrat Jamaal Bowman stood outside the House floor to demand answers about why guns are available to children when he was interrupted by Republican Thomas Massie. Mr Bowman, a former middle school principal, labelled Republican lawmakers unwilling to pass firearm restrictions as freaking cowards. He became further enraged when Mr Massie suggested theres never been a school shooting in a school that allows teachers to carry. Click here to sign up for our newsletters. That King Charles should be making the first state visit of his monarchy to Germany is a diplomatic accident of the sort that is not supposed to happen. It could, though, turn out to be a happy one. The King had planned to make what were essentially twin visits to France and Germany. It was a careful orchestration, designed at once to start fence-mending with the EU after Brexit and to signal that the two countries are of prime significance to the UK but that France might have the very slightest edge, by virtue of history, geography and defence ties. Then France dropped out. Or at least, Emmanuel Macron judged correctly that the unrest triggered by his effort to raise the state pension age was hardly conducive to a successful state visit, especially when the schedule was to include a full-dress state banquet at Versailles. A Fianna Fail TDs analogy comparing extending the eviction ban to making sweets free for children was not a good one, the Taoiseach has said. Leo Varadkar was commenting after former government minister Barry Cowen apologised to anyone who had been offended by his remarks in the Dail on Wednesday. I dont think it was a good analogy, and Im sure he would agree that they werent the correct words to use, he said. Mr Varadkar made the remarks as he visited a new housing development in Co Wicklow on Thursday. Expand Close Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Housing minister Darragh OBrien during a site visit highlighting Cairn Ltds new housing projects in Delgany, Co Wicklow (Brian Lawless/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Housing minister Darragh OBrien during a site visit highlighting Cairn Ltds new housing projects in Delgany, Co Wicklow (Brian Lawless/PA) Mr Cowen has faced criticism from opposition TDs after drawing the analogy as he argued that extending the eviction ban might be popular in the short term but would have a negative effect in the longer term. Its like making sweets free for children, its fine for a little while but ultimately detrimental to the greater need, he told the Dail. On Wednesday, the Government saw off a motion of confidence over its housing policy and also defeated a Sinn Fein bid to extend the temporary moratorium on no-fault evictions. The evictions ban, which was introduced at the end of October last year as part of measures responding to the cost-of-living crisis, will run out at the end of March as originally intended. Critics of the decision to end the moratorium claim it will result in the current record levels of homelessness soaring even higher, while the Government has insisted that prolonging the measure will see more landlords leave the rental market, reducing an already low supply of accommodation further. On Thursday, Mr Cowen explained why he had made the comment. What I said was just an analogy in an effort to get the message across that short-term solutions dont always work in the long term, he told RTE Radio One. He added: I am sorry if people were offended by what I said. It certainly wasnt my intention. My intention was to focus on issues, solutions that are available, that have been made available, that need to be concentrated on. In his contribution in the Dail, Mr Cowen said opposition parties should put more focus on supporting the Governments tenant-in-situ scheme that encourages local authorities to buy up properties where a notice of eviction has been served to a household in receipt of state supports. I don't think it was a good analogy, and I'm sure he would agree that they weren't the correct words to use. Leo Varadkar Mr Varadkar said he agreed with that sentiment. One thing he said which really resonated with me actually yesterday was he said that the tenant-in-situ is working, he said. And he asked the opposition to work the scheme, instead of knocking the scheme and I totally agree with him on that. Mr Varadkar joined Housing Minister Darragh OBrien on Thursday morning as they visited Cairn Ltds housing project in Delgany, Co Wicklow. Its exactly the kind of model we want to see more around the country, said Mr Varadkar. Theres a good mix of housing here. Theres private housing for people to buy, theres also social housing for people on the housing list, and theres cost rental housing as well a new form of public housing in Ireland that is making affordable rents available to people who dont qualify for social housing and arent able to buy their own home yet. And its good cooperation between the private sector and also the public sector in the form of the LDA (Land Development Agency). A lot of reasons I think for hope. I appreciate were facing a very deep housing crisis at the moment, but theres a lot of good things happening as well, and I think this is a perfect example of that. Bernard Phelans father Vincent attended a vigil with friends, family and supporters outside the Iranian Embassy in Dublin on Thursday (Brian Lawless/PA) A vigil has been held outside the Iranian embassy in Dublin calling for the release of Bernard Phelan, whose family have raised concerns about his health and treatment. The vigil for Mr Phelan, organised by his family and attended by his sister Caroline and 97-year-old father Vincent, was held to mark the 178 days he has spent in prison. People who attended the protest outside the Iranian embassy held flowers, signs and the Women, Life Freedom sign of the feminist movement in Iran. Expand Close The vigil was held outside the Iranian embassy in Dublin (Brian Lawless/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The vigil was held outside the Iranian embassy in Dublin (Brian Lawless/PA) The 64-year-old dual Irish/French national is being detained in a prison in northeast Iran after his arrest in Mashhad in October 2022 while on a trip. His family claim that he has been charged with providing information to an enemy country, which Mr Phelan denies. Amnesty International has called for Mr Phelans immediate release, and raised concerns about the prison sentence he received in February 2023. The human rights group and Mr Phelans family have also raised concerns about his deteriorating health, with his relatives saying that he requires daily medication for a number of health conditions. Expand Close The event was organised by Mr Phelans family (Brian Lawless/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The event was organised by Mr Phelans family (Brian Lawless/PA) His family have said that his eyesight is also deteriorating, as he had an operation on both of his eyes prior to his trip to Iran and has not had any follow-up treatment. Amnesty International have called on the Iranian authorities to grant him access to adequate healthcare, including all necessary medication and treatment. His relatives have also stated he has been denied access to a lawyer of his own choosing since arrest. The authorities must also ensure that he is provided with regular phone calls to his family, access to a lawyer of his own choosing, and unhindered regular consular assistance from the Irish and French, Amnesty said in a statement on Thursday. He must also be provided with translations, including of key case documents, so that he is able to fully understand his rights. Farmers are generally not required to register for VAT. For VAT purposes, a farmer is someone involved in the supply of certain agricultural produce and services. This includes horse breeders and stud farmers who are not engaged in any other activity apart from livestock or tillage farming. However, if such farmers are involved in other VAT-able activities, such as training, they may not qualify as a farmer for VAT purposes and may be required to register and account for VAT on all their activities. Interpreting the rules and chargeable rates of VAT for registered equine and greyhound enterprises can be challenging. There are a variety of rates that apply in differing circumstances. VAT rates for registered operators For registered equine and greyhound operators there are four rates of VAT that apply to sales and purchases as well as deductible costs. The Livestock Rate; The Reduced Rate, which applies to purchases at auction along with certain input and overhead costs. The standard rate which also applies to training fees and certain allowable input and overhead costs. The auction rate. Where registered farmers are selling produce to factories, co-ops and merchants, they are obliged to notify them that they are registered for VAT whereby the farmer flat-rate refund will not be included in the payment they receive. The Livestock Rate This 4.8pc VAT applies to registered operators in respect of livestock in general, and to horses that are normally intended for use in the preparation of foodstuffs or for use in agricultural production. It also applies to the supply of live horses to farmers. For the supply of a horse to qualify for the application of the livestock rate, the buyer should make a written declaration to the supplier that he or she is a taxable person involved in the preparation of foodstuffs (eg, a slaughterhouse) or is a farmer, with details of their name, address and PPSN/VAT registration number. Failure to make and retain such a written declaration will result in the application of VAT at the reduced rate (13.5pc) on the sale. The Reduced Rate This rate at 13.5pc applies to the supply of live horses, other than those normally intended for use in the preparation of foodstuffs or in agricultural production. It also applies to the supply of greyhounds, the hire of horses, nominations in studs and the supply of livestock semen and horse semen. Expand Close VAT rates / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp VAT rates Sales by unregistered farmers Unregistered farmers, otherwise known as flat-rate farmers, are not liable to VAT on purchases or sales of horses from or to other flat-rate farmers or other unregistered farmers. However, sales of horses by flat-rate farmers to VAT-registered traders, including auctioneers and auction houses, continue to qualify for the flat-rate addition payable by the VAT-registered traders to the flat-rate farmers. The flat-rate addition is 5pc. So where a flat rate farmer sells his horse at auction for 30,000, he is entitled to receive an additional 1,500 from the sales company. A once-off declaration is required to be completed and signed by the flat-rate farmer with each buyer, confirming their flat-rate status, prior to the flat-rate addition being paid. Housing Minister Darragh OBrien has had to reassure nervous US company bosses that the country can accommodate a growing population. He told business leaders at an American Chambers of Commerce (AmCham) conference on Wednesday that the Government is catching up and getting to grips with home building, but that capacity to build them was still an issue. His reassurance came after an AmCham survey found that housing was the number one challenge for companies wanting to invest in or expand in Ireland. I do not underestimate the scale of it, Mr OBrien told the audience in Dublins Croke Park stadium. I do know we are making progress. We are on the right path. Im quite happy to take constructive criticism. No one, more than I, would want to be able to say that I can build 40,000 homes this year, but I have to be truthful to people as well, that we have to build the capacity up to be able do that, and that is actually happening now. After housing, skills shortages and maintaining R&D tax incentives were the next-largest challenges for firms wishing to expand or locate here. Read More Almost two-thirds (64pc) of US firms in Ireland expect to add jobs in the next year, with only 5pc expecting cuts, the AmCham survey found. Almost all firms (92pc) had a positive view of Ireland as an investment or growth location, based on the experience of their Irish operations this year. Mary Buckley, interim chief executive of state agency IDA, said the Government needs to ensure the carrying capacity of the economy is able to take further foreign direct investment as the population grows, in terms of housing, water infrastructure, the planning process and energy. There are now 950 US companies in Ireland, employing 209,000 people directly and 167,000 indirectly, AmCham said. There are 650 Irish companies employing over 100,000 people in the US, making Ireland the ninth-largest foreign direct investor in the US. Mark Redmond, chief executive of the American Chamber, said that the future of inward investment will be as much about where people want to live as where companies want to locate. Read More Foras Capital is interested in luring a potential sale candidate where the business owner is transitioning to another sector A clutch of senior Irish businessmen are involved in a new investment firm that says it has the capacity to make a single acquisition valued at up to 50m. Dublin-based Foras Capital has been founded by Egyptian-born entrepreneur Sam Batran. Living in Dublin, he was most recently the chief executive of the Saudi Arabia-based Halj Group, a property investment group. Foras Capital is supported by a number of well-known investors including Sean Mitchell, the founder of chip designer Movidius. He sold that business to Intel in 2016 for $400m. Frank Kenny, the founder of venture capital firm Delta Partners is also involved, as is John Gallagher, a previous investment director at Irelandia, the investment firm owned by the Ryan family. Read More Former Aer Arann owner Padraig O Ceidigh is also supporting the new investment firm. On its website, Mr Batran described Foras Capital as an investment vehicle that has the sole objective to identify, acquire and scale up only one well-established company on the isle of Ireland. It is targeting businesses that have a history of profitability and growth, healthy margins and revenues of between 7m and 50m. Post-acquisition, I will assume a full-time role as CEO, and my backers will be actively involved on the board. We have a depth of expertise in running, and growing companies, he adds. Foras Capital is interested in luring a potential sale candidate where the business owner is transitioning to another sector, or planning retirement. We will preserve your legacy, grow the company, and nurture the team, Mr Batran says. We aim to be your successors in business, while you seek your next chapter in life. Foras, which says it is Irelands first search fund, will also consider letting owners remain with the business. By buying into an existing operation, search funds provide a safer alternative to starting from scratch, he said Mr Batran in a recent blog. Revenue has lost 50m on warehoused taxes owed by companies that have gone into liquidation, according to figures provided by Minister for Finance Michael McGrath. To date, a total of 510 companies who were eligible for the tax debt warehousing scheme have been put into liquidation with collective tax debts of just over 55m, according to the ministers response to a parliamentary question from Sinn Fein TD Louise OReilly. Most of that amount - 50m - was incurred during the Covid-19 emergency but parked in the tax warehouse for future collection and is now considered foregone. The losses are the first sign of risks materialising from the warehousing programme, which was put in place to help keep businesses afloat during the pandemic with the expectation that they would pay back liabilities once the economic situation had stabilised. Mr McGrath said in his response that Revenue was not in a position to specify how much tax revenue would be lost due to future liquidations or administrations, which typically involve writedowns of a firms debts. But initial estimates by his own department in 2020 put potential tax losses from the scheme at up to 25pc of the total. Currently 2.25bn sits in the warehouse after Revenue agreed late last year to extend its demand for payments to May 2024. Most businesses enrolled in the warehousing scheme have opted to start accumulating interest on their debts rather than start repaying them. According to the most recent figures, just under 2,000 firms with 68m owing have agreed phased payment arrangements (PPA) with tax officials to clear their debts, according to the latest Revenue data. That means the vast majority of the 65,000 companies still in the scheme are taking advantage of the repayment extension and adding 3pc in annual interest charges to their unpaid balances. Businesses in the scheme were originally required to set up a PPA by January of this year, with participating firms expected to pay lump sums of 25pc to 40pc up front. But Revenue extended that date in October until May 1, 2024 after the Irish Tax Institute and accountancy bodies lobbied for leeway on behalf of their business clients. While the deadline extension was granted to minimise business failure, according to a Revenue spokesperson, it will also delay the repayment of substantial Government financial support, add to the final amount owed, and lengthen the period that public funds are at risk. Most firms that used the warehousing scheme owe relatively small amounts, with almost nine in 10 carrying a balance of less than 5,000. But 7,500 companies in the scheme account for the bulk of all the remaining debt, at more than 2bn, meaning the average amount due to be repaid by these companies is approaching 300,000 a much heavier burden and a bigger risk if any of these firms go bust before paying. Meanwhile, tax officials have warned firms in the debt warehouse they must file and pay their current liabilities on time or risk losing access to the scheme, which would result in balances being demanded in full, with backdated interest at 10pc tacked on. Three Irish-based businesses have been approved for a total of 22.4m in funding from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator Programme. The funds are made available by Horizon Europe, the EUs 95.5bn funding programme for research and innovation. The EIC accelerator provides funding to high-potential high-risk startups and SMEs. It offers grants up to 2.5m combined with equity investment ranging from 500,000 to 15m in a blended finance offer. The three Enterprise-Ireland nominated companies were chosen from 476 applications from businesses across Europe. Technology from Ideas, which has developed mooring technology for floating offshore wind and aquaculture projects, was awarded blended finance. Nemysis, which is set to receive grant funding, is focused on the development of the first ever preventive treatment for coeliac disease and gluten sensitivity. Versonso Medical was also awarded grant funding. It is developing a new technology platform for endovascular surgery that is focused on preventing amputation in patients with chronic total occlusions from critical limb ischemia. Ireland has now received 110m in funding since the introduction of Horizon Europes programme in 2021 and now ranks in second place for funding approved after the Netherlands. "Irelands overall success in the Horizon Europe EIC programme, supported by Enterprise Ireland in our National Contact Point capacity, shines a spotlight on the innovation and capability of our companies to compete on a global level, Enterprise Ireland chief executive Leo Clancy said. "It is particularly welcome to see a company from the marine renewable energy sector feature on this occasion, he added. Most pension advisers expect the Government to miss its target for the roll-out of the auto-enrolment pension scheme. The plan is being put in place for those who only have the State pension to fund their retirement. But it has been decades since it was first mooted and its introduction has been subject to repeated delays. Nine out of 10 pension advisers expect the Government to miss its target of next year for the scheme to become available to the public, according to a survey undertaken by pension trustees Independent Trustee Company (ITC). More than half of pensions advisers believe it will be at least two years before the scheme gets up and running. Under auto-enrolment, workers would automatically be enrolled in a pension scheme, with contributions then made into the scheme by employers, the State and the employees themselves. The scheme is aimed at private sector workers aged between 23 and 60 who earn at least 20,000 a year and who are not already part of a work pension scheme. Only 9pc of pension advisers expect the Government to hit its target of 2024 to get auto-enrolment set up. More than one in three expect auto-enrolment to be delayed by a year, meaning it would be available to the public in 2025, according to the survey of 100 advisers. Read More Four in 10 expect auto-enrolment to be delayed by either two or three years, meaning it would be rolled out in 2026 or 2027. One in seven believe the public will have to wait at least another four years before auto-enrolment is up and running, if it becomes available at all. However, this is an improvement on December 2021, when almost four in 10 did not expect auto-enrolment to happen at all. Head of business development with Independent Trustee Company (ITC) Glenn Gaughran, said: It is encouraging that more advisers believe auto-enrolment will happen, albeit eventually. He said that two years ago an ITC survey found almost four in 10 advisers did not expect auto-enrolment to happen. Today, 15pc of advisers believe the worst-case scenario is at least a four-year delay or for the scheme not to get up and running. This shows that scepticism around the roll-out of the scheme is falling, he said. Early last year Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys announced that up to 750,000 people would be automatically signed up to auto-enrolment from January next year. But in January briefing papers prepared by officials for the incoming Finance Minister Michael McGrath had referred to the target to introduce auto-enrolment next year as somewhat ambitious. Employers group Ibec has said that businesses will not be ready. There are doubts about whether a proposed State-run Central Processing Authority, which is part of the scheme, can be up and running in time. At a seminar on auto-enrolment this week Department of Social Protection official Tim Duggan, who is leading the project, said his team was looking at ways that employers of women who are on maternity leave can continue making auto-enrolment pension contributions. Read More A new sustainability accelerator for startups is being created in Dublins Dogpatch to encourage environmentally-focused tech. Twelve startups will be offered a place in the 2050 programme, which will run from May to August. The initiative is being backed by the ESB, Coillte, Kerry Group and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. The US-based environmentally-focused Grantham Foundation is also supporting the 2050 accelerator. As well as Dublins Dogpatch facility, regional hubs in Cork (Republic of Work), Kerry (RDI Hub), Galway (Portershed) and Wexford (GreenTech HQ) will be involved in the effort. Organisers say that both Irish and international startups will be able to apply for a place on the accelerator and will benefit from access to Irelands national sustainability infrastructure, such as wind farms, dairy farms and forestry through the industry partners. Read More Industrial partners will also give qualifying startups access to expertise on agriculture, energy and forestry, through their own involvement with farms, turbines and land management. And startups are being promised help to scale their products and services, up to and including possible funding arrangements. Three of the 14 weeks from May to August will be core weeks at Dublins Dogpatch, whose CEO is Patrick Walsh, with scheduled workshops, talks and mentoring taking place. We expect pilots to take longer than three months to establish so there will be a further three months of tailored support provided to startups to help them get the pilots up and running with our industry partners, said a spokesperson for the initiative. As part of the programme, space will initially be provided for the startups at Dogpatch Labs for each of the core weeks. If the startups need to work outside Dublin while developing pilots with industry partners in Cork, Galway, Kerry or Wexford, a desk will be available for them in the innovation hubs in those regions. In addition to general supports and access, the Grantham Foundation is to sponsor a specific stream focused on supporting startups developing carbon dioxide removal solutions. The goal of [the accelerator] is to position Ireland as a global leader in sustainability innovation by 2050, aligning with the countrys ambitious aim to achieve carbon neutrality by the same year, said the spokesperson. The spokesperson added it would connect participants with a network of global experts The court heard of a phone call between Phillip Schofield and his brother (Ian West/PA) The brother of This Morning host Phillip Schofield wept as he told a court how he phoned his brother and told him he was on the verge of taking his own life. Timothy Schofield, 54, is on trial at Exeter Crown Court charged with 11 sexual offences involving a child between October 2016 and October 2019, including two of sexual activity with a child. Schofield, a civilian police worker from Bath, is said to have told his TV star brother about some of the alleged offending in September 2021. When asked by his barrister Peter Binder whether he had performed sexual acts on the teenager, Schofield replied: Absolutely not. Schofield told the jury he had watched pornography with the boy, who he insisted was aged over 16 at that time, and they had masturbated while sat apart. Giving evidence on Thursday, the defendant told the jury he had been gay his entire life but had kept it completely secret and hidden from everybody. I am not guilty of these charges and that's why I have stuck to my guns the whole way through and pleaded not guilty the whole way through Timothy Schofield He described this as incredibly difficult and told the court he had struggled with mental health problems for years. The defendant wept as he was asked about phoning his famous brother before driving to his home in London in September 2021. Peter Binder, representing Schofield, asked him: Phillip described you as being in an extreme state of agitation? Schofield replied: Yes. I remember sitting in a field and making the phone call to him. Mr Binder asked: You told him you were on the verge of killing yourself? Schofield wept as he said: Thats correct. I was so alone. On Wednesday, the court heard a written statement by Phillip Schofield, which described the phone call and his brother coming to his home in London. Mr Schofield described how they spent several hours talking, including eating a meal, before he went to do the washing-up. Video of the Day He told how his brother said You are going to hate me for what I am about to say, with him assuring him there was nothing he could say that would do that. Mr Schofield said in the statement: Then he said that he and (the boy) had time together and that last year they had watched porn and (masturbated). I turned and said, What did you just say? He said it was last year and we were alone together. Tim said it was just this once. I told him it should never happen again. He then started to tell me about (the boys) body. I said, F***, stop. I shouted at Tim that he had to stop. I didnt want to know any of the details but he made it sound like a one-off. I said, I dont want you to tell me any more. I said, Youve got to stop, just never do it again. Regardless how that happened, it must never happen again. During cross-examination by Robin Shellard, the defendant told the court the teenager was old enough to choose to watch pornography with him. Schofield told the jury: It was a consensual thing after the age of 16. He never in any way said no at all. He admitted searching for terms on a legal pornography website including young boy teen sex and gay teen torrents but insisted he believed this would return results showing men aged between 18 and their early twenties. The defendant was asked about his arrest in December 2021 and police interviews in which he replied no comment to questions. Schofield told the jury: I was in such an awful place and I just was trying to get my head around what had been said, what I had been accused of. I had just been arrested, I was in a police cell. When asked if he was guilty of the charges, he replied: I am not guilty of these charges and thats why I have stuck to my guns the whole way through and pleaded not guilty the whole way through. Theres no way I am going to plead guilty to something I havent done. The court previously heard that the 54-year-old carried out the alleged attacks while working for Avon and Somerset Police as an IT technician. Schofield, of Bath, denies three counts of causing a child to watch sexual activity, three of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, three of causing a child to engage in sexual activity and two of sexual activity with a child. Phillip Schofield did not appear on ITVs This Morning on Wednesday. The studio said he is taking pre-planned leave this week. The trial continues. We review the biggest release of the week. Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves Four stars In cinemas; Cert 12A This shouldnt work quite as well as it does. Chris Pine, occasional captain of the Starship Enterprise, is our handsome lead. Michelle Rodriguez, on loan from her Fast and Furious family, is his axe-wielding partner in crime. Its been a while since either of these players scored a win outside their franchises. We are concerned, too, by the appearance of Bridgerton dreamboat Rege-Jean Page, whose limited range is becoming a bit of an issue. Read More It is, perhaps, Hugh Grants presence that provides the first glimmer of hope. Grant made for a tasty villain in the glorious Paddington 2 and seems to be enjoying himself immensely in this playfully plotted fantasy caper. We might say the same for Pine and Rodriguez. In fact, everyone here is in fine form, and Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves is so extraordinarily fun that one could almost forgive it for passing the two-hour mark. Pines cocky bard, Edgin Darvis, explains everything from a prison cell. See, Edgin is a musical adventurer a sarky, Pied Piper type, handy with his lute, less so with his fists. Everything falls apart following the death of his wife, and it isnt until the mighty barbarian Holga Kilgore (Rodriguez) comes along that our devastated protagonist remembers he has a daughter, Kira, to look after. With Holgas help, Edgin turns to a life of thievery, which works out alarmingly well for everyone involved (except maybe the people they are stealing from). One day, Edgin learns of a relic that will help resurrect his late wife, and thus sets off to steal this impossible MacGuffin from some powerful people, bringing with him a rookie sorcerer (Justice Smiths Simon Aumar) and a slippery rogue, Forge Fitzwilliam (Hugh Grant), for assistance. Lets just say things go sideways and that there may have been another red wizard involved (enter Daisy Head as Sofina). Forge and Simon make it out, but the others are captured and imprisoned. The years pass until, finally, Edgin and Holga escape. Much has changed on the outside world. For a start, Forge has become the rich and mighty Lord of Neverwinter. Yep, hes one of the bad guys now, and he has also raised Kira (Chloe Coleman) as his own daughter while Edgin was away. Video of the Day You can tell where this is going. To save the day and reclaim whats rightfully theirs our dynamic duo need to assemble another team of plucky anti-heroes. Simon the sorcerer re-enters the equation. Edgin somehow convinces a shapeshifting druid (Sophia Lilliss Doric) to sign up. Along the way they encounter a wise and fearless paladin chap named Xenk Yendar (Page). Oh, and keep your eyes peeled for dragons. A busy plot, but the directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley (Game Night) handle it well. Indeed, this flows with all the elegance, energy and excitement of an old-school fantasy adventure flick. One minute it looks to be in line with the wondrous, swashbuckling charm of The Princess Bride. The next, it tips its hat to Peter Jacksons The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It owes a significant debt to Marvels original Avengers formula, before that saga succumbed to its own self-importance. Here is a band of unlikely heroes. Here is the conniving baddie that double-crossed them. Watch as these spirited good guys employ wit, heart and magical weapons to defeat evil forces that sort of thing. Predictable stuff, but it works. That clever tagline, too (No Experience Necessary), applies to both story and audience. Some of us have yet to indulge in the billion-dollar table-top role-playing game from which this tremendously choreographed display takes its cue. Thats OK. I wouldnt know my Warlocks from my Rogues, but that never hindered my enjoyment. Pine is excellent as the alluring schemer who has little to offer his team but blind encouragement, half-baked plans and whimsical tunes. Rodriguez, Smith and Lillis have their fun battling ugly bruisers and nasty wizard types. Mr Page is perfectly cast as a beautiful, courageous warrior who rarely smiles and takes everything to heart and Grant hams it up nicely as the oily menace of our tale. Its finest attribute? A fabulous sense of humour. You need it when dealing with talking bird men and flying magic lads. Sign us up for the inevitable sequel. We review the hotly-anticipated new Taron Egerton film, Tetris. Tetris Four stars Apple TV+; Cert TBC First, the disclaimer: This frothy, energetic display is not a film based on the Tetris video game. That would be horrifying. Instead, it embellishes the true story of a determined Dutchman who travelled to Russia to acquire the rights to said video game. A worthier venture, youll agree. The year is 1988 and Henk Rogers (Taron Egerton) needs a win. Raised in the US and based in Japan, our eager entrepreneur is desperate to find the next big gaming experience. Its at a convention in Vegas that he stumbles upon a clever new Russian endeavour that will change his life. Read More Tetris, Henk discovers, is an extraordinarily addictive game, and will almost certainly make a fortune. He wants in so, too, does the Maxwell media empire. Alas, the Russians arent interested in sharing. Things get tricky. Directed by Jon S Baird (Filth, Stan & Ollie), Tetris plays fast and loose with the facts, and fancies itself as an edgy, cold-war thriller. A big ask, but we mustnt let the truth get in the way of a good time and thats exactly what Tetris provides. Egerton, too, elevates proceedings and hey, those 8-bit cartoon interludes are fun. In a word? Irresistible. Video of the Day A little more than an hour into his concert at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC on Monday night, Bruce Springsteen stopped to tell a story about joining his first band at the age of 15 in 1965. That was 10 presidents ago in Washington speak, an astonishing run. And given his full-throttle, nearly three-hour performance, he probably has a few more presidents still to go. Read More From the first notes of the first song, No Surrender, the 73-year-old and his magnificent E Street Band planted a hard-charging declaration of resolve in the face of everything that has tested them over a half-century of music-making and life-living. When they reached the chorus, the fans, full-throated, joined in their pact: We made a promise we swore wed always remember. No retreat, baby, no surrender. Damn. It was the perfect opening statement for a night of music that did not back down and that reminded listeners of rocknrolls ability to distil complex emotions and feelings into seemingly simple singalong anthems. Few do that better than Springsteen, who has delivered decades of irrepressible songs that also explore deeper themes of struggle and survival, resilience and resurrection, community and commitment. Taut, tan and dressed all in black, The Boss was a commanding figure as he led his band and that exuberant crowd through favourites that have spanned his career. Prove It All Night sounded as urgent and unrelenting as it did when first released on Darkness on the Edge of Town, in 1978. And on the raging The Promised Land, when Springsteen howled, Blow away the lies that leave you nothing but lost and broken-hearted, it felt like a cathartic call to a world that has been swimming in uncertainty and fear these past few years. The joyful Out in the Street, a forget-all-your-troubles-and-party banger, was more cause to celebrate. The band, which would eventually swell to 18 members with back-up vocalists and a horn section, was held down by Springsteens long-time sidemates, including drummer Max Weinberg, guitarist/pirate Steven Van Zandt and local boy-made-good guitarist Nils Lofgren, who grew up in Bethesda. Saxophonist Jake Clemons summoned the spirit and the chops of his late uncle, Clarence Clemons, the legendary Big Man of Springsteens band until his death in 2011. Video of the Day The summer leg of this tour will return to Dublin for a trio of concerts at the RDS on May 5, 7 and 9 Springsteen reached way back in his catalogue for two playful songs, Kittys Back and The E Street Shuffle, from 1973s The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle. And on Johnny 99, he brought his blistering five-piece horn section to the crowd, turning a grim tale from his stark 1982 solo album, Nebraska, into a full-on rave-up. Never has a life sentence sounded like so much fun. The concert marked Springsteens second trip to Washington in the past week. Six days earlier, he received a National Medal of Arts at the White House, where President Joe Biden described him as a poet, troubadour, a chronicler of American life and resilience and hope and dreams. If there was a shadow over the show, it was the still-lingering bad taste from the dynamic pricing Springsteen and his team agreed to, which led to sky-high ticket prices when they went on sale last year. Some fans paid well over $1,000 for seats that cost just a couple of hundred a few years ago. Many ordinary Joes and Janes, forever staples of Springsteens base, couldnt afford to plunk down those big bucks. There isnt a fan who doesnt think Springsteen should be handsomely rewarded for his shows, but that money grab felt a little grubby. For those in the arena for the 26-song tour de force, however, that misstep was probably soon forgotten or forgiven. The generous opening set ended with a roaring version of Badlands, and the band quickly returned for a seven-song encore, which included Thunder Road, Born to Run, Rosalita, Glory Days and Dancing in the Dark. Not too shabby. There has been no announcement that this will be the last tour that Springsteen will do with the E Street Band, but there are no guarantees, either. (The summer leg of this tour will return to Dublin for a trio of concerts at the RDS on May 5, 7 and 9). For Bruce and those in the band in their 70s, delivering a show with this much energy and verve is a lot more taxing than it was in their 20s, 30s and 40s. The party cant go on forever. Indeed, the theme of mortality and loss was woven into the nights offerings, such as with Ghosts, from Springsteens 2020 album, Letter to You, and with his cover of the Commodores Nightshift, from his record Only the Strong Survive. As if to make sure that point wasnt missed, Springsteen closed the show with the beautiful Ill See You in My Dreams, a song of holding dear to memories of the people he has lost along the way. People like E Streeters Clemons and Danny Federici, as well as his friend George Theiss, the leader of that first band he joined 10 presidents ago. Fancy a night in with some telly? Weve got you covered. Beyond Paradise BBC1, 8pm Panic spreads through the village of Shipton Abbott when an arsonist targets local businesses, leaving a single word of graffiti at the scene of each fire pig. With Kris Marshall and Sally Bretton. SSE Airtricity League Live RTE2, 7.35pm Peter Collins introduces coverage of Shelbournes Premier Division clash with Derry City at Tolka Park, which kicks off at 7.45pm. Adrian Eames and Kenny Cunningham commentate. Read More Late Night Lycett Channel 4, 10pm Joe Lycett welcomes celebrity guests to this new chat show, which also includes a comic news review of the weeks stories. Expand Close Dating hopefuls Jackie and Micah in season four of Love Is Blind / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Dating hopefuls Jackie and Micah in season four of Love Is Blind Love is Blind Netflix, streaming now Season four of the OG series is upon us, and we all know the drill at this point producers put a load of people trying to find love/fame, who are only too willing to say I do to randomers in that quest, in front of the cameras. Singles who want to be loved for who they are (not because theyre HAWT, n stuff) have signed up for the less-conventional approach to modern dating. So, under the collective wing of Nick and Vanessa Lachey, hopefuls herd themselves to Seattle in the hopes of getting engaged without ever meeting. New episodes will roll out each Friday across 12 instalments, following each couples journey for love as they move in together, plan their wedding, and find out if their physical connection matches the strong emotional bond initially developed in the pods. When their big day arrives, will real-world realities push them apart, or will they marry regardless? Expand Close I Am Georgina / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp I Am Georgina I Am Georgina Netflix, streaming now Video of the Day Expect much of the same in season two from the model, mother, influencer, businesswoman and dancer Georgina Rodriguez, who just happens to be Cristiano Ronaldos partner. My Kind of Country AppleTV+, streaming now Reece Witherspoon is to Apple Music what Heidi Klum is to Amazons Making The Cut Enter Apples first competition series, which sees producer/actress/country music advocate Witherspoon task three country music stars including Mickey Guyton (the first black female to host at the CMAs) and Orville Peck (the first openly gay country music star, albeit facilitated by a mask) to traverse the globe for country musics next big thing. Expand Close Wellmania / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Wellmania Wellmania Netflix, streaming now Celeste Barber has been living the dream on Instagram, recreating well-known celebrity pics. Now, shes got her own TV series, depicting a rather unhealthy food critic effectively trapped in her native Australia and thus forced to get fit. Is there vomit? Need you ask? Fellow emetophobes beware. Emergency: NYC Netflix, streaming now This eight-part docuseries follows the relentless pulse of the citys healthcare system through a helicopter flight nurse, transplant surgeons, paramedics, paediatric trauma surgeons and neurosurgeons. The Big Door Prize AppleTV+, streaming now The writers of Schitts Creek have created this vehicle for Chris ODowd, a 40-year-old teacher in small-town America. Everything is ticking along until a mysterious Morpho machine appears in the local shop. Its 1988s Big, but EVERYONE gets a life-changing card. Unstable Netflix, streaming now Ellis Dragon is a universally admired, eccentric, narcissist-adjacent biotech entrepreneur working to make the world a better place. Indeed, Mr Dragon is played by Rob Lowe. The Power Prime Video, streaming now Could you imagine growing up, as a teenage girl, with unbridled power literally at your fingertips? Boasting a cracking global cast comprising of Toni Collette, Ria Zmitrowicz, Halle Bush, John Leguizamo, Aulii Cravalho (aka Moana), Rob Delaney, Eddie Marsan, and even Apres Matchs Risteard Cooper, we could go on. Tetris AppleTV+, streaming now Apple Original casting department favourite Taron Egerton is mad for Tetris. So mad for it, in fact, he hauls himself over to 1980s Russia to broker a deal with the creator to get him to team up with Gameboy. Then Moscow gets involved. Emmanuel Macron's popularity dropped to its lowest level since the yellow vest movement, as banks were set ablaze yesterday amid violent protests against the French presidents pension reforms. Macron plans to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. Public frustration has evolved into broader anti-Macron sentiment as protests continue. Banners were hoisted reading the king is dead and raise wages not the retirement age, as protesters marched in the capital. Support for him was close to the 27pc low reached in December 2018, when the gilets jaunes demonstrations rocked his government according to the latest poll. The High Court has heard testimony about absurd chanting by Enoch Burke and members of his family during a chaotic disciplinary meeting where the board of Wilsons Hospital School decided to dismiss the teacher. Freda Malone, a guidance counsellor at the school, said Mr Burkes brother Isaac acted like a conductor trying to get family members to chant together and keep in time. Gardai had to be called to the meeting at the Mullingar Park Hotel on January 19 after Mr Burke, his brother Isaac, sister Ammi and mother Martina disrupted proceedings, objecting to the presence of lawyers for the school and a stenographer, as well as the absence of the board chairman John Rogers, who was ill. Ms Malone, a board member who was elected to chair the meeting in Mr Rogers absence, painted a vivid picture of the chaotic scenes, saying the Burkes chanted and stood right up at our desk as the schools former principal Niamh McShane attempted to read out a report. They were so close Ammi Burkes hair whipped me in the face, she said. The Burkes continued to chant the whole way through. Isaac was kind of trying to conduct them to chant together. Asked by Mr Justice Alexander Owens who Isaac was, she replied: He is one of the brothers. The one that carries the box. Read More She said the chants included: Where is John Rogers?, There is no chair of this meeting, No one wants to hear this woman speak and Why is this woman speaking?. It was absurd what they were shouting, Ms Malone told the court. She was giving evidence on the third day of the Co Westmeath schools action against Mr Burke, who was sacked from his post as a teacher of history and German in January. He is separately appealing his dismissal to a tribunal. In the trial, the court is considering whether the school correctly invoked a disciplinary process against Mr Burke and if it was correct to suspend him. Mr Burke has a counterclaim that his suspension was unlawful and the disciplinary process was in breach of natural justice and fair procedures. Ms Malone said that Mr Burke was invited to speak at the disciplinary meeting, but just kept chanting. She said the meeting had to be adjourned because of the chanting and that when the board reconvened in another room discussion went on for two and half hours before it was decided Mr Burke would be dismissed. We gave it due process, she said. As was the case on Wednesday, Mr Burke was not in court to hear the evidence, having been excluded on Tuesday for contempt. He did not participate online either, despite being given a facility to do so. At the outset of todays hearing, Mr Justice Alexander Owens was told Mr Burke had not responded to emails from lawyers for the school about whether he intended to participate. The judge said Mr Burke would be welcome to return to the court, provided he gives an undertaking to abide by the courts rulings. He said the court was flexible but at the same time had to impose some discipline. The court had earlier heard of incidents where Mr Burke, who is an evangelical Christian, had publicly objected to a request from Ms McShane, issued on May 7 last year, that teachers at the Co Westmeath school address a transgender student by a new a new name and they/them pronouns. This included the interruption of a chapel service where he demanded Ms McShane withdraw the request, and the alleged haranguing of Ms McShane at a dinner the same evening. Mr Burke objected to the request on religious grounds. The board agreed that it was a clear example of intimidation and harassment of a colleague, Ms McShane, said Ms Malone. It was a serious breach of confidentiality disclosing something about a student like that in front of all those people. Tied to that was a health and safety concern for students. Ms Malone also testified that Mr Burke became visibly upset and had tears in his eyes after he was asked by her to leave a classroom where he was supervising another teachers class on May 10 last year. She said she was asked by Ms McShane to remove Mr Burke to allow a year head to come in and address the students about the transgender child. Mr Burke was not told this was the specific reason, only that it was to facilitate lessons in Social Personal and Health Education. Ms McShane was concerned he might be upset if he was in the room when the year head came in to talk to them, she said. Ms Malone said Mr Burke left the room and waited outside, looking in the window and writing down notes. He later approached her in her office. He came in and I suppose irate is the nicest way to describe it. He was flushed and he was angry. He said something to the affect that it was wrong that I had gone down to him to remove him from his class. Ms Malone said she told him she was sorry he was upset, but she was following the direction of the principal. The court also heard from another witness, deputy principal John Galligan, that the unanimous decision by the schools board to suspend Mr Burke last August was taken following previous experience of his outbursts and fears of what might happen when the school was due to reopen after the summer holidays. We called it a health and safety concern, deputy principal John Galligan said. Children witnessing disruption, interruption, protest. It is just not nice for children to see that, especially incoming first years who have just left primary school. Mr Galligan told the court the board received no assurances from Mr Burke about his future conduct and that he didnt answer questions at a meeting convened to the discuss the possibility of his suspension. The deputy principal gave evidence that Mr Burke had been a good teacher, who had very successfully assisted students in debating competitions. He said he was present at a staff meeting on May 10. This was the same day Mr Burke had been asked to leave the classroom and three days after Ms McShanes request was issued. There was a discussion about approving the minutes of a previous meeting, but Mr Burke interrupted. Mr Burke just, I suppose the word I would use is erupted and kind of shouted, saying: I cant sit here any longer. That is it. I have to ask Ms McShane to withdraw the request, Mr Galligan said. The deputy principal said Ms McShane very calmly asked him to stop and told him the meeting was not the appropriate place to raise the issue. But he wouldnt stop, said Mr Galligan. The deputy principal added: Physically, he was agitated. He changed colour. Mr Galligan said Mr Burke went on about transgenderism for between five and eight minutes and challenged the school chaplain. He said that following the staff meeting, he and Ms McShane arranged to meet Mr Burke on May 18. They wanted to know how he intended to address a transgender child if he met them in the corridor, had to take a roll call or cover a class for another teacher. He would not answer the question directly, Mr Galligan said. The deputy principal said Mr Burkes repeated response was: I am a teacher. I am a professional. That was his answer for everything, said Mr Galligan. While no assurance was obtained from Mr Burke, Mr Galligan said the issue was not pursued further at that time. He said things were left to settle and he believed a solution could be reached, as had been the case previously when Mr Burke agreed to wear a visor after objecting to wearing a facemask in classes during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, Mr Galligan said he felt it was something that would have to be dealt with at the end of the academic year or the start of the new one. He told the court he was not present at the chapel service or the dinner on June 21 last year, but was flabbergasted when he heard about Mr Burkes behaviour at both events. Mr Galligan gave evidence of being present at a board meeting on August 22 which was convened to consider whether Mr Burke should be placed on suspension following those incidents. He said that at the meeting, the chair of the board of management, John Rogers asked Mr Burke to explain why the board should not place him on paid administrative leave. However, Mr Burke repeatedly deflected the question, the court heard. Instead, he started to quiz Mr Rogers about the wording of a Department of Education circular on disciplinary matters and about letters he had received from Mr Rogers. Mr Galligan said Mr Burke was accompanied by his sister Ammi at the meeting and that they quizzed Mr Rogers in tandem in a way that was overwhelming. He said Mr Burke was given several chances to answer the question, but the meeting adjourned after 40 or 50 minutes as it was going nowhere. The board later reconvened in the absence of Mr Burke and decided to suspend him. Putting someone on paid administrative leave is a serious thing for a board to do, said Mr Galligan. Some of the teaching members of the board had seen his outburst at the staff meeting and some of the members of the board had been at the service in the church and had seen his outburst or interruption during the service. The board members present had just seen what had happened in the hour before the meeting was adjourned. He said that those incidents were considered in deliberations that lasted at least an hour. Legal advice was also sought. Asked by Mr Justice Owens what the reasons were for the suspension, Mr Galligan replied: I suppose, just on experience of what had happened in the past and what may happen when children were present in the school when the school restarted. Mr Galligan also gave evidence of repeatedly directing Mr Burke to leave the school when he turned up for work despite being suspended. He said Mr Burke refused on each occasion saying: I am here to attend meetings or I am here for work. The teacher would sit in his old classroom, reading a book, even though there were not students there. Mr Galligan said he never saw him eat while he was there. The teacher spent 108 days in prison last year for defying injunctions restraining him from going to the school. He resumed turning up at the school after being released and is currently being fined 700 for each day he continues to remain in contempt. Farmer Michael Scott has been found guilty of the manslaughter of his elderly, aunt Chrissie Treacy by driving over her with a teleporter. Mr Scott (58) of Gortanumera, Portumna, Co Galway, had pleaded not guilty to murdering the 76-year-old woman outside her home in Derryhiney, Portumna, Co Galway, on April 27, 2018. Expand Close Chrissie Treacy (76) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Chrissie Treacy (76) But after deliberating for almost 15 hours over four days, the jury of six men and six women reached their verdict of manslaughter due to gross negligence shortly after 12pm. Judge Caroline Biggs said the accused man came to court on bail and has been found guilty of a charge he did not originally face and is obviously less grave. In considering bail, she said he had called a witness a grotesque name Im not going to repeat in court, and that he is to have no contact with this witness. Beyond that, Judge Biggs said the accused man will need to put his affairs in order such as farm, livestock and family matters, and that it would be difficult to put those affairs in order in custody. She said she did not want it to be taken that he would have an expectation of continued liberty post sentence and she also ordered psychological reports, as well as a probation report. Mr Scott will be sentenced on June 12. In his closing speech, Dean Kelly SC for the prosecution told the jury Mr Scott had deliberately reversed over Ms Treacy in an act of murder out of a sense of entitlement and for revenge. However, Scotts defence centred on his claim that his aunts death was a tragic accident. He told gardai he was reversing the teleporter across the yard when he felt a thump and thought he may have hit a trailer. He said he moved the machine forward to get it on level ground where it would not roll, before getting down and finding Ms Treacy on the ground. Scott told gardai in interviews that when he found his 76-year-old aunt lying on the ground after he had run over her in his agricultural teleporter, he did not see any injuries on her body and thought she was going to be OK when he heard her breathing. Following his arrest on suspicion of murder, Scott said he didn't know he could call 999 for an ambulance, did not know how to take a pulse, and he didn't think his aunt would die. And he said he didn't help her up off the ground because he needed someone with him. Expand Close Michael Scott. Photo: Collins Courts / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Michael Scott. Photo: Collins Courts In garda interviews, Scott told how after knocking his aunt down in her farmyard, he got down off the JCB and on finding her on the ground, he said: Are you all right Chrissie? Oh God! What misfortune. He claimed she was breathing heavy but wasn't able to talk. Asked if she could recognise him, Mr Scott replied: I dont know. Shocking, your only aunt. He said he didnt notice any injuries and that he had not tried first aid because: I wouldnt know anything about that. However, one of the first gardai on the scene told of immediately witnessing catastrophic injuries with the flesh ripped completely from her left forearm and strewn onto the yard in front of her hand. While chief state pathologist Linda Mulligan said Ms Treacys injuries would have resulted in almost instantaneous death. Scott denied that he murdered his aunt and said he did not want her to die. Meanwhile, an independent engineer, Dr Mark Jordan, called by the defence, told the trial that he disagreed with a garda report suggesting that the 76-year-old Ms Treacy should have been visible as Mr Scott reversed across his yard. Dr Jordan disagreed with a number of points made in reports drawn up by a garda collision investigator and an engineer who previously gave evidence for the prosecution. Dr Jordan said that a suggestion that Ms Treacy was driven over twice appears to be particularly unsupported. He said that from early on, gardai, had decided that the teleporter went over Ms Treacy twice, but Dr Jordan found there was only one clear imprint over Ms Treacys trousers. He said that the other marks are very difficult to interpret but may have been left when Ms Treacy was in the upright position. However, the trial had previously heard that John Hayes, an engineer called by the prosecution, said a flailing injury to Ms Treacy's left arm was not consistent with a vehicle reversing over the deceased, coming to a stop and moving forward. He said the injury was consistent with a far more aggressive action and could be consistent with the rotation of the wheel while on the limb. He explained that by aggressive, he was not commenting on the drivers intent but on the high torque of the vehicle which allowed it to change from reverse to forward very quickly. A guide dog user was left to feel "very dirty" after being told her dog Tim was not hygienic, and could be left out back in the yard of a Chinese restaurant as she and her husband ate, the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has heard. The adjudicator in the case said today the Dublin restaurant only had a tainted apology to offer in response to a clear case of discrimination raised by Sophia Brennan. Ms Brennan was addressing a hearing into her complaint this morning before the WRC under the Equal Status Act 2000 against the management of KOA Kitchen of Asia, trading at Main Street in Malahide, Co Dublin, which failed to appear. I felt humiliated and upset. "I said I had all my paperwork. I had a letter from Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind; I had a card to say hes my guide dog, she said, later adding: Youre very raw when youre a new guide dog owner. It happened on a Saturday evening late March last year, when she and her husband, Kevin OReilly, went out for dinner after spending the day in Portmarnock with the four-year-old yellow Labrador in his guide dog harness aiding her, she said. It was just a straight no You cant come in with the dog, Ms Brennan said. Id had small things. This was the first time I was refused, Ms Brennan said, adding that she wasnt even given the courtesy of standing on the floor of the restaurant as the refusal came before she and Tim got to the top of the stairs. The worker referred to health and safety and told her Tim was not hygienic, Ms Brennan said, adding that the worker suggested he could leave the dog out back in a yard while she and her husband ate. I began to feel very dirty. I felt very uncomfortable, which Im not used to, she said. The hearing went ahead in the absence of the respondent after the adjudicating officer, Penelope McGrath, satisfied herself that the business was on notice, noting correspondence to the WRC and her own unanswered phone calls to the premises this morning. Ms McGrath said the restaurants proprietor had made various statements in its correspondence with the commission, including that that a number of staff had asthma and were allergic to dog hair; and that there were many children in the restaurant who might be scared of dogs. Ms Brennan said none of that was ever mentioned to her on the evening in question. Ms McGrath added that the restaurant said in its letter that it could have accommodated Ms Brennan and her husband with the dog if prior notice had been given. Im not obliged to inform a restaurant I have a guide dog, Ms Brennan said. Ms Brennans husband said he thought there had been some mention of putting them at an outside table, but Ms Brennan said she had no recollection of that and that they wouldnt be sitting outside in any event because of the time of year. Wed been in a lovely pub before this. A dog bowl was brought out, Ms Brennan said, adding that she, Mr OReilly, and Tim the dog were served nearby soon afterwards without difficulty. Tim, who was taken out of his harness for the duration of the 20-minute hearing at Lansdowne House in Dublin 4, spent it lying on the floor next to the complainant with his eyes closed. Im sorry the respondent isnt here to apologise in person. They did respond through correspondence [with] that tainted apology that tries to put forward an excuse, Ms McGrath said. There doesnt seem to be any defence and its a clear case of discrimination in my mind, she added, stating that she would draft her decision and hold it back a day or two in case there was further contact from the respondent. Insurance reform campaigners have criticised a new protocol published by Irelands legal watchdog regarding solicitors referring clients to medical experts in personal injury cases. It follows a series of conflicting High Court judgments about the practice. The Law Society of Ireland previously said it had no policy in place regarding the relationship between solicitors and GPs as issues surrounding the referral of clients to GPs simply havent arisen, despite a number of judges criticising solicitors referring people to medical experts who were not their own doctors. Mr Justice Michael Twomey recently described the practice as inappropriate and disapproved of the overuse of medical experts in a case where there was minimal impact in a collision. A plaintiff involved in the minor tip attended a total of eight separate medical appointments to support her claim for damages and was referred by a lawyer to a psychiatric consultant on two occasions and an orthopaedic surgeon. It is not the role of a legal practitioner to decide which medical issues a client has, which speciality is appropriate for that client, and which specialist, within that speciality, is appropriate for him to see, he said. In publishing its new protocol, the Law Society said it relied on a recent decision of Mr Justice Cian Ferriter, who held that a solicitor cannot be faulted for engaging a medical expert witness directly in an appropriate case, provided that the expert is properly briefed with all relevant information and past medical history and prepares his or her opinion thereafter in accordance with his or her overriding duties to the court. The Law Society said: The principles set out by Mr Justice Ferriter have underpinned the protocol which the committee believes solicitors should follow. However, the Alliance for Insurance Reform has accused the Law Society of picking and choosing from court judgments and ignoring multiple less favourable High Court judgments on the same topic. The Alliance has serious concerns about this issue as it raises questions regarding the independence of expert witnesses, their duty to the courts and ultimately, the credibility of the personal injury compensation system in the courts, director Peter Boland said. We call on the Court Rules Committees to introduce a mandatory rule regarding the commissioning by solicitors of medical consultant reports, to clarify what has become a very confusing situation, and crystallise the varied instructions in this regard from individual judges. Justice Twomey called for the end of such referrals, and said that while the legal practitioner might see the referral as being in his clients best legal [and financial] interests, these referrals are still inappropriate and should not be made. They were also criticised in a High Court judgment by Judge Anthony Barr in 2017, who said: It is not good practice for solicitors to take it upon themselves to decide that their client needs evaluation by a particular medical specialist. That is a medical question which should be decided upon by the GP, or by another specialist. However, the Law Society has said that solicitors have a professional duty to their client and to the court hearing their clients case to present every aspect of the clients claim and are entitled to commission such medical reports. It is accepted that the plaintiffs treating doctor, whether they be a general practitioner, consultant or other medical practitioner, is best placed to provide evidence in the majority of personal injuries actions, the Law Society said. Accordingly, solicitors should always endeavour to obtain a medical report from such a practitioner. However, it is recognised that this is not always practical for any number of reasons, including but not limited to, lack of availability, unwillingness to provide medical reports, cost, overwork and disagreement with their patient. It said that in the interests of justice, solicitors will be required to commission relevant reports from consultants or other medical practitioners. This professional obligation to ensure that all such evidence is made available to the court applies to both solicitors for the plaintiff and the defendant, and either party should be entitled to commission such reports in those circumstances. It is, of course, then a matter for the court to attach such weight as the court sees fit to any such report, the society added. A major Dublin criminal suspected of being the getaway driver in a murder bid is unlikely to face prosecution after two alleged accomplices were acquitted. The 17-year-old victim was lucky to survive after being shot in the south-inner city in 2021. Steven Mulvey (31) and Jamie Berry (27), both from Leo Fitzgerald House in Dublin 2, were accused of his attempted murder and possession of a Beretta pistol. However last week Ms Justice Eileen Creedon directed a jury to find them not guilty because the prosecution's evidence was "not sufficiently strong enough". Independent.ie can reveal that a major south-inner city criminal is suspected of acting as the getaway driver in the murder plot. The notorious mobster, who is aged in his late 30s, has multiple criminal convictions and has previously been sentenced to a lengthy jail term for armed robbery. He is well-known to gardai in the capital for his involvement in organised and serious crime, and has also served a prison term in the UK. However, the on-the-run suspect is now unlikely to be prosecuted over his role in the shooting. One source said: "Gardai were hopeful of bringing charges against the getaway driver in this case, but following the trial judge's directions last week this is now highly unlikely. "The suspected getaway driver has been hiding out in England in recent years to avoid prosecution here, but the belief is he will be back here following the verdict." Expand Close A burnt-out Hyundai is removed from the scene of the shooting on Eugene Street / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A burnt-out Hyundai is removed from the scene of the shooting on Eugene Street The gun victim was lucky to survive after being shot multiple times after getting into a taxi at Eugene Street, Dublin 8, on February 24, 2021. Detectives believe murder plot was ordered by a young drug dealer from the Pearse Street area of the city. Last Wednesday, Ms Justice Creedon told the jury to find Mr Berry and Mr Mulvey not guilty by reason of her direction because the prosecution's evidence against the defendants was "not sufficiently strong enough" to ask them to come to a verdict. Upon receiving Ms Justice Eileen Creedon's judgment, the two men stood and celebrated in the dock, slapping hands and hugging, with accused man, Jamie Berry, telling his supporters in the court: "I'm going home! I'm going home soon!" Defence barristers Garret Baker SC and Hugh Hartnett SC had submitted that the evidence against their clients was so "tenuous, inconsistent or vague" that the links in the circumstantial case made by the prosecution were not strong enough for the jury to infer guilt. Ms Justice Creedon said a gun found in a burnt-out Hyundai after the shooting could not be linked to either man. She said that while gloves worn by Mr Berry had firearm residue on them, it could not be found that they directly link him to being the actual shooter in the case, only that it was likely they had been worn during the discharge of a firearm. The movements of two cars on the night, the burnt-out Hyundai and a black BMW, could not be directly linked to the two men in terms of procurement, but only to another individual not before the court through a phone number used in the purchases of both. Ms Justice Creedon said that there was no direct evidence identifying either defendant at the scene in a case where eyewitnesses could only say they saw two youths or young men running from the scene on Eugene Street on the night. While CCTV of the movements of the vehicles had been played to the jury over three days of the trial, no footage of the shooting at Eugene Street had been produced by the prosecution. A YOUNG man has been charged with the manslaughter of a businessman who was fatally injured after he tried to stop the alleged theft of his car in west Dublin. A court heard when Adam Murphy (21) was charged with killing Ian McDonnell, he replied: Im very sorry for what happened, it was an accident Im sorry to the family for the loss. Mr Murphy, of Cherryorchard Crescent, Ballyfermot was remanded in custody after his lawyer said he did not envisage there would ever be an application for bail. Mr McDonnell (50) suffered serious injuries in a road incident last year, after his Volkswagen Passat was allegedly stolen outside his car dealership at Robinhood Road in Clondalkin. The father-of-three was discovered injured on the ground afterwards and died five days later in Tallaght hospital. Mr Murphy is charged with Mr McDonnells manslaughter and unauthorised taking of his car at Robinhood Road on January 23, 2022. He is further charged with taking a Toyota Aqua and a Mazda Demio in Perrystown and Lucan; attempts to take a Toyota Aqua in Blanchardstown and another car at Naas Road, as well as taking a bicycle in Crumlin, and attempting to steal from a Volkswagen Tiguan in Adamstown, all on the same day. Detective Sergeant Aidan Shaughnessy said he arrested the accused for the purpose of charging him at 10.42am this morning. He was charged at 10.55am and in reply to the manslaughter count he said: Im very sorry for what happened, it was an accident. It was never my intent for anything like that to happen. Im sorry to the family for the loss. In reply to one of the other charges, he said: Im very sorry, I shouldnt have done it. He was handed copies of the charge sheets. Judge Deirdre Gearty asked defence solicitor Wayne Kenny if he had any questions for the sergeant. None whatsoever, Mr Kenny replied. The DPP directed all charges to be dealt with in the circuit court, Det Sgt Shaughnessy said. There was consent to Mr Murphy being sent forward for trial, or on a signed plea of guilty if that should arise. The judge asked if there were any garda objections to bail. Theres no application for bail, and I dont envisage that there ever will be an application for bail, Mr Kenny said. He said the court had heard Mr Murphy's reply to the most serious charge and his client wished to further relay that to the McDonnell family, who were present. Judge Gearty said the reply to the charge had been read out, she had noted it and Im sure its appreciated. She granted free legal aid and remanded the accused in custody to appear in Cloverhill District Court on April 4, by video link. Mr McDonnell was originally from Co Roscommon, but lived in the Griffeen Valley area of Lucan with his wife, two daughters and one son. AN "odd-jobs" man who sparked two security alerts at Dublin Airport within three days has been given a fully suspended prison sentence on the condition he leaves the country. Father of three, Abdul Ahmead El Tayeb (48) who is from Sudan but has lived in England since 2017, was first arrested on Monday evening. He had managed to get past security screening in Terminal 2 and onto an Aer Lingus flight to Birmingham without a ticket, passport or boarding pass. He appeared in court on Tuesday and was fined 700 for trespass and an immigration offence of failing to produce a passport. However, El Tayeb, with an address at Stanton Street, Newcastle, England, was arrested again on Thursday morning. He was charged again with trespass and immigration offences, but at a different location in the airport, and brought back to Dublin District Court this afternoon. Defence solicitor Paddy McGarry said El Tayeb, who did not need a translator, was pleading guilty immediately. Garda Kim Fitzpatrick told the court the latest alert happened at arrivals in Terminal 1 this morning at 11.15 when she spotted El Tayeb. She remembered him from Mondays incident. Read More However, he had yet to go through the screening section and was not airside this time. I followed this gentleman when he went into a restricted area, that is, staff services, I found him in an office, brought him out and asked what he was doing, and he said he was going back to Birmingham, she said. He made no reply to the charges and did not address the court. Judge John King was informed about El Tayebs earlier airport incident that led to him getting fined. The charges carry a possible 12-month sentence. Pleading for leniency, Mr McGarry said his client lives between Newcastle and Birmingham, working as an odd-jobs man. He had gone to Belfast to visit a friend, but he lost his bag with all his belongings, including his phone and passport. He got the bus to Dublin and drank the whole way, and following the first incident at the airport, he ended up in court on Tuesday and getting fined. The solicitor said afterwards he had provided him with the address of the Sudanese embassy, but it was not clear what happened, and he had been homeless in Dublin for the past two days. Asked by the judge why he had not stayed in Belfast with his friend, Mr McGarry said that was unclear. Judge King said, it doesnt add up but he noted the garda accepted that his identity had now been confirmed, and immigration officers were in court to organise his deportation. The court heard he would be held overnight and then returned to the UK. Basically, he is trying to get back to his family in the UK, Mr McGarry said. The garda agreed with him that the accused was never aggressive. However, she also accepted that he was adamant he wanted to get back to his wife and children. Judge King said there was no reason for El Tayeb to be in this jurisdiction committing these offences. The defence accepted that happening twice was aggravating but submitted that El Tayeb had not been in trouble in this state before. Judge King imposed an eight-week sentence but suspended it on condition that El Tayeb co-operated with the immigration authorities and did not resist his deportation, and not return to Ireland for two years. Legal aid was granted. A man serving a prison sentence for the attempted gun murder of his lifelong friend has been given an extra six weeks in jail for unlawful possession of a mobile phone. Patrick McCann was 23 when he was jailed for 17 years in 2013 for shooting and seriously injuring his friend, Luke Wilson, who lost an eye in the attack in a Dublin park. Blanchardstown District Court heard McCann was caught with a phone while serving time in Wheatfield Prison in the west of the city. The accused, formerly of Decies Road, Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty to the offence. Read More Garda Simon Clarke told Judge Maire Conneely that McCann was found in possession of a mobile phone in prison without permission from the governor on December 17 last. He had previous convictions and was serving a sentence for attempted murder. Three of his prior convictions were for having a mobile phone in prison, the court heard. Expand Close Luke Wilson was shot by his lifelong friend Patrick McCann over a decade ago / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Luke Wilson was shot by his lifelong friend Patrick McCann over a decade ago The accused was serving a very lengthy sentence, his solicitor Simon Fleming said. He asked the judge to take into account the fact that McCann had dealt with the matter immediately which was helpful to the prosecution and the Prison Service. He had already been punished in prison for the offence, Mr Fleming said. The judge made the six weeks consecutive to McCanns existing sentence. In November 2013, McCann pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to the attempted murder of Mr Wilson at Liffey Gaels GAA club in Memorial Park, Inchicore, on January 13 that year. He also admitted possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. The pair were in the park when McCann took out a gun and shot Mr Wilson in the arm, neck and face, running off when the weapon jammed on the fourth shot. It might as well have appeared in the script McCann dropped his mobile phone near where the victim lay and Mr Wilson rang 999 on it, believing it was his own phone. He suffered serious injuries, including the loss of his right eye. McCann had said he was asked to carry out the shooting because of his outstanding drug debt and was in fear, the Central Criminal Court heard. He said he was threatened that he would be shot himself if he did not shoot Mr Wilson. The pair, both teenagers at the time, had known each other since they were in nappies, the court heard. Sentencing him in 2013, Mr Justice Paul Carney said the case "might as well have appeared in the Love/Hate script". He handed down a 20-year sentence with the final three suspended. A man suspected of murdering his wife and two children told a neighbour "to pray for us" to get back to "normal life" just days before their bodies were found. An inquest has also heard that Sameer Syed (38) repeatedly beat and tortured his wife Seema Banu, who had expressed fears he would kill her almost two years before her death. Ms Banu (37) and her children, daughter Asfira (11) and son Faizan (6), were found dead in the family home at Llewellyn Court in Balinteer on October 28, 2020. Syed was charged with their murders but died by suicide last year before he could stand trial. Dublin Coroners Court heard evidence today of the violent domestic abuse Seema Banu was subjected to by her husband in the years leading up to her death. Expand Close Sameer Syed's claims are 'completely and utterly rejected' by garda investigators. (Photo: Gareth Chaney/Collins) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sameer Syed's claims are 'completely and utterly rejected' by garda investigators. (Photo: Gareth Chaney/Collins) Security worker Kamran Khan gave evidence that he spoke to her at Dunnes Stores in Sandyford on Christmas Eve in 2018. She was crying after being assaulted and told Mr Khan that her husband had beat her every day since they arrived in Ireland, two weeks previously, and that he "tortures" her. Ms Banu also told the security guard that her husband "will kill me, he is very dangerous. Gardai were alerted and later brought the mother and her children to a women's refuge but they returned to their apartment at the Beacon South Quarter the following day. Family members who travelled to Dublin from India for the inquest also gave evidence. Ms Banu's nephew, Syed Suhan, recalled one incident in India in 2019 when family members were awoken at 2am to find Sameer beating Seema. She nearly fainted and was hospitalised. A hospital report from May 2, 2019, stated that she presented with a history of assault. He said Seema originally wanted to travel to Ireland in 2018. However, while back in India the following year, she expressed concerns about returning to Ireland with Sameer Syed and disclosed that he beat her. Mr Suhan also said that his aunty told the family that if anything happens to her or their children, it would be Sameer Syed who is responsible. Another relative, Kashief Ahmed, told the inquest that Seema did not want to return to Ireland because her husband was assaulting her. Evidence was also given that Sameer Syed told her "I won't assault you again" and "We will live happily from now on". The family moved to Lwelleyn Court, in Ballinteer, in February 2020. Expand Close Neighbour, Vivian Balwalya, pictured at Dublin District Coroner's Court after giving evidence (Pic: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Neighbour, Vivian Balwalya, pictured at Dublin District Coroner's Court after giving evidence (Pic: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin) Their neighbour, Vivian Balwalya, became friends with Seema. That May, Seema called to her home and asked if she could use her phone to ring her mother and showed her bruising to her neck. Ms Balwayla said Syed later arrived at the house and that she was mediating between them. Gda Eoin Brennan said he was on duty at 5pm that evening, when he was alerted to the area. He said he spoke with Seema Banu who alleged ongoing control tactics, physical abuse, and a high-level of fear regarding her husband, The garda deemed the risk level to be high and made arrangements to secure her and the children shelter at a women's refugee with her permission. They communicated with her through her daughter, Asfira, who the witness described as seeming "much older" than 11 and very mature. After a space was confirmed, Seema stated she no longer wanted assistance, that she wouldn't make a criminal complaint and that she wanted to remain at the family home. Gda Brennan said his "hands were tied" but that he asked his colleagues to do an in-person call-back later that evening. Seema Banu then returned to her home. At 6.50pm, gardai received another call of a "loud domestic incident" at the home. Expand Close Ms Banu's nephew, Syed Suhan and another relative, Kashief Ahmed, pictured this afternoon at Dublin District Coroner's Court after giving evidence (Pic: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ms Banu's nephew, Syed Suhan and another relative, Kashief Ahmed, pictured this afternoon at Dublin District Coroner's Court after giving evidence (Pic: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin) Det Gda Brian O'Neill said he went to the house and that Sameer Syed answered the door after about 10 minutes. The detective described him as "sweaty and fidgety". When two other gardai went upstairs they discovered Seema Banu lying on the bed unconscious. Her two children were on the bed beside their injured mother, the inquest heard. Det O'Neill said Sameer Syed was arrested, charged and brought before court where gardai successfully objected to bail being granted. Syed was later granted bail under conditions, including that he had to stay away from the home. The inquest heard that the children were removed from the home on the night of the assault but later returned, into the care of their mother. Ciara Murphy, a principle social worker with Tusla, said this was done while Sameer Syed was still in custody. Upon his release, Ms Murphy said supervised visits were arranged between him and the children after discussions with the family who wanted to see him. Further evidence was given by Vivien Balwalya, that Seema indicated she wanted her husband back, that she missed him, and that he was a good man. She was also "counting down the days" to the case and that her husband "might come home" after this date. The witness said that she tried to help her neighbour by contacting gardai, social workers, and women's aid. Ms Banu didn't see herself as a victim of domestic violence, she said. The inquest heard that Syed was due to appear in court on October 23, 2020, when he was due to stand trial for assaulting his wife. Early that morning at 12.24am, Ms Balwalya received a message from Seema's phone, which was a screenshot of a translated message, that read: "Won't come to school today", referring to the children. The neighbour responded "okay Seema", and that evening texted Sameer Syed to ask how the trial went. He responded the following afternoon at 1.55pm saying: "Hi Vivienne, please pray for us to get back to our normal life". He later told her that the case "went as expected". On the morning of October 28, she said she noticed a social worker and translator outside the family home and "immediately thought something was wrong". At 11.18am that morning she rang Sameer Syed, who said he was with his solicitor. He later called back at 11.45am. He was crying and asking what had happened, the inquest heard. Evidence was given that gardai then entered the house and that Sameer Syed later rang back but gardai told Ms Balwalya not to answer. Earlier, the jury was told that Det Sgt Rachel Kilpatrick, of Dundrum garda station, accompanied Sameer Syed to the city mortuary two days after the bodies were found. She said he identified the bodies of his wife and children and was given private time with them after each identification was made. The inquest continues tomorrow morning. Regina Donohue arrived at Chrissie Treacy's farm to find her elderly friend lying dead on the concrete yard beside her home. She ran at Michael Scott, trying to get at him, but she was held back by Francis Hardiman, a neighbour. She kicked and struggled but Mr Hardiman held on tight to Ms Donohue, who Mr Scott had previously referred to as that b**ch. Read More Minutes earlier, Scott had driven over his aunt in an agricultural teleporter, crushing all her internal organs and leaving track marks going from her right foot to her left hand. The skin of her left hand had been removed by what expert witnesses said could have been an "aggressive change of direction, causing the vehicles large wheel to spin on her arm. For the previous two years, Ms Treacy confided in friends, carers, healthcare workers, a solicitor, advisers and gardai about her interactions with Scott. They tried to intervene on her behalf but they couldnt convince her to leave her remote home, make a formal complaint to gardai or to follow through with court injunctions. What Ms Treacy told her friends and carers was not led by the prosecution because the trial judge ruled that it was hearsay and therefore inadmissible. But the jury was aware that she had tried to sever ties with her nephew by formally partitioning the land they jointly owned around the home where she grew up. Expand Close Michae Scott was acquitted of murdering his aunt Chrissy Treacy. Photo: Collins Courts / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Michae Scott was acquitted of murdering his aunt Chrissy Treacy. Photo: Collins Courts Michael Scott was today acquitted of murdering his vulnerable 76-year-old aunt Chrissie Treacy by running over her in an agricultural teleporter. After nearly 15 hours of deliberations, the jury unanimously rejected the prosecution case that Scott deliberately murdered his aunt out of "a sense of entitlement and for revenge following a long-running dispute over land. They found instead that Scott acted with gross negligence when he reversed across a yard beside Ms Treacys home and drove over her. As Ms Donohue was leaving the stand, Scott called her a c**t" Scott shook his head as he spent his last moments in the dock having gone on trial in mid-January. Scott and his family are the only living relatives of Chrissie Treacy. A number of people from her community were in court to hear the verdict while Scott was supported by family members and friends. Scott told gardai in interviews that he was reversing across the yard when he felt a thump. He said he thought he might have hit a trailer and moved the teleporter forward to level ground. He said that when he got down from the cabin he saw his aunt lying on the ground. His defence said that her death was a tragic accident. Following today's verdict, Ms Justice Caroline Biggs told the jury that she had noticed the "extremely heavy" burden placed on the six men and six women of the jury and the physical and mental strain, the toll it has taken on you. She said they had been diligent, had given up many weeks of their lives and she exempted them from jury service for the rest of their lives. Before remanding Scott on continuing bail, the judge noted that during the trial Scott had called one witness a grotesque name that she did not want to repeat. Ms Justice Biggs was referring to the first day that witness Regina Donohue gave evidence. As Ms Donohue was leaving the stand, Scott called her a c**t". Ms Donohue immediately reported it to gardai and the following day the prosecution drew it to the court's attention. Scott did not deny saying it and his barrister Paul Greene SC accepted it was wholly inappropriate, wrong and shouldnt have happened. He said he had made Scott aware of his obligations as a person on bail on a murder charge and asked the court not to revoke his bail because of the difficulties that would create for the defence team in providing advice to Scott and receiving instructions. Im sorry that you had to experience that. Giving evidence is difficult enough without having to deal with that insult Ms Justice Biggs told Scott: Calling anyone a name like that is disgraceful; you should be ashamed of yourself. You are a very foolish man; on bail for a murder charge. I was going to put you into custody because I have a duty to protect witnesses in this court and ensure they are treated with respect and courtesy. She did not put him in custody because of the appeals by his lawyer, but the judge warned Scott: If you do that again, if you look at a witness to intimidate them or treat them with disrespect, you will go into custody regardless of the repercussions. When Ms Donohue returned to the stand, the judge apologised to her for the insult and said: Im sorry that you had to experience that. Giving evidence is difficult enough without having to deal with that insult. Expand Close The late Chrissie Treacy with her dog, Bradley / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The late Chrissie Treacy with her dog, Bradley At today's hearing Ms Justice Biggs allowed Scott to remain on bail so that he could put his affairs in order but warned him not to take that as suggesting he would enjoy continued liberty following the sentencing hearing on June 12. Ms Justice Biggs also ordered a probation report and asked the defence to gather any necessary psychological reports. Scott (58) of Gortanumera, Portumna, Co Galway, had pleaded not guilty to murdering his aunt Christina Chrissie Treacy outside her home in Derryhiney, Portumna, on April 27, 2018. The trial heard that Ms Treacy and her brothers farmed about 140 acres at Derryhiney and that she owned another farm at nearby Kiltormer. Following the deaths of Ms Treacy's brothers, Michael Scott came to own half the land at Derryhiney and Ms Treacy owned the other half. She leased her land at Kiltormer and Derryhiney to Michael Scott. In early 2017, Mr Scott did not bid to continue leasing the land from Ms Treacy in Kiltormer when it went up for auction. Regina Donohue told the trial that by Christmas 2017, the deceased had made an application through her solicitor to split the land at Derryhiney and put a new lease on the half that she owned. On the day that Ms Treacy died, Scott was to receive a letter from an agricultural consultant telling him that Ms Treacy was applying for a single farm payment on land she owned but had previously leased to him. Expand Close Chrissie Treacy / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Chrissie Treacy Agricultural consultant and auctioneer Declan McHugh previously told the trial that Ms Treacy hired him in early 2017 to lease 40 acres she owned at Kiltormer that had previously been farmed by Scott and his brother. A little over two weeks before Ms Treacy died in April 2018, Mr McHugh said he received further instructions to write to Mr Scott asking him not to request a single farm payment in respect of three portions of land on the 140-acre farm he jointly owned with his aunt at Derryhiney. Ms Treacy was going to claim the payment for herself, Mr McHugh said. The loss of the 70 acres at Derryhiney and the 40 acres at Kiltormer equated to in the region of 50pc of Mr Scott and his wife's total holding, Mr McHugh said. He said that under farming regulations, the loss of 110 acres would cause a potential reduction in Scott's herd and would also reduce the amount of land available to him for drawing down the EU single farm payment. Mr McHugh said: "With the loss of such a vast area of land, you are going to have massive problems in terms of stocking density and compliance with nitrates directives and that has huge financial implications for any farmer. Interviews In garda interviews following his arrest in 2018, Scott said he didnt know he could call 999 for an ambulance and he didnt think his aunt would die. He said he didnt help her up off the ground because he needed someone with him to help and he called his friend, Francis Hardiman, because he didnt know who else to call and didnt know the number of any doctors. Scott denied that he murdered his aunt and said he did not want her to die. He also denied that he was in a temper and deliberately rolled over her a second time after initially reversing over her. Detective Garda Barry Carolan said he asked Scott what he did after getting off the JCB and finding his aunt on the ground. He said he went over beside her and said, are you all right, Chrissie?. Oh God! What misfortune. He said she was breathing heavy but wasn't able to talk. He could see her face and when asked if she could recognise him, Mr Scott said: I dont know. Shocking, your only aunt. He said he didnt notice any injuries and when asked if he tried first aid, he said: "I wouldnt know anything about that. When I heard her breathing I thought she was going to be OK Gda Carolan asked why he didn't call an ambulance. Scott replied: "Im not very well up on technology. I didnt know you could ring an ambulance as well as the fire brigade on 999. I thought you would have to ring the hospital in Ballinasloe and I had no number for a doctor. Scott said he didnt think of pressing the panic button around Ms Treacy's neck and he couldnt remember if he stayed with his aunt. Gda Carolan asked if he was with her when his aunt took her last breath. He said he may have blanked out". When asked if he thought Ms Treacy was in a bad way", he said: I didnt pass any remarks. I didnt think Chrissie was going to die. I could just hear her breathing. Gda Carolan asked why, if he didn't think she was going to die, he didnt help her up. I needed someone with me," he said. When I heard her breathing I thought she was going to be OK. "Why didn't you check her injuries? the garda asked. I just didnt," said Scott. He said he didn't see any blood or injuries on her body. "Did you want Chrissie to die? the garda asked. "No, Scott replied. Scott denied forcing his aunt to sign over the land to him in her will. He said it wasnt true that his plans were falling down around him after Ms Treacy decided she wanted to partition the farm. He said he wasnt concerned about the letter from Ms Treacys agricultural consultant and questioned how she could make an application for payments when she didnt have any livestock. It was a very big shock He said that he didnt think Ms Treacy was behind the letter and said that he was regularly talking to his aunt at that time, and he couldnt understand why she had contacted a solicitor instead of talking to him. He said his aunt would get confused but he had an understanding that the land would go to him when she died. I have two witnesses to that," he said. He said he had invested a lot in Derryhiney, hundreds of thousands of euro, and added: Why do all that risk and work if someone else is going to take it over?" He said he only realised that Ms Treacy had left the land to Ms Donohue a few months after Ms Treacy died. It was a very big shock," he said. An engineer called by the defence, Dr Mark Jordan, said that the suggestion that Ms Treacy was run over twice by the teleporter was unsupported and all her injuries could have been caused by one movement. Dr Jordan also disagreed with a garda report suggesting that Ms Treacy should have been visible as Scott reversed across his yard. He said that from early on gardai had decided that the teleporter went over Ms Treacy twice, but Dr Jordan found there was only one clear imprint over Ms Treacys trousers. He said that the other marks are very difficult to interpret" but may have been left when Ms Treacy was in the upright position. John Hayes, an engineer called by the prosecution, said a flailing injury to Ms Treacys left arm was not consistent with a vehicle reversing over the deceased, coming to a stop and moving forward". He said the injury was consistent with a far more aggressive action and could be consistent with the rotation of the wheel while on the limb". He explained that by aggressive he was not commenting on the drivers intent but on the high torque of the vehicle which allowed it to change from reverse to forward very quickly. The jury also heard that Scott had impaired vision in his right eye. Specsavers optometrist Trina Staunton said that Scotts left eye scored a perfect six out of six but his right eye was much weaker. The right eye, she said, was being ignored by the brain". When he was reversing the teleporter, Scott told gardai that he would look over his right shoulder. Prosecution witnesses suggested it would be more natural to look over the left shoulder as there were a number of obstacles obscuring the view on the right, including the boom arm and the engine. Dr Jordan said a test carried out by gardai looking out the rear window of the teleporter while it was stationary was not representative of the view Scott had on the day as he reversed across a bumpy yard while looking through windows coated in field stuff, dust and dirt. He said there were blind zones and the sun hitting the dirt on the back windscreen could have caused glare and affected his view. He also disagreed that it would be natural to reverse the teleporter while looking over his left shoulder. There is no natural way to drive, he said, but the steering wheel is mounted to the left and therefore almost invites the left hand to deal with the steering wheel so that the driver would turn and look over his right shoulder. Dr Jordan said that gardai had stated that Ms Treacy should have been visible to the driver but, he said, her direction of travel before the incident has not been established. The windows of the teleporter were extremely dirty and there were other impediments to the drivers view, he said. He added that there were obstacles to the right which Scott would have had to look out for and could only be seen by looking over the right shoulder. Mysteries Some mysteries remain about the death of Chrissie Treacy, not least how she came to be in the yard in the first place. From her back door to where she lay would have required her to walk about 45 metres and as age and ill health took hold, Ms Treacys many friends and carers said she did not go into the yard. She never left the house without her body warmer and jacket but when found, she was wearing neither. She usually used a walking stick to get around but it remained in her house. She was wearing a pendant alarm around her neck but she never chose to press it or didnt get a chance. As she approached the door she heard Michael Scott shouting and banging on the table across from Ms Treacy In mid-March, a little over one month before Ms Treacys death, Scott went to Portumna garda station and wept in front of Sgt Gerard Cleary. He said Ms Treacy was being unreasonable and that he would have to give up his dairy farm because he didnt know where he stood with her or what land he would have. He asked Sgt Cleary to intervene with Chrissie on his behalf. Sgt Cleary told Scott, "to go to Derryhiney and show a bit of kindness to Chrissie and if he was good to her, it would work out ok for him. What was not in issue at the trial was that Ms Treacy died shortly after 3pm on April 27, 2018, having been run over by a teleporter driven by Scott. What the jury had to decide was whether Scott deliberately or accidentally ran her over. The prosecution relied on background evidence of the relationship between Scott and his aunt. Bad conduct evidence was permitted to show that Scott had a motive to kill his aunt, and to rebut alleged lies he told during garda interviews that he had a good relationship with his aunt, that they only argued about minor things, and that his lease of her land at Derryhiney had worked "the finest. Carer Caitriona Starr said that about six months before Ms Treacy died, Ms Starr arrived at Derryhiney and as she approached the door she heard Michael Scott shouting and banging on the table across from Ms Treacy. When Ms Starr appeared at the door, Scott took his leave, muttering something about land under his breath. The jury heard that in 2016 the HSE told Scott to stop putting financial pressure on Ms Treacy. Prosecution counsel Dean Kelly said most people would consider that a standalone day in their lives that would be a cause of shame and enormous self-reflection. The jury knew Ms Treacys solicitor had written to Scott numerous times in 2017 to tell him to stop threatening his aunt and that the HSE had created safeguarding reports in respect of Ms Treacy because of concerns about her relationship with Scott. The jury did not hear the full title of those reports: "Safeguarding Vulnerable Persons at Risk from Abuse. The jury knew of an allegation that Scott turned off the oil to Ms Treacys heating system in the run-up to a severe bout of cold weather in the spring of 2018. They also knew that gardai had been called in to hear Ms Treacys complaints weeks before her death but she refused to make a formal complaint. Francis Hardiman told the jury that he was a neighbour and cousin of Ms Treacy. He also knew the accused well all his life and had worked for him from time to time. On the day of Ms Treacys death, Mr Hardiman was in Eyrecourt, about 16km to 20km away, when he received a phone call from Scott at 3.26pm. Scott told him that he was setting back out with the teleporter" and he hit Chrissie. The accused was clearly upset and asked Mr Hardiman to come down to me, quick. Mr Hardiman made his way to Derryhiney and straight to Ms Treacys house. There, he saw the deceased lying face down on the concrete yard near her home close to the teleporter. Mr Hardiman checked her wrist but found no pulse and said the Act of Contrition into her ear. Her hands were pretty smashed up, he said and there were tyre marks on her trousers. There was blood around her legs and face but not a lot. He knew she was dead, he said. Mr Hardiman called gardai and emergency services and went looking for Scott. He said he found him in a hysterical way of crying and shouting inside a shed. Scott just cried more when Mr Hardiman told him that he had said a prayer over Ms Treacy and that she had died. The witness recalled Scott then jumped up and went for his jeep and he pulled out a gun, a double-barrel shotgun. He heard Scott repeating, I can't deal with this as he stepped backwards with the gun while Mr Hardiman shouted at him. The witness said: He was getting near where the tyres were on the ground and he tripped over a tyre and lost his balance. I grabbed the gun and took the cartridge out. In her evidence, Regina Donohue told the jury that she knew the Treacy family from when she had done work experience with them for 12 weeks when she was studying farming. She became close friends with Ms Treacy and her brothers Willie and Michael and considered them to be like a new family. It had a huge impact on her, it upset her immensely She continued to work with them for many years while running her own farms nearby. I learned a lot from them, she said. They had a love of animals and took pride in what they produced quality milk and quality beef. By Christmas 2017, Ms Donohue said the deceased made an application through her solicitor to split the land at Derryhiney and put a new lease on the half that she owned. Ms Donohue said it was around this time that Ms Treacy realised that the lease she had with Scott was for 30 acres, rather than the 70 acres she actually owned. In April 2017 Ms Treacy decided she wasnt getting enough money from Scott for the land at Kiltormer and she asked her agricultural consultant to lease it to someone else. Ms Treacys financial situation was very poor", the witness said, because she wasnt getting enough money from Scott and would have to go looking for the money when she was running low. In the late spring of 2017 gardai were called to Ms Treacys home. Ms Donohue said there had been damage to fencing and cattle were let out at a separate parcel of land owned by Ms Treacy at Kiltormer where a new tenant had taken over from Michael Scott. "Chrissy was very stressed and upset over it, she said. Some of his [the new tenant's] property had been damaged and he had to take his stock out of the land for two weeks for safety. It had a huge impact on her, it upset her immensely." The witness was aware that gardai spoke to Ms Treacy and Scott about the damage on the farm. Mr Hardiman, during his evidence, told the court that the accused confided in him that he had been accused of knocking fences, opening gates and letting out cattle on the Kiltormer land. Mr Hardiman said the accused told him that he never went down there and was upset that he had been accused. Mr Hardiman added: I presume it was Chrissie who was accusing him." In February 2018, about eight weeks before she died, Ms Treacy suffered enormous upset when her dog Bradley went missing and never returned, Ms Donohue said. She loved her dog, he was like a child. He was her friend and company when there was nobody there with her. Ms Treacys doctor put her on medication for stress and anxiety and Ms Donohue sat up with her until 3.20 the following morning. Ms Donohue tried searching for the dog but he "vanished, he never came back. I kicked Francis to let me go but he held onto me tight Ms Treacy decided to change the locks on her front and back doors. In June 2017, on Ms Treacys birthday, the witness said she and the deceased went out for a meal and when they returned, Scott stormed in and asked, where the f**k were you?. He said that he had no electricity in the dairy and stormed through the hall to flip the switches to turn the electricity back on. Ms Donohue said that she began to avoid Scott but on one occasion in the weeks before Ms Treacy died, she was driving on the main Portumna to Ballinasloe road when Scott, driving his Jeep, came straight for me. She said his Jeep swung as she thought he was going to take the mirror from my Jeep. She composed herself and rang a local garda to tell him what had happened. At around that time, Ms Treacy asked her solicitor to draw up papers making Ms Donohue her next of kin. Ms Donohue said: It was just that I would be able to get access to Ms Treacy at all times. She feared that Mr Scott would prevent me from having access to her. On the day that Ms Treacy died, Ms Donohue received a phone call from Francis Hardiman saying that Ms Treacy had been involved in a machinery accident. When Ms Donohue arrived at the farm, she first saw Scott sitting on his hunkers with his head in his hands. To the right, she saw Ms Treacy on the ground. She went and knelt down beside her and then started screaming and shouting at Mr Scott. She said she wanted to get at him but Mr Hardiman held her back. I kicked Francis to let me go but he held onto me tight. In his closing address to the jury, prosecution counsel Dean Kelly SC said that Scott reversed over his aunt in a deliberate act of murder out of a sense of entitlement and for revenge". He said Scott had told big lies, little lies and enormous lies about his relationship with Ms Treacy in the lead-up to her death and about how her decision to partition the land would impact his farming business. There was also, he said, evidence that Scott had made clear and direct threats to do harm to Ms Treacy. She was there to be seen before being struck, he said, either standing still or moving exceptionally slowly due to her age and ill health. Mr Kelly showed the jury photographs taken from inside the teleporter cabin which, he said, showed that Ms Treacy, wearing her light blue cardigan, would have been visible through the rear window. The account given by Scott, in which he said that he was reversing the teleporter but did not see Ms Treacy, was self-serving, dishonest, nonsense," Mr Kelly said. Counsel pointed to what he called the geometric precision" with which the teleporter ran over Ms Treacy from her right toe to her extended left hand, crushing everything in its path including her organs and pelvis, and removing the flesh from her left hand. "Imagine the precision of that, he said. How unfortunate would you have to be for that to happen by accident? "This was a deliberate act of murder out of a sense of entitlement and revenge, he said. In his closing speech to the jury, defence counsel Paul Greene SC said that the defence evidence regarding how Ms Treacy died was more persuasive than that of the prosecution. He said it raised a reasonable possibility that her death was accidental and, he said, "in any event, the prosecution has failed to prove its case to the standard of beyond a reasonable doubt. Imagine there was rubbish blowing around your yard and you not having the fitness to pick it up. Theres a cruelty to that He asked the jury not to look at the case from the perspective that Scott is a monstrous person but to approach the evidence coldly and without fear nor favour. He said the prosecution had relied on evidence that suggested the accused was self-pitying, was whingeing and was unkind, yes, to his aunt Chrissie". He added: I respectfully suggest to you that no matter how monstrous that behaviour is, it doesnt go to what you are about in any meaningful way." The evidence, he said, was brought by the prosecution to suggest that Scott had a reason to kill his aunt but, counsel added: It begs the question, why didnt he act sooner?" He said that it is of particular significance that there was no evidence of a disturbance in Ms Treacys home. While the evidence of several witnesses was that Ms Treacy would only leave her home on the rarest of occasions, there was no evidence of how she came to be in the yard or when she entered the yard. Mr Kelly told the jury that the intensity and toxicity of the relationship between Ms Treacy and her nephew was increasing with every passing week in the build-up to her death. There were, he said, incidents of general cruelty and unkindness such as Scott refusing to bring Ms Treacys rubbish away and allowing it to pile up in the yard beside her home. Imagine there was rubbish blowing around your yard and you not having the fitness to pick it up. Theres a cruelty to that," he said. There was also, counsel said, the "deliberate turning off of Ms Treacys oil to torment Ms Treacy. There was also evidence that the milking parlour from which Ms Treacys carers would fetch milk was occasionally locked and there was what Mr Kelly described as an obstacle course" created in the yard to discomfort and embarrass Ms Treacy. In the months before Ms Treacys death, Scott had brought cows up the good road leading to Ms Treacys home, causing it to become covered in cow dung and leading to Ms Treacy's concern that visitors' cars and the day-care centre bus would get dirtied. Mr Kelly said there was no reason for him to bring cows up that road, he had never done it before but did it in the months leading up to her death knowing it was a cause of stress and embarrassment" to Ms Treacy. The events on April 27 did not simply fall from the sky but, Mr Kelly said, there was a drumbeat growing louder in the months leading to it. Ms Justice Biggs told the jury that if Scott deliberately ran over his aunt intending to kill her or cause her serious injury, then they were duty-bound to find him guilty of murder. If they found that what happened was an accident, she told them to consider a manslaughter verdict on the grounds that he was grossly negligent in reversing without looking behind him. She told the jury to acquit if the prosecution had failed to prove either murder or manslaughter. A pensioner killed by two women in Derry four years ago was a convicted sex offender, it can be revealed. Daniel Guyler (75) died 10 months after he suffered a serious head injury when he was robbed in the Termon Street area of the city in July 2018. He never regained consciousness and passed away in Altnagelvin Hospital in May 2019. Two women, Rhona Gracey (36) and Sharon Harland (47), have admitted his manslaughter and will be sentenced next month. Details can now be revealed of Guylers past, which is not connected in any way to his death. He was found guilty in 2017 of eight charges of indecent assault on three female children. A court heard that the victims were aged between seven and 11-years-old at the time of the abuse. The dates of the abuse are not known but the attacks are believed to have taken place a significant number of years ago. Guyler, who was better known as Don and was originally from the Limavady area of Co Derry, denied the offences but was found guilty after a lengthy trial. He was sentenced to two years and six months in prison and told he must register as a sex offender for a period of 10 years. Guyler is understood to have been released from prison a short time before the 2018 attack and was living at a hostel in the Waterside area of Derry. Following the pensioners death, police launched a murder investigation. Gracey and Harland were subsequently arrested and charged with his murder. They both denied the charge. Expand Close Termon Street, where Daniel Guyler was killed / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Termon Street, where Daniel Guyler was killed However, during a hearing at Belfast Crown Court last October, the two women admitted a charge of manslaughter in connection with Guylers death. Gracey and Harland appeared before Laganside court in Belfast on Friday to be sentenced. A prosecution barrister told the court that Guyler was assaulted at Termon Street on July 23, 2018 and his wallet, which contained 400, was stolen. It is understood he had collected his pension earlier that day. The victim suffered a serious head injury during the attack, from which he never regained consciousness and he died in hospital ten months later on May 1, 2019. The barrister said that although no one saw Guyler being robbed, according to witnesses at the scene, Harland and Gracey had been with him shortly before the incident and they were also present when Guyler was found by members of the public. The court was told Gracey tried to dissuade local residents from calling an ambulance. The two women and Guyler were living in a nearby Simon Community hostel at the time and were known to drink in the area where Guyler was attacked. Shortly afterwards, the court was told, Harland and Gracey were seen acting suspiciously and appeared to be panicking and running around frantically. They were seen disposing of a wallet. There was no cash in it at that time but the wallet was later identified as Mr Guylers, said the barrister. They had money after the incident that they didnt have before. The barrister said Harland made comments to witnesses at the scene which could be interpreted as a confession. She told one witness that Mr Guyler had sexually assaulted one of them and when asked if she had assaulted Mr Guyler, she smirked and said he was a paedophile. When confronted by a further witness as to what she had done, Harland said are you going to tout?. As well as witness evidence there was also forensic evidence, the barrister added. Traces of Guylers blood was found on Graceys slipper, sock, T-shirt and jeans and on Harlands shoe and trousers. During interview, the two defendants either made no comment or said they could not remember the incident. However, at one stage during interview, the barrister said, Harland remarked if someone was a paedophile then they deserved what they got. The court was told that Harland has 50 previous convictions, including 14 for assault, while Gracey has 55 previous convictions which included 12 assaults and seven serious assaults. Graceys barrister said there was no suggestion of premeditation in the attack on Guyler and added a very substantial amount of alcohol and prescription drugs had been taken by his client on the night of the attack. The barrister said Gracey, a mother of two teenage children, had shown genuine remorse for her part in the pensioners death. Harlands barrister said her life had been blighted by substance abuse after a wholly dysfunctional and unstable childhood. He said his client, who has six children, had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and described her as a very significantly ill person. Both defence representatives asked the judge to give the two women credit for their early pleas to the manslaughter charge. The judge said he would consider all the submissions and sentence the two women on April 3. A school in which children with additional needs are being taught in toilets and corridors has held a protest in Dublin today. Staff, students, and parents from Riverview Educate Together National School (ETNS) held a protest today at the school in Dublin 12 to draw attention to the impact of the government freeze on funding for new buildings. The school says it requires a support teaching room for children with additional needs as well as an extra room to accommodate a new class of Junior Infants in September, as the school population grows by a further 28 children. The protest follows a communication from the Department of Education last week that the installation of a prefab at the school is being put on hold due to funding pressures. Management at Riverview ETNS were advised by the Department to find rental accommodation off-site. Margaret Burke, principal at the school, said conditions are unacceptable at present and that Riverview is operating without any support teaching rooms. Ms Burke said it is children with additional needs who are most severely affected. Expand Close Principal Margaret Burke with students Ultan Prendergast, Mia Williams, Theo Udoeyop and Ellie Trussell. Photo: Aoife de Burca / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Principal Margaret Burke with students Ultan Prendergast, Mia Williams, Theo Udoeyop and Ellie Trussell. Photo: Aoife de Burca The school office is a multipurpose space, with a teaching area in the corner. Toilets and storage rooms double as sensory rooms and support teaching happens in corridors and in the school hall, she said. There is no space at all for any of the confidential conversations which need to happen in a school. All of the children are being impacted by these unacceptable conditions, but it is the children with additional needs and the staff who are so committed to supporting them, who are most severely affected. If the government takes inclusion seriously, as we do, they need to prioritise the provision of physical and human resources for children with additional needs, so that inclusion can work for these children and their families. At a minimum, the construction of essential school buildings for September must proceed, but a wider conversation about how we invest in education for children with additional needs is urgently needed. Riverview ETNS is located in a building shared with Setanta Special School, who are awaiting a new build in Stillorgan. In 2017, Riverside was informed it would take two years for Setantas new build, but six years later it has yet to be completed. Expand Close Parents Orla Mellon and Jean Weldon with students Irlah McConnell and Holly O'Doherty protesting at Riverview ETNS this morning. Photo: Aoife de Burca. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Parents Orla Mellon and Jean Weldon with students Irlah McConnell and Holly O'Doherty protesting at Riverview ETNS this morning. Photo: Aoife de Burca. Ms Burke continued: As a developing school, we are already operating with fewer resources than equivalent established schools, and the additional strains on space are impacting the children for whom the most specialised support is needed. With each year, our physical space is put under further pressure, and staff are being asked to provide support under ever more compromised conditions. Riverview opened its doors in September 2016, and was established as a result of a parent campaign for equality based education in the area. Staff are hugely invested in the development of our school and have worked tirelessly to build the thriving learning community which the school has become, in spite of the conditions. The Department of Education have been contacted for comment. A total of 14 men have come forward to allege sexual abuse at the hands of a former teacher at a school in Waterford city. The allegations were made by past pupils of Waterpark College, who claim they were sexually and physically abused by a man who worked at the school across three decades. Tom Meehan, who died in 2019, and who was never prosecuted, taught geography, was a career guidance counsellor and vice-principal during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. The details of the allegations were aired as part of an investigation by WLR FM presenter Damien Tiernan on his show Deise Today. He spoke to a number of alleged victims about their experience of abuse, with one former student revealing that he attempted to take his own life due to the trauma he suffered. Lee Deady, who subsequently took a civil case against Waterpark College and received a settlement of 60,000, alleges that the abuse started when he was in second year, and continued up until his final year of school. He said he stopped going to PE lessons for fear of him arriving down to the showers. It [the abuse] could have been once a fortnight. It depended when he bumped into you. There was no way of escaping him. One time I had to strip off my pants in front of him. He locked the door and came over with dirty questions. He started rubbing the inside of my leg. WRL said the details of what happened to him were too graphic to publish. You can go to any amount of counselling, which I have, but it never leaves you, he said. Very adverse effects on his psychological, emotional and mental wellbeing Meehan was the subject of a number of garda investigations. In a statement to WRL, the Garda Press Office said: Waterford gardai received a number of complaints about alleged abuse by an individual between 2009 and 2011. A further complaint was received in 2019. All the complaints were investigated and a number of files were forwarded to the DPP. The DPP returned with a direction of no prosecution in all cases. An Garda Siochana does not comment on correspondence with the DPP. Another civil case was brought against the former teacher and a judgment was published in relation to the case last year. The plaintiff sought damages arising out of acts of alleged sexual abuse between 1993 and 1998. He alleged the abuse happened on the school grounds, in private and during the school day. However, the proceedings were dismissed as Mr Justice Cian Ferriter ruled that the plaintiffs delay in prosecuting the proceedings was inordinate. He found that the plaintiff provided sufficient evidence as to the reason for not having issued proceedings before January 2012 due to the very adverse effects on his psychological, emotional and mental wellbeing, suffered as a result of the abuse he claimed was perpetrated on him, which was amply supported by the medical evidence tendered on his behalf. But the plaintiff could not excuse the delay of some three and a half years in failing to prosecute his proceedings in the period March 2014 to November 2017. In my view, it would not be fair or appropriate to leave to trial the issue of the prejudice resulting from the unavailability through death of the late Mr Meehan, the sole alleged perpetrator, and the balance of justice in my view accordingly favours dismissal of the proceedings at this juncture, Mr Justice Ferriter said. It is important when considering fair trial rights to also weigh in the scales of justice the right of a defendant, who maintains his innocence of allegations made against him, to a fair trial which will yield a fair result. Unfortunately, and through absolutely no fault of the plaintiff, the death of the late Mr Meehan means that, objectively, there is a real risk that a fair trial would not occur in this case, he concluded. The plaintiff later reached an out-of-court settlement for an undisclosed figure in January 2023. Waterpark College was founded by the Christian Brothers in 1892. It now operates under the trusteeship of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust. In a statement, Waterpark College said: "We cannot comment on any individual cases as it may prejudice due process. However, we would encourage anybody who has concerns to report them to the relevant authorities." In a statement to WLR, the Edmund Rice Schools Trust said it condemns any form of child abuse and is committed to the best standards of child protection. The number of vehicles without a valid NCT cert rose by 50,000 in just a few weeks but the operator of the national car test has vowed to cut backlogs and waiting times. There were 425,004 vehicles with a due date for the test that was in the past last week the highest level in recent years. This compares with 375,000 vehicles that were overdue their NCT at the end of January, according to a presentation to an Oireachtas committee. Representatives of the testing company Applus told politicians that figure was 170,000 above the norm for the time of year. Test delays were described as unacceptable. A Department of Transport spokesperson said junior minister Jack Chambers is frustrated at the delays, but assurances have been given that wait periods will fall to 12 days by the end of June. He said a standard 12-day wait is set out in the NCT contract. The average waiting period nationally is now just under 28 days. The rise in the backlog has come to light as it emerged driver testers are refusing to conduct tests in vehicles without a valid NCT cert from this week. Forsa said it issued the instruction to members due to serious health and safety concerns. Read More The highest number of vehicles due for an NCT in March in recent years, combined with the bank holiday for St Patricks Day have resulted in the increased figure, said the department spokesperson. He said the high number of vehicles registered in the first three months of each year have contributed to an overall increase in January and February. It is expected that this number will decrease significantly over the coming months, he said. He confirmed the 375,000 figure for vehicles without an NCT quoted at the committee and the 425,004 vehicles with an overdue test date last week are calculated on the same basis. The spokesperson said the figures represent the number of vehicles currently or shortly due to present for NCT. He said the department and Road Safety Authority (RSA) do not have an exact figure for how many of the vehicles may be held by motor dealers. Minister Chambers is deeply concerned and frustrated at the delays and backlogs facing the National Car Testing Services [NCTS], he said. He added that statutory responsibility for roadworthiness testing in the State, including the operation of the NCTS, rests with the RSA. However, Minister Chambers has instructed Department of Transport officials to continue holding weekly meetings with the Road Safety Authority to closely monitor progress in reducing test delays and to assist with any further issues or challenges which may arise. He said the NCT service remains under pressure as high demand for testing and the knock-on impacts of an early 2022 Covid 19-related test backlog was exacerbated by longer-term staffing shortages in the European Economic Area. Applus, which runs the NCT, said this time of year is always challenging. NCTS are still increasing capacity, and we will continue to do so until the issue is resolved, it said. Recruitment is still ongoing and so far in 2023, we have recruited 24 vehicle inspectors who are now in the NCT test centres testing. We have a recruitment team that have just returned from the Philippines where we hope to have an additional 50-plus vehicle inspectors commence training as soon as visas are approved. It said 54,000 overdue vehicles have been tested and failed, 250,000 vehicles with a test due date in the past have a confirmed NCT booking, around 28,000 vehicles with a test due date in the past are on the priority list and waiting for an appointment, and around 60,000 vehicles have a motor tax expiry in the past and maybe considered to be off the road. The remainder of the vehicles have been notified that they are due an NCT but have still to make contact with us to arrange an appointment. A simmering loyalist feud shows no sign of slowing down with innocent family members of those involved now being targeted. The son of one of Northern Irelands most infamous hitmen has appeared in court charged with a feud related attack as the violence now enters a second week. With police resources already stretched, there seems no end in sight with the unrest escalating, not diminishing. The feud between a deposed faction of the South East Antrim UDA under Adrian Price and a breakaway North Down UDA unit has now developed to include blameless family members. Stephen Daniel McKeag (30), the son of UDA C Company henchman Stephen Top Gun McKeag, appeared via videolink at Newtownards Magistrates Court charged with offences that occurred on Sunday, March 26. McKeag, of Upper Movilla Street, confirmed he understood the charges against him of arson with intent, attempted intimidation, making and throwing of petrol bombs and possessing a quantity of Class B drugs. His father, an infamous UDA commander responsible for dozens of murders, died in controversial circumstances in 2000. Expand Close Damaged caused to a block of flats in the Ballyferris walk are of Bangor. PACEMAKER / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Damaged caused to a block of flats in the Ballyferris walk are of Bangor. PACEMAKER Among those murdered by McKeag senior was Philomena Hanna, a 26-year-old mother of two gunned down while she worked in a pharmacy on the Springfield Road, and 17-year-old Damien Walsh at the Dairy Farm shopping complex in west Belfast in March 1993. The late McKeag was also responsible for the Christmas 1991 attack on the Devenish Arms bar off Finaghy Road North, where 22-year-old Catholic civil servant Aidan Wallace was killed and an eight-year-old boy, Christopher Lawless, was shot in the eye as he sat eating crisps. In November 1992, McKeag senior carried out a gun and grenade attack on James Murrays betting shop on the Oldpark Road in north Belfast. Three men were killed, Francis Burns, Peter Orderly and John Lovett, a former soldier who had survived torture in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp during the Second World War. Along with Robert Montgomery (30), of Queens Square, Stephen Daniel McKeag has now been charged with a second petrol bomb attack on a property. The home of the mother of another member of Prices gang was also targeted in a late night petrol bomb attack. The targeting of family members has only served to heighten tensions, with fears that an innocent person will be injured or killed in the now nightly violent attacks. Five people have so far been arrested with two, McKeag and Montgomery, charged and remanded in custody. The pair are alleged to be members of a gang headed up by convicted extortionist Dickie Barry. Sources have estimated that Prices gang is about 50 strong with Barry having around 100 men at his disposal. The geographical spread of the attacks is making the policing operation difficult. There were seven attacks on Tuesday evening, with homes targeted in Newtownards, Ballywalter, the Donaghadee Road and Bangor. Police resources are stretched to the limit with officers struggling to cover the nightly attacks and calls for calm falling on deaf ears. The two gangs, both accused of being heavily involved in drug dealing and criminality, are refusing to stand down. While some members have left the area in return for a commitment that their family members will not be targeted, the majority are refusing to leave North Down. Graffiti threatening Adrian Price and a second individual was spray-painted on walls around Newtownards. It was signed by the North Down UFF and appeared in dozens of locations. In the past Price has been named in court as having a command role in the South East Antrim UDA. The West Winds estate, where the feud started over a week ago when an eight strong gang of masked men attacked Adrian Prices house, is now a nightly battleground. A Northern Irish hardline Brexiteer has said that MLAs returning to Stormont after the Windsor Framework would be like Nazi collaborators under the Vichy regime in wartime France. And she said that Northern Ireland was the EUs first kind of colony. Former Labour MP Baroness Kate Hoey made the incendiary comparison as the DUP tried to block the Stormont Brake, a key part of the revamped post-Brexit trading arrangements, with a fatal motion in the House of Lords. But just like in a Commons vote on the Stormont Brake earlier this month, they were overwhelmingly defeated. Peers rejected the DUPs fatal motion by 227 votes to 14, majority 213. The Stormont Brake enables politicians in Belfast to trigger a veto over the imposition of new EU rules in the region. Speaking during the debate, Baroness Hoey compared MLAs who support the new Framework deal to Nazi collaborators. She said: There are people in Northern Ireland, leading politicians, who say, and its true, that Northern Ireland has now become a form of colony. The EUs first kind of colony. If Stormont goes back with the present Windsor Framework, they in fact would be almost like what happened during the war with the Vichy government, where all those MLAs would be collaborators with a kind of colonial government. Taking foreign laws from a foreign legislature, governing much of our economy in Northern Ireland and keeping us in a foreign customs code whereby GB, Great Britain, our country, where our capital is, becomes a third country, becomes our foreign country, its just not acceptable. Earlier, Northern Ireland Office minister Lord Caine had told Parliament that the Stormont Brake veto over the imposition of new EU rules in Northern Ireland can only be used once the powersharing at Stormont has been restored. Without the so-called Stormont Brake, the region would continue to automatically align with regulations issued by Brussels, he said. The Tory frontbencher argued the mechanism provided a robust power to politicians in Northern Ireland to block the application of changes by the EU. Lord Caine said: It is a robust change that gives the United Kingdom a veto over dynamic alignment with EU rules. But, just as importantly, the regulations we are debating put the democratically-elected representatives of the people of Northern Ireland in charge of whether and when than veto will be used. He added: These regulations also make the case for functioning devolved institutions in Northern Ireland even more compelling. Without this measure, Northern Ireland would continue to have full and automatic alignment with EU goods rules with no say for the Northern Ireland Assembly and no veto on amending or replacing measures. The DUP has opposed the Windsor Framework, and warned it will not return to Stormont until it undergoes further changes which the Government has ruled out several times. The party argues the Framework still leaves Northern Ireland subject to EU laws, and therefore it continues to refuse to return to powersharing. The failed DUP fatal motion had argued that the regulations rather than eliminating the democratic deficit, they make provision for law to be made for Northern Ireland in 300 policy areas by the European Union, in whose parliament the people of Northern Ireland have no representation. It also stated that the Stormont Brake would only exist to laws regarding product regulation where there is a significant and lasting effect and does not cover areas such as VAT, state aid, customs or electricity. In addition, the motion claimed that even if the Assembly opposes new EU legislation affecting Northern Ireland, it could still be ignored by the UK Government. Several peers from the Opposition benches called for the DUP to return to power-sharing in order to restore the institutions in Belfast. Former SDLP leader Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick argued that the greatest lack of democracy in Northern Ireland is the lack of an Assembly, an executive, a North South Ministerial Council, a British-Irish Council and I implore the DUP, please get back into Government and please make sure that the Windsor Framework can work. Because the people of Northern Ireland are currently facing very high waiting lists for health, a crumbling education system, budgets that have not been defined, because there is no Government in place. She added that people in Northern Ireland were fed up with the lack of political institutions and the fact that decisions are therefore left to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris, who was looking on in the debate in the House of Lords. Former Stormont first minister Baroness Arlene Foster responded to calls for the DUP to return to government by pointing out that Sinn Fein have done the same thing before, and arguing the return to power-sharing must be fair. She said: For three years, the people of Northern Ireland were kept out of government by Sinn Fein demanding language rights. We didnt have government to deal with health issues, to deal with budget issues in our schools, all of those issues - it was incredibly frustrating. I want devolution to return to Northern Ireland, as someone who held the post of first minister, but it must be done on a fair and sustainable basis. Labour former Northern Ireland secretary Lord Hain said: I do worry about the vacuum that has opened up, because politics is not functioning. When politics doesnt function in Northern Ireland, then darker forces move in. Both Lord Hain and Lady Ritchie raised several concerns about the functioning of the Stormont Brake, however, including the potential for an inbuilt minority veto. Former NIO minister Lord Robathan rubbished the idea of a border on the island of Ireland. The Tory peer, who also served with the Army during the Troubles, told Parliament: The idea that there will be a physical border on the island of Ireland is for the birds. For those that know Northern Ireland, there was something like 320 crossing points and my colleagues in the British Army, when I was serving there, spent a great deal of time trying to stop the crossing points without any success whatsoever. Its the same now, theres smuggling across the border as we speak. Before either the Republic or we joined the EU, there was no border. We do not want to put up a border. If there were to be a border, it would have to be put up by the Irish or by the EU, and it will not happen. DUP peer Lord McCrea expressed severe doubts over the effectiveness of the Stormont brake, arguing it was convoluted with caveats. He said: This brake couldnt stop a tricycle, never mind the EU juggernaut travelling down the track. He added: I do not believe that my party could re-enter an assembly which would require us to work for the destruction of the union by implementing foreign laws in our own country. The Government should be in no doubt about the determination that we have to defend the integrity of the UK even if they wont. Former DUP deputy leader Lord Dodds said: We did leave (the EU) as one United Kingdom. The citizens of Northern Ireland are equal citizens to the citizens of Scotland, England and Wales. Lord Bew, a professor of Irish politics at Queens University Belfast and former adviser to Lord Trimble before the Good Friday Agreement, said he viewed the negotiations over Northern Ireland to be over. The independent crossbench peer said: That negotiation is over. The questions and answers that are involved in that, its been, its done. These are the questions, there is now an answer, which everybody accepts realistically is an improvement. Everybody knows actually in their heart of hearts on all sides that the Windsor Framework is on the upside of what was expected. Accusing the DUP of deploying an impossibilist set of arguments, Lord Bew said: There was never an offer during this negotiation to remove EU law and never a demand. There was an offer to deal with the alienation of the unionist community to deal with - for example, their concern that the east-west relationship was not as offered in the Good Friday Agreement. The Defence Forces chief of staff and his predecessors assured the Government that robust measures were in place in the military to deal with crime, including rape and sexual assault, and support victims, a secret cabinet memo has shown. The revelation of the assurances from Lieutenant General Sean Clancy and former military chiefs stretching back decades comes after a damning report found the Defence Forces is not currently a safe working environment. At best it barely tolerates and at worst verbally, physically, sexually and psychologically abuses women in its ranks. Lt Gen Clancy faces calls to resign in the wake of the report of the Independent Review Group (IRG) chaired by retired judge Bronagh OHanlon. However, he is backed by Tanaiste Micheal Martin and the coalition leaders. Taoiseach Leo Varadkars spokesperson said the military chief will drive necessary change. Lt Gen Clancy admitted yesterday that the behaviour highlighted in the report continues to exist. He said those resisting change or acting inappropriately will be held to account. They dont belong in our organisation. But a memo given to ministers on Tuesday stated that assurances have been provided by current and former chiefs of staff to the [Defence] Minister [Micheal Martin] to the effect that there are robust protection measures and grievance procedures in place to bring any perpetrators to justice and to support victims. These assurances dated back to the publication of an independent report into a range of interpersonal issues within the Defence Forces in 2002. However, outlining the background to the establishment of the IRG, the cabinet memo said the Department of Defence had concerns about the pervading culture and wanted to return to a back-to-basics assessment. The IRGs landmark report found most female Defence Forces members have experienced some type of incident in the form of sexual harassment or assault, especially on overseas missions. It said women occupy a low status, with 88pc of female respondents surveyed experiencing one or more form of sexual harassment, including sexual assaults. The Government is to establish a statutory inquiry on foot of the findings. Last night, opposition TDs piled pressure on the top military brass, with Aontu leader Peadar Toibin saying it is hard to see how their positions are tenable given the fact that the Defence Forces are not a safe place to work. Sinn Fein, Labour and the Social Democrats stopped short of calling on Lt Clancy to resign, but Labour defence spokesperson Mark Wall said the inquiry should consider his role and that of his predecessors. Sinn Fein defence spokesperson Sorca Clarke said: What is needed is a complete change of culture and substantially more than a change in personnel. The chief of staff has voiced his support for reform and appears to be determined to implement what is necessary. Mr Varadkar told the Dail the report was shocking, and added: Its not historic. Its ongoing, and it appears to be widescale. However, when asked if he had confidence in the States top military officer, Mr Varadkars spokesperson said: Yes. The Taoiseach has confidence in the chief of staff to drive the change necessary to ensure the dignity and integrity of the women and men of the Defence Forces is safeguarded at all times. Mr Martin said on Tuesday that abuse in the Defence Forces was happening, and he had made it clear to senior command that changes have to be seen immediately, but backed Lt Gen Clancy. I have confidence in the chief of staff in terms of his commitment to reform and change, he said. A spokesperson for Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said he also had confidence in Lt Gen Clancy. A former army soldier TD who spent over two decades in the Defence Forces has said his experience of the army was not even remotely on the scale of a damning report into the organisation. An independent review into the Defence Forces found the organisation barely tolerates women and did not have a safe working environment. The review was carried out after allegations of sexual abuse, bullying and harassment spanning decades. Independent TD Cathal Berry said a role in the Defence Forces is an excellent job and he couldnt recommend it enough. He said the statutory inquiry would establish the facts and that it should take place as soon as possible. He told Kildare radio station KFM that he has worked in many jobs but was always treated the best in the Defence Forces. The place where I was treated the best unquestionably was the Defence Forces. Having worked there, from time to time, you do get - what is common there is sometimes - internal grievances, that somebody didnt get a course or somebody didn't get a promotion, he said. Routine workplace stuff? Absolutely. But certainly not even remotely on the scale that came out in the report yesterday. So it was a very, very shocking read. He said he hopes the statutory inquiry, which has been promised by the Government, would talk to people who have had very good experiences in the defence forces as it is an excellent job for both men and women. I couldnt recommend it enough, he said. He said his phone has been hopping for the past 48 hours by former members of the forces since the publication of the report. The overall sentiment from the dozens of calls that I got was that this is not the organisation that they remember and this is not the organisation that they recognise. In fairness to the reports authors, they did say these allegations, theyre not findings of fact, so we need to move to the next step would be a statutory inquiry to establish facts and make recommendations accordingly. He said he absolutely supports the Women of Honour and said there is an opportunity to improve conditions within the forces. It is hard to understand how the Defence Forces chief of staff could have been blissfully unaware of horrific abuse within the Defence Forces, the Dail has been told. Holly Cairns, leader of the Social Democrats, asked the Tanaiste if he had confidence in the Chief of Staff Sean Clancy in light of the damning findings of a review released this week. Micheal Martin replied: I have confidence in the chief of staffs commitment to change and to reform. But he also said the Government would amend legislation to allow future allegations to be investigated by An Garda Siochana, rather than internal army disciplinary procedures. Ms Cairns cited an Independent.ie revelation that the Government had been repeatedly assured in the recent past that there were robust protections in place against sexual abuse in the ranks. Ms Cairns said Lt Gen Clancy had said he was unaware of the problem for most of his 40 year career. Given the pervasive nature of the sadistic abuse that is detailed in this report, it's hard to understand how that could be the case, she said. And if it is true, and the chief of staff was blissfully unaware of the horrific abuse for the duration of his career, it speaks to a level of disconnection that is deeply worrying, she said. It's also deeply concerning to read in the Irish independent that Lt Gen Clancy and his predecessors gave repeated assurances to your Government and to previous Governments that robust measures were in place to deal with abuse and to support victims. This is clearly not the case and has never been the case. Not only were victims not supported, they were targeted and further abused, Ms Cairns said. In contrast, perpetrators were promoted and rewarded. This continued not just for years, but for decades. She asked Mr Martin, who is also the Minister for Defence: Do you have confidence in the current leadership of the Defence Forces? The Tanaiste began by commending the courage of the women and indeed men who had shared their experiences, led by the Women of Honour group. At the heart of this as a culture of fear, and people fearful of putting their head above the parapet for fear of reprisal. As the report says, it would be a career-ending move, he said. This was because it could limit the prospects for promotion, hence it was that the chain of command system, that dynamic in its own way, acted as a suppression. He said the Government would deal fundamentally and radically with all that had emerged. He said the 1954 Defence Act would be amended to allow any future allegations to be referred to An Garda Siochana for investigation. Mr Martin said he was mindful that it says in the report that there is resistance to change in the organisation. But he added: I have confidence in the chief of staffs commitment to change and to reform. Ms Cains said she was confused by the Taoiseachs answer, when the man trusted to bring about change had been oblivious to the problem over the long years of his career. American sources have said Joe Bidens decision to move his Northern Ireland visit forward by a month is because he wants to let Bill and Hillary Clinton have their moment in the sun. Both the current US president and the former president and First Lady will be visiting Belfast during a week of events to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday agreement. According to The Guardian, it appears likely Brtains King Charles III and President Biden wont cross paths during both their visits to celebrate a quarter-century of peace in the North, but will instead stage back-to-back visits in an echo of historic visits to Dublin by Barack Obama and the queen in 2011. Neither the White House nor Buckingham Palace would confirm dates but senior figures in Northern Ireland have been told to expect Mr Biden on April 11 and the king one week later. On April 15, Hillary Clinton will speak at a special event in the Queens Film Theatre to mark the television screening of a film about murdered journalist Lyra McKee. The former US secretary of state will be joined by ex-Womens Coalition leader Monica McWilliams to discuss the documentary by Bafta award-winning director Alison Millar. Mr Biden also today said security officials cant keep him out of Northern Ireland next month, despite M15s decision to increase the regions terrorism threat level to severe. The UKs intelligence service made the announcement yesterday, citing an increase in activity by dissident Irish republican militants. Severe is the second-highest rung on a five-point scale and means an attack is considered highly likely. The threat had stood one notch lower at substantial for the past year. The threat level for the rest of the UK remains at substantial, meaning an attack is considered likely. A ban has been placed on gardai taking time off during the visit of the US President next month. Independent.ie has learned gardai across the country have been informed that leave and rest days are restricted over the six-day period. The directive, issued by Garda Headquarters, indicates that President Joe Biden will visit Ireland between April 10 and 15, which is earlier than had been originally anticipated on April 17. During those dates gardai of all ranks are restricted from taking leave or rest days, apart from in exceptional circumstances. It also states that the restriction takes effect from today, meaning it won't impact gardai who have already been granted annual leave. Biden is expected to spend the majority of his time in his ancestral Mayo, while also visiting Dublin, Belfast, and Louth, where he also has family connections. The day Lorraine OConnor, Chairperson of the Muslim Sisters of Eire, and I meet in the organisations offices, their small room is filled with rolled-up sleeping bags. A hundred of them, brand new. These are to go to the homeless, delivered along with the regular food run that takes place outside the GPO on OConnell Street every Friday night. Thats our biggest and longest-running project, Lorraine says. Every Friday night for the last seven years, 500 people queue up for hot meals, sandwiches, tea, coffee Lorraine set up the Muslim Sisters of Eire in 2010, partly as an education tool to challenge preconceptions around Muslim women, and partly as an organisation to give back to the vulnerable within the community. Now, as the month of Ramadan begins (the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection and community), the local work of the Sisters has intensified. Charity is what first initially brought Lorraine to the Muslim faith. I was a practising Catholic, she says. Ive been to Lourdes, and I dont regret any of that. "I think your faith is a journey in life no matter which faith you start with. I came from a Catholic family, and my mother was the seed to the faith Im in today, even though I changed my religion, because she was a very charitable woman. Every faith is based on charity, kindness, understanding. Read More Lorraine was married to a Muslim man for 17 years, but shes divorced now. So I knew the religion, she says. I was bringing my daughters up as Muslims, even though I wasnt Muslim. "But I reached a point in my life where I was lost. I couldnt find what I was looking for in my own faith. There was always a simplicity to Islam, always something lovely about it but to wear a hijab, a long coat, give up my drink, my fags I thought, never. But, she says with a laugh, we try to plan, but as we say, Allah, God, is the best of planners. He knew what he was doing. Allah knew where he was bringing me. It was the best thing I ever did. Expand Close Lorraine O'Connor became a Muslim after previously being a practising Catholic. Photo: Gerry Mooney / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Lorraine O'Connor became a Muslim after previously being a practising Catholic. Photo: Gerry Mooney Lorraine became a Muslim in 2005 and that was quickly followed by a desire to challenge the prejudice she found. I became a victim to racial slurs when I put on my head scarf. I became a foreigner in my own country. Society took my identity. I changed my faith, I didnt change anything else about myself. I started to get slurs from people who didnt know me go back to where you came from and Id be like, where, the northside of Dublin?. It was funny when I came back to them with a strong Dublin accent, she says. But of course theres nothing funny about xenophobia. Read More Islam was my newfound faith and I had to integrate into that society, the Muslim community, while also trying to integrate back into my own community. That was hard. Learning about her new religion, she says: Women have so many rights and yet the public dont know about it. The media shows this as: Muslim women dont have rights, they exist in a male-dominated religion where the man has the word. They have no say in anything. "On the contrary, its the total opposite. There is culture things that go on in, say, Afghanistan, in Islamabad but thats not religion. But culture and Islam get mixed up in the media. This was all going on in my head. I felt, I have to do something about this. I decided to go back and study. I had left school at 14, so I went and studied Womens Studies. Feminism is about womens choices, and the right to choose. If I chose to wear a hijab, I should be supported in that. It boils down to respecting each others choices. Then I went back into the community, volunteering, and then in 2010, I started the Muslim Sisters of Eire. Expand Close The Muslim Sisters of Eire serving free meals on O'Connell Street / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Muslim Sisters of Eire serving free meals on O'Connell Street Aisha Ali, who has worked with Lorraine for 10 years, adds: It was established to give a safe space for women, especially Muslim women, to come together. They started with coffee mornings and then began branching out to charitable programmes and helping those in need. And now, we do a bit of everything. We run many projects, including feeding the homeless. We also try and fight the stereotyping surrounding Muslim women in general. We have conferences and give talks where we go in and talk about our work and what we do. Throughout the year, they support families in need who may not be homeless but are struggling to make ends meet, says Aisha. We deliver hampers to them. We do this particularly at Christmas food hampers, gift vouchers, presents. And one of our biggest projects is the bag-for-life campaign. Every Christmas Eve, we go out with 15 backpacks, each with a sleeping bag, a tent, hat, gloves, scarf, winter survival essentials, hygiene packs. "We go looking for rough sleepers on a night where everyone else is busy with their last-minute Christmas preparations. I think its a beautiful thing to do. Read More Aisha was born in India, lived in Saudi Arabia, and came to Ireland 12 years ago. The people here are lovely, she says. As far as being a minority religion is concerned, she says: Im Indian, and we are minority Muslims there in a predominantly Hindu country, so I understand what thats like. I do believe that when you are a minority, you stick to your faith more. You look out for your community, for support. Sabina Syed, who moved to Ireland 23 years ago, was born in Saudi. I was raised there for 13 years, then moved to Pakistan, where my parents are from, and lived there for seven years, then moved to Ireland. She says the move was difficult. I came from a big extended family. When I moved here in 2000, there werent many Muslims. My husband and I lived in Nenagh. He worked 48-hour shifts on rotation in the hospital and it felt isolated. That was really daunting for me. I cried a lot for the first year. I wanted to go back. I had no family, no friends, no support. It was difficult. But things changed after she had her son. I was busy with him, I was able to settle down and we moved to Dublin. There began to be a bigger Muslim community in Ireland, and that was good. Expand Close The Muslim Sisters of Eire campaigning to stop homelessness / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Muslim Sisters of Eire campaigning to stop homelessness Occasionally, she says, they encounter ugly reactions from the public. People do say things on the street. A couple of weeks ago outside the GPO, a man collapsed and was having difficulty breathing. "We called the ambulance and because we are first aid responders, we tried to help him, calm him down. Another man, a service user of ours, said, in passing, If you want to help someone, go back to your own country and help people there. It can be very intimidating, but in general, Ive seen a bit of change in the last 23 years in the Muslim community and beyond. Positive change. People are more adaptable now, Muslims are more visible, there are more of us and thats good to see. Lorraine adds: Its only about one per cent of people. Mostly, people have great respect for us because they see what we do. Read More Her own daughter, Lorraine says, gets comments sometimes. Shes half-Libyan, half-Irish, and her ancestors fought for our freedom. Our family was Catholic and patriotic her great-grandfather was in prison with Michael Collins in Wales. Yet shes told she doesnt belong here... Her great-grandfather fought for the very freedom we have today! Is it hard doing Ramadan in a cold, wet country like Ireland? No, Aisha says. Ramadan is always fun, no matter which part of the world youre in. In fact, the fast is easy here because of the weather. Its not that hot. Fasting is from sunrise to sunset, roughly 14/15 hours at this time of year (like Easter, Ramadan moves), and means no food or water. Spiritually, you get the energy to do everything that you have to do, says Sabina. Its very special, Aisha agrees. Its good vibes in the house. It brings the family together, friends, the community. The mosque is buzzing during Ramadan. The main purpose of Ramadan, Sabina explains, is to connect spiritually with God, and attain God consciousness, to think about how we can do more good. Thats why you do extra charity during Ramadan. Aisha adds: You give up on something that is such an essential part of every day. And you give that up voluntarily. If I want to, I can go home and have a drink of water. But I dont. And thats between me and God. "I dont know what happens in all homes, but I know in mine, we are busy putting up decorations and lights, planning meals for the evening when we sit down together and break our fast. This happens at about 6.30/7pm, with preparation of food beginning earlier. We prepare before the sun goes down, but dont eat, says Sabina. Iftar is the breaking of the fast, and is, Aisha says with a laugh, like a binge-fest. People think you lose weight during Ramadan, but no, we put on weight because when we sit down, we eat and eat. Samosas, spring rolls, soups, one or two desserts every day. We go all out during the month. Another thing they do is to send Iftar to each other. Ill get a text, from Sabina or Lorraine maybe, saying dont cook tomorrow, Im sending Iftar. We do that for each other. "You get to try different dishes, cuisines. Its instead of coming over to eat together because as soon as Iftar is finished, we have half an hour to rest and then we all rush to the mosque for the night prayer, so its busy. At the end of Ramadan is Eid, a major festival in the Muslim calendar. The Muslim Sisters of Eire is funded by donations and works with the vulnerable in communities, regardless of religion. Expand Close Aisha says Iftar during Ramadan is like a binge-fest / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Aisha says Iftar during Ramadan is like a binge-fest This Ramadan, along with their usual work, they will be delivering food to Muslim men who are homeless and living in hostels, and have no way to break their fast before sun-up because they have no kitchen or food storage space. We pre-pack cereals, snack bars, fruit pots, something to drink and we deliver that throughout the month, says Aisha. We also do a toy drive we go to Direct Provision centres to children who dont get to celebrate Eid. Not all the children in the centres are Muslim, but we bring presents for everyone because its not fair otherwise. Last year, we had a little party clowns and face-painting. Even though we are fasting ourselves, we are still out there serving food to the homeless every Friday. What do Sabina and Aisha get out of the work they do, aside from the religious obligation? Satisfaction, says Aisha. Happiness, says Sabina. True happiness is making someone else happy. This year, Ramadan runs from March 22 to April 21. For more information regarding The Muslim Sisters of Eires charity work, see msoe.ie. As schools break up for Easter, you may be looking for ways to keep the kids entertained over the next two weeks. Electronic devices are often the go-to means of amusement, but if youre hoping to cut down on screen time, there are many other fun activities to keep them busy for a few hours, from seasonal decorating projects to 3D puzzles and outdoor adventures. Here, we round up the best craft kits and activity packs for children of all ages and interests. Read More Aged under 10 Ensure your family are the grandest in the Easter parade with a special bonnet-making kit (4.49, Hobbycraft.co.uk). It comes with everything they need to deck their headgear out with pipe cleaners, pom poms, ribbon, fabric flowers, felt trim and little chicks and rabbits. If you dont already have a hat at home that they can work with, Hobbycraft sells inexpensive cream boater hats (1.49) that are ideal for decorating. Or get them involved in making your Easter decor with the Paint Your Own Ceramic Egg kit (4.49, Hobbycraft.co.uk), which comes in various sizes and includes a ceramic egg design featuring embossed details that can be painted in a selection of five colours. Expand Close Hey Clay Animals set, 19.99, Smyths / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Hey Clay Animals set, 19.99, Smyths To keep kids occupied beyond Easter, try soft modelling clay like the Hey Clay Animals set (19.99, Smyths.ie), which provides hours of playtime as well as helping to improve sensory and fine motor skills development. It comes with two modelling tools and 15 cans of air-dry clay in an assortment of colours, all of which can be easily mixed, wont stain hands or surfaces, and dries down and hardens into shape in 24 hours, so they can hold on to their new friends and play with them in future too. Give your standard jigsaw puzzle an upgrade with Jasper the 3D Dragon (20, Kidly.ie), a 55-piece puzzle featuring a vibrant green and red fire-breathing dragon, along with a 10-page storybook about his adventures. Expand Close Dragon book and 3D puzzle, 20, kidly.ie / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Dragon book and 3D puzzle, 20, kidly.ie Irish company Linkilonk celebrates our beautiful wildlife and national landmarks in its activity tubes (23.99, Jiminy.ie), each of which contains an animal adventure poster page, colouring pages, 13 activity pages and a sheet of stickers. Plus, the cardboard tube can be used to store little ones artworks, meaning less loose sheets lying around the home. If the weather is nice, take them outside with the Build Your Own Birdhouse kit (20, ToysandGames.ie). You can assemble the wooden panels together and then let them get creative painting and decorating it with the included art materials. Expand Close Build Your Own Birdhouse kit, 20, ToysandGames.ie / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Build Your Own Birdhouse kit, 20, ToysandGames.ie In addition to providing bonding time and a crafting experience, it can also spark compassion and curiosity about nature once the birdhouse is completed, theyll enjoy keeping an eye on any visitors. Even if you dont have any outdoor space, you can bring the greenery indoors with the Grow Your Own Origami Animals kit (27.80, Jiminy.ie). It contains four origami animals a badger, cow, fox, and a pig which the kids can have fun folding into shape and then using to cover the waterproof cardboard planting pots, adding the included seeds and watching them grow. Expand Close Grow Your Own Origami Animals kit, 27.80, Jiminy.ie / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Grow Your Own Origami Animals kit, 27.80, Jiminy.ie Aged 10+ Older children can take papercraft up a level with Irish company Paper Pet Kit, which sells a range of different animal shapes, including dolphins, sharks, whales, deer, wolves and tortoises (13.99, jiminy.ie). They may need help with the cutting and scoring, but together you can spend a relaxing couple of hours folding and assembling your new paper pet, and then choose whether to leave it plain white or colour it in. For an outdoor adventure, try the Cork Boat kit (25, ToysandGames.ie), which provides a base, wooden sticks, clothes pegs and sisal cord, then the kids will need to forage for twigs, leaves and other natural materials to complete their ship before it can take to the high seas (or the bath tub, depending on the weather). Expand Close Cork boat kit, 25, ToysandGames.ie / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Cork boat kit, 25, ToysandGames.ie Easter break is a good time to get them exploring some new hobbies, with beginner versions of many popular crafts. Get them started with crochet, using the Buttonbag Crochet A Sausage Dog kit (22.95, MimiToys.ie), which has knitting yarn, a metal crochet hook, stuffing and the full instructions for making their own adorable pup, dressed in a colourful stripy jumper. Introduce them to their first needle felting project with the mini kits from Cork crafts store VibesandScribes.ie (7.99). Expand Close Buttonbag Crochet A Sausage Dog, 22.95, Mimitoys.ie / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Buttonbag Crochet A Sausage Dog, 22.95, Mimitoys.ie Each kit comes with a felting needle (which is sharp, so adult supervision is necessary), roving wool, polystyrene shapes, felt pieces, jute string and the instructions for creating one of the five available designs, including a llama, unicorn, sheep, dog or a sweet hedgehog. Read More For the Marvel-mad kid, theres the Design Your Own Superhero Comic Book kit (14, ToysandGames.ie), which they can enjoy alone or with other kids. Using the included activity booklet, stencil sheet, graphic tracing sheets and project activity pages, theyll invent their own superhero complete with costumes, superpowers and weapons work on character development, plan their story, design the logo, story board a comic strip and make their very own eight-page comic book. Expand Close Design Your Own Superhero Comic Book, 14, ToysandGames.ie / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Design Your Own Superhero Comic Book, 14, ToysandGames.ie Teens Graphic novel-loving teens can learn to sketch their own with Draw Manga: Complete Skills by Sonia Leong (18.75, VibesandScribes.ie), a combined book and video guide for beginners, including step-by-step tutorials on all aspects of the Japanese drawing style. They can watch the videos online and learn to build up characters from basic shapes, how to get the poses right, use digital tools to enhance their work and even start to create their own comic pages. Expand Close Draw Manga - Complete Skills by Sonia Leong, 18.75, VibesandScribes.ie / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Draw Manga - Complete Skills by Sonia Leong, 18.75, VibesandScribes.ie Cork company Erva sells handmade flower presses that come with five sheets of cardboard and eight sheets of blotting paper everything your teen needs so they can start pressing their own flowers. The kit also comes with a packet of native Irish wildflower seeds they can plant outdoors and press in the next growing season (45, Erva.ie). Or get them making their own plant pots and vases with the Sculpd Home Pottery Kit (47, Oliver Bonas), which has air-dry clay, acrylic eggshell paint, glossy and matte varnish, two paint brushes, a potters sponge for smoothing and a selection of tools for carving, shaping and cutting. Expand Close Handmade flower press and native Irish wildflower seeds, 45, Erva.ie / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Handmade flower press and native Irish wildflower seeds, 45, Erva.ie Pottery is great for calming the mind and would make a particularly good stress-relief activity for students needing a break from exam prep. Likewise, Wicklow maker MuMe.ie offers a soy candle-making kit that has everything they need to create a luxurious scented candle (24). Made in Ireland, the kit has pure soy wax, a wick, glass container, sticks for holding the wick in place, flower petals for decoration and your choice of five fragrances, including plum and elderflower, coconut and lime, and tiger lily blossom. Expand Close Scented candle making kit, 24, Mume.ie / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Scented candle making kit, 24, Mume.ie Wreaths arent just for Christmas, as springtime versions are becoming increasingly popular. For a pretty piece of Easter decor you can leave hanging up all season, theres the Crepe Paper Wreath kit (14, Hobbycraft.co.uk). It comes with bonsai wire to make the wreath frame and a selection of crepe paper, stems, glitter, glue and flower stencils, so they can create lovely Japanese anemones and fantasy fuchsias to tie around the wreath. Im not gonna talk you into nothin no more. Im not gonna talk you outta nothin no more. Im just gonna tell you the truth. I overhear these words in Washington DC. The US capital is a movie set of a city, home to iconic buildings like the White House, Supreme Court and Capitol. Its a nexus of political energy, partisan squabbles, angry demonstrations, bar-hopping lobbying and the messy cut and thrust of law-making. But the words are not spoken by some senator, or movie star, or tour guide. Theyre spoken by a woman scolding her friend in Bens Chili Bowl (benschilibowl.com). I made a beeline for this place after arriving in the city, paying $8 for the original half-smoke a pork sausage lathered with beef chilli. Opened in 1958, its a U Street institution whose walls are plastered in photos of famous visitors, from Miles Davis to the Obamas, Anthony Bourdain and even Bono. Expand Close President Obama visiting Ben's Chili Bowl in 2009, where he ordered a Chili Half Smoke with Cheese. Photo: Linda Davidson / staff/ The Washington Post via Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp President Obama visiting Ben's Chili Bowl in 2009, where he ordered a Chili Half Smoke with Cheese. Photo: Linda Davidson / staff/ The Washington Post via Getty Images But the best thing about it is the conversation in the booth behind me. Three women go back and forth, hashing something out, probably many things, until their order number is called and their food is brought in brown paper bags and they stand up and take it away. Im just gonna tell you the truth. I came here to see the set-piece museums and galleries, the neighbourhoods and National Mall. But I think Washington may happen in the spaces between. Bens sits along a strip once known as Black Broadway, a place where acts like Cab Calloway and Pearl Bailey played local theatres. Its been to hell and back, from riots after Martin Luther Kings shooting to no-go drug zone, Green Line construction disruption and todays air of change. Walking east towards Shaw, I read signs on the Georgia Avenue heritage trail, seek out the murals of The DC Alley Museum, and spot hip enclaves like Le Colombe Coffee Roasters. A poster on a garage door nearby shows a tank rolling in: Gentrification Zone... Power! Power! Power! Read More The US Census Bureau lists the population of DC at 671,803. Millions more live in the metro area, which sprawls around the Potomac and green lungs like Arlington Cemetery, but the core feels compact and walkable. Neighbourhoods like Cardoza, Shaw, or the buzzy nightlife of Adams Morgan, or historic Georgetown, are a healthy walk or a few subway stops from Downtown. Along M Street in Georgetown, I get a sense of the money washing about the place. Its low-rise and leafy, lined with pricey interiors shops, a new edition of retail concept store Showfields, and opulent restaurants like the Blue Duck Tavern and Robert De Niros Nobu. Its a place for $5 cupcakes and $20 cocktails, a suburb JFK and Julia Child called home during their time in the capital. I also stop at The Exorcist Steps, a steep, dank passage above a garage forecourt famous from the 1973 movie. In the films climactic ending, Father Karras plummets the seventy-five steps to his death, a plaque elaborates. Julia Child and JFK. De Niro and the devil. DC is a cinematic place, much of it instantly recognisable from our screens. Of course, those you-are-there moments can be tourist-thronged and obvious, but I love them as much as as travels stumble-upon secrets. Washingtons wonders feel recognisable and novel all at once. Expand Close Black Lives Matter Plaza, Washington DC. Photo: Tasos Katopodis/Getty / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Black Lives Matter Plaza, Washington DC. Photo: Tasos Katopodis/Getty One building that has been a backdrop for drama, romance, adventure, extreme weather events (and alien attacks) is the White House. Theres a surprisingly close view from the north side on Pennsylvania Avenue, albeit one closely patrolled by Secret Service agents, K9 units and Suburbans with blacked-out windows. Amidst the tourists is a man blasting tunes from a speaker and calling himself The Truth Conductor. His sign says: Stop hating each other because you disagree. On Lafayette Square nearby, close to Black Lives Matter Plaza, theres a sign about the construction of the White House in the 1790s. The use of enslaved labor to build the home of the President of the United States illuminates our countrys conflicted relationship with the institution of slavery and the ideals of freedom and equality promised in Americas founding documents, one passage reads. That unease, that sense of history being played out on these streets, feels electric to me. Eating a bagel in Zekes coffee shop around the corner, I wonder which diplomats, aides or lobbyists may be in hushed conversation around me. When a helicopter flies by my hotel room, I jump up to see whether it is Marine One, carrying the President. (It is not). I walk past Fords Theatre, where Lincoln was shot in 1865. In my head, I play out scenes from Veep, All The Presidents Men and, erm, White House Down. I seek out Petes Diner, a greasy spoon set near the US Capitol, because Ive read that former Speaker John Boehner ate there. (The bacon is tough as a boot heel, but its cheap and friendly and I get breakfast and endless coffee refills for half the price of a cocktail on M Street). Expand Close Touring the US Capitol. Photo: Pol O Conghaile / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Touring the US Capitol. Photo: Pol O Conghaile I take a US Capitol tour (visitthecapitol.gov; free). After passing TV crews on the lawn, checking through security and pouring out my water bottle at their behest, I join a group led by a guide in a red blazer. He takes us to the echoey rotunda, past the Speakers office, along corridors where senators and congressmen shuffle, over stone and marble floors worn to a shine over the centuries. Do you have any ghost activity? someone asks. Not since Ive been here. But I dont work at night. Can you tell us about January 6th? I cant talk about that. Its a quieter city, says Mark Payne, the Irish manager of the Doyle Collections Dupont Circle Hotel, when I ask him to compare DC to Boston, Chicago or New York. It shuts down around nine at night its a bit of a power city, isnt it? Everybody needs to get stuff done. Hes talking about Downtown, of course. The place empties out when politicians go home, but neighbourhoods remain buzzy and tourists continue to flock drawn by those epic attractions. The Smithsonian alone consists of 17 museums and galleries and a zoo, I learn. They have more than 150 million objects, works of art and specimens to discover, says tourism website, washington.org. Read More I pick one, the National Air & Space Museum (airandspace.si.edu; free), reopened after a major restoration. Its stunning. I step into the fuselage of a DC7. I see Evel Knievels stunt motorbike, the Harley XR 750 that jumped 14 Greyhound buses. I stand, separated only by a piece of display glass, next to Neil Armstrongs space suit. I marvel at the actual Apollo 11 Command Module. There are even posters in the loo explaining how to go to the toilet in space. Astronauts have to train on Earth with a camera in order to align themselves for a successful deposit, reads one note. I instantly WhatsApp my son at home. Renovations continue, with 15 more exhibits set to open here over the next three years. Thats just one museum. And the fun doesnt stop at the Smithsonian. Spy stuff is cooler than regular stuff, is one of the taglines at the International Spy Museum at LEnfant Plaza (spymuseum.org; from $30.95). At the outset, Im given a secret identity Blake Brown, code name Raptor which I use on interactive puzzles and challenges as I go. Exhibits range from 007s Aston Martin DB5 to Enigma machines, deliciously analogue disguise kits to cyber crime explainers and stop-you-in-your-tracks artefacts the ice pick used to kill Leon Trotsky, for example. It also casts George Washington as the nations first spymaster. He simply outspied us, as a British Officer said. Expand Close The Spy Museum in Washington DC. Photo: Pol O Conghaile / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Spy Museum in Washington DC. Photo: Pol O Conghaile I cant get enough of DCs detail. The subway stations, with their waffle-like concrete cladding. The big, yellow letters of Black Lives Matter painted on 16th St. The desperately sad tents and sleeping bags homeless people have pitched under trees and in doorways. Glossy outlets at The Wharf, a huge new waterfront development (with not one, but two Gordon Ramsay joints). Maybe it feels less generic and bleurgh when the sailing starts up and the parades roll, but for now, the moment that most satisfies me at The Wharf is a cop ticketing a Maserati on Parker Row. As my time runs out, I walk along the 3km National Mall, passing the Washington monument (the worlds tallest building when it was completed in 1884), spotting squirrels, photographing reflections in the long pools, watching the mix of tourists and locals going about their lives. At the steps up to the Lincoln Memorial, I see the words I have a dream carved into the ground where Dr King spoke. Pretty amazing, isnt it, a fellow visitor says. It is. But inside this temple-like building, it is even more so. Here, a lofty, supersized Lincoln sits cast in marble, surrounded by his Gettysburg and second inauguration addresses, gazing coldly all the way to the Capitol. And Washington is happening in the spaces between. Beneath him, a little girl with a pink jacket and backpack is taking notes, and she is everything. Take 3: must-see spots Expand Close Kramers books / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Kramers books Kramers This independent bookstore and all-day restaurant is a Dupont Circle institution. Book ahead if youre eating; check the website for readings and events. kramers.com Expand Close Cycling in Washington / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Cycling in Washington DC by bike Its a compact city, but youll cover a lot more ground on two wheels day and night tours are available with companies like unlimitedbiking.com and fattiretours.com; from $54 Expand Close Arlington Cemetery / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Arlington Cemetery Arlington Cemetery Over 400,000 graves here, including JFKs eternal flame, comprise the largest military cemetery in the US. There are up to 30 funerals a day. arlingtoncemetery.mil; free How to do it Pol was a guest of United Airlines, Destination DC and the Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington DC. United flies from Dublin to Dulles International Airport, now connected to the city on the Metrorail Silver Line (it takes about an hour). united.com; wmata.com Rooms at the Doyle Collections Dupont Circle Hotel start from $305/290. doylecollection.com The best times to visit Washington DC are the autumn months and from March to May. This avoids the winter cold and peak crowds. August is very swampy and hot. For more to see and do, see washington.org. Rescuers tried to free the horse but it could not be saved. Photo: My Lovely Horse Rescue A senator has called for the practice of sulky racing to banned on public roads in Ireland to protect horses and members of the public. In sulky races, horses are attached to light-weight carts that usually have two wheels. Yesterday evening, a horse that was attached to a sulky had to be put down after its hoof became entangled in a cattle grid. The incident took place near the Curragh, in Co Kildare. The animal charity My Lovely Horse Rescue was notified of the incident, and it arranged for a vet to try and save the animal. However, despite the best efforts of the vet, emergency services and members of the Defence Forces who are stationed at the nearby barracks the horse could not be freed and was put to sleep. One of our long-time supporters and friend witnessed this appalling accident tonight. This poor horse was attached to a sulky and ran over this cattle grid getting its hoof stuck, a spokesperson for My Lovely Horse Rescue said. Everyone tried to release him, but they couldnt. Our supporter called us, and we organised a vet to go up asap. "The poor horse had to be put asleep. We are beyond angry with the so-called owner who just stood there looking on as everyone did their best to save this poor horses life. An Garda Siochana have been notified. Thank you to Kildare Fire Department. Thank you to the Army guys. RIP you poor defenceless soul, the added. A Garda spokesperson said: An Garda Siochana is aware of reports of an incident involving a horse which occurred in the Newbridge area yesterday. An Garda Siochana is continuing to make enquiries in relation to this incident. Fianna Fail Senator Fiona OLoughlin raised the horrendous incident in the Senead today and called for sulkies to banned from being used on public roads. Senator OLoughlin was previously a TD in the Kildare South constituency and she argued that for too long sulky drivers have been allowed to use public roads with no regard for the safety of themselves, other road users, or their horses. Its time we moved to ban sulkies on public roads. There appears to be a complete disregard for the safety of the horses these people drive on sulkies. This is highlighted by a horrendous incident in Kildare this week but is happening all over the country where we see sulky races at all hours of the morning endangering human life and the horses' lives, she said. When you consider that very close to where this incident happened, there are many that are involved in the horse racing industry, and they quite rightly are under a lot of scrutiny in relation to horse welfare. However, to my mind it appears the real horse welfare issue in the country lies with those operating sulkies and keeping horses in urban settings. Environment Minister Eamon Ryan has been elected to co-chair the International Energy Agency (IEA) next year as it begins key talks to speed up the replacement of fossil fuels with renewables. The intergovernmental body monitors global energy trends and policy for its 31 member countries and 11 association countries, including the worlds biggest energy users, the USA, China and India. The major oil producing nations of the Middle East are not members but are in regular communication with the agency. Mr Ryan will share the chair with Frances Minister for Energy Transition, Agnes Pannier-Runacher and together they will head up the main meeting of 2024, the annual gathering of energy and climate ministers. Mr Ryan is minister for the environment, climate action, transport, communications and energy. The Department of the Environment said his election was based on his extensive experience during two terms as Irelands minister with responsibility for energy and his internationally acknowledged expertise in renewable energy and climate change. Read More The IEA recognises that climate action is intrinsically linked with the shift away from polluting fossil fuels to clean and sustainable renewables, while also ensuring security of supply of energy, particularly taking account of the current geopolitical situation, the Department said. A spokesperson for Mr Ryan said the position complemented the work he was already doing as energy minister and would not interfere with his duties at home. He has been to the annual IEA ministerials the past two years and he is across the agencys work as part of his brief. In fact his election is a recognition of his work and of Irelands standing in the renewables field. The Minister has done a lot of work on the North Seas Energy Cooperation which is about countries in Europe working together on renewables and thats the way the IEA know things have to internationally. Mr Ryan will begin working on preparations for next years ministerial meeting almost immediately. The gathering, which will also mark the 50th anniversary of the agencys establishment, will aim to push governments further and faster along the clean energy transition. Mr Ryan worked on energy policy in Europe during his time out of politics and was appointed lead negotiator for the EU on key talks at last years COP27 UN climate summit in Sharm El-Sheikh. As chair of the North Seas Energy Cooperation group he negotiated the re-entry of the UK after its Brexit departure, securing important agreement that Britain will be part of future offshore wind interconnection projects. Wealthy flyers took off in private jets from Irish airports 6,671 times last year, emitting vast amounts of carbon as they went, research shows. The number of private jet flights more than doubled when compared to 2021, when 2,578 were recorded. During 2020, when the most prolonged Covid lockdown was in place, private jets took off 858 times. The research, commissioned by environmental organisation Greenpeace, shows the volume of carbon emissions also soared from 3,072 tonnes in 2020 to 19,646 tonnes in 2021 and 67,903 tonnes last year. Average emissions per flight increased from 3.6 tonnes to 7.6 tonnes to 10.2 tonnes, way above the EU average of 5.9 tonnes. One average flight from Ireland last year emitted roughly the same amount of carbon as a petrol car driving the 40,000km circumference of the earth. It is around the same amount of carbon the average Irish person emits from all their activities over ten months. Pollution for wasteful luxury has to be the first to go While the rise in emissions indicates that larger aircraft were in use or longer flights were undertaken, the most frequently flown route out of the country was the short hop from Dublin to London. That route is served by around 40 commercial flights a day and can also be undertaken by ferry and train. Private jets are five to 14 times more carbon polluting than commercial flights and 50 times more polluting than trains. Expand Close Dublin Airport. Photo: Jason Alden/Bloomberg / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Dublin Airport. Photo: Jason Alden/Bloomberg Scores of even shorter flights were taken between Kerry and Cork, Dublin and Cork, Dublin and Belfast, Shannon and Cork and Shannon and Kerry. Greenpeace is calling on the EU and national governments to outlaw private jets and to ban short-haul flights where rail offers an alternative. Its hugely unfair that rich people can wreck the climate this way, said the organisations EU transport campaigner, Thomas Gelin. Pollution for wasteful luxury has to be the first to go. Sinn Fein Senator Lynn Boylan last year called on the Government to impose a 3,000 luxury emissions tax on private jets but was told it could only be considered as part of an EU-wide move. Expand Close Sinn Fein Senator Lynn Boylan / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sinn Fein Senator Lynn Boylan She said the figures now available make a strong case for Ireland taking the lead on the issue. Now we have the figures in black and white and they are higher than previously estimated, she said. Climate justice advocates have long argued that not all carbon emissions are equal. The Governments approach to climate action to date has been about punishing ordinary people while the wealthy seem to be exempt to continue living their carbon-intensive lifestyles. A levy on private jets would demonstrate that they are committed to a real, just transition. Most private jets in Ireland are owned by charter companies and booked by businesses for their executives, although some are owned by wealthy business people. Other, smaller aircraft and those jointly owned and used for recreation at flying clubs are not counted in the research, which excludes those with fewer than three seats and flights from aerodromes. Expand Close Nice on the Cote dAzur was one of the most popular destinations for private jets / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Nice on the Cote dAzur was one of the most popular destinations for private jets Dublin and Shannon are the busiest airports for private jet business but Cork and Kerry have also had hundreds of departures in the past three years. In total, the number of private jet flights within Europe increased by 64pc last year to 572,806 while emissions more than doubled to more than 5.3 million tonnes. The countries with the most private jet flights in Europe in 2022 were France, the UK and Germany. The three most popular destinations for private jets in Europe were the Cote dAzur, Paris, and Geneva. The research for Greenpeace was carried out by the Dutch environmental consultancy CE Delft. Ospreys will soon be flying over Irish skies again after an absence of about 250 years. The National Parks and Wildlife Service is working with its counterparts in Norway to prepare for the birds reintroduction here. A small number of chicks are to be released in the south-east of the country during the summer months. The hope is they will establish breeding grounds in Ireland, and will then return every year after their winter migration. Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh OBrien revealed the plans in reply to questions from Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore about species reintroduction programmes. The formidable bird of prey, which has a wingspan of 180cm, was once a common sight in Ireland but it was hunted to extinction in the late 1700s. It feeds exclusively on fish and eats both freshwater and saltwater varieties, so the Wexford-Waterford region with its coasts, estuaries and lakes has been chosen as the reintroduction site. Expand Close The Osprey is a large bird of prey with excellent eyesight, formidable talons, and a hooked bill for tearing its prey. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Osprey is a large bird of prey with excellent eyesight, formidable talons, and a hooked bill for tearing its prey. Golden eagles, white-tailed sea eagles and red kites have all been brought back to Ireland after being extinct here for many years, and ospreys have been on the wish list of raptor enthusiasts for decades. The species has been doing well on the east coast of England and south-west Scotland after their reintroduction there, and birds from Britain have been spotted in Ireland on a detour from their winter migration to west Africa. The osprey is very much an Irish bird, even though we havent had them here for so long Lorcan OToole of the Golden Eagle Trust, which worked on some of the earlier reintroduction programmes, said he was delighted with the news. Weve been putting up artificial nest platforms for 25 years in the hope that some of the birds from Britain would come to breed here but so far they havent, so hopefully this programme will have more success. It would be great to see them back. The osprey is very much an Irish bird, even though we havent had them here for so long. Expand Close Social Democrat TD Jennifer Whitmore. Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Social Democrat TD Jennifer Whitmore. Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos They were known as mullet hawks around the south-east, and their Irish name is iascaire coirneach or tonsured fisher apparently because the black and white markings on their head was like a monks tonsure. They are very well-established in Irish culture. Theyre a fantastic sight and in Scotland people come in their thousands to watch them. They are spectacular divers. Ospreys are not so house-proud, and tend to lay eggs in distinctively messy mounds of sticks piled on top of any high structure from trees and cliff ledges, to telephone poles and electricity pylons. Mr OToole said the reintroduction programme would face particular challenges because of the ospreys migratory habits. Birds introduced here will fly south, mainly to West Africa, for the winter and there are always birds that dont return from migration for various reasons, so it will be a slow process to build up breeding pairs in Ireland. Jennifer Whitmore welcomed confirmation of the programme It will need to be resourced and communicated properly and done in collaboration with local knowledge owners, but it is good news, she said. How can the Irish Defence Forces provide us with a safe environment in which to live when its own workplace is riddled with a predatory rot? After reading the scathing report from an independent review group (IRG) set up to assess its culture, it would be over my dead body that Id encourage my sons or daughter to join. The IRG was established to advise the Government on whether the structures for addressing unacceptable behaviour were effective to gauge whether the culture was aligned with the desired principles of dignity, equality and mutual respect. Its findings could not be farther from this benchmark. There appears to be a dangerous hubris in its leadership and nothing short of an overhaul will regain trust. For this report, 6pc of serving personnel (527 people) and some former personnel gave accounts that showed many in power have abused their positions and treated subordinates cruelly. My heart goes out to the men and women who were bullied. In 2023, there is workplace bullying that people will recognise being sidelined and not given flexible working arrangements when requested but this is unimaginable. For women, it was clearly a dangerous workplace. Sexual attacks, including rape, were reported. Then there was a senior officer looking for sexual favours; the belief seniority brings privileges and protection; and women being viewed as sexual objects. In 2023, how can this be? It has been portrayed as a workplace where flexibility and alternative thinking are considered suspect, and no better for men, with a patriarchal masculinity creating an unsafe environment for those considered to be from the lower ranks. They suffer physical, emotional and other forms of denigration, bullying and harassment as a way of ensuring that they do not challenge or seek to take over from the ruling elite, under the guise of ensuring a disciplined force, the report said. Did people become so scared they pretended not to see what was happening? The IRG found many still unwilling to come forward, so the situation could be worse. Where do you even start to heal the damage? Read More Workplace psychologist Mary Collins likens an organisations culture to an iceberg. She said 10pc was what we see, but the invisible behaviours of the 90pc were really the core values these attitudes and assumptions can be unconscious and deep-rooted, and it would take committed intent to change them. Altering culture starts with leadership a tone of accountability so unacceptable behaviour can be called out. Second, core values need to be clear, not a poster on the wall. They must be lived. And third, for a workplace to offer psychological safety, there must be safe havens for people to complain. This takes high trust, which can be years in the building, she said. This report is yet another sign we have a problem with consensus culture. It reminds me of the Ryan report in 2009, which exposed the abuse of children in orphanages, reformatories and industrial schools. People blamed the church, but the fault lay with people not speaking out. Nobody wanted to be the one stepping out of line, until we had a collapse in consensus. Why would someone blow the whistle in the Defence Forces? It would have been terrifying. A glossary of terms at the start of the 98-page report included mobbing a victimisation of an individual after a minor conflict becomes escalated so the complainant becomes a victim of systematic personal attack. There is tubbing the placing for punishment of an individual in a barrel that may contain dead animals or chemicals. The Defence Forces must bring in structures to ensure the safety of whistleblowers. The report says there was an extremely strong focus on discipline and toughness, with soft skills not considered relevant. To me, this thinking enabled toxicity. Maybe its sexist to say, but women have more of these skills. However, this report is a slap in the face to the recruitment of more females. Three years ago, I interviewed Captain Jane ONeill, a chartered engineer and officer in the Defence Forces. I remember feeling proud of her, with her strong work ethic and commitment to doing good. She spoke modestly about her years overseas on UN peacekeeping missions, in Syria and Lebanon, and in 2014 on her secondment with the World Food Programme, when she worked to convert a factory into UN offices from which the Turkish/Syrian refugee effort could be coordinated. She told me how the Irish Air Corps had been tasked with Covid-19 tests delivery to European laboratories and PPE to the Middle East. She said there were under 7pc serving females at Casement Aerodrome, and I remember showing the article to my daughter 10 at the time and saying look, the Army needs girls like you. But now, unless major cultural reform happens, if she showed an interest I would steer her away. There are many good men and women in our Defence Forces, but something has gone very wrong. The IRG was established two years ago to investigate matters raised by female veterans known as the Women of Honour. On the positive side, its admirable how quickly such a thorough report was produced there were thousands of pages in it. It doesnt obfuscate, theres no on the one hand and on the other dancing about. It lays out wrongdoing without qualifications. The Government isnt running away from the conclusions; it has announced a statutory review and will set up an external oversight body to oversee the reports recommendations. In the foreword, Ms Justice Bronagh OHanlon writes that the review will be the basis for radical change so that present and future experience will truly reflect the core values of the Defence Forces. Thats going to be far from easy. This week, the Government announced that it was finally moving forward with a long-standing promise to better Irelands draconian defamation laws. Our harsh and punitive defamation regime, which some argue has disproportionately favoured the rich and powerful, has long been recognised as desperately needing sweeping reform. With some of the strictest defamation legislation, Ireland has often been regarded as a paradise for the wealthy and woeful: those who have all the power they need to do bad things, and the resources to keep them untold, unpublished and largely unknown through the weaponisation of defamation threats. When people talk about reforming our defamation laws, they often do so from the perspective of trying to improve the health of our democracy and our press. I think that one of the interesting, and often less-discussed merits of fairer defamation laws would be the dramatic impact it would have on sexual violence survivors and their recourse to justice. I can guarantee you that almost every major publication or broadcaster in this country has at least one major public interest story about a serial abuser which will never see the light of day, as it has persistently failed to meet the exacting standards required to conquer the scrutiny of a lawyers nervous eye. In my opinion, this is one of the main reasons that Ireland never had a #MeToo movement of its own to any significant degree. The chilling effect of defamation laws has suffocated the hopes that many survivors would have of ever seeing their abuser exposed. In Ireland, it is entirely possible that, in some cases, the courts could come down harder on a sexual violence survivor who named her attacker, than on the abuser themselves for perpetrating such crimes. The effect that this has on survivors cannot be underestimated, many of whom may have invested huge hope, courage and sacrifice in trying to bring their story to light in the first instance. It is also important to remember that many of those who turn to the press for justice may often do so after being let down by the criminal justice system, or other supposed safeguards within certain authorities or institutions. There are some who get nervous when discussion turns to the public interest of exposing serial sexual abusers. I understand why people consider the criminal justice system to be a fairer forum for such claims. Well, its not. In Ireland, it is entirely possible that, in some cases, the courts could come down harder on a sexual violence survivor who named her attacker than on the abuser themselves for perpetrating such crimes. And we all know and understand that rape trials, in their current form, remain far too combative and intimidating for sexual violence survivors some of whom are left with the distinct and horrifying impression that it is somehow them who have been put on trial for having the courage to pursue a conviction. In my experience, sexual violence survivors do not tend to be vengeful. There is no archetype of a victim, but one of the most common motivating factors that people have for speaking out is the hope to prevent what happened to them from happening to other people. Many do not even want to see their attacker jailed, they just want to see them named. The black mark of a redaction has proved to be quite cosy cover for some very bad people. It should be easier in this country to identify and expose abusers, particularly serial abusers. And if you are a rapist, and you stand to lose only your good reputation and not your liberty for the horrors youve perpetrated against other people, that strikes me as being actually quite a lenient penalty for an incredibly serious crime. Its also worth pointing out that news organisations have long been an instrumental part of bringing people to justice, completely independently of or often well in advance of the criminal justice system. Nobody is agitating for open season on men. Even the most enthusiastic supporters of groundbreaking movements like #MeToo myself included can recognise that there have been times when the broad banner of the campaign has blurred the most extreme and egregious sexual violence with what is effectively law-abiding bad behaviour. There have been times, for example, when activist language originally used to identify and take down serial rapists has instead been applied to people who have been caught having extramarital affairs. It is unfortunate that vital online spaces, which had proved so essential for survivors who were dramatically let down by the authorities, have sometimes been tainted and captured by a loud minority who do not really have the best interests of victims at heart. I appreciate that the moves to improve our defamation laws have followed long-term campaigns by organisations like NewsBrands, the organisation which represents newspapers. But I think if we want to really seize the opportunity to improve our defamation regime, we have to ensure that the changes are made in the interests of everybody not just journalists. The experiences of abuse survivors who have been gagged should be considered as well. Because while it is important to make sure everyone has the right to their good name, it is important to make sure everyone has access to justice as well. Hackers crack the Twitter account of the US news agency Associated Press. They post a tweet: Two explosions at the White House, the president is injured. The S&P 500 share index drops 1pc. Sounds like fiction? This happened a decade ago. Thankfully, the market recovered quickly after Barack Obamas press secretary confirmed no explosions and no injury. The world of online fakery has moved on a lot since. Advances in artificial intelligence have made more sophisticated chatbots and bogus photos and videos easier to produce and propagate. Meanwhile, bankers are quickly realising how people can move their money faster than ever through their smartphones. Everyone needs to be as vigilant as possible to the potential for catastrophic cons in finance right now. Markets are already skittish and depositor psychology is unsettled. Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) lost $42bn (39bn), or more than half its demand deposits, within hours when its run began. Regulators and executives noted social medias role. Citigroup chief executive Jane Fraser has called the combination of mobile-banking apps and social media a game-changer for bank stability when discussing SVB. There were a couple of tweets and then this thing went down much faster than has happened in history, she said at an Economic Club of Washington event last week. SVB was arguably a special case: it had a concentrated deposit base over which powerful individuals such as tech mogul Peter Thiel had influence. The run might have happened almost as quickly without social media. Read More Credit Suisse, the now-defunct Swiss bank, was perhaps also a special case: Years of scandals and management failings had undermined trust and rattled staff and clients. Still last October, it had more than enough capital, no portfolio of bad assets and more than double the cash and liquid assets it needed to meet a stressed level of deposit outflows. And yet, early that month when executives were in the midst of a strategy review, one weekend tweet claiming that an unnamed European bank was on the brink blew up a social media storm and Credit Suisses customers pulled a shocking amount of assets, nearly $90bn, in a few weeks. The bank was able to meet those withdrawals without having to sell any assets at a loss. But six months later, a few more bad headlines in a panicky market were enough to kill it. Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell talked about the speed of the SVB bank run at last weeks monetary policy press conference, saying its very different to what weve seen in the past. There might need to be regulatory changes to keep up with whats happening in the world, he said. Potential safeguards could include more early-warning systems or circuit breakers of some kind to pause withdrawals. If speed is a danger, misinformation is a potentially deadly toxin. Fake images and videos are becoming ever more difficult to distinguish from reality. Tools such as Stable Diffusion and Midjourney started becoming popular late last year and have become rapidly more sophisticated. Last week, fake images of Donald Trump getting arrested and Emmanuel Macron running between riot police spread on Twitter and Facebook. Both were easily debunked. But another fake image of Pope Francis wearing a designer puffer jacket was viewed more than four million times. Unlike the photos of the 76-year-old Mr Trump sprinting, the hipster Pope is just plausible enough to be believable. Culture writer Ryan Broderick claimed it was the first real mass-level AI misinformation case. Now, imagine a deepfake video of a widely recognised central banker or bank executive, such as the Feds Mr Powell or JPMorgan Chases Jamie Dimon, saying something plausible but troubling about a major lender. A digital bank run is a whole lot harder to stop than to start. The usual suspects for fakery have had their interests piqued. An analysis of internet forums known for promoting conspiracy theories such as QAnon shows a number of visitors experimenting with image-generating tools. Some have swapped tips on how the technology can be used and amplified. A serious, coordinated effort to disrupt markets is bound to come. Last year, Facebook and Twitter showed marked improvement in stopping bots from Iran and China from sowing disinformation on their platforms ahead of the midterm elections. Since then, Elon Musk has gutted much of the team at Twitter that was stopping such manipulation. And on top of sophisticated and free image generators, large language model technology which powers tools such as ChatGPT is also more accessible to propagandists, scammers, and other bad actors. OpenAIs own System Card for GPT-4, which analyses all the safety challenges of the technology underpinning ChatGPT, admits it has the potential to cast doubt on the whole information environment, threatening our ability to distinguish fact from fiction. Banks are stronger since the 2008 financial crisis and the largest are much more able to meet a sudden jump in withdrawals. But that did not save Credit Suisse. Ultimately, a certain level of trust is critical to banks survival and doubt is like kryptonite. Keep your wits about you. Dolly Partons music provided some light relief for the normally dour DUP as the party deals with Windsor Framework hassles. One of its MPs, Jim Shannon, put down a House of Commons motion to mark the release of the country music superstar s song I Will Always Love You 50 years ago. It was a decidedly offbeat proposal from one of the partys more personable MPs. Remarkably, he got a sprinkle of support from Labour, SNP, and Liberal Democrat MPs, all unabashed Parton enthusiasts. Given the huge popularity of country music on both sides of the Border, there was a strange kind of unifying undertone in his proposal. For those of a certain age, nationalist or unionist, Dolly has provided a soundtrack to their lives. Those of this vintage in the Republic will also have been transported back in time as images of Joanne Hayes and the notorious Kerry Babies case were resurrected once more. Looking back to the mid-1980s, much of what we now regard as abhorrent was often accepted wisdom The heavy blanket of grey, which seemed to envelop the entire island four decades ago, has stirred dormant emotions and memories. Things were grim in the Republic. And in Northern Ireland, the savagery of the Troubles, was pitiless and without end. As with other periods in our history, it was a case of getting by, hoping something better might come. Now we like to think this country has changed beyond all recognition. So it has, in many ways, and much for the better. Likewise, north of the Border dramatic social change has proved equally unstoppable. Yet for DUP hardliners, addicted to sloganeering and insults, its as if time has stood still. Read More However, recent days suggest there is much hope on the horizon. The unionist middle ground, doggedly pursued by UUP and Alliance leaders Doug Beattie and Naomi Long respectively, is determined to ditch sectarian legacies of old. The re-emergence of the Kerry Babies saga is a reminder of a time when the physical-force campaign for Irish unity was also being waged, despite the obvious confessional nature of society in the south. Catholic mores, differing little from Northern Protestant puritanism, informed the main players in the Kerry Babies drama. In fairness, the truth of one old cliche cannot be ignored: everything must be judged in the context of its time. Looking back to the mid-1980s, much of what we now regard as abhorrent was often accepted wisdom. But the passage of time has wrought its inevitable revolution. Its increasingly clear the DUP has scored a spectacular own goal Nowadays, despite problems such as housing, there is an affluence inconceivable 40 years ago. Increased education and awareness of the wider world have made for more enlightened thinking all round. Yet a coterie of Northern politicians is unwilling to accept the world has moved on. However, history shows how, regardless of their stance, the driving force of social change will prove unstoppable. Unfortunately, sectarianism on both sides of the political divide will remain a force for generations to come. But the future can still be moulded by political leaders capable of freeing us of past burdens. For its part, the DUP is grappling with the biggest crisis in its history. It is increasingly clear it scored a spectacular own goal, putting its trust in Boris Johnson and sundry hardline Tories. The DUP became enmeshed with this cabal, all the while hoping Brexit would create a border between Northern Ireland and the Republic. But the opposite has happened. The post-Brexit trade divide is now between the North and the British mainland. Despite the naysayers in their midst, moderate unionists realise access to the European Unions single market of more than 400 million people offers an unique opportunity to raise living standards all round. As always the future must remain uncertain. But retelling the Joanne Hayes story has prompted an instinct for some kind of time travel, jolting memories of the way things used to be. Perhaps thats why the strain of another Dolly Parton classic hovers in the sub-conscious: No amount of money could buy from me The memories I have of them Of the good old days When times were bad In politics, but most especially in government, what we think or what we know ultimately matters not a whit. All that is of consequence is what we do. The Coalition was reminded of this again as it stewed in its own juices in a confidence vote on the ending of the evictions ban. It won easily, but any sense of relief could be brief. The heat and rancour in discussions may have been ramped up, but eviction is an explosive topic and needed more deft handling than the Government has demonstrated of late. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has conceded there is a lot of anxiety and fear as the deadline nears. He is pinning his hopes, however, on most of those who have had notice served on them finding alternative accommodation. But what if he is wrong? Many might feel queasy about hazarding a wave of hardship when a sufficient social safety net has not been put in place. The loss of ones home can mean emotional and economic obliteration. Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghail described the heckling and interruptions from both sides during the debate as disgraceful, while Mr Varadkar dismissed the Labour Partys motion as political theatre, performative anger and performance art. Read More One way or another, the 33rd Dail is unlikely to have heard the last of this issue. The decision remains one of the Governments most contentious, and high-risk, in terms of a backlash. Tonight in Ireland there will be people wondering whether they can keep a roof over their head. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said that, over Fine Gael and Fianna Fails time in government, we have gone from housing crisis to housing emergency to housing disaster. She also said the housing crisis didnt fall from the sky and the Government had followed an agenda that explicitly transferred its responsibility to deliver housing to the private market. Her criticisms may well be shared by many. Ideally, the energy spent in recrimination and blame would be better channelled into producing deliverable workable solutions. The more pressing and immediate issue right now, however, is where evicted people will go as emergency housing options have been exhausted. When interviewed on RTE, Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe accepted many more people could now become homeless. He said local authorities nationally were being given extra funding as a contingency, but their record to date gives little room for confidence. Mr Varadkar has been adamant that extending the eviction moratorium was not the solution and would make homelessness worse. He was equally vehement that the solution was the provision of more social housing, As far as the latter is concerned, he is correct, yet the pace of providing it has been far too slow. As to the former, the eviction ban could not go on for ever, but ending it comes with a duty to do so as humanely as possible. Last week, the founder of crypto company Terraform Labs, Do Kwon was charged with fraud in the US after he was arrested in Montenegro. The CEO who faces eight criminal charges is accused of defrauding customers. His company, which saw the collapse of its cryptocurrency terraUSD coin kicked off the wider cryptocurrency collapse in 2022. Meanwhile, the CFTC, one of America's biggest regulators, filed a lawsuit against Binance, arguably the biggest exchange in the world. The company is alleged to have illegally accessed US customers and breaking numerous US financial laws. If that wasnt enough crypto news, celebrities including Jake Paul and Lindsay Lohan were hit with SEC charges for allegedly promoting crypto tokens on their social platforms without disclosing they were being paid to do so. The Big Tech Show: Crypto CEO arrested and celebrities being fined: is the currency in chaos? This week on the Big Tech Show, Adrian Weckler is joined by Scott Chipolina, Digital Assests Correspondent with the Financial Times to take us through all the latest crypto news. The Big Tech Show is in association with Square The cover of the brochure received by all households in Northern Ireland to seek to win approval for the Good Friday Agreement. It was called 'the Agreement' because nationalists called it the Good Friday Agreement and Unionists referred to it as The Belfast Agreement. WHEN the Good Friday Agreement was signed twenty five years ago, I was living and working in Belfast In fact I was in the process of setting up a television production company because one of the expected dividends from the Agreement was a windfall for Irish language television production with more support for the Irish language TV station, Telefis na Gaeilge (now TG4). I will return to that expectation and the other hoped for dividends later. That Holy Thursday/Good Friday I was watching TV in my rented home on the Andersonstown Road in west Belfast. I went to bed as talks seemed to be deadlocked but by the time I woke in the morning, the reports were that there had been a breakthrough. The next day I was heading south for Cork and I kept listening to radio reports throughout the day to hear what was transpiring in Stormont. It was a journey which filled me with hope and optimism for the future. With the Good Friday Agreement, anything was possible in Belfast and Northern Ireland and, thinking selfishly, I was there. These were interesting times indeed. When I returned to Belfast after the Easter break, the tide of hope had not subsided. Those I spoke with in the Cultulann, the Irish language cultural centre on the Falls Road, were full of ideas about what would happen and everyone was full sure that the shackles of history were in the process of being thrown off forever and the future was bright - and defintely not orange! As a southerner and a Johnny Come Lately to the north, I could only guess at how my Belfast friends who had grown up during the bitter years of conflict since 1969. I was only in Belfast two years but even in that time there had been numerous killings - the first day I was working in Belfast I called in to a Chinese takeaway on the Falls Road to get a dinner to take home and on the radio was a report of an IRA bombing at Thiepval Barracks in Lisburn in which a British soldier had been killed. Weeks later I arrived at work at the Springvale Training Centre on the Springfield Road, where I was employed as an Irish language media tutor training local schoolleavers in the art of television production in the expectation of the previously mentioned gold rush for Irish language producers, it was cordoned off by security forces. They let me through when I showed my ID. The previous night the building had been hit by a rocket propelled grenade which had been fired by an IRA unit at a British Army patrol. It hit the window of the office of the CEO of the training centre and the resultant explosion had totalled the furniture of the room inside. Such was the experience of the staff and students of such incidents that classes went on as normal that day! The following year, when I set up my own production company, I received an offer of grant assistance from a local development agency, LEDU, the equivalent of Local Enterprise Offices, and one of the conditions was that I should sign up for a Start Your Own Business course. This course was being run in Belfast city centre in the first three months of 1998 and would have been very useful to attend. At that point in the peace process, there was an outbreak of loyalist attacks on nationaliss, a GAA chairman locking up his club was killed, a young worker was murdered as he awaited his lift to his workplace on the side of the road, a brother of a friend of mine who was a bouncer in a Belfast nightclub was shot to death. In March 1998, a Catholic and a Protestant were shot by masked loyalists as they drank in a pub in Poyntzpass. All tragic and senseless killings and indicators of the high risk that existed at the time of being targeted and attacked. I was a southerner with a thick Cork accent and I would be easy prey for one of these shootings if I was caught out on the wrong street in Belfast late at night, when the classes I was supposed to be taking place. I was advised against going to the classes as I was told, that I would stick out like a sore thumb, especially on the way home as loyalists would spot if I were travelling in the direction of the Falls Road and that would be enough to mark me out. Such was the level of suspicion at that time that I was told that a loyalist attending the cross community course I was supposed to take part in could also finger me to paramilitaries. While all that might sound fanciful now twenty five years on, back then with tensions as they were, nothing could be ruled out and it was better safe than sorry. I remember calling my parents at the time on a regular and frequent basis to ensure they knew I was safe. I didnt say as much on the phone but that was the subtext of those cheery chats. I didnt have any notion that I would be targeted because loyalists would know who or that I was an aspiring TV producer, it would be because I was a Catholic and in the wrong place at the wrong time. That would be enough to get me killed. Thats the purpose of random sectarian killings, to create terror, and they achieved that. So when I returned to Belfast after Easter 1998, when the campaign was underway to get approval for the Good Friday Agreement in a referendum to be held in May, the cloud of possible violence had cleared. The sun was shining and that summer of 1998 was particularly glorious. It was when I met the woman that would become my wife, it was when I produced my first TV programme, a documentary about the local newspaper, the Andersonstown News. Called Iris agus a Phobal, it was directed by Liadh Ni Riada, a friend since childhood who was a TV producer/director at the time and went on to become a Sinn MEP and Presidential candidate. Back then I dont think we ever had a discussion about politics. The previous year her first husband, Fiachra, a friend with whom I shared a house for a couple of years, had died after a battle with skin cancer so our thoughts were far from politics. The story of the Andersonstown News, which was a community newspaper set up by a local residents action group in Andersonstown in the early 1970s was something I felt strongly about. It was funded by the release of a song, The Men Behind The Wire by a band called the Barleycorn. The song reached the top of the charts despite being banned. At the time I was a TV/culture columnist with the same newspaper and used to get involved in plenty of battles with the authorities, namely the Arts Council (not enough Irish language funding for the arts), BBC Northern Ireland (not enough Irish language programming and a very poor attitude demonstrated by the woeful pronunciation of Irish names) as well as UTV and Belfast City Council. Things turnout in a strange way as following the premiere of Iris agus a Phobal, I was waiting for a flood of calls offering further work. The phone was silent. There was no sign of funding from the British Government for Irish language programming. The talk then was of decommissioning of IRA arms. Everybody but the IRA was talking about them handing over their guns. They were having none of it. In the middle of all that, as we worked on the TV programme, the atrocity of Omagh happened. 29 people were killed by a bomb planted by dissident republicans, former colleagues of the now on ceasefire Provisional IRA. The death toll included a woman pregnant with twins. That shook us all out of our stupor of optimism for a few weeks. Years later I would work with a journalist from Omagh and it was clear that the bombing on August 15, 1998 was still something they remembered as if it had been the previous day - for the likes of myself it was as if it happened somewhere else but it was a reminder that we werent ever going to shake off those shackles of the past as completely as we would wish. Drumcree was still a thing back then. Orangemen wanted to march on the Garvaghy Road, where many nationalists had their home, on their way back from a church service to commemorate the Somme. I remmeber one year walking to work after a night of rioting during the height of Drumcree as the buses were not running it seemed. When I got to the main street in Andytown, I found three buses burned out and painted on one of them was the pithy message - Bus Stop. Expectations had been high in May when U2 came to town to hail the deal - but as Summer went on the cracks became more visible. Hope was being replaced by a sense of inevitablity that the future we all craved was going to remain out of reach. Nationalists who had most to gain were all gung ho for the Agreement and its speedy implementation. Moderate unionists were keen too, it seemed, but were being held back by the DUP who didnt support the deal and were mad as hell that it had been agreed. After many years I met loyalists, people who were involved in paramiltary activity back then, and they didnt have songs of praise for the DUP and a leader of a loyalist party back then, David Ervine, was heard to speak publicly about knowing the colour of Ian Paisleys wallpaper. That is to say, in the days when he was an active member of the UVF, he would have had been in meetings with Ian Paisley in his home. It seems apt that theres a stalemate in politics in the north as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. It was the same back then. There was a breakthrough and a powersharing executive was formed and it seemed it couldnt, despite its best efforts, turn the tide of history on its head. But theres always hope. Martin Leahy from Bandon, Co Cork travels to Dublin every week to protest outside the Dail. Pic. Olivia Lynott People facing eviction from their homes were among those who protested outside the Dail on Thursday against the Governments decision to lift the eviction ban. The eviction ban is due to be lifted tomorrow on March 31. The protest was organised by the Raise the Roof campaign and was supported by a range of trade unions and groups including Siptu, Forsa, the National Womens Council, the Irish Refugee Council and Focus Ireland. Martin Leahy (47), who attended todays protest, is being evicted from his home in Cork and has travelled from Bandon to Dublin every Thursday for the past 47 weeks to protest outside the Dail. Mr Leahy was served with an eviction notice last year and said the eviction ban has postponed it. He is waiting for his new eviction date to be issued and feels he has no options. I feel totally let down, he said at todays protest. Its totally disgraceful that they haven't listened to these people who are in the centre of it. They [government] have completely ignored us They have turned their backs on all of us. I dont have any options. When I initially heard that the landlord was selling the property I went on the market looking the prices were way too high and the availability as well, he said. Mr Leahy said it would be a huge relief if the eviction ban was extended. You would be hoping in that time that they would introduce real measures, something tangible that would ease the crisis. On a psychological stress level it would be a huge relief, he said. Every Thursday Mr Leahy sings a song he wrote about the homeless crisis outside the Dail. I wrote the song in an act of desperation when I heard about the eviction, he said. Im really appalled at them lifting the eviction ban with all the homeless services screaming at them to keep it. There is a wave of human misery coming down the road if they lift this eviction ban, he said. The Raise the Roof Campaign have said lifting the ban would have a potentially disastrous impact on thousands of families and individuals in the rental sector. This deeply troubling decision has now placed thousands of households in immediate danger of being forced into homelessnesssingle people, young couples, families with children, extended families, and older people, said the group in a letter sent to all TDs last week. Sinn Fein housing spokesperson Eoin O Broin, who attended todays protest, said in his own constituency of Clondalkin a woman in her 70s is facing eviction this weekend. She is scared still about presenting to a hostel, he said. Read More She said to me last night that she wasnt sleeping, she is sick to the pit of her stomach, she has been trying to find alternative rental accommodation and cant, said the Dublin Mid-West TD. Mr O Broin said there is far too much discretion given to local authorities to follow through with the tenant in situ scheme. The scheme allows local authorities to purchase a property in which the private landlords wishes to sell, and allows the tenant to remain in the property. Local authorities don't have the staff, one local authority told us it takes 50 hours of a single staff members time to process a single tenant in situ application and they dont have the staff, he said. Meanswhile Emily Murtagh, from the Irish Traveller Movement said there is concern that ending the eviction ban will have cascading consequences for Travellers into emergency and existing overcrowded accommodation. We estimate one in five people homeless in Ireland are Travellers, with women comprising 42pc overall, and due to discrimination in the private rental sector, and the lack of homes suitable for larger family sizes, are longer term homeless. This is one of many contradictions in the State's practice and policy, which has not been addressed. People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny said many families facing eviction have made contact seeking help, and is encouraging people to overhold in their home. Some of them notice to quits will be executed over the next couple of weeks and months. If they dont have an alternative, if there is no emergency accommodation available via the council then you should overhold, absolutely, he said. A planning appeal by An Post has cited the deterioration in the security environment on Dublins OConnell Street as one of the factors behind its underperforming Witness History exhibition at the GPO. Planning consultant for An Post, Karl Kent has stated that crime in OConnell Street has been a particular focus of concern. Read More Mr Kent made his comments in a planning appeal as part of a planning row concerning An Post placing two large marketing banners hanging from the GPO, advertising the exhibition at the GPO museum. When the exhibition opened on the 1916 centenary in 2016, visitors totalled 160,833 but halved to 80,000 in 2019. Last year, numbers deteriorated even further, with only 46,834 people attending the exhibition. Mr Kent said the museum has been struggling, prompting An Post to secure a three-year planning permission for the banners that were first put in place in 2020. An Post has now sought planning retention for its marketing banners advertising the exhibition for a further three years. However, Dublin City Council has granted planning retention for only 18 months. Expand Close Commandant Daire Roache reads the Proclamation during a ceremony to mark the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising at the GPO on O'Connell Street Dublin, Sunday April 17, 2022. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Commandant Daire Roache reads the Proclamation during a ceremony to mark the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising at the GPO on O'Connell Street Dublin, Sunday April 17, 2022. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire An Post has appealed against this condition while Dublin Civic Trust has urged the appeals board to not allow the banners remain in place. On behalf of An Post, Mr Kent of dk Planning and Architecture said that the management of the GPO museum believe the 18 months period for the banners to be in place is too short a period in which the museum can recover its position following Covid-19 and particularly having regard to the other negative factors affecting OConnell Street. Mr Kent cited the deterioration in the security environment in relation to OConnell Street as reflected in the perceptions of safety. He said that crime in OConnell Street has been a particular focus of concern, even meriting an RTE Prime Time special programme in October 2022. Mr Kent contends that the banners in the context of the general portico of the buildings are relatively small and the effect of the banners on the architectural character of the building is very minor and transient. Mr Kent states that without the banners, the decrease in the number of visitors to the Witness History exhibition post Covid would almost certainly have been even lower. Dublin Civic Trust CEO Graham Hickey has told the appeals board that these marketing banners are visually obtrusive objects that disrupt the architectural effect and diminish the cultural and civic dignity of the GPO. Mr Hickey stated that the trust acknowledges the quality of the Witness History exhibition and the contribution it makes to the cultural enrichment to the city. He added: But this is not and should not be contingent on severely compromising its nationally significant building, counter to statutory policy. Mr Hickey said that the GPO building is a national historic and cultural icon and contends that there is no credible argument that these corporate banners have anything other than a damaging effect on the special character of the protected structure and should be removed. A decision is due on the case in July. Read More Battersea Ambassador Paul OGrady during a visit to Battersea Brand Hatch Centre with Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall on February 2, 2022 in Ash, England. Paul OGrady was irreplaceable and hilarious, according to the team behind Annie the Musical, which he was due to perform in Dublin this year. The entertainer and TV star, also known for his drag queen persona Lily Savage, died unexpectedly, but peacefully on Tuesday evening at the age of 67, a statement said. Paul was due to hit the stage as Miss Hannigan in the classic musical at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre from August 29 until September 3 this year. Read More The BAFTA-winning television, radio and stage star first played the iconic role at the Victoria Palace Theatre in 1998. The West End production will star Craig Revel Horwood as Miss Hannigan from August 22 until August 26, but it is not yet known who will replace Paul on the dates in Dublin. The team from Annie said: Everyone at Annie the Musical is stunned and saddened by the passing of Paul OGrady. An incredible Miss Hannigan and an irreplaceable, hilarious, and generous person who we will all miss immensely. Expand Close TV presenter Paul O'Grady is best known for his show For the Love of Dogs. Pic: Geoff Caddick/PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp TV presenter Paul O'Grady is best known for his show For the Love of Dogs. Pic: Geoff Caddick/PA Our thoughts are with Pauls family and friends at this very sad time. There will be further news from Annie the Musical in due course. His other theatre credits include playing the Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium and many pantomimes, including Cinderella and Goldilocks and the Three Bears. On television he was best known as the host of ITVs Paul OGrady: For the Love of Dogs, Paul OGradys Great British Escape, The Paul OGrady Show, Channel 4s Blind Date and BBC Ones Blankety Blank. He was also a highly celebrated writer and recently completed a 14-year run as a presenter on BBC Radio 2. His fathers family, the Gradys, hail from Galway and Roscommon. Paddy Grady grew up in Ballincurry, Co Roscommon, before moving to England in 1936. Born in 1955, Paul grew up in the Irish community in Birkenhead, Liverpool, with visits back to Ireland twice a year. His surname changed to OGrady due to a clerical error when his father emigrated to England, joined the RAF, and decided to keep the extra letter. Megan Enright, Jessie the dog, Josh Moore, Adrienne Gibson, Clodagh Mangan, Marion Relihan, Maire Holmes, Michelle Dempsey and John Prendergast at the Launch of the book 'Interactive Voices & Scribes' in the Tralee Library on Saturday afternoon. Photo by Mark OSullivan When Covid hit back in 2020 Enable Ireland wanted to ensure their service users still had a social outlet so a hugely successful virtual service was launched as an alternative. And the mark of its success was finally launched this week with the launch of book by the group who came together entirely online to write the book with the help of writer-in-residence, Maire Holmes. Interactive Voices & Scribes is an anthology collection of poetry, stories, and hip-hop classics written by a group of writers in Kerry who met on the Enable Ireland virtual service. The most amazing thing about this project, at the time, was the whole book was written virtually online, with the writers logging in from their homes in Kerr alongside staff, and volunteers from Enable Ireland who also logged in from home to scribe for the writers and Maire Homes leading the sessions logging in from Galway. Last Saturday the book was officially launched at Tralee Library with many of those from Enable Ireland who took part in the project in attendance. Those who took part in the project included Megan Enight, Josh Moore, John Prendergast and Clodagh Mangan as well as Adrienne Gibson who said the project has inspired to write more. I really enjoyed being part of this project, my ambition is to keep writing and publish my own autobiography. George Dineen also a writer involved in the project was unable to attend on the day but sent in a video of himself reading an extract from his work. Mary Relihan who works for Enable Ireland said the writers involved worked hard during Covid and it is wonderful to see the final book now available. To be involved in supporting the development of this writing group has been an amazing experience, we got great support and guidance from Kate Kerney in the Kerry county Council and Maire Holmes Kerry Writer in Residence. The writers were diligent and committed throughout, without them this book would not have been possible, she said. The book was launched by Kerry poet Marion Relihan. The book is available to purchase in both the Enable Ireland Centres in Tralee as well as the Enable Ireland online shop. It is also available in many bookshops in Tralee, Killarney, Castle Gregory and Listowel. All proceeds of the book will go back into the writers group , to arrange more writing workshops. 'Step Brothers' star John C Reilly has lent his support to the 'Night at the Oskars' fundraiser taking place tonight in aid of St Francis' Special School in Beaufort. Step Brothers star John C Reilly took the time out of his busy schedule this week to send his regards and best wishes to South Kerrys St Francis' Special School in Beaufort ahead of their Night at the Oskars fundraiser in Killarney tonight. The red carpet will be rolled out at the Gleneagle INEC tonight (Thursday March 30) when staff, parents, and family along with members of the childrens therapy team from St Francis Special School in Beaufort all appear on the big screen as part of the fundraiser. Rehearsals and filming for the night have been taking place over the last number of weeks with participants acting in are classics such as Dirty Dancing, Man About Dog, Bridesmaids, Fatal Attraction, Calendar Girls and Derry Girls. Read More The finished products will now be shown tonight on the big screen at the event in the INEC. In his video message to the school, the popular actor said that its a great thing that organisers are doing for the school and even teased a potential visit to the school in the future. "Hello everyone in Beaufort, its your old pal John C Reilly. I just wanted to say thank you so much for coming tonight to support this special fundraiser for St Francis Special School there in Beaufort. Ive been to Beaufort, its a lovely place and this is a lovely thing that youre doing for the childrenn that go to the St Francis Special School. So, have a great time tonight. I hope everyone wins an Oskar and I hope to see you soon. I hope to visit the next time Im in Ireland, the actor said. All the money raised from the night, Principal of St Francis Keith O Brolachain told The Kerryman last month, will go back into helping the school. Everything is going to the school. Were trying to do up our therapy rooms at the moment. Weve a speech and language therapy room, occupational therapy and a sensory room. Were doing all of those up to make them purpose built to meet the needs of the kids, he continued. The celebrity judging panel will include popular entertainers and TV personalities and an audience vote will be included on the night. The Dundalk chapter of Grow Remote is excited to welcome local changemakers to their upcoming mental health awareness event which takes place on Thursday, March 30, at Kennedys Bar Dundalk from 7pm to 10pm. The entry fee is 5 for individuals and 20 for a table in the quiz. This is an important event for Grow Remote because it is a social enterprise made up of remote workers and changemakers who seek to promote remote employment in their communities. Grow Remotes mission is all about making remote employment more visible and accessible in local communities. Across Grow Remotes nationwide network of chapters, this has resulted in social, economic and environmental impact. Read More Remote work has myriad benefits to employers, individuals and communities. However, isolation is the number one reported challenge to remote employees. Working remotely can mean they can feel alone and lack the human connection of a traditional office space. This is where the Grow Remote Dundalk chapter comes in. Chapter Lead, Ciara Breen, has been working since Covid to build a local community of remote workers - connecting employees from eBay, PayPal and local SMEs through the Grow Remote chapter. We are thrilled to bring this event to Dundalk and celebrate the Hello, How Are You campaign. It is a great opportunity to bring together local remote workers and people interested in using remote work to improve their local community, says Ciara. This Hello, How Are You event is coordinated in partnership by Grow Remote and Mental Health Ireland. For more information about Grow Remote Dundalk, join the Grow Remote Dundalk group on Facebook or contact Ciara Breen at ciara@creativespark.ie. Louth County Council is set to bring a piece of local history back home, with the purchase of an Albert clock originally manufactured in Drogheda more than 125 years ago. The mahogany cased longcase clock, which features the name of the makers B. Albert & Co Drogheda on the dial is believed to have been largely constructed in Drogheda sometime in the late 1800s. The clock is a weight driven piece, which will run for eight days on a full wind, and strikes each hour with a sonorous gong. It was owned by a family from Terenure, County Dublin where it spent several generations before being acquired by an antiques clock business in Dublin city. Read More The clock is believed to have been the work of a company founded by Reinhardt Albert from Bavaria, who emigrated to Drogheda in 1863 where he opened a jewellers, clock and watching business. His premises was located at 116 West Street, Drogheda. He is thought to have passed away on September 13, 1893, and is said to be the first person to be buried at St Peters cemetery in Drogheda. The clock has a specific local history as Albert & Co. were also, at one time, the official clock maker for the former Drogheda Corporation. Having been brought to the attention of Louth County Council in recent weeks, the local authority is delighted to confirm that arrangements are being made to have the clock installed in the council chamber at Drogheda Borough Council. Louth County Council Chief Executive Joan Martin welcomed the historic acquisition. This represents an important piece of local history for the town of Drogheda, and we very much look forward to bringing it back to the town to be installed at the council chamber, said Ms Martin. Atlantic Technological University (ATU) has been shortlisted for four prestigious national education awards, recognizing the university's excellence in teaching, collaboration, and outreach. The Education Awards recognise excellence in the third level education sector on the island of Ireland from both State and privately funded institutions. Two of the programmes shortlisted are from the School of Nursing based in ATU Donegal, while the other two nominations are for ATU Sligos very popular educational outreach programme Current Chemistry Investigates. The shortlisted programmes are: Best Research Project: The Student Psychological Intervention Trial (SPIT) - ATU Donegal and Ulster University. Best Industry/Business-Academic Collaboration: NCAD - Department of Nursing ATU Donegal, HSE and Axia Digital (Ireland) Best Outreach Award: ATU Sligo's Current Chemistry Investigators (CCI) Project Read More Best Industry/Business-Academic Collaboration: ATU Sligo's Current Chemistry Investigators (CCI) Project President of ATU, Dr Orla Flynn congratulated the nominees: "This is a tremendous achievement for ATU. Our team has worked tirelessly to achieve excellence in teaching, collaboration, and outreach, and it is great to see our efforts recognised in this way. We are committed to pushing the boundaries of knowledge and making a positive impact on our communities, and these nominations are a testament to our success. Congratulations to my colleagues in ATU on this high recognition for their work and commitment." The CCI project is an outreach and public engagement partnership between Trinity College Dublin and Atlantic Technological University, Sligo. The project is funded by science foundation Ireland (SFI) through the Discover programme 2021. The project aim is to promote and support STEM education using hands-on activities and resources based on real-world applications in the area of green energy storage and analysis. Dr Fiona McArdle, Project Coordinator, ATU Sligo welcomed the nomination: Through ATU Sligos collaboration with Trinity College Dublin we can reach a wide range of schools and students from diverse backgrounds. Our team in ATU, Sligo of myself, Yvonne Lang, Mary Connolly, and the postgraduate students have enjoyed the school visits and public engagement events and in so doing have enhanced our awareness of the challenges in science education in the West and Northwest. Dr John ODonoghue, Project Manager and Trainer, Trinity College Dublin, added; We are passionate about giving all of our PhD Researchers the opportunity to broaden their CVs and develop their communication skills. This collaboration encourages extensive networking between both universities, ultimately benefiting everyone involved. Dr Louise McBride, Head of Department of Nursing and Healthcare noted; "These two shortlisted education awards are a true reflection of our team and partners engagement and collaboration in research, industry and clinical practice. Such awards are important recognition for the tireless efforts to continuously strive for excellence in evidence-based practices, research, collaboration, and engagement. The SPIT research project aims to improve student mental health of higher education students by providing evidence-based psychological interventions. The MyCad Eportfolio project collaboration brings together academic, industry and our HSE clinical nursing partners to develop a cutting-edge online access dashboard for nursing students and staff for competence assessment Eportfolio in our nursing education programmes. We are delighted to see our efforts being acknowledged and these nominations are a testament of collaboration, commitment and success of ATU with our University of Ulster, HSE North West Nursing and Axia partners." The winners of the awards will be announced at Education Awards ceremony in Dublin on April 27th, 2023. Five Sligo projects will benefit from a 4.5m funding package to repair and safeguard built heritage. Over 130,000 in funding will be provided under the Historic Structures Fund 2023 The HSF is one of two built heritage funding schemes which work in partnership with owners and the 31 local authorities to protect the countrys built heritage a key aim of Heritage Ireland 2030, the new national heritage plan. Read More By providing grants of between 15,000 and 200,000, the HSF assists owners of heritage structures including those on the local authorities Record of Protected Structures and those in Architectural Conservation Areas to meet their obligations to care for their properties. The scheme provides assistance to a wide range of heritage structures, including castles, churches, mills, bridges, shop fronts, and thatch structures, as well as to private houses. This years Sligo HSF includes awards to: Pollexfen House: funding of 37,500 for the renewal of roof covering, renewal of defective lead work, removal of vegetation, installation of structural ties, consolidation of masonry chimneys, and the reinstatement of clayware pots. Sligo Cemetery Gate Lodge: funding of 37,500 for the repair and renewal of windows and doors, associated pointing around the windows. Work also proposed to complete internal structural repairs and install the suspended floors at ground and first floor level. Annaghmore House, Collooney: funding of 31,500 for the replacement of a defective bitumen flat roof with lead sheet, to re-instate the lead weathered parapet and parapet gutter detail, and to fit new cast iron downpipes. Aoibhin and John with Rubie after getting engaged Aoibhin Garrihy has shared a poem in tribute to her late dog Rubie, describing her as the one who taught ne how to love unconditionally. The Dubliner shared the news of Rubies death on Instagram alongside the words and a series of photos of her and her family with their beloved pooch. One of two French Mastiff dogs owned by the 35-year-old and her husband John Burke, Rubie played an important role in the couples engagement as John had the words will you marry me on her collar during the cliff-side proposal. Read More Aoibhin also told how Rubie was with her through her acting careers ups and downs. The businesswoman added that she was the first addition to her and Johns family before the arrival of their second dog Reggie and the couples three daughters. Expand Close Aoibin with Rubie / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Aoibin with Rubie Aoibhin wrote: Rubie, protector, a precious gem, you were our baby, before all the mayhem. She described the dog as a gentle giant from the very start and said you quickly stole all of our hearts. On the days when I waited for the phone to ring, one look at you would make my heart sing. Video of the Day And I couldnt feel stuck or lost or down, not with a beauty like you around. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference Speaking about the day she got engaged, she wrote: Ill never forget that day by the cliffs, you quietly carried that special gift. Pointing at you, he dropped on one knee and your collar read Will you marry me? Reggie arrived, then came three, dividing our time and company. She added: But you were the first, the one who taught me how to care for, and nurture, and love unconditionally. She finished the post writing, Sleep well our beautiful girl. Aoibhins sisters Ailbhe and Doireann were among those to pay tribute to Rubie. "A pain like no other. She was utterly adored and she knew she was. Sleep well beautiful Rubie, Ailbhe wrote. Radio and TV presenter Doireann wrote: Well love you forever Rubes. Aoibhin and John tied the knot back in 2016 and have three daughters: Hanorah, Liobhan, and Isla. John popped the question with the help of Rubie during a romantic stroll along the Cliffs of Moher in 2015. The Clare businessman owns the Armada Hotel in picturesque Spanish Point while former Fair City star Aoibhin has moved into the business world and is the co-founder of wellness brand Beo. The couple and their family live in Ennis. Notorious prisoner Charles Bronson has lost a Parole Board bid to be freed from jail. The decision comes after one of the UK's longest-serving prisoners - who changed his surname to Salvador in 2014 - took part in one of the country's first public parole hearings earlier this month. In a document detailing the decision published on Thursday, the Parole Board said: "After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress that Mr Salvador has made while in custody and the evidence presented at the hearings, the panel was not satisfied that Mr Salvador was suitable for release. "Nor did the panel recommend to the Secretary of State that he should be transferred to an open prison." Bronson's ex-wife Irene Dunroe told the PA news agency she was "devastated" and "shocked" by the decision, adding: "It's disgusting and very, very upsetting. I can't believe it", while George Bamby, who claimed to be the inmate's son, said: "I would have loved Charlie to have been released but completely respect the decision of the Parole Board." Mr Bamby later said he was not Bronson's son, but had been pretending to be, during an interview with TalkTV on Thursday. Once dubbed one of Britain's most violent offenders, Bronson has spent most of the past 48 years behind bars, apart from two brief periods of freedom during which he reoffended, for a string of thefts, firearms and violent offences, including 11 hostage-taking incidents in nine different sieges. Victims included governors, doctors, staff and, on one occasion, his own solicitor. He was handed a discretionary life sentence with a minimum term of four years in 2000 for taking a prison teacher at HMP Hull hostage for 44 hours. Since then, the Parole Board has repeatedly refused to direct his release. This was his eighth parole review, meaning he has already spent an additional 20 years behind bars. Three parole judges considered his case during a hearing at HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, while members of the press and public watched part of the proceedings on a live stream from the Royal Courts of Justice in central London. Bronson - whose real name is Michael Peterson and has previously been diagnosed with anti-social personality disorder - told the panel he loved a "rumble" and enjoyed mass brawls in prison, but insisted he is now a reformed prisoner, has found solace in art and is a man of "peace", describing himself as a "retired prison activist". The 70-year-old likened his experience in front of the Parole Board to being on BBC programme The Apprentice. A psychologist told the panel Bronson has post-traumatic stress disorder after facing some "brutal and unacceptable" treatment behind bars. He has been held in solitary confinement in high security jails for much of his time behind bars. During the hearing he was described as holding "anti-authoritarian views" and being "suspicious" of the motives of others, as well as having a "romanticised" view of violent incidents in the past. None of the prison and probation officials who gave evidence at the parole hearing said he was ready to be released. The summary of the Parole Board decision said the panel "accepted that Mr Salvador genuinely wants to progress and that he is motivated to work towards his release. It thought that there was evidence of improved self-control and better emotional management". But the parole judges were "mindful of his history of persistent rule breaking and that Mr Salvador sees little wrong with this. He lives his life rigidly by his own rules and code of conduct and is quick to judge others by his own standards". "His positive progress has to be assessed in the context of him being held in a highly restrictive environment", the document said, adding that it was "unknown exactly what is containing Mr Salvador's risk. It is unclear whether the strong external controls of custody are mainly responsible or whether his attitudes have genuinely changed". The panel said it "could not be satisfied" Bronson had the "skills to manage his risk of future violence until he has been extensively tested outside of his current highly restricted environment". Decisions on moving and categorising prisoners are "entirely a matter for the Secretary of State" and the Parole Board said it would not normally comment on such matters, but added: "However, in the particular circumstances of this case, the panel observed that there is an identified pathway for Salvador in custody and the evidence supported such a move within a closed prison." This is a "pivotal point in Mr Salvador's sentence, when his motivation to desist from violence is at its highest" and both psychologists instructed by Mr Salvador's lawyers were "unequivocal in their view that he no longer requires the secure placement in his current prison", the papers said. At the time of his crimes Bronson was described as someone who had "a need for status", bears grudges and struggles to control "extreme emotions". "The panel noted that Mr Salvador enjoyed the excitement, notoriety and the financial rewards of his violent and criminal lifestyle", the document said. But they found Bronson had since "changed" and there had been a "prolonged period of improved behaviour" in custody in recent years. According to the document, Bronson said he was "terrified of dying in prison". While he has not been involved in any incidents of physical violence since 2018, prison reports suggest there were "veiled threats" in 2020, 2021 and 2022. "Mr Salvador lives by his own rules" and "judges others to his own standards", the document said, adding that he was willing to "flagrantly breach prison rules". Officials currently plan to move Bronson to another prison where he can show how he "manages himself in a more open unit with less restrictions on his behaviour", the parole papers added. Bronson is the second inmate in UK legal history to have his case heard in public after rules were changed last year in a bid to remove the secrecy around the process. He will be eligible for another parole review in about two years. Prince Harry and other claimants in the case against the publisher of the Daily Mail may have to adjust their expectations of their key witness who appears to have contradicted his own hacking admission, a UK judge has said. In a written document submitted to a preliminary hearing in the High Court in London, private investigator Gavin Burrows strongly denied being commissioned or instructed by the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday to gather information unlawfully about Harry, Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley and others. However, in an earlier statement provided in 2021, Mr Burrows appears to have made detailed admissions that he was commissioned by the Mail on Sunday to target celebrities by hacking phones and bugging cars. In court yesterday during the third day of the hearing, Adrian Beltrami KC, for Associated Newspapers, publishers of The Mail, said that in the event of a trial, the quality of Mr Burrows evidence should be called into question. Mr Beltrami said: The difficulty with this statement of course is it is directly contradicted by a signed statement obtained by the defendant on March 8. When asked whether Mr Burrows had been asked about the apparent contradiction, Mr Beltrami replied: He says its not true. Judge Mr Justice Nicklin responded: Theres a trial point if ever I saw one. Expand Close Elizabeth Hurley. Photo: PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Elizabeth Hurley. Photo: PA Mr Justice Nicklin added: From the claimants point of view, Mr Burrows statement of August 2021 is fairly significant. However, he added that the claimants may have to adjust their expectations of him in light of the contradiction. In the first statement, Mr Burrows admitted targeting a large number of private individuals over a number of years, including Prince Harry and Elton John and husband David Furnish. He also admitted trying to unlawfully obtain private information about actor Hugh Grant, Carole Middleton (the mother of the Princess of Wales), and former London mayor Ken Livingston. Mr Burrowss admissions included illegally intercepting voicemail messages, listening into live landline calls and obtaining private information, such as itemised phone bills or medical records. Prince Harry said he embarked on the case after being told Burrows had admitted his guilt In his second statement signed last month and submitted to the High Court as evidence, Mr Burrows retracted his original admissions. In it, he made a categorical denial of the claims made by Prince Harry and the others taking action against the media group. Mr Burrows, the founder of a private investigation firm that has worked for international companies and law firms over the last 30 years, issued a new witness statement. I wish to make clear that I was never instructed or commissioned by anyone at the Mail on Sunday or the Daily Mail to conduct unlawful information gathering on their behalf, he wrote. I was also never asked to target or conduct unlawful information gathering on any of the high-profile individuals listed above by the Mail on Sunday or the Daily Mail. Expand Close Elton John outside the court in London earlier in the week. Photo: Getty / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Elton John outside the court in London earlier in the week. Photo: Getty On Monday, a spokesman for Associated Newspapers said Mr Burrows has provided a signed witness statement, denying that he was commissioned or instructed by Associated to carry out any unlawful activity. According to court documents submitted to the court by his lawyers, Harry said he embarked on the case after being told Mr Burrows admitted to targeting me. Baroness Lawrence said she launched her case after being informed that Mr Burrows and another private investigator had recently confessed to carrying out a wide range of criminal activities on behalf of The Mail. Elton John, Ms Hurley and Sadie Frost also cited Mr Burrows admissions, as laid out in his first witness statement. Prince Harry was not at the High Court yesterday morning for the third day of the hearing. He flew to London from California at the beginning of the week to throw his weight behind the claim over alleged unlawful information gathering Humza Yousaf was sworn in yesterday as Scotlands new leader in a ceremony blending tradition with his Pakistani heritage, and immediately announced his first cabinet in a move that risked deepening divisions in the SNP. The first Muslim to lead a democratic western European nation, he was dressed in a black shalwar kameez at Scotlands highest court, the Court of Session in Edinburgh. His wife, watching with his children and parents, shed tears at the start of the ceremony. Mr Yousaf, who pledged an oath of allegiance to King Charles, has previously said he wants to replace the monarchy with an elected head of state. The 37-year-old then revealed his new cabinet of six women and three men mainly close allies of Scotlands former leader Nicola Sturgeon. But the new line-up could breed disunity as it excluded Mr Yousafs leadership rivals and their allies, who said they were offered only positions that amounted to demotions. Shona Robison a close friend of Ms Sturgeon will serve as finance minister as well as deputy first minister, while Angus Robertson will continue to have the responsibility for constitutional issues and external affairs. Announcing his new team, Mr Yousaf said his cabinet, which for the first time in Scotlands history has a majority of women, should look as much as possible like the voters they represent. Yousaf narrowly won a leadership race on Monday after a bruising contest that followed the surprise resignation last month of Sturgeon, who had dominated Scottish politics for almost a decade. The internal disagreements over the future of the pro-independence Scottish National Party and Scotland re-emerged after Yousafs main rival, Kate Forbes, quit the government. She turned down an offer to become minister for rural affairs and islands, as it would have been a step down from her previous role as finance minister, a source familiar with the talks said. The new SNP leader faces numerous challenges, including charting a new course towards independence from the UK and fixing Scotlands problems with healthcare and education. Pope Francis has a respiratory infection and will need to spend "a few days" in hospital for treatment, the Vatican said in a statement on Wednesday, amid concern for the 86-year-old's condition. The 86-year-old pontiff was taken to Rome's Gemelli hospital after complaining of breathing difficulties over the past few days, the statement said. Tests showed he had the infection but did not have COVID-19, it said. "Pope Francis is touched by the many messages received and expresses his gratitude for the closeness and prayer," the Vatican said. Francis, who this month marked 10 years as pope, is sometimes short of breath and generally more exposed to respiratory problems. He had part of one lung removed in his early 20s when training to be a priest in his native Argentina. His latest hospitalisation comes ahead of a Palm Sunday service on April 2 that marks the start of a hectic week of ceremonies leading to Easter Sunday on April 9, throwing into doubt whether he would be able to lead them as customary. Francis' health has attracted increased scrutiny in the past two years, during which he has undergone colon surgery and begun using a wheelchair or a walking stick due to chronic pain in one knee. The Vatican had initially said the pope had gone to hospital on Wednesday for a scheduled check-up. But Italian media reported he arrived in an ambulance after cancelling a television interview at the last minute. Francis had attended his weekly general audience in St Peter's Square in the morning, appearing in good health. In Argentina, the faithful offered prayers for the recovery of the pope, who has not returned to his homeland since leaving for the Vatican a decade ago. "If the Pope could listen to us, I would tell him that we need him because the reform that he faced is not finished," said Marcela Mazzini, a professor at Inmaculada Concepcion Seminary in Buenos Aires, where the pope, then called Jorge Mario Bergoglio, studied. The country that the first Latin American pope left behind faces intense political division, 99% inflation and near 40% poverty. "I think you won't go away without coming to Argentina first," said engineer Santiago, Goggi, 40, obliquely referring to the pope's eventual demise as he sat on the seminary steps. "You have to come see us." The son of Italian immigrants, the future pope lived modestly when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires, travelling by public transport and keeping a low profile when he visited the poor in shanty towns, where many still remember him. At the city's cathedral, Daniel Saco, a 59-year-old former catechist, said Francis "must be asking himself if he can or can't go on. He must be praying and asking all of the Catholic world to pray for him. He always says 'Pray for me,' and must be open to what God dictates to his conscience." The leader of the world's nearly 1.4 billion Roman Catholics suffers from diverticulitis, a condition that can infect or inflame the colon, and was operated on at the Gemelli hospital in 2021 to remove part of his colon. He said in January that the condition had returned and that it was causing him to put on weight, but that he was not overly concerned. He did not elaborate. Francis told Reuters in an interview last year that he preferred not to have surgery on his troublesome knee because he did not want a repeat of long-term negative side effects from anaesthesia that he suffered after the 2021 operation. Last July, returning from a trip to Canada, Francis acknowledged that his advancing age and his difficulty walking might have ushered in a new, slower phase of his papacy. But since then he has visited Kazakhstan and Bahrain and made a trip last month to Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. He has also committed to visiting Hungary in late April, Portugal in August and the French city of Marseille in September. He has said, if it can be arranged, he would want to then fly from Marseille to Mongolia. After praising his late predecessor Benedict XVI's historic decision to resign on health grounds in 2013, Francis has indicated he would follow the example only if he were gravely incapacitated. Asked by Italian Swiss television RSI in an interview broadcast on March 12 what condition would lead him to quit, he said "A tiredness that doesn't let you see things clearly. A lack of clarity, of knowing how to evaluate situations". Vladimir Putin is a dwarf and a wimp who is ruining his country, according to a leaked phone conversation between two members of the Russian elite. The unusually frank discussion purportedly between Iosif Prigozhin, a music producer, and Farkhad Akhmedov, an Azerbaijani-born energy billionaire, offers a glimpse of the anger about the Kremlins war. In the 35-minute conversation, Mr Akhmedov calls Putin Satan, a wimp and a dwarf who doesnt give a damn about anything and doesnt give a f*** about the people. They f****d us over, f****d over children, their future, do you get it? he adds. Mr Prigozhin replies: Theyre criminals, to be honest, criminals of the worst kind. [Putin] squandered the country away ... There wont be any future for us. Mr Akhmedov later adds: He [Putin] has buried the entire Russian nation ... How are we going to wash this off? This is a war between f*****g brothers. There will be fascism there, thats whats going to happen ... a military dictatorship. You will see its going to end like this. Expand Close Wagner group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. Photo: Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Wagner group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. Photo: Getty Images The call was leaked by a Ukrainian YouTube channel earlier this month but has made the headlines only in the past few days. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner mercenary group, who is not related to the music producer, has suggested the wire-tappers may have been trying to target him but got the wrong Prigozhin. If the call is genuine, it suggests a deep sense of frustration and anger among those in the Russian elite who are ostensibly pro-Kremlin. Mr Prigozhin has been a long-time public supporter of Putin. He campaigned for him in the 2018 elections and called on the Kremlin to go after anti-war musicians who fled the country following the invasion of Ukraine. Valeria, his pop star wife, has also sung at concerts celebrating the illegal annexation of Crimea. Mr Akhmedov made his money in Siberias gas industry in the 1990s. The 67-year-old served as a Russian senator between 2004 and 2009 and is estimated to be worth about 1.5bn. He made news in 2020 after he was forced to pay out 500m to his ex-wife following a protracted legal battle at the High Court that was Britains most expensive family feud. Although he has never publicly opposed the war, sanctions were imposed on him by the UK and the EU after the invasion of Ukraine measures he has unsuccessfully tried to overturn. Expand Close Tatiana Akhmedova was embroiled in a divorce battle with Farkhad Akhmedov. Photo: Rick Findler/PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Tatiana Akhmedova was embroiled in a divorce battle with Farkhad Akhmedov. Photo: Rick Findler/PA Mr Prigozhin lives in Moscow while Mr Akhmedov has properties in Azerbaijan and Russia. The audio recording has given voice to widespread sentiment among the establishment that Putin has let his country down, said Tatyana Stanovaya, a Russian political scientist. The Kremlin and mainstream state media which typically clamour for revenge against traitors have been noticeably quiet about the call. Mr Prigozhin said the audio recording was faked but did not reiterate his support for Putin in his denials. Everyone is aware of my political stance, which is evidenced in all of my interviews and public [comments]. But you know, while I was listening to the audio, I almost believed it was me, he told the Fontanka website on Monday. There are definitely some real things here. Mr Akhmedov has not yet commented. Expand Close Residents carry their belongings as they leave their home destroyed in a Russian rocket attack in Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine. Photo: Andriy Andriyenko/AP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Residents carry their belongings as they leave their home destroyed in a Russian rocket attack in Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine. Photo: Andriy Andriyenko/AP Russian opposition figures have urged Mr Prigozhin to flee the country for his own safety. However, Kremlin watchers do not expect the government to go after him because criminal charges would only confirm that the conversation was genuine and that public support for Putin was waning. Meanwhile, Ukraine has struck a railway depot with rockets and knocked out power supplies in a Russian-occupied city deep behind the front line in what appears to be preparation for a counter-offensive. Melitopol, captured by Russia in the first days of the invasion, is the base of Russian-controlled administration of Zaporizhzhya region and a key logistics hub for Russian forces. The strike may have been designed to disrupt Russian lines of communication ahead of a counter-offensive. Russian Telegram channels shared images of smoke over the rail depot and the wreckage of electrical equipment at a substation after the strike on the city, which about is 85km behind Russian lines. ( Telegraph Media Group Ltd 2023) The mammoth meatball was unveiled at Nemo science museum in the Netherlands but no one has tasted it yet. Photo: Reuters/Piroschka van de Wouw A mammoth meatball has been created using the resurrected flesh of the long-extinct animal. It was produced by a cultivated meat company as part of a project trying to demonstrate the potential of growing flesh from cells without slaughtering animals. Vow, the Australian company behind the innovation, is aiming to use cells from unconventional species to create new kinds of meat, while highlighting the link between large-scale livestock production and the destruction of wildlife and the climate crisis. But no one has yet tasted the mammoth meatball, as the scientists behind it say they would have no idea how our immune system would react when we eat it. The company has already investigated the potential of more than 50 species, including alpaca, buffalo, crocodile, kangaroo, peacocks and different types of fish. Japanese quail is set to be the first cultivated meat to be sold to diners, and is expected to be available in restaurants in Singapore later this year. Tim Noakesmith, the co-founder of Vow, said: We chose the woolly mammoth because its a symbol of diversity loss and a symbol of climate change. The mammoth is thought to have been driven to extinction thanks to hunting by humans and global warming following the last ice age. Vow worked with Professor Ernst Wolvetang, at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering at the University of Queensland, to create the mammoth protein. His team took the DNA sequence for mammoth myoglobin, a key muscle protein in giving meat its flavour, and filled in the gaps using elephant DNA. We havent seen this protein for thousands of years, Prof Wolvetang told the Guardian. So we have no idea how our immune system would react when we eat it. But if we did it again, we could certainly do it in a way that would make it more palatable to regulatory bodies. He added: Its a little bit strange and new its always like that at first. But from an environmental and ethical point of view, I personally think [cultivated meat] makes a lot of sense. The mammoth meatball was unveiled at Nemo, a science museum in the Netherlands. Telegraph Media Group Limited [2023] HandM warned that cold weather has delayed demand for spring ranges in many of its markets (Alamy/PA) Fashion chain H&M warned that cold weather has delayed demand for spring ranges in many of its markets, but posted an unexpected quarterly profit thanks to a boost from its second-hand platform Sellpy. The group the worlds second largest fashion retailer said sales in local currencies for the three months to February 28 lifted 3% and are expected to edge up by just 4% in March. Sales across Western Europe, including the UK, lifted 9% in the first quarter, it added. It said: The start of the spring season has been delayed in many important markets as a result of cold weather. The external factors that influence purchasing costs continue to improve, work on the cost and efficiency programme is proceeding at full speed, and many of the changes that we have made in recent years are starting to have an effect Helena Helmersson chief executive of H&M The spring collections have been well received where the weather has warmed up. H&M posted operating profits of 725 million Swedish krona (56.3 million), up from 458 million krona (35.6 million) a year earlier and against expectations for a loss. It said results had been given a fillip after bringing in its Sellpy earnings into the wider group fold, adding around one billion krona (77.7 million) to operating profits. But this was offset by soaring costs, with the group facing higher shipping prices, a hit from pulling out of Russia and a 200 million krona (16 million) leap in its energy bill. The group revealed that its costs increased by 3% in local currencies over the first quarter. But it insisted its cost-cutting programme was progressing at full intensity and is set to deliver savings of around two billion krona (155.4 million), which will gradually become visible starting in the second half of 2023. Helena Helmersson, chief executive of H&M, said: Although the world around us remains challenging, we are seeing several areas where developments are going in the right direction. The external factors that influence purchasing costs continue to improve, work on the cost and efficiency programme is proceeding at full speed, and many of the changes that we have made in recent years are starting to have an effect. At the same time, the spring collections have been well received in the markets where spring has arrived. Brazils former President Jair Bolsonaro waves to supporters at the Liberal Partys headquarters in Brasilia, Brazil, Thursday, March 30, 2023. Bolsonaro arrived back in Brazil on Thursday after a three-month stay in Florida, seeking a new role on the political scene. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) Former president Jair Bolsonaro has arrived back in Brazil after a three-month stay in Florida, seeking a new role on the political scene as authorities in the capital brace for the far-right populists return. Hundreds of supporters dressed in yellow and green chanted for him as they waited in the capital city of Brasilia, where the far-right leader is the subject of several investigations. He left Brazil just before the end of his presidential term, breaking with tradition by declining to hand the presidential sash to his successor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who won the October election in the narrowest finish since Brazils return to democracy more than three decades earlier. While in the US, Mr Bolsonaro mostly kept a low profile, although he delivered several speeches to Brazilian expatriates and conservatives, including at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland. For the first time in 30 years, the legislator-turned-president does not hold elected office. Im without a mandate, but Im not retired, he told television network Jovem Pan on Monday. The Federal Districts security secretariat mobilised hundreds of police officers and the Esplanade of Ministries was closed to prevent gatherings of Bolsonaro supporters. A horde of his supporters stormed and ransacked the capitals most important government buildings on January 8, a week after Mr Lula took office, seeking to oust the new president from power. Mr Bolsonaros aim to reassume political prominence may be hampered by a series of investigations, including whether he incited the January 8 uprising. Recent revelations by newspaper Estado de S.Paulo regarding three boxes of expensive jewellery allegedly brought to Mr Bolsonaro from Saudi Arabia have exposed the former president to greater legal jeopardy. His return to Brazil has been repeatedly delayed, and some had speculated he could postpone indefinitely in light of his legal troubles. Steve Bannon, a long-time ally of Donald Trump and considered a strategist of the global far right, told Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo this week that Mr Bolsonaro should never have left the country, and dismissed the importance of the investigations. Mr Bolsonaros first objective will be to rally opposition to Mr Lulas government, said Mayra Goulart da Silva, a political scientist from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Bolsonaro decided to return to Brazil because no clear opposition leader to the government has emerged. Next years municipal elections are an important step toward gaining political momentum for a possible 2026 presidential run. Mr Bolsonaro is expected to throw his support behind his Liberal Partys mayoral candidates. In addition to investigations into the diamonds, Mr Bolsonaro is the subject of about a dozen investigations by Brazils electoral courts into his actions during last years campaign, particularly related to his unsubstantiated claims that the electronic voting system was susceptible to fraud. If he is found guilty in any of those cases, he would lose his political rights and be unable to run for office in the next election Israels prime minister has rebuffed criticism of his judicial overhaul plan from President Joe Biden, saying the matter was an internal Israeli issue and he would not be influenced by outside pressure. While both sides tried to play down their differences, it was a rare bout of public disagreement between the two close allies, and reflected what has been a lukewarm relationship between the Biden administration and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus new government. It also marked the latest sign of cooling ties between Israel and the Democratic Party. The disagreement came after months of unrest in Israel over Mr Netanyahus proposed overhaul of the countrys judicial system. Mr Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption charges, says the plan is needed to rein in the powers of an interventionist judiciary. Critics say it will push the country toward authoritarianism by weakening an independent court system. Following especially heavy protests, Mr Netanyahu this week froze the plan and launched negotiations on a compromise with his political opponents. The pause prompted Mr Bidens ambassador, Tom Nides, to tell Israeli media that he expected Mr Netanyahu to soon be invited to the White House. Asked about the legislation on Tuesday, Mr Biden told reporters, I hope he walks away from it. He said Mr Netanyahus government cannot continue down this road and called for a compromise. He also said there were no immediate plans for a White House visit, saying: No, not in the near term. Mr Netanyahu responded with a statement expressing appreciation for Mr Bidens years of support for Israel and vowing to seek a broad consensus over the legal programme. But he also dismissed the outside pressure. Israel is a sovereign country which makes its decisions by the will of its people and not based on pressures from abroad, including from the best of friends, Mr Netanyahu said. Members of his coalition reacted even more harshly, saying Mr Biden had no business interfering in an internal Israeli matter. Israel is not another star in the American flag, said National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of the ultranationalist Jewish Power party. I expect the US president to understand this point. Mr Netanyahu later tried to soothe tensions in a speech to the US Summit for Democracy, a virtual gathering of global leaders, saying that while the US and Israel had occasional differences, the ties between them were unshakeable. A senior Israeli official, described the spat as a tempest in a teacup and said there had not been any discussions with the Americans about a Netanyahu visit to Washington. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby also tried to play down the disagreements, saying Mr Bidens comments about the judicial overhaul plan have remained completely consistent. After five Israeli elections in under four years, Mr Netanyahu cobbled together a coalition government with a group of ultra-Orthodox and ultranationalist partners late last year. These include far-right partners who oppose Palestinian statehood and have strong ties to the West Bank settler movement putting them at odds with US support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. FILE Finnish border guards check a Russian vehicle at the Vaalimaa border check point in Virolahti, Finland, on Sept. 25, 2022. Expulsions of Russian intelligence officers and visa refusals have substantially weakened Moscows intelligence operations in neighboring Finland in the past year, the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service said Thursday, March 30, 2023. (Jussi Nukari/Lehtikuva via AP, File) Expulsions of Russian intelligence officers and visa refusals have substantially weakened Moscows intelligence operations in neighbouring Finland in the past year, the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service said. The intelligence agency, known by the abbreviation SUPO, said in a statement that Russian intelligence had been squeezed in the Nordic country because of the agencys ability to compromise spy operations last year. The Russian intelligence station (in Finland) shrank to about half of its former size last year, SUPO director Antti Pelttari said, adding that the main reasons for the decline were expulsions of suspected spies and visa refusals on the advice of his agency. While Russia is still seeking to station intelligence officers under diplomatic cover, it will have to find ways of compensating for the human intelligence shortfall Antti Pelttari The falling number of intelligence officers and restrictions on travel across the border amid Moscows war in Ukraine have significantly undermined operating conditions for Russian spies in Finland, SUPO said. It noted that operations under diplomatic cover have traditionally been the main instrument of Russian intelligence abroad, and Moscow was seeking to use, among other methods, cyber espionge to make up for the shortfall in human intelligence. While Russia is still seeking to station intelligence officers under diplomatic cover, it will have to find ways of compensating for the human intelligence shortfall, such as by increasingly adopting other forms of covert operation abroad, Mr Pelttari said. The agency said Russia, China and certain other countries were the most active users of intelligence operations to acquire information for their own ends and against the interests of Finland. Finland, a nation of 5.5 million people, applied for Nato membership together with neighbouring Sweden in May. It shares an 832-mile land border with Russia, the longest of any European Union member. SUPO earlier said that Finlands future Nato membership will make the Nordic country a more interesting target for Russian intelligence and influencing operations, and Moscow may seek to acquire Nato-related intelligence through its neighbour. Technology experts including Elon Musk have urged scientists to pause developing artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure it does not pose a risk to humanity. Tech chiefs including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and Skype co-founder Jaan Tallinn have signed an open letter demanding all labs stop training AI systems for at least six months. The prevalence of AI has increased massively in recent years, with systems such as chatbot ChatGPT quickly becoming part of everyday life. The letter said: Recent months have seen AI labs locked in an out-of-control race to develop and deploy ever more powerful digital minds that no-one not even their creators can understand, predict or reliably control. Contemporary AI systems are now becoming human-competitive at general tasks and we must ask ourselves: Should we let machines flood our information channels with propaganda and untruth? Society has hit pause on other technologies with potentially catastrophic effects on society. We can do so here. Let's enjoy a long AI summer, not rush unprepared into a fall Open letter It added: Powerful AI systems should be developed only once we are confident that their effects will be positive and their risks will be manageable. The technology chiefs do not want any AI systems more powerful than new chatbot GPT-4 and called for researchers to focus on making sure the technology is accurate, safe and transparent. US tech firm OpenAI released its latest version of AI chatbot ChatGPT earlier this month. ChatGPT was launched late last year and it has become an online sensation because of its ability to hold natural conversations but also to generate speeches, songs and essays. The bot can respond to questions in a human-like manner and understand the context of follow-up queries, much like in human conversations. It can even admit its own mistakes or reject inappropriate requests. According to OpenAI, GPT-4 has more advanced reasoning skills than ChatGPT but, like its predecessors, GPT-4 is still not fully reliable and may hallucinate a phenomenon where AI invents facts or makes reasoning errors. The letter said humanity can now enjoy an AI summer where it can reap the rewards of the systems but only once safety protocols have been made. The letter added: Humanity can enjoy a flourishing future with AI. Having succeeded in creating powerful AI systems, we can now enjoy an AI summer in which we reap the rewards, engineer these systems for the clear benefit of all and give society a chance to adapt. Society has hit pause on other technologies with potentially catastrophic effects on society. We can do so here. Lets enjoy a long AI summer, not rush unprepared into a fall. Barack Obama has accused Rupert Murdoch and his media empire of polarising society, stoking populism and leaving people feeling angry and resentful. In a speech delivered in Australia, the former US president said partisan media and populist agendas had deepened divisions in Western societies. In a wide-ranging address, he spoke about the war in Ukraine, the rise of China and the dangers posed by artificial intelligence. He identified changes to the media landscape as contributing to the growing polarisation not just of America but many societies in the West, mentioning Fox News in the US and Sky in Australia. Theres a guy you may be familiar with, first name Rupert, who was responsible for a lot of this, the 61-year-old said. But really he perfected what is a broader trend, which is the advent of cable [television], talk radio and then social media. Expand Close Rupert Murdoch with his fourth wife Jerry Hall before they divorced last year. Photo: Danny Moloshok/Reuters / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Rupert Murdoch with his fourth wife Jerry Hall before they divorced last year. Photo: Danny Moloshok/Reuters The dissolution of the monopoly of a few arbiters of the news and journalistic standards that came out of the post-Second World War era. Traditional media has splintered to such an extent that it was now a wild west, said Mr Obama, who served two terms in the White House. If all youre doing is watching one source of news, and, by the way, in America, youre seeing progressives say, well were going to have our own news and our own perspective... you no longer have a joint conversation and a shared story. Media organisations were pursuing clicks in order to attract audiences, he said. Expand Close A headline about Donald Trump is displayed outside Fox News studios in New York. Photo: Mark Lennihan/AP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A headline about Donald Trump is displayed outside Fox News studios in New York. Photo: Mark Lennihan/AP The easiest way to attract attention without having to have a lot of imagination, thought, or interesting things to say, is just to make people angry and resentful and to make them feel as if somebodys trying to mess with them and take whats rightfully theirs. Increasingly sophisticated AI meant that images could easily be faked, further increasing the risk of disinformation and polarisation, Mr Obama said. He added that only his wife, Michelle, could tell whether deep fake audio recordings of him were false. Everyone else would think they were authentic. He also claimed the increasing use of AI posed a particular threat to young people, who struggle to discern what is real and what is fake. Were going to have to train our brains to catch up to these new technologies. Donald Trump, the ex-president and frontrunner to be Republican nominee in 2024, is set to face a mug shot, finger-printing and court appearance next week after being indicted over a probe into hush money paid to a porn star in a historic U.S. first. The possible spectacle of Trump's appearance in Manhattan on Tuesday before a judge as the first sitting or former president to face criminal charges could further divide the world's most powerful country. Trump is seeking the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic President Joe Biden next year. Even before news of the indictment broke, he had been seeking to use the legal threats to raise money and rally his most faithful supporters. The first U.S. president to have tried to overthrow an election defeat, whose false claims of election fraud inspired the deadly U.S. Capitol assault on Jan. 6, 2021, signalled that he will continue to campaign even as he faces charges. Expand Close The case involves payments made to actress Stormy Daniels after an affair she said she had with Trump. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The case involves payments made to actress Stormy Daniels after an affair she said she had with Trump. Those specific charges have not yet been made public as the indictment remains under seal, but CNN on Thursday reported Trump faced more than 30 counts related to business fraud. While Trump claimed in a social media post on March 18 that he would be arrested in days, Trump's first reaction at the news was "shock," said one of his attorneys, Joe Tacopina, in a Friday interview on ABC. "We'll go in there and we'll proceed to see a judge at some point, plead not guilty, start talking about filing motions, which we will do immediately and very aggressively," Tacopina said. Trump, 76, said he was "completely innocent" and accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, the Democrat who led the investigation, of trying to hurt his electoral chances. "This is Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history," Trump said in a statement. Trump claims political motivations for all four criminal investigations he is known to face - including federal probes into his retention of classified documents and attempts to overturn his election defeat, and a separate Georgia probe into his attempt to overturn his loss in that state. He has also accused Bragg, who is Black, of racial bias. 'LET THE PROCESS PROCEED' Shortly after news of his indictment broke, Trump appealed to supporters to provide money for a legal defense. As news of Trump's indictment flashed across a news ticker on a Times Square skyscraper on Thursday evening, New York City resident Elizabeth Blaise welcomed the news. "It shows that democracy is finally at a place where it is supposed to be," she said. Trump earlier this month called for nationwide protests, recalling his charged rhetoric ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters. Neither the White House nor Biden, a Democrat who is widely expected to seek re-election, commented. Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer, called for calm: "I encourage both Mr. Trump's critics and supporters to let the process proceed peacefully and according to the law." TUESDAY SURRENDER The Manhattan charges will likely be unsealed by a judge in the coming days and Trump will have to travel there to be photographed, fingerprinted and appear in court, which a court official said was expected on Tuesday. Trump lawyer Susan Necheles confirmed the Tuesday surrender date and said she did not expect charges to be unsealed until that day. The grand jury indictment follows months of hearing evidence about an alleged $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels in the waning days of the 2016 campaign. But any potential trial is still at least more than a year away, legal experts said, meaning it could occur during or after the presidential campaign. Necheles said Trump will "vigorously fight" the charges. Trump received support from a number of potential challengers for the Republican nomination including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence. "This will only further serve to divide our country," Pence said. DeSantis wrote on Twitter: "The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head. It is un-American." Among Trump's faithful outside his Mar-a-Lago property, Jill Cohen, 57, said the indictment would only bolster him. "Do you really think that they're going to take President Trump out of the running for president because of some old horse-face story? No! I don't believe that for a second," said Cohen. "What they're doing to him right now is only strengthening his base." Other Republican voters might tire of the drama, though. Some 44% of Republicans said he should drop out of the race if he is indicted, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released last week. How much the case affects the election could have profound implications beyond U.S. borders. While president between 2017 and 2021, Trump regularly clashed with allies over trade and defense, and a return to the Oval Office could weaken U.S support for Ukraine. AFFAIRS ALLEGED Trump has escaped legal peril numerous times. In the White House, he weathered two attempts by Congress to remove him from office, over the U.S. Capitol assault by supporters and probe into his campaign's contacts with Russia in 2016. The Manhattan District Attorney's office successfully prosecuted Trump's business on tax-fraud charges last year, leading to a $1.61 million criminal penalty. The presiding judge in that case, New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, is expected to oversee the Daniels case as well, according to a person familiar with the matter. Legal experts say Bragg is expected to argue Trump falsified business records to cover up another crime, such as violating federal campaign-finance law, which makes it a felony. Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, has said she received money in exchange for keeping silent about a sexual encounter she had with Trump in 2006. The former president's personal lawyer Michael Cohen has said he coordinated with Trump on the payments to Daniels and to a second woman, former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who also said she had a sexual relationship with him. Trump has denied having affairs with either woman. Trump in 2018 initially disputed knowing anything about the payment to Daniels. He later acknowledged reimbursing Cohen for the payment, which he called a "simple private transaction." Cohen pleaded guilty to a campaign-finance violation in 2018 and served more than a year in prison. Federal prosecutors said he acted at Trump's direction. Cohen said he stood by his testimony and the evidence he provided. The allegations were first aired in 2020 (Ocado/PA) Ocado has said the High Court has ruled in its favour in a patent case brought by Norwegian company AutoStore. A judge ruled AutoStores patents were invalid and that regardless, Ocado did not infringe them, the business told shareholders on Thursday afternoon. It is the latest development in the long-running dispute between the companies. In 2020 AutoStore tried to protect six patents that it said Ocado had breached. Judge Hacon decided that even if he had not invalidated these remaining patents, Ocado's OSP (Ocado Smart Platform) did not infringe them - and that Ocado's bots also did not infringe the patents that AutoStore had withdrawn from the case Ocado However, Thursdays ruling only came after four of these claims were either withdrawn by AutoStore or invalidated by the European Patent Office, leaving two claims to rule on. Judgment was handed down after close of business today, Ocado said on Thursday. Ocado has comprehensively won the patent infringement suit brought by AutoStore at the UK High Court. His Honour Judge Hacon held that the AutoStore patents were invalid and, in any event, Ocado did not infringe them. AutoStore said it disagreed with the judgment. The two companies have also been battling at the International Trade Commission in the US, where Ocado said it had also won. There are still cases ongoing in Germany and New Hampshire. Judge Hacon decided that even if he had not invalidated these remaining patents, Ocados OSP (Ocado Smart Platform) did not infringe them and that Ocados bots also did not infringe the patents that AutoStore had withdrawn from the case. When it first announced its claims, AutoStore said Ocado was using some of its patented robot technology. Deals that the automated supermarket company had with Marks & Spencer and Morrisons and Kroger in the US infringed on the patents, AutoStore claimed. The company was asking for courts to ban Ocado from using the technology in future and seeking compensation. In an announcement on the Oslo stock exchange, AutoStore said: AutoStore filed claims against Ocado in the UK arguing that Ocado infringed AutoStores patents. Today, the UK High Court dismissed AutoStores patent infringement case heard in March/April 2022. This decision has no impact on AutoStores business or operations. AutoStore disagrees with the courts decision, especially given that the Technical Boards of Appeal of the European Patent Office upheld one of the patents in issue as valid just a few weeks ago. Former Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius is expected to attend a parole hearing that will decide if he can be released from prison 10 years after killing his girlfriend. He was convicted of killing Reeva Steenkamp by shooting her multiple times through a toilet door in his home on Valentines Day 2013. He could leave Atteridgeville Correctional Centre in Pretoria on Friday if his parole is granted, although the Department of Corrections said the process may take days to finalise if his application is successful. Ms Steenkamps parents, Barry and June Steenkamp, have said they oppose Pistoriuss release and are allowed to address the parole board at his hearing. A submission by a victims relatives is one of numerous factors taken into account. He is a murderer. He should remain in jail, Mr Steenkamp said in an interview published last month on the 10th anniversary of his daughters killing. The Department of Corrections declined to give details on Pistoriuss hearing, saying it was an internal matter like any other parole hearing. According to guidelines, the board will consider the offence Pistorius was convicted of, his conduct and disciplinary record in prison, whether he took part in educational or other training courses, his mental and physical state, whether he is likely to relapse into crime and the risk he poses to the public. Legal expert Neo Mashele said: Generally speaking, the behaviour of the offender is the most important consideration. Pistoriuss parole lawyer, Julian Knight, previously said the athlete had been a model prisoner. Pistorius, who is now 36, was ultimately convicted of murder after prosecutors appealed against an initial conviction for culpable homicide, which is comparable to manslaughter. Expand Close June and Barry Steenkamp (Channel 5/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp June and Barry Steenkamp (Channel 5/PA) He was eventually sentenced to 13 years and five months in prison in 2017, again after a prosecution appeal against a lighter sentence. Offenders in South Africa convicted of serious crimes must serve at least half their sentence before being considered for parole. Pistorius has done that after taking into account the time he served in jail from late 2014 while the appeals in his case were heard. He could be released on full parole or placed on day parole, where he would be allowed to live and work in the community during the day but have to return to prison at night. He could also be placed under correctional supervision, which means he would be released but have to spend some of his time during the week at a correctional centre. Pistoriuss parole could be denied, where the board usually asks the offender to reapply at a later stage. He had both his lower legs amputated as a baby and walks with prosthetics. The multiple Paralympic champion was once hailed as an inspirational figure, but his murder trial and downfall captivated the world. Expand Close Oscar Pistorius in the Mens 400m T44 final at London 2012 (Anna Gowthorpe/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Oscar Pistorius in the Mens 400m T44 final at London 2012 (Anna Gowthorpe/PA) His crime eventually led to him being sent to Kgosi Mampuru II maximum security prison, one of South Africas most notorious. He was moved to Atteridgeville in 2016 because that facility is better suited to disabled prisoners. Reports claim he had at one point grown a beard, gained weight and taken up smoking, and was unrecognisable from the elite athlete who competed against able-bodied runners on his carbon-fibre blades at the 2012 London Olympics. He has spent much of his time working in an area of the prison grounds where vegetables are grown, sometimes driving a tractor. His father, Henke Pistorius, said in a 2018 interview that he was running bible classes for other inmates. There have also been flashes of trouble. Pistorius sustained an injury in an altercation with another inmate over a public telephone in 2017. A year earlier, he received treatment for injuries to his wrists, which his family denied were a result of him harming himself. Pistorius has been seeking parole since 2021 but a hearing that year was cancelled partly because he had not yet met with Mr and Mrs Steenkamp in a process known as a victim-offender dialogue. He claims he shot 29-year-old Ms Steenkamp by mistake with his licensed pistol because he thought she was a dangerous intruder. Russias top security agency has arrested an American reporter for the Wall Street Journal on espionage charges, the first time US correspondent to be put behind bars on spying accusations since the Cold War. The Federal Security Service said Evan Gershkovich was detained in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg while allegedly trying to obtain classified information. The WSJ said in a statement that it is deeply concerned for Mr Gershkovichs safety. It added that it vehemently denies the allegations and is seeking Mr Gershkovichs immediate release, adding: We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: It is not about a suspicion, is it about the fact that he was caught red-handed. At a hearing on Thursday, a Moscow court ruled to keep Mr Gershkovich behind bars pending the investigation, according to a statement. He is the first American reporter to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since September 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, a Moscow correspondent for US News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB. He was released without charge 20 days later in a swap for an employee of the Soviet Unions United Nations mission who had been arrested by the FBI. The FSB, which is the top successor agency to the Soviet-era KGB, alleged that Mr Gershkovich was acting on the US orders to collect information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military industrial complex that constitutes a state secret. The agency did not say when the arrest took place. Mr Gershkovich could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of espionage. The arrest comes amid bitter tensions between Moscow and Washington over the fighting in Ukraine. Mr Gershkovich speaks fluent Russian and had previously worked for the French agency Agence France-Presse and the New York Times. He covers Russia, Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations as a correspondent in the WSJs Moscow bureau. The FSB noted that he had accreditation from the Russian Foreign Ministry to work as a journalist, but ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Mr Gershkovich was using his journalistic credentials as a cover for activities that have nothing to do with journalism. His last report from Moscow, published earlier this week, focused on the Russian economys slowdown amid western sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine. Mr Gershkovichs arrest follows a swap in December in which US basketball star Brittney Griner was freed after 10 months behind bars in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. It looks like a retaliation measure of Russia against the United States, so we are very alarmed because it is probably a way to intimidate all western journalists Jeanne Cavelier Another American, corporate security executive Paul Whelan, has been imprisoned in Russia since December 2018 on espionage charges which his family and the US government have said are baseless. Jeanne Cavelier, head of the Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk at the Paris-based press freedom group Reporters Without Borders, said Mr Gershkovich is the first foreign journalist to be arrested in Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine. It looks like a retaliation measure of Russia against the United States, so we are very alarmed because it is probably a way to intimidate all western journalists that are trying to investigate aspects of the war on the ground in Russia, she told the Associated Press. The western powers should immediately ask for clarifications on the charges, because as far as we know he was just doing his job as a journalist. Russian journalist Dmitry Kolezev said he had spoken to Mr Gershkovich before his trip to Yekaterinburg. He was preparing for the usual, albeit rather dangerous in current conditions, journalist work, Mr Kolezev wrote. He added that Mr Gershkovich had asked him for the contacts of local journalists and officials in the area as he prepared to arrange interviews. A woman wipes away tears as she visits a memorial at the entrance to the Covenant School (AP Photo/Wade Payne) Nashville authorities released 911 calls on Thursday that capture the terror inside a Christian elementary school during an attack this week in which three children and three adults were killed. In the tapes, callers can be heard pleading for help in hushed voices as sirens, crying and gunfire could be heard in the background. Police released recordings of three 911 calls made during Mondays attack at The Covenant School. In one, a man tells the dispatcher he is with a group of people, including several children, who are walking away from the school toward a main road. All I saw was a man holding an assault rifle shooting through the door. It was - he's currently in the second grade hallway, upstairs School shooting witness Although the man remains calm, the tension and confusion of the situation are clear, with several adults speaking over each other and childrens voices in the background. When the dispatcher requests a description of the attacker, the caller asks a second man to get on the line. All I saw was a man holding an assault rifle shooting through the door. It was hes currently in the second grade hallway, upstairs the second man says. White man. With camouflage. He had a vest on and an assault rifle. Asked about how many shots were fired, a woman responds: I heard about 10 and I left the building. In another call that started just before 10.13am, a woman tells a dispatcher that she can hear gunshots and that she is hiding in an art room closet. It sounds like somebody is shooting guns, the caller says. She then notes that there had been a pause in the gunshots. The dispatcher asks if she was in a safe spot and says two other callers also reported gunshots at the school. I think so, the woman says, as children can be heard in the background. The teacher then says she can hear more gunshots, and muffled thuds can be heard. Im hearing more shots, the caller said. Please hurry. Another caller says he is in a room on the second floor and asks the dispatcher to send help. I think we have a shooter at our church, he says, later adding: Im on the second floor in a room. I think the shooter is on the second floor. Three adults and three nine-year-old children were killed in the attack. Authorities say police shot and killed the assailant, a former student they identified as 28-year-old Audrey Hale. The release of the recordings came as people protested at the Tennessee Capitol on Thursday in favour of tighter gun controls, haranguing the Republican-led legislature to take action. Chants of Save our children! echoed noisily in the hallways between the state Senate and House chambers, with protesters setting up shop inside and outside the Capitol. Some silently filled the Senate chambers gallery, including children who held signs reading Im nine a reference to the age of the kids who died. Most protesters were removed from the gallery after some began yelling down at the lawmakers, Children are dead! The protests followed a Wednesday night candlelight vigil in Nashville where Republican lawmakers stood alongside first lady Jill Biden, Democratic lawmakers and musicians including Sheryl Crow, who has called for stricter gun controls since the attack. Among those killed were the three students: Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney; Katherine Koonce, 60, the head of the school; substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61; and Mike Hill, a 61-year-old custodian. Police have said Hale was under a doctors care for an undisclosed emotional disorder. However, authorities have not disclosed a link between that care and the shooting. Police also said Hale was not on their radar before the attack. Social media accounts and other sources indicate that the killer identified as a man and might have recently begun using the first name Aiden. Police have said Hale was assigned female at birth but used masculine pronouns on a social media profile, however, police have continued to use female pronouns and the name Audrey to describe Hale. Turkish legislators vote in favour of Finlands bid to join Nato at the parliament in Ankara (Burhan Ozbilici/AP) Turkeys parliament has ratified Finlands application to join Nato, lifting the last hurdle in the way of the Nordic countrys long-delayed accession into the western military alliance. All 276 legislators present voted in favour of Finlands bid, days after Hungarys parliament also endorsed Helsinkis accession. This will make the whole Nato family stronger & safer, Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter in welcoming Turkeys action. Alarmed by Russias invasion of Ukraine a year ago, Finland and Sweden abandoned their decades-long policy of non-alignment and applied to join the alliance. I'm aware that there is a large number of people watching us from Finland. ... We can say to them: 'Welcome to Nato' Akif Cagatay Kilic, legislator Full unanimity is required to admit new members into the 30-member alliance, and Turkey and Hungary were the last two Nato members to ratify Finlands accession. Swedens bid to join the alliance, meanwhile, has been left hanging, with both Turkey and Hungary holding out on giving it the green light despite expressing support for Natos expansion. Turkeys government accuses Sweden of being too lenient towards groups it deems to be terrorist organisations and security threats, including militant Kurdish groups and people associated with a 2016 coup attempt. More recently, Turkey was angered by a series of demonstrations in Sweden, including a protest by an anti-Islam activist who burned the Koran outside the Turkish embassy. Hungarys government contends some Swedish politicians have made derisive statements about the condition of Hungarys democracy and played an active role in ensuring that billions in European Union funds were frozen over alleged rule-of-law and democracy violations. Turkish officials have said that unlike Sweden, Finland fulfilled its obligations under a memorandum signed last year under which the two countries pledged to address Turkeys security concerns. As a Nato member, we naturally had some expectations and requests regarding the security concerns of our country, Akif Cagatay Kilic, a legislator from President Recep Tayyip Erdogans governing party, told parliament before the vote. I would like to underline the concrete steps and their implementation by Finland, which supported and shaped the decision we are taking here. Mr Kilic added: Im aware that there is a large number of people watching us from Finland. We can say to them: Welcome to Nato.' Some opposition parties were critical of the Turkish governments position towards the two Nordic countries. Unfortunately, (Mr Erdogans ruling party) turned the right to veto Finland and Swedens membership bids into a tool for blackmail and threat. We do not approve of it, said Hisyar Ozsoy, a legislator from the pro-Kurdish party. We find the bargaining process (to press for) the extradition of Kurdish dissident writers, politicians and journalists to be ugly, wrong and unlawful. Asked earlier this week about Swedens Nato membership, Mr Erdogan told reporters: There are certain things we expect of them. They must be fulfilled first. Sweden, which made constitutional changes to pass tougher anti-terrorism laws, has expressed hope that it will be able to join before Natos July summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. Sweden faces more significant obstacles in its bid, Hamish Kinnear, Middle East and North Africa analyst at the risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft, said. Turkey is unlikely to approve its acceptance into the alliance before the election in May. The Koran-burning incident sparked popular rage in Turkey and President Tayyip Recep Erdogan wont want to risk angering his conservative base ahead of the polls, Mr Kinnear said. Finland is at a very important strategic location and having that kind of shift from neutrality to respond to Russias aggression is bolstering the demonstration of the political will of Nato Maia Cross, Northeastern University The accession of Finland, which has a 1,340-kilometre (832-mile) border with Russia, has geographic and political importance for Nato, said Maia Cross, professor of political science at Northeastern University. Finland is at a very important strategic location and having that kind of shift from neutrality to respond to Russias aggression is bolstering the demonstration of the political will of Nato, she said. Ms Cross added that the delay gave Finland more of a chance to prepare. Finland is already sitting in the meetings with Nato. Its already revamping its armed forces, she said. So when it steps into Nato formally, it can actually hit the ground running. This publication is designed to introduce the fundamentals of investing in the Indian market and includes a gu... On Friday, India is set to reveal its highly anticipated Foreign Trade Policy 2023, aimed at bolstering exports in the face of sluggish global trade. The policy will be unveiled by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal as per the ministry. The existing Foreign Trade Policy (2015-20) will remain effective until March 31, 2023, with its last extension in effect from October 1, 2022 for a period of six months. The policy was extended several times initially due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns and to ensure that all stakeholders are sufficiently accommodated. The foreign trade policy, to be announced by Goyal, is expected to present a vision statement aimed at elevating Indias goods and services exports to US$2 trillion by 2030. The ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and supply chain disruptions have adversely affected Indias trade. According to sources, the upcoming policy is expected to include export promotion measures that comply with WTO regulations. Indias exports cross US$750 billion in FY2022-23 India is projected to achieve a total export figure of US$760 billion by the end of FY 2022-23, up from US$676 billion recorded in FY 2021-22. In FY 2022, the total value of goods and services exports for India had reached a high of US$422 billion and US$254 billion, respectively. As of March 28, Goyal announced that Indian exports had crossed the US$750 billion mark, an all-time high. Weve had a record run of FDI over the last decade with an all-time high every year until March 2022. Exports at about $500 billion in 2021 saw a phenomenal 35% jump to $676 billion last year. Today we have crossed $750 billion in exports with growth in both goods and services exported. I am sure we can achieve $2 trillion a trillion each in goods and services respectively. Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce Meanwhile Indias merchandise imports for FY 2022-23 also grew significantly as crude imports rose 53 percent over the last fiscal. For example, imports from Russia increased by 850 percent over last year, as per the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), an economic think tank. Indias merchandise imports are dominated by six product categories: petroleum, crude oil, coal, coke, diamond, precious metals, chemicals, pharma, rubber, plastics, electronics, and machinery. Together, these categories make up 82 percent of Indias total merchandise imports. To make Indian exports globally more competitive, the country has been pursuing several free trade agreements. Most recently, it concluded a CEPA with the UAE and an ECTA with Australia. These have boosted two-way trade flows to the respective markets. A comprehensive free trade deal with the UK remains in the works with eight rounds of negotiations done. Kolkata: The US Consulate Kolkata collaborated with KIIT Technology Business Incubator to host a three-day 'Regional Startup Network (RSN)' advanced workshop at the American Center, starting on Thursday, to build entrepreneurial capacities of select startups from India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. The workshop also aims to strengthen linkages between the startups through ecosystem partnerships to foster greater economic prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. The RSN program aims to provide a nurturing entrepreneurship ecosystem, helping startups gain valuable insights, expand their network, and showcase their ideas to a global audience. The program has been designed to facilitate regional engagement and interconnectedness for a strong Indo-Pacific regional economy. Speaking at the inaugural event, U.S. Consul General Melinda Pavek said, The program provides a nurturing entrepreneurship ecosystem, helping startups gain valuable insights, expand their network, and showcase their ideas to a global audience." "By increasing cross-border collaborations between startups, accelerating market linkages, and providing investor access, RSN aims to ensure a sustained growth trajectory for startups in the region, she said. She also shared the entrepreneurial journey of her parents while motivating the budding entrepreneurs who were participating in the event. She said: "The United States is a nation built by entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship is at the heart of the American spirit in President Joe Biden-led administration that is calling loudly for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in all public endeavors." In his address, Mrutyunjay Suar, DG R&D & Innovation KIIT and CEO KIIT-TBI, said, The Regional Startup Network Program is an unique initiative taken by the U.S. Consulate Kolkata that follows a structured path of first building capacities of the startups in their home countries and then provides a launch platform to leverage cross cultural exposure for deeper understanding of the similar geographical markets and access to larger funding bases, while constantly building on their entrepreneurial skill base with progressive degree of complexity." He said: "It would be hailed a landmark program that has set the tone for the development of cross-country programs for enhanced scale of impact." He said: "The Startups that are a part of the first cohort showcase the burgeoning community and the collaborations established between them are indicative of the true success of the program. The Regional Startup Network is an entrepreneurship development program that provided access to stage-wise learning workshops, online social networking platform, investor exposure, and an opportunity to network and collaborate with startups from the partnering countries. The program consisted of a 20-hour certified online entrepreneurship course, followed by a two-day formative workshop for the top 20 startups selected from India, Bhutan, Nepal , and Bangladesh, and a three-day advanced workshop in Kolkata for the top 20 startups selected from the formative workshops. The top five startups from each country will make pitches to an expansive investor panel at the advanced workshop on Saturday, Apr 1, 2023. The program has engaged more than 350 established young entrepreneurs with a robust network of innovators, mentors, investors, funders, and accelerators, through diverse products and services. Workshops in India, Nepal, and Bhutan have resulted in six cross-border business linkages, and 12 institutional partnerships, including one with the Ministry of Economic Affairs in Bhutan. The event was attended by Surekha Routray, head-social incubation , KIIT TBI; Vishnu S Baldwa, managing director, Indorama; Ashok Dhar, former president, petroleum business; Mrutyunjay Suar, chief executive officer, KIIT- TBI. What did some of the participants say? Md Nazmul Islam, Managing Director and CEO, Fabric Lagbe, told IBNS,"For the next three days, we will like to interact with participants from other nations and keep learning from them." "This workshop will help me in connecting with people from four countries and this is a very positive thing for me and my company. I am able to network with people from four nations. Additionally, this workshop is also giving me an opportunity to meet with excellent mentors who are giving me remarkable ideas and suggestions," Md Nazmul Islam said. Rinzin Wangmo, who is representing Leki Textiles of Bhutan, told IBNS: "I am looking forward to the workshop as it will be very much beneficial for us and we are getting a chance to meet participants from neighbouring nations. This workshop is also giving me a chance to meet senior mentors from the industry. We hope we will be able to build a good network through the workshop." Speaking to IBNS, Bini Bajracharya, founder of Abir Designs Hub from Nepal, said: "I am expecting to learn a lot of aspects of doing business from this workshop. We started our business three years back and during this period I have been learning the art of conducting business quite nicely. I also believe that I need to learn a lot as I move forward with the company." She said that despite facing challenges she continued her company during the 'tough' COVID-19 phase. "We recovered to a certain extent after COVID-19 but in Nepal Dengue also created a lot of troubles for us. At one point in time, we were not growing as much as we were expecting. Today, we are slowly moving to the path of recovery," she said. Some key points about the workshop: 300 startups had registered across the four countries India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh for the events leading to Kolkata workshop. The formative workshop for India was conducted in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, in August 2022, which saw 20 startups from India participate, learn from esteemed mentors and pitch to business experts, among whom five startups were selected for the Advanced Workshop. The formative workshop for Nepal was conducted in Kathmandu, Nepal, in September 2022, which saw 20 startups from Nepal participate, learn from esteemed local mentors and pitch to business experts, among whom five startups were selected for the Advanced Workshop. The final formative workshop for Bangladesh was conducted in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in January 2023, which saw 20 startups from Bangladesh participate, learn from esteemed local mentors and pitch to business experts, among whom five startups were selected for the Advanced Workshop. The selected Top 20 startups, five from each country, are now in Kolkata for the 3-day intensive Advanced Workshop. Selected five startups from the workshop will be added for the Nexus Program in New Delhi. The four major investors who are part of the event are Ankur Mehta (entrepreneur and Director of Investment and Portfolio at Upaya Social Ventures), Deepak Daftari (Domain Consultant, Angel Investor, and Mentor with over 15 years of experience in stealth acquisitions of desired Domain Name Brands), Ashok Suyal (a professional with a blend of social, startups, and corporate sectors with varied global experience of working with Fortune 500 companies, multilateral institutions, and startups) and Vikas Sood (Director-Nexus at the U.S Embassy, where he leads an innovation hub and business incubator that showcases American and Indian entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology commercialization). (Reporting and Images by Supriyo Hazra/IBNS) Photography: Avishek Mitra/IBNS Kolkata/IBNS: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday called the state government employees, who are protesting with demands for a hike in Dearness Allowance (DA) for over 60 days, "thieves". The Chief Minister alleged the DA protesters, who are camped at Shahid Minar, received jobs unethically and illegally during the Left Front regime. Mamata said this during her address from the dharna stage at Red Road in downtown Kolkata. She said, "The thieves who received jobs through 'chirkut' system are there at the DA agitation site. Do I need to take lessons from these dacoits and BJP goons?" Upon request by a supporter to stop their pensions, Mamata said she would rethink it. Lashing out at the CPI-M whose 34-year-old government was uninstalled by Mamata in 2011, the Trinamool Congress supremo said, "Whatever irregularities are surfacing in primary, secondary, and high school recruitment, CPI-M is working through the Coordination Committee on the same. "None of their files will be found because they have either been stolen, burnt or hidden. The wife of one of the leaders involved in Saradha case also receives a pension from our state government for a job she secured through 'chirkut'" Mamata's Trinamool is facing massive corruption allegations on various fronts with some of its top leaders being arrested. Former West Bengal Education Minister and now suspended Trinamool leader Partha Chatterjee was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate after a huge sum of money was recovered from his close aide Arpita Mukherjee's flat in connection with the teacher recruitment scam. In a counter-attack on the Opposition, the Trinamool has accused CPI-M leader Sujan Chakraborty's wife Mili Chakraborty of securing a government job on recommendation by the Leftist party. Trashing the allegation, Sujan said, "The letter which the Trinamool is showing is the appointment letter. This proves the recruitment system was fair during the Left regime." Mamata is continuing with her 31-hour long dharna from Wednesday noon protesting against the Centre's alleged delay in disbursement of funds, hike in LPG cylinder prices and use of probe agencies for political vendetta. Image Credit: UNI New Delhi: After the US, Germany has commented on Congress leader Rahul Gandhis conviction by a court and his suspension from the Lok Sabha, saying it has taken note of the issue, and that it expects the standards of judicial independence and democratic principles to apply in the case. Germanys Foreign Ministry spokesperson, in reference to the case, said: We have taken note of the first instance against Indian opposition politician Rahul Gandhi as well as the suspension of his parliamentary mandate. To our knowledge, Mr Gandhi is in a position to appeal the verdict, it will then become clear whether the verdict will stand and whether the suspension of his mandate has any basis. We expect that the standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles will equally apply to the proceedings against Rahul Gandhi. The comment from Germany comes two days after the US said it is watching Rahul Gandhis case and that it engages with the Indian government on the commitment to democratic values and freedom of expression, following the Congress leaders conviction by a court for his Modi surname comment and his disqualification from the Lok Sabha. Indian-American State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel has said: Respect for the rule of law and judicial independence is a cornerstone of any democracy, and were watching Mr. Gandhis case in Indian courts, and we engage with the Government of India on our shared commitment to democratic values including, of course, freedom of expression. In our engagements with our Indian partners, we continue to highlight the importance of democratic principles and the protection of human rights, including freedom of expression, as a key to strengthening both our democracies. Meanwhile, senior Congress MP Digvijaya Singh thanked the German Foreign Affairs Ministry and Richard Walker, DW News chief international editor, who tweeted the news, for "taking note of how Democracy is being compromised in India through the persecution of Rahul Gandhi. On March 23, Rahul Gandhi was sentenced to two years in jail by a Surat court in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his comment that "all thieves have the Modi surname". Following his conviction and sentencing, he was also disqualified from the Lok Sabha and has been asked to vacate his official MPs bungalow. The Opposition has united to attack the Modi government over the issue. (With UNI inputs) Image Credit: Facebook/Nawazuddin Siddiqui Mumbai/IBNS/UNI: The Bombay High Court has asked Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui and his estranged wife Zainab to personally appear in court along with their two minor children on April 3 to explore the possibility of settling their issues amicably. Expressing concern over the welfare of children, a division bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Sharmila Deshmukh had asked them to appear on April 3 at 4.30 pm in their chamber for an in-camera hearing. We are concerned for the children...let's explore the possibility of an amicable settlement, said Justice Dere. The court was hearing a habeas corpus (produce the person) petition filed by the actor seeking direction to his estranged wife Zainab to reveal the whereabouts of their 12-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son. Image credit: Unsplash New Delhi/UNI: Twenty-one former judges of various state high courts issued a statement over the issue of legalisation of same-sex "marriage", saying that it could have a devastating impact on children, family, and society. "We respectfully urge the conscious members of the society including those who are pursuing the issue of same-sex marriage in Supreme Court to refrain from doing so in the best interest of Indian society and culture," the 4-page statement, issued by 21 former Judges of various State High Court's, said. The list of signatories in the 4-page statement, includes: former Judge of Delhi High Court- Justice Shiv Narayan Dhingra as the main lead and also includes former Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court- Justice S N Jha, former Chief Justice of J&K- Justice M M Kumar, four former Judges each of Allahabad and Madhya Pradesh High Court and from other states. "Owing to its devastating impact on children, family, and society, mindless attempts to ape the practices of West in India, especially by legalising same-sex marriage, would prove to be a death knell to the already crumbling family system. It could have a devastating impact on the society at large," the statement said. It further said, instead of having wide-range discussions and deliberations amongst the stakeholders and without there being any vociferous demand from any section of society, such a hasty judicial intervention is unfortunate. It is totally unwarranted. "It is our concerted opinion that such sensitive issue concerning the society at large be debated In the Parliament and State legislature as well. Even before bringing such kind of law, the opinion of the society must be obtained to ensure that the law must represent the wish of the society. It shouldn't fulfill the desire of few elite sections of the society," the 4-page statement said. In addition to the health consequences amongst the partners, there are studies that state that legalising homosexual marriage will have negative consequences over the children adopted by such couples, including their emotional and psychological development. Same-sex marriage also undercuts the procreative norm associated with marriage, the statement further said. Image Credit: Facebook/Mamata Banerjee & Videograb Kolkata/IBNS: Several vehicles were set on fire, stones were thrown and shops were ransacked as clashes between two groups broke out in West Bengal 's Howrah amid Ram Navami celebrations on Thursday forcing riot control police to march across several parts of the sears as well as Kolkata. Heavy deployment of police is in place after television visuals showed several vehicles engulfed in flames. The violence broke out when a Ram Navami procession was crossing the Kazipara locality. A number of cars, including a few police vehicles, were damaged during the violence and the security personnel had to fire tear gas shells to disperse the mob. Mamata Banerjee's reaction: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was on a two-day sit-in protest (dharna) in Kolkata against Centre's policies, called "rioters the enemy of the country" and said those behind today's violence "will not be spared". "Those who were involved in today's violence will not be spared based on any excuse. As far as the police are concerned, they are working tirelessly, but at times they find themselves in a tough situation to have good relations on both sides and maintain peace," Banerjee said. "Let me make this very clear, in today's incident, the ones who have given safe passage to the offenders, I will take strong action against them. There were clear instructions to mark the routes for the procession. I do not support the riot-mongers and consider them the enemy of the country," she said. In a direct dig at the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Bengal, the CM said: "They (BJP) have always targeted Howrah. The other targets for them are Park Circus and Islampur. Everybody must be alert in their localities." "They have been hiring goons from outside the state to orchestrate communal riots. Nobody has stopped their processions but they do not have the right to march with swords and bulldozers. How did they get the audacity to do this in Howrah?" Reiterating that she would not block any Ram Navami processions, Banerjee said: "Why did they change the route (at the last moment) and take the unauthorised route to particularly target and attack one community (in Howrah)?" "If they believe that they will attack others and get relief through legal interventions, they must know that the people will reject them one day. Those who haven't done any wrong will not be arrested but action will be taken against perpetrators, irrespective of their faith," she said. Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, however, denied her charges and blamed the Trinamool government for the violence. "The Chief Minister and the state administration are responsible for the violence," Adhikari said. On Monday, the BJP slammed the Trinamool Congress for announcing protests on March 30, the day of Ram Navami celebrations. Suvendhu Adhikari, the leader of the opposition in the state assembly, said those who believe in the "sanatan culture" will celebrate Ram's birth anniversary. Instead of declaring a holiday on the day, she has announced protests after making "fabricated and false" claims, he alleged. Coming down heavily on the state BJP, Mamata Banerjee said: "Time and again, they keep trying to stoke communal violence and it is the only thing they're good at. Even today, they caused communal violence in Howrah." "I have repeatedly said that I will not block any Ram Navami procession. I had given instructions to my party workers as well as the police. While one community is celebrating Annapurna Puja, the other is observing fast during Ramzan. We have over 33 percent of Muslims in the state and they fast and pray during this significant period," she added. Image Credit: Facebook/AITC Kolkata/IBNS: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee , who was on a two-day sit-in protest (dharna) in Kolkata against Centre's policies, Thursday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi government and urged for opposition's unity against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). "Since I have called for the opposition parties to unite against BJP, we have been termed as 'corrupt'. Are all of us corrupt and only BJP is a saint? They (BJP) will finish this country. In the coming days, it will be BJP vs citizens of India," Banerjee said. Alleging that the BJP is bulldozing India's democracy, "We will not keep quiet if you bulldoze the democracy of this country. We are ready to give you (BJP) a befitting reply. Apply your law and we will apply citizen's law. We will abide by our respected constitution. In our democratic country, the public has the last word." Banerjee even dared the BJP to stop her if she decided to go to Delhi with all regional parties. "Even we can go to Delhi with the pictures of our prominent leaders and freedom fighters on the occasion of Independence Day. You think you can stop us?" Banerjee said the BJP government is "misusing" the central agencies against all opposition parties and "harassing" them. "If someone speaks against BJP, they are put behind the bars or disqualified from the House. If someone criticises BJP, they are harassed using ED-CBI. International press outlets like BBC are also showing BJP's true face. I am with the country and I don't want anyone talking against our country," she said. Banerjee said she is not allowed to do anything on her own when in Delhi. "They do not allow anything in Delhi and whenever I visit, they post four officials in front of my house. Whenever I go to other countries, they pay people to protest against me saying I presided over genocide in Bengal. Should no action be taken against this? "But if someone goes to another country and says that he is not able to use his democratic rights, he is punished. Why this attitude towards Opposition leaders?" Speaking on BJP's corruption charges in Bengal, Banerjee said: "They imposed 2-3 cases here in Bengal claiming that Trinamool is corrupt. But this was the work of the Coordination Committee that was responsible for hiring people through chirkuts. There are no files for this particular period." "We have said this before - Badla Noy, Badal Chay (we want change and not revenge). The protesters are saying they will not come to work. But they keep forgetting that they are obstructing the work and wasting taxpayers money. I am not talking about everyone but a handful number of people who are doing this," he said. Slamming the central probe agencies, the Bengal CM said: "ED-CBI is like BJP's child, which they carry everywhere. We have not seen a proper trial in the Vyapam Case. Around 50 people associated with the scam were murdered. If the same thing would have happened in Bengal, they would have defamed us. Even if a chocolate bomb explodes here, NIA is sent." Image Credit: UNI Islamabad/UNI: Four policemen were killed and six others injured in two coordinated attacks on police in Pakistan's northwestern Lakki Marwat district in the wee hours of Thursday, a police spokesperson said. Some unknown attackers stormed a check post with sophisticated weapons in the district located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, injuring five cops in an exchange of fire, the spokesperson said. The attackers fled the scene amid retaliatory fire by the police who also called for an extra contingent of force for a search operation, said the police. A police officer with his three gunmen and a driver left for the site, after receiving the information regarding the attack and was attacked on the way. "The deputy superintendent of police Iqbal Mohmand's vehicle was attacked by a roadside planted bomb when he was on the way to the check post," the spokesperson added. The attack left the officer and his three gunmen killed whereas his driver got critically injured. All the injured were shifted to a nearby hospital. No group has claimed the attack yet. On March 11, a 100-mile (160-kilometer) funeral procession spanning from western New Mexico to eastern Arizona honored the life and legacy of former Navajo Nation President Peterson Zah. Widely recognized as a compassionate, modest leader, Zah was deeply devoted to education, his people, and preserving Navajo language and culture. His tireless efforts aimed to rectify injustices faced by Native Americans. Robert Joe, Zahs nephew and master of ceremonies at the public reception, praised his uncle for prioritizing the welfare of his people. Crystalyne Curley, Zahs granddaughter and current Navajo Nation Council speaker, noted that Zah brought hope to the entire Navajo Nation. The former president passed away at the age of 85 in Fort Defiance, Arizona, after a long illness, surrounded by his family. Zah was laid to rest in a private service at his familys cemetery in Low Mountain, Arizona, where he was born. The procession traveled through numerous Navajo communities, with people expressing their heartfelt farewells and appreciation for Zahs leadership. The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority raised flags from their utility trucks along the route as a tribute. Stephen Lewis, governor of the Gila River Indian Community, said, All of Indian Country mourns with you today. He added that they grieved the loss of Zahs intelligence, character, and wisdom, marking the end of an era. Zah was the first elected president of the Navajo Nation, the largest tribal reservation in the U.S., in 1990. His election followed a government restructuring and a deadly riot instigated by former Chairman Peter MacDonald, Zahs political adversary. Determined to rebuild the Navajo Nation, Zah led the tribe to establish a multi-billion-dollar permanent fund following a court victory that affirmed the tribe could tax companies who removed minerals from the vast resources within the territories. Zahs family received a letter from President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, praising the leader and acknowledging his legacy, President Zah never lost sight of his purpose: to stand up for the dignity and respect of the Navajo people. At times likened to the Indigenous equivalent of Robert Kennedy, Zah was celebrated for his captivating presence, innovative ideas, and ability to bring about change. He successfully advocated for federal officials to recognize peyote use as a religious sacrament for Native Americans. Zah also played a role in ensuring that federal environmental legislation, such as the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act, took Native American concerns into account. His unassuming yet resolute leadership style was well-known, evident in his choice to drive a weathered white 1950s International pickup, which was showcased at the public reception on Saturday. Numerous speakers credited Zah as a pivotal influence in their decision to pursue and complete higher education at institutions like Arizona State University or other colleges and universities. To say Peterson Zah was a champion of education is like saying there are a lot of stars in the sky. Its an understatement, said Charles Monty Roessel, current president of Dine College in Arizona and a former director of the Bureau of Indian Education of the Interior Department. He understood the transformational power of education because he saw it in his own life, Roessel said. Zah recently visited with tribal officials to stress the significance of continuing to promote educational opportunities for their kids, according to Buu Van Nygren, president of the Navajo Nation. He made sure education was at the forefront of everything he did, Nygren said. He touched many, many generations of young Navajo leaders like myself. By Cara Chapman. The ad hoc arrangement that made a rural road in Clinton County an internationally known pathway for asylum in Canada is no more. Most of the 39,000 people who crossed into Canada outside official ports of entry last year did so... The Election Commission of India has proposed implementing electronically-transmitted postal ballots for overseas Indian voters. The move comes as there are currently over 1.15 lakh overseas voters as of January 1, 2023. The ETPBS system led to a higher turnout among service voters during the 2019 Lok Sabha election. The use of postal ballots has been recognized internationally due to the increasing mobility of citizens for work-related reasons. However, logistical challenges need to be ironed out before implementing the proposal, and the EC is discussing this with the Ministry of External Affairs. BCCL/Representational Image In 2018, the Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha, based on the recommendation of the poll panel, to allow overseas electors to cast their vote in person or by proxy. The bill was pending in the Rajya Sabha but lapsed due to the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha. What is Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System? The Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) was introduced in 2016 to allow service voters to vote in elections. Under this system, registered service voters are sent postal ballots electronically, which they can download and mark their votes. BCCL/Representational image They then send the ballot to the returning officer of the constituency via ordinary mail, along with an attested declaration form signed in the presence of an appointed senior officer. The postal ballot must reach the returning officer by 8 a.m. on the day of the counting of results. For NRI voters seeking to vote through ETPBS, they will need to inform the returning officer at least five days after the notification of the election. What is the present scenario? Currently, NRIs or overseas Indian voters can register as overseas electors with the Election Commission of India (ECI) if they haven't acquired citizenship in another country. To vote, an NRI must reside in a constituency and provide their passport as proof of identity at a polling station. The right to vote for NRIs was introduced in 2011 through an amendment to the Representation of the People Act 1950. As of January 1, 2023, there were over 1.15 lakh overseas voters, with roughly 25,000 of them flying to India to vote in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. A committee was formed in 2014 to consider ways for non-resident Indians (NRIs) to vote in Indian elections. Online voting and voting at Indian missions were ruled out due to concerns about secrecy and resources. In 2015, the committee recommended e-postal ballot and proxy voting. In 2020, the Election Commission proposed postal ballots for NRIs, which is currently being considered by the government. What is the proposal? The Election Commission of India (EC) has proposed extending the ETPBS to overseas Indian voters to facilitate their voting. BCCL/Representational image Currently, this facility is only available to certain categories of voters, including members of the armed forces, central armed police forces, Indian embassies, diplomatic missions, media persons, voters above 80 years of age or with disabilities, and voters under preventive detention. The proposal suggests that NRIs who want to vote by post need to inform the Returning Officer within five days of election notification. The RO will send the ballot paper electronically, and the NRI will mark it and return it with a declaration attested by an officer appointed by the Indian consular representative in their country of residence. At least 13 people have been killed after the roof of a stepwell at a temple in Madhya Pradesh's Indore collapsed on Thursday. The incident occurred during Ram Navami celebrations at the Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal Temple in the Patel Nagar area. VIDEO | Roof of old stepwell collapses in a temple in Indore; 25 people feared to fall (Disturbing visuals). More details awaited. pic.twitter.com/v3cuokzsks Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 30, 2023 Devotees were offering prayers Devotees were offering prayers during a hawan at the temple on the occasion of Ram Navami at around 12 PM when disaster struck. Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra confirmed that 11 bodies were recovered from the spot, while two others succumbed to their injuries later. Out of the 11 recovered bodies, 10 were women and one man. "A total of 13 have died. An order has been given to probe into the incident," Mishra said. In a major accident in Indore's Mahadev Jhulelal Temple, more than 25 people fell into a stepwell. The incident happened on the occasion of Ram Navami as the temple witnessed rush. The roof of the stepwell reportedly collapsed which caused the accident. pic.twitter.com/h5VzBxs5Pt Ahmed Khabeer (@AhmedKhabeer_) March 30, 2023 Probe ordered Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that he has taken cognizance of the incident and termed the incident "unfortunate". He said that 10 people have been rescued so far while nine remain trapped inside the stepwell. "It's an unfortunate incident. A rescue operation is underway. 10 people were rescued safely while nine are still trapped and will be rescued. Efforts are underway to rescue other people", said the chief minister according to a statement from his office. In a statement earlier, the chief minister's office said eight people were evacuated and rushed to the hospital while local administration, including police, district administration, SDRF, were involved in the rescue operation. "Several ambulances were also deployed at the site", it said. ANI "Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has taken cognizance of the incident and discussed it with Indore's Collector and Police Commissioner over the phone and instructed to speed up the rescue operation. Apart from that, Chief Minister's Office is also in constant touch with the Indore district administration," the statement read. Modi speaks to MP CM Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to state that he has spoken to chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan about the mishap. "Extremely pained by the mishap in Indore. Spoke to CM @ChouhanShivraj Ji and took an update on the situation. The State Government is spearheading rescue and relief work at a quick pace. My prayers with all those affected and their families," PM Modi said. For more on news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. Trains are one of the most convenient transportation modes. Millions of people use trains every day. Occasionally, videos from the trains make their way onto the internet, leaving people with various emotions. People's reaction to one such recent video has been mixed. It depicts a girl dancing at a crowded train station. Woman Dances To Alka Yagnik's 'Aayega Maza Ab Barsaat Ka' At Railway Station Seema Kanojiya, an Instagram user, shared the viral video. Seema is one such woman who does not care about what people think, and that's what we can see throughout the video where she is dancing to Alka Yagnik song 'Aayega Maza Ab Barsaat Ka' without a care in the world. The video has been appreciated by many, leading it to trend with over 2K likes and 154K views. In the video, you can see Seema and one more boy. Other people in the background watch them dance with some latkas and jhatkas. Some are laughing at her and recording her performance. Instagram/Seema Kanojiya Heres How People Users Reacted There are several comments, out of which some have shown love through emoticons. Let's look at what more people have to say. One of the users said 'god give you a long and successful life.' He said in another comment that he would keep her in his prayers and wanted her to succeed in life. Instagram/Seema Kanojiya Another said that one needs to have this much confidence in life. Instagram/Seema Kanojiya One said that she loves the comments people make on her videos. Instagram/Seema Kanojiya One said that she loved how she kicked the boy in a very stylish way. Instagram/Seema Kanojiya Video Of Man Singing 'Kya Hua Tera Wada' On London Streets Goes Viral This viral video will brighten up your day. After watching this video making the rounds on the internet, one will undoubtedly recall Mohammed Rafi. In this video, a man takes the song "Kya Hua Tera Wada" to the streets of London. This is the same man who entertained Londoners by singing Ma on the streets. And now he's back in Hounslow, UK, performing the timeless song Kya Hua Tera Wada. Vish shared the now-viral video on Instagram. What do you think about it? Do let us know in the comments section. For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram. Ramadan, the ninth month, is one of the holiest in the Islamic calendar. Muslims worldwide follow sawm (fasting - one of the five pillars of Islam) to commemorate the sacred month. Therefore, Ramadan rituals are observed for 29-30 days from the first sighting of the crescent moon to the other. Moon sighting is important to decide the beginning and the end of the month of Ramadan. Ramadan 2023: Sehri and Iftar Timings For 9th Roza Of Ramadan On March 31 Muslim community observes fast (Roza) from dawn to dusk. After the day is over, in the evening, they break their fast (Roza) by eating meals, known as Iftar with family or friends. It is believed that by refraining from food and water throughout the day, one understands the pain and suffering of other people and gets closer to the almighty God (Allah). Here's the list of major cities with Sheri and Iftar timing for 9th Roza on March 31, 2023. Take a look: ALSO READ: Ramadan 2023: Dua For Iftar And Sehri And Laylatul Qadr in Holy Month Of Ramazan Ramadan 2023: 9th Roza City-wise Sehri and Iftar Timings 9th Roza Sehri and Iftar Timings for Mumbai on March 31: Roza Date Sehri Iftar 9th March 31, 2023 5:20 AM 6:52 PM 9th Roza Sehri and Iftar Timings for Delhi on March 31: Roza Date Sehri Iftar 9th March 31, 2023 4:52 AM 18:41 PM 9th Roza Sehri and Iftar Timings for Chennai on March 31: Roza Date Sehri Iftar 9th March 31, 2023 4:55 AM 6:21 PM 9th Roza Sehri and Iftar Timings for Hyderabad on March 31: Roza Date Sehri Iftar 9th March 31, 2023 5:02 AM 6:43 PM 9th Roza Sehri and Iftar Timings for Lucknow on March 31: Roza Date Sehri Iftar 9th March 31, 2023 4:40 AM 6:25 PM 9th Roza Sehri and Iftar Timings for Kanpur on March 31: Roza Date Sehri Iftar 9th March 31, 2023 4:45 AM 6:26 PM 9th Roza Sehri and Iftar Timings for Bengaluru on March 31: Roza Date Sehri Iftar 9th March 31, 2023 5:05 AM 6:35 PM 9th Roza Sehri and Iftar Timings for Kolkata on March 31: Roza Date Sehri Iftar 9th March 31, 2023 4:14 AM 5:52 PM 9th Roza Sehri and Iftar Timings for Jammu & Kashmir on March 31: Roza Date Sehri Iftar 9th March 31, 2023 4:56 AM 6:53 PM 9th Roza Sehri and Iftar Timings for Patna on March 31: Roza Date Sehri Iftar 9th March 31, 2023 4:25 AM 6:06 PM 9th Roza Sehri and Iftar Timings for Noida on March 31: Roza Date Sehri Iftar 9th March 31, 2023 4:52 AM 6:40 PM 9th Roza Sehri and Iftar Timings for Ajmer on March 31: Roza Date Sehri Iftar 9th March 31, 2023 5:05 AM 6:51 PM 9th Roza Sehri and Iftar Timings for Ahmedabad on March 31: Roza Date Sehri Iftar 9th March 31, 2023 5:17 AM 6:56 PM Ramadan 2023: Dua for Sehri and Iftar Dua For Keeping The Fast? (Sehri Ki Dua | Suhoor Dua) "Wa bisawmi ghaddan nawaiytu min shahri ramadan" Dua For Breaking A Fast? (Iftar ki Dua | Iftar Dua) " Allahumma inni laka sumtu wa bika aamantu wa 'alayka tawakkaltu wa 'ala rizq-ika aftarthu fathakabl minni" In India, The holy month of Ramadan 2023 is likely to begin on March 23, this depends on the sighting of the crescent moon and will last for four weeks and ends with Eid-ul-Fitr. On April 24, Eid-ul-Fitr will be observed. Every nation observes its holy month on a different day. Muslim communities all over the world observe Ramadan. Ramadan 2023: Sehri and Iftar Timings For 9th Roza Of Ramadan On March 31 In Indonesia Ramadan started on March 22, while in Dubai and UAE, Ramadan begins on March 23. On March 23, 2023, Ramadan begins in Turkey, Lebanon, Kuwait, Morocco, Maldives, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia. Ramadan 2023 Schedule When does Ramadan start in India? Thursday, March 23, 2023 How long is Ramadan 2023? 30 days (From March 23 to April 23) When does Ramadan end? Saturday, April 22, 2023 When Is Laylat al-Qadr? On or around Monday, April 18, 2023 When Does Eid al-Fitr Start? Sunday, April 23, 2023, or April 24 Here's how Ramadan Roza is observed During the holy month of Ramadan Roza (fasting) begins after sunrise and culminates with sunset Consumption of food and water is prohibited between sunrise and sunset. Interestingly, the days start with Fajr (prayer during dawn), followed by Zhuhr (midday), Asr (afternoon), Maghrib (evening) and conclude with the Isha (night). Ramadan 2023: Sehri and Iftar Timings For 9th Roza Of Ramadan On March 31 Muslims consume a pre-dawn meal called Suhur, and they break their fast by having Iftaar during this month. Ramadan Timings 2023 Calendar, Sehri & Iftar Time DATE SEHRI TIME IFTAR TIME 23 Mar 2023 05:03 AM 6:35 PM 24 Mar 2023 05:01 AM 6:35 PM 25 Mar 2023 05:00 AM 6:36 PM 26 Mar 2023 04:59 AM 6:37 PM 27 Mar 2023 04:58 AM 6:37 PM 28 Mar 2023 04:56 AM 6:38 PM 29 Mar 2023 04:55 AM 6:38 PM 30 Mar 2023 04:54 AM 6:39 PM 31 Mar 2023 04:53 AM 6:39 PM 01 Apr 2023 04:51 AM 6:40 PM 02 Apr 2023 04:50 AM 6:40 PM 03 Apr 2023 04:49 AM 6:41 PM 04 Apr 2023 04:48 AM 6:42 PM 05 Apr 2023 04:46 AM 6:42 PM 06 Apr 2023 04:45 AM 6:43 PM 07 Apr 2023 04:44 AM 6:43 PM 08 Apr 2023 04:42 AM 6:44 PM 09 Apr 2023 04:41 AM 6:44 PM 10 Apr 2023 04:40 AM 6:45 PM 11 Apr 2023 04:39 AM 6:45 PM 12 Apr 2023 04:37 AM 6:46 PM 13 Apr 2023 04:36 AM 6:47 PM 14 Apr 2023 04:35 AM 6:47 PM 15 Apr 2023 04:34 AM 6:48 PM 16 Apr 2023 04:32 AM 6:48 PM 17 Apr 2023 04:31 AM 6:49 PM 18 Apr 2023 04:30 AM 6:49 PM 19 Apr 2023 04:29 AM 6:50 PM 20 Apr 2023 04:28 AM 6:51 PM 21 Apr 2023 04:26 AM 6:51 PM About the Holy month of Ramadan According to Islamic culture, the origins of Ramadan can be traced back to the seventh century, when the Prophet Muhammad received the first verses of the Quran, the holy book of Islam, during the month of Ramadan. According to Islamic tradition, the revelation of the Quran to Muhammad began on the 27th night of Ramadan, a night that is known as Laylat al-Qadr, or the Night of Power. Muslims believe that Laylat al-Qadr is the holiest night of the year and that praying on this night is more valuable than praying for a thousand months. When is Ramadan 2023? All About the Holiest Month | Unsplash The practice of fasting during Ramadan is based on the Quranic injunction to "fast for a fixed number of days". Muslims are required to abstain from food, drink, and other physical needs during daylight hours throughout the month of Ramadan. The fast is broken at sunset with a meal known as iftar, which typically consists of dates, water, and a light meal. After the meal, Muslims perform the Maghrib prayer, the fourth of the five daily prayers in Islam. Ramadan is also a time for spiritual reflection, prayer, and charitable giving. Muslims are encouraged to read the entire Quran during the month, and many mosques offer daily prayers and study groups. In addition, Muslims are expected to give to charity during Ramadan, with many mosques and charitable organizations organising food drives and other initiatives to help those in need. Note: Dates/timings may be subject to change; details mentioned here are as per the information available. The two arrested Pakistanis, identified as 27-year-old Hayder and 29-year-old Hussein, were arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Service for planning out an attack on a Jewish restaurant-synagogue in the central Athens neighbourhood of Psyrri. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed receiving 151 Libyan returnees at the cargo wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos State. The Coordinator, Lagos Territorial Office, NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye, who confirmed the development in a statement on Wednesday, said the distressed returnees include 88 females and 63 males, adding that they were brought back to the country through the Assisted Voluntary Repatriation by the International Organisation for Migration. READ ALSO: Brazil-Returnee Caught With 105 Parcels Of Cocaine, Cannabis In Lagos Airport The statement read, NEMA has received a total of 151 distressed Nigerians from Benqahi, Libya. The returnees were received by the Director-General of the agency, Alhaji Mustapha Ahmed, at the Cargo Wing of the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos. The statistics of the returnees after profiling indicates that 71 adult females including two with medical issues, 10 female children and seven female infants were brought back through the Assisted Voluntary Repatriation by the International Organisation for Migration. Also the statistic shows that 54 adult males, four male children and five male infants were among the repatriated distressed Nigerians. They arrived at the airport aboard Al Buraq Air Boeing 737-800 with registration number 5A-DMG at about 1930 hours. Farinloye said Ahmed who was represented by a Chief Executive Officer, Adenike Ogunkunle, admonished the returnees to turn a new leaf by taking advantage of the second chance to make a meaningful life upon their safe arrival in the country. The Director-General enjoined youths to tread softly on the urge to rush out seeking greener pastures where it no longer exists. The NEMA Chief assured the returnees of the Federal Government and other international partners support in the reintegration programme to enable them to recover fast, the statement said. The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a twenty-seven-year-old man for allegedly defiling a nine-month-old baby in Railway Ijora Badia area of the state. The spokesperson of the command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the arrest to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. Hundeyin said that the case was reported to the Police on Monday at about 10:00pm by a concerned member of the public. He said that the suspect allegedly went to the apartment where the babys mother laid her on the floor, and quickly went to buy something outside the compound. READ ALSO: One Out Of Three Suspects Arrested For Gang-Rape In Adamawa The suspect allegedly had sexual intercourse with the little baby and immediately ran away from the scene, the PPRO stated. The mother of the baby, aged 16 years, came to the station with the baby and was issued medical form to enable her take the child to the hospital for urgent medical attention. However, on Tuesday at about 11:15pm, the suspect was smoked out from his hiding by detectives from Ijora Badia Division, The spokesman said that the complainant and suspect have made statements, adding that the suspect confessed to the crime during interrogation. Hundeyin said that the scene of the crime was photographed when the police visited and a stained pant with blood was recovered as an exhibit. He said that the case file and suspect will be transferred to the Gender Section of the state command. Reuben Fasoranti, leader of Afenifere, says the organisation recognises Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Nigerias president-elect while Afenifere, its acting leader, Ayo Adebanjo, rejected the declaration, saying Peter Obi of the Labour Party, who came third, actually won the election. Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was on 1 March declared the winner of the 25 February election by the Independent National Electoral Commission. . The crisis in the apex Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, has become active again as the two foremost leaders of the group have continued to disagree over the emergence of Tinubu. However, the stand of the Adebanjo leadership appears not to enjoy the support of many leaders of Afenifere, including Reuben Fasoranti. Fasoranti had named Adebanjo as the acting leader of the group in 2021 when he stepped down from the position on account of his advanced age. Dissatisfied with the endorsement of Obi, Fasoranti had last year hosted a reception for Tinubu in which he blessed his presidential bid. In the latest development, via statement on Wednesday, the elder statesman reacted to the suspension of two national officers of the Yoruba socio-political group, describing it as null and void. Information Nigeria reports that Afenifere led by Ayo Adebanjo had suspended Jare Ajayi, the groups national publicity secretary, and Abagun Kole Omololu, national organising secretary. The officers were suspended for issuing an unauthorised statement against Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, chairman of the council of elders, Ohanaeze Ndigbo. The suspension of the duo was announced in a communique released at the end of the Afenifere monthly general meeting, on Tuesday. The Afenifere leader said Ajayi and Omololu were suspended for issuing a statement on behalf of Afenifere in which the president-elect was congratulated. READ ALSO: Benue Governor-Elect, Begs God To Give Tinubu Good Health, Sound Mind But distancing himself from the communique by its leader and Secretary General, Ayo Adebanjo and Sola Ebiseni, respectively, after its monthly meeting, held at Isanya Ogbo in Ogun State, Fasoranti said: A general meeting does not have the power to convene and take such a far-reaching decision, just at the whims of individuals. The statement reads: My attention has been drawn to the Communique purportedly issued after a meeting that held on Tuesday, March 27, at Isanya Ogbo, Ogun State. This statement is being issued because of the content of the said document. Afenifere could not have asserted that someone, other than the person declared by the body duly authorized by the Constitution and other extant laws of the land, is the winner of the presidential election held on February 25, 2023 in Nigeria. The body mandated to conduct elections in Nigeria, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, after the completion of this years presidential election on February 25th, has declared the candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as the winner of the said election. Our National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Jare Ajayi, issued a congratulatory message to the President-elect after he had been issued a Certificate of Return by INEC. This was cited as an uncouth activity by the communique mentioned above which further stated that Abagun and Ajayi were suspended sine die pending further decisions after their appearance before and recommendations by the Disciplinary Committee. It means that the two were pronounced guilty and consequently sanctioned even before their appearance before a Disciplinary Committee. That is not the Afenifere way. A General Meeting does not have the power to convene and take such a far-reaching decision just at the whims of individuals. There must have been an official petition laid at the Caucus Meeting, which is referred to the Disciplinary Committee that will investigate and give the officers involved the opportunity to plead their cases. Reports and recommendations are then received by the Leaders-in-Council who then take a decision on the Report with The Leader before reverting to the Caucus in communication. This fiat approach as seen in the current situation is alien to our organisation and cannot stand. On the presidential election, he said: This type of position is alien to us in Afenifere which does not conduct itself as an agent of the state let alone as an electoral umpire. We accept the results of the elections at all levels as declared by INEC until otherwise decided by competent courts in the land. Presently, the whole world knows that Nigeria has a President-elect in the person of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, a true Yoruba son and nationalist. We in Afenifere not only acknowledge this, but we also take delight in his in-coming Presidency and are confident that he will, by the grace of God, return Nigeria to the glorious position that all of us will be proud of. I also read in the said communique, the purported removal and suspension of the National Publicity Secretary and the National Organising Secretary of the organization in persons of Jare Ajayi and Abagun Kole Omololu. At no time was any of these officials reported to me as doing anything against what Afenifere stands for or doing anything against the interests of our race, the Yoruba. Thus, at no time was I informed that they were queried, warned or sanctioned for conducting themselves in a manner contrary to what Afenifere or the Yoruba stand for. Being an organisation that believes in justice and fairness; being an organisation that always maintains that those at the helms of affairs should follow the rule of law, Afenifere, our organisation, cannot just wake up and pronounce some officials removed and suspended without telling them what their offences are and giving them the opportunities to defend themselves. The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has reportedly invited Festus Keyamo (SAN), a top member of the Presidential Campaign Council of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over Atiku Abubakars alleged diversion of public funds through Special Purpose Vehicles. According to Politics Nigeria, the APC chieftains invitation was disclosed in a statement signed by John Ainetor, the Assistant Head of Chambers, Festus Keyamo Chambers, on Thursday. The statement reads in full: The Code of Conduct Bureau is set to commence investigation of Atiku Abubakar over the diversion of public funds whilst he was Vice-President of Nigeria through Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV). READ ALSO: FG Charges First Bank MD, Others With Forgery The Bureau has invited our client Mr. Festus Keyamo to come forward to adopt his petition and to help it to secure the presence of the whistleblower, Mr. Michael Achimugu to assist in the investigation. See a copy of the letter below. Mr. Keyamo assures that the crusade for accountability in respect of this issue was not a campaign gimmick as he promises to follow it through to a logical conclusion, even after the victory of the President-Elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The Federal Government has blamed the ongoing deforestation in the country on powerful interest groups who protect loggers that produce charcoal for sale, likewise States who frustrate efforts to stop the felling of trees for charcoal creation. The activities of these interests, it said, were against the federal governments target to plant 25 million trees by 2030 under the afforestation policy of the Buhari regime. Mohammed Abdullahi, Minister of Environment, who disclosed this at the 69th Session of the Ministerial Media Briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team, in Abuja, revealed that efforts to contain the menace and save the environment had suffered resistance from states who argued that the trees were not under the purview of the federal government. His words, The activities of the people in the charcoal business, with all due respect, are being supported by a number of powerful people at the sub-national level. And if we try to do some level of enforcement, they will tell you, we own this territory, you are federal government and you cannot enforce your rule and policy on us. The challenge we are facing under deforestation and charcoal is engaging Nigerian Governors Forum because of the Land Use Act. READ ALSO: Truck Drivers To Shut Lagos Port Operations Over Drivers Death, Traffic Officers Extortion Maintaining that the federal government would not wield control over state government lands, it was however, discussing with states to work out a modality such as the one being implemented by the Kaduna State government. Abdullahi, while referencing Kaduna State said, It has invested some hectares of land to plant and we are working with the local governments. So, we are projecting other states will follow suit. According to him, the federal government had deployed a regulatory instrument to track forest areas with the most pressure. After tracking it, we raise red flags and then engage those communities and the state governments so that a solution can be brought to arrest of the continuous challenge to our forest. So, that is part of the challenge in terms of controlling these activities. But in spite of this, the task force is still there, going after some of them on ad-hoc basis, trying to find out who and who is involved, who licensed who. We are doing our best to curb the situation, Abdulahi explained. Following rumours that a segment of the political class was planning for an interim government in a bid to truncate the outcome of the recently-concluded general elections, the Department of State Services (DSS), has formally confirmed that the plot was real. Peter Afunanya, spokesman for the DSS who disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, said the agency had identified some key players in the plot but did not give the names of the masterminds. According to the agency, the planners of the interim government had already held several meetings during which they weighed many options to actualize their plot, including sponsoring endless mass protests across Nigerian cities, securing a warrant to declare a state of emergency or a court injunction to stop the inauguration of the executive and the legislature at the federal and state levels. The statement read, The DSS considers the plot, being pursued by these entrenched interests, as not only an aberration but a mischievous way to set aside the constitution and undermine civil rule as well as plunge the country into an avoidable crisis. The illegality is totally unacceptable in a democracy and to the peace loving Nigerians. This is even more so that the machination is taking place after the peaceful conduct of the elections in most parts of the country. READ ALSO: I Will Not Squander The Honour Of A Lifetime Tinubu Vows The planners, in their many meetings, have weighed various options, which include, among others, to sponsor endless violent mass protests in major cities to warrant a declaration of State of Emergency. Another is to obtain frivolous court injunctions to forestall the inauguration of new executive administrations and legislative houses at the Federal and State levels. The DSS supports the President and Commander-in-Chief in his avowed commitment to a hitch-free handover and will assiduously work in this direction. It also supports the Presidential Transition Council and such other related bodies in the states. It will collaborate with them and sister security and law enforcement agencies to ensure seamless inaugurations on May 29, 2023. Consequently, the DSS strongly warns those organising to thwart democracy in the country to desist from their devious schemes and orchestrations. Stakeholders, notably judicial authorities, media and the civil society, are enjoined to be watchful and cautious to avoid being used as instruments to subvert peace and stability of the nation. While its monitoring continues, the DSS will not hesitate to take decisive and necessary legal steps against these misguided elements to frustrate their obnoxious intentions. The Federal Government has filed charges against First Bank of Nigeria Limited, its managing director and three others over allegations bordering on forgery. The charge sheet, marked CR/266/2023 before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, also includes two lawyers, Muftau Ande and Dibiaezue Chuks, as well as the Utako Branch Manager of First Bank, Abuja. READ ALSO: Court Dismisses Certificate Forgery Case Against Tinubu In the charge sheet filed by the Federal Ministry of Justice, the five defendants were accused, among other things, of forging a tripartite legal mortgage without the consent of the proprietor of Whiteplain British School, Mr Francis Chukwumah Nwufor, with intent to commit fraud. The defendants were also accused of dishonestly dispossessing Nwufor of his property using the forged tripartite legal mortgage. The prosecution claimed that the defendants had sometime in 2016, within the jurisdiction of the court, conspired to forge a tripartite legal mortgage without the consent of the proprietor of Whiteplain British School, Mr. Francis Chukwumah Nwufor, with the intent to commit fraud. In the first count, the defendants were charged with forgery and criminal conspiracy contrary to sections 96 and 363 of the Penal Code. Furthermore, the prosecution alleged that the defendants committed a criminal breach of trust contrary to Section 311 of the Penal Code and said they are liable to be punished under Section 312 of the same law. In the third count, the defendants were accused of dishonestly dispossessing Nwufor of his property while being entrusted with the tripartite legal mortgage. Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie adjourned till May 8 for arraignment after the prosecution lawyer, Ndidi Ezinwa-Ukoha, said all the defendants had yet to be served with the charge. Yabagi Sani, chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), has asked the Department of State Service (DSS) to name and apprehend those it said are behind plot to install an interim government in the country. The DSS had in a statement earlier on Wednesday said it discovered a plot by misguided political actors to set aside the constitution and install an interim government. But, reacting on Wednesday on Channels Television, Sani who said it is not enough for the DSS to announce a plot for interim government, charged them to go further and name the plotters as well as take action against them. To say the least, it is an embarrassment because I believe that the DSS, the agency that is in charge of gathering intelligence and then passing intelligence to other agencies, are supposed to take action. And I dont think it serves the purpose of this country for the DSS to come and make this pronouncement in the manner they are making it. READ ALSO: EFCC Arraigns Former ABU Vice-Chancellor, Bursar For N1bn Fraud What would have made sense to us is that so person is involved, so person has been arrested or is under interrogation or whatever action has been taken. Okay, what do we do as politicians or citizens of this country? We cant do nothing, Sani said during his appearance on the monitored programme. According to him, law enforcement agencies should not fail to demonstrate that nobody is above the law to serve as deterrent to others who might have other plans to scuttle democracy in the country. Yabagi, who was the presidential candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in the February 25 presidential election, added that democracy is too precious and must be protected by the security agencies. Look at what happened in the United States when (Donald) Trump wanted to interrupt the inauguration of (Joe) Biden, something happened, they took action. So, I believe as much as we commend the effort of the DSS, I think they should go beyond that because as citizens what can we do? he queried. The Labour Party has refuted claims by the United States wing of the All Progressives Congress that its Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, sponsored a peaceful protest in front of the White House. According to the Chief Spokesman for the LP Presidential Campaign Council, Dr. Yunusa Tanko said this in a telephone interview with Vanguard yesterday. He said, Let it be on record that our candidate, Mr. Peter Gregory Obi and his running mate, Dr. Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed do not have a record of sponsoring protests. READ MORE: We Wont Be Intimidated Into Submission LP Tasks DSS To Caution Bigots They didnt sponsor the peaceful protest in the US. That being said, it is a Democratic right of citizens to engage in peaceful protests because it is a part of the democratic culture in civilized societies such as the United States of America. It is also enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is strange that some of our fellow citizens see such demonstration of disagreement with a wrong done within our democracy, as a threat. Our candidate has made it clear to all of us within the party that the judicial process which we have submitted to as a party is the right course of action and that we must not lose focus -especially in the face of attempts by our opponents to distract us. Truck drivers at the nations seaports have threatened to shut down the Lagos State Port-Apapa and Tin-Can Island over the death of an assistant truck driver that was killed in the early hours of Wednesday. The incident reportedly happened at Total bridge inward Apapa when officers of the Nigeria Police and the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA), stopped the truck driver and assistant on the bridge and allegedly demanded N500 from the driver who refused. A driver, at the scene of the incident, Kolade Owoeye, speaking to Leadership said the refusal of the driver to part with the N500 from the Police and LASTMA officials resulted to serious altercation and led to the beating of the assistant until he fell from the articulated vehicle and was crushed to death by his truck. Owoeye, furthered that truck drivers have concluded plans to shut down all access points to ports and paralyse port operations until government removes all the extortion points along the port corridors. The administrative secretary, Association of Maritime Truck Owners of Nigeria (AMATO), Mohammed Sani, who confirmed the development, also said the traffic officers asked the truck drivers for money which they refused. READ ALSO: Fire Guts Olowu Spare Parts Market In Lagos [Video] Sani corroborated saying, Right now, the truck drivers and others are on top of the bridge, they blocked all access points to Apapa port and they said until they release the driver of the truck because Police have already detained the driver and other drivers are demanding for his release. Right now, the soldiers are on top of the bridge to free the road. We dont have security and traffic control men along the ports corridors. What we have are just bunch of extortion bandits hiding under the guise of providing security and traffic control, he said. Isiaq Rafiuayub, a truck driver who called for an end to brutality urged the federal government to remove extortion points from the port access road. We learnt that this morning Police and LASTMA who are to monitor traffic on Total bridge asked a truck driver for money and he refused to give them, they drag down his motor-boy and pushed him under the truck until the truck crushed the motor boy to death, he said. Every trucker must come out for protest, shut down the whole access roads leading into ports for one week until government remove all the extortion points from Alaka to Iganmu under-bridge. Also, from total bridge inward the port, we dont need extortion points there anymore. We need LASTMA to control the traffic situation. We need to shut down Coconut to Tin Can port until further notice. We want government to stop illegal extortion by Police and area-boys immediately, Rafiuayub lamented. The United States Department of State has disclosed that some fees on a non-immigrant visa (NIV) applications which include travel visas will be increased by 15 per cent. It said the fee for B-1/B-2 visitor visas, Border Crossing Cards for Mexican citizens aged 15 and above, and student and exchange visitor visas will increase from $160 to $185. Also, the fees for certain nonimmigrant visas for temporary workers (H, L, O, P, Q, and R categories) will increase from $190 to $205. READ ALSO: Elections: U.S. Threatens Visa Ban On Electoral Offenders Meanwhile, the fee for treaty trader, treaty investor, and treaty applicants in a specialty occupation (E category) will increase from $205 to $315. These increases were published in the Federal Register on March 28, 2023 and will be effective on May 30, 2023. NIV fees are set based on the actual cost of providing NIV services and are determined after conducting a study of the cost of these services. The Department uses an Activity-Based Costing methodology to calculate, annually, the cost of providing consular services, including visa services. The fees for most non-petition based NIVs were last updated in 2012, and certain other NIV fees were last updated in 2014. Other consular fees are not affected by this rule, including the waiver of the two-year residency required fee for certain exchange visitors. Visas for work and tourism are essential to President Bidens foreign policy, and we recognize the critical role international travel plays in the U.S. economy, the US Department said in a statement on Wednesday. Media personality Tolulope Oniru-Demuren, popularly known as Toolz, has disagreed with Faith Oyedepo, wife of Bishop David Oyedepo over her post on surviving a miscarriage with faith. Faith Oyedepo on Tuesday had talked about how she saw blood flowing while pregnant with her first son and how her husbands faith sustained the pregnancy. She said, I remember when I was pregnant with our first son, one day I saw blood flowing from me, and when my husband returned home. I told him that I had a miscarriage. Boldly, and without any hesitation. He said, You cant have a miscarriage!, and then asked to be served his meal. That statement activated the spirit of faith and the pregnancy was sustained. READ MORE: I Dont Like The Term Strong Woman Toolz Reacting to this, Toolz via her Twitter page advised young women not to take Faith Oyedepos counsel. She said Pls dont do this. If youre bleeding from a possible miscarriage go to hospital. Last thing you should be doing is making food for anyone. Toolz also stated on her page, Im so annoyed! Nigeria has one of the worst maternal mortality rates in the world, and someone is here saying ignore bleeding during pregnancy and enter kitchen. Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has told the states Governor elect, Dr. Alex Otti, that he is still the Governor of the state and asked him to wait until he takes over governance on May 29,2023. Ikpeazu made this known in a statement released by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Onyebuchi Ememanka, while reacting to alleged employment racketeering in the Abia State Civil Service ahead of the expiration of the tenure of the present government. The Governor elect had in a statement by his media aide, Mr. Ferdiand Ekeoma, accused the state government of employment racketeering in ministries and parastatals of the state with the employees issued with backdated letters. The statement added that this action is geared towards laying landmines for the incoming Labour Party government in the state. Confirmed reports backed by empirical evidence show that theres presently a bazaar of illegal employment going on in different ministries and parastatals, with all the so-called employees being issued with backdated employment letters. This action, which is geared towards laying a needless landmine for the in-coming government of Alex Otti, has shown how unpatriotic and selfish the perpetrators are. READ MORE: My Administration Will Foster Unity, Be Patient As We Implement Manifesto Alex Otti However, Ememanka, who said there is no form of employment racketeering in the state public service, further reminded the Governor elect that there is a sitting government in place with executive powers to run the affairs of the State. Assuming, though by no means conceding that the State government offered employment to Abians, what is illegal about it? Dr. Otti should take it easy. We understand that he has been trying to be Governor since 2015. His hurry is understandable but he must know that Dr Okezie Ikpeazu remains Governor of Abia State until midnight of 28th May, 2023. Within this period, the Governor is still enabled by all laws in this country to exercise the full powers of his office, including the power to grant employment waivers into the State workforce, if he so desires. What Dr Otti can do is to review such executive actions after he is sworn in on the 29th of May. Anything else from him at this time is of no effect whatsoever. Dr. Otti will have 4 full years at the first instance to exercise the powers of the Governor of Abia State, from 29th of May, 2023. He should wait for his time. Dr. Otti should also be reminded that every Governor Elect is a potential former Governor. At most and if God permits , he will spend 8 years in office and while still in office, his successor will be elected too. Apache Spark defined Apache Spark is a data processing framework that can quickly perform processing tasks on very large data sets, and can also distribute data processing tasks across multiple computers, either on its own or in tandem with other distributed computing tools. These two qualities are key to the worlds of big data and machine learning, which require the marshalling of massive computing power to crunch through large data stores. Spark also takes some of the programming burdens of these tasks off the shoulders of developers with an easy-to-use API that abstracts away much of the grunt work of distributed computing and big data processing. From its humble beginnings in the AMPLab at U.C. Berkeley in 2009, Apache Spark has become one of the key big data distributed processing frameworks in the world. Spark can be deployed in a variety of ways, provides native bindings for the Java, Scala, Python, and R programming languages, and supports SQL, streaming data, machine learning, and graph processing. Youll find it used by banks, telecommunications companies, games companies, governments, and all of the major tech giants such as Apple, IBM, Meta, and Microsoft. Spark RDD At the heart of Apache Spark is the concept of the Resilient Distributed Dataset (RDD), a programming abstraction that represents an immutable collection of objects that can be split across a computing cluster. Operations on the RDDs can also be split across the cluster and executed in a parallel batch process, leading to fast and scalable parallel processing. Apache Spark turns the users data processing commands into a Directed Acyclic Graph, or DAG. The DAG is Apache Sparks scheduling layer; it determines what tasks are executed on what nodes and in what sequence. RDDs can be created from simple text files, SQL databases, NoSQL stores (such as Cassandra and MongoDB), Amazon S3 buckets, and much more besides. Much of the Spark Core API is built on this RDD concept, enabling traditional map and reduce functionality, but also providing built-in support for joining data sets, filtering, sampling, and aggregation. Spark runs in a distributed fashion by combining a driver core process that splits a Spark application into tasks and distributes them among many executor processes that do the work. These executors can be scaled up and down as required for the applications needs. Spark SQL Spark SQL has become more and more important to the Apache Spark project. It is the interface most commonly used by todays developers when creating applications. Spark SQL is focused on the processing of structured data, using a dataframe approach borrowed from R and Python (in Pandas). But as the name suggests, Spark SQL also provides a SQL2003-compliant interface for querying data, bringing the power of Apache Spark to analysts as well as developers. Alongside standard SQL support, Spark SQL provides a standard interface for reading from and writing to other datastores including JSON, HDFS, Apache Hive, JDBC, Apache ORC, and Apache Parquet, all of which are supported out of the box. Other popular data storesApache Cassandra, MongoDB, Apache HBase, and many otherscan be used by pulling in separate connectors from the Spark Packages ecosystem. Spark SQL allows user-defined functions (UDFs) to be transparently used in SQL queries. Selecting some columns from a dataframe is as simple as this line of code: citiesDF.select(name, pop) Using the SQL interface, we register the dataframe as a temporary table, after which we can issue SQL queries against it: citiesDF.createOrReplaceTempView(cities) spark.sql(SELECT name, pop FROM cities) Behind the scenes, Apache Spark uses a query optimizer called Catalyst that examines data and queries in order to produce an efficient query plan for data locality and computation that will perform the required calculations across the cluster. Since Apache Spark 2.x, the Spark SQL interface of dataframes and datasets (essentially a typed dataframe that can be checked at compile time for correctness and take advantage of further memory and compute optimizations at run time) has been the recommended approach for development. The RDD interface is still available, but recommended only if your needs cannot be addressed within the Spark SQL paradigm (such as when you must work at a lower level to wring every last drop of performance out of the system). Spark MLlib and MLflow Apache Spark also bundles libraries for applying machine learning and graph analysis techniques to data at scale. MLlib includes a framework for creating machine learning pipelines, allowing for easy implementation of feature extraction, selections, and transformations on any structured dataset. MLlib comes with distributed implementations of clustering and classification algorithms such as k-means clustering and random forests that can be swapped in and out of custom pipelines with ease. Models can be trained by data scientists in Apache Spark using R or Python, saved using MLlib, and then imported into a Java-based or Scala-based pipeline for production use. An open source platform for managing the machine learning life cycle, MLflow is not technically part of the Apache Spark project, but it is likewise a product of Databricks and others in the Apache Spark community. The community has been working on integrating MLflow with Apache Spark to provide MLOps features like experiment tracking, model registries, packaging, and UDFs that can be easily imported for inference at Apache Spark scale and with traditional SQL statements. Structured Streaming Structured Streaming is a high-level API that allows developers to create infinite streaming dataframes and datasets. As of Spark 3.0, Structured Streaming is the recommended way of handling streaming data within Apache Spark, superseding the earlier Spark Streaming approach. Spark Streaming (now marked as a legacy component) was full of difficult pain points for developers, especially when dealing with event-time aggregations and late delivery of messages. All queries on structured streams go through the Catalyst query optimizer, and they can even be run in an interactive manner, allowing users to perform SQL queries against live streaming data. Support for late messages is provided by watermarking messages and three supported types of windowing techniques: tumbling windows, sliding windows, and variable-length time windows with sessions. In Spark 3.1 and later, you can treat streams as tables, and tables as streams. The ability to combine multiple streams with a wide range of SQL-like stream-to-stream joins creates powerful possibilities for ingestion and transformation. Heres a simple example of creating a table from a streaming source: val df = spark.readStream .format("rate") .option("rowsPerSecond", 20) .load() df.writeStream .option("checkpointLocation", "checkpointPath") .toTable("streamingTable") spark.read.table("myTable").show() Structured Streaming, by default, uses a micro-batching scheme of handling streaming data. But in Spark 2.3, the Apache Spark team added a low-latency Continuous Processing mode to Structured Streaming, allowing it to handle responses with impressive latencies as low as 1ms and making it much more competitive with rivals such as Apache Flink and Apache Beam. Continuous Processing restricts you to map-like and selection operations, and while it supports SQL queries against streams, it does not currently support SQL aggregations. In addition, although Spark 2.3 arrived in 2018, as of Spark 3.3.2 in March 2023, Continuous Processing is still marked as experimental. Structured Streaming is the future of streaming applications with the Apache Spark platform, so if youre building a new streaming application, you should use Structured Streaming. The legacy Spark Streaming APIs will continue to be supported, but the project recommends porting over to Structured Streaming, as the new method makes writing and maintaining streaming code a lot more bearable. Delta Lake Like MLflow, Delta Lake is technically a separate project from Apache Spark. Over the past couple of years, however, Delta Lake has become an integral part of the Spark ecosystem, forming the core of what Databricks calls the Lakehouse Architecture. Delta Lake augments cloud-based data lakes with ACID transactions, unified querying semantics for batch and stream processing, and schema enforcement, effectively eliminating the need for a separate data warehouse for BI users. Full audit history and scalability to handle exabytes of data are also part of the package. And using the Delta Lake format (built on top of Parquet files) within Apache Spark is as simple as using the delta format: df = spark.readStream.format("rate").load() stream = df .writeStream .format("delta") .option("checkpointLocation", "checkpointPath") .start("deltaTable") Pandas API on Spark The industry standard for data manipulation and analysis in Python is the Pandas library. With Apache Spark 3.2, a new API was provided that allows a large proportion of the Pandas API to be used transparently with Spark. Now data scientists can simply replace their imports with import pyspark.pandas as pd and be somewhat confident that their code will continue to work, and also take advantage of Apache Sparks multi-node execution. At the moment, around 80% of the Pandas API is covered, with a target of 90% coverage being aimed for in upcoming releases. Running Apache Spark At a fundamental level, an Apache Spark application consists of two main components: a driver, which converts the users code into multiple tasks that can be distributed across worker nodes, and executors, which run on those worker nodes and execute the tasks assigned to them. Some form of cluster manager is necessary to mediate between the two. Out of the box, Apache Spark can run in a stand-alone cluster mode that simply requires the Apache Spark framework and a Java Virtual Machine on each node in your cluster. However, its more likely youll want to take advantage of a more robust resource management or cluster management system to take care of allocating workers on demand for you. In the enterprise, this historically meant running on Hadoop YARN (YARN is how the Cloudera and Hortonworks distributions run Spark jobs), but as Hadoop has become less entrenched, more and more companies have turned toward deploying Apache Spark on Kubernetes. This has been reflected in the Apache Spark 3.x releases, which improve the integration with Kubernetes including the ability to define pod templates for drivers and executors and use custom schedulers such as Volcano. If you seek a managed solution, then Apache Spark offerings can be found on all of the big three clouds: Amazon EMR, Azure HDInsight, and Google Cloud Dataproc. Databricks Lakehouse Platform Databricks, the company that employs the creators of Apache Spark, has taken a different approach than many other companies founded on the open source products of the Big Data era. For many years, Databricks has offered a comprehensive managed cloud service that offers Apache Spark clusters, streaming support, integrated web-based notebook development, and proprietary optimized I/O performance over a standard Apache Spark distribution. This mixture of managed and professional services has turned Databricks into a behemoth in the Big Data arena, with a valuation estimated at $38 billion in 2021. The Databricks Lakehouse Platform is now available on all three major cloud providers and is becoming the de facto way that most people interact with Apache Spark. Apache Spark tutorials Ready to dive in and learn Apache Spark? We recommend starting with the Databricks learning portal, which will provide a good introduction to the framework, although it will be slightly biased towards the Databricks Platform. For diving deeper, wed suggest the Spark Workshop, which is a thorough tour of Apache Sparks features through a Scala lens. Some excellent books are available too. Spark: The Definitive Guide is a wonderful introduction written by two maintainers of Apache Spark. And High Performance Spark is an essential guide to processing data with Apache Spark at massive scales in a performant way. Happy learning! Google is developing a self-managed and downloadable version of its PostgreSQL-compatible AlloyDB fully managed database-as-a-service (DBaaS) in order to further help enterprises to modernize their legacy databases. It is now inviting applications for the private preview, it said Wednesday. Dubbed AlloyDB Omni, the new offering uses the same underlying engine as AlloyDB and can be downloaded and run on premises, at the edge, across clouds, or even on developer laptops, Andi Gutmans, general manager of databases at Google Cloud, wrote in a blog post. This means that enterprises using AlloyDB Omni will get AlloyDBs improved transactional processing performance and memory management compared with standard PostgreSQL, and an index advisor to optimize frequently run queries. The AlloyDB Omni index advisor helps alleviate the guesswork of tuning query performance by conducting a deep analysis of the different parts of a query including subqueries, joins, and filters, Gutmans said, adding that it periodically analyzes the database workload to identify queries that can benefit from indexes, and recommends new indexes that can increase query performance. In order to reduce latency for query results, Omni uses AlloyDBs columnar engine that keeps frequently queried data in an in-memory columnar format for faster scans, joins, and aggregations, the company said, adding that AlloyDB Omni uses machine learning to automatically organize data between row-based and columnar formats, convert the data when needed, and choose between columnar and row-based execution plans. This delivers excellent performance for a wide range of queries, with minimal management overhead, Gutmans said. How does AlloyDB Omni help enterprises? Self-managed AlloyDB Omni provides a pathway to modernize legacy databases on-premises before moving to the cloud, analysts said. Database migrations can be complex and costly, especially when combined with migration from on-premises infrastructure to cloud. AlloyDB Omni provides a pathway for organizations to modernize those workloads in-place by migrating to AlloyDB Omni on-premises, said Matt Aslett, research director at Ventana Research. This move can be seen as one step prior to a potential move to the AlloyDB managed service, or with a view to retaining the workloads in on-premises data centers or on edge infrastructure due to sovereignty or performance requirements, he added. According to Omdias Chief Analyst Bradley Shimmin and dbInsights Principal Analyst Tony Baer, AlloyDB Omni combines the best of open-source PostgreSQL and Google Clouds architecture, making it more appealing than rival services such as AWS Aurora for PostgreSQL and Microsofts CitiusDB, among others. Shimmin said that for larger customers or those looking to modernize and transform sizable, mission-critical databases, Sticking with an open-source solution like PostgreSQL can be limiting in terms of providing modern data architectures or features, especially in supporting multi or hybrid-deployment requirements. AlloyDB Omni could overcome those limitations, he said. For Baer, The appeal of AlloyDB Omni is that it is one of the few PostgreSQL implementations optimized for both scale and mixed transaction or analytic workloads that is not solely tethered to a specific hyperscaler. What is Googles strategy with AlloyDB Omni? Google plans to use AlloyDB Omni as another offering in its plan to gain more share in the PostgreSQL-led legacy database migration market at a time when PostgreSQL has seen rise in popularity, the analysts said. Shimmin noted that, For many customers, PostgreSQL is a relational lingua-franca and therefore a means of modernizing legacy databases by porting them to a cloud-native rendition on AWS, GCP or any other hyperscaler. According to data from relational databases knowledge platform db-engines.com, PostgreSQL has been steadily rising in popularity and is currently the fourth-most-popular RDBMS (relational database management system) and fourth-most-popular product cited among all databases in their rankings. Another reason for PostgreSQLs rise in popularity is that the database management system offers better transactional and analytical capabilities than MySQL along with other features such as extended support for spatial data, broader SQL support, enhanced security and governance, and expanded support for programming languages. Googles Gutmans said the company has received huge interest from customers for database modernization since the launch of AlloyDB. And according to Aslett, AlloyDB Omni builds on AlloyDBs momentum for Google to gain share in the PostgreSQL market. AlloyDB was launched to enable organizations to modernize applications with high-end performance and reliability requirements that have previously been deployed on-premises on enterprise operational databases including Oracle, IBM and Microsoft, as well as PostgreSQL, he said. By 2025, two-thirds of organizations will re-examine their current operational database suppliers with a view to improving fault tolerance and supporting the development of new intelligent operational applications, he added. According to a report from market research firm Gartner, the race to modernize databases is accelerating due to enterprises need to run analytics for business strategy and growth. How to access AlloyDB Omni? Google is currently offering the free developer version of AlloyDB Omni for non-production use, which can be downloaded on developers laptops. When its time to move an application to a production-ready environment, it will run unchanged on AlloyDB Omni in any environment, or on the AlloyDB for PostgreSQL service in Google Cloud, Gutmans said. If needed, you can use standard open-source PostgreSQL tools to migrate or replicate their data. You can also use standard open-source PostgreSQL tools for database operations like backup and replication, he added. Google said AlloyDB Omni supports existing PostgreSQL applications as it uses standard PostgreSQL drivers. In addition, the software provides compatibility with PostgreSQL extensions and configuration flags. Further, Google said that it will provide full enterprise support, including 24/7 technical support and software updates for security patches, features, when AlloyDB Omni is made generally available. Although Google hasnt yet set a date for that, enterprises can already get access to the technical preview of the offering by submitting a request to the search giant. Long known as Americas eco-composer, John Luther Adams goes to the depths of the Grand Canyon and into the Colorado River in his new piece, Vespers of the Blessed Earth, with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Crossing choir in tow. Performances start March 30 in Verizon Hall and will feature a warm bath of choral sound (to judge from the weekend rehearsals), while naming the rocks and their colors along the way: Redwall Limestone, deep red, brown, Temple Butte Limestone, purple, grey, Bright Angel Shale, green, tan, brown... The opening movement in a piece about the decline of Earth is succinct and earnest, covering 2 billion years of rock formation in less than 15 minutes. Its probably the most personal and overtly expressive music Ive ever composed, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Adams said by phone from New Mexico. I think its because I feel this so deeply for our fellow human beings on this beautiful planet. As much as the piece suggests a reverent requiem for the Earth as we now know it, the Vespers in the title is intentional. Adams who believes the practice of my art is the practice of my faith chose a genre with a less-formal, more open-ended tradition, and one that traditionally has prayers sung at nightfall as darkness descends. One of the five movements, Aria of the Ghost Bird, has a solo soprano vocalizing an unanswered mating call based on a field recording of the now-extinct Kauai Oo a long-beaked, dark blue bird that died out around 1987. No words. Just an elegy. Another movement, Litanies of the Sixth Extinction, lists 193 plants, birds, and animals that are headed toward extinction. When you just present names, theres a lot of space for the listener to go where they need to go or where the music takes them, said Crossing conductor Donald Nally. The piece was to have been led by orchestra music director Yannick Nezet-Seguin in a program with Stravinskys The Rite of Spring, both in Philadelphia and at Carnegie Hall. The conductor is sick, however, the orchestra announced Thursday, and now Nally will lead the Adams. Podium duties for the Stravinsky will be split between veteran conductor Marin Alsop and orchestra conducting fellow Austin Chanu. Advertisement Originally a child of rock and roll, the Mississippi-born Adams, now 70, spent formative years living in Alaska, from 1978 until 2014, the year he was awarded the Pulitzer for the orchestral work Become Ocean. Vespers is the third piece Adams has written for the Crossing. What is a first in this premiere is the collaboration between the Philadelphia Orchestra (which commissioned the piece) and the choral group. Crossing, which has commissioned some 160 pieces over its 18-year existence is venturing out of its Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill headquarters to perform with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the New York Philharmonic. The Crossing gravitates toward visionary composers. The choirs long association with New Yorks much-awarded Bang-on-a-Can composer collective includes the June 1-3 premiere of Julia Wolfes unEarth with the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center. Later this summer, the Crossing premieres a new work by Ted Hearne titled Farming that Nally describes as not being part of any previously-known genre June 22-25 at King Oaks Farm in Bucks County. The Philadelphia Orchestra performs Vespers of the Blessed Earth March 30 at 7:30 p.m., April 1 at 8 p.m. and April 2 at 2 p.m. Tickets: $22-$168. philorch.org, 215-893-1999. A still from Richard Kelly's "Southland Tales," playing at the Philadelphia Film Society as part of the Fluid Karma Tour, March 31-April 2. Read more Southland Tales is Richard Kellys lifework. When it premiered in competition, in an unfinished form, at 2006s Cannes Film Festival, the sprawling, sci-fi comedy was practically booed out of France. Recut for U.S. theaters and released a year later, it didnt fare much better. Set in an alternate America where nuclear attacks kicked off a Third World War, national lockdowns, and the expansion of the Patriot Act into a Big Brother-styled security state, Southland Tales plays like a two-and-a-half-hour Mad TV sketch penned by Philip K. Dick. Starring Dwayne Johnson, Seann William Scott, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Mandy Moore, Jon Lovitz, and Justin Timberlake, Southland Tales was and remains a total oddity. In the years since its initial flop(s), the film has amassed a dedicated cult. Fans puzzle over its hidden meanings and praise its directors vision of an America gripped by a form of clownish fascism. The Philadelphia Film Society is hosting the Fluid Karma Tour, a roving road show that includes the original theatrical cut, that rarely screened Cannes version, and Kellys debut, the apocalyptic teen angst dramedy Donnie Darko. Advertisement The Inquirer spoke to Kelly before his films weekend screening. This interview has been condensed and edited. Southland Tales has been called prescient or visionary. Do you feel like you had some sense of clairvoyance, about where America was headed after 9/11? Im constantly telling stories about the apocalypse. The last thing that I want is for our world to get worse or more chaotic. Im trying to find some sort of catharsis. I tried to find humor and levity in it. Its a way of therapy. I dont consider myself to be some kind of great student of history, in any way. I have a college degree, and Im constantly reading the news. But I dont see myself as being some incredibly articulate person, at all. This is all supposed to be funny! The cast is largely made up of comic actors. Were you commenting on how the Bush years were full of ludicrous, or just-not-very-smart, people in the political sphere? In this incredible kaleidoscope of people, the common denominator was they all had great comedy chops. They all owned pop culture property in our minds, and they were down to play. Making this crazy movie, I wanted every actor to want to be there. There were several actors that I met with who were just clearly like, I just dont think Im going to RSVP to that party. Thats totally fine. Director Oliver Stone turned down a role. How did he shape your work? Oliver was a really formative influence for me. Platoon was the first R-rated movie I snuck into. I wanted him to play the arms dealer in the ice cream truck, a role which ended up going to Christopher Lambert. Oliver was very flattered. I think he was amused. But I think it just wasnt a risk he felt comfortable taking. But the fact that I got to intern for him, and we became friends, it was like an out-of-body experience for me. A lot of people criticize Southland Tales as incoherent. Were you trying to convey the feeling of being overwhelmed by images, and not knowing as a viewer, as a person alive in the world what to grasp onto? There was a deliberate design strategy to have lots of screens. The camera is often pointed at a TV screen, and were seeing information play out on screens within screens. That was part of the structure of the narrative, where everyone is surveilling everyone. This was before Snowden. But there was a strong suspicion that with the Patriot Act, and all the legislation that happened after 9/11, that we were living in a surveillance state that we werent quite aware of yet. The aesthetic is tied to that surveillance. Considering how critical of America the film is, does it feel appropriate to kick off the tour in Philadelphia, the very birthplace of America itself? All the criticism comes from affection. You have to be careful these days. If you express a feeling of patriotism, it can be misconstrued as something negative. But I think part of being a responsible artist is that you have to be critical of your home team. I believe in satire that has more of an optimistic feeling to it. And for all the doom and gloom in Southland Tales, I feel like it is an optimistic film in the end. The Fluid Karma Tour plays March 31-April 2 at the Philadelphia Film Center, 1412 Chestnut St., Phila. filmadelphia.org/nowshowing/ Foreground with arms folded is Evan Ehlers, founder of Sharing Excess. Sharing Excess, a food-rescue organization launched by a rising Drexel senior in 2018, has set up shop in the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market, which sees about $1.5 billion worth of produce move through its gigantic warehouse in a year. Some of that produce, for one reason or another, goes to waste. Read more Philly food rescue startup Sharing Excess has redistributed 16 million pounds of food in five years, providing the equivalent of 12.5 million free meals to whoever needs them. Thats been a boon not only for hungry families but also regional food banks and food-insecurity organizations like Philabundance and Share Food Program, who partner with the nonprofit. Now, Sharing Excess is getting support from another Philly organization, Pew Charitable Trusts. Pew is giving Sharing Excess $250,000 over two years so it can increase its capacity to rescue and redistribute from 13 million pounds annually to more than 20 million pounds of food. The funds will allow Sharing Excess to expand its footprint, and make key hires in sourcing, fundraising, and technology development. [We] really felt this was an important topic given the end of COVID-era benefits like the SNAP emergency allotment, said Pew project director Kristin Romens. We thought it was a good time to support an innovative and scalable potential solution to food insecurity. While its easy to find food banks in need of food, establishing partnerships with donors requires more strategy, said founder Evan Ehlers. Its often a long-term approach. We have to work through a lot of different people in a ladder and well often do pilots, he said. You almost need somebody like a salesperson to go and find all that food. Advertisement Sharing Excess has proven its ability to develop these kind of relationships. In July 2021 it set up shop inside the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market, where it continues to operate, rescuing and redistributing well over 6 million pounds of perfectly good produce in a little more than a year. It also gave out roughly 380,000 avocados in FDR Park last year in a widely covered event dubbed Avogeddon thanks to a partnership with the Farmlink Project, a California-based nonprofit. The team has also partnered with Uber and WARP, a logistics company that is facilitating their work with Trader Joes stores outside of Baltimore and Washington. The invite-only Pew grant is the largest Sharing Excess has received in its five-year existence. Part of it will go toward hiring someone to help the nonprofit secure more funding, with a split focus between grant writing and individualized fundraising. We really want to find someone that already has the established network to be able to tell our story ... maybe in the same way that they they have fundraised for other large food banks in the past, Ehlers said. The final aspect of the grant will allow Sharing Excess to hire a technology director who can round out its open-source food-rescue app. Currently, the app encompasses a database of Sharing Excess partners, routing software for pickups and deliveries, and analytics to track the food its received and redistributed. In the future, the team hopes to add functionalities for food businesses and food banks alike, creating a single, streamlined food-rescue platform. This can enable other nonprofits specifically focused on food rescue to have their own networks and start functioning in the way that we have, Ehlers said. And it would be totally free. Sharing Excess started small in 2018, when Ehlers launched the nonprofit as rising senior at Drexel University. While he initially donated surplus meal swipes to anyone in need, he soon expanded the organizations mission to picking up surplus food from the likes of Trader Joes and Saxbys. It grew exponentially during the pandemic and even more so after it established a presence in the Wholesale Produce Market, where it has diverted more than 50% of the markets waste from the landfill. That was another part of the appeal to Pew, Romens said. Theyre sort of combining the environmental impact of food waste. The huge impact that redistributing perfectly usable, healthy food has in our city is really exciting for us. A Burlington County man has been charged with murder for allegedly strangling his wife and then calling 911 to tell police she took a nap and did not awaken. Babu Natarajan, 40, of Medford, killed his wife, Angammal Babu, 41, in the couples Regent Court home on March 21, the Burlington County Prosecutors Office said in a statement Thursday. He was taken into custody Wednesday and is being held in the Burlington County Jail pending a detention hearing. Medford Township police officers were called to the couples Medford home for a report of an unconscious and unresponsive woman, authorities said. Officers found Babus body in the upstairs master bedroom. An autopsy revealed that her cause of death was compression to the neck, authorities said, and her death was ruled a homicide. The couple have two children, a spokesperson for the Prosecutors Office said, but their ages were not available. Natarajan worked from home, authorities said, but it was not clear what kind of work he did or whether his wife was employed. Superintendent Abram Lucabaugh and Board President Dana Hunter listen to unhappy members of the public before the board passed a library policy in July 2022 prohibiting "sexualized content" in library books. Read more Responding to the chaos surrounding his district as it faces allegations of anti-LGBTQ bias, and backlash over its bans on teacher advocacy and content in library books, Central Bucks Superintendent Abram Lucabaugh called on community members Tuesday to see one another as fellow human beings and model civil behavior for students. I am asking for your support to restore what has been eroded, Lucabaugh wrote in a message to the district community. Disagreeing shouldnt equate to disdain for those who think or live differently, he said. Rather than fighting to normalize our own perspectives, we need a hard reset and focus on providing all students with the knowledge and competencies they will need to solve the mounting issues plaguing society. Its not the first time Lucabaugh, who was appointed as superintendent in September 2021, has sent out a community-wide missive to discuss the climate around school board issues. Last May, he and board president Dana Hunter said that conversation about the district had been rife with untruths, conjecture, and incomplete information, all of which is becoming untenable. Advertisement Central Bucks has been at the center of intense debate since the pandemic. In the aftermath of a heated election that cemented the boards Republican majority, arguments over masking have been replaced by controversies over the districts treatment of LGBTQ students and new rules outlawing sexualized content in library books and barring teachers from advocating political, partisan, or social policy issues in classrooms. A federal complaint filed in October by the American Civil Liberties Union accused the district of creating a hostile environment for LGBTQ students, including by ordering the removal of Pride flags from classrooms; proposing changes to library policies after community criticism surrounding LGBTQ-themed books; and requiring teachers to call students by their names and pronouns in the districts database, unless students had parental permission for changes. The district hired a team from the Duane Morris law firm helmed by former U.S. Attorney Bill McSwain to address the allegations. A district administrator said last week she expects the firm to bill more than $1 million. A public relations firm also hired last year, Devine+Partners, billed a reported $144,000 before cutting ties with the district last month due to targeted harassment from community members, according to the district. Lucabaugh who drew criticism last year for likening Pride flags to political symbols said Tuesday that the rhetoric that we are anti-LGBTQ, that we create hostile environments for marginalized students, and that we dont value and support all kids is incredibly discouraging to the thousands of employees in this district, and even more so for the 18,000 students they serve. While Lucabaugh said he has been asked to call out injustice or risk being on the wrong side of history, doing that only furthers the rhetoric that CBSD is a breeding ground for injustice, intolerance, and fear, which we are not. Instead, he called for encouraging students to learn how to engage in conversation rather than pushing one specific worldview, and teaching them that variance in opinion doesnt have to result in cancellation. We need to abandon all the political and social ideology in favor of a rigorous and robust high-quality education that gives every child in our district a solid foundation for life, he said. Lucabaugh also shared myths and facts about the policies that have garnered controversy saying, for instance, it was a myth that the districts library policy bans books. Instead, it requires books to be free of sexually explicit content and graphic depictions of explicit sexual content. Since the adoption of rules implementing the policy, more than 60 books have been challenged, according to district employees. Before community members had filed any challenges, Lucabaugh said in January that the district had already decided to review five books due to its responsibility to guard against the sexualization of children. The scene at the Girard Court Apartments in the citys Sharswood section on Wednesday after a deputy landlord-tenant officer shot a woman in the head while trying to enforce an eviction. Read more State lawmakers from Philadelphia are proposing to ban private firms from enforcing evictions after a security contractor shot a 35-year-old woman during an attempted lockout Wednesday. The move comes after a shooting that has brought Philadelphias unusual eviction system into the spotlight. While most jurisdictions deploy sworn law enforcement personnel, such as sheriff deputies, to enforce evictions, Philadelphia outsources much of that work to a private, for-profit law firm, known as a Landlord-Tenant Officer. This firm in turn contracts out the work of serving court notices and performing tenant lockouts to armed security guards, known as deputy landlord-tenant officers. That unique arrangement would be banned under legislation State Sens. Nikil Saval and Sharif Street plan to introduce. A bill the Philadelphia Democrats plan to introduce next month would amend state codes to clarify that courts across Pennsylvania cannot empower private companies or individuals to perform evictions, according to a statement. Advertisement Saval pointed to the lack of oversight for Philadelphias privately run Landlord-Tenant Office. When things like this happen, there is no accountability, he said. We should not have the matter of removing someone from their home which is a fraught, tense, destabilizing experience we need public oversight over it. Police officials said the deputy landlord-tenant officer arrived at the Girard Court Apartments, in North Philadelphia, around 9 a.m. Wednesday to serve an eviction writ to a couple who had lost a landlord-tenant dispute. Officials indicated the deputy became involved in an altercation with the two tenants, allegedly involving a knife, and discharged his firearm, striking a female tenant in the head. She was hospitalized in critical condition but has since been upgraded to stable, police said Thursday. The identity of the firing officer remains shielded while the Philadelphia Police Department investigates the incident as an officer-involved shooting, even though deputies are not sworn law enforcement personnel. And, unlike a typical officer-involved shooting in which the Police Department identifies the officer within 72 hours it has no responsibility to release a name in this case. The department said it would release the name if the shooter is criminally charged. Jason Hendershot, a lieutenant in the Philadelphia Police Departments officer-involved shooting unit, said this investigation is the first hes conducted involving a deputy landlord-tenant officer. His unit responded to the scene Wednesday believing they were investigating a sheriffs deputy, highlighting ongoing confusion over Philadelphias practice of hiring privatized security personnel to enforce lockouts in addition to deputies. Deputy landlord-tenant officers are equipped with body-worn cameras. Hendershot said investigators would turn over their findings to the District Attorneys Office. District Attorney Larry Krasners office offered no further comment. What began as an $8,000 dispute over back rent in 2021 dissolved into an agreement last May between the tenants and the landlord in which no money would be owed if the tenants moved out and the landlord made necessary repairs to the unit. A judge in February denied the couples appeal to further delay their move-out date. The eviction case was one of dozens at Girard Court Apartments in recent years. The complex is owned by Odin Properties, which is among Philadelphias largest landlords. Owned by developer Philip Balderston and based in Philadelphia, its website advertises a full portfolio that encompasses some 10,000 apartments and 200,000 square feet of commercial space in 14 U.S. States. But a 2020 report from progressive advocacy group One PA also identified Odin as among the highest evictors in Philadelphia, having brought 470 eviction cases to Municipal Court in 2019. Since the start of 2022, office addresses associated with Odin have appeared in at least another 727 different landlord tenant filings in Municipal Court. A typical month in Philadelphia sees between 1,500 and 2,000 eviction filings, according to the Eviction Lab at Princeton University, a figure that does not include illegal evictions. A spokesperson from the Department of Licenses and Inspections said building inspectors issued several violations to the Girard Court complex during a January inspection that stemmed from complaints about nonfunctional fire alarms. That case is still listed as unresolved. An attorney for Odin did not return multiple phone calls. Marisa Shuter, the attorney appointed to serve as the citys landlord-tenant officer, has stayed mum since the incident. Saval said her silence around the shooting also made clear that the office does not meet government accountability standards along with its failure to publicize its training requirements, staff lists, or use-of-force guidelines. Mathieu Shapiro, an attorney for Shuter, said Thursday she had no plans to publicly discuss the incident. Given that this is a matter under investigation, we do not think that it is appropriate to make Ms. Shuter available for an interview, he said. Meanwhile, residents of the Girard Court Apartments expressed concern and outrage over their neighbors hospitalization. Basheba Ahmed, who overheard the commotion Wednesday from his window in a nearby unit, said he worried about how future lockouts at the complex could unfold. She was shot during an eviction, Ahmed said. Wheres the civility in that? New Jersey State Police are investigating a trooper after photos of him that circulated following his disappearance from a medical center in Delaware County showed tattoos that may have ties to white supremacy. Detective Jason Dare was found March 24, five days after leaving a Media medical facility, NJ.com reports. When he went missing, authorities launched a dayslong search that included photos posted to social media showing Dare. In one photo, a tattoo on Dares lower neck reading Blood Honor can be seen. The slogan Blood & Honour was used by the Hitler youth, and is associated with a number of white supremacist groups, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League. The British spelling of the word honor is typically used, and the ampersand is often replaced with a triskele symbol. Internet users also began combing through Dares now-private social media accounts after the photo of his tattoo spread, saying they found photos of iron cross tattoos on his wrists and the head of a pit bull on his chest, NJ.com reports. The pit bull symbol is associated with Keystone United, a Pennsylvania-based racist skinhead group that is one of the largest and most active in the country, according to SPLC. State police have since deleted a number of social media posts showing photos of Dare. It was not immediately clear why the posts were deleted. Advertisement Col. Patrick Callahan, superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, said in a statement that he was aware of the concerns regarding tattoos on Dares body, and that an internal investigation is looking into the matter. The investigation is being conducted by unspecified law enforcement partners, and Dare is on administrative leave. There is no room for hate, prejudicial rhetoric, or divisive behavior in our organization, an organization that was built on our core values of honor, duty, and fidelity, Callahan said in a statement. We live and work in a very diverse state and our law enforcement community should reflect that as well. Dare, 46, of Cumberland County, has been with the state police since 2004, Callahan said. When he went missing, authorities provided few details about why he was in a Pennsylvania medical facility, but said that they had reason to believe he was at risk of harm, 6abc reports. He went missing near the Penn State Brandywine campus, and was found days later in the Middletown Township area. According to the New Jersey State Polices recruitment materials online, the organization does not allow applicants to have tattoos or other forms of body art on their face, head, neck, scalp, hands, or any part of the exposed body. Additionally, policy states that tattoos cannot be prejudicial to good order, discipline, or [cause] a discredit to the trooper or agency. In 2016, the Philadelphia Police Department became embroiled in a similar controversy after photos of an on-duty officer with a tattoo of a spread-winged eagle under the word Fatherland circulated online. That officer, Ian Lichterman, was later cleared of wrongdoing following an internal investigation and left the force in 2018. Following that incident, Philadelphia police implemented a policy requiring officers to cover up offensive tattoos. I understand the importance of transparency and trust between law enforcement and the community, which is why we have enlisted the assistance of our law enforcement partners to conduct a thorough investigation, Callahan said. We want the communities we serve to be our partners and I stand united with them as well as the troopers and other law enforcement professionals who work tirelessly to dedicate themselves to strengthening these relationships. Rubble at the site of the R.M. Palmer chocolate factory in West Reading, Pa. on March 27, 2023. On Friday, an explosion at the factory left seven people dead. Read more The Berks County Coroners Office on Wednesday released the names of the remaining victims of the explosion at the R.M. Palmer chocolate factory in West Reading that killed seven people. The remaining five were identified as: Xiorky D. Nunez, 30, of Reading; Susan H. Halvonik, 63, of Upper Providence Township; Michael D. Breedy, 62, of Marion Township; Diana M. Cedeno, 44, of Reading; and Judith Lopez-Moran, 55, of Reading. On Monday, the coroners office identified Amy S. Sandoe, 49, of Ephrata, and Domingo Cruz, 60, of Reading, as the two other people killed on Friday in the massive blast at the factory about 60 miles northwest of Philadelphia. Ten people were hospitalized and several nearby buildings were damaged. The coroners office said forensic medical examinations are continuing to determine the cause and manner of death for all the victims. The National Transportation Safety Board announced late Tuesday afternoon that it had launched a probe, calling the incident a natural gas explosion and fire. The agency has preliminary information from local authorities and a natural gas utility that a gas pipeline was involved, an agency spokesperson, Keith Holloway, told the Associated Press. The NTSB is investigating what caused, how and why the explosion occurred, Holloway told the wire service. Advertisement Other local, state, and federal investigations are ongoing. Some workers told relatives they smelled natural gas before the blast, although the gas utility UGI said it received no reports of a gas leak. UGI is cooperating with authorities in the investigation concerning the incident at R.M. Palmer, utility spokesperson Joe Swope told the Associated Press. ABC News on Wednesday reported that a woman who lives next to the factory filed a lawsuit against the company, accusing R.M. Palmer of negligence that led to the fatal explosion. Betty Wright claimed she was home at the time of the explosion and was lifted from her feet and blown across the room causing severe and permanent injuries, according to the lawsuit. Wright is asking for damages in excess of $50,000, according to the suit. The company could not be reached Wednesday evening for comment on the lawsuit. On Saturday, R.M. Palmer said in a statement posted on social media that the companys owners have always viewed our employees as family, and are focused now more than ever on providing any support we can to you and the families of employees directly affected by this tragedy. As of Tuesday, the Berks County Community Foundation said it had raised nearly $330,000 for a disaster recovery fund to provide assistance to families of the victims and for other related needs. Philadelphians across the city are frustrated with city leaders and concerned for their families futures and some are fearful for their lives. A newly released poll shows that two-thirds of city residents think Philadelphia is pretty seriously off on the wrong track. Interviews with a dozen respondents showed the personal struggles behind those short answers: A young mother in Grays Ferry feels unsafe going in and out of her house at night. A father in Germantown sends his kids to private school outside of the city, frustrated by the education options nearby. A retiree in University City no longer shops in Center City because she doesnt feel safe on public transit anymore. Dissatisfied residents span all ages, races, neighborhoods and incomes, according to the survey from the Lenfest Institute and SSRS. Its against that backdrop of discontent that the city will elect a new mayor and slate of City Council members, who could together dramatically reshape how the city is led and what gets prioritized. I want to think bold leadership can change some of this, said Anika Benson, 48, who lives in Germantown and took the survey. But its a mess. Advertisement READ MORE: What Philly residents said about the biggest issues facing the city in a new poll People have become more and more negative in their outlook both in urban areas and nationally, polls show. In Philadelphia, theres been a steep decline in how residents view their citys overall health. In 2019, only 37% of residents said that they believed that the city was headed in the wrong direction. This time around, 65% gave that response, an increase surely impacted by the pandemics strain on the economy, schools and government resources, and a spike in gun violence. People are more optimistic about their own lives than the city overall. A slight majority 55% of Philadelphians still say the city is a good or excellent place to live. But that group of respondents is whiter and wealthier than the city average overall. Only half of respondents who were Black or Latino, or who were making less than $50,000 a year rated the city as excellent or good. There was also a stark racial disparity in who is impacted by gun violence, with Black respondents twice as likely as white ones to report gun violence having a major negative impact on their lives. Residents rank crime their top priority Crime was overwhelmingly the top concern for respondents, as it has been in similar city surveys over the last few years, as gun violence has risen throughout the country. Nearly 90% of respondents listed it as their top priority. I dont feel safe, said Shamiera Lamar, a 27-year-old mother of two who lives in Grays Ferry and participated in the survey. Its scary actually just to even come outside. You never know if youre gonna catch a stray bullet or a cars gonna come ripping down the street or youre gonna get robbed. Lamar works as a home health aide and an Uber driver to support herself and her kids, who are 8 and 2. Its my hometown. I dont want to leave but I kinda feel like Im being forced to in order for my children to have a happy and healthy life. Bernie Couillard is 40 years older than Lamar, retired and childless, but he described the city similarly. Dismal, the Mayfair resident said. From the time that I moved to Philadelphia in 2003 to now Ive seen a progressively deteriorating city. Couillard says his assessment is based mostly on the cumulative impact of news reports, not direct experience with violence. He hasnt been to Center City consistently one of the areas of the city with the fewest violent crimes in nearly eight years. I avoid it like the plague, Couillard said. The last thing I need at 69 years old is some fool coming at me with a gun in Center City. Ben Cotter, of South Philly, similarly hasnt been a victim of crime but credits his neighborhood for that. Hes still deeply concerned about it. My little pocket of South Philly is phenomenal and thats why weve chosen to stay here, said Cotter, a husband and father of a 2-year-old. But then I have other friends who lived up by South Street, who lived in North Philly, its been that neighborhood thats gotten them to leave. Women were slightly more likely than men to say the city was on the wrong track. People who said they have heard gunshots in their neighborhood an astounding two out of three respondents were also more likely to view the citys direction negatively. My whole outlook is you could basically say Philadelphia is hell on earth, said Zuleyka Torres, 27, who lives in Olney and frequently hears gunshots nearby. Thats how bad it is. And the only reason I stick around is because my mom stays here. Gayle Taylor, 69, is a lifelong resident, like Torres, who also has dreams of moving. Im just too stressed here in Philly because I pay close attention, said Taylor, who has owned her home in University City for 25 years. It really upsets me that not just the city, the country is going in the wrong direction. Philadelphia is a beautiful city, or it could be but the filth and the crime its unacceptable. Public schools also a worry Frustrations with Philadelphia schools abound, particularly among residents with children. One of my biggest issues with this city is as a taxpaying citizen I am not able to send my child to a public school, said Terrell Madison, 44, of East Germantown. His four children have attended private school in Montgomery County. I live a half-mile from Chestnut Hill and all the schools and all their streets are well taken care of, Madison said. Its the same city. Madison, who grew up in Germantown, also lamented the state of recreation centers, which he said look the same way they did when he was growing up. The survey found that 52% of people thought improving parks and recreation centers was a top priority; 39% said it was important but a lower priority. Lan Nguyen, 30, of Eastwick, has worked for the last year trying to get the city and school district to fix up Suffolk Park, one of the few large green spaces in the commercial neighborhood. Its really in horrible condition, she said. Its 11 acres and I think theres one trash can. Some parents lamented the distance their children have to travel to school and fears of safety getting back and forth. Benson, 48, hates seeing shuttered schools she once attended: Germantown High and Fulton Elementary. Why are we dumping all this money into apartments but not dumping money into our education system? Benson asked. Blythe McCormack has lived in Roxborough for 17 years. Her daughter is in eighth grade at Masterman but wasnt picked in the lottery to continue onto high school. McCormack said she and her husband will pay for private school, a financial burden compounded by a huge increase in their property taxes following a recent reassessment. Its frustrating feeling like were paying more and were getting less. Torres of Olney, has home schooled her children since the start of the pandemic. She is disabled, with limited use of her right leg, which makes walking them to and from school impossible. A loss of community The combined stresses of crime and the more insular world created by the pandemic have left some residents feeling isolated. Your neighbor wont even speak to you, said Lamar of Grays Ferry. Youre on your own out here. Others said their neighbors are why they stay. Jacquelyn Westermark, 28, lives in Roxborough with her partner and their dog. She was among the one-third of respondents who said she thinks Philadelphia is overall on the right track and she called the city an excellent place to be for young professionals. I love Philadelphia, she said. Its a beautiful city. I love the people. I love the culture. It has a lot of potential and Id love to see that invested in more. Candidates running for office are already starting to campaign on the issues covered in the poll. Most residents interviewed said theyre eager to hear concrete plans. But many were also skeptical. They always make these promises when theyre running for office but when they do get these positions, nothing is getting done, said Torres, of Olney. I feel like we ...cant turn to them for help for anything. The Philadelphia skyline. Newly released census estimates say Philly lost more than 22,000 residents between July 2021 and July 2022, the largest one-year decline since 1990. Read more In Philadelphia, its feeling a bit like 2014 at least when it comes to the population count. Thats the last time the city had about 1.57 million residents. Newly released census estimates say Philly lost more than 22,000 residents between July 2021 and July 2022, a 1.4% drop and the largest one-year decline since 1977, which saw a loss of about 23,800. The drop is the second in a row, after more than a decade of growth for the city, which peaked at 1.6 million residents in 2020. Between 2020 and 2022, its estimated the city lost more than 33,000 residents. Various factors have been blamed for the drop, mainly the COVID-19 pandemic, but experts say Philadelphia isnt on its way to becoming a ghost town, and suggest not panicking over short-term data. Advertisement One year change is not going to be a major impact, its the trend over time, said Katie Martin, project director at Pew Charitable Trusts Philadelphia research and policy initiative. We just have too few years of data at this point to say that this is a definitive trend. Still, the data, which may be adjusted, can be a preview of potential trends, which could affect tax revenues and federal funding. Here are some takeaways from this years release: Its feeling like 2014 The U.S. Census Bureaus 12-month snapshot considers births, deaths, and the number of people moving in and out of counties to track population changes. In Philadelphia, deaths remain slightly higher than they were before COVID-19 struck in 2020 and births have not quite rebounded to their pre-pandemic numbers. Still, births in the periods ending July 2021 and 2022 outnumbered deaths by more than 2,000, leaving the city at a net positive. Domestic migration, meanwhile, continued to drive the citys population loss. International migration in the period ending July 2022 had a net increase of about 5,000 people from the previous year, slowly rebounding from Trump-era immigration policies. Martin said Philadelphias decade of growth was largely driven by foreign-born residents coming to the city. Meanwhile, among people relocating domestically in the year ending July 2022, an estimated 32,500 more people moved out of Philadelphia than in, almost double the domestic migration loss from 2021. The influx of immigrants couldnt offset the net loss in domestic movers, so the city saw a net loss of about 25,000 people because of international and domestic migration. Why people left Much has been written about the demographic shifts since the pandemic transformed the way we live and work. In the period ending July 2021, large metro areas losses turned into gains for counties that could offer sprawling green space. This time, census numbers found the growth of smaller counties that benefited from the urban departures slowed. Larger counties that reported negative net domestic migration in 2021 saw smaller losses or their fortunes slightly turn. New York County, which is home to Manhattan, went from a domestic migration loss of 98,000 people in 2021 to a gain of about 2,900 in this years estimates. Atenea Rosado, 32, said her move from West Mount Airy to New York Citys Washington Heights neighborhood in January 2022 was pandemic-inspired, though she didnt exactly go in search of literal greener pastures as many did at the peak of shutdowns. But lockdowns did make Rosado rethink her relationship with family and friends. Philly was close to New York City, until it wasnt. Moving to New York City was not the most financially reasonable thing to do, but it was the most emotionally sound choice, said Rosado. I now can see them whenever I want. The changing demographics of her neighborhood also inspired her move. Rosado, who is Latina and Jewish, said the original promise of a diverse and integrated neighborhood was falling short as she saw Black neighbors getting displaced. When looking for a place to relocate, she intentionally chose where her identities could thrive. For Marc Siry, 55, the move from Mount Airy to Madrid, Spain, in July 2021 came from a desire to be adventurous and create distance between his family and some uniquely American problems. Here it kind of feels like the pressure is off from the sort of U.S.-based anxiety that comes from the triple threat of health care, housing costs, and gun violence, he said. Philadelphia, while it was a respite from some of that, was not immune to those issues. Others told The Inquirer they moved because of the direction they saw the city heading, which echoes a sentiment described by many residents who seek a change in energy when a new mayor takes office. Experts say dont panic But these population numbers are estimates that are subject to adjustments. The truth of this dataset is kind of deceiving, said Ben Gruswitz, who uses these type of data for socioeconomic and land-use analytics at the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. Everyone wants to talk about the latest year possible, but the latest year possible is the most inaccurate for what the estimate is telling you, Gruswitz said. When population estimates were released for the year ending July 2021, it was initially reported that the city lost close to 25,000 residents, all factors considered. A year later, that number has been adjusted to just over 11,000 residents. So its possible that this years numbers could also change. Philly wasnt the only local county to see a population decline, according to the new data. Bucks and Delaware Counties each saw small net drops in residents, while others saw at least some population gains. Across Pennsylvania, Philadelphia is far from having the biggest pandemic losses, which mainly have played out in western counties. Some counties have seen larger percentage decreases in population between 2020 and 2022, compared with Phillys 2.1% drop. Based on current estimates, Philadelphia was one of the 10 U.S. counties with the largest population declines for the year ending July 2022, along with Los Angeles County and Cook County, Ill.. This is where Gruswitz reminds Philadelphians not to fret. Theres a lot, a lot of people choosing Philly, Gruswitz said. It just happens to be that theres a slightly more amount of people that are also deciding Philly is not for me right now. The scene at the Girard Court Apartments in the citys Sharswood section on Wednesday after a landlord-tenant officer shot a woman in the head while trying to enforce an eviction. Read more A Philadelphia deputy landlord-tenant officer shot a woman in the head while trying to enforce an eviction Wednesday morning, drawing a rebuke from housing advocates and raising alarm over the court systems use of a deputized security force to eject renters. The incident took place inside the Girard Court Apartments in Sharswood shortly after 9 a.m. Lt. Jason Hendershot, of the Police Departments officer-involved-shooting unit, said the woman was at home with her husband in their first-floor apartment when the landlord-tenant deputy arrived in plain clothes to serve a court-ordered eviction. READ MORE: Explaining deputy landlord-tenant officers, who carry out evictions in Philly A struggle ensued in the hallway, allegedly involving a knife, he said. The deputy discharged a weapon and struck the 35-year-old woman, who was taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in critical condition. It was not immediately clear if the woman, whose name has not been released by authorities, was holding the knife. Advertisement Hendershot said the deputy appeared to have a head injury, though it was unclear if he required medical treatment. Court records show the landlord alleged more than $8,000 in unpaid rent, but ultimately reached an agreement with the tenants last May that no money was owed, the tenants would move out by January, and the landlord would make necessary repairs. The tenants sought to postpone their eviction in October, alleging the landlord had failed to fix the property as promised. A judge denied their petition last month. Officials have not released the name of the deputy landlord-tenant officer and details on the timeline leading up to the shooting remained hazy. Despite their name, deputy landlord-tenant officers are not sworn law enforcement personnel. Unlike other jurisdictions, Philadelphia courts rely on a private attorney, appointed by Municipal Courts president judge and known as a landlord-tenant officer, to execute evictions. This attorney deputizes private security contractors to perform on-site lockouts in exchange for the right to collect millions in related eviction fees. The shooting marks the first in recent memory involving one of these deputies but raises questions about oversight and training of a for-profit agent acting on behalf of the court system to serve writs and lockout orders brought against tenants. A spokesperson for the First Judicial District referred questions to attorney Marisa Shuter, the private attorney currently acting as the courts landlord-tenant officer. Neither Shuter nor her attorney returned phone calls. Hendershot said police were investigating the incident like any shooting involving law enforcement officers. The writ server did not provide a statement to the police. [He has] the right to remain silent, just like all of us do, Hendershot said. The shooting rattled a typically quiet apartment complex, tucked behind the bucolic Girard College campus. Neighbors said they heard a burst of gunshots before police officers swept through the redbrick complex, telling residents to stay indoors. Jennifer Rivera said her heart broke when she saw her neighbor being carried out of the building conscious and holding a piece of cloth to her head. Rivera knew the victim casually from chatting in the hallway. Shes a sweetheart, Rivera said. She didnt deserve that. No one does. Evictions are not uncommon at Girard Court. Court records show building owners initiated at least three eviction claims against tenants this year, after at least 20 cases last year. The listed attorney for Girard Court could not immediately be reached for comment. Citywide, tenants have accumulated significant housing debts since the pandemic, in many cases owing $5,000 to $10,000 in back rent. A new city mediation program has helped broker thousands of deals between tenants and landlords to avoid evictions. Community Legal Services, a legal aid group that represents low-income tenants, said the confluence of dire housing situations and privately run court officers was bound to become volatile. The majority of Philadelphians facing eviction are Black and Brown people, who are frequently viewed as threats in their own home, when private citizens operating as officers show up with little to no notice to evict them, Community Legal Services said in a statement. The nonprofit also critiqued the courts for employing a private, for-profit attorney to serve evictions, calling it a pay to play system where poorly trained landlord-tenant officers are financially incentivized to perform evictions. Even in law enforcement circles, these court-deputized agents are often confused for sheriffs deputies the sworn law enforcement officers that other jurisdictions deploy for eviction matters. Advocates said the distinction is even less clear for tenants. Shuter had worked for the courts prior landlord-tenant officer, and was appointed as a successor in 2017 through a noncompetitive and nonpublic process. She is the wife of Municipal Court Judge David Shuter and the daughter of former President Judge Alan K. Silberstein. Shuters law firm is private and the identities of her deputies are not public information, nor are the guidelines imposed on the hires. She has said in the past that the roughly eight contracted deputies she employs are licensed to carry firearms, provide their own weapons, hold court-issued identity cards, and are trained in eviction law by her office. Most are retired police officers, constables, or private security guards, according to Shuter. The goal of the landlord-tenant officer is to do everything possible to maintain a peaceful, smooth, safe, and non-confrontational process, she said in a 2020 WHYY profile. Some critics have accused officers of intentionally trying to catch tenants off guard. Its not clear if tenants knew a deputy was arriving Wednesday morning, as advocates said the Landlord-Tenant Office typically does not notify renters about the exact date a lockout will occur. And the eviction business has nevertheless led to several confrontations over the decades. Prior to Shuters appointment, in the 1980s, a tenant threatened to shoot himself during one encounter, and another deputy was shot and killed during an eviction in West Philly in the 1990s. Staff writer Barbara Laker contributed to this article. Philadelphia lost almost 25,000 residents in a year, according to new census data looking at a full year of the pandemic released Thursday. The drop in total population between July 2020 and July 2021 is the largest one-year decline since 1975 and follows almost a decade of population growth for Philadelphia, which topped 1.6 million residents in 2020. The losses were driven primarily by the residents who moved out of the city, which exceeded the number of people moving into Philly. In the U.S. Census Bureaus 12-month snapshot, Philly saw the highest disparity since 2001 between people moving in and those moving out. That difference led to a net loss of more than 28,000 residents, doubling what census numbers showed for the year prior. There are a few possible factors driving the Philly departures. But Kevin Gillen, senior research fellow at Drexel Universitys Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation, found that a desire to flee crowded urban centers was a powerful motivator as he studied migration patterns in the first year of the pandemic using Postal Service data. Gillens team found young people were moving back with parents, more affluent residents were taking off to second homes, and city dwellers were ditching cosmopolitan life in exchange for green space. Advertisement During the quarantine with everything shut down, there was nowhere to go and you didnt want to be around other people, he said. So having a backyard now has had a real premium. And while Philadelphia saw a drop in its population, the departures did not translate to population booms for most of its collar counties, which saw modest gains. One of the most dramatic findings in the new data was nearly three-quarters of U.S. counties recorded more deaths than births. In Philadelphia, deaths reached their highest point since at least 2001. Births for the year marked record lows for the same period, but overall, the city reported slightly more births than deaths. Philadelphias low birth numbers cant be attributed to the pandemic alone, said Gillen, pointing to cultural shifts among millennials who are having children later in life, if at all, as they deal with rising housing prices and high levels of debt. If youre deep in debt, and youre still living in an apartment, and youre not pairing up until youre well into your 30s all those are factors that work against having kids or as many kids as typical households would in previous generations, said Gillen. While a loss of 25,000 residents is significant, experts caution against putting too much emphasis on one data point collected in an unprecedented year. The domestic migration out of Philadelphia has been going on for quite some time, said Ben Gruswitz, who uses this type of data for socioeconomic and land use analytics at the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. Gruswitz said without another year of data its unclear if the movement out of Philadelphia was permanent for some families. Even if those families dont move back, Gruswitz believes births could reach pre-pandemic levels as life resumes. And immigration, which took a significant hit during former President Donald Trumps administration and the pandemic, will likely increase over the rest of President Joe Bidens term. Gruswitz also cautions that the methods producing this latest batch of data are not as authoritative as the decennial count. It is just an estimate, he said. And it turned out that over the course of the last decade, they were pretty off from what actually seemed to happen. A city spokesperson was similarly cautious, saying Mayor Jim Kenneys administration was still going over the numbers and couldnt offer any more insights into what has caused the change in population estimate. Compared to other metro areas a central city and its nearby counties Philadelphia as a region fared better in domestic migration. In the city and its surrounding suburbs, 15,000 more residents moved out than in, a far less steep decline than places like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. The Dallas and Phoenix metro areas, meanwhile, continued to see substantial population growth. But unlike the city, deaths in the region overall exceeded births a first since at least 2001 by more than 3,000 people. Of the nations 10 largest metro areas, Philadelphia and Miami regions were the only ones to report more births than deaths. A Philadelphia political consultant pleaded guilty Thursday to forging thousands of signatures on nomination petitions for candidates who hoped to get on the citys 2019 Democratic primary ballot. Rasheen Crews, 46, pleaded guilty to solicitation to commit forgery and theft for forging signatures and paying others to forge signatures in the May Democratic primary that year. He is scheduled to be sentenced in June. In court Thursday, Crews spoke only in response to questions from Common Pleas Court Judge Rayford Means. Crews, a former deputy in the citys Register of Wills office, declined to comment outside the courtroom. Candidates hoping to become judges in Philadelphia Municipal Court and the citys Court of Common Pleas paid Crews to gather signatures for their petitions, said Senior Deputy Attorney General Thomas Ost-Prisco. Between February and March 2019, Crews paid people by signature or by the hour to forge hundreds of signatures, along with forging many himself, the prosecutor said. Advertisement The hired workers filled in names and addresses of voters without their knowledge or consent, said Ost-Prisco. They also copied names from voter lists and forged signatures on completed and notarized petitions, according to court records. In 2020, one of Crews attorneys told The Inquirer he was working out arrangements to pay back the candidates he had scammed. But on Thursday, Ost-Prisco said Crews had not returned all of the money the candidates had paid him. Crews scheme threw the 2019 primary season into turmoil. Former U.S. Rep Bob Brady, chairman of the Democratic City Committee, discovered issues with judicial nomination petitions, some of which he described as kitchen-table jobs where people had filled in the names of voters who did not actually sign the petitions. Others, he said, contained what appeared to be photocopied pages from other petitions, which is not allowed. At the time, Brady said the committee was panicking, because Crews had prepared flawed petitions for many of the judicial candidates and several dropped out as a result. Crews had previously worked gathering petition signatures for high-profile politicians including Mayor Jim Kenney and former Lt. Gov. Mike Stack. Staff writer Chris Brennan contributed to this article. Students at Lenfest Circle, under the Bell Tower on the campus of Temple University Wednesday. Read more After news broke on Tuesday that Temple University president Jason Wingard had resigned, Temple students have felt a mix of emotions: some surprise, some expectance, some indifference. None of the students interviewed for this story felt particularly happy or upset about Wingards departure after less than two years, though. They just want to see a difference in their lives on campus. Im kind of shocked, said Michaida Jean, 20. I thought at least he would stay and try to make some type of change. When asked about Wingards tenure and where his leadership had fallen short, Temple students overwhelmingly pointed to their safety. I thought at least he would stay and try to make some type of change. Michaida Jean, 20 And while gun violence and crime in Temples North Philly neighborhood have weighed heavily on students since well before Wingard became president, the killings of Temple Police Officer Christopher Fitzgerald last month and of Temple student Samuel Collington in 2021 were shocking and traumatic. When I first started [here] compared to now, safety has gotten worse, said Salvi Patel, 23. Now, I would not go alone [past] 15th Street. Advertisement Matthew Melhuish, 19, said that its been hard to trust Wingards past assertions that students are safe even while on campus. Last week, Melhuish was playing softball on a Temple field and said he heard over a dozen gunshots nearby. Is this really safe? he said. READ MORE: After a tumultuous tenure, Jason Wingard has resigned as Temple University president In a survey conducted by the Temple News of about 1,000 students earlier this month, 75% of respondents said that safety was Temples biggest issue. And while Wingard promised to add additional police officers, the university has struggled to meet its hiring goals. Several students believed that Wingard was not entirely to blame for their lack of safety, though. They acknowledged that Philadelphias violence is widespread, and that a university president doesnt have complete power over some of the larger societal factors that lead to violence. Him resigning is not going to fix the issues we are currently facing. Jay Jay Despagne, 23 Him resigning is not going to fix the issues we are currently facing, like having a sense of security, said Jay Jay Despagne, 23. Its not like I expect the president to be patrolling the streets. Whats going on is the city we live in. Its unfortunate that Temple is here in the middle of chaos, said Jean. The students said they believe that any president could have experienced similar high-profile incidents of violence under their leadership. No matter who you are, this is a very hard area to come and be a president and fix things quickly, said Melhuish. READ MORE: After an officers death, the community around Temple is feeling the weight of ongoing gun violence The other prominent issue Wingard faced as president was the 42-day strike by the universitys graduate student union. It was a significant disruption for undergrad students; some of their classes went online as the university replaced their striking instructors, and protests disrupted daily life on campus. It was a pain in the ass, said Matt Grande, 19, bluntly. I think that could have been handled a lot better, he said about the universitys dealing with the union, whose demands included pay increases and expanded health benefits. Casey Johnson, 19, expressed frustration over constantly having to encounter pickets on campus, saying the university needs to have more respect for workers. As Temple begins its search for a new president, students hoped that the university hires someone more committed to building a connection with them. One common criticism of Wingard was that it felt as if he was absent, or that he wasnt interested enough in hearing their concerns. [Hes] not like somebody I really knew, Despagne said. A memo from Temple faculty union leadership to its members before a possible vote of no confidence against Wingard said that Wingard is so rarely seen on campus that both undergrad and graduate students have been utilizing the slogan Wheres Wingard? or Where is Jason? The students are not asking for someone who will overhaul the university, or do something unprecedented. They just want a leader they can trust, and a person who sincerely listens. What makes people feel unsafe is their concerns arent listened to and the problems continue, said Adenike Onanuga, 19. Grande has this suggestion for whoever leads Temple next: Just be more student-oriented. Actually go through with what you say youre going to do. Back up your words with action. The scene at the Girard Court Apartments in the citys Sharswood section on Wednesday after a landlord-tenant officer shot a woman in the head while trying to enforce an eviction. Read more Philadelphias unusual system for carrying out evictions came into glaring light Wednesday when a deputized landlord-tenant officer shot a 35-year-old woman during an attempted lockout in North Philadelphia. The shooting raised questions about these officers, who are independent contractors hired by a for-profit law firm to serve final notice and carry out court-ordered evictions. Its one of the more mystifying corners of the citys legal system. What are landlord-tenant officers? Why does Philly hire people to do evictions? Who are they accountable to? We break it down. Who carries out evictions in Philadelphia? Philadelphias Municipal Court hears most landlord-tenant disputes. Unlike other Pennsylvania jurisdictions, this court allows a private attorney, appointed by the president judge and known as a landlord-tenant officer, to enforce eviction orders stemming from these cases. This attorney deputizes private security contractors, known as deputy landlord-tenant officers, to deliver court notices and, later, perform on-site lockouts. In exchange, the attorney is granted the right to collect millions in related eviction fees from landlords. Its a for-profit business. Wait, I thought the sheriff handled evictions? Its a source of widespread confusion, even in law enforcement circles. In other jurisdictions, sheriffs and their deputies typically carry out eviction orders on behalf of the local court system. In Philadelphia, the Sheriffs Office can and does perform some evictions, including landlord-tenant cases that are appealed to the Court of Common Pleas. Advertisement But property owners must pay fees for someone to carry out legal eviction notices and lockouts and the landlord-tenant officer charges cheaper rates for its services. For example, as of 2020, the office charged $95 to deliver a writ of possession, which is the legal term for the final notice before a lockout. The sheriff charges $343 for that same service as of this year. Why does Philly do this? Since colonial times, Philadelphia and other Pennsylvania counties have directly elected constables to enforce tax collection and court orders, including evictions. But, by the mid-20th century, these roles had been made redundant in Philadelphia and came to be associated with political patronage and corruption. Public outcry followed a 1969 incident in which a constable sought to auction off the furniture of an impoverished family that was evicted after documenting squalid living conditions. The constable system was abolished after a subsequent lawsuit, and replaced with the judicially appointed landlord-tenant officer as a reform measure. Are the landlord-tenant deputies the same as normal law enforcement? Despite their name, deputy landlord-tenant officers are not sworn law enforcement personnel. Rather, they are private security contractors hired by the landlord-tenant officer and deputized by the courts to carry out a judges writ of eviction. Officers who perform evictions are required to carry firearms, but they do not have the power to make arrests or perform duties of a police officer or sheriff. Who runs the Landlord-Tenant Office and hires these officers? That would be attorney Marisa Shuter. Shes the appointed landlord-tenant officer, and the officers she hires are her deputies. Shuter worked for the courts prior landlord-tenant officer and was appointed as a successor in 2017 through a noncompetitive and nonpublic process. She is the wife of Municipal Court Judge David Shuter and the daughter of former President Judge Alan K. Silberstein a relationship that gained scrutiny in a series of news reports in 2020. How many officers are there? Who are they? The number varies. There were seven to eight contracted deputies throughout 2020. Nearly all are retired police officers, constables, or private security guards, according to Shuter. Are they trained? Shuter has said the deputies are licensed to carry firearms, provide their own weapons and vehicles, hold court-issued identity cards, and badges. Because the law office is privately run, the exact nature of that training remains hazy. Shuter has said her contractors are trained to make evictions a peaceful, smooth, safe, and non-confrontational process. Is there any accountability? Unlike actual law enforcement officials, these officers are independent contractors of the courts. They are not government employees, meaning their names and backgrounds are not necessarily public record. Neither the court system nor the Landlord-Tenant Office requires the officers to be accredited law enforcement officers. What do the critics say? Housing advocates have long criticized the Philadelphia court system for outsourcing evictions to a for-profit law firm, calling it a pay to play system where poorly trained landlord-tenant officers are financially incentivized to perform evictions. Community Legal Services, a legal aid group that represents low-income tenants, said Wednesday that volatility is inevitable when private citizens operating as officers show up often with little to no notice of when they intend to appear to perform a lockout. Have there been shootings in the past? Evictions have escalated into violence in other cities, even when enforced by sheriffs. Law enforcement officials in Philadelphia said Wednesdays shooting was the first in recent memory involving a landlord-tenant officer. But the eviction business has led to confrontations over the decades. Before Shuters appointment, in the 1980s, a tenant threatened to shoot himself during one encounter, and another deputy was himself shot and killed while enforcing an eviction order in West Philadelphia in the 1990s. Staff writer Abraham Gutman contributed to this article. From left: Damani Morgan, Fatoumata Sidibe, Claude Wheeler, and Mikayla Jones. These students are voting in the upcoming election, they write, and want the candidates for mayor to pay attention to the issues that matter to teen voters. Read more We are four of the thousands of Philly teens who will vote for the first time in this election. For the people vying to be the next mayor, we have one question: If you get the job, will your top priority be the futures of young people like us, who will spend many more years in this city than you will? To us, the only acceptable answer is: Yes. That core question underlies the Kids Campaign, a collaborative effort among more than 70 local youth-serving organizations to make sure children and youth get the attention they deserve during this election. All four of us are deeply engaged in that campaign through our work with Children First, which helps organize the campaign. Advertisement The Kids Campaign has 12 basic goals to support the education, health, safety, and emotional welfare of young Philadelphians like us. It asks the mayoral candidates to pledge to pursue those goals. So far, eight of them have signed the pledge. Based on our experiences growing up in Philadelphia, we believe these goals are the most critical: Every child deserves a safe and stable environment. Every neighborhood should have a quality district school. Every neighborhood must have great rec centers, parks, libraries, safe places, after-school and summer programs. Youth should have a voice in all levels of government. Thats not a lot to ask. Unfortunately, the city is far from meeting these goals. Because we care about our education and our parents do too we all attend public magnet schools a good distance from where we live. None of us believed we would get a sufficient education at our local schools. READ MORE: Pa. school funding verdict is a welcome start, but battle is far from over Unlike in the suburbs, no cute yellow buses pull up to our houses each morning to take us to school. All of us rely on SEPTA. So we often start our day with a heavy dose of public transit anxiety and sometimes outright fear. Weve seen it all needles, bullying, getting threatened for money, disturbed people doing disturbing things, and violence. All before first period. One of us now drives to school because her parents bought her a car after another teen was shot steps from her bus stop. Kids shouldnt have to worry about whether they can return home from school without getting shot or beat up. Safety and education go hand in hand. The chaos in transit can destroy your day before you even get to your first class; it can affect your concentration as you try to do your homework. We love our schools, but they dont always feel like safe havens either. Just this week, a 15-year-old was killed on his way to school, fatally shot just two blocks from Simon Gratz High School Mastery Charter. We love our schools, but they dont always feel like safe havens. The importance of rec centers and other places where kids can spend productive time in a safe environment really hits home for us. What does a rec center with yellow police tape around it say to kids about what kind of neighborhood they live in, and what kind of concern their city has for them? Dont get us wrong, some of us love to play hoops at our rec center, but those places shouldnt just be about sports. They should have programs for kids with all kinds of interests. Just as they do in the suburbs. Were young, but weve lived long enough in Philadelphia to see how and why kids needs get put on the back burner again and again: Politicians focus on the needs of the people who can vote. Well, we are now old enough to vote. And were going to be voters in this city for a long time. We are looking forward to showing that our voices count, that everyone no matter how young matters. As you may have noticed, this mayoral race has a bunch of candidates. It gets confusing trying to figure out the pros and cons of each. We know candidates often say what they think people want to hear, shading the truth about what they really intend to do. Thats why were not just tracking what the candidates say were looking hard at what theyve each done in the past. We know everyone makes mistakes; were asking: Did you learn from that mistake? Did you change and grow? Do you really listen when people tell you what they need? Were looking at all that to figure out for ourselves whos legit. Trust us, when May 16 rolls around, those of us teenagers who are eligible to vote will be at the polls, casting a ballot informed by our work on the Kids Campaign. And well be back on Nov. 7 to vote again. And then again and again for the rest of our time in Philadelphia. We look forward to holding the new mayor and the new City Council to the high but necessary standards that our city and our citys children deserve. Mikayla Jones is a student at Central High School, Fatoumata Sidibe is at Bodine High School, and Damani Morgan and Claude Wheeler are at Parkway Central Northwest High School. Migrants stand near an improvised altar after spending the night outside the immigration detention center where 38 migrants died during a fire in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on March 29, 2023. Read more Donald Trumps Remain in Mexico policy is dangerous, inhumane, and goes against everything we stand for as a nation of immigrants. My administration will end it. Joe Biden, then a presidential candidate, posting on Twitter on March 11, 2020 They died just hundreds of yards from their goal after a journey of thousands of miles. They had traveled from their homes in Venezuela or Guatemala or Honduras or elsewhere in Central America surviving the inhospitable desert and preying human smugglers and other unimaginable hardships, driven by the dream of a better life in the United States. Instead, Mexican agents rounded them up and tossed them in a crowded detention center just a stones throw from the U.S. border. The tense situation in Ciudad Juarez, the Mexican metropolis that borders El Paso, was a powder keg waiting to go off literally, as it turned out. Late Monday night, a fire broke out at the Ciudad Juarez Temporary Shelter on the banks of the Rio Grande where Mexican authorities were detaining undocumented migrants, including dozens whod been taken off the streets that afternoon. The cause of the fire is not confirmed, as officials probe whether detainees lit mattresses on fire to protest crowded conditions or their possible deportation. Advertisement Not much is yet known about the ensuing horror inside the male holding area where 38 died their bodies laid out Monday night on metallic sheets outside the facility and another 28 were injured. A closed-circuit video taken as the fire was spreading shows uniformed workers at the detention center staffed by Mexican government employees and private contractors walking away from the smoky scene instead of trying to free the trapped men. Viangly Infante Padron later told the El Paso Times that she was in a nearby waiting area, after her Venezuelan husband, Eduard Carabello, had been rounded up by Mexican immigration agents while selling roses on a street corner. Infante Padron, whose husband is hospitalized, pleaded with officials to do something. I screamed, Open the door! she said. That whatever the case, they are human beings and deserve to live. And they let them burn inside. Had this blaze with its staggeringly high death toll and evidence of fatal neglect by the authorities taken place just a mile to the north on U.S. soil, it might have dominated the news cycle, rivaling the latest mass shooting in Nashville for attention. Instead, the TV networks and major U.S. newsrooms seemed to treat the tragedy in Ciudad Juarez as a Mexico story and gave it surprisingly short shrift. After the initial reports, some attention has been paid to the alleged misconduct of the Mexican guards and the reaction of the nations President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who has flipped from initially blaming the migrants to pledging a homicide investigation. For at least a time on Wednesday, the story had completely disappeared from the homepages of both the New York Times and the Washington Post. I wonder how much of the American downplaying of this nightmare in Ciudad Juarez is willful ignorance on our part a refusal to confront our own shameful role in this episode. Thats because the reason that refugees are overrunning the Mexican city some estimates place the number at 20,000 is that U.S. policy is forcing these migrants to stay south of the American border, their actual goal. The gasoline for this fire is President Joe Bidens immoral continuation of Trumps same or similar programs to turn away desperate asylum seekers that candidate Joe Biden called dangerous, inhumane, and goes against everything we stand for as a nation of immigrants a broken campaign promise with deadly consequences. Its so much easier to ignore when its not on U.S. soil, Kennji Kizuka, the director of asylum policy for the International Rescue Committee, the New-York-based global refugee relief organization, told me on Wednesday. The International Rescue Committee and other immigrant-rights groups have been increasingly critical of the Biden administration for continuing Trump-era policies that aim to punish migrants in an effort to deter them from coming to the United States. And the policies dont work Central Americans or Venezuelans continue to surge toward the border, driven by factors like political unrest, murderous gang violence, and natural disasters prompted by climate change. No amount of cruelty is pushing them away, Kizuka said. Its just leaving them in these dangerous situations. READ MORE: President Bidens mistake at U.S. southern border isnt what clueless pundits, GOP think it is | Will Bunch Since taking office in January 2021, the Biden administration has uneasily walked a tightrope, seemingly trying amid political and legal restraints to shift gears from the Trump-era policies he derided as inhumane, but ultimately continuing the gist of those programs loathed by so many of the people who voted for him in 2020. The Biden administration did officially end Trumps Remain in Mexico program, but a COVID-19-era restriction on asylum seekers called Title 42 has remained in place until its scheduled expiration this spring. Additionally, refugees have faced long waiting lists and inexplicable delays in getting appointments with U.S. immigration officers some of them blamed on a glitchy government app called CBP One supposed to ease the problem. In February, the Biden administration stunned and disappointed many advocates by announcing a new border policy for Mays expected end of Title 42 that is so limiting with rigid requirements around using the app or seeking asylum in countries along their route, including Mexico that its many critics call it an asylum ban. Administration officials said the restrictions both similar to Trump policy and containing elements that have been struck down by judges in the past are needed to prevent chaos on the border. But with the 2024 campaign approaching, the border moves appear in line with Team Bidens other right turns on issues such as crime and energy seemingly to head off negative blasts from Fox News and political carping from his right. Its even been reported that the White House has discussed bringing back one of the most reviled policies of the Trump years detention of migrant families in its desperation to make the border crunch disappear. The U.S. border policies have prevented people who are arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border from seeking asylum, the International Rescue Committees Kizuka told me, chronicling a history of restrictions that actually started in the mid-2010s with Barack Obama, who imposed a system of metering that has been struck down in the courts. As a result they get caught up in terrible conditions, whether that is the terrible conditions at some of the shelters at the border region or the dangers they face from the cartels but also problems with Mexican Migration [officials] thats what happened this past week. This isnt the first time that the deterrence policies at the border the ones that utterly demolish the welcoming myths of the Statue of Liberty, and that 2020 Joe Biden called inhumane before 2023 Joe Biden boosted them have killed people, and it likely wont be the last. These policies lead to smuggling deaths like the 53 migrants found suffocated in a truck near San Antonio just last year. The fiscal year that ended in 2022 was the deadliest ever for migrants crossing the border including desperate human beings who died of thirst on desert trails or drowned in the Rio Grande. We can all agree its a difficult problem, since the only real long-term solution to mass migration addressing climate change and poverty and crime, some of that tied to decades of imperialistic U.S. policy, so that folks stay in their native lands would take years even if we had the political will to act. But while theres no magic wand, there are many alternatives to the current fiasco hiring more asylum officers and immigration judges, better shelters and supervision for refugees, including access to attorneys, and better cooperation with Mexico on more humane alternatives for those who remain south of the border. Could Mondays horrific news from Ciudad Juarez change anything? Not when were barely talking about it. Frankly, Im more than a little disappointed in the many people Ive considered allies who spoke out or tweeted frequently during the Trump years about the cruelty of POTUS 45s border policies and posted photos of crying moms yanked from their kids or masses of humanity held under bridges yet who are silent today. Yes, Im not naive about the political bind here that Trump and his clones like Ron DeSantis are threatening America with 21st century fascism, and our best hope for stopping that will be Biden running again at age 82. But Biden beat Trump in 2020 by promising moral and humane policies at the border, so why run in 2024 by shattering that vow in a million pieces? If you are as heartbroken over the needless deaths of 38 men seeking to breathe our U.S. air, then join me in telling the White House that Americans wont stand for border policies that are dangerous, inhumane, and go against everything we stand for as a nation of immigrants. And that its the same whether that president has a D or an R after his name. READ MORE: SIGN UP: The Will Bunch Newsletter Councilmember Isaiah Thomas speaks during a news conference earlier this month about his "driving equality" legislation. Read more A Philadelphia judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit filed by the citys police union that challenged a law banning some low-level traffic stops. The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, which represents about 6,100 officers, filed the suit more than a year ago, saying the city was illegally preempting existing state law and asking a judge to declare the ordinance invalid. The FOP also contended the legislation made Philadelphia less safe, and named Mayor Jim Kenney and Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw as defendants. Common Pleas Court Judge Craig Levin ruled that how and when police carry out minor traffic stops are matters of purely local concern and that the mayor has discretion to decide how laws are enforced in the city. John McNesby, president of the FOP, said in a statement that the law allows reckless drivers behind the wheel of unsafe vehicles, which ultimately puts the public at-risk and in danger. He said the union plans to appeal. Advertisement The legislation, which passed City Council, 14-2, in 2021 and took effect a year ago, classified eight low-level traffic violations, such as driving with a damaged bumper or a broken headlight, as secondary, meaning they couldnt be the sole reason a driver was pulled over by police. Philadelphia was the first major city to enact such a ban. Lawmakers and proponents said the law aimed to address racial disparities in police stops and cut down on unnecessary interactions between officers and motorists. Authorities were supposed to send tickets for the infractions instead of pulling over drivers. The ordinance was accompanied by an executive order that requires the Police Department to share detailed data and records about traffic stops. Stops associated with the targeted violations dropped by 54%, or nearly 16,000, between 2021 and 2022, according to Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, the bills author. But an Inquirer analysis showed racial disparities associated with those stops were unchanged since the laws implementation. READ MORE: Philadelphias driving equality law reduced traffic stops but not racial disparities in its first year In a statement Thursday, Thomas said the legislation has led Philadelphia police to prioritize traffic stops for more severe infractions and called the law a national model for police reform and community progress. During a news conference earlier this month, he defended the legislation, saying it is legally sound and does not make the city less safe. Shame on anybody who tries to say that because were fighting for the plight of Black people that were trying to put ourselves in a position to make the city more dangerous, he said. The Mayors Office did not respond to requests for comment. The number of traffic stops in Philadelphia has dropped precipitously in recent years. According to police statistics, there were, on average, about 330,000 vehicle stops annually between 2015 and 2019. That number was more than halved in 2020 and 2021 amid the pandemic, with police pulling over about 150,000 drivers each of those years. Does mayoral candidate Helen Gym believe Philadelphia should institute a rent control system? This is not a yes-or-no question for me, Gym said at a recent forum. Does she think the city should cut or increase the wage, business, or property tax rates? I think we need to evolve our tax structure, said Gym, a former City Council member. I called for a 21st Century Tax Commission. This isnt about single taxes. Advertisement What about the opening of supervised drug consumption sites to reduce overdoses? I will work with communities to both end the open-air drug markets ... and also take action to save the lives of people dying from overdoses, she said in the statement. Community buy-in is essential as we build out our efforts on harm reduction and new models for treatment, recovery and care. Gym, one of the leading candidates in the crowded field of Democratic contenders, has been notably reluctant to take specific stances on hot-button issues facing the city during candidate forums hosted by various interest groups and neighborhood organizations. READ MORE: Sign up for The Inquirer's newsletter on the Philadelphia mayor's race. On some issues, such as the 76ers proposal to build a new arena in Center City, almost all of the candidates have dodged attempts to get them to give yes-or-no answers. (Gym said she has skepticism about the viability of a 76ers arena and will rigorously vet that project.) But on other issues, Gym has been alone in not offering a clear position. Almost all of the major candidates, for instance, have given specific answers on how they would change the citys tax structure (most support cutting the wage and business taxes) and rent control (theyre against it). Answers are by design Gyms approach to those questions is intentional. I have avoided yes/no answers to certain questions that cover complicated issues or pit communities against one another, Gym said in a statement. Our biggest problems in Philadelphia result from thinking narrowly and in silos. On the surface, it may appear strange that Gym has given squishy answers on policy issues, given that her ideological leanings are perhaps the best-known of all the candidates. A leader of the citys progressive movement who has been compared to U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Gym on Council championed stronger worker protection laws and increased assistance for renters, and she was an early backer of overdose prevention sites. But that record may also explain why deflecting certain policy questions could be advantageous for Gym: Avoiding firm stances on hot-button issues like rent control could make it harder her opponents to characterize her positions as extreme. Theres a lot of money in this race, and if someone decided its a good time to attack Helen, taking ultra-left policy positions would be fodder for her opponents, said Anne Gemmell, who led pre-K efforts under Mayor Jim Kenneys administration and now runs a consulting firm. Shes being careful not to give these alternative candidates a really great opposition ad or attack ad. Gemmell said she sympathizes with Gyms desire to not simplify complicated policy questions into one-word answers. But Gyms plan to put off questions about how the tax structure should change until she appoints a commission is absolutely ludicrous, she said. Im not a fan of yes/no questions. Im certainly a fan of clear policy position, said Gemmell, who worked on the Service Employees International Unions local efforts to re-elect President Barack Obama in 2012. Launching a commission thats not courageous, to say the least. What Gyms record shows On some issues, Gyms record offers clues as to where she may stand. She was the only co-sponsor of a 2020 resolution by Councilmember Kendra Brooks to hold hearings exploring the possibility of creating a rent control system in Philadelphia. And last year she voted against cuts to the wage and business taxes, saying the city should prioritize funding for the Philadelphia school district over cuts for large corporations. READ MORE: Helen Gym wants to finish the fight she started 30 years ago. In a speech explaining her vote against the tax cuts, Gym said her Council colleagues spent far too much time catering to powerful interests and the [Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia], rather than the 100,000 families in the School District of Philadelphia. In response to questions submitted to her campaign by The Inquirer last week, Gym said she is committed to growing the tax base, attracting new businesses, and making our tax structure more equitable. Thats why I will convene a new Tax Commission to overhaul our tax structure because piecemeal approaches to tax reform have not moved the needle on economic opportunity or small business and job growth for years, she said. On Council, Gym was a leader in the effort to reduce the 10-year property tax abatement on new construction, which progressives contended was draining resources from the School District of Philadelphia and fueling gentrification. Asked if she would pursue a full elimination of the abatement if she became mayor, Gym said she was proud to have led the first changes to the ten-year tax abatement in decades, but my focus right now is working with stakeholders to develop new subsidy programs that incentivize development for the future, not the past, and keep residents from being displaced as we grow. As for drug consumption sites, Gym was an early backer of bringing one to Philadelphia as a harm-reduction strategy in the fight against the opioid crisis. Safe-injection sites are going to be controversial and require us to think and act differently, but they are among the most promising new approaches to come forward while we work to end the opioid crisis, she said in 2017. I support establishing one in Philadelphia. It would be difficult to discern some of those stances from Gyms campaign website, which was updated last week to include a more than 5,000-word section on policy issues. The website includes policy specifics, such as declaring a state of emergency on gun violence and tackling Philadelphias trash problem by creating a new Department of Sanitation and Waste Management that is separate from the Street Department. Much of it also recounts her past accomplishments and states goals, rather than policy strategies. Gym says voters should look to her record to learn what kind of mayor she would be. The biggest distinction between me and the other candidates is that I have actually succeeded in fixing and turning around broken systems, she said in a statement. In order to be this successful, I delivered smart and effective policies and earned the trust and confidence of a wide group of stakeholders by constantly engaging, fixing problems, and getting results. The race is underway to fill a Pennsylvania House vacancy in Delaware County created by Rep. Mike Zabels resignation earlier this month, putting Democrats one-seat majority on the line. Zabel (D., Delaware) represented the 163rd House District from 2018 until three public accusations of sexual harassment prompted his resignation. Now, both county parties have chosen female candidates to run for election to represent the district. The Democratic candidate, Heather Boyd, 46, chairs the Upper Darby Democratic Committee. Shes been deeply involved in politics for years, and left her job as a senior adviser to U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D., Delaware) to run for the seat. The Republican candidate, Katie Ford, a 43-year-old early intervention specialist, is a newcomer to politics but a longtime volunteer in Upper Darby schools. Advertisement Democrats are favored to hang onto the seat, as they have more registered voters than Republicans in the district, which includes Upper Darby, Clifton Heights, and Darby Township. But the Democrats face lingering questions over their handling of the allegations against Zabel, which party leaders knew about in 2019, and Republicans are hoping to capitalize on voters frustrations. Boyd is friends with one of the people who accused Zabel of harassment and is among the Upper Darby Democrats who knew about the accusations but says she didnt know hed allegedly harassed multiple people. She told The Inquirer she knew about one allegation against Zabel after the incident occurred in 2019. Boyd said she deferred to the victims wishes to stay quiet about it and passed along suggestions of who could challenge him in a primary election. The county Democratic Party still endorsed Zabel in his reelection bids in 2020 and 2022. Andi Perez, a lobbyist for Service Employees International Union 32BJ, was the first person to come forward with a sexual harassment allegation. She first shared her experience at a listening tour event in January, but did not name Zabel until earlier this month, in a report from SpotlightPA. Two other people a female GOP lawmaker and Zabels former campaign manager then also came forward with sexual harassment allegations. Boyd said Perez confided in her about the 2019 incident after it occurred, but only wanted the House to change its rules regarding harassment. She said she spoke with Zabel about his conduct more than once. I wanted to do what Andi wanted to do, Boyd said. Until she told me she was ready to make it about Mike, we just didnt. I didnt know it was this bad. I thought he made a bad decision. I didnt realize it may have been a regular [occurrence]. Perez declined to be interviewed but said in a prepared statement: Heather has been a true ally to me because she kept what I told her about my experience of sexual harassment private until I was ready to share my story publicly. She did what she could do within the scope of her power while not breaching my trust. Every victim should have the power to choose how and when they will share their experiences. Boyd said she was heavily involved in the General Assemblys earliest efforts to create sexual misconduct protections, as a top staffer to State Rep. Leanne Krueger (D., Delaware). She said she also served as a witness in a case against former state Sen. Daylin Leach (D., Delaware) who was accused of inappropriately touching female staffers. I understand that the voters are very disappointed with Mike Zabel. Im disappointed with that, too, as a woman, as a mom, and as a woman who has been a staffer in these offices, Boyd added. We need somebody who understands the legislative agendas, but also protects women. The Upper Darby dynamic Zabels former district has become more reliably Democratic since he first flipped it from Republican control in 2018. Under new district maps approved last year, 51% of registered voters in the district are Democrats, 37% are Republicans, and 12% are not affiliated. But Republicans hope Zabels harassment scandal and the Democrats handling of it could also factor into the race. I find it astounding that the leadership of the party knew about [Zabel] and they sat on their hands after that, said Tom Micozzie, a Republican and former Upper Darby mayor whose father once held Zabels House seat. People arent stupid. People look at whats happening around them. If you put the right candidate up, like I believe we did, who will do what she says, I think people wont vote for party as much this time. Democrats, meanwhile, say theyre ready to move past the scandal and elect a woman to the seat. Like everyone else, Im really disappointed in Mike Zabel. Hes done a lot of good work for the district, but his behavior was unacceptable, said Meredith Hegg, the chair of the Clifton Heights Democratic Committee. [Boyd] is going to be a person of integrity. Were ready to knock doors and get out and talk to people. I know Heather is eager to do that, and that Democratic leadership has a lot to offer. Top issues on the line Ford announced her candidacy from the front porch of her Drexel Hill home on Monday. She wore bright blue pants, and spoke into a microphone to project over heavy rain. She started her remarks by taking a moment of silence for the six victims of a Tennessee mass shooting. (She later told The Inquirer she supports commonsense gun regulations.) Ford said she is stepping up to run to better represent the districts residents, and called Boyd a political boss. Sadly this was a scandal that was avoidable, Ford said of Zabels resignation. As a citizen, as a woman, and as a mother to a daughter, this infuriates me, and this should infuriate all of you as well. Boyd announced her candidacy earlier this week, backed by endorsements from top Democrats, including House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D., Philadelphia). Both candidates said their top issue is fair funding for schools, as mothers of children who attended the areas public schools. Ford said she wants to bring her advocacy to the state House to ensure that families who have children with special needs never have to choose between paying for therapy or for their mortgage. A former U.S. Army combat medic, she said she wants to support small businesses and described herself as the proud wife of an Upper Darby police officer. We have such community pride thats unfortunately been tarnished by some of the politics that have gone on here, Ford added. Boyd listed abortion access as a top issue. Democrats maintaining the majority in the state House is crucial to keeping access to abortion in the state, she added. We cannot go backwards, she said. I want us to keep moving progress forward. I dont think we can afford to move backward and switch to the Republican Party. The race is one of two May 16 special elections for House seats. The other is for the 108th District in Montour and Northumberland Counties, which is expected to go to Republicans. With a current 101-100 Democratic majority, these two races will determine which party controls the state House. Hartmann served as deputy CEO and chief financial officer of ENGIE, an international energy services company, from 2015 to 2022. Prior to joining ENGIE, she served as CFO and a member of the executive board at Bertelsmann, an international media and services corporation. She has also held financial and operational roles at General Electric in the US, Latin America and Europe. Hartmann currently serves on the board of directors of Unilever and previously served on the boards of Suez, RTL Group, Penguin Random House and Gruner + Jahr. New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! Last weeks fatal blast at a Pennsylvania chocolate factory highlighted the combustibility of food plants in general and chocolate making in particular. The powerful explosion at 75-year-old R.M. Palmer Co. which makes chocolate eggs, bunnies, bars, coins and other treats killed seven, sent 10 to the hospital and damaged several other buildings in West Reading, a small town 60 miles (96 kilometers) northwest of Philadelphia, where it has long had a factory. Local, state and federal investigations are ongoing. Pennsylvania State Police said everythings on the table, as fire marshals try to pinpoint the origin and cause. Some workers told relatives they smelled natural gas before the blast, although the gas utility UGI said it received no reports of a gas leak. A look at some of the hazards of food manufacturing and what may have been behind this fatal blast: THE RISKS In general, commercial ovens and furnaces, commercial refrigerant using ammonia and combustible dust produced by ingredients like cocoa powder and corn starch are primary explosive hazards at food plants, according to Holly Burgess, technical lead for industrial and chemical safety at the National Fire Protection Association, a nonprofit group that produces hundreds of codes and standards. Most people, if youve not been in any sort of food manufacturing, you dont understand what your hazards are and what youre looking at, Burgess said. Chocolate companies and other food manufacturers must take steps to mitigate the risk of fire and explosion from dust. Smaller particles that stay aloft pose a greater danger than bigger particles that quickly fall to the floor. It is a common concern at many food production facilities handling fine combustible particulates, said Bob Zalosh, a retired professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a consultant on industrial fire and explosion hazard mitigation and investigations. Food manufacturers are supposed to determine the combustibility of the dust, perform a hazard analysis and then take steps to manage it, adhering to the fire protection associations standard for preventing dust explosions in food processing plants. Common methods for controlling dust include dust collectors and industrial vacuum cleaners. THE PALMER BLAST One possible explanation for the blast is an explosion of highly flammable powdered starch, which candy companies often use to cast chocolate into shapes such as Easter eggs, said Terry Wakefield, a business consultant and food scientist who used to run a manufacturing facility that supplied chocolate to R. M. Palmer. The shock wave from an initial explosion could have jarred any dust accumulated on ceilings and other surfaces, he said. And now you end up with a massive amount of starch, which combusts, and those explosion clouds move faster than sound and they have unbelievable force, said Wakefield, who made his assessment after watching video of the explosion that was captured by a TV stations weather camera. A lot of people dont realize that starch could do that sort of thing, he said. Based on the kinds of candy Palmer makes, the company likely used the starch- casting method, according to Wakefield. Officials at the family-owned company have not responded to questions from The Associated Press. Dust explosions have long been a problem in manufacturing. Between 1980 and 2017, nearly 400 combustible dust fires and explosions killed 185 people and injured more than 1,000 across multiple industries, including food, chemical, paper, pharmaceutical and metal processing, according to the U.S. Chemical Safety Board. In 2008, an accumulation of sugar dust ignited and blew up the Imperial Sugar plant in Port Wentworth, Georgia, killing 14. WORKPLACE SAFETY RECORD At least two workplace accidents have happened at Palmer since 2018, according to federal records. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which regulates workplace safety, visited Palmers West Reading plant in 2018, when an employee lost the tip of a finger while cleaning a pressurized valve. The company agreed to pay a $13,000 fine. In 2019, OSHA investigated an accident at Palmers plant in nearby Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, when a conveyor belt was turned on while a worker was cleaning a roller, according to federal records. The employees arm was broken in multiple places. The company settled with OSHA for $26,000. And in January, records show, OSHA levied a penalty of more than $12,000 after an inspection at the Wyomissing plant. Details of that case were not available. The online records did not say anything about combustible dust, or any other explosive hazard at Palmer. LITIGATION FILED A woman who lived next door to the plant filed suit Tuesday, alleging Palmer was negligent in failing to maintain its equipment and prevent the blast. Betty Wright was lifted from her feet and blown across the room, suffering injuries to her neck, back, hip and leg, the suit said. She also lost belongings. A statement from Wrights lawyers at Morgan & Morgan said the firm has put together a team of experts so we can understand what caused this catastrophic explosion. Additional lawsuits are expected. Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Photo: In this screen grab from video provided by WPVI-TV/6ABC, smoke rises from an explosion at the R.M. Palmer Co. plant in West Reading, Pa., Friday, March 24, 2023. (WPVI-TV/6ABC via AP) Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Manufacturing New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! More relatives of people shot to death at a Colorado supermarket in 2021 are suing gun-maker Sturm, Ruger & Co. over how it marketed the firearm used in the massacre, adding to litigation first filed earlier this month against the company. The lawsuit by relatives of five of the 10 people killed in Boulder was served on the company last Thursday and is expected to be filed this week in Superior Court in Stamford, Connecticut, according to Andrew Garza, a lawyer for the plaintiffs. The son of a sixth victim sued the company on March 14. Both lawsuits accuse Sturm, Ruger & Co. of marketing its AR-556 pistol, which resembles a rifle, in a reckless and immoral way that promoted its killing capability and glorified lone gunmen. The lawsuits, which seek undisclosed damages, are expected to be consolidated into one case, Garza said. Were interested in pursuing justice for all the families and holding Ruger accountable, Garza said Monday. Representatives of Sturm, Ruger & Co., based in Fairfield, Connecticut, did not immediately respond to email and phone messages Monday. The wrongful death lawsuits are similar to one filed against gun-maker Remington by relatives of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that killed 20 children and six educators. That lawsuit led to a $73 million settlement with Remington last year. Gun makers are generally shielded from liability under a 2005 federal law, but an exception allows lawsuits over firearms marketing. The gunman in the March 22, 2021, shooting at the King Soopers store in Boulder legally bought the Ruger AR-556, investigators said. The six victims whose relatives are suing Sturm, Ruger & Co. were Suzanne Fountain, Neven Stanisic, Denny Stong, Lynn Murray, Jody Waters and Kevin Mahoney. Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Connecticut Colorado New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! The Delaware Senate gave final approval Tuesday to bills legalizing recreational marijuana use by adults in the state and authorizing the establishment of a state-licensed and regulated cannabis industry, setting up a potential battle with Democratic Gov. John Carney. The Democrat-controlled chamber voted 16-4 for a bill allowing personal possession by those 21 and older of up to one ounce of leaf marijuana or equivalent amounts in other forms. Sen. Eric Buckson of Dover was the lone Republican to vote for the bill. The House passed the bills earlier this month. Buckson, however, led the opposition to the industry-creation bill that calls for state officials to issue up to 30 initial retail marijuana licenses, 30 manufacturing licenses, 60 cultivation licenses and five testing licenses. The bill includes special license pools for social equity and microbusiness applicants. Residents would be prohibited, however, from growing their own plants for personal consumption. The industry bill required a three-fifths supermajority because it creates a new tax, in the form of a 15% levy on retail sales. It cleared the Senate on a 15-5 party-line vote. Carney, who vetoed a legalization bill last year, declined to comment as he left his Legislative Hall office following the vote. The governor continues to have strong concerns about the unintended consequences of legalizing marijuana for recreational use in our state, especially about the impacts on our young people and highway safety, his office said in a prepared statement. He knows others have honest disagreements on this issue. GOP lawmakers have been mostly united in opposition to legalization, although three Republican House members voted for the legalization bill earlier this month, and two voted for the industry bill. Democrats rejected two amendments from Buckson on Tuesday. Opponents have argued legalization and creation of a state marijuana industry would lead to increased marijuana use among teens and young adults that could affect their cognitive development, expose business owners to liability and result in more traffic deaths and injuries. They also say it would do little to eliminate illegal sales. Supporters say neither bill would change laws regarding driving under the influence and that public consumption of marijuana would be prohibited. They also say employers will be able to test workers for marijuana and discipline employees for being under the influence at work. Supporters also argue that a state-regulated industry would reduce illegal black-market sales, create jobs and generate more tax revenue. It is nearly impossible to quantify just how much revenue our state has missed out on by failing to create this legal market, chief Senate sponsor Trey Paradee, a Dover Democrat, said in a statement issued after the vote. He called Denver an island of prohibition, surrounded by states legalizing and regulating marijuana. Republicans, meanwhile, contend a state cannabis industry is contrary to federal law and will open the door to organized drug dealers. Buckson argued Tuesday that a recreational marijuana industry also will negatively affect Delawares medical marijuana industry and will lead more people who have never used marijuana to try it. You will grow the problem, he warned, adding that a state-licensed industry will incentivize the black market, not help eliminate it. People who have already been using marijuana will continue buying from their suppliers, rather than paying double to buy from a state-licensed facility, he said. But Paradee said people will, indeed, be willing to pay a premium for weed they know has been grown under careful supervision without harmful chemical additives. They also will pay more for the broader selection of potency and flavors that a state-licensed shop will offer, he said. Theres no assurance, however, that a state cannabis industry will cut into the black market for marijuana. In California, where marijuana was legalized in 2016, the illegal marketplace continues to dwarf the legal one. The California Department of Cannabis Control announced earlier this month that more than 144,254 pounds of illegal cannabis was seized in agency-led operations last year, a 246% increase from the prior year. To date, 21 other states have passed laws legalizing recreational use of marijuana by adults. Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Legislation Cannabis New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! An unlicensed labor broker for the construction industry has pleaded guilty to participating in a fraud scheme in order to evade more than $1 million in workers compensation premiums. According to Manhattan prosecutors, Salvador Almonte, Jr. underreported the size of his companies and lied to insurance carriers about the work being performed by his employees. They said he was aided in his deception by former insurance broker Steven Asvazadourian who admitted his guilt in 2020, and the scheme left more than a hundred construction workers underinsured. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., New York City Department of Investigation Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber and New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang announced the guilty plea by Almonte. Prosecutors said Almonte operated a multi-million-dollar construction labor supply business in New York City as an unlicensed labor broker. His companies including Power Services Solutions, Power Services of New York, South Side Services, Inc., and North Star Strategy, Inc. provided workers to construction companies. Almonte and Asvazadourian were indicted in 2019. According to the indictment, with the help of Asvazadourian and his insurance brokerage, the Dorian Agency Ltd., Almonte evaded more than $1 million in premiums from the NYSIF alone. This unlicensed labor broker prioritized saving money on insurance premiums over protecting his workers, leaving them and their families with inadequate or zero coverage for job-related injuries and fatalities, said Strauber. Almonte admitted in court that from January 2015 to late 2018 he made false representations to insurance carriers, including NYSIF, to secure workers compensation insurance coverage at fraudulently reduced prices. Almonte evaded premiums by misrepresenting the true size and work being performed with the help of Asvazadourian. Workers compensation insurance premiums are based on a companys annual payroll and the risk involved in the type of work done by its employees. For instance, Almonte would tell insurance companies that cleaning or interior carpentry tasks were being done while his workers were engaged in high-rise superstructure projects. Once a form of coverage was established for Almontes businesses, or even when no coverage was in place, Asvazadourian and other employees of the Dorian Agency generated fraudulent certificates of insurance, which Almonte sent to his clients as proof that he had adequate workers compensation insurance to cover the construction workers he provided. But the insurance situation was not always clear. The workers compensation fraud perpetrated here left contractors to do a dangerous job without the financial safety net they deserve, while also undermining the system for all New Yorkers, said Lang. Over the four years, more than a dozen of Almontes workers were injured on the job, according to court records. One of these workers suffered significant injuries when he fell 10 feet on a construction site and landed on top of an exposed piece of capped metal rebar. This worker spent months unable to complete necessary medical treatment and had to wait almost a year for disability payments that should have been paid to him following his injuries, prosecutors said. A second employee, who had to leave his job after suffering a head injury when he was struck by a large piece of wood, waited more than 14 months for disability pay while the board attempted to determine the identity of his employer in order to establish the responsible insurer carrier, prosecutors added. At times, Almonte supplied labor for projects completed by SSC High Rise, Inc., which pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the second degree in 2018 for causing the death of construction worker Juan Chonillo, prosecutors said. Prosecutors also said Almonte refused to cooperate with the New York State Workers Compensation Board after injured workers submitted claims for their work-related injuries. His refusal to acknowledge that he employed the injured workers meant the board could not assign insurance coverage and disability pay delayed for workers. Almonte pleaded guilty to insurance fraud in the second degree and fraudulent practices in violation of Workers Compensation Law. He will be required to pay $500,000 in restitution to the state-backed workers compensation insurer, the New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF), and will be sentenced to five years probation. According to prosecutors, Almontes co-defendant, Asvazadourian, pleaded guilty in August of 2020 to insurance fraud in the second degree and to making false statements in procuring workers compensation insurance. He paid $100,000 to the NYSIF and carried a sentence of three years probation, 800 hours of community service and permanently surrendered his insurance broker license. Topics Agencies Workers' Compensation Talent Mining group BHP Group is seeking to delay a potential 36 billion pound ($44 billion) London lawsuit over Brazils worst environmental disaster as it needs more time to prepare, the companys lawyers said on Wednesday. The worlds biggest miner by market value is being sued by around 720,000 Brazilians over the 2015 collapse of the Fundao dam, owned by the Samarco joint venture it holds with Brazilian iron ore mining company Vale. BHPs lawyers said the 2024 trial should be delayed to allow Vale to participate and to give BHP more time to go through an enormous number of potentially relevant documents. Miner BHP Potentially Faces $44B Lawsuit in London Over Brazil Dam Collapse BHPs lawyer Alexander Hutton argued in court filings that the trial should be adjourned until at least June 2025, saying that pushing ahead with a 2024 trial would be extremely unfair to BHP. A 14-month delay to the scheduled April 2024 start would take the trial well into 2025, a decade after the dam disaster that killed 19 people when mud and toxic mining waste swept into the Doce river, obliterating villages, contaminating water supplies and reaching the Atlantic Ocean more than 650 km (400 miles) away. BHP denies liability and in December applied to join Vale to the case. Vale has challenged the London High Courts jurisdiction to determine the claim, which will be heard in July. Simon Salzedo, representing Vale, argued that BHP has no case against Vale and that, if it did, any lawsuit should be brought in Brazil. BHP said in a statement: The UK case is unnecessary as it duplicates issues already covered by the ongoing work of the Renova Foundation and/or the subject of ongoing legal proceedings in Brazil. Reparation and compensation programs implemented by the Renova Foundation funded $6 billion in financial aid by the end of 2022, BHP added. When the lengths of the different phases are added up, it is apparent that BHP envisage a trial process that will extend closer to 2030 than to 2025, particularly if there should be appeals, Tom Goodhead of law firm Pogust Goodhead, which represents the claimants, said in a witness statement submitted to the court. The lawsuit, one of the largest in English legal history, first began in 2018 and was thrown out of court two years later, before the Court of Appeal ruled in July that it could proceed. BHP has applied to the Supreme Court to end the case without trial following the Court of Appeals decision last year. Lawyers representing the claimants said earlier this month that the number of claimants had increased by around 500,000, pushing the potential bill to $44 billion, including interest, if they are successful in the case. (Reporting by Clara Denina and Sam Tobin, additional reporting by Kirstin Ridley; editing by Jane Merriman and Mark Potter) Photograph: A rescue worker walks between destroyed houses in the town of Bento Rodrigues after two dams burst on Thursday, in Minas Gerais state, Brazil, on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2015. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) Related: Topics London Russia still relies on Western insurers to cover more than half of the tanker fleet that exports its oil, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, and the countrys energy officials are voicing concerns about the situation. The Group of Seven and its partners in the European Union have decreed that any shipment of crude using services based in their member countries must be sold below a $60-a-barrel price cap. The measure is designed to curb the Kremlins energy-export revenues, limiting its ability to keep funding the invasion of Ukraine. Since early December, between 50% and 60% of vessels that have carried Russian oil are protected against shipowners liability risks by members of the London-based International Group of P&I Clubs, according to data compiled by Bloomberg based on information in the Equasis shipping system. The data do not indicate whether the vessels are covered for hull or cargo insurance. Could G-7 Sanctions Against Russia Have Unintended Insurance Consequences? This dependence on western coverage limits Russias ability to negotiate higher prices for its oil, a key source of revenue for the nations budget. It could also leave countrys exports vulnerable to disruption if the G-7 decides to toughen the restrictions. Russias high dependence on insurance from G-7 and European countries for shipping oil means the price-cap coalition has strong leverage, Meri Pukarinen, Europe-Russia policy officer at the Helsinki-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, said by email. The West could exploit that by lowering the cap, she said. Senior figures in Russias oil industry have highlighted this situation as one of their key concerns. In the current conditions, its important to create new instruments, new systems of insurance and reinsurance that would be accepted by our clients, our partners, Russias Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said at the Energy Ministrys annual meeting in Moscow on Tuesday. The pressure of sanctions on the Russian oil industry will only increase this year, Alexander Dyukov, chief executive officer of Gazprom Neft PJSC, said at the same event. The nation needs to prepare by developing an independent financial, shipment and oil-trading infrastructure, he said. Limited Options The data compiled by Bloomberg is in line with the findings of CREA, which estimated that insurers from G-7 and European nations in February provided shipowners liability coverage for nearly 60% of all tankers carrying Russian crude. In early 2022, just before the war in Ukraine, the share of major foreign insurers was close to 80%, CREA data show. The remaining vessels carrying Russian oil, according to the data gathered by Bloomberg, are covered either by Russian or unknown providers. Those shipments could potentially find their way to clients willing to pay above the price cap. Russias in-country insurance options are limited. Moscow-based Ingosstrakh Insurance Co., which is part-owned by Italys Assicurazioni Generali SpA, said earlier this month it will revise its protection and indemnity portfolio to make sure its fully compliant with international sanctions. Russian National Reinsurance Company, tasked with providing state-backed coverage for all sanctioned Russian sectors including marine, has itself been excluded from the European market. Price-Cap Compliance The data on western P&I coverage has its limits and an entry on the Equasis system is not a guarantee that the insured tanker only carries crude sold below the price cap. Under the EU regulations, insurers have to obtain attestations from their clients that the Russian crude shipped on the covered tankers complies with the cap. If an attestation were to be falsified, the insurer is not considered in breach of sanctions as long as they can prove they acted in good faith. Also, the EU so does not require insurers to report their data to authorities on a regular basis. Companies are only required to keep their records for five years in case of investigations. The opaque nature of Russian oil trading makes it difficult to access price information. The US Treasury estimates that about 75% of Russias oil could be moving outside of the price cap, while the International Energy Agency estimated that, as of February, the nations crude cargoes on average were sold well below the price cap. Both the US administration and the IEA say the restrictions are doing their job by curbing Russias budget revenue while keeping oil flowing onto global markets. Photograph: A Russian oil tanker makes a delivery to the refinery run by the Cuban state-run oil company Cubapetroleo in Santiago, Cuba, on Tuesday, March 19, 2013. Photo credit: Bloomberg Copyright 2023 Bloomberg. Topics Russia Energy Oil Gas This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Everest Insurance and OONA Insurance (formerly Mapfre Insurance). A summary of these new hires follows here. Everest Insurance Names Chubbs Kendrick Chairman of European Board of Directors Everest Insurance, the insurance division of Everest Re Group Ltd., announced the appointment of Andrew Kendrick as non-executive chairman of the Board of Directors for Everest Insurance (Ireland), Dac, effective April 7. Additionally, Kendrick will serve as an adviser to Everest Insurance International as the company continues to advance its international growth strategy. Kendricks four-decade-long underwriting career spans executive leadership positions at some of the worlds largest insurance companies. Most recently, he served as president and chairman of Chubb European Group, where he focused on regulatory matters including oversight of the companys Brexit plans. Kendrick also held the position of president and chief executive officer of ACE Bermuda before being appointed president and chief executive officer of ACE European Group. He then served as president and chairman of ACE, where he oversaw the companys acquisition of Chubb and its rebrand. Earlier in his career, Kendrick was director of Underwriting and active underwriter of Syndicate 2488 at Lloyds. Kendrick has significant experience advising boards of global and regulatory organizations. He was a member of the Lloyds Underwriting and Claims Committee and Lloyds Market Association Board, including a rotation as chair. Kendrick also previously served as non-executive director of the Lloyds Franchise Board and is currently chairman of Tysers Insurance Brokers Board. Andrew is a distinguished industry veteran with extensive experience leading successful expansion strategies for global insurance organizations, said Adam Clifford, co-lead of Everest Insurance International. This, coupled with his board service to several multi-national organizations, makes him a valuable addition to Everests European Board of Directors. We are pleased to welcome Andrew to the European Board, said Juan C. Andrade, Everest president and CEO. His industry and regulatory experience across Europe and around the world will be an asset as we continue to scale our insurance business and augment our global capabilities. *** OONA Insurance (Formerly Mapfre Insurance) Hires Marshs Zandueta as President, CEO OONA Insular Insurance Corp. (OONA Insurance), formerly Mapfre Insurance, has announced Ramon Zandueta as its new president and CEO. He will be officially taking over the reins from acting CEO Jean Israel by May 1, 2023. Zandueta is currently the managing director and chairman of the board of Marsh Philippines, the local arm of the global insurance broker and risk advising company. Zanduetas career in the industry began in 1982 with Ayala-FGU as part of its management training program. He then joined Marsh as the companys local correspondent broker in the Philippines in 1988. Zandueta also played a key role in the combination of Corporate Insurance Brokers and Johnson & Higgins in 1997 to form Marsh Philippines. He then led the companys Risk Management Segment and was head of Broking Operations for the Philippine office until he was promoted to CEO in 2004. After 17 years of continued growth and establishing various specialty practices in the country, Zandueta assumed the position of chairman of the board in 2021. We are delighted to have on board industry veteran Ramon Zandueta as we roll out our plans for OONA Insurance in the Philippines, said OONA Group CEO Abhishek Bhatia. Mon will be bringing with him not only tried and tested leadership but also over four decades of expertise in the insurance and risk business. Established in 2021, OONA Insurance is focused on Southeast Asia. Through a buy-and-build strategy, it plans to establish its presence in underpenetrated insurance markets of the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand. OONA currently has a presence in Indonesia and Philippines and is fully backed by a $350 million equity commitment by Warburg Pincus. In the Philippines, OONA will continue offering a wide range of products including motor, property, and accident. The company will also introduce new products such as cyber risk and health insurance, as well as solutions that are emerging on the back of increasing adoption of internet, e-commerce, and digital payments. Topics Europe MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison personally opened his states case against Juul Labs on Tuesday, accusing the e-cigarette maker of using slick products, clever ads and attractive flavors to hook children on nicotine as the first of thousands of cases against the company reached trial. Minnesota is seeking more than $100 million in damages, Ellison said, accusing Washington, D.C.-based Juul of unlawfully targeting young people to get a new generation addicted to nicotine. The court seated an eight-woman, four man jury Tuesday morning and Ellison gave the states opening statements in the afternoon. They baited, deceived, and addicted a whole new generation of kids after Minnesotans slashed youth smoking rates down to the lowest level in a generation, Ellison said. Now, big tobacco is back with a new name but the same game. Juul wiped out the work of our state with their slick products, clever ads, and attractive flavors. Juul has faced thousands of lawsuits nationwide but most have settled, including 39 with other states and U.S. territories. Not Minnesota, which won a landmark $7.1 billion settlement with the tobacco industry in 1998. Minnesota added tobacco industry giant Altria, which formerly owned a minority stake in Juul, as a co-defendant in 2020. Altria completed its divestiture this month and says it effectively lost its $12. 8 billion investment. But it didnt abandon e-cigarettes: Just a few days later, Altria announced a $2.75 billion investment in Juuls rival, the vaping company NJOY. In his opening statement, Ellison argued that Juul and Altria broke the law by using deceptive actions to sell tobacco products to minors. The companies purposely made their products small and sleek to make detection by adults difficult, used large amounts of nicotine to addict children, added flavors that would appeal to young people and used a marketing campaign they knew would appeal to teens, Ellison said. Young people are innocent, and they want to explore, Ellison said. Kids are attracted to what is shiny, slick, cool and that is exactly who Juul and Altria were targeting and preying upon. Ellison has said he plans to hand the case over to attorneys for two outside law firms after delivering part of the opening statements. The jury trial before Hennepin County District Judge Laurie Miller is expected to last about three weeks. The trial over the lawsuit by the state and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota lasted nearly four months before big tobacco companies settled, just ahead of closing arguments. That case forced the release of millions of pages of previously secret industry documents that expanded Americas understanding of how the tobacco industry tried to conceal the addictive nature of its products. Part of the $7.1 billion supported anti-smoking programs, but Juul and Altria have noted in court that lawmakers spent much of it to fund state government. The 2019 lawsuit against Juul alleges consumer fraud, creating a public nuisance, unjust enrichment and a conspiracy with Altria that preyed upon and enticed Minnesotas children, through deceptive and illegal tactics, to buy a product that may sentence them to a lifetime of nicotine addiction and other destructive behaviors. The states brief said Juuls marketing was designed to ensnare children by attracting cool kids and using social media and celebrities to act as pushers of its addictive products. Defendants claim their conduct was in the name of helping aging smokers to stop smoking. That claim is false; it is a smoke screen, it said. Juul said Minnesotas insistence on going to trial has deprived its citizens of some of the nearly $440 million in settlement money other states are using to reduce tobacco use. Effective interventions to address underage use of all tobacco products in Minnesota, including vapor, depends not on headline-driven trials, but on evidence-based policies, programs, and enforcement, Juuls statement said. Richmond, Virginia-based Altria Group which makes Marlboro cigarettes and other tobacco products and was formerly known as Phillip Morris Cos. said it bought a 35% stake in Juul Labs in 2018 only after Juul assured Altria and announced to the world that it had made meaningful changes to its marketing. Juul Labs launched in 2015 on the popularity of flavors like mango, mint and creme brulee. Teenagers fueled its rise, and some became hooked on Juuls high- nicotine pods. Amid a backlash, Juul dropped all U.S. advertising and discontinued most of its flavors in 2019, losing popularity with teens. Juuls share of the now multibillion-dollar market has fallen to about 33% from a high of 75%. Juul is now appealing the Food and Drug Administrations rejection of its application to keep selling its vaping products as a smoking alternative for adults. Juul is still being sued by New York, California, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Alaska, Illinois, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Minnesota New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! Duck Creek Technologies on March 30 announced the completion of its acquisition by Vista Equity Partners in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $2.6 billion, or $19 per share. We are excited to commence our partnership with Vista Equity Partners and work together to advance the next generation of P&C insurance technology, said Michael Jackowski, CEO of insurance software provider Duck Creek. With Vistas global network and deep sector expertise, we will be better positioned to support and accelerate the industrys transition to the cloud while continuing to deliver a best-in-class customer experience. The deal was announced in January, and the agreement included a go-shop period that ended February 7. Duck Creek will now become a privately held company. Duck Creek is a demonstrated leader in the P&C space, delivering innovative solutions that empower carriers to be faster and more nimble in servicing the digital needs of their customers, said Monti Saroya, senior managing director and co-head of Vistas Flagship Fund. We look forward to partnering with Mike and the Duck Creek team as they continue to scale and define the future of P&C insurance technology. Duck Creek partners with and provides its technology solutions to a list of carriers that include Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance, Hollard Insurance, Northbridge Financial Corporation and Tokio Marine. Earlier in January, Duck Creek announced a definitive agreement to acquire Imburse Payments. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Vista Equity exclusively invests in enterprise software, data and technology-enabled organizations. With Bain Capital, Vista Equity held ownership of insurance software maker Vertafore, paying $2.7 billion in 2016. Florida-based Roper Technologies then agreed to acquire Vertafore in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $5.35 billion in August 2020. Vista also bought Applied Systems, a provider of insurance software and agency management systems, in 2004. Two years later, Bain Capital acquired a majority stake in Applied Systems from Vista Equity. In the past, Vista Equity has also invested in Zywave. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) The state of Arkansas sued TikTok and Facebook parent Meta on Tuesday, claiming the social media companies were misleading consumers about the safety of children on their platforms and protections of users private data. The state filed two lawsuits against TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance and a third lawsuit against Meta, which also owns Instagram, accusing the companies of violating the states deceptive trade practices act. TikTok is a wolf in sheeps clothing, one of the lawsuits, filed in state court, said. As long as TikTok is permitted to deceive and mislead Arkansas consumers about the risks to their data, those consumers and their privacy are easy prey. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Attorney General Tim Griffin, both Republicans, announced the lawsuit as TikTok faces growing questions about the safety of its users data. Both the FBI and officials at the Federal Communications Commission have warned that ByteDance could share TikTok user data with Chinas authoritarian government. One of Sanders first moves after she was sworn in as Arkansas governor in January was to sign an executive order banning TikTok from state devices. One of the lawsuits claims that TikTok isnt taking proper steps to protect minors who use the platform from inappropriate content, including sexual content and material depicting drug or alcohol use. TikTok did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment Tuesday. We have watched over the past decade as one social media company after another has exploited our kids for profit and escaped government oversight, Sanders said in a statement released by her office. My administration will not tolerate that failed status quo. The lawsuit against Meta accuses the company of manipulating Facebook to maximize the amount of time that young people spend on the platform, which it says has helped fuel mental health problems among the states youth. Meta on Tuesday outlined steps it has taken to protect teens on its platforms, including age- verification technology and technology that finds and removes content related to suicide, self-injury or eating disorders. These are complex issues, but we will continue working with parents, experts and regulators such as the state attorneys general to develop new tools, features and policies that meet the needs of teens and their families, Antigone Davis, Metas head of safety, said in a statement. Sanders is also backing a bill advancing in the Arkansas Legislature that would require parental permission for anyone under 18 to use a social media site. The proposal, which a Senate panel endorsed on Tuesday, would require social media sites to verify a users age. Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Claims Arkansas New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! In closely watched and widely publicized toxic-tort litigation that has percolated through the courts for more than a decade, federal appeals judges this week underscored the strict standard that expert witnesses are held to when plaintiffs argue that pollution causes cancer. Florida toxicologist Lawrence Wylie had testified in Pinares et al vs. Raytheon Technologies that chemicals were found in groundwater near a Raytheon manufacturing site in south Florida, and had caused kidney cancer in residents. But Dr. Wylie skipped the first step of a reliable dose-response assessment: He never demonstrated the level of exposure to the allegedly harmful chemical that is hazardous to a human being,' a panel of the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals wrote. And because two other expert witnesses relied partly on Wylies toxicology study, their conclusions did not meet the standards outlined in Federal Rules of Evidence and in the Daubert standard, established by a 1993 appeals court decision in Daubert vs. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals. In the Pinares case, the 11th Circuit this week upheld a ruling by the district court in south Florida, which had granted summary judgment to Raytheon. Dose is the single most important factor to consider in evaluating whether an alleged exposure caused a specific adverse effect, the court said, citing its 2005 decision in McClain vs. Metabolife. The lower courts must act as gatekeepers to ensure that speculative and unreliable opinions do not reach the jury, the judges noted. The opinion is a major blow to the Pinares suit and could affect multiple other lawsuits filed against Raytheon and its subsidiaries, Pratt & Whitney and United Technologies Corp., which owned the site at the time of the alleged contamination. Several of the lawsuits from sickened residents were consolidated into this case. Other cases, now pending in lower courts and appeals courts, contend that the aircraft-engine pollutants caused brain cancer or had diminished their property values. Raytheon, one of the largest U.S. aerospace companies, is largely self-insured in liability issues like this, according to reports. But other companies and insurers may take heart from the ruling since it reinforces the longstanding hurdle that experts in federal court must clear, even if the evidence can otherwise appear compelling. The district court and the 11th Circuit came to the right conclusionbecause the plaintiffs experts were not reliable, their testimony had to be excluded, said Robert Jarvis, law professor at Nova Southeastern Universitys Shepard Broad College of Law. And with no expert testimony, the plaintiffs failed to make out a prima facie case, leaving the district court with no choice but to grant summary judgment in Raytheons favor. Jarvis colleague, professor Eric Hull, and a New York insurance defense attorney agreed that the decision is not a major departure from federal court precedent. The Daubert standard is a high bar that experts must reach. Thats what Daubert was meant to protect against junk science, said Long Island attorney Richard Fogel, who has handled a number of toxic-tort claims. State courts in several states, including Florida, rely on a lower standard, known as Frye, which generally requires experts to have only a general acceptance in the scientific community. Thats why many corporate defendants in toxic torts elect to move the suits to federal courts, Fogel said. The Pinares case began in 2006, when Magaly Pinares and two of her neighbors were diagnosed with kidney cancer. The Pinares and the other victims lived in The Acreage, an upscale residential community near West Palm Beach, about eight miles from the Raytheon facility, the court explained. Raytheon had opened the site at the height of the Cold War, in 1958, to build and test jet engines. In 2008, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found 24 contaminants in the soil and water on the Raytheon property. A year later, the Florida Department of Health concluded that residents of The Acreage had experienced higher rates of brain cancer for the past 12 years. The Pinareses tested their well water and found three chemicals that are considered human carcinogens. The family filed suit against Raytheon in 2010. Magaly, known as Maggie, died in 2018. The litigation has been reported by south Florida newspapers. Wylie, the toxicologist, testified that the chemicals were found in the groundwater in sufficient concentrations to cause illness, and that Magaly Pinares was subjected to more than 8 micrograms of the contaminants per day sufficient exposure to induce her kidney cancer but within Floridas drinking water standards. He also said that no level of exposure to the carcinogens could be considered safe. The Pinareses attorney argued that Wylie and the other experts used widely accepted methodologies to reach their conclusions. But the district court and the appeals court panel said that Wylie had failed to show what level of the chemicals is considered hazardous to humans, or how much is too much. He did not appear to provide epidemiological evidence showing that exposure to chemicals can cause injury, Hull, the law professor, pointed out. Wylie provided no reliable baseline against which the district court could evaluate his conclusions as to Mrs. Pinaress estimated exposure, the appeals panel wrote. The two appeals judges on the panel one appointed by President Obama and one named by President Trump noted that other cases have shown that low-dose exposure to some chemicals, even over many years, often have no consequences on human health, because the human body can detoxify itself. In toxic tort cases, the court conducts a two-part Daubert analysis that covers the experts methodology for the plaintiff-specific questions about individual causation, but also the general question of whether the drug or chemical can cause the harm plaintiff alleges, the panel wrote. The court concluded that the district court didnt abuse its discretion in excluding the causation experts testimony, Judge Robert Luck wrote in the opinion. Without that testimony, the Pinareses could not establish that Raytheon caused Mrs. Pinaress cancer. Raytheon was thus entitled to summary judgment declaring the expert testimony inadmissible. Attorneys in the case could not be reached for comment Wednesday. Photo: Pratt & Whitney, a subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies, makes the engines for the F-35 fighter jet. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi) Topics Lawsuits Florida Aerospace New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! An alarm blared and lights flashed as a heavily armed assailant stalked the hallways of The Covenant School. Surveillance footage of the shooting Monday at the private Christian school in Nashville showed many familiar security measures, including the double set of locked glass doors the killer shot their way through before fatally shooting three children and three school employees. Its just next to impossible to stop someone with an AR-17 coming through the door, said George Grant, a leader with the Nashville Presbytery, which is connected with the school. Grant said the presbytery doesnt have a formal security program for its churches and schools but that members have worked together to share best practices and improve safety. Around the U.S., private schools generally do not face as many requirements as public schools for developing security plans. In Tennessee, laws requiring schools to develop and submit safety plans do not apply to private schools, an emailed statement from the state Department of Education said. Private schools also sometimes lack access to government programs to bolster security, though private schools in some states are eligible for state money to bolster security with staff, equipment and technology. Some federal grants also are available to private schools for security aid. Generally, private schools dont have access to the police many public schools have assigned to their campuses, said Mo Canady, executive director of the National Association of School Resource Officers. He said some private schools have arranged to hire recently retired officers. I would imagine after this horrific situation in Nashville that there may be more attempts by private schools to try to not only bolster security but to get school resource officers. Still, amid widespread concerns about mass shootings, experts say private schools have invested similarly to public schools in violence prevention. Private schools were among institutions that invested most heavily in security in the aftermath of the 2012 shooting that killed 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. Today, private schools have some of the highest-paid security specialists, including retired federal agents, said Michael Dorn, who has been involved in assessing security at thousands of schools as executive director of Safe Havens International, a nonprofit school safety center. Security protocols for private schools are similar to those for public schools, but they are more tailored to each schools location and circumstances, said Myra McGovern of the National Association of Independent Schools. Security such as metal detectors may not be as visible at private schools, which also have considerations including boarding students and, in some cases, the children of heads of state to look after, she said. Attention to security is similar, but the way that it manifests is perhaps different, McGovern said. The quality of safety plans for private schools also varies widely, as it does for public schools, Dorn said. We see schools that are pretty behind and some that are exceptional, he said. In Tennessee, an executive order last year by Gov. Bill Lee on school safety measures directed the state to conduct a report on the use of armed guards in nonpublic schools and assess their need for active-shooter training. Most U.S. school systems conduct active-shooter and lockdown trainings, and the Nashville school had in fact undergone active-shooter training in 2022, which prevented further loss of life during Mondays shooting, city police spokesperson Brooke Reese said. Private or not, shootings are more common at middle and high schools than at elementary schools like Covenant, which are less likely to have assigned security officers. Educators also are wary of unsettling young learners with more heavy-handed security measures. The Covenant School has about 200 students from preschool through sixth grade. The school and the Covenant Presbyterian Church are connected with the Nashville Presbytery, which includes congregations in the Presbyterian Church in America, across Middle Tennessee and southwestern Kentucky. Over the last several years, most of our churches have undergone training and have really scrutinized their security arrangements, said Grant, the immediate past moderator for the Nashville Presbytery. Its not an official sort of presbytery-wide initiative, but it has just sort of grown out of relationships. Grant said Franklin Classical School, a school under the spiritual oversight of his church, Parish Presbyterian Church in Franklin, Tennessee, has lockdown procedures and security codes in place. The school always has a former police officer on site when school is in session. It is unknown whether The Covenant School had a security officer. Grant said his churchs security team has called for a review of security protocols and already had training planned for the week after Easter. This is just a good reminder that we live in a broken, fallen world, he said. And we need to be vigilant to care for one another as best we can. Ma reported from Washington, D.C. Associated Press writers Jonathan Mattise in Nashville and Michael Melia in Hartford, Conn., contributed to this report. The Associated Press education team receives support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Photo: An impromptu memorial to the shooting victims at The Covenant School in Nashville. (AP Photo/John Amis) Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics K-12 Education Answers The increasing number of newly confirmed cases in the US has also had an impact on the market for viral rt pcr kit According to the real-time statistics of the world meter, as of around 6:30 on June 6, 2022, Beijing time, 535316817 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the world, and 6320250 cases of death have been confirmed in the world. There were 317372 new confirmed cases and 663 new deaths in a single day in the world. According to the data, the United States, France, Australia and other countries ranked among the five countries with the largest number of newly confirmed cases in a single day. The United States, Russia, Australia and other countries ranked among the five countries with the largest number of new deaths in a single day. More than 40000 new confirmed cases in the United States of a new coronal vaccine or myocarditis According to the real-time statistics of the world meter, as of around 6:30 on June 6, 2022, Beijing time, 86511076 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the United States, and 1033580 cases of death have been confirmed in the United States; Compared with the data at about 6:30 a.m. the previous day, there were 42934 new confirmed cases and 158 new deaths in the United States. According to Agence France Presse, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on June 3 expressed concern about the new crown vaccine of Novavax, believing that it may be associated with myocarditis. At the same time, experts are preparing to evaluate the use of this vaccine in the United States. Novavax vaccine has been approved for use in other countries, especially in Europe. In the United States, an independent committee convened at the request of the food and Drug Administration will meet on June 7 to evaluate the clinical trial data of the vaccine and make recommendations. Buy high quality and effective DNA & RNA nucleic acid extraction reagent, lab consumables, automatic nucleic acid extractions, real-time PCR equipment and consumables or viral rt pcr kit . Send an email to: info@geneture.com and our professional sales engineer will get back to you within 48 hours. Overview of market area prospect of viral rt pcr kit By region, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa (MEA). North America is further divided into countries such as the United States and Canada. The European region is further divided into The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia and the rest of Europe. The Asia Pacific region is further subdivided into China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia, Southeast Asia and the rest of Asia Pacific. The Latin America region is further subdivided into Brazil, Mexico and the rest of Latin America, and the MEA region is further divided into GCC, Turkey, South Africa and the rest of MEA. Market Demand of the viral rt pcr kit The DNA/RNA Extraction Kit market and other viral rt pcr kits are projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.26% during the forecast period 2022-2027. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the viral rt pcr kit market for a short time due to restrictions on different business and research activities for viral rt pcr kits. In addition, diagnostic tests for other diseases and medical conditions in hospitals and other clinical diagnostic facilities have been affected as COVID-19 has led to fewer patients taking tests. However, the high rate of COVID-19 infection and research activities are undertaken by major companies in the field of sequencing to expand their understanding of the virus and its origins, as well as molecular diagnostics of the SARS-COV-2 virus, have led to the development and launch of many DNA - and RNA-BASED COVID-19 kits, The kits proved so important that they were in great demand. Market drivers for the viral rt pcr kit The growth of the DNA/RNA extraction kit market is primarily driven by increased investment in R&D activities in different areas, including molecular diagnostics for different chronic and infectious diseases. For example, the US spent $842 billion on R&D activities in 2020, followed by China at $664 billion, according to the ORGANISATION for Economic Co-operation and Development. Technological advances worldwide, new product launches by major market players, and an increase in cancer cases are also likely to complement the growth of the markets under study. Other factors, such as increased demand for automation of DNA/RNA extraction technologies, new user-friendly and easy extraction kits, and DNA/RNA for analysis of new diseases causing microorganisms, are expected to drive DNA/RNA growth. RNA Extraction Kit market during the forecast period. Therefore, low awareness and availability of the kit and low market penetration in less developed and developing regions around the world are the major factors limiting the growth of the DNA/RNA extraction kit market. North America is expected to dominate the global viral rt pcr kit market during the forecast period North America, which holds a major share in the viral rt pcr kit market, is expected to show a similar trend during the forecast period, mainly due to the high level of R&D activity in the region and the presence of major market players in the region constantly developing their products for the markets studied. In the region, the US is expected to take a major share of the DNA/RNA extraction kit market due to heavy investment in R&D by government and private entities, increased demand for viral rt pcr kits, and the rising prevalence of chronic diseases. The viral rt pcr kit professional supplier-Geneture Geneture is a professional supplier of Nucleic Acid Extraction Reagent,Automatic Nucleic Acid Extraction,Lab consumables, Real-time PCR, Covid-19 Rapid Test Supplier. Buy high quality and effective DNA & RNA nucleic acid extraction reagent, lab consumables, automatic nucleic acid extractions, real-time PCR equipment and consumables. Feel free to get a qutoe send an email to: info@geneture.com and our professional sales engineer will get back to you within 48 hours. Inquiry us News European electricity prices have reached their highest level on record on the impact of the glow plug timer relay Electricity prices in Europe have reached their highest level since records began. A reduction in Russian gas supplies would ripple through Europe's energy networks and could have lasting effects on industry and households, the report said. Electricity prices are reportedly heavily influenced by the cost of gas, which has recovered to its highest level in four months and more than quadrupled from a year ago as supplies from Russia have been cut. Market introduction of glow plug timer relay Time relay Industry competition and marketization degree: relay industry development is more mature, the market competition is more sufficient, major producing countries including China, the United States, Japan, Germany, etc., including the United States, Japan, Germany enterprise occupies most of the high-end relay market share, is mainly used in industrial automation control, automotive, communications, aerospace and other fields. The output of relays of Chinese enterprises accounts for about half of the global output of relays, but they are mainly medium and low-end products, which are mainly used in household appliances, electricity, automobiles and other fields. Buy Safe and affordable glow plug timer relay time relay, solid state relay and other relay accessories from Juzlong; Solid State Relay Accessories and Time Relay . Email: juzlongchina@gmail.com The situation has also been exacerbated by a reduction in domestic power generation as many of France's nuclear plants have had to be suspended for technical reasons. Germany exported about 600,000 megawatt-hours of net electricity to France in June, compared with 300,000 megawatt hours imported from France in the same period last year, according to the Federal Network Agency. Britain exports the equivalent of 10 percent of its domestic electricity needs to France every day. William Peck, a power market analyst at ICIS, a commodity analysis firm, said the price increase reflected a growing number of traders' expectations that extremely tight gas supplies would continue for at least another year. In addition, the Nord Stream pipeline between Russia and Germany was shut down in July for scheduled maintenance, adding to worries about gas supplies. Germany plans to restore up to 10 gigawatts of coal-fired power generation, but analysis says record coal prices will limit relief in the electricity market. European zinc and aluminum smelters, on the other hand, are under intense pressure from rising energy costs and falling prices. Chris Herron, head of public affairs at the European Metals Association, said the industry had been "in trouble" since September 2021 and there might be real concerns about plant closures if electricity prices remained at such high levels. Basic principles and classification of glow plug timer relay Basic concept and principle of relay: relay is a control component that automatically disconnects when the input parameters (such as electricity, magnetism, light, heat, sound and so on) in the circuit reach a specified value, which can make the output parameters of the circuit change in a predetermined step. In circuits, relays mainly control, protect, regulate and transmit information. The relay has an induction mechanism that reflects external input parameters, an executive mechanism that realizes "on" and "off" control of the controlled circuit, and an intermediate comparison mechanism that compares, judges and converts the size of the input. As a control element, relays have the following functions: (1) Expand the control range, such as multi-contact relay control signal reaches a certain value, according to the different forms of the contact group, at the same time open and close the multi-circuit; (2) amplification, such as sensitive relay, intermediate relay, etc., with a very small amount of control, can control a large power circuit; (3) comprehensive signals, such as when multiple control signals are input into the multi-winding relay in a specified form, after comparison and synthesis, to achieve the predetermined control effect; (4) Automatic, remote control, monitoring, such as the relay on the automatic device and other electrical appliances together, can form a program control circuit, so as to realize automatic operation. In the competition of the glow plug timer relay market, enterprises in the United States, Japan and other developed countries constantly consolidate their dominant position in the global market by establishing technical standards, controlling core technologies, strengthening the integration of industrial chains, and firmly mastering the dominance of technical standards and international rules. In recent years, in order to further strengthen the core competitiveness, enterprises in the United States, Japan and other developed countries continue to expand glow plug timer relay products and speed up technology integration. Their business scope has broken through simple relay manufacturing and developed to industrial control, system integration and other fields. The key to the competition in the high-end field has developed from the competition of quantity to the competition of the basic research and development of new relays, key materials, special equipment and other core products. The raw material of the glow plug timer relay The glow plug timer relay cost of relay is mainly determined by raw materials, which are mainly iron, silver, copper and other metals, accounting for about 74.4% of the production cost, labour and manufacturing costs accounting for 13.7% and 11.9% respectively, silver, copper and iron materials accounting for 36%, 21% and 7% of the raw material cost respectively. The price of three raw materials has a certain impact on the profitability of the whole industry. In addition to the main metal raw materials of the glow plug timer relay, engineering plastics and enamelled wire are also important components of relays, and the overall supply of raw materials is stable at present. The application of the glow plug timer relay The rapid development of glow plug timer relay emerging relays. The application field of relays has changed from traditional application fields, such as household appliances and power automation control equipment, ships and new energy. Relay products have been transformed from low-end products to high-end products, such as high-voltage DC relay, high-performance industrial control relay, low-power energy-saving relay, new-generation communication relay, high-frequency relay, relay control components and other high-performance relays. The value chain of the relay industry is constantly extending to the high-end. In terms of product performance, it is developing towards the direction of more sensitive (low power consumption), smaller volume and higher performance (such as high-frequency relay). Safe and affordable glow plug timer relay supplier Juzlong Electric Co., Ltd. is a high-tech industry integrating research, development and sales. The main products include time relay , small intermediate relay, solid state relay, temperature control instrument, counter, microcomputer time control switch and other piezoelectric devices. Juzlong took the lead in implementing lean production in the industry and established a small-displacement, multi-batch pull production model with Junlong characteristics. Based on the operating system of business value stream, the organization forms an information flow control triggering mode from manufacturing end to business order, and builds a stable production management system. No matter who you are, Junlong technology will provide you with the best quality products at very competitive prices. You are welcome to contact us at any time to obtain the latest quotations for our professional piezoelectric devices. G et a quote for the latest price. Email: juzlongchina@gmail.com Telephone: +86 181 06796660 Inquiry us News New York State declares a disaster emergency over monkeypox outbreak Impact on 96 pcr plate New York state has declared a disaster emergency over an outbreak of monkeypox impacts on the 96 pcr plate New York's rapidly spreading monkeypox outbreak was declared a state disaster emergency late on Friday by Governor Kathy Hochul, as authorities raced to distribute vaccines to contain the spread of the virus. The measure comes as the number of monkeypox infections in New York approaches 1,400, with most of the infections in the city. New York City is the epicenter of the monkeypox outbreak in the United States "With more than a quarter of monkeypox cases in this country occurring in New York State, we need to respond with every tool in our Arsenal," Hochul said of the emergency declaration in a statement. The head of the World Health Organization declared the virus a global health emergency late last week. As of Wednesday, more than 20,000 cases of monkeypox had been detected in 77 countries worldwide. There are now about 4,600 reported cases in the United States, according to USA Today. The executive order specifically expands the pool of eligible individuals who can be vaccinated against monkeypox to include emergency medical service workers, pharmacists and midwives. It also allows physicians and registered nurse practitioners to issue standing orders for non-patient-specific vaccines and requires providers to send vaccine data to state health departments. Meanwhile, the mayor of San Francisco declared a state of emergency in the city on Thursday due to the growing number of cases in the city. There have been 800 cases in California and 261 in San Francisco. "We desperately need vaccines to support the people of San Francisco," London Mayor Breed said. Federal health officials say they are still considering whether to declare monkeypox a public health emergency, which would free up additional resources. After the federal government struggled to get enough monkeypox vaccine earlier this month, supplies have climbed steadily in recent weeks, peaking on Friday with 780,000 doses distributed nationwide. About 110,000 doses were sent to New York, including about 30,000 doses outside the city. Earlier this week, vaccine clinics in the greater New York area, as well as several upstate counties, faced huge demand because of limited vaccine supplies, as people booked appointments within hours. Healthcare workers from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene help people register for the monkeypox vaccine at a vaccination site in New York City on July 26, 2022. On July 29, New York declared a statewide disaster emergency due to monkeypox. Based on previous outbreaks of monkeypox around the world, some groups may also be at increased risk of severe consequences if infected. This includes people with weakened immune systems, older New Yorkers, children under the age of 8 and pregnant women. Overview of market area prospect of 96 pcr plate By region, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa (MEA). North America is further divided into countries such as the United States and Canada. The European region is further divided into The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia and the rest of Europe. The Asia Pacific region is further subdivided into China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia, Southeast Asia and the rest of Asia Pacific. The Latin America region is further subdivided into Brazil, Mexico and the rest of Latin America, and the MEA region is further divided into GCC, Turkey, South Africa and the rest of MEA. Buy high quality and effective DNA & RNA nucleic acid extraction reagent, lab consumables, automatic nucleic acid extractions, real-time PCR equipment and consumables or 96 pcr plate . Send an email to: info@geneture.com and our professional sales engineer will get back to you within 48 hours. Analysis and forecast of the market size of PCR diagnostic industry Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a nucleic acid synthesis technology that uses the principle of DNA double-strand replication to replicate specific DNA fragments in vitro. With this technology, the detection equipment can amplify the target gene in a large number in a short time, expanding the target gene fragment to the order of millions to billions, thus achieving high sensitivity detection. At present, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnosis of infectious diseases such as hepatitis, venereal disease, intestinal respiratory disease and tumor single gene detection is an important application field. In 2020, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostic technology was identified as the "gold standard" for COVID-19 diagnosis due to its high sensitivity and accuracy. China's PCR diagnostic market is developing rapidly, with the market size growing rapidly from about RMB 2.37 billion in 2015 to about RMB 5.93 billion in 2019, with a compound annual growth rate of 25.8%. China's PCR industry experienced explosive growth due to the huge demand for testing caused by the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020, and the market size of China's PCR diagnostic industry exceeded 10 billion yuan in 2020. With the introduction of a large number of PCR diagnostic instruments, the PCR diagnostic industry will enter a new stage of development. It is expected that the PCR diagnostic industry will maintain a double-digit growth rate, and the market size of the PCR diagnostic industry will reach about 23.42 billion yuan in 2030 based on the factory price, and the cagR will reach about 13.3% from 2019 to 2030. Market Demand of the 96 pcr plate The DNA/RNA Extraction Kit market and other 96 pcr plate s are projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.26% during the forecast period 2022-2027. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the 96 pcr plate market for a short time due to restrictions on different business and research activities for 96 pcr plate s. In addition, diagnostic tests for other diseases and medical conditions in hospitals and other clinical diagnostic facilities have been affected as COVID-19 has led to fewer patients taking tests. However, the high rate of COVID-19 infection and research activities are undertaken by major companies in the field of sequencing to expand their understanding of the virus and its origins, as well as molecular diagnostics of the SARS-COV-2 virus, have led to the development and launch of many DNA - and RNA-BASED COVID-19 kits, The kits proved so important that they were in great demand. Market drivers for the 96 pcr plate The growth of the DNA/RNA extraction kit market is primarily driven by increased investment in R&D activities in different areas, including molecular diagnostics for different chronic and infectious diseases. For example, the US spent $842 billion on R&D activities in 2020, followed by China at $664 billion, according to the ORGANISATION for Economic Co-operation and Development. Technological advances worldwide, new product launches by major market players, and an increase in cancer cases are also likely to complement the growth of the markets under study. Other factors, such as increased demand for automation of DNA/RNA extraction technologies, new user-friendly and easy extraction kits, and DNA/RNA for analysis of new diseases causing microorganisms, are expected to drive DNA/RNA growth. RNA Extraction Kit market during the forecast period. Therefore, low awareness and availability of the kit and low market penetration in less developed and developing regions around the world are the major factors limiting the growth of the DNA/RNA extraction kit market. North America is expected to dominate the global 96 pcr plate market during the forecast period North America, which holds a major share in the 96 pcr plate market, is expected to show a similar trend during the forecast period, mainly due to the high level of R&D activity in the region and the presence of major market players in the region constantly developing their products for the markets studied. In the region, the US is expected to take a major share of the DNA/RNA extraction kit market due to heavy investment in R&D by government and private entities, increased demand for 96 pcr plate s, and the rising prevalence of chronic diseases. The 96 pcr plate professional supplier manufacturer -Geneture Geneture is a professional supplier of Nucleic Acid Extraction Reagent,Automatic Nucleic Acid Extraction,Lab consumables, Real-time PCR, Covid-19 Rapid Test Supplier. Buy high quality and effective DNA & RNA nucleic acid extraction reagent, lab consumables, automatic nucleic acid extractions, real-time PCR equipment and consumables. Feel free to get a qutoe send an email to: info@geneture.com and our professional sales engineer will get back to you within 48 hours. Inquiry us Life is always somewhat chaotic and uncertain, but we entrust governments to make it relatively stable and predictable. Citizens and firms need to plan ahead for their daily lives and investments. In an unstable and erratic environment, money is notoriously wasted, personal careers are ruined and family lives are subject to chance. Chaos and order are relative terms, and they are difficult to measure. Successful planning requires not just stability and order, but also knowledge, legitimacy and adequate resources. Governments claim to be in control and are determined to guard our future, but history shows that these claims ought to be taken with a healthy dose of scepticism. In recent years, we have witnessed a series of crises that have not been prevented and which were solved only partially at best. Consider the debt and energy crises, the health crisis caused by COVID-19 or the security crisis caused by Russian military adventures. And I have not yet even come to the environmental crisis or the crisis of trust that do not have a clear beginning or end. We tend to blame neo-liberal folly and the rise of populist politics for our failing to cope with these crises. Neoliberal privatisation and de-regulation have reduced governments abilities to shape economic life in particular. Neo-liberal policies have also generated inequalities that make it difficult to arrive at a common definition of the public good, which is essential for any effective governance. Populism challenged the existing political arrangements such as the balance of power and judicial oversight free from political interference. It also generated what we call post-truth, which questions basic facts and logical reasoning. Excessive polarisation, especially on social media, is also said to be caused by populism. These are all valid arguments, but in my new book The Lost Future and How to Reclaim It I go a step further, suggesting that traditional forms of democratic governance are not well suited for coping with the set of new challenges of this age. Let us ask one fundamental question: Is democratic governance up to the challenge created by the digital revolution? The digital revolution is a good example to consider because it evolved only in the past three decades, changing Europe and the world beyond recognition. The internet produced a flat world with porous borders, created a high-speed society, generated instantaneous communication, prompted connectivity wars, caused the rise of market states and the unprecedented upsurge of networks, to mention only some of the most discussed developments. However, democratic governance hardly took notice of the ever more compressed time and space generated by the digital revolution. Democratic institutions rely on time-consuming deliberation, negotiation and adjudication. Citizens participation also takes time. And this is mostly confined to national borders. When the global financial crisis struck Europe, governments decided to apply national solutions to multinational banks only to learn that things are more complicated and we need a European response to the crisis. The first reaction of our democratic governments to the spread of a deadly virus was to seal national borders, although the geography of the pandemic revealed a much more complex net of contagion. Migration that represents a trans-border phenomenon sui generis is still handled chiefly by national governments, some of which are engaged in erecting new walls on their borders rather than joining forces to distribute migrants and address the roots of migration in zones of war and poverty. Governments responses to the internet-induced acceleration and communication amounts to emergency measures with little reflection, transparency and deliberation. Yet this WhatsApp governance, to use Jonathan Whites expression, rewards hype and spin generating accidental short-term fixes rather than adequate measures to address the problems at hand. The above-mentioned shortcomings of our democratic governance do not necessarily lead to an apocalypse but they result in suboptimal solutions that make it difficult for Europe to punch its weight. They make citizens cynical, atomised and unable to form a common front for anything constructive. Above all, they dash hope for a better future. In 2017, the Pew Foundation discovered that in France, only 9% of those polled declared that their children would be better off, while 71% believed that they would be worse off. Data for other Western democracies were not any brighter. Governance in its essence is about mastering time and space, and the current democratic institutions are poorly suited to meet this challenge because democratic governance is tied to nation-states defending the selfish interests of a given territory. Democracy is also hostage to present-day voters with detrimental implications for future generations. This explains why politics stumble in the ever more interdependent global environment, running at an ever faster pace. When politics, time and space are out of sync, governance is notoriously inadequate and enjoys weak legitimacy. Various efforts have been undertaken to address the short-sightedness of democratic governance. We tried to create institutions responsible for safeguarding the future such as the Committee for the Future in Finland or the Hungarian Ombudsman for the Future Generations, but they have not been taken seriously by politicians. We tried to delegate decisions to non-majoritarian institutions such as Constitutional Courts and Central Banks, with the hope that it will reduce voters selfishness and MPs short-sightedness. Unfortunately, this stirred up a populist revolt claiming that the sovereign people were effectively deprived of their voice. We tried to empower transnational institutions like the EU, but this has failed to curb national selfishness. After all, at the EU decision-making table we have leaders of 27 member states trying to defend national interests. Not all of them are hard sovereignists, but even soft ones need to respond to their own electorate. I believe that the limited success of addressing problems related to myopic governance is due to the wrong diagnosis. We were unable to acknowledge that the key player in democratic governance the nation-state is unable to perform many of its traditional functions. We stuck to the old-fashioned and increasingly illusory notion of national sovereignty even though numerous local and transnational actors are needed to address the challenges of the 21st century. The end result is quite perverse. European integration intended to put the ghost of nationalism to rest, but we observe the greatest rise in nationalism since the World War II. After decades of introducing the concept of shared sovereignty, governments are now trying to reclaim sovereignty from local and transnational actors. Let us return to our example: the digital revolution has empowered informal networks at the expense of highly institutional states. The ever greater role of cities in providing public goods and administering public provisions shows this well. Large cities, in particular, are multiethnic and multinational hotspots providing jobs, transport, education and security. Connectivity is in their DNA and, unlike states, they rely chiefly on informal functional arrangements rather than borders, laws and hierarchy. The EU is also a kind of network, with Brussels acting like a concentrated point of intersection and interaction rather than commanding centre. The EU is bound by the formal treaty, but its governance is increasingly non-territorial, multi-level and multi-centred. The problem is that formal powers and resources are monopolised by states that are no longer able to perform their traditional functions effectively and legitimately. Networks are seen as states agents at best, and as enemies of state at worse. Consider how the EU was portrayed not just by the advocates of Brexit, but such prominent EU politicians as Giorgia Meloni, Mateusz Morawiecki or Viktor Orban. Networks of NGOs saving lives of migrants or campaigning for the protection of the natural environment are increasingly treated as traitors by states. This must change. If states want to be effective and legitimate, they must join hands with networks willing and able to contribute to governing. Multi-level governance is a nice but empty slogan. It is time to give it a real meaning or else chaos will prevail, initially in poor peripheries and later in affluent centres. Source: Stefan Quenneville March 30, 2023 (Investorideas.com Newswire) The Canadian specialty pharma, with a proven track record of in-licensing and acquiring late-stage assets, is "poised to grow meaningfully in the coming years," noted an Echelon Capital Markets report. Medexus Pharmaceuticals Inc. (MDP:TSX; MEDXF:OTCQX) attracted the attention of Echelon Capital Markets, which just initiated coverage on the specialty pharma with a Speculative Buy rating, reported analyst Stefan Quenneville in a March 24 research note. Medexus is a rare disease pharma concentrating on rheumatology, autoimmune disease, specialty oncology, allergy, and pediatric diseases and operating in the U.S. and Canada. "With a stable core portfolio of commercial assets, the company's topline is poised to grow meaningfully in the coming years via successful growth product launches and label expansions," Quenneville wrote. Echelon assigned Medexus a CA$3 per share target price, and this reflects potential 140% gains for investors from the current share price of CA$1.25, noted Quenneville. Also of note, the Canadian firm is trading below its peers. Quenneville presented the information prospective investors should know about this drug company. Successful Strategy Now with 17 commercial-stage medicines, Medexus has proven its business model of in-licensing or acquiring drugs for rare diseases to be successful. These higher-priced products afford the company "particularly wide moats and sticky revenues," Quenneville noted. With this approach, the pharma increased its revenue per salesperson by about 80% over the last four years. With ongoing capital and sales infrastructure growth, Medexus can add to its portfolio products with increasingly greater market potential. Solid Product Base The pharma has both a stable core portfolio of drugs and high-growth launch products. The mature drugs in it, Metoject and Rupall, for instance, should continue providing growth and cash flows over the coming years. Currently, they comprise about 88% of revenues. More recently added leading products, such as IXINITY and Gleolan, should provide topline growth, increasing to an estimated 35%-plus of revenues by 2029 and enhancing profitability. "The aggregate gross margin is expected to be pulled up significantly over this horizon," added Quenneville. "Similarly, the company expects to leverage its existing salesforce in the launches of Gleolan and Treosulfan to drive down sales, general and administrative expense as a percentage of revenues." Optionality With Treosulfan Medexus has an investigative drug, Treosulfan, that could launch commercially in the U.S. next year for pre-transplant immune conditioning, and Echelon expects it will be approved. It is already approved in Canada and Europe for this indication. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has requested additional information, and resubmission of the new drug application (NDA) is expected to be done in early 2024. U.S. approval of Treosulfan would increase Echelon's target price on Medexus to CA$5.20, for a 316% upside. Even if Treosulfan does not get approved, Quenneville wrote, "We believe the potential upside for investors meaningfully outweighs the potential downside." Events To Watch For Medexus has several potential catalysts happening in the near term. One is the Treosulfan NDA refiling. Others are updates on re-launch updates on Gleolan in the U.S. and a label expansion of IXINITY to include pediatrics. What's more, there is always the potential for additional drug acquisitions or in-licensings. Significant Insider Ownership Medexus insiders, including management, the board of directors members, and others, together own 13% of the company's shares. CEO and director Ken d'Entremont owns the biggest chunk, 7%. "Given Medexus' growth by acquisition strategy, we believe meaningful insider ownership by management is important for the creation of value for shareholders," Quenneville commented. Capital Structure, Finances Medexus has 20 million (20M) common shares and 17.1M potentially dilutive securities, Quenneville reported. In the last report, the company had US$9.3M in cash and US$71M in debt. It still owes and is making payments for the acquisitions of medac Pharma and Aptevo. Earlier this month, the company entered a three-year senior secured credit agreement for a US$35 million (US$35M) term loan facility, a US$3.5M revolving loan facility for working capital, and an additional US$20M uncommitted accordion feature. Disclosures: 1) Doresa Banning wrote this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an independent contractor. She or members of her household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. She or members of her household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. 2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: None. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. As of the date of this article, an affiliate of Streetwise Reports has a consulting relationship with: None. Please click here for more information. 3) Comments and opinions expressed are those of the specific experts and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. 4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports. 5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the decision to publish an article until three business days after the publication of the article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. 6) This article does not constitute medical advice. Officers, employees and contributors to Streetwise Reports are not licensed medical professionals. Readers should always contact their healthcare professionals for medical advice. Disclosures for Echelon Capital Markets, Medexus Pharmaceuticals Inc., March 24, 2023 Echelon Wealth Partners Inc. is a member of IIROC and CIPF. The documents on this website have been prepared for the viewer only as an example of strategy consistent with our recommendations; it is not an offer to buy or sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any security or instrument or to participate in any particular investing strategy. Any opinions or recommendations expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Echelon Wealth Partners Inc. Echelon Wealth Partners Inc. cannot accept any trading instructions via e-mail as the timely receipt of e-mail messages, or their integrity over the Internet, cannot be guaranteed. Dividend yields change as stock prices change, and companies may change or cancel dividend payments in the future. All securities involve varying amounts of risk, and their values will fluctuate, and the fluctuation of foreign currency exchange rates will also impact your investment returns if measured in Canadian Dollars. Past performance does not guarantee future returns, investments may increase or decrease in value, and you may lose money. Data from various sources were used in the preparation of these documents; the information is believed but in no way warranted to be reliable, accurate and appropriate. Echelon Wealth Partners Inc. employees may buy and sell shares of the companies that are recommended for their own accounts and for the accounts of other clients. Echelon Wealth Partners compensates its Research Analysts from a variety of sources. The Research Department is a cost centre and is funded by the business activities of Echelon Wealth Partners including, Institutional Equity Sales and Trading, Retail Sales and Corporate and Investment Banking. Research Dissemination Policy: All final research reports are disseminated to existing and potential clients of Echelon Wealth Partners Inc. simultaneously in electronic form. Hard copies will be disseminated to any client that has requested to be on the distribution list of Echelon Wealth Partners Inc. Clients may also receive Echelon Wealth Partners Inc. research via third party vendors. To receive Echelon Wealth Partners Inc. research reports, please contact your Registered Representative. Reproduction of any research report in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Canadian Disclosures: To make further inquiry related to this report, Canadian residents should contact their Echelon Wealth Partners professional representative. To effect any transaction, Canadian residents should contact their Echelon Wealth Partners Investment advisor. U.S. Disclosures: This research report was prepared by Echelon Wealth Partners Inc., a member of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada and the Canadian Investor Protection Fund. This report does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities discussed herein. Echelon Wealth Partners Inc. is not registered as a broker-dealer in the United States and is not subject to U.S. rules regarding the preparation of research reports and the independence of research analysts. Any resulting transactions should be effected through a U.S. broker-dealer. U.K. Disclosures: This research report was prepared by Echelon Wealth Partners Inc., a member of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada and the Canadian Investor Protection Fund. ECHELON WEALTH PARTNERS INC. IS NOT SUBJECT TO U.K. RULES WITH REGARD TO THE PREPARATION OF RESEARCH REPORTS AND THE INDEPENDENCE OF ANALYSTS. The contents hereof are intended solely for the use of and may only be issued or passed onto persons described in part VI of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2001. This report does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities discussed herein. ANALYST CERTIFICATION Company: Medexus Pharmaceuticals Inc. | TSX:MDP I, Stefan Quenneville, hereby certify that the views expressed in this report accurately reflect my personal views about the subject securities or issuers. I also certify that I have not, am not, and will not receive, directly or indirectly, compensation in exchange for expressing the specific recommendations or views in this report. During the last 12 months, Echelon Wealth Partners Inc. has provided financial advice to and/or, either on its own or as a syndicate member, participated in a public offering, or private placement of securities of this issuer. During the last 12 months, Echelon Wealth Partners Inc. has received compensation for having provided investment banking or related services to this Issuer. More Info: This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions. More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/ and tickertagstocknews.com Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp Source: Streetwise Reports March 30, 2023 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Silver Hammer Mining Corp. shows how data collected in last year's drilling and exploration projects will inform next year's strategy. Click here to read about their development plans, upcoming catalyst, and what experts are saying. Silver Hammer Mining Corp. (HAMR:CSE; HAMRF:OTCQB FWB: 7BW0) has released an overview of its three projects, Silver Strand, Eliza, and Silverton, and details on how the data collected during previous exploration programs will inform future plans for exploration and development for the company. Silver Hammer has made new hires for its technical team, compiled data from its exploration work to date, and taken measures to advance projects to drill readiness. Silver Hammer is a Canadian junior resource exploration company whose primary focus is silver, though some of the Company's projects have shown potential for gold and copper mineralization as well. Silver Hammer has accumulated a set of historically producing projects for brownfield exploration in the mining-friendly districts of Idaho and Nevada. Silver Hammer Reveals Foundational Data Silver Hammer's leadership and technical teams, including Don Birak, Ron Burk, Lawrence Roulston, and Phil Mulholland, each with experience in the industry, are working to prepare the Silver Strand, Eliza, and Silverton projects for upcoming exploration plans. Silver Hammer has also put out an overview of past exploration on its three projects outlining how the data collected will inform its future plans. Drilling at the Idaho-based Silver Strand project in 2021 and 2022 revealed encouraging results. Some of the highlights of last year's drilling included 10.90 g/t Au and 522.00 g/t Ag over 1.50m on hole DDH02-004 and 10.20 g/t Au and 199.06 g/t Ag over 3.30m on hole DDH02-003. The Eliza Project, located in Nevada, also revealed encouraging results last year, on which the company plans to follow up with further exploration. Some highlights of the results from last year include sample EZR007 with 1540 g/t Ag, 6.88% Cu, and 7.38% Zn, as well as sample EZR008, which found 1410 g/t Ag, 5.40% Cu, 2.60% Zn, and 9.05% Pb. These findings were the result of chip-and-grab samples. Last year, the company identified two separate systems: one silver, and one gold, at its Silverton Project in Nevada, which currently has 13 permitted drill sites. The company will prioritize drill targets ahead of a Phase 2 drill program planned for 2023. Why Silver and Gold? Silver and gold have seen widespread interest from investors as confidence in the economy dips. As OANDA senior market analyst Ed Moya has said, "Gold is rising after jobless claims reminded traders that the labor market is tight, complicating a growing number of Fed rate cut bets. Gold is going to shine here, and it seems positioned to find a home above the US$2000 level." Silver is also seeing a rise in industrial applications from the green energy and electronics sectors. Silver is especially essential in the production of solar panels, and, according to analyst Rick Mills of Ahead of the Herd, "It is estimated about 100 million ounces of silver are consumed per year for this purpose alone. This figure is expected to rise in the coming years, with continued growth of electricity demand and renewable energy aspirations all pointing to rising solar power penetration." In another analysis, Mills observed that while both gold and silver are going strong, between the two, silver may be pulling ahead. He said, "The banking crisis, along with other normal gold price drivers . . . pushed gold to within a hundred dollars of its all-time high this week. At around US$21, silver has yet to break out." Catalyst: Building the Future at Silver Hammer Silver Hammer intends to submit a property-wide Plan of Operations for the Eliza project to the United States Forest Service (USFS) in order to expand its operations on the property and advance to a drill-ready state. The company will conduct exploration for a drill program this year on the patented ground, including the California Mine, which has a history of high-grade production. Silver Hammer is also preparing a geophysical study, including ground truthing, geologic mapping, and structural analysis in order to strategically place drill targets. Silver Hammer plans to expand on the findings at Silver Strand by executing an extensive property-wide exploration plan. It reports that the majority of the samples it has already taken revealed the presence of gold and silver. It is also preparing the results of a property-wide geophysical interpretation. This will include Induced Polarization (IP)/Resistivity, Very Low Frequency (VLF), and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) magnetic surveys. This plan will be submitted to the USFS in April of 2023. More details on this plan will be forthcoming at that time. The Company aims to increase its property holdings through district-wide accretive property acquisitions and expansion. In a March 27, 2023 newsletter Jeff Clark of The Gold Advisor commented on Silver Hammer's 2023 exploration plans, saying, "It looks to be an aggressive year for this company, and at the current market cap the stock could easily pop on any significant success." Ownership and Share Structure Silver Hammer insiders own 8.37% of the company. Lawrence Roulston, a director, owns 2.30%, with 600,000 shares, Alnesh Mohan, the CFO, owns 0.37%, with 175,000 shares, Joness Lang, a director, owns 0.16%, with 73,000 shares, and Ron Burk, a director, owns 0.16%, with 75,000 shares. According to Reuters, 0.65% of the company is held by institutional investors, with Palos Management Inc. holding the most at 0.64%, with 0.30 million shares. The rest is in retail. Silver Hammer has CA<$1 million in the bank, with a monthly burn rate of CA$120 thousand, and no monthly drilling cost, as they are not currently drilling. As for warrants overhang, they have only 61,250 in the money warrants at CA$0.10. The balance (552,831) at CA$0.38 will expire in June 2024, 6.7 million at CA$0.50 will expire in June 2023, and 3.96 million at CA$0.50 will expire on June 2024. Silver Hammer has a market cap of CA$12.6 million based on a 50-day moving average and has 46,713,662 shares, 11,289,538 warrants, and 4,035,000 options. It trades in the 52-week range between CA$0.22 and CA$0.74. Disclosure: 1) Amanda Duvall wrote this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an employee. She or members of her household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. She or members of her household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. Her company has a financial relationship with the following companies referred to in this article: None. 2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: Silver Hammer Mining Corp. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. As of the date of this article, an affiliate of Streetwise Reports has a consulting relationship with: None. Please click here for more information. An affiliate of Streetwise Reports is conducting a digital media marketing campaign for this article on behalf of: None. Please click here for more information. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. 3) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports. 4) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the decision to publish an article until three business days after the publication of the article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Silver Hammer Mining Corp., a company mentioned in this article. More Info: This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions. More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/ and tickertagstocknews.com Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp Source: Adam Schatzker March 30, 2023 (Investorideas.com Newswire) The mining firm's systematic and scientific approach to exploring its Ontario property continues to yield discoveries, noted a Research Capital Corp. report. Palladium One Mining Inc. (PDM:TSX.V; NKORF:OTCQB; 7N11:FSE) confirmed the presence of a fifth mineralized zone it named Ember at its Tyko project in Ontario, Canada, reported Research Capital Corp. analyst Adam Schatzker in a March 27 research note. "The discovery of another zone is very important as it continues to highlight the potential of the Tyko property and helps demonstrate that the exploration methods being used at Tyko by Palladium One are working to identify mineralized systems," Schatzker commented. Projected 233% Return The potential return for Palladium One investors is significant, at about 233%, Schatzker pointed out. This is implied in Research Capital's CA$0.30 per share target price on the mining firm given it is currently trading at about CA$0.09 per share. Palladium One is a Speculative Buy. More on Ember Ember is next to one of what Palladium One determined to be chonoliths, Schatzker explained, in the eastern part of Tyko. Ember first appeared as two anomalies on a 2021 versatile time domain electromagnetic (VTEM) survey, and soil samples from the area returned elevated copper and nickel values. The Canadian minerals explorer confirmed it as a zone of mineralization with the latest released batch of 2022 drill results, for 13 holes. Of these, six encountered copper-nickel mineralization like that in the other zones: West Pickle, RJ, Smoke and Tyko. Results of the final 14 holes from the 2022 program are pending. Possible Link to Target Previously, the Cupa Lake target at Tyko also showed a VTEM anomaly as well as the presence of copper and nickel in soils, 17 and three times the amount demonstrated at Ember, respectively, Schatzker relayed. As such, Palladium One suspects Ember and Cupa Lake are linked somehow. The company plans to test this hypothesis by drilling Cupa Lake once it receives its exploration permit to do so. 2023 Work Underway Palladium One already kicked off this year's field season, beginning with a high-resolution magnetic survey. This will help the team better understand Tyko's geology and define drill targets. "We continue to believe that the Tyko project is very promising, but its size and numerous mineralized targets will make it somewhat challenging to find a large, economic deposit," Schatzker wrote. "We think 2023 could be a very exciting year for Tyko." Disclosures: 1) Doresa Banning compiled this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an independent contractor. She or members of her household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. She or members of her household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. 2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: None. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. 3) Comments and opinions expressed are those of the specific experts and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. 4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports. 5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the decision to publish an article until three business days after the publication of the article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. Disclosures for Research Capital Corp., Palladium One Mining, March 27, 2023 Analyst Certification: I, Adam Schatzker, certify the views expressed in this report were formed by my review of relevant company data and industry investigation, and accurately reflect my opinion about the investment merits of the securities mentioned in the report. I also certify that my compensation is not related to specific recommendations or views expressed in this report. Research Capital Corporation publishes research and investment recommendations for the use of its clients. Information regarding our categories of recommendations, quarterly summaries of the percentage of our recommendations which fall into each category and our policies regarding the release of our research reports is available at www.researchcapital.com or may be requested by contacting the analyst. Each analyst of Research Capital Corporation whose name appears in this report hereby certifies that (i) the recommendations and opinions expressed in this research report accurately reflect the analyst's personal views and (ii) no part of the research analyst's compensation was or will be directly or indirectly related to the specific conclusions or recommendations expressed in this research report. Adam Schatzker has visited Palladium One Mining Inc. in the past 18 months. Relevant Disclosures Applicable to Companies Under Coverage Relevant disclosures required under IIROC Rule 3400 applicable to companies under coverage discussed in this research report are available on our website at www.researchcapital.ca General Disclosures: The opinions, estimates and projections contained in all Research Reports published by Research Capital Corporation ("RCC") are those of RCC as of the date of publication and are subject to change without notice. RCC makes every effort to ensure that the contents have been compiled or derived from sources believed to be reliable and that contain information and opinions that are accurate and complete; RCC makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, in respect thereof, takes no responsibility for any errors and omissions which may be contained therein and accepts no liability whatsoever for any loss arising from any use of or reliance on its Research Reports or its contents. Information may be available to RCC that is not contained therein. Research Reports disseminated by RCC are not a solicitation to buy or sell. All securities not available in all jurisdictions. Potential Conflicts of Interest: All Research Capital Corporation ("RCC") Analysts are compensated based in part on the overall revenues of RCC, a portion of which are generated by investment banking activities. RCC may have had, or seek to have, an investment banking relationship with companies mentioned in this report. RCC and/or its officers, directors and employees may from time to time acquire, hold or sell securities mentioned in our Research Reports as principal or agent. RCC makes every effort possible to avoid conflicts of interest, however readers should assume that a conflict might exist, and therefore not rely solely on this report when evaluating whether or not to buy or sell the securities of subject companies. RC USA INC.: Information about Research Capital Corporation's Rating System, the distribution of our research to clients and the percentage of recommendations which are in each of our rating categories is available on our website at www.researchcapital.com. The information contained in this report has been drawn from sources believed to be reliable but its accuracy or completeness is not guaranteed, nor in providing it does Research Capital Corporation assume any responsibility or liability. Research Capital Corporation, its directors, officers and other employees may, from time to time, have positions in the securities mentioned herein. Contents of this report cannot be reproduced in whole or in part without the express permission of Research Capital Corporation. US Institutional Clients - Research Capital USA Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Research Capital Corporation, accepts responsibility for the contents of this report subject to the terms and limitations set out above. US firms or institutions receiving this report should effect transactions in securities discussed in the report through Research Capital USA Inc., a Broker - Dealer registered with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). More Info: This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions. More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/ and tickertagstocknews.com Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp Cork Airport is set to receive 6m from the Government in capital funding towards its security screening processes as part of a 16.6m investment in regional airports. Ireland West Airport, otherwise known as Knock Airport, will receive just over 5m in funding, while Shannon Airport is set to receive more than 4.6m. Meanwhile, smaller airports such as Donegal and Kerry will receive 586,604 and 419,988 respectively. The investment is being made under the Regional Airports Programme 2021-2025. The Department of Transport said these allocations would contribute towards capital investment in the areas of safety and security at airports as well as supporting projects with a sustainability focus. Cork Airport was not originally entitled for support under the 2023 programme but the department said it was providing 6m for the commencement of a significant CAT 3 security screening project. The security screening technology allows both electronic and liquids to be left in hand luggage while screening so security checks can be done more quickly. This project is currently being assessed by the department in line with the Public Spending Code. Funding to support projects employing this CAT 3 security screening technologies at Shannon, Donegal, and Kerry airports have already been provided. Ireland West Airport has also received approval for these security screening improvements as part of this round of funding. The funding announcement was made in Shannon Airport on Thursday by Junior Minister Jack Chambers, who has responsibility for aviation. Mr Chambers said he expected 2023 to be a busy year for Shannon Airport, with the number of passengers passing through already higher than 2019 levels. He added this funding would support significant airfield rehabilitation at Shannon Airport as well as three new passenger air bridges. Security screening equipment upgrades are also being supported, along with the continued support for water supply system upgrade works, he said. Among the approved project types for this funding include plans for carbon reduction, electrification of airport vehicle fleets, upgrades to electrical and water systems as well as safety measures. Swedish furniture giant Ikea has not ruled out opening a full-sized store in Cork in the near future as it continues to invest in expanding its presence in Ireland. Ikea country deputy retail manager Marsha Smith hinted at the possibility of more stores in the Republic of Ireland following an announcement by the company that it will open a new warehouse in Ireland following the success of its outlets in Dublin and Belfast. The dream is that we will have more full-sized stores like the one in Ballymun, said Ms Smith. Ikea has ramped up investment into Ireland recently as it plans to open a retail order point in Cork this spring, where people can plan their kitchens and bedrooms and then order what they need, in addition to building a new warehouse in Dublin. The warehouse will be Ikeas first customer distribution centre (CDC) in the Republic and will be based in Greenogue Logistics Park in Dublin, which Ikea parent company Ingka Investments acquired from Palm Capital for an undisclosed sum. The new facility is expected to reduce delivery lead times by more than half and create around 120 jobs across warehousing, logistics, and administration by the time it becomes fully operational in early 2024. The CDC will allow the company to hold extra stock in Ireland rather than importing it from the UK or Belgium and dragging out delivery times to homes across the island. We want people to enjoy the Ikea experience no matter where they choose to engage with us, whether through our full-size store, plan and order points, or online, said Jakob Bertilsson, country customer fulfilment manager at Ikea UK and Ireland. Ikeas first distribution centre in the Republic of Ireland will be at Greenogue Logistics Park, Dublin. The warehouse reflects Ikeas recent venture into the green energy market as it will have rainwater-harvesting features and roof-based solar panels. Last month, Ingka Investments bought a stake in a planned Australian wind farm as it seeks long-term access to renewable energy. These announcements signal Ikea has renewed expansion ambitions for Ireland, as it opened its first store in the Republic in 2009. The flatpack furniture seller has since opened two small collection points, one in Dublin and another in Kildare. We take our time to get into anything, said Ms Smith. Meanwhile, rival Jysk, a Danish home furniture chain, has been growing rapidly across Ireland and plans to open nine new stores this year. The two retailers continue to purse this growth despite an ongoing cost-of-living crisis putting pressure on consumers pockets. Ikea is not immune to recent financial pressures either as last year it increased prices to offset lower volumes and rising purchasing and transport costs. In its annual trading update for 2022, Ikeas outlook for this year was cautious due to an "uncertain environment". Ingka Group reported a 9% rise in annual operating profit last year following the price hikes. The world's biggest furniture retailer said it will remain prudent and cost conscious around investments planned for this year. Some 300 Cork school children are to perform as part of the opening gala of Cork International Choral Festival. The citys oldest festival will be back for its 68th iteration this May bank holiday weekend, welcoming upwards of 5,000 performers from Ireland, Europe, the UK and Canada. This years festival is expected to welcome the largest international attendance since pre-pandemic times, with tens of thousands of visitors expected to descend on Cork for the internationally renowned festival which takes place from April 26 to April 30. Choirs will participate in gala performances, national and international trophy competitions, fringe concerts, workshops, and free public performances in more than 90 venues throughout Cork city and county as part of the festival, including Cork City Hall, St Fin Barres Cathedral, Emmet Place and Triskel Christchurch. About 300 Cork school children will perform at the opening gala of this year's Cork International Choral Festival. This year, the Cobh Fringe will also return, with a new performance on Spike Island. Some events not to miss include the annual Big Sing, which returns on Saturday, April 29. During this fun participative public event, singers of all ages and levels of experience are invited along to be part of the largest choir of the festival. No advanced preparation is necessary as music and lyrics will be handed out on the day. The annual Aloys Fleischmann International Trophy competition, will also take place over the weekend, which offers audiences the opportunity to hear some of the worlds top amateur choirs competing for one of Europes most prestigious choral prizes. St Fin Barres Cathedral will again be one of the venues for Cork International Choral Festival. Picture: Jed Niezgoda And, audiences can hear some 3,000 primary school children take to the stage for the Opening Gala Concert on Wednesday 26. Acclaimed conductor Bernie Sherlock will conduct the first half, with artistic Director Peter Stobart conducting the second half. The Cork International Choral Festival is supported by the Arts Council, Failte Ireland, Cork City Council and Cork County Council, with the Irish Examiner and Evening Echo as media partners. For Festival Tickets and more information see corkchoral.ie Its almost the end of the road for series eight of First Dates Ireland with the final episode set to air next Thursday. But before that, this week's installment brought us on a journey back to some of 2022s most memorable matchups. From awkward moments (some made more so by social distancing), to success stories and cringe-worthy clangers, there was a lot to unpack in this throwback. The return of Hughie Maughan Hughie gets a second shot at love with Jason A face now synonymous with the First Dates restaurant, 2022 saw the return of the hilarious Hughie Maughan. The former Dancing with the Stars contestant made his way into the Gibson Hotel once again but this time he had new hair and a new bum. His date Jason remembered Hughie from his first appearance on the show back in 2021 which lets just say didnt go too well. Hughie as always is honest and open and doesnt hold back. He tells his date all about his new 9,000 bum. Its at this point that we remember his date would eventually say no to seeing our hilarious Hugie again. After we relive that moment, maitre d Mateo steps in and takes Jason's place in order to give Hughie the yes he deserves. I love every time you come in. You [light] up the room, he tells his First Dates regular. Its two thumbs up from the lads before were whisked back in time to another memorable date. Success stories Shez and Carla got engaged after appearing on First Dates Ireland Despite a generous helping of awkward moments, the episode did remind us that some people do find love in the First Dates restaurant. One couple who can attest to that are Carla and Shez. The happy pair were put together on the show back in 2020. Now engaged, they returned to the restaurant for a very special champagne toast with Mateo. Shes more than I asked for. Shes the most beautiful girl in the world and I love her to bits inside and out. Its been the best year ever since I met her, says Shez of fiancee (queue the aws). This season Carla's mother, Phil also appeared on the show and was hoping to repeat the success of her daughter. Later, we see another familiar face as Lain makes another appearance. Lain had been on the show not once but twice and on his third visit to the restaurant, he has a very special someone with him. His fiance Ryan tells us he had spotted Lain on First Dates and as the kids say, he slid into his DMs. Lain proposed outside Stephens Green Shopping Centre, where they first met. While they didnt meet on the show, it definitely facilitated this love story, so we reckon it counts as First Dates success. The unexpected class reunion of Aisling and Mervyn They say theres plenty of fish in the sea, but First Dates often reminds us of just how small that pool is in Ireland. Every time a pairing realises they only live down the road from one another, or that they have a mutual friend or that they have actually dated before we remember how tiny our little island is. For Aisling and Mervyn, it was a bit of a class reunion. Long time no see, Mervyn says when he greets his date at the bar. I dont know what to say, she says before he fittingly adds: Small world. Avid viewers will remember this pair went to school together and as the barman Neil says, they have a head start. They sat beside each other in school for five years, and Aisling even told Mervyn she would marry him someday. Yeah sure well meet up again, he says when asked the dreaded would you like to see each other again question. Yes indeed. For sure, Aisling says. As they walk literally into the sunset we hear Aisling say: Of all the people in the whole world, I meet someone Ive known since Im 12 years of age. All together now: Awww. Fashion favourites Patrick and Elvira When it comes to style, the First Dates restaurant has it all. In 2022, there were a couple of stand-out fashion favourites. The first we are reminded of is Michael who, dressed in a striking blue suit, seemed to be after Mateos job. But it was Patrick that really impressed with his look. The Monaghan native dressed in an exquisite blazer and tells us he engages in peacocking which essentially means he wants to get noticed. Matching his energy and his outfit, his date Elvira from Dublin also stuns in a dress and fur coat, complete with a fan to keep her cool. Grace and Philip Meanwhile, were reintroduced to Grace (49) who eats and breathes fashion. This memorable dater definitely stood out in her puffy pink dress and matching sparkly facemask. Glamourous Graces date is Philip (46) from Galway. This date is certainly a memorable one as the pair discovers they were both adopted. Grace explains that she was adopted when she was two and a half but it didnt work out and when she was four and a half she was fostered and had a beautiful childhood on the farm. While her mother passed away before she found her, Grace did eventually meet her siblings and was welcomed into the family with open arms. Unfortunately, Philip tells her that his parents did not want to meet him. Its in the past, you cant change it, but you change your future, she tells him. Divided by the covid restrictions partition, we all squealed with excitement when Grace and Philip said yes to another date. The definitely debacle Ellie and Cian Ending on another funny note, how could we forget Cian and Ellies debate over the pronunciation of the word definitely? Cian from Wexford says def-in-ite-ly while Ellie from Limerick says it well, the way we all do. The whole thing has Ellie in stitches and after a couple of minutes, we are too. I was weak at him. Some craic. Ill be taking that home with me now, she says of the pronunciation. The Limerick accent is also such a turn on, according to Cian. Your laugh is good as well. Giddy. I like a giddy person. Definitely, he adds (pronounced def-in-ite-ly). Asked if she fancied him, Ellie says: Definitely (not the way Cian pronounces it). Oh well, maybe it will catch on eventually. Gabh mo leithsceal. An bhfuil cead agam Cant you just feel it? That dul go dti an leithreas bubbling in your mouth like popping candy? How often did you say it when you were at school? Squirming, trying to find the right time to interrupt an otherwise quiet lesson, wondering if your request came too close to someone elses. And the refusals! I still remember the smack of them. It may be why Im deeply uncomfortable with adults policing toileting and access to toilets in schools. As far as Im concerned children shouldnt have to ask. My childrens school does it brilliantly and I can only hope there are plenty of schools like them. Students dont say anything. They simply make a T shape with their hands for the toilet. Anyone can go if the cubicle in their classroom is free. Some teachers ask kids to put a teddy bear at their desk to show the toilet is occupied. That way, the class can almost manage it themselves. Students in less trusting schools literally feel the pinch of the toilet police. Aaron, aged 15, says: For teachers, its as if the whole class shares one communal bladder. But the guy getting to go to the toilet next to me has no impact on the fact that I still need the toilet. Poor Aaron. I feel his pain. I was a nervous child. I went to the toilet a lot. And I mean a lot. I used to pee when I laughed too hard. I once peed from nervousness on stage. And now, three giant babies later, Im no better. I rush to the toilet between most lessons. Its part-habit now but I cant help it. This is why I refuse to deny any child a trip to the loo. But I know a lot of teachers who think differently. What if it is a way to get out of class? To mess around? Or to distract others? What if students are making a fool of teachers, abusing their good will? What ifs still play a big role in schools far too big. Students deserve the benefit of the doubt and running a classroom based on worst-case scenarios sets the bar far too low. Children generally behave well when you expect it of them. If a student is poorly-behaved, that is something a school should respond to as part of a deeper, broader, private conversation. It is not something that should determine the treatment of every child. I know plenty of schools where children must get a toilet pass with a medical note if they want to leave mid-class. Others are asked to hand up their journals to be signed in and out. They are told that if they ask too often in one week it can become an issue. It all makes me uncomfortable. Every human being has a right to go to the toilet whenever the need arises and peoples bodies are their own business, whatever their age. How can any teacher possibly know whats going on for every child, particularly at secondary where youre dealing with dozens of students every day? A student might have a heavy period, an upset stomach, or a weak or nervous bladder. One case in England hit the headlines recently when a girl ended up bleeding through her clothes on her first period. Another school erupted in protests when students were asked to show a red card when menstruating. The INTO, the teachers union for primary schools shares guidelines on toileting saying: If at all possible, children should not be forced to line up and go to the toilet at specific times of the day. Where possible, children should be facilitated to go to the toilet when the need arises. They advise: If it is noticed that a child is going to the toilet too frequently, his/her parents should be informed, in order that they can have the child checked out medically, so that the teacher will know whether it is reasonable to limit the number of times such a child goes out. There doesnt seem to be any guidelines for secondary schools where it can be more problematic as toilets are further away from classrooms. One school not too far from me, states the following: Students must seek the teachers permission to go to the toilets during class time. All class-time toilet permissions will be recorded on VS Ware. Students are not allowed to go to the toilets between classes unless there is a certified medical condition. Well, that would have me scuppered or at least running to my doctor. Like I say, the policing of toileting doesnt sit well with me. Gabh mo leithsceal, but I think we can do better. It's been over two weeks since Ryan Tubridy announced his decision to step down as host of the biggest show on Irish telly. Since then, rumours surrounding the Dubliner's replacement have been rife with a number of presenters and journalists tipped to take over his role on RTE's the Late Late Show. While some have spoken out on the speculation, many people remain firm contenders and some bookies have even suspended betting due to sources suggesting one person is "all but a done deal". Here's what we know so far... Miriam OCallaghan Miriam O'Callaghan When the announcement of Tubridy stepping down was made, Miriam OCallaghan was tipped as the favourite to take over the show. However, OCallaghan announced that she will not be in the running to become host of the popular chat show. While the speculation linking her to the role was "very flattering", she said she has no desire to leave her current job as co-host of Prime Time. I love what I do too much on Prime Time to leave it, and what we do in current affairs as a team really matters, and can actually change lives. Its what I love doing most of all as a broadcast journalist, and Im not prepared to give that up for any show, she said. The Prime Time and Sunday with Miriam presenter was also the bookies' favourite to take the Late Late hot seat after Pat Kenny departed the show back in 2009. Claire Byrne Broadcaster Claire Byrne. Picture: Andres Poveda According to Ladbrokes, Claire Byrne is currently the hot favourite to replace Ryan Tubridy. So much so that the bookies suspended betting on the Late Late Show host, as sources suggest Byrne is "all but a done deal". All the signs are pointing in the direction of Claire Byrne when it comes to The Late Late Show. Along with news reports, we witnessed a rush of bets in favour of Byrne first thing this morning despite her short odds. As a result, we have decided to suspend betting on the market for the time being," said Nicola McGeady of Ladbrokes. The Laois native currently presents Today with Claire Byrne on RTE Radio 1 Monday to Friday. Last May, the journalist stepped away from her TV role, Claire Byrne Live, citing that the decision was a result of her wanting to spend more time with her family. After Miriam O'Callaghan took herself out of the running, bookies saw Byrne move to the top of the pecking order. Sarah McInerney Sarah McInerney Drivetime presenter Sarah McInerney recently raised eyebrows when she shared that the Late Late Show had started to follow her on social media. The Galway native has been among the list of favourites to take over as host of the Late Late Show, with many people speculating that the next presenter may be female. On the St Patrick's Day Late Late, after announcing that he was leaving the show, Tubridy wished his replacement good luck "whoever she may be which has further fueled rumours of a female taking to the role. Ray DArcy Ray D'arcy Rounding off the bookies' top three is radio presenter Ray DArcy. With his own show on RTE Radio 1, the 58-year-old remains among the favourites expected to take over from Tubridy on the Late Late Show. Eight years ago, the Kildare native returned to the RTE airwaves after his time at Today FM. Prior to that, he spent over ten years presenting childrens TV programmes on RTE. Brendan OConnor Brendan O'Connor. Picture: Brid O'Donovan Brendan OConnor is another name that is hotly tipped to take over from Tubs. The Cork presenter is no stranger to chat shows, having presented The Saturday Night show from 2010 to 2015 as well as Cutting Edge. The 53-year-old currently presents The Brendan OConnor Show on RTE Radio 1 every Saturday and Sunday. Baz Ashmawy Baz Ashmawy. Picture: Jason Clarke Baz Ashmawy has also emerged as another favourite to take over the countrys biggest TV gig. Theres a chance the popular presenter is front of mind as of late with the return of DIY SOS, but unfortunately for Baz fans, the 47-year-old has confirmed that he has not been contacted by anyone at RTE about the Late Late Show. Rumours had been circulating about the possibility of him presenting the show with Lucy Kennedy. Speaking on the speculation, he told sundayworld.com: I love Lucy and I dont know about her, but no one has spoken to me about it. I think its just people having a little bit of fun and mixing up the bookies a bit. I think people are just very excited at the moment about the Late Late Show. It seems to be the main obsession and I think theyre just throwing everybodys name into the mix. Daithi O Se Rose of Tralee International Festival host Daithi O Se pictured as the Roses unite after 3-year hiatus at the RTE Rose of Tralee International Festival launch. Picture: Andres Poveda Amongst the names currently doing the rounds is Today Show host, Daithi O Se. The Kerry man, who also hosts the Rose of Tralee, has previously said that he would never say no to the gig. He told Irish Daily Mirror in 2020: There is no presenter in the country that would turn down The Late Late Show, its the highest paid gig going and it has the most viewers. Vogue Williams Joanne McNally and Vogue Williams on the Tommy Tiernan Show No stranger to TV, Howth native Vogue Williams has been appearing on bookies' favourites list over the past number of weeks. The mother-of-three co-hosts the very popular My Therapist Ghosted Me podcast with her friend and comedian, Joanne McNally. But Williams has also revealed that she has not put her name forward for the Late Late Show. No, I havent signed myself up for it, she told the Irish Mirror. She admitted that she would have liked to have seen Miriam OCallaghan in the role. Shes great but she pulled herself out which is really disappointing because I thought she would be really, really good at it, she said. Tommy Tiernan Tommy Tiernan The comedian's popular show, aptly titled the Tommy Tiernan Show, has seen the host talk to many interesting guests without knowing who he is getting. The popular RTE show has undoubtedly earned the 53-year-old a spot amongst the list of favourites for the Late Late Show gig. Tiernan also hosts a podcast with Laurita Blewitt and Hector O hEochagain. Daniel O'Donnell Daniel O'Donnell Donegal native Daniel O'Donnell has also emerged as a favourite to replace Tubridy, according to Ladbrokes. The singer shot to the top spot overnight on Thursday and is now the even-money favourite to take over. The Easter holidays are upon us, meaning thousands of people will be heading out onto the Irishs roads to take advantage of one the earliest Bank Holidays of the year. Its also a period when things (usually) start to feel a little warmer and brighter as we head towards summer. But if youre heading out with the family in the car this Easter, how can you make sure that the trip goes as smoothly as possible? Well, weve got some tips and tricks to bear in mind. Prepare As the old saying goes, fail to prepare and youre preparing to fail. So before a big trip, its a good idea to get your head around your planned route while also making sure that your car is in tip-top shape for the journey. Its worth double-checking that your tyres are inflated to correct pressures youll find these in your vehicle handbook and while youre there, ensure that theyve got enough tread. Anything below 1.6mm falls under the legal limit and theyll need to be replaced if this is the case. Give yourself more time A trip with the family can be stressful at the best of times, but things are often made even worse when youre running late. If youre trying to make a flight, rushing for a ferry or behind schedule for a meet-up, then youre more likely to take risks. So even if you can give yourself an extra half an hour, its definitely worth it. Even a small amount of breathing space in terms of time can make a difference. Snacks! If youre travelling with kids of all ages in the car, then packing snacks for a journey is vital. Remember, theyll give you a bit more time on the road without needing to make a stop, plus youll be able to treat yourself too. Just bear in mind that crumbly snacks like crisps or chocolate may mean extra vacuuming later Read More The spring maintenance checks to get your car running and feeling its best Try stops away from the beaten track If you do need to take a break during your journey, then it can be tempting to dive straight into a motorway service station. However, youll often find that these are busier particularly over Easter and they bring higher prices for food and drinks, too. So if you fancy stopping, try taking a look a little further away from the usual routes. There are gardens, parks and other sights to see dotted throughout the country and theyll prove far more interesting to take a break at than a regular service station. Remember extra power If your kids are using tablets or other devices, then youll know that having an electricity supply is vital. Many cars have USB ports in the back seats or you may have to purchase an adapter for an existing 12-volt socket so that it can provide USB capabilities. If your car doesnt have these, then youre not out of luck. A pre-charged power bank could prove a real help in these instances, ensuring that devices can be kept topped up wherever you are. Ensure accessories are fitted properly If youve got the whole family in tow then theres a good chance that youll be travelling with lots of extra kit. That means bicycles, kayaks or paddleboards or anything else in between. But you really do need to make sure that theyre attached properly. Rear-mounted bicycle racks mustnt block your cars rear plate, for example. Plus, if youre travelling with a fully-loaded car, you may need to adjust your tyre pressures to compensate. The first study of its kind in Ireland wants to hear directly from autistic children and their families about their experience of school. The Autism Friendly Schools Project from the Dublin City University (DCU) Institute of Education has issued an open call to encourage families to take part. The study will examine all aspects of the educational experiences of autistic children in both primary and secondary schools here, asking children where they would like to see changes and additional support in place. Historically, autistic children have rarely been consulted about educational policy and practices, said Dr Sinead McNally, who will lead the interdisciplinary project. There is remarkably little research about the play and learning experiences of autistic children as shared by children themselves, she added. By listening to autistic children as to what inclusive education means, we anticipate that children will share with us important information that is needed to shape effective policies and practices for inclusive education. Associate professor at DCU Dr Mary Rose Sweeney said anecdotally many autistic children have experienced exclusion in their schooling. This is an important opportunity for autistic children and their families to share their views and experiences of education in Ireland and to tell us what inclusive education means to them. Anecdotally, many autistic children have experienced exclusion in their schooling, according to associate professor at DCU Mary Rose Sweeney. Jack Leonard, a student with ASD (autism spectrum disorder) who has recently left post-primary education, said he would welcome any research that would give teachers a better understanding. My own experience some of my teachers understood me, but some not so much. Parent and member of the studys advisory group Justin Dawson said working with the research team had given him a chance to input his thoughts on the current educational cycle. Hopefully the findings will create better opportunities for autistic children for a better tomorrow. Schools will be sent information on the study and how to take part shortly. Researchers can also be contacted by emailing autismfriendlyschools@dcu.ie. Over 1,200 asylum seekers will have to leave hotels by mid-April, leaving the State facing a significant shortfall in accommodation. Papers submitted for the Cabinet Committee on Ukraine today will state that priority needs to be given to accommodate women and children. A total of 1,228 beds will be lost from the system due to hotels deciding not to renew contracts. This, combined with the estimated numbers expected to arrive here in the coming weeks, will result in a shortage, Integration Minister Roderic OGorman is expected to tell colleagues. Currently, there are 432 refugees who have not been offered State accommodation, with some believed to be sleeping on the streets. Around 85 Ukrainians and 29 International Protection applicants are arriving in Ireland every day. The Irish Examiner also understands the State is facing up to 87 legal challenges by those seeking asylum here who were not provided with accommodation. The transit hub at Citywest also remains closed to new arrivals, as it is currently oversubscribed. The papers also state how it has become challenging for contractors at Columb Barracks in Westmeath where pod-style accommodation is to be constructed for around 400 arrivals because of ongoing and sustained verbal abuse of workers and residents. In recent days, a bus carrying asylum seekers was blocked from entering the site. Schools under pressure Education Minister Norma Foley is also expected to warn colleagues that there are now significant capacity pressures on schools around the country, and preparations will need to be put in place ahead of the next academic year. The meeting will be told that 1,195-bed spaces are under construction or awaiting the arrival of contractors. However, there are no timelines for the delivery of these beds. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will also provide an update on the efforts to locate more accommodation across the country. A considerable number of properties have been identified under a refurbishment scheme, and the meeting will be told that 1,195-bed spaces are under construction or awaiting the arrival of contractors. However, there are no timelines for the delivery of these beds. Meanwhile, 679 properties have been allocated since November under a scheme run through local authorities that will take offers of houses, apartments, or holiday homes for temporary accommodation. A total of 2,229 Ukrainians have been housed under this scheme. It is also understood that Fianna Fail TDs last night raised concerns at its parliamentary party meeting about arranging accommodation for International Protection applicants, and hit out at the Department of Integration for the delay of payments to suppliers. President Michael D Higgins has said that he hopes the finding of a Government review brings peace to Donal de Roiste. Mr de Roiste, who was forced to retire from the Defence Forces more than 50 years ago, was fully exonerated from any wrongdoing by the Government and received an apology and compensation from the state last year. The Cork native was ordered to retire from the Defence Forces in 1969 - with a 2022 review finding this to be "not in accordance with law" at the time. On Thursday, Mr de Roiste and his family were welcomed to Aras an Uachtarain by President Higgins. There, he was presented with a letter by the President, who had called for a review into his case in 2018. Writing in the letter, the President said: "All of this has taken a very long time, and for you most of all, I am aware that it has been one of painful and ever more tedious recollection of a wrong suffered decades ago but with enduring consequences. "I am aware of the tremendous personal toll that this decision has had on your life, of the hurt that it has caused to you and to your family. "I believe your motivation of joining the Defence Forces as a young man was based on a love of your country and a commitment to a life of service. It is my sincere hope that the findings of this review, its acceptance by Government, and subsequent apology, will bring some peace to you personally, and to your family and supporters. Speaking after Mr de Roiste was exonerated in December, the well-known campaigner and Mr de Roistes sister, Adi Roche said that the life of her brother had been shattered by a wrongful decision made by the government in 1969. Our family were left with years of pain and incomprehension by that decision; that took away his integrity, his good character, his good name, and that of our family. We have suffered over all these years without any redress of justice until now, she said. A vigil has been held outside the Iranian embassy in Dublin calling for the release of Bernard Phelan, whose family have raised concerns about his health and treatment. The vigil for Mr Phelan, organised by his family and attended by his sister Caroline and 97-year-old father Vincent, was held to mark the 178 days he has spent in prison. People who attended the protest outside the Iranian embassy held flowers, signs and the Women, Life Freedom sign of the feminist movement in Iran. It comes as Amnesty International called upon the Iranian authorities for the immediate release of the Irish man who they say is being arbitrarily detained. The human rights organisation is working to bring home Mr Phelan, who has been detained in Mashad since his arrest in October. Travel consultant Bernard Phelan, from Clonmel, Co Tipperary, who is currently in an Iranian jail. Picture: Caroline Masse Phelan The 64-year-old, with dual French and Irish citizenship, was arrested last year while working as a travel consultant in the country. In a statement released on Thursday, Amnesty has set out several requests for the Iranian authorities pending Mr Phelans release. These include immediate access to satisfactory healthcare, including all necessary medication and treatment and the provision of regular phone calls to his family members. They have also asked that Mr Phelan is given access to translations, particularly of important case documents, to ensure he fully understands his rights. Mr Phelan, who is originally from Clonmel, Co Tipperary, was initially sentenced to three and a half years in prison in relation to providing information to an enemy country. Following a later court hearing, his sentence was extended to six and a half years, with no explanation as to why his sentence was increased. His family claim that he has been charged with providing information to an enemy country, which Mr Phelan denies. Speaking since his arrest, his relatives have claimed he has been denied access to a lawyer of his own choosing in Iran. His family have expressed fears over Mr Phelans deteriorating mental and physical condition. Mr Phelans sister Caroline Masse Phelan recently revealed her brother is "going blind" following an operation he had last summer which he received inadequate treatment for. People attend a vigil for Bernard Phelan outside the Iranian Embassy in Dublin. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire She also said her brother has begun to suffer from depression due to the length of time he has spent in jail, unable to see a way out. This arose following Mr Phelans attempt to go on hunger strike in January in protest of his prolonged detention. Amnesty International described Mr Phelans detention as arbitrary, due to the numerous violations of his fair trial rights. These include his right to access an independent lawyer of his own choosing, to adequate defence and to meaningfully challenge the legality of his detention before an independent and impartial court. Bernard Phelans arrest took place amidst an unprecedented popular uprising in Iran against the Islamic Republic system since mid-September 2022 and with the Iranian authorities espousing an official narrative blaming foreign governments and counterrevolutionary groups from both inside and outside Iran for fomenting the nationwide protests, the statement read. In light of ongoing concerns regarding the Iranian authorities practice of using detained dual and foreign nationals as leverage, Amnesty International again urges all states whose nationals are or have been detained at any point in Iran to promptly examine whether the deprivation of liberty amounts to an act of hostage-taking, and if so, take all appropriate measures to ensure accountability. A Spanish student walking home in Cork city was set upon by four people in an unprovoked and savage attack which saw one Cork man kick him five times in the head after he was knocked to the ground outside a fast food restuarant. Aaron Breen was brought before Cork District Court charged with assault causing harm for his part in the alleged incident. Detective Garda Padraig Harrington objected to bail on grounds that included the seriousness of the alleged offence. It is alleged that Aaron Breen and three others were present at Bandon Road, Cork, at 4am on Saturday, March 25. A Spanish student making his way home was subjected to an unprovoked attack. It is alleged that Aaron Breen punched him and knocked him to the ground. In total, he punched him five times and kicked him in the head five times when he was on the ground. Fortunately, the injured party was able to get away. He was later taken to Cork University Hospital. Thankfully, his injuries are not as serious as they could have been. CCTV evidence The nature of the evidence in support of the charge is very strong, including excellent, high-quality CCTV. The alleged incident occurred on Bandon Road outside Lennoxs chipper. The injured party was walking home. He had no interaction whatsoever with the group of people, Det. Garda Harrington said. Defence solicitor Shane Collins-Daly applied for bail for Breen and asked the detective if there were any conditions that could be applied that would satisfy the prosecution in terms of granting bail. Detective Garda Harrington said there were no such conditions and added: I have serious concerns for the safety of the public. The level of violence is fairly savage. It is five kicks to the head when the injured party was on the ground. Judge Olann Kelleher refused bail and remanded Aaron Breen of Greenwood Estate, Togher, Cork, in custody until April 5. The 23-year-old is charged with assault causing harm to the Spanish student. The eight women and four men of the jury in the Frankie Dunne murder trial deliberated throughout Thursday and so far have not reached a verdict. They began their deliberations at 11.33am, broke for lunch and were asked by the trial judge to come back to court at 4.33pm. Mr Justice Paul McDermott then asked them if they wished to continue with their deliberations or to return on Friday. They indicated that they would take the overnight break. They will resume their deliberations at 10.30am on March 31 in the trial of a Romanian national accused of murdering a 64-year-old Cork man. Frankie Dunne's dismembered body was found on the grounds of a derelict house at Boreenmanna Road in Cork during Christmas 2019. Ionut Cosmin Nicholescu, 30, with an address at Branistea Village, Damovita County, Romania, denies the single count of murder. He was put on trial on March 13 charged with the murder of Francis (Frankie) Dunne. The count states that on a date unknown between December 27 and December 28, 2019, he murdered Francis Dunne at Castlegreine House, Boreenamanna Road, Cork, contrary to Common Law. Prosecution senior counsel Ray Boland said to the jury: Two people went in to Castlegreine House that night Frankie Dunne and the accused. Only the accused came out. "All the lies and inconsistencies were put forward by the accused for literally getting away with murder. The State has proved its case that the accused murdered Frankie Dunne and I invite you to convict. He submitted to the jury that the accused man murdered Mr Dunne by first striking him with a glass bottle and then strangling him. He said the dismemberment occurred afterwards as "a work in progress" for disposing of the remains. Frankie Dunne. Philipp Rahn, senior counsel for the defence, said to the jurors: Look at Mr Nicholescu himself the lack of any reason or motive. It is unlikely, what the prosecution are saying. "There is a very significant forensic problem with the unidentified fingerprint [on the plastic bag containing clothing of the deceased man]. "You have lots and lots of material out of the Garda investigation but you cannot be satisfied that there are no relevant questions unanswered. There has to be a reasonable doubt. That threshold of beyond reasonable doubt has not been crossed. The prosecution narrative is not the only one. Mr Rahn said if they accepted his account that Nicholescu arrived on the scene where two armed men stood over the deceased and compelled the accused to move the remains, then the verdict had to be not guilty. Similarly, they had to find him not guilty if his account was reasonably possible. And finally, even if they did not accept his account, they could still find him not guilty if they were not satisfied the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. Mr Justice McDermott said: You have to consider all the evidence very carefully. I can only accept a unanimous verdict. You can bring in a verdict of guilty of murder or not guilty of murder. "If the prosecution established beyond reasonable doubt that he committed the killing but did not intend it you can find him not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter. "The way the evidence has been presented to you [by the defence] is that he did not kill him. The mother of a baby who died 10 days after being born at Cork University Maternity Hospital has said not a day passes by when we dont miss our beautiful daughter Faye. Christina Neiland, of Pearse Road, Ballyphehane, Cork, read out a statement at the inquest into her first-borns death at Dublin Coroners court on Thursday afternoon. She was speaking following the death of her infant on October 11, 2019, at Childrens Health Ireland at Crumlin where she was transferred for specialist treatment. Mrs Neiland, who broke down a number of times, said: Not a day passes by when we dont miss our beautiful daughter Faye. In times when it should be the happiest, we miss her the most. We think every day of the life she should have had. Never attending her first year of pre-school, learning to cycle her bike and minding her baby sisters. Fayes death was avoidable we do not want any other baby to be neglected or failed in the way she was in Cork University Maternity hospital. Improvements can and should be made to ensure better and safer care at maternity hospitals. We hope that lessons will be learned from the inquest and the investigations and that the recommendations we sought will be actioned, such as improved training and CTG mandated training and CTG monitoring and that policies provide clear and suitable guidance to those we put our trust in to deliver our babies safely. Healthy babies and mothers going through the induction process should be able to trust that should complications occur, or the process be required to cease, that those working in a maternity unit will be appropriately trained to act in a timely manner to ensure children are not left with life altering disabilities or no chance of life. A million more children will not make up for the loss of our beautiful first born daughter Faye and that loss is one we will never come to terms with. We hope lessons can be learned from Fayes death to ensure that the welfare of our babies is not left to chance. The Neiland family has said their daughters death could have been avoided if the hospital had stricter protocols and policies on how to respond to abnormal heartbeats detected in a baby before delivery. Over the two-day hearing, the evidence of which concluded on Thursday, the family said they believed there were failures by CUMH staff to recognise and react to abnormal readings from a CTG monitor, which measures foetal heartbeat and maternal contractions. Statement on behalf of CUMH Earlier, a statement was read on behalf of Cork University Maternity Hospital by David Boughton BL. The statement said: Cork University Maternity Hospital would like to extend its deepest sympathies to the Neiland family on the sad death of baby Faye. Afterwards, they carried out a general review which acknowledged that a foetal blood sample should have been taken and would have been valuable. The review also highlighted the importance of a clinical handover in ongoing multidisciplinary education to increase its awareness of the importance of patient care. The hospital acknowledges the concerns raised by the family in this inquest and confirms that the clinical guidelines committee will conduct a review of the hospital guidelines in induction. The death of infant Faye was a tragic outcome for the family and Cork University Maternity Hospital would like to repeat its deepest sympathies to Christina, Kevin and the wider Neiland family. Baby Faye Neiland, who died 10 days after she was born. Picture: Colin Keegan/Collins On Thursday morning, the court heard from Professor Eleanor Molloy and Professor Maureen OSullivan who both tended to the child after she was admitted to Crumlin hospital in Dublin. The Neiland family is seeking a medical cause of death for their baby and the appropriate verdict to be delivered. They also want a review of the care that was provided to their daughter and are seeking to gain some understanding of why she died. The familys legal team had earlier been invited to make submissions or observations on any potential gaps in the evidence. Two possible verdicts Alan Keating BL, on behalf of Ashling Maher Solicitors for the family, told the inquest there are two verdicts open to the court that include medical misadventure and a narrative verdict. However, the legal team for the hospitals said there is nowhere near the information before the court to conclude there was medical misadventure. Mr and Mrs Neiland, who have subsequently had two other daughters, said on Wednesday they felt pressured by doctors at CHI Crumlin to agree to let Faye pass and they criticised the lack of consultation by the hospital on any end-of-life care. Professor Molloy from Crumlin told the court on Thursday they were worried they were missing something because Faye did cry initially on delivery by Caesarean section. She said the child had had practically self-resuscitated when she came out and initially cried and it is difficult to time the events. Both Professor Molloy and Professor OSullivan sympathised with the family, whose legal representatives said they wished to convey their gratitude and their appreciation to the doctors. Coroner Ashling Gannon SC said there was an extraordinary honest sharing of information for the benefit for all of those seeking to establish the facts and that there was significant and complex issues in this case. A verdict is due in the inquest on Thursday afternoon. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has raised questions around how the chief of staff of the Defence Forces can say he was not aware of previous allegations of bullying and sexual misconduct in the organisation. Lieutenant General Sean Clancy said he was completely unaware of abuse and sexual assaults against members during his almost 40-year career. He said it has only been through talking to serving members in the last 12 months as chief of staff that he has become aware of the extent of bullying and sexual assault allegations. Mr Varadkar said he has confidence in Lt Gen Clancy to lead the change that is required in the force following the independent review groups findings. However, Mr Varadkar said issues around bullying and harassment, including of a sexual nature have been documented on a number of occasions in the past 20 years. He added so I think all of us were aware of it, in that sense. Mr Varadkar has in recent years served as Minister for Defence as well as Fine Gael TD Paul Kehoe and Minister Simon Coveney. He said while serving as minister, to his recollection, he would not have personally directly received any reports other than what was published already. Lieutenant General Sean Clancy. Picture: Collins The Taoiseach said: It is the case that really everyone would have been aware of allegations around harassment and bullying and sexual offences in the Defence Forces because the Women of Honour, for example, went public. He also said there was previous report and correct allegations by Senator Tom Clonan who first exposed rapes and sexual assaults in the Defence Forces more than 23 years ago. "And we sought to deal with that, by the way, so it's not the case that nothing was ever done," Mr Varadkar told reporters in Wicklow this morning. The reason why we have this report that was published this week is because Minister [Simon] Coveney as Minister of Defence decided that there was a problem and we needed to look into it and do something about it. So you know, I think it would be true to say that anyone who's been following this issue or issues in Defence Forces over the past 20 years, would have been aware that were allegations and cases of harassment and bullying including of a sexual nature but they haven't been dealt with properly. The response so far has failed. And that's the truth and we all need to face up to that and, and change things. US President Joe Biden will visit the island of Ireland from April 11 until April 15, it is believed. It is expected that Mr Biden will travel with hundreds of people, including family members, on the trip and he will spend one day in the North. He will be in Belfast on April 11 before spending the rest of the trip in the Republic. The Irish Examiner first reported in February that Mr Biden was planning a trip here this year with April being looked at. It is believed that while in Dublin, Mr Biden will give a public address with locations such as Trinity College and Collins Barracks being looked at. College Green is another location being looked at, where former president Barack Obama delivered a speech in 2011. It is expected that Mr Biden will also visit Mayo and Louth, where he has family links. Mr Biden announced earlier this month that he was due to visit Ireland, where he said he planned to visit both the North and the Republic. British prime minister Rishi Sunak formally invited him to make the trip to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement in April as the pair held talks in San Diego. Speaking in New York earlier this month at an event to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, Tanaiste Micheal Martin said he looks forward to Mr Bidens visit next month. He said its very welcome news and to reflect and remember the role of the US in the Good Friday Agreement. The Taoiseach added that Mr Biden plans to visit was "good news". "I look forward to discussing the visit during my meeting with the President later this week," Leo Varadkar said. Once a beloved family-run cookshop, a Cork city building is to be reborn as a wine bar and art gallery under new plans. Phoenix Street Social has been granted planning permission for a change-of-use of the retail unit formerly known as Brennan's Cookshop, located at number 7 Oliver Plunkett Street. Expulsions of Russian intelligence officers and visa refusals have substantially weakened Moscows intelligence operations in neighbouring Finland in the past year, the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service said. The intelligence agency, known by the abbreviation SUPO, said in a statement that Russian intelligence had been squeezed in the Nordic country because of the agencys ability to compromise spy operations last year. The Russian intelligence station (in Finland) shrank to about half of its former size last year, SUPO director Antti Pelttari said, adding that the main reasons for the decline were expulsions of suspected spies and visa refusals on the advice of his agency. While Russia is still seeking to station intelligence officers under diplomatic cover, it will have to find ways of compensating for the human intelligence shortfall The falling number of intelligence officers and restrictions on travel across the border amid Moscows war in Ukraine have significantly undermined operating conditions for Russian spies in Finland, SUPO said. It noted that operations under diplomatic cover have traditionally been the main instrument of Russian intelligence abroad, and Moscow was seeking to use, among other methods, cyber espionge to make up for the shortfall in human intelligence. While Russia is still seeking to station intelligence officers under diplomatic cover, it will have to find ways of compensating for the human intelligence shortfall, such as by increasingly adopting other forms of covert operation abroad, Mr Pelttari said. The agency said Russia, China and certain other countries were the most active users of intelligence operations to acquire information for their own ends and against the interests of Finland. Finland, a nation of 5.5 million people, applied for Nato membership together with neighbouring Sweden in May. It shares an 832-mile land border with Russia, the longest of any European Union member. SUPO earlier said that Finlands future Nato membership will make the Nordic country a more interesting target for Russian intelligence and influencing operations, and Moscow may seek to acquire Nato-related intelligence through its neighbour. Notorious prisoner Charles Bronson has lost a Parole Board bid to be freed from jail. The decision comes after one of the UKs longest-serving prisoners who changed his surname to Salvador in 2014 took part in one of the countrys first public parole hearings earlier this month. In a document detailing the decision published on Thursday, the Parole Board said: After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress that Mr Salvador has made while in custody and the evidence presented at the hearings, the panel was not satisfied that Mr Salvador was suitable for release. Nor did the panel recommend to the Secretary of State that he should be transferred to an open prison. Once dubbed one of Britains most violent offenders, Bronson has spent most of the past 48 years behind bars, apart from two brief periods of freedom during which he reoffended, for a string of thefts, firearms and violent offences, including 11 hostage-taking incidents in nine different sieges. Victims included governors, doctors, staff and, on one occasion, his own solicitor. Supporters of Charles Bronson have called for his release (Aaron Chown/PA) Bronson was handed a discretionary life sentence with a minimum term of four years in 2000 for taking a prison teacher at HMP Hull hostage for 44 hours. Since then, the Parole Board has repeatedly refused to direct his release. Three parole judges considered his case during a hearing at HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, while members of the press and public watched part of the proceedings on a live stream from the Royal Courts of Justice in central London. Bronson whose real name is Michael Peterson and has previously been diagnosed with anti-social personality disorder told parole judges he loved a rumble and enjoyed mass brawls in prison, but insisted he is now a reformed prisoner, has found solace in art and is a man of peace. He likened his experience in front of the Parole Board to being on BBC programme The Apprentice. A psychologist told the panel Bronson has post-traumatic stress disorder after facing some brutal and unacceptable treatment behind bars. He has been held in solitary confinement for much of his time in jail. During the hearing he was described as holding anti-authoritarian views and being suspicious of the motives of others, as well as having a romanticised view of violent incidents in the past. None of the prison and probation officials who gave evidence at the parole hearing said he was ready to be released. Bronson is the second inmate in UK legal history to have his case heard in public after rules were changed last year in a bid to remove the secrecy around the process. The brother of This Morning host Phillip Schofield wept as he told a court how he phoned his brother and told him he was on the verge of taking his own life. Timothy Schofield, 54, is on trial at Exeter Crown Court charged with 11 sexual offences involving a child between October 2016 and October 2019, including two of sexual activity with a child. Schofield, a civilian police worker from Bath, is said to have told his TV star brother about some of the alleged offending in September 2021. When asked by his barrister Peter Binder whether he had performed sexual acts on the teenager, Schofield replied: Absolutely not. Schofield told the jury he had watched pornography with the boy, who he insisted was aged over 16 at that time, and they had masturbated while sat apart. Giving evidence on Thursday, the defendant told the jury he had been gay his entire life but had kept it completely secret and hidden from everybody. I am not guilty of these charges and that's why I have stuck to my guns the whole way through and pleaded not guilty the whole way through He described this as incredibly difficult and told the court he had struggled with mental health problems for years. The defendant wept as he was asked about phoning his famous brother before driving to his home in London in September 2021. Peter Binder, representing Schofield, asked him: Phillip described you as being in an extreme state of agitation? Schofield replied: Yes. I remember sitting in a field and making the phone call to him. Mr Binder asked: You told him you were on the verge of killing yourself? Schofield wept as he said: Thats correct. I was so alone. On Wednesday, the court heard a written statement by Phillip Schofield, which described the phone call and his brother coming to his home in London. Mr Schofield described how they spent several hours talking, including eating a meal, before he went to do the washing-up. He told how his brother said You are going to hate me for what I am about to say, with him assuring him there was nothing he could say that would do that. Mr Schofield said in the statement: Then he said that he and (the boy) had time together and that last year they had watched porn and (masturbated). I turned and said, What did you just say? He said it was last year and we were alone together. Tim said it was just this once. I told him it should never happen again. He then started to tell me about (the boys) body. I said, F***, stop. I shouted at Tim that he had to stop. I didnt want to know any of the details but he made it sound like a one-off. I said, I dont want you to tell me any more. I said, Youve got to stop, just never do it again. Regardless how that happened, it must never happen again. During cross-examination by Robin Shellard, the defendant told the court the teenager was old enough to choose to watch pornography with him. Schofield told the jury: It was a consensual thing after the age of 16. He never in any way said no at all. He admitted searching for terms on a legal pornography website including young boy teen sex and gay teen torrents but insisted he believed this would return results showing men aged between 18 and their early twenties. The defendant was asked about his arrest in December 2021 and police interviews in which he replied no comment to questions. Schofield told the jury: I was in such an awful place and I just was trying to get my head around what had been said, what I had been accused of. I had just been arrested, I was in a police cell. When asked if he was guilty of the charges, he replied: I am not guilty of these charges and thats why I have stuck to my guns the whole way through and pleaded not guilty the whole way through. Theres no way I am going to plead guilty to something I havent done. The court previously heard that the 54-year-old carried out the alleged attacks while working for Avon and Somerset Police as an IT technician. Schofield, of Bath, denies three counts of causing a child to watch sexual activity, three of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, three of causing a child to engage in sexual activity and two of sexual activity with a child. Phillip Schofield did not appear on ITVs This Morning on Wednesday. The studio said he is taking pre-planned leave this week. The trial continues. A train carrying ethanol and corn syrup derailed and caught fire in Minnesota with nearby residents told to evacuate their homes, US authorities have said. The BNSF train derailed in the town of Raymond, about 100 miles west of Minneapolis, at about 1am on Thursday, Kandiyohi County sheriff Eric Tollefson said in a statement. The White House on Thursday said it has new evidence that Russia is looking again to North Korea for weapons to fuel the war in Ukraine. US authorities believe Moscow aims to provide Pyongyang with needed food and other commodities in return. It is the latest accusation that Russia, desperate for weaponry and restricted by sanctions and export controls, is turning to rogue nations to help it continue to prosecute the 13-month-old war. As part of this proposed deal, Russia would receive over two dozen kinds of weapons and munitions from Pyongyang, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said. Russia has lost over 9,000 pieces of heavy military equipment since the start of the war, and thanks in part to multilateral sanctions and export controls, Putin has become increasingly desperate to replace them We also understand that Russia is seeking to send a delegation to North Korea and that Russia is offering North Korea food in exchange for munitions. The administration has previously declassified intelligence to present evidence that Iran sold hundreds of attack drones to Russia over the summer and that the Wagner Group, a private Russian military company, has taken delivery of arms from North Korea to help bolster its forces as they fight side-by-side with Russian troops in Ukraine. Experts believe the food situation in North Korea is the worst it has been under Kim Jong Uns 11-year rule, but they still say they see no signs of imminent famine or mass deaths. Mr Kim vowed to strengthen state control over agriculture and take a spate of other steps to increase grain production, North Korean state media reported earlier this month. Russia wants to trade commodities for food with Kim Jong Uns North Korea (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last month that US intelligence suggested China was considering providing arms and ammunition to Russia, though White House officials have said they have yet to see evidence of Beijing following through with weapons delivery. The publicising of Russias efforts to get weapons from North Korea is just the latest example of the Biden administration loosening restrictions on intelligence findings and making them public over the course of the grinding war in Ukraine. The administration has said it has sought to disseminate the intelligence findings so allies and the public remain clear-eyed about Moscows intent and Russian president Vladimir Putin thinks twice about his actions. Earlier on Thursday, the Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control announced sanctions against a Slovakian national, Ashot Mkrtychev, alleging he attempted to facilitate arms deals between Russia and North Korea. Between the end of 2022 and early 2023, the Treasury said Mr Mkrtychev worked with North Korean officials to obtain more than two dozen kinds of weapons and munitions for Russia in exchange for commercial aircraft, raw materials and commodities to be sent to North Korea. Mr Mkrtychev worked with a Russian citizen to find commercial aircraft to deliver goods to North Korea in the exchange. Russia has lost over 9,000 pieces of heavy military equipment since the start of the war, and thanks in part to multilateral sanctions and export controls, Putin has become increasingly desperate to replace them, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement. Schemes like the arms deal pursued by this individual show that Putin is turning to suppliers of last resort like Iran and the DPRK. Burma Businesswoman Sanctioned for Supplying Junta Tied to at Least 10 More Firms in Myanmar A fuel storage facility run by Puma Energy Asia Sun (PEAS) Company Ltd in Yangon. The company later changed its name to Shoon Energy Thilawa Terminal Company Ltd, in which Daw Kyauk Kyar Shwe is a director. / The Irrawaddy The sole owner and director of UK-sanctioned, Singapore-registered Shoon Energy Pte Ltd, which was formerly named Asia Sun Aviation, is the director of at least 10 companies in Myanmar, according to the records of the juntas Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA) and other international corporate databases. The UK imposed sanctions on Shoon Energy and its director, as well as owner Daw Kyauk Kyar Shwe (the Burmese spelling of the Chinese name Zhao Jia Shui), who is also known as Daw Khin Phyu Win, on March 27 for importing, storing and delivering jet fuel to the military. The junta has been using military planes for air strikes against resistance forces, killing civilians, including children. The new UK sanctions came a month after the country sanctioned Asia Sun Trading and two executivesZaw Min Tun and Win Kyaw Kyaw Aungin January for supplying aviation fuel to the Myanmar juntas military. Also on March 24, the US sanctioned three Myanmar-registered companies in the Asia Sun network: Asia Sun Group Company Limited, Asia Sun Trading Company Limited and Cargo Link Petroleum Logistics Company Limited. According to DICA, Daw Kyauk Kyar Shwe is a director along with a Thai citizen, Yikhao Maneeyok, at the Shoon Energy Thilawa Terminal Company Ltd, the prior name of which was Puma Energy Asia Sun Company Ltd, a joint venture with Swiss and Singapore-based Puma Energy. According to Amnesty International, Puma Energy transferred its share of National Energy Puma Asia Sun (NEPAS) to Shoon Energy in 2022 December. NEPAS is a joint venture with the junta controlled MPE and is responsible for the import, storage and sale of jet fuel. Daw Kyauk Kyar Shwe is also the director at Shoon Holdings Company Ltd, Shoon Trading Company Ltd, and Shoon Energy Company Ltd. She is also a director along with Daw May Thwe Aung and U Myo Myint Aung at the Asia Sun Energy Mandalay Terminal Company Limited, and Asia Sun Wood-based Manufacturing Company Ltd. Apart from the companies with names related to Asia Sun or Shoon, she is also still the director along with two siblings in New Wave Wood-based Manufacturing Company Ltd, Aurum Capital Management Company Limited, Concrete King Concrete Manufacturing Company Limited, Integrated Smart Solutions Company Limited and Panda Family Company Limited. Shoon Energy has become the second Singapore-registered company to be sanctioned following the Myanmar militarys illegal coup attempt, and covert group Justice For Myanmar, which exposes Myanmar junta-related businesses, said it further highlights the role Singapore continues to play as a base for businesses providing funds, arms and jet fuel to the Myanmar military. The first Singapore business sanctioned since the coup attempt was Star Sapphire Group Pte Ltd, designated by the US on March 24. It was sanctioned by the UK on March 27. The director of Star Sapphire group of companies is Tun Min Latt, a Burmese crony close to junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, and also an arms broker. He was arrested in Thailand in September and charged in December with money laundering, drug trafficking and transnational organized crime. Min Aung Hlaings daughter Khin Thiri Thet Mon is a Star Sapphire director. Justice For Myanmar has called for a total ban on jet fuel sales to Myanmar, sanctions on Myanma Petroleum Enterprise (MPE) and the extension of sanctions to all Asia Sun companies, directors and shareholders, including the key individuals Daw May Thwe Aung and U Myo Myint Aung, who remain unsanctioned. Burma Campaign UK has also welcomed new UK sanctions targeting companies supplying aviation fuel, arms and aircraft parts to the Myanmar military. These sanctions are well targeted, prioritizing suppliers of aviation fuel and arms brokers, but a complete ban on British companies supplying aviation fuel to Burma is the only way to ensure no British companies are complicit in airstrikes against civilians, said Anna Roberts, Executive Director of Burma Campaign UK. Burma Myanmar Regime Airstrike Kills Children in Chin State Two Myanmar military jets during training. (Photo: regimes website) A Myanmar military airstrike killed eight civilians including two children on Thursday morning in Chin States Thantlang Township. The air raid on the village of Kwarpho outside of Thantlang Town in western Myanmar took place around 10am on Thursday, a member of the Chinland Defense Force (CDF) told The Irrawaddy. Two fighter jets came and attacked [the village]. A civilian house took a direct hit. Eight people were killed immediately and a few others were injured. Some houses also went up in flames, said the CDF resistance fighter. He added that the junta airstrike was an unprovoked attack targeting civilians. Local news agencies reported up to 30 casualties with 10 dead and 20 injured. In January, the military regime launched airstrikes at Camp Victoria, the headquarters of the Chin National Front, killing five Chin resistance fighters, injuring many others and damaging a health clinic and civilian houses. Fighters from the CDF are currently clashing with junta forces in Kale Township on the border of Sagaing Region and Chin State, as well as in Hakha and Falam townships in Chin State itself. Burma Myanmar Regimes Ogre Column Kills Resistance Leader in Sagaing Raid Resistance fighters clash with the Myanmar military's Ogre Column in Myaung Township on March 21. Photo/ Ko Nway Oo-Myaung A Myanmar military raid killed a resistance commander on Thursday morning in Sagaing Region, according to local resistance groups. At least two other Peoples Defense Force (PDF) fighters are missing following the raid on a resistance base in Sagaings Myaung Township. Around 90 junta soldiers from a detachment which refers to itself as the Ogre Column raided the headquarters of the Sagaing District PDF Battalion 1 at Swal Lwal O Village in the south of Myaung Township on Thursday morning, according to the Civilian Defense and Security Organization of Myaung (CDSOM) resistance group. Bo Sin Yine, deputy commander of Sagaing District PDF Battalion 1, was killed during the raid, while two other PDF fighters are believed to have been detained, CDSOMs leader Ko Nway Oo told The Irrawaddy. He added that the PDF fighters were unable to defend themselves as they lacked proper weapons. Despite being a PDF battalion under the civilian National Unity Government, the battalion has only two automatic rifles. Unluckily, the two weapons were being used by PDF fighters patrolling outside the base at the time of the junta raid, said Ko Nway Oo. However, Swel Lwal O Village residents escaped as they all had been evacuated by the PDF to safe places the day before the raid, while military regime forces were stationed at a nearby village. On Thursday morning, resistance groups used a drone to bomb junta troops deployed in Swal Lwal O Village. Over a dozen soldiers are believed to have been killed or injured, CDSOM said. The Ogre Column is comprised of troops from Light Infantry battalion 708 led by Lieutenant Colonel Tun Lin Aung. Since February 23, the column has conducted a series of raids on resistance strongholds in Ayadaw, Myinmu, Sagaing and Myaung Townships in Sagaing Region, as well as Yesagyo Township in Magwe Region, killing nearly 50 resistance fighters and civilians. During the raids, the column has beheaded and mutilated detained PDF fighters and massacred a large number of civilian detainees, including women who were raped before being killed. The column also massacred 29 civilian detainees and two resistance members during a raid on Mon Taing Pin Village in Sagaings Ye-U Township in early May 2022. But some 42 soldiers from the Ogre Column have been killed in a series of attacks by several PDFs in Myaung Township between March 12 and 23, while the junta column was raiding villages and PDF bases in Myaung and Yesagyo townships. The column returned to Myaung Township on Wednesday, after being reinforced while deployed in Myinmu Township. Burma Resistance Reports Heavy Fighting in Kayah and Shan A Mobye PDF rescue team treat injured resistance fighters on the border of southern Shan State and Kayah State. / MPRT Fighting between Myanmar regime forces and resistance troops has been intensified in Pinlaung Township in southern Shan State and Kayah State on Wednesday. A member of Moebye Peoples Defense Force was killed and the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF) suffered injuries near Tawng Me Thin village, the group reported. Yesterdays fighting was fierce and the regime conducted airstrikes. We suffered casualties. Another fighting occurred near Ta Nee Lar Le village in eastern Demoso Township, a KNDF spokesman said. The Karenni Human Rights Group said the airstrikes on Tuesday injured four civilians. Two airstrikes have been launched on civilian areas this month in Bawlakhe and western Demoso townships. They are far from any battlegrounds, said Ko Banya from the group. Airstrikes killed three civilians and injured five others at a logging site in Bawlakhe on March 23. A resident said more fighting is expected as a 50-vehicle regime convoy is heading from Taunggyi to Loikaw carrying reinforcements. Junta boss Min Aung Hlaing during this weeks Armed Forces Day called on his troops to wipe out all anti-regime forces. Fighting is ongoing near Ta Muu Lar Le village in Demoso Township, where regime soldiers are deployed, according to sources. At least 100 regime troops have been killed since March 8 in Kayah State, according to the KNDF. Another 50,000 people have been displaced in Demoso Township this month, according to aid groups. Burma Resistance Rockets Slam Myanmar Regimes Airbase in Bago The Taungoo Airbase. / CJ A combined force of the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and the Peoples Defense Force (PDF) attacked the junta air force base in Taungoo Township, Bago Region on March 25 and March 27, killing at least three regime troops and destroying a helicopter, according to the Bago Region PDF. The operation, codenamed Rain of Fire, was launched on March 25 with two improvised rockets fired into the base. One rocket fell near an air force dormitory and the other near the runway. We are still verifying details of the damage and the number of casualties in the March 25 attack, said the spokesperson for Bago Region PDF, the local resistance group involved in the attack. The second phase of the attack on March 27 occurred as the junta was celebrating Armed Forces Day and saw four rockets fired into the base. They struck close to an ammunition storage facility, the fuel tank, and a jet fighter hangar. Right after firing the rockets, we saw huge plumes of smoke rising from the base. We later heard from residents around the base and those close to personnel inside that at least three junta troops were killed and a helicopter was destroyed, the spokesperson added. The Irrawaddy has been unable to verify the claim. After the attack, junta troops raided Doe Inn village, which is located next to the air force base, and interrogated residents. Regime airbases across the country are frequently attacked by resistance groups, especially with improvised rockets, but these usually cause only minor damage. In April and August 2021, in response to frequent junta air strikes across the country aimed at crushing anti-regime fighters, resistance groups launched attacks on air force bases in Magwe and Meikhtila. Junta airstrikes have escalated in recent weeks in retaliation for the growing number of casualties the regime is suffering on the ground. These airstrikes are targeting not only resistance groups but also civilian populations in ethnic areas and in Magway and Sagaing regions where resistance is strengthening. Junta airstrikes since the coup have resulted in several mass killings of civilians, including the Let Yet Kone and Kachin Concert massacres. In February and December 2022, a junta air base in Yangons Hmawbi Township was also attacked by the Yangon and Hmawbi Peoples Defense Forces (PDFs). Politics International Community Condemns Myanmar Junta for NLD Dissolution Myanmar junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing stands in a vehicle as he attends a ceremony to mark the country's 78th Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw on March 27. / AFP The Myanmar juntas dissolution of the countrys most popular party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), and dozens of other pro-democracy parties ahead of its slated election has drawn wide international condemnation. The junta-stacked election commission on Tuesday announced the ousted ruling NLD party led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi would be dissolved along with 39 other parties for failing to re-register under a tough new military-drafted electoral law. A day after the announcement, the United States, Britain, Japan, France, Germany, and Australia strongly condemned the decision, saying the move was another step backwards. US State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters on Wednesday that any election without the participation of all stakeholders in Myanmar could not be considered free or fair. A spokesperson for the German Federal Foreign Office also said on Wednesday that the dissolution of the NLD and other 39 parties was further evidence that the elections announced by the military regime would be a farce and would not be safe, free or fair under the current conditions. The dissolution of the parties threatens a further escalation of violence in Myanmar and a more rapid destabilization of the country, the spokesperson added. The UK and France also condemned the regimes decision to dissolve the NLD and other parties, calling it a further assault on the rights and freedoms of the Myanmar people. We condemn the military regimes politically motivated actions and their use of increasingly brutal tactics to sow fear and repress opposition, a UK Foreign Office spokesperson said. Japans foreign ministry and the Australian government have also expressed their serious concerns over the further narrowing of political space in Myanmar following the juntas dissolution of political parties. The Japan foreign ministry said the exclusion of the NLD from the political process will make it even more difficult for the situation to improve. The Government of Japan strongly urges the Myanmar military to immediately release NLD officials, including State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, and to show a path toward a peaceful resolution of the issue in a manner that includes all relevant parties. The military justified its February 2021 coup with unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 elections won by the NLD, and detained its chairperson Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior leaders, lawmakers, and members. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, 77, has since been sentenced to a total of 33 years in prison. The disbanding of the parties comes as the junta forges ahead with its plans to hold the so-called election despite national rage that has spilled into violence following the coup. The election has been rejected by democratic forces and major political parties, as well as ethnic groups as a sham. Out of 92 existing parties, only around 50, mostly with military links, applied to reregister with the junta. A dozen newly formed parties also registered, putting the total number at 63. In response to the regimes announcement, the NLD stated that the regime and its election commission have neither the right to dissolve nor the right to approve lawfully established political parties. As long as there are people, the party will exist to implement the vision of people through all means, the NLD said. The joint general secretary of the Democratic Party for a New Society also said the announcement by war criminals to disband the party would have no effect on it as the political party will exist as long as the people support it. But the juntas announcement would enable the people to differentiate the parties between those allied with the junta and not, she added. Thursday, Mar 30th, 2023 (10:19 am) - Score 2,808 CityFibre, which aims to cover up to 8 million UK premises (funded by c.2.4bn in equity and c.4.9bn debt) with their full fibre broadband ISP network by the end of 2025 (here), has today launched their first ever TV advertising campaign entitled: Does your broadband suck?. The campaign is designed to encourage consumers to upgrade. The announcement notes that the operator has so far covered a total of 2.6 million UK premises, which falls to 2.3 million for those that are considered live and Ready for Service (RFS) by one of their 30 or so broadband ISPs. But if correct, this may reflect a slowing of build growth from the 2.2m RFS reported in January 2023. The limited coverage is something that CityFibre has had to factor into their first TV advertising spot, which will run on Sky AdSmart and YouTube, targeted to their existing coverage areas. The TV advert will complement a series of content that will be delivered via social, digital audio and OOH platforms in geotargeted areas across the UK where their network is available. Dan Ramsay, Chief Marketing Officer at CityFibre, said: For too long weve put up with broadband that has sucked the life out of using the internet. With CityFibres full fibre network, its time to uncork the potential of what better connectivity can do for all of us. Acting as a launchpad, our network will completely transform the way we work, how we consume media, and keep us better connected with friends and family. UPDATE 31st March 2023 @ 9am After some checking, CityFibre has kindly clarified that 2.6 million is their overall premises passed figure, while the total for RFS premises is actually 2.3 million. This is interestingly because 2.6m is only c.100,000 premises more than the 2.5 million figure they put out in late January 2023. Back in January they were building at a much faster rate (adding around 100k per month), but judging by the new figures their pace of build may have halved since then (closer to 50k per month). Thursday, Mar 30th, 2023 (3:17 pm) - Score 1,224 The Nottinghamshire County Council (NCC) in England has been chosen to lead a new 8m GigaHubs project that will rollout a gigabit-capable full fibre broadband network to reach a total of more than 350 public buildings (schools, council offices, hospitals etc.) across the Midlands. Some 6.8m of the funding for this on behalf of the 10 Midlands local authorities will be coming from the governments Building Digital UK (BDUK) agency and will be used to create up to 235 of the c.350 GigaHub sites. An additional 1.2m via the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DUHC) will be used to reach a further 118 sites across the D2N2 areas of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. The local authorities which have agreed to be part of this regional project include Derbyshire, Herefordshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Rutland, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire, Telford and Wrekin and Warwickshire. Except Rutland does not have any sites in the current plans, but that is expected to change as the project progresses. The NCC aims to launch a tendering process for all of this in April 2023 and, it is hoped, a contractor to deliver the project will then be appointed by June 2023. Exact locations of which buildings and schools will benefit from the project are still to be identified, although the aim is for the full scheme to be live by Spring 2025. Digital Infrastructure Minister, Julia Lopez, said: Our latest multi-million pound broadband investment in Nottinghamshire will enable schools, libraries, GP surgeries and other vital public services to deliver more for their communities. It also makes it more attractive for broadband firms to extend their networks to other homes and businesses across the county. This is all part of our 5 billion Project Gigabit to ensure no one misses out on lightning-fast internet speeds. Councillor Ben Bradley MP, Leader of NCC, said: With the way the world has changed these last few years, having access to reliable and fast broadband has never been more important. This project will help support childrens learning in the classroom and help those who cant afford or access high-speed broadband at home. For example, being able to pop into their local library to help with things like online searches for work and training will help boost local skills and the economy. Thanks to devolution negotiations, weve secured extra money to benefit even more local residents, particularly young people. It is a great example of how devolution has already brought even more investment to our area to help future generations thrive. Fantastic news. Projects like this typically tend to involve the deployment of a new Dark Fibre style network to public sector sites, which effectively act as anchor tenants for the new infrastructure. This could, in theory, later also be harnessed to help extend full fibre broadband to local homes and businesses. But the latter would require additional investment from the private sector. Thursday, Mar 30th, 2023 (9:37 am) - Score 1,056 The Scottish Government has published a brief progress update on their 600m Reaching 100% (R100) project with Openreach (BT), which reveals that over 20,000 premises have now been covered by their rollout of a new superfast broadband (30Mbps+) ISP network (inc. almost 3,000 connections also delivered via vouchers). At present over 95% of premises in Scotland already have access to such a network and a further 114,869 premises are planned to be covered across the three R100 contract LOTs by March 2028 (here and here). LOT 1 (North Scotland and the Highlands) is expected to cover around 59,000 premises (100% via FTTP) by 2027/28, while LOT 2 (Central Scotland) will reach 32,000 premises (95.6% via FTTP and the rest FTTC) by 2023/24 and LOT 3 (Southern Scotland) will reach 21,000 premises (100% via FTTP) by 2024/25. NOTE: In Scotland the responsibility for broadband is devolved to Westminster, but that doesnt stop local and devolved authorities from making their own investments (e.g. R100). The latest figure of 20,000 premises completed across the whole of R100 represents an increase from the 16,600 reported last month (plus 2,800 connections via vouchers), but theres clearly still a long way to go. The focus on remote rural areas means that the deployment pace will be fairly slow, although its already running years behind the original target of achieving completion by the end of 2021. Not that any of this has stopped the Scottish Government from repeatedly, and perhaps somewhat misleadingly, trying to claim that all homes and business across Scotland had the ability to access a superfast broadband connection by the end of 2021 (Richard Lochhead MSP). But this is not the case and their voucher scheme has not delivered it either (it cant solve every area and many people dont even know its an option). If vouchers were the solution, then neither R100 nor Project Gigabit would be needed. Meanwhile, were still waiting to hear how the UK governments Project Gigabit funding for Scotland (aka LOT 39) will be handled, although the first procurements should launch sometime later this year. Speaking of which, it was reported last week that some 447,170 premises across Scotland may need support from public funding to help them gain access to a gigabit-capable (1000Mbps) broadband service (here), which could rise if existing deployment plans (inc. commercial builds) fall short. March 13, 2023 Idaho State University students received a rare opportunity on Thursday- the chance to ask questions about the war in Ukraine to the Polish Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Marek Magierowski. Magierowski was in Pocatello Thursday as part of the 52nd annual Frank Church Symposium. Named in honor of the late Senator Frank Church, the symposium has grown over the years, offering the university and the community opportunities to discuss global issues and expand their perspectives. This years theme was Europe at a Crossroads: Progression or Regression? In addition to meeting with students, Magierowski was the keynote speaker at a public event Thursday evening. Magierowski addressed questions from a number of students regarding what Poland can do right now to help with the war in Ukraine, the outlook of new countries joining NATO, the issue of Crimea, and the golden question: How do you think this war in Ukraine is going to end? Russia will never vanish. It has been, is, and will remain our neighbor, he said. I have been asked this question a hundred times. I cannot answer. I do believe that we will one day see a democratic, liberal and free Russia. This is what Russians deserve. They have been brainwashed and indoctrinated since Putin came to power. It will be a very arduous and lengthy process to change this mindset that Russians have. Magierowski shared his experience of having lived under oppression. I was born under communism, which you are so lucky to not be under, he told students, and then I experienced democracy. I enjoyed freedom of expression. He spoke of the shocking lack of respect for human life demonstrated by the Russian army. We treat our soldiers humanely and our co-citizens with dignity, which is not the case with Russia, he said. When you see how miserably the Russian army has performed that makes me think its a complete mess and also they dont care for human life. If they did, they would perform much better. This is what the American, what the NATO armies are known for, because we know what human life means, and what it means to the families. Melissa Joan Hart, an American actress, took to Instagram to show the emotional toll the Covenant school shooting took on her and many other people. In the video, Hart said that her and her husband, Mark Wilkerson, were driving to parent-teacher conferences at her childrens nearby school when they noticed children running from The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee. We helped a class of kindergartners across a busy highway. They were climbing out of the woods. They were trying to escape the shooter situation at their school, the actor said, through tears. So, we helped all these tiny little kids cross the road and get (to) their teachers We helped a mom reunite with her children. "I don't know what to say anymore," Hart said. "It is just... enough is enough. And just pray, pray for the families." Her caption on the post is Prayers today, Action tomorrow. This was too raw to post yesterday but wanted you to hear this story. On March 27, during this school shooting, three students and three staff members were killed. The shooter was killed by police moments after arrival. The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee currently includes students starting from preschool through sixth grade. Melissa Joan Hart also noted that she used to live near Sandy Hook elementary school where 26 people were killed in 2012. Her and her family had recently moved for Connecticut to Tennessee. They moved here to live a calmer, laid-back life. Her family includes her, her husband, and their three children. Their children are Mason, 17; Braydon, 15; and Tucker, 10. The American actress is best known for her roles in Clarissa Explains It All and Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Hart promised that she would be taking action, just like she has in previous years. Hart has been an advocate for many years relating to gun safety. She has campaigned against gun violence and attended rallies held by different groups including Moms Demand Action and Everytown for Gun Safety. In 2014 she had tweeted, Just to be clear on my view, we can keep our guns AND have tighter laws to keep kids and innocent lives safe! Audrey Hale, a 28-year-old former Covenant student was armed with two assault rifles and a handgun. According to police, they shot through the locked doors of the private Christian school. The attacker was confronted 14 minutes after the massacre began. She was taken down and fatally shot. Melissa Joan Hart is not the only actress speaking out against gun violence and this school shooting specifically. Other Nashville residents, including Shawn Johnson East and Jana Cramer also reflected on the incident. They also commented about their concern for their own children amidst the epidemic of gun violence. Officials have identified the six people who were killed in this school shooting. Among them were 3 children and 3 adults. The three children, all 9 years old, were Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kenney, and Hallie Scruggs. The adults were Michael Hill, a 61-year-old custodian, Cynthia Peak, a 61-year-old substitute teacher, and the school principal Katherine Koonce, 60. This Week in Review A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. A courtroom in Senegal sentences the opposition chief to a suspended jail time period The ministers lawyer, El Hadji Diouf, stated {that a} outstanding opposition politician in Senegal, Ousmane Sonko, obtained, on Thursday, a two-month suspended jail sentence for defamation in a case involving the Minister of Tourism. One other lawyer representing the tourism minister instructed Reuters the ruling wouldnt stop him from working in subsequent yrs presidential elections. There was no instant assertion from Sonkos workforce. Sonko was charged with defamation for accusing the Minister of Tourism of embezzlement. He denied any wrongdoing and stated earlier that the fees towards him had been a tactic to exclude him from the presidential race. The decision is the sentencing of Ousmane Sonko to a suspended jail sentence of two months and fee of 200 million CFA francs ($332,000), Diouf instructed Reuters. The defamation trial, and one other separate case during which Sonko was accused of sexual assault, sparked violent protests throughout the nation. Sonko additionally denied any wrongdoing within the sexual assault case. (Reuters) Greece is interrogating eight extra suspects from Pakistan over an alleged plot to hold out anti-Semitic assaults in Athens, a police supply mentioned on Thursday. The investigation is underneath solution to see if there are different folks concerned, the police supply advised AFP. The official added that the eight Pakistani males had been arrested for getting into Greece illegally. Greek police mentioned on Tuesday that theyd arrested two Pakistanis of Iranian origin who had been planning assaults on areas frequented by Israelis in central Athens. The supply mentioned that the lads focused a constructing that features a Jewish restaurant and a chapel. Police spokeswoman Constantia Demogledo advised AFP that the mastermind of the cell was a Pakistani residing exterior Europe. A police supply, talking on situation of anonymity, mentioned the particular person lives in Iran. The state information company ANA mentioned late Wednesday that the eight males who had been questioned had shut contacts with the unique suspects. Israel accused Tehran of being behind the plot and mentioned the Mossad intelligence company helped avert an assault. Greece was included within the checklist of nations for which Israels Nationwide Safety Council issued journey warnings forward of the Passover vacation in early April. Irans embassy in Greece on Wednesday denied any connection to the alleged plot. (AFP) Mexican prosecutors introduced Wednesday the opening of a homicide investigation into the deaths of 39 migrants in a detention heart hearth, accusing officers of doing nothing to evacuate them. Authorities confronted growing scrutiny over their dealing with of the catastrophe after surveillance video confirmed guards leaving as flames engulfed a cell holding migrants. Sarah Irene Herrias, a public prosecutor specializing in human rights, mentioned an investigation had been opened into homicide and injury to property, though different potential crimes could be thought of. Not one of the public servants or personal safety personnel took any motion to open the door for the migrants who have been inside, she instructed reporters. Safety Minister Rosa Ichilla Rodriguez mentioned on the similar press convention that eight folks have been recognized allegedly chargeable for the fiasco following the fireplace, which started late Monday. They embody two federal brokers and a state immigration official, in addition to 5 members of a personal safety agency. Herrias mentioned prosecutors are asking for a number of warrants. It added that an immigrant was accused of setting the fireplace by others who have been contained in the detention heart, with out giving particulars concerning the particular person. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador earlier vowed that there could be no impunity for the tragedy that occurred in Ciudad Juarez, throughout the border from El Paso within the US state of Texas. We is not going to conceal something, he instructed reporters. He added that these chargeable for inflicting this painful tragedy will likely be punished based on the legislation. On Tuesday, Lopez Obrador mentioned he believes the migrants set themselves on hearth to protest the deportations. Within the video, whose authenticity has been confirmed by the federal government, three guards seem to flee shortly, leaving the migrants of their cell as flames and smoke shortly fill the constructing. El Salvador, which mentioned a few of its residents have been significantly injured, demanded that the folks operating the ability be punished as a result of the video confirmed the migrants have been left contained in the cells with no likelihood of reaching security. In Washington, White Home Press Secretary Karen Jean-Pierre referred to as the video heartbreaking and supplied her condolences for the tragic lack of life. She mentioned officers from the 2 international locations are in touch, and have raised the opportunity of permitting among the injured to obtain medical help in the US. A number of hundred migrants later tried to cross the border from Ciudad Juarez earlier than surrendering to a US border patrol, amid rumors that the US is permitting entry on humanitarian grounds, based on an AFP correspondent. We need to know Dozens of migrants spent the evening exterior the Nationwide Institute of Migration (INM) facility in Ciudad Juarez, ready for details about their relations and associates. We need to know if theyre there or not, mentioned Venezuelan Gilbert Zabaleta, who was searching for two associates. Mexican authorities mentioned the lifeless and wounded 27, together with folks from Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela, El Salvador, Colombia and Ecuador. A few of the injured have been unrecognizable, Dimas Escobar, an official on the Honduran embassy, instructed AFP in Ciudad Juarez, making it tough to find out their nationalities. Migrants left candles and flowers throughout a vigil exterior the centre, demanding higher remedy by the authorities. Migrants additionally staged protests in Mexico Metropolis and the south of the nation. Condolences poured in from overseas, together with from Pope Francis. Allow us to pray for the immigrants who perished in a tragic hearth in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, that the Lord would obtain them into his kingdom and luxury their households, he mentioned. UN Secretary-Normal Antonio Guterres referred to as for a thorough investigation into the fireplace. US President Joe Bidens administration hopes to stem the file tide of migrants and asylum seekers who usually take harmful journeys organized by smugglers to succeed in the US. About 200,000 folks attempt to cross the border from Mexico each month, most of them fleeing poverty and violence in Central and South America. (AFP) Florida Phoenix is a nonprofit news site thats free of advertising and free to readers. We cover state government and politics with a staff of five journalists located at the Florida Press Center in downtown Tallahassee. We have a mix of in-depth stories, briefs, and social media updates on the latest events, editorial cartoons, and progressive commentary. ( Middle East Monitor) A smear campaign alleged to be orchestrated by the United Arab Emirates and executed through a Geneva-based private intelligence firm has apparently been peddling hateful misinformation associated with anti-Muslim conspiracy theorists, an article in New Yorker Magazine has revealed. In The dirty secrets of a smear campaign, which is as sensational as it is disturbing, David D Kirkpatrick has exposed details of the campaign targeting a Swiss businessman of Egyptian origin, Hazim Nada. Kirkpatrick is an international correspondent for the New York Times and a Pulitzer Prize winner. The article exposes the desperate and often criminal lengths to which the UAE, an absolutist tribal Gulf monarchy, has gone to crackdown on political opponents. It not only sheds light on the dark and murky world of this particular smear campaign and the trail of shattered lives left in its wake; Kirkpatricks investigation also serves as a warning to democracies about the threat from authoritarian regimes which appear to have no qualms whatsoever about targeting the citizens of another country. Via Pixabay The victim of the campaign is Nada, the founder of commodities-trading business Lord Energy. He is the son of a successful Egyptian businessman, Youssef Nada. As a teenager in Alexandria, Nada Senior joined the Muslim Brotherhood in 1947 during the groups early decades. However, he spent most of his life outside the country of his birth as a highly successful businessman making millions in Libya, Austria, the United States and then Switzerland. Despite never advocating violence, Youssef Nadars membership of the Muslim Brotherhood has cast a long shadow over his life and that of his son Hazim. Now in his 90s, Youssef Nada is best known for winning a legal case against the US involving allegations of terrorism. His connection to the Brotherhood made him a target of the Egyptian regime. The US, a key ally of the Egyptian dictator and former President Hosni Mubarak, put him on a terrorist list. Nada fought to clear his name and won a libel suit against a journalist at an Italian newspaper who had accused him of supporting Hamas financially. A former Swiss senator and prosecutor who investigated the sanctions against Youssef Nada, said Kirkpatrick, concluded that the blacklisting had been totally arbitrary and Kafkaesque. The Swiss restrictions on him, it was ruled by a European court in 2012, had violated his human rights baselessly. It wasnt until 2015, though, that the US Treasury took him off its list of Global Terrorists. That should have been the end of the matter, but the UAE had other ideas as it launched a vicious smear campaign against his son. With a very definite Western outlook, Hazim Nada had a completely different upbringing. According to Kirkpatrick, he was bored by politics, casual about religion and proud of his American identity, and a fan of nineties hip-hop. With a Masters degree in physics from Cambridge University and a doctorate in applied maths from Imperial College London, and no connection to the Muslim Brotherhood at all, his life, one would have assumed, was a million miles away from the grip of a Gulf autocrat. Not so, as it turned out. As early as 2008 Nada Junior was forced to prove to each banker he met that his venture had no connection to his father. Despite the challenges, he became a successful businessman. Living in a mansion overlooking Lake Como in Italy, home to the likes of movie star George Clooney, Nada seemed as far removed as one could possibly be from a UAE-led smear campaign. Hazim Nadas troubles started in 2017 when he began to receive suspicious automated text messages from his mobile phone service provider and deceptive calls were made to his bank by someone asking for financial details. Around the same time, anti-Muslim conspiracy theorists were on his back. Journalist Sylvain Besson, who had written a book in which Nadas father was said to be linked to an Islamist conspiracy, published an article in a Geneva newspaper claiming that Lord Energy was a Muslim Brotherhood cover. One by one, more articles followed with allegations of links to terrorism. Around the middle of 2018, World-Check, a database that banks use for their due diligence checks on customers, listed Nada and his company under the Terrorism risk category. Five financial institutions decided that they could not do business with him and his company. UBS cancelled his personal cheque account, said Kirkpatrick, and his mothers too. It seemed as if history was repeating itself. Unproven allegations had ruined Nadas father, and now the same thing was happening to him. Desperate for answers, Hazim Nada approached the police and other authorities. He found out that a Geneva-based private intelligence firm, Alp Services, had been asking for information about him and a mosque. The discovery was the beginning of the unravelling of the mystery over who was behind the smear campaign that was destroying his business. With the help of vigilante hackers, Nada found that the UAEs fingerprints were all over the smear campaign. The Gulf state employed the founder of Alp Services, Mario Brero, in 2017, around the same time that Abu Dhabi, with the support of Saudi Arabia, imposed a blockade on Qatar. [Brero] agreed to an initial four-to-six-month budget of a million and a half euros to obtain concrete evidence about Qatar and the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe, wrote Kirkpatrick. It is a violation of Swiss law to gather political or business intelligence for a foreign state, and anyone convicted of the crime can be sentenced to three years in prison. But that didnt seem to deter Brero. Kirkpatrick said that the idea of targeting Nada appears to have originated in conversations with Swiss journalist Besson, the author of The Conquest of the West: The Secret Project of the Islamists. Most scholars now consider Bessons book to be an Islamophobic conspiracy theory, but it continues to influence the [far]right. Mass murderer Anders Breivik was a fan. The view peddled by Besson in his book was basically what is often referred to as the great replacement theory. Echoing a conspiracy about Jews taking over the world, the notorious forgery The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, growing sections of the far right believe that there is a worldwide Muslim conspiracy to destroy Western civilisation and replace the white race. The way to deal with the threat posed by Muslims, the argument goes, is through the mass mobilisation of the indigenous white population and acts of terror against Muslims and anyone aiding their cause. Did the UAE knowingly recruit individuals who believe and circulate hateful conspiracy theories about Muslims? In Breros first official report to the UAE, dated 6 October 2017, he spent forty-eight pages answering the question, Why Hazim Nada? His explanation was predicated on the presumption that the son was an extension of his father. He gave page after page of second-hand associations, apparently linking Nada to a global Muslim Brotherhood conspiracy. With his first pay cheque from the UAE, the journalist recruited a so-called expert known for producing anti-Muslim research as much as he is venerated by far-right Islamophobes, Lorenzo Vidino. He is the director of the Programme on Extremism at George Washington University and a consultant for several European governments. Vidino is known for dressing up bigotry towards Muslims in academic language. Alongside Vidino, Brero also recruited a mainstream journalist in the London Times newspaper for his smear campaign on behalf of the UAE. In 2018, Brero asked for more money to expand his operation against Nada. He proposed to alert compliance databases and watchdogs used by banks and multinationals and connect Nadas firm to terrorism. The objective was to paralyse Lord Energy and put pressure on others to shun the company. For this, the UAE was paying Brero 200,000 a month ($216,849). Brero persuaded the UAE to go after many more people on Vidinos roster of suspected Islamists and, by November 2019, he is said to have proposed to the Emiratis more than fifty potential European targets. One of those targeted unjustly, it must be said was the charity Islamic Relief Worldwide. An internal Alp Services account indicates that, between 21 August 2017 and 30 June 2020, the UAE paid Brero at least 5.7 million ($6.1m). Hazim Nada, meanwhile, said that he had lost more than a hundred million dollars by early 2019. This does not take into account the millions that he might have made during the boom years for the oil business in 2020 and 2021. He is now said to be talking to lawyers in the US about a class-action suit. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor or Informed Comment. Via Middle East Monitor VANCOUVER, BC, March 30, 2023 /CNW/ - Freegold Ventures Limited (TSX: FVL) ("Freegold" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that further to its news release of March 10, 2023, the Company has closed its upsized brokered private placement offering for aggregate gross proceeds of $16,524,000, which included the partial exercise of the over-allotment option (the "Offering"). Paradigm Capital acted as sole agent (the "Agent") on the Offering. In connection with the Offering, the Company entered into an agency agreement (the "Agency Agreement") dated March 30, 2023, between the Company and the Agent. In accordance with the Agency Agreement, 41,310,000 units of the Company (the "Units") were issued at a price of $0.40 per Unit. Each Unit is comprised of one common share of the Company (a "Unit Share") and one-half of one common share purchase warrant of the Company (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant is exercisable to acquire one common share of the Company (a "Warrant Share") for 24 months from today's date at an exercise price of $0.52 per Warrant Share. The Company (i) paid to the Agents a cash commission equal to 7% of the gross proceeds, and (ii) issued to the Agent broker warrants (the "Broker Warrants") entitling the Agent, from time to time for a period of 24 months from the Closing Date, to acquire that number of common shares of the Company (the "Broker Shares") that is equal to 7% of the number of Units issued pursuant to the Offering (including pursuant to the exercise of the over-allotment option), at an exercise price of $0.47 per Broker Share. Mr. Eric Sprott has invested $1.5 million in the Offering and upon the closing of the Offering, his interest in the Company will be approximately 25%. The Offering is subject to regulatory approval and all securities issued pursuant to the Offering will have a hold period of four months and one day. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering for general working capital and corporate purposes. The securities have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any U.S. state security laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States without registration under the U.S. Securities Act and all applicable state securities laws or compliance with requirements of an applicable exemption therefrom. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. About Freegold Ventures Limited Freegold is a TSX-listed company focused on exploration in Alaska and holds the Golden Summit Gold Project near Fairbanks and the Shorty Creek Copper-Gold Project near Livengood through leases. Forward-looking Information Cautionary Statement This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking information" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this press release. Any statement that discusses predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release, include, without limitation, statements regarding the completion of, and the use of proceeds from, the Offering. In making the forward-looking statements contained in this press release, the Company has made certain assumptions. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: availability of financing; delay or failure to receive required permits or regulatory approvals; and general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this press release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking statements or otherwise. See Freegold's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31 2021, filed under Freegold's profile at www.sedar.com, for a detailed discussion of the risk factors associated with Freegold's operations On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global health emergency. Reactions to the spread of COVID-19 continue to lead to, among other things, significant restrictions on travel, business closures, quarantines, and a general reduction in economic activity. While there has been a reduction in these effects in recent months, the continuation and re-introduction of significant restrictions, business disruptions, and related financial impact, and the duration of any such disruptions, cannot be reasonably estimated at this time. The risks to Freegold of such public health crises also include risks to employee health and safety and a slowdown or temporary suspension of operations in geographic locations impacted by an outbreak. Such public health crises, as well as global geopolitical crises, can result in volatility and disruptions in the supply and demand for various products and services, global supply chains, and financial markets, as well as declining trade and market sentiment and reduced mobility of people, all of which could affect interest rates, credit ratings, credit risk, and inflation. As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, Freegold has implemented a COVID management program and established a full-service Camp at Golden Summit to attempt to mitigate risks to its employees, contractors, and community. While the extent to which COVID-19 may impact Freegold is uncertain, it is possible that COVID-19 may have a material adverse effect on Freegold's business, results of operations, and financial condition. VANCOUVER, British Columbia / Mar 29, 2023 / Business Wire / Canagold Resources Ltd. (TSX: CCM, OTC-QB: CRCUF, Frankfurt: CANA) (Canagold or the Company) is pleased to report its Initial Project Description (IPD) and Engagement Plan submission to the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office on behalf of the New Polaris Project (Project), located in northwest British Columbia, Canada. The Companys IPD submission formally initiates the Early Engagement phase of the provincial assessment process. The IPD provides an overview and detailed description of the Companys plans to develop, operate, and eventually decommission the New Polaris Gold Project. Canagold greatly appreciates the cooperation and input from the Taku River Tlingit First Nation (TRTFN), on whose traditional territory the Project is located. We are very excited about our submission of the IPD, as it marks the official commencement of the Environmental Assessment permitting process, following extensive preparations and environmental baseline studies that have been conducted on New Polaris over the years, said Catalin Kilofliski, CEO of Canagold. This is an important milestone in the Companys ambitious plan to permit, build and operate a sustainable mining operation in partnership with TRTFN. About Canagold Canagold Resources Ltd. is a growth-oriented gold exploration company focused on advancing the New Polaris Project through feasibility and permitting. Canagold is also seeking to grow its assets base through future acquisitions of additional advanced projects. The Company has access to a team of technical experts that can help unlock significant value for all Canagold shareholders. Catalin Kilofliski Catalin Kilofliski Chief Executive Officer Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange 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. 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. Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are forward-looking information that involves known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the future performance of Canagold, and the Company's plans and exploration programs for its mineral properties, including the timing of such plans and programs. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "has proven", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "potential", "appears", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "at least", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "should", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". 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 the forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors include, among others risks related to the uncertainties inherent in the estimation of mineral resources; commodity prices; changes in general economic conditions; market sentiment; currency exchange rates; the Company's ability to continue as a going concern; the Company's ability to raise funds through equity financings; risks inherent in mineral exploration; risks related to operations in foreign countries; future prices of metals; failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals; government regulation of mining operations; environmental risks; title disputes or claims; limitations on insurance coverage and the timing and possible outcome of litigation. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could affect the Company and may cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, do not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. All statements are made as of the date of this news release and the Company is under no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements except as required under applicable securities laws. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Guanajuato Silver Company Ltd. (the "Company" or "GSilver") (TSXV:GSVR) (AQUIS:GSVR) (OTCQX:GSVRF) is pleased to announce that the Company has drawn down US$5M from its new silver and gold pre-payment facility (the "New Pre-Payment Facility") with Swiss-based precious metals trading firm, OCIM Metals & Mining S.A. ("OCIM") (See Guanajuato Silver previous news release dated March 16, 2023 - "Guanajuato Silver Arranges New US$5,000,000 Facility with OCIM"). The net proceeds from the New Pre-Payment Facility will be used to extinguish the previous OCIM prepayment facility in its totality, and for capital expenditures related to ramp-up activities at all four of the Company's producing silver mines. James Anderson, Chairman and CEO stated: "Once again OCIM has shown a willingness to work with Guanajuato Silver to extend the timeline of our silver and gold payment obligations under previous agreements with them. This facility enables the Company to focus more capital, more swiftly, toward expanding production at all of our producing mines and continuing the trend of considerable quarter over quarter production growth". About Guanajuato Silver GSilver is a precious metals producer engaged in reactivating past producing silver and gold mines in central Mexico. The Company produces silver and gold concentrates from the El Cubo Mine, Valenciana Mines Complex, and the San Ignacio mine; all three mines are located within the state of Guanajuato, which has an established 480-year mining history. Additionally, the Company produces silver, gold, lead, and zinc concentrates from the Topia mine in northwestern Durango. With four operating mines and three processing facilities, Guanajuato Silver is one of the fastest growing silver producers in Mexico. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS "James Anderson" Chairman and CEO For further information regarding Guanajuato Silver Company Ltd., please contact: JJ Jennex, Communications Manager, +1 (604) 723-1433 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Continue to watch our progress at: www.GSilver.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. Forward-Looking Statements and Information This news release contains forward-looking statements and information, which relate to future events or future performance including, but not limited to, the intended use of net proceeds from the New Pre-Payment Facility, the status of the Company as one of the fastest growing silver producers in Mexico, and the ability of the Company to ramp-up and expand production across all four of its producing silver mines and grow into a mid-tier silver producer. Such forward-looking statements and information reflect management's current beliefs and expectations and are based on information currently available to and assumptions made by the Company; which assumptions, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant operational, business, market, economic and regulatory uncertainties and contingencies. These assumptions include: our mineral resource estimates at El Cubo and El Pinguico and estimates of mineralized material at San Ignacio, Valenciana and Topia and the assumptions upon which they are based, including geotechnical and metallurgical characteristics of rock conforming to sampled results and metallurgical performance; available tonnage of mineralized material to be mined and processed; resource grades and recoveries; assumptions and discount rates being appropriately applied to production estimates; the ability of the Company to successfully integrate operations and increase production from its existing mining and milling operations and the availability of excess processing and tailings capacity to accommodate same; the Company's ability to secure additional sources of mineralized material for processing, prices for silver, gold and other metals remaining as estimated; currency exchange rates remaining as estimated; availability of funds for the Company's projects and to satisfy current liabilities and obligations including debt repayments, capital expenditures, decommissioning and reclamation estimates; prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services (including transportation) and inflation rates remaining as estimated; no labour-related disruptions; no unplanned delays or interruptions in scheduled construction and production; all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals are received in a timely manner; and the ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements and information are neither promises nor guarantees, and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that may cause actual future results, level of activity, production levels, performance or achievements of GSilver to differ materially from those expected including, but not limited to, market conditions, availability of financing, future prices of gold, silver and other metals, currency rate fluctuations, actual results of exploration, development and production activities, actual resource grades and recoveries of silver, gold and other metals, availability of third party mineralized material for processing, rising inflation and interest rates, geopolitical conflicts including wars, unanticipated geological or structural formations and characteristics, environmental risks, operating risks, accidents, labor issues, equipment or personnel delays, delays in obtaining governmental or regulatory approvals and permits, inadequate insurance, and other risks in the mining industry. There are no assurances that GSilver will be able to continue to increase production, tonnage milled and recoveries rates, improve grades and reduce costs at its existing mines to process mineralized materials to produce silver, gold and other concentrates in the amounts, grades, recoveries, costs and timetable anticipated to attain positive cash flow. GSilver's decision to process mineralized material from its mining projects is not based on a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability and therefore is subject to increased uncertainty and risk of failure, both economically and technically. Mineral resources and mineralized material that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability, are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them, and may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, title, socio-political, marketing, and other relevant issues. There are no assurances that the Company's projected production of silver, gold and other metals will be realized. In addition, there are no assurances that the Company will meet its production forecasts or generate the anticipated cash flows from operations to satisfy its scheduled debt payments or other liabilities when due or meet financial covenants to which the Company is subject or to fund its exploration programs and corporate initiatives as planned. There is also uncertainty about the continued spread and severity of COVID-19, the ongoing war in Ukraine and rising inflation and interest rates and the impact they will have on the Company's operations, supply chains, ability to access mining projects or procure equipment, supplies, contractors and other personnel on a timely basis or at all and economic activity in general. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. All forward-looking statements and information made in this news release are qualified by these cautionary statements and those in our continuous disclosure filings available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com including the Company's annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2021. These forward-looking statements and information are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances save as required by law. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 30, 2023) - Global Battery Metals Ltd. (TSXV: GBML) (OTCQB: REZZF) (FSE: REZ) (the "Company" or "GBML"), a critical mineral exploration company focused on growth-oriented lithium and other battery metal projects, announces that the drilling permit application for its Leinster Lithium Project (the "Property" or the "Project") has been submitted. Ten drill holes are planned to test to a depth of approximately 200m. The submission outlines a staged diamond core drilling program and comes on the heels of the recently announced (see March 20, 2023 press release) potential discovery of up to six LCT (lithium-cesium-tantalum) pegmatite dikes extending across a prospective lithium trend at Prospecting Licence Area 1597 ("PLA 1597" or the "Knockeen Prospect"). Significant sampling and mapping across the Knockeen Prospect was conducted throughout the second half of 2022, with the most recent assay results of 66 rock samples released by ALS Laboratories returning Li 2 O% lithium contents ranging up to 3.75 % Li 2 O (see January 18, 2023 press release). In conjunction with this work, a detailed deep overburden (base of till) program was recently completed for a total of 373 samples covering an area of 600m x 450m over the location of an extensive spodumene pegmatite float boulder train and an associated historically reported trenched bedrock occurrence. The interpreted geochemical results (see Figure 1) indicate the potential discovery of up to six LCT (lithium-cesium-tantalum) pegmatite dikes across the Knockeen Prospect shallow depths of between 1m - 7m below ground surface. The area of the exploration is centred on a locality where a forty-year-old historical company report from Irish Base Metals described a trench excavated at Knockeen Townland which uncovered in bedrock, a 1.8m thick spodumene-bearing pegmatite vein. Competent Person All scientific and technical information in this announcement has been prepared under the supervision of and reviewed and approved by EuroGeol Vaughan Williams M.Sc. P.Geo. (Principal of Aurum Exploration Services currently provides exploration services to GBML and to LRH), a "qualified person" within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101.Vaughan Williams is also company secretary of LRH. Please see the Company's Leinster Project Overview for additional program details, in addition to the latest version of the Company's Investor Presentation available for download from the GBML website (www.gbml.ca). Figure 1: Deep Overburden sampling grid showing anomalous lithium (ppm) in linear trends across the Knockeen Prospect. About Global Battery Metals Ltd. GBML is an international mineral exploration and development company with a focus on metals that comprise and support the rapid evolution to battery power. GBML currently maintains economic interests in four battery metal projects: (1) an option to acquire up to a 90% in the North-West Leinster lithium property in Ireland; (2) a 100% interest in the Lithium King property in Utah; (3) an option to acquire up to a 100% interest in the La Poile lithium project in Newfoundland; and (4) a 55% stake in Peru-based Lara copper property, which has over 10,000 metres of drilling. As previously disclosed, Minsur S.A., a Peruvian mining company, entered into an option agreement with GBML and Lara Exploration Ltd. to acquire the Lara copper property for staged payments of USD$5.75 million. GBML will retain a 0.75% net smelter royalty. GBML's common shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV: GBML); Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FSE: REZ); and are quoted on the OTC Markets (OTCQB: REZZF). Global Battery Metals Ltd. Michael Murphy BA, MBA, MSc., ICD President & CEO T: 604-649-2350 E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. W: www.gbml.ca 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" Information This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, statements relating the future operations and activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to, among other things, the Company's exploration plans at the Leinster Lithium Property. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions, and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation, the ability to complete proposed exploration work given the global COVID-19 pandemic, the results of exploration, continued availability of capital, and changes in general economic, market and business conditions. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these items. Readers are urged to refer to the Company's reports, publicly available through the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects. The Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by applicable securities laws. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Golden Lake Exploration Inc. (CSE:GLM) ("GLM" or the "Company") (OTCQB:GOLXF) is pleased to announce the results of a geochemical soil sampling survey undertaken on its flagship Jewel Ridge property (the "Property"), located in the prolific Battle Mountain-Eureka gold belt of Nevada. The Property is well-located proximal to infrastructure, situated along structural and stratigraphic trend from I-80 Gold's FAD, Ruby Deeps, 426, Hilltop, Blackjack and Archimedes deposits, all located immediately to the north of Golden Lake's Jewel Ridge property. Soil Sampling Survey Highlights During the 2020-2021 field seasons, Golden Lake personnel collected a total of 888 soil samples, over the entirety of the Jewel Ridge property. Soil samples were collected systematically on lines spaced 120 metres apart, with individual samples taken at 60-metre intervals, along such lines. The soil samples were then sent to the ALS Chemex laboratory facility in Elko, Nevada for drying, sieving and subsequent analyses1. Well-defined, persistent soil anomaly patterns for all of Au, Ag, Pb, Zn, As & Sb occur largely on the western half of the property, reflecting in part, the known CRD mineralization at the Eldorado, Magnet Ridge, A & E, Eureka Tunnel, Catlin/Croesus and Hamburg target zones (Maps 1 to 6). The following maximum, minimum, average and high-anomaly threshold values, characterize each of the elements: Au: high of 2.6 ppm, low of 0.001 ppm, average of 0.05 ppm, 9.3% of samples greater than 1.0 ppm Ag: high of 39.7 ppm, low of 0.05 ppm, average of 0.74 ppm, 7.1% of samples greater than 2.0 ppm Pb: high of 18,150 ppm, low of 9.9 ppm, average of 194 ppm, 27% of samples greater than 100 ppm Zn: high of 10,000 ppm, low of 29 ppm, average of 279 ppm, 18% of samples greater than 300 ppm As: high of 5220 ppm, low of 5.5 ppm, average of 114 ppm, 10.6% of samples greater than 200ppm Sb: high of 2130 ppm, low of 0.58 ppm, average of 21 ppm, 17% of samples greater than 20 ppm In addition to the Au-Ag-Pb-Zn-As-Sb anomalies encountered on the western half of the Property (indicative of CRD and over-printing Carlin-styles of mineralization), significant Au-Ag-As-Sb-Hg-Tl in-soil anomalies occur on the eastern portion of the Jewel Ridge property. These reflect in part, disseminated gold and/or Carlin-type styles of mineralization known to occur at the Jewel Ridge, Long Lost Jewels and Silica Ridge target areas. All of the target areas within the eastern portion of the Jewel Ridge property have seen minimal diamond drilling - additional drilling is clearly warranted. Exploration Implications Taken as a whole, the strong, persistent soil anomaly patterns for all of Au, Ag, Pb, Zn, As & Sb obtained over the western half of the Property, outline a two kilometre-wide, north-trending corridor, transecting the entire length of the Jewel Ridge property. Such soil anomalies combined with surface rock sampling (see Golden Lake news release dated January 19, 2023) are the surface manifestation of a wide-spread, high-grade CRD mineralizing system thought to be at depth, on the Jewel Ridge property. The deeper bonanza-grade CRD intercepts over wide widths, recently obtained by I-80 Gold and Paycore Minerals immediately to the north, occur at depths of 500 metres and greater (Ruby Deeps & FAD deposits, respectively), underscoring a real need for deeper exploration methodology and subsequent deeper drilling at Jewel Ridge. District-scale faults at Jewel Ridge (Jackson fault and parallel faults), delineate a structural corridor, intimately related with the subject soil anomalies and most importantly, with neighboring deposits to the north, including the FAD and historic Ruby Hill, as well as Ruby Deeps, Hilltop, 426, Blackjack and Archimedes of I-80 Gold (see inset on Maps 1 to 6). There are striking similarities, pertaining to structure, rock type and their relationships with precious and base-metal mineralization as seen at Jewel Ridge and on the properties of I-80 Gold. 1Samples analyzed at ALS Chemex in Elko, Nevada. ALS prepared the samples in accordance with code Prep-41 which includes drying the samples to 140 degrees F and sieving to -180 microns (-80 mesh). A 30 gram sample was analyzed for gold by fire assay and ICP-AES finish. An ultra-trace aqua regia digestion was used to test for 41 elements by ICP-MS. Below: Maps 1 to 6 showing soil anomaly patterns Upcoming Scheduled Geophysical Surveys In view of the relatively shallow depth of diamond drilling undertaken on the Jewel Ridge property to date and the depth of high-grade CRD mineralization being encountered at the neighbouring FAD and Ruby Deeps deposits to the north (500 to 600 metres below surface), a MagnetoTelluric (MT) geophysical survey is slated for completion at Jewel Ridge. MT is a frequency-based electromagnetic survey (EM) that utilizes electric and magnetic field measurements to calculate resistivity. Resistivity lows (or conductors) respond to and reflect the presence of metallic sulphide deposits, particularly semi-massive to massive CRD deposits. Resistivity highs, map out alteration such as silicification and jasperoid, common alteration styles associated with CRD and Carlin-type deposits. MT surveys are capable of detecting sulphide bodies to depths of up to one kilometre. Such surveys have been very successful on a number of Nevada-based exploration programs targeting CRD deposits recently. Given that the key factors governing the formation and deposition of CRD deposits involve an interplay between structure, rock type and proximity to magmatic centres (causative intrusions), a high-resolution drone magnetic survey will be completed over the Jewel Ridge property as well. The survey will of great assistance in an ongoing interpretation mapping faults, intrusive centres (Ruby Hill intrusion), sills and dikes, as well as key contacts between respective rock types and their relationships with mineralization. The MT and high-resolution drone magnetic survey are slated for completion in late spring-early summer due to winter access issues, heavy snowfall in the Eureka area (drone survey) and other challenges affecting the quality of the data (MT survey). Once complete, all data will be processed, modelled in 3D and integrated with all other data, including drill assays and known zones of mineralization. It is anticipated that several quality targets will be generated by said surveys in preparation for an initial drill program, slated for the summer of 2023. Qualified Person Donald Hoy, M. Sc., P. Geo., Golden Lake's Vice President of Exploration, is the Qualified Person responsible for the technical content in this news release. About Golden Lake Exploration Inc. Golden Lake Exploration is a junior public mining exploration company engaged in the business of mineral exploration and the acquisition of mineral property assets. Its objective is to acquire, explore and develop economic precious and base metal properties of merit and to aggressively advance its exploration program on the Jewel Ridge property. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Mike England" Mike England, CEO & DIRECTOR FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Telephone: 1-604-683-3995 TollFree:1-888-945-4770 Neither the Canadian Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Investors are cautioned that these forward looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and by those made in our filings with SEDAR in Canada (available at WWW.SEDAR.COM). VANCOUVER, British Columbia / Mar 30, 2023 / Business Wire / Gatos Silver, Inc. (NYSE/TSX: GATO) (Gatos Silver or the Company) today filed its quarterly reports on Forms 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, June 30, and September 30, 2022, which include its unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for such periods. The 10-Qs were filed on both the EDGAR and SEDAR systems and are posted on the Gatos Silver website at https://gatossilver.com. The Company expects that it will file its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, on March 30, 2023, after markets close, which will include its financial results and its audited consolidated financial statements for the period. The Company plans to host an investor and analyst call on March 31, 2023, details of which are provided below. As previously disclosed, the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for the first three quarters of 2022 were delayed following Gatos Silvers January 25, 2022, announcement of errors in the 2020 Technical Report that ultimately resulted in a reduction in the metal content of its previously estimated mineral reserves. With the filing of the Form 10-Qs for the first three quarters of 2022, Gatos Silver is current on its U.S. and Canadian securities regulatory filing requirements. The Company has, therefore, requested the Ontario Securities Commission to revoke the related Management Cease Trade Orders. Gatos Silvers net income for the nine months ended September 30, 2022, was $18.3 million1 or $0.26 per basic and diluted share compared with a year-earlier net loss of $3.1 million or $0.05 per basic and diluted share. The improvement in net income was primarily due to an increase in revenue for the 70%-owned Los Gatos Joint Venture (LGJV) driven by strong production. Production results for the nine months ended September 30, 2022, were disclosed on October 11, 2022. In summary, the LGJV achieved the following results for the nine months ended September 30, 2022, compared with the same period a year earlier (100% basis): Revenue of $218.7 million, up 23% from $178.3 million Cost of sales of $81.6 million, up 16% from $70.3 million Net income of $53.0 million, up 27% from $41.7 million Cash flow from operations of $118.3 million, up 39% from $85.0 million By-product cash cost 2 of $1.24 per payable ounce of silver, down 77% from $5.48 of $1.24 per payable ounce of silver, down 77% from $5.48 By-product AISC2 of $9.50 per ounce of payable silver, down 42% from $16.33 For additional details please see the Companys quarterly filings on the Companys website, or on EDGAR and SEDAR. The Company remains well-positioned to achieve its guidance and disclosed plans for 2023, including the further optimization of the Cerro Los Gatos ("CLG) operation, advancing mine life extension opportunities, accelerating the drilling on the mineralization recently discovered at depth in the new South-East Deeps zone, and continuing exploration of the highly prospective Los Gatos district. ______________ 1 The Companys reporting currency is US dollars. 2 See Non-GAAP Financial Performance Measures for additional information. Financial Results Webcast and Conference Call Investors and analysts are invited to attend the year-end financial results webcast and conference call as follows: Date: Friday, March 31, 2023 Time: 8:00 a.m. PT / 11:00 a.m. ET Listen-Only Webcast: https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/175852880 Dial In for Analysts only: 1 (888) 330-2513 An archive of the webcast will be available at https://gatossilver.com within 24 hours. About Gatos Silver Gatos Silver is a silver dominant exploration, development and production company that discovered a new silver and zinc-rich mineral district in southern Chihuahua State, Mexico. As a 70% owner of the LGJV, the Company is primarily focused on operating the Cerro Los Gatos mine and on growth and development of the Los Gatos district. The LGJV consists of over 103,000 hectares of mineral rights, representing a highly prospective and under-explored district with numerous silver-zinc-lead epithermal mineralized zones identified as priority targets. Non-GAAP Financial Performance Measures We use certain measures that are not defined by GAAP to evaluate various aspects of our business. These non-GAAP financial measures are intended to provide additional information only and do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by GAAP and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. The measures are not necessarily indicative of operating profit or cash flow from operations as determined under GAAP. Please see Cash Costs and All-In Sustaining Costs and Reconciliation of expenses (GAAP) to non-GAAP measures below. Cash Costs and All-In Sustaining Costs Cash costs and all-in sustaining costs (AISC) are non-GAAP measures. AISC was calculated based on guidance provided by the World Gold Council (WGC). WGC is not a regulatory industry organization and does not have the authority to develop accounting standards for disclosure requirements. Other mining companies may calculate AISC differently as a result of differences in underlying accounting principles and policies applied, as well as definitional differences of sustaining versus expansionary (i.e. non-sustaining) capital expenditures based upon each companys internal policies. Current GAAP measures used in the mining industry, such as cost of sales, do not capture all of the expenditures incurred to discover, develop and sustain production. Therefore, we believe that cash costs and AISC are non-GAAP measures that provide additional information to management, investors and analysts that aid in the understanding of the economics of the Companys operations and performance compared to other producers and provides investors visibility by better defining the total costs associated with production. Cash costs include all direct and indirect operating cash costs related directly to the physical activities of producing metals, including mining, processing and other plant costs, treatment and refining costs, general and administrative costs, royalties and mining production taxes. AISC includes total production cash costs incurred at the LGJVs mining operations plus sustaining capital expenditures. The Company believes this measure represents the total sustainable costs of producing silver from current operations and provides additional information of the LGJVs operational performance and ability to generate cash flows. As the measure seeks to reflect the full cost of silver production from current operations, new project and expansionary capital at current operations are not included. Certain cash expenditures such as new project spending, tax payments, dividends, and financing costs are not included. Reconciliation of expenses (GAAP) to non-GAAP measures The table below presents a reconciliation between the most comparable GAAP measure of the LGJVs expenses to the non-GAAP measures of (i) cash costs, (ii) cash costs, net of by-product credits, (iii) co-product all-in sustaining costs and (iv) by-product all-in sustaining costs for our operations. Nine Months Ended (in thousands, except unit costs) September 30, 2022 September 30, 2021 Cost of sales $81,550 $70,275 Royalties 2,739 3,480 Exploration 6,235 3,505 General and administrative 9,846 9,493 Depreciation, depletion and amortization 52,340 36,388 Expenses $152,710 $123,141 Depreciation, depletion and amortization (52,340) (36,388) Exploration1 (6,235) (3,505) Treatment and refining charges2 15,668 16,372 Cash costs (A) $109,803 $99,620 Sustaining capital 57,036 51,864 AISC (B) $166,839 $151,484 By-product credits3 (101,200) (73,402) AISC, net of by-product credits (C) $65,639 $78,082 Cash costs, net of by-product credits (D) $8,603 $26,218 Payable ounces of silver equivalent4 (E) 11,877 7,837 Co-product cash cost per ounce of payable silver equivalent (A/E) $9.25 $12.71 Co-product AISC per ounce of payable silver equivalent (B/E) $14.05 $19.33 Payable ounces of silver (F) 6,912 4,782 By-product cash cost per ounce of payable silver (D/F) $1.24 $5.48 By-product AISC per ounce of payable silver (C/F) $9.50 $16.33 1 Exploration costs are not related to current operations. 2 Represent reductions on customer invoices and included in Sales of the LGJV combined statement of income (loss). 3 By-product credits reflect realized metal prices of zinc, lead and gold for the applicable period, which includes any final settlement adjustments from prior periods. 4 Silver equivalents utilize the average realized prices during the nine months ended September 30, 2022, of $20.38/oz silver, $1.55/lb zinc, $0.98/lb lead and $1,837/oz gold and the average realized prices during the three months ended September 30, 2022 of $17.25/oz silver, $1.52/lb zinc, $0.91/lb lead and $1,790/oz gold. Silver equivalents utilize the average realized prices during the nine months ended September 30, 2021 of $24.03/oz silver, $1.29/lb zinc, $0.97/lb lead and $1,799/oz gold and the average realized prices during the three months ended September 30, 2021 of $23.31/oz silver, $1.40/lb zinc, $0.99/lb lead and $1,776/oz gold. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains statements that constitute forward looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of U.S. and Canadian securities laws. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including statements regarding completion and filing of the Companys Form 10-K, its ability to achieve guidance and disclosed plans for 2023, further optimization of the CLG operation, the advancement of mine life extension opportunities including definition drilling in the South-East Deeps zone, and exploration in the Los Gatos district are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on managements beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to management, which include, but is not limited to, managements belief that continued exploration of the Los Gatos district will yield positive results and that the conversion of the higher-grade portion of the current mineral resources into reserves can be achieved on a timely basis or at all. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, changes in development or mining plans due to changes in logistical, technical or other factors, the possibility that future exploration results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations, assumptions regarding the availability of required permits, changes in world silver markets and silver prices and other risks described in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Canadian securities commissions. Gatos Silver expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update the forward-looking statements contained in this press release to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which such statements are based unless required to do so by applicable law. No assurance can be given that such future results will be achieved. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Vancouver, British Columbia and Johannesburg, South Africa--(Newsfile Corp. - March 30, 2023) - Platinum Group Metals Ltd. (TSX: PTM) (NYSE American: PLG) ("Platinum Group", "PTM" or the "Company") reports that an infill drill campaign (the "Infill Drill Program") underway since November 2022, at the Waterberg Project, located on the Northern Limb of the Bushveld Complex in South Africa (the "Waterberg Project"), has been completed. All 16 planned T Zone boreholes and 16 planned F Zone boreholes have been drilled. Drill cores from the completed boreholes have been logged, and the mineralized intercepts recovered have been sampled and sent for assay by Intertek Genalysis Minerals in Australia. Final assay results for all T Zone boreholes and one F Zone borehole (WB303) were reported in the Company's news release dated January 26, 2023. All F Zone final assays from the Infill Drill program have now been received and are tabulated below: Area Borehole ID From (m) To (m) Zone(1) Length(2) (m) Pt (g/t) Pd (g/t) Rh (g/t) Au (g/t) 4PGE (g/t) F Zone WB302 231.33 322.00 CSF 90.67 0.33 0.78 0.02 0.05 1.18 Includes WB302 248.00 260.50 CSF 12.50 0.63 1.54 0.04 0.10 2.31 Includes WB302 309.83 322.00 CSF 12.17 0.54 1.37 0.04 0.06 2.01 F Zone WB304 248.50 318.50 CSF 70.00 0.77 1.68 0.05 0.13 2.63 Includes WB304 248.50 281.00 CSF 32.50 1.02 2.31 0.07 0.21 3.61 Includes WB304 296.50 318.50 CSF 22.00 0.71 1.53 0.04 0.09 2.37 F Zone WB305 232.50 260.00 CSF 27.50 1.26 2.77 0.08 0.19 4.30 F Zone WB306 CSF Beyond Subcrop(3) F Zone WB307 CSF Beyond Subcrop(3) F Zone WB308 226.88 275.00 CSF 48.12 1.12 2.67 0.07 0.19 4.05 Includes WB308 226.88 250.50 CSF 23.62 1.61 3.95 0.11 0.26 5.93 F Zone WB309 236.00 254.00 CSF 18.00 1.57 3.22 0.08 0.21 5.08 F Zone WB310 293.00 410.00 CSF 117.00 0.34 0.76 0.02 0.05 1.17 Includes WB310 312.00 322.00 CSF 10.00 0.52 1.22 0.03 0.09 1.86 Includes WB310 389.00 410.00 CSF 21.00 0.58 1.37 0.03 0.09 2.07 F Zone WB311 310.00 395.00 CSF 85.00 0.34 0.77 0.02 0.05 1.18 Includes WB311 310.00 319.60 CSF 9.60 0.65 1.57 0.04 0.09 2.35 Includes WB311 386.00 395.00 CSF 9.0 0.74 1.35 0.03 0.08 2.20 F Zone WB312 CSF Beyond Subcrop(3) F Zone WB313 281.55 304.00 CSF 22.45 1.48 3.24 0.09 0.19 5.00 F Zone WB314 CSF Beyond Subcrop(3) F Zone WB315 CSF Beyond Subcrop(3) F Zone WB316 285.00 313.00 CSF 28.00 0.55 1.35 0.04 0.09 2.03 Includes WB316 285.00 290.00 CSF 5.00 0.84 1.92 0.05 0.11 2.92 Includes WB316 305.00 313.00 CSF 8.00 1.01 2.6 0.07 0.18 3.86 F Zone WB317 356.00 357.92 CSF 1.92 1.72 3.28 0.12 0.12 5.24 Notes: (1) CSF = Central Super F Zone. (2) The true width of the shallow dipping (30 to 35) mineralized zones are approximately 82% to 87% of the reported interval from the vertical drill hole. (3) Borehole collared east of where westward dipping F Zone subcrops. Copper grades per tonne for all F Zone intercepts listed above averaged 0.060%. Nickel grades per tonne for all F Zone intercepts listed above averaged 0.184%. In addition to the Infill Drill Program, several geotechnical holes have also been completed and several more remain to be drilled. One exploration borehole is currently underway at a location approximately 15 kilometres north of the main project area and is presently at a depth of approximately 1,300 metres. This exploration borehole is intended to improve our understanding of the geology and economic potential of the Waterberg deposit on prospecting rights located adjacent to the north of the Waterberg Project's granted mining right. Intrusive formations of the Bushveld Igneous Complex have been intercepted in this exploration borehole, as expected. The Infill Drill Program targeted near surface, inferred, and indicated mineral resource blocks that have good potential for conversion to higher confidence levels, potentially identifying additional tonnage for inclusion in early mine plans. Drilling of the 16 F Zone boreholes was also intended to improve the delineation of the F Zone subcrop geometry. Results from the F Zone drilling as tabulated above are consistent with expectations. Some tonnage in the resource blocks drilled in the Infill Drill Program was included in previous mine planning for the 2019 Waterberg Project Definitive Feasibility Study (the "Waterberg DFS"). The Waterberg DFS technical report entitled "Independent Technical Report, Waterberg Project Definitive Feasibility Study and Mineral Resource Update, Bushveld Complex, South Africa" was filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov on October 7, 2019. Waterberg Deposit Platinum Group President and CEO, Frank Hallam, said, "We are once again pleased with the results from our Infill Drill Program and geotechnical drilling. Results are as expected and project geologists will use the results to update the Waterberg resource estimate, which project engineers will then use to optimize the Waterberg mine plan and development schedule for use in our Waterberg DFS Update, which is in process." As reported previously, on October 18, 2022, project operating company Waterberg JV Resources Pty Ltd. ("Waterberg JV Co.") approved in principle a pre-construction work program of approximately US $21.0 million over a 23-month period ending August 31, 2024 (the "Work Program"). From the Work Program, an initial budget of approximately US $2.5 million was approved for expenditure by March 31, 2023, and this work, including the Infill Drill Program, is nearly complete. On March 24, 2023, the Waterberg JV Co. Board of Directors approved the funding of a second tranche of the Work Program (the "Stage Two Budget") in the amount of US $3.6 million. The Stage Two Budget will cover the period from April 1, 2023 to August 31, 2023 and is to include Waterberg DFS Update engineering, pre-construction engineering, electrical power supply engineering and the permitting and licensing of construction aggregate borrow pits identified near the planned Waterberg mine site. Waste rock material retained after assaying of the T Zone and F Zone infill drilling will be further processed to determine dry-stack tailings characteristics and provide additional concentrate metallurgical data. If dry stack tailings methods are implemented, it is estimated that Waterberg mine water consumption could be reduced by 40% to 50%. The Company is focussed on advancing the Waterberg Project to a development and construction decision. The Waterberg Project is planned to be a mechanised, shallow, decline access platinum, palladium, rhodium, and gold mine and is projected to be one of the largest and lowest cost underground platinum group metals mines globally. PTM is the operator of the Waterberg Project as directed by a technical committee comprised of representatives from joint venture partners Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd. ("Implats"), Mnombo Wethu Consultants (Pty) Ltd. ("Mnombo"), Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (formerly Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation) ("JOGMEC") and Hanwa Co., Ltd. ("Hanwa"). Shareholders are encouraged to see the Company's filings on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) or on EDGAR (www.sec.gov) and to visit the Company's website at www.platinumgroupmetals.net. Quality Assurance and Quality Control The Company and Waterberg JV Co. have instituted a complete quality assurance / quality control ("QA/QC") program, including the insertion of blanks, certified reference materials (standards), and field duplicates within the sample stream. Referee analyses are also completed. The program is being followed and is to industry standard. QA/QC procedures are overseen by a qualified person, and the data has been verified by and is considered reliable in the opinion of the qualified person for this news release (as described below). NQ (47.6mm diameter) drill core is cut in-half and quartered with a diamond saw, with one-quarter placed in sealed bags and shipped to the laboratory and the other three quarters retained on site. Third party laboratory checks on 5% of the samples are carried out as well. Chain of custody is maintained from the drill to the submittal into the laboratory preparation facility. Analytical testing was performed by the Intertek Genalysis Minerals Global Centre of Excellence, located in Perth, Western Australia. The entire sample is dried and crushed to ~2mm, of which a 300 gram split is pulverized to at least 85% of material to 75m or better. Grade for Au, Pt and Pd is determined by using a 25g lead collection fire assay with Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) finish. On samples where the Au, Pt and Pd grade was found to be above 1 g/T, 6E analysis (for all PGEs) was done using 25g nickel sulphide collection and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) finish. Base metals and other major elements were determined by four acid digestion with Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) finish. Borehole Location Table Borehole ID Easting (WGS84 LO29) Northing (WGS84 LO29) Elevation (masl) Dip Azimuth EOH (m) WB302 -2585876.6 -9553.8 1045.35 -90 0 367.55 WB303 -2585898.7 -9607.0 1045.41 -90 0 391.18 WB304 -2585784.3 -9610.3 1047.76 -90 0 385.40 WB305 -2585950.1 -9551.2 1043.16 -90 0 349.70 WB306 -2585909.4 -9514.3 1044.05 -90 0 301.16 WB307 -2586045.2 -9725.5 1043.10 -90 0 370.50 WB308 -2585924.3 -9585.2 1044.81 -90 0 387.13 WB309 -2585972.9 -9607.3 1044.09 -90 0 362.21 WB310 -2585960.9 -9724.0 1045.07 -90 0 432.13 WB311 -2586107.0 -9903.9 1044.21 -90 0 439.90 WB312 -2586287.7 -10012.0 1041.54 -90 0 333.60 WB313 -2586389.9 -10096.0 1040.41 -90 0 345.90 WB314 -2586442.7 -10029.0 1038.20 -90 0 319.89 WB315 -2586518.3 -10101.0 1037.10 -90 0 296.60 WB316 -2586482.1 -10154.0 1038.81 -90 0 332.00 WB317 -2586722.6 -10437.0 1035.62 -90 0 387.80 Qualified Person Rob van Egmond, P.Geo., a consultant geologist to the Company and a former employee, is an independent qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). Mr. van Egmond has reviewed, validated, and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release and has previously visited the Waterberg Project site. About Platinum Group Metals Ltd. Platinum Group Metals Ltd. is the operator of the Waterberg Project, a bulk underground palladium and platinum deposit located in South Africa. The Waterberg Project was discovered by Platinum Group and is being jointly developed with Implats, Mnombo, JOGMEC and Hanwa. On behalf of the Board of Platinum Group Metals Ltd. Frank R. Hallam President, CEO and Director For further information contact: Kris Begic, VP, Corporate Development Platinum Group Metals Ltd., Vancouver Tel: (604) 899-5450 / Toll Free: (866) 899-5450 www.platinumgroupmetals.net Disclosure The Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX") and the NYSE American have not reviewed and do not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this news release, which has been prepared by management. This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws and forward-looking statements within the meaning of U.S. securities laws (collectively "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "estimate", "may", "plans", "postulate" and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. All statements that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding additional boreholes to be drilled, improved understanding of geology and economic potential of the Waterberg deposit, the potential for conversion of mineral resource blocks to higher confidence levels, potential identification of additional tonnage for inclusion in early mine plans, the updated Waterberg resource estimate and the Waterberg DFS update, optimizing the mine plan and development schedule, the anticipated Stage Two Budget time period and work program, further processing of rock material to determine dry-stack tailings characteristics and provide additional data, the possible implementation of dry stack tailings methods and results on water consumption, budgeted expenditures, the advancement of the Waterberg Project to a development and construction decision, that the Waterberg Project if developed is projected to be one of the largest and lower cost underground platinum group metals mines globally, and the Company's other future plans and expectations. Although the Company believes any forward-looking statements in this news release are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations and assumptions in such statements will prove to be correct. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including possible adverse impacts due the global outbreak of COVID-19, the Company's inability to generate sufficient cash flow or raise additional capital, and to comply with the terms of any new indebtedness; additional financing requirements; and any new indebtedness may be secured, which potentially could result in the loss of any assets pledged by the Company; the Company's history of losses and negative cash flow; the Company's properties may not be brought into a state of commercial production; uncertainty of estimated production, development plans and cost estimates for the Waterberg Project; discrepancies between actual and estimated mineral reserves and mineral resources, between actual and estimated development and operating costs, between actual and estimated metallurgical recoveries and between estimated and actual production; fluctuations in the relative values of the U.S. Dollar, the Rand and the Canadian Dollar; volatility in metals prices; the uncertainty of alternative funding sources for Waterberg JV Co.; the Company may become subject to the U.S. Investment Company Act; the failure of the Company or the other shareholders to fund their pro rata share of funding obligations for the Waterberg Project; any disputes or disagreements with the other shareholders of Waterberg JV Co. or Mnombo; the ability of the Company to retain its key management employees and skilled and experienced personnel; conflicts of interest; litigation or other administrative proceedings brought against the Company; actual or alleged breaches of governance processes or instances of fraud, bribery or corruption; exploration, development and mining risks and the inherently dangerous nature of the mining industry, and the risk of inadequate insurance or inability to obtain insurance to cover these risks and other risks and uncertainties; property and mineral title risks including defective title to mineral claims or property; changes in national and local government legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments in Canada and South Africa; equipment shortages and the ability of the Company to acquire necessary access rights and infrastructure for its mineral properties; environmental regulations and the ability to obtain and maintain necessary permits, including environmental authorizations and water use licences; extreme competition in the mineral exploration industry; delays in obtaining, or a failure to obtain, permits necessary for current or future operations or failures to comply with the terms of such permits; risks of doing business in South Africa, including but not limited to, labour, economic and political instability and potential changes to and failures to comply with legislation; the Company's common shares may be delisted from the NYSE American or the TSX if it cannot maintain compliance with the applicable listing requirements; and other risk factors described in the Company's most recent Form 40-F annual report, Annual Information Form and other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and the Canadian securities regulators, which may be viewed at www.sec.gov and www.sedar.com, respectively. Proposed changes in the mineral law in South Africa if implemented as proposed would have a material adverse effect on the Company's business and potential interest in projects. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether because of new information, future events or results or otherwise. The technical and scientific information contained herein has been prepared in accordance with NI 43-101, which differs from the standards adopted by the SEC. Accordingly, the technical and scientific information contained herein, including any estimates of mineral reserves and mineral resources, may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by U.S. companies subject to the disclosure requirements of the SEC. TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Gratomic Inc. ("Gratomic", "GRAT" or the "Company") (TSX-V:GRAT) (OTCQX:CBULF) (Frankfurt:CB82) announces that it has completed the third tranche of a non-brokered private placement offering of up to 20,000,000 working capital units ("WC Units") at a price of $0.30 per WC Unit for gross proceeds of up to $6 million (the "Offering") with the placement of 1,090,000 WC Units for gross proceeds of $327,000. The Company has raised $3,050,980.50 to date. Each WC Unit consists of one (1) Common Share and one (1) Common Share purchase warrant (a "WC Warrant"). Each WC Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one (1) Common Share (a "WC Warrant Share") at a price of $0.45 per WC Warrant Share until March 29, 2025. The securities issued on this closing of the Offering are subject to a hold period expiring on July 30, 2023. Final closing of the remainder of the Offering is expected on or before April 11, 2023. Proceeds from the Offering will be used for general working capital and for operating capital for the Company's Aukam Project. Insiders of the Company may subscribe for up to 25% of the WC Units in the Offering. The insider private placements are exempt from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI 61-101") by virtue of the exemptions contained in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1) (a) of MI 61-101 in that the fair market value of the consideration for the securities of the Company issued and to be issued to the insiders does not exceed 25% of its market capitalization. The securities to be offered pursuant to the Offering have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, United States persons absent registration or any applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. About Gratomic Gratomic is a multinational company with projects in Namibia, Brazil, and Canada. The Company is committed to becoming a leading global graphite supplier and aims to establish a strong position in the electric car battery supply chain. With the ongoing development of its flagship Aukam project and further exploration on the Company's Capim Grosso Graphite Project, Gratomic is setting itself apart by seeking unique high-quality assets around the world. The Company remains true to its roots and will continue to explore graphite deposits with development potential. The Company ranked third among the top 10 preforming TSX Venture 50 mining stocks of 2022. Large quantities of high-grade graphite concentrate have been shipped for testing following early positive results to confirm its suitability as an anode material. Gratomic is confident that the test results will provide a unique competitive advantage in its intended target markets. The Company will keep the public informed on the status of these tests and will announce the results as soon as they become available. On the January 25, 2023 Gratomic announced that it had entered into a LOI with Graphex Technologies to supply graphite through existing facilities and develop a downstream processing facility in the continental US. The Company has entered into a collaboration agreement with Forge Nano. With its patented ALD coating, this cooperation with Forge Nano is a key element in supporting Gratomic's strategies towards the value-added phases of production of graphite for anode applications through integrating its advanced atomic layered deposition technology to the coating of anode Graphite powders post micronizing and spheronizing. For more information: Visit www.gratomic.ca or contact: Arno Brand at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (416) 561- 4095 Sign up at gratomic.ca/contact/ to be added to our email list. For marketing and media information, please email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. "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 contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Investors are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and by those made in our filings with SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com) VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - May 13, 2016) - MAG Silver Corp. (TSX:MAG)(NYSE MKT:MVG) (the "Company", "MAG", "we" or "our") announced today that its Board of Directors (the "Board") has adopted a "new generation" shareholder rights plan (the "New Rights Plan"). The New Rights Plan... Read More VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 28, 2023 / Black Tusk Resources Inc. ("Black Tusk" or the "Company) (CSE:TUSK) is pleased to announce that it plans to change its name to "Q Battery Metals Corp." and the trading symbol will change to "QMET". The change of name is subject to acceptance of the... Read More Yoo Ah In is receiving massive support not just from fans but also from his fellow celebrities after bravely admitting his fault with a public apology. The "Seoul Vibe" star has been making a round of headlines after being subject to a police investigation over illegal drug use. With this, he voluntarily appeared at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and underwent a 12-hour questioning. Yoo Ah In Pens Public Apology To Fans, Colleagues Following his activity with the authorities, Yoo Ah In's Instagram featured a public apology that gained public attention. In his lengthy post, written in Korean, the actor began his message by saying that he "made an inadequate apology" after appearing before the police. Moreover, he also acknowledged his shortcomings and apologized to the people whom he "disappointed" and who have "loved" him since the start of his career. He then mentioned the consequences of his actions and the people who got affected by it, especially his co-stars and brands. "Moreover, because of me, movies, plays, those who do valuable work such as advertising, I can't express my apologies yesterday," he said, adding that he is "deeply sorry" for being irresponsible that causing inconvenience to colleagues and related personnel. Despite feeling "sorry and ashamed," Yoo Ah In said that he will "shoulder" the responsibilities and promised to "participate in future investigations" and legal trials. Netizens, Celebrities Show Support to Yoo Ah In With his latest Instagram post, the actor was lauded by many for his bravery in accepting his mistakes as he vowed to make his life better. According to a media outlet, the majority of the netizens expressed their support and hoped that Yoo Ah In will overcome this trial. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Yoo Ah In to Face 10 Billion Won Penalties for Breach of Contracts With Brands Others also wished to see the actor in the future and recover both physically and mentally. In addition, fellow celebrities also expressed their support for Yoo Ah In, including broadcaster Kim Song and the wife of Clon member Kang Won Rae, who considered themselves as one of the actor's biggest fans. On March 27, the award-winning actor appeared at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency as part of the investigation regarding the drug charges against the top star. Dressed in an all-black outfit, Yoo Ah In was along with his legal counsel as they went into a 12-hour questioning by the police. As the actor and his team were about to leave the vicinity, he spoke to the media and said that he "told the truth as far as he could tell." However, he was hesitant to share more information regarding the 12-hour ordeal with the police since the investigation is still ongoing. Further, he asked apology in front of the media and mentioned that he is "deeply reflecting" on his actions that "brought great disappointment to many people." Prior to his appearance before the police, Yoo Ah In tested positive for four types of drugs - marijuana, ketamine, cocaine, and propofol - and had to ban him from leaving the country as the probe continued. KDramaStars owns this article Written by Geca Wills Following the success of "The Glory," "Island," and other high-rated series, "Joseon Attorney" and "Duty After School" are gearing up to meet viewers around the world in the last week of March. Though there are a few days left before March ends, K-dramaland still has upcoming and exciting series to be released this week. Without further ado, these are the K-dramas you should anticipate this week! 'Joseon Attorney' After his military discharge, Woo Do Hwan is set to headline this historical-romance series alongside idol-actress Bona, who previously made her name known through Netflix's "Twenty Five, Twenty One." Teaming up for the first time, this duo is about to create a new chemistry that will captivate the viewers' attention. Through the posters, stills, and teasers released ahead of its scheduled premiere, "Joseon Attorney" already gains anticipation from the audience. This legal-romance series foretells the story of an oejibu, (called the attorney in the Joseon Dynasty), who wants revenge on an enemy that caused the demise of his parents. Even though the series begins with revenge, as the story progresses, it exhibits the growth of the protagonist who gradually becomes a real attorney that cares for the people. Woo Do Hwan takes the role of Attorney Kang Han Soo, and opposite him is WJSN Bona who will star as the charming and caring Princess Lee Yeon Joo. "Joseon Attorney" premieres on March 31 on MBC and will occupy the Friday and Saturday slots at 9:45 p.m. (KST). 'Duty After School' Introducing a new batch of rookie and talented stars, TVING's forthcoming adventure series "Duty After School" will finally make its small screen debut on March 31. Missing that thrilling campus vibe in "All of Us Are Dead"? Then this drama is a must-watch. "Duty After School" depicts the story of high school students who are called to join the world's first war against extraterrestrial forces. It all begins when an alien sphere invades the world, the Department of Defense offers university admission incentives to get the students to enroll for the reserved forces. They need to undergo training to become frontline fighters once the war occurs on Earth. Shin Hyun Soo, Lee Soon Won, Im Se Mi, and Kwon Eun Bin are some of the familiar faces you'll see in the series. Rookie stars Kim Ki Hae, Kim Min Chul, Kim Jung Ran, Moon Sang Min, Kim Su Gyeom, ALICE's Sohee, Shin Soo Hyun, Shin Myung Sung, Ahn Do Gyu, Shin Hye Ji, and Yeo Joo Ha are also part of the cast. This new squad will start its adventure on March 31. "Duty After School" will be available on TVING, and new episodes will be released every Friday at 4 p.m. (KST). IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Cha Eun Woo To No Longer Star in Crime Drama 'Bulk' - What Happened? For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at Kdramastars. Kdramastars owns this article. Shai Collins wrote this. In "Call It Love" episode 11, Lee Sung Kyung and Kim Young Kwang become a little braver as they get to know each other on a deeper level, much to viewers' excitement. The two lead stars also celebrate a special day in the series, which amplifies the romantic tension between them. Will the sparks fly between them? Shim Woo Joo Gets Upset With Own Family The brand new episode of "Call It Love" is filled with tension as Shim Woo Joo (Lee Sung Kyung) and Shin Hye Sung (Kim Ye Won) reunite with their mother. In the previous episode, their mother met their late father's mistress Ma Hee Ja (Nam Gi Ae), who's also Han Dong Jin's (Kim Young Kwang) mother, which raised frustration among viewers. Shim Woo Joo gets into an argument with her sister and mother despite longing for their embrace. She then calls in sick at the office as it turns out that it's her birthday. At work, Han Dong Jin leaves the office earlier than usual, shocking everyone. He picks up a cake for Shim Woo Joo after he remembers her special day. Han Dong Jin Makes A Move Han Dong Jin pays her a visit, which sends Shim Woo Joo into panic because of her mother. Surprisingly, Kim Hyun Joo (Kim Hee Jung) didn't send Han Dong Jin away and even entertained the visitor. Later that night, Shim Woo Joo and Han Dong Jin spend the night at a restaurant to celebrate the former's birthday, creating an incredibly sweet scene. On their way home, the two hold hands together as they share a mutual understanding and genuine feelings for one another. A New Beginning With the issues and controversies around Best Fairs, Han Dong Jin and Shim Woo Joo's co-workers try to win their trust once again. Kang Min Young (EXID Hani) tells Han Dong Jin that she's moving, signaling the end of their chase. He then opens up to her about how much he likes Shim Woo Joo. The revelation somehow hurts Kang Min Young but she wishes him and Shim Woo Joo well. At the end of the episode, Han Dong Jin's mother desperately tries to sell Shim Woo Joo's childhood home. However, things don't go well for her. Shim Woo Joo's Epiphany Shim Woo Joo comes clean to her co-workers; she confesses that she lied to everyone to help Cha Young Min (Seo Dong Won) to destroy Best Fairs. She then realizes that what she did could potentially hurt Han Dong Jin. Guilt begins to gnaw at her heart, especially when he and she start to grow closer than before. Shim Woo Joo then goes to her childhood home with Han Dong Jin to have dinner together. The two then talk about their weaknesses and grudges that they continue to hold against their parents, which make them realize that they're more alike than they think. Han Dong Jin then asks Shim Woo Joo to spend the night with him, raising tension among viewers. KDramaStars owns this article. Written by Elijah Mully. 113 Shares Share March 30, 2023, is National Doctors Day in the United States. Its that one day when the leaders of our profession, at every level, take a moment and thank us for the work weve done. Nothing says thank you for ensuring that I get a 4-6 figure bonus this year, like a slice of cold pizza or donut. Currently, I work at a pretty great place but at other sites, I remember feeling oh so grateful to get a pen or other trinket instead of a pay increase or bonus for all of the hours of uncompensated work I did for that group or company. National Doctors Day is a joke. Its a pathetic attempt by medical leaders (C-suite, organized medicine, non-profit boards and academies, or state and federal regulators) to pretend that they care about the doctors who work for them or are regulated by them. Its a show and melodrama. It obscures and hides a darker reality that no one with authority wishes to admit or change because to do so would unmask their complicity in a dark crisis in our profession. This year, as has been the case for the past few years, physicians took top honors in a dark and deadly category among the pantheon of professions in America. We have the highest rate of suicide among all professions. That the rate of suicide among physicians is the highest of all professions. Nearly 25 percent of physicians are noted to be depressed. Fifty-two percent of physicians refuse to seek help from a professional. Over 30 percent believe that doing so would affect credentialing or licensure. The suicide rate among physicians is 4.9 percent. While that number seems small consider that the rate of suicide among the general population in the United States is 0.5 percent. Another study notes that we are losing one physician a day to suicide. Lets for a moment consider our competition for this distinction. We beat out nurses, dentists, first responders, and United States Armed Forces members to carve out this niche. Congratulations to our leaders for creating an environment where our professionals kill themselves at higher rates than combat veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Strong work to you all. If there were an award for doing as much nothing as possible in this area, our leaders would have earned it. So this Doctors Day, rather than accepting our pizza, pastry, and pen from medical leadership, let us begin the process of taking back our profession. Lets transform National Doctors Day from a pointless exercise and a reminder of how little we are valued by our leaders and transform it into a day of remembrance. Lets take a moment on social media and in the real world to remember all those weve lost to suicide and the many more to stress-related diseases or just to departure from our profession. I would ask all doctors who see this to post something on their social media pages, in social media groups, or anywhere they feel appropriate to remember those weve lost and to call themselves to action. Its time we stop waiting for the cavalry that will never come and lean on each other to survive our profession. On March 30, 2023, lets tell the world that were done seeing our colleagues end their lives in lieu of getting help. Lets make March 30, 2023, the day we turn the tide on this blight in our profession. James Young is a hospitalist. The ministry of health says the continued low use of contraceptives is contributing to an increase in the number of babies being born each year. The commissioner in charge of Reproductive and Infant Health at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Richard Mugahi says last year, 1.5 million babies were delivered compared to the average of 1.2 million births that the country has been registering. He attributed this to the continued low use of contraceptives which stands at 39%, explaining that this is bound to put a burden on the healthcare system if no interventions are done. He made the remarks while commissioning a mother and child center facility at IHK hospital in Kampala. The Commander of Land Forces, Lt Gen Kayanja Muhanga, flagged off the soldiers who will cross to DR Congo through the Bunagana border in Kisoro District. Unlike the Shujaa Operation on the other side of the DR Congo where we directly attack the enemy, the mission here is to witness a process of achieving peace in Rutshuru Territory and the neighbouring areas in the North Kivu Province in the DR Congo. We are deploying about 5,000 soldiers, Lt Gen Muhanga said. He added that they are not going to Congo as enemies of any group, but to implement the decisions of the East African heads of State on creating peace in the North Kivu Province. The chairperson of Kisoro District, Mr Abel Bizimana, said he was excited that the UPDF soldiers had finally been flagged off to witness a peace process in the troubled DR Congo. Read more The Electoral Commission (EC) chairperson, Justice Byabakama Simon Mugenyi has decried the small workspace availed at their new offices at Industrial Area, Kampala. Speaking during the official opening of its new temporary head offices, Byabakama said that while this new (temporary) home offers an improved office layout and working environment, it falls short of meeting the Commissions space requirements. EC staff capacity is currently 310 persons, excluding security personnel. Byabakama has further called for support from stakeholders as the commission seeks to establish a state-of-the-art home that will offer suitable offices, storage facilities, and an enhanced professional image. Government tasked the National Housing and Construction Company (NHCC) to provide the Electoral Commission with a temporary office premise and establish a customized permanent home for the electoral body. The Commission then embarked on the process of relocating from Plot 55, Jinja Road, Kampala to pave way for the development of the Kampala Flyover Construction and Road Upgrading Project (KFCRUP). En el "Primer Encuentro Nacional de Prefectos y Subprefectos 2023", la presidenta Dina Boluarte destaco la necesidad de que estas autoridades sean verdaderos servidores publicos ante la ciudadania. Ademas, resalto la importancia de una mayor articulacion con las autoridades pic.twitter.com/dGzRrDKXwJ Eight people who were arrested this week while demanding for the arrest of government officials accused of stealing iron sheets meant for the people of Karamoja have been remanded to Luzira prison. The eight were arraigned before Buganda Road Court grade one magistrate, Asuman Muhumuza, and charged with the offence of assaulting a female police officer in the execution of her duty. Court has identified the group as; Bukenya Moses, Ndyasiima Nelson, Najjuma Sanyu, Kawooya Sharif, Batanda Augustine, Nayebale Gilbert, Ssegawa Shafia, and Ssemakula Teddy. They have been remanded until April 12, 2023, as police investigations into the matter continue. Prosecution states that the said suspects with others still at large on Marich 28, 2023, at Ben Kiwanuka street central division in Kampala district assaulted ASP Musimenta Flavia, a police officer who was executing her duty. Iron sheet saga The named beneficiaries of the iron sheets included Vice President Jesca Alupo, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, first deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Kadaga, third deputy Prime Minister Rukia Nakadama and Finance Minister Matia Kasaija. Other beneficiaries include Government Chief Whip Hamson Obua and junior Agriculture minister Bwino Kyagulaga. Ministers Kasaija and Kadaga have separately acknowledged receiving some iron sheets, but said these were unsolicited. Finance State minister Amos Lugoloobi, who had used part of iron sheets for roofing a shed on his farm, plucked them off and called them evil roofing materials. More calls are being made for calm and dialogue between the President of Kenya, William Ruto, and opposition leader Raila Odinga. This comes as Kenyans today brace for more protests against the rising cost of living increases and an illegitimate government according to Odinga who accuses the current president of stealing last years election. The protests which kicked off last week have seen at least two people killed and property destroyed including the farm of former president Uhuru Kenyatta which was torched on Monday. Speaking to KFM, Busia municipality MP Geoffrey Macho says the two leaders should have an honest conversation about the well-being of their citizens who he says are poor and starving due to a food crisis. He also asked the Kenyan government to allow the movement of cargo trucks and reduce the heavy security for smooth business to flow. By Mike Sebalu The government of Uganda has signed a new Bilateral Labour Agreement with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The signing paves way for the resumption of externalization of labour to the Middle East following suspension in December 2022. The Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development Betty Amongi signed on the renewed agreement on behalf of the government last evening. Key details of the Agreement, include improvement in the welfare and rights of domestic workers It has also been agreed that no deductions on salaries except those stipulated by law or as authorized by the employee will ever be made. It has also been agreed that the transfer of employees and renewal of contracts will be regulated and a Joint Technical Committee to be established within two months among others. The development comes after labour externalisation companies decried the delay saying it was causing financial losses on their hand. This morning, the Minister of Gender Betty Amongi will address the media to give details of the agreement and also specify the exact date when the externalization process will resume. Maj. Alex Aceta, a Uganda Peoples Defence Force (UPDF) officer attached to Olillim Training School died on spot last evening following a fatal accident that happened in Namutumba district. The incident happened at Mazuba village along the Mbale-Iganga highway after vehicle registration number UBN 376C, a TX Prado, that was being driven by a warrant officer, Mathias Ssefoloza, also attached to Olillim Training School lost control and knocked another vehicle registration number UAF 265F (Crane) which had parked by the roadside, killing a passenger (soldier) in the Prado. According to Faridah Nampiima, the traffic police directorate spokesperson, the Prado was moving from Iganga heading to Mbale side. She further explains that two people sustained injuries and were instantly rushed to Iganga hospital where they are receiving treatment. KING tells the story of Luther, a man from Cork named in honour of his Granny Bee Baws hero, Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Luther only leaves his apartment for essential journeys, and to perform as an Elvis impersonator. The play explores prejudice, privilege, and resilience, as Luther struggles to live life to the full. Fishamble and Pat Kinevane have previously collaborated on FORGOTTEN, SILENT, UNDERNEATH, and BEFORE, which have won major international awards including Olivier, Fringe First, Herald Archangel, Adelaide Fringe, and Helen Hayes awards. The pair have received rave review and were described as extraordinary by the New York Times, stunning by The Scotsman, dazzling by The Guardian, and mesmerising by The Sydney Morning Herald. Now, Fishamble and Pat Kinevane, under the direction of Jim Culleton, and with music by Denis Clohessy, return with this very special fifth solo play. This production was developed with the support of NASC Network Commission. Fishamble: The New Play Company presents KING which was written and performed by Pat Kinevane at the Watergate Theatre on Friday, April 14. Tickets are 20 and are available from watergatetheatre.ie or (056) 7761674. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. ???? Durante el arribo del B.A.P. Carrasco, la presidenta Dina Boluarte indico que el Gobierno trabaja para proteger la #Antartida , y consolidar la presencia activa y permanente de nuestro pais en este continente. #ConPunchePeru pic.twitter.com/SLOXOOnY1X "Tenemos que dejar atras y proscribir la corrupcion, la ineficiencia, la manipulacion infame de nuestras instituciones. Esa manipulacion que ha tenido como proposito encubrir, de manera descarada y desde las mas altas esferas del poder, a los profugos de la justicia", dijo la pic.twitter.com/hFk1vxgq1c First published on Seeking Alpha on Friday May 24: Many depositors were shocked by the SVB collapse, which, in our opinion, demonstrates that the majority of them are ignorant of serious systemic risks in the U.S. banking system. In fact, we specifically warned about this issue residing at the major banks in an article just weeks before SVB (SIVB) collapsed: "Maturity mismatch is also being ignored This is another major issue that is not being tested by the Fed. Many U.S. banks have a large maturity mismatch between their assets and liabilities. For example, in our recent article on Capital One (COF), we showed that 84% of the bank's securities have maturities longer than 10 years. Capital One does not disclose the average maturity of its deposit book, which is a major part of its liabilities; however, it's highly likely that it's much less than 10 years, especially given that Capital One currently does not offer deposits with a term of more than five years. Such a maturity mismatch between the bank's assets and liabilities would likely lead to major liquidity issues in a volatile environment and be a significant risk for depositors." In fact, as one of my 1,000 money manager clients noted to me yesterday: "Funny. A colleague said "no one saw this issue with the banks"... I just laughed and told him Avi from EWT was all over it." As we already repeatedly warned about maturity mismatch-related risks in our previous articles, which were the cause of the SVB failure, we will not discuss the SVB case in this one. Instead, we'd like to talk about the risks that have not yet materialized but still pose serious threats to the American banking system, especially to large banks, which are currently regarded as a safe haven and are attracting deposits. And, if you would like to read the public articles we have written on the larger banks, and the issues therein, feel free to read them here: The Credit Suisse Drama The failures of SVB and Signature Bank (SBNYP) largely overshadowed the problems with Credit Suisse (CS). But, in our view, this case is very significant and highlights the issues that could seriously endanger the large U.S. banks. The CS story had been developing quite rapidly. On March 14, the bank published its 2022 annual report, in which it mentioned that it had identified a material weakness in its reporting procedures that could result in misstatement risks. Here is a quote from the bank's 2022 annual report: "Credit Suisse Group's management has made an evaluation and assessment of the internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022. Based upon its review and evaluation, the Group's management has concluded that, as of December 31, 2022, the Group's internal control over financial reporting was not effective as it did not design and maintain an effective risk assessment process to identify and analyze the risk of mate- rial misstatements in its financial statements. As Credit Suisse (Schweiz) AG relies on the Group's internal control framework designed for the preparation of the financial statements, the Board of Directors of Credit Suisse (Schweiz) AG concluded that this material weakness could result in misstatements of account balances or disclosures that would result in a material misstatement to the annual financial statements of Credit Suisse (Schweiz) AG that potentially would not be prevented or detected. As a consequence, the statutory auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers AG (PWC) has noted that Credit Suisse (Schweiz) AG did not design and maintain an effective risk assessment process to identify and analyze the risk of material misstatements in its financial statements within this system." The next day, the chairman of the Saudi National Bank, which was a top shareholder of CS before the deal with UBS (UBS), ruled out any additional increases in its stake in the bank. That has triggered another decline in the bank's share price, and, as the media said, the U.S. Treasury Department had started reviewing the U.S. financial sector's exposure to CS. On Friday, the media reported that at least four large banks had restricted trades with CS. There also was news from Bloomberg that BNP Paribas, a French bank, will no longer accept requests to take over their derivatives contracts when CS is the counterparty. The acquisition of CS by UBS has stabilized the situation for now, but the risks remain. The fact that U.S. banks have tens of trillions of dollars in derivatives on both their balance and off-balance sheet has been repeatedly mentioned in our previous articles on large banks. In the event of a systemic crisis, this could cause serious problems for the banks and ultimately for depositors. Here is a quote from our article on Credit Suisse. "The table shows that CS's notional amount of derivatives is CHF15T, which is almost 70% of the total U.S. GDP. Yes, this is notional amount, and after netting it becomes much smaller. However, majority of these derivatives are OTC contracts, which are the riskiest type of derivatives, especially in a recessionary environment when there is a high chance of a counterparty default risk. It is highly likely that CS is among derivative counterparties of large U.S. banks, and in a crisis scenario CS likely would not be able to meet its obligations under these OTC contracts. This would lead to major losses for U.S. banks, and eventually for their retail depositors." This significant risk was once again brought to light by the news that several sizable banks restricted trading with CS and that at least one stopped working with those derivatives where CS is a counterparty. Naturally, the largest American banks are those that are most at risk from this issue. Rising Delinquencies In Unsecured Lending The sector's non-mortgage retail lending is another problem that was largely overshadowed by the SVB collapse. Over the past few quarters, this segment has seen an increase in charge-offs and delinquencies, and we think this is just the beginning of the story. Recently, credit cards and car loans have appeared to be particularly weak, as we covered in our article on Capital One. A further deterioration in the segment could result in significant losses and even render some large U.S. banks insolvent, given that they have significantly increased their exposure to unsecured retail lending. The Quality Of Corporate Credit Portfolios Also Raises Questions Another major issue is the poor quality of corporate loans granted by the large banks. Here's an excerpt from our article on Goldman Sachs (GS), for illustration: "GS's corporate book is extremely risky as 70% of loans were granted to non-investment-grade borrowers. The history tells us that there is a high probability that these borrowers would default in a recession environment. It is also worth mentioning that 33% of corporate loans were granted to EMEA's clients, which would likely hit the hardest in a global crisis." Just as a reminder, a non-investment-grade borrower is what the media now calls a junk borrower. Is The LCR A Reliable Metric In A Crisis Environment? During these debates around SVB and Signature Bank, several experts and analysts mentioned that the liquidity position of large banks is more transparent as they regularly submit their LCRs (Liquidity Coverage Ratios) to the Fed. According to the regulator, the LCR rule requires large banks to calculate and maintain an amount of high-quality liquid assets sufficient to cover their total net cash outflows over a 30-day stress period. The LCR ratio is calculated as a bank's high-quality liquid assets divided by its total net cash outflows. We note that the LCR is essentially useless in a financial crisis situation, despite the fact that we do agree that it's a useful metric in a situation of stable economic conditions. First, the rule states that a bank's high-quality liquid assets not only cash and Treasury securities, but corporate bonds and equity securities as well. Of course, in a crisis situation, the value of corporate bonds and equities could decrease significantly. Second, until a true crisis occurs, no one will know if the LCR rule gives banks enough liquidity to handle outflows. The Bottom Line If the media currently discusses only a maturity mismatch risk and unrealized losses on AFS and HTM securities, it does not mean that the U.S. banking system does not have other risks, some of which we have mentioned in this article (as well as the many articles we have written over the past year warning about these issues in the banks). We believe retail depositors should be well aware of those risks, as their materialization would have a much more significant implication for the banking system compared to the SVB collapse. In contrast to the large U.S. banks, the Top-15 U.S. banks we have found at SaferBankingResearch.com have been stress-tested for various issues and have proven their resilience even under severe financial conditions. Our methodology is here. At the end of the day, we are speaking of protecting your hard-earned money. Therefore, it behooves you to engage in due diligence regarding the banks which currently house your money. You have a responsibility to yourself and your family to make sure you money resides in only the safest of institutions. And, if you are relying on the FDIC, I suggest you read our prior articles which outline why such reliance will not be as prudent as you may believe in the coming years. Get all the essential market news and expert opinions in one place with our daily newsletter. Receive a comprehensive recap of the day's top stories directly to your inbox. Sign up here! (Kitco News) - The Bank of Russias plan to roll out its central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilot has just been delayed as the central bank has opted to postpone its launch until after the adoption of a comprehensive regulatory framework for the digital ruble, which is scheduled to happen sometime in late April or early May. According to a Tuesday report from the state-owned TASS news outlet, the digital ruble pilot was originally supposed to start on April 1, but that date has been pushed back because the legislation related to the CBDC has only passed through the first reading in the State Duma, the Federal Assemblys lower house. Anatoly Aksakov, the head of the State Duma committee on financial markets, said that the central bank would be postponing the digital ruble trial since the legislative framework for implementation is not yet ready and the bank had no plans to implement it under the experimental legal regime. He said the digital ruble law is likely to be passed in April and will begin to operate in May. While many private banks in other countries have expressed hesitation at the thought of integrating CBDCs, the banks participating in the digital ruble trial have expressed their eagerness to begin testing. There were originally 15 banks scheduled to take part in the pilot, but that number has now declined to 13. Once the pilot launches, these banks will participate by supporting real operations with a limited number of customers. Additionally, some of the banks employees would serve as test participants for CBDC retail payments, along with Ingosstrakh, one of the largest insurance companies in Russia. The general public will not be able to participate in the first stage of the pilot. Vitaly Kopysov, the director of innovations at Sinara Bank, expressed his enthusiasm for the pilot and the benefits that smart contracts offer. The use of smart contracts should reduce the operational load of banks and make the deals transparent, which not only will reduce the chances of the misuse of government and banks funds, but ultimately simplify the control over the existing contracts, he said. In preparation for the trial, officials at Sinara bank and Delobank have implemented the services required to start the pilot on their mobile applications for Android, including the ability to open a digital ruble wallet, replenish a wallet, receive information about the balance of the wallet, and a way to view the history of wallet operations. The main task of the digital ruble is to create new opportunities for the state and business, said Kopysov. Banks as financial intermediaries will receive a new infrastructure for transfers using the digital ruble, including cross-border ones. New services will be created, stimulating increased competition for customers in the financial sector. While the pilot has been delayed for roughly a month, it remains well ahead of its original launch date, which was planned to take place in 2024. The Bank of Russia moved up the timeline for the digital ruble launch in an effort to speed up the creation of a workaround to the SWIFT payments system amid Western economic sanctions against Russia. Get all the essential market news and expert opinions in one place with our daily newsletter. Receive a comprehensive recap of the day's top stories directly to your inbox. Sign up here! (Kitco News) - The Mining Association of Canada said that the new budget announced by the federal government will attract new private sector investment into Canada's mining, smelting and refining industry. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland announced the budget this month. "In the face of increased demand for low carbon technologies, and the need to ensure the minerals and metals essential to their development are mined with commitments to ESG, Indigenous engagement and sustainability at the forefront, there is no better choice than Canada," said Pierre Gratton, the Mining Association of Canada's (MAC) President and CEO. "I am optimistic that with these new measures Canada will be able to attract new private sector investment into Canada's mining, smelting and refining industry, creating well-paid jobs for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians across the country." The association highlighted items in the budget that it sees helping the sector: March 29 (Reuters) - Ratings agency Moody's said on Wednesday it expects risks to the sovereign credit profile of the United States to be limited from the recent turmoil in the country's banking sector unless the strains deepen. The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank sparked a crisis of confidence in the U.S. banking sector, leading to a run on deposits at a host of regional banks despite authorities launching emergency measures to shore up confidence. "The rapid deterioration in the operating environment for US (Aaa stable) regional banks over the past two weeks has indicated higher banking sector risk than we had previously factored in the sovereign's credit profile," Moody's said. The agency said it did not "expect significant direct fiscal costs for the sovereign from the current banking sector stress". It, however, underlined that if the stress were to prolong, it could weaken the economic and fiscal strength of the country. Earlier this month, Moody's Investors Service revised its outlook on the U.S. banking system to "negative" from "stable". Get all the essential market news and expert opinions in one place with our daily newsletter. Receive a comprehensive recap of the day's top stories directly to your inbox. Sign up here! (Kitco News) - Premier African Minerals announced today that assembly and construction is complete for its Zulu lithium and tantalum project located in Zimbabwe. "We expect to produce spodumene, a lepidolite mica rich concentrate and a tantalum rich concentrate late this week provided that final formal outstanding approvals from certain Zimbabwean authorities are received," said CEO George Roach. The company planned to commission the plant in February, but weather and logistics prevented the start. Premier African is assessing financing options. "Premier has received a number of requests from other mining companies already well established in Zimbabwe to discuss our intentions in regard to the future of Zulu for either future offtake and/or direct equity investment into Zulu. At the same time, Premier is in discussions intended to see a quick increase in production and a broadening of the product base as the focus of production at the Zulu plant has only been the production of spodumene," wrote the company in a news release. LONDON, March 30 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Credit Suisses (CSGN.S) rescue contains a property booby prize. Unlike many banks which got into trouble back in 2008, the Swiss lender has flogged much of its prime real estate. That leaves prospective new owner UBS (UBSG.S) with an expensive and long-lasting rental bill. In the last financial crisis prime real estate played a big part of bank rescues. When Barclays (BARC.L) bought Lehman Brothers U.S. capital markets business in September 2008 the deal included the bankrupt investment banks headquarters. The new building on New Yorks Seventh Avenue accounted for $1.5 billion of the $1.75 billion deals value. Similarly, when JPMorgan (JPM.N) rescued Bear Stearns six months earlier it also took the targets Manhattan headquarters. At the time JPMorgan boss Jamie Dimon said the deal meant he would save $3 billion because he no longer needed to build a new headquarters. Property also helped prop up government bailouts. Royal Bank of Scotland had 17 billion pounds' worth of property and similar assets when the UK government bailed it out in 2008. Today there is less real estate underpinning bank values. Credit Suisse sold its main Cabot Square office in Londons Canary Wharf over a decade ago; it now occupies the building under a lease which ends in 2034. Prospective owner UBS rents its new Broadgate campus in London; Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) does the same with its Frankfurt headquarters following a 2011 sale and leaseback deal. These leases are a hefty liability for any new owner. Credit Suisses One Cabot Square building is 550,000 square feet and includes a sprawling trading floor. However, its far from clear that the enlarged UBS will need that space following what are expected to be hefty job cuts in Credit Suisses investment bank. The boom in hybrid working further reduces the need for extra offices. Banks like UBS will also find it harder to sub-let excess space. Canary Wharf is already grappling with 15% vacancy rates as demand dwindles, according to Green Street estimates. For buyers preparing to rescue embattled banks, real estate has turned from a dowry to a downer. Follow @aimeedonnellan on Twitter CONTEXT NEWS UBS said on March 19 it had agreed to buy rival Swiss bank Credit Suisse in a shotgun merger arranged by Swiss authorities. As part of the deal, UBS will take on Credit Suisses leases on buildings like One Cabot Square, the banks office in Londons Canary Wharf. Editor's Note: With so much market volatility, stay on top of daily news! Get caught up in minutes with our speedy summary of today's must-read news and expert opinions. Sign up here! (Kitco News) - Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX and hedge fund Alameda Research, has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to violate campaign finance laws and bribery of Chinese officials. The plea was submitted through his lawyer, Mark Cohen, at a Thursday morning hearing before U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan in New York. Bankman-Fried remained in California, where he is confined to his parents Palo Alto home under the conditions of his bail agreement. Cohen also told the court he was planning to challenge the new charges because they were brought after Bankman-Frieds extradition from the Bahamas. "My client is not acknowledging he can be tried," Cohen said. Prosecutors also discussed their progress in reviewing the contents of seven electronic devices surrendered by Bankman-Fried, telling the judge the process was taking longer than expected due to the size of the devices and the volume of information they contained. Approximately 6 million pages of documents have been produced in the case to date. Bankman-Fried's lawyer raised concerns about the contents of one of the devices held by prosecutors. We do have a concern about Laptop B, Cohen said. That relates to a cooperating witness who will be an important witness on trial. On Feb. 28, Nishad Singh, former Director of Engineering for FTX, pleaded guilty to criminal charges, joining Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison and FTX cofounder Gary Wang as key witnesses in the Justice Departments case against Bankman-Fried. Ellison and Wang struck plea deals with the DoJ in December. On Tuesday, United States Attorney Damian Williams filed a new superseding indictment alleging that Bankman-Fried and other parties at FTX and Alameda directed and caused the transfer of at least approximately $40 million in cryptocurrency intended for the benefit of one or more Chinese government officials in 2021. According to the indictment, the cryptocurrency was transferred from Alameda's main trading account to a private wallet in an attempt to persuade Chinese government officials to unfreeze Alameda accounts on two of Chinas largest crypto exchanges which contained over $1 billion in cryptocurrency. After months of failed attempts to unfreeze the accounts, Samuel Bankman-Fried discussed with others and ultimately agreed to and directed a multi-million-dollar bribe to seek to unfreeze the accounts, the filing read. The accounts were unfrozen after the bribe was received, after which Alameda accessed the cryptocurrency and used it for their trading activities. Judge Kaplan also modified Bankman-Fried's bail conditions on Tuesday in an effort to prevent him from tampering with witnesses for his upcoming criminal trial in October. The new conditions limit SBF to a new phone with no internet capability and a basic laptop with limited functions. The phone will only be able to perform voice calls and conventional text messages, with all other messaging apps disabled, and the laptop will have monitoring software to track his activity. He will be prohibited from using other electronic communication devices. As SBFs legal troubles continue to grow, new revelations have emerged which explain how he could be paying his mounting legal bills. According to a report from Forbes, Bankman-Fried has been paying his legal fees out of a $11.7-million-dollar gift he made to his father, Stanford Law professor Joseph Bankman, with money borrowed from Alameda in 2021. According to two sources who spoke to Forbes, Bankman-Fried used his lifetime estate and gift tax exemption to transfer the funds to Bankman, making it a tax-free gift. The next status conference for Bankman-Frieds case is set for June 15 at 3:30 p.m. EDT. The criminal trial is scheduled to begin on October 2, 2023. LONDON, March 30 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Britain eliminated wolves well over a century ago, hunting them out of existence because they preyed on sheep, and sometimes humans. One consequence is that deer, with no apex predator, exploded in number, overgrazing land and killing off biodiversity. There are now calls to bring wolves back. There is a lesson here for the financial system. Curb one pest, and you might encourage another. Heres how that story applies to the collapse of Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) and Silicon Valley Bank. Fifteen years ago, it became clear that lenders habit of funding themselves generously with fickle, short-term borrowing from financial investors had become a problem. Doing so had helped to sink firms like Lehman Brothers and Northern Rock. So regulators revised their toolkit, encouraging banks to lean on supposedly sticky sources of cash, like the money households and companies keep in their accounts. Tinkering with the ecosystem promoted a period of calm, but has created unintended consequences. Corporate and wealthy depositors turn out to be flighty after all. Silicon Valley Banks technology-heavy customers attempted to withdraw $42 billion in a day. Credit Suisses deposits fell by more than one-third in the last three months of 2022 as anxious wealth-management clients fled. Lenders are no longer struggling with a wholesale funding exodus, like in 2008. But theyve arguably replaced that problem with an overdependence on corporate and private banking customers, who can also take their money out in minutes. Regulators will once again rethink their toolkit, but previous pest-control techniques wont work this time. After the last crisis, the Basel regulations told banks to keep enough liquid assets to cover all their wholesale funding, as if every penny might be called on at once. For corporate deposits that exceed national deposit guarantees, they typically only need to keep 40% in liquid assets, and 10% if the customer is high net worth. The logical thing would be to raise those coverage ratios to 100%, or something like it. Thats the equivalent of culling the deer that have run amok across Britains countryside. But if regulators started asking banks to back those deposits 100% with liquid instruments instead of loans, the amount of cash theyd have to hold would leave them little room to lend into the economy. Theres no easy answer, and the problem is urgent. Online banking has made it easier for customers to pull cash, and social media amplifies financial panic. Its clear that deposits can go quickly from friend to foe. But regulators and politicians ought to remember that eliminating predators brings new problems. Better to live alongside them, understand how they behave, and be prepared to lose the odd sheep. Follow @liamwardproud on Twitter CONTEXT NEWS UBS will rescue Credit Suisse in a deal worth about 3 billion Swiss francs ($3.3 billion), Swiss authorities and the two banks said on March 19. The smaller bank lost 138 billion Swiss francs of customer deposits between Sept. 30 and Dec. 31, a 37% decline. Clients of Silicon Valley Bank tried to withdraw $42 billion of deposits on March 9, according to a filing by the California Department of Financial Protection & Innovation. The lender had $173 billion of total deposits on Dec. 31, of which $81 billion were non-interest-bearing demand deposits. DUBAI, March 30 (Reuters) - Saudi Electricity Company (5110.SE), which is almost 75%-owned by Saudi Arabia's sovereign Public Investment Fund, is planning to issue Islamic bonds denominated in U.S. dollars, it said in a bourse filing on Thursday. SEC hired HSBC, Standard Chartered, JPMorgan Securities, First Abu Dhabi Bank, MUFG Securities, Mizuho, SMBC Nikko, SNB Capital, Al Rajhi Capital, Saudi Fransi Capital, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Bank of China, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Natixis, and Societe Generale as joint lead managers for the debt sale. The banks will hold meetings with fixed-income investors starting on Friday ahead of the sale of the bonds, or sukuk, as they are known. The proceeds from the sukuk may be in a green format, SEC, which is the kingdom's electric transmission monopoly, said. "The issuance amount will be determined at a later stage based on market conditions and SEC's requirements at that time," it said. Proceeds from the sukuk will be used for general corporate purposes, including capital expenditure, or if issued as green sukuk to fund eligible projects under the company's Green Sukuk Framework, SEC said. SEC became the kingdom's first issuer of green bonds in 2020 when it raised $1.3 billion from a sale of a two-tranche green sukuk. Last month, it raised 10 billion riyals ($2.66 billion) via a syndicated loan from nine local banks, including the Saudi branch of Qatar National Bank. In August last year, it raised $3 billion from another syndicated loan provided by 15 regional and international banks. ($1 = 3.7536 riyals) Get all the essential market news and expert opinions in one place with our daily newsletter. Receive a comprehensive recap of the day's top stories directly to your inbox. Sign up here! (Kitco News) - UNICEF, the global humanitarian aid organization, is reportedly testing out how it can apply the concept of a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) to help improve its humanitarian work with children around the world. According to a report from TheBlock, the organization is in the early stages of a pilot program that is intended to enable easier communication between stakeholders of a digital public good (DPG) when discussing the addition of possible new features to the project. Right now, we're building a DAO prototype to fairly distribute power and communication for a globally distributed digital public good, said UNICEF blockchain lead Arun Maharajan in an interview last week at Paris Blockchain Week. A digital public good is a type of open-source software, model, or standard that can be used by countries to build digital infrastructure as an alternative to private proprietary solutions. UNICEF has selected the Ethereum layer-two scaling solution Polygon as the host for its DAO pilot due to the networks high throughput and low-cost capabilities. In a sense, its a closed DAO for each DPG to get all the stakeholders on board, Maharajan said. Right now we are looking at team members but I think its perceivable that it could even include end users or other stakeholders so that really the community around that DPG gets together and decides together what needs to happen. He added that UNICEF has also trialed the open-source voting tool Snapshot for potential governance proposals, noting that this is one way the platform could function as a typical decentralized organization. The aid organization ultimately hopes to create a platform that projects can use to perform DAO governance votes to fund any new features. UNICEF previously established a CryptoFund in 2019 that is designed to receive donations in Bitcoin and Ether. Donations to the fund are used to fund startups that the organization determines are providing technological innovations that directly benefit children in need. It specifically assists these startups with becoming certified as a DPG via the Digital Public Goods Alliance. To help avoid controversy, UNICEF has procedures in place to avoid taking donations from anonymous or otherwise questionable donors, according to Sanna Bedi, who manages the UNICEF CryptoFund. As we have for our private donors, we have the exact same due diligence process for our crypto donors, so you cannot have anonymous donor donations in crypto," said Bedi. If we do get unsolicited funds, we actually burn them," she added. The fund has invested in 41 startups to this point, and its portfolio of companies has raised roughly $17 million in follow-on funding once exiting the program. Notable donors to the CryptoFund include ETC Labs, Animoca Brands and Huobi Charity. March 30 (Reuters) - Wells Fargo & Co (WFC.N) will pay fines of about $97.8 million for inadequate oversight of its compliance risks, enabling the apparent violation of U.S. sanctions against Iran, Syria and Sudan, federal authorities said on Thursday. The Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said the bank's deficient oversight enabled it to violate U.S. sanctions by providing a trade finance platform to a foreign bank that used it to process $532 million in prohibited transactions. The Fed fined Wells Fargo $67.8 million, while OFAC fined the bank $30 million for inadequate oversight of its compliance risks from 2010 to 2015. Wells Fargo is pleased to resolve this legacy matter involving conduct that ended in 2015, which we voluntarily self-reported and fully cooperated with OFAC and the Federal Reserve Board to address," a Wells Fargo spokesperson said in a statement. In a release, OFAC said that Wells Fargo and its predecessor, Wachovia Bank, provided a European bank with software beginning in 2008 that allowed the firm to process 124 transactions involving sanctioned individuals or jurisdictions. In December, the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau hit Wells Fargo with the watchdog's largest ever civil penalty as part of a $3.7 billion agreement to settle charges over widespread mismanagement of car loans, mortgages and bank accounts. 13:19 | Lima, Mar. 30. They are accused of being members of the group called 'Los Ninos' (The Children). This came to light due to the statements given by the Prosecutor's Office cooperating witness Karelim Lopez, who indicated that ex-President Pedro Castillo had given that name to the parliamentarians with whom he used to make arrangements conditional on them shielding him at Congress. Here are some descriptions about the legislators who are accused in this case. Raul Doroteo was sentenced to four years in prison for the crime of generic falsehood after having submitted false information, referring to his higher education, to the In November 2022, Raul Doroteo an Ica region parliamentarian, referring to his higher education, to the National Elections Board (JNE) in 2013. Concerning 'Los Ninos' Case, it has been pointed out that Doroteo might have participated in the hiring of companies that won bids at Provias Nacional and the Migrations Office. On the first issue, the parliamentarian is said to have met with a representative of the Chinese company CCECC, which was favored with four contracts. The legislator denies the accusations. Darwin Espinoza His current term in Parliament includes having presided over the Housing Commission. It is in this context that, according to the complaint against him, this legislator would have participated in negotiations for the concession of certain (public) works, linked to the Ministries of Housing and Transportation-Communications which he always denied. Jorge Flores Jorge Flores is an engineer and architect elected to represent southern Puno region at Congress. In September 2021, journalist Liubomir Fernandez denounced that Flores wanted to give him money so that he would not interview another parliamentarian from the same jurisdiction. Last January, Flores' house was attacked during protests against the current government. At Parliament, Flores was Energy-Mines Commission chairman. He is accused of alleged irregularities in the tender for the authorization of the Checca-Masocruz Highway in Puno a process said to have been sped up after a meeting between the parliamentarian and former Transportation Minister Juan Silva. The latter is currently wanted by Peruvian justice. Elvis Vergara Elvis Vergara was elected Congressman representing the rainforest Ucayali region. At Congress, he chaired the commission in charge of coordinating activities between Parliament and the National Commission for Development and Life without Drugs (Devida). He is accused of having received money from the Presidency of the Republic when Pedro Castillo was President that would come from alleged negotiations (in which former Minister Silva, plus businessmen Zamir Villaverde and Auner Vasquez had also participated) with the alleged aim of favoring Chinese construction companies. The parliamentarian has denied those charges. Carl Bates, the National Party candidate for the Whanganui electorate has posted the following on his Facebook Page: The Whanganui Chronicle recently had a worrying story about the Te Pukenga UCOL Whanganui campus having axed four courses because of low enrolment numbers. The issues at UCOL are actually worse than that; enrolments this year are down by more than 22%. UCOLs Whanganui campus was absorbed into Te Pukenga during 2022, and decisions about the viability of Whanganui are made in Hamilton, where Te Pukenga is based. From 2003 to 2007 I served on the UCOL Board. Board meetings rotated around the campuses to ensure that Board members knew what was happening at a local level when they were making decisions. We received advice from locally-based management staff and regularly met with Whanganui stakeholders at a governance level. I am not prepared to stand by whilst this Whanganui asset is further downgraded. I have consulted with business and civic leaders who are likewise worried about UCOLs downward trajectory. Its not that long ago that the Whanganui School of Design, under the leadership of Professor Hazel Gamec was considered to be one of the top ten schools of its kind globally. Today, I am launching a petition via the National Party website demanding a return to localized control at Te Pukengas Whanganui campus. Labour is ignoring the massively negative impact Te Pukengas centralisation has had, and continues to have, on provincial cities like Whanganui. We must send the Government a strong message; only by showing the Government the overwhelming opposition to their broken reforms can we stop them. But I need your support. A National government will disestablish Te Pukenga if we are in Government later this year, returning autonomy and decision-making to individual Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics and their communities. Nationals Tertiary Education spokeswoman is Penny Simmonds, who for 23 years was CEO of Southland Institute of Technology, one of the countrys most successful tertiary providers . Please consider signing this petition, and sharing it within your networks. Lets send a message to our government that their one-size-fits-all Wellington-knows-best approach to tertiary education is not working, and to demand a return to localised management for UCOL Whanganui. https://www.national.org.nz/makeucollocal Last week Te Pukenga let slip that merging the IT systems of the 16 constituent institutions will cost an eye-watering $295 million over four years, part of an overall request for additional funding totaling $422.6 million over four years. We only know the details of this because the business case was accidentally published online before being taken down. That prompted Penny Simmonds to say As the Chief Executive for the Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) for 23 years prior to entering parliament in 2020, I know how misguided and inappropriate the establishment of Te Pukenga has been and the waste of money in doing so has been heart-breaking. Despite opposition from right across the country, then-Education Minister Chris Hipkins pushed on with the Te Pukenga reform, clearly believing that Labour knows best. But in doing so, he has put vocational education at risk for hundreds of young New Zealanders. Its time to push back against Te Pukenga. Please sign Carl Bates petition, and share it with your networks. Its Whanganui today, but it may be your region under threat tomorrow. Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp More Pinterest Print Tumblr Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. YEREVAN, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. The President of the French region of Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Laurent Wauquiez, during his trip to Syunik, visited the entrance of the Lachin Corridor which has been blocked by Azerbaijan since 12 December 2022. In his remarks, he called for strong pressure from France to achieve the opening of the corridor. Weve come to remind the world about the 150,000 people living in Artsakh, they are cut off from the world, they dont have sufficient food and medical supplies, this is simply disastrous. This is happening in silence, overlookedToday the world is focused on Ukraine, which is understandable, but we cant forget Artsakh, because if there is one it doesnt mean there isnt another. Both are equally important for us. And it is very important that the international community reacts to this, and that France exerts maximum pressure in order for the road to be opened at least for humanitarian aid, as a first step. It is important for me to be at the entrance of the corridor, to show that France stands by Armenia and Artsakh. In Syunik, Wauquiez also signed a cooperation agreement with the Armenian province on deepening relations. MOBERLY Cardinal Health, a longtime employer in Moberly, will permanently close its manufacturing facility on Highway 24 West later this spring and summer. One-hundred and thirty employees will be laid off. Moberly city manager Brian Crane confirmed the news to KOMU 8 Thursday. The city was made aware of the closure on Tuesday, according to a letter sent to the mayor and the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development. "We continuously adapt our business to meet the current and future needs of the industry," Cardinal Health said in a statement to KOMU 8. "As a result of our evolving product strategy, we made the decision to close this facility." The letter says employee separations will happen in two phases. The first phase of lay offs, which includes most of the 130 employees, will happen May 31. The second phase will happen June 30. Cardinal Health expanded its Moberly facility, which makes medical products and supplies, in 2015, bringing the plant's number of employees to 175, according to Area Development. Weather Alert ...FROST ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CDT THIS MORNING... * WHAT...Temperatures as low as 32 will result in frost formation. * WHERE...Boone MO, Moniteau MO, Saint Louis City MO, and Saint Louis MO Counties. * WHEN...Until 9 AM CDT this morning. * IMPACTS...Frost could harm sensitive outdoor vegetation. Sensitive outdoor plants may be killed if left uncovered. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold. && YEREVAN, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan is explicitly preparing to commit genocide in Nagorno Karabakh, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on March 30. Speaking at the Cabinet meeting, PM Pashinyan once again responded to the false claims by Azerbaijan. He said that Armenia has never shipped arms to Nagorno Karabakh and does not maintain any military presence there. PM Pashinyan repeated that he offered to send an international fact-finding mission to validate this fact, but Azerbaijan itself rejected the proposal during the quadrilateral meeting in Prague in October 2022. This offer still stands, and I think theres a need for a final clarification of this issue in the international level. And the method for doing it is the deployment of a fact-finding mission to Lachin Corridor and Nagorno Karabakh. Furthermore, the existence of the Nagorno Karabakh Defense Army is a well-known fact. The existence and functioning of this army is explained by a single thing Azerbaijan is making explicit preparations to subject the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh to genocide. The Lachin Corridor has been blocked for over 100 days now, gas and electricity supply to Nagorno Karabakh is suspended, farmers and agricultural equipment in Nagorno Karabakh are regularly under Azerbaijani military gunfire. Azerbaijans aggressive rhetoric continues, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said. He called for consistent work in the direction of launching the respective international mechanisms and informing the international community. Australian REIT Income Fund (TSE:HRR.UN Get Rating) declared a monthly dividend on Thursday, March 30th, TickerTech reports. Investors of record on Thursday, April 6th will be paid a dividend of 0.055 per share on Thursday, April 6th. This represents a $0.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.71%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 30th. Australian REIT Income Fund Trading Down 4.4 % Australian REIT Income Fund stock traded down C$0.39 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching C$8.56. 1,300 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 568. The businesss fifty day moving average price is C$9.30. Australian REIT Income Fund has a 12 month low of C$7.52 and a 12 month high of C$12.05. The company has a market cap of C$5.73 million and a PE ratio of -3.24. Get Australian REIT Income Fund alerts: About Australian REIT Income Fund (Get Rating) Read More Australian REIT Income Fund is an equity mutual fund launched by Harvest Portfolios Group Inc The fund is managed by Macquarie Private Portfolio Management. It invests in public equity markets of Australia. The fund invests primarily in publically listed Australian real estate investment trusts and companies engaged in real estate industry in Australia. Receive News & Ratings for Australian REIT Income Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Australian REIT Income Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Domani Wealth LLC reduced its stake in shares of The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY Get Rating) by 12.7% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 3,060 shares of the companys stock after selling 445 shares during the period. Domani Wealth LLCs holdings in Hershey were worth $709,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Hershey by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 14,528,326 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,203,060,000 after buying an additional 245,084 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Hershey by 3.4% during the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 14,486,327 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,193,800,000 after buying an additional 473,552 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its holdings in shares of Hershey by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,199,866 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,587,354,000 after buying an additional 18,326 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc raised its holdings in shares of Hershey by 4.3% during the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 1,539,320 shares of the companys stock valued at $331,200,000 after buying an additional 63,785 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its holdings in shares of Hershey by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,315,785 shares of the companys stock valued at $290,089,000 after buying an additional 17,178 shares during the period. 54.17% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Hershey alerts: Insiders Place Their Bets In other Hershey news, Director Pamela M. Arway sold 211 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $225.97, for a total transaction of $47,679.67. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 15,561 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,516,319.17. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Hershey news, Director Pamela M. Arway sold 211 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $225.97, for a total transaction of $47,679.67. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 15,561 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,516,319.17. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Charles R. Raup sold 1,512 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $248.83, for a total value of $376,230.96. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 18,900 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,702,887. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 51,116 shares of company stock worth $12,126,247. 0.34% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Hershey Trading Down 0.4 % NYSE:HSY opened at $251.52 on Thursday. The Hershey Company has a 12-month low of $201.42 and a 12-month high of $254.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $51.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.73, a P/E/G ratio of 3.49 and a beta of 0.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.44. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $236.60 and a 200 day simple moving average of $231.44. Hershey (NYSE:HSY Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 2nd. The company reported $2.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.77 by $0.25. Hershey had a return on equity of 57.76% and a net margin of 15.79%. The business had revenue of $2.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.58 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.69 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 14.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that The Hershey Company will post 9.37 EPS for the current year. Hershey Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 17th were given a dividend of $1.036 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 16th. This represents a $4.14 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.65%. Hersheys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 52.01%. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several equities research analysts recently commented on HSY shares. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Hershey from $231.00 to $246.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, February 3rd. Credit Suisse Group lifted their price objective on Hershey from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, February 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on Hershey from $255.00 to $277.00 in a report on Thursday, February 2nd. Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on Hershey from $250.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an in-line rating in a report on Thursday, March 23rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Hershey from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $230.00 to $255.00 in a report on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $249.73. Hershey Company Profile (Get Rating) The Hershey Co engages in the manufacture and marketing of chocolate, sweets, mints and confectionery products. The firm operates through the following geographical segments: North America and International and Other. The North America is responsible for the traditional chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery market position of the company, as well as its grocery and snacks market positions, in the United States and Canada. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding HSY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Hershey Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hershey and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:JAPSY Get Rating) was the target of a significant drop in short interest in the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,800 shares, a drop of 60.9% from the February 28th total of 4,600 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 124,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.0 days. Japan Airlines Stock Performance JAPSY stock traded up $0.06 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $9.66. The companys stock had a trading volume of 9,183 shares, compared to its average volume of 34,436. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a current ratio of 1.36. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $9.76 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $9.65. Japan Airlines has a 1 year low of $7.69 and a 1 year high of $10.66. Get Japan Airlines alerts: About Japan Airlines (Get Rating) See Also Japan Airlines Co, Ltd. engages in scheduled and non-scheduled air transport, aerial work, and aircraft maintenance services. It operates through the Air Transport and Others segments. The Air Transport segment engages in air transport business, airport passenger service, ground handling service, maintenance service, cargo service, passenger transport service and airport area business. Receive News & Ratings for Japan Airlines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Japan Airlines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Southwestern Energy (NYSE:SWN Get Rating) had its price objective reduced by Morgan Stanley from $6.00 to $5.00 in a research report sent to investors on Monday, The Fly reports. They currently have an equal weight rating on the energy companys stock. A number of other research analysts also recently commented on the company. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a sector perform rating and issued a $9.00 price target on shares of Southwestern Energy in a research note on Tuesday, March 7th. Truist Financial lowered their price objective on shares of Southwestern Energy from $8.00 to $7.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 27th. Piper Sandler decreased their price objective on shares of Southwestern Energy from $10.00 to $9.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 7th. TheStreet upgraded shares of Southwestern Energy from a d+ rating to a c rating in a report on Friday, February 24th. Finally, Mizuho lowered Southwestern Energy from a buy rating to a neutral rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $11.00 to $9.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 10th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $8.84. Get Southwestern Energy alerts: Southwestern Energy Trading Up 0.8 % SWN stock opened at $4.92 on Monday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $5.21 and a 200 day moving average price of $6.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 0.48 and a quick ratio of 0.48. Southwestern Energy has a fifty-two week low of $4.60 and a fifty-two week high of $9.87. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 1.28. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Southwestern Energy ( NYSE:SWN Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 24th. The energy company reported $0.26 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.30 by ($0.04). Southwestern Energy had a return on equity of 87.78% and a net margin of 12.32%. The firm had revenue of $3.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.50 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.31 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 14.7% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Southwestern Energy will post 1.02 EPS for the current fiscal year. Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. D.A. Davidson & CO. increased its holdings in Southwestern Energy by 7.2% in the first quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 24,715 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $177,000 after buying an additional 1,668 shares during the last quarter. Buckingham Strategic Partners boosted its stake in shares of Southwestern Energy by 7.2% during the 3rd quarter. Buckingham Strategic Partners now owns 25,204 shares of the energy companys stock worth $154,000 after purchasing an additional 1,687 shares during the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Southwestern Energy by 201.0% during the third quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 2,829 shares of the energy companys stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 1,889 shares during the last quarter. Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC grew its holdings in Southwestern Energy by 9.0% in the 4th quarter. Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC now owns 23,008 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $135,000 after buying an additional 1,900 shares during the period. Finally, Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC increased its holdings in shares of Southwestern Energy by 10.6% during the 3rd quarter. Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC now owns 19,893 shares of the energy companys stock worth $122,000 after buying an additional 1,903 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.26% of the companys stock. Southwestern Energy Company Profile (Get Rating) Southwestern Energy Co is a holding company, which engages in the exploration, development, and production of natural gas, oil, and natural gas liquids (NGLs). It operates through the Exploration and Production (E&P), and Marketing segments. The E&P segment includes operations in northeast Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and southwest Pennsylvania, The Marketing segment deals in the marketing and transportation of natural gas, oil and NGLs primarily produced in E&P. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Southwestern Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Southwestern Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. PVH (NYSE:PVH Get Rating) had its price objective raised by analysts at Credit Suisse Group from $87.00 to $93.00 in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, The Fly reports. The brokerage presently has an outperform rating on the textile makers stock. Credit Suisse Groups price objective would suggest a potential upside of 9.18% from the stocks previous close. Several other equities research analysts have also commented on PVH. Telsey Advisory Group restated an outperform rating and set a $90.00 target price on shares of PVH in a research report on Tuesday, March 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on PVH from $72.00 to $77.00 in a report on Monday, December 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on PVH from $77.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, January 23rd. StockNews.com initiated coverage on PVH in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, Barclays raised PVH from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $72.00 to $106.00 in a research note on Friday, January 20th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, PVH currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $87.50. Get PVH alerts: PVH Price Performance Shares of NYSE PVH opened at $85.18 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.40 billion, a PE ratio of 13.50, a P/E/G ratio of 0.78 and a beta of 2.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 0.68. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $81.54 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $68.30. PVH has a fifty-two week low of $43.49 and a fifty-two week high of $94.51. Insider Activity at PVH PVH ( NYSE:PVH Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 28th. The textile maker reported $2.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.67 by $0.71. The business had revenue of $2.49 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.36 billion. PVH had a return on equity of 12.49% and a net margin of 5.05%. PVHs quarterly revenue was up 2.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.84 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that PVH will post 8.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. In related news, EVP Mark D. Fischer sold 1,732 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $81.00, for a total transaction of $140,292.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 32,468 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,629,908. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.56% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Belpointe Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of PVH in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Janiczek Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of PVH by 218.6% in the 4th quarter. Janiczek Wealth Management LLC now owns 325 shares of the textile makers stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 223 shares during the last quarter. Heritage Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of PVH by 100.0% in the 4th quarter. Heritage Wealth Management LLC now owns 400 shares of the textile makers stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Wipfli Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of PVH in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Finally, Westpac Banking Corp purchased a new stake in shares of PVH in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $39,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.50% of the companys stock. PVH Company Profile (Get Rating) PVH Corp. engages in the design and marketing of branded dress shirts, neckwear, sportswear, jeans wear, intimate apparel, swim products, handbags, footwear, and other related products. It operates through the following segments: Calvin Klein North America, Calvin Klein International, Tommy Hilfiger North America, Tommy Hilfiger International, Heritage Brands Wholesale, and Heritage Brands Retail. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for PVH Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PVH and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of NovaBay Pharmaceuticals (NYSE:NBY Get Rating) in a report released on Sunday morning. The firm issued a hold rating on the stock. NovaBay Pharmaceuticals Trading Up 2.5 % NYSE NBY opened at $1.65 on Friday. The companys 50-day moving average price is $2.06 and its 200-day moving average price is $1.24. The stock has a market cap of $3.10 million, a PE ratio of -0.29 and a beta of 2.76. NovaBay Pharmaceuticals has a 12 month low of $1.24 and a 12 month high of $12.64. Get NovaBay Pharmaceuticals alerts: NovaBay Pharmaceuticals Company Profile (Get Rating) See Also NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc engages in the development and sales of scientifically-created and clinically-proven eyecare and skincare. Its products include Avenova, NeutroPhase, CelleRx, and DERMAdoctor. The company was founded by Ramin Najafi on January 19, 2000 and is headquartered in Emeryville, CA. Receive News & Ratings for NovaBay Pharmaceuticals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NovaBay Pharmaceuticals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Cloudy early with peeks of sunshine expected late. High 48F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight A few passing clouds, otherwise generally clear. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 34F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Auburn, IN (46706) Today Clouds and some sun this morning with more clouds for this afternoon. High 49F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 32F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. YEREVAN, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan spoke about the latest Azerbaijani invasion into the area of responsibility of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno Karabakh. Last weeks developments around Lachin Corridor, which links Nagorno Karabakh with Armenia, are the following. Azerbaijan not only continued its illegal blockade of Lachin Corridor, but also carried out yet another invasion into the area of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno Karabakh. The Russian Defense Ministry recorded the fact of the invasion in a statement, which says On March 25, 2023 the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, in violation of clause 1 of the 9 November 2020 trilateral statement, crossed the line of contact in the Shushi region and occupied the 2054 height and began engineering works. A demand on implementing the terms of the trilateral statement, suspending the engineering works and pulling back troops to their original positions has been presented to the Azerbaijani side. Thus we can record that Azerbaijan is not only not implementing the February 22 decision of the International Court of Justice on ending the illegal blockade of Lachin Corridor, but is further escalating the situation by taking actions to block internal transport connection in Nagorno Karabakh. From the [unnamed] 2054 [meter] height Azerbaijan has direct vantage point over the track connecting Stepanakert with Hin Shen, Mets Shen and several other villages, PM Pashinyan said. Pashinyan mentioned that Azerbaijan explains its actions by falsely accusing Armenia of transferring military cargo and personnel to Nagorno Karabakh. This is a totally untrue statement, which perhaps wouldnt be worthy of special attention if there was nothing else. The information on military shipments is a propaganda lie aimed at creating the legitimacy for a possible escalation, Pashinyan warned. YEREVAN, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. Armenia reiterates its commitment to the peace agenda in spite of all the difficulties, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on March 30. We hope for concrete movements in the Stepanakert-Baku and Armenia-Azerbaijan negotiations formats to take place soon. The Republic of Armenia is ready for this work and we hope for a similar [position] by both Baku and Stepanakert in the Stepanakert-Baku format. Understandably, launching the proper international mechanisms and guarantees in this context is extremely important, the Armenian Prime Minister added. YEREVAN, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan commented on the latest developments regarding the change of the route in the Lachin Corridor. Speaking at the Cabinet meeting on March 30, Pashinyan mentioned that back in August 2022,the route of the Lachin Corridor was changed as a result of an agreement reached between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan authorities. A new road was opened, but since the Lachin Corridor (the road connecting Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia) wasnt completely ready yet, a temporary route was launched. The temporary road was entering the territory of Armenia through the Kornidzor bridge, then passing to the Azerbaijani territory again, and then again entering the territory of Armenia. According to the agreement, this route was to function until 1 April, 2023. Yesterday we notified the Azerbaijani side that in accordance with the agreement, after the Kornidzor bridge the road will continue only through the territory of Armenia, and that the border guards of Armenia will assume the protection of the state border of Armenia in that section. The border guards will be deployed on the state border of Armenia, in the same positions where the military units were stationed till this day, he said. He warned that the Azerbaijani media are trying to misrepresent this. They are trying to misrepresent this as another blockbuster. This approach is not constructive, to say the least. Pashinyan reiterated that theres been no change in Armenian positions. The only change is that the protection of that section will be implemented by border guards, and not the military. Weve made a proposal to Azerbaijan so that the same happens from their side too, Pashinyan added. The Armenian Prime Minister expressed hope that this process will take place without any provocations. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Artsakh earlier said that the Azerbaijani military has blocked Goris-Stepanakert highways Aghavno-Tegh section. YEREVAN, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. Armenia and Greece have signed a new military cooperation program, the Embassy of Armenia in Greece said in a statement. The 2023 Armenia-Greece Military Cooperation Program was signed on March 28 by Levon Ayvazyan, the Director of the Department of Defense Policy and International Cooperation at the Ministry of Defense of Armenia and Vasilios Tsami, Director of the Directorate of International Relations of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff. The program for 2023 includes 21 activities, of which 15 will take place in Greece and 6 in Armenia, and concern: - Joint training of Special Forces Special Operations Forces. - Co-training on Electronic Warfare. - Participation in the Multinational Training Centre for Peace Support Operations. - Exchange of experiences and lessons in Air Defence Systems. - Staff exchange and visits to schools and multinational schools, as well as seminars. - Staff meetings and talks on matters of mutual interest, with special emphasis on the field of Military Intelligence. The signing of the Program confirms the strong military ties of the two countries and further strengthens the operational capabilities and the level of interoperability of their Armed Forces, contributing to the strengthening of the role played by Greece and Armenia in ensuring stability and security in the wider region. New Delhi [India], March 30 (ANI/NewsReach): Oscars have always been the highest honour for any artist. It's a dream for most and a reality for a few. More recently, stories which are rooted in our Indian culture have garnered the attention of the whole world. For example, RRR was unapologetically Indian in its style of making and storytelling. Also Read | Andhra Pradesh: Narrow Escape for Passengers As Secunderabad-Visakhapatnam Duronto Express Hits Car in Eluru District (Watch Video). *According to Producer Mahaveer Jain - * An Indian story that had a global appeal and had complete potential to get our country an Oscar was Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat. The way he captured the ethos of Indian values and culture through his cinematic storytelling on a grand canvas was unmatched and unprecedented. The royalty, dignity, sacrifice and larger-than-life persona of the Indian woman was mesmerising. Also Read | Tamil Nadu: Nine-Year-Old Reels Queen Dies By Suicide After Parents Ask Her To Study in Tiruvallur. In India, we need to develop an ecosystem where we nurture and train our young talent for making films for a global audience, to present the philosophies of India and exhibit it to the whole world. In the current scenario, the film which will win hearts all across is Rajkumar Hirani's Dunki. I am sure, it will break all previous records and create a massive impact all across the globe. Raju ji's storytelling and emotional connect with people is unparallel. This story has been provided by NewsReach. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsReach) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Mar 30 (PTI) The defence ministry on Thursday signed a contract with Bharat Electronics Limited for the procurement of 13 Lynx-U2 fire control systems for the Navy at a cost of over Rs 1,700 crore, officials said. The Lynx-U2 system is a naval gun fire control system designed and developed indigenously. It is capable of accurately tracking and engaging targets amid sea clutter as well as air or surface targets, the government said in a statement. Also Read | Ramadan 2023 Time Table: Sehri and Iftar Timings for 8th Roza of Ramzan on March 31 in Mumbai, Lucknow, Delhi, Kolkata and Other Cities of India. The ministry signed a contract with BEL, Bengaluru for "procurement of 13 Lynx-U2 fire control systems for the Indian Navy at a total cost of over Rs 1,700 crore under Buy {Indian - IDMM (Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], March 30 (ANI): Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Thursday said that the state recorded 765 fresh Covid cases in the last 24 hours. According to an official statement from the Health minister's office, Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram districts have the highest number of Covid cases. Also Read | Ram Navami 2023: Mahatma Gandhi's Assassin Nathuram Godse's Picture Displayed During Shobha Yatra in Hyderabad (Watch Video). Health Minister George said, "The positive cases are increasing in the state and hence an alert has been issued. It has been found that Omicron is spreading in the state and the samples have been sent for genomic sequencing." A high-level review meeting was chaired by Health Minister Veena George. Also Read | Pakistan Begins Process for Outsourcing Airport Operations. The minister also directed to increase genomic sequencing. Cases were very low in the state in February. But there was a slight increase in the number of cases in the month of March. She said that all the districts have been instructed to strengthen preventive measures in view of the increasing number of Covid-19 cases in the state. All the districts have prepared surge plans in anticipation of the increase in Covid cases. Private sector hospitals must report Covid cases accurately as before. People with lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, pregnant women, the elderly and children should be especially careful. There have been 20 Covid deaths in a month, most of whom are above 60 years of age. Most of the patients in the ICU are also elderly. Private hospitals have been told to set aside beds for Covid patients. KMSCL (Kerala Medical Service Corporation Limited) has been directed to prepare test kits and safety equipment anticipating the need. Covid patients should be admitted and treated in isolation wards prepared in the state. The Minister also instructed to prepare the isolation wards to be completed, operational, as soon as possible. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) YEREVAN, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. The Government of Armenia on March 30 approved the agreement on military-technical cooperation with Czech Republic which was signed in 2019. The agreement envisages cooperation in military education, defense industry, military history and museology, as well as participation in peacekeeping missions abroad. It will be sent to the Constitutional Court to determine its compliance with the constitution, and in the event of receiving a positive response the agreement will be submitted to parliament for ratification. New Delhi, Mar 30 (PTI) A day after the Supreme Court observed that hate speeches will end when politicians stop using religion in politics, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Thursday said it was like "asking for the moon" as for some people politics is based on hate. The Supreme Court on Wednesday took serious exception to hate speeches, saying these will end the moment politics and religions are separated and politicians stop using religion in politics. Also Read | Uttar Pradesh: Woman Molested in Moving Car, Assaulted, Dumped on Roadside in Lucknow. Sibal said on Twitter, "Supreme Court: Hate speech will stop 'the moment politics and religion are segregated'. Asking for the moon!" "Remember: 1) Advaniji's Rath Yatra 2) RSS chiefs shamshan-kabristan comments (2018) 3) Goli Maro(2020) speech etc. For some politics is based on hate!" the former law minister and noted advocate said. Also Read | COVID-19 Scare: Delhi Government To Hold Meeting Amid Spurt in Coronavirus Cases. A bench of justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna referred to speeches of former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, saying people from remote areas and every nook and corner used to gather to hear them. "Major problem arises when politicians are mixing politics with religion. The moment politics and religion are segregated, this will end. When politicians stop using religion, all this will stop. We have said in our recent verdict also that mixing politics with religion is dangerous for democracy," Justice Joseph said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Mar 30 (PTI) The Congress on Thursday said it firmly believes that India's democratic processes themselves have to deal with the threats posed to its democracy, remarks that came after the BJP attacked the opposition party for its leader Digvijaya Singh thanking Germany for "taking note" of Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha. Singh thanked the German foreign ministry and Richard Walker, Chief International Editor of Deutsche Welle for "taking note of how Democracy is being compromised in India through the persecution of Rahul Gandhi". He also tagged a tweet and a video posted by Walker on the German foreign ministry reaction to Gandhi's disqualification. Also Read | Ramadan 2023 Time Table: Sehri and Iftar Timings for 8th Roza of Ramzan on March 31 in Mumbai, Lucknow, Delhi, Kolkata and Other Cities of India. A host of senior BJP leaders and Union ministers attacked the Congress and Singh, accusing the party of "inviting foreign interference" in internal affairs. Without taking names, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Twitter,"@INCIndia firmly believes that India's democratic processes themselves have to deal with the threats posed to our democracy by Mr. Modi's assault on our institutions & his politics of vendetta, intimidation, threats & harassment." Also Read | Congress Demands Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde's Resignation After Supreme Court's 'Impotent' Remarks Against Government. The Congress and Opposition parties will take him on fearlessly, Ramesh added. His reaction is seen as damage control by the party amidst an all out BJP attack following Singh's remarks. At a press briefing, Germany's foreign ministry spokesperson said,"we have taken note of the verdict of first instance against Indian opposition politician Rahul Gandhi as well as the suspension of his parliamentary mandate." "To our knowledge, Mr Gandhi is in a position to appeal the verdict. It will then become clear whether this verdict will stand and whether the suspension of his mandate has any basis," the spokesperson was quoted as saying. Germany expects that "standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles" will equally apply to the proceedings against Rahul Gandhi, the spokesperson added. Sharing a screenshot of Digivijaya Singh's tweet, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said, "Thank you Rahul Gandhi for inviting foreign powers for interference into India's internal matters." "Remember, Indian Judiciary can't be influenced by foreign interference. India won't tolerate 'foreign influence' anymore because our Prime Minister is:- Shri @narendramodi Ji," Rijiju said. Hitting back at Rijiju, Congress' media department head Pawan Khera said, "Mr. Rijiju, why divert from the main issue? The issue is that the Prime Minister cannot answer Rahul Gandhi's questions about Adani." Instead of "misleading" people, please answer the questions, Khera said. Attacking the Congress over Singh's tweet, Information and Broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur said,"disgrace to nation, @INCIndia & @RahulGandhi don't believe to fight India's democratic, political and legal battle within country, hence, invite foreign powers to interfere in our internal matter. But New India headed by @narendramodi Ji will not tolerate any foreign intervention." (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Jammu, Mar 30 (PTI) Two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives, including a Pakistan-based handler, have been chargesheeted in connection with the blasts in two buses in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district in September last year, an official said on Thursday. The chargesheet against Mohammad Amin Bhat alias 'Abu Khubaib', a resident of Doda district, who is currently operating from Pakistan and trying to revive terror activities in the Jammu region, and Mohd Aslam Sheikh alias 'Adil' was filed in a special court on Tuesday, a National Investigation Agency (NIA) spokesperson said. Also Read | Rahul Gandhi's Namesake in Election Commission List of Disqualified Persons for Non-Reporting of Poll Expenses. Bhat and Sheikh were charged under the Indian Penal Code, the Explosive Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act following thorough investigation into the explosions inside two parked buses in Udhampur district on September 28 and 29, the official said. The spokesperson said the two LeT operatives have also been charged for their efforts towards revival of terrorist activities in Jammu by carrying out recruitment from the pool of Overground Workers and surrendered terrorists as well as activating and motivating them to carry out terrorist acts. Also Read | Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023: BJP Will Win 110-120 Seats, Congress To Get 70-80 Seats, Says Opinion Poll. After taking over the investigation into the blast cases on November 15 last year from the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the NIA said its probe revealed that Sheikh was in touch with Bhat, also known as 'Pinna'. Bhat has been listed as an "individual terrorist" of the LeT by the government and is operating from Pakistan, the agency said. "Pinna recruited Adil to carry out the two IED blasts on buses parked in the public areas of Udhampur district which had inflicted injuries to two persons," the spokesperson said. In 1997, Bhat joined the terrorist ranks of the Hizbul Mujahideen and was involved in the execution of various terrorist acts in Jammu and Kashmir before escaping to Pakistan in 2009, the official said. He is currently an active LeT handler who is playing a vital role to revive and accelerate terrorist activities in the Jammu region, the NIA spokesperson said. The NIA said the explosives used in the blasts was delivered by Bhat using drones from across the international border and was collected by Sheikh in Kathua district. "Bhat trained Adil in cyberspace on how to prime the IEDs. On September 28, Sheikh planted two IEDs in two different buses, which were plying between Basnatgarh and Udhampur. One blast took place around midnight on September 28 and the other in the early hours of September 29," the spokesperson said. After his arrest, the official said Sheikh made disclosures about hoarding of explosives for future attacks. Two more IEDs, three sticky bombs, three detonators and two PTD timers part of the consignment delivered from Pakistan - were recovered from his residence, 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) New Delhi, Mar 30 (PTI) In a boost to the Centre's 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' initiative, the Ministry of Defence on Thursday inked a Rs 1,700 crore contract with BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited (BAPL) for procurement of next generation maritime mobile coastal batteries and BrahMos missiles. The delivery of these batteries is scheduled to commence from 2027, the ministry said in a statement. Also Read | Bhutan-India Relationship Facing Chinese Challenge, Says Congress. The ministry inked the contract with BAPL for procurement of next generation maritime mobile coastal batteries (long range) and BrahMos missiles at an approximate cost of over Rs 1,700 crore under Buy (Indian) category, it said. "These systems will be equipped with supersonic BrahMos missiles and will significantly enhance multi-directional maritime strike capability of the Indian Navy," the statement said. Also Read | Delhi: Miscreants Clash With Police in Mukherjee Nagar Area, Video Goes Viral. BAPL is a joint venture between India and Russia making crucial contribution to augment the new generation surface-to-surface missile with enhanced ranges. "This contract is going to give further boost to indigenous production of critical weapon system and ammunition with active participation of indigenous industries. This project will generate an employment of more than 90,000 man-days over a period of four years. With the majority of the equipment and sub-system sourced from indigenous manufacturers, these systems will be a proud flag bearer of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'," the statement said. PTI KND (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, March 30: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the Combined Commanders' Conference-2023 in Bhopal on April 1, said an official press release here on Thursday. The statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office said, "At around 10 AM, Prime Minister will attend the Combined Commanders' Conference-2023 at the Kushabhau Thakre Hall in Bhopal. Thereafter, at around 3:15 PM, Prime Minister will flag off the Vande Bharat Express train between Bhopal and New Delhi at Rani Kamlapati Railway Station, Bhopal." Narendra Modi Government's 'Aggressive' Posture Responsible for Indo-Pakistan Stalemate, Says Imran Khan. According to the release, the three-day conference of Military Commanders will be held from 30th March to 1st April 2023 on the theme 'Ready, Resurgent, Relevant'. During the Conference, deliberations will be held over a varied spectrum of issues pertaining to national security, including jointness and theaterisation in the Armed Forces. Preparation of the Armed Forces and progress in the defence ecosystem towards attaining 'Aatmanirbharta' will also be reviewed. PM Narendra Modi Takes Poetic Dig at Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha, Here's What Prime Minister Said on Congress Leader's Speech. The conference will witness the participation of commanders from the three armed forces and senior officers from the Ministry of Defence. Inclusive and informal interaction will also be held with soldiers, sailors and airmen from Army, Navy and Air Force who will contribute to the deliberations, as informed by the officials. "Vande Bharat Express has redefined the passenger travel experience in the country. The new train being introduced between Rani Kamlapati Railway station, Bhopal and New Delhi railway station will be the eleventh Vande Bharat train in the country", reads the statement. Reportedly, the indigenously designed train set of Vande Bharat Express is equipped with state-of-the-art passenger amenities. It will provide a faster, more comfortable and more convenient travel experience for rail users, boost tourism and promote economic development in the region. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi [India], March 30 (ANI): President Droupadi Murmu expressed condolences over the death of 11 people in the stepwell collapse at a temple in Madhya Pradesh's Indore on Thursday. President Murmu prayed for the quick recovery of those injured in the incident Also Read | Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting @ianuragthakur Met the Oscar Winning Team Latest Tweet by Prasar Bharati News Services. "I am deeply saddened by the news of the death of many people in the accident in Indore. I express my deepest condolences to all the bereaved families and wish a speedy recovery to the injured," read the tweet of Rashtrapati Bhavan translated from Hindi. As many as 11 persons have died so far after the roof of a stepwell of a temple collapsed in Madhya Pradesh's Indore district on Thursday, state home minister Narottam Mishra said. Also Read | Delhi: Miscreants Clash With Police in Mukherjee Nagar Area, Video Goes Viral. "Nineteen people rescued alive. 11 bodies were recovered. The condition of a few among those rescued is critical...Chief Minister announced Rs 5 Lakhs each ex-gratia for deceased and Rs 50,000 each for injured..." Narottam Mishra told ANI. The incident occurred at Beleshwar Jhulelal Mahadev Temple located in Patel Nagar locality in the city at around 11 in the morning during a Havan puja on the occasion of Ram Navami. Police, Municipal Corporation, district administration, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), QRF (quick reaction force) and ambulances were present on the spot and the rescue operation was underway. Meanwhile, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team also reached the spot for the rescue operation. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 5 lakh to be given to next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 would be given to the injured. Besides, free treatment arrangements will be made for the injured. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed sorrow over the incident and he took to Twitter to state that he spoke to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on the mishap. "Extremely pained by the mishap in Indore. Spoke to CM @ChouhanShivraj Ji and took an update on the situation. The State Government is spearheading rescue and relief work at a quick pace. My prayers with all those affected and their families," PM Modi said. Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed condolences over the loss of lives in the Indore mishap. "The accident that happened in Indore, Madhya Pradesh is very sad. I express my condolences to the bereaved families. Local administration is engaged in rescue work. NDRF is also reaching the spot soon. I pray to God for the speedy recovery of the injured," tweeted Shah. Former Chief Minister Kamal Nath also wrote on Twitter, "A sad news was received that 25 people fell into the stepwell during Havan at Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal Temple in Indore. I pray to God that all the devotees come out safely. May Lord Ram protect everyone." (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Mar 30 (PTI) The Supreme Court has expressed concern over the treatment of sewage generated in villages, towns and cities and said untreated waste is discharged into rivers and rivulets polluting the very sources of water upon which the survival of the population and bio diversity depends. The top court asked the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to ensure that an accountable mechanism is set up in Uttar Pradesh to take stock of the performance of the sewage treatment plants (STPs), providing for adequate funds for upgrade and maintenance as required and for attending to all other administrative issues and problems. Also Read | World Idli Day 2023: Idli Lover From Hyderabad Spent Whopping Rs 6 Lakh on the South Indian Delicacy During Past One Year. The Uttar Pradesh government said that total sewage generated in the state is 5500 MLD, which is one of the highest in the country and 100 per cent treatment of sewage in the state would be done by June 2025. A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala passed the order after hearing an application of Uttar Pradesh government seeking more time to install and operationalise 100 per cent STP coverage in the state. Also Read | Indore Temple Stepwell Collapse: Eight Killed As Roof of Well Collapses During Ram Navami Celebrations in Madhya Pradesh (Watch Video). The top court had on February 22, 2017 directed the states to adhere to the mandatory timelines for the setting of common effluent treatment plants and STPs within a period of three years for treatment of untreated wastes generated in different villages, cities an towns. The Uttar Pradesh government contended in its application that timelines which were provided by the court in 2017 "are impractical and artificial and impossible to implement in the time frame, given present funding and institutional capacities and other competitive priorities of the state". The state government said that the total sewage generated in Uttar Pradesh is 5500 Million Litres Per Day (MLD) and it has operational 122 STPs with a treatment capacity of 3860 MLD, 52 STPs with a treatment capacity of 1004 MLD are under construction and are to be commissioned by December 2024. "15 STPs with a treatment capacity of 854 MLD are under 'tendering' and are proposed to be commissioned by June 2025," the state government said, adding that 317 STPs with a treatment capacity of 1593 MLD would be installed by December 2025. The bench noted that in sum and substance, it has been submitted by the state government that 100 per cent treatment of sewage would be envisaged by June 2025. It said that the mere setting up of STPs is not enough and the maintenance of the STPs and their performance and capacity to deal with sewage which is generated is another matter which has to be duly scrutinised and monitored. "The treatment of sewage which is generated in the villages, towns and cities is a matter of utmost concern. Untreated sewage waste is discharged into rivers and naalas polluting the very sources of water upon which the survival of the population and bio diversity depends," it said in its recent order. The Uttar Pradesh government submitted that the state has one of the highest population densities in the country of 828 per sq km whereas the national average is 464 per sq km. "Hence, the laying of sewerage networks and acquisition of land poses a challenging task," it said. The bench ordered, "We accordingly permit the applicant to move the National Green Tribunal with an application in that regard. The National Green Tribunal shall duly monitor compliance with the directions including the time-lines which have been spelt out in the order of this court." It added that it would be open for the Uttar Pradesh government to place on the record of the tribunal all material to indicate the bona fide steps which were taken to comply with the order of this court and, if there were any genuine hindrances in doing so, the nature of the hindrances. "The tribunal would be at liberty in the exercise of its discretion to consider any request for a further extension of time," it said. The bench said that the NGT is authorised in terms of the present order to suitably extend time should it be satisfied that all necessary steps have been pursued with a sufficient degree of alacrity. "The tribunal shall also take stock of the issues which have been set out above in relation to due monitoring of the performance of the STPs and steps for ensuring up-gradation and maintenance. The tribunal shall also ensure that an accountable mechanism is set up in the state of Uttar Pradesh to take stock of the performance of the STPs, providing for adequate funds for up-gradation and maintenance as required and for attending to all other administrative issues and problems," it said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi [India], March 30 (ANI): The second G20 Sherpas meeting under India's G20 Presidency is set to take place in the picturesque village of Kerala's Kumarakom from March 30 to April 2. The meeting will be chaired by India's G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant. Also Read | Medieval Swahilis Had Mixed Asian and African Roots -- Study. The four-day gathering of over 120 delegates from G20 Members, 9 invitee countries, and various international and regional organizations will hold multilateral discussions on G20's economic and developmental priorities as well as on addressing contemporary global challenges. The deliberations will focus both on policy approaches and concrete implementation. Also Read | UN Passes Landmark Resolution for Climate Justice. The 2nd Sherpas Meeting will work on a range of cross-cutting issues of global concern, and will encompass the work being done under the 13WorkingGroups within the Sherpa track, a release said. The deliberations of the Sherpa meetings will take forward the outcomes of various Sherpa Track and Finance Track Meetings and will form the basis of the Leaders' Declaration, slated to be adopted at the New Delhi Summit in September. India has selected its G20 priorities keeping in view the diverse global challenges of the day, the concerns of developing countries as well as the need for greater momentum for collective action to take forward the shared international agenda, especially the development and environment agenda. In this context, India's G20 theme "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" - "One Earth. One Family. One Future" aptly encapsulates the shared vision of the G20 for galvanising wide support and arriving at decisive, ambitious, inclusive, and action-oriented outcomes. Such outcomes require the G20 to come together and act as one family to instil hope. The meeting will kick start on March 30 with two high-level side events on digital public infrastructure and green development. Ongoing deliberations during India's G20 Presidency include Green Development, Climate Finance and Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE); Accelerated, Inclusive and Resilient Growth; Accelerating progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); Technological Transformation and Digital Public Infrastructure; Multilateral Institutions for the 21st century; and Women-led development. These priorities reflect the needs of the Global South, articulated by 125 participating countries, at the first-ever Voice of Global South summit, hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January 2023. India's G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant will also lead discussions with the G20 Troika comprising India, Indonesia and Brazil. "He will meet with G20 Sherpas and heads of Delegations of G20 members, invitees and international organizations including from the Emerging Market Economies (EMEs) to deliberate on issues pertinent to the Global South, as well as from the Advanced Economies (AEs) on shared priorities and mutually beneficial ways forward," an official statement said. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Vellore, Mar 30 (PTI) Six persons who forced a woman to remove her hijab and videographed it when she was visiting the historic Vellore Fort here earlier this week were arrested by the North Police here on Thursday, a senior police official said. A 17-year old among the gang that coerced the unwilling woman to remove her hijab was sent to the government home, while the police arrested and remanded the others, Imran Basha, 22, Ashraf Basha, 20, Mohammed Faizal, 23, Santhosh, 23, Ibrahim Basha, 24, and Prasanth, 20. Also Read | World Idli Day 2023: Idli Lover From Hyderabad Spent Whopping Rs 6 Lakh on the South Indian Delicacy During Past One Year. "The youths were mostly autorickshaw drivers and they had targeted at least three hijab-wearing women who were visiting the fort," the official said. Refusing to reveal further details, Vellore District Superintendent of Police S Rajesh Kannan said the motive behind the offence that took place on March 27 was being investigated. "The public are requested not to share the videos posted on social media," he said. Also Read | Indore Temple Stepwell Collapse: Eight Killed As Roof of Well Collapses During Ram Navami Celebrations in Madhya Pradesh (Watch Video). In the video that went viral, the perpetrators are heard asking the woman's friend whether it was fair on his part to take a hijab-clad woman on an outing. Following the incident, police presence at the 16th century fort has been strengthened and the Superintendent of Police has set up an assistance booth for visitors to the monument. "This police assistance booth will be made permanent. Phone numbers of police officials will be prominently displayed at the booth for the benefit of the public, to contact in case of any emergency," Kannan said, speaking to reporters. Additional police personnel have been deployed at the fort to prevent any untoward incidents and to ensure the safety of tourists, he added. Asked about the motive behind the incident, Kannan said, "It will be known during investigation and will be mentioned in the charge sheet." (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi [India], March 30 (ANI): Union minister Anurag Thakur on Thursday met the Oscar-winning team behind 'The Elephant Whisperers' at his residence, informed an official statement from the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. The Minister met with Kartiki Gonsalves, Director and Cinematographer, Guneet Moonga, Producer and Monica from Netflix. Also Read | Ram Navami 2023: Clashes Erupt Between Two Groups in West Bengal's Howrah Over Procession. During the interaction, Thakur said that the power of India's storytelling is unmatched! Expressing his pleasure at one such story winning the Oscar, he said, "Elephant Whisperers is a 'trunk' full of heartwarming, socially relevant and cinematographically enthralling masterpiece! I am delighted to meet Guneet and Kartiki and learn about their amazing journey while making this spellbinding documentary." Also Read | Ram Navami 2023: Mahatma Gandhi's Assassin Nathuram Godse's Picture Displayed During Shobha Yatra in Hyderabad (Watch Video). He further said that the documentary beautifully depicts our social responsibility, impact and efforts towards conservation along with the delicate balance humans share with nature - in the most heartwarming way is truly worth applause. The Minister delved into India's storytelling traditions and stated that India was a land of storytellers, a million tales are born each day and some are retold for generations. The Minister emphasized the quality of domestic content and its increasing audience worldwide and remarked, "Our regional content has gone global; it is dubbed and enjoyed in every part of the world. India is bustling with stories & a new breed of filmmakers is hustling to capture them!" He remarked on the achievements of Indian filmmakers and said that the success and recognition given to our filmmakers encourage them even more to narrate these beautiful stories in our society and make them available for everyone through cinema. Through his interaction, the Minister delivered a message to the wider film fraternity and promised that the government is committed to support film makers through co-production funding, premieres and screenings at international festivals and providing them with a platform at Indian film festivals through masterclasses etc. Thakur also talked about the inspirational lives of the wildlife conservators in the documentary and said, "I definitely hope to meet Bomman & Bellie when I visit Tamil Nadu. Their life and conservation efforts are remarkable and inspiring." The movie Elephant Whisperers has recently won the Best Documentary Short Film award at the 95th Academy Awards. The film explores the life of an elderly couple Bomman and Belli caring for an orphaned baby elephant. Set in Mudumalai National Park, the movie highlights the loving bond between humans and pachyderms and is the first Indian movie to bag an Academy Award in this category. The team had called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier today. Tweeting about his interaction the Prime Minister had said, "The cinematic brilliance and success of 'The Elephant Whisperers' has drawn global attention as well as acclaim. Today, I had the opportunity to meet the brilliant team associated with it. They have made India very proud." (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) STEPANAKERT, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan opened fire on a civilian in Nagorno Karabakh for the third time on March 30. The Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) Ministry of Internal Affairs said that Azerbaijani troops stationed in a combat outpost adjacent to the Berdashen village opened small arms fire on a 29-year-old farmer, Hayk Zargaryan, while he was carrying out agricultural work on his tractor in the village. The agricultural work was suspended and authorities notified the Russian peacekeepers on the shooting. Haridwar (Uttarakhand) [India], March 30 (ANI): In a first-of-its-kind achievement in India, the work of computerisation of all the 670 Multipurpose Primary Agricultural Credit Cooperative Societies (MPACS) of Uttarakhand completed on Thursday, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurating the project started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2021. Addressing the event, Shah said, "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on October 30, 2021, for the first time in the country, the work of computerization of PACS started in Uttarakhand and today computerization of all the 670 PACS of the state has been completed." Also Read | Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023: BJP Will Win 110-120 Seats, Congress To Get 70-80 Seats, Says Opinion Poll. The minister said many facilities, including 307 District Cooperative Banks, have also been computerised. By completing the computerisation of 307 cooperative bank branches and 670 MPACS on Thursday, the Uttarakhand government achieved first place in the cooperative sector in the country, stated Shah. Also Read | Ground-Dwelling Gecko's New Species Discovered in Forests of North Kerala. He said the computerisation would bring complete transparency to the system and audits would be done online, which would improve the financial discipline of PACS. Shah inaugurated the project along with several other development works in the state during his day-long visit to Uttarakhand's Haridwar. The Home Minister inaugurated the computerisation of Uttarakhand's MPACS, joint cooperative farming, Jan Suvidha Kendras and Janaushadhi Kendras in Uttarakhand's Haridwar on Thursday. Many dignitaries, including Uttarakhand Chief Minister of Pushkar Singh Dhami, were present on the occasion. At the event, Shah said, "We had sent model bylaws for MPACS to the state governments some time ago and the work of establishment of 95 MPACS in Uttarakhand has already been completed."Shah said along with this, Uttarakhand is the first state to start 95 Jan Aushadhi Kendras and Jan Suvidha Kendras under the Cooperative Societies. The minister said that PM Modi formed a separate Ministry of Cooperation in the country with the vision of "Sehkar Se Mantri", and through the Ministry of Cooperation "computerization of all the 65,000 active PACS in the country has started". Shah said that 95 Jan Suvidha Kendra will deliver more than 300 schemes of the Central government and the state government directly to the villages. He added that about 50 to 90 per cent of cheap medicines would be available to the people through cooperative Jan Aushadhi Kendras. Shah said that the model of integrated collective cooperative farming has been launched today in 95 development blocks of Uttarakhand. The Home minister also said that on the initiative of the Ministry of Cooperation, the Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the return of money to about 10 crore depositors who had deposited their money in 4 cooperative societies of Sahara Group. He said with this historic decision, all the investors of Sahara Group would get their money back, and added that all the investors of Sahara Group can send their applications to the Central Registrar so that after verification they can get their money back in 3-4 months. The Union Home minister said the government is making National Cooperative University, National Cooperative Policy and Cooperative Database under its various initiatives in the cooperative sector. Along with this, Multistate Cooperative Societies have been formed for the seeds, marketing of organic farming and export of farmers' produce. He said that in the coming days, "The Nal se Jal (water from tap) Scheme would be handed over to the PACS because in the model bylaws of the multidimensional PACS sent by the Government of India, the PACS would also be able to provide water to the village." Noting that the PACS would be able to do many types of work now, Shah said Prime Minister Modi has connected many marginal farmers having small landholdings with many types of businesses by forming the Ministry of Cooperation. He said by making PACS multipurpose, PM Modi has taken a strong step to increase the income of farmers through cooperatives. "All the initiatives taken in the field of cooperatives, the Uttarakhand government led by Pushkar Singh Dhami has implemented them at the grassroots level and it has benefitted the small farmers of Devbhoomi," added Shah. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Mar 30 (PTI) Air India will provide 26 weeks of maternity leave to women employees as well as daycare support under its revamped policies. Besides, the airline will give women pilots the choice to opt for quicker turnaround flights till the child reaches the age of one year. The option will be subject to request and availability, according to an internal communication. Also Read | Delhi Rains: Thunderstorm, Rain Lashes Several Parts of National Capital (Watch Video). The revised policies, to be effective from April 1, are part of the carrier's 'MOMS - Returning Mothers Programme'. MOMS refers to 'Making Our Mothers Soar'. Women employees will get maternity leave for 26 weeks, including for commissioning and adopting mothers, as per the communication. Currently, the maternity leave is for 12 weeks. Also Read | Mumbai: Digital Illustrator From Bangalore Molested At 145 Bandra, Forced To Leave Pub. A commissioning mother refers to one who commissions a surrogate mother to bear a child on her behalf while adopting mother is one who legally adopts a child. Under the programme, a woman employee can avail of nutrition guidance and day care facility on a co-pay model. There will also be counselling sessions to "address mental well-being, preparation for childbirth and plans to return to work for expectant mothers", the communication said. Air India, which was taken over by Tata Group in January last year, has more than 5,000 women employees, including flying and non-flying staff. This accounts for around 40 per cent of the total headcount of nearly 11,000 people. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Mar 30 (PTI) Asia's leading social investors' network Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN) on Thursday announced USD 3 million in grants to 13 sustainability innovators working to combat climate change through technology innovation. The grant is provided by the APAC Sustainability Seed Fund, which is supported by Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Also Read | Delhi Rains: Thunderstorm, Rain Lashes Several Parts of National Capital (Watch Video). "AVPN's APAC Sustainability Seed Fund awards grants totalling USD 3 million to 13 sustainability innovators," an official statement said. The 13 NGOs selected for the grand are Alam Sehat Lestari, Azure Alliance, Border Green Energy Team Foundation, Coalition for Our Common Future, Engineering Good, Gujarat Mahila Housing Sewa Trust, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Ocean Recovery Alliance, TGECA, Uncharted Waters ltd, Villgro Innovation Foundation, Water Stewardship Asia Pacific and Yayasan Solar Chapter Indonesia. Also Read | Mumbai: Digital Illustrator From Bangalore Molested At 145 Bandra, Forced To Leave Pub. The Asia-Pacific region, especially its low-lying and small island countries, is extremely vulnerable to the disastrous impacts of climate change, such as extreme precipitation events, heat waves, rising sea levels and loss of biodiversity. The APAC Sustainability Seed Fund was set up by AVPN to support the most innovative tech-driven solutions to combat climate change and drive sustainability in the region. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Mar 30 (PTI) Jain Irrigation Systems on Thursday said it has completed the deal to merge global irrigation business with Temasek-owned Rivulis. In June last year, Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd had announced that its global irrigation business will be merged with Temasek-owned Rivulis in a cash-and-stock deal and the combined entity will have a revenue of USD 750 million. Also Read | Delhi Rains: Thunderstorm, Rain Lashes Several Parts of National Capital (Watch Video). Jain Irrigation System informed in a regulatory filing that Jain International Trading B V (JITBV), its wholly-owned subsidiary, and Rivulis have completed the transaction. "Merged entity will create a global irrigation and climate leader -- being 2nd largest in the world with ~ USD 750 million in revenues. The corporate brand of the combined company will be 'Rivulis In alliance with Jain International'," the company said. Also Read | Mumbai: Digital Illustrator From Bangalore Molested At 145 Bandra, Forced To Leave Pub. All the regulatory approvals related to the merger of multiple overseas subsidiaries of JITBV have been received by both entities. The condition precedent required by the share purchase agreement entered into by Rivulis Pte. Ltd and Jain International Trading B V have been satisfied. Jain (Israel) B V (step-down subsidiary of JITBV) will hold a strategic minority stake of 18.7 per cent in Rivulis Pte. Ltd post merger. With this cash and stock transaction, there has been a reduction in consolidated net debt of Jain Irrigation by 44 per cent, which is Rs 2,800 crore. At the end of December 31, 2022, debt was Rs 6,415 crore, which will come down to Rs 3,615 crore. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Brussels [Belgium], March 30 (ANI/WAM): The EU Council on Thursday adopted a regulation that extends the member states' voluntary 15 per cent gas demand reduction target, for one year. The regulation maintains the possibility for the Council to trigger a 'Union alert' on security of supply, in which case the gas demand reduction would become mandatory. "I am glad that the Council proceeded to swiftly adopting this regulation. Gas savings are crucial for the EU to reach its gas storage goals and be prepared ahead of next winter," said Ebba Busch, Swedish Minister for energy, business and industry. Also Read | HIV-positive Adults, Children Face Stigma in Pakistan. The new regulation sets a voluntary target for member states to reduce their natural gas consumption by 15 per cent between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024, compared to their average consumption in the period between April 1, 2017 and March 31, 2022. Member states can choose the measures by which they want to reach the target. The new regulation modifies reporting rules for member states. Member states will keep reporting data on the savings achieved, at least every two months, with the possibility of submitting the reports earlier. If a Union alert was declared, they would report the data every month. Member states may, if they wish so, report the breakdown of energy consumption per sector. Also Read | Japanese High-tech Toilet Company Eyes Europe. The regulation includes a new provision to address a specific issue of an increased consumption of gas in a member state due to a coal-to-gas switch used for district heating, in determining the reference gas consumption. The flexibilities foreseen for EU countries to meet the voluntary reduction target remain unchanged. The Commission presented a proposal on March 20, 2023, under article 122 of the Treaty on the functioning of the EU, foreseen for emergency situations. The Council reached a political agreement on the proposal on March 28, 2023. The regulation was adopted by written procedure today. (ANI/WAM) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Tallinn (Estonia), Mar 30 (AP) Russia's prosecution of a single father whose daughter drew an antiwar sketch at school elicited outrage from the European Union on Wednesday, even as the man, who fled house arrest before the verdict was announced, remained at large. Alexei Moskalyov was convicted of discrediting the Russian army and sentenced to two years in prison in his hometown of Yefremov on Tuesday in a case that has grabbed international attention and underscored the intensity of the Kremlin's crackdown on dissent against the war in Ukraine. Also Read | Ramzan in Pakistan: At Least 11 People Killed While Collecting Free Flour in Punjab Province. European Commission spokesman Peter Stano tweeted that Moskalyov's sentence was "a total disgrace". Earlier this month, he said the prosecution of Moskalyov represented political repression reaching "new levels", akin to what happened in the Soviet Union under Josef Stalin. Russia "should respect its own constitution" and international "obligations instead of punishing kids and parents for political reasons," Stano wrote. Also Read | Pakistan: Several Injured in Stampedes as Free Flour Distribution Goes Awry in Punjab Province. Moskalyov, 54, was charged over social media posts criticizing the invasion under a law adopted shortly after the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. During his one-day trial, which concluded Monday, he insisted he had nothing to do with the posts. According to his lawyer and supporters, Moskalyov's troubles began after his daughter Maria, now 13, drew an antiwar picture at Yefremov School No. 9 that depicted missiles flying over a Russian flag at a woman and child and said "No to war" and "Glory to Ukraine", according to his lawyer and his supporters. The school called police, the girl was questioned and Moskalyov was fined for critical comments on social media. His apartment was raided in December and a criminal case was opened against him. He was placed under house arrest and his daughter was placed into the orphanage. Moskalyov had been under house arrest in his apartment in the town south of Moscow, but he escaped before the verdict was announced. He has been declared a political prisoner by Memorial, one of Russia's oldest and most prominent rights groups that won the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize. Another prominent rights group OVD-Info has provided Moskalyov with a lawyer and said it would continue to defend him and his daughter both on the charges of discrediting the army and on the issue of parental rights. A court in Yefremov next week is expected to consider the authorities' petition to restrict Moskalyov's parental rights. His supporters said father and daughter love each other, and Maria called him "my hero" in a letter she wrote for him in an orphanage, according to Moskalyov's lawyer who visited the facility on Tuesday. Moskalyov has been raising Maria alone for about 10 years. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Houston, Mar 30 (AP) The man who inspired the film "Hotel Rwanda" and was freed by Rwanda last week from a terrorism sentence is set to arrive Wednesday in the United States, where will reunite with his family after being held for more than two years, according to a person familiar with the matter. Paul Rusesabagina's arrival in the US was expected this week. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told journalists on Monday that Rusesabagina was in Doha, Qatar and would be making his way back to the US Also Read | Ramzan in Pakistan: At Least 11 People Killed While Collecting Free Flour in Punjab Province. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning, said Rusesabagina is set to arrive by plane Wednesday afternoon in Houston and then be taken to a military hospital in San Antonio. The 68-year-old Rusesabagina, a U.S. legal resident and Belgian citizen, was credited with sheltering more than 1,000 ethnic Tutsis at the hotel he managed during Rwanda's 1994 genocide in which over 800,000 Tutsis and Hutus who tried to protect them were killed. He received the US Presidential Medal of Freedom for his efforts. Also Read | Pakistan: Several Injured in Stampedes as Free Flour Distribution Goes Awry in Punjab Province. Rusesabagina disappeared in 2020 during a visit to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and appeared days later in Rwanda in handcuffs. His family alleged he was kidnapped and taken to Rwanda against his will to stand trial. In 2021, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison after being convicted in Rwanda on eight charges including membership in a terrorist group, murder and abduction following the widely criticized trial. Last week, Rwanda's government commuted his sentence after diplomatic intervention on his behalf by the United States. Rusesabagina had been accused of supporting the armed wing of his opposition political platform, the Rwandan Movement for Democratic Change. The armed group claimed some responsibility for attacks in 2018 and 2019 in southern Rwanda in which nine Rwandans died. Rusesabagina testified at trial that he helped to form the armed group to assist refugees but said he never supported violence and sought to distance himself from its deadly attacks. Rusesabagina has asserted that his arrest was in response to his criticism of longtime President Paul Kagame over alleged human rights abuses. Kagame's government has repeatedly denied targeting dissenting voices with arrests and extrajudicial killings. Rusesabagina became a public critic of Kagame and left Rwanda in 1996, first living in Belgium and then the US. His arrest was a source of friction with the US and others at a time when Rwanda's government has also been under pressure over tensions with neighboring Congo and Britain's plan to deport asylum-seekers to the small east African nation. Rights activists and others had been urging Rwandan authorities to free him, saying his health was failing. In October, the ailing Rusesabagina signed a letter to Kagame that was posted on the justice ministry's website, saying that if he was granted pardon and released to live in the U.S., he would hold no personal or political ambitions and "I will leave questions regarding Rwandan politics behind me." Last year, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Kagame in Rwanda and discussed the case. White House National Security Council spokesman Kirby had said US national security adviser Jake Sullivan personally engaged in the case, "really doing the final heavy lifting to get Paul released and to get him on his way home." (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Riyadh [Saudi Arabia], March 30 (ANI): Indian Air Force (IAF) contingents which participated in the month-long joint training exercises with six other Air Forces as part of the multilateral 'Exercise Cobra Warrior' in the UK has taken off for India after an administrative halt in Saudi Arabia, officials said. "On 30 March, @IAF_MCC Contingent of 08 aircraft including 5 MIRAGE 2000 fighters with 145 Air warriors took off from Saudi Arabia for India after a 2 administrative halt. During their stay in the Kingdom, the contingent was extended all hospitality and assistance by the Saudi authorities," tweeted the Embassy of India, Riyadh. Also Read | Japanese High-tech Toilet Company Eyes Europe. Exercise Cobra Warrior was held at the Waddington Air Force Base of the Royal Air Force in United Kingdom from March 6 to March 24 this year. The multilateral Air exercise saw participation of Air Forces from Finland, Sweden, South Africa, United States of America and Singapore alongside United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and the IAF. Also Read | H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act Introduced in US Senate To Reduce Fraud and Abuse in Immigration System. The IAF sent five Mirage 2000 fighters along with IL-78 mid-air refueller aircraft, and two C-17 Globemaster. The aim of the exercise was to participate in diverse fighter aircraft engagements and learn from the best practices of various Air Forces. "The @IAF_MCC contingent was on its return journey after participating in the month-long EX Cobra Warrior in the UK. All the Air Warriors expressed their heartfelt thanks to the Saudi authorities and the Indian Embassy officials for making their stay a memorable one," tweeted the Indian Embassy. The month long exercise involved high-intensity, large-force, and tactical air warfighting operations. The Mirage-2000s were drawn from all three existing squadrons, including those that took part in the Balakot air strike in February 2019. The Cobra Warrior is one of the largest Royal Air Force exercises. During the exercise, the Royal Air Force provides special training to pilots from different countries. The exercise is being conducted for more than a decade. The Cobra Warrior is considered one of the most challenging exercises in the world. During the exercise, the Royal British Air Force offered Qualified Space Instructors Courses, surveillance, Multi-Engine Tactics, Qualified Weapons Instructors, etc. To qualify for these war strategies the Air Force crew had to seek intense training provided by the British Royal Air Force. Finland, India, and Saudi Arabia joined Exercise Cobra Warrior for the first time. The initial plan was to bring in indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, but they were busy with another exercise, so the Mirage-2000s were deployed. The Saudi Arabian Air Force flew six Eurofighter Typhoons from RAF Coningsby base, while the Indian team, Finnish team, and Belgian Air Force flew six F/A-18 Super Hornets and six F-16s, respectively, from Waddington airbase. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi [India], March 30 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi met NXP's President and Chief Executive Officer Kurt Sievers on Wednesday. The transformative landscape in the world of semiconductors and innovation was discussed between the two. "Happy to have met Mr Kurt Sievers, the CEO of @NXP and discuss the transformative landscape in the world of semiconductors and innovation. India is emerging as a key force in these sectors, powered by our talented youth," Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted. Also Read | US Senate Passes Bill To End National COVID-19 Emergency, Three Years After Initial Declaration. "NXP CEO Kurt Sievers met with India's PM Narendra Modi to discuss strengthening the semiconductor ecosystem, developing STEM workforce and startup ecosystem in India. We're committed to driving innovation and positive change through our tech solutions in India", NXP said in a tweet. NXP Semiconductors N.V. is a Dutch semiconductor designer and manufacturer with headquarters in Eindhoven, Netherlands with locations throughout the globe. Also Read | Mumbai 26/11 Terror Attack: Accused Tahawwur Rana Moves US Court for Status Conference. In a bid to give a boost to semiconductor manufacturing in the country, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw announced in February this year that the government will come up with a program very soon to put the country on a good semiconductor journey for the next 10 years. The government launched a programme called Semicon India Programme in December 2021 with an outlay of Rs 76,000 crore. The programme seeks to support the development of the semiconductors and the display manufacturing ecosystem in India. The minister had apprised the parliamentary consultative committee in 2023 that several state governments like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are in talks with the companies to set up semiconductor manufacturing plants/fab complexes. The Semicon India Programme aims to provide attractive incentive support to companies/consortia that are engaged in Silicon Semiconductor Fabs, Display Fabs, Compound Semiconductors / Silicon Photonics / Sensors (including MEMS) Fabs, Semiconductor Packaging (ATMP / OSAT) and Semiconductor Design. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Ajay Devgn and Tabu's much-awaited actioner Bholaa released in theatres today (March 30). The movie has high expectations from it, as fans loved its trailer. Bholaa happens to narrate the tale of a prisoner who finally goes home after 10 years of imprisonment to meet his young daughter. Also fyi, the flick is an official Hindi remake of Tamil blockbuster Kaithi. Now, as per early reviews by critics, Bholaa seems to be a hit. Here, check out the Bholaa's review roundup below. Bholaa Trailer: Ajay Devgn Is Back as an Action Hero but Tabus Ruthless Cop Avatar Steals The Show! (Watch Video). India Today: "The action scenes are Bholaas backbone. They do a good job of taking the narrative forward. The Paan Dukaniya number too has been integrated into the plot quite intelligently." India TV: "Bholaa is crafted for the masses and perfectly blends high-octane action, thriller and soul in the first half and ends with a surprising climax where a 'Bollywood actor' cameo is waiting. An exciting watch for the weekend!" Bholaa Movie Review: Ajay Devgn Packs More Punches But Not Enough Power in This Hyper-Violent Kaithi Remake (LatestLY Exclusive). Watch Bholaa Trailer: Scroll: "Devgn is typically solid as the volcanic action hero; Tabu is in excellent form as the intensely focused police officer, making the most of her action scenes; Deepak Dobriyal has his moments as a psychotic villain who flicks his tongue like a lizard." India Times: "When Ajay Devgn rolls up his sleeves and gets down to doing action, theres nothing that seems improbable. And this time around, its not just about a bunch of vehicles and men flying in the air. While theres enough and more of that, here he engages you with intricately woven action sequences that boast of a certain expertise and finesse." So, are you going to watch Bholaa at theatres? Tell us your views in the comment section below. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 30, 2023 10:55 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). YEREVAN, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made a speech in online format at the event entitled "Media Freedom as a Cornerstone of Democracy" held within the framework of the second Summit for Democracy, ARMENPRESS was infomred from the Office of the Prime Minister. In his speech, the Prime Minister particularly noted: Excellences, Esteemed Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen, Talking of a free press we emphasize the value of the press acting independently of the state, sometimes providing information on matters that governments would prefer not to make public. As a former editor-in chief and journalist, I know full well, from my own experience, the importance of being able to function without interference from the state, since one of the aspects of our work was to scrutinize and make public the actions of the government. My colleagues and I had to face a number of so called criminal cases and verdicts with trumped- up charges aimed at silencing the independent press. So I know better than anyone the challenges and difficulties the media representatives might encounter during their work. Realizing the importance of freedom of speech and free expression, our government provides all the mechanisms for developing free press as an essential part of true democracy. Armenia is continuously implementing reforms aimed at improving its legislative regulations for ensuring better environment for media and the journalists to implement their professional duties safely and freely. Thanks to it, last year Armenia recorded unprecedented progress in the World Press Freedom Index, improving its position by 12 points and ranking 51st on the list of 180 countries. According to Freedom House's "Internet Freedom 2022" index, Armenia qualifies as a "free" among 70 countries. In the era of technological advancement when the concept of the journalism has elevated to the online platform, more efforts and actions are required to deal with the protection of the rights of those concerned. Nowadays we should admit, that some new challenges emerge for the freedom of media, speech and expression. That is fake news that become a real problem for democratic countries. But even this challenge isnt able to derail us from our belief. Freedom of media and speech is a pillar for democracy. We didnt put any restrictions on media freedom and internet even during the 2020 large-scale war initiated by Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh. In this context I would like to highlight the issues of safety for media professionals. I wish to take this opportunity to pay a tribute to a number of courageous media workers who were risking their lives in conflict areas around the world. The rights of free press and expression must be respected and protected at all times. I would like to reiterate that Armenia will be in the future as well fully supporting and promoting international efforts aimed at ensuring free and independent media. Thank you. The event "Media Freedom as a Cornerstone of Democracy" was organized by the Netherlands, which is one of the 5 countries co-hosting the second Summit for Democracy. Among the participants are high-ranking officials of a number of countries, experts dealing with issues of press freedom, representatives of civil society, human rights organizations, media, private sector, as well as novice journalists. Freedom of the press and democracy, safety of journalists, freedom of speech on the Internet, the establishment of free and independent mass media and the future development of the sector are on the agenda of the thematic discussions. * * * Leaders of more than 100 countries, as well as representatives of civil society and international democratic institutions, are participating in the second Summit for Democracy, which is being held online. The co-host countries for the event are the United States of America, Costa Rica, the Netherlands, Republic of Korea and Zambia. The topics to be discussed are as follows: Fulfillment of the commitments of the first Summit for Democracy 2021, challenges to democracy, as well as strengthening democratic values: governance accountability, rule of law, protection of human rights, freedom of the press, inclusive economic growth, etc. Alexei Moskalyov had fled house arrest in Russia before a court sentenced him to two years in prison for "discrediting" the Russian army. His daughter had drawn a sketch at school against Russia's war in Ukraine.Belarusian authorities said Thursday that they detained a Russian fugitive who was sentenced to prison in Russia over his daughter's Ukraine-themed school drawing. Also Read | France: Macron Touts Water Plan in Alps Amid Pension Unrest. Alexei Moskalyov, 54, had fled house arrest in Russia before a court handed him a two-year sentence in absentia for "discrediting" the Russian army. Also Read | Bihar: School Timings in Bhagalpur Changed for Holy Month of Ramzan. Russian and Belarusian state media said he was being held "upon request of the Russian police." Last year, Moskalyov's now-13-year-old daughter, Maria, drew a sketch at school of missiles next to a Russian flag flying toward a woman and child standing by a Ukrainian flag. Memorial, the outlawed Russian rights group that won the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize, has declared Moskalyov a political prisoner. What happened to Maria? The girl's school had contacted the police. Maria was questioned and Moskalyov was fined for earlier critical comments on social media, according to his lawyer and supporters. The pair were separated as the daughter was taken to a local "rehabilitation center" for minors. A lawyer representing the single father has said it was "difficult to predict" what would happen to his daughter. A Russian court is expected to consider the authorities' petition to restrict Moskalyov's parental rights next week. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has defended Moskalyov's sentencing and described his parenting as "deplorable." fb/sri (AFP, AP) (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 31, 2023 04:10 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). President Emmanuel Macron's first high-profile trip in weeks was to a picturesque Alpine village far from Paris' currently restless streets. He said he his government must "continue working," despite the protests.French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday laid out plans to tackle water crisis, briefly escaping daily protests against pension reform plans that have roiled the country for weeks. Also Read | Bihar: School Timings in Bhagalpur Changed for Holy Month of Ramzan. This was Macron's first major policy announcement and public outing after anger over his decision to force through a controversial pension reform plan saw violent clashes between protesters and police last week. Also Read | Bahrain Jails 3 for Online Debates Questioning Islam. Macron said he went ahead with the trip becuase the largely urban protests should not derail his efforts to govern more generallly. "There are protests, but it does not mean everything must stop," Macron said. "We need to continue working." However, Macron was greeted in the Alpine village of Savines-Le-Lac by groups of protesters with placards like "Macron resign!" and "Take your pension, not ours." Macron delivered the plan in Savines-Le-Lac in the Hautes Alpes region of southeast France that has suffered acute water shortages. The town is also located on the edge of Serre-Poncon lake, one of Western Europe's largest man-made reservoirs. How is France going to save water? The water-saving plan includes an array of measures, from fixing leaking pipes to adapting the way farmers and the nuclear power industry use water, and to make water more expensive for people who are using more than they should need on a daily basis. "In the face of change, there are necessary constraints, we must explain them, share them and make everyone aware of their responsibilites," Macron said. Like much of Europe, France suffered a severe drought last summer amid hot and dry weather. It deprived more than 100 municipalities of water to a point they were not able to deliver drinking water to the tap. The water shortages also exacerbated maintenance-related problems with the country's network of nuclear power plants, with some sites having insufficient available water for cooling, all around the height of rising energy prices linked in large part to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. No respite in unusually dry winter France has since recorded its driest winter in decades as well. Macron had earlier this month promised his government would devise an urgent "water plan " in March given the winter drought conditions. "We have decided to launch 1,000 projects in five years to recycle and reuse water," he said. "We want to reuse 300 million cubic meters, or 3,500 bottles of water per French person per year." France currently reuses less than 1% of its water. Climate change would deprive France of 30% to 40% of available water by 2050, Macron said. He laid out around 50 measures to save water, including announcing a gradual price increase for use of water for "comfort" so citizens use water judiciously. Major sectors, from nuclear energy to industry, would have to adapt and improve water management. France recorded 32 days without rain this winter the longest such winter drought since record-keeping began in 1959. Snow levels in the French Alps, the Pyrenees and other French mountain ranges were also much lower than usual for this time of the year, according to the national weather service. Weather watchers were worried about depleted water supplies since snowmelt is crucial to filling rivers and reservoirs. rm/msh (Reuters, AP) (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 31, 2023 02:10 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Hyderabad, March 30: An alcoholic man murdered his wife and daughter in Telangana's Jayashankar Bhupalapally district. The incident occurred in Bhupalapally municipality limits on Wednesday night. According to police, the accused killed his wife and daughter with an axe after an argument. The deceased were identified as Rama (43) and Chandana (17), a student of intermediate second year (12th class). Uttar Pradesh Shocker: 16-Year-Old Girl Kills With Axe Parents in Bulandshahr. The accused, Ramana Chary, who returned home in a drunken condition, demanded his wife to give him money for buying more liquor. When she refused, he started fighting with her. During the heated argument, the man picked up an axe and attacked Rama. When Chandana came to save her mother, he also attacked her. Maharashtra: Duo Attacks Builder with Axe for Not Paying Rs 1 Crore Extortion Money in Thane, One Arrested. Watching all this in horror, Ramana Chary's nine-year-old son started screaming. Neighbours rushed there and saved the boy. They caught hold of Ramana Chary and handed him over to police. Police shifted the bodies to Bhupalapally government hospital for autopsy. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 30, 2023 04:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Lalit Modi, the former Indian Premium League (IPL) chief, has finally heard why former Congress president Rahul Gandhi was detained for two years and bailed later. It was all about the 'modi' surname. He has finally ranted on social media, asking how Rahul Gandhi, now an ordinary man after his detention from parliament, dares to call Lalit Modi a fugitive. Further, he called him 'papu'. "I have decided to take him at least to court in the UK right away," he said. He also challenges him to "come up with solid evidence" to save himself. Rahul Gandhi Disqualified: German Foreign Ministry Reacts to Congress Leaders Disqualification, Says Expect Democratic Principles. Lalit Modi To Sue Rahul Gandhi i see just about every Tom dick and gandhi associates again and again saying i ama fugitive of justice. why ?How?and when was i to date ever convicted of same. unlike #Papu aka @RahulGandhi now an ordinary citizen saying it and it seems one and all oposition leaders have nothing Lalit Kumar Modi (@LalitKModi) March 30, 2023 (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.) Delhi's Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj has called for an emergency review meeting on Thursday after COVID-19 cases spiked in the national capital. This comes a day after coronavirus cases in Delhi climbed to the 300-mark while the positivity rate climbed to 13.89 per cent, according to data shared by the city health department. COVID-19 Cases Rise in Delhi: AAP Government Calls Emergency Meeting Amid Surge in Coronavirus Cases in National Capital. COVID-19 Emergency Meeting in Delhi #WATCH | An emergency meeting has been called at 12 noon today on the instructions of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, keeping in view the increase in COVID cases in Delhi. As of now, there is no discussion on any restrictions: Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj pic.twitter.com/BRHuY1gmlt ANI (@ANI) March 30, 2023 (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.) A video has gone viral on social media which shows G20 delegates dancing to the tunes of the Oscar-winning Naatu Naatu song from RRR movie on the sidelines of the event in Chandigarh on Wednesday. The diplomats are in Chandigarh to attend the 2nd Agriculture Deputies Meeting under Indias presidency of the group this year. The song this month won the Oscar award at the 95th Academy awards. Korean Embassy Officials in Delhi Groove to RRRs Naatu Naatu After It Wins Best Original Song Award At Oscars 2023 (Watch Video). Naatu Naatu in Chandigarh #WATCH | Chandigarh: G20 delegates dance to the tunes of 'Naatu Naatu' song from RRR movie The 2nd Agriculture Deputies Meeting (ADM) of Agriculture Working Group under Indias G20 presidency began in Chandigarh yesterday. pic.twitter.com/zhsF5GPkP5 ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2023 (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.) A picture of an IndiGo Flight 6E 762 attendant clearing the mess of a drunk passenger has been getting viral on social media. The passenger who boarded a flight from Guwahati to Delhi on March 26 was intoxicated because he could not control his vomit, poop and urine. He started throwing all this up in the aisle from the washroom. The Internet has applauded the efforts made by the all-female crew in clearing the filth calmly. The airline has not informed the media whether this person has been reprimanded. Air India Peeing Incident: New Twist, Accused Shankar Mishra Claims He Did Not Urinate on Woman in Flight. Drunk Passenger Vomits, Poops Inside Indigo Flight Indigo 6E 762 : Guwahati to Delhi.Intoxicated passenger vomited on the aisle and defecated all around the toilet.Leading lady Shewta cleaned up all the mess and all the girls managed the situation exceptionally well.Salute girl power#Indigo #girlpower #DGCA pic.twitter.com/iNelQs48Tc Bhaskar Dev Konwar @BD (@bdkonwar) March 26, 2023 Indigo Staff Clears Passenger's Poop, Vomit (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.) Meta executives are discussing a company-wide ban on political advertising in Europe due to concerns that Facebook and Instagram will be unable to comply with upcoming EU regulations targeting online campaigns, the Financial Times reported https://t.co/eWZadZJnT8 pic.twitter.com/qzhA4OuXjC Reuters (@Reuters) March 30, 2023 (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.) TIMES STAFF WRITER The dirty yellow moving van lumbered down Walton Village Road and nosed out into the flow of traffic on the main street, on its way to another street and town, its destination kept secret from those who stood here by this 50-yard bank of flowers, piled up for the little dead boy, Jamie Bulger. But they saw it going. Look! Theyre moving em out! You see! Right there! Hes one of the ones that did it! The woman in the yellow jacket had been advancing on the van as it groaned into the traffic, as though she might have thrown a rock had she been able to lay her hands on one. But she wasnt finished. Advertisement Come look, she urged. Theres flowers in the window. I bet he nicked them from here and put them in his own window. Just you look. Up the curving perspective of the road, lined by nearly identical two-story row houses with their little bay-windowed parlors, the house in question stood guarded by a policewoman. Through the curtains, indeed, a bouquet was visible, whether artificial or lifted from Jamies memorial or simply overlooked by the hurried movers, it was impossible to say. Anyway, this sad house, made now so much sadder, was empty but for this yellow blur. Gone, too, of course, was the 10-year-old boy. One of the ones that did it. There were two of them, actually, both 10, and Liverpool might well have lynched them, or stoned them to death, had it been given the chance, for their crime shocked the city and all of Britain. From the look of his photograph in the newspapers, James Bulger--who was buried on Monday--was blond, blue-eyed, smiling, a cherubic-faced and happy 2 1/2-year-old. He was with his mother, Denise, 25, shopping on a late Friday afternoon in a spot teeming with mothers and children. While his mothers back was turned, maybe a couple of minutes, two boys took Jamie. They held his hand and walked away with him. They left the Strand Mall, Jamie toddling along between them. Walked nearly two miles along thoroughfares busy with homebound traffic. Stopped once on a corner by a flower shop to ask directions to a police station. They took him to some railroad tracks cut between two steep embankments (not 100 yards from the police station they claimed to have been looking for) and there, after some time and evidently some horror, they killed him. They left his body on the tracks, where it was found the next day, after a train had passed over it. In a nation where crimes against children seem to occur with inordinate frequency, or are perhaps amplified by the tabloid press, the boys disappearance and the frantic search for him were instant news, accompanied by suspicions of the usual pedophile killer. But then came the release of security camera videotapes, which brought an even more abysmally sickening realization: the blurred images of the three children, walking hand-in-hand. Six days after the killing, police announced the arrest of two 10-year-old boys. The news struck Britain as a blow to the solar plexus, coming at a time when even the Royal Family has hit a new level of dysfunction, when unemployment is on a relentless climb, when politicians on both sides of the House of Commons seem paralyzed like hares in the headlights of disaster, and daily reports of violent crime provide a metaphor for a society coming unglued. When the two boys were formally charged with the murder recently in juvenile court, a crowd of 300 shouted Kill them! and threw rocks at the police vans that carried them away. Some said the whole episode gave a bad name to Liverpool, a place where nothing good has happened since the Beatles were discovered. It is true that the Liverpool docks, once the mainstay of the economy, have shriveled in importance and that unemployment, at 15%, is five points above the national average. But what happened here could have happened in any number of towns in the United Kingdom, where the numbers and the malaise are as bad or worse. And a look at the lives of the boys suggests that their circumstances were not all that unusual, that it could have happened anywhere at all. The names of the two boys have been kept out of the press, but their identities are no secret on the streets of the Liverpool communities where they lived. What follows comes from neighbors (for the police, as is normal in British crime cases, are saying nothing) and is, perforce, fragmentary and hardly gospel. This is not his real name, but, for ease of reference, call him Stevie. He is one of seven children, all boys, ranging in age from 18 to about 9 months. They live with their mother. She is 38. She and her husband parted company some years ago--neighbors are unsure when. She lives on welfare but, in the past, has done work for a janitorial service. The three eldest boys are all, as the English say, in care, meaning they are in institutions for youths in trouble, where they are educated and more or less confined. The family has lived in the house about five years. Before that, all lived a few streets away, in a house that burned down, due to causes that some call suspicious. Stevie had a skateboard. The woman across the street said she used to see him sitting on the front steps of the house, sucking his thumb. She said he seemed meek, perhaps immature for his age. The man who lived next door saw them at closer range and knew all their names and ages. The older one, I dont know where he went, he said. I think he just got tired of it all and left. . . . Oh, they were a handful. The 16-year-old, he went to . . . a place for juveniles. It was nothing very serious, I dont think. They were always stealing. Theyd pinch the milk off our steps. We would see bicycles in the back yard, and we knew theyd been stolen someplace, because they didnt have any money. Over the last couple of years, relations with the boys chilled, what with the pinching of the milk and other things. Once Stevie threw a cupful of feces out his upstairs window onto the side of his neighbors house. Then, too, the boys would set little fires in the back yard. The mother spent some part of every day, more or less, in the pub up the hill, an observation confirmed there, although everyone agreed that, since the baby came, she didnt go so much, or maybe at all. The pub owner remembers her, the kids and Stevie. He was a cheeky little bastard, he said. He called my wife a slag, street slang for slut. Walton doesnt have the look of some wretched inner-city slum. It is a lower-middle-class neighborhood, one of several that built up rapidly at the edges of the city in the early 60s, when the Liverpool docks were busy and unemployment was relatively low. A woman up the street from Stevies house grew up here. She remembers a time when the front steps of every house were scrubbed daily until the pavements shone white, when everyone seemed to marry inside the neighborhood and everyone knew everyone elses kids. That doesnt happen now, of course. Some people have moved out, new people have moved in. For-sale signs have been hanging for months on the fronts of many houses; some have been turned over to council housing for welfare residents. Not so many front steps are washed, nor so often. The pavements, in these straitened times, are not so well-repaired. Residents ensure that they never leave valuables in their cars at night. But the streets, at night, seem safe enough from muggers. No addicts lurk in doorways. It is no horror here. The struggles to make the pennies stretch are private; most dramas that go on are enacted quietly behind closed doors. The woman across the street remembers Stevie, on that Friday night, banging loudly on his front door and yelling to get in. Someone wouldnt let him in, she said. I dont know why. Across the street, city workmen are out with ladders, nailing up plywood sheets over the door Stevie pounded on, blanking out the windows from which he would have been able to see the growing heap of flowers for Bulger. Plywood also covers the windows of the house, a few miles away, where the other boy lived. Neighbors here are closemouthed or absent. This boy--call him Billy--lived with his mother, a brother and a sister. The neighborhood is similar, if newer. The same for-sale signs, the same mix of older residents and new arrivals, the same unemployment; a quiet street, mothers and children out at midday, empty of visible threat. And thats all, really. The plywood nailed over the windows of one house would go unnoticed, if you were just driving down the street, if you didnt live here and didnt know what they say. But some people do drive down the street now, neighbors say. They look for the plywood. They know what it means. What they cant seem to figure out is why. Anita Chabria is a freelance writer living in Los Angeles A dozen customers pick over the idlies, dosas and curries that fill a stainless steel buffet in Pasand Madras Cuisine, an Indian restaurant in downtown Berkeley. Twelve people may not seem like much of a midday rush, but on this recent Saturday, Pasand is lucky to have them. Last year at this time, picketers protesting sexual slavery and the death of a teenage girl who worked in the restaurant kept most patrons at bay, leaving the eatery and attached bar empty except for the handful of Indian immigrants who serve as waiters and cooks. Not even the owner--64-year-old Lakireddy Bali Reddy--was around. After federal prosecutors charged him with importing and employing illegal immigrants, and using the young girls among them as his concubines, he was released on $10-million bail in January 2000 and confined to his brothers house in Merced. A federal indictment charged that during a 13-year period, Reddy--L.B. to his friends--and members of his family used fraudulent visas, sham marriages and fake identities to bring at least 33 men, women and children into the United States. In Berkeley, this most progressive of California communities, Reddy ruled over his victims like a feudal lord, imposing his law rather than U.S. law by keeping his targets isolated and afraid--of him, and of their tenuous position as illegal immigrants--and by importing the rules of the caste system, an apartheid that India has fought to eradicate but that still governs the daily lives of many Hindus. Advertisement In the rural southern Indian village of Velvadam, where Reddy was born, villagers consider him the king because of his power and generosity. Reddy used his status to convince poor villagers, mostly from the lowest rung of Indias social system, that he could better their lives by bringing them to America. Once here, he used them to build a shadowy world where he reigned as lord of his own private Berkeley. Reddys victims worked as menial labor in his businesses for little or no pay, helping to make Reddy one of Berkeleys wealthiest landlords and entrepreneurs. They lived in Reddy-owned apartment buildings. (He owns more than 1,000 units in Berkeley, which bring in more than $1 million in monthly rents.) And they owed Reddy money that would take years to pay off. Prosecutors say that many of the young girls were required to have sex with Reddy, sometimes in groups. But despite two years of investigation, a trial and an eight-year jail sentence, Reddys case is still not closed. There is even a chance his plea bargain could be overturned. New facts--such as an interpreter who apparently encouraged witnesses to lie--continue to emerge, while old facts dissolve into fiction. Reddys transgressions and the flawed investigation of those offenses are so culturally complex that, in the end, U.S. law may be unable to punish him fairly. He committed his crimes in an ethnic community where culture and law can often collide, leaving truth in pieces. lakireddy bali reddy might have ruled his california kingdom forever if it hadnt been for the accidental death of one of his concubines, 13-year-old Sitha Vemireddy, on Nov. 24, 1999. Longtime Berkeley resident Marcia Poole was driving along a side street in downtown that day when she noticed four Indian men carrying what she at first thought was a green rug out the side door of a shabby apartment building. Their anxious and hurried manner struck Poole as suspicious, she remembers. They headed toward a Reddy Realty van parked at the curb. At least a half dozen other Indians nervously watched their progress from the sidewalk. In the crowd was a young Indian girl dressed in traditional baggy pants and long overshirt called a salwar kameez. With her long hair in a single braid, she looked to Poole to be in her early teens. She was crying and pleading with the people around her. When Poole got closer, she noticed a dip in the center of the bundle the men were carrying, as if there was something heavy in it. Then I saw this leg descend from it, says Poole. I realized they were carrying a body, and then they just threw it in the van. The men then turned their attention to the pleading girl and pulled her toward the vehicles open doors. But she was resisting with all her might, says Poole, who jumped out of her car and planted herself between the struggling girl and the van. Inside, she saw that the body was moving and realized that it was another young girl. She was semiconscious and confused. Poole ordered the men to stop. A man with a round face and balding head answered. Poole later identified him as Reddy. He told her to leave, that this is none of [your] business, but she ran to another car and begged the reluctant driver to call 911. As sirens approached, the men let the pleading girl go and acted as if nothing was amiss. The crowd melted away. Then I knew something was really wrong, says Poole. When police arrived, they found Sitha Vemireddys body at the bottom of the stairwell from which the men had exited. She was a slim girl with wavy black hair gathered in an 18-inch braid, and she wore cheap yellow earrings and bracelets on each wrist. Her sister Lalitha, who had been hidden in the folds of her own loose clothing, was alive but disoriented in the van. Lalitha was taken to a nearby hospital. On a podium in pasands main dining room is a statue of the hindu god Nataraj--Lord of the Dance--who ceaselessly creates and destroys the fiber of the universe through his movement. The constant flux of Natarajs world seems to have infected the investigation of Lakireddy Bali Reddy from the beginning, leading authorities through a maze of false starts and dead-ends that required them to travel thousands of miles and thousands of years into Indias past before unraveling the secrets behind Reddys empire. The first problem investigators faced was language. Most of the witnesses spoke only Telugu, an Indian language of south-central India. Interpreters were hard to find even among Berkeleys large Indian population. So despite Reddys involvement, investigators used him as an interpreter. It was a bad decision. We needed someone to translate and he offered his services because we had an emergency situation out there on the street, says Lt. Cynthia Harris, chief of detectives and public information officer for the Berkeley Police Department. Of course, in hindsight, we should not have done that. Reddy told police that 18-year-old Laxmi Patati (the hysterical girl) shared a one-bedroom Reddy-owned apartment with Sitha and Lalitha Vemireddy. Patati came home that afternoon to find both girls unconscious. Because she spoke little English, she called Reddys restaurant, where the three girls worked. Reddy came immediately with Venkateswara Vemireddy, one of the men carrying Lalitha to the van. Vemireddy claimed to be Sitha and Lalithas father, and Reddy maintained that they were rushing the girls to the hospital when Poole stopped him. Police accepted that story and the coroner ruled Sithas death an accidental carbon monoxide poisoning caused by a blocked heating vent. Gas company inspectors found that the exhaust vent of the gas heater in the girls apartment was not functioning properly, probably due to debris dropped by roofers several months earlier. Reddy had Sithas body cremated, a Hindu tradition, even though the girls parents are Christian. Lalitha was released from the hospital, and the case was closed. Indeed, there seemed no reason to doubt Reddy--a man who appeared to be nothing but helpful, and who embodied the American Dream. Reddy was born in 1937 in Velvadam, about an eight-hour drive from the nearest major city of Hyderabad in south-central India. He left India in 1960 to study engineering at UC Berkeley. Not satisfied with science, he turned to real estate and business. He opened an Indian restaurant in 1975, and eventually helped a sister start a successful spinoff. In the early 80s, he began buying shabby apartment buildings one after the other and made them livable, and partnered with a brother to create a construction company. Over the years, he earned a reputation as a savvy and generous entrepreneur. By 2000, his properties were valued at more than $69 million. Velvadam, an agrarian hamlet of 8,000, is known as a mini-U.S.A. because of Reddys altruism, villagers claim. Reddy (who currently is divorced but has been married three times) built two elementary schools and a high school, created sources of clean drinking water and paid for a new wing at the local hospital. He spent more than $1 million to build the Lakireddy Bali Reddy College of Engineering, where more than 400 students study on state-of-the-art computers. He visits twice a year, and hosts an annual festival honoring his son Raj, who died in a motorcycle accident more than a decade ago. The more money Reddy made in the States, the more good he seemed to do in his hometown. By 1986, he even began providing a back door into America for some of the villages poorest residents. He convinced them that coming to the U.S. represented a lifeline out of an ancient social system that promised only years of poverty and backbreaking labor. Although they shared a village with Reddy, their world was unlike his because of a single Hindi word: dalit. Dalit literally means broken people, but is often translated as untouchable. It describes the 160 million people--one-sixth of Indias population--affected by the countrys hidden apartheid. It is neither a racial nor ethnic designation. The label is rooted in religion and based on birth, and its passed from generation to generation. No one can determine when in history their family inherited the damning title. Dalits are treated as subhuman, so low that they are not even considered part of Hinduisms caste system. Theyre only allowed work that Hindus dont want, such as cleaning sewers and toilets, removing carcasses or digging graves. The Vemireddy sisters, Patati and most of Reddys other alleged victims are all dalits. Indias Constitution of 1950 outlawed untouchability and created an affirmative action program called reservations that holds places for dalits in schools and government. But as black America knows, laws are easier to change than attitudes. In rural areas such as Velvadam, dalits often scrape by as coolies, or manual laborers. Sitha and Lalithas father, Jarmani, was a coolie. The family lived in a segregated part of the village in a mud-walled hut with no electricity or running water. Jarmani could not afford the dowry required to allow his daughters to marry. So when the king of Velvadam singled out destitute young girls such as the Vemireddy sisters to receive his aid, no one questioned his intentions. You go to India, to that village, and talk to anyone. They treat him like God, says Vijaya Lakireddy, a Reddy sister-in-law who lives in Merced. Even American investigators admit that many of the alleged victims view Reddy as a savior rather than a trafficker in human lives. In December 1999, Berkeley police received an anonymous letter that suggested Reddy had lied about Sithas identity. Police teamed with the Immigration and Naturalization Service for a new round of interviews with 15-year-old Lalitha, Patati (the sisters roommate) and the couple who claimed to be the sisters parents--Venkateswara and Padma Vemireddy. This time, the investigators brought along independent interpreters. After being questioned, Venkateswara Vemireddy broke and admitted he was not the girls father. He and Padma had known Reddy in India. Padma was not his wife, he said, but his sister. He claimed he had made a deal with Reddy in India. Reddy helped the Vemireddys obtain fraudulent visas by having Venkateswara pose as a computer programmer working for a Reddy company, and loaned him $6,500 for travel expenses. In exchange, the Vemireddys brought Sitha and Lalitha as their daughters. Patati also had a new story, thanks to a different interpreter. She said that her father had sold her to Reddy when she was 12, making her one of Indias estimated 15 million children kept as bonded labor. Laxmi Patati was not her real name, and until coming to America, she had also worked as a servant on Reddys estate in Velvadam and been in a sexual relationship with him there. According to documents filed by INS investigators, Patati stated the primary purpose for her to enter the U.S. was to continue to have sex with Reddy. Patati also said she was at the San Francisco airport when Padma Vemireddy arrived with Sitha and Lalitha posing as her daughters. (Venkateswara Vemireddy had traveled ahead of his fictional family.) Reddy and Patati picked up the girls and took them to the Bancroft Way apartment where Patati lived. Padma went with her brother to a nearby apartment. Reddy had sex with both Sitha and Lalitha that day, according to Patati, who told investigators she was in the apartment at the time. For the next three months, according to court records, the girls worked in Pasands white-tiled kitchen, cleaned Reddys apartment buildings and serviced his sexual desires. On Jan. 18, 2000, police arrested Reddy. Shortly after, his sons Prasad and Vijay, Reddys younger brother, Jayaprakash, and his brothers wife, Annapurna, were also charged with related crimes. The original nine-count indictment charged Reddy with conspiracy to commit immigration fraud, transportation of minors for illegal sexual activity and false statements on a tax return. Reddy was jailed, but quickly released on bail. Interviewed from the house of his brother Hanimireddy Lakireddy, a Yale-trained cardiologist, an upbeat Reddy claimed, I am the unfortunate guy. . . . Ive got all these troubles. But his troubles were just starting. Lalitha and Patati were detained in an INS facility while investigators continued to untangle the story. With the help of the American Civil Liberties Union and private lawyers, they were released from custody, and through the government-hired interpreters who were now becoming familiar to them, began to tell of unwanted sex, beatings, emotional abuse, working for almost no pay. Investigators also were sent to India, where they found other girls who told similar tales. Seven women, counting Sitha, Lalitha and Patati, became part of the governments case. The girls, along with their families, were brought to the U.S. as material witnesses and promised help with legal immigration in exchange for their testimony, which seemed to grow worse by the day. Despite speaking with authorities, the girls did not want to testify in court, perhaps fearing that even in America their status as dalits gave Reddy the power--maybe the right--to do as he pleased. They told investigators they were afraid for their safety and that of their families in India, where victims of sex crimes are considered as much to blame as the perpetrator. Court records say that Patati still suffers from a relentless fear of retribution. Most people feel that being associated with this case is a mark or stigma, says Meera Trehan, a Bay Area attorney who says she plans to file a class action lawsuit on behalf of Reddys victims. There is a feeling that if you just did what you were supposed to do, maybe you wouldnt be involved. Because the girls did not want to testify, the prosecution accepted a plea bargain. Last March 7, Reddy pleaded guilty to four felony counts: one count of conspiracy to commit immigration fraud, two counts of transporting a minor in foreign commerce for illegal sexual activity, and one count of subscribing to a false tax return. Two of the four co-defendants, Jayaprakash and Annapurna, also pleaded guilty to lesser charges, but both of Reddys sons chose to go to trial. Reddy faced a maximum sentence of 38 years, but received 97 months in prison--almost two years more than the prosecutors recommendation. He also was ordered to pay $2 million in restitution, a sum divided between four victims: Sitha (paid to her family), Lalitha, Patati and Patatis cousin, whom Reddy had brought over years earlier. Crying in court, Reddy apologized to his brothers and children for bringing shame on them, but he never mentioned his victims. The case seemed to be winding down over the summer. Reddys younger brother and his brothers wife were due for sentencing hearings in July; Reddys sons faced trial in the future. The principal victims were busy building new lives in America. Lalitha was even attending public school. Then government prosecutors disclosed a problem to the Reddys attorneys. One of the main independent interpreters--a woman named Uma Rao--had told the victims to embellish or make bigger their accusations against the Reddy family, according to court papers. Rao was one of the main interpreters used by both the prosecution and by civil attorneys working for the girls. Four of the six living victims admitted Rao had told them to lie, and according to court documents, two said that they had. While Rao has not publicly given a reason for her actions, prosecutors have warned the Reddy familys defense attorneys that she asked the victims to embellish their cases by exaggerating the threats against them and the sexual charges against Reddys sons. Some speculate that she may have felt she was helping the victims to articulate a situation that was beyond their understanding--in effect, shaping their stories for Western ears. Many of the people working with the girls agree that they have had a difficult time putting the girls experiences in an American context. Rao may have felt she was doing them a service by guiding them toward revelations that would have the greatest impact for prosecutors. Another interpreter, Bharat Kona, also presented a problem. Kona, president of the Bay Area Telugu Assn., showed bias by raising funds for the victims and writing a letter to the court encouraging the judge to impose a harsh sentence. When Reddy finally went to jail, Kona posted a message on an Internet chat site proclaiming, Finally, justice is served. The government dropped a rape charge against Vijay Reddy brought by a woman identified only as victim #7. The sentencing for Reddys brother and sister-in-law was put on hold, and no trial date is scheduled for his sons Vijay and Prasad. Although Reddy admitted to the sex charges and remains at Lompoc Federal Correctional Institution, the interpreters bias throws into question much of the prosecutions evidence and the fairness of the proceedings. Reddys plea agreement precludes appeals, but legal sources say Raos and Konas actions are serious enough that his case may be reexamined. Still, a new trial presents the same old problems for the prosecution--Reddys behavior is illegal, but his victims may never understand just how abhorrent sexual abuse of minors is in U.S. culture and may never make good witnesses. And perhaps the U.S. legal system may never be able punish Reddy for his worst transgressions in the eyes of some in the Indian community: stealing the promise of a better life in America from girls such as Sitha and Lalitha, and damaging the image of the Indian community at large. Those, to many Indians, are his worst sins. But even if Reddy is given a new trial he remains a figure who committed his crimes in a kaleidoscope of mingling cultures, where truth can be a matter of perspective. YEREVAN, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. The President of the Republic of Malta George Vella received the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan in Valletta on March 30. ARMENPRESS reports, the interlocutors highlighted the first bilateral official high-level visit from Armenia to Malta since the establishment of interstate relations and expressed confidence that it will give a new boost to the further development of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries. Issues of cooperation between Armenia and Malta on multilateral platforms were also discussed during the meeting. The interlocutors referred to the expanding Armenia-EU partnership. Ararat Mirzoyan emphasized the continuous support of the EU in the direction of strengthening democracy and implementing the ambitious reform agenda in Armenia. Regional security issues were also in the focus of the interlocutors. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia presented to the President of Malta the security situation in the South Caucasus, the latest developments in the process of normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. During the meeting, Minister Mirzoyan emphasized the importance of reopening the Lachin Corridor without preconditions, which is blocked by Azerbaijan, demonstrating a constructive approach to key issues related to the rights and security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, and fulfilling commitments, instead of Azerbaijan's belligerent rhetoric and provocations. On 29 March hundreds of agricultural producers took to the streets in Costa Ricas capital, San Jose, demanding better policies from the centre-right government led by Presidentto protect food security and the sector, and against his push for Costa Rica to join the Pacific Alliance trade bloc (comprising Chile, Mexico, Colombia, and Peru). End of preview - This article contains approximately 393 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 29 March Ecuadors constitutional court (CC) gave the green light to an impeachment trial of President End of preview - This article contains approximately 552 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options The Roman Catholic world is holding its breath after Pope Francis was sent to a hospital. The 86-year-old Argentina-born pontiff is expected to stay in the hospital for several days as he remains under observation. According to The Guardian, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church had been complaining of breathing difficulties in the past few days. He may have suffered a respiratory infection, though additional tests performed showed he did not have COVID-19. Initially, the Vatican said that he had a scheduled check-up. However, this was questioned by the Italian media as Pope Francis was scheduled for an interview on Wednesday, and it was canceled around the moment he was hospitalized. During his weekly general audience at the Vatican, he appeared in good health. However, for most of his life, he had always been short of breath and generally more exposed to respiratory problems, as he had part of one lung removed when he was still in his early 20s, training to be a priest in Argentina. The pope, who is now in his later years, suffers from diverticulitis, a condition that can infect or inflame the colon. He also has knee problems and must use either a cane or a wheelchair whenever he makes a public appearance. However, despite the many health problems he had been suffering, the first Latin American pontiff stated that he had no plans to retire. He added that if he did, it would be for serious health reasons, such as if he were "gravely incapacitated." READ MORE: Pope Francis Offers Prayers to Victims of Massive Earthquake in Peru and Ecuador Pope Francis Thankful for Well-Wishes After Hospitalization Following his hospitalization, the Argentinian was sent plenty of well-wishes and heartwarming messages. "Pope Francis is touched by the many messages received and expresses his gratitude for the closeness and prayer," a statement from Holy See Press Office director Matteo Bruni read. Father Bruni also confirmed that the pope suffered a respiratory infection and that, thankfully, it was not COVID-19. The pontiff will still need to undergo some medical check-ups and a few days of appropriate hospital medical treatment. Pope Francis Talked About St. Paul Before Hospitalization Just before he was suddenly sent to the hospital, Pope Francis appeared for his usual Wednesday General Audience at the Vatican's Saint Paul Square. There, he talked to the crowd about Saint Paul, according to Vatican News. The pontiff noted that Paul, who was previously Saul, a man who persecuted Christians, turned his zeal from wanting to destroy the Church to wanting to build it up, saying that his zeal was "converted" from the law and into the Gospel. "We can ask ourselves: what happened? What has changed in Paul? In what sense was his zeal, his drive for the glory of God transformed?" asked the pope. "In Paul's case, what changed him was not a mere idea or conviction: it was the encounter with the Risen Lord that transformed his whole being." He also asked for prayers for those who died at the deadly migrant facility fire at the U.S.-Mexico border. READ MORE: Nicaragua: Daniel Ortega Regime Slams 5 Priests With 10-year Prison Sentences This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Pope Francis hospitalized after respiratory infection diagnosis - ABC News Taylor Swift Eras Tour Dallas will be at the nearby AT&T Stadium in Arlington and will run for three nights from Friday, March 31, to Sunday, April 2, per CBS News. The Arlington Police Department has warned tourists ahead of her North Texas dates, saying thousands of people are anticipated in the city over the next few days. In addition to Swift's sold-out Eras Tour, this weekend also features the 2023 season opener for the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. The Arlington Renegades are playing at Choctaw Stadium. Parking spaces for AT&T Stadium are available daily at 2 p.m. Lot 15 is designated for those taking rideshares to and from the performance. The events are expected to cause an unprecedented surge in ridesharing services demands. Parking for events at the Arlington ISD Center for Visual & Performing Arts is available at 3:30 p.m. daily for those willing to walk the extra distance. However, there is no option to reserve a parking space in advance. Several restaurants in downtown Arlington will provide shuttle services to the stadium, including J. Gilligan's Bar & Grill, Grease Monkey, Cartel Taco Bar, and Maverick's Bar & Grill. The restaurants can be contacted to enquire about event shuttle rates and availability. READ NEXT: Taylor Swift Fans Head to Court for Ticketmaster Lawsuit Where to Buy Taylor Swift Eras Tour Tickets Ticketmaster reports that on November 15, fans purchased 2 million presale seats for the artist, the most for any artist in a single day, so the excitement is hardly surprising. Some fans were left without seats after Ticketmaster abruptly halted the public sale, claiming insufficient tickets. The only way for supporters to get tickets to the Arlington shows is through secondary ticket markets like StubHub and Vivid Seats, according to The Dallas Morning News. Taylor Swift's Eras Tour Dallas promotes all her recordings, from her earliest to her most recent, "Midnights" (2022). AT&T Stadium was a stop on her pre-pandemic "Reputation Tour" in 2018, her last tour. Due to scheduling conflicts, she postponed the 2021 "Lover Fest" mini-tour. Swift has performed at AT&T Stadium five times since 2011. Taylor Swift Eras Tour Dates As the first artist in the stadium's history to sell out two nights on the same tour, Taylor Swift made a triumphant return to live performance on March 17 and 18 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, which was rebranded as "Swift City" for the occasions. At that point, she had already sold more concert tickets in a single day than any other performer in history and surpassed Madonna's "Sticky & Sweet Tour" as the highest-grossing tour ever by a female act. She promised fans "a journey through all of my musical eras," Taylor Swift delivered a 44-song set that spanned more than three hours, said AZCentral. These are the next stops on the Eras Tour: Friday-Sunday, March 31-April 2: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas. Thursday-Saturday, April 13-15: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida. Friday-Sunday, April 21-23: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas. Friday-Sunday, April 28-30: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia. Friday-Sunday, May 5-7: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee. Friday-Sunday, May 12-14: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Friday-Sunday, May 19-21: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts. Friday-Sunday, May 26-28: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey. Friday-Sunday, June 2-4: Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois. Friday-Saturday, June 9-10: Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan. Friday-Saturday, June 16-17: Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Friday-Saturday, June 23-24: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Friday-Saturday, June 30-July 1: Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio. Friday-Saturday, July 7-8: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri. Friday-Saturday, July 14-15: Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado. Saturday-Sunday, July 22-23: Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington. Friday-Saturday, July 28-29: Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California. Thursday-Saturday, Aug. 3-5: Sofi Stadium, Los Angeles, California. Tuesday-Wednesday, Aug. 8-9: Sofi Stadium, Los Angeles, California. READ MORE: Nashville School Shooter Audrey Hale Sends Chilling Message This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: Taylor Swift's Ticketmaster disaster | Nightline - From ABC News Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs's spokesperson has resigned after the representative posted a social media post invoking gun violence hours after the Nashville school shooting. AZ Central reported that the Governor's Office confirmed Press Secretary Joselyn Berry's resignation. The communication director for Hobbs's administration, Murphy Hebert, said that the governor asked the spokesperson to file her resignation. Hobbs's office released a statement, saying that the governor "does not condone violence in any form." The statement added that the post of the press secretary does not reflect the value of the administration. Berry's post caused an uproar, with conservatives dubbing it tone-deaf, offensive, and opposite to criticism from progressives that Republicans are doing too little about gun violence. The post has been long deleted, and access to Berry's Twitter account has been turned private, which can only be viewed by her approved followers. READ NEXT: Border Patrol Records 800% Increase in Arrests of Chinese Nationals at U.S.-Mexico Border Katie Hobbs's Spokesperson The former spokesperson of Katie Hobbs posted an image from "Gloria," a 1980 film, showing one woman holding a gun in both hands. The governor's spokesperson captioned it with "us when we see transphobes," as reported by The Independence. The tweet was since then used by Republicans and right-wing figures, saying that the post was pushing for violence. The Arizona Freedom Caucus tweeted on Tuesday night that "calling for violence like this is un-American" and unacceptable. The caucus has been against the governor on several occasions, with threats to sue Hobbs over her first executive order. It extended protections against discrimination to also include gender. Caucus leader state Senator Jake Hoffman said that Berry was "threatening to shoot people Democrats disagree with" in just less than 12 hours after the Nashville school shooting. Berry was known to have joined the Arizona governor's administration after the November election. She used to work as a spokesperson for the Arizona Democratic Party. Nashville School Shooting Two officers who responded to the incident are hailed as heroes for ending the shooting rampage at the Christian elementary school. Three children and three staff members were killed in the incident. The police officers were identified as Rex Engelbert and Michael Collazo. Metro Nashville Police Department released the body camera videos of the two, according to USA Today. The shooter was identified as 28-year-old Audrey Hale, who was a former student of the school. She was dead less than 15 minutes later, with police describing the attack as "calculated and planned." Authorities said Engelbert fired at least three shots at Hale while Collazo fired four rounds at the mass shooter. Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake said that the law enforcement had recovered a notebook belonging to Hale, with around 60 pages in it. It was not immediately detailed whether the notebook had any writings. Drake said the attacker may have had "some resentment" toward the school. Meanwhile, a former teacher, Maria Colomy, described Hale as a "talented artist" and was grieving about the death of a romantic partner. READ MORE: Texas Police Shoot, Kill Gunman at Youth Summer Camp After He Opened Fire This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Gov. Hobbs' secretary resigns after apparent controversial tweet about 'transphobes' - from ABC 15 Arizona "Sabrina the Teenage Witch "herself was in Nashville when the fatal shooting at the Christian Covenant School happened. However, actress Melissa Joan Hart did not sit idly by as she helped in rescue efforts. The "Clarissa" actress took to Instagram and said in an emotional video, "We helped a class of kindergartners across a busy highway." Her voice was breaking when she said, "that were climbing out of the woods - that were trying to, um, escape the shooter situation at their school. So we helped all these tiny little kids cross the road and get their teachers over there, and we helped a mom reunite with her children." Hart and her husband were heading to their kids' school conferences on Monday when the deadly Nashville school shooting took place. This was when they started helping the kids escape the active shooter situation, according to the Associated Press. Melissa Joan Hart and Family Had Experience With School Shootings Before In a bit of irony, her kids previously attended a school near Sandy Hook Elementary, which was also the site of another deadly school shooting. "This is our second experience with a school shooting with our kids being in close proximity. Luckily we are all OK," she said. She added that she does not know what to say anymore and that "enough was enough." She also asked for prayers for all the families who have suffered in this tragedy. According to NBC News, she and her husband, Mark Wilkerson, are parents of Mason, 17; Braydon, 15; and Tucker, 10. She noted in her Instagram video that they lived in Newtown, where Sandy Hook Elementary was located. The school was where a shooter killed 26 people in 2012. READ NEXT: Marjorie Taylor Greene Twitter Account Restricted Over Transphobic Response to Tennessee Shooting Nashville School Shooter Was Under Care and Had an Emotional Disorder Meanwhile, more information about the Nashville school shooter has surfaced. Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake said on Tuesday that Audrey Hale was under care for an emotional disorder. However, the shooter still managed to buy seven firearms despite this and hid them at his home. Hale's parents spoke to police and said their son bought and sold one weapon, and that was the extent of what they knew. The police chief stated that the parents felt that Hale should not own weapons given his emotional disorder, according to CNN. Police revealed three of Hale's seven weapons were used in the attack. As he left home with a red bag, his parents reportedly asked what was inside but were dismissed. Soon after. The suspect targeted the school and church in the attack. His writings also revealed that he mentioned a mall as a possible target for his killing spree. His attack killed six people, including three 9-year-old students: Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney, and Hallie Scruggs, the daughter of lead church pastor Chad Scruggs. He also killed three adults, Cynthia Peak, 61, Katherine Koonce, the 60-year-old head of the school, and Mike Hill, a 61-year-old custodian. This is already the 19th school shooting in 2023 and the deadliest since the attack in Uvalde, Texas last year that left 21 dead. READ NEXT: Nashville School Shooting Kills 3 Kids, 3 Adults This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Nashville school shooting: Melissa Joan Hart speaks out about after helping students flee - KHOU-11 Republican Sen. Rand Paul is against a bill that seeks to have TikTok banned in the U.S., breaking away from his GOP colleagues. Lawmakers cited security concerns with the social media app. TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. It was then reported that the company had gathered user data and spied on some journalists, according to NBC News. Paul argued in his opinion piece in the Courier-Journal of Louisville, Kentucky, that banning TikTok would reflect the Chinese government's imposed censorship. He then asked the question of whether to ban the app as a free speech issue and said he would defend it against members of his own party. Paul also wrote that he hopes "saner mids" would show which is more dangerous, whether videos of teenagers dancing or the "precedent of the U.S. government banning speech." The Republican senator said that he will defend the Bill of Rights against all odds, even if it meant fighting against his own party members. READ NEXT: TikTok User Fat Trophy Wife Says She Was Removed From Alaska Airlines Flight for Wearing Crop Top Rand Paul on TikTok Ban Sen. Josh Hawley, who is also a Republican, sought unanimous consent for a TikTok ban bill, noting that it would protect the American people while also "sending a message to Communist China" that they cannot "buy us." Reuters reported that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said the house will be addressing the TikTok ban through an introduction of a bill. However, it was not clear what a final bill to address TikTok might look like, with the timing undetailed. Last week, TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew appeared before Congress and received questions about national security concerns over the ByteDance app. Meanwhile, Democrats have been pushing for privacy legislation that would not only be applicable to TikTok but would also cover other social media sites. U.S. President Joe Biden's administration also demanded TikTok divest its stakes or face a U.S. ban. Former U.S. President Donald Trump wanted to have TikTok banned in 2020, which was blocked by U.S. courts. Does TikTok Have 18+ Content? Aside from possible security concerns, the platform also announced in January that it will be expanding its audience controls feature after concerns about the platform's sexually suggestive content. However, the social media platform still has not provided any method for verifying the age of users, with its current policy noting that users have to be 13 or older to use the full version of the app. Despite its age limit for the full version of the app, it does not verify users' age when they sign up, as reported by Mashable. TikTok has also received backlash for its content on the platform, with parents and mental health experts noting that young people are at risk of consuming possibly harmful content on their For You Pages. In November 2022, the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation noted that the agency has "national security concerns" about the operations of TikTok in the U.S. READ MORE: TikTok Under Fire for Its 'Blackout Challenge' Linked to 12-Year-Old Boy's Death This article is owned by Latin Post Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: JUST IN: Rand Paul Blocks Josh Hawley's Bill Banning TikTok, Then Hawley Responds - from Forbes Breaking News The human remains of a Nevada man who drowned nearly five decades ago have been identified after a diver discovered what looked to be a human skeleton near shore in the western fork of Lake Mead five months ago. The bones were identified as Donald Smith, a former North Las Vegas resident, by the Clark County coroner's office, according to CBS News. Smith, 39 at the time of his death in April 1974, was said to have drowned in the reservoir, according to an official press release. The coroner used DNA testing and witness statements to positively identify the body and rule drowning as the man's formal cause of death. The official statement listed the manner of his demise as an accident. A concession dive operator found Smith's bones on October 17, 2022. The National Park Service released a statement at the time saying that a diver had discovered what appeared to be a human bone while diving in Callville Bay, a popular tourist spot on the Las Vegas side of Lake Mead with a campground, a marina where visitors can rent boats. READ NEXT: Lake Mead Human Remains The Recent Skeleton Was the Sixth Human Remains Found in Lake Mead Due to the widespread drought in the West, water levels in Lake Mead are at record lows, and the lake's shoreline is quickly receding. This discovery of human remains is at least the sixth in the reservoir in the past year, USA TODAY reported. While the lake recedes because of the drought, coroner's investigators are still working to identify additional remains discovered last year, according to county spokeswoman Stacey Welling. Clark County authorities confirmed that the remains found in the Callville Bay area on May 7, 2022, belonged to 42-year-old Thomas Erndt. While out on the lake with friends, Erndt went for a swim at night, and his family claims he drowned. Human Remains with Gunshot Was Also Found in Lake Mead A man's body was also discovered in a container at Hemenway Harbor in May 2022. He had been shot and killed, according to authorities. "We believe this is a homicide due to a gunshot wound," Las Vegas homicide Lt. Ray Spencer said in a statement at the time. Boaters discovered the barrel on shore at Lake Mead National Recreation Area, leading authorities to think the victim was a man murdered between 1975 and 1980, said Fox News. Those who found the barrel reported it to law enforcement after it was discovered to have been uncovered due to drought conditions. Meanwhile, investigators were severely constrained without victim identification, told Lt. Jason Johansson of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police homicide squad last year on CNN, adding that the likelihood of discovering witnesses and possible suspects diminished as time passes. "If you think about the age of your witnesses or anybody related to this case, many of them are getting older every day. And they're at an age where you have to worry, are they even alive? And so I would say that's probably our biggest concern right now," Johansson said. Las Vegas witnessed one of its driest years last year due to the unprecedented drought that engulfed the American West. Despite being the biggest reservoir in the United States and providing water to over 25 million people, Lake Mead was only 26% full. The drastic drop in lake level was evidenced by a massive "bathtub ring" that encircled the lake's perimeter, The Guardian said. READ MORE: Olivia Wilde Reacts to Harry Styles Kissing, Dating Emily Ratajkowski This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: Set of skeletal remains found at Lake Mead identified - From FOX5 Las Vegas A few months after his harrowing snowplow accident on New Year's Day, Jeremy Renner finally speaks out about what happened on that fateful day to ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer. The exclusive interview will air on April 6 at 10:00 p.m. ET on ABC and the next day on Hulu. The Disney-owned network has released a few clips from that tell-all which is titled, "Jeremy Renner: The Diane Sawyer Interview A Story of Terror, Survival and Triumph." While snowplowing a road near his home in Nevada, Renner tried helping his nephew whose car was stuck in the snow. This happened during a freak New Year's Eve snowstorm earlier. However, the "Avengers" star's 7-ton Sno-Cat snowplow ran him over as he tried to protect his nephew. Renner survived but had to be airlifted to a hospital in Reno. He suffered 30 broken bones and had to undergo multiple surgeries. He also suffered blunt force trauma to his chest. However, the actor best known for his role as "Hawkeye" in the Marvel Cinematic Universe kept fighting. He recently posted a video of himself undergoing physical therapy as he tried walking on an anti-gravity treadmill. In the trailer for the interview, Sawyer asked the actor if he remembered the pain, to which he replied, "Oh, all of it, yeah, I was awake through every moment." The actor added that he would do it again and said that the snowplow was going right at his nephew. The massive Sno-Cat had been featured in various social media posts by the actor prior to the incident. It was towed away by authorities after the incident, but Renner recently stated that it had already been returned to him. READ MORE: Jeremy Renner Update: Avengers Actor Begins Walking Using Anti-Gravity Treadmill Jeremy Renner Was Awake During the Entire Ordeal The experience was a very painful one for Renner, who admitted in the interview that he was awake during the entire ordeal, from the time his snowplow started rolling to the time he was run over and pulled under its track. "All of it. I was awake through every moment," the actor said. The nephew whom he rescued would later recall seeing the actor in a pool of blood that was "coming from his head." When he ran to the "Hawkeye" actor, he thought that his uncle was not alive anymore, according to Yahoo! News, According to Yahoo! News, the actor said he heard a voice that urged him to "keep fighting." He also recalled thinking, "What's my body going to look like? Am I just going to be a spine and a brain like a science experiment? Jeremy Renner Says He Chose to Survive Dianne Sawyer recalled all the injuries Renner suffered. "Eight ribs broken in 14 places," the ABC News anchor said. "Right knee. Right ankle broken. Left leg tibia broken. The left ankle broken. Right clavicle broken. Right shoulder broken. Face eye socket, the jaw, the mandible broken. Lung collapsed. Pierced from the rib bone, your liver, which sounds terrible." She also asked the actor, "I heard that you had, in sign language, you said to your family, 'I'm sorry.'" To this, Renner said, "I chose to survive. That's not gonna kill me, no way." He stated that he has lost a lot of flesh and blood in the incident but has since been "refuelled and refilled with love and titanium." READ MORE: Jeremy Renner Accident: The Real Reason Why the 'Hawkeye' Star Got Hit by a Snow Plow This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Jeremy Renner BREAKS DOWN During First Interview Since Snow Plow Accident - Entertainment Tonight President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. met today with President Alberto Fernandez of Argentina at the White House. The two leaders discussed the second Summit for Democracy currently underway, and committed to cooperate to strengthen democratic institutions and good governance practices in the region. President Biden and President Fernandez also discussed cooperation between the United States and Argentina to continue supporting the people of Ukraine and to respond to the consequences of Russia's brutal invasion, including on food security. READ NEXT: President Joe Biden Announces Key Nominees President Biden commended President Fernandez for his work to tackle climate change, and expressed his support for continued cooperation in the energy and critical minerals sectors. President Biden and President Fernandez also committed to deepening U.S.-Argentina cooperation on leading edge technology as well as working together with other G20 countries on reforming multilateral development banks to better address global challenges. READ MORE: Statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Speaker McCarthy's Letter Armenia has endorsed the Declaration of the 2023 Summit for Democracy with reservation. March 30, 2023, 09:29 Armenia joins Summit for Democracy Declaration with reservation STEPANAKERT, MARCH 30, ARTSAKHPRESS: Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan participated on March 29 in the plenary session of the Summit for Democracy, a forum held online at the initiative of United States President Joe Biden. Armenia expressed reservation regarding preambular Paragraph 3 of the Declaration of the 2023 Summit for Democracy because this paragraph does not comprehensive reflect all conflicts and crises and does not address the fact of the Azerbaijani aggression against, and occupation of, parts of the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia. The Preambular Paragraph 3 of the Declaration says: We reiterate our firm resolve to support countries and people around the world that adhere to the values of freedom and democracy, against direct or indirect attempts or threats to undermine them. We recognize the fundamental principles of the UN Charter that all states shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state and shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means. We recognize the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense of States consistent with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations. We underscore the need to reach, as soon as possible, a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine in line with the principles of the UN Charter. We deplore the dire human rights and humanitarian consequences of the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, including the continuous attacks against critical infrastructure across Ukraine with devastating consequences for civilians, and express our grave concern at the high number of civilian casualties, including women and children, the number of internally displaced persons and refugees in need of humanitarian assistance, and violations and abuses committed against children. We are deeply concerned by the adverse impact of the war on global food security, energy, nuclear security and safety and the environment. We demand that Russia immediately, completely, and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders and call for a cessation of hostilities. We also call for the parties to the armed conflict to adhere to their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law. We call also for the complete exchange of prisoners of war, the release of all unlawfully detained persons and the return of all internees and of civilians forcibly transferred and deported, including children. We strongly support accountability for the most serious crimes under international law committed on the territory of Ukraine through appropriate, fair and independent investigations and prosecutions at the national or international level, and to ensure justice for all victims and the prevention of future crimes. Peru prosecutors are investigating President Dina Boluarte and former President Pedro Castillo for alleged money laundering as part of a criminal group, the attorney general's office announced on Twitter on Tuesday. According to Reuters, Boluarte and Castillo are being investigated for alleged crimes related to campaign funding during Peru's 2021 presidential election. The investigation comes after a former Castillo advisor revealed to local media that he had contributed money to Castillo's presidential campaign and financed some trips of Boluarte when she was running to become Castillo's vice president. The attorney general's office noted that the crimes in question "would have happened during the election campaign of Peru Libre," a Marxist party that helped propel Castillo to the presidency of the Andean nation. However, Boluarte said on the weekend that the allegations of corruption and illegal campaign contributions were a "political maneuver" meant to bring down her administration. Boluarte is also currently being investigated for her alleged involvement in the deaths of demonstrators who died in clashes with security personnel in the months following her inauguration. READ NEXT: Dina Boluarte Supports Moving up National Elections to Later This Year Peru Political Crisis Pedro Castillo was impeached and ousted from office in December after he attempted to dissolve Congress, and Dina Boluarte became Peru's president following his removal and arrest, Al Jazeera reported. Since then, Peru has been experiencing political turmoil, and protesters are demanding fresh elections and Boluarte's resignation as president. Since the protests started in December, the Ombudsman estimated that 49 civilians and seven members of the security services had been killed. Until her term as president concludes in 2026, Boluarte cannot be tried for any crime, even if she is guilty of one. Boluarte is Peru's sixth president since 2018 and the country's first female leader. Mexico President Maintains Pedro Castillo as Peru's Legal President Despite 'Coup' Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador declared on Wednesday that Pedro Castillo is still "the legal and legitimate president" of Peru and that his imprisonment was part of a "coup," the Associated Press reported. According to Lopez Obrador, the current administration of Peru is "racist" and has imprisoned Castillo because of his indigenous background. It was the clearest sign that Lopez Obrador does not acknowledge Peru's current president. "I maintain that he (Castillo) is the legal and legitimate president," Lopez Obrador said in his morning press briefing. "He suffered a coup... They won't accept Pedro Castillo because he is from the mountains. He is indigenous," the president added. The Lopez Obrador administration has made no public statements about ending its support of the Dina Boluarte administration. However, the Mexican president's stance has deteriorated relations between the two nations. In reaction to Lopez Obrador's statements, Boluarte withdrew her country's ambassador in February. Mexico's official stand is that it neither "recognizes" nor "does not recognize" the governments of other countries. However, it has not explained how that policy squares with the Mexican president's statements. Although Lopez Obrador has spoken out on the deaths of protesters in Peru, he has been criticized for not saying much about the hundreds of Nicaraguans killed or exiled by the government of Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega. READ MORE: Taylor Swift Eras Tour Dallas This Ortega'sis owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: Peru Attorney General Launches Investigation Into President Dina Boluarte - From BBC News Former President Donald Trump remained the 2024 Republican presidential frontrunner and defeated Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in a hypothetical matchup, according to a new national poll. Based on the poll from Quinnipiac University released on Wednesday, the former president gets 47% support among Republicans and GOP leaning independents, while DeSantis was second with 33%. The Republican respondents were given a list of 15 actual or possible presidential candidates from which to choose. However, the same poll also showed that a majority of Americans also want Trump to be disqualified from running again if criminal charges are filed against him. The poll revealed that should Trump be indicted in ongoing local and federal probes, 57% of respondents believe he should be disqualified from running in the 2024 presidential elections. Only 38% said he should not be disqualified. However, Fox News reported a big partisan divide, with 88% of Democrats and 55% of independents saying Trump should be disqualified, while three-quarters of Republicans believe he should still be able to run even if criminal charges have been set against him. READ NEXT: Stormy Daniels Net Worth: How Rich Is the Controversial Porn Star Who Could Send an Ex-President to Jail? Poll Says Voters Think Donald Trump Has a Negative Impact on the Republican Party To poll also found that over half of registered voters think Donald Trump has had a mainly negative impact on the Republican party. Around 58% of voters think he has had a negative impact on the GOP, while about 36% think he has had a positive impact. The poll also showed that 7 in 10 Republican voters, or 72%, believe Trump has had a mainly positive impact on their party. Around 6 in 10 voters, or 60%, do not consider themselves supporters of Trump's MAGA movement, but 36% do. Nearly 8 in 10 Republican voters, or 79%, consider themselves MAGA Republicans, but 18% do not. Voters were also asked about the honesty of the potential presidential candidates, and 41% think President Joe Biden is honest, while 54% say he is not. For Ron DeSantis, 41% say he is honest, while 40% say he is not. Around 29% say Donald Trump is honest, while 65% say he is not. In a hypothetical general election matchup, the presidential race is neck and neck, with Biden receiving 48% and Trump getting 46% among registered voters. The race is also very close between Biden and DeSantis, with DeSantis receiving 48% and Biden receiving 46% among registered voters. Voters also found Biden the most favorable with 37%, followed by Trump and DeSantis at 36% each. DeSantis had a low unfavourability rating at 39%, but Trump gets the lowest rating at 58%. The Quinnipiac University poll was conducted from March 23 to 27, with 1,788 adults nationwide surveyed. The overall sampling error of the poll is plus or minus 2.3 percentage points. Another Poll Shows Majority of Americans Do Not Want Donald Trump to be President Again A different poll by NPR/Marist has shown that Donald Trump, while loved by his base, is less popular among other Americans. The new poll showed that only 38% of national adults want Trump to be president again, while a big 61% majority do not want him back to the White House. Of that minority, 76% of Republicans, 34% of independents, and 11% of Democrats say they want Trump back as president. From the majority, 89% of Democrats, 64% of independents, and 21% of Republicans do not want Trump to be president again. Fox News also reported that only 39% of Americans have a favorable opinion of Trump. READ MORE: Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg Investigating Donald Trump Gets Death Threat This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Fox Slams Trump After Trump Rips DeSantis on Fox in Ongoing GOP Civil War: A Closer Look - From Late Night with Seth Meyers Nine soldiers in Colombia were killed in a military base by the rebel group National Liberation Army amid shaky peace talks between the guerillas and the government. The government said that National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels launched homemade mortar shells at the base in the municipality of El Carmen in Norte de Santander province. According to BBC News, the attack comes amid peace talks between the government and the ELN. Colombia's President Gustavo Petro said the perpetrators were still "absolutely far from peace." Out of the nine killed, seven were serving their mandated military service. Eight soldiers were also wounded. The area where the attack occurred was known to be an ELN base. It was considered one of the deadliest attacks since peace negotiations resumed after a three-year hiatus. Peace talks have started between the two sides since November, but no bilateral ceasefire has yet been agreed upon. The government suspended last week its ceasefire agreement with Colombia's main drug trafficking cartel, which is the Gulf Clan. READ NEXT: United States Submits Request to Colombia to Extradite Gulf Clan Boss Dairo Antonio Usuga Colombia's Peace Talks After the first round of talks ended in December in Caracas, Venezuela, the second round of peace talks between the government of Colombia and ELN happened in Mexico City in February. The ELN is the largest remaining rebel group in the country. Al Jazeera reported that tensions between the government of Colombia and the rebel group have escalated after its peace talks in December. The Colombian government had to reverse a New Year's Eve announcement that a truce had been reached after the rebel group denied such an agreement existed. The ELN noted at the time that a ceasefire "was merely a proposal to be considered." Kyle Johnson, the co-founder of the Conflict Responses Foundation, said that expectations in affected parties "were sky-high." Johnson noted that they now see doubts, with residents in militarized conflict areas asking if there is a ceasefire and why soldiers and tanks surround the community. During his campaign, Gustavo Petro promised to move away from the militarized strategies of previous Colombia administrations, which seemed to have only worsened the violence. He also vowed to engage all criminal groups in negotiations as stated under his plan, which he called "total peace." Colombia Suspends Gulf Clan Ceasefire Gustavo Petro suspended the ceasefire with Gulf Clan as he accused the group of "sowing anxiety and terror." He also ordered the security forces to reactivate their military operations against the criminal gang, The government previously announced that it had reached a bilateral ceasefire with Gulf Clan, including ELN, and dissidents from the Revolutionary Armed Forces. Pero accused Gulf Clan of breaking the ceasefire and blaming it for an attack on an aqueduct, which he claimed incited protests from informal gold miners, BBC News reported. Head of Colombia's police force, Henry Sanabria, said more officers will be deployed in areas where the Gulf Clan has the most presence. Gulf Clan has an extensive presence in several of Colombia's provinces. It also created international connections with other criminal organizations. Aside from drug trafficking, the group is also involved in human trafficking and illegal gold mining. READ MORE: Colombia's Most-Wanted Drug Lord Dairo Antonio Usuga Arrested; Pres. Ivan Duque Likened It to Capture of Pablo Escobar This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Who Are Colombia's ELN, the National Liberation Army? - From Al Jazeera English A scammer posing as Elon Musk has victimized a Florida principal, who was scammed into sending $100,000 in school funds. Burns Science and Technology Charter School principal Jan McGee said someone claiming to be the Tesla CEO offered to invest millions into the famous STEM school in Oak Hill in Volusia County, Florida, in exchange for an upfront payment, according to New York Post. The school's business manager eventually learned about it and canceled the transaction before the check cleared. However, the parents and school board insisted that McGee was "inexplicably reckless" with the school funds. Some of the Florida principal's colleagues warned her that she was being swindled. However, she ignored their advice and insisted on sending out the payment. At the Volusia County meeting on Tuesday night, the board members noted that they could no longer work under Mcgee and threatened to quit. The Florida principal then resigned on the spot and left the school building. Mcgee said she loves the school "more than anything else," but she is resigning if it means that the administration will stay. READ NEXT: Florida: Ron DeSantis Takes Drastic Action Amid Fears of Mass Migration Florida Principal Swindled by Fake Elon Musk Jan McGee told a packed audience that she is a very smart and well-educated lady, yet she still fell for a scam. The Florida principal noted that communication between her and the fake Elon Musk lasted for at least four months. She continued to talk to the scammer despite the staff's warnings that the person was a fraud. McGee then claimed that the scammer groomed her, CBS News reported. The Florida principal noted that "grooming is when you talk to somebody and you believe in them, and they get you to trust them that this is really real." Board chair Albert Amalfitano said somehow McGee believed the scammer's scheme, so the scammer must have been "really convincing." Amalfitano noted that McGee wrote a $100,000 check out of the school's account, convinced she was making the check to Musk's right-hand man. The board chair went on to say that the scammer promised to give $6 million to the school. Scams Made by Fake Elon Musk There were numerous scams surrounding social media using the billionaire's name. Forbes reported that many of those complaints mainly involve Tesla, with issues covering cars, warranties, and financing. Consumers were also complaining about scams on social media where the con artists were using the Tesla brand and Elon Musk's name to capitalize. The complaints also involved crypto coins like Ethereum, Bitcoin, and sometimes Dogecoin and Ripple. One complaint read that the scammer said they were running a token pre-sale for Tesla, and the victim was interested. The complaint said Musk released a new token. However, the one that the victim purchased was not a legit token. Musk has never released his own cryptocurrency token, with most of his investments in crypto like Bitcoin and Dogecoin. Some complaints also discussed deepfake videos of Musk saying things he never said. The videos have also become common on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. READ MORE: Ron DeSantis Beats Donald Trump in Hypothetical 2024 Match-up for Republican Presidential Nomination: New Poll This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Florida Principal Allegedly Wrote $100K Check to 'Elon Musk' in Apparent Scam - From FOX 35 Orlando Utah public safety officials said the calls alleging shootings at more than a dozen schools in the state on Wednesday were found to be "a hoax." According to the Utah Department of Public Safety, the calls, which prompted swift police responses, were located offshore and made by an individual using a number with an internet protocol address outside the country. KSL reported that it turned out that every single reported threat was completely unsubstantiated. The Utah public safety officials said at least 13 Utah schools received hoax emergency calls between 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. However, they did not reveal which country the calls came from, but they are working with local and federal law enforcement on the investigation. The spate of calls follows similar patterns observed in other parts of the country that started this week. "I want to say how sad I am that there are individuals in this world that would report a hoax like this on our high school students, the staff, our police officers, our fire officers - how sad I am that our country has gotten to this point where this kind of thing is OK, [but] it's not," said Ogden chief administrative officer Mark Johnson, as he addressed one of the calls made to Ogden High School. Police dispatchers got an alert of "an active shooter" at the school around 9:30 a.m., and officers and other emergency personnel flocked to Ogden High School, said Ogden Police Capt. Tim Scott. He added that the caller claimed that shots were fired and several students were killed and injured by gunfire. Upon arrival, Scott said the first responders went "hunting" for a shooter using long guns. He noted that law enforcers and firefighters kept their cool while scouring the entire campus to eliminate potential dangers. Police officers reportedly only knew that the call was "a hoax" while in the middle of clearing out the school. READ NEXT: 10-Year-Old Boy Sends Mass Shooting Threat, Gets Arrested Active Shooter Threat Hoax Traumatizes Students, Teachers, and Parents in Utah Schools Community leaders in Ogden held a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, and they commended the police's quick response but also expressed sadness that this incident occurred, KUTV reported. Students, teachers, and family members are traumatized because of the incident, said Ogden Deputy Fire Chief Shelby Willis, adding that such a thing is not okay. Students at Ogden High School were dismissed and sent home early after police cleared the facility. Superintendent Luke Rasmussen of the Ogden School District hailed the police reaction as "tremendous" and promised to use the incident to his district's advantage. Ogden police said they treat any threat very seriously. Authorities Investigating Active Shooter Hoax Calls in Utah Schools St. George News reported that the active shooter hoax calls in Utah and other parts of the country are reportedly being investigated by multiple law enforcement agencies. "We have received a phone message reporting an active shooter at a local high school," Utah's Richfield City Police Department said in a Facebook post, adding that officers have responded to the call but did not find any evidence that there is a shooter around or any violent activity going. "Investigations are taking place across the state and country as other states are receiving similar reports," police noted. Any individual who knowingly makes a false report of a catastrophe in Utah could be charged with a third-degree felony or a class B or level 2 misdemeanor. This person could also be liable for damages, including the cost of the response. READ MORE: Lake Mead Human Remains Found in October Identified This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: HOAX SCHOOL SHOOTING CALLS: Salt Lake City Police respond to Active Shooter Hoax Calls Statewide - From KUTV 2 News Salt Lake City The President of the French region of Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Laurent Wauquiez, during his trip to Syunik, visited the entrance of the Lachin Corridor which has been blocked by Azerbaijan since 12 December 2022. March 30, 2023, 11:03 Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes President Laurent Wauquiez calls for international attention to Artsakh STEPANAKERT, MARCH 30, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS: In his remarks, he called for strong pressure from France to achieve the opening of the corridor. Weve come to remind the world about the 150,000 people living in Artsakh, they are cut off from the world, they dont have sufficient food and medical supplies, this is simply disastrous. This is happening in silence, overlookedToday the world is focused on Ukraine, which is understandable, but we cant forget Artsakh, because if there is one it doesnt mean there isnt another. Both are equally important for us. And it is very important that the international community reacts to this, and that France exerts maximum pressure in order for the road to be opened at least for humanitarian aid, as a first step. It is important for me to be at the entrance of the corridor, to show that France stands by Armenia and Artsakh. The Allentown church that hid the Liberty Bell during the Revolutionary War is losing its shrine to history. But the story will continue to be told a few blocks away. This weekend is the last for the Liberty Bell Museum in the basement of the former Zions Reformed United Church of Christ, AKA the Liberty Bell church, the result of an impasse on lease terms with the churchs new ownership. The museum will be open noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, then its historical location in the church on Hamilton Street is closing to the public, museum board President Dennis Blankowitsch told lehighvalleylive.com on Thursday. Then begins the process of transferring pieces from the collection including Pip the Mouse and his annual holiday events to the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum run by the Lehigh County Historical Society at 432 W. Walnut St. in Allentown. They will continue the story. They will be in charge of it, said Blankowitsch, who has had stints on the Liberty Bell Museum board since the 1970s. The Liberty Bell Museum in Allentown will close and its collection moved following a dispute over a lease with the new owners of the church that housed it.Sue Beyer | lehighvalleylive.com file photo Joseph Garrera, executive director of the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum, said there is no timeline for the displays transfer but that his museum will honor the story of the Liberty Bells hiding. The story of the Liberty Bell is a national story, a world story. Its a story about freedom. Its a story that will always be relevant to all generations. You might say its calling to us across the ages, Garrera said. Philadelphia was captured after George Washington was defeated at the Battle of Brandywine in 1777. As army hospitals moved north into the Lehigh Valley, there was a fear that the Liberty Bell would be melted down into munitions by the British. It was instead taken down from its tower and sent by guarded wagon train to Northampton Town, now Allentown, and was kept in the church to wait out the occupation. It was returned in June of 1778. (Cant see the map? Click here.) The Liberty Bell shrine opened in 1962 in conjunction with Zions congregation, who embraced their role as stewards of history, as the former churchs website put it. The church itself received a state historical marker last year. It also has been a clue on Jeopardy! Zions was sold early this year. Resurrected Life Community Church announced its purchase of the building in February. Negotiations on a continued lease for the museum were fruitless. Resurrected Life did not return requests for comment during the process, nor on Thursday. The Liberty Bell Museum has long relied on volunteers, some of whom have been on the board the full 60 years of its existence, but the closure also will affect a handful of employees, Blankowitsch said. But the spirit of the museum, at least, will continue. Weve accepted whats going to happen and were getting ready for better things to happen, he said. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Looking at the calendar, Halloween is still pretty far away. Fortunately, ghosts dont recognize time, meaning its the perfect chance to do some spectral sleuthing at the George Taylor House in Catasauqua. And while you may think you have a window into the afterlife, save it for the professionals. Ghost Hunters, the popular Travel Channel show, is coming to inspect the historic house for an episode thatll air this May. The Facebook page for the George Taylor House posted about the visit from The Atlantic Paranormal Society, or TAPS, announcing that the episode will air at 9 p.m. on May 4 and can be streamed on Discovery+ the same day. The 1768 house is built on land George Taylor, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, purchased in Bierys Port the year prior. Taylor, who became active in Pennsylvania politics while living in the house, and his family lived there until just a few months before he signed the Declaration. He eventually retired to Easton in 1780, living in what is now the historic Parsons-Taylor House on Fourth and Ferry streets until his death in 1781. Hes buried in the Historic Easton Cemetery. All that is to say: What reason would he have for haunting his Catasauqua home? When Taylor left, he sold the house to John Benezet, an importer from Philadelphia, but Benezet only lived a few short years in the home before he died (presumably) when his ship was lost at sea sometime in 1780 or 1781. If Benezets ghost would have a bone to pick, its likely with the Pacific Ocean. Benezets widow sold the home to David Deshler, one of the wealthiest men in the area and a Northampton County representative at the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. Deshler died at age 62 in 1796. The house changed hands numerous time over the subsequent decades and eventually fell into disrepair until the Lehigh County Historical Society began to restore it 1945. The society purchased and freshened up the whole property in 1982 before selling it to the Borough of Catasauqua in 2008. If all this ghost hunting sounds familiar, it should be. The TAPS team was in the Lehigh Valley just a few months ago to investigate the Sayre Mansion in Bethlehem for an episode in the shows 15th season. That episode, called The Sayre Specters, can be streamed on Discovery+. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Connor Lagore may be reached at clagore@njadvancemedia.com. DeSales University on Wednesday recognized, honored and thanked Vietnam War veterans and their families. The school in Center Valley, Upper Saucon Township, held a special Vietnam War Commemoration Ceremony in University Center. Wednesday marked 50 years since the last United States combat troops left South Vietnam on March 29, 1973, ending Americas direct military involvement in the Vietnam War. The DeSales event featured remarks from retired U.S. Navy Commander James S. Turner Jr., who grew up in northeastern Pennsylvania and enlisted after graduating from high school in 1958, according to the university. His assignments took him to 40 countries on six continents, including serving five years off the coasts of North and South Vietnam during the wars most intensive bombing campaigns. His 34 plus years of distinguished service earned him seven personal awards. Local veterans organizations also participated Wednesday, including John Rivers Memorial VFW Post 11322, Quakertown; Vietnam Veterans of America Lehigh Valley Chapter 415; Egypt VFW Post 7293, Whitehall; Fleet Reserve Association, Black Diamond Branch #115; Bethlehem Detachment #284 Marine Corps League; Military Order of the Purple Heart, Chapter 0190-PA-1; and the Lehigh Valley Military Affairs Council. DeSales University says its Office of Veterans and Military Services hosted the event and is proud to be recognized as an official Commemorative Partner of the Department of Defense, Vietnam War Commemoration. U.S. Rep. Susan Wild on Wednesday also commemorated whats become known as National Vietnam War Veterans Day, honoring the sacrifices and courage of the soldiers who served our country and the POW-MIA Gold Star families still waiting for their loved ones to return home, according to a news release from her office. Wild spoke on the House floor to recognize the sacrifice of the wars veterans, their families and the communities that supported them. To the veterans of the Vietnam War, we offer a long-overdue welcome home, stated the third-term Democrat representing the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvanias 7th Congressional District. Your service and sacrifice deserve our utmost respect and gratitude. We honor your courage and commitment to our country, and we thank you for your unwavering dedication to defending our freedom. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan spoke about the latest Azerbaijani invasion into the area of responsibility of Russian peacekeepers in Artsakh. March 30, 2023, 11:34 Azerbaijan is falsely accusing Armenia of arms deliveries to NK to legitimize its possible escalation, warns Pashinyan STEPANAKERT, MARCH 30, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS: Last weeks developments around Lachin Corridor, which links Nagorno Karabakh with Armenia, are the following. Azerbaijan not only continued its illegal blockade of Lachin Corridor, but also carried out yet another invasion into the area of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno Karabakh. The Russian Defense Ministry recorded the fact of the invasion in a statement, which says On March 25, 2023 the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, in violation of clause 1 of the 9 November 2020 trilateral statement, crossed the line of contact in the Shushi region and occupied the 2054 height and began engineering works. A demand on implementing the terms of the trilateral statement, suspending the engineering works and pulling back troops to their original positions has been presented to the Azerbaijani side. Thus we can record that Azerbaijan is not only not implementing the February 22 decision of the International Court of Justice on ending the illegal blockade of Lachin Corridor, but is further escalating the situation by taking actions to block internal transport connection in Nagorno Karabakh. From the [unnamed] 2054 [meter] height Azerbaijan has direct vantage point over the track connecting Stepanakert with Hin Shen, Mets Shen and several other villages, PM Pashinyan said. Pashinyan mentioned that Azerbaijan explains its actions by falsely accusing Armenia of transferring military cargo and personnel to Nagorno Karabakh. This is a totally untrue statement, which perhaps wouldnt be worthy of special attention if there was nothing else. The information on military shipments is a propaganda lie aimed at creating the legitimacy for a possible escalation, Pashinyan warned. Support for the survivors of the R.M. Palmer Co. factory explosion has poured out over social media since the news made national headlines this weekend. Now businesses are chipping in to raise money for the victims of the natural gas explosion. Through April 9, Giant supermarket has promised to donate 50 cents for every Palmer Easter candy and chocolate customers buy, up to $25,000, to support the West Reading Disaster Recovery Fund. While nothing will make up for the loss experienced, we hope to grow community resources and support in partnership with those we serve, said GIANT interim president John Ruane. The recovery fund was set up by the Berks County Community Foundation and United Way within hours of the incident. Its received over 800 individual donations, the foundation stated in a news release. More: Visit the Visit the Berks County Community Foundation website for more information about how to contribute directly to the fundraiser. On Tuesday, UGI committed $100,000 to the recovery fund the largest donation yet, the foundation said. The West Reading Disaster Recovery Fund had raised $419,292 as of Wednesday, a Berks County Community spokesperson told lehighvalleylive.com. The outpouring of support from the Berks County community and beyond has been incredible, said Kevin K. Murphy, the interim president of Berks County Community Foundation said. Other Berks County businesses have also stepped up to the plate, vowing to help support recovery efforts. Brewers Bar and Grill said it would collect donations on behalf of the recovery fund, and checks or cash dedicated to servers and bartenders who were directly impacted by the blast. And The American Diner in West Reading announced it raised some $3,600 through customer contributions for the fund during a fundraiser held March 26, WFMZ reported on Monday. Time and again our Berks County businesses and families step up and help out during difficult times, said United Way of Berks County President Tammy White. Fridays explosion at R.M. Palmer Co. killed seven people, sent 10 to the hospital and damaged several buildings in the 60-mile town of West Reading, where the 75-year-old family-owned company is based. Officials continue to investigate the cause of the blast. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Glenn Epps can be reached at gepps@lehighvalleylive.com or glenn_epps_on Twitter. A high-speed chase Wednesday on Route 191 in Northampton County ended in a crash into a passing vehicle, injuring the other driver, Pennsylvania State Police said. Dequon Bonner, of Brooklyn, was arrested after running away from the crash scene in Lower Nazareth Township, troopers said. His two passengers also tried to run away, state police said. The 24-year-old Bonner now faces 18 criminal charges, including aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI, accidents involving injuries and fleeing police. Bonner was sent to Northampton County Prison after failing to post $100,000 bail, records show. The other driver struck in the crash suffered a brain bleed, a cut above his left eye and injury to his leg, state police said. Route 191 was closed Wednesday for the crash and ensuing investigation. State police said a trooper in a marked police vehicle began following Bonner a little after 10 a.m. on Route 22 while he was driving a rented white Chrysler 300 with a Virginia license plate. When Bonner took the exit for Route 191 North in Bethlehem Township, the trooper put on his lights and sirens for a traffic stop, court papers say. Bonner is accused of taking off northbound on Route 191. Troopers said he repeatedly drove into oncoming traffic and ran two red traffic lights as he headed into Lower Nazareth Township, almost hitting other cars and a LANTA bus, and running other vehicles off the road. Bonner crashed into a blue Volkswagen Passat that was traveling south on Route 191 at the intersection with Christian Springs Road in Lower Nazareth, state police said. The Chrysler then hit a utility pole on the side of the road. Bonner ran away, while two passengers also tried to flee, according to troopers. State police said they chased Bonner around a nearby home and across Route 191, ordering him to stop. Bonner was arrested after a trooper used a Taser on him. Bonner had four plastic bags of marijuana on him, according to troopers, and exhibited signs of marijuana use including bloodshot eyes. Bonner was taken to St. Lukes Hospital-Anderson campus for a medical evaluation and a blood draw, state police said. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Portlaoise alternative-indie band The Lost Messiahs are set to release a new single, Brownsfield. Released ahead of their third full-length studio album, the song was recorded and produced by Ollie Plunkett at Golden Egg Studios Portlaoise , mixed by the legendary producer Chris OBrien, The Production Suite and mastered by Greg Calbi and Steve Fallone, Sterling Sound, New York. The song was written about a field called Brownsfield located across from Ollies childhood home. The band explain more. "Though just an ordinary field, this blank landscape offered a young adolescent a canvas to create an imaginary world. Everyone has their own Brownsfield, their escape from the ordinary into the extraordinary. "The song is accompanied by a music video that depicts the journey from childhood to adulthood, paralleled with a spiritual journey towards enlightenment. "Subtle and sudden changes in shade create different moods, and the video moves in and out of these themes, from the present back to the past," they say. MORE BELOW PICTURE. The single/video will have its national release on Good Friday, April 7. The band are embarking on an Irish tour to support the release and dates include Crane Lane Theatre, Cork on Wednesday, April 5 followed by a gig in their hometown, Aunty Noras (behind Peigs Bar) on Easter Sunday Night. The Messiahs have only played Portlaoise on three occasions with the last being in the Dunamaise Arts Centre in 2021. The band are really looking forward to playing the beautiful new Aunty Noras venue in Portlaoise which will have its official opening on Easter Sunday Night. The Band are already confirmed to play Electric Picnic 2023 and for anyone who attended their amazing incendiary performance to a packed Mindfield Tent at the Electric Picnic last year you will know what to expect Easter Sunday Night. Highly recommend that you get your ticket early to avoid disappointment. MORE ABOUT THE MESSIAHS AND WHERE TO GET TICKETS BELOW PICTURE. The Lost Messiahs was formed by songwriter and guitar player Ollie Plunkett. There is a mystical spiritual connection in The Lost Messiahs music, from collaborations with monks to exploring the inner workings of the mind and the search for meaning. Rich production, meticulous songwriting, and immersive instrumentation give their music textured, atmospheric landscapes. They have been compared to the likes of The National, War on Drugs, and Mercury Rev. The band have released two critically acclaimed studio albums and several singles. The Lost Messiahs are: James OConnor (vocals/acoustic guitar), Eamonn Duff (bass), Martha Cummins (drums), and Ollie Plunkett (electric guitar). For gig tickets and lots more check out the bands website www.thelostmessiahs.com Laois County Council is to teach the IDA how to attract and create jobs, in a turnabout for the agency which has a longstanding dismal record for job support in Laois. The Industrial Development Agency, charged with creating industry across Ireland, is instead seeking advice from Laois County Council after the local authority's huge success in creating J17 National Enterprise Park. The IDA is considering a similar masterplan for their recently purchased 45 acre Portlaoise site, involving creating serviced individual sites and selling them to companies to build their own units. The council has managed to create some 470 jobs and the park is almost fully sold out just five years after it was launched to create jobs in Laois. The Laois County Council Cathaoirleach said she is "a bit disappointed" at not hearing news of a new factory, after a meeting with IDA officials in New York, as part of her trip for St Patrick's Day. Cllr Thomasina Connell and Director of Services Simon Walton met officials from the IDA and Enterprise Ireland to seek overseas investment into Laois, and to ask how Laois businesses can be supported to access the USA market. She gave an update to the March meeting of Laois County Council. "They gave no indication of any kind of immediate development. It was a bit disappointing. But they are interested in Laois. This is a huge tract of land. It wouls take a manufacturing facility, but there are no concrete plans. At least we got an answer. I was very firm that we need more for Laois," she said. Mr Walton said they have agreed to advise the IDA on how to repeat the success of J17 which has now created over 400 jobs in Laois. "The Cathaoirleach's interest, enthusiasm, knowledge was there for all to see particularly by the Laois Association in New York. It's only when you go do you see the value of that trip. "She asked the IDA about their purchase of 45 acres on the Mountrath Road. They had a high degree of familiarity with J17. They are more inclined to do as Laois County Council as done, to masterplan the site and provide critical infrastructure to develop the 45 acres. We have agreed to an exchange regarding how we funded and managed it," Mr Walton. Laois had the lowest number of IDA supported jobs in Ireland, in latest figures released in late 2022. It has just 157 IDA supported jobs. The figure was less than half the number of IDA supported jobs recorded in the second lowest county, Monaghan at 430 jobs. It represented less than an eighth of the number of jobs supported in neighbouring Co Offaly, where the figure stood at 1,302. According to the then Tanaiste Leo Varadkar, the IDA Ireland has worked hard to create a welcoming environment for FDI in all parts of the country and the strong regional spread of jobs and investment to date demonstrates the government's commitment to regional development". A jury in the trial of three men accused of raping a woman in a hotel car park have heard closing speeches from counsel on behalf of two of the defendants. At the Central Criminal Court on Wednesday, March 29, closing speeches were made on behalf of the first two defendants. The first defendant (22) who has pleaded not guilty to rape and sexual assault. A second defendant (23) has pleaded not (NOT) guilty to rape, oral rape and two counts of sexual assault. A closing speech on behalf of the third defendant (23), who has pleaded not guilty to rape and oral rape, is due to be made on Thursday. The offences are alleged to have occurred on December 20, 2017 at a hotel car park in the Leinster area. Defence counsel for both men submitted to the jury that there are inconsistencies in the complainant's evidence which may affect her credibility as a witness. It was suggested by defence counsel that the complainant might want to distance herself from her actions on the night. Defence counsel highlighted to the jury that the parties involved were around 17 years old at the time. In his closing speech, Michael O'Higgins SC, representing the first defendant, suggested to the jury that there is a plausible alternative to the version of events given by the complainant. He submitted that some of her evidence was carefully constructed and untrue and they must acknowledge this to be damaging to her credibility. Garnet Orange SC, representing the second defendant, told the jury that the complainant's evidence is on trial. He said it is a fact that there was sexual activity between his client and the complainant on the night in question, and they had to be satisfied that it had been proven beyond reasonable doubt that she didn't consent. There are good grounds for considering that going for a drive is a euphemism for what happened that night in the car, Mr Orange submitted to the jury. He suggested that there is no independent evidence to support the complainant's version of events. Mr Orange asked the jury to consider if it is plausible that the complainant was raped in succession by three men and didn't try to get away or raise the alarm using her phone. He suggested the young men took a risk by bringing the complainant and her friend to the hotel car park. The men made no attempts to conceal their identities or remove evidence. Mr Orange asked the jury to consider if the complainant was open to persuasion or trying to cover her tracks by manipulating information or people's perceptions of her. He noted that social media apps were removed from her phone and the complainant didn't speak to gardai until December 27. She'd been raped in succession by three men she didnt know, what on earth was there to think about? Mr Orange asked the jury. Mr Orange suggested to the jury that it is plausible that the complainant became aware of whispers going on in the background about her getting into the car with her friend and four young men and she was concerned by this. Mr Orange submitted to the jury that the word 'rape' gets used and it's one of those words that cant be unsaid. Place yourself in the position of a 17-year-old girl who has possibly made a catastrophically bad decision, he said. Mr Orange suggested there is an easy solution which wipes slate clean and the complainant becomes a victim. He asked jurors to consider that a 17-year-old may have looked at the situation and tried retrospectively to adjust the flow of information to suit the narrative she wants to explain. Mr Orange submitted to the jury that it could reasonably conclude that this narrative events is plausible. Michael O'Higgins SC, representing the first defendant, said he is not seriously challenging the complainant's view that it was a horrendous night. Mr O'Higgins told the jury that three separate and distinct trials had been taking place at the same time. He suggested this puts his client at a disadvantage. My client is here to answer allegations made against him of wrongdoing. Hes not answerable for anything anyone else did, Mr O'Higgins said. Mr O'Higgins submitted his client's evidence wasn't if you don't scream rape, there's consent, but no means no. He asked the jury to consider his client's very full answers that he would never have any form of sex with any girl when consent was not clear. Mr O'Higgins submitted no DNA evidence relating to his client was found, and this supports the mechanics of his client's version of events. Mr O'Higgins suggested to the jury that the prosecution are anxious to suggest his client is the person who made the comment about riding to the security guard. He asked them to consider if that phrase is consistent with a rape going on or something else. Mr O'Higgins said the defence are not making a case that any of these fellas covered themselves with credit on the night in question, but told the jury this is a court of law, not morality. Mr O'Higgins submitted that there is a particular set of circumstances which we say commences in a consensual way, unfolds in a particular way and its not rape. He suggested an alternative verdict of sexual assault may be open to the jury if they decide there was no consent for sexual activity and no penetration of the complainant's vagina by his client's penis. Mr O'Higgins told the jury that the fact that his client is a settled Traveller is only relevant as it is part of the evidence. Its not a factor and it would be very unfair in your deliberations if it coloured your view in any way, Mr O'Higgins said. Mr Orange told the jury they are not entitled to draw any inference from the fact that his client didn't give evidence, as is his right. Defence counsel for both men told the jury they must be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that their clients were aware the complainant hadn't consented to sexual activity or were reckless about this. The trial continues tomorrow before Ms Justice Melanie Greally and the jury. Legislation to abolish adult public in-patient hospital charges in public hospitals from April 2023 shows Fianna Fail is improving healthcare that is becoming free in hospitals and other settings, according to the party's Laois TD.. Minister of State in the Department of Foreign Affairs Sean Fleming made the claim on welcoming the passing of the Health (Amendment) Bill 2023 in the Dail Eireann. He said the legislation removes the acute public in-patient hospital charge of 80 per day up to a maximum of 800 in a year (including day case charges), for people accessing care as a public patient in all public hospitals. Im delighted to see this legislation which will allow for the abolition of adult public in-patient charges in public hospitals from April. This will mean that there will no longer be a charge per night for people staying overnight in public hospitals. "This is a very welcome measure and is proof of Fianna Fails support for strengthening and improving healthcare in the country while moving to healthcare being completely free at the point of delivery," said the Laois Offaly TD. He added that this measure builds on the abolition of public in-patient charges for children under 16, which the Minister for Health introduced in September last year. Minister Fleming said this is another significant step in ensuring that people have access to affordable healthcare services. The TD said all persons ordinarily resident in Ireland are eligible for public hospital services and as public patients were up to now subject to a statutory public in-patient charge of 80 per night. He said medical card holders and certain groups of people were already exempt from these charges. He said primary legislation was needed to set out the legislative amendments required to the Health Act 1970 to abolish the public in-patient charge. Minister Fleming added that funding was provided in Budget 2023 to abolish the acute public in-patient charge for patients in public hospitals. He said the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No. 2) Act 2022, enacted last year removes the acute public in-patient charge of 80 per day (including day-case charges for children under 16 years of age in all public hospitals. This measure came into effect from 21st September 2022. A planned development at a Laois farm has been appealed to An Bord Pleanala. Laois County Council had granted permission to Erkina Fams Ltd for a slurry store and tank, manure pit, and storage area for tyres and plastic along with associated site works on March 15. The development at Ballybooden, Ballacolla had been approved by Laois County Council subject to 14 conditions. The original county council planner's report noted the development would be located on agricultural land. The applicant proposes to construct an overground slurry store, an underground slurry reception tank, a manure pit and a storage area for tyres and plastic, and all associated ancillary facilities, works and services, the report notes. The site is not located within or adjacent to a European designated site. Therefore, given the nature and extent of the proposed development, with no direct connections to the hydrology of the SAC/SPA, it is not considered there would be potential for significant effects on the Natura 2000 network, the report noted. The plans have since been appealed to An Bord Pleanala by Peter Sweetman on behalf of Wild Ireland Defence with an address in Cork. In his submission to Laois County Council Mr Sweetman had said the council must ensure the plans met certain criteria. It must assess the planning merits of Application in accordance with the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) to ensure that the proposed development is in accordance with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area, he stated. Secondly, the Planning Authority is required to form and record a view as to the environmental impacts of the development, considering the EIA Report (EIAR) if furnished by the Applicant, the views of the public concerned and applying its own expertise or to screen the development for Environmental Impact Assessment, he wrote. He also noted the planning authority had responsibilities under the Habitats Directive. Mr Sweetman said the development must be assessed for compliance with the Water Framework Directive. Despite his submission, Laois County Council approved the plans. The appeal is expected to be decided by An Bord Pleanala in July this year. Plans to roll-out the Hot School Meals Programme to every Primary School in Ireland were welcomed by Ministers in Laois. Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys has announced the planned phased roll out of the programme which will take a number of years. When I was appointed Minister for Social Protection in June 2020, there were 30 schools receiving Hot Meals. Today there are almost 500 schools benefiting from the hot meals programme, she said. The expansion of the programme to all DEIS primary schools and special schools will mean by the end of this year, 1,000 schools will be receiving hot meals that is real progress, said Minister Humphries. From 2024, we will start the roll-out of Hot Meals to all remaining primary schools. This will be done on a phased basis. The report recommends universal provision by 2030 but my ambition is to move faster, she said. She said expressions of interest will be invited from schools in the coming weeks. My ambition is that a child born in Ireland today will be guaranteed access to a Hot Meal by the time they start school, she added. Minister of State Sean Fleming welcomed the 'landmark' plans for the roll-out of the Hot School Meals Programme to every Primary School in Ireland. I believe providing nutritious meals to our children at school is about more than food. It helps a child make the most of their education and their childhood. It does wonders for our childrens wellbeing, their concentration, and their physical and mental health, he said. School meal rates for providers are to be increased as well effective from 1st January 2023, he added. Minister Pippa Hackett also welcomed the planned roll-out. I am delighted to see the announcement of plans to roll-out the hot school meals programme to every primary school in Ireland by 2030 or sooner. Last February, this Government committed to extending this programme to all DEIS and Special Education Schools for the 2023/2024 school year and now we plan to go one step further by rolling out the programme to all Primary Schools, she said. A recent report has highlighted the hugely positive impact of the current hot school meals programme, not only on childrens educational outcomes but also their physical and mental well-being. The programme also makes a difference to families, both in terms of money and time saved. Todays announcement is a win-win-win for school children, their families and their schools, said Minister Hackett. Laois Offaly Deputy, Charlie Flanagan also welcomed the plans. School Meals have a hugely positive effect on childrens health and wellbeing, which was reaffirmed in a report published yesterday by my colleague, Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys," said Deputy Flanagan. The Vatican has said Pope Francis will be hospitalised for several days for treatment of a pulmonary infection after experiencing difficulty breathing in recent days. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the pontiff, 86, does not have Covid-19, but requires several days of therapy. He said on Wednesday that Francis had been suffering some breathing trouble in recent days and went to the Gemelli University hospital for tests. The tests showed a respiratory infection (Covid-19 infection excluded) that will require some days of medical therapy, Mr Brunis statement said. Earlier, the pope appeared in relatively good form during his regularly scheduled, general audience on Wednesday, though he grimaced strongly while getting into and out of the popemobile. Mr Bruni said Francis, an Argentine Jesuit, was grateful for the prayers and messages wishing him a speedy recovery, including from the Italian bishops conference. President Joe Biden, at the start of an Oval Office meeting with President Alberto Fernandez of Argentina, told reporters he had just learned of Franciss health problems and said he was concerned about his dear friend. The purpose of the medical tests was not immediately clear. Francis had part of one lung removed when he was a young man due to a respiratory infection, and he often speaks in a whisper. He spent 10 days at the Gemelli hospital following the 2021 surgery for an intestinal narrowing, which included the removal of 33 centimetres (13 inches) of his colon. Francis is due to celebrate Palm Sunday this weekend, kicking off the Vaticans Holy Week observances: Holy Thursday; Good Friday; the Easter Vigil; and, finally, Easter Sunday on April 9. He has used a wheelchair for over a year due to strained ligaments in his right knee and a small knee fracture. He has said the injury was healing and been walking more with a cane of late. Francis also has said he resisted having surgery for the knee problems because he did not respond well to general anaesthetic during the 2021 intestinal surgery. He said soon after the surgery that he had recovered fully and could eat normally. But in a January 24 interview with the Associated Press, Francis said his diverticulosis, or bulges in the intestinal wall, had returned. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a telephone conversation with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, the PM's office informs. March 30, 2023, 14:04 Armenia PM holds telephone conversation European Council President STEPANAKERT, MARCH 30, ARTSAKHPRESS: Pashinyan and Michel discussed issues related to the ongoing crisis caused by Azerbaijan's illegal blocking of the Lachin Corridor. They exchanged views on recent developments, Armenia-Azerbaijan negotiation process and the peace agenda. Nikol Pashinyan and Charles Michel emphasized consistent efforts to ensure stability and peace in the region. A Laois secondary school has again won a prestigious award for its work in digital teaching. Portlaoise College has been granted European Digital School status for their outstanding contributions in digital teaching and learning, in a ceremony held in Banagher College on March 29. Supported by global technology giants HP and AMD, along with government and education partners, the Digital Schools Award Europe aims to promote digital teaching and learning and equip pupils with advanced digital skills. To achieve the award, schools must demonstrate a whole school digital strategy, evidence of how digital technology enhances learning, and a commitment to ongoing teacher professional development. The programme has already highlighted innovative and collaborative approaches to integrating digital technology in teaching and learning, inspiring other schools to follow suit. This award is a testament to Portlaoise Colleges commitment to providing students with a cutting-edge education and equipping them with advanced digital skills. Mary Marum is Deputy Principal of Portlaoise College. We are proud to have achieved this award. The programme offers a real opportunity for schools to build on their digital capabilities. It was a pleasure to participate in the European Digital Schools Award Programme. Using the SELFIE Survey tool we were able to identify our school's strengths and areas for further development. It allows us as a school to work collaboratively together to further improve our students' digital competences," Ms Marum said. Pictured are Rachel DAlton, Viktor McNair (Managers at AMD), Portlaoise College Teachers Vincent Carroll and Darren Stones, Deputy Principal Mary Marum and Students Marcel Wierucki and Catherine Graham. Joe Mallon Motors in Naas has been named the National winner of the ZEVI EV Dealership of the Year award at the SEAI Energy Show in the RDS. The Kildare dealership was selected by a panel of experts who assessed each dealership's performance across a range of criteria amid tough and challenging competition. A total of 124 car dealerships from 24 counties participated in this years awards,which is up 6% on last year. Zero Vehicles Emissions Ireland (ZEVI), an office within the Department of Transport, and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) today announced the national winner of the 2023 ZEVI EV Dealership of the Year Award. The award, which is presented annually, recognises outstanding efforts in encouraging electric vehicle (EV) uptake in Ireland. Four regional finalists were previously announced at the Society of the Irish Motor Industry Awards in February for their demonstrated commitment to best-in-class customer experience. From those four regional finalists, Joe Mallon Motors from Naas, County Kildare was named the National Winner of the ZEVI EV Dealership of the Year award at the SEAI Energy Show in the RDS today. Joe Mallon Motors was selected for the award by a panel of experts who assessed each dealership's performance across a range of criteria, including showroom visibility of EVs, salesperson knowledge of EVs, sales approach, EV training, sales trends, and website presentation. Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan said: "This award recognises outstanding achievement in the electric vehicle industry and highlights the importance of investing in sustainable transport. By providing customers with the tools and resources to make informed decisions about purchasing electric vehicles, dealerships are playing a critical role in the transition towards a cleaner, more sustainable transportation system. Congratulations to this year's winner and thank you for your dedication and commitment to promoting sustainable transport. CEO of SEAI, William Walsh said: The electrification of our transport system is key to meeting Irelands ambitious climate action targets, with 30% of our private car fleet expected to move to electric by 2030. Dealerships are key partners in this transition, and we recognise those who have gone above and beyond in encouraging EV ownership among new car buyers. In turn, this is helping to create a second-hand EV market. Increasing the amount of EVs on Irish roads means drivers will pollute less, theyll reduce their motoring costs, and theyll benefit from the very latest technology. Congratulations to all participants this year for playing a very important part in Irelands decarbonisation journey. The award was presented at the second day of The SEAI Energy Show in the RDS in Dublin. For more information on the 2023 ZEVI EV Dealership of the Year Awards, visit www.seai.ie Whitewater Shopping Centre has announced its continued support of Newbridge Musical Theatre, who are returning to the stage for their 40th production this Easter, Disneys The Little Mermaid, running from Monday April 10 to Saturday April 15. Whitewater Shopping Centre has pledged funds to assist Newbridge Musical Theatre to cover the costs of the production, which will be the largest in the organisations 40-year history. In addition, Whitewater Shopping Centre has also donated a voucher as the top prize for Newbridge Musical Theatres Grand Prize Raffle, which will help the group in its efforts to raise further funds. We are delighted to have the opportunity to sponsor Newbridge Musical Theatre again this year, having sponsored their return to the stage for their production of Evita last year. said Ingrid Ryan, Centre Manager of Whitewater Shopping Centre. The group has a stellar reputation for brining top quality stage productions to the local community and supporting local is one of our key values. Whitewater Shopping Centre and Newbridge Musical Theatre share close links, with the musical theatre group holding Singathon events several times per year at the Centre as part of its annual fundraising efforts. Adam Trundle, Public Relations Officer for Newbridge Musical Theatre said, We are deeply grateful to Whitewater Shopping Centre for the continued generosity in supporting this years production of Disneys The Little Mermaid. This is a spectacular stage show, with larger-than-life sets, incredible costumes and innovative lighting effects required to bring the classic animated movie to life. For this reason, we have set aside the largest budget in our history in order to do justice to this terrific piece of theatre. Without this support from Whitewater Shopping Centre, this show would simply not be possible for a local community group like us. More information and tickets for Disneys The Little Mermaid are available at www.newbridgemusicaltheatre.com or by calling 0892051247. UPDATE: An Garda Siochana has said that it is aware of the situation and that local gardai are continuing to make enquiries into the incident. A horse had to euthanised following an incident which occurred in The Curragh yesterday evening, according to an animal rescue group. It said a sulky driver in The Curragh drove over a cattle grid, which resulted in one of the horse's hooves getting stuck between the grids. Information about the incident was shared online by My Lovely Horse Rescue, with the organisation referring to the event as an 'appalling incident.' The group said in a social media post: "This poor horse was attached to a sulky and ran over this cattle grid getting its hoof stuck. "Everyone tried to release him but they couldnt. We organised a vet to go up a.s.a.p." The group added: "We are beyond angry with the so-called owner who just stood there looking on as everyone did their best to save this poor horses life." My Lovely Horse Rescue also said that An Garda Siochana (AGS) has been notified over the incident, and thanked both the on-duty fire service crew in the Curragh Camp and members of the Irish Defence Forces for their help in trying to assist the horse. The Leinster Leader contacted AGS in relation to the incident, but AGS responded by saying that they 'cannot locate' any relevant information. The Department of Defence was also contacted about the incident, and a spokesperson for the Department explained that the camp duty officer in the Defence Forces Training Centre was informed of the incident. They said: "The military police and the on-duty fire service crew in the Curragh Camp were dispatched to the scene to assist and An Garda Siochana were informed. "The military police assisted in diverting traffic in the area away from the incident." The spokesperson also corroborated the fact that the horse had to be euthanised afterwards. CALL FOR BAN ON SULKY DRIVERS Fianna Fail Senator O'Loughlin has also voiced her displeasure over the situation. Speaking in the Seanad today, she said: "For too long now we have let sulky drivers use our public roads with no regard for the safety of themselves, other road users, or their horses. "Its time we moved to ban sulkies on public roads. "There appears to be a complete disregard for the safety of the horses these people drive on sulkies. Senator Fiona O'Loughlin. File Pic. "This is highlighted by a horrendous incident in Kildare this week but is happening all over the country where we see sulky races at all hours of the morning endangering human life and the horses' lives." Senator OLoughlin also claimed that while those involved with horse racing are under 'huge scrutiny' in terms of horse welfare, those operating sulkies 'seem to get off scot-free.' She added: "When you consider that very close to where this incident happened, there are many that are involved in the horse racing industry, and they quite rightly are under a lot of scrutiny in relation to horse welfare. "However, to my mind it appears the real horse welfare issue in the country lies with those operating sulkies and keeping horses in urban settings." Photograph of the incident provided by My Lovely Horse Rescue. A portrait of former Chief Justice of Ireland Susan Denham, taken by Naas-based photographer Tony G Murray is part of a new stamp collection. An Post has unveiled a new stamp collection marking International Womens Day The honourable Ms Denham was also a Supreme Court judge. Some years ago Mr Murray was commissioned to undertake a photoshoot at the Carlow Courthouse. In attendance was the then Chief Justice , who was the first woman to hold this position, serving from 2011 to 2017. I asked if I could capture a portrait of her in front of the concrete pillars outside the building (and) pillars of justice came to mind. He added: Many years later, in November 2022, I received a call from Paul Griffin, stamp design and production manager for An Post, asking for permission to use one of my images on a stamp. It would be one in an edition of four stamps that celebrate women who have made an indelible mark on Irish public life over the last 140 years. Paul and his team had been looking for a portrait of the Chief Justice and when they found Tony's portrait on Google, everyone agreed that it was their favourite. It then had to be approved through the ranks of Government and by Ms Denham herself. On Christmas week I received the great news that it would be used for the stamp collection. Other newly launched stamps feature portraits of former President Mary Robinson, Jennie Wyse Power (1858-1941) and Thekla Beere (19011991). Mr Murray attended the unveiling event Women in Public Life at the GPO recently and met with Susan Denham again. The collection can be ordered on An Post's website. Read more Kildare news A man who allegedly stole 5,000 from an unlocked vehicle appeared at Naas District Court. William Cawley, 23, whose address was given as Ardcath Road, Garristown, Dublin, was prosecuted for taking the money at Circle K northbound, Kill on June 18, 2020. Sgt Dave Hanrahan told the court that the money was not recovered. He also said that no violence was used during the incident. Sgt Hanrahan said that the money was withdrawn from a bank and the injured party then drove to the Circle K service station. He said it would be alleged that the defendant took the money from the vehicle. Solicitor David Gibbons said the defendant had indicated that he wanted to be tried in the circuit court. Judge Desmond Zaidan granted free legal aid after hearing that the defendant is not working and is receiving social welfare, at a previous sitting. He remanded the defendant on continuing bail until May 24. Read more Kildare news The principal of Leckaun National School in North Leitrim was a pupil in third class when the school originally applied for additional accommodation in 1993. Last August she was told the application was at the final stage of assessment, thats 30 years later, Sligo Leitrim TD Marian Harkin told Junior Education Minister Thomas Byrne in Leinster House. The Deputy was participating in a Dail debate on a Labour Party motion calling for action on delays in the School Building Programme. She reminded Minister Byrne that she has written to Minister Norma Foley and the Department about a number of schools with accommodation needs in her constituency but wanted to mention the needs of two in particular; Leckaun NS and Scoil Mhuire in Carrick-on-Shannon. Ms Harkin explained that Leckaun NS has four teachers with two classrooms. Each classroom is about 30 sq metres in size catering for 25 pupils, allowing about a metre square per pupil. The special education teacher is teaching in the corridor and for 10 hours a week the school office is used for teaching English to Ukrainian students, leaving no space for a principal or a school secretary. Minister it is a great school in a vibrant community, but pupils and teachers are packed like sardines. There are real health and safety issues that have to be addressed with additional accommodation. I would ask please that you would give it your best attention, she said. Scoil Mhuire, Carrick-on-Shannon Ms Harkin then drew the Ministers attention to the situation at Scoil Mhuire in Carrick-on-Shannon. In 2013 two schools amalgamated and since then the number of pupils has doubled and the schools are struggling to cope across two campuses. A technical report from your own Department has painted a damning picture of conditions at the school's undersized classrooms. Major defects include poor ventilation, water ingress under the floor, cracks on the walls, storage spaces and corridors are converted into special education rooms. The school is on two campuses and both campuses are too small for a new school to be built. Is Scoil Mhuire one of the 58 delayed school building projects? the Deputy asked, I don't know and nobody seems to know what's happening. It's causing huge concern in the schools and the school communities. Parents, teachers, boards of management, pupils, the Local Authority, literally everybody in Carrick-on-Shannon is saying a new primary school is an absolute necessity and must be delivered, Ms Harkin concluded. A Mohill secondary school student has joined pupils from across Ireland at a special showcase event for young science innovators, that was hosted at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin, last week. Sara OBeirne from Mohill Community College was amongst the students selected from the entrants at this years BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition to exhibit her project at a special Science for Development showcase that was organised by Development organisation Self Help Africa. The Irish charity organise the Science for Development Award at the BT Young Scientist event each year, to encourage science students to devise projects that look at challenges and issues that affect people living in the Developing World. The award-winners at the BT event receive a bursary, sponsored by Irish Aid, to travel with Self Help Africa on an annual schools study visit to a country where it is working. Last weeks student showcase assembled more than a dozen projects that the events organisers believed could make a valuable contribution within a global development setting. Each year we try to celebrate not just the winner of the annual Science for Development Award, but also an array of innovative student projects that could have such an application, and are worthy of recognition explained Self Help Africas event organiser, Dorothy Jacob. Sara OBeirnes project a wind turbine designed to provide a clean and cost effective source or energy was one such project. Minister of State for Overseas Development Aid and Diaspora Sean Fleming, who opened the event, said that it provided young people with a fantastic opportunity to develop an idea and turn it into something practical. Its a case of doing something local that has a global impact, he said, adding that he would encourage students and teachers across the country to think about some of these challenges and issues when they were developing their entries to the BT Young Scientist Exhibition in the future. Self Help Africas acting CEO, David Dalton, praised all of the exhibitors at the showcase, and said that the event highlighted both the great work of the students involved, but also demonstrated the huge contribution that young people could play, now and in the future, to support people in poorer regions of the world. In our work we see ourselves as being a bridge between scientific knowledge and rural families who are looking to increase productivity and profitability of our farm work, he said. This event too shows how scientific knowledge is important to helping the poorest and the most marginalised around the world. Self Help Africas annual Science for Development Award is part of a national programme of Global Citizenship Education activities that the charity run in Ireland. To find out more about their education programme visit: www.selfhelpafrica.org or e-mail schools@selfhelpafrica.org EverCharge Unveils Its Endurance Program as Part of an Ongoing Commitment to Customer Satisfaction and Sustainability EverCharge, a leading provider of large-scale electric vehicle (EV) charging devices and management systems, today formally announced its ten-year Endurance Program. As part of EverCharge's commitment to sustainability, the program guarantees access to the necessary components to maintain EverCharge's commercial Level 2 (L2) charging stations for 10 years. EverCharge designs and manufactures its own hardware to provide an unparalleled level of quality and supply chain control, and is proud to be one of the few companies to manufacture its charging products in North America at its factory in Hayward, CA. The vertical integration is the basis of the Endurance Program, allowing EverCharge to maintain a strict level of inventory control to ensure the parts needed to maintain and service an EverCharge unit will always be available. The Endurance Program will allow EverCharge's customers to have the replacement parts of their commercial L2 stations shipped directly to the site to be serviced in the field. Or, the customer will have the option to send the unit back to EverCharge for servicing in-house. Replaceable parts of the units include cables, electrical components, and the enclosure. The enclosure is made mostly from aluminum, adding to the sustainable life cycle of the product. "For the past decade, we have been listening and learning from our customers to ensure we offer the highest quality product possible. A common misconception we were hearing was that when a component of a charging station fails, the whole unit needs to be replaced. This is not the case for EverCharge ? we are a sustainability-focused company driving the future of clean energy forward, and our products are a direct reflection of that commitment," said Kyle Lyons, COO of EverCharge. "The Endurance Program exemplifies the longevity and design of EverCharge's premium products, and we're proud to continue playing an increasingly important role in our partners' sustainability initiatives." EverCharge's EV02 product, providing commercial L2 charging for fleets and multi-family properties, is designed for streamlined servicing and maintenance. The Endurance Program is separate from EverCharge's standard warranty program, and standard pricing for parts and labor apply. About EverCharge EverCharge provides hardware and software EV charging solutions for fleets, multi-unit, and single-family homes. The company's turnkey offerings are designed to utilize existing infrastructure to scale EV charging at the lowest cost. EverCharge's SmartPower technology maximizes the number of EVs that can charge at once and eliminates barriers, such as data connectivity. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Palo Alto, EverCharge supports hundreds-of-thousands of users with EV charging stations across the United States and Canada. In 2022, EverCharge was acquired by SK Group, South Korea's second-largest conglomerate, as part of their multi-billion dollar investment in U.S. energy solutions and sustainable technologies. For more information, please visit EverCharge.com. 29 march 2023 at 09:15 News published onand distributed by: California State Assemblymember Chris Holden has introduced a measure in the assembly condemning Azerbaijans blockade of the Lachin Corridor and urging the United States government to take immediate action and provide humanitarian support to the Armenians of Artsakh, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) reported. March 30, 2023, 14:58 California State Assembly Member Holden introduces measure condemning Azerbaijans blockade of Lachin Corridor STEPANAKERT, MARCH 30, ARTSAKHPRESS: Following successful committee passage on Tuesday, the California State Assembly will vote on the ANCA-backed measure AJR 1 - on Thursday, March 30th. AJR 1 condemns Azerbaijans blockade of the Lachin Corridor and urges the United States government to take immediate action and provide humanitarian assistance to the Armenians of Artsakh, Holden said in the California State Assembly. Azerbaijan has maintained a total blockade of the only road between Armenia and the ethnic Armenian Nagorno Karabakh region, which is home to over a 120,000 ethnic Armenians, since December 12, 2022. The blockade completely severs Artsakhs only humanitarian lifeline to Armenia, prohibiting the transfer of food, fuel, medicine and other vital humanitarian supplies to the region. It has been more than a hundred days since this blockade has begun. Assembly member Holden added that the US State of California is home to a large Diaspora of Armenian-Americans, whose families and friends are being impacted by the continued blockade. On Grid String Inverter Market Projected to Reach $3.7 Billion, Globally, By 2031 at 6.9% CAGR: Allied Market Research Increase in demand for renewable energy with rise in price of fossil fuels, growing popularity of distributed energy systems, and ease of installation drive the growth of the global on grid string inverter market. PORTLAND, Ore., March 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "On Grid String Inverter Market By Phase (Single Phase, and Three Phase), and End-Use Industry (Industrial, Commercial, Residential, and Utilities): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031". According to the report, the global on grid string inverter industry generated $1.9 billion in 2021, and is estimated to reach $3.7 billion by 2031, witnessing a CAGR of 6.9% from 2022 to 2031. The report offers a detailed analysis of changing market trends, top segments, key investment pockets, value chains, regional landscapes, and competitive scenarios. Request PDF Brochure: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/74891 Drivers, Restraints, and Opportunities Increase in demand for renewable energy with rise in price of fossil fuels, growing popularity of distributed energy systems, and ease of installation drive the growth of the global on grid string inverter market. Additionally, government services and investments to use solar energy to electrify rural and remote areas and increase in use of string inverters for utility-scale solar plants are expected to create lucrative opportunities in the on grid string inverter industry. The growth of the on-grid string inverter market is, however, constrained by competition from other renewable energy sources. Report Coverage and Details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2022?2031 Base Year 2021 Market Size in 2021 $1.9 billion Market Size in 2031 $3.7 billion CAGR 6.9 % No. of Pages in Report 300 Segments Covered Phase, End-User Industry, and Region Drivers Increase in demand for renewable energy with rise in price of fossil fuels Growth in popularity of distributed energy systems, and ease of installation Opportunities Government initiatives and investment on electrification of remote & rural area using solar energy Increase in use of string inverters for utility-scale solar plants Restraints Competition from other renewable energy sources COVID-19 Scenario: The COVID-19 pandemic had a mixed impact on the global on grid string inverter growth, as the pandemic brought both opportunities and challenges. The increased demand for solar panel installations opened up new opportunities for growth and expansion in the industry, while supply chain disruptions caused delays and other problems for some manufacturers. However, the rise in demand for on grid string inverters and the expansion of the renewable energy industry has helped the market recover in the post-pandemic. The Three-phase segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period By phase, the three phase segment held the major share in 2021, garnering around three-fifths of the global on grid string inverter market revenue and is projected to retain its dominance by 2031. The same segment would also cite the fastest CAGR of 6.97% during the forecast period. Technological advancements, rising utility and commercial solar power system demand, rising demand for renewable energy sources, government plans and initiatives, and emerging markets drive the growth of segment. The three-phase on-grid string inverter market has a lot more potential to grow due to the rising energy demand in emerging markets, particularly in Asia and Africa. The Utilities segment to rule the roost By end-use industry, the utilities segment contributed to the highest share in 2021, accounting for nearly one-third of the global on grid string inverter market revenue and is estimated to retain its dominance by 2031. The same segment would also showcase the fastest CAGR of 7.36% throughout the forecast period. The growth is attributed to the increased investment in solar parks, utility-scale solar power plants, and other solar generation facilities. Also, the market for on-grid string inverters will grow in the coming years due to an increase in construction projects like decentralized solar power plants, rural electrification initiatives, solar power plants on water bodies and rooftops, commercial buildings, and others. In addition, rising investments being made for development of new technologies that will provide cost-effective power generation is driving the growth of the segment. Asia-Pacific garnered the major share in 2021 By region, Asia-Pacific garnered the highest share in 2021, holding more than half of the global on grid string inverter market revenue in 2021, and is projected to retain its dominance by 2031. The same region would also portray the fastest CAGR of 7.21% during the forecast period. The rapid expansion of the solar energy industries in the developing economies of China, Japan, India, and Australia are primarily responsible for the growth of the Asia-Pacific region, owing to the large number of key players and availability of the manufacturing facilities in these countries. The rise in urbanization and industrialization in nations like China, India, and others is also boosting the demand for electricity, which have propelled the on-grid string inverter market growth. Want to Access the Statistical Data & Graphs, and Key Players' Strategies: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/74891 Leading Market Players KACO new energy Ginlong Technologies Delta Electronics, Inc. ABB Schneider Electric Chint Group Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd. Fronius International GmbH SMA Solar Technology ag SolarEdge Technologies The report analyzes these key players in the global on grid string inverter market. These players have adopted various strategies such as expansion, new product launches, partnerships, and others to increase their market penetration and strengthen their position in the industry. The report is helpful in determining the business performance, operating segments, developments, and product portfolios of every market player. Key Benefits For Stakeholders: This report provides a quantitative analysis of the market segments, current trends, estimations, and dynamics of the on grid string inverter market analysis from 2021 to 2031 to identify the prevailing on grid string inverter market opportunities. The market research is offered along with information related to key drivers, restraints, and opportunities. Porter's five forces analysis highlights the potency of buyers and suppliers to enable stakeholders make profit-oriented business decisions and strengthen their supplier-buyer network. In-depth analysis of the on grid string inverter market segmentation assists to determine the prevailing market opportunities. Major countries in each region are mapped according to their revenue contribution to the global market. Market player positioning facilitates benchmarking and provides a clear understanding of the present position of the market players. The report includes the analysis of the regional as well as global on grid string inverter market trends, key players, market segments, application areas, and market growth strategies. On Grid String Inverter Market Key Segments: By Phase: Single Phase Three Phase By End-Use Industry: Industrial Commercial Residential Utilities By Region: North America (U.S., Canada , and Mexico ) (U.S., , and ) Europe (U.K., Germany , France , Italy , Spain , Russia , Netherlands , Belgium , Poland , and Rest of Europe ) (U.K., , , , , , , , , and Rest of ) Asia-Pacific ( China , Japan , India , South Korea , Australia , Malaysia , Thailand , Philippines , Indonesia , and Rest of Asia-Pacific ) ( , , , , , , , , , and Rest of ) LAMEA ( Latin America , Middle East and Africa ) Procure Complete Report (300 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures) @ https://bit.ly/42RXEYA Trending Reports in Semiconductor and Electronics Industry (Book Now with 10% Discount + COVID-19 Scenario): Micro Inverter Market By Type (Single Phase, and Three Phase), Connection (Stand Alone, and Grid Connected), and End User (Residential, and Commercial): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2030 Power MOSFET Market By Type (Depletion Mode Power MOSFET and Enhancement Mode Power MOSFET), Power Rate (High Power, Medium Power, and Low Power), and Application (Energy & Power, Consumer Electronics, Automotive, Inverter & UPS, Industrial, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2027 Power Bank Market By Battery Type (Lithium Ion and Lithium Polymer), Power Rating (Up to 3000 mAh, 3,001 - 8,000 mAh, 8,001 - 20,000 mAh, and Above 20,000 mAh), Distribution Channel (Online and Offline), and Price Range (Low, Mid-Range, and Premium Range): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2027 AC-DC Power Supply Adapter Market By Type (AC-DC Wall Power Adapter, AC-DC External Plug-in Power Adapter), Application (Home Appliances, Computer and Laptops, Mobile Phones and Wearable, Electronics, Automotive, and Others), Industry Vertical (Consumer Electronics, Telecommunications, Food and Beverages, Medical and Healthcare, Military and Aerospace, and Industrial): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031 RF Semiconductor Market By Product Type (RF Power Amplifier, RF Filters, RF Switches, RF Duplexers, and Others), Application (Telecommunication, Consumer Electronics, Automotive, Aerospace and Defence, Healthcare, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031 About Us: Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States USA/Canada (Toll Free): +1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1(855)550-5975 [email protected] Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE Allied Market Research 29 march 2023 at 10:30 News published onand distributed by: Fast Finance Pay Corp ('FFPP') Announces Launch of Own Crypto Wallet to Its 2.3 MM Email Users and Other Corporate Guidance to Shareholders BERLIN, GERMANY / ACCESSWIRE / March 29, 2023 / Fast Finance Pay Corp (FFPP') the German FinTech and payments group today announces it has signed and funded an agreement with Gibraltar software developer FortKnoxster Ltd to acquire on behalf of FFPP's wholly owned subsidiary OK.de Services a portfolio of crypto services including access to over 40 blockchains of more than 100,000 digital assets including Bitcoin, Ethereum which will be made available to the 2.3MM users of Fast Finance Pay Corp wholly owned subsidiary OK.de Services. The following are some of the key aspects of this new business: Extension of the OK. secure messenger service by adding a crypto wallet to allow users to send and receive cryptocurrencies directly using the encrypted chat function. Providing users with access to 40 blockchains with more than 100,000 tradable assets Monetization of OK.de 2.3 million registered secure email users through advertising revenue as well as an advertisement free premium version of the application. Projected strong growth of the company's social network. The OK. secure wallet will offer trading, storage, and exchange of digital assets to holders in the EU with an anticipated launch date in the second quarter of 2023. The Ok.de secure email has been recently ranked the second-best secure email provider in Germany by deutschlandtest' who praised the companies' offerings along with its secure and modern messaging service and military grade encryption. The Ok.de app is available for Android, IOS and as a desk top version. All OK.de applications provide a highly reliable and fully data protection compliant end to end encryption based on block chain technology. The zero-knowledge architecture ensures that no usable data is loaded onto the operator's server. Armin Dartsch, Secretary of Fast Finance Pay Corp commented that "What happens in OK.secure stays in OK.secure!". In other matters the Board of Directors of FFPP have entered into a non-disclosure agreement with a Belgian financial institution to explore the possibility of a joint venture to finally enable FFPP to roll out its electronic payment card for use throughout the European Union. The launch of FFPP's payment card has been delayed by problems at FFPP's partner Rails Bank which were fully disclosed in the year end financial reports filed with OTC Markets. Whilst the management is not severing its relationship with Rails Bank it feels that exploring other avenues make economic sense whilst Rails Bank goes through a restructuring of its embedded finance business. The Board of FFPP also announce the departure of their investment banker Keith Bayley Rogers & Co Limited due to the death of Graham Abhill-Beck head of KBR's investment banking and fluent German speaker. The Board wish to express their condolences and thank Keith Bayley Rogers & Co Limited management for all the help and assistance the firm has provided over the last two years. Commenting on matters Armin Dartsch, the corporations secretary stated that "Given the difficult trading environment both he and the board were extremely satisfied with the company's progress to date". A fuller discussion of the year end results can be found at www.ff24pay-corp.com under the corporate news section. About Fast Finance Pay Corp Is a gateway provider and nascent FinTech, Fast Finance Pay Corp offers a flexible payment platform to assist e-merchants with their online ventures. It allows e-merchants to process all popular payment methods with just one partner instead of installing a multitude of "payment plugins". Legal Disclaimer This news 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 and Exchange Act of 1934 (as amended). Those statements include the intent, belief or current expectations of the Company and its management team. Forward-looking statements are projections of events, revenues, income, future economics, research, development, reformulation, product performance or management's plans and objectives for future operations. Some or all the events or results anticipated by these forward-looking statements may not occur. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Accomplishing the strategy described herein is significantly dependent upon numerous factors, many that are not in management's control. This announcement has been issued after due and careful enquiry, and the Directors of Fast Finance Pay Corp take responsibility for it. Enquiries: Fast Finance Pay Corp Armin Dartsch, Director and Company Secretary; cell: +49 (0) 1621 66 23 26; [email protected] SOURCE: Fast Finance Pay Corp. 29 march 2023 at 11:25 View source version on accesswire.com:News published onand distributed by: AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of CVS Health Corporation's Aetna Inc. Subsidiaries AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICR) of "a" (Excellent) of Aetna Life Insurance Company (ALIC) (Hartford, CT) and the other members of Aetna Health & Life Group, which are operating entities of Aetna Inc. (Aetna) and wholly owned subsidiaries of CVS Health Corporation (CVS Health) [NYSE: CVS]. The outlook of the FSR is stable, while the outlook of the Long-Term ICR is positive. (Please see below for a detailed listing of the companies.) Concurrently, AM Best has affirmed the FSR of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term ICRs of "a" (Excellent) of Texas Health + Aetna Health Insurance Company, as well as Texas Health + Aetna Health Plan Inc. Both companies are domiciled in Arlington, TX, and collectively referred to as Texas Health Aetna. In addition, AM Best has affirmed the FSR of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term ICR of "a" (Excellent) of Allina Health and Aetna Insurance Company (St. Louis Park, MN). Texas Health Aetna and Allina Health and Aetna Insurance Company are joint ventures with subsidiaries of Aetna Inc. The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. The ratings of Aetna Health & Life Group reflect its balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its strong operating performance, favorable business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM). The positive outlook on the Long-Term ICR for Aetna Health & Life Group reflects the strengthening of its risk-adjusted capitalization, which remains at the strongest level, as measured by Best Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR). Capital expansion in recent years has been supported by strong earnings and lower dividends paid to the parent. The growth of its absolute level of capital and surplus exceeded premium growth, a trend that has been continuing over the last few years. Additionally, the share of high-risk investments ?commercial mortgage loans and BA assets ?continued to decrease further contributing to improved risk-adjusted capitalization. The balance sheet strength is supported by good overall liquidity measures, which is further enhanced by the access to the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston, borrowing at the largest insurance company within the Aetna Health & Life Group, Aetna Life Insurance Company. Furthermore, the quality of capital is good as the group does not have any debt. Premium development over the last three years has been driven by the expansion of Aetna's government business in Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicaid, which composed three quarters of total membership through year-end 2022. Medicaid's double-digit growth over the last two years is attributed to the relaxation of eligibility checks, known as redeterminations, which have been suspended until April 2023. Medicaid enrollment is expected to moderate during 2023 and into early 2024. However, with Aetna's expansion in the individual public health exchanges during 2022, the contraction in Medicaid might be offset partially by growth in the individual segment. Premium growth has impacted operating earnings trends favorably over the last three years. While claims experience has fluctuated, resulting in improved loss ratios in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 before increasing in 2021 due to higher-than-expected COVID-19-related medical costs, overall profitability metrics have improved. Despite the recent volatility, which was largely attributable to COVID-19, the Aetna Health & Life Group has reported underwriting and net income of $2 billion in each of the last five years, with one-year return on equity (ROE) exceeding 20% and one-year operating return on revenue (ROR) in the 5-7% range. Aetna remains one of the leading players in the managed care markets throughout the United States. While Aetna's government segments have experienced significant membership growth, the company remains competitive in its other segments. The relationship with CVS Health adds a competitive advantage, as some Aetna insurance products emphasize affiliated MinuteClinic as a low-cost provider of primary care services. The ratings of Aetna Health & Life Group reflect the ultimate parent, CVS Health, and an expectation of elevated leverage due to the recently announced acquisitions. The financial leverage at CVS Health has declined to 41% at year-end 2022 as part of the organization's deleveraging efforts. However, financial leverage is expected to increase during 2023 as CVS Health is expected to finance a portion of two recently announced acquisitions, Signify Health and Oak Street Health, which are both expected to close this year. Goodwill to shareholders equity exceeded 100% at year-end 2022, which is likely to increase upon the close of Signify Health and Oak Street Health. While AM Best recognizes that these acquisitions are part of the organization's health care services strategy, as with any transaction there is execution risk. The ratings of Texas Health Aetna reflect its balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile, appropriate ERM and support of its parents. During 2022, the joint venture's risk-adjusted capitalization improved, supported by net income of approximately $10 million. Marking the first year of profits, net income was supported by underwriting gains and lower amortization of intangibles. The ratings of Allina Health and Aetna Insurance Company reflect its balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as adequate, as well as its marginal operating performance, limited business profile, appropriate ERM and support of its parents. The joint venture's net results continue to be negative as the amortization of intangibles exceeded underwriting income. However, underwriting results in 2022 were positive for the first time since inception, primarily driven by growth in its Medicare segment. The FSR of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term ICRs of "a" (Excellent) have been affirmed, with a stable outlook for the FSR and a positive outlook for the Long-Term ICR, for the following members of Aetna Health & Life Group: Aetna Life Insurance Company Aetna Health and Life Insurance Company Aetna Life & Casualty (Bermuda) Ltd. Aetna Health Inc. (a Connecticut corporation) Aetna Health Inc. (a Florida corporation) Aetna Health Inc. (a Georgia corporation) Aetna Health Inc. (a New Jersey corporation) Aetna Health Inc. (a New York corporation) Aetna Health Inc. (a Maine Corporation) Aetna Health Inc. (a Pennsylvania corporation) Aetna Health Inc. (a Texas corporation) Aetna Health Inc. (LA) Aetna Health Insurance Company Aetna Health Insurance Company of New York Aetna Better Health of Florida, Inc. Aetna Health of California Inc. Aetna Health of Iowa Inc. Aetna Health of Utah Inc. Aetna Dental of California Inc. Aetna Dental Inc. (a New Jersey corporation) Aetna Dental Inc. (a Texas corporation) American Continental Insurance Company Accendo Insurance Company Continental Life Insurance Company of Brentwood, Tennessee Coventry Health and Life Insurance Company Aetna Better Health of Michigan, Inc. Aetna Better Health of Missouri LLC Coventry Health Care of Illinois, Inc. Coventry Health Care of Kansas, Inc. Coventry Health Care of Missouri, Inc. Coventry Health Care of Nebraska, Inc. Coventry Health Care of Virginia, Inc. Coventry Health Care of West Virginia, Inc. First Health Life & Health Insurance Company HealthAssurance Pennsylvania, Inc. SilverScript Insurance Company This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best's website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best's Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best's Credit Ratings, Best's Performance Assessments, Best's Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best's Ratings & Assessments. AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com. Copyright 2023 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 29 march 2023 at 12:40 News published onand distributed by: Demon Rum Introduces New Sustainable Bottle and Moves Production Operation to Las Vegas LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / March 29, 2023 / DEMON SPIRITS LLC, maker of Sinfully Smooth DEMON Spiced and DEMON TropiCoco Rum, is teaming up with Kinsbrae Packaging and 17A Distillery in Las Vegas to deliver the Demon Rum Eco Bottle, made from ninety-four percent recycled paperboard. Just in time for Earth Day, Demon Rum is the first spirit brand in North America to fully produce, bottle and distribute in this new paperboard bottle. Additionally, the Demon Rum Eco Bottle uses eighty-four percent less water, six times less carbon and is five times lighter than a glass bottle of the same size. For Demon Rum (or the Company), the partnership with 17A Distillery, the first legal distillery in the history of Las Vegas, and Owner Brendan Gaughan, allows the Company to produce and bottle in the southwestern United States. This alliance, along with the much lighter Eco Bottle, dramatically reduces the Company's overall shipping cost and carbon footprint. As an all-natural brand, these relationships are the next important step toward reducing the Company's environmental footprint, and establishes the foundation for future sustainability efforts. To further the Company's sustainable initiatives, an additional relationship with Ecodrive - verified tree planting for climate action, has been formed. With each bottle of Demon Rum sold, a mangrove tree will be planted and blockchain verified by Ecodrive. "Reducing waste and the overall carbon footprint through packaging is a challenge we need to address. We believe alternative solutions, like those including tree planting, help move the industry forward," said Demon Spirits Co-Founder and CEO Jeff Warren. "We are committed to sustainable packaging for all future products under the Demon Rum brand." The process of moving the Demon Rum production and bottling operation to Las Vegas, NV with sustainable packaging will be complete by the end of first quarter 2023. The new Eco Bottle will be sold in stores by Earth Day 2023 and joins the distinctive glass bottle, as both are sold in 750ml, six-bottle cases. "The Eco Bottle launch is timed with Earth Day and our team is proud to be the first spirit brand produced and marketed with this sustainable bottle in North America," said Wayne Karls, Demon Spirits Co-Founder and CMO. "We look forward to working with all On and Off Premise sales channels as we bring it to market." Demon Rum is Distributed by Atlantis Beverage in Nevada, 88 Spirits in California and General Beverage/Saratoga in their home state of Wisconsin. For more information, and high resolution photo assets of the Demon Rum sustainable Eco Bottle, please visit https://drinkdemonrum.com/media/. About Demon Spirits, LLC Demon Spiced Rum launched January 2016 in Hudson Wisconsin as a small batch innovation brand. Both Demon Spiced Rum and TropiCoco Silver Rum begin with real Caribbean rum crafted from pure sugar cane molasses, then blended with all natural flavorings, assuring consistent quality and flavor in every bottle. Demon Rum is all natural, 80 proof and gluten free. Demon Spirits is moving production to Las Vegas to support growing awareness and sales there. All Demon Rum brands are distributed in Las Vegas and surrounding areas by Atlantis Beverage, and is also distributed in Wisconsin (General Beverage Distributors), and California (88 Spirits Distribution), along with growth into Arizona (planned for Q2 distribution of 2023). Demon Spirits plans to grow the Demon Rum brand nationally over the next five years. In addition to key markets, Demon Rum can be purchased online and shipped to 33 states through their online shop: https://shop.drinkdemonrum.com/. The Demon Rum Eco Bottle Manufactured in North America by Kinsbrae Packaging, the Demon Rum Eco Bottle is the first commercially available spirit brand, produced and distributed in North America using this technology. Each Eco Bottle is made from 94% recycled paperboard and includes a food-grade flavor sealed liner inside. These bottles are five times lighter than glass, have six times lower carbon footprint, and provides 360 degrees of branding space. This innovative packaging technology provides Demon Rum with a disruptive and revolutionary alternative to glass. About Kinsbrae Packaging Kinsbrae is a Canadian company founded in 2014, and located in Cambridge, Ontario. As a full-service provider of innovative packaging solutions, they offer high-performance, sustainable, and custom packaging for an array of industries, including food, beverage, retail and nutraceuticals. Kinsbrae also offer a variety of in-house services, such as design, warehousing, logistics and fulfillment, co-packing, labelling and sleeving. For more information about Kinsbrae and its services, please visit www.kinsbraegroup.com. About Ecodrive Ecodrive is a sustainability platform that helps brands add verified tree planting into their business model. Their goal is to provide transparency from the project to the end consumer around the positive impact they make by purchasing from businesses committed to helping the planet. Ecodrive works with over 300 brands across all product categories and is committed to helping increase the adoption of sustainable practices. Media Contact: Chris Angelo [email protected] SOURCE: Demon Spirits, LLC 29 march 2023 at 14:00 View source version on accesswire.com:News published onand distributed by: RecNation enters the "Volunteer State" with its first RV & Boat storage facility in Nashville, Tennessee RecNation Storage ("RecNation" or the "Company"), a leading owner, operator and developer of specialized recreational vehicles and marine storage facilities, today announced that it has acquired its first premier recreational storage facility in "The Music City" Nashville, Tennessee. RecNation is the first institutional grade specialized storage company created to serve the growing need for recreational vehicle storage. The Company is focused on designing, building and operating premium recreational and marine storage facilities, as well as developing full-service recreational hubs across the country in an effort to cultivate a national community of outdoor enthusiasts. As a leading, best-in-class storage operator in the U.S., the Company has quickly expanded its footprint to serve a growing base of customers looking for safe, secure storage for their beloved toys. The new facility is RecNation's 44th location in the U.S. and first facility in Nashville, Tennessee which is one of the fastest growing regions in the country. The city, which is known as "Music City" is quickly becoming one of the top residential locations and sought-after travel destinations for families of all ages. People come from all over the world to visit Nashville to experience all of the world famous bars and music venues. Over the past two decades the city has seen a tremendous influx of migration from people all around the country moving to the area because of the appealing quality of life the area has to offer. The world famous Grand Ole Opry, Ryman Auditorium and Country Music Hall of Fame and dozens of other famous bars and music venues are located in Nashville. In addition to all the music venues located in the city, outside the city there are beautiful outdoor attractions including the Great Smoky Mountains, Priest Lake and Cumberland River which draws millions of visitors each year. With these attractions comes significant opportunity to provide modernized, safe and professional storage services for locals and visitors across the region looking for a place to store their marine and recreational vehicles. "We are really excited to complete our first acquisition in "Music City" furthering our plans to expand across all of the SunBelt states which are benefiting from a tremendous migration from people all across the country which are attracted to the great quality of life Nashville has to offer. Over the next few quarters, we are planning to expand to half a dozen additional locations in the state," said Gary Wojtaszek, Founder and Chief Camper of RecNation. "Nashville has so much to offer for adventure seekers, and we look forward to bringing exceptional storage capabilities and services to Nashville that lets customers find peace of mind when storing their toys and allows them to focus on the fun. We expect our new RecRental RV rental program will be well received given how many great local parks and outdoor activities are available for the casual camper which is a win win for our customers and other outdoor enthusiasts." The new facility will offer storage units with all of the premier amenities and services that RecNation customers across the country have come to expect ? including well-lit driveways, 24-hour accessibility, electrical outlets, dump facilities and 24/7 video surveillance. As part of this acquisition, RecNation also acquired three other facilities in Tuscon Arizona, Houston, Texas and Galveston, Texas adding to the Company's growing portfolio. This acquisition builds upon RecNation's expansion over the past year, and the Company now has facilities located in over 50% of the country's largest and fastest growing cities. Over the next year RecNation plans to expand to 50 additional locations across the SunBelt states as it expands its nationwide platform. About RecNation RecNation acquires, builds and manages specialized RV and Boat storage facilities across the United States. The company was founded to meet the burgeoning storage requirements of the owners of recreational and marine vehicles. As the first institutional grade, specialized storage company created to serve the growing storage needs for both recreational and marine vehicles, RecNation has solidified its position as the leading recreational storage operator in the nation. Since its inception in 2020, the Company has significantly expanded its footprint across Texas, Florida, Arizona, Kansas and Tennessee to serve a growing community of outdoor and recreational enthusiasts seeking a secure facility to secure their vehicles. The company also recently launched the RecRental RV rental program which allows outside customers rent RV's from RecNation's customers who want to be able to generate some extra income from their vehicle investments. In December of 2021, RecNation partnered with Centerbridge Partners, L.P. a private investment management firm and WOJO Capital Partners LLC to accelerate its expansion into a national platform dedicated to serving recreational and marine storage enthusiasts across the nation. To learn more and find a storage location near you, visit: https://www.recnationstorage.com/boat-rv-storage-locations/tennessee/. 29 march 2023 at 15:25 News published onand distributed by: Granite Construction Furthers Richardson Highway Rehabilitation Project in Alaska Granite (NYSE:GVA) has been awarded an approximately $20 million contract by the Alaska Department of Transportation (ADOT) to rehabilitate a 10-mile section of Richardson Highway north of Glennallen, AK. The project will be funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and will be included in Granite's 2023 first-quarter CAP. Under the project, Granite will restore Richardson Hwy from milepost 128 to 138, including realignment at MP 134, drainage improvements, intersection improvements, and the installation of a guardrail along the 10-mile stretch of the highway. This project is complementary to an existing Granite project on the Richardson Highway from milepost 40 to 51, allowing Granite to use the portable plant already operating in the area to produce 30,000 tons of hot mix asphalt (HMA) to complete this project. "We are thrilled to expand and enhance our relationship with the Northern Region of Alaska DOT by undertaking another project on the Richardson Hwy," said Granite VP of Regional Operations, Derek Betts. "This provides a full season of work for our crews on this highway corridor in 2023. We are eager to make the most of our resources while delivering a high-quality product to the DOT and the surrounding communities." The project will begin in May 2023 and is expected to be completed by December 2023. About Granite Granite is America's Infrastructure Companytm. Incorporated in 1922, Granite (NYSE:GVA) is one of the largest diversified construction and construction materials companies in the United States as well as a full-suite provider in the transportation, water infrastructure, and mineral exploration markets. Granite's Code of Conduct and strong Core Values guide the Company and its more than 6,000 employees to uphold the highest ethical standards. In addition to being one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for ten consecutive years, Granite is an industry leader in safety and an award-winning firm in quality and sustainability. For more information, visit graniteconstruction.com, and connect with Granite on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. 29 march 2023 at 16:35 News published onand distributed by: Digital Solutions Practice Contributing Significantly to GRM South America Growth GRM Information Management is enjoying significant growth of its digital solutions business in South America. With established operations in Brazil, Colombia and Peru, across a total of six major metros, GRM continues to expand its digital business among both existing and new clients. JERSEY CITY, N.J., March 29, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- GRM Information Management is enjoying significant growth of its digital solutions business in South America. With established operations in Brazil, Colombia and Peru, across a total of six major metros, GRM continues to expand its digital business among both existing and new clients. The GRM South America operations have been successful in introducing a broad variety of digital solutions previously adopted by U.S. clients across vertical markets. With the capture, structuring and automated flow of data as the basis of most solutions, GRM South America has been particularly successful in securing partnerships in the Healthcare, Energy and Banking industries. GRM Global CEO, Avner Schneur states, "We've experienced significant success in South America since establishing operations there in 2014. We quickly built a very successful document storage business. But, over the last several years, volumes of companies are seeking out and adopting our automation solutions; including a suite of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) services that we deliver." BPO services are a natural marriage of GRM's document storage and scanning capabilities and its advanced digital automation solutions. GRM is able to build end-to-end processes, where important paper documents such as patient records and high-value financial transactions can be secured, scanned, auto-indexed and leveraged to drive workflow automation in an increasingly digital environment. In addition to high value processes and documents being processed more efficiently and quickly, all of these documents and processes become more easily reported upon and better understood with advanced analytics functions applied. *** About GRM GRM Information Management is a leading provider of document storage services and enterprise content management (ECM) solutions. GRM's robust, cloud-based content services platform serves as the centerpiece of the digital solutions that GRM provides its clients. Serving a diverse base of industries such as healthcare, government, higher education, legal, finance and human resources, GRM delivers its clients services such as digital conversion, advanced data capture solutions, document management systems, workflow automation, legacy data archiving, compliance and governance, business process management and advanced analytics capabilities, as well as a full suite of document storage, scanning and physical records management services. GRM maintains offices in 14 major metros across the U.S., including Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Miami, New Jersey/New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. GRM also has facilities in Lima, Peru; Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Jundiai, Brazil; and Bogota, Medellin and Cali, Colombia. For more information, visit GRM Information Management. Media Contact Mike Aaron, GRM Information Management, 201.798.7100 x637, [email protected] SOURCE GRM Information Management 29 march 2023 at 21:00 News published onand distributed by: 2023 Independent Reserve Cryptocurrency Index shows Singaporeans are still actively investing in crypto despite hit in overall confidence In its 3rd edition, this year's Independent Reserve Cryptocurrency Index underscores Singaporeans' sustained interest in cryptocurrency investment, despite a dip in short-term confidence. The nation's score on the IRCI fell to 55 from last year's 61; however, 44% of Singaporeans still hold at least 10% crypto in their portfolios, and 46% invest up to $1,000 monthly. IRCI Singapore is the only industry-led research that delves deeply into Singaporeans' sentiments and investing behaviours in the blockchain and cryptocurrency sector. SINGAPORE, March 29th, 2023 Singapore scored 55 out of 100, indicating a hit to respondents' confidence in cryptocurrency scored 55 out of 100, indicating a hit to respondents' confidence in 44% hold at least 10% of crypto in their portfolio; 40% are likely to invest in the next 12 months in their portfolio; 40% are likely to invest in the next 12 months Deep-dive into attitudes toward cryptocurrency across three new segments this year: Female Investors, High-income Earners, and Young Adults Singapore ? In the latest study by Independent Reserve, Singapore's first regulated cryptocurrency exchange for all investors, Singaporeans are still actively investing in cryptocurrency despite a hit in overall confidence. The nation scored 55 on the IRCI this year, a decline from last year's score of 61. The dip in confidence can be attributed to the difficult year the industry had in 2022. Nevertheless, 44% of Singaporeans hold at least 10% of cryptocurrency in their portfolio, where 46% invest up to $1,000 per month on cryptocurrency. Key IRCI 2023 highlights 1. Awareness 91% are aware of at least one cryptocurrency 26-35 year olds most aware of cryptocurrency Bitcoin retains highest awareness at 87% 2. Adoption 44% hold at least 10% of cryptocurrency in their portfolio in their portfolio 47% have been investing in cryptocurrency for 1-2 years for 1-2 years About half of Singaporeans, 46%, invest up to $1,000 / month on cryptocurrency / month on 54% use cryptocurrency to diversify portfolio, 53% invest because of friends and family and 47% do so out of curiosity, media driven to diversify portfolio, 53% invest because of friends and family and 47% do so out of curiosity, media driven 45% cite price volatility as a barrier to cryptocurrency investing, while 30% want more consumer protection and regulation 3. Trust 59% say that clarity in regulation would help increase their trust in cryptocurrency 53% see Bitcoin as an investment asset or store of value as an investment asset or store of value 50% believe that cryptocurrency will reach mass-scale adoption 4. Confidence 40% are likely to invest in cryptocurrency over the next 12 months over the next 12 months 48% plan to increase their current cryptocurrency portfolio portfolio 72% are likely to recommend cryptocurrency to family & friends to family & friends 78% who invested for five years or more saw the value of their cryptocurrency portfolio increase portfolio increase 85% investors who have invested in cryptocurrency for more than 5 years are confident / very confident in its long-term viability This year's edition also examines attitudes toward cryptocurrency across three new segments: Female Investors, High-income Earners, and Young Adults. 37% of females are invested in cryptocurrency , up 7% since 2022. Conversely, 48% of males invested in cryptocurrency , down 1% , up 7% since 2022. Conversely, 48% of males invested in , down 1% 76% of females reported making money or breaking even, compared to 72% of males 65% of Singaporeans earning S$5,000 or more per month have invested in cryptocurrency , an increase of 6% from last year or more per month have invested in , an increase of 6% from last year The S$7,000 to S$9,000 income segment allocated the highest portion of their investment portfolio toward cryptocurrency to income segment allocated the highest portion of their investment portfolio toward 33% of 18 to 25-year-old Singaporeans (also known as "Gen Z") want to invest in cryptocurrency , but say they do not have the financial means to do so , but say they do not have the financial means to do so Gen Z cohort is most optimistic about Bitcoin 's long-term price but also the most neutral when it comes to cryptocurrency preferences "2022 was a challenging time for the cryptocurrency industry, due to several macroeconomic factors. The collapse of Terra-Luna and the FTX fallout has understandably led to a loss of confidence and trust in the industry. As recent global financial events continue to unfold, many may also re-evaluate their dependence on traditional financial institutions to safeguard their money and turn to alternative assets such as Bitcoin to hedge against bank defaults and currency debasement. It is encouraging to see that optimism towards the long-term benefits of cryptocurrency remains strong in Singapore and that investors who adopt a long-term view are reaping rewards." said Lasanka Perera, Chief Executive Officer of Independent Reserve Singapore. "Singapore has one of the clearest and robust regulations for cryptocurrencies, which gives investors an added assurance of dealing with trusted players. As Singapore continues to remain open to innovation in digital assets, education remains crucial as awareness and adoption of cryptocurrencies among residents grow." 1. AWARENESS In 2023, general awareness of cryptocurrencies among Singapore residents increased to 91% from 90%. The 26 to 35-year-old age group is the most aware of cryptocurrencies. While awareness of Bitcoin remains the same as last year at 87%, altcoins are steadily gaining recognition. Among all the altcoins, Ethereum continues to be the most popular with 51% awareness. This could be due to the completion of The Merge in September 2022, the growth in NFTs, decentralised finance (DeFi) and decentralised apps (dApps). "The rising popularity of altcoins shows that more Singaporeans are beginning to gain more awareness about other cryptocurrencies apart from Bitcoin. This is a promising sign for the industry as more investors gain exposure to various types of blockchains and projects that have innovative utility and potential to be adopted more widely for real-world applications and use cases," Mr Perera said. 2. ADOPTION Cryptocurrency ownership has increased to 43% from 40% in 2022, with 77% of investors holding two or more different cryptocurrencies. The primary reason for investing in cryptocurrency has shifted towards diversifying portfolios at 54%, a 10% rise from last year. That said, the reason for investing in cryptocurrency is also dependent on how seasoned the investor is. For example, seasoned investors with 5+ years of experience say diversifying their portfolio (68%) and getting rich (48%) are the primary reasons for investing in digital assets. In contrast, 50% of new investors with less than 12 months of experience were primarily influenced by the media, family, and friends. Similar to IRCI 2022, price volatility is the top reason why Singaporeans are avoiding investing in cryptocurrency, at 45%. 3. TRUST According to survey respondents, 59% say the most critical factor for increasing trust in cryptocurrency is clarity around government regulation. 41% of respondents meanwhile believe that responsible behaviour from crypto companies will improve their trust. For the 18 to 25-year-olds however, 59% say education is the top factor for gaining their trust towards cryptocurrencies, compared to 53% in 2022. 4. CONFIDENCE Due to several high-profile fallouts in the cryptocurrency industry over the last 12 months, short-term confidence in digital assets has been affected. Despite the hit in confidence, 72% of crypto investors are likely to recommend investing in cryptocurrency to family and friends. Additionally, 84% who have been in the market for over two years would recommend investing in cryptocurrency. Investors who HODL (hold on for dear life) also see their persistence pay off. 78% who have been in the market for five years or more saw the value of their cryptocurrency portfolio increase. In contrast, 40% of those who have invested in cryptocurrency for less than a year reported losses. This year, the IRCI delves deeper into cryptocurrency adoption across the three segments: 1. Female cryptocurrency investors on the rise ? and outperforming the males Data from IRCI 2021 to 2023 indicates that female investor growth is outpacing male user growth. 37% of females invested in cryptocurrency, up 7% since 2022. At the same time, 76% of females reported making money or breaking even compared to 72% of males. Since the launch of IRCI in Singapore in 2021, this is the first time that females have reported outperforming their male counterparts. Why do females invest in cryptocurrency ? 61% of females who invest in cryptocurrency say they were influenced by family and friends when deciding to invest, compared to 48% of men. More women also cite ambition as to why they invest in cryptocurrency. 56% do so to diversify their portfolio, compared to 53% of men. 37% of women say they invest in cryptocurrency to get rich. 45% of females currently allocate more than $500 per month towards cryptocurrency. When it comes to bullishness towards cryptocurrency, 24% of females have allocated more than 20% of their investment portfolio to this asset class. Over the next 12 months, 48% plan to further invest in their existing portfolio while 43% intend to diversify into other tokens, Defi or NFT projects. 2. Higher income fuels investment in cryptocurrencies IRCI 2023 found that only 8% of investors who earn up to S$4,999 per month report investing S$1,000 or more per month in cryptocurrency. This contrasts with 53% of those earning over S$10,000 investing S$1,000 per month in cryptocurrency, showing that higher income fuels greater investment in cryptocurrency. 23% are investing more than S$1,000 per month in cryptocurrency, an increase of 4% from last year. The number of cryptocurrency owners investing S$10,000 or more has also increased by 1%. Overall, these signal positive awareness and growing interest in cryptocurrencies as a viable alternative asset class. Where do (middle and) high-income earners stand? Higher-income earners are likely to allocate more of their investment portfolio towards cryptocurrency. Overall, the higher-income groups say their cryptocurrency investments have made money or they broke even. The S$7,000 to S$9,000 income segment, who allocated the highest portion of their investment portfolio towards cryptocurrency, has 67% claiming to have made a profit. They are also the segment that is the most confident about the long-term viability of the cryptocurrency market. There has also been a significant surge in the ownership of cryptocurrency among the 46 to 55-year-old age group (also known as "Gen X"), at 55% compared to 30% in 2022. As the Gen X group also reported the highest personal income, this indicates a growing number of people with a higher disposable income willing to invest in the cryptocurrency market. 3. Young investors cautiously optimistic Despite the high awareness of cryptocurrency at 91%, the adoption rate among 18 to 25-year-old Singaporeans (also known as "Gen Z") is lower at 39%, down from 45% in 2022. 44% cited price volatility while 33% say they are not in a financial position to enter the cryptocurrency space. Interestingly, while 56% of Gen Z have less than 5% of cryptocurrency in their investment portfolio, the highest among all age groups, 3% of Gen Z have 100% of their investment portfolio in cryptocurrency, which is also the highest among all age groups. Gen Zs are savvy This age group is highly influenced by the media, with 62% citing it as the reason for entering the market. Meanwhile, 45% are getting news from friends, family or colleagues, compared to 40% in 2022. 61% are using search engines to proactively seek out information, compared to 59% in 2022. Overall, Gen Z remains one of the most optimistic groups when it comes to cryptocurrency. Only 2% want to sell out entirely, while 21% want to take a wait-and-see approach. Conversely, 62% want to use cryptocurrency to save for the future while 57% want to trade for financial gains. "Results from IRCI 2023 show that crypto literacy among Singaporeans is becoming a priority when it comes to their investing journey. This bodes well for the industry as education helps safeguard investors from scams and other risks such as not fully understanding a project before investing in it. That said, investors must continue to stay informed through legitimate sources." Mr Perera concluded. The full 2023 IRCI can be downloaded here. -- END OF RELEASE -- Notes to Editors The Independent Research Cryptocurrency Index (IRCI) is an annual survey of around 1,500 Singapore residents conducted in partnership with Toluna, an independent consumer insights provider. IRCI Singapore is the only industry-led research that deep dives into Singapore's blockchain and cryptocurrency sector. The survey is a cross-sectional and unbiased sample of everyday Singapore residents and is designed to represent the nation as a whole. This year marks the 3rd year of IRCI in Singapore, and the survey was conducted in February 2023. About Independent Reserve Founded in 2013, Independent Reserve is Singapore's trusted cryptocurrency exchange. Independent Reserve is the first exchange licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore to provide a secure platform for trading and investing in digital assets. With a focus on trust and safety, the exchange serves discerning traders and investors by offering competitive fees, advanced trading tools, and comprehensive educational resources. Adhering to the highest standards of governance, compliance, and security, Independent Reserve empowers institutions and individuals in Singapore to confidently navigate the world of cryptocurrencies. Pull Quote Singapore scored 55 out of 100, indicating a hit to respondents' short-term confidence in cryptocurrency. However, long-term confidence remains strong and investors who adopted a long-term view reported to have reaped rewards. Media Contact Sheena Poh, Independent Reserve, 65 60110080, [email protected], www.independentreserve.com/sg SOURCE Independent Reserve 29 march 2023 at 23:55 News published onand distributed by: INNERGEX WELCOMES THE CANADIAN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S SUPPORT FOR THE DEPLOYMENT OF CLEAN ENERGY PROJECTS LONGUEUIL, QC, March 30, 2023 /CNW/ - Innergex Renewable Energy Inc. (TSX: INE) ("Innergex" or the "Corporation") applauds the support the Federal Government of Canada will provide to foster a clean economy and the transition to a cleaner energy mix through the suite of supports announced in this week's Budget, including the creation of Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit and Clean Hydrogen Investment Tax Credit. These financial initiatives should become key drivers for renewable energy projects in the country, as provinces are expected to see the demand for affordable electricity and a clean grid rising sharply. In addition, end users will benefit from these announcements as they will have access to cleaner, greener, and more affordable electricity. As a Canadian leader in developing renewable energy projects in collaboration with local and Indigenous people, Innergex has seen first-hand the value renewable energy brings to consumers, communities and our planet and intends to fully support the country's energy transition. "For over 30 years, Innergex focussed its activities on contributing to a cleaner economy and climate. With over 6,000 MW of projects in progress in Canada at Innergex, we are well-positioned to continue to deploy energy solutions in collaboration with local and Indigenous communities that will support the clean economy transition", said Michel Letellier, President and Chief Executive Officer of Innergex. "The tax incentives presented are a good first step toward cleaning the economy and maintaining competitiveness in the industry at the consumer's benefit, but significant challenges still lie ahead to meet the Canadian objective of net zero by 2050. As we continue creating a better world with renewable energy and collaborating with local and Indigenous communities, we will continue to develop clean solutions that will help the country achieve its climate and economical goal." Innergex owns 42 renewable energy facilities in Canada and holds interest in 35 projects at different development stages in the country. By harnessing the power of water at first in the 1990s with small run-of-river hydro projects in Quebec, it then developed its expertise in wind and solar energies and expanded its portfolio in Ontario and British Columbia. With a strong track record of developing successful projects with communities, Innergex has established itself in the United States, France and more recently in Chile. The Corporation now owns 87 operating renewable energy facilities across four countries allowing to avoid 1,889,005 metric tonnes of carbon emissions1, which is equivalent to the emissions of 407,022 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles driven for one year2. About Innergex Renewable Energy Inc. For over 30 years, Innergex has believed in a world where abundant renewable energy promotes healthier communities and creates shared prosperity. As an independent renewable power producer which develops, acquires, owns and operates hydroelectric facilities, wind farms, solar farms and energy storage facilities, Innergex is convinced that generating power from renewable sources will lead the way to a better world. Innergex conducts operations in Canada, the United States, France and Chile and manages a large portfolio of high-quality assets currently consisting of interests in 87 operating facilities with an aggregate net installed capacity of 3,694 MW (gross 4,244 MW) and an energy storage capacity of 159 MWh, including 40 hydroelectric facilities, 35 wind facilities, 11 solar facilities and 1 battery energy storage facility. Innergex also holds interests in 11 projects under development with a net installed capacity of 696 MW (gross 733 MW) and an energy storage capacity of 605 MWh, 5 of which are under construction, as well as prospective projects at different stages of development with an aggregate gross installed capacity totaling 8,701 MW. Its approach to building shareholder value is to generate sustainable cash flows, provide an attractive risk-adjusted return on invested capital and to distribute a stable dividend. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information To inform readers of the Corporation's future prospects, this press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("Forward-Looking Information"), including the Corporation's growth targets, power production, prospective projects, successful development, construction and financing (including tax equity funding) of the projects under construction and the advanced-stage prospective projects, sources and impact of funding, project acquisitions, execution of non-recourse project-level financing (including the timing and amount thereof), and strategic, operational and financial benefits and accretion expected to result from such acquisitions, business strategy, future development and growth prospects (including expected growth opportunities under the Strategic Alliance with Hydro-Quebec), business integration, governance, business outlook, objectives, plans and strategic priorities, and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-Looking Information can generally be identified by the use of words such as "approximately", "may", "will", "could", "believes", "expects", "intends", "should", "would", "plans", "potential", "project", "anticipates", "estimates", "scheduled" or "forecasts", or other comparable terms that state that certain events will or will not occur. It represents the projections and expectations of the Corporation relating to future events or results as of the date of this press release. Forward-Looking Information includes future-oriented financial information or financial outlook within the meaning of securities laws, including information regarding the Corporation's targeted production, the estimated targeted revenues, targeted Revenues Proportionate, targeted Adjusted EBITDA and targeted Adjusted EBITDA Proportionate, targeted Free Cash Flow, targeted Free Cash Flow per Share and intention to pay dividend quarterly, the estimated project size, costs and schedule, including obtainment of permits, start of construction, work conducted and start of commercial operation for Development Projects and Prospective Projects, the Corporation's intent to submit projects under Requests for Proposals, the qualification of U.S. projects for PTCs and ITCs and other statements that are not historical facts. Such information is intended to inform readers of the potential financial impact of expected results, of the expected commissioning of Development Projects, of the potential financial impact of completed and future acquisitions and of the Corporation's ability to sustain current dividends and to fund its growth. Such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward-Looking Information is based on certain key assumptions made by the Corporation, including, without restriction, those concerning hydrology, wind regimes and solar irradiation; performance of operating facilities, acquisitions and commissioned projects; project performance; availability of capital resources and timely performance by third parties of contractual obligations; favourable market conditions for share issuance to support growth financing; favourable economic and financial market conditions; the Corporation's success in developing and constructing new facilities; successful renewal of PPAs; sufficient human resources to deliver service and execute the capital plan; no significant event occurring outside the ordinary course of business such as a natural disaster, pandemic or other calamity; continued maintenance of information technology infrastructure and no material breach of cybersecurity. Please refer to Section 5 - OUTLOOK | Strategic Plan 2020-2025 of the 2022 Annual Report regarding the assumptions used with respect to the 2025 growth targets. For more information on the risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed, implied or presented by the forward-looking information or on the principal assumptions used to derive this information, please refer to the "Forward-Looking Information" section of the Management's Discussion and Analysis for the three- and twelve-month periods ended December 31, 2022. 1 Based on Innergex's 2022 Production Proportionate of 10,792 GWh 2 Based on https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator SOURCE Innergex Renewable Energy Inc. 30 march 2023 at 09:00 News published onand distributed by: RWE and Entergy Partner to Define Route to Market for Offshore Wind in the Gulf of Mexico Two leading energy companies in the U.S. sign MoU to evaluate the delivery of clean energy from offshore wind to Entergy's Texas and Louisiana territories RWE builds on early efforts to develop the offshore wind market in the Gulf of Mexico NEW ORLEANS, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- RWE, a globally leading company in offshore wind, and Entergy, which owns and operates one of the cleanest large-scale U.S. power generating fleets, have agreed on a partnership to analyze the Gulf of Mexico offshore wind market. The companies today signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly evaluate the delivery of clean energy from offshore wind to industrial customers in Texas and Louisiana. Under this MOU, RWE and Entergy agree to assess five key areas to define an optimal route-to-market including: market demand for carbon-free energy for customers of Entergy Louisiana, Entergy New Orleans and Entergy Texas; resource economics; transmission analysis to ensure reliability; economic impacts extending to direct and indirect job creation; and curricula to prepare the workforce of the future. "The existing Gulf of Mexico oil and gas supply chain, workforce, and port infrastructure represent unique advantages to a potential offshore wind hub," said Sam Eaton, CEO of RWE Offshore Holdings, LLC. "Working together with a local partner like Entergy can deepen our understanding of the next steps to strengthen these valuable assets and support a new, regional industry. RWE's early success acquiring two offshore wind lease areas in the U.S. has positioned us well to continue preparing future markets for a robust clean energy economy powered by offshore wind." "Our customers continue to share with us that they are seeking clean energy solutions to help them reach their own sustainability goals," said Phillip May, Entergy Louisiana President and CEO. "This partnership serves as an important early step to potentially bringing wind power to our Louisiana shores and empowers us to help foster even greater economic growth in Louisiana." "We continue to move closer to achieving our goal of being a leader in clean energy," said Deanna Rodriguez, Entergy New Orleans president and CEO. "Our work with RWE will help us understand the technical and economic viability of this resource. Over time, we expect wind to be one of several resources needed to support the needs of the communities in which we serve." "Entergy Texas is perfectly positioned to explore offshore wind development as Texas already leads the nation in electricity generated by wind energy," said Eliecer Viamontes, Entergy Texas president and CEO. "The state and our service area are growing at a rapid rate and this partnership with RWE will play a key role in evaluating a broader slate of clean resources that will sustain our robust pace of industrial growth and economic development in the decades to come." RWE and Entergy share a common goal of meeting the demand for increased renewable energy, while investing in economic development and our communities. RWE is a leading renewables developer in the U.S. with 8 gigawatts (GW) of operating capacity and an ambitious growth plan backed by a project pipeline of more than 24 GW of onshore wind, solar and battery storage. RWE is also expanding its global offshore wind activities in the rapidly growing market in the U.S. Through two offshore wind lease auctions in 2022, namely in the New York Bight and California, RWE has secured sites with the potential to host a total of about 3.9 GW (pro rata RWE) installed capacity in offshore wind. Entergy serves approximately 3 million customers across its four-state territory and is accelerating its investments in renewable power generation while helping customers meet their own environmental goals. The company's existing renewable resources will triple over the next three years, with plans for as much as 17 GW of renewable capacity by the end of 2031. Entergy remains committed to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Gulf of Mexico is next on the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's offshore wind lease auction schedule with three lease areas proposed under the Pre-Sale Notice. The region has gained momentum following Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards' Climate Action Plan, which includes a goal of 5 GW of offshore wind power by 2035. In 2022, RWE in collaboration with Greater New Orleans, Inc. initiated a program to accelerate the engagement of Louisiana's supply chain to identify companies with transferable capabilities for offshore wind. Results from the supply chain collaboration are expected to be released industrywide later this year. Pictures for media use are available at the RWE Media Centre (credit: RWE) From left to right: Deanna Rodriguez, President and CEO, Entergy New Orleans; Eliecer Viamontes, President and CEO, Entergy Texas; Sam Eaton, CEO RWE Offshore Holdings, LLC; Katie Theoharides, Head of US Offshore East, RWE; Phillip May, President and CEO, Entergy Louisiana For further enquiries: Anna Russell Murray Communications Manager Offshore Wind, US RWE Offshore Holdings, LLC M +1 512-701-2251 E [email protected] Brandon Scardigli Communications Manager Entergy [email protected] RWE RWE is leading the way to a green energy world. With an extensive investment and growth strategy, the company will expand its powerful, green generation capacity to more than 50 gigawatts internationally by 2030. RWE is investing more than ?50 billion gross for this purpose in this decade. The portfolio is based on offshore and onshore wind, solar, hydrogen, batteries, biomass and gas. RWE Supply & Trading provides tailored energy solutions for large customers. RWE has locations in the attractive markets of Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific region. The company is responsibly phasing out nuclear energy and coal. Government-mandated phaseout roadmaps have been defined for both of these energy sources. RWE employs around 19,000 people worldwide and has a clear target: to get to net zero by 2040. On its way there, the company has set itself ambitious targets for all activities that cause greenhouse gas emissions. The Science Based Targets initiative has confirmed that these emission reduction targets are in line with the Paris Agreement. Very much in the spirit of the company's purpose: Our energy for a sustainable life. About Entergy Entergy (NYSE: ETR), a Fortune 500 company headquartered in New Orleans, powers life for 3 million customers through its operating companies across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy is creating a cleaner, more resilient energy future for everyone with our diverse power generation portfolio, including increasingly carbon-free energy sources. With roots in the Gulf South region for more than a century, Entergy is a recognized leader in corporate citizenship, delivering more than $100 million in economic benefits to local communities through philanthropy and advocacy efforts annually over the last several years. Our approximately 12,000 employees are dedicated to powering life today and for future generations. Learn more at entergy.com and follow @Entergy on social media. #WePowerLife. SOURCE RWE Offshore Wind GmbH 30 march 2023 at 09:00 News published onand distributed by: April 19, 2023 13:13 ICRC transfers 11 patients from Stepanakert to Yerevan Due to the blocking by Azerbaijan of the only road connecting Artsakh with Armenia, 11 patients from the Republican Medical Center of Artsakhwith serious diseases of the oncology and cardiovascular systemhave been transported Wednesday to specialized medical institutions of Armenia, with the mediation and escorting of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Magellan Gold Acquires Five Idaho Properties from Gold Express Mines Experienced mining executives join forces with Magellan Gold to further exploration and development of Idaho properties portfolio WALLACE, ID / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Magellan Gold Corporation (OTC PINK:MAGE) ("Magellan" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that the company has teamed with the experienced management team at Gold Express mines and has purchased five new properties located within the State of Idaho. The five properties are in various stages of exploration and development and are located in: Idaho County, Custer County, Shoshone County and Lemhi County. Mr. Howard Crosby will be joining the board of directors of Magellan Gold Corporation and Mr. John Ryan will be joining the Company's Advisory Board. Mr. Crosby and Mr. Ryan have been business partners for twenty-five years with a focus on natural resource companies. The two entrepreneurs have founded, developed, and grown multiple successful companies from start-up phase to public listings, strategic buyouts, and/or asset sales. Notably the two were founders of US Silver Corporation which acquired the Galena Mine in the Coeur d' Alene Mining District from Coeur d' Alene Mines in 2006 and were founders or co-founders and/or held various positions with White Mountain Titanium, Bunker Hill Mining Corp., Cadence Resources Corporation, High Plains Uranium, Western Goldfields, Inc., and Metalline Mining Company among others. The newly acquired properties fit perfectly with the Company's focus to acquire, explore, and develop early to mid-stage exploration targets or near-term production plays. The Company continues to remain focused in the State of Idaho and to leverage current managements many years of experience in the mining industry in the state. In the near future the Company will be speaking more specifically about each of the new property acquisitions, and we look forward to updating our current shareholders and the investing public about these new acquisitions and our Center Star Mine project as well. Mike Lavigne, the CEO of Magellan Gold Corporation stated, "We are pleased to announce the acquisition of this new group of Idaho based properties". He added, "Having Mr. Crosby and Mr. Ryan with their many years of experience and success in the resource sector and specifically in the State of Idaho is an incredible asset for Magellan Gold Corporation and their shareholders". New Magellan Gold Corporation Director, Mr. Howard Crosby said, "We are excited to be teaming with Magellan Gold to help move the exploration and development of these properties forward". He went on to say, "We believe that each of these unique properties provide significant opportunity for future exploration development". About Magellan Gold Corporation Magellan Gold Corporation (MAGE) is focused on the exploration and development of precious metals in North America and more specifically the Western United States. Magellan controls six projects: The Center Star Gold Mine, Golden, Idaho Project, Seafoam District, Blacktail District, Bit-It Project, and Terror Gulch (Capparelli Group), all located within the State of Idaho. To learn more about Magellan Gold Corporation, visit www.magellangoldcorp.com. About Gold Express Mines, Inc. Gold Express Mines is a US-based, multi-commodity mining company focused on the discovery, development and production of precious and base metal assets and focused on historic mining districts and other known mineralized areas. Gold Express Mines prioritizes sustainability in its operations. We will utilize best practices to ensure that the economic, social and environmental impacts of our projects are in harmony with the goals and desires of the local towns, regions, and indigenous organizations where we operate. Our aim is to be a part of a new era of low-impact, socially responsible mining which provides an abundance of newly mined metals critical to our nation's security, economic growth, and reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. Cautionary Statement The United States Securities and Exchange Commission permits mining companies, in their filings with the SEC, to disclose only those mineral deposits that a company can legally extract or produce. Under SEC Industry Guide 7 standards, a "final" or "bankable" feasibility study is required to report reserves. Currently we have not delineated "reserves" on any of our properties. We cannot be certain that any deposits at our properties will ever be confirmed or converted into SEC Industry Guide 7 compliant "reserves." Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of any "resource" estimates will ever be confirmed or converted into reserves or that they can be economically or legally extracted. Forward Looking Statements This release contains "forward-looking statements." Such statements are based on good faith assumptions that Magellan Gold Corporation believes are reasonable but which are subject to a wide range of uncertainties and business risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed, projected or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from those anticipated are discussed in Magellan Gold Corporation's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Contacts: Magellan Gold Corporation Mike Lavigne, CEO [email protected] SOURCE: Magellan Gold Corp. 30 march 2023 at 10:00 View source version on accesswire.com:News published onand distributed by: ReoStar Energy Corporation Acquires Interest in Emerging Global Iron Ore Producer Leuffer Mining Group Company set to begin fulfilling iron ore orders for customers in Asia Pacific and the Middle East PASADENA, Calif., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ReoStar Energy Corporation ("ReoStar") (OTC: REOS), an emerging growth Mining and Energy company with interests in the production of iron ore, gold, silver, copper and rare earth metals announces it has acquired an interest in Leuffer Mining Group ("Leuffer"). Leuffer Desarrollos S.A. de C.V., a Mexican mining company with over 7 years of experience, specializes in producing and exporting high-quality Iron Ore lumps with a 62% dry basis. The company has exported over 1.5 million metric tons of Iron Ore to China, Hong Kong, and the USA between 2019 and 2022. Leuffer Desarrollos S.A. de C.V., currently possess Federal registration permits, and a special exportation permit registered with the National tax authority in full force and effect for mining operations. The company has exported Iron Ore to China, as reported in public information available on https://es.panjiva.com/Leuffer-Desarrollos-S-A-De-C-V/39251506. The company owns and operates 11 mining leases, with four of them currently in production in the state of Sonora, with the other leases located in Michoacan and Jalisco in Mexico. All the mines are conveniently located near principal ports for cargo exportation. The Mexican Geological Service (SGM) and other international geological engineering specialists are currently conducting surveys to determine the SK-1300 assay for the Mineral Resources as proven. The surveys are being conducted on two mines in Sonora, which have probable mineral resources (iron ore reserves) of around 50 million metric tons. The survey will also determine the presence of Gold, Silver, Copper, and rare earths (17 elements existent in the Sonora leases). In 2023, Leuffer Desarrollos S.A. de C.V. aims to generate roughly 1 million metric tons of Iron Ore. The company has invested significantly in infrastructure and presently operates four leases. By using advanced machinery, equipment, and expertise, the company is witnessing a monthly rise in production. Starting in 2024, Leuffer Desarrollos S.A. de C.V. plans to boost production by 50% each year and add two more leases to production annually. This would result in an overall production increase of 50% per year. The firm primarily exports through the Guaymas (Sonora) port, although it also utilizes alternate port facilities in Lazaro Cardenas (Michoacan) and Manzanillo (Colima) ports. US-based investment bank company Goldman Sachs has revised up its iron ore forecast by 20% in the second quarter of 2023 due to the predicted iron ore supply shortage. Iron ore prices are expected to rise to $150/mt in the current quarter. Chief Executive Officer of Leuffer, Ricard Leuffer, stated, "our team at Leuffer are excited on our new phase of expansion for the company." The CEO of ReoStar, Michael Lajtay, concluded, "The acquisition of Leuffer is a monumental moment for ReoStar which puts the company on the global stage for the production of key commodities which are in high demand globally. We look forward to working with Ricardo and his team to fulfill existing orders, expand production and execute our multi-year strategic plan for growth. About ReoStar Energy Corp.: ReoStar Energy Corp. is an emerging growth Mining & Energy company with interests in the production of Iron Ore, Gold, Silver, Copper and other Rare Earth metals. The company recently acquired Leuffer Mining Group which is a large global mining company with Headquarters and operations in Mexico in addition to locations in the U.S. and Spain. About Leuffer Mining Group: Leuffer Mining Group has nearly a decade of experience exporting millions of tons of Iron, with the necessary concessions and infrastructure to meet the iron demands of industries operating along the Mexico and USA borderline, we are able to provide you an extraordinary opportunity to grow your capital by acquiring low-risk and highly demanded stocks of raw materials such as iron ore for iron-producing and steelmaking companies Websites: www.reostarenergycorp.com www.leuffer.com Forward Looking Statements: This 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 and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Those statements include the intent, belief or current expectations of the company and its management team. Forward-looking statements are projections of events, revenues, income, future economics, research, development, reformulation, product performance or management's plans and objectives for future operations. Some or all of the events or results anticipated by these forward-looking statements may not occur. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Accomplishing the strategy described herein is significantly dependent upon numerous factors, many that are not in management's control. Contact: Michael Lajtay Chief Executive Officer ReoStar Energy Corporation [email protected] SOURCE ReoStar Energy Corp 30 march 2023 at 10:53 News published onand distributed by: Currency gender pay gap ADAM GAULT/CAIAIMAGES / PHOTONONSTOP / ADAM GAULT/CAIAIMAGES / PHOTONONSTOP The European Parliament adopted rules on Thursday, March 30, that will force European Union businesses to be transparent about salaries, ensure equal pay between women and men and introduce potential fines for wage discrimination. Women earn on average 13% less per hour than men for the same job in the bloc, according to official 2020 data. Under the new rules, workers will be permitted to ask about individual and average pay levels broken down by gender in their workplace. "Pay secrecy will be banned," the European Parliament said in a statement. Other rules stipulate that if a company has at least 100 employees, it must publish information regularly on the gender pay gap. Companies will also have to negotiate with staff representatives if there is a discrepancy of 5%. Those who break any of the rules face sanctions, including fines. Employees who believe they are a victim of discrimination can seek compensation. "Equal work deserves equal pay. And for equal pay, you need transparency," said Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, before the vote. "Women must know whether their employers treat them fairly. And when this is not the case, they must have the power to fight back and get what they deserve," she added. The gender pay gap is varied across the bloc. It is only 0.7% in Luxembourg but reaches 15.8% in France, 18.3% in Germany and 22.3% in Latvia. The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, first proposed the rules in March 2021. Before they are adopted, they must be formally signed off by the European Council which represents member states. EU countries will then have to start translating the rules into their national laws within three years after their publication in the bloc's official gazette. Le Monde with AFP A mounted police officer rides past burned-out police vehicles next to the construction site of an agricultural reservoir after clashes with protesters in Sainte-Soline, western France, March 26, 2023. JEREMIAS GONZALEZ / AP "It is this government that must be dismissed." Activist group "Les Soulevements de la Terre" (Earth Rebellion) was adamant after Le Monde published on Tuesday, March 28, a recording that could establish that emergency services were deliberately barred access to a protest against water reservoirs for farm irrigation on Saturday in Sainte-Soline, western France. The activists under the threat of a dissolution of their organization by the government and many members of Parliament, specifically lawmakers affiliated with the radical-left party La France Insoumise (LFI), are pressing Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin to resign. Like the gendarmerie and the local prefect, Darmanin denied at a press conference on Monday that rescuers had been refused access to the scene: "No, the gendarmes did not use [flashballs] while riding quad bikes. No, no weapon of war was used in Sainte-Soline (...) No, the police did not prevent the emergency services from intervening. It was the gendarmes and the emergency services that were prevented from intervening by some troublemakers." The following day, Le Monde disclosed a seven-and-a-half-minute telephone conversation between a general practitioner and a SAMU (emergency service) operator. During the call recorded by observers of the Human Rights League, the operator refuses to send rescue teams on-site "because [he has] orders from law enforcement not to send rescue." "We don't have the authorization (...) because it's considered dangerous on-site," the operator is heard saying. Families of two protesters who are still in a coma one of them with life-threatening injuries after the clashes that marked the stand-off filed a complaint for attempted murder and obstruction of rescue. 'Political disaster' "So Darmanin lied again. The resignation comes after how many lies?" tweeted LFI lawmaker Manuel Bompard. "After such a fiasco, in what country can a minister continue to lie repeatedly like this?" also asked Thomas Dossus, a Green senator. Mathilde Panot, who heads the LFI group at the Assemblee Nationale, spoke of a "political disaster," adding Darmanin had lied about weapons used at the protest, grenades and emergency services access. Clementine Autain and Clemence Guette, two LFI lawmakers, said Darmanin had to justify himself. "Officials must be held accountable," Autain tweeted. "Darmanin will have to be held accountable," Guette wrote. "Macron and Darmanin have to explain [what happened]!" said Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, an MP who heads a small far-right party, Debout la France (Stand up France). "Transparency must be ensured to establish the responsibilities in what looks like a refusal of assistance to a person in danger," Socialist leader Olivier Faure said. "Will Macron take responsibility for this outrage?" wondered LFI's Raquel Garrido. Darmanin stuck to his guns on Wednesday and told RTL radio emergency services had "never been prevented from intervening." They "arrived as soon as they could", he said, adding conditions enabling a safe intervention on the part of emergency services were not right. Le Monde Translation of an original article published in French on lemonde.fr; the publisher may only be liable for the French version. The Senate voted on Wednesday, March 29, to repeal the resolution that gave a green light for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, an effort to return a basic war power to Congress from the White House 20 years after an authorization many now say was a mistake. Iraqi deaths are estimated in the hundreds of thousands, and nearly 5,000 US troops were killed in the war after President George W. Bushs administration falsely claimed that Saddam Hussein was stockpiling weapons of mass destruction. "This body rushed into a war," said Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, a Democrat who has pushed for years to repeal the powers. The war has had "massive consequences," Kaine said. Senators voted 66-30 to repeal the 2002 measure and also the 1991 authorization that sanctioned the US-led Gulf War. If passed by the House, the repeal would not be expected to affect any current military deployments. But lawmakers in both parties are increasingly seeking to claw back congressional powers over US military strikes and deployments, and some lawmakers who voted for the Iraq War two decades ago now say that was a mistake. "Americans want to see an end to endless Middle East wars," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, adding that passing the repeal "is a necessary step to putting these bitter conflicts squarely behind us." Supporters, including almost 20 Republican senators, say the repeal is crucial to prevent future abuses and to reinforce that Iraq is now a strategic partner of the United States. Opponents say the repeal could project weakness as the US still faces conflict in the Middle East. "Our terrorist enemies arent sunsetting their war against us," said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who is at home recovering from a fall earlier this month and missed the vote. "When we deploy our servicemembers in harms way, we need to supply them with all the support and legal authorities that we can." The repeals future is less certain in the House, where 49 Republicans joined with Democrats in supporting a similar bill two years ago. 2,500 troops remain President Donald Trumps administration cited the 2002 Iraq war resolution as part of its legal justification for a 2020 US drone strike that killed Iranian General Qassim Soleimani, but the two war powers resolutions have otherwise rarely been used as the basis for any presidential action. About 2,500 US troops remain in Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi government and assist and advise local forces. A separate 2001 authorization for the global war on terror would remain in place under the bill, which President Joe Biden has said he will support. Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Biden sets up clash with Republicans on US budget Ajouter a vos selections Ajouter a vos selections Pour ajouter larticle a vos selections identifiez-vous Sinscrire gratuitement Se connecter Vous possedez deja un compte ? The October 2002 votes to give Bush broad authority for the Iraq invasion were a defining moment for many members of Congress as the country debated whether a military strike was warranted. The US was already at war then in Afghanistan, the country that hosted the al-Qaida plotters responsible for the September 11, 2001, attacks, something Iraq played no part in. The Bush administration had drummed up support among members of Congress and the American public for invading Iraq by promoting what turned out to be false intelligence alleging Saddam had weapons of mass destruction. After the initial March 2003 invasion, American ground forces quickly discovered that the allegations of nuclear or chemical weapons programs were baseless. Some GOP senators opposing the repeal, including McConnell, have raised concerns about recent attacks against US troops in Syria. A drone strike last week killed an American contractor and wounded five troops and another contractor, then a rocket attack wounded another service member. Iranian-backed militants are believed responsible for the attacks. Biden and his administration have argued that the repeal would not affect any response to Iran. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, both said at a Senate hearing last week that American troops are authorized to protect themselves and respond to attacks, including under Article 2 of the Constitution, which gives the president the authority to protect troops. Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Trump steps up verbal outbursts as judicial pressure mounts Ajouter a vos selections Ajouter a vos selections Pour ajouter larticle a vos selections identifiez-vous Sinscrire gratuitement Se connecter Vous possedez deja un compte ? The pushback from McConnell comes amid a growing rift in the Republican Party on the US role in the Middle East, with some echoing Trumps "America First" message to argue against military intervention abroad. Other Republicans are concerned Congress is giving too much leeway to the president in matters of war. Le Monde with AP Alexei Moskalev sits in a courtroom in Yefremov, Tula region, some 300 kilometers (186 miles) south of Moscow, Russia, Monday, March 27, 2023. AP A Russian father, who was separated from his daughter over a Ukraine-themed school drawing, was detained in Belarus after fleeing house arrest in Russia, Belarusian authorities said on Thursday, March 30. Alexei Moskalev, a 54-year-old single father from the town of Yefremov south of Moscow, fled house arrest this week just before a court handed him a two-year sentence for "discrediting" the Russian army. "Moskalev has been detained... following a request from Russian police" and is currently being held in Belarus, a spokeswoman for the Belarusian interior ministry was cited as saying by Russian news agencies. Moskalev first came to the authorities' attention last year after his daughter Maria, now 13, drew a picture at school showing missiles next to a Russian flag heading towards a woman and child standing by a Ukrainian flag. Her headmistress contacted the police. A criminal case was later opened against the father for allegedly criticizing Russia's assault on Ukraine on social media. On Tuesday, he was sentenced to two years in prison for "discrediting" the Russian army. Moskalev was not present in the courtroom, having fled house arrest before the sentencing. Daughter placed in 'rehabilitation center' for minors Since early March Moskalev has been separated from his daughter as punishment for his criticism of Kremlin policies, a first in modern Russia, experts say. Maria was taken away from him and placed in a local "rehabilitation center" for minors, with the pair denied contact. The case has garnered national attention, as Moscow cracks down on criticism of the offensive in Ukraine. Moskalev's lawyer Vladimir Biliyenko has said it is now "difficult to predict" what will happen to Maria. MMoskalevis at risk of losing parental rights in a separate trial set to begin on April 6. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has defended Moskalev's sentencing, describing the father's parenting as "deplorable." But in a letter published on social media Maria called her father "the bravest person in the world." Russia's top human rights organization Memorial, which has been outlawed by the authorities, said it considered Moskalev a "political prisoner". Memorial said that his case was "an attempt to intimidate all opponents" of the conflict. Le Monde with AFP Jair Bolsonaro, former President of Brazil, arrives to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at Gaylord National Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, US, March 4, 2023. EVELYN HOCKSTEIN / REUTERS Former President Jair Bolsonaro arrived back in Brazil on Thursday, March 30, after a three-month stay in Florida, seeking a new role on the political scene as authorities in the capital braced for the far-right populists return. Bolsonaro left Brazil just before the end of his presidential term. In so doing, he broke with tradition by declining to hand the presidential sash to his successor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who won the October election with the narrowest finish since Brazils return to democracy over three decades earlier. Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes In Brazil, the embarrassing affair of Jair Bolsonaro's jewels Ajouter a vos selections Ajouter a vos selections Pour ajouter larticle a vos selections identifiez-vous Sinscrire gratuitement Se connecter Vous possedez deja un compte ? While in the US, Bolsonaro mostly kept a low profile, although he delivered several speeches to Brazilian ex-pats and conservatives, including at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland. For the first time in 30 years, the lawmaker-turned-president does not hold elected office. "Im without a mandate, but Im not retired," Bolsonaro told television network Jovem Pan on Monday. The Federal District's security secretariat mobilized hundreds of police officers and the Esplanade of Ministries was closed to prevent gatherings of Bolsonaro's supporters. A horde of his supporters stormed and ransacked the capital's most important government buildings on January 8, one week after Lula took office, seeking to oust the new president from power. Le Monde with AP Outside the immigration detention center where 39 migrants died during a fire, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on March 29, 2023. HERIKA MARTINEZ / AFP The prosecutor for human rights of Mexico, Sara Irene Herrerias Guerra, declared on Wednesday, March 29, an investigation was opened for the crime of homicide and damage to property, at a Mexican migrant detention center across the border from El Paso, Texas, where a fire killed 39 detained men. Mexican authorities added that eight employees are being investigated, seeking at least four arrest warrants including one for a migrant who was part of what they described as "a small group that started the fire." The authorities appeared to place blame for the deaths in the fire that happened late Monday largely on private, subcontracted security guards at the detention center in Ciudad Juarez. The video showed guards hurrying away from the smoky fire apparently without trying to free detainees. Five of those under investigation for possible misconduct are private security guards, two are federal immigration agents and one is a Chihuahua state officer, federal public safety secretary Rosa Icela Rodriguez declared. Anger and frustration The investigation has centered on the fact that guards appeared to make no effort to release the men almost all from Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela and El Salvador before smoke filled the room in a matter of seconds. The deaths caused frustration and may have played a role in a mass march late Wednesday afternoon by hundreds of migrants, who began walking toward a US border crossing in the belief that American authorities would let them through. Adding to the anger over the deaths was the pent-up frustration of migrants who have spent weeks trying to make appointments on a US cellphone app to file asylum claims. As the rumor spread that they might be let into the US, several hundred of the migrants crossed the shallow Rio Grande from Mexico toward the state of Texas and approached a gate in the border fence that separates El Paso and Ciudad Juarez. International call for 'thorough investigation' Smoke began billowing out of the migrant detention center late Monday after a group of detained migrants set fire to foam mattresses, to protest what they thought were plans to move or deport them, as shown on leaked surveillance video. In the video which was later confirmed by the government two people dressed as guards rush into the camera frame, by the metal gate of the cell. But the guards don't appear to make any effort to open its doors and instead, hurry away as billowing clouds of smoke fill the structure within seconds. It was unclear if the two guards actually had the keys, but authorities suggested Wednesday that they should have gotten it or broken the lock a highly difficult task, given the quick spread of smoke. Ciudad Juarez mayor Cruz Perez Cuellar told the Associated Press on Wednesday his office had not received any report of rights abuses of migrants in detention facilities. He insisted that his government shared no responsibility for what happened. "It's a terrible tragedy that pains all of us. We are grieving," he said, adding that authorities should "come down with the full weight of the law on those responsible the people that for instance, didnt open the doors for the migrants." US authorities have offered to help treat some of the nearly 30 people who are hospitalized in critical or serious condition, most apparently from smoke inhalation. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a "thorough investigation" into the fire. Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Biden administration rolls out new asylum restrictions at US border Ajouter a vos selections Ajouter a vos selections Pour ajouter larticle a vos selections identifiez-vous Sinscrire gratuitement Se connecter Vous possedez deja un compte ? Le Monde with AP US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu at a press conference in Ankara on February 20, 2023. ADEM ALTAN / AFP "An extraordinarily big tent" is how a White House official described the second Summit for Democracy, held partly online on March 29 and 30. The previous one was in December 2021, fulfilling a campaign pledge by President Joe Biden. Since then, the war in Ukraine has allowed Western allies to regroup and close ranks, proclaiming the strength of their liberal values and international law, challenged by countries like China, Russia and Iran. But this dividing line is not always clear-cut. Turkey demonstrates that there are (to say the least) some very vexing allies. Once again, it has not been invited to this "tent" of democracy. Just reading the State Department's recently released annual report on human rights around the world is enough to justify this decision. The pages the department devotes to Turkey are as factual as they are harsh: surveillance, an unfair justice system, arbitrary arrests, disappearances, torture and assassinations, often under the guise of the fight against terrorism. It's a gloomy picture, although hardly reflected publicly in America's strategy toward Ankara. "The failure to invite Turkey to the summit has more to do with geopolitics and the country's declining weight in American diplomatic strategy than with human rights and democracy," judged Gonul Tol, director of the Turkish Studies Center at the Middle East Institute. "American interest in the Middle East has declined, and Erdogan is pursuing a policy that is too unpredictable." Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes The Turkish campaign poster that lays into the Erdogan years Ajouter a vos selections Ajouter a vos selections Pour ajouter larticle a vos selections identifiez-vous Sinscrire gratuitement Se connecter Vous possedez deja un compte ? Normalization of relations with Syria The United States is gritting its diplomatic teeth in its dealings with Turkey. This reflects a frustration that has been growing for years with this NATO ally. It is indispensable for the alliance's southern flank but has interests in common with regimes of all kinds. This ally does not deliver on all the guarantees that should go with this label, blocking the accession of Sweden (and until recently Finland) to NATO and serving as a hub for Russia to circumvent a good part of Western sanctions. Again, Ankara continues to denounce American support for the Syrian Kurdish fighters (YPG) linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) who it wants to prevent from consolidating an autonomous zone in the north of the country. Erdogan is engaged in a bilateral normalization effort with his Syrian counterpart Bashar Al-Assad, with Russian mediation. Another reason for Washington to be annoyed. Biden and Erdogan met in mid-November 2022 on the sidelines of the G20 summit. On January 18, Secretary of State Antony Blinken received his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu. On March 14, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan hosted his counterpart Ibrahim Kalin for discussions on the extension of the Ukrainian grain export agreement. These are official contacts, but since Biden took office, the administration has put off, as much as possible, a frank public exchange. You have 61.67% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. The Maritime Security Belt 2023 naval exercise held by Russia, China and Iran in the Gulf of Oman contributed to bolstering security in the region, Chinese Defense Ministry Spokesman Tan Kefei said on Thursday, Tass informs. March 30, 2023, 16:58 Russian, Chinese, Iranian drills contribute to regional security Chinas top brass STEPANAKERT, MARCH 30, ARTSAKHPRESS: "These drills enhanced the capabilities of the naval forces of China, Iran and Russia to jointly fulfill various military tasks at sea, further strengthened traditional friendship and cooperation, contributed to the protection of maritime security as well as peace and stability in the region," the Defense Ministrys statement on the WeChat social network quoted him as saying. According to the spokesman, the exercise was held from March 15 to 19. In all, 12 ships participated in training in aerial search operations, sea rescue, naval parade order as well as performing a number of other tasks as part of the drills. THE HIGH Court has ordered Limerick City and County Council not to sell a house it acquired compulsorily last summer, pending the conclusion of a legal challenge. The former owner of a detached property at Foxhall West, Colmanswell, was granted permission to initiate judicial review proceedings. The former owner, represented by Liam Carroll BL instructed by solicitor Daniel Krieth, is seeking to have his former home returned to his ownership and the vesting order quashed. Following an ex parte application (one side only) last Thursday in the High Court, Mr Justice Charles Meenan imposed a temporary injunction ahead of the matter appearing in court again after Easter. The property was entered on the Derelict Sites Register in March 2020. The council subsequently acquired the property compulsorily. At the February meeting of Cappamore-Kilmallock Municipal District, the council was accused of evicting the elderly man from his house and leaving him without his home. A council employee said the process was completed fully in line with the legislation and it is the owners responsibility to deal with dereliction. The meeting heard that the former owner of the house became very, very ill around four years ago and left the property to stay with a relative. The meeting also heard that the man was unaware of the councils proceedings. A potential purchaser had agreed to buy the house for 45,000, intending to refurbish the house and occupy it. The disposal of the property was deferred again - it had been deferred from the January meeting after Cllr PJ Carey objected to the disposal of property - to allow for legal correspondence between the former owners barrister and council. At the March municipal district meeting last Thursday, director of transport and mobility Brian Kennedy gave councillors an update. Mr Kennedy said the council has received legal correspondence on behalf of the former owner. He said there has been a number of interactions between the parties. The potential purchaser has pulled out due to the negative publicity, said Mr Kennedy, who described this as disappointing with regard to the councils endeavours to tackle dereliction. The property has been put up for sale, he said. Cllr Carey began reading out a statement in relation to the judicial review proceedings which occurred in the previous couple of hours, but was halted by Cathaoirleach John Egan. It is gone to law. It is out of our hands, Cllr Egan. Cllr Carey, Clrr Eddie Ryan and Cllr Ger Mitchell all objected to this, saying Cllr Carey should be allowed to read out his statement. You didnt stop Brian (Kennedy) talking. It is very unfair and unbalanced, said Cllr Eddie Ryan. Cllr Egan said it was on the agenda for an update. Cllr Mitchell said: He (Cllr Carey) is entitled to make a statement. Cllr Eddie Ryan said: The council sold a house out from under a man for 45,000. Speaking to the Limerick Leader after the meeting, Cllr Carey said: I was disappointed that I was prevented from reading out the statement. I just wished to inform the meeting that the High Court had granted a temporary injunction earlier that day. The constituents that I represent have a right to know about the councils actions and specifically that it is using the Derelict Sites Act to compulsorily acquire the privately-owned homes of normal people. "I also believe it is important that the public should know about this behaviour by the council and should know that the High Court has seen fit to intervene to prevent the sale of this property in Colmanswell, he continued. While the case in question will be heard in full by the High Court in due course, Cllr Carey said it was his opinion that the council is acting with disregard for ordinary people who are entitled to own private property without it being taken out from under them. Cllr Carey said the Derelict Sites Act is legislation that gives the local authority powers which they should be using with the extremist caution and only in appropriate cases. I have been made aware of further examples of the councils use of this legislation and I will be assisting these constituents to ensure their rights are not infringed, concluded Cllr Carey. A MOTION has been passed in the Seanad calling on Rehab to honour a long-standing redundancy agreement' in relation to 38 former staff at Rehab Enterprises who were made redundant two years ago. Limerick-based Sinn Fein Senator Paul Gavan says many of the workers are heartbroken given how they have been treated. Last week, he submitted a motion calling on the Rehab Group to honour the redundancy agreement which was reached with SIPTU. The motion was seconded by Senator Lynn Boylan and passed without a vote. The Limerick workers who were made redundant by Rehab Enterprises in Raheen in 2021, have not yet received their agreed redundancy packages. A protest organised by the trade union SIPTU took place outside of RehabCare offices at Parnell Street in Limerick city centre last week, where Senator Paul Gavan addressed the protestors himself. He said: A motion lodged by Sinn Fein received the support of the entire Seanad. It calls on management to implement the recommendation made by the Labour Court and honour the redundancy agreement that Rehab has with SIPTU. Adding that the dispute beggars belief, Senator Gavan continued by stating the refusal to pay workers by a company that receives millions in state funding each year, means that there is simply no excuse for lack of payment. I hope the united voice of the Seanad will bring further pressure to bear on Rehab to finally do the right thing. These workers gave many years of loyal service to Rehab, decades in some cases, and yet here they are two years on still waiting for their full redundancy in line with the union agreement, said Senator Gavan. The dispute previously went before the Labour Court, as the Rehab Group claimed it was not able to pay the additional 900,000 required to pay staff - some who had spent 25 years working with the organisation. Senator Gavan concluded by saying: Both Maurice (Quinlivan) and I are proud members of the SIPTU trade union and we will support this campaign until justice is delivered for these workers. SIPTU members, formerly employed by the Rehab Group in Limerick, delivered a letter into the office of Minister of State Kieran ODonnell, to demand action to ensure they are paid their outstanding entitlements. The latest protest, on March 22, was the second in a SIPTU campaign seeking justice for the former RehabCare workers, following a demonstration outside the organisations headquarters in Dublin in February. SIPTU Organiser, Robbie Purfield, said: Many of the 38 workers involved live with a disability and others have particular occupational needs. They expect Rehab Group to honour its obligations as a matter of urgency and pay them their outstanding redundancy entitlements in full. A LIMERICK man was the victim of an assault and was hit over the head with a weapon on the streets of Barcelona whilst visiting his girlfriend who lives in the city. Ryan ORourke from Abbeyfeale and a former reporter with the Limerick Leader was spending some time in the Spanish city when he was attacked by an assailant who was allegedly wielding a weapon. Mr ORourke said two nights before the incident happened two men tried to mug him and tried to get away with his wallet. It was approximately 11pm two nights later, when Mr ORourke was walking home. A girl was pointing over at a group of people and when I turned my head around I got a whack into the head, Mr ORourke said. He told the Limerick Leader he isnt entirely sure if the assailant used a closed fist or a weapon at the time of the assault. A few individuals got involved in the incident and the local police were called. The police were very quick and the ambulance crew were amazing, he said. According to Mr ORourke, the hospital service was remarkable. I was brought in, seen, stitched, treated, and had two CT scans, blood tests were done and I was discharged all within six hours. Mr ORourke says he is lucky to be alive following the assault. If the attack happened in Ireland I dont think Id be here right now given our current hospital service. I was telling the first responders how long it takes for an ambulance to arrive in Limerick and they said if it happened at home Id likely be dead. We have a higher GDP than Spain, and the population of Barcelona is so much higher than Limerick yet I was seen by a doctor within such a short space of time following the incident. Thats unheard of in Ireland, he added. One of Mr ORourkes final memories before blacking out following the incident was of a police officer holding the weapon which was used in the assault above him before he was taken to the hospital. Following on from the incident, Mr ORourke says he still has the worst headaches of his life. It feels like my skull is split in two. This is the worst injury in terms of pain Ive had in my life. He also says he is currently having bad memory issues where he cant remember where he is or what he has just done. Words sometimes are getting lost on me. Ill have a word in my head and I wont be able to think of it. It wont be an elaborate word it would be something simple like flowerpot, he said. The last thing Mr ORourke wants is to give Barcelona a bad name as he believes 99% of the people in the area he is in are fantastic. I might be in an area that is considered rough but I walk down the street now and I have every single neighbour ask me how am I doing. My local corner store keeper is checking up on me if he sees me in the street. Crimes like this happen and a disadvantaged area is given a bad name. There are going to be crimes like this in any area so dont ever let it put you off from going to those areas. Don't let one bad incident shed a bad light on an area. It should be up to our governments to make sure these disadvantaged areas are looked after, he mentioned. Mr O'Rourke says he was unable to attend the recent Snoop Dogg concert in the 3 Arena in Dublin as he has remained in Spain since the assault. I was meant to see him for the first time in my life, my middle name is Snoop because my dad was at his concert around the time I was born. I've been waiting all my life to see him but I wasn't allowed to travel due to the head injury, he said. Cathal Doherty discusses the negative impacts of smoking and gives an insight into his own quitting experience FOR YEARS it was a crutch, a way of disconnecting from the world for five minutes - a kind of meditation. Wake up in the morning - stressed - open the box of Amber Leaf that never strayed too far from my bed, and make a cup of coffee. I have just passed the four-week mark since I smoked my last cigarette meaning I am five times more likely to quit for good according to the HSE. For the last number of years, I have been acutely environmentally conscious, the majority of the people on this planet are at this stage due to seeing strange weather patterns, forest fires in Australia, and Los Angeles, storms, and hurricanes, all growing more frequent and intense. What rarely crossed my mind until the end was how cigarettes impact the environment. If theyre not good for me, then they sure as God are not good for the environment. It appears to be a conversation that slips peoples minds. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) the tobacco industry costs the world 600 million trees, 200,000 hectares of land, 22 billion tonnes of water and 84 million tonnes of CO2 while also claiming 8 million human lives every single year. The statistics above mean the amount of water used by the tobacco industry is approximately over three times the amount of water that is discharged from the River Shannon each year assuming the River Shannon discharges on average over 200,000 litres per second. Approximately 200,000 hectares of land is equal to 2,000 km squared, County Limerick has a total land area of 2,756 km squared. The impact of tobacco on our environment happens at all stages of a cigarette's life from planting and cultivation of tobacco to even after the cigarette butt has been disposed of. The negative impacts caused by each of these stages include the use of trees and water. It also causes the release of pollutants into the atmosphere by manufacturing and smoking cigarettes. Cigarette butts, when incorrectly disposed of, such as on the street which is common, can pollute the local water supply, rivers and marine life. Its not just cigarettes, however. The growing use of vapes and more specifically, disposable vapes are also causing serious harm to the environment. These devices contain metals, plastics and batteries, classified as toxic hazardous waste, whether they are disposed of correctly in a bin or not. The production and consumption of cigarettes contribute massively to global warming due to the high amount of carbon dioxide dispelled into the atmosphere from the manufacturing and smoking of each cigarette. There are also approximately 2 million tonnes of packaging waste disposed of from cigarettes each year, a weight of 9433 freight trains according to WHO. Tobacco also requires up to eight times the amount of water that tomatoes or potatoes require. According to WHO for each kilogram of tobacco not produced, the potable water needs for one person can be met for an entire year. The scarier statistic is that the amount of water used and or wasted on tobacco is likely an underestimate. Cigarette butts are estimated to be able to pollute anywhere from 30 to 1,000 litres. If only 25% of cigarette butts (of 4 trillion) make it into water supplies and it is assumed that 200 litres of water is polluted by a single cigarette then you can add 200 billion tonnes of water wasted due to tobacco (200 trillion litres) per year. Roughly one tree is needed to make 300 cigarettes. The tobacco industry accounts for approximately 5% of deforestation globally. Cigarettes also contain three greenhouse gasses (carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxides). Tobacco smoke produces higher particulate matter pollution than diesel exhaust. All of the information above shows just how hazardous cigarettes are not just for the person smoking them but to the people around them and the planet itself. To help tackle the negative impact of tobacco on the environment, conversations need to take place. People need to be educated on how tobacco impacts the environment and encouraged to quit smoking. As a former smoker, the hardest part of quitting is deciding when to quit. For more Green news, follow the EcoLive section of our website LimerickLive.ie YOU CAN win a free pop-up shop in Limerick city for the summer, as a retail unit on Roches Street is being transformed into a neighbourhood lifestyle pop-up store. Existing retailers looking to upgrade, sole traders or new small businesses considering taking the next step and taking to the shop floor are welcome to enter a competition, which will give them this opportunity to trade for six months. Launched by Champion Green this week, the prize is worth over 30,000, to include rent as well as marketing supports from An Post and Champion Green. The shopping destination will showcase up to five local fledgling businesses, invited to trade there from the beginning of June or July until the end of the year. Welcoming the boost to local small businesses, Cecilia Larkin, Senior Executive Officer at Limerick City and County Council, says the step-up from creating a great product to actually investing in your own retail premises can be a daunting and challenging move. Ms Larkin said: The Limerick pop-up is a super risk-free opportunity for anyone looking to test the retail market, or to expand into a city centre retail space to capitalise on the busy summer trade. The city has a vibrant retail scene already, and adding new talent and creatives into the mix via this Champion Green initiative will give shoppers even more reason to head into town now. Champion Green is a national movement by government, industry, business, and the public, to inspire people to support local, to do business locally, and to source local products and services. The six-month pop-up shop on Roches Street has been provided by the Limerick native and property landlord, Ann Clogan. As a third-generation family in retail in Limerick, Ann Clogan says it is satisfying to see other business people set out on the path to success: Retail is the life-blood of cities and communities, and while it is a challenging sector to work in, serving customers in person and bringing them great brands and products to choose from, is always satisfying. I would encourage anyone with their own small business to enter the Champion Green competition and, hopefully, take their own leap into retail in Limerick. The shared 75sqm pop-up shop will also have free parcel-sending for one year within Ireland from An Post Commerce, to support online retailing. The Limerick Pop-Up will also benefit from a free direct mail campaign with a combined An Post prize valued at 10,000. We are proud to encourage local online and instore retail with our range of parcel solutions and affordable direct-mail marketing, right to shoppers' front doors, Julie Gill, Commercial Marketing Director at An Post, said at the Limerick Pop-Up competition launch. A video or worded submission on the business proposition is required, with applications closing at midnight on Monday April 10. Up to 10 shortlisted finalists will attend an in-person interview or zoom video call with the judging panel, taking place in mid-April. SHANNON Airport has received 4.6 million in government funding. Almost 17 million in exchequer funding for regional airports was announced by Jack Chambers TD., Minister of State at the Department of Transport in Shannon on Thursday. Commenting on the funding announcement for Shannon, Mary Considine, CEO of The Shannon Airport Group said, "We warmly welcome todays announcement by Minister Chambers of capital funding of over 4.6 million under the Regional Airports Programme. "This demonstrates the Government's commitment to supporting the regions connectivity and the broader economic benefits this brings to the region. "The capital funding announced today will support the ongoing programme of replacement of our passenger airbridges, essential airfield rehabilitation works and other projects as we continue to rebuild post-Covid." Shannon Airport plays a crucial economic role across the West of Ireland, with their most recent Economic Impact Assessment calculating that the airport generates close to 1 billion annually to the economy and supports approximately 13,695 jobs. Speaking at Shannon Airport, Minister Chambers commented: "I am pleased to be back in Shannon Airport today. Shannon Airport is the States third busiest airport, welcoming over 1.5 million passengers last year, which represents an 88% recovery on 2019 passenger traffic. "I am delighted to hear that the airport is well on track for another busy year in 2023. Already this year, the number of passengers travelling through Shannon Airport during January and February were up by 21% and 17% respectively compared to the same periods in 2019. "This demonstrates the effective delivery of services, by the dedicated staff and management team who deliver for passengers on a daily basis, in meeting the extremely strong demand for international travel." THE SOD has been turned on a new 60m Uisce Eireann facility which will create 90 jobs in Limerick. Minister of State Kieran ODonnell turned the sod on the new state-of-the-art National Laboratory project in Ballysimon on Thursday. The new Laboratory and Scientific and Technical Service will deliver many benefits including improving water quality data, regulatory compliance, increased transparency for the public and economic growth. The new 3,800 square metre facility will have the capacity to analyse 1.2 million water and wastewater tests annually with operations expected to commence in 2025. It will build on the established capability and expertise nationally in the testing and sampling of water quality. The National Laboratory will support the delivery of water and wastewater services across Ireland and protect public health and the environment through regulatory and operational compliance. At the event, Minister for State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, with Responsibility for Local Government and Planning, Kieran ODonnell TD said: "I am delighted to be here today to officially turn the sod and mark the commencement of construction. "Uisce Eireann is investing in the region of 60 million through this programme which will deliver the first dedicated National Water Laboratory for Ireland. "The location of this National Laboratory in Limerick City will enable Uisce Eireann to contribute to balancing economic growth across Ireland while creating high-quality technical career opportunities outside of Dublin. "I would like to commend all those involved in bringing the project to this important milestone and I would like to wish the project team well as they progress with this centre of excellence." Mayor of the City and County of Limerick, Cllr Francis Foley, welcomed the significant investment in Limerick and the wider region. "At a regional level, this National Laboratory will generate high skilled employment opportunities, attracting graduates and experienced professionals to Limerick and the region, while from a national perspective it will support Irelands need to continue to function as a growing economy." A new bill to improve workers' rights, including flexible working arrangements for parents and carers and a right to request remote work, has been passed by the Oireachtas. Minister Roderic OGorman has today welcomed the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022 passing all Stages in the Oireachtas. The Bill provides for the introduction of new rights for employees to support a better balance of family life, work life and caring responsibilities. The Bill also seeks to support those who are victims of domestic violence through the introduction of a statutory paid leave entitlement of five days. The Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022 introduces: - 5 days unpaid leave for medical care purposes for parents of children under 12, and carers - 5 days paid leave for victims of domestic violence - The right to request flexible working for parents and carers - The right to request remote working for all employees - 2 years breastfeeding breaks Minister OGorman said: The Work Life Balance Bill represents a significant advance in workers rights in Ireland. It recognises the importance of family life and an improved quality of life for all workers, by supporting employees to achieve a better balance between their home lives and work lives. The passing of this Bill introduces a statutory entitlement to carers leave, the right to request flexible and remote working, and makes breastfeeding breaks a reality for women returning to work from maternity leave. The introduction of domestic violence leave under this Bill is particularly important. Ireland is one of the first countries to introduce statutory domestic violence leave and I believe that this will make a real and meaningful difference for victims of domestic violence. Crucially, it will support those who are victims of domestic violence to leave abusive relationships. This leave was an important commitment in the Programme for Government and I hope it will lead to greater awareness of domestic violence in all its forms. The Bill will now go to President Michael D Higgins to be signed into law. Reverie Language Technologies, a leader in Indian language localisation and AI driven user engagement solutions has appointed Mr. Anurag Saxena as its new Chief Business Officer (CBO). Reverie is a subsidiary of Reliance Jio Platforms Limited. In the last 13 years Reverie has worked with over 140 customers in 14+ industry verticals like Banking, Financial Services, e-commerce, automotive and government to citizen services. As the new CBO, Anurag will be responsible for driving a more broad-based strategy for Reveries business growth across government and enterprise and creation of a robust partner led eco-system as well. Announcing Anurag Saxenas appointment, Arvind Pani, Co-Founder and CEO, Reverie Language Technologies said, "Backed by Anurags hands-on experience in building and executing high impact projects for the betterment and inclusivity for our citizens, we are delighted to have him join our mission to "Build Language Equality on the Internet." Anurag comes with a very unique experience that combines consulting, products and sales. With his belief in Reverie's purpose, I am confident about the business outcomes we can achieve and garner the impact we are capable of making." On spearheading Reveries growth strategy, Anurag commented, "India has already laid a very strong digital foundation; There is a significant opportunity to accelerate Digital adoption and expand the addressable market by creating digital solutions in local languages. Democratising the internet for India is core to Reveries mission and it would be my attempt to accelerate the same by enhancing Reveries footprint both for government and enterprise business." Prior to joining Reverie, Anurag has worked with organisations like Ernst & Young, Deloitte, SAP, NEC Corporation, HCL Technologies and IQVIA Consulting in senior roles. He has had a multidisciplinary career of 17 years across Management Consulting, Products and Solutions businesses in the Government & Public Sector, Healthcare, Public Safety, BFSI, Technology, Media and Telecom. About Reverie Language Technologies Limited Reverie Language Technologies is a mission-first company, striving to drive Language Equality on the Internet." Empowering businesses and governments through Reveries proprietary language technologies for text, voice, and video, encompassing the digital customer touchpoints. Backed by AI driven technologies like machine translation, speech-to-text, text-to-speech conversions, search and discovery, Indic fonts, Reverie enables customer acquisition and engagement through digital assets like websites, applications (mobile/web), chatbot localisation and IVR automation. Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same. With the retail industry increasing its reliance on technology to meet user requirements, e-commerce businesses are looking for flexible, cost-effective solutions to manage their operations. SaaS platforms offer scalability and agility to help businesses streamline their processes and stay ahead of the competition. Building on its success in India, Unicommerce, one of India's leading e-commerce enablement SaaS platforms, has expanded its services to the Middle East and Southeast Asia to support the growing demand for e-commerce in these regions. Unicommerce is now powering e-commerce operations in six countries, including UAE, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, and Malaysia with 30 clients across SEA and Middle East and processing 4.5 million sale order items annually as of February 2023. Unicommerce's sector-agnostic platform is being used by leading brands such as RSA Global, Payo Asia, Edamama, Airspeed, Locad, Yalla Baby, Blitz Logistics, Vidiwell, among others. Unicommerce is targeting D2C brands and retail companies in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines. These are emerging e-commerce markets with immense e-commerce growth potential. REDTAG, a top fashion retail brand in the GCC, used Unicommerce's order management platform to automate and streamline their warehouse process and improve dispatch time for their online orders. The platform allowed them to process orders to stores closest to their customers, resulting in higher customer satisfaction. The system was well integrated with REDTAG's existing ERPs and Warehouse Management System at four warehouses in KSA. The platform also enabled customizable e-invoicing for KSA customers, along with Arabic language support for invoices and shipping labels. Similarly, Edamama is an e-commerce platform based in the Philippines that caters exclusively to mothers and their children. The brand deployed Unicommerce's seller management panel to improve their order fulfillment and shipping processes, resulting in faster deliveries. Unicommerce quickly deployed its solution and incorporated customizable features to enhance the customer experience. With its robust product infrastructure, Edamama was able to manage operations for over 400 registered vendors and 1000+ brands and dispatch tens of thousands of items per month, achieving an order fulfillment rate of over 99.99%. With over a decade of experience in the industry, Unicommerce has worked with some of the leading brands in India and understands the range of challenges businesses face in their growth journey. Its platform has an easy-to-use interface and scalable infrastructure to support businesses across geographies. Unicommerce's ability to integrate with local marketplaces, payment gateways, shipping providers, ERPs, POS, and accounting software sets it apart from competitors. Unicommerce's integrated suite of post-purchase technology platforms includes order management, inventory management, warehouse management, and omnichannel operations for businesses of all sizes and sectors. The companys expansion plans are fueled by its experience in deploying its robust technology solutions and working closely with clients to help streamline their operations and increase efficiency. In addition to improving efficiency, Unicommerce's platform offers real-time inventory and order visibility across multiple warehouses and stores, enabling businesses to make better sourcing decisions and inventory planning. The solution also provides comprehensive reporting and analysis to help businesses monitor their performance and identify areas for improvement. According to the article on McKinsey Digital Sentiment Survey published in January 2023, consumers in the Middle East interact with marketplaces at a rate similar to that of Asia but 1.7 times higher than that of developed markets in Europe and North America. Additionally, one in four users in the Middle East prefers alternative channels, such as social media, call centers, or instant messaging, over a provider's website or apps. Another article by McKinsey published in December 2022, stated that the Southeast Asian e-commerce market will triple at a compound growth rate of 22 percent and reach around $230 billion in gross merchandise volume by 2026. Unicommerce's expansion into the international markets underpins its commitment to providing robust, scalable, and agile software solutions to meet the current and emerging needs of e-commerce players in India and select overseas markets. With its proven track record and comprehensive suite of applications, Unicommerce is working towards strengthening its international business by tapping the growth potential of the fast-growing e-commerce markets of the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Disclaimer: This article has been produced on behalf of the brand by HT Brand Studio. The UK has joined the trade group known as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), in what has been hailed a major Brexit victory. The UK will join forces with 11 other countries and gain access to a $10 trillion (8.1tn) market. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said joining the CTPPP demonstrated how the UK is able to take advantage of its post-Brexit freedoms to strike agreements that were not possible when it was in the EU. However, critics say the impact of joining CTPPP will be limited. Official estimates suggest it will add just 1.8 billion a year to the economy after 10 years, representing less than one per cent of UK GDP. What is the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership? Eleven countries have combined to make a group that enjoys a free trade agreement. The CPTPP covers virtually all sectors and aspects of trade, with its sole aim to reduce red tape, take down trade barriers, and facilitate trade business between member countries. Between them, the clubs constituents are home to around 500 million people and generate more than 13 per cent of the worlds income. When was the CPTPP formed? It was first founded in 2018, with the core members being Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, and Singapore. In 2019, Vietnam joined, as did Peru in 2021. Malaysia joined in 2022, while Chile signed up in February 2023. Why did the UK want to join the CPTPP? The UK Government wanted to seal a trade deal now it is outside the European Union. The Government has said joining CPTPP will add even more economic clout to this exciting and dynamic trade alliance and allow the country to grow financially while strengthening our bilateral trade relationships with Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore which total 32bn. Which countries are members of the CPTPP? The other members of the CPTPP are Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, Peru, and Vietnam. Adani Group executives met US investors, including from BlackRock Inc., Blackstone Inc. and Pacific Investment Management Co., as part of its plans to market privately placed bonds for some of its group companies, according to people familiar with the matter. The conglomerate led by billionaire Gautam Adani is aiming to raise up to $1 billion in two tranches this year via such a route, said the people, who declined to be named as they were not authorized to speak about it. An Adani Group spokesperson did not immediately comment when contacted by Bloomberg. A representative for Pimco declined to comment. Representatives for BlackRock and Blackstone did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The meetings were part of a global roadshow that reached US cities including New York, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco, as Adani seeks to reassure international investors that the ports-to-power empires finances are under control. As much as $153 billion in combined market value was erased from company stocks following a January short sellers report. Bloomberg first reported in February that Adani Group is considering offering privately placed bonds for at least three of its group companies. Documentation work is likely to begin in April with the group aiming to launch the first tranche by September, according to the people. The size of the first tranche could be about $450 million, they said. The privately placed debt papers would be long term tenors in the range of 10-20 years, the people said, adding that the coupon rate could be somewhere around the 8% area. Two of the group companies including Adani Transmission and Adani Green may sell those proposed bonds, the people said. The short seller report from Hindenburg Research alleged stock manipulation and accounting fraud. Adani has denied the accusations. New York-based First Republic Bank, catering to high-net-worth individuals, suffered the most amidst the banking systems turmoil which sparked after two banks failed in the US. Among the top 20 market value losers in North America and Europe, First Republic topped the chart with a decline of 89.9% between March 1st to 24th. Credit Suisse followed closely at the third spot with a drop of nearly 72% in market value. Major crypto lender Silvergate Capital Corp held the second spot with a decline of over 87% in market value. As per Global Data, a leading data and analytics company, First Republic experienced a staggering loss of $20.1 billion in a span of just 24 days, from 1 March to 24 March 2023. This financial setback has resulted in a drop in the banks market value to a mere $2.2 billion. Further, as per the data, Silvergate Capital Corp's market value dropped by 87.3% to $54.5 million as of March 24 compared to $428.3 million as of March 1st. Swiss lender Credit Suisse followed with a decline of 71.7% to $3.32 billion market value from $11.73 billion. Los Angeles-headquartered PacWest Bancorp recorded a drop of 65.9% in market value and failed Silicon Valley Bank's parent Silicon Financial Group saw a 62.5% dip. Murthy Grandhi, Company Profiles Analyst at GlobalData, said, The European banks withstood the meltdown in banking stocks fairly better following the news of the liquidation of Silvergate Bank on 8 March 2023, sanctions on Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) on 10 March 2023, and the closure of Signature Bank on 12 March 2023" The US banks were the hardest hit after SVB and Signature Bank became the second and third largest banks failure in the country since the 2008 financial crisis. Out of the top 20 banking stocks that lost their market value, 18 banks were from the US. The stock of First Republic Bank has dropped nearly 90% over the four weeks of March because of the bank accounting for large amounts of uninsured deposits exceeding the $250,000 FDIC limit, and subsequent high-volume withdrawals, the data said. To restore investors' confidence in the banking system and the economy, First Republic received a liquidity lifeline of $30 billion as uninsured deposits from major American lenders such as Bank of America, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Bank of New York Mellon, PNC Bank, State Street, Truist, and U.S. Bank. The support from Americas largest banks was to show confidence in First Republic and its ability to continue to provide unwavering exceptional service to its clients and communities. Similar was the case with Credit Suisse. The Swiss regulators led UBS and Credit Suisse in a merger agreement where the former will buy the embattled bank for CHF 3 billion. This mega deal was to restore the lost confidence in the Swiss economy and banking sector due to contagion fear. Also, the Swiss National Bank gave a liquidity boost to Credit Suisse by allowing the latter to borrow up to CHF 50 billion. In regards to Credit Suisse, Global Data said, it lost nearly 72% of its market value after the news that Saudi National Bank, the banks major shareholder, was unwilling to invest more due to regulatory rules. This ultimately resulted in its announced merger with UBS AG. For PacWest Bancorp's market drop, the data said it was due to the extensive media coverage of the regional banking crisis. PacWest also borrowed $10.5 billion from the discount window of the Federal Reserve, $3.5 billion from the Federal Home Loan Bank, and $2.1 billion from the Bank Term Funding Program. This program was established by the Federal Reserve in response to the collapse of Signature Bank and SVB. This was also done to strengthen liquidity as well. Global Data's Gandhi concluded that investors will witness a few more potential banking contagions because of the current dominance of emotion and sentiment in the banking sector. Deutsche Bank is in the spotlight due to spillover concerns, which led to a 200 bps increase in credit default swaps, the highest level since 2019. Jain Irrigation Systems Limited (JISL) said on Thursday announced that it has completed the merger of its international irrigation business with Rivulis Pte Ltd., a part of Temasek Group, to create a global irrigation and climate major. The merged entity will be a irrigation and climate leader - being 2nd largest in the world with $ 750 million in revenues, said Jain Irrigation in its regulatory filing. The corporate brand of the combined company will be Rivulis, in alliance with Jain International, said Jain Irrigation Systems. The deal will also considerably reduce the company's debt, according to a regulatory filing. All the regulatory approvals related to the merger of multiple overseas subsidiaries of JITBV have been received by both entities. The condition precedent required by Share Purchase Agreement entered into by Rivulis Pte. Ltd & Jain International Trading B.V, have been satisfied. Jain (Israel) B.V. (step down subsidiary of JITBV) shall hold a strategic minority stake of ~18.7% in Rivulis Pte. Ltd post merger," the filing noted. "This strategic alliance with Rivulis and partnership with Temasek has created a global leader in micro irrigation, with a strong geographic footprint and a comprehensive range of offerings. The MergeCo will lead the mass adoption of modern irrigation solutions and digital farming by growers and business partners globally through its focus on accessibility, innovation, and sustainability. We are now better equipped than ever to provide sustainable solutions to the critical challenges facing our planet, including food security and climate change," said Anil Jain, Managing Director of Jain Irrigation. The merger is expected to reduce the consolidated net debt of Jain Irrigation by 44 percent, i.e. 2,800 crore. By December 31, 2022, the company's debt was 6,415 crore, and post-transaction debt would be down to 3,615 crore, according to the filing. The company's scrip ended 11.22 per cent up at 32.82 on March 30, 2023. New Delhi: The local arm of South Korean electronics major Samsung is set to open 15 premium experience stores in nine markets as it sees demand for more premium mobile phones, refrigerators and washing machines in the countrys top cities. To be sure, Samsung already sells its products via a network of 1,700 brand shops that are Samsung stores operated by its franchise partners. These stores typically retail the brands entire product range. This is apart from selling its electronic items via large multi-brand electronic chains, small stores and e-commerce platforms. In 2018 it started opening large experience stores stocking its more premium products after the company reported greater demand for such electronics. Demand for premium smartphones and home appliances has grown post-covid prompting the company to expand its network of experience stores. Just about pre-covid we started seeing the purchasing power of consumers go up, from a lifestyle perspective and also from the tech perspective, consumer needs are evolving. As a result, we started seeing a radical shift towards premium products," Sumit Walia, Senior Director, D2C Business, Samsung India, said in an interview with Mint on Thursday. Sales of premium products at the companys network of 1,700 brand stores more than doubled between 2019 and 2021 as consumers upgraded to better appliances. Overall, consumers moved to buy large screen television, pricey smartphones and other devices as they spent more time indoors prompting higher usage of their electronic devices. Premium products typically include large capacity refrigerators, washing machines with advanced features or smartphones priced above 30,000, for instance. Pre-covid, we were seeing 3233% of goods sold via our brand shop that were premium. Cut to 2021-2022, this number doubled; from 3233% weve got nearly 60-65% customers looking for premium products in our brand shops," he said. We were actually not expecting such kind of acceleration on the premium sidepost covid lifestyles have changed, expectations of having home automation, more connected devices has increased," he added. Currently, Samsung operates two such stores in Indiain New Delhi and Bengaluru, respectively. New stores, that will be operated by the companys franchise partners, will come up in Mumbai, Pune, Chennai Ahmedabad and Chandigarh, among other cities by the end of this year. In January, Samsung India inaugurated its largest premium experience store in North India in Connaught Place, New Delhi. The experience store essentially showcases Samsungs complete product ecosystem through zones such as connected living, smartphones, audio, gaming, lifestyle screens and wearables, among others, showcasing its multi-device connectivity with SmartThings. The concept, Walia said, appeals to younger consumers and those looking to replace existing appliances. The store in Connaught Place, for instance, is spread over two floors, across 3,500 sq ft of space. The Connaught Place store opened after Samsung revamped the Samsung Opera House Bengaluru store; which now also houses a Starbucks coffee shop. Domestic brokerage firm HDFC Securities has retained its 'Buy' rating on specialty chemical manufacturer Aether Industries, with a target price of 1,121, implying a 24 per cent upside potential from its current levels. "We retain our BUY rating on Aether...on the back of capacity expansion-led growth, advanced R&D capabilities, technocratic management, market leading position in most of its products, strong product pipeline, and marquee customer base," the note said. Aether Industries has entered into a pact with Saudi Aramco Technologies Company to manufacture and commercialise the converge polyols technology and product line. Aether Industries has inked a letter of intent (LoI) with Saudi Aramco Technologies to this effect, according to a statement. The brokerage believes this engagement will lead to building up the required infrastructure by Aether, engagements with its customers, getting approvals and commercial production of the product in the subsequent years. With the addition of this contract with Saudi Aramco, Aether will increase its wallet share with the company. HDFC Securities said that Aether has the capabilities and expertise to retain its existing clients, increase their wallet share, and at the same time, bag new customers. With the tripling of its R&D infrastructure and capacity addition, Aether is well-positioned to get into many more such contracts. Saudi Aramco Technologies and Aether had previously developed and validated this manufacturing process on a pre-commercial scale, Aether Industries aims to generate revenue of 150-200 crore from this agreement. During the last few years, Aether has been working with Aramco on the CRAMS (Contract Research and Manufacturing Services) business model. Aether will take the same products from the CRAMS business model and commercialise and manufacture them under the Exclusive or Contract Manufacturing business model, the company added. Disclaimer: The views and recommendations made above are those of individual analysts or broking companies, and not of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. NEW DELHI : The Tata Group has completed the roll out of the employee share benefit scheme for Air India, by allocating 98 crore shares to the airlines permanent employees. These shares represent about 3% of the airlines equity. We received letters on 28 March regarding our share," an employee associated with the airline said. The company had launched the employee share benefit scheme in early this year in January 2023 for the permanent staff of Air India and Air India Express. At the time of its privatization, the airline had about 12,085 employees, of whom 8,084 were permanent employees. Air India is the third company from the Tata Group umbrella to offer stock option plan to the employees after Tata Motors and Tata Digital. Unlike the other two, Air Indias Esop scheme was decided as part of the divestment of the national carrier. Under the scheme, employees will have to pay 27 paisa plus taxes for a share and the book value has been set at 87 paisa per share value," another person aware of the development said. The scheme, which has offered around 3% of its equity share capital to the staff, has been implemented by SBI Caps Trustee Co. Ltd. The scheme had proposed that SBI Caps will first acquire the shares worth around 3% of equity share capital from Air Indias holding company Talace Private Ltd and would assign shares for each of the eligible employees. The scheme will allow employees to exercise redemption of the stock option once a year, the person said, adding that employees need to make payments within a year to exercise the stock option benefit. In accordance with the share purchase agreement signed as part of the disinvestment process, Air India has initiated the Employee Share Benefit Scheme for eligible employees who were in service with the airline on the date of privatisation," an Air India spokesperson said in response to Mints query. We will be working with the relevant employees to help them understand the long-term benefits and avail of the same." In Indian aviation landscape, the largest airline IndiGo has had such a scheme for its senior executives since its early days. On 23 March, the company board approved grant of 67,150 Performance Stock Units to Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers under InterGlobe Aviation Ltd - Employees Stock Option Scheme 2015. Low-cost carrier SpiceJet had also extended its employee stock ownership plan to several mid-level employees in 2022. Indias youngest airline Akasa Air has also stated that it plans to implement an employee stock ownership plan for its employees. Air India completed one year of privatization under the Tata Group on 27 January 2023. The company also made history this year by placing a massive order of 470 planes and option to buy another 370 aircraft. Recently, the airline implemented the second phase of voluntary retirement scheme, and is looking to bring its permanent employee count down by another 2,000. The airline has set aside 200 crore as part of the initiative, senior Air India executives had told Mint earlier. In June 2022, around 1,500 employees availed the first VRS offer under the new management, following the takeover of the national carrier by the Tatas. As India celebrated Ram Navami on Friday, incidents of clashes were reported from the state of West Bengal and other parts of India. The videos from the incidents doing rounds on social media and vehicles were also torched in the incident. West Bengal police carried out a flag march in Howrah after the ruckus. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took cognizance of the incident and alleged that goons have been hired to orchestrate communal riots in the state. "They have been hiring goons from outside the state to orchestrate communal riots. Nobody has stopped their processions but they do not have the right to march with swords and bulldozers. How did they get the audacity to do this in Howrah?" CM Mamata Banerjee said. "Those who were involved in today's violence will not be spared. I do not support riot mongers and consider them the enemy of the country. The BJP has always targeted Howrah. The other targets for them are Park Circus and Islampur. Everybody must be alert in their localities," she warned. #WATCH | West Bengal: Ruckus during 'Rama Navami' procession in Howrah; vehicles torched. Police personnel on the spot. pic.twitter.com/RFQDkPxW89 ANI (@ANI) March 30, 2023 Similar incidents were reported in other states like Gujarat and Maharashtra. In Gujarat, the police informed that the ruckus erupted as the Ram Navami procession reached a mosque and people started gathering on the spot. The additional commissioner of police said that no one was injured in the clash and a probe has been ordered. "We have deployed armed personnel from the regular police, crime branch, SOG, and State Reserve Police Force. As of now, there are no reports of anyone getting injured due to the stone pelting. We have ordered an inquiry into the incident," Manoj Ninama, additional commissioner of police, told PTI. In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar of Maharashtra, a violent confrontation occurred between two factions, leading to a group of approximately 500 individuals throwing stones and bottles filled with petrol at each other. As a result of this clash, a dozen individuals were injured, including ten police officers. "It started after two groups, each comprising around five persons, clashed near the Ram temple. After some time, one group left the place and the police soon came to the site. After an hour, a mob gathered there, bringing stones and petrol-filled bottles along, which they threw at the police personnel," Aurangabad Police Commissioner Nikhil Gupta told a Marathi news channel. (With inputs from agencies) India has been witnessing a steady rise in Covid-19 cases for the last few days and is recording new daily highs which is causing the health officials to take the note of the coronavirus situation in the country. India reports 3016 new COVID-19 cases in last 24 hours, daily positive rate of 2. 73 pc A total of 3016 new Covid cases were recorded in the last 24 hours across the country with a daily positive rate of 2.73 per cent, a government release said on Thursday, adding that 15,784 doses of COVID vaccines were administered during the same period. AAP govt calls emergency meeting amid surge in Covid-19 cases in Delhi Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj has called an emergency meeting on Thursday afternoon after 300 fresh Covid-19 cases were recorded in the Capital on Wednesday. "Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj will hold a meeting with the officers and specialist doctors associated with the health department this afternoon," officials said. Haryana govt issues fresh guidelines The Haryana government has issued fresh guidelines and asked all health facilities to record travel history of a suspected case having travel history to a country or an area where the virus has been reported. According to a state health department notification dated March 28, the Haryana Epidemic Disease, COVID-19 Regulation, 2020, have been extended till March 31, 2024 in continuation of previous regulation issued vide government order dated March 11, 2020. Active cases of Covid-19 increasing, govt monitoring situation closely: Himachal CM Sukhu Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday said that Covid-19 active cases are increasing in the state however the situation is not alarming adding that precautionary measures are being taken by the state government. The Chief Minister further informed that he has sought a detailed report by today evening on the variant of the virus, the requirement of genome sequencing and also the overall status on the Covid-19 in the state. The national capital currently has 806 active Covid cases, with the infection rate at 13.89 per cent, the bulletin stated. Delhi records 300 Covid-19 cases in a single day according to the bulletin, as many as 2,160 swab samples were tested over the last 24 hours, of which 300 tested positive for Covid-19. Further, according to the release, a total of 4,07,85,433 Covid tests have been conducted so far. *With agency inputs At least 13 people were killed and several were injured following the collapse of the roof of a stepwell at a temple in Madhya Pradesh's Indore on Thursday. The incident occurred during the Ram Navami celebrations at the Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal Temple in the Patel Nagar area. Many devotees are still trapped inside the well and police teams are working with locals to rescue them. The incident occurred around 12:00 PM when devotees were participating and offering their prayers during a hawan at the temple on the occasion of Ram Navami. "As per the latest info, 11 bodies have been recovered. Of the 19 people who were rescued, two died. So, a total of 13 have died. Order has been given to probe into the incident," says Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced ex-gratia amount of 5 lakhs to be given to next of kin of deceased. An ex-gratia amount of 5 lakhs to be given to next of kin of deceased while 50,000 will be given to the injured," the Chief Minister said. Stepwell collapse at Indore temple | MP: An ex-gratia amount of 5 lakhs to be given to next of kin of deceased while 50,000 will be given to the injured: MP CM SS Chouhan pic.twitter.com/tbHUd1LluZ ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) March 30, 2023 PM Modi also expressed pain on the mishap and said he spoke to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and took an update on the situation. "Extremely pained by the mishap in Indore. Spoke to CM @ChouhanShivraj Ji and took an update on the situation. The State Government is spearheading rescue and relief work at a quick pace. My prayers with all those affected and their families," PM Modi said. "Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan has taken cognizance of the incident and discussed it with Indore's Collector and police Commissioner over phone and instructed to speed up the rescue operation. Apart from that Chief Minister's Office is also in constant touch with the Indore district administration," the statement read. (With inputs from ANI) The Delhi government will hold a meeting on the Covid situation today amid a spurt in Covid-19 cases in the national capital. The national capital saw a rise in Covid-19 cases on Wednesday and also the positivity rate climbed to 13.89 per cent, according to data shared by the city health department. On Tuesday, Delhi logged 214 cases with a positivity rate of 11.82 per cent. Delhi recorded 115 fresh coronavirus cases with a positivity rate of 7.45 per cent on Monday. The city logged 153 cases with a positivity rate of 9.13 per cent on Sunday and 139 cases with a positivity rate of 4.98 per cent on Saturday. It saw 152 cases with a positivity rate of 6.66 per cent on Friday and 117 cases with a positivity rate of 4.95 per cent on Thursday. Delhi has witnessed an increase in the number of fresh Covid cases over the last few days amid a sharp rise in the figure of H3N2 influenza cases in the country. The number of fresh cases had seen a decline over the last few months in Delhi. It had dropped to zero on January 16, the first time since the pandemic broke out. With the fresh cases, Delhi's COVID-19 tally has increased to 20,09,361, while the death toll due to the viral infection stands at 26,526. The data also showed that 2,160 Covid tests were conducted on Tuesday. Fifty-four of the 7,986 beds are occupied in the dedicated COVID-19 hospitals in the city, while 452 patients are in home isolation, the health department said. The number of active cases of the infection currently stands at 806, it added. Amid a gradual increase in the number of Covid cases in Delhi, medical experts say the new XBB.1.16 variant of the virus could be driving the surge. However, they maintain that there is no need to panic and people should follow Covid-appropriate behaviour and get booster shots of the vaccines. They also say this rise in the number of cases could be a result of more people getting themselves tested for Covid as a precaution when they actually get infected with the influenza virus and develop fever and related symptoms. Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj had said there were not many influenza cases in the city hospitals and the situation was being monitored closely. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has said the rise in the number of influenza cases is due to the Influenza A sub-type H3N2 virus. The H3N2 virus is leading to more hospitalisations than the other sub-types. The symptoms include a runny nose, persistent cough and fever. A killer plant fungus infected a human and caused flu-like symptoms in what researchers say is a world-first case. Chondrostereum purpureum causes silver leaf disease in flora, most commonly in species of rose. Spread by airborne spores, it is named such because it gradually turns leaves silver - and is often fatal. It was not known to infect humans, but medics in India have reported what they believe is the first ever case. The patient was a 61-year-old man who received treatment at Consultant Apollo Multispecialty Hospitals in Kolkata, having experienced symptoms including a cough, fatigue, difficulty swallowing and a hoarse voice for three months. Unlike people deemed most at risk of fungal infections known to jump species, such as those with cancer, HIV, respiratory diseases, and organ transplants, the man had no history of any illnesses. He was a plant mycologist, which included working with mushrooms and various plant fungi. How the fungal infection was revealed Scans taken at the hospital revealed the infection had caused a paratracheal abscess in the man's neck, partially obstructing his airway. Medics drained the pus and the man was prescribed daily antifungal medicine for two months. Two years later, he is said to be "absolutely fine" and the infection has not returned. But writing in the journal Medical Mycology Case Reports, the medics who treated him said the man's surprising case "raises serious questions" regarding the ability of plant pathogens to cause disease in healthy humans and animals. "If the fungi can escape the phagocytosis pathway and are able to evade the host immune system, then they can establish themselves as human pathogens," they said. Why are fungi able to infect humans? Millions of fungi species are estimated to exist, and we only know of about 150,000 of them. The few that can infect people do so because they can cope with our 37C body temperature - and the medics in India also managed to culture the fungus in a laboratory at the same heat. Story continues Fungi also tend to only impact people who are immunocompromised. Professor Elaine Bignell, of the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, told Sky News that the man in the Kalkuta case "might have some sort of genetic immunodeficiency that we don't know about". "This patient didn't have any obvious risk factors for fungal disease we would ordinarily expect to find," she said. "But there are still questions to be asked about his predisposition, this organism, and how it became capable of colonising the airwaves. "We cannot ever rule out any unknown condition - he was clearly studying the fungus in a sort of experimental or botanical situation. He may have been exposed to an incredibly high number of spores somehow." Prof Bignell stressed that there was no cause for alarm, but added: "It's a new kid on the block - and we don't know much about it." Should we be concerned? It has been feared that as the planet warms up due to climate change, known and unknown fungi could emerge as potential threats as they learn to survive on a hotter planet. Prof Bignell said mycologists talk about "the possibility of pathogens in waiting" - ones which are prevalent in the environment and could cause diseases in people under the right conditions. Last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) listed 19 it fears could become a threat to public health. The WHO also reported a "significant" increase in fungal infections during the COVID pandemic. Read more: Is The Last Of Us' 'zombie' fungus a real threat? Fungi known to infect humans Earlier this month, US authorities revealed one such fungus, a type of yeast called Candida auris or C. auris, has been spreading rapidly through health facilities. Candida species are behind complaints like thrush and skin rashes, and are also one of the leading causes of bloodstream infection in intensive care patients. Another fungus known to impact humans is Cryptococcosis neoformans - which infects the lungs and brain, causing pneumonia and meningitis in immunosuppressed patients. It kills more than 100,000 people a year in sub-Saharan Africa. And Aspergillus fumigatus, a common mould that is widespread in the environment in homes and outdoors, can cause "chronic and acute lung disease" and can be deadly. As COVID cases are on the rise again, the Delhi government on Thursday issued a new advisory stating that people with flu-like symptoms and those visiting hospitals should wear masks. The directive comes after a COVID review meeting was held in the city amid the sudden rise in the number of infections. However, the government also urged citizens not to panic under the current circumstances. "We reviewed the situation. We have asked hospitals to advise coronavirus tests to those who are symptomatic. People visiting hospitals should wear masks," said Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj. The government of Delhi is closely monitoring the situation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. On Thursday, Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj held a meeting to review the situation in the city, which was attended by senior health department officials, medical directors of state-run hospitals, epidemiologists, and virologists. Bharadwaj assured the public that there is no need to panic, as the hospitalisation rate is currently low. He also said that hospitals have been instructed to advise COVID-19 tests for those who are symptomatic and that people visiting hospitals should wear masks. The health department will brief Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday about the situation, after which he will issue directions to the government. The chief minister will also be briefed on the COVID-19 situation in other states and how they are dealing with the rise in cases. The meeting was held after Delhi's COVID-19 cases climbed to 300 for the first time since August 31, 2022, and the positivity rate rose to 13.89%, according to data shared by the city health department. Two COVID-19-related deaths were also reported on Wednesday, but the health minister said that they were elderly patients with comorbidities and that the primary cause of death was not coronavirus. The city has been seeing an increase in the number of daily COVID-19 cases over the last few days, amid a sharp rise in H3N2 influenza cases in the country. However, genome sequencing of samples is being carried out, and nothing worrisome has been found so far. Delhi's infection tally has now increased to 20,09,361, while the death toll stands at 26,526. The number of fresh cases had seen a decline over the last few months in Delhi, dropping to zero on January 16, 2023, for the first time since the pandemic began. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the Bhopal-New Delhi Vande Bharat Express train at Rani Kamalapati station on April 1, and also take part in the Combined Commanders' Conference that day. The Vande Bharat Express train between Bhopal and the national capital will cover 708 km distance in 7.45 hours. "PM Modi will be visiting Madhya Pradesh. During his visit to Bhopal on April 1, he will give a big gift to the people of the state in the form of Vande Bharat Express, which he will flag off from the Rani Kamalapati station for New Delhi," CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan said. According to a report published in theHindi daily Hindustan. changes are being made in the operating schedule of Madhya Pradesh's first Vande Bharat Express train. Indian Railways may operate this train from Bhopal's Rani Kamlapati station to Hazrat Nizamuddin station instead of New Delhi railway station.Apart from Agra, it may also stop at Veerangana Laxmibai Jhansi and Gwalior stations. According to Railway Board sources, instead of New Delhi, if the train is operated from the Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station, the journey time will be reduced by about half an hour. According to the sources, earlier the train was being given only stoppage at Agra but now in all likelihood, this train will stop at Veerangana Laxmibai Jhansi and Gwalior. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also take part in the Combined Commanders' Conference of the three forces on the same day. Heads of three armed forces, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will also participate in the event. The conference will be held from March 30 to April 1, Chouhan said. The defence minister will arrive in the state on March 30 to take part in the conference, he added. Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is currently ruling, will be held by the end of this year. Earlier, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that a new 'Vande Bharat Express train is expected to be introduced on Delhi Jaipur/Ajmer route before April 10. *With agency inputs The North Korean regime, led by Kim Jong Un, has shown no signs of abandoning its nuclear weapons program, despite calls from the international community to do so. Photos released by North Koreas propaganda apparatus depict Kim examining warheads designed for missiles that could strike US allies in Asia and deliver a nuclear bomb to the American mainland. Experts suggest that the release of these images may signify that Pyongyang has made progress in miniaturising its warheads. Furthermore, North Koreas ability to deliver a nuclear strike has grown to the point where some experts are calling for it to be declared a nuclear weapons state. Growing nuclear capabilities While the Biden administration has repeatedly offered to resume nuclear talks with North Korea, the regime has refused these offers and increased its provocative behaviour. Recently, it began testing mock nuclear devices attached to missiles that could reach all of South Korea and western parts of Japan. Also Read: North Korea girls not allowed to share same name as Kim Jong Un's daughter Kim has also been modernising his missiles and delivery systems to ensure his bombs can reach their targets. The regime has about 80 to 90 warheads, and it is estimated that Kim is aiming for between 100 to 300 over the long term. North Korea is the only country this century to conduct physical detonations of nuclear weapons. In response to North Koreas nuclear tests, the US, Japan, and South Korea have all pledged a tough and coordinated response. However, sanctions have had little impact on North Koreas weapons program, and it is unclear what leverage remains. Also Read: Kim Jong Un has kept this North Korean city under strict lockdown; the reason may amuse you Satellite imagery suggests that North Korea is ready to hold a nuclear test at its mountainous Punggye-ri site, where it has conducted all six of its previous tests. However, Kim has held off, potentially to avoid pressuring China, which is North Koreas biggest benefactor. Warhead display Soo Kim, a former Korea analyst at the CIA who now works at a US-based management consulting firm, commented on the international communitys acceptance of North Koreas nuclear weapons program, saying, Its reached a point where its hard for us to fathom life without North Korean nuclear weapons now." Also Read: North Korea launches ballistic missile, stokes concerns of threat against US The recent display of North Korean warheads may have shown size improvements and design advances over previous weapons. The regime also seems to be trying to repurpose its weapons designs so they can be mounted on its latest missiles. Possible test imminent Kims visit to the warhead facility may indicate that a nuclear test could be imminent. In 2017, when Kim visited a warhead facility, North Korea set off its most powerful nuclear device a few days later. Japans foreign minister is planning to visit China to discuss North Korea. But, it is unlikely that Russia or China, which have veto power at the UN Security Council, will support any measures against North Korea, as they did in 2017 following a series of weapons tests. (With agency inputs) Luxury giant Dior will hold its pre-fall 2023 show at the Gateway of India, in Mumbai on 30 March, 2023. It is a collaboration between Maria Grazia Chiuri, the creative director of Dior, and Mumbai-based Chanakya School Of Craft. It is also the first time a major European luxury brand is holding an official calendar show in India. The collection will be available in stores in April-end. Dior has held a fashion show in India showcasing products of the luxury giant way back in 1962 at the lawns of TIFR in Mumbai, says a new book titled "Homi J Bhabha: A Life" written by Bakhtiar K Dadabhoy and published by Rupa Publications. Taking to Instagram, Maria thanked India for its warm welcome and shared a picture with Karishma Swali of the CEO of Chanakya School Of Craft. Maria wrote: "Last night's evening celebrated in the most exciting and authentic way one of the most important projects of my life that I have shared with @karishmaswali77 and @nehalshahv for more than thirty years. I feel at home in this country and I am truly moved by last night's celebrations. Thank you again," she wrote. Karishma Swali, the CEO of Chanakya School Of Craft, took to Instagram to talk about her upcoming collaboration with the fashion giant. I am so deeply honoured to share our artistic collaboration with my forever mentor, inspiration and dear friend Maria Grazia Chiuri (@mariagraziachiuri) and Dior (@dior). We met more than 25 years ago and discovered our common love for excellence in hand craftsmanship and began exploring innovative ways to preserve our artisanal legacies together. Over the years, we have dreamt and envisioned a world where our craft communities continue to grow and women find a shared space to express themselves freely and creatively," she said. According to a Business of Fashion report, the collection will include gorgeous evening coats, fancy silk dresses, and skirts that are inspired by desi silhouettes. As per data by Euromonitor International, the Indian luxury goods market was worth 4,609.85 crore in 2022. It is likely to increase to 6,282 crore in 2024. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan slammed Rahul Gandhi and said that he has no knowledge of the country and has become 'Rahu' for the Congress Party. He further added that while the country a golden period i.e. 'Amrit Kaal' , the Congress is facing Rahu Kaal'. Rahu is an imaginary celestial body, is ascribed evil influence under Hindu astrology. While talking to reporters, the Madhya Pradesh CM said, Rahul Gandhi is a leader who has no knowledge of the country as well as its policies. The country runs by the Constitution and not by the tongue (speech). People of the country know that the Congress is a problem for the country and Rahul is a problem for the Congress." Also Read: Karnataka polls Live updates While the country is passing through an `Amrit Kaal' (golden period), the Congress is facing Rahu Kaal", he added. "Rahul Gandhi is not Rahul for the Congress but the `Rahu'," he quipped. Where would the Congress leader have been had he not belonged to the Nehru-Gandhi family, Chouhan asked. Congress leaders "who are slaves of the Gandhi family" are trying to make Rahul Gandhi a national leader even though he is the "most unsuccessful, weak, irresponsible, careless and egotist leader of the party," he said. Referring to Rahul's 2013 ordinance tearing incident, he asked whether it was not an "act of egotism." Being egotist, Rahul Gandhi disrespects different sections of society and castes as he knows that they would not be able to challenge him, Chouhan said, alleging that his ego made the Congress leader term an entire community as thieves. Despite all this, he says that he will not apologize," the chief minister said. "At present he has lost his Lok Sabha membership and his (official) residence. If the Congress continues to challenge backward classes, then it will lose its existence one day," Chouhan said. All "corrupt leaders" were in trouble, he further said. The Congress leader had in the past sought proof of surgical strikes against terrorists, questioned the Army's valour and disrespected the country and its democracy on foreign soil, Chouhan alleged. Reacting to Chouhan's remarks, state Congress president Kamal Nath's media advisor Piyush Babele said "if someone terms Chouhan as Shanichari" (bad) he will feel bad about it." A person occupying a constitutional post should be mindful of the decorum associated with the post, Babele said. State Congress media department chairman K K Mishra said that after October, Chouhan's sade-shati" (bad time as per astrology) is going to start. Yesterday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is not the only Member of Parliament to lose his membership after a conviction and he is free to go before the higher court. The minister named some senior leaders who were convicted and hence disqualified from either the state assembly or Parliament. "He has not appealed to take stay on his conviction. What kind of arrogance is this? You want a favour. You want to continue as an MP and will also not go before the court," he said, adding where such arrogance comes from. Giving example of other leaders who faced disqualification, the Home Minister added that there were as many as 17 politicians, including former Chief Ministers Lalu Prasad and J Jayalalithaa, who were convicted by the courts while they held positions either in the assembly or Parliament. These politicians had much more experience than Gandhi. However, the Congress party has alleged that under the Narendra Modi government the laws were different for the ruling party and the opposition, and cited the example of Amreli BJP MP Naranbhai Bhikhabhai Kachhadia who was not disqualified despite being convicted in a criminal case and sentenced to a three-year jail term. Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Shaktisinh Gohil in a press conference said that Kachhadia was convicted by a Gujarat court for beating up a Dalit doctor in 2016 and his conviction was held by the High Court. (With inputs from PTI) The Centre on Wednesday said that money will be returned to 10 crore investors of four cooperative societies of the Sahara group within nine months following the Supreme Court order directing the transfer of 5,000 crore from the Sahara-SEBI refund account to the central registrar. In an official statement, the Ministry of Cooperation said, The Supreme Court, while giving a historic decision, ordered to return the deposits of about 10 crore investors of 4 cooperative societies of Sahara group from the Sahara-SEBI refund account." It also added that Justice Reddy, the assistance of Gaurav Agarwal, will complete the payment process in nine months, according to the news agency ANI. Earlier in the day, Supreme Court allowed a plea by the Centre seeking allocation of 5,000 crore, out of 24,000 crore deposited by the Sahara group with market regulator Sebi, to repay depositors of the cooperative societies. Sahara Group's four societies- Sahara Credit Cooperative Society Limited, Saharayan Universal Multipurpose Society Limited, Humara India Credit Cooperative Society Limited, and Stars Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited, were registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002 between March 2010 and January 2014. A large number of complaints were received from across the country regarding non-payment of deposits to the depositors of these cooperative societies. Notices were issued to the societies and a hearing was held before the Central Registrar due to the complaints. During the course of hearings, the Central Registrar directed the societies to pay the unpaid amount to the investors and stopped the societies from taking fresh deposits and renewing existing ones, ANI reported. "The Ministry of Cooperation digitized about 1.22 lakh claims received from the depositors and sent them to these committees for payment, but the committees did not take necessary action in this regard. Every day a large number of applications are being received from the depositors of these societies for payment of their investments," the ministry said. Union Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah has taken up the matter on priority and held several meetings with the Department of Economic Affairs, Department of Revenue, SEBI, SFIO and ED, etc. The ministry in a filed petition before the apex court had requested that 5,000 crore from the Sahara-SEBI Refund Account can be used to pay depositors of the four co-operative societies of the Sahara Group, as per ANI reports. With the assistance of Gaurav Agarwal, the advocate of the Central Registrar will complete the payment process in 9 months. The payment to the investors will be made through a transparent process to the legitimate investors of Sahara Societies through their bank accounts on the basis of proper proof of their identity and deposit. "The Ministry of Cooperation will soon start the process of payment to the legitimate investors of cooperative societies of Sahara Group through a proper transparent mechanism, which will provide relief to crores of investors and their families," the ministry said. (With ANI inputs) In Maharashtra, Solapur and Sangli districts have topped the Covid-19 positivity chart with 20.05% and 17.47% rates respectively, the state health department said on Wednesday. The positivity rate indicates the number of Covid positive cases per 100 tests. Four weeks back, the state had a positivity rate of 1.05% but between March 22 and 28, it reported 6.15%. The districts with a rise in positivity rate include Solapur (20.05%), Sangli (17.47%), Kolhapur (15.35%), Pune (12.33%), Nashik (7.84%), and Ahmednagar (7.56%)," the department said in an official statement. The daily reporting of Covid-19 cases is high in districts such as Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Raigad, Nashik, and Sangli, the statement added as quoted by news agency PTI. The department confirmed that a new Covid19 variant -- XBB.1.16 -- has been found in swab samples of 230 patients in the state so far. Out of the 230 cases, 151 are from Pune followed by Aurangabad 24, Thane 23, Kolhapur and Ahmednagar 11 each, Amravati 8, and one each in Mumbai and Raigad. Out of the 230 cases, one patient has succumbed to the infection while others have recovered," said the statement. Despite several efforts from the state government, not even one crore people have taken the booster dose to improve their immunity against Covid-19, PTI reported. The vaccination data indicate 9,16,70,759 people have taken the first dose of the vaccine, while 7,66,25,098 have taken the second dose as well. However, only 96,56,664 people have taken the booster dose so far, the department said. The state government has appealed to people to avoid gathering in crowded places as well as use masks to minimize the spread of the infection. (With PTI inputs) In a bid to bring more transparency and ensure timely disclosure of material events", the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has asked the top 100 firms listed on the stock exchanges to confirm or deny market rumours that are likely to affect stock prices. The requirement will kick in from October 1, 2023 for top 100 companies by market capitalization. From April 1, 2024, this directive will be applicable for the top 250 companies as well, a press release from the regulator stated. India's markets regulator said that it intends to put in place quantitative benchmarks to determine whether an event is material but did not immediately say what those metrics would be. The SEBI also said that material events or disclosures emerging from a board of directors meeting must be disclosed to exchanges within 30 minutes. Will not allow another Karvy type incident: Sebi chief Sebi Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch on Wednesday said the regulator will not allow another Karvy type incident to take place at any cost. "There will not be another Karvy issue in our capital markets... If another Karvy like instance happens, it will be on our dead bodies...," Buch told reporters at the Sebi headquarters after a board meeting. The Karvy scam came to light in 2019 when it was known that Hyderabad-based borekerage pledged securities worth 2,300 crore of almost 95,000 clients with three private banks and a large non-banking finance company as collateral to raise loans worth over 600 crore for itself. Following a probe Sebi restricted Karvy Stock Broking from taking new clients. The Sebi order said the broking firm misused clients' power of attorney and transferred 1,096 crore to its group company Karvy Realty. The official Twitter account of the Pakistan government, in response to a legal demand, has been banned in India. Attempting to access the account will display a message stating, "Account Withheld @GovtofPakistan's account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand." This marks the third time that the account has been restricted in India, with the previous incidents occurring in July and October of 2022. Twitter takes such action in accordance with its guidelines when presented with a valid legal demand, typically in the form of a court order. As a result, the Twitter feed of the Pakistan government "@GovtofPakistan" is currently unavailable to Indian users. View Full Image Twitter has withheld Govt of Pakistan's Twitter account in India. Last year, Twitter in India banned official accounts of Pakistan Embassies in the United Nations, Turkey, Iran, and Egypt. Additionally, in August, India blocked eight YouTube-based news channels, including one based in Pakistan, as well as a Facebook account that was disseminating "fake, anti-India content" online. According to a statement from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the emergency powers under Information Technology Rules, 2021, were used to take this action. Also Read: Mahira Khan has mental problems as she loves Shah Rukh Khan, claims Pakistani senator The blocked Indian YouTube channels were found to be using fake and sensational thumbnails, images of news anchors, and logos of certain TV news channels to mislead viewers into believing that the news was genuine. Meanwhile, Pakistan has been removed from the EU's "High-Risk Third Countries" list due to its inadequate anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing measures. This decision has been welcomed by Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who sees it as a positive development for the country's businesses, which are currently facing financial difficulties. The EU's delegation in Pakistan has also praised this move as an important step forward for Pakistan. Also Read: Pakistan skips SCO meeting, hosted by India, after sharing plans to join online According to a tweet from the EU, the decision to remove Pakistan from the list is in line with the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) decision last year to remove Pakistan from its list of countries under "increased monitoring". The FATF is a global watchdog that monitors money laundering and terrorist financing. The Pakistani Ministry of Commerce has stated that Pakistan's inclusion on the list in 2018 resulted in additional regulatory burdens that affected Pakistani companies doing business with the EU. The removal of Pakistan from this list is therefore expected to ease the regulatory burden on Pakistani companies and facilitate trade with the 27-member bloc. (With agency inputs) Germany has introduced draft reforms regarding immigration, skills training and promoting immigration from Western Balkan countries to address labour shortages in Europe's largest economy. Labour Minister Hubertus Heil stated, "Securing our skilled labour base is one of Germany's biggest economic tasks for the coming decades." According to the Ministry of Labour, the number of job vacancies in 2022 was almost two million, a record high. One of the reforms is a new immigration law to remove obstacles for migrants, particularly those outside the European Union. Finance Minister Christian Lindner said that the law would be the foundation for a new start in migration policy and anyone who could contribute to the country's economic success as a skilled worker is welcome. The draft law, seen by Reuters, proposes to increase the number of workers from countries outside the EU by 60,000 people a year. Also Read: H-1B, L-1 visa reform in US will prioritise workers with higher levels of education in these subjects Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said, "If people bring professional experience or personal potential with them, we will make it possible for them to gain a foothold in our labour market. " The law offers three pathways for foreign workers to enter the country. The first requires a degree recognised in Germany and an employment contract. The second requires a minimum of two years of experience working in a relevant sector and a degree or vocational training. The third is a new "opportunity card" for individuals who have the potential to find work, based on a points-based system that considers qualifications, language skills, professional experience, connection to Germany and age. Also Read: Heres how UAE Golden Visa is becoming a game changer for wealthy Indians However, migration expert Herbert Bruecker told Reuters that while the draft law contained sensible ideas, it was not far-reaching enough. He suggested that the requirements of the opportunity card were too complex for a temporary visa to look for work. The German Cabinet has also approved an education law that entitles young people to paid off-the-job training, with the Federal Labour Agency paying up to 67% of the net salary for the duration of the training. Additionally, the Cabinet has decided to extend regulations for job-seekers from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, the Republic of Northern Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, which were previously expected to expire at the end of the year. Germany can now recruit up to 50,000 workers annually from these countries, compared to the previous 25,000 workers per year. Bruecker welcomed this extension, noting that employment rates among these immigrants were between 97% and 98% three to five years after moving to Germany. (With Reuters inputs) AUBURN A Cayuga County Court judge heard arguments on whether the rights of a former Auburn Police Department member were violated in connection with a criminal investigation involving alleged sexual abuse of a minor. William Morrissey, 33, of Seymour Street, Auburn, was in front of Judge Thomas Leone for a hearing that began Tuesday afternoon and ended Wednesday morning regarding his claim that the internal probe by the city of Auburn improperly influenced the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office investigation that lead to criminal charges. Morrissey, who had formerly been an APD officer and school resource officer at Auburn High School, was arrested by sheriff's office last year on charges alleging he sexually abused a 14-year-old student. After hearing five witnesses, Leone requested late Wednesday morning that George Hildebrandt, Morrissey's defense attorney, and the prosecution, represented by Cayuga County Senior Assistant District Attorney Heather De Stefano and Cayuga County Chief Assistant District Attorney Chris Valdina, submit memorandums on whether rights violations occurred during the investigation and if so, what would be the proper remedy and why. Those memos are due April 7. APD Capt. Mark Schattinger was called as the first witness on Tuesday. Schattinger, the department's patrol captain, said he was informed March 1, 2022, that an anonymous letter had been sent to the police department alleging an inappropriate relationship between Morrissey and a female student at the high school. Auburn Deputy Police Chief Roger Anthony advised Schattinger to call Morrissey into the station. When Schattinger and Morrissey met, the officer stated he hadn't had any contact with the student outside of the school, Schattinger said. After Schattinger called Anthony about what Morrissey said, Schattinger took Morrissey to Memorial City Hall in Auburn where more city officials were present to ask him questions as part of internal probe. During a meeting that included the two of them, Anthony, Auburn Police Chief James Slayton, Auburn City Manager Jeff Dygert and Stacy Tamburrino, then-corporation counsel for the city, Morrissey was asked if he had contact with the student outside of school. Morrissey then said he had, mentioning giving her rides after school and buying her sneakers as a present for her birthday, Schattinger said. He also said Morrissey said he had been in contact with the student via communication services such as Snapchat and FaceTime. Anthony served as the second witness on Tuesday. At one point, he talked about asking Lt. Matthew Androsko to look into the "technological side of things" regarding the allegations, noting Androsko later found evidence of interactions between Morrissey and the student on different communication services. Anthony said he hadn't given Androsko any information regarding Morrissey's statements at city hall. After it was determined a criminal investigation would be required, Anthony said, he contacted Det. Lt. Robert Franklin of the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office who was a detective sergeant at the time of the original Morrissey investigation but told him he couldn't give him any information on anything Morrissey may have disclosed. Valdina asked Anthony why, to which Anthony replied that in his experience, "it's better to keep investigations between departments separate." Androsko was the first of three witnesses called Wednesday morning, explaining he went to the home where the teenager lived. He said he spoke to the student's grandmother and later to the student once she got home. Androsko asked if she received any gifts from Morrissey, and she said yes and showed him the sneakers, the lieutenant said. Androsko also collected two cell phones from the student. Androsko later noted Anthony did not give him any details about what was spoken about during that city hall meeting, "or even who was at that meeting." He also said later he had not known Morrissey previously disclosed he had communicated with the student through FaceTime and Snapchat. The anonymous letter mentioned Morrissey and the student allegedly communicating through those services. APD Sgt. Christine Gilfus, who runs the Auburn school district's SRO program, also testified Wednesday and said Slayton informed her of the letter Feb. 28, and on March 1, she watched security videos of Morrissey picking up the student. The letter also alleged Morrissey had been giving the student rides. Gilfus, along with a school counselor, spoke with the student at one point. The student said she and Morrissey had a relationship of a student and an SRO. The student also said she had received rides from Morrissey, Gilfus noted. While being questioned by Hildebrandt, Gilfus said she did not feel the student was untruthful with her. Gilfus said the student confirmed Morrissey had been giving her rides home, "which is against our policy," but other than that, Gilfus hadn't determined wrong-doings by Morrissey. Fred Cornelius, who had been a detective lieutenant with the sheriff's office at the time of the investigation but who is now retired, said he was informed by Franklin on March 2 that there were allegations against Morrissey. Cornelius said he advised Franklin about not receiving information from the APD, and mentioned a meeting held at one point between different Cayuga County law enforcement officials, where he talked about the importance of the APD not sharing internal probe information with the sheriff's office. Cornelius also talked about interviewing the student at different points. The student eventually discussed the alleged relationship between her and Morrissey, including kissing and touching "intimate parts" and illicit electronic communications. Cornelius also said he wasn't told about the contents of Morrisey's interview with city hall and hadn't received written documentation on it. On March 3, 2022, Morrissey was arrested by the sheriff's office. The sheriff's office said at the time Morrissey had engaged in "repeated inappropriate conduct with a student occurring in and around the City of Auburn including Auburn High School where he was serving as a School Resource Officer." He was charged with first-degree sexual abuse, a class D felony, and official misconduct and endangering the welfare of a child, which are misdemeanors. Morrissey was later indicted in July on an additional count, disseminating indecent material, a class D felony. He also was charged earlier this month in a recently unsealed Cayuga County grand jury indictment for second-degree criminal contempt, a misdemeanor. The indictment alleged Morrissey added the alleged victim in the sexual abuse case to his Snapchat "by search" in October, which violated an order of protection. At the arraignment earlier this month, Leone remanded Morrissey to jail. Morrissey was held at the Wayne County Jail at one point. On Tuesday afternoon, before the proceedings ended for the rest of the day, Hildebrandt and De Stefano made arguments to Leone on whether Morrissey should receive bail. For the sexual abuse indictment, Leone set bail at $50,000 cash, $100,000 bond or $250,000 partially secured bond. Bail for the contempt count was set at $1,000 cash, $2,000 bond or $5,000 partially secured bond, with those being consecutive. During the hearing Tuesday and Wednesday, Morrissey wore an orange jail uniform, including a shirt with "Cayuga County Jail" on the back. After court Wednesday, Valdina said Morrissey's statements in the city's internal probe were not used in the criminal case. "Those statements were not used at the grand jury, nor was any evidence derived from those statements," Valdina said. JOHANNESBURG : A multi-product Indian business delegation on a five-day visit to South Africa and neighbouring Botswana has been well-received by potential partners for trade and investment in both countries, the delegation leader said on Wednesday. The delegation from the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) explored the business opportunities in these two nations. Under the theme Balancing and Nurturing Trade Relations and Developing Promising Bilateral Trade", day-long seminars including local speakers were co-hosted by FIEO and the Indian missions in Johannesburg and Gaborone, followed by Business-Business meetings and interactions with government ministers and officials. The delegation has been well-received by potential partners for trade and investment in both South Africa and neighbouring Botswana, delegation leader Khalid Khan told PTI on Wednesday. The African region has always been a very attractive market due to the huge market potential, so the delegation was aimed at exploring the opportunities from this very lucrative continent," Khan said. FIEO is mounting this delegation at a precise time when India is evolving and transforming its way of doing business. I am confident that this delegation will be a significant step in that national effort," he added. Khan said there had been over 50 contacts made in South Africa and over 120 in Botswana by the 15 participating companies, which would now be followed up. Sectors represented in the group included agro and processed food products; construction materials; pharmaceuticals; organic chemicals; kitchen utensils; plastic and plastic articles; electric machinery; automobile spare parts; wires and cables and stationery products. Khan said the responses had been better in Botswana than in South Africa, which is facing an economic downtown and a number of challenges such as an unprecedented shortage of electricity leading to lengthy daily blackouts seriously affecting businesses. In Botswana, there was particular interest in the pharma and clothing sector as healthcare is taking on increasing importance all over the world, with people looking to cheaper substitutes, which India can provide," Khan said. The agriculture minister in Botswana also showed keen interest in the agro sector," he said. Botswana shares the highest GDP amongst the nations on the African continent. Despite such a flourishing economy, Indias export to Botswana is negligible. The share of Botswana in Indian exports was a mere 0.0661 per cent for the last fiscal year, so there is a lot of room for improvement," Khan said. Indian Charge DAffaires in Botswana Mahipal Yadav said that except for diamonds, items exported by India to Botswana were in negligible quantities. Potential areas of further trade cooperation are the processing and export of leather, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, generic drugs from India and the food processing industry, Yadav said. "There is also a lot of potential for investment by Indian companies in Botswana in solar power production, diamond cutting and polishing, trading and infrastructure development, mining, coal and diamond, agriculture and dairy, as well as providing technical know-how in the setting up of small and medium industries," Yadav said. Some of the delegates were also looking at importing raw diamonds from Botswana. Keletsositse Olebile, CEO of Botswana Investment and Trade Centre, highlighted the opportunities for Indian investors to springboard into the content from his country. "Setting up your businesses in Botswana will unveil opportunities to access a market of close to 1.27 billion people in the continent of Africa and a combined gross domestic product of over $2.5 trillion, across all 55 member states, through the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement," Olebile said. Ukrainian military officials have reported some success by Russian forces in the city of Bakhmut, though Ukrainian fighters are still holding on after months of fighting. The United Nations' nuclear watchdog has said that he will propose specific protection measures for the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia power plant, instead of creating a security zone. The conflict in the eastern industrial region of Donetsk has been ongoing for over a year, with neither side gaining full control and both sides suffering heavy losses. The average number of daily Russian attacks on the front line has decreased for the fourth consecutive week. Reuters journalists have also reported a notable decline in the intensity of Russian attacks west of Bakhmut and further north. Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said that while the offensive remained intense, the enemy's troops appeared to be rushing about from place to place. The British Ministry of Defence has described Russian forces' progress as marginal" and the US's top general Mark Milley has told lawmakers that for the past three weeks, Russia's troops have not made any progress in and around Bakhmut. Also Read: Russian soldiers suffering from low morale, left to die for nothing in Ukraine Russia captured the Zaporizhzhia power station at the start of the war a year ago and attempts to reduce fighting and shelling around it have failed. Head of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi has said that military activity is increasing in the region and the plant cannot be protected. On March 29, Grossi said he was continuing efforts to find a security solution for Europe's largest nuclear power plant. Russian forces shelled towns in the central Zaporizhzhya region, including the contested centre of Hulyaipole. The Ukrainian general staff statement said there was renewed shelling of Kherson city in the south and other towns on the west bank of the Dnipro River. Also Read: A year after war, Vladimir Putin says sanctions could have 'negative' impact on Russia The Ukrainian Air Force destroyed a Russian Su-24M bomber. In the past 24 hours, rocket and artillery struck two areas of concentration of Russian forces, an ammunition depot and two fuel depots. Global Impact The conflict has resulted in thousands of deaths on both sides, tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians killed and millions displaced. The invasion has also disrupted international relations and shook the global economy. The UK, the United States and European allies of Ukraine have provided the Kyiv government with weapons and money, describing the invasion as an imperial-style land grab by Russia. (With agency inputs) It was a cold winter afternoon in November 2013. At about 2pm, one of us (Nandita) took a short nap, drifting asleep over warm memories of a birthday party two days earlier on turning 24, and awoke 15 minutes later, unable to hear anything. The world around had turned silent, without a warning. Such an instant loss of hearing was supposed to be material for horror fiction, but this was real. The culprit here was the side-effect of an injection named Kanamycin, a toxic old drug administered as part of Nanditas treatment for tuberculosis (TB). Last week, when the Indian Patent Office rejected an application by the US pharma major Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to extend its patent on its TB drug Bedaquiline beyond its primary patents expiry this July, the decision was unanimously cheered by public health experts and policy observers in India and elsewhere. As a TB survivor, one of us (Nandita), along with a fellow TB survivor from South Africa, Phumeza Tisile, had filed a challenge to the companys patent application in 2019, a move supported by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF). The patent offices recent landmark decision will prevent J&J from stretching its monopoly on this vital TB drug beyond this summer and allow the entry of generic versions to our market. So, what prompted us to file this patent challenge? TB is an ancient airborne disease. Before covid arrived in our lives three years ago, TB was one of the deadliest infectious killers. 10.6 million fell ill worldwide with the disease in 2021 and an estimated 1.6 million people died from this preventable disease, according to the World Health Organisation. India bears the worlds largest burden of TB as well as its multi-drug resistant version (MDR-TB). As the bacterium evolved to resist existing medications, strains emerged that could evade the effects of various drugs. This meant fewer treatment options, lower survival rates and a much longer duration of treatment (up to three years), often with drugs that have harrowing side effects ranging from kidney and liver disorders to permanent deafness. It was amid this dire landscape that Bedqualine made its debut. This drug, used against advanced TB, not only improved cure rates, its also observed to be a safer alternative to injectables such as Kanamycin and Amikacin, prompting the WHO to advise countries to scale up its use, with certain caveats, and phase out injectables. Bedaquilines approval by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2012 was seen as a big moment, since it was the first new drug for TB in over 40 years. In 2015, it was granted conditional approval by the Indian regulator for use in our national TB programme. This approval did not mean anyone could sell the formulation. Patent rights ensure that only the patentee or its licensees can make, use, import or sell it. In India, Janssen Pharmaceutica, a subsidiary of J&J, holds a patent on the base compound of Bedaquiline and has enjoyed a 20-year monopoly on its sales, as assured by its patent term dues to expire this year. After a patent expires, generic versions can be made and sold by other companies. To extend their exclusive rights, pharma companies often engage in the practice of evergreening by making minor changes to their invention. This way, they can retain their chokehold beyond what the Patent Act had envisioned. In India, however, special provisions to prevent evergreening were introduced through an amendment to the Indian Patents Act in 2005. This move, among others, ensured that a patent is not granted to a new form or use of a known substance, unless the modification shows enhanced efficacy. These provisions have acted as important public-health safeguards by allowing the timely entry of generics and helping bring down the cost of life-saving drugs, thus making them more accessible. When we filed our pre-grant opposition, using a mechanism that lets anyone make a representation to Indias patent office on why an application should not be eligible for a patent grant, our intention was to ensure that TB patients in the future have timely access to the best available drugs, so that others would not fall prey to life-altering side effects like those weve had to brave. The Patent Office began hearing our case last year, recording representations made by us and the Maharashtra Network of Positive People, which had filed a representation separately. In its decision announced on 23 March, the office noted that J&Js application did not meet the standards laid down under the Patents Act. The order will have far-reaching implications. The failure of J&Js evergreening attempt will let other drug-makers manufacture and sell this life-saving drug after July 2023. Competition will likely see its price drop. The national TB programme, which currently relies on J&J supplies for its Bedaquiline requirement, will be able to procure the drug from other players expected to enter the market once its patent protection is over. Moreover, as India exports generic drugs to several low-income countries where TB prevalence is high, patients elsewhere will also be able to access this drug at reasonable cost. To put an end to TB, affordable treatment is a must. In late 2020, the hashtag #NoMeat_NoCoronaVirus was trending on Twitter. Users were appealing to others to quit meat consumption to safeguard everyone from covid-19. Misinformation had jumped in to fill an information vacuum. Indias poultry industry had fallen prey to fake news before, but what was new was a potent combination of low media literacy and social-media propagation. Falsehoods about possible modes of covid contagion went with wild online speculation about the implications of a scary virus with zoonotic origins. Some of the messages on WhatsApp were peppered with images of chicken that looked ailing or ravaged to serve as evidence of those false claims. Although these had no scientific basis, they fed anxiety among people and convinced many toif not permanently, at least temporarilystop consuming chicken. This hit the poultry sector hard. A research note published by the Division of Avian Physiology and Reproduction at the ICAR-Central Avian Research Institute pegged the industrys losses at over $3 billion. According to a letter written by the All India Poultry Breeders Association (AIPBA) to the government, Indian poultry farmers faced an average loss of about 50 per kg as a result of rumours that were spread. Our own research with the Institute of Economic Growth looked at the socio-economic ramifications of misinformation on the Indian poultry industry. Conversations with stakeholders operating at different levels of the value chain revealed multiple forms of impact sustained by them, including social and psychological distress beyond an economic squeeze. Farmers, who constitute the primary level of the poultry value chain, could not sell their chicken for a long period of time during the pandemic. Since they still had to feed their unsold stock, they were the worst hit. As procurement dropped sharply (to negligible or zero levels at one point), they were left with culling as their only option. This led to both short- and long-term financial adversities for farmers, some of whom had a very hard time recovering from the severity of the setback. This case of the poultry sector offers us a peek into how fake news operates. It rarely works in isolation. A message that might look harmless holds the potential to impact many livelihoods, and, in this case, a whole sector. Research shows that misleading or manipulative information relies on psychological mechanisms. In times of anxiety, for example, a defence mechanism could kick in that helps the mind deny the seriousness of a threat. This was demonstrated in the n number of home remedies for covid that found their way into peoples social media feeds. India has an estimated 850 million active internet users, a count boosted by the new normal of online life that we all adapted to during the pandemic. However, this growth has seen a parallel boom of misinformation. National Crime Records Bureau data shows a spike in fake news cases under Section 505 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) across the country in 2020. India has had no specific legislation to regulate fake news. We rely on insufficient provisions such as the Information Technology Act and IPC to regulate what operates as an ecosystem. If India is to stop the damage that can be inflicted, we need to do more. The upcoming Digital India bill is expected to feature measures against fake news. In framing rules, we need to understand the gravity of the problem and make sure that the country transitions from lack of regulation to an appropriate framework of control, instead of leaping into over-regulation that curtails legitimate freedom of speech and expression. In a recent presentation made on this bill by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, minister of state for information technology, he explained how it aspires to be a catalyst for Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of Digital India. The presentation mentioned how fake news was being weaponized" under the aegis of freedom of speech. Now we must hope that the anticipated law itself does not end up becoming a weapon against free expression. It is crucial for the bill to appropriately define the term fake news, because the existence of significant loopholes in the very definition of a violation increases the scope for false or faulty interpretations and misuse of a law. Further, extensive stakeholder consultations need to be held to ensure that the voices of all stakeholders including citizens, fact-checking organizations and others find their way into the provisions of any regulation. According to a query-response provided by the government in the Lok Sabha this February, its fact-checking agency that operates under the Press Information Bureau busted 1,160 rumours since its inception in November 2019. Other organizations appear to have kept a closer watch. Newschecker.in, for example, reported having identified 2,824 instances of misinformation across nine languages in 2021 alone. Since a vast number of cases go unreported, or are considered too trivial to call out, we can assume that the actual prevalence of the problem is significantly worse. Artificial intelligence tools that create photo-realistic images have added to the menace. For the country to address it, we may need not only many more fact-checking units, but also better campaigns aimed at generating media literacy among users of social media. Source confirmation is still a practice only discerning users are aware of. It is incumbent upon all users, however, to identify fake news and think hard before we share anything over the internet. Preeksha Malhotra & Haseeba Sayyed are, respectively, a researcher and journalist working on issues of policy and regulation; and a political consultant. Google has denied the allegations that its recently launched generative AI-based chatbot, Bard is trained on data from OpenAI's ChatGPT. Reportedly, Google used data from a website called ShareGPT which keeps a record of users' conversations with ChatGPT. As per a report published in The Information, Google engineer Jacob Devlin informed Google CEO Sundar Pichai along with other top executives that Bard's machine learning models were being trained using ChatGPT. He also warned the company that this move would violate OpenAI's terms of service while also making Bard's answers sound similar to that of ChatGPT. Also Read: Google tells employees that Bard A.I. isnt just about search: Report The report claims Devlin has now joined OpenAI while Google might have ceased using ChatGPT data after Devlin's warnings, and it's possible that they discarded that portion of the training altogether. The search giant has denied the allegations altogether claiming Bard isn't trained on any data from ChatGPT. In a conversation with the technology website Verge, Google spokesperson Chris Pappas said Bard is not trained on any data from ShareGPT or ChatGPT," Google has now denied allegations that its language model, Bard, was trained on data from ChatGPT. A Google spokesperson, Chris Pappas, was quoted in an interview with technology website, The Verge, saying Bard is not trained on any data from ShareGPT or ChatGPT" Google has previously faced embarrassment due to its ChatGPT rival. Shortly after Bard was announced to the public, the chatbot responded to a query about its dataset by claiming that it was trained on Google's internal data, including Google Search, Gmail, and other products. However, Google later clarified that Bard was not trained on Gmail data and that the response may have been an error made by the experimental language model. In an effort to keep up with the increasing popularity of ChatGPT, Google made its AI-powered chatbot, Bard, available to the public on March 22. Bard has similar capabilities to ChatGPT, such as the ability to write essays, plan events, create travel itineraries, and suggest recipes for dinner. However, unlike ChatGPT, Bard does not possess multimodal abilities and cannot code. Meta launched Meta Verified in February this year, inspired by Elon Musk's Twitter Blue plan. It's a subscription-based service that verifies profiles using a government ID. The program has already been rolled out in Australia, New Zealand, and the US, with subscription prices starting at $11.99 per month. Now, Meta has opened a waitlist for Indian users, and the pricing for the subscription has reportedly been revealed. According to a report by Indian Express, Indian users can subscribe to Meta Verified at Rs. 1,450 per month on mobile and Rs. 1,099 for accessing Facebook and Instagram on the web. The subscription will provide a blue tick to the verified accounts on both platforms, as well as an added layer of security by authenticating each account with a government-approved ID, thereby reducing the risk of impersonating accounts. In addition, Meta Verified subscription will provide subscribers with more direct and prompt customer support, and increased reach. However, as of now, the service is only applicable to personal profiles of adult individuals and not yet available for businesses or people under the age of 18. As Meta Verified is currently in its beta testing phase in India, users can join a waitlist to access the subscription. To join the waitlist, users can fill out a form on the Meta website or access it through other channels provided by Meta. Interestingly, Twitter Blue, the subscription-based verification service that may have influenced Meta's Verified plan, is already available in India. It costs Rs. 900 per month on both iOS and Android Twitter, while access on the web costs Rs. 650 per month. From bizarro French auteur Quentin Dupieux - the mind behind such dark comedies as "Rubber," "Deerskin" and "Mandibles" - comes "Smoking Causes Coughing," a predictably nutty film that starts off looking like an unearthed gem of sci-fi action from the 1970s. Centering on the members of the Tobacco Force, a quintet of superheroes wryly named Benzene (Gilles Lellouche), Nicotine (Anais Demoustier), Methanol (Vincent Lacoste), Mercury (Jean-Pascal Zadi) and Ammonia (Oulaya Amamra) - all toxic compounds found in cigarette smoke - the movie quickly segues away from expectation after an opening battle with a turtle monster, played by Olivier Afonso in a cheesy rubber suit. When the TF squad is sent to a rustic retreat to build group cohesion by their leader, a rat puppet voiced by Alain Chabat, the five protagonists kill time by telling scary stories. These campfire tales - the funniest of which involves a lumberyard worker (Anthony Sonigo) blithely caught in a wood chipper - are the true heart of the film. But the actual scariest story is one told by a little girl (Themis Terrier-Thiebaux) who stumbles across the team's campsite: Hers involves a man pouring a drum of toxic chemicals into a lake. Suddenly, the yuk fest has turns into a meditation on humankind (the real monster?) and its destruction of the planet. Unrated. Available on multiple streaming platforms. Contains crude language, sexual dialogue, cartoonish violence and smoking. In French with subtitles. 80 minutes. - M.O. Laredos 550 Pizzeria was crowned World Pizza Champions on Wednesday, March 29 at the International Pizza Expo & Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. While being announced as the seventh and final World Champion from this years competition, 550 Pizzeria owner Janet Zapata was lauded for both her dedication to her craft and her dedication to the community. Last and certainly not least is a pizza maker that embodies everything that is beautiful about this industry, the announcer said. She is hungry, she is pushy, and she is selflessly dedicated to her pizzeria. She seeks not only to make her pizzeria rise but her community rise. She is the American dream, and her humility, her kindness and her ability to do what people think can not be done has yet to be seen. Now in its 39th year, the International Pizza Expo is the largest pizza event in the world gathering thousands of pizzeria professionals for three days in Las Vegas for competitions, networking, educational sessions and other events. In keeping with her dedication to the community, Zapata and 550 Pizzeria became World Champions by submitting a pizza inspired by Laredo, the Chicken Chori-Queso. It features tomatillo sauce, chorizo, Roma tomatoes, onions and chicken and is topped with cilantro. Zapata posted on Facebook about submitting the Laredo-inspired dish saying, #Laredough!! I can't believe I will be competing in VEGAS with this Laredo-inspired pizza, The Chicken Chori-Queso. Thank you for all the love and support. 550 Pizzeria is located at 2101 Shiloh Dr. For more information and to view the full menu, visit 550pizzeria.com. Courtesy/U.S. Border Patrol U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested a convicted felon who was in the country illegally, authorities said. The case unfolded on March 28, when agents apprehended an individual crossing the Rio Grande in Laredo. He was transported to the Laredo South Station for processing. A Houston artist is facing criminal charges from the state and potential heavy fines for painting over the Bayou City's famed "Be Someone" sign. As first reported by Ryan Nickerson of the Houston Chronicle, the state jail felony graffiti charge against 27-year-old Chandrika Metivier is reportedly due to safety concerns raised by Union Pacific Railroad, which owns and operates the track and bridge on which the graffiti is painted. Last year, Metivier admitted in a separate Houston Chronicle article by Nickerson that they painted over the iconic Union Pacific-owned steel rail bridge over Interstate 45 to read "NO WAR KNOW PEACE" in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. On their Instagram account @ch4ndrika, Metivier also posted a screenshot of the article, writing: "Mama I made it to the @houstonchron," adding "there's power in claiming your work." They've also posted photos standing in front of the bridge's other recent messages "WOMANLIFEFREEDOM" in light of protests in Iran sparked by the murder of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, as well as "BE THE R(EVOLUTION)." But the article and those posts now seem to have backfired. Per the charging document, Metivier was identified through the article, their Instagram posts, website, as well as a podcast where they reportedly admitted that it was not their first time painting the bridge. "Such actions would interfere with the safe, efficient, and normal operations of the railroad and would pose an unwarranted liability to the property owner and violator," the document reads. It also notes that repainting the section of the bridge would cost Union Pacific $9,060.07 and that closing Interstate 45 while the work is performed would also likely cost over $30,000 and create extreme traffic congestion. In an emailed statement, Robynn Tsyver, a spokesperson for the railroad wrote: "Union Pacific cannot look the other way when safety is on the line. Artists who trespass on bridges to "tag" a message - whether a positive or a negative message - risk both their life and the lives of innocent motorists, pedestrians and others traveling below. We urge everyone for their safety and the safety of our employees and the public to stay off railroad property." The harsher stance is a slight change in tune for the transport company regarding the bridge. Back in October 2021, Tsyver told Chron that while Union Pacific is concerned about graffiti, its top priority is maintaining the structural integrity of their bridges. "Graffiti is challenging to mitigate and often returns quickly, if removed," Tsyver said at the time. Metivier recently created a GoFundMe to help pay for legal fees and has so far raised over $1,000 of their $40,000 goal. On the site, Metivier calls the penalty "unjustified" and said it "goes against the city's current initiatives to embrace public art." Houston Chronicle Staff "We should be embracing aspiring entrepreneurs and enthusiasts, not incarcerating them or silencing their creative freedom," Metivier wrote. They also pointed to murals painted throughout the city honoring Vanessa Guillen and George Floyd. "The city profits off of this unique artwork financially as it brings tourists from around the world, while also creating awareness among locals about the importance of supporting local artists and their endeavors," Metivier wrote. The "Be Someone" bridge is widely considered an unofficial Houston landmark (and city slogan) since it was originally painted in 2012. Over the years, it's been repainted by different artists but in 2021, the alleged original artist behind the installation seemed to signal that they will no longer repaint the bridge. Metivier did not respond to a request for comment by the time of this writing. U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney will hold a series of listening sessions in the 24th Congressional District to collect feedback as Congress works to pass a new farm bill. The listening tour will consist of three regional forums in western New York, central New York and the North Country and the Finger Lakes. The western New York listening session is scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 4, at the Genesee County Legislative Chamber in Batavia. The roundtable for central New York and the North Country will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 5, at the Oswego County Legislative Chamber in Oswego. The Finger Lakes listening session is at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 6, at the Phelps Community Center in Phelps. The farm bill was last passed in 2018 and is due to expire this year. The farm bill sets federal agricultural policy, usually for a five-year period. According to her office, Tenney, R-Canandaigua, wants to hear from farmers and other producers about their priorities. She will relay those to the House Agriculture Committee. The 24th Congressional District is one of the top agricultural districts in the Northeast. The district includes all of Cayuga County, which is second among all New York counties in total market value of agricultural products sold. Texas Education Agency Deputy Commissioner Alejandro Delgado faced a deluge of questions from Houston Independent School District parents and local residents at Wednesday night's TEA-sponsored meeting at Delmar Stadium. Hundreds of concerned citizens gathered at the HISD athletic facility for the agency's third community gathering in the weeks since its formal takeover of the district earlier this month. Speakers from the community lined up at a microphone for a chance to address state officials about HISD's future and the department's plans for addressing district needs. Like its first two meetings with community members, TEA officials met with heated remarks and pointed queries from concerned community members. Boos rained down in response to Delgado's answer to a question about HISD's accountability rating ("It's not an A," Delgado said) and Houstonians demanded answers from TEA officials regarding their intentions in taking over the state's largest school district. Earlier this month, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath announced the state would be seizing control of HISD after June 1. The takeover is the product House Bill 1842, a statute that permits state intervention in a school district if one of its campuses records failing accountability ratings over the course of five consecutive years. Morath pointed to this measure and what he saw as a pattern of mismanagement from HISD School Board members as the impetus for state officials wresting control of the district. Kennedy Sessions By summertime, the TEA plans to replace HISD Superintendent Millard House II and the current elected HISD school board with a state-appointed board of managers. Commissioner Morath will select the nine-member board of managers and is currently seeking applicants for its positions. The state's decision has sparked pushback from Houstonians, who have come to the TEA's recent community meetings to demand answers of the district's new unelected stewards. Morath did not attend Wednesday night's meeting and was likewise absent from last week's pair of gatherings hosted by the department. A Houston Chronicle Editorial Board writeup published Tuesday included a statement from Morath saying he's been "under the weather." Delgado didn't clarify why Morath was absent. On Wednesday night community members expressed their concerns through a microphone provided by state officials at the stadium. Attendees held signs reading "Where is Mike Morath?" "No More Sellouts," and chanted rallying cries including "TEA Go Away," and "Makeover Not Takeover." Kennedy Sessions Questions posed by those at the microphone ranged from HISD funding to school vouchers and accountability ratings. "Austin ISD is a B, so do you plan to take over Austin ISD? There are a B+; they are not an A like you said, so do you plan to take over," one woman asked Delgado. Delgado said, "there are no plans." Another woman asked Delgado about the TEA's record on takeovers, noting its past performance at North Forest Independent School District, which was seized by the TEA in 2013 before eventually shutting down and being absorbed into HISD. "If you couldn't fix North Forest, why do you think you could fix HISD," she asked. Delgado said the state's process is listening to community members to create the best outcomes. Another attendee quickly interjected, "listen first, and then you take over, not the other way around." Kennedy Sessions Houstonian Neil Aquino said he's mainly concerned about the TEA's absolute power to dismantle the HISD elected board. "I'm a citizen in Houston that believes in democracy," he said. "Were losing our elected school board members in what was 60 years ago a Jim Crow city, and people fought and died for that right to vote. Work with them, don't seize them. There has to be a solution that doesn't involve removing our elected school board." Attendee Travis McGee expressed apprehension about the potential expansion of charter schools in the district following the state's takeover. "I know this is all about money and privatizing education," McGee said. "This is the largest school district in the state of Texas; HISD [taxpayers] takes care of charter schools, and we take care of smaller districts." Kennedy Sessions McGee also said there needs to be more pressure on local officials who once supported HB 1842 and have since changed their minds. "They vote one way in Austin, and then they come down here talking another way," McGee said. "The bill passed in 2015, and they had almost ten years to repeal it. People keep hollering Morath and Abbott, but neither one of them votes or writes legislation; the commissioner can only do what the legislation allows him to do. That's where the pressure needs to be on our elected employees. The commissioner is powerless without the legislation." After the meeting protestors held a rally on the steps of Delmar Stadium. The next TEA public forum is Thursday, March 30, at Kashmere High School. After the devastating incident in Nashville on Monday, it's normal to ask what the response would be in our area. How will Chattanooga police respond to an active shooter scenario? How will hospitals, like Erlanger, respond to mass casualties? The sedan segment may have ceded a lot of ground to SUVs of all shapes, sizes and at varying price points but recent times have seen a dedicated effort to inject some life into this segment. And after the launch of the Honda City facelift earlier this year, it is the 2023 Hyundai Verna that has attempted to not just grab the spotlight but to keep it on itself. The Hyundai Verna has been a fairly successful model for the Koreans in India even if its fortunes have dipped with dipping fortunes of the segment as a whole. The Verna has had to fight for every small inch of space that is still available against the likes of Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Honda City as well as newer rivals like Skoda Slavia and Volkswagen Virtus. First launched in India back in 2006, the third-generation model that underline its powerful drive credentials. Updates next came in 2010, 2011, 2015, 2017 and 2020, and now, it is time for the sixth-generation Hyundai Verna to potentially rekindle India's long-lost love affair with sedans. Does it have the spark? Here is the first-drive review of 2023 Hyundai Verna: Hyundai Verna 2023: Radical new look The 2023 Hyundai Verna looks nothing like it ever has over the past 15 years and purely in terms of its styling, is a big gamble from the Koreans. Now Hyundai is one of the bravest in the automotive world when it comes to flamboyant styling elements and overall design philosophies. On the new Verna too, whether is is the swooping bonnet, the stretched LED positioning lamp and DRLs, the redesigned front headlights or the blackened chrome parametric grille, this sedan sure does look new. The face of the sixth-generation Hyundai Verna has been reworked entirely. (Sabyasachi Dasgupta) The sixth-generation Hyundai Verna is also longer, wider and has a longer wheelbase than the preceding Verna. Although still not class-leading in these aspects, the car does boast of a best-in-segment boot space of 528 litres. And while that means packing for long journeys ought to be easier, there is also the promise of more cabin space, something that has always troubled Verna owners of the past. Hyundai Verna dimensions Length 4,535 mm Width 1,765 mm Height 1,475 mm Wheelbase 2,670 mm Boot space 528 litres The new Verna sits on 16-inch wheels across variants but depending on the engine choice selected, the alloy design differs between diamond-cut silver or all-black with red brake calipers. And move to the rear and the plethora of updates just continue. Here, the Verna now gets a stretched LED light bar between the updated LED tail lights and updated bumper. A look at the rear and side profile of the new Hyundai Verna. (Sabyasachi Dasgupta) Personally, the design overhaul is a bit too much for me, almost appearing as an exercise in extravagance that will divide opinions. And the Verna's multiple exterior colour options also play a big role in how it appears on the outside - for instance, the Red looks outright funky while the Grey adds sobriety. But Hyundai seems to have nothing to lose when it comes to this segment and credit for going for a brazen design makeover. This cosmetic surgery has been done as much with knives as it has been with metaphorically bold paintbrush strokes. Hyundai Verna 2023: Cabin calls It is a whole new world inside the new Hyundai Verna. But the biggest highlight here is not just the redesigned and layered dashboard layout - in two colour themes, not the new integrated 10.25 curved infotainment system that blends in with the driver display screen, not the switchable controls between infotainment and climate control and not even the first-in-segment cooled as well as heated front seats. The biggest highlight is the generous bump up in rear-seat space. Legroom has gone up and the feeling of being cramped is now, thankfully missing. Knee room, head room and shoulder room are all quite acceptable as well. A wheelbase of 2,670mm means that the new Verna now addresses the long-standing complaint of a cramped cabin. (Sabyasachi Dasgupta) The other highlights here include an eight-speaker Bose sound system, wireless phone charging, a re-designed - and cleaner - steering wheel layout with mounted controls, rear curtain, cooled glove box and plenty of storage and charging options. The leather-seat upholstery is also quite premium. So while the exterior updates will divide opinions, the cabin quality and feature list is more than likely to unite appreciation for just how premium this sedan now feels. Oh, and there also is a conventional sunroof which, well just for audacious purposes, could have been larger. EX S SX SX(O) SX Turbo SX(O) Turbo Exterior Projector headlamps Black chrome parametric radiator grille Body coloured ORVMs Body coloured door handles Full wheel covers Electrically adjustable ORVMs LED DRLs LED tail lamps and light bar Shark fin antenna Turn indicators on ORVMs 15-inch alloy wheels LED headlamps Cornering lamps Window belt line satin chrome Satin chrome door handles 16-inch diamond-cut alloys Auto fold ORVMs Electric-folding ORVMs Smart trunk Electric sunroof 16-inch blacked-out alloy wheels Red brake calipers Comfort and convenience Automatic headlamps Headlamp escort function Foldable key Rear defogger Passenger seat back pocket Height adjustable driver seat Adjustable headrests Cloth upholstery Rear centre armrest Intermittent variable front wiper Front and rear USB sockets Tilt steering Sliding front armrest Digital instrument cluster Cruise control Glovebox cooling Rear AC vents Automatic climate control Idle start/stop system Smart key Height adjustable front seat belts Leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob Ambient lighting Wireless charger Push button to start/stop Drive Modes (IVT only) Paddle shifters (IVT only) Soft touch finish Driver seat back pocket Leather upholstery Rear curtains Luggage net Air purifier Power driver seat Front ventilated and heated seats Metal pedals Electric parking brake (DCT only) Leather upholstery Rear curtains Luggage net Safety features 6 airbags ABS with EBD Rear parking sensors Day/Night IRVM Emergency Stop Signal Central locking Impact sensing auto door unlock Speed sensing auto door lock Seatbelt reminders Speed alert Seat belt pretensioners ISOFIX Burglar alarm Hill Start Assist Electronic Stability Control Vehicle Stability Management TPMS Front parking sensors Rear camera with guidelines Electro chromic mirror Driver rear view monitor ECM with telematics switches ADAS (IVT only) Rear disc brakes (DCT only) Leading Vehicle Departure Alert (DCT only) Smart Cruise Control With Stop & Go (DCT only) ADAS Infotainment and connectivity 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system Android Auto Apple CarPlay Front and rear speakers Bluetooth connectivity Multi-function steering wheel 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system BlueLink Bose speakers system Bose speakers system Hyundai Verna 2023: Turbo-powered drive and ADAS The turbo petrol motor inside the Hyundai Verna comes mated to a seven-speed DCT. This review unit though had the engine with the six-speed manual stick. (Sabyasachi Dasgupta) The new Verna 2023 has ditched its diesel engine option entirely. And it makes sense because with volumes in the sedan space anyway quite low, it may not make sense to update the diesel motor to stricter emission rules. Instead, the 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated petrol unit has been carried forward and now is twining with a more powerful 1.5-litre turbo petrol motor. This turbo petrol is more powerful than the 1.4 turbo petrol motor on the Creta and the tuning inside the Verna means the sedan offers 160 hp of max power. This is more than all of Verna's direct rivals. There is also 253 Nm of max torque which is slightly more than what Slavia and Virtus offers, and the same as the Honda City strong hybrid model. In the real world, the Verna turbo is a monster to drive and paired with a six-speed manual transmission - there is also a 7-speed DCT, is an absolute driver's delight. The typically short gear throws, the light steering wheel and the instant response to the throttle inputs makes this sedan an extremely eager campaigner that satiates need for speed. But while the Verna turbo does hustle to triple-digit speeds without any fuss, it suffers from a complete lack of steering feedback on high speeds. The sedan may be relatively composed at high speeds but the likes of the Virtus and Slavia offer more confidence. The 2023 Hyundai Verna has decent straight-line stability. (Sabyasachi Dasgupta) This is true for the Verna with the more genial petrol engine which, obviously, takes more time to build its way to triple digits but does also offer a composed drive experience. The slightly stiffer suspension set up helps the sedan tackle road aberrations well and the iVT automatic on our test unit was par for the course. NVH levels are under check even if the engine groan seeps in a bit when demanding for the motor to go above and beyond. The Verna, however, is a confident car within city limits and is nearly effortless to drive due to the same light steering wheel. The respectable ground clearance ought to help the sedan tackle ungainly speed breakers and the ride quality is fairly decent. As far as safety highlights of the 2023 Hyundai Verna are concerned, it comes with multiple airbags as standard, ABS with EBD, Hill-Start Assist Control, Electronic Stability Control, Automatic head lights, among others. And making its debut in the Verna is Level 2 ADAS as well. First seen on the latest Hyundai Tucson launched last year, Level 2 ADAS bring in highlights such as Forward Collision - Avoidance Assist, Blind-spot Collision - Avoidance Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Lane Following Assist, High Beam Assist, Leading Vehicle Departure Alert, among others. I have my serious reservations about ADAS application in Indian conditions and this is about the technology as a whole and not about ADAS on the Verna. On this particular model, we put Forward Collision, Lane Following Assist and Lane Keeping Assist to the test on a clear stretch of an expressway, and it worked as expected. But the unpredictable nature of Indian roads still means extreme caution and relentless attention is mandatory. Hyundai Verna 2023: Verdict The biggest talking point around the Hyundai Verna in its sixth-generation is its exterior styling and while credits due to the Koreans for lending the sedan a massive makeover, the styling sure is quite polarising. Sedan buyers could be a mature crop of customers who prefer understated styling cues and how well the new Verna's looks sits with their sense and sensibilities is anyone's guess. But it is also true that here is a car that is chocker-blocked with premium features, a very capable turbo petrol motor that will make people forget there ever was a diesel motor, more rear-seat space and Level 2 ADAS for added bragging rights. Expected sales of the new Verna will most certainly inject a fresh lease of life to the segment as a whole but will it foster a revolution? First Published Date: Middle Tennessee State University students and faculty involved with MTSUs Forensic Aviation Archaeology study abroad course, along with international volunteers, display an MTSU banner and an American flag near the site of their grant-funded field recovery project in France where students help search for remains of missing U.S. World War II personnel in August 2022. (Photo courtesy of Tiffany Saul) Earl Bentz holds his award for being named the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission 2023 Legacy Award. Pictured with Bentz (from left) is his wife Janet. Former TFWC chair Angie who presented award, TFWC Vice Chairman Jimmy Granbery, TWRA Executive Director Jason Maxedon, and TFWC Chairman Tommy Woods. Minutes before the shooting in Nashville, the accused shooter sent messages to a friend to let them know something bad was going to happen. If you do not have a current print subscription to the Lodi News-Sentinel, but want to view unlimited articles for the month, please choose this option. Beijing (Gasgoo)- In 2022, Dongfeng Motor Group Company Limited (Dongfeng Motor Group) saw its annual revenue reach 92.663 billion yuan, representing an 18% decline compared to a year ago, according to the companys 2022 Annual Results Announcement released yesterday. Photo credit: Dongfeng Motor Last year, Dongfeng Motor Groups gross profit came down 15.26% from the prior-year period to 8.827 billion yuan. Meanwhile, its net profit attributable to shareholders stood at 10.265 billion yuan, slipping 9% year on year. In 2022, the automakers net profit margin was 11.1%, which was the highest level achieved during the past three years, said Dongfeng Motor Group. Through 2022, Dongfeng Motor Group poured 9.492 billion yuan of strategic investments in such areas as R&D capacity construction, upgrading of manufacturing capacity, new energy strategic commodity layout, etc. Last year, the companys total sales volume amounted to roughly 2,464,500 vehicles, among which, sales of new energy vehicles soared 115.5% year on year to 346,100 units. In particular, 320,400 units were new energy passenger vehicles, representing a hike 123.5% over a year ago. Despite the less than satisfactory operating results achieved in 2022, Dongfeng Motor Group still set a sales target of 3 million units in 2023, which should grow 73% from last year. The annual export target of this year is 190,000 units, up 28% year-over-year. Ciaran O'Reilly (22) of 1 Abbey Court, Abbeylara, Longford was before Judge Bernadette Owens in relation to three separate incidents. The defendant was charged with public intoxication and engaging in threatening and abusive behaviour at Market Street, Granard on February 18, 2023, non-display of an insurance disk, non-display of L plates and driving unaccompanied by a full licence holder on May 8, 22 at Abbeylara, Longford, and driving while under the influence of cannabis at Rathcroghan, Granard on April 18, 2022. Inspector David Jordan outlined details of the charges before the court. On Saturday, February 18 at 2:15am officers attending to a disturbance at a licence premises found the defendant intoxicated and aggressive. When the officers asked Mr O'Reilly to leave the area he responded, calling them f**king c**ts. He was shouting and aggressive and was arrested. As he was being placed in the Garda van he repeatedly headbutted the door. Inspector Jordan said the defendant calmed down when he was in the Garda cell. Solicitor, Frank Gearty, told the judge a wedding had taken place earlier in the day. Mr O'Reilly's partner's sister was getting married: There was too much celebration, he was completely out of order as he had too much to drink. It was an unfortunate end to a lovely day. Garda Shane Carr gave details of stopping the defendant who was driving a silver Volkswagen at 1:25pm on May 8, 2022 at Abbeylara, Longford. An examination of the vehicle showed that the tax disk had expired, there were no L plates on display and the driver was an unaccompanied learner driver. A fixed charge penalty notice was issued, but went unpaid. The court was told the defendant has six previous convictions including a no insurance charge from 2020. Judge Owens noted the father of two had clocked up a serious number of convictions in a short period of time. Mr Gearty said the defendant had a consequential disqualification because of the number of penalty points he has accrued. The defendant has 20 hours of community service left to complete on a previous community service order. Judge Owens imposed a fine of 300 for the threatening and abusive charge, and took the public intoxication charge into account for the offences on February 18 last. Fines of 250 for non-display of insurance, and 250 for unaccompanied driving were also imposed on the May 8 offences, with the non-display of the L plates was taken into consideration. The charge of driving under the influence of cannabis at Rathcroghan, Granard on March 18, 2022 was adjourned to April 18 next to allow the prosecution make disclosure of evidence in the case to the defendant's legal representative. The Immigrant Council of Ireland (ICI) is calling on schools, businesses and community groups in Longford to join their anti-racism initiative, Wear Red Day this week. As part of the event, which takes place on Friday, March 31, people are being encouraged to wear red and make a donation to the charity. All the funds raised through Wear Red Day will be used by the Immigrant Council to continue their work on tackling racism in Ireland. Commenting ahead of the event, Valeria Aquino, Integration Manager at the Immigrant Council said: Wear Red Day is an important opportunity for schools, businesses and community groups alike to send out a strong message that we as communities welcome diversity, celebrate it, and take a stand against racism in all forms. With racist incidents on the rise, it is vital that we provide people with the tools and knowledge they need to properly deal with racism. Wear Red Day is a great opportunity for schools and workplaces to start the conversation on racism and discrimination. "As well as wearing red, were also encouraging people to run activities throughout the day everything from five-aside competitions, to bake sales all to help boost donations. We hope the people of Longford get behind this initiative and show their support on Friday! The Immigrant Council is encouraging participants to share their Wear Red Day activities on social media using the hashtag #WRD23. Wear Red Day is part of the Show Racism the Red Card anti-racism programme, which is operated in Ireland by the ICI. The programme provides educational resources, workshops, trainings and awareness-raising activities for primary and secondary schools, youth groups, workplaces and sporting stakeholders nationwide. Further information on Wear Red Day is available HERE Local News By Chris Boyle Published: March 30 2023 Funding Comes From American Rescue Plan's $10 Billion Capital Projects Fund To Bring Fast and Affordable High-Speed Internet To Underserved Communities. Governor Kathy Hochul, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that New York State will receive $100 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Treasury through the American Rescue Plan to expand high-speed internet. This is the largest targeted investment in affordable housing connectivity in the nation. New York estimates this funding will allow them to connect 100,000 homes and families to affordable, high-speed internet across the state. "Affordable, reliable broadband access is essential to connect New Yorkers with work, education, and government services, but still out of reach for far too many families," Governor Hochul said. "This critical funding to unlock high-speed internet for thousands of New York renters will build on the success of our ConnectALL broadband initiative while supporting the goals our five-year plan to build and preserve more affordable housing. Thanks to the Biden administration and New York's Senate and Congressional delegations, New York will continue to lead the nation in bridging the digital divide and making broadband available to all." Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer said, "$100 Million in federal funding that I secured in the American Rescue Plan is now on its way to boost high quality internet access for over 100,000 families and homes across New York. Long before the pandemic, communities across Upstate New York, from rural communities to bustling city neighborhoods, have struggled to obtain affordable, high-speed internet service. These federal dollars will go directly towards closing the digital divide, which means connecting communities to good-paying jobs, better healthcare, and higher-quality education in our schools. I am proud to deliver this major $100 million investment to provide more equitable broadband accessibility throughout the state and help New Yorkers thrive in today's digital economy." Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said, "I am proud to announce $100 million in federal funding that will be used to deliver high-speed internet to thousands upon thousands of families across New York State. During the pandemic, we saw how important high-quality broadband is for business, health care, school, and more. That's why, when we wrote the American Rescue Plan, we included robust funding for broadband delivery, which can create new economic opportunities, raise property values and improve people's life and health outcomes. I'm excited to work with the White House, Leader Schumer and Governor Hochul to get this project moving." The new federal investment comes from the $10 billion in the American Rescue Plan's Capital Projects Fund (CPF), a program designed to address the challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in rural America, Tribal communities, and low- and moderate-income communities. A key priority of the CPF is to make funding available to help ensure that all communities have access to high-quality modern infrastructure, including reliable, affordable high-speed broadband needed to access critical services. New York's Affordable Housing Connectivity Program is a competitive grant program designed to fund high-speed, reliable broadband infrastructure to and within low-income housing buildings. CPF funds will be used to upgrade internet access in affordable housing units. The plan submitted to Treasury and being approved today represents 29 percent of the state's total allocation under the Capital Project Funds program. New York submitted plans for the remainder of their Capital Project Funds and these applications are currently under review by Treasury. Today's investment is also on top of the historic federal funding secured in the Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law which included a record $65 billion for the expansion of high-speed internet to connect the unserved, make internet affordable, and provide resources for digital literacy. Together, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the American Rescue Plan are working in tandem to close the digital divide - providing access to high-speed internet in underserved communities and lowering costs for those who cannot afford it. This funding builds on the historic federal investments. New York, under Governor Hochul's leadership, has been leading the nation in closing the digital divide. Last year, New York enrolled one million qualifying households in the federal Affordable Connectivity Program, a nationwide subsidy to expand broadband access to low-income households. The federal program, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, provides discounts of up to $30 a month toward internet service for eligible low-income households. In partnership with historic federal broadband funding, Governor Hochul's $1.2 billion ConnectALL initiative has made significant investments in mapping and data collection; grant programs to support municipal open-access infrastructure, rural broadband projects, and innovative service delivery pilots; broadband upgrades in affordable housing; reforms to streamline deployment and remove regulatory hurdles; and the development of a Statewide Digital Equity Plan and Digital Equity Grant Program. Congress passed the Broadband DATA Act to better show where New Yorker's lacked internet. Last year, the ConnectALL office supplemented the federal FCC broadband data by providing more than 31,000 addresses to help the better address the needs of New York communities unserved or underserved by broadband. Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, "Having reliable, accessible and affordable broadband is essential to our economy and our quality of life. This federal funding is a vital component of our ConnectALL program and will connect all New Yorkers, especially in communities that have historically been left behind." Local News By Chris Boyle Published: March 30 2023 The grassland fire helps reduce wildfire risks to nearby communities and helps to stem southern pine beetle infestations. Recently, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Forest Rangers, DEC Wildlife staff, the Central Pine Barrens Commission, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Albany Pine Bush, and other DEC volunteers conducted a prescribed fire at Rocky Point Pine Barrens State Forest in Brookhaven. The grassland fire helps reduce wildfire risks to nearby communities and supports DEC's ongoing efforts to stem southern pine beetle infestations. A total of 32 acres were burned. Local News By Chris Boyle Published: March 30 2023 Since October of 2022, there have been at least four hit and run vehicle accidents in Suffolk County, three of which resulted in fatalities. NYS Senator Dean Murray (R, C East Patchogue, NY) has introduced legislation that will increase penalties for those convicted of leaving the scene of an accident involving a death. Since October of 2022, there have been at least four hit and run vehicle accidents in Suffolk County, three of which resulted in fatalities. The most recent accident occurred on March 12, 2023 in Patchogue, when a man walking in a pedestrian crosswalk on Route 112, was struck by two separate vehicles. Police say 25-year-old Nicholas Nick Puzio, of Farmingville, NY died after being struck by two separate vehicles while he was crossing the street. The drivers of both vehicles fled the scene after striking Puzio. This young mans life was taken far too early. If the first driver had stopped, would the second vehicle have ever hit him? If the second driver had stopped, could they have gotten Nick the help he needed to save his life? These are questions we cannot answer because of the reckless and cowardly choices made by the two drivers. Both drivers failed to yield to Nick and both drivers left the scene of the accident, trying to escape the consequences of their actions. There must be serious consequences for such actions. That is why I have introduced legislation (S6051), known as Nicks Law, that increases penalties for drivers who commit such atrocities, said NYS Senator Dean Murray. Nicks Law will amend the vehicle and traffic law to increase the penalty and fine for hit and run crimes from a Class D felony to a Class B felony when there is a death of a victim. It will also amend the criminal procedure law to provide that a hit and run accident resulting in the death of a victim, shall be a class B felony crime for drivers of all ages. NYS Assemblyman Doug Smith (R, C Ronkonkoma) will sponsor the legislation in the NYS Assembly. No one else should have to endure the consequences of another individuals poor choices while driving. Hopefully this new proposed legislation will make drivers think twice before leaving the scene of any accident, let alone on that involves a fatality, said NYS Assemblymember Doug Smith, 5th Assembly District. Senator Murray added, It is my hope that the new law will ensure that drivers, regardless of their age, are cognizant that hit and run accidents like the one that claimed the life of Nick Puzio, are very serious crimes that will carry very serious penalties. For more information on S6051, please visit: https://www.nysenate.gov/search/legislation?searched=true&type=f_bill&bill_printno=s6051&page=1. Crime By Chris Boyle Published: March 30 2023 Brian Sloan Allegedly Left the Scene of the Crash that Injured Motorist and then Filed False Documents to Conceal the Nature of the Incident. Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced the indictment of Brian Sloan, 57, a civilian mechanic employed by the Suffolk County Sheriffs Office, for allegedly leaving the scene of a crash involving his county owned vehicle and then falsely reporting that he had been involved in a one-car motor vehicle crash. This defendant is alleged to have fled the scene of a motor vehicle crash that injured another driver, and then compounded that conduct by allegedly filing false documents with the Sheriffs Office in an effort to conceal what he had done, said District Attorney Tierney. My Office is committed to the principle that no one is above the law, including government employees. I thank the Suffolk County Sheriffs Office for their cooperation and professionalism in referring this matter to us for investigation and for their assistance throughout the entirety of this investigation. No one is above the law and the Suffolk County Sheriffs Office has zero-tolerance for criminal behavior, said Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr. Thank you to the District Attorneys Office for working with us to investigate this incident and uncover the truth. According to the investigation, on December 23, 2022, Sloan was operating a Ford F-250 pickup truck owned by the Suffolk County Sheriffs Office on Patchogue Yaphank Road in Patchogue when he drove through a red traffic light and crashed into a sedan which had been making a lawful left-hand turn. The collision caused injuries to the sedans driver and totaled the vehicle. Sloan then allegedly fled the scene without stopping or exchanging documentation. The driver of the sedan was taken by ambulance to Long Island Community Hospital for treatment. An off-duty New York City police officer who witnessed the crash followed the F-250 from the scene and recorded its license plate number. It is alleged that Sloan later falsely reported to the Suffolk County Sheriffs Office that he had been involved in a one-car motor vehicle crash. Sloan allegedly completed, signed, and submitted two separate documents to the Suffolk County Sheriffs Office indicating that on December 23, 2022, the County-owned F-250 he was operating traveled over an icy roadway, which resulted in his collision with a guardrail at a different location in Patchogue, approximately two miles from the actual crash location. Sloan is charged with: Leaving the Scene of an Incident with Personal Injury Without Reporting, a class E felony; Two counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, a class E felony; Two counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a class E felony; and Two counts of Official Misconduct, a class A misdemeanor. Sloan surrendered to the District Attorneys Office this morning and he was arraigned by County Court Judge, the Honorable Steven A. Pilewski. Under current New York State law, the offenses with which the defendant is charged are non-bail eligible, and therefore he was released on his own recognizance. Sloan is being represented by John Loturco, Esq. He is due back in court on April 26, 2023. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Katharine R. DAquila of the Public Corruption Bureau. With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information. Great Wall Motors 2022 annual revenue edges up 0.69% YoY Great Wall Motor announced today its annual revenue edged up 0.69% year on year to 137.34 billion yuan in 2022. Meanwhile, its full-year net profit attributable to shareholders jumped 22.9% from a year earlier to 8.266 billion yuan. Haval Second-generation Big Dog; photo credit: GWM SAIC Motors all-new MG 7 hits market On Mar. 29, SAIC Motor put the all-new MG7 onto the market with six trim levels priced between 119,800 yuan and 169,800 yuan. All-new MG7; photo credit: MG SERES Group launches new NEV sub-brand Lan Dian Chongqing SERES Lan Dian Automobile Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of SERES Group, on Mar. 30 launched an all-new new energy vehicle (NEV) brand Lan Dian (translating to Blue Electricity). The first production model under the new brand, the Lan Dian E5 hybrid SUV, hit the market at the same time with a starting price of 139,900 yuan. Lan Dian E5; photo credit: Lan Dian GAC Group posts two-digit YoY growth in 2022 annual revenue, net profit GAC Group announced on Wednesday its full-year revenue reached around 109.335 billion yuan in 2022, leaping 45.57% from a year ago. Cao Cao Mobility partners with LiDAR maker Innovusion On March 29, 2023, Innovusion, a global image-grade LiDAR solution provider, and Cao Cao Mobility, a ride-hailing platform backed by Geely, announced that they have officially entered into a strategic cooperation. Dongfeng Motor Group sees 18% YoY drop in 2022 annual revenue In 2022, Dongfeng Motor Group Company Limited (Dongfeng Motor Group) saw its annual revenue reach 92.663 billion yuan, representing an 18% decline compared to a year ago, according to the companys 2022 Annual Results Announcement released yesterday. Chinese battery maker CALB boasts 198.9% YoY spike in 2022 revenue On March 28, Chinese power battery supplier CALB Co., Ltd. (CALB) released its first annual report after going public. In 2022, the company achieved a revenue of about 20.375 billion yuan, up 198.9% year-on-year. Black Sesame Technologies, Cao Cao Mobility ally on advanced intelligent driving tech commercialization On March 29, Black Sesame Technologies and Geely-backed Cao Cao Mobility signed a strategic cooperation agreement for the commercialization of advanced intelligent driving technology. (Alliance News) - Genedrive PLC on Thursday said the UK National Institute for Health & Care Excellence ratified and finalised its recommendation that Genedrive's hearing loss gene screening test MT-RNR1 ID kit can be used by the NHS. Shares in Genedrive were down 8.0% to 33.81 pence each in London on Thursday late morning. The MT-RNR1 ID kit test is used to screen infants for a genetic variant which causes lifelong hearing loss if those who carry it are dosed with certain antibiotics. The Manchester, England-based point-of-care molecular diagnostics company said the review was conducted via NICE's early value assessment programme, which was designed to select and recommend new technologies that "will make a real difference to patients and provide the most value for the NHS". It said the positive outcome was based on a number of conclusions, including the kit being able to "quickly and accurately identify babies with the MT-RNR1 genetic variant who may be at risk of hearing loss if given aminoglycoside antibiotics", and that "no other test is available to provide results quickly enough to inform decisions on antibiotic prescribing in emergency care". Genedrive said these conclusions support and are a consequence of its strategy for the development of rapid molecular diagnostics for emergency care. It added the NICE recommendation will support support additional data generation requirements whilst the test is being used routinely within NHS sites. It is anticipated that this data collection process will be several years in duration, while further guidance on data collection from NICE is expected in the coming months, Genedrive said. "The final report issued today entirely reflects the preliminary conclusion published in February. As we continue with commercial roll out and product adoption, the NICE EVA framework will give us the opportunity to support specific performance and impact data that NHS users and commissioners may look for in future guidance," said Genedrive Chief Executive Officer David Budd. "NICE, whose guidance is formally applicable to the NHS in England and Wales, is an internationally respected health authority and the tools and data supplied in its review will be relevant to the rest of the United Kingdom and to the other international markets which we are now accessing." On Monday last week, Genedrive said its MT-RNR1 ID Kit was set to roll out at two more hospitals in the UK's North West National Health Service. Genedrive said it is working with Manchester Academic Health Science Centre Women & Children Domain, which falls under Health Innovation Manchester. It continues to work with HInM for the rollout across a further five neonatal sites in Greater Manchester. "Once fully subscribed at this regional level, the test would be available when needed to circa 30,000 newborns over the next NHS fiscal year, of which 10-12% are modelled to be admitted to a regional neonatal unit," Genedrive said at the time. The roll-out is part of the firm's implementation project, which will begin from April, following NICE's final recommendation. By Greg Rosenvinge, Alliance News reporter Comments and questions to newsroom@alliancenews.com Copyright 2023 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Download Image: Web I just think you [Generation Z] belong at the table - Governor Josh Shapiro Nine Lycoming College Warriors spent spring break fully immersed in Pennsylvania government and politics through the first ever Applied Political Experience course, taught by Sen. David G. Argall 80. The group of students represented all four years of Lycoming students and hailed from Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, Virginia, Venezuela, and France. They spent the week in Harrisburg, Pa., attending meetings and learning from members and staff of all three branches of government. In a reunion from their October campaign stop at the College, the students had meetings with Gov. Josh Shapiro and Lt. Gov. Austin Davis. In each of these meetings, the students came prepared with questions on goals for the 2023-2024 budget, increasing the minimum wage, and making college more affordable, particularly for children of immigrants. The two highest ranking members of the executive branch spoke highly of Generation Z. Shapiro shared that, Generation Z matters, noting that they have powerful voices for driving change. He added that they are gifted at using social media to drive out a message. Davis shared that, the people closest to the pain should be closest to the power, noting the importance of having young people, women, and working-class individuals represented in this young administration. In the judicial branch, the students interacted with another Lycoming alumnus, Justice Kevin Brobson 92. The group met in the Supreme Court Chamber and learned about the artwork, architecture, and history surrounding them. Brobson fielded questions about the jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and the experience of running a statewide campaign. Another campaign conversation took place with Megan Martin who is running for Commonwealth Court. She shared her experience of being a woman in politics and having held positions in the State Senate including secretary and parliamentarian. Committee staff and lobbyists shared their roles in the legislative process. The class met with staff of yet another Lycoming alumnus, Sen. Gene Yaw 70, who serves as chairman of the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee. The students asked questions about the perception of lobbying having a negative influence on politics, and learned that its an avenue for different causes to be heard. They discovered that many members of the General Assembly and their staff have positive relationships with lobbyists and that they work together frequently on different issues. Specifically, they learned that the role of lobbyists is to get certain causes on the agenda during a legislative session. The class also met with Rep. Mike Sturla, who is one of the longest-serving members of the House of Representatives. Sturla, chairman of the Housing and Community Development Committee, outlined the responsibilities of his committee and shared lessons he has learned throughout his career. He tried to debunk the belief that state legislators only work 100 days per year and showed insight into the role on a non-session day. Besides informational meetings and question-and-answer sessions, the class spent part of their week shadowing jobs across the Capitol. Some students shadowed professionals in lobbying firms or interest groups, while others spent their time learning from legislative committee and communications staff. One student even spent this time in the Lieutenant Governors office! Throughout the week, the class attended committee hearings and had a first-person experience of how the policy process works in Pennsylvania. Lycoming Colleges political science department gives students the tools to not only be consumers of political theory, but active producers and participants in political research and application. Student study the overarching complexities of political values, institutions, processes, and policies, while developing critical thinking, oral and written communication, and informational literacy skills. More information on Lycomings political science program is available at https://www.lycoming.edu/political-science/. LOS ANGELESOTouch has announced the debut of its newest pleasure product, the "Bloom" vibrator. When OTouch founder Chalim visited the Netherlands for the first time, he fell in love with the scenery, namely the tulips for which the country is known. After his return to Hong Kong, Chalim was inspired to create a new sex toy inspired by his travels. The shape of Bloom was derived from tulips, with a petal-like handle and stem-like vibrator. According to Chalim, what OTouch wishes is to make Bloom a decorative addition to the user's bedroom in addition to its practical purpose. The Bloom was carefully designed with a diverse set of functions. The petal handle is crafted of medical grade silicone, which helps to alleviate the shock sensations to the user's hands. The stem portion was created to reach the G-spot precisely and safely. Meanwhile, the Bloom is equipped with two types of accessories, the peak and the clamp, which focus on different pleasure points. With the peak accessory, the Bloom can be used to stimulate the clitoris, while the clamp is intended for stimulation of the nipples with low-amplitude vibrations. The Bloom also features seven levels of vibration for a variety of pleasure preferences. The toy has a silent engine that allows users to immerse themselves without noise disruptions. Additionally, the product is IPX6 waterproof. After each use, the Bloom can be cleaned with tap water and mild hand soap and kept discreetly in its OTouch bag. To recharge the toy, it can be connected to the included USB vibrator charger cable. For more information, visit otouch.com. Industrial action by French air traffic controllers could cause chaos for tens of thousands of Britons heading to the Balearics and the rest of Spain, not to mention France, this Easter and over the school holidays. French air traffic controllers are preparing to walk out every day next month, in a move that will disrupt thousands of passengers flying between Britain and Spain, because flights use Frances airspace for transit. Ryanair has already been forced to ground 230 flights last week because of French strikes over the pension age increase, and a further 120 flights this week, according to The Times. Airlines have to compensate passengers for long delays or cancellations under European passenger laws but are unable to recover penalties from air traffic authorities when airspace is blocked. Tension between airlines and French controllers has been a recurring issue but escalated this year as the controllers joined strikes over planned changes to the retirement age. The Department of Energy on Thursday signed three offshore wind service contracts with combined capacity of 2,000 megawatts and investment value of $5 billion with Copenhagen Infrastructure New Markets Fund. CINMF is the first 100-percent foreign-owned company to invest in the countrys OSW development. These agreements represent an additional strategic investment and a firm commitment to strengthen the renewable energy sector in the country, particularly the development of OSW. They provide a significant contribution towards a low carbon future as well as encourage the development of the local supply chain, Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said. The 25-year OSW contracts are expected to accelerate the implementation of the thrust of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to develop indigenous and renewable sources of energy. CINMF, an affiliate of Danish fund manager Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, entered the Philippine market following the lifting of foreign ownership restrictions on RE development. ADVERTISEMENT The three OSW projects will be developed in offshore Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur (1,000 MW), offshore of Northern Samar (650 MW) and offshore of Pangasinan and La Union (350 MW). The DOE awarded 57 OSW SCs to date with a total potential capacity of about 42,000 MW that will be developed in the coming years. The DOE aims to bring the RE share in the power generation mix to 35 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040 from 22 percent. The three projects are expected to create around 4,500 jobs during the development and operations period, generate enough power to supply about one million households and offset about 2.9 million ton in carbon dioxide emissions a year. Lotilla said CINMF, a dedicated fund manager with greenfield renewable energy investments and one of the global leaders in OSW, would bring in financial muscle and technological heft and will be working with Filipino partners throughout the construction and operation phases. Alena Mae S. Flores They will work with the various coastal host communities in enhancing the local livelihood opportunities and environmental protection, the energy chief said. CINMF head and CIP partner Niels Holst said the removal of foreign ownership restrictions on RE projects gave them positive signals to pour in investments in the country. We believe the Philippines holds great potential for low-cost power delivery from high-quality renewable energy projects that would deliver local employment and skills, Holst said. CINMF associate partner Przemek Lupa said the three OSW projects are important milestones in CIP s renewable energy activities in the Philippines. As one of the world leaders in offshore wind, CIP is proud to be the first 100% foreign-owned company to obtain such an award from the DOE, and we look forward to working together with the Philippine government and various authorities and to support their vision of developing and maturing wind and other renewable energy power generation in the country, Lupa said. CIP has a market-leading portfolio of green energy projects totaling more than 100 gigawatts and raised about 19 billion euros for energy and associated infrastructure investments from more than 140 international institutional investors. Danish Ambassador to the Philippines Franz-Michael Melbin said the Filipino people deserve more reliable and cheaper electricity. Denmark introduced wind power to the Philippines in 2004. I am proud that Denmark will also be the first country to be part of a fully foreign-owned wind farm in support of the Philippine renewable energy transition, Melbin said, The Philippines and the Danish government have a long-standing cooperation in the development of wind power in the country. The 25-MW Bangui Bay Wind Power Project, developed in 2004 by the Northwind Power Development Corp. in Bangui, Ilocos Norte, was partly funded by the Danish government through the Danish International Development Assistance. It was a landmark project that paved the way for developing onshore wind power projects in the country and the Southeast Asian region. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. The recent RP-Mission and Development Foundation (RPMD) Boses ng Bayan independent, non-commissioned survey revealed that House Senior Deputy Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Sandro Araneta Marcos III has been ranked as the highest performing Representative among 126 neophyte lawmakers in the Philippines. Hailing from Ilocos Sur, District 1, Sandro has garnered an impressive 95.8 percent performance score. The performance evaluation of neophyte lawmakers in the Philippines resulted in some notable rankings. Jolo Revilla of Cavite secured second place with a remarkable performance rating of 91.7%. Not far behind was Edu Rama of Cebu, who earned a mark of 91.5%. The third spot was a highly contested tie, with Representatives Amante of Laguna (89.4%), Marvin Rillo of Quezon City (88.7%), Emeng Pascual of Nueva Ecija (88.6%), Rhea Gullas of Cebu (88.6%), Marivic Co-Pilar of Quezon City (88.5%), Jay Khonghun of Zambales (88.5%), and Lordan Suan of Cagayan de Oro (88.4%). These politicians received significant scores for their performance as lawmakers. Ando Oaminal of Misamis Oriental (88.1%), Migz Villafuerte of Camarines Sur (87.7%), Midy Cua of Quezon (87.6%), and Aniela Tolentino of Cavite (87.4%) share the fourth position statistically. These lawmakers demonstrated high results during their first term in office. Finally, Franz Pumaren of Quezon City (86.6%), Dean Asistio of Caloocan (86.4%), Cynthia Chan of Lapu-Lapu (86.4%), PM Vargas of Quezon City (86.2%), Ian Amatong of ZaNorte (86.1%), and Marie Escudero of Sorsogon (85.8%) were tied for fifth place. These lawmakers also demonstrated strong performances during their first term in office, earning outstanding scores in the performance evaluation. The latest job satisfaction evaluations of party-list representatives in the Philippines have revealed the outstanding performance of Yedda Marie Romualdez from Tingog Partylist. Romualdez earned an excellent rating of 93.5%, positioning her as the top-performing Representative in the party-list system. Following closely behind Romualdez is Jocelyn Tulfo of ACT-CIS, who achieved a commendable score of 89.4%. In the third spot is Bryan Revilla of AGIMAT, who garnered a score of 88.6%. Meanwhile, Migs Nograles of PBA secured the fourth position with a rating of 87.9%, and JC Abalos of 4PS ranked fifth with an 87.5% rating. Ranked 6th to 10 are the following top party list representatives; Bonifacio Bosita of 1Rider (85.9%), Elizaldy Co of Ako Bicol (85.1%), Bernadette Herrera of BH Bagong Henerasyon (84.4%), Rodante Marcoleta of SAGIP (83.6%), and Ompong Ordanes of Senior Citizens (80.1%). These evaluations are essential in providing a glimpse into the performance of the countrys district and party-list representatives, who have been tasked to represent every district and the marginalized sectors of society. Through these ratings, the public can gauge the effectiveness of these representatives in fulfilling their mandate and addressing the needs of their constituents, said Dr. Paul Martinez of RPMD. The Top District Representative-Philippines neophytes/Top Partylist Representatives-Philippines is a component of the Boses ng Bayan national survey, a comprehensive evaluation of the performance of public officials based on face-to-face interviews with a total of 10,000 adult respondents, with a sampling error margin of +/-1% Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. CEMEX Philippines President and CEO Luis Franco recently paid a courtesy visit to Department of Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco where they talked about ways to work together to build a better and more sustainable industry. During the visit, CEMEX presented its waste management solutions through co-processing of wastes, as well as its line of high quality, low carbon cement products for more sustainable infrastructures. You speak my language, as all the efforts and initiatives that CEMEX has done address the basic problems and concerns the LGUs face, especially in waste management. It is a simple but revolutionary approach to answer the prevailing concerns of the LGU and the tourism industry, Secretary Frasco said in a published article. Secretary Frasco also expressed that she is looking forward to the possibilities of partnership with CEMEX and other tourism players who desire the development of more sustainable tourism infrastructures in the country. Sec. Frasco and Franco discussed possible collaboration in building sustainable tourism infrastructures and projects such as the Tourist Rest Areas (TRAS) using blended cement. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Jonah Hill could be preparing for the first time for a role he hasn't tried before, as his girlfriend Olivia Millar has been photographed with a noticeable belly bump in Santa Monica by the Daily Mail, after a couple of months ago the couple was seen visiting a children's store while spending some time in Hawaii. Millar who's an entrepreneur that co-owns Chasseresse, an online vintage shop, was seen not only with her baby bump but also wearing a big diamond ring, supposedly an engagement one, given by Hill. Jonah Hill has become a more private person Neither Jonah Hill or Olivia Millar has publicly addressed the pregnancy or their engagement just yet. This shouldn't come as a surprise as Jonah Hill expressed last year that he's been more private in recent years after struggling with anxiety and panic attacks in the past. "I hope the work will speak for itself, and I'm grateful to my collaborators, my business partners, and to all reading this for your understanding and support," Hill expressed at the time. Police are attempting to locate the young man (pictured) who appears to have robbed Sunwest Bank Friday afternoon. They're asking anyone with information, to call the Flagstaff Police Station at 928-774-1414 or Silent Witness at 928-774-61111. Will ChatGPT Kill College? A message from a reader The new ChatGPT just came out Will it be the nail in the coffin for thousands of colleges across America? At least with healthcare, you get something for your money. College, on the other hand... A reader wrote me after I called healthcare Americas most broken industry . He said that title should go to our education system. the death of college since 2019 College used to cost a reasonable amount of money. He continued:People pay many tens of thousands of dollars (if not 100K+) for degrees that won't get them a job anywhere except maybe at a university teaching that same useless subject to other gullibles.Public schools are turning out illiterate students for God-awful amounts of money. It is *very* broken.I agree college seems to be crippling kids more than helping them these daysboth financially and in their ability to think critically.Ive been writing aboutBack then, it was one of my most controversial ideas. Today? Its becoming more and more of a reality... As recently as 1980, you could get a four-year bachelors degree at a public school for less than $10K, on average. These days, itll cost you $40K at a minimum $140K for a private school... or well over $250K for a top school. And as our reader pointed out, a college degree doesnt guarantee you a high-paying job. Sure, there are some professions that require a college degree. If you want to be a doctor, going to school is a must. But the vast majority of teenagers arent training to be surgeons. Hundreds of thousands of American kids sign up to get business degrees each college semester. Yet theres no skill called business. Simply put, college is a waste of money for many kids. And theyre finally realizing it... In fact, since my essay in 2019, college enrollment has plunged by more than one million students. This marks 11 years in a row of falling college enrollments. College is in a bear market. And now, this trend is about to accelerate in a BIG way By now, youve heard of ChatGPT. Well, now theres a newer, better version: ChatGPT- 4 . This latest version of the popular AI chatbot was released last week. For now, its only available to paying subscribers. The free ChatGPT version still runs on the prior version: GPT-3. But GPT-4 is much better The old version can generate up to 4,000 words. GPT-4 generates up to 25K words. GPT-4 does much better with school tests. It passed a law school exam and scored in the top 10%. The old version passed it too but scored in the bottom 10%. The new ChatGPT is also unique in its ability to recognize images. For example, you can take a snapshot of your fridge and it will create a three-course meal from the available ingredients. ChatGPT-4 can write lawsuits, take SATs, and tell you how to extract DNA from an apple... But heres the best part: ChatGPT-4 can teach! You can personalize it to teach in any style. Ive seen dozens of examples on the internet of parents tutoring kids using it. In other words, kids are getting their own AI teachers. Theyll read, play, and learn about the world together. Itll be like having a personal tutor with unlimited time, patience, and knowledge to teach any subject. And this isnt years and years away. Its happening now Have you tried Duolingo (DUOL)? Its a popular app that turns learning languages into a fun game. And its now equipped with GPT-4. Any time you make a mistake, you can ask the app why you were wrong, and GPT-4 will explain it. Duolingo also uses the AI to create random roleplay scenarios, so you dont practice the same conversation over and over again. Khan Academy is another organization using GPT-4 for teaching. It offers thousands of lessons in math, science, history, and other classes for students of all ages. It just released Khanmigo, a GPT-4-powered AI tutor which adapts to each students learning style and level. I expect hundreds of Khanmigo-like tutor apps will hit the market in the coming years. ChatGPTs only been around for four months. And the tech behind it has been around for less than three years. Each new version gets exponentially better. GPT-3 uses 175 billion parameters to generate answers. GPT-4 will use 100 trillion. Source: becominghuman.ai And rumors say GPT-5 will be trained on 69 quazillion parameters. Source: Twitter @ChatGPT_OpenAI Imagine how powerful GPT-6 or 7 will be. ChatGPT can already teach middle and high school classes. How long before it takes you through an entire four-year business degree for FREE? Mark my words: ChatGPT will disrupt college forever. Now, of course, this wont happen to every college in America. Top schools like Harvard and Yale will always attract elite kids and command huge tuitions. Theyre disruption proof. But the thousands of schools selling standard-issue degrees are in deep trouble. I predict at least half of the 6,000 middle-of-the-road US colleges will go bust in the next decade because of disruptors like ChatGPT. Stephen McBride Chief Analyst, RiskHedge To get more ideas like this sent straight to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, make sure to sign up for The RiskHedge Report , a free investment letter focused on profiting from disruption. Expect smart insights and analysis on the latest breakthrough technologies, the big stories the mainstream media isn't reporting on, and much more... including actionable recommendations. Click here to sign up. 2023 Copyright Stephen McBride - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors. 2005-2022 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. Months after he was charged with stealing items from part of a museum exhibit, Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Chairman Brian M. Weedens pre-trial hearings at Plymouth County District Court have been extended to May 10, according to The Mashpee Enterprise. The extension also applied to Mashpee resident Phillip C. Hicks Jr., who was also charged with Weeden. Both men pleaded not guilty on Jan. 5, the Cape Cod Times reported. Both were charged with felony breaking and entering into a building at nighttime and larceny over $1,200, the Enterprise reported. In November, two bulrush mats and two black bear skin rugs from a traditional Wampanoag dwelling, valued at approximately $10,000, were stolen from the Plimoth Patuxet Museums. Museum staff noticed on Nov. 7 that items from the exhibit were missing, MassLive reported previously. A Plymouth patrol officer determined the next day that someone broke in overnight and took the items. Surveillance footage showed a dark sport utility vehicle with four individuals inside. A police report obtained by The Enterprise said three individuals were seen leaving the vehicle in the employee parking lot at around 2 a.m. and entering the museum. Almost 20 minutes later, they loaded the items in the vehicles trunk under what police believe to be a baby stroller before they sped off. Weeden and Hicks were identified by a museum employee, according to a Plymouth Police Department report obtained by the Enterprise. The employee told police that ongoing problems existed between the tribe and the museum over the hiring of more Native Americans. Read more: Charlton Police sergeant fined for using department resources in personal matter Weedens lawyers spoke with Det. Lt. Michael Glowka about delivering the items on Dec. 2. The day before, a shipping box and a bundle of clear plastic wrap were delivered to police detectives. These were the missing items, undamaged, where then returned to the museum on Dec. 8, The Enterprise reported. There was three Massachusetts chefs that made the 2023 James Beard Award nominee list. The list includes all the finalists across the country in award categories such as outstanding chef, outstanding hospitality and best new restaurant among others. The finalists were selected from a longer list of semifinalists that was announced back in January. Twelve Massachusetts restaurants and chefs were included in the list of semifinalists for the James Beard Awards, which is considered to be among the nations most prestigious honors, a press release said. It also recognizes exceptional talent in the culinary and food media industries, as well as a demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive. Of those semifinalists, three Massachusetts chefs have become finalists. Rachel Miller, chef at Nightshade Noodle Bar in Lynn is one of five chefs across the country competing for the title of Outstanding Chef. The restaurant brings French & Vietnamese inspired seafood-focused tasting menus to the vibrant heart of downtown Lynn, featuring chic jungle vibes, friendly and knowledgable service, tropical cocktails and curated natural wines, their website said. Valentine Howell of Krasi in Boston along with Yisha Siu of Yunnan Kitchen in Boston were both named as nominees for Best Chef: Northeast. The chefs in this category are compiled of chefs from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. To see the list of Massachusetts semifinalists from January click here. Winners will be celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony on Monday, June 5, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Dairy Queen has dropped its summer menu with two new flavors, three returning flavors and a special deal to celebrate. DQ said it will celebrate the introduction of the Blizzard in 1985 by selling small Blizzards for 85 cents via an exclusive app offer April 10-23, 2023. To get the deal, customers must have a DQ rewards account so sign up now. The summer menu includes two new flavors - Peanut Butter Puppy Chow and Oreo Brookie and three returning flavors, Smores, Cotton Candy and Choco Dipped Strawberry. Peanut Butter Puppy Chow features crispy peanut butter puppy chow pieces, peanut butter and choco chunks blended with vanilla soft serve. Oreo Brookie has Oreo cookie pieces and brownie pieces blended in the ice cream. Smores features marshmallow filled chocolates and grahams. Cotton candy has cotton candy-flavored sprinkles. Choco Dipped has strawberry and chocolate chunks. Dairy Queen said the smores flavor is No. 1 among the 19 popular Blizzard Treats. It has returned for a limited time. A Fall River babysitter who pleaded guilty to sexually abusing and exploiting a child and toddler on several occasions was sentenced in Boston federal court Wednesday. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin sentenced Nichole Cyr, 27, to 25 years in prison for sexually abusing and exploiting children on multiple occasions, according to the U.S. Attorney District of Massachusetts Office. In September 2022, Cyr pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of children. Cyr was arrested in July 2020 after images and videos of child sexual abuse material were located on her cell phones, officials said. The videos and photographs showed Cyr sexually abusing the 2-year-old and 7-year-old victims on various dates between November 2019 and July 2020, according to prosecutors. She also shared the child sex abuse material with another person, officials added. The crimes committed by Ms. Cyr are unconscionable and every parents nightmare. While a trusted babysitter, she sexually exploited two defenseless children who were two and seven years old at the time. Specifically, she sexually abused the toddler on multiple occasions, documented it, and distributed that documentation. Todays sentence ensures that this dangerous predator is exactly where she belongs removed from our community and behind bars, said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. Our children are among the most vulnerable, precious members of our communities. As the chief federal law enforcement officer in Massachusetts, ensuring their safety and well-being will always be my top priority. We will spare no expense or resource to keep our children safe from dangers like Ms. Cyr. This fall, Boston will be expanding its free community college program to residents of all backgrounds, thanks to a $4 million investment from the city, Mayor Michelle Wu announced Thursday. Currently, the program only pays for up to three years of tuition and fees for low-income Boston residents who enroll in one of the programs six partner schools. Students in the tuition-free community college program are three times more likely to graduate from community college than peers who dont have the support associated with this program, Wu said during a press conference at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. These young people earn more credits, enjoy higher employment rates and report higher earnings. So we know and weve seen that it works. This year the city will also be launching a pilot program at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design MassArt for short to cover all tuition, fees and supplies for PELL-eligible students transferring from the six partnering colleges to MassArt. Diva Barbosa de Oliveira is one of the students who will benefit from the citys expansion of the tuition-free college program, a program that has already served more than 1,000 people since it began in 2016, officials said. She spoke at Thursdays press conference. Barbosa de Oliveira, a student at MassArt, transferred to the school from Bunker Hill Community College. Upon arriving at the school, she discovered her passion for architecture by studying and analyzing the buildings around her. The tuition-free community college program will help me achieve this recent but deep passion that I have been indulging myself with while acquiring more knowledge about it with the hope I will be able to give back to the community, Barbosa de Oliveira said. I believe this will provide accessable education for students who can give so much more to the society, but dont have financial conditions to invest in them. The recent expansion comes after the city secured $3 million of federal rescue funds to expand Bostons tuition-free program. In 2022, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) secured $1 million in federal funding to expand Bostons tuition-free program, too. To be eligible for the program, you must be a Boston resident enrolled in either an associate degree or short-term and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students who are undocumented, are covered by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals legislation or who have temporary protected status are not required to fill out the FAFSA. The tuition-free program only covers tuition and fees that are left over after financial aid has been applied. The program also covers $250 each semester for up to three years for college expenses and debt of up to $2,500 for students who have an existing balance from a previous partner school. Roxbury Community College, one of the six partner schools, serves a large number of working adults who usually have families, said Dr. Joyce Taylor Gibson, the colleges executive vice president of academic and student affairs. For Gibson, expansion of the tuition-free program is just the ticket [they] need. Certifications as have been mentioned already are really important and completion at both those levels is really important for us, Gibson said. We recognize that this partnership, now that its expanded and covers so much is going to be wonderful for our enrollment. Were excited about that and look forward to working with our partners to make this even better program. Participating colleges include: A former Boston police officer was arrested on eight felony and misdemeanor charges, including assaulting a police officer and civil disorder during the January 6 insurrection, according to the Department of Justice. Joseph Robert Fisher, 52, of Plymouth, was arrested Thursday morning and is expected to appear in federal court in the evening, the DOJ said. Fisher entered the U.S. Capitol building around 2:24 p.m. on Jan. 6 through the Senate Wing Door on the North side of the building, the DOJ said. Around 2:38 p.m. Fisher was in the Capitol Visitor Centers Orientation Lobby when an altercation broke out between a Capitol police officer and other rioters. While a Capitol police officer chased a rioter who deployed pepper spray, Fisher pushed a chair into the officer. Fisher then engaged in a physical altercation with the Capitol police officer, before leaving the building. Boston federal investigators first received images and footage of an unknown male wearing a beanie covered with several Boston sports logos present during the Jan. 6 insurrection in 2022, court records show. Boston FBI agents were able to confirm the unknown male was Fisher after a current Boston police officer, who worked with Fisher, identified him to the federal investigators. Furthermore, federal investigators were able to confirm Fishers identity through his phone number, which the Boston FBI obtained via a search warrant served to AT&T, court records said. Around the time of the Jan. 6 insurrection, a phone number ending in 6808 used a cell site that provided service to an area including the Capitol building. The phone number list Fisher as the account owner, according to a subpoena from AT&T, court records stated. Fisher is now one of 22 people from the greater Boston area that have been arrested and charged with a crime related to the Jan 6. insurrection, according to the DOJ. Multiple animal rescue organizations responded to a Plainfield home on Monday in a coordinated, pre-meditated group effort to remove 76 dogs and dozens of farm animals from a womans home and property, the Dakin Humane Society said. Read more: Whately veterinary clinic to offer free eye exams for service animals in May Dakins Executive Director, Megan Talbert, stated it has over 40 of the small dogs, which are mostly Chihuahuas and Chihuahua mixes, and that the rest were taken in by the Berkshire Humane Society and Franklin County Regional Shelter. The farm animals were being handled by the MSPCA, Talbert said. MSPCA confirmed to MassLive they were at the property, but did not comment further on the situation. The Gazette reported there were 30 pigs, two cows, chickens, guinea hens and ducks on the property. Dakin staff members Mary Jane McGuire (left) and Alanna Regan (right) tending to one of the dogs taken in from a Plainfield home. Photo by Dot Barnard, Dakin Volunteer The dogs Dakin rescued are mostly young, Talbert said, and in physically good condition as they were clearly well cared for, but she explained theyre not well-socialized. The biggest thing that they need is time and understanding, knowing that they were in a home with really one other person they had human contact with, and theyre not used to being outside that home, Talbert said. For these dogs, theyve lived more with other dogs as their companions and have different levels of comfort with people right now, she stated. It will be a journey for them to learn how to be individual home dogs, and learn to be in a new home: taking a first ride in a car, and learning to go outside use the bathroom, to walk on a leash. All of these will be first that these dogs will experience, and that their new adoptive owners will be able to teach, Talbert said. Read more: MSPCA works to build up pet blood bank at its Boston veterinary hospital For Dakin, which currently has 200 animals at both its facility and within its foster care system, its an all hands on deck situation. Extra people came in to foster animals at the facility to open up space for the dogs, and shifts have been picked up to ensure the massive intake has proper care, cleaning and feeding, Talbert said. Dakin also sent a mother dog and her puppies they received along with another pregnant dog to foster care homes because they require a different level of care, Talbert said. Dogs rescued from Plainfield were taken in by Dakin. (Photos by Dot Barnard, Dakin Volunteer) The Plainfield woman who owned the animals had a kennel license and was legally able to have a number of dogs in her home, Talbert said, and was unsure of the next steps the law enforcement would be taking. The Plainfield Police Department did not respond for comment. Talbert said the Plainfield woman had previously been breeding the dogs and successfully finding homes for them, but knew she was in over her head and was struggling with some mental health conditions, with an apparent hoarding issue, and had contacted Dakin weeks ago for help. After realizing the scope and number of animals involved, the organization worked with local partners and local and state officials to rescue the animals. We hope that now that we have the animals taken care of, experts that are in the human service field can help her rebuild her life, Talbert said. According to Massachusetts law, a person must obtain a kennel license if they have more than four dogs, and its referred to as having a personal kennel when an individual owns a pack or collection of more than 4 dogs, 3 months old or older ... for private personal use. There are other regulations, including those on breeding or selling the dogs, the law stated. For any interested in adopting one of the dogs rescued at Dakin, Talbert said they can visit www.DakinHumane.org and can click a link to fill out a form. Talbert said monetary donations to the site are also extremely helpful for the dogs staffing needs, food, supplies and veterinary care. Dogs rescued from Plainfield were taken in by Dakin. (Photos by Dot Barnard, Dakin Volunteer) People are so kind in our community; theyve reached out to help, whether theyre helping with their time, whether theyre helping through donations, putting in an inquiry to be a foster parent or an adoptive home to these dogs, Talbert said. Everybody is really coming together and and looking at the situation as certainly unique, but one that takes a team effort to be successful, Talbert said. NORTHAMPTON Mayor and school board chair Gina-Louise Sciarra announced Thursday the city has agreed to a three-year contract with new school superintendent Portia Bonner. She is to begin work in Northampton July 1, the mayor said in a news release. Bonners starting salary will be $182,207 per year. The Baystate Wing Hospital in Palmer will use state funding to focus on the prevention and treatment of opioid related substance use disorders. The hospital received a legislative earmark this fiscal year to support programs in its region. State Rep. Todd Smola placed the earmark allowing the hospital to improve equitable public access to prevention, treatment, recovery, and referrals for people with opioid and substance-use disorders. Opioid and substance use disorders were identified as significant health needs in the hospitals 2022 community health needs assessment. The hospital serves people in Brimfield, Hampden, Holland, Ludlow, Monson, Palmer, Wales, Wilbraham, Belchertown, Ware, East Brookfield, Brookfield, Hardwick, New Braintree, North Brookfield, Warren and West Brookfield. I am pleased to have advocated for state resources to be used in my district to continue combating the serious issues related to opioid and substance use abuse, Smola said. Residents throughout Coconino County are paying the price of weathering an aggressive winter sometimes quite literally. Outside of the city, not all community roads are considered "county maintained," despite providing ingress and egress to subdivisions and neighborhoods. After an onslaught of snow, rain and melting precipitation, many of those technically private roads have been rendered impassable at great cost to citizens. Paula Emberty has lived in her Doney Park home since 1999. Her house is situated on a road that is not part of Coconino Countys maintenance inventory. It is in an area that experienced significant flooding after the Pipeline Fire, a place where runoff from Government Tank causes additional damage to the road. Emberty has flood insurance, but it can only be applied to her property and home, not to road maintenance. On a recent drive home from school, Embertys teenage daughter hit a large pothole, puncturing her cars oil pan and leaving a black trail on the dirt road and gravel drive. She got in the driveway and said, Mom, I think I did something to my car. Theres oil dumping out of it. I said, Are you sure its not just water? I went out and looked, and thats that. Because theres no oil, it cant be driven, Emberty said. She called a tow company and found in short order that the very conditions that had led to the accident were a barrier to service. A tow truck would not be able to make it up her road to retrieve the disabled car. That same week, Emberty needed to have her septic system serviced. The heavy vehicles needed for that task also couldnt make it up the road. Neither could garbage delivery trucks or mail carriers. I received a mail delivery on Jan. 4, then they stopped delivering after that. They tried. I watched the mail truck get stuck on three different days and offered to tow them out. They cant have residents tow them out for liability purposes. So they have to wait for a tow truck driver to come down the road, she said. Left with no other options, she paid to have cinders hauled in to fill in the potholes and make it possible for her family to get the services they rely on. Emberty is not alone in her situation. According to Christopher Tressler, Coconino County Public Works director and county engineer, the roads department has received several calls from areas that propane trucks couldnt traverse. The trouble was that those calls came from residents living off of private roads. People end up living down private roads because developers are responsible for creating both the initial road layout and its infrastructure. After that, the developer can form a homeowners association (HOA) to maintain the road or pass off the responsibility to the new property owners. I think theres a grey area. Some people see on plats [maps] the language that, This road is dedicated to the public. That doesnt necessarily mean that the county has accepted it to the county inventory for the county to maintain, Tressler explained. Theoretically, a road that connects to county-maintained thoroughfares can be added to the county inventory. The process is technical, expensive, and requires the input and approval of most of the people who live on a private road. In order to add a private road permanently to the countys maintenance inventory, neighbors must first come together and submit a petition to the county clerk of the Coconino County Board of Supervisors. The Board of Supervisors' policy requires 70% of property owners in the proposed road maintenance district to be on board and sign the petition. The property values on the private road are then assessed, and that assessment is established as a lien against the homeowners property. An individual property owner in a district might pay the amount due in full when its assessed, or finance the cost over a 10-year period. The amount a property owner owes could be based on the amount of property they have running parallel to the road, per acre, or per lot. In petitioning, neighbors agree to pay the assessed fee to get the road up to county standards which includes paving dirt or gravel tracks. Once the road reaches county standards, it can be folded into the county maintenance inventory permanently, if the final product is approved by the Board of Supervisors. [Special districts] have to be approved by the county, they have to be agreed to by the majority of residents in an area. So you have to jump through the countys political hoops without support from the county, Emberty said. There are four [special road improvement districts] listed on their website. Thats how appealing their process is to residents. There are four. Generally, if the total cost of the improvement is greater than one-third of the value of the homeowners property, an improvement district is not a viable option. Probably for a lot of folks who call and ask, a maintenance district is a much more viable option, said Marc Della Rocca, the community relations manager for Coconino County Public Works. Unlike a road improvement district, a maintenance district isnt designed to eventually be handed off to the county. A maintenance district, according to the Coconino County Public Works website, will "provide a mechanism for county residents to make improvements to their roadway, guarantee a minimum level of maintenance on their road (without the expense of building the roads to county improvement standards) and establish full financial participation among neighbors. Once a maintenance district is formed, each property owner is financially committed to the project. Despite coming with a potentially smaller price tag than an improvement district, maintenance districts still require the majority of neighbors on a given road to buy in. Emberty said organizing neighbors and convincing them to pay an assessed fee has proved difficult. The people who live on her road dont necessarily agree on what should be done. That leaves her to foot the bill for improvements on her own if she wants them to happen at all. I started attending county meetings in 2000, requesting from county supervisors that they put provisions in place to help residents address road maintenance long before the fires, long before flooding was an issue. They have maintained their stance that they wont, Emberty said. From the Public Works perspective, Tressler and Della Rocca say theres only so much theyre legally allowed to do. They can help create a path into private property for first responders in an emergency, but thats about where their capacity ends. With respect to private property, theres a gift clause that says the government cant gift money or support directly to people on their private property, Tressler said. All of the county resources that I know about, funding resources and revenues are related to public infrastructure. Were really limited by what we can do on private property. If its a public road and its within the county inventory then we definitely can work on it. A taxing situation According to Tressler, maintaining roads in the countys inventory has proved to be a challenging task on its own. For one thing, the countys funding and manpower are limited. Sometimes we hear people say, I pay taxes and I would like to see the benefit of paying taxes. Within most counties and cities, the road departments dont receive property tax dollars," he said. "Those property tax dollars are spent on public safety, public service, schools, health and human services. Public Works and the streets departments are funded by gas taxes. The Arizona gas tax, 18.1 cents a gallon, has not been raised since the 1990s. To fill in the gaps, Coconino County has levied a sales tax, which Tressler said makes some difference. Im really grateful that we have the local road maintenance sales tax thats augmented revenues to help update and maintain our infrastructure, Tressler said. Were stretching our pennies as much as we can. It can be frustrating at times, but were always looking at alternatives to do things better with cost savings. Staffing at Public Works is down between 30 and 35%, Tressler said, leaving the county leaning on contractors for snow removal, pothole repair and general maintenance. Here we are, in the last week of March. I would say our crews have basically been in a heightened level of response or deployment going back to Christmas, Della Rocca said. "Were talking about 100 days of this, without very much of a break. Of course this has been a historic winter in so many ways." Between contracted labor and Public Works team members, Tressler said, theyve been able to spread out tasks and get as much as possible done. Still, he said this winter has been a stark reminder of what it means to live in the more rural parts of the county whether roads are county maintained or not. People have chosen to live in rural parts of Coconino County. You should somewhat expect that the level of service is not going to be the same as if you lived in a city and you are accessing your property or traversing from your house to the grocery store on all paved roads, Tressler said. When the roads are the countys responsibility to service, they are assigned priority levels. Tresslers department measures the average daily traffic (ADT) on county roadways to decide where to plow first and where to work on repaving or grading. When extreme weather events cause major disruptions to county infrastructure that might pose a risk to public safety, those areas are moved to the top of the list. This season has brought historic washouts and extreme freeze-thaw cycles to the region, leaving some roads in shambles. We havent had to close any roads right now as it relates to potholing and degrading, Tressler said. Some of the places where water is crossing the road, we have closed roads and theyll remain closed until the water dries up and quits flowing across it. Garland Praire Road has been subject to one such closure, Tressler said. It was the heart of a repair effort on Tuesday. In some places, were seeing debris flows or quasi-mudslides that have impacted the roadway, he said. Just last week, Slayton Ranch Road failed after its two 24-inch culverts were overrun by water rushing through the Rio de Flag. By Saturday evening or Sunday morning, the Rio de Flag quit flowing. It gave us an opportunity to see some extreme runoff conditions and gave us insight into how some of our infrastructure is performing, Tressler said. Were assessing some of the water crossings on Rio de Flag and how those need to be improved. I think the freeze-thaw cycles within our area are some of the most extreme. He said the exact reason why Slayton Ranch Road collapsed beneath a school bus Friday is difficult to determine because much of the evidence washed downstream. Tressler said this winter has exposed the weaknesses of infrastructure, such as the culverts on Slayton Ranch Road, and offers engineers an opportunity to make upgrades. It helps inform some of the weak areas that we might not have previously known about. When a lot of the areas in the county were developed, they were developed to varying degrees of standard, Tressler said. The drainage culverts at Slayton Ranch Road? We want to replace with infrastructure that can pass a 50-year rainfall event. Were running the analysis to understand what that is. Were definitely wanting to put larger culverts in, create headwalls and put more robust infrastructure back to provide a higher level of service so that its able to withstand being inundated without being compromised. He called the road failure catastrophic and said his department hopes to build more resilient infrastructure, at least on county-maintained roads, based on their observations from this winter. A second deceased victim inside the charred remains of a New Bedford rooming-style house was found by investigators on Wednesday as they seek to determine what caused a Tuesday fire that destroyed the building. The news came shortly after the first victim, fourth-floor resident Manuel Moreira, was identified. Officials have not released the name of the second victim. At around 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday, the New Bedford Fire Department was dispatched to 1305 Acushnet Ave. and arrived at an active fire with several people in need of rescue. Firefighters saw some occupants hanging from the windows and jumping from the building to escape the danger inside, according to a statement from State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskeys office. Five occupants with injuries were removed from the building and taken to St. Lukes Emergency Department, with one person in serious condition while one man in critical condition was taken to Rhode Island Hospital. Firefighters searched the building as conditions deteriorated, eventually finding Moreira. Demolition and excavation equipment was used to find the second victim by Wednesday afternoon, Boston.com reported. All New Bedford fire trucks and off-duty personnel, along with several other local fire departments, assisted in battling the fire. Engulfed in flames, the building sustained catastrophic damage while firefighters succeeded in preventing the fire to extend to other homes in the area. By 6 p.m., fire crews had the fire under control but continued to extinguish hot spots for hours afterward, maintaining a presence outside the house overnight, Ostroskeys office said. The rooming-house-style building contained 31 apartments and around 24 occupants were rescued. A temporary shelter was set up at Seven Hills on Acushnet Avenue for victim services. An investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing. UPDATE: Mass. State Police have issued a correction that Cushing Academy was not on lockdown. A suspect fled Winchendon police officers following a traffic stop on Thursday, according to Massachusetts State Police. The suspect refused to leave the car while at the traffic stop, according to a tweet from Massachusetts State Police. Troopers said the suspect assaulted a Winchendon officer at the traffic stop, prompting a pursuit. Winchendon officers requested assistance following a pursuit of the suspect at around 8:30 a.m.After fleeing from the car stop, the suspect drove into the woodline on Route 101 in Ashburnham across from Cushing Academy. Our Special Tactical Operations Team and Crisis Response Unit are assisting with a suspect who fled a #Winchendon Police car stop and drove into the woodline on Rt101 #Ashburnham across from Cushing Academy. Suspect refusing to exit vehicle. School is locked down. Ongoing. Mass State Police (@MassStatePolice) March 30, 2023 State police added that its Special Tactical Operations Team and Crisis Response Unit are both assisting with communicating with the suspect, who is still in the vehicle saying they will not leave, state police said. No other information was immediately available. This is a breaking news story. We will update as soon as more information becomes available. A man is now in Mass. State Police custody after police said he assaulted a Winchendon police officer while at a traffic stop on Thursday morning, prompting a police pursuit. At 8:29 a.m. on March 30, Winchendon police requested state police assistance with a vehicle pursuit after the suspect had reportedly assaulted a Winchendon officer with his vehicle during a traffic stop. The suspect then drove off, state police said, and ended up driving into the woodline on Route 101 in Ashburnham, across from Cushing Academy, and refused to leave the vehicle. Randy Bertin, Cushing Academy head of school, stated the school had been in contact with state police throughout the incident, and were assured there was no safety threat to the school. He added the scene was visible from campus. The State Police Special Tactical Operations Team and the Crisis Negotiation Unit were on scene with the suspect, police said. Massachusetts State Police had initially stated Cushing Academy was on lockdown, but corrected their statement that the school was not. No other information was immediately available. The prospect of making community college free for thousands of Bay Staters gained major momentum Thursday, as House Speaker Ron Mariano announced the initiative would be included in his chambers upcoming fiscal 2024 budget proposal. Mariano, speaking at a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce event, said the House will mirror Gov. Maura Healeys plan to make community college free for Bay Staters who are over 25 years old without a college degree. Similar to how Healey framed her initiative, Mariano said free community college would alleviate workforce shortages in sectors like health care, STEM and manufacturing. The Quincy Democrat drew a loud round of applause as he previewed the budget pitch among hundreds of business leaders directly affected by those shortages. Healey initially touted her free community college plan, known as MassReconnect, during her inaugural address in January. She unveiled more concrete details of the $20 million program at Bunker Hill Community College on March 1, hours before she released her $55.5 budget proposal. The MassReconnect program, as well as the other investments in education and workforce development that we call for in our budget, will be transformative for hundreds of thousands of our residents, Healey had said in a statement. More students than ever before will be able to advance or complete their educations and set themselves up for a successful career in in-demand industries like health care, engineering, advanced manufacturing and tech. Mariano told reporters the Houses free community college plan would cost more Healeys $20 million estimate though he couldnt specify the price tag tag difference. Were still debating that (and) trying to get numbers, Mariano said. Healey administration officials said MassReconnect could reach more than 1.8 million residents, particularly people of color, who have a high school diploma or equivalency. It could also benefit the nearly 696,000 Massachusetts residents who have earned some college credits but not a degree, as officials said most of those individuals are over age 25 and would qualify for MassReconnect MassReconnect is designed to provide last-dollar financial support for expenses including tuition, fees, books, supplies, and career and support services, administration officials said. Students would gain financial flexibility through the program and not need to worry about incurring unaffordable debt, officials said. In her reelection speech in January, Senate President Karen Spilka outlined her intent to make community college free but without imposing an age requirement on whos eligible. In a television interview, Spilka had estimated her chambers vision would cost around $50 million and potentially be covered by new tax revenue dollars from the so-called Fair Share Amendment or millionaires tax, which imposes a 4% surtax on all income exceeding $1 million. But at the time Mariano wouldnt say whether he supported Healeys or Spilkas plan, telling reporters he hadnt thought about the initiative. Now the devil is in the details as we begin to discuss. You know, theres a cost involved, Mariano had said in January. We have to ascertain the cost. Theres a whole lot of questions that have to be answered about it. As tax reforms spring back into the conversation on Beacon Hill, a coalition of 30 organizations pitched its priorities that leaders said would buoy low- and moderate-income families. The Healthy Families Tax Credits Coalitions platform includes increasing the earned income tax credit (EITC) from 30 percent to 50 percent of the federal credit, and following the Healey administrations plan to combine two existing dependent tax credits into a single child and family benefit of at least $600 per dependent. This year, Massachusetts has the opportunity to lead the nation in promoting equitable tax policies that invest in the wellbeing of families and the health of our communities, said Allison Bovell-Ammon of Childrens Health Watch. The coalition held a relaunch event at the State House at the same hour that Speaker Ronald Mariano was announcing to business leaders at a hotel across town that a comprehensive House tax relief plan would soon emerge. Supporters emphasized the timeliness of their push, which also came a couple days after the Revenue Committee heard testimony on Gov. Maura Healeys tax relief proposal and less than a month ahead of the House budget debate. Sen. Jamie Eldridge noted that lawmakers came very close to expanding the EITC last year in an economic development bill; the House tax package in 2022 would have upped EITC to 40 percent of the federal credit. Legislative leaders wound up swiping tax relief off the table in late-session talks. Eldridge said that the only slightly positive thing from us not doing the reform last year was that it gave supporters time to fine-tune their bills. The Acton Democrat updated his EITC bill to include expanded eligibility for immigrants without social security numbers who file with Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers. Lauding the coalitions plan as a holistic approach to try to combat poverty, Sen. Sal DiDomenico of Everett said theres not one person I can think of that doesnt support this. But support doesnt equate to enactment, he added. So when you talk to your friends in this building, ask them if theyre going to talk to Ways and Means, DiDomenico said. Are they going to talk to the chair of the committee? Are they going to make this a priority if it comes up in the budget? Are they going to vote for this on the floor? And dont just leave that as an open-ended question. Ask them, when are you going to do this? The coalition describes itself as led by Childrens HealthWatch at Boston Medical Center, with member organizations including the Mass. Budget and Policy Center, Jewish Vocational Services, EMPath, the Mass. Association of Community Development Corporations, and Boston Childrens Hospital. The Massachusetts House of Representatives will soon unveil a tax relief package thats designed to help vulnerable Bay Staters while strengthening the commonwealths competitive advantage, Speaker Ron Mariano announced Thursday. Mariano broadly previewed the tax cuts at a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce forum, signaling previously approved yet thwarted measures will likely be revived in the new legislative session. Amid a period of complex economic uncertainty, Ive urged caution during conversations surrounding tax relief, Mariano told hundreds of business leaders, as he voiced new optimism for the Houses ability to invest in permanent tax reforms. Throughout the discussion though, I have been clear: If revenue predictions indicate that there is an opportunity to responsibly provide tax relief, the House will do so. A range of tax measures including expanding the child care and dependent care tax credit, senior circuit breaker and rental deduction cap are all under consideration again, Mariano indicated to reporters. State representatives are also weighing changes to the estate tax threshold and short-term capital gains rate. Everythings on the table... Mariano told reporters, as he resisted applying dollar figures to the various tax breaks, particularly to the child tax credit. All the numbers are flexible. Im not going to play that game that $550, how about $565? Well sit down with the numbers in front of us and balance it accordingly. The tax package will be released just before the Houses budget unveiling, Mariano said. The House and Senate had passed tax relief proposals last session, including permanent progressive relief and one-time $250 stimulus checks. But Mariano and other top lawmakers decided to scrap those plans due to affordability concerns raised by Chapter 62F, a tax cap law that forced officials to return nearly $3 billion in excess state revenues back to taxpayers. Gov. Maura Healey earlier this month unveiled her $742 million tax relief package, featuring a signature $600 child and family tax credit. She also wants to raise the rental deduction cap from $3,000 to $4,000 and double the senior circuit breaker from $1,200 to $2,400. To make Massachusetts more competitive and lessen the states outlier tax code status, Healey has proposed raising the estate tax threshold from $1 million to $3 million and introducing a nonrefundable tax credit of up to$182,000. Healey, echoing former Gov. Charlie Bakers proposal, wants to slash the short-term capital gains rate from 12% to 5%, too. Mariano couldnt say what the Houses tax package would cost, such as around $1 billion or closer to $500 million. But Mariano said his chamber does want to find a meaningful number that keeps Massachusetts competitive, which is a mounting concern among lawmakers and the Healey administration as a growing volume of Bay Staters and companies leave for other states like New Hampshire and North Carolina. Theres still a lot of numbers to run. A lot of it, its not scientific its a bit unscientific at times, Mariano said, as he cited divergent priorities among progressive and conservative lawmakers. So I dont know what its going to end up being, to be honest with you. Mariano also couldnt divulge his chambers estate tax proposal, as lawmakers continue to iron out the details. We want it to be significant enough that it has an impact, Mariano told reporters. But were still putting all the pieces together. This is four, five, six moving pieces. Were trying to get something thats fair and balanced. Healey faced criticism earlier this week from some progressive lawmakers over her estate tax and short-term capital gains proposals namely that those overhauls benefit the states wealthiest residents while taking resources away from other state programs and tax cuts for the most vulnerable Bay Staters. Still, Healey defended her plan as a vital tool to keep Massachusetts attractive in a post-pandemic era, where people have more flexibility over where they live and work. As the House develops its tax package, Mariano said it has to be something than I get passed with enough votes. But the speaker acknowledged the chambers tax cuts will inevitably frustrate some stakeholders. Im going to get criticized a lot no matter what I do, Mariano said. I could give everybody free money, and theyd complain that people didnt get enough free money. Were going to give it our best shot (and) see what happens. Federal transportation officials visited and inspected a Chinese-owned train factory in Springfield earlier this week, where workers are assembling new train cars for the MBTA, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, and the Los Angeles Metro Rail. The probe was part of the Federal Transportation Authoritys scheduled review of CRRCs compliance for the Pennsylvania and Los Angeles projects with Buy America, a federal provision that requires a majority of components used in projects to come from the United States, said CRRC Massachusetts spokesperson Lydia Rivera. CRRC MA is fully aware of Buy America provisions and meets the requirements, Rivera said in a statement. A spokesperson for the Federal Transportation Authority said the agencys staff were at the Springfield facility as part of a Buy America compliance review of federally funded procurements. We do not have any other information to share at this time, the spokesperson said in a statement. The review did not include MBTA-associated projects, an agency spokesperson said. The Boston Herald first reported the visit. The U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General launched an audit in February of the $138 million federally funded contract the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority inked with CRRC. It was in response to a September 2022 letter from a trio of transportation-focused Congressmen. The audit is examining the Federal Transportation Authoritys oversight of the Pennsylvania transit agencys certification of CRRCs adherence to Buy America requirements and SETPAs calculation of the total value of foreign components for the purpose of determining compliance. The committee members asked our office to initiate an audit of SEPTAs ongoing contract with CRRC MA. As such, our objective for this audit is to assess FTAs oversight of SEPTAs compliance with Buy America standards for its rolling stock contract with CRRC MA, wrote Carolyn Hicks, assistant inspector general for acquisition and procurement audits, in a letter to Federal Transportation Authority officials. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Transportation declined to comment. Three Republican congressmen on the House Transportation Committee penned a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General calling for a review of Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authoritys railcar contract with CRRC to determine whether it complied with FTA Buy America requirements. In that letter, Congressmen Sam Graves, a Republican from Missouri, Rodney Davis, Republican from Illinois and Rick Crawford, an Arkansas Republican, wrote that CRRC was fully building passenger railcars in China and plans to ship them to SEPTA apparently in contrast with FTAs Buy America requirements for rolling stock procurement. CRRC has claimed that it sources 70 percent of the total cost of railcar components from manufacturers in the United States. This claim has been echoed by press affiliated with Chinese state media. However, a recent report by the Philadelphia Inquirer gives reason to speculate about the accuracy of that claim, the lawmakers wrote. A spokesperson for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority did not immediately respond to a request for comment. CRRC, according to the lawmakers, secured more than $2.6 billion in federally funded transit contracts to provide passenger railcars for Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Congress was so concerned with this that as part of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, lawmakers included a provision banning federal taxpayer dollars from being used to purchase buses or railcars from foreign-owned or controlled companies, the trio of congressmen wrote. Although [the Transportation Infrastructure Vehicle Security Act] was passed after SEPTAs CRRC MA contract, the public transportation authority still must comply with FTAs Buy America requirements, the letter read. WESTFIELD A woman confined her puppy in a bedroom of her Westfield apartment last summer and left it there to die, according to police. When the womans lease was not renewed, she moved out, leaving the partially mummified remains of her young chow chow dog for the property manager to discover, according to court documents. The woman, Ramona J. Holland, 22, now of 140 Chestnut St., Apt. 307, Springfield, was arraigned last week at Westfield District Court on animal cruelty charges. Hollands lawyer did not respond to a request for comment this week. Canon launches its seventh student programme, acting as a springboard for burgeoning photojournalists to develop and showcase their work. 100 students to receive mentorship from industry experts representing established news agencies and news publications, as well as Canon Ambassadors. A shortlist of 30 students will be invited to take part in a five-day workshop in Girona, including a visit to Visa pour lImage, where they can form new connections with professionals and peers. The final five mentees will be granted an exclusive Canon-curated experience at the Hamburg Portfolio Review . Applications opened from Monday 13th March to students across Europe, Middle East and Africa Canon once again opens its prestigious Canon Student Development Programme (CSDP) for applications today, marking its seventh iteration of the programme that has already supported hundreds of aspiring photographers in taking the first vital steps towards a career in photojournalism. The industry-leading initiative offers access and exposure to experienced professionals from the photographic community and the opportunity to attend key industry events. CSDP has established itself as an invaluable springboard to the next generation of photojournalists. Former alumni have gone on to work for reputable news agencies and internationally renowned publications, such as 2021 alumni Chiara Negrello, whose work has since been regularly featured in the New York Times, 2022 alumni Vasilis Tsiolis, whose intimate portrayal of nomadic goat herders in Greece has been covered by the Guardian, and Swiss-based Sara Affolter, who has been supported by her CSDP mentor Ulla Lohmann throughout the process of publishing her first book on animal rights. The programme is open to students and internsi residing and studying in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, from March 13th until April 16th. A limited number of spaces will also be available to talent endorsed by industry professionals. Submissions will be judged by a panel of editors from Getty Images, Reuters, AFP and EPA who will decide on the initial 100-strong cohort of the regions most promising young storytellers. One-to-one mentorships The selected 100 students will be partnered up with one of the programmes expert mentors, with the aim to discuss their current work and longer-term career aspirations in dedicated one-to-one sessions. Virtual reviews throughout summer will help refine their portfolio and project synopsis with a particular focus on exploring different editing options and ways to further strengthen narrative skills and develop authorial signatures. Canon Ambassador and photojournalist, Daniel Etter said, The Canon Student Development Programme has become one of the leading initiatives supporting and connecting young photographers. For me, it has been a privilege to follow previous students work and growth over the years. It is fantastic to see that this years programme again offers access to one of the industrys major events and most esteemed photojournalists, as well as financial support that gives young photographers a platform to launch their careers. Girona workshop and Visa pour lImage in Perpignan, France In September, up to 30 students will be invited to a five-day Canon workshop in a grand Catalan farmhouse in Girona, Spain, concluding with a final nights stay at the Visa pour lImage international photojournalism festival in Perpignan, France. The workshop will offer an intimate forum to exchange ideas and build relationships with renowned professionals from the world of photography, such as award-winning photojournalist Brent Stirton, Head of Photography at The Guardian, Fiona Shields and Lars Lindemann, Director of Photography at Germanys GEO Magazine. Group portfolio reviews offer a rich learning opportunity for students and a chance to both critique the work of their fellow peers, as well as receive professional feedback on their own. Canon Ambassador Paolo Verzone will also deliver a practical hands-on lighting masterclass for participants. Aside from taking in the key exhibitions and evening screenings during Visa pour lImage, students will also have the opportunity to participate in additional portfolio reviews and further expand their network. Hamburg Portfolio Review After finessing their portfolio and learning how to present their work in the various programme modules, a final group of five mentees will be given the opportunity to attend Hamburg Portfolio Review. During a three-day trip, each student will take part in individual portfolio reviews and attend a series of exclusive media appointments with key editors in the industry. Each participant will also receive a 2,000 grant and top-of-the-line Canon equipment to support their next creative chapter. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires Apex Group Ltd announced on the 27th March 2023, its appointment by Hamilton12 to support the launch of their Australian Shares Income Fund. Hamilton12 focuses on creating systematic, rules-based investment strategies designed to help investors achieve positive risk-adjusted returns at a lower cost. The Hamilton12 Australian Shares Income Fund, launching in March 2023, aims to generate long-term after-tax returns for Australian resident investors in excess of the Benchmark after fees, including an annual gross dividend yield (including franking) that exceeds the gross dividend yield of the Benchmark. The Fund uses the same systematic, rules-based approach as the Hamilton12 Australian Diversified Yield Index that allocates the portfolio towards Securities offering high franked dividend yield and aims to mitigate risk by ensuring the Fund is diversified across industry sectors. Apex Group has been appointed to provide Fund Administration, Transfer Agency and Custody services, with K2 Asset Management Ltd acting as trustee to the fund. Fund administration is at the core of Apex Groups single-source solution, delivering timely, accurate and independent services, underpinned by market leading technology platforms. According to a recent Total Economic Impact (TEI) report by Forrester Consulting, clients of Apex Groups single-source solution achieve, on average, cost benefits of $5.39m, with a net present value of $2.75m over a three-year period. This appointment follows Apex Groups continued growth in Australia and New Zealand, including the strategic acquisitions of Mainstream Group and MMC in 2022, and new client wins including Yarra Capital Management, Capital Prudential, Foord Asset Management, Octopus Investments Australia, Perennial Partners and New Forests. Nick Bradford, Head of Business Development, Australia and New Zealand at Apex Group comments: Following the integration of Apex Groups acquisitions in Australia, we have continued to see strong client demand in the first quarter of 2023, for our expanded suite of services, driving our organic growth in the region. We are proud to be supporting the launch of Hamilton12s new Australian Shares Income Fund through our consultative approach and provision of flexible solutions. Hamilton12s appointment of Apex Group for fund administration, transfer agency and custody services is yet further recognition of the compelling benefits and efficiencies of our single-source model. Richard McDougall, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Hamilton12 further comments: We are pleased to be working with Apex Group to offer to wholesale and sophisticated Australian resident investors our after-tax focused systematic investment strategy through the Hamilton12 Australian Shares Income Fund. Apex Groups single-source solution means that we can access all the fund administration and custody services via one contract, delivered by an experienced local team. We have been impressed with their advice and adaptability in bringing our fund to market, and are confident in their ability to offer scalable solutions as we grow. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires Having worked for nearly two decades with small business owners, I know that the challenges of Tax Day have not lessened for them year-to-year. Annually, millions of families and small businesses save receipts, compile documents, and race against the clock to file their taxes and pray that they do not get audited. But if some politicians in Washington have their way, the IRS would soon prepare and file tax returns for taxpayers. If that comes to fruition, Tax Day would certainly become even more stressful than it already is. As the President & CEO of the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce, I am proud to help advocate for legislation and regulations that promote the growth of Flagstaff businesses creating jobs for communities all across northern Arizona. We, as an organization, also speak out against misguided proposals that would limit economic opportunity and impose overly burdensome regulations on Arizona small businesses. That is why I am urging Congress to oppose a government-run tax preparation system. As an advocate for small businesses, I know they appreciate having a tax professional in their corner looking out for their businesses financial interests. Every year, they sit down with a certified public accountant (CPA), and get asked questions like, did you open a new office this year? Did you take out a small business loan? Did you hire any veterans? These answers will determine whether a business is eligible for certain tax credits, deductions, or refunds. The IRS, on the other hand, is charged with maximizing tax revenue for the federal government. Requiring the agency to both look out for the interests of taxpayers and maximize tax revenue is a clear conflict of interest. Furthermore, the IRS does not have the personal information and data required to produce an accurate tax return for most taxpayers. A recent study from the National Bureau of Economic Research found that the IRS could only generate an accurate tax return for 42 48 percent of filers. A sub 50 percent success rate in the private sector would put you out of business in under a year. Whenever small business owners have a tax-related question, they can call an accountant and get an answer quickly. But a government-run tax preparation system would require business owners and families to deal with the IRS to get questions answered, or to fix any mistakes the agency makes on a pre-populated return. But in 2021, the IRS answered only 1 out of 50 calls to the agencys helpline. Time is extremely valuable for small businesses and working families. They shouldnt have to wait on hold for hours to speak to a human representative or wait months to receive their refund checks. The number of Flagstaff residents living in poverty is higher than the state average sitting at 17%. A recent study found that the IRS was five times more likely to audit low-income households earning less than $25,000 a year. Even Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), a vocal supporter of a government-run tax prep system, urged the IRS to move swiftly to end the targeting of low-income Americans for tax audits. Ironically, this means more hard-working Flagstaff residents would likely face audits and enforcement actions under Sen. Warrens proposal. Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) is not afraid to stand up to members of her own party, and she has suffered politically at times for her independent streak. But opposing a government-run tax preparation system is a political no-brainer, especially since a poll found that 78 percent of Arizonans would oppose the IRS preparing and filing their tax return. As an advocate for the Flagstaff business community here in Arizona, I urge Sen. Sinema to continue to represent the best interests of her constituents and stand against extreme ideas within her party once again. Say no to an unnecessary government-run tax preparation system. Xem them ... Tin bai cuoi cung Khong con du lieu e load MarkNtel Advisors introduces the most recent edition of the Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Diagnostics and Treatments Market, which includes an analysis of numerous market growth factors. It includes market-influencing patterns, constraints, and drivers. The report allows for strategic planning and provides a comprehensive assessment of various factors that have the potential to give stakeholders an advantage. also, it provides a clear reading of the forecast periods and projections for the future. Tools like Porters Five Forces Analysis and SWOT Analysis were used during the research. The report covers a broad variety of subjects that are crucial to the stakeholders decision-making, including environmental factors, economics, social issues, technological advancements, and much more. Key Objectives of this Study To research and analyze consumption (value) by major regions and market segments, as well as historical data and projections through 2027. Understanding the market structure allows you to recognize the various market sub-segments. Conduct a market analysis that considers each segments growth trends, future prospects, and contribution to the overall market. Forecasting submarket consumption in relation to key areas (along with their respective key countries). To investigate market competitive developments such as product launches, agreements, expansions, and acquisitions. Report Coverage Details Study Period Historical Data: 2017-20 Base Year: 2021 Forecast Period: 2022-27 CAGR 3.5% Regions Covered North America: The US, Canada, Mexico Europe: Germany, The UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific: China, Japan, India, Australia, South East Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific South America: Brazil, Rest of Latin America Middle East & Africa: South Africa, GCC, Rest of Middle East & Africa Key Companies Profiled Abbott Laboratories, Amgen Inc., Bayer AG, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly and Company, GlaxoSmithKline PLC, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Merck & Co., Inc., Novartis International AG, Pfizer Inc., Others Unit Denominations USD Million/Billion Download A Free Sample PDF of This Report To See the Structure of This Analysis Report Download Sample Report PDF Now Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Diagnostics and Treatments Market Dynamic Region Who Dominates the Global Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Diagnostics and Treatments Market At the regional level, the Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Diagnostics and Treatments Market is circulated across the region of in North America, South America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East & Africa. Among all regions globally, North America is anticipated to dominate the Colorectal Cancer Market (CRC) with the largest share during 2022-27. It owes principally to the increasing patient pool of CRC due to improper lifestyles & eating habits, coupled with a rapid rise in the elderly population, i.e., soaring the need for more effective CRC diagnosis & treatments across the region. Besides, massive support to the leading pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies from governments of different countries across North America for R&D and the introduction of new drugs & therapies for CRC are also playing a prominent role in stimulating the regional market growth. Covid-19 Impact on the Market The advent of Covid-19 had a decelerating effect on most industries, and the entire healthcare sector was under massive pressure. Amidst the crisis, the leading players in the Global Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Market witnessed various challenges when healthcare priorities shifted to addressing Covid-19 cases. Since the pandemic was severe and growing exponentially worldwide, governments of different countries imposed lockdowns and stringent movement restrictions. Across the healthcare sector, doctors could only see critical patients at hospitals & address the non-critical ones remotely using digital platforms like video calls. Table of Content Introduction Research Process Assumption Market Segmentation Market Definition Executive Summary Global Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Market Trends & Insights Global Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Market Regulation & Policy, By Country Global Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Market Dynamics Growth Drivers Challenges Impact Analysis Global Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Market Hotspot and Opportunities Global Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Market Outlook, 2017- 2027 Continue TOC For Any Questions or Further Discussion Schedule A Call with Our Analyst Here Send Your Call Back Request Now Analysis of The Markets Top Leaders This report section provides a thorough overview of the Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Diagnostics and Treatments market that will assist equipment manufacturers, industry consultants, established businesses looking to expand, start-up businesses looking for opportunities, and other stakeholders in developing market-centric strategies based on current and anticipated future trends. the top companies are as mentioned: Abbott Laboratories Amgen Inc. Bayer AG Bristol Myers Squibb Eli Lilly and Company GlaxoSmithKline PLC F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG Merck & Co., Inc. Novartis International AG Pfizer Inc. Others Some Latest Investments and Development By Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Market Leaders In April 2019, leading player Bristol-Myers Squibb Company acquired Celgene Corporation to create a leading specialty company. The acquisition is principally to address the needs of patients with health conditions like cancer, inflammatory & immunologic disease, & cardiovascular disease with the help of high-value innovative medicines & scientific capabilities. Market Segmentation Examination The segmentation study is regarded as the most crucial stage in determining the target market. It entails conducting a thorough examination of segments or smaller sections, such as geographic regions, in order to develop advertising tactics and marketing strategies for the Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Diagnostics and Treatments Market at both the regional and global levels. The market segment is divided into: By Diagnosis Blood & Stool Tests Imaging Biopsy Flexible Sigmoidoscopy Colonoscopy By Treatment Chemotherapy Alkylating Agents Antimetabolites Fluorouracil Capecitabine Others Immunotherapy Monoclonal Antibodies Bevacizumab Cetuximab Panitumumab Biologic Response Modifiers Colony-Stimulating Factors Tumor Vaccines Surgery Targeted Therapy Others (Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA), etc.) By End-User Hospitals Specialty Clinics Others (Ambulatory Surgery Centers, etc.) Customization Service We Offer We also provide report customization services to our client with tailored & high-quality insights tailored to their individual needs in order to help our clients precisely understand the significant opportunities, ongoing trends, manage growth challenges, and make decisions to remain competitive in the industry. To Take the Advantage of Report Our Customization Service, Send Your Enquiry Here https://www.marknteladvisors.com/query/request-customization/colorectal-cancer-crc-market.html Why MarkNtel Advisors Report Only: We focus on providing authoritative, market-leading reports that include accurate market forecasting insights. Our reports have been reviewed by a number of industry experts, allowing businesses to maximize their return on investment (ROI). Our reports include all pertinent information, such as recent innovations and trends, strategic plans, regional market outlooks, and much more. By using a detailed pictorial representation of the data, strategic recommendations, and analytical tool results, we provide a comprehensive landscape with the major market players. A thorough market analysis will assist the company in becoming more productive. The reports presentation of demand and supply dynamics provides a comprehensive view of the market under consideration. Other Report About Us We are a leading research, consulting, & data analytics firm that provides an extensive range of strategic reports on diverse industry verticals. We deliver data to a substantial & varied client base, including multinational corporations, financial institutions, governments, & individuals, among others. Our specialization in niche industries & emerging geographies allows our clients to formulate their strategies in a much more informed way and entail parameters like Go-to-Market (GTM), product development, feasibility analysis, project scoping, market segmentation, competitive benchmarking, market sizing & forecasting, & trend analysis, among others, for 15 diverse industrial verticals. Our Contact Details Phone +1 628 895 8081, +91 120 4278433 Email: sales@marknteladvisors.com Follow Us Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest Press Release www.marknteladvisors.com/press-release DelveInsights Rett Syndrome Pipeline Insight 2023 report provides comprehensive global coverage of available, marketed, and pipeline Rett Syndrome therapies in various stages of clinical development, major pharmaceutical companies are working to advance the pipeline space and future growth potential of the Rett Syndrome pipeline domain. For Rett Syndrome emerging drugs, the Rett Syndrome pipeline analysis report provides a 360 view of the therapeutics landscape by development point, product type, route of administration, molecule type, and MOA. The pipeline research covers business opportunities, challenges, future partnerships, strong competitors, and growth strategies. Key Takeaways from the Rett Syndrome Pipeline Report DelveInsights Rett Syndrome Pipeline analysis depicts a robust space with 20+ active players working to develop 20+ pipeline therapies for Rett Syndrome treatment. The leading Rett Syndrome companies include Neuren Pharmaceuticals, Anavex Life Sciences, Edison Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical, GW Pharmaceuticals, Q-State Biosciences, AveXis, AMO Pharma, Neurolixis, Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Echo Pharmaceuticals, Vyant Bio, Prilenia Therapeutics, StrideBio, Relmada Therapeutics, VICO Therapeutics, Taysha Gene Therapies, Sarepta therapeutics, and others are evaluating their lead assets to improve the Rett Syndrome treatment landscape. Key Rett Syndrome pipeline therapies in various stages of development include Blarcamesine, EPI-743, Fingolimod, REL 1017, Triheptanoin, Cannabidivarin, STRX 230, Research programme: Rett syndrome therapeutics, AVXS 201, AMO 04, Pridopidine, NLX 101, BHV 5000, and others. In March 2023, Neuren Pharmaceuticals , based in Melbourne, announced that its North American partner Acadia Pharmaceuticals had received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for Neurens lead candidate Daybue (trofinetide) to treat Rett syndrome in adults and children. In February 2023, Unravel Biosciences, Inc. , a therapeutics company that advances drugs for complex diseases by leveraging a machine-learned model of human health, announced the successful completion of its Type B pre-IND meeting with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its RVL001 program in Rett Syndrome. In February 2023, PharmaTher Holdings Ltd. , a leader in specialty ketamine pharmaceuticals, announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration had designated KETARX (racemic ketamine) as an orphan drug for the treatment of Rett Syndrome, a rare genetic neurological disorder. In February 2023, Anavex Life Sciences Corp. announced the enrollment of 92 Rett syndrome patients in the ANAVEX2-73 (blarcamesine) EXCELLENCE Phase 2/3 study in Rett syndrome patients aged 5 to 17 years (inclusive). In January 2023, Neurogene Inc. , a clinical-stage company founded to bring life-changing genetic medicines to patients and families affected by rare neurological diseases, announced that the FDA has approved the Companys Investigational New Drug (IND) application for NGN-401 to treat Rett syndrome. Request a sample and discover the recent breakthroughs happening in the Rett Syndrome pipeline landscape @ Rett Syndrome Pipeline Outlook Rett Syndrome Overview Rett syndrome is a rare genetic neurological disorder that primarily affects girls and causes severe impairments in nearly every aspect of the childs life, including their ability to speak, walk, eat, and even breathe easily. Near-constant repetitive hand movements distinguish Rett syndrome. Rett syndrome is typically diagnosed in children aged 6 to 18 months when they begin to miss developmental milestones or lose previously acquired abilities. Mutations on the X chromosome in a gene called MECP2 cause Rett syndrome. On the MECP2 gene, there are over 900 different mutations. Most of these mutations are found in eight distinct hot spots. Rett syndrome is not a degenerative disorder, with most people living into their forties or fifties. Rett syndrome affects 1 out of every 10,000 female births worldwide, and it is even rarer in boys. Rett syndrome can cause a wide range of disabilities, from mild to severe. The location, type, and severity of the mutation and X-inactivation determine the course and severity of Rett syndrome. Find out more about Rett Syndrome medication @ New Drug for Rett Syndrome Rett Syndrome Treatment Analysis: Drug Profile Trofinetide: Neuren Pharmaceuticals Trofinetide (previously known as NNZ-2566) and NNZ-2591 are patented synthetic analogs of molecules derived from IGF-1 that naturally occur in the brain. IGF-1 is a growth hormone-stimulated growth factor. IGF-1 is produced in the central nervous system by both types of brain cells, neurons, and glia. IGF-1 is essential in the brain for both normal development and responding to injury and disease. Neuren has received Orphan Drug designation from both the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for trofinetide in Rett syndrome. The FDA has also granted fast Track status. On 10 March 2023, it was approved by the FDA. ANAVEX2-73 (blarcamesine): Anavex Life Sciences ANAVEX2-73 (blarcamesine) activates the S1R protein, which functions as a molecular chaperone and functional modulator in the restoration of cellular homeostasis. The drug is currently in phase III clinical trials for the treatment of Rett syndrome patients. Key Rett Syndrome Therapies and Companies Trofinetide: Neuren Pharmaceuticals ANAVEX2-73 (blarcamesine): Anavex Life Sciences Vatiquinone: PTC Therapeutics Fingolimod: Novartis Triheptanoin: Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Cannabidivarin: GW Pharmaceuticals STRX 230: StrideBio AMO 04: AMO Pharma Pridopidine: Prilenia Therapeutics NLX 101: Neurolixis BHV 5000: Biohaven Pharmaceuticals Learn more about the novel and emerging Rett Syndrome pipeline therapies @ Rett Syndrome Clinical Trials Rett Syndrome Therapeutics Assessment By Product Type Monotherapy Combination Therapy By Stage Discovery Pre-Clinical Phase I Phase II Phase III Pre-registration By Route of Administration Oral Parenteral Intravenous Subcutaneous Topical By Molecule Type Monoclonal Antibody Peptides Polymer Small molecule Gene therapy Scope of the Rett Syndrome Pipeline Report Coverage : Global Key Rett Syndrome Companies : Neuren Pharmaceuticals, Anavex Life Sciences, Edison Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical, GW Pharmaceuticals, Q-State Biosciences, AveXis, AMO Pharma, Neurolixis, Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Echo Pharmaceuticals, Vyant Bio, Prilenia Therapeutics, StrideBio, Relmada Therapeutics, VICO Therapeutics, Taysha Gene Therapies, Sarepta therapeutics, and others. Key Rett Syndrome Pipeline Therapies : Blarcamesine, EPI-743, Fingolimod, REL 1017, Triheptanoin, Cannabidivarin, STRX 230, Research programme: Rett syndrome therapeutics, AVXS 201, AMO 04, Pridopidine, NLX 101, BHV 5000, and others. Dive deep into rich insights for drugs used for Rett Syndrome treatment; visit @ Rett Syndrome Drugs Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Executive Summary 3. Rett Syndrome Pipeline: Overview 4. Analytical Perspective In-depth Commercial Assessment 5. Rett Syndrome Pipeline Therapeutics 6. Rett Syndrome Pipeline: Late Stage Products (Phase III) 7. Rett Syndrome Pipeline: Late Stage Products (Phase III) 8. Rett Syndrome Pipeline: Mid Stage Products (Phase II) 9. Rett Syndrome Pipeline: Early Stage Products (Phase I) 10. Therapeutic Assessment 11. Inactive Products 12. Company-University Collaborations (Licensing/Partnering) Analysis 13. Key Companies 14. Key Products 15. Unmet Needs 16. Market Drivers and Barriers 17. Future Perspectives and Conclusion 18. Analyst Views 19. Appendix For further information on the Rett Syndrome therapy in the pipeline, reach out @ Rett Syndrome Medication Related Reports Rett Syndrome Market Rett Syndrome Market Insight, Epidemiology, and Market Forecast 2032 report delivers an in-depth understanding of the market trends, market drivers, market barriers, and key Rett Syndrome companies, including Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Echo Pharmaceuticals, Vyant Bio, Prilenia Therapeutics, StrideBio, Relmada Therapeutics, among others. Rett Syndrome Epidemiology Rett Syndrome Epidemiology Forecast 2032 report delivers an in-depth understanding of the disease, historical, and forecasted Rett Syndrome epidemiology in the 7MM. Angelman Syndrome Pipeline Angelman Syndrome Pipeline Insight 2023 report provides comprehensive insights about the pipeline landscape, pipeline drug profiles, including clinical and non-clinical stage products, and the key Angelman Syndrome companies, including GeneTX Biotherapeutics, LLC, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc, Hoffmann-La Roche, Biogen, among others. Angelman Syndrome Market Angelman Syndrome Market Insight, Epidemiology, and Market Forecast 2032 report delivers an in-depth understanding of the market trends, market drivers, market barriers, and key Angelman Syndrome companies, including GeneTX Biotherapeutics, LLC, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc, Hoffmann-La Roche, Biogen, among others. CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder Pipeline CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder Pipeline Insight 2023 report provides comprehensive insights about the pipeline landscape, pipeline drug profiles, including clinical and non-clinical stage products, and the key CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder companies, including UCB S.A., Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical, Amicus Therapeutics, Ovid Therapeutics, REGENXBIO, among others. 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It supports Pharma companies by providing comprehensive end-to-end solutions to improve their performance. Get hassle-free access to all the healthcare and pharma market research reports through our subscription-based platform PharmDelve. Connect With Us at LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter Contact Us Sandeep Joshi info@delveinsight.com +1(919)321-6187 www.delveinsight.com AVIS DE MARCHE DE FOURNITURES Date de publication : 30/03/2023 Dans le cadre de la mise en oeuvre de son programme : Amelioration de la production alimentaire durable et de la resilience des systemes alimentaires dans les zones rurales peripheriques du PN des Virunga et dans la ville de Goma (Contrat nFED/2022/437-028) Virunga Foundation lance un appel doffre international ouvert pour le marche intitule Fourniture de deux unites de production de pain semi-automatique ou completement automatique (ref : 03/2023/VF/Boulangeries). Lobjet de ce marche est la fourniture de deux unites de production de pain semi-automatique ou completement automatique, dune capacite de minimum 25 000 pieces par jour (environ 300 gr par piece), la livraison au port de Mombasa (Kenya), le montage sur les sites, (en territoires de Goma et de Butembo, Province du Nord-Kivu, a lest de la Republique Democratique du Congo) ainsi que la formation in situ du personnel de Virunga Foundation. Pour retirer le dossier complet de cet appel doffres, veuillez ecrire a offre-boulangeries@virunga.org, en mentionnant les references de lappel. La date limite pour la soumission des offres est le 30 avril 2023 a 12h00 (midi), heure locale de Goma (UTC+2). ------------------- Version anglaise Publication date : 30/03/2023 As part of the implementation of its program : Improving sustainable food production and the resilience of food systems in peripheral rural areas of the Virunga National Park and in the city of Goma (Contract nFED/2022/437-028) Virunga Foundation is launching an open international tender for the market entitled Supply of two semi-automatic or fully automatic bread production units (ref: 03/2023/VF/Boulangeries). The subject of this contract is the supply of two semi-automatic or fully automatic bread production units, with a capacity of at least 25,000 pieces per day (approximately 300g per piece), delivery to the port of Mombasa (Kenya), assembly on site in the territories of Goma and Butembo, Province of North Kivu, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as in situ training of Virunga Foundation staff. To withdraw the complete file of this call for tenders, please write to offre-boulangeries@virunga.org, mentioning the references of the call. The deadline for the submission of tenders is April 30, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. (noon), local Goma time (UTC+2). by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, March 29, 2023 Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed a privacy bill Tuesday that empowers consumers to wield some control over their data but, unlike other state privacy bills, doesn't appear to give state residents the right to opt out of ad targeting based on pseudonymous data. Reynolds stated Tuesday that the law, slated to take effect in 2025, will give consumers a reasonable level of transparency and control over their personal data. The business group Technology Association of Iowa, which supported the measure, praised it as a significant step forward for the state. The organization -- whose board includes employees of Google and Salesforce -- added that it would prefer a national privacy law, but is still proud to see the bill enacted. advertisement advertisement Iowa's Senate File 262 explicitly enables state residents to learn what personal information about them has been collected, to have that data deleted, and to prevent the sale of that data -- with sale narrowly defined as a monetary exchange. The Iowa measure also contains a provision that could be interpreted as requiring companies to allow consumers to opt out of ad targeting based on non-pseudonymous data -- though it's not clear whether that provision is consistent with other parts of the law. But the law, at least as currently written, doesn't give consumers rights to control the use of pseudonymous data -- including data collected across sites and stored in cookies -- provided that such data is kept separately from information that could be used to identify people. In that regard, the Iowa law differs from recently enacted privacy laws in five other states -- California, Connecticut, Colorado, Virginia and Utah -- which require companies to allow consumers to exercise control over ad targeting based on pseudonymous data collected across sites. Keir Lamont at the think tank Future of Privacy Forum, tells MediaPost it's uncertain whether the provision regarding opting out of non-pseudonymous targeted advertising reflects a drafting error. He adds that the law isn't scheduled to come into effect for nearly two years, which gives the state legislature time to make revisions. by Ray Schultz , March 29, 2023 Email newsletter platform Substack is inviting creators to invest in the company via its page at Wefunder. The company says it is accepting investments of $100+. However, the company adds that just because you can invest in Substack, it doesnt mean you should. Investments are risky. The company concedes, The last round of funding, in March 2021, we explored how we might make it possible for a large group of writers to invest alongside the traditional investors, but it ultimately proved too complex. Most importantly, it was difficult to include people who were not already accredited investorsa qualification determined largely by wealth. But now Substack says it is serious about building Substack with writers, and this community round is one way to concretize that ideal. The firm adds, the dynamics of a platform like Substack change if the people who are building their businesses on it are owners of it too. by Todd Wasserman , March 29, 2023 Apple this week launched Apple Music Classical, an app that lets classical music fans experience the music in Spatial Audio. This ad features a man searching for artists like Alice Sarah Ott and Carina Canellakis, who are obscure to all but the most ardent classical fans. The ad notes that you can search by artist, composer, instrument and orchestra. The launch comes as Spotify and Apple Music are judged to be comparable, though Spotify offers more podcasts. With this latest launch, Apple Music may win over more audiophiles, especially those whose tastes run to classical. A recent poll shows that 35% of American adults listen to classical music, though most fans are over 55 years old. by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, March 30, 2023 Microsoft has introduced plans for additional ads in its AI-powered Bing search engine and Edge browser, with a goal to drive more traffic to publisher sites -- demonstrating that the company is finally getting serious about competing in search and search advertising. Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft corporate vice president, wrote in a blog post published Wednesday that the company is collaborating with publishers on the future of search. Were also exploring placing ads in the chat experience to share the ad revenue with partners whose content contributed to the chat response, Mehdi wrote in the blog post. advertisement advertisement There are more than 100 million daily active users of Bing. Chat is helping to drive engagement, including more than 100 million chats, he wrote. Of the millions of users in Preview, one third are new to Bing creating net new opportunity for publishers. While early days, the numbers are encouraging, he wrote. Driving more traffic to publishers from search is a top priority for Microsoft, he wrote. The plan is to measure success, in part, by the amount sent from the new Bing and Edge. Another goal is to increase revenue for publishers by driving more traffic to them through features like chat and answers and by pioneering the future of advertising in these new media. Microsoft will also collaborate with the industry to continue to foster a healthy ecosystem. Citations within the chat already drive traffic to publisher sites, but Microsoft plans to implement more ways to link to additional sources. Microsoft executives have met with some partners to begin exploring ideas on how the company can continue to drive traffic and revenue. Some ideas being explores include an expanded hover experience over a link from a publisher that will display more links from that publisher. Microsoft Start partners could have access to a rich caption of Microsoft Start licensed content beside the chat answer, helping to drive more user engagement with the content and share ad revenue with the partner. Placing ads in the chat and share the ad revenue with partners whose content contributed to the chat response is another option. by Ray Schultz , March 30, 2023 The arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Russia has raised alarms in the news business. Gershkovich, a U.S. citizen, was detained by Russias Federal Security Service (the FSB) on Wednesday on apparently trumped-up suspicion of espionage, the first such arrest of a U.S. journalist in Russia since the Cold War. The incident illustrates the peril increasingly being faced by journalists worldwide. Gershkovich has been accused of gathering information on a Russian military enterprise, The Washington Post reports. The arrest of Mr. Gershkovich is extremely troubling, states Danielle Coffey, executive director of the News/Media Alliance. Journalists perform a critical service in providing important news and information about local, national and international events to communities across the globe. advertisement advertisement Coffey adds, No journalist should have to do their job in fear of their safety or liberty. We stand with The Wall Street Journal in calling for Mr. Gershkovichs immediate release. The United States has had only intermittent success in securing the early release of citizens detained in Russia. It remains to be seen if the influence of the Journal, News Corp. and Rupert Murdoch himself will have any impact on Gershkovichs release. The Journal forcefully responded. "The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich, said Caitlyn Reuss, the WSJs senior communications manager, according to Fox. We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, March 30, 2023 Arkansas has sued Meta Platforms and TikTok for allegedly violating the state's consumer protection laws by misleading consumers. The complaint against Meta Platforms, brought on Polk County Circuit Court, asserts that the company misled consumers about Facebook's and Instagram's allegedly addictive nature. Arkansas officials brought two separate complaints against TikTok, each with different allegations. A complaint filed in Cleburne County Circuit Court alleges that the company made misleading statements about the availability of sexually explicit content on the service. The second complaint against TikTok, brought in Union County Circuit Court, alleges that the company duped users about Chinese government officials' ability to access U.S. users' data. The common theme of the three lawsuits filed today is deception -- deception that endangers Arkansans, especially our children, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin stated. We are sending Silicon Valley a clear message that their success cannot come at the expense of Arkansass youth. advertisement advertisement The complaint against Facebook and Instagram accuses the companies of designing their services to encourage teens to spend more time on the platforms, and that the companies expose young users to potentially harmful content. Defendants are liable for the manipulative and addicting features they deploy to hook young users and keep them on the platform and retuning to the platform, Griffin alleges. In addition to features such as Instagram filters that encourage unhealthy body image ideals and promotional emails that encourage users to return to their platforms, defendants deluge youth with instant notifications to induce users to return to the platform. Those central allegations are similar to ones made against Meta and other platforms by dozens of teens and their parents -- as well as Seattle and other various school districts. Meta is expected to argue in those cases that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act immunizes the company from lawsuits based on content provided by users, and also immunizes the company for decisions about how to present third-party content. The Supreme Court recently heard arguments about the extent to which Section 230 protects companies that recommend content created by users, and could issue a decision later this year. The Arkansas complaint claims Meta Platforms has violated a state public nuisance law by creating a mental health crisis in Arkansas's communities, injuring the public's health and safety and interfering with the operations, use, and enjoyment of the life and/or the free use of property of entire communities or neighborhoods. Arkansas also claims Meta violated a consumer protection law by denying that its platforms were addictive. Despite having internal research detailing the addictive nature of the features being developed and implemented into Meta's platforms, the defendants led users and the parents of young users to believe that their social media platforms were safe for use by young people, the complaint states. The lawsuits against TikTok appear similar to ones brought in January by the state of Indiana. The TikTok algorithm promotes a variety of mature content to 1317-year-old users throughout the United States, Arkansas alleges in the case brought in Cleburne County. The TikTok algorithm serves up abundant content depicting alcohol, tobacco, and drugs; sexual content, nudity, and suggestive themes; and intense profanity. State officials add that TikTok knowingly made misleading claims about content in order to receive a 12+ App Store rating -- meaning that the app was appropriate for users over the age of 12. The complaint brought in Union County alleges that TikTok company misleads users about the privacy of their data. TikTok's public statements and omissions paint a picture for Arkansas consumers that there is minimal risk of the Chinese government ... accessing and exploiting their data, the complaint states. These statements are false, deceptive, and misleading. The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, during his visit to Moldova, said that negotiations on the accession of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia to the European Union should begin by the end of the year."The European Commission should publish the next report on the accession process to the European Union, concerning the European perspective for Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia, as well as the Western Balkans. I would like to confirm that I intend to raise this issue before the European Council by the end of the year.This means that by the end of the year, the Council should make a decision on the issue of starting the process of negotiations on joining the European Union with these countries. This will be a political decision, taking into account the report that the European Commission will prepare.I sincerely hope that a positive decision will be possible by the end of the year", said Charles Michel.The President of Georgia met with Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden. Salome Zurabishvili hosted the Swedish princess in Orbeliani Palace.As reported by the Swedish Embassy, Princess Victoria's visit to Georgia will last until March 30. The mentioned visit is carried out during the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, during the first half of 2023."The EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia is a prime example of how EU civilian CSDP missions can help ensure stability, promote security and build confidence in the countries where they are active. With her visit to Georgia, the Crown Princess also wants to highlight the long-standing ties between our countries and peoples. friendship and partnership," the statement reads. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andreas Katsaniotis, had a courtesy meeting with the new Ambassador of Mexico Alejandro, Garcia Moreno Elizondo, today, March 29. During the meeting, which was held in a cordial atmosphere, the two sides confirmed the excellent level of bilateral relations and discussed ways to further enhance their cooperation in areas of mutual interest. After congratulating the Mexican Ambassador on his recent assumption of his duties, the Deputy Minister highlighted the long-standing ties of friendship and mutual respect that link the two countries, which he personally witnessed during his trip to Mexico in 2021 on the occasion of the commemorative events marking the 200th anniversary of Greece's War of Independence. The discussion focused on the Greek presence in Mexico and its active role in economic, social, and cultural life, as well as on the presence of the small but dynamic Mexican community in Greece. Particular reference was made to the multifaceted actions and work of the Holy Metropolis of Mexico and Central America under the guidance of His Eminence Metropolitan Athenagoras. Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias will participate tomorrow, Friday, March 31, 2023 in the Cyprus - Greece - Israel Trilateral Meeting, which will be held in Nicosia. Initially, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and his Cypriot and Israeli counterparts, Constantinos Kombos and Eli Cohen respectively, will be received by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides. Afterwards, the Minister and his counterparts will participate in the Trilateral Meeting. Following the meeting, the Foreign Ministers will make joint statements to the press at approximately 12:25 pm. The Minister of Foreign Affairs will then hold a bilateral meeting with the Israeli Foreign Minister. This will be followed by a private working lunch between the Foreign Ministers of Greece and Cyprus. Lastly, the Minister of Foreign Affairs will be received by His Beatitude Archbishop Georgios of New Justinian and All Cyprus. The Trilateral Meeting will focus on further enhancing close trilateral cooperation in a wide range of areas, including energy, disaster response and environmental protection. Furthermore, discussions are expected to cover international and regional developments, including the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, as well as the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Gary Harms life change dramatically on Jan. 19, 2023. Harms had been working as a truck driver for Gana Excavating for about two years. He hadnt been feeling well and went into the emergency room and learned he was having a heart attack. He recalled the events of the hospital saying he remembered the nurse using the defibrillator and the pain involved. The cardiologist told him his heart was pumping at only 13%. He was talking about a pacemaker and I knew I wasnt going to be able to drive my truck anymore, Harms said. I went through rehab and when I was released I called my safety guy at Gana. I didnt want to lose my job, but I knew there were some liability concerns. Harms has been working since he was 14 years old at different jobs including as an electrician, security, construction and forklift operator. After COVID he moved back to Fairbury and worked at Westin Packaged Meats. Ive always had a job and never had trouble finding work, he said. Im dependable and a good worker. If there was a job to do, my employers knew I would get it done. When Harms had been out of work for a month, he decided he needed to file for unemployment which he hadnt done for over 25 years. In that process he met Brian Koch. Reemployment Coordinator Brian Koch said his job Nebraska Department of Labor is to help create partnerships with area employers. Gary reached out to us and said he needed to find a new career and was scared, he said. He took advantage of career counseling and some other programs we offer. Through the career counseling we found this job at the school that he thought he could do well. The Nebraska Department of Labor and Beatrice Public Schools have formed a partnership that has allowed him to be successfully employed again. Reemployment Coordinator Tiffany Rasmussen serves as a case manager with the program and provides supportive services. We provide services during the transition into a new job, she said. In Garys case it was on-the-job-training and consistent communication. This is a team effort. In some cases, as a part of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act program, the Nebraska Department of Labor is able to match up to 50% of the employees wages and reimburse employers. BPS Assistant Superintendent Jackie Nielsen said this partnership was beneficial. We didnt have any applicants before and so this partnership opened up doors, she said. The beauty of this relationship is that we are addressing needs of the school and community members. Harms said he had looked at other jobs, but because of his restrictions was able to do those jobs. He is now an evening custodian at Beatrice High School. Ive done this type of work before with a focus on safety. Here there is also sanitation, he said. I like that I can work unsupervised and just get the job done. I appreciate the benefit package at the school. Harms added that he appreciated all the help he received from Nebraska Department of Labor. I thank Brian and Tiffany for all their help from the bottom of my heart, he said. During its annual membership breakfast at the Alberta Bair Theater on Thursday, the Billings Chamber of Commerce named the winners of its 2023 excellence awards. The Outstanding Business Person award went to Dusty Eaton of A&E Design. William Henry of Be Better World won the Inclusion Award. Entre Technology Services was named Employer of the Year. Matt Hall of Midway Auto & RV won the Customer Service Excellence award. And the NextGEN Exceptional Emerging Leader award went to Bo Bruinsma of Billings Public Schools. During the meeting attended by about 500 people, Chamber President and CEO John Brewer reminded members that the chamber was advocating for them in city hall and in the state Legislature. He also said the chamber is working to add non-stop airline flights from Billings to Los Angeles and San Francisco. Scheels presented the Partners for Parks Foundation a check for $5,000. Keynote speaker was Capt. Sandy Yawn who appears on the Bravo television show Below Deck Mediterranean about life aboard a five-star service superyacht. Yawn said the rules for success are "Wake up, dress up, show up, kick ass and repeat." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BIG RAPIDS The Big Rapids American Legion Post 98 honored those who served in the Vietnam War on Wednesday, March 29, with events catered to veterans and their families. The day began with a presentation of honors salute at 11 a.m. in Holland Park Veterans & Homefront Heroes Memorial by the American Legion Post 98 Honor Guard Rifle Team. Honor Guard member and former Marine Jacob Reichert recited a prayer for both present surviving veterans and their families as well as those lives that were list during combat in the war. In attendance were a number of veterans, as well as Big Rapids Mayor Fred Guenther. Veterans and their families were also invited to a free luncheon at the American Legion building at 20 S. Fourth Ave. The local honor guard, made up of volunteer veterans of all service branches, provides memorial services including rifle firings on military commemorative dates, as well as offering the families of deceased discharged veterans official military honors during burial. March 29 was chosen as National Vietnam War Veterans Day because on March 29 1973, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam was disbanded and the last U.S. combat troops departed the Republic of Vietnam. This year is the 50th anniversary of the last combat troops boots on the ground in Vietnam. Two members of the honor guard, Bill Semar and Dan Oelson, served during the Vietnam War and saw action. About 2.7 million American men and women served in Vietnam. During the war, more than 58,000 servicemen and women lost their lives. Vietnam veterans represent the largest cohort of American veterans in terms of service era, according to Veterans Affairs. The American Legion Post 98 hosts memorial events yearly including 9/11 memorial events for local students and Memorial Day events yearly. PHOENIX (AP) The owners of a Dairy Queen in Phoenix remain perplexed and slightly amused as to why someone would steal the giant red spoon that adorned their restaurant. We were kind of upset but then more puzzled, Puja Kalra said Wednesday. What are they going to do with a spoon? She and her husband, Raman Kalra, say the spoon-snatching occurred sometime between late Friday and early Saturday. The 15-foot-tall (4.5 meter) spoon stood against the side of the building with the handle nestled in an opening of a roof parapet. Their surveillance camera caught two people appearing to manipulate the screws that held the spoon to a base and then taking off on a small motorbike. They were so precise about it like they had done it before, Raman Kalra said. They just wiggled their way through and made sure the spoon was not damaged. The couple reported the theft to Phoenix police. Sgt. Brian Bower confirmed officers were called and are investigating. No suspects have been identified. Getting another spoon made, delivered and then installed would cost over $7,000, Raman Kalra said. Dairy Queen is known for doling out plastic red spoons with their soft serve Blizzards. The Kalras, who are Indian immigrants, moved to Phoenix from Minnesota in 2007 and decided to go into business operating a Dairy Queen. They now own 34 franchise locations. This Phoenix one is the only Arizona Dairy Queen with the towering red spoon. With the spoon big enough to hold a small child, it was a popular photo spot. It looks empty and incomplete without that spoon, Puja Kalra said. People liked to take selfies and put it on Instagram. Meanwhile, they're trying some creative strategies to spread the word about the spoon swipe. Staff at the Phoenix location will start wearing Where's my spoon? T-shirts with a red spoon and the DQ logo. They've also had flyers to post at various branches around metro Phoenix. The reward? One Blizzard treat from every flavor of the summer menu. In all seriousness, the couple would love to have the red spoon suddenly be found. I appeal to the person. This spoon is too big to eat anything, Raman Kalra said. We want you to bring it back. We will not ask any questions. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Dr. Betty Jones, who died on March 28, is remembered for her global impact in education. She had been recognized both nationally and internationally for her leadership and contributions to education. In addition, she was inducted into her hometown of Columbia, South Carolinas S.C. Black Hall of Fame. The S. Preston Jones and Dr. Betty B. Jones International Scholarship at Delta College was endowed by the Jones family at her retirement in 2001, to honor her legacy in International and Intercultural Education at Delta College. In the decades since, Deltas Foundation Manager Julie Dorcey said the Jones scholarship has supported students in their travel studies to Germany, Mexico, Scotland, Paris, London and Ireland. She said it made possible a summer internship with Doctors Without Borders and sent teams of Delta students in nursing and computer science to Kenya and sponsored summer service projects in Costa Rica to cite just a handful of examples of her local and global impact, which will continue to transform countless lives, in perpetuity. Dr. Betty B. Jones tagline was: Celebrate diversity, and learn from it! Betty not only embraced and learned from it, Dorcey said. She lived it taught it and championed a culture of Belonging, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion from the moment she stepped foot on Deltas campus to teach Introduction to Sociology classes. But she didnt stop there. Jones joined the college in 1977. She and her husband moved to Midland in 1968 after Preston got a job working in Dows patent office. Their arrival in Midland came only a few years after Dow hired its first Black chemist. She retired in 2001 from Delta College after dedicating efforts to develop learning across the world, including Nakuru Kenya. Stepping up to the call Delta College entered a spotlight when a national grant was one of the first 20 proposals selected for funding. Delta was the first community college ever to receive this type of funding, as government grants were traditionally awarded to universities for research. With the funding, Jones led the first fact-finding visit of the Delta College leadership team in fall 1990 in Nakuru, Kenya. This international learning exchange resulted in campus visits by teams of Kenya faculty to work with faculty at Delta, and Delta faculty on teaching exchange in Kenya. Shared learning brought changes in academic curriculum, teaching content, insights and attitudes advancing learning and transformation at both schools. For instance, Jones developed a Delta model for cross-cultural team building which guided the exchange, and was subsequently shared with Michigan community colleges through the Liberal Arts Network for Development (LAND), and at national conferences of the League for Innovation in the Community College. In addition, she was invited to present the Delta model to faculty at Michigan State University (1991), The Annual Third World Conference (1991), Comparative International Education Society (1992) and the American Association of Community Colleges (1992). In April 1994, Jones was honored at Michigan State University with The Glen Taggart Award for Community Contributions to International Understanding. Legendary approaches to learning As a professor, her teaching innovations to engage students in what she called hands on, minds on learning were legendary, Dorcey said. Jones had a gift for developing community-informed learning experiences, such as Sociology in Black which analyzed and applied social concepts and theory within a Black cultural framework to engage students and promoted understanding of social processes affecting life in Saginaws Black community were among the many contributions that led to her being recognized as Community College Teacher of the Year by the Michigan Sociological Society in 1983. Later, as vice president of instruction, Jones would design and lead a learning community for African American men (Which Way is UP?) from 1995-2000 on Deltas Saginaw campus. After promotion to dean of academic affairs, a position she held from 1984 through 1995, Betty initiated and directed the Delta College Community Research Institute (1986), which trained students to implement social research methods applied to the study of local issues, with the purpose of building knowledge in the community. Studies of the institute increased knowledge among community agencies as a resource in developing solutions uniquely oriented to local needs. Students conducted local studies with several agencies in Saginaw, including Saginaw County Community Action and Good Neighbors Mission. One of the largest and most significant studies by the institute was conducted with the Midland Task Force Say Yes to Youth in 1989. Five school districts participated in the study, Youth Opinion Counts, whose purpose was to learn more about the attitudes, concerns and behaviors of young people in Midland County Schools, and to raise the level of community awareness of youth behaviors, as well as increase involvement in youth services with support for positive growth. The institute published and presented their findings to the community, with support from four local foundations. Findings from the study were widely discussed among groups and agencies in Midland County, and several new programs were initiated to address some of the illuminated concerns, including The Circle of Health (initiated and chaired by Midland County Commissioner Rosemary McQuaid) and D.A.R.E (initiated by the Midland Police Department). Increasing innovation In 1995, Jones was selected from a national pool of applicants for an appointment as vice president of instruction and learning services at Delta College. As Chief Instructional Officer for the college, she provided leadership to major transformations in curricula, teaching strategies, learning facilities and technology. With input from the faculty and community, state of the art facilities were designed and completed. This includes a new Science wing and Library/Learning Information Center, Distance Learning and online courses. Under Jones leadership, collaborative learning and Learning Communities were offered as curricula options and shifted the classroom focus from lecture-centered instruction to interdisciplinary team-teaching and active learning in student groups. Delta was a state leader in developing these innovations, and faculty were often invited to present workshops on these strategies. Jones led a Delta presentation team to "The First Year Experience in Dublin, Ireland; a second team presented on learning communities in Scotland the following year. With support from the Instructional Office, Delta faculty initiated the Annual Conference on Collaborative Learning and Learning Communities. The college installed new computer labs and applications across academic curricula, and computers were provided along with technical support to all faculty. Other innovations included a program in developmental learning for underprepared students, assessment of learning outcomes and groundbreaking articulation of Delta programs with transfer institutions across the state. In 1999, Jones was one of 20 community college leaders invited by the U.S. Information Agency to consult with government staff at a USIA conference in Washington, D. C. to identify potential roles for community colleges to contribute to U. S. foreign policy. MANISTEE Manistee County is home to a number of bodies of water ranging from coastal areas on Lake Michigan, to inland lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands. And with that water comes what Nick Gera, Coast Guard Station Manistee commanding officer calls the areas biggest challenge: People underestimate water. Its the strongest force on the planet, Gera said. Whether its soft water and theyre on a boat or splashing around in a lake or on the beach or whether its on ice, people underestimate it all the time and thats definitely a challenge for us to try and overcome. He said the Coast Guard is working to overcome that challenge partly through community outreach, open houses, station tours for the public, education on social media and visits to schools and groups in the area. Whats on the roster for this year: to be more present and relevant in the community, Gera stressed. The Coast Guard has been visiting area schools in an effort to educate students on water safety and the dangers of cold water. In one visit to Onekama High School, students were given dexterity tasks to complete after submerging their hands in a bucket of ice water. The session showed how quickly hypothermia can hit and the necessity of quickly escaping icy waters when the body can still physically react. Weve all jumped in the shower before and its cold and you jump back out or you back away from the water. When you jump off the pier, which is not allowed, or you suddenly find yourself in the water or you break through the (ice into) water because you underestimated it you dont get that response to just back out of it, Gera said. He explained the 1-10-1 principal. In those situations, a person has 1 minute to get their breathing under control, 10 minutes of functional mobility and 1 hour until they become unconscious. And thats based (on situations where they have) a life jacket on in much warmer water than this is right now. So those numbers drastically decline (in colder water), he said. (Were) trying to get across that message that water is not a force to mess with whether its ice or soft water. Submitted photo/Nicholas Gera Gera has also been meeting with interest groups like the Manistee County Sport Fishing Association, Tight Lines for Troops, Tangled Tackle in Manistee and Osborns Sport Shop in Onekama. The Coast Guard isnt alone in efforts to better water safety for people who recreate in Manistee Countys waterways. Gera also pointed out that the Manistee Area Leadership Program team has been working to provide lifejackets for increased water safety. The team proposed a free loaner life jacket program in Manistee County. According to a previous News Advocate story, the life vest loaner stations would be permanent structures that contain life jackets from infant to extra large sizes. The stations would work on the honor system people can borrow a life vest when needed and return it when theyre done. The Coast Guard has also been teaming up with first responders in the area to ensure quicker emergency response times and collaborations. This has been done through training police, EMS and firefighters on water rescue and also through lending equipment tips and making it aware that the Coast Guard is available to assist on water emergency calls. The partnerships that weve built over the last seven months now have paid dividends and I think were just going to see that progress even more, Gera had previously said of the efforts to connect with other first response leaders. Changes over the years Another hurdle that Gera said is facing the area stems from the limited availability of the Coast Guard stations in Ludington and Frankfort since they arent open all year like the Manistee station. Its definitely a challenge getting out in those communities as much as I want to, and I want to be there as much as we are centrally located here in Manistee. This is where the command hub is at, Gera said. The Ludington and Frankfort locations operate from Memorial Day through Labor Day. So, the challenge is not having our presence there as much as we do in Manistee and I know its frustrating to the local community because they saw their Coast Guard Station for lack of better terms go away, even though the building is still there, its still manned, but theyre not there year-round like we are here in Manistee, he said. I feel their frustration with it, but its kind of been a goal since Ive been here, just that community outreach piece working with our community partners more. Gera said that openness to the community component has been his main focus since leading the station after joining last summer. Like many careers, the Coast Guard is also struggling with recruiting efforts. Were always facing a recruiting deficit... Were struggling servicewide, all the armed forces are, he said. We dont have any recruiters around here so we are our own recruiters." Part of that recruiting ties in with the community involvement efforts as Geras team visits schools or local entities to educate on water safety, while also spreading the news of careers at the Coast Guard. Gera said the station should also be getting new signage to make it more welcoming to the public. The Coast Guards auxiliary group is another way for residents to interact with the agency members, like Mike Scott who has been involved in the agency for 53 years. Residents might encounter Scott through boaters safety education and courtesy boat inspections at area boat ramps. File photo Strengths Gera also addressed the Manistee areas strengths, with one of those being the residents and the way they have supported the station. I would say a big part of the (2023) roster is just being out in the community more, Gera said. (The residents) have shown that theyve always been here for the Coast Guard, so I want to look for that reciprocation back to the community too. He said in the stations inception in 1789, the community actually asked for the Coast Guard to be here when it was a lifesaving service. This was the second biggest port on the Great Lakes only (second) to Chicago back in the heyday, Gera said. Arielle Breen/News Advocate In Geras office is a hat that harkens back to the Save Our Station campaign in Manistee in the 1990s. Residents banded together when the station was in jeopardy of being closed. Maniste at one point was potentially up to lose the station, Gera said. These accounts were also shared in the Manistee News Advocates Looking Back section of historical excerpts. A local group that wants to save Manistees U.S. Coast Guard Station from closure is taking its fight to the streets in the form of bumper stickers. Five-hundred Save Our Station bumper stickers are on order, following a meeting Thursday of the Manistee Coast Guard Task Force in city hall, reads a Looking Back 20 Years Ago published on March 24, 2015. Another Looking Back 20 Years Ago section published in 2015 noted a memorable human formation of the letters SOS. Rain or shine, Manistee community members will be sending out an SOS on Sunday, April 23. (At) 1 p.m., area residents are asked to converge on the Fifth Avenue Beach near U.S. Coast Guard Station Manistee for a community photograph to Save Our Station. The plan is to get hundreds of people standing on the beach, looking up and smiling for a News Advocate photographer flying overhead in an airplane, the historical piece reads. He said that the community drive, work with legislators and a military push kept the station in Manistee. The community drive and working with legislators and military sides of the house were really what saved the station to be here where its at today. Gera noted that even one of his neighbors was involved in the campaign. They said they actually went out to the Fifth (Avenue) parking lot here and made a giant SOS with hundreds of people in the parking lot, he said. Another strength is being able to rely on other first response agencies as a resource. The station and other responders learned firsthand how important it is to know what kind of resources they have to work with during emergencies. During an ice rescue during a blizzard on Healy Lake on Dec. 23, one surprise was that a Benzie County first response team was the only entity in the area with an airboat. That airboat proved critical for responders saving a snowmobiler who had gone through the ice. Now, Gera and others are working on creating an asset list that documents all the key equipment on hand in the area and which entity holds that gear. It seemed like the Coast Guard in the past had been this untouched asset that we maybe could have potentially ... used in other areas. And I would say that was a Coast Guard problem by not reaching out to say Hey, we can offer all of these things and how can we help, Gera explained. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Nick King/AP Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Jake May/AP Show More Show Less 3 of 3 EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) An academic building at Michigan State University where a gunman fatally shot two students and wounded five other s in February will not hold classes or events through next fall. Berkey Hall on the school's East Lansing campus will remain closed for the rest of this academic year and the start of the 2023-24 school year to allow time for inclusive conversations about next steps, Michigan State said Wednesday on its website. Tatiana Magoyan / EyeEm/Getty Images/EyeEm MEOSTA, OSCEOLA COUNTIES The Low-Income Household Water Assistance program administered through the Mid Michigan Community Action Agency is available to assist eligible residents in Mecosta and Osceola counties with water and sewer bills. Mid Michigan Community has been granted $1.9 million for the Low-Income Household Water program as part of the American Rescue Plan Act, according to a news release from the organization. The LIHWAP can assist with water and sewer bills, shut-offs and reconnection fees. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Hundreds gathered Wednesday at a candlelight vigil in Nashville to honor and mourn the three children and three adults who were killed in a shooting at a Christian school this week. The downtown ceremony for the victims of the shooting at The Covenant School was somber and at times tearful, as speaker after speaker read the names of the victims and offered condolences to their loved ones. The family of Mike Hill, a 61-year-old custodian who was among those killed, was in attendance, including his seven children. First lady Jill Biden also was on hand but did not address the crowd. Sheryl Crow sang I Shall Believe and ended with the lyrics from a Dionne Warwick song, What the World Needs Now is Love, Sweet Love. Margo Price sang an a cappella version of Tears of Rage." And Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show led the crowd in the Christian hymn, Will the Circle Be Unbroken, which brought many to tears. Just two days ago was our citys worst day, Mayor John Cooper said. I so wish we werent here, but we need to be here. Shaundelle Brooks, who lost her 23-year-old son, Akilah Dasilva, in the 2018 Nashville Waffle House shooting, said she went to the vigil to support the families of those slain at the school. I know what its like to be a parent what it feels like, like youre drowning and cant move, and that weakness and that hole that comes in your stomach, she said. Police have said a 28-year-old former student drove up to the school Monday morning, shot out the glass doors, entered and began firing indiscriminately. The dead were identified as as students Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, all 9 years old; Katherine Koonce, 60, the head of the school; substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61; and Hill. Authorities have not yet determined the shooters motive but say the assailant did not target specific victims. Price, who has been particularly vocal about Tennessee Gov. Bill Lees position on state gun laws, tweeted after the shooting: Our children are dying and being shot in school, but youre more worried about drag queens than smart gun laws? You have blood on your hands. Crow and Secor also called for stricter gun laws in tweets posted after the shooting. But there was no talk of gun control at the vigil, as people steered clear of the political divide between blue-leaning Nashville and ruby red Tennessee. Republicans and Democratic lawmakers stood together in asking for remembrance of the six who died. Lee said Tuesday that Peak was a close friend of his wife, Maria, and that the two had been planning to meet for dinner after Peaks work that day. Maria woke up this morning without one of her best friends, Lee said in a video statement, adding that his wife once taught with Peak and Koonce. The women, he said, have been family friends for decades. Earlier Wednesday, Pope Francis sent condolences to Nashville and offered prayers to those affected. George Grant, a pastor and leader with the Nashville Presbytery, also avoided any mention of politics. As pundits and politicians try to make sense out of the senseless, were not really asking why. We know why we live in a broken, fallen world, Grant said in a phone interview Tuesday. The church linked to the school is a member of the presbytery, which includes congregations in middle Tennessee and southwestern Kentucky. In a blog post Wednesday, Grant recounted how notifications about an active shooter at the school interrupted a presbytery planning meeting that included Chad Scruggs, Covenant Presbyterian Church pastor and father of one of the shooting victims. We emptied into the hallway, stricken, eyes clouded with unbelief, horror and grief. ... Our worst fears were realized, Grant wrote. Police said the shooter, identified as Audrey Hale, was under a doctors care for an undisclosed emotional disorder and was not on the radar of police before the attack. Hale was fatally shot by police at the school Monday. Authorities have given unclear information on Hales gender. For hours Monday, police identified the shooter as a woman. Later in the day, the police chief said Hale was transgender. In an email Tuesday, a police spokesperson said Hale was assigned female at birth but used masculine pronouns on a social media profile. Maria Colomy, a former teacher at the Nossi College of Art & Design in Nashville, recalled Hale as a talented artist while a student in Colomys social media class in 2017. Colomy remembered Hale going above and beyond on projects." She said she saw postings on Facebook during the past year in which Hale wrote about the death of a romantic partner and asked to be called by a male name and male pronouns. Hale had been very publicly grieving" on Facebook, Colomy said. It was during that grief (Hale) said, In this persons honor, I am going to be the person who I want to be, and I want to be called Aiden.'" On Hales first day at the Nossi School, Colomy said she saw Hale become frustrated while trying to log into the student portal and start to cry. I went up to (Hale) and said, Hey, if you need to step out, its totally OK,'" Colomy said. But after that, Colomy said Hale began to feel safe at school and really started thriving." Samira Hardcastle, who attended both middle and high school with Hale, said Hale seemed sweet and socially awkward. Hardcastle said she spoke to Hale briefly last month at an event for a mutual friend, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I dont think we can rationalize irrational actions, so I am just trying to make peace with that, she said. ___ AP Religion News Editor Holly Meyer in Nashville and News Verification Reporter Beatrice Dupuy in New York contributed to this report. ___ This story was first published March 29, 2023. It was updated March 30, 2023, to correct the day when an interview took place with a Nashville Presbytery pastor. It was Tuesday, not Wednesday. The former president of a paving and asphalt contractor based in Billings was sentenced Wednesday to three years of probation, with six months of home detention, and fined $27,000 after he admitted to attempting to monopolize the market for highway crack-sealing services in Montana and Wyoming, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Nathan Nephi Zito, 44, of Billings, pleaded guilty in October 2022 to an information charging him with one felony count of attempted monopolization in violation of the Sherman Act. The government alleged in court documents that Zito attempted to cheat the competitive bidding process by monopolizing the markets for highway crack-sealing services in Montana and Wyoming by proposing that his company and its competitor allocate regional markets. As early as January 2020, Zito approached a competitor about a strategic partnership and proposed that the competitor stop competing with Zitos company for highway crack-sealing projects administered by Montana and Wyoming. In return, Zitos company would stop competing with the competitor for projects administered by South Dakota and Nebraska. Zito offered to pay his competitor $100,000 as additional compensation for lost business in Montana and Wyoming. Zito further proposed that he and his competitor enter into a sham transaction to disguise their collusion. If Zito had succeeded in his efforts to game the competitive bidding process, there would have been a dangerous probability he would have eliminated competition and been free to raise prices or limit production, which would have negatively impacted the American taxpayer, U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. Defendant Zitos sentence should serve as a deterrent for contractors tempted by greed when bidding on contracts funded with federal dollars, said Cissy Tubbs, Special Agent-In-Charge, Department of Transportation (DOT) Office of Inspector General (OIG), Western Region. We rely on DOT operating agencies such as the Federal Highway Administration to sound the alarm when circumstances in these complex bidding processes seem amiss, as occurred here. Consequently, OIG is committed to pursuing these multifaceted cases with our partners including the Justice Departments Procurement Collusion Strike Force, the Antitrust Division, and the Montana United States Attorneys Office. The case is the result of a joint investigation conducted by the Antitrust Divisions San Francisco Office, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Montana and the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General as part of the Justice Departments Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF). In November 2019, the Department of Justice created the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF), a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on market allocation, price fixing, bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct related to defense-related spending, go to https://www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force. Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Divisions Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit http://www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations. EDITOR'S NOTE: This article is part of our Women Making History in Manistee County series highlighting local females in honor of Women's History Month. Between December 2021 and December 2022, Joan Young hiked nearly 4,400 miles of the North Country National Scenic Trail the longest in the National Trails System. With about 450 miles left to trek, the Scottville resident intends to complete the trail in the coming months. Finishing the trail even once is no easy feat, but this is Youngs second go around. The first time I did it, it was in sections over 20 years, Young said. According to the North Country Trail Association website, 20 people are known to have finished walking the entirety of the trail by foot from end to end since the trail was first established in 1980. Young is one of the 20 hikers officially listed. Even though it took over two decades, Young was the first woman to complete the trail in 2010. The trail runs through eight states: Michigan, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota. At 4,800 miles, it is twice the length of the Appalachian Trail. According to some elite hikers, thru-hiking means completing a trail end to end in a single trip. Those hiking the Appalachian Trail average a thru-hike in five to seven months. For her second go, Young aimed to complete the distance in about a year. In my opinion, a thru-hike would be a fairly continuous hike. If a person hiked 10 miles a day, which is a reasonable amount, and never took a break, it would take 480 days, Young said. She approached this thru-hike as a flip-flop, meaning she started in the middle of the trail near her home in Scottville and hiked to Vermont. Then she drove to North Dakota to complete the second half of the trail, hiking back home. In order to ensure she could maintain the pace, she built in a rest day approximately every 10 days. But several issues caused delays, including car trouble, scheduling conflicts, a bout with the flu and of course, weather. There are 105 miles in the western Upper Peninsula that I had to abandon because there was so much snow. We couldnt even get to the trail, Young said. Young was completing the final 450 miles when the trail became impassable in late December. She was making 6 miles a day snowshoeing near Rudyard in the Upper Peninsula when she decided to take a break. Submitted photo/Loren Bach Trail posts After three months and three days, Young returned to the trail. Her life and hiking experiences are documented on her blog, My Quality Day, which she has been writing since 2008. On March 24, she posted photos as she crossed Mackinac Bridge, making her way back to the Upper Peninsula. She wrote, I don't feel epic at all. I'm tired, but at least I don't ache everywhere now. I'm hopeful I can finish, or almost finish on this outing. And, I'll probably save the miles near home until I have completed everything else. I can't bear to hike home and be celebrated if I haven't really hiked it all. In the coming weeks, Young will be celebrating every footstep, every mile that brings her closer to her goal. Shell also be celebrating her 75th birthday. As she looks back over the years, she explains that her interest in the outdoors started at a young age. I was real active in Girl Scouts. On a much smaller scale, I got to do backpacking and canoe packing, she said. She discovered the North Country Trail in 1988 when she was too busy raising three boys to take more than a stroll on a short section. After a few years, she and a friend decided to dig out some old equipment to take a three-day hiking trip. According to Young, she fell in love with the North Country Trail taking longer and longer hikes until finally deciding to complete every single mile on the map. Off the trail, the hiker has turned author, writing two nonfiction books on the North Country Trail as well as two fictional mystery series. Submitted photo/Loren Bach Guiding others Young jokingly explains that she is living proof that you can bumble through life without ever deciding what youre going to be when you grow up. Despite her humble nature, Young is recognized for being an advocate of the trail both nationally and within the local hiking community. Loren Bach is the president of the Spirit of the Woods Chapter of the North Country Trail Association. The majority of the trail miles in this chapter are located in the Manistee National Forest, and Bach credits Young for encouraging others to become more involved. Her accomplishments are so varied. (Young) really looks for opportunities to benefit the trail and does it in so many different ways, she said. While leading formal chapter hikes, Young shares detailed information on plants, fungi, animals and geology. Shes also an engine buff who can identify old rail lines that used to run through the forest. If you can stick with her, shell educate you just matter-of-fact quietly along the way. Its a nice introduction to little things you wouldnt have known about the trail or would even notice really, Bach said. Even after hiking thousands of miles, Young continues to put in countless hours of service to the trail she loves. She physically maintains a section and ensures trail posts have identifying markings. According to Bach, Youngs biggest impact is realized in those she has inspired. Her outreach lives on in the people that are stepping forward to be part of the trail, Bach said. The North Country Trail Association recognized Youngs work when it awarded her the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013. Ten years later, Young is working toward her next achievement, finishing those last 450 miles as soon as the weather allows. For Young, the return to the trail and the challenge to continue is more mental than physical. Because she has already completed the trail once, she is now motivated by curiosity. The trail is ever-evolving and constantly under construction. Sections that were once roadside are now off-road. There are new sights to behold and new terrain to navigate. In one sense, this second time on the North Country Trail is a brand new experience for Young. There is so much. You can hardly walk 5 miles on this trail without finding something else to explore. It's just amazing, Young said. News Advocate graphic Other Women Making History in Manistee County stories Manistee County board's female voices share insights Meet the women of Manistee's history: Frances Oglethorpe Miss Sawyers Kids With a Cause founder focusing on helping others Meet Karla Smith-Kasten, Manistee County's recycling coordinator Meet the women of Manistee's history: Anna Chambers Council's female members striving to make positive impact MIAMI (AP) The government of the eastern Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago has won a multimillion-dollar verdict in a sprawling corruption lawsuit that began nearly 20 years ago and involves former high-ranking officials. A jury in Miami awarded the government more than $100 million in compensatory damages in a verdict late Wednesday. The civil case began in 2004 when the Trinidadian government sued a former finance minister, various businessmen and several companies in countries including Florida, Panama and Portugal. We got everything that we asked for, Faris Al-Rawi, a former attorney general in Trinidad who represented the government in the case, told The Associated Press. This represents restitution to the people of Trinidad and Tobago." He added that the money can be used to build schools or provide healthcare. The lawsuit alleged that the defendants participated in a scheme beginning in August 1996 to illegally obtain consulting and construction contracts at hyper-inflated prices via bribes, bid rigging and money laundering linked to an expansion of the Piarco International Airport in the Trinidadian capital of Port-of-Spain. The complaint initially targeted 56 defendants, among them 11 individuals and 12 corporate entities, but some secured deals over the years, so only three remained when the trial began earlier this month: former finance minister Brian Kuei Tung and two businessmen. Tung's attorney, Michael Garcia, said he plans to appeal, adding that the government lacked standing to sue and that he believes the plaintiff should have been Trinidad's Airport Authority. These defendants were not responsible for any losses Trinidad & Tobago contends it sustained, he told the AP in an email. Al-Rawi said the government will go after those with the deepest pockets, noting that one of the businessmen who was sued owns a large insurance company in Trinidad and Tobago that recently placed a $1 billion bid to buy another local company. The verdict came 19 years after the civil case was filed in the Florida 11th Circuit Court and represents a victory for the governments anti-corruption efforts. It went to trial on March 6. Related criminal cases in Trinidad, in which top former officials were charged, have stalled or withered as key witnesses died and prosecutors dropped charges. Nearly two dozen people were originally charged in Trinidad, including a former prime minister, his wife and an ex Cabinet minister accused of receiving kickbacks from a local businessman. Among those named in the lawsuit that the government won was a former finance minister, Brian Kuei Tung. An attorney for him could not immediately be reached for comment. In 2005, the U.S. government filed several criminal charges against some of the same defendants, including bank fraud and money laundering. Although some charges were discarded, some defendants were convicted and sentenced to six-year prison terms. Others, including two Trinidadian businessmen, have appealed, and their cases are still pending in the U.S. justice system. ___ Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) Mike Pence is best known as Donald Trumps vice president, someone who, apart from one dramatic rejection of his boss s effort to overturn their 2020 election defeat, served as a steadfastly loyal, mostly uncontroversial No. 2 during his four years in the White House. But as Pence approaches a likely 2024 run for president, hes hoping to project the record of a conservative fighter, opening up to audiences about the parts of his career before he served as Trumps vice president -- his 12 years as a congressman and four years as Indiana governor. While traveling the country and visiting early nominating states such as Iowa, Pence doesn't hide his time in the former president's White House. But the new emphasis on his earlier years in politics marks an effort to flesh out his profile as he moves closer to taking on Trump himself. He wants to make sure voters know there's a lot more to him. I'm well known but not known well, he said in an interview this week. If we choose to run, he said, well have ample opportunity to show who we are. That was after he met with eastern Iowa Republican activists in Cedar Rapids. He notes the fact that I fought for conservative principles against leaders of my own party when I was a member of Congress, the fact that we advanced a strong conservative agenda as governor. During political stops, Pence leads with his role boosting Trump's policy agenda, which remains popular among Republicans, even as he says the country seeks new leadership. During stops Wednesday in the Des Moines area and Cedar Rapids, Pence tied his own record as a rising Indiana U.S. House member and later as Indiana governor to today's Republican priorities. He reached back to his six terms as an ambitious House member to note his opposition to Medicare expansion to provide prescription drugs, calling it an unaffordable entitlement though it was supported by President George W. Bush and most Republican members. That fits with Pence's call for overhauling entitlement programs for younger adults. Without that change, Pence said during a stop at the Westside Conservative Club breakfast in suburban Des Moines, our country could be facing, in 30 years, the largest debt the world has ever known. Later in Cedar Rapids, he praised Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds for signing an expansive school choice measure, while noting that, as a governor himself, he doubled Indiana's charter school program. Education has taken on new political resonance in recent years, with conservative parents seeking more control over policy, notably related to race teaching and gender. The new tack of building out his political biography underscores what some Iowa Republicans say is a liability for Pence in a party still dominated by the former president. One thing that might work against him is Trump loyalists probably dont like the fact that he came to some conflict with the president, said Arlan Ecklund, a former GOP chair in conservative Crawford County, Iowa, who says he likes Pence. And on the other hand, some who arent Trump loyalists maybe see him as a Trump loyalist." Barbara Schoeben, who attended a Pence event in Cedar Rapids on Wednesday, didn't know he was among the first in Congress to seek eliminating federal funding for Planned Parenthood, a regular target of abortion rights opponents. Likewise, she was unfamiliar with Indiana's expansion of adoption access, a priority for abortion rights opponents like Pence, during his governorship. I like him and completely connect with his deep feelings about faith, said Schoeben, a 64-year-old graphic designer. I had hoped to hear more from him about his record, and I was glad I did. Still, Pence finds himself in a difficult position even before he enters the race. He is viewed unfavorably by 26% of Republicans in Iowa, according to a Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll taken in early March. That's a higher unfavorable rating than Trump and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, who have already announced their bids, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to jump into the race. The findings are similar to the partys feelings nationally about Pence. A Quinnipiac University poll taken last month showed 32% of Republicans nationwide viewed him unfavorably worse than Trump, DeSantis and Haley. Pence on Wednesday dismissed the poll findings but acknowledged he had work to do providing the full picture of his career to voters. I think whats been encouraging to me over the last six months, since my book came out and the opportunity to really be out speaking about our background, our experience, our family and my career long before I was vice president, he said in the interview, Ive come to the conclusion Im well known, but not known well. Wednesday's visit was Pence's eighth trip to Iowa since the 2020 election. Republican activists in the state describe him as a respected social conservative who perhaps lacks the magnetism of some of his potential rivals. People seem to highly respect him and know that he's a good man," said Jeanita McNulty, county Republican chair in Scott County, an eastern Iowa mini-metro area along the Mississippi River. Tony Shepherd, who manages a popular steak restaurant near the Des Moines airport, attended the breakfast event in the western suburbs and said Pence comes across as very sincere. He has a very reassuring presence, said Shepherd, 47, of Ankeny. I'm just not seeing much charisma. There are also those who see Pence's Trump years as inseparable, no matter how he presents himself. Ann Trimble Ray, a veteran Republican activist from conservative northwest Iowa, says Pence's years serving under Trump, whom she never supported, disqualify him from her support in the state's leadoff presidential caucuses. My view of Pence is that its guilt by association a big issue for the never-Trumpers, said Trimble Ray, a longtime ally of former U.S. Rep. Steve King. Such impressions appear to have little influence on Pence's deliberations. More than a decade ago, he had weighed running for president, but I just wasn't ready," he said in the interview. But now? I stood next to the job for four years. I purposed to be ready every day for four years," Pence said. "And I know if, by virtue of the will of the American people and God's grace, I ever have that position in the future, I'd be ready to serve. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON (AP) In the first criminal case against a former president, Donald Trump has been indicted on charges involving payments made during the 2016 campaign to silence claims of an extramarital sexual encounter. Trump is facing multiple charges of falsifying business records, including at least one felony offense, in the indictment handed down against him by a New York grand jury, two people familiar with the matter have told The Associated Press. They were not authorized to discuss details that arent yet public and requested anonymity. Prosecutors in New York investigated money paid to porn actor Stormy Daniels and ex-Playboy model Karen McDougal to keep the women from going public with claims that they had sex with him. Trump, who's running for the White House again in 2024, called the decision by a Manhattan grand jury to indict him political persecution and election interference at the highest level. At least one former federal prosecutor, though, said the Manhattan DA and other investigators wouldn't move forward with such a case unless they feel confident of a conviction. ___ WILL NEW YORK CASE OVERSHADOW OTHER LEGAL THREATS? Former President Donald Trump faces multiple investigations related to his refusal to accept his loss of the 2020 presidential election. Some legal experts worry that Trump's indictment this week in New York involving a hush money payment in 2016 could jeopardize public trust in the election-related cases. The indictment itself has remained sealed, which is standard in New York until an arraignment. Trump has long argued that the investigations in New York and elsewhere are politically motivated and ramped up those accusations without evidence after Thursday's indictment. ___ LITTLE SIGNS OF LARGE PROTEST IN NEW YORK, ELSEWHERE Though the streets outside the Manhattan courthouse were bustling Friday, there was no sign of any large-scale protests. A few Trump supporters passed by, quickly posing for photos while police officers and reporters lined the sidewalks. In Florida, about a dozen Trump supporters stood alongside the road leading to Mar-a-Lago, the former presidents Palm Beach residence and resort Friday morning. They waved Trump Nation and Keep America Great flags at motorists. Kevin Hulbert, a retired outdoor educator from Maryland, waved an American flag as he called the indictment a disgrace. We have to use our First Amendment rights to demonstrate how unhappy we are that something like this would happen, Hulbert said. In Boston, several people rallied outside the Massachusetts Statehouse to support letting the legal process play out. Laurie Woodward-Garcia, 56, of Westborough, said she was not there to celebrate and defended Trumps right to have his day in court. I think its important that whoever you are, whatever position you hold, the message is clear: No one is above the law, she said. ___ WILL TRUMP TRY TO TURN MUG SHOT INTO A TOOL? Former President Donald Trump is expected to go through the same process as anyone turning him or herself in on criminal charges, including fingerprinting and a mug shot. Recent history offers examples of political figures who tried to turn arrest photos into a tool, including former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. New York law discourages the release of mug shots in most cases, though some have leaked in the past. It's unclear whether Trump would try to have the picture released himself, for political or other reasons. But his presidential campaign and other political groups quickly used word of his indictment in fundraising messages. The National Republican Congressional Committee titled an email sent to supporters Friday: Trump IN HANDCUFFS!? ___ BIDEN ADMINISTRATION STAYS MUM ON CASE President Joe Biden set the tone for his administrations approach to former President Donald Trumps indictment Friday with a firm refusal to comment on the case. Vice President Kamala Harris and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre separately refused. Both told reporters that the decision is tied to the ongoing nature of the case against Trump. Look, were just not going to comment on any ongoing case, and I will just leave it there, Jean-Pierre told reporters on Air Force One en route to Mississippi, where the president toured recent storm damage. ___ BRAGG'S OFFICE DEFENDS INQUIRY Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office is defending the unprecedented criminal case against Trump in a letter to House Republicans, calling their repeated criticism of the investigation unnecessary and unjustified." The letter, the only substantial public comment on the case to come from Braggs office since Thursdays indictment, is the latest back-and-forth between Trumps allies in Congress and the prosecutor leading the Manhattan case. Even worse, based on your reportedly close collaboration with Mr. Trump in attacking this Office and the grand jury process, it appears you are acting more like criminal defense counsel trying to gather evidence for a client than a legislative body seeking to achieve a legitimate legislative objective, general counsel Leslie Dubeck wrote to three Republican chairmen in a letter obtained Friday by The Associated Press. Reps. Jim Jordan, James Comer and Bryan Steil have criticized the grand jury investigation as an unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial authority. The chairmen had requested testimony as well as documents and copies of any communications with the Justice Department. Bragg did not answer reporters' questions on the indictment against Trump on Friday morning after he attended a high-profile sentencing hearing in an unrelated case. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) West Virginia Republican Gov. Jim Justice on Wednesday signed a bill banning gender-affirming care for minors, joining at least 10 other states that have enacted laws restricting or outlawing medically supported treatments for transgender youth. The bill outlaws those under 18 from being prescribed hormone therapy and fully reversible puberty blockers. It also bans minors from receiving gender-affirming surgery, something physicians say doesnt even happen in West Virginia. Unlike measures passed in other states, however, West Virginias law contains a unique exemption: It permits doctors to prescribe medical therapy if a teenager is considered at risk for self-harm or suicide. Under the law, which will take effect in January 2024, a patient can be prescribed puberty blockers and hormone therapy after receiving parental consent and a diagnosis of severe gender dysphoria from two clinicians, including a mental health provider or an adolescent medicine specialist. Both practitioners must be trained to diagnose and treat young people with severe gender dysphoria and provide written testimony that medical interventions are necessary to prevent or limit possible or actual self-harm. The provisions were added at the urging of Senate Majority Leader Tom Takubo, who is a physician. These kids struggle. They have incredible difficulties, the Republican said on the Senate floor earlier this month. Takubo cited more than a dozen peer-reviewed studies showing a decrease in rates of suicide ideation and attempts among youth with severe gender dysphoria who had access to medication therapy. Gender dysphoria is defined by medical professionals as severe psychological distress experienced by those whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth. The bill also prohibits minors from being prescribed hormone therapy before the age of puberty, something West Virginia physicians say doesnt happen anyway. The medication dosage for any adolescent must be the lowest possible necessary to treat the psychiatric condition and not for purposes of gender alteration, according to the bill. The West Virginia law comes as Republican lawmakers across the U.S. have pursued several hundred proposals this year to push back on LGBTQ+ rights, particularly rights for transgender residents, including banning transgender girls from girls sports, keeping transgender people from using restrooms in line with their gender identities and allowing or requiring schools to deadname trans students. Lawmakers in West Virginia and other states moving to enact bans on transgender health care for youth and young adults often characterize gender-affirming treatments as medically unproven, potentially dangerous in the long term and a symptom of woke culture. Every major medical organization, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychiatric Association, supports gender-affirming care for youths. A 2017 study by UCLA Laws The Williams Institute estimated West Virginia had the highest per capita rate of transgender youth in the country. The rate of suicide ideation, or having suicidal thoughts or ideas, for transgender youth in West Virginia is three times higher than the rate for all youth in the state, according to West Virginia Youth Risk Behavior Survey data. Natalie Frazier, who oversees gender-affirming care for Planned Parenthood in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia, said the bill Justice signed Wednesday was better than it could have been. But its still unnecessary just an unnecessary barrier to care that is going to end up harming people, she said, adding that not every childs family will have the resources to travel to two different clinicians for a gender dysphoria diagnosis. Frazier, who is also a certified nurse midwife, said the diagnosis of severe gender dysphoria with risk of suicide could probably apply to just about any kid getting access to gender-affirming care. Thats why people are are so invested in providing the care because there is a disproportionate risk, she said. Thats something that any of these kids could be at risk for and nobodys going into this care lightly." West Virginias ban also includes exemptions for people who are born intersex and for people taking treatments for infection, injury, disease or disorder that has been caused by or exacerbated by the performance of gender transition procedures. Surgeries can be performed if a child is at risk for imminent danger of death or impairment of a major bodily function. At least 11 states have now enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for minors: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Utah, South Dakota and West Virginia. Federal judges have blocked enforcement of laws in Alabama and Arkansas, and nearly two dozen states are considering bills this year to restrict or ban care. In Brookfield, the Amazon Fresh sign remains up at Candlewood Lake Plaza, but a handful of curbside pickup signs were overturned this week in the parking lot. At Post Plaza in Westport, the Amazon Fresh sign has yet to go up, with a work lift at the ready but no signs of activity otherwise this week. Amazon has yet to show any signs of reinitiating openings nationally for its Amazon Fresh concept, which replaces checkout lines with wireless technologies that charge customers as they walk out the door with the items they purchase. Last month, Amazon executives acknowledged they are pausing any new openings of Amazon Fresh while they tinker with unspecified elements of the business model. In Brookfield, Amazon chose as competitive a strip as exists for Amazon Fresh, with Stew Leonard's, ShopRite, BJ's Wholesale Club and Costco all in close proximity on Federal Road. In the Westport grocery mix in either direction on Post Road East are Balducci's, The Fresh Market, Stop & Shop and Trader Joe's. An Amazon spokesperson provided no update on its Connecticut plans on Wednesday while referencing comments last month by the company's CEO on how it is moving ahead with Amazon Fresh. "We're doing a fair bit of experimentation today in those stores to try to find a format that we think resonates with customers; it's differentiated in some meaningful fashion; and where we like the economics," said Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, during a conference call in early February. "We've decided over the last year or so that we're not going to expand the physical Fresh (stores) until we have that equation with differentiation and economic value that we like but we're optimistic that we're going to find that in 2023." Glendowlyn Thames, a former deputy commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Economic & Community Development who now works for Amazon, told the Asbury Park Press last week that process is continuing, without laying out any timeline for Amazon to move ahead with store openings. The delay is chipping away at Amazon's bottom line as it pays rent on properties that have yet to generate revenue. Amazon took a $720 million charge against earnings for the final three months of 2022 to account for what it called impairments on leases for both Amazon Fresh and its Amazon Go convenience stores that feature grab-and-go items like sandwiches and snacks. Two Amazon Go stores are slated to close next week in New York among eight nationally. Amazon has delayed Amazon Fresh despite intense interest in the store, which ranked fifth last year on a dunnhumby survey of food shopper preferences for just over 60 national and regional chains. Amazon Fresh trailed only Amazon itself, H-E-B, Market Basket and Wegmans on the dunnhumby survey of 10,000 consumers while coming in just ahead of Aldi, Trader Joe's, Sam's Club and Costco. Amazon created the concept on the heels of its 2017 acquisition of Whole Foods Market, which Amazon has continued to expand in Connecticut this year with locations in the works for Stamford, Old Saybrook and South Windsor. To date, Amazon Fresh lists 44 stores in eight states and Washington, D.C. Of those with job openings, Amazon lists entry-level pay rates ranging from $15.25 an hour in Pennsylvania to $19.25 in Washington state. Includes prior reporting by Paul Schott, Karen Tensa and Luther Turmelle. Alex.Soule@scni.com; @casoulman A proposal in the state legislature would create a position dedicated specifically to working with customers affected by bank mergers. The bank merger ombudsman role was proposed, according to banking committee co-chair state Rep. Jason Doucette, D-Manchester, in direct response to M&T Banks acquisition of Peoples Bank and issue that followed when accounts were being converted from one bank to the other. That transition was marked by a flood of customer complaints, the oversight of which already falls under the purview of the state Department of Banking. Doucette said the ombudsman bill intends to make that clear. We're trying to codify it, to make it clear that this is something that the Department of Banking should be doing in the case of a merger like M&T the next time we have a situation like M&T, he said. One problem, Doucette said, is that M&T is based in New York state. In response to a complaint, the Banking Department would open a file, but because of current banking regulations, that's all they could do. The Banking Committee has also approved a measure to strengthen the state's attorney general's power to investigate banks, even when they are headquartered outside the state. "Because they're not the primary regulator of M&T Bank, basically, all they could do was refer that complaint to the primary regulator, which in the case of M&T was the New York State Department of Financial Services, Doucette said. Though M&T declined to comment for this story, a spokesman previously said, M&T has worked with all impacted customers to resolve their issues and regain their trust, including waiving consumer checking and savings fees, as well as late fees for consumer and mortgage loan payments. Customer service phone lines and traffic in branches long ago returned to historically normal levels. We understand the importance of addressing any and all concerns, and we remain committed to continuing to work with all state and city leaders across Connecticut, as well as our regulators, to demonstrate the value that M&T brings to its customers and communities." In February, Attorney General William Tong said his office had received more than 400 complaints about the merger. The issues also drew the ire of U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. and Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., along with some state lawmakers. I had received assurances from M&T that they were going to have plenty of folks on staff and that this would go smoothly. And it didnt, state Rep. Tom Delnicki, R-South Windsor, ranking House member of the Banking Committee, said following the merger. Doucette said there is also concern about the state's inability to work with federally-run banks should there be complaints. While the Department of Banking doesn't have the authority to, say, open an investigation or something like that with respect to a bank that it doesn't regulate, they should at least be making sure those complaints are appropriately logged and sent on to the primary regulator, Doucette said. Thomas Mongellow, president and CEO of the Connecticut Bankers Association, said the proposed ombudsman would be costly and duplicative. A division within the Department of Banking is already responsive to customer complaints, and there are similar divisions at other regulators. There's, on average, maybe one merger per year. So what does that ombudsman do if there is no bank merger? Is that the best use of dollars for the state of Connecticut? Mongellow said. We just think this is unnecessary. We think it's duplicative and there's no doubt in my mind, this is going to cause confusion with the customers. The end result is it creates, from our perspective, a much less effective path for a consumer or a customer to get answers to find out about where to go, Mongellow said. If somebody calls the Department of Banking and goes to their consumer affairs department, and they're banking with a national bank, the Department of Banking is going to direct them to the appropriate regulators. Jeff Gentes, a lawyer with the Connecticut Fair Housing Center, said corporate mergers tend to affect lower-income, urban communities disproportionately, often communities of color. There's several square miles of Hartford that have no bank whatsoever, he said. Theres certain areas in the state, areas that are majority places of color; there's real issues, especially once you get outside the sort of downtown office building types of areas. It really dries up. Gentes said its a natural effect of consolidation. A larger company buys up a smaller community business and then cuts costs by closing branches that either take more capital to maintain or are less profitable. When Gentes, on behalf of the Fair Housing Center, submitted testimony in favor of a state bank merger ombudsman, they expressed a hope that the position would consider a mergers effect on urban communities. While we believe M&T Banks performance triggered this bill, we have found issues with other recent large-scale mergers. After Key Bank acquired First Niagara in 2016, it broke promises it made and reduced its activities in neighborhoods of color, Gentes said in submitted testimony. We also declined to support Webster Banks acquisition of Sterling Bank based on what it had offered for underserved communities. We ask that the ombudsman monitor these types of community benefit commitments. While she said, that certainly is a concern in general, Adrienne Farrar Houel, president and CEO of Greater Bridgeport Community Enterprise, said customers' issues with the M&T merger were more technical. What got folks really upset was the lack of coordination at the moment of the merger, when all of the technical stuff got screwed up. That's what most of the complaining was really about, she said. Because the translation of your account from the People's Bank profile to their profile did not go smoothly. We were victims of that, like a lot of folks, and it went on for way too long. Houel has also recently been named to M&T Banks National Advisory Board. It's a brand new structure that they're putting together for the representatives from all the states in which they are active, she said. I think what they're looking for is to put together a platform that brings to their attention what some of the community interests and concerns would be, she said. On the question of the ombudsman, I think it's a great idea. ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) New York legislative leaders said Thursday they expected to miss the deadline for adopting a new state budget as they negotiate with fellow Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul over her proposals to change bail rules and create new housing. State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said the holdup on a budget for state fiscal year beginning Saturday is due in part because of big policy issues that the governor included in her proposal. Hochul's proposed budget includes a change to the current bail law to give judges greater discretion by removing the least restrictive means standard to ensure a defendant returns to court. Hochul describes it as a clarification of guidelines, but liberal lawmakers have resisted further changes to the state's bail law. I think theres always room for compromise, state Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie told reporters Thursday when asked about bail changes. Lawmakers also were focused on Hochul's proposal to spur the creation of 800,000 houses within the next 10 years to combat the housing crisis in the state. Some lawmakers have resisted mandates in the governor's housing plan. Hochul told New York State Public Radio the April 1 deadline would not be met, but that its not about a race to the deadline, its about a race to getting the right results. It was not clear how long it would take for the governor and lawmakers to reach an agreement. It's not uncommon for state budgets to be late. Last years budget, Hochuls first as governor, was approved nine days late. We can't agree on how much to spend, we can't agree on how to keep people safe, and a host of other issues, Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt complained. That's ridiculous that the Legislature cannot get a budget passed for the people in the state of New York. ___ Associated Press writer Michael Hill contributed. A Valley County deputy shot a person Wednesday following an apparent hostage situation at a Glasgow hospital. The wounded person, who was an inmate at Valley County Detention Facility, was flown to Billings for emergency trauma care, according to a statement from Valley County Sheriff Tom Boyer. No other patients, hospital staff or members of law enforcement were injured, and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating the shooting. All names are being withheld during the investigative process. Further information will be released as it becomes available, Boyer wrote. The inmate was being treated at Francis Mahon Deaconess Hospital on Wednesday afternoon, and the hostage crisis involved a hospital staff member and multiple law enforcement officers. A Valley County deputy fired his weapon to protect others in the facility, according to Boyer. Boyer wrote that along with the DCI investigation, he has asked Phillips County Sheriff Jerry Lytle to handle the administrative review of the shooting. In 2009, a man fired several rounds in the parking lot of Francis Mahon Deaconess Hospital, killing one person and wounding two others. The shooter, 42-year-old Roger Lynn Sellers, later died in an exchange of gun fire with law enforcement. What Is a DD214 Form? Your military discharge papers are officially known as DD Form 214, or just DD214. All veterans receive this Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty once they are out of the military. In a nutshell, the DD214 is proof of your military service. All branches use this same form. There may be no more important document, as it serves as the key to unlocking benefits of all kinds. Treat your DD214 like gold, as this piece of paper is vital to many aspects of your life in the civilian world. The DD214 -- DD stands for Defense Department -- provides veterans with an accurate and complete summary of their active military service. It usually lists dates of service, any commendations or medals received, the reason for separation and the type of discharge. Related: Dishonorable Discharge: Everything You Need to Know You are entitled to your military records free of charge, unless for whatever reason, you simply prefer to pay someone to help you obtain them. Be aware of advertisements that claim you have to pay to get your DD214, or that they can get it more quickly (they can't). Information the DD Form 214 May Include Active-duty information, including entry date Place of entry into active duty Home address at time of entry Mailing address after separation Last duty assignment and rank obtained before getting out Military occupational specialty (MOS) Military education Decorations, medals, badges, citations and campaign awards Service length Any foreign service Separation information (type, character of service, authority/reason for separation, eligibility codes Why Is a DD214 Important? This separation document contains information normally needed to verify military service for benefits, retirement, employment and membership in veteran organizations. This form also gives civil and government agencies the information needed to apply any federal and state laws relevant to members who separate from the military. A DD214 generally is needed for the following: Home loans Civilian employment Veteran organizations membership Social Security Burial/flag Education Homeless veteran services Medical services Deals and discounts for veterans (sometimes) The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) uses the form to determine eligibility for specific benefits. The Department of Labor uses DD214 to determine eligibility for unemployment compensation. Additionally, the form will be used to determine reemployment rights. Inaccurate information on the DD Form 214 could result in a delay or denial of benefits. The surviving spouse of a military veteran also needs to know how to access the DD214 in order for the service member's funeral service to receive patriotic honors. These include the folding and presentation of the United States burial flag; and the sounding of taps, at no cost to the family. Related: Why Your DD 214 Form Is Vital to Landing a Civilian Job How to Get Your DD214 There are several ways to request a copy of your DD214: Via the federal government's eVetRecs website. Visit the VA website for instructions on how to access your records via milConnect. By mail: Download the Form SF 180 here -- the Request Pertaining to Military Records -- and mail it to the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) at 1 Archives Dr., St. Louis, Missouri 63138. (Detailed instructions on the Form SF 180 can be found here.) By fax: Fax the completed Form SF 180 to the NPRC at 314-801-9195. Visit the National Personnel Records Center in person. Contact your state or county veterans agency (click here to search for a VA facility near you). Hire an independent researcher. Your request may take 4-6 weeks or longer. What Is the Fastest Way to Get a DD214? To receive a DD214 as quickly as possible, visit the eVetRecs website and, as you go through the dropdown menus, select "Emergency Request" in the dropdown menu under: "Which of these categories best describes why you're requesting the records?" You won't see this option until you begin going through the records request process and get to the "Service and request details" section. You may also fax a record request using Form SF 180 to the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) at 314-801-9195. Make sure to specify the emergency in the "Purpose" section of Form SF 180 before faxing it. If you have any questions, you may call 314-801-0800, but note that hold times can be long. Related: Requesting Military Personnel Records Why You Should Keep Your DD214 as Private as Possible The DD214 includes personally identifying information that could put you at risk for identity theft. Someone with nefarious intent could apply for a credit card in your name or otherwise try to impersonate you. "Identity thieves could use your personal information to obtain fraudulent credit, identification cards and other items," according to the U.S. Army's Human Resources Command. "To protect yourself, treat your documents as you would a valuable personal possession. Store your documents only in a safe location not accessible to strangers." Should I File a Copy of My DD214 at the Courthouse? Over the years, experts have suggested that veterans file a copy of their DD214 at their local county courthouse, in order to make it easily accessible should the need arise. However, before taking such a step, consider there may be a risk of identity theft if your DD214 would become publicly available, as many court records are. Many municipalities have taken steps to ensure the privacy of veterans' records, either by preventing the general public from accessing discharge papers, or by blacking out some identifying information. So do your research before filing a copy of your paperwork at the courthouse. Know All Your Legal Rights and Benefits Be aware and get what you are entitled to. Keep up with all the legal benefits available to you as a service member, veteran or spouse and get updates delivered straight to your inbox by subscribing to Military.com. Several private companies that manage housing on military installations nationwide asked 98 families since 2019 to sign nondisclosure agreements as part of settlement disputes over mold, infestations and other dangerous living conditions in their on-base homes. The companies' use of nondisclosure agreements, or NDAs, was revealed in a Defense Department response to a request from five U.S. senators asking for more details about the use of confidentiality clauses in settlement agreements with tenants. According to the DoD, the NDAs were reviewed by the military services and, in "fewer than five cases," were determined to comply with laws that pertain to their usage. Those NDAs that didn't pass muster were revised, resubmitted and approved, according to documents provided by the Pentagon to Congress last week. Read Next: 9 Soldiers Killed as Pair of Helicopters Crash in One of the Army's Deadliest Training Accidents While the names of the companies that used the NDAs were redacted, at least one was The Michaels Organization military housing, which oversees homes at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, having purchased the management portfolio at that base from Clark Realty Capital, according to a footnote in the DoD response. Others include Balfour Beatty Communities and Liberty Military Housing, according to a letter requesting answers on the use of NDAs by Military Private Housing Initiative companies sent by the five senators, including Massachusetts Democrat Elizabeth Warren. Breanna Bragg, a military spouse who once lived on Fort Belvoir, shared the NDA she was offered with Orlando television station WFTV. According to the station, the agreement forbade the family from talking publicly about the alleged claims or making any pejorative statements about housing at Fort Belvoir to anyone, including current and future residents of the post as well as the news media. "It's hush money," Bragg said. The family rejected the settlement, which she said was contingent on signing the agreement. Widespread problems with construction and maintenance issues first came to light in 2018 in a series of reports by Reuters over the presence of mold, lead-based paint, pestilence and more in military housing. Families have testified before Congress since 2019 on poor housing conditions, noting that the companies often ignored maintenance requests or took shortcuts in repairing their homes. Some families have filed lawsuits, with litigation ongoing in dozens of cases. As a result of the scandal, the Defense Department developed a tenant bill of rights effective August 2021 that gave residents more leverage in negotiating disputes with the management companies, but it does not have the right to unilaterally require the companies to abide by the requirements. As of October 2022, five Air Force installations had implemented the tenants' right to enter into a resolution process or be able to have their Basic Allowance for Housing payments held while disputes were being resolved. Ongoing concern about the use of NDAs by companies that manage military housing prompted Warren and colleagues to send their letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. The answers Warren received earlier this month left her less than satisfied. "I remain concerned that the Department of Defense is not conducting adequate oversight to determine whether these NDAs are being used appropriately," Warren said in a statement to Military.com on Monday. "Safe housing is a basic right, and military housing companies shouldn't be able to stop families from exposing when those companies have failed them." The housing companies maintain that they are allowed by law to use NDAs and the agreements comply with relevant regulations. "Current law allows for the use of nondisclosure agreements as part of the settlement of litigation or when a resident has retained counsel or sought military legal assistance," officials at Liberty Military Housing said in a statement emailed Thursday to Military.com. "In addition, no LMH resident has ever been asked or required to sign a NDA in connection with entering into, continuing, or terminating a lease for the housing unit." In an emailed response to Military.com, officials with Balfour Beatty Communities said that the company uses NDAs only "in the context of a settlement and release agreement where the resident is agreeing to resolve a dispute that is considered pending/threatened litigation," and the company complies with the law that "explicitly permits" their use. "We enter into a small number of settlement agreements each year which include nondisclosure provisions regarding the settlement amount. In every case, we get written approval from the Office of the Secretary of Defense and we comply fully with all the requirements in the [National Defense Authorization Act]," a Balfour Beatty spokesperson said. They added that there are no restrictions imposed on military families that live on installations who aren't involved in potential litigation or disputes. The Michaels Organization did not respond to a request for comment by publication. Warren has said that if the Pentagon does not increase oversight of the companies' use of NDAs, she will push for legislation that would bar their use. Some families complain that they have chronic illnesses related to having lived in unsanitary and poor conditions. A DoD Inspector General investigation conducted last year into the types of health conditions related to military housing was inconclusive, however, because the Pentagon lacks the data it needs to track such issues. As a result, the IG was unable to link housing conditions and any reported illnesses. Earlier this month, Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., joined Florida Republican Sens. Rick Scott and Marco Rubio in launching a bipartisan investigation into the health effects of housing conditions on families. The senators wrote Austin on March 21 asking the Pentagon to take actions to monitor the state of privatized housing units. "Due to this lack of information, the military services were unable to consistently track housing conditions that may have led to asthma, lead poisoning, cancers, and other adverse conditions among service members and their families," they wrote. -- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Military.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime Related: Will the Tenant Bill of Rights Fix Privatized Military Housing? Six U.S. service members so far have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries from attacks by Iran-backed militants in Syria earlier this month that killed an American contractor, the Pentagon said Thursday. The diagnoses were made as part of ongoing medical assessments of American personnel at the two locations in northeast Syria targeted by an Iran-made drone and militant rockets, and more TBI cases are possible, said Brig. Gen Pat Ryder, the Pentagon spokesman. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered retaliatory airstrikes that killed eight militants, according to the latest Pentagon assessment. Read Next: 9 Soldiers Killed as Pair of Helicopters Crash in One of the Army's Deadliest Training Accidents The attacks are part of escalation skirmishes with Iran as its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, has backed strikes by militant groups on the roughly 900 U.S. troops, and an unknown number of contractors, who remain in Syria to counter the Islamic State terrorist group. "Again, we do not seek conflict with Iran, but we will always protect our people," Ryder said during a briefing Thursday to reporters. It is unclear how many U.S. personnel may have been exposed to blasts and are at risk of brain injuries from the attacks. "These additional injuries were identified during post-attack medical screening," Ryder said. "Those will be ongoing as a matter of standard procedure. So, there is always the possibility that there could be additional, but that's where we're at." An Iran-made drone struck a base housing U.S. personnel in Hasakah, Syria, on March 23, killing the contractor and wounding six, including troops. By Thursday, all the victims had either been treated and released or were in stable condition and still receiving medical care. The base's air defense system was not fully functional and did not stop the drone despite the forces being on high alert following 78 Iran-backed attacks in the region over the past two years, The New York Times first reported last week. The Pentagon declined to comment on reports the defense system failed. "One service member was medically evacuated to Landstuhl [Regional Medical Center in Germany] to receive treatment, and two U.S. service members and [a] U.S. contractor are receiving medical treatment in Iraq," Ryder said. A service member injured in a follow-up Iran-backed rocket attack March 24 on the Green Village outpost in Syria was in stable condition and receiving medical care in Iraq. Following the March 23 attack, Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets immediately struck IRGC sites in the area. "This was another in a series of attacks on our troops and partner forces," Gen. Erik Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, said in a statement at the time. The retaliatory attack was followed up by more militant rocket attacks on facilities housing Americans, raising concerns over an escalation with Iran, which seeks influence in Syria and neighboring Iraq to counter the U.S. President Joe Biden said the U.S. would "act forcefully" to protect Americans overseas but emphasized that it does not seek conflict with Iran, when asked about the strikes during a visit to Canada last week. In January 2020, Iran struck Al Asad Air Base in Iraq with 15 ballistic missiles, and the U.S. initially denied any injuries had occurred. Former President Donald Trump, who first announced that there had been no injuries, then said some service members had reported "headaches. Eventually, the Pentagon said 109 service members had been diagnosed with TBI. The incident resulted in a long struggle for some troops, including National Guard members, to get recognition for their injuries. Some took more than two years to finally receive their Purple Hearts. -- Travis Tritten can be reached at travis.tritten@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @Travis_Tritten. Related: Number of Troops Diagnosed with TBI After Iran Missile Attack Rises to 109 Brigadier General Janeen Birckhead, commander of the Maryland Army National Guard, was inducted this month into the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame, the second Anne Arundel County resident to receive the honor in the past two years. Birckhead was among five Maryland women inducted this year. Last year, scientist Mary Cleave, a former astronaut and the 10th American woman in space,, received the honor. Both women live in the Annapolis area. Annual inductions were held in March during Women's History Month. The other four 2023 inductees were Charlotte M. Cooksey, a retired District Court judge in Baltimore; Ana Sol Gutierrez, former Montgomery County board of education member, state delegate and the first Latina elected to public office in Maryland; Gloria Lawlah, a former civil servant and state legislator from Prince George's County and Edith "Jackie" Ronne, a polar explorer and the first female member of an Antarctic expedition, whose family lived in Maryland for generations. Birckhead and Cleave say they were proud to be inducted, in part, because of the highly accomplished women inducted before them. Judith Vaughan-Prather, executive director of the Maryland Commission for Women, which manages the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame, said the inductees range from former slaves to artists, scientists and social servants. Some of the hall's more famous inductees include conservationist Rachel Carson and American Red Cross founder Clara Barton. Others are women of lower profile who deserved greater recognition, Vaughan-Prather said, which is why the hall matters. "[Women's] stories are often hidden or forgotten," she said. "Women and young women need role models. We need to be able to see that women can do these things and, in fact, have done these things." Janeen Birckhead Originally from Snow Hill, Maryland on the Eastern Shore, Birckhead, who was inducted March 16, got involved in the military when her mother encouraged her to apply for a Reserve Officers' Training Corps college scholarship. "I had a cousin who went to the Air Force Academy, a year older than me," Birckhead said. "[My mom is] thinking, 'This is great. You should give this a try, Janeen,' and I thought 'No, mommy. I don't want to go in the Army.'" So her mother enticed her, telling her it would be a challenge, which spoke to Birckhead's competitive spirit. "'I said OK, Mommy, I'll give it a try,'" she said. She got the scholarship and enrolled at Hampton University, a historically Black university in Virginia. After graduating in 1991, Birckhead worked on Capitol Hill for the late U.S. Sen. Paul Sarbanes from Maryland. Sarbanes, who was succeeded by current Sen. Ben Cardin, was the father of U.S. Rep. John Sarbanes, who represents parts of Anne Arundel County including Annapolis. After her time in Washington, Birckhead became a state equal employment manager for the Maryland National Guard before taking a position at the U.S. Department of Defense as an agent and then a special agent in charge with the Defense Security Service. Birckhead pursued careers both as a member of the military and as a civilian throughout her career. As Birckhead progressed through both careers, she played key roles in historic moments in both Maryland and Washington. She led the state's National Guard troops, as well as thousands of others from across the country, in response to the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, where she said Maryland had the first National Guard on the ground in support. She was also appointed by former Gov. Larry Hogan to lead the Maryland Vaccine Equity Task Force during the COVID-19 pandemic. Watching her guard troops work with others from around the country on Jan. 6 instilled pride in Birckhead. "That's what the Army and what being in the National Guard prepares you to do, to come together as professionals and be able to respond," Birckhead said. "You saw it there. You see it in the National Guard whether it's floods or fires or whether it's going overseas; we are always ready, always there." In 1995, Birckhead moved to the Annapolis area and raised a daughter and son, both now in college. Birckhead is now commander of the Maryland Army National Guard and serves as the deputy commandant for reserve affairs at the U.S. Army War College. Her career has inspired young military women, she's discovered, one of whom recently asked Birckhead to partake in her pinning ceremony promotion from Army major to lieutenant colonel. It's important for young women to see other women recognized for their achievements, Birckhead said. That's how they know about all the career possibilities out there for them, adding she encourages young women to connect with more accomplished female counterparts. "'Are they still living? Can I reach out to them and give them their flowers while they are alive? Can I tell them what an inspiration to me they are while they are alive? I think that is important," she said. Mary Cleave Cleave, 76, was one of five Maryland women selected in 2022. In addition to being one of the first American women in space, she helped develop and lead projects to gather critical information about the effects of climate change. Always fascinated by airplanes, Cleave started flying lessons as a 14-year-old growing up on Long Island, New York which she funded with her babysitting money. "I couldn't understand why my mother didn't want to be my first passenger," Cleave said. "When I got in the car with my nephew [who was learning to drive] I understood." While Cleave had a strong interest in aviation, she applied to veterinarian school at Cornell University but was not accepted. "They used to discriminate based on gender at all the professional schools vet school, law school, medical school. When Title IX went through, they had to stop that," Cleave said. "It made a huge difference." She was accepted to Colorado State University's pre-vet program, but when it came time to apply for vet school she ran into the same roadblock; the programs didn't accept women. She switched her focus to botany. After Cleave obtained her bachelor's degree in biological sciences at Colorado State, and her master's degree from Utah State University, the school's dean of the College of Engineering asked her to consider a doctorate in engineering. With Title IX law, there was a new world of options for Cleave to explore. "It was the best thing that ever happened to me," Cleave said, adding that the dean told her she needed to be an engineer because she was "too damn impatient to be a good scientist." Partway through her doctorate, a colleague told her about an advertisement at the local post office. For the first time, NASA was recruiting women, people of color and nonmilitary personnel for the astronaut class of 1978. It was a dream job for Cleave flying and science together. NASA representatives told Cleave they wanted her to complete her doctorate first, which she did before joining the next astronaut class in 1980. The decision meant she missed out on joining the country's first co-ed astronaut class and the chance to become the first American woman in space, a title held by Sally Ride, but she was glad she finished her degree. Cleave took her first space shuttle flight in 1985, Cleave became the 10th woman in space. On and her second flight in 1989, when her team deployed the Magellan spacecraft on its journey to Venus. Cleave took her first flight aboard the space shuttle in 1985, becoming the 10th American woman in space. On her second flight in 1989, her team deployed the Magellan spacecraft on its journey to Venus. Between her two flights, the Challenger disaster had occurred and Cleave went to work on crew equipment issues following the mission. On her second shuttle flight, as she looked down on the Amazon rainforest, she had a realization that she wanted to return to environmental research. "Looking at the Earth, particularly the Amazon rainforest, the amount of deforestation I could see, just in the five years between my two space flights down there, scared the hell out of me," Cleave said. In 1991, Cleave moved to Annapolis to be closer to her aging parents, which led her to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, home of the agency's environmental spacecraft programs. At Goddard, Cleave managed a project to measure all the phytoplankton in the ocean via spacecraft, developing models to understand carbon dioxide building up in the atmosphere. "You need good data to fill in those models," Cleave said. "This was a big missing piece of the puzzle." Cleave went on to do other work gathering data from space to help scientists better understand climate change. She also briefly worked on redesigning the proposal for the International Space Station after which she was asked to work at NASA headquarters in Washington. "Somebody has to go over to the Hill and explain to those guys why it's important to put their money in this," Cleave said. She retired from NASA in 2007 and has been enjoying all Annapolis has to offer, especially sun rises over the Chesapeake Bay. She joined the Annapolis Rowing Club, which helped her address bone density loss suffered while spending time in space. She also began volunteering d with the Anne Arundel County League of Women Voters and now belongs to the Anne Arundel County Bird Club. She also mentors students through the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. "I really spend time hoping I'll have an impact on the young ladies," Cleave said. ___ (c)2023 The Capital (Annapolis, Md.) Visit The Capital (Annapolis, Md.) at www.hometownannapolis.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and other prominent senators are planning "comprehensive legislation" to overhaul the troubled Department of Veterans Affairs electronic health records program, the lawmakers announced this week. The proposal is the latest effort from lawmakers to pump the brakes on a program that has seen numerous glitches that watchdog reports have found endangered patient safety. The VA has paused rolling out its Millennium Electronic Health Records system to more sites while the company that built the program, Oracle Cerner, works to solve ongoing problems at the locations where it has already been deployed. Read Next: 9 Soldiers Killed as Pair of Helicopters Crash in One of the Army's Deadliest Training Accidents "It's clear that the new EHR system is failing veterans, medical personnel and taxpayers, and we need aggressive measures to right this ship and get a better return on investment through this contract," committee Chairman Jon Tester, D-Mont., said in a statement Wednesday. "That's why my colleagues and I are putting forth comprehensive legislation to increase transparency and oversight over the new electronic health record system -- holding VA and Oracle Cerner accountable on behalf of the men and women who risked their lives to defend our country." The $16 billion program, the contract for which was awarded in 2018, was first introduced at the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center in Spokane, Washington, in November 2020 and has since been rolled out to other sites in Washington, Ohio and Oregon. It was originally scheduled to launch in more facilities this past summer, but the VA announced a pause as problems -- and bipartisan criticism -- mounted. Among the issues have been system outages, difficulties among VA staffers in using the program, and harm to patients when records got lost or misclassified in the system. Officials from Oracle testified before Congress earlier this month that improvements have been made, including average monthly downtime dropping from 345 minutes each month last year to 21 minutes this year. Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who both sit on the Veterans Affairs Committee, are also spearheading the overhaul measure, which a news release said the group will formally introduce in the "coming days." At a House hearing Wednesday, VA Secretary Denis McDonough told lawmakers that the department is reviewing its contract with Oracle and that the future of the system will largely depend on the results of the review. House Republicans have introduced a pair of bills that aim to improve the program or abandon it altogether. The latest proposal from Senate Democrats would prevent the VA from moving forward with the program until data from the five facilities where the system is being used shows the Oracle program has "an ability to deliver health care to veterans at standards that surpass metrics" of the VA's legacy records system, known as VistA, according to the news release. The senators would also require the VA to come up with a "Plan B" if Oracle does not agree to new contract terms or if VA data shows "it cannot get the technology to work to serve veterans efficiently and safely," the release added. A VA official told lawmakers at a hearing earlier this month that the department does not "have a Plan B." The bill also contains provisions to reform major acquisitions at the VA aimed at preventing similar issues on any future programs, according to the release. "VA cannot continue with its current EHR system until it works for providers and keeps patients safe," Murray said in a statement. "I want to make sure the dedicated providers at VA can do their jobs and that our veterans are getting the high-quality care they have earned and deserve. Let's pass the EHR Program RESET Act as soon as possible." -- Rebecca Kheel can be reached at rebecca.kheel@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @reporterkheel. Related: VA Reviewing Contract for Troubled Medical Records System, Secretary Says Read the original article on Business Insider. With several models of tanks to choose from, a large supply of armored vehicles, and an undeniable numbers advantage, Russia's fleet of tanks should ostensibly be decimating Ukraine's on the battlefield. Instead, the struggling superpower has racked up error after error more than a year into the war, resulting in staggering equipment and battle losses as Ukraine attempts to even the playing field ahead of an influx of Western tanks expected to arrive in the coming months. While the current state of the conflict a brutal stalemate in Bakhmut has not been defined by tank warfare, earlier in the war tank battles captured international attention, including when Ukraine used abandoned Russian tanks to shore up its counteroffensive in Kharkiv last year, and during Russia's failed siege of Vuhledar earlier this year, which was the site of the largest tank battle yet. The armored vehicles' great strength on the battlefield is three-fold, according to Mark Cancian, a retired US Marine Corps colonel and a senior advisor with the Center for Strategic International Studies security program. Tanks provide mobility, firepower, and protection, Cancian told Insider, offering soldiers the luxury of moving and shooting at the same time. But when it comes to tanks, practicality is only part of the equation. One of their key capabilities, according to Jeffrey Edmonds, a Russia expert at the Center for Naval Analyses and former US Army armor officer, is the psychological impact they have on the enemy, known as the "shock effect." Symbolic or not, tank warfare remains a vital aspect of the ongoing war for both sides with Russia reportedly returning to storage to restock its depleted supply and Ukraine continuing its crusade for further aid. Ukrainian soldiers ride atop a tank on the frontline in Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, March 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Libkos) Russia has more tanks, more advanced tanks, and more types of tanks than Ukraine Throughout the war, Russia has primarily relied on four different models of tanks: T-64s, T-72s, T-80s, and T-90s, with T-72s making up the bulk of their fleet thanks to years of Soviet-era production and more modern updates to the vehicles. While each tank type has its own distinct style, Cancian and Edmonds told Insider that the vehicles are part of a similar lineage, with each generation of tank representing an updated version of the last. As a general rule of thumb, "the newer the tank, the more capable it is," Cancian said of Russia's fleet. But there are exceptions to the rule, the military experts said. The Russians relied on the T-72 so heavily during the Cold War that countless updates and refurbishments rendered the model's capabilities comparable or even superior to that of its direct successor, the T-80, which is generally considered less successful and reliable than the T-72 or the T-90, the latter of which is thought to be Russia's most advanced tank, Edmonds and Cancian said. Russia's tank design is the product of lessons learned in World War II, according to Edmonds, and as a result, the vehicles tend to be smaller and lighter than Western tanks, as well as lower to the ground, which makes them harder to hit, but also less powerful in a matchup against a heavily-armored, NATO-sized vehicle. Not accounting for wartime losses, Russia is believed to have started the conflict with an army fleet of about 3,000 tanks, according to several reports citing the International Institute for Strategic Studies nearly double the number of Ukraine's estimated 1,500-strong pre-war fleet. Even with thousands of tanks on the battlefield, however, diversity among the vehicles has been slim, with Ukraine relying exclusively on its collection of T-64s and T-72s, the same types of tanks that Russia is using. Enemies forced to face one another using near identical tanks is a result of the countries' shared Soviet history. When the war started, both sides were armed primarily with the same Soviet equipment. But even with the overlap, Cancian and Edmonds said the Russian versions of these tanks, in particular the T-72s, are likely more advanced than their Ukrainian counterparts, given years of updates that Ukraine never had reason to make. On paper, Russia undoubtedly has the better specs. But the battlefield tells another story. "The lethality of the system depends on much more than the system itself," Edmonds said of tanks. "It depends on the crew, but it also depends on how it fits into the battlefield and how it integrates with other components of combat power." A Ukrainian serviceman stands amid destroyed Russian tanks in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, April 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File) Russia hasn't been using its tanks effectively Not only has the Russian military been struggling to properly utilize its tanks, but it has also had one hell of a time trying to maintain them. Stunning February updates from the International Institute for Strategic Studies and Oryx, an open-source intelligence analysis platform, estimated that Russia has lost about half of its operational tank fleet more than 1,500 tanks since the war began. The staggering losses reportedly hit Russia's store of T-72s and T-80s especially hard, with IISS suggesting the country's supply has been depleted by two-thirds, according to reports. "The conventional wisdom is that the Russians aren't following their own doctrine," Cancian said. "They have not been using their tanks as part of a combined team." A key part of effective tank warfare is using the vehicles in tandem with infantry, air support, artillery, and engineers a tactic known as combined arms, according to Cancian and Edmonds. In one of the earliest displays of dysfunction, the Russians sent a convoy of unprotected tanks straight into an ambush in Bucha just weeks into the war. Then, earlier this year, the Russians repeated the very same mistake in Vuhledar, leading to the loss of more than 100 tanks, several of which were seen smoking and blazing in the Ukrainian snow. Had the Russians practiced combined arms, they might have sent an infantry team ahead of the tanks to clear the terrain for incoming vehicles and scout possible attack points. But that type of cohesion takes training, and lots of it, Cancian and Edmonds said, a particular struggle among the Russians, who receive most of their training on the job. "They clearly came into this with a lower level of tactical training than we thought," Edmonds said of the Russian military. Cohesion among Russian soldiers is unlikely to improve as Russia sustains more than 220,000 casualties, a top UK defense official said this week, citing US intelligence. That number represents a stunning figure that has undoubtedly exacerbated already-existent personnel problems within the military. Not only do the Russians have too few people to provide proper infantry support, the army seems to be running out of people to operate the remaining tanks. In Vuhledar earlier this year, Ukrainian troops said they captured a Russian medic who was forced to drive a tank, despite his medical background. Russia's repeated mistakes have been costly, forcing the country to rely on older tanks they've since pulled from storage, including T-62s, T-55s, and T-54s, some of which date as far back as the 1940s. These decade-old replacements are slower and lack the fire control of modern tanks, Edmonds said; they are generally less effective than their updated counterparts, though still have the capacity to be lethal. Ukraine, meanwhile, has contributed to Russia's depleted supply, having captured several advanced T-72s ,T-80s, and even some T-90s from the enemy, though the country has also lost between 450-700 tanks itself, according to reports citing the IISS. The Ukrainian military seems to be better at operating their tanks on a tactical level, Edmonds said, citing the army's greater flexibility and initiative. Ukraine is set to receive an influx of Western tanks soon Following months of pleading from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine finally secured the promise of a long-desired tank haul from several Western countries earlier this year. The US has pledged to send Ukraine 31 M1A1 Abrams tanks in the coming months; the UK is preparing 14 Challenger 2 tanks to send; Germany promised 14 Leopard 2 tanks; and several other European countries have also pledged to send tanks from their fleet of German-made Leopard 2s. It's a hefty haul of Western tanks which boast better armor and fire control than the Russian T-72s, Cancian said. All three Western tank models are larger than most Russian tanks and are "quite survivable" thanks to their advanced armor, according to Edmonds. "Those three tanks are all essentially equivalent," Cancian said, though he gave the slight edge to the American-made Abrams tanks, which have been upgraded more often than the Leopards and Challengers. It's still unclear when the Western tanks will arrive or what role they will ultimately play in Ukraine's future offensives. Tank usage in the conflict has been minimal in recent weeks as the battle of Bakhmut an ongoing slog of attrition rages on. "This stalemated frontline where we are right now, this is not a good environment for tanks," Cancian said. "Tanks need to break into the open." The incoming vehicles could help shake up the current state of the war, according to Edmonds. "Tanks were designed precisely for that," he told Insider. "To be brought in to make something staticvery fluid." The much anticipated Ukrainian spring or summer offensive will likely be an attempt to break into the open and upset the Russians' lines, Edmonds said, a goal that would be aided by a fleet of tanks. But the number of incoming Western tanks less than 150 is unlikely to change the tides of war. Cancian predicted that the tanks will be enough for the Ukrainians to execute "one good" attack as part of their counteroffensive. "You just have a numbers problem. Even if they're really good, which they are, the numbers are just too small to fundamentally change tank warfare," he said. The Russians, despite their flailing tank usage thus far, are believed to have thousands of old tanks still in storage to which they can return even, and especially, if they continue to sustain significant equipment losses. "The Russians, like the Soviets, never threw anything away," Cancian said. But the promise of incoming Western tanks sets the stage for possible additional equipment assistance to Ukraine in the future, Edmonds said. "The longer this war goes on, the more effective this type of support will be," he said. The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration. Raised in a small Alabama town, I signed up for the Air National Guard right after high school, intending to earn money for college and to see the world. My time in the Guard exposed me to new experiences and taught me the value of service and, after six years in the military, I thought I could handle anything that came my way. But then I was sexually assaulted, and I became lost. Overwhelmed by trauma, I turned to drugs to escape. I left the military, and my addiction deepened, overtaking every facet of my life. At 29, I was arrested for a drug-related crime and sent to prison. The shame I felt over my crime and incarceration was all-consuming. I'll never forget reading the title on my indictment, United States of America vs. Carla Bugg. I felt I'd forfeited any right to be recognized for my service, and I was pretty sure the military didn't want anything more to do with me. What I didn't realize was just how many veterans become incarcerated. One in three of our 19 million veterans report having been arrested and booked at least once, and roughly 181,500 are behind bars. Many land there because of struggles with PTSD, traumatic brain injuries or substance use disorders, risk factors that make the jarring transition from military service to civilian life all the more challenging. I now work at an agency that helps people leaving prison or jail by connecting them with treatment and jobs. Like me, many veterans I meet feel they disgraced the uniform when they committed their crime. And like me, most did not mention their veteran status when entering the criminal justice system. What's odd, however, is that nobody ever asks. That oversight can have major consequences, and it's not a new problem. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter issued a memo noting that "we lack comprehensive information about imprisoned veterans" and directing federal agencies to collect accurate data. Sixteen years later, Congress began requiring that states have a policy for identifying the veteran status of people in prison in order to be eligible for certain grants. Unfortunately, these attempts never brought about much change. The Department of Veterans Affairs has developed tools to help law enforcement, jails and courts verify a person's veteran status, but they are rarely used. Just nine of 18,000 police agencies in the U.S. and 11% of 3,100 jails use the systems. Further complicating the identification challenge is an inconsistent definition of the term "veteran." The federal government, the states, criminal justice agencies and individual programs for veterans all differ in the specific criteria they use to determine who is, and who isn't, a veteran. Length of military service and type of discharge are among the conflicting variables. All of this adds up to a big problem: Too many veterans fail to receive targeted treatment for their unique set of problems while incarcerated, and many who might qualify for special treatment courts or other opportunities to be diverted away from jail or prison never get the chance. Without proper interventions to address their PTSD, addiction or other challenges, many veterans struggle as they reenter society -- and some commit more crimes. That's bad for individuals and for public safety, as well. I witness the fallout from this cycle every day in my work, and my frustration is one reason I joined the Council on Criminal Justice's Veterans Justice Commission. Our panel, led by former Defense Secretaries Chuck Hagel and Leon Panetta, both veterans, is examining why so many veterans land in prison or jail, and developing recommendations to help change that trajectory. This month, we released our first proposals for action, addressing problems veterans face at the front end of the justice system, from arrest through sentencing. Improving the identification of veterans when they encounter the system is one of them. We also recommend expanding access to veterans treatment courts and increasing other opportunities for veterans to avoid prosecution, conviction or incarceration if they complete programs requiring them to take responsibility for their actions and address issues underlying their criminal offenses. Finally, we're urging the federal government to establish a National Center on Veterans Justice to fund badly needed research and coordinate veteran support across the country. As I know well, veterans who end up in our justice system face a special struggle, one overlaid with shame over breaking the laws of a nation they once fought to protect. By identifying veterans at the front door of the justice system, and getting them the treatment they need, we can reduce crime and do better by those who have served. -- Carla Bugg is a certified recovery support specialist, a military veteran, and a member of the Council on Criminal Justice's Veterans Justice Commission. When Lt. Col. Serge Obolensky left the U.S. military after World War II, his transition was like many other Americans leaving the service after the war. He started his postwar career with a job working for Hilton Hotels before starting his own company. His prewar life was very much not like anyone else's. Obolensky was born Prince Sergei Platonovich Obolensky Neledinsky-Meletzky, an Oxford-educated Russian aristocrat who would be close to England's future Edward VIII. His first wife was the daughter of the assassinated Russian Tsar Alexander II, and his prior military experience was as a cavalry officer -- a Russian cavalry officer. He just wasn't your average paratrooper. By September 1943, he would be an American citizen, making his first combat jump ever. At age 53, he almost single-handedly liberated the island of Sardinia for the United States, his adopted home. Obolensky wound up in the United States because the country of his birth no longer existed. He left Oxford to become a cavalry officer during World War I, fighting the Germans for the Russian Empire on the war's Eastern Front. When the Bolsheviks toppled Tsar Nicholas II during the war, Obolensky fought the communist Red Army as a guerrilla. When it became clear the Bolsheviks would be victorious in the Russian Civil War, he fled to London with his wife, Princess Catherine Alexandrovna Yurievskaya. The Obolensky imperial coat of arms. He found a job working as a salesman, but his marriage fell apart and the two divorced. Shortly after, he met Ava Alice Muriel Astor, daughter to John Jacob Astor IV, one of the richest men in the United States. Alice inherited her father's wealth after he died aboard the RMS Titanic in 1912. The couple moved to the U.S., and Obolensky joined the Astor family business. In 1931, he became an American citizen. When the U.S. entered World War II, Obolensky was well beyond military age at 51, but old soldiers never die; he immediately volunteered for the Army. The U.S. Army didn't need old cavalry officers, though. Obolensky was still a wealthy aristocrat with connections. He jockeyed to join the New York State Guard and was accepted as a private, but was still far from the front lines. When William Donovan, head of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the forerunner of the CIA, came to stay at the St. Regis Hotel, Obolensky just happened to be there to meet with him. The St. Regis was an Astor hotel, after all. The two spoke, and Obolensky was immediately inducted into the OSS. The aging Obolensky was given the code name "Sky" and sent to training with men half his age. As was the agency's tradition, the prince made all five of his qualifying parachute jumps in a single day. His first mission was translating a manual for Soviet partisans into English. His second mission was liberating the island of Sardinia. OSS founder William Donovan. (National Archives) By September 1943, Sardinia's Axis garrison included 20,000 Germans and 270,000 Italian troops, a considerable force to fight an Allied invasion. On Sept. 3, 1943, the Allies had negotiated an armistice with Italy's King Victor Emmanuel III and Marshal Badoglio, who had taken over the office of prime minister from the deposed Benito Mussolini. The number of troops on Sardinia posed a real problem for the Allies, especially if the Italian forces continued fighting. Obolensky and three other OSS commandos airdropped into Sardinia in early September 1943, carrying letters from Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower and Italian Gen. Giuseppe Castellano informing the Sardinian garrison of the armistice. It was Obolensky's sixth-ever jump and his first combat jump. After landing, they buried their parachutes and walked into the nearest carabinieri (national police) office, demanding to be taken to Italian Army Headquarters and Gen. Antonio Basso, the Italian commander. He bluffed the carabinieri into believing he was heading a battalion of paratroopers. The policemen took them by truck to avoid German patrols. Upon meeting Basso, Obolensky convinced the general to follow the king's orders. Obolensky with his OSS team. (National Archives) The Germans were expelled from Sardinia, and Obolensky radioed back to OSS headquarters that Basso would surrender his 270,000 men. When the armistice was announced over the radio on Sept. 8, 1943, the Germans quickly overwhelmed the Italian armed forces and occupied all of Italy -- except the island of Sardinia. The Russian prince returned to the U.S. after the war. He had divorced Alice Astor in 1932 and spent his later years working to market luxury brands to Americans through his public relations firm while dating Hollywood actresses. He married for the third time in 1971, but died seven years later at the age of 88. -- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on LinkedIn. Want to Learn More About Military Life? Whether you're thinking of joining the military, looking for post-military careers or keeping up with military life and benefits, Military.com has you covered. Subscribe to Military.com to have military news, updates and resources delivered directly to your inbox. A Billings man wanted for parole violation was arrested Wednesday after a brief but high-speed chase through downtown during rush-hour traffic. Roderick Roman Plentyhawk, 37, is now facing felony charges in Yellowstone County District Court, including criminal endangerment and unlawful firearm possession. County prosecutors alleged Plentyhawk led agents with the Montana Violent Offenders Task Force from a residence near North Park to Montana Avenue, reaching speeds of up to 80 miles per hour before he was stopped by several law enforcement cruisers. He was known to carry weapons and sure enough, we found a gun on him, acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Montana Timothy Hornung said. MVOTF members tracked Plentyhawk to a residence on North 19th Street and were preparing to arrest him, Hornung said, when he was spotted driving a red Ford Mustang. The task force contacted Montana Highway Patrol for assistance, according to charging documents. An attempt by an MHP trooper to pull over Plentyhawk at North 18th Street and Eight Avenue North escalated into a pursuit. Plentyhawk drove the Mustang onto Sixth Avenue North, court documents said, and cut through a gas station parking lot to head south on North 27th Street. He wound his way through several streets while speeding downtown, until he turned onto Montana Avenue. The Mustang spun out, according to charging documents, and several law enforcement vehicles pinned the car in place. Plentyhawk allegedly refused commands from police, and was taken into custody after an officer used a Taser on him. Law enforcement found a handgun tucked into Plentyhawks pants during a search. The gun was previously reported stolen out of Big Horn County. EMTs treated Plentyhawk at the scene, the Gazette previously reported, but Hornung said nobody else was harmed in the pursuit or crash. Officers booked Plentyhawk into Yellowstone County Detention Facility soon after his arrest Wednesday. At the time of his arrest, Plentyhawk was on parole for an aggravated robbery sentence out of Wyoming. In 2017, he was charged in Yellowstone County District Court with assault with a weapon. The charge was dismissed in 2018 following his Wyoming sentencing. Along with criminal endangerment and illegal firearm possession, Yellowstone County prosecutors have also charged Plentyhawk with fleeing from police, misdemeanor theft and driving without a valid license. He is scheduled to make his initial appearance in court Friday. Late last month, MVOTF agents arrested a man in the Heights who had accumulated more $650,000 in warrants. John Joseph Caylon III has since pleaded not guilty to five felonies, including accusations that he shot a Lockwood man. Glen Bell didn't invent the taco. He didn't even invent the hard-shell taco. What Bell did was recreate a taco recipe from a competing food stand and brought it to the rest of the United States. From that first taco recipe in 1951, Glen Bell started what would become Taco Bell in 1962. When it first started, Taco Bell offered tacos, burritos, tostadas, refried beans and chili burgers. Today, Taco Bell pulls in nearly $9.2 billion in revenues annually, selling everything from Mexican pizzas to Cheetos burritos. Though the chili burger might be gone, you can still get the original hard-shell taco. It all started with a World War II veteran's hamburger stand. Glen Bell, United States Marine Corps. (Taco Bell) A child of the Great Depression, Bell picked up some culinary skills in a short business venture with his aunt while selling pies and other comfort foods to make extra cash. He joined the Marine Corps in 1943 and spent much of World War II cooking for high-ranking Army and Navy officers in the Solomon Islands. After the war, he went home to San Bernardino, California. There, he saw two brothers named McDonald working a new kind of burger stand, one where customers came and went (and came back) all day. With years of food service under his belt, he figured he could do something similar. He bought a grill and opened Bell's Burgers in 1948. The 19-cent price of a burger or taco would be $2.37 in 2023 dollars. In retrospect, it seems odd that the founder of Taco Bell would go into the burger business, competing with McDonald's. At the time, there was room for everyone in the Southern California burger business. He opened his second location in a Latino neighborhood. Across the street from that hamburger stand was a Mexican restaurant, one that was always packed: the Mitla Cafe. All Bell knew about tacos back then was that he liked them, and ate at the Mitla Cafe regularly (the Mitla Cafe is still open in San Bernardino, by the way). At first, he tried to recreate the recipe, but the restaurant staff eventually taught him how to make their hard-shell tacos dorados, a deep fried tortilla shell filled with meat, cheese and tomatoes. This is what he would take to his burger stand. Bell's innovation wasn't the taco itself, though. He engineered a way to pre-make hard-taco shells in large quantities, with less mess and faster, like hamburgers were sold. Marines make do. In a 1999 biography, Bell said he worked with a chicken coop maker to create a unique fry basket out of chicken wire to form and fry the hard shells. In 1951, he added them to the menu at Bell's Burgers, at a cost of just 19 cents. The second customer that day ordered a taco. He ruined his pinstripe suit and tie with the juices running down his sleeve before quickly ordering another. The tacos were an immediate hit. By 1954, Bell opened his first Mexican-style only restaurant, Taco Tia. He opened three Taco Tias before selling out to his business partner. In 1958, he and three other partners opened a chain called El Taco. He sold his interest in that chain, too. (Taco Bell) Finally ready to strike out on his own, Bell founded Taco Bell in Downey, California, with just $4,000. Taco Bell grew faster than any of his previous chains. Within two years, he had eight stores. It opened its first franchise location in 1964. When Bell sold the company to PepsiCo in 1978, there were 868 Taco Bells across the country. -- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on LinkedIn. Want to Know More About Veteran Jobs? Be sure to get the latest news about post-military careers as well as critical info about veteran jobs and all the benefits of service. Subscribe to Military.com and receive customized updates delivered straight to your inbox. Here are the value-added benefits you will receive from advertising with TV LATINA at the L.A. Screenings and Content LA: This edition will be extensively distributed at the Fairmont Century Plaza during the L.A. Screenings. This edition will also receive concierge room distribution to program buyers staying at the Fairmont Century Plaza during the L.A. Screenings. This edition will also be widely distributed at Content LA, a separate event which is also taking place at the Fairmont Century Plaza. The May print edition of TV Latina will be mailed to our extensive circulation of media executives in Latin America, the U.S. Hispanic market and Iberia. Your advertisement will also appear in the May digital edition of TV Latina, which will be sent out to approximately 35,000 media executives a week prior to the L.A. Screenings and Content LA. You can see the May 2022 digital edition here. The digital edition will be extensively promoted in our newsletters, websites and social media handles before, during and after the event. Your company will also get an article up front in the magazine. The article includes a color image of a program, the headshot of your executive and his/her highlighted quote. We will also run your article in Diario TV Latina before the market. The article will also run on TVLatina.tv before the L.A. Screenings and Content LA. You will receive invaluable social media exposure by having your article tweeted to @tvlatinas followers. You will also get your complete program listings in a Spanish-language digital edition of TV Listings, which will be available to our online database of 35,000 readers a week before the market. You can feature up to ten video clips in your own Screening Room for L.A. Screenings on our video portal TVLatinaScreenings.tv for two months. We will also run your complete program listings in the TV Latina App, available for iOS and Android. Your companys product news will receive priority treatment in our English-language and Spanish-language online newsletters and websites. Please keep in mind we have the best articles, the best interviews, the best design, the best paper, the best printing, the best distribution and the best circulation. We hope the above proposal will give you the incentive to join the most important, respected and influential publishing group in international media. We can offer you the following options: A single-page advertisement in the print and digital editions for US$2,000. A 2-page spread advertisement before the first page of editorial in the print and digital editions for US$3,000. A 2-page spread before the first page of editorial in the digital edition only for US$2,000. You can also add an embedded video to your advertisement in any of our digital editions. The cost is US$500 per enhanced page. To learn more about this innovative service, click here. DEADLINES Space Reservations: April 28 Advertising Materials: May 2 For more information, please contact Ricardo Guise at rguise@worldscreen.com or Dana Mattison at dmattison@worldscreen.com. A 160-acre private inholding along the West Fork Madison River has been purchased by the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in a unique collaboration. Investors with the Bozeman-based Beartooth Group purchased the parcel along with two other nearby properties in 2021. The two other parcels, 141 and 124 acres, are downstream from the acreage acquired by the Forest Service. The previous owners of the inholdings were a group of ranchers that utilized the land for grazing, according to Dale Olson, Madison District ranger. Trout Unlimited reached out to the Forest Service when the properties were first advertised, seeking to put them into public ownership, he said. But federal agencies cant move quickly when land is for sale and will sometimes seek nonprofit conservation partners to help by purchasing the land and then selling it back to the government. In this case, however, The Nature Conservancy contacted Beartooth Group who found investors willing to purchase the properties with the idea of eventually selling them all to the Forest Service. The first parcel was acquired with money from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. A forest information officer said the agency could not release the purchase price since it had not negotiated nor closed the sale. The buyer is identified in Montana Cadastral records as West Fork Madison Ranch LLC with a Ketchum, Idaho, mailing address. Live Water Properties had listed the three parcels 448 acres all together for $2.8 million. Rarely does a ranch come to market that boasts such wonderful combinations of water features, privacy and thousands of acres of public land and wildlife, Live Water wrote in its website advertisement for the land. The West Fork Madison Homesteads is a wilderness that is almost impossible to replicate anywhere in the western United States. With the three homesteads having over six miles of combined forest service boundary, this ranch is a great access point for those who love to explore the backcountry. Other highlights of the property were its proximity to Ennis, 35 miles away, and Yellowstone National Park, 40 miles distant. It also includes nearly two miles of the West Fork, a major tributary of the world-renowned trout fishery the Madison River. For the Forest Service and conservationists, the land deal helps remove private inholdings from the surrounding national forest while also guaranteeing there wont be development in the wild country thats home to everything from elk and wolves to grizzly bears and moose. This acquisition is a valuable addition to the Madison Ranger District, providing important aquatic and terrestrial wildlife habitat, as well as expanding what is a beautiful area for our public to access and enjoy, Olson said in a forest Facebook post. We really appreciate the Beartooth Group for their assistance and expertise in facilitating this purchase; it wouldnt have happened without them. The post goes on to describe the area as important to recreationists and hunters: The Gravelly Mountain Range is a popular area enjoyed by hikers, campers, horseback riders, hunters and anglers. The West Fork Madison properties are located just west of the Elk River Trailhead which is a common starting point for members of the public accessing National Forest System Lands. Several motorized trails begin at this trailhead and connect over 68 miles of trails in this area. The area is also becoming increasingly popular with snowmobilers, Olson added. The Forest Service targeted the parcel farthest into the forest first in case it cant raise funds to purchase the two other parcels, Olson noted. We are enormously grateful to the private investors that made this deal happen, said Robert Keith, founder and managing principal of Beartooth Group, in a press release. In a moment of conservation need, they stepped forward to save this property, with no expectation of a financial return. Their sole goal was to generate a return in the form of protected wildlife habitat and expanded public recreational access. Beartooth Group also noted the land has unique ecological value given its location in an important corridor for wildlife moving through the Madison, Gravelly and Centennial mountain ranges. Many species of wildlife use the area seasonally as they come and go from Yellowstone National Park. This transaction is critical to the long-term conservation and protection of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Last year, Beartooth Group helped protect 634 acres from subdivision at nearby Henrys Lake that involved The Nature Conservancy. Then in March, the investment firm facilitated a sale to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks to acquire two 50-acre islands in the Yellowstone River near Reed Point. The Beartooth Group has always been about finding creative financial tools to fund conservation solutions, Keith told the Gazette in March. The West Fork Madison land the Forest Service acquired was originally homesteaded by Robert L. Shackelford, with a patent issued in April 1920 by then President Woodrow Wilson. According to a published death notice, the 67-year-old Shackelford died in 1922 in Butte, with his body returned to the home of his youth, Wellsville, Missouri, for burial. Other news articles identify him as a one-time probate judge of St. Louis County. In the first trade of the 2022-23 off-season, the Braves have acquired outfielder Sam Hilliard from Colorado, per an official announcement from the Rockies. Minor league pitcher Dylan Spain is heading back to the Rockies in the deal. Hilliard, 28, hit .184/.280/.264 with two home runs across 200 plate appearances for the Rockies in 2022. He went much better at their Triple-A affiliate, slashing .308/.405/.669 with 13 home runs. While hes never really hit at the major league level, his performance in 2022 was someway below his career line of .212/.294/.423 as hes generally shown more power in the bigs than he showed this season. He did appear at all three outfield positions, but spent most of his time in left where he was worth ten Defensive Runs Saved across 377 innings. Spain was a tenth round pick for the Braves in the 2021 draft. He spent all of 2022 at their High-A affiliate, tossing 56 innings of 5.30 ERA ball across 36 appearances, most of which came out of the bullpen. The 24-year-old struck out batters 24.7% of the time and walked 5.3%. He struggled a fair bit with the long ball, giving up 11 home runs. For the Rockies, the trade clears a spot on the 40-man roster, which now stands at 37 players. For the Braves, they get a depth outfielder who could compete for a roster spot in spring training. Hilliard is out of options, but his form at Triple-A shows theres enough upside for the Braves to give him a shot to potentially land on their bench in 2023. LIVONIA - Were getting a sneak peek inside Guy Fieris first Michigan Chicken Guy restaurant before it opens to the public on Saturday, April 1. The restaurant, located at 30130 Plymouth Road, will be open each day from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. And this is just the beginning. While this is the first in Michigan and the 8th Chicken Guy restaurant in the country, there will be 19 more opening in the coming years in Southeast Michigan all owned locally by the Tomey Group, which is also a Jimmy Johns franchisee with 50 locations around Metro Detroit. We live here, were from here and we have an established company with Jimmy Johns here in Michigan, Anthony Tomey, CEO of the Tomey Group told MLive. Livonia is a great city. Its the third largest city in Michigan and this area is booming. This is a very central spot in Southeast Michigan and we thought it was a great city to start with. Most of the menu is fairly simple. Theres chicken sandwiches ($7.99-$8.99), chicken tenders ($6.99 for 3, $8.99 for 5), salad bowls ($8.99-$9.49), fries ($3.49) and loaded fries ($8.99) and mac and cheese ($4.99). Whats not simple are the 22 sauces employees will make each day for dipping, like the Sweet Sriracha BBQ, Nashville Hot Honey and Bourbon Brown Sugar BBQ. Theyre all really good, even ones you might not think are very good like Wasabi Honey. Youre like, whats this? But theyre all good, added Tomey. The chicken is fresh. Everything is quality and you have the option to get the chicken grilled as well so not everything has to be fried. Theres also six shakes to indulge in for dessert at $6.99 each including the Triple Double Mint featuring crushed OREO cookies and chocolate mints. Theres also the Cinnamon Apple which features Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Apple Jacks cereals. Its not just hype, Tomey said. Sometimes celebrities put their name on a restaurant or something and dont even know what its like. But with Guy, he has his own recipes and has everything going. Its not just his name. He owns the brand. If he puts his name on it, its going to be good. This place is quality. MORE FROM MLIVE: Log cabin Michigan mansion on market looks like something out of Yellowstone Every concert coming to Pine Knob for its 2023 summer concert season Mystical Willy Wonka-looking chocolate village opens in Michigan Keith Urban to headline new Northern Lights Music Fest in small U.P. town DETROIT - If someone stepped out of a time machine into Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Bands concert in Detroit on this night, they would have a difficult time figuring out what decade it was. The Boss and his fellow Hall of Fame band performed an energetic, nonstop, action-packed nearly three hour concert at Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday, March 29. Whether it was 1983 or 2023, youd be hard-pressed to find Springsteen with more pep in his step than at this concert. The 73-year old had the energy of a 20-something, never taking a break as he and the band went right into one song after the next with no lull in between. There was no verbiage from Springsteen between songs and the only break in the 2 hour 45 minute concert came in the middle when Springsteen saw the E Street Band off the stage for about 10 minutes as he told a quick story of the inspiration for his song, Last Man Standing... how he was the last member of his original band from the 60s, the Castiles. The night was filled with chants of Bruuuce as he and the band performed a mix of hits, deep tracks and newer material. The concert was reminiscent of a fireworks show with no let-up with the encore feeling like the grand finale as it just kept getting better and better till the end. If Springsteen and the E Street Band are scheduled to come to a city near you on this tour and youve been on the fence about splurging for a ticket because you think maybe they arent the same as they used to be... were here to tell ya, you can put that thought to bed. Our only gripe may be that there werent enough bigger hits in the setlist. Just make sure you arrive early. They took the stage at 7:45 p.m. while some people were in line for souvenirs, food or still in the security line outside waiting to get in. This concert was seven years in the making. The last time they performed in Michigan was at the now defunct Palace of Auburn Hills. Heres hoping Michiganders dont have to wait seven more years for another round of Springsteen showing fans whos the boss. SETLIST: 1. No Surrender 2. Ghosts 3. Prove It All Night 4. Letter to You 5. The Promised Land 6. Out in the Street 7. Candys Room 8. Kittys Back 9. Nightshift 10. Darkness on the Edge of Town 11. The E Street Shuffle 12. Johnny 99 13. Last Man Standing 14. Backstreets 15. Because the Night 16. Shes the One 17. Wrecking Ball 18. The Rising 19. Badlands ENCORE 20. Thunder Road 21. Born to Run 22. Rosalita 23. Glory Days 24. Dancing in the Dark 25. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out 26. Ill See You in My Dreams MORE FROM MLIVE: Every concert coming to Pine Knob for its 2023 summer concert season Guy Fieris first Michigan Chicken Guy restaurant opens this week Mystical Willy Wonka-looking chocolate village opens in Michigan Log cabin Michigan mansion on market looks like something out of Yellowstone VATICAN CITY (AP) The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the Doctrine of Discovery, the theories backed by 15th-century papal bulls that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property law today. A Vatican statement said the papal bulls, or decrees, did not adequately reflect the equal dignity and rights of Indigenous peoples and have never been considered expressions of the Catholic faith. The statement, from the Vaticans development and education offices, marked a historic recognition of the Vaticans own complicity in colonial-era abuses committed by European kingdoms, and Indigenous leaders welcomed it. It continued to take some distance from any actual Vatican culpability, however, saying the papal documents had been manipulated for political purposes by colonial powers to justify immoral acts against Indigenous peoples that were carried out, at times, without opposition from ecclesial authorities. It said it was right to recognize these errors, acknowledge the terrible effects of colonial-era assimilation policies on Indigenous peoples and ask for their forgiveness. The statement was a response to decades of Indigenous demands for the Vatican to formally rescind the papal bulls that provided the Portuguese and Spanish kingdoms the religious backing to expand their territories in Africa and the Americas for the sake of spreading Christianity. Those decrees underpin the Doctrine of Discovery, a legal concept coined in a 1823 U.S. Supreme Court decision that has come to be understood as meaning that ownership and sovereignty over land passed to Europeans because they discovered it. It was cited as recently as a 2005 Supreme Court decision involving the Oneida Indian Nation written by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. During Pope Francis 2022 visit to Canada, where he apologized to Indigenous peoples for the residential school system that forcibly removed Native children from their homes, he was met with demands for a formal repudiation of the papal bulls. Two Indigenous women unfurled a banner at the altar of the National Shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre on July 29 that read: Rescind the Doctrine in bright red and black letters. The protesters were escorted away and the Mass proceeded without incident, though the women later marched the banner out of the basilica and draped it on the railing. In the statement, the Vatican said: In no uncertain terms, the churchs magisterium upholds the respect due to every human being. The Catholic Church therefore repudiates those concepts that fail to recognize the inherent human rights of Indigenous peoples, including what has become known as the legal and political doctrine of discovery. Phil Fontaine, a former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations in Canada who was part of delegation that met with Francis at the Vatican before the trip and then accompanied him throughout, said the statement was wonderful, resolved an outstanding issue and now puts the matter to civil authorities to revise property laws that cite the doctrine. The Holy Father promised that upon his return to Rome they would begin work on a statement which was designed to allay the fears and concerns of many survivors and others concerned about the relationship between their Catholic Church and our people, and he did as he said he would do, Fontaine told The Associated Press. The church has done one thing, as it said it would do, for the Holy Father. Now the ball is in the court of governments, the United States and in Canada, but particularly in the United States where the doctrine is embedded in the law, he said. The Vatican offered no evidence that the three papal bulls (Dum Diversas in 1452, Romanus Pontifex in 1455 and Inter Caetera in 1493) had themselves been formally abrogated, rescinded or rejected, as Vatican officials have often said. But it cited a subsequent bull, Sublimis Deus in 1537, that reaffirmed that Indigenous peoples shouldnt be deprived of their liberty or the possession of their property, and were not to be enslaved. Cardinal Michael Czerny, the Canadian Jesuit whose office co-authored the statement, stressed that the original bulls had long ago been abrogated and that the use of the term doctrine which in this case is a legal term, not a religious one had led to centuries of confusion about the churchs role. The original bulls, he said, are being treated as if they were teaching, magisterial or doctrinal documents, and they are an ad hoc political move. And I think to solemnly repudiate an ad hoc political move is to generate more confusion than clarity. He stressed that the statement wasnt just about setting the historical record straight, but to discover, identify, analyze and try to overcome what we can only call the enduring effects of colonialism today. It was significant that the repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery came during the pontificate of historys first Latin American pope. Even before the Canadian trip, the Argentine pope had apologized to Native peoples in Bolivia in 2015 for the crimes of the colonial-era conquest of the Americas. It was issued while he was in the hospital Thursday with a respiratory infection. Cardinal Jose Tolentino de Mendonca, prefect of the Vaticans culture office, said the statement was a reflection of the Vaticans dialogue with Indigenous peoples. This Note is part of what we might call the architecture of reconciliation and also the product of the art of reconciliation, the process whereby people commit to listening to each other, to speaking to each other and to growth in mutual understanding, he said in a statement. ___ By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press, Rob Gillies contributed from Toronto. LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MI -- Costco is often known for its deals, merchandise and $1.50 hotdogs -- but, for one mother, the store is also where she gave birth. Green Oak Township Fire Department confirmed a baby was born in the Brighton-area Costco Wholesales parking lot on Saturday, March 25. The fire department and Livingston County EMS arrived around 1:30 p.m. to the baby being born and assisted with delivery, officials said, adding there were no complications during delivery. Husband and wife were on their way to a hospital but pulled over into the parking lot at 6700 Whitmore Lake Rd. because delivery was imminent, officials said. Mother and baby were transported in an ambulance to a nearby hospital shortly after. This is an unusual situation, but were just glad mom and baby were doing well and we got them to the hospital, Green Oak Fire Deputy Chief Tracy Chamberlain said. Costco management did not have a comment at this time. Read more from MLive: Michigan looks to drop A-F school grading system We see you and we hear you: Washtenaw County to recognize Transgender Day of Visibility A peek inside Guy Fieris first Michigan Chicken Guy restaurant before opening day Actor Patrick Duffys longtime southern Oregon residence along the Rogue River is for sale, with the main house and 327 acres listed at $10,995,000, and four smaller parcels, from two to 30 acres, to be sold separately. The entire 383-acre estate outside of Eagle Point was for sale at $14 million in September 2022, and brokers Alan DeVries and Matthew Cook of Cascade Hasson Sothebys International Realty say they were flooded with interest by potential buyers as well as worldwide media. But there were no takers. On Wednesday, DeVries introduced the new offerings. The Duffy Ranch at 436 Staley Road is the largest, most significant listing, with 327 acres of land plus a 15-acre island in the Rogue River. The ranch includes a 1950s lodge-style house with river-stone fireplaces and knotty pine walls under exposed beam ceilings, and an enclosed sunroom facing the water. They just dont build them like this anymore, says Portland interior designer Max Humphrey, who was asked by The Oregonian/OregonLive to look at the real estate photos. He focused on the cowboy-cool porch balusters, board-and-batten exterior and other vintage features. You can see the authenticity between the walls; this is more than a house its a whole lifestyle, says Humphrey, whose latest book, Lodge: An Indoorsy Tour of Americas National Parks, encourages elements of the cozy lodge decor at home. Humphrey says an owner can respect the charm and architecture of the Duffy Ranch house without being limited by it. He suggests having midcentury furnishings, common at the time the house was built, which still look fresh today. But dont touch the scallop-shaped wood cornice boxes and keep your electrician away from the light-free ceilings, he says. An antique wood-fired kitchen range made in South Bend, Indiana, and some of the other materials in the house were rescued from the original, dilapidated homestead after Duffy bought the property in 1990. The once rusty range has been restored and converted to use propane. It is the centerpiece of the kitchen, says Duffy in a real estate video. Duffy added a wing to the house with a high-ceilinged art gallery and a primary suite. A detached building with a series of sliding glass doors shelters an indoor swimming pool. The main ranch, with nine tax lots that can be sold separately, also has two riverfront homes, two detached guest cottages, a manufactured home and three barns. One of Duffys sons was married in a barn with a river view. There are several different worlds on the property, says Duffy in the video, as he moves from pastoral to forest to waterfront areas. He said the natural environment, which he has kept undeveloped, has a feeling that cant be invented but can be understood in any language. This property just needs another set of ears and another heart to come in and understand it, he says in the video. There are two additional homesites and 80 acres zoned Rural Residential Zone 5 that can be divided. In addition to two miles of river frontage, the ranch has a two-acre bass-stocked pond and 110 acres of water rights from the Rogue River. Amazing views, abundant wildlife like an elk herd, turkeys and black-tail deer, says DeVries of the property hes marketing as a true generational sanctuary 16 miles from the Rogue Valley International Airport. Smaller parcels for sale Other listings surrounding Duffy Ranch being sold by Patrick Duffy are: A ranchette" on 29.5 acres is for sale at $719,000.Cascade Hasson Sotheby's International Realty A 1,511-square-foot house, covered arena and older barn rest on 29.5 acres at 775 Trails End Lane. The ranchette, zoned exclusive farm use, has rights to 21.5 acres of irrigation, says DeVries. This would be a top spot to remodel the existing home or build your dream home, states the listing description. Lots of options here. Asking price: $719,000. HILLSDALE, MI - Hillsdale College ended its partnership with a Florida school involved in a Michelangelo David statue controversy, college officials said. Tallahassee Classical Academys board requested Principal Hope Carrasquilla resign or be fired amid complaints from parents that compared showing students the statue to showing them pornography, according to the Associated Press. Carrasquilla was criticized for not notifying the parents about the curriculum. The Tallahassee charter school, which uses Hillsdale Colleges classical education curriculum, is no longer affiliated with the college, said spokeswoman Emily Stack Davis in a statement. Tallahassee Classical previously held a license to use Hillsdales curricular materials, she said. That license has been revoked and will expire at the end of the school year. Hillsdale College partners with dozens of charter schools across the country to provide its K-12 curriculum, which prides itself on its classical approach to math, science, literature and history. The controversy at Tallahassee Classical distracts from the colleges classical education goals, Davis said. Of course, Hillsdales K-12 art curriculum includes Michelangelos David and other works of art that depict the human form, she said. Read more: Amid debate over critical race theory, Michigan college creates K-12 curriculum based on conservative perspectives Carrasquilla was forced out as principal after a parent complained that sixth graders were exposed to pornography during a lesson on Renaissance art that included the David statue, the AP reports. Two other parents requested to be notified of the lesson before it was given to their children, the AP reports. The instruction also included Michelangelos Creation of Adam painting and Botticellis Birth of Venus, which both also contain nudity. The David statue in particular has been a part of cultural debate over censorship in art since it was built in the 1500s, as the Roman Catholic Church later ordered to cover the statues genitals with an fig leaf. Multiple partnerships between Hillsdale College and charter schools have been terminated over the last few years for various reasons. Hillsdale College severed ties with Mason Classical Academy in Naples, Florida in 2019 over concerns of the schools financial management, which Mason denies. Read more from MLive: Soured relations prompt some charter schools to distance from Hillsdale College High test scores alone wont get you into Hillsdale College, officials say Hillsdale College selling naming rights for parts of new baseball complex Five volunteers braved a brief but chilling helicopter ride Tuesday to return from Terrible Tilly, the abandoned 142-year-old Tillamook Rock Lighthouse, a watery mile off northern Oregons coast. The four men and one woman, age 29-58, had camped three nights on the exposed basalt outpost and spent their days cleaning up the stone fortress to ready it for sale. They also collected artifacts to raise money for more maintenance work. Oregons only offshore light station, rising 133 feet above the churning ocean, is visible from Seaside to Cannon Beach, but difficult to set foot on. The private Tillamook Rock property, which is part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge, can only be reached by helicopter with the owners permission otherwise its a federal crime and when the weather allows and sea lions arent blocking the landing pad. Its not an easy location to get to, said pilot Alex Ambros of Jerry Trimble Helicopters, whose first attempt to retrieve the volunteers around 1 p.m. Tuesday was thwarted by strong winds and a downdraft over the lighthouse that forced her to return to the Seaside Municipal Airport. Im impressed how anyone constructed a lighthouse out there. On Saturday, however, the air was calm and the Robinson R66 helicopter was able to set down on the cliffside, makeshift pad that is a little larger than a parking spot. The volunteers held onto the side of the helicopter to guide around the sheer drop to the rocks and water below. By 4 p.m. Tuesday, after three successful landings on the rock, the entire crew had reunited at the Seaside airport, wet from rain, dirty from work but elated to return with stories. Nick Hellmich of St. Helens dropped to the tarmac and comically kissed the ground. I would love to go back anytime, he said. It was great to be part of something bigger than myself. ... This has impact on history. Ian Lively, also of St. Helens, smiled as rain pelted him. It was some of the most fun Ive had in awhile, he said. There were difficult conditions but it was a pretty good time. Ivory Pearson, the only woman known to have camped on Tilly, said even though she had confidence in the pilot, it was frightening to return in the helicopter during a brief break in the weather. But when she was out there, surrounded by water, she said she felt freedom. Volunteer Brian Coulson of Idaho Falls has a tattoo of Tilly on his left arm. He helped clean up the island in 2019 and was on the last flight out Tuesday with Mike Daves, who was overseeing the work. Coulson said the reason he takes risks to be on the rock is simple: She calls to me. To me shes home, he said. The conditions are so harsh. She was impossible to build, maintain or even remain ... yet she exists. Proudly watching all of this unfold was Tillys longtime owner Mimi Morissette, who accepts all of the challenges with grace and determination. No one builds a lighthouse in a place that has good weather, she said. The acre-wide rocky outcrop, partially leveled by dynamite during its construction in 1881, has been overrun by 600-pound sea lions that pushed through the corroding front door. Inside, among the relics and debris are some of the remains of the Eternity At Sea columbarium, which held 30 funeral urns. Morissette, 78, is driven to find sustainable revenue for what she calls a world icon. Since she and investors purchased the land in 1980, she has seen the only viable use as a columbarium. I didnt want to be in the cemetery business, but there is no fresh water, no sewer, no light and no way to land, said Morissette. The license for the Eternity At Sea columbarium was not renewed in 1999 by the Oregon Mortuary and Cemetery Board. But when she was accepting urns, Morissette told people at some point it could become a burial at sea. The cost for supplies and helicopter runs for the three-day cleanup was about $25,000, Morissette said. As the largest shareholder, she has paid for upkeep and other costs for 43 years. She tried to sell the lighthouse in 1993. And again in 2022, with an asking price of $6.5 million. Experts she hired say there is room for 300,000 urns. Her business card for the Oregon Tillamook Rock Lighthouse Columbarium has her phone number and email, and states that her urn idea has $1.5 billion economic potential. After making more improvements in October, the most significant in 20 years, she will put Tilly back on the market. She plans to ask even more than $6.5 million. She said shell need to invest $1.5 million to replace metal with titanium. Seawater and neglect turned once gleaming steel used for the roof, spiral staircase, catwalk and railings into crumbling rust. She also wants to create a titanium honeycomb to store urns. Other destruction has taken place over decades. Violent storms ripped off pieces of the island then hurled the boulders at the building, according to historic accounts. Seawater can flood the tower and breakers pound the roof and broke the glass long ago. The Tillamook Rock lighthouse has also been a target for vandals. Glass windows were shattered by bullets. Like many others, Morissette speaks about the rock as if its a person: Tilly loves to have her picture taken. She has authorized Ken Abbett to be the official drone pilot and photographer of Tillamook Rock Lighthouse. She is protective of her property and worries that unauthorized drone pilots will cause an accident. Volunteer Alicia Bryan helped coordinate the crew and cargo reaching the rock on Saturday. She grew up in Astoria and had long admired Tilly from afar. She even got 1.5 miles away from it once in her large boat. On Saturday, on the sixth helicopter run from the Seaside airport, Bryan jumped into a spare seat and fulfilled three wishes: She reached the rock, returned with a souvenir and flew in a helicopter. The four-mile roundtrip took place in less than 30 minutes, but the memories will be lasting, said Bryan, who works for Community Action Team in St. Helens. The stars aligned, she said, holding a small rock, her Tilly souvenir, in her hand. She said she admires owner Morissette for preserving the history of the landmark and pursuing a course for decades to find the propertys highest and best use. This cannot be a bed and breakfast, said Bryan. Bryan, who has lived on the coast and knows the impact of the oceans relentless wear and tear on buildings and boats, thought the lighthouse was in good shape. It needs paint, cleanup, but that has always been the case faced by all of the owners, she said. The structure still stands without issues. Where other owners have failed to meet their promises, Mimi is succeeding, said Bryan. There is no other alternative than to create a columbarium. I would like to have a portion of my ashes out there. Tillys history The Tillamook Rock Lighthouse, designed to guide ships on their treacherous ocean journey to the Columbia River, played a critical role in the development of the Pacific Northwest and World War II shipbuilding. Due to its challenging location, construction costs were $123,493 in 1881 dollars, making it the most expensive lighthouse to build on the West Coast at the time and the priciest to maintain. Recently discovered original blueprints are being preserved at the Cannon Beach History Center and Museum. For 77 years, members of the U.S. Lighthouse Service and, after 1939, the U.S. Coast Guard walked 77 steps on the spiral staircase from the first floor to the steel plate floor of the lantern room. In 1957, the light station, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, was decommissioned. Investors from Las Vegas who hadnt seen the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse in person bought it for $5,600 at an auction in 1959. In 1973, the Las Vegas group sold it for $11,000 to George Hupman, a New York-based executive with General Electric, who wanted to create a summer retreat. Hupman brought in a generator and cleaned up the bird droppings, but after a few visits, he sold the rock. Max M. Shillock Jr., with funds from Joy Goolsby, purchased the lighthouse from Hupman in 1978 for $27,000. The property was included as an over-the-top luxury gift idea in the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog, but there were no takers. In 1980, Goolsby sold the lighthouse for $50,000 to real estate developers Mimi Morissette and Cathy Riley, who were backed by a group of investors, The Oregonian reported. The owners opened the Eternity At Sea columbarium. I dont know what awareness we have after death but if there is any awareness then I cant think of a more beautiful or romantic place as I view the Oregon coastline and all the wildlife flying by, Morissette said in a 1981 interview after celebrating the lighthouses 100th anniversary. After cleaning up the building and sealing windows and all but one door, Morissettes parents and some of her friends ashes were placed inside the lighthouse by Eternity At Sea. Morissette is optimistic shell find a buyer for the island and lighthouse. In 2022, she bought a small ad that appeared in the Wall Street Journal, and then spent a week marketing the Oregon landmark at the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association convention in Las Vegas. She tells prospective buyers that her property has fewer government requirements than those imposed on lighthouses purchased after Tilly was built. Plus we are world famous, she wrote in an email she shared with The Oregonian. Her slogan is Americas Lighthouses are Americas Castles. Other unlikely commercial ideas for the island have ranged from creating a gambling casino to relocating the lighthouse to be used as a theme restaurant. Before the last lighthouse keeper, Oswald Allik, departed the island, he wrote in the official logbook, which is at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria. Allik called the lighthouse one of the most notorious and yet fascinating of the sea-swept sentinels in the world as well as a friend of the tempest-tossed mariner. He stated that its beacon has been a star of hope and its foghorn a voice of encouragement through howling gale, thick fog and driving rain. He concluded his praise with an era has ended. With this final entry, and not without sentiment, I return thee to the elements. A flushing flow of water will be released from Buffalo Bill Dam down the Shoshone River starting on April 11. The Bureau of Reclamation is conducting the release at the request of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and in coordination with the Willwood Workgroup Two. The Willwood Irrigation District is planning a controlled release of sediment from Willwood Dam on April 11. The water from Buffalo Bill Dam will help dilute the sediment and protect the Shoshone River's fishery. The flush will be accomplished without adversely impacting the expected water supply for irrigation, the Bureau said. Flows are expected to fluctuate in the Shoshone River, rising from 700 cubic feet per second to a peak of 4,500 cfs before dropping to 1,200 cfs. The flows will be high for this time of year so the public is urged to be cautious. The agency has also rescheduled a flushing flow out of Boysen Dam into the Wind River to April 4. The flow had been scheduled for March 28 but was delayed due to unfavorable ice conditions. The purpose of the flushing flow is to clean the spawning gravels and improve fish reproduction in the river. In addition, the Bureau has scheduled an informational meeting in Powell, Wyoming, on April 7 at 1 p.m. in the Yellowstone Building, rooms 103 and 105 at Northwest College. Staff will provide information on water supply conditions, the 2023 runoff forecast and projected reservoir operations. COPPER HARBOR, MICH. -- Ride the Keweenaw is inviting mountain bike enthusiasts to spend Memorial Day weekend exploring some of Michigans most rugged and unique mountain bike trails including into the subterranean layers of a historic copper mine. The annual event is considered a season opener for Midwest mountain biking, with activities for experienced riders as well as novices and families. Registration is now open for this years Ride the Keweenaw, taking place May 26-28. Events this year include guided rides, group rides, competitive rides, a new family-friendly Enduro race, and an underground, headlamp or handlebar lights-required ride through the historic Adventure Mine in Greenland. Were always excited for Ride the Keweenaw and are looking to make this a great year, said Nathan Miller, executive director of the Copper Harbor Trails Club. Our partner organizations here in the Copper Country are brainstorming new ideas to make the event even more fun and we look forward to releasing more details on those as things come together. For a full schedule and event registration information, visit copperharbortrails.org/event/ride-the-keweenaw. RELATED: National Geographic names Michigans U.P. a volcanic tourism destination First-ever Upper Peninsula Dark Sky Festival coming to Copper Harbor in April Michigans Isle Royale named among least-visited national parks in the U.S. Snowmobiling season will live in for at least one more weekend. At least in parts of Michigan. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources Parks and Recreation Division told said Thursday that the snowmobile trail grooming contract season will be extended through the weekend, under certain conditions. Typically, grooming contracts with local snowmobile clubs are in effect each winter from Dec. 1 through March 31. In some parts of the state, trails are covered with snow sufficient for snowmobiling and grooming, said Tim Novack, DNR state trails coordinator. This extension will allow for another weekend of snowmobiling in some places. Snowfall forecasted for the Upper Peninsula may also impact whether trails will be groomed in some places. If the storm arrives as predicted, for example, trails will be groomed in Marquette County up to Big Bay and in some other areas. A notable exception is in Keweenaw Peninsula where the last day to ride remains March 31. Private property gates will be locked and trails are closed beginning April 1. Keweenaw Snowmobile Club President Ryan LaPorte says this season was a good one. We have had our ups and downs, said LaPorte. Big snows, big rains, warm temps and a few mechanical breakdowns. But, the snowmobile club did not miss a beat providing trail riders with the best experience possible this winter. While final numbers are not in yet, we will have groomed between 22,000-23,000 miles this season, about 10,000 miles less than average, across our 210 miles of trails. The club began grooming operations on Dec. 21. Snowmobilers should check with local clubs where they plan to ride, or the clubs social media pages, to confirm whether grooming will be taking place in specific areas. Parameters to be met by grant sponsors to continue grooming over the weekend include: There is enough snow on the ground to groom. The club is fully insured. The club has adequate unused grooming funds remaining in its 2022-2023 snowmobile grant. The club has landowner permissions that extend into April 2023. Clubs were asked to consult surrounding clubs to see if their trail sections have sufficient snow on the ground and whether they also plan to continue grooming throughout the weekend. OAKLAND COUNTY, MI A Michigan man was arrested after he allegedly stabbed his father to death. According to the Oakland County Sheriffs Office, the incident occurred in a home in the 3400 block of Sutton Road in Commerce Township at 1:15 p.m. on Wednesday. EMMET COUNTY, MI -- A garbage attendant was killed Thursday after he was hit by a driver while outside of his truck. According to the Emmet County Sheriffs Department, deputies were called to the scene around 8 a.m. for reports of a two-car crash. When police arrived on the scene they discovered a garbage truck was parked on the side of Intertown Road between Anderson and Cemetery roads. The truck attendant was determined to have been near the rear of the vehicle when an eastbound driver in a pickup truck hit the back of the garbage truck and struck the worker. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene and the driver of the pickup truck was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment before being released. Although an investigation is ongoing, police say speed and alcohol do not appear to be a factor in the crash. The identities of the people involved are being withheld pending the notification of the next of kin and positive identification of the victim. READ MORE: Accused bank robber allegedly passed notes to tellers on the back of his paycheck stubs Blind man scammed, stranded in Jackson until police officer guides him home Saginaw police identify teen girl walking through February snow seeking help Cheers Market operator pleads guilty in federal case YPSILANTI, MI - A court confrontation over contract disputes is brewing between Eastern Michigan University and the private operator of its campus parking. Provident Group-EMU Properties, an Arizona-based limited liability corporation, took over the operation of the Ypsilanti universitys parking structures in 2018. EMU issued a notice of default toward its partner, also known as Provident EMU, earlier in March for failing to repair and reopen a campus parking structure. Read more: Failure to repair parking structure leads to Eastern Michigan issuing default with developer Provident EMU has sued EMU twice in the last two weeks in both federal and Michigan court. EMU officials said they are planning to file counterclaims. The first lawsuit, filed March 20 in Detroit federal court, was dismissed within days by U.S. District Court Judge Victoria Roberts for being filed in the wrong court. Provident EMU filed the second lawsuit in the Michigan Court of Claims this week, said Provident Resources Group Chairman/CEO Steve Hicks. Our lawsuit speaks for itself as to our position on this matter with EMU, Hicks said. We will continue to attempt to work with the university in a collaborative manner to resolve our dispute. The language of both lawsuits is the same, Hicks said, and alleges EMU undercut revenue by misreporting the number of parking spaces it was relinquishing, reducing rates for faculty and staff and changing policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, Provident accused EMU of underselling the cost of repairs needed on a 784-space parking structure, which the company closed on Sept. 25 to fix. EMU issued the Notice of Default earlier in March with the repairs ongoing and the structure remaining closed, but Provident said they are the ones suffering financially for the closure. (We have) been damaged in an amount of at least $4,476,279.46, representing the pro rata loss in value of 784 parking spaces, Provident noted in the lawsuit. The lawsuit is entirely without merit, EMU spokesman Walter Kraft said in a statement. Provident is attempting to rewrite the contract it signed, he said. Read more: Ypsilanti wants more info on Eastern Michigans $55M parking agreement EMU received a report from New York-based Desman Design Management in 2017 assessing the repairs needed on the campus parking structures, Kraft said. The expected repairs were estimated at $3.4 million for the first two years of the agreement, while Provident is alleging they were told the price tag would be $250,000, Kraft said. The 784-space structure accounts for 8% of on-campus parking, EMU officials said. There are a little under 9,500 parking spaces on campus, Provident EMU said in the lawsuit, adding that it understood there were 138 more spaces when the 2018 agreement was made. That loss of revenue cost Provident about $787,000, the lawsuit states. Also, Provident accused EMU of costing them $4.8 million in revenue by closing parking structures during the COVID-19 pandemic by switching to remote learning. Along with another $824,000 for reducing parking rates for faculty and staff, Provident is seeking nearly $11 million in damages from EMU over alleged breaches of contract, the lawsuit states. The company is also challenging EMUs Notice of Default. The University issued a default notice against Provident nearly three weeks ago for failing to live up to its promises in running our parking system, Kraft said in a statement. In particular, Provident failed to operate and maintain Universitys central parking garage. In 2018, EMU privatized parking on its campus in a 35-year agreement with Dallas-based Preston Hollow Capital. Under the agreement, which provided a $55-million up-front payment to EMU, PHC assigned rights to Provident Group-EMU Properties. Read more from The Ann Arbor News: Instructor strike forces flexible learning for University of Michigan students Higher pay is key issue in strike by University of Michigan grad instructors Long recovery ahead for University of Michigan students injured in spring break crash in Mexico JACKSON, MI A man accused of slaying his girlfriend in an act of domestic violence briefly appeared in court Thursday morning before his case was quickly adjourned. Charles Gamez, 41, appeared in court Thursday, March 30, for his first court hearing after being arraigned on charges of open murder and unlawfully driving away related to the death of his girlfriend Alyson Doulos. Lasting only a few minutes, the hearing was adjourned three weeks at the request of his attorney, Kristina Joseph, who asked 14A District Judge Cedric Simpson for more time to receive and review evidence being used in the case. Gamez is scheduled to appear in court again April 20. Doulos, 48, was found dead in an apartment March 13 by Washtenaw County Sheriffs deputies who had been called for a welfare check to Schooner Cove Apartments in the 5000 block of Bosuns Way in Ypsilanti Township. After attempting to locate Doulos, deputies then forced entry into the apartment, where they found her dead. Related: Records detail brutal slaying of Jackson High teacher Investigators believe Gamez, Doulos boyfriend, killed her on March 11 during a violent assault in an apartment hallway before dragging her inside where he stabbed her in the face and strangled her to death, according to transcripts of the swear-to hearing obtained by MLive/The Ann Arbor News Court records show Gamez had a history of domestic violence leading up to the slaying and had spent time in prison for several felonies. Related: Man accused of killing Jackson High teacher has 2 prior domestic assault convictions Gamez is currently being held without bond in the Washtenaw County Jail. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Doulos had taught 10th- and 11th-grade English at Jackson High School since 2020. She was also the National Honor Society adviser at the school, helped students with after-school tutoring and assisted students at JPS South Central Michigan Virtual School. More from The Ann Arbor News: Baby born in Michigan Costco parking lot Nude David statue fracas in Florida prompts Hillsdale College to sever ties with school Saturday Night Live alum Jim Breuer is bringing his comedy act to Jackson FLINT, MI Ranjit Nancy Ghotra was at OHare International Airport in Chicago, close to boarding a flight when she was stopped at the gate. Out on bond for federal wire fraud charges, the 33-year-old operator of Cheers Market in Flint had a ticket taking her out of the country something authorities believed was an attempt to flee her indictment. But instead of getting on a plane and leaving the country, Ghotra was placed in handcuffs and returned to Michigan. After pleading guilty to wire fraud this week, Ghotras next destination is likely federal prison. Ghotra, of Swartz Creek, pleaded guilty Tuesday, March 28, before United States District Judge F. Kay Behm to a single count of wire fraud. In doing so, Ghotra, admitted to engaging in more than $1.1 million in fraudulent transactions involving food and nutrition benefit programs. She faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for wire fraud. Behm will ultimately determine the appropriate sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Ranjit Ghotra spent years defrauding benefits programs that were intended to assist low-income households, and especially children, U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison said in a statement. This guilty plea reflects my offices commitment to protecting the integrity of federal programs that help ensure that everyone can afford to provide their families with healthy, nutritious food. Read more: Flint council drops proposal to brand Cheers Market a nuisance According to the information provided to the court at the plea hearing, Ghotra engaged in a fraud scheme involving the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. The programs are funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and provide benefits to raise the level of nutrition of low-income households and children. As part of the scheme, Ghotra permitted beneficiaries of the SNAP and WIC programs to use their benefits to buy ineligible items, such as alcohol and tobacco, or allowed them to obtain cash instead of food products, in violation of program regulations. In each case, Ghotra charged program beneficiaries approximately double the amount in benefits as the price of the ineligible items purchased or the cash provided. Between 2017 and 2020, Ghotra carried out more than $1.1 million in fraudulent SNAP and WIC transactions, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. While her federal prosecution was pending, Ghotra bought an international plane ticket and tried to leave the country. She was arrested and returned to Michigan with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Patrol agents. Related: State upholds liquor license revocation at problem Flint party store Cheers Market, where Ghotra worked, has long had a history of discipline in Flint. In December 2022, the Michigan Liquor Control Commission turned down an appeal that sought to reverse the revocation of a liquor license at Cheers Market. The license was revoked at the party store that Flint officials have long said was a nuisance to the west side neighborhood in the area of Ballenger Highway and Flushing Road. LCC records indicate the agency received four separate complaints that Cheers clerks sold alcohol to a 20-year-old decoy in 2021 and 2022, violations tied to controlled buys at the store from September 2021 until January 2022. In September 2021, the Flint City Council considered objecting to the renewal of liquor licenses for Cheers, but a resolution to do so failed to gain enough support to pass after owners said they were taking steps to fix problems with loitering. Read more at The Flint Journal: Man accused of threatening GM plant sentenced in federal case 15-year-old driver seriously injured in rollover crash in Shiawassee County Trial ordered for suspect in Mt. Morris schools employees homicide GRAND RAPIDS, MI Forest Hills Public Schools Superintendent Dan Behm is retiring after 17 years serving one of the largest school districts in West Michigan. Behm will retire in the summer of 2023, the district announced in a news release Thursday, March 30. The outgoing superintendent has dedicated more than 30 years to serving Michigan public schools, including 22 years as a superintendent. Serving alongside the incredible teachers and staff members of this school district for the past 17 years has been the highlight of my career, Behm said in a prepared statement. I am grateful for the incredible support of our community and the selfless dedication of everyone who works daily for the success of kids. Behm leaves the district as one of the longest-serving superintendents in West Michigan, having devoted the majority of his career to Forest Hills Public Schools. Kristen Fauson, president of the Forest Hills Board of Education, thanked Behm for service to the district in a statement Thursday. We are grateful for Mr. Behms dedicated service to our students, staff members, and community, Fauson said. His North Star is to always do what is best for students and this has been his guide throughout thousands of decisionssome easy and some complexover his 17 years in Forest Hills. He has poured his heart and soul into our school district and we are forever thankful for his leadership. As always, he has our full support and we wish him well in his retirement. Throughout Behms tenure, the superintendent led the district through the passage of three bond proposals, launched the districts K-12 Mandarin Chinese immersion program, increased graduation rates, increased the percentage of high school students enrolled in Advanced Placement courses, and helped lead the district through the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the district. The board will now move forward with a full superintendent search process, soliciting input from the community and school staff in the coming weeks, Fauson said. Selecting a superintendent is one of the most important duties of the board and we want to listen to and engage our stakeholders during this process, the board president said. We will establish a timeline outlining all of the important steps in this process and share it with our community this spring. Behm had initially planned to retire in 2021, but postponed his retirement because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He joins many longtime superintendents and school administrators who have decided to retire in the last three years. Michigan was hit by a wave of superintendent retirements over the two years, particularly in West Michigan. Before coming to Forest Hills, Behm previously served as the superintendent of Carman-Ainsworth Community Schools in Flint. He graduated from the University of Michigan. More on MLive: Families in Ottawa County to get help accessing high-quality childcare with state grant Ready for traffic delays? Work along I-196 near Grand Rapids set to resume Grand Haven schools asking voters to support $155M bond request for new school, security HOLLAND, MI After his longest deployment ever, Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Kyle Greenway is back at home with his family. But first, he had to stop off at his sons middle school to drop in for a surprise visit. The staff sergeant has been deployed in Kuwait for the last 46 weeks, leaving his wife, Ashley, and their children Bailey and Brody at home in Holland. When Ashley and Kyle found out he would be heading home soon, they knew they wanted to plan a big surprise for their kids. Under the guise of talking to her little brothers class about what life is like in high school, ninth-grader Bailey was already at West Ottawa Public Schools Macatawa Bay Middle School with her little brother, an eighth-grader, when their dad suddenly joined French teacher Theresann Pyretts class on Thursday, March 30. Ive had the pleasure of teaching the Greenways for the past five years, Pyrett said. Mom contacted me about two weeks ago one they found out hed be returning and we worked to plan out the framework of what would happen. Neither Brody nor Bailey had any clue their dad was on his way home, and Pyrett said Brody froze as soon as he saw his dad walk through the door. He asked if he was allowed to get up and hug his dad, Pyrett said. I said Of course! They both ran up and it was just so heart touching. After the family reunited, students all over the middle school lined the hallways and clapped as the family left the building, complete with the band students performing Youre a Grand Old Flag. This was Kyle Greenways fourth deployment and second one overseas, so he said he wanted to do it up big for his return. I missed these guys unbelievably in the last year, Greenway told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. I had to brace for impact with Bailey and then Brody hit me pretty hard too. The appreciation from everybody just was amazing. It meant a lot. With spring break around the corner, Brody and Bailey are looking forward to spending as much time as possible with their dad. We just want to say a huge thank you to everybody involved, Ashley said. It was beyond magical. More from MLive: Easter egg hunts: Where to celebrate the 2023 holiday around Grand Rapids Forest Hills Superintendent Dan Behm announces retirement after 17 years West Michigan company to supply wheels for worlds quickest production vehicle JACKSON COUNTY, MI -- If Sgt. Tom Freeman hadnt been called away from his desk last week, the story of his kind efforts to help a blind man in need might have gone untold. Freeman, a 37-year-old member of the Jackson Special Response Team, was called away from his duties as a patrol supervisor for the Jackson County Sheriffs Office on March 20. So another sergeant came in to cover for him. The sergeant taking over couldnt help but notice that Freeman -- according to his desktop computer -- had just purchased a one-way bus ticket to Lima, Ohio. The sergeant asked Freeman about the ticket once he got back. The story he told was as sad as it was heartwarming. Earlier that day, Freeman said he took a call from the manager of Americas Best Value Inn & Suites, north of Jackson, about a guest in a tight spot. The guest, Freeman said, was a blind Ohio native who had been stranded in Jackson County for several days after traveling to the area from Little Rock, Arkansas to meet friends hed met online. Police have declined to release the Ohio mans name out of respect for his privacy, Freeman said. These friends had led the man to Michigan with a promise they would give him a place to stay and help him with his financial struggles. After travelling more than 800 miles by bus, the man arrived in Michigan to find nobody waiting for him. He loads up on a bus and comes all the way up here and nobody would answer him. They wouldnt respond to his messages, Freeman said. He felt it was all a set up or a scam. Misfortune struck the man again when the bag full of most of his belongings -- including his phone and wallet -- was stolen while he had dozed off at a bus stop, Freeman said. Jackson Police Department officers helped the man arrange a stay at Americas Best through a St. Vincent de Paul charity program. Freeman said he believes the man had been staying in Jackson County for about three or four days before the hotel manager called the sheriffs office. The man told Freeman he had family members in Ohio who could help him out, though he had no way of reaching them without his phone. Freeman couldnt reach these family members, so he offered to help the man himself. The pair had to hurry as the next available bus for that day was scheduled to leave in about 30 minutes, Freeman said. Freeman bought the man a meal and waters for the trip and also paid about $60 for a ticket to Lima, Ohio. Luckily the bus driver was a super generous man, Freeman said. He was happy to take (the man) under his wing and make sure the folks at the bus station helped take care of him. The bus driver -- who identified himself as a retired police officer from Maryland -- also promised to make sure he connected with his family once he was back in Ohio, Freeman said. This is an example of dedication and service to our community, the Jackson County Sheriffs Office wrote in a statement honoring Freeman. Sgt. Freeman -- and all of the deputies at the Jackson County Sheriffs Office -- routinely help those less fortunate. They are examples to all of us. Freeman has not yet heard back from the man or his family in Ohio, though he said he hopes the man made it home safely and is being taken care of. More from The Jackson Citizen Patriot: City will create committee to review performance of appointed Jackson officials Another country singer is making his way to a downtown Jackson concert series Five Guys, McAlisters Deli, Burlington and more slated for Jackson Crossing Chelsea recognized as states latest Pure Michigan Trail Town Montana utilities are rallying around a bill allowing customers to be locked into paying for power plants before theyre bought or built. At issue is the proposed return of the preapproval statute, earlier declared unconstitutional by a state court because it was a privilege only afforded to NorthWestern Energy, the states largest monopoly utility. Rep. Jerry Schillinger, a Circle Republican, proposes extending preapproval to all utilities by passing House Bill 284. Montana Dakota Utilities would gain preapproval status for the first time. The resources approval statute allows regulated energy companies to submit proposals for new energy resources to the Montana Public Service Commission for review before they are constructed, or purchased to serve customers, Schillinger said to the Senate Energy Committee. This process ensures regulators, and the company, are on the same page with regard to which resources are best for customers. Several witnesses cautioned that resurrecting preapproval would shift the risks of new power plants onto consumers, while NorthWestern Energy insisted it would rarely build a power plant without advanced assurance that customers would be obligated to pay for it. Without House Bill 284 in place, regulated energy providers are going to be much less likely to invest in long-term resources here in the state, said Chris Puyear, NorthWestern Energy lobbyist. Because the alternative is that we have to go build a power plant, cross our fingers, and hope that the Commission approves the resource after the fact. As a result, Northwestern and our peers are going to be more likely to rely on short-term contracts and market purchases, which the data shows is not in the best interest of customers. To be clear, NorthWestern is currently building a gas-fired power plant near Laurel, without advanced approval from Montana regulators. In 2021, NorthWestern applied for preapproval for the gas-fired power plant, but chose to withdraw after a couple months, citing construction and supply chain challenges. At the time NorthWestern estimated the 175-megawatt power plants price tag to be $283.8 million, which was expected to raise residential customer rates about $80 a year, on average. Now under construction, the Laurel-area power plant isnt part of the rate increase NorthWestern is currently seeking, which would mean a bill increase of $273.12 annually for a residential customer drawing 750 kilowatt hours per month. The previous preapproval process afforded only to NorthWestern was created by the Montana Legislature in 2007, as it crafted laws to re-regulate utilities one decade after deregulation laws resulted in a sell-off of dams and power plant assets that ratepayers of the legacy monopoly Montana Power, had spent decades paying off. Most of the generating assets in NorthWesterns portfolio are Montana Power legacy assets, once sold to PPL and then sold again to NorthWestern. Preapproval allows a utility to propose a power plant for purchase to the Public Service Commission, along with an estimated cost and an argument for why the power plant is needed. The commission then decides whether the power plant would be used and useful to consumers, while also recognizing a price it finds acceptable for the power plant. The actual cost customers will pay for the power plant is decided later, but preapproval gives the utility a benchmark for what cost the commission is comfortable with. Critics of preapproval say that there are too many unknowns about a power plant preconstruction for the commission to accurately identify an acceptable cost. There is a risk that the price commissioners identify will in fact be too high, creating a perverse incentive for the utility to build to a higher price. What happens in preapproval is, in advance of the acquisition of an electricity supply resource, there is a proposal by a utility. And the proposal necessarily includes projections, modeling things, assumptions, guess work, and sometimes mistakes, because it's in advance of the acquisition, not after the acquisition, said Tom Tosdal, an attorney for some of the plaintiffs who successfully sued to have the old preapproval statute thrown out. So in the four cases where the PSC has preapproved Northwestern's acquisition of electricity supply resources, half of them have resulted in the ratepayers paying rates far beyond the cost, the actual cost of the acquisition of the resource. For example, attorney Monica Tranel pointed out that in 2014 when NorthWestern Energy received preapproval to purchase the legacy hydroelectric dams built by Montana Power Company decades earlier, the price approved was inflated $247 million based on the assumption that there would be a future fee on carbon emissions, and avoiding the fee would add value to a green energy resource like hydropower. A decade later, there is still no carbon fee. The price consumers paid for the dams remains unchanged. Northwestern asked for and received $247 million in an acquisition adjustment. Because the hydros avoided a carbon emission tax that was sure to happen. They assured the commission it was absolutely certain it was going to happen. And they needed to have that $247 million in our rates every month. You, your constituents, our friends in labor, our small businesses are paying that on their bills, and it is for nothing, Tranel said. It only goes to Wall Street. All this statute has done is make our rates go up and put money in a monopoly corporation's pockets. Tranels friends in labor reference was to labor unions who not only lined up with NorthWestern Energy on the preapproval bill, but several others beneficial to the Colstrip Power Plant and the fossil fuel industry. Eastern Montana coal, oil and gas counties have supported several of these bills as well. NorthWestern has an understanding with fellow Colstrip owner Arista Corp, that the Spokane-based utility will be transferring its 222-megawatt share of the power plant to NorthWestern at the start of 2026 for free, with the capital expenditures of the aging power plant yet to be disclosed to Montana utility regulators. The hope in coal country is that NorthWestern will not only save the power plant, but also the community. The only new construction of baseload power that NorthWestern has submitted for preapproval was the Dave Gates gas-fired power plant in 2008. In that case, documents show, there were concerns by the Montana Consumer Counsel, the constitutionally-created advocate for utility customers, that NorthWesterns construction costs were too high. In 2008, the economy was headed into recession, construction prices were falling, but NorthWestern was presenting material prices that reflected rates of the pre-recession construction boom, Consumer Counsel Bob Nelson argued. In the end, the PSC concluded in 2009 through preapproval that NorthWesterns estimate of $201 million to build Dave Gates was prudently incurred. The utility has cut its estimate by more than $4 million. After the plant was built and the actual construction costs were realized, the project was put into customer rates at $182 million. PORTAGE, MI -- At age 29, Vienna Kue is the mother of five and a veteran restaurant owner. She and her husband, Chou Muoa, 34, opened A Thai Cafe in Portage in 2012. The restaurant looks like a French bakery, with its black-and-white tiles and cafe-style chairs. But the menu is clearly Thai, from the Tom Yum soup, to the Pad Thai and other noodle dishes, to the arrays of curries and stir-fries. Its food like mom used to make if your parents were immigrants whove operated a series of Thai restaurants. These are my moms recipes, Vienna Kue said about her menu offerings. Both of her parents were Hmong, an indigenous people from Southeast Asia. Her father, Billy, immigrated to America from Laos in 1975 at the end of the Vietnam War. Her mom, Mai Kue, immigrated from Thailand in the 1990s. They met in Detroit, married and worked in restaurants owned by relatives. They decided to open their own restaurant, and got the opportunity in 2001 when they saw a Vietnamese restaurant in Comstock Township up for sale. They saw an ad in a newspaper, and they were able to purchase the restaurant for a good price, Vienna Kue said. So thats how it started. They took a leap of faith, and moved the family to Kalamazoo to open Bangkok Flavor along Gull Road. Billy and Mai Kue sold the restaurant in 2007 and opened Thai Cuisine near the intersection of Drake Road and West Main Street in 2008,. Thai Cuisine closed a few years later, a victim of the Great Recession. Kue said she grew up working in her parents restaurants. After she married, she and her husband decided to open their own place. We wanted to continue the family tradition, she said. Located at 7089 S. Westnedge in Portage, A Thai Cafe is in the strip mall that runs along Sams Club. The menu offers all the dishes one would expect in a Thai restaurant. Lunches are $11 for entrees with chicken or tofu, $13 for entrees with beef and $14 for entrees with shrimp. The dinner entrees are priced between $15.50 and $18.50. Their most popular offering is Pad Thai, the popular Thai noodle dish with eggs, bean sprouts, choice of protein, and a topping of peanuts and lime juice. Also popular is the peanut curry, a combination of vegetables stir-fried with chicken, tofu, beef or shrimp in a savory and spicy peanut sauce. Its a dish that can be ordered with rice or noodles. Another bestseller is the Masaman Curry, which features a vegetable combination and choice of protein in a curry sauce that fuses Indian and Thai spices, and the Tom Yum soup the Thai version of hot and sour soup with flavors of lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves. The cafe does not have a liquor license. But a relatively new feature at A Thai Cafe is bubble tea an Asian beverage that blends teas with milk, fruit juices and flavored tapioca pearls. A Thai Cafe offers more than 20 flavors of bubble tea, including purple sweet potato. Its like a nutty flavor, Kue said. All the food is prepared by Kue or her husband. Were control freaks, she said. So Im always in the kitchen, cooking, so you know the food is going to be consistent. We dont hire people to cook. Its just my husband and me. That consistency has created a very loyal customer base that got them through the shutdowns during the pandemic, Kue said. They transitioned to takeout only, and only resumed table service this January. COVID wasnt the only reason: Kue gave birth to her fifth child, which shut down the restaurant for a month, and then her mother was diagnosed with cancer. Last year, I neglected the restaurant, just to take care of mom, be with my mom, who died in October, Kue said. That meant inconsistent hours for the restaurant. We were closing off and on, for family emergencies, she said. Even now, table service is only available at lunchtime, although people who order takeout for dinner can eat in the restaurant after they pick up their food at the counter. At this point, about 70% of the restaurants business is takeout, Kue said. Meanwhile, the restaurant remains very much a family affair. The room that Kue and her husband use as an office also serves as a hangout for their five children, ages 1 to 10. Maybe someday, one or more those children will take over the restaurant, she said. But then again, maybe they wont. Its a lot of hard labor, she said. But I love it and Im passionate about it. If my kids arent passionate about it, they shouldnt do it. You have to have a passion, and you have to want to do the things that will help your restaurant grow. A Thai Cafes current hours are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4:30 to 8 p.m., Mondays through Fridays, and 4:30 to 8 p.m. Saturdays. The restaurant is closed Sundays. The business can be reached at 269-323-3099 and can be found online on Facebook. More on MLive: See renderings of what downtown Kalamazoos new $300M arena might look like 10 years after bankruptcy scare, village is paying $2.5M in cash for new Village Hall New $92 million downtown courthouse gets closer to completion MUSKEGON, MI If all goes as planned, Michigans smallest bar will be open up in downtown Muskegon this summer. The 140-square-foot tiny bar will have enough room inside for four customers and a bartender. Two more bar stools will pull up to an outside serving window, according to plans by The Peoples Cider Co. Jason Lummen, co-proprietor of the hard cider company, told MLive/Muskegon Chronicle he believes he may already have one of the smallest bars in the state. Thats his companys 500-square-foot location on Leonard Street in Grand Rapids. With a capacity of 41, its humungous compared to the one hes planning for a Western Market chalet on West Western Avenue in downtown Muskegon. The bar plans all hinge on approval of an off premises tasting room license Lummen is seeking from the Michigan Liquor Control Commission. The Muskegon City Commission gave its blessing of the liquor license application on Tuesday, March 28. The city of Muskegons seasonal Western Market comprises 17 chalets that debuted six years ago with the dual purpose of filling empty space on the citys main street and serving as retail and restaurant incubators. Tenants typically change each year. Related: See whos setting up shop in Muskegons Western Market tiny stores The Peoples Cider Co. will be in Chalet Q, located next door to Rootdown at the corner of 2nd Street. The cider company produces hard cider that it has sold at the Muskegon Farmers Market for the past six years. It also sells at Fulton Street Market in Grand Rapids and Eastern Market in Detroit. It was customers at the Muskegon Farmers Market that suggested Lummen apply for a chalet, he said. The idea brought to mind the smallest bar in Key West, Florida, essentially located in an alley, Lummen said, and he thought it would be a great marketing hook. Its going to be Michigans smallest bar, so Im looking to market it that way, Lummen told city commissioners. Its genius, said Commissioner Michael Ramsey, imagining tiny bar T-shirts would be hot sellers. Lummen told MLive/The Muskegon Chronicle that hes a working class kid whos drawn to Muskegon because its a working-class city open to quirky ideas. Its my kind of place. It works for us, he said. Its just a breath of fresh air. In Muskegon, its, Why cant you do it? Not, No, you cant do that. Muskegon City Clerk Ann Meisch, who oversees Western Market, told commissioners that the citys police department has reviewed the liquor license application, and even had contact with the Liquor Control Commission about it. Capt. (Andrew) Rush has actually contacted the liquor control commission who stated that we are very inventive in Muskegon in terms of the projects that we come up with, Meisch said. If the liquor license is approved, The Peoples Cider Co. will apply to be part of the citys social district and intends to serve the cider in social district cups. That means patrons could walk around the downtown social district and consume their beverage. They also could enjoy it inside or outside the bar, or a combination of both. A couple of picnic tables will be set up outside, and the bar will be steps away from the citys social sandbox a sandy lot filled with picnic tables, strung with lights and protected with shade sails. The outdoor bar stools will serve as a bit of an advertisement that inside is a bar, enticing people inside, Lummen said. Its for people walking by to go, Oh my God, its a tiny bar, he said. Western Market chalets are required to be open at certain times Thursdays through Saturdays from Memorial Day through Labor Day They also have special hours during community events, when cruise ships are in port and during the holiday season. Lummen told commissioners he expects his tiny bar would stay open until 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. but no later to capitalize on business. Long-term, he said he and his wife Kate, who is The Peoples Cider Co.s other proprietor, eventually would like to find a more permanent location in Muskegon. I want to be an active part of revitalizing downtown, Lummen told commissioners. Ive seen opportunity here and I have for many years. Thats why Im here. Also on MLive Old rail line sale should help develop huge site on Muskegon Lake More than 1,000 solar panels going on Muskegons arena Muskegon college offering $400 cash, credits to students who take free summer college prep program MIDLAND, MI A former Michigan Department Health and Human Services case worker has received jail time and probation for sexually assaulting one of his clients. Midland County Circuit Judge Michael J. Beale on Wednesday, March 29, sentenced 54-year-old Ladd H. Perreault to one year in jail. Beale gave Perreault credit for nearly that whole span already served in jail 327 days. Beale further ordered Perreault to serve five years of probation. Five days before his trial was to begin in January, Perreault pleaded guilty to one count of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct. The charge is limited to touching and is a high-court misdemeanor punishable by up to two years incarceration. In exchange for his plea, prosecutors dismissed two more counts of the same charge and two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct. Third-degree involves penetration and is a 15-year felony. In a July preliminary examination, a 33-year-old woman testified MDHHS in the spring of 2020 removed her three children due in part to her substance abuse issues. She came close to having her parental rights terminated altogether, she said. In the fall of 2021, the womans children were returned to her and she met Perreault, an adult foster care worker and the third assigned to her case. She and Perreault developed a good relationship and she trusted him, she said. To help out, he would give her items like gas cards and diapers, she said. While the woman and her children were reunited and living together, the court retained jurisdiction over the matter. Court hearings were held over Zoom with Perreault reporting positive developments on the situation, she said. He knows everything about me. Everything, she said. I had nothing to hide. I was very open and honest with him. He helped me go to school. He helped me go back and forth to work. The woman said she did not relapse on drugs while Perreault was her case worker and continued drug testing, though on one occasion Perreault falsely told her one of her tests came back positive for marijuana. The woman said Perreault would often comment on her looks, calling her beautiful. I went along with it, she testified. It made me feel good. It made me smile. I was pretty down. I was at my wits end. On Feb. 8, Perreault came to her house and ran his fingers through her hair, she said. At the time, Perreault was married with six children. The same day, Perreault came back to her house to drop off a gas card and perform a home inspection, she said. During a walk-through of the house, Perreault stopped at the womans bed. Thats when Ladd was, like, all over me, she said. He was kissing me. He was just so excited. Probably kissed me 30 times, everywhere on me. I panicked, kinda. I froze. Perreault then sexually assaulted her on a staircase, she said. The womans two youngest kids were in the house but out of sight, she said. I just felt like I had to, she said. I had no choice. The woman did not initially report this out of fear she would lose her kids, she said. After this incident, Perreault started contacting her at inappropriate times, such as after-hours and when she was at work. It literally got creepy but I still didnt report it, she said. On Feb. 18, Perreault again visited the womans house and assaulted her in her basement, she said. The woman did not see Perreault again. Afterward, she reached out to a female MDHHS employee she trusted and reported what Perreault was doing. Michigan State Police troopers began investigating the womans complaint in February, at which point MDHHS suspended Perreault. Perreault resigned on May 3 and was arraigned on criminal charges six days later. Read more: MDHHS case worker pleads guilty to sexually assaulting client Woman testifies MDHHS case worker repeatedly sexually assaulted her Ex-MDHHS foster care worker charged with sexually assaulting client SAGINAW, MI On a summer dusk in 2021, Andre L. Lindsey Jr. met with his father and namesake to tell him he was going to be a grandfather. Somehow, an argument ensued and bullets flew, leaving the elder Andre L. Lindsey mortally wounded and his son charged with murder. The task before a jury now is to determine if Lindsey Jr. fired the fatal shots into his father. Attorneys in the Lindsey Jr.s trial presented their closing arguments to the jurors on the morning of Thursday, March 30. Lindsey Jr., 28, is charged with open murder, felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition, and three counts of felony firearm. He is charged as a fourth-time habitual offender. Presenting her argument first, Saginaw County Assistant Prosecutor Shellbe A. Sanborn said that on the evening of July 1, 2021, Lindsey Sr., 49, went to his brothers house in the 400 block of South 10th Street, where Lindsey Jr. also arrived. Father and son were on the porch when, according to witnesses, they began heatedly arguing over an unknown topic. Lindsey Sr.s brother testified he saw his nephew with a handgun in his waistband as he walked off the porch onto a grassy area near the street. He said he put his hand out to stop Lindsey Sr. from following his son, to no avail, Sanborn said. Lindsey Jr. then racked the slide on the gun and pointed it at his father. You gonna shoot me? Lindsey Sr. asked, according to his brother. Andre L. Lindsey Sr. As Lindsey Sr. turned, his son fired round after round, Sanborn said. Police recovered eight spent shell casings and one live round, all .45-caliber. Police testified they determined each fired round came from the same gun, though they did not recover a weapon to compare them to. Lindsey Sr. was conscious and able to speak when police arrived but was uncooperative, Sanborn said. He didnt want his son to get in trouble, she said. He told witnesses at the scene, Dont tell them it was my son. Tell them it was a drive-by. He wanted to protect his son despite his betrayal. Lindsey Sr.s sisters testified they did not see the dispute between father and son. One testified Wednesday that after she heard gunshots, she saw Lindsey Jr. running down the block and got in her own vehicle to follow him. The sister said she heard her nephew telling someone to come get him, assuming he was speaking to someone on his phone. Moments later, Lindsey Jr.s sister pulled up at a high rate of speed and drove him away, Sanborn said. People can flee for a myriad of reasons, because theyre scared or whatever, Sanborn said. Or, people can flee because they just committed a heinous crime, and thats what the defendant did in this case. Lindsey Sr. suffered seven gunshot wounds to his abdomen, thigh, hand, and flanks. After being hospitalized for several days, he died on July 15, 2021. The only question you should have in your deliberation is was it first-degree or was it second-degree? Sanborn told the jurors. Ask yourself, did he have a chance to think twice? When he cocked his gun when his father said, Are you going to shoot me? did he have a chance to think twice then? Did he have a chance to think twice after the first shot, or the second, or the third, or the fourth, or the fifth, or the sixth, or the seventh? As (Lindsey Sr.) is turning, as hes falling to the ground, did (his son) have an opportunity to think twice about what he was doing as he was doing it? I submit to you, that he did. That it doesnt take eight shots to think twice about what you are doing and to think of the consequences, any pros, any cons. Sanborn added that Lindsey Sr.s siblings had no reason to lie to when they testified their nephew was the culprit. Defense attorney Rico D. Neal asked the jurors to keep their minds open and to consider the totality of the evidence, as well as what was not presented to them in trial. Lindsey Jr. had gone to meet his father to tell him he was expecting a child, and he considered his father his best friend, Neal said. Who was there on the porch? Just him and his father, Neal said. Other family members were at various locations inside the house, inside the house across the street. What happened on the porch between him and his father? What happened? No witnesses testified as to what the argument was over, Neal said. He postulated that maybe Lindsey Sr. had a weapon of his own, adding that witnesses testified he ran off the porch and charged at his son, closely followed by his own brother. Neal also criticized the reliability of the witnesses testimonies, saying their accounts have changed multiple times since the shooting occurred. The night of the shooting, no one identified his client as the shooter, though at least one of Lindsey Sr.s sisters gave a physical description of the suspect. Lindsey Sr.s brother testified he stayed outside the entire time after the shooting, but police who responded testified he was not outside, Neal said. Lindsey Sr.s brother did not give a statement to police until Nov. 17, several months after the fact, he said. Both father and son said the shooting was a drive-by. When police visited Lindsey Sr. in the hospital, he could not speak but wrote on a pad of paper that he did not know who shot him, Neal reminded the jury. Whos protecting who? Neal asked. The officer told you everybody he talked to that night was uncooperative. Whos protecting who and why? We know that the only people who testified here were all the people related to the deceased. The question is, prior to charging off of the porch at Junior, does Senior have a weapon? Was that weapon then picked up after the shooting and taken into the house or driven away? Neal added that investigators could not state definitively the recovered shell casings were from the night of the shooting. He also said there were four witnesses whom police never identified. Theres more missing than there is here, he said. We dont have a weapon. We dont have a gun. We dont have fingerprints. And were missing four potential eyewitnesses and we dont even know who they are. Given a chance to speak again after Neal, Sanborn attacked the notion that Lindsey Sr. was armed and the implication his son fired in self-defense. Its pretty convenient to shift the blame onto a man who cant physically come into court and refute whatever theyre suggesting, that Andre Sr. was armed with a weapon, that this was somehow self-defense, she said. The attorneys arguments concluded, jurors are to begin deliberating. In addition to his son, Lindsey Sr. was survived by two daughters, a stepson, a significant other, and numerous siblings, cousins, nephews, nieces and extended family members. His hobbies included bingo, enjoying family time with his entire family, hanging at the car wash with his boys, and watching sports, his obituary states. Andre loved to cook, and he was a beast on the grill. He will be missed by family and friends who loved him dearly. Lindsey Jr. was on parole at the time of his fathers shooting. In March 2016, he was sentenced to six to 12 years in prison on convictions of assault with intent to commit great bodily harm, discharging a firearm from a vehicle, and felony firearms. He received credit for about 11 months already served. The Michigan Department of Corrections paroled Lindsey Jr. on April 14 of 2021. On the day of his fathers shooting, Lindsey Jr. was considered a parole absconder by the MDOC. Read more: My dads my best friend, Saginaw man accused of killing father told police Saginaw man charged with murder in dads shooting death Saginaw man dies 2 weeks after allegedly being shot by son named after him Saginaw parolee charged with shooting his father BUENA VISTA TWP, MI A man is dead following an early morning shooting in Buena Vista Township. About 3:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 30, police responded to the shooting at a duplex in the 3100 block of Walters Drive. They arrived to find a man, either 33 or 34, suffering from at least one gunshot wound, confirmed Buena Vista Township Police Chief Reggie Williams II. The man was taken to an area hospital, where staff pronounced him deceased, Williams said. No other people were wounded. Police have no suspects in custody, the chief added. He could not provide additional details, but said he expects to be able to release the deceased mans name later on Thursday. As of 9:30 a.m., Michigan State Police troopers were blocking traffic on Walters Drive between Aspen Drive and Willow Lane. Crime Lab personnel and other officers could be seen entering the single-story house and processing the scene, which was cordoned off in crime scene tape. The homicide is Saginaw Countys fourth of the year and first in Buena Vista Township. The prior three homicides all occurred in Saginaw. All four deaths resulted from gunfire. Of the countys 25 total homicides in 2022, two were in Buena Vista Township. Read more: Saginaw had 19 homicides in 2022, the same as in 2021, while nonfatal shootings significantly decreased My dads my best friend, Saginaw man accused of killing father told police Argument over old assault led to killing of 3 Saginaw cousins, suspects sisters testify LARKIN TOWNSHIP, MI An online auction to purchase the Midland Mall ended with an investor bidding more than $5 million for the shopping center. That amounts to nearly half the amount paid five years ago to purchase the mall, located in Larkin Township near the Midland border. Representatives of the Thursday, March 30, auction said the winning offer would not be considered a final sale until additional paperwork is completed within 30 days. Officials said they would keep the investors identity under wraps until then. Bidding on the indoor shopping center, located at 6800 Eastman Ave., began at noon on Tuesday, March 28, and ended at 1:45 p.m. Thursday on rimarketplace.com. The starting bid was $1.5 million, then escalated to $3 million within the first day of the auction. By Thursday, the top bid was $4 million. Within an hour of the auctions scheduled conclusion at 1:30 p.m., that figure jumped to $4.3 million. With three minutes left on the clock, the price jumped to $4.5 million. Another bid with less than 10 seconds remaining lifted the bid to $4.8 million. That offer also began the stage of the auction where the original 1:30 p.m. close time was thrown out the window in favor of a countdown that reset to three minutes with each new bid. Subsequent bids upped the malls price to $4.95 million, $5 million, and $5.05 million before the final $5.075 million offer was placed, the online auction website showed. Once the bidding ended, the sales price was no longer viewable by the public. The 358,827-square-foot Midland Mall was built in 1991 and is located on nearly 33 acres. The mall has a net operating income of $764,795 and is 74%-occupied with tenants including Target, Planet Fitness, Dunhams and Hobby Lobby coming soon, according to the listing. Related: More than $1 million in property taxes owed on Midland Mall up for auction this month Great Neck, New York-based Kohan Retail Investment Group purchased the Midland Mall for $9.4 million in 2018, MLive.com reported at the time. That was nearly two years after CBL and Associates Properties, the malls former owner, went into foreclosure after defaulting on a $31.9 million loan. Last year, Kohan purchased Saginaw Township-based Fashion Square Mall for $10.8 million in an online auction. The group owns dozens of other retail centers, including several in Michigan: Adrian Mall, Birchwood Mall in Fort Gratiot, The Crossroads Mall in Portage, Lansing Mall, and The Westwood Mall in Marquette. Read more on MLive: Madonnas career, hometown legacy focus of Bay City planetarium event American Farmer traveling exhibit finds fertile soil in Saginaw museum Saginaw yard waste pickup begins next week with new service provider Michigan is a step closer to removing A-F letter grading for schools after House lawmakers voted to drop the system designed to rate the academic performance of the states K-12 public institutions. The bill, HB 4166, passed March 21 in a 63-45 vote with bipartisan support from some House Republicans. We already have the statewide index system that meets federal standards, whereas the A-through-F one does not, said Rep. Matt Koleszar, D-Plymouth, the bills sponsor and a former teacher. So, you have a system that doesnt meet federal standards, and its very confusing for families to have contradictory information coming from two different grading systems. The Michigan School Grades System not to be confused with A-F student grading, which the bill does not seek to eliminate gives each public schools in the state letter grades and ranking labels based on an annual performance review. The Michigan Department of Education then must compile and release a list of the lowest performing schools based on that data. Both Democrats and the department have been against the system since lawmakers first passed the measure in the early hours of a 2018 lame-duck session in the final days of Republican Gov. Rick Snyders administration. RELATED: Instructor strike forces flexible learning for University of Michigan students The education department argues the information collected to determine schools letter grades is duplicative. Schools are also evaluated through the federally required Michigan School Index System, which provides an overall index value ranging from 0-100 for each school based on student growth, proficiency, graduation rates, English learner progress, attendance rates and other factors. Schools with low index values may be identified as one of three low-performing school types defined by a 2015 federal law. The schools grading system, in comparison, creates overly simple letter grades, the education department argues. Those against the bill, however, say that the federal standard of measuring schools performance is much harder to understand than Michigans A-F system and parents should be able to quickly determine whether their childrens needs can and will be met. Molly Macek, director of education policy for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, argued against the bills passage when it was still in committee. In a written statement, Macek framed the school grades system as providing a clear, reliable and consistent assessment of school performance. The Index Systems purpose is not to simplify school performance indicators for the public, Macek said. Instead, the index provides school officials with complex data to use in developing improvement and evaluation plans for underperforming schools. ... While the (index) score may be useful for trained administrators to develop appropriate interventions, it is an arbitrary point value to parents desiring to understand a schools progress. And on the floor prior to its passage, Rep. Gina Johnsen, R-Lake Odessa, argued against the legislation. She said it would remove the tools we use to keep schools transparent. Using a grading scale to assess a schools performance is vital to keep the general public informed about said performance at a time where kids are still struggling in school following the pandemic, she said. In fact, during the 2021-2022 school year, 704 schools in Michigan received a D or F in proficiency and for legitimate reasons. RELATED: Please, hurry up, 911 calls detail fear, chaos of MSU shooting Current state law dictates annually by Sept. 1, the education department release the A-F grades for public schools based on a number of metrics. These are then published. Under HB 4166, the requirement to rank the lowest performing schools would be dropped. The bill would also remove requirements that stop district and charter school authorizers from reopening a school in the same location as a previously designated low-performing school until certain conditions are met. A number of school groups praised the Houses passage of the bill. In a statement, Peter Spadafore, executive director of the Michigan Alliance for Student Opportunity, a group of member school districts serving students with the greatest educational needs, called the move long overdue. Currently, Michigans dual accountability systems lead to confusion and fail to improve outcomes for students. The current system fails to measure student growth, doesnt inform parents, and doesnt help student learning, Spadafore said. Michigans letter grading system was ill-informed when it was signed into law and has not led to improved student performance since. HB 4166 has been referred to the Senate Education Committee, where it awaits a hearing. More from MLive Michigan income tax to drop 0.2% this year, treasury says Dr. Fauci among speakers for 2023 MSU commencements Slotkin bills would study gun violence, add new safety and control laws Child labor fines should be more than mere pennies, Congresswoman Scholten says Attorney General rules anticipated Michigan income tax cut will only last 1 year GRAND RAPIDS, MI A federal judge in Grand Rapids has approved a class action settlement with shoemaker Wolverine Worldwide and chemical giant 3M that would provide $54 million to property owners in northern Kent County whose homes are built atop toxic PFAS contamination. On Wednesday, March 29, U.S. District Court Judge Hala Jarbou approved the settlement that was initially proposed in September. It covers about 1,700 residences in the Rockford and Belmont areas where Wolverine once dumped PFAS-laden waste sludges from its former Rockford tannery. After hard-fought and extensive litigation, were extremely pleased the court has approved what we believe is a very significant settlement that provides meaningful compensation, said Esther Berezofsky of the Motley Rice firm of New Jersey, a lead attorney on the case. The case was filed in December 2017 following the discovery of Wolverine dumps around northern Kent County and eventually consolidated with similar class actions arising from the shoemakers tannery pollution. The settlement only covers property damage claims. Personal injury and medical monitoring claims were dismissed during litigation, although Berezofsky said the settlement does not preclude class members from filing such claims in the future. In a hearing this week, Judge Jarbou overruled an objection from a homeowner who asked to receive a larger share of compensation than allotted under a tiered payout structure because his geothermal HVAC system allegedly had to be replaced when Plainfield Township forced well owners in certain areas to connect to new municipal water mains. There were no other settlement objections filed. A couple residents opted-out of the settlement and the judge approved the addition of some late claimants this month. I think that speaks to the fairness and adequacy of the settlement we had a single objector only, said Berezofsky. Berezofsky said payouts will begin in roughly 30 days once all claims are finalized. To be eligible for a settlement payout, a person must have owned property as of Nov. 1, 2017 which used well water in what state regulators define as the North Kent Study Area a roughly 25-square mile area of Plainfield and Algoma townships and the city of Rockford with the some of the highest levels of PFAS ever found in private wells. Payout amounts are based on factors such as the severity of contamination, the number of people affected at each property, whether the home received a water filtration system from Wolverine and whether it has been able to connect to the ongoing township municipal water extension project. The largest chunk, about $11 million, is reserved for 111 properties with PFAS detections over state drinking water standards up to 500-parts-per-trillion (ppt), According to court documents. About $285,000 is set aside for one property with PFAS detection above 500-ppt. Properties in the study area with minimal detection would receive lower amounts. In a statement, Wolverine said it was pleased at the approval. This approval reflects the continued progress we have made in resolving this matter for our community. We are furthering our commitment to the community through the ongoing municipal water installation and environmental remediation efforts, the company said. The case arose amid mounting public concern over PFAS in the Kent County groundwater after MLive revealed that severe contamination had been found in private drinking water wells around Wolverines 1960s-era dump on House Street. The chemicals began seeping through the ground after Wolverine began treating its Hush Puppies brand shoe leather in 1958 with 3M Scotchgard, a waterproofing agent made with PFAS chemicals. The company dumped manufacturing waste from its Rockford tannery in unlined trenches on House Street and other sites around the area. The class action filing followed local townhall meetings, formation of Michigans PFAS Task Force (MPART), and was marked by an appearance from environmental activist and consultant Erin Brockovich, who spoke at a meeting in Comstock Park organized by attorneys from one of the numerous firms which ended up working the case. In late 2019, the case was consolidated with two other subsequent federal class actions, which, together survived 3Ms attempt to fold them all into a massive tranche of ongoing lawsuits against the Minnesota company related to its manufacture of AFFF firefighting foam. The class action settlement is separate from individual lawsuits brought by local residents that were litigated by the Varnum law firm in Grand Rapids. Those cases were quietly settled more than a year and dismissed in April 2022. The payouts are confidential. On the remediation side, Wolverine is preparing to build a cap atop the waste buried at its former House Street dump. The company has yet to begin treating contaminated groundwater at its former tannery along the Rogue River in Rockford. This month, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) denied Wolverines proposal to clean up PFAS at the tannery using a system of groundwater collection trenches that a local advisory panel and elected officials criticized as inadequate. It is the second time regulators have rejected one of Wolverines proposed plans under a 2020 consent decree that governs the companys cleanup obligations. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the EGLE are also evaluating the dump and tannery sites for inclusion on the federal Superfund list, a roster of the nations most contaminated sites. That evaluation turned up previously undiscovered PFAS contamination last year at Wolverines old shoe sole manufacturing plant near the White Pine Trail in Rockford. Related stories: Rejected again: Wolverine tannery cleanup plan denied Wolverine cited for tannery cleanup delay Michigan CEO who hid pollution to be honored How citizens cracked the Wolverine PFAS case Wolverine, 3M to pay $54M to PFAS victims Years after flags, PFAS found at Wolverine plant Wolverine PFAS sites eyed for Superfund list Cancer claims attorney who fought PFAS pollution Wolverine phyto dump cleanup plan gets thumbs down Timeline: The Wolverine, 3M PFAS disaster Adam Schurman spends several nights a week pouring drinks at a Grand Rapids bar that is packed with pinball machines and booming with live music. But Schurman, 40, often doesnt know his schedule until days before hes expected to work at The Pyramid Scheme making it tricky to cover bills, juggle a second job and plan his life. Everyones schedule fluctuates from week to week in terms of what days you work and whether you have an opening shift or closing shift, he said. A recent Harvard University study sheds light on how erratic scheduling is common but detrimental for Michigans restaurant and retail workers 13% of the states workforce. About two-thirds of the 5,364 Michigan service workers surveyed said they want more stability with their schedules, the study from Harvards The Shift Project found. And more than 60% experience last-minute changes to their shifts and keep their schedules open for work. Unpredictable scheduling is one of these industry characteristics which puts a severe amount of stress on working people and causes actual hardship, said Sean Egan, Michigans Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity deputy director of labor. Related: Long hours, health risks and ghost applicants lead to desperate staffing situations at Michigan restaurants Crystal Coleman, 52 from Detroit, has felt this strain. From barbeque joints to seafood restaurants, Golden Corral and McDonalds, Coleman has worked in restaurants for more than two decades. Those years are marked by unpredictability: when one employee didnt show up, management called in another on demand. Its stressful. A lot of the times, its depressing. Eventually, you feel like youre working a job and you dont want to be there because youre always there. Youre tired. And you want to spend time with your family, said the mother of five children and grandmother to 12. Coleman, who has been looking for another restaurant job for six months, struggled to get days off. A demanding schedule, staffing shortages and a lack of paid sick time meant Coleman was typically working 45 hours a week. There have been times where Ive been physically exhausted and needed time off, and that wasnt available to me, she said. Related: Court reverses decision, stops Michigan tipped wage from increasing next month For many workers, the unstable hours mean unstable incomes. The study found Michigan service workers earn a median wage of $14 an hour higher than the minimum wage of $10.10 and $3.84 for tipped workers but falling short of the $16.27 estimated living wage for an adult with no children. Compounding the low wages, only one-third of Michigans service employees work 40 hours a week, the study found. Average workers reported a 13-hour swing between weeks they worked the most and weeks they worked the fewest hours. As a result, over half said their incomes changes from week to week. Because of an irregular schedule, Schurman struggles to budget for rent, food and utilities. His tip-based income also depends on bartending during busy weekend shifts. And Schurman, like many of his coworkers, balances a second job around his bar shifts to cover expenses. It makes it very difficult to budget for that when youre not sure how what your paycheck is going to be from week to week, Schurman said. Sudden changes to schedules especially spell trouble for working parents. More than a quarter of Michigans retail and service workers are parents who reported dramatic schedule changes from week to week. Egan said working parents end up scrambling for childcare, often relying older siblings, neighbors or friends. Thats creating hardship for those children because theyre bouncing around so quickly, he said. They dont have a recurring pattern and theme. Theres no real educational attainment goal with the type of childcare that theyre receiving. Related: 44% of Michigan families live in a child care desert. State pilot program addresses accessible care. The study shows all this volatility takes a toll. Forty-two percent of service workers with unpredictable schedules reported frequent phycological distress double those with stable schedules. More than three-quarters said they get poor or fair sleep. And nearly half reported being unhappy. When you dont feel like you have any agency over your job, or if you dont feel like you have much control over your source of income, it really starts to make you feel unimportant, Schurman said. It does weigh on us pretty heavily. During the pandemic, service workers were celebrated as heroes who kept grocery stores and restaurants running. But a labor shortage quickly followed with 93% of restaurants last reporting they had openings that were difficult to fill, an August survey from the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association found. Egan hopes identifying the stress of just-in-time and on-call scheduling pushes the service industry to find solutions. We hear a lot about wages and how that can pull people back in, but just simple tools like this could be the difference between somebody taking the job and not, he said. Related: 26 Burger King locations closing in Metro Detroit, more than 400 jobs lost Some cities and states are intervening. Oregon, New York City, Seattle, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco and Emeryville, California require service industry employers give workers advanced notice, usually two weeks, for schedules, according to the study. Workers must be paid when their shifts change on short notice. In Michigan, lawmakers introduced House Bill 4035 or the employee fair scheduling act in January. Under the bill, restaurants, retailers and hotels would need to provide work schedules at least two weeks out. It would tackle too clopening shifts when workers work a closing shift only to turnaround and open the next morning by requiring a 10-hour rest period. Schedule changes would require compensation. But the legislation would likely cut out small businesses by only applying to those with 100 or more employees. Similarly, Oregons predictive scheduling law only applies to those with more than 500 employees. These laws and legislation are on the right track, but they really wont apply to the vast majority of us, Schurman said. For the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, the study underscores its ongoing effort to improve mental health in the workplace. This includes pinpointing causes of chronic stress for working Michiganders in service and other industries. Its important that we think about mental health in a holistic way, Egan said. " We have to recognize its all a circle, so if its causing hardship for somebody because of this, its impacting our communities. And conversely, the impacts on our communities are affecting our workplaces. More on MLive: Native remains robbed from graves across the country laid to rest by Michigan tribe U.P.s remote lifestyle draws new talent. Is there enough housing for them? Top 5 places for liquor sales in each Michigan county Former Detroit Tigers switch-hitter Willi Castro has found a new home with a Detroit rival. The Minnesota Twins added Castro to their Opening Day roster after signing Castro to a minor-league contract after the 2022 season. The Tigers opted not to offer a contract after Castro hit .241 with Detroit in 2022. Castro came to the Tigers in 2018 in a trade with Cleveland, with Detroit sending outfielder Leonys Martin and pitcher Kyle Dowdy to Cleveland. He played four years in Detroit, finishing fourth in the American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2020 after hitting .349 in 36 games. The Tigers used Castro at several positions during his career. In 2022, Castro played right field, left field, center field, second base, shortstop and third base. In 112 games with the Tigers in 2022, Castro hit eight homers with 31 RBI and nine stolen bases, posting an on-base percentage of .284 and slugging percentage of .367. In 303 games with the Tigers over four seasons, Castro hit .245 with a .292 on-base percentage. Against left-handed pitching, however, Castro owns a career .275 batting average. Castro filled a position on Minnesotas major league roster left by Dennis Santana, who was waived by the Twins. During spring training for Minnesota, Castro hit .256 with two doubles, three homers and three stolen bases and a .383 on-base percentage. MORE Tigers acquire minor-league outfielder from Rays Tigers grant release to veteran infielder Tigers trade for infielder in end-of-spring deal with Cubs After strong spring, Harold Castro cements roster spot The city of Bismarck has announced traffic restrictions in two areas beginning at 8:30 a.m. Thursday. Washington Street southbound at Rosser Avenue will have restricted movements from Avenue B through Rosser Avenue. The Forestry Department will be removing a tree on the west side of Washington. The city estimates the lane restriction will be in place until noon. Century Avenue eastbound will be reduced to one lane from Arizona Drive to the bridge for the installation of a street light pole. The city estimates the lane restriction will be in place until 3:30 p.m. Traffic speeds will be reduced to 25 mph. Traffic might become congested at times in both areas. No detour will be provided in either area. Bismarck police are investigating whether a man accused of child sex crimes might allegedly have had more victims. Gary Kline, 85, of Bismarck, was arrested last week and faces two counts of continuous sexual abuse of a child. The charges carry a maximum punishment of life in prison without the possibility of parole. He allegedly abused two young girls over a span of years, according to a court affidavit. Police issued a statement on Wednesday asking for the public's help with the investigation. "Kline has had access to children throughout his career and volunteer work, and Bismarck police investigators are requesting any additional information relating to these allegations, other allegations, and any other potential victims," the statement said. Police Lt. Luke Gardiner said authorities are still investigating the extent of Kline's work with youth. He said information gathered during the investigation led police to believe there might allegedly be more victims. Kline's bond was set at $50,000 cash, with a stipulation that he have no contact with minors. He is not listed on the jail roster at the Burleigh Morton Detention Center. Kline has not been convicted of a crime. He could enter pleas to the charges against him at an April 24 hearing. His defense attorney, Chad McCabe, told the Tribune that "Kline is a very good man who has found himself in a very difficult situation which we are working through." People wishing to supply information can contact Police Detective Taylor Roman at 701-223-1212, or do it anonymously by downloading the Bismarck Police Department app, going to bit.ly/3Yw3ywC, or texting BISPD and the tip to 847411. Ghanaian rapper Medikal has returned to Twitter after his original account was blocked in November 2022 for impersonating Ghana's President Akufo-Addo. The new account, created on Wednesday, March 28, 2023, has already garnered over 14,000 followers in less than a day as at the time of this publication. Medikal's original verified account had over 320,000 followers, but it was shut down after he flouted a warning from Twitter CEO Elon Musk that any account found mimicking a popular figure without indicating "parody" will be blocked. The rappers new account is to promote his upcoming album, which is set to be released in the coming days. He has already followed 19 accounts on the platform, and is expected to use the microblogging app as one of his main means of promotion. Medikal is one of Ghana's top rappers, known for hits such as "Omo Ada" and "La Hustle". He has a large following on social media, particularly among young people, and his return to Twitter is likely to be welcomed by his fans as indicated by the number of followers so far. Some National Democratic Congress (NDC) delegates at Awutu Senya East Constituency have called on their fellow delegates to vote for Hon. Mrs. Dina Tetteh to become the Parliamentary Candidate for the party come May 13. According to the delegates, winning the seat in the general elections in 2024 requires a solid person that has the ability and capacity to win the seat. Many who were seen holding placards with inscriptions "JM Nie Dina Nie," "Dina Beba, Dina 4 ASEC" among others accompanied the aspirant during the visit of H.E John Dramani Mahama, as part of his three days tour of the Central region on Tuesday. Speaking to these delegates on reasons for the support, they said the NDC especially in the 2020 elections failed to elect the preferred candidate for the constituency leading to the defeat. They said the NDC was highly optimistic of wining the seat but lost due to lack of understanding of the grassroots and dynamics of the constituency by the candidate. However, Dina Tetteh, had contested the assembly member thrice and won two consecutive times, worked with the party at the constituency for years and understood the grassroots and the dynamics of the constituency. They said, over the years she had contributed to the party and individual lives in the constituency hence believe she has the capacity and ability to win the seat. A delegate said the party needs a candidate who is humble, appeals to floating voters and loved by majority of party members. Juliet Yeboah, aka June, a delegate said the constituency cannot afford to lose the seat to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the next elections. Winning the seat in the next elections is critical and dear to the heart of the constituency and we cannot afford to give it away, she said. She urged her fellow delegates to consider the interest of the party and vote for a winnable candidate in the person of Hon. Mrs. Dina Tetteh. Moses Agbene, a delegate from Iron City Ward said the party lost in the previous election because some party members were peeved who felt the candidate was imposed on the constituency, and so this time round delegates are calling on a well-known grassroots person to lead the party in the next elections. With her unity is assured because she is known for the good works done and her contributions to the party so far in the constituency. 29.03.2023 LISTEN The number of New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament (MPs) who accompanied the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to celebrate the recent Akwasidae festival at Manhyia Palace has been settled. Despite an alleged propaganda by the pro-Alan group different that the Vice President was accompanied by only 31 MPs, the MC for Akwasidae, ace broadcast journalist Kwame Adinkra who was quoted by the group has refuted the claims and indicated that Vice President Bawumia was accompanied by 85 MPs. Earlier, the pro-Alan group allegeldy misquoted the ace broadcast journalist that 31 MPs from Ashanti Region was at the ceremony. The correction by a senior broadcaster, Kwame Adinkra, who used to be the official MC at Manhyia therefore, sharply rebutted the figure churned out by some leading members of the pro-Alan Kyeremateng camp for obvious political reasons. "I was provided a tall list of MPs and other government officials at the event as MC. The total number of MPs from Ashanti Region, were 31 out of 47. Other MPs from Eastern Region, Greater Accra and other regions all summed up to 85 and I was shocked. "Let me put it on record that, the viral audio out there claiming only few MPs followed Dr. Bawumia is false. And I couldn't believe my eyes to see other government appointees like Shirley Ayorkor Botcheway and others all because of Dr. Bawumia", the renowned broadcaster set record straight on Neat FM. Mr. Adinkra, however, described so-called purported audio believe to be engineered by supporters of pro-Alan group as lies, falsehood and propaganda urging the general public to disregard it. Two major trading groups in the Kumasi Metropolis of the Ashanti Region have protested against city authorities and the ruling New Patriotic Party NPP's government, over what they described as unfair treatment meted-out to them. The groups, the Combined Traders Associations Kejetia Central Market and the Combined Kumasi Central Market Traders Union agitation follows the closure of some 800 shops at the Kejetia new market after a fire outbreak and the suspension of works on the second phase of the Kejetia/Central Redevelopment project. The leadership of the trading groups during their protest on Tuesday March 28, 2023 accused government and city authorities of neglecting them. Addressing the media, the secretary for Combined Kumasi Central Market Traders Union, Emelia Kwofi expressed worry over the suspension of works on the second phase of Kejetia Redevelopment project. "President Akufo-Addo in May 2019 pledged his governments commitment to completing the project on time and the contractor has on several occasions said they will hand over the project in 2024. "We have been told from a reliable source that, the project risks further delay over the governments ongoing debt exchange programme in an attempt to seek a bailout from the International Monetary Fund IMF," he stated. Emelia Kwofi however emphasized that, any further delays in the project will affect the livelihoods of thousands of traders who are currently jobless due to the ongoing works at the market. She therefore called on the government to come out and explained why the project has been halted and how it is working to resume. The Public Relations Officer for the Combined Traders Association Kejetia Central Market, Mr Andrews Koffi said managers of the Kumasi City Markets Limited have blocked access to over 800 shops with the aim of assessing the structural integrity of the facility after the fire incident. He added that, nothing has been done by management after over 10 days of the fire adding that, delays in determining the exact area to be closed indefinitely was causing problems not only for the traders at the epicenter of the fire but those who were not affected as well. He appealed to city authorities to hasten it assessment to allow traders access to their shops. All flagbearer hopefuls of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have been successfully vetted. At the end of the vetting, the body in charge of the election has conducted the balloting for the various positions for the aspirants. Favourite John Dramani Mahama has picked the Number 1 slot and will be the first on the ballot paper in the flagbearer election of the National Democratic Congress. The much-anticipated flagbearer election of the largest opposition party has been scheduled to be held on Saturday, May 13. The balloting for the positions conducted on Wednesday finished with former Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) Chief Executive Officer Kojo Bonsu picking the Number 2 slot. Meanwhile, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, a successful businessman and a former Governor of the Bank of Ghana will be the third aspirant on the ballot. The three flagbearer hopefuls may have started some groundwork in the last few months but are now set to intensify their campaign in a bid to convince delegates to vote for them on the day of the election. We can also report that one of the aspirants, Ernest Kwaku Kobeah has pulled out of the NDC flagbearer aspirant race. He completed the vetting process but decided to cut short his dream to throw his weight behind ex-President John Dramani Mahama. French prosecutors are to investigate the conditions under which a man was seriously injured at a demonstration against the construction of a reservoir in the west of the country, after his family filed a criminal complaint. The 32-year-old has been fighting for his life in a coma since Saturday's thousands-strong environmental protest against the construction of an irrigation reservoir in Sainte-Soline, in the western Deux-Sevres region. His parents have filed a complaint alleging attempted murder. They also claim that ambulance services and medical assistance were prevented from reaching their son. Protest organisers on Tuesday alleged that the man, from the southwestern city of Toulouse, was seriously injured when he was struck in the head by a tear gas grenade fired by police. "People close to him are determined to bear witness and uncover the truth about what happened," they added. The case is being investigated by military prosecutors in the western city of Rennes who have jurisdiction over France's gendarmes -- police officers belonging to the armed forces. A second protester is also in a coma, from injuries sustained on Saturday. His family came forward late Wednesday to file a legal complaint, represented by the same lawyer as the first man. Violent scenes of Saturday's clashes between around 5,000 protesters and 3,200 police in the open fields made headlines over the weekend. Unprecedented violence Using helicopters, armoured vehicles and water cannon, security forces fired thousands of tear gas grenades and dozens of other projectiles in a response the DGGN police authority has described as "proportionate to the level of threat". Authorities say officers were faced with "an unprecedented explosion of violence" and targeted with Molotov cocktails and fireworks. But Human Rights League (LDH) observers on the scene said police made "unrestrained and indiscriminate use of force" against all the demonstrators, rather than targeting violent groups or individuals. Journalists from French news agency AFP saw police begin using tear gas as soon as the marchers arrived. Prosecutors in nearby Niort counted 47 wounded police and seven demonstrators requiring medical aid, including two in danger for their lives. Delay in first aid access Protest organisers complained of 200 wounded, 40 seriously, including one person who lost an eye. In an audio recording published by daily newspaper Le Monde, a member of the ambulance service claims that "commanders on the ground" were holding them back from the scene, without identifying individuals. The service said on Twitter on Tuesday that "sending an ambulance with oxygen into an area with clashes is not recommended given the risk of explosion". Deux-Sevres' prefect -- the top government official in the region -- wrote in a Tuesday report to the interior ministry that it was "very difficult" for ambulances to reach wounded demonstrators as "the clashes had not stopped or were starting again". Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin has responded to the clashes by putting in motion the process to ban one of the associations that organised the protests. (With AFP) Medical officers at the 37 Military Hospital, Accra, have said toothpaste is medicine and thus advised that the substance should not be hurriedly washed away when applied. Dr Abdul Mushin Rashid had made the assertion addressing the audience at the Duala Medical Centre's observance of World Oral Health Day, March 20, 2023, chaired by Dental Surgeon Dr Louisa Ashong-Satekla. After the event, Doctor Nathacia Nana Ama Agyemang and Physician Assistant (PA) Afra Asante-Adipah, in an exclusive interview with Class News' Prince Benjamin, provided an explanation. "Generally, about 8 to 10 minutes," they said in unison. "So that, the fluoride in the toothpaste can have time to get stuck and be incorporated into your teeth," Doctor Nathacia Nana Ama Agyemang added. She questioned the rationale behind application and immediate rinsing away of toothpaste after brushing. "You didn't give it time to do what it needs to do; to do it's job," she said. "All things being equal, we are supposed to have time, let it sit for a while before we rinse it out, by which time, it would have been able to incorporate into the teeth and perform its function." She admitted, however, that this practice, although advised, is not practical given the schedules individuals keep and made a suggestion. "We know it's not ideal because people are busy for work, people have to go to school, and that's why we [say] maybe when it's the weekend that you don't have work and you have the time then you can do that," she said. She emphasised that the best thing is to "leave the paste for a while before you rinse it out." Regarding the consequences of swallowing toothpaste while one waits to rinse it out, both medical officers said the concern is usually for children and not adults. On her part, Dr Nathacia N.A Agyemang said: "Personally, I haven't heard about any medical concerns in terms of swallowing toothpaste," she stated, reasoning that the accumulation of fluoride over time may be the worrying issue. "It's just that I know that there's fluoride content in it and our bodies needs to be at a certain level of fluoride content so maybe as we keep swallowing it it's increasing that fluoride content and as to what will happen, we don't necessarily see it often [at the hospital] so we [can't speak on it]." "But ideally, please rinse it out and spit," she concluded. PA Afra Asante-Adipah interjected. "When you swallow it, [the concern is] only with kids," she said. "When they still have their primary teeth and the permanent teeth is now developing." "When they have too much concentration of fluoride in the body, it causes a condition called fluorosis," she explained. "So you'd see brownish spots and discolouration." "Sometimes, it's even white," Dr Agyemang contributed. "So you see white spots on their tooth." "And, it's not the best," Ms Asante-Adipah concluded. The actual brushing of teeth should take two to three minutes, Dr Agyemang indicated, debunking the belief that prolonged brushing equals efficacy. "It is about how you do it, and if how you do it is very accurate, and professionally done with a better protocol, you can literally spend two to three minutes brushing your teeth and you'll be fine," she said, stressing that it must be twice a day. Source: classfmonline.com North Dakota schools would be required to show students high-quality video of how a human fetus develops in each week of pregnancy under a bill Senate lawmakers approved during a vote Wednesday. The 37-9 vote on House Bill 1265 comes on the heels of the North Dakota Supreme Court's ruling this month that a state abortion ban will remain blocked while a lawsuit over its constitutionality proceeds. The House earlier passed the bill 60-34. If young people see the beauty of these beginnings, then hopefully theyll think twice before running to the abortion clinic," Sen. Janne Myrdal, a Republican of Edinburg who helped introduce the bill, said in an interview with The Associated Press. The bill would mandate schools to show middle school and high school students a high-definition ultrasound video, at least three minutes long, on the development of the brain, heart and other vital organs in early fetal development along with a high-quality animation of the fertilization and human development process inside the uterus, noting significant markers in cell growth and organ development for every week of pregnancy. Lawmakers did not explicitly mention abortion when debating the bill on the Senate floor. Opponents of the bill said they did not want to overstep by telling local schools how to teach, whereas supporters said lawmakers have the right to mandate curriculum in taxpayer-funded institutions. Although the video was great, well-intended, I just think were opening the door to something that in the future might widen the scope of how we dictate local schools, Republican Sen. Michelle Axtman, of Bismarck, said in opposition to the bill. Myrdal countered that state lawmakers already mandate many aspects of school curriculum including sex and abstinence education, Native American history and anti-bullying programs. Republican Sen. Michael Wobbema, of Valley City, said the bill would not cost schools any money because the content the lawmakers have in mind is already online and free. The bill was amended in the Senate, so it still needs to gain final approval in the House and a signature from the governor to become law. Cardiac activity can be detected by ultrasound around six weeks into a pregnancy in cells within an embryo that will eventually become the heart. In Georgia, which has one of the nation's most restrictive abortion measures, the law prohibits most abortions once there is a detectable human heartbeat" and effectively bans most abortions at a point before many people know they are pregnant. Similar so-called heartbeat measures have been considered this year in states including Ohio, South Carolina and Nebraska. Parliament has passed the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2021 to decriminalise attempted suicides. The Private Members Bill was laid in Parliament on August 2, 2021, by Mr Frank Annor-Dompreh, the Majority Chief Whip on behalf of the Sponsors Mr Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, the Chairman, Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee and Mr Bernard Ahiafor, Ranking Member of the Committee, pursuant to Article 106(1) of the 1992 Constitution. The objective of the Bill is to amend the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) to decriminalise attempted suicide and provide for related matters. Clause (1) of the Bill seeks to repeal subsection (2) of section 57 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29). Whereas Clause (2) is intended as a consequential amendment which seeks to expand the interpretation for mental disorder as contained in section 97 of the Mental Health Act, 2012 (Act 846) to provide for access to mental health care service survivors of suicide attempts. According to a survey conducted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2021, seven persons per 10,000 people within the Ghanaian population died by suicide in the year 2019. Presenting the report of the Committee to the House, Mr Anyimadu-Antwi said the research conducted on the prevalence rates of suicidal be behaviours among university students in Ghana revealed that 6.3 per cent had attempted suicide, 24.3 per cent wish they were dead, whiles 6.8 per cent had ideations. He said psychological distress was a risk factor in all cases. He noted that another study also revealed that a 27.6 per cent prevalence rate of suicide attempts in a month, among junior high schools (JHSs) students in Ghana. Touching on the state of prosecution, he said the Committee noted that 21 attempted suicide survivors were prosecuted between the period 2001 to 2011. Mr Anyimadu-Antwi said a total of 17, representing 81.00 per cent of the defendants were males, whereas four (19.00 per cent) were female. He said the Committee's report indicated it was instructive to note that most persons prosecuted for attempted suicide during the period were of low socioeconomic background. He said six persons representing, 28.6 per cent were unemployed at the time of the crime, three (14.3 per cent) were peasant farmers, two (9.5 per cent) were students, two (9.5 per cent) were taxi drivers, one was a fisherman, one was a teacher and one was a labourer. He said the Committee gathered that among the key motivations underlying attempted and completed suicides were experiences of shame related to loss of economic control, sexual weakness, marriage and family problems, poverty, and financial difficulties; evasion of dishonour and punishment, health problems and previous attempted suicides. Mr Ahiafor thanked members of the Committee and the House for supporting them to pass the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2021. GNA Senegalese police on Wednesday fired tear gas during clashes with students trying to take part in a banned demonstration in the capital Dakar on the eve of the resumption of an opposition leader's trial. The police were deployed in numbers around Dakar university to deal with the students, who responded to the tear gas by hurling stones but were unable to leave the campus. An AFP journalist at the scene was punched in the back of the head by a police officer who had ordered reporters to stop filming and move away. The journalist was then arrested and frogmarched away to a van, while a police officer threw a tear gas canister towards other media representatives who attempted to intercede on his behalf. Inside the van, the AFP journalist was punched several times in the upper body and behind the head by a police officer, he said after being released moments later. "AFP strongly protests against this brutality exercised without any reason against one of its journalists who was doing his job," the news agency's global news director Phil Chetwynd said. This behaviour "casts doubt on the repeated assurances of the Senegalese authorities regarding the free exercise of the profession and raises serious questions about the safety of journalists in the pre-election period", he added. Tensions rising Senegal, a rare island of stability in the troubled West African region, is seeing another tense week with the resumption of the libel trial against Ousmane Sonko on Thursday. Sonko and his supporters accuse the government of using the justice system to prevent him from running in next year's presidential election. The outcome of the trial over alleged defamation of Tourism Minister Mame Mbaye Niang, a member of President Macky Sall's party, could leave Sonko ineligible to take part as a candidate next February. The presidential party accuses Sonko of seeking to paralyse the country and of using the street to escape justice. The opposition to President Sall had announced marches and demonstrations in Dakar and across the country on Wednesday, Thursday and Monday. The Senegalese authorities have banned many of the planned rallies on Wednesday and Thursday, but the main opposition coalition has said it intends to defy the ban. On Wednesday, members of the Yewwi Askan Wi coalition, whose name means "Liberate the People" in the local Wolof language, were dispersed by the tear gas in Dakar. The tensions have considerably slowed down activities in the capital. School and university holidays have been brought forward. Public transport was suspended on Wednesday while banks closed early. Several human rights organisations have expressed concern about the restrictions on freedom of assembly and expression in the West African nation and have called on Sall not to bid for a third term. The president has left it in doubt whether he will run again next year. Transport Minister, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, has lauded Ethiopian Airlines for their immense role in promoting tourism and trade in Ghana and the African continent, stressing that the airlines contribution cannot go unnoticed. It is no doubt that in the achievement of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Ethiopian Airlines stands tall when it comes to connecting the countries on the continent and bringing tourism and trade closer to the people. Your effort in the aviation space on the continent cannot go unnoticed and to this, we say thank you, Transport Minister, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, said in an address delivered on his behalf by Mr. Frederick O. Adom, the Deputy Minister of Transport, at the official inauguration of Ethiopian Airlines four times weekly night flights to Accra. The introduction of four additional night flights to their existing seven (7) flights per week, is to allow the Addis Ababa-based airline to connect Accra to more African destinations. The additional flights are operated on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. The increase in flight frequency will also allow the airline to provide more travel options to passengers onboard sister airline, ASKY Airlines, who seek to connect flights in Accra to various destinations in the world. Mrs. Pamela Djamson-Tettey, Managing Director of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) said: As you may already be aware, Ethiopian Airlines operates daily flights from Addis Ababa to Accra. I am informed that the new night flights will complement Ethiopian Airlines regular midday flights making Ethiopian Airlines the largest operator by frequency (11 times per week) servicing Kotoka International Airport. This is commendable. The new evening service will undoubtedly offer more connectivity options for travellers in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. We hope that this will provide the needed competition and offer travellers affordable fares. As Operators and Managers of Kotoka International Airport, Ghana Airports Company Limited is delighted and encouraged by this development. Mrs. Aniley Eshetu, Area Manager of Ethiopian Airlines Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, thanked the Government of Ghana and all stakeholders for their continued support, she added that the four additional night flights will further make Ghana the most connected country in the West Africa sub-region and boost trade and tourism. Thickening our capacity in Ghana with additional frequency is also a continuation of the same commitment to better serve the Ghanaian travelling public. Moreover, these new additions coupled with our daily morning flights will enable us to connect Accra eleven times a week to our expanding global network spreading across five continents. Currently, deploying 143 modern aircraft, Ethiopian serves 131 international passenger and cargo destinations, including 63 African cities with daily and multiple flights with a minimum layover in Addis. Ethiopian also has 35 ultramodern aircraft on firm order. While transiting between your flights at our hub Addis Ababa, a pleasant transit experience awaits you at our newly inaugurated skylight hotel. You may also wish to spend your transit without leaving the terminal, enjoying the mesmerizing view from our In- terminal skylight hotel, Mrs. Eshetu said. Source: Aviation Ghana 30.03.2023 LISTEN As the NDC parliamentary primaries gathers momentum, Dr. Michael Kpessa-Whyte, one of the aspirants from the Shai-Osudoku constituency in the Greater Accra Region, has launched a crowd funding initiative to invite popular public participation in funding the costs associated with the processes. In launching the initiative at his home village in Duffour within the Osudoku enclave on Sunday, he appealed to Ghanaians to take back control of public and political service by funding it directly as a way of holding elected officials accountable. Dr. Kpessa-Whyte noted that the cost of politics in Ghana is very high, yet how politicians fund that cost remains a secret. He believes that the status quo has a direct correlation with persistent incidents of corruption associated with political office holders. Participants at the event applauded the initiative, describing it as a major paradigm shift in Ghanaians politics that fits perfectly with the intention of the framers of the 1992 constitution. The Campaign Spokesperson, Mr. Vincent Larbi urged the public to support the Kpessa-Whyte for Parliament Fundraising Campaign through Momo Pay ID number 160800 or 0598933844 with the assurance that all donations will be treated with transparency and stringent accountability. Some of the delegates of the NDC party at the event openly declared their support for Dr. Kpessa-Whyte and indicated their desire to actively contribute towards funding his contest. In the spirit of transparency, Dr. Kpessa-Whyte disclosed that some individual delegates and wards contributed financially towards his nomination forms and filing fees. He used the occasion to thank all the campaign volunteers and supporters across the constituency, urging them to remain resolute and firm in campaigning for him and John Mahama as parliamentary and presidential candidates respectively. The occasion was also used to outdoor some of the leading members of the Campaign including Daniel Nadutey-Coordinator of the Osudoku wing of the campaign, Mark Amesu- Deputy Director of Campaign Operations, Benjamin Kofi Wayo- Campaign Special Duties and Listowel Nyemi-Tei-Campaign Operations Director. Outspoken Rwandan government critic Paul Rusesabagina, whose efforts to save people during the 1994 genocide inspired the Hollywood film "Hotel Rwanda," has arrived in the United States after being freed from prison, the White House said Wednesday. "I'm pleased to welcome Paul Rusesabagina back to the United States. We're glad to have him back on US soil & reunited with his family & friends who've long waited for this day to come," US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan tweeted. Rusesabagina was released on March 25 after more than 900 days behind bars, under an accord, mediated by Qatar, between the US government and Rwanda which saw the Kigali government commute his 25-year sentence on terrorism charges. His detention had thrown a spotlight on Rwanda's record of crushing political dissent and free speech under President Paul Kagame. Rusesabagina was convicted in September 2021 of backing an armed rebel group after a trial that his supporters denounced as a sham. The 68-year-old, who is also a Belgian citizen with US permanent residency, has been in failing health and his family said he was tortured during his 939 days in detention. Rusesabagina was a hotel manager who helped save hundreds of lives during the 1994 genocide. His story was turned into "Hotel Rwanda" featuring Don Cheadle. But Rusesabagina became a fierce critic of Rwanda's longtime leader Kagame and formed his own political party. Rusesabagina left Rwanda in 1996 for Belgium but his family said he was tricked into taking a flight in 2020 that was diverted to Kigali. Talks on releasing him started at the end of 2022 and final details were hammered out last week when Kagame met Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, in Doha, a source with knowledge of the negotiations said. In an October 2022 letter released by the government on Friday, Rusesabagina pledged to leave "Rwandan politics behind me" and spend the rest of his life in the United States in exchange for clemency. US President Joe Biden had earlier welcomed Rusesabagina's release, calling it a "happy outcome." "Paul's family is eager to welcome him back to the United States, and I share their joy at today's good news," he said in a statement on March 25. Member of Parliament for Wa West, Peter Lanchene Toobu has clarified that there is no particular legal provision barring the wearing of military camouflage in Ghana. The former superintendent of police said the wearing of replicas isnt criminal. Speaking on the back of the invitation of some Ashanti Regional NDC executives by the Regional Police Command for wearing military camouflage during a tour by former president John Dramani Mahama, Mr. Toobu said if wearing camouflage was illegal, the government would have taken measures to halt the importation of the many replicas that flood the open markets. Mr. Toobu explained that the principle is simple, if you are a police officer, you dress in a uniform to show that you are an officer and if you are a soldier, you are a soldier by training, but the uniform is symbolic of who you are and so if you are not a police officer or a soldier, and you are wearing army uniform, they [the military] have the right to question you. He further intimated that aside from the questioning by the military to prevent impersonations, there is actually nothing unlawful about wearing replicas. If you wear camouflage, that is not the Ghana Army uniform, that shouldnt be an issue unless there is a law banning the importation of camouflage into the country, he further told Umaru Sanda Amadu on Eyewitness News on Citi FM. Mr. Toobu also admonished the public and the media to be circumspect in reporting these incidents to avoid unnecessarily denting the image of the Ghana Army. Six executives of the National Democratic Congress in the Ashanti Region were invited for questioning for wearing military attire during the former presidents visit. citinewsroom The Ashanti regional executives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have said no amount of intimidation, manipulation, and harassment by the police or any security agency will stop them from wearing camouflage cloths until a competent court of jurisdiction tells them that they cannot wear it. Some six regional executives of the party including the regional Vice Chairman and the regional Deputy Secretary were invited by the police on Wednesday, 29 March 2023, for allegedly wearing a military uniform when former President Mahama took his campaign tour to the region. They honored the invitation extended to them by the regional Criminal Investigation Department at the Regional Police Headquarters, where their statements were taken and granted self-recognizance bail. Addressing the media after the bail, the Regional Vice Chairman of the NDC, Captain Kwame Jabari said they were wearing camouflage cloths and not military uniforms when they joined the former President's campaign tour of the region. The former Captain of the Ghana Arm Forces said as a former military officer, he will not wear a military uniform and never will he allow any of his executives to wear them. He described the action by the police as intimidation, manipulation, harassment, and selective justice since many politicians and celebrities among others have been seen on many occasions wearing camouflages without the police inviting them. Captain Jabari called on the police to be fair and unbiased in their treatment of all the political parties. Source: Classfmonline.com Former President John Dramani Mahama has expressed gratitude to businessman Ernest Kobeah, for not only pulling out of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), flagbearership race but also throwing his full support behind him. Mr Kobeah was part of the four who had filed their nomination to contest the flagbearer slot in the NDC primaries scheduled for May 13. Speaking to party delegates at Gomoa West in the Central Region on Wednesday, 30 March 2023, Mr Mahama also disclosed he had picked the number one position on the ballot paper. Balloting has been done for the May 13 presidential primaries and the person who picked on my behalf picked number one so Im number one on the ballot and God is telling us something, Mr Mahama told the jubilant crowd. I thank you all for your dedication, support and prayers through it all, thus far. I also want to thank my younger brother, Ernest who has not only stepped down from the contest, but has declared his support for me, he added. Source: Classfmonline.com Former Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Koku Anyidoho, has taken to social media to recall his past arrest by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), now called the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB). The politician was arrested on suspicion of plotting to overthrow the Akufo-Addo Administration five years ago. In a tweet posted on Wednesday, March 29, Anyidoho expressed gratitude to all those who supported him during that difficult time. He said, "Exactly five years ago today, I was released from BNI cells for supposedly plotting to overthrow the Akufo-Addo Administration. All charges dropped bcos I committed no crime. To God be the glory & thanks to ALL NDC members & Ghanaians who cried for me. Thanks to my dad & family." Anyidoho's arrest in 2018 was a major news story at the time, with many people expressing shock and disbelief at the allegations against him. The politician, who was once a close aide to the late former President John Evans Atta Mills, was then a vocal critic of government led by President Akufo-Addo. On March 27, 2018, the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service arrested Koku Anyidoho on charges of treason. Anyidoho was accused of inciting civilians to launch a coup d'etat against the Akufo-Addo government. The politician was arrested while holding a news conference at the Press Centre in Accra with other opposition leaders belonging to the Progressive Forces. The group was condemning the government for signing a security cooperation deal with the United States of America at the time. The arrest came after he made the allegation while granting an interview on Accra-based Happy FM on Monday, March 26, 2028. His comment was: Somebody should tell Nana Akufo-Addo that history has a very interesting way of repeating itself. On January 13, 1972 a certain Col. Ignatius Kutu Acheampong led a movement that removed the Progress Party from power. Busia was the Prime Minister and Akufo-Addos father was a ceremonial president. Somebody should tell Nana Akufo-Addo that history has a very interesting way of repeating itself. Therell be a civil revolt. Therell be a peoples movement. During President John Mahamas tenure didnt we receive similar threats from the likes of Let My Vote Count and OccupyGhana? Therell be a civilian coup detat; therell be a social revolution and the movement is starting on Wednesday. He [Akufo-Addo] will be fed up at the presidency. The politician was eventually released on bail after spending several days in detention. Human rights and good governance activist, Oliver Barker Vormawor, has once again, expressed his frustration at the recent military invasion of the Ashaiman community. In a tweet, Vormawor revealed that the incident made him almost leave the country for good. According to Vormawor, "Wow! Ashaiman brought me the closest to wanting to leave this country for good! I can't lie." He went on to describe how he often remember the incident in Ashaiman and the human rights abuses in general. Sometimes I can sit for hours and be thinking about what happened in Ashaiman saa. I cant just make sense of how it is possible for Ghanaians to look the other way. Like eih! What a people, he wrote. The military invaded the community in an attempt to fish out the perpetrators of a crime in which a soldier, Sherif Imoro, was allegedly stabbed to death by some residents. The military's actions in Ashaiman, which subjected residents to degrees of torture and other forms of mistreatment, have been widely criticized. Many people have called for a thorough investigation into the matter and for those responsible to be held accountable. Winter weather is making a return to North Dakota, with chances for accumulating snow late this week and a potential storm next week. Snowfall through Friday could total half a foot or more in the Linton and Ashley areas, according to the National Weather Service. Bismarck and areas north could see 1-3 inches. There's the possibility of a narrow band of heavier snow between the U.S. Highway 2 and state Highway 200 corridors. Winds could gust in excess of 30 mph in the Bismarck region and in excess of 50 mph to the southeast, leading to blowing snow and difficult travel, including on Interstates 94 and 29, according to the weather service. Blizzard or near-blizzard conditions are possible in parts of south central North Dakota and the James River Valley, where a winter storm watch is posted. There also is a chance for freezing drizzle in the south. AccuWeather reported that as the system moves from the West into the Plains, there will be a round of snow, then ice and rain, then another round of snow. "There is going to be blowing and drifting snow, along with dangerous travel conditions, during the second half of the snowstorm," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said. "These conditions will even linger for a time shortly after the storm exits, due to low temperatures and strong winds." Bismarck so far this season has received 95.4 inches of snow -- the third-snowiest winter on record, and just 6.3 inches from setting a new high. There's a chance for adding to the total next week. "Forecast models are becoming more consistent with bringing a storm into the Upper Midwest and Northern Plains late Monday through Tuesday and Wednesday," the National Weather Service said. The exact track and timing of the system was still uncertain Thursday, but forecasters said, "Prepare for the possibility of significant winter weather." Sosnowski said, "The next storm could end up being even stronger than the one this week. It is also expected to track farther north and west, which could limit heavy snow and possible blizzard conditions to the Dakotas and northern Minnesota." Drought update Nearly all of Burleigh and Oliver counties and the northeastern portion of Morton County moved out of drought over the past week, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor map, released Thursday. Those areas had been considered abnormally dry, the weakest of five drought categories. Drought has eased across the state due to the ample winter precipitation. About 40% of North Dakota remains in moderate drought, in the northern and western parts of the state, down from 43% a week ago. The rest of the state is abnormally dry. A small patch of severe drought in the northwest disappeared over the week. "Recent precipitation and lessening long-term precipitation deficits, as well as deep snowpack in some areas, led to some localized improvements to ongoing drought areas in the Dakotas, western Nebraska and far northeast Colorado, while mounting precipitation deficits and low soil moisture led to localized worsening of conditions in eastern Nebraska and northeast North Dakota," National Drought Mitigation Center Climatologist Curtis Riganti wrote in this week's report. The U.S. Drought Monitor is a partnership of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Drought Mitigation Center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Crop report The monthly crop report from the National Agricultural Statistics Service shows 55% of subsoil moisture supplies and 65% of topsoil moisture supplies in North Dakota being adequate to surplus, nearly unchanged from the February report. Nearly all of the winter wheat crop in the state is rated in fair or good condition, as are cattle and calf herds. Cattle and calf death loss is mostly average to light. Hay supplies are rated 84% adequate to surplus, and 82% of stockwater supplies are in those categories. No major flooding is expected this spring in western and central North Dakota, while moderate to major flooding is forecast in the Red River Valley. Localized flooding is always a possibility even in areas with low risk, and North Dakota State University Extension this week urged ranchers to make plans for moving feed and livestock to higher ground before problems arise. Floodwaters can rise quickly, potentially cutting off access to feed and/or water sources for livestock, said Miranda Meehan, Extension livestock environmental stewardship specialist. Beef cattle out on pasture are especially susceptible to displacement by flooding." Extension Livestock Systems Specialist Karl Hoppe added, Having feed supplies on hand is important because feed assistance may not be available during a flood. Ranchers should preselect sites on high ground for hay, emergency water supplies, and fencing supplies or panels. More information is at www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/ag-hub/ag-topics/disasters/flood. Snowmobile trails Snowmobile trails in North Dakota will close on Saturday. State law requires public access to snowmobile trails to close between April 1 and Nov. 1. The North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department will close all agency snowmobile trails, including leased access across private property. Snowmobile trail signs might still be present in some areas, but any snowmobilers accessing those areas would be considered trespassing and could face a $20 fine. Crews will remove remaining signs when the ground thaws. The state's 2,800-mile trail system is maintained by volunteers from Snowmobile North Dakota. Load limits The city of Bismarck and Burleigh County will impose seasonal load limits at 7 a.m. Monday. A map showing Burleigh restrictions can be found on the county website, www.burleighco.com. A city map is at bit.ly/3G7dgxD. Load limits are common statewide in the spring. They're aimed at protecting roads left vulnerable by the spring thaw, and typically are implemented until roadbeds have stabilized enough to carry normal loads. Information on state load limits is at www.dot.nd.gov/loadlimitinfo.asp. The impasse of the Sakumono Ramsar site is on the verge of a peaceful settlement and conclusion, after several efforts by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council to rest grievances among involving parties over land encroachment in the area. Having been updated on the efforts made by the leading institutions over the period of contemplations to protect the Ramsar Site from further encroachment, all stakeholders have safely arrived at an agreement to allow the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council demolish some 136 structures encroaching within the core area of the Sakumono Ramsar site. Addressing the media after fruitful discussions on the matter, the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources responsible for Lands and Forestry, Benito Owusu-Bio said that this demolishing is a necessary evil that needs to be done to serve the greater good of all factions and the entire country, as it will to a great extent help retain Ghana's position as a signatory to the United Nations convention on protecting forests and Ramsar sites. He also alluded to recent flood reports from other parts of the world and even Ghana saying that if care is not taken and the demolish exercise not done as soon as practicable, bigger floods will soon swallow the cities, implicating innocent Ghanaian home owners. Mr Owusu-Bio stressed that these 136 structures to be demolished are not habitable homes, which he explained to mean "uncompleted structures that have no human living in them, fence walls, foundations, quarters of caretakers and similar others". He asserted that to ensure an all-inclusive exercise, the demolishing exercise will involve representatives of the traditional councils, the encroachers landlord's association and the Forestry Commission. The Deputy Minister assured that regulation processes will be carried out for unaffected houses but was, however, quick to add that it may tarry as a lot of work needs to be done with the taking of inventory and ensuring that proper documentations are made for records keeping. The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey expressed his joy and relieve that such a conclusion has been reached after several years of strive and struggle over the matter. In the spirit of settling all issues and disputes, the Greater Accra Commando, charged the Technical Director for Lands at the Ministry, Mr. Maxwell Adu-Nsarfoa to as a matter of urgency constitute a committee to bring an end to the boundary issue that exit between the Forestry Commission and Celebrity, a private developer who claims to own parts of the Ramsar site. He clarified that as the regulation processes commences, only lands with completed houses will be regularized, not bare lands and, therefore, cautioned "those who will go and buy new lands in the area with the idea that it will be regularized should take heed and refrain from taking such actions". Henry Quartey highly applauded the Chiefs of the two Traditional Councils involved in the impasse; the Tema and Nungua Traditional Councils for their patience and continuous support throughout discussions and negotiations. Mr. John Allotey, the CEO of the Forestry Commission, during his turn, gave a detailed presentation on efforts and actions taken by the Lands Ministry and the Commission to protect the Ramsar Site from further encroachment while stating the findings of the Committee set up by the Sector Minister, Samuel A. Jinapor to settle the matter. In his presentation, the CEO of the Forestry Commission also brought to light the recommendations of the Committee which he hoped will be adopted to help in processes. Mr. Allotey who also presented to the house the options available in salvaging the rest of the Ramsar site, presented on the four options weighed by government and after discussions and deliberations, they concurred on option four, which is to reduce the original size of the core area of the Ramsar site to a land space of 8.30km squared. Source: Classfmonline.com Members of the Old Vandals Association in Parliament have asked the University of Ghana to abide by the laws of the country and reinstate continuing students into the hall. The Commonwealth Hall of the University of Ghana was to maintain its residential status for continuing students until the final determination of a case before the court. This was according to an order from the Commercial Division of the High Court in Accra. The status quo of the residential status of all continuing students of Commonwealth Hall, University of Ghana should be maintained as it used to be before the 26th October 2022 decision was taken, the order from the High Court stated. This Order is to last until the final determination of the case. I order accordingly, it added. However, the Commonwealth hall is yet to implement the order from the court. Commenting on the matter on the floor of Parliament, Wednesday, 29 April 2023, the Ranking Member of the Education Committee of Parliament, Dr Clement Apaak said: Our statement is a call on the University of Ghana to respect and abide by the law and reinstate continuing students of our legendary hall also known as Vandal city. Dr Apaak noted the universitys refusal to enforce the order from the court. To date this order has been flagrantly disregarded as though same was not granted and ordered. Since the granting of this order, the management of the University of Ghana has refused to act in accordance with the dictates of the order, he noted. He revealed that the university has rather put in place measures to frustrate the efforts of the students from drawing attention to their refusal to enforce the decision of the court. He stated: The Police and other allied security personnel have been employed by the management of Ghana to frustrate the efforts being made by the students to call attention to the management of the University by the court to reinstate them. As an institution of higher learning and especially as Ghanas foremost university one would not expect less from the University of Ghana when it comes to the discipline where the law so recommends. They Old Vandals Association in Parliament described the refusal of the university to enforce the order as unacceptable. The continuous refusal of the management of the University of Ghana to reinstate the affected students as ordered by the court is unacceptable, unlawful and must not be countenanced, Dr Apaak stressed. They, therefore, called on the Speaker and all well-meaning Ghanaians to impress upon the university of Ghana to do the needful by respecting the laws of the land. Eight residents of the Commonwealth Hall, filed an application for interlocutory injunction on 16 January 2023, to prevent authorities of the hall from implementing their policy to allow only level 100 students of the university to be residents of the hall. Per the decision taken by the university new residential policy, continuing students are supposed to occupy other halls apart from the Commonwealth and Mensah Sarbah halls to make way for first year and graduate students. However, the order from the court meant the decision cannot be implemented. Source: classfmonline.com An entrepreneurial skills development Services organization, Africa Street MBA has held a capacity building workshop for young people with entrepreneurial interest in Sunyani. The training program sought to impact the youthful group, particularly the marginalized and vulnerable people including school-drop-outs, with world-class business knowledge. The project was run under the auspices of "Done by Us and KGL Foundation", two organizations seeking to positively impact Ghanaian societies. Mr. Ken Adawu Willington, the program chair said Africa Street MBA provides an integrated business support for start-ups and small businesses through capacity building, mentorship, business development services and funding for young entrepreneurs. Empowerment He added the Africa Street MBA is undertaking a five-year project to build business communities in Ghana with the aim of empowering Africa Entrepreneurs into Global Giants. According to Mr. Willington, also the founder of "Done by Us", young entrepreneurs find it difficult getting start-up funds for their businesses. Hence, the project also seeks to "reduce the start-up failure rate in Ghana and Africa by providing training platforms for entrepreneurs and help them to access business education for the required business knowledge, technical and advisory services, funding and access market support." He said it was designed to build the business knowledge of young entrepreneurs in the country and make them agents of change in reducing unemployment rate in Africa and beyond. Start-up grants Mr. Willington said stage one of the projects involves training on various topics and issues of entrepreneurship with the second stage touching on accelerator and mentorship to build the business ideas of participants within 12 weeks and while category three is about pitching competition where applicants with innovative business ideas would be given start-up grants. He said beneficiaries of the project would receive seed grants for ultimate pitch winners and potential investment for accelerated business. Beneficiaries would also access insightful and influential mentors and would become members of the SME Hub (Africa Street MBA), he said. Evans Awuni, a participant of the workshop, who is into organic vegetable farming said "I have realized some mistakes Im making and through the training and hope my business is going to improve from today". The Minister of Transport, Kwaku Asiamah has congratulated Ethiopian Airlines for launching new flights to serve the Ghanaian travelling public with more convenience. With the introduction of the night flight service to Accra, Ethiopian Airlines has increased its frequency from seven flights a week to eleven flights. The additional flight will be operated on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Speaking at the launch of the night flights on Tuesday, March 28, Transport Minister Kwaku Asiamah lauded Ethiopian Airlines, adding that the new service will foster trade and tourism on the continent. On behalf of the Government and the good people of Ghana, I wish to congratulate Ethiopian airlines for the successful launch of its nights' flights to Accra offering the Ghanaian traveller the opportunity to connect more with the world through Ethiopian airlines, the Minister said in his address. Kwaku Asiamah continued, Accordingly, the airline will offer customers more convenient options to enjoy immediate connections to its vast intra-Africa network to foster trade and tourism on the continent. It is no doubt that in the achievement of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Ethiopian airlines stands stall when it comes to connecting the countries on the continent and bringing tourism and trade closer to the people. Your efforts in the aviation space on the continent cannot go unnoticed and to this we say thank you. Bemoaning the high cost of a traveller travelling to two continents just to connect to a neighbouring country via air travel, Kwaku Asiamah stressed that the story of air connectivity on the African continent must change. The reason he says the night flights launched by Ethiopian Airlines are very important. The Transport Minister further gave the assurance that government remains committed to its efforts to improve policies to make travelling easy and Ghanas airports very competitive within the sub-region. He added that government and his Ministry recognise the contribution of airlines to the growth of the national economy and wish to assure Ethiopian Airlines of unflinching support to promote the interconnectivity of flights on the continent. Ethiopian Airlines being one of the pioneering airlines on the continent can boast of being the airline with the largest fleet and passenger numbers with over 120 destinations including 62 African connectivity. Ethiopian Airlines already operate cargo services to Accra and continue to serve the sub-region. International Chamber of Commerce Ghana (ICC Ghana) together with. United Nation Development Program (UNDP) has held the maiden Africa Sustainable Supply Chain Summit in Accra, Ghana. The two days event ( 29th and 30th, March 2023) held at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra was on the theme: "Sustainable Supply For Economic Growth In Africa". The event was aimed at creating opportunities to examine how to pilot supply chain disruptions within the AfCFTA, Sustainable supply chain management, advanced technologies, process improvement, and automation should be rolled out and leveraged in Africa. Again, the event served as an annual platform to exchange ideas and collaborate on the impact of market dynamics and new technologies for current and future supply chain and operations leaders. Speaking at the opening ceremony today (29th March 2023), the UNDP Resident Representative in Ghana- Dr. Angela Lusigi said given the prevailing uncertainty from the ongoing economic, social, environmental, and climate-related shocks, there is a need to leverage technology and innovation in order to future proof Africas supply chains. She said growing more companies requires better supply chain governance and more investment by multiple actors. It requires collaborative approaches to attract innovative and new forms of financing. For instance, how can we effectively harness resources from the diaspora to transform local logistics and supply chain systems on the continent? As UNDP, we are invested in looking at both the opportunities and the risks involved in building sustainable regional supply chains. For instance, inadequate infrastructure, non-tariff barriers, political instability, the slow uptake of technology and the high cost of doing business can impact the efficiency and effectiveness of regional supply chains. At the same time, rapid changes in technology, digitalisation, and innovation could be game changer. This is why we believe that supplied by Africa should have a future focus. According to Dr Angela Lusigi, the steps taken through the summit to develop strategic partnerships and enhance engagement with the private sector from different sectors will help us move in the right direction. "By co-creating solutions through these multi-stakeholder platforms, we are helping to establish sustainable supply chains through collaboration, innovation, and knowledge sharing. Together we have the potential to significantly impact economic growth, job creation, and poverty reduction across Africa". She commended ICC for organizing such an important event and pro firm their contribution to building a more sustainable future through trade and looking forward to deepening their engagement with the private sector to accelerate SDG impact in Ghana and across Africa. She emphasized that UNDP remains committed to working to strengthen the capacities and the ecosystem for MSMEs to leverage the AFCFTA. As well as continue to forge new partnerships to ensure that supply chains are sustainable and work to facilitate Made in Africa, Supplied by Africa, and Moved by Africa. The Secretary General of ICC Ghana, Emmanuel Doni-Kwame noted in an interview that, the supply chain is key hence this summit because its impact has really disrupted a lot on the continent or globally and the cost of business went up as a result of Covid 19. The outcome of this summit will be review and make sure the issues that come out are well addressed and implemented. He stated that the summit will be an annual event to keep track of the progress being made on the continent as far as the supply chain is concerned. Emmanuel Doni-Kwame is of the view that young entrepreneurs who can develop any technology that can facilitate trade should be encouraged especially on the continent. He urged young entrepreneurs to be innovative and create things that are needed in the area of trade on the continent. The event was well attended by stakeholders in the supply chain both in Ghana and the continent. The Russian Embassy in Ghana has taken on US Vice President Kamala Harris over her claims about the impact of the Russian-Ukraine crisis on African nations. The Embassy explained that her claim that the war has led to the inability of nations across the globe to access certain foods, particularly grain, is not accurate. Fact-checking the US VPs statement on its Twitter page on Wednesday, March 29, the Russian Embassy said European officials have acknowledged that about 53 million tonnes of grain and other food products have been supplied by Ukraine. It stressed that the only reason for the apparent food insecurity in Africa is because of the EU and US sanctions that block the Russian grain export. It also indicated that 45 percent of the total volume of grain export from Ukraine went to Europe while only 3 percent came to Africa. The Embassy in 2022 took on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and other world leaders for blaming the economic hardship on the Putin-led invasion in February that year. The Embassy wishes to shed some light on the roots and drivers of this crisis and provide a comprehensive and objective analysis without emotions and political prejudice, it began a thread that seemingly exonerated Russia. 3news.com 30.03.2023 LISTEN Former President, John Dramani Mahama has hit out at the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) over how it treated pensioners during the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme. Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta launched the DDEP in December 2023 as part of efforts to restructure debt in a bid to secure an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout. The subsequent months that followed saw pensioners demonstrating for over a week to ensure they are exempted from the programme. While on his campaign tour of the Central Region this week, John Dramani Mahama sympathised with the pensioners, insisting that the aged did not deserve that treatment from the government. According to him, for a government that subjected the pensioners to such stress, the NPP must not remain in power. Our own pensioners who have finished active service to the nation and are going to rest, the money that they earned that is supposed to feed them, [money] that they used to buy government bonds, today, this government says they cannot pay them what is theres. I ask myself: are you God to determine that the retiree will live that long to receive his or her money by 2035? Yet, that is how they have structured things. This is money that our pensioners use to purchase their little medicines to cater for themselves. If a government can behave like this to a segment of its most vulnerable population, that government does not deserve to remain in power, John Dramani Mahama indicated. The former President has been in the Central Region in the last three days engaging delegates to convince them to vote for him in the upcoming flagbearer election of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). The election will be held on May 13. Ghana Gas Company Limited's Atuabo Gas Processing Plant (GPP) has been shut down for a 14-day maintenance which began on Saturday, March 25. It was closed to ensure the reliability of the gas processing plant and transmission infrastructure. However, the shutdown will disrupt gas supply to some power plants, resulting in power outages to some customers. The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) will soon release a schedule informing affected customers of the impending power outages. To mitigate the effects of the shutdown, the government is importing more gas from Nigeria, as well as Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) and Light Crude Oil (LCO), to supplement available domestic gas for power generation. The Ministry of Energy is actively working with all stakeholders to mitigate any negative effects of the exercise. The Ministry of Energy has assured the public that it is committed to ensuring the maintenance program's success and the country's power supply remains stable and reliable. In a statement issued by the Communications and Public Affairs Unit, the Ministry said, "Consistent with the 'Dum Siesie' programme of ensuring reliable power supply through robust and necessary maintenance activities, the Ministry wishes to assure the general public that the Ministry is actively working with all stakeholders to ensure that any adverse effects of this exercise are mitigated." The shutdown will have a significant impact on the country's power supply, but the government is taking measures to mitigate the impact on consumers. The procurement of additional gas from Nigeria, HFO, and LCO will help to complement available domestic gas for power generation. This will ensure that the country's power supply remains stable and reliable during the maintenance programme. The Ministry of Energy has urged the public to exercise patience during this period and assured them that the maintenance programme will ultimately benefit the country's power sector. From right to left: Her Excellency Madam Claudia and Dr. Marzuq 30.03.2023 LISTEN Introduction As brutal jihadists continue to wreak havoc on humanity in the name of Islam, many people are convinced that Islam is a religion of violence. This Paper seeks to disabuse the people of this misconception arising from the ignorance of the jihadists themselves. Based on a qualitative approach, the Paper conducts a normative analysis of the symbiosis between Islam and education as instruments of human dignity and global peace. Among the literature reviewed are relevant verses of the Holy Quran and secular viewpoints on education and peace. The Paper concludes that contrary to the jihadist mentality, Islam and education are partners in peace and tools of service to humanity. It is significant to state that this article comprises excerpts from a recent presentation by the author at a conference in Bogota, Colombia. Religion Religion is an organized collection of beliefs , cultural systems , and world views that relate humanity to an order of existence. Many religions have narratives , symbols , and sacred histories that are intended to explain the meaning and the origin of life or the Universe . From their beliefs about the cosmos and human nature , people derive morality , ethics , religious laws or preferred lifestyle s. According to some estimates, there are about 4, 200 religions in the world (Kenneth, 2010). Many religions may have organized behaviors , clergy , definitions of adherence or membership, holy places , and scriptures . The practice of a religion may also include rituals , sermons , commemoration or veneration of a deity , gods or goddesses , sacrifices , festivals , trance s, matrimonial services , meditation , prayer , music , art , dance , public service or other aspects of human culture. Religions may also contain mythology . Consequently, religion can be simply defined as a way of life and total submission to the will of God or a supreme being and for the good of society. Education Education is an essential component of all civilized religions. This is because all religions teach values, customs, traditions, and ethics, which must be learnt and obeyed by practitioners. The Divine Books of various religions are enough to illustrate the importance of education in religion. For instance, the Holy Quran serves as the guiding social principle and spiritual constitution for Muslims. Indeed, Islam is built on the foundation of education. This assertion is evidenced by a Hadith Al-Qudsi in which Almighty Allah commands Muslims: Know me before you worship me. Another piece of evidence is that the first divine revelation to Prophet Mohammed in Quran is about knowledge seeking education: Read in the name of thy Lord! [Quran 96: 1] Also, there are countless rhetorical questions in the Holy Quran, challenging man to engage in critical thinking and research, which are known activities in contemporary education. Afalaata-aqiluun, afalaa tazakkaruun, afalaa tubsiruun..? (Dont you think? Dont you ponder? Dont you observe?) All these Quranic justifications of education are reinforced by a prophetic Hadith which seems to be a replica of modern educational systems structured and unstructured. Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave, Prophet Mohammed urges Muslims. Put within the context of contemporary education, this Hadith is not different from the organized system of education from Primary School to University, from First Degree to Doctoral Degree, from Lectureship position to Professorial Status. It is a reality that no matter ones level of knowledge, one can only preserve the knowledge by continuous revision and further learning outside the classroom. This is corroborated by Secular Scholars such as Plato and Gagne. Plato describes man as a learning being, and in the opinion of Gagne, there is more learning outside the classroom than inside the classroom. That is why Adult Education, also known as Continuing or Life Long Learning, has become a booming area of knowledge seeking in modern society. The right to education has been recognized by some governments. At the global level, Article 13 of the United Nations ' 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights recognizes the right of everyone to education. Education, in this discourse, is then defined as sharing of knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes intended to serve God and humanity. This way, education is expected to be a gateway to civilization, peace, stability, and happiness of humanity. Indeed, it is to help establish a just society where people of varied cultures, races, religions, and ideologies would live in harmony and progress. Comparative Analysis of Religion and Education Having attempted to understand religion and education, we need to analyze salient aspects of the two concepts in comparative terms. Educational experts believe that every responsible education is built on Four Main Areas: Objectives, Content, Methodology, and Evaluation. These are certainly salient areas of education. According to educational literature, the main objective of education is service to humanity, as the various kinds of knowledge acquired are applied for the advancement of society. In a similar manner, the fundamental objective of every serious religion is to maintain order for the enjoyment of mankind and for service to God. That is why Allah tells Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) in the Holy Quran: And We have sent you (O Muhammad) not but as mercy for the Aalameen (mankind, jinns and all that exists). [Quran 21:107]. In all varieties of education the contents are in the form of books, journals, and other academic materials. Comparatively, all religious teachings are contained in Holy Books and other forms of divine literature. For instance, Islamic Teachings are documented in the Holy Quran and in Prophetic Ahaadith the traditions of Prophet Mohammed. These are complemented by publications of Islamic Scholars on spiritual and jurisprudential matters. Methodology, with its associated areas such as instructional design, is determined by the type of education. While Pedagogy is good for the lower levels of formal education, Andragogy is suitable for the higher levels and all forms of Adult Education life Long Learning. Similarly, the methodology of propagating the word of Allah is in two folds wisdom and good counseling, not violence and compulsion. Allah commands in the Holy Quran: Call to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and good counseling... [Quran 16: 125]. Evaluation in formal education is done through examinations, take-home assignments, research projects and term papers. In a university, for example, these forms of evaluation constitute the criteria for degree classifications: First Class, Second Class Upper, Second Class Lower, Third Class, and Pass (in British and other settings). In America the classifications are SUMMA CUM LAUDE: First Class, MAGNA CUM LAUDE: Second Class, and CUM LAUDE: Third Class. In fact, the degree is awarded for a work done within a specific period of time. Similarly, Almighty Allah evaluates peoples submission to Him and rewards them accordingly. These rewards would form the final awards on the Day of Judgment. This day is described by Quran as: The day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail, except him who brings to Allah a clean heart. [Quran 26:88-89]. Another verse states: That Day people will emerge segregated to see the RESULTS of their actions. Whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it. Whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it. [Quran 99: 6-8]. Certainly, some would win the award of Paradise, and others that of Hell. Allah says: That Day some faces will be radiant, laughing, rejoicing. That Day some faces will be dust-covered, overcast with gloom. Those are the dissolute unbelievers. [Quran 80: 38-42]. In another verse Allah emphasizes: Verily, the dwellers of the Paradise, that Day, will be busy in joyful things. [Quran 36: 55] Islam and Terrorism In view of the above facts, it is clear that Islam does not sanction terrorism. It is equally a bitter truth that some ignoramuses commit terrorism in the name of Islam. But that cannot warrant the charge of terrorism against the religion. In its evolution, humanity has experienced a lot of evils committed by non-Muslims. Socio-political evils like slavery, racism, colonialism, and imperialism have been perpetrated by non-Muslims. The dungeons of slavery and colonialism at Cape Coast Castle in Ghana are still indelible scars of agony to all lovers of human dignity. Africans in general and South Africans in particular are still nursing the wounds of Apartheid which was fueled not by Muslims but by the latter-day apostles of democracy and human rights. Beyond Africa, the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is still an insult to the sanctity of human life. Holocaust remains a man-made tragedy of unspeakable proportions, which once reduced a section of the human race to the semblance of the animal kingdom. The killing of about 20 million Aborigines in Australia and more than 50 million Indians in South America is still one of the darkest chapters in the history of mankind. Muslims never engaged in all these crimes against humanity, but it is unfair to associate the crimes with the religions of the perpetrators. Conclusion In the light of the above analyses, it has become obvious that education and religion are for public good in all civilized societies. Both concepts are instruments of peace and light, and not weapons of darkness and aggression. It is also significant to mention that Islam, as a champion of knowledge, embraces all forms of education, provided they are designed to serve the interests of humanity and of Almighty Allah. Moreover, it is unacceptable to discredit any religion because of the misconduct of some of its adherents. In addition, it has come to light that irresponsible journalism and provocative activism, evidenced by the insulting satirization of Prophet Mohammed and burning of Quran, are a phase of (psychological) terrorism. Recommendation In the interest of global peace and security, the following recommendations could be significant: Provocation of Muslims by a section of the international media in the name of freedom of expression must stop. Besides, governments, institutions, and individuals must refrain from hiding behind semantics to justify provocative publications and outright campaign of calumny against any religion. It is important to note that the threat to global peace is not only by the actions of the armed terrorists. It is also by the words of intellectual terrorists; by the provocation of (Western) hegemonic terrorists, and by the sponsorship of selected terrorist organizations on the pay-roll of (Gulf) financial terrorists. There must be an effective mechanism to check the activities of all these types of terrorists to promote global security. It is an ignorant Muslim who thinks that terrorism is part of Islam. More ignorant than the ignorant Muslim is a non-Muslim who believes that Islam should be judged by the acts of terrorists hiding behind it. We stand by our condemnation of the massacre of innocent people by terrorists, mourn with the families of the victims, and pray that Allah arrest the perpetrators and deal with them in His own right and might. Dedication This piece is dedicated to Her Excellency Madam Claudia Milena Vaca, Charge daffaire of the Embassy of Colombia in Ghana, for her facilitation of our entry to the Latin American country of amazing people and cultures. May the Lord continue to grant her the capacity to excel in her diplomatic career. By Dr. Mohammed Marzuq Abubakari, Personal Assistant to the National Chief Imam of Ghana and Lecturer, University of Applied Management, Ghana 30.03.2023 LISTEN The Odumase-Krobo Circuit Court convicted a man, William Ntow, to 7-year in prison on Wednesday after he was found guilty of stealing Vodafone telecommunication cables in the area. The Akosombo District Police arrested Ntow near Sakora Park, a suburb of the town, after Vodafone Ghana lodged a complaint regarding frequent cable cuts, which had been causing disruptions to the company's services for the past few weeks. Officers arrested Ntow with a 200-pair size cable measuring 1,400 meters and valued at GH552,500.00. The conviction comes as a relief to Vodafone Ghana, which had been grappling with the ongoing issue of cable theft and its impact on services. John Animah, Corporate Security Manager at Vodafone Ghana, spoke about the arrest and subsequent conviction, stating, We are grateful to the Akosombo District Police for their swift action in apprehending the suspect. Cable theft has been a persistent issue for our company, and this arrest sends a strong message to would-be thieves that such criminal activities will not be tolerated. Vodafone Ghana has been working closely with law enforcement agencies to tackle the problem of cable theft and mitigate its impact on the company's services and customers. The arrest and conviction of William Ntow are significant steps forward in addressing the issue and deterring potential criminals. Preba Greenstreet, Legal and External Affairs Director at Vodafone Ghana, also commented on the case. The conviction of William Ntow serves as a warning to others who may consider engaging in cable theft. It's important to understand that this isn't a victimless crime. It disrupts vital communication services and affects businesses and individuals alike. We will continue to collaborate with law enforcement and other relevant stakeholders to combat this problem and protect our infrastructure. The cable theft issue has far-reaching consequences, affecting not only Vodafone Ghana but also its customers and the larger community. Service disruptions caused by cable theft can cause significant financial losses for businesses and create inconveniences for individuals who rely on stable telecommunications services for work, education, and daily life. As Vodafone Ghana continues to invest in and expand its infrastructure across the country, ensuring the security and integrity of its networks is a top priority. The company has implemented various measures, including enhanced surveillance and security systems, to protect its assets and ensure reliable services for its customers. This recent conviction highlights the need for continued vigilance and cooperation among all stakeholders to protect critical infrastructure and ensure a stable, secure, and connected future for all Ghanaians. Gov. Doug Burgum has rejected a bill that would raise North Dakotas interstate highway speed limit to 80 mph. Burgum on Thursday announced his veto of House Bill 1475 by Rep. Ben Koppelman, R-West Fargo. The bill had passed the House of Representatives in a veto-proof 65-29 vote, but it squeaked out of the Senate, 25-21, far shy of whats needed to override a veto. The House is set to vote on overriding the veto on Monday. The House on Thursday passed a bill for primary seat belt enforcement, a change Burgum has sought. Veto Burgum cited his administrations Vision Zero initiative to reduce traffic deaths as a reason for his veto. North Dakota logged 98 crash deaths on roads in 2022, the lowest since 97 in 2002. "Increasing the maximum speed limit on interstate highways increases both the risk of speed-related crashes and the potential severity of such crashes," Burgum wrote in his veto message to House Speaker Dennis Johnson, R-Devils Lake. Burgum cited the deaths of 178 people in speed/aggressive driving-related crashes from 2017-21 in North Dakota, as well as speeding or traveling too fast for conditions being a factor in 30-40% of all fatal crashes in North Dakota each year. The bill would raise the interstate highway speed limit from 75 mph to 80 mph. There are two interstates in North Dakota -- I-94 running east and west across the south, including through Bismarck-Mandan, and I-29 running north and south through the eastern Red River Valley. Koppelman told the House last month that the state Department of Transportation would retain the ability to adjust the speed limit in areas of concern, such as curves and the scenic Badlands section near Medora, and could work with cities to determine the speed limit where interstates go through urban areas and the highway speeds are reduced. Koppelman has unsuccessfully proposed the bill three other times. Koppelman called Burgum's veto "disappointing," especially on the day when the House voted on Senate Bill 2362 by Sen. Dean Rummel, R-Dickinson, for primary seat belt enforcement, a longtime proposal from previous years. Seat belts The bill would require all occupants of a vehicle to wear a seat belt, not just those in front seats. Law enforcement officers could issue citations as a primary offense. Not wearing a seat belt is a secondary offense, meaning officers can cite the offense only after another traffic infraction. The House passed the bill, 53-38, after lengthy debate. The Senate in February passed the bill, 31-14. Supporters said seat belts save lives. Opponents cited personal freedom in buckling up. Rep. Eric Murphy, R-Grand Forks, described his daughter and her friend surviving a rollover crash. Both wore seat belts, he said. "What if she hadnt been wearing her belt and bounced around inside the cabin of the vehicle? What would her injuries have been? What would her medical bills have been?" Murphy told the House. Rep. Robin Weisz, R-Hurdsfield, called seat belt use "a matter of choice," with little evidence that more people will buckle up due to the bill's changes. Rep. Dan Ruby, R-Minot, said, "Yes, driving is a privilege, but people also are responsible for themselves as well, and if they choose for some reason in some short distance or other reason they have while they're driving to not wear the seat belt, that's them taking responsibility for themselves." House Majority Leader Mike Lefor, R-Dickinson, cited statistics and benefits of seat belts in reducing crash deaths and mitigating injuries: 51% of traffic fatalities from 2017-21 on North Dakota roads were of people not wearing seat belts. "We want to be safe. We want our families and friends to be safe," the top House Republican said. He also cited his brother and nephew surviving a rollover on icy roads. Both wore their seat belts and suffered minor injuries, Lefor said. "I called him the next day to see how he was doing. He picked up the phone, he didn't say hello. He said, 'Wear your seat belts,'" Lefor said. Burgum called a primary seat belt law "a reasonable and responsible means of mitigating the increased risk of a higher speed limit." "In the absence of a primary seat belt law, I am unable to support the heightened risk of an increased speed limit on interstates," he wrote in his veto message. Koppelman told the Tribune that passage of the seat belt bill could improve the chances of the 80 mph proposal. The House Transportation Committee also has "the opportunity to amend that language onto another bill," he added. Supporters also may try to rally votes in the Senate, where they need seven additional votes in favor of the bill to override Burgum's veto. Neighboring Montana and South Dakota each has an 80 mph interstate highway speed limit. 30.03.2023 LISTEN Former President John Dramani Mahama has condemned the Akufo-Addo and Bawumia government for causing pensioners more pain and suffering from the effect of its poor management of the economy. According to Mr. Mahama, after borrowing recklessly and irresponsibly, government has taken funds belonging to pensioners. Our own pensioners who have finished active service to the nation and are going to rest, the money that they earned that is supposed to feed them, [money] that they used to buy government bonds, today, this government says they cannot pay them what is theirs, he said. The former president was speaking at a campaign meeting with branch and constituency executives in the Awutu Senya West Constituency during his 'Building the Ghana we want together tour of the Central Region. I ask myself: are you God to determine that the retiree will live that long to receive his or her money by 2035? Yet, that is how they have structured things. This is money that our pensioners use to purchase their little medicines to cater for themselves, Mr. Mahama noted. President Mahama therefore called for Ghanaians to vote out the NPP government in 20204 for its lack of sensitivity and consideration. If a government can behave like this to a segment of its most vulnerable population, that government does not deserve to remain in power, he said. Citi Newsroom Justice Eric Baah's judgment in the GHS25-million Anas Aremeyaw Anas v Kennedy Agyapong defamation case was thorough, transparent and accountable, former Attorney General Martin Amidu has said. The judge dismissed the case and described Mr Aremeyaw's suit as meritless. He said the plaintiff practices investigative terrorism instead of investigative journalism. The judge noted that some of the exhibits of the case outed the plaintiff as a corrupt blackmailer who extorts money from the subjects pf his targeted investigations. Analysing the judgment in an article, Mr Amidu, a former Special Prosecutor, said: "I have painstakingly read and re-read the 64-page judgment of the trial High Court in Anas v Agyapong [case] using all the knowledge, experience, and arsenals in the legal armory I have acquired over the past upwards of four-and-a-half decades (45 years) when I held myself out as a private legal practitioner, a public officer serving in various capacities, including Deputy Attorney General, Minister of the Interior, and Attorney General, amongst others. I declined for personal reasons my proposed elevation as a justice to the Supreme Court in 1999. I am now retired and hold no licence to practice law." Mr Amidu said "while one may disagree with the judgment or aspects of the judgment of the learned trial judge in the case, no rational person learned in the law can fault the trial judge for the transparent and accountable manner he went about stating the facts, the issues, the burden of proof and other methodological procedure that enabled him to arrive at his evaluation of the evidence and the conclusions upon his appreciation and understanding of the evidence that unfolded before him at the trial". "I make these statements based solely upon the content of the judgment which I downloaded from open source when the media published it", he explained. "I read the judgment without any previous bank of knowledge about Mr. Justice Eric Baah, JA, sitting as an additional High Court Judge. I have never known or remember ever meeting him, and to the best of my recollection it was the first time I was hearing about him or reading a judgment authored by him. In my candid view after reading the judgment over and over again, I was left in no doubt that the learned trial judge had performed his judicial duty as a trial judge would do based on his appreciation of the evidence before him and the law as he elucidated and understood it". In his view, the trial judge "exhibited a consciousness of the fact that generally in a civil trial, the burden of proof is on the preponderance of probabilities". "The judge underscored the evidential requirement that where, however, a criminal act is the issue in a civil trial, the burden of persuasion requires proof beyond reasonable doubt, though the sufficiency of the evidence required to attain that standard would depend, to a large extent, on the gravity of that particular offence". "The trial judge also exhibited a consciousness of the fact that he was not sitting as a criminal trial court trying crimes but as a civil court trying a case of defamation which had in issue allegations of criminal act(s). The trial judge through the thoroughness of his analysis and legal reasoning demonstrated in his judgment that he was not convicting any of the parties to the action of any criminal offence or having the power to sentence any of them", Mr Amidu argued further. He observed: "The judge reminded himself of his duty to evaluate the evidence, the facts, the law and make findings on the balance of probabilities whether the plaintiff had made out a case of defamation or had failed to do so as a result of the defence put forward by the defendant". He said: "In performing his duty as a trial civil court for the tortious offence of defamation he made findings that there was on the balance of probabilities forgery, blackmailing, bribery and corruption, an alleged murder, etcetera, justifiably made by the defendant against the plaintiff. But these findings did not constitute criminal convictions for which the losing party may be sentenced to jail". Mr Amidu explained that a trial court or appellate court "commits no offence in making such findings and giving judgment based upon those findings in civil trials and civil appeals". "The rules of evidence make it clear in Ghana that in civil trials the availability of a judgment convicting a person for a crime at a criminal trial does not even relieve the civil trial judge from satisfying himself on the evidential burden in the civil trial where a criminal act is in issue", he explained, noting: "Section 127(1) of Ghanas Evidence Decree, 1975 (Act 323) and the accompanying Commentary throws light on this matter". Read Mr Martin Amidu's full article below: The High Court (General Jurisdiction 2) Accra, on 15 March 2023 after hearing the defamation action brought by Anas A. Anas against Kennedy Agyepong and considering the evidence adduced at the trial concluded that: I state in conclusion, that whereas all the statements founded on exhibits KOA1, KOA2, KOA3 and KOA4 were truthful and factual, thereby sustaining defendants defence of justification and fair comment, the statements in plaintiffs exhibit C; though capable of defamatory meanings, were not proven to have actually defamed the plaintiff. I found the claims of plaintiff merit-less. It is hereby dismissed. ANAS A. ANAS AS THE PLAINTIFF Anas A. Anas the Plaintiff dabbles both as a lawyer and an internationally acclaimed investigative journalist. Anas A. Anas knowingly and voluntarily caused his action to be commenced by one Listowell Bukarson on behalf of Anas A. Anas as the plaintiff. This was by virtue of a power of attorney authorizing him to bring the action in the name of the plaintiff, Anas A. Anas on 18 June 2018 for twenty-five million Ghana cedis (GHS25million) damages. The writ of summons was amended on 20 November 2018 after the defendant had filed his statement of defence on 13 November 2018. The Plaintiff then replied on 21 January 2019 to close the pleadings. The filing of the action through an attorney as an agent of a principal is not controversial and is enabled by law. Any act in any court required or authorized by the law to be made or done by a party in such court may be done by an authorized agent. The question is whether the attorney can testify on behalf of the plaintiff on matters which are not within his personal knowledge. Did the attorney see or witness the transactions alleged? As far as the requirement that he should testify about what he actually did see or heard is concerned, the attorney could not testify about what the plaintiff himself witnessed or heard. The rule against admissibility of hearsay evidence is statutory. Anas A. Anas, the plaintiff put himself in a situation of being incapable of giving relevant and primary evidence in person and be cross-examined because he lives in the fear of his own shadow as an anti-corruption entrepreneur and not as a genuine anti-corruption crusader. Anas A. Anas thus lost the only opportunity to publicly tell the court his version of the facts within his personal knowledge and to be cross-examined to establish his credibility. Genuine anti-corruption crusaders do not hide their faces behind masks. READING AND EVALUATING THE JUDGMENT I have painstakingly read and re-read the 64-page judgment of the trial High Court in ANAS v AGYEPONG using all the knowledge, experience, and arsenals in the legal armory I have acquired over the past upwards of four and half decades (45 years) when I held myself out as a private legal practitioner, a public officer serving in various capacities, including Deputy Attorney General, Minister of the Interior, and Attorney General, amongst others. I declined for personal reasons my proposed elevation as a justice to the Supreme Court in 1999. I am now retired and hold no licence to practice law. But I say that while one may disagree with the judgment or aspects of the judgment of the learned trial judge in the case, no rational person learned in the law can fault the trial judge for the transparent and accountable manner he went about stating the facts, the issues, the burden of proof and other methodological procedure that enabled him to arrive at his evaluation of the evidence and the conclusions upon his appreciation and understanding of the evidence that unfolded before him at the trial. I make these statements based solely upon the content of the judgment which I downloaded from open source when the media published it. I read the judgment without any previous bank of knowledge about Mr. Justice Eric Baah, JA, sitting as an additional High Court Judge. I have never known or remember ever meeting him, and to the best of my recollection it was the first time I was hearing about him or reading a judgment authored by him. In my candid view after reading the judgment over and over again, I was left in no doubt that the learned trial judge had performed his judicial duty as a trial judge would do based on his appreciation of the evidence before him and the law as he elucidated and understood it. The trial judge exhibited a consciousness of the fact that generally in a civil trial, the burden of proof is on the preponderance of probabilities. The judge underscored the evidential requirement that where, however, a criminal act is the issue in a civil trial, the burden of persuasion requires proof beyond reasonable doubt, though the sufficiency of the evidence required to attain that standard would depend, to a large extent, on the gravity of that particular offence. The trial judge also exhibited a consciousness of the fact that he was not sitting as a criminal trial court trying crimes but as a civil court trying a case of defamation which had in issue allegations of criminal act(s). The trial judge through the thoroughness of his analysis and legal reasoning demonstrated in his judgment that he was not convicting any of the parties to the action of any criminal offence or having the power to sentence any of them. The judge reminded himself of his duty to evaluate the evidence, the facts, the law and make findings on the balance of probabilities whether the plaintiff had made out a case of defamation or had failed to do so as a result of the defence put forward by the defendant. In performing his duty as a trial civil court for the tortious offence of defamation he made findings that there was on the balance of probabilities forgery, blackmailing, bribery and corruption, an alleged murder, etcetera, justifiably made by the defendant against the plaintiff. But these findings did not constitute criminal convictions for which the losing party may be sentenced to jail. A trial court or appellate court commits no offence in making such findings and giving judgment based upon those findings in civil trials and civil appeals. The rules of evidence make it clear in Ghana that in civil trials the availability of a judgment convicting a person for a crime at a criminal trial does not even relieve the civil trial judge from satisfying himself on the evidential burden in the civil trial where a criminal act is in issue. Section 127(1) of Ghanas Evidence Decree, 1975 (Act 323) and the accompanying Commentary throws light on this matter. POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT AND COHORT SCANDALIZATION OF THE COURT After reading the judgement of the trial court several times, I decided to research how the judgment was perceived in the politicized environment of Ghana of today where even truth is turned on its head by paid political communicators, partisan political elites, and politicians seeking raw political power with no iota of the basic democratic morality or values premised on the interest of the ordinary citizen. Anas A. Anass Action and Reaction to Judgment Anas A. Anas was not compelled by the judiciary to bring an action for defamation before any level of the court system against Kennedy Agyepong. He consciously and voluntarily chose to do so in the expectation that he may prevail at the trial. Any party losing in the trial court has a right of appeal if he formed the view that there were appealable grounds against the decision of the trial court. The right of appeal is exercisable by both parties up to the Supreme Court provided they guide against abusing the process of the court with spurious actions and appeals. But a losing party or his cohorts who impute partiality or impropriety to the judge or court commit the offence of scandalizing the trial judge, the court, and the administration of justice as an institution and are in contempt of Court whether or not the losing party subsequently files an appeal against the judgment. The decision of Supreme Court in the case of REPUBLIC v MENSA-BONSU & OTHERS, EX PARTE ATTORNEY-GENERAL [1995- 96] 1 GLR 377 governs the situation. Anas A. Anas, a lawyer, and the founding partner in Cromwell Gray LLP with William Agyebeng, now the Special Prosecutor, and his cohorts appeared to assume that when a trial goes against ones expectations, the trial judge must be vilified and attacked as an excuse for filing an appeal. The plaintiff was reported to have said, amongst other things, about the judgment that went against him that: My team of lawyers and I have carefully studied the judgement delivered by the court and we are unanimous that the judge made an overreach and descended into the arena and made a criminal pronouncement about me as if I was standing a criminal trial. The civil action for defamation which Anas A. Anas voluntarily brought before the trial court involved criminal acts which were the issue in a civil trial and the trial judge was bound to make determinations on them in the civil trial. How could the trial judge do that without using the rules of evidence on the burden of proof which any trial court is bound to consider in making its findings on the evidence? The impression that by performing his judicial functions in exercise of the judicial power guaranteed under the 1992 Constitution the trial judge had descended into the arena of conflict is an attack on the independence and impartiality of the judge and constitutes a scurrilous abuse of the court. One who has confidence in his cause will quietly go on appeal without making any political fussy to save face. Reaction from the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) & The Fourth Estate On the same day, another investigative journalist who has received the Anas Aremeyaw Anas investigative journalist award from the Press Foundation and is associated or works under a project of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), heaped scandalous abuse on the trial judge, the court, and the judiciary as an institution. He was quoted to have said, inter alia, that: The judge said what Anas does is investigative terrorism and not investigative journalism. Having gone through the judgment, however, one wont be an inch away from the truth to conclude that what happened is judicial terrorism. The Executive Director of the MFWA in an interview on JoyNews Newsfile on Saturday, 18 March 2021 (who works with the journalist who scandalized the trial judge, court and the judiciary as engaged in judicial terrorism) was reported to have used words disparaging and constituting scurrilous abuse of the court and the judiciary as an institution. He was quoted on open source as saying that: the Judges decision went beyond probing whether what Kennedy Agyapong said was true, or not true, justifiable, fair and whatever, to actually himself defaming the character of Anas. It is an abuse of the independence guaranteed the media under the 1992 Constitution to accuse a judge sitting as a judge in exercise of his judicial functions and powers of defaming the character of a plaintiff who voluntarily submitted himself to the jurisdiction of the court and gave evidence to the court through an agent-attorney. The imputation of partiality and impropriety to the court, the administration of justice, and the trial judges character constitutes contempt of scandalizing the judge and the administration of justice. As Mrs. Justice A. Dordzie, J (as she then was) decided in the REPUBLIC v GENERAL PORTFOLIO & 3 OTHERS, Suit No. MISC. 932/96, High Court, Accra, 9 August 1996 (Unreported), the slightest suggestion of bias will be contempt and thus the defence of fair comment is not recognized in contempt scandalizing the court. It is the last thing one would have expected from the MFWA CDD-Ghanas Endorsement of Subterfuge and other pending matters On the same JoyNews Newsfile on Saturday, 18 March 2023, Dr. Pumpuni Asante of CDDGhana was reportedly quoted to have said that there are many cases that demand that the investigators resort to deception in order to bring the issue to the attention of the public for thorough investigations to be conducted in order to punish the perpetrators. Dr Asante is reported to have justified the unethical use of subterfuge by the executive branch, and private and unlicensed covert investigators in the following words: there are many issues around corruption that you have to use subterfuge to get to the matter. And often when it happens, it will lead to an investigationa substantive investigationlike in the FIFA case, it led to a substantive investigation and then it helps society to address these problems in society, Dr. Pumpuni Asantes disdain for investigatory and prosecutorial ethics which is the foundation of constitutionalism, democracy and the rule of law that upholds the dignity of the citizen from covert state and private unlicensed investigatory overreach for the preservation of the right to be presumed innocent and the right against self-incrimination only confirms my earlier conclusions about what I referred to in my article, The Fight Against Corruption Requires A High Degree of Crusading Integrity And Not Entrepreneurship of 16 September 2022 on the supposed doyen of the NGOs, CDD-Ghana. CDD-Ghana is the supposed doyen of the entrepreneurial NGOs in Ghana because as reported in a Modern Ghana article, Corruption Watch Ghana is an initiative by the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) and a coalition of anti-corruption civil society organizations including, Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), Ghana Anti- Corruption Coalition (GACC), and Africa Center for International Law and Accountability (ACILA) I came to the considered conclusion in my article of 16 September 2022 on the high degree of crusading integrity required to fight corruption and not entrepreneurship that: The same influence peddling or trading of influence can be seen on the website of the OSP where two of the leading foreign influenced NGOs have become integral partners of an independent OSP: Afrobarometer-Center for Democracy and Development (CDD), and Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) without the slightest shame of any conflict of interest in rigging the elections to Chairpersonship of the governing council of the OSP and violating Section 22 of Act 959 which forbids the OSP from accepting any funds directly or indirectly from anybody except from or through the Ministry of Finance. This partnership clearly negates the independence of the OSP and now enhances the ability of the NGOs to use influence peddling or trading of influence to source funds, grants and donations from foreign sources first to meet their administrative expenses and salaries, and secondly to interfere in the independent operations of the OSP. It is Dr. Pumpuni Asante and CDD-Ghanas unethical approach to hallowed law enforcement and prosecutorial rules and conventions that has led him to trivialize a considered judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction in Ghana by justifying subterfuge in investigations which the trial court found as being inconsistent with the rule of law and justice in the defamation claim by the plaintiff. I am not surprised by the attitude of CDD-Ghana and its Corruption Watch Ghana initiative because one of their close associates was brave enough to confess to the Deputy Special Prosecutor and I when I was the Special Prosecutor that they had funded a journalist to undertake covert investigation of a public official. The associate told us that, thereafter the associate negotiated with the Minister for National Security to persuade the President to refer the resultant covert investigation to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) for further investigation and prosecution. When the Government had done the associates bidding, the anti-corruption coalition petitioned the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice as well. The CDDGhana had gotten the head of its close associate unto the OSP without ever stopping to think of how unethical it was to involve the OSP as an independent anti-corruption agency in a covert investigation funded by one of its minions on the OSP governing board. The conflict of interest involved in the whole funded subterfuge operation by the CDDGhanas associate tainted the independent investigatory and prosecutorial discretion of the OSP. I found it unconstitutional and unethical as a former Deputy Attorney General and Attorney General to have exercised any prosecutorial discretion in the referral by the Presidency obtained through blackmail before I resigned as the Special Prosecutor. These are the very anti-corruption civil society organizations who are the leading foreign funded and influential NGOs in Ghana now constituting integral partners of a supposedly independent OSP. The journalist for hire or for sale who was funded for the covert operations has received multiple year after year awards from this associate of the CDD-Ghana without any disclosure of the hiring or buying fees paid to the journalist for his entrepreneurial services as an investigative journalist. The audio and video materials admitting the funding used to hire or buy the investigative journalist is available on open source for those who care to research it. The reader should only make sure he accesses the full original audios and videos of the interviews and not the subsequent edited ones also now easily available on open source. Political reaction to the judgment at UPSA in lecture on financing political campaigns I also found it amazing that the judgment of the trial court became an instrument of cheap politicking on 22 March 2023 at a lecture on financing political campaigns, at the UPSA auditorium. The august Speaker, who is also a contender for one of the political partys flagbearership position at the coming party primaries was quoted as having said that: God willing, in 2025, when I have the opportunity to be the President of Ghana who has been a President before, I will come with priceless experience to fix our broken nation. I want us to build the Ghana we want together by writing not footnotes, not pages but chapters in the anticorruption history of our dear country Ghana. We must also uphold human rights, including freedom of expression and not be describing some journalists as terrorists. (Emphasis supplied). The problem I have with the insertion of the above last sentence as a cheap innuendo and malicious castigation of the court and the judge in the Speakers speech is that Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo excelled and exhibited more sophistication in deceiving Ghanaians for their votes at the 2016 elections only to throw those values and promises to the wind as President of Ghana. My second issue was whether the former Excellency even found time to read the trial judges 64 -page judgment in which the judge reminded himself in Section H, at page 11 to 13 of his considered judgment on H. Defamation and Freedom of Expression. As part of the trial judges analysis of freedom of expression versus the right to human dignity and its defence through the law of defamation, the court, amongst other things, at page 13 paragraph 2 stated that: The right to free speech and dignity of the individual are two competing constitutionally guaranteed values, none of which is superior to the otherIn contest in this case is the defendants right to free speech and expression, and the plaintiffs right to the inviolability of his dignity and reputationThe law of defamation however gives this court jurisdiction to umpire a dispute between an individuals right to dignity, and the right to free speech and expression, as this case presents. I shudder to think that the august Speaker at the UPSA whose main topic had to do with financing political campaigns was just copying from Nana Akufo Addos 2015-2016 over flogged psychological deception play book just to attain political power. My third concern was the deceptive allegation that the trial judge tagged journalist as terrorists without reference to the context of the findings and decisions contained in the trial courts judgment. The judgment states upon the available evidence at pages 60 to 62 of the judgment that: In his evidence in chief, defendant contended that the meeting in exhibit KOA4, was to plot to entrap the Prime Minister of Ivory Coast and the President of Ghana. The conversations in exhibits KOA3 and KOA4 appear very much to confirm that claim. As the fake Sheik stated in exhibit KOA3 they planned it very well. The President and the Prime Minister who plaintiff and his team targeted are the leaders of their nations. They embody the soul and spirit of the nations. .However, a pre-emptily, unjustified attacks on their credibility, unprovoked by any credible suspicion of a specific act of corruption engaged in or about to be engaged in by them, such as drawing them into a trap so as to be caught in a contrived corruption set up, as was alleged by the defendant, and backed by exhibits KOA4, was unwarranted and devious. It should be understood that as officers caught by plaintiff in his investigations have lost their jobs, an entrapped president may be compelled to resign out of shame or public pressure. That means, the plaintiff through his investigative antics can cause the removal of a president, and thereby upend the mandate given to him at the elections. That is not investigative journalism. It is investigative terrorism. It is exercise of indirect political power under the cloak of journalism (page 60). The serious aspect is that political, enemies of a president who could not stand him at an election, may hire the plaintiff to entrap him to undermine his presidency. Enemies of a state can also hire him just to destroy the political hierarchy. Xxxx In all honesty, the plot by plaintiff and his group in exhibit KOA4 has nothing to do with journalism. It was a scheme for grabbing power by the back door and satisfying plaintiffs insatiable taste for power, publicity, fame, awards, and rewards. Since the president is an embodiment of the soul of the nation, any unwarranted plot out of nothing to entrap him to destroy his reputation and undermine his authority is reproachable. The attacks of defendant on plaintiff on that ground deserves commendation and not condemnation (page 61). I hold in respect of exhibits KOA3 and KOA4, that any statements based on them were justified and passed the test of fair comment. In the result, the court finds established the defence of justification and fair comment in relation to the statements of defendant based on exhibits KOA1, KOA2, KOA3 and KOA4. Since those statements were justified, they could not have actually defamed the plaintiff (pages 62). I will rest my comments and criticism about the unwarranted political intervention by the former President without stirring further the hornets nest with other observations on the integrity of being an honest leader and a return of a Christ the messiah operating on my mind. Judgment based on evaluation of Exhibits, facts and evidence permissible by law The trial judges findings and conclusions are derived from the evidence as he evaluated them from Exhibits KOA1, KOA2, KOA3 and KOA4. I hold no brief for his appreciation of the facts, the evidence and conclusions on the law. But he is empowered by the 1992 Constitution to perform his judicial functions and exercise the judicial power entrusted to him as a superior court judge. The appellate process is clearly provided for in the Constitution and laws of Ghana to ensure the rule of law and not the rule of public opinion for the attainment of raw abusive political power. RESPONSIBILITY OF ANTI-CORRUPTION CRUSADERS AND POLITICAL LEADERS I hold the view that those who aspire to genuinely crusade against corruption as investigative journalists, and to lead this nation in the exercise of the executive power ought to show an example in upholding the integrity of the judicial process instead lending their voices to the cohorts of a losing party to scandalize and bring the administration of justice into disrepute. It should also be remembered that there are abundant documentary and other evidence of who created and facilitated Anas A. Anass rise as an anti-corruption entrepreneur and a covert political agent with unaccountable privileges. The OSP investigated these facts during my tenure in the pending Charles Bissue corruption investigation case reported to the OSP by letter under the signature of Kissi Agyebeng, who was then Anas A. Anas law firm partner at Cromwell Gray LLP. Kissi Agyebeng is now the Special Prosecutor. Anti-corruption as an endemic profitable enterprise for covert property acquisitions The fight against corruption has become the darling child of the most corrupt members of civil society organizations who see anti-corruption as a profitable enterprise which protects and removes every suspicion from those entrepreneurs of being endemically corrupt themselves. It is easy to squander donor funds under the guise of fighting corruption without raising an eyebrow. I wish one could make an inventory of the properties acquired by some of the management of the so called entrepreneurial anti-corruption civil society organizations and compare them to the acquisitions made by some honest public officers and the honest political office holder after several years of long service to mother Ghana. CORRUPT NON-DISCLOSURES OF BENEFICIAL INTERESTS AND CONCLUSIONS As I went about studying, examining, and analyzing the 64-page judgment in ANAS A. ANAS v KENNEDY AGYEPONG and researching the comments against the judgment I came across the fact that some of the critics and participants in the discourse on the judgment including JoyNews Newsfile were recipients of the Anas Award for Best Journalist set up by The Press Foundation. The Press Foundation, from open source material, was established by Anas A. Anass agent and attorney in the GHS25million defamation case, Listowell Bukarson, who commenced the action on Anas behalf as the plaintiff. These recipients of the Anas Award for Best Journalist have written, conducted radio and TV interviews scurrilously abusing and scandalizing the court without disclosing their interest and stake in the fortunes of Anas. A. Anas as the plaintiff or in his agent in the court who conferred the awards upon them in Kumasi and Bolgatanga through the Press Foundation. This is evidence of malicious criticism of the court and the trial judge. Presenting oneself to the public as an honest, impartial, and independent broker in maliciously criticizing the judgment of the court and scandalizing the court while being a beneficiary of an award set up in the suppose honour of the losing plaintiff is unpardonable corruption in the broadest and unethical sense. Courting and creating a perception of goodwill and integrity from the innocent public through subterfuge is a worse form of corruption also in a broadest and immoral sense. It is professionally unethical and corrupt, whichever profession or professions one belongs to. Ghana shall rise again one day in probity, transparency, and accountability under the 1992 Constitution. Martin A. B. K. Amidu 29 March 2023 Source: Classfmonline.com Ministry of Energy has disclosed that the Ghana Gas Company Limited on 25 March 2023, commenced a maintenance programme at its Atuabo Gas Processing Plant which is expected to last for a period of 14 days. The programme when completed, according to the Ministry, will ensure the reliability of the gas processing plant and transmission infrastructure. The shutdown will affect gas supply to some power plants and will ultimately result in interruption of power supply to some consumers. In the circumstances, the Ministry in a statement said the Electricity Company of Ghana will shortly release a schedule to this effect. In order to manage the impact of the shutdown, it said government is procuring additional gas from Nigeria, Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) and Light Crude Oil (LCO) to complement available domestic gas for power generation. Consistent with the Dum Siesie programme of ensuring reliable power supply through robust and necessary maintenance activities, the Ministry wishes to assure the general public that the Ministry is actively working with all stakeholders to ensure that any adverse effects of this exercise is mitigated, the statement added. Source: Classfmonline.com A new headquarters has been commissioned for the Army Special Operations Brigade (ASOB) at the Gondar Barracks in Burma Camp. The commissioning of the headquarters was done by Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), Major General (Maj Gen) Thomas Oppong-Peprah on Tuesday, March 28, The commissioning of the edifice adds to the tall list of projects by the Ghana Armed Forces. ASOB was promulgated in June 2015 but subsequently established and operationalised on 15 July 2021. This saw the merging of the 59 Airborne Force and 64 Infantry Regiment as its core with the training unit, known as the Army Special Operations Training School, Daboya. Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Maj Gen Oppong-Peprah said the creation of the Brigade was driven by the need for the Army to expand geographically to provide the required security for civil authorities. Maj Gen Oppong-Peprah He indicated that the Brigade has been involved in a host of activities in Ghana and outside the shores of the country since its establishment. The Brigade has participated in exercises such as Exercise African Lion in Morocco and Exercise Flintlock in Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana respectively. Maj Gen Oppong-Peprah further stressed that the need to provide a conducive working environment for all functional staff under Command accounted for the construction of the first phase of the ASOB HQ that will enable the smooth administration of personnel under the Brigade. He acknowledged the CEO of Geocom Limited, Mr. Festus Mawuli Yaw Kluvitsey, and Mr. Sampson Opare Agyemang of Prolicom Plus Company Limited, for ensuring that the building was completed on time. The Commander for ASOB, Brig Gen Berima Brako Owusu expressed gratitude to COAS for facilitating the construction of the edifice. Ashanti Region has seen an increase in maternal deaths after a total of 181 women died during childbirth in 2022. Health authorities in the region say the figure translates into 22 percent of the 875 mortalities recorded across the country in the year under review. Eclampsia and postpartum haemorrhage have been identified as major causes of maternal deaths in the region. Ashanti Regional Health Director, Dr. Emmanuel Tenkorang at the annual health performance review in Kumasi gave a further breakdown. Maternal mortality still remains a challenge in the region, during the year under review. Our maternal mortality rate increased marginally from 132 per 1,000 live births to 134 per 1,000 live births. The total number of maternal deaths recorded in the region was 181. The major cause of maternal deaths remains eclampsia and post-partum haemorrhage, while the percentage of maternal deaths was 20%, Ashanti Regional Health Director said. Director General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Kumah Aboagye called for systems to be strengthened to address maternal deaths. Our performance review at the national level has been very significant. We have decreases in institutional infant mortality rate across the nation. Our neo-mortality rate is down, institutional maternal mortality decreased from hundred and eleven to hundred and two, per hundred thousand live births. Dr. Patrick Kumah Aboagye further mentioned, I believe this is one of the lowest we ever recorded since we started recording institutional maternal mortality ratios. The number of total deaths reduced from 875 to 809. Ashanti region alone contributed 181. Theres more work to be done to address the issue. If we did 90% we will be doing much better. Member of Parliament for Afram Plains North, Betty Efua Krosbi Mensah, has expressed her displeasure over plans by the government to divert re-allocate an amount of 350 million euros meant for the construction of a road and bridge in her constituency. The MP says the government has proposed to use the funds for further construction works on the Accra-Kumasi highway. Speaking to journalists, the lawmaker said the move would affect the food production capacity of the area. We are very sad to bring you this news that the government has the intention of re-allocating this huge amount of money from constructing the road from Adawso to Ekye Amanfrom. The money is currently being allocated or re-allocated to construct the road that is Accra-Kumasi road. This situation is a very sad one for us the MPs representing the people of Afram Plains. Government enlisted why it prioritises Afram Plains, knowing very well that it is one of the food basket communities or districts in the country and that it was an opportunity to open the Afram Plains to the rest of the country, Afram Plains North MP lamented. Parliament in 2022 approved an amount of Three Hundred and Fifty Million Euros (350,000,000.00) for the construction of a bridge over the Afram River and the construction of 124Km of roads from Adawso-Bunso, Ekye Amanfrom and other specified roads within the Afram areas. Presenting the report of the Committee on Roads and Transport, the Chairman of the Committee, Kennedy Osei Nyarko, noted that Government recognises the important role that accessibility to road infrastructure plays in poverty reduction, fostering regional integration and enhancing economic development through income generation activities that are linked to agriculture and other sectors of the economy. By Citi Newsroom Former Deputy General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) who is also a member of the Campaign team for John Mahama, Peter Boamah Otokunor, is expecting the two other contenders in the flagbearer race to pull out and throw their weight behind Mahama. His comments follow a decision by businessman Ernest Kwaku Kobeah to withdraw from the race after facing the NDCs vetting committee. Otokunor while speaking to the media after balloting for John Mahama indicated that the decision for Ernest Kobeah to have joined the race was pointless. Well, its a welcoming decision and I anticipated that we will get that from the other contenders. But its election and everyone wants his name to be on the ballot, and we will have to go through it. If you ask me, its a needless venture for [the other contenders to be in the race with] the most marketed, the one with legacy. At this particular moment in our country, we need somebody who is experienced, Otokunor stated. Former Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Kojo Bonsu, and a former Finance Minister, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, are in the race with former President John Dramani Mahama. Businessman Ernest Kwaku Kobeah pulled out of the flagbearership race by submitting his letter to the NDC's elections committee on Wednesday, March 29. The presidential candidate hopeful who is a modern sewage system specialist and doubles as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of City Experts Limited Group in the UK, has expressed gratitude to the National Executives of the party after submitting his letter. Balloting for the NDCs presidential primaries concluded with John Dramani Mahama picking the first slot on the ballot. Kojo Bonsu, and former Finance Minister Dr. Kwabena Duffuor picked the second and third slots respectively. By Citi Newsroom Former Deputy Minister for Transport, Titus Nii Glover has thrown his weight behind Samuel Nartey George, Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo Prampram in his fight against LGBTQ+ in Ghana. Speaking during an engagement on TV3 on Wednesday, March 29, Titus Glover stressed that Ghana must not allow the West to impose LGBTQ+ on the country, adding that it is not part of the countrys culture and must be rejected. Im against it. Let me commend my younger brother Nartey George. Sam George, he has been the spear, the lone Ranger in this thing. "This gayism and lesbianism is a foreign culture. The west cannot tell us how to govern, how we should handle ourselves, Titus Nii Glover shared. The former Tema East MP continued, Fortunately for us when the Vice President was coming she came with her husband. But in the same west, they dont side with polygamy because that is unlawful under their system. We are two distinct people and nobody should push the other to do what we should do. Many Ghanaians have accused the US of attempts to impose LGBTQ+ on the government after Vice President Kamala Harris recent engagement with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo during her visit. Speaking at the Jubilee House in the presence of the press, the US Vice President said she is a strong advocate of human rights and believes it is important to support the freedom of everyone. For the American press who are here, you know that a great deal of work in my career has been to address human rights issues, equality issues across the globe including as well as the LGBTQ community and I feel very strongly about the importance of supporting freedom and supporting and fighting for quality among all people, Kamala Harris shared. Since that statement, the US Vice President has been condemned and implored to concentrate on issues confronting her country including gun violence in schools. The High Court in Accra has asked the Minority Leader Dr Ato Forson and two other accused persons in the financial loss case involving the purchase of some 50 ambulances during his time as deputy minister of finance to open their defence. This follows the court's decision that the prosecution has proved a prima facie case against the accused persons worthy of an answer. The trial which has been ongoing since 2022 has seen the state call five witnesses including Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman Manu, officers from the Finance Ministry, Health Ministry, Ambulance Service, and the Economic and Organised Crime Office to make its case. Mr Forson and two others are on trial for allegedly causing financial loss in the purchase of some ambulances during his time as Deputy Finance Minister. After discharging the last witness of the prosecution, the court adjourned the case to March 30 to rule on whether or not the state has proved a prima facie case for the accused persons to answer. The trial judge in a case of causing financial loss to the state brought against a former Deputy Finance Minister and current Minority Leader in Parliament, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has asked him to show proof of authorisation from the then Finance Minister to request the Bank of Ghana to set up Letters of Credit in favour of Big Sea Trading Limited. Delivering a ruling on a submission of no case brought by lawyers of Dr Forson, Justice Afia Serwaa Asare Botchwey said the prosecution had met the threshold of establishing a prima facie case against Dr Forson. She added that having reviewed all the arguments in court and written submissions of all parties, she was inclined to ask the accused to open his defence on two counts of causing financial loss to the state over the issuance of an LC in favour of Big Sea for the importation of some ambulances. She was quick to add, that this was only a preliminary ruling as the court was yet to make a determination of facts either way. She noted that the accused had stated in the cause of the trial that he had the authorisation to request the BoG to establish the letters of credit but had not offered conclusive evidence to back it. She said a statement taken from then former Finance Minister, Seth Terkper, was not conclusive as to whether or not he gave Dr Forson authority to have the LCs established. Justice Asare Botchwey explained that in criminal cases,it was the duty of the person making a positive averment to show proof thereof and not the party making a negative averment. This ruling appears to pave the way for Seth Terkper to be called as a witness for Dr Forson if the defence so wishes. The defence was given up to 11th April,2023 to file witness statements and indicate who those witnesses are. The North Dakota Senate has voted to override Gov. Doug Burgum's veto of a bill that would restrict how the state's public schools treat transgender students. Burgum, a Republican, announced his veto of Senate Bill 2231 on Thursday morning, citing the unnecessary burden it would place on teachers and school boards. The Senate's 37-9 vote to override the veto came about 10 hours later. To become law, the bill would now need at least a two-thirds majority vote in the House of Representatives. A House vote on the bill last week came in three votes shy of the two-thirds threshold. The bill sponsored by Sen. Larry Luick, R-Fairmount, at the request of the North Dakota Catholic Conference, would bar school districts and their governing boards from creating policies to accommodate transgender students unless parents give explicit permission. Denounced by LGBTQ advocates, the legislation says public school teachers cannot be required to use a students pronoun if it doesnt align with their sex at birth. A teacher would be allowed to use a transgender students preferred pronoun but only if the childs parents and a school administrator give their blessing. Schools would be prohibited from providing classroom instruction that recognizes the concept that gender identity can differ from sex at birth. The bill also states that public agencies and other government entities cant require employees to use a transgender colleagues preferred pronoun in work-related communications. Burgum said in a veto letter that the section of the bill governing schools "infringes on local control by unnecessarily injecting the state into rare instances most appropriately handled at the parent, teacher and school district level." The Republican governor noted that the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment already "prohibits compelled speech and protects teachers from speaking contrary to their beliefs." "Ambiguity throughout this bill would invite lawsuits and put teachers in the precarious position of trying to determine how to refer to students without violating law," Burgum said in the veto letter. "The teaching profession is challenging enough without the heavy hand of state government forcing teachers to take on the role of pronoun police. Parents, teachers and administrators using compassion, empathy and common sense can address individual and infrequent situations that may arise." "North Dakota will continue to stand for free speech, local control and freedom from discrimination," Burgum added. Luick's proposal was the first in what will likely be a series of bills targeting gender issues to cross Burgum's desk. Conservative lawmakers still are considering about a dozen other proposals that would restrict health care, activities and personal expression for transgender residents. 30.03.2023 LISTEN Mr Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, the Minister of Transport, says Ghana Airlines will be operational by June-July this year. Answering a question at the Ministers press briefing in Accra on Wednesday concerning the operationalisation of the Ghana Airlines, Mr Asiamah said the Ghana Airlines would be operational as a national carrier following the decision to award Ashanti Airlines, and its financial partner, Zotus Group, a tender to commence business. According to him, most of the processes had been completed and that the operator would start selling ticket in April and May and commence commercial flight by June-July, this year. I think the government took a decision to join the private sector to make sure that we have a national carrier. So far, I can tell you that the proponents have done so well. The regulator had to make sure that it is well branded. And they have satisfied all the requirements and they will soon launch their logo, he said. It has been more than 20 years since Ghana flew its own airline, although there have been some promises from the previous governments, with Mr Asiamah assuring that: Ghana Airways will fly again. My information from them is that by the end of May, they will start selling their ticket and by June/July we will see Ghana airline, flying in the sky, he added. A press statement issued by the Accountant Manager of the Ashanti Airlines on January 5, 2023, said the Airlines was a private registered Ghanaian airline, which had entered into partnership with the Government of Ghana to operate a national commercial air carrier to be known as Ghana Airlines Limited. The statement indicated that the partnership was in tandem with the Governments policy of enabling the private sector to drive growth and transformational agenda. The Airline has obtained its Air Carrier Licence (ACL) and is in the final stages of obtaining the Air Operator Certificate (AOC). Ghanas first national carrier Ghana Airways, established by the Government in 1958, stopped operating passenger flights in 2004 over financial challenges. GNA US Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday hailed Tanzania's leader Samia Suluhu Hassan as a "champion" of democracy, on the latest leg of her landmark trip to Africa. Harris, the first Black person and first woman to be elected US vice president, spoke alongside Hassan -- Tanzania's first female president who has been rolling back the authoritarian policies of her late predecessor John Magufuli. Harris said the two would discuss democracy, good governance, longterm economic growth and the climate crisis during her visit to the East African country. "On the subject of economic growth, good governance delivers predictability, stability and rules which businesses need to invest," Harris said, describing Hassan as a "champion" of democracy. "There is so much potential for growth here." Harris is on a three-nation trip to Africa, the latest push by the United States to deepen its engagement with the continent to counter the growing influence of China and Russia. Hassan, who marked her second year in office on March 19, has sought to turn the page on Magufuli's hardline rule, which had tarnished Tanzania's reputation as a stable country in a troubled region. Earlier this month, she vowed to restore competitive politics and jumpstart a stalled process to review the constitution, a long-held opposition demand. In January, Hassan announced the lifting of a ban on political rallies, paving the way for the return later that month of opposition stalwart Tundu Lissu after spending most of the past five years in exile. On Thursday, Harris also laid a wreath at a memorial commemorating the August 1998 bombing of the US embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's economic hub. The almost simultaneous attacks by Al-Qaeda in Tanzania and the US embassy in Kenya's capital Nairobi left more than 200 people dead and more than 5,000 wounded. As she wrapped up the first leg of her trip in Ghana on Wednesday, Harris announced an initiative of more than $1 billion to improve women's empowerment in Africa. In a speech in Ghana's capital Accra on Tuesday, she had noted three areas of focus Washington believes could benefit from more investments: women's empowerment, the digital economy and good governance and democracy. "We are 'all in' on Africa," she added, repeating US President Joe Biden's declaration at a US-Africa leaders' summit last year. From Tanzania, Harris heads to Zambia on Friday. pool-txw/pvh The Ghana Gas Company Limited has begun a 14-day maintenance of the Atuabo Gas Processing Plant on 25th March 2023. The maintenance, when completed, will ensure the reliability of the gas processing plant and transmission infrastructure. According to a statement from the Ministry of Energy, the shutdown may disrupt gas delivery to some power plants, resulting in power outages for some users, adding that the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) would shortly release a schedule to that effect. It added that the government was obtaining extra gas from Nigeria, as well as Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) and Light Crude Oil (LCO), to supplement available local gas for power generation to reduce the impact of the shutdown. The Ministry assured Ghanaians that it was working with stakeholders to mitigate any negative consequences of this operation. Consistent with the 'Dum Siesie' programme of ensuring reliable power supply through robust and necessary maintenance activities, the Ministry wishes to assure the general public that it is actively working with all stakeholders to ensure that any adverse effects of this exercise are mitigated, it said. The Chief of the Army Staff, Major General Thomas Oppong-Peprah, has commissioned the Army Special Operations Brigade at the Gondar Barracks in Burma Camp in Accra. The Army Special Operations Brigade was established in July 2021 by merging the 59 Airborne Force and 64 Infantry Regiment as its core with the training unit known as the Army Special Operations Training School in Daboya. Maj Gen Oppong-Peprah at the commissioning said the creation of the Brigade was driven by the need for the Army to expand geographically to provide the required security for civilians. According to him, the Brigade has been involved in a host of activities in Ghana and outside the country since its establishment, including Exercise African Lion in Morocco and Exercise Flintlock in Cote dIvoire. He acknowledged the CEO of Geocom Limited, Mr Festus Mawuli Yaw Kluvitsey and Mr Sampson Opare Agyemang of Prolicom Plus Company Limited for ensuring the building was completed on time. Dr. Kwaku Danso, a Research Fellow and Deputy Dean at the Faculty of Academic Affairs and Research, KAIPTC [left] and Prof. Kwesi Aning, the Director, Faculty of Academic Affairs and Research, KAIPTC [Right] 30.03.2023 LISTEN A research paper authored by two celebrated researchers at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) has won the International Affairs Centenary Prize. The article titled African experiences and alternativity in International Relations theorizing about security, written by Prof. Kwesi Aning, the Director, Faculty of Academic Affairs and Research, KAIPTC, and Dr. Kwaku Danso, a Research Fellow and Deputy Dean at the Faculty of Academic Affairs and Research at KAIPTC, emerged joint winners with Valerie Rosouxs article on How not to mediate conflict. The paper was published in the International Affairs Journals January 2022 Issue as part of its 100-year anniversary. International Affairs is one of the world's leading journals of international relations, publishing academically rigorous and policy relevant research on International Relations in the last century. As the journal moves into its second century, the International Affairs team aims to highlight those articles published in its 100th year that best embody the journals second century goals. The paper was one of six (6) research papers shortlisted for the Centenary Prize. After a rigorous selection process to select some of the finest articles for the prize, the jointly authored paper by KAIPTCs researchers emerged tops. Reacting to this prestigious win, Prof. Aning said: "it's a recognition and celebration of originality and excellence". Dr. Danso, on the other hand, described this achievement as humbling and inspiring, saying: it represents a recognition of KAIPTCs sustained commitment to contribute to scholarly and policy discourses on African and global peace and security. The Paper: In the paper, Prof. Aning and Dr. Danso reflect on the ways in which International Relations and security studies have been responsible, in part, for the production of a racialized mode of security knowledge generation that obfuscates the security policies and experiences of people in African locales. The authors argue that the Eurocentric bias prevalent in mainstream International Relations and Security Studies elides the extent to which race and coloniality are implicated in the constitution of the current global power structure that relegates African states and their insecurities to the margins of the world. The paper draws on insights from post-colonial discourses and the episteme of alternativity to explore how the study of events and processes in Africa in a theoretically conscious manner could advance International Relations scholarship as a whole. The paper contends that incorporating African experiences as they manifest through hybrid security orders can broaden the empirical base for International Relations theorizing about security since they offer another perspective outside the conventional western assumptions and experiences. About KAIPTCs Research Work KAIPTC, has over the years, disseminated the latest critical thinking on African peace and security through world-class publications, and delivered a diversity of policy support to governmental, non-governmental and private institutions. KAIPTC has also participated in multiple national, regional and global fora for knowledge dissemination. The Centre was the first ECOWAS Training Centre of Excellence (TCE) in West Africa to launch a Journal of African Peace and Security (JAPS), a peer-reviewed journal dedicated to deepening knowledge and understanding of issues around African peace and security, while strengthening the policy relevance of research on the continent. It is one of the foremost peacekeeping training institution in Africa that uses insights from its research work to inform the selection, design and delivery of professional training courses, academic programmes and policy projects toward sustainable peace in Africa. KAIPTC has regularly received international recognition as one of the Top Foreign Policy and International Affairs Think-Tanks in the Global Go-To Think Tank Index Report in the recent past. Brief Profile of the Authors Prof. Kwesi Aning: Prof. Kwesi Aning is a full professor and Director, Faculty of Academic Affairs and Research (FAAR), Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC). With experiences from the African Union (AU) as its first expert on counterterrorism from 2005 - 2007, he wrote the independent mid-term in-depth evaluation of the Global Programme on Strengthening the Legal Regime against Terrorism in 2006 and 2014, and 2008, a UN Secretary Generals report on the African Union relating to peace and security for the UN Security Council. Until January 2019, he served on the UN Secretary Generals Advisory Group for the Peacebuilding Fund. In 2020, together with two others, he was a joint author of the Conflict and Development Analysis: Ghana. (Accra: UNDP. August). In July 2022, he was appointed as a member of the World Food Programs (WFP) Security Advisory Board (SECAB), Rome, Italy, to provide high-level insights on security risk management technical issues at a strategic level and to modernize WFP security risk management to deliver safer operations. He specialises in peacekeeping economies, hybrid security/political orders, peacebuilding strategies, and organised crime. Dr. Kwaku Danso: Dr Kwaku Danso is a Research Fellow and Deputy Dean at the Faculty of Academic Affairs and Research of the KAIPTC. Dr Danso holds a Ph.D. in International Conflict Management from Kennesaw State University, and an MSc in African Studies from the University of Edinburgh. His research interests revolve around security knowledge generation in postcolonial locales, maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea, DDR in conventional and non-permissive contexts, and electoral violence. He teaches and facilitates a number of courses at the KAIPTC. He is a current Visiting Lecturer at Rhodes University. Kwaku serves on a number of committees that include the Planning Committee of the 2023 United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial. Dr Danso has published a number of scholarly papers on peace and security in Africa. His most recent publications include: Danso, K. and Aning, K. (2022). African experiences and alternativity in International Relations theorizing about security. International Affairs. Volume 98, Issue 1, pp. 6783. Aning, K., & Danso, K. (2021). Ghana: Identity formation and the foreign and defence policies of a small state. In P. H. Bischoff (Ed.), African foreign policies: Selecting signifiers to explain agency (pp. 228-243). New York, NY: Routledge Flagbearer hopeful of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Kwabena Duffuor has opened up on his relationship with late President Jerry John Rawlings. During an engagement with delegates in the Central Tongu Constituency of the Volta region, Dr. Duffuor said he was a very good friend of Rawlings. According to the former Governor of the Bank of Ghana, the NDC must work together to win the 2024 general election to honour the late J.J Rawlings. Dr. Kwabena Duffuor further disclosed that Rawlings warned him about the current economic mess Ghana finds itself in. It is true the late President was my friend, he liked me so much. I was in London when he (Rawlings) brought me home to join him build Ghana and since then the friendship was so deep that every Monday morning we were eating together and quarrelling as to which direction the countrys development should go. He kept warning me when I declined to lead the party but everything he told me are happening today. Today, our economy is in a mess, he warned me. So I always remember what my friend told me several times and now we have to rescue the country, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor shared. The former Bank of Ghana Government is busily touring the country to engage delegates to convince them to vote for him in the primaries of the opposition NDC. He is keen on beating ex-President John Dramani Mahama to become the new flagbearer of the party. 30.03.2023 LISTEN Capacity of CSIR-PGRRI Staff in Advanced Genebank Operations Enhanced " is to highlight a recent training workshop held to build the capacity of some staff members of the CSIR-PGRRI (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research - Plant Genetic Resources Research Institute) in Genebank operations. The main points covered in the newsletter include an introduction to the CSIR-PGRRI and its mandate, an explanation of what Genebanks are and their importance, a summary of the training workshop, key takeaways from the training, interviews with key staff members who participated in the workshop, and a conclusion making a clarion call of financial support for the CSIR-PGRRI Genebanks operations to secure the future of agricultural research and development in Ghana. The newsletter also includes additional resources for readers who want to learn more about the CSIR-PGRRI or Genebanks in general. Genebanks store plant genetic resources (material of plant origin containing functional units of heredity with actual or potential value) in the form of seeds, plantlets, or live plants on the field, which are well documented and preserved for current and future use. These genetic resources are important because they represent the diversity of plant life on Earth and can be used to improve crop productivity, develop new varieties of crops, and ensure food security. Genebanks also serve as a backup in case of natural disasters or other events that may threaten the existence of certain plant species. The work done at Genebanks is crucial to the sustainability of agriculture and the development of new technologies that can help feed a growing global population. In Ghana, the national Genebank, the CSIR-PGRRI is located at Bunso in the Eastern Region. The mandate of the CSIR-PGRRI is to collect, characterize, evaluate, document, conserve, distribute and utilize plant genetic resources for the benefit of Ghana and the world. Given the important role national Genebanks play in sustainable agricultural development and food and nutrition security, the Global Crop Diversity Trust (the Crop Trust) based in Bonn Germany formulated the Seeds for Resilience (SfR) Project with funding from the KfW Development Bank. The objective of the SfR Project is to upgrade the equipment, improve the internal processes and staff technical capacity of five national Genebanks in Africa to ensure that they achieve international operational standards and by so doing, enhance the long term conservation and availability of their germplasm collection for addressing current and future national agricultural adaptation and industrial utilization needs. As part of the Seeds for Resilience (SfR) project, nine employees from the CSIR-PGRRI, the national Genebank of Ghana recently underwent training on Genebank quality management systems (QMS), communications, germplasm data management, germplasm user engagement, and project financial policies. This training was provided during a weeklong Genebank Operations Advanced Learning (GOAL) workshop organised by the Global Crop Diversity Trust (Crop Trust) in collaboration with the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) in Morocco from March 6th to March 10th, 2023. The workshop was attended by key Genebank staff from five national Genebanks across Africa, including Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia, and Ethiopia. The workshop was designed to equip participants with knowledge of Genebank quality management systems (QMS), communication, data management, user engagement, and project financial policies. Experts from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Nigeria, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in Niger, the International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) in Morocco, and staff from the Crop Trust facilitated the training which had a strong focus on the improvement of Genebank standard operating procedures (SOPs). For instance, regeneration and conservation SOPs developed by the participating Genebanks were reviewed to ensure that they reflect current accepted international standards. In addition, practical sessions were held on how to receive new germplasm, test for viability, and document them using barcode technology. All Genebank teams had the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with these procedures. Participants at the workshop also had the opportunity to acquire skills related to communication and outreach about Genebanking and related activities. This included capturing short videos and pictures, writing effective scripts and communication packs (brochures, flyers etc.), and preparing for media appearances and visits to the Genebank. Additionally, presentations were made on germplasm user group activities carried out by the various national Genebanks. These presentations highlighted the challenges faced by farmers who are members of the germplasm user groups. For the Ghana Genebank, these included post-harvest issues with pests, lodging of some Bambara groundnut genotypes, and stiff competition from weeds. Discussions at the end of the presentations suggested pathways for successfully engaging with germplasm users to expand the use of the crop collections at Genebanks. The workshop also covered the use of the GRIN (Germplasm Resources Information Network)-Global Community Edition (GGCE) and the process of uploading passport data to the Genesys platform for effective communication of available germplasm. The legal aspects of germplasm acquisition, management, and transfer were also discussed. In addition to the technical aspects of Genebank management, the workshop also focused on effective communication with the target audiences, including policy makers, researchers, farmers, students, and the public at large. Workshop participants had the opportunity to visit ICARDA's research fields in Marchouch and also toured ICARDAs Genebank in Rabat to acquaint themselves with the operations of an international standard Genebank and apply the lessons back home. PICTURES: L-R Entrance to premises of ICARDA-Marchouch (left), wheat pre-breeding trial (middle) and evaluation fields (right) Following the tour, the Head of the CSIR-PGRRI seed Genebank, Dr. Rashied Tetteh appealed to the Crop Trust to expeditiously facilitate the release of equipment that would transform the activities of the Ghana Genebank to the status observed at ICARDA. We hope that the Crop Trust will expeditiously facilitate the release of equipment that would transform the activities of the Ghana Genebank At the end of the five-day workshop, the Director of the CSIR-PGRRI and leader of the Ghana delegation, Dr. Daniel Ashie Kotey noted that the project offers four clear-cut benefits for the Ghana Genebank, namely: staff capacity building, infrastructural development, upgrade in operational procedures and linkages with like-minded experts and professionals on whom the Ghana Genebank could call at any time to discuss issues of mutual benefit. The CSIR-PGRRI Genebank is among a few multi-crop Genebanks in the world. The resources conserved at the Genebank are unique and available for research, training, commercial product development and breeding to develop higher-yielding, nutritious, and resilient crop varieties for farmers. It is therefore a strategic national asset that requires the support of both governmental and non-governmental organisations through adequate funding. Coupling this with continuous capacity building and motivation of Genebank staff will help mainstream indigenous plant genetic resources in agricultural research and development in Ghana. For those interested in learning more about CSIR-PGRRI and their initiatives, please visit: Website: https://pgrri.csir.org.gh/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064495854425- YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/channel/UC6aRPw-3C-JlqUXQgrGITLA Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/CsirPlant?s=09 This report is written by Abraham Yeboah (https://pgrri.csir.org.gh/staff.php) and Dr. Joseph Bandanaa (https://pgrri.csir.org.gh/staff.php) Introduction Certainly, you agree that several things are painful in life. However, the death of your wife and/or your baby during childbirth causes the most excruciating pain. The emotional wounds and psychological trauma last for a life-time. Through our community work, we have come across women and men in mental hospitals as a result of infant or maternal death. This accounts for why Youth Rise International (YoRI) is so passionate about leading the fights against still birth, newborn, infant and maternal mortality in Ghana and across Africa. Youth Rise International (YoRI), a legally registered and government-licensed grassroots and advocacy NGO in Ghana that fights extreme poverty and hunger by empowering the poor, marginalized and socially-excluded to become prosperous through social protection, climate change, decent work, education, maternal & child health and advocacy. Since 2015 we have impacted and transformed the lives of over 170,000 children, men and women across Ghana. The Wedding That Ended in Tears In 2018, we encountered the case of a young man of 32 years old, who had struggled to settled down in marriage with his beautiful 28-year-old bride in Ghana. Almost exhausting their life-savings, they put together a beautiful wedding. In Ghanaian and most African settings, after couples marry, family and society look forward to pregnancy and the birth of a child, which to them, is a sign of blessing for the new nuclear family. As was expected, the bride in question, became pregnant a month after the wonderful wedding. The groom, his extended family, local community and the faith community who heard and saw the pregnancy were very happy for them. In fact, they began buying all the baby materials and clothing, in preparation to welcome their first child to the newly formed nuclear family. But will everything turn out according to their plans? Or should they make room for disappointment? Of course, not, to them, they were really excited and expectant. Fast-forward, on the ninth month and the day of delivery, this new couple boarded a car and travelled to the nearby hospital, full of hope and expectation. But the unexpected happened! The worse episode began in the life of this nuclear family. Yes, this 28-year-old bride, who was also due to graduate from the university in few months time died together with her baby in the course of labour. You can imagine the pain, misery and anguish that came on the groom and his family! Africa, The Epicenter of Maternal Deaths Unfortunately, today, maternal mortality is unacceptably high. About 295,00 women died during and following pregnancy and childbirth in 2017. The vast majority of these deaths (94%) in low-resource settings, and most could have been prevented (WHO, 2017). Surprisingly, Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia accounted for approximately 86% (254,000) of the estimated global maternal deaths in 2017. And sub-Saharan African alone accounted for roughly two-thirds (195,000) of maternal deaths (WHO, 2017). The NGO on A Mission to End Newborn & Maternal Mortality in Africa by 2063 Youth Rise International (YoRI), is a legally-registered and government-licensed grassroots non-profit organization in Ghana that fights the intersection of extreme poverty and neo-natal, infant and maternal mortality (NIMM) has spent the past 7 years ensuring that no mother or child dies before, during and after childbirth. In 2018, Youth Rise International (YoRI) embarked on series of deep individual, family, community and stakeholders engagement in the Western and Central Region of Ghana. We were interested in discovering the roots causes of NIMM in rural communities in Ghana. Also, we wanted to document the communities response on the practical solutions to NIMM or what every pregnant woman needs in order to prevent losing their lives and/or that of their newborn during and after childbirth. Interesting discoveries were made and through those, Youth Rise International (YoRI) designed and rolled out the implementation of Zero Newborn and Maternal Mortality project in partnership with government hospitals, CHIPS Compounds and community stakeholders in 2019 and currently expanded to more communities. In this feature article, I have generously shared with you the 5 practical and grassroots-driven support every pregnant woman needs to avert newborn and maternal mortality before, during and after child birth. To this end, every pregnant woman needs: 1. Cash to Maintain Good Health Through those participatory engagements, we discovered that the top root cause of NIMM was extreme poverty and economic hardship on families. This dare situation was fueled by climate change and its resulting impacts on the loss of family livelihood as well as high unemployment rate. It is a common knowledge that pregnancy comes with high level of routine expenses. Therefore, the family needs money to ensure that the pregnant woman eats well in order to achieve the right hemoglobin (HB) level as well as for the child to develop well. Also, almost every month, the family needs cash to pay for scan, laboratory test, injections, drugs and other bills during Ante-natal clinic (ANC). Moreover, pre-and-post-delivery items such as baby clothing needed to warm the newborn within the first weeks of delivery are required. This is very critical because, if the baby is not well clothed, it can die of pneumonia. Therefore, they requested for a short-term cash support to address those inevitable cost over and above what they are able to pay from their meagre and unstable family income stream. So, in the short-term, Youth Rise International (YoRI) pays directly to hospitals and health centers the cost involved in those critical expenses in addition to providing baby clothing and mother care materials for pregnant women and nursing mothers. This has resulted in sharp reduction in neo-natal, infant and maternal mortality in our project communities in Ghana. 2. Livelihood Support to Improve Family Income Sustainably Climate change and unemployment has really caused much damage to the livelihoods of families in rural areas in Ghana. Most of these families have lost their jobs or experienced crop failure due to unpredictable, unreliable and fluctuating rainfall patterns induced my climate change. As a result, pregnant women are not able to eat well, provide decent accommodation and secure protection against malaria which is a key cause of maternal and neo-natal mortality in Ghana. To cushion family income and assist poor families to regain their economic dignity, Youth Rise International (YoRI), empowers families economically. Over the past years, they have equipped families with alternative livelihoods such as vocational/skills training and micro-venture development. As a result, families are able to diversify their income sources as a coping mechanism from external and internal economic shocks. In the end, families are able to afford decent meal, accommodation and prevent against malaria and pay for drugs for pregnant women, newborns and nursing mothers thereby averting mortality. 3. Ante-natal Clinic to Obviate Childbirth Complications The World Health Organization (WHO) confirms that most neo-natal, infant and maternal mortality cases are preventable. The deep community and stakeholders engagement revealed that complications during childbirth is a leading cause of NIMM. Sadly, most of complications could have been avoided, if the pregnant woman has attended and followed the routine ANCs visits and reviews by midwives and medical doctors. How? When a pregnant woman attends ante-natal clinic (ANC), warning signs and potential complications are discovered early through scans and laboratory test. Then treatment can be initiated by midwives and medical doctors. However, sadly, the communities engaged indicated that most pregnant women do not attend ANCs. Youth Rise Internationals (YoRI) team dived deeper to identify what accounts for the failure of pregnant women to attend ANC, though its critical to their lives and that of the fetus? To our amazement, we identified issues such as ignorance (of the health implications of not attending the ANCs or patronizing the services of health facilities during pregnancy), access (difficulties in accessing ANC facility for families who lived in very remote and hard-to-reach rural communities in Ghana) and extreme poverty (their inability to pay for transportation every week/month and to cover expenses for scan, laboratory test, cost of drugs and other medical bills not covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). To address this critical gap, Youth Rise International (YoRI) and its community partners such as Women In Distress Africa, Ghana Health Service and other faith-based organizations such as Elpis Chapel International have embarked on massive awareness-raising and sensitization campaigns. What is unique about their strategy is that they leverage on the socio-ecological model, health belief model and innovation diffusion theory to design and disseminate the campaign messages targeting behaviour and social change. The evaluation of this campaign has revealed life-transforming outcomes and its more sustainable. To address the extreme poverty and economic factors, the solution and strategies proffered above under the cash and livelihood factors suffice. 4. Mindset and Behaviour Change Today, majority of Ghanas population live in the rural and remote areas. In those remote areas, culture, traditions and customs are really endemic and entrenched. Most of the indigenous people dont accept the orthodox and modern medical care. They are used to resorting to herbs and medically unauthorized medication and health care. This traditional system has heavily impacted the neo-natal, infant and maternal health space. For instance, from the deep community engagements, Youth Rise International (YoRI) discovered that in some of the communities, giving birth at a health facility was foreign. Rather, they encouraged pregnant women to give birth at home. Also, they dont trust orthodox medicine. As such, even when pregnant women receive drugs after attending ANC, they still have to use herbals and local concoctions which in most cases contradicts the impacts of orthodox medications. The most worrying of all, is the practice of pregnant women giving birth at home or the house of a traditional birth attendants (TBAs). These TBAs are untrained, unprofessional and used strange tools and devices which are not sterilized for labour. They have contributed to high rate of neo-natal, infant and maternal mortality in rural Ghana especially because, in most cases, pregnant women are unduly delayed and complications heightens before referring them to a hospital or health center for proper medical care. To lead behaviour and social change, Youth Rise International (YoRI) and its partners designed the Health Communication for Social Change Campaign. Through this campaign, series of community awareness, sensitization and dialogue with custodians of culture and traditions and community leader to re-imagine culture and the health of the indigenes. Through strong negotiations and dialogue, significant modifications and integration of modern ideas concerning the health and protection of women, children and men in rural communities have been achieved. This has contributed to significant reduction of the rates of home delivery, neo-natal, infant and maternal mortality in those communities. 5. Quality Health Service Provision It is undeniable fact that pregnant women and their families play a role in preventing neo-natal, infant and maternal mortality as well as the local community. However, the health system plays the most critical role. Through the deep and participatory community engagement, we discovered that some of the health workers were not helpful. Many pregnant women, indicated, they chose not to attend ANCs due to the poor attitudes and reception by health workers such as nurses and mid-wives. According to them, some health workers were rude towards them, caused unduly delays in the health service delivery and prioritized care and service to pregnant women from rich and wealthy families. Undeniably, this is unfair, unprofessional and discriminatory. To address this issues, Youth Rise International (YoRI) and its partners such as Women In Distress Africa and Elpis Chapel International have embarked series of training and dialogues with health workers and we are pushing for professional ethics and customer service training for all health workers especially those at the frontline with priorities given to nurses, midwives and pharmacist. We are excited that such strategic approach has begun producing amazing results and contributing to the reduction in the rate of home delivery, neo-natal, infant and maternal mortality in Ghana. Conclusion Today, the rate of home delivery, neo-natal, infant and maternal mortality is rising high at the global, regional and national levels. Through such our deep and participatory engagements, Youth Rise International (YoRI) discovered the root causes that drive such violation of human rights and perpetuation of social injustice against pregnant women and their families. To this end, to prevent such gross loss of lives, every pregnant woman and their family needs cash, livelihood, ante-natal care and mindsets and behaviour change. Also, there is an urgent call to strengthen Ghanas health system especially shaping the attitudes of health workers with special focus on nurses, midwives and pharmacist who serve as the front-liners in hospitals, clinics and health centers. Author: David K. Awusi, Executive Director of Youth Rise International (YoRI) Email: [email protected] US Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled Thursday an initiative to expand trade with Tanzania as she hailed the leader of the East African nation as a "champion" of democracy. On the second leg of her trip to Africa, Harris said EXIM Bank, the US government credit agency, would sign a memorandum of understanding to facilitate up to $500 million in exports to Tanzania covering transport, infrastructure, digital technology and clean energy projects. "On the subject of economic growth, good governance delivers predictability, stability and rules which businesses need to invest," Harris said at a press briefing alongside President Samia Suluhu Hassan. "Working together it is our shared goal to increase investment in Tanzania and strengthen our economic ties," she said, also announcing plans to partner with Tanzania in 5G technology and cyber security. Harris described Hassan, Tanzania's first female president who has been rolling back the authoritarian policies of her late predecessor John Magufuli, as a "champion" of democracy. Hassan described their meeting as a "historic milestone" and referred to Harris -- the first Black person and first woman to be elected US vice president -- as a "sister". Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been introducing political reforms. By Brendan Smialowski (AFP/File) Harris is on a three-nation trip to Africa, the latest push by the United States to deepen its engagement with the continent to counter the growing influence of China and Russia. Tanzania has remained neutral over Russia's war in Ukraine, abstaining in UN votes against Moscow and calling for the conflict to be resolved through diplomatic means. And in November, Hassan visited Beijing and held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Political reforms Hassan, who marked her second year in office on March 19, has sought to turn the page on Magufuli's hardline rule, which had tarnished Tanzania's reputation as a stable country in a troubled region. Earlier this month, she vowed to restore competitive politics and jumpstart a stalled process to review the constitution, a long-held opposition demand. In January, Hassan announced the lifting of a ban on political rallies, paving the way for the return that month of opposition stalwart Tundu Lissu who had spent most of the past five years in exile. On Thursday, Harris also laid a wreath at a memorial commemorating the August 1998 bombing of the US embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's economic hub. The almost simultaneous attacks by Al-Qaeda in Tanzania and the US embassy in Kenya's capital Nairobi left more than 200 people dead and more than 5,000 wounded. Harris commended the government for its "transparent response" to an outbreak of the Marburg haemorrhagic fever which has killed five people in Tanzania, noting that USAID is providing $1.3 million to help. As she wrapped up the first leg of her trip in Ghana on Wednesday, Harris announced an initiative of more than $1 billion to improve women's empowerment in Africa. In a speech in Ghana's capital Accra on Tuesday, she noted three areas of focus Washington believes could benefit from more investments: women's empowerment, the digital economy and good governance and democracy. "We are 'all in' on Africa," she added, repeating US President Joe Biden's declaration at a US-Africa leaders' summit last year. From Tanzania, Harris heads to Zambia on Friday. pool-str-txw/bp 30.03.2023 LISTEN In the Republic of Bulgaria early parliamentary elections will be held on 2 April 2023. At the elections 240 representatives/deputies of the Bulgarian National Assembly will be elected according to the proportional closed-list system. There is a total of 31 electoral constituencies from which, depending on the size of the constituency from 4 to 16 representatives/deputies will be elected. The election threshold is 4%. These are the fifth elections in the past two years, as it was not possible to establish a government on the basis of the results of the previous elections. In 2016, the Bulgarian Parliament adopted a law on mandatory participation in the elections with the aim of increasing the legitimacy of representatives in the country. The sanction envisaged for the voters who neglect their obligation to vote at the elections is removal from the electoral roll. However, the removed voters have the possibility to be reentered into the electoral roll. Nevertheless, this does not resolve the problems. This is an undemocratic law because the right to vote implies that each voter can decide whether or not he or she would participate in the elections. Voters are not to be coerced to vote or sanctioned if they do not vote. Hence, this in itself is an indicator of ignorance/non-recognition of democracy, as well as of the undemocratic spirit of the regime in Sofia. Manipulations with the electoral roll are a reflection of fascization of the Bulgarian society. Bulgaria has a large diaspora, which traditionally does not participate in the elections. As there are no accurate records, it is assessed that the diaspora includes between 2-2.5 million citizens. In example, in Turkey there are around 700,000 Bulgarian Turks, who had experienced a calamity in the 1980-ies of the last century. There are 300,000 Bulgarians living in Greece. Will they participate in the elections? The Movement for Rights and Freedom (DPS), an ethnic party of Bulgarian Turks, is trying to galvanize as many ethnic Turks as possible to participate in the elections. The main fight will be fought between the We Continue the Change- Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB) movement headed by Kiril Petkov, Asen Vasilev and Hristo Ivanov and the GERB headed by Bojko Borisov. The Revival party, headed by Kostadin Kostadinov, and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) that lag behind are pretty equal. The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), headed by Korneliya Ninova will also enter the parliament. It is expected that the Bulgarian Rise (BV) party, the Bulgarian Left party and the There is Such a People (ITN) party, headed by Slavi Trifonov, will also pass the election threshold. Deep frustration in the Bulgarian society Bulgaria and Bulgarians cannot pride themselves on their history from World War II, as at the time they were allies of the Nazi Germany, and after World War II of the USSR. Bulgaria has never been sanctioned for is historical sins from World War II, because it later came under the umbrella of the USSR, which had generated deep frustration in the Bulgarian society. The political polarization between Bulgarian President Rumen Radev and President of the President of the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party Bojko Borisov is still dominant. During the decade of his rule Borisov established an authoritarian model of state management, which is directly connected and serves the interests of the narrow circle of oligarchs around him. President Radev frequently emphasized that the mafia controls Borisovs government and the politicized judiciary in the country. It is believed that Radev leans towards Russia, while Borisov is a favorite of Angela Merkel, as well as the Russian President Vladimir Putin. As a result of such an international political marriage he was also favorably disposed to Donald Trump. Borisov is also connected with the leaders of the Visegrad group of countries (Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia), and particularly the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (Fidesz/EPP). Another inevitable element in Borisovs political mosaic is the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (AKP), with whom he has developed close relations. Angela Merkel (CDU/EPP) helped Borisov in the establishment of his GERB/EPP party. Merkels protective relationship to Borisov has damaged her image, because Borisov is closely linked with mafia structures. Borisov even attempted to establish his quadrilateral, an association of states with a predominantly orthodox population that in addition to Bulgaria would include Rumania, Greece and Serbia- after the model of the Visegrad group of states with a predominantly Catholic population. International position of Bulgaria The Republic of Bulgaria is a country burdened with numerous problems. In this most underdeveloped EU member country citizens live on the verge of poverty. The economy is ineffective, financial resources are limited and mostly already exhausted. A strong element of oligarchy, which includes around 3,000 individuals, has been established and is now engaged in clan fights for distribution of limited financial resources and redistribution of power, property and contracts. The business and financial capital in the country is controlled by several superrich tycoons. In fact, majority of public tenders and resources from EU funds go through them. Crime and corruption are omnipresent and have become the prevailing social technology in management of public funds, as well as in all public spheres. The laws themselves create the conditions for corrupt practices and corruption has become a social norm. Bulgaria is trying to find a new balance between its obligations towards NATO and the traditional sympathies for Russia. As a NATO member, Bulgaria is responsible for a 354 kilometer-long eastern border of the NATO alliance. The border on the Black Sear is less than 500 kilometers away from Crimea and directly neighbors with the area controlled by the Russian Black Sea fleet and the Russian air force. As Bulgaria has the obligation to control Russian military activities at the Black Sea, it is trying to find the right balance in its relations with the two sides. The Russian invasion on Ukraine has revealed the depth of relations that Bulgarians have with Russia. Lately Bulgaria once again called for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, not knowing whose interests it represents in the process. Emotional ties to Russia are deeply rooted in the Bulgarian society. The historical and cultural links with Russia and the sympathies for Russia are in collision with the fear spread through the media that Bulgaria could easily be pulled into a military showdown on the Black Sea. Russian President Vladimir Putin had stated that Russia and Bulgaria have historically enjoyed close ties and that Russia will develop its relations with Bulgaria on all tracks. Essentially, only two tracks. Specifically, one track is the South Stream, which is an important economic project and an instrument of Russian foreign policy. The other track is the attempt of Russia to use Bulgaria to influence (dis)unity between the EU and NATO in order to divide both of these organizations with respect to the sanctions and the security policy, as it has partly already managed to do. That is why Bulgaria is a suitable ground for implementation of secret activities and operations, which can be corroborated by the fact that one of the main posts of the Russian intelligence service in the region is located in Sofia. Russia has numerous supporters among Bulgarian political elites and citizens, which could be characterized as pro-Russian orientation. Due to its geopolitical position, as well as its close spiritual and cultural relations and connections with Russia, Bulgaria was invited to act as a mediator and alleviate the current dispute between Russia and the West. Majority of Bulgarians support such a role of the state. However, majority of politicians understand it is entirely unrealistic for a small country as Bulgaria, which is on the verge of poverty, to all of a sudden get positioned as a major peacemaker on the international scene. Nevertheless, Bulgaria has remained divided on the issue of its policy towards Russia. Analysts warn that Russian security-intelligence services are deeply involved in the security-intelligence system of Bulgaria, which realistically undermines the security of NATO. This is why Bulgaria is referred to as the Russian Trojan horse in the Alliance. Therefore, inclusion of Bulgaria in exchange of highly classified intelligence can constitute a risk for NATO, which should conduct a review of security clearances issued in Bulgaria. Bulgaria between Brussels (Berlin) and Moscow The victory of Joseph Biden in the US caused tectonic changes in relations to Boriss allies, and particularly the Visegrad group of states, Putin and Erdogan. Another aggravating circumstance is the departure of Chancellor Merkel from power. Bulgarias conditions for the start of negotiations between North Macedonia and the EU were met with disapproval from European circles. One should not forget the Bulgaria is a net user of EU funds, which means that it lives at the cost of other developed EU members (as it is not a member of the Schengen zone or the Eurozone). The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) should expand its investigations because of reasonable suspicions that the EU taxpayers money was not spent for designated purposes in Bulgaria. The Bulgarias purse is in Brussels, while its heart is in Moscow. Within NATO, the trust in Bulgaria is shaken, because Bulgaria is still in the arms of Russia. The situation in Bulgaria would have probably been different had the state conducted in a timely manner lustration of members of the communist regime, which was an integral part of the Soviet system of control and influence. However, the problem is not just the period of the Soviet Union and the Cold War. Strong relations between Moscow and Sofia go back to the period of establishment of the modern state of Bulgaria. Namely, Bulgaria would never gain independence as a state (which is only 100 km away from Istanbul), if it was not for the Russian army which literally liberated it in 1878, when the famous San Stefano peace agreement was signed. Under the Russian dictate, it provided for establishment of the Principality of Bulgaria stretching to the Ohrid Lake and Thessaloniki at the south. The large Alexander Nevsky cathedral, which towers over the city of Sofia, was built in the honor of Russian-Bulgarian friendship. Therefore it is rather unlikely that this centuries-long relationship will be broken, as it is evident that it do not decline even in the most difficult situations for Russia. Analysts believe that Bulgaria is still balancing between Brussels (Berlin) and Moscow, as in such a way it maintains stability in a rather unstable country and environment. Ljubljana/Washington/Brussels/Sofia, 30 March 2023 King Charles III called Russia's war in Ukraine a threat to Europe's democratic values in the first speech made by a monarch at the German parliament, but said allies like Germany and Britain can draw courage from their unity. Speaking mostly in German through the 30-minute speech, Charles underlined that "the scourge of war is back in Europe, the war of aggression against Ukraine has brought unimaginable suffering on so many innocent people." "The security of Europe as well as our democratic values are under threat. But the world did not stand idly by ... we can draw courage from our unity," he added. Build bridges following Brexit Charles is on his first state visit since ascending the throne following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II last year, and his choice to travel to Germany has been viewed as a bid to build bridges following Brexit. In Germany, the themes of reconciliation and a future ahead forged by common values have featured prominently in his speeches. Charles has blood ties to Germany, but the two countries had fought on opposing ends during two devastating world wars. Speaking at the Bundestag on Thursday, he pointed to how far Britain and his hosts' country had come in putting behind their conflict-ridden past as he underlined the common values they now share. "Together we must be vigilant against threats to our values" and face them down resolutely, he said. Reconciliation, Ukraine and environmental issues On Friday, Charles will take a further step in rapprochement by commemorating victims of allied bombings during World War II in Hamburg. Charles' mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, had been a symbol of post-war reconciliation. It was World War I that had led the British royal family to drop their German name Saxe-Coburg and Gotha for Windsor. The war in Ukraine is a key part of Charles' programme on Thursday afternoon, with a visit of a reception centre for Ukrainian refugees right after the Bundestag speech. He will also travel to neighbouring state Brandenburg where he will speak with a German-British battalion. A tour of an organic farm is also planned with environmental issues, which Charles championed long before he became Britain's sovereign, key in his three-day programme. Among his first engagements on Wednesday was a reception on sustainability, where he met with Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Economy Minister Robert Habeck, both from the Greens party. On Friday, in the port city of Hamburg, he will tour a renewable energy project. Charles, who has visited Germany 40 times, has always made sustainable farming a part of his visits to the country. The monarch's decades-long commitment to green farming has partly been nurtured by German professor Hardy Vogtmann, a leading voice on organic agriculture who became Charles' advisor in the 1980s. 'Sorry Charles, see you later' The British monarch was initially supposed to travel to France before heading on to Germany, but that trip was postponed in the wake of violent pension reform protests. On Thursday, around 100 French union members unfurled a banner reading 'Sorry Charles, see you later,' on Cap Blanc Nez, a point outside the northern city of Calais that is one of the closest places in France to England. The postponement of the visit meant that Charles had to forgo plans for a state banquet at the Palace of Versailles outside Paris and a trip to the southwestern city of Bordeaux. Macron has said the visit could go ahead in the early summer, but it remains unclear if Charles will find space in his schedule. (with wires) Investment Management of Virginia LLC lessened its holdings in 3M (NYSE:MMM Get Rating) by 18.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 19,495 shares of the conglomerates stock after selling 4,356 shares during the period. Investment Management of Virginia LLCs holdings in 3M were worth $2,338,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of MMM. Strategic Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of 3M by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 6,768 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $812,000 after buying an additional 152 shares during the period. Astoria Portfolio Advisors LLC. raised its holdings in shares of 3M by 5.7% in the 4th quarter. Astoria Portfolio Advisors LLC. now owns 5,042 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $608,000 after buying an additional 271 shares during the period. G&S Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of 3M in the 4th quarter valued at $667,000. QV Investors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of 3M by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. QV Investors Inc. now owns 93,440 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $11,205,000 after buying an additional 870 shares during the period. Finally, Verdence Capital Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of 3M by 6.3% in the 4th quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 4,540 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $544,000 after buying an additional 270 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.61% of the companys stock. Get 3M alerts: 3M Stock Performance Shares of NYSE MMM traded down $0.22 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $102.97. The stock had a trading volume of 918,508 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,577,572. The firm has a market cap of $56.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.22, a PEG ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. 3M has a fifty-two week low of $100.16 and a fifty-two week high of $154.66. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $110.17 and a 200-day moving average of $117.57. 3M Increases Dividend 3M ( NYSE:MMM Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 24th. The conglomerate reported $2.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.34 by ($0.06). The firm had revenue of $8.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.09 billion. 3M had a net margin of 16.88% and a return on equity of 39.72%. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.31 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that 3M will post 8.65 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, March 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 17th were given a dividend of $1.50 per share. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.83%. This is a boost from 3Ms previous quarterly dividend of $1.49. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 16th. 3Ms dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 59.11%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several brokerages have weighed in on MMM. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on 3M from $125.00 to $115.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 25th. StockNews.com began coverage on 3M in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Mizuho cut their price target on 3M from $130.00 to $120.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 26th. Barclays cut their price target on 3M from $122.00 to $105.00 and set an underweight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 22nd. Finally, UBS Group cut their price target on 3M from $124.00 to $115.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 25th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and nine have issued a hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $124.62. 3M Profile (Get Rating) 3M Co is a technology company, which manufactures industrial, safety, and consumer products. It operates through the following segments: Safety and Industrial, Transportation and Electronics, Health Care, Consumer, and Corporate and Unallocated. The Safety and Industrial segment consists of personal safety, industrial adhesives and tapes, abrasives, closure and masking systems, electrical markets, automotive aftermarket, and roofing granules. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MMM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for 3M (NYSE:MMM Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for 3M Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for 3M and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC lowered its position in shares of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM Get Rating) by 2.4% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 3,635 shares of the business services providers stock after selling 90 shares during the quarter. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLCs holdings in Waste Management were worth $570,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Waste Management during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Twin Lakes Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Waste Management in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. TD Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Waste Management in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Tortoise Investment Management LLC grew its position in Waste Management by 232.1% in the 3rd quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 269 shares of the business services providers stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 188 shares during the period. Finally, HBC Financial Services PLLC bought a new stake in Waste Management in the 4th quarter worth approximately $47,000. Institutional investors own 78.48% of the companys stock. Get Waste Management alerts: Waste Management Price Performance Shares of Waste Management stock traded up $3.47 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $160.51. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,232,893 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,800,752. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $152.33 and a 200-day moving average price of $158.12. Waste Management, Inc. has a one year low of $138.89 and a one year high of $175.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.12, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.77. The stock has a market cap of $65.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.14, a P/E/G ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.72. Waste Management ( NYSE:WM Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 1st. The business services provider reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.39 by ($0.09). Waste Management had a net margin of 11.36% and a return on equity of 32.91%. The company had revenue of $4.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.97 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.26 earnings per share. Waste Managements quarterly revenue was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Waste Management, Inc. will post 6.04 EPS for the current year. Waste Management declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Thursday, December 8th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the business services provider to buy up to 2.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally a sign that the companys management believes its stock is undervalued. Waste Management Increases Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 24th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 10th were given a $0.70 dividend. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.74%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 9th. This is a boost from Waste Managements previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. Waste Managements dividend payout ratio is presently 51.95%. Insider Activity at Waste Management In related news, CAO Leslie K. Nagy sold 800 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.11, for a total transaction of $120,888.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,210 shares of the companys stock, valued at $787,283.10. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, EVP John J. Morris sold 15,204 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.03, for a total transaction of $2,357,076.12. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 95,461 shares of the companys stock, valued at $14,799,318.83. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CAO Leslie K. Nagy sold 800 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.11, for a total transaction of $120,888.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,210 shares in the company, valued at approximately $787,283.10. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 31,027 shares of company stock valued at $4,806,619 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.18% of the companys stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price target on shares of Waste Management from $157.00 to $151.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 6th. UBS Group cut shares of Waste Management from a buy rating to a neutral rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $190.00 to $165.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 10th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Waste Management in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of Waste Management from $183.00 to $180.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 2nd. Finally, Raymond James lowered their target price on shares of Waste Management from $167.00 to $166.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 6th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $172.27. Waste Management Company Profile (Get Rating) Waste Management, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of waste management environmental services. It operates through the following segments: East Tier, West Tier, and Other. The East Tier segment consists of Eastern U.S., the Great Lakes Region, and Canada. The West Tier segment includes the upper Midwest region and British Columbia, Canada. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Waste Management Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Waste Management and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Goodwin Daniel L lessened its stake in shares of Apartment Income REIT Corp. (NYSE:AIRC Get Rating) by 0.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 56,767 shares of the companys stock after selling 496 shares during the period. Apartment Income REIT accounts for approximately 1.0% of Goodwin Daniel Ls investment portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest position. Goodwin Daniel Ls holdings in Apartment Income REIT were worth $1,948,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Diligent Investors LLC grew its stake in Apartment Income REIT by 10.2% during the 4th quarter. Diligent Investors LLC now owns 23,011 shares of the companys stock valued at $790,000 after acquiring an additional 2,131 shares in the last quarter. Affiance Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Apartment Income REIT in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $141,000. Private Trust Co. NA purchased a new stake in shares of Apartment Income REIT in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC grew its stake in shares of Apartment Income REIT by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 14,594 shares of the companys stock valued at $501,000 after buying an additional 395 shares during the period. Finally, State of Alaska Department of Revenue grew its stake in shares of Apartment Income REIT by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 229,496 shares of the companys stock valued at $7,872,000 after buying an additional 1,987 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.35% of the companys stock. Get Apartment Income REIT alerts: Apartment Income REIT Stock Up 1.1 % Apartment Income REIT stock traded up $0.39 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $34.65. 154,219 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 823,767. The company has a market cap of $5.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.88 and a beta of 0.93. Apartment Income REIT Corp. has a twelve month low of $32.51 and a twelve month high of $55.82. The company has a quick ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40. The company has a fifty day moving average of $37.15 and a 200-day moving average of $37.04. Apartment Income REIT Dividend Announcement Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 17th were issued a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 16th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.19%. Apartment Income REITs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.87%. Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. BMO Capital Markets raised shares of Apartment Income REIT from an underperform rating to a market perform rating and set a $39.00 price target for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 15th. Mizuho increased their price target on shares of Apartment Income REIT from $41.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, February 23rd. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Apartment Income REIT from a sell rating to a buy rating and increased their price target for the company from $39.00 to $43.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Apartment Income REIT to $42.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 1st. Finally, Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of Apartment Income REIT in a report on Monday, January 23rd. They issued an outperform rating and a $39.00 price objective on the stock. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $42.33. Insider Activity In other news, Director John D. Rayis acquired 1,000 shares of Apartment Income REIT stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 17th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $34.48 per share, for a total transaction of $34,480.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 9,412 shares of the companys stock, valued at $324,525.76. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, Director John D. Rayis bought 1,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 17th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $34.48 per share, with a total value of $34,480.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 9,412 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $324,525.76. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Keith M. Kimmel sold 8,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.75, for a total transaction of $286,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 34,345 shares in the company, valued at $1,227,833.75. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.89% of the companys stock. Apartment Income REIT Profile (Get Rating) AIR is a real estate investment trust focused on the ownership and management of quality apartment communities located in the largest markets in the United States. AIR is one of the country's largest owners and operators of apartments, with 99 communities in 12 states and the District of Columbia. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Apartment Income REIT Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Apartment Income REIT and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ardmore Shipping Co. (NYSE:ASC Get Rating)s stock price dropped 4.6% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $14.62 and last traded at $14.66. Approximately 249,284 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 75% from the average daily volume of 999,709 shares. The stock had previously closed at $15.37. Analysts Set New Price Targets ASC has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Ardmore Shipping in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating for the company. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Ardmore Shipping from $17.00 to $20.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, February 15th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $13.17. Get Ardmore Shipping alerts: Ardmore Shipping Stock Performance The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 2.98 and a quick ratio of 2.68. The firm has a market cap of $597.26 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.55 and a beta of 0.55. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $16.24 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $14.01. Ardmore Shipping Increases Dividend Ardmore Shipping ( NYSE:ASC Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 14th. The shipping company reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.28 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $93.33 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $83.94 million. Ardmore Shipping had a return on equity of 38.49% and a net margin of 31.06%. On average, analysts expect that Ardmore Shipping Co. will post 2.48 EPS for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 28th were paid a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 27th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 12.24%. This is a positive change from Ardmore Shippings previous quarterly dividend of $0.05. Ardmore Shippings payout ratio is 53.25%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ardmore Shipping Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ASC. BlackRock Inc. lifted its position in Ardmore Shipping by 1.5% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 398,318 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $1,792,000 after acquiring an additional 5,789 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Ardmore Shipping by 1.5% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,739,447 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $7,828,000 after purchasing an additional 26,216 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its stake in shares of Ardmore Shipping by 48.6% in the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 27,500 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $124,000 after acquiring an additional 9,000 shares in the last quarter. Eqis Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Ardmore Shipping in the first quarter worth about $46,000. Finally, Virtu Financial LLC bought a new stake in Ardmore Shipping in the first quarter valued at about $68,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.35% of the companys stock. Ardmore Shipping Company Profile (Get Rating) Ardmore Shipping Corp. engages in the provision of seaborne transportation of petroleum products and chemicals worldwide. It also owns and operates a fleet of tankers. The company was founded by Anthony Gurnee on April 15, 2010 and is headquartered in Pembroke, Bermuda. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Ardmore Shipping Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ardmore Shipping and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Banco Comercial Portugues (OTCMKTS:BPCGF Get Rating) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report issued on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports. Banco Comercial Portugues Price Performance Shares of OTCMKTS BPCGF opened at $0.22 on Wednesday. Banco Comercial Portugues has a 12-month low of $0.12 and a 12-month high of $0.23. The firms 50-day moving average is $0.22 and its two-hundred day moving average is $0.16. Get Banco Comercial Portugues alerts: About Banco Comercial Portugues (Get Rating) Further Reading Banco Comercial Portugues SA engages in the provision of banking and financial services. It operates through the following segments: Retail Banking; Companies, Corporate, and Investment Banking; Private Banking; Foreign Business; and Other. The Retail Banking segment consists of Retail Network of Millenium bcp (Portugal), retail recovery division, and Banco ActivoBank. Receive News & Ratings for Banco Comercial Portugues Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Banco Comercial Portugues and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Banco de Sabadell, S.A. (OTCMKTS:BNDSY Get Rating) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 200 shares, an increase of 100.0% from the February 28th total of 100 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.0 days. Banco de Sabadell Stock Down 1.6 % BNDSY traded down $0.03 on Thursday, reaching $2.01. 134 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 11,233. The companys 50 day moving average is $2.46 and its 200-day moving average is $1.94. Banco de Sabadell has a twelve month low of $1.24 and a twelve month high of $2.88. Get Banco de Sabadell alerts: About Banco de Sabadell (Get Rating) Featured Stories Banco de Sabadell SA engages in the provision of banking and financial services. It operates through the following segments: Business Banking in Spain, Asset Transformation, Banking Business in the United Kingdom, and Banking Business in America. The Business Banking in Spain segment encompasses covers commercial banking, corporate banking, and markets and private banking. Receive News & Ratings for Banco de Sabadell Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Banco de Sabadell and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT Get Rating) has been given an average recommendation of Hold by the eighteen research firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eight have assigned a hold recommendation and six have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $37.18. Several research firms recently weighed in on EAT. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded shares of Brinker International from a neutral rating to a sell rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $31.00 to $28.00 in a research report on Monday, December 12th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of Brinker International from $43.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, February 2nd. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Brinker International from $30.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Thursday, February 2nd. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Brinker International from $39.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, February 2nd. Finally, Wedbush upped their price objective on shares of Brinker International from $40.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, February 2nd. Get Brinker International alerts: Brinker International Stock Performance Shares of Brinker International stock opened at $35.90 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $38.30 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $33.84. The company has a market cap of $1.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 2.35. Brinker International has a fifty-two week low of $21.47 and a fifty-two week high of $42.12. Insider Activity Brinker International ( NYSE:EAT Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 1st. The restaurant operator reported $0.76 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.51 by $0.25. Brinker International had a net margin of 1.87% and a negative return on equity of 35.47%. The business had revenue of $1.02 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $991.74 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.71 earnings per share. The companys revenue was up 10.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Brinker International will post 2.72 EPS for the current year. In other news, SVP Wade Allen sold 12,139 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.42, for a total value of $490,658.38. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 28,647 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,157,911.74. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders sold a total of 12,986 shares of company stock valued at $525,047 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 2.37% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brinker International Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in Brinker International by 224.6% during the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 254,950 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $9,729,000 after buying an additional 176,405 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James & Associates lifted its holdings in Brinker International by 74.4% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 58,426 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $2,230,000 after buying an additional 24,923 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC acquired a new stake in Brinker International during the 1st quarter worth approximately $237,000. MetLife Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in Brinker International by 53.4% during the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 24,327 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $928,000 after buying an additional 8,465 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers lifted its holdings in Brinker International by 3.1% during the 1st quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 121,256 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $4,627,000 after buying an additional 3,610 shares in the last quarter. Brinker International Company Profile (Get Rating) Brinker International, Inc engages in owning, developing, and franchising Chilis Grill and Bar and Maggianos Little Italy restaurant brands. It operates through the following segments: Chilis, and Maggianos. The Chilis segment includes the results of company-owned Chilis restaurants in the U.S. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Brinker International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Brinker International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI Get Rating) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 7,990,000 shares, an increase of 372.8% from the February 28th total of 1,690,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 3,580,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.2 days. Approximately 0.4% of the companys shares are sold short. Hedge Funds Weigh In On British American Tobacco A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of BTI. Almanack Investment Partners LLC. purchased a new position in British American Tobacco in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Sanctuary Wealth Management L.L.C. purchased a new stake in shares of British American Tobacco during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Trustcore Financial Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of British American Tobacco during the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Guardian Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of British American Tobacco during the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Motco boosted its position in shares of British American Tobacco by 1,025.4% during the 4th quarter. Motco now owns 754 shares of the companys stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 687 shares in the last quarter. 6.37% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get British American Tobacco alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research analysts have recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered shares of British American Tobacco from an overweight rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, March 13th. StockNews.com raised shares of British American Tobacco from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 14th. British American Tobacco Trading Down 0.3 % British American Tobacco Increases Dividend Shares of BTI traded down $0.11 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $35.12. 11,817,315 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,916,668. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a current ratio of 0.86. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $37.45 and its 200-day simple moving average is $38.56. British American Tobacco has a 52-week low of $34.44 and a 52-week high of $45.28. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 6th. Investors of record on Friday, December 22nd will be given a $0.7006 dividend. This represents a $2.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.98%. This is a positive change from British American Tobaccos previous quarterly dividend of $0.70. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 21st. British American Tobacco Company Profile (Get Rating) British American Tobacco plc is a holding company, which engages in the manufacture and distribution of tobacco products. Its brands include Kent, Dunhill, Lucky Strike, and Pall Mall. It operates through the following geographical segments: United States, Asia-Pacific and Middle East (APME), Americas and Sub-Saharan Africa (AMSSA), and Europe and North Africa (ENA). Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for British American Tobacco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for British American Tobacco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. CAPROCK Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX Get Rating) by 20.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 8,226 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock after purchasing an additional 1,379 shares during the quarter. CAPROCK Group Inc.s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and were worth $2,092,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its holdings in shares of Becton, Dickinson and by 108.7% in the 2nd quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 26,814,411 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $6,610,557,000 after buying an additional 13,965,418 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and by 913.6% in the third quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 1,840,659 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $410,154,000 after purchasing an additional 1,659,056 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and by 16.1% in the second quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 5,219,559 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $1,286,779,000 after acquiring an additional 725,606 shares during the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and by 1,441.2% in the second quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 573,096 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $142,030,000 after acquiring an additional 535,910 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and by 49.2% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,012,078 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $269,213,000 after purchasing an additional 333,546 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.08% of the companys stock. Get Becton Dickinson and alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several analysts recently weighed in on BDX shares. StockNews.com began coverage on Becton, Dickinson and in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Citigroup upgraded Becton, Dickinson and from a sell rating to a neutral rating and increased their price objective for the company from $221.00 to $250.00 in a research report on Monday, December 12th. Bank of America raised shares of Becton, Dickinson and from a neutral rating to a buy rating and boosted their target price for the company from $250.00 to $290.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 3rd. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on shares of Becton, Dickinson and from $245.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, February 2nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Becton, Dickinson and from $290.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday, February 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $271.89. Becton, Dickinson and Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:BDX traded up $0.87 on Thursday, reaching $243.80. 251,367 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,101,481. The company has a fifty day moving average of $242.17 and a 200-day moving average of $240.77. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a twelve month low of $215.90 and a twelve month high of $277.29. The company has a market capitalization of $69.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.84, a PEG ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. Becton, Dickinson and (NYSE:BDX Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 2nd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.30. The business had revenue of $4.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.59 billion. Becton, Dickinson and had a net margin of 8.47% and a return on equity of 13.52%. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.64 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 12.19 EPS for the current fiscal year. Becton, Dickinson and Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.91 per share. This represents a $3.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.49%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 9th. Becton, Dickinson ands dividend payout ratio is presently 68.68%. Insider Buying and Selling In other Becton, Dickinson and news, EVP Richard Byrd sold 1,421 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $248.60, for a total value of $353,260.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 4,119 shares in the company, valued at $1,023,983.40. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.31% of the stock is owned by insiders. Becton, Dickinson and Company Profile (Get Rating) Becton, Dickinson & Co engages in the development, manufacture, and sale of medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment, and diagnostic products. It operates through the following segments: BD Medical, BD Life Sciences, and BD Interventional. The BD Medical segment produces medical technologies and devices that are used to help improve healthcare delivery. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BDX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Becton Dickinson and Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Becton Dickinson and and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. PEOPLES UNION FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES, RAJASTHAN Jaipur, 29th March, 2023 Press Note PUCL demands action against the police team which fabricated cases against innocents and conducted slipshod investigation in the 2008 Jaipur bomb blasts, which killed 74 people Fresh investigation should be ordered to ensure justice to the kin of the 74 killed and 150 injured Compensation must be given to the five acquitted for the loss of 15 years of their lives, which they spent in jail as their families suffered the ignominy of association with terrorists. The PUCL welcomes the judgment of Justice Pankaj Bhandari and Sameer Jain of the Rajasthan High Court, Jaipur bench, in the Jaipur bomb blast cases. On May 13, 2008, nine synchronous blasts occurred in the state capital in a span of 15 minutes. The judgment delivered today, 29th March, 2023, dealt with 28 cases including four death sentences earlier ordered by a trial court that convicted these men. The High Court acquitted all accused and rejected the death penalty and other punishments given by the special court (bomb blast) to the four: Saifur Rehman, Mohammed Saif, Mohammed Salman and Mohammed Sarwar. The court also rejected the prosecutions appeal of enhancement of sentence against the four for some of the cases, along with dismissing the appeal of the prosecution against the acquittal of Shahbaz Ahmed by the special court (bomb blast), upholding the special courts judgment. The court has rightly identified the numerous flaws in the investigation. The decision of the trial court, based on the chain of circumstances presented by the prosecution, nowhere showed the corresponding evidence, the court said. The judgment talks of gaping holes in the investigation, reiterating the point of slipshod work by the police. In 2008 itself, many civil society organisations raised the issue of false arrests and framing of young men of the Muslim community as terrorists. They also consisted a national tribunal on framing innocents in the Jaipur bomb blasts. Expressing outrage and calling it shoddy and incomplete, the Rajasthan High Court Jaipur bench came down harshly on the Rajasthan police team responsible for the investigation and ordered the DGP to hold an enquiry and identify the police personnel responsible, adding that the guilty police personnel must face punishment. Taking exception to the prosecutions case, it also added that the heinous crimes which killed over 74 people should have been properly investigated and impeccable evidence provided so that the guilty were punished. Instead, either the wrong culprits were arrested or if they were indeed culprits, arrests were done sans evidence. Excerpts of the judgement read by the court showed extensive lapses. The PUCL is particularly grateful to the team of lawyers of the five (four convicted and one acquitted), who showed the court the lapses in investigation to substantiate how it was bad in law to accept the conclusions of the investigation. PUCL records its appreciation of the work of senior counsels, Nitya Ramakrishnan, Tridip Pais, and advocates, Mr. Ashok Agarwal Siri Singh, Harsh Bohra, Rajat, Vibhor Jain Mujahid Ahmad, Nishant Vyas, SS Ali and others. The PUCL demands immediate action against the police who fabricated cases against the five, who spent 15 years in jail due to a delayed trial and a bad judgement of the trial court. Just compensation from the Government of Rajasthan for the false case, which caused these innocent young men to lose 15 years of life. Their families suffered the stigma of having produced terrorists. In 2008 when the four were arrested, except for Shahbaz, all were under twenty-five. Salman had not yet turned 18. The High Court today upheld Salmans juvenility and calling It erroneous, rejected the order of the additional district judge who set aside the JJ Board order confirming Salmans age as being under 18 years. For a maximum punishment of 3 years for being a juvenile on conviction, Salman spent 15 years behind bars. It is imperative that all be compensated. Fresh investigation in the 2008 bomb blast cases so that justice is delivered to the kin of the 74 deceased and the more than 150 injured that ill fateful day. The PUCL also appeals to the State of Rajasthan to not move for a stay against the acquittal, and instead facilitate the release of the four from jail. Shahbaz was released almost two years ago. PUCL will offer a more detailed analysis of the judgement once it is uploaded on the Rajasthan High court website. Kavita Srivastava (President) Anant Bhatnagar (General Secretary) CEO 28CEOCampbell Wilson 17 :ABACXYZ : 470 Air India chief defends giving Russia millions as overflight charges https://www.easterneye.biz/air-india-chief-defends-giving-russia-millions-as-overflight-charges/ Russia generated 1.3 billion from overflight charges each year before Covid By: Pramod Thomas 29 March, 2023 FILE PHOTO: Air India Chief Executive Officer Campbell Wilson speaks during a news conference in Gurugram, India, February 28, 2023. REUTERS/Amit Dave/File Photo IR INDIA chief Campbell Wilson has defended paying Kremlin millions as overflight charges to keep flying over Russia, the Telegraph reported. He added that the airline was open to flying over Russia to UK and US destinations as it was economical. Prior to the pandemic, Russia generated 1.3 billion from overflight charges each year. Wilson also compared Air Indias decision to continue flying over Russia with the UKs purchase of Russian fossil fuels. The UK are buying gas. You guys are buying oil. How much investment from the Russian diaspora do you have in Kensington and other places? The whole principle of if Country A and Country B are having a conflict, and then Country A insists country C has to do X, Y and Z. Thats a precedent that I think we all need to be careful of, Wilson told the Telegraph. I absolutely dont sanction or condone or support the conflict. But aviation is probably the biggest enabler of global peace and connectivity because it brings people together, makes cultures mix, and reduces just the natural us versus them nature of humanity. And if we constrain that, is that a negative or positive? I think its a clear negative. The UK has banned imports of Russian oil and gas, and the country also introduced new legislation which requires foreign companies holding UK property to identify their beneficial owners in a public register. Air India is funded by a joint venture between Tata, the owner of Jaguar Land Rover and Tata Steel, and Singapore Airlines. Britain is Air Indias second-biggest international market after North America. Following the Ukraine war, most western airlines have halted flying over Russia, Belarus and Ukraine over safety fears and financial sanctions that prevent funding the war against Ukraine. According to Wilson, ban on certain carriers from overflying certain places, will not stop people moving. It just changes where theyre moving through. And that is putting a thumb on the scale of competition. And is that the right thing to do? Because then you are going to get perverse outcomes, he told the newspaper. Youre going to get more circuitous routings and therefore more emissions. Youre getting higher prices. Youre going to get carriers [prices] artificially inflated, youre going to get carriers artificially deflated. Air India chief defends paying Kremlin millions to keep flying over Russia Aviation boss says enforcing overflight bans would disrupt industry competition Air India boss Campbell Wilson compared his airline's decision to continue flying over Russia with the UK's purchase of Russian fossil fuels Credit: Prakash Singh/Bloomberg Chatham Lodging Trust (NYSE:CLDT Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 632,200 shares, a growth of 26.6% from the February 28th total of 499,400 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 307,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.1 days. Insider Buying and Selling at Chatham Lodging Trust In related news, CEO Jeffrey H. Fisher acquired 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 16th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $10.28 per share, for a total transaction of $102,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 611,545 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,286,682.60. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 5.20% of the companys stock. Get Chatham Lodging Trust alerts: Institutional Trading of Chatham Lodging Trust Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Voya Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in Chatham Lodging Trust by 11.0% during the 4th quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 62,029 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $761,000 after buying an additional 6,166 shares in the last quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky grew its holdings in Chatham Lodging Trust by 35.7% during the 4th quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 15,047 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $185,000 after buying an additional 3,957 shares in the last quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. grew its holdings in Chatham Lodging Trust by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. now owns 201,455 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $2,472,000 after buying an additional 1,560 shares in the last quarter. Truist Financial Corp purchased a new position in Chatham Lodging Trust during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $467,000. Finally, State of Tennessee Treasury Department grew its holdings in Chatham Lodging Trust by 2.8% during the 4th quarter. State of Tennessee Treasury Department now owns 35,192 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $431,000 after buying an additional 969 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.97% of the companys stock. Chatham Lodging Trust Stock Performance Chatham Lodging Trust Cuts Dividend CLDT traded down $0.13 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $10.15. The company had a trading volume of 215,551 shares, compared to its average volume of 325,060. The company has a quick ratio of 1.76, a current ratio of 1.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53. The business has a 50-day moving average of $12.31 and a two-hundred day moving average of $12.24. The company has a market cap of $495.83 million, a P/E ratio of 205.64 and a beta of 1.80. Chatham Lodging Trust has a 1 year low of $9.34 and a 1 year high of $15.04. The firm also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 17th. Investors of record on Friday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $0.07 per share. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 8.28%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 30th. Chatham Lodging Trusts dividend payout ratio is currently 1,680.34%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several brokerages recently weighed in on CLDT. StockNews.com began coverage on Chatham Lodging Trust in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Oppenheimer reduced their price target on Chatham Lodging Trust from $18.00 to $15.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 28th. Finally, B. Riley reduced their price target on Chatham Lodging Trust from $18.00 to $16.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $15.67. About Chatham Lodging Trust (Get Rating) Chatham Lodging Trust engages in the acquisition and investment in hotel properties. It focuses on the upscale extended-stay and premium branded select-service hotels. The firms management evaluates the companys hotels as a single industry segment because all of the hotels have similar economic characteristics and provide similar services to similar types of customers. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Chatham Lodging Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chatham Lodging Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Companhia Brasileira De Distribuicao (NYSE:CBD Get Rating) was up 5.1% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $2.87 and last traded at $2.87. Approximately 924,304 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 34% from the average daily volume of 1,390,242 shares. The stock had previously closed at $2.73. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Separately, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Companhia Brasileira De Distribuicao in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Get Companhia Brasileira De Distribuicao alerts: Companhia Brasileira De Distribuicao Stock Up 1.1 % The firms 50-day moving average price is $3.23 and its 200 day moving average price is $3.50. The company has a quick ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 1.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Companhia Brasileira De Distribuicao About Companhia Brasileira De Distribuicao Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. HRT Financial LP increased its position in Companhia Brasileira De Distribuicao by 18.3% during the 4th quarter. HRT Financial LP now owns 25,911 shares of the companys stock worth $80,000 after purchasing an additional 4,001 shares in the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC grew its holdings in Companhia Brasileira De Distribuicao by 43.1% during the 4th quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 15,682 shares of the companys stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 4,722 shares during the last quarter. UBS Group AG grew its holdings in Companhia Brasileira De Distribuicao by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,120,359 shares of the companys stock worth $3,966,000 after acquiring an additional 9,409 shares during the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in Companhia Brasileira De Distribuicao during the 1st quarter worth approximately $53,000. Finally, Centiva Capital LP bought a new stake in Companhia Brasileira De Distribuicao during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $38,000. 5.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. (Get Rating) Companhia Brasileira de Distribuicao engages in the retail of food, clothing, home appliances, and other products through its chain of hypermarkets and supermarkets. It operates through the Food Retail, and Cash and Carry segments. The Food Retail segment sells food and non-food products to individual consumers. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Companhia Brasileira De Distribuicao Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Companhia Brasileira De Distribuicao and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Purplebricks Group (OTCMKTS:PRPPF Get Rating) and BB Seguridade Participacoes (OTCMKTS:BBSEY Get Rating) are both finance companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, analyst recommendations, risk, profitability, earnings, institutional ownership and dividends. Valuation and Earnings This table compares Purplebricks Group and BB Seguridade Participacoes revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Get Purplebricks Group alerts: Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Purplebricks Group $95.12 million 0.00 -$57.06 million N/A N/A BB Seguridade Participacoes $987.15 million 12.90 $728.83 million $0.45 14.14 BB Seguridade Participacoes has higher revenue and earnings than Purplebricks Group. Risk & Volatility Profitability Purplebricks Group has a beta of 2.28, indicating that its share price is 128% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, BB Seguridade Participacoes has a beta of 0.86, indicating that its share price is 14% less volatile than the S&P 500. This table compares Purplebricks Group and BB Seguridade Participacoes net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Purplebricks Group N/A N/A N/A BB Seguridade Participacoes 77.57% 60.91% 37.55% Analyst Ratings This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for Purplebricks Group and BB Seguridade Participacoes, as provided by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Purplebricks Group 0 1 0 0 2.00 BB Seguridade Participacoes 0 1 2 0 2.67 BB Seguridade Participacoes has a consensus target price of $32.00, suggesting a potential upside of 402.75%. Summary BB Seguridade Participacoes beats Purplebricks Group on 7 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks. About Purplebricks Group (Get Rating) Purplebricks Group plc engages in the real estate agency business in the United Kingdom. The company provides services and technology to sell or let residential properties in the United Kingdom on behalf of the owner or landlord. It also engages in the letting of residential properties; and the provision of mortgage advisory services. The company offers its services under the Purplebricks brand name. Purplebricks Group plc was incorporated in 2012 and is based in Solihull, the United Kingdom. About BB Seguridade Participacoes (Get Rating) BB Seguridade Participacoes SA is a holding company, which engages in the provision of insurance products and services. It operates through the Insurance and Brokerage segments. The Insurance segment includes insurance and reinsurance, pension plan, health, and capitalization operations. The Brokerage segment involves brokerage services and administration, promotion and viability of life and capitalization insurances, pension plan, dental plan and health insurance. The company was founded on December 20, 2012 and is headquartered in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Receive News & Ratings for Purplebricks Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Purplebricks Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Deutsche Borse AG (OTCMKTS:DBOEY Get Rating)s share price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $19.55 and last traded at $19.53, with a volume of 113504 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $19.48. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of research analysts recently issued reports on DBOEY shares. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded shares of Deutsche Borse from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 21st. Credit Suisse Group upgraded shares of Deutsche Borse from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, March 16th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded shares of Deutsche Borse from an overweight rating to a neutral rating in a report on Monday, December 12th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $190.96. Get Deutsche Borse alerts: Deutsche Borse Price Performance The companys fifty day moving average price is $18.06 and its 200 day moving average price is $17.35. The company has a market cap of $37.01 billion, a PE ratio of 21.41, a P/E/G ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 0.70. About Deutsche Borse Deutsche Borse ( OTCMKTS:DBOEY Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 8th. The financial services provider reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter. The company had revenue of $1.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.23 billion. Deutsche Borse had a net margin of 28.08% and a return on equity of 18.20%. On average, analysts forecast that Deutsche Borse AG will post 1.01 EPS for the current year. (Get Rating) Deutsche Borse AG engages in the provision of information technology services and market data distribution. It operates through the following segments: Eurex, EEX, Xetra, 360T, Clearstream, IFS, GSF, Qontigo and Data. The Eurex segment includes electronic trading of European derivatives, commodities, and foreign exchange. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Deutsche Borse Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Deutsche Borse and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Scout Investments Inc. boosted its holdings in Everest Re Group, Ltd. (NYSE:RE Get Rating) by 245.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 124,749 shares of the insurance providers stock after acquiring an additional 88,662 shares during the quarter. Scout Investments Inc. owned about 0.32% of Everest Re Group worth $41,326,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of RE. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Everest Re Group by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,906,545 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $1,287,673,000 after buying an additional 55,341 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Everest Re Group by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 2,811,152 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $737,759,000 after purchasing an additional 8,589 shares during the period. Boston Partners increased its holdings in shares of Everest Re Group by 7.5% in the 3rd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 2,587,523 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $681,939,000 after purchasing an additional 181,309 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of Everest Re Group by 4.4% in the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,049,747 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $617,753,000 after purchasing an additional 86,154 shares during the period. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Everest Re Group by 30.3% in the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,188,259 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $311,847,000 after purchasing an additional 276,457 shares during the period. 92.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Everest Re Group alerts: Everest Re Group Stock Performance Shares of NYSE RE traded down $4.80 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $354.22. The stock had a trading volume of 57,784 shares, compared to its average volume of 296,532. The businesss fifty day moving average is $362.55 and its two-hundred day moving average is $328.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.32 and a quick ratio of 0.32. The company has a market cap of $13.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.76, a PEG ratio of 0.25 and a beta of 0.60. Everest Re Group, Ltd. has a twelve month low of $244.57 and a twelve month high of $394.99. Everest Re Group Announces Dividend Everest Re Group ( NYSE:RE Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 8th. The insurance provider reported $12.21 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $9.29 by $2.92. Everest Re Group had a return on equity of 12.36% and a net margin of 4.96%. The business had revenue of $3.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.24 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $9.12 earnings per share. Everest Re Groups revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that Everest Re Group, Ltd. will post 45.63 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 16th will be issued a dividend of $1.65 per share. This represents a $6.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.86%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 15th. Everest Re Groups payout ratio is presently 43.68%. Analysts Set New Price Targets RE has been the topic of a number of research reports. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Everest Re Group from $408.00 to $426.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday, February 10th. BMO Capital Markets began coverage on Everest Re Group in a research note on Thursday, January 19th. They issued a market perform rating and a $380.00 price target for the company. Raymond James boosted their price target on Everest Re Group from $385.00 to $415.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, February 13th. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on Everest Re Group in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Everest Re Group has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $382.00. Everest Re Group Company Profile (Get Rating) Everest Re Group Ltd. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of reinsurance and insurance services. It operates through the following segments: Reinsurance, and Insurance. The Reinsurance segment writes property and casualty reinsurance and specialty lines of business, including marine, aviation, surety, and accident and health business, on both a treaty and facultative basis, through reinsurance brokers, as well as directly with ceding companies primarily within the U.S. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding RE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Everest Re Group, Ltd. (NYSE:RE Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Everest Re Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Everest Re Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Greene King plc (LON:GNK Get Rating) passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of GBX 849.20 ($10.43) and traded as high as GBX 849.40 ($10.44). Greene King shares last traded at GBX 849.20 ($10.43), with a volume of 6,678,342 shares traded. Greene King Price Performance The company has a current ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 111.89. The firm has a market capitalization of 2.63 billion and a P/E ratio of 21.94. The companys fifty day simple moving average is GBX 849.20 and its 200 day simple moving average is GBX 849.20. Greene King Company Profile (Get Rating) Greene King plc operates as a pub retailer and brewer in the United Kingdom. The company operates through three segments: Pub Company, Pub Partners, and Brewing & Brands. Its brands include Greene King Local Pubs, Hungry Horse, Flaming Grill, Farmhouse Inns, and Chef & Brewer. The company is also involved in brewing, marketing, and selling beer under the Greene King IPA, Old Speckled Hen, Abbot Ale, and Belhaven Best brands. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Greene King Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Greene King and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. (NYSE:ASR Get Rating) was downgraded by analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from an overweight rating to a neutral rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, The Fly reports. A number of other research firms also recently issued reports on ASR. UBS Group downgraded Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. from a neutral rating to a sell rating in a report on Thursday, December 15th. StockNews.com started coverage on Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. from $215.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, March 3rd. Get Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste S. A. B. de C. V. alerts: Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. Stock Performance Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. stock opened at $310.96 on Thursday. Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. has a fifty-two week low of $179.01 and a fifty-two week high of $313.77. The stock has a market cap of $9.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.70, a PEG ratio of 4.03 and a beta of 1.08. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $285.82 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $251.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 3.70 and a current ratio of 3.25. Institutional Trading of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. About Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Deutsche Bank AG raised its stake in shares of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. by 500.5% during the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 289,413 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $67,430,000 after buying an additional 241,214 shares during the last quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. purchased a new stake in shares of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. during the fourth quarter worth about $39,588,000. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. acquired a new stake in Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. in the 3rd quarter worth about $18,410,000. TT International Asset Management LTD purchased a new stake in shares of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. during the fourth quarter worth approximately $16,097,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE grew its holdings in shares of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. by 706.9% during the fourth quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 71,046 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $16,553,000 after buying an additional 62,241 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 15.66% of the companys stock. (Get Rating) Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste SA de CV is a holding company, which engages in the operation, maintenance, and development of airports It operates through the following segments: Cancun, Aerostar, Airplan, Villahermosa, Merida, Holding and Services, and Other. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Mexico City, Mexico. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste S. A. B. de C. V. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste S. A. B. de C. V. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hall Private Wealth Advisors boosted its stake in shares of Ford Motor (NYSE:F Get Rating) by 7.1% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 227,591 shares of the auto manufacturers stock after buying an additional 15,097 shares during the period. Ford Motor makes up approximately 1.5% of Hall Private Wealth Advisors holdings, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding. Hall Private Wealth Advisors holdings in Ford Motor were worth $2,647,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of F. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd boosted its position in shares of Ford Motor by 1.7% during the third quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 283,841 shares of the auto manufacturers stock worth $3,179,000 after buying an additional 4,823 shares during the period. Quantinno Capital Management LP grew its stake in shares of Ford Motor by 52.0% during the 3rd quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 40,461 shares of the auto manufacturers stock worth $453,000 after acquiring an additional 13,850 shares in the last quarter. WASHINGTON TRUST Co raised its holdings in shares of Ford Motor by 695.8% in the third quarter. WASHINGTON TRUST Co now owns 3,183 shares of the auto manufacturers stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 2,783 shares during the last quarter. Resources Investment Advisors LLC. raised its holdings in shares of Ford Motor by 11.4% in the third quarter. Resources Investment Advisors LLC. now owns 96,193 shares of the auto manufacturers stock valued at $1,077,000 after purchasing an additional 9,822 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Versor Investments LP lifted its position in shares of Ford Motor by 1,125.3% in the third quarter. Versor Investments LP now owns 280,586 shares of the auto manufacturers stock worth $3,143,000 after purchasing an additional 257,686 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 49.68% of the companys stock. Get Ford Motor alerts: Insider Transactions at Ford Motor In related news, CEO James D. Farley, Jr. sold 79,921 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $12.86, for a total transaction of $1,027,784.06. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,638,667 shares of the companys stock, valued at $21,073,257.62. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, CEO James D. Farley, Jr. sold 79,921 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.86, for a total value of $1,027,784.06. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,638,667 shares in the company, valued at $21,073,257.62. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CFO John T. Lawler sold 29,821 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $13.07, for a total value of $389,760.47. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 443,683 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,798,936.81. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 134,592 shares of company stock worth $1,740,843. Company insiders own 0.71% of the companys stock. Ford Motor Stock Up 1.2 % NYSE:F opened at $12.20 on Thursday. The firms fifty day moving average price is $12.52 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $12.75. Ford Motor has a one year low of $10.61 and a one year high of $17.80. The company has a current ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06. Ford Motor (NYSE:F Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 2nd. The auto manufacturer reported $0.51 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.60 by ($0.09). The company had revenue of $41.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $40.73 billion. Ford Motor had a positive return on equity of 17.45% and a negative net margin of 1.25%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 18.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.26 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Ford Motor will post 1.5 EPS for the current year. Ford Motor Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 13th were paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 10th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.92%. Ford Motors dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -117.65%. Analyst Ratings Changes F has been the topic of several recent research reports. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Ford Motor in a research note on Tuesday, February 14th. They issued an equal weight rating and a $13.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Ford Motor from $16.00 to $15.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 25th. Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. cut Ford Motor from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 15th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Ford Motor from $15.00 to $14.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 6th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut Ford Motor from a hold rating to a sell rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $13.00 to $11.00 in a research note on Friday, February 3rd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $15.22. About Ford Motor (Get Rating) Ford Motor Co engages in the manufacture, distribution, and sale of automobiles. It operates through the following segments: Ford Blue, Ford Model E, and Ford Pro, Ford Next, and Ford Credit. The Ford Blue, Ford Model E, and Ford Pro segment includes the sale of Ford and Lincoln vehicles, service parts, and accessories, together with the associated costs to develop, manufacture, distribute, and service the vehicles, parts, and accessories. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding F? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Ford Motor (NYSE:F Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Ford Motor Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ford Motor and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bank of America upgraded shares of Hannover Ruck (OTCMKTS:HVRRY Get Rating) from an underperform rating to a neutral rating in a research report report published on Monday, The Fly reports. A number of other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on the company. Societe Generale cut their price target on Hannover Ruck from 201.50 ($216.67) to 200.00 ($215.05) and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Hannover Ruck from 190.00 ($204.30) to 210.00 ($225.81) and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, December 8th. Finally, HSBC downgraded shares of Hannover Ruck from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, February 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Hannover Ruck presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $183.67. Get Hannover Ruck alerts: Hannover Ruck Stock Performance HVRRY stock opened at $95.82 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.21 and a quick ratio of 0.21. Hannover Ruck has a 1 year low of $65.98 and a 1 year high of $103.51. The company has a market cap of $23.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.63 and a beta of 0.71. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $96.22 and its 200-day moving average price is $91.07. About Hannover Ruck Hannover Ruck SE engages in the provision of reinsurance activities. It operates through the Property and Casualty Reinsurance, and Life and Health Reinsurance business segments. The Property and Casualty Reinsurance segment refers to lines of business concerned with the insurance of property, such as liability, fire, hail or marine insurance. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Hannover Ruck Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hannover Ruck and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hercules Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HTGC Get Rating) saw a significant increase in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 9,210,000 shares, an increase of 52.0% from the February 28th total of 6,060,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,420,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 6.5 days. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several brokerages have commented on HTGC. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods downgraded shares of Hercules Capital from a market perform rating to an underperform rating and lowered their target price for the company from $14.50 to $10.50 in a research note on Monday, March 13th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on shares of Hercules Capital from $16.00 to $17.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, February 17th. Piper Sandler reduced their price target on shares of Hercules Capital from $15.00 to $14.50 in a report on Friday, December 16th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Hercules Capital in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Finally, JMP Securities restated a market outperform rating and set a $18.00 target price on shares of Hercules Capital in a report on Monday, March 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $14.93. Get Hercules Capital alerts: Hercules Capital Stock Performance Shares of HTGC traded up $0.06 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $13.04. The company had a trading volume of 1,159,313 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,521,034. The firm has a market cap of $1.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.08 and a beta of 1.43. The business has a fifty day moving average of $14.17 and a 200-day moving average of $13.73. Hercules Capital has a 12 month low of $10.94 and a 12 month high of $19.09. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12. Hercules Capital Increases Dividend Hercules Capital ( NYSE:HTGC Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 16th. The financial services provider reported $0.47 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.42 by $0.05. Hercules Capital had a net margin of 31.73% and a return on equity of 13.87%. The business had revenue of $100.19 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $91.34 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.35 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Hercules Capital will post 1.85 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 9th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 2nd were paid a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 11.96%. This is an increase from Hercules Capitals previous quarterly dividend of $0.36. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 1st. Hercules Capitals dividend payout ratio is presently 205.27%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Hercules Capital news, Director Wade Loo purchased 4,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 17th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $11.95 per share, with a total value of $47,800.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 8,059 shares in the company, valued at approximately $96,305.05. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.40% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hercules Capital A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of HTGC. Kovack Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Hercules Capital by 3.3% in the 3rd quarter. Kovack Advisors Inc. now owns 31,023 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $359,000 after purchasing an additional 1,002 shares in the last quarter. UBS Group AG boosted its stake in shares of Hercules Capital by 7.7% in the 2nd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 572,429 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $7,722,000 after purchasing an additional 41,096 shares in the last quarter. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Hercules Capital by 2,200.0% in the 3rd quarter. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. now owns 2,300 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 2,200 shares in the last quarter. Nicholas Hoffman & Company LLC. acquired a new stake in shares of Hercules Capital in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $128,000. Finally, FAS Wealth Partners boosted its stake in shares of Hercules Capital by 2.1% in the 3rd quarter. FAS Wealth Partners now owns 159,621 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,848,000 after purchasing an additional 3,222 shares in the last quarter. 23.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Hercules Capital Company Profile (Get Rating) Hercules is the largest non-bank lender to venture capital-backed companies at all stages of development in a broadly diversified variety of technology, life sciences, and sustainable and renewable technology industries. With over a decade of experience in venture debt, Hercules is uniquely positioned to quickly create innovative financing solutions that perfectly fit within a companys existing capital structure and map to its business objectives. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Hercules Capital Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hercules Capital and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Former President Jimmy Carter told a church congregation this weekend that he had spoken with President Donald Trump about China on Saturday, and said the commander in chief was worried that Beijing had outpaced its global rivals. According to Emma Hurt, a reporter for NPR affiliate WABE, Carter spoke of the call during his regular Sunday School lesson at Maranatha Baptist Church in his hometown of Plains, Georgia. Carter, 94, said Trump was worried that "China is getting ahead of us," and suggested the president was right to be concerned. He told the congregation that Trump feared China's growing economic strength. Economic modeling indicated that China would overtake the U.S. as the world's strongest economy by 2030, and many experts have said that we were already living in what has been dubbed the "Chinese Century." Carter said he did not "really fear that time, but it bothers President Trump and I don't know why. I'm not criticizing him this morning," he added, to laughs from fellow churchgoers. Carterwho normalized diplomatic relations between Washington and Beijing in 1979suggested that China's breakneck growth had been facilitated by sensible investment and buoyed by peace. "Since 1979, do you know how many times China has been at war with anybody?" Carter asked. "None. And we have stayed at war." The U.S., he noted, has only enjoyed 16 years of peace in its 242-year history, making the country "the most warlike nation in the history of the world," Carter said. This is, he said, because of America's tendency to force other nations to "adopt our American principles." In China, meanwhile, the economic benefits of peace were clear to the eye. "How many miles of high-speed railroad do we have in this country?" he asked. While China has some 18,000 miles of high-speed rail, the U.S. has "wasted, I think, $3 trillion" on military spending. "It's more than you can imagine. China has not wasted a single penny on war, and that's why they're ahead of us. In almost every way." "And I think the difference is if you take $3 trillion and put it in American infrastructure you'd probably have $2 trillion leftover. We'd have high-speed railroad. We'd have bridges that aren't collapsing, we'd have roads that are maintained properly. Our education system would be as good as that of say South Korea or Hong Kong," Carter told the congregation. Before he left the pulpit, Carter noted, "I wasn't comparing my country adversely to China. I was just pointing that out because I happened to get a phone call last night." The Trump administration remains locked in a costly trade war with China, though Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said Saturday the end could be in sight. "I think we're hopeful that we're getting close to the final round of concluding issues," Mnuchin told reporters, according to The Wall Street Journal. Meanwhile, military tensions remain over Chinese territorial claims in the South China Sea and its continued insistence that the independent island nation of Taiwan will eventually fall back under Beijing's control. Hyundai Motor (OTCMKTS:HYMLF Get Rating)s stock price reached a new 52-week low on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $89.00 and last traded at $89.00, with a volume of 0 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $89.00. Hyundai Motor Price Performance The stocks 50 day moving average price is $89.00 and its 200 day moving average price is $89.00. About Hyundai Motor (Get Rating) Hyundai Motor Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and distributes motor vehicles and parts. It operates through Vehicle, Finance, and Others segments. The company offers cars under the Azera, Sonata, Veloster, Veloster N, i30 Fastback N, i30 N, i30, Elantra, Accent, i20, and i10 names; and SUVs under the Palisade, Santa Fe, Tucson, Creta, Kona, and Venue names. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Hyundai Motor Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hyundai Motor and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Heliogen, Inc. (NYSE:HLGN Get Rating) major shareholder Nant Capital, Llc acquired 426,374 shares of Heliogen stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 23rd. The shares were acquired at an average price of $0.21 per share, with a total value of $89,538.54. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider now owns 1,438,037 shares in the company, valued at $301,987.77. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Major shareholders that own 10% or more of a companys shares are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC. Heliogen Stock Performance Heliogen stock opened at $0.26 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $0.39 and a 200-day moving average of $0.98. Heliogen, Inc. has a one year low of $0.19 and a one year high of $5.75. Get Heliogen alerts: Hedge Funds Weigh In On Heliogen A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of HLGN. Penserra Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Heliogen by 67.4% in the 1st quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC now owns 9,193 shares of the companys stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 3,700 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. bought a new stake in shares of Heliogen in the 1st quarter valued at about $34,000. UBS Group AG raised its holdings in shares of Heliogen by 1,178.0% in the 1st quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 7,080 shares of the companys stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 6,526 shares during the period. Captrust Financial Advisors bought a new stake in shares of Heliogen in the 1st quarter valued at about $38,000. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System raised its holdings in shares of Heliogen by 42.2% in the 3rd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 28,267 shares of the companys stock valued at $53,000 after purchasing an additional 8,390 shares during the period. 39.84% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Heliogen Heliogen, Inc, a renewable energy technology company, develops an A.I.-enabled, concentrated solar power plant. It offers HelioHeat for the production of heat for use in industrial processes; HelioPower, a solution for power generation; and HelioFuel, a solution for hydrogen fuel production. The company was formerly known as Edison Microgrids, Inc and changed its name to Heliogen, Inc in November 2019. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Heliogen Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Heliogen and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Invesco Senior Income Trust (NYSE:VVR Get Rating) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 956,300 shares, an increase of 40.5% from the February 28th total of 680,700 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 938,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.0 days. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Invesco Senior Income Trust Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Sowell Financial Services LLC lifted its position in shares of Invesco Senior Income Trust by 9.1% during the 3rd quarter. Sowell Financial Services LLC now owns 197,645 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $735,000 after acquiring an additional 16,530 shares during the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Invesco Senior Income Trust by 11.1% in the third quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 28,367 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $106,000 after purchasing an additional 2,829 shares in the last quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Invesco Senior Income Trust by 1.4% in the third quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,646,238 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $6,124,000 after purchasing an additional 22,807 shares in the last quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Invesco Senior Income Trust by 4.4% in the third quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 308,022 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $1,146,000 after purchasing an additional 13,072 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Logan Stone Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Invesco Senior Income Trust by 99.3% in the third quarter. Logan Stone Capital LLC now owns 229,301 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $853,000 after purchasing an additional 114,261 shares in the last quarter. Get Invesco Senior Income Trust alerts: Invesco Senior Income Trust Stock Performance NYSE VVR traded up $0.05 on Wednesday, reaching $3.66. 809,096 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 912,400. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $3.90 and its 200 day simple moving average is $3.83. Invesco Senior Income Trust has a 12 month low of $3.56 and a 12 month high of $4.33. Invesco Senior Income Trust Announces Dividend Invesco Senior Income Trust Company Profile The business also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th will be given a dividend of $0.039 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 14th. This represents a $0.47 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 12.79%. (Get Rating) Invesco Senior Income Trust operates as a closed-end investment trust. The firms investment objective is to gain a high level of current income consistent with the preservation of capital. The company was founded on June 23, 1998 and is headquartered in Houston, TX. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Invesco Senior Income Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Invesco Senior Income Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Investment Management of Virginia LLC lifted its holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG Get Rating) by 1.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 11,910 shares of the insurance providers stock after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the quarter. Investment Management of Virginia LLCs holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group were worth $1,609,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can raised its stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 8.4% in the third quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can now owns 25,371 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $3,252,000 after purchasing an additional 1,968 shares during the last quarter. Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in the second quarter worth $222,000. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 9.0% in the third quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 28,883 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $3,701,000 after acquiring an additional 2,373 shares during the period. Western Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in the third quarter worth $250,000. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 9.7% in the third quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,029,102 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $131,869,000 after acquiring an additional 91,418 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.39% of the companys stock. Get The Hanover Insurance Group alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes Several analysts recently commented on THG shares. JMP Securities reaffirmed a market outperform rating and issued a $170.00 price objective on shares of The Hanover Insurance Group in a report on Friday, February 3rd. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on The Hanover Insurance Group from $144.00 to $151.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 10th. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on The Hanover Insurance Group in a report on Thursday, January 19th. They issued a market perform rating and a $141.00 price objective for the company. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on The Hanover Insurance Group in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $155.20. The Hanover Insurance Group Stock Performance NYSE:THG traded up $0.54 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $127.29. 28,805 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 171,755. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $134.72 and its 200-day moving average price is $136.77. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a one year low of $119.82 and a one year high of $155.55. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The firm has a market cap of $4.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.32 and a beta of 0.68. The Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE:THG Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 1st. The insurance provider reported ($1.05) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of ($1.05). The Hanover Insurance Group had a return on equity of 7.98% and a net margin of 2.12%. The business had revenue of $1.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.30 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.38 earnings per share. The Hanover Insurance Groups revenue for the quarter was up 9.1% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 9.72 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The Hanover Insurance Group Announces Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th will be paid a $0.81 dividend. This represents a $3.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.55%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 14th. The Hanover Insurance Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 100.93%. Insider Transactions at The Hanover Insurance Group In other news, SVP Warren E. Barnes sold 862 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.51, for a total value of $119,395.62. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 4,075 shares of the companys stock, valued at $564,428.25. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 2.50% of the companys stock. The Hanover Insurance Group Profile (Get Rating) The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc is a holding company that engages in the provision of property and casualty products and services. It operates through the following segments: Core Commercial, Specialty, Personal Lines and Other. The Core Commercial segment includes commercial multiple peril, commercial automobile, workers compensation and other core commercial coverage, such as general liability, commercial umbrella and monoline property. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding THG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for The Hanover Insurance Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for The Hanover Insurance Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. iShares MSCI GCC ex-Saudi Arabia (IGCC) (OTC:IGCC Get Rating) fell 1.9% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $0.33 and last traded at $0.33. 53,520 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 95% from the average session volume of 1,110,441 shares. The stock had previously closed at $0.34. iShares MSCI GCC ex-Saudi Arabia (IGCC) Stock Down 1.9 % The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $0.38 and its 200-day simple moving average is $0.40. See Also Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI GCC ex-Saudi Arabia (IGCC) Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI GCC ex-Saudi Arabia (IGCC) and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Connable Office Inc. increased its holdings in KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY Get Rating) by 22.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 16,036 shares of the financial services providers stock after buying an additional 2,956 shares during the period. Connable Office Inc.s holdings in KeyCorp were worth $279,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Guardian Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in KeyCorp in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. CNB Bank lifted its position in KeyCorp by 3,380.8% in the 2nd quarter. CNB Bank now owns 1,810 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 1,758 shares during the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new stake in KeyCorp in the 1st quarter valued at about $38,000. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd bought a new stake in shares of KeyCorp during the 1st quarter worth about $40,000. Finally, Vigilant Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of KeyCorp by 634.0% during the 3rd quarter. Vigilant Capital Management LLC now owns 2,547 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 2,200 shares in the last quarter. 82.11% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get KeyCorp alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of KeyCorp from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and set a $20.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price target on shares of KeyCorp from $23.00 to $20.00 in a research report on Friday, January 6th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of KeyCorp from $22.00 to $21.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 23rd. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of KeyCorp in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a sell rating on the stock. Finally, Citigroup upgraded shares of KeyCorp from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $20.00 target price on the stock in a report on Monday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $19.62. KeyCorp Stock Down 2.8 % NYSE KEY traded down $0.35 during trading on Thursday, reaching $12.32. The companys stock had a trading volume of 10,512,340 shares, compared to its average volume of 20,188,332. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.76. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.39 billion, a PE ratio of 6.41, a PEG ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.31. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $16.86 and a 200-day moving average price of $17.32. KeyCorp has a 1-year low of $9.60 and a 1-year high of $23.95. KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 19th. The financial services provider reported $0.38 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.55 by ($0.17). KeyCorp had a return on equity of 15.27% and a net margin of 22.46%. The firm had revenue of $1.89 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.93 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.64 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that KeyCorp will post 1.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. KeyCorp Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 28th were paid a $0.205 dividend. This represents a $0.82 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.66%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 27th. KeyCorps payout ratio is 42.71%. Insider Transactions at KeyCorp In related news, Director Ruth Ann M. Gillis bought 2,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 14th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $12.95 per share, for a total transaction of $25,900.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 42,961 shares in the company, valued at $556,344.95. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In related news, Director Ruth Ann M. Gillis bought 2,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 14th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $12.95 per share, for a total transaction of $25,900.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 42,961 shares in the company, valued at $556,344.95. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Amy G. Brady sold 45,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.58, for a total transaction of $701,100.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 119,121 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,855,905.18. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.54% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. KeyCorp Company Profile (Get Rating) KeyCorp is a bank holding company, which engages in the provision of financial services. It provides a range of retail and commercial banking, commercial leasing, investment management, consumer finance, student loan refinancing, commercial mortgage servicing and special servicing, and investment banking products and services to individual, corporate, and institutional clients. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for KeyCorp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for KeyCorp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Kibo Energy PLC (LON:KIBO Get Rating) passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 0.14 ($0.00) and traded as low as GBX 0.10 ($0.00). Kibo Energy shares last traded at GBX 0.10 ($0.00), with a volume of 58,715 shares. Kibo Energy Stock Performance The company has a quick ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 0.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.00. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is GBX 0.11 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is GBX 0.14. The company has a market cap of 3.05 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -10.00 and a beta of 0.31. About Kibo Energy (Get Rating) Kibo Energy PLC, together with its subsidiaries, explores for and develops energy projects in Sub Saharan Africa and the United Kingdom. The company owns a 100% interest in the Mbeya Coal to Power project located in Songwe Regio, Tanzania. It also holds an 85% interest in the Mabesekwa Coal Independent Power Project located in Botswana; and 65% interest in the Benga Power Plant Project located in the Tete province of Mozambique. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Kibo Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kibo Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Leju Holdings Limited (NYSE:LEJU Get Rating)s stock price passed below its 50 day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of $1.29 and traded as low as $1.14. Leju shares last traded at $1.16, with a volume of 7,845 shares traded. Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, StockNews.com initiated coverage on Leju in a research note on Wednesday. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Get Leju alerts: Leju Stock Performance The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $1.28 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1.46. Leju Company Profile Leju Holdings Ltd. engages in the provision of online-to-offline real estate services. It offers electronic commerce, online advertising, and listing services on new residential property sales. The company was founded on November 20, 2013 and is headquartered in Beijing, China. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Leju Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Leju and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. MicroSectors FANG+ Index ETN (NYSEARCA:FNGS Get Rating)s stock price rose 2.1% on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $25.86 and last traded at $25.81. Approximately 18,502 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 58% from the average daily volume of 43,637 shares. The stock had previously closed at $25.27. MicroSectors FANG+ Index ETN Stock Up 2.1 % The firms fifty day simple moving average is $24.03 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $21.54. Hedge Funds Weigh In On MicroSectors FANG+ Index ETN A hedge fund recently bought a new stake in MicroSectors FANG+ Index ETN stock. OLD Mission Capital LLC bought a new stake in MicroSectors FANG+ Index ETN (NYSEARCA:FNGS Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 2,993 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $58,000. OLD Mission Capital LLC owned about 0.12% of MicroSectors FANG+ Index ETN at the end of the most recent reporting period. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for MicroSectors FANG+ Index ETN Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for MicroSectors FANG+ Index ETN and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. MPS Loria Financial Planners LLC cut its stake in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSEARCA:IWM Get Rating) by 24.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 36,558 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 11,914 shares during the quarter. iShares Russell 2000 ETF makes up 2.8% of MPS Loria Financial Planners LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 5th largest holding. MPS Loria Financial Planners LLCs holdings in iShares Russell 2000 ETF were worth $6,374,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund grew its holdings in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 8.9% during the third quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 14,581,100 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $2,404,715,000 after purchasing an additional 1,192,100 shares during the last quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank grew its holdings in iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 12,616.2% in the 3rd quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 7,756,010 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $1,279,086,000 after buying an additional 7,695,017 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its holdings in iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 6,640,764 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $1,095,195,000 after buying an additional 119,602 shares in the last quarter. Personal Capital Advisors Corp grew its holdings in iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 4.3% in the 3rd quarter. Personal Capital Advisors Corp now owns 6,267,638 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $1,033,659,000 after buying an additional 260,184 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp grew its holdings in iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 1.0% in the 1st quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 4,019,321 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $825,046,000 after buying an additional 39,661 shares in the last quarter. Get iShares Russell 2000 ETF alerts: iShares Russell 2000 ETF Stock Performance IWM stock traded down $0.46 on Thursday, reaching $174.96. The companys stock had a trading volume of 17,006,196 shares, compared to its average volume of 28,301,328. iShares Russell 2000 ETF has a 52 week low of $162.50 and a 52 week high of $212.25. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $185.40 and a two-hundred day moving average of $180.41. iShares Russell 2000 ETF Profile iShares Russell 2000 ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Russell 2000 Index (the Index). The Index is a float-adjusted capitalization weighted index that measures the performance of the small-capitalization sector of the United States equity market and includes securities issued by the approximately 2,000 smallest issuers in the Russell 3000 Index. Read More Receive News & Ratings for iShares Russell 2000 ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Russell 2000 ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. A Domino's pizza receipt was the clue that led police to a 12-year-old boy in Milwaukee who allegedly killed his 34-year-old neighbor in order to steal his shotgun and AR-15 style rifle. The child had played video games with his adult neighbor, Brandon Felton, and according to a criminal complaint via NBC News, had killed the man with a "single gunshot wound to the head." Three days later, police were called to investigate after nobody had heard from Felton. When police arrived at the man's house, they found Felton on the floor in a puddle of blood, and near him was a Domino's pizza delivery receipt for an order taken by a worker named "Brandy" on a small table. When police called the customer's phone number listed on the receipt, a young voice answered. From NBC News: A detective, according to the complaint, called the phone number on the receipt which was answered by a "young-sounding male," the complaint said. The person who picked up the phone denied knowing someone named Brandy and hung up, the complaint said. The child's mother took the boy to speak with police on March 18, the complaint said. The boy said he heard about Felton's death from his grandmother. The boy when confronted about the pizza order, said the phone was his and no one uses it or has borrowed it. The boy's story, according to the complaint, changed several times. The boy's mother, according to the complaint, told police her child had lied to investigators. [W]hen asked if the child is being tried as an adult, Holtz wrote: "In Wisconsin, any child charged with a homicide of this classification, if the child is over the age of 10, starts out being charged as an adult and then can ask the court to transfer their case back to juvenile court jurisdiction." During a search warrant for the boy's phone, detectives discovered incriminating text messages sent on March 9, the complaint said. Although at least one other person a so-called friend of either the boy's or Fenton's might have been involved with the crime, it isn't clear if anyone else was arrested. A 100,000 bond was set on Monday, according to NBC. American Strategic Investment Co. (NYSE:NYC Get Rating) major shareholder Nicholas S. Schorsch purchased 1,635 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 29th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $8.08 per share, with a total value of $13,210.80. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 513,151 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,146,260.08. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Large shareholders that own at least 10% of a companys shares are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC. American Strategic Investment Trading Up 1.0 % NYC traded up $0.08 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $8.13. 29,455 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 10,305. American Strategic Investment Co. has a 1 year low of $7.00 and a 1 year high of $110.00. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $11.33 and a 200 day moving average price of $18.09. The firm has a market cap of $18.73 million, a P/E ratio of -0.32 and a beta of 0.20. Get American Strategic Investment alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes Separately, B. Riley decreased their price objective on shares of American Strategic Investment from $44.00 to $15.00 in a research note on Friday, March 17th. Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Strategic Investment About American Strategic Investment Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of NYC. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its stake in shares of American Strategic Investment by 67.5% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 7,115 shares of the companys stock valued at $94,000 after purchasing an additional 2,867 shares during the period. Apollon Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of American Strategic Investment in the third quarter valued at $99,000. UBS Group AG boosted its stake in shares of American Strategic Investment by 41.9% in the first quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 8,754 shares of the companys stock valued at $116,000 after purchasing an additional 2,585 shares during the period. Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. boosted its stake in shares of American Strategic Investment by 1,819.8% in the third quarter. Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 43,618 shares of the companys stock valued at $140,000 after purchasing an additional 41,346 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP purchased a new position in shares of American Strategic Investment in the first quarter valued at $185,000. 33.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. (Get Rating) New York City REIT, Inc (NYSE: NYC) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust listed on the NYSE that owns a portfolio of high-quality commercial real estate located within the five boroughs of New York City. See Also Receive News & Ratings for American Strategic Investment Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American Strategic Investment and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Novartis (NYSE:NVS Get Rating) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Monday, The Fly reports. NVS has been the topic of a number of other reports. Citigroup lowered shares of Novartis from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, January 26th. Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of Novartis from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating in a report on Friday, January 6th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Novartis in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a strong-buy rating for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Novartis from an underweight rating to a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, January 3rd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised shares of Novartis from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday, December 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $82.63. Get Novartis alerts: Novartis Stock Down 0.8 % Shares of NYSE:NVS opened at $90.19 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.29. The company has a market cap of $199.55 billion, a PE ratio of 28.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.52. Novartis has a 52 week low of $74.09 and a 52 week high of $94.26. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $86.28 and a 200 day simple moving average of $85.04. Novartis Increases Dividend Novartis ( NYSE:NVS Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 1st. The company reported $1.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.42 by $0.09. Novartis had a net margin of 13.75% and a return on equity of 21.79%. The business had revenue of $12.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.85 billion. As a group, research analysts expect that Novartis will post 6.53 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently disclosed an annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 10th were given a $3.4694 dividend. This represents a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 9th. This is a boost from Novartiss previous annual dividend of $1.18. Novartiss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 71.61%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Novartis Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Sheets Smith Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of Novartis during the 4th quarter worth approximately $222,000. OLD Mission Capital LLC grew its position in shares of Novartis by 18.0% during the 4th quarter. OLD Mission Capital LLC now owns 87,518 shares of the companys stock worth $7,940,000 after buying an additional 13,320 shares during the period. Lakewood Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Novartis during the 4th quarter worth approximately $51,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. grew its position in shares of Novartis by 14.2% during the 4th quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 6,299 shares of the companys stock worth $71,000 after buying an additional 785 shares during the period. Finally, Cravens & Co Advisors LLC bought a new position in Novartis during the 4th quarter worth approximately $318,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 8.12% of the companys stock. About Novartis (Get Rating) Novartis AG is a holding company, which engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of healthcare products. It operates through the following segments: Innovative Medicines, Sandoz, and Corporate. The Innovative Medicines segment researches, develops, manufactures, distributes and sells patented pharmaceuticals, and is composed of two business units: Novartis Oncology and Novartis Pharmaceuticals. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Novartis Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Novartis and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Pan African Resources PLC (LON:PAF Get Rating) crossed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 16.66 ($0.20) and traded as low as GBX 15 ($0.18). Pan African Resources shares last traded at GBX 16.08 ($0.20), with a volume of 4,079,357 shares trading hands. Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, Berenberg Bank restated a buy rating and set a GBX 32 ($0.39) price objective on shares of Pan African Resources in a research note on Monday, March 13th. Get Pan African Resources alerts: Pan African Resources Stock Up 3.3 % The firm has a market cap of 321.79 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 551.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 8.95 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a current ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 29.73. The stock has a 50-day moving average of GBX 15.38 and a 200-day moving average of GBX 16.65. About Pan African Resources Pan African Resources PLC engages in the mining, extraction, production, and the sale of gold in South Africa. The company's flagship projects include the Barberton gold project that consists of three underground mines, including Fairview, Sheba, and Consort located in the Barberton Greenstone Belt; and Elikhulu tailings retreatment plant in Southern Africa. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Pan African Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pan African Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Pan African Resources PLC (OTCMKTS:PAFRF Get Rating) were up 2.2% on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $0.20 and last traded at $0.19. Approximately 10,000 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 152% from the average daily volume of 3,969 shares. The stock had previously closed at $0.19. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Separately, Berenberg Bank increased their target price on Pan African Resources from GBX 27 ($0.33) to GBX 32 ($0.39) in a research note on Monday, January 23rd. Get Pan African Resources alerts: Pan African Resources Price Performance The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $0.19 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $0.20. Pan African Resources Company Profile Pan African Resources Plc engages in the exploration, mining and production of precious metals. It operates through the following segments: Barberton Mines, Evander Mines, Corporate Office & Other, and Funding Company. The Barberton Mines segment sells gold to financial institutions located in Barberton, South Africa. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Pan African Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pan African Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Rio Tinto Group (LON:RIO Get Rating) had its price target boosted by analysts at Morgan Stanley from GBX 5,790 ($71.14) to GBX 5,840 ($71.75) in a research report issued on Thursday, The Fly reports. Morgan Stanleys target price would suggest a potential upside of 7.43% from the stocks previous close. Several other brokerages also recently issued reports on RIO. Barclays set a GBX 5,800 ($71.26) price objective on Rio Tinto Group in a research report on Thursday, January 12th. Citigroup lowered Rio Tinto Group to a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, December 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada set a GBX 4,600 ($56.52) price target on Rio Tinto Group in a report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Rio Tinto Group from GBX 6,900 ($84.78) to GBX 7,400 ($90.92) and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, January 23rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. set a GBX 5,300 ($65.12) target price on shares of Rio Tinto Group in a research note on Wednesday, March 22nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of GBX 6,110.77 ($75.08). Get Rio Tinto Group alerts: Rio Tinto Group Stock Performance Rio Tinto Group stock traded up GBX 43.28 ($0.53) during midday trading on Thursday, reaching GBX 5,436.28 ($66.79). 1,761,703 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,030,326. Rio Tinto Group has a fifty-two week low of GBX 4,424.50 ($54.36) and a fifty-two week high of GBX 6,406 ($78.71). The company has a current ratio of 1.63, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 23.47. The firm has a market cap of 67.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 871.20, a PEG ratio of -0.64 and a beta of 0.72. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of GBX 5,872.32 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 5,504.06. Insider Buying and Selling About Rio Tinto Group In related news, insider Peter Cunningham sold 2,167 shares of Rio Tinto Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 5,922 ($72.76), for a total value of 128,329.74 ($157,672.61). In other news, insider Peter Cunningham sold 2,167 shares of Rio Tinto Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 5,922 ($72.76), for a total value of 128,329.74 ($157,672.61). Also, insider Kaisa Hietala purchased 500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 22nd. The shares were purchased at an average price of GBX 5,313 ($65.28) per share, for a total transaction of 26,565 ($32,639.14). 14.67% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. (Get Rating) Rio Tinto Group engages in exploring, mining, and processing mineral resources worldwide. The company offers aluminum, copper, diamonds, gold, borates, titanium dioxide, salt, iron ore, and lithium. It also owns and operates open pit and underground mines, mills, refineries, smelters, power stations, and research and service facilities. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Rio Tinto Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rio Tinto Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (TSE:CM Get Rating) (NYSE:CM) had its price objective hoisted by Royal Bank of Canada from C$70.00 to C$89.00 in a research note issued to investors on Monday morning, BayStreet.CA reports. A number of other research firms also recently issued reports on CM. Barclays dropped their price target on Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce from C$69.00 to C$66.00 in a research note on Friday, December 2nd. CSFB upped their price target on shares of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce from C$64.00 to C$65.00 in a research report on Monday, February 27th. Fundamental Research set a C$73.83 price objective on shares of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, March 14th. CIBC upped their target price on shares of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce from C$66.00 to C$66.50 in a report on Monday, February 27th. Finally, Scotiabank lifted their price target on shares of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce from C$65.00 to C$66.00 in a research note on Monday, February 27th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of C$67.68. Get Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce alerts: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Price Performance Shares of TSE:CM opened at C$56.68 on Monday. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce has a 1 year low of C$53.58 and a 1 year high of C$79.12. The company has a market cap of C$51.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.03, a PEG ratio of 8.10 and a beta of 1.04. The stocks fifty day moving average price is C$59.98 and its 200-day moving average price is C$59.89. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Dividend Announcement Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce ( TSE:CM Get Rating ) (NYSE:CM) last posted its earnings results on Friday, February 24th. The company reported C$1.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of C$1.66 by C$0.28. The business had revenue of C$5.93 billion for the quarter. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce had a net margin of 22.77% and a return on equity of 9.89%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce will post 7.1550868 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 28th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 28th will be given a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 27th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.00%. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerces payout ratio is 66.15%. Insider Transactions at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce In related news, Director Victor George Dodig acquired 34,850 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 16th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of C$57.65 per share, with a total value of C$2,009,102.50. Corporate insiders own 0.06% of the companys stock. About Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (Get Rating) Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, a diversified financial institution, provides various financial products and services to personal, business, public sector, and institutional clients in Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through Canadian Personal and Business Banking; Canadian Commercial Banking and Wealth Management; U.S. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sappi Limited (OTCMKTS:SPPJY Get Rating) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest in the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,800 shares, a decline of 90.0% from the February 28th total of 18,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.1 days. Sappi Stock Performance OTCMKTS SPPJY traded up $0.08 on Wednesday, hitting $2.48. 2,450 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,649. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.84 and a quick ratio of 1.32. The firms 50-day moving average price is $2.80 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $2.83. Sappi has a fifty-two week low of $2.34 and a fifty-two week high of $4.20. The firm has a market cap of $1.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 2.34, a P/E/G ratio of 0.14 and a beta of 1.22. Get Sappi alerts: Sappi (OTCMKTS:SPPJY Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.26 by $0.04. Sappi had a return on equity of 34.92% and a net margin of 8.31%. The firm had revenue of $1.66 billion for the quarter. On average, research analysts expect that Sappi will post 0.69 EPS for the current year. Sappi Dividend Announcement About Sappi The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 26th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 13th were paid a dividend of $0.1265 per share. This represents a yield of 4.87%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, January 12th. Sappis payout ratio is currently 11.32%. (Get Rating) Sappi Ltd. Is a holding company, which engages in the provision of wood-fiber based solutions. Its products include: Dissolving Pulp, Specialties and Packaging Papers, Printing and Writing Papers, and Forestry. The company was founded on December 17, 1936 and is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Sappi Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sappi and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shop Apotheke Europe (ETR:SAE Get Rating) has been given a 140.00 ($150.54) target price by equities researchers at Jefferies Financial Group in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, Borsen Zeitung reports. Jefferies Financial Groups price target suggests a potential upside of 84.99% from the stocks current price. Several other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Credit Suisse Group set a 42.00 ($45.16) price target on Shop Apotheke Europe in a report on Wednesday, March 8th. Bank Of America (Bofa) set a 82.00 ($88.17) target price on Shop Apotheke Europe in a research note on Friday, January 20th. Hauck Aufhauser Investment Banking set a 110.00 ($118.28) target price on shares of Shop Apotheke Europe in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. Berenberg Bank set a 80.00 ($86.02) price target on shares of Shop Apotheke Europe in a research note on Thursday, March 9th. Finally, Warburg Research set a 108.00 ($116.13) price objective on shares of Shop Apotheke Europe in a report on Thursday, March 16th. Get Shop Apotheke Europe alerts: Shop Apotheke Europe Trading Up 2.4 % ETR:SAE traded up 1.78 ($1.91) during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting 75.68 ($81.38). 73,634 shares of the stock traded hands. The company has a quick ratio of 2.28, a current ratio of 2.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 66.24. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -17.85, a PEG ratio of 0.20 and a beta of 0.86. Shop Apotheke Europe has a 52 week low of 36.51 ($39.26) and a 52 week high of 105.25 ($113.17). The firms 50 day moving average is 68.95 and its two-hundred day moving average is 53.79. Shop Apotheke Europe Company Profile Shop Apotheke Europe N.V. owns and operates online pharmacies in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Italy, and the Netherlands. It provides prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, and pharmacy-related beauty and personal care products, as well as food supplements. The company was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Sevenum, the Netherlands. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Shop Apotheke Europe Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Shop Apotheke Europe and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. International Consolidated Airlines Group S.A. (OTCMKTS:ICAGY Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 13,000 shares, a growth of 282.4% from the February 28th total of 3,400 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 149,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.1 days. International Consolidated Airlines Group Stock Up 3.0 % OTCMKTS ICAGY traded up $0.10 on Wednesday, hitting $3.49. The stock had a trading volume of 25,186 shares, compared to its average volume of 80,338. The stock has a market cap of $3.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -15.18 and a beta of 2.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 9.84, a current ratio of 0.83 and a quick ratio of 0.81. International Consolidated Airlines Group has a 52-week low of $2.06 and a 52-week high of $4.21. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $3.76 and its 200 day moving average price is $3.18. Get International Consolidated Airlines Group alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research firms have recently weighed in on ICAGY. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of International Consolidated Airlines Group from 1.45 ($1.56) to 1.70 ($1.83) in a research note on Monday, December 5th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of International Consolidated Airlines Group from GBX 160 ($1.97) to GBX 165 ($2.03) in a research note on Monday, February 27th. Bank of America raised shares of International Consolidated Airlines Group from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, December 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective on shares of International Consolidated Airlines Group from GBX 155 ($1.90) to GBX 180 ($2.21) in a research note on Tuesday, January 24th. Finally, UBS Group downgraded shares of International Consolidated Airlines Group from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, January 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, International Consolidated Airlines Group presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $103.67. About International Consolidated Airlines Group International Consolidated Airlines Group SA is a holding company, which engages in the provision of passenger and freight air transportation services. It operates through the following segments: British Airways, Iberia, Vueling, Aer Lingus, and Other Group companies. The company was founded on January 21, 2011 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. See Also Receive News & Ratings for International Consolidated Airlines Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for International Consolidated Airlines Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. TELUS Co. (TSE:T Get Rating) (NYSE:TU)s share price passed below its two hundred day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of C$27.85 and traded as low as C$27.04. TELUS shares last traded at C$27.05, with a volume of 1,612,388 shares. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades T has been the topic of several recent research reports. Canaccord Genuity Group decreased their price target on shares of TELUS from C$34.00 to C$33.00 in a research report on Friday, February 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of TELUS from C$36.00 to C$33.00 in a research report on Monday, February 13th. TD Securities lowered their price objective on shares of TELUS from C$32.00 to C$31.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 10th. CIBC upgraded shares of TELUS to a buy rating and set a C$31.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 12th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on shares of TELUS from C$33.00 to C$32.00 in a research report on Monday, February 13th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of C$31.91. Get TELUS alerts: TELUS Stock Performance The firms fifty day moving average price is C$27.55 and its 200 day moving average price is C$27.84. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 142.59. The firm has a market capitalization of C$39.17 billion, a PE ratio of 23.49, a PEG ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 0.66. TELUS Announces Dividend About TELUS The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, March 10th will be paid a $0.351 dividend. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.16%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 9th. TELUSs payout ratio is presently 121.74%. (Get Rating) TELUS Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides a range of telecommunications and information technology products and services in Canada. It operates through Technology Solutions and Digitally-Led Customer Experiences segments. The Technology Solutions segment offers a range of telecommunications products and services; network revenue; mobile technologies equipment sale; data revenues, such as internet protocol; television; hosting, managed information technology, and cloud-based services; software, data management, and data analytics-driven smart food-chain technologies; home and business security; healthcare software and technology solutions; and voice and other telecommunications services. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for TELUS Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TELUS and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cup Noodles, a long-time favorite food of the sodium depleted and the seriously stoned, has created a breakfast option. Probably also loaded with salt, these cups have visible bits of sausage, eggs, and pancakes. Artificial maple syrup flavor is also added, which is never a good thing, even if you are baked. Wake and bake, baby! CNN: "This idea was about how you bring all of those great breakfast cravings into a cup," she told CNN. The company's research discovered that eggs, sausage and pancakes were the picks to create the best breakfast combination. Nissin moving into breakfast isn't a "great leap" for the company, said Neil Saunders, an analyst at GlobalData Retail. "The wacky mix of ingredients is on brand for Cup Noodle, which often fuses traditional noodles with local flavors that it thinks will be appealing to consumers," he told CNN. Also, American eaters may be "turned off" from traditional ramen flavors, but "will be more interested in sweet flavors they associate with traditional breakfasts." "Cup Noodles Breakfast" goes on sale for $1.18 beginning Wednesday at select Walmart stores and on the retailer's website. Tembo Gold Corp. (CVE:TEM Get Rating)s stock price rose 5.3% on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as C$0.20 and last traded at C$0.20. Approximately 717 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 98% from the average daily volume of 43,179 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.19. Tembo Gold Trading Up 5.3 % The firm has a market cap of C$20.35 million, a PE ratio of -10.00 and a beta of 0.43. The companys fifty day moving average price is C$0.19 and its two-hundred day moving average price is C$0.19. The company has a quick ratio of 5.80, a current ratio of 5.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.03. Tembo Gold Company Profile (Get Rating) Tembo Gold Corp., a junior mineral exploration company, engages in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties in Tanzania. The company primarily explores for gold deposits. Its flagship project is the Tembo gold property covering an area of 32 square kilometers located in the Lake Victoria goldfield district in northwest Tanzania. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Tembo Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tembo Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Timber Creek Capital Management LLC decreased its position in shares of Rayonier Inc. (NYSE:RYN Get Rating) by 1.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 123,171 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after selling 1,714 shares during the quarter. Rayonier makes up approximately 1.5% of Timber Creek Capital Management LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest position. Timber Creek Capital Management LLC owned 0.08% of Rayonier worth $4,060,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its holdings in Rayonier by 136.5% during the 4th quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 24,312 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $801,000 after buying an additional 14,032 shares during the period. Lantz Financial LLC lifted its holdings in Rayonier by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Lantz Financial LLC now owns 40,627 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,339,000 after buying an additional 332 shares during the period. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System acquired a new position in shares of Rayonier in the 4th quarter valued at about $346,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC lifted its stake in shares of Rayonier by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 16,875 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $556,000 after purchasing an additional 460 shares during the period. Finally, Ronald Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Rayonier by 50.3% in the 4th quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 938 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 314 shares during the period. 82.87% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Rayonier alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, StockNews.com assumed coverage on Rayonier in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a sell rating on the stock. Rayonier Trading Up 0.3 % Shares of NYSE:RYN traded up $0.10 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $32.74. The companys stock had a trading volume of 86,137 shares, compared to its average volume of 410,996. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.56 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 1.87 and a current ratio of 2.12. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $34.01 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $33.79. Rayonier Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $29.51 and a fifty-two week high of $45.87. Rayonier (NYSE:RYN Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 1st. The real estate investment trust reported $0.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.12 by ($0.01). Rayonier had a net margin of 11.78% and a return on equity of 4.95%. The business had revenue of $245.40 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $207.68 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.01 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 6.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that Rayonier Inc. will post 0.44 earnings per share for the current year. Rayonier Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 17th will be given a $0.285 dividend. This represents a $1.14 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.48%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 16th. Rayoniers payout ratio is 158.34%. Insider Activity at Rayonier In other Rayonier news, CEO David L. Nunes sold 20,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.42, for a total transaction of $708,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 316,921 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $11,225,341.82. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.62% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Rayonier Company Profile (Get Rating) Rayonier, Inc is a real estate investment trust, which engages in investment in timberlands. It operates through the following business segments: Southern Timber, Pacific Northwest Timber, New Zealand Timber, Real Estate, Timber Funds and Trading. The Southern Timber, Pacific Northwest Timber and New Zealand Timber segments reflect all activities related to the harvesting of timber and other value-added activities, such as recreational licenses, within each respective geography. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Rayonier Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rayonier and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Annaly Capital Management, Inc. (NYSE:NLY Get Rating) saw unusually large options trading on Wednesday. Stock traders purchased 23,253 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 82% compared to the average daily volume of 12,808 call options. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Annaly Capital Management A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of NLY. Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Annaly Capital Management by 64.3% in the 3rd quarter. Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. now owns 73,414 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,260,000 after buying an additional 28,738 shares during the period. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of Annaly Capital Management by 491.5% in the 3rd quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 11,374 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $195,000 after buying an additional 9,451 shares during the period. Romano Brothers AND Company acquired a new stake in shares of Annaly Capital Management in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Edgestream Partners L.P. increased its stake in shares of Annaly Capital Management by 1,976.7% in the 3rd quarter. Edgestream Partners L.P. now owns 286,381 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $4,914,000 after buying an additional 272,591 shares during the period. Finally, Values First Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of Annaly Capital Management by 37.8% in the 4th quarter. Values First Advisors Inc. now owns 18,791 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $396,000 after buying an additional 5,151 shares during the period. 52.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Annaly Capital Management alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several analysts have recently issued reports on NLY shares. Barclays upped their price target on Annaly Capital Management from $19.00 to $24.00 in a research note on Friday, January 6th. Argus downgraded Annaly Capital Management from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 21st. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on Annaly Capital Management from $20.00 to $24.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, February 17th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Annaly Capital Management in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a sell rating for the company. Finally, Jonestrading assumed coverage on Annaly Capital Management in a research note on Monday, December 19th. They set a buy rating and a $22.50 target price for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $22.17. Annaly Capital Management Price Performance Shares of NLY traded up $0.37 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $19.29. The company had a trading volume of 4,474,268 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,041,171. Annaly Capital Management has a twelve month low of $15.11 and a twelve month high of $29.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.84, a current ratio of 4.66 and a quick ratio of 4.66. The companys 50-day moving average is $20.95 and its 200-day moving average is $20.69. The company has a market capitalization of $9.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 3.87 and a beta of 1.35. Annaly Capital Management (NYSE:NLY Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 9th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.89 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.86 by $0.03. Annaly Capital Management had a return on equity of 19.23% and a net margin of 62.09%. The firm had revenue of $135.09 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $426.09 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.12 EPS. The businesss revenue was down 62.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Annaly Capital Management will post 2.85 EPS for the current year. Annaly Capital Management Cuts Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 28th. Investors of record on Friday, March 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.65 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 30th. This represents a $2.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 13.48%. Annaly Capital Managements dividend payout ratio is 70.68%. Annaly Capital Management Company Profile (Get Rating) Annaly Capital Management, Inc engages in the investment and financing of residential and commercial assets. It operates through the following investment groups: Agency, Residential Credit, and Mortgage Servicing Rights. The Agency group invests in agency mortgage-backed securities. The Residential Credit group involves non-agency residential mortgage assets within securitized products and whole loan markets. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Annaly Capital Management Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Annaly Capital Management and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cambridge Advisors Inc. boosted its position in Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEARCA:VWO Get Rating) by 0.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 178,277 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after acquiring an additional 1,548 shares during the period. Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF comprises approximately 1.9% of Cambridge Advisors Inc.s holdings, making the stock its 9th biggest holding. Cambridge Advisors Inc.s holdings in Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF were worth $6,949,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its stake in Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 311.0% in the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 637 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 482 shares during the period. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA boosted its holdings in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 110.1% in the 4th quarter. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA now owns 689 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 361 shares during the last quarter. Boyd Watterson Asset Management LLC OH acquired a new position in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Farmers & Merchants Trust Co of Chambersburg PA acquired a new position in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Toth Financial Advisory Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 93.4% in the 3rd quarter. Toth Financial Advisory Corp now owns 940 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 454 shares during the last quarter. Get Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF alerts: Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF Trading Up 0.6 % Shares of VWO traded up $0.24 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $40.37. The company had a trading volume of 1,533,023 shares, compared to its average volume of 11,141,987. The stock has a market cap of $70.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.00 and a beta of 0.70. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $40.66 and a 200-day simple moving average of $39.35. Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF has a fifty-two week low of $34.88 and a fifty-two week high of $47.92. About Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF The Fund seeks to track the performance of the FTSE Emerging Markets All Cap China A Inclusion Index, that measures the return of stocks issued by companies located in emerging market countries. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Vermilion Energy (TSE:VET Get Rating) (NYSE:VET) had its price objective trimmed by BMO Capital Markets from C$23.00 to C$22.00 in a report published on Monday morning, BayStreet.CA reports. Several other equities analysts have also weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Vermilion Energy from a neutral rating to an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, March 14th. TD Securities lowered their price objective on Vermilion Energy from C$35.00 to C$29.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 9th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on Vermilion Energy from C$29.00 to C$27.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 9th. CIBC lowered their price target on Vermilion Energy from C$36.00 to C$26.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 17th. Finally, Desjardins reduced their price objective on shares of Vermilion Energy from C$31.00 to C$30.00 in a report on Monday, March 13th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Vermilion Energy has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of C$31.36. Get Vermilion Energy alerts: Vermilion Energy Stock Performance TSE VET opened at C$16.86 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 33.88, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a current ratio of 0.80. The stocks fifty day moving average is C$18.85 and its two-hundred day moving average is C$24.16. The firm has a market capitalization of C$2.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 2.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -0.02 and a beta of 2.92. Vermilion Energy has a fifty-two week low of C$16.41 and a fifty-two week high of C$39.21. Vermilion Energy Increases Dividend Insider Buying and Selling The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 31st will be paid a $0.10 dividend. This is a boost from Vermilion Energys previous quarterly dividend of $0.08. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.37%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 30th. Vermilion Energys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 5.03%. In related news, Senior Officer Lars William Glemser sold 19,379 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of C$17.60, for a total value of C$340,973.51. 1.72% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. About Vermilion Energy (Get Rating) Vermilion Energy Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of petroleum and natural gas in North America, Europe, and Australia. The company owns 81% working interest in 636,714 net acres of developed land and 85% working interest in 301,026 net acres of undeveloped land in Canada; 130,715 net acres of land in the Powder River basin in the United States; 96% working interest in 248,873 net acres of developed land and 86% working interest in 134,160 net acres of undeveloped land in the Aquitaine and Paris Basins in France; 53% working interest in 901,791 net acres of land in the Netherlands; 54,625 net developed acres and 920,723 net undeveloped acres in Germany; 975,375 net acres land in Croatia; 946,666 net acres land in Hungary; and 48,954 net acres land in Slovakia. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Vermilion Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vermilion Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Indian-American business leader Ajay Banga is poised to become the next President of the World Bank after the nomination period closed and no country proposed an alternate candidate for the prestigious post. In February, President Joe Biden announced that the US would be nominating Banga to lead the World Bank because he is well equipped to lead the global institution at this critical moment in history. The World Bank on Wednesday closed a month-long window for nominations for its next president, with no alternatives announced to 63-year-old Banga. The former Mastercard Inc chief, Banga currently serves as Vice-Chairman at General Atlantic. The banks board is expected to announce the next steps in its selection process on March 30, with a view to confirming a new leader by early May. Over the next few months, you will see the World Bank undergo an important transition. We expect that Ajay Banga President Bidens nominee will be elected President of the World Bank, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told lawmakers at a Congressional hearing on March 29. He will be charged with accelerating our progress to evolve the institution to better address 21st-century challenges. This evolution will help the Bank deliver on its vital poverty alleviation and development goals, Yellen said. If confirmed, Banga would become the first-ever Indian-American and Sikh-American to head either of the two top international financial institutions: the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Banga is expected to replace the current World Bank president David Malpass, who will step down in June, nearly a year before his term is scheduled to expire. Malpass faced strong criticism over the banks commitment to climate action and over his personal views on climate change. Last week, reports emerged that China sounded doubtful about backing Banga, saying it is open to supporting other potential candidates based on merit. Banga, however, received overwhelming support from major countries across the world, including India. Following Bangas nomination, he has travelled to several countries for support. A coalition of 55 advocates, academics, executives, luminaries, and former government officials including four Nobel Laureates wrote an open letter to welcome and support Bangas nomination as the next President of the World Bank. Raised in India, Banga has a unique perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing developing countries and how the World Bank can deliver on its ambitious agenda to reduce poverty and expand prosperity, President Biden had said. He has also worked closely with Vice President Harris as the Co-Chair of the Partnership for Central America. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2016. Banga is expected to take over the reins of the anti-poverty lender at a crucial time, with the US and Western nations pitching for reforms to focus on addressing a slew of wide-ranging global issues like climate change. A multi-disciplinary cultural space, Indias first-of-its-kind, the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, will open on March 31 with an exquisite showcase of the best of India across music, theatre, fine arts and crafts to audiences from India and the world. The launch will feature a specially curated art and craft exposition called Swadesh along with three blockbuster shows a musical theatrical called The Great Indian Musical: Civilization to Nation; a costume art exhibition called India in Fashion and a visual art show called Sangam/Confluence. Together these will present the diversity of Indias cultural traditions and their impact on the world while also showcasing the diversity of spaces at the cultural centre. Speaking on the eve of the inaugural day, Nita Ambani said, Bringing this cultural centre to life has been a sacred journey. We were keen to create a space for both promoting and celebrating our artistic and cultural heritage in cinema and music, dance and drama, literature and folklore, arts and crafts and science and spirituality. A space where we showcase the best of India to the world and welcome the best of the world to India. The centre will offer free access for children, students, senior citizens and the differently-abled. It will focus on community nurturing programmes, including school and college outreach and competitions, awards for art teachers, in-residency programmes and art literacy programmes among others. The Great Indian Musical: Civilization to Nation will see a line-up of exceptional Indian talent, along with a Tony & Emmy award-winning crew, and has been conceived and directed by Feroz Abbas Khan. The marquee production will bring together talents such as Ajay-Atul (music), Mayuri Upadhya, Vaibhavi Merchant, (choreography) along with 350+ artists, including an epic 55-piece live orchestra from Budapest, to showcase Indias cultural journey through history. The visual spectacle will also feature over 1,100 costumes designed by leading fashion designer Manish Malhotra. The cultural centre, located within the Jio World Centre at Bandra Kurla Complex, is home to three performing arts spaces: the 2,000-seat Grand Theatre, the technologically advanced 250-seat Studio Theatre, and the dynamic 125-seat Cube. It also features the Art House, a four-storey dedicated visual arts space built as per global museum standards with the aim of housing a shifting array of exhibits and installations from the finest artistic talent across India and the world. Spread across the centres concourses is a captivating mix of public art by renowned Indian and global artists, including Kamal Kunj one of the largest Pichwai paintings in India. Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India President and CEO Atsushi Ogata, while unveiling the companys EV roadmap for India, revealed that it is setting up a separate unit at its Narsapura plant in Karnataka to roll out electric two-wheelers, with the first two models expected to hit the market in the next fiscal year itself. Ogata is confident that Honda will make significant inroads, especially into the medium-speed electric scooter market, which has space for more players. However, he was categorical that completely indigenising the upcoming EVs was not feasible despite the companys best efforts. Currently, Honda is looking to collaborate with major suppliers, component makers, battery makers, motors, Electronic Control Units (ECUs), etc. In the beginning getting certain components will be difficult. We are negotiating with major suppliers to discuss how to enhance localisation. But Honda alone cannot create localisation (and) maybe we need some alliances with other OE makers, said Ogata, whose tenure in India ends on March 31st. Full indigenisation some time away Ogata revealed that even for the companys current bestseller Activa, 100 percent localisation is not possible because certain hi-technology parts, which are quality safe, are still imported. So EVs will be more difficult (to completely localise) because of battery parts. Certain parts Inside the battery pack will still be imported. Parts like motors, magnets are impossible to find in India. So, actual localisation of EVs will still be lower than 100 percent, explained Ogata, while responding to a query in a roundtable meeting with reporters. Even though the company is aiming to attain a production capacity of 1 million for EVs by 2030, Ogata was categorical that not a single part would be sourced from China. We are trying to not import from China because of certain difficulties. Some other parts will be imported from ASEAN countries and Japan, Ogata added. He also claimed that it was not easy to create an EV with a sustainable business structure without economic profits. On an earlier occasion, Ogata had told reporters, We should create India-based electric mobility. It will be 100 percent made in India and will be in line with local conditions such as temperature, conditions, usage, distance, etc. China stint During his stint in China, when the electric two-wheeler market was in its infancy, Ogata made sure that the Japanese auto major became a leading manufacturer rather than just a fringe player. Between 2006 and 2015, Ogata drove Honda two-wheeler sales in China. After spending the first four years as General Manager in the Sales Division of Sundiro Honda Co., Ltd (Shanghai), he became the President of Wuyang Honda Motor Co., (Guangzhou). Thanks to his efforts, Hondas two-wheeler arm in China today ships high-quality premium electric scooters to Japan. Meanwhile, back in India, Honda has initiated Project Vidyut to cater to the demand for electric two-wheelers. As a part of this project, it will launch two such two-wheelers in FY24. The first will be a mid-range fixed battery scooter, while the second will be a swappable battery type vehicle. Ogata revealed that the first electric scooter, which is likely to be based on Activas BS-IV version platform, will go for mass production in mid-March 2024, followed by market launch. In addition to that, it will also launch three internal combustion engine (ICE) models which comprises a 160cc motorcycle, a 125cc scooter and a 350cc motorcycle. Jain Irrigation Systems Limited (JISL) said on March 30 that it has completed the merger of its international irrigation business with Rivulis Pte Ltd., a part of Singapore's Temasek Group, to create a global irrigation and climate major. The deal will also considerably reduce the company's debt, according to a regulatory filing. The merged entity will create a global Irrigation and Climate entity generating revenue worth USD 750 million. The corporate brand of the combined company will be "Rivulis In alliance with Jain International, the regulatory filing added. Also Read | Jain Irrigation to merge international irrigation business with Temasek's Rivulis Anil Jain, Managing Director of Jain Irrigation, said, "This strategic alliance with Rivulis and partnership with Temasek has created a global leader in micro irrigation, with a strong geographic footprint and a comprehensive range of offerings. The MergeCo will lead the mass adoption of modern irrigation solutions and digital farming by growers and business partners globally through its focus on accessibility, innovation, and sustainability. We are now better equipped than ever to provide sustainable solutions to the critical challenges facing our planet, including food security and climate change." The stocks of Jain Irrigation Systems Limited were trading in the green, up 11.22 percent at Rs 32.82 on March 30, 2023, at 1:35 pm on BSE. The merger is expected to reduce the consolidated net debt of Jain Irrigation by 44 percent, i.e. Rs 2,800 crore. By December 31, 2022, the company's debt was Rs 6,415 crore, and post-transaction debt would be down to Rs 3,615 crore, according to the filing. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age. *I agree to the processing of my personal information for personalized recommendations, personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites. I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS. (Optional). Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Medicines Patent Pool (MPP), the United Nations-backed public health organisation, said on March 30 that it has entered into sublicensing agreements with three pharmaceutical companies - Aurobindo Pharma, Cipla, and Viatris - for the manufacturing of generic variants of ViiV Healthcare's long-acting medication for HIV prevention. As per the agreement, the three pharmaceutical companies will produce the generic version of the medication in India, with Cipla also intending to manufacture the drug in South Africa, the press release from MPP added. Aurobindo Pharma plans to leverage its vertically integrated capabilities to develop in-house active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing, which will enhance its control over the supply chain and increase cost efficiencies. The company intends to produce tablets of the generic drug at its Naidupet facility and roll out the injectable version at its new Vizag unit. This agreement is also significant as it marks the first instance of longer-acting injectable products for HIV prevention being made available to low and middle-income countries. Clinical trial data indicates that individuals who received injectable cabotegravir were 70 percent to 90 percent less likely to contract HIV compared to those taking a daily tenofovir/emtricitabine pill. Cabotegravir injections are administered every two months. ViiV Healthcare has stated that cabotegravir Long Acting for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) could significantly aid in reducing HIV transmission by providing individuals with a choice of preventive options. Additionally, since the manufacturing of Cabotegravir LA for PrEP is more complex, ViiV Healthcare will also support Aurobindo, Cipla, and Viatris with technical expertise. "This product will be a valuable addition to Aurobindo's antiretroviral drug (ARV) portfolio and will further strengthen our leadership in the generic HIV medicine space," K. Nithyananda Reddy, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Aurobindo Pharma said in a separate exchange filing. Matt Gaetz is rapidly gaining a reputation for consorting with murderers. His adviser on military issues, Derrick Miller, is a convicted war criminal who shot an unarmed man in the head. After The Intercept published an article about Miller on Wednesday, Gaetz's issued a statement from his office: "We proudly stand with our Military Legislative Assistant Derrick Miller. He was wrongfully convicted and served our country with honor." Derrick Miller, a former US National Guard member, was convicted in 2010 for the murder of Atta Mohammed, an unarmed Afghan civilian. The Intercept reports that Miller accused the 27-year-old man of breaching his unit's defensive perimeter. After a brief interrogation, Miller pinned Mohammed to the ground and shot him in the head. Following the act, Miller informed his unit, "I shot him. He was a liar." The Independent notes that Miller was initially sentenced to life in prison for premeditated murder. However, a parole board cleared him for release after serving less than a decade behind bars. Miller has since worked for two House members and is the Congressional Justice For Warriors Caucus executive director. This official congressional caucus aims to exonerate US service members convicted of crimes committed while deployed abroad. An exhibition telling the tragic and disturbing stories of the genocide committed by the Pakistan Army in Bangladesh in 1971 has been held for the first time at the UN headquarters here. The three-day long exhibition, titled Remembering the victims of 1971 genocide in Bangladesh is organised by the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the UN and the Liberation War Museum in Dhaka. The exhibition will display images and stories of the 1971 genocide in the United Nations Headquarters for the first time in history, a press release issued by the Bangladesh Mission said. Organised in collaboration with the Liberation War Museum to commemorate National Genocide Day on March 25, the exhibition was inaugurated by Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Ambassador Masud Bin Momen. Ambassadors, UN officials and the Bangladeshi diaspora, including the family members of the freedom fighters and the martyrs were present at the opening. This is a historic step in our efforts to garner international recognition of the horrendous genocide that was committed by the occupation army and their collaborators against our people in 1971, the press release quoted Momen as saying. Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN, Ambassador Muhmmad A Muhith said, We need more efforts to share the stories of our great Liberation War and the genocide among an international audience. This will not only help us secure the much-needed recognition of the 1971 genocide but also in raising awareness on the need to prevent genocide and other atrocity crimes, Muhith added. The exhibition displays 27 photos of the genocide with corresponding historical narratives provided by the Liberation War Museum from its collection. It also includes photos with details like the number of refugees in different camps in India at the time, the widespread violence against women, intellectual killings, and newspaper articles on the tragedy. It also highlights the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh. Genocide of 1971 in Bangladesh, one of the most brutal atrocity crimes that occurred in the post-World War II period, unfortunately, became a forgotten genocide for the world, an exhibit read. It is time to bring Bangladesh Genocide back in the global focus, to recognise the crimes committed and learn lessons from that to say Never Again, it added. The 1971 war began after the sudden crackdown by Pakistani troops in Bangladesh, erstwhile East Pakistan, at midnight on March 25 and ended on December 16 as Pakistan conceded defeat and unconditionally surrendered in Dhaka to the allied forces, comprising Bengali freedom fighters and the Indian Army. In December 2020, as the United Nations marked International Day of Victims of Genocide, India called for homage to be paid to the three million people killed and hundreds of thousands of women raped by the Pakistan Army and religious militias in the 1971 Liberation War. Indias then Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador T S Tirumurti, said in a tweet, UN International Day of Victims of Genocide on 9 Dec. Lets pay homage to 3 million killed and 200,000 or more women raped in erstwhile East Pakistan by the Pakistan army & religious militias in 1971 in the most horrific episode in human history. Never again. During her address to the UN General Assembly in September 2017, Bangladesh Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, said Pakistans army launched a heinous military operation in 1971 that triggered a genocide during the liberation war, killing three million innocent people. In the 1971 war of liberation, we endured an extreme form of genocide. In the nine-month-long war of liberation against Pakistan, three million innocent people were killed and more than 2,00,000 women were violated, Hasina said. The Pakistan military launched the heinous Operation Searchlight on March 25, which was the beginning of the 1971 genocide, she said. It included targeted elimination of individuals on the grounds of religion, race and political belief, Hasina said, adding that the intellectuals were killed brutally. Indian pharmaceutical company Granules has opened a packaging facility in the Virginia State of the US to expand the packaging capacity of essential drugs in the state, thus strengthening the biopharma supply chain. The facility was inaugurated by India's Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu. Granules, which was one of the first Indian pharmaceutical companies that received FDA authorization to export to the United States, has invested more than USD 100 million in the country, said Dr Krishna Prasad Chigurupati, the founder, chairman and managing director of the firm. "We have nearly 200 employees in Virginia with a large majority of them first-generation Indians," he said, adding the company also has a team of 30 scientists for research and development. Granules India Ltd produces some of the most widely used drugs, including Paracetamol, that have been very useful to billions across the world, Chigurupati said. "Happy to see 'Made in India' medicines value added in the US by Granules. A perfect example of the India-US partnership in affordable healthcare!" Ambassador Sandhu said in a tweet after he visited the facility in Virginia. Observing that healthcare is one of the key elements in the India-US bilateral partnership, Sandhu said that "in the early days of the Covid pandemic, India supplied essential drugs and diagnostics kits to the United States just as the US assisted us during the second wave of the pandemic". COVID-19 has demonstrated the importance of resilient and sustainable supply chains, especially when it came to such a key sector as pharmaceuticals, he said. India has the largest number of FDA-approved plants outside of the US, Sandhu said. "Our pharma and life sciences companies are also setting up manufacturing facilities in the US, making drugs affordable and accessible. "We are working with the US Government to strengthen this supply chain and to ensure that critical APIs and KSMs, apart from finished drugs, are available to partner countries," the Indian ambassador said. According to him, the success of the health partnership is one part of the growing India-US economic story. It is a key part of the booming trade between the two countries, which crossed USD 191 billion in 2022, he said. "Two-way investments are also at all-time high and Indian companies such as Granules have brought value and competitiveness to the US economy. At last count, there were more than 200 Indian companies present in the US with investments totalling more than USD 200 billion in almost all of the 50 states," Sandhu added. Select USA, which is led by the US Department of Commerce focusing on facilitating job-creating business investment into the country, congratulated Granules India Ltd on the opening of its new facility in Virginia. "This USD 12.5 million investment is creating 57 jobs and addressing consumer needs for pharmaceutical products," it said, adding that Select USA is proud to assist companies like Granules throughout their investment journey. US-India Business Council president Atul Keshap said, "The new plant will expand packaging capacity for essential drugs in Virginia, strengthening the biopharmaceutical supply chain." Devina Mehra, founder and chairperson of asset manager First Global, is significantly overweight on capital goods and industrial machinery space in India. In an exclusive interview to Moneycontrol, Mehra also said she has added some banks, IT services, pharma and auto components but those are bottom-up picks rather than sectoral calls. Capital goods and industrial machinery has been First Globals preferred pick for over a year, she said. It has given us great returns. We have booked some of the profits, we would still be significantly overweight there, though a large part of the move is done because it's done very well. Many stocks have doubled and tripled, she said. Indias capital goods sector, estimated at over $43 billion, is projected to reach a market size of $112 billion by 2025 on the back of the governments focus on infrastructure development and the global trend of companies looking to shift some manufacturing out of China. In the Union Budget 2023, capital investment outlay was increased sharply for the third year in a row, by 33 percent to Rs 10 lakh crore, which amounts to 3.3 percent of the GDP. This is almost three times the 2019-20 outlay. Some important sub-sectors of capital goods include heavy electrical equipment, earth-moving and mining machinery. The BSE Capital Goods index has given returns of 23.77 percent over the past year compared to a drop of 1.23 percent for the benchmark Sensex. In the financials segment, Mehra prefers banks rather than non-banks. Speaking on the Indian market, she said it can continue its relative outperformance, though her picks in the emerging market segment include countries like Mexico and Taiwan. So, in 21, and 22, India was an outperformer after a very long period of underperformance relative to its history and relative to the globe both. So, I don't think that trend is really broken in the medium term. We got a bit derailed because of this whole Adani saga, which also then affected the banks but we don't think the good trend is broken yet and the risk of a crash is very, very minimal compared to the risk of missing out on upmove, Mehra added. The best emerging markets that we really like are Mexico, Taiwan and a couple of others. India is not quite there yet because we think there will be some probable treading of the water or sideways or volatility for just another couple of months but that's always difficult to predict, she said. Mehra said sentiment is a contra indicator, and the best time to be in the market is when people are the most downbeat. So, I think in India, probably we are being a little more pessimistic than we need to be and (it is the) best time to be in the market, she added. The market gained strength on March 29 and closed with nearly 350 points gains on the Sensex following lacklustre trades in the past few sessions. Buying emerged in the later part of the session, and most of the sectors, barring oil & gas, participate in the uptrend. The BSE Sensex jumped 346 points to close at 57,960, while the Nifty50 climbed 129 points to 17,081 and formed a bullish candlestick pattern on the daily charts, indicating an emergence of buying interest from the lows. This pattern indicates a possibility of Nifty revisiting the key overhead resistance of around 17,200-17,250 levels in the short term, Nagaraj Shetti, Technical Research Analyst at HDFC Securities said. He feels the negative chart pattern like lower tops and bottoms seems to have halted now, as there was a sustainable upside bounce on Wednesday from a higher bottom of 16,913 levels. Further upside above 17,200 levels is expected to confirm this pattern, he said. The broader markets, after selling pressure in the past, also rebounded sharply due to positive breadth. The Nifty Midcap 100 and Smallcap 100 indices gained more than 1.5 percent each. We have collated 15 data points to help you spot profitable trades: Note: The open interest (OI) and volume data of stocks in this article are the aggregates of three-month data and not just the current month. Key support and resistance levels on Nifty The pivot charts indicated that the Nifty may get support at 16,978, followed by 16,934 and 16,864, whereas if the index advances, 17,120 is the initial key resistance level to watch out for, followed by 17,164 and 17,235. Nifty Bank The Bank Nifty also provided good support to the Nifty50, rising 342 points to 39,910. The index gained for the third consecutive session and formed a bullish candlestick pattern on the daily charts. The index to confirm the breakout needs to sustain above the 40,000 level in the upcoming session. The undertone remains bullish and one should keep a buy-on-dip approach as long as the index stays above the level of 39,500, Kunal Shah, Senior Technical & Derivatives Analyst at LKP Securities said. Bank Nifty, as per pivot charts, may take important support at 39,688, followed by 39,583 and 39,413. However, key resistance levels are expected to be 40,028, then 40,133, and 40,304. Call options data We have seen the maximum Call open interest (OI) at 17,100 strike, with 1.4 crore contracts, which is expected to be a crucial level for the Nifty in the coming session. This is followed by an 18,000 strike, comprising 85.86 lakh contracts, and a 17,000 strike, where there are more than 83.39 lakh contracts. Call writing was seen at 17,100 strike, which added 21.95 lakh contracts. We have seen Call unwinding at 17,000 strike, which shed 59.64 lakh contracts, followed by 17,500 strike, which shed 32.62 lakh contracts, and then 17,300 strike, which shed 31.24 lakh contracts. Put option data The maximum Put open interest was seen at 17,000 strike, with 1.24 crore contracts, which is expected to act as support in the coming session. This is followed by the 16,900 strike, comprising 53.48 lakh contracts, and the 16,800 strike where we have 52.88 lakh contracts. Put writing was seen at 17,000 strike, which added 26.22 lakh contracts, followed by 17,100 strike, which added 19.32 lakh contracts, and 16,100 strike which added 1.37 lakh contracts. We have seen Put unwinding at 16,800 strike, which shed 23.35 lakh contracts, followed by 16,700 strike, which shed 21.43 lakh contracts, and 16,600 strike, which shed 17.81 lakh contracts. Stocks with a high delivery percentage A high delivery percentage suggests that investors are showing interest in these stocks. The highest delivery was seen in Max Financial Services, Hindustan Unilever, United Breweries, Power Grid Corporation of India, and Infosys, among others. High Rollovers Here are the top 10 stocks which saw the highest rollovers on expiry day including JSW Steel, HDFC Bank, DLF, Kotak Mahindra Bank, and Berger Paints with 98 percent rollovers. 7 stocks see a long build-up An increase in open interest (OI) and in price mostly indicates a build-up of long positions. Based on the OI percentage, we have seen 7 stocks in the list of long build-ups, including Adani Ports, ONGC, JK Cement, Bandhan Bank, and Indiabulls Housing Finance. 18 stocks see long unwinding The decline in OI and a price decrease generally indicate a long unwinding. Based on the OI percentage, 18 stocks, including Ipca Laboratories, Dr Lal PathLabs, Coromandel International, HDFC AMC and Whirlpool, witnessed a long unwinding. 3 stocks see a short build-up An increase in OI accompanied by a decrease in price mostly indicates a build-up of short positions. Based on the OI percentage, we have seen total of three stocks in the list of short build-ups which are Can Fin Homes, Dixon Technologies, and ICICI Bank. 162 stocks see short-covering A decrease in OI along with a price increase is an indication of short-covering. Based on the OI percentage, 162 stocks were on the short-covering list. These included Deepak Nitrite, Colgate Palmolive, Mphasis, GMR Airports Infrastructure and IndiaMART InterMESH. Bulk Deals Quess Corp: Fairbridge Capital (Mauritius), a subsidiary of private equity investment firm Fairfax Financial Holdings, has bought 66 lakh equity shares or 4.4 percent stake in Quess Corp via open market transactions at an average price of Rs 384.99 per share, amounting to Rs 254 crore. However, Smallcap World Fund Inc sold 28.46 lakh shares in the company at an average price of Rs 385 per share, Aditya Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund A/C - Aditya Birla Sun Life Tax Relief 96 offloaded 11.36 lakh shares at an average price of Rs 383.79 per share, and ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company sold 13.49 lakh shares at an average price of Rs 385 per share. Max Financial Services: Max Ventures Investment Holdings has sold 30 lakh shares or 0.86 percent stake in the company via open market transactions at an average price of Rs 606.6 per share, amounting to Rs 182 crore. However, Plutus Wealth Management LLP bought 20 lakh shares in the company at the same price. (For more bulk deals, click here) Investors' meetings on March 31 PI Industries: Company's officials will meet BNP Paribas. Arvind: Senior management of the company will meet Seven Islands PMS to discuss business strategy. Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals: Company's officials will meet Kotak Offshore, Wellington Management, UBS GAM, and Amansa Capital in Singapore. Eicher Motors: Officials of the company will interact with SBI Life Insurance, Unit Trust of India, ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund, Kotak Mahindra Mutual Fund, Mirae Asset Global Management, and SBI Funds Management. Hindware Home Innovation: Management of the company will meet Seraphic Management and Advisory. Stocks in the news GR Infraprojects: The infrastructure company has emerged as a L-1 bidder for the construction of a four-lane access-controlled greenfield highway in the Mahabubabed district, on Hybrid Annuity Mode in Telangana. Further, the company has also received a Letter of Award from NHAI for 5 road projects worth Rs 4,454 crore in Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh. Aether Industries: The pharmaceutical company has executed a Letter of Intent with Saudi Aramco Technologies Company, Saudi Arabia. Aether said the Letter of Intent captured the preliminary terms regarding the finalization of a detailed licensing agreement towards the manufacturing and commercialization of the Converge polyols technology and product series, the manufacturing process. Sansera Engineering: The automotive components manufacturer has entered into a definitive agreement for a strategic investment in MMRFIC Technology (MMRFIC) which manufactures sub-systems for next-generation radars by leveraging machine learning with artificial intelligence. Sansera would invest Rs 20 crore in MMRFIC for a 21 percent stake. Jain Irrigation Systems: Subsidiary Jain International Trading BV (JITBV) closed the transaction to merge the international irrigation business with Rivulis. Merged entity - Rivulis In alliance with Jain International - will create a global irrigation and climate leader - being the second largest in the world with $750 million in revenues. Jain (Israel) BV (a step-down subsidiary of JITBV) will hold a strategic minority stake of 18.7 percent in Rivulis Pte Ltd post merger. JSW Steel: Ministry of Coal has declared JSW Steel as a preferred bidder in an auction for two coal mines in Chattisgarh & Jharkhand. In Jharkhand, it is the preferred bidder for the Sitanala coking coal block in Jharia Coalfield with projected coal resources of 108.85 million tonnes and Parbatpur Central Coking Coal Block in Jharia Coalfield with 235.718 million tonnes, while in Chattisgarh, it is the preferred bidder for Banai & Bhalumuda coal block in Mand-Raigarh coalfield with projected coal resources of 1,376.057 million tonnes. Reliance Industries: As per the approved resolution plan by NCLT, Reliance Industries acquired 70 percent equity share capital of Sintex Industries. Sintex Industries will be jointly controlled and managed by RIL and ACRE (Assets Care & Reconstruction Enterprise). Sintex has allotted equity shares worth Rs 600 crore and optionally fully convertible debentures worth Rs 900 crore to Reliance Industries. The acquisition of Sintex will help expand the textile business portfolio of Reliance. Lupin: The US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has issued a Form-483 with 10 observations for the company's Pithampur Unit-2 manufacturing facility. The said facility was inspected by USFDA from March 21 to March 29. Bharat Electronics: The Ministry of Defence has signed 10 contracts worth Rs 5,498 crore with Bharat Electronics for Indian Armed Forces. Fund Flow FII and DII data Foreign institutional investors (FII) bought shares worth Rs 1,245.39 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DII) purchased shares worth Rs 822.99 crore on March 29, National Stock Exchange's provisional data showed. Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Disclaimer: MoneyControl is a part of the Network18 group. Network18 is controlled by Independent Media Trust, of which Reliance Industries is the sole beneficiary. As we approach the beginning of the new financial year 2023-2024, it is a good time to review your financial matters. As our equity markets turn volatile, investors develop cold feet. The ongoing changes in the regulatory landscape of mutual funds, and amendments in tax rules are some other issues that are adding to investors worries. Raj Khosla, Managing Director, MyMoneyMantra, has seen many market cycles. In a conversation with Moneycontrol, he shares his views on many of these issues and how to invest at this juncture. Edited excerpts: Markets are witnessing increasing volatility in the last couple of months. Whats your advice to investors? We have to admit that volatility is inherent in stocks. Investors should view volatility as an opportunity and gain from it. They should buy small quantities at every market fall. Decide the amount you want to invest and deploy 20 percent of it at every 10 percent correction in the market. Every investor should work on the percentage of their investments, according to their risk appetite. Always keep in mind that market decline is an opportunity to buy rather than to sell. The best investments are done during bearish phases and the worst mistakes are committed during the bull runs when the excitement levels are high. My advice for novice investors is that anytime is a good time to start investing in the equity markets, if you have a long investment horizon. The Finance Bill amendment will affect debt mutual fund investors, after April 1. What should be debt fund investors' strategy? For many investors, the amendment has taken away the very reason for investing in debt funds. However, this is not entirely correct. Debt funds will continue to enjoy certain advantages over fixed deposits even after the parity in taxation. Income from debt funds is treated as capital gains, and can, therefore, be set off against short-term and long-term capital losses on other investments. Besides, unlike in fixed deposits, there is no TDS in debt funds. In fixed deposits, if the interest income exceeds Rs 40,000 in a financial year, there is a 10 percent TDS. Even individuals who are not liable to tax end up paying the TDS and then claiming it back by filing returns. Debt funds also offer greater flexibility to investors. You can invest any amount any time and can make partial withdrawals. In fixed deposits, the entire investment has to be terminated if you want to withdraw. When the stock market corrects, many investors sell in panic and then buy them later. Whats your opinion on such an investment strategy? Trying to time the market is honestly a fruitless pursuit. It's something you should not attempt. You have to be lucky all the time when you buy shares initially, and when you sell them and when you buy them back. So, it is unlikely that you will be able to catch the lows and the highs all the time. Investors should go by Warren Buffett's golden rule. If you aren't willing to own a stock for 10 years, don't even think about owning it for 10 minutes. Assuming I have Rs 10 lakh, where should I invest it in the new financial year? The best way is to spread it across all asset classes, proportionate to your risk appetite. This varies for different people. Essentially, if you're an aggressive investor, put at least 70 percent in equities, 20 percent in debt options, and 10 percent in gold. Moderate investors should put 50 percent in equities, 30 percent in debt, 10 percent in real estate via real-estate investment trusts (REITs) and the remaining 10 percent in gold. Lastly, risk-averse investors should keep 25 percent in equities, 50 percent in debt, 15 percent in real estate via REITs and 10 percent in gold. Also read | MC30: The best mutual funds to invest in How many mutual fund schemes should an investor ideally have in their portfolio to avoid any overlapping of stocks? A portfolio should ideally have two to three flexi-cap equity funds, one or two mid-caps and one or two small-cap funds. In the portfolio, one can also have one short-term, one medium-term and a long-term bond fund. So about 8-10 funds can be there in an ideal portfolio. Apart from equity and debt, what are the other asset classes that can be considered? How much should be the ideal asset allocation in today's scenario? One can invest in real estate through REITs and in gold through various channels, including gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs), gold funds, sovereign gold bonds and physical gold. We expect gold to do well, but don't invest more than 10- 15 percent of your portfolio there. Gold prices have already gone up, so you should prefer to invest in gold at regular intervals. Delhi has trumped Mumbai when it comes to the total number of houses sold over the last four years, with the national capital witnessing sales of 1.34 lakh units in 2022 compared to 74,943 houses in Mumbai, an analysis has shown. In percentage terms, housing sales in Delhi were 78.8 percent higher than in Mumbai. Data shared by CRE Matrix Research showed that sales figures in Delhi in 2021 and 2022 were more than in pre-Covid times. In 2019, 1.15 lakh houses were sold, while in 2020, it was 73,777. This number touched 1.23 lakh in 2021 and 1.34 lakh in 2022. In Mumbai, the number of houses sold came in at 48,654 in 2019, 46,368 units in 2020, 77,677 units in 2021, and 74,943 units in 2022, the data showed. Data for Delhi included sales in Delhi NCT only and not Gurgaon and Noida. Mumbai data included sales in Mumbai city and Mumbai suburban only. It did not include Thane and Navi Mumbai. Sales included both primary and secondary. This increase in sales indicates that post-pandemic there has been a realisation among prospective buyers, and fence-sitters of the benefits of buying a house compared to renting one. Stamp duty cuts also helped fuel demand. In terms of value, the most expensive house transacted in Mumbai in 2019 was valued at Rs 96 crore and in Delhi it was Rs 520 crore, in 2020, Rs 95 crore in Mumbai and Rs 143 crore in Delhi, in 2021, Rs 1,001 crore in Mumbai and Rs 253 crore in Delhi, and in 2022, it was Rs 144 crore in Mumbai and Rs 265 crore in Delhi, the data showed. "This is the first time anyone has compared housing sales using IGR data between Mumbai and Delhi. The data shows that housing sales per year in Delhi are nearly 70 percent higher than in Mumbai. This is because anecdotal evidence shows Delhiites have a greater affinity to owning houses compared to those in Mumbai, said Abhishek Kiran Gupta - CEO and Co-founder of CRE Matrix and IndexTap.com. Tata Advanced Systems on March 29 won a contract to manufacture aircraft cargo and bulk cargo doors from aviation major Airbus. As part of the contract, Tata Advanced Systems will produce these doors at a new facility in Hyderabad for aircraft of the Airbus A320neo family. The contract comes on the heels of Tata Sons-oned Air India's 470-aircraft megadeal with Airbus and Boeing, of which, 210 planes will be from the A320neo suite. Airbus currently procures components and services worth $735 million every year from more than 100 Indian suppliers. "Today, every Airbus commercial aircraft and every Airbus helicopter has critical technologies and systems designed, manufactured and maintained in India," the company said in a press release. In September last year, India sealed a nearly Rs 21,000-crore deal with Airbus Defence and Space to procure 56 C295 transport aircraft to replace the ageing Avro-748 planes of the IAF under a project that entails manufacturing of military aircraft in India for the first time by a private company. The regulatory approval for the ambitious programme was accorded by the Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance (DGAQA). Under the agreement, Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in 'fly-away' condition from its final assembly line in Seville, Spain within four years and the subsequent 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) in India as part of an industrial partnership between the two companies. The programme will unlock the potential for cutting-edge design, component manufacturing, aircraft assembly, and services capabilities across the value chain, fully addressing the Government of Indias stated ambition of an AatmaNirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) in defence manufacturing. "Together with our supply chain, Airbus supports nearly 10,000 jobs in India today. By 2025, this number should rise to about 15,000. On top of this, the C295 military aircraft programme will lead to the creation of 25,000 direct and indirect jobs over 10 years," Airbus said. Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday addressed the News18 Rising India Summit where he said India would soon have hydrogen buses plying on the streets in addition to using hydrogen to fuel airplanes. We aspire to be Energy exporter and not an importer. Keeping this in mind, India is looking at the future of transport. We will soon use hydrogen to fuel airplanes, Gadkari said adding that hydrogen-powered buses will also be launched in India soon. The BJP leaders said that India is at the number one spot with regards to manufacturing electrolyzers. We are not just manufacturing hub of electrolyzers, we are also exporting it to countries like the United States, Gadkari said. The Union Minister is said to have travelled to the News18 summit venue via a hydrogen-powered car. There are three types of hydrogen brown, black and green. We are looking to use waste and waste water to generate green hydrogen. The Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru has figured out a way to make green hydrogen with bio waste without power, Gadkari said adding that using this one, it can travel over 400 kilometers at just Rs 80. Gadkari said that once we scale the production of green hydrogen, this can be used to drastically reduce the cost of transportation in the country all while being sustainable. FUTURE OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES Gadkari also highlighted the future of electric vehicles in India and said that electric tractors will soon be launched in India. Along with electric tractors, we will be increasing the number of electric buses across India, the union minister said. For a diesel bus, it costs Rs 115/per kilometer. However, for electric buses it would cost Rs 39/per km for non-AC buses and Rs 41/km for AC buses, Gadkari added. Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly Ajit Pawar on Thursday slammed the state government over the Supreme Court's remarks on hate speech and said many parties have repeatedly raised the issue. Referring to the mob violence in Aurangabad on Wednesday night, he also said attempts are being made to disturb the peace. The top court on Wednesday made strong comments during the hearing of a contempt petition seeking action against several state authorities, including Maharashtra, for allegedly failing to register first information reports (FIRs) against those who make hate speech. "We are hearing the contempt petition because states are not taking action in time. This is because the state has become impotent, powerless, and does not act in time. Why should we have a state at all if it is silent," the SC said. Pawar said, "Yesterday, the Supreme Court called the Maharashtra government an impotent government. Isn't it an insult to Maharashtra? A matter of shame for the (Eknath) Shinde-(Devendra) Fadnavis government? The Supreme Court has never uttered such words for any government." The senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader, is on a visit to the Nashik district, was talking to reporters here. The government should take the SC remarks seriously and those in power should introspect about why the apex court said so, he said. "An immediate meeting should be convened on the issue," he said The Opposition has been raising the issue but the heads of the government do not like being told about it, he said. "Earlier too, the court had pointed out that politics and religion should be separate. Precautions should be taken to prevent the spread of communal hatred and avoid situations that may lead to law and order problems," he said. Referring to the mob violence in Aurangabad on Wednesday night, Pawar said, "Is this an attempt to create hatred between two communities? The police should inquire and find the mastermind. The police should work without any political pressure." A mob of more than 500 persons allegedly attacked policemen in Aurangabad after some youth clashed among themselves, a senior official said on Thursday. The NCP leader also spoke about the problems being faced by onion farmers in Nashik, which produces a huge amount of the kitchen staple. He said the government should restart the NAFED onion purchase centres in the area so that farmers can get a fair price for their produce. The National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) is a top procurement as well as a marketing agency for agricultural products in the country. "Unseasonal rains have caused losses to farmers. Due to the recent strike of government employees, panchnamas (assessment of loss) could not be done. As a result, farmers have not received compensation. The government should give substantial help to onion farmers. I will speak to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde about the onion issue," he said. According to farmers, NAFED stopped procuring onions after the conclusion of the budget session of the state legislature last week. As a result, onion prices that had touched Rs 1,141 a quintal last Friday dropped to Rs 851 a quintal on Wednesday. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has called on Home Minister Amit Shah and urged him to resolve several long-pending issues since the bifurcation of the state. This is his second visit to Delhi in a month. On March 17, Reddy had met with Prime Minster Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. Observing that the pending issues have pushed AP backwards in terms of development and revenue, the CM asked the Home Minister to immediately release Rs 10,000 crore on an ad-hoc basis to expedite Polavaram project. That apart, he requested for Rs 2,020 crore to fill the scourge pits formed at the main dam site due to the washing away of the diaphragm in flash floods, said a statement on Wednesday night. During the meeting, Reddy sought the reimbursement of Rs 2,601 crore expenditure incurred on Polavaram project and accept the technical advisory committee's revised estimates of Rs 55,548 crore, including treating the drinking water supply component as a part of it. Shah was apprised of the financial burden of Rs 5,527 crore that the state had incurred on supplying rations to 56 lakh families under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) due to irrational selection of beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act. As a result, the CM said that the state be compensated by the unused ration stocks as recommended by the Niti Aayog. Reddy appealed to the Centre to release the pending amount of Rs 36,625 under resource gap funding for the fiscal 2014-15 and raise the credit limit of Rs 17,923 crore, which was cut down from Rs 42,472 crore post the pandemic. "Keep 'em ignorant so they keep voting for us." That seems to be the strategy of the Missouri House of Representatives, which voted to defund public libraries in the state. This comes after GOP House Budget Chairman Cody Smith proposed a $4.5 million cut in state aid to these libraries last week. Smith blamed a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri (ACLU-MO) for the vote. From Motherboard: ACLU-MO filed the suit on behalf of the Missouri Association of School Librarians and the Missouri Library Association (MLA) in an effort to overturn a state law passed in 2022 that bans sexually explicit material from schools. Since it was first enacted in August, librarians and other educators have faced misdemeanor charges punishable by up to a year in jail or a $2,000 fine for giving students access to books the state has deemed sexually explicit. The Missouri law defined explicit sexual material as images "showing human masturbation, deviate sexual intercourse," "sexual intercourse, direct physical stimulation of genitals, sadomasochistic abuse," or showing human genitals. The lawsuit claims that school districts have been pulling books from their shelves. Tom Bastian, deputy director for communications for ACLU-MO, expressed his disapproval in a statement to Motherboard: "The House Budget Committee's choice to retaliate against two private, volunteer-led organizations by punishing the patrons of Missouri's public libraries is abhorrent." The new budget still needs approval from the Senate and the governor's office. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday called on Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and requested her to expedite the release of pending funds to the southern state. In his half-an-hour meeting, Reddy demanded an early approval of the revised cost estimate of Rs 55,657 crore for the mega Polavaram Irrigation project on the Godavari river, an official source said. He also requested for early clearance of all pending financial funds to the state and help the newly carved out state tide over the financial stress. Last night, the chief minister had met Union Home Minsiter Amit Shah and sought early implementation of the pending provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act (APRA). Notably, the division of assets worth crores between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana listed under the schedule 9 and 10 of the Act still remains pending. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age. *I agree to the processing of my personal information for personalized recommendations, personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites. I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS. (Optional). Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Union Home Minister Amit Shah on March 29 said during the Congress-led UPA regime, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was allegedly putting pressure on him to frame Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2005 Shohrabuddin encounter case. Shah, while speaking at the Network18 Rising India Summit, accused the Congress party of booking politicians under false cases and misusing agencies for their political benefit. He claimed that he himself had suffered from such misuse of power when he was the home minister of Gujarat, and a fake case was registered against him in connection with an encounter. A case was registered against me and I was arrested by the CBI. The agency was putting pressure on me to name Narendra Modi to secure release. We didnt wear black clothes or protest against the government, said Shah in response to a question on the opposition's charge that the BJP government was misusing central agencies to target them. Also read: Rising India Summit | Hydrogen buses to ply on Indian roads soon: Nitin Gadkari Shah said a special investigation team (SIT) was constituted against Narendra Modi when he was the chief minister of Gujarat. A fake case was registered against him in the 2002 Gujarat riot case, which was later dismissed by the Supreme Court of India. BJP never created any hue and cry. Our party members never attended the Parliament wearing black clothes. I was released after 90 days and the court observed there was no proof against me, said Shah. Shah said he had to file an application for acquittal in a court in Mumbai as the case was transferred out of Gujarat. The court clearly said that case against me was politically motivated. All allegations against me were dropped. During our government, we have registered corruption cases, not fake cases, said Shah. He said the opposition leaders must realise when they point one finger at others, remember that four other fingers are pointing at them. Also read: Amit Shah denies agency misuse, says opposition unity won't affect BJP During my entire interrogation I was repeatedly asked to name Narendra Modi. They didnt ask me anything else and because of me many innocent police officers were jailed, Shah recalled. When asked about Rahul Gandhis comment on Savarkar, Amit Shah said Veer Savarkar was a freedom fighter who was sentenced to two life terms. Rahul Gandhi may not trust us, but he should read his grandmother's speech on Veer Savarkar. Even Shiv Sena and NCP are advising him to not speak against Savarkar, Shah added. Rahul Gandhi insulted an entire community with his Modi surname remark and refused to apologise when given a chance, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said at Network18s Rising India Summit on Wednesday when asked about the Congress leaders conviction in a defamation case and subsequent disqualification from the Lok Sabha. Rahul Handhi insulted a community. He had a chance to rectify it, but he did not. The law is equal for everyone in India. The law is the law, he said. Rahul Gandhi was convicted and was given a two-year sentence in the 2019 defamation case over his remarks on Modi surname, following which he was disqualified as MP of Lok Sabha. The Congress has said that it will fight the matter both politically and legally and will take the issue to the public. The Election Commission has said it is in no hurry to announce bypoll to Wayanad constituency as the trail court has given Gandhi one month to appeal against the court order. Rahul Gandhi has also been served a notice to vacate the government bungalow allotted to him by April 22 following his disqualification as an MP. The development is likely to further escalate the political fight between the BJP and the Congress and its allies who have targeted the government over the issue. Sources said Gandhi can write to the Housing Committee seeking an extension, and the panel can take a decision depending on the validity of the reasons cited by him. The committee has 11 members drawn from different parties and is headed BJP MP CR Patil. A 12-year-old schoolgirl in Dubai has bought an iPhone 14 with money she earned from selling baked goods in school. Bianca Jemi Wariyava juggled studies with her side business for six weeks to save up enough money for an Apple iPhone, Khaleej Times reported. Bianca, whose father is Indian and mother from the Philippines, came up with the idea of selling bread to her classmates and teachers because she wanted a new phone. Both her parents are professional bakers who have worked at some of the best restaurants in Dubai, so Bianca knew her way around the kitchen. In the past, she had carried bread baked by her mother to school which she shared with friends. They loved the taste and fluffiness of the bread. They loved it so much they asked me to bring some again the next day, the seventh grader told Khaleej Times. So when Bianca was trying to save up for an iPhone 14, one of her friends suggested she sell the bread. And that was when I realized I could buy iPhone 14 with the money I could earn, said the 12-year-old who started her baking business with an initial investment of 100 Dirham from her father Jemibhai Wariyava. Bianca started by selling four pieces of bread for 10 Dirham and after a slow start, orders started pouring in. It's not just plain bread I baked. I have flavours like plain soft roll, oreo, ube, cheese, turkey salami with cheese, and chicken franks which my teachers and schoolmates fell in love with, she said. The seventh grader tasted success with the secret recipe of her parents, saving up the required amount in less than two months. An iPhone 14 costs nearly 3000 Dirham (Rs 67,000 approximately) in Dubai. Bianca said she was sometimes bullied at school for her side business. A few students looked down on me They even questioned our financial status, she said, adding that it was the support of her friends, classmates, teachers, and neighbours that motivated her to keep going. India added 2,151 COVID-19 cases on March 29, the most in a single day in five months, while active cases in the country rose to 11,903, according to data released by the Union health ministry. The cases are being recorded in Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Kerala and Telangana. Higher test positivity rates have also been reported in many states and districts. Yet, Paxlovid, the orally administered drug developed by Pfizer that prevents severe outcomes of SARSCoV2 infection, has remained a minor player in India so far. Several generic versions of the drug are available in India, including those made by Hetero (Nirmacom), Zenara (Paxgen), and Azistra (Paxista) but they are said to be available mainly in hospital pharmacies in certain cities. Swapneil Parikh, an internist and clinical researcher in Mumbai, said its high time their availability is widened so that those who need it can get it easily. Many positives Paxlovid consists of nirmatrelvir, which stops the virus from replicating, and ritonavir, which slows down nirmatrelvirs breakdown to help it remain in the body for a longer period at higher concentrations. Three tablets (two nirmatrelvir tablets and one ritonavir tablet) are taken together orally twice daily for five days. The drug has shown an 89 percent reduction in the risk of hospitalisation and death in unvaccinated people and benefits even those who are vaccinated. It has been shown to be effective against Omicron variants. Also read | MC Explains I Why Bedaquiline going off patent in India in July may be a giant leap in the fight against TB The medication is suggested for high-risk people aged 12 and above, with a body weight of at least 40 kg. People with high risk of severe COVID-19 are those with underlying conditions such as cancer, diabetes, or obesity, and those who are 65 or older (more than 81 percent of COVID-19 deaths occur in this group). The more underlying medical conditions a person has, the greater the risk of developing a severe case of COVID-19, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Thats why physicians and infectious diseases experts including Anupam Singh, based in Ghaziabad, say it would be useful to have Paxlovid easily available. However, he has not used it for any of his patients due to lack of availability. Parikh said some generic versions of the drug are available in pharmacies of two major private hospitals in Mumbai and they may be inaccessible to patients who may be able to arrest the progression to a severe form of the disease if started on the course early. As the drug is contraindicated for hospitalised COVID-19 patients, it makes little sense to supply the drug to pharmacies inside hospitals, he said. Not in treatment protocol Paxlovid is not included in Indias COVID-19 treatment protocol, which may be why the drug is not given to many patients. Hetero and Zenara did not respond to Moneycontrols queries on the supply of the drug. However, executives in these companies said limited quantities of the drug are supplied to select hospitals. Devashish Desai, an infectious diseases consultant with Ruby Hall Clinic, said it is unlikely India will require access to large stocks of this drug. Ever since the Omicron variant of SARSCoV2 and its sub-lineages became the predominant circulating variants, the severe form of COVID-19 has become rare, he said. The drug may still be of value for those at high risk of severe disease, but unless theres an increase in such cases, demand is likely to remain low, he said. Indias top 500 companies account for nearly 91 percent of the market capitalisation of the Bombay Stock Exchange and contribute nearly 16 percent of the countrys GDP, making up around 46 percent of the nations foreign exchange earnings and roughly 23 percent of its tax revenues, according to a Dun & Bradstreet study. Over 300 of these top 500 companies are family-owned businesses, as per the Economic Times. This fact speaks to the enormous contribution that Indian family-owned business make and have always made to driving the countrys growth story. Many family businesses came into existence before or soon after Indias Independence while others were established during the economic reforms of the 1980s and 1990s; their role in nation-building cannot be denied. Their entrepreneurial spirit, passion for innovation, rootedness in traditional values, ability to create wealth and generate employment for millions of fellow citizens make them the true champions of modern India. Yet their vital role in providing a robust backbone to the Indian economy through thick and thin has often gone unsung. Until last year, that is. This was when the first edition of the Indian Family Business Awards Presented by Moneycontrol, co-created with Waterfield Advisors and process partner Grant Thornton celebrated the resilience and strength of family businesses at a grand awards ceremony. Indian names such as the Tatas, Birlas, Ambanis, Godrejs and Goenkas are known the world over as large corporates with a diversified and global geographical footprint as well as the power to make billions of rupees of wealth. However, a large percentage of the wealth and employment generation is also driven by family businesses that are not so well known. Indian Family Business Awards focussed on honouring family businesses from across the country, in all sectors covering the widest spectrum of scale and size. The whos who of Indias family business community that represents the foundational underpinning of micro and macro financial stability in India all showed up to demonstrate their support for this first-of-its-kind event. The chief guest at the prestigious award function for season one was Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. Among the key winners, SRF Limited won the Best Family Business Award in the Giga category, i.e., companies with an annual turnover of over INR 5,000 crore. Kajaria Ceramics received the award in the Mega category of businesses (annual turnover of INR 1,000 crore to INR 5,000 crore). In the Super category of businesses with an annual turnover up to INR 1,000 crore, Tally Solutions bagged the Best Family Business Award. Puja Sekhri and Akluj, Maharashtra-based Fratelli Wines, won the award for the Best Family Business led by a Woman in the Super category. In the Mega category, the award for the Best Family Business led by a Woman was presented to JK Lakshmi Cement. Apollo Hospitals, INOX Air, and Inland World Logistics were honoured for the Best COVID-19 Response for their contribution to the battle against the pandemic while Dixon Technologies won the Special Jury Award for Most Enterprising First Gen Business. Security and facility management company Tenon Facility Management won the award for best governance. The grand event also featured a lively chat with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, veteran investment banker Hemendra Kothari, and Dhruva Advisors CEO Dinesh Kanabar who debated the finer points of Indian family-run businesses and how they have changed over the years. After the extraordinary success and impact of Indian Family Business Awards season one, the stage is now set for the second edition of the event. Nominations are open and the resplendent awards night is being looked forward to with great anticipation. Submit your Nominations now: https://www.moneycontrol.com/msite/indian-family-business-awards Moneycontrol journalists were not involved in the creation of the article Indian family businesses, existent for centuries, have in fact been the pivot of transformation of the Indian Economy. Independence and the partition, forced many a family to start new enterprises as a mean of survival and, lo and behold, these soon emerged as the growth engines of the economy. And it does not stop there they have contributed to the overall growth of the nation and her people be it in terms of employment, technology, education or, simply put, general upliftment of society - in building a robust socio-economic fabric. This became more pronounced since the liberalization of the economy in the 1990s, when the doors opened for international collaborations and free transfer of technology. A whole new generation of entrepreneurs came into existence and thrived, making the nation progress such that it is now gearing up to a target of a 5 trillion economy within the next few years. Indian family businesses, today are valued at almost 70 lakh crore Indian rupees which bears testimony to their contribution to the growth, nay, growing Indian Economy. While the Indian Economy is expected to hit this milestone by 2026, one can only assume the growth of the Indian Family Businesses and their contribution to cross many a milestone in the socio-economic growth. However, the influx of the multinational giants into the country took away the spotlight from the home-grown businesses. There seems to be a general disposition that the overseas companies have brought in prosperity to the country, and that has, over the years, put the family businesses in the shadows. But the spotlight is once again on these Family Businesses that have played a crucial role in the uptake of the Indian Economy. The Indian Family Business Awards, instituted in 2021, is an initiative to commemorate the pioneers of these pivotal businesses and to inspire future generations with the potential that strong family businesses hold, and for the role they play in shaping India. Family businesses are known to have earned the trust of consumers - hence the exponential growth of the likes of renowned Hamara Bajaj, and the legendary Nirma that became a challenger to multinational behemoth! Data also implies that most of these businesses are manpower or service intensive, contrasted to capital intensive thereby generating huge opportunities of employment to the people. Another score that Indian Family Businesses play a prominent role in, is understanding the pulse of the local communities and the nation. When it comes to customer-centricity, some of the best businesses are led by women. According to Forbes magazine organizations led by women are more profitable, socially responsible and provide better customer experiences. It comes as no surprise then that the number of women running family businesses in India is on the rise. Bringing this to prominence is a special category in the IFBA for Family Businesses led by a woman, the winners in 2021 being Fratelli Wines and JK Laxmi Cement. Family businesses, by definition, are built for families and are, therefore, to last, and provide. By default they become socially responsible as they understand commitment, and have a strong culture that binds them to their roots. In 2021 India recorded a whopping 100 crore rupees donations to social causes, and more remarkably, the top eleven donors run family businesses. While large enterprises set up foundations to work for the upliftment of society in a formalized manner, smaller entrepreneurs carry out their philanthropic undertakings at a more micro level. Individually they provide scholarships, or even no-interest loans for their employees childrens education, while others have founded training centers like the Usha Silai School to empower women. Data proves that 78% of family businesses went out of their way to retain their staff through the recent adverse conditions of the last couple of years, bearing testimony to the fact that these enterprises care! Most Family Businesses, started before the 21st century are managed by second or even third generations today. These young entrepreneurs, having imbibed the values and traits of their predecessors are well educated, being exposed to global practices. Supplementing their almost in-bred knowledge of the business with new-age tools and competencies they take their family businesses into the new age of endless possibilities. They along with the available externally employed talent professionally manage the business, laying the foundation for continuity and creating a legacy. Tally Solutions, the winner in the Mega category, is one such business, started by two generations - the Late SS Goenka and his son, Bharat Goenka, who symbolize age-old stability and wisdom, is now integrating by the third generation, Tejas and Nupur Goenka for new-gen technology and innovation to deliver robust business management applications to small and medium enterprises. Key Winners at The Indian Family Business Awards 2021 - The Best Family Business went to SRF Limited, in the Giga category, Kajaria Ceramics, in the Mega category, and Tally Solutions in the Super category. Best Family Business led by a Woman went to Fratelli Wines, in the Super category, and JK Laxmi Cement in the Mega category. Apollo Hospitals, INOX Air, and Inland World Logistics were honoured for the Best COVID-19 Response for their contribution to the battle against the pandemic while Dixon Technologies won the Special Jury Award for Most Enterprising First Gen Business. Tenon Facility Management won the award for best governance. The Indian Family Business Awards in its first edition post its phenomenal success in 2021, is back with its second edition Indian Family Businesses Awards 2022, presented by Moneycontrol, co-created with Waterfield Advisors. Family businesses are invited to nominate themselves categories based on their turnover: Super (under Rs 1,000 crore), Mega (Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 crores), Giga (over Rs 5,000 crore) and Philanthropy. An illustrious jury panel evaluates the applicants through a robust matrix and interviews, and the winners announced at a gala event amongst their peers. All eyes are now set on the second edition of the event. Nominations are open and the resplendent awards night is being looked forward to with great anticipation. For more details please visit: https://www.moneycontrol.com/msite/indian-family-business-awards Moneycontrol Journalists were not involved in the creation of the article. A 61-year-old civil servant in Japan was handed a fine of 1.44 million yen (approximately Rs 9 lakh) after getting caught for smoking during office hours. As per a report published on Strait Times, the employee had smoked more than 4500 times in the last 14 years of his service. The prefectural government also revealed that the civil servant had smoked for 355 hours and 19 minutes while on duty. The report added that authorities in Osaka had taken action against the employee and two other colleagues who worked in the prefecture's finance department. The authorities imposed a 10 per cent pay cut for six months for repeatedly smoking during work hours despite being warned several times. The report also that out of the three, the 61-year-old employee was found to have violated the "duty of devotion" rule. The human resource department, in 2022, received information that the three employees were secretly smoking. The trio was then summoned by their supervisor and were given warnings. However, they refused to stop smoking and even lied about it when they were interviewed in December 2022. The penalty on the employee drew mixed reactions from others. Some argued that to go and smoke off-site would have wasted more time, others felt that employee had been treated harshly and stated that one could waste time by eating snacks, drinking tea, or just chatting. None of those were punishable offences and so, neither should smoking tobacco be a punishable offence. Since 2019, government employees in Japan have been barred from smoking while on duty. Also Read: IndiGo passenger arrested for smoking inside toilet in Bengaluru-Kolkata flight Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi has threatened to sue Rahul Gandhi over his Modi surname remark. In a series of tweets this afternoon, Lalit Modi said he would take the Congress leader to court in the UK. Lalit Modi has been living in London since 2010, when he left India after being charged with tax evasion, money laundering, and manipulating broadcast deals. In his tweets attacking Rahul Gandhi, he said that Gandhi associates were calling him a fugitive of justice despite the fact that he had never been convicted on any of those charges. I have decided to take the Rahul Gandhi to court in UK right away. I am sure he will have to come-up with some solid evidence. I look forward to seeing him make a complete fool of himself, wrote Modi. i see just about every Tom dick and gandhi associates again and again saying i ama fugitive of justice. why ?How?and when was i to date ever convicted of same. unlike #Papu aka @RahulGandhi now an ordinary citizen saying it and it seems one and all oposition leaders have nothing Lalit Kumar Modi (@LalitKModi) March 30, 2023 Lalit Modis attack comes days after Rahul Gandhi was convicted and sentenced to two years in jail by a Surat court in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname" remark. The case was filed in connection with remarks that the Congress leader allegedly made at an election rally in 2019. How come all thieves have the common surname Modi? he had asked. In his lengthy rant, Lalit Modi also claimed that international courts, including the Interpol, had asked the last Congress government to produce documents proving his guilt, but they had been unable to do so. I am happy I created the worlds best sporting league for the nationI come from a family that needs no introduction. We have always had money. [Money] never was a motivator, said Modi, also claiming that since the 1950s, his family had done more for the country than the Gandhis. (With inputs from PTI) Lawyers lauded the National Company Law Appellate Tribunals decision to uphold a penalty of Rs 1,338 crore imposed on tech giant Google by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for abusing its dominant position in the Android ecosystem. They said the tribunals judgment struck the right balance by ensuring that Google is penalised for anti-competitive practices, while also protecting its business interests. What did NCLAT say? NCLAT said Google abused its dominant position in the Android ecosystem by imposing stringent conditions in agreements with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The tribunal upheld the CCIs finding that Google used its dominant position to ensure that OEMs could not pre-install their competing search apps. However, the tribunal reversed the CCIs order in some aspects, holding that: a)Google need not give its proprietary Application Programming Interface (API) to third-party app developers. b) Google can continue to warn users when they download apps directly from the website as opposed to its Play Store (sideloading). c) Google need not permit third-party app stores in its Play Store. d) Google can restrict uninstallation of pre-installed apps in Android phones. Balanced judgment NCLATs judgment is a balanced one, said KK Sharma, competition law partner at Singhania & Co. It confirms the CCIs penalty against Google while not confirming certain observations and directions that did not have connections with the infringements of law. He noted that NCLAT upheld the chaff without removing the grain. Step ahead in law The judgment is a setback for Google as the major part of the order of the CCI has been affirmed by NCLAT. However, setting aside some of the CCIs directions gives some reprieve to Google, said Sandeep Bajaj, managing partner at PSL Advocates & Solicitors. He said that even though this reprieve would not have any financial implications for Google, it would not be subject to further revision. The judgment is a definite step ahead in development of competition law in India and a signal for large global players to abide by Indian laws, he said. Important for Google According to Kanika Chaudhary Nayar, a partner at DSK Legal, the directions that NCLAT set aside are very important from Googles perspective. On NCLATs ruling that Google need not give its API to third-party app developers, she said, APIs are essentially proprietary items and they fetch value. A tech company works on innovation and if theyre giving open access to their technology to everyone, then what incentive will they have to innovate and bring in more technology? This direction is probably one of the most important for Google. On the matter of overruling the direction on permitting third-party app distributors in Googles Play Store, she said, The tribunal has said that by passing this direction, the competition regulator was trying to punish Google for being dominant. And dominance is not punishable under the Act, only an abuse of that dominance is punishable. Also read: Torrent to appeal against NCLAT order allowing RCap's second auction Reasoned judgment Amir Bavani, founder of AB Legal in Hyderabad, said NCLAT has given a reasoned judgment. It is a very reasoned judgment wherein the appellate tribunal categorically stated that for proving abuse of dominance under the Competition Act, 2022, effect analysis is required to be done and it is to be tested whether the abusive conduct is anti-competitive or not, Bavani said. He said the appellate tribunal also rendered a detailed analysis on why pre-installation of the entire GMS Suite amounts to imposing unfair practices on OEMs and how the tech giant enjoys a dominant position in the Android market, resulting in breach of various provisions of the Act. Buffalo, where the movement to organize Starbucks stores began, was front and center on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, as former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz testified at a Senate hearing about the company's labor practices. The Buffalo connection came up frequently, from the first elections taking place here, to a National Labor Relations Board ruling against the company, to the lack of a first labor contract at a Starbucks store. "Workers in Buffalo are the spark that's lit the fire of organizing its locations across the country," said Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts. Schultz spoke at a hearing that focused on Starbucks' treatment of its workers, held by a committee chaired by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont. Sanders accused Starbucks of engaging in union busting. Schultz, who is Starbucks' largest individual shareholder, denied those claims. Here are three takeaways from the hearing: After a major victory, what's next for Starbucks workers? Starbucks workers were heartened Thursday by a federal labor board ruling that the company must rehire seven workers it had fired and remedy unlawful retaliation against others. Sanders pressed Schultz on why Starbucks has not reached a contract agreement with employees at any of the stores where workers voted to unionize. The NLRB counted the ballots of those first elections in December 2021. Sanders accused Starbucks of stalling. "They understand that if workers do not see success in gaining a contract, they are going to get discouraged and give up the fight," he said. Schultz insisted Starbucks is ready to bargain, but only face to face, without anyone participating via Zoom. "We have said we do not want these meetings to be anything but face to face, so we know who's in the room," Schultz said. "We don't know, if there's a Zoom meeting, who is taping the meeting, who's in the background, and who is looking in on the meeting and whether or not they are part of the company, or part of the union or whatever." Judge orders Starbucks to rehire workers, provide back pay Judge Michael A. Rosas of the National Labor Relations Board issued the orders as part of a 218-page decision that found Starbucks committed massive labor law violations in Buffalo, the union said. The NLRB's general counsel has accused Starbucks of violating federal labor law by refusing to bargain if some employees participate through videoconference. Schultz also claimed the union's stance on negotiating contracts on a store-by-store basis, instead of in clusters, "created significant complications and obstacles in the collective bargaining process." Workers at nearly 300 stores have voted to unionize. Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., said more than 450 days had passed since the first elections were concluded: "The delay is truly unacceptable." Without mentioning her by name, Schultz criticized the actions of Jaz Brisack, a former Starbucks employee in Buffalo who has helped lead the union movement. Brisack was working for the Workers United union when she was hired to work in a Starbucks store. Starbucks charges union with failure to bargain in good faith at two Buffalo Niagara stores Starbucks filed complaints with the National Labor Relations Board against the Starbucks Workers United union, saying it has failed to bargain in good faith at its stores on Transit Road in East Amherst and on Transit Road in Depew. "We later found out that this individual, which was hired in 2020, was paid for and under the employment of the union that was basically trying to organize Starbucks," Schultz said. "We later found out there was more than one person. And so you might want to ask yourself, 'Where is the fairness, the objectivity and the integrity of what were talking about here today?' " Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, revisited the topic later in the hearing, asking Schultz: Any comments upon this person getting paid by the union when she came to your store in an attempt to organize it? Schultz replied: Well, if thats not a nefarious act, I dont know what is." Contacted by The Buffalo News, Brisack said: "I would try to organize any job I ever had, and I didn't create the conditions that made organizing happen. Starbucks did, and they did it nationwide, which is why there are over 7,000 unionized partners across the country. "As for calling organizers 'nefarious,' Howard Schultz should focus on the actions of his company, which the National Labor Relations Board has already found to be illegal in many cases, including in Buffalo, where an administrative law judge recently found that Starbucks' unlawful actions were "egregious and widespread." Senators critical of Starbucks repeatedly clashed with Schultz over the company's treatment of workers trying to organize. Sanders said the company was doing "everything possible, legal and illegal, to deny these workers their constitutional right to form a union. The fundamental issue we are confronting today is whether we have a system that applies to all or whether billionaires and large corporations can break the law with impunity." Earlier this month, an administrative law judge ordered Starbucks to rehire seven workers in the Buffalo area it had fired, as part of a broader ruling against the company. The NLRB judge found the company had committed hundreds of labor law violations. Schultz denied that Starbucks had broken the law or interfered with organizing efforts: "We respect the right of every person who wears the green apron if they want to join a union. But we also have the right to communicate to the 99%, 350,000 people, who want a direct relationship with the company." Alibaba Group said on Thursday it will look to monetise non-core assets and consider giving up control of some businesses, as the Chinese tech conglomerate reinvents itself after a regulatory crackdown that wiped 70% off its shares. Group CEO Daniel Zhang said the company's breakup into separate businesses will allow its units to become more agile and eventually launch their own initial public offerings (IPO). His comments come two days after Alibaba announced the largest restructuring in the company's history, which will see it change into a holding company structure with six business units, each with their own boards and CEOs. "Alibaba will be more of the nature of an asset and capital operator than a business operator, in relation to the business group companies," Zhang told investors on a conference call on Thursday. On the same call, Alibaba CFO Toby Xu said the group would "continue to evaluate the strategic importance of these companies" and "decide whether or not to continue to retain control". Alibaba's indication that it could divest from assets and sell control of business units after they go public comes more than two years after Beijing launched a sweeping crackdown on its tech giants, targeting monopolistic practices, data security protection and other issues. While the new business units will have their own CEOs and boards, Alibaba will retain seats on those boards in the short-term, Zhang added. The group's Hong Kong-listed shares opened 2.7% higher after the investor call following the 12% jump on Wednesday, but gains narrowed to 0.9% by midday. MATTER OF SURVIVAL Alibaba began laying the groundwork for the restructuring a few years ago, Zhang said. As a result of the restructuring, each business unit can pursue independent fundraisings and IPOs when they're ready, Xu said, when asked about the timeline for the listings. The changes will come into effect immediately. "We believe the market is the litmus test so each company can pursue financing and IPO as and when they are ready," said Xu. Alibaba, however, will decide whether the group wants to keep strategic control of each unit after they go public. Meanwhile, the group is also planning to continue to monetise non-strategic assets in its portfolio to optimise its capital structure, said Xu. Alibaba's major rival Tencent has in the past year divested from a number of portfolio companies including selling a $3 billion stake in SEA, transferring $16.4 billion worth of JD.COM shares and $20 billion worth of Meituan shares to shareholders. For its part, Alibaba has made or announced 18 divestments since 2020, Refinitiv data showed. Alibaba's reorganisation will not change its share repurchase plan, Xu added on the call. Alibaba launched a $6 billion share buyback programme in 2019, which had expanded to $40 billion by late 2022. Qi Wang, CEO of China-focused asset manager MegaTrust Investment, said the sector's strategic move to reorganise was about survival. "These internet firms are not going to just sit there and let regulation erode away their growth and profits," Wang said. "Companies including Tencent, Alibaba, JD, Didi and ByteDance have been making bottom-up changes to mitigate the regulatory risk, cost cutting (layoffs), improving operating efficiency, divesting non-core businesses." Alibaba, once valued at more than $800 billion, has seen its market valuation decline to $260 billion since Beijing started the crackdown on its sprawling tech sector in late 2020. Some analysts say Alibaba is currently undervalued as a standalone conglomerate and that a breakup would allow investors to value each business division independently. The restructuring could also better protect Alibaba shareholders from regulatory pressures, as penalties levied on one division in theory would not affect the operations of another. Ratings agencies S&P and Moody's said this week Alibaba's restructuring was credit positive. However, S&P said it was not yet known how existing resources would be divvied up or how the group would support businesses with significant cash needs. China's economy is showing "strong momentum" despite a challenging global environment, Premier Li Qiang said Thursday, promising to bolster support for business as the country emerges from strict Covid controls that hammered GDP. Li's speech at the Boao Forum, a high-profile meeting on China's southern Hainan island, was his first to an international conference since being appointed Beijing's number-two official in early March. "China's economic growth shows strong momentum," Li told top politicians and business leaders. "Judging from the situation in March, it is better than in January and February," he said, referring to a period when China saw a surge in Covid-19 infections following the lifting of strict pandemic controls. China set an economic growth target of "around five percent" this month, one of its lowest in decades as it emerges from strict zero-Covid rules. One of President Xi Jinping's most trusted allies, Li has warned that the goal will not be "easy" to achieve. And in his speech Thursday he said Beijing would focus on preventing major financial risks, promising further state support to a private sector still reeling from a regulatory crackdown on the property, technology and private education industries. "We will launch a series of new measures to expand market access," he said, without offering details. "We will optimise the business environment... so that state-owned enterprises dare to improve their business, private enterprises dare to venture into it and foreign companies dare to invest." China will continue to "prevent major risks", he continued, saying Beijing would "firmly hold the bottom line" against "systemic risks" to economic stability. Li's comments come in the face of international banking sector worries and rising concerns about debt-fuelled development programmes favoured by China's local governments. The premier also reiterated Beijing's calls to avoid what it calls "a new Cold War" and to resist protectionism. China has been vocal against western sanctions on traditional allies including Russia, North Korea and Iran. "We insist on resolving differences and disputes between countries through peaceful means, and jointly safeguard world peace and tranquility," he said. According to state news agency Xinhua, Li on Wednesday met International Monetary Fund head Kristalina Georgieva during the forum, which has pitched itself as Asia's answer to the World Economic Forum's annual gathering of global leaders in Davos. Also attending are Spanish Prime minister Pedro Sanchez, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Singapore leader Lee Hsien Loong. China is working on a request by Pakistan to roll over a $2-billion loan that matured last week, a top finance ministry official told Reuters. The rollover is critical for the South Asian nation, as its foreign exchange reserves have dipped to just four weeks worth of imports at a time when it is locked in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to secure bailout funds. "It is a work in progress," the official said in a text message on Wednesday, on condition of anonymity. "Formal documentation is underway." A formal announcement will be made, the source added, but gave no further details. The loan matured on March 23. As Pakistan struggles to avert a default on its obligations, the only help so far has come from longtime ally Beijing, through a refinancing of $1.8 billion already credited to Pakistan's central bank. The IMF funding is critical for Pakistan to unlock other external financing avenues, and the two have been negotiating since early February to resume $1.1 billion in funding held since November, part of a $6.5 billion bailout agreed in 2019. One of the lender's last remaining conditions for release of the tranche is securing an assurance on external financing to fund Pakistan's balance of payments. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age. *I agree to the processing of my personal information for personalized recommendations, personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites. I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS. (Optional). Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept The European Union must be prepared to develop measures to protect trade and investment that China might exploit for its own security and military purposes, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned on Thursday. Speaking before a trip to China planned for next week, von der Leyen said that it's important to stop sensitive technologies that could be used in security crackdowns or to restrict human rights from falling into Beijing's hands. "China's changing policies may require us to develop new defensive tools for some critical sectors," she said. "Where dual-use purposes cannot be excluded or human rights might be implicated, there will need to be a clear line on whether investments or exports are in our own security interests." The commission, the EU's executive branch, manages international trade on behalf of the 27 member countries and defends their interests at the World Trade Organization. Von der Leyen said that the EU should focus its defenses on sensitive high-tech areas like microelectronics, quantum computing, robotics, artificial intelligence and the biotech sector. "We need to ensure that our companies' capital, expertise, and knowledge are not used to enhance the military and intelligence capabilities of those who are also systemic rivals," she told academics at an event run by the European Policy Centre think tank and the Mercator Institute for China Studies. "We have to look at where there are gaps in our toolbox which allow the leakage of emerging and sensitive technologies through investments in other countries," von der Leyen said. The focus, she said, should be on tech that can lead to the development of military capabilities that pose risks to national security. The commission president's speech comes as the EU reconsiders its frequently testy relations with China, notably in light of Beijing's support for Russia's war on Ukraine. Von der Leyen said, though, that it's important not to cut political, economic or scientific ties with such a vital trading partner. French President Emmanuel Macron is also due to travel to China next week and will take part in some events involving von der Leyen. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was set to visit Beijing on Thursday and Friday at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. U.S. carmaker Ford Motor Co signed a final investment agreement with PT Vale Indonesia, and China's Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt on Thursday to build nickel processing plant, valued at around $4.5 billion. The high-pressure acid leaching (HPAL), located in Pomalaa, Southeast Sulawesi where Vale operates a nickel mine, is expected to produce 120,000 tonnes per annum of mixed hydroxide precipitate, material extracted from nickel ore that would be used in batteries for electric vehicles. Indonesia, which has the biggest nickel reserve in the world, has been trying to develop downstream industries for the metal, with ambitions to eventually produce batteries and electric vehicles. Vale and Huayou commenced construction of the plant in November. Thursday's signing was a follow up to a non-binding memorandum of cooperation for the plant that the three companies had signed last year. At the time, they said the project was expected to be completed in 2025. Indonesia's government has from 2020 banned export of unprocessed nickel ore to ensure supply for existing and potential investors. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age. *I agree to the processing of my personal information for personalized recommendations, personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites. I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS. (Optional). Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Alphabet's Google Cloud has accused Microsoft of anti-competitive cloud computing practices and criticised imminent deals with several European cloud vendors, saying these do not solve broader concerns about its licensing terms. In Google Cloud's first public comments on Microsoft and its European deals its Vice President Amit Zavery told Reuters the company has raised the issue with antitrust agencies and urged European Union antitrust regulators to take a closer look. In response, Microsoft referred to a blogpost in May last year where its president Brad Smith said it 'has a healthy number two position when it comes to cloud services, with just over 20 percent market share of global cloud services revenues'. "We are committed to the European Cloud Community and their success," a Microsoft spokesperson told Reuters on Thursday. There is intense rivalry between the two U.S. tech giants in the fast-growing, multi-billion-dollar cloud computing business, where Google trails market leader Amazon and Microsoft. The sector has recently drawn greater regulatory scrutiny, including in the United States and in Britain, because of the dominance of a few players and its increasingly critical role as more and more companies shift their services to the cloud. Microsoft has offered to change its cloud computing practices in a deal with a few smaller rivals which in turn will suspend their antitrust complaints, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters this week. The move will stave off an EU investigation. "Microsoft definitely has a very anti-competitive posture in cloud. They are leveraging a lot of their dominance in the on-premise business as well as Office 365 and Windows to tie Azure and the rest of cloud services and make it hard for customers to have a choice," Zavery said in an interview late on Wednesday. "When we talk to a lot of our customers, they find a lot of these bundling practices, as well as the way they create pricing and licensing restrictions, make it difficult for them to choose other providers," he added. 'UNFAIR ADVANTAGE' Zavery said individual deals struck with several smaller European cloud vendors only benefit Microsoft. "They're selectively kind of buying out those ones who complain and not make those terms available to everyone. So that definitely makes it an unfair advantage to Microsoft and ties the people who complained back to Microsoft anyway," "Whatever they're offering, there should be terms across for everybody, not just for one or two they've chosen and pick, and that shows you that they have so much market power they can kind of go and do those things individually." "My point to the regulators would be that they should look at this holistically, even though one or two vendors might settle doesn't solve the broader problem. And that's the problem we need to really resolve, not individual vendors' problems." The European Commission declined to comment. Microsoft still faces another EU antitrust complaint from CISPE, whose members include Amazon. The trade group has rejected the Microsoft's changes. Zavery dismissed the suggestion that the issue is merely a spat between Google and Microsoft. "The question is not about Google. I just want to make it very clear. It's the cloud. The premise with cloud was to have an open, flexible way to deploy your software and have customers more choices so that they can run their software in any place they choose to in a much more easy way," he said. Diageo appointed Chief Operating Officer (COO) Debra Crew as CEO to replace retiring long-time boss Ivan Menezes, becoming one of only a handful of women to lead a company in Britain's blue-chip FTSE 100 index. The world's biggest spirits company, which makes Johnnie Walker whisky, Tanqueray gin and Don Julio tequila, said Crew, 52, would take up her new role on July 1, bringing the total of female CEO of FTSE 100 members to 10. An industry veteran who became COO last year, Crew had been president of Diageo North America, its largest market, and Global Supply from 2020. Her elevation comes as Diageo is trying to cement its dominance in the United States and establish several premium brands, in a post-COVID world in which people are going out again and making fewer cocktails at home. The former U.S. military intelligence officer was previously CEO of tobacco company Reynolds American, where she had also served as COO. Prior to that Crew held roles at Pepsico , Kraft Foods (KHC.O), Nestle (NESN.S) and Mars. "Crew was the most likely CEO successor, so no surprise there," said Tineke Frikkee, a fund manager at Diageo investor Waverton Asset Management. "She is very experienced in Diageos largest market, the U.S." "The timing of succession is always difficult to predict but with Ivan Menezes aged 63, it was imminent. I expect Diageo strategy to remain unchanged," Frikkee added. Menezes, who joined Diageo after its formation through the merger of Guinness and Grand Metropolitan in 1997, grew sales sharply and steered the company through multiple brand acquisitions as well as a major sustainability overhaul. Under his leadership the company become responsible for about a tenth - or 2 billion pounds ($2.5 billion) - of the United Kingdom's total food and drinks exports. Shares in Diageo were down marginally on Tuesday morning. They have risen about 76% over the past decade, outperforming the pan-European STOXX 600 (.STOXX) index and London's blue-chip FTSE 100. "This had been widely anticipated. Nonetheless, we regard Ivans departure as a meaningful loss for Diageo hes been a brilliant CEO," RBC analyst James Edward Jones said. "Diageo was in poor shape when Ivan took over; now its one of the most impressive companies we cover." "Debra Crew is something of an unknown quantity to us. Shes got an extensive background in consumer staples ... nonetheless, Ivan will be a very hard act to follow." Laurence Whyatt, analyst at Barclays, said: "The market wants more of the same. Diageo has outperformed in tequila, has excellent marketing capabilities and is making huge inroads into Scotch globally, and particularly in India and LatAm. "I want to see a continuation of this long-term thinking laying down more inventory for future premiumisation and continued investment in digital marketing to ensure they stay ahead." Meta Platforms Inc executives are discussing a company-wide ban on political advertising in Europe due to concerns that Facebook and Instagram will be unable to comply with upcoming EU regulations targeting online campaigns, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. EU lawmakers in February agreed to tougher rules on targeted political advertising aimed at countering misinformation during elections. The proposed rules require U.S. tech giants to provide more data on their targeted political ads, with fines up to 4% of their global turnover for breaches. Meta executives are concerned the definition of political ads under EU plans will be excessively broad that it will be easier to refuse all paid-for political campaigns on the company's sites, the newspaper said, citing two people briefed on the discussions. The European Commission last December warned Facebook parent Meta that it was breaching EU antitrust laws by distorting competition in markets for online classified advertising and abusing its dominant position. Meta didn't immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age. *I agree to the processing of my personal information for personalized recommendations, personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites. I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS. (Optional). Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept A prominent tech ethics group filed a complaint on Thursday with the US Federal Trade Commission urging the regulator to halt further commercial deployment of new generations of artificial intelligence technology that powers the popular OpenAI Inc. tool ChatGPT. The complaint from the Center for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Policy, which is led by longtime privacy advocate Marc Rotenberg, centers on GPT-4, the latest language model behind the research group OpenAIs ChatGPT, a computer program designed to convincingly simulate human conversation. The group asked the FTC to open an investigation into OpenAI to determine if the commercial release of the fourth generation of the tool violates US and global regulations. Rotenberg was one of more than 1,000 people who signed a public letter on Wednesday calling on developers to pause training AI models on GPT-4 for at least six months. What we need is a practical solution, and that practical solution comes from the Federal Trade Commission, Rotenberg said in a phone interview Wednesday. What we need them to do is enjoin OpenAI to prevent further releases of GPT until adequate safeguards are available. OpenAI didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. The FTC declined to comment. The complaint from Rotenbergs group, which he is set to submit on Thursday morning, called on the FTC to open the investigation and ensure the establishment of necessary guardrails to protect consumers, businesses, and the commercial marketplace. The letter from AI experts on Wednesday came as the FTC vowed to take a hard look at the burgeoning artificial intelligence industry. FTC Chair Lina Khan said at a conference this week that the agency is paying close attention to developments in artificial intelligence to ensure the field isnt dominated by the major tech platforms. OpenAI is backed by Microsoft Corp., which along with Alphabet Inc.s Google has been using artificial intelligence to enhance their products. Microsoft didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. Tesla CEO Elon Musk was among the public letters signatories, highlighting the growing rift between Musk and OpenAI. Though Musk previously backed the research group, he left on sour terms in 2018. The publishing industry has spent the past two decades struggling to adjust to the internet, as print circulation has plummeted and tech companies have gobbled up rivers of advertising revenue. Now come the chatbots. New artificial intelligence tools from Google and Microsoft give answers to search queries in full paragraphs rather than a list of links. Many publishers worry that far fewer people will click through to news sites as a result, shrinking traffic and, by extension, revenue. The new AI search tools remain in limited release, so publishers such as Conde Nast and Vice have not yet seen an effect on their business. But in an effort to prevent the industry from being upended without their input, many are pulling together task forces to weigh options, making the topic a priority at industry conferences and, through a trade organization, planning a push to be paid for the use of their content by chatbots. You could essentially call this the Wikipedia-ization of a lot of information, said Bryan Goldberg, chief executive of BDG, which publishes lifestyle and culture websites including Bustle, Nylon and Romper. Youre bringing together Wikipedia-style answers to an infinite number of questions, and thats just going to nuke many corners of the open web. Content publishers have an uneven but largely reciprocal relationship with search engines. The search sites benefit from having trusted sources of information in the results, and the publishers benefit from the traffic to their sites that the search engines generate. Search traffic from Google accounts for half of overall visits, or more, to many sites, said Brian Morrissey, who writes The Rebooting, a media business newsletter. Search has been the mainstay of the publishing business on the internet, he said. Kyle Sutton, director of search and product at newspaper publisher Gannett, said the relationship had, until now, been mutually beneficial. While all search results are taking from our data and, from our perspective, crawling our content, aggregating our content, there is the return there of them driving traffic to our site, Sutton said. So I think that relationship is kind of first and foremost what we want to see maintained. The new offerings could change all of that, said Barbara Peng, president of digital news brand Insider. Microsoft is incorporating the chatbot into Bing, its search engine. Googles search chatbot, Bard, is separate from its main search engine. This will be revolutionary, Peng said, adding, It will take some time, and there is a good portion of hype mixed in there, too, but I do think it will change the relationship people have with finding and consuming information. The impact of generative AI, which can generate text, images and other media from prompts, has become a top priority in discussions among publishers. A conference in New York in May, the World Congress of News Media, will feature keynote speeches on the issue, according to a schedule on its website. Vice Media has created a task force in recent months to examine its own approach, said Cory Haik, the chief operating officer. It will have a huge impact on publishing in ways that we cant even get our heads around yet, she predicted. The Washington Post announced Tuesday that it had appointed a deputy business editor to lead an internal group looking at AIs impact on The Posts journalism and digital strategy. News Corps chief executive, Robert Thomson, who for years has led a push to get tech companies to pay for news content, said in an interview: If you dont get out early and define what the issues are and the obligations, then you will find yourself on the defensive. Thomson said tech companies should pay to use publishers content to produce results from AI chatbots. The chatbots generate their results by synthesizing information from the internet. He added that News Corp, which owns The Wall Street Journal and The New York Post among other outlets, was in talks with a couple of companies about the use of its content, though he declined to specify which ones. There is a recognition at their end that discussions are necessary, he said. Roger Lynch, chief executive of Conde Nast, which owns titles including Vogue, Vanity Fair and Glamour, agreed that content creators should be compensated. He said one upside for publishers was that audiences might soon find it harder to know what information to trust on the web, so theyll have to go to trusted sources. The News Media Alliance, which represents 2,000 outlets around the world, including The New York Times, is working on principles that it says should guide the use and development of AI systems, and regulation around them, to protect publishers. According to a draft, the principles say the use of publisher content for the development of AI should require a negotiated agreement and explicit permission. The guidelines also call on tech companies to provide sufficient value for high-quality, trustworthy journalism content and brands, and state that any new laws or regulations that make exceptions to copyright law for AI must not weaken protections for publishers. Without these protections, publishers far too many of whom already struggle to survive in the online ecosystem due to marketplace imbalances face an existential crisis that threatens our communities access to reliable and trustworthy journalism, the document states. Danielle Coffey, executive vice president of the News Media Alliance, said a solution could be found in the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act, a bill that would allow publishers to collectively negotiate with tech companies over revenue sharing and, as written, would account for the use of content by generative AI. The bill, which failed to pass last year, was expected to be reintroduced Thursday by Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and John Kennedy, R-La. Yusuf Mehdi, Microsofts head of Bing, said in an interview that directing users to click through to publishers was a top goal. And although the new Bing has been around for less than two months, the data was already showing that we are driving, in fact, more traffic to publishers, he said. Part of the reason that traffic is up is that we dont just do a good job of answering the question, but we provide links, he said, pointing to footnotes in the answers on Bings chatbot that show the informations source. Mehdi said Microsoft was at the beginning of its conversations with publishers around the new search. It is our intention that we would like to share incremental revenue that happens in that chat experience, he said. Microsoft is considering showing more articles from a certain publisher below the footnote or selling ads against the links in the chat answer and splitting the proceeds, Mehdi said. A Google spokesperson said in a statement that the company was deeply committed to supporting a healthy and vibrant news ecosystem and would put a priority on sending traffic. This is the very early days of testing an experience in Bard, and well be welcoming conversations with publishers to get their input, she said. For the past two years, BDG has focused on products such as live events, email newsletters and premium branded content to limit exposure to the whims of search traffic, Goldberg said. I think the best publishers had already anticipated this was coming years ago and are many years into our transformation, he said. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. By Katie Robertson As TikToks CEO was getting grilled by lawmakers last week about the apps relationship to Beijing, with some even calling for a ban, the companys Chinese owner was sending a message to Americans who regularly make and publish posts on social media: Come join our new app. ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, invites you to become a launching creator on their new Lemon8 platform before it officially rolls out in the United States! said one of the messages sent to creators last week from marketing companies hired by ByteDance to do the outreach. The notes and linked materials, which were reviewed by The New York Times, declared Lemon8s ambition to become a top global social media service and cited the success of its sister company TikTok. It added that the platform, which has already been quietly introduced on app stores, used the same recommendation engine that helps TikTok succeed. It will initially focus on topics like fashion, healthy food and wellness. The outreach is a sign that ByteDance appears undeterred in its ambitions to become one of the top makers of apps in the world, including in the United States, despite the growing calls in Washington to ban TikTok or force the companys Chinese owners to sell it. TikTok has amassed 150 million U.S. users, and ByteDance appears eager to replicate its success with Lemon8. But lawmakers and regulators may have similar concerns about Lemon8 as they do with TikTok, which has become a central battleground between the United States and China over technological and economic might. Washington officials have said TikTok poses a national security risk, citing concerns that Beijing could gain access to sensitive data about the apps users, like location information, or that China could use TikToks content recommendations for misinformation. Its a social media platform like Instagram, it has to do with gathering information on users, and it has the same ownership structure, being a child of ByteDance, so I think the same issues are going to come up, said Lindsay Gorman, head of technology and geopolitics at the German Marshall Fund and a former tech adviser for the Biden administration. Even if the app initially appears innocuous, she added, ultimately, with social media platforms in particular, they involve content, and eventually, thats always going to lead to political content and news content. Jennifer Banks, a spokesperson for ByteDance, did not respond to questions about Lemon8 and whether the company anticipated any regulatory scrutiny. Lemon8 is available to download, but it has not been formally launched. ByteDance is planning a global marketing push to attract more users in May, according to emails to creators. The online news site Insider reported on Lemon8s entry into the United States in February. Krishna Subramanian, a founder of the influencer marketing firm Captiv8, described the app as a combination of Pinterest and branded posts on Instagram, with a greater focus on pictures and more text than TikTok. It has two columns of content and is packed with product recommendations and tips, with an eye to fueling shopping. Its ideal creator portrait is a 22- to 26-year-old woman in the New York or Los Angeles area with a focus on fashion or beauty, according to presentations that Lemon8 shared with marketing agencies in January. The vision for Lemon8, one page said, was to build the most inspiring and informative platform to discover, share, and bring ideas to life. Lemon8 also said it was introduced in Japan in April 2020 and reached 5 million monthly active users worldwide last year as it expanded to other countries including Britain, Singapore and Indonesia. The recruitment effort is a reminder of the gap between how Washington views TikTok and ByteDance, and the perceptions of marketers and TikToks often young users, including creators who make money by posting there. TikTok creators are already encouraging viewers to follow them on Lemon8, attracting comments littered with lemon emojis. ByteDance also owns a popular video-editing tool called CapCut, which has become one of the top free apps on Googles and Apples app store charts. The fact that its owned by ByteDance means that creators will give it a chance, Subramanian said. There is that chance it could become a really, really big part of culture. Crystal Scruggs, a 29-year-old lifestyle creator from Houston, received an email from Obviously, one of the marketing firms working with ByteDance, the day after TikToks CEO, Shou Chew, gave congressional testimony for roughly five hours. The email invited Scruggs to apply to become a launching creator for fashion on Lemon8. If chosen, Scruggs would be paid a small, undisclosed stipend for posting on the app. She would have to create 10 posts that would be published in April, with topics like shopping reviews and recommendations or fashion tutorials. Each post would include three to 10 images, require a caption of at least 150 words and need approval by Lemon8 before being published. She said she was struck by the tone of the email, which she said felt different from the brand campaign emails she typically receives. It felt impersonal, and Scruggs initially wasnt sure if it was a legitimate business opportunity. When companies or people who work with creators send over information, they usually ask you if youre interested before just sending over a whole brief, Scruggs said. Ultimately, she was not interested. The email just seemed like it was something that was sent out to a million different people and not something that was directed toward any people specifically to be a part of a campaign, she added. I try to stay away from those things. The effort has been something of a swarm by design. Hundreds of creators in the United States have already signed up, which will help Lemon8 reach its goal of populating the platform with thousands of pieces of content this spring, according to a person with direct knowledge of the apps plans who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the plans were not public. Once Lemon8 selects its initial creators in the United States, they will receive guidance on which topics and aesthetics tend to result in popular content. They will post throughout April in a phase called content accumulation. In May, the app will focus on adding users and helping creators gain followers. In September, the app will turn its attention to commercialization opportunities, like helping creators make money from brand and agency deals, and presumably other forms of advertising. Lemon8 offered creators several incentives to be early partners of the platform beyond its stipends for posts. They could be featured on the apps Discover page or among Lemon8s Rising Stars and they could even have their content marketed on TikTok. A US reporter for The Wall Street Journal newspaper has been detained in Russia for espionage, Russian news agencies reported Thursday, citing the FSB security services. "The FSB halted the illegal activities of US citizen Evan Gershkovich... a correspondent of the Moscow bureau of the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal, accredited with the Russian foreign ministry," the FSB was quoted as saying. He is "suspected of spying in the interests of the American government" and of collecting information "on an enterprise of the Russian military-industrial complex," agencies reported. Before joining The Wall Street Journal, 31-year-old Gershkovich worked for AFP in Moscow. He was previously a reporter for The Moscow Times, an English-language news website. Gershkovich speaks Russian. His parents live in the United States but are originally from the Soviet Union. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age. *I agree to the processing of my personal information for personalized recommendations, personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites. I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS. (Optional). Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept The White House on Thursday highlighted new U.S. company moves to support electric vehicles (EVs), as final rules on tax credits aimed at boosting the industry are expected this week. Amazon is rolling out the first 3,000 delivery vehicles it has acquired as part of a commitment to bring 100,000 vehicles to the road by 2030, the White House said, and First Student, a major supplier of school bus services, is pledging to replace 30,000 fossil fuel-powered school buses with electric buses by 2035. The federal government will buy 13,000 light- and medium-duty zero emission vehicles this fiscal year, about four times more than last fiscal year, the White House said. President Joe Biden has made electrifying the nation's vehicle fleet a core part of his climate change agenda, funneling millions of taxpayer dollars into new charging stations and tax credits for businesses and consumers. On Friday, the administration is expected to release final rules on eligibility for $7,500 EV tax credits, including how much of the car's battery must come from U.S.-sourced parts. Google will provide up-to-date information about the availability and coverage of tax credits across eligible passenger vehicles with a new search tool, the White House said. Wells Fargo will also release a new tool to help businessess evaluate electric vehicle fleets by modeling deployment that incorporates the cost of electrification, tax credits, cost savings, and environmental benefits, the White House said. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age. *I agree to the processing of my personal information for personalized recommendations, personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites. I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS. (Optional). Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Europes electrified society offers a glimpse of what may be in store for all of ushow the worlds mega miners are racing to pivot to green metalswhy takeover activity is increasing and how investors can leverage it for their own gainsand how to tune in to James Coopers exciting event tonight Its good to be back home After spending a month touring around parts of Europe, I am exhausted. Let me tell you, going through six countries, attending two weddings, and endless walking has worn me out. But it was certainly worth it! Getting to see the magnificence of the Vatican, the brutal history of the Acropolis, and the modern wonder of the Louvre was incredible. And yet, the one thing I saw that stood out to me the most in Europe was the transport Peoples choice in cars, for example, couldnt be more different to Australia. The bulky SUVs and trucks were all replaced with tiny smart cars and electric vehicles. You basically have to have a small zippy car in any major European city because of how old and squashy the roads are. It wasnt just the cars, though. I dont think I went anywhere without seeing a bike or scooter every couple hundred meters. And even if you dont own one, there were always dozens of publicly available ones for hire. After talking to one local Parisian, I found out that it costs him just 7 a month to hire the many e-bikes around his city. A kind of bike that doesnt even require that much pedalling thanks to its tiny battery-powered motor. And dont even get me started on all the electric scooters whizzing around the streets Europe really does feel like its living in an electrified future. And with this weeks approval of a ban on petrol and diesel cars by 2035, its only going to become more electrified. The great mining pivot Having seen all of this in Europe, all I could think about is how important mining has become. Its hard to appreciate just how big of a pivot were seeing in society when you only look at it from an Australian perspective. Of course, Im not going to suggest Europe is some sort of EV utopia. They still have plenty of issues and hurdles to deal with. But what it did reinforce to me is the strong push to move away from oil and gas to greener solutions a decision that comes with plenty of its own pros and cons. For investors, though, the politics of this transition is largely irrelevant. What really matters is what the miners are doing, and as Bloomberg noted earlier this year, a major pivot is underway: The mining sector is also in the middle of its biggest strategic pivot since the China-led supercycle at the start of this century. The largest producers are at various stages of exiting or winding down fossil fuel operations, while expanding in commodities such as copper, nickel and lithium that will be central to decarbonizing the global economy. Whether youre on board or not, it is whats occuring. Big miners are increasingly putting up big money to move away from fossil fuels and towards green materials. Thats why lithium continues to be one of the hottest sectors in the Aussie market right now. Whats far more interesting, though, is how much catch-up were seeing from the big miners. The size and scope of mergers and acquisitions in the mining sector at the moment is massive. As Selva discussed yesterday, the $5.5 billion bid for lithium miner Liontown is just the latest example. Check out the full article here, if you missed it. Perhaps the most surprising detail of this bid is that Liontown rejected it! Despite offering a 63% premium for the takeover, Liontown shot down the deal because they believe it undervalued the company and their assets. That should go to show you just how crucial and valuable lithium is to the mining sectors future. Because a lot of the worlds biggest miners failed to anticipate this lithium boom, theyre trying to buy their way into the opportunity. And its not just lithium theyre after Takeovers galore Copper, nickel, zinc, rare earths, cobalt, and bauxite (aluminium) are just some of the many green metals in hot demand. And just like the Liontown takeover bid, were seeing some big offers to secure access to these minerals. Andrew Forrests Wyloo Metals, for instance, recently made a $760 million bid for Mincor Resources, a nickel miner thats in bed with Forrests key competitor BHP. That comes after BHP themselves finalised its takeover of Oz Minerals late last year a deal that was also about nickel and copper. Dont forget about Rio Tinto either, because despite some roadblocks, they managed to secure a majority stake in Mongolian copper miner Turquoise Hill. And these are just some of the more notable deals. Behind the scenes, we,re seeing a flurry of mergers and acquisitions for junior minerssomething thats likely to only intensify if central banks really do pause on rates due to banking concerns. So, for Aussie investors, its time to act The junior mining sector has always been cutthroat in terms of its speculative gains and losses. From one day to the next, you can witness incredible share price moves. Thats why it can deter so many investors from wading into the sector, because its not for the meek. But, as long as you know how to navigate the sector, it can be a major moneymaker. Thats where experts like our own James Cooper can help. With his extensive experience and knowledge of the mining industry, he knows better than most how to identify the best junior explorers. And tonight, hes going to show anyone who is willing to listen how he does it! At 7:00pm (AEDT) tonight, James will explain in detail how he picks the creme de la creme of junior miners. A process that gives his readers the best odds possible to find and invest in the small miners that are being gobbled up by takeovers right now. If you havent already secured your spot, you should do so now. Because whether youre familiar with this sector or not, you wont want to miss what James has to say. Regards, Ryan Clarkson-Ledward, Editor, Money Morning Nickel miner Mincors share price was sliding on Thursday, with the group addressing failed off-take talks with BHP of lower-quality product qualms. Nickel sulphide producer Mincor Resources [ASX:MCR] released an operational guidance update, intending to inform shareholders on its Northern and Southern Operations involving the BHP Kambalda Nickel Concentrator and related works and offtakes. What really happened was the company admitted it had to withdraw its guidance from three weeks ago, when BHP refused to go along with its plans. The clean energy materials producer saw shares fall 4% by midday, worth $1.44 at time of writing. Over the last month, the nickel minerals producer has jumped nearly 17%, and yet, over the past 12 months, its suffered a 33% deficit to share value. In its sector, MCR is down 32% on the industry 12-month rolling average and 28% down in the wider market, respectively: www.TradingView.com Mincor and BHP talk off-spec product Mincor shared the operational guidance update today, involving BHPs Kambalda Nickel Concentrator, in which Mincor provides combined ore from a blend of its Northern and Southern operations. These operations produce a nickel-to-arsenic ratio, which has been consistently delivered to BHP as off-specification product, including during ramp-up. Mincor says that BHP has so far been accepting the off-spec product, and both companies have been working together to explore better methods to manage the product. To this end, Mincor has said that it has set up discussions with BHP regarding amendments to off-take terms and flexibility, in order to improve the outcomes and help deliver 100%-mined ore to BHP, but is yet to find its endeavours successful. The company said that BHP gave its answer yesterday and had asserted it would not agree to amend the off-take agreement. This has forced Mincor to withdraw its initial, now thrown by uncertainty regarding any future acceptance of the off-specification product by BHP and the overall incomplete matter of a solution. The company concluded with: Mincor will continue to deliver on-specification ore to BHP and is conducting work to improve orebody knowledge to enable optimisation of its forward mine plan to consistently deliver on-specification product. Mincor will stockpile any ore that BHP indicates will not be accepted due to product specification requirements, allowing for blending with other Mincor ore sources at a subsequent date. Mincors outlook Mincors unstable situation to continue supplying lower-quality standard products to BHP may come at some cost to the company, even as the nickel producer strives to offload products that do meet guidelines. With this information brought to light, it will be interesting to see what comes of the recent takeover bid offer by Wyloo Metals, who already owns 19.99% of Mincor. A couple of weeks ago, Wyloo offered to acquire Mincor at $1.40 a share totalling $760 million made at an offer price that was a 35% premium to Mincors previous trading price at the time, which was at a considerable low, compared with bigger battery metal development companies in the past (ie: Rio Tinto, BHP, and Albemarle). Mincor posted a $54.7 million loss for the half year ended 31 December. The state of the Australian economy The economic trade system is breaking. The change is all around us, in the wavering global supply chain and on the bare supermarket shelves. Bank branches are closing, prices are soaring, food packets are shrinking, and workforces are struggling. Top financial and geopolitical analyst Jim Rickards has been joining the dots and mapping it all out. Hes realised its all a part of something bigger. The changes we see now are nothing in comparison to what will be. If you want to know how you can prepare for the biggest geoeconomic shift of our lifetime, and get an explanation from Jim Rickards himself, click here to learn more. Regards, Mahlia Stewart For Money Morning Europes electrified society offers a glimpse of what may be in store for all of ushow the worlds mega miners are racing to pivot to green metalswhy takeover activity is increasing and how investors can leverage it for their own gainsand how to tune in to James Coopers exciting event tonight Energy sits at the heart of national security. Thats why oil has played centre stage in global conflict and geopolitical tension. Its been the most contentious commodity for over a centuryresponsible for bloody wars in the Middle East, authoritarian dictatorships in Northern Africa, and economic warfare between the US and those nations that dont abide by its terms. Thats why some suggest that an end to oil could lead to global peace. Unfortunately, thats unlikely. Shifting into renewables CHANGES demand into a new type of energy commoditycritical metals. But one metal in particular is set to become far more contentious. Thats because it sits at the heart of the green energy transition As I explained last week, I believe COPPER is set to become the NEW crude oil. You can revisit that article here. So, in a similar vein to oilwill future wars be fought over this critical metal? Thats certainly possible. Copper reflects many of the supply issues typical of crude. Just like crude oil, much of the worlds copper reserves are isolated within geopolitical hot spots. Peru, the worlds second-largest producer of copper, has witnessed riots and the threat of civil war Political instability forced numerous mine closures throughout 2022. Meanwhile, Chile the worlds largest copper producer continues to threaten nationalisation with higher royalties against multinational operators. Thats a major deterrent for foreign capital needed for mine development and new discovery. Chiles production faces other threats tooprolonged droughts across the north and declining grades across the worlds largest copper mines, including the BHP co-owned Escondida. Then, theres the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), touted as holding the next generation of high-grade copper mines Many see the DRC as picking up the slack from declining production in South America. Yet the DRC is one of the least stable nations on the planet! Decades of war in the east, dictatorships, corruption, and a history of mine nationalisation, makes this place un-investable for miners looking to meet their ESG obligations. Global tension wont end with oil. Instead, the problem will shift to new locations and quite possibly elevated levels of conflict in the search for valuable metal reserves. But it isnt all bad news! In fact, this is an enormous opportunity for investors that understand the issue at play here Australia set to become a major copper producerif it wakes up to the potential! No doubt youve seen the anxiety among Australian political leaders with the inevitable end to coal exports and how thats set to impact our economy in the years ahead. But with just a little foresight, politicians could open their eyes to the incredible opportunity presenting Sitting below their feet lies the worlds SECOND-largest reserve of copper. Thats right, Australia has vast copper potential! Thats according to the global authority on the matterthe US Geological Survey (USGS). Right now, Chile and Peru are the worlds two most important copper producing nationsmaking up a staggering 40% of global supply. But why hasnt Australia tapped into its copper potential? After all, theres a long history of copper mining here. Cornish miners sailed from Britain as far back as 1845, plied their trade in this new frontier, and established some of the largest copper mines in the world (at the time). One of these mines, located in the small town of Burra, South Australia, accounted for around 5% of global supply. Despite its long history of copper mining, though, Australia is now just a minnow compared to the South American production giants. Australia the iron ore, coal, and gas producing behemoth has failed to recognise its copper potential. But that could be down to the geologyIll get to that point in a moment. So, where does the bulk of Australias untapped copper sit? Well, according to Geoscience Australia, South Australia holds the greatest share of the nations copper, followed by Queensland in the Mt Isa region, and Cadia in NSW. You can see where the deposits are concentrated on the map below: But as a geologist, born and bred in South Australia, Im all too familiar with the difficulty of tapping into the states vast copper potential. You see, South Australia is mired by a thick layer of barren cover that has traditionally made discovery difficult. But that could be about to change, which Ill explain below. An opportunity beckons New techniques in geophysics are allowing geologists to penetrate the thick overlying sediment allowing them to uncover the potential that sits below. And thanks to its deeply buried treasure, South Australia is perhaps one of the last great frontiers for copper discovery. The region will be a key focus as competition for this critical metal heats up over the coming years. With investment starting to trickle its way back into exploration, the next big discovery could be around the corner. The last major discovery in the state was around 20 years agoProminent Hillnow owned and operated by Oz Minerals and set to fall into the hands of the worlds largest miner, BHP. But it wasnt a major miner that made the discoveryit was a tiny 10-cent explorer. Derek Carter, a legend in geological circles, discovered one of Australias largest high-grade copper deposits through his exploration company Minotaur Resources. He was awarded AMECs Prospector of the Year Award (jointly) in 2003 Prospector of the Year Award is a bit like the Oscars for geologists! Yet he sold his companys stake in the project just a few short years after the discoverywhy? Carter believes the best value in mineral deposits comes from discovery. In his own words (emphasis added): The sale of the Prominent Hill project allowed Minotaur to return and hunt for the next BIG ONE. This geologist wasnt interested in mining, he had discovery in his blood. As investors we can ride that type of success by partnering with proven explorers like Derek Carter. He led Minotaur and its shareholders toward a financial windfall. In fact, PROVEN discovery among a companys management team is a key metric I use in assessing explorers that have a high probability for success. Not only that, but I also focus on exploration stocks where geologists run the show. Surprisingly, relatively few exploration companies are actually led by geologists. In a similar vein, investment firms that specialise in mining and exploration stocks arent led by geologiststheyre overseen by money managers and finance specialists. But at the heart of every exploration stock sits the geology. Its assets sit in the ground, not in financial statements. Therefore, it pays to have someone who understands both the science and operational requirements that lead to discovery. Investing in discovery is the most exciting place to be As a geologist, Ive worked through all phases of the mining life cycle, from early exploration to project development. Ive spent years in the field working for the tiny 10-cent explorers to the mining giants like Barrick Gold and Northern Star. But my thinking aligns with Derek Carterearly exploration is the most exciting place to be. As a geologist or an investor, discovery is where the greatest value is born. Thats why Ive just put together a presentation for investorsa free demonstration that outlines my strategy with real-world examples. And it airs tonight, at 7:00pm AEDT. So now is your last chance to put your name down so you dont miss it. As Ive touched on previously, I believe were on the precipice of entering a more speculative phase in this commodities cycle Thats the time to consider adding explorers to your portfolio. But of all the commodities that have strong supply and demand fundamentscopper presents as one of the most exciting opportunities. This, alongside higher prices and advances in technology, are set to unlock new discoveries in Australias untapped copper frontier. Australia truly is the mineral-rich equivalent of oil abundant Saudi Arabia. But never has this been so true now that copper is set to become the NEW CRUDE OIL. Until next time, James Cooper, Editor, The Daily Reckoning Australia A Buffalo man was sentenced Wednesday in Erie County Court to 10 years in state prison and five years of post-release supervision for an armed burglary and a subsequent shooting, according to the Erie County District Attorney's Office. Prosecutors said Jose Martinez, 32, also known as Gordo, broke into an Allen Street apartment in Buffalo's Allentown neighborhood May 3, while armed with a gun. Martinez, who entered by smashing a window, fired one shot before fleeing when he was confronted by the resident. Buffalo police officers later found blood and an empty cartridge case where Martinez had entered through the window. He was later linked to the crime through DNA analysis, prosecutors said. Three weeks later, on May 24, Martinez shot a 30-year-old man multiple times with an illegal gun on Pennsylvania Street near Lakeview Avenue on the city's Lower West Side. The victim was transported by ambulance to Erie County Medical Center with serious injuries. On Feb. 15, Martinez pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree attempted murder and one count of first-degree burglary. A twice-convicted felon who was arrested for firing a gun in Dunkirk in June has been sentenced to nine years in state prison, Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt announced. Chautauqua County Court Judge David Foley also ordered Adrian E. Rivera-Salome, 25, of Dunkirk, to undergo five years of parole supervision following his release. Rivera-Salome pleaded guilty Jan. 13 to second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He was sentenced as a violent predicate felon, Schmidt said, because of two violent felony convictions within the past 10 years. Rivera-Salome was arrested June 17 after numerous callers told Dunkirk Police that a man was pointing a gun at people and firing shots into the air in the 400 block of Park Avenue and the 400 and 500 blocks of Columbus Avenue. Rivera-Salome, who was on parole at the time, was found with a 9 mm pistol when he was apprehended nearby. March 17, 2023 Ukraine Open Thread 2023-63 Only for news & views directly related to the Ukraine conflict. The current open thread for other issues is here. Please stick to the topic. Contribute facts. Do not attack other commentators. Posted by b on March 17, 2023 at 15:19 UTC | Permalink Comments next page March 30, 2023 Ukraine Open Thread 2023-75 Only for news & views directly related to the Ukraine conflict. The current open thread for other issues is here. Please stick to the topic. Contribute facts. Do not attack other commentators. Posted by b on March 30, 2023 at 13:52 UTC | Permalink Comments next page Qabil Ashirov A delegation led by First Deputy Economy Minister Elnur Aliyev visited Madrid, Spain, Azernews reports. According to the information received from the Economy Ministry, within the framework of the visit, the Azerbaijani delegation had various meetings. One of the meetings was held with the State Secretary for Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade of Spain Xiana Margarida Mendez Bertolo. Elnur Aliyev speak about the potential of economic and trade relations between Azerbaijan and Spain and noted the importance of organizing business meetings with the participation of business circles for the realization of these opportunities. Moreover, he gave detailed information about the favorable business and investment climate created in Azerbaijan, the work done to reintegrate and revive business in the liberated territories, and opportunities created for investors. The first deputy minister also emphasized the importance of the preparation of an "Agreement on the promotion and mutual protection of investments between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of Spain" in terms of increasing mutual investments between the two countries and ensuring legal regulation in this direction. Xiana Margarida Mendez Bertolo noted the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries and shared her views on expanding the partnership. The meeting discussed the current state of economic relations and the development of cooperation. In addition, the Azerbaijani delegation had another meeting with the entrepreneurs operating in Spain at the Spanish Chamber of Commerce. The Economy Ministry reports that First Deputy Economy Minister Elnur Aliyev filled the participants in on the investment opportunities created in the liberated territories and industrial parks. He noted that Azerbaijan could benefit from the experience of Spain in such sectors as green energy, agriculture, tourism, and water management, and cooperation in these sectors has high potential. Spanish entrepreneurs expressed interest in expanding cooperation with their Azerbaijani counterparts. A presentation on the business opportunities of Azerbaijan was demonstrated at the meeting. Community members and the family of Penny Brown won't have to worry about running into her killer in Cattaraugus or Chautauqua counties anytime soon. Edward M. Kindt, 39, was released Thursday from the Elmira Correctional Facility to Dutchess County, where he will live in a "structured residential contracted program," according to the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS). "Kindt will be required to wear a GPS monitoring device," according to a statement from the department. He was 15 in 1999, when he raped and killed Penny Brown on a recreational trail in Salamanca, where they lived near one another. He was sentenced to nine years to life in prison for second-degree murder. The state Parole Board interviewed Kindt on Feb. 17 as he sought to convince the three-member panel that he should be released from state custody. The vote to grant parole was 2-1. Community devastated after convicted Salamanca killer gets parole Edward M. Kindt of Salamanca was sentenced when he was a teenager to nine years to life in prison after pleading guilty to second degree murder in the 1999 rape and murder of Penny Brown. Brown, a nurse-midwife, wife and mother, was 39 when she was killed. It has been a tumultuous month for her community and members of her family, who learned earlier this month that Kindt had been granted parole. This is a life sentence for our family and a mere 24 years for him," Bradleigh Brown, one of her two daughters, wrote on Facebook. "There are no words to describe the endless injustice we will endure. He took the spirits of so many people that day. Kindt's impending release sparked outrage in Cattaraugus County and then Chautauqua County, where it was rumored he would be placed. Elected officials, including state Sen. George M. Borrello, R-Sunset Bay, spoke out against his release. "Im certainly glad he was not released here in Western New York where hes caused so much pain, and the trauma of having him back in this community was avoided," Borrello said. "However, hes still out there." Convicted murderer Edward Kindt may be headed to Chautauqua County State Sen. George Borrello said the man who killed Penny Brown of Salamanca nearly 24 years ago is to be released to a motel in Westfield. Kindt's release sent Salamanca and neighboring communities reeling back to 1999, when Brown went missing on Mother's Day after going jogging with her two dogs. Her body was found the following day, just off the trail. "It was pretty scary," Salamanca Mayor Sandy Magiera said. "You wouldn't think it would have happened here." It is a place where "everybody knows everybody," said Magiera, who knew Brown and members of her family, including Brown's late parents. "They fought really hard to keep him in prison," she said. "Apparently the Parole Board feels he's able to be released. ... Let's pray they are right." Kindt will live in a county flanked by the Hudson River and the Connecticut state border, with a population of nearly 300,000. Its largest city is Poughkeepsie, and it is home to Vassar, Marist and Bard colleges, as well as the Culinary Institute of America. Placement of convicted murderer Edward Kindt delayed, state says It has been confirmed that the release of Kindt "has been delayed as further consideration is given to his placement," Sen. George Borrello said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. Some residents in Salamanca and on the Southern Tier still worry Dutchess County is not that far away. "The community is still concerned that he will, at some point, come down here," Madiera said. Borrello announced earlier this week that he learned Kindt was to live a motel in the village of Westfield, but that didn't happen. He attributed the change in location to the vocal opposition in the region, including resolutions by governing bodies in Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties, as well as the Seneca Nation of Indians' decision to formally banish Kindt, a Seneca, from all Seneca territories for a year. Westfield Town Supervisor Martha R. Bills said the small, rural community of under 5,000 people doesn't have public transportation and was not prepared to handle the high-profile parolee. "It just wouldnt have been an appropriate placement because there really are no services, and it would have put a strain on the limited police resources we do have," she said. "Were happy that it's not going to happen here, but I hope there will be the right kind of services wherever the person is released." Choreograph/Getty Images/iStockphoto Allergy season is here, and it is back with a vengeance in West Texas, a new report says. Climate Central, a group of scientists who study the impacts of climate change, analyzed temperature data for 203 cities in the U.S. to find the growing season around the country has increased by more than two weeks on average. A longer growing season means more allergy symptoms, like headaches, congestion, and runny noses -- especially in people allergic to mold and pollen. Witthaya Prasongsin/Getty Images A 45-year-old Odessa woman was sentenced Wednesday in a federal court in Midland to 18 months in prison for providing false statements during purchases of firearms, according to the Department of Justice. Delma Vitel purchased at least six firearms for her then-boyfriend, a Mexican national, between December 2020 and March 2022 from various gun stores in the Midland-Odessa area, according to court documents. Vitela's then-boyfriend was prohibited from possessing firearms based on his immigration status. "By representing on the purchase forms that she was the intended buyer of the guns, Vitela knowingly made false or fictitious written declarations when purchasing the firearms," the press release stated. Marilyn Nieves/Getty Image A federal jury in Pecos last week found an Oklahoma City man guilty for illegal smuggling of goods from the United States, according to the Department of Justice. During the two-day trial, evidence presented showed that Jesus Soto-Parra, 31, drove into Mexico in December 2022 but was turned back by Mexican authorities due to vehicle registration issues. Soto-Parra returned to the United States through the Presidio Port of Entry where Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers "discovered a firearm, body armor and ammunition in his vehicle." Discipline issues inside Midland ISD will improve as principals and other officials give students consequences for their actions, district officials said this week. The Midland ISD board heard a report at its regular monthly meeting that included a comment from staff that Midland ISD stripped the right from principals to send students to DAEP (its disciplinary alternative education programs) and officials overused out-of-school suspensions. MISD officials reported 1,700 out-of-school placements (with an average of three days per suspension), which they believe impacted academic performance for those students and cost the district $310,000 in education funding. District officials also stated in its report to board members that a misalignment of board expectations and administrative policy was a reason for the procedural issues (and resulting discipline problems at campuses across the district) and that policies are on the books to help with improving discipline. -- What is in place The report from Midland ISD staff and ensuing board comments emphasized that teachers cannot teach, and students cannot learn because of disruptive behaviors. Also, Midland ISD can ensure safe campus environments by decreasing physical altercations (fighting/mutual combat), minimizing disruptive and disrespectful behaviors to students and adults and facilitating the development of coping skills with students. The report states that the board delegates to the principal the authority to remove a student to a DAEP in which the student will be separated from other students for the entire school program day and will be provided instruction in the core subjects with the goal of reaching/maintaining grade level. It also states counseling will also be provided to the student. The duration of a students placement in a DAEP will be determined on a case-by-case basis, the report stated. The report also states a student may also be removed to DAEP for serious or persistent misbehavior. The district defines persistent to be two or more violations of the code or repeated occurrence of the same violation. Mandatory DAEP placements take place for selling, giving, delivering, possessing, using or being under the influence of any amount of marijuana, a controlled substance, or a dangerous drug, which includes THC. Discretionary DAEP placements take place for fighting or scuffling, persistent misbehavior which can consist of threatening or aggressive behaviors, non-compliance and persistent classroom interruptions. -- Moving forward Two actions principals or others have in place are the removing the discretionary placement barrier and extending the length of placement to DAEP. To allow greater flexibility with DAEP, the district called for supports at Midland Alternative Program, a DAEP program for MISD secondary schools. Those supports include prioritized recruitment and hiring, the hiring of an additional counselor, Region 18 Education Service Center supports and professional learning sessions for staff. Midland also provided the following guidelines opening junior high and freshman campuses at 7:45 a.m., showing a school-wide staff presence and adhering to the commitment to address culture. Those items stressed about student infractions included: Consequences would be based on seriousness of the infraction and frequency of the behavior, There would be better communication with parents/guardians, Officials would work on the timing of sending students back after an infraction. Morale was an issue when a disruptive student was sent immediately back to a class, district officials said; There would be the needed communication with teachers on consequences given to the student. In its message to parents at the end of the presentation, Midland ISD officials stated, Students who display disruptive behaviors, such as fighting cursing or showing aggression toward staff or other students, could be moved to a disciplinary campus for a month or more. Midland ISD officials also said there are resources to help, including counselors and social workers for students struggling with behavior issues or students impacted by other disruptive students. Also, Midland ISD will work with the Midland County District Attorneys Office on criminal consequences when applicable. Board members reacted to the presentation, saying teachers need help with disruptive students and that a better environment will help academic performance and safety issues. The CEO of Odessas public hospital expressed his support for bill authored by state Rep. Tom Craddick that will create a local mental health services district to receive the Permian Basin Behavioral Health Center upon completion. On Friday, the Ector County Hospital District voted to support House Bill 492, authored by the Midland Republican. Reports, including from The Texan online site, stated state Rep. Brooks Landgraf had reservations about HB 492. Russell Tippin, president and CEO of Medical Center Health System, told the Reporter-Telegram he looks forward to working with officials from Midland on a needed mental health facility. The Permian Basin Behavioral Health Center received $40 million in funding in October 2021 from the State of Texas. The balance of the funds needed to complete the facility is being raised within the community, according to a release from Craddicks office. The 100-bed facility is currently in design, and it is expected to break ground this spring. The behavioral health center is expected to be located between Midland and Odessa, on 54 acres donated by Diamondback Energy adjacent to the University of Texas Permian Basins Midland campus. The current estimate of the total project cost has increased to $120 million, according to an update provided by Craddicks Office. To date, the states $40 million appropriation has been supplemented by $45.3 million in contributions and confirmed pledges, leaving a balance of about $35 million to be raised locally. While fundraising efforts are still underway, indications are that sufficient local philanthropic support will be available to fully fund the project. HB 492 has been unanimously voted out of the House Committee on County Affairs. Tippin said that one message about the support Medical Center Health System officials have offered in Austin and again with the vote last week was that both hospital districts want to do whats best for Midland and Ector counties and the rest of the Permian Basin. Tippin emphasized this will be a regional facility. That sentiment was confirmed by a new funding request announced for a 100-bed expansion and annual operating cost support from the State of Texas. A proposed expansion would bring the total to 200 beds and would be comprised of a combination of acute child/adolescent beds and competency restoration rooms, according to the update. The capital funding request includes $65 million for the 100-bed expansion, $10.5 million for infrastructure planning, design and construction to the Permian Basin Behavioral Health Center site and $11.2 million in start-up funding for PBBHC workforce. Every year, we and Midland do a community needs assessment and behavioral health in juveniles and adults is the biggest need identified every year, Tippin said. Medical Center officials added that a behavioral health center should keep those having breakdowns out of local emergency rooms and into a more appropriate place to receive care. Tippin added that the center will help treat the patient and prepare a patients family and support system. The Medical Center CEO added that this joint venture between Medical Center Health System and Midland Health has never been done previously. He looked forward to showing that competing hospitals could work together to serve the entire Permian Basin. The state is watching us, Tippin said. This is a big first step for Odessa and Midland. Even though we compete against each other, we also can come together and do something awesome. A Heartland Forward study showed Midland as one of the most dynamic metropolitan areas in the nation. The study showed Midland to be sixth of the 382 metropolitan areas ranked nationwide. The rankings were todetermine those communities that are leading in categories including employment, income, economic production and the ability to start and scale young firms. This index captures both historic and forward-looking indicators enabling cities to evaluate policies impacting local economic performance. Midland joined Austin-Round Rock (ranked fourth) as the lone Texas metropolitan areas in the top 25 across the United States in 2022. The top-5 metropolitan areas, according to the study, were San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California, (Silicon Valley), Elkhart-Goshen, Indiana; San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, California, Austin; and The Villages, Florida. The rankings of other West Texas communities included Abilene at 175th, San Angelo at 218th, Lubbock at 223rd, Amarillo at 257th and Odessa 305th. American metropolitans that embrace innovation, invest in outdoor recreation and attract employers that lift an areas overall quality of life are among the most dynamic in todays post-COVID economy, a news report about the study said. The following was written about Midland in the report: Midland rebounded from 38th to sixth, courtesy of a recovery in oil prices and resurgence of exploration. However, the upturn in energy fortunes has not translated into a commensurate surge in jobs and overall economic activity. Producers have redirected much of the improved cash flow towards debt reduction and share repurchases rather than tapping new reservoirs. Nevertheless, Midland saw job growth of 9.1% from June 2021 to June 2022 best across all metros and even surpassed Silicon Valley with the highest per capita income when adjusted for regional price parity. Midland is more closely tied to the fortunes of the oil industry than any other U.S. metro area. It is capital of the Permian Basin, which produces one in five barrels of oil in the country. Support activities for mining, along with oil and gas extraction, are 102.6 and 86.6 times more concentrated than for the nation overall, respectively. Mining represents 23.2% of total employment in Midland and has average annual earnings of $173,000. As oil prices began to recover and sanctions were placed on Russian oil exports, demand for Permian Basin production has climbed. In January 2023, the Basin produced a record 5.6 million barrels of oil per day and improved transportation has the Permian exerting more influence on global oil pricing than ever before. Other important sectors include health care, ranching and agriculture. Economic development officials are attempting to diversify Midlands economy, as aerospace is being targeted for expansion. It has a niche in testing and qualification of payloads, space and pressure suits, and trains new flight crews. Midland has a high level of entrepreneurship, ranking sixth in the proportion of jobs at firms in business less than six years. Heartland Forward is a non-partisan nonprofit think and do tank focused on improving economic performance in the center of the United States, according to the organizations website, heartlandforward.org. Top 25 Metropolitans Areas in the United States for 2022, according to rankings released this week by Heartland Forward. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California, (Silicon Valley) Elkhart-Goshen, Indiana San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, California Austin-Round Rock The Villages, Florida Midland Boulder, Colorado Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, Florida Provo-Orem, Utah St. George, Utah Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, Tennessee Logan, Utah-Idaho Reno, Nevada, Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Washington Bend, Oregon Ocean City, New Jersey Punta Gorda, Florida North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida Raleigh-Cary, North Carolina Boise City, Idaho, Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, Nevada Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Massachusetts Salt Lake City, Utah Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida Fort Collins, Colorado Source: heartlandforward.org This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Developers want to bring a new hotel to the downtown area. The Tapestry Hotel by Hilton, a hyperlocal boutique hotel, is coming to 112 S. Loraine St. in downtown Midland in the next two to three years, upon receiving approval and proper permits from the Midland City Council. The proposed 93-room hotel will provide travelers with an original, locally curated and vibrant hotel experience plus an upscale restaurant. The business will bring approximately $200,000 to $300,000 in taxes to Midland ISD every year and approximately $20,000 to $30,000 to the Midland Hospital District, according to local business owner Al Escamilla. 112 S. Loraine Street was the first high rise building in West Texas, according to officials. The Tapestry will see historical elements blending with contemporary edgy designs and great facilities providing guests and Midlanders with a genuine connection with Midland, Escamilla wrote in a fact sheet. A Buffalo man was arraigned Tuesday in Erie County Court on a sealed indictment charging him with multiple counts of aggravated vehicular homicide as a result of a crash that killed two people, according to the Erie County District Attorney's Office. Prosecutors said Marcus Edwards, 29, was under the influence of alcohol at about 1 a.m. July 31 when his Jeep Cherokee collided with a Jeep Liberty on Bailey Avenue near Broadway in Buffalo, causing the death of both occupants in the other vehicle. Edwards was held without bail. No court date was scheduled Tuesday. If convicted on the charges, he faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. This image released by Hulu shows David Jonsson, left, and Vivian Oparah in a scene from "Rye Lane." Staff Reporter Richelle obtained a bachelor of arts degree in mass communications from the Far Eastern University in Manila, the Philippines. She was a junior reporter for Marianas Variety from 2009 to 2010, and from 2014 to 2015. In the Maldives, she worked as a news reporter and marketing executive. In her free time, shes a painter, pianist, and mom baker. Edward M. Kindt, the man who killed Penny Brown of Salamanca nearly 24 years ago, will remain in prison until living arrangements can be made, according to the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. Convicted murderer Edward Kindt may be headed to Chautauqua County State Sen. George Borrello said the man who killed Penny Brown of Salamanca nearly 24 years ago is to be released to a motel in Westfield. "Mr. Kindt remains incarcerated today while work continues on completing his community preparation," department spokesperson Thomas Mailey said by email Wednesday. "When this is completed, including approving his housing, Mr. Kindt will be released to Community Supervision." State Sen. George Borrello said in a statement Tuesday that he was told Kindt would soon move to a motel in Westfield in Chautauqua County. Borrello said Wednesday that he spoke with Anthony Annucci, acting commissioner of the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, who told him Kindt's move from Elmira Correctional Facility "has been delayed as further consideration is given to his placement." Kindt, 39, pleaded guilty to raping and strangling Brown on a recreation trail in Salamanca on Mother's Day in 1999, when he was 15. Community devastated after convicted Salamanca killer gets parole Edward M. Kindt of Salamanca was sentenced when he was a teenager to nine years to life in prison after pleading guilty to second degree murder in the 1999 rape and murder of Penny Brown. After an interview with him Feb. 17, the state Parole Board granted Kindt parole and set the release date for Wednesday. Chautauqua County Sheriff James B. Quattrone said he has not heard anything official from the state about Kindt. The Sheriff's Office usually receives an emailed notice several days in advance when a prisoner is being released, Quattrone said. The information includes the name, release date and the address where that person will live. Quattrone said he was told Kindt would be released Wednesday, "but I didn't get confirmation that he was coming." He said he later was told that plan had changed, but wasn't told how. "We're kind of in the dark," Quattrone said. Salamanca Police Chief Jamie Deck said he was waiting to hear whether Kindt would move to his city, where the murder took place. He said he also did not know of any specific conditions of his parole. There are standard conditions parolees must follow, such as not leaving the state without permission, keeping in contact with their parole officers, not possessing firearms or deadly weapons and not engaging in behavior that threatens the health and safety of themselves or others. The Seneca Nation of Indians on Tuesday banished Kindt, a Seneca, from all Seneca territories for one year. Seneca Nation President Ricky Armstrong Sr. signed an executive order requiring Kindt to be removed from Seneca Territory, with the cooperation of law enforcement, if he returns. We will always act in the interest of our peoples safety, Armstrong said. The scars inflicted on our community by this individuals criminal actions will only be reopened by his return to our territory. Our people will not be forced to live in fear. People convicted of notorious crimes sometimes have been difficult to place upon their release. Eric Smith was 13 when he killed a 4-year-old boy in the Steuben County Village of Savona in 1993 and was sentenced to nine years to life in prison. He was granted parole in the fall of 2021, but he was not released until February 2022, when he got an approved residence downstate. Many have called for Kindt to remain imprisoned. Brown was 39 when she was killed. Her family was instrumental in getting Penny's Law passed after she died. It raised the maximum penalty for 14- and 15-year-olds convicted of second-degree murder to 15 years to life in prison. Fern Adelstein was one of two assigned attorneys who defended Kindt in 1999. She has not been in contact with him since. She said the maximum sentence for a 15-year-old at the time of his conviction was nine years to life in prison. The defense attorneys researched other juveniles who had been convicted of similar crimes and found none had been released before 20 years, she said. The penalty for an adult convicted of second-degree murder is 25 years to life. "He was in custody for 24 years," Adelstein said of Kindt. "That's a long time." Zaldy Dandan is a recipient of the Best Editorial Writer Award of the Society of Professional Journalists, and the CNMI Humanities Award for Outstanding Contributions to Journalism. His four books are available on amazon.com/. Follow Zaldy Dandan 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 This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MIAMI (AP) More than 50 years after the orca known as Lolita was captured for public display, plans are in place to return her from the Miami Seaquarium to her home waters in the Pacific Northwest, where a nearly century-old, endangered killer whale believed to be her mother still swims. An unlikely coalition involving the theme park's owner, an animal rights group and an NFL owner-philanthropist announced the agreement during a news conference Thursday. I'm excited to be a part of Lolita's journey to freedom, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said. I know Lolita wants to get to free waters. Lolita, also known as Tokitae, was about 4 years old when she was captured in Puget Sound in summer 1970, during a time of deadly orca roundups. She spent decades performing for paying crowds before falling ill. Last year the Miami Seaquarium announced it would no longer stage shows with her, under an agreement with federal regulators. Lolita now 57 years old and 5,000 pounds (2,267 kilograms) currently lives in a tank that measures 80 feet by 35 feet (24 meters by 11 meters) and is 20 feet (6 meters) deep. The orca believed to be her mother, called Ocean Sun, continues to swim free with other members of their clan known as L pod and is estimated to be more than 90 years old. That has given advocates of her release optimism that Tokitae could still maybe have a long life in the wild. It's a step toward restoring our natural environment, fixing what we've messed up with exploitation and development, said Howard Garrett, president of the board of the advocacy group Orca Network, based on Washington state's Whidbey Island. I think she'll be excited and relieved to be home it's her old neighborhood." The agreement among Irsay; Eduardo Albor, who heads The Dolphin Company, which owns the Seaquarium; and the Florida nonprofit Friends of Toki, co-founded by environmentalist Pritam Singh; still faces hurdles to gaining government approval. The time frame for moving the animal could be 18 to 24 months away, the group said, and the cost could reach $20 million. The plan is to transport Lolita by plane to an ocean sanctuary in the waters between Washington and Canada, where she will initially swim inside a large net while trainers and veterinarians teach her how to catch fish. She will also have to build up her muscles, as orcas typically swim about 100 miles (160 kilometers) per day, said Raynell Morris, an elder of the Lummi Indian Tribe in Washington who also serves on the board of Friends of Toki. She was 4 when she was taken, so she was learning to hunt. She knows her family song, Morris said. She'll remember, but it will take time. The orca would be under 24-hour care until she acclimates to her new surroundings. Caretakers at the Seaquarium are already preparing her for the journey, officials said. The Dolphin Company took ownership of the Seaquarium in 2021. It operates some 27 other parks and habitats in Mexico, Argentina, the Caribbean and Italy. The legacy of the whale roundups of the 1960s and '70s continues to haunt a distinct group of endangered, salmon-eating orcas that are known as the southern resident killer whales and spend much of their time in the waters between Washington and Canada. At least 13 orcas died in the roundups and 45 were delivered to theme parks around the world, reducing the Puget Sound resident population by about 40% and helping cause problems with inbreeding that remain a problem today. Today only 73 remain in the southern resident population, which comprises three familial groups called pods, according to the Center for Whale Research on Washington states San Juan Island. Thats just two more animals than in 1971. Animal rights advocates including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals have long fought for Tokitae to spend her final years back home in a controlled setting. Activists often protest along the road that runs by the Seaquarium, which they've referred to as an abusement park. PETA says it doesn't want Lolita to suffer the same fate as her partner Hugo, who died in 1980 from a brain aneurysm after ramming his head repeatedly into the tank's walls. Albor said Thursday that back when his company was acquiring the Seaquarium, he and his daughter visited as tourists. He said his daughter became upset while watching Lolita's show, even as many other in the crowd were squealing in delight. His daughter told him this place is too small for Lolita and made him promise to help the orca if his company bought the park. It has always been our commitment at The Dolphin Company that we place the highest priority on the well-being of the animals above all else, Albor said. Finding a better future for Lolita is one of the reasons that motivated us to acquire the Miami Seaquarium. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava called the relocation plan historic, saying, So many have hoped and prayed for this result for many, many years." The Seaquarium opened in 1955 on Virginia Key east of downtown Miami. It features a variety of creatures including dolphins, sea lions, manatees, reef fish and sharks, and was the filming location for 88 episodes of the Flipper TV series as well as movies in the 1960s. ___ Johnson reported from Seattle. Illinois College has hired a faculty member to oversee its nursing program. Angela Bentley joined the school after several years in the medical industry. She has a doctorate in nursing from The Medical University of South Carolina and bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is a board-certified cardiac vascular nurse, an emeritus certified critical care nurse and a certified nurse educator. Bentley has worked in adult intensive care, cardiovascular intensive care, emergency air transport and heart failure and heart transplant care. Illinois College offers the whole package a full college experience for the students and amazing nursing professors who truly have the student's best interest at heart, she said. I am most looking forward to helping nursing students from the first day they arrive on campus to the day they achieve that ultimate goal of being a nurse." Bentley is a member of American College of Cardiology, American Association of Critical Care Nurses, American Heart Association and Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association. She serves on the board of directors of the Society for Vascular Nursing and Sigma Theta Tau, the international nursing honor society. JERSEYVILLE Jersey County engineer Tom Klasner traveled to Washington, D.C., Wednesday to urge lawmakers to reject calls to allow heavier trucks on the nation's roads. U.S. House Resolution 471 would raise the allowable weight of semitrailer trucks on interstates and national system roads by 5 tons. The maximum weight allowed now for a semi-truck with a loaded trailer is 80,000 pounds 40 tons. The resolution would increase that potential to 91,000 pounds. A report co-authored by Klasner said that more than 72,000 bridges nationwide cannot safely handle the proposed heavier weight. Replacing the bridges, Klasner said, would cost taxpayers more than $60 billion. In Illinois, 1,252 bridges would be put at risk, he said, without spending more than $1 billion to upgrade them. Klasner is past president of the Illinois Association of County Engineers and a representative of Illinois to the National Association of County Engineers. He was joined in Washington by officials from across the country concerned about motorists having to share the roads with larger trucks. Klasner delivered the report "The Impacts of Heavier Trucks on Local Bridges," during meetings with members of the Illinois congressional delegation, including U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, R-Oakland. Engineers know that heavier trucks break bridges and bust budgets, Klasner said. The numbers we found in this study are eye-popping. The costs to local governments would be astronomical, and members of Congress must have this information to make informed decisions. According to Klasner, there are more than 2,405 bridges in Illinois that are in poor condition, and it would cost $3.6 billion to replace them. He said the average age of bridges in Illinois is 43 years, but there are more than 1,900 bridges over 90 years old. According to the National Bridge Inventory, Illinois has the fifth-most poor-rated local bridges in the nation. I am confident that when members see the results for their constituents, they will vote against bigger trucks, Klasner said. If legislators want to vote in favor of heavier trucks, they better be prepared to hand a tax bill for billions in repair costs to local taxpayers. Klasner traveled to Washington at the invitation of the Coalition Against Bigger Trucks, a group of about 3,000 local supporters in more than 30 states. For more about the group, visit www.cabt.org. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate TALLINN, Estonia (AP) Authorities in Belarus said Thursday they have detained a fugitive single father who escaped house arrest in neighboring Russia shortly before he was convicted of discrediting the army and sentenced to prison following his daughter's antiwar sketch at school. Alexei Moskalyov was taken into custody in the Minsk region of Belarus, according to Natalya Sakharchuk, a spokeswoman for the countrys Interior Ministry. Her comments were reported by Russian state news agency RIA-Novosti and the Sputnik Belarus news site, saying he was being held upon request of the Russian police. Moskalyov, 54, drew international attention this week in a case that underscored the scale of the Kremlins crackdown on dissent when he was convicted and sentenced to two years in prison. He wasnt in the courtroom in his hometown of Yefremov for the verdict Tuesday because he had fled his apartment, where he was under house arrest, just the day before. Moskalyov was charged over social media posts criticizing the invasion under a law adopted shortly after the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. During his one-day trial, which concluded Monday, he insisted he had nothing to do with the posts. According to his lawyer and supporters, Moskalyovs troubles began after his daughter Maria, now 13, drew an antiwar picture at Yefremov School No. 9 that depicted missiles flying over a Russian flag at a woman and child and said No to war and Glory to Ukraine. The school called police, the girl was questioned and Moskalyov was fined for critical comments on social media, they said. Months later, his apartment was raided and a criminal case was opened against him. This month, he was placed under house arrest and his daughter was placed into the orphanage. He escaped from under house arrest before the verdict was announced by a court in Yefremov on Tuesday. He has been declared a political prisoner by Memorial, one of Russias oldest and most prominent rights groups that won the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize. A court in Yefremov next week is expected to consider the authorities petition to restrict Moskalyovs parental rights. BOISE, Idaho (AP) A bill that would criminalize helping minors obtain an abortion without parental consent won final passage in Idaho's legislature on Thursday and is headed to the desk of Republican Gov. Brad Little. The measure would be the first of its kind in the U.S. It seeks to restrict travel by creating the crime of abortion trafficking and would bar adults from obtaining abortion pills for a minor or recruiting, harboring or transporting the pregnant minor without the consent of the minor's parent or guardian. Anyone convicted of breaking the law would face two to five years in prison and could also be sued by the minor's parent or guardian. Parents who raped their child would not be able to sue, though the criminal penalties for anyone who helped the minor obtain an abortion would remain in effect. To sidestep violating a constitutional right to travel between states, Idahos law would make illegal only the in-state segment of a trip to an out-of-state abortion provider. Once it lands on his desk, the governor will have five days to either sign or veto the bill or allow it to become law without his signature. Little is against abortion and has supported Idahos stringent abortion bans. Opponents are promising a legal battle if the bill becomes law. Whether it comes from us or one of our coalition partners, there will be a legal challenge, Mack Smith, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, said. We definitely will be fighting this with everything that weve got. There is just absolutely no way that this is constitutional. Idaho is one of 13 states that already effectively ban abortion in all stages of pregnancy, and is one of a handful of states that already have laws penalizing those who help people of any age obtain abortions. During the Senate debate Thursday morning, Democratic Sen. Melissa Wintrow said the legislation further shackles young girls that need help, and harms those who try to help them. "I think we all know that Idaho has the strictest abortion bans in the country, Wintrow said. It is criminal, it is totally banned, and this bill adds insult to injury in my estimation. But Sen. Todd Lakey, a Republican and a co-sponsor of the bill, said it will help protect our kids. It does help prevent and protect against abortion, especially those that occur without consent of a parent in another state. The legislation would give the attorney general the authority to prosecute people for violating the law if the county prosecutor, which would normally handle criminal cases, declines to press charges. People accused of abortion trafficking wouldn't necessarily be able to avoid charges by showing that the minor's parent approved of the travel. Instead, they would be able to use that information as an affirmative defense" by attempting to prove in court that the minors' parents or guardians signed off on the plan. Rep. Chris Mathias, a Democrat, noted Idaho's rape and incest rates are at a five year high, and many of those victims are minors who have been victimized by a parent. The Idaho State Police Crime in Idaho annual report showed a nearly 12% increase in rape or attempted rape reports in 2021 compared to the previous year, as well as 28 cases of reported incest compared to three incest reports made in 2020 and 14 in 2019. The bill requires that both parents be informed of a plan to take a minor out of state for an abortion, Mathias said, even if one of the parents is potentially a felonious, incestuous, rapist father. Democratic Sen. James Ruchti said the legislation would likely be difficult to enforce. He compared it to a hypothetical scenario, in which a neighboring state might attempt to bar its own residents from traveling to Idaho to buy a gun. Its probably why we let federal laws handle these things when it comes to crossing borders, Ruchti said. State leaders in Washington, Oregon and California have promoted the West Coast as a safe haven for abortion procedures, and lawmakers in Oregon and Washington are considering bills to shield abortion providers and patients from criminal liability. Oregon's bill would allow physicians to provide abortion to anyone regardless of age, and would bar them in certain cases from disclosing that information to parents. National Right to Life, an anti-abortion organization, lauded the bill as protecting parental rights by keeping parents involved in a child's decisions. Parents have the right to love their daughter and be there for her in her time of need, National Right to Life president Carol Tobias wrote in a news release. No one should take that away. Thirty-six states require parental involvement in a minors decision to have an abortion, though most allow exceptions under certain circumstances like medical emergencies, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group supporting abortion rights. ___ AP writers Geoff Mulvihill in Cherry Hill, New Jersey and John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, contributed. A historically underserved community on Buffalo's East Side will receive $2.5 million in new state funding to provide additional services for those who were affected by the May 14 racist mass shooting at the Tops Markets on Jefferson Avenue, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday. Hochul said the funds, provided by the New York State Office of Victim Services, will assist the Buffalo Urban League in leading a new partnership with Community Health Centers of Buffalo to operate the Buffalo United Resiliency Center through June 2025. With the new funding, the resiliency center will be able to immediately add four case managers and two outreach specialists to its staff. That will ensure the center has the necessary operational and administrative support it needs to serve employees who worked at the store and those from the surrounding community who are among the victims and survivors of the massacre. "The May 14 attack brought further harm to a community that has long struggled with economic disparities, inequitable access to basic services and entrenched racism," Hochul said in a statement Wednesday. "New York State will not waiver in its support for the Jefferson Avenue neighborhood and its residents as it continues to heal from this tragedy. This additional funding allows us to expand services and programs to fellow New Yorkers who deserve to see our love and support turned into action," she added. Chardanay Young-Ford will serve as interim director of the Buffalo United Resiliency Center and work with the center's steering committee, the Urban League and Community Health Centers of Buffalo to design and deliver programs that meet various needs, including limited access to housing, food and transportation, as well as assistance with rent and utility costs. The center will operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays beginning April 5 at 1149 Jefferson Ave. in Suite A. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The sun is shining today and spring is upon us. Such days remind me still of the excitement I knew when I turned 16 in April and was finally able to get my drivers license a wondrous rite of passage fewer and fewer teens choose to experience today. According to a 2019 article in The Wall Street Journal, in the 1980s half of all 16-year-olds were driving. But by 2020 it was just 25%. Why? Driving tests began getting stricter and more challenging in many states in the mid-1990s though passing my test in a 1976 Starship-Enterprise-sized station wagon was no easy feat. The cost of cars has risen and todays teens are able to get around easily enough using ride-sharing services. But the biggest reason is simply that many teens have zero desire to drive on their own because the hunger to get out of the house and socialize is no longer a big incentive. A study by Common Sense Media finds that teens are spending an average of eight hours a day on social media apps. They may think their online habits are enabling them to socialize with friends, but several studies, including a 2021 Journal of Adolescence study, see a clear correlation between the explosion in social media in 2012 and increasing isolation, depression and anxiety in teens. A 2020 Netflix documentary, The Social Dilemma, explains in detail how the nature of social media encourages teen isolation and depression. When youre online, powerful artificial intelligence tools algorithms monitor everything you do. Plus, the tools know your full name, marital status, gender, age, birthday, political views and several of your interests. Every time you like an item, click on a news story or interact with other users, you help these AI tools determine precise personal details, such as who you are dating and whether you are lonely or sad. The more these tools know about your private life, the more money advertisers will pay to custom-tailor precise ads that will appeal to you or shape your opinion on everything from what kind of socks are cool to the political candidate they want you to vote for. The more they know about you, the more often items will appear in your newsfeed that are designed to give you dopamine spikes and keep you online as long as possible so their advertisers have never-ending access to sell to you. As you spend time online with social media apps, you are constantly being psychologically manipulated constantly comparing your looks to famous people, constantly seeking praise and likes from strangers or suffering deeply if someone online in any way mocks or criticizes one of your posts. Its pretty clear that young people, whose brains are still developing, are being profoundly impacted by social media in many important and trivial ways we dont fully understand yet. Which brings us back to driving. Instead of becoming excited at age 16 that they can learn to drive a car and come and go freely, too many kids are content to sit alone in their rooms endlessly texting each other or consuming TikTok. Its too bad. Kids today dont know how much fun, freedom and real social interaction theyre missing without cars. Cruising the park in a 1972 VW Beetle with my friends is one of the best memories I have of my teen years. I know the social media challenge is complex, but heres a good start: Hey, kids, the weather is breaking. Get your license, turn off our phones and go for a cruise in the park. The cannabis industry in Western New York got the news it had been waiting for Tuesday: A federal judge lifted the injunction that had been blocking the state from issuing licenses to open legal cannabis stores. That means the first licenses to open stores in Western New York could be granted as soon as Monday, although it likely will be several weeks if not months before the first local store opens. But the decision removes the roadblock that had stalled the state's program to start rolling out legal cannabis stores in Western New York. "For the first time, New Yorkers in nearly every region of the state will have access to safer, high-quality, adult-use cannabis products," Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement. "I am committed to ensuring New York continues to lead the nation in our safe and equitable approach to the cannabis market." The logjam was broken on Tuesday, when the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals granted the state Office of Cannabis Management's request to narrow the injunction in the Variscite NY One case, which had been blocking adult-use recreational cannabis sales here and in four other regions of the state. The ruling has no impact on legal weed sales already underway on tribal lands in Western New York, and does not address unlicensed weed dispensaries that have popped up in the region. But there are questions about how that might play out and just how long it could take before Western New York sees its first licensed adult-use cannabis dispensaries open their doors. What's next? During the first and second round of licensing, the state planned to issue 22 cannabis retail licenses in Western New York, but the injunction prevented it from granting any of them. But the state agency still was able to continue with the application review process for the affected regions, said Patrick Hines, a partner at law firm Hodgson Russ. And that could allow the agency to move quickly now that the legal barrier has been lifted. A push to prepare a new cannabis workforce despite industry's slow start in New York State To seed the industry with the necessary expertise, several Western New York colleges are offering education programs catering to the cannabis business. "The Office of Cannabis Management has already said, 'Listen, we've already looked at the applications for the regions that were previously enjoined. So we're ready to start issuing licenses or awarding licenses pretty quickly,' " he said. The Cannabis Control Board has a meeting on the books for Monday morning where it was already set to name new license awardees. "It's conceivable that licenses for Western New York and any other affected regions could come as early as Monday," Hines said. How long before doors open at WNY's first CAURD dispensary? Even if shops do get their licenses on Monday morning, it is not likely that shops will pop up by Tuesday. It's going to be months before the first legal pot store opens in WNY "There are great opportunities waiting, as well as the customer base that is waiting for the consumption of these products," Gov. Kathy Hochul said last month. "It's frustrating for us." "It does take a little bit of time," Hines said. The state will need further information from applicants to complete the licensing process, but the initial granting of the license could allow those applicants to start finalizing leasing and financing arrangements. "Assuming that the applicant has all their ducks in a row ahead of time, it should open up cash flow for them to get their information to the state, get open and start acquiring products that they can then sell," Hines said. "So the faster they can do that, the faster they can open their doors." Tahlil McGough, the Office of Cannabis Managements deputy director of legislative affairs, said the agency should be able to move quickly. The OCM has already completed the back-office work of reviewing and scoring all applications for these newly freed regions, and the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York has never stopped searching for storefront locations and engaging in limited discussions with potential landlords," he wrote in a lengthy post on the Linkedin website. "So we should not lose any time in getting everything rolling. Looking for a job in the pot industry? Don't say cannabis The cannabis industry could add nearly 51,000 jobs in New York State, earning $2.2 billion a year by 2027, according to cannabis education website Leafly. What does the late start mean for Western New Yorkers in the cannabis business? The first Western New Yorkers were expected to have their legal cannabis retail licenses three months ago, but have been forced to the sidelines as the Variscite case played out. While it wasn't ideal, the damage wasn't irreparable, Hines said. "I don't think they've been set back too much by the injunction," he said. The state has issued only 66 licenses to CAURD applicants, and just a handful of licensed adult-use dispensaries have opened in the state. "I don't think Western New York operators are necessarily too far behind the eight ball, especially given that the state has already said, 'By the way, we've looked at their applications and we're basically ready to go,' " Hines said. Buffalo lab gets approval for cannabis testing The Office of Cannabis Management on Wednesday approved five laboratories to perform tests on medical and adult-use cannabis, one of which is DRS Testing in Buffalo. Can the Variscite lawsuit still affect Western New Yorkers? There's a possibility, Hines said. "Keep in mind that litigation is still ongoing, and they're still seeking, basically, to undo the CAURD program. It's just that the injunction's been lifted and the cat's kind of out of the bag," he said. Variscite still seeks to open up licensing to applicants outside New York State, which could usher in competition from giant cannabis corporations much earlier than expected. The state had hoped to get smaller operators on their feet before being expected to compete against larger, more experienced and deeper-pocketed competitors. Could the latest lawsuit from medical cannabis companies interrupt sales again in Western New York? While it could cause other problems, it is not likely that the new lawsuit will pause the efforts to launch sales in Western New York again. Earlier this month, a group of large medical cannabis companies challenged the state's rollout of legal adult-use pot sales, suing to force the state to open the licensing process to all potential applicants. The Coalition for Access to Regulated & Safe Cannabis filed the lawsuit in State Supreme Court in Albany accusing the state's Office of Cannabis Management of unconstitutional overreach, seeking to immediately open up the application process for recreational cannabis dispensaries to all. So far, licensing in the state has opened only to so-called "justice-involved individuals" those or those close to them who have been convicted of a cannabis-related crime. Applicants also had to have a significant presence in New York state and show that they have successfully run a business. "That lawsuit's seeking the opposite (of what Variscite is seeking)," Hines said. "They want the OCM to open up the program to basically all comers, including the registered organizations, the medical marijuana, and, basically, expand the program immediately." Too much pot and not enough stores: Growers fear oversupply woes as openings are delayed The state's cultivators and processors are sitting on an estimated $1.5 billion of marijuana, with fewer than half the expected dispensaries in which to sell it. Coalition members include large, out-of-state cannabis chains: Acreage Holdings, PharmaCann, Green Thumb Industries and Curaleaf; as well as California and Brooklyn-based applicants and a medical cannabis practitioner in Westchester. Members of the coalition said they had planned to seek dispensaries when the first licensing window opened in New York State. The latest lawsuit cites language in the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act that says the first round of adult-use dispensary licensing "should be opened for all applicants at the same time. The lawsuit argues that the restrictions it placed on the first round of licensing are outside the OCM's legal authority, and it wants the CAURD license declared unconstitutional. The coalition also wants the state to pursue civil injunctions against all unlicensed cannabis shops. If that lawsuit is successful, it could quickly usher in large-scale competition, and likely would have a significant impact on pricing as cultivators deal with unexpected demand. The Western New York ban happened in November, when Michigan company Variscite NY One said it was improperly kept out of the lottery to gain a CAURD license because it is based outside of New York state. How to sell pot: State regulators are writing the rulebook The cloudy picture of what recreational pot sales might look like in New York State is becom It listed Western New York and four other regions as its preferred place to do business, so sales had been on hold while the case made its way through the courts. Now, the injunction has been narrowed to pause sales only in the Finger Lakes region Variscite's first pick. In addition to Western New York, the ruling opens up CAURD sales in the Hudson Valley, Central New York and Brooklyn. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) New Mexicos special academy for training workers in the film and television industry is a step closer to fruition, with top state officials announcing Wednesday that it will be headquartered in Albuquerque. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and others gathered at the Albuquerque Rail Yards to announce that the location will serve as the primary hub for the New Mexico Media Academy. There also will be a satellite campus in Las Cruces to serve the southern part of the state. Lawmakers in 2022 approved $40 million for the effort, and numerous post-secondary institutions that offer film and media programs have agreed on the core curriculum for students. State officials said the goal is to meet the increasing need for trained professionals for an industry that generated $1.5 billion in direct film production spending over the past two fiscal years. They say the industry supports an estimated 8,000 jobs statewide and that a record 109 productions were filmed in New Mexico last year. Those productions included AMCs Better Call Saul and Netflixs Stranger Things. Filmmaker Chad Burris has been named as the academys executive director. An attorney and member of the Chickasaw Nation, Burris production credits include Four Sheets to the Wind by Sterlin Harjo, Michael Winterbottoms Killer Inside Me, and most recently Billy Luthers feature Frybread Face and Me, which premiered at South by Southwest. Burris said in a statement that the academy represents an opportunity for New Mexico to produce talent and content on a scale never imagined. I look forward making this a hub for all local talent and a launch pad for new ideas, he said. Once completed, the academy will offer hands-on and craft-specific training. Virtual and extended reality production will be among the focuses. Central New Mexico Community College will co-locate at the Rail Yards with the academy. Local voters approved $7 million for the college to expand its film training program, and funding will go toward designing and constructing the program at the Rail Yards. New Mexico State University and Dona Ana Community College are partners in the southern New Mexico campus. The goal is to admit 1,000 students annually, with Netflix, NBCUniversal and 828 Productions working with the academy and offering paid apprenticeships to students. Taiwans leader, in US, stresses security for her island View Photo NEW YORK (AP) In a highly sensitive U.S. visit, Taiwans president delivered the message Thursday that keeping her self-ruled island strong will help ensure the worlds safety even as her travel is carefully calibrated to try to contain what furious Chinese officials warn could be a strong response. Taiwan is billing President Tsai Ing-wens visit to New York as simply a transit, but she kept a full agenda of events Wednesday and Thursday before flying to Central America. Most provocatively in the eyes of Beijing, her trip is expected to include a meeting with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy next week. In a sign of the sensitivity of her visit, little about Tsais full itinerary has been made public, and her events Thursday were closed to the news media. The visit while important for Taiwan in demonstrating its overseas support is fraught for both Taiwan and the U.S. because China views Taiwan as its territory and treats any dealings between U.S. and Taiwanese officials as a challenge to its sovereignty. Even with the precautions, Tsais trip, including any meetings with U.S. lawmakers, raises tensions at a time when both China and the U.S. and its allies are boosting their military preparedness for a possible confrontation in the Indo-Pacific. Chinas often-stated determination to take Taiwan, by force if necessary, stands as one of the regions main flashpoints. Chinese officials are focusing, angrily, on the expected meeting next week between Tsai and McCarthy. It would be one of the highest-level in-person meetings between U.S. and Taiwanese officials on U.S. soil. Tsai emphasized Taiwans perseverance in the face of daunting challenges in a closed-door speech Thursday night hosted by the Hudson Institute think tank, which awarded her its leadership award. She said the Taiwanese public remains unswerving in its commitment to democracy, and that Taiwan is the responsible, calm side in contrast to China, which is raising tensions in cross-strait relations, according to Taiwans official Central News Agency. She made a strong point that the defense of Taiwan is actually the defense of America, said Miles Yu, a Hudson Institute director who attended the speech. A few dozen pro-China demonstrators holding signs declaring One China and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China gathered behind police barricades outside the hotel where Tsai spoke. The United States longstanding one-China policy acknowledges that the Chinese claim Taiwan as their territory. However, the U.S. does not endorse that claim and remains Taiwans most important provider of military hardware and other defense assistance. On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning restated Chinas serious objections to any interactions between Tsai and U.S. leaders. China firmly opposes any form of official interaction between the U.S. and Taiwan, Mao told reporters in Beijing. China will continue to closely follow the situation and resolutely safeguard our sovereignty and territorial integrity. A senior Chinese diplomat in Washington, embassy charge daffaires Xu Xueyuan, pointed to the anticipated meeting between Tsai and the U.S. House speaker as one that would have significant repercussions overall and a serious, serious, serious impact on U.S.-China relations. Neither Taiwan nor McCarthy, a California Republican, has publicly confirmed any in-person get-together. Analysts have framed a session between the two outside Washington as possibly less provocative than a trip by McCarthy to Taiwan, which he has said he also intends to make Beijing responded to a visit by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi last August by launching missiles, deploying warships across the median line of the Taiwan Strait and simulating a blockade of the island. China also temporarily suspended dialogue with the U.S. on climate and other major issues and restricted military-to-military communication with the Pentagon. The United States broke off official ties with Taiwan in 1979, when it formally established diplomatic relations with China. U.S. law requires Washington to treat all threats to the island as matters of grave concern but does not explicitly say whether the U.S. would commit troops. Sen. Robert Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he hoped any U.S. officials meeting unofficially with the Taiwanese president emphasize that American support for Taiwan is strong and unequivocal. Tsai has made six previous trips through the U.S. during her presidency, meeting with members of Congress and members of the Taiwanese diaspora. Administration officials are underscoring that her trip is in line with what she and her predecessors have done in the past. Tsais transit is consistent with our longstanding unofficial relationship with Taiwan and is consistent with the United States one-China policy, which remains unchanged, White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters. The Peoples Republic of China should not use this transit as a pretext to step up any aggressive activity around the Taiwan Strait, Kirby said. The United States and China have differences when it comes to Taiwan. But we have managed those differences for more than 40 years. Tsai told reporters before boarding her plane to the United States that external pressure will not obstruct our resolution to engage with the world. Tsai was expected to meet with the American Institute in Taiwan chair, Laura Rosenberger. AIT is the U.S. government-run nonprofit that carries out unofficial relations with Taiwan. Tsais stops in Central America are expected to shore up Taiwans partnerships there, after Honduras this month switched its diplomatic relations from Taiwan to China. Tsai accused China of using dollar diplomacy to lure away Honduras. Worldwide, just 13 countries now officially recognize Taiwan. Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, the chairman of the House Select Committee on China, said the visit is a chance for Tsai to convey to the Congress how important the partnership between the U.S. and Taiwan is and whats necessary to preserve peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Tensions between Washington and Beijing have grown as China under President Xi Jinping seeks to expand its regional and global influence. Passage of what the U.S. said was a Chinese spy balloon across the U.S. this winter heightened Americans sense of challenge from China. China says it was a research balloon that was blown off course. ___ Knickmeyer and Mascaro reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Huizhong Wu in Taipei, Taiwan, and Josh Boak and Aamer Madhani contributed to this report. By ELLEN KNICKMEYER, MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN and LISA MASCARO Associated Press Thailand uses helicopters to fight mountain wildfires View Photo BANGKOK (AP) Thai authorities used helicopters Thursday to try to contain a fire that overnight engulfed two mountains on largely undeveloped forest land in a province northeast of the capital Bangkok. The fire broke out Wednesday night in Nakhon Nayok province, 114 kilometers (70 miles) northeast of Bangkok, but firefighters could not directly tackle it because the mountains are too steep to safely climb, especially in the darkness of night, provincial Governor Bancha Chaowarin told reporters. Apart from the winds direction, I also have to look after the lives and safety of those conducting the operation. After reviewing the situation, since it is at a mountaintop, we had to retreat to standby and convene over what we can do, Bancha said late Wednesday night. At least 10 firefighting vehicles were dispatched to battle the blaze, and they were joined Thursday afternoon by at least two helicopters, which surveyed the situation and dumped water. Initial efforts to contain the blaze had concentrated on creating firebreaks. Bancha was quoted by the newspaper Thai Rath as saying it was initially estimated the fire could be brought under control within five days, but that he would try to do it in just three. Other forest fires have broken out in recent days in provinces farther north as seasonal temperatures rise, a perennial problem that contributes to dangerously high levels of air pollution. About 700 rai (about 275 acres, or 112 hectares) of forest in Nakhon Nayok had been burned by noon Thursday as the fire continued to smolder, Bancha said. The fire began on a high part of Khao Chaplu mountain and then spread to the adjacent Khao Laem mountain. Local media said it burned easily because much of the growth was bamboo, and high winds fanned the flames. The mountains sit in a vast parcel of land not far from one of the countrys best known nature reserves, Khao Yai National Park. Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy, Thailands version of West Point, is close to where the fire broke out and a village of about 500 residents is about 1 kilometer (half a mile) from the fire site, Thai Rath reported. Residents were warned to alert officials about any wild animals they saw fleeing the burning forest. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha was closely monitoring the situation and had ordered officials and the army to mobilize to stop the fires spread, government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said. He added that Prayuth ordered officials to watch for anyone deliberately lighting fires to clear land for farming and other purposes, a practice that has been blamed for past fires. The cause of the fire in Nakhon Nayok was not yet clear, though some local media reports said it was set off by lightning. Bancha was quoted by Thai Rath as saying a storm on Tuesday ignited a fire nearby that strong winds blew to the Khao Laem area. Separate forest fires have been raging farther north, Anucha noted, including in Chiang Mai province, where water was dumped from the air Wednesday in an effort the dowse the flames. By KAWEEWIT KAEWCHINDA Associated Press China e-commerce giant Alibaba outlines future strategy View Photo HONG KONG (AP) Alibaba plans to spin off some of its sprawling e-commerce and finance empire as independent businesses to make them more flexible and maximize their value, its top executives said Thursday, as the company emerges from regulatory crackdowns that rattled Chinese tech industries. Alibaba CEO Daniel Zhang outlined details of a plan announced earlier this week to split Alibaba into six main groups as a prelude toward stock listings of some of its companies. The restructuring marks a new stage in Alibabas growth after a series of setbacks as regulators tightened oversight of the industry. Alibaba, whose headquarters is in the eastern city of Hangzhou, will be in the nature of a holding company that is the controlling shareholder of the business group companies, Zhang said in a conference call. Alibabas CFO, Toby Xu, said the company would continue to evaluate the strategic importance of group companies after they go public and decide whether or not to retain control. He declined to say when they might go public. We believe the market is the best litmus test, so each business group company can pursue independent fundraising and IPOs as and when they are ready, Xu said. Alibabas stock prices in Hong Kong and New York have rallied nearly 15% since the restructuring was announced Tuesday. The firms Hong Kong-listed stock was up 0.9% by midday Thursday. The plan, and the recent return of Alibaba founder Jack Ma to China after months abroad appear to mark a turnaround after several hard years. Chinese regulators singled out Alibaba for scrutiny in a crackdown on technology and internet companies, putting the brakes on a planned initial public offering in 2020 of Alibabas financial affiliate Ant Group. Ma had kept a low profile with few public appearances since Nov. 2020, when he had publicly criticized Chinas regulators and financial systems during a speech in Shanghai. Ant had been set to raise $34.5 billion in what would have been the worlds largest share offering at the time. Alibaba was later investigated and fined $2.8 billion for breaching antitrust rules as Chinese authorities cracked down on the once-freewheeling technology industry. Alibaba is to split into its Cloud Intelligence Group, Taobao Tmall Business Group, Local Services Group, Global Digital Business Group, Cainiao Smart Logistics and Digital Media and Entertainment Group. Each group apart from Taobao Tmall could potentially seek an initial public offering. Taobao Tmall will remain wholly-owned by Alibaba Group. Zhang said he expected the shake-up to be challenging but would also allow all of our businesses to become more agile, enhance their decision making and enable faster responses to market changes. Among other things, the restructuring plan might allay past antitrust concerns, since as Zhang explained, each Alibaba business unit would be empowered to make its own decisions and raise capital independently. The looser connections between the business units is in line with the regulatory stance of encouraging competition, said an analysts note from Moodys Investor Service. Alibabas restructure the first such major overhaul in the Chinese technology industry also could serve as an example for similar companies such as online games company Tencent to follow suit. Tencents shares rallied after Alibabas announcement on Monday. We think that Alibabas new organizational structure could be used by Chinese regulators as a template for other Chinese Big Tech firms, said a report by CreditSights. Francis Lun, CEO of Geo Securities in Hong Kong, said that in the short term Alibabas move will likely allow the group to raise more capital. But it might be more difficult for the company to stay competitive in mergers and acquisitions. When you split into six business units, youd just be a lightweight competing against the heavyweights such as Apple, Amazon and Alphabet, Lun said. He pointed out that only Alibabas e-commerce and cloud units were profitable and that in the long-term, the other units may not succeed. By ZEN SOO AP Technology Writer SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) Austrias president on Wednesday urged rival political parties in North Macedonia to end a dispute over a proposed amendment to the constitution, as European Union leaders continue to encourage the small Balkan country to clear hurdles toward membership in the bloc. It would be necessary to change the constitution and look towards the European future. Dont lose the sight of the goal, Alexander Van der Bellen said at a joint news conference with North Macedonias president, Stevo Pendarovski. North Macedonia has promised neighboring Bulgaria, an EU member since 2007, to add a reference in its constitution to the existence of an ethnic Bulgarian minority. In exchange, Bulgaria would lift objections to starting EU membership talks for North Macedonia. The dispute has also hindered the accession process for fellow EU hopeful Albania. North Macedonias center-left government has so far been unable to win support needed from the conservative main opposition party for parliamentary approval of the amendment. Several senior European politicians have visited Skopje in recent weeks and appealed for bipartisan support for the change, including German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. The constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds majority in the 120-seat parliament, or 80 votes. But the governing coalition led by the center-left Social Democrats is backed by only 64 lawmakers. President Pendarovski told reporters the ministry of justice will soon form a committee of experts to draw up the final draft of the proposed constitutional amendment. Responding to Indigenous, Vatican rejects Discovery Doctrine View Photo VATICAN CITY (AP) The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the Doctrine of Discovery, the theories backed by 15th-century papal bulls that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property laws today. A Vatican statement said the papal bulls, or decrees, did not adequately reflect the equal dignity and rights of Indigenous peoples and have never been considered expressions of the Catholic faith. The statement, from the Vaticans development and education offices, marked a historic recognition of the Vaticans own complicity in colonial-era abuses committed by European powers. It was issued under historys first Latin American pontiff, who was hospitalized Thursday with a respiratory infection, exactly one year after Francis met at the Vatican with Indigenous leaders from Canada who raised the issue. On Thursday, these Indigenous leaders welcomed the statement as a first good step, even though it didnt address the rescinding of the bulls themselves and continued to take distance from acknowledging actual Vatican culpability in abuses. The statement said the papal documents had been manipulated for political purposes by competing colonial powers to justify immoral acts against Indigenous peoples that were carried out, at times, without opposition from ecclesial authorities. It said it was right to recognize these errors, acknowledge the terrible effects of colonial-era assimilation policies on Indigenous peoples and ask for their forgiveness. The statement was a response to decades of Indigenous demands for the Vatican to formally rescind the papal bulls that provided the Portuguese and Spanish kingdoms the religious backing to expand their territories in Africa and the Americas for the sake of spreading Christianity. Those decrees underpin the Doctrine of Discovery, a legal concept coined in a 1823 U.S. Supreme Court decision that has come to be understood as meaning that ownership and sovereignty over land passed to Europeans because they discovered it. It was cited as recently as a 2005 Supreme Court decision involving the Oneida Indian Nation written by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. During Pope Francis 2022 visit to Canada, where he apologized to Indigenous peoples for the residential school system that forcibly removed Native children from their homes, he was met with demands for a formal repudiation of the papal bulls. Two Indigenous women unfurled a banner at the altar of the National Shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre on July 29 that read: Rescind the Doctrine in bright red and black letters. Before that, Michelle Schenandoah of the Oneida Nation had called for the Vatican to rescind the papal bulls when she delivered the closing remarks of the First Nations delegation that met with Francis during a weeklong visit last year by Native groups from Canada. On Thursday, she called the Vatican statement another step in the right direction, but noted that it didnt mention the rescinding of the bulls themselves. I think what this does is it really puts the responsibility on nation states such as the United States, to look at its use of the Doctrine of Discovery, she said in a interview from Syracuse, New York, where she is a professor of Indigenous law at Syracuse Universitys College of Law. This goes beyond land. It really has created generation upon generation of genocidal policies directed towards Indigenous peoples. And I think that its time for these governments to take full accountability for their actions. In the statement, the Vatican said: The Catholic Church therefore repudiates those concepts that fail to recognize the inherent human rights of Indigenous peoples, including what has become known as the legal and political doctrine of discovery. Phil Fontaine, a former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations in Canada who was also part of the First Nations delegation that met with Francis at the Vatican, said the statement was wonderful, resolved an outstanding issue and now puts the matter to civil authorities to revise property laws that cite the doctrine. The church has done one thing, as it said it would do, for the Holy Father. Now the ball is in the court of governments, the United States and in Canada, but particularly in the United States where the doctrine is embedded in the law, he told The Associated Press. The Vatican offered no evidence that the three papal bulls (Dum Diversas in 1452, Romanus Pontifex in 1455 and Inter Caetera in 1493) had themselves been formally abrogated, rescinded or rejected, as Vatican officials have often said. But it cited a subsequent bull, Sublimis Deus in 1537, that reaffirmed that Indigenous peoples shouldnt be deprived of their liberty or the possession of their property, and were not to be enslaved. Cardinal Michael Czerny, the Canadian Jesuit whose office co-authored the statement, stressed that the original bulls had long ago been abrogated and that the use of the term doctrine which in this case is a legal term, not a religious one had led to centuries of confusion about the churchs role. The original bulls, he said, are being treated as if they were teaching, magisterial or doctrinal documents, and they are an ad hoc political move. And I think to solemnly repudiate an ad hoc political move is to generate more confusion than clarity. He stressed that the statement wasnt just about setting the historical record straight, but to discover, identify, analyze and try to overcome what we can only call the enduring effects of colonialism today. It was significant that the repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery came during the pontificate of historys first Latin American pope. Even before the Canadian trip, the Argentine pope had apologized to Native peoples in Bolivia in 2015 for the crimes of the colonial-era conquest of the Americas. Felix Hoehn, a property and administrative law professor at the University of Saskatchewan, said the Vatican statement would have no legal bearing on land claims in Canada today, but would have symbolic value. The most that any papal repudiation of the doctrine (or the bulls, for that matter) can do in relation to Canadian law is to apply pressure on the Supreme Court of Canada to renounce the doctrine as part of Canadian law, he said. Beyond that, though, is the hope that the statement could show that the Catholic Church wants to be an ally with Indigenous peoples as they fight for their human rights and their land, and to protect it, said the Rev. David McCallum, an American Jesuit who has worked with Indigenous peoples in the Syracuse area and was consulted during the drafting of the statement. So now for the church to not only acknowledge the damage, but also to repudiate the whole mindset of cultural superiority, of racial superiority to, in a sense, renounce that whole way of thinking and say that forever forward the church wants to be an active ally in protecting Indigenous human rights along with all human rights, I think its a big statement, he said. ___ Rob Gillies contributed to this report from Toronto. By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press San Andreas, CA The mobile dental van is returning to Calaveras County. Thanks to the partnership between Delta Dental, Medi-Cal Dental, and Smile Dental Services, Medi-Cal dental services will be available for residents of the county. The next date for the mobile dental clinic is set for April 14th from 8:00 am-5:00 pm at the San Andreas Library, located at 1299 Gold Hunter Rd. Residents who wish to receive dental services during the clinic must make an appointment by calling 1-888-585-3368. Residents can learn more about the Medi-Cal Dental Program and the services offered by visiting their website located here. The website provides a wealth of information, including frequently asked questions, eligibility requirements, and a list of participating providers. MIAMI (AP) The former general counsel for Venezuelas state-owned oil company pleaded guilty in Miami federal court on money laundering charges Wednesday in connection to a conspiracy to siphon at least $550 million from state coffers through corrupt currency deals. As part of his plea agreement, Alvaro Ledo Nass acknowledged taking $11.5 million in bribes between 2012 and 2017, a period largely overlapping with his senior roles at Petroleos de Venezuela SA, or PDVSA. I knew what I did, Nass said in proceedings before Judge Patricia Seitz, expressing remorse for his actions. I came here to own up to my mistakes and to take responsibility before the U.S. courts. Nass, 43, in February became the latest among several dozen former Venezuelan officials to be charged or convicted in the U.S. as part of Operation Money Flight, a sprawling, multi-year investigation that seeks to untangle how Venezuelan insiders stole billions in oil wealth from their country. Many of the individuals involved in the massive graft scheme either relocated or plowed their stolen wealth into real estate in south Florida. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro this month ordered a crackdown on corruption inside PDVSA that has led to a number of arrests of top officials and businessmen accused of stealing oil shipments. The allegations prompted the resignation of the countrys oil czar, Tareck El Aissami, a key figure in the governments efforts to evade U.S. oil sanctions. Nass crimes predate the latest purge but are nonetheless symptomatic of the same graft that experts say has proliferated through Venezuelas state-run oil industry during more than two decades of socialist rule. As part of his plea deal, Nass admitted to taking bribes in exchange for greenlighting a bogus currency transaction in 2014 by which several businessmen agreed to loan PDVSA 7.2 billion bolivars, or $50 million at the widely used black market exchange rate in Venezuela. The oil company then settled the debt for the Euro equivalent of $600 million a few months later at an artificially high official exchange rate, allowing the insiders to turn a huge profit of $550 million, according to a six-page factual proffer accompanying Nass plea agreement. Among those he admitted to meeting with in Madrid to discuss ways to hide profits from the embezzlement scheme was Luis Fernando Vuteff, a financial manager who is the son-in-law of Caracas former mayor, exiled opposition leader Antonio Ledezma. Vuteff was arrested and extradited from Spain last year to the U.S. and is awaiting trial on money laundering charges. Proceeds from the dirty deal were laundered through financial institutions in Spain, the Bahamas and New Jersey, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kurt Lunkenheimer and Justice Department trial attorney Paul Hayden are overseeing the case, which started when Nass, who had been living in Spain, came to the U.S. to cooperate with the law enforcement investigation. Nass, as secretary of PDVSAs board of directors and then general counsel, was able to influence decisions inside the oil giant. Nass parents said they were devastated. We trust he will get through this sad period and overcome the mistakes that have so affected him and our family, his parents said in a statement through Caracas-based attorney Jesus Loreto. ___ Associated Press writer Regina Garcia Cano in Caracas, Venezuela, contributed to this report. ___ Joshua Goodman on Twitter: @APJoshGoodman By JOSHUA GOODMAN West Virginia governor signs ban on gender-affirming care View Photo CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) West Virginia Republican Gov. Jim Justice on Wednesday signed a bill banning gender-affirming care for minors, joining at least 10 other states that have enacted laws restricting or outlawing medically supported treatments for transgender youth. The bill outlaws those under 18 from being prescribed hormone therapy and fully reversible puberty blockers. It also bans minors from receiving gender-affirming surgery, something physicians say doesnt even happen in West Virginia. Unlike measures passed in other states, however, West Virginias law contains a unique exemption: It permits doctors to prescribe medical therapy if a teenager is considered at risk for self-harm or suicide. Under the law, which will take effect in January 2024, a patient can be prescribed puberty blockers and hormone therapy after receiving parental consent and a diagnosis of severe gender dysphoria from two clinicians, including a mental health provider or an adolescent medicine specialist. Both practitioners must be trained to diagnose and treat young people with severe gender dysphoria and provide written testimony that medical interventions are necessary to prevent or limit possible or actual self-harm. The provisions were added at the urging of Senate Majority Leader Tom Takubo, who is a physician. These kids struggle. They have incredible difficulties, the Republican said on the Senate floor earlier this month. Takubo cited more than a dozen peer-reviewed studies showing a decrease in rates of suicide ideation and attempts among youth with severe gender dysphoria who had access to medication therapy. Gender dysphoria is defined by medical professionals as severe psychological distress experienced by those whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth. The bill also prohibits minors from being prescribed hormone therapy before the age of puberty, something West Virginia physicians say doesnt happen anyway. The medication dosage for any adolescent must be the lowest possible necessary to treat the psychiatric condition and not for purposes of gender alteration, according to the bill. The West Virginia law comes as Republican lawmakers across the U.S. have pursued several hundred proposals this year to push back on LGBTQ+ rights, particularly rights for transgender residents, including banning transgender girls from girls sports, keeping transgender people from using restrooms in line with their gender identities and allowing or requiring schools to deadname trans students. Lawmakers in West Virginia and other states moving to enact bans on transgender health care for youth and young adults often characterize gender-affirming treatments as medically unproven, potentially dangerous in the long term and a symptom of woke culture. Every major medical organization, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychiatric Association, supports gender-affirming care for youths. A 2017 study by UCLA Laws The Williams Institute estimated West Virginia had the highest per capita rate of transgender youth in the country. The rate of suicide ideation, or having suicidal thoughts or ideas, for transgender youth in West Virginia is three times higher than the rate for all youth in the state, according to West Virginia Youth Risk Behavior Survey data. Natalie Frazier, who oversees gender-affirming care for Planned Parenthood in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia, said the bill Justice signed Wednesday was better than it could have been. But its still unnecessary just an unnecessary barrier to care that is going to end up harming people, she said, adding that not every childs family will have the resources to travel to two different clinicians for a gender dysphoria diagnosis. Frazier, who is also a certified nurse midwife, said the diagnosis of severe gender dysphoria with risk of suicide could probably apply to just about any kid getting access to gender-affirming care. Thats why people are are so invested in providing the care because there is a disproportionate risk, she said. Thats something that any of these kids could be at risk for and nobodys going into this care lightly. West Virginias ban also includes exemptions for people who are born intersex and for people taking treatments for infection, injury, disease or disorder that has been caused by or exacerbated by the performance of gender transition procedures. Surgeries can be performed if a child is at risk for imminent danger of death or impairment of a major bodily function. At least 11 states have now enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for minors: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Utah, South Dakota and West Virginia. Federal judges have blocked enforcement of laws in Alabama and Arkansas, and nearly two dozen states are considering bills this year to restrict or ban care. By LEAH WILLINGHAM Associated Press We dont want to downplay Canadas new announcement of funding for Great Lakes cleanup so we wont. The plan to devote the equivalent of $306 million in American funds is welcome and will surely make a difference. Still, questions are arise: Is all of the money $420 million Canadian new funding or is some previously authorized spending placed into a fresh envelope? For what projects will the money be used? And, hovering over it all, will there be more? There is little doubt that the funding, while valuable, wont be enough for Canada to meet the need of the inland sea it shares with the United States. Of the five bodies of water, only Lake Michigan is fully in this country. The international boundary runs through the other four: Superior, Huron and of special interest to Western New York Erie and Ontario, both of which border this region. In each of them, developments in one jurisdiction affects the other, for better and for worse. But if Canada bears responsibility for fewer lakes, its commitment still appears to fall notably short, even with the increase. The United States, by comparison, has authorized $625 million for each of the next five years, as part of the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. And while Canadas newly announced commitment, equal to about $30 million a year, represents a significant increase over its previous spending of about $6.6 million (USD) over each of five years, that same period saw this country commit about $300 million a year. It might be fair to argue that its easier for this country to contribute more money with nearly 10 times Canadas population of 38.25 million, the United States has far deeper pockets. And while it may be difficult to precisely apportion the responsibility for pollution, it was Ohios Cuyahoga River that caught fire in 1969 and at least 11 other times. But the work is the work, and both sides have incurred liabilities. Efforts here have already made a dramatic difference in quality of the Buffalo River, though work there remains to be done. U.S. work is planned for the Niagara River, which is shared by the two countries. Twenty-five areas of concern remain in the U.S. portion of the lakes. In Canada, meanwhile, 14 such areas are need attention, including the Niagara River, Hamilton Harbor and, on the western shore of Lake Superior, Thunder Bay. The good news is that both countries acknowledge the need to restore these natural resources, which for decades were treated like garbage dumps and, to make matters worse, were also infiltrated by invasive species. In some places, especially on the western end of Lake Erie, runoff from agricultural fertilizers create hazardous algal bloom each year as the warm weather returns. They have crept close to Buffalo in recent years. The Great Lakes are a source of drinking water for 40 million people, and this shared resource needs to be protected, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in announcing the new plan. Safe drinking water, of course, is the primary reason to safeguard this vast natural resource, which dominates every community near it. But its more than that. The lakes, along with the rivers that feed and drain them, are also sources of food, places for recreation and the engine of a developing blue economy. They are the envy of distant states and communities where the availability of water cannot be taken for granted. Canadas new commitment is encouraging, even if details are yet to be announced and recognizing that its only a down payment on the work that remains for both countries. But were making progress. Whats your opinion? Send it to us at lettertoeditor@buffnews.com. Letters should be a maximum of 300 words and must convey an opinion. The column does not print poetry, announcements of community events or thank you letters. A writer or household may appear only once every 30 days. All letters are subject to fact-checking and editing. College ends partnership with school over the David issue View Photo HILLSDALE, Mich. (AP) A Michigan college has ended its partnership with a Florida charter school whose principal was forced to resign after a parent complained sixth graders were exposed to pornography during a lesson on Renaissance art that included Michelangelos David sculpture. A Hillsdale College spokesperson said Tallahassee Classical School no longer is affiliated with the small, Christian classical liberal arts college in southern Michigan, MLive.com reported Thursday. This drama around teaching Michelangelos David sculpture, one of the most important works of art in existence, has become a distraction from, and a parody of, the actual aims of classical education, spokesperson Emily Stack Davis wrote in a statement. Of course, Hillsdales K-12 art curriculum includes Michelangelos David and other works of art that depict the human form. Tallahassee Classical School was licensed to use Hillsdales classical education curriculum, but its license was revoked and will expire at the end of the school year, Davis said. Hillsdale provides K-12 curriculum in partnership with dozens of charter schools across the country. The Florida schools principal Hope Carrasquilla resigned last week following an ultimatum from the school boards chairman. Carrasquilla told the Tallahassee Democrat one parent complained the material was pornographic and two other parents said they wanted to be notified of the lesson before it was given to their children. The instruction also included Michelangelos Creation of Adam painting and Botticellis Birth of Venus. Tallahassee Classical School did not immediately respond to phone messages left Thursday seeking comment. After Carrasquilla resigned, the Florence museum housing the David on Sunday invited parents and students from Tallahassee Classical School to visit the statue in person. Florences mayor also tweeted an invitation to Carrasquilla so he could personally honor her. The David statues nudity has been part of a centuries-old debate about art pushing boundaries and the rules of censorship. In the 1500s, metal fig leaves covered the genitals of statues like the David when the Roman Catholic Church deemed nudity as immodest and obscene. Russia's security service arrested an American reporter for The Wall Street Journal on espionage charges, the first time a U.S. correspondent has been detained on spying accusations since the Cold War. The newspaper denied the allegations and demanded his release. Evan Gershkovich, 31, was detained in Yekaterinburg, Russia's fourth-largest city, about 1,670 kilometers (1,035 miles) east of Moscow. Russia's Federal Security Service accused him of trying to obtain classified information. Known by the acronym FSB, the service is the top domestic security agency and main successor to the Soviet-era KGB. It alleged that Gershkovich was acting on instructions from the American side to collect information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex that constitutes a state secret. The Journal "vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich, the newspaper said. We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family. The arrest comes at a moment of bitter tensions between the West and Moscow over its war in Ukraine and as the Kremlin intensifies a crackdown on opposition activists, independent journalists and civil society groups. The sweeping campaign of repression is unprecedented since the Soviet era. Activists say it often means the very profession of journalism is criminalized, along with the activities of ordinary Russians who oppose the war. Earlier this week, a Russian court convicted a father over social media posts critical of the war and sentenced him to two years in prison. His 13-year-old daughter was sent to an orphanage. Gershkovich is the first American reporter to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since September 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, a Moscow correspondent for U.S. News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB. Daniloff was released without charge 20 days later in a swap for an employee of the Soviet Union's United Nations mission who was arrested by the FBI, also on spying charges. At a hearing Thursday, a Moscow court quickly ruled that Gershkovich would be kept behind bars pending the investigation. While previous American detainees have been freed in prisoner swaps, a top Russian official said it was too early to talk about any such deal. In Washington, the Biden administration said it had spoken with the Journal and Gershkovich's family. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre condemned the arrest "in the strongest terms" and urged Americans to heed government warnings not to travel to Russia. The State Department was in direct touch with the Russian government and seeking access to Gershkovich, Jean-Pierre said. The administration has no specific indication that journalists in Russia are being targeted, she said. Gershkovich, who covers Russia, Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations as a correspondent in the Journals Moscow bureau, could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of espionage. Prominent lawyers noted that past investigations into espionage cases took a year to 18 months, during which time he may have little contact with the outside world. The FSB noted that Gershkovich had accreditation from the Russian Foreign Ministry to work as a journalist, but ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova alleged that Gershkovich was using his credentials as cover for "activities that have nothing to do with journalism. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: It is not about a suspicion, it is about the fact that he was caught red-handed. Gershkovich speaks fluent Russian and had previously worked for the French news agency Agence France-Presse and The New York Times. He was a 2014 graduate of Bowdoin College in Maine, where he was a philosophy major who cooperated with local papers and championed a free press, according to Clayton Rose, the college's president. His last report from Moscow, published earlier this week, focused on the Russian economys slowdown amid Western sanctions imposed after Russian troops invaded Ukraine last year. Ivan Pavlov, a prominent Russian defense attorney who has worked on many espionage and treason cases, said Gershkovich's case is the first criminal espionage charge against a foreign journalist in post-Soviet Russia. That unwritten rule not to touch accredited foreign journalists, has stopped working, said Pavlov, a member of the First Department legal aid group. Pavlov said the case against Gershkovich was built to give Russia trump cards for a future prisoner exchange and will likely be resolved not by the means of the law, but by political, diplomatic means. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov ruled out any quick swap. I wouldnt even consider this issue now because people who were previously swapped had already served their sentences, Ryabkov said, according to Russian news agencies. In December, WNBA star Brittney Griner was freed after 10 months behind bars in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Another American, Paul Whelan, a Michigan corporate security executive, has been imprisoned in Russia since December 2018 on espionage charges that his family and the U.S. government have said are baseless. Our family is sorry to hear that another American family will have to experience the same trauma that we have had to endure for the past 1,553 days, Whelan's brother David said in an emailed statement. It sounds as though the frame-up of Mr. Gershkovich was the same as it was in Pauls case. Jeanne Cavelier, of the press freedom group Reporters Without Borders, said Gershkovich's arrest looks like a retaliation measure of Russia against the United States. "We are very alarmed because it is probably a way to intimidate all Western journalists that are trying to investigate aspects of the war on the ground in Russia, said Cavelier, head of Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk at the Paris-based group. Another prominent lawyer with the First Department group, Yevgeny Smirnov, said that those arrested on espionage and treason charges are usually held at the FSB's Lefortovo prison, where they are usually placed in total isolation, without phone calls, visitors or even access to newspapers. At most, they can receive letters, often delayed by weeks. Smirnov called these conditions tools of suppression. Smirnov and Pavlov both said that any trial would be held behind closed doors. According to Pavlov, there have been no acquittals in treason and espionage cases in Russia since 1999. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Hundreds gathered Wednesday at a candlelight vigil in Nashville to honor and mourn the three children and three adults who were killed in a shooting at a Christian school this week. The downtown ceremony for the victims of the shooting at The Covenant School was somber and at times tearful, as speaker after speaker read the names of the victims and offered condolences to their loved ones. The family of Mike Hill, a 61-year-old custodian who was among those killed, was in attendance, including his seven children. First lady Jill Biden also was on hand but did not address the crowd. Sheryl Crow sang I Shall Believe and ended with the lyrics from a Dionne Warwick song, What the World Needs Now is Love, Sweet Love. Margo Price sang an a cappella version of Tears of Rage." And Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show led the crowd in the Christian hymn, Will the Circle Be Unbroken, which brought many to tears. Just two days ago was our citys worst day, Mayor John Cooper said. I so wish we werent here, but we need to be here. Shaundelle Brooks, who lost her 23-year-old son, Akilah Dasilva, in the 2018 Nashville Waffle House shooting, said she went to the vigil to support the families of those slain at the school. I know what its like to be a parent what it feels like, like youre drowning and cant move, and that weakness and that hole that comes in your stomach, she said. Police have said a 28-year-old former student drove up to the school Monday morning, shot out the glass doors, entered and began firing indiscriminately. The dead were identified as as students Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, all 9 years old; Katherine Koonce, 60, the head of the school; substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61; and Hill. Authorities have not yet determined the shooters motive but say the assailant did not target specific victims. Price, who has been particularly vocal about Tennessee Gov. Bill Lees position on state gun laws, tweeted after the shooting: Our children are dying and being shot in school, but youre more worried about drag queens than smart gun laws? You have blood on your hands. Crow and Secor also called for stricter gun laws in tweets posted after the shooting. But there was no talk of gun control at the vigil, as people steered clear of the political divide between blue-leaning Nashville and ruby red Tennessee. Republicans and Democratic lawmakers stood together in asking for remembrance of the six who died. Lee said Tuesday that Peak was a close friend of his wife, Maria, and that the two had been planning to meet for dinner after Peaks work that day. Maria woke up this morning without one of her best friends, Lee said in a video statement, adding that his wife once taught with Peak and Koonce. The women, he said, have been family friends for decades. Earlier Wednesday, Pope Francis sent condolences to Nashville and offered prayers to those affected. George Grant, a pastor and leader with the Nashville Presbytery, also avoided any mention of politics. As pundits and politicians try to make sense out of the senseless, were not really asking why. We know why we live in a broken, fallen world, Grant said in a phone interview Tuesday. The church linked to the school is a member of the presbytery, which includes congregations in middle Tennessee and southwestern Kentucky. In a blog post Wednesday, Grant recounted how notifications about an active shooter at the school interrupted a presbytery planning meeting that included Chad Scruggs, Covenant Presbyterian Church pastor and father of one of the shooting victims. We emptied into the hallway, stricken, eyes clouded with unbelief, horror and grief. ... Our worst fears were realized, Grant wrote. Police said the shooter, identified as Audrey Hale, was under a doctors care for an undisclosed emotional disorder and was not on the radar of police before the attack. Hale was fatally shot by police at the school Monday. Authorities have given unclear information on Hales gender. For hours Monday, police identified the shooter as a woman. Later in the day, the police chief said Hale was transgender. In an email Tuesday, a police spokesperson said Hale was assigned female at birth but used masculine pronouns on a social media profile. Maria Colomy, a former teacher at the Nossi College of Art & Design in Nashville, recalled Hale as a talented artist while a student in Colomys social media class in 2017. Colomy remembered Hale going above and beyond on projects." She said she saw postings on Facebook during the past year in which Hale wrote about the death of a romantic partner and asked to be called by a male name and male pronouns. Hale had been very publicly grieving" on Facebook, Colomy said. It was during that grief (Hale) said, In this persons honor, I am going to be the person who I want to be, and I want to be called Aiden.'" On Hales first day at the Nossi School, Colomy said she saw Hale become frustrated while trying to log into the student portal and start to cry. I went up to (Hale) and said, Hey, if you need to step out, its totally OK,'" Colomy said. But after that, Colomy said Hale began to feel safe at school and really started thriving." Samira Hardcastle, who attended both middle and high school with Hale, said Hale seemed sweet and socially awkward. Hardcastle said she spoke to Hale briefly last month at an event for a mutual friend, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I dont think we can rationalize irrational actions, so I am just trying to make peace with that, she said. ___ AP Religion News Editor Holly Meyer in Nashville and News Verification Reporter Beatrice Dupuy in New York contributed to this report. ___ This story was first published March 29, 2023. It was updated March 30, 2023, to correct the day when an interview took place with a Nashville Presbytery pastor. It was Tuesday, not Wednesday. (Editors note: This project is a collaboration between the Plainview Herald and Saint Francis Ministries to showcase kids who are cleared for adoption.) Silas is a sweet, lively 9-year-old little boy. He is diagnosed with autism and is mostly non-verbal. Silas is resilient and has adapted. He is able to make his wants known by showing his caregivers what he needs. He can also be very loud when he wants to be! Silas loves hugs and cuddles. He prefers to be close to his caregivers and likes having all of their attention. Silas is in 2nd grade and loves going to school! He is excited every day to ride the bus! Silas also loves playing with his sensory toys and jamming out to music! This little boy can make your life a party too! --- Silas is among the children listed on the Texas Adoption Resource Exchange (TARE) website. Visit https://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Application/TARE/Home.aspx/Default for more details. Saint Francis Ministries is a nonprofit organization and a community-based care provider for the Texas Department of Family Protective Services Region 1. This region includes 41 counties across the Panhandle and South Plains. To learn more about fostering or adopting, those interested are encouraged to attend one of the monthly virtual meetings hosted by Saint Francis Ministries and other child placing agencies. The meetings provide information about how to get started, the basic qualifications and more, in addition to providing opportunity for attendees to ask questions. Those interested can visit Saint Francis Texas on Facebook @SFMtexas to register for the online meetings, which can also be found below: The meetings are scheduled for the second Thursday of the month (Lubbock area https://lubbock-area-foster-care-adoption.eventbrite.com) and the third Thursday of the month (Amarillo area https://amarillo-area-foster-care-adoption.eventbrite.com). For more information, please contact Erin Baxter at (806) 317-5631 or email texasinfo@st-francis.org. Visit Saint Francis Ministries online at https://saintfrancisministries.org. A Texas mom is seeking justice after her three daughters were strangled and dumped in a North Texas pond last summer. Officials previously believed the three sisters might have drowned, but autopsy reports revealed the girls were strangled before being dumped into the pond. Shommaonique Oliver the mother of Zi'Ariel Robinson Oliver, 9, A'Miyah Hughes, 8, and Te'Mari Robinson Oliver, 5 told The Daily Beast in her first interview last weekend that she suspected "foul play from the jump." The three girls were found dead in a private pond in the small North Texas town of Atlanta on July 29, 2022. "F**k everyone else's feelings, I want answers," the mother told The Daily Beast. At the beginning of the investigation, officials said they weren't sure if the girls were great swimmers or not, adding that none of them had life jackets on when they were found. However, Cass County District Attorney Courtney Shelton said in a statement on Thursday, March 23, that the girls died by strangulation and suffered lacerations to their faces. Officials said Oliver's 31-year-old cousin, Paris Propps, was babysitting the girls while she was at work during the day they were reported missing. Oliver told police that her cousin called her to share that her kids were missing. She left work and immediately called 911. TPWD game wardens searched the area and found one of the girl's shoes by the pond. The children's mother confirmed it was one of her daughter's shoes and footprints were also found in the mud. A dive team was called out and the bodies were recovered on July 30, 2022. Oliver said her cousin won't answer phone calls or respond to emails for comment. She said her cousin is also not speaking to investigators. She told The Daily Beast that "all I want is justice for my babies." While police investigate, Oliver said she has been harassed by total strangers on social media. She said people have called her a "deadbeat mom" and that her kids are "better off" dead. She urges others to put their energy into finding out what happened to her daughters, instead of harassing her. Oliver also launched a GoFundMe page that has raised over $19,000 as of Wednesday, March 29. Those who have information should call Texas Ranger Josh Mason at (903) 255-5727. DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (AP) Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday encouraged Tanzanias fragile progress toward a more inclusive government, stepping onto the front lines of Americas push to strengthen democracy in Africa as part of her weeklong trip to the continent. Standing alongside Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzanias first female president, Harris cited recent decisions from Tanzania such as lifting a ban on opposition rallies and encouraging more press freedom as important and meaningful steps toward democratic reforms. Hassan has undone some of Tanzania's more oppressive policies even though she came to power as a member of the ruling party. You have been a champion in the sense of democratic reforms in this country, and in that way have expanded our partnership, Harris said. Hassan noted Tanzania's participation in a virtual summit on democracy hosted by the White House this week, saying it sends a clear message that the fathers of democracy recognize our efforts in building a democratic nation. The Tanzanian leader is finishing out the term of President John Magufuli, who earned a reputation for stamping out dissent, arresting critics and forcing them into exile, before he died in office. Hard-liners have been uncomfortable with some of Hassans changes, however, which could cost her in the next election two years from now. The meeting between Hassan and Harris, the first woman to be America's vice president, was a noteworthy show of support from the United States as it deepens its outreach to Africa. Harris announced $560 million in U.S. assistance for Tanzania, some of which will require congressional approval. The money is intended to expand the countries trade relationship, as well as encourage democratic governance. Hassan also pushed for the U.S. to make long duration visas available for Tanzanian citizens, something she said would improve ties between the countries. Issues with U.S. visas, from availability to processing delays, have generated frustration around Africa. Theres so much excitement here, and people are saying its like madam presidents efforts in changing the country are being rewarded with recognition from an economic and political superpower that is the U.S., said Tanzania-based analyst Mohamed Issa Hemed. America's push on democracy is a delicate issue here. Washington has backed African dictators when it believes doing so serves U.S. interests and that has led to accusations of hypocrisy. In addition, the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol raised questions over whether democracy remains secure even in the worlds most powerful country. When the U.S. promotes democracy, it risks a backlash from Africans who sense paternalism in the approach. Some African leaders also see the issue as a backdoor effort to meddle in their internal affairs and strengthen opposition politicians. They note that China asks no such questions about democracy when its looking to cut lucrative deals in Africa. Harris has emphasized the issue during her trip, particularly during her previous stop in Ghana, one of Africas most stable democracies. During a news conference with Ghana's Nana Akufo-Addo this week, Harris quoted the president's words in a recent speech that it is important we never forget that democracy is not a static achievement, but a promise that needs continuous nurturing. Harris agreed, saying there is a duality when it comes to democracies because they are an exhibition of strength and they are fragile. The time with Tanzania's Hassan provided Harris with another opportunity to highlight womens issues in Africa, something shes done repeatedly over the course of her trip. During her previous stop in Ghana, Harris met with female entrepreneurs and said women need leadership opportunities. The future, Harris said, should be a place where women are not just treated equally but are able to thrive. These conversations are very important, she said at the Mix Design Hub, a modern building that features a restaurant, an art gallery and a co-working space. Because the well-being of women will be a reflection of the well-being of all of society. Hassan described her meeting with Harris was another milestone and would be an inspiration and a testimony to Tanzanian young girls. After her meeting with Hassan, Harris visited a memorial to the U.S. Embassy bombing in Tanzania on Aug. 7, 1998 the day a simultaneous bombing took place in Kenya. At the memorial, called Hope Out of Sorrow, Harris shook hands with staff who were present during the attack in Dar es Salaam, as well as the U.S. ambassador to Tanzania from that time, Charles Stith. Harris paused in front of the memorial, where there was a wreath adorned with white flowers, to pay her respects. Thank you all for a continued life of service, Harris told embassy staff. The bombing in Tanzania killed 12 people and wounded 77. Harris arrived in Tanzania late Wednesday, and she will conclude her weeklong trip with a stop in Zambia, another country that is striving to strengthen its democracy. She plans to return to Washington on Sunday. Idayat Hassan, director of the Centre for Democracy and Development in Abuja, Nigeria, said Harris visit can help galvanize enthusiasm when there are concerns over backsliding into authoritarianism in Africa and around the world. Many people will want the U.S. to speak to the issue of democracy, which they feel is beginning to decline and is not what it used to be, she said. There are more that need to be assured that democracy is here to stay. Like Tanzania, Zambia has made uneven steps toward democracy since its independence. But there has been a burst of hope after the country elected Hakainde Hichilema, a former opposition leader who once faced charges of treason. Zambia has since decriminalized defamation of the president, a law that was used to stifle opposition. Its also serving as a co-host of President Joe Bidens democracy summit. Hichilema warned this week that economic progress is necessary to sustain open societies. You cant eat democracy, he wrote in The Washington Post. Human rights may sustain the spirit but not the body. ___ Musambi reported from Nairobi, Kenya. Associated Press writer Seung Min Kim in Washington contributed to this report. THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) The United Nations top court on Thursday rejected Tehrans legal bid to free up some $2 billion in Iranian central bank assets frozen by U.S. authorities to be paid in compensation to victims of a 1983 bombing in Lebanon and other attacks linked to Iran. In a 10-5 majority ruling, the International Court of Justice said it did not have jurisdiction to rule on the Iranian claim linked to the central Markazi Bank. The world court's vice-president, Kirill Gevorgian, said the majority upholds the objection to jurisdiction raised by the United States of America relating to the claims of the Islamic Republic of Iran related to the bank. In a complex, 67-page judgment, the world court also found that some other U.S. moves to seize assets of Iran and Iranians in the United States breached a 1955 treaty between the countries and said they should negotiate compensation. If they fail to reach a number, they will have to return to the Hague-based court for a ruling. But the largest part of the case focused on Bank Markazi, and its frozen assets of $1.75 billion in bonds, plus accumulated interest, that are held in a Citibank account in New York. The court said that it did not have jurisdiction based on the 1955 Treaty of Amity because the protections it offers do not extend to central banks. Both countries largely voiced satisfaction at Thursday's decision. In Washington, Deputy State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said that while the U.S. was disappointed with some aspects of the ruling it was pleased on the whole. Broadly we believe that todays decision is a major blow to Irans case, Patel told journalists. An Iranian foreign ministry statement lauded the decision as an indication of the strength and reliability of (Irans) demand, the official IRNA news agency reported on Thursday. It said Tehran would use all diplomatic, legal and judiciary means" to pursue its demands. At hearings last year, Iran cast the asset freeze as an attempt to destabilize the Tehran government and a violation of international law. Iran took its claim to the world court in 2016 after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that money belonging to Irans central bank could be used as compensation for the 241 American troops who died in the 1983 bombing, which was believed to be linked to Tehran. After the bombing of the a U.S. military base in Lebanon, a second blast nearby killed 58 French soldiers. Iran has denied involvement, but a U.S. District Court judge found Tehran responsible in 2003. The judge's ruling said Irans ambassador to Syria at the time called a member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and instructed him to instigate the Marine barracks bombing. At last year's hearings, U.S. legal team leader Richard Visek told judges they should invoke, for the first time, a legal principle known as unclean hands, under which a nation cant bring a case because of its own criminal actions linked to the case. However, the court's ruling Thursday rejected that defense. Iran argued the asset freeze was a breach of the 1955 Treaty of Amity, which promised friendship and cooperation between the two countries. The U.S. and Iran have had no diplomatic relations since militant students took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979. The judges accepted U.S. lawyers' contentions that the frozen central bank assets were state holdings not covered by the treaty, which Washington terminated in 2018 in response to an order by the International Court of Justice in a separate case to lift some sanctions against Iran. The courts judgments are final and legally binding. CHESHIRE Cheshire Academy announced the recipient of its town scholar scholarship earlier this month eighth grade student Avery Fowler. The Town Scholar Award gives winners a full, four-year scholarship to the academy and is meant to highlight their achievements and academic excellence. Fowler, a student at St. Bridget School, was chosen from among 20 applicants this year. For her submitted essay, the youngster wrote about her aspirations to become a science communicator much like scientists Bill Nye and Neil deGrasse Tyson, who have created educational programs to teach people of all ages a variety of scientific concepts. She will be joining the school in the fall semester as part of the Class of 2027. I'm pretty shocked about it. I really didn't expect to win, so this has just been a really exciting experience for me. I'm just really excited to be able to go to Cheshire Academy, Fowler said. I think Cheshire Academy is a wonderful school and they'll help me to succeed and they'll help me to go to college and just fulfill my dream. Fowler was motivated to apply to Cheshire Academy several years ago after taking a tour of the school with her sister, Allison, who also attends. Hearing more about the positive experiences her sibling had motivated her to apply for Town Scholar once she had the chance. Her passion for science took root after watching science-based videos in class, leading Fowler to pursue her interest in the field and consider how to share her enthusiasm for the subject with her peers. I would always get so excited whenever we would watch like a Bill Nye video or when I would watch the show with Neil deGrasse Tyson, and I was just like, Wow, that looks like something that I would want to do. They get to do all this cool stuff and talk about the things that I love. And I just thought that that was really interesting, said Fowler. She has already received several accolades for her work in the scientific field, receiving eight awards at the Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair held at Quinnipiac University last year. Her parents are the owners of Yippee Farms in Cheshire, which has led to Fowler working extensively around farm animals for most of her life namely goats. However, two of the goats on their farm are twins, making them difficult to tell apart. To solve the problem, Fowler developed and coded an identification system for the goats that, after scanning their tags, allows the user to immediately pull up their name, date of birth, and other information on file. For her work on the system, she received approximately $1,110 in prize money and recognition from Stanley Black & Decker, Lockheed Martin, the Petit Family Foundation, and others. Fowler has continued to update her system, making it a portable touchscreen able to scan microchips so she can also use it for her dogs and cats. It was hard to remember which animal had which chip ID. So I thought, what if there was something where you could show their name, their birthday, their breed, their vet records all while (keeping everything) cheap, unlike the very expensive systems that are already online, Fowler said. I'm really excited to see where my project goes. I was really excited to receive the awards and the next step for this project is to be 3D printing a case for the system to make it a bit easier to move around. Fowler has received accolades in many other science competitions across the state and nationwide, having placed first on a team for the United Launch Alliance National K-12 Student Rocket Payload Contest last year. Rebecca Brooks, the interim director of admissions at Cheshire Academy, who was the one to interview Fowler for the scholarship, noted how she made an immediate impression with her essay and passion for the sciences. Seeing that, and her previous accomplishments, made Fowler a strong candidate for the award. I had the privilege of interviewing Avery for her Town Scholar interview. And I will say before I even met Avery, she stood out right away just from her essay. She talks about wanting to be a science communicator, and I wasn't sure what that meant exactly, but she did such a wonderful job of bringing it to life, Brooks said, noting how Fowler came into the interview with ideas of how she could use Cheshire Academys social media to become the schools science communicator. She's so personable and she had so many fun facts and fun stories to share about growing up and living on a farm that I felt like I could have talked with her forever. There were some really strong candidates, but for me, immediately she was someone I felt strongly about, Brooks added. Cheshire Academy is a boarding and day school, which allows the students there to have smaller classes to explore their topics of interest more deeply. The Town Scholar program, which started in 1938, gives children in the local community a chance to attend the academy that they may not have considered otherwise. I think it's a lot as a 13 or 14-year-old to put yourself out there and say, I want to do this. And I think that takes courage, Brooks said. It's a wonderful thing that Cheshire offers and I'm just excited to be a part of it and to have a voice in the process. And Avery is incredibly deserving She has a lot of life experience already and a lot to offer, and I'm just really excited to see that play out next year. I'm just so lucky to be able to receive this award. I'm really glad, Fowler said. cmetzger@record-journal.com National Vietnam War Veterans Day is marked each year on March 29; a significant date in America's decade-long involvement in the conflict. On March 29, 1973, the last American combat troops departed Vietnam. More than 9 million members of the U.S. military were on active duty during the Vietnam era. Of that group, 2,709,918 served in Vietnam, and 58,202 lost their lives in the war. Wednesday, March 29 marked 50 years since American troops departed Vietnam. On Monday, April 3, North Haven residents who wore the uniform during the Vietnam era are invited to attend a veterans awards ceremony at North Haven High School. The event begins at 5 p.m. A letter signed by North Haven First Selectman Michael Freda, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz and Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Thomas J. Saadi states, "As a Veteran of the United States Armed Forces, it is because of your service and that of your brother and sister Veterans that we are able to live in this free and democratic Nation. We believe your patriotic service to our Nation during the Vietnam era is truly deserving of recognition." Vietnam-era veterans from North Haven who plan to attend the April 3 ceremony are asked to call 203-239-5321 ext. 680. The Central Connecticut Chambers of Commerce announced that Katie DAgostino, the organizations current Vice President, will become its next President & Chief Executive Officer effective July 1. Thank you to the Chambers Executive Committee and Board of Directors. I am truly honored to have been chosen to lead the Chamber into the future, DAgostino said. We have an amazing team of professionals and I have no doubt we will continue to provide the best-in-class service, programming and advocacy our members have come to expect from us. Personally, the region we serve here at the Chamber means so much to me, DAgostino added. Central Connecticut is my home. I have lived in Bristol for 20 years, grew up in Plainville, and am committed to the businesses and communities in this region. Together we can continue to be one region, one voice. Serving the businesses of Bristol, Burlington, Farmington, Plainville, Plymouth, Wolcott, and beyond, the regional Chamber supports local government and businesses in the areas of economic development, business advocacy and community development. Current Chamber President & CEO Cindy Bombard believes DAgostino is the right person to take the reins. Katie is the perfect fit for this position, she knows the communities we serve and the needs of the business world, Bombard said. Working side-by-side with Katie for the past several years I have watched her grow; her leadership and people skills are commendable. She has what it takes to keep the Chamber moving in the right direction for the betterment of all involved. Prior to joining the Central Connecticut Chambers of Commerce in 2017, DAgostino spent 18 years as a project and marketing leader executing marketing programs aligned with strategic objectives. For the past six years, she has been an integral member of the Chamber team, currently serving as Vice President. Also, DAgostino serves on the Board of Directors for American Clock & Watch Museum, BristolWORKS!, and Capital Workforce Partners. She is also the incoming Campaign Chair for the United Way of West Central Connecticut. Its a reprieve, not a solution. Although Canada has delayed the imposition of fines and interest on a tax aimed at foreign property owners, the tax itself was poorly considered and unnecessarily harms many Western New Yorkers. The problem for Canada its a real one is foreign speculators buying up properties that can remain vacant for long periods. Those purchases have been pushing housing prices steeply higher, especially in major metro areas like Toronto and Vancouver, where costs were already high. In response, Parliament last year approved a 1% tax on vacant or underused housing owned by non-resident, non-Canadians. The law also imposed a two-year ban on foreigners buying real estate in Canada. Fair enough, but the tax inadvertently, we hope also took in properties that are owned by Americans, sometimes for decades. These can be summer or vacation homes, regularly used by their owners, who pay property taxes and who patronize nearby businesses. They are contributors, not drains, on the local economy. Like Canadians in Western New York they help to weave the binational fabric that binds the two nations together. The new tax has fomented stresses in communities along the border, particularly in this region. It has drawn the attention and the anger of Rep. Brian Higgins, who has pressed the Canadian government to reconsider the tax, on threat of pushing for a similar levy on Canadian property owners in this country. As unfair as Canadas tax is, the possibility of a reprisal measure represents the larger threat. Neither country should want to risk seeing this matter escalate into a larger, more complicated mess. The solution is for Canada to rewrite this law. On Tuesday, Higgins announced progress. The Canadian government, he said, will delay the imposition of fines and interest on property owners who fail to pay the misnamed Underused Housing Tax. Those penalties, originally to have taken affect after April 30, will now be delayed until Oct. 31. Higgins praised the decision, but noted that it counts as only a small reprieve in what amounts to a wrongful tax on good neighbors. We are continuing the fight to see the Underused Housing Tax eliminated entirely, he said. As co-chairman of the Congressional Northern Border Caucus, the Buffalo Democrat has an elevated platform from which to agitate on this issue. He should keep it up. Whats your opinion? Send it to us at lettertoeditor@buffnews.com. Letters should be a maximum of 300 words and must convey an opinion. The column does not print poetry, announcements of community events or thank you letters. A writer or household may appear only once every 30 days. All letters are subject to fact-checking and editing. WALLINGFORD With a standing room only crowd at the Town Hall council chambers, and another 400 people watching the proceedings online, it was clear the community has enormous interest in whether the town should close its two high schools in favor of one larger school that all students would attend. "It was fantastic that so many residents showed up and expressed their viewpoints," Councilor Jason Zandri said Wednesday. "I always appreciate when residents get informed and get involved with the process because that's the only way that the process works." At the meeting, Zandri said he could see the crowd overwhelmingly opposed consolidating Lyman Hall and Mark Sheehan high schools in favor of one larger school. But, he said, he wanted to hear from those who supported the proposal as well. And on Wednesday he did. He got six emails from residents who support the proposal, he said. Up until the council meeting, he had only had two, along with 48 people who were opposed. Ten more people also expressed their opposition Wednesday, he said, increasing that total to 58. "I need to hear from people from the other side, people who are indifferent and the people that support this is because I'm sure there are a lot of people who think, OK, the board has brought this forward and I kind of support that and I don't need to say anything, I don't need to say me too, I don't need to say plus one, they're just going to go off and do it," Zandri said. "All these residents aren't going to necessarily show up and say, me too. "Now that there is an opposition to the direction, the people who do support one school for the myriad reasons that they do, they now need to step up, because for me this is not an action of a council dictating back to the Board of Education 'hey, I want you to do this instead.'" Zandri said. "They basically made their decision, they brought it forward. And I have residents saying 'don't spend my tax dollars this way.' And so I have to go between what the people want with their tax dollars and what the board is recommending as a direction being the professionals they are, and I have to reach a conclusion and I need input for that. "I do expect that I will end up getting more responses, more thoughts and more concerns about everything - the tax dollars being spent, the children's education, the children's mental health and what is the best thing for the town of Wallingford," he said. That amount of interest at Tuesday's meeting may have startled school officials there to present the plans to the council because there was nothing like that at the numerous meetings the Board of Education and its Facilities Steering Committee held leading up to its Feb. 28 vote in favor of consolidation. "We have never had even a fraction of this interest at our meetings," school board Chairwoman Tammy Raccio told the council. "We have been as transparent as we can be with information in trying to get people to come to our meetings." The board and the committee had numerous meetings, both during the day and in the evening and both virtual and in-person, Raccio said. "This is not the same turnout that was at our public forum. I understand that there is frustration, but to be honest, we have messaged and messaged and messaged that this was happening." The school board made a motion to make a decision on whether to recommend one consolidated high school by Jan. 15, she said. "We didn't meet that deadline because of getting input from the public and the state delayed one of the meetings with us, so this has been an ongoing agenda item for months and months and months, and we have done the research for years," she said. "We talked about it month after month after month that is was coming up to a vote." But many in the audience said they knew nothing about it until after the vote. "If I had known it was before the board, I would have been there," Maria Mahon said of the BOE meetings. "I guess this is a lesson that we always have to be paying attention to." Many were hoping to hear the council reject the consolidation proposal, and while the agenda item said "possible action," there was nothing to act on, Council Chairman Vincent Cervoni said. "I have no motion before me," he said, which prompted Councilor Christina Tatta to make a motion that the council urges the board not to investigate consolidation any further. Her motion, and Councilor Craig Fishbein's second, drew cheers from the crowd, but the council rejected that motion. "We have a lot of people here tonight, and we have procedures in this town, and to my knowledge no one has requested that this body do anything in any official manner, Fishbein said. Unfortunately people don't know the procedure." Raccio said the board wanted approval to go out for an architectural study of the Lyman Hall campus and its ability to accommodate a new school, but that was not part of its request on the agenda. "There's nothing unusual about something coming from the Board of Education with discussion and possible action," Cervoni said. "The only requirement is that the administration make a recommendation if there is some financial impact, and that is not being sought tonight." And the whole thing could be moot, Fishbein said, in light of the fact that in eight months there will be a new administration, council and school board elected. Tatta's motion stemmed from her research into what other districts have done when faced with the same situation, she said. Enrollment projections can end up being wrong, she said, pointing to one district that built a new school that was too small by the time it opened, resulting in students attending classes in trailers outside the building because a farm had been sold and dozens of homes built on it. "We know we have lots of farmland in town that they're trying to sell. I'm concerned that even if one of those farms sells that could be 100 houses," she said, noting that shortly after she bought her house, a nearby farm sold that resulted in dozens of new homes. "I'm concerned if we max ourselves out on a new consolidated high school, we will have no room for growth," she said. She also questioned placing it on the Lyman Hall campus. "I don't think the neighborhood can handle" the additional traffic the consolidated school would bring, she said. "It's a tight residential neighborhood." Zandri said Wednesday that he would like to see the question go to a referendum, but there is a procedure that needs to be followed for that to happen. "Unfortunately we don't have a system in town that allows it to go directly to referendum. The charter doesn't supply for that," Zandri said. "If there is a decision, a vote, that the electorate doesn't like from the council, that is their kick off. They have a 30-day period to collect 10% of the signatures of the registered voters that voted in the last election I believe that would be about 2,900 electors and then it would force a referendum. "If we had a mechanism for it, I would be all for it," he said. "Other towns vote on budgets and major decisions. Their charters are structured for that. Ours never was. If ours was set up for a referendum, I would 100% be for people getting out there and voting." Raccio said Wednesday that the board will likely meet next week to decide what its next move will be. What there is no question about is that something needs to be done, Town Councilor Autumn Allinson said Wednesday. "Wallingford needs to look toward the future and if we want to be a town that is known for top education, we need to invest in it," she said. "Right now our state standing on academics is low despite having low class sizes in most cases. If we want to be better, we have to do better. That means investing in our staff, kids and facilities at all grade levels." kramunni@record-journal.com Tanner Schmidt of the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) is once again misleading the public with his opinion piece from March 12. The Buffalo News letter which he incorrectly quoted, said, Building Trades President Paul Brown was concerned about out-of-town contractors and material distributors. Not out-of-town workers. To quote Schmidt, DUH! Read the article. Schmidt falsely claims that 75% of the local work force is excluded from the stadium project. The truth is all area contractors are welcome to bid and work on this project. However, the project labor agreement (PLA) does enforce payment of prevailing wages, benefits and working conditions. As a result, unscrupulous contractors will not be able to fleece workers out of hard-earned wages and may be less inclined to bid. It should be noted that 35% of non-union construction families receive some sort of public assistance. I find Schmidts comments disingenuous. He knows that PLAs are open to all contractors. He knows that the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the legitimacy of PLAs. Indeed, the New York State Court of Appeals found no merit in charges that PLAs are anti-competitive. A recent study by the Independent Project Analysis Group found that union labor is at least 14% more productive than open shop labor, and union labor reduces total project costs versus non-union. Make no mistake, Schmidt and the ABC represent business owners and their interests. They do not represent workers. Schmidts experience in construction is dubious at best. Has he ever worked at dizzying heights, or in bitter cold all day long? I have spent four decades in construction as a pile driver and carpenter. Before disparaging union labor, I suggest that he work alongside one of us If he can keep up. Christopher Stone President, Local 276 United Brotherhood of Carpenters Cinnaholic Cinnaholic first opened a location in San Antonio's Southtown neighborhood back in 2020, after the brand picked up steam from an appearance on Shark Tank. Now, the vegan bakery chain is heading out to Alamo Ranch with a new location and a special promotion. On Friday, March 31, the Alamo Ranch Cinnaholic will finally open, and customers are in for a treat! On opening day, the new location will offer all customers the option to purchase $2 cinnamon rolls from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Editor's note: This article was first published on March 19, 2022. It has been updated to reflect changes in business operations. San Antonio's bunch scene has added a list of new members as the weather warms up and the urge to sit in the sun with a refreshing spritzer intensifies. Since the start of the year, new brunch menus have been popping up throughout San Antonio. Some are new names to the city, while others are known institutions giving weekend warriors a place to fuel up. Keep reading for six San Antonio brunch options you should know about before the weekend commences. Maple Street Biscuit Co. The Tennessee-based chain opened its first of three San Antonio restaurants at the Quarry Village on March 14. The menu features a variety of loaded biscuit options. There's also crave-worthy three-layered "cake" made of hash browns and topped with a Gouda cheese, gravy, chives, and an egg. The restaurant will eventually serve mimosas using fresh-squeezed orange juice. Maple Street Biscuit Co. is open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. Find it: 290 E. Basse Road, Suite 105, San Antonio, TX 78209 Madalyn Mendoza, MySA.com Milpa at the Yard Milpa's food truck is parked at The Yard. Milpa offers yolk-drenched options like an al pastor Spam hash, quesadillas, chilaquiles, and capirotada. The food truck open open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. and on Sundays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Find it: 5253 McCullough , San Antonio, TX, 78212 Courtesy, Sari-Sari Sari-Sari Supper Club Though supper is in the name, Sari Sari is getting in on the brunch game. Camille and Adrian De Los Reyes' newest concept, Sari-Sari Supper Club is offering a soft launch of their brunch menu. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, brunch goers can order items like the Tito benny made with pork belly, ube french toast, eggplant frittata, and a traditional Filipino breakfast plate with tocino bacon, garlic fried rice, and a sunny side up egg. Hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Find it: 10234 Hwy. 151, Suite 102, San Antonio, TX 78251 Jess Elizarraras/MySA The Box Street Social The Box Street Social opened at Hemisfair in December and has been a hit. The downtown spot serves eggs Benedicts, burritos, classic breakfast plates, views, picture-perfect aesthetics, and the weekend morning playlist of your dreams. The restaurant also started offering dinner service in March. Reservations are encouraged. Find it: 623 Hemisfair Blvd., Suite 108, San Antonio, TX 78205 Courtesy of Chris Cullum Cullum's Attaboy Cullum's Attaboy opened its brick-and-mortar restaurant last year and launched a brunch menu featuring classics like omelette, egg benedict, breakfast sandwiches, and pancakes, as well as finer fare including truffle eggs and toast, baked tomato French toast, roasted fennel and tomato, and frisee with a poached egg. Find it: 111 Kings Court, San Antonio, TX 78212 Jess Elizarraras/MySA Brasserie Mon Chou Chou Pearl's French restaurant introduced a "dream" weekday breakfast menu in February with omelettes (including one with salmon); a filet mignon with eggs plate; and a French ham and cheese sandwich. Prices range from $9 for a parfait to $35 for the steak and eggs option. The menu is available from 7 to 9:30 a.m. The menu is a weekday addition to the Sunday brunch menu, which features lobster benedict, polenta, and omelettes. Mon Chou Chou also serves a cocktail menu. Find it: 312 Pearl Parkway, San Antonio, TX 78215 SeanPavonePhoto/Getty Images/iStockphoto A new report estimates that Bexar County's population has grown so fast over one year that it is among the top areas in the U.S. that has seen population numbers skyrocket. The U.S. Census Bureau put Bexar County at the No. 9 spot among the top 10 places with the largest numeric growth in estimated population in the nation. The data estimates that Bexar County saw an increase of 28,635 people from July 2021 to July 2022, leaving Bexar County with an estimated population of 2,059,530. Texas has six counties on the top 10 list of largest numeric growth, including Bexar, Harris, Collin, Denton, Fort Bend, and Montgomery, with a total numeric growth of 209,182 residents. krisanapong detraphiphat/Getty Images A Guadalupe County sheriff's deputy was arrested in Bexar County on a charge of driving while intoxicated and evading arrest on Saturday, March 25, according to arrest records from Bexar County. Caleb Rabel was released on bonds that totaled $12,000. Rabel was a deputy with the Guadalupe County Sheriff's Office for about four years before he resigned earlier this week, the Guadalupe County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Josh Ray told the Seguin Gazette. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MOSCOW (AP) Russia will no longer give the U.S. advance notice about its missile tests as envisioned under a nuclear pact the Kremlin has suspended, a senior Moscow diplomat said Wednesday, as its military rolled missile launchers across Siberia in a show of the countrys massive nuclear capability amid fighting in Ukraine. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Russian news agencies that Moscow has halted all information exchanges with Washington under the last remaining nuclear arms treaty with the U.S. after suspending its participation in it last month. Along with the data about the current state of the countries' nuclear forces routinely released every six months in compliance with the New START treaty, the parties also have exchanged advance warnings about test launches and deployments of their nuclear weapons. Such notices have been an essential element of strategic stability for decades, allowing Russia and the United States to correctly interpret each other's moves and make sure that neither country mistakes a test launch for a missile attack. The termination of information exchanges under the pact marks yet another attempt by the Kremlin to discourage the West from ramping up its support for Ukraine by pointing to Russia's massive nuclear arsenal. In recent days, President Vladimir Putin announced the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons to the territory of Moscow's ally Belarus. More for you Over 3K CPS Energy customers have no power in S.A. due to storms Putin suspended the New START treaty last month, saying Russia cant accept U.S. inspections of its nuclear sites under the agreement at a time when Washington and its NATO allies have openly declared Moscows defeat in Ukraine as their goal. Moscow emphasized that it wasnt withdrawing from the pact altogether and would continue to respect the caps on nuclear weapons the treaty set. It wasnt immediately clear whether Ryabkovs statement indicated Moscows intention to terminate all warnings about missile tests or just those envisioned by the New START treaty. Moscow and Washington have exchanged notifications about test launches of ballistic missiles since the Cold War era, and the Foreign Ministry said last month that Russia will keep issuing them in line with a 1988 U.S.-Soviet agreement. There will be no notifications at all, Ryabkov said in remarks reported by Russian news agencies when asked if Moscow would also stop issuing notices about planned missile tests. All notifications, all kinds of notifications, all activities within the framework of the treaty will be suspended and will not be conducted regardless of what position the U.S. may take. U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said the Biden administration was aware of Ryabkovs comments but it has not "received any notice indicating a change. He added that Washington has across-the-board concerns about Russias reckless behavior as it relates to the New START treaty. Heather Williams, director of the Project on Nuclear Issues at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think-tank, said Russia's rhetoric was concerning but fits a pattern of behavior related to Ukraine. They use nuclear weapons to turn up the volume on a lot of their other activities, and arms control treaties are just the latest way for Russia to try to advance its goals in Ukraine, she said. Of more concern, Williams said, is that the collapse of New START has caused a severe reduction in communications between Washington and Moscow, which could be dangerous. One of the biggest tragedies of the breakdown in New START is the loss of the communication channel, she said. Pavel Podvig, an expert on Russian nuclear forces, tweeted that Ryabkov's reference to the termination of notices in the context of the New START indicated that Russia will keep issuing them in conformity with the 1988 pact. Ryabkov's announcement followed U.S. officials' statement that Moscow and Washington have stopped sharing biannual nuclear weapons data that were envisioned by the New START treaty. Officials at the White House, Pentagon and State Department said the U.S. had offered to continue providing this information to Russia even after Putin suspended its participation in the treaty, but Moscow told Washington it would not be sharing its own data. The New START, signed in 2010 by then-Presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev, limits each country to no more than 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers. The agreement envisages sweeping on-site inspections to verify compliance. The inspections have been put on hold since 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Discussions on resuming them were supposed to have taken place in November 2022, but Russia abruptly called them off, citing U.S. support for Ukraine. As part of the Russian drills that began Wednesday, Yars mobile missile launchers will maneuver across three regions of Siberia, Russia's Defense Ministry said. The movements will involve measures to conceal the deployment from foreign satellites and other intelligence assets, the ministry said. The Defense Ministry didn't say how long the drills would last or mention plans for any practice launches. The Yars is a nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of about 11,000 kilometers (over 6,800 miles). It forms the backbone of Russia's strategic missile forces. A Defense Ministry video shows trucks carrying the missiles driving from a base to go on patrol. The maneuvers involve about 300 vehicles and 3,000 troops in eastern Siberia, according to the ministry. The exercise took place days after Putin announced a plan to deploy the tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, Russia's neighbor and ally. Such weapons are intended for use on the battlefield and have a relatively short range and a much lower yield compared with the long-range strategic missiles fitted with nuclear warheads that are capable of obliterating whole cities. Putins decision on the tactical weapons followed his repeated warnings that Moscow was ready to use all available means a reference to its nuclear arsenal to fend off attacks on Russian territory. Ryabkov said Wednesday that Putins move followed the failure by Kyiv's allies to heed previous serious signals from Moscow because of what he described as the fundamental irresponsibility of Western elites before their people and international security. Russian officials have issued a barrage of hawkish statements since their troops entered Ukraine, warning that the continuing Western support for Kyiv raised the threat of a nuclear conflict. In remarks published Tuesday, Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of Russia's Security Council, which Putin chairs, sternly warned the U.S. and its allies against harboring hopes for Russia's defeat in Ukraine. Patrushev alleged that some American politicians believe the U.S. could launch a preventative missile strike on Russia to which Moscow would be unable to respond, a purported belief that he described as short-sighted stupidity, which is very dangerous. Russia is patient and isnt trying to scare anyone with its military superiority, but it has unique modern weapons capable of destroying any adversary, including the United States, in case of a threat to its existence, Patrushev said. ___ AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report from Washington. Edward Luce, a Financial Times columnist who was Larry Summers speechwriter and remains a whisperer to top Democrats, has published a peculiar and revealing piece musing about the failure (although Luce wont use such a direct work) of Bidens second summit for democracy. The fact that this two day virtual summit has only just started and Luce is already making polite criticisms is an indicator that he has company in believing the entire exercise is misguided. And before we look at the particulars, one might also wonder why Biden thought this sort of exercise was necessary or desirable on top of the raft of other confabs and NGOs promoting democracy and other flavors of US-rules-based-order fandom. The very fact of this addition to the panoply of US attempts looks like an effort to shore up waning US power. One colleague suggested that the US was trying to lead a group of countries that together had more combined GDP than China and its friendlies. This sort of posturing may come out of accumulating US-unfavorable factoids like the G-7 having a lower combined GDP than the BRICS, measured in PPP terms. The wee problem is that the US isnt scoring so hot on the democracy or the role model front these day, although Hollywood is helping with the brand fumes. Weve had increasing hard censorship (individuals being deplatformed and demonetized; figures in public positions, particularly education, being fired or forced out for non-orthodox views) and soft (biased search rankings and prompts; mainstream media narrative conformity; regular use of conspiracy theory to silence questioning). And thats before getting to rising signs of social breakdown: declining lifespans, world-leading imprisonment rate, high teen births, high childbirth death rate, falling educational attainment, rising gun ownership rates). To provide some necessary backstory, the Summit for Democracy was launched in December 2021 as a virtual event. Per Wikipedia, The three themes are defending against authoritarianism, addressing and fighting corruption, and advancing respect for human rights. And thats before getting to a second wee problem, that the US has been perfectly fine with supporting authoritarians when it suited our interest and undermining democracies that we say as a threat, with our overthrow of Irans Mosaddegh in 1953 because he nationalized the oil industry. Needless to say, when the Saudis went about getting more economic control of their oil reserves in the 1960s, they were more cautious. Oh, and our good Saudi friends (until Mohammed bin Salman) were hardly democracy poster children. Needless to say, the US definition of who rated as a democracy raised eyebrows in some circles. Again from Wikipedia: The summits guestlist was criticized for inviting participants based on the political interests of the United States, not on its democracy ratings. University of Sydney politics professor John Keane said the guestlist was a cynically drawn up, bureaucratically crafted, agency-structured invitation list that includes states that by any measure are falling way down the democracy rankings or arent democracies at all. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, accused of crimes against humanity, accepted President Bidens invitation to join the Summit for Democracy. According to ICHRP Chairperson Peter Murphy, Dutertes reign of terror and mass murder, which have provoked an ICC investigation of crimes against humanity, would seem to disqualify him from providing advice on anything except fascist populism, repression and human rights violations. Despite several democracy watchdogs calling Brazil a backsliding democracy, Indonesia and Nigeria as other types of democracy, and Pakistan as a banana republic, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari participated in the Summit for Democracy, while former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, though invited, did not. Most Financial Times readers should have a passing acquaintance with Americas insincere record as a bulwark of democracy, even before getting to the short history of this event. But we are following in the evangelizing footsteps of Britain, which despite its murderous and rapacious ways, justified its conduct in the name of bringing civilization and Christianity to the heathens. The US has taken to promoting its version of human rights, while various commentators have pointed out that Russias vision of a multipolar world features more tolerance for different political and social systems. And thats before getting to how old Christian schisms are coming to the fore. From former Indian diplomat M. K. Bhadrakumar in Indian Punchline: The Ukraine conflict has dimensions ranging from geopolitics to geoeconomics. But the subterranean eddy of animate religious passions eludes the casual non-Christian observer. A remark recently by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic that 85% of his countrys residents will always support Russia, come what may, called attention to the paradigm. But religious cleavages in Christianity, when it overlaps with racial divides particularly, are a highly sensitive matter that is never allowed to climb up from the attic [cellar?] to the living room. Religious bigotry in the Christian world has caused more bloodshed than any other issue in history. The Euro-Atlantic Christian countries have a gory past. They fought wars for the spread of their religion in faraway lands and also tore each other apart over their sectarian passions or even for pursuit of carnal pleasures, as in the case of the Anglican Church. Christianity has turned out to be the most violent religion out of the three Abrahamic religions. The reluctance of Muslim countries and Israel to take sides in the Ukraine conflict is very striking and it is understandable, as Islam and Judaism have immensely suffered from Christian bigotry historically. The ensuing unspeakable sufferings through vast corridors of time up to the modern times are embedded deep in the Muslim and Jewish psycheracial prejudices come easily to Christian countries, beneath their veneer of modernity. The feud within Christianity began intensifying in the recent decade or two with Russias resurgence under Putins leadership, when Russian Orthodox Church entered a golden era of state patronage. The Euro-Atlantic countries are in a quandary. They are already in panic as the locus of world power shifts inexorably towards the East. They fear that as the Eastern Church and Holy Russia surge, they would also become the backwaters of Christianity. That may seem a bit long-winded, but helps illustrate that the American democracy branding signposts a good deal more that is not necessarily attractive to other countries. Now back to Luce. His article starts out with a remarkable rewrite of history: If the US has taken to heart one big lesson in the 21st century, it is that democracy is not created at gunpoint. The 20th anniversary of the Iraq invasion reminded Americans of that. Um, just because Saddam was a dictator does not mean that the US regime change project in Iraq had bringing democracy to ordinary Iraqis as a leading objective. Indeed, the at a gunpoint implies that democracy can be imposed externally.which means it sure aint the will of the people but a political project, and awfully colonial-seeming. A striking feature of Luces article is the way he points out some of the US hypocrisies, like inviting Israel, while blandly repeating some Western media smears against other countries, particularly India.1 And then we get: Bidens aims are noble.But the presidents means are open to doubt. According to V-Dem, a Swedish research institute, almost three quarters of the worlds population now live in autocracies against less than half a decade ago. That vertiginous shift justifies the term democratic recession. It is difficult to believe a liberal democratic Russia would have invaded Ukraine. It is equally hard to imagine the people of an autocratic Ukraine fighting as fiercely for their freedom as they are doing now. It is thus reasonable for the US to think that spreading democracy is in its national interest. The problem is that America is not very good at it. Please have a gander through the V-Dem report. You dont have to get very far to find eyebrow raisers like: What Autocrats Attack Censorship of the media and repression of CSOs [civil society organizations] increases and academic freedom declines in more than 25 of the autocratizing countries. Academic and cultural freedom, and freedom of discussion also rank among the top institutions attacked by autocratiz-ing rulers. Disinformation, Polarization, and Autocratization Disinformation, polarization, and autocratization reinforce each other. Topdemocratizersconverselyreducethespreadofdisinfor- mation substantially, and to some extent also polarization. And how is this not happening in the West, with policing of discourse over Covid and the Ukraine war, and now in the US on social matters like trans correctness? And how about other overtly authoritarian actions, like Macron abusing emergency powers to ram through deeply unpopular pension reforms, or German foreign minister Annelina Baerbock saying that supporting Ukraine was more important than German domestic needs and what German voters wanted? Or European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen acting like the Queen of Europe and regularly running roughshod over national leaders? It is also remarkable that the West refuses to acknowledge that Putin is elected democratically, and until the war in Ukraine cemented national opinion behind him, had to very much worry about the support of the 20-25% middle class, which cared very much about their living standards and not much else. Having them turn against Putin would have made it difficult for him to continue in office. The Russian presidency is admittedly more powerful than similar offices in the West, but my understanding (and readers may correct me) is that concentration of power dates from the Yeltsin era; Putins big addition was the admittedly too-cute move of getting a Constitutional change allowing him to serve in office for more than two terms.2 Similarly, the historically-minded will know, as Big Serge covers in detail in his recent post Apocalypse: Operation Barbarossa, that the supposedly demotived-because-authoritarian-system Soviets under Stalin were ferocious Nazi fighters. And what about the Japanese under Emperor Hirohito? The US justification for its nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was that the Japanese were so committed, um, brainwashed that a US invasion of Japan would have resulted in high losses on the Allies side. Back to Luce: Nowhere has the US expended more guns and butter than in the Middle East. The democratic returns have been almost uniformly negative. The only unqualified success in US democracy promotion was the Marshall Plan for postwar Europe. Again, huh? France had bridled under Vichy; the Allies managed to find and promote a resistance leader, Charles de Gaulle, who had the capacity to lead a nation. The US occupied Germany and was actively involved in who took national and even local office and was aggressive about deNazifying. That well predates the Marshall Plan of 1948. Oh and as for democratic successes, what about Spanish dictator Francisco Franco, who was in power until 1975? Hes politely ignored because, as Richard Nixon remarked after his death, General Franco was a loyal friend and ally of the United States. The rest of the article pearl-clutches that the US isnt doing very well with the Global South and notes that China has pumped more money into the developing world than all the west combined. I have to confess to repeating the intellectually lazy Global South formulation, since clearly there are many distinctions in that group. Im hoping more useful characterizations arise. But the US officialdom in trying to win them over should not be falling back on such big generalizations. In any event, I suspect a large reason the US is not doing very well is bigotry. The US simply cant take non-white, or even definitionally non-white people as seriously as it should. For instance, the unwarranted US and EU assumption of superiority over Russia was based not just on long-standing, badly dated Soviet stereotypes, but also on negative views of Slavs.despite Russias long-standing top performance in mathematics and physics. Were likely to see even more unwitting displays of Western attitudes that helped get us in our present decline. One bit of good news here is enough pink paper readers werent buying what Luce was trying to sell that it wasnt until well into the comments on his piece that the first instance of Putin Derangement Syndrome occurred. That means a fair number of readers were actually considering the arguments rather than falling back on their (not always great) reflexes. _____ 1 For instance, India is in the process of jailing opposition leader Rahul Gandhi on a trumped up defamation ruling. Indian Financial Times readers complained loudly in comments, pointing out that the judicial process was fair, but Ganhdis counsel did an appallingly poor job in court. 2 In the Oliver Stone interview, Putin acknowledged that Russia had a ways to go in the democracy category, but pointed out Russia had had top-down systems until the fall of the USSR, and it takes time for democratic systems to develop. He also cited a number of steps the government had taken to increase citizen input and control. I do not currently have access to the transcript of the interview to see if Stone and Robert Scheer footnoted Putin as accurate on these claims or not. Lambert here: Is there no end to the wonders of crypto? By Audrey Carleton, an award-winning environmental journalist who has written for Capital and Main, VICE, Grist, the Guardian, Earther, Vox, The Globe and Mail, and others. Cross-posted from DeSmog. Longhorn Pad C is located about half a mile south of a small cemetery and a little over a mile north of a Methodist church in Elk County, in northwestern Pennsylvania. With a population of around 30,000, this county sits squarely in the center of the path the Marcellus Shale formation takes as it curves through the commonwealth. The lonely well pad houses four natural gas wells that records show were initially drilled in 2011 but sat inactive for years after that. Now, it also houses infrastructure designed to mine cryptocurrency, which, according to a comment filed by the surrounding townships Board of Supervisors, hums loudly enough to have solicited numerous noise complaints from residents. Though it has applied for them, the company behind this operation has yet to receive the permits it is required by law to construct or operate the engines to power a cryptocurrency mine. After a recent inspection, the [Department of Environmental Protection] DEP has determined that Diversified was in violation, said Tom Decker, community relations coordinator at the DEPs Northwest Regional Office, as it had installed equipment for its cryptocurrency operations prior to the issuance of a plan approval issued by the Department. The company is required by law to obtain a plan approval from DEP prior to installation and operation of the air contamination sources, Decker said. Installation of the equipment without a plan approval could lead to enforcement action by the DEP. The pad is owned by a fossil fuel operator thats come under fire in recent years for purchasing tens of thousands of low-producing oil and gas wells without a clear business motive and for making unrealistic budget projections that minimize the true cost of plugging, critics say. In doing so, it has amassed the largest portfolio of old, low-producing wells in Appalachia. That operator is Diversified Energy Company PLC, the parent company to Diversified Production LLC, which recently applied for a permit with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to add five natural gas-powered engines and one generator to the well pad with the intention of mining cryptocurrency. What the operators permit application does not disclose is that Diversified would go on to prematurely install cryptocurrency infrastructure on the pad, and while the DEP reported that it was not operational on the day of a March 1 site visit, the department confirmed that the operator had installed one engine and two trailers holding cryptocurrency mining computers in violation of environmental law. According to the township that houses the site, its already showing signs of running. We are aware that Diversified Production has installed small engines on the gas well sites to generate cryptocurrency, Jay Townships Board of Supervisors wrote in a comment to the DEP in January. We have received many complaints on the noise disturbance of these engines. The engines will power whats called wellhead mining, in which a cryptocurrency data center is powered directly by an oil or gas well. This pad appears to be the first of its kind in Pennsylvania to go through a formal permitting process for the practice, which is gaining prominence throughout the Keystone State, home to hundreds of thousands of abandoned wells and rich methane stores. It is not clear when Diversified installed cryptocurrency equipment on the pad without a permit. A DEP inspection report from June 2022 notes that the operator is installing equipment to resume cryptocurrency mining operations using the production from four producing Marcellus shale wells on the pad. Another one filed in August 2022 includes photos of large trailers that, according to the DEP, currently house cryptocurrency equipment. A DEP representative told Capital & Main that the department did not learn that the equipment was installed until mid-February. Given Diversifieds history, this is not a surprise, said Charles McPhedran, a senior attorney with Earthjustice and co-author of a comment opposing Diversifieds cryptocurrency permit application to the DEP. The question is whether DEP can make a forceful response to rogue crypto operators. This new use for old wells, which has in recent years proliferated in other major oil and gas states including Texas, could extend fossil fuel production in Pennsylvania and threaten to stall progress toward its climate goals, including an aim to reduce the commonwealths greenhouse gas emissions by 26% below 2005 levels by 2025. The emissions intensity of Bitcoin, which is mined via data centers that can plug into the electrical grid or directly into energy sources, as Diversified proposes, is larger than that of some countries. As states grapple with the need to transition from fossil fuels, environmentalists fear that attaching new cryptocurrency operations to untapped or otherwise dying energy sources will only extend their life. Longhorn Pad C appears to be a perfect example, per Capital & Mains review of public records relating to the pad. A handful of environmental groups in Pennsylvania first took note of Diversifieds proposal in December, when the DEP announced in the state bulletin its intention to approve the operators request, soliciting public comments on the matter. In January, staff from the Clean Air Council, Earthjustice and PennFuture filed a comment arguing against issuing the permit entirely in part because of discrepancies on the permit application; in part because of the noise pollution that such data centers are known to cause; in part because the emissions intensity of cryptocurrency data mining is threatening to set back decades of climate progress; but primarily because, by the operators own admission, it has unresolved environmental violations at 19 other oil and gas sites. What the commenters didnt know at the time was that the operator had jumped the gun and installed cryptocurrency infrastructure while awaiting the proper permits. The pad also appears to follow the exact trend environmentalists fear when it comes to the use of stranded fossil fuel assets for cryptocurrency: It sat inactive for years before Diversified bought it, saw low production volumes once online and was primed for cryptocurrency a few months into its productive life. According to the DEP, Diversified acquired Longhorn Pad C in September of 2021 from another prominent Marcellus operator, EQT, with which the company has been accused of playing hot potato with abandoned oil and gas wells. EQT was initially permitted for the well pad in 2010, DEP records show. But it was unproductive for nearly 10 years after being spud (in which the initial drillings for an oil or gas well are made) in 2011, according to records reviewed by Capital & Main but compiled by the Capitol Forum, an investigative news and analysis organization. Per the DEP, the well pad was placed on inactive status for that duration. After it sat undrilled for all that time, the well pad came online in December of 2021, according to the DEP, after Diversified acquired it three months earlier, and was active for about six months before its new owner applied for permits that would give it a second life as a cryptocurrency mine in May of 2022. The well pads production volumes have remained relatively low since Diversified began drilling from it, totalling less than 90,000 cubic feet of natural gas for all four wells over all of 2022, Capitol Forums records show. The Internal Revenue Service defines a marginal, or low-producing, natural gas well to be one that generates less than 90,000 cubic feet per day. The timing of Diversifieds permit application, coupled with the well pads years of inactivity and recent meager production volumes, could indicate that it might have otherwise been a good candidate for decommissioning and has since been thrown a lifeline. That is Diversifieds business model. They acquire underperforming assets and try to squeeze as much value out of them as possible, said Daniel Sherwood, an editor at the Capitol Forum whose meticulously compiled database of production and financial records on the fossil fuel industry has also informed several critical reports by the nonprofit environmental think tank the Ohio River Valley Institute arguing that Diversified is employing questionable, potentially climate-threatening business practices. [Diversified] describes its strategy as acquiring low-cost, long-life, low-decline oil and gas wells that previous owners found uneconomic, an April 2022 report from the Ohio River Valley Institute reads. Should the company find itself unable to plug these wells, Taxpayers could be left with a massive bill for cleaning up the wells that Diversified leaves behind, as well as an ongoing discharge of climate-warming greenhouse gases. Diversifieds installation of a cryptocurrency mine comes as the commonwealth reckons with its abandoned well crisis. Environmental groups have warned that the practices of companies like this one, which is buying stranded and low-producing assets and assuming liability for plugging them based on questionable calculations, will do little to lessen this crisis. In other parts of the state, cryptocurrency miners are plugging directly into natural gas wellheads, old coal mines and former steel plants could orphaned or low-producing wells offer Bitcoin a new frontier? The cryptocurrency industry appears to be positioning itself to solve the abandoned well crisis by assuming liability for low-producing wells and their plugging costs only after using them to mine cryptocurrency via the proof-of-work (POW) algorithm for the rest of their productive lives. Via the POW algorithm, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) miners mint new coins by competing with brute force guessing to solve a mathematical equation. This process is extremely energy intensive and, critics argue, wasteful by design. A small nonprofit lobbying group called the Satoshi Action Fund believes Bitcoin could, in fact, be an environmental cleanup machine for states with swaths of abandoned wells; by hooking up to wells that are already leaking methane, a potent greenhouse gas, to power a revenue-generating task, places like Pennsylvania can begin to take small bites out of their orphaned well numbers, founder Dennis Porter told Capital & Main. The organization has drafted sample legislation for states endeavoring to streamline the process for doing so. Dubbed the Orphaned Well Bitcoin Mining Partnership Program, the bill which can be tweaked between states mandates that state departments of environmental protection create programs that partner with Bitcoin miners to offer them liability for the states abandoned wells, as well as federal funds from well-plugging initiatives created by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The bill has already been introduced in Oklahoma, Mississippi and Texas. Environmentalists caution that going this route will only extend the lifeline of fossil fuel assets that are in desperate need of retirement. In the long term, they argue, adding cryptocurrency facilities to dying oil wells will further entrench us in fossil fuel dependency by creating newfound demand for oil and gas. Crypto has the specter of restarting fossil [fuel] in Pennsylvania, McPhedran said. Were a state that has seen a lot of harmful effects from coal and gas, and we dont need a new way to use fossil fuels. A Diversified spokesperson told Capital & Main that the company endeavors to minimize its environmental footprint while providing clean energy to communities. The company told Capital & Main it believes it is in compliance with environmental law. Diversified takes pride in the responsible stewardship model we have built, where we focus on improving and managing producing natural gas and oil wells from acquisition through retirement, Diversifieds spokesperson said. Robert Routh, public policy and regulatory attorney at Clean Air Council, who co-authored the comment with McPhedran and Rob Altenburg, senior director for energy and climate at PennFuture, notes that the true volume of cryptocurrency mining across Pennsylvania has proven difficult to track, because some miners avert the permitting process entirely, attaching data centers to wells in remote areas for varying lengths of time without regulators ever taking note. Perhaps the most famous local instance of this took place in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, in January 2022, when a DEP inspector stopped by a natural gas well site owned by Big Dog Energy only to find that the company had installed data centers and accompanying generators on it without authorization. The mobility and the remoteness of some of these operations occurring at well sites in Pennsylvania makes them and their pollution extremely difficult to quantify, Routh says. But local communities around these sites are beginning to notice. Just 14 miles from Longhorn Pad C, the township of St. Marys recently adopted a zoning ordinance for future cryptocurrency projects that requires all future mines to be set at least 100 feet from a street or property boundary, to stay within a maximum sound level and to produce evidence that they wont adversely affect the citys electrical grid or Wi-Fi connections. A zoning officer with the city told Capital & Main that the City Council was prompted to pass the ordinance in part in response to Diversifieds cryptocurrency permit application. And in Jay Township, the Board of Supervisors is urging the DEP to account for noise limitations as it considers permits for Longhorn Pad C. What efforts are being made to reduce the unreasonable noise beyond the property line? they wrote in their comment. The DEP has yet to issue a permit for the well, but if it does, that would be against the law, argue the comment authors, who believe the operators unaddressed environmental violations would render it ineligible for new permits under the states Air Pollution Control Act. The DEPs Decker did not comment on how Diversifieds premature installation of equipment would affect its pending permit application. We can only say that it is a violation and DEP could take enforcement action in cases where it becomes known, he said. News / National by Simbarashe Sithole Two Chiweshe-based cops who connived with a drug dealer in destroying evidence of cannabis sold to a schoolboy were convicted yesterday by Concession magistrate Joshua Nembaware.The trio Robert Magunhu, David Tawanda Hama from Chombira police station and drug dealer Loveness Tsoora were remanded in custody to April 26 for sentencing.Prosecutor Munyaradzi Nengomasha told the court that on January 31 a form four pupil at Nyachuru (name withheld) bought a twist of dagga from Tsoorai and went to school.He was caught smoking by the school head who accompanied the boy to the police station and filed a police report.Hama and Muza went to Tsoora's house and conducted a search and discovered a 5-litre container full of dagga twists.On their way to the police station, they tempered with the dagga and only two twists were said to have been found in Tsoorai's possession hence they fined her at station level.The fine triggered a public outcry and an investigation led to the arrest of the trio. On Thursday (30 March 2023), NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana and UK Minister for Defence Procurement Alex Chalk opened the first regional office of NATOs Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) at the Imperial College London Innovation Hub. Located in the White City Innovation District, the European office of DIANA, an independent NATO body, is hosted in the United Kingdom in partnership with Estonia and will be supported by a regional hub in Tallinn. A North America regional office will also open in Canada and complement the DIANA structure. I am delighted that Imperial Colleges White City Campus will host the first of DIANAs regional offices, said Mr Geoana at the opening ceremony. Imperials Innovation Hub already co-locates major defence contractors, innovators and researchers alongside UK and US government defence innovation accelerators, making it the ideal place to start this exciting new initiative, he added. During the event, NATOs Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges and DIANAs interim Managing Director David Van Weel symbolically passed the baton on to the incoming Managing Director, Professor Deeph Chana (hyperlink to the biographical notes and photo below). DIANA was launched at the NATO Brussels Summit in 2021. It aims to harness dual-use commercial technologies for defence and security purposes. It will focus on the nine emerging and disruptive technologies of priority to NATO: artificial intelligence, data, autonomy, quantum-enabled technologies, biotechnology, hypersonics, space, novel materials and manufacturing, and energy and propulsion. The first DIANA pilot activities will start in the autumn of 2023. DIANAs network brings together over 100 deep-tech test centres and start-up accelerators from across the Alliance. It will be complemented by NATOs Innovation Fund, the worlds first multi-sovereign venture capital fund, which will invest 1 billion euros over 15 years in start-ups developing or adapting technologies to defence and security. ---------------------------------- Dr. Deeph Chana, Managing Director, Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) The inception of NATOs Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic could not come at a more appropriate moment. The world including the global security environment is evolving rapidly, and the Atlantic Alliance must quickly adapt to keep pace. DIANA will work to foster dual-use innovation eco-systems in Allied countries, and to ensure that NATO is technologically prepared to defend a billion citizens tomorrow and in the years to come. Professor Deeph Chana joins DIANA as its first Managing Director on 11 April 2023, bringing extensive experience of working with world-leading academia, industry and government in the areas of technology, science and engineering, most recently as Co-Director of the Institute for Security Science and Technology in Imperial College Business School. For the past three years he chaired the NATO Advisory Group on Emerging and Disruptive Technologies. Professor Chana is the founder of a STEM consultancy specialising in enterprise technology and critical-infrastructure applications and has been involved in numerous successful commercial technology projects in the private sector. He previously worked as a senior science and technology official within the UK Government, delivered advice to four Secretaries of State, and served as chairman on numerous high-profile national and international technology working groups. Professor Chana has established national and international research calls in science and technology and has acted as a board member and bid reviewer for programmes in the Home Office, the US Department of Homeland Security, and the EUs Framework Programme for Research. He holds MSci and PhD degrees in Physics from Kings College London. On 30-31 March 2023, the NATO Deputy Secretary General, Mr. Mircea Geoana, will visit London. On Thursday, 30 March 2023, Mr. Geoana will meet the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Europe of the United Kingdom, Mr. Leo Docherty. He will also inaugurate the European regional office of NATOs Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) along with the Minister of State for Defence Procurement of the United Kingdom, Mr. Alex Chalk. On the same day, Mr. Geoana will give a lecture on Great Power Competition in an Era of Disruptive Technologies at the annual Vincent Brusico panel of Imperial College London. On Friday, 31 March 2023, he will have a conversation at the Wheeler Institute for Business and Development at London Business School. Media advisory 30 March, 18:30 19:30 (CET) The NATO Deputy Secretary General will give a Vincent Briscoe Lecture on Great Power Competition in an Era of Disruptive Technologies 31 March, 14:00 15:30 (CET) The NATO Deputy Secretary General will have a conversation at London Business School Media coverage The lecture will be broadcast live here. More information about the lecture is available on the website of the Imperial College London. The conversation at the London Business School will be available for registration via Zoom. More information is available on the website. Photographs will be available on the NATO website after the events. For more information: Contact the NATO Press Office Follow us on Twitter (@NATO, @Mircea_Geoana and @NATOPress). (Natural News) George Online CEO Dave Blaze called for an end to the college and university student loan racket. I think that the whole racket needs to come to an end. The racket is that these colleges and universities that are churning out nothing more than unwitting socialists and communists need to stop obtaining funds through a student, he told Gene Ho of About George during the shows March 23 episode. The co-founder of The Blaze Team and Blaze Web Services noted that students going to medical school were spending $60,000 to $90,000 per semester for four years, followed by post-graduate work and residency at a hospital. These students are saddled with education debt and must pay their debt when they get a job offer from a hospital. The hospital gives you a contract where youre going to work at the hospital as a resident doctor, emergency room, whatever it is, and they will pay you a certain salary and so forth. So now you have enough money to pay back, start making payments on your debt to the university. But now also the hospital gets to fully dictate to you their policies, Blaze explained. And you as a physician must follow the hospitals policies as opposed to maybe making suggestions and prescriptions for the patients that you feel are in the best for that particular patient. Youre not allowed to do that you have to follow the hospital policy or youre out on your behind. And now you have all that debt to continue to deal with. Blaze pointed out that this is the horrible racket the student loans are actually bringing forward. He claimed these colleges and universities are wiping out that debt and starting from scratch. The George Online CEO added that they are getting the money through endowments from former student corporations or government funding and government loans to colleges and universities. Blaze: People paying their student loans forced into BANKRUPTCY According to Blaze, the whole college-university student loan thing is a giant money-making racket, and if they want to stay in business they should beg money from corporations, former students, endowments or other ways they could get their funds. He also said these colleges and universities are getting the money because the government funds it. The Blaze Team and Blaze Web Services co-founder said these people who are paying their student loans are also being forced into bankruptcy. Meanwhile, program co-host Rachel Writeside Blonde commented she totally disagrees with student loans being forgiven. She pointed out that a college or a high school graduate has a choice between going into the trades, getting a real estate license or going to college. (Related: Shocking number of college students think their student loans will be forgiven.) The executive managing editor of George Online said they would have to take a training. If they fail at it, no one will come and bail them out because it is a choice that they had made. According to her, it is a risk that students take to go to college and to pay that money. She noted that American parents are now waking up to the fact that college is not the only option. They are starting to see that the student loan is a kind of scam to get young people to go and spend tens of thousands of dollars they will pay off until they turn 40. Its crazy that people are wanting to get that forgiven, Writeside Blonde said. Follow EducationSystem.news for more news about American colleges and universities. Watch the March 23 episode of About George that discusses student loans below. This video is from the AMPNews channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Navy offering up to $65,000 to pay off student loans of recruits as enlistment figures continue to decline. Katie Petrick and David Fiorazo discuss study that says majority of students find college too difficult. Bidens plan to write off student loans using post-9/11 national emergency law is a form of political posturing Massive student loan fraud scam: 99.8% of repayment data fraudulently altered by schools. HIGHER EDUCATION ROBBERY: American taxpayers will be forced to pay an average of $2500 each if student loans are canceled. Sources include: Brighteon.com AmericanMediaPeriscope.com (Natural News) The Department of Energy (DOE) has announced new rules for using air conditioners and air cleaners, claiming that these would make the two appliances more efficient. According to a March 23 press release by the DOE, it has already finalized new energy-efficient standards for window air conditioners and portable air cleaners. It argued that the new rules will save American families and consumers approximately $1.5 billion per year on their electricity bills. Moreover, the DOE claimed that the new guidelines will significantly cut pollution by reducing harmful carbon dioxide emissions by 106 million metric tons over 30 years. The rules for air cleaners will be implemented in 2024, while those for air conditioners will be implemented in 2026. They are expected to cost manufacturers a total of about $82.1 million upon taking effect. The DOEs guidelines did not sit well with some parties who commented on the proposal. The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) blasted the guidelines as too stringent and warned of their negative, disproportionate impact on low-income households. It also urged the Energy Department to reassess parts of its analysis with respect to proposed standard levels. The announcement came amid Washingtons regulations of different appliances, most notably for gas stoves. Alexander Hoehn-Saric, chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, remarked back in January that his agency is not looking to ban gas stoves and has no proceeding to do so. However, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm told lawmakers during a March 23 hearing that gas stove regulation is indeed coming. She also denounced alleged misinformation about the regulations on the appliances, albeit not specifying what it is. It certainly doesnt say that anybody would have their gas stove taken away, Granholm said. She also clarified that about half the gas stoves that are currently on the market wont be impacted, and that high-end gas stoves with their oval-shaped burners and heavier grates will most likely be regulated. New guidelines sacrifice efficiency in favor of imaginary fight against climate change Prior to the measures centering on air conditioners and air cleaners, the DOE proposed several rules with regard to washing machines. The agencys guidelines sought to reduce washing machines water consumption at the cost of cleaning efficiency. This essentially meant that Americans would have to wear dirty and stinky clothes, even though they were washed, in the name of fighting climate change. (Related: Energy Departments proposed washing machine guidelines a dirty deal for Americans.) A spokesman for the Energy Department told Fox News that the guidelines would not reduce product performance or negatively impact cleaning ability or cycle time. Despite misleading claims to the contrary, these proposals are intended for nothing more than promoting innovation and keeping money in the pockets of Americans everywhere without sacrificing the reliability and performance that consumers expect and rely on. Leading appliance makers such as Whirlpool did not take too kindly to the Energy Departments guidelines. They pointed out in public comments to the proposal that the mandates would force them to reduce cleaning performance just to comply with the new rules. This could lead to more expensive detergent and appliance prices, longer cycle times and inefficient clothes washing. AHAM also put in its two cents, warning that the proposed guidelines would have a disproportionate, negative impact on low-income households by eliminating cheaper appliances from the market. It added that most appliances covered under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 now operate at peak efficiency, and that putting additional climate change compliance guidelines is unlikely to provide meaningful energy savings and could put performance at risk. Travis Fisher, senior research fellow at Heritage Foundation Center for Energy, Climate and Environment, said manufacturers concerns over the DOEs guidelines are justified. When youre squeezing all you can out of the efficiency in terms of electricity use and water you, by definition, either make the appliance worse or slower, he told the Washington Free Beacon. Why are we so focused on the energy output as opposed to if its helping me wash my clothes? That standard has kind of gone off the rails. They keep tightening the standards, and Im not sure their reasoning makes sense anymore. Watch Glenn Beck expound on why the federal governments gas stove ban is a right-wing conspiracy proven true. This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: NO ENERGY FOR YOU! SF Bay Area to phase out heating appliances powered by natural gas. Now the climate greenies are going after natural gas, want it eliminated from homes nationwide. Guess whos really behind the anti-gas stove crusade? The World Economic Forum (and their Democrat lackeys.) Latest fake science from White House claims gas stoves cause brain damage but the REAL damage comes from high-voltage power lines feeding electric stoves. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com Energy.gov FoxNews.com FreeBeacon.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) Many live-feed CCTV cameras in major urban centers in developed nations are fitted with facial recognition software that can detect and identify individual human faces. This tech can even be upgraded with artificial intelligence (AI) enhancement. Governments claim this technology is only used against a predetermined watchlist, but the tech always gets accused of being unlawful and unethical by privacy advocates. (Related: AI surveillance tech can find out who your friends are.) In the world of fashion, Italian clothing brand Cap_able is attempting to fight back against the encroachment of AI facial recognition technology. The company started offering its first collection of knitted garments that shields the wearer from being identified by facial recognition software in AI cameras without the need to cover the wearers face. The need to protect the individual from the abuse of new artificial intelligence technologies is felt more and more and the doubts about its ethical sustainability in the long term are still many, wrote the company on its website. There are plenty of reasons why people might not want to be tracked by widespread facial recognition technology for most folk, its a pretty dystopian thought that governments worldwide now have access to systems that can identify and profile you simply using footage from surveillance cameras, wrote Loz Blain for the New Atlas. And even in countries where governments have sworn they wont use it, the tech is just as available to corporations, who can and will use it to target you. Clothing includes patterns that can fool AI cameras Cap_able designed its clothing with patterns known as adversarial patches, which can deceive facial recognition software in real time. Designed by co-founders Federica Busani and Rachele Didero, who made the patterns for her doctorate at the University of Milan, the collection uses a range of patterns that can look strange or flamboyant to the human eye. Didero and Busani created the collection following nine months of research and testing various images, algorithms, knitting machines and materials. But the trick is that these patterns incorporate details and cues that can trigger AI systems into writing off the entire person either as undetectable or as something that is not human. The AI could be tricked into believing the person wearing the clothing is a zebra, dog or giraffe, preventing them from bothering to even analyze and find a match for the persons face. Didero tested the designs using the You Only Look Once (YOLO) algorithm, a neural net-based object detection system capable of rapidly classifying objects in real-time video and recognizing faces when trained using a database of photos. Cap_ables technology helps to safeguard privacy and the protection of personal data, defending citizens who choose to wear its garments from intrusion into their individual life, wrote the company. Cap_able converts the digital adversarial patches into 3D knitted textiles using a single yarn, which Didero said are necessary because it allows the company to control the material of the single yarn and work on the final texture while maintaining the adversarial properties of the patches. In a world where data is the new oil, Cap_able addresses the issue of privacy, opening the discussion on the importance of protecting against the misuse of biometric recognition cameras a problem, if neglected, could freeze the rights of the individual including freedom of expression, association and free movement in public spaces, said Didero. Choosing what to wear is the first act of communication we perform every day. A choice that can be the vehicle of our values. One big downside of the clothing is the cost. Cap_ables garments range between 370 to 640 euros a piece ($400 to $693), before any discounts. Learn more about advancements in surveillance technology at Surveillance.news. Watch this clip from The JD Rucker Show as host JD Rucker talks about how burgeoning co-appearance technology is fast-tracking the development of AI facial recognition technology. This video is from the channel JD Rucker on Brighteon.com. More related stories: FBI has been testing facial recognition software on Americans for YEARS without their knowledge or consent. House passes bill requiring companies to inform consumers if their smart devices have cameras or microphones. East Palestine launched MyID emergency service to surveil locals biometrics data just one week before train derailment. CDC surveillance program allows government to track unvaccinated people when they see their doctors, go to the hospital. Mastercard rolls out payment system that uses FACIAL RECOGNITION technology. Sources include: The-Sun.com PetaPixel.com NewAtlas.com Dezeen.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) The cult of transgender delusion nearly murdered a woman this week for stating publicly that a biological male is not, and can never be, a woman. Womens rights activist Posie Parker appeared in New Zealands Albert Park to deliver a speech about what it means to be a woman. Citing biology and science, Parker clarified, in essence that cutting off ones genitals and putting on a wig and an ugly dress does not a woman make. For telling the truth, Parker was attacked by an angry mob, which threw placards, water, and tomato soup all over her. Parker had to be escorted off the stage and out of the vicinity for her own safety after huge men screamed insults and expletives in her face. I genuinely thought that if I fell to the floor, I would never get up again, Parker revealed about the horrific incident. My children would lose their mother and my husband would lose his wife. Watch the video footage below, which was captured the moment that Parker had to be escorted away from the rally for her own safety: #WATCH RNZs Jordan Dunn captured the moment that Posie Parker was escorted away from the rally. The counter-protest crowd gathered in Albert Park this morning before Parkers speech, and made a cacophany of noise to drown her speech out. ? https://t.co/a9ZWNhKuDn pic.twitter.com/yFQm9yrJ7A RNZ (@radionz) March 25, 2023 (Related: A few years back, a trans activist called Alok Vaid-Menon stated that it thinks little girls are kinky.) No, a biological male can never be a woman Parkers crime was to state in public that a woman is an adult human female and nothing else. No amount of play-pretend or delusional mental illness can ever change that fact, despite what the most vocal and violent trans extremists claim. Next time youre reading a history book and find yourself wondering how Salem came to be consumed by such swirling hysteria, watch the clips of Posies persecution in New Zealand. This is how it happens, wrote Brendan ONeill for The Spectator about the disturbing incident. This is how the fear of witches can overrule reason and unleash the darkest, most punitive passions of the mob. Parker, whose real name is Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, is a well-known figurehead who defends real women and the biology that defines them. She does not accept the trans delusions that are sweeping the West, and because of this she is hated by the trans cult. Parker regularly organizes public events called Let Women Speak across not only New Zealand but also Australia, the United Kingdom, and even parts of the United States. For the past several weeks, her focus has been on Australia and New Zealand. She thinks a man never becomes a woman, no matter how many hormones he takes or surgeries he undergoes, ONeill explained about what Parker believes. She thinks if you were born male, you will die male, and in the time in between you have no right whatsoever to enter any women-only space. This is heresy. Dissenting from the gospel of gender ideology is to the 21st century what dissenting from the actual gospels was to the 15th. And so Parker must be punished. It was a modern-day stoning, so mercifully they only threw soup and water and planks of cardboard at the blasphemer. While most of the U.S. is thankfully of the same mindset as Parker, things are moving in the wrong direction, especially when those opposed to the truth are becoming public school teachers who make it their mission to indoctrinate the next generation into rejecting biology, science, and truth. The latest news about the trans cults violent tendencies can be found at Transhumanism.news. Sources for this article include: Spectator.co.uk NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Rocker Peter Frampton tweeted his support for gun ban Monday just hours after a 28-year-old woman opened fire in a Nashville area Christian school. (Article by AWR Hawkins republished from Breitbart.com) Breitbart News reported that a female attacker shot and killed three students and three adults at Covenant School Monday morning. The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department indicated that the woman was armed with multiple firearms. Peter Frampton responded to the shooting by tweeting. I have posted this before but .. 26 years ago, a gunman entered Dunblane Primary School in Scotland, killing 16 kids and a teacher. The UK govt responded by enacting tight gun control legislation. In the 9400+ days since, there have been a total of O school shootings in the UK. Peter Frampton (@peterframpton) March 27, 2023 Frampton did not mention that a surge in attacks with bladed weapons, like knives, followed the adoption of restrictive gun controls in the UK. For example, on January 11, 2023, the UK Parliaments House of Commons Library published information showing In the year ending March 2022, there were around 45,000 (selected) offenses involving a knife or sharp instrument in England and Wales (excluding Greater Manchester Police Force). This was 9% higher than in 2020/21 and 34% higher than in 2010/11. The House of Commons Library also noted In the year ending March 2022 there were 261 homicides (currently recorded) using a sharp instrument, including knives and broken bottles. On February 9, 2023, the Press Association pointed out that the number of people killed with a knife in England and Wales in 2021/22 was the highest on record for 76 years. Read more at: Breitbart.com (Natural News) The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will reestablish diplomatic relations with the Syrian Arab Republic, according to sources with knowledge of the matter. Reuters reported on March 23 that Riyadh and Damascus have agreed to reopen their embassies after cutting diplomatic ties more than 10 years ago. Several Western and Arab states severed ties with Syria when the countrys civil war broke out in 2011. A Syrian source told the outlet that the reopening of both embassies is scheduled after the Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr. Another source, a Gulf diplomat, confirmed the move adding that it was the result of a senior Syrian intelligence officials efforts in the kingdom. Saudi state television later seconded that talks were ongoing between the respective foreign ministries of the kingdom and Syria, citing an official from the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). The warming of ties between Syria and Saudi Arabia was a stark contrast from 2011. The U.S. and several of its Middle Eastern allies including Saudi Arabia and Qatar backed some of the Syrian rebels. Meanwhile, Iran and Russia backed the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad who managed to stomp out the insurgency across most of the country. Washington has opposed moves by countries in the Middle East to normalize ties with Assad, citing his governments brutality during the conflict. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State said the countrys stance on normalization remains unchanged, and encouraged other nations not to resume ties with Damascus. The MOFA, the Saudi governments communication office and the Syrian government did not respond to requests for comment. Prior to Saudi Arabia reestablishing ties with Syria, the United Arab Emirates spearheaded efforts to do so. It reopened its embassy in Damascus in 2018, arguing that Arab countries needed more of a presence in resolving the Syrian conflict. Emirati officials recently welcomed Assad and his wife in the capital Abu Dhabi. Riyadh, Tehran also reestablish ties thanks to Beijing Days before the announcement of renewed ties between Syria and Saudi Arabia, the kingdom reestablished its ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran via a deal brokered by China. (Related: Saudi Arabia could invest in Iran very quickly following China-brokered deal to reestablish diplomatic relations.) According to an earlier Reuters report, top security officials from Riyadh and Tehran had engaged in four days of talks in the Chinese capital Beijing before both parties agreed to resume ties. The March 11 announcement followed years of hostility that had threatened stability and security in the Gulf and helped fuel conflicts in the Middle East from Yemen to Syria. Despite Saudi Arabia and Iran both being Muslim, they have been at odds with each other. Saudis belong to the majority Sunni denomination, which believes that Abu Bakr the Prophet Muhammads closest companion should be the latters successor. Meanwhile, Iranians belong to the minority Shia denomination that believes Ali the Prophet Muhammads son-in-law should lead Islam upon his passing. The March 11 meeting in Beijing appears to have ironed out this conflict between the two nations adhering to separate denominations of Islam. A joint statement by Iran, Saudi Arabia and China said the agreement includes their affirmation of the respect for the sovereignty of states and the non-interference in internal affairs. Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani and Saudi National Security Adviser Musaed bin Mohammed al-Aiban signed the agreement. Wang Yi, director of the Chinese Central Foreign Affairs Commissions General Office, described the deal between Tehran and Riyadh as a victory for dialogue and peace. He added that Beijing would continue to play a constructive role in addressing tough global issues. Further regional instability is not in Saudi or Iranian interest at the moment, said American political scientist Kristian Coates Ulrichsen. And for the Chinese to have addressed this at a time when the U.S. stance toward Iran is becoming more hawkish sends a powerful signal in itself. Watch Worldview Report host Brannon Howse explains why Iran and Saudi Arabias partnership spells trouble for the United States. This video is from the Worldview Report channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Leaders of Iran, China meet in Beijing to boost economic ties that will sideline America and the dollar. Saudi Arabia, China initiating plan to create petroyuan and bring an end to the petrodollar. The enemy of my enemy is my friend: Russia, Iran forge alliance amid Western sanctions. Saudi Arabia fortifies relations with Russia, thumbing its nose to the West. Iran finally admits it is supplying Russia with combat drones. Sources include: Reuters.com 1 Reuters.com 2 WhyIslam.org Brighteon.com Opinion / Columnist AFTER President Emmerson Mnangagwa inadvertently announced August as the month for this year's harmonised elections, various researchers, journalists as well as politicians wondered whether this election cycle will break from the past in terms of the willingness of the government to adhere to African Union (AU) and Southern African Development Community (Sadc) electoral guidelines.This new election season comes against the backdrop of disputed elections in 2018, a scenario that raises serious legitimacy issues regarding Mnangagwa's current government and his entire term.While this potentially derailed the country from achieving political and economic stability in the period 2018-2023, disputed elections dent the reputation of the AU and Sadc as arbiters of standard electoral practices which safeguard democracy in Africa.However, it is important for people to engage in the discourse of electoral practices to ascertain whether Zimbabwe's electoral performance in the last five years passes the credibility test and the standards set by the AU and Sadc.Besides setting electoral standards, Sadc principles provide that member States hold elections to "establish impartial, all-inclusive, competent and accountable national electoral bodies staffed by qualified personnel."On February 3, 2023, the Zimbabwe Diaspora Vote wrote to Parliament urging the Electoral Act to be "amended such that the diaspora vote is managed in a manner that ensures the transparency and integrity of the entire electoral process as contained in item 7.8 of the Sadc principles and guidelines."Sadc also provides, in section 7.4, that member States "safeguard the human and civil liberties of all citizens including freedom of movement, assembly, association, expression and campaigning as well as access to the media on the part of all stakeholders".With reference to the 2018 elections, the AU concluded: "The elections of 2018 are an important moment in the democratic transition of Zimbabwe and provides an opportunity for the country to change course, in particular, broadening the political space and allowing citizens to exercise their constitutional rights in a democratic way. By and large, the process was peaceful and well-administered."However, Tinashe Sithole who writes for African Liberty believes: "The opposition political parties perceived the election outcome as neither free nor fair." Therefore, as a result there was post-election violence. Sithole is sceptical about this year's elections given the lack of fundamental freedoms including freedom of speech, freedom of association and assembly, citing the current vilification of opposition personalities, musicians and journalists as well as the banning of opposition party events.The AU Election Observer Mission (AUEOM) recommended the need to guarantee equal access to the State broadcaster to all contestants during elections in fulfilment of the Broadcasting Services act to ensure balanced and pluralistic media. However, in 2018, these recommendations were not taken notice of.The AUEOM noted: "The media environment still remains largely polarised. While the electoral law mandates Zec (Zimbabwe Electoral Commission) to regulate the media during elections through the establishment of a Media Monitoring Committee, it has been unable to effectively operationalise this committee, leading to a media environment that has operated without any systematic regulation during the 2018 election period. As a result of the foregoing, both private and State-owned media houses have exhibited a noticeable degree of polarisation characterised by biased reporting and inequitable coverage of political parties and candidates contesting the elections."Without requisite electoral reforms, the media environment in Zimbabwe for the 2023 election season remains favourable to the ruling Zanu-PF.In its election observation report of 2018, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (Zesn) concluded that the courts' "disregard for other issues indicated an unfair atmosphere" and insisted on the courts' lack of autonomy. Zesn would favour a situation whereby Article 4.1.13 of the Sadc Principles and Guidelines, which denounces the non-acceptance of results issued by legally competent authorities, is followed.The 2018 Zimbabwe International Election Observation Mission report noted that while some significant improvements were demonstrated in the 2018 elections, Zimbabwe has not yet established a process that equitably treats all political parties and allows citizens to be confident that they can cast their vote and express their political opinion free from fear of retribution".In short, the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe did not pass the credibility test and possible voter apathy feeds on the country's inability to adhere to national, regional and continental electoral principles.Article 5.1.4 of the Sadc Principles and Guidelines instructs member States to provide justice in the resolution of electoral disputes through constitutional and electoral courts. This is evidenced by the fact that the MDC Alliance filed a petition in 2018 attempting to overturn Zec's decision to declare Mnangagwa the winner citing alleged rigging. The case was dismissed because the complainant could not prove the case beyond doubt, with disregards with issues pointed to constituting an unfair environment.Lyandra Nyamande is an international relations student at Africa University, Mutare (Natural News) On Saturday, ex-President Trump insinuated that the Manhattan district attorney was deceived by star witness Michael Cohen, Trumps former attorney who was disbarred in 2018 after admitting to numerous felony charges, including five counts of tax evasion, lying to a financial institution, lying to Congress, and two violations of campaign finance laws. Last week, a letter from 2018 surfaced revealing that Cohens lawyer informed the Federal Election Commission that his client utilized his personal funds to issue a $130,000 hush payment to Stephanie Clifford (also known as Stormy Daniels or, as Trump calls her, Horse Face), apart from any reimbursement by Trump. The revelation, coupled with Cohens questionable credibility, further casts doubt on the reliability of his testimony. Following a rally he held in Waco, Texas, on Saturday evening the first official rally of his 2024 presidential campaign Trump said: I think theyve already dropped the case they have absolutely nothing. Its a fake case. Some fake cases, they have absolutely nothing, Trump continued. Later, he took to his Truth Social platform to declare: The Manhattan D.A. Witch Hunt against me is DEAD, no evidence at all, & it has been conclusively proven that I did nothing wrong! The evidence against their Star witness, however, is overwhelming. An already disbarred lawyer & convicted Felon, the only question left is will the D.A.s Office sue him for lying & fraud. They should! Trump also told reporters on his plane that he wasnt trying to incite violence with a recent Truth Social post warning of potential death and destruction if hes indicted. No, I dont like violence, and Im not for violence. But a lot of people are upset, he said. According to The Epoch Times, Robert Costello, a former attorney for Trump, stated that he informed the grand jury in the Manhattan case that Cohen was a discredited witness against Trump. Cohen provided testimony against the 45th president in an investigation that allegedly pertains to the hush money payments made to adult performer Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign. When contacted for a response, Cohens attorney declined to comment, but Cohen himself stated on MSNBC last week that Costello never represented him and challenged the accuracy of his testimony. During the last week, the only public statement made by Alvin Braggs office was in response to a letter from House Republicans requesting testimony and details about the Manhattan DAs case, including whether Trump would be arrested. The general counsel responded in writing, stating that it was Trump who generated an unfounded expectation that he would be indicted the previous week but did not offer any further information. Constitutional law expert and former Harvard University Law School professor Alan Dershowitz thinks that Bragg could be disbarred if he brings forward charges against Trump now. I dont think an indictment can actually come forward now after the comments made by Costello, he told Fox News Sunday Morning Futures. He said that he has proved that the main witness is going to be a perjuring liar on the witness stand, and that puts the district attorney in a terrible position. If he uses Cohen as a witness, he could actually lose his bar license. Its unethical to put a witness on the stand who you know is lying, and he has to know that Cohen will be lying. Or he tries the case without Cohen, which would be very difficult, or he does the right thing: he drops the case, Dershowitz added. During his rally, Trump proclaimed that his adversaries were determined to impede his progress, stating that our opponents have gone to great lengths to dampen our morale and shatter our determination. He went on to inform the audience that Bragg was conducting an investigation into him for something that is not a crime, not a misdemeanor, not an affair. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com ConservativeBrief.com (Natural News) After a measure was enacted on Thursday, Utah has become the first US state to require social media firms to get parental consent for children to use their apps and verify that users are at least 18. (Article republished from GreatGameIndia.com) The governor said he signed the two sweeping measures to protect young people in the state. The bills will give parents full access to their childrens online accounts, including posts and private messages. The move comes amidst heightened concern over the impact of social media on childrens mental health. Under the measures enacted on Thursday, a parent or guardians explicit consent will be needed before children can create accounts on apps such as Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. The bills also impose a social media curfew that blocks childrens access between 22:30 and 06:30, unless adjusted by their parents. Under the legislation, social media companies will no longer be able to collect a childs data or be targeted for advertising. The two bills which are also designed to make it easier to take legal action against social media companies will take effect on March 1, 2024. Governor Spencer Cox, a Republican, wrote on Twitter: Were no longer willing to let social media companies continue to harm the mental health of our youth. As leaders, and parents, we have a responsibility to protect our young people. Childrens advocacy group Commons Sense Media welcomed the governors move to curtail some of social medias most addictive features, calling it a huge victory for kids and families in Utah. It adds momentum for other states to hold social media companies accountable to ensure kids across the country are protected online, said Jim Steyer, Common Sense Medias founder and CEO. Around 78 percent of 13 to 17-year-olds check their phones at least once an hour every day, and 35% monitor the top five networks almost constantly. This is how social media is changing childrens brain. Read more at: GreatGameIndia.com (Natural News) Phinance Technologies, a research firm co-founded and co-operated by former BlackRock portfolio manager Ed Dowd, has found that the economic damage inflicted by the unleashing of Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines topped $147 billion in 2022. A report published by the firm also estimates that 26.6 million people were injured by the jabs; 1.36 million were left disabled; and 300,000 people were killed by the jabs that very same year. With the help of their colleagues, Dowds team was able to break down the human costs inflicted by Fauci Flu shots into four broad categories: 1) Those who experienced no effect or appeared asymptomatic 2) Those who sustained mild-to-moderate sustained injuries 3) Those who sustained a severe disability 4) Those who died from the shots All of the data used in the report came directly from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), while the excess death figures were calculated from other official figures using two different methodologies. One thing the analysis did not take into consideration were people who started off in one category in 2022 and ended up in another later that year, i.e., people who were asymptomatic or perhaps mildly injured who ended up dying suddenly. We need to remember that not only are these groupings an attempt to characterize different levels of damage from the inoculations, they are not static and could interact with each other, the report states. For instance, there might be individuals who had no visible effects after vaccination but nonetheless could still be impacted. Individuals with mild injuries from the inoculations could, over time, develop severe injuries to the extent of being disabled, or an extreme outcome such as death. (Related: A little over a year ago, Dowd told Steve Bannon that the global debt bubble is about to pop: were at the end.) True economic cost of covid jabs likely much higher due to multiplier effects, Dowd says As for the economic costs of covid injections, Dowds company used absolute excess lost worktime to calculate the direct economic cost of vaccine injuries. This amounted to $79.5 billion in 2022, as well as $52.2 billion more for those who developed severe disabilities. To calculate the number of deaths caused by Fauci Flu shots, Phinance used the average yearly absolute rise in excess deaths since 2021 when the injections really started getting into peoples arms. From 2021 to 2022, excess deaths increased by 0.05 percent for the 25- to 64-year-old demographic, amounting to $5.6 billion in lost productivity. For the entire year of 2022, Phinance estimated the total economic cost among all categories to be nearly $150 billion. You can view the report yourself below: Keep in mind that the data and figures contained in the Phinance report are based only on what can be currently measured. The knock on effects such as lost productivity due to a worker being present but working at say 50 percent to 75 percent of capacity is missed plus burn out from those picking up slack, Dowd explained. The multiplier effects are massive. Another thing to keep in mind is that these numbers only encompass the United States. Imagine the global economic impact of covid, and over the course of the entire plandemic as opposed to just the year 2022. The fact that millions were faced with job losses if they didnt get an EXPERIMENTAL medical injection tells you how our leaders were bought and paid for by Big Pharma, wrote someone in the comments about the national genocide that occurred from the mandates. People need to go to prison. The latest news about the injury and death toll caused by Chinese Virus injections can be found at Genocide.news. Sources for this article include: ZeroHedge.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) UBS Group, which recently acquired the collapsed Swiss bank Credit Suisse in a last-minute bailout, may encounter a new set of legal and regulatory issues as a result of the acquisition. According to two former Credit Suisse bankers who are now serving as whistleblowers for the U.S. government, the bank has offered a secure environment for affluent American customers to conceal assets from the IRS for several years, even after facing prosecution for similar practices over a decade ago, they told CNBC in an exclusive interview. In 2014, Credit Suisse pleaded guilty to criminal charges of knowingly and willfully aiding thousands of American clients in hiding their offshore assets and income from the IRS. The bank acknowledged using fraudulent entities, destroying account records, and hand-delivering cash to American customers in an attempt to evade IRS detection. As part of its plea deal, Credit Suisse agreed to cooperate with authorities and implement reforms, including disclosing its cross-border activities and enforcing measures to prevent tax evasion, the outlet reported. The now troubled bank appears to have violated that agreement, according to a new report by the Senate Finance Committee that details ongoing and rampant abuse since then. The report, released Wednesday, details the findings of the panels two-year investigation and takes on more urgency given the looming banking crisis, CNBC added. The Swiss National Bank, the countrys central bank, injected more than $100 billion of liquidity into Credit Suisse to keep it afloat earlier this month, while the Swiss government agreed to provide UBS with some $9 billion to backstop losses resulting from the takeover, said the report. The recent disclosures by the whistleblowers have prompted Senate investigators to question the extent of American funds that may still be concealed within the vaults of Credit Suisse, a bank whose collapse shook the bedrock of the international banking system, the network added. Prepared by the panels Democratic staff, the Senate report asserts that Credit Suisse violated the conditions of its 2014 plea agreement, potentially leading to a range of consequences if the Justice Department decides to take action. The extent of the potential liability that UBS faces as a result of the report remains uncertain, but the whistleblowers lawyer contends that the bank could be liable for up to $1.3 billion. The Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Ron Wyden of Oregon, has disclosed that his committee has recently received information from Credit Suisse regarding previously undisclosed accounts held by American clients at the bank after 2014, the outlet reported. It is still going on as of just the last couple of days even more money has been found to have been concealed and there are very substantial issues here, Wyden said, according to CNBC. Clearly, its time to prosecute and ensure that there are penalties that send a strong message. Credit Suisse employees aided and abetted a major criminal tax evasion scheme, a finance committee aide said on condition of anonymity because the report had yet to be released. To date, no Credit Suisse employees involved in the scheme have faced any consequences from the United States government for their participation. They thought they could get away with it, and they largely did, the aide said. Its not a question of whether Swiss banks continue to do this, its a question of which Swiss banks still do this. A spokeswoman for Credit Suisse said the institution does not put up with tax evasion. In its core, the report describes legacy issues, some from a decade ago, and we have implemented extensive enhancements since then to root out individuals who seek to conceal assets from tax authorities, the spokeswoman said after asking to speak anonymously. She added that the banks new leadership team has been cooperating with the committee. Credit Suisse has supported the work of Senator Wyden, including in respect of suggested policy solutions to help strengthen the financial industrys ability to detect undisclosed US persons, she noted further. Sources include: CNBC.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Depleted uranium had been used during major conflicts in the past decades, including the two Gulf Wars. Shockingly, about 1,000 to 2,000 tons were used in the Second Gulf War alone a conflict that only lasted around three weeks. Depleted uranium poses risk to both soldiers and local civilian populations. When ammunition made from depleted uranium strikes a target, the uranium turns into dust that is inhaled by those near the explosion site. The wind then carries dust to surrounding areas, polluting local water and farmland. Pieces of old armor and ammunition also pose a threat, particularly to local children who played on tanks and other military hardware made from depleted uranium, said the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The depleted uranium left over from the Gulf Wars should be a cause for concern. In a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Dr. Wayne Briner explained that while depleted uranium is less radioactive than natural uranium, it still retains all the chemical toxicity associated with the original element. Unfortunately, it has been difficult for epidemiologists to determine whether there is a clear link between depleted uranium exposure and health outcomes among local populations. Researchers are not always able to untangle possible confounding variables to determine the true effect of depleted uranium on community health. In one paper published in the Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, researchers analyzed existing data on depleted uranium in the Middle East, but they could not determine whether different amounts of depleted uranium are associated with the health of local communities. This is true for other studies as well. Some researchers who studied existing data on depleted uranium deployed in the Balkans concluded that there is not enough evidence to establish a link between the material and local health. That being said, there remains a strong possibility that depleted uranium has negative consequences on civilians. After all, depleted uranium is carcinogenic. According to the National Center of Biotechnology Information, there is evidence to suggest that it may also impact hormones. Although the research process is difficult, researchers have still been working to see if there is a link between depleted uranium and community health near conflict zones. In a scientific paper published by Research Gate, Canadian University Dubai researcher Souad Al-Azzawi cited studies showing that childrens leukemia cases increased by 60 percent between 1990 and 1997 and that birth defects tripled between 1990 and 1998 in Basra, Iraq. Basra experienced U.S. bombings in response to the 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Al-Azzawi suggested that depleted uranium used during such conflicts is responsible for the rise in cancer and birth defects in the area. A study published in the journal Environmental Research, meanwhile, came to the conclusion that previous research on the consequences of either acute or prolonged depleted uranium exposure managed to prove that this element is capable of inducing chemical toxicity and cell damage in the form of cell morphology alternation, immune response and/or apoptotic death, which was evident in the in vitro studies reviewed in the paper. A research paper published in the journal Theoretical Criminology also suggested that the U.S. may have known about the potential consequences of depleted uranium during conflicts in which it was used. Depleted uranium classified as Group 1 carcinogen Depleted uranium is a chemotoxic and radiotoxic heavy metal, and is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. In a study published in the journal BMJ Global Health, researchers searched 11 electronic databases for human observational studies published between 1990 and 2020 that measured the association between exposure to weaponized uranium and health outcomes, including birth defects, cancer, immune system function and mortality among the Iraqi population. The authors came to the conclusion that the available evidence suggested a positive association between uranium exposure and adverse health outcomes among the Iraqi population. They also found that the reviewed body of evidence suffered from a high risk of bias. New findings implied that U.S. sanctions on Iraq may have played a role in limiting research and publication on the health impacts of weaponized uranium on the Iraqi population. The authors expressed a need for international regulation to allow and protect research conducted on this sensitive topic going forward and recommended more primary research and the release of missing data to design meaningful health and policy interventions in Iraq. Watch this video to learn more about depleted uranium. This video is from the Daily Videos channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Depleted uranium contaminates the body for twenty years. House and Senate finally call for investigation into depleted uranium (DU) poisoning of troops. Depleted uranium shells used by U.S. military are worse than nuclear weapons. Sources include: Harvard.edu TheConversation.com UAB.edu MDPI.com ScienceDirect.com 1 NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov ResearchGate.net ScienceDirect.com 2 SagePub.com BMJ.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) Benny Johnson of Newsmax set up a demonstration at the Department of Transportation (DOT). Benny Johnson set up a fake refreshment station at the DOT, offering bottles of water that were allegedly from East Palestine, Ohio. The demonstration got the attention of a 25-year DOT veteran who came clean about the governments lies and the politically-motivated attack on rural East Palestine, Ohio. Department of Transportation allocates resources to BLUE states, prioritizes disasters for Dem-run cities The DOT is responsible for securing and safely transporting hazardous chemicals that are derailed. In East Palestine, Ohio, the Department of Transportation allowed Norfolk Southern Railroad to release 1.1 million pounds of vinyl chloride into the environment. Instead of securing the hazardous chemical, the DOT allowed the tanker cars to be drilled out, so the chemical could be burned in pits, releasing carcinogenic plumes of dioxins into the environment. Government officials said the water there is safe to drink. An unnamed source from the Department of Transportation (DOT) responded to Benny Johnson. He said the DOT did not take the 50-car train derailment seriously. Im in federal railroad, the man said. Nobody panicked. Nobody scrambled. And its, like, why? Why arent we taking this seriously? The source revealed that DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg allocates resources based on a states political leanings. He said Buttigieg ignored East Palestine, Ohio because the region voted for Trump by a 70 percent margin. Theyll step inwell we want this project because its a blue state, no matter how bad it is, the DOT employee said. They appoint these leaders of each group, and then they make sure the money will be directed. That it goes to a blue state, not a red state? Johnson asked. Right, the man said. Do you think this was politically motivated in East Palestine? Yes, he replied. According to the whistleblower, DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg is an elitist who rarely shows up to work unless the department is having a party or something. He said Buttigieg has his own dining room. Its an elaborate production, he said. And then what they do is they come around and they want to make sure theres enough people are in the office that day so that he has people to greet. DOT intentionally reroutes hazardous chemicals through rural America When the government instructed residents to return home after an evacuation on February 9, they came home to a chemical odor lingering in the air, to dead fish accumulating in rivers and creeks, and to burning sensations in their eyes, mouth, and nose. Johnson visited East Palestine during that time and said his mouth was stinging from the lingering chemical burn. The DOT whistleblower gave further detail on the inner-workings at the DOT. Years ago, they made a big fuss about trains carrying these chemicals that go through these urban areas. And now they reroute them through all these little towns. He said, I was here 20 years, I know that they made it a point to reroute these trains so all these little towns get a shaft. This administration does everything in their power to keep oil pipelines shut down in Alaska, but when trains that are full of hazardous chemicals derail into the countryside, the administration does not bat an eye. He said the department is lying about train derailments being down 15 percent since covid. We know the derailments are up, he confessed. Theyre trying to paint that picture so as not to bring the harsh light. He said the Department cherry-picked derailment numbers from 2020 and 2021, when fewer trains were running, so they could push a false narrative that the DOT is protecting the public. The truth is, the Department discriminates against rural America and currently prioritizes states that vote predominantly for Democrats. Sources include: ThePostMillenial.com Naturalnews.com (Natural News) A leading Republican senator from Oklahoma is the latest to sound the alarm on Chinas increasingly frequent purchases of American farmland as he warned the Biden regime to make sure Beijing understands the U.S. is not to be trifled with. According to Sen. James Lankford, foreign entities currently own over 1 million acres of farmland in Oklahoma, with countries such as China utilizing the land for drug production to the fullest extent, Fox Business reported. These are Chinese criminal organizations that are moving in, and youre not going to move in and move that much money without some awareness of the Chinese Communist Party and setting up. Just in the last year, China has doubled the number of acres that it has in the United States. Theyre buying up hundreds of thousands of acres across the country, and theyre moving in criminal operations into the country, he explained in an interview with the networks Maria Bartiromo. Following the shooting down of a Chinese spy balloon that flew from Alaska to South Carolina, foreign acquisitions of U.S. farmland have become a highly contentious issue. The multi-day flight of the surveillance aircraft across the country has reignited concerns among experts and lawmakers regarding Chinas ongoing attempts to purchase land throughout the U.S. Some have noted a suspected pattern of espionage activities occurring in proximity to American military installations, the network reported. Lankford is advocating for legislation to address the gap in federal law that allows foreign entities to purchase agricultural land easily. He is also urging his colleagues in Congress to remain vigilant regarding Chinas ongoing efforts to acquire land within the United States. What are we doing as a country to stop communist China from moving forward on all of these goals to overtake the United States as the number one superpower? Bartiromo asked Lankford Wednesday morning. Lankford has reassured the American public that the U.S. government is working on fixing the issue piece by piece. Weve got to be able to do our military work. Weve got to make sure that we have whats called hard power on this, to be able to make it very clear that we are the United States of America, and were none to be trifled with, he said. The second thing that weve got to do is deal with economic issues. Every corporation in America needs to look at the business that its doing currently with China. If their supply chain comes from China to the United States, know that the communist nation will, at some point, cut that off. And so they need to be attentive to that in all of their investment strategies and all of their logistics tail that if they have China anywhere in that logistics tail, thats a major problem, he noted further. Weve got to take world leadership back again, and to be able to say were the United States in foreign policy and in economic power, he urged. WATCH: According to the US Department of Agriculture, Chinese companies currently own less than 1% of foreign-held acres of US farmland, which amounts to 383,935 acres. However, this has still raised concerns among some members of Congress who are looking into ways of preventing Chinese ownership in US agriculture. On Tuesday, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall disclosed the most alarming event he has witnessed during his 50-year career, expressing concern over Chinas growth of their nuclear weaponry, which he finds to be equally alarming as the former Soviet Unions drastic expansion of their nuclear arsenal during the Cold War. During a hearing on Tuesday before the House Appropriations Committee, Kendall, a veteran of 50 years in U.S. military and defense, stated that Chinas emergence as a top-level nuclear power is a significant concern. I dont think Ive seen anything more disturbing in my career than the Chinese ongoing expansion of their nuclear force, Kendall told the panel. For decades, they were quite comfortable with an arsenal of a few hundred nuclear weapons, which was fairly clearly a second-strike capability to act as a deterrent, Kendall continued, according to Fox News. That expansion that theyre undertaking puts us into a new world that weve never lived in before, where you have three powers three great powers, essentially with large arsenals of nuclear weapons. Sources include: FoxNews.com FoxBusiness.com (Natural News) There is so much fakery being perpetuated these days, thanks in large part to the proliferation of social media that it is difficult to tell what is real including so-called hero soldiers allegedly fighting for Ukraine. A Newsweek article published in 2022 featured an American man who volunteered to fight alongside the Ukrainian Army. The man, James Vasquez, boasted in March of that same year that he had destroyed seven Russian tanks. The article portrayed Vasquez in a positive light. Former Illinois Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger previously advocated for Twitter to verify the account of Vasquez, but he was left embarrassed after it was revealed that the story of Vasquez joining the Ukrainian Army was fake. Kinzinger had even posed for pictures with Vasquez. Kinzingers favorite Ukraine hero just deleted his account after it came out he is a fraud, conservative pundit and Human Rights editor Jack Posobiec observed. Kinzingers favorite Ukraine hero just deleted his account after it came out he is a fraud pic.twitter.com/nZ1Ouc4xiv Jack Posobiec ?? (@JackPosobiec) March 22, 2023 MSNBCs Malcolm Nance, who had also supported Vasquez, responded to the allegations against the fake soldier, which were revealed by a current member of the Ukrainian armed forces. Nance stated that he and others had advised Vasquez to get off Twitter, get his life in order & come back to support [Ukraine] in a legal construct, adding: He took that advice. James was NOT fake, he was troubled. He did a lot for Ukraine but has challenges to face. Respect what he did do, Nance said, according to The Post Millennial. Nooooo, dont tell me everyones favorite Mercenary has really just been hiding out and ducking the real action while collecting money and pretending to be fighting in Ukraine on their behalf. THE LARP IS REAL. Guess that explains why he got pieced up on a Subway in the US. pic.twitter.com/xTT5TnmA02 Malcolm Fle? ??Amoral Mercenary?? (@Malcolm_fleX48) March 22, 2023 Kinzinger said last year regarding Vasquez that hes legit and too many folks are tying to create fake acts with him. I have a bill in congress to deal with this Since this was happening to me for so long, the outlet reported. Vasquez actually works with Ripleys Heroes, a group that claims to provide critically needed non-lethal and humanitarian resources to qualified and experienced heroes who have interrupted their own lives, and put themselves in harms way, to help save others. Heroes is not currently a not-for-profit organization, but they are accepting donations. They have filed for 501(c)3 status with the IRS, but this status has not yet been approved. Therefore, donations made to the organization are not currently eligible for tax deduction, The Post Millennial added. The outlet said that Vasquez decided to pack up and make his way to Ukraine to fight as a volunteer soldier within the Ukrainian Military after Russia invaded its neighbor in February 2022. After spending months fighting alongside the Ukrainians and documenting the war through his verified @JMVasquez1974 Twitter account, James impact was more profound than he realized. Amassing more than 400,000 Twitter followers, James was not only fighting on the front lines, but he was also reporting the war through an unfiltered lens, said a release from Ripleys Heroes. Vasquezs LinkedIn says hes with Ripleys Heroes and that he is the companys Chief Strategy Officer, as well as listing him as fighting in Ukraine. Sarah Ashton-Cirillo, a soldier in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, accused Vasquez of stolen valor in a tweet. Stolen valor refers to the act of falsely claiming military honors or valor for oneself, despite not having served in the military. TPM also noted that she wrote that while she wont release private texts, Vasquez had confirmed to [her] in writing that he does not and has not had a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Prior to that, she wrote: As a soldier in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who has to live by the rules of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who has fought and fights at the front for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Im done w/ lies. James Vasquez is not and has not been in ZSU. @jmvasquez1974 please get help. Sources include: ThePostMillennial.com PRNewswire.com (Natural News) One of the first big banks to embrace the notion of a cashless society, JPMorgan Chase is piloting a new payment technology that allows customers to buy and sell with just their palm or face no cards or cash necessary. Following the lead of communist China, which already has such technology in place, JPMorgan hopes to usher in a new wave of biometric payments that do away with the traditional exchange of money or credit. Ones body parts would serve as the medium of exchange, reports indicate. Many large corporations have begun flirting with the concept, which eliminates the potential for fraud unless someone were to steal your hands or head and get them surgically attached to their own body, of course. Using biometric technology to authenticate a persons identity is growing in popularity as the world shifts into a new cashless age. It has not fully arrived in complete form, but we are witnessing the makings of it as entities like JPMorgan push to normalize and commercialize a biometrics-based money system. The rise of biometric technology, which uses unique body measurements to authenticate a persons identity, is being pushed by corporations to make this the default payment method across the world, reported Reclaim the Net, warning about the negative privacy implications of the technology. The new payment process works by enrolling a customers palm or face through an in-store process. At checkout, the customer scans their face or palm to complete the transaction. (Related: Remember when JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon refused to pay his companys unvaccinated workers during the Wuhan coronavirus [Covid-19] pandemic?) JPMorgan is more closely aligned with communist China than with free America Over the past several years, communist China has become a global leader in the implementation of biometric recognition payment technology. Millions of Chinese people must now buy and sell using their body parts rather than cash, and JPMorgan wants to see the same paradigm take hold here in the United States as well. According to Jean-Marc Thienpont, head of omnichannel solutions for JPMorgans payments business, the evolution of consumer technology has created new expectations for shoppers. Merchants need to be ready to adapt to these new expectations, he said, revealing that JPMorgans pilot program may include an upcoming Formula 1 race in Miami, as well as some brick-and-mortar stores. Ramon Peneda, chief information officer for the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix, added that being able to roll out this new biometrics-based payments scheme would enhance the race-day experience for our guests, as they will enjoy a new, faster checkout process. The goal is to align the U.S. with communist China, which is spending billions on not just biometric payment systems but also artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and various spying and surveillance technologies. The governments push for a cashless society has further spurred the adoption of digital payment methods, making facial recognition payments a natural progression in the society China is attempting to create, Reclaim the Net explains. Two of Chinas tech giants, Alibaba and Tencent, pioneered the facial recognition payment revolution with their respective platforms, Alipay and WeChat Pay. None of this would have been possible were it not for the help and support of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which seems to have its tentacles in the Biden regime and its similar agenda for Americans. By promoting digital payment methods and providing regulatory support, the government has encouraged the growth of this technology in developing a nationwide facial recognition database, reports reveal. More related news about the forced transition from cash to biometrics as a means of buying and selling can be found at CurrencyReset.news. Sources for this article include: ReclaimTheNet.org NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Prior to its inclusion in the Trump administrations Operation Warp Speed scheme for the rapid deployment of Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines, Moderna agreed to pay the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) $400 million to license the spike protein technology the company used in its mRNA (messenger RNA) covid injections. A newly disclosed contract shows that Moderna engaged in a pay-for-play type of arrangement with the federal government, which apparently owns the patent for the covid spike proteins that were the center of attention from early 2020 when the pandemic began until now. For years, Moderna executives denied any type of relationship with the bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., but changed its story in late 2021. The company also disclosed the existence of the contract in question during an earnings call it held on February 23. According to the company, the $400 million it paid to the NIH was merely a catch-up payment made specifically to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a division of the NIH that, at the time, was headed up by none other than disgraced medical charlatan Tony Fauci. The contract states that Moderna would pay the NIH a noncreditable, nonrefundable royalty in the amount of Four Hundred Million dollars for the rights to use its spike protein technology in the companys vaccines. This is far more money than the low single digit royalties that were initially confirmed by Moderna, but later redacted. (Related: There is zero science to back either Moderna or Pfizers Fauci Flu shots.) Why is the government trying to hide its royalties arrangement with Moderna? The 34-page contract was obtained via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, though, again, numerous portions of it that specifically pertain to royalty payments are redacted. The licensee agrees to pay to the NIAID earned royalties on net sales as follows, reads one such section about royalties, the rest of which is completely redacted from public view. The reason why these sections are redacted, according to the NIH, is because the agency has the right to withhold trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained from a person and privileged or confidential. They redacted the royalties, even though there have been press releases about the royalties, explained James Love, director of the nonprofit group Knowledge Ecology International. Its common but [expletive] to redact royalties on a negotiated license on a government patent. What we do know from the unredacted portions of the contract is that Moderna had, in fact, agreed to start paying the NIH royalties before the agreement took effect in late 2022, along with minimum annual royalty, earned royalties, and benchmark royalties. The contract was signed on Dec. 14, 2022, by Michael Mowatt, director of the Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property Office at NIAID, and Shannon Klinger, chief legal officer at Moderna. The payments specified therein were to include a royalty within 60 days of government officials providing a reasonable detailed written statement and request for an amount equivalent to a pro rata share of the unreimbursed patent expenses previously paid by the NIAID. So far, Moderna has raked in nearly $37 billion from the sale of its Chinese Virus injections. In 2023, the company expects to bring in an additional $5 billion, all thanks to the lucrative contract agreements the company forged with government bureaucracies. The NIH shares ownership of the spike protein technology with researchers at Scripps Research Institute and Dartmouth Universitys Geisel School of Medicine, reports explain. Both are named as partners in the contract. Want to keep up with the latest news about the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine scam, as well as the governments involvement with it? You can do so at ChemicalViolence.com. Sources for this article include: TheEpochTimes.com NaturalNews.com Qabil Ashirov Aykhan Gadashov, the head of the Azexport.az portal operated by the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (CAERC), met with Andrey Drozden, the head of an influential Belarusian wholesale network, Azernews reports, citing the CAERC. According to the information received from the CAERC, during the discussion, Aykhan Gadashov gave detailed information about the activity of the portal and carried out an online demonstration of Azerbaijani products on the portal. Andrey Drozden, the head of the wholesale network of Belarus, also made a presentation about the activities of his company. A preliminary agreement was signed for the export of Azerbaijani products to Belarus. The foreign entrepreneur was supported in establishing relations with the manufacturing companies in order to start the relevant procedures. President Joe Biden has acknowledged the uphill battle any attempt to pass new, stronger gun laws would face on Capitol Hill, even after yet another mass shooting at an American school claimed six lives in Nashville, Tennessee. He told reporters on 28 March that his administrations executive actions to date have reached the limits of what he can do as president, absent any legislative action from Congress. I have gone the full extent of my executive authority to do, on my own, anything about guns, said Mr Biden, who added that the legislative branch needs to act if the US is to have any new laws governing the availability of firearms, particularly the military-style rifles that have become the weapon of choice for mass shooters in recent years. The majority of the American people think having assault weapons is bizarre. Its a crazy idea. Theyre against that. And so, I think the Congress should be passing the assault weapons ban, he added. Its a demand he has given lawmakers dozens of times since entering office in 2021. Within his first two years in office, there have been roughly 1,400 mass shootings. He has referenced a federal ban on assault weapons, called on Congress to renew an assault weapons ban or pledged that his Democratic allies will do so roughly 70 times since entering office, according to The Independents review of his public statements and remarks via Factba.se. On 27 March, a heavily armed assailaint carrying two assault-style rifles and a handgun fatally shot three children and three employees inside a Nashville school. That afternoon, the president once again called on a divided Congress to pass an assault weapons ban, saying that its about time that we began to make some more progress. Weeks earlier, upon signing an executive order to expand bipartisan gun reform legislation he signed into law last year, he told Congress to finish the job and ban assault rifles. During his State of the Union address before Congress weeks before that, he urged lawmakers to ban assault weapons once and for all. Story continues What in Gods name do you need an assault weapon for except to kill someone? he said in remarks after the massacre of 19 children and two teachers inside an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas last year. Its just sick, he added. And the gun manufacturers have spent two decades aggressively marketing assault weapons which make them the most and largest profit. For Gods sake, we have to have the courage to stand up to the industry. The Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act, known as the federal assault weapons ban, was enacted in 1994 and expired in 2004, with several failed attempts in Congress to renew the ban after a series of massacres involving high-powered rifles that were previously impacted by the law. The president, who was then a senator from Delaware, played a major role in passage of the 1994 legislation as part of that years massive anti-crime package enacted by then-President Bill Clinton. A study from Northwestern University found that the ban prevented 11 public mass shootings within the decade it was in effect. The study also estimates that keeping the ban in place until 2019 would have prevented 30 public shootings that killed 339 and injured 1,139 people. Last year, the Democratically controlled House of Representatives narrowly voted to renew the ban, which stalled in an evenly divided Senate. Since taking office, Mr Biden has had more success in enacting new gun safety legislation than any president since Clintons two terms in the 1990s. Last year, the president signed into law the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the most significant gun safety law in almost 30 years, according to Mr Biden. That measure clarifies licensing requirements for firearms dealers and laid out enhanced background check requirements for gun purchases, including a review of juvenile records for anyone 16 years of age or older who attempts to purchase a firearm. His executive order announced on 14 March will accelerate and intensify the administrations work to combat the proliferation of high-powered weapons and illegal guns to save more lives, more quickly, Mr Biden said. Though Mr Biden has had some success in enacting gun safety laws, what he has done hasnt gone as far as that 1994 bill went. A majority of Americans support believe laws covering the sale of firearms should be made more strict, according to 2022 polling from Gallup. But with Republicans who are dead set against such measures in control of the House of Representatives, and a de facto 60-vote threshold for any legislative action on any matter in the Democratic-controlled Senate, it is unlikely that Congress will make any progress towards any new laws that would restrict the availability of firearms in the United States. How many more children have have to be murdered before Republicans in Congress will step up and act to pass the assault weapons ban, to close loopholes in our background check system, or to require the safe storage of guns, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said from the briefing room on 27 March. (Natural News) The mainstream media (MSM) is ignoring bank records that prove President Joe Biden and his family are involved in numerous underhanded transactions with China. The New American writer Selwyn Duke made this assertion in a March 21 post, citing how the former vice president during the Obama administration left a recently uncovered bank record paper trail a mile long. The said paper trail was brought to light by Rep. James Comer (R-KY), yet the MSM has largely kept silent on this. In fact, in timing most odd, the story about the Biden bank records was followed the very next day by the revelation that [former President] Donald Trump might be arrested for an apparently legal non-disclosure agreement payment, wrote Duke. Why, a cynic could almost think that the latter is meant to distract from the former. Duke also referenced a March 20 post by commentator Thomas Lifson. The piece published on American Thinker said: Thanks to the efforts of Comer, we already have bank records of $1 million flowing to Biden family members through a cutout named Rob Walker, shortly after [Joe] Biden left office as vice president. The money Walker received eventually went to four of the presidents family members presidential son Hunter, daughter-in-law Hallie, brother James and an unnamed fourth member. It comes as no surprise that the propaganda arm of the Democrats called the MSM has no interest in informing the American people of the gravity of the evidence piling up that Joe Biden has been bought off by the Chinese Communist Party, Lifson wrote. Needless to say if Trump or any Republican officeholder were similarly found to have received major funding via family members from our principal adversary, and had a history of softness toward that adversary the word treason would be a major feature of the conversations Americans would hear on cable news. Comers probe on Biden transactions only the beginning During an appearance on the Fox News program Sunday Morning Features, the Kentucky congressman said his revelations about the Bidens bank records was only the beginning. Comer, who chairs the House Oversight Committee, told program host Maria Bartiromo that his committee is examining as many as 11 other deals. The White House hasnt been truthful about this from day one. I dont think the White House ever dreamed we would get bank records, Comer surmised. Ive got bad news for the White House. Were [going to] get a lot more bank records, and theyre going to have to continue to backpedal and come up with some kind of reason why the Biden family has received millions and millions of dollars from our adversaries. According to the congressman, there was indeed a money trail linked to the Biden family after his staff had spoken to enough people that were involved in the shady business games all around the world. He also told Bartiromo: Everything that weve subpoenaed thus far was accurate from what our whistleblowers were telling us, and we have a whole lot more information. (Related: House committee subpoenas bank records of Hunter Bidens associates.) Lifson remarked that he takes the Kentucky congressman at his word that the Bidens assumed that the bank records would never come to light. He added: They know what kind of money is involved, and they must realize how toxic this could become. Meanwhile, Duke recounted remarks made by former President Barack Obama about his then-vice president for eight years: Dont underestimate Joes ability to f*** things up. We can only imagine how much Biden could mess things up were he compromised via foreign cash payments, the writer for The New American noted. But we perhaps dont have to imagine how much he has messed himself up in taking those payments. Nevertheless, Lifson remarked that the media silence wont stop the flow of records, and it wont stop the depositions and testimony to come. An enemy funding a president with millions of dollars is a story that cant be contained. Watch this full conversation between Kentucky Rep. James Comer and Maria Bartiromo over the Biden familys deals with China. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Deep state CIA media organs including Washington Post, CNN dump on Hunter Biden corruption: Is a silent coup to replace Joe underway? Hunter Biden, other members of Biden family received MILLIONS from business associate linked to CCP. Glenn Greenwald: Hunter Biden laptop coverup is the single biggest media fraud in the past decade. BREAKING: Name of new Biden family member revealed to be recipient of Chinese cash. Biden family member received cut of $3M wire from CCP-linked individuals. Sources include: TheNewAmerican.com AmericanThinker.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) The Department of Defense (DoD) is demanding approval of $842 billion out of the $6.9 trillion budget proposal for the fiscal year (FY) 2024. This will be allocated in the preparation for a future war with China, Pentagon officials said. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley confirmed in Congress during the budget hearing that they need more money to plot war against the communist Asian nation. This is a strategy-driven budget and one driven by the seriousness of our strategic competition with the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), Austin said in testimony before the House Appropriations subcommittee on defense. According to them, China is the most comprehensive and serious challenge to U.S. national security strategy. And lately, U.S. military leaders have been speaking more explicitly about how they are preparing for a direct war with China despite the risk of nuclear war. Biden even vowed to defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack. Milley, who is set to retire later this year, said communist Chinas actions are leading to confrontation and potential conflict with its neighbors and possibly America. He also insisted that the massive budget proposal is meant to deter war. Deterring and preparing for a conflict is extraordinarily expensive, but its not as expensive as fighting a war. And this budget prevents war and prepares us to fight it if necessary, Milley said. This budget includes a 40 percent increase over last years for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative to an all-time high of $9.1 billion, Austin added. That will fund a stronger force posture, better defenses for Hawaii and Guam, and deeper cooperation with our allies and partners. Just recently, Chinese leader Xi Jinping visited Moscow, fueling concerns that PRC will step up its support for Russian President Vladimir Putins war against Ukraine. The growing alliance between China and Russia, two nuclear powers, and Xis overtures to Putin during the Ukraine war are troubling, Austin said, adding that the U.S. had not yet seen China provide arms to Russia. But if China does, it would prolong the conflict and certainly broaden the conflict potentially not only in the region but globally. Members of the panel, including Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) made it clear that while they support the ongoing U.S. assistance to Ukraine, the days of blank checks are over, as they questioned the administrations ultimate goal of obtaining the massive defense budget. (Related: Pentagon requests $886 billion budget despite failing 5 audits where billions vanished into financial black holes.) China warns Biden administration to stop arms sales to Taiwan Critics are already wary of how much the country has spent to support Ukraine in its war against Russia. Now, the Biden administration has already started funneling hundreds of millions into Taiwan to prepare the Taiwanese for a potential conflict with China. The president just signed the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that gives $2 billion in loans for Taiwan that would be funneled to U.S. defense contractors. The U.S. Department of State recently announced that America is selling missiles for F-16 fighter jets and other weapons to Taiwan. Analysts warn that this will only goad China and risk another dangerous and costly proxy war for the U.S., similar to what is going on with Russia and Ukraine right now. According to the Pentagon, arming Taiwan serves U.S. national, economic and security interests by supporting the recipients continuing efforts to modernize its armed forces and maintain a credible defensive capability. Meanwhile, China is not backing off. China will act firmly to defend its own sovereignty and security interests, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said during a press briefing. Wang stressed that China has always been opposed to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. China is calling on the United States to stop selling arms to Taiwan and military contacts between Washington and Taipei, he called out. Follow WWIII.news for more updates on conflicts between nations across the globe. Watch the video below that talks about the hidden proxy war that the U.S. has been waging against China. This video is from the Prisoner channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Bidens excessive budget proposal to drive national debt to $51 trillion over the next decade. Video leaves many with impression China is building secret army in U.S. thanks to Bidens open borders. America could turn the Philippines into the next Ukraine in proxy war with China. China may have already deployed unstoppable hypersonic missiles capable of targeting American bases in the Pacific. Sources include: BigLeaguePolitics.com 1 News.AntiWar.com ABCNews.Go.com BigLeaguePolitics.com 2 Brighteon.com (Natural News) Bills have been introduced in the Texas Senate and House of Representatives to make online publishers enforce an age verification system on their platforms. Senate Bill 2164 and House Bill 3585, introduced by Republicans Sen. Bryan Hughes and Rep. Terri Leo-Wilson, seek to amend the states Business and Commerce Code with what their bills refer to as reasonable age verification methods. The goal would be to regulate adult content online. (Related: Recently passed New York state bills could pave way for future legislation mandating adult enrollment in state vaccination database.) In the proposed bills, lawmakers state that they want to make digital identification available to sites and social media platforms that are more than one-third sexual in nature. The digital identification is defined by lawmakers as information stored on a digital network as proof of a users identity, such as a picture of a government ID. This is to verify that visitors to their sites are 18 years old or over. The bill also states that once the age verification process has been completed, either by the site or social media platform itself or by a third party, neither the third party nor the site or platform are supposed to retain the personal information gathered in this way. Alternatively, site visitors can also provide a commercially reasonable method that relies on public or private transnational data to verify the age of an individual. The websites of bona fide news organizations are exempt from the age verification requirement. The porn industry has preyed on the most vulnerable, our children, noted State Rep. Nate Schatzline, who proposed a bill similar to HB 3585 in the state house just a week prior. Requiring age verification for explicit content should be a no-brainer. Texas has no place for people who intend to harm kids. Call for age verification systems growing in the US Texas is not the only state to pass legislation requiring age verification online to prevent children from gaining access to adult content on the internet. Louisiana, which passed similar legislation last year, requires age verification using government-issued IDs or public or private transnational data. State residents looking to access websites that are at least one-third sexual in nature are directed to confirm their identity through a state-run app called LA Wallet that digitizes their drivers license. Just days ago, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed social media regulation laws that require minors to get parental consent to remain on social media platforms. The laws require that social media companies set up systems to verify the age of any Utah resident who makes a social media profile and get parental consent from any minor who wishes to make a profile. The laws also require social media companies to allow parents to access the posts and messages of the accounts of their children should they request it. Furthermore, social media companies are prohibited from displaying ads to minors, showing the accounts of minors in search results, collecting information about minors, targeting or suggesting content to minors or knowingly integrating any addictive technologies into social media apps regularly used by minors. Similar bills are making their way through the state legislatures of Mississippi and Virginia. A similar bill has also been submitted to the United States Senate. Visit Computing.news for more stories like this. Watch this clip from the War Room as Steve Bannon and Mike Davis discuss how Big Tech platforms aid and abet terrorism. This video is from the News Clips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Ron DeSantis to introduce legislation in Florida prohibiting the use of CBDCs in the state. Twitter Files: US government helped launch project where millions of online posts were flagged for censorship. Sen. Mark Kelly calls for social media CENSORSHIP of economic chatter to prevent bank runs. More sophisticated Chinese cyberattacks target US firms, government agencies, defense contractors. Big Tech companies swarming with ex-FBI, CIA agents as social media becomes part of national security state. Sources include: ReclaimTheNet.org TheTexan.news NBCNews.com GCN.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has admitted that his forces are already out of ammunition. Zelensky made this admission in an interview published March 25 by the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun. He told Yomuiris Koya Ozeki: We do not have ammunition. For us, the situation in the east [of Ukraine] is not good. The Ukrainian leader appealed for an acceleration of the supply of ammunition from the U.S. and European Union, alongside tanks for the de-occupation of Ukraine. The latter is expected to be deployed in battle in April, with Zelensky expressing his intent to deploy them to break through the Russian military defense line. Zelensky also responded to concerns that other countries providing weapons to Ukraine could lead to an escalation of conflict. He said: I would like people to stop getting scared by threats of the Russian Federation. The stronger we are, the less possibilities for Russia to go through Europe and thus for a third world war. The Ukrainian president also rebuked Chinas 12-point proposal to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, reiterating that Kyivs sovereignty and territorial integrity comes first. The proposal from Beijing includes ceasefire and peace talks, but does not mention the complete withdrawal of Russian troops or the return of territory annexed by Moscow. It is not just about us. If we fall down, Russia will go further, Zelensky claimed, adding that only Russias defeat in this war can stop the country. There are some countries with imperialistic ambitions which can begin the same aggressive steps. Thats very dangerous. Zelensky concluded by strongly appealing for ammunition, weapons and other materiel. The world is paying only money and weapons. But it doesnt pay for the lives of our people. (Related: Costly war: American aid to Ukraine about to hit $65 billion.) Zelensky admission only proves Russia is WINNING But Raul Ilagi Meijer of The Automatic Earth begged to differ, however. In a March 26 entry, he put in his two cents about the Ukrainian presidents admission that Kyivs forces are running out of ammunition. According to Meijer, Zelenskys remarks only bolstered reports of how poorly Ukrainian forces are faring in the war. It also proved that Kyiv is indeed experiencing severe ammunition shortages, as mentioned by an insider. Moreover, the admission drastically decreases the chances that Kyivs upcoming counteroffensive will achieve much of anything and only increases the chances of Ukrainian forces making an epic mistake that could ultimately lead to a decisive Russian breakthrough. It can therefore be expected that Zelensky and his agents of influence across the West will beg for even more aid, arguing that the failure to pay up would risk making their prior investments in this proxy war all for naught if Kyiv ends up losing to Russia, Meijer continued. The problem, however, is that no amount of money can make ammunition appear out of thin air since it requires a lot of time to scale production accordingly to meet these newfound exorbitant needs. Ultimately, Meijer pointed out: Its clear that Kyiv cant keep pace with its opponent despite being backed by all of NATOs [the North Atlantic Treaty Organization] military-industrial capacity. Zelensky almost certainly didnt realize that his candid admission essentially amounted to this, but its presently unclear whether the MSM will inform their audience about this or not. He also mentioned the possibility of taxpayers questioning further aid to Ukraine which has already received more than $100 billion in aid. After all, if that astronomical sum wasnt enough to keep their guns firing, then theres no telling how much will be needed for Kyiv to reconquer more of its lost territory like it intends to do. Visit WWIII.news for more stories about the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Watch Brother Nathanael Kapner expound on how the U.S. government allocates billions of aid to Ukraine and only pennies to its people. This video is from the jonastheprophet channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Ukraine is running out of ammunition as Russia continues to overpower its military. Corruption in the midst of war: Ukraine unlikely to receive the promised $65 billion in Western aid. RUNNING OUT: Ukraine blowing through more ammo than NATO, U.S. can manufacture and provide. Billions of dollars worth of American arms and aid disappear into a black hole once they enter Ukraine. Congress wants ANOTHER $12 billion sent to Ukraine as aid while Americas southern border suffers from lack of funding. Sources include: TheAutomaticEarth.com JapanNews.Yomiuri.co.jp Brighteon.com In a Michigan nature preserve a pair of American bald eagles were spotted building a nest. Observers and birdwatchers are welcome, according to officials. Breeding Behavior of American Bald Eagles The eagles have been seen at Shelby Township's Holland Ponds Park, and it is thought that they are getting ready for eaglets. A wildlife photographer who is also a bald eagle observer, Joan Bonin, said in a statement from the township that the pair of bald eagles were observed sitting low in the nest. Observations also note the pair seeming to roll eggs and switch tasks. These are signs that the couple is incubating eggs, Elizabeth Shultz stated. Shultz is a naturalist and the Shelby Township Parks, Recreation, and Maintenance Nature Center Coordinator. According to her, it can take one to three eggs about five weeks of incubation to hatch after being laid as early as January. Shultz added that the chicks don't resemble adults when they first take flight at about three months old. The underside of the wings of juveniles is spotted with white. Up until the age of five, they lack the recognizable white head and tail. According to officials, American bald eagles would also remain monogamous to one another and return to the same nest each year if the rearing is successful. The nest, or an eyrie, begins at a width of about 5 feet, but as the pair builds on it each year, it can expand to a maximum width of 9 feet and weigh as much as a car. Guidelines to Protect New Eagles Working together is essential, according to Schultz, to safeguard the young eagle. This entails abiding by federal regulations for viewing in a manner that won't irritate them. Drones are not allowed within a 1,000-foot radius of the nest, and visitors must stay over 330 feet away. According to Shultz, eagles may abandon their nest as well as their young if they become overly stressed. This guideline in particular is not unique to bald eagles in Michigan. According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, eagles will expend valuable energy flying away if bird watchers or boaters approach them too closely. It puts them under unnecessary stress and might lead to a site being abandoned. Shultz also cautioned that improper fishing line disposal and the use of lead-based lures pose risks to wildlife, particularly bald eagles, who may become poisoned by lead from the fish they consume or become entangled in old fishing lines while scouting. Also Read: Bald Eagle Suffers Severe Anemia, Lethargy After Ingesting Rat Poison in Massachusetts On Saturday, April 8, between 2 PM and 3 PM, Shultz and Bonin intend to lead a free guided hike through the park so that locals and visitors can safely observe the eagles, Shelby Township, MI reports. Director Joe Youngblood, the township's director of parks and recreation, was later recognized by Township Supervisor Rick Stathakis as the ambassador to welcome the American bald eagles to the township. Stathakis also expressed his delight at learning that a pair of bald eagles are nesting in one of the parks because he is a patriotic American. Stathakis, however, urges everyone to abide by Schultz's recommendations first to make sure the eagles have the best possible chance to flourish and raise a family in our lovely community. From being contaminated in the past, with only 52 active bald eagles, according to Shultz, the park is now teeming with life. Great blue herons, beavers, and, the American bald eagle are all visible, Click on Detroit reports. Related Article: Bald Eagle Couple in California Abandons Nest After Eggs Won't Hatch A 5-day-old rhino calf that was born in captivity in an Australian zoo recently passed away from internal injuries. At Australia's Werribee Open Range Zoo, Kipenzi, a southern white rhinoceros, gave birth in captivity upon completing 16 weeks of pregnancy. However, the calf was unable to bond with his mother and died as a result of injuries sustained in "interactions," according to the zoo. The zoo said in a statement that the female calf experienced a neurological episode and later died on Saturday night as a result of a cardiac arrest. Zoo veterinarians tried to revive the baby but were unsuccessful. The demise of any animal is difficult for everyone involved, but every effort was made to make sure the calf was given optimal treatment, according to Mark Pilgrim, director of the zoo. Southern White Rhinos The two subspecies of white rhinoceros are the northern white rhinos and the southern white rhinos. Due to widespread hunting and land clearing in the late 19th century, southern white rhinos-which are found in the wild almost entirely in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Kenya-nearly went extinct. In 1895, South Africa was the only known location for the remaining 20 to 50 individuals. From 17,500 in 2007 to 18,064 in December 2017, this population has increased significantly across several African nations and in numerous zoos all over the world. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has now designated the southern white rhino as "near threatened" due to the current decline in their populations. The species' main threat is poaching by hunters who want to sell their distinctive horns in the ivory and traditional medicine trade. Demise of a 5-Day-Old Rhino Calf A female rhino only reproduces once every two to three years and carries each calf for almost a year and a half, according to Animal Diversity Web. Additionally, this calf was the zoo's first Southern white rhino birth in nearly ten years. These factors make the death of the calf more tragic. On their Facebook page, the Owner of Werribee Open Range Zoo, Zoos Victoria, said that the birth of the rhino calf was a significant milestone, not only for the zoo but for the preservation of its species in the Australasian region. There are thought to be 10,080 rhinos left in the wild, and they are seriously threatened by poaching as well as the illegal trade in rhino horn. Also Read: Rhinos Down to 400 as Poaching Intensifies in Botswana Internal Injuries, Cardiac Arrest, Mommy Issues The University of Melbourne Veterinarian School's necropsy of the calf revealed that her cardiac arrest was probably caused by blood clots created by a broken scapula or collar bone. The mother, Kipenzi, had never given birth before this calf. The calf suffered injuries dealt by her mother, including the broken collar bone, because the Kipenzi and the calf were unable to form a strong bond in the hours following the birth. Although the calf was to be gradually reintroduced to her mother after being separated from her for checks and additional feeding, her injuries led to fatal blood clots, Newsweek reports. Related Article: World's Most Endangered Species: 2 Young Javan Rhinos Seen in Indonesia National Park A chimpanzee abducted a baby girl in Uganda. Rescuers were able to locate the victim and revive him for a brief period, but the incident ultimately resulted in the child's death. Kidnapped By a Chimpanzee in Uganda Aroho Ahumuza, a two-month-old baby, was being held by her mother in the western Ugandan town of Kagadi when a chimpanzee kidnapped her. The child was suddenly snatched from her mother's arms by the chimp as it burst out of a bush. After the mother of the child called for assistance, locals arrived. Ahumuza was eventually discovered with significant head wounds. According to Kunihira Kasaija, the victim's father, the child was found and taken to Kagadi Community Health Center for treatment, but she later passed away. Aggressive Chimpanzees in Uganda According to information gathered from the WCS Uganda, Uganda is home to an estimated count of 5,000 chimpanzees. The DRC has the largest population of eastern chimpanzees, but Uganda also has a sizable population. Chimpanzees rarely cause fatalities, but they have occasionally been observed to be aggressive. A man can be easily defeated by chimpanzees because they are roughly four times as strong as humans. Chimpanzees are highly capable of dealing serious injuries to their victims once provoked. In Uganda, conflicts between people and wildlife have gotten worse recently. Chimpanzee habitation areas are reportedly being reduced as a result of human habitat disruption and the growth of human settlements, according to experts. As a result, the apes may experience more stress and tension, which in turn may make chimpanzees more aggressive. Animals are compelled to move into cities in search of food as habitats disappear. According to Kasaija, he has requested action from the Uganda Wildlife Authority regarding chimpanzees in his neighborhood, urging that the animals be relocated to prevent any harm to humans. The attack occurred in the town of Kagadi, which is close to Kibale National Park, which is home to the majority of chimpanzees in Africa. It is highly possible that the chimpanzee who carried out the attack strayed from the park. Despite the rarity of fatalities, chimpanzee attacks have long been a source of worry for locals, Newsweek reports. Also Read: Unusual Bee Attack Injures, Hospitalizes Mallgoers in Mexico Kibale National Park and Chimpanzees The tropical rainforest that is Kibale National Park in southwest Uganda is home to a variety of wildlife species that draw many tourists to the country. Chimpanzees are habituated primates found in Kibale Forest National Park. They have a 90% DNA similarity to humans. Kibale National Park claims to be home to about 1500 of Uganda's estimated chimpanzees. According to the North Carolina Zoo website, the Ngogo Chimpanzee Project recently launched an initiative to mitigate chimpanzees trespassing and foraging on people's farms in an effort to lessen human-wildlife conflict. The project organized "conflict management teams" with the task to patrol the park boundary as well as the peoples' farms to ensure the crop-raiding chimpanzees are either blocked from coming into the community or hounded back to Kibale National Park. This approach by the project has proved successful in trimming down the human-chimpanzee conflict tally. The conflict resolution team also finds and takes out snares that farmers have placed in their orchards or at the park's edge. Related Article: Aggressive Domesticated Monkey Bites Ear Off Woman in Oklahoma The weather forecast reported that severe weather conditions could impact from Dallas to Chicago this week, bringing possible isolated tornadoes and damaging wind gusts. People traveling this week should keep updated with the weather for possible slower commutes and travel disruptions. In the last week of March, the challenging weather could bring possible tornadoes as the spring season comes near. Severe weather conditions this week According to AccuWeather's latest forecast, unfavorable weather conditions could emerge from Chicago to Dallas this week. Friday's weather outlook showed that wintry weather conditions could be possible. Cooler conditions are forecast in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Rain and possible thunderstorms are possible in Dallas, Memphis, Kansas City and Chicago. Snowy conditions are possible in Denver and Minneapolis. Homeowners should keep updated with the weather, especially the possible thunderstorms. According to CDC, thunderstorms are life-threatening, bringing dangerous situations for homeowners and motorists. Moreover, AccuWeather's forecast explained that severe thunderstorms could unleash isolated tornadoes, hail and damaging wind gusts on Thursday, especially in North Platte. On Friday night, the forecast explained that severe thunderstorms could unleash in Tulsa, Dallas, Memphis and Chicago. The weather forecast also warned of possible flash flooding and lightning strikes. On the other hand, the National Weather Service (NWS) reported that the Northeast could experience possible snow squalls. NWS warned of possible changing road conditions and heavy snow. The forecast added that motorists should stay alert for possible reduced road visibility and snow-covered roads. Meanwhile, AccuWeather reported that troublesome winds could emerge on Friday, causing dangerous crosswinds, high fire danger and power outages. The strong winds could hit Oklahoma, Kansas City and Abilene. Furthermore, the forecast added that the challenging wind conditions could spread across Chicago, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Detroit, Charleston, Detroit, Buffalo, Pittsburg, Nashville, Johnson City, Richmond, Washington and New York. The report also noted that severe thunderstorms could stay on Saturday, unleashing potential isolated tornadoes, hail and damaging winds in Buffalo, Raleigh, D.C. and New York. Severe thunderstorms and isolated tornado safety The American Red Cross explained the importance of staying safe during severe weather events, including isolated tornadoes and winter storms. Also Read: Canada Weather Forecast: Icy, Snowy Conditions to Unload in Ontario This Weekend Thunderstorms are also dangerous, and they could kill people. As a result, staying safe is essential to prevent casualties and possible accidents. Here are important reminders for homeowners and motorists this week. Keep updated with severe thunderstorms and a tornado watch. Weather agencies publish, or report updated tornado watches and warnings for motorists and communities. Having multiple sources of news or information would help prevent casualties and anticipate the impact of the weather. Stay at home as possible. Motorists and homeowners should stay at home as possible during severe weather events. The challenging winds and possible tornadoes could cause safety concerns. Homeowners must prepare an emergency kit inside their homes in case of emergency or tornado outbreaks. Furthermore, staying in a secure place inside your home is essential. Keep away from windows and fragile materials. Related Article: Australia Weather Forecast: Bushfire Season, Hotter Weather Likely to Emerge For more similar, don't forget to follow Nature World News. As a result of the birth of four cubs by the adult big cats that were brought in from Namibia, the 70-year extinction of cheetahs in India has come to an end. The good news was announced by India's environment minister, who described it as a "momentous event." Cheetas from Namibia The nation has been working to reintroduce big cats for years, and last year eight cheetahs from Namibia were brought over as part of the strategy. Last month, 12 additional cheetahs were transported from South Africa to India. One of the females that traveled from Namibia last September gave birth to the four cubs in the wildlife sanctuary of Kuno National Park. Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav expressed his delight about the news when he shared it on Twitter. Congratulations A momentous event in our wildlife conservation history during Amrit Kaal! I am delighted to share that four cubs have been born to one of the cheetahs translocated to India on 17th September 2022, under the visionary leadership of PM Shri @narendramodi ji. pic.twitter.com/a1YXqi7kTt Bhupender Yadav (@byadavbjp) March 29, 2023 Yadav commended the entire Project Cheetah team for their tenacious efforts to bring cheetahs back to India and also for their efforts to right a historical ecological wrong. The "wonderful news" was also welcomed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to the Press Trust of India, the cubs were thought to have been born about five days earlier but weren't discovered until Wednesday by officials. Park Officials said hat, the mother, Siyaya, and the cubs are all right and healthy. But just two days before the announcement of the new cubs, one of the eight Namibian cheetahs at Kuno National Park passed away from kidney failure. A large carnivore had never been relocated from one continent to a different one and reintroduced in the wild until the eight were brought to India last year. 70-Year Extinction of Cheetahs in India After years of declining numbers due to hunting, habitat loss, and a lack of available prey, cheetahs-the fastest land animal in the world-became officially extinct by 1952 in India in 1952. Currently, South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana are home to the overwhelming bulk of the 7,000 cheetahs that exist worldwide. Only 50 of the critically endangered Asiatic cheetahs are thought to remain, and they are currently only found in Iran. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species, the cheetah is classified as "vulnerable" throughout the world. To catch prey, it can sprint across grasslands at speeds of up to 70 mph, BBC News reported. Also Read: Tasmanian Tiger Revival from Extinction: Now Possible -Study Cheetahs in Captivity For centuries, cheetahs have been domesticated, used for hunting, and housed in zoos throughout Asia, Europe, and Africa. They have, however, never really flourished in captivity. 139 wild-caught cheetahs were on display at 47 zoos between 1829 and 1952. With 115 recorded deaths and no recorded births during this time, the majority of these animals lived for less than a year. Cheetahs continue to experience a variety of unusual illnesses that are infrequently reported in other captive cats, despite improvements in husbandry practices in zoos and other facilities around the world that house captive animals. These include gastritis, various kidney disorders, abnormalities of the liver, heart muscle fibrosis, and several unclear neurological conditions. Over 90% of cheetahs kept in captivity in both North and South Africa had gastritis at the time of death, according to postmortem findings. Similar to this, over two-thirds of captive cheetahs had kidney disease. Contrarily, wild, free-ranging cheetahs are much less likely to contract these diseases, the Smithsonian Magazine reported. Related Article: Two Jaguar Cubs Rewilded After Successful Breeding Program in Argentina, Two More to Follow Severe weather outbreak is threatening 65 million Americans in at least 15 states in the Central United States later this week, according to US weather authorities. The looming storm system brings the risks of tornado threat, damaging wind gusts, and large hail from the mid-South to the Midwest by Friday, March 31. The current threat level is two out of a four-tier scale, which could increase by the weekend. Flash flooding is possible due to heavy rain brought by the system. Power outages is also expected due to the potential falling of power lines caused by strong winds. Disruption to road traffic, public transport, and even air travel is imminent, as seen in recent storms across the country. Over the past week, a severe thunderstorm spawned multiple tornadoes across the South, including in Mississippi and Georgia. Central US Severe Weather Outbreak AccuWeather meteorologists stated the severe storm will develop on Friday, threatening a large portion of the country, wherein at least 15 states will be affected. Cities at risk include Little Rock, Arkansas; Memphis, Tennessee; St. Louis, Missouri; Peoria, Illinois; Chicago, Illinois; and Indianapolis, Indiana. The latest weather forecast warns that Central US severe weather outbreak will unleash violent storms, ranging from powerful winds to destructive tornadoes by the end of the weekday, the meteorologists said. Forecasters highlighted that areas at risk from will span from Texas to Alabama in the South, as well as areas as far as Wisconsin and Michigan in the north. Also Read: Severe Weather Warnings Issued for New Zealand Due to Heavy Rain and Snowfall 65 Million Americans at Risk As mentioned earlier, more than 65 million Americans are at risk from the severe weather, according to the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) of the National Weather Service (NWS), which forecasted on Wednesday, March 29, there is an enhanced risk of severe thunderstorms across the Mid-Mississippi Valley to the mid-South. In particular, the NWS - SPC forecast suggested that there is a potential for an intense and widespread severe storms across the said region from Friday afternoon until the evening hours of the same day, emphasizing that twisters and damaging gusts will be the main hazards of the adverse weather. Mississippi, Georgia Tornadoes The start of the country's meteorological spring on March 20 witnessed the occurrence of severe weather outbreak in different parts of the country, including in California, the West Coast, South, and Southeast US. Over the past week, the Mississippi tornado killed at least 25 people, while the Georgia tornado caused several injured people. A similar twister also killed at least one in Alabama. Most of the victims died from falling trees or debris while they are still in their vehicles. There were 20 tornadoes reported that rampaged through Mississippi and Alabama on the evening of March 24. In western and central Mississippi, the storms ripped through houses, businesses, and farmlands, according to the NWS, as cited by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Related Article: Severe Storms with Damaging Winds and Tornadoes to Hit the Central United States This Coming Week Pope Francis: What do we know about his health problems? Pope Francis holds weekly general audience at the Vatican By Crispian Balmer VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - While the Vatican has looked to play down worries over Pope Francis' health, his sudden hospitalisation has highlighted the 86-year-old pontiff's increasing frailty. On Wednesday, the pope had appeared in good form at his regular, weekly audience, joking with bishops, hugging a young girl and letting a group of children ride with him in his open-top popemobile. But after returning to his Vatican residence he complained he was having difficulty breathing and his team decided he should be whisked to hospital for a series of medical tests. These showed he was suffering a "respiratory infection", the Vatican said in a statement, adding that he would stay in Rome's Gemelli hospital for "several days" of "appropriate treatment". There was no sign of particular alarm from his staff and on Thursday the Vatican released a second statement to say that his "clinical picture is gradually improving". It added that he had resumed working from his hospital suite. There have always been question marks over the health of the pope - who was 76 when he was elected pontiff in March 2013 - because it was widely known that when he was in his 20s he had part of one of his lungs removed in his native Argentina. He himself predicted early on that his papacy would be shortlived. "This will last a short time, two or three years, and then we go to the house of the father," he told reporters in 2014, before making a chopping gesture and a whistling sound. At the time, he had a spritely step and a slimmer girth. These days he uses a cane and a wheelchair because of a persistent knee ailment, and his waistline has noticeably increased due to a more sedentary lifestyle in the Vatican that began even before his leg problem. SURGERY But the leader of the world's nearly 1.4 billion Roman Catholics has dismissed suggestions he is ready to follow the example of his predecessor Benedict XVI and retire. Story continues "You don't run the Church with a knee but with a head," he reportedly told an aide after he began sometimes using a wheelchair in public for the first time on May 5, 2022. This week's hospitalisation comes less than two years after the pontiff's last stay at the Gemelli hospital's papal suite, which is reserved exclusively for popes and contains a private chapel. On that occasion, he had part of his colon removed, a procedure aimed at addressing a painful bowel condition called diverticulitis. Two months ago, he said the condition had returned and that it was causing him to put on weight, but that he was not overly concerned. He did not elaborate. In an interview with Reuters last July, Francis said he preferred not to have an operation on his knee because he did not want a repeat of long-term negative side effects from anaesthesia he suffered from the colon operation. He also dismissed as "court gossip" rumours that cancer had been found during the 2021 surgery. Last July, returning from a trip to Canada, Francis acknowledged that his advancing age and his difficulty walking might have ushered in a new, slower phase of his papacy. But effectively he has not slowed down. After Canada, he went to Kazakhstan in September, Bahrain in November and made a gruelling trip last month to Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. He is already committed to visiting Hungary next month, Portugal in August and the French city of Marseille in September. He has said if it can be arranged, he would want to then fly from France to Mongolia. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, a senior Vatican official, has called the pope a great example to elderly people facing mobility issues. "He accepts his limitations at this moment with a great spirit and a great heart. I think he is an example to all of us. We should not hide the fact that with age comes a lessening of our ability to play an active part in the life of the world today," Farrell told reporters last year. (Writing by Philip Pullella and Crispian Balmer; Editing by Frances Kerry) On Tuesday, March 28, the offspring of Indonesia's infamous Krakatoa volcano erupted several times, sending a massive volcanic ash tower 2,500 meters (8,200 feet) into the sky. Mount Anak Krakatoa, which means "Child of Krakatoa," erupted four times, the largest followed by another that sent a column of smoke and ash 1,500 meters above its crater, according to officials. Anak Krakatoa Volcano Erupts Oktory Prambada, an official at the Center of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, told AFP that this is part of an eruption phase associated with the formation of a new body for the volcano, as per Phys.org. When a major eruption sent huge chunks of the volcano sliding into the ocean in 2018, its crater partially collapsed, triggering a tsunami that killed over 400 people and injured thousands. On Tuesday, there were no reports of injuries or property damage. After the series of eruptions, the volcano's alert status remained at the second-highest level, according to Prambada, with authorities imposing a five-kilometer (3.1-mile) exclusion zone around the crater. Anak Krakatoa, which sits in a strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra, has been sporadically active since it emerged from the sea in the caldera formed by Mount Krakatoa's 1883 eruption. With an estimated 35,000 people killed, it was one of the deadliest and most destructive disasters in history. Indonesia, a Southeast Asian archipelago nation, is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where continental plates collide, resulting in high volcanic and seismic activity. Understanding Eruptive Activity And Related Hazards At Krakatau Volcano Krakatau, in the Sunda Straits in Indonesia, is a well-known example of a tsunami caused by volcanic activity; a classic example is the 1883 eruption, as per the British Geological Survey. As material was displaced into the surrounding seas, numerous tsunamis formed, with the largest inundating large portions of the Sunda Straits and killing 33 000 people. Despite the magnitude of the devastation caused by this eruption, the exact mechanism behind the tsunamis remains unknown. Following the 1883 event, activity at the Krakatau volcanic complex continued, and in 1929, Anak Krakatau (Krakau's "child") emerged from the sea. The volcano grew over the next 90 years as a result of frequent Strombolian eruptions. On December 22, 2018, a large portion of the volcano collapsed into the surrounding seas, resulting in another tsunami that impacted large areas of the Sunda Straits, killing 437 people. The collapse was accompanied by a large eruption that quickly rebuilt the volcano, obscuring much of the evidence. Also Read: Krakatoa: Volcano Strong Enough to Change the Climate Erupted Today in Indonesia The Krakatoa eruption 2022 Last 2022, Indonesia raised the alert level for the Krakatoa volcano's offspring to the second highest level, a day after it erupted and spewed a towering ash cloud 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) into the sky. Authorities raised the threat of Anak Krakatoa to level three of a four-tier volcanic alert system after a surge in activity over the last month, with the largest eruption occurring on Sunday. A day after warning nearby residents to wear masks outside due to the large plume of ash it belched over the strait that separates the islands of Java and Sumatra, they widened the exclusion zone around the crater. Related article: Atmospheric Waves: How the 1883 Krakatoa Eruption Caused the Earth's Atmosphere to Ring Like a Bell According to a study published in Environmental Microbiome, urban honey bees could be used to gain insight into the microbiome of the cities in which they forage, which could potentially provide information on both hive and human health. Honey bees provide a snapshot of city landscape and health Cities are designed for human habitation, but they also house a diverse range of living species, and understanding this diverse landscape is critical for both urban planning and human health. However, sampling the microbial landscape in order to cover large areas of a city can be time-consuming, as per Phys.org. Elizabeth Henaff and colleagues investigated the potential of honey bees (Apis mellifera) to assist in the collection of microorganism samples across cities, as honey bees have been observed foraging up to one mile from their hives in urban environments on a daily basis. In a pilot study, they sampled various materials from three hives in New York and discovered diverse genetic information, including from environmental bacteria, in the debris accumulated at the bottom of the hives. Subsequent hive debris samples from Sydney and Melbourne (Australia), Venice (Italy), and Tokyo (Japan) indicated that each location has a distinct genetic signature as seen by honey bees. Fungi associated with wood rot and date palm DNA dominated the genetic data in Venice. The sample from Melbourne was dominated by eucalyptus DNA, whereas the sample from Sydney contained little plant DNA but genetic data from a bacteria species that degrades rubber (Gordonia polyisoprenivorans). Plant DNA from Lotus and the wild soybean, as well as the soy sauce fermenting yeast Zygosaccharomyces rouxii, were included in the Tokyo samples. Furthermore, the authors gathered genetic material from hive debris for Rickettsia felis ("cat scratch fever"), a pathogen spread to humans through cat scratches. These findings suggested that this has potential as a surveillance method, but they are currently too preliminary to tell that it is an effective method of monitoring human diseases. Bee-related microorganisms were also found in the hive debris, most likely from honey bee parts. The authors discovered known bee microorganisms, whose presence indicates a healthy hive, in 33 samples from hives across the following four cities, and bee pathogens, such as Paenibacillus larvae, Melissococcus plutonius, or the parasite Varroa destructor, in some hives. According to the authors, these findings suggested that debris could also be used to assess the overall health of the hives. Also Read: Bees Activate 'Medicinal Properties' Against Parasite Infection During Pollination Urban Beekeeping The practice of working with bees in cities is known as urban beekeeping. Honeybees, as well as solitary bees like masons, leaf cutters, and diggers, and some social bees like carpenters and bumbles, can fall into this category, as per The Best Bees. Most people work with honeybees because of the practice's long history, which dates back over 9,000 years. Urban beekeeping with honeybees, like rural and suburban beekeeping, entails founding colonies with queens and worker bees, housing them, providing supplemental feeding when necessary, assisting them in pest control, and harvesting honey when surpluses exist. Many people still find it strange to keep bees in cities, possibly because we think of suburbs and rural areas as more natural environments, and cities as largely man-made spaces devoid of nature. Honeybees are not native to the Americas; they were introduced into English colonies in the 1670s. For generations, North American beekeeping was an essential part of family farming, and the American food system was still largely based on small farms until the mid-twentieth century. After WWII, when supermarkets, fast food, and agribusiness took over most of our food system, people lost touch with the sources of their food, including honey and beekeeping. The call for city bees was first heard in 1980s Paris, when experimental hives on the roof of the famed Opera Garnier proved so successful that they launched a new industry in France: Urban Beekeeping. Today, the greater Paris area alone has over 3,000 hives, and urban beekeeping has spread around the world. The movement in the United States was initially hampered by municipal legislation restricting the raising of farm animals in cities, including bees. However, beekeeping activists persisted, and cities in the United States began to change their laws. In 2010, New York legalized urban beekeeping; in 2013, Boston; and in 2015, Los Angeles. Related article: Taal Wipes Out Bee Farm in Laguna A man is in custody after police found a victim who appeared to have been stabbed to death Wednesday morning. The Ada County Sheriffs Office received a 911 call shortly before 7 a.m. Wednesday, and deputies were directed to the parking lot of a Chevron gas station near the entrance of the Avimor community north of Eagle, sheriffs spokesperson Patrick Orr told the Idaho Statesman in an email. They found an adult male from Nampa slumped over in a car with a fatal stab wound, according to a press release from the sheriffs office. The parked car was running at the gas station at the corner of East Beacon Light Road and Idaho 55. Deputies removed the man from the car and began first aid until paramedics arrived, the release stated. Paramedics took the man to a local hospital, where he was declared dead a brief time later, the release said. While that was happening, deputies identified (Raul) Cuevas as a suspect in the case. Nampa resident Raul Cuevas, 31, was taken into custody at 6:59 a.m., according to the sheriffs website. Orr confirmed this to the Statesman. Daulton Stachler, a manager at the Chevron, told the Statesman that Cuevas came into the Chevron and used the gas stations phone to call law enforcement and turn himself in. Investigators are still figuring out why the stabbing occurred at a gas station parking lot in Avimor in north Ada County, which is over 25 miles and several towns away from Nampa, the sheriffs office release indicated. Cuevas has been charged with first-degree murder and is in the Ada County Jail, according to online records. Prince Harry made a surprise trip to London earlier this week, showing up at High Court on Monday morning for a privacy hearing against Associated Newspapers. And naturally everyone's wondering if he took a moment to have a tense/awkward visit with his family. The answer? Yeah, not so much. According to The Telegraph, Prince Harry did inform his father that he'd be in London for the court hearing, but told King Charles he was too "busy" for a visit. Meanwhile, Harry is said to be staying at Frogmore Cottage (which he and Meghan Markle will soon vacate permanently), just a stone's throw away from Prince William and Kate Middleton's residence at Adelaide Cottage. But according to The Express, Harry won't see the Prince and Princess of Wales either, as they're away for their kids' "half term" holidays. Jordan Pettitt - PA Images - Getty Images BTW, King Charles was initially scheduled to be in France during Harry's trip, but since the visit was canceled he is in the country. Either way, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams shed some light on the situation, telling The Express: "The problem with this appearance is that it is a surprise appearance and the Sussexes do like to surprise. They're always unpredictable and nobody expected this. There is little doubt Harry is attaching his name to a list which is very distinguished but equally it was an opportunity for him to appear on the privacy area where the Sussexes feel very strongly. Clearly this was not planned because Charles would have been in France and he's going to Germany on Wednesday. It's very hard to see what he and the King would have to say to each other because can you trust saying anything sensitive when it might very well appear in a book or article? The Prince and Princess of Wales are also on holiday apparently with their children." Reminder: Harry could be back in England in just a few weeks for King Charles' coronation, but he and Meghan haven't confirmed their plans just yet! You Might Also Like By PTI NEW DELHI: Air India will provide 26 weeks of maternity leave to women employees as well as daycare support under its revamped policies. Besides, the airline will give women pilots the choice to opt for quicker turnaround flights till the child reaches the age of one year. The option will be subject to request and availability, according to an internal communication. The revised policies, to be effective from April 1, are part of the carrier's 'MOMS - Returning Mothers Programme'. MOMS refers to 'Making Our Mothers Soar'. Women employees will get maternity leave for 26 weeks, including for commissioning and adopting mothers, as per the communication. Currently, the maternity leave is for 12 weeks. A commissioning mother refers to one who commissions a surrogate mother to bear a child on her behalf while adopting mother is one who legally adopts a child. Under the programme, a woman employee can avail of nutrition guidance and day care facility on a co-pay model. There will also be counselling sessions to "address mental well-being, preparation for childbirth and plans to return to work for expectant mothers", the communication said. Air India, which was taken over by Tata Group in January last year, has more than 5,000 women employees, including flying and non-flying staff. This accounts for around 40 per cent of the total headcount of nearly 11,000 people. NEW DELHI: Air India will provide 26 weeks of maternity leave to women employees as well as daycare support under its revamped policies. Besides, the airline will give women pilots the choice to opt for quicker turnaround flights till the child reaches the age of one year. The option will be subject to request and availability, according to an internal communication.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The revised policies, to be effective from April 1, are part of the carrier's 'MOMS - Returning Mothers Programme'. MOMS refers to 'Making Our Mothers Soar'. Women employees will get maternity leave for 26 weeks, including for commissioning and adopting mothers, as per the communication. Currently, the maternity leave is for 12 weeks. A commissioning mother refers to one who commissions a surrogate mother to bear a child on her behalf while adopting mother is one who legally adopts a child. Under the programme, a woman employee can avail of nutrition guidance and day care facility on a co-pay model. There will also be counselling sessions to "address mental well-being, preparation for childbirth and plans to return to work for expectant mothers", the communication said. Air India, which was taken over by Tata Group in January last year, has more than 5,000 women employees, including flying and non-flying staff. This accounts for around 40 per cent of the total headcount of nearly 11,000 people. Rakesh Kumar By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Coal minister Pralhad Joshi on Wednesday said India will start exporting coal from FY26. The minister, speaking at the launch of 7th round of commercial coal mine auction, retorted that the fossil fuel is going to remain a main source of energy for next 40-50 years. This year, we wont need to import as Indias coal production this fiscal is up by 14% to 880 MT and offtake is likely to touch 900 million tonne, he said. He further added as the production grew substantially after joining of private players, India will be in position to export coal. Joshi said production from captive/commercial mines has crossed 100 million tonne for the first time. Except for coking coal, we will stop the (import of) thermal coal, he added. India, along with China, is the worlds largest coal producer, consumer and importer. This comes after India faced a major coal crisis, which led to power outages in many states in past two year. In 2021, coal stocks at power plants touched lowest to 7.23 million tonnes (mt). In May 2022, in peak summer, several states complained of coal shortage for power plants. NEW DELHI: Coal minister Pralhad Joshi on Wednesday said India will start exporting coal from FY26. The minister, speaking at the launch of 7th round of commercial coal mine auction, retorted that the fossil fuel is going to remain a main source of energy for next 40-50 years. This year, we wont need to import as Indias coal production this fiscal is up by 14% to 880 MT and offtake is likely to touch 900 million tonne, he said. He further added as the production grew substantially after joining of private players, India will be in position to export coal. Joshi said production from captive/commercial mines has crossed 100 million tonne for the first time. Except for coking coal, we will stop the (import of) thermal coal, he added. India, along with China, is the worlds largest coal producer, consumer and importer. This comes after India faced a major coal crisis, which led to power outages in many states in past two year. In 2021, coal stocks at power plants touched lowest to 7.23 million tonnes (mt). In May 2022, in peak summer, several states complained of coal shortage for power plants. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); By Express News Service BENGALURU: Troubled car service and repair start-up GoMechanic has been acquired by Lifelong Group-led consortium. This announcement comes two months after the start-ups co-founder Amit Bhasin admitted to financial reporting errors. According to sources, investors - Tiger Global Management, Chiratae Ventures, Orios Venture Partners, among others- have written off their investments. Earlier, it was said that CarTrade was in advanced stage of discussion to buy GoMechanic, but it pulled out later. This acquisition will provide some relief to the start-up that has been facing many challenges in the past two months. Sources said Lifelong Group will be focusing on to build GoMechanics business. Stride Ventures has led the deal conversations. Incorporated in 1985, auto components maker Lifelong Group will be a majority shareholder under Servizzy consortium in GoMechanic business. The group has been looking to expand its operations in the after-sales segment. Founded in 2016 by Kushal Karwa, Amit Bhasin, Rishabh Karwa and Nitin Rana, GoMechanic is a network of technology-enabled car service centres. The company raised $62 million in funding so far and its latest funding round was in June 2021. As of July 31, 2022, the start-up had employed 1,230 people. The start-up was valued at $283 million in November 2021. BENGALURU: Troubled car service and repair start-up GoMechanic has been acquired by Lifelong Group-led consortium. This announcement comes two months after the start-ups co-founder Amit Bhasin admitted to financial reporting errors. According to sources, investors - Tiger Global Management, Chiratae Ventures, Orios Venture Partners, among others- have written off their investments. Earlier, it was said that CarTrade was in advanced stage of discussion to buy GoMechanic, but it pulled out later. This acquisition will provide some relief to the start-up that has been facing many challenges in the past two months. Sources said Lifelong Group will be focusing on to build GoMechanics business. Stride Ventures has led the deal conversations. Incorporated in 1985, auto components maker Lifelong Group will be a majority shareholder under Servizzy consortium in GoMechanic business. The group has been looking to expand its operations in the after-sales segment. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Founded in 2016 by Kushal Karwa, Amit Bhasin, Rishabh Karwa and Nitin Rana, GoMechanic is a network of technology-enabled car service centres. The company raised $62 million in funding so far and its latest funding round was in June 2021. As of July 31, 2022, the start-up had employed 1,230 people. The start-up was valued at $283 million in November 2021. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday quashed a summoning order issued by a trial court against online news portal The Wire in a criminal defamation case filed by a former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) professor, Amita Singh. In 2017, Singh filed a criminal defamation case against The Wire, its editor Siddharth Varadrajan and reporter Ajoy Ashirwad Mahaprashasta. Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani, who was hearing the matter, said that there was no material before the magistrate to support the summoning order. As a sequitur to the above, summoning order dated 07.01.2017 made by the learned Metropolitan Magistrate in criminal complaint bearing C.C. No. 32203/2016 cannot be sustained in law; and is accordingly quashed and set aside, the order said. Justice Bhambhani also noted that the publication neither claimed that Singh was involved in any wrongdoing nor did it speak of the respondent (Singh) in any derogatory, derisive, or denigrating terms. This court is unable to discern, therefore, as to how the subject publication can be said to have defamed the respondent, the order read. According to Singhs contentions, Mahaprasthas article published in The Wire in April 2016 was titled Dossier Calls JNU Den of Organised Sex Racket: Students, Professors Allege Hate Campaign. The story published by the news portal states that a group of JNU professors compiled a 200-page dossier calling the university a den of organised sex racket. The dossier, however, was titled Jawaharlal Nehru University: The Den of Secessionism and Terrorism according to The Wire and it was stated that Singh, who is a professor at the Centre for Law and Governance, was leading the group of teachers that prepared the report. The Wires story read that the report in question was submitted to the universitys administration and that it accused some of its teachers of encouraging a decadent culture in JNU and legitimising separatist movements in India. NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday quashed a summoning order issued by a trial court against online news portal The Wire in a criminal defamation case filed by a former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) professor, Amita Singh. In 2017, Singh filed a criminal defamation case against The Wire, its editor Siddharth Varadrajan and reporter Ajoy Ashirwad Mahaprashasta. Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani, who was hearing the matter, said that there was no material before the magistrate to support the summoning order. As a sequitur to the above, summoning order dated 07.01.2017 made by the learned Metropolitan Magistrate in criminal complaint bearing C.C. No. 32203/2016 cannot be sustained in law; and is accordingly quashed and set aside, the order said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Justice Bhambhani also noted that the publication neither claimed that Singh was involved in any wrongdoing nor did it speak of the respondent (Singh) in any derogatory, derisive, or denigrating terms. This court is unable to discern, therefore, as to how the subject publication can be said to have defamed the respondent, the order read. According to Singhs contentions, Mahaprasthas article published in The Wire in April 2016 was titled Dossier Calls JNU Den of Organised Sex Racket: Students, Professors Allege Hate Campaign. The story published by the news portal states that a group of JNU professors compiled a 200-page dossier calling the university a den of organised sex racket. The dossier, however, was titled Jawaharlal Nehru University: The Den of Secessionism and Terrorism according to The Wire and it was stated that Singh, who is a professor at the Centre for Law and Governance, was leading the group of teachers that prepared the report. The Wires story read that the report in question was submitted to the universitys administration and that it accused some of its teachers of encouraging a decadent culture in JNU and legitimising separatist movements in India. Rajesh Abraham By Express News Service KOCHI: When I met Pavla Holcova outside the Water Metros newly-built High Court boat jetty, she looked very much like a foreign tourist exploring Kochi on a bright Sunday morning. She is different, though. An investigative journalist, Holcovas works have unmasked the brutal murder of her colleague and triggered the downfall of the Slovak government in 2018. Pavla, who oversees nine journalists at the Czech Centre for Investigative Journalism, an independent news outlet she founded in 2013, was in Kochi to attend the three-day Global Media Festival. The Killing of a Journalist, which probed behind-the-scenes events including the police files of the murder investigation, uncovering the deep-rooted corruption at the highest levels in Slovakia, premiered at Ernakulam Town Hall. While working with her Slovak colleague Jan Kuciak on links between the Italian mafia and the Slovak government, the devastating news hit her. Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova were murdered. Not one to get dejected, Pavla decided to proceed with the unfinished work. It was going on at the same time. When we were doing the documentary, the government just collapsed, and people went to the streets, they were protesting, demanding the changes (following the murder of Kuciak and his fiancee), she says. I ask her whether she, too, faced threats as we enter the Water Metro ferry taking the Global Media Festival delegates on a detour of the Kochi backwaters. All the time. Its part of the job. The threats are still there, says Pavla. The politicians claim Im the CIA, I was involved in the assassination, and I did it as part of a CIA plot to overthrow the government. How does she react to such allegations? I just dont react. I just do my job, she says. How does one know if the country is falling into corruption, drugs, and the mafia? Pavla says the documentary The Killing of a Journalist gives a peek. If you want to understand, its there in the film: what are the symptoms? What are the red flags of a mafia state? and what should you keep an eye on as a journalist? she says. If its happening, then its really bad.For her hard-hitting reportage, Pavla was presented with the 2021 Knight International Journalism Award, by the International Center for Journalists. She says its been five years since the murder, and a big fear haunts her. There will be elections (in Slovakia) at the end of September. It seems that the old government is coming back to power, says Pavla. I dont want to guess, because its so depressing. I want to keep my hope. Whats brewing? It will be an about hardcore organised crime and the cocaine trade in Europe. For this, she will be associating with other journalists in Serbia, the Balkans, Spain, and the Netherlands. The work has started, says Pavla. Another three months, and its going to be a project, where there will be video texts and graphics and once its out, its accessible. Mighty pen Pavla Holcova is the founder of the Czech Centre for Investigative Journalism, an independent outlet that does a cross-border investigation on organised crime and its impact on the Czech Republic and Slovakia. She also serves as the Central Europe editor of the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. She has contributed to several investigative reports, including the Panama Papers, Pandora Papers, and the Pegasus Project. KOCHI: When I met Pavla Holcova outside the Water Metros newly-built High Court boat jetty, she looked very much like a foreign tourist exploring Kochi on a bright Sunday morning. She is different, though. An investigative journalist, Holcovas works have unmasked the brutal murder of her colleague and triggered the downfall of the Slovak government in 2018. Pavla, who oversees nine journalists at the Czech Centre for Investigative Journalism, an independent news outlet she founded in 2013, was in Kochi to attend the three-day Global Media Festival. The Killing of a Journalist, which probed behind-the-scenes events including the police files of the murder investigation, uncovering the deep-rooted corruption at the highest levels in Slovakia, premiered at Ernakulam Town Hall. While working with her Slovak colleague Jan Kuciak on links between the Italian mafia and the Slovak government, the devastating news hit her. Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova were murdered. Not one to get dejected, Pavla decided to proceed with the unfinished work.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); It was going on at the same time. When we were doing the documentary, the government just collapsed, and people went to the streets, they were protesting, demanding the changes (following the murder of Kuciak and his fiancee), she says. I ask her whether she, too, faced threats as we enter the Water Metro ferry taking the Global Media Festival delegates on a detour of the Kochi backwaters. All the time. Its part of the job. The threats are still there, says Pavla. The politicians claim Im the CIA, I was involved in the assassination, and I did it as part of a CIA plot to overthrow the government. How does she react to such allegations? I just dont react. I just do my job, she says. How does one know if the country is falling into corruption, drugs, and the mafia? Pavla says the documentary The Killing of a Journalist gives a peek. If you want to understand, its there in the film: what are the symptoms? What are the red flags of a mafia state? and what should you keep an eye on as a journalist? she says. If its happening, then its really bad.For her hard-hitting reportage, Pavla was presented with the 2021 Knight International Journalism Award, by the International Center for Journalists. She says its been five years since the murder, and a big fear haunts her. There will be elections (in Slovakia) at the end of September. It seems that the old government is coming back to power, says Pavla. I dont want to guess, because its so depressing. I want to keep my hope. Whats brewing? It will be an about hardcore organised crime and the cocaine trade in Europe. For this, she will be associating with other journalists in Serbia, the Balkans, Spain, and the Netherlands. The work has started, says Pavla. Another three months, and its going to be a project, where there will be video texts and graphics and once its out, its accessible. Mighty pen Pavla Holcova is the founder of the Czech Centre for Investigative Journalism, an independent outlet that does a cross-border investigation on organised crime and its impact on the Czech Republic and Slovakia. She also serves as the Central Europe editor of the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. She has contributed to several investigative reports, including the Panama Papers, Pandora Papers, and the Pegasus Project. Generative AI OpenAI-Based Instructional Design Generator Nolej AI Now Available for Educators with Free Trial French Startup Nolej to Officially Unveil the New Solution March 30 at BETT with a Commercial Launch Set for ASU+GSV in April A generative AI ed tech startup based in France called Nolej (pronounced knowledge) has made publicly available its new OpenAI-based instructional content generator for educators, called Nolej AI, a day before of its official introduction at BETT in London on March 30 and a planned commercial debut at the ASU+GSV Summit on April 19, the company's chairman told Campus Technology. The Nolej AI platform is the result of a collaboration with OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT, DALL-E, and other generative AI tools making headlines in recent months. Before it was made available to the public, Nolej AI was beta tested with more than 2,500 educators, according to a news release. Hundreds of independent studies have proven that such interactive micro-learnings outperform traditional static formats, improving the completion rate by 85% and the retention rate by 75%, the company said. The browser-based Nolej AI allows a user to upload any type of static content (video, audio, text documents, or a website URL); Nolej AI then automatically generates a ready-to-assign interactive "micro-learning package," which is essentially a standalone digital lesson with a content transcript, summaries, a glossary of terms, flashcards, and quizzes all closely based on the uploaded materials. The user can edit or change formats of each portion of the generated package if desired, and one of the formats available for the AI-generated lesson package created by uploading (or linking to) an existing video is a brand-new interactive video teaching the content that the user uploaded, Nolej Chairman Vincent Favrat said in an email. Nolej AI is built for educators at any level, and the grade-level language of the generated lesson package will match the grade-level language of the static content that was input by the user, Favrat explained. After a user uploads their static content, the resulting package or interactive lesson can be used in teaching in several ways: A user can click Push to Google Classroom; the user can download the package as SCORM or HTML5 code and place it on their own or their organization's website; the user can also copy the associated embed code and paste it into most websites back ends; or the user can copy the URL to that specific package and have students click the link to complete the assignment on a web browser. The embed code will work with most website platforms (see our test module embedded below) and most learning management systems such as Moodle, Canvas, Blackboard, Brightspace and edX, according to Nolej. After the commercial launch on April 19, Favrat said, additional integrations are planned via plug-ins within the most widely used LMS platforms. Also planned are demos and webinars for educators interested in learning how to make the most of the Nolej AI platform, how to edit the interactive lesson activities, and more, he said. The pre-launch iteration of Nolej AI is currently available as a free trial to educators and instructional designers (no identity or education-employment verification is required as of this writing). The free trial includes five packages, allowing anyone to generate five interactive lesson packages at no charge. Paid subscriptions are also available now but with limited tiers until it after the commercial launch. The pricing currently listed for individual educators or instructional designers includes a monthly subscription at $39.99 per month, which includes 20 credits to generate 20 packages of instructional content. The annual subscription is priced at $399.99 and includes 280 credits per year. Favrat said that once the software is officially launched at ASU+GSV, additional tiers will be available. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A worker was killed and three others were injured after a high-mast light fell on them during its maintenance work near the domestic terminal of the Thiruvananthapuram airport on Tuesday. The deceased is Anil Kumar, 51, of Chackai, while the injured are Noble, Renjith and Kamarudeen. The trio was shifted to the nearby private hospital. A source with the airport said the accident took place around 10.15 am when the workers were dismantling the light to the ground using a rope. While pulling, the rope broke off, and the light pole fell on the workers. The source said the workers are part of UDS Group, which is responsible for the maintenance of the high-mast lights inside the airport. Anil Kumars body has been shifted to the morgue of the medical college hospital for further proceedings. The accident didnt affect the operation of flights, said the source. The Valiyathura police have registered a case in connection with the accident. As per prima facie and based on the statements of the workers, it is purely a case of an accident, the police said. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A worker was killed and three others were injured after a high-mast light fell on them during its maintenance work near the domestic terminal of the Thiruvananthapuram airport on Tuesday. The deceased is Anil Kumar, 51, of Chackai, while the injured are Noble, Renjith and Kamarudeen. The trio was shifted to the nearby private hospital. A source with the airport said the accident took place around 10.15 am when the workers were dismantling the light to the ground using a rope. While pulling, the rope broke off, and the light pole fell on the workers. The source said the workers are part of UDS Group, which is responsible for the maintenance of the high-mast lights inside the airport. Anil Kumars body has been shifted to the morgue of the medical college hospital for further proceedings. The accident didnt affect the operation of flights, said the source. The Valiyathura police have registered a case in connection with the accident. As per prima facie and based on the statements of the workers, it is purely a case of an accident, the police said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Sajin Shrijith By Express News Service In this conversation with TNIE, filmmaker Shahi Kabir gets candid about his beginnings, making his mark as a noteworthy screenwriter with Joseph and Nayattu, and his directorial debut Ela Veezha Poonchira, which recently landed on Amazon Prime Video Given his police background, Shahi Kabir feels that there are instances when people believe a degree of authenticity accompanies some of his cinematic creations. It was certainly true of his debut feature, Joseph, which he calls a good fake story. At the time, someone told him the films influence caused a decrease in organ donation. It also caused, he says, a considerable amount of panic among those who underwent organ transplantation, which he looks back at with a measure of regret. With Joseph, the basic idea was to avoid the usual cliches associated with an investigative story, he says, adding that it was not his first script. I had written something else initially but later dropped it. I wouldnt call the effort a complete waste, though, as it helped me develop some contacts. A director was attached to it first, but it didnt work out. The same director suggested I write an investigation story instead; thats how Joseph was born. However, his second script, Nayattu, was based on a 2001 case three police officers got involved in the accidental death of two youngsters when they were returning from a function. The trial is still on. Be it Joseph or Nayattu, it was the real incidents and the stories in the police circle that inspired me. Yes, all those years in service have definitely helped me. Edited excerpts: All the stories youve worked on until now are of the dark variety. Is writing for you a way to cope with the upsetting incidents encountered in your profession? For instance, there is a scene in Joseph where the main character discovers a womans decaying corpse. Have you been in a situation like that? There was. Once, I had to be involved in a procedure involving an elderly ladys seven-day-old corpse, which caused a considerable degree of numbness. The smell wont leave you for days, you know? For comfort, I turned to the head constable who trained me; he told me I wasnt the only one, they all have been there. The good news, he said, is that well forget it until we see the next body. With no prior connection to cinema or experience writing scripts, where did it all begin for you? It just happened out of the blue. One day, I told my police friends an idea, and they liked it. A friend put me in touch with Vinayakan, who asked me to develop a script. It was not for him, though. If he liked it, he would send it to a director friend. The rest is history. Do you look to your fellow officers for your scripts? Basically, I write a character and then look for someone from real life who would have similar traits and incorporate those into my creation. I dont really base my scripts on existing characters. For Soubins character in Ela Veezha Poonchira, I used, as a reference, a policeman in our camp, to sketch his routines. When you write a script and hand it to a director, how it gets realised on the screen depends entirely on the director. Are you attached to your scripts? Im not. I prefer not to look at it as my story or that it should be in a certain way. Of course, there will be areas where you disagree with the director on certain details or logic. But then you try to find a middle ground during the discussion, and when you are on the set full-time, you get to make room for back-and-forth suggestions. Nayattu was more well-received than Joseph, and met with near unanimous acclaim. But certain corners criticised it for having an anti-Dalit sentiment, and there was also the matter of the 50,000 votes... It was supposed to be 5,000, not 50,000. It was a result of erroneous dubbing, which we missed. These things happen. As for the first criticism, I didnt write it deliberately to cause offence for a particular community. It was a gross misunderstanding. What I essentially intended to convey was that the police wouldnt have treated a non-Dalit individual with such cruelty. If it were someone else, they wouldve found a way to contain the situation before it reached the police station. I guess the fault lies on our side too. Perhaps we shouldve been more careful and tried to give more clarity to what we were trying to say. You once said you are not so good at writing female characters, yet you wrote a role for Nimisha Sajayan in Nayattu. Initially, it was written as three male police officers. So Martin chettan (Martin Prakkat) suggested that it would be good to have a female character, so I replaced one male character with Nimishas character. Joseph did well in theatres, but Nayattu didnt, which is quite strange. One would think that the latter wouldve got a far better chance of doing well. Joseph picked up in theatre fast after a slow start. The social media feedback and word-of-mouth really helped it. The songs were also a hit. Nayattu, on the other hand, was not a family audience movie. The climax was not commercial-friendly. We had one such ending in mind, but Martin chettan decided that the present ending was the right one. If we had gone with the alternative, we wouldve undone everything that came before it. The theatre response to Ela Veezha Poonchira wasnt strong, although the content was haunting and hard-hitting. Well, we were very aware that only a certain class of audience would watch Ela Veezha Poonchira in the theatre. We also intended it as an OTT-friendly film, but that mode of release wasnt practical after a certain point. But its doing quite well after its release on Amazon Prime Video. Interestingly, we are getting more viewership from Tamil, Telugu, and Bengali-speaking audiences. The artist behind the khaki What compelled you to make your directorial debut with Ela Veezha Poonchira? It was that films destiny. (laughs) These friends of mine who wrote it, Nidhish G and Shaji Maarad, showed it to different directors, and when it didnt work out, it ultimately landed on my lap. I thought doing a film in a limited, peaceful setting with a minimal crowd would be wise. I looked at it as practicedoing a smaller film before I get to do a bigger one someday. I was also particular that it shouldnt look like the films I worked on before. I didnt want to rely on any gimmicks or additional equipment to do what others had done before. We worked on the script for one and a half years. Before even a producer came on board, we took our cinematographer and sound designer to that spotto find out if they would encounter any difficulty. It was not always easy as we had to deal with thunder and lightning after 2 am, aside from the cyclone. We had to take a break from shooting when that happened. Could you tell us what your instructions were to cinematographer Manesh Madhavan about using that location? I told him not to establish the space in a wide shot first because I didnt want people to stop feeling fascinated with the place later. The idea was to reveal each space according to the scenes. That way, it will all feel new. The sound design of Ela Veezha Poonchira is its strongest suit. Its atmosphere-heavy too. However, the sync sound wasnt effective in a few places where some dialogues were inaudible. What really happened was Soubin was drenched while delivering some of his lines. The mic wasnt fit properly, and we didnt get to dub those lines properly in post-production. Although we had already mastered and checked them, some theatres had clarity issues. It was not the case in the theatres in, for example, Dubai. It was decided early on to keep the music minimal and build tension solely through the sound design. The sound of the windmill had to be dominant. Originally there was no windmill there. We did the music after the sound design. Normally, they both happen concurrently. The location was a key contributing factor to the atmosphere. Its the reason we picked that particular place. We have worked there before, for a year. People have previously told dark stories in closed spaces, and its probably the first time someone took a similar approach in a picturesque setting. Speaking of the films climax, you thought a step above what others would generally imagine. I saw a Facebook post recently. The person said the film was good but the makers have to be some kind of psychos. (Laughs) The story was envisioned differently at first, but later we all sat together and decided to conclude it in that place itself. You are currently on a sabbatical from the police force. You have one more year before you get back. Any plan to continue writing scripts then? Well, I havent decided anything yet. Lets see where it goes. Only if our film is successful can we continue to hold on. Theres no telling how long one can remain in the industry. Besides, balancing two professions is impossible. What was your takeaway from working with Martin Prakkat? Martin chettan told me that its the need of the director to get a film done. In between, lots of problems would pop up, including family problems. But no matter what, its our responsibility to finish the film. So its important to behave well and tread carefully. It was a piece of valuable advice. We have to be cautious in the face of tremendous pressure. Do you have a support system outside of cinema and family someone who has been with you through thick and thin? A fellow police officer named Joshi. He kept pushing me even in times of uncertainty. To be frank, I dont write my scripts, I just dictate everything to Joshi, and he takes it down. He once finished the script of Joseph in one sitting until his hands hurt. He even brought food and put me on the bus the following morning. He has always shown strong commitment. If there is one reason Im still part of the industry, its him. How does your better half look at your cinema career and what is it that keeps you going? She is okay with it. It was because she had a steady job back then that I was able to plunge into this field. With cinema, one has to take a giant leap of faith. If I was going to fail, I was willing to accept it. But we shouldnt get into it thinking we would end up failing. Directing a film, for example, is a considerable risk. If someone trolls your work or compares it to your previous work, it might wreck you. But thats a risk you should be willing to take, and, of course, one can find pleasure in that. As I said earlier, we are all a little bit mental; thats our driving force. Being deeply involved in some workisnt that what shields us from dark or depressing thoughts? In this conversation with TNIE, filmmaker Shahi Kabir gets candid about his beginnings, making his mark as a noteworthy screenwriter with Joseph and Nayattu, and his directorial debut Ela Veezha Poonchira, which recently landed on Amazon Prime Video Given his police background, Shahi Kabir feels that there are instances when people believe a degree of authenticity accompanies some of his cinematic creations. It was certainly true of his debut feature, Joseph, which he calls a good fake story. At the time, someone told him the films influence caused a decrease in organ donation. It also caused, he says, a considerable amount of panic among those who underwent organ transplantation, which he looks back at with a measure of regret. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); With Joseph, the basic idea was to avoid the usual cliches associated with an investigative story, he says, adding that it was not his first script. I had written something else initially but later dropped it. I wouldnt call the effort a complete waste, though, as it helped me develop some contacts. A director was attached to it first, but it didnt work out. The same director suggested I write an investigation story instead; thats how Joseph was born. However, his second script, Nayattu, was based on a 2001 case three police officers got involved in the accidental death of two youngsters when they were returning from a function. The trial is still on. Be it Joseph or Nayattu, it was the real incidents and the stories in the police circle that inspired me. Yes, all those years in service have definitely helped me. Edited excerpts: All the stories youve worked on until now are of the dark variety. Is writing for you a way to cope with the upsetting incidents encountered in your profession? For instance, there is a scene in Joseph where the main character discovers a womans decaying corpse. Have you been in a situation like that? There was. Once, I had to be involved in a procedure involving an elderly ladys seven-day-old corpse, which caused a considerable degree of numbness. The smell wont leave you for days, you know? For comfort, I turned to the head constable who trained me; he told me I wasnt the only one, they all have been there. The good news, he said, is that well forget it until we see the next body. With no prior connection to cinema or experience writing scripts, where did it all begin for you? It just happened out of the blue. One day, I told my police friends an idea, and they liked it. A friend put me in touch with Vinayakan, who asked me to develop a script. It was not for him, though. If he liked it, he would send it to a director friend. The rest is history. Do you look to your fellow officers for your scripts? Basically, I write a character and then look for someone from real life who would have similar traits and incorporate those into my creation. I dont really base my scripts on existing characters. For Soubins character in Ela Veezha Poonchira, I used, as a reference, a policeman in our camp, to sketch his routines. When you write a script and hand it to a director, how it gets realised on the screen depends entirely on the director. Are you attached to your scripts? Im not. I prefer not to look at it as my story or that it should be in a certain way. Of course, there will be areas where you disagree with the director on certain details or logic. But then you try to find a middle ground during the discussion, and when you are on the set full-time, you get to make room for back-and-forth suggestions. Nayattu was more well-received than Joseph, and met with near unanimous acclaim. But certain corners criticised it for having an anti-Dalit sentiment, and there was also the matter of the 50,000 votes... It was supposed to be 5,000, not 50,000. It was a result of erroneous dubbing, which we missed. These things happen. As for the first criticism, I didnt write it deliberately to cause offence for a particular community. It was a gross misunderstanding. What I essentially intended to convey was that the police wouldnt have treated a non-Dalit individual with such cruelty. If it were someone else, they wouldve found a way to contain the situation before it reached the police station. I guess the fault lies on our side too. Perhaps we shouldve been more careful and tried to give more clarity to what we were trying to say. You once said you are not so good at writing female characters, yet you wrote a role for Nimisha Sajayan in Nayattu. Initially, it was written as three male police officers. So Martin chettan (Martin Prakkat) suggested that it would be good to have a female character, so I replaced one male character with Nimishas character. Joseph did well in theatres, but Nayattu didnt, which is quite strange. One would think that the latter wouldve got a far better chance of doing well. Joseph picked up in theatre fast after a slow start. The social media feedback and word-of-mouth really helped it. The songs were also a hit. Nayattu, on the other hand, was not a family audience movie. The climax was not commercial-friendly. We had one such ending in mind, but Martin chettan decided that the present ending was the right one. If we had gone with the alternative, we wouldve undone everything that came before it. The theatre response to Ela Veezha Poonchira wasnt strong, although the content was haunting and hard-hitting. Well, we were very aware that only a certain class of audience would watch Ela Veezha Poonchira in the theatre. We also intended it as an OTT-friendly film, but that mode of release wasnt practical after a certain point. But its doing quite well after its release on Amazon Prime Video. Interestingly, we are getting more viewership from Tamil, Telugu, and Bengali-speaking audiences. The artist behind the khaki What compelled you to make your directorial debut with Ela Veezha Poonchira? It was that films destiny. (laughs) These friends of mine who wrote it, Nidhish G and Shaji Maarad, showed it to different directors, and when it didnt work out, it ultimately landed on my lap. I thought doing a film in a limited, peaceful setting with a minimal crowd would be wise. I looked at it as practicedoing a smaller film before I get to do a bigger one someday. I was also particular that it shouldnt look like the films I worked on before. I didnt want to rely on any gimmicks or additional equipment to do what others had done before. We worked on the script for one and a half years. Before even a producer came on board, we took our cinematographer and sound designer to that spotto find out if they would encounter any difficulty. It was not always easy as we had to deal with thunder and lightning after 2 am, aside from the cyclone. We had to take a break from shooting when that happened. Could you tell us what your instructions were to cinematographer Manesh Madhavan about using that location? I told him not to establish the space in a wide shot first because I didnt want people to stop feeling fascinated with the place later. The idea was to reveal each space according to the scenes. That way, it will all feel new. The sound design of Ela Veezha Poonchira is its strongest suit. Its atmosphere-heavy too. However, the sync sound wasnt effective in a few places where some dialogues were inaudible. What really happened was Soubin was drenched while delivering some of his lines. The mic wasnt fit properly, and we didnt get to dub those lines properly in post-production. Although we had already mastered and checked them, some theatres had clarity issues. It was not the case in the theatres in, for example, Dubai. It was decided early on to keep the music minimal and build tension solely through the sound design. The sound of the windmill had to be dominant. Originally there was no windmill there. We did the music after the sound design. Normally, they both happen concurrently. The location was a key contributing factor to the atmosphere. Its the reason we picked that particular place. We have worked there before, for a year. People have previously told dark stories in closed spaces, and its probably the first time someone took a similar approach in a picturesque setting. Speaking of the films climax, you thought a step above what others would generally imagine. I saw a Facebook post recently. The person said the film was good but the makers have to be some kind of psychos. (Laughs) The story was envisioned differently at first, but later we all sat together and decided to conclude it in that place itself. You are currently on a sabbatical from the police force. You have one more year before you get back. Any plan to continue writing scripts then? Well, I havent decided anything yet. Lets see where it goes. Only if our film is successful can we continue to hold on. Theres no telling how long one can remain in the industry. Besides, balancing two professions is impossible. What was your takeaway from working with Martin Prakkat? Martin chettan told me that its the need of the director to get a film done. In between, lots of problems would pop up, including family problems. But no matter what, its our responsibility to finish the film. So its important to behave well and tread carefully. It was a piece of valuable advice. We have to be cautious in the face of tremendous pressure. Do you have a support system outside of cinema and family someone who has been with you through thick and thin? A fellow police officer named Joshi. He kept pushing me even in times of uncertainty. To be frank, I dont write my scripts, I just dictate everything to Joshi, and he takes it down. He once finished the script of Joseph in one sitting until his hands hurt. He even brought food and put me on the bus the following morning. He has always shown strong commitment. If there is one reason Im still part of the industry, its him. How does your better half look at your cinema career and what is it that keeps you going? She is okay with it. It was because she had a steady job back then that I was able to plunge into this field. With cinema, one has to take a giant leap of faith. If I was going to fail, I was willing to accept it. But we shouldnt get into it thinking we would end up failing. Directing a film, for example, is a considerable risk. If someone trolls your work or compares it to your previous work, it might wreck you. But thats a risk you should be willing to take, and, of course, one can find pleasure in that. As I said earlier, we are all a little bit mental; thats our driving force. Being deeply involved in some workisnt that what shields us from dark or depressing thoughts? Abhilasha Cherukuri By Express News Service Dheekshith Shetty, who is gearing up for his big-ticket release Dasara, discovered his calling in acting when he was a second year LLB student I was searching for a part-time job to support my family. One of my friends, who is also a junior artist, introduced me to acting. Once I started performing, I realised that I required some formal training. says Dheekshith, who later joined the Acting and Performing Institute in Bengaluru to hone his skills. After a stint in the citys theatre circuit, followed by a teaching job for a basic acting course, Dheekshith moved on to working in Kannada TV serials, where he earned recognition for his portrayal of Arjun/Partha in the daily soap Naagini before cementing his position as one of Kannada cinemas rising talents, with his debut feature Dia (2020). Dheekshith credits his theatre background for building a career across all mediums like stage, television, OTT and films. TV and cinema are very different from theatre. The former is a dialogic medium, while the latter is a visual one. Nevertheless, theatre is the basic foundation for the profession of acting. I believe every actor must do theatre, Dheekshith says. Though Dasara is Dheekshiths most high-profile role so far, he has been around in the Telugu industry for a while now. Explaining his entry into Telugu cinema, Dheekshith says, After Dia, I was supposed to work in a film called The Rose Villa. What was supposed to be a Kannada film turned into a Telugu one due to a twist of fate, and that is how my Telugu debut happened. Dheekshith later went on to act in Mugguru Monagallu and Meet Cute (produced by his Dasara co-star Nani), before getting a chance to play the role of Soori in Dasara. Though he started off by mugging up lines in Telugu in his debut film, he soon picked up the language by real-time immersion and conversations on the sets, an exercise that benefited him greatly once he landed on the sets of Dasara, where he had to speak in the Telangana dialect spoken in the Godavarikhani region. Dheekshiths role in Dasara is a stark contrast from all the urban characters he has played so far. Speaking about how transformed into Soori, Dheekshith says, Srikanth Odela, our director, had a very clear vision about how the character was going to look, talk and walk like. I had a lot of material to base my character on, so it wasnt particularly difficult. And also since we almost shot the entire film in this 22-acre set that was recreated as a village in the most authentic way possible, I felt like I was in an actual village and after getting into costumes and make-up, I felt like I was actually living the character. The atmosphere of the sets lent itself greatly into my performance in Dasara.In addition to Srikanths inputs, I also got a lot of help from Srinath and Suresh, the films writers, who also hailed from Godavarikhani. Dheekshith also notes that what sets Soori apart from his previous, more urbane characters was the incorporation of method acting in the former. Dheekshith says, It all boils down to the kind of script you are working with. For an urban role, or for films that you are shooting simultaneously with other films, you do not require to be a method actor nor do you possess the luxury to adopt such an exhaustive approach. Also, some roles benefit from a spontaneous school of acting. I had to do method acting for Dasara. I needed to live the character to be a Soori, I needed to dig deep into hid psyche, in order to crack certain emotions. Dheekshith has Blink and KTM releasing later this year in Kannada, roles which he admits required him to take up method acting again. He says that his role in Meet Cute got him Dasara and his role in Dasara and this role will pave the way to more Telugu projects. What is he looking forward to, as an actor? Everything else aside, it is the love of people that keeps me going.It is what I require the most as an actor, says Dheekshith, signing off. Dheekshith Shetty, who is gearing up for his big-ticket release Dasara, discovered his calling in acting when he was a second year LLB student I was searching for a part-time job to support my family. One of my friends, who is also a junior artist, introduced me to acting. Once I started performing, I realised that I required some formal training. says Dheekshith, who later joined the Acting and Performing Institute in Bengaluru to hone his skills. After a stint in the citys theatre circuit, followed by a teaching job for a basic acting course, Dheekshith moved on to working in Kannada TV serials, where he earned recognition for his portrayal of Arjun/Partha in the daily soap Naagini before cementing his position as one of Kannada cinemas rising talents, with his debut feature Dia (2020). Dheekshith credits his theatre background for building a career across all mediums like stage, television, OTT and films. TV and cinema are very different from theatre. The former is a dialogic medium, while the latter is a visual one. Nevertheless, theatre is the basic foundation for the profession of acting. I believe every actor must do theatre, Dheekshith says. Though Dasara is Dheekshiths most high-profile role so far, he has been around in the Telugu industry for a while now. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Explaining his entry into Telugu cinema, Dheekshith says, After Dia, I was supposed to work in a film called The Rose Villa. What was supposed to be a Kannada film turned into a Telugu one due to a twist of fate, and that is how my Telugu debut happened. Dheekshith later went on to act in Mugguru Monagallu and Meet Cute (produced by his Dasara co-star Nani), before getting a chance to play the role of Soori in Dasara. Though he started off by mugging up lines in Telugu in his debut film, he soon picked up the language by real-time immersion and conversations on the sets, an exercise that benefited him greatly once he landed on the sets of Dasara, where he had to speak in the Telangana dialect spoken in the Godavarikhani region. Dheekshiths role in Dasara is a stark contrast from all the urban characters he has played so far. Speaking about how transformed into Soori, Dheekshith says, Srikanth Odela, our director, had a very clear vision about how the character was going to look, talk and walk like. I had a lot of material to base my character on, so it wasnt particularly difficult. And also since we almost shot the entire film in this 22-acre set that was recreated as a village in the most authentic way possible, I felt like I was in an actual village and after getting into costumes and make-up, I felt like I was actually living the character. The atmosphere of the sets lent itself greatly into my performance in Dasara.In addition to Srikanths inputs, I also got a lot of help from Srinath and Suresh, the films writers, who also hailed from Godavarikhani. Dheekshith also notes that what sets Soori apart from his previous, more urbane characters was the incorporation of method acting in the former. Dheekshith says, It all boils down to the kind of script you are working with. For an urban role, or for films that you are shooting simultaneously with other films, you do not require to be a method actor nor do you possess the luxury to adopt such an exhaustive approach. Also, some roles benefit from a spontaneous school of acting. I had to do method acting for Dasara. I needed to live the character to be a Soori, I needed to dig deep into hid psyche, in order to crack certain emotions. Dheekshith has Blink and KTM releasing later this year in Kannada, roles which he admits required him to take up method acting again. He says that his role in Meet Cute got him Dasara and his role in Dasara and this role will pave the way to more Telugu projects. What is he looking forward to, as an actor? Everything else aside, it is the love of people that keeps me going.It is what I require the most as an actor, says Dheekshith, signing off. By PTI KOLKATA: Following the below-expectation performance of the Trinamool Congress in the Northeast, the party is changing its political strategy by preparing to maintain equidistance from the BJP and the Congress and seeking to form a group of regional outfits opposed to both camps. In Tripura, the TMC bagged less than the votes polled by NOTA, while in Meghalaya, the party's tally came down to five from 11. The Mamata Banerjee-led party also suffered a major upset in West Bengal's Sagardighi, a minority-dominated assembly constituency which was previously held by the Mamata Banerjee-led party. "Our strategy nationally will be maintaining equidistance from both the BJP and the Congress. We want other opposition parties who want to fight the BJP but are opposed to the Congress to come together and work as a united opposition front. We are already in talks with parties such as BRS (erstwhile TRS), AAP and others. This strategy will be reflected in the next Parliament session," Leader of the TMC parliamentary party in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandopadhyay told PTI. Banerjee had also recently announced that the party would go it alone in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The decision also came after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as well as CPI(M) leaders accused the TMC of helping the BJP by dividing opposition votes. Veteran TMC leader and MP Sougata Roy said that as the Lok Sabha elections are still a year away, the situation will further evolve in the days to come. "Let's see how things shape up, as four major states will go to polls this year. The political situation will further evolve by the end of this year," Roy said. Assembly elections will be held in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka this year. Referring to the recent letter written by leaders of nine opposition parties - minus the Congress, Left parties, JD(U), DMK and JD(S) - to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on "blatant misuse" of central agencies, Roy told PTI that it is "just the beginning." Attacking the grand old party for its "big brother attitude", TMC chief spokesperson Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said, "The Congress is yet to come to terms with the changing reality of Indian politics. It has miserably failed in the last nine years in fighting the BJP. So we will try to align with strong forces in their respective states," he said. The TMC had also abstained from voting in the Vice-Presidential polls last year. Leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury however dubbed the TMC's effort to bring together opposition parties minus the Congress as an "attempt to help the BJP," "You don't need to be a political pundit to understand the role some opposition parties like the TMC are playing to help the BJP. The TMC is now isolated nationally as it stands unmasked as a stooge of the BJP," he said. CPI (M) state secretary Mohammed Salim claimed the TMC lacks credibility in the fight against the BJP. Assistant Professor of Political Science Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta, Maidul Islam said the idea of bringing together regional parties is an idea which was once mulled by Communist patriarch Jyoti Basu in the name of the Third Front in the eighties and nineties and later pushed by Banerjee in with the name of Federal Front in 2014. Political scientist Biswanath Chakraborty said any attempt to forge an opposition unity sans the Congress is destined to fail. "If you go by numbers, you cannot have any opposition front minus the Congress if you are serious about fighting the BJP. If you try to forge any such front, it will only help the BJP," he said. KOLKATA: Following the below-expectation performance of the Trinamool Congress in the Northeast, the party is changing its political strategy by preparing to maintain equidistance from the BJP and the Congress and seeking to form a group of regional outfits opposed to both camps. In Tripura, the TMC bagged less than the votes polled by NOTA, while in Meghalaya, the party's tally came down to five from 11. The Mamata Banerjee-led party also suffered a major upset in West Bengal's Sagardighi, a minority-dominated assembly constituency which was previously held by the Mamata Banerjee-led party.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "Our strategy nationally will be maintaining equidistance from both the BJP and the Congress. We want other opposition parties who want to fight the BJP but are opposed to the Congress to come together and work as a united opposition front. We are already in talks with parties such as BRS (erstwhile TRS), AAP and others. This strategy will be reflected in the next Parliament session," Leader of the TMC parliamentary party in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandopadhyay told PTI. Banerjee had also recently announced that the party would go it alone in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The decision also came after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as well as CPI(M) leaders accused the TMC of helping the BJP by dividing opposition votes. Veteran TMC leader and MP Sougata Roy said that as the Lok Sabha elections are still a year away, the situation will further evolve in the days to come. "Let's see how things shape up, as four major states will go to polls this year. The political situation will further evolve by the end of this year," Roy said. Assembly elections will be held in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka this year. Referring to the recent letter written by leaders of nine opposition parties - minus the Congress, Left parties, JD(U), DMK and JD(S) - to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on "blatant misuse" of central agencies, Roy told PTI that it is "just the beginning." Attacking the grand old party for its "big brother attitude", TMC chief spokesperson Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said, "The Congress is yet to come to terms with the changing reality of Indian politics. It has miserably failed in the last nine years in fighting the BJP. So we will try to align with strong forces in their respective states," he said. The TMC had also abstained from voting in the Vice-Presidential polls last year. Leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury however dubbed the TMC's effort to bring together opposition parties minus the Congress as an "attempt to help the BJP," "You don't need to be a political pundit to understand the role some opposition parties like the TMC are playing to help the BJP. The TMC is now isolated nationally as it stands unmasked as a stooge of the BJP," he said. CPI (M) state secretary Mohammed Salim claimed the TMC lacks credibility in the fight against the BJP. Assistant Professor of Political Science Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta, Maidul Islam said the idea of bringing together regional parties is an idea which was once mulled by Communist patriarch Jyoti Basu in the name of the Third Front in the eighties and nineties and later pushed by Banerjee in with the name of Federal Front in 2014. Political scientist Biswanath Chakraborty said any attempt to forge an opposition unity sans the Congress is destined to fail. "If you go by numbers, you cannot have any opposition front minus the Congress if you are serious about fighting the BJP. If you try to forge any such front, it will only help the BJP," he said. By Express News Service KOLKATA: Amid widening differences with the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav met Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at her Kalighat residence on Friday. The two leaders are believed to be keen on forming an anti-BJP, non-Congress opposition front. Yadav reached Kolkata to attend a two-day national executive committee meeting of his party. The meeting between the heavyweights is said to be significant in the wake of talk of forming a platform of like-minded regional parties who are in favour of maintaining an equal distance from both the BJP and the Congress. Mamata is also likely to meet Biju Janata Dal chief Navin Patnaik next week as a follow-up to her meeting with Yadav. Sources in the TMC said Mamata, during her meeting with Yadav, expressed her anger over the Congress criticising her party for contesting the Meghalaya elections and made it clear that she would not join the Congress-led alliance. Yadav had supported the TMC during the high-octane Bengal Assembly elections which was reciprocated by Mamata when she campaigned for the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister during the 2022 election. Mamata convened a meeting on Friday where the party's MPs, MLAs and leaders were present. TMC MP Sudip Bandopadhyay said the Congress is not doing the right thing at the right time and is trying to be the big boss of opposition parties. "The Congress is not giving regional parties due respect. If Rahul Gandhi is portrayed as the face of the Opposition alliance, it will benefit the BJP. We are not talking about a third front right now but the TMC will discharge its responsibilities as the largest opposition party in India. We are in a position to oppose the BJP with other regional parties in the coming days," he said. The senior TMC leader said the Congress already joined hands with the CPI(M) in Bengal and in the coming days it will follow the same path as the BJP. The West Bengal CM made it clear after her partys defeat in Murshidabads Sagardighi by-election that the TMC will not join the anti-BJP alliance with the Congress saying, "We can fight against the BJP alone." Both Yadav and Mamata have maintained their distance from the idea of a Congress-led alliance against the BJP and at different points of time, they have floated the idea of a non-BJP, non-Congress platform with leaders such as Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal. On several occasions, Mamata and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, who is the TMCs national general secretary, alleged that Congress MLAs had joined the BJP after winning elections and the grand old party has no right to lead the opposition alliance against the BJP. KOLKATA: Amid widening differences with the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav met Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at her Kalighat residence on Friday. The two leaders are believed to be keen on forming an anti-BJP, non-Congress opposition front. Yadav reached Kolkata to attend a two-day national executive committee meeting of his party. The meeting between the heavyweights is said to be significant in the wake of talk of forming a platform of like-minded regional parties who are in favour of maintaining an equal distance from both the BJP and the Congress. Mamata is also likely to meet Biju Janata Dal chief Navin Patnaik next week as a follow-up to her meeting with Yadav. Sources in the TMC said Mamata, during her meeting with Yadav, expressed her anger over the Congress criticising her party for contesting the Meghalaya elections and made it clear that she would not join the Congress-led alliance.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Yadav had supported the TMC during the high-octane Bengal Assembly elections which was reciprocated by Mamata when she campaigned for the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister during the 2022 election. Mamata convened a meeting on Friday where the party's MPs, MLAs and leaders were present. TMC MP Sudip Bandopadhyay said the Congress is not doing the right thing at the right time and is trying to be the big boss of opposition parties. "The Congress is not giving regional parties due respect. If Rahul Gandhi is portrayed as the face of the Opposition alliance, it will benefit the BJP. We are not talking about a third front right now but the TMC will discharge its responsibilities as the largest opposition party in India. We are in a position to oppose the BJP with other regional parties in the coming days," he said. The senior TMC leader said the Congress already joined hands with the CPI(M) in Bengal and in the coming days it will follow the same path as the BJP. The West Bengal CM made it clear after her partys defeat in Murshidabads Sagardighi by-election that the TMC will not join the anti-BJP alliance with the Congress saying, "We can fight against the BJP alone." Both Yadav and Mamata have maintained their distance from the idea of a Congress-led alliance against the BJP and at different points of time, they have floated the idea of a non-BJP, non-Congress platform with leaders such as Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal. On several occasions, Mamata and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, who is the TMCs national general secretary, alleged that Congress MLAs had joined the BJP after winning elections and the grand old party has no right to lead the opposition alliance against the BJP. Anuraag Singh By Express News Service BHOPAL: The death toll in the Indore temple stepwell collapse incident has increased to 35, Indore Collector Dr Ilayaraja T said on Friday. The concrete slab-roof covering an ancient stepwell ('bavdi') caved in during the Ram Navami celebration at the Beleshwar Jhulelal Mahadev Temple in the city's Patel Nagar area, on Thursday at 11 am. Overcrowding in the temple premises is said to be the reason for the collapse. "Total of 35 people died, one missing and 14 people have been rescued. Two people returned home safely after getting treatment. The search operation to trace persons reported missing is underway," the Indore Collector said. "The 18 hours long rescue operation started at around 12:30 on Thursday, and is still ongoing," Collector Ilayaraja T added. According to officials, a team of 75 army personnel along with NDRF and SDRF were involved in the operation. A few rescued devotees are stated to be in a critical condition and are in ICUs. The bodies have been shifted to Indore's Maharaja Yeshwant Rao hospital. Rescue operations underway after the roof of an ancient stepwell situated in a temple collapsed during Ram Navami celebrations, in Indore. (Photo | PTI) Rescue operations Divers along with special equipment were sent into the stepwell. Water was drained out. Ladders made out of ropes were used in the rescue. Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava, the District Collector, and the Police Commissioner supervised rescue operations by the local police and the State Disaster Emergency Response Force personnel. Key political leaders, including national BJP General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, his MLA son Akash Vijayvargiya, and Congress MLA Jitu Patwari are at the spot.Briefing journalists at the spot, Kailash Vijayvargiya said: "I've asked the authorities to provide oxygen support and lights inside the well." A magisterial probe has been instituted to look into the mishap. Rs 5 lakh will be given to the kin of each of the deceased. Rs 50,000 will be given to those injured. Devotees trapped in a stepwell that caved in, at a temple in Indore city, Madhya Pradesh. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted about the incident and offered prayers to the families of the victims. "Extremely pained by the mishap in Indore. Spoke to CM Shivraj Chouhan Ji and took an update on the situation. The State Government is spearheading rescue and relief work at a quick pace. My prayers with all those affected and their families," he tweeted. (With online desk and ANI inputs) BHOPAL: The death toll in the Indore temple stepwell collapse incident has increased to 35, Indore Collector Dr Ilayaraja T said on Friday. The concrete slab-roof covering an ancient stepwell ('bavdi') caved in during the Ram Navami celebration at the Beleshwar Jhulelal Mahadev Temple in the city's Patel Nagar area, on Thursday at 11 am. Overcrowding in the temple premises is said to be the reason for the collapse.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "Total of 35 people died, one missing and 14 people have been rescued. Two people returned home safely after getting treatment. The search operation to trace persons reported missing is underway," the Indore Collector said. "The 18 hours long rescue operation started at around 12:30 on Thursday, and is still ongoing," Collector Ilayaraja T added. According to officials, a team of 75 army personnel along with NDRF and SDRF were involved in the operation. A few rescued devotees are stated to be in a critical condition and are in ICUs. The bodies have been shifted to Indore's Maharaja Yeshwant Rao hospital. Rescue operations underway after the roof of an ancient stepwell situated in a temple collapsed during Ram Navami celebrations, in Indore. (Photo | PTI) Rescue operations Divers along with special equipment were sent into the stepwell. Water was drained out. Ladders made out of ropes were used in the rescue. Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava, the District Collector, and the Police Commissioner supervised rescue operations by the local police and the State Disaster Emergency Response Force personnel. Key political leaders, including national BJP General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, his MLA son Akash Vijayvargiya, and Congress MLA Jitu Patwari are at the spot.Briefing journalists at the spot, Kailash Vijayvargiya said: "I've asked the authorities to provide oxygen support and lights inside the well." A magisterial probe has been instituted to look into the mishap. Rs 5 lakh will be given to the kin of each of the deceased. Rs 50,000 will be given to those injured. Devotees trapped in a stepwell that caved in, at a temple in Indore city, Madhya Pradesh. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted about the incident and offered prayers to the families of the victims. "Extremely pained by the mishap in Indore. Spoke to CM Shivraj Chouhan Ji and took an update on the situation. The State Government is spearheading rescue and relief work at a quick pace. My prayers with all those affected and their families," he tweeted. (With online desk and ANI inputs) By PTI WASHINGTON: Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana, sought for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, has approached a US court for a status conference after waiting for an order on his extradition to India for more than 20 months. Rana, 62, a childhood friend of David Coleman Headley, was re-arrested on June 10 in Los Angeles on an extradition request by India for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack in which 166 people, including six Americans, were killed. He is a declared fugitive in India. US District Court Judge in Los Angeles Jacqueline Chooljian held the last hearing on the extradition issue in June 2021 and the last set of papers was filed in July 2021. The court is yet to give a verdict on the US government's request to extradite Rana to India. In a motion moved through his lawyer, Rana has asked for a status conference. "The last pleading in the case was filed on July 21, 2021. Given the passage of time and Rana's continued incarceration, it appears appropriate for the court and counsel to discuss the current status of the matter," his lawyer said. The US government has not opposed the motion for a status conference. Rana's lawyers have suggested that the status conference be held on April 25. During court hearings, federal prosecutors argued that Rana was aware that his childhood friend Headley was involved with the Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and that by assisting Headley and affording him cover for his activities, he was supporting the terrorist organisation and its associates. Rana knew of Headley's meetings, what was discussed, and the planning of the attacks, including some of the targets. The US government asserted that Rana was part of the conspiracy and there is probable cause that he committed the substantive crime of commissioning a terrorist act. Rana's attorney, on the other hand, opposed the extradition. As many as 166 people, including six Americans, were killed during the attacks by the LeT members. Because members of the conspiracy committed acts resulting in death with the intention of causing death, or at a minimum committed those acts knowing its imminent dangers, there is sufficient evidence that the elements for murder would be satisfied, federal prosecutors said. "Under Indian law, other members of the conspiracy also would be liable for murder, even if they were not physically present," it said, adding that in this case, death resulting from the attacks was foreseeable. Rana knew that Headley was working with terrorists and that LeT and other co-conspirators were planning attacks in Mumbai. He also was aware of some of the potential targets, such as the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and its second floor, because he and Headley had discussed those locations. "Thus, Rana understood that by helping Headley and allowing him to use his immigration office in Mumbai as a cover, LeT and the other terrorists would be able to carry out their attacks. "Further, because Headley had a co-conspirator meet Rana in Dubai, UAE, and warn him of the upcoming attacks, Rana was in no doubt of what was going to happen," according to the federal prosecutors. Pakistani-American LeT terrorist Headley was involved in plotting the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. He was made an approver in the case and is currently serving a 35-year prison term in the US for his role in the attack. India seeks his arrest on a number of offences, including the conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit forgery for the purpose of cheating, and murder under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He is sought for his role in the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. The 2008 Mumbai attack was one of India's most horrific terrorist attacks. Pakistani national Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist captured alive, was hanged to death on November 21, 2012. WASHINGTON: Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana, sought for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, has approached a US court for a status conference after waiting for an order on his extradition to India for more than 20 months. Rana, 62, a childhood friend of David Coleman Headley, was re-arrested on June 10 in Los Angeles on an extradition request by India for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack in which 166 people, including six Americans, were killed. He is a declared fugitive in India.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); US District Court Judge in Los Angeles Jacqueline Chooljian held the last hearing on the extradition issue in June 2021 and the last set of papers was filed in July 2021. The court is yet to give a verdict on the US government's request to extradite Rana to India. In a motion moved through his lawyer, Rana has asked for a status conference. "The last pleading in the case was filed on July 21, 2021. Given the passage of time and Rana's continued incarceration, it appears appropriate for the court and counsel to discuss the current status of the matter," his lawyer said. The US government has not opposed the motion for a status conference. Rana's lawyers have suggested that the status conference be held on April 25. During court hearings, federal prosecutors argued that Rana was aware that his childhood friend Headley was involved with the Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and that by assisting Headley and affording him cover for his activities, he was supporting the terrorist organisation and its associates. Rana knew of Headley's meetings, what was discussed, and the planning of the attacks, including some of the targets. The US government asserted that Rana was part of the conspiracy and there is probable cause that he committed the substantive crime of commissioning a terrorist act. Rana's attorney, on the other hand, opposed the extradition. As many as 166 people, including six Americans, were killed during the attacks by the LeT members. Because members of the conspiracy committed acts resulting in death with the intention of causing death, or at a minimum committed those acts knowing its imminent dangers, there is sufficient evidence that the elements for murder would be satisfied, federal prosecutors said. "Under Indian law, other members of the conspiracy also would be liable for murder, even if they were not physically present," it said, adding that in this case, death resulting from the attacks was foreseeable. Rana knew that Headley was working with terrorists and that LeT and other co-conspirators were planning attacks in Mumbai. He also was aware of some of the potential targets, such as the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and its second floor, because he and Headley had discussed those locations. "Thus, Rana understood that by helping Headley and allowing him to use his immigration office in Mumbai as a cover, LeT and the other terrorists would be able to carry out their attacks. "Further, because Headley had a co-conspirator meet Rana in Dubai, UAE, and warn him of the upcoming attacks, Rana was in no doubt of what was going to happen," according to the federal prosecutors. Pakistani-American LeT terrorist Headley was involved in plotting the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. He was made an approver in the case and is currently serving a 35-year prison term in the US for his role in the attack. India seeks his arrest on a number of offences, including the conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit forgery for the purpose of cheating, and murder under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He is sought for his role in the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. The 2008 Mumbai attack was one of India's most horrific terrorist attacks. Pakistani national Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist captured alive, was hanged to death on November 21, 2012. By PTI PATNA: The Bihar government is preparing to auction mining rights for minerals such as limestone, vanadium-bearing magnetite ilmenite, magnetite and glauconite that have been discovered in various non-forest areas of the state, a senior official said on Thursday. Explorations near Patalganga in Gaya, parts of Rohtas district and Majos in Jamui district found the presence of millions of tonnes of mineral reserves, according to an official document seen by PTI. "The state government will engage SBI Capital Markets (SBICAPS) as the transaction advisor for the auctions, and also to suggest the terms and conditions based on which the auctions would be held," Additional Chief Secretary and Mines Commissioner Harjot Kaur Bamhrah told PTI. "Undoubtedly, the discovery of such critical minerals in non-forest areas of the state is a matter of great satisfaction. We don't have to seek permission from authorities concerned before initiating exploration activities as these deposits are not in forest areas," she said. The general exploration (G2 stage) in Jamui's Majos has found 48.40 million tonnes of magnetite. Preliminary exploration (G3 stage) in Pipradih-Bhurwa block in Rohtas has established 88.38 mt of Glauconite over a 12.46 sq km non-forest area, Bamhrah said. While magnetite, a rock mineral, is one of the main iron ores, glauconite is a green-colored mineral and structurally similar to mica, she said. "Now, Bihar has sufficient mineral resources to boost its economy," she added. There are four stages of exploration for any mineral deposit -- reconnaissance (G4), preliminary exploration (G3), general exploration (G2) and detailed exploration (G1). Innovative exploration methods using the latest technologies have resulted in the discovery of several mineral reserves in different parts of the state, Bamhrah said. Last month, preliminary exploration in Bhora-Kathra in Rohtas found limestone deposits across 5.60 sq km, she said, noting that 39.68 mt of limestone is estimated in the area. Vanadium-bearing magnetite ilmenite was found northeast of Patalganga and east of Sapneri village in Gaya and Jehanabad over a 2 sq km area. Vanadium is used in manufacturing steel, pipes, superconducting magnets, medical implants and batteries, Bamhrah explained. The state government has also lined up two mines, worth Rs 14,048 crore, of glauconite -- a common source of potassium in fertilisers, in Pipradih and Chutia-Nauhatta blocks of Rohtas for auction, she said. Besides, the Mines and Geology Department has decided to auction iron ore deposits, worth Rs 6,000 crore, in the Jamui district, she added. PATNA: The Bihar government is preparing to auction mining rights for minerals such as limestone, vanadium-bearing magnetite ilmenite, magnetite and glauconite that have been discovered in various non-forest areas of the state, a senior official said on Thursday. Explorations near Patalganga in Gaya, parts of Rohtas district and Majos in Jamui district found the presence of millions of tonnes of mineral reserves, according to an official document seen by PTI. "The state government will engage SBI Capital Markets (SBICAPS) as the transaction advisor for the auctions, and also to suggest the terms and conditions based on which the auctions would be held," Additional Chief Secretary and Mines Commissioner Harjot Kaur Bamhrah told PTI.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "Undoubtedly, the discovery of such critical minerals in non-forest areas of the state is a matter of great satisfaction. We don't have to seek permission from authorities concerned before initiating exploration activities as these deposits are not in forest areas," she said. The general exploration (G2 stage) in Jamui's Majos has found 48.40 million tonnes of magnetite. Preliminary exploration (G3 stage) in Pipradih-Bhurwa block in Rohtas has established 88.38 mt of Glauconite over a 12.46 sq km non-forest area, Bamhrah said. While magnetite, a rock mineral, is one of the main iron ores, glauconite is a green-colored mineral and structurally similar to mica, she said. "Now, Bihar has sufficient mineral resources to boost its economy," she added. There are four stages of exploration for any mineral deposit -- reconnaissance (G4), preliminary exploration (G3), general exploration (G2) and detailed exploration (G1). Innovative exploration methods using the latest technologies have resulted in the discovery of several mineral reserves in different parts of the state, Bamhrah said. Last month, preliminary exploration in Bhora-Kathra in Rohtas found limestone deposits across 5.60 sq km, she said, noting that 39.68 mt of limestone is estimated in the area. Vanadium-bearing magnetite ilmenite was found northeast of Patalganga and east of Sapneri village in Gaya and Jehanabad over a 2 sq km area. Vanadium is used in manufacturing steel, pipes, superconducting magnets, medical implants and batteries, Bamhrah explained. The state government has also lined up two mines, worth Rs 14,048 crore, of glauconite -- a common source of potassium in fertilisers, in Pipradih and Chutia-Nauhatta blocks of Rohtas for auction, she said. Besides, the Mines and Geology Department has decided to auction iron ore deposits, worth Rs 6,000 crore, in the Jamui district, she added. Lovely Professional University Engineering Entrance Examination (LPUNEST) 2023 https://career.webindia123.com/career/dates_and_events/entrance/eng/lovely-professional-university-national-eligibility-and-scholarship-test-lpunest.htm Details of Lovely Professional University Engineering Entrance Examination (LPUNEST) 2023 2023-2-16 2023-3-31 https://career.webindia123.com/career/images/exams.png India India Lovely Professional University Engineering Entrance Examination (LPUNEST) 2023 Engineering Lovely Professional University Engineering Entrance Examination (LPUNEST) 2023-24 for admissions to B.Tech Programs Category : Engineering Admissions 2023 Published : On February 16, 2023 By Webindia123 Editor Important Dates Online Registration opens 1st February 2023 Last date to apply 31st March 2023 Entrance examination dates 5th April- 30th April 2023 Slot booking for online examination 15th March 2023 (onwards) Result 5th May 2023 Last Date of Admission 22nd May 2023 Lovely Professional University is conducting National Entrance and Scholarship Test (LPUNEST-2023-24) for B.Tech aspirants. Students studying in 12th class can apply for LPUNEST-2023. Since its inception in 2009, more than 50,000 students are appearing in this exam (LPUNEST) every year. The Test will be conducted in online mode (Pen and Paper Mode test is not allowed) as per the schedule. This test will have twofold advantage as it will act as Entrance Test as well as Scholarship Test. LPUNEST-2022 will provide a gateway to all engineering programmes in LPU and will act as Entrance test for admission in Engineering Programmes at LPU. LPU envisages to usher an era of accessible and affordable quality higher education to the youth of our country, as on the basis of LPUNEST-2023-24 score, the university intends to award extensive Scholarship upto ` 7.5 Lac per student. Eligibility Test: LPUNEST-2023-24 will provide a gateway to all engineering programs in LPU and will act as Eligibility test for admission in Engineering Programs at LPU Extensive Scholarship/ Financial Aid: LPU envisages to usher an era of accessible and affordable quality higher education to the youth of our country, as on the basis of LPUNEST-2023-24 score, the university intends to award extensive Scholarship & Financial Aid upto Rs.7.5 lac per student Courses Offered : B.Tech (4 years Program) B.Tech (Hons.)1 (4 years Programme) Integrated B.Tech M.Tech (5 Years Programme))2 (Saves 1 year) Integrated B.Tech MBA (5 Years Programme)2(Saves 1 year) 1 Hons Programmes: Hons. programes of LPU are premium programmes in which students have to meet the additional curriculum requirements. Innovative and creative courses are offered to increase the knowledge and hone the technical skills of the students. Honors students are given preference in students exchange / Foreign Scholarships / visits to the foreign universities whenever offered. 2 Integrated Programme: Earn your Masters Degree after 12th - under LPU Integrated Degree Programmes in five years saving one year of academic engagement without any dilution in course work or standard. Simultaneously you save fee of one year but continue availing scholarship / fee concession throughout the programme. Streams offered in Engineering: LPU is offering not only conventional engineering streams but also one of its kind trend setting streams transforming engineering education to leap into the next leg of technology upbeat. Examine the streams below to determine which engineering concentrations appeal to you: Electronics and Communications Engineering (ECE)^ Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) Information Technology (IT)*#^ Mechanical Engineering (ME) ME - Mechatronics*#^ Aerospace Engineering*#^ Automobile Engineering (AE)*#^ Civil Engineering (CE)*#^ Electrical Engineering (EE)*#^ Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE)#^ Electronics and Computer Engineering*#^ Biotechnology (BT)^ Food Technology*#^ Biomedical Engineering*#^ Chemical Engineering (CHE)*#^ CHE - Petroleum*#^ * Information Technology, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Food Technology, Automobile Engineering (AE), Biomedical Engineering, ME - Mechatronics, Aerospace Engineering, Electronics and Computer Engineering, Chemical Engineering (CHE), CHE - Petroleum streams are not offered in Honors programme. # Information Technology, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Food Technology, Automobile Engineering (AE), Biomedical Engineering, ME - Mechatronics, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE), Electronics and Computer Engineering, Chemical Engineering (CHE), CHE - Petroleum streams are not offered in Integrated B.Tech.- M.Tech. programme. ^ Information Technology, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, ME - Mechatronics, Aerospace Engineering, Electronics & Computer Engineering, Biotechnology, Food Technology, Automobile Engineering (AE), Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering (CHE), CHE - Petroleum streams are not offered in Integrated B.Tech.- MBA programme. Eligibility : Only Indian Nationals are eligible to apply for LPUNEST-2022 Applicants appearing for LPUNEST-2022 should have either completed or shall be appearing in 2019, in final examination of 10+2 from Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE, New Delhi) or The Council for Indian School Certificate Examination (ICSE, New Delhi) or State Board or any other Council, Institution, college etc. declared recognised by Council of Boards of School Education (COBSE), New Delhi or any other concerned apex body as applicable. Pass with 60% aggregate marks in 10+2 or equivalent (with Physics, Mathematics and English)* subject to qualifying LPUNEST-2022 * For B.Tech. Biotechnology (BT), B.Tech. (Food Technology), B.Tech. (Biomedical Engineering), B.Tech. Biotechnology (Hons.) and Integrated B.Tech. Biotechnology (BT) - M.Tech. Subjects considered: Physics, Chemistry, English & either Maths or Biology or Biotechnology; other things remaining same as above. * For B.Tech. Chemical Engineering (CHE) and B.Tech. (CHE - Petroleum) Subjects considered: Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and English; other things remaining same as above. Admission Procedure : Application form will be in a format that can be processed by Optical Mark Reader (OMR). Cost of LPUNEST-2022 Kit (Application Form ) is Through online - Rs. 700 (for boys) and Rs. 400 (for girls) Through offline - Rs. 700 (for both boys and girls) Application fee once paid will not be refunded. Option-I: Without Purchasing LPUNEST-2023-24 Kit (Online) Applicant can apply for LPUNEST-2023-24 without purchasing LPUNEST-2023-24 Kit. Online Application : Apply through the University Website (Internet banking facility required). Fill the application form at www.lpu.in Pay Rs. 700 (for boys) and Rs. 400 (for girls) through online payment when prompted. Note: For online application, Applicant should have Internet Banking facility through Net banking / Debit card / Credit card. Printout of the computer generated application should be retained by the applicant for reference. Option-II: After Purchasing LPUNEST-2023-24 Kit Applicant may obtain LPUNEST-2023-24 Kit from University Campus/ Camp Offices or any other prescribed place by paying cash of Rs. 700 (for both boys and girls). Once the applicant has obtained the LPUNEST-2023-24 kit, form can be submitted by one of the following methods: Manual: a) Fill the full application form (OMR sheet) after reading all the instructions as specified in Instructions for filling Application Form (OMR sheet) in LPUNEST booklet. Semi-Online Application: In case applicant does not want to send the hard copy of purchased application form: a) Applicant should have i) Fill the application form at www.lpu.in ii) When asked, Click Yes if you have purchased the LPUNEST Kit. Fill the OMR sheet No. and Unique OMR code, in the given space. iii) Submit and save the copy of completed application form for your reference All our correspondence including centre booking and issue of e-hall ticket/ Appointment Letter/ Admit Card details will be through email only. Therefore, the applicants are requested to get ready with valid email id and mobile number for contact. No separate communication will be done for the same. Incomplete Applications: Incomplete application (For example: Declaration not signed, DD not enclosed, DD wrongly drawn, Photographs not affixed on the application etc.) will not be processed. LPU will not take responsibility to inform these applicants. Such applicants will not be able to access the Online Slot Management System Applicants are hence advised to ensure that the application is duly filled and dispatched along with other enclosures complete in all respects Test Centres : Andaman & Nicobar Andhra Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh Assam Bihar Chandigarh Chhattisgarh Goa Gujarat Haryana Himachal Pradesh Jammu and Kashmir Jharkhand Karnataka Kerala Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra Manipur Meghalaya Mizoram Nagaland New Delhi Orissa Puducherry Punjab Rajasthan Sikkim Tamilnadu Telangana Tripura Utter Pradesh Uttarakhand West Bengal More Details can be available from the institute website. Contact Details Address : Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar-Delhi, G.T. Road, Phagwara, Punjab (INDIA) -144411. Phone : +91-1824-404404 Fax : Mobile : E-mail : - Website : nest.lpu.in Find it Useful ? Help Others by Sharing Online Comments and Discussions By PTI NEW DELHI: As Germany took note of Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha, the BJP on Thursday accused the Congress of "inviting foreign powers" for interference in India's internal matters and the Opposition party hit back, alleging that its rival was attempting to divert attention from the Adani issue. In a tweet Thursday, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh thanked German foreign ministry and Richard Walker, Chief International Editor of Deutsche Welle, for "taking note of how the Democracy is being compromised in India through the persecution of Rahul Gandhi". He tagged a tweet by Walker in which the senior journalist had posted a video of a German foreign ministry spokesperson reacting to Gandhi's disqualification. At a press briefing, Germany's foreign ministry spokesperson said, "We have taken note of the verdict of first instance against Indian opposition politician Rahul Gandhi as well as the suspension of his parliamentary mandate. To our knowledge, Mr Gandhi is in a position to appeal the verdict. It will then become clear whether this verdict will stand and whether the suspension of his mandate has any basis," the spokesperson was quoted as saying. Mr. Rijiju, why divert from the main issue? The issue is that the Prime Minister cannot answer Rahul Gandhis questions about Adani. Instead of misleading people, please answer the questions? https://t.co/dBK7ppMCFi Pawan Khera (@Pawankhera) March 30, 2023 Germany expects that "standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles" will equally apply to the proceedings against Rahul Gandhi, the spokesperson added. A host of BJP leaders attacked the Congress and Singh, accusing the party of inviting foreign interference in internal affairs. Sharing a screenshot of Digivijaya Singh's tweet, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said, "Thank you Rahul Gandhi for inviting foreign powers for interference into India's internal matters. Remember, Indian Judiciary can't be influenced by foreign interference. India won't tolerate 'foreign influence' anymore because our Prime Minister is:- Shri @narendramodi Ji," Rijiju said. Hitting back at Rijiju, Congress' media department head Pawan Khera said, "Mr. Rijiju, why divert from the main issue? The issue is that the Prime Minister cannot answer Rahul Gandhi's questions about Adani." Instead of "misleading" people, please answer the questions, Khera said. READ MORE: United Opposition takes govt head on over Rahuls disqualification Disqualified because PM Modi was scared of my next speech on Adani: Rahul Martyred PM's son who walked for national unity can never insult country: Priyanka BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya also tagged Singh's tweet and said, "Shameful that Congress continues to lean on foreign agencies and seek their intervention in India's internal affairs. Rahul Gandhi had recently sought Europe and US intervention and now it is Digvijay Singh. But Law is the Law- Unless somebody thinks Law is not the Law for them," he said. BJP spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill also hit out at the Congress, alleging that the party "celebrating Germany/U.S.remarks on Rahul Gandhi's case shows their political desperation". "Rejected by Indian voters now looking for acceptance by foreign powers is sad reality of Congress! Judiciary must take note of daily maligning of courts by Congress brigade!" he said. Tagging Singh's tweet, BJP leader Vijay Chauthaiwale said on Twitter, "Look how happy @digvijaya_28 ji with comments from Germany. It only shows how they are desperate to involve external agencies in the domestic matters." Gandhi was disqualified from Lok Sabha on March 23 after a court in Gujarat's Surat convicted him in a 2019 defamation case. Earlier this week, a US state department official had said the United States is watching the court case of Rahul Gandhi. The official had observed that the US continues to engage with India on the shared commitment towards democratic principles and the protection of human rights, including freedom of expression. READ MORE | Defamation case: Plea challenging Rahul's conviction ready, to be moved soon NEW DELHI: As Germany took note of Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha, the BJP on Thursday accused the Congress of "inviting foreign powers" for interference in India's internal matters and the Opposition party hit back, alleging that its rival was attempting to divert attention from the Adani issue. In a tweet Thursday, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh thanked German foreign ministry and Richard Walker, Chief International Editor of Deutsche Welle, for "taking note of how the Democracy is being compromised in India through the persecution of Rahul Gandhi". He tagged a tweet by Walker in which the senior journalist had posted a video of a German foreign ministry spokesperson reacting to Gandhi's disqualification. At a press briefing, Germany's foreign ministry spokesperson said, "We have taken note of the verdict of first instance against Indian opposition politician Rahul Gandhi as well as the suspension of his parliamentary mandate. To our knowledge, Mr Gandhi is in a position to appeal the verdict. It will then become clear whether this verdict will stand and whether the suspension of his mandate has any basis," the spokesperson was quoted as saying.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Mr. Rijiju, why divert from the main issue? The issue is that the Prime Minister cannot answer Rahul Gandhis questions about Adani. Instead of misleading people, please answer the questions? https://t.co/dBK7ppMCFi Pawan Khera (@Pawankhera) March 30, 2023 Germany expects that "standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles" will equally apply to the proceedings against Rahul Gandhi, the spokesperson added. A host of BJP leaders attacked the Congress and Singh, accusing the party of inviting foreign interference in internal affairs. Sharing a screenshot of Digivijaya Singh's tweet, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said, "Thank you Rahul Gandhi for inviting foreign powers for interference into India's internal matters. Remember, Indian Judiciary can't be influenced by foreign interference. India won't tolerate 'foreign influence' anymore because our Prime Minister is:- Shri @narendramodi Ji," Rijiju said. Hitting back at Rijiju, Congress' media department head Pawan Khera said, "Mr. Rijiju, why divert from the main issue? The issue is that the Prime Minister cannot answer Rahul Gandhi's questions about Adani." Instead of "misleading" people, please answer the questions, Khera said. READ MORE: United Opposition takes govt head on over Rahuls disqualification Disqualified because PM Modi was scared of my next speech on Adani: Rahul Martyred PM's son who walked for national unity can never insult country: Priyanka BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya also tagged Singh's tweet and said, "Shameful that Congress continues to lean on foreign agencies and seek their intervention in India's internal affairs. Rahul Gandhi had recently sought Europe and US intervention and now it is Digvijay Singh. But Law is the Law- Unless somebody thinks Law is not the Law for them," he said. BJP spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill also hit out at the Congress, alleging that the party "celebrating Germany/U.S.remarks on Rahul Gandhi's case shows their political desperation". "Rejected by Indian voters now looking for acceptance by foreign powers is sad reality of Congress! Judiciary must take note of daily maligning of courts by Congress brigade!" he said. Tagging Singh's tweet, BJP leader Vijay Chauthaiwale said on Twitter, "Look how happy @digvijaya_28 ji with comments from Germany. It only shows how they are desperate to involve external agencies in the domestic matters." Gandhi was disqualified from Lok Sabha on March 23 after a court in Gujarat's Surat convicted him in a 2019 defamation case. Earlier this week, a US state department official had said the United States is watching the court case of Rahul Gandhi. The official had observed that the US continues to engage with India on the shared commitment towards democratic principles and the protection of human rights, including freedom of expression. READ MORE | Defamation case: Plea challenging Rahul's conviction ready, to be moved soon By PTI A few incidents of communal clashes broke out between communities in several parts of the country on Wednesday and Thursday amid Ram Navami celebrations. HOWRAH Violence broke out between two groups when a Ram Navami procession was taken out in West Bengal's Howrah city, where several vehicles were torched and shops were ransacked on Thursday evening. Police said a number of people were detained in this connection. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is on a dharna, said strict action will be taken against the culprits. A police officer said the incident occurred when the procession was passing through the Kazipara locality. Several shops and auto-rickshaws were ransacked during the violence while a number of cars including a few police vehicles were set on fire. Four fire tenders were pressed into service to extinguish the blaze. The police used force to disperse the mob. A large contingent of police was deployed in the locality where the situation is stated to be under control. The chief minister slammed the BJP for allegedly trying to stoke communal tension during the Ram Navami procession in Howrah and said those involved in the incident will not be spared. READ HERE | Violence over Ram Navami procession in Bengal's Howrah AURANGABAD At least 12 persons, including 10 policemen, were injured after a mob of around 500 people went berserk and hurled stones and petrol-filled bottles when the cops tried to control the situation following a clash between two groups near a Ram temple in Maharashtra's Aurangabad city, officials said on Thursday. The incident, in which 13 vehicles were torched by the miscreants, occurred during the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday in the city's Kiradpura locality that houses the famous Ram temple, they said. Ram Navami is being celebrated on Thursday. WATCH | The police used tear gas and fired some plastic bullets as well as live rounds to control the mob, the officials said, adding that eight teams have been formed to identify and arrest the perpetrators. The situation is now under control and security personnel have been deployed across Aurangabad, now named Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. "It started after two groups, each comprising around five persons, clashed near the Ram temple. After some time, one group left the place and the police soon came to the site. After an hour, a mob gathered there, bringing stones and petrol-filled bottles along, which they threw at the police personnel," Aurangabad Police Commissioner Nikhil Gupta told ABP Majha, a Marathi news channel. The street lights in the area were also damaged by the miscreants, so there was darkness in the area, he said. "We had to use extra force to disperse the mob. They burnt police vehicles near the Ram temple beside hurling stones and petrol-filled bottles at the police personnel. The police used tear gas extensively along with some plastic bullets and live rounds in this case," he said. READ HERE | Clashes between groups near Ram temple turn violent on Ram Navami eve "We have formed eight teams to identify the miscreants and arrest them. We have also got additional force which is now deployed in the city to maintain peace. The administration will hold an all-party meeting over maintaining peace," the police commissioner said. AHMEDABAD Violence erupted between Hindus and Muslims in Vadodara during a Ram Navami procession in the city on Thursday. When a procession led by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal passed through Fatepura Road with police protection, a brawl erupted between the two groups near the Panjrigar Maholla area. The police arrived and surrounded the area after the clash, say reports. While some vehicles were damaged, no one was injured, and the procession continued along its planned route under police protection, according to police. The brawlers allegedly damaged two-wheelers. The police are examining the footage from the CCTV camera installed at the scene for the stone pelters. Vadodara Deputy Commissioner of Police Yashpal Jaganiya said, "Some people had gathered when the procession passed before the mosque. But they were persuaded to leave. The area is calm now that the procession has passed." Ketan Trivedi, president of the Vadodara Bajrang Dal, told local media that the stone-pelting was part of a conspiracy. "This procession is planned nearly every year. Despite this, there was no police presence in the area. Stones were thrown as part of a pre-planned conspiracy," he stated. READ HERE | Police deny Hindu outfits claim on stone-pelting during Ram Navami procession in Vadodara (With inputs from Dilip Singh Kshatriya, Express News Service) A few incidents of communal clashes broke out between communities in several parts of the country on Wednesday and Thursday amid Ram Navami celebrations. HOWRAH Violence broke out between two groups when a Ram Navami procession was taken out in West Bengal's Howrah city, where several vehicles were torched and shops were ransacked on Thursday evening.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Police said a number of people were detained in this connection. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is on a dharna, said strict action will be taken against the culprits. A police officer said the incident occurred when the procession was passing through the Kazipara locality. Several shops and auto-rickshaws were ransacked during the violence while a number of cars including a few police vehicles were set on fire. Four fire tenders were pressed into service to extinguish the blaze. The police used force to disperse the mob. A large contingent of police was deployed in the locality where the situation is stated to be under control. The chief minister slammed the BJP for allegedly trying to stoke communal tension during the Ram Navami procession in Howrah and said those involved in the incident will not be spared. READ HERE | Violence over Ram Navami procession in Bengal's Howrah AURANGABAD At least 12 persons, including 10 policemen, were injured after a mob of around 500 people went berserk and hurled stones and petrol-filled bottles when the cops tried to control the situation following a clash between two groups near a Ram temple in Maharashtra's Aurangabad city, officials said on Thursday. The incident, in which 13 vehicles were torched by the miscreants, occurred during the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday in the city's Kiradpura locality that houses the famous Ram temple, they said. Ram Navami is being celebrated on Thursday. WATCH | The police used tear gas and fired some plastic bullets as well as live rounds to control the mob, the officials said, adding that eight teams have been formed to identify and arrest the perpetrators. The situation is now under control and security personnel have been deployed across Aurangabad, now named Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. "It started after two groups, each comprising around five persons, clashed near the Ram temple. After some time, one group left the place and the police soon came to the site. After an hour, a mob gathered there, bringing stones and petrol-filled bottles along, which they threw at the police personnel," Aurangabad Police Commissioner Nikhil Gupta told ABP Majha, a Marathi news channel. The street lights in the area were also damaged by the miscreants, so there was darkness in the area, he said. "We had to use extra force to disperse the mob. They burnt police vehicles near the Ram temple beside hurling stones and petrol-filled bottles at the police personnel. The police used tear gas extensively along with some plastic bullets and live rounds in this case," he said. READ HERE | Clashes between groups near Ram temple turn violent on Ram Navami eve "We have formed eight teams to identify the miscreants and arrest them. We have also got additional force which is now deployed in the city to maintain peace. The administration will hold an all-party meeting over maintaining peace," the police commissioner said. AHMEDABAD Violence erupted between Hindus and Muslims in Vadodara during a Ram Navami procession in the city on Thursday. When a procession led by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal passed through Fatepura Road with police protection, a brawl erupted between the two groups near the Panjrigar Maholla area. The police arrived and surrounded the area after the clash, say reports. While some vehicles were damaged, no one was injured, and the procession continued along its planned route under police protection, according to police. The brawlers allegedly damaged two-wheelers. The police are examining the footage from the CCTV camera installed at the scene for the stone pelters. Vadodara Deputy Commissioner of Police Yashpal Jaganiya said, "Some people had gathered when the procession passed before the mosque. But they were persuaded to leave. The area is calm now that the procession has passed." Ketan Trivedi, president of the Vadodara Bajrang Dal, told local media that the stone-pelting was part of a conspiracy. "This procession is planned nearly every year. Despite this, there was no police presence in the area. Stones were thrown as part of a pre-planned conspiracy," he stated. READ HERE | Police deny Hindu outfits claim on stone-pelting during Ram Navami procession in Vadodara (With inputs from Dilip Singh Kshatriya, Express News Service) Dilip Singh Kshatriya By Express News Service AHMEDABAD: Gujarat Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani, former NCP member and current AAP Gujarat leader Reshma Patel and eight others were exonerated by the Mehsana district and sessions court on Wednesday in connection with a rally they organised out of Mehsana town in July 2017 without getting permission from the police. According to sources, the court cleared Mevani and other protesters by stating that the right to peaceful assembly is protected by Article 19 of the Constitution and that the charges brought against the activists were baseless. The verdict was delivered by Additional District Judge C M Pawar. Two appeals were filed at the district and session courts following the magisterial courts verdict convicting Mevani and nine others in May 2022. After the Verdict, Mevani tweeted, Upholding our rights to deliberate, discuss & debate in a democracy and quoting the prosecutors case to be baseless, a session court in Mehsana has acquitted us today in a frivolous case registered by Mehsana police in 2017. AHMEDABAD: Gujarat Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani, former NCP member and current AAP Gujarat leader Reshma Patel and eight others were exonerated by the Mehsana district and sessions court on Wednesday in connection with a rally they organised out of Mehsana town in July 2017 without getting permission from the police. According to sources, the court cleared Mevani and other protesters by stating that the right to peaceful assembly is protected by Article 19 of the Constitution and that the charges brought against the activists were baseless. The verdict was delivered by Additional District Judge C M Pawar. Two appeals were filed at the district and session courts following the magisterial courts verdict convicting Mevani and nine others in May 2022.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); After the Verdict, Mevani tweeted, Upholding our rights to deliberate, discuss & debate in a democracy and quoting the prosecutors case to be baseless, a session court in Mehsana has acquitted us today in a frivolous case registered by Mehsana police in 2017. Shruti Kakkar By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Terming hate speech as a vicious circle, the Supreme Court on Wednesday reprimanded states for failing to curb it. This is going on because the state is impotent, powerless, and doesnt act in time. Why do we have the state at all if it is silent? Justice K M Joseph wondered. The judge said, This hate thing is a vicious circle. The moment politics and religion are separated and politicians stop using religion in politics, hate speeches will go away... Some sort of mechanism needs to be developed by the state so that we can curb this kind of statements. Taking strong exception to fringe elements making hate speeches, Justice B V Nagarathna, during the hearing said, The idea of fraternity was so much there earlier but now Im sorry to say the cracks are coming. There must be restraint on every citizen. She suggested that citizens could take a pledge not to vilify other members of the society. We had orators like Nehru and Vajpayee. People from rural areas used to come to listen to them. Now fringe elements from all sides are making these statements. Are we now going to take contempt of court action against all Indians? she asked. The hearing witnessed an exchange of sharp remarks between Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Justice Joseph with Mehta asking the judge to not only single out hate speeches in Maharashtra but also look at instances in states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu. He cited a DMK leaders rant against Brahmins in Tamil Nadu and a hate speech by a child at a rally in Kerala, adding, Let us not be selective. The bench, however, said, Let us not make this a drama. This is legal proceedings. The remarks were made by the bench while it was considering a contempt plea against the failure of states to register FIRs against perpetrators of hate speech. The court rejected a request to dispose of a contempt plea against the Maharashtra government for allegedly failing to act on the courts order on hate speeches at rallies. NEW DELHI: Terming hate speech as a vicious circle, the Supreme Court on Wednesday reprimanded states for failing to curb it. This is going on because the state is impotent, powerless, and doesnt act in time. Why do we have the state at all if it is silent? Justice K M Joseph wondered. The judge said, This hate thing is a vicious circle. The moment politics and religion are separated and politicians stop using religion in politics, hate speeches will go away... Some sort of mechanism needs to be developed by the state so that we can curb this kind of statements. Taking strong exception to fringe elements making hate speeches, Justice B V Nagarathna, during the hearing said, The idea of fraternity was so much there earlier but now Im sorry to say the cracks are coming. There must be restraint on every citizen.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); She suggested that citizens could take a pledge not to vilify other members of the society. We had orators like Nehru and Vajpayee. People from rural areas used to come to listen to them. Now fringe elements from all sides are making these statements. Are we now going to take contempt of court action against all Indians? she asked. The hearing witnessed an exchange of sharp remarks between Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Justice Joseph with Mehta asking the judge to not only single out hate speeches in Maharashtra but also look at instances in states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu. He cited a DMK leaders rant against Brahmins in Tamil Nadu and a hate speech by a child at a rally in Kerala, adding, Let us not be selective. The bench, however, said, Let us not make this a drama. This is legal proceedings. The remarks were made by the bench while it was considering a contempt plea against the failure of states to register FIRs against perpetrators of hate speech. The court rejected a request to dispose of a contempt plea against the Maharashtra government for allegedly failing to act on the courts order on hate speeches at rallies. By Agencies KATHUA/JAMMU: A search operation has been launched after a powerful blast occurred in Hiranagar near the India-Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, creating a huge crater in the ground and triggering fear among the locals, officials said on Thursday. Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Jammu Mukesh Singh told ANI that an explosion-like sound was heard near BPP Sanyal located along the International Border (IB) in Hiranagar in Kathua district in the late evening hours on Wednesday. After receiving information about the blast, a police team led by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Kathua, Shivdeep Singh Jamwal rushed to the site and started a search operation. A live grenade was recovered following a search of the area on Thursday morning, SSP Jamwal told PTI. "Information was received about a powerful blast around 9.30 PM on Wednesday. We launched a search operation this morning... The bomb squad team has collected the samples and sent it for testing", the SSP said. "One live grenade was seized around 6.30 am today. It points out that someone lobbed the grenade after detecting the presence of security forces", the SSP added. As the site of the blast is close to a police post, there is a possibility that the police post was the intended target. "It points out toward that. On Wednesday, our presence was more in this area, that is why they may have hurled a grenade and after that, they triggered an IED blast", the SSP said. No injury has been reported so far. The official further said during the preliminary search it has observed that no movement of any article or human being has been found. However, he ruled out any possibility of infiltration across the border. He also said that the forensic team has collected samples from the site. Block Development Committee (BDC) chairman Ram Lal Kaliya, a resident of Saniyal village which is just 300 metres from the border post, said, "Around 9.30 pm on Wednesday we heard an explosion. I informed the post in-charge." The blast site was located after one-and-half hours, he said, adding that a big crater was found in an agriculture field. (With ANI/PTI inputs) KATHUA/JAMMU: A search operation has been launched after a powerful blast occurred in Hiranagar near the India-Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, creating a huge crater in the ground and triggering fear among the locals, officials said on Thursday. Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Jammu Mukesh Singh told ANI that an explosion-like sound was heard near BPP Sanyal located along the International Border (IB) in Hiranagar in Kathua district in the late evening hours on Wednesday. After receiving information about the blast, a police team led by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Kathua, Shivdeep Singh Jamwal rushed to the site and started a search operation.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); A live grenade was recovered following a search of the area on Thursday morning, SSP Jamwal told PTI. "Information was received about a powerful blast around 9.30 PM on Wednesday. We launched a search operation this morning... The bomb squad team has collected the samples and sent it for testing", the SSP said. "One live grenade was seized around 6.30 am today. It points out that someone lobbed the grenade after detecting the presence of security forces", the SSP added. As the site of the blast is close to a police post, there is a possibility that the police post was the intended target. "It points out toward that. On Wednesday, our presence was more in this area, that is why they may have hurled a grenade and after that, they triggered an IED blast", the SSP said. No injury has been reported so far. The official further said during the preliminary search it has observed that no movement of any article or human being has been found. However, he ruled out any possibility of infiltration across the border. He also said that the forensic team has collected samples from the site. Block Development Committee (BDC) chairman Ram Lal Kaliya, a resident of Saniyal village which is just 300 metres from the border post, said, "Around 9.30 pm on Wednesday we heard an explosion. I informed the post in-charge." The blast site was located after one-and-half hours, he said, adding that a big crater was found in an agriculture field. (With ANI/PTI inputs) Rakesh Kumar By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Indias oil imports from Russia, which jumped 11 times in 2022-23 amid worsening geo-political tensions, are set to hit record highs with Indian Oil Corporation inking a pact with Russias largest oil producer Rosneft to substantially ramp up oil supplies. Russia will also diversify the grades of crude oil it supplies to India. The deal assumes significance as it comes at a time when India is increasingly facing diplomatic pressure from Western countries to curtail imports of cheaper crude from Russia. India, the third largest oil importer in the world, has been ignoring such calls citing its domestic energy needs, and has increased Russian imports considerably in the past year. On Wednesday, Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin and IOC chairman Shrikant Madhav Vaidya signed the agreement in the presence of petroleum minister Hardeep S Puri. The agreement, however, did not indicate volumes. The two companies also discussed ways of expanding cooperation between Rosneft and Indian companies in the entire value chain of the energy sector, including possibilities of making payments in national currencies. According to energy cargo tracker Vortexa, India imported 35 per cent of its total crude from Russia in February 2023, which is 1.62 million barrels per day. Indias other top four traditional oil suppliers are Iraq, Saudi Arabia, UAE and the US (see chart). According to the commerce ministry, Russia has for the first time become one of the five largest trading partners of India, thanks to ballooning crude oil imports. The volume of trade between the countries in 2022 reached $38.4 billion. Thus, the goal set by the leaders of our countries to increase turnover to $30 billion by 2025 has been achieved in advance, said the head of Rosneft. NEW DELHI: Indias oil imports from Russia, which jumped 11 times in 2022-23 amid worsening geo-political tensions, are set to hit record highs with Indian Oil Corporation inking a pact with Russias largest oil producer Rosneft to substantially ramp up oil supplies. Russia will also diversify the grades of crude oil it supplies to India. The deal assumes significance as it comes at a time when India is increasingly facing diplomatic pressure from Western countries to curtail imports of cheaper crude from Russia. India, the third largest oil importer in the world, has been ignoring such calls citing its domestic energy needs, and has increased Russian imports considerably in the past year. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); On Wednesday, Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin and IOC chairman Shrikant Madhav Vaidya signed the agreement in the presence of petroleum minister Hardeep S Puri. The agreement, however, did not indicate volumes. The two companies also discussed ways of expanding cooperation between Rosneft and Indian companies in the entire value chain of the energy sector, including possibilities of making payments in national currencies. According to energy cargo tracker Vortexa, India imported 35 per cent of its total crude from Russia in February 2023, which is 1.62 million barrels per day. Indias other top four traditional oil suppliers are Iraq, Saudi Arabia, UAE and the US (see chart). According to the commerce ministry, Russia has for the first time become one of the five largest trading partners of India, thanks to ballooning crude oil imports. The volume of trade between the countries in 2022 reached $38.4 billion. Thus, the goal set by the leaders of our countries to increase turnover to $30 billion by 2025 has been achieved in advance, said the head of Rosneft. By Express News Service KOLKATA: On the first day of her two-day dharna on Red Road in Kolkata, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday came down heavily on the BJP-led Union government for its "discriminatory attitude" and said that she can stage a demonstration near the Prime Minister residence if needed. "Many people are raising questions on whether I can sit in a dharna or not. Of course, I can stage sit-in-demonstration one crore times. If needed, I can sit near the house of the PM," said Mamata. Terming the BJP as a "washing machine", Mamata said if anyone speaks against them (BJP), they send CBI and ED after them. "Since they (BJP) came to power, there is not a single example that central agencies are probing into allegations against their leaders, she said. In a washing machine named 'BJP' which was brought on the stage, Banerjee put black clothes which turned white. She asserted that corrupt leaders were spared after joining the saffron camp. Stating that the 2024 Parliamentary polls will be a fight between the citizens of the country and the BJP, Banerjee said people from all religions Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Parsi must unite to defeat the saffron party and save the poor people of the country. She also described the BJP as 'Dushasana' and 'Duryodhana' the two antagonists of the epic Mahabharata. "I urge every political party in India to unite to oust this Dushasana BJP government. This Duryodhana BJP should be removed from power to save the country's common man as well as Indian democracy," Banerjee said. ALSO READ | Big consolidation as TMC joins call to Congress to unite Opposition Without naming the saffron party, Mamata said that some people are trying to teach me about the Constitution. "I was MP for seven times and four times as an MLA. Previously, I also staged a demonstration when the CBI arrived at former Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumars residence to arrest him. As chief minister, Jayalalithaa also staged a sit-in. Also, the dharna is being organised under the banner of our party. The party, which I created, is more important than the government. I want to see what you (BJP) can do," said Mamata, who is the chairperson of TMC. Further, she also asserted that the BJP will lose the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as most of its allies have deserted the party. "Their (BJP's) peak time is over. When they had come to power they had 17 allies. Now, they are alone as 16 have deserted them. What will they do alone? They will get votes only in UP and MP," the chief minister said. Abhishek comes in support of Rahul Meanwhile, Mamatas nephew Abhishek Banerjee also addressed a protest rally barely a few metres away from the CMs dharna venue on Red Fort slamming the BJP. Abhishek, the national general secretary of the Trinamool Congress, stood beside Rahul Gandhi asking why PM Narendra Modi would not be disqualified as an MP as he had also insulted Mamata during his speeches in the high-octane 2021 Assembly polls in Bengal. A political war of words broke out during the Assembly elections two years ago when Modi referred to Mamata saying "didi o didi", which the TMC labelled as a disrespectful comment targeting women in Bengal. Mamata, accompanied by senior TMC leaders like Firhad Hakim, Aroop Biswas, Subrata Bakshi and Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, reached the dharna venue in front of B R Ambedkar statue on Red Road against the Centres discriminatory attitude, ranging from dues to misuse of central agencies. The sit-in will continue till 7 pm on Thursday. READ MORE: BJD denies 3rd Front discussion at Naveen, Mamata meeting TMC eyes forming group of regional parties KOLKATA: On the first day of her two-day dharna on Red Road in Kolkata, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday came down heavily on the BJP-led Union government for its "discriminatory attitude" and said that she can stage a demonstration near the Prime Minister residence if needed. "Many people are raising questions on whether I can sit in a dharna or not. Of course, I can stage sit-in-demonstration one crore times. If needed, I can sit near the house of the PM," said Mamata. Terming the BJP as a "washing machine", Mamata said if anyone speaks against them (BJP), they send CBI and ED after them. "Since they (BJP) came to power, there is not a single example that central agencies are probing into allegations against their leaders, she said. In a washing machine named 'BJP' which was brought on the stage, Banerjee put black clothes which turned white. She asserted that corrupt leaders were spared after joining the saffron camp.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Stating that the 2024 Parliamentary polls will be a fight between the citizens of the country and the BJP, Banerjee said people from all religions Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Parsi must unite to defeat the saffron party and save the poor people of the country. She also described the BJP as 'Dushasana' and 'Duryodhana' the two antagonists of the epic Mahabharata. "I urge every political party in India to unite to oust this Dushasana BJP government. This Duryodhana BJP should be removed from power to save the country's common man as well as Indian democracy," Banerjee said. ALSO READ | Big consolidation as TMC joins call to Congress to unite Opposition Without naming the saffron party, Mamata said that some people are trying to teach me about the Constitution. "I was MP for seven times and four times as an MLA. Previously, I also staged a demonstration when the CBI arrived at former Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumars residence to arrest him. As chief minister, Jayalalithaa also staged a sit-in. Also, the dharna is being organised under the banner of our party. The party, which I created, is more important than the government. I want to see what you (BJP) can do," said Mamata, who is the chairperson of TMC. Further, she also asserted that the BJP will lose the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as most of its allies have deserted the party. "Their (BJP's) peak time is over. When they had come to power they had 17 allies. Now, they are alone as 16 have deserted them. What will they do alone? They will get votes only in UP and MP," the chief minister said. Abhishek comes in support of Rahul Meanwhile, Mamatas nephew Abhishek Banerjee also addressed a protest rally barely a few metres away from the CMs dharna venue on Red Fort slamming the BJP. Abhishek, the national general secretary of the Trinamool Congress, stood beside Rahul Gandhi asking why PM Narendra Modi would not be disqualified as an MP as he had also insulted Mamata during his speeches in the high-octane 2021 Assembly polls in Bengal. A political war of words broke out during the Assembly elections two years ago when Modi referred to Mamata saying "didi o didi", which the TMC labelled as a disrespectful comment targeting women in Bengal. Mamata, accompanied by senior TMC leaders like Firhad Hakim, Aroop Biswas, Subrata Bakshi and Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, reached the dharna venue in front of B R Ambedkar statue on Red Road against the Centres discriminatory attitude, ranging from dues to misuse of central agencies. The sit-in will continue till 7 pm on Thursday. READ MORE: BJD denies 3rd Front discussion at Naveen, Mamata meeting TMC eyes forming group of regional parties Bala Chauhan By Express News Service BENGALURU: The eight-year-old US-born Mongolian boy, who was anointed as the 10th Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa Rinpoche by the Dalai Lama in an initiation ceremony on March 8 Dharamshala may come to India for monastic studies, sources told TNIE. The 10th Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa is the head of the Jonang tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and the Buddhist spiritual head of Mongolia. Following his initiation, the Tulku (reincarnate boy) is now the head of the Jonang tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and the Buddhist spiritual head of Mongolia. There is a possibility of him coming to India for spiritual studies because of the lineage and better monastic facilities. The ninth Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa was affiliated with the Jonang Takten Phuntsok Choeling Buddhist Monastery in Shimla. Some of the monks in Jonang monastery also study at Drepung Monastery in Mundgod in Karnataka. It is possible that the Tulku takes up his monastic studies at these centres, sources added on condition of anonymity. According to unofficial reports, the Tulku, who was born in the US in 2015, was anointed as the 10th Khalkha (largest district of Mongolia) Jetsun Dhampa (Lord of Refuge) in a ceremony at Mongolias biggest Gandantegchinlen Monastery in February. The ceremony was attended by the Abbot of the monastery and the high Lamas of Mongolia. He was accorded legitimacy after he was declared a reincarnation of the ninth Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa on March 8 at the culmination of the exercise that the Dalai Lama undertook when he visited Ulaanbaatar in 2016, sources said. The eight-year-old Tulku may become the latest and yet another point of friction between India and China with the latter coming down aggressively to claim ownership of Tibetan Buddhism and reincarnations of Lamas. Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa is considered one of the most important spiritual leaders in Tibetan Buddhism, added sources. There are concerns regarding the Tulkus security after what happened to Gedhun Choekyi Nyima soon after his initiation as Panchen Lama in 1995, they said. A month after his initiation, he was abducted by the Chinese and to date, he remains the worlds youngest political prisoner. He has been missing for 27 years. The Chinese spared no time in announcing their own Panchen Lama six months after Choekyis abduction when they announced that they had found the real reincarnation of the Panchen Lama in Gyaltsen Norbu - a Tibetan boy and the son of two Communist Party members. Panchen Lama is second to the Dalai Lama in the Tibetan Buddhist hierarchy and plays a key role in recognising the next reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, who in turn, finds the reincarnated Panchen Lama. Mongolia being a landlocked country is heavily dependent upon China and may not want to antagonize its powerful southern neighbour. A week after the Dalai Lamas visit in 2016, China, besides issuing a warning to Mongolia to never invite the Tibetan spiritual leader again, had also imposed fees on commodity imports from the country, charging additional transit costs on goods passing through a border crossing into Chinas northern region of Inner Mongolia. The ninth Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa lived with his family in Darjeeling, Mysuru, Madhya Pradesh and Dharamshala, where in 1991 he was officially enthroned as the Ninth Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa by the Dalai Lama. He died in 2012 in Ulaanbaatar. BENGALURU: The eight-year-old US-born Mongolian boy, who was anointed as the 10th Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa Rinpoche by the Dalai Lama in an initiation ceremony on March 8 Dharamshala may come to India for monastic studies, sources told TNIE. The 10th Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa is the head of the Jonang tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and the Buddhist spiritual head of Mongolia. Following his initiation, the Tulku (reincarnate boy) is now the head of the Jonang tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and the Buddhist spiritual head of Mongolia. There is a possibility of him coming to India for spiritual studies because of the lineage and better monastic facilities. The ninth Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa was affiliated with the Jonang Takten Phuntsok Choeling Buddhist Monastery in Shimla. Some of the monks in Jonang monastery also study at Drepung Monastery in Mundgod in Karnataka. It is possible that the Tulku takes up his monastic studies at these centres, sources added on condition of anonymity.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); According to unofficial reports, the Tulku, who was born in the US in 2015, was anointed as the 10th Khalkha (largest district of Mongolia) Jetsun Dhampa (Lord of Refuge) in a ceremony at Mongolias biggest Gandantegchinlen Monastery in February. The ceremony was attended by the Abbot of the monastery and the high Lamas of Mongolia. He was accorded legitimacy after he was declared a reincarnation of the ninth Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa on March 8 at the culmination of the exercise that the Dalai Lama undertook when he visited Ulaanbaatar in 2016, sources said. The eight-year-old Tulku may become the latest and yet another point of friction between India and China with the latter coming down aggressively to claim ownership of Tibetan Buddhism and reincarnations of Lamas. Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa is considered one of the most important spiritual leaders in Tibetan Buddhism, added sources. There are concerns regarding the Tulkus security after what happened to Gedhun Choekyi Nyima soon after his initiation as Panchen Lama in 1995, they said. A month after his initiation, he was abducted by the Chinese and to date, he remains the worlds youngest political prisoner. He has been missing for 27 years. The Chinese spared no time in announcing their own Panchen Lama six months after Choekyis abduction when they announced that they had found the real reincarnation of the Panchen Lama in Gyaltsen Norbu - a Tibetan boy and the son of two Communist Party members. Panchen Lama is second to the Dalai Lama in the Tibetan Buddhist hierarchy and plays a key role in recognising the next reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, who in turn, finds the reincarnated Panchen Lama. Mongolia being a landlocked country is heavily dependent upon China and may not want to antagonize its powerful southern neighbour. A week after the Dalai Lamas visit in 2016, China, besides issuing a warning to Mongolia to never invite the Tibetan spiritual leader again, had also imposed fees on commodity imports from the country, charging additional transit costs on goods passing through a border crossing into Chinas northern region of Inner Mongolia. The ninth Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa lived with his family in Darjeeling, Mysuru, Madhya Pradesh and Dharamshala, where in 1991 he was officially enthroned as the Ninth Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa by the Dalai Lama. He died in 2012 in Ulaanbaatar. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: More than 300 lawyers from across the country criticised the 'anti-India gang' remarks of Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju in an open letter on Wednesday, saying it was an unwarranted attack against retired judges. They demanded that Rijiju withdraw his comment. We, the undersigned lawyers practising in diverse courts around the nation, deprecate the unwarranted attack launched against retired judges of the Supreme Court by Union Law Minister Shri Kiren Rijiju, at a conclave telecast live by a media house. The allegations of anti-nationalism against people who have dedicated their lives to upholding the rule of law, and the naked threat of reprisals against them, marks a new low in the public discourse of our great nation, the letter reads. The letter referred to Rijiju's statement made at the India Today Conclave in New Delhi on March 18 in which he had said that there were three or four retired judges who are part of an anti-India gang. ALSO READ | Some retired judges part of anti-India gang, claims Law Minister Rijiju He referred to a seminar in which judges and senior advocates participated. The topic of the seminar was Accountability in Judges Appointment but the discussion [the] whole day was how [the] government is taking over the Indian judiciary, Rijiju said. It is a few retired judges - maybe three or four - a few of those activists, part of the anti-India gang. These people are trying to make the Indian judiciary play the role of the opposition party. How can these people openly say the Indian judiciary (should) take the government head on? he said. Further, in a reply to a question on the action taken by the government in this regard, Rijiju said, Agencies will take action as per the provisions of law. Nobody will escape. Those who have worked against the country will have to pay a price for that. The list of the 323 signatories include senior advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Kapil Sibal, Arvind Datar, Iqbal Chagla, Janak Dwarakadas, Sri Hari Aney, Raju Ramachandran, Dushyant Dave, Indira Jaising, Rajshekhar Rao and Sanjay Singhvi. The lawyers condemned the remarks of the minister by saying that the law minister threatened the retired Supreme Court judges and transgressed all limits of constitutional propriety". Rijiju is sworn to uphold and bear true allegiance to the Constitution and as a minister of law and justice, it is his duty to protect the judicial system, the judiciary, and the judges, both past and present," the letter read. NEW DELHI: More than 300 lawyers from across the country criticised the 'anti-India gang' remarks of Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju in an open letter on Wednesday, saying it was an unwarranted attack against retired judges. They demanded that Rijiju withdraw his comment. We, the undersigned lawyers practising in diverse courts around the nation, deprecate the unwarranted attack launched against retired judges of the Supreme Court by Union Law Minister Shri Kiren Rijiju, at a conclave telecast live by a media house. The allegations of anti-nationalism against people who have dedicated their lives to upholding the rule of law, and the naked threat of reprisals against them, marks a new low in the public discourse of our great nation, the letter reads. The letter referred to Rijiju's statement made at the India Today Conclave in New Delhi on March 18 in which he had said that there were three or four retired judges who are part of an anti-India gang.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); ALSO READ | Some retired judges part of anti-India gang, claims Law Minister Rijiju He referred to a seminar in which judges and senior advocates participated. The topic of the seminar was Accountability in Judges Appointment but the discussion [the] whole day was how [the] government is taking over the Indian judiciary, Rijiju said. It is a few retired judges - maybe three or four - a few of those activists, part of the anti-India gang. These people are trying to make the Indian judiciary play the role of the opposition party. How can these people openly say the Indian judiciary (should) take the government head on? he said. Further, in a reply to a question on the action taken by the government in this regard, Rijiju said, Agencies will take action as per the provisions of law. Nobody will escape. Those who have worked against the country will have to pay a price for that. The list of the 323 signatories include senior advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Kapil Sibal, Arvind Datar, Iqbal Chagla, Janak Dwarakadas, Sri Hari Aney, Raju Ramachandran, Dushyant Dave, Indira Jaising, Rajshekhar Rao and Sanjay Singhvi. The lawyers condemned the remarks of the minister by saying that the law minister threatened the retired Supreme Court judges and transgressed all limits of constitutional propriety". Rijiju is sworn to uphold and bear true allegiance to the Constitution and as a minister of law and justice, it is his duty to protect the judicial system, the judiciary, and the judges, both past and present," the letter read. Indium Corporations Sze Pei Lim to Present at ICEP Japan Published: 30 March 2023 by Mike Buetow by Mike Buetow Indium Corporations Senior Global Product Manager for Semiconductor and Advanced Materials Sze Pei Lim is set to deliver a presentation at ICEP 2023 in Kumamoto, Japan, on April 19. The presentation will cover the findings from a technical paper, co-authored by R&D Manager for the Alloy Group HongWen Zhang, titled An In-Containing Lower-Temperature Lead-Free Solder Paste for Wafer-Level Package Application that Outperforms SAC305. In recent years, more interest has been shown in adopting low-temperature solders/materials in various applications in order to decrease the dynamic warpage of highly-integrated packages; reduce energy consumption during assembly; and mitigate risk for temperature-sensitive sensors. Durafuse LT, an In-containing solder paste, was developed and used in mobile phone assembly with a 200C peak reflow temperature profile. Now an increased interest exists for low-temperature processing for first-level interconnects. Therefore, more research is needed to identify any reliability implications for SnAgCu-based bumps creating an interconnect using Durafuse LT solder paste material. As Senior Global Product Manager for Semiconductor and Advanced Materials, Lim works closely with R&D and manufacturing, and engages with the worlds leading semiconductor companies and contract manufacturers. She is a task force member of the International Electronics Manufacturing Initiatives (iNEMI) Packaging Technology Integration Group and has co-chaired a number of industry projects and road mapping initiatives over the past five years. She is also on the executive committee of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Packaging Society Malaysia Chapter. Lim is a part of the organizing committee for the International Electronics Manufacturing Technology (IEMT). She has authored a number of technical papers and presented regularly in various international technical conferences. She holds a bachelors degree from the National University of Singapore, where she majored in industrial chemistry with a focus in polymers. She is a Certified SMT Process Engineer and has earned her Six Sigma Green Belt designation About Indium Corporation Indium Corporation is a premier materials refiner, smelter, manufacturer, and supplier to the global electronics, semiconductor, thin-film, and thermal management markets. Products include solders and fluxes; brazes; thermal interface materials; sputtering targets; indium, gallium, germanium, and tin metals and inorganic compounds; and NanoFoil. Founded in 1934, the company has global technical support and factories located in China, Germany, India, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. For more information about Indium Corporation, visit www.indium.com or email jhuang@indium.com. You can also follow our experts, From One Engineer To Another (#FOETA), at www.linkedin.com/company/indium-corporation/ or @IndiumCorp. About ICEP 2023 ICEP is the largest international conference on electronic packaging in Japan, attracting more than 360 attendees and hosting about 35 technical sessions. ICEP provides a strong platform to demonstrate your technologies and products as well as expand your customer network. It is jointly sponsored by JIEP, IEEE EPS Japan Chapter, and iMAPS. The conference has technical sessions covering a wide range of topics, including advanced packaging, design, modeling and reliability, emerging technologies, high-speed, wireless and components, interconnections, materials and processes, optoelectronics, power electronics integration, thermal management. Express News Service NEW DELHI: Over 7.5 lakh students went abroad for higher studies last year, compared to 4,44,553 in 2021, with the most preferred destinations being the US, Canada and the UK. The dip in Covid-19 cases and the lifting of travel restrictions played a major role. In 2020, only 2,59,655 students went abroad for studies, as per the information shared by the Ministry of Education in Parliament. Though in 2020 and 2021, travel came to a halt due to the pandemic, the US, Canada and the UK continued to draw students. In 2022, 7,50,365 students went abroad, with the maximum at 1,90,512 heading to the US. In 2021, 1,25,115 students went to the US, compared to 62,415 in 2020. Canada, the second most preferred destination, attracted 43,624 students in 2020 and 1,02,688 in 2021. The number went up to 1,85,955 in 2022. The UK which has always been a sought-after destination for Indian students attracted 1,32,709 students in 2022, compared to 77,855 in 2021 and 44,901 in 2020. Australia too continued to attract Indian students, with 59,044 students preferring its higher institutes in 2022. The number stood at 8,950 in 2021 and 33,629 in 2020. After these countries, Germany was the preferred choice for Indian students. In 2022, 20,684 students went for higher studies, compared to 16,259 in 2021 and 9,865 in 2020. After Germany, Kyrgyzstan was the most sought-after destination. In 2020, 14,728 students went to this central Asian country. In 2021, the figure stood at 15,162 compared to 865 in 2020. Though Ukraine attracted as many as 18,596 students in 2021, the number drastically dwindled in 2022, when only 2,199 stayed back despite the Ukraine-Russia war. Thousands of students, mainly medical students, were evacuated by India. Russia, which saw only 1,387 students opting for its higher institutions in 2020, saw 15,814 students in 2021. The figure went up to 19,784 in 2022. Singapore (17,085), Philippines (11,261), Kazakhstan (8,895), France (6,406), Italy (3,507), Uzbekistan (3,430), Malaysia (2,453), Netherlands (1,901), and New Zealand (1,605) were the other countries that Indian students preferred for higher studies in 2022. Speaking to The New Indian Express, University Grants Commission chairman Prof M. Jagadesh Kumar said that the number of students who wish to go abroad will continue to increase because India has a large number of students who wish to pursue a university education. However, students who wish to stay in India but study at a foreign university campus in India will benefit from the UGC regulations, he said, referring to the recent UGC draft notification that will facilitate the establishment of campuses of foreign higher education institutions in India. After the regulations are announced by May this year, the online application portal will be launched by the UGC. Interested foreign universities will start applying after this. Setting up a campus by a foreign university will take time. In the next two to three years, we will see some foreign university campuses in India, Prof Kumar added. He claimed it is a misnomer to assume that setting up foreign university campuses in India will reverse the trend of Indian students going abroad. Those students who wish to have the experience of working in a different cultural atmosphere and those who want to work abroad after obtaining a degree at a foreign university will continue to go. Meanwhile, two Australian universities will soon be setting up their campuses in Gujarat's Gift City. NEW DELHI: Over 7.5 lakh students went abroad for higher studies last year, compared to 4,44,553 in 2021, with the most preferred destinations being the US, Canada and the UK. The dip in Covid-19 cases and the lifting of travel restrictions played a major role. In 2020, only 2,59,655 students went abroad for studies, as per the information shared by the Ministry of Education in Parliament. Though in 2020 and 2021, travel came to a halt due to the pandemic, the US, Canada and the UK continued to draw students. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); In 2022, 7,50,365 students went abroad, with the maximum at 1,90,512 heading to the US. In 2021, 1,25,115 students went to the US, compared to 62,415 in 2020. Canada, the second most preferred destination, attracted 43,624 students in 2020 and 1,02,688 in 2021. The number went up to 1,85,955 in 2022. The UK which has always been a sought-after destination for Indian students attracted 1,32,709 students in 2022, compared to 77,855 in 2021 and 44,901 in 2020. Australia too continued to attract Indian students, with 59,044 students preferring its higher institutes in 2022. The number stood at 8,950 in 2021 and 33,629 in 2020. After these countries, Germany was the preferred choice for Indian students. In 2022, 20,684 students went for higher studies, compared to 16,259 in 2021 and 9,865 in 2020. After Germany, Kyrgyzstan was the most sought-after destination. In 2020, 14,728 students went to this central Asian country. In 2021, the figure stood at 15,162 compared to 865 in 2020. Though Ukraine attracted as many as 18,596 students in 2021, the number drastically dwindled in 2022, when only 2,199 stayed back despite the Ukraine-Russia war. Thousands of students, mainly medical students, were evacuated by India. Russia, which saw only 1,387 students opting for its higher institutions in 2020, saw 15,814 students in 2021. The figure went up to 19,784 in 2022. Singapore (17,085), Philippines (11,261), Kazakhstan (8,895), France (6,406), Italy (3,507), Uzbekistan (3,430), Malaysia (2,453), Netherlands (1,901), and New Zealand (1,605) were the other countries that Indian students preferred for higher studies in 2022. Speaking to The New Indian Express, University Grants Commission chairman Prof M. Jagadesh Kumar said that the number of students who wish to go abroad will continue to increase because India has a large number of students who wish to pursue a university education. However, students who wish to stay in India but study at a foreign university campus in India will benefit from the UGC regulations, he said, referring to the recent UGC draft notification that will facilitate the establishment of campuses of foreign higher education institutions in India. After the regulations are announced by May this year, the online application portal will be launched by the UGC. Interested foreign universities will start applying after this. Setting up a campus by a foreign university will take time. In the next two to three years, we will see some foreign university campuses in India, Prof Kumar added. He claimed it is a misnomer to assume that setting up foreign university campuses in India will reverse the trend of Indian students going abroad. Those students who wish to have the experience of working in a different cultural atmosphere and those who want to work abroad after obtaining a degree at a foreign university will continue to go. Meanwhile, two Australian universities will soon be setting up their campuses in Gujarat's Gift City. Ramashankar By Express News Service PATNA: A special MP/MLA court in Patna on Thursday issued summons to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi asking him to appear before it on April 12 in connection with a case filed against him over his "how come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?" remark The complaint was lodged by former deputy chief minister and BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi in 2019 soon after controversy over Rahul's remarks during an election rally in Karnataka a few years ago. The Congress leader is currently on bail in the case. On July 6, 2019, Rahul appeared before the court, which granted him bail. The statements of prosecution witnesses have already been recorded in court. He has been summoned to get his statement recorded on the next date of the hearing. Sushil Modi in a video-recorded statement said, Rahul Gandhi had to surrender in the Patna court on July 6, 2019, to secure bail in the case. At present, he is on bail in the case. BJP MP said that apart from him, statements of other prosecution witnesses, including Nitin Nabin, Sanjiv Chaurasia (both MLAs), Suman Kumar Jha and Manish Kumar Singh had been recorded by the court. In his complaint, Sushil Modi had alleged that the Congress leader while addressing an election rally in Karnataka purportedly said, How come all the thieves have Modi as a common surname. Sushil Modi alleged that Rahul abused the backward classes by making objectionable comments and they will take revenge on the 52-year-old Congress leader in the upcoming election. On March 23, a Surat court held Rahul guilty in a similar defamation case and awarded two years imprisonment. Later Rahul was disqualified from Lok Sabha on the basis of two years imprisonment in a criminal case. PATNA: A special MP/MLA court in Patna on Thursday issued summons to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi asking him to appear before it on April 12 in connection with a case filed against him over his "how come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?" remark The complaint was lodged by former deputy chief minister and BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi in 2019 soon after controversy over Rahul's remarks during an election rally in Karnataka a few years ago. The Congress leader is currently on bail in the case. On July 6, 2019, Rahul appeared before the court, which granted him bail. The statements of prosecution witnesses have already been recorded in court.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); He has been summoned to get his statement recorded on the next date of the hearing. Sushil Modi in a video-recorded statement said, Rahul Gandhi had to surrender in the Patna court on July 6, 2019, to secure bail in the case. At present, he is on bail in the case. BJP MP said that apart from him, statements of other prosecution witnesses, including Nitin Nabin, Sanjiv Chaurasia (both MLAs), Suman Kumar Jha and Manish Kumar Singh had been recorded by the court. In his complaint, Sushil Modi had alleged that the Congress leader while addressing an election rally in Karnataka purportedly said, How come all the thieves have Modi as a common surname. Sushil Modi alleged that Rahul abused the backward classes by making objectionable comments and they will take revenge on the 52-year-old Congress leader in the upcoming election. On March 23, a Surat court held Rahul guilty in a similar defamation case and awarded two years imprisonment. Later Rahul was disqualified from Lok Sabha on the basis of two years imprisonment in a criminal case. Dilip Singh Kshatriya By Express News Service AHMEDABAD: Violence erupted between Hindus and Muslims in Vadodara during a Ram Navami procession in the city on Thursday. When a procession led by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal passed through Fatepura Road with police protection, a brawl erupted between the two groups near the Panjrigar Maholla area. The police arrived and surrounded the area after the clash, say reports. While some vehicles were damaged, no one was injured, and the procession continued along its planned route under police protection, according to police. The brawlers allegedly damaged two-wheelers. The police are examining the footage from the CCTV camera installed at the scene for the stone pelters. Vadodara Deputy Commissioner of Police Yashpal Jaganiya said, "Some people had gathered when the procession passed before the mosque. But they were persuaded to leave. The area is calm now that the procession has passed." Ketan Trivedi, president of the Vadodara Bajrang Dal, told local media that the stone-pelting was part of a conspiracy. "This procession is planned nearly every year. Despite this, there was no police presence in the area. Stones were thrown as part of a pre-planned conspiracy," he stated. ALSO READ | Cops say no to Ram Navami procession in Jahangirpuri Vadodara Police Commissioner Shamsher Singh, on the other hand, tweeted that "there was no incident of stone pelting anywhere, and police did not lathi-charge, there was only an altercation between two groups during the procession." A local Hindu outfit leader claimed that when the annual procession was attacked along the same route, authorities failed to respond despite being aware that a similar occurrence had occurred in the past. However, DCP Jaganiya asserted that every procession led through the city on Thursday had police protection. DCP Jaganiya told local Media that The procession began at the Harni police station. And a general brawl erupted between the two groups beyond Fatepura Panjrigar Mohalla, within the City Police Station's jurisdiction. "The situation is under control. The incident took place when the procession reached a mosque and people started gathering at the spot. This is not a communal riot. We dispersed the crowd and the procession also went ahead on its route. All such processions in the city were already given police protection," the police official told reporters. ALSO READ | Six Bajrang Dal workers held for disrupting Holi party in Mangaluru Manoj Ninama, Additional Commissioner of Police, said No one has been reported harmed as a result of the stone-throwing as of yet. A probe into the incident has been ordered, No one has been arrested yet." It is to be noted that a similar episode occurred on Ram Navami in Vadodara last year. In another incident, two groups in Maharashtras Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar clashed over communally charged slogans. Nine police vehicles were torched during the clash. Police had used tear gas shells and pellets to bring the situation under control. AHMEDABAD: Violence erupted between Hindus and Muslims in Vadodara during a Ram Navami procession in the city on Thursday. When a procession led by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal passed through Fatepura Road with police protection, a brawl erupted between the two groups near the Panjrigar Maholla area. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The police arrived and surrounded the area after the clash, say reports. While some vehicles were damaged, no one was injured, and the procession continued along its planned route under police protection, according to police. The brawlers allegedly damaged two-wheelers. The police are examining the footage from the CCTV camera installed at the scene for the stone pelters. Vadodara Deputy Commissioner of Police Yashpal Jaganiya said, "Some people had gathered when the procession passed before the mosque. But they were persuaded to leave. The area is calm now that the procession has passed." Ketan Trivedi, president of the Vadodara Bajrang Dal, told local media that the stone-pelting was part of a conspiracy. "This procession is planned nearly every year. Despite this, there was no police presence in the area. Stones were thrown as part of a pre-planned conspiracy," he stated. ALSO READ | Cops say no to Ram Navami procession in Jahangirpuri Vadodara Police Commissioner Shamsher Singh, on the other hand, tweeted that "there was no incident of stone pelting anywhere, and police did not lathi-charge, there was only an altercation between two groups during the procession." A local Hindu outfit leader claimed that when the annual procession was attacked along the same route, authorities failed to respond despite being aware that a similar occurrence had occurred in the past. However, DCP Jaganiya asserted that every procession led through the city on Thursday had police protection. DCP Jaganiya told local Media that The procession began at the Harni police station. And a general brawl erupted between the two groups beyond Fatepura Panjrigar Mohalla, within the City Police Station's jurisdiction. "The situation is under control. The incident took place when the procession reached a mosque and people started gathering at the spot. This is not a communal riot. We dispersed the crowd and the procession also went ahead on its route. All such processions in the city were already given police protection," the police official told reporters. ALSO READ | Six Bajrang Dal workers held for disrupting Holi party in Mangaluru Manoj Ninama, Additional Commissioner of Police, said No one has been reported harmed as a result of the stone-throwing as of yet. A probe into the incident has been ordered, No one has been arrested yet." It is to be noted that a similar episode occurred on Ram Navami in Vadodara last year. In another incident, two groups in Maharashtras Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar clashed over communally charged slogans. Nine police vehicles were torched during the clash. Police had used tear gas shells and pellets to bring the situation under control. By Express News Service GUWAHATI: An MLA of the ruling BJP in Tripura claimed that he was inadvertently directed to vulgar content after being caught watching porn on his mobile phone in the Assembly. I was listening to the news. I dont know how it happened. Perhaps, I wrongly pressed something, the lawmaker Jadab Lal Nath (55) told The New Indian Express on Thursday. He was with the CPI (M) and he joined the BJP ahead of the 2018 Assembly elections. The incident, which took place on the second day of the Assembly session on Monday, came to light on Wednesday evening after a video of it went viral on social media. I know I cannot watch this in the Assembly. This is a serious crime, Nath said, adding, I learnt about the viral video on Wednesday afternoon. He also said that neither Assembly Speaker Biswabandhu Sen nor the Assembly Secretariat contacted him so far. I will act as per the direction of the Speaker and my party president Rajiv Bhattacharjee, Nath said. He said Bhattacharjee had contacted him asking if he (Nath) was aware of the viral video. I will meet the party president today and then decide on whatever I need to do, the MLA further said. The partys state leadership has sought clarification from him. Calls made to the Speaker went unattended. In 2012, three BJP ministers in Karnataka had resigned after they were caught on camera watching porn on their phones during Assembly proceedings. Then in 2015, a Congress MLA in Odisha was suspended for seven days by the Speaker for a similar offence. GUWAHATI: An MLA of the ruling BJP in Tripura claimed that he was inadvertently directed to vulgar content after being caught watching porn on his mobile phone in the Assembly. I was listening to the news. I dont know how it happened. Perhaps, I wrongly pressed something, the lawmaker Jadab Lal Nath (55) told The New Indian Express on Thursday. He was with the CPI (M) and he joined the BJP ahead of the 2018 Assembly elections.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The incident, which took place on the second day of the Assembly session on Monday, came to light on Wednesday evening after a video of it went viral on social media. I know I cannot watch this in the Assembly. This is a serious crime, Nath said, adding, I learnt about the viral video on Wednesday afternoon. He also said that neither Assembly Speaker Biswabandhu Sen nor the Assembly Secretariat contacted him so far. I will act as per the direction of the Speaker and my party president Rajiv Bhattacharjee, Nath said. He said Bhattacharjee had contacted him asking if he (Nath) was aware of the viral video. I will meet the party president today and then decide on whatever I need to do, the MLA further said. The partys state leadership has sought clarification from him. Calls made to the Speaker went unattended. In 2012, three BJP ministers in Karnataka had resigned after they were caught on camera watching porn on their phones during Assembly proceedings. Then in 2015, a Congress MLA in Odisha was suspended for seven days by the Speaker for a similar offence. Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: Two days after the Supreme Court of India approved the report of the Backward Commission recommending quota provisions for OBC in Urban Civic bodies of Uttar Pradesh and giving a nod to the state government to go ahead with the Urban Local body polls, Yogi Adityanath issued a draft notification giving the provisional list of reserved seats for mayors of municipal corporations, and chairpersons of municipal councils and nagar panchayats for the three-tier urban elections here on Thursday. While sharing the details, UP Urban Development Minister AK Sharma said, The draft notification has been issued for the reserved seats. Objections have been sought on the list within seven days till April 6, 2023 . The provisional list issued by the state authorities pertains to reserved seats for mayors across 17 municipal corporations of the state, chairpersons of municipal councils and nagar panchayats. At present, there are 762 urban local bodies including 17 municipal corporations, 200 Nagar Palika Parishads and 545 Nagar Panchayats. The total population of these 762 urban local bodies is 4.85 crore. Meanwhile, proceeding towards holding the urban civic polls in the state, Yogi cabinet had on Wednesday approved an ordinance for the amendment of the Uttar Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act and the Nagar Palika Act, and it was sent to Governor Anandiben Patel for her assent which was given by her on Thursday. A senior state government official confirmed that the Governor gave her assent to the ordinance. The official added that the amendment to the Municipal Corporation and Nagar Palika Act was necessary after the recommendations of a dedicated Backward Commission constituted to look into the backwardness of areas in the state for reservation. Notably, on March 27, the Supreme Court had directed the State Election Commission to issue a notification within two days for holding the urban local body polls in Uttar Pradesh with the provision of OBC reservation. Nine of the 17 mayoral seats have been reserved for members of different categories. While Agra has been reserved for SC (woman), Jhansi for SC, Shahjahanpur and Firozabad OBC (women), Saharanpur and Meerut for OBC, besides Lucknow, Kanpur and Ghaziabad for women, according to the draft notification. The rest of eight mayoral seats of Varanasi, Prayagraj, Aligarh, Bareilly, Moradabad, Gorakhpur, Ayodhya and Mathura-Vrindavan would go unreserved, the minister said. Earlier, a draft notification regarding the provision of quota for OBCs was issued by the state government on December 5, last year. However, it was challenged in the Allahabad High Court which then ordered the UP government to go ahead with the urban civic polls without OBC quota. The High Court had claimed that the criteria of the UP government for recommending quota for OBC was not in consonance with the norm of triple test formula laid by the Supreme Court. A five-member commission headed by Justice (retired) Ram Avatar Singh was formed on December 28. It submitted its report to Chief Minister Adityanath on March 9 and it was accepted by the Cabinet on March 10. LUCKNOW: Two days after the Supreme Court of India approved the report of the Backward Commission recommending quota provisions for OBC in Urban Civic bodies of Uttar Pradesh and giving a nod to the state government to go ahead with the Urban Local body polls, Yogi Adityanath issued a draft notification giving the provisional list of reserved seats for mayors of municipal corporations, and chairpersons of municipal councils and nagar panchayats for the three-tier urban elections here on Thursday. While sharing the details, UP Urban Development Minister AK Sharma said, The draft notification has been issued for the reserved seats. Objections have been sought on the list within seven days till April 6, 2023 . The provisional list issued by the state authorities pertains to reserved seats for mayors across 17 municipal corporations of the state, chairpersons of municipal councils and nagar panchayats. At present, there are 762 urban local bodies including 17 municipal corporations, 200 Nagar Palika Parishads and 545 Nagar Panchayats. The total population of these 762 urban local bodies is 4.85 crore.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Meanwhile, proceeding towards holding the urban civic polls in the state, Yogi cabinet had on Wednesday approved an ordinance for the amendment of the Uttar Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act and the Nagar Palika Act, and it was sent to Governor Anandiben Patel for her assent which was given by her on Thursday. A senior state government official confirmed that the Governor gave her assent to the ordinance. The official added that the amendment to the Municipal Corporation and Nagar Palika Act was necessary after the recommendations of a dedicated Backward Commission constituted to look into the backwardness of areas in the state for reservation. Notably, on March 27, the Supreme Court had directed the State Election Commission to issue a notification within two days for holding the urban local body polls in Uttar Pradesh with the provision of OBC reservation. Nine of the 17 mayoral seats have been reserved for members of different categories. While Agra has been reserved for SC (woman), Jhansi for SC, Shahjahanpur and Firozabad OBC (women), Saharanpur and Meerut for OBC, besides Lucknow, Kanpur and Ghaziabad for women, according to the draft notification. The rest of eight mayoral seats of Varanasi, Prayagraj, Aligarh, Bareilly, Moradabad, Gorakhpur, Ayodhya and Mathura-Vrindavan would go unreserved, the minister said. Earlier, a draft notification regarding the provision of quota for OBCs was issued by the state government on December 5, last year. However, it was challenged in the Allahabad High Court which then ordered the UP government to go ahead with the urban civic polls without OBC quota. The High Court had claimed that the criteria of the UP government for recommending quota for OBC was not in consonance with the norm of triple test formula laid by the Supreme Court. A five-member commission headed by Justice (retired) Ram Avatar Singh was formed on December 28. It submitted its report to Chief Minister Adityanath on March 9 and it was accepted by the Cabinet on March 10. C Aryama Sundaram By Rahul Gandhis disqualification has raised more interest and debate on his welfare or illfare than the erstwhile Member of Parliament has created over the last several years. The political impact of whether this event can finally make the Gandhi scion a robust factor in the next elections or unify the opposition is being debated. The liberals ruminate on the falling pedestal of democracy in India, with the blame falling on an authoritarian government trampling democracy. Whether the political debaters or the liberal philosophers will succeed in making any impact with their discourses is a moot question. But what seems to escape most people who are sympathetic to Rahuls cause are the legal and constitutional nuances and realities. The first question is why he was disqualified and whether the disqualification is constitutionally and legally supported. The next would be whether such laws brook no exceptions and are strictly applicable, which then leads to the third and vital question of the effect of such laws on constitutional guarantees like free speech, their effect on democratic values, the dangers they pose to the future of democracy in India, and the attendant problems of their misuse for political purposes. The answer to the first question is fairly simple. The Constitution of India recognises the right of citizens to be members of Parliament and provides for their ineligibility/disqualification through valid laws made by Parliament. To this end, the Representation of Peoples Act, which has held the field for decades, expressly provides for disqualification and/or ineligibility to contest elections for a designated periodshould a person be convicted of a crime and sentenced to imprisonment for two years or more. The effect of this Act, prior to its amendment, was that the disqualification or ineligibility would arise immediately on such conviction and sentence being passed. An attempt by Parliament to include a saving clause of holding at bay such disqualification for a period in which an appeal may be filed against such conviction or if filed, decided by the appellate court, found strong disfavour with the Supreme Court, which then struck it down as unconstitutional. The effect of this was that immediately upon conviction and sentencing, a sitting member would stand disqualified with no further action needed. Seeing the dangers which could arise from this situation, the then Congress government headed by Manmohan Singh proposed an immediate ordinance giving a short sunset period to enable the hapless convict to get a stay of the judgment from an appellate court, in which event the disqualification would not take effect. The ordinance, however, was withdrawn, ironically due to the theatrics of Rahul Gandhi, who saw fit to tear a copy of it at a press conference, criticising it as being retrograde. Such public performance of dissent by the scion of the First Family of the Congress forced the then prime minister to withdraw the ordinance. And so, in its own invidious way, fate has intervened and hoisted the young Gandhi on his own petard. Disqualification is the inevitable fallout of constitutional provisions which allow no exceptioneven for a Gandhi! But all is not lost. The Supreme Court, in a subsequent decision, has ruled that an appellate court has the power to stay the judgment and conviction, and the immediate result would be that the disqualification or ineligibility would not arise or continue to be effective. Should Rahul get the appellate court to agree that there are strong grounds to question the correctness of the judgment and therefore stay the same, he would once again be able to enter Parliament. Myriad questions arise from this legal position. What if the conviction is stayed or the judgment reversed on appeal, or the sentence is reduced to less than two years? Would then the period of disqualification, which need not have occurred, not have deprived the constituency of the representative the people had voted for? And, of course, would the party not be deprived of one of their members being available to further their causes and vote in the house? It is this possibility that prompted Manmohan Singh in his wisdom to bridge the lacunae arising through such strict application of the law. Unfortunately, Rahul saw fit to ridicule it, and it would now require the government of the day commanding the majority of the House to bring in the necessary legislation. Insofar as Rahuls conviction for defamation is concerned, while defamation is not considered a heinous offence, it is capable of crippling anothers reputation, which is often far more difficult to repair or rebuild than more material objects. But more importantly, the Indian Penal Code makes it a criminal offence and renders the perpetrator liable to be sentenced to two years of imprisonment. As to whether the judgment is correct in finding his statements defamatory or justifying a sentence of two years would be decided by the appellate court. But the liability to be punished is legally and constitutionally permissible. Even the Constitution, while safeguarding freedom of speech as a fundamental right, has mandated restrictionsincluding defamatory speech. And the Constitution applies equally to a person who is a Member of Parliament or another citizen. The former is not given the licence to defame as a perquisite of office. Even liberties have their constraints as was attributed to Gladstone, who said Your liberty ends where my nose begins! Viewed thus, the provisions disqualifying a member are not an assault on the Constitution or its democratic values. Of course, despite this legal position, the critic may well point to the possibility of frivolous cases and unjustified actions jeopardising the system. But for that we have to put our faith in the fairness of the judiciary, the voice of the people and respect for the rule of law. If that be utopian, so be it. But I am an eternal optimist! C Aryama Sundaram Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India (aryama.sundaram@gmail.com) Rahul Gandhis disqualification has raised more interest and debate on his welfare or illfare than the erstwhile Member of Parliament has created over the last several years. The political impact of whether this event can finally make the Gandhi scion a robust factor in the next elections or unify the opposition is being debated. The liberals ruminate on the falling pedestal of democracy in India, with the blame falling on an authoritarian government trampling democracy. Whether the political debaters or the liberal philosophers will succeed in making any impact with their discourses is a moot question. But what seems to escape most people who are sympathetic to Rahuls cause are the legal and constitutional nuances and realities. The first question is why he was disqualified and whether the disqualification is constitutionally and legally supported. The next would be whether such laws brook no exceptions and are strictly applicable, which then leads to the third and vital question of the effect of such laws on constitutional guarantees like free speech, their effect on democratic values, the dangers they pose to the future of democracy in India, and the attendant problems of their misuse for political purposes.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The answer to the first question is fairly simple. The Constitution of India recognises the right of citizens to be members of Parliament and provides for their ineligibility/disqualification through valid laws made by Parliament. To this end, the Representation of Peoples Act, which has held the field for decades, expressly provides for disqualification and/or ineligibility to contest elections for a designated periodshould a person be convicted of a crime and sentenced to imprisonment for two years or more. The effect of this Act, prior to its amendment, was that the disqualification or ineligibility would arise immediately on such conviction and sentence being passed. An attempt by Parliament to include a saving clause of holding at bay such disqualification for a period in which an appeal may be filed against such conviction or if filed, decided by the appellate court, found strong disfavour with the Supreme Court, which then struck it down as unconstitutional. The effect of this was that immediately upon conviction and sentencing, a sitting member would stand disqualified with no further action needed. Seeing the dangers which could arise from this situation, the then Congress government headed by Manmohan Singh proposed an immediate ordinance giving a short sunset period to enable the hapless convict to get a stay of the judgment from an appellate court, in which event the disqualification would not take effect. The ordinance, however, was withdrawn, ironically due to the theatrics of Rahul Gandhi, who saw fit to tear a copy of it at a press conference, criticising it as being retrograde. Such public performance of dissent by the scion of the First Family of the Congress forced the then prime minister to withdraw the ordinance. And so, in its own invidious way, fate has intervened and hoisted the young Gandhi on his own petard. Disqualification is the inevitable fallout of constitutional provisions which allow no exceptioneven for a Gandhi! But all is not lost. The Supreme Court, in a subsequent decision, has ruled that an appellate court has the power to stay the judgment and conviction, and the immediate result would be that the disqualification or ineligibility would not arise or continue to be effective. Should Rahul get the appellate court to agree that there are strong grounds to question the correctness of the judgment and therefore stay the same, he would once again be able to enter Parliament. Myriad questions arise from this legal position. What if the conviction is stayed or the judgment reversed on appeal, or the sentence is reduced to less than two years? Would then the period of disqualification, which need not have occurred, not have deprived the constituency of the representative the people had voted for? And, of course, would the party not be deprived of one of their members being available to further their causes and vote in the house? It is this possibility that prompted Manmohan Singh in his wisdom to bridge the lacunae arising through such strict application of the law. Unfortunately, Rahul saw fit to ridicule it, and it would now require the government of the day commanding the majority of the House to bring in the necessary legislation. Insofar as Rahuls conviction for defamation is concerned, while defamation is not considered a heinous offence, it is capable of crippling anothers reputation, which is often far more difficult to repair or rebuild than more material objects. But more importantly, the Indian Penal Code makes it a criminal offence and renders the perpetrator liable to be sentenced to two years of imprisonment. As to whether the judgment is correct in finding his statements defamatory or justifying a sentence of two years would be decided by the appellate court. But the liability to be punished is legally and constitutionally permissible. Even the Constitution, while safeguarding freedom of speech as a fundamental right, has mandated restrictionsincluding defamatory speech. And the Constitution applies equally to a person who is a Member of Parliament or another citizen. The former is not given the licence to defame as a perquisite of office. Even liberties have their constraints as was attributed to Gladstone, who said Your liberty ends where my nose begins! Viewed thus, the provisions disqualifying a member are not an assault on the Constitution or its democratic values. Of course, despite this legal position, the critic may well point to the possibility of frivolous cases and unjustified actions jeopardising the system. But for that we have to put our faith in the fairness of the judiciary, the voice of the people and respect for the rule of law. If that be utopian, so be it. But I am an eternal optimist! C Aryama Sundaram Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India (aryama.sundaram@gmail.com) By Agencies BENGALURU: A non-cognisable offence has been registered by the police against the Karnataka Congress President D K Shivakumar following a complaint, which alleged that he distributed cash during a poll campaign. The complainant alleged that the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President had "thrown money" at Bevinahalli village in Mandya Taluk on Tuesday, a day before the Election Commission announced the Karnataka Assembly election schedule. "We haven't registered an FIR yet. A non-cognisable offence has been taken up and the matter will be presented before the court seeking its direction," Mandya Superintendent of Police Yathish N told PTI. Meanwhile, Congress workers in Mandya said Shivakumar was only paying money to the artists, who had performed a cultural event during the party campaign. They refuted the allegation that he distributed money to lure voters ahead of the May 10 polls. #WATCH | Karnataka Congress Chief DK Shivakumar was seen throwing Rs 500 currency notes on the artists near Bevinahalli in Mandya district during the Praja Dhwani Yatra organized by Congress in Srirangapatna. (28.03) pic.twitter.com/aF2Lf0pksi ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2023 Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai slammed the Congress leader saying, "DK Shivakumar does everything and blatantly uses all kinds of power and then he blames us. This is his kind of thing." "This act of DK Shivakumar shows that Congress thinks that the people of Karnataka are beggars but the people will teach them. People are the real owners," he added. (With inputs from PTI, ANI) BENGALURU: A non-cognisable offence has been registered by the police against the Karnataka Congress President D K Shivakumar following a complaint, which alleged that he distributed cash during a poll campaign. The complainant alleged that the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President had "thrown money" at Bevinahalli village in Mandya Taluk on Tuesday, a day before the Election Commission announced the Karnataka Assembly election schedule. "We haven't registered an FIR yet. A non-cognisable offence has been taken up and the matter will be presented before the court seeking its direction," Mandya Superintendent of Police Yathish N told PTI.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Meanwhile, Congress workers in Mandya said Shivakumar was only paying money to the artists, who had performed a cultural event during the party campaign. They refuted the allegation that he distributed money to lure voters ahead of the May 10 polls. #WATCH | Karnataka Congress Chief DK Shivakumar was seen throwing Rs 500 currency notes on the artists near Bevinahalli in Mandya district during the Praja Dhwani Yatra organized by Congress in Srirangapatna. (28.03) pic.twitter.com/aF2Lf0pksi ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2023 Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai slammed the Congress leader saying, "DK Shivakumar does everything and blatantly uses all kinds of power and then he blames us. This is his kind of thing." "This act of DK Shivakumar shows that Congress thinks that the people of Karnataka are beggars but the people will teach them. People are the real owners," he added. (With inputs from PTI, ANI) By Express News Service BENGALURU: Pakistani woman Arifa Bano (43) travelled across boundaries to Bengaluru to get treated for a complex heart condition, mitral regurgitation (leakage of the heart) for over 27 years. Doctors in Pakistan suggested to Arifa to undergo open heart surgery, but she was not very keen on it. Finally, she decided to undergo a minimally invasive procedure at Narayana Hrudayalaya in Bengaluru, following suggestions from friends and family. Dr Uday Khanolkar, senior consultant (interventional cardiology), Narayana Hrudayalaya, said Arifa was diagnosed with mitral regurgitation at the age of 16, and was advised to undergo valve surgery by repair or replacement, which typically requires open heart surgery. She had been experiencing breathlessness for over a decade, and her condition had gradually worsened over the past 1.5 years, significantly affecting her daily routine. She underwent the MitraClip procedure in which a small clip is inserted into the heart via a small puncture near the thigh, which is minimally invasive and can be performed in complex heart cases. She was hospitalised for 72 hours and discharged in a normal-active condition. Proton therapy, in another recent case, a 12-year-old boy from Bengaluru suffering from pinealoblastoma a rare cancer occurring in the pineal gland of the brain was also successfully treated with proton beam therapy (PBT) at Apollo Proton Cancer Centre (APCC), which is also South Asias only proton therapy centre. Venkata Srisaravana Vemula was diagnosed with the rare disease in October 2018. Post receiving five cycles of chemotherapy and consultations at APCC Chennai, craniospinal radiation (CSI) using proton beam therapy, followed by tumour bed boost using IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy) was planned for him. Treatment was started on March 25, 2019, post which the size of the pineoblastoma lesion significantly reduced. Doctors from Apollo Hospital said radiation therapy is bringing new hope for patients with cancer. The incidence of patients with cancer of the nervous system (CNS) has been rising in India, with an increased mortality rate and advancement in technology is helping treat terminal cases. They said that CNS ranges from 5 to 10 per 1,00,000 people and accounts for 2 per cent of total cancer cases globally. BENGALURU: Pakistani woman Arifa Bano (43) travelled across boundaries to Bengaluru to get treated for a complex heart condition, mitral regurgitation (leakage of the heart) for over 27 years. Doctors in Pakistan suggested to Arifa to undergo open heart surgery, but she was not very keen on it. Finally, she decided to undergo a minimally invasive procedure at Narayana Hrudayalaya in Bengaluru, following suggestions from friends and family. Dr Uday Khanolkar, senior consultant (interventional cardiology), Narayana Hrudayalaya, said Arifa was diagnosed with mitral regurgitation at the age of 16, and was advised to undergo valve surgery by repair or replacement, which typically requires open heart surgery. She had been experiencing breathlessness for over a decade, and her condition had gradually worsened over the past 1.5 years, significantly affecting her daily routine.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); She underwent the MitraClip procedure in which a small clip is inserted into the heart via a small puncture near the thigh, which is minimally invasive and can be performed in complex heart cases. She was hospitalised for 72 hours and discharged in a normal-active condition. Proton therapy, in another recent case, a 12-year-old boy from Bengaluru suffering from pinealoblastoma a rare cancer occurring in the pineal gland of the brain was also successfully treated with proton beam therapy (PBT) at Apollo Proton Cancer Centre (APCC), which is also South Asias only proton therapy centre. Venkata Srisaravana Vemula was diagnosed with the rare disease in October 2018. Post receiving five cycles of chemotherapy and consultations at APCC Chennai, craniospinal radiation (CSI) using proton beam therapy, followed by tumour bed boost using IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy) was planned for him. Treatment was started on March 25, 2019, post which the size of the pineoblastoma lesion significantly reduced. Doctors from Apollo Hospital said radiation therapy is bringing new hope for patients with cancer. The incidence of patients with cancer of the nervous system (CNS) has been rising in India, with an increased mortality rate and advancement in technology is helping treat terminal cases. They said that CNS ranges from 5 to 10 per 1,00,000 people and accounts for 2 per cent of total cancer cases globally. By Online Desk CHENNAI: Four women were killed in a stampede at Vaniyambadi in Tirupattur on Saturday during the distribution of tokens for free dhoti and sarees ahead of Thaipusam. Several others were reported injured. Thaipusam is a festival celebrated on the day of the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai. Ahead of Thaipusam which falls on Sunday, an individual had organised distrubition of tokens for free dhoti and sarees at a local temple. A large number of people had gathered to collect the tokens. The rush triggered a stampede in which four women were killed. The deceased have been identified as Valliammal (60), Rajathi (62), Nagammal (60) and Mallika (70). Several others were hospitalised with injuries. Police said that no permission was given to hold the event. Meanwhile, Chief Minister M K Stalin condoled the death and announced a relief of Rs 2 lakh each to the victims' families. "I am deeply saddened to hear about the tragic incident. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families. I have ordered to provide Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the four elderly women who died in the stampede from the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund," Stalin said. Ayyappan, who distributed tokens near the Vaniyambadi vegetable market ahead of the annual festival at a local temple, has been arrested by the police. (With inputs from PTI) CHENNAI: Four women were killed in a stampede at Vaniyambadi in Tirupattur on Saturday during the distribution of tokens for free dhoti and sarees ahead of Thaipusam. Several others were reported injured. Thaipusam is a festival celebrated on the day of the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai. Ahead of Thaipusam which falls on Sunday, an individual had organised distrubition of tokens for free dhoti and sarees at a local temple. A large number of people had gathered to collect the tokens. The rush triggered a stampede in which four women were killed. The deceased have been identified as Valliammal (60), Rajathi (62), Nagammal (60) and Mallika (70). Several others were hospitalised with injuries.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Police said that no permission was given to hold the event. Meanwhile, Chief Minister M K Stalin condoled the death and announced a relief of Rs 2 lakh each to the victims' families. "I am deeply saddened to hear about the tragic incident. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families. I have ordered to provide Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the four elderly women who died in the stampede from the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund," Stalin said. Ayyappan, who distributed tokens near the Vaniyambadi vegetable market ahead of the annual festival at a local temple, has been arrested by the police. (With inputs from PTI) By Express News Service CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday informed the state assembly that Balveer Singh, hitherto assistant superintendent of police of Ambasamudram sub-division in Tirunelveli district who was accused of torturing suspects in some cases, has been placed under suspension. Responding to the issue raised by members of various political parties, the CM said his government would not make any compromise on human rights violations at police stations. Appropriate action will be taken against those involved in custodial torture after getting the inquiry report. Several members demanded that Balveer Singh be removed from police service forthwith and merely keeping him in vacancy reserve is not enough. Stalin said over the past two years, caste clashes and murders committed by rowdies have been brought down to a large extent. In 2019, during the AIADMK regime, 1,670 murders took place. But the number of murders has been brought down to 1,596 in 2022. Police department has been given a free hand and those who commit murders are being arrested quickly, irrespective of their status, and without any partiality, the CM said. WATCH | Referring to the murder of Elangovan alias Viyasai Elango, secretary of Perambur south unit of the AIADMK who was hacked to death by five people, the CM said it was found that Elangovan attacked Sanjay in a public place two years ago and Sanjay had planned the murder due to that enmity. Within two hours of receiving complaint, police arrested five people including Sanjay. Of the five, one is a juvenile, the CM said. On the contention of the Leader of Opposition, Edappadi K Palaniswami, that Elango was murdered due to his stance against sale of narcotic substances, Stalin said, No such aspect has come up during investigation. The probe is still on. Raising the issue, Palaniswami said Elangovan had filed several complaints with police seeking action against those who sell ganja. CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday informed the state assembly that Balveer Singh, hitherto assistant superintendent of police of Ambasamudram sub-division in Tirunelveli district who was accused of torturing suspects in some cases, has been placed under suspension. Responding to the issue raised by members of various political parties, the CM said his government would not make any compromise on human rights violations at police stations. Appropriate action will be taken against those involved in custodial torture after getting the inquiry report. Several members demanded that Balveer Singh be removed from police service forthwith and merely keeping him in vacancy reserve is not enough. Stalin said over the past two years, caste clashes and murders committed by rowdies have been brought down to a large extent. In 2019, during the AIADMK regime, 1,670 murders took place. But the number of murders has been brought down to 1,596 in 2022. Police department has been given a free hand and those who commit murders are being arrested quickly, irrespective of their status, and without any partiality, the CM said. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); WATCH | Referring to the murder of Elangovan alias Viyasai Elango, secretary of Perambur south unit of the AIADMK who was hacked to death by five people, the CM said it was found that Elangovan attacked Sanjay in a public place two years ago and Sanjay had planned the murder due to that enmity. Within two hours of receiving complaint, police arrested five people including Sanjay. Of the five, one is a juvenile, the CM said. On the contention of the Leader of Opposition, Edappadi K Palaniswami, that Elango was murdered due to his stance against sale of narcotic substances, Stalin said, No such aspect has come up during investigation. The probe is still on. Raising the issue, Palaniswami said Elangovan had filed several complaints with police seeking action against those who sell ganja. On the weekend of March 25, the Columbus Ramada held a first-of-its-kind event for Nebraska and more specifically, for Columbus and the Nebraska Oxford House. Dan Hahn, regional manager in Oklahoma, said the event's inaugural run was a celebratory and educational venture. "Were coming together for an event this weekend to celebrate recovery. Were a recovery home so all of our members who get clean and sober come here to celebrate," Hahn said at the event. The company offers transitional housing for those struggling with substance abuse, a place for them to stay while they get sober, Hahn said. "Basically, well pay your rent, youre part of the home, if you use or drink, youre expelled," Hahn said. Tony Lake, a convention attendee, local and outreach worker with the organization, said the Oxford House saved his life. Now, 18 months from the start of his journey, he helps others in the Columbus, Norfolk and Fremont areas connect with the organization. The convention started March 24 with a women's conference, followed by a speaker and a dance. The following day was mostly filled with speakers on a wide variety of topics, including the principles of the organization, the importance of newcomers, responsibilities of the chapters and at the end, a formal dinner and awards ceremony before the 26th's final speakers. Senior Outreach Coordinator Jackie Alba said the formal part on Saturday evening was a big deal for those in attendance. "Its important because many who struggled with substance abuse never went to prom or homecoming. We also had a professional photographer there as well to take pictures of them," Alba said. Hahn said the group chose Columbus for their first convention because it was in a place everyone in the state could reasonably reach without driving too far. "We have two houses in Columbus, Columbus is a good central location because people come from all over the state, all the way from North Platte to Omaha and Lincoln," Hahn said. Out of the organization's 69 locations in Nebraska, Columbus is home to two: a men's home and a women and children's home, which Hahn said has a big impact on the community. "The mens home, that holds eight and the womens and childrens holds nine. Folks come for treatment and were reuniting mothers and children on a small level in the womens and childrens house," Hahn said. At its core, Hahn added, the convention and learning sessions allowed for the groups to exchange what they picked up, learn together and hear from others who have also been through the program. "(It's about) unity, fellowship and knowledge for our members to take back to their homes and practice," Hahn said. "It's a transfer of information and fellowship. We come together as a group and celebrate recovery, spend a weekend together." By Express News Service CHENNAI: Water Resources Minister Durai Murugan announced that two long-term flood mitigation works would be undertaken in three districts - Chennai, Chengalpattu, and Thiruvallur - for Rs 106 crore. Besides, Madhavaram Retteri lake would be transformed into a drinking water resource for Rs 44 crore and pre-monsoon works would be undertaken for Rs 20 crore in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Thiruvallur, and Cuddalore districts. The minister made these announcements while replying to the discussion on the demands for grants for his department in the state assembly. The Minister said water regulators would be established at the weir (flow-off gate)in the eight lakes at Ottiambakkam, Perumbakkam, Kattur, Ambattur, Ayanambakkam, Ayappakkam, Paruthipattu, and Korattur to release water ahead of a flood situation. These works would be carried out for Rs 12 crore. Besides, works for establishing open and closed waterways on the Thanikachalam Nagar canal would be undertaken for Rs 94 crore. Durai Murugan said Retteri lake would be renovated through deepening and by establishing regulators to transform it into a drinking water resource for Rs 44 crore. Through these measures, the storage level of the Retteri lake would be enhanced from 32 mcft to 62 mcft. The minister also said six flood mitigation works would be undertaken for Rs 88 crore in Porur, Gerugambakkam, Kolapakkam, and Manapakkam areas to permanently prevent damages caused by floods in Chennai and Kancheepuram districts. Referring to the charges levelled by former minister RB Udhayakumar that he could not find any measures for implementing the kudimaramathu scheme which had benefitted thousands of farmers during the past many years, Durai Murugan said, Kudimaramathu is a term used for a long time. Now the court has directed that these works have to be undertaken only through irrigation associations. Besides, all water resources are full now. So, there is no need for Kudimaramathu as of now. The minister explained that land could be categorised as over-exploited, critical, semi-critical, safe, and saline about groundwater levels. The government is concentrating on treating around 360 over-exploited areas by building check dams to enhance the groundwater table. The operation of sluice gates at reservoirs in Chembarambakkam, Poondi, and Red Hills would be automated using special software for Rs 32 crore. This would improve flood water management. Durai Murugan said works for laying three canals in Tenkasi and Virudhunagar districts would be undertaken for Rs 12.79 crore to benefit 8,135.48 acres of land. Besides, feasibility studies would be undertaken for larger irrigation projects in seven districts including Karur, Kanyakumari, Madurai, Theni, Trichy, Tirunelveli, and Thiruvallur. Studies will be carried out for establishing reservoirs in four places along Kosasthalaiyar river in Thiruvallur district to enhance drinking water storage for Chennai city. The minister also announced new check dams would be built in 15 places in eight districts for Rs 70.75 crore. CHENNAI: Water Resources Minister Durai Murugan announced that two long-term flood mitigation works would be undertaken in three districts - Chennai, Chengalpattu, and Thiruvallur - for Rs 106 crore. Besides, Madhavaram Retteri lake would be transformed into a drinking water resource for Rs 44 crore and pre-monsoon works would be undertaken for Rs 20 crore in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Thiruvallur, and Cuddalore districts. The minister made these announcements while replying to the discussion on the demands for grants for his department in the state assembly. The Minister said water regulators would be established at the weir (flow-off gate)in the eight lakes at Ottiambakkam, Perumbakkam, Kattur, Ambattur, Ayanambakkam, Ayappakkam, Paruthipattu, and Korattur to release water ahead of a flood situation.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); These works would be carried out for Rs 12 crore. Besides, works for establishing open and closed waterways on the Thanikachalam Nagar canal would be undertaken for Rs 94 crore. Durai Murugan said Retteri lake would be renovated through deepening and by establishing regulators to transform it into a drinking water resource for Rs 44 crore. Through these measures, the storage level of the Retteri lake would be enhanced from 32 mcft to 62 mcft. The minister also said six flood mitigation works would be undertaken for Rs 88 crore in Porur, Gerugambakkam, Kolapakkam, and Manapakkam areas to permanently prevent damages caused by floods in Chennai and Kancheepuram districts. Referring to the charges levelled by former minister RB Udhayakumar that he could not find any measures for implementing the kudimaramathu scheme which had benefitted thousands of farmers during the past many years, Durai Murugan said, Kudimaramathu is a term used for a long time. Now the court has directed that these works have to be undertaken only through irrigation associations. Besides, all water resources are full now. So, there is no need for Kudimaramathu as of now. The minister explained that land could be categorised as over-exploited, critical, semi-critical, safe, and saline about groundwater levels. The government is concentrating on treating around 360 over-exploited areas by building check dams to enhance the groundwater table. The operation of sluice gates at reservoirs in Chembarambakkam, Poondi, and Red Hills would be automated using special software for Rs 32 crore. This would improve flood water management. Durai Murugan said works for laying three canals in Tenkasi and Virudhunagar districts would be undertaken for Rs 12.79 crore to benefit 8,135.48 acres of land. Besides, feasibility studies would be undertaken for larger irrigation projects in seven districts including Karur, Kanyakumari, Madurai, Theni, Trichy, Tirunelveli, and Thiruvallur. Studies will be carried out for establishing reservoirs in four places along Kosasthalaiyar river in Thiruvallur district to enhance drinking water storage for Chennai city. The minister also announced new check dams would be built in 15 places in eight districts for Rs 70.75 crore. By Online Desk TALLINN, Estonia: Alexei Moskalyov, who fled house arrest after being sentenced to two years in prison for discrediting Russia in social media posts, has been arrested. He has been detained, yes, lawyer Dmitry Zakhvatov was quoted as saying by Reuters, without providing more details. Alexei Moskalyov was sentenced to two years in prison as punishment for his criticism of Kremlin policies in social media posts. Police investigated him after his 13-year-old daughter, Maria, refused to participate in a patriotic class at her school and made drawings showing rockets being fired at a family standing under a Ukrainian flag and another that said Glory to Ukraine! Russias prosecution of Alexei Moskalyov elicited outrage from the European Union on Wednesday. He was convicted of discrediting the Russian army and sentenced to two years in prison in his hometown of Yefremov on Tuesday in a case that has grabbed international attention and underscored the intensity of the Kremlins crackdown on dissent against the war in Ukraine. European Commission spokesman Peter Stano tweeted that Moskalyovs sentence was a total disgrace. Earlier this month, he said the prosecution of Moskalyov represented political repression reaching new levels, akin to what happened in the Soviet Union under Josef Stalin. Russia should respect its own constitution and international obligations instead of punishing kids & parents for political reasons, Stano wrote. Moskalyov, 54, was charged over social media posts criticizing the invasion under a law adopted shortly after the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. During his one-day trial, which concluded Monday, he insisted he had nothing to do with the posts. According to his lawyer and supporters, Moskalyovs troubles began after his daughter Maria, now 13, drew an antiwar picture at Yefremov School No. 9 that depicted missiles flying over a Russian flag at a woman and child and said No to war and Glory to Ukraine, according to his lawyer and his supporters. The school called the police, the girl was questioned and Moskalyov was fined for critical comments on social media. His apartment was raided in December and a criminal case was opened against him. He was placed under house arrest and his daughter was placed into the orphanage. Moskalyov had been under house arrest in his apartment in the town south of Moscow, but he escaped before the verdict was announced. He has been declared a political prisoner by Memorial, one of Russias oldest and most prominent rights groups that won the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize. ALSO READ | 13-year-old girl separated from father over a drawing criticising Russia Another prominent rights group OVD-Info has provided Moskalyov with a lawyer and said it would continue to defend him and his daughter both on the charges of discrediting the army and on the issue of parental rights. A court in Yefremov next week is expected to consider the authorities petition to restrict Moskalyovs parental rights. His supporters said father and daughter love each other, and Maria called him my hero in a letter she wrote for him in an orphanage, according to Moskalyovs lawyer who visited the facility on Tuesday. Moskalyov has been raising Maria alone for about 10 years. (With inputs from AP) TALLINN, Estonia: Alexei Moskalyov, who fled house arrest after being sentenced to two years in prison for discrediting Russia in social media posts, has been arrested. He has been detained, yes, lawyer Dmitry Zakhvatov was quoted as saying by Reuters, without providing more details. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Alexei Moskalyov was sentenced to two years in prison as punishment for his criticism of Kremlin policies in social media posts. Police investigated him after his 13-year-old daughter, Maria, refused to participate in a patriotic class at her school and made drawings showing rockets being fired at a family standing under a Ukrainian flag and another that said Glory to Ukraine! Russias prosecution of Alexei Moskalyov elicited outrage from the European Union on Wednesday. He was convicted of discrediting the Russian army and sentenced to two years in prison in his hometown of Yefremov on Tuesday in a case that has grabbed international attention and underscored the intensity of the Kremlins crackdown on dissent against the war in Ukraine. European Commission spokesman Peter Stano tweeted that Moskalyovs sentence was a total disgrace. Earlier this month, he said the prosecution of Moskalyov represented political repression reaching new levels, akin to what happened in the Soviet Union under Josef Stalin. Russia should respect its own constitution and international obligations instead of punishing kids & parents for political reasons, Stano wrote. Moskalyov, 54, was charged over social media posts criticizing the invasion under a law adopted shortly after the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. During his one-day trial, which concluded Monday, he insisted he had nothing to do with the posts. According to his lawyer and supporters, Moskalyovs troubles began after his daughter Maria, now 13, drew an antiwar picture at Yefremov School No. 9 that depicted missiles flying over a Russian flag at a woman and child and said No to war and Glory to Ukraine, according to his lawyer and his supporters. The school called the police, the girl was questioned and Moskalyov was fined for critical comments on social media. His apartment was raided in December and a criminal case was opened against him. He was placed under house arrest and his daughter was placed into the orphanage. Moskalyov had been under house arrest in his apartment in the town south of Moscow, but he escaped before the verdict was announced. He has been declared a political prisoner by Memorial, one of Russias oldest and most prominent rights groups that won the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize. ALSO READ | 13-year-old girl separated from father over a drawing criticising Russia Another prominent rights group OVD-Info has provided Moskalyov with a lawyer and said it would continue to defend him and his daughter both on the charges of discrediting the army and on the issue of parental rights. A court in Yefremov next week is expected to consider the authorities petition to restrict Moskalyovs parental rights. His supporters said father and daughter love each other, and Maria called him my hero in a letter she wrote for him in an orphanage, according to Moskalyovs lawyer who visited the facility on Tuesday. Moskalyov has been raising Maria alone for about 10 years. (With inputs from AP) By PTI JERUSALEM: The planners of the "abominable" 2008 Mumbai terror attack should pay a heavy price for it, the Speaker of Israel's Parliament has said ahead of his maiden visit to India, asserting that the fight against terrorism is a common concern for the two countries. Amir Ohana, a close confidante of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will travel to India for four days starting March 31, on his first official visit abroad after assuming office in December last year. Stating that the menace of terrorism is a common concern, Ohana, a former Shin Bet (Israeli internal security agency) official, told PTI that the fight to counter it requires all the progressive countries to come together. Both India and Israel face the problem of terrorism, and the fight against it is a joint one, Ohana said. "We all remember the abominable terrorist attacks on Mumbai in 2008 in which over 207 people were murdered, of which 178 were Indians. Among the foreigners who were murdered were unfortunately also Israelis and Jews who came to the Chabad house," Ohana pointed out. "It was an attack not only on India but also on Jews and free people everywhere," the Knesset Speaker said, adding that it was an attack on the shared values of India and Israel. "Whoever planned and sent the terrorists from the terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba should pay a heavy price for it", he said. "The attack on the Chabad house (in Mumbai) symbolises a common pain for India and Israel, but also our partnership in the uncompromising fight against terrorism," Ohana said. The fight against terrorism is a necessity for all free countries, he added, and in particular for two countries like India and Israel. Shared values, concerns, pain and immense potential in the strategic partnership continue to strengthen Indo-Israel ties, Ohana said. "When I had to decide where to go on my first official visit as Speaker of the Knesset, India was the most interesting option for several reasons," Parliament Speaker said. He said that India is a major developing power, having many things in common with Israel and that no Speaker of the Knesset has ever visited the country. "I thought that it is time to do so. It is important to me to bring together the countries, the parliaments and the people, who have a lot in common", Ohana said. He also spoke of the historical lack of anti-semitism in India and the deepening collaboration between the two countries in several fields. "Unlike most of the countries I visited in the past, there is no anti-Semitism in India. It's a unique thing", he stressed. Ohana on Thursday paid his respects to Indian soldiers who fought in the historic battle of World War I to liberate the northern Israeli coastal city of Haifa from the Ottomans. During his visit to India, Ohana will be signing a cooperation agreement between the two parliaments with his counterpart, Om Birla, to facilitate knowledge exchange between the two institutions and hold a series of parliamentary, political and economic meetings. He will be accompanied by lawmakers Michael Biton and Amit Halevi, the chairman of the Israel-India inter-parliamentary friendship group. Ohana sees the visit as yet another step "to tighten and strengthen the cooperation between the countries in general and between the parliaments in particular for the benefit of the citizens of both countries." The delegation will be meeting President Draupadi Murmu, Minister of External Affairs S.Jaishankar, and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar, among several other officials. The delegation will also be visiting Mumbai, where they would pay their respects to the lost lives at the Chabad House. They will meet the CEO of the National Stock Exchange during the four-day visit. The 26/11 terror continues to be an emotional moment for many Israelis who feel it is a shared pain that binds the two countries together. In a special gesture, Moshe Holtzberg, who, as a toddler, survived the Mumbai terror attack in 2008, was invited to the inaugural ceremony of the newly elected Knesset in November of last year. The 16-year-old recited a Chapter from the Book of Psalms (Tehillim) "for my brothers and friends" during the inauguration ceremony. Moshe was a two-year toddler at the time of the attack. His parents, Gabriel and Rivka Holtzberg were killed in the attack, but he had a lucky escape when his nanny heard him crying and risked her own life to pull him out of the Chabad house. Israeli leaders and officials have repeatedly called for the perpetrators of the horrendous crime to be "brought to justice". JERUSALEM: The planners of the "abominable" 2008 Mumbai terror attack should pay a heavy price for it, the Speaker of Israel's Parliament has said ahead of his maiden visit to India, asserting that the fight against terrorism is a common concern for the two countries. Amir Ohana, a close confidante of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will travel to India for four days starting March 31, on his first official visit abroad after assuming office in December last year. Stating that the menace of terrorism is a common concern, Ohana, a former Shin Bet (Israeli internal security agency) official, told PTI that the fight to counter it requires all the progressive countries to come together.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Both India and Israel face the problem of terrorism, and the fight against it is a joint one, Ohana said. "We all remember the abominable terrorist attacks on Mumbai in 2008 in which over 207 people were murdered, of which 178 were Indians. Among the foreigners who were murdered were unfortunately also Israelis and Jews who came to the Chabad house," Ohana pointed out. "It was an attack not only on India but also on Jews and free people everywhere," the Knesset Speaker said, adding that it was an attack on the shared values of India and Israel. "Whoever planned and sent the terrorists from the terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba should pay a heavy price for it", he said. "The attack on the Chabad house (in Mumbai) symbolises a common pain for India and Israel, but also our partnership in the uncompromising fight against terrorism," Ohana said. The fight against terrorism is a necessity for all free countries, he added, and in particular for two countries like India and Israel. Shared values, concerns, pain and immense potential in the strategic partnership continue to strengthen Indo-Israel ties, Ohana said. "When I had to decide where to go on my first official visit as Speaker of the Knesset, India was the most interesting option for several reasons," Parliament Speaker said. He said that India is a major developing power, having many things in common with Israel and that no Speaker of the Knesset has ever visited the country. "I thought that it is time to do so. It is important to me to bring together the countries, the parliaments and the people, who have a lot in common", Ohana said. He also spoke of the historical lack of anti-semitism in India and the deepening collaboration between the two countries in several fields. "Unlike most of the countries I visited in the past, there is no anti-Semitism in India. It's a unique thing", he stressed. Ohana on Thursday paid his respects to Indian soldiers who fought in the historic battle of World War I to liberate the northern Israeli coastal city of Haifa from the Ottomans. During his visit to India, Ohana will be signing a cooperation agreement between the two parliaments with his counterpart, Om Birla, to facilitate knowledge exchange between the two institutions and hold a series of parliamentary, political and economic meetings. He will be accompanied by lawmakers Michael Biton and Amit Halevi, the chairman of the Israel-India inter-parliamentary friendship group. Ohana sees the visit as yet another step "to tighten and strengthen the cooperation between the countries in general and between the parliaments in particular for the benefit of the citizens of both countries." The delegation will be meeting President Draupadi Murmu, Minister of External Affairs S.Jaishankar, and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar, among several other officials. The delegation will also be visiting Mumbai, where they would pay their respects to the lost lives at the Chabad House. They will meet the CEO of the National Stock Exchange during the four-day visit. The 26/11 terror continues to be an emotional moment for many Israelis who feel it is a shared pain that binds the two countries together. In a special gesture, Moshe Holtzberg, who, as a toddler, survived the Mumbai terror attack in 2008, was invited to the inaugural ceremony of the newly elected Knesset in November of last year. The 16-year-old recited a Chapter from the Book of Psalms (Tehillim) "for my brothers and friends" during the inauguration ceremony. Moshe was a two-year toddler at the time of the attack. His parents, Gabriel and Rivka Holtzberg were killed in the attack, but he had a lucky escape when his nanny heard him crying and risked her own life to pull him out of the Chabad house. Israeli leaders and officials have repeatedly called for the perpetrators of the horrendous crime to be "brought to justice". By AFP WASHINGTON: The White House said Thursday it supports a global right to protest peacefully as the French continued to express outrage over President Emmanuel Macron's unpopular pensions reform and police brutality. "We support the right of people to protest and to express their opinions and to demonstrate peacefully there as we would anywhere," White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said when asked about the situation in France. French police have been strongly criticized by rights groups for heavy-handed reaction to anti-Macron protests over the past month. European Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic said last week that police cannot block or mistreat demonstrators just because a few people instigate violence. "The sporadic acts of violence of some protesters or other reprehensible acts committed by other persons during a protest cannot justify excessive use of force by agents of the state," she said. "These acts are also not enough to deprive peaceful protesters of their right to freedom of assembly," she said. On Thursday Macron said the protests would not deter his pension or water use reforms, which have also sparked resistance. "There is contestation over a reform, but it doesn't mean everything else should grind to a halt," he said near the Alpine village of Savines-le-Lac. "We need to continue working," Macron said. WASHINGTON: The White House said Thursday it supports a global right to protest peacefully as the French continued to express outrage over President Emmanuel Macron's unpopular pensions reform and police brutality. "We support the right of people to protest and to express their opinions and to demonstrate peacefully there as we would anywhere," White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said when asked about the situation in France. French police have been strongly criticized by rights groups for heavy-handed reaction to anti-Macron protests over the past month.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); European Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic said last week that police cannot block or mistreat demonstrators just because a few people instigate violence. "The sporadic acts of violence of some protesters or other reprehensible acts committed by other persons during a protest cannot justify excessive use of force by agents of the state," she said. "These acts are also not enough to deprive peaceful protesters of their right to freedom of assembly," she said. On Thursday Macron said the protests would not deter his pension or water use reforms, which have also sparked resistance. "There is contestation over a reform, but it doesn't mean everything else should grind to a halt," he said near the Alpine village of Savines-le-Lac. "We need to continue working," Macron said. Ktaka minister Somanna buries hatchet, calls Yediyurappa supreme leader Bengaluru, March 29: In a big relief to the ruling BJP in Karnataka, senior Lingayat leader, minister for Housing V. Somanna on Wednesday termed former Chief Minister and BJP Central Parliamentary Board Member B.S. Yediyurappa the supreme leader. K'taka minister Somanna buries hatchet, calls Yediyurappa 'supreme' leader Somanna and Yediyurappa were on the path of war recently posing a serious challenge for the ruling BJP in the state. Somanna had skipped Vijay Sankalp Yatra attended by BJP National President J.P. Nadda alleging interference by Yediyurappa in his domain.Later, it was rumoured that Somanna would join Congress and his photo with Karnataka Congress President D.K. Shivakumar in an aircraft fuelled the rumours. However, after the intervention of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Somanna clarified that he is happy after the meeting and he will not quit the party.However, Yediyurappa did not attend the programme of unveiling of the 108-foot tall Male Mahadeshwara statue, where both the leaders were to come together to give a message.Now, with Somanna giving a categorical statement on his one time mentor Yediyurappa, the saffron party leadership is upbeat. Somanna is an influential leader and played a key role in defeating former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda in the last Lok Sabha elections."Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is a smart person and given better administration. Yediyurappa is the supreme leader," Somanna maintained.Addressing reporters on the achievements of his portfolio, Somanna stated that, "Our government has been in power for 3 years and 10 months. I have used tough language many times. If any one is hurt with the language, they should forgive. Politics is a bed of thorns," he said.Sources said that Somanna's apology is addressed to Yediyurappa and the party has successfully ended the strife between the two senior leaders.IANS29 March 2023 Shared Recently! . Sorry, that page not found! Please visit our Home Page for latest updates Motorola announces new affordable phone with 6.5-inch display in India New Delhi, March 29: Global smartphone brand Motorola on Wednesday announced the launch of its new affordable smartphone in the country which features a 6.5-inch IPS LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate. Motorola announces new affordable phone with 6.5-inch display in India The new moto g13 costs Rs 9,999 for the 4GB RAM + 128GB Storage variant and Rs 9,499 for the 4GB RAM + 64GB Storage variant, the company said in a statement.The device comes in two colours -- Matte Charcoal and Lavender Blue -- and will go on sale starting April 5 on Flipkart, Motorola.in and leading retail stores."The smartphone has an acrylic glass (PMMA) body and features an ultra-thin, and premium design," it added.The new phone is powered by the MediaTek Helio G85 processor for better performance, comes with a 50MP Quad Pixel camera system that allows users to capture detailed pictures, and also features an 8MP front camera."Besides that, the phone is equipped with two large stereo speakers tuned by Dolby Atmos, which offer an immersive audio experience," the company saidAlso, the new device comes with a 5000mAh battery.IANS29 March 2023 Shared Recently! Have you ever driven past the same building day after day and wondered what it looks like inside? Have you ever only seen a space from the street and wondered what lies within? Maybe the location is closed to the public, or maybe youve just never had a reason to go in. Now you dont have to. The Sentinels Inside Look series aims to take readers into the curious places Cumberland County has to offer from the comfort of their living rooms. Join us every other week for a video and photo gallery of new, or sometimes very old, local places that are just waiting to be explored. Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet Walking through the doors of Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet at 5 N. Orange St. Suite 3 in Carlisle, a left turn leads into the buildings theater, or in other words, the fulfillment of Marcia Dale Wearys dream. Weary founded the ballet school in 1955 with a vision of changing lives through dance and dreamed of having a theater in Carlisle. The ballet began as the Marcia Dale School of Dance in a barn at 107 Meeting House Spring Road in Carlisle. The barn was built in the early 1900s and still contains the structures original bones. Nicholas Ade, CEO of the youth ballet, said Wearys real estate agent loaned her the down payment she needed to buy the property, which still contained sheep at the time. He said the school was a family business, with Wearys mom sewing costumes, her father conducting marketing and her sister managing the bookkeeping. The Barn Studios, which are still used for classes, contains studios A, B, C and D constructed in alphabetical order. Ade said Weary began teaching classes in Studio A before the floor had been completed. Studio B contains a stage where renowned dancers like Tina LeBlanc, who now works with San Francisco Ballet, once trained and performed, while Studios C and D were added in the 1980s. Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet expanded to North Orange Street in 1999, occupying a space that formerly housed a Kinney Shoes warehouse, Ade said. The warehouse, now called the Marcia Dale Weary School of Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, originally contained six studios. A 2016 renovation added four more studios, but Ade said two have since been combined to form one larger studio. The nine studios that occupy the space today will eventually bear the names of various donors. Ade said the most recent renovations, which included the installation of the schools 200-seat theater, were completed in 2022, but Weary never got to see it; she died in 2019 at the age of 82. After Wearys death, Darla Hoover, who previously served as associate artistic director of the school, was named artistic director to continue Wearys legacy. Today, more than 120 students train at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet with classes happening six days per week, Ade said. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the schools enrollment approximated 250, and school is still re-growing, he said. While the studio at North Orange Street today seems a far cry from the warehouse it once was, work on the building isnt quite finished. Ade said that in the coming months, the walls of the schools lobby will be filled with photos that tell the schools story, highlighting the barn where it all began and Weary, whose dream now exists as a reality. Photos: A look inside the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet facilities 2nd edition of India-Africa AFINDEX joint military exercise culminates in Pune Pune, March 29: The second edition of the joint military exercise, 'The Africa-India Field Training Exercise (AFINDEX-2023)', culminated on Wednesday at Foreign Training Node, Aundh, Pune. 2nd edition of India-Africa AFINDEX joint military exercise culminates in Pune AFINDEX-2023 was held from March 16 to 29, 2023. A total of 25 African nations, 124 participants and Indian troops from the Sikh, Maratha and Mahar regiments participated in the multinational exercise, reported the Ministry of Defence in a press release.The validation phase of the exercise was witnessed by Chief of the Army Staff, General Manoj Pande, along with all army chiefs of the participating African countries and representatives, who attended the chiefs' conclave.The aim of the exercise was to build positive military relations, imbibe each other's best practices and promote the ability to operate together while undertaking the execution of Humanitarian Mine Action and Peace Keeping Operations under the UN mandate.The Africa-India Field Training Exercise (AFINDEX-2023) is divided into four phases, starting with training for the trainers, followed by phases dedicated to Humanitarian Mine Action and Peace Keeping Operations. The exercise concluded with a validation phase that assessed the training results.This joint exercise will enable the armies to learn and adopt methodologies and tactics while conducting such operations. Further, the exercise will assist the forces in the correct interpretation of Rules of Engagements while undertaking Peace Keeping Operations, added the release.Maximum use of indigenous equipment was made during the exercise and new-generation equipment manufactured in India was showcased during the exercise with an objective to continue building upon initiatives taken to strengthen India-Africa relations, with a focus on enhancing peace and security, and creating opportunities to exchange ideas and perspectives.The bonhomie, esprit-de-corps (the shared spirit of enterprise and enthusiasm in a group) and goodwill generated during the exercise will go a long way in further strengthening the bonds between the armies by enabling understanding of each other's organisation and methodology of conducting various operations. This exercise is a harbinger for greater cooperation between Indian and African armies in the future, added the release.On the sidelines of the exercise, an 'Equipment Display' was organised in which 75 indigenous products from 32 industries manufactured under 'Make in India' were showcased. African army chiefs, their representatives and participants of the African nations also witnessed the event.The first Africa-India Field Training Exercise was held in Pune in March 2019. It saw participation from 20 African nations.ANI29 March 2023 Shared Recently! Meghalaya-Assam official talks on border row to begin soon: Conrad Sangma Shillong (Meghalaya), March 29: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Tuesday said that the official talks with Assam on the remaining six areas of border disputes will begin soon this year. Meghalaya-Assam official talks on border row to begin soon: Conrad Sangma "We will try to initiate talks as soon as possible. Communication has already started but officially, we will try to work it out in April or May," Sangma said while speaking to the media on Tuesday.He said talks would kickstart as soon as the regional committees discuss the details.Both states had signed a historic agreement in the national capital to resolve their 50-year-old pending boundary difference in March last year.The agreement was signed by the Chief Ministers of Assam and Meghalaya in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the office of the Ministry of Home Affairs.The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Assam and Meghalaya two months after a draft resolution was submitted by the Chief Ministers of both states to Shah on January 31 for examination and consideration by the MHA.The governments of Assam and Meghalaya had come up with a draft resolution to resolve their border disputes in six of the 12 "areas of difference" along the 884-km boundary.According to the proposed recommendations for the 36.79 square km of land, Assam will keep 18.51 square km and give the remaining 18.28 square km to Meghalaya.The long-standing land dispute was sparked in 1972 when Meghalaya was carved out of Assam. The border issues came as a result of different readings of the demarcation of boundaries in the initial agreement for the new state's creation.ANI29 March 2023 Shared Recently! India to become largest aviation market in next decade: Jyotiraditya Scindia New Delhi, March 28: Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday said that India will become the largest civil aviation market in the next decade. India to become largest aviation market in next decade: Jyotiraditya Scindia Union Minister Scindia was addressing the Confederation of Indian Industry's (CII) International Conference on Advanced and Short-Haul Air Mobility for All (ASHA) Technologies for Ease of Transport."India has crossed the pre-COVID number of air travellers by 10 per cent to reach 455,000 passengers daily, with airlines now operating at 80-90 per cent load factor," Scindia said.He said that we need more aircraft because India has an insatiable desire to travel.While stating that India is proving itself to be a manufacturing hub in the aerospace sector, Scindia invited global companies to be part of India's journey.Technology has jumped forward and has become an important protagonist in future of mankind," the minister said."In that period of change and dynamic flux, the civil aviation sector is making unimaginable strides as never before," he added.Speaking about opportunities in the advanced air mobility sector, the minister said the drone market will become a Rs 3 lakh crore market by 2030 employing 3-4 lakh persons.He underscored the need to have a good ecosystem and said that advanced air mobility must have its basis in strong civil aviation infrastructure."For the infrastructure to be built, he said urban city planners needed to be involved," he said.The minister also emphasised that the government was no longer a regulator but a facilitator and partner to the industry.Salil Gupte, president, Boeing India and chairman, CII National Committee, said, Advanced air mobility can do to India's transport what telephony did to its communications."In telecom, India skipped stages where the rest of the world was stuck. We have seen India leapfrog from landline to mobile to 4G to 5G roll-outs at lightning speed. India can do the same in transport if it chooses to embrace the AAM (Advanced Air Mobility) technologies and create the right ecosystem for it," Gupte said.He said that the AAM comprises drones, helicopters, e-VTOL (electric, vertical take-off and landing systems) and other air systems, used for ferrying people and goods over short distances."An average Indian traveller spends a substantially higher time commuting compared to short-haul travel his counterpart in other Asian cities and other global cities. Technologies that we are discussing since yesterday, drones, helicopters, and e-VTOL have the opportunity to reduce this drastically and India can leapfrog in urban mobility. India is good at that. That is exactly what has happened through telephony in the last 25 years," Gupte said."India can do the same in transport if it chooses to embrace the AAM technologies provided the country creates the right ecosystem for it, he added."For instance, technologies have to be evaluated from many perspectives not only from civil but also from a defence angle. We need sustained electrification of these technologies. At a time, when Boeing with its partners like International Air Transport Association (IATA ), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and others are committed to achieving Net-Zero by 2050, we cannot do anything with the advanced mobility sector that makes it a bogeyman in (green) space," Gupte added.He also said while India moves ahead in the AAM sector, other related areas that will need close attention include cyber security to keep this ecosystem safe and integrated airspace management.Besides this, Kamal Bali, President and MD Volvo Group in India, and chairman, CII Southern Region said, "the take-off of AAM will need a robust ecosystem that includes vehicles, training and education, research and development, landing structure, fleet management, demand management, linkages with other mobility systems." "For the industry, it will mean huge new value chain, new economic clusters and many new jobs," he added.ANI29 March 2023 Shared Recently! Greatest scope for enhancement of defence cooperation between India and Africa, says Army chief Gen Manoj Pande Pune, March 29: Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande on Wednesday said that India recognizes the need to collaborate with the African defence industry. Greatest scope for enhancement of defence cooperation between India and Africa, says Army chief Gen Manoj Pande Army Chief Manoj Pande in his address at the culmination of the Africa-India Field Training Exercise (AFINDEX- 2023) mentioned that India's defence industry has displayed its potential.While speaking at the event at Foreign Training Node, Aundh, Pune, the Army Chief said, "The Indian defence industry has displayed its potential and we recognise the need for joint collaboration, co-development, co-production with the African defence industry to meet our common requirement".He said that the AFINDEX-23 focuses on several dimensions of UN peacekeeping operations."AFINDEX 23 field training exercise focused on aspects of UN peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief," he said.Appreciating the professionalism of the African nations, Army Chief General Manoj Pande said that India holds them in very high regard."Over the past 2 weeks this period has enabled us and been of immense value to get to know about various procedures, techniques, tactics and operations which will facilitate interoperability," he said."During the chief's conclave, yesterday provided us with an excellent opportunity to interact with each other and we will be able to learn from the African experience in terms of common security management of crisis situations. The discussion during the last two days have been very beneficial and further strengthen our defence cooperation with African nations," he added.The Army Chief said that the two events conducted will infuse greater energy and vigour between India and Africa."In the end, I also wish to say that there is the greatest scope for enhancement of defence cooperation between India and African nations and this exchange - with these two events I am confident that it will infuse greater energy and vigour between us," he said.Maximum use of indigenous equipment was made during the exercise. New generation equipment manufactured in India will be showcased during the exercise to give a feel of their efficacy to the troops of the participating nations.The joint exercise is conducted in keeping with India's outreach to Africa, which commenced in 2008 through the India-Africa Summit and has been thereafter held in 2015 and 2019.The exercise addressed the theme of United Nations peacekeeping operations. The exercise was spread over two weeks varying the initial four days dedicated to the training traders. After the arrival of all 124 participants, representing 26 countries, the initial phase of interactive sessions, covering a wide range of subjects on peacekeeping and humanitarian mind action was conducted.ANI29 March 2023 Shared Recently! Chhattisgarh: Forest Department rescues injured tiger Surajpur, March 29: The Forest department has rescued an injured tiger in Surajpur District of Chhattisgarh. Chhattisgarh: Forest Department rescues injured tiger The tiger has been taken to a medical facility and is undergoing treatment."We have rescued the tiger and from the injuries seen, the tiger will be under medical treatment for 15 days and after this, the process to release the tiger in the jungle again will start," said Dr PK Chandan, Kanan Pendari Zoo."The tiger has injury marks on his head, close to the eyes, nose, and neck. Injury observed can be from the axe and medical treatment is necessary," he added.The tiger was injured on March 27 when it attacked and killed two men and critically injured a third near Kalamanjan Village under the Odgi block of the Surajpur District.The incident took place in a forest near the Kalamanjan under the Odgi block of the district, said a Forest official.The incident took place when the victims went to the forest to collect the wood, the officer said.ANI30 March 2023 Shared Recently! Sushmita Sen completes dubbing of upcoming series Taali Mumbai, March 29: Actor Sushmita Sen on Wednesday completed the dubbing and promo shoot of her upcoming web series 'Taali'. Sushmita Sen completes dubbing of upcoming series 'Taali' Taking to Instagram, Sushmita shared a post which she captioned, "Finally, completed dubbing and promo shoot for our #webseries #Taali. This beautiful #team will be missed dearly...what a soulful journey it's been!!! Thank you Sir @ravijadhavofficial #Alok @shreegaurisawant @gseamsak @voot @officialjiocinema @raghav_dop @umabiju and the incredibly talented Cast and Crew of TAALI #sharing #happiness and #allheartpeople I love you guys!!! #duggadugga."The 'Aarya' actor shared a picture and a video in which she could be seen celebrating the series wrap along with 'Taali' crew members.In another picture, she could be seen posing with the makers of the series inside the dubbing studio.'Taali' is a biopic on transgender activist Shreegauri Sawant in which Sushmita will be seen essaying the lead role.The official streaming date of the series is still awaited.The actor dropped her first look from the series last year.Talking about her look, she earlier said, "A story of struggle, resilience, and indomitable power, that's Shreegauri Sawant for you! Nothing makes me more proud and grateful than to bring this journey that has been rife with challenges, only to witness a revolution! This one is special for reasons multifold, and I'm really excited to associate with Viacom18 for this one. This is just the beginning, stay tuned for what's in store!"Born as Ganesh and raised in Pune, Shreegauri Sawant is a transgender activist from Mumbai. She was one of the petitioners in the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) case of 2013, in connection with which the Supreme Court recognised a transgender person as the third gender.The landmark verdict in the case was delivered in 2014.The upcoming biopic will shed light on the inspiring life of Shreegauri Sawant -- her childhood, transition, and her eventual contribution to revolutionising the transgender movement in India.Sushmita's fierce and bold avatar in and as Shreegauri Sawant is sure to create anticipation amongst the audience about the upcoming project.Created by Arjun Singgh Baran and Kartk D Nishandar, the biopic has been helmed by National award-winning director Ravi Jadhav, and produced by Arjun Singgh Baran, Kartk D Nishandar and Afeefa Nadiadwal.Apart from this, Sushmita will also be seen in Disney+ Hotstar's 'Aarya Season 3'.ANI30 March 2023 Shared Recently! USD 842 billion budget proposal for US defence driven by competition with China: Austin Washington, March 29: US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J Austin III said that the USD 842 billion budget proposal for the fiscal year 2024 for the Defense Department is a strategy-driven budget and one driven by the competition with China, adding that it will provide more resilient force posture in the Indo-Pacific and increase the scale and the scope of exercises with US partners. USD 842 billion budget proposal for US defence driven by competition with China: Austin The FY 2024 budget request includes a 40 per cent increase for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative over last year's budget and it's an all-time high of USD 9.1 billion. That will fund a stronger force posture, better defenses for Hawaii and Guam, and deeper cooperation with our allies and partners."This is a strategy-driven budget -- and one driven by the seriousness of our strategic competition with the People's Republic of China," Austin said during testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee."At USD 842 billion, it's a 3.2 percent increase over fiscal year 2023 enacted ... and it is 13.4 percent higher than fiscal year 22 enacted. This budget will help us continue to implement our National Defense Strategy and the president's National Security Strategy."The Budget will focus on three key priorities to defend our nation, to take care of our outstanding people, and to succeed through teamwork."The People's Republic of China (PRC) is our pacing challenge. And we're driving hard to meet it. Our budget builds on our previous investments to deter aggression. We're investing in a more resilient force posture in the Indo-Pacific and increasing the scale and the scope of our exercises with our partners," he said in a statement released by the US Department of Defence.Now, this budget also makes the Department's largest-ever investments in both R and D and procurement.Austin said," In the Pacific, the department is forward-stationing and deploying more forces, while also investing in airfields, logistics, domain awareness and resilience in places like Japan, Australia, Guam and the sovereign states involved in the Compact of Free Association.The FY 2024 budget request, Austin said, also marks the department's largest investment in research and development. This year, the request for R and D efforts stands at $145 billion.The department is also requesting some USD170 billion for procurement to maintain the nation's air, sea and land dominance. About USD 61 billion funds things like the newly revealed B-21 Raider, for instance, while $48 billion supports the construction of nine battle force ships for the US Navy, he said."We'll also continue to modernize all three legs of our nuclear triad ... and bolster our strategic deterrence," Austin told senators.The FY 2024 request includes $37.7 billion to fund the nuclear triad, along with nuclear command, control, and communications.The US military doesn't fight alone, so relationships with allied and partner nations are also a focus of the FY 2024 budget request, Austin said, highlighting efforts in both Asia and Europe."In recent months, our friends in the Indo-Pacific have taken major steps forward," Austin said."The Philippines has agreed to nearly double the number of sites where we cooperate together. Japan has committed to double its defense spending. And through the historic AUKUS partnership, we'll work with our Australian and British allies to build game-changing defense advantages that will deter aggression and boost our defense industrial capacity," he added.ANI30 March 2023 Shared Recently! Karnataka: Corruption a big issue after unemployment and infrastructure New Delhi, March 29: Compared to many other states ruled by the BJP in the country, corruption seems to have emerged as a major issue among the potential voters in Karnataka, which goes to the polls on May 10, according to an exclusive survey conducted by ABP-CVoter in the state in late March 2023. Karnataka: Corruption a big issue after unemployment and infrastructure The most important issue flagged by potential voters in the survey is unemployment (29.1 per cent), followed by infrastructure problems like electricity, roads and water (21.5 per cent). Corruption is the third most important issue with 12.7 per cent respondents singling it out. The number may not appear very big, but looks significant in the context.In Gujarat too, voters had identified unemployment and infrastructure as the two most important issues before the Assembly elections held late last year. Corruption was way behind with just about 6.5 per cent of the voters flagging it. Even in Tripura, which went to the polls recently, corruption was not considered to be a very serious issue.The ABP-CVoter survey, which interacted with around 25,000 respondents across demographics, age groups and identities, reveals that persistent allegations of rampant corruption against the BJP government seem to have struck a chord with the voters.Just recently, BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa was arrested by the Karnataka Lokayukta police on bribery charges after the high court denied him anticipatory bail. His son Prasanth Madal was caught red-handed accepting a bribe of Rs 4o lakh. Over the last two years, many private contractors and businessmen have publicly accused officials and ruling party functionaries of demanding bribes.The Congress seems to have mounted a successful campaign against the BJP on this issue with the use of catchy slogans and innovative political tactics. Perhaps the last time a BJP government in a state faced serious allegations of corruption that resonated with the voters was in Jharkhand in late 2019, when Raghubar Das was the Chief Minister. He had lost his own Assembly seat in the fallout during elections.As per the survey, Congress will probably win a majority of seats in the 224-seat Karnataka Assembly.According to an analysis of the survey data, the vote share of the Congress could rise from 38 per cent in 2018 to 40.1 per cent this time. Compared to 80 seats in 2018, the survey projects the Congress to win between 115 and 127 seats.The survey also reveals that the party is leading over rivals BJP and JD(S) in all regions of Karnataka. Even in the old Mysore region, which has been a stronghold of the JD(S), the Congress is projected to edge ahead of its rival, while the BJP is projected to perform very poorly in this region.IANS30 March 2023 Shared Recently! Cumberland County commissioners voted 2-1 Wednesday to accept a $1.5 million state grant to establish a firearms testing unit for the forensic investigation division of the district attorneys Office. Commissioners Vince DiFilippo and Jean Foschi agreed to accept the the Gun Violence Investigation and Prosecution Grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. It is paid for with federal American Rescue Plan Act funds. Citing concerns over timing, Commissioner Chairman Gary Eichelberger voted against accepting the grant to purchase specialized equipment, hire two technicians and build an addition to accommodate the unit at the county forensic lab at 1601 Ritner Highway. The decision Wednesday came after the motion was tabled twice in recent weeks amid word of an impending fiscal crisis involving a projected $2.5 million deficit in the mental health systems budget. The crime and delinquency grant is set up to cover the salaries and benefits of two full-time lab employees for five fiscal quarters starting in late 2023 and extending through 2024, division director Eric Radnovich told the commissioners. Once the grant is spent, the county would have to build into its general fund budget the cost to maintain the testing unit personnel. Those annual costs would range from $166,000 in year three to $176,000 by year five, according to cost projections provided by District Attorney Sean McCormack. During a finance committee Wednesday, McCormack presented a chart outlining how the testing unit could generate enough revenue over the next five years to offset a portion of the costs. In convictions involving firearms, the district attorneys office could gradually recoup the expense by including the lab testing as a prosecution cost in sentences handed down by county judges, McCormack said. Within three to four years the testing unit could be established enough to accept firearms for testing from nearby counties and then charge those counties for providing the service, he said. One reason for the lab is to provide a quicker turnaround on firearms testing. Right now, it could take Cumberland County weeks or even months to receive test results back from the Pennsylvania State Police crime lab. Another possible funding source may be available through the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, Radnovich told the commissioners Wednesday. He said the ATF is trying to encourage local and county agencies to use the NIBIN system more extensively. Short for the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, NIBIN is a database where expended bullet casings can be compared with ballistic imagery from other jurisdictions to generate leads on possible matches in violent crime. A NIBIN technician is one of the two full-time positions the grant would fund through 2024. My concern is the timing given all the challenges and demands that are going on, Eichelberger said. If there is so much urgency behind the need for quicker testing then, logically, there may be future grant opportunities if the commissioners to pass on the PCCD grant. This is ARPA money, McCormack responded. This is the opportunity to get this. I dont believe that this $1.5 million is going to be sitting out there again, at least, I dont see it in the foreseeable future. But Eichelberger was not convinced. Theres a fair amount of this thats speculative, he said, referring to the data from McCormack. Sometimes we have to go there. I understand that, but Im not comfortable doing that at this time. Eichelberger referenced a decision that was made in the lead-up to the eventual sale of the Claremont Nursing & Rehabilitation Center. I mentioned it before, Eichelberger said. Im jaded by past experience with the county saddled with long-term grants. The previous board approved a very bad proposal to add rehab at Claremont in the hope and belief that it was going to save Claremont. There are unknown unknowns right now. Foschi saw it differently. She said rejecting the grant seems like a bad move to me. We already have the money, Foschi said. It seems like a shame to send it back. What happens when you start to send money back? What does that do for our reputation, our potential for future grant opportunities? McCormack said the Commission in Crime and Delinquency provides many grants pertaining to law enforcement. This is one of the largest grants that they approved outside of Philadelphia, he said. Its a credit to what we already have. What weve already done. It is a compliment to us and our track record that PCCD is able to trust us. Im OK with moving forward with it, DiFilippo said before making the motion to accept the grant. This will be more of a positive than a negative. Based on where society is going, everybodys crime rate is probably going to continue to go up. Despite his no vote, Eichelberger praised the county forensic department. This is not a reflection on you, he told McCormack. Im very proud of your lab. Its a cutting edge facility. If we take the long-term perspective, Im not sure we can do this now. Zendaya to receive Star of the Year award at CinemaCon 2023 Washington, March 29: Hollywood star and the 'Euphoria' actor Zendaya is all set to receive the Star of the Year award at CinemaCon 2023. Zendaya to receive Star of the Year award at CinemaCon 2023 According to Variety, a US-based media house, Mitch Neuhauser, managing director of CinemaCon, has announced the news.Zendaya will receive the award at the Big Screen Achievement Awards ceremony on the final night of the convention. CinemaCon 2023 will be held at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas from April 24-27."In just a few short years, Zendaya has captured audiences' attention with her compassionate performance on the small screen as Rue in 'Euphoria' and has drawn audiences in on the big screen with her performances in 'Spider-Man Far From Home', 'The Greatest Showman' and 'Dune'. We could not be more honored to present Zendaya with this year's CinemaCon Star of the Year Award," said Neuhauser, reported Variety.For portraying 'Rue' in 'Euphoria', Zendaya has already bagged two Emmy Awards (2020, 2022). She made history in 2020 by becoming the youngest lead actress drama winner (24 at that time), and only the second-ever Black woman to win the category in the Emmy, following Viola Davis for 'How to Get Away With Murder'.Euphoria is an American teen drama television series based on Israeli miniseries of the same name. It was created by Ron Leshem and Daphna Levin.According to Deadline, a US-based media house, Zendaya will soon return to the big screen in Warner Bros. and Legendary's 'Dune Part Two', which is slated for release on November 3.Denis Villeneuve's second film based on Frank Herbert's classic sci-fi novel will continue to explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani (played bybZendaya) and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.ANI30 March 2023 Shared Recently! Biden expresses solidarity with Nashville school shooting victims, says we owe them action Washington, March 29: US President Joe Biden on Wednesday expressed his solidarity with the victims of the Nashville School Shooting that claimed the lives of six people, including three children and said that as a nation Washington owes these families more than just prayers. Biden expresses solidarity with Nashville school shooting victims, says we owe them action "As a nation, we owe these families more than our prayers. We owe them action. We have to do more to stop this gun violence... I again call on Congress to pass assault weapons ban," US President Joe Biden said in his remarks in Durham on Tuesday."You know, we know the names of the victims. We've seen the initial footage of the attack. Three children -- three children dead, all just nine years old, including the daughter of the pastor. Three members of the staff -- the school custodian, a substitute teacher, and the head of school," Biden said.Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake said the person who killed six people at Covenant School in Nashville on Monday has been identified as Audrey Hale. According to Drake, Hale is a 28-year-old Nashville resident, CNN reported.Speaking of the incident, Biden further said, "I spoke with one of the -- like, actually, it was the governor's wife -- the governor -- he was telling me his wife was about to have dinner that night with her. There is still more to learn about what happened, but there's plenty we do know."Earlier on Monday, US President Joe Biden on Monday (local time) termed the school shooting at Nashville which claimed the lives of six people as "sick" and said that the US has to do more about gun violence and stressed that "it's ripping the soul of this nation."The six victims included three students who were all 9 years old, the Metro Nashville Police Department said in a tweet.Metro Nashville Police Department tweeted, "The 6 victims fatally shot by the active shooter at Covenant School are identified as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, all age 9, Cynthia Peak, age 61, Katherine Koonce, age 60, and Mike Hill, age 61."The shooter had drawn detailed maps of Covenant School, Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake said in a press conference. Drake said that the suspect in Monday's shooting was armed with three firearms, CNN reported.Drake further said that the shooter entered the school by shooting through one of the doors. The shooter was once a student at the school, CNN reported citing initial findings from police.ANI30 March 2023 Shared Recently! Indias defence exports will touch Rs 40,000 crores by 2026: Rajnath Singh Pune, March 28: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday, said that India's defence export will touch Rs 35,000-40,000 crore by the year 2026. India's defence exports will touch Rs 40,000 crores by 2026: Rajnath Singh Rajnath Singh was delivering the Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw memorial lecture on the topic 'The role of youth in nation building' organised by Symbiosis International University in Pune.Addressing the event, Defence Minister said, "First there should be a sense of self-confidence that we will make India Atmanirbhar. In 2014, we used to do the defence export of only Rs 900 crore but since India has adopted Indianisation, today we are doing the defence export of Rs 15,000 crore to Rs 16,000 crore".He said about being confident that by 2026, the country will be doing approximately Rs 35,000 crore to Rs 40,000 crore in export in the defence sector."There is a need to create an eco-system and more than the eco-system, there is generate self-confidence among ourselves, as with self-confidence, anything is possible," he added.He said that he is proud of the defence forces for the kind of procurement they have done of indigenous items."The 80 per cent of items, they have procured are indigenous items," he added.ANI30 March 2023 Shared Recently! Coal Ministry launches seventh round of commercial mines auction New Delhi, March 29: The Coal Ministry on Wednesday launched the seventh round of commercial mines' auction with a total of 106 coal blocks on offer. Coal Ministry launches seventh round of commercial mines' auction Out of the 106 coal mines, 32 are new coal mines and 69 mines are being rolled over from earlier tranches. Additionally, five coal mines under the second attempt of sixth tranche are also being launched where single bids were received in the first attempt.The mines being auctioned are spread across coal and lignite bearing states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Bihar.The ministry has also signed agreements for 29 coal mines which were auctioned under the sixth round of commercial coal mines auction. The cumulative peak rated capacity (PRC) of 29 coal mines is 74 million tonnes per annum.These mines upon operationalisation will generate annual revenue of Rs 14,497 crore calculated at PRC of the reserves and will provide employment to about one lakh people.The auction shall be held online through a transparent two stage process, on the basis of percentage revenue share.SBI Capital Markets Ltd, the sole transaction advisor to the Coal Ministry for the commercial coal mine auctions, is assisting in conducting the auction process.IANS30 March 2023 Shared Recently! Rs 5,400 crore to bolster defence capabilities of Army and Navy New Delhi, March 29: In yet another boost to 'Aatmanirbharta' in defence, the Ministry of Defence signed three contracts on Wednesday, two with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Ghaziabad and one with New Space India Limited (NSIL) amounting to nearly Rs 5,400 crore to bolster the defence capabilities of the country. Rs 5,400 crore to bolster defence capabilities of Army and Navy According to the defence ministry the first contract with BEL pertains to procurement of Automated Air Defence Control and Reporting System 'Project Akashteer' worth Rs 1,982 crore for the Army. The second contract with BEL relates to acquisition of Sarang Electronic Support Measure (ESM) systems along with associated Engineering Support Package from BEL, Hyderabad at an overall cost of Rs 412 crore for the Navy.The contract with NSIL, a central public sector enterprise under the Department of Space, Bengaluru, pertains to procurement of an advanced Communication Satellite, GSAT 7B, which will provide High Throughput Services to the Army at an overall cost of Rs 2,963 crore. All these projects are under Buy Indian Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured category, a defence ministry official said.The defence ministry said that the Automated Air Defence Control and Reporting System will empower the air defence units of the Army with an indigenous, state-of-the-art capability, to effectively operate in an integrated manner. Akashteer will enable monitoring of low level airspace over the battle areas and effectively control the Ground Based Air Defence Weapon Systems.The official said that the Sarang is an advanced Electronic Support Measure system for Navy helicopters, designed and developed indigenously by the Defence Electronics Research Laboratory, Hyderabad, under the Samudrika programme. The scheme will generate employment of approximately two lakh man days over a period of three years, the defence ministry official added.The defence ministry said that both the projects will encourage participation of the Indian electronics sector and associated industries, including MSMEs, who are sub vendors of BEL.The satellite will considerably enhance the communication capability of the Army by providing mission critical beyond line of sight communication to troops and formations as well as weapon and airborne platforms. The geostationary satellite, being a first-of-its-kind in the five-tonne category, will be developed indigenously by the Indian Space Research Organisation.Many parts and sub-assemblies and systems will be sourced from indigenous manufacturers, including MSMEs and start-ups, thereby giving a fillip to the private Indian space industry, in line with 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'. Defence ministry officials said that the project will generate employment of approximately three lakh man days over three and a half years.IANS30 March 2023 Shared Recently! Google says reviewing NCLAT order in CCI case, weighing legal options New Delhi, March 29: Google on Wednesday said it is reviewing the decision by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) in the Competition Commission of India (CCI) case, and evaluating its legal options. Google says reviewing NCLAT order in CCI case, weighing legal options The NCLAT has directed that Google will have to pay the fine of Rs 1,337.76 crore, imposed on it by the CCI in October last year for anti-competitive practices in relation to Android mobile devices."We are grateful for the opportunity given by the NCLAT to make our case. We are reviewing the order and evaluating our legal options," a Google spokesperson told IANS.A two-member bench of the NCLAT has asked Google to follow the CCI's order and deposit the amount in 30 days.In January, the Supreme Court refused to interfere with the NCLAT decision, declining to stay operation of the CCI order imposing Rs 1,337.76 crore fine on Google.The competition watchdog had also asked the Internet giant to refrain from indulging in various unfair business practices.Google had, however, challenged this ruling before the NCLAT, which is an appellate authority over the orders passed by the CCI.But the NCLAT rejected Google's plea, saying that there was no violation of natural justice in the probe conducted by the CCI.IANS30 March 2023 Shared Recently! Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy Using ICG Dye: A modern diagnostic tool shares doctors at Art of Healing Cancer Gurgaon, March 29: Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy (SLNB) is a crucial diagnostic procedure that helps physicians identify and evaluate the first lymph node(s) affected by cancer, known as the sentinel lymph node(s). This assessment is crucial in determining whether cancer has spread beyond its primary site. One of the most recent advances in SLNB is the use of Indocyanine Green (ICG) dye, which has shown promising results in terms of accuracy and ease of use. In this article, doctors will discuss the SLNB procedure, the benefits of using ICG dye, and the potential implications for cancer staging and treatment. Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy Using ICG Dye: A modern diagnostic tool shares doctors at Art of Healing Cancer The sentinel lymph node is the first lymph node that cancer cells are likely to reach if they spread from the primary tumor site. By removing and examining this node, doctors can determine if cancer has metastasized and make informed decisions about the appropriate course of treatment. The SLNB procedure typically involves the injection of a tracer, such as a radioactive (radiocolloid) substance or a dye, to help identify the sentinel lymph node(s). The tracer then travels to the sentinel node(s), allowing the surgeon to locate and remove it for further analysis.ICG Dye A Novel Tracer for SLNB instead of a radiocolloidIndocyanine Green (ICG) dye is a fluorescent dye that has been increasingly adopted as a tracer in SLNB. When illuminated with near-infrared light, ICG emits a fluorescent signal that can be easily visualized using specialized imaging devices. This enables the surgeon to precisely locate the sentinel lymph node(s) and minimize the removal of non-sentinel nodes, thus reducing the risk of complications and improving the overall accuracy of the procedure.The traditional and standard procedure for SLNB is by using radiocolloid dye and in some centres, the radiocolloid dye is coupled with isosulphan blue dye. The issue with the radiocolloid is that it requires the Department of Nuclear Medicine where the dye is brought/prepared and injected, also SPECT (Single-photon emission computed tomography) to confirm its drainage to the Lymph Nodes. Intraoperatively a special camera known as Gamma Camera (GC) is required to locate the draining lymph nodes. The ICG technique does not require association with other departments, it is usually done in the Operation room a few minutes before surgery. The localization is done by an infrared camera rather than a gamma camera. The ICG technique removes dependence on other departments and also the cost of t dye and infrastructure required is substantially less as compared to the radiocolloid method.Another area, where ICG scores over radiocolloids is during surgery of non-palpable lesions in the breast. The radiocolloid dyes of different densities have to be used, one which remains in the lesion for GC to identify the primary lesion and the other drains to the lymph nodes for them to be located in the procedure of SLNB by GC. The ICG dye remains in the primary lesion as well as part of it drains to the lymph nodes also, no different versions of ICG dye are required making the procedure much simpler.The ICG technique does not involve any radiation exposure as it is based on the Infra-Red principle. It also gives insights into the perfusion of tissues especially if oncoplastic breast reconstruction or re-alignment is being done.Advantages of Using ICG Dye in SLNBImproved accuracy The use of ICG dye has been shown to increase or be at par in terms of the accuracy of sentinel lymph node identification in comparison to traditional techniques, such as blue dye or radiocolloid tracers. This higher accuracy can lead to more accurate staging of cancer and better-informed treatment decisions.Real-time visualization The fluorescence emitted by ICG dye allows for real-time visualization of the sentinel lymph node(s) during surgery. This can help surgeons make more precise incisions and minimize the risk of damage to surrounding healthy tissue.Minimally invasive ICG dye is well-tolerated by the body and is associated with fewer side effects compared to radioactive tracers. Moreover, the use of near-infrared light for imaging does not expose the patient or medical staff to ionizing radiation.Cost-effective ICG dye is relatively inexpensive compared to other tracers, making it a cost-effective option for healthcare providers.Dr Mandeep Singh, Chief Mentor, shares "We have one of the largest experiences using ICG dye for SLNB in this part of the world. The use of ICG dye in sentinel lymph node biopsy has the potential to revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of various cancers. It is a good choice for clinicians who want to improve patient outcomes because it is accurate, can be seen in real-time, has fewer complications, and is cost-effective. As more research is conducted, we can expect to see ICG dye become a standard tracer in SLNB, paving the way for more precise cancer staging and personalized treatment plans."This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article.ANI30 March 2023 Shared Recently! Gorsam Kora festival honours friendship between India, Bhutan Thimphu [Bhutan], March 29: The Gorsam Kora festival, also known as the festival of friendship between India and Bhutan, honours the bond between the two countries. The festival was celebrated at the Gorsam Chorten Stupa in Arunachal Pradesh's Zemithang, according to The Bhutan Live. Gorsam Kora festival honours friendship between India, Bhutan Zemithang village in the Tawang district is the last administrative division of India on the border with Tibet. It shares its western border with Bhutan. This is also the place where the 14th Dalai Lama had his first rest after fleeing from Tibet in 1959, according to The Bhutan Live.The festival, which showcases the rich cultural and religious heritage of the region, draws pilgrims from both India and Bhutan. The three-day festival started on March 18 and ended on Tuesday.The 93-foot-high Gorsam Chorten Stupa was built in the 13th century AD and is modelled after the Boudhanath Khasti Stupa of Nepal. Thousands of devotees visit during the Gorzam Kora festival to observe the virtuous occasion of the last day of the first month of the lunar calendar.Modelled after the Boudhanath Khasti Stupa of Nepal, The 93-foot high Gorsam Chorten Stupa was built in the 13th century AD. Thousands of devotees visit during the Gorzam Kora festival to observe the virtuous occasion of the last day of the first month of the lunar calendar.The festival was organised by the local community of Zemithang with the help of the civil administration. The event commenced with an opening prayer by His Eminence Padam Shree Thengtse Rinpoche and prayers at Khinzemane holy tree. It is believed that the Khinzemane sacred tree was planted by the 14th Dalai Lama when he came to India in 1959.Various events were conducted by the Indian Army, including a pipe band and martial dance performance. These were followed by cultural dance performances by locals. To have better engagement with the local population, activities were conducted like the Run for 'Plastic Free Zemithang', a Medical camp and a small trek along the pristine Zemithang Valley. These activities were part of the government's 'Vibrant Village Program'. Numerous pilgrims and Lamas from Bhutan, Tawang and nearby regions attended the festival.India's growing startup ecosystem benefits Bhutan as it will provide more opportunities for budding entrepreneurs to learn from experienced business people through the Bhutan-India Startup Summit, The Bhutan Live reported.In recent years, the Indian government has been actively engaging with Bhutan to connect the startup ecosystems of the two countries. In the last week of February 2020, the Indian Embassy organized the first-ever Bhutan-India Startup Summit in Thimphu.ANI30 March 2023 Shared Recently! Jaro Education partners with Michigan Ross to deliver executive education program to global audience Mumbai, March 29: Jaro Education, a leading Edtech firm with a mission to provide world-class executive education, has announced its global collaboration with Ross School of Business Executive Education to promote their online programs. Having delivered in-person programs to companies in India for over 25 years, this strategic partnership marks the first Michigan Ross Executive Education collaboration with an Edtech company in India to promote its mission of building a better world through business. Jaro Education partners with Michigan Ross to deliver executive education program to global audience Michigan Ross and Jaro Education have recently launched the first offering, the Accelerated General Management Program. This leading-edge general management program is ideal for global leaders, directors, senior managers, and mid-career professionals looking to enhance their skills. The program includes five courses spread over a duration of six months, starting in May 2023.The program prepares professionals for future growth by providing comprehensive business knowledge as they master core business concepts and gain an understanding of new emerging topics. Each of the five courses focuses on decision-making, which is the key to executing key management functions. Four foundational courses explore essential business functions to provide participants with the vocabulary to communicate and an organizational lens to lead across functions. Additionally, the program includes one specialty course of the participant's choosing, allowing them to meet personal leadership goals and broaden their business perspective.This program is designed to help participants reach their career goals by providing a rigorous and credible foundation in business fundamentals and general management skills. It intends to develop an enterprise mindset and understanding beyond functional areas to grow and contribute at the workplace. Individuals will get first-hand experience with Michigan Ross' renowned faculty that provides a comprehensive overview of the global business landscape.This program offers a unique course design, live engagement with renowned faculty, live sessions, and a proven history of achieving results. Named a Global Top 10 provider by the Financial Times and ranked the number 1 public university in the US by QS World University Rankings 2022, Michigan Ross is committed to delivering a cutting-edge program through their award-winning Ross faculty.Speaking on the collaboration, Ranjita Raman, CEO of Jaro Education, said, "We are ecstatic to collaborate with Michigan Ross, one of the finest business schools in the world. Today's leadership challenges need to be addressed within the context of broader societal changes. With this international partnership and access to faculty experts, learners will gain a comprehensive understanding of the leadership skills and global perspectives needed to stay competitive in the ever-evolving world. We are confident that the program will enable them to make more informed and effective decisions, create new growth opportunities, and develop the skills to remain competitive in the global economy.""The launch of this program in partnership with Jaro Education marks the beginning of an exciting new endeavor, one that will enable us to broaden the reach of the Michigan Ross mission of building a better world through business," said Nicholas Hamilton-Archer, Chief Executive Education Officer at Michigan Ross. "Together with Jaro Education, we look forward to cultivating a globally collaborative learning environment and providing global business leaders the opportunity to champion meaningful, actionable, and multidisciplinary approaches for personal and organizational success in the increasingly competitive business landscape."Applications for the program are open. Professionals seeking to upskill and grow in their field should apply. Interested participants can contact the Jaro Education office at -- or for further information on the program and related questions.For more information, please visit .This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article.ANI30 March 2023 Shared Recently! Bhargava Phytolab Director & Founder, Karan Bhargava felicitated at Times 40 Under 40 Bangalore, March 29: The Times 40 Under 40 honored the achievements of young entrepreneurs, leaders, and change-makers who have made significant contributions in their respective fields. The event was held at the prestigious Hotel Four Season Embassy One in Bengaluru on March 24th, 2023. Bhargava Phytolab Director & Founder, Karan Bhargava felicitated at Times 40 Under 40 Karan Bhargava, Director and Founder of Bhargava Phytolab, felicitated at the Times 40 Under 40 ceremony by the well-known Bollywood actress Rakul Preet Singh.Speaking after being felicitated, Karan Bhargava responded, "it's a great honour for me to be given accolades and awarded in "Times 40 Under 40". I am truly obliged for this great glory and recognition given by the Times group"By acknowledging and receiving this award I ensure you people that our organization's future actions would only get well-skilled and just better for serving mankind in the health sector. I will ensure that this award is just the beginning and soon with time much more awards are on our way. This courage and confidence have only come in through the trust that you people have in us. Thank you for this motivation and faith."Winston Churchill once said, "Success is not final; Failure is not fatal It is the courage to continue those counts". The story of Karan Bhargava, Director Bhargava Phytolab and Founder of Homoeo Amigo, truly exemplifies this philosophy."Being selected at Times 40 Under 40 is nothing less than a dream. It inspires me to do better," says Karan.At an early age, Karan was tasked with developing homoeopathic solutions by his father Mr R.S Bhargava, in such a way that his organisation emerged as one of the biggest ride-hailing homoeopathic firms. It is evident that he has successfully shaped Bhargava Phytolab as a leading homoeopathic company, in terms of exports and maintaining the efficacy of homoeopathy medicine. Led forward under his vision, leadership and strategic direction, the company has built strong momentum in its home and international markets, amplified its capability and strengthened its core.Karan's vision for homoeopathy does not end here. He also started a homoeopathic chain called "Homoeo Amigo" two years ago, to make homoeopathy accessible to everyone across India, so they can benefit from the natural, non-invasive, side effects-free treatment. The company stays updated on any new research or developments in the field of Homeopathy and paves the way for a consultation with homoeopathy doctors across Delhi NCR and Kolkata.The organisation is committed to providing advanced homoeopathic treatment enriched with decades of rich experience, excellence and expertise in treating various diseases using world-class techniques, the latest advances, sophisticated technology and software for effective treatment of diseases without any side effects.Karan has always been keen to drive a strategic growth roadmap and identify new avenues of growth for Homeopathy. He believes that value is created through strategic alliances and by ensuring customers receive the value. The organisation is committed to addressing the root cause of problems and eliminating it in the most natural way possible. Valuing and honouring the trust of patients, the team offers holistic methods of treatment that act more like a way of life.In conclusion, Karan's contribution to Homeopathy has been significant. His passion and dedication to alternative medicine have helped to create awareness about Homeopathy and its benefits. He is a shining example of how a young person can make a difference in the world by pursuing his/her passion and working towards their goals. Karan's story is an inspiration to all those who aspire to make a difference in their communities.This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN)ANI30 March 2023 Shared Recently! Qabil Ashirov Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov met with Turkiye's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fateh Donmez within the framework of the meeting of energy ministers of the Organization of Turkish States in Hungary, Azernews reports, citing the Energy Ministry. The minister said that he was saddened by the tragedy that happened in Turkiye and that Azerbaijan is always with the brotherly country. At the meeting discussed the issues related to gas transit through Turkiye, increasing the transmission capacity of TANAP within the framework of the expansion of the Southern Gas Corridor, new opportunities for cooperation in the field of exploration and production of hydrocarbon deposits between SOCAR and BOTAS, TPAO, and the implementation of the Igdir-Nakhchivan pipeline project. The meeting heard that the construction of the part of the pipeline passing through Turkiye will be started in the near future. Besides that, the meeting also discussed large-scale wind and solar energy projects to be implemented with investors in Nakhchivan. The export of a large part of this energy to Turkiye, as well as the steps to be taken in the direction of supplying green energy to Europe through this country, were considered. In order to realize new opportunities for cooperation, the importance of signing a relevant document in the field of energy between the two countries was noted. Jim Bradley got onboard with railroading long before he toured the country on photography excursions. A Cumberland County native, he grew up in Mount Zion in South Middleton Township near Carlisle Junction, a hub of railroad activity. A selection of his images highlighting local transportation will be part of Railroading in the Valley, a featured exhibit of the Cumberland County Historical Society opening to the public April 15. It promises to be visually appealing, informative and nostalgic, said Shawn Gladden, the societys executive director. This exhibit will run until and December and span over six different galleries. The exhibit will include photos, artifacts and collectible memorabilia from the countys Historical Societys collection, the Jim Bradley Photo Collection, the Historical Society of East Pennsboro, Harris Tower, Shippensburg, the Mechanicsburg Museum Association and a few private collections. The exhibit will also feature working model railroad displays from the Cumberland Valley Model Railroad Association. This is the latest Cumberland County Historical Society exhibit to feature the work of Bradley, who for 50 years photographed the people, places and events of central Pennsylvania. A 1953 graduate of Boiling Springs High School, Bradley enlisted in the Navy and was trained at its photography school. From 1958 to 1987, he worked for Allied Pix Service, a commercial studio that provided images to such news outlets as the Patriot-News. As long-time historical society members, Jim and Mary Bradley hosted slide show presentations with Mary acting as narrator and Jim operating the projector. He often attended society exhibits and events, taking photos for the nonprofit organization. Mary Bradley died from cancer in 2009. Following his death on Dec. 31, 2020, at age 84, the society became the sole heir of the Bradley estate that included approximately $400,000 along with three collections of archival material spanning decades of local, regional and state history. It is estimated that the Jim Bradley Photo Collection numbers over a million images preserved as prints, slides and negatives. The society also received the writings of Mary Bradley, a reporter and columnist for the Patriot-News who touched on a variety of history topics. The couple also donated their books and other resources to the society. About one-third of the Bradley photo collection focuses on the railroads of the Northeast, society photo curator Richard Tritt said. This amounts to hundreds of thousands of images. Other segments focused on railroads and rail activity in other parts of the U.S. and even other countries. Bradley even had maps detailing the routes. One reason why were not typical is the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, Tritt said of the historic society and its holdings. That was something that drew international attention to Carlisle and Cumberland County. The society receives requests for Indian School photos from researchers around the globe. A similar scenario could develop among enthusiasts of the Bradley collection, Tritt said in January 2022. They know of him and his reputation. Theyre chomping at the bit to come and see. Its going to attract a new audience from all over the country. Theres a whole world out there of people interested in railroads. The exhibit will be free and open to the public Tuesday through Saturday with expanded hours starting in April of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the historic society, 21 N. Pitt St., in Carlisle. The gift shop, History on High, will feature railroad-related gifts and books. It is located at 33 W. High St., Carlisle, and is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. A special train exhibit opening event is scheduled for 5 to 7 p. m. April 14. RSVP is available on the societys website at www.historicalsociety.com. Photos: Cumberland County Historical Society film donation Amit Shah to visit Uttarakhands Haridwar on March 30, to attend inauguration ceremony of Patanjali University New Delhi, March 29: Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to visit Haridwar in Uttarakhand on March 30 to attend various events, including the computerization of multipurpose cooperatives of the state and the inauguration ceremony of Patanjali University, officials said on Wednesday. Amit Shah to visit Uttarakhand's Haridwar on March 30, to attend inauguration ceremony of Patanjali University In his day-long visit to Haridwar, which is nearly 250 km from the national capital, the home minister will participate first in the convocation ceremony of Gurukul Kangri University in the morning.Later, the home minister will attend events that include the computerization of multipurpose cooperatives of the state, and the inauguration of joint cooperative farming, Jan Suvidha Kendras and Jan Aushadhi Kendras in the afternoon at Rishikul Ayurvedic College Ground.As per officials, the computerization of multipurpose cooperative societies in 670 justice panchayats across Uttarakhand has been successfully completed and the home minister will start these online during his visit to the state.With the launch of this scheme, the officials said, farmers across Uttarakhand will be able to get various facilities under one roof through committees. Along with this, the establishment of Jan Suvidha Kendra and Jan Aushadhi Kendras in 95 Multipurpose Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (MPACS) of the state will also be inaugurated by the Union Minister.In the evening, Shah will be participating in the inauguration ceremony of Patanjali University at Patanjali Yogpeeth.ANI30 March 2023 Shared Recently! Ranchi Smart City: Posh duplex for ministers, no bricks laid for commoners Ranchi, March 29: The 'Ranchi Smart City' project in the Jharkhand capital provides two contrasting pictures with different hues in one single frame. While posh and luxurious duplexes for ministers are nearing completion, no foundation has yet been laid for the common people. Ranchi Smart City: Posh duplex for ministers, no bricks laid for commoners According to sources, 18 luxurious duplexes for 11 ministers are being given the finishing touches. Chief Minister Hemant Soren recently visited the project site to review the work, following which he instructed the officials to finish the construction at the earliest.The possession of these posh bungalows, raised at an estimated cost of Rs 70 crore, is expected to begin next month. The project is being developed by a Hyderabad-based firm.Each duplex, built on an area of 16,321 sq. feet boasts of modern amenities. It would be segmented into two parts -- residential and an annexe block. The ministers would look into their office-related matters in the annexe area.The duplex would be air-conditioned and fitted with lifts.The ground floor of the residential block would comprise an entrance gallery, drawing room, lobby, guest room with washroom, master bedroom suite, dining area, utility area, kitchen, family lounge, the minister's residential chamber, inner office area and the caretaker's room.The first floor would accommodate a family lounge, master bedroom, children's bedroom, pantry area, multipurpose storage section, 'puja' room, open terrace and a balcony.Each duplex would have a front-facing park while all its bedrooms will have dedicated balconies.A club house is also being constructed in the residential block. It would have a cafe, lounge, reception office, gym, badminton court, kitchen, bathroom etc.Two dormitories have been built as well for driver(s) and guard(s).The Smart City is being developed in Ranchi's Dhurwa locality spread over 656 acres.The foundation was laid on September 9, 2017 by former Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu.The project was initially planned to be completed in five years but the process got delayed due to several roadblocks.Of the 18 planned projects, 12 have been shown the green flag.However, not a single brick has yet been laid for the 16,000 flats planned for the common people.Around Rs 350 crore has been spent on infrastructure-related work such as roads, sewerage-drainage, water supply, electricity etc.IANS30 March 2023 Shared Recently! Obesity diagnosis may result in significant weight loss without surgery or nausea Indianapolis, March 29: Imagine getting the benefits of gastric bypass surgery without having to go under the knife -- a new class of compounds may be able to do just that. These potential treatments significantly reduce body weight and blood glucose levels in laboratory animals. Obesity diagnosis may result in significant weight loss without surgery or nausea The injectable compounds also avoid nausea and vomiting which are common side effects of current weight-loss and diabetes medications. Scientists now report that the new treatment not only lowers eating but also increases calorie burn.The researchers will present their results today at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). ACS Spring 2023 is a hybrid meeting being held virtually and in-person March 26-30, and features more than 10,000 presentations on a wide range of science topics."Obesity and diabetes were the pandemic before the COVID-19 pandemic," says Robert Doyle, Ph.D., one of the two principal investigators on the project, along with Christian Roth, M.D. "They are a massive problem, and they are projected to only get worse."Gastric bypass and related procedures, known collectively as bariatric surgery, offer one solution, often resulting in lasting weight loss and even remission of diabetes. But these operations carry risk, aren't suitable for everyone and aren't accessible for many of the hundreds of millions of people worldwide who are obese or diabetic. As an alternative, Doyle says, they could tackle their metabolic problems with a drug that replicates the long-term benefits of surgery.Those benefits are linked to a post-bypass-surgery change in the gut's secretion levels of certain hormones -- including glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY) -- that signal fullness, curb appetite and normalize blood sugar. Current drugs that aim to replicate this effect primarily activate cellular receptors for GLP-1 in the pancreas and brain. That approach has shown great success in reducing weight and treating type 2 diabetes, drawing a lot of social media postings from celebrities in recent months. But many people can't tolerate the drugs' side effects, says Doyle. "Within a year, 80 to 90% of people who start on these drugs are no longer taking them." Doyle is at Syracuse University and SUNY Upstate Medical University, and Roth is at Seattle Children's Research Institute.To address that drawback, various researchers have designed other treatments that interact with more than one type of gut hormone receptor. For example, Doyle's group created a peptide that activates two receptors for PYY, as well as the receptor for GLP-1. Dubbed GEP44, this compound caused obese rats to eat up to 80% less than they would typically eat. By the end of one 16-day study, they lost an average of 12% of their weight. That was more than three times the amount lost by rats treated with liraglutide, an injected drug that activates only the GLP-1 receptor and that is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treating obesity. In contrast to liraglutide, tests with GEP44 in rats and shrews (a mammal that, unlike rats, is capable of vomiting) revealed no sign of nausea or vomiting, possibly because activating multiple receptors may cancel out the intracellular signalling pathway that drives those symptoms, Doyle says.In its latest results, his team is now reporting that the weight loss caused by GEP44 can be traced not only to decreased eating, but also to higher energy expenditure, which can take the form of increased movement, heart rate or body temperature.GEP44 has a half-life in the body of only about an hour, but Doyle's group has just designed a peptide with a much longer half-life. That means it could be injected only once or twice a week instead of multiple times a day. The researchers are now reporting that rats treated with this next-generation compound keep their new, slimmer physique even after treatment ends, which often isn't the case with currently approved drugs, Doyle says.But weight loss isn't the only benefit of the peptide treatments. They also reduce blood sugar by pulling glucose into muscle tissue, where it can be used as fuel, and by converting certain cells in the pancreas into insulin-producing cells, helping replace those that are damaged by diabetes. And there's yet another benefit Doyle and Heath Schmidt, Ph.D., of the University of Pennsylvania, recently reported that GEP44 reduces the craving for opioids such as fentanyl in rats. If that also works in humans, Doyle says, it could help addicts quit the illicit drugs or fend off a relapse.The researchers have filed for patents on their compounds, and they plan to test their peptides in primates. They will also study how the treatments change gene expression and rewire the brain, and what that could mean for these compounds, as well as other types of medication."For a long time, we didn't think you could separate weight reduction from nausea and vomiting, because they're linked to the exact same part of the brain," Doyle says. But the researchers have now uncoupled those two pathways -- and that has implications for chemotherapy, which causes similar side effects. "What if we could maintain the benefit of chemotherapy drugs but tell the part of the brain that causes vomiting and nausea to knock it off? Then we could dose patients at a higher level, so they would have a better prognosis, and they would also have a better quality of life while undergoing chemotherapy," he says.ANI30 March 2023 Shared Recently! 17 passengers left behind at Vijayawada airport as flight to Kuwait leaves early Vijayawada, March 29: Seventeen passengers were left stranded at the Vijayawada international airport on Wednesday after an Air India Express flight to Kuwait took off three hours before the departure time mentioned on their tickets. 17 passengers left behind at Vijayawada airport as flight to Kuwait leaves early The passengers were shocked when they reported at the airport at 11 a.m. but were told that the flight had left at 9.55 a.m.The departure time of the IX695 flight was 1.10 p.m., as per the tickets booked by these passengers two days ago. The passengers complained that they had no prior information about the change in the departure time, adding that they were asked to report at 11 a.m., but were not informed about the new departure timing.When the passengers approached the airline staff at the airport, they were told the change in timing was intimated in various websites where tickets were sold."How can they expect us to check with the websites for changes in the departure timing," asked Paul, one of the passengers who missed the flight.Only those passengers who booked after the rescheduling boarded the flight.The flight reached Vijayawada from Trichy at 9 a.m. and left for Kuwait at 9.55 a.m. It was earlier announced that the flight will reach Vijayawada from Trichy at 12.15 p.m. and take off for Kuwait at 1.10 p.m.Airport officials said the airline had rescheduled the departure due to some issues that are not uncommon in international operations. They also claimed that the airline provided alternative to some of the passengers.IANS30 March 2023 Shared Recently! Orthodox Christian clerics refuse to leave Kiev monastery Kiev, March 30: Despite a planned eviction order issued by the Ukrainian government for hundreds of priests, monks and students, Orthodox Christian clerics have refused to leave a historic monastery in the capital city. Orthodox Christian clerics refuse to leave Kiev monastery The Pechersk Lavra is a seat of Ukraine's Orthodox Church (UOC), which split from the Moscow patriarchate after Russia launched its war on February 24, 2022, reports the BBC.Since its foundation as the cave monastery in 1051, the Lavra has been a pre-eminent centre of Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Eastern Europe.The UOC had been ordered to leave the site by the end of Wednesday.The Ukrainian government, which owns the vast 11th Century monastery overlooking the Dnipro river, said the eviction decision was taken after a commission discovered multiple violations of the tenancy agreement of the complex, which is also a Unesco World Heritage Site.But Metropolitan Clement, head of the UOC press office, said there were "no legal grounds" for the expulsion, announced earlier this month."If the government forces us to do it illegally, it's called totalitarianism. We don't need such a state or government. We have the constitution and laws. We don't accept other methods," he told the BBC.Ukrainian authorities have also accused some UOC members of covertly supporting Moscow during the war, although some leaders have denounced the Russian invasion.Last year, Ukraine's security service carried out a raid of the Lavra and other buildings belonging to the UOC, and dozens of clerics were arrested on accusations of treason and collaboration with Russia, reports the BBC.The UOC, however, says there is no evidence to support the charges.IANS30 March 2023 Shared Recently! Israel welcomes opening of Azerbaijani embassy in Tel Aviv Jerusalem, March 30: Azerbaijan has opened an embassy in Israel, three decades after the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Israel welcomes opening of Azerbaijani embassy in Tel Aviv Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen hosted his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov before the opening ceremony, Xinhua news agency reported.Cohen said that the opening of the embassy in Tel Aviv marks "an important occasion for our two countries and peoples".He stressed that Azerbaijan is a "strategic partner", and he plans to go on a diplomatic visit to Baku with an economic delegation "soon".For his part, Bayramov said that "Israel was one of the first countries to recognise the independence of Azerbaijan. During the past 30 years, relations between the two countries were strong on the basis of dialogue and mutual understanding"."We discussed ways to enhance economic cooperation, which has promising opportunities," Bayramov said, adding that 114 Israeli companies operate in Azerbaijan and there have been direct flights between the two countries since 1993.Israel and Azerbaijan have had official ties for 30 years, and Israel first opened its embassy in Baku in 1993.IANS30 March 2023 Shared Recently! Congress TN unit gears up for 2024, Rahul Gandhi issue livens up grassroots Chennai, March 29: Even as the 2024 Lok Sabha elections are more than a year away, political parties in Tamil Nadhu have commenced preparations for it. Congress' TN unit gears up for 2024, Rahul Gandhi issue livens up grassroots Chief Minister and DMK President M.K. Stalin has urged party workers to win all the 39 seats in the state and to wrest the lone seat in Puducherry from the AIADMK. His party also appointed observers for all 234 Assembly constituencies and is in the process of strengthening booth committees.In a similar vein, its ally, the Congress has also commenced organisational work at the grass root level to win the seats allocated to it in the next Lok Sabha polls.The Congress had contested 9 seats in Tamil Nadu and one seat in Puducherry in 2019, winning 8 of the 9 seats in Tamil Nadu with the lone loser being veteran leader and former Union Minister, E.V.K.S. Elangovan who lost from Theni constituency to O.P. Raveendranath, son of O. Panneerselvam.Talking to IANS, state Congress President K.S. Alagiri said "The Congress is a commendable force in Tamil Nadu and our alliance with the DMK is intact. The people friendly schemes of the DMK government and the relentless struggle by our leader Rahul Gandhi has increased the stakes of the Congress in the state."He said that the party would strive to win all the seats from Tamil Nadu and the grass root work for the same has begun.The Congress leadership has chalked out a strategy wherein the party will also appoint full-time observers for each Assembly constituency and will put special care in the assembly constituencies where the AIADMK or the BJP had won. The issue pertaining to the disqualification of Gandhi from the Lok Sabha has become a major subject for the party to motivate its grass root cadres and already the party has conducted agitations and protest marches at the booth levels in the state.The Congress state leadership has also taken up several programmes to highlight the "anti-people" policies of the Central government and is conducting meetings at the grass root level for creating awareness against its policies and programmes that were affecting the public.A senior Congress leader, who did not want to be named, said that the party is highly rejuvenated in Tamil Nadu and is certain to repeat the victory it had in 2019, winning 8 of the 9 seats. "This time our focus is to win all the 9 seats which is not a big task to do."IANS30 March 2023 Shared Recently! Miami Open: Alcaraz-Fritz, Kvitova-Alexandrova quarterfinals rescheduled due to rain Miami, March 30: The men's and women's singles quarterfinal clashes between Carlos Alcaraz-Taylor Fritz and Petra Kvitova- Ekaterina Alexandrova at the Miami Open on Wednesday night was postponed due to rain. Miami Open: Alcaraz-Fritz, Kvitova-Alexandrova quarterfinals rescheduled due to rain The World No. 1, Alcaraz, who must successfully defend his debut ATP Masters 1000 title in Miami this week to remain atop the ATP Rankings, will continue his quest for the 'Sunshine Double' against Fritz on Thursday night now.On the other hand, the last remaining singles quarterfinal between No.15 seed Kvitova and No.18 seed Alexandrova never got started and will be also held on Thursday.Defending champion Alcaraz is aiming to become the youngest player to win the 'Sunshine Double'. If the Spaniard can defeat Fritz and go all the way, he will also remain at No. 1 in the ATP Rankings. Any slip up, however, and Novak Djokovic will return to the top.Chasing his 10th consecutive win, the Spaniard will look to maintain his level and overcome Top 10 star Fritz. The American is no stranger to the big stage, having lifted the trophy in Indian Wells last year.Fritz would rise to No. 6 in the ATP Rankings if he lifts his second ATP Masters 1000 crown on Sunday.Meanwhile, the last remaining women's doubles quarterfinal, pitting No.2 seeds American pair Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula against No.6 seeds Australian-Belgian duo of Storm Hunter and Elise Mertens, was also interrupted and postponed as well.Hunter and Mertens lead that match 3-1 in the first set when rain played spoilsport.IANS30 March 2023 Shared Recently! Two candidates will be on Tuesday's election ballot for Leadwood mayor, with additional races for aldermen in Ward 1 and 2. Incumbent Mayor Ed Austin and challenger Robert Crump are seeking election as Leadwood's mayor. In Ward 1, incumbent Charles Lewis's alderman seat is being challenged by Anna Woods. Incumbent Alderman John Vickers seeks re-election to his seat in Ward 2, challenged by Richard "Dickie Davis. Mayoral Candidates Austin, 49, lives in the area of Bank Street. He and his wife have three biological children, three foster children he is in the process of adopting, and eight grandchildren. He is a mechanic for an area automotive repair business. When asked what motivated him to seek re-election, Austin said he wanted to see Leadwood's water utility issues resolved, and improvements to city streets. "Being the current mayor, I would like to make sure the water project stays on track with hopes to fix our streets once it is completed," Austin said. Speaking on his qualifications, Austin said his time serving as the city's mayor has made him well-informed on the issues. "Because I am the current mayor, I am already aware of what is going on in the city and making the moves that needed to be made several years ago to get the town good drinking water," Austin noted, "I am aware of the repairs that need to be made in the city." If re-elected, Austin said his main priorities were the city's water and road infrastructure. "At this point, we are so close to getting bids for groundbreaking to resolve our water issue that I plan to stay focused on that," he said. "And once that is completed, I would like to start working to get our streets repaired and work on making the city more appealing to the eye. "I know it probably won't be in the near future, but I would also like to see carnivals and city events happen again to build community rapport," Austin added. Robert Crump, 50, lives in the area of West Street in Leadwood. Crump has three daughters, one son, and one grandson. Crump is the son of the late Wayne Crump and Jacqueline Masson. Crump obtained his G.E.D. in 1990 and began training and working as an HVAC/home services technician for Johnson & Johnson Services based in Jonesboro, Georgia. In 1994, he earned EPA certification for refrigerant recovery and transportation/handling, along with many other industry certifications. Crump became a property maintenance supervisor for one of the largest multi-family management companies in the southeastern U.S. He left work at Lane Company Inc. in 1998 to pursue his own independent HVAC service. Asked why he is seeking election as Leadwood's mayor, Crump mentioned his strong ties to the city. "This is my hometown," Crump said. "My family's roots are deep here and have been for over 125 years. And like many others that consider Leadwood to be their hometown, we are all tired of the overpromising and under-delivering when it comes to city government. Given the opportunity by the good people of Leadwood, I look forward to reversing the nothing-gets-done-around-here mentality citizens have grown tired of and creating a community in which generations to come will be proud to call Leadwood home, too." Crump cited his willingness to listen to concerns and his management experience as qualifications for the mayoral seat. "I believe my ability to listen to people and resolve issues in a timely, efficient manner will go a long way should I be elected mayor," he explained. "I have experience working with a budget as well as managing many aspects of daily duties required of a mayor." In terms of his goals, Crump said, if elected, he would like to see progress on the city's water issues and bring more community events to the city. "Our water and sewer issue definitely needs to be finalized and progress forward; 'We're working on it' has gone on for far too long," said Crump. "Expanding our city park playground and bringing our ball field back to life as well as community picnics such as labor day and the 4th of July; This town has history and traditions that have been left abandoned. "We need an honest and community-involved police presence to keep our town safe," Crump continued. "We need ordinance enforcement to rid the town of dilapidated properties as well as property upkeep. Leadwood has been cast in a shadow of ruin for long enough. It is time to change this and begin the rebuilding process." Ward 1, Ward 2 Candidates The Daily Journal reached out to the candidates seeking to represent Leadwood's Ward 1 and Ward 2 on the city's board of aldermen; however, the candidates could not be reached or declined to participate in this year's pre-election candidate profiles. Voting for the elected positions in Leadwood will take place on Tuesday, April 4. Escalating conflict in Yemens Marib forces hundreds to flee Sanaa, March 30: Hundreds of people were forced to leave their homes as fighting between the Yemeni government and the Houthi militia has continued to escalate in the war-torn nation's oil-rich province of Marib, a military official said. Escalating conflict in Yemen's Marib forces hundreds to flee Key areas in Marib have been engulfed in armed confrontations over the past few days, leading to a large number of casualties on both sides, the official told Xinhua news agency late Wednesday.He said that the situation has become increasingly dire for the civilians caught in the crossfire in Harib district, as many have been forced to leave their homes and belongings behind in search of safer places."The ongoing battles prompted a mass exodus of people from several villages in Marib and Shabwa provinces, causing overcrowding in temporary shelters and refugee camps with limited resources," said the official.From March 19 to 25, approximately 235 families, comprising 1,410 individuals, were forced to leave their homes in Marib, Hodeidah, and Taiz, according to the International Migration Organization (IOM).The total number of families that had been transferred to various provinces in Yemen since January was 2,030, consisting of 12,180 individuals, according to the IOM.The recent Houthi attacks against government troops in Marib and other regions have shattered hopes for a lasting peace pact.The UN-brokered truce, which lasted from April to October last year, provided a momentary respite in the war-torn country.Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating civil war since 2014, with the Houthis fighting against the internationally-recognized government and its allies, which include a Saudi Arabia-led coalition.The years-long war brought the Arab world's poorest country to the brink of collapse, causing famine and widespread suffering as well as disrupting the country's food supply chain, leaving millions of people without access to adequate nutrition.IANS30 March 2023 Shared Recently! Mexican President vows no impunity for migrant centre deaths Mexico City, March 30: Mexican President President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said there will be no impunity for those responsible for the death of 38 migrants who died due to a fire at a detention centre in Ciudad Juarez city near the US border. Mexican President vows no impunity for migrant centre deaths "Investigations are being carried out to find out what really happened," Lopez Obrador said at a press conference.The Attorney General's Office has launched an investigation into the incident, Xinhua news agency reports.The fire erupted on Monday night at the office of National Migration Institute (INM) located near the Stanton-Lerdo Bridge, which housed migrants mainly from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Colombia and Venezuela.Ciudad Juarez, the Mexican city located just across the Rio Grande river from El Paso, Texas, has seen an influx of people in recent weeks.IANS30 March 2023 Shared Recently! Andhra CM Reddy meets Amit shah, urges release of fund for developmental projects New Delhi, March 30: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah here and urged him to resolve several long-pending issues since the bifurcation of the state. Andhra CM Reddy meets Amit shah, urges release of fund for developmental projects Chief Minister Reddy requested the Home Minister to immediately release a grant of Rs 10,000 crore on an ad-hoc basis to expedite Polavaram project. He added that pending issues have pushed Andhra Pradesh backwards in terms of development and revenue.He also requested for Rs 2,020 crore to fill the scourge pits formed at the main dam site due to the washing away of the diaphragm in flash floods, said a statement on Wednesday night.This is Reddy's second visit to Delhi in a month. On March 17, Reddy had met with Prime Minster Narendra Modi and Amit Shah.During the meeting, Reddy sought the reimbursement of Rs 2,601 crore expenditure incurred on Polavaram project and accept the technical advisory committee's revised estimates of Rs 55,548 crore, including treating the drinking water supply component as a part of it.Shah was apprised of the financial burden of Rs 5,527 crore that the state had incurred on supplying rations to 56 lakh families under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) due to irrational selection of beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act.As a result, the Chief Minister said that the state be compensated by the unused ration stocks as recommended by the NITI Aayog.Reddy appealed to the Centre to release the pending amount of Rs 36,625 under resource gap funding for the fiscal 2014-15 and raise the credit limit of Rs 17,923 crore, which was cut down from Rs 42,472 crore post the pandemic.IANS30 March 2023 Shared Recently! Dior Mumbai Show: Rekha looks like a vision in white as she poses with designer Maria Grazia Chiuri Mumbai, March 30: Evergreen actress Rekha is the ultimate fashion trendsetter in Bollywood. Be it her wardrobe in the films or her red-carpet appearances, she has always managed to give us iconic fashion goals. Dior Mumbai Show: Rekha looks like a vision in white as she poses with designer Maria Grazia Chiuri And now guess what? With her impeccable sense of style, Rekha has found a fan in Maria Grazia Chiuri, who is Christian Dior's creative director.The 'Khubsoorat' star recently met Maria ahead of Dior's pre-fall 2023 fashion show in Mumbai.Taking to Instagram, Maria dropped a stunning picture with Rekha.The image shows Rekha exuding elegance in a white saree that she paired with a matching blouse. Staying true to her style, she opted for bold red lipstick and carried a golden potli. She accessorised the ensemble with a heavy pair of traditional golden earrings and bangles.Rekha's elegant look has left Maria in awe."I was so touched to meet the iconic Rekha gi last night for the first time. India's most iconic woman and incredible actresss. I am so grateful you have joined us last night, it was a true honour," Maria said in the caption.Dior also shared the same picture with the caption, saying, "The House has long held Indian culture in high esteem, and here the legendary actress Rekha is accompanied by @MariaGraziaChiuri ahead of the Dior Fall 23 show taking place on Thursday, March 30 at 8.30 pm IST, live from the symbolic setting of the Gateway of India, Mumbai."Dior's Mumbai show, which is being held in collaboration with the Chanakya School of Craft by label JADE, is inspired by India and will exhibit several pieces embroidered by talented Indian artisans on Thursday.Sonam Kapoor is among the A-list celebrities who have been invited to the Dior Fall 2023 show in Mumbai tonight. She shared a picture of the invite on her Instagram stories, and the package included a printed fan, a Lady Dior handbag, a scarf, among other items. "So happy @dior so happy the house is showcasing the collection in India mumbai... cannot wait to see all that is done! Also thank you for the wonderful goodies," wrote Sonam.Anushka Sharma is also expected to attend the fashion gala.ANI30 March 2023 Shared Recently! PM Modi expresses condolence over Girish Bapats death New Delhi, March 29: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, expressed condolences on the death of former BJP MP Girish Bapat and remembered his role in strengthening the party in Maharashtra. PM Modi expresses condolence over Girish Bapat's death Taking to Twitter, PM Modi stated, "Shri Girish Bapat Ji was a humble and hardworking leader who served society diligently. He worked extensively for the development of Maharashtra and was particularly passionate about Pune's growth. His passing away is saddening. Condolences to his family and supporters. Om Shanti"."Shri Girish Bapat Ji played a key role in building and strengthening the BJP in Maharashtra. He was an approachable MLA who raised issues of public welfare. He also made a mark as an effective Minister and later as Pune's MP. His good work will keep motivating several people," he added in a subsequent tweet.Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde also expressed condolences, saying, "I express my heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of BJP MP Girish Bapat. He started his career as a grassroots-level worker to become an ideal public representative".Earlier in the day, BJP MP from Pune city constituency Girish Bapat passed away after being admitted at Deenanath Mangeshkar hospital in Pune.The BJP leader was critically ill. He was admitted to ICU and was on life support.BJP MP Girish Bapat won the Lok Sabha elections from the Pune City constituency in 2019.ANI30 March 2023 Shared Recently! Studywoo launch One stop solution for students education needs New Delhi, March 30: Studywoo.com is a leading education news and career guide portal of India. We are providing correct, sufficient, and quality information in one pool. We provide the whole and satisfactory information from various colleges and universities in India with their courses, admission procedures, placements, and related information. Studywoo launch One stop solution for students' education needs Studywoo.com is an awesome place to find material like "career after 12th" and "career after graduation". We are striving continually to update the latest and finest information about education in India and support the particular to find a career and higher studies. Our website, Studywoo.com is designed in the easiest way. Anyone can understand the simple language and operating mechanism/navigation to find the desired destination. Our specially designed website is easy to access on mobiles and tablets as well. We feature the material and information about education and career after doing a complete data analysis and research. Here, we have the listing, rating and reviews of colleges and universities in India.Mr Ankur Srivastav, CEO of Studywoo, says, as a university and college information provider, Study Woo understands the importance of selecting the right college or university. This decision can have a significant impact on your career and personal growth, and it's important to carefully consider all your options before making a choice. For that Studywoo Launching a "One stop solution for your education needs!"To start, it's essential to understand the different types of colleges and universities available to you. There are public and private institutions, as well as community colleges and trade schools. Each type of institution has its own unique benefits and drawbacks, so it's important to do your research and understand what each type of institution offers.Next, it's important to consider the programs and majors available at each institution. Different colleges and universities specialize in different fields of study, so it's important to select an institution that offers the program or major you're interested in pursuing. You should also consider the reputation of the institution and its faculty in your chosen field of study.Another important consideration is the location of the institution. Do you prefer a small college town or a big city? Do you want to study close to home or are you willing to travel further away? These are all important questions to consider as you select the right institution for you.Finally, it's important to consider the cost of attendance and the availability of financial aid. College and university can be expensive, but there are many options available to help you pay for your education. Scholarships, grants, and student loans are just a few of the options available to students, and it's important to research and understand each option before deciding.At our university and college information provider, Studywoo is here to help you make the best decision for your future. Our website offers a wealth of information on colleges and universities across the country, including information on programs, majors, and costs.For more information please visitThis story is provided by GPRC. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/GPRC)ANI30 March 2023 Shared Recently! Download Now The News-Gazette mobile app brings you the latest local breaking news, updates, and more. Read the News-Gazette on your mobile device just as it appears in print. Champaign, IL (61820) Today Sunshine and a few afternoon clouds. High 58F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers after midnight. Low 42F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. In a recent article published in the Communications Biology Journal, researchers in Sweden found new evidence favoring the hypothesis that wastewaters and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) presented a feasible environment for mobilizing antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the past. They also raised concerns that the mobilization of additional ARGs could also occur in wastewaters and WWTPs in the future. Study: Evidence for wastewaters as environments where mobile antibiotic resistance genes emerge. Image Credit:rhendrix/Shutterstock.com Background Studies have found links between almost all identified ARGs-origin species and infections in humans and animals. So, earlier researchers believed their corresponding ARGs also originated in the human or animal microbiota, most likely due to selection pressure from antibiotic use. Regardless of their origin, increasing antibiotic resistance in pathogenic microbial species (through the acquisition of mobile ARGs) has become a significant public health concern worldwide. But, more importantly, many ARGs have increased their mobilization by acquiring small transposable elements, e.g., insertion sequences (ISs), and once mobilized, they might spread even faster. Current knowledge about the environment type(s) feasible for ARG mobilization and the mobilization process is limited. Researchers hypothesize that many clinically relevant ARGs originated in environmental bacteria but have not yet detected them in pathogens. So, identifying the origin species in which many of today's frequently encountered mobile ARGs gained mobility is crucial. Recently Ebmeyer et al. summarized the scientific evidence about the origins of mobile ARGs, how they transitioned from being highly immobile on a chromosome to being readily transferrable through establishing a connection with mobile genetic elements, and proposed ways to identify ARG origin species. There is enough evidence to show that nearly 30 ARGs originated in 23 unique origin species, and the indications for IS elements from those species play a role in the mobilization process, referred to as mobilizing insertion sequences (MISE). About the study In this study, researchers investigated 22 ARG-origin species defined by Ebmeyer et al. to find environments where the initial mobilization of these ARGs likely occurred. They developed a method based on the Kraken2 approach operating directly on short genomic reads, together with a custom-made well-optimized database to precisely quantify the presence of these origin species in a test sample. The team also retrieved complete or representative genomes of some species from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) assembly. In addition, they extracted all sequences annotated as plasmids as they often contain many mobile genetic elements. Notably, they used discriminatory regions of the DNA for origin species classification. Of all fragments classified at a species level, some were falsely classified as an origin species. So, the researchers set the Kraken2 parameters to restrict the false positive rate (FPR). Then, the researchers estimated that the median true positive rate (TPR) to identify origin species was 0.95, while the FPR was 9.59 107. The team finally evaluated the fraction of true and false positives in March 2021, which fetched an average TPR of 0.97 for reads of lengths between 100 and 150 base pairs. Further, the researchers analyzed a large set of metagenomic data from several environments for the presence and abundance of origin species and their corresponding MISE. They divided all 30 datasets into smaller sets of seven, four, four, nine, and six into five categories: human, animal, soil, water/sediment, and WWTPs, respectively. There were 2,496 unique samples with a minimum of 20 million fragments, which the team processed using an in-house built pipeline. Post-processing and analysis, the results from the raw analysis were parsed in Python and gathered as count tables. Finally, the researchers used the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney tests to assess the difference in abundance between environments and the Benjamini-Hochberg algorithm to estimate the false discovery rate (FDR). Results The study results showed that almost all known origin species for mobile ARGs were substantially more abundant in wastewater and, to some extent, in contaminated water/sediments, especially those contaminated by human feces. A small fraction of stool samples also had a relatively high abundance of a few origin species. However, strikingly, most of the origin species lacked a corresponding MISE in the analyzed genomes, indicating that an additional, potentially foreign, genetic material was present in the investigated environment types for the ARG to acquire intracellular mobility. Those MISE were also most abundant in influents to WWTPs, providing new evidence for wastewaters and WWTPs as possible environments where ARG mobilization occurred and where additional ARGs could mobilize in the future. Conversely, these MISE were substantially less common in human stool metagenomes. Thus, hundreds of humans could be the site of ARG mobilization as they carry origin species, possibly as transient members of their intestinal microbiome in relatively low abundance. Contrastingly, in WWTP influents, the investigated origin species and corresponding MISE almost always co-occurred (in abundance) with a mixture of antibiotics. Except for Hafnia paralvei, which, on average, was more abundant in the human microbiota but not substantially, the average relative abundance of other origin species was lower in the human microbiota compared to other environment types. Among other species, Rheinheimera pacifica was most abundant in the WWTP influent of two aquaculture sites in China. Shewanella algae, mainly found in marine samples, were, on average, more abundant in environments other than WWTPs. Furthermore, 81 human stool samples from subjects treated with antibiotics had a significantly higher abundance of Enterobacter mori. The researchers noted substantial differences between stool samples from different countries. Interestingly, the researchers also detected some origin species in soil-related environments, e.g., Rheinheimera pacifica in grassland in Argentina and Hafnia alvei in agricultural land in Finland. Only a minority of origin species carried MISE associated with the mobilization of the corresponding ARG, suggesting that in many cases, the intracellular mobilization required the acquisition of MISE from another microbial species, directly or indirectly, e.g., through free deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragments. The authors noted that the average relative abundance of the MISE was the highest in untreated hospital effluent and WWTP influent, as well as poultry feces. Proteobacteria species dominated the microbial composition of the samples obtained from WWTP and water/sediments datasets. On the other hand, Actinobacteria or Proteobacteria dominated most of the soil environments, and a mixture of Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria comprised the human and animal-related environments. Two aquatic datasets, e.g., Kazipally lake, extensively polluted with antibiotics from drug manufacturing, had a higher relative abundance for most origin species. Conclusions Earlier researchers believed that the human and animal intestine was a likely environment for the mobilization and transfer of ARGs to pathogens. However, the current study presented new knowledge on the abundance of origin species and the associated mobilizing elements in different environments and pointed toward wastewaters as the most feasible site for mobilizing known ARGs. Since only a minority of the origin species carried their corresponding MISE, the high abundance of MISE in WWTP was not due to the high abundance of original species in WWTPs. Instead, some non-random factors likely drove this mobilization process. There is an urgent need for concerted efforts to survey recognized origin species and ARGs, manage novel threats, and better understand the mechanism, drivers, and environmental factors involved in ARG mobilization. Nevertheless, wastewater worldwide could remain a suitable environment for repeated mobilization events; thus, it deserves more attention in surveillance efforts. Proper wastewater management could reduce risks for the environmental transmission of several pathogens and the advent of new resistance threats. Still, there seems to be a dire need for more effective mitigation measures to considerably reduce bacterial release into the environment. A common amino acid, glycine, can deliver a "slow-down" signal to the brain, likely contributing to major depression, anxiety and other mood disorders in some people, scientists at the Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology have found. The discovery, outlined Thursday in the journal Science, improves understanding of the biological causes of major depression and could accelerate efforts to develop new, faster-acting medications for such hard-to-treat mood disorders, said neuroscientist Kirill Martemyanov, Ph.D., corresponding author of the study. "Most medications for people with depression take weeks before they kick in, if they do at all. New and better options are really needed," said Martemyanov, who chairs the neuroscience department at the institute in Jupiter. Major depression is among the world's most urgent health needs. Its numbers have surged in recent years, especially among young adults. As depression's disability, suicide numbers and medical expenses have climbed, a study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2021 put its economic burden at $326 billion annually in the United States. Martemyanov said he and his team of students and postdoctoral researchers have spent many years working toward this discovery. They didn't set out to find a cause, much less a possible treatment route for depression. Instead, they asked a basic question: How do sensors on brain cells receive and transmit signals into the cells? Therein lay the key to understanding vision, pain, memory, behavior and possibly much more, Martemyanov suspected. It's amazing how basic science goes. Fifteen years ago we discovered a binding partner for proteins we were interested in, which led us to this new receptor. We've been unspooling this for all this time." Kirill Martemyanov, Ph.D., corresponding author of the study In 2018 the Martemyanov team found the new receptor was involved in stress-induced depression. If mice lacked the gene for the receptor, called GPR158, they proved surprisingly resilient to chronic stress. That offered strong evidence that GPR158 could be therapeutic target, he said. But what sent the signal? A breakthrough came in 2021, when his team solved the structure of GPR158. What they saw surprised them. The GPR158 receptor looked like a microscopic clamp with a compartment -; akin to something they had seen in bacteria, not human cells. "We were barking up the completely wrong tree before we saw the structure," Martemyanov said. "We said, 'Wow, that's an amino acid receptor. There are only 20, so we screened them right away and only one fit perfectly. That was it. It was glycine." That wasn't the only odd thing. The signaling molecule was not an activator in the cells, but an inhibitor. The business end of GPR158 connected to a partnering molecule that hit the brakes rather than the accelerator when bound to glycine. "Usually receptors like GPR158, known as G protein Coupled Receptors, bind G proteins. This receptor was binding an RGS protein, which is a protein that has the opposite effect of activation," said Thibaut Laboute, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher from Martemyanov's group and first author of the study. Scientists have been cataloging the role of cell receptors and their signaling partners for decades. Those that still don't have known signalers, such as GPR158, have been dubbed "orphan receptors." The finding means that GPR158 is no longer an orphan receptor, Laboute said. Instead, the team renamed it mGlyR, short for "metabotropic glycine receptor." "An orphan receptor is a challenge. You want to figure out how it works," Laboute said. "What makes me really excited about this discovery is that it may be important for people's lives. That's what gets me up in the morning." Laboute and Martemyanov are listed as inventors on a patent application describing methods to study GPR158 activity. Martemyanov is a cofounder of Blueshield Therapeutics, a startup company pursuing GPR158 as a drug target. Glycine itself is sold as a nutritional supplement billed as improving mood. It is a basic building block of proteins and affects many different cell types, sometimes in complex ways. In some cells, it sends slow-down signals, while in other cell types, it sends excitatory signals. Some studies have linked glycine to the growth of invasive prostate cancer. More research is needed to understand how the body maintains the right balance of mGlyR receptors and how brain cell activity is affected, he said. He intends to keep at it. "We are in desperate need of new depression treatments," Martemyanov said. "If we can target this with something specific, it makes sense that it could help. We are working on it now." Alzheimer's disease is traditionally regarded as neurodegenerative disease, an illness that results in progressive neuronal damage due to protein accumulation. However, research from Amsterdam UMC increasingly shines a light on the role of the immune system in Alzheimer's offering a new perspective in the hunt for an effective treatment. Today, Professor Elga de Vries is awarded an ERC Advanced Grant of 2.5m to continue this, with the BRAIN Project. De Vries, head of Amsterdam UMC's Neuro-Immunology Research group, researches the role of the immune system in neurological diseases, including MS and Alzheimer's disease. In Alzheimer's disease the immune system is derailed likely contributing to inflammation in the brain and neurodegeneration. De Vries has now found that the immune system becomes unbalanced already early in the disease and defined a role for the adaptive immune system. She believes that this discovery creates a promising terrain in the search for a new way to tackle Alzheimer's disease. "My findings show that the immune system in patients with early Alzheimer's disease is already severely derailed. It seems like the immune system is exhausted. Specialized cytotoxic cells can play a role here. These cells may produce toxic chemicals that causes inflammation in the brain and neurodegeneration." Control of the immune system The BRAIN project aims to establish how the altered immune system leads to the progression of Alzheimer's. As potential regulators, De Vries now postulates that bioactive lipids may play a key role. She uncovered that different classes of lipids are involved in Alzheimer's pathogenesis. However, if and how they control the immune system in Alzheimer's remains an enigma. My data suggests the importance of bio-active lipids in early Alzheimer's disease. They may be able to control the immune system. But how and if this actually works is still an enigma." Professor Elga de Vries, head of Amsterdam UMC's Neuro-Immunology Research group The BRAIN project The BRAIN project, thus, aims to establish how the altered, or derailed, immune system correlates with the progression of Alzheimer's with the ultimate goal of developing new strategies that allow early intervention and fight worsening of disease. And for de Vries, these new strategies may well be in reach. Partly, thanks to the discovery of the possible role of cytotoxic cells and, partly due to the identification of how, through the use of lipids, we may be able to get the derailed immune system back on track. Advancing science The European Research Council (ERC) today awards 218 Advanced Grants to outstanding research leaders across Europe, as part of the Horizon Europe programme. The grants - totalling 544 million - support cutting-edge research in a wide range of fields, from medicine and physics to social sciences and humanities. The ERC Advanced Grant funding is amongst the most prestigious and competitive EU funding schemes, providing researchers with the opportunity to pursue ambitious, curiosity-driven projects that could lead to major scientific breakthroughs. They are awarded to established, leading researchers with a proven track-record of significant research achievements over the past decade. Grenova, the laboratory industrys only patented technology for washing and reusing plastic consumables, announced that it has been named a gold winner of the 2023 Governors Environmental Excellence Award. The awards were celebrated today at the Environment Virginia Symposium, an annual conference hosted by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. The Governors Environmental Excellence Awards recognize outstanding contributions to environmental conservation and sustainability in Virginia. Awards are given in five categories: sustainability, environmental project, greening of government, land conservation, and implementation of the Virginia Outdoors Plan. Winners are chosen from a pool of businesses and industrial facilities, not-for-profit organizations, and government agencies. Grenova was honored with the gold award in the sustainability category for its groundbreaking work in developing sustainable solutions for laboratory waste reduction. The companys products and services help laboratories reduce plastic waste by up to 90 percent and save hundreds of thousands of dollars in waste disposal costs. We are thrilled to receive this prestigious award. At Grenova, we are committed to developing innovative solutions that not only improve laboratory efficiency and accuracy but also contribute to a more sustainable future. This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, and we are honored to be recognized by the state for our contributions to environmental conservation and sustainability. Ali Safavi, CEO, Grenova. Grenovas mission is to eliminate single-use plastics from laboratories and reduce the environmental impact of laboratory waste. The companys innovative solutions have been adopted by leading research institutions and pharmaceutical companies and have been recognized by industry organizations and publications for their impact on sustainability and laboratory efficiency. Scientists of the Department of Animal Biology of the University of Malaga have discovered the cellular mechanism that originates coronary arterio-ventricular fistulae, a congenital anomaly that, in severe cases, may result in death. Jose Maria Perez Pomares, Professor at the UMA, and also member of IBIMA-Plataforma BIONAND, has conducted this study in collaboration with researchers of the National Center of Cardiovascular Research (CNIC) of Madrid, the Maternity and Children's Hospital of Malaga, the Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA) of Pamplona, and the Necker Hospital and Pasteur/Imagine Institute of Paris. The results have been published in the scientific journal Experimental and molecular medicine, of the prestigious publishing company Nature. Aberrant connections Coronary fistulae are aberrant connections between different blood vessels of the coronary system, large arteries or veins (aorta, pulmonary or cava) or other parts of the heart, such as its chambers (atria and ventricles). The most common coronary fistula is precisely this last type, the one connecting one coronary artery to the inside of the heart, the type of fistula that has been studied by these researchers of the University of Malaga. It is estimated that between 0.21 and 5.8 percent of the population have coronary anomalies, and between 0.1 and 0.2 percent of the patients that undergo medical examination of their coronary arteries have a fistula. "It's a relatively low incidence rate, although we have to take into account that, in many cases, the presence of this defect is not diagnosed", explains Perez Pomares. While fistulae are often small and do not entail serious conditions or complications, allowing those affected to lead a normal life, the largest fistulae may associate to serious complications, such as endocarditis -infection of the tissue that covers the heart internally-, hypertrophy or dilatation of ventricular walls or sudden death. The pathology corelates with other heart conditions; the spectrum is highly variable." Jose Maria Perez Pomares, Professor at the UMA Early diagnosis It is known that this congenital malformation appears during embryonic development, although so far there has been limited information on its origin. Therefore, Perez Pomares, who chaired the Working Group on Development, Anatomy & Pathology of the European Society of Cardiology for two years (2018-2020), has led one of the few studies that explains the causes of this defect, a study that may help improve early diagnosis of this type of anomalies and other associated pathologies. Results suggest that the appearance of discontinuities in the ventricular wall lies in the origin of this coronary defect. The Professor at the UMA points out that cardiac chambers have three tissue layers: endocardium, the most inner tissue; myocardium, the thick central layer, which enables the contraction of the atria and ventricles and, therefore, blood circulation; and epicardium, which covers the external surface of the organ. When the endocardium and the epicardium anomalously come into contact during early stages of embryonic development, normally because the myocardium that separates these two layers present abnormally thinner regions or porous zones, a connection is generated between the surface and the interior of the heart, which will mature in a fistula. In conducting this study, Perez Pomares' team worked on genetic and experimental animal models, but they could also study human samples of a particular case of paediatric coronary fistula. These samples were obtained through informed consent for research purposes. The results open the door to identify new candidate genes for early diagnosis of these congenital anomalies and their associated risks. Financial Secretary Paul Chan (fifth left) discusses the market situation and potential opportunities with senior management of Web3 firms during a breakfast meeting. On the last day of his trip to Singapore, Financial Secretary Paul Chan met representatives of Internet technology companies and encouraged them to develop their businesses in Hong Kong. During a breakfast meeting with founders and senior management of more than 10 world-leading Web3 and virtual asset platforms, Mr Chan and the participants exchanged views on the latest market situation, developments and potential opportunities. He also explained to them Hong Kongs ideas, policies and measures for promoting Web3 development. Many of the participants were interested in Hong Kongs efforts in fostering a vibrant technology ecosystem and indicated that they were considering setting up a business in Hong Kong. Mr Chan also gave a keynote address at a business luncheon. He briefed greentech and fintech startups on Hong Kongs policy support for startups, its vibrant innovation and technology ecosystem, the market opportunities in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area, the citys fund-raising channels and its listing platform. Concluding the visit, Mr Chan said: The economic development in China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is booming. By helping to deepen our co-operation with ASEAN and assisting them in developing and financing their businesses in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area, contributing to Asias regional economic development and fostering more human and cultural exchanges, Hong Kong will create ample space to develop for itself. The finance chief headed back to Hong Kong in the evening. In India, out-of-pocket expenses can run considerably high. Economic Survey 2022-23 illustrates that about half of the healthcare expenditure in India is out of pocket. While this has declined in recent years after awareness around health insurance grew due to the pandemic, the numbers are still painstakingly high compared to the global average. Often, consumers see health insurance as an expense that they dont need to incur. That is - until they end up spending a lot more on medical bills than they would have on the premium. This is especially true for the younger consumer segment. However, the last few years have demonstrated that no age is immune to health exigencies, and everyone needs sound health coverage to financially protect themselves. Now, coming to spending on the premium part, the health insurance ecosystem is constantly evolving to fit into consumer needs - that includes being cost-effective. Did you know that by staying healthy, you can get up to 100% of your premium waived off at the time of renewal? Thats not all. Lets detail out more such benefits that ensure cost-effectiveness in your health insurance policy- Assuming you are a 30-year-old living in one of the metro cities and have no pre-existing illnesses, your annual premium for a sum assured of Rs 10 lakhs will come to an average of Rs 10,000. Heres a quick snapshot of how you can bring down your premium by 50-90% with new-age benefits - Now, lets analyse the new-age features tailored to your requirements and health profile that make your policy more cost-effective - Savings on doctor consultation Whether we like it or not, given the recent rise in health issues, doctor visits have become an inescapable part of our lives. It could be anything minor or something more serious, but you need to consult a doctor to be sure. Even at a minimum, an average person of the profile mentioned above is likely to spend anywhere from Rs 1500-2000 annually on doctor visits. However, if they opt for a plan that covers OPD expenses including doctor consultations, they are adequately covered on that front even if the consultation expense shoots up during the policy term. Tax-savings Tax rebates have historically been a motivation for consumers to opt for insurance. Health insurance, too, comes with the benefit of a tax rebate under section 80D. By furnishing the proof of premium paid towards your health insurance policy, one stands to save up to a maximum of Rs 25,000 for self, spouse and dependent children. In addition to this, if you pay a premium for both senior citizen parents, the maximum limit allowed for deduction is Rs 50,000. If a senior citizen pays a premium for their senior citizen parents, the total deduction limit further goes up to Rs 10,00,000. A penny saved is a penny earned, so saving in taxes directly adds to your earnings. Wellness benefits Health insurance is not only for the sick or the elderly; it caters to everyone, including young and healthy consumers. Wonder why? The feature of wellness benefits in health insurance policy rewards the policyholder for staying fit and healthy. It could be through app monitoring, tracking steps or keeping a tab of physical activity. If policyholders meet the benchmark set by their insurers, they are eligible for these benefits. It could be in the form of a discount on renewal, redeemable vouchers, or reward points for health check-ups. In fact, you could even get a 100% discount on the premium at the time of renewal if you meet the required fitness criteria. Early bird benefits Young consumers often push back the decision of buying health insurance. However, it pays to buy early, quite literally. If you purchase health insurance before turning 35, many insurers allow a discount on premium upon the renewal of your policy. Young consumers are generally healthier and help keep the cumulative risk at bay, which is why insurance companies promote buying early for consumers and reward them with such benefits. This, in turn, makes your health plan even more cost-effective. Savings on annual health check-ups After the pandemic, preventive healthcare has gained momentum and people want to make sure they nip the health issue in the bud before it turns serious. So, before a health emergency strikes, people take preventive measures like a healthy lifestyle and regular health check-ups to make sure nothing untoward happens. An average person spends around Rs 2500 on health check-ups yearly. Health insurance plans now also cover annual health check-ups with coverage of Rs 2500-5000 which further brings down your actual cost of the plan and also helps keep a tab on your health. -The author is business head, health insurance, Policybazaar.com. Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication. Read all the Latest Business News here In the latest tech layoffs, edtech startup Unacademy on Thursday announced to lay off 380 employees, or 12 per cent of its workforce, according to media reports quoting an internal memo sent by CEO Gaurav Munjal. It comes a day after the company decided to hive off its coding learning platform CodeChef. In the memo, Munjal said, We have taken every step in the right direction to make our core business profitable, yet its not enough. We have to go further, we have to go deeper. Unfortunately, this has led me to take another difficult decision. We will be reducing the size of our team by 12 per cent to ensure that we can meet the goals we are chasing in the current realities we are facing." The SoftBank and General Atlantic-backed company had laid off about 1,350 employees in two rounds last year April 2022 (1,000 workers) and November 2022 (350 employees). In January this year also, its subsidiary Relevel also let go of 40 employees. Apart from this, In June 2022, the company had cut management salaries and done away with perks like business class travel and free food for employees to cut costs. There have been reports of plans to merge Unacademy with Byjus-owned Akash Institute. However, BYJUs has denied reports that it is considering a merger of rival Gaurav Munjal-run Unacademy into Aakash Educational Services. We strongly deny that BYJUS is considering a merger of Unacademy into Aakash Educational Services. As a parent company, BYJUS is committed to investing in the growth of Aakash Educational Services, which is growing at more than 50 per cent year-on-year," a BYJUs spokesperson has said. Read all the Latest Business News here Stock markets across the globe are experiencing turbulence. Due to the failure of two US banks, investors are experiencing uncertain conditions. The crisis in the American banking industry has also fueled concerns about a worldwide recession. If you have investments in the stock market, you must also take precautions to protect your money from losses and to benefit from the markets turbulence. You can benefit considerably at this moment from following the investment maxims of Warren Buffett, the famous American business magnate. Warren Buffett has provided many fundamental maxims to investors to avoid the effects of the recession. Implementing these tips will aid you in not losing hard-earned money. As billionaire Warren Buffett said these tips wont leave the financial market until you have gained some cash. Here are some tips you can follow:- In the stock market, it is said that enduring is the key to making money rather than purchasing and selling shares. This is a statement that Warren Buffet also agrees with. Buffett encourages investors to stay away from short-term investments and concentrate on long-term ones. According to Buffett, the equity market increases over time. This is advantageous to long-term investors. Investors who panic because of stock market volatility, in Warren Buffets opinion, wind up losing money. In a turbulent market, investors frequently take rash actions. They shouldnt act in this way. Dont be frightened of market volatility. Its advisable to remain composed and keep your attention on the long-term goal. According to Warren Buffet, money invested in businesses with solid foundations never loses value. So, seek out businesses with solid foundations and make long-term investments in them. Strong fundamentals refer to businesses with a solid financial sheet, consistent earnings and a management team made up of qualified individuals. Someone who places all their eggs in one basket is never successful. This implies that investing your money in a single stock is never a good idea. By making investments in a variety of asset types, an investor can lower their risk. Returns are not assured by investing in one asset type. This also results in a rise in risk. Warren Buffet suggests that investors should put their money into businesses that create goods or services, real estate and agricultural land. These resources produce financial flow. A consistent and reliable source of revenue that is unaffected by market performance results from investing in productive assets. Read all the Latest Business News here In the digital era, online modes of transactions are becoming common. Owing to this, online scams are also growing like never seen before. A farmer from Gwalior attempted to buy a buffalo online from Sharma Dairy Farm in Jaipur but was conned out of Rs 87,000. Hotam Singh Baghel was impressed by the offer of a buffalo for Rs 60,000 after seeing a Facebook advertisement. Singh got in touch with the farms owner, Ashok Kumar Sharma, who demanded Rs 4,200 for moving the buffalo from Jaipur to Gwalior. However, when the buffalo failed to reach on time, Singh was forced to pay an additional amount of Rs 12,000 after Sharma claimed that the GPS tracker of the vehicles GPS was not working. Unaware of internet payments, the farmer took money from his wifes jewellery and paid the bill. Sharma subsequently increased his demand to Rs 25,000, which Singh complied with by mortgaging his wifes other ornaments. When the buffalo still didnt show up at Singhs door, he finally contacted the driver, who said the vehicle had been in an accident and the buffalo had broken its leg. When the driver demanded more money, Singh recognised he had been conned and immediately called the police. Singh has filed a complaint to the crime branchs cyber cell. The police are investigating the incident and trying to find the accused. SP Rajesh Singh Chandel has handed over the complaint to ASP Rajesh Dandotia who is probing the matter after taking cognizance of it. As soon as the accused is detected, immediate action will be taken. Hotam Singh, a resident of Gwalior is a farmer. He saw the advertisement posted by Ashok on the internet for the online sale of buffaloes. At that time, he wanted to purchase a buffalo and thus fell into the trap laid by Ashok. According to authorities, such incidents serve as a reminder of the need for caution when operating an internet business and the importance of doing an in-depth investigation before making any purchases. Read all the Latest Buzz News here Smoking in Japan sometimes can also cost you your salary. A civil servant in Japans Osaka has been levied with a heft fine of 1.44 million yen (approximately Rs 9 lakh) after getting caught smoking during work hours. A report by Straits Times suggests that the government employee was found doing whats considered a vice over 4,500 times in his work term of 14 years. The punishment was levied on a 61-year-old employee along with his two other colleagues. Reportedly, all of them work in the prefectures finance department. The punishment for the violation includes a 10 per cent pay cut for the next six months. The employee had been given multiple warnings before he was charged for the behavioural violation. The investigation began back in the month of September last year when the human resource team of their office got a However, it did not budge any of them, and in a follow-up interview months later, the trio also refrained from admitting that they used to smoke during work hours. Things turn way worse for the 61-year-old worker, who has a director-level position at the firm. Under the Local Public Service Act, the elderlys misdemeanours violated the duty of devotion. An estimation claims that he clocked up about 355 hours and 19 minutes of smoking while on duty. It was back in 2008 when Osaka introduced a total ban on smoking on government premises which included public schools and offices. In addition to this, since 2019, government employees have been strictly forbidden from indulging in smoking during work hours. Japan is known for its disciplined work culture. Previously, some government employees in the country had to face hefty fines for logging out 3 minutes early than the shift end times. The Funabashi City Board of Education in the Chiba Prefecture found that the employees had 300 early departures between May 2019 and January 2021. Additionally, many of these employees had written false times on their cards to log out early. After the incident came to light, the senior most employee of this lot was fined one-tenth of her salary for three months. The 59-year-old was reportedly logging out at 5.15 PM, 2 minutes early than the scheduled time to catch the bus home at 5:17 PM. Read all the Latest Buzz News here Mark Hamill salutes as he arrives at the world premiere of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" in Los Angeles on Dec. 16, 2019. When air raid alarms sound in Ukraine, they also trigger a downloadable app that has been voiced by Star Wars actor Mark Hamill. With his gravely but also calming baritone, he urges people to take cover. He also tells them when the danger has passed, signing off with May the Force be with you. In an interview with The Associated Press, the actor said hes admiring Ukraines resilience from afar in California.(Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File) KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Attention. Air raid alert, the voice says with a Jedi knights gravitas. Proceed to the nearest shelter. Its a surreal moment in an already surreal war: the grave but calming baritone of actor Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker of Star Wars, urging people to take cover whenever Russia unleashes another aerial bombardment on Ukraine. The intrusion of Hollywood science-fiction fantasy into the grim daily realities of war in Ukraine is a consequence of Hamills decision to lend his famous voice to Air Alert a downloadable app linked to Ukraines air defense system. When air raid sirens start howling, the app also warns Ukrainians that Russian missiles, bombs and deadly exploding drones may be incoming. Dont be careless, Hamills voice advises. Your overconfidence is your weakness. The actor says hes admired from afar, in California how Ukraine has shown such resilience under such terrible circumstances. Its fight against the Russian invasion, now in its second year, reminds him of the Star Wars saga, he says of plucky rebels battling and ultimately defeating a vast, murderous empire. Voicing over the English-language version of the air-raid app and giving it his Star Wars touch was his way of helping out. A fairy tale about good versus evil is resonant with whats going on in Ukraine, Hamill said in an interview with The Associated Press. The Ukrainian people rallying to the cause and responding so heroically Its impossible not to be inspired by how theyve weathered this storm. When the dangers from the skies pass, Hamill announces via the app that the air alert is over. He then signs off with an uplifting: May the Force be with you. Hamill is also raising funds to buy reconnaissance drones for Ukrainian forces on the front lines. He autographed Star Wars-themed posters that are being raffled off. Here I sit in the comfort of my own home when in Ukraine there are power outages and food shortages and people are really suffering, he said. It motivates me to do as much as I can. Although the app also has a Ukrainian-language setting, voiced by a woman, some Ukrainians prefer to have Hamill breaking the bad news that yet another Russian bombardment might be imminent. On the worst days, sirens and the app sound every few hours, day and night. Some turn out to be false alarms. But many others are real and often deadly. Bohdan Zvonyk, a 24-year-old app user who lives in the repeatedly struck western city of Lviv, says he chose Hamills voiceover rather than the Ukrainian setting because he is trying to improve his English. Hes a Star Wars fan, too. Besides, he said, we could use a little bit of the power that Hamill wishes us. After one alert, Zvonyk was riding a trolley bus when Hamills voice rang out from his phone. He said the man in front turned to me and said, smiling: Oh, those damn Sith, to describe Russian forces. The Sith are the malevolent enemies of the do-gooding Jedi. Olena Yeremina, a 38-year-old business manager in the capital, Kyiv, said Hamills May the Force be with you signoff at first made her laugh. Now its enduring humor gives her strength. Its a very cool phrase for this situation, she said. I wouldnt say that I feel like a Ukrainian Jedi, but sometimes this phrase reminds me to straighten my shoulders and keep working. Sometimes it can be wise to shut Hamill off. Yeremina forgot to do that on a trip outside Ukraine to Berlin and paid for the error when the alarm started shrieking at 6 a.m. and, again, when she rode the subway in the German capital. She wasnt alone. Another person in the subway car also had the app and it erupted, too. The two of them first cursed, but then it made both me and that person smile, Yeremina recalled. Ajax Systems, a Ukrainian security systems manufacturer that co-developed the app, hopes Hamills star power will encourage people outside Ukraine to download it so they get a taste of the angst heaped on Ukrainians by nerve-shredding alarms and airborne death and destruction. With Marks approach, it wont be so terrifying, said Valentine Hrytsenko, the chief marketing officer at Ajax. But they will understand somehow the context. In the invasions first year, air-raid alarms sounded more than 19,000 times across the country, so of course people are getting tired, he said. The app has been downloaded more than 14 million times. Hrytsenko is among those who use its English-language setting to hear Hamills voice. For Star Wars fans, it sounds really fantastic, he said. Its kind of a Ukrainian mentality to find some humor even in the bad situation or to try to be positive. Hamill is pleased that the sci-fi saga is again transporting people, even if just temporarily, to its galaxy far, far away. It does inspire people, he said. Everyone flashes back to being 6 years old again. And if the movie can help people get through hard times, so much the better. Read all the Latest Buzz News here Its not every day that the Sun decides to throw a hissy fit, but when it does, it makes sure to pack a punch. Our planet was hit by a powerful solar storm on Friday, March 24, and nobody saw it coming. This was a solar storm so strong that its been graded G4 by the US National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which is the second-highest grade possible. But what exactly is a solar storm? Well, a solar storm is a natural event that occurs when the sun releases a massive amount of energy in the form of solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and other types of eruptions. These eruptions can send huge waves of charged particles towards the Earth, which can cause a range of effects, from beautiful auroras to serious disruptions in communication systems and power grids. In the case of the G4 solar storm that hit us last Friday, the potential consequences were serious indeed. This kind of storm can cause widespread voltage control problems for power grids, and it can even cause protection systems to mistakenly trip key electric assets of the grid. In other words, it can wreak havoc on our electrical infrastructure, and thats not something to be taken lightly. With a geomagnetic storm like this, there can also be problems for spacecraft operations. This includes causing surface charging and tracking problems. The cause behind all this is the recently detected enormous black region on the surface of the Sun. The black spot is estimated to be around 20 to 30 times the size of Earth, reported The Business Insider. Dubbed the coronal hole," this mysterious area gives the impression that a section of the Sun has vanished into the void of space. The coronal hole is apparently emitting solar winds at a staggering speed of 2.9 million kilometres per hour, which are currently hurtling towards our planet. Despite the alarming nature of this discovery, its worth noting that coronal holes are not unusual phenomena. In fact, they are a regular occurrence on the Suns surface, and NASAs Solar Dynamics Observatory constantly monitors the Sun for any signs of coronal holes or other disturbances. Fortunately, there were no reports of major disruptions or damage caused by the G4 solar storm, but it serves as a reminder of the power of nature and the importance of preparedness. Scientists and engineers are working hard to improve our ability to predict and mitigate the effects of solar storms, but theres still a long way to go. Read all the Latest Buzz News here A Dutch sperm donor, who fathered 550 children, is now facing a civil lawsuit for increasing the risk of accidental incest. Jonathan Jacob Meijer, who is a musician by profession, is being sued by the Netherlands Donorkind Foundation, according to The Times. The 41-year-old has reportedly donated to approximately 13 clinics, of which 11 are said to be in the Netherlands. The group has accused the man of lying about the number of times he has donated sperm. A donor can only father 25 children, as per Dutch guidelines. In addition to this, a donor also cannot impregnate more than 12 women, according to the rules in the country that ensure the reduction of incest, and inbreeding. As per The Times, Meijer resides in Kenya and besides the Netherlands, he has made donations in Ukraine and Denmark. The civil lawsuit was brought by a Dutch woman, who is one of the mothers of Meijers children. A report by Telegraph identifies the woman as Eva, who got pregnant in 2018 with Meijers sperm. The woman explained she would have never chosen Meijer if she had had any clue about his previous donations. Evan claims that only thinking about the consequences makes her sick to the stomach." The Donorkind Foundation aims to stop Jonathan Jacob Meijer from making any further donations, while also procuring information about his past donations. The group wants his stored sperm to be destroyed from all clinics, until and unless it is reserved for a woman who already has one of his children. The chairman of the Donorkind foundation told the portal, We are taking action against this man because the government is doing nothing. He has a global reach via the internet and he does business with large, international sperm banks. Meijer was blacklisted from donating sperm in the Netherlands back in 2017. At the time, it was discovered that he has already fathered about 102 children. The issue was first raised by the Dutch Society Of Obstetrics And Gynecology. However, the legal action did not stop him and he continued to donate sperm abroad. Meijer has a YouTuber channel where he frequently uploads his music and other commentary videos. Read all the Latest Buzz News here Lalit Narayan Mithila University (LNMU) Darbhanga will release Bihar Common Entrance Test- BEd or Bihar BEd CET 2023 admit cards today, March 30. Candidates who have registered for the Combined Entrance Test can check and download the hall ticket from the official website- biharcetbed-lnmu.in The Bihar BEd CET exam is scheduled for Saturday, April 8. The Combined Entrance Test will be held in a single shift from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. The online registration window for Bihar BEd CET opened on February 20 and ended on March 15. Bihar BEd CET Admit Card 2023: How to Download Step 1: Go to the official site at biharcetbed-lnmu.in. Step 2: Click on the link provided for Bihar BEd CET 2023 admit card on the homepage. Step 3: As a new window opens, enter the login credentials and click on submit. Step 4: The Bihar BEd CET admit card will appear on the screen. Step 5: Check all the details mentioned on it. Save and download the admit card. Step 6: Keep a printout ready for the Bihar BEd CET 2023 hall ticket. Candidates are requested to refer to the above step-by-step process to download the admit card. Meanwhile, a direct link to access the Bihar BEd hall ticket will be provided by the university once the admit card is released. According to media reports, a total of 1,84,233 candidates have applied for the combined entrance test this year. The Bihar BEd CET exam is held for students seeking admission to two-year BEd programmes that are offered by several colleges across the state. As per media reports, Prof Surendra Pratap Singh, Vice-Chancellor of LNMU said, The application window was open for one month, during which period as many as 96,673 female candidates and 84,560 male candidates applied for the exam." The combined entrance test will comprise 120 objective-type questions of one mark each. To qualify for the Bihar BEd CET exam, the minimum marks required for candidates belonging to the unreserved (general) category is 35 per cent. While, those belonging to the SC/ST/EWS and other reserved categories need 30 per cent. Read all the Latest Education News here The father of deceased IIT Bombay student Darshan Solanki has written to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde alleging that his family was facing harassment from the police in the registration of an FIR into the death of his son, an official said. The letter, written on Wednesday, also said the family was completely shocked and disheartened by the attitude of the police and the members of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), who have been refusing to register the FIR for almost two weeks now. A copy of the letter is also addressed to Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who handles the home portfolio, and Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar, the official said. Darshan Solanki, who hailed from Ahmedabad in Gujarat and was a first-year student of the B Tech (Chemical) course, allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the seventh floor of a hostel building located on the campus on February 12 this year. His family has claimed he faced discrimination at IITB for belonging to a Scheduled Caste (SC) community and suspected foul play in his death. However, the inquiry committee set up by the institute had ruled out caste-based discrimination and hinted at deteriorating academic performance as a possible cause of suicide. In his letter, Darshans father Ramesh Solanki said, This is to inform you that I along with my family had travelled from Ahmedabad to visit the Powai police station for registration of FIR on the basis of my complaint dated March 16 in the case of my sons death. However, in spite of our requests the Powai police station refused to register the FIR stating that since the SIT has been constituted to investigate the case, they cannot register the FIR and they will forward the complaint to the SIT for necessary action. A DCP present at that time was non-cooperative and refused to entertain their request for registration of the FIR, he said. The deceaseds father alleged that when the family approached the SIT with the same demand on March 16, it also did not cooperate. We are completely shocked and disheartened by the attitude of the police and the members of the SIT, who have been refusing to register the FIR for almost two weeks and are now forcing us to write their version. Their demeanour does not inspire any confidence in us and is suspect to say the least, the letter said. We are apprehensive that the SIT is attempting to sideline and divert the investigation from the angle of caste discrimination faced by Darshan, it added. We request you to please take stock of the matter and ensure that the FIR is registered on the basis of our complaint and the investigation is carried out independently and fairly without any foul playPlease act urgently in the matter to ensure justice to our son, who met his untimely death due to caste discrimination faced by him on the IIT Bombay campus, and uphold the truth, Solanki said. On Monday, the SIT of Mumbai police probing Solankis death said it has recovered a note that mentions the name of his hostel mate, an official said on Monday. The purported suicide note, written on a piece of paper, was recovered from Solankis hostel room some days ago, he added. Read all the Latest Education News here The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has released the examination schedule for the Combined Higher Secondary Level (CHSL) Tier 1 and Combined Graduate Level (CGL) Tier 2 Examinations 2022. Candidates can check and download the exam date sheet from the official website of SSC at ssc.nic.in. As per the exam calendar, the CHSL Tier 1 and CGL Tier 2 exams will be held in May, June, and July. The official notice read, The Commission has decided to conduct the following examinations in May, June & July 2023 as per the given schedule." The Multi-Tasking (NT-Staff) Examination 2022 is scheduled to take place from May 2 to May 19, and from June 13 to June 20. The total number of job openings under the Multi-Tasking Staff exam is 10,880. For Havaldar posts in the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) and Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN), there are a total of 529 vacancies. The Sub-Inspector in Delhi Police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) Examination, 2022 (Tier-II) will take place on May 2. A total of 15,740 applicants have qualified in the physical tests and are eligible to appear for the SSC Central Police Organisation (CPO) Paper-II examination. The Combined Higher Secondary Level Examination, 2022 (Tier-II) will be held on June 26. The Selection Post Examination, Phase-XI, 2023 and Selection Posts/Ladakh/2023 will be conducted from June 27 to June 30. The Combined Graduate Level Examination, 2023 (Tier-I) will be held from July 14 to July 27. SSC Exam Calendar 2023: How to Check Step 1: Go to the official website of SSC at ssc.nic.in Step 2: Click on the link available for Schedule of Examination available on the home page. Step 3: A new PDF document will open on the screen displaying the SSC exam schedule. Step 4: Check the exam dates properly. Step 5: Save and download the exam calendar for future reference. Candidates preparing for the SSC CHSL Tier 1 and CGL Tier 2 exams are advised to keep a check on the official website of the Commission for more information and updates. Read all the Latest Education News here Former JD(S) MLA S R Srinivas (Gubbi Srinivas alias Vasu) on Thursday became the third legislator to resign from the post, and join Congress, this month, ahead of May 10 Assembly polls in Karnataka. According to the Congress, 37 leaders associated with JD(S) in the 2018 Assembly polls, have joined the party so far, in the run up to the upcoming elections. Srinivas, a former Minister had resigned as MLA on March 27, while two MLCs from BJP Puttanna and Baburao Chinchansur had resigned from their Legislative Council membership earlier this month to join the Congress. Puttanna has been fielded from Rajajinagar Assembly segment by the Congress in its first list, and there are indications that the party might field Chinchansur and Srinivas too from Gurmitkal and Gubbi segments respectively. Inducting Srinivas, a four time MLA and former Minister, and his supporters into the party, KPCC President D K Shivakumar said, I had been trying to get Vasu (Srinivas) to Congress for a long time, but now looking at the mood of the people he has decided to join the partyHis joining will not only strengthen the party in Tumakuru, but the entire Old Mysuru region." Noting that about 37 leaders, who were associated with JD(S) in the last assembly polls have joined the party so far also two BJP MLCs Puttanna and Baburao Chinchansur, among several others, Shivakumar claimed, there is a long list of people" wishing to join the Congress and it will be made known in stages, in the days to come. Srinivas said he was returning to his own house", recalling his and his fathers earlier association with the Congress. I had no intention to leave JD(S) but was forced to. In October, 2021 Kumaraswamy announced a JD(S) candidate from my seat even as I was still in the party. He also made certain false allegations against me, like holding me responsible for Deve Gowdas defeat in 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Tumakuru. I had never done such anti-party activity and had honestly served the party," he said. He claimed that he too was thrown out of JD(S) for no fault of his, like it was done to Siddaramaiah by the regional party in the past. Welcoming Srinivas, former CM Siddaramaiah said, it is Ghar Vapsi" for him. He said, In JD(S) you will have to go by what HD Deve Gowda (party patriarch) and H D Kumaraswamy (leader and former CM) say, what is decided in the family is final, there is no freedom of expression there, and if anyone violates it, if anyone expresses their opinion in the party against their will, they cant stay in the party. Same thing happened to me and now to Vasu." Averring that several people are joining Congress because, the party alone can save the state from BJPs corruption" and set right the system, Siddaramaiah said, JD(S) cannot come to power on its own; they wait for a fractured verdict. Congress alone can come to power in the state, and save it from BJP." Meanwhile, BJP leader Mudigere in Chikkamagaluru district, Halappa, who was a former Pura Sabha and Housing Board President, joined the Congress. He had quit the Congress when former Chief Minister S M Krishna joined the BJP in 2017. Another BJP leader from Mandya, Satyananda too joined the party. Read all the Latest Politics News here Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday recalled how he was regularly pressured by federal investigators to frame then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case. In an interview to Network18 Group Editor-in-Chief Rahul Joshi at the News18 Rising India Summit, Shah, responding to the Congress alleging misuse of agencies amid Rahul Gandhis conviction and subsequent disqualification, said it was him who had actually suffered when he was booked and then arrested in an encounter case. Read excerpts from the interview here Why were they all UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, then PM Manmohan Singh, then home minister P Chidambaram and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi silent then?" Shah said. Live Updates from the Summit "I have been the victim of misuse of central agencies. These were the very same people P Chidambaram, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi. Unlike them, we haven't registered any false cases": Home Minister @AmitShah hits out at opposition @18RahulJoshi | #News18RisingIndia pic.twitter.com/5gdpWWln0Y News18 (@CNNnews18) March 29, 2023 Amid the developments, lets take a look at the timeline of the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case, and what had happened: November 22, 2005: Sohrabuddin, Kausar Bi and Prajapati were intercepted by a police team in a bus while returning to Sangli from Hyderabad and taken into custody. Shaikh and his wife taken in one vehicle, Prajapati in another. Before his arrest, the Gujarat police Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) said they had discovered 40 AK-47 assault firearms at his home in Village Jhirniya, District Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. November 22 to 25, 2005: Shaikh and Kausar Bi were kept in a farm house near Ahmedabad. Prajapati was sent to Udaipur where he is lodged in the prison there to face trial in cases against him. November 26, 2005: On November 26, police shot and killed Sohrabuddin in what they called a police encounter." On the 28th and 29th of November, Kauser Bi was also allegedly killed by the police, her body burnt and disposed of. December 27, 2006: On December 26, 2006, police stated that Tulsiram had fled from police custody. Tulsiram Prajapati was killed the next day during a police encounter between the towns of Ambaji and Sarhad Chapri, near the boundary between Gujarat and Rajasthan. 2005-2006: Sohrabuddins brother appealed to the Chief Justice of India in December, claiming murder with police participation. In response, the Supreme Court of India asked the Gujarat state CID to take over the investigation from the police. April 30, 2007: The Gujarat government files a report before SC stating Kausar Bi is dead and her body burnt and disposed of, says a PTI report. January 2010: The Supreme Court hands over the probe in the case to CBI. July 23, 2010: CBI files chargesheet in the case against 38 persons including the then Gujarat Home Minister Amit Shah, the then Rajasthan Home Minister Gulabchand Kataria and senior IPS officials. July 25, 2010: CBI arrests Amit Shah in the case. I have full faith in the judiciary and I am sure the allegations against me will be cleared by the courts," Shah had said after he appeared during a press conference called by state BJP president R C Faldu at the BJP headquarters in Ahmedabad. October 8, 2010: A special CBI court in Gujarat rejects Amit Shahs bail plea. October 29, 2010: Gujarat High Court grants bail to Amit Shah on a bond of Rs one lakh. Talking about how he secured bail, Shah said on Wednesday: On the 90th day, I was given bail as the high court said there was not enough proof against me. My case was in Mumbai where the court noted that the CBI registered a case against me due to political pressures and thus dismissed all charges against me. September 27, 2012: SC transfers trial in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh-Kausar Bi alleged fake encounter case from Gujarat to Mumbai as sought by the CBI to ensure a fair trial. April 8, 2012: SC clubs trial in Shaikh, Kausar Bi and Prajapati encounter cases. December 30, 2014: A special CBI court in Mumbai discharges Amit Shah from the case. Fifteen other accused including Kataria and senior IPS officials also discharged subsequently. December 2015: Social activist Harsh Mander moves HC against Amit Shahs discharge. April 2016: Bombay HC dismisses Manders petition after observing that he has no locus standi (not an aggrieved party) in the case. Mander files appeal in Supreme Court. August 2016: SC rejects Manders appeal. October 2017: Special CBI court in Mumbai frames charges against 22 accused. November 2017: Special CBI Judge S J Sharma commences trial in the case. Prosecution examines 210 witnesses, of which 92 turn hostile. September 2018: Bombay HC upholds discharge granted to senior police officers D G Vanzara, Rajkumar Pandian, NK Amin, Vipul Aggarwal, Dinesh MN and Dalpat Singh Rathod. November 23, 2018: Court completes examination of witnesses and recording of statements of the accused persons under section 313 of the Criminal Procedure Code. December 5, 2018: Court closes the case for judgment on December 21, 2018 after completion of final arguments by prosecution and defence lawyers. December 21, 2018: Court acquits all 22 accused in the case after observing that prosecution failed to establish charges against them. Read all the Latest Explainers here Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh, who is on the run dodging cops for 13 days, on Thursday released another video saying he is not afraid of his death and he did not make any condition for his arrest. I had (recently) addressed people through a video, in which some of you have doubts that it was from police custody since I was looking here and there. So, I would like to clarify that I am not someone who can look into the camera and make a video," Amritpal said in a purported video. Firstly, we should not think of everything as a conspiracy and should trust that the play of God is bigger and not the Government of India. Those who think that Im a fugitive and have left my followers behind, they shouldnt think this way I want to clarify I did not make any condition for arrest. I never talked about the arrest. I am not afraid of death. According to reports earlier, the pro-Khalistan preacher has put three conditions before the police for his surrender. His conditions include that his arrest must be shown as surrender, he must be kept in Punjab jail and he should not be tortured in Police custody. However, Amritpal refuted these reports, saying he did not make any conditions for arrest. Earlier in the day, a purported audio clip emerged where the Khalistan sympathiser was heard saying that he has not made any demand for his arrest. In the audio, the authenticity of which cannot be verified, Amritpal said he is not afraid of going to jail. I have not made any demand for arrest. I dont have any demand from the government. I am not afraid of going to jail. The radical preacher appealed to the (Akal Takht) Jathedar to call upon Sarbat Khalsa and give proof of being the Jathedar. Meanwhile, Paramilitary personnel deployed in Marnaian Khurd village in Hoshiarpur district as searches are underway to nab the Waris Punjab De chief who is on the run. A drone is being used to monitor the area. Earlier this month, the police launched a major crackdown against Amritpal and members of his outfit Waris Punjab De. The elusive preacher, however, gave police the slip and escaped their dragnet when his cavalcade was intercepted in Jalandhar district. ALSO READ: By Gods Grace, I Escaped: On the Run, Amritpal Releases 1st Video, Calls for Mass Mobilisation of Sikhs In an earlier video, the fugitive Khalistan sympathiser said that he has managed to escape from the cops and was fine and in high spirits". The radical preacher can be heard saying, The manner in which the government has taken steps to arrest my aides and sent them to jail is very wrong. The entire Khalsa community must come together to address the issue that our community is facing. The community at this point is aware of the problems and why we need an independent Punjab. I appeal to the highest Sikh bodies (Sarbat Khalsa) to discuss this issue on all platforms possible." The Amritsar Rural Police on Wednesday reportedly issued a hue and cry notice against the Waris Punjab De chief. A hue and cry notice is a process by which bystanders are summoned to assist in the apprehension of a criminal who has been witnessed in the act of committing a crime. According to Hindustan Times, Amritpal Singh Sandhu son or Tarsem Singh, resident of Jallupur Khera, Police Station Khilchian, Amritsar is wanted by the police of District Amritsar (Rural) Punjab," the notice reads. The notice also described Amritpal Singh as Height - around 6 feet tall, complexion fair wheatish, it said. Several contact numbers were provided in the notice through which people could get in touch with Punjab police officials in case of any leads. Read all the Latest India News here Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has called on Home Minister Amit Shah and urged him to resolve several long-pending issues since the bifurcation of the state. This is his second visit to Delhi in a month. On March 17, Reddy had met with Prime Minster Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. Observing that the pending issues have pushed AP backwards in terms of development and revenue, the CM asked the Home Minister to immediately release Rs 10,000 crore on an ad-hoc basis to expedite Polavaram project. That apart, he requested for Rs 2,020 crore to fill the scourge pits formed at the main dam site due to the washing away of the diaphragm in flash floods, said a statement on Wednesday night. During the meeting, Reddy sought the reimbursement of Rs 2,601 crore expenditure incurred on Polavaram project and accept the technical advisory committees revised estimates of Rs 55,548 crore, including treating the drinking water supply component as a part of it. Shah was apprised of the financial burden of Rs 5,527 crore that the state had incurred on supplying rations to 56 lakh families under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) due to irrational selection of beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act. As a result, the CM said that the state be compensated by the unused ration stocks as recommended by the Niti Aayog. Reddy appealed to the Centre to release the pending amount of Rs 36,625 under resource gap funding for the fiscal 2014-15 and raise the credit limit of Rs 17,923 crore, which was cut down from Rs 42,472 crore post the pandemic. Read all the Latest India News here Slamming the Congress on its reaction after the partys leader Rahul Gandhi was convicted in a defamation case and subsequently disqualified from the Lok Sabha, Home Minister Amit Shah said that when he was arrested in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, he and the party had handled it calmly without taking to the streets. Read excerpts from the interview here During the interview with Network18 Group Editor-in-Chief Rahul Joshi, Shah recalled, The Congress did not file a corruption case against us. An encounter took place, and I was the home minister of that state, and the CBI registered a case against me and they arrested me. The CBI recorded me, which should still be there if the Congress had not removed it. In 90% of CBIs questions, the refrain was why are you getting tense? Just take Modis name, and we will free you. We did not wear black clothes, we did not protest." Live Updates from the Summit An SIT was formed against the CM (Narendra Modi). There was no corruption case. There was a fake riot case filed, which the Supreme Court had dismissed. We did not create a hue and cry. We never wore black clothes and blocked the workings of Parliament. And I will tell you the result, they arrested me, I got bail within 90 days by the High Court, which said there are no evidence against me. I applied for acquittal in a Mumbai court, the case was taken out of Gujarat, where it said the CBI filed the case on the grounds of political vendetta thats why we quash all charges against Amit Shah. We didnt create a scene." Full Faith in Judiciary When Shah was arrested in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case in 2010, he had expressed full faith in the judiciary. I have full faith in the judiciary and I am sure the allegations against me will be cleared by the courts," Shah said after he appeared during a press conference called by state BJP president R C Faldu at the BJP headquarters in Ahmedabad. Shah claimed that he was innocent and said that charges against him were fabricated, politically motivated and were on the instruction of Congress government" and demanded that his entire questioning by the CBI should be video-graphed. In the interview, Shah said that despite Congress allegations of misuse of central agencies, it was him who had faced the real misuse. How Had Congress Reacted to Shahs Arrest? At the time, the BJP had condemned Shahs detention, accusing the central government of manipulating the CBI, an allegation that the Congress disputed, saying that the inquiry agency would not risk the anger of the Supreme Court by levelling false allegations. Do you think CBI is full of a bunch of fools who will risk their entire career by making false allegations, non-existing allegations which are going to be examined by the Supreme Court," then Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi had said. Charge sheet is not made overnight. Charge sheet is a collection of evidence. Here over five-six months of investigation the CBI has got enough evidence against Amit Shah," Singhvi said. The Congress had also pushed for Modis interrogation in the case. After Shahs arrest, the party had said Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi should also be prepared to face some uncomfortable" questions in the probe. Shah had recalled in the Rising India Summit interview how he was repeatedly pressured by agencies to give Modis name in the investigation. Read all the Latest India News here The following is a press release from American Farmland Trust. At AFT, we believe farmers and ranchers have been, and will continue to be, an essential part of the climate solution. Thats why we work to support passionate, innovative trailblazers like Sarah J. Morton of Cattle Run Farm in central Virginia. Sarah has been a champion for the agricultural industry since she was seven years old, when she raised swine in 4-H. Since then, her impressive professional agricultural journey has focused on equity, access, agricultural sustainability, and local food sovereignty. This winter, Sarah was awarded $20,000 from AFTs Women for the Land pilot transformational grants program, which assists women farmers and ranchers in successfully launching, growing, and sustaining farms in the face of forces impacting food and agricultural systems. Grants are intended to leverage existing resources to help a farmer 1) improve farm viability, 2) access, transfer, or permanently protect farmland, or 3) adopt regenerative farming practices and increase resilience to climate change. Cattle Run Farm is a third-generation family, Black and veteran-owned and operated farm providing fresh and local foods to families and communities. It also serves as a learning lab for veterans with disabilities, youth, families, and aspiring agrarians. They partner with the Minority Veteran Farmers of the Piedmont to market locally sourced and grown foods to food banks, local markets, churches, and food hubs across the region, and work to ensure that customers know the origin of their food and build relationships with local farmers. Sarah already implements important land stewardship practices, including fencing off waterways to help protect the Chesapeake Bay and fostering land restoration using swine, chicken tractors, pasture rotation, manure, and composting. The farm will use the grant from AFT to further these efforts and implement a sustainable livestock production system. A sustainable livestock system contributes to food security and environmental stewardship by using uncultivable land for food production and is effective for carbon sequestration to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. With increasing global awareness about climate change and studies indicating that livestock is one of the contributors to greenhouse gases, environmental degradation, and loss of biodiversity, various concerted efforts have been aimed at developing and ensuring the sustainability of livestock systems that deliver economic and ecosystems services without compromising the future integrity, health, and welfare of the environment, humans, and animals. We would like to use the system to educate producers, consumers, and environmentalists on considerably effective mixed farming systems.Sarah J. Morton. Sarah is an amazing example of a powerhouse of a woman producer pointing the way for other women who are doing regenerative farming and ranching. I am so excited that Sarah is our pilot recipient as I know the award will amplify the good work she is already doing. My hope is this fund grows to support more women like her in the region. Shifting the way we grow our food to regenerative methods is essential to solving the climate crisis, which is why we are so excited to support American Farmlands Trusts Women for the Land Initiative. Getting women farmers, the support they need to transform our agricultural systems will ensure a vibrant, just future for generations to come. - Justin Winters, Daughters for Earth Leadership & Executive Director at One Earth AFTs Women for the Land transformational grants program hopes to offer additional grants at the end of 2023 to support more pioneering women in agriculture like Sarah. We are deeply grateful for the financial support of One Earth Philanthropy and Daughters for Earth for making this funding opportunity possible. A Delhi court has extended the interim bail granted to liquor businessman Sameer Mahendru on medical grounds in a money laundering case related to alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. Special Judge M K Nagpal granted the relief for a week after the Enforcement Directorate said it needed time to reply to the application seeking extension of the bail. EDs Special Public Prosecutor N K Matta told the court that the agency has emailed all medical documents of the accused to the doctors/hospitals concerned, but some of the reports are still awaited. In view of the above and as requested, the application is now directed to be listed on April 5. However, in view of the submissions made in application, it is being directed that interim bail granted to the accused by this court vide order dated February 28, 2023 shall stand extended till then, the judge said in an order passed on March 29. On February 28, the court granted interim bail to Mahendru on medical grounds for a period of 30 days after he claimed he was suffering from various ailments. According to the prosecution, the accused was one of the major beneficiaries of the violations of the excise policy as he was not only running an alcoholic beverage manufacturing unit but also given a wholesale licence along with some retail licences in the name of his relatives. Because of the alleged irregularities and violations, Mahendru made around Rs 50 crore, the prosecution claimed. The ED has registered an enforcement case information report (ECIR) against Mahendru under the relevant provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The money laundering case stems from a CBI FIR. According to the CBI and the ED, irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours were extended to licence holders. The Delhi government implemented the policy on November 17, 2021, but scrapped it at the end of September 2022 amid allegations of corruption. Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is also an accused in the matter. On March 9, the ED arrested Sisodia at Tihar jail, where he was lodged in connection with the case being probed by the CBI. The CBI arrested the Aam Aadmi Party leader on February 26. Read all the Latest India News here The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of police probing IIT Bombay student Darshan Solanki's death on Thursday registered an offence against an unknown person for alleged abetment to suicide, an official said. The case was registered 47 days after Solanki allegedly ended his life by jumping off a building on the IIT Bombay campus in Powai on February 12. SIT officials on Thursday night visited Powai Police Station along with Darshan's father Ramesh Solanki, and based on his complaint, the FIR was registered, the police official said. The complaint had been submitted to Powai Police on March 16, the official added. "We have registered an offence against unidentified person under section 306 of IPC (Abetment of suicide) and relevant sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act," he said. On Wednesday, Ramesh Solanki had written a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and Mumbai police commissioner Vivek Phansalkar, and accused SIT officials of harassing his family over the registration of FIR. The letter said the family was "completely shocked and disheartened" by the attitude of the police and the members of the SIT who had been "refusing" to register an FIR. Darshan Solanki, who hailed from Ahmedabad and was a first-year student of the B Tech (Chemical) course, allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the seventh floor of a hostel building located on the campus on February 12 this year. His family has claimed he faced discrimination at IITB for belonging to a Scheduled Caste community, and also suspected foul play. However, an inquiry committee set up by the institute ruled out caste-based discrimination and hinted at deteriorating academic performance as a possible cause of suicide. In his letter, Darshan's father Ramesh Solanki said, "This is to inform you that I along with my family had travelled from Ahmedabad to visit the Powai police station for registration of FIR on the basis of my complaint dated March 16 in the case of my son's death. However, in spite of our requests the Powai police station refused to register the FIR stating that since the SIT has been constituted to investigate the case, they cannot register the FIR and they will forward the complaint to the SIT for necessary action." Disclaimer: This news piece may be triggering. If you or someone you know needs help, call any of these helplines: Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata) Read all the Latest India News here Stones were pelted and both private and public vehicles were set on fire as a clash broke out between two groups in Maharashtras Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Wednesday night. Some police vans were also caught in the blaze in the Kiradpura area. According to reports, the clash broke out due to a rumour" regarding damage to the Ram temple in the area. However, Maharashtra Minister Atul Save urged people to not believe in any rumour. According to reports, around 45 people have been arrested in the case so far, and 4 people were injured during the clashes. Music playing outside a mosque while Namaz was going on in the holy month of Ramadan was also responsible for the clash, an ANI report said. The clash broke out on the intervening night of March 29 and 30. According to the Commissioner of Police (CP) of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Nikhil Gupta, strict action will be taken against those behind the incident. Maharashtra | A clash broke out between two groups in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagars Kiradpura areaStones were pelted, some private & police vehicles were set on fire. Police used force to disperse the people and now the situation is peaceful. Police will take strict action pic.twitter.com/u9qa5XYyPk ANI (@ANI) March 30, 2023 There was a confrontation between two groups after some devotees came out of the Ram temple in the area, said Union Minister Bhagwat Karad. He said 7 to 8 police teams have been formed to nab those involved in the incident. Stones were pelted, and some private and police vehicles were set on fire. Police used force to disperse the people and now the situation is peaceful," Gupta said. Police had to use force to disperse the people and the situation was taken under control. However, there was no harm to the temple as opposed to some false news was spread that some miscreants had attacked the temple", said AIMIMs National Corporator Mohammed Naseeruddin. The exact cause of the clash is not clear, but according to sources, some communally charged slogans led to a brawl between the two groups, which in turn led to vehicles being torched and stones pelting. According to police, the situation is tense but under control now in Kiradpura, as several political leaders reached the spot and have appealed for peace. Read all the Latest India News here A minor tiff over a chair in the office of a finance firm in Gurugram turned violent after an employee was shot at by his co-worker, according to police. The victim is reportedly in critical condition and is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital, PTI said quoting police officials. An FIR has been lodged against the accused, who is a native of Hisar in Haryana. The incident reportedly took place at thier office premises near the Ramada hotel in Gurugram. The victim has been identified as 23-year-old Vishal, a resident of Firoz Gandhi colony in sector 9 in Gurugram. In his statement, Vishal said he had an argument with his colleague Aman Jangra regarding a chair in the office on Tuesday. The next day, there was yet another argument over the same issue following which Vishal walked out of the office, police told PTI. Vishal alleged that when he was walking outside the office, Aman came from behind, took out a pistol and shot him before fleeing from the spot, police said. Upon receiving information about the incident, police reached the spot and moved Vishal to a hospital nearby. Vishals family members were informed and based on the complaint of the victims brother, a case was lodged under section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code and sections 25-54-59 of the Arms Act, police said. According to Virender Vij, DCP, East, the accused has been identified and officials are conducting raids to nab him. He will be arrested soon," Vij said. (With PTI Inputs) Read all the Latest India News here Several Kashmiri Pandits took part in the Shobha Yatra on Ram Navami, which passed through the old city of Srinagar, amid tight security. Though the number of Kashmiri Pandits this year was fewer due to the fear of targeted killings, those who took part said they were not afraid and were taking this as an opportunity to send out a message of peace and harmony. The Shobha Yatra started from Zaindar Mohalla in the old city and culminated at Tankipora after passing through Habbakadal, Barbarshah, Lal Chowk, Hari Singh High Street and Jehangir Chowk. Every year, Kashmiri Pandits gather at Kathleshwar temple in Tankipora area of the old city and take out this procession, which goes through the old city and then enters the heart of Srinagar at Lal Chowk. Raj Pandita, who travelled from California to Kashmir, called this a unique function where people of all communities came together. This occasion symbolises friendship, a community living in fear coming out as fearless. We have a message of peace and friendship, this will play a great role in bringing communities together, he said. During the 90s, the Ram Navami procession was stopped in Kashmir owing to armed militancy but with the situation now improved, this procession is being taken out every year. Terrorists have targeted Kashmiri Pandits in recent years, which has forced forces to ensure their safety and security. Read all the Latest India News here The death toll in the Indore temple tragedy rose to 35 on Friday a day after a slab constructed on top of an ancient well collapsed during a havan program held on the occasion of Ram Navami at a temple in Indore city on Thursday. According to officials, 12 bodies were found during the rescue operation late last night. It was also suspected that five more bodies could still be under water at the bottom of the well. Following the incident, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 5 lakhs to the next of kin of the deceased while Rs 50,000 will be given to the injured. Meanwhile, Home Minister Narottam Mishra said the government ordered a probe into the incident. Temple Tragedy According to eyewitnesses, the incident occurred during a religious program on the occasion of Ram Navami at the Baleshwar Mahadev temple. There were dozens of devotees sitting on a slab that covered the ancient well. Notwithstanding the weight of the crowd, the slab collapsed at around 12 noon. Nearly 30-35 devotees reportedly fell into the well, Indore Police Commissioner Makrand Deoskar told PTI earlier citing eyewitness accounts. Visuals from the spot showed chaos and rescue teams, police personnel and locals pulling out those trapped in the well. Patel Nagar Residents Association president Kantibhai Patel claimed that ambulances did not reach the spot for more than an hour after being informed about the accident. Rescue Operations The incident prompted an Army rescue team from nearby Mhow town to arrive at the accident site to help with operations. Rescue operations were reportedly hampered as the temple is located in a narrow area. One of its walls was broken to insert a pipe for pumping out water from the well, officials told PTI. Continuous water seepage in the stepwell also hindered the rescue operation, officials said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish following the Indore mishap and said he had spoken to CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Extremely pained by the mishap in Indore. Spoke to CM Shivraj Chouhan Ji and took an update on the situation. The state government is spearheading rescue and relief work at a quick pace. My prayers with all those affected and their families," he tweeted. Read all the Latest India News here Indore: 13 Dead as Portion of Temple Caves in During Ram Navami Celebrations, Probe Ordered At least 13 people died after a portion of a temple caved in during Ram Navami celebrations in Patel Nagar area of Madhya Pradeshs Indore on Thursday. READ MORE J&K Police to Get Armored JCBs, Tractors for Operations in Valley | Exclusive In a shot in the arm for the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the government has approved five armoured JCBs and tractors for operational requirements in Kashmir valley. READ MORE Will Delhi Have to Mask Up Again? Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj Clarifies as Covid Cases Rise Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj held an emergency meeting in the secretariat on Thursday afternoon following a call from Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal a night before on the back of rising Covid-19 cases in the Capital. READ MORE We Didnt Create Scene: As Shah Recalls Arrest & Pressure to Frame Modi, How then Guj-CM Handled Episode | Rising India Summit In a bombshell revelation on Wednesday during the Rising India Summit 2023, Home Minister Amit Shah said he had been pressured by federal investigators to frame then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh case. READ MORE Rising India: Manoj Bajpayee Gives BIG Update on The Family Man 3 Release, Says Paise Bachne Manoj Bajpayee has proved his acting mettle over the years through the different roles he has done. Be it the violent gangster in Gangs of Wasseypur or a family man living a double life in the series The Family Man, the actor has always been convincing in his roles. READ MORE Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance to be Launched in India on April 11 Mercedes-AMG, the performance subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz, is set to launch its most powerful production car ever, the GT 63 S E Performance, in India on April 11, 2023. The super sedan, the first-ever hybrid model from the brand, will come equipped with a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine that produces 637 bhp power and an additional 202 bhp from the electric motor.READ MORE Dasara Review: Nanis Swag Is Unbeatable, Top-notch Climax Sequence Will Give You Goosebumps Telugu superstar Nanis much-awaited film Dasara is finally in theatres. Produced by Sudhakar Cherukuri and Srikanth Chundi and directed by debutant Odella Srikanth, the film also stars Keerthy Suresh, Dheekshith Shetty, Shine Tom Chacko, Samuthirakani and Sai Kumar in key roles. READ MORE Read all the Latest India News here Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur, at the third edition of the News18 Rising India Conclave on Thursday, said the Opposition is running their own BBC Bhrashtachari Bachao Campaign. ALSO READ | Rising India Summit 2023 LIVE Updates HERE Lalu Prasad Yadav has done fodder scam, moreover the land for job scam. Arvind Kejriwal has around 10 ministers who are either in jail or on bail. Satyendra Jain and Manish Sisodia are in jail. Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi are out on bail in the National Herald case. They are running their own BBC Bhrashtachari Bachao Campaign. Nobody will be spared despite this campaign, Thakur said, remarking on the Oppositions claims of misuse of agencies. Amit Shah has said the truth [on the misuse of agencies by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in the encounter case]. The Congress government knew that Modi could challenge them in 2014. This was their plan to turn Gujarat home minister Shah against then Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Modi and Shah gave India freedom from Article 370, triple talaq, brought in CAA and India is now the number one growing economy in the world, he added. On the reaction from Germany and the US on Oppositions claims of Indias democracy being in danger, Thakur said, The Congress never leaves a chance to insult India. When they could not fight a democractic, political and judicial battle in India, they asked for foreign intervention. This is an attack on Indias democracy. When Gandhi was speaking in London, I had said we need to end London Lies and Congress Cries." Since 2001, there has been a planned campaign against PM Modi. It reached the Supreme Court. Suddenly why did the BBC channel wake up to it in 2023? Is the BBC channel bigger than the Supreme Court of this country? They have used derogatory terms against Modi. But people love him, which is why the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) got a majority in 2014 and 2019. He has worked hard without an off day in 22 years. He was back to work within two hours of his mothers funeral. Gandhi takes a break in a foreign country every few months. He cant even vacation hereThis is New India which is being made under the leadership of Modi," he said. Is Rahul Gandhi the first leader to be disqualified? Fourteen people have faced this. Did he cry when Lalu Prasad was arrested or Jayalalithaa had to resign? Is one person greater than the countrys law? Should we make another law for Gandhi? This is arrogance. When the Supreme Court gave its judgment in the 2013 Lily Thomas case, his government brought in an ordinance, which he tore, said Thakur. He says Gandhis dont apologise. He said sorry in 2018. Jawaharlal Nehru had apologized when he was sent to Nabha jail. Gandhi can never be Savarkar. Savarkar sacrificed, went to jail for the country. Gandhi is on bail in seven cases, including the National Herald case. If a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP from Lakshadweep can move the SC, why couldnt Gandhi do it? He insulted a backward community, but he is too big to apologise to them. He could have moved court. Six lawyers are Rajya Sabha Members from the Congress. Why didnt they tell him this? The Gandhi family thinks they are above the law. They say the Gandhis have sacrificed, but they got to rule for 60 years. Thousands of people sacrificed, many never got to be an MP. Read all the Latest India News here Ramavtar Gupta, a 70-year-old state pensioner suffering from diabetes and lung disease, used to walk to a nearby private hospital on Tonk road in Jaipur every month to get a prescription from a doctor under Rajasthan Government Health Scheme (RGHS). He ran out of medicines three days ago and waited for the strike of the private hospitals to end. Seeing no hope, Gupta purchased medicines from a medical shop for the time without a prescription. Similarly, Pramila Devi, 65, was operated on for a cataract at a private hospital on Gopalpura bypass and was asked by the doctor to come after a month for a checkup. Eye drops are over and she and her family members have no option but to wait for the strike to end to be able to consult doctors. They are also confused about whether to continue the drop or not. Like them, many patients are suffering in silence in parts of Rajasthan due to a strike by private doctors against the Right to Health Bill, claiming the execution of this legislation will create hurdles in their smooth functioning and the involvement of local authorities will increase. In support of the demand for a complete withdrawal of the bill, private hospitals are completely shut no OPD, no emergency. The strike entered its 13th day on Thursday. Doctors say the bill will increase bureaucratic interference in the functioning of private hospitals. According to the bill, every resident of the state will have the right to emergency treatment and care without prepayment" at any public health institution, healthcare establishment and designated healthcare centres". A share of private hospitals patient load shifted to government hospitals while many patients, who believe they are not facing any emergencies, are waiting for the strike to end, instead of rushing to government hospitals. But there are many patients who are moving to states like Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh for treatment. What everyone can see is doctors are opposing the bill and the government is defending the bill. There is nothing for convenience for patients," said Yashwant Kumar, a government employee. Share broker Omprakash said he is feeling pain in the neck but due to long queues in government hospitals, he prefers to wait for the strike to end. I get very little time so I cannot go to the government hospital and struggle to consult a doctor unless its an emergency. I did some yoga and exercise. There was relief to some extent, but I have pain and therefore I came to the pharmacy (shop) to get a painkiller," he said. The owner of the pharmacy in Mansarover said like Omprakash, there are many who are coming to purchase medicines on the basis of symptoms because of the strike. Those living in areas close to the inter-state border and facing an emergency of treatment and can spend money are moving to private hospitals in other states. There are several patients who have gone to Gujarat from Udaipur division. Similarly, people in Kota division are exploring options in Madhya Pradesh. For people in Alwar and Bharatpur, hospitals in Delhi like AIIMS are the preferred choice. Shobit Saxena from Kota said his wife has been diagnosed with a tumour in the throat and doctors have recommended surgery as soon as possible. Since there is a rush in government hospitals, he is planning to go to Gujarat for it. A health department official said to handle the workload, arrangements are being made in government hospitals. Nearly 300 junior resident doctors have been selected through walk-in interviews in the two days on Tuesday and Wednesday while 700 more junior resident doctors will be selected soon. This will help in easing pressure in government hospitals attached to the medical colleges. The government has its own big infrastructure and it was strengthened during the Covid period, the official said. Dr Vijay Kapoor, secretary of the private hospitals and nursing homes society, said there are nearly 2,400 private hospitals and nursing homes in Rajasthan, including nearly 500 in Jaipur alone. Seventy per cent of service in the medical and health sector is rendered by the private sector. Due to the strike of private doctors, patients are going to other states. No OPD and no emergency is functional in private hospitals, he said. On Wednesday, government doctors also boycotted work for a day in solidarity with the private doctors. However, there was no major impact of the strike and the rush of patients in government hospitals was limited. Many of the government doctors also returned to work after a boycott of 2-3 hours at several places. The bill was passed on March 21. Before the bill was amended, the draft mentioned any healthcare provider, establishment or facility, including private provider, establishment or facility, public health institution, healthcare establishment and designated healthcare centres, qualified". According to the amended bill that was passed, designated healthcare centres" mean healthcare centres as prescribed in the rules, which are yet to be framed. Doctors say their one-point demand is the withdrawal of the bill and any discussion on the points of the bill will be held only after the government fulfils the demand. Health Minister Parsadi Lal said if the doctors have any problem, they should hold talks with the government. The doors of the government are always open for the doctors. They should call off the strike and should fulfil their duty as doctors, he added. Read all the Latest India News here Union Minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, at the third edition of the Rising India Conclave on Thursday, said that Congress leader and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot sees him as a threat. ALSO READ | Rising India Summit 2023 LIVE Updates HERE On Gehlots allegations against him, Shekhawat said: In 2019, Jodhpur supported me to make Narendra Modi the PM. He was frustrated after the loss of his son Vaibhav Gehlot. The loss margin was over three lakh votes. One credit cooperative society siphoned off money somewhere. My three generations are not related to it. He linked me to it. Only because I gave some shares in personal capacity to its erstwhile director. His statements have no basis, which is why I had to file a criminal defamation caseHe dragged my mother and family. Gehlot was the only centre of Jodhpur politics for years, nobody was able to reach his level. He misused agencies to send people to jail. That is his politics. For the first time, Gehlot saw a threat in Jodhpur. I got 4,75,000 votes The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) got full majority in all local elections. He is seeing his support getting uprooted, said Shekhawat. On the CM face in Rajasthan, Shekhawat said, We have PM Modi and his work. He is the most popular leader globally. We dont need a CM face in the Rajasthan assembly elections. He said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had maligned India on foreign soil and not used the legal remedies to stop the action against him. Responding to Germanys comments on Indias democratic rights, he said, As Indias power and stature grows, many will be troubled. The comments will increaseBut nobody can stop Indias growth under PM Modi. Judiciary is one of the four pillars of Indian democracyHe could have apologised and gotten away. He has done that in the past, when he was warned by the Supreme Court to not repeat such mistakes. But instead of that you try and make comments to gain sympathy and become a marytr and thank foreign countriesWhen there is a tension between your and other countries, then meeting their ambassador or people secretly, despite being a big leader and holding big post of such a big party or seeking support to oust the Prime Ministercant expect any better from them." He further added, He doesnt honour any institution. We saw in case of Rafale in 2018, he didnt stop after Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report. He stopped only after the Supreme Court rap At a time when the youth are linking the future of the country with their bright future, such antics wont work." On Opposition unity over Gandhis disqualification as MP, he said, They were all together in 2018 and 2019. The Opposition is trying to stop PM Modi as he is working for the nation. This is not the first time they are coming together. Read all the Latest India News here Editors Note: Exhibits shares information about exhibitions presented on display or online in Charlottesville and Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Madison, Nelson and Orange counties. Items must be received by noon Friday for the next weeks issue. Include the opening and closing dates of your exhibit and a telephone number the public may call with questions. Send your information to jsathe@dailyprogress.com. The Arts Center in Orange: artscenterinorange.com. (540) 672-7311. The Barn Swallow: 796 Gillums Ridge Road in Charlottesville. thebarnswallow.com. Botanical Fare Restaurant: Paths and Roads by Julia Kindred can be seen through April 24. botanicalfare.com. Cville Arts Cooperative Gallery: Art is Good Therapy and Good Therapy is an Art, works by Innisfree Village, on display through Friday. Gourd Art by Vyvyan Rundgren, Aprils featured artist, will be on view during April; she will be there for a First Fridays reception from 5 to 7 p.m. April 7. 118 E. Main St. (434) 972-9500. The Center at Belvedere: Hours: 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday and Friday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; closed Saturday and Sunday. https://thecentercville.org/. Central Library: A Retrospective in Calligraphy by Terry M. Coffey, a celebration of words to delight, soothe and inspire, is on view through May 15. www,jmrl.org. (434) 979-7151. Chroma Projects: Karen Duncan Pape: The Deep Hearts Core, recent photographic explorations capturing the spirit of Ireland, is on view in Chromas Micro Gallery on the main floor of Vault Virginia through Friday and Tom Chambers and Fax Ayres: Everything is Extraordinary, a photography exhibition, remains on display in the Great Hall. A Lunchtime Gallery Talk with Pape and Ayers is set for noon Friday. Pam Black: Architecture of the Field Redux will be on view from April 7 to 28; a First Fridays reception is set for 5 to 7 p.m. April 7. Gallery is open for viewing from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays at Vault Virginia on Third Street Southeast, just off the Downtown Mall. artlab@chroma projects.com. chromaprojects.com. Crozet Artisan Depot: The Blair Family Woodcraft show, Natures Canvas, can be seen through Friday. Aprils guest artists will be Karla Murphy of Barboursville, a botanical artist who works with pressed flowers and plants, and Michelle Nevarr of Crozet, whose show, Gypsy Soul Jewels, includes her sterling silver and aluminum creations with glass beads and natural stones. A Meet the Artist Event is set for 1 to 3 p.m. April 8. crozetartisandepot.com. Cuppa Joe Coffee: Paintings and etchings by Tom Tartaglino on display at 90 Joshua Lane in Palmyra. Hours: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. (434) 906-4172. Firnew Farm Artists Circle: firnew farmartistscircle@gmail.com. The Fralin Museum of Art at the University of Virginia: Processing Abstraction, NDakinna Landscapes Acknowledged and Look Three Ways: Maya Painted Pottery can be seen through Dec. 31. Look for an upcoming artist talk by Cara Romero at a later date. uvafralinartmuseum.virginia.edu. The Gallery at Studio Ix: A Moment to Exhale, a group photography exhibition presented by the Charlottesville Black Arts Collective, will be on view from April 7 to 30, with an opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. April 7 and an Artist Talk & Happy Hour at 5 p.m. April 20. Look for photographs by Benita Mayo, Kori Price and Derrick J. Walker. Face coverings must be worn when entering the Studio IX building and at all times in the gallery. Gallery hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. studioix.co. (434) 242-0905. The Guild Gallery: 300 E. Main St. (434) 227-1333. Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection will display James Tylor: From an Untouched Landscape through June 23. Learn more at kluge-ruhe.org. Performing Country, an exhibition of never-before-seen works from the museums permanent collection, is on view through March 3, 2024. Tours have resumed and will be led for free by volunteer guides at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. each day the museum is open. Longer tour experiences for groups will be available for purchase. Masks are required. Make reservations at kluge-ruhe.org. 400 Worrell Drive. (434) 244-0234. The Looking Glass: Arts from Underground programmed community events begin with artmaking from 7 to 11 p.m. Thursdays and karaoke starting at 8 p.m. Event includes free art-making opportunities and free admission to The Looking Glass. Craft cocktails are available at a cash bar. Ix Art Park Foundation has opened a major expansion of its immersive art museum featuring works by new and returning artists. ixartpark.org. Louisa Arts Center: Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays at 212 Fredericksburg Ave. in Louisa. louisaarts.org. (540) 967-2200. Loving Cup Vineyard and Winery: Vineyards and Springtime, acrylic, pastel and oil paintings by Matalie Deane and Julia Kindred, will be on view through May 28. A reception is set for 2 to 4 p.m. April 28. Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. (434) 984-0774. McGuffey Art Center: Critical Lines, works by Andrea Ruedy Trimble, in the Sarah B. Smith Gallery; Blackity Black Black by Charlottesville Black Arts Collective in the First-Floor and Second-Floor Hallway Galleries; Fralin Little Museum of Art at McGuffey features Deeper Meaning by Misty Mayn; and Floral in the Associate Gallery, all through Sunday. mcguffeyartcenter.com. McIntire Connaughton Gallery: Healing Nature, works in acrylic on canvas and oil on canvas by Henry Wingate and Rick Morrow, will be on view through June 15 on the third floor of Rouss & Robertson halls. Public parking isavailable in the Central Grounds Parking Garage. Piedmont Virginia Community College: pvcc.edu/performingarts. (434) 961-5362. Random Row Brewery: Spring, oils and watermedia by Terry M. Coffey and pastels and oils by Carolyn Ratcliffe can be seen through April 30. Hours: 4:30 to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 4:30 to 11 p.m. Fridays, noon to 11 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 8 p.m. Sundays. Revalation Vineyards: Farm Life: Oil Paintings by Randy Baskerville will be on view through May 3. (540) 469-0703. Unitarian Universalist Church of Charlottesville: Developing, works by Levonne Yountz, can be seen through April. Hours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays. (434) 293-8179. University of Virginia Hospital: Serenity, photographs by Emily Allred, is on view through May 3 in the lobby. Woodberry Forest School: Elizabeth, Phillip & Martin Geiger: Paintings, oils on canvas, can be seen through April 6 in Baker Gallery in the Walker Fine Arts Center. Reception is scheduled for 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. March 23. www.woodberry.org/arts/baker-gallery. Les Yeux du Monde: Russ Warren: The Denial of Death will be on view through April 30. Luncheon and talk with Warren will begin at 12:30 p.m. April 16. LYDM.co. (434) 882-2622. Drawing a parallel between Network18s Rising India theme and the countrys fast-paced growth, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that Indias aapna time agaya it is now a rising India". Its been a long time since we are saying apna time aayega, apna time aayega. But, today I want to say this in front of everyone that apna time agaya. This is Rising India," said Rajnath Singh at Rising India Summit 2023. FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES Giving the opening address, Union Defence Minister said that the Indian economy is growing and that it is one of the fastest growing economy in the world. Indian Economy has now has shifted from Fragile 5 to Fabulous 5" in the world. Indian Economy has now has shifted from Fragile 5 to Fabulous 5" in the world, Rajnath Singh said, adding that India has reached a position where it acts as an inspiration for the entire world after tackling massive challenges like Covid. Talking about the defence sector, Rajnath Singh said that ammunition for our armies will now be bought by indigenous companies only. For this, we have reserved a certain part of Capital Acquisition for the domestic industry. For the financial year 2023-24, this share has been increased to 75 per cent, which will be around one lakh crore rupees." We are not only producing for ourselves, but are also exporting weapons and equipment to other countries when needed. 7-8 years ago, this export, where the total deposit used to be not even thousand crore rupees, has now increased to more than 14-15 thousand crore rupees," Rajnath Singh said. India Will Emerge as No. 1 Economy in the World Rajnath Singh also spoke about Indias growth in manufacturing and in the digital space, saying that India today is one of the biggest mobile manufacturers in the world and that the country has now the cheapest mobile data service. We have 5G mobile connectivity. Now our Prime Minister is working on 6G services. India has the cheapest mobile data service," Rajnath Singh said, adding that today our countrys exports have also reached a record level. I had read somewhere that no power on earth can stop an idea whose time has come." I want to say with great confidence that in the coming times, our country India will not only emerge as one of the major economic powers of the world, but will emerge as the No.1 Economic power in the world," Rajnath Singh said at Rising India Summit 2023. Speaking about digital economy, Rajnath Singh said today we have a vibrant digital economy with 40 per cent real-time payment being done in India. The government has done many things at the ground level to promote ease of doing business in the country. Most importantly, the government ensured the availability of capital for business in the country," he said. Production With Export Mindset The defense sector of our country, which once depended mostly on imports, is now firmly standing on its feet. In the last few years, we have made such reforms in the defense sector, which were not even thought of till now Rajnath Singh added: We have issued Positive Indigenization Lists for Services and Defense PSUs, in which production of included items will now be done in our own country in a systematic manner. So far 4 such lists have been issued by our forces." During the summit, Rajnath Singh said the focus is also on domestic industry. He said: Ammunition for our armies will now be bought by indigenous companies only. For this, we have reserved a certain part of Capital Acquisition for the domestic industry. For the financial year 2023-24, this share has been increased to 75%, which will be around one lakh crore rupees." We are not only producing for ourselves, but are also exporting weapons and equipment to other countries when needed. 7-8 years ago, this export, where the total deposit used to be not even thousand crore rupees, has now increased to more than 14-15 thousand crore rupees," the Defence Minister added. Engines of Our Economy on Fire Emphasising that India is all set to achieve its goals, Rajnath Singh said rising India means that all the engines of our economy are on fire, and we are all set to take off". To empower the society, equality is the first requirement. We have tried to ensure that all people from all sections of the society have equal opportunities, and that there is fair representation of all people in all kinds of work," Rajnath Singh added. Rajnath Singh also highlighted that women are becoming more empowered by being a part of the Armed Forces. Women are not less than their male counterparts in any respect. From thinking and understanding to working at the ground level, they can match them, in fact they can prove to be one step ahead of men in many works." Today women are becoming more empowered by being a part of the Armed Forces. Flying fighter aircraft as a fighter pilot. Very recently, I have approved women induction in Artillery," he said. On Abrogation of Article 370 Speaking at the News18 Rising India Summit, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said: It is the result of strong political will that Jammu and Kashmir has been freed from Article 370 today. The ember for the integration of Jammu and Kashmir, which was lit by Syama Prasad Mukherjee, has now ignited with its full grandeur." Singh said the situation in Kashmir is returning to normalcy very fast. No Place for Elitist Mindset in New India Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said at the new India that is in front of us has no place for elitist mindset". This New India believes in providing equal opportunities to 140 crore Indians. Those whom we call ordinary people, I do not see them as ordinary, but as extraordinary people who lead a simple and easy life," he said. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh highlighted Indias diplomatic success and said it presents a big example of India rising. Today India is presiding over a prestigious group like G20, and Shanghai Cooperation Org. It is playing an important role in India. Our foreign policy is having the effect that Indias stature in the world is continuously increasing," Rajnath Singh said. Indian languages including Hindi are getting their dignity and prestige. New life is being given to many life-giving rivers like Ganga. I see this as rising India in cultural and spiritual perspective," he added. Read all the Latest India News here An ecosystem through an orchestrated narrative is trying to hurt India, said Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday at Network18s Rising India 2023 Summit. Attacking Indias legitimacy as a nation-state, its constitutional institutions, including the Parliament, is becoming a favourite pastime for some, he added. This ecosystem to combat Indias growth trajectory must not be allowed to go unnoticed. And that can only happen when we react, said Dhankhar. In a statement apparently aimed towards Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the Vice President also condemned those who go to foreign countries and use platforms there to attack India. At a time when there is a perception shared by some of a brewing confrontation between the central government and the judiciary, Dhankhar said, We are proud of our Supreme Court. Where on the planet will you get a Supreme Court that will act with lightning speed and grant relief when someone is accused of defamationWhere will you get a Supreme Court that will sit overtime? Its unfortunate and a matter of concern that a legally sanctified crusade against corruption is sought to be combatted by a partisan stance and individual concerns, he said, in a remark seemingly aimed at those questioning the actions of central investigating agencies. How can issues of corruption be seen from a political prism, he asked? No one in a democracy can claim to be above the law, said Dhankhar. Accountability to the law is not optional in a democracy, but is an inalienable facet of it, he added. Issues including those arising out of legal verdicts have to be systemically addressed, he said. There is a mechanism to address all issues under the Constitution. There is a hierarchical mechanism. If there is a verdict of the court one way or the other, it is not optional for the government or the concerned person to obey it or not to obey it. There is only one option: obey it or take recourse in lawful remedies, Dhankhar said. He also called upon the media to look at South Asia Studies in Ivy League institutions. This is being funded by our billionaires. Even the government in 2008 funded it. And the same is also being done by our northern neighbour. But look at their activities with respect to our nation and with respect to that nation. Its a cause for concern and worry. Should we be funding those whose only agenda is to thoughtlessly in a designed manner run down this nation? he said. Read all the Latest India News here Several cars were torched as two groups clashed in West Bengals Howrah on Thursday. The incident took place after the Ram Navami rally entered the Shibpur area in the district without permission. Following the incident, the administration deployed heavy police force. The police also conducted a flag march in the area. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee alleged the BJP has been hiring goons" from outside the state to orchestrate communal riots. They have been hiring goons from outside the state to orchestrate communal riots. Nobody has stopped their processions but they do not have the right to march with swords and bulldozers. How did they get the audacity to do this in Howrah?" Why did they change the route and take the unauthorised route to particularly target and attack one community? If they believe that they will attack others and receive relief through legal interventions, they must know that the people will reject them one day. Those who havent done any wrong will not be arrested. How do BJP workers have the courage to bulldoze peoples homes?" she asked. BJP Co-incharge West Bengal Amit Malviya alleged Banerjee is directly responsible for violence. As Bengals CM-HM, Mamata Banerjee directly responsible for violence. When over 10,000 processions were taken out, she was on a Dharna. When she shouldve looked after police management, she was doing politics," he said. Earlier today, a clash broke out between two groups in Kiradpura area of Maharashtras Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. (With ANI inputs) Read all the Latest India News here In a bombshell revelation on Wednesday during the Rising India Summit 2023, Home Minister Amit Shah said he had been pressured by federal investigators to frame then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh case. In an interview with News18 Editor-in-chief Rahul Joshi, Shah also called out the Congress reaction on their leader Rahul Gandhis conviction and subsequent disqualification, saying the BJP had not come out on the streets wearing black in protest when he was arrested and in jail for 3 months. Read excerpts from the interview here Indeed, after Shahs arrest, the leader had expressed full faith in the judiciary. I have full faith in the judiciary and I am sure the allegations against me will be cleared by the courts," Shah had said after he appeared during a press conference called by state BJP president R C Faldu at the BJP headquarters in Ahmedabad at the time. Live Updates from the Summit There is no need to drag Chief Minister Narendra Modi into this issue," he had also said reply to a reporters query. The Congress party at the time had said Modi should also be prepared to face some uncomfortable" questions in the probe. Amid Pressure, Modis Poise However, Modis poise during the entire episode has often been appreciated by Shah in the past. Modi at the time had stated that Shah was completely innocent" and that the charges against him were politically motivated." Earlier before Shahs arrest, Modi had accepted Shahs resignation from the Gujarat government. Asked by reporters whether the resignation amounted to accepting that Shah was guilty, Modi had said, He was accepting it because under the Constitution, certain formalities have to be fulfilled". He had said Shah would fight the issue legally and expressed confidence that judiciary would provide him justice. Attacking the Congress, Modi had said, The case against Shah was a revenge for its loss in the 2007 assembly polls when it had made Sohrabuddin a hero. This was a politically motivated action against Amit Shah and the BJP government in Gujarat to corner it and to put obstacles in development work it was carrying out". He had added, Shah is completely innocent and the charges against him are fabricated. The CBI is being misused by the Congress against its political rival". Years later, while campaigning in Gujarat in 2019, PM Modi had recalled the incident, of UPA government arresting BJP president Amit Shah and some police officers in Gujarat to topple the state government then headed by him. Our police officers, and even Amit Shah, were thrown behind bars. They (UPA) employed all means to break the Gujarat government," Modi said, alluding to the time when he was chief minister of the state. It was the same rally in 2019 that Modi also criticised Rahul Gandhi for his remarks against the Modi community, due to which he has been convicted now, and disqualified from the Lok Sabha. They Wanted Me to Frame Modi During the News18 interview, Shah said, I want to remind Rahul Gandhi that hundreds of Opposition leaders were sent to jail during the Emergency and there was no provision of bail. Here, now, we have that, you can go to court. I will tell you how the law was misused, I was the victim." The Congress did not file a corruption case against us. An encounter took place, and I was the home minister of that state, and the CBI registered a case against me and they arrested me. The CBI recorded me, which should still be there if the Congress had not removed it. In 90% of CBIs questions, the refrain was why are you getting tense? Just take Modis name, and we will free you. We did not wear black clothes, we did not protest." Shah recalled how an SIT was formed against the CM (Narendra Modi). There was no corruption case. There was a fake riot case filed, which the Supreme Court had dismissed. We did not create a hue and cry. We never wore black clothes and blocked the workings of Parliament. And I will tell you the result, they arrested me, I got bail within 90 days by the High Court, which said there are no evidence against me. I applied for acquittal in a Mumbai court, the case was taken out of Gujarat, where it said the CBI filed the case on the grounds of political vendetta thats why we quash all charges against Amit Shah. We didnt create a scene." With inputs from PTI Read all the Latest India News here In an interview with Network18 Group Editor-in-Chief Rahul Joshi at the News18 Rising India Summit on Wednesday, Home Minister Amit Shah recalled how he had suffered during the Sohrabuddin Sheikh case, amid pressure to frame then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi. Live Updates from the Summit In 90 per cent of the questions during my interrogation, I was asked why I was getting bothered and they said they would leave me if I name Narendra Modi. Even then, we did not protest or wear black clothes or stop Parliaments functioning. An SIT was formed against Modi which the Supreme Court itself dismissed. Read excerpts from the interview here I have been the victim of misuse of central agencies. These were the very same people P Chidambaram, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi. Unlike them, we havent registered any false cases": Home Minister @AmitShah hits out at opposition @18RahulJoshi | #News18RisingIndia pic.twitter.com/5gdpWWln0Y News18 (@CNNnews18) March 29, 2023 Ever since Rahul Gandhis conviction in a defamation case, and his subsequent disqualification from the Lok Sabha as per rules, the Congress has been alleging misuse of central agencies by the ruling BJP, and vendetta politics. With Parliament functioning in a logjam, prominent Congress leaders, including party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, senior leader Sonia Gandhi and others have also been wearing black as a show of protest against the action. Various Congress factions have also staged agitations across states in support of Rahul. Make no mistake. All your attempts to create a chilling effect, a throttling effect, a strangulating effect on open fearless speech relating to public influence will not stop either Rahul Gandhi or the Congress Party," party leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi had told a news conference after the conviction. However, Shah said Gandhi was not the only politician who has lost membership of the legislature after being convicted by a court and there was nothing to create a hue and cry about it. He has not appealed to take stay on his conviction. What kind of arrogance is this? You want favour. You want to continue as an MP and will also not go before the court," he said, adding from where such arrogance comes from. This gentleman is not the first one. Politicians who held much bigger positions and with much more experience have lost their membership because of this provision," the home minister said. Shah also said the people of India had seen everything under the Congress regime but we never took to the roads in black clothes to protest. Have faith in the law if you are innocent, he added. Full Faith in Judiciary When Shah was arrested in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case in 2010, he had expressed full faith in the judiciary. I have full faith in the judiciary and I am sure the allegations against me will be cleared by the courts," Shah said after he appeared during a press conference called by state BJP president R C Faldu at the BJP headquarters in Ahmedabad. Shah claimed that he was innocent and said that charges against him were fabricated, politically motivated and were on the instruction of Congress government" and demanded that his entire questioning by the CBI should be video-graphed. Before his arrest, Shah had said, The incident happened five years back. But the CBI acted in such haste that they did not even give me enough time to reply. I will respond to all the charges and will expose the people who are behind bringing of these allegations. This is a ploy of the Congress government to carry out our political encounter as the party has not come to power in Gujarat for the last 20 years. I will fight the legal battle in the court of law and the party will fight the political battle at political level," the BJP leader had said. Shah had said, Congress leaders are saying that Sohrabuddin was a petty criminal. It was Sohrabuddin from whose house more than 40 AK-47, 100 hand grenades and ammunition worth Rs 1 lakh were recovered. He was wanted by the police of five states and he had 40 cases against him." Read the timeline of the case here Read all the Latest India News here Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj held an emergency meeting in the secretariat on Thursday afternoon following a call from Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal a night before on the back of rising Covid-19 cases in the Capital. The state governments health bulletin on March 29 showed 300 new Covid-19 cases in Delhi. The positivity rate stood at 13.89 per cent while two deaths were also reported. The Centre in mid-March had alerted six states Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra, and Gujarat in which coronavirus cases showed a rising trend. Talking about the situation in Delhi, Bhardwaj said: It has been observed that cases in Delhi start rising two to three weeks after Maharashtra reports rising trend in cases as the pattern in similar in metros which see high number of international flights. Briefing reporters after the emergency meeting on Covid-19, the health minister said there was no need to panic and there was no proposal yet to make masks mandatory for citizens. The positivity rate in Delhi is definitely above 10 per cent. However, the number of tests are low and there is no need for panic in Delhi due to the positivity rate. We have issued an advisory that everyone who has flu-like symptoms should wear masks. Those visiting hospitals should wear masks. We had conducted a mock drill in which we took stock of availability of oxygen cylinders and liquid medical oxygen (LMO), said Bhardwaj. At present, all patients reporting flu-like symptoms at hospitals are mandatorily tested for coronavirus and their samples are also sent for genome testing. The strains that are reported of the genome testing are not worrying. We are on alert. If on any day and in any place we come across any such symptoms, then we will accelerate our preparedness. As of now, there is no need for patients to be hospitalised or put on ventilators or oxygen support. Less than 10 per cent of oxygen available with the government is being used. We are adequately prepared and closely monitoring the situation, he said. Giving out the details of the two deaths reported in the Capital a 77-year- old at the Northern Railway hospital and a 65-year-old at the Maharaja Agrasen Hospital Bhardwaj said both were elderly citizens admitted in the ICU on the 26th and 27th respectively with co-morbidities of liver and kidney disease in one case and heart disease in the other. He added that the primary cause of death could not be coronavirus. Till date, no cases with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome have been reported and there is no need to panic, the minister underlined. The number of tests will be increased as per need, the number of beds in hospitals is adequate as the notification issued to private hospitals to reserve beds for patients is still in force and there is no plan on increasing the number of beds as of now, the minister pointed out. He also said that as on date, there is no proposal to make masks mandatory for citizens of Delhi. Kejriwal is all set to chair another high-level review meeting on Friday where results of the mock drill, and ground situation of Covid-19 in other states will be presented to him. The Thursday meeting chaired by the health minister was attended by Special Secretary Health, Director General of Health Services, virologists, epidemiologists among others. Read all the Latest India News here IPL founder Lalit Modi on Thursday launched an attacked on Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi and threatened to sue the leader in UK court over his Modi surname comment". I see just about every Tom, Dick and Gandhi associates again and again saying I am a fugitive of justice. Why, how and when was I to date ever convicted of same. unlike #Papu aka @RahulGandhi, who is now an ordinary citizen saying it and it seems one and all Opposition leaders have nothing else to do so they too are either ill informed or just vendetta-prone." He further added: I have decided to take the Rahul Gandhi to court in UK right away. I am sure he will have to come-up with some solid evidence. I look forward to seeing him make a complete fool of himself. #rkdhawan #sitaramkesri #motilalvohra #satishsharna all bag men of #gandhi family. Not to forget #naraindutttewari. how do u all have overseas assets. ask #mrkamalnath. I can send." A court in Gujarats Surat held Congress leader Rahul Gandhi guilty on Thursday in the 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him over his Modi surname" remarks. The court has also announced a 2-year jail term as quantum of punishment. Gandhi was present in the court when the verdict was pronounced. The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate HH Varma, which held Gandhi guilty under Indian Penal Code sections 499 and 500, also granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal in a higher court, the Congress leaders lawyer Babu Mangukiya said. The case was filed against Gandhi for his alleged how come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname? remarks on a complaint lodged by BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi. As a result of the order, Rahul Gandhi lost his membership as an MP. Read all the Latest India News here Generation Z, or Gen Z" for short, is the cohort of individuals born between the mid-1990s and the mid-2010s. Members of this generation have grown up in a world shaped by rapid technological advancement, social media, and increasing social and political instability. As a result, many Gen Zers face unique mental health challenges that require special attention and care. Ways to assist Gen Z with mental health issues is important. These strategies are informed by the latest research on mental health and draw on the experiences of mental health professionals, educators, and Gen Zers themselves. From promoting self-care to seeking professional help, these techniques offer actionable steps that parents, educators, and other caregivers can take to support the mental health and well-being of Gen Z. By understanding and addressing the unique mental health challenges facing this generation, we can help create a healthier, more resilient future for all. As per the Indian GenZ Survey Report of Deloitte 2022, around 35-40% of the corporate workforce are mostly GenZ, and among these 49% of Indian Gen Z and 43% of Indian Millennials feel anxious or stressed all or most of the time. Additionally, 14% of India is suffering from mental health disorders and 15% of global mental health disorders are in India while 56 million of these suffer from depression and 38 million suffer from anxiety disorders. The challenges of Gen Z are unique because they are the first to have grown up in the digital era and with greater exposure to social media and technology. This has resulted in increased mental health concerns in recent years as a result of new-era challenges, social media, stressful life events, and competitive and academic pressure. Its critical to promote mental health awareness and provide support for Gen Z as new era challenges like Nomophobia, Thanatophobia, Burnout, Overthinking, Gaslighting, Cyber Bullying, Stress, Burnout, Sleep Issues, etc result in depression, anxiety, panic, fear impacting their productivity adversely, says Shivangi Sagar, Counselling Psychologist, co-founder, HopeQure. Dr Jyoti Kapoor, founder-director and Senior Psychiatrist, Manasthali feels one of the best ways to assist Gen Z with mental health issues is by promoting mental health awareness. She shares ways to assist Gen Z with mental health issues. Educate them on the importance of mental health and the warning signs of mental illnesses. Secondly, make sure that Gen Z has access to mental health resources that are affordable and easily accessible. Its important to remove any barriers to accessing these resources, such as cost, location, or stigma. Thirdly, encourage Gen Z to prioritize self-care practices that can help improve their mental health. This could include activities such as exercise, meditation, mindfulness, and creative pursuits. Fourth, create a supportive environment that encourages open communication and empathy. This can be achieved by promoting healthy relationships, modelling positive behaviours, and providing emotional support. Fifth and finally, advocate for systemic change that can improve mental health outcomes for Gen Z. This could involve advocating for better mental health policies, funding for mental health research, and increased access to mental health resources. Compared to their older counterparts, Gen Z spends more time on social media, which may make them feel lonely, inadequate, and overburdened. Gen Z needs to be more aware of topics like mental health and the risks associated with excessive technology use. Parents should be open to discussing mental health, behavioral and relationship issues with their kids and should be aware of the signs of mental health issues. Its critical to take care of Gen Zs understanding of mental health concerns so that we can contribute to the development of a better and more joyous society, adds Sagar. Read all the Latest Lifestyle News here Well-known Kannada music composer Arjun Janya is getting ready to direct his first movie. He has brought three big names onboard, much to everyones delight. South stars Upendra and Shiva Rajkumar are set to feature in the movie. This star-studded movie, titled 45, will also have actor Raj B Shetty. M Ramesh Reddy, who has previously produced movies like Naticharami, Paddehuli, and Gaalipata 2, is helming Arjuns debut movie. Arjun Janya and the films team were looking for a female lead, since the movie already has three major actors on board. The good news is, they have found a new face. Yes, you read that right! Wondering who she is? According to reports, Kannada television actress Kaustubha Mani can be seen in this multi-starrer film. Though there is no official update yet. Kaushtubha never really imagined working in showbiz. Before her acting debut, she worked as a techie in a private company. Manvita Kamat, a Sandalwood actress, was the one who first made Kaustubha aware of the glamour business. Manvita was eager to introduce Kaustubha to the Kannada film industry after seeing her at a fashion show. Manvita invited her to meet the creators of a daily soap. In both the audition and the look test for the daily soap Nannarasi Radhe, Kaustubha excelled. With the show, she subsequently made her acting debut. A few days back, the film 45s team was looking for an aspiring actress. They were specifically invited to apply for the intriguing role and the chance to work with Shiva Rajkumar, Upendra and Raj B Shetty. According to the audition notice, the producers of 45 were looking for an actress between the ages of 18 and 28, who speaks Kannada and has a homely" appearance. Aspiring actresses were told to send the team their photos and performance videos in Kannada to be considered for this high-profile project. In 1995, Upendra and Shiva Rajkumar first worked together. In the cult classic Om, Shiva Rajkumar was directed by Upendra. For the first time in more than 20 years, the pair will again work together. Shiva Rajkumar made a cameo in Kabzaa, which gave fans a treat of their special reunion. Read all the Latest Movies News here Tamil actor Cool Suresh has become one of the most prominent faces in the film industry. Known mostly for his portrayal in comic and negative roles, the actor has delivered some powerful performances in films like Kaakha Kaakha, Thodraa, Padikkathavan, and Singham 3. Cool Suresh also claims to be an ardent admirer of Tamil star Silambarasan TR, popularly known as Simbu. He has also gained popularity for his movie reviews by never failing to catch the first-day show of every film that has been released. Earlier, Cool Suresh in an interview with a media portal revealed that he would be coming on a helicopter to watch Simbus latest film Pathu Thala. He even claimed to be ready to mortgage his house to afford the helicopter. Seems like he has kept his promise, but by adding his surprising twist. According to the Tamil Samayam, Cool Suresh booked the tickets for the 8 am show of Pathu Thala. He arrived in Chennais Rohini theatre to watch his favourite actor pack some punches. Being the man of his word, the Tamil actor-comedian brought with him a toy helicopter. A video of the same is currently doing the rounds on the Internet. The now-viral clip was tweeted on March 30. It captured Cool Suresh being mobbed by fans. Surrounding him were elaborate posters of Pathu Thala. Cool Suresh held a red and green coloured toy helicopter in his hand, showing it off to the people present there. The fans looked eager to click pictures with the Tamil actor, with cellphones in their hands. Not long ago Cool Suresh during an interview session did the craziest things to prove his loyalty toward Simbu, reports Filmi Beat. The interactive session was conducted in the middle of the sea. Both the host and Cool Suresh were seated on a small boat. When the host questioned him whether it was true that people were taking advantage of Simbus name to gain publicity, Cool Suresh reportedly lost his cool. To show his love for Simbu, The Tamil actor jumped into the sea. However, netizens called it a cheap publicity stunt, claiming the whole incident to be scripted. Simbus much-talked-about project Pathu Thala was released on March 30. The gangster action film has opened to decent reviews from fans and critics alike. Helmed by Obeli N. Krishna, Pathu Thala also stars Gautham Karthik, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Sayyeshaa Saigal, Gautham Vasudev Menon, and Kalaiyarasan in important roles. Read all the Latest Movies News here A Nelson County 18-year-old was arrested Wednesday after a raid on a house in the Johnson Village neighborhood turned up nine weapons and enough fentanyl to kill 128,000 people. Shahiem T. Michie of Arrington was arrested for two counts of drug possession with intent to distribute and one count of possessing firearms with drugs. Agents with the Jefferson Area Drug Enforcement Task Force, in cooperation with the Charlottesville Police Department, executed a search warrant in the 500 block of Cleveland Avenue, according to a CPD release. The Charlottesville Police Department and Commonwealth Attorneys Office will continue to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of crimes involving firearms and large quantities of narcotics, Charlottesville Police Chief Michael Kochis said in the release that included a photograph of what the search warrant allegedly produced: six handguns including an AR-15 pistol with no serial number three rifles including an AK-47 assault rifle and a 10/22 with a high-capacity magazine about 428 grams of cocaine about 256 grams of fentanyl about 1,600 counterfeit M30 fentanyl pills about 200 grams of methamphetamine, and $4,691 in cash Authorities contend that the alleged haul stemmed from a still-open investigation into the distribution of narcotics and the illegal possession of firearms, and authorities urge anyone with information to call the Crime Stoppers tip line at (434) 977-4000. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that can be prescribed for severe pain, but its ability to be mixed with other drugs to bolster their effects has fostered a black market for unlicensed fentanyl made in clandestine, often foreign, labs. The Drug Enforcement Agency estimates that as little as two milligrams, two thousandths of a gram, can kill a person. The National Institutes of Health estimates that about 70% of Americas annual 106,000 drug overdose deaths are from synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. The federal government classifies fentanyl as a so-called Schedule II drug that can bring first-offense prison sentences up to 40 years for dealing it. On Monday, in Charlottesvilles federal court, former Ruckersville resident Michael Watkins Hayer was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in trafficking the fentanyl that led last year to the death of an 18-year-old man named Austin Harlow. Michie was arrested, however, under state law, which classifies his charges as Class 5 and Class 6 felonies, the two lowest categories. While a Class 5 conviction can bring a 10-year-sentence, the courts tend toward lenience for first-time offenders. Michie does not appear to have a criminal record, according to a search of Virginia courts. He is being held, pending a bail hearing, at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail. The luxury fashion house, Dior is all set to unveil its Fall 2023 ready-to-wear collection, on March 30. This highly anticipated event is currently the buzz of the town and will see many A-listers from around the globe at the show which will be held at the Gateway of India. Ahead of the extravagant show, Diors creative director, Maria Grazia Chiuri, met iconic woman Rekha and shared a glimpse of the same on her social media handle. In the picture, Maria Grazia and Rekha were seen posing together. While the veteran actress Rekha looked mesmerizing in an ethereal white saree, Maria was seen in a black and white outfit. Rekha paired her white saree with a full sleeves-matching blouse and sheer details. For accessories, the OG beauty icon chose statement gold earrings, a golden bangle and a potli bag to add a dash of sophistication. She captioned the picture, I was so touched to meet the iconic Rekha gi (ji) last night for the first time. Indias most iconic woman and an incredible actress. I am so grateful you have joined us last night, it was a true honour. Photo Courtesy- Thomas Chene Check out the photo here: The event will showcase the latest womens clothing that will pay homage to the rich culture and heritage of India. The official account handle of Dior posted the same photo on Twitter with a caption that read, Reflecting the House's regard for Indian culture, celebrated actress Rekha appears with Maria Grazia Chiuri ahead of the highly-anticipated Dior Fall 23 show http://on.dior.com/fall-2023, live from the Gateway of India in Mumbai on Thursday, March 30 at 8.30 pm IST. Heres the post: Reflecting the House's regard for Indian culture, celebrated actress Rekha appears with Maria Grazia Chiuri ahead of the highly-anticipated #DiorFall23 show https://t.co/kC67pvsPPn, live from the Gateway of India in Mumbai on Thursday, March 30 at 8.30pm IST. Thomas Chene pic.twitter.com/3SBLDCexEQ Dior (@Dior) March 29, 2023 Celebrities like Karisma Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Cara Delevingne, Simone Ashley and Game of Thrones fame Maisie Williams are some of the names out of many who have been invited to the couture show. Earlier, the Thai series KinnPorsche fame Mile and Apo arrived in Mumbai to be a part of the Dior show. Read all the Latest Movies News here Filmmakers Guneet Monga and Kartiki Gonsalves have been on cloud nine ever since their documentary movie The Elephant Whisperers bagged the Oscars in the Short Film category. The films team has been going places and it seems that one of the biggest moments of the films producers Guneet and Kartikis lives has just arrived. The films team met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in Delhi today and celebrated the historical win of the film. The Elephant Whisperers, directed by Kartiki Gonsalves and produced by Guneet Monga, explores the bond between humans and an abandoned elephant calf in a Tamil Nadu sanctuary, is Indias first win in the Documentary Short category. PM Modi met some of the team members who were behind the Tamil documentary, including Gonsalves and Monga. Kartiki has shared the pictures on Twitter, and needless to say these went viral in no time. Along with the pics, she wrote, The Elephant Whisperers team is immensely grateful to have met our Hon. Prime Minister, Shri @narendramodi and celebrate Indias cherished win with him." The cinematic brilliance and success of The Elephant Whisperers has drawn global attention as well as acclaim. Today, I had the opportunity to meet the brilliant team associated with it. They have made India very proud, Mr. Modi said in a tweet and posted pictures with the team and their Oscar trophies. The cinematic brilliance and success of The Elephant Whisperers has drawn global attention as well as acclaim. Today, I had the opportunity to meet the brilliant team associated with it. They have made India very proud. @guneetm @EarthSpectrum pic.twitter.com/44u16fbk3j Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 30, 2023 The Elephant Whisperers is a heartwarming story of this couple, Bomman and Bellie - who have been given an orphaned elephant, Raghu, to look after. The film depicts the couples journey as they relentlessly work to ensure Raghus recovery and survival. The short documentary beautifully stitches the tale of how the couple falls in love with the majestic creature over the course of time. Set against the backdrop of the wild spaces of South India, The Elephant Whisperers highlights the beauty of exotic wildlife, unforgettable untamed spaces, and the people and animals who share this space. It wasnt just Guneet Mongas documentary film that won big at the Academy Awards this year. RRRs hit song Naatu Naatu also won the Oscar for Best Original Song, making it the first Indian and Asian song to receive this honour. The song was also performed on the Oscars stage. Several celebrities such as Allu Arjun, Rajinikanth, Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan, Kajol and many more penned heartfelt congratulatory messages to the winners on their historic win. Read all the Latest Movies News here Ishaan Khatter, in a recent interview, opened up about his parents' separation. Ishaan was born to actress Neelima Azeem and actor Rajesh Khattar, who divorced sometime in 2001. During a recent interview, the actor addressed the duo's divorce and said that he isn't caught up with the past." I think I have always dealt with adversity in a way that its almost like Im watching how much can I bear or much can I take. Ive always felt that adversity builds character if youre able to get through the situation because the tides keep changing and if nothing else, you just wait," Ishaan told Pinkvilla. The Khaali Peeli actor believes that facing adversity can contribute to one's character and that his experiences have shaped him into who he is today. He said, I dont think of it as a bad thing like I dont feel Im very caught up with the past. I feel whatever has happened in my life has made me the person I am today. I dont hold on to things in the past and think of them very negatively. I like to look at it like it was a learning if nothing else." Ishaan was also surprised by his mothers video where she shared a heartwarming message expressing her pride in him. In the background of her video, her elder son Shahid Kapoor's children, Misha and Zain, can be heard saying: Chachu, we love you." Ishaan also talked about his relationship with his niece and nephew and described them as his playmates in the interview. He finds it remarkable that both Misha and Zain possess not only a high level of intellectual intelligence but also emotional intelligence. Ishaan discussed his relationship with Shahid, describing him as a down-to-earth individual who plays an important role in his life. The actor shared Shahid's nickname, Baba Sasha," and revealed that the actor is a consistent male figure who has always kept him in check. He shared that Shahid was 15 when Ishaan was born so the former has also changed his diapers. Meanwhile, on the work front, Ishaan will next be seen in Raja Menons directorial film Pippa. The movie also stars Mrunal Thakur, Priyanshu Painyuli and Soni Razdan in crucial roles. The storyline focuses on Brigadier Balram Singh Mehta, who fought during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war. Read all the Latest Movies News here Marathi film Maharashtra Shahir, based on the life of famous folk artist Krishnarao Ganpatrao Sable, is all set to release in cinema halls on April 28. Recently, the teaser of this film was also unveiled by Everest Marathi on Youtube and received an amazing response from the audience. Director Kedar Shinde is looking forward to the release of his film because it will be the debut project of his daughter Sana Shinde. Sana will enact the female lead Bhanumathi Sable in Maharashtra Shahir. In an interview with News 18 Lokmat, Kedar revealed that he felt pressured while working with Sana. Kedar said that it is a matter of pride for him that his daughter will play a key role in Maharashtra Shahir. He had contemplated a lot before choosing his daughter for playing the role of Bhanumathi, Krishnaraos wife. Kedar told News 18 Lokmat that he ensured that Sana should not work in Maharashtra Shahir just because he was his daughter. Kedar had also told Sana that she should not feel burdened with the responsibility of living up to expectations of being her daughter. She should forget everything and just focus on getting into the skin of her character. When he was certain that Sana is not under any undue pressure to play Bhanumathis role, he finalised her for the character. Still, he felt a sense of responsibility and pressure while directing her in Maharashtra Shahir. Kedars followers and cine buffs from the Marathi film industry will be looking forward to the debut of his daughter. They are also happy that Maharashtra Shahir will introduce the current generation to folk music. Fans have also appreciated the music, rendered by duo Ajay Atul, in its teaser. The teaser of this film, which released on March 20 has garnered more than 32, 00, 000 views. Many have hoped that Maharashtra Shahir has the capability to qualify for the Oscars award as well. Another reason, many say, to watch Maharashtra Shaheer is the actor Ankush Chaudhari, who is essaying the role of Krishnarao Ganpatrao Sable. Read all the Latest Movies News here Sagarika Chakraborty was known for her fight with the Norwegian authorities after they took away her two children. Her long struggle and support from the Indian Government eventually led to Sagarika being reunited with her kids. Years later, Rani Mukerji brought her heartbreaking story on screen through the film Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway. In an exclusive chat with News18 Bangla.com, Sagarika Chakraborty opened up about the film, Rani Mukerji, and more. Excerpts: After watching Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway, calls are coming from Norway again. Will you visit the country again? Absolutely not! I will not return to that country. But the interesting thing is, after watching the movie, the people residing there want to meet me. The film distributor is telling me to come for once but I didnt agree. Is there a sense of fear and panic? Absolutely. As a mother what I endure is beyond everything! After the torture they have done to me, I will not be going to set foot there. Do you know I was given an electric shock? Why? To prove me crazy and of course, to take away my children. When Child Welfare took them away and placed them with foster parents, I visited there from time to time. I used to pump my breast milk as my daughter was still a baby, but they didnt give it to her. If I hug and caress the children, they used to take me away from my arms. When I cried, they used to make videos and tried to prove me as a crazy mother. Did not your husband Anurup Bhattacharya accompany you during such difficult times? He was not at all upset. He used to raise his finger at me always. And on this occasion, the husbands family joined hands with Child Welfare. If you give custody of my children to my husbands brother, they will get a large sum amount of money. And my husband only listens to advice that his family used to dictate. For a long time, I had to run away from everyone because I was being followed by them. The officials of the Indian government used to say that I should go back to the country, or they might kill me. Was it a love marriage? No, it was a marriage of negotiation. But before marriage, I have seen different forms of my spouse. Not only his, but his family also misbehaved from the beginning. But even after that, the marriage took place due to various reasons. How were the initial days of your marriage when you started your life abroad? My husbands real forms started coming out very soon. I was beaten, mistreated, and not given minimum care after I got pregnant, and could not tell anyone about domestic violence. Officials of the Indian government told me not to file a case against the husband then, as it would delay the return of the children. So I was silent. Your husband is now accusing you of adultery Yes, after hearing so I was laughing. Everyone understands that he is lying. He says, before marriage, I had a relationship with some doctors. If that is the case, then why did I marry a bad man like him? If I had a relationship with someone, I would have tied the knot with him. Many people say that there is a flip side to this phenomenon. Norways administration is not entirely bad All events have good and bad sides. Here too. And I know who is saying what. My husband was manipulating people over there. But the truth will prevail, that is my belief. Rani Mukherjee started crying when she saw you at the films promotion stage She is also a mother, and therefore she feels the pain of having her children taken away. When we met in Mumbai, I was told, Sagarika, how did you do this fight? I felt like I would go crazy while acting." Hugging Rani, I felt like she had taken a part of me into her. There is nothing different between Devika Chatterjee and Sagarika Chakraborty. Did you get angry after seeing Anirban Bhattacharya on screen? Did you see your husband in him? Anirbans performance is my favorite. He is honest and eloquent toward every character. It was not possible to show all my life in the picture. So, my husbands part was very limited. But for what it was, I would perform 100 out of 100. What my husband said, I heard again from Anirbans mouth. So the anger will be a little on the character. I thought this is my husband, Anurup Bhattacharya. Still you have to stay away from children for earning. How does it feel? I am raising two children by myself. Meanwhile, my father is a heart patient. He underwent an operation recently. A lot of money was spent on his treatment. I have to arrange all of them. Now, I am working in Noida. If I got a good job offer from Pune then I have to decide. But, I have sorted in my mind that wherever I am, I will bring the whole family to me. Read all the Latest Movies News here Parineeti Chopra has been in the news for the past couple of days for her alleged romance with AAP leader Raghav Chadha. Ever since she was spotted with the politician at a restaurant a couple of days back and their pictures went viral, it has been speculated that the two are all set to tie the knot soon. In fact, it is also said that their families have met and there will be an intimate roka ceremony for the couple. It was just yesterday when Parineeti blushed when a pap asked her reaction to her wedding rumors with Raghav. And now, it seems we just got another confirmation on the alleged couples rumoured wedding. In a video posted by popular Bollywood paparazzo, Viral Bhayani, Rakhi Sawant is seen interacting with the media and soon after she was asked about her reaction to Parineeti and Raghavs wedding rumors, she said in Hindi, Wow, Raghav Chadha is going to get married to Parineeti Chopra, Im so happy. One of the sisters would stay in India (in reference to Priyanka Chopra). Its so nice." ALSO READ | Parineeti Chopra, Raghav Chadhas Wedding Is Happening, Harrdy Sandhu Confirms; Wishes Couple Soon after the video was shared, scores of fans chimed into the comments section to congratulate the couple. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha and Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra have been ruling the news headlines and social media trends for their dating rumours. As per multiple media reports, the Bollywood actress is likely to tie the knot with the politician soon. Amid the strong wedding buzz, Parineeti has seemingly confirmed her romance with Raghav Chadha with her cute Instagram gesture. Raghav Chadha on Wednesday shared a video of him addressing rallies in various cities. He was also seen interacting with the public and clicking photos with them in the video. And, Parineeti was quick to like the video. This comes after Parineeti was asked about her wedding rumours with Raghav when she was clicked at Mumbai airport on Tuesday evening. While the actress avoided the question, she seemed to be blushing and smiling. Before stepping into the car, the actress thanked the paparazzi. Watch: Parineeti Chopra and Raghav Chadha sparked dating rumours after they were spotted together on lunch and dinner dates in Mumbai recently. The photos and videos shared by the paparazzi showed the duo coming out of a restaurant together. While Raghav went straight to his car, Parineeti stopped to pose for the paparazzi and interacted with them for a brief period of time before stepping inside the same car. Raghav recently broke his silence on their romance rumours. On March 23, Raghav was asked about the actress and their frequent meetings. Aap mujhse raajneeti ke sawaal kariye, Parineeti ke sawaal na kariye (Please ask me questions about politics, not Parineeti), the AAP politician said. When prodded further about their rumoured relationship, Raghav blushed and replied, Denge jawaab. If reports are to be believed, Parineeti and Raghav studied together at the London School of Economics and have been friends for a long time now. They also follow each other on Instagram. Read all the Latest Movies News here Pathaan director Siddharth Anand has broken his silence over the boycott calls against Deepika Padukones saffron" bikini in Besharam Rang song. Several politicians had opposed to Deepikas bikini colour, calling for its rectification". Despite facing threats, major controversies and criticism before the films release, both Deepika and Shah Rukh Khan remained silent and exhibited restraint in their response to the situation. For more: Rising India: Pathaan Director Reacts for 1st Time to Deepika Padukones Saffron Bikini Row, Says We Were Not Scared Kajal Agarwal is one such actress who is known for her contribution to the Hindi, Telugu and Tamil film industries. The actress made her debut with the Bollywood film Kyun! Ho Gaya Na and went on to do several Telugu and Tamil films later, along with some Hindi films. Now, the actress opened up about the difference between the Hindi industry and the south industry and whether the latter is more accepting. For more: Rising India 2023: Kajal Aggarwal Talks about South vs Bollywood, Says Hindi Cinema Lacks Ethics, Values Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha and Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra have been ruling the news headlines and social media trends for their dating rumours. As per multiple media reports, the Bollywood actress is likely to tie the knot with the politician soon. Amid the strong wedding buzz, Parineeti has seemingly confirmed her romance with Raghav Chadha with her cute Instagram gesture. For more: Raghav Chadha, Parineeti Chopra Make It Instagram Official Amid Wedding Rumours? Fans React Samantha Ruth Prabhu admitted having a tough time after she and Naga Chaitanya decided to proceed with their divorce. While the Shaakuntalam actress held a strong face in front of the media for two years, gracefully handling the trolls and attacks made against her, Samantha said that there were some rough days that she had to deal with. The actress, in a new interview, said that there were days that she was crying, unable to get out of bed and even turned to her mother for support. For more: Samantha Says After Naga Chaitanya Divorce She Asked Her Mom If Im Going to Be Okay Manoj Bajpayee has proved his acting mettle over the years through the different roles he has done. Be it the violent gangster in Gangs of Wasseypur or a family man living a double life in the series The Family Man, the actor has always been convincing in his roles. The latter saw Manoj foray into the world of web series and it went on to become one of the most loved shows in India. Now that the actor has already teased the third season of the Raj and DK show, his fans are eagerly waiting for the release date of the series. For more: Rising India: Manoj Bajpayee Gives BIG Update on The Family Man 3 Release, Says Paise Bachne Read all the Latest Movies News here Piyush Mishra is a man of many talents, including being one of the most iconic actors of all time, an exceptionally versatile lyricist, a thought-provoking writer and a cinematic genius. He is one of those stars of the industry who have made their place in the industry through hard work. The actor was once a teacher who later pursued acting and is now regarded as one of the best actors in Indian cinema. Recently, Piyush Mishra talked about the untouched part of his life and surprised everyone with some revelations. In his book, Piyush Mishra revealed many secrets about his life. The actor claimed that he lacked the ability, as well as the desire, to write an autobiography. He said, I am writing a novel. He also shared how difficult it is to write a book. The Gangs of Wasseypur actor also mentioned his first love in the book. He tells that when he was in 10th grade, he fell in love with his teacher Miss Ginger. She was from Kerala and was very beautiful. She would often call Piyush and request him to sing. His teacher was so impressed with him that she used to eat food with him and also made him taste some south Indian dishes. Among the laughter and jokes, the two grew closer, and the teacher kissed Piyush on the cheek. Piyush was always told by the teacher that he should have been born ten years ago. One of the parts of the book also revealed that his aunt sexually abused him. In the book, the actor described how one day, when there were very few people left in the school, the teacher was listening to Piyush sing like it was every day. After singing the song, Piyush became emotional while mentioning this incident. Seeing this, the teacher also became emotional and there was a lip kiss between the two. After this, someone saw this incident between these two and informed his family. Piyushs father beat him with a stick and he got expelled from the school as well. The teacher also quit her job and left. When Piyush fell in love again, he was in college. In those days, he was 20 years old. At the behest of his father, he was admitted to a medical college. During this, he met a 28-year-old girl and he fell in love with her beauty and innocence. Piyush became friends with the girl and the two began to hang out together. Piyushs father was well-known in Gwalior, so there was no delay in returning home. However, both were just friends. The love was one-sided but even then his mothers temper flared. She arrived at that girls office and when Piyush came to know about this, he cut his wrist in rage. The actors relationship with his father also ended on that day. Piyush decided that from then on, he would address his father as Sir. Piyush eventually enrolled in the National School of Drama and relocated to Delhi. He met Priya Narayanan at NSD and eloped and married her. Piyush and Priya have been married for 28 years. Josh and Jai are the names of their two children. Read all the Latest Movies News here Priyanka Chopras tell-all interview made major headlines across the country. The actress revealed the real reason behind her exit from the tinsel town. Following her revelation, several prominent faces like Kangana Ranaut and Apurva Asrani came out in support of the Quantico actress. Now Priyankas manager, Anjula Acharia has showed her solidarity with the global star. Reacting to a fans tweet that encapsulated one of Acharias interview with Forbes where she had claimed how Bollywood dissuaded her to work with Priyanka Chopra. Anjula penned her thoughts on the thread. She wrote, Naysayers are just noise! You have to tune it out @priyankachopra is undeniable and we proved them all wrong :))) I knew she would be a global star the first time I saw her on TV! (sic). Naysayers are just noise! You have to tune it out @priyankachopra is undeniable and we proved them all wrong :))) I knew she would be a global star the first time I saw her on TV! Anjula Acharia (@anjulaacharia) March 28, 2023 In the 2021 interview, Anjula Acharia had disclosed, I remember when I first signed Priyanka, there were a lot of people, particularly in India who was so negative. I was at Manish Goels house at dinner with some prominent people from, I wouldnt say Bollywood, they hate that wordathe Hindi film industry, and they were just so negative about her. They were like shes never gonna work, I dont know why you are wasting your time blah blaha I remember feeling really hurt at the time, am I wasting my time? But this is where self-belief comes in. It seemed like a crazy dream right? To bring somebody from India to Hollywood but gotta tell you, when I look into Priyankas eyesa you just believe. And I think Priyanka was just undeniable. And I think she is a disruptor and I believe in her talent. I just had more belief in myself than what those people were telling me. For the unversed, Priyanka Chopra who is eagerly awaiting the release of her pan-global series Citadel had talked to Dan Sheperd on his podcast. She had revealed, I was being pushed into a corner in the industry (Bollywood). I had people not casting me, I had beef with people, I am not good at playing that game so I kind of was tired of the politics and I said I needed a break. This music thing gave me an opportunity to go into another part of the world, not crave for the movies I didnt want to get but I would require to schmooze certain clubs and cliques of people. It would require grovelling and I had worked a long time by then that I didnt feel like I wanted to do it. Read all the Latest Movies News here Kajal Agarwal is one such actress who is known for her contribution to the Hindi, Telugu and Tamil film industries. The actress made her debut with the Bollywood film Kyun! Ho Gaya Na and went on to do several Telugu and Tamil films later, along with some Hindi films. Now, the actress opened up about the difference between the Hindi industry and the south industry and whether the latter is more accepting. Speaking at the News18 Rising India Summit 2023, the actress was asked which direction did she look at when she decided she wants to resume working again. To this, the actress said, I am a Bombay girl, born and raised. I started my career in the Hyderabad (Telugu) film industry and the main body of my work is Tamil and Telugu films. I have done a few Hindi films but for me, the feeling of home is Hyderabad and Chennai and that will never go." The actress was also asked whether the South industry is more accepting to which she answered, South is definitely very accepting but I guess there is no discount or there is no shortcut to hard work. And there is no easy way to success." Kajal also talked about whether there are any differences in both industries in terms of approach. She opined, There are a lot of people who want to start their career in Hindi because it is a more nationwide recognised language. Having said that, yes the south is a very friendly industry, its very accepting, there are fabulous technicians in the south, wonderful directors and phenomenal content that is generated over all four languages- Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada." She continued, And of course, Hindi has been our mother tongue. We have grown up watching Hindi movies. It has been accepting and has been very kind to me as well. But I prefer the eco-system, the ethics, the values, the discipline of the south industry which I feel is lacking in Hindi cinema." Kajal also spoke about the diminishing language barrier and said there is no divide of language as cinema is cinema. Read all the Latest Movies News here A judge denied bail Thursday for a counselor accused of sexual acts with a local teenager almost 20 years ago, when the teen would have been 15 and the man entrusted to help her would have been in his early thirties. The now 52-year-old counselor was extradited from New Mexico to face criminal charges. Judge Areshini Pather made her ruling despite a prosecutors willingness to let Darren Wade Powell live under house arrest until trial and testimony from two character witnesses. This court is not going to grant bail, Judge Pather said at the close of the hearing in Albemarle Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. The judge told Powell that he has been charged with two counts of indecent acts with a custodial child, each of which is a felony that can bring a sentence as long as five years. The judge did not ask for a plea from Powell, who attended the hearing electronically from the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail. Powell has been held there since March 25, following his extradition from custody near his home in La Luz, a suburb of Alamogordo, New Mexico. According to the prosecutor, the allegations arose a year ago, when the girl, now an adult, began telling Albemarle investigators her story of a counselor allegedly abusing his position of trust. Back in 2004, said Deputy Commonwealths Attorney Alicia Milligan, the girl was 15 and had been struggling and was getting into trouble at school. She was assigned to the defendant as her counselor, Milligan told the court. During that time that he was her counselor, they had a consensual sexual relationship. According to the complaint filed by Albemarle County Police investigator Michael Schneider, Powell bought the girl alcohol and cigarettes and allegedly engaged in multiple kissing and sexual encounters at Powells apartment at University Heights, a complex just west of the city limits off Ivy Road. The complaint alleges that illegal sex with the girl continued into 2005 when Powell moved to New Mexico but that Powell had earlier stopped the counseling because he told her it was inappropriate for them to continue for them to continue to have a sexual relationship while he was her counselor. The alleged victim no longer lives in Virginia, was not named in the hearing, and her identity was redacted from the criminal paperwork provided by a court clerk. Two witnesses spoke highly of the accused. One was Stephanie Leigh Powell Fang of Whitestown, Indiana, Powells older sister. As her younger brother watched via his jailhouse video feed, Fang told the court that Powell is on leave as a counselor with the Tulorosa School District and that an official there said he would be welcomed back upon successful resolution of his legal issues. Fang said that she obtained a local house for her brother to inhabit while he awaits trial under a home electronic incarceration program. I can do whatever I need to do, Fang replied. Im prepared. Another witness testifying Thursday was Powells longtime friend and former colleague C. Garrett Jones, the Family Resource Program Manager for Virginias Department of Social Services. Jones said he met Powell in 2004 when the two were working for Family Preservation Services, a private counseling provider. He said he would welcome the opportunity to provide his friend with food and transportation. I provided references for him for every job, said Jones. In determining whether to grant the home electronic incarceration, the judge heard both prosecution and defense agree that Powell has no prior criminal record, but Judge Pather also wanted to know what the victim thought. She knows hes been arrested, said Milligan. The judge kept pressing about what the alleged victim wants. I dont know if weve had a conversation with her, said Milligan. I dont anticipate that shed have an objection. Absolutely wrong, muttered a man in the gallery. Sensing the judges direction, Powells lawyer Rhonda Quagliana said that her client likely would have been approved for bail had his home not been so far away. The judge then cited the allegation that the defendant purchased alcohol for the girl and pronounced her decision to deny bail. You all can come back, or you can appeal it to the Circuit Court, said Judge Pather. The choice is up to you. Moments later, Quagliana was in the courthouse basement gathering paperwork. She declined comment but said she was preparing to file an appeal to the Albemarle Circuit Court. The parties are due back in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court on June 12 for a status hearing. Mrunal Thakur graced the News18 Rising India Summit on Thursday where she talked about the initial years of her career, reservations from family and more. The Sita Ramam actress also got candid about television actors being stereotyped and how that perception has changed drastically now. When the actress was asked whether it was difficult for her to make a transition to movies from television especially when she was overexposed on television, Mrunal tactfully answered, We have a stereotype. People have this perception that a television actor would only stick to doing television roles. But today, everything has changed now. All the platforms whether it is OTT, theatre, films, all the actors are getting abundant opportunities to showcase themselves. And what is important is that the tag of a television actor is no more. And its been placed with an Indian actress. So today, I am an Indian actress and a proud one." The actress added, Many people used to tell me that you wont be able to do it, please go back home. You are only made for television. Why are you wasting your time here? But I got to meet some film-makers whom I would like to thank. Infact, I would like to thank all those people who said I cant do it. I am so happy to be sitting right in front of you and representing Indian cinema today. And honestly, I want to do something out-of-the-box. The journey has just begun and with your support and love, I want to grow. I want India to grow and I just want to explore." Mrunal Thakur has been a part of phenomenal films such as Super 30, Love Sonia, Jersey, Dhamaka, Toofan, Ghost Stories and Batla House to name a few. Her next film with Aditya Roy Kapur is titled Gumraah and it is slated to release on April 7. Read all the Latest Movies News here Oscar-winning The Elephant Whisperers producer Guneet Monga attended the News18 Rising India Summit in New Delhi on Wednesday, March 29. During the session, the filmmaker talked about several things including her documentarys historic success, love for Shah Rukh Khan and female directors in the industry. When asked how difficult it is for women directors to break into the industry, Guneet mentioned that only 5 percent of the directors are female and hoped that her Oscar victory will inspire other women in the field. I am determined (to bring about a change). In my entire power of being a producer and 16 years of work, Sikhya (Guneets production house) is determined to and I think a large part of Netflix too, is also promoting that so were determined to have more and more female creators and open doors, and I hope Karthiki (Gonsalves, filmmaker) and my journey inspires more women to just pick up the camera," she said. Guneet blamed years of patriarchy for fewer female filmmakers in the industry but argued that things are changing especially after the Me Too movement. Its definitely improved, there are many amazing women. I think, post the MeToo movement, definitely, its improved," she shared. She also urged all female filmmakers not to look at each other as a competition but as a support. Its really important to celebrate each other. For far too long weve been told that youre each others competition. Its either you or her. Now its all of us and all of us at once because there are enough and more jobs and there is enough and more work and the more we celebrate each other in the rooms that were not, the more we will get opportunities," Guneet told us. She concluded by saying that it is now time to just celebrate each other in other to bring more change in the industry in the coming years. Read all the Latest Movies News here Veteran actor Sarath Babu has been undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Chennai following a critical health condition. Ever since the news broke out, many film and political personalities have wished him a speedy recovery. None of the actors family members has officially disclosed any details about his health. But the news came out because actress and comedian Karate Kalyani posted about Sarath Babu on her social media handles. She revealed that Sarath was one of her favourite actors and there was a time when he was the prince of womens dreams. Let us pray to Swami for Sarath Babus speedy recovery, she wrote. Meanwhile, the actors fans are worried about his health. Sarath Babu was born in Amadalavalasa, Andhra Pradesh with the name Satyanarayana Dixit. After entering the film industry, he changed his name to his current one. Sarath made his first on-screen appearance in the film Rama Rajyam in 1973 and then got featured in Kannevayasu. From films like Panthulamma, Maro Charithra and Mudichooda Mannan to recent projects like Vakeel Saab, Sarath has shown his versatility in a variety of roles. Sarath has acted in about 220 films and has won the admiration of Telugu and Tamil audiences. The actor has also received accolades for his performances. He received the Nandi Award for Best Supporting Actor three times in 1981, 1988 and 1989 for his performances. He received the award for the first time for the movie Seethakoka Chiluka and then for others like Neerajanam. Sarath married Rama Prabha, also a Telugu actress, at the peak of his career. However, they later got divorced by mutual consent. Saratha is 72 years old and has completed 50 years in the film industry. His decades-long contribution to films cannot be appreciated in words but the love of his fans and the amount of work he does in the South film industries talk about his talent. More updates on Sarath Babus health are awaited by fans and actors alike. Read all the Latest Movies News here Examining three core facets of the Sanatana conception of statecraft, polity and governance is a good place. These are Achara (Conduct), Vyavahara (administration, bureaucracy, governance, etc) and Danda (penal code, punishment, etc). All three are interlinked and do not stand independent of one another. In fact, each determines the health of the others. Thus, the conduct of the ruling class influences governance and administration which in turn impacts or colours the dispensation of justice. A slackening or lapse in any of these areas will crash the whole system. This is why our ancients strictly emphasised on the conduct of the ruling class, above all. In this context, Danda is also imbued with a profounder element: apart from being a deterrent and an enforcer, it guarantees freedom from fear to the proverbial ordinary citizen. The inescapable conclusion that follows from the foregoing discussion is the fact that the government apparatus that functions through departments and agencies is meant to govern, and not to harass or intimidate. Union Home Minister Amit Shahs candid admission while speaking at the Rising India Summit on Wednesday precisely illustrates the latter point. Speaking from personal experience, he narrated how the Congress-led UPA government unfairly framed him: I will tell you how agencies are misused, I have been a victim of it In 90 percent of the questions during my interrogationthey said they would leave me if I name Narendra Modi An SIT was formed against Modi which the Supreme Court itself dismissed In my entire interrogation, I was told Modi ka naam de do, de do [Give us Modis name]. But why should I frame him? Because of me, several innocent police officers were put in jail. It is now common knowledge that the Congress ecosystem exiled Amit Shah from Gujarat for months on end. One shudders to imagine what his fate would have been had the BJP lost the 2014 polls. But recent history informs us that what Amit Shah said at the Rising India Summit was nothing terribly new. He was just one of the latest and high-profile victims of the habitual Congress tyranny, which predates Indias Independence. A period in which the Congress was not even a political party fighting elections. This ugly saga has been narrated in the six-part series on the pre-Independence history of the Congress published on Firstpost. When India got Independence, it was actually the Nehru dynasty that acquired a government for itself. The seven-decade-long record of this government is distinguished by an utter absence of governance. And this absence could only be sustained by a chequered reign of terror carried out primarily through a flagrant abuse of government agencies. In fact, a multi-volume research work documenting all such cases of Congress abuse awaits the Indian public. At a distance so far in time, it might be surprising to learn that as early as 1948, the widespread public perception was that Indians were better off under British rule than the new Congress government. In those days, the Congress routinely used the dreaded colonial Internal Security Act (then in force in provincial British governments) to stifle ordinary citizens who were mildly critical of its functioning. Measures included illegal detentions, police torture, and extrajudicial murders. Indira Gandhis notorious MISA was simply a more brutalised version of the aforementioned Act. This untrammelled abuse of power led Sarat Chandra Bose (Subhas Chandra Boses brother) to thunder in Bombay in 1948: After ten months of existence, India has produced a maimed and crippled baby without much sign of lifeWe have copied in every detail the example of the British. The repressive ordinances, acts and regulations of the British have all been made into law todayWhat is most shameful is that these repressive measures are far more stringent than the British ever dared to take Free speech, association and assemblies are things of the past. (Emphasis added) Likewise, Pandit Madan Mohan Malviyas son, Radhakant Malviya, then a member of the Constituent Assembly, openly declared how the Congressmen and their friends who evade taxes are the very ones who are feted as patriots and honoured. The Tragedy of Pandit Lekhraj Sharma Just one random instance of the Congress partys hideous misuse of the official machinery illustrates the rotten mindset and devious nature that informed this abuse. Ever heard of Pandit Lekhraj Sharma from Ajmer? Neither had I until I dug out the archives of the freedom struggle and its aftermath in 1947. In his teens, Lekhraj Sharma had dedicated himself to the Indian freedom struggle and was a lifelong devotee of Mohandas Gandhi. He sincerely believed in the Great Democrat, Nehrus long-winded and passionate speeches about open debate, democracy and other noble ideas, and toiled as a loyal Congressman. Tragically, he believed that the Congress government of independent India actually conducted itself on these ideals. He would pay for his naivete in a gruesome fashion. In January 1948, he decided to contest the Bombay municipal elections. And his nightmare began on 7 February 1948. The Bombay police landed at his doorstep and arrested Lekhraj Sharma as part of its persecution spree after Mohandas Gandhis assassination. He was taken to the Bombay CID headquarters. In the dingy interrogation room, a sudden, unexpected blow landed on his body even as he was being interviewed by the CID chief. More blows followed as he fell down from his chair. The police inspector, who was mercilessly thrashing him, bound his hands from behind and pushed his knee on his back grinding him frontally on the hard floor. He yanked Lekhraj Sharmas moustache, knocked off his Gandhi topi and trampled on it. Humiliation. Helplessness. Cornered, like a caged animal. On 11 February, Lekhraj Sharma received a written police order that said that he was being detained under the selfsame Security Measures Act. The police had displayed great creativity in cooking up the charge: Lekhraj Sharma was henceforth declared communal-minded. His letters of appeal to the Home Minister of Maharashtra and to Sardar Patel himself never reached them. Lekhraj Sharma was held in illegal detention without trial till 7 May 1948. And then, he was freed, as suddenly as he had been arrested. The reason: the Bombay Municipal elections had been concluded. The devoted Congressman Pandit Lekhraj Sharma had committed the crime of contesting against the candidate fielded by the great freedom fighter and the uncrowned king of Bombay, SK Patil. The entire administrative machinery had cravenly knelt before SK Patil in persecuting a helpless, defenceless Gandhian patriot. It was not even necessary to declare an Emergency in 1948. Needless, the Emergency gave official sanction to official abuse given that there was no such thing as government. One of the best descriptions of this despotic phenomenon was given by a Congressman himself. The notorious Bansi Lal, then described as the scourge of Haryana, haughtily flaunted the real source of his power when he publicly declared: Bachada mere kabze mein hai. Gau-maata apne aap mere peeche aayegi (I have taken possession of the calf and naturally the cow is always at my beck and call). The calf was Sanjay Gandhi and the cow, his mother, the Prime Minister of India. It was also not coincidental that the Congress election symbol back then was the cow and the calf. Indira Gandhi learned of this remark but remained silent. Bansi Lals stint as Defence Minister was also marked by rampant corruption scandals and brazen misuse of the Haryana official machinery in service of Sanjay Gandhis pet Maruti project. Packing Indias prisons with leaders of the entire Opposition was of course the ultimate perversion of governmental authority. But beyond the specific cases, the intrinsic mindset and the innate goal of this perversion is where we find an answer. (To be continued) The author is the founder and chief editor, The Dharma Dispatch. Views expressed are personal. Read all the Latest Opinions here The weather this season has been unkind to farmers, especially as India has been hit with hailstorms, untimely rain and gusty winds over the past few weeks. Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, etc have been hit and as a result, the Rabi harvests have suffered. But before the rain and hailstorms came the heat waves, which primarily affected the onion farmers of Maharashtra. This led to a price fall and the quality of the onion being damaged. Rajasthan, too, reported heat trouble, affecting the mustard crop. Some areas even reported a loss of 30 percent of the mustard crop. Meanwhile, most of the mustard harvest finished before February end in North India, a rare event. Even Kashmir and Himachal experienced early shooting of fruit trees and faster melting of snow this year. Meanwhile, the coastal state of Kerala reported a heat index of reaching 54 C. After the heat came the rain and hails, which have especially caused havoc in Madhya Pradesh. Wheat farmers were most affected in large parts of MP, which led Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan to announce relief packages, extension of MSP wheat registration portal and a promise of covering climate-related damage through the crop insurance scheme. After Punjab and Haryana region, MP is also a major wheat-producing state and India was depending on MP for replenishing our strategic wheat reserves this season. But all plans seem to go haywire. Taking stock of the weather, the Agriculture Minister launched the Digiclaim application in six states, to ensure that farmers can now register claims and get Direct Benefit Transfers (DBTs) through their mobile phones. But more needs to be done because 2023 is not one odd year out, but rather a symptom of an agro-climatic transition. One only needs to compare the rainfall patterns and temperatures, matched by adverse weather events to say with a high probability that the conventional agro-climate is shifting. And we are in a transition phase. How long will this phase last before we achieve some stability and predictability, is hard to say. But as per traditional agriculture knowledge, the transitory period may last till 2027, if not more. This can play more havoc on agriculture productivity and deeply impact farmers livelihoods, hence the need of the hour is to create a safety net for averting farm risks and ensuring the farmers are safeguarded, economically. This can be done through short and long-term policy interventions. The first measure would be to ensure that we invest in creating the farmers and cultivars databases. Perhaps, open a portal for self-registration. Farmers and cultivars already receiving government subsidies and DBTs can automatically be registered. For the remaining ones, we can open up registration with financial incentives. Once the government has an approximate number of farmers and cultivars that may be affected by climate-related risks, we will be one step closer to the solution. After the registry is created, the Government of India should move in, and if required, take the financial burden themselves and get crop insurance for vulnerable areas and farmers. The beneficiaries and regions can be changed depending on the forecasted climate events. Ideally, all farmers should be covered under the crop insurance scheme. There is room for improvement within the crop insurance scheme too, for example, the inclusion of climate-related damages must be covered in the insurance schemes. More work is needed in claim assessment and settlement. But that is another matter. From the climate risk point of view, all farmers and all climate-related risks should be included in the scheme. Even if states cannot take the financial burden, the Centre should support it. Especially as it was reported that the agriculture ministry returned about Rs 44,000 crore to the government. Some of these resources would be enough to ensure some of the most vulnerable areas. Digiclaim should be expanded to all states to ensure affected farmers get some succour. For unpredictable events, a Central government-supported farmers disaster relief fund could be a way to address climate relief exigencies. Shifting gears to agriculture, we need to begin with the seed. As there is a conventional shift in seasons, we need newer seeds delivered to the farmers, either through public or private seed networks that can withstand the vagaries of the climate. India has an ample genetic diversity of cultivars which are still under-harnessed. Drought and flood-resistant seeds should be planted. Government seed recommendations and advisories should be put out in all regions. This can be easily achieved as there are agricultural officers in each district, who could coordinate this effort. We need to get out of the genetic bottleneck of a few varieties and reintroduce genetic diversity in our fields. In extreme conditions leading to seed losses, district seed plans should be ready to provide farmers with seeds for re-sowing. A healthy stock of early, middle and late varieties should be maintained. Now genetic diversity on an individual farm level builds climate resilience at a low cost to the farmers. Intercropping must be encouraged alongside intensive multi-cropping. Farmers must be encouraged to grow maybe 3-4 crops each season, and within the crops, use as many varieties as possible. The logic behind this step is, in case a couple of crops or sub-varieties get under the weather, the farmers will not lose their entire harvests, plus the nutrition per acre will not drop. The government in the previous budget announced the creation of seed breeding villages. This program, if implemented well, will aid the fight against climate change. Local seed breeding programs can be a hub for climate resilient seeds which the regionally grown and farmers can access with ease at low costs. The government is already trying very hard to push farmers away from paddy-wheat monocultures, but this drive needs a harder push backed by crop bonuses and public procurement. Paddy production is a water guzzler and also high on emissions, and yet India is spending a large part of our revenue in artificially subsidising this ecosystem. India already has surpluses, we need to ensure that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture reduce and land is allowed to heal. Millets, pulses, oilseeds and plantations offer a simple way to regain this balance and also save our forex reserves being spent on edible oil or fertiliser subsidies. These crops and some tree plantations are more resilient to climate threats and also aid in ecosystem restoration. The changing climate also presents the problems of new pest attacks on crops. We have already seen the stem borer attacks across paddy regions and often the emergence of new suckling pests attacking all types of crops. The Agriculture department, along with other plant protection scientists need to be alert and have additional protocols and early warning systems. Farmers need to also be alert in advance of their regions vulnerability. For if the pest breeding cycles begin, a gallon of pesticides will be wasted in preventing diseases and crop losses. Weather forecasting is another aspect the government needs to look into. The technology is still nascent, and if it was not, we could have easily prevented the climate-related agrarian losses over the past couple of years. We cant rely on it solely. Independent R&D is required, but in the meanwhile, the government needs to send weather alerts to farmers mobile phones. Because many farmers often complain that they never get weather notifications. Voluntary signup can be opened, and registered individuals can get extreme weather alerts on their mobiles. This would be good to curtail the damages or at least provide farmers with an early warning. For example, hailstorms are a new problem in fruit-growing areas of Kashmir. If farmers are given hail alerts, much of our Kashmiri apples, cherries, plums, etc can be saved. Lastly, India needs to move towards organic agriculture. This is a long-term way of building resilience and climate-proofing our agrarian communities. The author is an independent agri-policy analyst and former director Policy and Outreach, National Seed Association of India. He tweets at @Indrassingh. Views are personal. Read all the Latest Opinions here An FIR has been filed against Congress MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa and his son, former MLA SS Mallikarjun, for allegedly distributing freebies in the Davanagere South Constituency ahead of the Karnataka assembly polls. Acting on a complaint filed by Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) KTJ, the Nagar police station registered a case against both Shivashankarappa and his son. ARO Jayanna received a call from locals on March 28 evening, reporting that supporters of a politician were distributing freebies. Following the lead, the ARO visited the spot and found a party workers in Bolero vehicle distributing freebies, including a gift box with a picture of Congress MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa and his sons face. The box contained a cooker, dosa tawa, kadai worth 7 lakhs. It has now been seized by the police. Locals also alleged that the MLA distributed freebies despite the code of conduct being in effect and burned the sarees that were allegedly distributed by Shivashankarappa, claiming that no developmental work had been carried out in the constituency despite the MLA holding power for the last three terms. He thinks he can lure us by providing these cheap sarees with Rs 40. We didnt need them; we have many sarees at home. Despite him being an MLA for three terms, proper developmental work is not being carried out here, said a local resident of Davanagere South. Meanwhile, a section of voters from the Muslim community expressed their displeasure against Congress for fielding Shamanur Shivashankarappa from Davanagere South, stating that they needed someone from their community to represent them as there are more than 83,000 Muslims residing in the Constituency. In the Davanagere South Constituency, the population of minorities is 83,000, and people here want someone from the Muslim community to represent us. Still, Shivashankarappa, who is 93, has sought a ticket here. I would like to say that the minorities here wont vote for him, and well send him home, added another local resident. Read all the Latest Politics News here Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said the history of Indias freedom struggle was confined to one family but Prime Minister Narendra Modi put an end to it by immortalising" Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The Ram Temple issue was stuck since the time of Babur", but just after the Supreme Court order, the prime minister did Bhumi Pujan in Ayodhya. Shah said Lord Ram will be in his grand temple by next years Ram Navami. Soon after landing at the Bhalla College helipad in Haridwar, Shah was faced with denunciatory slogans by Congress workers at Parashuram Chowk against over the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as MP. Some of them showed black flags to the home minister and were detained by police. Addressing the 2nd Sanyas Diksha Mahotsav at Yoga guru Ramdevs Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar, Shah said the prime minister immortalised Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel by erecting the Statue of Unity at Kevadia in Gujarat in his memory. Indias freedom struggle was confined to one family, but prime minister Modi put an end to it by immortalising Patel with the Statue of Unity," Shah said. He said Modi has revived the symbols of Hinduism, reconstructed centres of the Hindu faith like the Kashi-Vishwanath and Somnath temples and retrieved idols from across the world, which were stolen from India during the period of slavery. The Union minister highlighted the reconstruction projects undertaken in Kedarnath and Badrinath under Modis guidance to further substantiate his point. Shah also credited Modi for getting Yoga the recognition it deserved on an international platform by standing up for it at the United Nations. He said Ramdev was a yoga therapist, a swadeshi pioneer competing with International companies, a seer who had waged a war against black money and an educationist who is fully committed to Indianise" education. Congratulating 100 new sanyasis, including men and women, who were conferred with sanyas diksha" by Patanjali on Thursday at a ceremony on the banks of the Ganga held earlier in the day, Shah said he is happy to see that ancient Indian knowledge will derive new energy from the army" of young sanyasis prepared by Patanjali. He said Ramdevs individual contribution to yoga, Ayurveda and swadeshi was more than an institution could do for them. Shah praised Ramdevs close aide Acharya Balkrishna for his extensive research work in the field of Ayurveda, saying he had published more than 500 research papers on Ayurveda. Shah performed a havan at Patanjali Yogpeeth before beginning his address. Earlier in the day, Shah hailed the central governments New Education Policy for its emphasis on learning in the mother tongue and universal education based on the teachings of Indian visionaries such as Mahatma Gandhi and Dayanand Saraswati. Addressing the 113th convocation of the Gurukula Kangri here, Shah credited the university (deemed to be) for the revival of vedic education in India and combining it with modern education. Shah paid tributes to the universitys founder Swami Shraddhanand saying he set Indias education system free from the stranglehold of the British and revived the countrys vedic education system, all the while emphasising culture and modern education. The home minister also addressed a programme at Rishikul to mark the total computerisation of 670 cooperative centres. It has been done in just 17 months. I heartily congratulate Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Health and Cooperative Minister Dhan Singh Rawat on this achievement," Shah said. Shah gave the credit for this achievement to the separate cooperative ministry set up under the leadership of the prime minister. Computerisation of cooperative platforms will lead to total transparency and greater fiscal discipline, Shah, who is also the Union cooperative minister, said. Read all the Latest Politics News here Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former BJP strongman BS Yediyurappa has decided not to contest Assembly election. On Thursday, Yediyurappa said: Ive taken the decision of not contesting Assembly election and had also resigned from Chief Minister post since I have already crossed the age of 80." The leader added that even though he is 80 now, he will go around the state campaigning for the party. Well get majority not just this time but also next time," said the leader. Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal on Wednesday attacked the ruling BJP in poll-bound Karnataka, alleging that the party treated former chief minister BS Yediyurappa as use and throw". The remark by the Congress leader came hours after the Election Commission announced the dates for the Karnataka Assembly polls. Speaking to ANI, Venugopal said, Yediyurappa is the tallest leader of the BJP (in Karnataka). But they used him only to get some Lingayat votes. Why did they unseat Yediyurappa just a year before the election? They told him to resign. Why? Now they are saying Yediyurappa is our biggest leader. Where is the logic in this? People will understand the use and throw policy of BJP." Amit Shah Meets Yediyurappa For Breakfast Union Home Minister Amit Shah met with the former Karnataka Chief Minister and Bhartiya Janata Party leader BS Yediyurappa at his residence in Bengaluru on Friday. Shah was accompanied by Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, BJP National General Secretary and Chikkamagaluru MLA, CT Ravi, State minister Govind Muktappa Karjol, MP Arun Singh, and MLA Nalin Kumar Kateel. Shah arrived at Bengaluru early this morning and was received by chief minister Bommai at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Airport in Bengaluru. Shah will attend the Regional Conference on Drug Trafficking and National Security for Southern States/UTs in Bengaluru today. According to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, Shah will focus on aspects like ways to curtail drug trafficking through maritime routes, and stringent punitive action on drug traffickers resulting in zero tolerance in the Regional Conference on Drug Trafficking and National Security. Read all the Latest Politics News here The much-awaited election date for Karnataka assembly polls 2023 was announced by the Election Commission of India on Wednesday. The state will vote on May 10 while the results of the 224 assembly constituencies will be declared on May 13. With important election notifications being rolled out, the poll-bound state also witnessed a debate about possible tie-ups that the regional party Janata Dal (Secular) might have. Former CM and opposition leader Siddaramaiah in Mysuru made a serious allegation that he has the indication that JDS and BJP are having a secret understanding for the upcoming elections to defeat Congress". There might be a match-fixing. Whether old Mysuru or new Mysuru for that matter. Last time it happened. We will have to wait and watch but I have an indication that they will do an internal understanding this time," said former CM Siddaramaiah. On the other hand, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai went a step further and retorted saying Congress and JDS had a secret meeting in Hyderabad for a tacit understanding. As per the information thats available to me there was a meeting held by Congress with JDS in Hyderabad for a secret tie-up but we will come back with a clear majority and form the government, said CM Basavaraj Bommai. Former CM and JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy, whose party in decades has never been able to get a majority on its own and had mostly agreed to an alliance to rule the state, rubbished all the allegations made by BJP and Congress. Coming down heavily on Chief Minister Bommai, HDK asked him to show who he met and what kind of conversation happened during the secret meeting with Congress. The former CM also said that the need for an alliance would not arise since the party is confident that they will win on their own with a clear majority and come to power. I demand CM expose who all met if he is saying this. It is childish behavior. It is all rubbish. BJP and Congress have no right to speak about JDS. We dont have to think about the alliance. We are contesting in all 224 seats and we will win 100 per cent this time," said former CM HD Kumaraswamy. Read all the Latest Politics News here After the objection by the Tamil Nadu government to Food Safety and Standards Authority of Indias (FSSAI) directive of using the term Dahi on packets of curd, FSSAI has revised the guidelines saying the term Curd can be used along with several designations by Food Business Operators (FBOs). This comes after the state-run Aavin in Tamil Nadu said it will not use the Hindi term Dahi in its printed sachets, as directed by the FSSAI and that it would only stick to the Tamil word tayir to denote the product. Chief Minister MK Stalin had also slammed the FSSAI directive, calling it an an attempt to impose Hindi". Stalin on Wednesday posted a news report on Food Safety and Standards Authority of India directing Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) to label curd as dahi" prominently. Now, FSSAI has issued a notification saying curd can also be labelled as per following examples: Curd (Dahi)" or Curd (Mosaru)" or Curd (Zaamut daud)" or Curd (Thayir)" or Curd (Perugu)". FSSAI, in its notification, said, As many representations were received recently on omission of the term curd, from the Standards of Fermented Milk Products, it has been decided that FBOs may use the term Curd along with any other designation [prevalent regional common name] in brackets on the label [sic]." Dairy Development Minister SM Nasar had admitted the government had received a letter asking it to implement the directive before August. The BJPs state unit also reportedly wanted the FSSAI to withdraw the notification. There is no place for Hindi in the State, news agency PTI quoted Nasar as saying. The Tamil Nadu Cooperative Milk Producers Federation, familiarly known as Aavin by its brand name, will stick to the Tamil word tayir for its curd preferred by a majority of consumers in the State, a senior official had said. As per the official, the same was also communicated to FSSAI. BJP state unit chief K Annamalai said the notification was not in tandem with Centres policy of promoting regional languages. The notification released by FSSAI for the use of (the word) Dhahi in curd sachets produced by state-run cooperative societies is not in tandem with the policy of our Hon PM Thiru @narendramodi avl to promote regional languages. We want an immediate rollback of the notification," he said in a tweet. Meanwhile, DMK functionaries trended the Twitter hashtag DahiNahipoda" (No to Dahi, go on) to oppose Hindi imposition." The partys IT Wing Secretary TRB Rajaa was among those who tweeted so. (With PTI inputs) Read all the Latest Politics News here A private foundation is calling on Charlottesville City Schools and Albemarle County Public Schools to publicize each divisions plans for the Charlottesville Albemarle Technical Education Center. Let us get some sunshine on this, because CATEC is a valued institution in this community, CATEC Foundation President Linda Seaman told The Daily Progress. The CATEC Foundation provides scholarships to CATEC students and promotes technical and vocational education. The foundation asked for each school division to make a public five-year plan for the technical school in a resolution. Such detailed plans should include anticipated enrollment by both school divisions and adult programs, tuition costs, scheduling, anticipated course offerings and proforma commitments to funding both operations and new capital investments, the resolution said. CATEC is currently jointly owned and operated by city and county schools, but thats set to change July 1, 2024. In the fall of 2022, Albemarle County schools announced its intention to buy Charlottesvilles interest in CATEC. County schools made a formal offer in December 2022, dissolving the 1969 operating agreement and forcing city schools to sell its stake or buy Albemarles. Then, the Charlottesville City School Board voted to take sole ownership of CATEC in February. The deal is scheduled to close in late July, according to county schools spokesman Phil Giaramita. Giaramita said since CATEC was no longer going to be under the countys purview, it wasnt up to the county to make a plan. The responsibility really lies with the city. Theyre going to be the owners of the facility, Giaramita told The Daily Progress. It is unclear what CATECs future will be once Charlottesville City Schools takes over in a little more than a year. County schools superintendent Matt Haas is meeting regularly with his counterpart in the city, Royal Gurley, according to a press release from the city school division. Haas and Gurley are discussing finances, human resources, programming and infrastructure, among other issues, according to the press release. Still, whether county studentswho currently make up about 75% of CATECs enrollmentwill be able to attend isnt certain. Theres been no firm agreement about that, Giaramita said. But it is a very positive development that the city has been very forthcoming with us in terms of meeting and very interested in joining with us to ensure that the transition is a smooth one. Charlottesville schools officials said the greater number of county students encourages city schools to keep CATEC accessible to Albemarle students. Since the majority of current CATEC students are from ACPS, we are incentivized to sustain a program that meets their needs. In short: their success at CATEC is our success, the division told The Daily Progress via email. Seaman wondered about the schools financial future. If [the county] isnt going to buy ithow will that affect financing? Seaman asked. Today, the two school divisions split the costs of maintaining the facility. Albemarle County, which has more students at CATEC, pays a proportionately larger amount to fund the school. Charlottesville City Schools contributed $613,638 to CATECs operating budget for the 2021-22 school year. Albemarle gave CATEC roughly $1.98 million for the same period. Whether the county school division makes further contributions to fund CATEC depends on whether it has students at the technical school, and county school officials told The Daily Progress that they dont have an answer for that just yet. City school officials said they are also still discussing just how county students might be involved in CATEC in the future. In just the two months since this decision was announced, we have accomplished a lot, and within a few weeks, we expect to finalize some foundational decisions that we believe will help address questions the Foundation or community might have about CATEC programs, logistics, current CATEC staff, and students, the division said. Giaramita pointed out that Albemarle County Schools had started developing a plan when the division made its offer to the city in December. But once the city decided to buy the facility, there was no reason for us to go any further in terms of developing a plan, Giaramita said. We were specific about one point in our offer to the city, and thats important to us at this time, and that is the status of students. The offer the county presented to the city in December allowed city students to attend CATEC for free for three years. For seven years after that, city students who wanted to attend CATEC would have paid discounted tuition, according to county officials. According to admissions information on CATECs website this week, out-of-district students will pay $2,000 in tuition next school year. Seaman emphasized that the entire community has an interest in CATECs future. People want to see their city government and their county government and their school boards working together for the greater good, she said. Adidas said Wednesday it will drop its opposition to a Black Lives Matter application for a trademark with a three-stripe design, which it initially complained was too similar to its own logo. The German sportswear giant Monday requested the US Trademark Office reject the groups bid for the design to be used on clothing, bags and elsewhere, according to a source close to the matter. But an Adidas spokesman told AFP that we are already in the process of withdrawing our opposition to the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundations trademark application". The company did not explain the reason for the move. But the source close to the matter said that pursuing the case could have been misinterpreted as Adidas criticising the aims of the anti-racism movement. The US Trademark Office said on its website that the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation a prominent organisation in the decentralised movement had filed the trademark request in September 2021. The Black Lives Matter movement came into being in the United States about a decade ago in an effort to fight racism, especially in the form of police brutality. It was reignited in 2020 by the killing of George Floyd, a black man whose videotaped death under the knee of a white police officer was viewed millions of times. Adidas has faced a series of problems in recent times, notably the end of its high-profile, lucrative partnership with Kanye West after the rapper made a series of anti-Semitic outbursts. The firm has forecast massive losses for this year linked to the end of the tie-up. Read all the Latest News here At least 31 people were dead and 230 rescued after a fire engulfed a ferry in the southern Philippines, authorities said on Thursday. The Lady Mary Joy 3 was travelling from Zamboanga City on Mindanao Island to Jolo Island in Sulu province when the fire broke out late Wednesday, prompting passengers to jump overboard, disaster officer Nixon Alonzo said, AFP reported. Rescuers, including the Philippine Coast Guard and fishermen, saved 195 passengers and 35 crew as the blaze ripped through the ferry off Baluk-Baluk Island in Basilan province. An earlier death toll more than doubled after the discovery of 18 bodies on the vessel, Basilan Governor Jim Salliman said. The bodies were found inside an air-conditioned cabin during an ongoing search of the ferry. People panicked because they were asleep when the fire happened," said Commodore Rejard Marfe from the Philippine Coast Guard, citing witness accounts. As the fire spread, the captain ran the vessel aground so many more could survive since it would be easier to swim to shore," Marfe told AFP. Authorities said earlier that 14 people were injured and seven were missing. Salliman said there could be more people missing because the number of passengers on the vessel exceeded the 205 listed in the ships manifest. Probably there are passengers who didnt register in the manifest," he said. It was not clear how the fire started. Survivors were taken to Zamboanga and Basilan where the injured received treatment for burns, Salliman said. Photos released by the coast guard showed one of its vessels spraying water on the burning ferry as personnel in smaller boats plucked passengers from the dark waters. The Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands, is plagued by poor sea transport, with its badly regulated ferries prone to overcrowding and accidents. Read all the Latest News here Ajay Banga, the US nominee to lead the World Bank, appears almost certain to become the lenders next president after the nominations closed on Wednesday with no other country proposing an alternate candidate. US President Joe Biden had nominated Banga, 63, in February to replace David Malpass, who announced his resignation after months of controversy over his initial failure to say he backed the scientific consensus on climate change. The World Bank has been led by an American since its founding at the end of World War Two, while the International Monetary Fund has been led by a European. Though no countries besides the US have proposed any candidates, the bank rules allow member nations to make nominations during the window that closed on Wednesday afternoon without making them public, according to Bloomberg. The World Bank had opened the nomination period late last month, saying at the time that its board would conduct formal interviews of the top contenders after nominations closed. It further said that it would close the process to wrap up by early May. India endorsed the candidacy of Banga, a longtime finance and development executive who is now a US citizen, soon after his nomination was announced in late February. He has won the support of enough other governments to virtually assure his confirmation as the next World Bank president, including Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Saudi Arabia and South Korea. Over the past month, Banga has met with government officials, civil society groups, business leaders and other stakeholders on a global listening tour" that started in Africa before progressing to Europe, Latin America and Asia. He was supposed to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and the minister of external affairs S Jaishankar. However, he was tested positive for Covid-19 last week. Banga, 63, is Indian-American and has more than 30 years of business experience, having served in various roles at Mastercard and the boards of the American Red Cross, Kraft Foods and Dow Inc. He is the first Indian-born nominee to the World Bank president role. World Banks current President Malpass ran into criticism last year for seeming, in comments at a conference, to cast doubt on the science that says the burning of fossil fuels causes global warming. He later apologized and said he had misspoken, noting that the bank routinely relies on climate science. Read all the Latest India News here Ex-president Jair Bolsonaro returned home to Brazil Thursday from three months of self-imposed exile in the United States, vowing to be a fierce opponent to his successor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The far-right ex-army captain, who skipped town in the final hours of his term after losing a divisive election to veteran leftist Lula, arrived back in Brasilia on a commercial flight from Orlando, Florida. Bolsonaro, 68, then headed to the headquarters of his Liberal Party (PL) in a motorcade flanked by police whose role appeared to be not just protecting the ex-president, but keeping him away from cheering supporters who wanted him to defy local authorities appeals for calm and lead one of his trademark motorcycle rallies. The homecoming is a high-stakes bet for Bolsonaro, who faces legal trouble on various fronts in Brazil notably for his alleged role in inciting supporters who invaded the presidential palace, Congress and the Supreme Court on January 8 in a failed bid to oust Lula. The former president, whose administration lasted from 2019-2022, kept his arrival low-key in line with Brasilia authorities wishes. He exited the airport without approaching the exuberant crowd of around 200 supporters who had gathered to greet him while shouting, chanting and singing, decked out in the yellow and green of the Brazilian flag. Bolsonaro looked more relaxed at PL headquarters, where he shook hands and backslapped party leaders before making a speech. The people in power right now and they wont be for long cant just do whatever they want with our future," he said. Were the majority (in Congress), and we want whats best for the country." Bolsonaro is set to start a new job next week as honorary president of the party, earning 41,600 reais (around $8,000) a month. The ex-president, who recently rented a house in a gated community in Brasilia, has said he plans to criss cross Brazil doing politics" and upholding the banner of conservatism." But Im not going to lead any opposition," he told CNN Brasil Wednesday. You dont have to oppose this government. It creates the opposition by itself." Return of the Messiah Die-hard Bolsonaro fan Katia Lima Araujo said she had arrived at PL headquarters at 4:00 am to welcome the man supporters call Messiah" or Messias," Bolsonaros middle name. I didnt even sleep. I couldnt I just want to see the president. Im very happy hes back," the 63-year-old civil servant told AFP. There, Bolsonaro also reunited with his wife, Michelle, a telegenic Evangelical Christian who has herself been touted as a potential presidential candidate, and who returned to Brazil before him to take up a job as leader of the PL womens wing. Bolsonaro, who never explicitly conceded defeat after the October 2022 election, instead holing up in the presidential palace in silence, had a peculiar sojourn in Florida. He stayed in the home of a Brazilian ex-mixed martial arts champion near Disney World, and was photographed meandering the aisles of a local supermarket and eating fried chicken alone at a KFC fast-food restaurant. He said he had been reinvigorated" by his stay in the land of his political role model, former US president Donald Trump. Supporters hope his return will now reinvigorate the opposition, which has been weakened by Bolsonaros self-imposed exile and widespread backlash to the violence and destruction of the January 8 riots. Weve had five months of a basically dismantled opposition. Now, Bolsonaros return to Brazil looks set to unite the right," political analyst Jairo Nicolau of the Getulio Vargas Foundation told AFP. Legal trouble But Bolsonaro faces numerous legal woes. They include no less than five Supreme Court investigations that could send him to jail, including for allegedly inciting the Brasilia riots. And he has been swept up in a scandal over allegations he tried to illegally import and keep millions of dollars worth of jewelry given to him and his wife by Saudi Arabia in 2019. He also faces 16 cases before Brazils Superior Electoral Tribunal (TSE), which could strip him of his right to run for office for eight years, taking him out of the 2026 presidential race. Read all the Latest News here Migrants were locked in a cell as a blaze spread killing 39 people at a detention center in Mexico, witnesses and a survivor said on Wednesday, as Mexicos president vowed to bring to justice those responsible. This video shows these people being left to burn alive by the guards at this US-backed detention center in Mexico pic.twitter.com/YADRA9GS5I Lauren McKenzie (@TheMcKenziest) March 29, 2023 An investigation is underway to determine what happened Monday at the center in the northern border city of Ciudad Juarez, which President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said employed staff from the governments National Migration Institute (INM) as well as from a private contractor. Therell be no attempt to hide the facts, no attempt to cover for anyone, he told a news conference in Mexico city. All the victims were male, and Mexicos government is under pressure to find out why they died after officials said the women migrants at the center were successfully evacuated. A short video circulating on social media on Tuesday appearing to be security footage from inside the center during the blaze showed men kicking on the bars of a locked door as their cell filled with smoke. Three uniformed people can be seen walking past without trying to open the door. Interior Minister Adan Augusto Lopez later appeared to confirm the videos veracity to Mexican media. A man who survived the fire, a paramedic and a security official in the government of Chihuahua state, where Ciudad Juarez is located, all said the cell door where the men were being held remained locked as the fire and smoke spread. It was not until rescuers arrived that the door was opened, they said. It remains unclear how much time passed between the fire being set and the door being opened. The survivor, who was being fed oxygen through his nose for smoke inhalation and asked not to be named out of fear of repercussions from migration authorities, confirmed the information in a voice message sent from his hospital bed. Authorities believe the fire, which killed mostly men from Guatemala and other Central American countries, was started by migrants setting alight mattresses in an act of protest when they discovered they would be deported. Lopez Obrador said the fire began around 9:30 p.m. Rescue Team Ciudad Juarez, a private paramedic service, reached the building at 10:05 p.m. and found men in military attire pulling people out of the mens unit, said a member of the group who was on site. The victims had all been extracted from the building by 11:37 p.m., said the source, who declined to be named. Outside a hospital in Ciudad Juarez, which sits across the border from El Paso, Texas, family members anxiously waited for news of their loved ones who had been injured in the fire. Migration officials on Wednesday increased the death toll to 39, saying one person had died of their injuries. The fire, one of the deadliest migrant tragedies in years, occurred as the U.S. and Mexico are battling to cope with record levels of border crossings at their shared frontier. Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said on Tuesday evening that those directly responsible had been handed over to the attorney generals office. He provided no further details. Read all the Latest News here Pakistan President Arif Alvi on Wednesday questioned the timing of legislation proposed by the Shehbaz Sharif government that seeks to curtail the power of the Chief Justice and said that the reform could have been brought at another time. Alvi further said Pakistan is suffering from multiple crises and in the troubled times he wishes to play a positive role. Its premature to say what I will decide as I have not seen the bill. This is a time of crisis, and I wish to play a positive role," President Arif Alvi said in an interview with Geo News. The statement comes as the National Assembly passed the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure), Bill 2023s passing after it was presented by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar. The proposed legislation seeks to curtail the Chief Justice of Pakistans (CJP) powers to form a bench of his choice. The federal cabinet has approved the draft legislation for judicial reforms. The Pakistan government aims to dilute the chief justices discretionary powers to three seniormost judges of the Supreme Court. Alvi said that Supreme Court should have been involved in the reform process and added that when such changes are implemented by force, questions are raised on them. This discussion was taking place within the Supreme Court for many days so this matter should be settled by taking it (apex court) into confidence, the president added. The President also expressed his concerns over the Election Commission of Pakistans move to delay the polls in Punjab till October 8. The president had earlier announced that Punjab province will go to polls on April 30 after orders from the Supreme Court. However, the Election Commission of Pakistan on March 23 postponed the Punjab by-elections till October 8 citing security reasons. Read all the Latest News here Nepals 10-party ruling alliance on Thursday failed to reach a consensus on the power-sharing deal, causing yet another delay in the expansion of the Cabinet led by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda". Top leaders held meetings at the Prime Ministers official residence here at Baluwatar to reach an agreement on the distribution of ministries among various political parties. Power sharing and the distribution of ministerial portfolios were the major bottlenecks among the members of the ruling alliance as the demand for Cabinet posts was exceeding the number of ministries available, officials said. Prachanda is now likely to expand his Cabinet on Friday, said Surya Kiran Sharma, Press Coordinator of the Prime Minister. Among the 10 parties in the ruling alliance, nine are likely to join the council of ministers. At present, there are only six Cabinet ministers, including the Prime Minister and one minister of state in the Prachanda-led government, as ministers from CPN-UML, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, and Rashtriya Swotantra Party had resigned from the posts following the break up of the seven-party coalition. Currently, Prachanda is overburdened with about 16 ministerial portfolios, including the ministries of Home, Finance, Foreign, Industry and Commerce, Science and Technology, and Agriculture. Prachanda was sworn in as Nepals Prime Minister on December 26 last year. Read all the Latest News here A small group of protesters carrying pro-Khalistan placards and banners in support of Kashmiri separatist leaders gathered for a low-key demonstration outside the Indian High Commission here on Thursday, amid a strong security presence. The protests, which are being coordinated across the UK and US, are planned over a course of a few days as part of a #PunjabUnderSiege social media campaign. The Metropolitan Police said it is aware of the planned protests and has a robust policing plan in place to prevent any disorder. The Met is aware of planned protests outside the Indian High Commission this week and has a robust policing plan in place to respond to any crime or disorder, a Met Police spokesperson said. We are working with organisers to minimise disruption and delays in the area, the spokesperson added. Several police officers could be seen patrolling the area and a police van was stationed outside India House, as the protesters were once again confined to a barricaded enclosure opposite the mission. Downing Street said British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is aware of the issue and the UK Foreign Office is leading discussions around the security review for the Indian High Commission in London, confirmed by the British government earlier. Asked if the issue is likely to impact the ongoing India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations, a Downing Street spokesperson said: The two issues are unconnected and the trade talks with India continue. Both sides want to see an enhanced relationship between our two countries. On security, we expressed our concerns about the scenes we saw outside the High Commission and a review is underway. While the latest protests outside India House in London are expected over three days until Saturday, there is a demonstration planned outside the Indian Consulate in Birmingham on Sunday. On Friday, the same groups called a protest at the LA Federal Building in Los Angeles in the US to raise awareness for #PunjabUnderSiege. Banners for such demonstrations have been circulating on social media to coincide with the Punjab Polices manhunt for Waris Punjab De leader Amritpal Singh. Last weekend saw groups gathering at Parliament Square in London along with similar protests called in the cities of Toronto, Vancouver, Indianapolis and Fresno. During a planned demonstration outside the Indian High Commission in London last Wednesday, protesters hurled coloured flares and water bottles towards the mission. They have since taken to social media to allege that the objects were hurled by the Indian mission instead, allegations which have been countered by India House. It comes in the wake of violent disorder at the Indian mission earlier this month, when pro-Khalistan extremists smashed windows and also attempted to pull down the Tricolour from its flagpole at the mission. India registered a strong protest with the UK government and the issue was also raised in the House of Commons. It followed UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverlys statement to condemn the unacceptable acts of violence and an assurance to conduct a security review at the Indian mission in London. We will always take the security of the High Commission, and all foreign missions in the UK, extremely seriously, and prevent and robustly respond to incidents such as this, said Cleverly. Meanwhile, government ministers have also been holding talks with Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami to reiterate plans to review the security measures at India House. P Read all the Latest News here Taliban militants killed four police officers by targeting a police vehicle with a roadside bomb and wounded six in an attack on a police station in northwest Pakistan early Thursday, police and the insurgents said. The bomb killed four officers in a police vehicle carrying reinforcements sent to respond to the attack on a police station in Lakki Marwat, a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan. Six officers were wounded in the attack at the police station. Local police officer Ashfaq Khan said a search was underway for the militant suspects who attacked the police station in Lakki Marwat and later targeted the police vehicle with a bomb. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for both attacks. The group known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP is separate but allied with Afghanistans Taliban. There has been an uptick in attacks in Pakistan after the Pakistani Taliban ended a cease-fire with the government of Pakistan. TTP has been emboldened since the Afghan Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021 when U.S. and NATO troops were leaving the country after 20 years of war. Many TTP leaders and fighters have found sanctuaries in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover. Pakistan has seen innumerable militant attacks in the past two decades but there has been an uptick since November, when the TTP ended a monthslong Afghan Taliban-brokered cease-fire with the government of Pakistan. Read all the Latest News here Australian police have arrested three more people in connection with two incidents of brawl that broke out between Khalistan activists and pro-India demonstrators here in late January, police said on Thursday. The alleged incidents happened during the so-called Punjab independence referendum where two fights broke out between the two groups which injured several people on January 29, Victoria Police said in a statement. Apparently, flag poles were used by several men as weapons which caused physical injuries to multiple victims, the statement said. The US-based Sikhs for Justice, the group spearheading the non-binding referendum, is a banned organisation in India. The three arrested include a 23-year-old man charged with affray and unlawful assault while a 36-year-old and 39-year-old have been charged with affray and violent disorder, the police said. The identities of the arrested men have not been disclosed. Earlier, two men aged 34 and 39 were arrested and issued a penalty notice for riotous behaviour. All those charged this week have been bailed to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on August 8. Further investigation is underway and police are making enquiries to identify and apprehend any further alleged offenders from the day, the statement added. India has asked the Australian government to curb the anti-India activities of the Khalistani separatists and frequent attacks on the Hindu temples in the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised concerns over the recent attacks on temples in Australia as well as pro-Khalistan activities there with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese during their meeting in New Delhi this month. Albanese has assured Modi that the safety of Indians was a special priority" for him. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had also raised the issue during his meeting with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong. Signals that pro-Khalistan elements are stepping up their activities in Australia, actively aided and abetted by members of proscribed terrorist organisations such as the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) and other inimical agencies from outside Australia, have been evident for some time," the Indian High Commission in Canberra said in a strongly-worded statement on January 26. Read all the Latest News here With regard to the commissioning of the new Lachin road, several high grounds between Jaghazur and Zabukh villages of Lachin District, main and auxiliary roads, as well as large areas along the border have been taken under the control of units of the Azerbaijani Army, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said. Piedmont Virginia Community College Career Services will host its 38th annual job fair from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Wednesday at the main campus in Charlottesville. Over 70 employers from within the region will be on campus, ready to meet area job seekers. The job fair is free and open to the public. We are happy to provide this regional event to help support our students and the workforce needs of our community, said PVCC Director of Career Services Andre Luck. We look forward to welcoming employers and job seekers to this magnificent fair. With this years event, PVCC continues its long-term history of connecting employers with local talent, according to the school. Participants are encouraged to bring resumes and be ready to network and meet with representatives from a diverse array of businesses and organizations seeking resources. Employers will be recruiting for full- and part-time positions, as well as summer jobs and internships for high school and college students. One of our important roles as a community college is to prepare learners for todays jobs and tomorrows opportunities, said PVCC President Jean Runyon. We are excited to host the job fair to match talent with business and industry employment needs. Parking will be available at the Stultz Center, located to the immediate right on College Drive. A shuttle bus will bring attendees from Stultz to the main building for the fair. For a full list of registered employers and sponsors, visit pvcc.edu/jobfair. Established in 1972, PVCC is a nonresidential, two-year institution of higher education that serves Central Virginia principally, residents of the city of Charlottesville and the counties of Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa and Nelson. PVCC is one of 23 community colleges in Virginia that comprise the Virginia Community College System. The possible indictment of former president Donald Trump in New York could take several more weeks as a grand jury breaks from the case through most of April, US media reported Wednesday. On March 18 Trump declared he was three days away from being charged over a hush-money payment to a porn star. But since then the panel convened by Manhattans chief local prosecutor has continued to hear witnesses. Now, with other cases to deal with, holidays including Easter, Passover and Eid al-Fitr ahead, and a scheduled two-week break from April 10, the grand jury might not consider the case again before the end of the month, according to the Washington Post and Politico, citing sources close to the matter. The Post said the earliest date for resuming the grand jury a citizens panel tasked with deciding whether there is a case to answer would be April 24. The probe centers on $130,000 paid weeks before the 2016 election to adult film star Stormy Daniels to stop her from going public about a sexual encounter she says she had with Trump a decade earlier. Trumps ex-lawyer Michael Cohen, who has testified before the grand jury, told Congress in 2019 that he made the payment on Trumps behalf and was later reimbursed. Prosecutors say the checks were not properly registered, which might normally result in a misdemeanor charge of falsifying business records. But that could be upgraded to a felony if the district attorney can persuade the grand jury that the payment and the suspect accounting were part of a cover-up, intended to benefit Trumps election campaign by burying the scandal. Expectations were that the New York investigation could be the first to reach a charging decision out of three major probes into the former president. No US president, in or out of office, has ever been indicted. Trump also faces felony investigations in Georgia relating to the 2020 election and in Washington over the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol by the ex-presidents supporters, who hoped to keep him in office after his election loss. Trump, who is seeking to be the Republican Partys presidential nominee again in 2024, has branded all of the investigations witch hunts" and political persecutions. Read all the Latest News here Former US president Donald Trump on Thursday slammed the decision to indict him over hush money payments made to a porn star, raging against prosecutors and his political opponents. This is Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history," he said in a statement. Even before I was sworn in as your President of the United States, the Radical Left Democrats the enemy of the hard-working men and women of this Country have been engaged in a Witch-Hunt," he said. In a five-paragraph statement released within minutes of the indictment news breaking, Trump vowed to take revenge as he plots to return to the White House in the 2024 election. The Democrats have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to Get Trump, but now theyve done the unthinkable indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant Election Interference," he said. Weaponizing our justice system to punish a political opponent, who just so happens to be a President of the United States and by far the leading Republican candidate for President, has never happened before. Ever. I believe this Witch-Hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden," he said. Trump, who held his first 2024 election campaign rally last weekend, added We will defeat Joe Biden, and we are going to throw every last one of these Crooked Democrats out of office." His second son Eric joined in the blistering salvo. This is third world prosecutorial misconduct," Eric tweeted. It is the opportunistic targeting of a political opponent in a campaign year." Read all the Latest News here After decades of staying out of military alliances, Finland and neighbouring Sweden announced bids to join NATO in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine last year. After Turkey became the final member to ratify Finlands bid on Thursday, the Finns are expected to finalise their membership in the coming days, while Sweden continues to face opposition. Here are five things to know about the two countries membership bids: - Historic U-turns - For decades, most Swedes and Finns were in favour of maintaining their policies of military non-alignment. But Russias invasion of Ukraine last year sparked sharp U-turns. The change was especially dramatic in Finland, which shares a 1,300-kilometre (800-mile) border with Russia. Prior to the application, public support for NATO membership had remained steady at 20-30 percent for two decades, but a February poll suggested 82 percent were happy with the decision to join the alliance. A Swedish poll in January had 63 percent of Swedes in favour of joining the bloc. During the Cold War, Finland remained neutral in exchange for assurances from Moscow that it would not invade. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, Finland remained militarily non-aligned. Sweden adopted an official policy of neutrality at the end of the 19th-century Napoleonic wars, which was amended to one of military non-alignment following the end of the Cold War. - Split entry - The Nordic neighbours were originally adamant they wanted to join the alliance together, agreeing to submit their applications at the same time. Despite assurances they would be welcomed with open arms", their applications quickly ran into opposition, primarily from NATO member Turkey. Bids to join NATO must be ratified by all members of the alliance. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in mid-March asked parliament to ratify Finlands bid, but delayed Swedens following a litany of disputes. Similarly, when Hungary ratified Finlands bid on March 27, Swedens was pushed until later". Finland decided to move forward, even if it meant leaving Sweden behind. Since Finlands parliament has already approved the application, all it needs to do now that all ratifications have been secured is deposit an instrument of accession" in Washington to finalise the membership. - Sweden vs Turkey - Sweden, Finland and Turkey signed a trilateral memorandum at a NATO summit in June last year to secure the start of the accession process. But Ankara has repeatedly butted heads with Stockholm, saying its demands have remained unfulfilled, particularly for the extradition of Turkish citizens that Turkey wants to prosecute for terrorism". It has accused Sweden of providing a safe haven for terrorists", specifically members of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Negotiations between the countries were temporarily suspended in early 2023, after protests involving both the burning of the Koran and a mock hanging of an effigy of Erdogan were staged in Stockholm. - Militaries - Swedish policy long dictated that the country needed a strong military to protect its neutrality. But after the Cold War, it drastically slashed defence spending, turning its military focus toward peacekeeping operations. Combining its different branches, the Swedish military can field some 50,000 soldiers, about half of whom are reservists. While Finland has similarly made defence cuts, it has maintained a much larger army than Sweden. The country of 5.5 million people has a wartime strength of 280,000 troops plus 600,000 reservists. After Russia invaded Ukraine, both countries announced increased spending. Sweden said it was targeting two percent of GDP as soon as possible", and Finland added more than two billion euros ($2.1 billion) to its 5.1 billion-euro defence budget over the next four years. - Memories of war - While Sweden has sent forces to international peacekeeping missions, it has not gone to war for over 200 years. Finlands memories of warfare are much fresher. In 1939, it was invaded by the Soviet Union. Finns put up a fierce fight during the bloody Winter War, but the country was ultimately forced to cede a huge stretch of its eastern Karelia province in a peace treaty with Moscow. A 1948 friendship agreement" saw the Soviets agree not to invade again, as long as Finland stayed out of any Western defence cooperation. The countrys forced neutrality to appease its stronger neighbour coined the term Finlandization". Read all the Latest News here The White House expressed concerns about Americans still in Russia after a US journalist was arrested and accused of spying. White House national security spokesman John Kirby said he understood that journalists must take risks and do so knowingly. We respect that, but it doesnt change our deep concern about the presence of Americans" still in Russia, he said. Read all the Latest News here Turkeys President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin may visit Turkey on April 27 for the inauguration of the countrys first nuclear power reactor built by Russias state nuclear energy company Rosatom. Maybe there is a possibility that Mr Putin will come on April 27, or we may connect to the inauguration ceremony online and we will take the first step in Akkuyu, Erdogan said in televised comments on private broadcaster ATV. Turkey will load the first nuclear fuel into the first power unit of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant and officially grant it nuclear facility status on April 27, Erdogan said in an earlier announcement on Wednesday. The Kremlin on Monday denied Turkish reports that Putin was planning to visit Turkey. The Kremlin said on Saturday that Putin and Erdogan discussed during a phone call the successful implementation of joint strategic projects in the energy sector, including the construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant. The $20 billion, 4,800 megawatt (MW) project to build four reactors in the Mediterranean town of Akkuyu will allow Turkey to join the small club of nations with civil nuclear energy. Turkey previously announced plans to launch the first reactor at Akkuyu in 2023. Earlier this month, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin over alleged war crimes in Ukraine, prompting outrage from the Kremlin. But Turkey is not a party to the Rome Statute, which created the ICC. Read all the Latest News here UPDATE Mar 29, 2023 6:23 PM CDT Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies has stepped aside from the Rust prosecution after a series of setbacks and has named two lawyers to take over as special prosecutors, Variety reports. Earlier this month, special prosecutor Andrea Reeb stepped down from the prosecution of Alec Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed for involuntary manslaughter. On Monday, the DA told a judge she needed "extra manpower," but a lawyer for Gutierrez-Reed said the law would require Carmack-Altwies to step down if she brought in a new special prosecutors, reports the New York Times. The new special prosecutors, Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis, will need to get up to speed before a preliminary hearing starts on May 3, Variety reports. Mar 15, 2023 12:55 AM CDT The New Mexico special prosecutor in the fatal shooting on the set of Rust abruptly stepped down Tuesday. Andrea Reeb, who is also a state representative, said in a statement that after "much reflection ... it has become clear that the best way I can ensure justice is served in this case is to step down so that the prosecution can focus on the evidence and the facts." Lawyers for Alec Baldwin, who is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, had last month argued that Reeb's position as special prosecutor violated the state constitution's separation-of-powers provision, NBC News reports. Reeb referred to those allegations in her statement, the AP reports: On Oct. 21, 2021, Baldwin showed "complete disregard for basic protocols," Reeb said. "I will not allow questions about my serving as a legislator and prosecutor to cloud the real issue at hand. It's not clear whether another special prosecutor will be appointed. Baldwin and weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed both pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter charges. Assistant director David Halls has, according to prosecutors, signed an agreement to plead guilty to negligent use of a deadly weapon. This is Baldwin's second legal win in the case, after a "gun enhancement" charge against him was dropped last month. (Read more Alec Baldwin stories.) Northern Mexico has developed such a habit of exotic animals and violence that people not only keep tigers as pets, they steal them. Prosecutors in the violent northern state of Sonora said Tuesday they are searching for a full-grown Bengal tiger named Baluma. They said the 5-year-old male tiger was stolen Monday from a home in the state capital, Hermosillo. They said the owners had the proper paperwork needed to keep the animal. Prosecutors distributed photos of the big cat resting in its cage alongside a dog, hoping residents will phone police if they see the tiger. Mexico has long had a problem with people keepingand occasionally losing control oflarge cats, which are sometimes found at drug traffickers' residences and are occasionally seen wandering loose, the AP reports. (Read more Mexico stories.) Republican lawmakers in Kentucky on Wednesday swept aside the Democratic governors veto of a bill regulating some of the most personal aspects of life for transgender young peoplefrom banning access to gender-affirming health care to restricting the bathrooms they can use. The votes to override Gov. Andy Beshears veto were lopsided in both legislative chamberswhere the GOP wields supermajoritiesand came on the next-to-last day of this years legislative session. The Senate voted 29-8 to override Beshears veto. A short time later, the House completed the override on a vote of 76-23, the AP reports. As emotions surged, some people protesting the bill from the House gallery were removed and arrested after their prolonged chanting rang out in the chamber. The protesters, their hands bound, chanted theres more of us not here as they waited to be taken away from the Capitol. Nineteen people were arrested and charged with third-degree criminal trespassing after the sergeant of arms requested assistance in restoring order, Kentucky State Police said. Officers gave each person the option to leave without any enforcement action or be placed under arrest, said Capt. Paul Blanton, a state police spokesperson. The bills opponents framed the issue as a civil-rights fight. Democratic Rep. Sarah Stalker said: Kentucky will be on the wrong side of history by enacting the measure. The debate about the transgender bill will likely spill over into this years gubernatorial campaign, with Beshear's veto drawing GOP condemnation as he seeks reelection to a second term. A legal fight also is brewing. The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky reaffirmed that it intends to take this fight to the courts to try to preserve access to health care options for young transgender people. The legislation in Kentucky is part of a national movement, with state lawmakers approving extensive measures that restrict the rights of LGBTQ+ people this year. At least 11 states have now enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for minors: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Utah, South Dakota and West Virginia. Nearly two dozen states are considering bills this year to restrict or ban care. (Read more Kentucky stories.) A Domino's pizza receipt found at the scene of a Wisconsin murder led police to a 12-year-old boy, who was arrested and charged with the slaying. The unnamed 12-year-old was a neighbor of the victim, 34-year-old Brandon Felton, and the two played video games together. On March 18, Felton was found dead from a gunshot to the head by a cousin who went to his house to check on him. Police say the suspect fatally shot Felton on March 15. The motive, they say, was to steal Felton's guns, NBC News reports. The boy has been charged, as an adult, with first-degree intentional homicide, Fox 6 reports. He faces life behind bars if convicted. The receipt, dated March 15, was found on a living room end table near a spent shell casing, and listed a delivery order for "Brandy." Police called the phone number listed on the receipt and a young male answered and said he didn't know anyone named Brandy. The suspect's mom ultimately took him to talk to police and he said the phone in question was his and that no one had borrowed it, and while he denied using it to order pizza from Felton's house, police say his story changed several times and that he ultimately admitted being at Felton's house when another friend of Felton's shot and killed him. Police, however, say the boy and his friends went to Felton's house to buy guns from him, but ultimately took the guns when Felton said he wouldn't sell them, CNN reports. Police are looking for additional suspects. (Read more Wisconsin stories.) Taiwans president is beginning a swing through the United States and Central America, a visit aimed at showing that her self-ruled island has allies as it faces a rising threat from China. Taiwan was carefully calibrating President Tsai Ing-wen's stops in the United States, and, as always, forgoing any official meetings with senior US leaders in Washington, in an effort to contain what China said would be a strong but as yet unspecified response, the AP reports. Tsai arrived in New York on Wednesday and was scheduled to spend Thursday in the city, but few details of the trip were made public. A senior Chinese diplomat in Washington, embassy charge d'affaires Xu Xueyan, pointed to an expected meeting between Tsai and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy elsewhere in the country. The meeting would have serious repercussions overall and a "serious, serious, serious" impact on US-China relations, she said in a virtual session with reporters on Wednesday. Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he hopes any US officials meeting unofficially with the president convey that American support for Taiwan is "strong and unequivocal. Taiwan is an important partner for Washington in the Indo-Pacific and a major recipient of US military aid. Last August, Beijing responded to the visit of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan by launching missiles, deploying warships across the median line of the Taiwan Strait, and simulating a blockade of the island. Tsai has made six trips to the US during her presidency, meeting with members of Congress and members of the Taiwanese diaspora. Administration officials are underscoring that her coming trip, which Taiwan calls a transit, is in line with what she and her predecessors have done in the past. (Earlier this month, Honduras switched recognition from Taipei to Beijing.) Russia says it has arrested an American reporter on espionage charges for allegedly trying to obtain classified information. The FSB security agency, the main successor to the KGB, said Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich was "collecting information about one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex, which constitute a state secret," the New York Times reports. The FSB said Gershkovich was acting "on the instructions of the United States." This is the first time since the end of the Cold War that a reporter for an American outlet has been arrested on espionage charges in Russia, reports the AP. Russian authorities said Gershkovich, who is based in Moscow, was arrested in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg, more than 800 miles from the capital. In a statement, the Wall Street Journal said it "is deeply concerned for the safety of Mr. Gershkovich." The FSB said Gershkovich is accredited to work as a journalist in Russia. The Times reports that Gershkovich, a former Times employee in New York, has worked for the Journal in Moscow since January last year. His most recent report, published Tuesday, looked at Russia's slowing economy and increasing reliance on China. (Read more Russia stories.) Melissa Joan Hart got too close for comfort to the school shooting in Nashville this week. The star of Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Melissa & Joey, who lives in Nashville, revealed Tuesday that she was headed to her children's school, which is "right next to" Covenant School, when she learned of the active shooter situation, per NPR. "Luckily our kids weren't in" but "my husband and I were on our way to school for conferences," Hart said in a video shared on Instagram. She noted the video was recorded Monday but was "too raw to post" immediately, per CNN. "We helped a class of kindergarteners across a busy highway that were climbing out of the woods, that were trying to escape the shooter situation at their school," said the actor. "These tiny little kids." And "we helped a mom reunite with her children." Fighting back tears, Hart said it was the second time her children had been "in close proximity" to a school shooting. The family moved from Connecticut shortly after the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, which was also not far from her own children's school, Hart said. "I don't know what to say anymore," she continued. "Enough is enough. Just pray for the families." (Read more Melissa Joan Hart stories.) The Linn County Sheriffs Office arrested a Sweet Home man accused of attempted murder. Deputies arrested Derrek Leo Reynolds, 54, on March 22, according to the Linn County Jail website. Oregons online court database shows Reynolds was arraigned in Linn County Circuit Court on March 23 on charges of second-degree attempted murder and first-degree assault. According to court documents, on or around March 22, Reynolds used a dangerous weapon to cause serious physical injury to a victim, and he allegedly attempted to kill the victim. During last weeks arraignment, Judge Michael Wynhausen set Reynolds bail at $250,000 and appointed Rex White Jr. as defense attorney. Reynolds was scheduled to be indicted on the charges Thursday afternoon, March 30. According to the indictment paperwork, Reynolds himself, the victim and five other witnesses appeared before the grand jury prior to indictment. In multiple notices filed with the court, White stated his clients intent to use self-defense as justification for the alleged crimes. The notices said Reynolds will be relying on Oregon Revised Statutes that justify use of physical force in defense of person, in defense of premises and in defense of property. The next hearing in the matter is scheduled for April 10. / What We Know About Russia's Arrest of a US Journalist Evan Gershkovich is accused of spying, a charge the 'Wall Street Journal' refutes Mexican prosecutors are treating a deadly fire at a migrant facility across the border from El Paso, Texas, on Monday as a possible homicide case. The fire at the federally operated detention center in Ciudad Juarez killed at least 39 men from Central and South America and injured dozens more, according to reports. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Tuesday that it was started by migrants who learned they'd be deported, though reports suggest migrants had also complained of poor conditions and a lack of drinking water, the BBC reports. Surveillance video shows people in uniform walking past the locked door of a cell where mattresses had been set alight, even as the room fills with smoke. Two federal agents, a state migration officer, and five members of a private security firm are considered suspects, reports Reuters, adding arrest warrants are expected Thursday. "None of the public servants, nor the private security guards, took any action to open the door for the migrants who were inside where the fire was," Sara Irene Herrerias Guerra, a federal human rights prosecutor, said Wednesday, per the New York Times. She said an investigation into "the crime of homicide and damage to property" had been opened, though other charges would also be considered, per Al Jazeera. The Times reports authorities "might also investigate one migrant suspected of starting the fire." But Security Secretary Rosa Icela Rodriguez placed the blame on the "public servants and guards," adding, per Al Jazeera: "They weren't capable of opening a gate. ... It looks like these guards didn't have any training." Formerly a transit point for migrants seeking a new life in the US, Ciudad Juarez has become a base for those who've been sent back to Mexico by US authorities or are waiting for a chance at legal entry, the Times reports. Martha Barcena, former Mexican ambassador to the US, tells the outlet that the blaze should show that existing immigration measures "are not working" and in fact "are causing terrible tragedies." (Read more US-Mexico border stories.) It sold for $599 in 2007. A decade and a half later, a first-generation iPhone with 8 gigabytes of storage, still wrapped in plastic, is thought to be worth up to $60,000. Its among the lots offered by Chicago's Wright Auctions in a Thursday sale, beginning at 12pm ET, though interested parties will need to dig deep in their pockets. The starting bid on the unopened Apple product is $32,000, the New York Times reports. The auction house believes the phone could sell for nearly twice that amount, with an estimate range of $40,000 to $60,000, though there are indications it could top even that. The phone isn't valuable because of what it can doit's "incompatible with Apple's latest operating system," for one thingbut what it represents, per the Times. As Wright Auctions President Richard Wright tells the outlet, "There are so few tangible design objects that just change everything. This is that tangible object." This iPhone was a gift to a high-profile New Yorker who works in finance soon after its June 2007 release, according to appraiser Donald Gajadhar. That recipient was too attached to his Motorola Razr phone to give it a try, Gajadhar tells the Times. "He loved the Razr like it was a Star Trek communicator ... and he was really not into social media. He used it for calls, not apps." Prospective buyers are reassured that there is indeed an iPhone in the box thanks to X-ray images shared by the auction house. Another unopened 2007 iPhone sold for a record $63,000 last month, but this one is "rarer than most with a unique Apple 'Lucky you' sticker on the sealed box," per 9to5 Mac, which also describes a small tear in the shrink wrap. (Read more iPhone stories.) A train hauling ethanol and corn syrup derailed and caught fire in Minnesota early Thursday, and nearby residents were ordered to evacuate their homes, authorities said. The AP reports that a BNSF train derailed in the town of Raymond, roughly 100 miles west of Minneapolis, at about 1am, according to a statement from Kandiyohi County Sheriff Eric Tollefson. The train "had numerous rail cars derail and several caught fire, Tollefson said. Homes in an area a half-mile around the site were evacuated, according to Tollefson, and residents were taken to a shelter in nearby Prinsburg. US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told CNN that about 14 cars were carrying hazardous materials, including ethanol. "We've been in touch with the governor," Buttigieg said, and Environmental Protection Agency officials were en route to the site "given the hazardous material situation." Buttigieg said he has received no reports of deaths or injuries due to the derailment. Railroad safety has been in the spotlight nationally ever since last month's fiery derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in East Palestine, Ohio. Roughly half of that town of about 5,000 people near the Pennsylvania border had to be evacuated after officials decided to release and burn toxic chemicals. (Read more derailment stories.) The principal of a charter STEM school in Florida resigned this week after saying she had been taken in by a scammer pretending to be Elon Musk. "I am a very smart lady. Well-educated. I fell for a scam," Dr. Jan McGee told a board meeting, per WESH. She said she had been "groomed" by somebody she had been communicating with online and wrote a $100,000 check to somebody she believed was Musk's right-hand man. The business manager of the Burns Science and Technology school stopped the check before it could clear. Board chair Albert Amalfitano says McGee apparently believed Musk would donate $6 million to the school in a "matching funds scheme." McGee had been principal of the well-respected Volusia County school since it opened in 2011, Gizmodo reports. According to WESH, she had long spoken of trying to get Muskand his fortuneinvolved with the school. "Grooming is when you talk to somebody and you believe in them, and they get you to trust them that this is really real, and so I fell for it," she said at the board meeting. She resigned after administrators said they were no longer willing to work for her. Some of them said that McGee had created a toxic work environment, and that they had warned her the person she was communicating with was a fraudster. Amalfitano, the board chair, says that law enforcement told him there are no "legal ramifications" because the check was stopped and no money went to the scammerbut that could change depending on what the board's investigation finds. He says that while he doesn't believe McGee was acting for personal financial gain, it's"kind of a little shady" that she wrote a check that was double the amount she was allowed to sign for and didn't tell anybody else about the transaction, Fox 35 reports. "It's a tough story to believe and if that's the case, then she was really, really, really scammed," he says. (Read more Elon Musk stories.) Fairbanks, AK (99707) Today A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. High 18F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy. Low 7F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph. Charles Westmoreland is a writer, researcher, and former managing editor of the Juneau Empire. Blue Shibler is executive director of the Southeast Alaska Association of the Education Young Children, and previously served as administrator for Discovery Preschool. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints or opinions of the News-Miner. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, highlighted Bahrains ongoing development across a wide range of economic sectors, which is advancing in line with the Kingdoms comprehensive development, led by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. HRH Prince Salman noted that Bahraini citizens remain at the heart of the Kingdoms development plans, initiatives, and strategies. He emphasised the countrys commitment to continue implementing economic programmes that deliver for Bahraini citizens and contribute to economic growth. His Royal Highness was speaking as he visited yesterday the majlises of Abdullah bin Hamad Al Nuaimi, Adel Al Aali, and the Chairman of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), Sameer Abdullah Nass. HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister exchanged Ramadan blessings with the hosts and guests of the majlises. He noted the importance of Ramadan majlises in reinforcing Islamic and cultural values that guide and maintain bonds between the Kingdoms people. During the majlis visits, His Royal Highness was accompanied by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Isa bin Salman Charity Educational Charitable Trust, His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Minister of Finance and National Economy, Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, and several senior officials. Positive economic indicators HRH Prince Salman underscored the importance of building on the Kingdoms recent positive economic indicators by advancing development efforts by implementing the 2023- 2026 Government Programs goals, priorities, policies, and initiatives to benefit Bahraini citizens. His Royal Highness further emphasized the importance of strengthening public-private partnerships across investment projects to drive economic development. He noted the importance of cooperation between the executive and legislative authorities, which guides the success of economic projects that benefit the Kingdom and its citizens. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Reported by Zahra Ayaz Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning reported that it had seized over 1,100 kilograms of illegally captured shrimp. In a statement, the Ministry said that since the bans implementation, more than 1,100 kilos of illegal shrimp have been confiscated and sold or traded as a result of daily monitoring and follow-up of public coasts, markets, and seafood sales. The administration has taken all required legal actions in these situations, including submitting the offenders to Public Prosecution and urging everyone to adhere to the law and refrain from fishing for shrimp during the ban period to protect the marine wealth. Crab and shrimp fishing, trading, and selling are all outlawed in Bahrain for two months every year during this time of year. The ban came into effect on March 15 and was extended through May 15, 2023. The ban aims to stop fishing during the breeding period to preserve marine wealth and biodiversity in the territorial waters of the Kingdom. Marine control teams will start monitoring to prevent violations or abuses of the decision and ensure that Bahrains marine wealth is protected. During the yearly ban, it is illegal to have nets, equipment, or any other means of catching crabs on the decks of boats in specified crabbing areas as well as docking areas. Earlier, Ashkar Poozhitala, a trader at Central Market, told The Daily Tribune that every year when the authorities issue a ban, the market inevitably experiences losses because there wont be any seafood to sell. If the weather is terrible, the prices of the seafood go up, and if everything goes well when fishing these crabs and shrimps, the price is modest." "Fishermen who sell seafood products in the central market stay in the ocean for five to six days, Poozhitala said. FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. Nine soldiers were killed Wednesday night after two U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters built by Sikorsky in Connecticut crashed during a training mission, according to officials. The two aircraft were HH-60 Black Hawks made by Sikorsky, which builds helicopter airframes in Bridgeport that are sent to its headquarters plant in Stratford for final assembly, including the installation of engines made by GE Aviation in Lynn, Mass. Parent company Lockheed Martin fits the helicopters with varying mission systems at a Rotary and Mission Systems division facility in Owego, N.Y. "We are aware of the accident and extend our condolences to all those affected," Lockheed Martin said in a statement Thursday morning. "Safety is our top priority, and we stand ready to support our customer and the investigative authorities." Officials confirmed the deaths Thursday morning during a news conference at nearby Fort Campbell. The personnel were all members of the 101st Airborne Division who were stationed at Fort Campbell, which sits on the Kentucky-Tennessee border, said Brig. Gen. John Lubas, deputy commander of the 101st. "Today is a tough and tragic day for Kentucky, for the Fort Campbell, for the 101st," Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said, speaking during Thursday's news conference. "The nine individuals we lost are children of God; they will be mourned and missed by their families, by their communities." Lubas said the aircraft were flying in formation under night vision goggles. Five soldiers were aboard one aircraft and four were onboard the other, which is typical, he noted. The aircraft's crew included a pilot, co-pilot and crew chief along with medics and other personnel. The aircraft were outfitted for a medical evacuation role, but Lubas said they believe the accident occurred while the two aircraft were flying, not performing a medical evacuation. An investigation team from Fort Rucker in Alabama is expected to arrive Thursday to examine the scene and may be able to uncover more information about what led to the crash from the aircraft's onboard flight computers. Lubas said no one was injured on the ground, and both aircraft came down in an open field across from a residential area. Lubas said no one on the aircraft called for help and authorities were notified of the crash by Trigg County first responders and other aircraft in the area. The Black Hawk has been a workhorse of the U.S. Army for decades since it entered service in the late 1970s, with Sikorsky marking its 5,000th aircraft manufactured in January. Different variants of the aircraft are also in use by other service branches of the U.S. military and foreign nations. The Flight Safety Foundation lists 390 accidents in its Aviation Safety Network database involving Black Hawk-design helicopters or variants like the U.S. Navy Seahawk, including those downed in combat, with 202 of those incidents resulting in one or more deaths. That dates back to a prototype test flight in May 1978 when a helicopter went down in the Housatonic River, killing three Sikorsky employees, and includes helicopters flown by international militaries. Sikorsky operates a manufacturing facility in Poland to handle some Black Hawk production for other countries. Last month, two Tennessee National Guard pilots were killed when their Black Hawk helicopter crashed along an Alabama highway during a training exercise. The Aviation Safety Network lists 18 accidents of Black Hawks and derivative helicopters in 2022, six of which occurred over the span of just over two weeks in July involving helicopters flown by the U.S. Air Force, Navy and military branches of Mexico and Thailand. Sikorsky's newest version of the helicopter, the UH-60V dubbed "Victor" by the Army using the military alphabet, replaces all standard cockpit gauges with digital displays produced by Northrop Grumman. Lockheed Martin is awaiting a U.S. Government Accountability Office decision due by April 7 on its challenge of the U.S. Army's award to Bell and parent Textron to produce a utility, tilt-rotor aircraft, which over time would take on Army missions performed today by the Black Hawk, which is expected to remain in the Army arsenal for another 50 years or more. Sikorsky and Bell are also vying for another big contract for the Army, for an armed helicopter to perform surveillance and special missions. That program was recently delayed after GE Aviation revealed it would not be able to complete this year an engine that will be installed on whichever helicopter the Army selects. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW FAIRFIELD Six of the town's eight police officers ranked among the Top 10 highest-paid municipal employees in New Fairfield, with most earning tens of thousands of dollars in overtime pay, according to 2022 payroll data provided by the town. Although the public works department, emergency communications center and recreation department had the highest number of employees earning overtime last year, most of the compensation went to the towns police officers. The data shows that seven of eight New Fairfield officers earned a combined total of $245,520 in overtime in 2022. That's more than half of all overtime paid by the town. Most of the overtime our officers have is either covering for vacations or sick time, First Selectman Pat Del Monaco said. Sometimes there are special events in town where we need additional police officers and sometimes its to cover one of our SRO (school resource officer) positions. It really depends on whats going on in town. However, the amount of overtime paid to the towns police officers in 2022 compared to 2021 reflected a decrease of $18,305. The town has been working to reduce police overtime pay, Del Monaco said, and currently has a good handle on what the number is going to be every year. One of the things that we did to minimize overtime was to assign permanent SROs in our schools, she said, noting that three of New Fairfields four school resource officer positions are now permanent ones. Weve added staff to do that, so that has reduced our overtime. New Fairfield's 10 highest paid employees of 2022 1) Kevin Rafferty, police officer: $171,562.77* 2) Timothy Simpkins, health director: $167,971.93 3) Matthew Satkowski, police officer: $151,182.79* 4) Antonio Iadarola, engineer: $149,360.42* 5) David Koonitsky, police officer: $137,201.92* 6) Douglas Lange, police officer: $131745.91* 7) Jason Cassavechia, police officer: $130,521.10* 8) Marc Scocozza, police officer: $112,771.76* 9) Volha Melnikov, finance director: $109,748.93 10) Richard Seman, tax assessor: $104,388.01 *includes overtime pay See More Collapse Still, overtime paid to all municipal employees in 2022 was about $18,000 more than the year before. Of the $5.5 million paid to 211 municipal employees last year, $424,000 was overtime compensation for 45 individuals on payroll, according to the payroll data. Top 10 earners New Fairfields top 10 earners raked in nearly $1.4 million of the $5.5 million paid to municipal employees in 2022. Officer Kevin Rafferty, who joined New Fairfields police department in 2016, was the highest paid town employee in 2022, with nearly $171,600 in earnings more than $65,000 of which came from overtime pay. He was the towns second-highest paid employee in 2021 and the third-highest earner in 2020. Officer Matthew Satkowski was the towns third-highest paid municipal employee with nearly $151,200 in earnings close to $47,000 of which came from overtime pay, according to town payroll data. Satkowski was the towns seventh-highest paid municipal employee in 2021. With a little over $137,000 in earnings, Officer David Koonitsky was the fifth-highest paid municipal employee last year. About $33,180 of his pay came from overtime, according to town payroll data. Koonitsky was the fourth-highest paid town employee in 2021. The three other highest paid officers were Douglas Lange, Jason Cassavechia and Marc Scocozza. With earnings of about $132,000, $130,500 and $113,000 respectively including about $25,000, $37,500 and $36,800 in overtime they ranked sixth, seventh and eighth on the list of New Fairfields top 10 municipal earners of 2022. With nearly $168,000 in earnings, health director Tim Simpkins who has been a town employee since 1987 and also serves as the health director of Sherman was New Fairfields second-highest paid employee in 2022. Part-time engineer Antonio Iadarola who previously held the No. 1 spot was New Fairfields fourth-highest paid municipal employee last year. He earned about $149,360 in 2022 around $5,200 of which came from overtime pay, according to town payroll data. Iadarola was the towns highest paid municipal employee in 2020 and 2021, when he earned nearly $193,700 and more than $162,000, respectively. The towns finance director, Volha Melnikov, made about $109,750 in 2022, earning her the ninth-place spot on the list of New Fairfields highest municipal earners. She became finance director in October 2021, after Ed Sbordone announced his retirement. With nearly $104,400 in earnings, Assessor Richard Seman was the 10th highest paid municipal employee of 2022, knocking Public Works Superintendent Russell Loudon from the spot he had held for two consecutive years. Loudon was the 11th highest paid town employee in 2022, with nearly $103,300 in earnings a little over $8,500 of which was in overtime pay. Del Monaco was the 12th highest paid municipal employee of 2022 with roughly $99,500 in total earnings, according to the payroll data. According to Human Resources Director Kara Mehler, the total earnings of some of New Fairfields 211 municipal employees include contractual payouts, overtime pay and ARPA-funded one-time premium pay for essential workers that the town approved. VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) France's top diplomat said Thursday that she hoped the NATO applications of Sweden and Finland would be ratified quickly, as the Turkish parliament was expected to vote soon on whether Finland should join the 30-member alliance. French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna referred to an upcoming NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital in July when she said that we hope this summit will be a success and that there will be 32 countries at the Vilnius summit. The applications of Sweden and Finland should be ratified quickly, she told a news conference. Both Sweden and neighboring Finland applied to join NATO in May 2022, abandoning decades of nonalignment in the wake of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine. NATO requires the unanimous approval of its members to take in new countries. On Monday, Hungarian lawmakers ratified Finlands request to join NATO. However, the approval of Swedens bid has stalled because of opposition from Turkey and Hungary. The Turkish government has accused Sweden of being too soft on groups that it deems to be terror organizations. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Ankara needs further assurances before it will give its final approval. Members of Hungarys governing party said they would wait for the government in Stockholm to clear up lingering disagreements before scheduling a vote in parliament. The government in Budapest alleges that some Swedish politicians have made derisive statements about the condition of Hungarys democracy and played an active role in ensuring that billions in European Union funds were frozen over alleged rule-of-law and democracy violations. Swedens Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said that we see no reason why we should not be ratified. Those reasons have nothing to do with the Swedish NATO application. It is something completely different, it is about what views the EU has on Hungary," according to Swedish news agency TT. In Vilnius, Colonna said that Russia should reconsider a recently announced plan to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, which has close military ties with Russia and was a staging ground for Moscow's invasion of neighboring Ukraine last year. France condemns Russias plans as they are related to the destabilization of Europe. We want this decision to be reconsidered, and it would be very good if (Russian President) Vladimir Putin revoked that decision, Colonna told reporters. The move by Russia to station tactical atomic weapons in Belarus came in response to the Wests increasing military support for Ukraine. Putin announced the plan in a television interview that aired Saturday, saying it was triggered by a U.K. decision this past week to provide Ukraine with armor-piercing rounds containing depleted uranium. Colonna was in Vilnius to meet with Lithuanian counterpart Gabrielius Landsbergis to discuss the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius on July 11-12. She also was scheduled to meet with Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte and visit French troops currently deployed in the Baltic country as part of NATO's air policing mission. Associated Press Writer Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, contributed to this report. ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW YORK (AP) Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, a historic reckoning after years of investigations into his personal, political and business dealings and an abrupt jolt to his bid to retake the White House. The exact nature of the charges was unclear Friday because the indictment remained under seal, but they stem from payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign to silence claims of an extramarital sexual encounter. Prosecutors said they were working to coordinate Trumps surrender, which could happen early next week. They did not say whether they intended to seek prison time in the event of a conviction, a development that wouldnt prevent Trump from seeking and assuming the presidency. The indictment, the first against a former U.S. president, injects a local district attorneys office into the heart of a national presidential race and ushers in criminal proceedings in a city that the ex-president for decades called home. Arriving at a time of deep political divisions, the charges are likely to reinforce rather than reshape dueling perspectives of those who see accountability as long overdue and those who, like Trump, feel the Republican is being targeted for political purposes by a Democratic prosecutor. Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing and has repeatedly assailed the investigation, called the indictment political persecution and predicted it would damage Democrats in 2024. In a statement confirming the charges, defense lawyers Susan Necheles and Joseph Tacopina said Trump did not commit any crime. We will vigorously fight this political prosecution in court. A spokesman for the Manhattan district attorneys office confirmed the indictment and said prosecutors had reached out to Trumps defense team to coordinate a surrender. Tacopina said Trump is likely to turn himself in on Tuesday. Were working out those logistics right now, Tacopina said on NBC's Today show Friday morning. He's not gonna hole up in Mar-a-Lago. Tacopina insisted that Trump would not take a plea deal: There's no crime. Trump was asked to surrender Friday but his lawyers said the Secret Service needed additional time as they made security preparations, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because they couldnt publicly discuss security details. District Attorney Alvin Bragg left his office Thursday evening without commenting. The case centers on well-chronicled allegations from a period in 2016 when Trumps celebrity past collided with his political ambitions. Prosecutors for months scrutinized money paid to porn actor Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, whom he feared would go public with claims that they had extramarital sexual encounters with him. The timing of the indictment appeared to come as a surprise to Trump campaign officials following news reports that criminal charges were likely weeks away. The former president was at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida estate, on Thursday and filmed an interview with a conservative commentator earlier in the day. For a man whose presidency was defined by one obliterated norm after another, the indictment sets up yet another never-before-seen spectacle a former president having his fingerprints and mug shot taken, and then facing arraignment. For security reasons, his booking is expected to be carefully choreographed to avoid crowds inside or outside the courthouse. The prosecution also means that Trump will have to simultaneously fight for his freedom and political future, while also fending off potentially more perilous legal threats, including investigations into attempts by him and his allies to undo the 2020 presidential election as well as into the hoarding of hundreds of classified documents. In fact, New York was until recently seen as an unlikely contender to be the first place to prosecute Trump, who continues to face long-running investigations in Atlanta and Washington that could also result in charges. Unlike those inquiries, the Manhattan case concerns allegations against Trump that occurred before he became president and are unrelated to his much-publicized efforts to overturn the election. The indictment comes as Trump seeks to reassert control of the Republican Party and stave off a slew of one-time allies who may threaten his bid for the presidential nomination. An expected leading rival in the race, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, called the indictment un-American in a statement Thursday night that pointedly did not mention Trumps name. In bringing the charges, Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, is embracing an unusual case that was investigated by two previous sets of prosecutors, both of which declined to take the politically explosive step of seeking Trumps indictment. The case may also turn in part on the testimony of a key witness, Trumps former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty to federal charges arising from the hush money payments, including making false statements. The probes fate seemed uncertain until word got out in early March that Bragg had invited Trump to testify before a grand jury, a signal that prosecutors were close to bringing charges. Trumps attorneys declined the invitation, but a lawyer closely allied with the former president briefly testified in an effort to undercut Cohens credibility. Trump himself raised anticipation that he would be indicted soon, issuing a statement earlier this month in which he predicted an imminent arrest and called for protests. He did not repeat that call in a fresh statement Thursday, but the New York Police Department told its 36,000 officers to be fully mobilized and ready to respond to any potential protests or unrest. Late in the 2016 presidential campaign, Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 to keep her silent about what she says was a sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier after they met at a celebrity golf tournament. Cohen was then reimbursed by Trumps company, the Trump Organization, which also rewarded the lawyer with bonuses and extra payments logged internally as legal expenses. Over several months, Cohen said, the company paid him $420,000. Earlier in 2016, Cohen also arranged for the publisher of the supermarket tabloid the National Enquirer to pay McDougal $150,000 to squelch her story of a Trump affair in a journalistically dubious practice known as catch-and-kill. The payments to the women were intended to buy secrecy, but they backfired almost immediately as details of the arrangements leaked to the news media. Federal prosecutors in New York ultimately charged Cohen in 2018 with violating federal campaign finance laws, arguing that the payments amounted to impermissible help to Trumps presidential campaign. Cohen pleaded guilty to those charges and unrelated tax evasion counts and served time in federal prison. Trump was implicated in court filings as having knowledge of the arrangements obliquely referred to in charging documents as Individual 1 but U.S. prosecutors at the time balked at bringing charges against him. The Justice Department has a longtime policy against indicting a sitting president in federal court. Braggs predecessor as district attorney, Cyrus Vance Jr., then took up the investigation in 2019. While that probe initially focused on the hush money payments, Vances prosecutors moved on to other matters, including an examination of Trumps business dealings and tax strategies. Vance ultimately charged the Trump Organization and its chief financial officer with tax fraud related to fringe benefits paid to some of the companys top executives. The hush money matter became known around the D.A.s office as the zombie case, with prosecutors revisiting it periodically but never opting to bring charges. Bragg saw it differently. After the Trump Organization was convicted on the tax fraud charges in December, he brought fresh eyes to the well-worn case, hiring longtime white-collar prosecutor Matthew Colangelo to oversee the probe and convening a new grand jury. Cohen became a key witness, meeting with prosecutors nearly two-dozen times, turning over emails, recordings and other evidence and testifying before the grand jury. Trump has long decried the Manhattan investigation as the greatest witch hunt in history. He has also lashed out at Bragg, calling the prosecutor, who is Black, racist against white people. The criminal charges in New York are the latest salvo in a profound schism between Trump and his hometown a reckoning for a one-time favorite son who grew rich and famous building skyscrapers, hobnobbing with celebrities and gracing the pages of the citys gossip press. Trump, who famously riffed in 2016 that he could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and wouldnt lose voters, now faces a threat to his liberty in a borough where more than 75% of voters many of them potential jurors went against him in the last election. _____ Tucker and Long reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Bobby Caina Calvan, Jill Colvin and Jennifer Peltz contributed to this report. VATICAN CITY (AP) The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the Doctrine of Discovery, the theories backed by 15th-century papal bulls that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property laws today. A Vatican statement said the papal bulls, or decrees, did not adequately reflect the equal dignity and rights of Indigenous peoples and have never been considered expressions of the Catholic faith. The statement, from the Vaticans development and education offices, marked a historic recognition of the Vatican's own complicity in colonial-era abuses committed by European powers. It was issued under history's first Latin American pontiff, who was hospitalized Thursday with a respiratory infection, exactly one year after Francis met at the Vatican with Indigenous leaders from Canada who raised the issue. On Thursday, these Indigenous leaders welcomed the statement as a first good step, even though it didn't address the rescinding of the bulls themselves and continued to take distance from acknowledging actual Vatican culpability in abuses. The statement said the papal documents had been manipulated for political purposes by competing colonial powers to justify immoral acts against Indigenous peoples that were carried out, at times, without opposition from ecclesial authorities. It said it was right to recognize these errors, acknowledge the terrible effects of colonial-era assimilation policies on Indigenous peoples and ask for their forgiveness. The statement was a response to decades of Indigenous demands for the Vatican to formally rescind the papal bulls that provided the Portuguese and Spanish kingdoms the religious backing to expand their territories in Africa and the Americas for the sake of spreading Christianity. Those decrees underpin the Doctrine of Discovery, a legal concept coined in a 1823 U.S. Supreme Court decision that has come to be understood as meaning that ownership and sovereignty over land passed to Europeans because they discovered it. It was cited as recently as a 2005 Supreme Court decision involving the Oneida Indian Nation written by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. During Pope Francis 2022 visit to Canada, where he apologized to Indigenous peoples for the residential school system that forcibly removed Native children from their homes, he was met with demands for a formal repudiation of the papal bulls. Two Indigenous women unfurled a banner at the altar of the National Shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre on July 29 that read: Rescind the Doctrine in bright red and black letters. Before that, Michelle Schenandoah of the Oneida Nation had called for the Vatican to rescind the papal bulls when she delivered the closing remarks of the First Nations delegation that met with Francis during a weeklong visit last year by Native groups from Canada. On Thursday, she called the Vatican statement another step in the right direction, but noted that it didn't mention the rescinding of the bulls themselves. I think what this does is it really puts the responsibility on nation states such as the United States, to look at its use of the Doctrine of Discovery, she said in a interview from Syracuse, New York, where she is a professor of Indigenous law at Syracuse University's College of Law. This goes beyond land. It really has created generation upon generation of genocidal policies directed towards Indigenous peoples. And I think that its time for these governments to take full accountability for their actions. In the statement, the Vatican said: The Catholic Church therefore repudiates those concepts that fail to recognize the inherent human rights of Indigenous peoples, including what has become known as the legal and political doctrine of discovery. Phil Fontaine, a former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations in Canada who was also part of the First Nations delegation that met with Francis at the Vatican, said the statement was wonderful," resolved an outstanding issue and now puts the matter to civil authorities to revise property laws that cite the doctrine. The church has done one thing, as it said it would do, for the Holy Father. Now the ball is in the court of governments, the United States and in Canada, but particularly in the United States where the doctrine is embedded in the law, he told The Associated Press. The Vatican offered no evidence that the three papal bulls (Dum Diversas in 1452, Romanus Pontifex in 1455 and Inter Caetera in 1493) had themselves been formally abrogated, rescinded or rejected, as Vatican officials have often said. But it cited a subsequent bull, Sublimis Deus in 1537, that reaffirmed that Indigenous peoples shouldn't be deprived of their liberty or the possession of their property, and were not to be enslaved. Cardinal Michael Czerny, the Canadian Jesuit whose office co-authored the statement, stressed that the original bulls had long ago been abrogated and that the use of the term doctrine which in this case is a legal term, not a religious one had led to centuries of confusion about the church's role. The original bulls, he said, are being treated as if they were teaching, magisterial or doctrinal documents, and they are an ad hoc political move. And I think to solemnly repudiate an ad hoc political move is to generate more confusion than clarity. He stressed that the statement wasn't just about setting the historical record straight, but "to discover, identify, analyze and try to overcome what we can only call the enduring effects of colonialism today. It was significant that the repudiation of the "Doctrine of Discovery" came during the pontificate of history's first Latin American pope. Even before the Canadian trip, the Argentine pope had apologized to Native peoples in Bolivia in 2015 for the crimes of the colonial-era conquest of the Americas. Felix Hoehn, a property and administrative law professor at the University of Saskatchewan, said the Vatican statement would have no legal bearing on land claims in Canada today, but would have symbolic value. The most that any papal repudiation of the doctrine (or the bulls, for that matter) can do in relation to Canadian law is to apply pressure on the Supreme Court of Canada to renounce the doctrine as part of Canadian law, he said. Beyond that, though, is the hope that the statement could show that the Catholic Church wants to be an ally with Indigenous peoples as they fight for their human rights and their land, and to protect it, said the Rev. David McCallum, an American Jesuit who has worked with Indigenous peoples in the Syracuse area and was consulted during the drafting of the statement. So now for the church to not only acknowledge the damage, but also to repudiate the whole mindset of cultural superiority, of racial superiority to, in a sense, renounce that whole way of thinking and say that forever forward the church wants to be an active ally in protecting Indigenous human rights along with all human rights, I think its a big statement," he said. ___ Rob Gillies contributed to this report from Toronto. Just in time for Spring, Canadians can now get their hands on a new thirst-quenching beverage available in three delicious flavours TORONTO, March 30, 2023 /CNW/ - McDonald's Canada will be making a splash on April 4th with the introduction of the all-new Fruit Splash beverages at participating restaurants across Canada. Available all day, the Fruit Splash beverages come in three flavours: Lemon, Strawberry Passionfruit and Peach Mango. McDonalds Canada is introducing Fruit Splash beverages starting April 4, in three flavours: Lemon, Strawberry Passionfruit and Peach Mango. (CNW Group/McDonald's Canada) "McDonald's Canada is always looking for new ways to drive menu and flavour innovation," said Nicola Pitman, Director of Menu Management. "The new Fruit Splash beverages are just one example of how we're continuing to bring more variety to our menu, with offerings we know Canadians are going to love. Served over ice, all three of flavours are fun and fruity, making them a delicious go-to option to enjoy, especially as the weather warms up." Lemon Fruit Splash: A refreshing lemonade beverage made with real lemon juice concentrate and real lemon pulp. Served over ice . A refreshing lemonade beverage made with real lemon juice concentrate and real lemon pulp. Served over ice Strawberry Passionfruit Fruit Splash: A refreshing lemonade beverage made with real lemon juice concentrate and real lemon pulp, with the sweet taste of strawberry and passionfruit. Served over ice. A refreshing lemonade beverage made with real lemon juice concentrate and real lemon pulp, with the sweet taste of strawberry and passionfruit. Served over ice. Peach Mango Fruit Splash: A refreshing lemonade beverage made with real lemon juice concentrate and real lemon pulp, with the sweet taste of peach and mango. Served over ice. In addition to the new Fruit Splash beverages, the cold beverages line-up is also getting a new McCafe Real Fruit Smoothie flavour: Kiwi Pineapple Banana, available at participating McDonald's restaurants in Canada for a limited time, starting April 11th. Canadians can enjoy the new cold beverages in-restaurant, at the Drive-Thru, through mobile ordering on the McDonald's app and with McDelivery. About McDonald's Canada In 1967, Canada welcomed the first McDonald's restaurant to Richmond, British Columbia. Today, McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited has become part of the Canadian fabric, serving more than one million guests every day. In both franchised and corporate-owned restaurants, nearly 100,000 people are employed from coast to coast to coast, and more than 90 per cent of McDonald's 1,400 Canadian restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent franchisees. Of the almost $1 billion spent on food, more than 85 per cent is purchased from suppliers in Canada. For more information on McDonald's Canada, visit mcdonalds.ca. SOURCE McDonald's Canada For further information: Canada Impact, McDonald's Canada [email protected] This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON (AP) A founding member of the 1990s hip-hop group the Fugees was enmeshed in political conspiracies involving millions of dollars in foreign money under two different U.S. presidents, federal prosecutors said as his trial got underway with opening statements Thursday. Prakazrel Pras Michel is accused of funneling money from a fugitive Malaysian financer through straw donors to Barack Obama's 2012 reelection campaign. Five years later, prosecutors say he tried squelch an investigation into the financer and persuade then-President Donald Trump's administration to return to China a vocal critic of the government." This is a case about foreign money, foreign influence and concealment, said prosecutor Nicole Rae Lockhart. Michel pocketed over $100 million in the saga involving political intrigue, backroom dealing, ... burner phones and lies, she said. Michel's lawyers have previously said he is innocent and extremely disappointed in the charges, but the defense decided to wait to give its opening statement in the trial that's expected to last weeks. The Department of Justice says Michel conspired with Low Taek Jho, usually known as Jho Low. The fugitive financer is accused of masterminding a money laundering and bribery scheme that pilfered billions from the Malaysian state investment fund known as 1MDB. Looted money paid for jewelry and luxury art and helped finance Hollywood films like The Wolf of Wall Street. Low was once known for his business and social ties to American celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Leonardo DiCaprio, a possible witness in the case. During the 2012 presidential campaign, prosecutors allege Low directed more than $20 million to Michel, who concealed its origin by giving the money to straw donors to give to the Obama campaign. He later tried to lean on the donors to keep them from talking to investigators, Lockhart said. In 2017, prosecutors say, the Grammy-winning rapper worked with a Republican fixer" to try and shut down a U.S. investigation into Low and embezzlement from the Malaysian fund. He's also accused of pushing the Trump administration to send a Chinese person who had fled to the U.S. back to China. It almost worked, Lockhart said. The defendant wanted money and was willing to break any laws necessary to get paid. The Justice Department last year announced charges against Low and two former Goldman Sachs bankers in the money laundering and bribery scheme that pilfered money from the fund, which was created to spur economic development projects in Malaysia. Low is a fugitive but has maintained his innocence. One of the bankers, Roger Ng, was sentenced to 10 years in prison this month for his role in the scheme. As state regulators move ahead with an audit of the Stone Academy nursing program, school attorneys and state agencies fight over details of the program's closure and former students continue to demand answers. According to records obtained by CT Insider, Stone Academy and various state agencies have traded increasingly contentious correspondence, presenting vastly different perspectives on the circumstances that led the school to close last month and the Office of the Attorney General to launch an investigation. At issue are questions of whether Stone Academy needed to be shut down, how state agencies executed the closure, whether or not the school must pay for an audit into students' transcripts and, most pressingly, what this means for hundreds of nursing students currently stuck in limbo. State regulators allege that Stone Academy, a for-profit program with campuses in Waterbury, West Haven and East Hartford, failed to maintain proper attendance records, exceeded allowable student-to-staff ratios, hired unqualified instructors, held clinical instruction in non-clinical spaces and produced unacceptably low passage rates for students taking licensing exams. As a result, the state asked that that the school pay $200,000 toward an audit that will determine which Stone Academy credits are and aren't valid. On Monday, the Office of Higher Education officially contracted with a national firm that will conduct the review over the coming months, paid for by the state, executive director Timothy Larson said. "It's important that we have an outside auditor look at all of these components so that we can address refunds appropriately, we can make sure that this permanent record transcript is reconciled to the extent we can do that," Larson said. In correspondence obtained by CT Insider, lawyers for Stone Academy dispute most of the state's accusations, arguing that the school was not required to maintain attendance records, that its ratios were not above what was legally permitted and that its clinical instruction was in compliance with a pandemic-era executive order. They acknowledge the school had several instructors who did not meet licensing requirements but say that figure is lower than the state alleges. As for passage rates, which dipped below 50 percent at some Stone Academy programs, attorneys for the school say the concerning trend "reflects the unusual strains inflicted by the pandemic both on the institution but, more importantly, its student body" during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a letter sent from a Stone Academy representative to the Office of the Attorney General. Moreover, Stone Academy attorneys say the state's Office of Higher Education rushed the school's closure, rejecting efforts to establish "teach-out" plans that would have let students finish their degrees. At one point, they alleged in a legal filing, officials from the Office of Higher Education, including Larson, personally seized transcripts and other documents from Stone Academy offices, behaving in a "haphazard and unprofessional manner." While Stone Academy attorneys have not fought the closure of the school, they have resisted the state's requests that they pay for an audit. "The Office of Higher Education's actions are so bungled and chaotic they would be comical if not so devastating," Stone Academy attorney Perry Rowthorn said in a statement. "An unnecessary audit that will wrongly disenfranchise hundreds of students' legitimately earned credits is the exact opposite of student protection. ... OHE would be well-advised to abandon it." In an interview Tuesday, Larson blamed Stone Academy for fighting against an audit that would have provided clarity on some of the state's allegations. He denied acting inappropriately with regard to the document seizure, saying he and his staff followed proper protocols. "They are purporting things that are just not accurate," he said. 'We were left in the dark' As state regulators and Stone Academy lawyers spar, the situation has left hundreds of nursing students who attended the school in a sort of purgatory, unable to take licensing exams without degrees and unable to transfer their credits to other programs without accredited transcripts. At a protest Tuesday outside the Office of Higher Education in Hartford, more than a dozen former Stone students chanted "Teach-out plan, now" while holding signs with Larson's face and the words "credit thief" and "Larson-y." One former student wore a Stone Academy sweatshirt with "Stone" crossed out and replaced with "Scam." An attorney representing some of the students, Cynthia Jennings, urged them to resist the audit and demand they be allowed to transfer their credits to other schools. Symia Lyles, a single mother of three who was 10 months into a nursing program at Stone's East Hartford campus when the school closed, said she was "completely frustrated" to have her plans derailed, especially amid a widespread nursing shortage. "It's crazy to me because our nurse community is suffering," she said. "There's a need for nurses, so I don't understand why they wouldn't be more caring on the situation." Lyles said she has reached out to other nursing programs but has struggled to find one that would accept her Stone Academy credits. Alex Putterman / Hearst Connecticut Media Students at Tuesday's protest criticized both Stone Academy and the Office of Higher Education, both of which they said played a role in the current situation. "I blame both parties equally," said Jacqueline Rosa, a Stone Academy student who was set to graduate in August. "We were left in the dark completely." Asked about the protest, Larson said he understands students' frustration but that an audit will be in everyone's best interest, as it will let students know which credits are valid and transferrable and which aren't. He said he was "disappointed" to be personally targeted by the protesters. "I think I've been rather transparent, rather forthright and rather caring for these folks," he said. As for Stone Academy, Rowthorn said the school is on the students' side in resisting the audit and encouraging that transcripts be accepted as they are. "We strongly oppose any audit pre-ordained to erase the educational progress of hundreds of students and will continue to advocate for the fair treatment of Stones student population," he said. Two different stories The dispute between Stone Academy and the state has brewed since at least December, when the Office of Higher Education sent the school a letter saying it would revoke the program's authorization due to a series of failures and shortcomings, such as using unqualified instructors and exceeding allowable student-to-staff ratios. Representatives for Stone Academy initially agreed to an audit but later backed out after objecting to some terms of the review, which they considered unfair to the school and to students. The two sides disagree on how exactly Stone Academy came to close. Larson maintains that school administrators reached that decision on their own, while Rowthorn says the state pressured the school to close and that even after Stone Academy agreed to wind down gradually, Larson "rashly and improperly demanded Stones immediate closure and terminated Stones efforts to arrange an orderly teach out of its current students." According to documents obtained by CT Insider, Stone Academy representatives met with regulators in early February to discuss the school's future amid the state's findings and the U.S. Department of Education's decision to withdraw federal funding from the program. Several days later, an attorney for Stone Academy wrote the Office of Higher Education to say the school was "planning an orderly wind down of its educational operations following the successful teach-out of its current students." On Feb. 15, however, the Office of Higher Education announced that Stone Academy would close on Feb. 24 without a teach-out option. The following week, state officials seized records in preparation for an audit. Around the same time, records show, the Office of the Attorney General announced an investigation into Stone Academy and sent the school a civil investigation demand, requesting a range of documents, including student records and communications relating to the closure. Stone Academy attorneys responded on March 10, objecting to the request "in its entirety" and defending the school's conduct. Following additional correspondence, an attorney from the Office of the Attorney General wrote Stone Academy lawyers on March 16, accusing them of attempting "to change the narrative" and alleging that the school's "ignoring of its failures is problematic and is in stark contrast to reality." In a response the following day, Stone Academy attorneys charged that state regulators had "failed to provide a detailed explanation for these allegations, but it is apparent that they are based on fundamental misunderstandings of fact and law." That led to Monday when the Office of Higher Education reached terms with the accountancy firm CliftonLarsonAllen, which will conduct the audit. Larson (who said he is not related to the Larson who founded the firm decades ago) did not offer a timetable for the review but said the agency would work "as diligently as we possibly can to get answers for these students." Rowthorn reiterated Tuesday that Stone Academy has no plans to pay for the audit. alex.putterman@hearstmediact.com Former president Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, becoming the first person in U.S. history to serve as commander in chief and then be charged with a crime. The indictment remains under seal, so the specific charge or charges have not been made public. Here is what we know so far about the charging decision and the next steps in the criminal proceedings: - - - What is an indictment? When someone is indicted by a grand jury, it means they are charged with one or more crimes. "An indictment is just a fancy way of saying 'the charging document,'" said Anna G. Cominsky, a professor at New York Law School. "It is a piece of paper that contains the charges." The grand jury, which in New York is composed of 23 members of the public, hears evidence from witnesses presented by prosecutors over a period of days, weeks or months. At the end of that process, prosecutors decide whether to ask the jurors to vote on an indictment. A majority must vote to indict the person. The grand jury process is secret, and the indictment is generally not made public until it is filed in court or - in some cases - until the defendant makes their first court appearance. - - - What is the case about? The indictment against Trump is believed to involve a payment made before the 2016 presidential election to Stormy Daniels, an adult-film actress, to keep her from publicly discussing an affair she said she had with Trump years earlier. - - - Now that he is charged, will Trump be publicly arrested? Trump posted on social media on March 18 that he would be arrested, but that won't happen if he voluntarily turns himself in. A spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney said Thursday evening that the office had contacted Trump's attorney to coordinate his surrender. A person familiar with the matter - speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss plans that have not been publicly announced - said the former president is expect to appear in court for an arraignment on Tuesday, April 4, at 2:15 p.m. - - - And what happens once he is in custody? Once a suspect who has been indicted is in police custody, police or other law enforcement officials process them behind closed doors, taking mug shots and fingerprints. The process is identical whether the person has been arrested or has agreed - or negotiated through lawyers - to turn themselves in. The first court proceeding after an arrest or surrender would be an arraignment hearing in a Manhattan courtroom. At the arraignment, a judge would determine whether Trump would need to pay bail or adhere to certain restrictions pending a trial - or whether he could be released with no bail or restrictions, which is known as being released on personal recognizance. The Secret Service special agent in charge of Trump's security detail, Sean Curran, or Curran's deputy, is likely to personally accompany Trump when he is processed and appears in court. - - - Who is the prosecutor who brought charges against Trump? New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, was elected as the Manhattan district attorney in November 2021. He is a former federal prosecutor in the New York attorney general's office. Bragg inherited the Trump investigation from his predecessor, Cyrus Vance Jr. Two senior prosecutors quit his office last year, apparently in frustration that Bragg was not inclined to pursue an indictment of Trump over how he valued properties in his real estate business. Bragg has declined to discuss the investigation, saying only that, "We will continue to apply the law evenly and fairly." - - - Where would Trump be processed once he turns himself in? Defendants are typically processed in police precincts. But it is not uncommon for them to be processed at a district attorney's office if they surrender after a grand jury indictment. - - - Could Trump go to jail? This is the question a lot of people are asking. The answer is, it depends - not only on what he is charged with, of course, but also of what, if anything, he is ultimately convicted. Bragg is believed to have been considering charges of falsifying business records in the commission of another crime, possibly a campaign-finance violation. That would be a low-level felony, according to New York state law, punishable by up to four years in prison. But charges can be downgraded, sentences vary case by case, and, in general, it is unusual for a person with no criminal record to be sentenced to extensive jail time for a nonviolent, low-level felony violation. So even if Trump is convicted of a felony, it does not necessarily mean he will spend time in jail. - - - Can Trump still run for president in 2024? While it has never been attempted by a candidate from a major party before, Trump is allowed to run for president while under indictment - or even if he is convicted of a crime. The practical impact of an criminal case on his candidacy - whether it would help or hurt his odds of landing in the White House again - depends on whom you ask. Some of his advisers, according to a recent Washington Post article, said this is favorable terrain for Trump: back in the center of attention as the dominant figure in his party. But advisers also acknowledged the pitfalls of a indictment and said the campaign has not worked out the logistics of simultaneously mounting a presidential run and facing a criminal trial. - - - What has been the reaction to the indictment? Many Republican officials - including some rivals for the Republican nomination - leaped to Trump's defense, denouncing what they called the weaponization of the criminal justice system. Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican Party, called the indictment "a blatant abuse of power from a DA focused on political vengeance instead of keeping people safe." Former vice president Mike Pence - who broke with Trump over the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and is eying a 2024 presidential run - also criticized the charges. "I think the unprecedented indictment of a former president of the United States on a campaign finance issue is an outrage," Pence said Thursday night in an interview on CNN. "This will only further serve to divide our country." Top Democrats said that the grand jury was following the facts and that Trump should respect the legal system. "The Grand Jury has acted upon the facts and the law. No one is above the law, and everyone has the right to a trial to prove innocence," Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the longtime speaker of the House, wrote on Twitter. "Hopefully, the former President will peacefully respect the system, which grants him that right." - - - The Washington Post's Devlin Barrett and Josh Dawsey in Washington and Shayna Jacobs in New York contributed to this report. Quantities of cocaine seized in selected markets, in comparison with global cocaine manufacture, 2005-2021. Graphic: UNODC By Natasha Turak 16 March 2023 (CNBC) Cocaine production is at its highest level on record, with demand rebounding post-pandemic and new trafficking hubs emerging, a report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime found. The U.N.s Global Report on Cocaine 2023 says new hubs for trafficking in the multibillion-dollar industry have emerged in West and Central Africa in the last two years. New improvements and innovations in cultivation of the coca bush and conversion from coca plant to cocaine have also helped production boom rising by 35% between 2021 and 2022 to record levels. The Covid-19 pandemic had a disruptive effect on drug markets. With international travel severely curtailed, producers struggled to get their product to market. Night clubs and bars were shut as officials ramped up their attempts to control the virus, causing demand to slump for drugs like cocaine, the report said. However, the most recent data suggests this slump has had little impact on longer-term trends. The global supply of cocaine is at record levels, it said. Almost 2,000 tons of cocaine were produced in 2020, a continuation of a dramatic uptick in manufacture that began in 2014, when the total was less than half of todays levels, the report said. Coca bush cultivation doubled between 2013 and 2017, and then rose sharply again in 2021, the report said. The process of converting coca bush to cocaine hydrochloride also saw significant improvements. Cocaine production requires soaking harvested coca leaves in gasoline and other chemicals like ether, sulfuric acid, ammonia to allow the extraction of cocaine hydrochloride. The gasoline and solvents are then drained and the cocaine base solidifies into a paste, which is cooked until the liquid and other chemicals have evaporated, producing bricks containing cocaine hydrochloride. Those bricks are packed and further sold and processed with additional chemicals like hydrochloric acid, ammonia and potassium salt to create powder cocaine. Coca bush cultivation, by country, and cocaine seizures worldwide, 2010-2021. Graphic: UNODC Rising cocaine demand Despite continued efforts by law enforcement to crack down on cocaine use, global demand for the drug has only grown. There has been a continuing growth in demand, with most regions showing steadily rising numbers of users over the past decade. Although these increases can be partly explained by population growth, there is also a rising prevalence of cocaine use, the report said. At the same time, interceptions by authorities are on the up. And those law enforcement interceptions are actually rising at a higher speed than production, the report found, meaning that interdiction has contained the growth of the global amount of cocaine available for consumption. Demand is still highest in North America, which constituted 30% of global demand for the drug in 2020, the highest proportion worldwide, according to the U.N. Central and South American and the Caribbean came second, making up 24% of cocaine users in 2020. Western and Central Europe came third at 21%, and a far fourth was the continent of Africa at 9% of global use. Much of the known information on increases in cocaine has been found via analysis of wastewater data. [more] Cocaine production is at its highest level on record, UN says Comparison of trends in cocaine consumption and relative importance of crack users entering treatment in Europe, 2011-2021. Graphic: UNODC Need for enhanced cooperation to address cocaine surge highlighted at UNODC global report launch VIENNA, Austria, 16 March 2023 (UNODC) How to strengthen international responses to address challenges posed by record cocaine supply and surging demand was the focus of a panel discussion today to launch a new global report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The hybrid event on the margins of the 66th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs presented the findings from The Global Report on Cocaine 2023, which was developed under the framework of the CRIMJUST Global Programme, funded by the European Unions Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI) as part of its Global Illicit Flows Programme (GIFP). At the launch, speakers from Africa, Europe and the Americas shared perspectives on the health and security challenges posed by cocaine trafficking, as well as regional responses to the threats. Chloe Carpentier, Chief of the Drug Research Section, Research and Trend Analysis Branch at UNODC, who presented the report findings, highlighted the potential for cocaine trafficking to spread beyond established markets: The surging global cocaine market has the potential to trigger large expansions in new regions where cocaine use has been limited in the past, especially Africa and Asia. Floriana Sipala, Head of Unit, Organised Crime and Drugs, Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs of the European Commission, expressed concerns over the high availability of cocaine in the European Union and the rise in the use of its ports for cocaine trafficking. Moving forward, she advocated for increased international cooperation investigations to draw upon financial and criminal intelligence collection and sharing to disrupt organised crime groups and focus on high-level criminal targets as well as for stronger coordination to implement effective criminal justice responses in line with human rights. Cocaine seizures in Greece and Turkiye, 2011-2021. Graphic: UNODC Tofiq Murshudlu, Head of Coordination, UNODC Border Management Branch, which operates the CRIMJUST Programme. said: This report is the result of both the UNODC Researchs Branchs knowledge and the CRIMJUST Global Programmes network of practitioners across transatlantic routes. Informed by both academia and operational intelligence, this report offers new ideas to coordinate evidence-based responses to the cocaine market. I urge Member States to seize this opportunity to band together to develop and implement multistakeholder strategies disrupting illicit trafficking across supply chains. The panel discussion also featured remarks by: Angela Martins, Acting Director, Social Development, Culture and Sports, African Union Commission, and Ambassador Adam Namm, Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission, Organization of American States. According to the report, coca cultivation soared 35 per cent from 2020 to 2021, a record high and the sharpest year-to-year increase since 2016. The steep growth in supply has been matched by a similar swelling in demand, with many regions showing a steady rise in cocaine users over the past decade. The report examines the emergence of new hubs for cocaine trafficking as well as the modalities of cocaine traffickers, with findings showing that countries in Southeastern Europe and Africa particularly those in West and Central Africa are increasingly being used as key transit zones for the drug. Ports on the North Sea like Antwerp, Rotterdam, and Hamburg, meanwhile, have eclipsed traditional entry points in Spain and Portugal for cocaine arriving in Western Europe. Traffickers are also diversifying their routes in Central America by sending more and more cocaine to Europe, in addition to North America. Need for enhanced cooperation to address cocaine surge highlighted at UNODC global report launch This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) Militants in Pakistan targeted the country's police force in two attacks in a volatile northwestern province on Thursday, killing four officers and wounding six, officials said. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for both attacks. In one attack, police say a roadside bomb struck a vehicle carrying officers, killing four of them. The officers were reinforcements responding to an attack earlier in the day on a police station in Lakki Marwat, a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan. Six officers were wounded in the attack on the station. Local police officer Ashfaq Khan said a search was underway for the attackers. Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif condemned the attack, saying he was saddened by the "martyrdom" of the targeted officers. The sacrifices of our police officers in the war against terrorism are unforgettable," he said. The Pakistani Taliban said in a statement that one of the slain officers, Iqbal Mohmand, was targeted because he was behind the arrest and killing of some of their fighters. The militant group is known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, and is separate but allied with Afghanistans Taliban. There has been an increase in attacks by the Pakistani Taliban since they unilaterally ended a cease-fire with the government. TTP has been emboldened since the Afghan Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021 when U.S. and NATO troops were leaving the country after 20 years of war. Many TTP leaders and fighters have found sanctuaries in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover there. The latest violence comes days after Pakistans elections oversight body delayed legislative elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces due to a spike in militant attacks and the government's refusal to provide the necessary funds, security forces and polling staff. The government cited financial constraints as the reason. The elections, which were to be held on April 30, have been postponed to Oct. 8. TORONTO - The publisher of the Toronto Star is calling on Canadian companies to dedicate at least 20 per cent of their advertising budgets to local media. Jordan Bitove made the request Thursday at a Canadian Club luncheon in Toronto, where he said convincing local companies to dedicate their ad spending within Canada is crucial because tech giants who link to articles published by his papers and others are basically stealing the great work that our team does. The advertising revenue that once funded newsrooms has been moved ironically to companies that use our content for their own benefit and those companies dont want to pay us for it, he said. The result is we are seeing local news disappear at an alarming rate. Bitoves remarks come after years of media organizations laying off staff and closing papers to cope with shrinking subscriber counts and advertising revenues diminished by large tech companies such as Google, Twitter and Meta. A 2018 report from the Canadian Media Concentration Project revealed Google had half the market share of the countrys internet advertising that year, equal to $3.8 billion in advertising revenue and up from $2.8 billion just two years earlier. Facebook was next with 27.3 per cent and Bell, Twitter, Postmedia and Star parent company Torstar sat at under two per cent each. (Torstar owns six regional daily newspapers in Ontario, including The Hamilton Spectator and Waterloo Region Record, and 70 community newspapers in the country.) Facebook made $2.1 billion in advertising in 2018, while Bell made $146 million, Torstar earned $120 million, Twitter got $117.5 million and Postmedia made $116.4 million. To counter these trends, the federal government has put forward Bill C-18, which would require digital giants to negotiate deals that would compensate Canadian media companies for linking to or otherwise repurposing their content online. We appreciate federal legislation, but its not enough to actually grow the media industry in Canada, said Bitove. Hed like to see the federal government increase its spending on COVID-19, reconciliation and affordability advertising in Canadian media, saying Torstar papers and their digital platforms received 0.27 per cent or less than $400,000 of a recent $140 million budget. If that percentage went up by two per cent or even five per cent, think what a difference that revenue could make when we put it towards journalism, he said. Bitove also wants to see corporate Canada increase its local advertising spend, after he heard that one of Canadas leading institutions whose values are 100 per cent aligned with our company spent $50 million on ads last year. His companys share of that spending was less than one per cent. Industry association News Media Canada, in turn, said it wants to see increased ad spending from the government. The federal government needs to put its advertising dollars where its mouth is, said CEO Paul Deegan. It is unacceptable that they spent just $6 million on print ads out of an advertising budget of $140 million. Bitove didnt waste words on his message to diners seated in the Fairmont Royal York Hotel ballroom. Go back to your office and find out what percentage of your media spend goes back to supporting Canadian-owned and -operated media, he said. If its not 20 per cent, its not good enough. This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 30, 2023. -- Torstar holds an investment in The Canadian Press as part of a joint agreement with subsidiaries of the Globe and Mail and Montreals La Presse. Meta funds a limited number of fellowships that support emerging journalists at The Canadian Press. SHARE: A lawyer representing Canadians being held in detention camps in northeastern Syria says RCMP officers are in the country to speak with his clients, a move that comes ahead of their expected repatriation to Canada. RCMP officers attempted to interview Canadian women in the Roj detention camp on Wednesday, with the officers saying the women were under investigation, Ottawa lawyer Lawrence Greenspon told the Star. In January, Global Affairs Canada struck an agreement to repatriate six Canadian women and their 13 children who are being held in two detention camps in northeastern Syria. Greenspon, who represents the group of women and children, said the federal government has not provided a timeline for their repatriation. He said he was unaware the RCMP would be travelling to Syria to interview his clients. On Thursday, a spokesperson for the RCMP confirmed to the Star that RCMP personnel have travelled to Syria as part of an ongoing investigation. Due to the sensitive nature of the operation and for security reasons, the RCMP will not provide any further comment at this time, spokesperson Cpl. Kim Chamberland said. Greenspon said he received a call around 4 a.m. Wednesday from RCMP officers alerting him they were in the Roj detention camp to interview one of his clients who was under investigation. They wanted to talk to her, and so they gave her rights to counsel and she wanted to talk to me, he said. My understanding is that they are speaking to not just her, but at least one or more of the other women who are subject to the agreement that we entered into with the government of Canada. Greenspon would not provide further details from his conversations with his clients, but said the usual advice we give to our clients is to say nothing because it will only be used against you later on. Global Affairs Canada did not respond to questions from the Star regarding the repatriation of Canadians held in Syrian detention camps. The Roj and al-Hol detention camps in northeastern Syria were set up to hold suspected Islamic State militants and others, including foreigners, believed to have supported or have been caught up with the terrorist group. In mid-January, a Federal Court judge ruled the federal government must repatriate all Canadian citizens held in Syria. Justice Henry Browns ruling applies to four Canadian men being held in prisons. However, the federal government wants this decision overturned. Ten Canadian children held in Syrian detention camps, and whose four mothers do not have Canadian citizenship, may also be repatriated to Canada. The federal government is not allowing their mothers to accompany them, an arrangement that is drawing condemnation from lawyers and advocates who say children should not be separated from their mothers except in extraordinary circumstances. Alexandra Bain, executive director of Families Against Violent Extremism, is working with a group of lawyers representing the non-Canadian mothers in the hopes of bringing the moms to Canada with their children. Bain, a longtime advocate for the rights of detained Canadians, said she is in touch with the Canadian women in the Roj detention camps, many of whom have been in the camps for four years. She said its not clear how many RCMP officers are at the camp one woman said there are three officers; another woman told Bain there are five or six. Its my understanding the officers want to gather evidence for a court case, Bain said, noting the women are not in good health. Theyre really in no physical condition to sit and be interviewed by the RCMP without having had the chance to rest and recover and speak with their lawyer. Greenspon said none of the Canadian men or women being held in Syria have been charged. There has not been even an allegation that any of the men and certainly not the women being made by the government that they were involved in either terrorism or in supporting terrorism, Greenspon said. Its against that backdrop that Justice Brown ruled (Canada) has got to bring them home. With files from Allan Woods Megan Ogilvie is a Toronto-based health reporter for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @megan_ogilvie or reach her via email: mogilvie@thestar.ca Read more about: SHARE: Mass killer Gabriel Wortman left 22 victims dead in the wake of his April 2020 Nova Scotia rampage. But the Mass Casualty Commissions final report laments the RCMPs treatment of the first casualty of the gunmans violence Lisa Banfield, his common-law spouse. The report knocks the victim blaming and hyper-responsibilisation that Banfield suffered in the wake of the killings. And the commission is critical of criminal charges laid against Banfield for providing Wortman with ammunition. Ms. Banfield was the victim of decades of violent abuse and coercive control at the hands of the perpetrator. He controlled her finances, her employment, her housing, and even, at times, her movements, the report notes. This control culminated in her harrowing experience as the mass casualtys first victim. The killers rage began the night of Wortman and Banfields 19th anniversary, on April 18, 2020, in Portapique, N.S. After drinking and initiating a dispute, Wortman physically attacked Banfield, who suffered fractures to her ribs and spine. She tried to flee into the night, but he found her and forced her into a warehouse near the couples cottage. Inside, he handcuffed her by one hand and fired a handgun into the ground on both sides of her when she resisted his demands to offer up her other hand. Later, he forced her into the back of his replica RCMP cruiser, trapping her inside while he loaded his arsenal of guns into the front seat. Banfield managed to slip her wrist from the handcuffs and escape the vehicle, hiding out in the woods of Portapique until 6:30 a.m. the following day. In pain and suffering hypothermia, she sought help at a nearby house and contacted 911. The report noted that a medical exam showed no visible serious injuries, although she was in a state of terror and had a distraught, dishevelled appearance and was having trouble walking. However, she fully co-operated with investigators who questioned her in the back of an ambulance, telling them about Wortman and confirming that he was travelling in a fully marked replica RCMP vehicle information that prompted members of the command to more seriously consider the possibility that the perpetrator had escaped Portapique. She was treated for her injuries during a five-day stay in hospital. In the months that followed, she was provided with an RCMP liaison officer, just like the other families of Wortmans victims. She also give follow-up interviews to investigators and participated in a videotaped re-enactment of the incident in October 2020. But on Dec. 4, 2020, the RCMP announced criminal charges against Banfield and two other people Banfields brother and her brother-in-law as part of what was described as an investigation into those who had knowledge of the gunmans plan or assisted him in any way. The Mounties alleged that, in the month leading up to the killing, the individuals transferred cartridges for a .223-calibre Remington and a .40-calibre Smith and Wesson. These individuals had no prior knowledge of the gunmans actions on April 18 and 19, the RCMP statement said. The criminal charges ended Banfields support from, or any further contact with, the RCMP liaison. In a civil suit against the force, Banfield also argues that she was never informed that she was under investigation or had the right to consult a lawyer. Earlier this year, federal lawyers argued in the case that Banfield was told in police interviews that statements affirming she had provided Wortman with ammunition could be treated as evidence of a crime. The commissions report described Banfields treatment as an example of the kind of revictimization that makes it less likely that women survivors of gender-based violence will seek help from police. Lawyer Jessica Zita said that Banfield, her client, has been struggling to heal over the last three years, but is hopeful for the future. The way she was treated in the aftermath of this massacre, which began as an assault against her, is disgraceful. But this report is the first step in preventing that from ever happening again. Among the recommendations is that police and prosecutors be given more discretion to lay criminal charges in cases of intimate-partner violence; that it be easier and safer for women to report violence; and that all levels of government dramatically increase funding for gender-based violence prevention and interventions. Victim blaming is far too common, and deeply harmful, said Kristina Fifield, a trauma therapist at Avalon Sexual Assault Centre, in a statement issued after the reports release. We need to support survivors and enable them to access the help and resources they need. The commissioners also noted that the criminal charges against Banfield prevented her from co-operating or assisting with the inquirys work, right up until February 2022, when her charges were referred to Nova Scotias Restorative Justice Program. Despite technically remaining in jeopardy, Ms. Banfield, once this referral was made, immediately began to co-operate with the Commission, the report says. She provided evidence through five lengthy Commission interviews totalling 14 hours and testifying in our public hearings. Her contributions were impactful and fundamental to our process. Allan Woods is a Montreal-based staff reporter for the Star. He covers global and national affairs. Follow him on Twitter: @WoodsAllan Read more about: SHARE: Ni-Vanuatu are continuing to rebuild after twin cyclones struck the island nation in February 2023. Photo: Trix Roberts By Prianka Srinivasan, Fred Hooper and Melissa Maykin 29 March 2023 (ABC) The United Nations has adopted a landmark resolution asking the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to deliver an opinion on climate change and the legal consequences countries face for harming the environment. It is the culmination of a four-year push led by Vanuatu and other Pacific nations to get climate change in front of the highest international court. Vanuatu Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau described the decision as a massive win for countries feeling the effects of natural disaster, after natural disaster. There can be some resolution upon how we respond to the effects that were facing as smaller countries, and the court can clarify what the obligations and duties are with countries that are involved with some of these disasters, he said. The bid eventually won the support of 120 co-sponsors, including Australia and the celebrity endorsement of Jane Fonda. Through the resolution, world leaders asked the ICJ to form an advisory opinion clarifying international legal consensus on climate changes impacts on human rights and the rights of future generations. The opinion will be non-binding, but experts say it could influence the outcome of climate change court cases around the world. [] What does it call for? The resolution, drafted by 18 countries, has asked the ICJ to rule on: What obligations do states, under international law, have to ensure the protection of the climate system and other parts of the environment from anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases for States and for present and future generations What legal consequences there are under these obligations for states where they, by their acts and omissions, have caused significant harm to the climate system and other parts of the environment, with respect to: (a) States, including, in particular, small island developing states, which due to their geographical circumstances and level of development, are injured or specially affected by or are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change (b) Peoples and individuals of the present and future generations affected by the adverse effects of climate change [] Why did Vanuatu lead the push? Vanuatu, home to about 300,000 people across roughly 80 islands, has been labelled the most at-risk country in the world for natural disasters. In late February, Vanuatu was hit by two cyclones just days apart, shining a light on its vulnerability to climate change. But this push was an initiative by University of the South Pacific law students in 2019 who worked to get climate justice on the UNs agenda. Vanuatus Climate Change Minister Ralph Regenvanu, who then began raising their plight to world leaders, said the country had always led on issues of climate justice. We were a founding member of the association of small island states and the first chairman of that group, which is now one of the main climate lobbies at COP, he said. We were the country to first raise loss and damage in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1981. With Vanuatus cyclone season ending in May, Mr Regenvanu said the biggest concern was being unable to keep people safe amid flooding, saltwater inundation and sea level rise. Its happening right now, and people are not safe right now, he said. He said relocating entire populations from flood-prone areas and building new infrastructure was a huge challenge for the cash-strapped developing nation. We only graduated from least developed country status less than two years ago, he said. We are a very poor developing country; we dont have the necessary money we need to build resilient infrastructure like new roads to withstand the impacts of climate change, which require 10 times the investment you need for a normal road. Thats why weve been fighting for this issue of loss and damage for a long time because we really desperately need the money, and its a problem we didnt cause. [more] UN backs landmark Pacific-led resolution clearing way for International Court of Justice advisory opinion on climate obligations MOSCOW - Russias security service arrested an American reporter for The Wall Street Journal on espionage charges, the first time a U.S. correspondent has been detained on spying accusations since the Cold War. The newspaper denied the allegations. Evan Gershkovich was detained in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg while allegedly trying to obtain classified information, the Federal Security Service, known by the acronym FSB, said Thursday. The service, which is the top domestic security agency and main successor to the Soviet-era KGB, alleged that Gershkovich was acting on the U.S. orders to collect information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex that constitutes a state secret. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Wednesday: It is not about a suspicion, is it about the fact that he was caught red-handed. The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich, the newspaper said. We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family. The arrest comes at a moment of bitter tensions between the West and Moscow over its war in Ukraine and as the Kremlin intensifies a crackdown on opposition activists, independent journalists and civil society groups. The sweeping campaign of repression is unprecedented since the Soviet era. Earlier this week, a Russian court convicted a father over social media posts critical of the war and sentenced him to two years in prison while his 13-year-old daughter was sent to an orphanage. Gershkovich is the first American reporter to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since September 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, a Moscow correspondent for U.S. News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB. Daniloff was released without charge 20 days later in a swap for an employee of the Soviet Unions United Nations mission who was arrested by the FBI, also on spying charges. At a hearing Thursday, a Moscow court quickly ruled to keep Gershkovich behind bars pending the investigation, according to the official Telegram channel of the capitals courts. While previous American detainees have been freed in prisoner swaps, a top Russian official said it was way too early to talk about any such deal. There was no immediate public comment from Washington, although a U.S. official indicated the U.S. government was aware of the situation and awaiting more information from Russia. Gershkovich, who covers Russia, Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations as a correspondent in The Wall Street Journals Moscow bureau, could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of espionage. Prominent lawyers noted that past investigations into espionage cases in the past took a year to 18 months during which time he may be held with little contact with the outside world. The FSB noted that Gershkovich had accreditation from the Russian Foreign Ministry to work as a journalist, but ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Gershkovich was using his journalistic credentials as a cover for activities that have nothing to do with journalism. Gershkovich speaks fluent Russian and had previously worked for the French agency Agence France-Presse and The New York Times. His last report from Moscow, published earlier this week, focused on the Russian economys slowdown amid Western sanctions imposed when Russian troops invaded Ukraine last year. Ivan Pavlov, a prominent Russian defense attorney who has worked on many espionage and treason cases, said Gershkovich is the first criminal case on espionage charges against a foreign journalist in post-Soviet Russia. That unwritten rule not to touch accredited foreign journalists, has stopped working, said Pavlov, a member of the First Department legal aid group. Pavlov said the case against Gershkovich was built in order for Russia to have trump cards for a future prisoner exchange and will likely be resolved not by the means of the law, but by political, diplomatic means. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov ruled out any quick swap. I wouldnt even consider this issue now because people who were previously swapped had already served their sentences, Ryabkov said, according to Russian news agencies. Ryabkov added that the U.S. citizens swapped in the past were behind bars on quite serious charges while the Russians in the American custody had found themselves in the millstones of the American system of persecution. Gershkovichs arrest follows a swap in December, in which WNBA star Brittney Griner was freed after 10 months behind bars in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Another American, Paul Whelan, a Michigan corporate security executive, has been imprisoned in Russia since December 2018 on espionage charges that his family and the U.S. government have said are baseless. Jeanne Cavelier, of press freedom group Reporters Without Borders, said Gershkovichs arrest looks like a retaliation measure of Russia against the United States. We are very alarmed because it is probably a way to intimidate all Western journalists that are trying to investigate aspects of the war on the ground in Russia, said Cavelier, head of Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk at the Paris-based group. The Western powers should immediately ask for clarifications on the charges, because as far as we know he was just doing his job as a journalist. Russian journalist Dmitry Kolezev said on the messaging app Telegram that he spoke to Gershkovich before his trip to Yekaterinburg. He was preparing for the usual, albeit rather dangerous in current conditions, journalist work, Kolezev wrote. He said Gershkovich asked him for the contacts of local journalists and officials in the area as he prepared to arrange interviews. Another prominent lawyer with the First Department group, Yevgeny Smirnov, said that those arrested on espionage and treason charges are usually held at the FSBs Lefortovo prison in Moscow, known for its stringent conditions. It was Moscows Lefortovo District Court that ruled behind closed doors to keep Gershkovich in custody. Smirnov said espionage suspects are usually held in a total isolation, without phone calls, visitors or even access to newspapers. At most, they can receive letters, often delayed by weeks. Smirnov called these conditions tools of suppression. Smirnov and Pavlov both said that the investigation could last for 12 to 18 months, and the trial would be held behind closed doors. According to Pavlov, there have been no acquittals in treason and espionage cases in Russia since 1999. Most recently, Smirnov and Pavlov defended Ivan Safronov, a former Russian journalist turned an official with the federal space corporation Roscosmos who was convicted of treason. Read more about: SHARE: SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) Floridas Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has targeted a tiny, public liberal arts college on the shores of Sarasota Bay, as a staging ground for his war on woke. The governor and his allies say the New College of Florida, known as a progressive school with a prominent LGBTQ+ community, is indoctrinating students with leftist ideology and should be remade into a more conservative institution. A top-down restructuring is under way at New College, where DeSantis allies are carrying out what students and faculty call a hostile takeover and a political attack on their academic freedom. Here is the anatomy of the takeover, so far, at New College: Jan. 6 Gov. Ron DeSantis appoints six new members to 13-member Board of Trustees at New College, packing the board with Republican allies and insiders: -Christopher Rufo, conservative activist, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and architect of right-wing outrage over critical race theory -Jason Eddie Speir, co-founder and superintendent of a Christian school in Bradenton, Florida -Matthew Spalding, a professor and dean at conservative Hillsdale College; senior fellow at the Claremont Institute, a right-wing think tank -Charles Kesler, senior fellow at the Claremont Institute and a professor at Claremont McKenna College -Mark Bauerlein, retired English professor at Emory University and vocal opponent of diversity, equity and inclusion programs -Debra Jenks, an attorney in Palm Beach and the only new trustee who attended New College Jan 26 Floridas Board of Governors appoints seventh new trustee, Ryan Anderson, president of Ethic and Public Policy Center, a conservative think tank. Jan. 31 -At first meeting with new trustees, the board votes to fire New College president Patricia Okker. -Board announces plans to name new interim President Richard Corcoran, a former Republican speaker of the Florida State House and DeSantis first Commissioner of Education. They approve a base salary of $699,000 for Corcoran, more than double Okkers salary. -Board also announces plans to hire new general counsel, Bill Galvano, an attorney and former GOP Florida Senate president. Feb. 28 Second meeting of new trustees. Board votes to eliminate New Colleges Office of Outreach and Inclusive Excellence, as part of plans to abolish spending on diversity and equity programs. New trustee Rufo tells the meeting that DEI programs restrict academic freedom and degrade the rigor of scholarship because they treat people differently based on their skin color or other inborn identities. March 3 New president Corcorans first personnel move is to fire chief diversity officer, Yoleidy Rosario-Hernandez, who identifies as a transgender person of color. March 23 New College announces Provost Suzanne Sherman, who had publicly clashed with new trustees, has stepped down and will be replaced by an interim provost. Sydney Gruters, a former GOP congressional aide, named as executive director of the New College of Florida Foundation. She is married to State Sen. Joe Gruters, former chair of Florida Republican Party. SHARE: OTTAWAPolice in the nations capital are investigating two break-ins at the private homes of two top advisers to the prime minister, according to a news report. CTV first reported Thursday Ottawa police are investigating a break-in attempt that occurred last weekend at the private residence of Justin Trudeaus National Security and Intelligence Advisor Jody Thomas while she was at home. Thomas is a senior aide to the prime minister in the Privy Council Office, but PCO spokesman Stephane Shank declined to comment Thursday. Yet his response confirmed the government does not view the incident at Thomas home as a national security concern. The issues youre inquiring about are private, personal matters and we have no further comment. We refer you to the relevant authorities, he said, adding Thomas was not available for an interview. The PMO later sent an identical statement. The issues youre inquiring about are private, personal matters and we have no further comment. We refer you to the relevant authorities. In December, an RCMP vehicle, and later a private security company car, was seen outside the Ottawa home of Trudeaus chief of staff Katie Telford, but Ottawa police and the RCMP refused at the time to confirm a break-in or information the Star received of a theft. The PMO declined to comment then as well. It was clear at the time the two police forces were co-ordinating their media responses. CTV reported Thursday that as a result of the break-in at Telfords Ottawa home, a number of personal documents and other items were stolen. Ottawa police did not notify the public of any break-ins in the area in December but are believed to have since arrested a suspect. However, it is not clear if any charges were ever laid, and there is no information of charges posted on the Ottawa police website. Ottawa police media relations said at the time, We are not able to provide you any information related to your questions, and on Thursday, did not reply to further emailed requests. CTV reported security has been increased for the two advisers, however PCO declined to comment. Telford also refused comment. Senior political staff do not normally get security details, although senior PMO staffers sometimes get the same perks as deputy ministers, such as a car and driver for efficiency, not security. Read more about: SHARE: The Incorporated Trustees of Advocacy for Social Right Advancement and Development Initiative (ASRADI) has demanded an explanation from John Tsoho, chief judge of the federal high court, over the transfer of its suit against President-elect Bola Tinubu. The civil society group in an ex parte motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/2197/2022 sought leave of the court to bring an application for an order of judicial review compelling the inspector-general of police to investigate Tinubu in respect of his educational qualifications submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 1999. ASRADI alleged that despite a letter to the IGP dated November 1, no investigation was carried out by the police. The CSO said the IGP willfully refused to investigate and/or prosecute Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Ruling on the ex parte motion on January 12, Mobolaji Olajuwon, a federal high court judge, granted the applicant leave to apply for judicial review by way of mandamus compelling the respondent in this case, the IGP to investigate the filings made by Tinubu in respect of his educational qualification contained in the INEC form cf 001 sworn to by him on December 20, 1999. The matter was then adjourned to February 16 for further proceedings. However, in the letter dated March 28 and addressed to the federal high court CJ, Adeolu Oyinlola, ASRADIs executive director, said the case did not go on. The matter was initially slated for hearing on February 16, 2023, but for reasons which were not apparent to us at the time, it was not heard; while another hearing date was fixed for March 27, the letter read. On getting to court on the said March 27, counsel was verbally informed that the matter had been transferred to another judge. We are in a quandary as to what could have actuated this curious move. The CSO asked the CJ to intervene and remedy these anomalies. A few months to the swearing-in of the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, a former Niger Delta militant and loyalist to the politician, Asari Dokubo, has rubbished claims that the incoming president would lead a Jihad in Nigeria. Dokubo wondered how Tinubu would lead a Jihad in Nigeria when he never did such as a governor of Lagos State for eight years. He pointed out that Tinubus wife was a Christian; hence he could not carry out such in Nigeria. In a Facebook Live, Dokubo said: Tinubus wife is a Christian, and his children are Christians. He is going to lead Jihad. He did not lead Jihad in Lagos for eight years; it is now he is going to lead Jihad. Tinubu graciously brought Ambode in to rule a state, Muslims have been governors; a Muslim-Muslim ticket had won the governorship. Muslims did not complain. A former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank has described the alarm over an alleged plot to foist an Interim National Government (ING) on the country as an excuse by security agencies to arrest the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar and his Labour Party (LP) counterpart, Peter Obi, before the May 29. The DSS had on Wednesday alleged a plot to subvert democracy by forcing the emplacement of an interim government on the country. Frank in a statement issued Thursday said the security alarm by the agency was meant as an alibi to crack down on peaceful protesters demonstrating against the rigged 2023 presidential election and to massively arrest opposition politicians in the country. He was of the opinion that the DSS ought to have used the same intelligence to stop the abuse and killing of Nigerians by terrorist groups over the years. He said: The DSS purported intelligence is fake. It is a plot to crack down on protesters and arrest opposition political leaders before May 29. We have credible information that the DSS issued the statement in preparation for its planned disruption of ongoing protest by Nigerians who are demonstrating peacefully to demand justice and the restoration of their stolen mandate. He said: Where was their intelligence when the Independent National Electoral Commission and Mahmood Yakubu were compromised to rig the 2023 general election? Femi Fani-Kayode, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, on Wednesday said the Department of State Services, DSS, has vindicated him of earlier alarm he raised about a plot by some opposition parties to establish Interim National Government. The former Minister of Aviation stated this in a tweet while reacting to a security alert by the secret police of plots by some politicians to truncate the countrys democracy by opting for an interim government. Fani-Kayode claimed he was the first to raise the alarm, lamenting that his revelation only received insults and harassment. He wrote: I was the first to expose the conspiracy to establish an ING in our country & truncate our democracy. I received all manner of insults and harassment for this. Today @officialdssng have confirmed the conspiracy & I commend them. I have been vindicated. More on this tomorrow. A group, Save Nigeria Democratic Movement, on Thursday called on the Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba Usman, to arrest former Aviation Minister and Director of New Media, All Progressive Congress, APC, Presidential Campaign Council, Femi Fani-Kayode, within the 48 hours over his recent inciting comments. Fani-Kayode, in a release on Saturday, warned that the country would be made ungovernable if supporters of presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi did not stop their protests against the result of the 2023 election. He had said: Let this serve as a timely warning. We cannot be a punching bag for the opposition forever and soon we will react. Trust me when I tell you that if there is any foul play in this matter or any conspiracy to thwart the peoples will, we will make this nation ungovernable. Reacting, the group pointed out that Fani-Kayodes ethnic profiling and inciting statements fuelled unprecedented violence against non-Yoruba voters in Lagos State at the just-concluded governorship poll. At a press conference jointly addressed by its President, Danjuma Garba and Secretary, Olubankole Peters Adeniyi, SNDM condemned his recent threat to make the country ungovernable should the President-elect, Bola Tinubu be sworn in. They called on the relevant security agencies to tame Fani-Kayode before he plugged the country into chaos with his inciting rhetoric. The group said, The Save Nigeria Democratic Movement is disturbed by the recent inciting comments by a former Aviation Minister and Director of New Media, All Progressive Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, Femi Fani-Kayode. Recently, the media has been awash with reports of Fani-Kayodes inciting rhetoric targeted at causing ethnic disharmony and widespread violence across the nation. We can no longer continue to ignore his excesses as they pose a grave danger to our democracy, unity and security. Recall that his ethnic-profiling and inciting statements fuelled unprecedented violence against non-Yoruba voters in Lagos State at the just-concluded governorship poll. We find totally unacceptable, his recent threat to make the country ungovernable should Bola Ahmed Tinubu not be sworn in. This is a threat against national peace and security and should not be ignored by all relevant security agencies. Already, his rancorous and misguided outbursts had attracted the attention of the international community. A British envoy addressed him and pointed out the dangers of his inciting statements. However, instead of retracting his statements, he went wild against the envoy with derogatory remarks and tirades unbefitting of a supposed statesman. Femi Fani-Kayode is infamous in Nigeria for his opportunistic political misadventures. He is a rabble-rouser whose only political value is the noise he makes and the ripples of disaffection it causes. He has never contested, won or lost an election. His is to parasitically attach himself to the winning side and look for any available financial opportunity to sustain his extravagant and drug-ridden lifestyle. The incompetent junkie once blamed witches for the plane crashes that happened under his watch as the aviation minister. We, therefore, call on the ruling party to amend their initial mistake of appointing Femi Fani-Kayode into their campaign council by distancing themselves from his inciting and bigoted comments. We would be forced to believe that Femi Fani-Kayode is doing the biddings of the ruling party to destroy Nigeria if drastic punitive actions are not taken against him. Finally, we call on the Inspector General of Police, and the Directorate of State Security (DSS) to arrest, within 48 hours, Femi Fani-Kayode for posing a grave threat to national security with his ceaseless inciting statements and ethnic profiling. This is to serve as a deterrent to other tribal bigots, and overzealous politicians, they added. Senator Godswill Akpabio has told the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that he could not honor its invitation because of ill health and already arranged medical appointments overseas. The EFCC had summoned Akpabio, former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, over an allegation of abuse of office and misappropriation of billions of Naira. The EFCC in an invitation letter served on Akpabio asked him to appear at its office on the 29th day of March 2023. However, Akpabio failed to show up and wrote to EFCC via his lawyer Umel Kalu, SAN. The letter from Akpabios lawyer said: We write to convey our clients inability to honor the scheduled visit to your office on the 29th day of March 2022, due to ill health and already arranged medical appointment overseas. As mentioned in our last letter to you dated February 10, 2023, our client is undergoing treatment for pneumonia and cardiac arrhythmia, and, has recently been advised to seek further attention abroad. There had been allegations of N40 billion fraud perpetrated in the NDDC, a ministry that was headed by Akpabio for three years. The Senate and the House of Representatives in 2020 resolved to probe the alleged N40 billion financial recklessness of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the NDDC in the previous three months. Also, there were allegations of over N86 billion contract scams involving the senator-elect and the former Acting Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei, which the EFCC has been looking into. The anti-graft agency had in the past arrested Akpabio over the alleged theft of N108.1 billion of Akwa Ibom funds. Qabil Ashirov Azerbaijani Parliament Speaker Sahiba Gafarova met with Turkiye's First Lady Emina Erdogan during her visit to the USA, Azernews reports, citing the press release of the Milli Majlis. Sahiba Gafarova expressed her pleasure with the meeting as well as taking part in the high-level UN gathering convened upon Emine Erdogans initiative. Sahiba Gafarova noted that environmental protection has evolved into one of the biggest global challenges of our time and the initiative is essential for world protection and passing our world down to coming generations in the better state that it is in right now. The Speaker also mentioned the signing of the Declaration on Global Commitment to Zero Waste for the World, Our Common Home by Azerbaijans First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva at her meeting with Emine Erdogan on the margins of the IX summit meeting of the Organisation of Turkic States in Samarkand. Once again, Sahiba Gafarova expressed her deepest condolences to the families and relatives of people who died in the devastating earthquake on February 6 and wished those wounded in the cataclysm speedy recovery. Noting that Azerbaijan and Turkiye are always together, both in joy and in misery, she spoke about the aid campaign provided by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. She pointed out the visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to Turkiye to show support for it and the urgent summit meeting of the Organisation of Turkic States in Ankara on 16 March on Ilham Aliyevs initiative. Sahiba Gafarova also brought up the legislatures role in boosting the relations between the two countries, the fruitful and advancing cooperation between the Azerbaijani Milli Majlis and the Turkish Grand National Assembly, the corresponding significance of reciprocal visits of parliament speakers and delegations, last but not least, our parliamentarians mutual backing in influential international organizations. First Lady of Turkiye Emine Erdogan stressed the promotion of brotherhood and friendship between the two countries before praising and thanking Azerbaijan and her people for the support provided to Turkiye over the earthquake. The high level at which Azerbaijan was represented at the UN meeting about the Zero Waste Initiative had also been both encouraging and valuable, said Emine Erdogan before moving on to the significance of the initiative for environmental protection and solution of global ecological problems. Emine Erdogan commented on the importance of bilateral and international meetings between Turkish and Azerbaijani officials in terms of further strengthening of ties. She wished the Azerbaijani state and people peace, tranquillity, and prosperity. Axiata Groups proposed sale of shares in its tower unit edotco has attracted the interest of four possible buyers. Bloomberg reported that the interested parties include CVC Capital Partners, I Squared Capital, Stonepeak Partners and a consortium led by Mitsui and including KDDI and JTower. Ahead of the mid-May deadline for lodging binding bids, the four potential bidders are currently conducting due diligence. With all four expected to participate in the next round of bidding, the sale as it stands could raise up to US$750 million. However, if Axiata Group and other current edotco shareholders choose to offload any shares, this figure could increase to over US$1 billion. In September 2022 we reported that Axiata was considering a share sale to fund its growth ambitions across the Asia-Pacific region. Olisa Agbakoba, a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), says there is no provision for an interim government in the countrys constitution. The senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) said the gravest possible consequences must be applied to those allegedly behind the plot. The Department of State Services (DSS) on Wednesday said it had confirmed a plot by some key players to install an interim government and stop Bola Ahmed Tinubu from being inaugurated as president. The DSS said the plot includes embarking on violent protests nationwide to engineer the declaration of a state of emergency as well as securing frivolous court injunctions to stall the inauguration. Reacting in a statement issued on Thursday, Agbakoba said the secret plans must be rejected by all Nigerians. He said parties aggrieved by the presidential election should approach the courts for possible redress. It is shocking to learn from the Department of State Security that secret plans are underway to undermine Nigerias democratic process and transition, by arrangements of what is described as an interim government. This will be a major set-back and we must all resist, he said. I suggest that the gravest possible consequences must be applied to all who are associated with this treasonable intent. The general elections have held, albeit under the most challenging circumstance. But a president-elect has emerged and we must respect and accept this as fact. At least for now. All leading Presidential candidates have approached the courts with grounds of complaint concerning what they consider as electoral irregularities. If the presidential candidates have accepted the democratic process by lodging petitions before the courts, then it is very difficult to understand upon what basis anyone considers that an interim government is a viable and legal alternative. We must all reject this nonsense and respect our Constitution, which has no provision for interim arrangements. As the President-elect is sworn into office on May 29, the Judicial process will ultimately render a decision. As Nigerians, we must turn to the Courts to render a decision on the petitions before them. The Judicial process will certainly carry a huge responsibility in the process of democratic consolidation. Agbakoba added that the contraption referred to as interim government has no place in our lives and our constitution. Chris Ngige, minister of labour and employment, says kidnappers and bandits are on holiday owing to the scarcity of naira notes in the country. Speaking on Wednesday in an interview with Channels Television, Ngige said although the implementation of the naira redesign policy was not smooth, there are some benefits. The labour minister said the policy curbed vote buying during the general election. He added that Nigerians no longer have the cash to raise ransom for kidnappers and bandits owing to the policy. The policy is not smooth in its implementation. I admitted that. But whether it is a good policy? Yes, it is a good policy, the minister said. It wasnt smooth. It came with some pain but overall, did we get some sound benefits from it? Yes, we did. People didnt buy votes during the elections. I usually go for elections and I know what I see. There was no cash exchange for votes. It wasnt easy anymore. Kidnappers are on break, they are on strike so to say or recess. Bandits have also gone on holidays. If you take people from some homes, they will tell you they cant even gather one million to give you, how much more asking them to bring N20 million for ransom. Over the past few months, Nigerians have been battling a scarcity of naira notes owing to the decision of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to redesign N200, N500, and N1000 notes. However, the supreme court invalidated the policy and ordered that the old naira remain legal tender until December 31, 2023. Owing to the court judgement, the CBN announced the return of the old notes to commercial banks for circulation. The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has invited Festus Keyamo, spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council, over a petition he filed requesting the probe of Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Keyamo had accused Atiku of diverting public funds through special purpose vehicles while he was Nigerias vice-president. The minister of state for labour and employment had given the CCB a 72-hour ultimatum to arrest, invite, interrogate and prosecute Atiku for the alleged offences. The CCB, in a letter dated March 28, invited Keyamo to the bureaus office in Abuja to adopt his petition. This invitation is to enable you adopt the aforementioned petition and to provide any additional information that may be material to this investigation, the letter reads. You are requested to come along with one Michael Achimugu, to assist with enquiries regarding the attachments to your petition. Keyamo has also instituted a suit against the former vice-president before an Abuja federal high court. In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/84/2023, Keyamo is seeking to compel law enforcement agencies to prosecute Atiku over the same offences. Keyamo is praying the court for an order compelling the PDP standard bearer to submit himself to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the Conduct of Conduct Bureau (CCB) for thorough investigation. The ministers suit is premised on an audio recording released by Achimugu, Atikus former aide. Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment, on Wednesday, urged the incoming administration of the President-Elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to review the current minimum wage of N30,000 presently obtainable in the country. Ngige said that Nigerias minimum wage should be reviewed every five years to match the current standard of living in the country. Speaking on Channels Televisions Politics Today, the minister also noted that he would add in his handover notes that the talk surrounding minimum wage should commence as soon as the new government is sworn-in in May 2023. Ngige said, Its a tripartite negotiation involving the public sector, private sector and state governments. We are entrenched in that bill or law that minimum wage will now have an automaticity of review every five years. So, I am envisaging that as from May 2023, the government will empanel the new minimum wage review committee for the nation. In my handover note which Im going to hand over to the transition committee and the next government, Im recommending that the discussions start anytime from May 2023. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national working committee (NWC) has rescinded the suspension of Ayo Fayose, former governor of Ekiti. The party also lifted the suspension of Ibrahim Shema, former governor of Katsina; Anyim Pius Anyim, former secretary of the government of the federation; Dennis Ityavyar (Benue), and Aslam Aliyu (Zamfara). The PDP NWC also reversed the referral of Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue to the partys national disciplinary committee. In a statement issued on Thursday, Debo Ologunagba, PDP spokesperson, said the decision was taken after the NWC extensively discussed recent developments in the party. The NWC recognised the imperativeness of a total reconciliation among party leaders and critical stakeholders for a more cohesive party in the overall interest of our teeming members and Nigerians in general, the statement reads. This decision is without prejudice to the powers of the NWC to take necessary disciplinary action against any member of the party at any time pursuant to the provisions of the constitution of the PDP. The PDP asked all members and leaders to be guided by the partys constitution and the new spirit and necessity of reconciliation, unity and harmony in our party at this critical time. Last week, the PDP NWC suspended Shema, Anyim, Ityavyar, and Aliyu over alleged anti-party activities. However, the members protested their suspension, saying they were not given a fair hearing. The decision of the PDP NWC to lift the suspension of the members comes days after Iyorchia Ayu was removed as the partys national chairman and Iliya Damagum was appointed as the acting leader. Ayu was suspended by his ward in Gboko LGA, Benue state. A day after his suspension, a high granted an ex parte order restraining Ayu from parading himself as the partys national chairman. Paris Saint-Germain are considering whether to let Lionel Messi leave for free this summer, according to LEquipe. Messi has been in fine form this campaign, scoring 18 goals in 32 appearances. But PSG were hit by Financial Fair Play (FFP) sanctions in September and were fined 8.6 million, with a further 56.3 million dependent on future compliance. The Ligue 1 champions are now keen to cut costs to avoid more punishment. Messi earns 740,000 a week, and team-mate Sergio Ramos, 37, is also on a significant wage. PSG are considering letting them both leave at the end of their contracts. An Ikeja S_xual Offences and Domestic Violence Court have sentenced a class teacher, Peter Jacob to life imprisonment for defiling a 9-year-old pupil with special needs. Justice Abiola Soladoye held that the prosecution had efficiently proved the charge of defilement against the defendant. According to her, the evidence of the respective prosecution witnesses were cogent, compelling and believable. The judge held that the evidence of the defendant and the three defence witnesses (staff of the school where the defendant worked) were self-serving. She said: The defendant was observed to be unrepentant and unremorseful. The prosecution witness 1 (survivor) properly identified the defendant when she gave her evidence and her evidence was properly corroborated by the other three witnesses. The prosecution has successfully established the ingredients of the offence against the defendant. The defendant is Godless, brutally wicked, lustful and an act unbecoming of a teacher. I find him guilty of the charge and he is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment. Soladoye said the convict should have his name registered in the s_xual offence register as maintained by the Lagos State government. The prosecution team, Mr Olusola Soneye, Mrs Olufunke Adegoke and Abimbola Abolade presented four witnesses and eight exhibits were also tendered during the proceedings while the defence called four witnesses. The prosecution told the court that the convict committed the offence sometime in 2019 at Thescol College, CMD Road, Magodo, in Ikeja. They submitted that the survivor, who suffered from dyslexia, was in the primary school section of the school which also houses the secondary school where Jacob worked. The offence violated Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015. Apex Igbo soci-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide has urged the incoming 10th Senate to zone the position of Senate President to either Southeast or Southsouth. This was contained in a statement made available to journalists on Thursday in Enugu by the National President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike. Okwu, who said there are capable hands in both geopolitical zones, noted that efforts must be made to make the incoming administration all encompassing. According to the group, there are ranking Senators from both zones with enough leadership experience to provide a robust and dynamic leadership for the 10th Senate. We are very confident the likes of Senator Godswill Akpabio and other ranking Senators in the zones will no doubt bring quality Senate leadership. We strongly believe that the interest of Ndigbo will be protected. We urge the APC leadership and the senators-elect to look the way of the two zones in making this choice. More than 45 full-time employees, including about three dozen teachers, will be losing their jobs at the end of June in one Sussex County school district, officials said. The cuts in the Vernon school district, which follow six earlier layoffs last fall, are being blamed on a budget shortfall exacerbated by $8.5 million in state aid reductions over the last six years, Vernon Superintendent Russell Rogers wrote in a letter to the community posted on the K-12 districts website. Vernons population has declined in the past two decades, leading to a significant reduction in school enrollment that has mostly stabilized in recent years, according to a demographic study prepared for the school district. A New Jersey man sentenced to life in prison in 2017 after being convicted of killing his former girlfriend in East Orange has won an appeal and will receive a new trial, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday. The ruling said a trial judge made three errors related to evidence and its admissibility at Andre Higgs trial. Higgs has been in state prison since 2017 for the killing of Latrena May, a 27-year-old teacher. The Essex County Prosecutors Office and the family of the victim Latrena May are disappointed by todays decision, the prosecutors office said in a statement. However, we respect the ruling of the New Jersey Supreme Court. That being said, there is overwhelming proof of Andre Higgs guilt of purposeful and knowing murder as well as other offenses, and we look forward to bringing Mr. Higgs to justice. At his trial, prosecutors said Higgs shot and killed May on the top steps of her two-family building in East Orange in front of a police detective who had pulled over after May called out to him. Detective Kemon Lee, testified during the trial that he then shot Higgs, who retreated into the house, where he was later arrested by police. The Supreme Court ruled Higgs attorneys should have had access to Lees internal affairs records with the East Orange police. The attorneys should also have been allowed to cross-examine Lee about previous on-duty shootings in which the officer fired a gun, the ruling said. In addition, trial Judge Ronald D. Wigler shouldnt have allowed Detective Kevin Green to offer an opinion that Higgs had a gun in his waistband when the detective testified during the trial as he watched dashcam footage from a patrol car, the ruling said. Greens lay opinion testimony thus directly contradicted defendants testimony that the gun was in his hand and in front of his body when Officer Lee arrived, according to the summary of the courts decision. Green was not testifying as an expert witness despite his years of law enforcement experience. The state did not attempt to qualify him as an expert witness and did not introduce evidence about his qualifications to permit him to testify as an expert. His testimony was based entirely on his lay opinion from watching the video, which was impermissible under (statute), the summary said. Finally, the court ruled Higgs previous two convictions from more than 14 and 24 years before Mays death shouldnt have been admissible because of how long ago they took place. Prosecutors argued that Higgs 2009 disorderly persons offense was not sufficient to bridge the gap between the two prior convictions and allow them to be considered by the jury. The prior convictions did not involve dishonesty, lack of veracity, or fraud, the ruling said. It was an error to admit the remote convictions. Less than two months before Mays death, Higgs was charged with simple assault following an alleged domestic violence incident during which May said he choked her in front of their daughter. The couples daughter, then 4, was inside the home at the time of the shootings, but was unharmed. At the time of Mays death, Higgs was living with his fiancee and other children in Watchung, attorneys said. A jury convicted Higgs in 2017 of murder and two weapons offenses. He was later sentenced to life in prison. EDITORS NOTE: This post has been updated to reflect that the decision came from the state Supreme Court. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. MTN Ghana has broken ground prior to the construction of the Ghana ICT Hub, itself part of the broader Ghana Innovation Hub project to which MTN has committed US$25 million. The Ghana ICT Hub, which will be the first of its kind in the West African sub-region, will train over 200,000 people with ICT skills and, it is hoped, generate over 100,000 jobs over the first three years. Additionally, it will provide office spaces and meeting venues for over 100 tech start-ups and tech companies, all in a bid to serve as a catalyst for Ghana's digitalisation agenda. The Ghana ICT Hub will, according to government, contribute to boosting Ghana's ICT and digital ecosystem by providing infrastructural development and resources to enhance ICT skills training and development across the country. The Innovation Hub includes two other projects as well as the Ghana ICT Hub: the Accra Innovation City and the Ghana Education Platform. Speaking at the ground-breaking event, which was attended by government officials, board members of the Ghana Digital Centres Limited and MTN staff, Selorm Adadevoh, CEO of MTN Ghana, said the establishment of the Ghana ICT Hub would power Ghana to be West Africa's ICT leader through innovation and digital skills. The Ghanaian Times report quotes him as saying: "MTN's decision to partner and support the establishment of the Ghana ICT Hub falls right in line with our Ambition 2025 roadmap of leading digital solutions for Africa's progress. The Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, added that the decision by MTN to build an ICT hub in Ghana as part of its 25th anniversary was very critical towards realising Ghana's digital agenda. A woman has admitted to lying to hedge funds that invested millions of dollars into her cryptocurrency products, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Edith Pardo, 70, of Bloomfield, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and one count of securities fraud in connection with her blockchain technology companies, prosecutors said. Pardo and her co-defendant Boaz Manor operated two blockchains CG Blockchain and BTC Inc. and used them to tout a project called ComplianceGuard, which was meant to provide hedge funds with a blockchain-based auditing tool, according to the indictment. Pardo helped Manor conceal that he was convicted of hedge fund related crimes in Canada and Manor also changed his appearance and used aliases, court documents said. Pardo lied to investors about being wealthy and investing millions of her own funds into the company, officials said. She also told investors, who were paying millions of dollars in fees for the product, that the blockchains had a team of well-credentialed executives, authorities said. In reality, the entities had no real executives or staff and ComplianceGuard was barely distributed or used, according to the indictment. The defendants also relied on similar misrepresentations to raise $25 million in capital for their initial coin offering of a product called Blockchain Terminal, court documents said. Pardos sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 1. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Nicolas Fernandes may be reached at nfernandes@njadvancemedia.com. A GoFundMe has been organized to support the family of Jersey City Police Officer Noel Santiago Jr., who passed away on March 24 after a battle with cancer. He was 43 years old and is survived by his wife and three sons; ages 4, 2, and 1. Santiagos wife organized the GoFundMe and shared, To know Noel was to love him. He built friendships with almost everyone who he came in contact with because of his kind spirit, generous nature, and witty banter. He always made himself available to anyone who needed help or a listening ear; he was a protector to all. For these reasons and so many others, being a police officer was Noels calling. He had a way of connecting with people and driving them to do better and be better. The Jersey City Police West District also shared the fundraiser and stated, Over the weekend we lost a brother and friend. The Go Fund Me was created by his wife, Stephanie. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Santiago family, especially to his wife and kids. Rest In Peace Noel! To view the GoFundMe page, visit the Go Fund Me page here. A total of $45,305 has been raised of out of their $100,000 goal from 284 donations. A Hudson County court officer conducting an eviction at an apartment building within yards of a Jersey City grammar school was stunned to find a makeshift marijuana-growing facility inside an apartment, authorities said. Jersey City police were called to 630 Bergen Ave., between Jewett and Belmont avenues, and they arrested 26-year-old Eyuemeyar Mazon on multiple marijuana offenses, including operating a drug manufacturing facility and operating it within 500 feet of a school. Police responded to the school at approximately 2:55 p.m. Tuesday, just as School 17 next door was dismissing students. Upon arrival, police found 18 planter pots containing suspected marijuana, fertilizer, equipment for plant growing, and various amounts of psilocybin mushroom. It will be at least another month before a state judge decides whether rent from tenants of a Newark affordable housing complex will be put into an account to pay for repairs after the city moved to place the Georgia King Village complex into receivership following a rat infestation that revealed more longstanding problems. During a hearing on Tuesday, Superior Court Judge Russell Passamano told lawyers for the city and the complexs owner, L + M Development Partners, to be back in his Newark courtroom on April 26. A police officer from a small borough in Bergen County died early Thursday of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said. Maywood Police Sgt. Jason Y. Liaban, 39, died after he was shot about 2:30 a.m. in Hackensack, according to police. The death is not suspected to involve criminal activity, but the circumstances surrounding the death are being investigated, the Bergen County Prosecutors Office Major Crimes Unit said in a joint statement with the Maywood and Hackensack police departments. Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said that because the death was not suspicious, no additional information would be released. We ask that the public provide Sgt. Liabans family, the Maywood Police Department and the Bergen County law enforcement community privacy to grieve this sudden loss, Musella said. Liaban was a decorated police officer with the Maywood department. In June 2021, he helped de-escalate a suicidal situation. In July 2021, the officer was credited with saving the life of an older woman who had suffered a cardiac arrest in a pool, according to posts from the Maywood Police Department. The Maywood School District is in mourning along with the community and men and women of the MPD over the tragic loss of Sergeant Liaban. Jason was an ardent supporter of the Maywood School District, its staff and students. We all respected him deeply. May he rest in peace. Maywood PRIDE (@MAYWOODSCHOOLS) March 30, 2023 Editors note: NJ Advance Media typically limits reporting on suicides to those that occur in crowded public places, involve public figures or, in special circumstances, where there is a larger public impact. Suicidal thoughts and behaviors can be reduced with the proper mental health support and treatment. If you are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. NY Waterways newest ferry boat, the Franklin D. Roosevelt, already was a celebrity vessel before it was officially christened Thursday morning. The vessel was in service when the crew responded to a distress call from a Staten Island Ferry that had an engine room fire near Bayonne on Dec. 22. The FDR joined in the response that included FDNY fire boats and tugboats, and 558 passengers were safely moved from the Staten Island Ferry to the FDR. By Scott A. Coffina Gov. Chris Christie recently hosted a panel discussion on bail reform in New Jersey at his Public Policy Institute. The conversation was timely as the state Legislature considers changing his signature bail reform law amid concerns about rising crime, with some officials citing the current law, implemented in 2017, as enabling a substantial increase in car thefts and other crimes during the pandemic era. The panel was striking for the caliber of its participants two lawyers who served both as the governors chief counsel and attorney general during the Christie administration, the states public defender, the senior supervising attorney for ACLU-NJ, and the administrative director of New Jerseys court system and for the conformity of their views on bail reform. The former prosecutors and the defense counsel were aligned in their belief that New Jerseys bail reform law, while not perfect, has been an overwhelming success and should not be changed. The numbers back them up. In 2012, there were 1,500 people in jail with a bail set at $2,500 (which could have been satisfied with just 10% cash down). That low bail obviously reflected their low risk to public safety and/or for their failure to appear. Nevertheless, for the lack of $250, these individuals who still enjoyed the presumption of innocence were relegated essentially to debtors prison for alleged crimes for which they likely would not be incarcerated if/when they ultimately were found guilty. Fast forward to 2021 and, according to former N.J. Attorney General Jeff Chiesa, only four individuals were in jail with a bail set as high as $2500, a remarkable and meaningful transformation of our pretrial incarceration landscape. At the same time, nearly 70% of those detained while awaiting trial in New Jersey have been charged with first- or second-degree crimes, and criminal defendants showed up to court 97% of the time in 2021. As the former prosecutor for Burlington County who navigated this new system of pretrial procedures on a daily basis from 2017 to 2022, I share the opinion that the law works, or at least can work, just fine as it is. Our bail reform law honors the presumption of innocence and the related presumption against pretrial detention that has been recognized in our national jurisprudence for over 45 years. But it also takes public safety into account by using an algorithm based on an offenders criminal history and other factors that the vast majority of the time yields a recommendation for pretrial release or detention that the parties and the court follow without dispute. Our system is in contrast to New Yorks flawed bail reform system, which absurdly prohibits a judge from considering a defendants dangerousness. New Jerseys law builds in flexibility for prosecutors to seek detention despite a recommendation for release when there are circumstances that a defendants Public Safety Assessment (PSA) might not reflect. As for car thefts, which undeniably have spiked since 2020, we can address that problem without amending the bail reform law. Indeed, public education (lock your doors and dont idle) and enhanced enforcement efforts already have led to a 22% reduction in car thefts in January over the same period during the previous year. Dont miss an issue of our Opinion newsletter! Get it delivered each Wednesday right into your inbox by adding your email below and hitting "subscribe." More to the point, our existing bail reform law contains the tools necessary for prosecutors and the courts to detain accused car thieves when appropriate. While a car theft charge typically would not yield a recommendation for pretrial detention unless the defendant has a violent or extensive criminal history, the law does not prevent the prosecutor from pursuing detention, nor the court from granting it, when it is warranted; the state simply needs to overcome a presumption against detention. Some local and county officials have argued, in support of amending the law to add a presumption for detention in car theft cases, that offenders are repeatedly stealing cars while they are released on prior charges. Our practice in Burlington County generally was to move to detain repeat offenders upon the first such violation, given that they have demonstrated they could not follow the simplest condition of pretrial release not to commit another crime. Then it is up to the court to decide whether to detain the defendant. If in fact, the same defendants are continuing to steal cars while under pretrial supervision, these officials should ask their county prosecutor why this catch and release scenario is occurring. Perhaps the prosecutor is not moving for detention in the face of recommendations for release, or maybe the court is not granting their motions, but it is not the bail reform law that is tying their hands. In sum, our bail reform law produces a recommendation on pretrial release that is noncontroversial over 90% of the time, while affording prosecutors the opportunity to seek, and the court to consider, pretrial detention to protect public safety where there may be concerning facts that the PSA overlooks. New Jerseys bail reform law is proving itself to be a model for the country. Policymakers should make data-driven changes where necessary such as the 2022 amendment adding a presumption for detention for violent gun crimes, based on evidence that defendants released on such charges were frequently reoffending while awaiting trial but reflexively amending this law in response to transitory crime trends and fickle political sentiment risks undermining the delicate balance between individual rights and public safety on which New Jerseys bail reform program has thrived. Scott A. Coffina was senior deputy chief counsel to Gov. Chris Christie from 2015-2017, and the Burlington county prosecutor from 2017-2022. He currently is in private practice. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Heres how to submit an op-ed or Letter to the Editor. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Joey Gallo has made it onto an Opening Day lineup. The former Yankees bust will bat seventh and play first base for the Minnesota Twins in their season opener against the Kansas City Royals on Thursday, the club announced on Wednesday night. It marks Gallos first official game with the Twins since signing a one-year deal with them in December. BUY YANKEES TICKETS: STUBHUB, VIVID SEATS, TICKETMASTER Gallo spent the second half of the 2022 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers after the Yankees traded him ahead of the Aug. 2 trade deadline. New York had picked up Gallo before the 2021 trade deadline from the Texas Rangers, and its safe to say the move didnt work out. Gallo hit .159 in 140 games with the Yankees, slugging 25 home runs while striking out 194 times. Want to bet on MLB? See the best NJ Sports Betting sites Once Gallo got over to the Dodgers, the two-time Gold Glove Award winner hit .162/.277/.393 in 117 at-bats. Yankees fans did not forget his time in New York quickly, giving him the same treatment that he had at Yankee Stadium the last two seasons when the two teams met in a spring training game in Fort Myers, Florida, earlier this month: nothing but loud boos before his three plate appearances, which ended with a wind-blown bloop single, flyout to right and strikeout. Gallo hit .214 with a home run and two RBIs in 42 at-bats with the Twins during spring training. MORE MLB: - Beloved ex-Yankee gave Anthony Volpe permission to wear his number - Yankees Opening Day weather: Whats the forecast for Thursdays game vs. San Francisco Giants? - Yankees Jose Trevino once lied and was suspended. His response: Sorry, I wanted to play baseball Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Brian Fonseca may be reached at bfonseca@njadvancemedia.com. NEW YORK Aaron Judge got the loudest cheers during pre-game introductions on Opening Day at Yankee Stadium. Hes the captain, the face of the Yankees, the guy who hit 62 homers and won the American League Most Valuable Player last year. No. 99 is the guy who turned down more money from the San Diego Padres and equal money from the hometown San Francisco Giants to stay in New York after filing for free agency last winter. Yankees fans love the kid, too. Six-day (Tuesday through Sunday) print subscribers of the Watertown Daily Times are eligible for full access to NNY360, the NNY360 mobile app, and the Watertown Daily Times e-edition, all at no additional cost. If you have an existing six-day print subscription to the Watertown Daily Times, please make sure your email address on file matches your NNY360 account email. You can sign up or manage your print subscription using the options below. Several of Ericssons investors have rejected the vendors proposal to clear its CEO and certain board members of liability over the alleged payment of bribes to military groups in Iraq. Cevian Capital, together with Norways sovereign wealth fund, confirmed that it would vote against the motion at Ericssons AGM, which was held yesterday (29th March). Local outlet STV noted that the objection of these two shareholders is significant as it means that investors representing 10% of Ericssons equity now oppose the proposal, meaning that legal action against the board and CEO is now a possibility. In a statement, Cevian said: We still lack the information necessary to make an informed judgment of what went wrong, why, and who should be held responsible. Given the lack of information and the magnitude of the damage, we have no choice but to hold the entire board accountable. Shareholders in major Swedish firms typically approve the discharge of liability, so the fact that this threshold has been crossed demonstrates the depth of the disquiet among Ericssons shareholders. While Cevian aims to hold the board accountable, this did not stop it from supporting the re-election of both Ericssons board and CEO Borje Ekholm both of which were confirmed at the AGM. Following his re-election, Ekholm acknowledged shareholder concerns and offered assurance, saying: I want to state my commitment to continuing to lead Ericsson in the transformation of our company and its culture, executing on global 5G technology leadership, and strengthening our ethics and compliance performance to ensure lasting change. Ekholm was appointed CEO of Ericsson in 2016, with The Economic Times reporting that this was due to shareholder pressure for a change of the vendors management. The companys fortunes have improved under his leadership, with Ekholm resolving a 2019 US investigation into a number of bribes paid by Ericsson. In the same year, Ericsson carried out an internal investigation into allegations of bribe payments to military organisations in Iraq without revealing its findings to shareholders. The current scandal arose when the story broke in the media. Nonetheless, Ericsson chair Ronnie Leten backed Ekholms re-election, stating that the CEO had led the focus on ethics and compliance and executed the performance turnaround of Ericsson during his tenure. A Warehouse District property thats been home to two different food halls in the past year will soon become a new location for a growing local restaurant brand. Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts plans to open another of its Boulevard American Bistro concepts at 801 Magazine St., which had been home to Auction House Market and, briefly, the Hall on Mag. Slated to open here in the fall, it will be the fifth rendition of Boulevard, following another thats now nearing completion in the French Quarter. The earlier locations are in Metairie, Elmwood and Covington. Boulevard is growing in the metro area and it has that recognition now, said Marv Ammari, CEO of Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts, which operates two dozen restaurants around the area. We want to get back to the city and be part of the rebuilding of the city, and felt the Warehouse District would be the way to go. A growing concept Boulevard first came about in 2015 after Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts took over the longtime home of Houstons in Metairie, after that popular restaurant closed. The new restaurant kept some of the touchstones of its predecessor, with an upscale/casual design, wide-ranging menu and a large bar. The downtown restaurant will serve essentially the same menu as the other locations. Thats a contemporary American roster with dishes like prime rib, seared tuna salads, redfish with crabmeat, barbecue ribs and walnut apple cobbler. Crabcakes, spinach and artichoke dip and cedar plank salmon are some of the bestsellers. Parents and administrators at a River Ridge school are outraged after learning that a gun shop is celebrating its grand opening across the street from their campus. According to a Facebook event page, NOLA Guns LLC is planning a grand opening party April 2 in its strip mall digs just steps away from St. Matthew the Apostle Church and School, which admits infants all the way up to seventh graders. The event's promoter and owner of the gun shop, Trey Rankins, has heralded the ceremony as a community event where he and his wife will serve "drinks and pastalaya" and host a raffle for various gun-related giveaways and discounts on firearm transfers. Parents of the nearby school say they are blindsided by the news of the store's opening, as they learned about it largely through social media. Kayla Cusachs, a mom of two children at St. Matthew's, says she found out about it Tuesday evening in a Facebook group for River Ridge residents. It was posted by a neighbor who asked if anyone knew about this ... I was Googling it, and I looked at the map and its like, 48 feet from the Little Crusaders playground, she said, referring to the school's daycare area for infants and toddlers. Cusachs points out that John Curtis High School also is in the neighborhood, and says the gun shops location puts students of all ages at risk in the area. The Archdiocese of New Orleans, which oversees the school, and St. Matthews administrators issued a joint statement Wednesday night calling the shop's location outrageous and deeply concerning. To put the school students and faculty members in a situation where there is access to guns and ammunition practically next door is unfathomable, they said. We have been in touch with local officials who are aware and working on this issue. Jefferson Parish Council Member Deano Bonano, a Republican whose district encompasses the school and the gun shop, claims he is looking into whether the store's location violates the law though the gun shop owners were given a permit two years ago. Bonano said in a statement March 29 that Jefferson Parish issued a zoning clearance in 2021 to allow the gun shop to open near the school. But now he's wondering if that is legal. This never should have happened, he said. State law prohibits anyone, except a police officer, from carrying a gun within 1,000 feet of the school. Bonano said he is in contact with the school and researching "legal options." As of March 30, however, Bonano said that the gun store is operating legally. State laws do in fact allow for guns to be near a school if they are considered to be on private property, i.e., in a store or in a customer's possession on their way to their car, for example. The owners of NOLA Guns LLC say they have operated their business out of the brick-and-mortar shop in Suite C since being given the permit, though initially they were only there part-time, and with little fanfare or advertising or even a sign in front of Suite C. Their current location is in a strip mall accessible by Jefferson Highway and a small, dead-end side street facing the younger children's schoolyard. At least one parent said he had seen a sign for NOLA Guns LLC located above Suite F, which directly faces the playground, though he said it appeared to be unoccupied for months. Until now, "I never saw the business in operation," says Aaron Weidenhaft, who has three children at St. Matthew's. Trey Rankins denies that he ever operated out of Suite F, and says whoever hung up the sign had placed it above the wrong storefront. It has since been taken down. However, a bigger sign facing Jefferson Highway was erected earlier this week in the parking lot of the strip mall, and Rankins for now has piece of paper taped to the door of Suite C, instead of a more formal sign. Records show, however, that Suite C where Rankins currently operates his business may have been occupied by another tenant until last year. The Rankins also have sold guns online and claim they've never skirted the law. "Weve had the storefront for almost two years, Trey Rankins told Gambit Wednesday night. He said he talked to the permitting department earlier that day, and that they assured him he was "doing everything right." He also wonders why he is being targeted suddenly by parents and high-ranking officials over his business. He argues there is a "long list" of other schools in Jefferson Parish that are less than 1,000 feet away from big-box stores and pawn shops alike that sell firearms. "What about Archbishop Chapelle?" he said. "They're less than 1,000 feet away from an Academy." I think people are just being silly," he added. "Theyre worried about criminals and stray bullets. Theres not going to be any loaded guns in the store." The store sells ammunition and offers gun transfers, but has no shooting range. "We had done everything right, we had the licensing, and even if the law was changed, were grandfathered in," he said. Rankins also said in at least one instance, he donated a gun to a St. Matthew's parent for a charity auction raising money for the school that is now taking a stance against his business. Parents who organized the auction deny that claim. The timing of the stores grand opening has them, and others, especially on edge. Most of the parents and school community say they learned about the gun shop's existence just two days after a school shooter killed six people in Nashville the latest massacre in a country that has been festering with gun violence on school campuses. That just happened, says Cusachs, the mother of two. Youre already nervous sending your kids to school. (Gun violence) is already a fear ... Its not about politics, but the fact that youre 48 feet from school. I think if we knew two years ago, this would have been a discussion much sooner. Weidenhaft told Gambit he also been in contact with other parents through a group text app. The parents are uniformly against this, he said. He added that many parents at the school are conservative gun owners who are opposed to the shop's location. "If you were to walk out of the front door of the gun shop, you can see babies playing in the yard, like 1- and 2-year-olds," Weidenhaft said. Furthermore, he says, there was no community feedback on the shop's opening. "We are not pleased about it; it came out all of a sudden," he said. "There was no public hearing, there was no notice given. The sign (for the shop) went up today. That's when everyone saw it. Everything happened today, and it's absolutely insane ... There's not a single parent thrilled about a gun shop opening 48 feet away from a playground." This story has been updated with additional information about the suite where the store is located as well as an update about state law, which permits gun stores from being open near school because they are considered private property. KIO, a data centre and digital infrastructure platform with more than 20 years of experience in colocation and IT services, has announced the signing of an agreement for the acquisition of a new data centre campus in Colombia. KIO BOG1, as the campus is known, is located in the capital Bogota. It has 5,000 square metres of construction and two data halls with more than 2,000 square metres of white space and a power capacity of 6 MW for colocation services. The project has additional land to build a second data centre with similar characteristics, resulting in a potential capacity of up to 12 MW for the campus. This data centre campus is certified by the Uptime Institute at Tier III level. KIO describes Colombia is a very attractive market due to its size, scale and substantial growth in data and IT consumption, which has resulted in a shortfall of data centre capacity and strong expected absorption rates. The new facility is located in one of most interconnected industrial complexes in the country, with more than 14 network operators. The fully permitted facility provides KIOs customers with what it describes as unmatched time to market access in a supply-constrained market, while the sites additional capacity and network connectivity offer visibility and access to future growth. KIO, I Squared Capitals data centre and digital infrastructure platform for Latin America, has 13 core data centres with 26 Megawatts of IT power capacity distributed in Mexico, Colombia, Panama, Guatemala, The Dominican Republic and Spain. I Squared Capital is an independent global infrastructure manager with over $36 billion in assets under management. Editor's note: As debates over library books unfold throughout the state, we talked to parents on both sides of the issue about why they became involved and what they believe is at stake. NASHVILLE, Tenn. The head of the Christian elementary school in Nashville who was killed in a shooting there on Monday was described by friends as smart, loving and a rare female leader within a male-led religious culture. If there was any trouble in that school, she would run to it, not from it, Jackie Bailey said of her friend Katherine Koonce, head of The Covenant School. She was trying to protect those kids Thats just what I believe. This photo provided by The Covenant School shows Katherine Koonce, head of The Covenant School. Koonce was one of six people killed on Monday, March 27, 2023, in the shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tenn. (The Covenant School via AP) PROVIDED PHOTO Koonce was one of six people killed in the shooting in Tennessee, including three 9-year-old children identified by police as Hallie Scruggs, Evelyn Dieckhaus and William Kinney. Also killed were Cynthia Peak, 61, a substitute teacher, and Mike Hill, 61, a custodian. The Covenant School in Nashville has about 200 students from preschool through sixth grade, as well as roughly 50 staff members, according to its website. Koonce was a Baton Rouge native who attended LSU from 1981 to 1982 before transferring to Vanderbilt University, where she received a bachelors degree in education. Her Facebook account also said she attended University High Lab School in Baton Rouge. Koonce's family said in a statement Wednesday that she gave her life to protect the students she loved. We are devastated by our loss but depending on our God for comfort and healing, the family said. "It is our privilege to honor Katherines legacy and to celebrate her remarkable spirit. Before Koonce took the top role with Covenant, Anna Caudill, a former art teacher, worked with her for almost a decade at Christ Presbyterian Academy, another Christian school in the area connected to a Presbyterian Church in America congregation. She was an absolute dynamo and one of the smartest women Ill ever know, said Caudill, recalling how Koonce excelled at her day job while parenting her children, pursuing her masters and then her Ph.D., and writing a book. For Caudill, who grew up in several male-led Christian denominations, Koonce had remarkable leadership skills and was the first woman in such a setting to encourage her to keep learning and pursuing her life goals. When Caudill launched her nonprofit advocating for special education resources and other support, she said Koonce was one of the first to donate financially to it. She said Koonce loved her job at Covenant and she was loved by students and their families. She wasnt Wonder Woman, but I never saw the two in the same place, she said. Deputies with the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office stand guard outside East St. John High School in LaPlace after a threat put all schools in the district in lockdown on Thursday, March 30, 2023. Authorities say the heavy police presence will remain in place for the rest of the day. Kimberly Berry looks at what's left of her home outside Anguilla, Miss., Saturday, March 25, 2023, a day after a massive tornado destroyed the one-story structure where she lived with her two daughters. Berry and her 12-year-old daughter survived in a nearby church during the storm, and her 25-year-old daughter survived in the hard-hit town of Rolling Fork. (AP Photo/Emily Wagster Pettus) Veterans of all ages, family members, civic leaders and elected officials gathered at the Wall of Freedom at the entrance to Johnny Henderson Park in Enterprise Wednesday afternoon to pay tribute to those who served during the Vietnam War. Wednesday marked the 50th anniversary of the departure of the last American combat troops from that country. The Wall of Freedom lists the names of those from Coffee County who died in service from each war, starting with World War I. Listed on the memorial wall from the Vietnam War are Cpl. Alfonzie Culver, Pfc. Deiacy Gray, Staff Sgt. Charlie Frank Lee, 1st Sgt. Joseph M. Moore, 1st Lt. William Terry Allen, Spc. 5 Allen Wayne Allums, Sgt. 1st Class Guy Albert Byrd, Staff Sgt. Lytell B. Christian, Staff Sgt. Ronald Isaac Crody, Chief Warrant Officer Billy Gene Hammer, Pfc. John Henry Jones, Sgt. James Richard Layton, Staff Sgt. Green Edward Miller Jr., Lt. Col. William Russell Phillips, Spc. 4 James Rowe Stephens, Spc. 4 Gary Morgan Pridgen, Pfc. Roy Lee Bass, and lst Lt. Paul Lewis Sawyer Jr. Public memorials hold a special place in the hearts of my generation of veterans along with all those who have served, said retired Chief Warrant Officer Bob Cooper, president of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 373. Memorials offer a chance for reflection and, most importantly, they honor a shared commitment to treat all of those who have been sent to war with respect and dignity when they come home. As we pay tribute to fallen veterans and honor the powerful legacy of the generation, we also contribute to building a foundation of advocacy and support for younger veterans, Cooper said, noting the presence at the ceremony of soldiers from the 1/13th Aviation Regiment, 1st Aviation Brigade at Fort Rucker. Enterprise City Councilman Scotty Johnson read a proclamation from the city recognizing the importance and impact of Vietnam Veterans Day in the City of Progress. The Vietnam War is a time in our nations history where service members of different backgrounds came together to complete a daunting mission, Johnson said. Vietnam Veterans Day is observed annually on March 29 to thank and honor our Vietnam Veterans and their families for their sacrifice. The City of Enterprise is passionate about ensuring the sacrifices of the 2.7 million heroes who served during the Vietnam War are remembered for generations to come, Johnson said. The City of Enterprise respectfully says, Thank you for your service and Welcome home to our communitys Vietnam Veterans. Today we honor all who bravely served in the Vietnam War and their families and caregivers, said Enterprise Mayor William Cooper. Today and every day we honor their commitment and bravery. We will always honor those who came home and remember those who we lost, the mayor said. We are so grateful for our military community and all of our veterans service organizations. Two people were arrested Thursday following a deadly early morning shooting outside of a Dothan lounge. Raheem Anthony Powe, 29, of Abbeville, and Nakia Kentae Thompson, 27, of Dothan, are each charged with one count of murder. They are both being held on $1.5 million bond. At around 1:20 a.m. Thursday morning, Dothan Police Department received a call about a firearm assault in the parking lot of the Pearl Lounge and Grill, located at 2855 Ross Clark Circle. Dothan Fire and Rescue responded and found Roger Shane Felder, 51, of Geneva, lying on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds to the upper torso. He was transported to an area hospital where he later died from his injuries. According to Dothan Police, Thompson and Powe were arguing inside of the establishment and the altercation turned physical. Felder eventually stepped in as a good Samaritan and attempted to de-escalate the situation. Thompson and Powe were then asked to leave the bar and the altercation continued in the parking lot where Felder was fatally shot. The investigation is still ongoing, and it is unknown at this time if any additional arrests will be made. Purdue University Northwest has selected alumni Robert Johnson III, Stewart Stu McMillan and Alfredo Al Sori as members of its second annual PNW Alumni Hall of Fame class. These distinguished honorees embody the qualities of PNW alumni: people who built upon their PNW degrees to provide transformational change for the Region and the world and who continue to devote attention to the university so that others may be inspired to pursue their own dreams, Purdue Northwest Chancellor Thomas Keon said in the university's Wednesday announcement of the inductees. Each of our 2023 honorees have been innovators and leaders in their industries. They have also remained loyally connected to their alma mater by mentoring and supporting our students. The three inductees will be honored June 8 during a reception and dinner hosted in Alumni Hall in the Student Union and Library Building on PNWs Hammond campus. Robert Johnson III Johnson serves as president and CEO of Cimcor in Merrillville. Cimcor develops information technology security software to help companies meet compliance and regulatory requirements as well as protect information and ensure system uptime. Prior to Cimcor, Johnson served as manager of business systems for Davy McKee Corp. and founded Velocityware, which focuses on the development, marketing and distribution of mobile software and technology. He is an inventor and has led the development of several patented and patent-pending technologies. Johnson earned his associates, bachelors and masters degrees from PNW and serves as a member of the Board of Advisors for PNWs Department of Computer Information Technology and Graphics in the College of Technology. Stewart McMillan McMillan is the founder of the Multi Agency Academic Cooperative Foundation in Valparaiso. The MAAC Foundation, named to honor McMillans father, Clyde Mack McMillan, is a multi-purpose campus that provides training opportunities to first responders in Northwest Indiana. McMillan previously led Task Force Tips, a manufacturer and supplier of firefighting equipment, and served as a member of the Union Township and Washington Township fire departments in Porter County. He earned his bachelors degree in interdisciplinary engineering in 1977 from PNW. McMillans support has helped PNW upgrade facilities and student workspace, including the PNW Design Studio on the Hammond campus. Alfredo Sori Sori retired from Kiewit Corp., one of North Americas largest construction and engineering organizations. He most recently served as division manager of Kiewit subsidiary Mass Electric Transportation, where he oversaw transit electrical, communication, traction power, security, ITS, roadway lighting projects and high-speed rail pursuits across North America. He served in division manager roles since 2013 with executive oversight of multiple Kiewit districts and subsidiaries. In 2020 he made a gift to support a general biology lab space inside PNWs Nils K. Nelson Bioscience Innovation Building, naming the space the Sivilla-Sori Biology Lab in memory of his mother, Georgina Sivilla. Sori earned both an associates degree in civil engineering technology and a bachelors degree in construction management in 1989 from PNW. For more information about the PNW Alumni Hall of Fame, the 2023 honorees and purchasing tickets to the event, visit pnw.edu/hall-of-fame. They may be rivals in the upcoming primary election but the two Democratic candidates for Gary mayor stood united at the Statehouse Wednesday in support of a plan to use undesignated state resources to help redevelop the Steel City. State Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary, and Gary Mayor Jerome Prince both urged the House Ways and Means Committee to promptly approve Senate Bill 434 and send it on to Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb to be signed into law. The centerpiece of the Senate-approved measure is the establishment of a Lake County convention center. But the plan also includes funds for redevelopment of Gary's Metro Center transit hub, Gary public safety improvements and the demolition of blighted buildings. "There's a vision and an opportunity to really address some legacy issues," said Melton, the sponsor of the legislation. "As we look at turning the corner, I think these projects will really put us on the right track." Prince told the panel Gary has more than 7,000 blighted or abandoned buildings throughout the city that would cost up to $100 million to demolish, while the city has nowhere near the local resources needed to make the properties ready for redevelopment. The mayor said even concentrating demolition efforts on the Fourth and Fifth Avenue corridors between Broadway and the airport in an effort to rebuild Gary from the inside out starting from a new Metro Center still would cost $12 million to $15 million to take down 350 structures. Nevertheless, the possibilities offered by the legislation to renew Gary following decades of economic decline and population losses were enthusiastically embraced by state Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville, the House sponsor of the plan. "I do believe this is a transformational project for the city and, consequently, for the county as a whole," Slager said. "I believe we can get this bill to a point where we can all get comfortable with it and really make it happen." The Ways and Means Committee is expected to consider revising the legislation sometime prior to the April 11 deadline for House committees to act on measures originating in the Senate. The plan currently requires the state provide up to $10 million a year from the $18 million a year the Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana in Gary is due to begin paying Indiana starting July 1, 2025, when a tax break linked to the development of the land-based casino expires so long as the state money is "matched locally on a dollar for dollar basis." In addition, the Lake County Council would be allowed to increase to 10% the innkeepers tax paid by hotel guests staying in the county that's stood at 5% since 1993. Besides the Gary projects, the legislation authorizes the construction of a convention center anywhere in Lake County, subject to approval by the county council, Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority, and the State Budget Committee. Meet the 2023 Northwest Indiana legislative delegation State Rep. Carolyn Jackson, D-Hammond State Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago State Rep. Ragen Hatcher, D-Gary State Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso State Rep. Pat Boy, D-Michigan City State Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage State Rep. Mike Aylesworth, R-Hebron State Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster State Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary State Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville State Rep. Kendell Culp, R-Rensselaer State Rep. Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Point State Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie State Sen. Dan Dernulc, R-Highland State Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago State Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary State Sen. Rodney Pol Jr., D-Chesterton State Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso State Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell State Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores The LaPorte County Historical Society Museum is rolling out a new promotion and gearing up for events next month. The historical museum at 2405 Indiana Ave., Suite. 1 in LaPorte is testing out a Two for Tuesday deal. It's a buy one admission, get one free every Tuesday starting in April. "Two can visit the Museum for the price of one," LaPorte County Historical Society Museum Assistant Director Savannah Jackson said. "This promotion includes the public and Historical Society Members." The museum also will host Spring Artisan Fair and Plow Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 16. "The La Porte County Historical Society Museum will be hosting its annual Spring Artisan Fair. Over 25 artisans will be at the Museum selling their unique pieces," she said. "Admission to the museum will be by donation that day. You dont want to miss this fantastic assortment of goods made by local artisans." The LaPorte County Draft Horse Association also will showcase historic agricultural practices during Plow Day just outside the museum that Sunday. The three-story museum also includes many permanent exhibits like a collection of vintage cars, an early electric car prototype, period rooms depicting daily life in LaPorte over the decades, an antique weapons collection and a replica of serial killer Belle Gunness's farm, where the lonely-hearts killer lured suitors to their deaths. "Come see the field between the Museum and the Door Prairie barn plowed the old-fashioned way," Jackson said. LAPORTE LaPorte County police believe they have brought an end to a theft ring with the recent arrests of two men. Dustin Bush, 29, and Jeffrey Glancy Sr., 50, each face three felony counts of theft. Glancy faces a further misdemeanor theft charge. The arrests came after police began investigating a series of thefts that surfaced several weeks ago in the northern section of the county. "Detectives quickly worked to establish probable cause to arrest Bush and Glancy while further information was disseminated to patrol deputies regarding the investigation," the department said. Bush was located and taken into custody March 14 and remains housed at LaPorte County Jail without bond, according to police. He is also being held for authorities in Berrien County, Michigan, which has a warrant for his arrest. Glancy joined him behind bars Tuesday and is also being held without bond, police said. He was also wanted in Berrien County and by the Indiana Department of Correction. Anyone with information about Bush and/or Glancy is encouraged to contact Detective Austin Howell, ahowell@lcso.in.gov. Subject 1 Suspect is a male, Black, wearing a white sweatshirt CALUMET CITY The Federal Bureau of Investigation is searching for two individuals who robbed an armored truck Monday morning in the Big Lots parking lot. Two Black males with guns robbed the vehicle around 10:17 a.m. in the lot of the 1699 River Oaks Drive location, according to a news release from the FBI. One man wore a grey jacket and the other a black jacket, although the coloring is distorted in the surveillance footage. Subject 2 Second subject, male, Black, in a black hoodie Both suspects are at large. No additional information was given about their descriptions. Anyone with information can call 312-421-6700 or submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov. HAMMOND Former Republican Portage Mayor James Snyder is not sitting quietly as he awaits word from a federal appeals court as to whether he will go to prison for his 2021 bribery and tax violation convictions. Snyder continues to fight back, this time taking aim at current Democratic Mayor Sue Lynch and city attorney Dan Whitten, accusing each in a federal lawsuit of instructing city employees, including case witness Randall Reeder Jr., not to meet with Snyder and his legal team as they prepared for trial. "Snyder was made aware of the alleged conduct and instruction during a meeting with former city employees in or around June of 2022 after his second trial," according to the litigation filed on Snyder's behalf by Portage-based attorney Matthew Dogan. Lynch and Whitten were aware Reeder was a "necessary and the primary witness in the trial of Snyder," the suit says. Reeder was accused by federal officials of "rigging" bids. Snyder, 45, who has a 21-month prison sentencing hanging over his head, was found guilty twice most recently in March 2021 of soliciting and accepting a $13,000 bribe in 2014 in return for steering a $1.125 million contract for the purchase of garbage trucks for the city of Portage to the local Great Lakes Peterbilt company. Federal prosecutors said he also obstructed the Internal Revenue Services efforts to collect unpaid taxes on a private mortgage company he ran. In response Wednesday to the lawsuit, Whitten said, "The allegations are 100% untrue, are without any merit and are completely baseless. I have no further comment as no further comment is warranted." Snyder, who was granted the right to remain out of prison while appealing his criminal convictions, is awaiting the outcome of a January hearing before the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago. Defense attorney Andrea E. Gambino argued the court should vacate Snyder's convictions, in part, because of what she claims was a government intrusion into the attorney-client relationship as it pertains to the seizure of Snyder's personal and professional email accounts as part of the criminal investigation. Federal prosecutor Debra Bonamici defended the government's multilayer screening process to combat the alleged intrusion. Snyder's new litigation claims Reeder "did not know the orders given to him from Lynch through Whitten were illegal or wrongful." Reeder thus refused to meet with Snyder's legal team ahead of the March 2021 trial, "despite his willingness to do so," the suit says. In a further attempt to intimidate Reeder, Snyder claims the city of Portage refused to cover Reeder's legal expenses as is "usual, customary, and in the regular course of business for the City of Portage to do when litigation stems from employment status." Lynch and Whitten obviously did not believe Reeder had rigged bids as they both hired and promoted him from assistant street superintendent to street superintendent after Snyder's conviction, the suit says. CROWN POINT A Chicago man whose Illinois murder conviction was overturned in 2021 was found guilty of a September armed robbery on Wednesday. Gerald Reed, 59, was originally charged with armed robbery, attempted armed robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm as a felon and resisting law enforcement, charging documents stated. Prosecutors later dropped the firearm possession and attempted armed robbery charges. Jurors deliberated for a little over half an hour before they returned with the guilty verdict on the remaining charges. Prosecutors alleged that Reed robbed a woman at the Hammond Walmart, located at 1100 Fifth Ave, on Sept. 29. The woman testified on Tuesday that Reed approached her vehicle after she parked in the lot and started asking her a question, which she did not understand as she only speaks Spanish. The woman said she told him no because she assumed that he was asking for money, until he pulled up his shirt, which revealed a handgun. She said he and put his forefinger over his mouth, which signaled her to be quiet. Her car was not stolen, but she said that Reed was in her car for at least five minutes. Officers did not test the car for DNA, but did find his DNA on a handgun discovered at the Lukes gas station where he was arrested. Surveillance footage was played in court, which showed Reed near the womans car. The video then panned away briefly and about 40 seconds later showed the woman running to get help. Reeds attorney Adam Tavitas noted inconsistencies in the womans retelling of the incident when he presented his closing arguments. He pointed out how the woman testified that the man who robbed her was in his 30s and didnt have any facial hair. Reed is 59 and has a beard, Tavitas said. He said during his closing arguments that he doesnt doubt that the woman was robbed, but Reed didnt rob her. Do you see a robbery on the video? I dont, Tavitas said. Reed testified that he did not rob the woman, or even talk to her. Tavitas said that he advised his client not to testify, as it could lead to other felony charges. Reed said that he went to the Walmart for cat food and was meandering around the parking lot searching for marijuana that he misplaced. He added that the reason he ran from police was because of the weed. Reed said he didnt have the gun found at the gas station at that time, but had touched it earlier in the day. Prosecutor Maureen Koonce noted that neither cat food nor weed were found on Reed when he was taken into custody. Hes not looking for his pot, hes looking for an opportunity, Koonce said during closing arguments. Tavitas told jurors that they cannot have even a shred of doubt if they convict Reed. I am going to keep on harping on it cause I dont know how else to explain [that] the state is not proving their case beyond a reasonable doubt, Tavitas said. Koonce said the evidence was overwhelming that Reed committed the robbery and ran away from police. Reed is set to be sentenced April 27. GARY In the midst of a lawsuit between several members of the Gary Community School Corp. Advisory Board, Robert Buggs, president of that board, is calling for a do-over of a controversial public hearing he held. As part of its duties, the GCSC Advisory Board appoints members to the Gary Public Library Board. In doing so, the GCSC Advisory Board appointed Buggs and Jacquese White to the GPL Board. However, on Jan. 27, Buggs called a meeting of the GCSC Advisory Board during which the board voted to remove White from her position on the GPL board over allegations she harassed and intimidated a videographer brought in to broadcast a GPL board meeting. White responded with a lawsuit in February. In that lawsuit, she alleges that Buggs and his cohorts who voted to remove her from the GPL Board did not follow the proper procedure to do so and that the board was forbidden from even holding that meeting in the first place, due to an Indiana State Code that specifies that the advisory board cannot meet more than once every three months. Additionally, White's attorney, Jewell Harris Jr., speaking on behalf of his client, told The Times in February that there's no "basis in fact to support that allegation." Buggs, on the other hand, said he has received two written complaints and a police report about the incident. Buggs argued the Jan. 27 meeting wasn't a regular board meeting but rather it was a hearing, which he said makes it legal. Still, during Tuesday's GCSC Advisory Board meeting, Buggs said attorneys advised him to hold the hearing to remove White again to ensure it's done properly. He plans to do that April 14. "It was stated by several attorneys that the way we went about doing our job was illegal," Buggs said. "Although I disagree ... they suggested how it should have been done so today I'm announcing there will be a public hearing a public hearing on the 14th of April and the purpose of that hearing will be to discuss complaints filed against our appointee to the library board and the police report." He noted that White, despite the Jan. 27 meeting, has still been attending and voting at GPL Board meetings. "In other words, they ignored the dictates of the advisory board that appointed her," Buggs said. "She hasn't missed any meetings whatsoever." This series of events is part of a larger feud among Buggs, White and Akilia McCain, who also serves on both the GCSC Advisory Board and the GPL Board. In February, Buggs allegedly recorded a private closed session meeting of the GPL Library Board. McCain, who is president of the GPL Board, and her cohorts on the GPL Board voted to censure Buggs and ask him to leave the meeting. Buggs didn't comply and was escorted out by police. Buggs said he believes the incident was retaliation for removing White from the GPL Board, and he alleged that White and McCain are improperly using the board's attorney. He claimed the two were having consultations with the attorney, Kelly Gibson, without the rest of the board and would not say what the consultations regarded. He also said that McCain was involved in the incident regarding the videographer. Gallery: New furniture for kids at Glen Park Academy Gary Community School Corp. students returned to their classrooms after winter break to a surprise Tuesday: brand-new furniture. Glen Park Academy New Furniture.jpg A classroom at Glen Park Academy for Excellence in Gary, decked out Tuesday with brand-new furniture. Glen Park Academy New Furniture 2.jpg Staff rolls brand-new furniture into Glen Park Academy for Excellence on Tuesday. Buildings throughout the Gary school district received new f Glen Park Academy New Furniture 3.jpg Gary Community School Corp. officials said that Tuesday was the first time in decades that many schools in the district received new furniture. Glen Park Academy New Furniture 4.jpg Students sit in a classroom Tuesday at Glen Park Academy for Excellence in Gary. Students returned from the holiday break to brand-new furniture. Glen Park Academy New Furniture 5.jpg New tables on Tuesday at Glen Park Academy for Excellence in Gary. Gallery HTML code Qabil Ashirov Israeli President Isaac Herzog received Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov who is on an official visit to Israel, Azernews reports, citing MFA. The meeting discussed the current issues of the bilateral and multilateral cooperation agenda between Azerbaijan and Israel, including the regional and international situation. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister spoke about the agenda of bilateral cooperation that has been developing in various directions, including political, economic, security, culture, education, high technologies, cyber security, and other sectors for the past 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and noted that the close contacts between the leaders of Azerbaijan and Israel play an important role in the development of relations. The meeting heard that the opening of trade and tourism representations of Azerbaijan in Israel in 2021, and the Embassy of Azerbaijan in 2023 is an indicator of the development of relations between the two countries. Besides that, it was emphasized that regular political consultations and high-level visits between Azerbaijan and Israel play an important role in the further development of relations between the two countries. Minister Jeyhun Bayramov also gave detailed information about the current situation in the region in the post-conflict period, the large-scale reconstruction and construction carried out by Azerbaijan in the liberated territories. He also filled in about the military-political provocations committed by Armenia, the imitation of negotiations and Armenia's evading its obligations, the continuation of the mine threat, and the fact that Armenia has not withdrawn its armed forces from Azerbaijan per its obligations. He also brought to attention that Armenia has continued aggressive rhetoric and activity in recent weeks. The Foreign Minister stated that Azerbaijan is determined to establish peace and security in the region, as well as the reintegration of Armenian residents. President Isaac Herzog pointed out that Israel attaches importance to the development of relations with Azerbaijan as its strategic partner. He stated that the traditions of friendship and solidarity existing between the peoples of the two countries are an important component of the developing relations between Israel and Azerbaijan. The president noted with satisfaction the positive contribution of the Jewish community living in Azerbaijan to bilateral relations. He expressed his confidence that the opening of the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Israel will play an important role in the further development of relations. At the meeting, opinions were also exchanged on regional issues of mutual interest. By Dat Nguyen March 30, 2023 | 05:29 am PT Vietnams trade surplus hit $4.07 billion in the first quarter with $79.17 billion in export revenue and $75.1 billion in imports, according to the General Statistics Office. Among the major trade partners, Vietnam recorded a trade surplus of $17.5 billion with the U.S., down 23.4% year-on-year. It also recorded a trade surplus with the E.U. at $6.9 billion, down 10.1%. Vietnam posted a trade deficit of $12.1 billion with China, down 15.4%. Other countries and regions that it posed a trade deficit with included South Korea, ASEAN and Japan. Vietnams total trade, comprising export and import values in the first quarter, declined by 13.3% year-on-year to $154.27 billion. Exports dropped 11.9% to $79.17 billion, with smartphones and parts falling by 15% and electronics, computers and parts dropping 10.9%. Imports fell 14.7% to $75.1 billion, with a 12.4% fall in electronics, computers and parts and a 15.4% decrease in machines and equipment. The U.S. was the biggest export market at $20.6 billion and China was the largest import market at $23.6 billion. Time is running out for Indiana residents planning to vote in the May 2 primary election to register in advance to cast a ballot, as required by state law. Monday is the voter registration deadline for this year's municipal primary election that will see Hoosiers pick the candidates they want running under the label of their preferred political party for a variety of local government offices, including city or town council, mayor, clerk, clerk-treasurer and judge. Several school districts across Northwest Indiana also are asking their residents at the primary election to authorize a temporary property tax increase for the construction of new buildings or to meet other needs. To qualify to vote, a person must be a U.S. citizen, 18 years old by Election Day and an Indiana resident for at least 30 days before the election. For the primary, 17-year-olds can register and vote if they will be 18 on or before the Nov. 7 general election. Registering to vote can be completed online at IndianaVoters.com, so long as the applicant submits a valid driver's license or state identification card number. The secretary of state's office also is encouraging Indiana residents who previously registered to vote to verify at IndianaVoters.com that their registration remains active and the personal information in their voter record is correct. Individuals who do not have a driver's license or state ID can register to vote in person at county government centers, public assistance offices and when completing a Bureau of Motor Vehicles transaction. A utility bill, bank statement, government mailing or other proof of address is required to complete an in-person voter registration. Beginning Tuesday, registered voters can cast their ballot ahead of Election Day at 11 early voting sites in Lake County and two locations in LaPorte County. Early voting will be available starting April 17 at four locations in Porter County and a variety of mobile voting sites. A complete list of early voting hours and locations is available on the website of each county's elections office. The final day to vote in the municipal primary election is from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 2. The candidates chosen at the primary election from each political party then will compete at the Nov. 7 general election to determine who wins each office. Gallery: Indiana historical markers in the Region First Physician Great Sauk (Sac) Trail St. John's Lutheran Church Tolleston Dutch in the Calumet Region St. John Township School, District #2 The Lincoln Highway/The Ideal Section The Lincoln Highway/The Ideal Section Froebel School - side 1 Froebel School Stewart Settlement House Stewart Settlement House Origin of Dr. MLK Day Law Origin of Dr. MLK Day Law Bailly Homestead Iron Brigade Willow Creek Confrontation Ogden ski jump.jpg Teale 1.jpg Teale 2.jpg Steel 1.jpg Steel 2.jpg Civil War camps.jpg Old lighthouse.jpg Railroad.jpg Camp Anderson.jpg Boundary line 1.jpg Boundary line 2.jpg LaPorte courthouse 1.jpg LaPorte courthouse 2.jpg Carnegie 1.jpg Carnegie 2.jpg Rumely Co 1.jpg Rumely Co 2.jpg Lincoln train 1.jpg Lincoln train 2.jpg LaPorte university 1.jpg Laporte university 2.jpg Gary Roosevelt 1 Gary Roosevelt 2 GARY The Gary Common Council is considering using American Rescue Plan Act funding to create a new down payment assistance program. Under the proposed program, first responders, which include Gary police, fire and emergency medical services personnel, would be able to receive up to $30,000 in down payment assistance. Almost all other Gary residents would be able to receive $18,000 in assistance, however priority would be given to city employees, teachers and veterans. The programs' only caveat would be that residents living in two of the city's census tracts, the tract containing the Miller neighborhood and the tract between Grant Street and Broadway Avenue near the historic Morningside neighborhood, would only qualify for assistance if they make less than 65% of the Area Median Income. AMI is the midpoint of an area's income distribution, meaning half of families in a community earn more than the median and half earn less. During a Tuesday evening Ways and Means Committee meeting, Gary's Director of the Community Development Department Arlene Colvin said 65% of the city's AMI would be $38,391 for a single-person household and $54,844 for a four-person household. Were trying to increase homeownership and we want to stabilize neighborhoods," Colvin said during the Tuesday committee meeting. Residents who receive down payment assistance must live in the home for at least five years and the property must be their primary residence. Colvin noted that the city has a number of other housing assistance initiatives including the Hoosier Homes Down Payment Assistance Program which provides down-payment assistance grants to repeat and first-time home buyers. Applicants must have an income that does not exceed 140% of Lake County's median income, or $105,700; a minimum credit score of 620; and an income-to-debt ratio of 50% or higher. "I'm looking forward to supporting this and I hope my colleagues do as well," Ways and Means Committee Chair Tai Adkins, D-4, said. There will be a public hearing for the ordinance during the April 4 Gary Common Council meeting. If the council approves the legislation, Colvin said the program could go into effect within the next month. PHOTOS: Decay Devils spruce up downtown Gary landmarks Grant will restore historic train, revive fountains and bring Taste of Region and other festivals to downtown Gary Grant will restore historic train, revive fountains and bring Taste of Region and other festivals to downtown Gary Grant will restore historic train, revive fountains and bring Taste of Region and other festivals to downtown Gary Grant will restore historic train, revive fountains and bring Taste of Region and other festivals to downtown Gary Grant will restore historic train, revive fountains and bring Taste of Region and other festivals to downtown Gary Grant will restore historic train, revive fountains and bring Taste of Region and other festivals to downtown Gary Grant will restore historic train, revive fountains and bring Taste of Region and other festivals to downtown Gary Grant will restore historic train, revive fountains and bring Taste of Region and other festivals to downtown Gary Grant will restore historic train, revive fountains and bring Taste of Region and other festivals to downtown Gary Grant will restore historic train, revive fountains and bring Taste of Region and other festivals to downtown Gary Grant will restore historic train, revive fountains and bring Taste of Region and other festivals to downtown Gary Earlier this year, Methodist started the Sexual Trauma Awareness and Recovery, STAR, Center. The center provides private forensic services and treatments to survivors of sexual assault and abuse. The Vision Fund is part of Methodist's centennial fundraising efforts. The hospital is hosting a '100th Year Anniversary Celebration' at the Hard Rock Casino on June 17 at 6 p.m. Tickets for the event can be purchased at methodisthospitals.org, proceeds will go towards the Vision Fund. "U.S. Steel's contribution of $100,000 to Methodist is in recognition of how important this hospital is to our community," Dan Killeen, vice president of Gary Works, said in the news release. "The donation serves as a launch pad to help Methodist continue to deliver compassionate care for patients in need for generations to come." CROWN POINT Spring is in the air and Lake County property tax bills are in the mail. Lake Treasurer John Petalas said his office has delivered its first batch of tax bill notices to the U.S. Postal Service. They will probably start arriving at homes next week, Petalas said. He said the amount of taxes due this year will likely be higher in south suburban communities where real estate is in high demand or school districts where voters have approved referendums to increase tax rates. This years taxes can be paid in two installments. The first is due May 10. The second installment will be due in early November. Petalas said property owners can bring their bills to his main office on the second floor of A Building at the Lake County Government Center, 2293 N. Main St., Crown Point or either of his satellite offices at 400 Broadway, Gary or 232 Russell St., Hammond. His offices are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Petalas said his offices will have extended hours from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on May 10 only. He said property owners who have questions or want to challenge their latest bills are encouraged to call or visit his offices well before the May 10 deadline. He said long waits can be expected for those calling or visiting his offices in the days leading up to the May 10 deadline. Those who do not have any questions about their bills, also can pay at any branch offices of: Centier Bank, DeMotte State Bank, Plank Trail Community Bank, First Financial Bank, First Merchant Bank, Old National Bank, Horizon Bank, Peoples Bank and the Indiana branches of Tech Credit Union. Credit card payments are accepted at the Treasurers offices or online at the Treasurers web page at www.lakecountyin.org. PROVIDENCE, R.I. When Gov. Kathy Hochul laid out her plan for accelerating the development of New Yorks offshore wind industry a year ago, she promised thousands of jobs for state residents. Today, New Yorks first wind farm in the Atlantic Ocean is under construction. Crews in hard hats are assembling platforms for giant turbines and building boats that will ferry technicians onto the water to ensure the massive blades keep rotating. But the work is not being done in New York. It is happening more than 150 miles away in Rhode Island. States and cities all along the East Coast are vying with New York to be hubs for the fast-growing business of harnessing wind power offshore. But Rhode Island took the lead by building the first offshore wind farm in the United States several years ago. Centrally located among projects planned from New York to Massachusetts, the nations smallest state has held on to many of the jobs and economic benefits that go with being first. DES MOINES, Iowa Donald Trump was in Iowa last week. Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida has already made his first visit. Nikki Haley and Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina have each made recent trips. And on Saturday, former Vice President Mike Pence spoke at a forum on foreign policy. Even as Democrats have chosen to snub Iowa in 2024, the state has never loomed so large for Republicans in the presidential nominating race. For one Republican, it has taken on a do-or-die feel the first real-world test of the strength or vulnerability of Mr. Trump. No former president has sought to regain the White House in modern times. A loss or even a less-than-convincing win for Mr. Trump in the states caucuses, the kickoff contest for Republicans early next year, would signal a near-fatal weakness for his campaign, according to G.O.P. strategists in and out of the state. For that reason, both his challengers and Mr. Trump himself are paying extra attention to Iowa. I dont see a formula where Trump loses Iowa and it doesnt really wound him and his chances as a candidate, said Terry Sullivan, who managed Senator Marco Rubios 2016 presidential campaign. Hows the knee? one bowler asked another across the lanes. Their conversation in a Super Bowl ad focused on a Biden administration proposal that one bowler warned another would cut Medicare Advantage. Somebody in Washington is smarter than that, the friend responded, before a narrator urged viewers to call the White House to voice their displeasure. The multimillion dollar ad buy is part of an aggressive campaign by the health insurance industry and its allies to stop the Biden proposal. It would significantly lower payments by billions of dollars a year to Medicare Advantage, the private plans that now cover about half of the governments health program for older Americans. The change in payment formulas is an effort, Biden administration officials say, to tackle widespread abuses and fraud in the increasingly popular private program. In the last decade, reams of evidence uncovered in lawsuits and audits revealed systematic overbilling of the government. A final decision on the payments is expected shortly, and is one of a series of tough new rules aimed at reining in the industry. The changes fit into a broader effort by the White House to shore up the Medicare trust fund. Walter Cole, otherwise known as Darcelle XV, a rhinestone-bedecked drag performer with an exuberant blonde beehive whose popular Portland, Ore., nightclub hosted what is believed to be the longest-running drag show west of the Mississippi, died on March 23 at a hospital in his hometown. He was 92. His death was announced by Kevin Cook, who performs as Poison Waters and was Mr. Coles co-host at the nightclub, the Darcelle XV Showplace. No cause was given. Seven years earlier, when he was 85, Mr. Cole earned an entry in Guinness World Records as the worlds oldest drag performer. Mr. Cole had been running a jazz club and working as a manager at a grocery store when, in 1967, he bought the derelict Demas Tavern in Portlands Old Town neighborhood, which was then considered the areas Skid Row. He reimagined the place first as a lesbian bar and, after a few years, as a drag cabaret. In the beginning, there were only two performers: Tina, a Native American whose real name was Jerry Farris and who performed a pitch-perfect rendition of Tina Turners Proud Mary, and Mr. Cole, who favored Barbra Streisand songs. Mr. Schultz, who recently ended his third tour as the companys chief executive and remains a board member and major shareholder, seemed as mystified as anyone by his personal change of fortune in the capital. He chafed at what he described as the propaganda that is floating around the hearing and told Senator Bob Casey, Democrat of Pennsylvania, that I take offense with you categorizing me or Starbucks as a union-buster. When another Democrat, Senator Patty Murray of Washington the home state of Starbucks said she had heard from constituents about widespread anti-union efforts, Mr. Schultz reminded her that they had known each other for years and that she had many times actually talked about Starbucks as a model employer. He responded to Mr. Sanderss accusation that Starbucks was not bargaining in good faith by noting that the company had met with the union over 85 times. (The union points out that most of these sessions ended within 15 minutes; Starbucks says this is because union members sought to take part remotely.) And he denied that Starbucks had broken the law; it has appealed the rulings against it. Aside from the accusations of labor law violations, the question at the heart of the hearing was: Can chief executives be trusted to treat their workers fairly? Mr. Schultzs answer was an emphatic yes, at least in his case. He highlighted the companys wide-ranging benefits not just health care, including for part-time employees, but stock grants, paid sick leave, paid parental leave and free tuition at Arizona State University. He said that the average wage for hourly workers at Starbucks was $17.50, and that total compensation, including benefits, approached $27 an hour. Jump to: Tricky Clues | Todays Theme THURSDAY PUZZLE I have a lot of admiration for constructors who can look at a quirky aspect of the English language and say, Huh. Thats weird. Lets put it in a puzzle! And then they actually make it work, seemingly effortlessly. The truth is that its hardly effortless, as Adam Wagner and Brooke Husic confirm in their constructor notes below. Developing a theme until every part of it sparkles and then filling around it so everything else sparkles requires a lot of well, sparkles, but that is not my point. My point is that good constructors labor over their work. You can see the effort that was put into this puzzle, from the theme to the fill to the clues. Its a good crossword to try if you are just tiptoeing into Thursday-level territory, especially if you love wordplay (with a lowercase w) as much as I do. Tricky Clues 1A. A slang term for Its true! is FACT. Just the one word. If you want to really impress your children or grandchildren, when you tell them something that they dont believe, just say No cap! It usually means No lie! and you knowing that will probably stun them into silence. A staff holds up a piece of cannabis at a cafe in Bangkok, Thailand on June 9, 2022.Photo by Reuters The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned parents to stay alert after several children in southern Thailand were hospitalized for eating smuggled cannabis-infused edibles. FDA deputy secretary-general Withid Sariddeechaikool told Bangkok Post on Wednesday that there were reports of children falling ill and being admitted to hospitals after eating contraband chocolate cookies. The cookies were labelled "Twix Chocolate and THC 600 MG PER BAG PER 2 Cookies" and were believed to have been smuggled into the country as they had not been imported through FDA checkpoints nor sold online shops. According to The Thaiger, FDA has set a limit of 1.6 milligrams of THC per bottle, box or sachet for cannabis-infused products, and any such products must have FDA approval. The FDA official said consumers should buy only products that have been approved and should be sure to read the product labels to see if they contain cannabis or not. LONDON Not all superheroes wear capes. And none wear satin tights or stretch nylon today. The modern crime fighter favors bespoke leather, often a little kinky, frequently handmade by a pair of ex-club kids. Patrick Whitaker and Keir Malem, both 57, founded Whitaker Malem, their leather specialty label, in 1988. They had begun dating a few years earlier, while Mr. Whitaker was studying at Central Saint Martins and fashion students were using discos as much as their college assignments to experiment with style. Nightlife was the social media of the day. Fashion buyers were enthusiastic about Mr. Whitakers final student collection, so the two men set up their business first as a luxury fashion label, then as costumers for music videos, stage and screen. They call themselves pop artisans and are celebrated for their distinctive cutting, assemblage and wet molding of raw hides, with custom orders costing an average of 8,000 pounds ($9,270), but specialty film and video creations often commanding much more. Their work has become part of the canon of pop culture: They created looks for Aquaman, Batman in The Dark Knight, Captain America: The First Avenger and Wonder Woman. For the latter, in 2017, they didnt just create the red, bronze and blue bodysuit for Diana Princes alter ego, they clad her Amazon sisters, too. It feels like a luxury in New York too, to eat sopa de mani on a cold and bright winter afternoon, at a plank of a table under a makeshift roof in Sunnyside, Queens. This is where Bolivian Llama Party makes its claim for Bolivian food as essential to the city. The owners are three brothers, Alex, Patrick (the chef) and David Oropeza each contributed a word to the restaurants name whose parents come from Cochabamba in central Bolivia, at an elevation of around 8,400 feet. (Maybe restaurant is too strong a word. For now, Bolivian Llama Party is just a takeout window and some minimal outdoor seating, opened during the pandemic when the brothers outlets in food courts had to close.) What is comfort food but the blessing of the familiar? I know there are peanuts in the bowl before me, but I can hardly taste them, beyond a low, earthy throb. (You have to be careful to get the ratio of peanut to liquid right, Patrick tells me, or else the soup will be too thick; it should be creamy yet delicate, hearty without heaviness.) Theres so much in it: Bustoss endless vegetables here, carrots, celery, bell pepper and the indomitable potato and tubes of penne that are toasted first, to draw out their nuttiness and change their texture just enough that they hold firm in the soup. They need to be pulled from the pan when theyre still a shade shy of gold, Patrick advises, because theyll keep cooking with the residual heat. In Bolivia, the soup is topped with thick wedges of fried potato, like steak fries. Nobody minds when they get soggy. Patrick uses matchsticks instead, which fry faster and stay crispy. He primes the stock with a powder of pulverized locoto chiles, gutsier than jalapenos, and quilquina, an herb that has the sunny grassiness of cilantro, with a sly kick. (In the summer, he grows his own; it may be easier to find papalo, quilquinas Mexican cousin.) Traditionally, too, the soup is made with meat. Patrick likes it with brisket, which his mother, who favors chicken, finds controversial. But he also wanted to come up with a vegan version that delivered the same turfy undertones something that would make me happy as a meat eater, he says. So he doubles up on vegan and vegetable bouillon and adds nutritional yeast. This month, an elementary school in St. Petersburg, Fla., stopped showing a 1998 Disney movie about Ruby Bridges, the 6-year-old Black girl who integrated a public elementary school in New Orleans in 1960, because of a complaint lodged by a single parent who said she feared the film might teach children that white people hate Black people. The school banned the film until it could be reviewed. So I decided to review the film myself. First, heres a refresher on Ruby: When she integrated that school, she had to be escorted by federal marshals. She was met by throngs of white racists adults! jeering, hurling epithets, spitting at her and threatening her life. Parents withdrew their children. Only one teacher would teach her, so every day that 6-year-old girl had to be in class by herself, save for the teacher, and eat lunch alone. Ruby became afraid to eat because one of the protesters threatened to poison her. Her father lost his job, and the local grocery asked that her family not come back to the store. NASHVILLE The sun was still shining brightly when I pulled into the parking lot of Christ Presbyterian Church here on Tuesday. Traffic was backed up outside the church, and I was a few minutes late for the start of a prayer service for the victims of the Covenant School shooting that had occurred just a few miles up the road the day before. Christ Presbyterian is a sister church of Covenant Presbyterian Church, a member of the same evangelical denomination, the Presbyterian Church in America, P.C.A. for short. The church was packed. The pews were full. Men, women and children lined the walls. Faces were streaked with tears. As I walked into the room, Nate Morrow, the head of Christ Presbyterian Academy, spoke to the congregation. Prayer, he said, is the first and most powerful thing we can do. If youre a parent of a schoolchild in 2023, youve perhaps gotten some form of the lockdown text. It could come from the school itself, announcing that a dangerous, or at least suspicious, incident is underway at school or nearby. More likely it would come from your network of friends. Does anyone know anything? someone will ask. Theyll have heard about an incident elsewhere in town, and the rumors cascade across social media and group texts. On Monday, I was finishing recording a podcast when my phone lighted up. I saw the words school shooting. Then, Covenant School. I froze. I know Covenant. I belonged to P.C.A. churches for 18 years, until my family and I moved to a new church late last year. Ive been to meetings at Covenant Presbyterian. Ive spoken to the pastor. The P.C.A. is a very small world, and I knew that Id be at most one degree removed from the victims. I learned later, to my heartbreak, that the pastors daughter, Hallie Scruggs, was one of them. WASHINGTON When President Biden bluntly warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he cannot continue down this road of overhauling his countrys judiciary, he touched off the kind of response usually expressed by Americas adversaries rather than its allies. Israel is a sovereign country which makes its decisions by the will of its people and not based on pressures from abroad, including from the best of friends, Mr. Netanyahu said on Wednesday, accusing the U.S. president of meddling in another countrys politics which is exactly what Mr. Biden was intending to do. It was a remarkably public outbreak of the kind of disagreement that usually takes place in private. But there were other factors at work that had been brewing for many years. There is no love lost between the two leaders, despite their polite facade when it comes to their decades-long relationship and their common commitment to Israels defense. Mr. Netanyahu made no particular effort to hide his backing for President Donald J. Trump in the 2020 election, making clear his preference for an incumbent who gave him everything he asked for, including moving the United States Embassy to Jerusalem and paying little attention to the Palestinians while siding with Israel on its claims over Palestinian territory in the West Bank. The Senate also voted, 68 to 23, to end the declaration of a national emergency for Covid-19, a move the president is not expected to veto. The vote was largely symbolic since the administration had already said the emergency declaration would be allowed to expire in May, though the measure could hasten the end of it somewhat. The votes demonstrated the potency of what has fast become a preferred weapon against Biden administration policies for Republicans, who control the House but are just shy of a majority in the Senate. Because such resolutions of disapproval are not subject to the 60-vote Senate filibuster and can pass if just a few Democrats defect, Republicans have seized on the procedural tactic as a way to force tough votes and spark veto fights. Three of the Democrats who split with their party on the clean water vote Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, Jon Tester of Montana and Jacky Rosen of Nevada are up for re-election next year in potentially tough races, as is Senator Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona independent who is aligned with Democrats but broke with them on the vote. With similar Democratic backing, Republicans carried a congressional vote to block a new Biden administration policy allowing retirement funds to invest on the basis of environmental, social and governance factors. The president issued a veto on that measure last week the first of his presidency. The House then fell short in its override attempt, meaning the rule will stand. Using its power of oversight over the nations capital, Congress also voted this month to block a new criminal code for the District of Columbia that reduced or eliminated mandatory minimum sentences on carjacking and some other violent crimes. Mr. Biden signed that measure, which drew significant Democratic backing. On Wednesday, the Republican-led House geared up to block another District of Columbia proposal on police conduct. WASHINGTON The mass shooting at a Christian elementary school in Nashville this week has generated a broad shrugging of the shoulders in Washington, from President Biden to Republicans in Congress, who seemed to agree on little other than that there was nothing left for them to do to counter the continuing toll of gun violence across the country. But while President Bidens stark admission on Tuesday that he could do no more on his own to tackle the issue was a statement of fact that aimed to put the burden on Congress to send him legislation, like the ban on assault weapons he has repeatedly championed, Republicans expressions of helplessness reflected an unwillingness, rather than an inability, to act. Their answer to Mr. Bidens plea was as blunt as it was swift, as lawmaker after Republican lawmaker made it clear that they had no intention of considering any additional gun safety measures. Were not going to fix it, Representative Tim Burchett, Republican of Tennessee, told reporters on the steps of the Capitol just hours after the shooting that killed three children and three adults in his home state. Criminals are going to be criminals. Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida has spent months shoring up a tough-on-crime image as he weighs a run for the White House, calling for stronger penalties against drug traffickers and using $5,000 bonuses to bolster law-enforcement recruitment to his state. Now, Mr. DeSantis and his allies plan to use that image to draw a contrast with the Republican front-runner in the 2024 race, former President Donald J. Trump. Mr. DeSantis and his backers see the signature criminal-justice law enacted by Mr. Trump in 2018 as an area of weakness with his base, and Mr. DeSantis has indicated that he would highlight it when the two men tussle for the Republican nomination, according to three people with knowledge of Mr. DeSantiss thinking. That law, known as the First Step Act, reduced the sentences for thousands of prisoners. Mr. DeSantis has yet to officially announce his candidacy, but he has been quietly staffing a presidential campaign, and his allies have been building up a super PAC. Since at least his re-election in November, Mr. DeSantis has privately suggested that Mr. Trumps record on crime is one of several policy issues on which Mr. Trump is vulnerable to attacks from the right. WASHINGTON Supreme Court justices will be required to disclose more of their activities, including some free trips, air travel and other types of gifts, according to rules adopted earlier this month. Under the new rules, justices and other federal judges must report travel by private jet, as well as stays at commercial properties, such as hotels, resorts or hunting lodges. The move comes as members of Congress have called for the justices, who have long faced less stringent reporting requirements, to be held to ethics standards similar to those for the executive and legislative branches. To the extent this becomes a model for further activity for the Judicial Conference to clean up the Supreme Court mess, I think thats significant, said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat of Rhode Island who sits on the Judiciary Committees panel that oversees federal courts. The authorities said they might also investigate one migrant suspected of starting the fire. Our countrys immigration policy is one of respect for human rights, said Rosa Icela Rodriguez, the governments secretary of security. This unfortunate event, which is the responsibility of public servants and guards who have been identified, is not the policy of our country. It was a striking development in a case that has drawn intense scrutiny to the Mexican governments handling of the surge of migrants flowing into the country over the past year, seeking to enter the United States. Ciudad Juarez, just across the border from El Paso, Texas, has long prided itself on absorbing waves of newcomers, many from Mexico who come to work in factories and others from across Latin America who stop on their way to the United States. But what used to be a transit point for U.S.-bound migrants has turned into a hub for those who believe they have no choice but to stay either after being sent back by the U.S. authorities or while waiting to apply to enter legally. At intersections across the city, groups of migrants can be seen asking for money. Some hold up cardboard signs pleading for help. Others sell food out of coolers. In a highly provocative move, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, or DPRK, regime launched strategic cruise missiles from a submarine on March 12. These actions only serve to heighten tensions in the region, warned out-going State Department spokesperson Ned Price: The DPRKs unannounced cruise missile tests are yet another example of DPRK actions that threaten regional peace and stability. They also present an unacceptable safety risk to civil aviation and to maritime operations, as well. Spokesperson Price affirmed the shared objective of the United States and its allies remains the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The United States, along with the Republic of Korea and Japan, share a vision of an Indo-Pacific that is free and open, said out-going Spokesperson Price: The DPRK has consistently posed a challenge to the rules-based order and to the vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific. As we continue to see these provocations, we are going to work with our partners in the Indo-Pacific, were going to work with our partners on the other side of the Atlantic to hold the DPRK accountable. The United States has recently taken steps to clamp down on sanctions evasion and to pursue targets that support the DPRKs weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs. The DPRK is also subject to a number of UN Security Council resolutions owing to the provocations that it has engaged in recent years. Each of these resolutions were voted on and approved by the permanent five members of the Security Council. Out-going Spokesperson Price encouraged the members of the UN Security Council to again take joint action against the DPRK. It is incumbent on all five of those members, including Russia and the PRC [Peoples Republic of China], . . . to uphold the commitments that have been signed into international law, and to recognize that a DPRK that is not held to account, that is able to engage in these type of provocations without concerted accountability from the international community, is not in the interest of Russia, its not in the interest of China, its not in the interest of any country around the world, he said. The United States will continue to hold the DPRK accountable while recommitting to the security and defense of its treaty allies. A passenger ferry caught fire overnight in the southern Philippines, killing at least 28 people, officials said on Thursday. The ship was at sea near the southern island province of Basilan when the fire broke out on Wednesday evening, the Philippine Coast Guard said. The cause of the fire was not immediately clear, and the coast guard said an investigation was underway. Officials initially said at least 10 people had died and 230 others had been rescued. By Thursday afternoon, they had found 18 more bodies on the ferry. It was unclear if any more people were missing, in part because officials have yet to determine how many people were aboard the ferry. The ship, Lady Mary Joy 3, was approved to carry 240 passengers and crew, but it appeared there were others on the vessel who were not in the manifest, a coast guard official, Rejard Marfe, said. KYIV, Ukraine Russia and Ukraine are ramping up their military forces in southern Ukraine amid signs that the fighting may soon escalate, a United Nations official said on Wednesday after crossing a front line held by the Ukrainian military to inspect a nuclear power plant seized by Moscow. It is obvious that military activity is increasing in this whole region, so every possible measure and precaution should be taken so that the plant is not attacked and can be protected, said the official, Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Just hours before Mr. Grossi spoke, a new round of explosions shook Melitopol, a Russian-occupied city in the same region as the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Some Ukrainian officials have said the city is a likely target in a counteroffensive mounted by Kyiv to reclaim land lost to Moscow after Russia invaded 13 months ago. As concerns rose about a flare-up of combat around the plant, fighting raged on Wednesday to the northeast, in the city of Bakhmut. There appears to be little left of the city to save, and given its minimal strategic value and the heavy losses already sustained by Ukrainian forces, some analysts have questioned the wisdom of staying there. Air, light, height, with a tingle of vertigo, are what the Guggenheim Museums spiraling rotunda is about. Which makes it a near-ideal setting for the buoyant, lucent, constellational work of the German-born Venezuelan artist Gertrud Goldschmidt, who called herself Gego, and who made some of the most radically beautiful sculpture of the second half of the 20th century. As seen in the Guggenheims five-star, five-story survey, Gego: Measuring Infinity, opening Friday, hers is an art that may have started out in a conventional Modernist groove, but quickly went rogue, rejecting the most basic orthodoxies. Sculpture: three-dimensional forms in solid material, she wrote in a notebook. NEVER what I do! I remember the first time I saw her work, in a 1997 New York group show three years after her death at 82. There were two pieces by her, both abstract. One was of a spare, spidery web done in ink on paper. The other was of a similar web, but made from twisted wire and dangling in midair. It was part of a series of free-hanging or wall-dependent sculptures she called Dibujos sin papel (Drawings without paper) that appeared, no two alike, in a steady stream from the 1970s well into the 1980s. In December, the painter Gerhard Richter left the Marian Goodman Gallery. On Wednesday a second major artist, the photographer Nan Goldin, announced she would depart Goodman for the Gagosian Gallery, to expand her global profile and support her studio, she said in an interview. I have been in discussion with Gagosian off and on for many years about working with them and now I feel ready, said Goldin, who recently returned from a press tour for the Oscar-nominated documentary about her, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed. And I have nothing but fond memories of working with Marian, Goldin, 69, explained. I did two of the best shows of my life with the gallery. I loved working with her and I dont see her anymore. Thats the reality. The artist has exhibited with Marian Goodman Gallery for the last five years. But Goodman, 94, has withdrawn from daily operations of her dealership, according to the gallery. A new management team of five partners, including the gallerys president, Philipp Kaiser, a former museum executive, is running the company. Though not as large as megagallery rivals such as David Zwirner, Gagosian and Hauser & Wirth, the gallery has played a defining role in history over the last 50 years by representing important artists like Richter, Goldin, Julie Mehretu and William Kentridge. We were proud to support Goldins work and activism over the last five years and we wish her well, Linda Pellegrini, a spokeswoman for Marian Goodman Gallery, said in a statement. Septimius Severus ruled ancient Rome as emperor for nearly two decades, and a seven-foot-tall statue that researchers say depicts him presided over the Greek and Roman galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the past 12 years. But now the headless bronze statue, dating to 225 A.D. and valued at $25 million, is gone, one of the latest antiquities to be seized from the museum, whose collection has been repeatedly cited in recent months as containing looted artifacts. The investigators who seized the statue said it had been stolen from Bubon, an archaeological site in southwest Turkey, in the 1960s. Another 17 items at the museum were characterized as looted artifacts in seizure actions filed by the Manhattan district attorneys office over the past three months. Those filings are part of a larger surge of warrants and seizure orders issued recently by the prosecutors to recover illicitly obtained antiquities from museums, galleries, auction houses and collectors across the United States, according to court records. Michael Blackwood, a prolific documentarian who explored the work of 20th-century artists, architects, musicians, dancers and choreographers in more than 160 films and yet never became widely known, died on Feb. 24 at his home in Manhattan. He was 88. His wife, Nancy Rosen, confirmed the death, in his sleep, but said she did not know the cause. Mr. Blackwood filmed his subjects in the unobtrusive, no-frills cinema verite style, seeking to capture the creative process behind their art, often in studio visits. Sometimes they were their own narrators; sometimes there were no narrators at all. Mr. Blackwood was invisible to viewers. He followed the jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk on tour in Europe. He tagged along as the minimalist composer Philip Glass prepared for the 1984 premieres of his opera, Akhnaten, in Houston and Stuttgart, Germany. Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous nights highlights that lets you sleep and lets us get paid to watch comedy. Here are the 50 best movies on Netflix right now. Two More Weeks of Waiting On Wednesday, Jimmy Kimmel joked it was Day Eight of To Catch a President. The grand jury in Manhattan is still out, and they are going to stay out for two weeks, Kimmel said, adding that they are leaving us hanging like Trump tried to do with Mike Pence. But thats a different indictment, I think. The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder, by David Grann January, 1742: A company of starving, half-dead men on a ramshackle raft washed up on the Brazilian shore with an extraordinary tale. They had been on the Wager, a British ship dispatched during a conflict with Spain that wrecked off the coast of Patagonia. Months later, three more men landed in Chile and claimed that the others were actually mutineers. Grann, a New Yorker staff writer and the author of Killers of the Flower Moon and other books, narrates this story with plenty of verve. Doubleday, April 18 Elli Vuokko was a real person who fought for the Red Army in Finlands civil war. Just as May has invented a back story for her, so has Sophie Haydock imagined histories for a quartet of little-known women whose lives intersected with that of the controversial Austrian artist Egon Schiele, who died in 1918 at the age of 28. THE FLAMES (Overlook, 464 pp., $28) is primarily divided into sections devoted to his younger sister, Gertrude; his longtime model and mistress, Vally; and Adele and Edith, the upper-middle-class sisters who become rivals for his attention. Denounced as the pornographer of Vienna for his sexually explicit nude portraits, Schiele is an object of fascination, tall, mesmerizing, almost demanding to be touched. All four women will model for him, and all will eventually consider him a toxic influence. To his sister, hes a betrayer of their childhood intimacy. To Vally, hes a manipulator who will never publicly legitimize their bond. To melodramatic, hyper-romantic Adele, hes a misguided soul mate. And to Edith, hes a far too worldly-wise husband, a man who will demolish her sheltered existence. Egon Schieles life is revealed through the eyes of the women around him. His single-minded pursuit of his art and his callous self-indulgence lead one of them to madness, another to self-mutilation and an early demise. Yet all pay tribute to his talent. Facing him at his easel, they saw there was something powerful in letting your guard down. He captured what was left. Outside his studio, though, the scandal Schiele engenders clings to them as well. Only men can navigate disgrace, Vally concludes, and spin it into success. But Prentiss has something less predictable in mind. We soon embark on a quest narrative where Emilys desire for the maternal love she never felt, even with a devoted adoptive mother, is bottomless. Her relationship with the photographer/boyfriend Wes; her intimate friendship with Megan; the writing she dreams of one day publishing none of these fill her up. After Megan ends a catastrophic affair with her married boss, Emily invites her on a trip to Italy. In Bologna she reconnects with Renata, a feminist art history professor whose two adopted girls Emily babysat for years before. In Renata, Emily sees a missing puzzle piece, someone who can shed light on why she never bonded with her own mother. And this is where the novel deepens, with Emily beginning to process the compromises shes made to please men, and Megan demanding more veracity in their friendship after coming across Emilys private journal. Something will have to change: I knew from being a woman myself, Emily reflects, that there was always a risk of this: You could be stripped of your power in an instant, simply by getting hurt. Here there are echoes of Elena Ferrante. Old Flame is that rare novel whose author as well as her protagonist gains wisdom and authority as the story unfolds, never failing to remind us that while loss and grief are inescapable, joy and fulfillment are possible. The first story in Jai Chakrabartis exquisite collection, A SMALL SACRIFICE FOR AN ENORMOUS HAPPINESS (Knopf, 272 pp., $27), is hard to top. In it, Nikhil is hoping to raise a child in 1980s Kolkata with his lover Sharma, a foundry worker who has married a woman so that no one will think the men are a couple. I want our love to increase, Nikhil whispers to Sharma one afternoon. His hasty exit leaves Nikhil to wonder if he has in fact opened Sharmas heart to the idea of having a kid. Theres a contradiction here: Nikhil laments the dissolution of ordering traditions when mere villagers address him without the slightest deference, yet he longs for change so he and Sharma can go public. But that may be a moot point: A surprise visit to Sharmas home forces Nikhil to reassess their relationship. What he will do with that information is up to the reader to surmise. The ancient spring festival of Nowruz is currently being celebrated by millions of people around the world, including Iranians, Kurds, Afghans, Azeris, Americans and the peoples of Central Asia. Secretary of State Antony Blinken sent greetings to all those celebrating Nowruz and best wishes for a new year of happiness, health, and prosperity. Nowruz is a symbol of rebirth, wrote Secretary Blinken. It is an opportunity to spend time with family and friends by the haft sin table, sharing wishes for the year ahead. Secretary Blinken noted that the past year has been particularly hard for many who celebrate. The people of Iran have faced a brutal crackdown at the hands of the Islamic Republic, he said. Many families face an empty chair at their Nowruz table this year as friends and family members have been killed or detained by Iranian authorities. At the White House, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted a Nowruz celebration. They also spoke of the hardships suffered by Iranians. The First Lady noted, in particular, the bravery of Iranian women and girls who took to the streets demanding freedom. As the battle cry of women, life, freedom continues to reverberate around the world, we cannot celebrate the renewal of spring without thinking of them, she said. So to the girls and women of Iran, I want to say: Your song sings in our hearts. We see your struggle, and we stand with you. You are not alone. President Biden emphasized the Nowruz theme of hope: Hope for families in Turkey and Syria, who grieve for the loss of far too many loved ones from that devastating earthquake. Hope for people in Afghanistan who continue to struggle with a grave humanitarian crisis. Hope for women of Iran who are fighting for their human rights and fundamental freedoms . . . Together with our partners, were going to hold Iranian officials accountable for their attacks against their people. President Biden pointed to a line from the 14th century Persian poet Hafiz: Out of great need, we are holding hands and climbing. All around the world, said President Biden, the need is great. This holiday offers a moment to reach out reach out and together, to begin to climb toward a new day, one full of hope and new possibilities. Are there any classic novels that you only recently read for the first time? Yes: Henry Fieldings Tom Jones, which I enjoyed a lot. Also, this may not count, but I just read Jules Vernes Journey to the Center of the Earth and was delighted by its witty narrative voice as well as by its conjuring of an eerie underworld. The reason it may not count is that I must surely have already read it in my childhood or teens. Mustnt I? Or did I just listen to the prog-rock concept album by Rick Wakeman? Hard to be sure. Describe your ideal reading experience (when, where, what, how). Its either reading on a train, or in a pub. My ideal scenario starts with going into a used bookstore and finding something wonderful by pure serendipity, then taking it off somewhere to start reading it straightaway. Its better than taking it home and having to add it to the pile with all the other exciting, serendipitous purchases Ive made in the past and not read yet. Whats your favorite book no one else has heard of? Thats asking for trouble; whatever I say someone will have heard of it, and will think its as common as muck. But Ill risk it, with a book I discovered by the used-bookstore/pub method. Its by David Karp, goes under the variant titles of One and Escape to Nowhere, and appeared in 1953 during the high era of American existentialist paranoia. The hero, a professor, lives in a society that has mysteriously infused deep conformity of mind into all its citizens. But heres the twist: The professor himself has no idea that he is anything other than totally conformist too, until the authorities arrest him because they detect some sign of individualism of which even he is unaware. Unpleasantness ensues, in the usual dystopian tradition except that it goes a step further, right into the depths of the subjective psyche, adding extra vortices of self-doubt. Which writers novelists, playwrights, critics, journalists, poets working today do you admire most? I am in awe of those who can lucidly communicate scientific subjects to an eager but somewhat dim general reader (i.e. me). Recent authors who astound me with their clarity, humor and enthusiasm for their subject include Katie Mack, who wrote about the end of the universe in The End of Everything, Helen Czerski, whose Storm in a Teacup is a revelation for someone like myself who failed to learn basic physics at school, and Ed Yong, with his two exquisite books on microorganisms and on animal senses: I Contain Multitudes and An Immense World. There are many other writers I admire too, in different fields. But anyone who can write so appealingly about scientific complexities deserves the hats-off prize, in my view. Who writes especially well about philosophy for a lay audience? Julian Baggini and Nigel Warburton are two philosophers who excel at communicating concepts and conundrums in an engaging, lucid way. I also love Witcraft, by Jonathan Ree, an account of English-language philosophy from the 16th to 20th centuries using a definition of philosophy wide enough to include such writers as Shakespeare and George Eliot. Its a book you can immerse yourself in and return to repeatedly, and full of wit in every sense. Shortly after its announcement, First Republics founder and chairman, Jim Herbert, called Mr. Dimon to thank him personally. The relief was short-lived. On Friday morning, First Republic shares plunged more than 30 percent. The deposits appeared to have exacerbated fears instead of containing them by showing the limits of what the private and public sectors could do to safeguard smaller banks. On Tuesday, March 21, five days after the $30 billion announcement, eight of the 11 bank heads huddled in the Jefferson hotel, in Washington, at a previously scheduled confab. Mr. Dimon proposed to his colleagues that they make similar deposits in other ailing banks for the near term, or even create a permanent lending facility. Nearly all said no. He also mused that some of the money the banks had deposited in First Republic could be converted to an ownership stake in it. The other bank chiefs never took the suggestion seriously, but when the whisper of it leaked to The Wall Street Journal, shares of First Republic briefly rallied. For all the effort, First Republic remains fragile. Its shares are down nearly 60 percent since the announcement of the big banks rescue plan. No buyer has emerged. When colleagues and the other chief executives ask Mr. Dimon whether their plan worked, he has taken to saying: Ill never know. The publishing industry has spent the past two decades struggling to adjust to the internet, as print circulation has plummeted and tech companies have gobbled up rivers of advertising revenue. Now come the chatbots. New artificial intelligence tools from Google and Microsoft give answers to search queries in full paragraphs rather than a list of links. Many publishers worry that far fewer people will click through to news sites as a result, shrinking traffic and, by extension, revenue. The new A.I. search tools remain in limited release, so publishers such as Conde Nast and Vice have not yet seen an effect on their business. But in an effort to prevent the industry from being upended without their input, many are pulling together task forces to weigh options, making the topic a priority at industry conferences and, through a trade organization, planning a push to be paid for the use of their content by chatbots. You could essentially call this the Wikipedia-ization of a lot of information, said Bryan Goldberg, the chief executive of BDG, which publishes lifestyle and culture websites like Bustle, Nylon and Romper. Youre bringing together Wikipedia-style answers to an infinite number of questions, and thats just going to nuke many corners of the open web. Theres a sense of quietude one may slip into while viewing this documentary made by Gianfranco Rosi. Perhaps it has to do with the serene demeanor of its subject, Pope Francis, the leader and international voice of the Roman Catholic Church. In most documentaries depicting what musicians and entertainers call road work, the person putting in the hours can get irritable. In his first nine years as Pope (he was elected in 2013), Francis made 37 trips from the Vatican, and visited almost 60 countries. In Viaggio: The Travels of Pope Francis, assembled from footage shot over those years, never betrays a jet-lagged pontiff. Rosi made his name with the urgent 2016 documentary Fire at Sea, about Italys and Europes migrant crisis. Some dire imagery and sound reminiscent of that picture turns up here: radio antennas spinning as audio of S.O.S. messages play on the soundtrack, shots of overturned passenger boats. After one mass drowning, Pope Francis spoke on the island of Lampedusa, where he bemoaned the globalization of indifference. The speech, which Rosi shot, is moving, its message bracing even as the Pope avoids a strident tone. The top hired gun in South Korea, Gil Boksoon, never worries about the authorities. Instead, Boksoon (a brutal Jeon Do-yeon), a middle-aged single mother, fears the day her detached 15-year-old daughter, Jae-young (Kim Si-A), learns of her secret assassin career. The inventively slick Kill Boksoon, from the writer and director Byun Sung-hyun, bears several similarities to another recent thriller about a hit woman, Gunpowder Milkshake. In Kill Boksoon, trained killers work for individual mercenary companies, where they are ranked based on their proficiency. The biggest outfit, MK Enterprises, run by a cunning and remorseless brother and sister, Chairman Cha (Sul Kyung-gu) and Director Cha (Esom), even trains children as assassins through internships. The director Raine Allen-Millers debut feature, Rye Lane, is self-assured in a way that recent, by-the-numbers rom-coms from the likes of Netflix have shied away from. Whereas some films make the mistake of equating crowd-pleasing with generic, Allen-Miller brings us right into the heart of South London alongside her characters. Every detail of the film is full of specificity, even as the dreams and insecurities of its two leads are ubiquitous genre staples. The meet-cute, however, is decidedly 2023: Dom (David Jonsson), clearly upset over a recent breakup, goes to have a private cry in a restroom stall at his friends art gallery opening, only to realize with embarrassment that the facilities are gender-neutral. The woman who walks in on him, Yas (Vivian Oparah), tries to reassure him through the stall door to no avail, but she later recognizes Dom out on the gallery floor from his pink Converse. The twist? Dom doesnt recognize her voice. Before long, the two are bonding over the ways their respective exes wronged them Doms partner cheated on him with his best friend, and Yass boyfriend, a pretentious sculptor, kept her treasured A Tribe Called Quest LP after she walked out on him, even though he scoffs at hip-hop. Spurred by their mutual heartbreak, Dom and Yas end up racing around London together, by foot and by moped, looking to settle the scores of their old relationships and growing closer as a result. Rye Lane finds familiar footing in bespoke rom-coms of years past. Theres Dom and Yass symbolic color coordination his pink shoes match her shoulder bag that channels the red-and-blue outfit motifs found in Paul Thomas Andersons Punch-Drunk Love. And the whole structure of the two characters walking-and-talking their way through the neighborhood is an obvious nod to Richard Linklaters Before trilogy. But the film also takes cues from snappier sources, like the British cult hit Peep Show or even Edgar Wrights Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Wheres the tingle? might be the grouse come the end of Spinning Gold, a drama about Neil Bogart, the music-business impresario who founded Casablanca Records. Nearly every music biopic has a moment in which the dawn of a hit song stirs us anew. And while the executives often get their minute, they arent the main attraction. Not so with this movie, which was written and directed by Timothy Scott Bogart, a son of Neil Bogart. (The elder Bogart died of cancer in 1982, at 39.) Born and raised in Brooklyn, Neil Bogart started out singing pop, then landed a succession of indie-recording-company positions before opening Casablanca in 1973. The Broadway actor Jeremy Jordan has Bogarts cadence down as he recounts his life to an unseen listener. Everything is true, he promises. Even the parts that arent. The movie begins with Bogart visiting a church to convince the gospel great Edwin Hawkins that Oh Happy Day can be a hit. A choir claps and sways. The brawl at the beginning of Ursula Meiers The Line makes for a fitting start to a film about damage the kind that only family can cause. In operatic slow-motion, Margaret (Stephanie Blanchoud) assaults her mother, Christina (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi), banging her head against the keys of a grand piano. Relatives intervene, casting the aggressor out into the snowy backyard where shell remain, in a sense, throughout the rest of this emotionally probing French-language drama. How did it come to this? The simple answer is banal something to do with a mean comment Christina had made but the bigger picture fills out as Meier tracks Margarets efforts to reconnect with her family. He will be fingerprinted. He will be photographed. He may even be handcuffed. If he surrenders Tuesday, Donald J. Trump is expected to walk through the routine steps of felony arrest processing in New York now that a grand jury has indicted him in connection with his role in a hush-money payment to a porn star. But the unprecedented arrest of a former commander in chief will be anything but routine. Accommodations may be made for Mr. Trump. While it is standard for defendants arrested on felony charges to be handcuffed, it is unclear whether an exception will be made for a former president. Most defendants are cuffed behind their backs, but some white-collar defendants deemed to pose less danger have their hands secured in front of them. Mr. Trump will almost certainly be accompanied at every step from the moment he is taken into custody until his appearance before a judge in Lower Manhattans imposing Criminal Courts Building by armed agents of the U.S. Secret Service. They are required by law to protect him at all times. Security in the courthouse is provided by state court officers, with whom the Secret Service has worked in the past. But the chief spokesman for the federal agency, Anthony J. Guglielmi, said he could not comment on measures that would be put in place for Mr. Trump. For as long as the New York City subway has existed, thousands of station workers have been largely confined around the clock to cramped booths where, in recent years, they have had less and less to do. But starting Thursday, 20 years after the subway stopped using tokens, the transit workers who staff what many New Yorkers still call token booths have finally been set free. The roughly 2,300 station agents have begun a new role, walking around stations to help riders navigate the sprawling transit system and utilize OMNY, the fully digital tap-and-go payment screens that are replacing swipe readers for the yellow-and-blue MetroCard. For many New Yorkers, the token agent role was seen as increasingly obsolete; yet it had survived because of powerful unions that fought to protect the workers jobs. Subway users may have wondered what it was, exactly, that transit workers did from their 8-by-12-foot enclosures. Toivo Group Plc and the European Investment Bank (EIB) have signed a 60 million green loan to finance 19 development projects for high energy performance residential buildings. The agreement will support the construction of over 700 apartments in Finland, mainly in the Helsinki region but also in the Tampere and Turku regions. The projects will provide comfortable and energy-efficient small and medium-sized flats, which are in high demand in Finland. Residential properties with high energy efficiency standards are expected to make a significant contribution to the REPowerEU plan to end the European Union's dependence on fossil fuel imports, and to the collective goal of achieving net zero emissions. The financing of this operation supports the EIB's clean energy lending priority and complies with the energy efficiency criteria for new residential buildings in Finland. As a result, the agreement qualifies as a 100% climate action project in accordance with the EIB's current climate mitigation criteria for new buildings. Toivo Group Chief Executive Officer Markus Myllymaki said: "We are very pleased to be cooperating with the EIB for the first time, thanks to the company's expertise and many years of work in sustainable construction and energy efficiency. The EIB financing will enable us to implement a develop, build and own business model and, above all, help Europe to break away from fossil energy sources." EIB Vice-President Thomas Ostros said: "We are delighted to be cooperating with Toivo Group to develop new highly energy-efficient residential buildings in Finland. The project specifically targets the energy efficiency of buildings, which is a key priority under the European Green Deal, a key part of REPowerEU, and also one of the most effective ways to deal with the current energy crisis and to mitigate climate change." Background information About the European Investment Bank The EIB Group has adopted a Climate Bank Roadmap to deliver on its ambitious agenda to support 1 trillion of climate action and environmental sustainability investments in the decade to 2030 and to devote more than half of EIB finance to climate action and environmental sustainability by 2025. As part of the roadmap, all new EIB Group operations have been aligned with the goals and principles of the Paris Agreement since the start of 2021. About Toivo Toivo is a Finnish real estate company that was founded in 2015. Its business focuses on project development and the long-term ownership of apartments. The company's business model is unique as it combines the value chain of real estate business, from development and construction to ownership, management and rental of a completed property. Toivo manages the entire life cycle of properties with its own team, from raw land development to tenancy agreement negotiations and property maintenance. This way, Toivo is able to generate additional value for its customers, shareholders and stakeholders. Toivo's strategy is to develop properties in accordance with the Toivo concept. The aim is to generate a strong development margin and a stable and attractive return, and in this way enable long-term ownership and the generation of higher additional value for Toivo's customers. Toivo has a knowledgeable and experienced team of experts with strong backgrounds in the real estate business. The members of Toivo's team have been involved in the development and construction of over 17 000 apartments, and they have an average of ten years of experience in the real estate business. Toivo's revenue in 2022 was 20.3 million and its operating profit was 15.6 million. Contact Kristiina Randmaa k.randmaa@ext.eib.org +352 4379 - 72894 Press Office press@eib.org +352 4379 - 21000 Mr. de la Cruzs encounter with the police once again focused attention on how the city responds to New Yorkers in emotional distress. Activists and some lawmakers say the police should not be the first on the scene when someone is in the throes of a mental health crisis, because their presence, with their uniforms, weapons and sirens, can escalate situations that are already volatile. Last year, the police responded to about 171,000 calls about E.D.P.s emotionally disturbed people across the city, an increase from roughly 158,000 calls in 2021, according to department data. The practice of using the police to respond to such cases has come under scrutiny nationally, with some states expanding programs that pair police officers in unmarked cars without sirens with mental health counselors. But in New York City, officers are often still the first to arrive. The chain of events in the Bronx on Sunday began when Mr. de la Cruzs father, Santo de la Cruz, called 311 to get medical help for his son who is homeless and was showering at his house that morning after they got into an argument, as first reported by Gothamist. Image Raul de la Cruz, 42, remains hospitalized after being shot by the police. Ms. de la Cruz said her father had approached his son to talk about a disturbing video that the son had posted on Facebook, where he was shown yelling at police officers at a subway station. Donald J. Trump responded to the news that he had been indicted in a statement, calling the Manhattan grand jury vote political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history. Mr. Trumps statement echoed what has been an extraordinary and blistering effort to try to prevent the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, from indicting him. Still, it was remarkable in how aggressive it was against the prosecution, and a signal of what else may come. The Democrats have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to Get Trump, but now theyve done the unthinkable, he wrote. Indicting a completely innocent person. Despite my fears that I would become another Asian American name to add to those who seemingly qualified but were rejected by elite colleges, when the time came, in 2017, I applied to 12 schools. While I wasnt accepted by all of them, I did get into Yale, where I am now in my final year, majoring in American studies. I think of stories about upwardly mobile second-generation Asian Americans differently now, as the Supreme Court seems poised to dismantle race-based admissions policies. Those stories may be emblematic of the type of country we like to believe ourselves to be a place where anyone can work hard and succeed without the need to pull strings or call in favors. That is why it can seem so outrageous when the stories dont have a fairy-tale ending. But their appeal is based on a false premise: that if you reach certain achievements, youre entitled to admission to the elite college of your choice. No one is, me included. Focusing on the cherry-picked perfect students who didnt get into a particular school distracts us from the bigger issues namely, why these institutions still offer legacy admissions and give preferential treatment to the kids of major donors, why they get to act as gatekeepers for so many future opportunities, and how a history of systematic discrimination has hurt Black and brown people to the point that race-conscious admission policies ever became relevant. As Kevin Kumashiro, an educational policy expert and the former dean of the school of education at the University of San Francisco, has said, Too often were debating over access to an unjust system, rather than trying to change that system. One of the first things my first-year suitemates and I bonded over was the list of colleges with higher acceptance rates than Yale that rejected all of us (Im looking at you, Washington University in St. Louis). Elite colleges assemble their student bodies based on a wide range of priorities, and they turn away many students who are every bit as qualified as the ones they admit. Sometimes people are rejected from a school one year only to reapply and be admitted the next. The frustrating truth is theres an element of randomness to it and there always will be. As some readers of The Times may be aware, nearly 25 years ago I was briefly married to another columnist here, Bret Stephens. When my friends and family members had learned I was dating a conservative let alone thinking of marrying one they were stunned. How could an intensely partisan Democrat like me marry someone who described himself proudly! as very conservative? (But hes pro-choice and believes in gay marriage, I assured them.) Not surprisingly, Bret and I argued about politics intensely and often. At one point during the Clinton controversies of the 1990s, I remember screaming at him on a SoHo sidewalk, my face mottled with tears. How could someone I knew to be a good person possibly believe what he was saying, and why, dammit, must he make his points so cogently? After our divorce and back in my liberal province, I actually missed those intellectual battles. What better way to keep an open and sharp mind? Without someone in house to spar with, I found myself seeking political debate elsewhere. Unfortunately, many Americans and worryingly, many younger Americans are looking for it less frequently. In 1958, 33 percent of Democrats said they wanted their daughters to marry a Democrat, and 25 percent of Republicans said they wanted their daughters to marry a Republican. By 2016, 60 percent of Democrats and 63 percent of Republicans felt that way. By 2020, 43 percent of single Democrats said they probably or definitely wouldnt date someone Republican (compared with 24 percent of single Republicans who wouldnt date a Democrat). According to one study, only 21 percent of marriages today are politically mixed. Democrats are especially unlikely to have friends from across the political divide. Polls show that partisans on both sides view their opponents as closed-minded and immoral. When you dont know someone personally, its easier to assume the worst about him. And if you assume your opponent is immoral, you dont have to listen to him, because you think hes not worthy of charitable interpretation. But if you assume your political opponent is operating in good faith even if the person isnt a friend or significant other youll be inclined to hear him out. Students at Stanford Law School would do well for themselves to hear out their opponents. In the professional world, it wont be enough to deem their opponents evil and declare the battle won. They will be sitting across tables from their adversaries and trying to make persuasive arguments against them in courtrooms. Their success will depend on a mutual assumption of good faith from both sides and from the bench, where not only Judge Duncan but 53 percent of active federal appeals judges were appointed by Republican presidents. SHANGHAI I wore red underpants for much of last year. It was the Year of the Tiger, my Chinese zodiac sign, when tradition says that ill fortune will seek you out. Red underwear is supposed to keep you safe because Chinese demons supposedly fear the color red. It didnt work. It was a rough year. For most of 2022, we remained sealed off from the world by Chinas strict pandemic policy. Shanghai, my home for the past decade, endured a particularly traumatic Covid lockdown that kept us confined at home for two months starting in late March, scrambling to obtain groceries. While locked down, we found out that my wife, who is Chinese, was pregnant. It took a combination of bluster and desperate pleas to local officials to get us to a hospital for a prenatal checkup. When the lockdown ended last June, I emerged, blinking into the sunlight, to find that China had been transformed into Americas enemy. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was calling China a threat to universal values in language that made me think of the U.S. containment policy toward the former Soviet Union. The rhetoric has only hardened since then. Today China is labeled an existential threat to the United States; there is talk of a new cold war. Really? Must we wage a new cold war? From Shanghai, the idea seems absurd. The citys people are immersed in American culture, having grown up using iPhones, sipping Starbucks coffee, following the N.B.A. and polishing their colloquial English by watching Friends (theres even a Friends-themed cafe in Shanghai, designed to look like the sitcoms coffee shop, Central Perk). Over the past decade or so, corrections officials from several states have made pilgrimages to Europe Norway is a favorite destination to study a different philosophy of corrections. Obviously the United States is not Norway, a relatively homogeneous, oil-rich welfare state with an incarceration rate about one-tenth of ours. San Quentins roughly 3,000 inhabitants broadly match the population of all of Norways prisons put together. In contrast to the way most Americans understand the point of prison, to punish, to incapacitate criminals and to deter would-be offenders, progressive Europeans see a temporary loss of freedom not only as punishment for violating societys rules but also as an opportunity that should not be wasted. Prison officers are taught that their mission is to diagnose the factors that led to criminal behavior and equip offenders to be law-abiding members of society. Prisons are more like walled campuses than cages, inmates are expected to get themselves to jobs or classrooms on schedule, and prison staff are more like social workers than sentries. Homicide and recidivism rates are remarkably low. Several states, including Connecticut, Pennsylvania, North Dakota and Oregon, have launched experiments that borrow from European models emphasizing rehabilitation. These pilot programs have sometimes proved hard to sustain, let alone replicate, because staffing is more expensive, the original sponsors move on, budgets get cut and the innovators often encounter resistance from fear-mongering politicians and unions of corrections officers. San Quentin has proved to be fertile ground for reform. Because the prison is embedded in affluent, liberal Marin Country, and because it has had some progressive wardens, it is rich in programs. When I visited in 2016, the prison had about 3,700 inmates and 3,000 volunteers, offering everything from Shakespeare to yoga and parenting classes to a computer coding program aimed at servicing nearby Silicon Valley. Prisoners publish an award-winning newspaper and produce an irresistible podcast called Ear Hustle. Many American prisons, fearful of a political backlash if incarceration seems insufficiently punitive, offer at most some high school G.E.D. classes and manual labor training. San Quentin, attentive to the reality that upward of 90 percent of the incarcerated are eventually set free, endeavors to prepare its residents for a smooth re-entry to society. Last year its academic program became an accredited, degree-awarding junior college behind bars, Mt. Tamalpais College, the first of its kind in the country. Only this will ensure that he does not try them again. Sidney Weissman Highland Park, Ill. To the Editor: Folks, be careful what you wish for. Yes, the evidence is compelling that Donald Trump paid hush money to silence Stormy Daniels. But lets be pragmatic. The worst transgression that Mr. Trump committed was against his wife, who bears the deep and endless scars of humiliation. And if the D.A. decides to test the uncharted waters by linking the Stormy Daniels payoff to election violations, he not only enrages Mr. Trumps base but also sets himself up for failure. Why then provoke Mr. Trumps legion with a spark to cause mayhem when more damaging charges against Mr. Trump are under review? Howard Quinn Bronx To the Editor: Without in any way minimizing or discounting the politics surrounding an indictment, what I find really galling is that an indictment of Donald Trump, whether in New York or Georgia, will provide him with yet another opportunity to raise funds from his benighted constituency. Lawrence Weisman Westport, Conn. To the Editor: Most major, non-right-wing media in this country, publicly and privately, have been asking themselves for years about Donald Trump: How does he get away with this stuff? Seeing a man with no experience in government and no clearly demonstrated ability to lead the government and the public beyond his core supporters, we wondered: When will the shoe drop? To achieve what Mr. Reagan did, a presidential nominee today would most likely have to break with some aspects of his or her partys orthodoxy, taking stances that would surprise and appeal to voters they have failed to win over before. A project like this has already begun in some corners of the right. Stung by losing the popular vote in the past four presidential contests (and seven of the past eight), a growing number of Republicans now lambaste corporate power in tones that would have shocked Mr. Reagan and his allies in the Chamber of Commerce. Big business is no friend to conservatives thats been clear for years, Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri recently charged. And its increasingly no friend to America. The influential right-leaning magazine Compact has published articles opposing abortion and transgender rights, as well as pieces endorsing unions in language Bernie Sanders would appreciate. If enough working-class voters across racial lines are happy with this blend of cultural conservatism and economic populism, the G.O.P. might be able to secure a majority again. To accomplish the same, Democrats might have to emphasize a tougher stand on curbing violent crime, an issue that greatly concerns working-class voters of all races. But to do so would estrange progressives, who have increasing clout in the party. So Mr. Biden may have to rely on scaring both Democratic loyalists and independents about the dangers posed to the nation if they fail and the Republicans take back the White House and the Senate. Violence by supporters of Donald Trump following a possible indictment in New York City and perhaps elsewhere would help them make that case, as would Republican candidates around the nation afraid of saying anything to anger the ex-presidents zealous admirers. Would this be enough to bring about a new era in American politics? Probably not. But it could allow Democrats to bind their opponents to the legacy of a failed and unpopular figure as their New Deal predecessors once did to Herbert Hoover. History has few true lessons to teach, but attention should be paid to continuities. The Civil War and two of the longest depressions in U.S. history caused immense pain and left their mark on the nation for years to come. The partisan politicians and social movements that best explained why a crisis took place and compelled the government to respond to it effectively were able to define the next political era, whether for good or for ill. The 2024 election will provide a good test of which partys leaders, if any, are equipped for that challenge. If you know one thing about Swedens pandemic, it is almost certainly that the country followed a radical, contrarian public health path. Its hands-off approach to Covid-19 mitigation no stay-at-home orders to begin with, and no mask mandates later on was one that many on the pandemic left quickly derided as sadistic public policy and many on the pandemic right praised as enlightened. That was the story three years ago, and although the terms of the debate have been somewhat frozen in time since, the argument has been burning again. In recent weeks, the former state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell, the architect of the Swedish response, has been taking a sort of victory lap through the media. Norways top epidemiologist has expressed support bordering on envy, and on social media those who believe the pandemic response went overboard have been excitedly sharing charts purporting to show that Sweden won the pandemic in theory, a vindication for public health libertarianism. But as with so much in this pandemic, our narratives are blinding us as much as they help us to see. Earlier this month, I wrote about the ways in which American discourse about the initial pandemic response has been shifting toward a new consensus that the country did too much an unsettling response given the death toll, one that treats the million-plus dead almost as an afterthought (or perhaps a totally independent variable). In 2023, when Americans talk about the range of possible approaches, they still invariably refer to two countries as conceptual anchors: China and Sweden. In that previous newsletter, I wrote about how our hardening narrative about Chinas pandemic disaster has drifted away from reality however unhappy or uncomfortable it would have been for most Americans to live through zero Covid in Shanghai, by every concrete measure the country outperformed the United States overall, making our objections more political than epidemiological in nature. The same type of confusion applies to Sweden. You may think of the country as the pandemics libertarian poster child, which is how the countrys leaders have described their course as well. But three years on it is hard to treat Sweden as an exceptional example of anything, because overall, compared to its neighbors and peer countries, it has in fact had a remarkably average pandemic. There is almost no evidence anywhere in the abundant data of any extreme or unusual policy response not in the countrys mortality figures, not in its economic trajectories, and not in the squishier set of metrics we might use to estimate effects on quality of life and indeed human flourishing. At the beginning of the pandemic, Sweden boldly set off on its own, global public health consensus be damned. Three years on, it looks like just another member of the same pandemic pack. How can that be? For the first time in American history, a grand jury has indicted a former president of the United States, The Times reported on Thursday. Donald Trump spent years as a candidate, in office and out of office, ignoring democratic and legal norms and precedents, trying to bend the Justice Department and the judiciary to his whims and behaving as if rules didnt apply to him. As the news of the indictment shows, they do. A pattern of disregard for the law often leads to a criminal indictment, and that is the outcome Mr. Trump now faces. Federal and state prosecutors were right to set aside concerns about political fallout, or reverence for the presidency, and initiate thorough criminal investigations of Mr. Trumps conduct in at least four instances. The investigation by the Manhattan district attorney is the first known to result in an indictment. Mr. Trump completely transformed the relationship between the presidency and the rule of law, often asserting that a president was above the law. So it is appropriate that his actions as president and as a candidate should now be formally weighed by judges and juries, with the possibility of criminal penalties on the line. Mr. Trump badly damaged Americas political and legal institutions and threatened them again with calls for widespread protests once he is indicted. But those institutions have proved to be strong enough to hold him accountable for that harm. A healthy respect for the legal system also requires Americans to set aside their politics when forming judgments on these cases. While Mr. Trump routinely called for his enemies to be investigated by the F.B.I., to be indicted or to face the death penalty, his indifference to due process for others shouldnt deny him the systems benefits, including a fair trial and the presumption of innocence. At the same time, no jury should extend to him any special privileges as a former president. He should have to follow the same procedures as any other citizen. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today (March 29) announced the Phase One winners of the FLoating Offshore Wind ReadINess (FLOWIN) Prize, a first-of-its-kind competition to tackle the floating offshore wind energy industry's biggest supply chains challenges. About two-thirds of the nation's offshore wind resource potential is in areas with water depths over 60 meters, where floating offshore wind turbines are more practical and cost effective than fixed-bottom turbines. The three-phase competition, which is open to floating wind platform designers, fabricators, and project site developers, aims to bridge manufacturing and logistics gaps to help meet the Biden administration's goals to reduce the cost of floating offshore wind by 70% and deploy 15 gigawatts by 2035. "The winning teams all demonstrated designs that are realistic and represent progress toward wide-scale, domestic floating offshore wind energy manufacturing and deployment in the United States," said Alejandro Moreno, Acting Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. "They help lay the foundation for a thriving domestic offshore wind energy industry, which can provide clean, renewable energy to millions of American households, support good paying jobs, and revitalize port communities." Each Phase One winner will receive $100,000 cash and $75,000 in vouchers for technical support provided by DOE national laboratories. In total, the FLOWIN Prize has a cash pool of $5.85 million, plus up to $1.175 million in technical support. The nine winners of Phase One, which focused on determining critical manufacturing and supply chain challenges to the commercialization of floating turbine technology, are the following: Aikido Technologies (San Francisco, California): The Aikido design is a steel semi-submersible floating platform made of steel tubes that can be manufactured at tower facilities. The platform design offers a streamlined installation process because it can be transported in a unique, horizontal configuration and requires no welding during the final assembly process. The Aikido design is a steel semi-submersible floating platform made of steel tubes that can be manufactured at tower facilities. The platform design offers a streamlined installation process because it can be transported in a unique, horizontal configuration and requires no welding during the final assembly process. Beridi USA (Spanish Fork, Utah): Beridi's Triwind is a concrete-based floating platform that uses damping pools and buoyancy chambers to provide superior stability, limiting fatigue loading. The platform can be mass-manufactured at existing sea ports to provide cost savings. Beridi's Triwind is a concrete-based floating platform that uses damping pools and buoyancy chambers to provide superior stability, limiting fatigue loading. The platform can be mass-manufactured at existing sea ports to provide cost savings. FloatHOME (Emeryville, California): FloatHOME's triangular platform, WindFloat, now in its fourth generation, provides deep-water stability through unique design features, including a damping system to absorb wave excitation movement. This platform has been fully modularized to enable differing execution plan options, allowing for streamlined manufacturing and adaptable installation. FloatHOME's triangular platform, WindFloat, now in its fourth generation, provides deep-water stability through unique design features, including a damping system to absorb wave excitation movement. This platform has been fully modularized to enable differing execution plan options, allowing for streamlined manufacturing and adaptable installation. OCG-Wind Full Cycle (Oakland, California): By prefabricating necessary parts, OCG-Wind Full Cycle can be quickly assembled near the site of an offshore wind farm. The light-weight four-column semi-submersible floating platform design uses simple, slender components engineered for any wind turbine, making it customizable and ready for large-scale deployment. By prefabricating necessary parts, OCG-Wind Full Cycle can be quickly assembled near the site of an offshore wind farm. The light-weight four-column semi-submersible floating platform design uses simple, slender components engineered for any wind turbine, making it customizable and ready for large-scale deployment. PelaStar (Seattle, Washington): PelaStar's floating platform is a light-weight tension leg-platform design that minimizes environmental impacts while maintaining cost savings as well as manufacturing and installation flexibility. PelaStar's floating platform is a light-weight tension leg-platform design that minimizes environmental impacts while maintaining cost savings as well as manufacturing and installation flexibility. Technip Energies (Houston, Texas): Technip Energies' INO15 design is a semi-submersible, three-column floating platform. This design can be assembled at ports at low cost and is robust enough to withstand harsh operating environments. Technip Energies' INO15 design is a semi-submersible, three-column floating platform. This design can be assembled at ports at low cost and is robust enough to withstand harsh operating environments. Tetra Triple-One (Boston, Massachusetts): The Tetra Triple-One floating platform uses a building-block arrangement, which involves fully producing the parts needed in an industrialized manufacturing environment and then transporting them to the assembly site. This makes port-side construction possible for a range of platform configurations, turbine sizes, and site conditions. The Tetra Triple-One floating platform uses a building-block arrangement, which involves fully producing the parts needed in an industrialized manufacturing environment and then transporting them to the assembly site. This makes port-side construction possible for a range of platform configurations, turbine sizes, and site conditions. VolturnUS+ Domestically Produced Concrete Hull (Orono, Maine): This team focused on a simplified geometry for their concrete floating platform design, VolturnUS+. With a smaller hull compared to traditional semisubmersibles, the design streamlines construction and deployment processes and reduces costs. This team focused on a simplified geometry for their concrete floating platform design, VolturnUS+. With a smaller hull compared to traditional semisubmersibles, the design streamlines construction and deployment processes and reduces costs. WHEEL U.S. (Coral Gables, Florida): Incorporating tanks for buoyancy and balance, the ultra-stable WHEEL floating platform design can temporarily act as a barge platform, allowing it to be assembled with the wind turbine near shore and towed to sea. It is compact in size to reduce both costs and carbon footprint. Winners from Phase One are eligible to move into the second phase of the competition, in which each team will develop a pathway for mass manufacturing and deployment of its floating offshore wind energy substructure design. Phase Two will have up to five winners, each receiving $450,000 in cash and a technical services voucher valued at $100,000. The competing teams will be judged on their progress in developing a plan for mass manufacturing and deployment of gigawatt-scale, floating offshore wind energy farms. The first-ever prize funded by DOE's Wind Energy Technologies Office, the FLOWIN Prize launched in September 2022 in support of the interagency Floating Offshore Wind Shot. The prize is administered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in partnership with the Business Network for Offshore Wind. In 2011, as tens of thousands of left-leaning demonstrators occupied the Wisconsin state capitol to protest a new bill gutting public employee unions, a prank caller posing as the right-wing billionaire David Koch got the Wisconsin governor, Scott Walker, on the phone. Just two years after Barack Obama won Wisconsin by 14 points, Walker had been swept into office by the Tea Party wave. He saw the anti-union law, Act 10, as his chance to follow in the footsteps of his idol, Ronald Reagan, whod fired over 11,000 striking air traffic controllers in 1981, a devastating blow to the labor movement. Republican governors nationwide, Walker boasted, would follow his lead. This is our moment, he told the man he thought was Koch. In addition to eviscerating unions, Act 10 was designed to undermine the Democratic Party that depended on them. If similar bills were enacted in a dozen more states, wrote the right-wing activist Grover Norquist, the modern Democratic Party will cease to be a competitive power in American politics. Pro-union forces in Wisconsin tried hard to fight back. Democratic legislators fled the state to deny Republicans a quorum. Students walked out of schools and teachers held sickouts. People camped at the capitol for almost three weeks, with sympathizers around the world sending them pizzas. As demonstrations spread to other states, The New York Times drew comparisons to the Arab Spring, asking if Wisconsin was the Tunisia of collective bargaining rights. But Republicans jammed the law through, and Wisconsins hard right turn was underway. Walker and his party would go on to lock in G.O.P. rule, enacting shockingly lopsided electoral maps and assuring continuing Republican control of the State Legislature, as well as dominance of Wisconsins national congressional delegation. Nothing since, not even the election of a Democratic governor, has been able to loosen Republicans gerrymandered grip on the state. That grip has been used to restrict voting rights, pass an anti-union right-to-work law, cut funding to education, dismantle environmental protections and make Wisconsin one of the hardest states in the country in which to cast a ballot. Democrats, on the other hand, are powerless to pass laws of their own. In 2022, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled, 4 to 3, that the state must adopt new, even more gerrymandered maps passed by the legislature. As Craig Gilbert wrote in The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, under those maps, to win a bare majority in the Assembly, Democrats would have to win the statewide popular vote by double digits. The Wisconsin Democratic representative Mark Pocan put it this way: For Democrats to win a majority in the legislature, The Republican Party would have to come out and say were now the party of the Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings. Over his 15-year career, the artist and creative director Ryder Ripps has built websites for the likes of Kanye West, who is now known as Ye, and Kenzo, designed album covers for musicians such as Grimes and Pop Smoke, and shown his work in respected New York galleries. But across mediums, what he does never entirely changes. He finds things online and repurposes them. Its gotten him in hot water before but never sued, until recently. Last spring, Mr. Ripps created a series of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that looked exactly like Bored Apes the digital tokens that were hyped in 2021 and 2022 by celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow and Stephen Curry. Then he named them after himself and sold them. It was the culmination of a monthslong campaign raising awareness about what he says is ripped-from-4chan offensive imagery in the Bored Apes, as well as the artistic vacancy in the speculative world of NFTs. Its not just corny, Mr. Ripps said of the Bored Apes. Its morally wrong. Whether Mr. Ripps had committed an act of creative reuse or the theft of intellectual property is, like so much contemporary art, a matter of interpretation. Mr. Ripps, whose career reached a surreal apex in 2018, when he worked as Yes creative factotum, has a reputation as an inveterate self-promoter and shameless appropriator who channels the absurd currents and nasty impulses of digital culture. He has covered a model of the Twin Towers in images of memes and celebrities, sold an NFT featuring an audio file of him and the rapper Azealia Banks having sex, and fabricated an 18-karat gold medallion of Pepe, the cartoon frog that was adopted as an internet hate symbol. Elon Musk tried engaging with the Federal Trade Commission as the agency intensified an investigation into Twitters privacy and data practices, according to documents reviewed by The New York Times, in a sign of the billionaires hands-on approach to the inquiry. Mr. Musk, who owns Twitter, asked to meet with Lina Khan, the F.T.C.s chair, but was rebuffed, according to the documents. Mr. Musk made the attempt late last year, a person with knowledge of the matter said. In a Jan. 27 letter declining the meeting, Ms. Khan told a Twitter lawyer to focus on complying with investigators demands for information before she would consider meeting with Mr. Musk. Mr. Musk spoke last month with the F.T.C.s lone Republican commissioner, Christine Wilson, according to an email between the agencys staff members and two people with knowledge of the matter. Ms. Wilson plans to leave the agency on Friday over what she has said are concerns about Ms. Khans leadership. Mr. Musks outreach to the F.T.C. points to the gravity of the agencys inquiry into Twitter. The investigation is focused on whether the social media company has adequate resources to protect its users privacy after Mr. Musk bought it last year and then laid off thousands of employees. The agency has separately sought to interview Mr. Musk for the investigation; the interview has not occurred, a person with knowledge of the matter said. A brain wave reader that can detect lies. Miniaturized cameras that sit inside vape pens and disposable coffee cups. Massive video cameras that zoom in more than a kilometer to capture faces and license plates. At a police conference in Dubai in March, new technologies for the security forces of the future were up for sale. Far from the eyes of the general public, the event provided a rare look at what tools are now available to law enforcement around the world: better and harder-to-detect surveillance, facial recognition software that automatically tracks individuals across cities and computers to break into phones. Advances in artificial intelligence, drones and facial recognition have created an increasingly global police surveillance business. Israeli hacking software, American investigation tools and Chinese computer vision algorithms can all be bought and mixed together to make a snooping cocktail of startling effectiveness. Fueled by a surge of spending from Middle Eastern countries such as the United Arab Emirates the conferences host and an aggressive adopter of next-generation security technologies the event pointed to how tools of mass surveillance once believed to be widespread only in China are proliferating. The rising use of the technologies signals an era of policing based as much on software, data and code as on officers and weaponry, raising questions about the effects on peoples privacy and how political power is wielded. Hidden in the bowels of an unmarked building, set well back from the fighting, a command center directing operations in the city of Bakhmut was high-tech and humming. Soldiers monitored video screens with live feeds of destroyed buildings and a cratered battlefield. Six weeks after coming to help defend Bakhmut, the men of the Adam Tactical Group, one of Ukraines most effective battle units, were quietly confident they had turned the tide against Russian troops trying to encircle and capture it. The enemy exhausted all its reserves, the commander, Col. Yevhen Mezhevikin, 40, said on Tuesday, straddling a chair as artillery, air defense and intelligence-gathering teams worked around him. Through wave after wave of Russian assault and tenacious Ukrainian defense, Bakhmut has, over eight months, become a central battlefield of Russias invasion despite limited strategic significance. For others, the declines slowed somewhat. Los Angeles County lost 90,000 residents in 2022, compared with a loss of 180,000 in 2021. Brooklyns population fell by 47,000, after falling by 82,000 in 2021. Fulton County, which includes Atlanta, gained 12,000 residents after losing 7,000 the year before. Many of the newcomers were drawn to big cities with more liberal immigration laws and longstanding immigrant enclaves. Theodore Moore, vice president at the New York Immigration Coalition, greeted asylum seekers at the Port Authority Bus Terminal last summer, after they were bused north by Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas. Mr. Moores organization estimates that 50,000 migrants arrived in the New York metro area last year, from countries such as Venezuela, Colombia, Haiti and Cameroon, largely seeking asylum. The coalition estimates that another 20,000 Ukrainian refugees fled to New York. Historically, immigration has been central to growth for the nations big cities, which have long experienced outflows of residents each year. These more recent immigrants are less likely to have family ties in the New York area, and are struggling to find affordable housing and to gain work authorization, Mr. Moore said. As a result, many are working off the books, as farm hands, construction workers or street vendors, he noted, whether in the city or in rural regions of the state. And many are living in homeless shelters, which are at capacity. Mayor Eric Adams has moved to convert hotels, office buildings and other structures into temporary housing. All of the soldiers on the two helicopters four on one and five on the other were killed, General Lubas said. He declined to provide details about any of the soldiers until their families had been notified. This is a truly tragic loss for our families, our division and Fort Campbell, he said. Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky said during the news conference that it was a tragic day for Kentucky and for Fort Campbell. We must remember that that freedom relies on those who are willing to serve, some of which pay the ultimate price, Mr. Beshear said. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said he would work with Army leaders to make sure our troops and their families receive the care that they need in the wake of this accident. BRASILIA Jair Bolsonaro, the former right-wing president of Brazil, returned home on Thursday morning after a three-month self-imposed exile in the United States following his defeat last year in an election that tested the stability of one of the worlds biggest democracies. He returns to a series of investigations and could face arrest if charged over his role in spreading baseless claims that Brazils election system was vulnerable to fraud despite reviews by independent security experts showing otherwise and that the left was bent on stealing the vote. In January, Brazils Supreme Court said it would investigate Mr. Bolsonaro for inspiring the far-right mob that invaded and ransacked the countrys Congress, Supreme Court and presidential offices on Jan. 8, underscoring that the former leader could soon face legal consequences for an extremist movement he helped build. Not long after his arrival on Thursday, in his first interview with a news outlet back in Brazil, Mr. Bolsonaro defended his supporters and echoed a new theory that has gained traction with his allies despite lacking evidence, suggesting that acts of violence during the January riots were not perpetrated by his followers. The Christmas trees, twinkling lights, and red and green streamers were up, and the main street was lined with tents selling sausages and popcorn, as horse-drawn carts clopped by. It looked like a typical Christmas festival street scene except it was February. Every year, Quinamayo, a town of about 6,000 in southwestern Colombia, observes a tradition that dates back to the era of slavery and has persisted as a way to turn a history of oppression and suffering into a celebration of joy. In the early 1800s, the towns Afro-Colombian population was enslaved and forced to work through December, attending to slaveholders holiday festivities. So Christmas was celebrated 40 days after the traditional birth date of Jesus the amount of time that the Virgin Mary is said to have rested after delivery, and right after the end of harvest season. MEXICO CITY Mexican officials said on Thursday that they had arrested five people for their role in the fire in a Ciudad Juarez migrant detention center that killed at least 39 people. The authorities did not name the suspects who had been apprehended, but said arrest warrants had been obtained for three government migration officials, two private security workers and a migrant accused of starting the blaze. The sixth person charged had not yet been taken into custody. Officials said on Wednesday they were investigating the fire as a homicide case, saying that some of those responsible, including federal and state agents, had failed to allow the migrants to escape. They did not disclose the charges against those accused in the case. The fire broke out Monday night, when a group of detained migrants set mattresses ablaze because they feared they were going to be deported, Mexican officials said. ELKO Crashes that closed Interstate 80 west of Carlin for several hours Wednesday resulted in injuries, a diesel spill and a fire, according to the Eureka County Sheriffs Office. When deputies arrived at Emigrant Summit they found two semi trucks blocking westbound lanes. There were at least three additional crashes which occurred after this crash, stated the sheriffs office. Multiple people were transported from the scene to the Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital for their injuries. The initial crash caused a fuel spill from one of the trucks, and more than 25 gallons of diesel poured onto the highway and into a water catch basin. The sheriffs office and Nevada State Police had to shut down the eastbound lanes in order to shuttle emergency vehicles, tow trucks and Nevada Department of Transportation to the scene. As the tow trucks were attempting to get the semi rigs removed, one of them started a small fire, which was put out by personnel on the scene. I-80 was closed for several hours due to the extensive nature of the crashes. Thank you everyone today for your patience and understanding, said Sheriff Jesse Watts. We truly appreciate it. Crashes causing injuries or damage have been frequent throughout northeastern Nevada in recent months as round after round of wintry weather has created adverse driving conditions. Eureka had a record .68 of an inch of precipitation on Wednesday, beating the old record of .36 of an inch, according to the National Weather Service. Winnemucca received a record 4.6 inches of snow, topping the previous record of 0.9 inches set in 1984. Dry weather is forecast for Friday and Saturday, followed by another chance of rain and snow beginning Sunday and continuing into next week. The last lunch for the last president of Afghanistan was vegetable fritters, salad and steamed broccoli. Nasrullah, the head chef at the presidential palace in Kabul, fried the fritters and steamed the vegetable himself. He tasted it all to make sure it was good it was, although steamed broccoli has a limited range of gastronomic possibility and to prove that no poison had infiltrated President Ashraf Ghanis food. The precaution was unnecessary. The broccoli and other lunchbox dishes went uneaten that day, Aug. 15, 2021, as the Afghan capital suddenly fell and the Taliban walked in. Mr. Ghani had fled Afghanistan already. Part of an ethnic group unfavored by the Taliban, Mr. Nasrullah was demoted to vegetable scrubber at the palace. His skills coaxing sweetness out of onions and carrots sauteed in sesame oil, of building layers of flavor with raisins and a variety of spices for the favorite lamb and rice dish of another Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, are wasted these days. His new bosses, he said, come from the countryside. They prefer their meat unadorned. At least 35 people were killed on Thursday when they plunged into a well after its cover collapsed inside a packed temple in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, local officials said. Rescue workers pulled 14 people from the well and were trying to help others who were trapped and injured, Ilayaraja T, a local official, said on Friday. The well is a stair-lined communal water source under the floor at the Shri Bileshwar Mahadev Jhulelal Temple in the city of Indore. Water was being pumped out to help the rescue process. The temple, and many others all around India, was full of devotees celebrating the Hindu festival of Ram Navami, the birthday of Lord Ram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences to families on Twitter, saying he was extremely pained by the mishap in Indore. When Rick Rodriguezs sailboat collided with a whale in the middle of the Pacific Ocean earlier this month, it sank within about 15 minutes. But not before he and his three fellow mariners had escaped with essential supplies and cutting-edge communications gear. One was a pocket-size satellite device that allowed Mr. Rodriguez to call his brother, who was thousands of miles away on land, from a life raft. That call would set in motion a successful rescue effort by other sailors in the area who had satellite internet access on their boats. Technology saved our lives, Mr. Rodriguez later wrote in an account that he typed on his iPhone from the sailboat that had rescued him and his crew. People involved in the roughly nine-hour rescue say it illustrates how newer satellite technologies, especially Starlink internet systems, operated by the rocket company SpaceX since 2019, have dramatically improved emergency communication options for sailors stranded at sea and the people trying to find them. OTTAWA Poor police command and communication, confusion and rigid thinking among officers contributed to the death toll in Canadas worst mass shooting a 13-hour rampage in April 2020 in rural Nova Scotia by a man disguised as a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer that left 23 people dead, including the shooter, a public inquiry found on Thursday. Among other missteps, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, a federal force, dismissed eyewitness reports that an armed man was driving what looked like an authentic police vehicle and chose not to transmit emergency warnings to local residents on their cellphones, according to the commission that held the inquiry. Individual police officers did the best they could. But the system, the systemic problems were very real, J. Michael MacDonald, a retired chief justice of Nova Scotia who headed the commission, said in an interview. What does it take to make Canadians and Nova Scotians safe? That requires a reimagining of the role of policing. Michael Duheme, the interim commissioner of the mounted police, said the force had already established a group to look at the inquirys recommendations. GENEVA Four bankers have been convicted of failing to conduct due diligence on Swiss accounts that were opened in the name of a musician with close ties to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and used to make deposits worth tens of millions of dollars. The bankers, who led the Swiss unit of the Russian lender Gazprombank, helped to move millions of Swiss francs through two accounts opened for the musician, Sergei P. Roldugin, a concert cellist nicknamed Putins wallet, from 2014 to 2016. The bankers denied the charges. A court in Zurich on Thursday handed the four bankers, including three Russians and one Swiss citizen, suspended seven-month jail sentences with two years probation. They cannot be identified for legal reasons. The judge also imposed fines amounting to 540,000 Swiss francs, about $590,000, for one of the bankers, the chief executive of Gazprombanks Swiss subsidiary, and lesser financial penalties for his colleagues. Mr. Roldugin is a longstanding friend of Mr. Putin and godfather to his eldest daughter. The accounts opened in his name indicated he had assets of at least $50 million and received income of over $8 million a year, the indictment said. President Emmanuel Macron of France wanted to talk about water. I am here to move forward on a crucial topic, Mr. Macron told a cluster of reporters on Thursday in Savines-le-Lac, a town in the French Alps on the banks of one of Europes biggest freshwater reservoirs. He was about to announce sweeping government plans to improve water conservation after one of Frances driest winters on record. But his trading the agitated, trash-filled streets of Paris for fresh alpine air and a scenic backdrop of snow-capped mountains was not enough to escape the publics anger against him over his new pension law. An audible hubbub in the distance from several hundred protesters held back by scores of police officers but chanting and whistling loudly showed that while Mr. Macron considered his law a nearly done deal, many in France did not. It was the French presidents first domestic trip in weeks, announced at the last minute amid ongoing protests over his decision to raise the legal retirement age to 64 from 62 by bypassing a full vote in Parliament. Latest news: The pope was discharged on Saturday from a hospital in Rome after a three-day stay. Pope Francis is feeling better and gradually improving after he was unexpectedly hospitalized for a respiratory infection, the Vatican said on Thursday, although it was not clear whether he would be discharged in time for the start of Easter-related ceremonies. Few details were available about the condition of the pope, who is 86, but the Vatican added that he slept well during the night, ate breakfast, read some newspapers and resumed working. He also prayed in the small chapel inside the papal private hospital suite, suggesting that he was able to move from his bed. On Thursday evening, the Vatican said that doctors had determined Francis was suffering from an infective bronchitis, requiring infusions of antibiotics. The treatment had produced the waited results with a clear improvement of his health conditions, the statement said, adding that the pope could be discharged in the coming days. Cameras and reporters were stationed outside the Policlinico A. Gemelli hospital in Rome, where popes usually receive medical treatment, as global news media outlets waited for updates about his condition. The Russian authorities said on Thursday that they had detained an American journalist for The Wall Street Journal and accused him of espionage, marking a new escalation in Moscows tensions with the United States and with foreign media organizations since its invasion of Ukraine. The journalist, Evan Gershkovich, a correspondent based in Moscow, is believed to be the first American reporter to be held as an accused spy in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union. His detention comes as relations between Russia and the United States continue to deteriorate, with Washington leading a coalition of nations supporting Ukraines military defense and pushing for Moscows further diplomatic and economic isolation. The Russian Federal Security Service, or F.S.B., said in a statement that Mr. Gershkovich is suspected of spying in the interests of the American government and had been detained in Yekaterinburg, a city about 900 miles east of Moscow in the Ural Mountains. Hours later, the Kremlin endorsed Mr. Gershkovichs arrest. Were not talking about suspicions, Dmitri S. Peskov, spokesman for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, said, adding, He was caught red-handed. Mr. Peskov said he could not provide further details. No power, no lights, no water, no heat. In Ukraine over the past year, waves of Russian missiles have assailed the nations infrastructure, leading to daily struggles for civilians and to months of frantic repairs to keep the electricity flowing. An American satellite has revealed this darkening of the entire nation, creating a vivid companion to portraits of its peoples misery and perseverance. The satellites images of city lights flickering out across Ukraine drive home the magnitude of the humanitarian disaster in a way thats otherwise difficult to imagine. The satellite, launched in 2011, has powerful night vision thats equal to or better than anything the human eye can see in the dark. The dimming of particular cities is thus clearly visible from 500 miles up and presents a grim contrast to Ukraines brightly lit neighbors, such as Poland and Russia. Therere huge blackouts, said Eleanor Stokes, a lead scientist in NASAs Black Marble project, which processes the nighttime imagery. It gets depressing. The Biden administration said on Thursday that it was imposing sanctions on a Slovakian national accused of trying to broker a weapons deal between Russia and North Korea. The sanctions against the Slovakian, Ashot Mkrtychev, were announced hours after Russia detained a Wall Street Journal reporter on accusations of espionage, and are part of a series of attempts by the United States to block Moscows access to weapons as its invasion of Ukraine continues. John F. Kirby, a White House spokesman, told reporters on Thursday that Mr. Mkrtychev was working with support of Russian officials to broker a secret agreement with Pyongyang, and said that doing so would violate several United Nations Security Council resolutions. As part of this proposed deal, Russia would receive over two dozen kinds of weapons and munitions from Pyongyang, Mr. Kirby said. We also understand that Russia is seeking to send a delegation in North Korea and that Russia is offering North Korea food in exchange for munitions. The Vatican formally repudiated on Thursday the Doctrine of Discovery, a legal concept based on 15th-century papal documents that European colonial powers used to legitimize the seizure and exploitation of Indigenous lands in Africa and the Americas, among other places. The decision comes after decades of demands from Indigenous people to rescind the doctrine, which was used for centuries to expropriate Indigenous lands and facilitate their transfer to colonizing or dominating nations, according to one United Nations forum. The Roman Catholic Church repudiates those concepts that fail to recognize the inherent human rights of Indigenous peoples, including what has become known as the legal and political Doctrine of Discovery, a joint statement from the Vaticans development and education offices said. The doctrine is not part of the teaching of the Catholic Church, it said, and the documents in question have never been considered expressions of the Catholic faith. Demands that the doctrine be discredited grew last summer when Pope Francis, the first pope from Latin America, visited Canada to apologize to Indigenous communities for the churchs role in the countrys notorious residential school system, where thousands of Indigenous children were physically and sexually abused, and in some cases, died. Suspected unmarked graves are still being found. JERUSALEM He was technically fired on Sunday night, prompting a surge of unrest that a day later led the Israeli government to suspend its deeply contentious judicial overhaul. Yet on Thursday, Yoav Gallant, the defense minister who was punished for criticizing the changes, was still in his position. Though the government announced his dismissal in a one-line statement on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu still has not sent him a letter formally confirming his departure, the Defense Ministry said. In the meantime, Mr. Gallant has been continuing the job: approving military missions, meeting with officials from Israels domestic intelligence agency, inspecting a military dog unit, greeting a visiting Azerbaijani minister and, on Tuesday, holding a security update with Mr. Netanyahu and other military and intelligence leaders, according to three officials who requested anonymity in order to speak freely. A spokesman for the prime minister said on Thursday afternoon that no decision had been made on Mr. Gallants future, declining to comment further. Two U.S. F-15E fighter jets retaliated later that day by launching airstrikes against militant sites linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, a powerful branch of Irans military. General Ryder said eight militants were killed in that strike. The next day, Iranian-backed militias launched a volley of rocket and drone attacks that injured another American. U.S. warplanes were poised to conduct a second round of reprisal strikes late Friday, but a senior U.S. official has said the White House decided to hold off. The United States has more than 900 troops, and hundreds more contractors, in Syria, working with Kurdish fighters to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State, which was ostensibly defeated as a caliphate in 2019 after a violent five-year campaign across Iraq and Syria. With the Biden administrations focus shifting to Russias invasion of Ukraine and a potential future conflict with China, the counter-Islamic State military mission in Syria has become something of a back-burner issue. The mission has received greater attention only when Iranian-backed militias or Islamic State militants have attacked the U.S. troops who rotate in and out across a handful of bases there. For the Biden administration, it is a balancing act. President Biden has made clear that he has no interest in continuing the so-called forever wars that were part of the national psyche for the first 20 years of this century. He withdrew American troops from Afghanistan in 2021, and has kept them out of Ukraine, while instructing Pentagon planners to focus on Asia and the potential for great-power conflicts with Russia and China. In the early months of 2023, the United States has gotten no reprieve from its epidemic of mass shootings. Some happen in public places, bringing terror to the spaces Americans pass through every day, while others happen behind the closed doors of a home. Some are motivated by personal grievances, while others are terrifyingly random. Some capture widespread attention, while others are barely noticed outside the local area. There is no consensus on what constitutes a mass shooting; different groups define it differently, depending on circumstances including the number of victims, whether the victims are killed or wounded, and whether the shooting occurs in a public place. The Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit research group that tracks gun violence using police reports, news coverage and other public sources, defines a mass shooting as one in which at least four people were killed or injured. The Violence Project, another nonprofit research center dedicated to reducing violence in society, follows a narrower definition established by the Congressional Research Service, in which a shooting results in the deaths of four or more victims. The definition also focuses on public attacks and excludes domestic shootings and those attributable to underlying criminal activity. The Violence Project has said that, Any cut point is arbitrary, but this remains a widely agreed-upon standard. From the age of 8, when her parents moved her family to New Jersey from Queens, Danielle Gonzalez ached to get back to New York City. But she didnt want to do it in a rental. Her father, whose family hails from Puerto Rico, and her mother, an immigrant from Colombia, had always encouraged her to own property. Growing up, I was always told, If you can buy, then buy, said Ms. Gonzalez, 27, who works remotely as a digital communications strategy manager for a Mexico-based tequila brand. I was always very aware of real estate as a way to build generational wealth. So she did buy, scraping together enough for a down payment on a two-bedroom apartment in Jersey City, N.J., for $400,000 shortly after graduating from Rutgers University. The idea of buying in New York felt impossible, so I decided to get as close as I could, she said. [Did you recently buy or rent a home? We want to hear from you. Email: thehunt@nytimes.com] She took on a roommate to help with the mortgage payments, but always felt that her life was centered on the other side of the Holland Tunnel. I found myself taking the PATH train into the city every day, whether it was to see my friends, go to happy hour or on a date, she said. By the summer of 2022, she figured that selling her apartment would leave her with a budget of up to $600,000 to buy a new place. She was willing to trade her larger space for a smaller one in Manhattan, but she had a few requirements: enough room for a designated work space, ample closet space and good natural light. She initially looked at co-op buildings, but quickly soured on the complicated and invasive application process. She was really not a co-op buyer, but more so a condo buyer, said Lucy Wu, a licensed real estate agent at Bond New York, who helped Ms. Gonzalez with her search. Because Ms. Gonzalezs ability to buy was contingent on the sale of her New Jersey apartment, Ms. Wu advised her to avoid co-op boards, which typically prefer buyers with more liquid financials. [Also in Real Estate: This 835-Year-Old Medieval English House Needs Some Modern Love and a Buyer.] A co-op is excellent for a home youre planning on staying in for five to 10 years, Ms. Wu said, but as a younger person just starting out in your career, you may not want to be so committed. Ms. Gonzalez wanted to be as close to Lower Manhattan as possible, near the restaurants, clubs and salsa classes that fill her social life. Among the condos she considered: Virginia is looking for an agency that can provide creative marketing services and elevate the "Virginia is for Lovers" brand in an effort to drive more travelers to the Commonwealth. Brian Beades Brian Beades, head of corporate communications for the Americas at BlackRock, is exploring new career opportunities, according to report by Insider. His departure ends a 24-year run at the worlds largest investment advisory with $8.6T in assets under management. Felicity Barber, who was communications manager for BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, left the firm earlier this month. Prior to joining BlackRock. Barber headed CEO communications at the Federal Reserve Bank in New York and is now running her own media training/thought leadership shop in Weehawken, NJ. Fink and BlackRock are the top targets of Republicans who rail against ESG and sustainability as prime examples of corporate wokeness. In announcing Floridas decision to yank $2B in retirement assets from BlackRock, Jimmy Patronis, the Sunshine States CFO tweeted: "Using Floridas cash to fund BlackRocks social-engineering project isnt something we signed up for. Its got nothing to do with maximizing returns and is the opposite of what an asset manager is paid to do." John Simons John Simons, executive editor at Time, will join the Brunswick Group in New York on April 1. He was responsible for the magazines technology coverage, as well as national and business news. During his more than 30 years in journalism, Simons was deputy health and science editor at the Wall Street Journal. He also was WSJs energy editor for Europe, Middle East and Africa. Simons also worked at US News & World Report and Fortune, covering the drug, biotech, immigration and economics beats. He is eager to put his journalism skills of analyzing data and processes, and explaining the complexities of technology, energy, healthcare, and the global economy, to work for Brunswicks clients. International participants of the event and observers overseas believe that the importance of Asia in the world economy continues to grow, and the dynamic cooperation among and development of Asian countries, especially China, has delivered precious confidence and stability to the world. As some 2,000 delegates from over 50 countries and regions are attending the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA)'s annual conference from Tuesday to Friday, calls for solidarity and cooperation are gathering greater steam for a post-pandemic world fraught with uncertainties. "We hope to explore certainty in an uncertain world and promote solidarity and cooperation among countries to better meet challenges through discussions at the annual conference. We also aim to uphold openness and inclusiveness to better promote development," BFA Secretary General Li Baodong told a press conference on Tuesday. International participants of the event and observers overseas believe that the importance of Asia in the world economy continues to grow, and the dynamic cooperation among and development of Asian countries, especially China, has delivered precious confidence and stability to the world. "Asia is going to become the new center of gravity in terms of global consumption. Therefore, we are seeing a change in global supply chains as more consumption is coming towards Asia, for example, South Asia and China," Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhary, minister for planning, development and special initiatives of Pakistan told Xinhua on the sidelines of the BFA. The world production value chains will also realign themselves to meet this new demand, he said, adding that China's fast growth is good news for the world economy, as it will provide opportunities for every country alike. Over the past decades, China has been committed to promoting cooperation and economic integration in Asia, Xu Xiujun, senior research fellow with the National Institute for Global Strategy and Institute of World Economics and Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told Xinhua. He said that the BFA is playing an increasingly important role on the international stage, which shows that China is playing a more crucial role in global development and cooperation, and that the world has an increasingly strong demand for cooperation with China. "We can use this platform to strengthen dialogue and exchanges among Asian countries and between Asian and other countries in the world, and then translate consensus reached into the promotion of development and cooperation in Asia," he added. With an emphasis on multilateralism and equitable economic cooperation, China is well placed to be a guiding light for many developing countries, said Oh Ei Sun, a principal advisor for Malaysia's Pacific Research Center, adding that through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China has been building a strong foundation for regional development. In this aspect, he pointed out that the cooperation between China and Southeast Asia could be "a very shining example" for the rest of the world. "With China's guidance and tremendous investments over the last decade, I think a large part of the world has been well connected." China has shared its success story of development with the rest of the world, Renat Bekturov, governor of Astana International Financial Centre, told Xinhua, noting that over the past few decades, China has managed to improve the well-being of its people and achieve leapfrog growth. "Because of the BRI, we are generating so many projects and new ideas, and investments (are) being driven. We need that to grow the economy and elevate the living standards of our people," he said. "That (China's development) is a success story, it is sharing with the world." China remains consistent in carrying out a foreign policy that provides great benefits to support the development of developing countries and less developed countries, said Veronika Saraswati, a researcher at Indonesia's think tank the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and China not only have geographical proximity, but also are mutually beneficial economic partners. As one of the efforts to maintain multilateralism, China and ASEAN have established a good momentum of multilateral economic and trade cooperation through active promotion and high-quality implementation of RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership)," the expert said. Since January 2022, RCEP has come into force for more than a year, marking the world's largest free trade deal comprising 10 ASEAN countries, as well as China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia and New Zealand, which represents 30 percent of the global GDP. Data from the Ministry of Commerce showed that China's trade with the other RCEP signatories expanded 7.9 percent year-on-year to 11.8 trillion yuan (about 1.69 trillion U.S. dollars) in the first 11 months of 2022, accounting for 30.7 percent of China's total foreign trade value. The rapid growth of trade activities under the RCEP framework is one of the key reasons for the strong growth dynamism of Southeast Asian economies, said Gu Qingyang, an associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy of the National University of Singapore. "Tariff reduction has significantly reduced the cost of trade among member states, made trade more active and strongly promoted economic growth," he stressed, adding that the growth of direct investment among RCEP members reflects the rising momentum of industrial integration within the region. It is also a strong appeal for extraterritorial economies, and is increasingly attracting foreign investment, Gu noted. Sebastian Schulz, a researcher at the National University of La Plata in Argentina, said the Asia-Pacific is the engine and lifeline of the global economy. China is advocating a more inclusive globalization that respects the different development modes of each country, and is committed to promoting common global development, he added. The AI genie is already out of the bottle. Should we automate away all the jobs, including the fulfilling ones, is among the questions posed by more than 1,600 technocrats, academics and researchers who signed an open letter that calls for a six-month pause in the development of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4. Funny, I dont recall the hue and cry among Americas intelligentsia when automation and corporate raiders backed by Wall Streets junk bonds hollowed out Americas industrial heartland during the 1980s and early 1990s. The ensuing Rust Belt upended Americas political system and created a hopelessness that helped bring on the opioid epidemic. The only difference between then and now is that AI is slated to wipe out white collar jobs, which are held by the friends and families of the open letter signers. Goldman Sachs estimates that the development of AI systems will trigger significant disruption in the labor markets. It projects that 300M jobs in the EU and US, which is about a quarter of the workforce, could be wiped out. The investment bank, however, expects AI will trigger a productivity boom that will boost global gross domestic product by seven percent over a 10-year period. Wasnt the promise of productivity gains via automation of industrial belt used to justify the mass layoffs of blue-collar workers during the '80s and '90s? My guess: whats good for the goose isnt always good for the gander. The blue-collar workers of yesterday didnt have a support network of intellectuals and elites. But the US just cant afford to pause the development of AI systems. Why threaten Americas leadership position at a time when strategic rivals like the Peoples Republic of China are pushing ahead in AI? To paraphrase Admiral David Farragut, the hero of Mobile Bay: "Damn the torpedos, full speed ahead on AI." Outfoxed by Disney. Florida governor Ron DeSantis took the national spotlight when he stripped Walt Disney Co. of the right to manage government services for Disney World in Orlando. The move was to punish Disney for its opposition to DeSantis dont say gay law. It was a PR win for DeSantis, providing a tough-guy image and making him a warrior against corporate wokeness. To win the hearts and minds of America, DeSantis wants to position himself as a mini-Trump without the baggage of 24/7 whining, victimization and verbal assaults. Team Ron, though, is not ready for prime time. It turns out that on Feb. 8 the Reedy Creek Improvement District transferred all its power to Walt Disney Co. That was the day before DeSantis took over Disney. On Feb. 27, the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, which is packed with DeSantis cronies, took office and discovered it was virtually powerless. They found the former boards agreement that bans it from using any Disney brands, trademarks or altering any of Disney Worlds buildings without prior approval from Walt Disney Co. Though a court may overturn the pact that neutered DeSantis Disney board, the episode shows DeSantis is in over his head when going head-to-head against heavyweights like Disney. Imagine DeSantis going up against Chinas Xi Jinping over Taiwan. DeSantiss popularity has tanked since he left the friendly confines of Florida and its friendly press for his book tour. Since his ridiculous remark about the territorial dispute in Ukraine, its been all downhill for the governor. Trump may have a point. The former president said without his endorsement, DeSantis would be working in either a pizza parlor place or a law office right now, and he wouldnt be very happy. Ron is not very happy these days. Maybe a slice of pizza would cheer him up. A father-of-the-bride arrested following a wedding after party that got out of hand has been given an opportunity to pay a charity donation. Thomas Reilly (53) of 2 Colmcille Terrace, Granard was before Judge Bernadette Owens on two charges. Mr Reilly was charged with public intoxication and engaging in threatening and abusive behaviour on February 18, 2023 at Market Street, Granard. Inspector David Jordan told Longford District Court that at 2:15am on the date of the incident officers approached the defendant after calls about a disturbance at a Granard Public House. Mr Reilly was stumbling and behaving in an aggressive manner. When the officer asked him to leave the area he shouted: This is my town, I won't be moved. Inspector Jordan stated the defendant continued to abuse the officers saying: It's my daughter's wedding and you won't tell me what to do. F**k off, no one will arrest me. He was then arrested. The inspector told Judge Owens the defendant had 17 previous convictions, primarily for road traffic and public order offences. Solicitor Brid Mimnagh said her client's behaviour was atypical, He is so sorry for his behaviour. He doesn't normally behave like this. He has great respect for the Gardai. Ms Mimnagh said Mr Reilly was celebrating his daughter's wedding and had drunk too much. She pointed out that his last public order infringement was over 15 years ago. He was the senior man, Judge Owens said, he should have led by example. Ms Mimnagh said this was accepted and Mr Reilly was aware he was out of order. Judge Owens indicated she would adjourn the matter to June 13 next and said Reilly should make a donation of 500 to the Lus na Greine Family Resource Centre in Granard before that date. The defendant was remanded on continuing bail. The annual Darkness Into Light walk is set to return to Nenagh this coming May and the local committee launched this year's event on the steps of Nenagh Courthouse, which is due to take place on Saturday, May 6. Darkness Into Light (DIL) is the main fundraising source for Pieta, which was founded in Dublin in 2006. Pieta was established to provide free, accessible one-to-one counselling to people suffering from suicidal ideation, engaging in self-harm or to those bereaved by suicide. With over hundreds of qualified therapists across various physical centres, they do everything they can to ensure that help is available to those in crisis. Last year saw the return of DIL to Nenagh after three years, due to Covid-19, and over 17,000 was raised for last year's event. Speaking at the launch of this year's Nenagh DIL, the Chairperson, Ryan O'Meara, discussed some of the exciting ideas that the committee have in place for this year's event, saying: "We are really looking forward to bringing DIL back to Nenagh this May. "To try and make the most of this year's event, and to encourage more people than ever to get involved, the DIL Nenagh committee are working on a number of exciting ideas to bring even more energy, more community involvement, and a greater sense of hope as we walk, as a collective, from darkness into light during sunrise on the morning of Saturday, May 6. "The route will follow the same route as we did in 2019, and will start at the Scouts Hall before going down around the main streets of the town, back up the Dublin Road, up Summerhill and out to the bypass, back in the Dromin Road, and finally around by the courthouse and back to finish at the Scouts Hall, where the committee will again be serving tea and refreshments. Ryan O'Meara, Chairperson Nenagh DIL launching the 2023 event "This year, we are appealing to local businesses and premises along the route, and especially those on Kickham St., Pearse St. and Kenyon St. to decorate their window displays in the yellow of DIL, to help spread an atmosphere and sense of hope along the route. We are also contacting local businesses for donations towards our teas, coffees and refreshments, and so far, we are absolutely delighted with the generous response we have been receiving from local people." Ryan O'Meara continued to detail the efforts being made to engage with young people more in relation to the work of DIL Nenagh, saying: "The response from local schools in Nenagh and surrounding areas has also been very warm, and many have agreed to host 'yellow days' where pupils will wear yellow into school for the day and make a small donation towards DIL. We have also received positive responses from other schools that they will support the cause this year, and we are absolutely delighted with this as it is helping to raise both awareness and vital funds for services that assist all ages." Ryan O'Meara concluded by saying: "We would finally like to encourage as many local people as possible to sign up and will be hosting a Registration Day in town on April 15th for those who would rather sign up in person. Participants can sign up at the DarknessIntoLight.ie. site and we are encouraging our community at large to join us for the most important sunrise of the year". Survey shows "Pudhumai Penn Scheme" is bringing Social Changes Chennai oi-Oneindia English Desk Chennai: CM Stalin's "Pudhumai Penn Scheme" has benefited over 1,56,000 girl students. In the next 5 months, it will benefit 1,04,347 girl students. The Survey shows that the scheme increased the rate of girls enrolling in College by 27%. This scheme is to encourage girl students from Class 6 to 12 to continue their education. Not only the government schools' girl students but also under reservation nearly 25% of private schools' girl students are also getting benefitted. CM Stalin launched this scheme on September 5, 2022. At a faster rate, CM Stalin recently launched "Pudhumai Penn 2.0". Cycle Mechanic's daughter is pursuing BE: Kallakuruchi Government Arts and Engineering College students shared that getting 1,000 every month under this scheme is benefiting them in many ways. A girl Student Vishalini is from a poor family. She shared, "I am doing my first year in the ECE department. I am from a very small village where my father is working as a cycle mechanic, whereas my mother is working in a small private firm for the past 10 years. But both of them are not working currently. They are not getting jobs to do nowadays. With a minimum income, we couldn't even meet our daily needs. But I'm pursuing an Engineering course only with the aid of 1,000 from the Pudhumai Penn Scheme. I can get whatever I need for my studies as well as for my brother's too. This Government helped me to make a better future for myself". A Mason's daughter in Engineering: Student R. Latha Maheshwari said, "I am doing my graduation in ECE. I am the first graduate in my family. As a girl from a rural, backward village, I was able to achieve what I want in Education through this Pudhumai Penn Scheme. My father, being a daily wage Mason, couldn't afford my higher education. To meet my daily needs and to buy the essentials for my studies, I am using this 1,000 from the scheme. CM Stalin made education possible for me". Gratitude to CM Stalin: Another Student Kavitha, "My father wanted me to study more. He's no longer with me. Even after his demise, I wanted to make his wish come true. Today I am pursuing my engineering degree. This was possible because of CM Stalin's 1,000. Every month I am able to fulfil my needs with this 1,000. Only because of this scheme I was able to enrol myself in a college. Otherwise getting higher education would have remained a dream for me. All thanks to our CM Stalin. In the future, I too want to help someone with their education". A B.E Computer Science Student shared, "As I am doing an engineering course, I often enrolled myself in many online courses. Relying more on the internet will make my expenditure more. 1,000 from Pudhumai Penn Scheme is indeed aiding me to do all these online courses without expecting money from my parents. Earlier I used to hesitate to ask for money from my parents because they couldn't afford to spend. Now I'm really thankful to our CM". Another student from an agricultural family, "My father is a vegetable vendor. He couldn't afford my education at all. CM Stalin's 1,000 scheme is helping me to pursue the course I want. I will save the money and use it for my educational purposes". CM Stalin is my family member: "1,000 every month is indeed a great aid. If it is for only once I wouldn't have been this much benefited. Books for my course are getting expensive every year. To meet all my educational needs, getting 1,000 from our CM is highly useful. For Me, CM Stalin is one in my family. Only he made it possible for me to pursue higher education". In the same way, a student from Veerchozhapuram said that her college education dream came true because of this Pudhumai Penn scheme. Very many girl students from economically poor backgrounds are pursuing higher education only because of CM Stalin's Pudhumai Penn Scheme. Kavitha, a B.A. Tamil literature Student said that CM Stalin is like a brother in her family. 'Pudhumai Penn Scheme 2.0' was launched at a college in Tiruvallur on March 8, 2023. Through this 2.0 scheme, 1,04,347 more girl students will benefit. In the event, CM Stalin said, "For a Nation's better future, the citizens of the nation have to be educated. Women are supposed to be educated for a nation's welfare. Thiruvalluvar praised education as the greatest wealth one can attain. Poet Barathidassan described women without education as a barren land. This Pudhumai Penn scheme is to make women attain this greatest wealth. The Dravidian Party wished to make everyone in this land to be equal through education without any diversities of religion, caste, financial status, race and gender. This scheme was named after the Dravidian Movement's one of the great women leaders Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar". Moovalur Ramamirtham was sold for 10: CM Stalin added that "Moovalur Ramamirtham was born in a very poor family. Her mother struggled really hard to bring her up in this world. So her own mother sold Ramamirtham for just 10. Now, every girl student in Tamilnadu is getting 1,000 every month to fulfil their dream of education. So far this scheme benefited nearly 1,56,000 girl students. The Tamilnadu government spent a budget of 69 crore and 44 lahks in the last 5 months. Nearly 12 thousand girl students could enrol themselves in college from a poor background just only with this 1,000. In the last five years, nearly 10,146 girl students dropped their dream of getting into a college from school just because of poverty. They all enrolled themselves in college just through the Pudhumai Penn scheme this year. Amidst the benefited 1,56,011 girl students, 48,660 girl students are from Backward classes, 50,550 are from the most backward classes, 44,880 are from Scheduled castes and 1,900 are from the Scheduled Tribes". For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, March 30, 2023, 8:23 [IST] TN Finance Minister condemns the 'One Nation, One Tax' policy Chennai oi-Oneindia English Desk Chennai: DMK is opposing GST since the first day it was implemented by the Union Government. Oppositions are slamming the Union government for GST which is affecting Tamilnadu's fiscal autonomy as well as the revenue of the state government. In the recently held GST meeting, Tamilnadu Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan states, "They are always bringing up this 'One Nation, One Tax' slogan. Slogans can be useful to do politics. But implementing it is not practically possible. Recently Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala visited my house. While we were discussing this topic, I questioned him. If 'One Nation, One Tax' is what you want then why are there so many State Assemblies in our Nation? If it is 'One Nation, One Law' means why are there so many Courts? If it is 'One Nation, One Tax' then why are we having separate tax departments for each state? Why are we devising and changing Tax laws constantly? So, doing propaganda with attractive slogans may help only in politics. It cannot be practically possible. Based on Federalism, the rights of every State must be protected. Only when it is protected India can be 'One Nation'". Economics Professor Jothi Sivagnanam shared many facts with data to support the statement of the TN Finance Minister. He explained, "As a State, we have to determine our taxable revenues. This is important. But as a state, we lost our rights because of the GST. This is the time to think and debate about it. Initially, the Union Government implemented the tax for Idli, Dosai, and chapati we eat in a hotel. This made a big impact. Tamilnadu has a government which was chosen by the people. This State Government has the right to implement taxes for eateries. The same State government may think about the sufferings of laymen and it might reduce the tax. But this GST system is totally against all these. The State Government has the right to decide whether to implement tax or not for their own people. Now, we have given up our rights. The loss was heavy due to this GST. The Indian Constitution is giving tax-implementing rights only to the State Government. The Law clearly explains the tax rights of the State as well as the Union Governments. But all the State Governments had given up their rights to this GST. The State Governments gave up their rights by believing the promise of the Union Government that it will keep the GST Council democratic. They even promised transparency. They assured that only one-third of the tax rights will remain with the Union government and the remaining two third will be in the hands of the State Government. More than all these promises They guaranteed that compensation will be provided for the State governments when they face a loss. No promises had been kept. The Union government committed that compensation for tax revenue loss will be provided for up to five years. But when there was a profit it was acquired by the Union. When there was a loss, The State Governments were asked to get loans. Even after 5 years GST never attained its stability. The Union government too didn't extend the time period of compensation for the States". Where is the 14% growth promised by BJP? The Professor added, "Tamilnadu's tax revenue was higher before the implementation of GST. The Union government promised a 14% growth in tax revenue. But GST only affected the revenue of the States. When the State governments wanted to join hands together against GST, certain BJP ruling states were totally against this. They showed that the welfare of a political party is more important than the rights of the State. Tamilnadu is producing more revenue for the Union government whereas we are getting nothing from them. They just shared our revenue with Bihar and UP in the name of fewer revenue states. Tamilnadu followed and implemented the family control ratio as per the Union's advice. But States like Bihar and UP never followed. The Union favoured those states which never abided by any rules. They just deceived Tamilnadu. How is Tamilnadu getting affected? The Law states that the Union government should share its revenue with the State when it is facing loss. Sharing the revenue is the responsibility of the Finance Committee. And this Committee will meet and decide on the share once every five years. The sharing will be based on the efficiency and equity parameters. Based on this the population of the state will be considered first. In the same way, the Union government should encourage the high tax revenue-yielding states. Tamilnadu is highly developed and procuring more revenue in the country. So when they consider the share based on the equity alone then it will affect Tamilnadu more. Tamilnadu Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan is pointing out this error. He also said that there wasn't any proper data with the Union on the Tax collection system. This is true. Only when they have data on how much tax revenue they are collecting then can we calculate the revenue we are receiving from the Union government. They do not have any data on this. If they are having, then why are they hesitating to share transparently? The questions asked by the TN Finance Minister are very fair. They want us to file the tax return every month. For instance, how will a lathe workshop businessman appoint an auditor every month to file tax returns? I am ready to pay the tax. But the procedures have to be simple right? They are asking us to fill out numerous documents. If they are bringing a transformation in the country's tax system, then there should be some growth right? The growth is still below the promised 14%. The Union government mentioned the term 'National monetisation pipeline'. Usually, the Union can sell certain public property shares to the private. But nowadays they are selling everything to the private. When the Union sells the public property, the land has to be given by the State government only. Then the Union should provide compensation for the State, right? Only the Tamilnadu Finance Minister questioned this. No other state in the Country ever noticed this contradiction". For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, March 30, 2023, 8:14 [IST] Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (Photo: VNA) The two leaders expressed their delight at the talks that offer them an opportunity to exchange views on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership. They spoke highly of the positive and comprehensive development of the bilateral relationship over the past time, and agreed to promote, develop and deepen it, for interests of both nations, as well as peace, cooperation and development. The leaders suggested competent agencies of both sides exchange specific contents to further strengthen the relations in the time ahead. Trong stressed that the achievements recorded in the bilateral ties match wishes of the two countries people and are enhanced on the basis of respect for independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and political institutions of each other, mutual understanding, and equal, mutually beneficial cooperation, and in the spirit of shelving the past, overcoming differences, promoting similarities and looking toward the future. Biden agreed with the Vietnamese Party chiefs views. Trong affirmed that Vietnam consistently pursues its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation, diversification and multilateralisation of relations, active and proactive global integration. Vietnam is a friend, reliable partner and active and responsible member of the international community. In order to develop the relationship between the two countries in an intensive, sustainable and practical manner in the coming time, he proposed several major orientations such as strengthening contacts and exchanges at all levels in flexible forms, including stepping up ties between the two countries' Governments, legislatures, parties and people. He suggested both sides continue expanding and turning economic, scientific, and technological cooperation into a focus and driving force for their relations. They should realise agreements on national defence and security cooperation; attach importance to promoting harmonious and sustainable trade; cooperate in ensuring supply chains, developing infrastructure and emerging areas such as logistics, digital economy, green transformation and health care. At the same time, both sides need to strengthen collaboration in addressing the war consequences, keeping the UN peace, exchanging information, and preventing crime, among others. Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong holds high-level phone talks with US President Joe Biden on March 29 night (Vietnam time). (Photo: VNA) The Vietnamese leader proposed the US continue creating favourable conditions to increase the number of Vietnamese students in the country. He welcomed the building of Fulbright University Vietnam into a high-quality education centre in the region. Thanking the US for helping Vietnam with COVID-19 prevention and control, he asked the US to continue with support for Vietnam's efforts. "Vietnam is ready to cooperate with international partners to reinforce friendship and dialogue, strengthen peace, promote development, uphold international law and cope with common challenges," he said, adding that in this direction, Vietnam welcomes the US's support for ASEAN's central role and its collaboration with ASEAN member states to promote the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. He said Vietnam hails the US for joining other partners in negotiations for the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) in an open, inclusive, balanced, and mutually beneficial manner, with the conditions of developing countries such as Vietnam being taken into account. Vietnam continues to coordinate with the US and partners to promote peace, cooperation and sustainable development in the Mekong subregion, he added. The Party chief affirmed that responding to climate change is one of the major policies in Vietnam's development strategy, while welcoming the efforts of the international community, including the US, in this issue. He hoped the US would continue to support Vietnam's efforts. President Biden affirmed Vietnam is an important partner. He said the US supports an "independent, self-resilient and prosperous" Vietnam, while reiterating respect for Vietnam's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political regime. He agreed that respect is an important foundation of the bilateral relationship. Biden discussed some international issues such as climate change response, post-pandemic socio-economic recovery, and democratic and human rights cooperation. The President agreed with the cooperation directions raised by Party General Secretary Trong, such as promoting cooperation in trade, clean energy and energy transition. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry will continue to have specific discussions with Vietnam on this issue, he said. President Biden said the US commits to promoting peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, looks forward to the cooperation of Vietnam and other countries in negotiating the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, and supports and promotes cooperation for the peaceful and sustainable development of the Mekong region. He also affirmed the importance of ASEAN's central role and thanked Vietnam for its contribution to the success of the ASEAN-US Special Summit 2022. The two leaders also agreed on maintaining peace, stability and cooperation, ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight, not using or threatening force in international relations, implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and soon signing an efficient and effective Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Joe Biden reiterated their invitations for mutual high-level visits. The two leaders accepted the invitations with pleasure and assigned the relevant agencies to arrange them at suitable times./. Fact check: All you need to know about 1.1% levy on UPI transactions Fact Check oi-Vicky Nanjappa There has been a barrage of social media posts stating that all transactions done through the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) will attract a 1.1 per cent fee. The recent changes that have been made by the National Payments Corporation of India have outlined an interchange of up to 1.1 per cent from April 1 on transactions done above Rs 2,000 through Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI) done through UPI. The PPIs would include mobile wallets, digital wallets or prepaid cards like Pockets. A press release by the NCPI said that the interchange will be charged to the merchant and not to the customer. Many took to the social media to claim that the UPI payments were free before and now they are not. Fact Check: Did burqa clad women dance to 'Jai Shri Ram tune Congress Kerala said, 'digital loot kale begins. Here is the first part of the BJP government's secret business plan behind cashless economy fad. Pay 1.1 per cent extra for all UPI transactions above Rs 2,000. Wait for more. Modi will not leave you until he robs the last Rupee in your pocket.' Digital loot kaal begins. Here is the first part of BJP govt's secret business plan behind the cashless economy fad. Pay 1.1% extra for all UPI transactions above 2000. Wait for more. Modi won't leave you until he robs the last rupee in your pocket. pic.twitter.com/PkrWFsVaL1 Congress Kerala (@INCKerala) March 29, 2023 The NCPI however refuted all these claims about transactions above Rs 2,000 attracting a fee. The Ministry of Finance also took to Twitter to clarify this. "...and it is further clarified that there are no charges for the bank account to bank account based UPI payments (i.e. normal UPI payments)", the clarification read. This would effetely mean that peer to peer transactions between two individuals will not be applicable. It would also not be applicable to peer to merchant transactions to settle every day transactions. The decision would also not apply to UPI transactions made to recharge a wallet. The confusion was caused after the circular was issued in which it was said that UPI transactions through PPI will carry an interchange of up to 1.1 per cent from April 1 this year. This would be levied on merchants and the issuer of the PPI will also need to pay a 15 basis point of this fee to the remitter of the bank for loading a value above Rs 2,000. The clarification can be seen here. Fact Check: Did this Hindu group protest against PM Modi in Karnataka? Moreover the Centre had in August last year said that UPI is a digital public good, while adding that there are no plans to levy any charges for UPI services. UPI is a digital public good with immense convenience for the public & productivity gains for the economy. There is no consideration in Govt to levy any charges for UPI services. The concerns of the service providers for cost recovery have to be met through other means. (1/2) Ministry of Finance (@FinMinIndia) August 21, 2022 "UPI is a digital public good with immense convenience for the public & productivity gains for the economy. There is no consideration in Govt to levy any charges for UPI services. The concerns of the service providers for cost recovery have to be met through other means. The Govt had provided financial support for #DigitalPayment ecosystem last year and has announced the same this year as well to encourage further adoption of #DigitalPayments and promotion of payment platforms that are economical and user-friendly," a tweet by the Finance Ministry read. Fact Check Claim All UPI transactions above Rs 2,000 will have a levy of 1.1 per cent Conclusion There are no charges for the bank account to bank account based UPI payments, the ministry clarified. Rating False Raise your request for FACT CHECKING. Mail us at [email protected] Seeking West's help to handle Khalistanis has been a bad investment Feature lekhaka-Amar Bhushan Amritpal Singh Sandhu, Khalistan's new rising star in Punjab, is on the run following the police crackdown. The choice before him now is to get either caught, surrender, fight for his cause from behind the bar or spearhead the movement from Pakistan where he would have company of ISI and leaders of Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), Khalsa International (BKI) and Khalistan Commando Force (KCF). He would also get a safe location there to receive instructions and financial assistance from sympathisers among the Sikh diaspora. It matters little which option he chooses but his escape reflects the extent of subversion of local policemen and Sikhs who believe in his cause. I had once asked Jagjit Singh Chouhan as to why he was fighting for Khalistan that could not be realised since Sikhs were irrevocably an integral part of people of India socially, historically, politically, economically and emotionally. In reply, he claimed that "it is a dream every Sikh had been living for." Every dream, he added, would appear unachievable in the short term but that did not mean Sikhs would give up fighting for it until it became a reality. Then he gave the example of Israel, a country that Jews had snatched from Palestinians by waging a long war. It was a flawed example but he wouldn't care. Dreaming for separatism is nothing new to India. Since Independence we have had violent spells of insurgencies in the Northeast. Naxalites have been waging an armed revolution to set up a government modelled on Mao's China since the early 60s and Kashmiris were fighting for 'independence' since 1948. Most of these outfits have now joined the mainstream, thanks to sustained anti-counterinsurgency measures and prolonged negotiations coupled with development work. The Khalistanis' current struggle for secession from the Indian Union is just their second attempt and will inevitably require a strong political response as long as it takes the so-called crusaders to realise their folly and avoid repeating the mistakes of late 80s and 90s - exploiting Amritpal for electoral dividends, using Army to clear the mess, allowing subversion of Sikhs to fester and adopting a lackadaisical approach to flow of arms and funds from abroad. Amritpal Singh looking to create chaos before his surrender: Sources It's about time we drop our mask of hypocrisy and face reality. Blaming ISI for providing sanctuaries, arms, explosives and operational training to Khalistanis and collecting daily proof of their complicity is a waste of time. Who cares for your evidence? Similarly, criticising support coming from Sikh diaspora is not going to make them relent. And, to expect US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Italy and Australia to punish Khalistanis for their hostile activities against India is wholly unrealistic regardless of improvement in strategic and economic bilateral relations. Calling embassy representatives and registering protests and reminding them of their responsibilities under the Vienna Convention also mean nothing. Their standard excuse has always been that everyone has a right to free speech and to protest in a democracy. Anyone issuing threats, remitting money for violent purposes, conspiring to unseat a government or directing and supporting secessionist groups outside their country is not liable for prosecution under their law unless it hurts their own security. It has not ended with these deceitful responses. Khalistanis are also given free access to their politicians who are eager to champion their cause in their legislatures in lieu of votes and money. Is Amritpal Singh back in Punjab? So, there is nothing to be surprised if temples and statue of Mahatma Gandhi are vandalised, national flag at Indian missions are pulled down and violent demonstrations take place in front of embassies, high commissions and consulates in US, UK, Canada and Australia with police either missing or remaining cosmetically deployed. Their official response has at best been lukewarm. While Delhi can continue making diplomatic noises, it has to be 'atmanirbhar' in thwarting Khalistanis, their overseas backers and surrogates in India from carrying out their mischief and putting them out of job. How this can be done is not difficult to think of and act accordingly. (Amar Bhushan worked with the Research and Analysis Wing for 24 years after briefly serving in the BSF intelligence, State Special Branch and Intelligence Bureau. He served as the Special Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat before he retired in 2005.) Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of OneIndia and OneIndia does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same. After Surat, Patna court summons Rahul in defamation case India oi-Deepika S A special MP/MLA court in Patna on Thursday reportedly summoned Rahul Gandhi in a defamation suit similar to the Surat case in which the Congress leader was last week sentenced to two years in jail. The Patna court has summoned Gandhi to record his statement on April 12 in a defamation suit filed against him by senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi. The Congress leader is currently on bail in the case. Meanwhile, Sushil Kumar Modi expressed hope that Rahul Gandhi will get "adequate punishment" by a court here which has "summoned" the latter next month in connection with a case lodged by the former. In a video statement, Sushil Modi disclosed that the MP/MLA court in Patna has asked Gandhi to appear in person on April 12 in connection with the petition lodged by the BJP leader following the then Congress president's controversial speech at Karnataka in 2019. "Gandhi has been summoned for recording of statement under Section 317 CrPC. I am confident that like the court in Surat, the court here will hold him guilty and award adequate punishment (adequate punishment)", said Modi. Modi added "Gandhi and his party believe in dynasty politics and cannot bear the sight of an OBC, Narendra Modi, in the Prime Minister's chair. They, therefore, routinely engage in slander. Only the judiciary can effectively check this tendency". In his complaint, Sushil Modi had filed a petition before the Special court against objectionable statement by Rahul Gandhi, where he said "How come all the thieves have Modi as a common surname." Sushil Modi claimed that Rahul abused the backward classes by making objectionable comments. On March 23, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was sentenced to two years in jail by a trial court in Gujarat's Surat in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his "why do all thieves have the Modi surname" remark which he made during an election campaign rally in Karnataka's Kolar district. 'West thinks it has God-given right to comment on internal matters of others': Jaishankar slams US, Germany After US, now Germany backs Rahul Gandhi on disqualification India oi-Madhuri Adnal In its first reaction to Rahul Gandhi's disqualification as an MP following his conviction in a defamation case, Germany has said that it has taken note of the verdict of the first instance of suspension from Parliament of the Congress leader. During a press briefing that was aired on the State-owned international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW), German Foreign Ministry spokesperson Annalena Baerbock said,''We have taken note of the verdict of first instance against the Indian opposition politician Rahul Gandhi as well as the suspension of his parliamentary mandate." "To our knowledge, Rahul Gandhi is in a position to appeal the verdict. Appeal will show whether verdict stands & suspension has a basis. We expect standards of judicial independence & democratic principles to be applied,'' she added. War of words break out between BJP, Cong after Germanys comments on Rahul Gandhis conviction The 26-second video clip was shared by Richard Walker, chief international editor at DW News. NEW: Rahul Gandhi case German Foreign Ministry spokesperson comments for first time: - Takes note of verdict, suspension from parliament - Appeal will show whether verdict stands & suspension has basis - Expects standards of judicial independence & democratic principles to apply pic.twitter.com/dNZB6vflG2 Richard Walker (@rbsw) March 29, 2023 The German government's comments came after US Department of State Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said that the US is watching Rahul Gandhi's case in Indian courts. ''Respect for the rule of law and judicial independence is a cornerstone of any democracy, and we're watching Gandhi's case in Indian courts,'' he said addressing a press briefing in Washington. When asked whether Gandhi's expulsion from Parliament was consistent with democratic values, Patel responded saying that any democracy must uphold the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary. The US engages with the Indian government on a shared commitment to democratic values, including freedom of expression, he added. 'Unlike Pappu...': Lalit Modi threatens to sue Rahul Gandhi in UK Congress MP Digvijaya Singh was quick to thank Germany for "taking note" of Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Parliament. "Thank you German Foreign Affairs Ministry and Richard Walker for taking note of how the Democracy is being compromised in India through the persecution of @Rahul Gandhi (sic)," he tweeted. On March 23, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was sentenced to two years in jail by a trial court in Gujarat's Surat in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his "why do all thieves have the Modi surname" remark which he made during an election campaign rally in Karnataka's Kolar district. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, March 30, 2023, 13:53 [IST] Amritpal Singh looking to create chaos before his surrender: Sources India oi-Vicky Nanjappa A video release on Wednesday by radical Sikh leader Amritpal Singh urged a gathering of Sikhs to discuss issues relating to the community. Amritpal has been on the run for the past two weeks, since the Punjab Police launched a manhunt against him. Amritpal in the video is seen sporting a black turban, very contrary to the undated CCTV footage that have cropped up in the past couple of days. In those footages, he is seen in a jacket, with his hair let loose, while at times sporting sun glasses. Police sources confirmed to OneIndia that Wednesday's footage is the latest and it refers to the spat between the Bhagwant Mann Punjab government and the Akal Takht, which had issued an ultimatum to release all those taken into custody post the crackdown on Amritpal Singh. Is Amritpal Singh back in Punjab? The source also said that on Wednesday, there were several unverified reports that appeared on television channels suggesting that Amritpal may surrender before the Akal Takht. The police is however adamant that it would arrest him and not let him surrender. Going by the contents of the video, it is clear that Amritpal Singh wants to create chaos in Punjab. His urging of people to come out in large numbers is an indication that he wants to foment trouble in the state before he either surrenders or is arrested. The security at the Golden Temple has been raised after another report said that he may surrender after taking a dip and praying at the holy shrine. Another official explained that all that Amritpal is doing is playing according to the script written by Pakistan's ISI. He has been asked to ape terrorists Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and that is what he is doing, the official explained. He wants to create sympathy for himself on religious lines and hence is calling on a large number of people, so that he could surrender in style. Amritpal Singh gives cops the slip again, his mentor untraceable Meanwhile the police hunt has been narrowed down to the areas around the Marnaian Kalan village of Hoshiarpur. The police suspect that he is in and around this area after a Toyota Innova ferrying him was found abandoned near a Gurudwara on Tuesday. The police are currently questioning the driver of the vehicle to get more leads into the whereabouts of Amritpal Singh. The police have withheld details of the questioning owing to the sensitivity of the matter. The police have also upped surveillance around Bathinda in Punjab after it was reported that Amritpal Singh would look to finish his prayers at the Golden Temple and then surrender before the Akal Takht in Bathinda. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, March 30, 2023, 10:13 [IST] How political parties are using GPay, PhonePe to bribe voters in Karnataka Karnataka polls: This is how Congress has outlined its caste equation BJP likely to return to power in Karnataka, predicts Opinion poll India oi-Deepika S The Bharatiya Janata Party is likely to emerge as the single largest party in Karnataka with a projection of 110-120, an opinion poll conducted by the Edupress group has revealed. As per the Opinion polls, the BJP is likely to win seats anywhere between 110-120 while the nearest rival Congress will win 70-80 seats. With 10-15 seats, the Janata Dal-Secular stands in third place while others will get 4 to 9 seats. The Edupress group, a psephology body of south India, has conducted the survey among 18,331 respondents in 50 constituencies of the state and in 183 polling booths. The Opinion poll predicted that the BJP may secure 43 per cent vote share in Karnataka, followed by the Congress with 37. All three leading parties are leaving no stone unturned to woo voters. The BJP is seeking to retain the state with party heavyweights, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, campaigning in the state, while Opposition Congress tries to corner the BJP over corruption charges. Janata Dal (Secular), the third party which can emerge as a game-changer is closing the developmets closely. Notably, the Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao-led Bharat Rashtra Samithi has described the JD(S) as its "natural ally", and has thrown its weight behind it. The BJP is leaving no stone unturned to woo voters, with the Basavaraj Bommai government scrapping the 4 per cent reservation for Muslims under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota, and distributing it equally among the dominant Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities. While the Congress has made corruption a central theme of its campaign, pointing to various "scams" and 40 per cent commission charge by a contractors' body. The BJP will seek to focus on various development projects and social welfare initiatives taken up by the Modi government, while the Congress and JD(S) will showcase their track record when they were in power. The election will be held in a single-phase on May 10 while the counting of votes will take place on May 13. The tenure of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly is scheduled to end on 24 May 2023. Chinese loan apps: ED attaches Rs 106 crore worth funds in money laundering case India pti-PTI Funds worth about Rs 106 crore kept in various payment gateway merchant IDs and bank accounts have been attached under the anti-money laundering law as part of an ongoing investigation against mobile phone-based loan apps "controlled" by Chinese nationals, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said Wednesday. The money laundering case was filed by the federal agency after it took cognisance of some Bengaluru (Karnataka) Police FIRs filed against numerous entities who "extorted and harassed" those people who took small amounts of loan through mobile apps (applications). "These Chinese national-controlled entities have indulged in huge money laundering activities through the merchant IDs maintained with various payment gateways like Razorpay, Cashfree, Paytm, PayU, Easebuzz and bank accounts maintained with various banks, thereby generating proceeds of crime." "An amount of Rs 106 crore has been attached under the PMLA in merchant IDs and bank accounts," the ED said. "The ED probe found that these entities were incorporated by appointing "dummy" directors on behalf of Chinese nationals and they used to obtain KYC documents of company staff and appoint them as directors of such entities. Even bank accounts were opened in their names, without their knowledge or prior consent", the agency said. "These entities are involved in illegal/criminal activities by submitting fake addresses in KYC documents and taking assistance from various professionals and other persons." "They provided instant short-term loans to the public through loan apps and other means and charged high processing fees and exorbitant rates of interest and amounts were subsequently recovered from the public by these companies by way of threatening and causing mental torture to the borrowers of the loans over the phone as well as contacting their family members, relatives and friends asking for the money," the ED said. Shivakumars fortunes hinge on how big Cong wins in Old Mysuru India oi-Vicky Nanjappa The Congress in Karnataka appears to be putting up a united fight ahead of the assembly elections. The undercurrent within the party however still remains with its chief D K Shivakumar and former chief minister Siddaramaiah going all out to grab the top post if the party comes to power. Going by the opinion polls, it appears as though the Congress is in the front as the battle stands off date. Some opinion polls have given the Congress the edge and even said that Siddaramaiah is most favoured to be the chief minister of Karnataka. The ratings for Shivakumar are however very low in all these polls. Karnataka: Why this is a battle like never-before for the Congress To turn the tide over, Shivakumar looks to be replicating the S M Krishna model of 1999. Hailing from the Vokkaliga community, Krishna had managed to give the party a clear mandate that year. During his numerous election rallies, he has appealed to the Vokkaliga community to rally behind him like they did in the case of H D Deve Gowda, S M Krishna and H D Kumaraswamy. The pitch being made by Shivakumar is clear and he wants to use the Vokkaliga card to ascend to the post of the chief minister, if the Congress comes to power in Karnataka. The Vokkaliga votes are largely based in the Old Mysuru Region, which elects 61 MLAs. This is a crucial belt and Shivakumar is locked in a tight battle with the JD(S) to ace this belt. The BJP on the other hand is leaving nothing to chance and has been banking on a new narrative to win over this community. If the Congress were to win Karnataka, the post of chief minister would ultimately be decided by the support by the number of MLAs each leader commands over. Siddaramaiah has a connect with a larger number of MLAs at present. However if Shivakumar manages to ace the Vokkaliga bastion, the race for Siddaramaiah may be harder. What ails Karnataka parties & the need for a social composition Shivakumar is making an emotional pitch to the Vokkaligas and the move is a calculated one since there is a lot of anger against Siddaramaiah in these strongholds. The elections held in 2018 proved that the anger of the Vokkaligas in the Old Mysuru Region against Siddaramaiah worked against the Congress. The JD(S) won 31 seats in the region, while the Congress was reduced to just 15. Further Siddaramaiah faced a humiliating defeat against G T Deve Gowda of the JD(S) from Chamundeshwari, which falls in the same region. All parties are keeping a close watch on this region of the state, which has many times in the past changed the fortunes of a political party. If the Congress does well in the Old Mysuru Region, it would be to the credit of Shivakumar and he would end up staking a claim to be the next chief minister of Karnataka. Neither in custody nor negotiating surrender, says Amritpal in new audio clip India pti-PTI Radical preacher Amritpal Singh on Thursday surfaced in an audio clip in which he debunked speculation that he is negotiating his surrender and nudged the Akal Takht again to summon a sarbat khalsa congregation. A day earlier a video had appeared on social media with the pro-Khalistan preacher asking the jathedar (or chief), of the highest temporal body of Sikhs to summon a congregation of the faithful to discuss issues concerning the community. "I have urged the jathedar to call the sarbat khalsa. Call the sarbat khalsa, and prove that you are the jathedar, he said in the new audio clip. Piling pressure on the Sikh body, he said, If we are going to play politics even today, doing the same things we used to do earlier, then whats the point of being a jathedar in the future, he said in Punjabi. "We should understand that today is the time for the entire community to come together, he added, calling for unity among Sikh bodies. In the video clip too he had tried to argue that the issue was not just his arrest, but about larger concerns of the Sikh community. Meanwhile, the Punjab government has informed the Akal Takht that almost all the people taken into preventive custody 348 out of 360 during the crackdown against Amritpal Singh and his 'Waris Punjab De outfit have now been released. Jathedar Harpreet Singh had earlier issued an ultimatum to the state government to release the Sikh youths picked up during the crackdown that began on March 18. There was no immediate comment by police on the authenticity of the nearly two-minute audio clip in which the pro-Khalistan preacher accuses the government of committing oppression. "But I am not scared and I dont fear going to jail, or torture in police custody. Let them do whatever they want," he said. He also referred to some media reports suggesting that he had put conditions for his surrender, including that he should not be subjected to torture. He has not spoken to anyone over offering arrest, and there have been no conditions put by him, the fugitive said. On Thursday, a drone was deployed over the village in Hoshiarpur where some suspects abandoned their car two days back after a police chase. There was speculation that the preacher could have been in that vehicle. Security also remained stepped up around Amritsars Golden Temple, but officials claimed this was not linked to the hunt for Amritpal Singh. They took out another flag march in the area. The preacher remains untraceable since March 18, when he gave the slip to a police dragnet in Jalandhar, switching cars and changing appearances. The trigger for the crackdown was the storming of the Ajnala police station last month by him and his supporters some of them brandishing firearms to secure the release of an arrested man. Six police personnel were injured. He and his associates have been booked for spreading disharmony, attempt to murder, attacking police personnel and creating obstructions in the lawful discharge of duty by public servants. The government has also invoked the stringent National Security Act against him. Some men, believed to be his key associates, have been booked under the same law and lodged at the Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam. The importance of iCET in Indo-US relations and why NSA Doval is attending it Make amends if it has to be business as usual, NSA Doval to tell his UK counterpart No country should be allowed to use Afghan territory to export terrorism: NSA Ajit Doval at Moscow meet NSA Doval to send strong message to UK on Khalistani extremism India oi-Vicky Nanjappa India will forcefully take up the Khalistan issue with the United Kingdom and National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval will ask the Rishi Sunak government to take strong action against those separatists who indulged in violence at the High Commission. The issue would be taken up with UK's national security advisor, Tim Barrow during the India-UK strategic dialogue meet to be held in the national capital today. Following the violence, the Indian High Commission had filed a complaint with the UK Home Office and police. Violence had taken place on March 19, following a crackdown on radical Sikh leader Amritpal Singh in Punjab. NSA Ajit Doval makes Indias stand on Afghanistan clear at key Moscow meet Highly placed sources tell OneIndia that the NSA will take up the issue with his UK counterpart. The NSA would urge stringent action against all the pro-Khalistan elements in the UK, who have been functioning at the behest of Pakistan's ISI. India has been raising this issue with the UK and Canada for long, but with no avail. The movement is spiralling out of control thanks to the silence by these governments, who have allowed such elements to thrive on the pretext of freedom of speech. The source cited above said that the inaction by these two governments would only ensure that the diplomatic ties remain uncomfortable. India has got a response from Australia and the United States, but in the case of the UK and Canada, the response remains poor. Earlier this month, pro-Khalistan supporters had pulled down the Indian flag at the Indian High Commission in the United Kingdom. External Affairs Minister, Dr. S Jaishankar had accused the UK of not meeting the obligation of providing security to the diplomats of the mission. He said that India would not accept differential standards of security. "It is the obligation of the receiving country to ensure the embassy or the high commission or the consulate and their premises are respected. These obligations were not met," Jaishankar had said. Make amends if it has to be business as usual, NSA Doval to tell his UK counterpart India has for long been raising the Khalistan issue with both the UK and Canada. The likes of proscribed terrorist, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun who heads the banned organisation Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) have been thriving for long on foreign soil. His extradition requests have not gone through and there have been allegations that the Canada government is trying to appease the Sikh diaspora. During the meet, the NSA will make it clear that India will not continue to accept differential standards of security. The aim would be to make the UK accountable for the inaction against such elements. By U?ur Duyan Product groups such as jewelry, ready-made clothing, home appliances, and furniture, in which Turkiye is strong at the United Arab Emirates market, are included in the scope of commercial concession. With the economic partnership signed, it is aimed to increase the trade volume between the two countries by 2.5 times in 5 years to 25 billion dollars. The comprehensive economic partnership agreement signed between Turkiye and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is aimed at increasing the trade volume between the two countries by 2.5 times in 5 years to $25bn. Answering questions from parliamentarians, officials provided information on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between Turkiye and the United Arab Emirates. Deputy Foreign Minister Burak Akcapar pointed out that the relations between the United Arab Emirates and Turkiye have improved in all areas recently, and the UAE provided $64m in cash aid to the region after the Kahramanmara? earthquakes, in addition to $330m at the Donors Conference in Brussels. Emphasizing that the bilateral trade volume with the UAE approached $10bn dollars in 2022, Akcapar said that the real potential is much higher than this figure, adding that with the agreement, the trade volume is aimed to increase by 2.5 times within 5 years and reach 25 billion dollars. Husnu Dilemre, Director General of International Agreements and European Union, stated that with the entry into force of the agreement, over 80 percent of the goods trade between the two countries will be included in the preferential trade scope. Dilemre also drew attention to the fact that with the agreement, both Turkish and United Arab Emirates business people will be able to offer their goods to both Turkiye and the United Arab Emirates markets under more advantageous conditions compared to the third countries. An actor performs acrobatics on stage during the gala show of the 11th China Acrobatic Exhibition in Jinan, east China's Shandong Province, March 27, 2023. The 11th China Acrobatic Exhibition has been held from March 16 to 29 in Shandong. This year's event features a series of acrobatic and magic shows as well as acrobatic dramas. (Xinhua/Xu Suhui) Actors perform acrobatics on stage during the gala show of the 11th China Acrobatic Exhibition in Jinan, east China's Shandong Province, March 27, 2023. The 11th China Acrobatic Exhibition has been held from March 16 to 29 in Shandong. This year's event features a series of acrobatic and magic shows as well as acrobatic dramas. (Xinhua/Xu Suhui) An actress performs magic on stage during the gala show of the 11th China Acrobatic Exhibition in Jinan, east China's Shandong Province, March 27, 2023. The 11th China Acrobatic Exhibition has been held from March 16 to 29 in Shandong. This year's event features a series of acrobatic and magic shows as well as acrobatic dramas. (Xinhua/Xu Suhui) Actors perform magic on stage during the gala show of the 11th China Acrobatic Exhibition in Jinan, east China's Shandong Province, March 27, 2023. The 11th China Acrobatic Exhibition has been held from March 16 to 29 in Shandong. This year's event features a series of acrobatic and magic shows as well as acrobatic dramas. (Xinhua/Xu Suhui) An actress performs magic on stage during the gala show of the 11th China Acrobatic Exhibition in Jinan, east China's Shandong Province, March 27, 2023. The 11th China Acrobatic Exhibition has been held from March 16 to 29 in Shandong. This year's event features a series of acrobatic and magic shows as well as acrobatic dramas. (Xinhua/Xu Suhui) Actors perform acrobatics on stage during the gala show of the 11th China Acrobatic Exhibition in Jinan, east China's Shandong Province, March 27, 2023. The 11th China Acrobatic Exhibition has been held from March 16 to 29 in Shandong. This year's event features a series of acrobatic and magic shows as well as acrobatic dramas. (Xinhua/Xu Suhui) An actress performs acrobatics on stage during the gala show of the 11th China Acrobatic Exhibition in Jinan, east China's Shandong Province, March 27, 2023. The 11th China Acrobatic Exhibition has been held from March 16 to 29 in Shandong. This year's event features a series of acrobatic and magic shows as well as acrobatic dramas. (Xinhua/Xu Suhui) Actors perform acrobatics on stage during the gala show of the 11th China Acrobatic Exhibition in Jinan, east China's Shandong Province, March 27, 2023. The 11th China Acrobatic Exhibition has been held from March 16 to 29 in Shandong. This year's event features a series of acrobatic and magic shows as well as acrobatic dramas. (Xinhua/Xu Suhui) Editor: JYZ How PM Modi's old clip is being used as a weapon by Imran Khan's PTI to target Pakistan govt Pakistan govt's Twitter acct. withheld in India, 2nd time in 6 months India oi-Madhuri Adnal The Pakistan government's official Twitter account with user name @GovtofPakistan has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand. This is for the second time in six months that the account has been blocked from being viewed in India. When anyone tries to access the Twitter account of the Pakistan government, the account displayed a message stating,''Account Withheld @GovtofPakistan's account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand.'' Meanwhile, what prompted the move is yet to be ascertained. According to Twitter guidelines, the microblogging site takes such action against Twitter handles in case of valid legal demand, such as a court order. Currently, the Twitter feed of the Pakistan government "@GovtofPakistan" is not visible to Indian users. However, a response from Twitter, India and Pakistan's IT ministries is still awaited. In June last year, Twitter in India banned official accounts of Pakistan Embassies in the United Nations, Turkey, Iran and Egypt. The move may also be viewed against the Indian government's crackdown against several social media accounts including Facebook,Twitter and YouTube handles for 'spreading anti-India content' online. 23 years jail, 1.2 million fine for Muslim man for anti-Islam post in Pakistan In a statement issued in August last year, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said that the actions aligned with emergency powers under Information Technology Rules, 2021. "The blocked Indian YouTube channels were observed to be using fake and sensational thumbnails, images of news anchors and logos of certain TV news channels to mislead the viewers to believe that the news was authentic," the ministry had said. Delhi devotees take out Ram Navmi procession sans police permission India oi-Madhuri Adnal A large group of people on Thursday took out a march in northwest Delhi's Jahangirpuri on the occasion of Ram Navami in contravention of rules following which riot control force was deployed to prevent any untoward incident, police said. Ram Navami is being celebrated on March 30. Earlier in the day, Rapid Action Force, CRPF and Delhi Police personnel were deployed in the area to maintain law and order and to avoid any untoward incidents in anticipation of the procession. The Delhi Police had denied permission to the group for holding the 'Shree Ram Bhagwan Pratima Yatra' as part of the Ramnavami Mahotsav in the area where violence broke out last year during a Hanuman Jayanti procession. Despite denying permission, the group gathered at Jahangirpuri and performed a puja at a park, a senior police officer said. ''We have deployed the local police, riot control force along with four companies of outside forces to ensure law and order is maintained and no untoward incident takes place. The situation is under control and people are also cooperating,'' he said. A police officer said permission for praying at a park during Ramzan was also denied. On April 16, 2021, clashes broke out between two communities during the Hanuman Jayanti procession at Jahangirpuri in which eight police personnel and a local resident were injured. Tripura BJP MLA caught watching porn in assembly, opposition demands action India pti-PTI BJP MLA Jadab Lal Nath was allegedly caught watching pornography on his mobile phone in the Tripura assembly, prompting the opposition on Thursday to demand strong action against him. The incident happened when proceedings were underway in the assembly on the last day of the Budget session on Wednesday, and a video clip of it went viral on social media. Nath, the MLA of Bagbassa constituency in North Tripura district, claimed obscene videos started appearing on his phone as he received a call. "I know well that using mobile phones is prohibited in the House. As repeated calls were coming, I picked up a call, and then obscene videos started appearing on my phone. Anyways, I then closed it," he told PTI. He said he has spoken to state BJP president Rajib Bhattacharya on the matter who told him to "wait". The Congress said it was a shameful incident, and Nath should be punished for it. "This incident has tarnished the image of all MLAs. This man should be appropriately punished. Use of mobile phones is completely prohibited in the assembly, how could he watch pornography?" state Congress president Birajit Sinha said. Leader of opposition Animesh Debbarma also demanded action against Nath. "The speaker should take stern action against such an act," he told reporters. Speaker Biswabandhu Sen said he is yet to receive a complaint over the issue. "I have not received any complaint. I cannot take action on the basis of a social media post. If any complaint is lodged, I will initiate an investigation and take appropriate action," he said. In 2012, three BJP ministers of Karnataka -- Lakshman Savdi, CC Patil and Krishna Palemar -- were allegedly caught watching porn in the assembly. Uniform Civil Code in Himachal if BJP comes to power: Amit Shah BJP committed to bring UCC but only after following all democratic process: Amit Shah No decision on implementing Uniform Civil Code as of now: Law Minister UCC, Madrasa autonomy to be focus of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind at key meet Up to the Parliament, not the courtCentre on Uniform Civil Code India oi-Vicky Nanjappa The Central government is in favour of a Uniform Civil Code, but would it enacted within the domain of Parliament and not the courts, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Supreme Court. The submission was made in response to a petition filed by BJP leader and advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. He had such a gender neutral and religion neutral law should come into force to govern divorce, inheritance, guardianship and maintenance. "Uniform Civil Code is desirable. But this is a legislative aspect. Cannot be decided on a writ petition," Mehta told the court. No decision on implementing Uniform Civil Code as of now: Law Minister A Bench of Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala agreed with the submission. The Bench said that the court could not direct the Parliament to enact a law. "SG Mehta submits that as a matter of policy Centre does support UCC but such an intervention in these batch of cases can be only through the parliament. We are not inclined to entertain this under Article 32," the Bench said. The CJI explained to the petitioner that the court is an incorrect forum to raise the issue. It is up to the Parliament to effectuate the Uniform Civil Code. "Entertaining this would mean directing enactment of law and mandamus cannot be issued to parliament to enact a law. We see no reason to also ask it to be considered by law commission as it would aid in legislation. This plea is disposed of", the Court said. The court also rejected Upadhyay's plea to withdraw the petition. "We will say you can pursue your remedies. But we have disposed it off," the court said. The Central government had earlier this year opposed the petitions on the ground that the issues raised in it fall within the domain of the legislature. Moradabad college denies entry to Burqa-clad students for violating uniform code Recently the Kerala High Court had called for the framing of a Uniform Civil Code for marriage and divorce in India. The court emphasised the need to establish legal safeguards to protect the spouse who files for divorce and said that it is necessary to first bring a common marriage code. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, March 30, 2023, 15:05 [IST] Suspense over as Mukul Roy says, I want to be in BJP Violence over Ram Navami procession in Bengals Howrah; stones pelted, vehicles torched India oi-Deepika S Several vehicles were torched after violent clashes erupted between two groups during a Ram Navami procession in West Bengal's Howrah today. Visuals shared by ANI showed police personnel on the spot during the ruckus. A police van and a car with their glasses smashed were also seen in the videos from the spot. Several shops and auto-rickshaws were ransacked during the violence while a number of cars including a few police vehicles were set on fire. Four fire tenders were pressed into service to extinguish the blaze. The police used force to disperse the mob. A large contingent of police was deployed in the locality where the situation is stated to be under control. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is on a dharna, said strict action will be taken against the culprits. The chief minister slammed the BJP for allegedly trying to stoke communal tension during the Ram Navami procession in Howrah and said those involved in the incident will not be spared. "I have repeatedly said that I will not block any Ram Navami procession. I had given clear instructions to the police in this regard. While one community is celebrating Annapurna Puja, the other is observing fast during Ramzan," she said while concluding her 30-hour extended sit-in in a demonstration in the city. "Those who were involved in today's violence will not be spared. I do not support riot mongers and consider them the enemy of the country. The BJP has always targeted Howrah. The other targets for them are Park Circus and Islampur. Everybody must be alert in their localities," she said. The BJP hit back at Mamata Banerjee saying it is a brazen attack on Hindu sentiments. "Mamata Banerjee held dharna on Ramanavami, then warned Hindus about avoiding Muslim areas because it was Ramzan, forgetting that Hindus too were fasting for Navratri. As Home Minister of WB she is directly responsible for Howrah violence," tweeted BJP leader Amit Malviya. In brazen disregard for Hindu sentiments, Mamata Banerjee held dharna on Ramanavami, then warned Hindus about avoiding Muslim areas because it was Ramzan, forgetting that Hindus too were fasting for Navratr. As Home Minister of WB she is directly responsible for Howrah violence. pic.twitter.com/0975DJ8Wyf Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) March 30, 2023 Not just Howrah, incidents of clashes were reported from other states on the occasion of Ram Navami. Stone pelting was reported during a procession in Fatehpura area of Vadodara in Gujarat, PTI reported. While some vehicles got damaged, no one was injured in the incident and the procession passed along its planned route under police protection, said Deputy Commissioner of Police, Yashpal Jaganiya. "We have deployed armed personnel from regular police, crime branch, SOG and State Reserve Police Force. As of now, there are no reports of anyone getting injured due to the stone pelting. We have ordered an inquiry into the incident," Manoj Ninama, additional commissioner of police, told PTI. In Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, 12 people including ten police personnel were injured after a mob of around 500 people hurled stones and petrol-filled bottles during a clash between two groups. SC order on EC appointments being examined, appropriate action will be taken: Govt 'Not happening for first time': Rijiju on Cong leader threatening judge to 'chop off' tongue 'If court convicts you?' asks Rijiju as Kejriwal vows to sue CBI, ED BJP-Cong war of words over German reaction on Rahul's disqualification India oi-Vicky Nanjappa A war of words has broken out between the BJP and Congress after Germany commented on the conviction and sentencing of Rahul Gandhi. Germany said on Wednesday that the 'standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles should apply in the case. Senior Congress leader, Digvijaya Singh thanked the German foreign ministry for taking note of how democracy is being compromised in India through the persecution of Rahul Gandhi. Reacting to his statement, Union Law Minister, Kiren Rijiju said that Rahul Gandhi was inviting foreign powers for interference into India's internal matters. 'Unlike Pappu...': Lalit Modi threatens to sue Rahul Gandhi in UK "Remember, Indian Judiciary can't be influenced by foreign interference. India won't tolerate 'foreign influence' anymore because our Prime Minister is:- Shri Narendra Modi ji," he said on Twitter. Hitting back at Rijiju, Congress media and publicity department head, Pawan Khera said that the government must first answer questions that Rahul Gandhi has asked on the Adani issue. "Mr. Rijiju, why divert from the main issue? The issue is that the Prime Minister cannot answer Rahul Gandhi's questions about Adani. Instead of misleading people, please answer the questions?" Khera said in a tweet. On Wednesday, Germany said that the 'standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles' should apply in the case of opposition Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, following his disqualification as an MP in the defamation case. "The government has taken note of the verdict of the first instance against Gandhi and the suspension of his parliamentary mandate" a spokesperson for the German foreign ministry had said. The law is the law Jaishankar on any envoy raising Rahul issue Speaking in German during a media briefing the spokesperson had said, "to our knowledge, Mr Gandhi is in a position to appeal the verdict. It will then become clear whether this verdict will stand and whether the suspension of his mandate has any basis." The spokesperson's public remarks aired on public broadcaster, Deutsche Welle also stated, " we expect that the standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles will equally apply to the proceedings against Rahul Gandhi." We are fully prepared, nothing to worry, says Delhi CM Kejriwal 6 killed as fire breaks out at Delhi home after mosquito coil tips over Wear masks: Delhi govts advisory for people with Covid-like symptoms India oi-Madhuri Adnal Amidst the uptick in Covid-19 cases in the national capital, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Thursday issued a mask advisory to symptomatic people. In an emergency meeting held earlier today, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj said although the Covid positivity rate in the city has spiked in recent weeks, there is no need to panic. "Positivity rate (of the Covid-19 cases) is higher than 10 per cent, but the number of tests is low. There is no need to panic. People with flu-like symptoms and those visiting hospitals should wear masks," Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said. "We have conducted a mock drill on Covid preparedness. Its results will be shown to the Chief Minister," he added. With 2,151 new cases, daily COVID cases in India highest in five months The Delhi government has intensified testing on genome testing and there is no need to admit patients to the hospital. Bharadwaj further assured people that there was no need to panic since the hospitalisation rate was low. He said this after holding a meeting on Thursday to review the COVID-19 situation in the national capital amid a spurt in cases. What ails Karnataka parties & the need for a social composition India oi-Vicky Nanjappa The ruling BJP has multiple factors on hand as it fights the tough battle in Karnataka. The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday announced that polling in Karnataka will be held on May 10, while counting would take place on May 13. The BJP's problem has been that it has never been able to get a majority despite it being the single largest party in 2004, 2008 and 2013. In 2006, it formed the government with the JD(S), but as the junior partner. In 2008, it rode the sympathy wave after being denied the post of chief minister and ended up as the largest party. The party however took the support of independents to form the government. The case was similar in 2018, when it emerged as the single largest party. The JD(S) and Congress formed the government, but a year later, several rebels defected which eventually led to the BJP coming to power. Congress's Siddaramaiah voters' choice for next Karnataka CM There has however been a stark difference in the way the BJP has performed in the assembly elections and Lok Sabha polls. In both the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had a comfortable majority in the 28 constituencies. However this has largely to do with the Narendra Modi factor. A poll survey conducted post the 2014 Lok Sabha elections revealed that 4 of 5 persons voted for the BJP only because of the Modi factor. The state however votes differently in the assembly segment. The votes have been mostly drawn from caste lines and the BJP thrives among the Lingayats, while the other dominant caste, the Vokkaligas side more with the JD(S) and Congress. This explains why the BJP always falls short of the majority mark in Karnataka. The Congress: The Congress on the other hand is the only party in Karnataka which has a pan-state reach. The party has more or less enjoyed a 35 per cent vote share in the state. This means that the party has always been in a striking distance of forming the government. After an impressive performance in 2013, the Congress came second in the 2018 elections in which the BJP emerged as the largest party. The apt finished first or second in 190 constituencies in the state which has 224 seats. It came second in 112 assembly constituencies. In 21 seats, the contest was a close one with the Congress just losing by a victory margin of 2.5 per cent or less. Opinion poll predicts clear win for Congress in Karnataka, setback for BJP The JD(S): The JD(S) is trying to make inroads this time and is focusing heavily on regions other than the Old-Mysuru Region. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, it entered into a failed agreement with the Congress and contested the elections together. The BJP however ended up winning 26 of the 28 seats and this led to a fall out between the Congress and JD(S). For the JD(S) a lot would depend on how the Congress and BJP perform in its stronghold of Old Mysuru. If the BJP and Congress manage to eat into its vote share in this region, then the JD(S) would be in trouble. The plan to kingmaker with 36 to 41 seats would fall flat. However the experts say that if the JD(S) manages to hit the 36 mark, it would hurt both national parties, which would have to eventually rely on the JD(S) to form the government. Winning over the other groups: While the Lingayats and Vokkaligas make up for 17 and 14 per cent of the population, the other groups too have a strong presence. The Other Backward Classes (OBCs) make up for half the population, 30 per cent are the Scheduled Castes and Schedule Tribes, while 10 per cent of the population are the Muslims. Karnataka Election: Opinion poll predicts neck and neck fight between BJP and Congress No party has managed to form a social composition involving all these voters. Parties have predominantly relied on the votes of the Lingayats, Vokkaligas or Muslims. Gone are the days of Devraj Urs when the the Congress was invincible in the state. He had forged a composition that involved, Dalits, minorities and backward classes, referred to as Ahinda. The Congress did try to replicate this in the 2018 elections, but it failed. This time around the BJP is however trying to create a social composition and had in a recent Cabinet decision tweaked the reservation policy. Telugu association of Scotland (TAS) celebrates Ugadi International oi-Oneindia Staff By Anuj Cariappa The Telugu Association of Scotland in United Kingdom (TAS-UK) Ugadi celebrations in Edinburgh at Dalkeith Community Campus on March 25th were a resounding success, with over 300 attendees enjoying a variety of performances and activities. Shri Vijay Kumar Parri of TAS-UK greeted the audience and guests, wishing them Shobhakruthu Nama Samvatsara Ugadi, while Sri. Niranjan Nooka and Sri. Rajasekhar Samba greeted attendees at the entrance. The event, which ran from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., included energetic dance performances, musical solo singings, classical dances, and even a stand-up comedy performance, which was a surprising addition to the TAS's stage. The background speech for the Ugadi festival and subsequent Ugadi Panchangam recitation deserve special mention because they made attendees feel more connected to our native land and recreated an important annual Telugu tradition. Throughout the event, attendees were treated to a diverse range of performances that kept them engaged and entertained. TAS-UK was honoured to have Consul General of India Shri. Bijay Selvaraj as the chief guest, who was honoured on an immense level by Smt. Mythili Kemburi, Sri. Siva Chimpiri. He praised TAS-UK's efforts in teaching Telugu, bicycle programs, and the Sitar project's performance at the Ugadi event. His presence boosted the event's success and inspired TAS-UK leaders to continue promoting Telugu culture in Scotland. Smt. Madhavi Latha presented certificates to Silicon Andhra Manabadi students for completing the full course this year, which is a TAS-UK initiative to teach and promote language-related activities. Sri. Pandari Jain Kumar assisted with event publicity and IT, while Sri. Balaji Karnati assisted with cultural performance coordination. Logistics were assisted by Sri. Naresh Deekonda, Sri. Zakir Shaik, and Sri. Venkatesh Gaddam. The event's organisers expressed their delight with the turnout and positive feedback from attendees. Sri Uday Kumar Kuchadi thanked everyone who contributed to the event's success, including the performers, volunteers, sponsors, and chief guest as well as guests from all other neighbouring communities. The event ended on a high note with the Indian national anthem Jana Gana Mana. We witnessed TAS-UK celebrating 20th anniversary last year! The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs and parts of inner Sydney including the CBD. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. The Roosters have won fifteen New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) and National Rugby League titles, and several other competitions. First founded as the Eastern Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club (ESDRLFC), it is the only club to have played in each and every season at the elite level, and since the 1970s has often been dubbed the glamour club of the league. The Sydney Roosters have won 15 premierships, equal to the record of the St George Dragons. Only the South Sydney Rabbitohs have won more premierships. The club holds the record for having won more matches than any other in the league, the most minor premierships and the most World Club Challenge trophies. The Sydney Roosters are one of only two clubs to finish runners-up in their inaugural season. Currently coached by Trent Robinson and captained by James Tedesco, the Roosters play home games at the Sydney Football Stadium. BOAO, Hainan, March 30 (Guangming Online) -- On the afternoon of March 28, a session on New Landscape of Industrial and Supply Chain was convened during the BFA Annual Conference 2023. Ben Simpfendorfer, a partner at Oliver Wyman, talked about how to build resilience in supply chain and the trend of regionalization. The essence of commercial collaboration in the global economy is a win-win scenario, especially at the multilateral level. This is fundamental for future development. Regionalization will also be a fundamental and important trend-going forward. Simpfendorfer pointed out that the global supply chain is efficient but fragile. Global trade accounted for 50% of global GDP in the year 2000 but has since decreased to 45% in the past decade. This calls for reflection on the inevitable formation of the global supply chain. Risks such as climate change, pandemics, and geopolitical issues are the drivers for multinationals going forward. Therefore, it is necessary to enhance the resilience of the industrial and supply chain to meet external challenges. Simpfendorfer remarked that multinationals have three strategies to improve the resilience of the global supply chain. The first strategy is to invest in Chinas supply chain, where factories are supplied to Chinas customers. The second strategy is to derisk the supply chain by relocating a share of production to other markets such as Vietnam, India, and Indonesia. This strategy is called China plus one, which many global companies have adopted and been implementing for the past decade. The third strategy is to shift critical strategic component parts back into home markets. It is not a zero-sum game, instead, its a win-win scenario where commercial collaboration lies. According to Simpfendorfer, China will remain the worlds manufacturing hub. 80% of smartphone exports come from China, and though the figure may decline slightly, no other market has the same speed and scale as China. Most of the production leaves China to Vietnam, which accounts for 9% of global export share of consumer electronics, 6% of computers and 5% of furniture. While these are not small shares as sizeable numbers, the production is particular. The movement in heavier goods, such as white goods, have been transferred to Mexico and Poland for production to reduce transportation costs. This trend will continue, but it will take more than a decade for Southeast Asia to become a manufacturing hub like China, and it will also require more time in Europe and North America. Editor: ZAD The Wall Street Journal is an American business and economic-focused international daily newspaper based in New York City with international editions published in Chinese and Japanese. The Journal and its Asian editions are published six days a week by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corp. The newspaper is published in broadsheet format and online. The Journal has been printed continuously since its inception on July 8, 1889. The Journal is regarded as a newspaper of record, particularly in terms of business and financial news. The newspaper has won 38 Pulitzer Prizes, the most recent in 2019. The Vatican has rejected the Doctrine of Discovery a year after Pope Francis met with Indigenous groups from Canada and apologized for the Catholic Church's role in the residential school system. 2008-2023 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. Fan-favourite Daniel Ricciardo returned to Albert Park on Thursday in his new role with Red Bull, but was taken away before journalists could ask about the F1 drivers future. Harry's presence during three days of the legal wrangling indicates the lawsuits importance in the princes broader battle against the British press. The Orthodox monks accused of Russia links have been ordered out of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery. But they refuse to vacate the complex. DW has the latest. Ahead of her first official visit to Beijing, the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addresses Europe's fraught relationship with China. Britain's King Charles III has addressed the Bundestag on his first trip abroad since becoming monarch. The monarch applauded Berlin for the help it has given Ukraine and paid tribute to Anglo-German cultural links. Tallinn has hit back at reports that it upset its EU allies with reimbursements it has sought for weapons sent to Ukraine, in a trying moment for the bloc. A Metropolitan Police officer could face criminal charges over the fatal shooting of Chris Kaba after the police watchdog handed over evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service. The United States is a country defined by extreme violence, where people are threatened by both violent crime and violent law enforcement, and their safety is far from being guaranteed. Prisons are overcrowded and have become a modern slavery establishment where forced labor and sexual exploitation are commonplace. America's self-proclaimed civil rights and freedoms have become empty talk. -- Collusion between politicians and businesses paralyzes the gun control agenda. U.S. gun interest groups have mounted powerful political lobbying for their own interests. In defiance of public opinion, the government has drastically relaxed gun controls, allowing guns to be carried in crowded public places such as hospitals, schools, bars and stadiums. -- Gun violence rises in tandem with gun ownership. With less than 5 percent of the world's population, the United States owns 46 percent of the world's civilian guns. According to the Gun Violence Archive website, in 2022, gun violence killed 43,341 people, and injured 37,763 people, and 636 mass shootings occurred in the United States, an average of two a day. -- Major crimes such as murder and robbery continue to rise. The USA Today reported on Sept. 11, 2022, that in the first half of 2022, homicides in member cities of the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) increased by 50 percent and aggravated assaults by about 36 percent compared to the same period in 2019. -- Police violence gets worse. In 2022, a record 1,239 people died as a result of police violence in the United States, according to the website Mapping Police Violence. Most police killings occur during routine law enforcement such as stop checks or when dealing with nonviolent crimes. In police killings between 2013 and 2022, 98.1 percent of the officers involved were not charged with a crime. -- The life and health of prisoners are threatened. The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, and prison conditions are terrible. According to a report in the Guardian on Oct. 1, 2022, nearly 500 people per 100,000 were incarcerated in the United States, which is about five times that of Britain, six times that of Canada, and nine times that of Germany. -- Prisons became places of modern slavery. According to a report jointly released by the University of Chicago Law School and the American Civil Liberties Union on June 16, 2022, the United States incarcerates more than 1.2 million people in state and federal prisons, about 800,000 were engaged in forced labor, accounting for 65 percent of the total number of prisoners. Editor: GSY Evan Gershkovich was working for the Wall Street Journal, which is "deeply concerned" for his safety. Germany's new crime stats show that there has been an increase in crime among children and young people. But experts are skeptical of lowering the age of criminal responsibility. An industry veteran says the UK needs to follow the US and EU in helping with the shift to electric cars. **Ancient Jews of Morocco** Traces of a Jewish presence on the Mediterranean coast of Africa go back to ancient times... Eurasia Review 27 Mar 2023 Weeks after a UN Security Council delegation visited DR Congo, it has released a statement calling on rebel groups to disband. The country's eastern region is rife with militias with conflicting goals and interests. The White House on Thursday said it has new evidence that Russia is looking again to North Korea for weapons to fuel the war in Ukraine, this time in a deal that would provide Pyongyang with needed food and other commodities in return. Oneindia 18 Mar 2023 There is a very old saying Power flows from the barrel of the gun. No war can be won without gunsNo guns can be bought.. Upworthy 28 Mar 2023 WASHINGTON During the weekend after the stunning collapse of Californias Silicon Valley Bank, no one from the White House or.. BOAO, Hainan, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Since the founding of Boao Forum For Asia (BFA) in 2001, profound changes have taken place not only in the host country China, but also in Asia and around the world. This year's forum is held entirely offline under the theme "An Uncertain World: Solidarity and Cooperation for Development amid Challenges" in China's southernmost island province of Hainan. Taking off from a nondescript fishing village to become a high-profile event, the Boao forum has become an important international stage for dialogue and gathering consensus. Since 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping has participated in the BFA annual conferences and delivered keynote speeches five times. Active discussions and proposals produced by Boao have been translated into actions to tackle issues such as global economic recovery and governance deficit. ASIAN INTEGRATION In 2001, the BFA was officially established, with the Declaration on the BFA adopted by delegates from 26 founding members. Back then, the Asian economy, having just been hit by the financial crisis, was in urgent need of recovery, while China was blazing new trails in opening-up with its accession to the World Trade Organization. The themes of the annual conferences in the first few editions invariably centered on Asia and win-win cooperation. With a focus on Asia and a global perspective, the Boao forum has gone a long way to build consensus in the region, encourage cooperation, promote economic globalization, and advance the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, said Xi when addressing the opening ceremony of the BFA annual conference in 2018. "When Asia fares well, the whole world benefits," he stressed again in a video speech last year. Xi called on BFA participants to continue developing and strengthening Asia, demonstrate Asia's resilience, wisdom and strength, and make Asia an anchor for world peace, a powerhouse for global growth and a new pacesetter for international cooperation. The weighted real GDP growth rate of Asia in 2023 is estimated to be 4.5 percent, an increase from 4.2 percent in 2022, according to a report titled "Asian Economic Outlook and Integration Progress," released by the forum on Tuesday. As a major engine of the world economy, the Asian economy is accelerating the pace in overall economic recovery in 2023, making it a standout performer in view of the global economic slowdown, the report said. BENEFIT FOR ALL Over the past two decades, as the host of the Boao forum, China has seen its proposals and initiatives turned into actions that added to global prosperity. Despite growing uncertainties and instabilities, China has set a GDP growth target of around 5 percent for 2023. The International Monetary Fund has raised its projection for China's economic growth in 2023 to 5.2 percent. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which Xi proposed in 2013, has evolved into a high-quality public good with its benefits shared by the world. Reiterating that the BRI is a public road open to all, Xi said in his 2021 Boao speech that all interested countries are welcome aboard to participate in the cooperation and share its benefits. "We will continue to work with other parties in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation." A World Bank report suggests that by 2030, Belt and Road projects could help lift 7.6 million people from extreme poverty and 32 million people from moderate poverty worldwide. "We work with all willing participants to build the BRI into a pathway to poverty alleviation and growth, which will contribute positively to the common prosperity of humankind," Xi said. HIGH-STANDARD OPENING-UP The forum has become a platform for sharing China's experience and understanding its signals of reform and opening-up. Meanwhile, China's high-quality development attracts countries to seek win-win opportunities, said Chi Fulin, head of the Hainan-based China Institute for Reform and Development. "No matter how the world will change, China's faith in and its commitment to reform and opening-up will not waver," Xi said in the video speech at BFA 2022. He said China will take solid steps to develop its pilot free trade zones and the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP), align with high-standard international economic and trade rules, and move ahead with institutional opening-up. In 2020, China released a master plan to build the whole of Hainan Island into a globally influential and high-level FTP by the middle of the century. Since then, many favorable policies including zero tariffs and eased market and foreign investment access have been rolled out to support the development of the Hainan FTP. Hainan is scheduled to finish building all the necessary infrastructure for independent customs operations by 2023 and will realize independent customs operations throughout the whole island by the end of 2025. Editor: WXY The Kremlin, which accused a Wall Street Journal correspondent of being a spy, made a move not seen since the Cold War, further raising the barriers between Russia and the West. Members of the House China Select Committee will inspect Chinese-made cranes at the Port of Miami, in light of fears they might be used for surveillance. Sen. John Barrasso, the top Senate Energy Republican, told Fox News Digital that his new bill would stop the administration 'from using regulation to kill popular gas stoves.' The school has sent a statement to parents confirming that pupils are being sent home West Briton 30 Mar 2023 Nashville authorities released 911 calls on Thursday that capture the terror inside a Christian elementary school during an attack this week in which three children and three adults were killed. (March 30) Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro, who left the country for the United States two days before his term ended, will return home on 30 March, his party and press service announced on Friday. Brazil's new president is headed to China this weekend in an effort to put Latin America's largest economy back on the world stage after years of isolation by his far right predecessor. Despite Russia suspending its participation in the last remaining nuclear arms treaty between the US and Russia, Moscow will continue to inform the US in advance about its missile tests. The clarification was issued by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov following his statement that Moscow had discontinued all information exchanges with Washington under the 2011 New START nuclear pact. Nashville authorities released 911 calls Thursday that capture the terror inside an elementary school during the attack this week that left three children and three adults dead. Chinese President Xi Jinping first put forward the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind in March 2013 when speaking at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. Ten years on, the important concept has evolved into a vision with global significance. Here is a review of the vision over the past decade. -- It is a world where countries are linked with and dependent on one another at a level never seen before. Mankind, by living in the same global village within the same time and space where history and reality meet, have increasingly emerged as a community of common destiny in which every one has in himself a little bit of others. At Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Mar. 23, 2013 -- The world today is a community of common destiny. Markets, capital, resources, information and human talent have all become highly globalized. A world that is developing will promote the development of all countries, which, in turn, will spur the global development. At the Parliament of Australia in Canberra, Nov. 17, 2014 -- As an ancient Chinese adage goes, "The greatest ideal is to create a world truly shared by all." Peace, development, equality, justice, democracy and freedom are common values of all mankind and the lofty goals of the United Nations. Yet these goals are far from being achieved; therefore, we must continue our endeavors. In today's world, all countries are interdependent and share a common future. We should renew our commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, build a new model of international relations featuring mutually beneficial cooperation, and create a community of shared future for mankind. At the General Debate of the 70th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Sept. 28, 2015 -- In the era of economic globalization, there is no island completely cut off from the rest of the world. As members of the global village, we need to cultivate the awareness of a community of shared future for mankind. Partnership is the most valuable asset of the G20 and the choice of all countries as they rise up together to global challenges. At the opening ceremony of the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, Sept. 3, 2016 -- Pass on the torch of peace from generation to generation, sustain development and make civilization flourish: this is what people of all countries long for; it is also the responsibility statesmen of our generation ought to shoulder. And China's proposition is: build a community of shared future for mankind and achieve shared and win-win development. At the United Nations Office at Geneva, Jan. 18, 2017 -- As the term suggests, a community with a shared future for mankind means that the destiny and future of each and every nation and country are interlocked. So we should stick together through thick and thin and endeavor to build this planet of ours into a harmonious big family and realize mankind's longing for a better life. At the CPC in Dialogue With World Political Parties High-Level Meeting in Beijing, Dec. 1, 2017 -- Diversity spurs interaction among civilizations, which in turn promotes mutual learning and their further development. We need to promote exchanges and mutual learning among countries, nations and cultures around the world, and strengthen popular support for jointly building a community with a shared future for both Asia and humanity as a whole. At the Opening Ceremony of The Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations in Beijing, May 15, 2019 -- The baton of history has been passed to our generation, and we must make the right choice, a choice worthy of the people's trust and of our times. Let us join hands to uphold the values of peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom shared by all of us and build a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind. Together, we can make the world a better place for everyone. Statement by H.E. Xi Jinping President of the People's Republic of China At the General Debate of the 75th Session of The United Nations General Assembly Beijing, 22 September 2020 -- Viewed from the perspective of "my own country first", the world is a cramped and crowded place perpetuated in fierce competition. Viewed from the perspective of "a global community with a shared future", the world is a vast and broad place full of cooperation opportunities. We need to heed the voices of the people, follow the trend of the times and strengthen coordination and cooperation. By doing so, the interests of the people of one country will be kept in line with those of all others and humanity will move forward towards a shared future. At the CPC and World Political Parties Summit in Beijing, July 6, 2021 -- To build a community with a shared future for mankind is not to replace one system or civilization with another. Instead, it is about countries with different social systems, ideologies, histories, cultures and levels of development coming together for shared interests, shared rights and shared responsibilities in global affairs, and creating the greatest synergy for building a better world. At the Conference Marking the 50th Anniversary of the Restoration Of the Lawful Seat of the People's Republic of China In the United Nations in Beijing, Oct. 25, 2021 -- Facts have shown once again that amidst the raging torrents of a global crisis, countries are not riding separately in some 190 small boats, but are rather all in a giant ship on which our shared destiny hinges. Small boats may not survive a storm, but a giant ship is strong enough to brave a storm. At the 2022 World Economic Forum Virtual Session, Jan. 17, 2022 -- In March 2013, when speaking at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, I observed that countries are linked with and dependent on one another at a level never seen before, and that mankind, living in the same global village, have increasingly emerged as a community with a shared future in which everyone's interests are closely entwined. Since then, I have proposed the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative on different occasions. All these have enriched our vision for a community with a shared future for mankind and provided practical pathways toward it. They are part of China's response to the changes of the world, of our times, and of the historic trajectory. A signed article on Russia's newspaper Russian Gazette and the website of RIA Novosti news agency, Mar. 20, 2023 Editor: WXY CP24 30 Mar 2023 The Vatican has rejected the Doctrine of Discovery a year after Pope Francis met with Indigenous groups from Canada and apologized.. Rumble 23 Apr 2023 Join us this morning to here powerful word for Pastor Dave and life-changing worship with Pastor Katie! Rumble 24 Apr 2023 IF YOU WANT TO SUPPORT OUR FAMILY'S CHANNEL CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE!!! BGaming fulfills ICE London pledge, donates $5,000 to charity in Ukraine Published March 30, 2023 by Admin BGaming, a casino games developer party, has donated $5,000 to a charity in Ukraine as part of their commitment following their pledge at ICE London. The donation was made to support the charity's efforts in providing aid and assistance to those in need in Ukraine. BGaming is known for its commitment to social responsibility, and this donation is just one example of its efforts to give back to the community. BGaming, a prominent iGaming casino games provider, has donated $5,000 to UNITED24, a charity that aims to raise funds for medical aid and critical needs in Ukraine. The donation follows BGaming's pledge at ICE London earlier this year to contribute $50 to the charity for every visitor who opted for merchandise featuring designs by the renowned London artist, Thumbs. Over 70 visitors opted to take up this offer, enabling BGaming to increase the final amount of their donation to UNITED24. BGaming's commitment to social responsibility doesn't end here. The company has pledged to continue fundraising at upcoming events such as IGB Live! In addition, Amsterdam, SBC Barcelona, and SiGMA Malta aim to create positive change in the communities they serve. UNITED24, established by the Ukrainian government, provides donors with a safe and secure platform to raise funds for medical aid, defense, demining, and rebuilding in Ukraine. The charity runs two medical aid projects to raise funds for urgently needed ambulances in the conflict-torn country. It's estimated that over 8,000 civilians have lost their lives, and more than 13,300 have been injured in the ongoing conflict. BGaming's donation will go a long way in helping the charity continue its vital work, and the company hopes that its contributions will inspire others to support those in need. Catherine Puteiko, CMO of BGaming, commented: Small acts of kindness can greatly impact the world, from caring for others to creating positive change. BGaming's recent charity initiative at the ICE London exhibition was a shining example of this ethos. Our partners could donate to a worthy cause or receive our branded merchandise, and we're thrilled to share that this simple initiative raised 5000 dollars for victims of war in Ukraine. Let's continue to think big and act small to make a positive impact on the lives of others! About BGaming BGaming is an iGaming games developer rapidly achieving favor by transforming gambling into gaming. The company's success is attributed to its expert team and player-driven approach, which leads to the creation of innovative and engaging products that can be found on respected platforms and over 900 online casinos worldwide. One of BGaming's most notable achievements is being the world's first iGaming content provider to support cryptocurrencies and offer Provably Fair games. In addition, the brand has a portfolio of over 100 products, which feature HD graphics and a user-friendly interface optimized for all devices. Additionally, BGaming is known for its brand exclusives, created in collaboration with leading operators in the industry. This approach allows BGaming to deliver unique and exciting gaming experiences to players worldwide. This piece was reprinted by OpEd News with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source. Well, well, well. Vice-President Kamala Harris is in Africa this week. It is the first time the vice-president, the first "person of color" to hold the high office, has ever visited the continent. Quite the oddity, methinks, given that Ms. Harris is often assigned the misnomer as being "African-American" by some in the lame-stream media. In June of 2021, while fending off a blistering assault by republicans for not having gone to the southern border given her appointment as immigration czar by President Joe Biden and amidst the so-called "immigration crisis," I distinctly recall an interview with Ms. Harris conducted by NBC's Lester Holt. One in which he, twice, asked Harris if she has visited the border. Harris was clearly irritated by the question and, upon it being asked a second time, curtly responded: "At some point, you know, we are going to the border." In typical space-cadet, Kamala Harris, undecipherable word salad she then told Holt, when asked if she plans to visit the border "We've been to the border. So this whole thing about the border. We've been to the border. We've been to the border." "You haven't been to the border," Holt responded. "And I haven't been to Europe," she replied. "And I mean, I don't understand the point that you're making. I'm not discounting the importance of the border." Within three weeks of the aforementioned interview, Harris showed up at the southern border. Coincidence, no doubt. Five months after that, she showed up in Europe; yet another coinkydink. Now here we are two years later and at the, likely, end of the Biden presidency with the faux, misnomered "African-American," "person of color" (both a distinction and a difference) going to the erroneously, and ignorantly, labeled Africa; for the very, very first time. What be the reason? Heh, heh. President Xi of the PROC has made Africa a priority for decades. The Chinese have treated the African nations with respect and as equals. They have built railroads, highways, schools and invested in not only infrastructure, but agriculture and business as well. Russian President Putin has followed suit. Russia, and China, have also formed military, security and strategic alliances with the nations of Africa. China and Russia have proven to show a foresight with regard to Africa that the "West" has not. Both nations have shown a respect that the "West" has not. And, now, Africa is the global equivalent of Cinderella and the "West" particularly the United States, wishes to add insult to centuries of injury by trying to court the continent after beating and raping it. The typical modus operandi of abusers. In December of last year, Joe Biden announced that "The United States plans to commit 55 billion dollars to Africa over the next three years." Holy Moly, yikes and gadzooks. Really? England's "crown jewels" alone are worth more than ten percent of that "plan." None of which were paid for, all of which were stolen or pilfered, and all of which come from Africa (except one from India/Asia stolen from an 11-year-old). The United States is an imperialist nation and, arguably, the ultimate one in the annals of human history (what I like to call "hustory"). As such, the imperialist nation is not at all interested in "democracy"; it is interested in the other d-word and that is domination. All of the U.S. rhetoric about "democracy" is simply the blowing of smoke up one's ass, which is an effective socio-political prophylactic against actual intellect that works on 99.9 percent of "freedom-loving Americans". When you control the narrative, you can get away with just about anything (my credo). For at least the last two centuries the European minority (so-called "white man") has controlled the global narrative through absolute and abject violence, brutality, racism and subterfuge. All of which have been augmented by linguistic mind copulation while telling the majority of the world that it is everything but that. No truly intelligent person will, or can, provide logical counterpoint to this stark fact. I publicly dare them to. Black To Africa Getting black, er, back to Africa I don't think that the United States should "pledge" a dime to Africa. That's right, you heard me. What is erroneously called Africa is the richest continent in the world in terms of its natural resources. All 54 nations in "Africa" are "third-world" "underdeveloped" nations. There is one exception to this metric pertinent to the erroneously called African continent and that is so-called South Africa (I can just hear Jim Neighbors as Gomer Pyle yelling in my ear "surprise, surprise, surprise!"). The third world also includes all of the countries of Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. Aside from the global behemoth, China, the Asian exceptions are: South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Japan; all of which have been heavily interfered with, subjugated and tainted by "the West". In fact, the Japanese have long been considered "the white people of Asia" (and they conduct themselves accordingly). No Joe, just keep your sorry posterior, you and the rest of your European Klan, out of Africa. You have received more than enough welfare and "free" wealth from your "commonwealth." For those not in the know, the "third world" means "low human development". Contrapuntal to this, the continent with the least natural resources is Europe, but all of the countries contained therein are considered "developed" and "first world" including a city that somehow is also a country (Vatican City). 77 percent of the world's population is in Africa and Asia. So, by logical extrapolation, and according to the European, 77 percent of the world is lowly in terms of its humanity. Just marinate in that for a awhile and, unless you are irreparably stupid, you have probably gathered what is to come, here. Ukraine is not a continent it is a country; in fact of the 44 nations in Europe it is the poorest, yet U.S "aid" to Ukraine in the past year has exceeded 100 billion dollars with more to come. The "developed" or "first world" nations would, can, and will, exist without Ukraine. In fact they would probably never miss it were it to disappear from the face of the planet. However, the European, the Great White Hunter, can not, and could not, last a month without Africa. His survival, his way of life, his high "human development" all come from sucking the teat of Africa's wealth in both human and natural terms. When the European in the United States looks at his bloody flag and a tear falls down his cheek in reverence thereto, I wonder does he realize that without the natural/human resources from Africa he would be freezing his ass off in a stone building (or cave) in Europe and wearing animal skins. His sense of supremacy comes from his lust, penchant, deployment and the resultant temporal success of violence, which is about to bite him right in the gluteus maximus because the world has come to realize that violence, in whatever format, is all that he understands. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said this week, when asked about UK shipments of Depleted Uranium weapons to Ukraine: "If Russia is deeply concerned about the welfare of their tanks and tank soldiers, the safest thing for them to do is move them across the border, get them out of Ukraine." Meanwhile, Pentagon spokesperson Garron Garn said Depleted Uranium had "saved the lives of many service members in combat," and "other countries have long possessed depleted uranium rounds as well, including Russia." Welcome to the bottom of the abyss of moral thinking. If Russia "" the folks you're sending deadly weapons to kill "" does it, then it must be acceptable! If a weapon kills people on one side in a war then it can be described instead as having saved lives on the other side of a war, even if it prolonged or escalated a war! And a weapon widely believed to cause horrible illness and birth defects years later to those who live where it's used should be characterized as a concern only in the context of tanks and soldiers! The reason that numerous countries have banned Depleted Uranium weapons, and most of the world's countries have repeatedly tried to get them restricted, monitored, investigated, and reported on, is that numerous doctors and scientists strongly suspect these weapons of causing huge numbers of illnesses and birth defects in the Balkans and in Iraq, beginning several years after their use, and lasting until who knows when. If you're employed to smooth over the violation of all rules for the Rules Based Order, you're clearly supposed to avoid the actual concern entirely. Here's how the New York Times skirts the issue: "Questions have long followed the use of depleted uranium in some munitions and armor, as outside groups have raised environmental and safety concerns. A 2022 report from the United Nations Environment Program identified depleted uranium as a risk in the war in Ukraine, saying that while it does not release radiation that can penetrate healthy skin, it 'does have the potential to cause radiation damage if inhaled or ingested,' which can happen when the material is pulverized on impact. The Pentagon has also deemed depleted uranium safe, though after the U.S. military used it in Iraq, some activists and others connected it to birth defects and cancers. Numerous studies have been conducted on a possible link, without firm conclusions." Oh, well, there's some possibility that what caused those record cancer rates and hideous birth defects was mostly other toxic war weapons and burn pits, not just Depleted Uranium, so fire away! I mean, if the Pentagon has "deemed" it safe. What more could you ask! Well, you could ask whether they'd be comfortable blowing the stuff through the air ducts in the Pentagon, but that would be inappropriate. After all, people work there. In Ukraine we're not dealing with people so much as Russians and Ukrainians, and really that's pretty much who will live there for years to come, no matter who wins, if humanity survives, so who cares! New Study Documents Depleted Uranium Impacts on Children in Iraq No Future for Depleted Uranium Laid to Waste U.S. Sends Planes Armed with Depleted Uranium to the Middle East Iraq War Records Reignite Debate Over U.S. Use of Depleted Uranium Depleted Uranium 'Threatens Balkan Cancer Epidemic' How the World Health Organisation covered up Iraq's nuclear nightmare U.S. promised it wouldn't use Depleted Uranium in Syria. But then it did. Duluth, Minnesota (OpEdNews) March 29, 2023: Perhaps all of my 564 OEN articles are idiosyncratic. However that may be, my present OEN article is admittedly idiosyncratic. I am here going to write about two contemporary American Jesuits: (1) Thomas J. Reese, a journalist and columnist; and (2) James F. Keenan, a moral theologian at Boston College. Father Reese's book Inside the Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church (Harvard University Press, 1996) has also been published in four different translations. Father Keenan's book A History of Catholic Theological Ethics (Paulist Press, 2022) has been reviewed by me in my 2,000-word OEN article "An Accessible and Learned History of Catholic Moral Theology" (dated October 27, 2022): Click Here Now, Father Reese published the guest op-ed commentary "A reading list for seminarians and other Catholic conservatives" (dated March 27, 2023) in the National Catholic Reporter: Click Here In it, among other things, he says, "Today, I am reading A History of Catholic Moral Ethics by Jesuit Fr. James Keenan." Nevertheless, the cover of Keenan's book is one of only four books covers pictured at the beginning of Reese's NCR article. In addition, a bit earlier in Reese's NCR article, he says, "Another book that transformed my theological views was Contraception by [the American Catholic layman] John T. Noonan, which told the history of the church's teaching on contraception. I remember throwing the book at the wall after reading the section describing how the Irish confessional manuals had a bigger penance for contraception than for rape, because rape was a 'natural' act. Game over." Now, Father Keenan published the guest op-ed commentary "It's time for a Catholic ethic that sees sexuality as a gift, not a curse" (dated March 28, 2023) in the National Catholic Reporter: Click Here In it, by coincidence, Father Keenan says, "In Contraception: A History of Its Treatment by the Catholic Theologians and Canonists [Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1965], Judge John T. Noonan, Jr., describes these language games: 'There is never any attempt to provide a biological description of the acts condemned. Medical terms are eschewed. The vagina is usually described as "the vessel" or "the fit vessel." Ejaculation is often described as "pollution." The term "coitus interruptus" is never employed, but the usual description is "outside the fit vessel." "What links all these sins together is basically that the semen went elsewhere than the 'fit vessel' and by going elsewhere the sin was 'unnatural.'" By coincidence with Father Reese's above-mentioned NCR article, Father Keenan then says, "From albert the Great and Thomas Aquinas until the 20th century, the moral treatises distinguish between sexual sins 'in accordance with nature' and those 'contrary to nature.' While the former could include fornication, adultery, incest, and even rape, in general the latter sins (solitary or mutual masturbation, contraception, anal or oral intercourse, bestiality) were considered more grievous, such was the obsession with the finality of semen and the 'fit vessel.' That masturbation was so long and consistently taught to be more grievous than rape might give us pause about the argument from consistency. And, it might also suggest how inadequately grievous rape was considered by the celibate theologians." Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). In 1960, with assistance from the United Church of Christ, civic leaders launched New College -- a private liberal arts institution with an initial student body of 101. By the 1970s, that enrollment had swelled to more than 500. With nearly $4 million in debt rather than a fat and growing endowment, New College made a deal with the devil: It sold itself off to the Florida's government-operated university system. In terms of curriculum and educational approach, "New College of Florida" was allowed to largely operate as it had before ... until earlier this year, when governor Ron DeSantis appointed six new members to its board of trustees in an effort to, as his chief of staff put it, turn the school into a "Hillsdale of the South." If that goal sounds somewhat perverse, it is. The distinguishing characteristic of Hillsdale College is not that it's "conservative." What sets it apart is that it's one of a handful of truly private US colleges which decline government financial support -- student loans, Pell Grants, GI Bill benefits, etc. -- and the strings that come with that support. If DeSantis wanted New College to become a "Hillsdale of the South," the correct approach would have been to sell it off (or donate it to) "conservative" private sector operators. Instead, he did exactly what he (and other "conservatives") constantly accuse "the left" of doing, and have been doing themselves for decades: He imposed his own political viewpoint on a state-operated school. Establishment politicians of all stripes constantly bemoan the "politicization" of "public" education, while constantly engaging in their own preferred "politicization." "Politicization" is baked into the whole idea of "public" education. It can't be any other way. When schools are operated by appointed government bureaucrats who answer to elected government officials, schools will necessarily be expected to serve the goals of those bureaucrats and those officials. Electing different officials who appoint new bureaucrats doesn't solve the problem, it just changes the direction the "politicization" runs in. Nor is "school choice" -- allowing parents to spend taxpayer money at private schools or send their students to tax-financed government "charter" schools -- a solution to the problem. That money inevitably comes with conditions that turn formerly private schools into de facto government schools. Which is precisely why Hillsdale refuses such funding. The choices are: Complete separation of school and state, or political indoctrination of your kids by and for whoever won the most recent election. The China-India dispute along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) took a new twist Tuesday when Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering said it was open to a three-way resolution involving the three countries to end the stand-off at the strategically vital Doklam plateau. In an interview with the Belgian Daily 'La Libre', while on a state visit to Germany, Tshering said, "Doklam is a tri-junction between India, China and Bhutan. It is not up to Bhutan alone to solve the problem. We are three equal countries. There is no big or small country." He said Bhutan was ready to discuss the issue as soon as the two other parties agreed. "India and China have problems all along their border. We are waiting to see how they resolve their differences," he said. While there was no official reaction to Tshering comments, India media pointed out that his statement contradicts Bhutan's stance elucidated in 2019 when Tshering said the "existing tri-junction point should not be disturbed unilaterally". About the Bhutan-China talks (on since 1984) on demarcating the border, the PM said, "We do not encounter major border problems with China, but certain territories are not yet demarcated. We still have to discuss it and draw a line. We have come to understand each other. Last month, a Bhutanese delegation visited China and we are now awaiting the arrival of a Chinese technical team in Bhutan." After a meeting or two, he said, the two sides would probably be able to draw a line. According to the Tribune India, for India, it remains to be seen if Bhutan cedes Doklam and retains the areas to its north. This would mean China getting ensconced on the Doklam plateau, which will allow it a clear view of the sensitive Siliguri corridor, the narrow tract of land connecting mainland India with the north-eastern states. For India, it means China going back on a commitment made in 2012 to maintain status quo at border tri-junctions such as Doklam. "As per international maps, the tri-junction of Doklam at Batang La was never demarcated. The 1890 Sikkim-Tibet boundary treaty says Mount Gipmochi (14,300 feet high) shall be the point where Tibet and Sikkim territories converge. In 1904, the British captured Tibet and in a 1906 treaty, they handed over the Chumbi valley to Tibet. The Chumbi valley ends in the north of Doklam plateau at Batang La," according to Tribune. Indian sources claim that China has been vying to control the Doklam plateau; any troops stationed there will be away from the eyes or range of the Indian forces and additionally, Beijing would be able to roll down Zimplri ridge and undermine Indian defences in the Siliguri Corridor that connects the rest of India to the seven north-eastern states. China building villages inside Bhutan In the same interview, Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering also addressed the reports of China building villages inside Bhutan's borders. He said that these purported settlements do not fall in Bhutanese territory. "A lot of information is circulating in the media about Chinese facilities in Bhutan. We are not making a (big) deal about them because they are not in Bhutan. We have said it categorically, there is no intrusion as mentioned in the media. This is an international border and we know exactly what belongs to us." On the same issue, he added, "We are not experiencing major border problems with China, but some territories have not yet been demarcated. After one or two more meetings, we will probably be able to draw a dividing line." While Tshering refuted claims of any Chinese presence in the country, experts claim that the recent satellite data suggests otherwise. Robert Barnett "" a scholar of Tibetan history and affiliate at the Lau China Institute, Kings College London "" had also studied international maps of the area and come to the conclusion that Beijing had built villages inside Bhutan. On Twitter, Barnett explained that three of the villages are in the mid-sector of Bhutan's northern border, two are in the northeastern region of Lhuentse, while the remaining five are in the western border areas. Indian sources claim that China has been vying to control the Doklam plateau; any troops stationed there will be away from the eyes or range of the Indian forces and additionally, Beijing would be able to roll down Zimplri ridge and undermine Indian defences in the Siliguri Corridor that connects the rest of India to the seven north-eastern states. Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi left the Zaporizhia NPP, where he was on a one-day visit, Energoatom reported. "The visit of the head of the IAEA to Europe's largest nuclear power plant, the second since the start of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, lasted several hours," the Ukrainian operator of the nuclear power plant said on its Telegram channel on Wednesday evening. According to the report, Grossi returned to the territory controlled by Ukraine together with the experts of the permanent mission of the agency, who were at the ZNPP before the rotation. Other representatives of the IAEA will continue monitoring the situation at the plant. As reported, the Director General of the IAEA announced his second visit to ZNPP after the Russian invasion in the last week of March. The agency said that the situation at the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant is still precarious. Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator The 20th anniversary of the US attack on Iraq for regime change coincides with the 12th anniversary of the US attack on Syria for regime change. March 2003 and March 2011 have a great deal in common, but that is not where the story begins. The destruction of two nations, sitting side by side in the Middle East, began in 1996 with the strategy paper called "A Clean Break", written by the man known as "The Architect of the Iraq War". "A Clean Break" was authored in part by Richard T. Perle, an American Jew from New York. Being born a Jew is not paramount to this story, but being an Israeli agent is. There should be a test when working on sensitive and top-secret plans for the US, that your allegiance is sworn to the US and no other country on earth. Perle was an American, but his allegiance lay elsewhere. Perle delivered the paper to Benjamin Netanyahu, who had just been elected as Prime Minister of Israel. The paper presents the reasons for the US to attack and destroy Iraq and Syria. After President Bill Clinton took office, the paper was presented to him for action, but he declined. But, by the time of the 9/11 bombing of the WTC in NYC in 2001, the time was ripe to dust off the paper and Perle and his associates found President George W. Bush a willing partner. Perle was the chairman of the Defense Policy Board, which was responsible for developing reasons for the US to attack other countries. The Pentagon does not develop policy, they simply are asked to report if a planned attack can be carried out successfully, or not. There is an old saying, "A soldier's job is not to question why, a soldier's job is to do or die". Wars and attacks by the US cannot be blamed on the Pentagon, that blame must rest on the Oval Office, the State Department, the CIA, and the Defense Policy Board. The 9/11 attack was carried out on the orders of Osama bin Laden, a Saudi national living in Afghanistan, and a leader of Al Qaeda, a terrorist group following the political ideology of Radical Islam, which is the same ideology as the Muslim Brotherhood, with hundreds of followers in the US. The trick was how could the Bush administration connect Al Qaeda to Saddam Hussein, the leader of Iraq? The director of the CIA, George Tenet, repeatedly told Bush that there was no connection. The second strategy of the Bush administration, was to build the case for invading Iraq based on Saddam Hussein having "Weapons of Mass Destruction" (WMD). The CIA was able to support that premise, not based on any facts, but based on the idea that Hussein might have WMD. When Tenet was asked about the WMD, he replied "We will find it when we get there." That proved to be wishful thinking, as no WMDs were ever found by thousands of armed and highly skilled US soldiers who combed every nook and cranny in Iraq, for years. So how did the US public and Congress come to believe the Bush administration's lies? That was accomplished by the US mainstream media. The Bush administration spoon-fed false information to key journalists in the most reputable media outlets. The journalists were unable to personally verify the information on WMD, and they refused to reveal their sources who were the highest-ranking officials in the US government. Without the complicity of the media, the case for going to war in Iraq could never have been believed. The events leading up to the first day of the bombing in Baghdad were unfolding so rapidly, that the 'red flags' of doubt were overlooked. Hans Blix was returning to his hotel in Baghdad when Bush announced to the world on TV that he would order the beginning of the bombing in 24 hours. Blix was blindsided when confronted by a microphone thrust in his face at the entrance of the hotel. At first, he didn't believe the Bush order, and reiterated the results of his visits to numerous sites in Iraq, that Hussein had no WMD, they had been destroyed previously. But, that never stopped the bombing from commencing on time. While the bombs were falling across Baghdad, Blix was back in NYC delivering his detailed report to Ban Ki-Moon, UN Secretary-General, which made the case that the Bush attack was based on a lie. All of this was covered in the media, but it was too late to stop the war machine. The US was not alone. The UK and many of the NATO allies signed up for the Bush war on Iraq. All of them bear responsibility for their participation in an unjustified war that cost millions of lives. The US coalition partners blame their decision to participate on the fact they believed in US intelligence, and they believed in the lies. Another factor in their decision to follow the US lead was the fact that the US had been the sole 'Super Power'. Those days are over, as the international community recognizes the new multi-polar world. When Perle penned "A Clean Break" in 1996 for the leader of Israel, the attack on Syria was included, sort of a '2 for 1' idea. Take out both Iraq and Syria at the same time, and Israel will be a safer place. Once Donald Rumsfeld became involved in planning the 2003 attack on Iraq, he counseled against including Syria. His decision was based on knowing two countries' destruction is too big of a goal to be accomplished. He decided to focus on destroying Iraq only. Syria was not attacked, and the war next door did not spill over the border. Syria accepted 2 million Iraqi refugees, and Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt came to Damascus in 2009 and met President Assad because of his open-door Iraqi refugee policy. The plans to destroy Syria began in the 1996 paper by Perle, and by March 2011 the President Obama administration had already started on their plans to create a 'new Middle East' and Obama utilized NATO to assist in the attack, invasion, and occupation of Libya. The US-NATO attack on Libya was the precursor to the attack on Syria which used Syrian followers of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and later were replaced by international terrorists following Radical Islam, such as Al Qaeda and finally ISIS. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Routine small explosions detonate all over the world at nuclear power plants. Ongoing research into the Ringhals 4 nuclear power plant damages concludes that small explosions detonated inside the nuclear reactor system, and this finding provides insights into the widespread detonation of explosions in nuclear power plants. Originally, the question was asked "Did a Nuclear Power Plant Explosion Detonate in 2022 at Sweden's Ringhals 4 Nuclear Reactor?" (click here). That Op Ed provided a thread to peer-reviewed engineering journal papers, which explain the complexities of nuclear power plant explosions. In that article, I questioned if there were explosions in 2015 that damaged nuclear fuel, and I further questioned if there was a 2022 explosion in the reactor pressurizer. Explosions probably did not, but may have detonated inside the pressurizer at the time of pressurizer heater damages. More importantly, evidence presented here supports the conclusion that earlier blasts ignited inside the Ringhals 4 nuclear power plant to damage nuclear fuel, where Ringhals 4 is the cusp of myriad nuclear industry explosions. Troubleshooting Nuclear Plant Explosions Investigations of nuclear power plant explosions are complicated by the censorship of nuclear safety information by nuclear regulators and nuclear power plant operators. Having worked as a troubleshooter for industrial piping failures for decades, I know that troubleshooting is a difficult process. One must work with limited information, and new discoveries are frequently required to determine why a failure occurred. As a troubleshooter, I have learned that engineers often and incorrectly blame manufacturing defects when a failure cause is unknown. Months or years may be needed to uncover new facts, and then more time is needed to mold those facts into a correct theory. On occasion, one must invent new discoveries in physics. The Leishear Explosion Theory is one such new development in physics and engineering science. Nuclear Power Plant Explosions That is, in a series of peer reviewed engineering publications and supporting Op Eds, I have explained the fundamental explosion mechanisms in nuclear power plants. Initial detonations are of two types. One type of detonation occurs after hydrogen and oxygen are formed when radioactivity breaks down water. If these gases are compressed at system high points, like the pressurizer in a pressurized water reactor, those gases heat due to compression and explode. I refer to this type of explosion as a water hammer explosion. A second type of detonation occurs when water contacts a nuclear reactor core that is melting. Hydrogen and oxygen form in a process known as thermolysis, and an explosion ignites. Such explosions started a series of explosions at both Fukushima Daiichi and Three Mile Island (TMI). Following reactor core explosions, water hammer explosions ignited explosions in reactor buildings, where building damages at TMI were negligible, and building explosions at Fukushima were catastrophic. With respect to this Op Ed, I have published the conclusion that perhaps hundreds of small explosions detonate in nuclear plants. New research presented here connects nuclear reactor fuel rod damages to that conclusion. Ringhals 4 Pressurizer Damages When Vattenfall refused to answer a request for information, I assumed that they were covering up a pressurizer explosion during water additions to the reactor. A response from The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority proved that my assumption was incorrect. 'This is, in short, what actually happened in August 2022 at Ringhals 4: In the outage, just before restarting the reactor, different tests must be done to ensure that safety systems still [work as require]. The [yearly] test of the logic of the pressurizer is done to ensure that the power to actual heaters will be turned off in specified conditions. The test should be done before filling [the pressurizer] with water. The test, when done properly, should be done with isolated power to the heaters. By mistake, this was not the case this time, and when testing of the turn-off function, the actual heaters were warmed up and rather soon melted. The event has led to a production loss, but had no safety impact when it occurred.' In other words, the nuclear reactor operator, Vattenfall, did not even know when essential safety equipment was turned on or not. No wonder that Vattenfall left this information out of their press release ("How Ringhals 4 is repaired", translated with Google Translate, click here). Overheating of the pressurizer heaters was the primary cause for damages. However, if hydrogen and oxygen were present in the pressurizer, an explosion may have ignited. This opinion is presently theoretical, and the damages need further investigation to determine what really happened. However, fuel damages from explosions are not theoretical. The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority further stated that: 'You had also a question about a fuel damage at Ringhals 4. A leaking fuel element, due to a hole or a crack in the cladding, is not a severe safety problem, but the permit holders will try to avoid them and prevent them, to keep radiation level as low as possible for the staff working in primary systems during next-coming outage for example. Fuel damages, or hole in the cladding due to debris, is more common in boiling waters reactors, where debris in the systems are more difficult to avoid. A common fuel damage starts with a small hole, caused by a debris that gets stucked in a spacer and fret a hole in the cladding. This brings a small leak of noble gases, that can be detected in chemical monitoring. This is called a primary damage. In some cases the damage stop there, but the cladding damage can also propagate to a secondary state, where the cladding on actual rod become brittle. This is what happened at Ringhals 4, when the rod cracked during investigation of the damage. The investigation was done to find a root cause for the actual damage. This is some facts from the report: During a shutdown made in February 2015, after a fuel leak was detected on 11-28-14, it was identified, that fuel cell had a damaged fuel rod. The visual inspection carried out in 2015 was then unable to provide any clear picture of the cause of damage. The fuel damage has been reported to the authorities. To investigate the damage, the fuel supplier had now started work with inspections and rod pulling in fuel elements in the fuel building. [Later], the leaking rod was found. When the rod was inspected, an indication of a possible crack could be discerned. The rod was rotated to check the size of the crack. The rod then broke off and a part falls down into position and the remaining part stays in the tool.' My response was that: '[L]et me talk about the fretting theory for fuel rod destruction. An assumption is made that a particle, or particles, becomes trapped next to the wall of the cladding, between the cladding and the spacer. Such a particle could carve a hole in the cladding wall. However, a mechanism to basically shatter the entire tube due to such a particle does not seem to be a reasonable conclusion. Such a conclusion is like scratching your forehead, and expecting your skull to shatter. Such an analogy may seem absurd, but the fret and shatter theory is equally absurd. On the other hand, reactor system explosions and fuel rod damages provide an explanation of fuel rod destruction. Shock waves can be generated in the pressurizer - or other system high points - during system pressure changes at any time during operations [Figure 1]. When radiolytically generated hydrogen and oxygen are compressed, the gases heat and explode. Shock waves from the explosion[s] travel throughout the reactor system and impact fuel rods and spacers. On impact, the stresses near the spacers will be much higher than stresses at other locations on the fuel rods, where the spacers act as stress raisers against the rods. Since this failure mechanism is related to fatigue failures, some locations will be more prone to failure than others. Note that fatigue stresses both crack and embrittle metals. Seismic or accelerometer data at the plant during operations would prove these statements. Occasional pressure spikes would have occurred at the plant due to small explosions.' [High frequency pressure transducers can measure future hydrogen explosions in nuclear power plants]. Figure 1: Pressurizer explosions detonate shock waves throughout PWRs. (Image by Adapted from Vattenfal) Details DMCA A new study of nuclear power plant explosions is presented in Figure 2. Several conclusions are proved by these new calculations. 1) Residual hydrogen and oxygen at high points in a reactor system will explode during reactor restarts. 2) During normal operations, pressures in pressurized water reactor (PWR) pressurizers are within ~8.7% of the autoignition temperature of hydrogen, and pressure changes in pressurizers can therefore detonate hydrogen. 3) Pressures in boiling water reactor pressure (BWR) vessels are 35% lower than the hydrogen autoignition temperature, and detonation pressures are above the reactor shutdown pressure, or SCRAM pressure. Accordingly, BWR hydrogen explosions are not expected during normal operations, unless explosions are caused by water hammers. 4) Water hammers in the non-steam sections in BWR piping were observed at Hamaoka, Japan and Brunsbuettel, Germany nuclear power plants. There are a great number of fuel damages that are not caused by hydrogen explosions in nuclear reactor systems ("Review of Fuel Failures in Water Cooled Reactors (2006-2015)", -pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/PUB1864_web.pdf). Even so, PWR pressurizer explosions explain the fuel damages in the Ringhals 4 reactor, where those damages otherwise do not fit the facts. The impact of these findings with respect to other reactor designs needs further investigation (Figures 3 and 4). Figure 3: Typical fuel rod and fuel pellets that are encased in the fuel rod. (Image by OECD) Details DMCA (Article changed on Feb 12, 2023 at 9:31 PM EST) The recent Chinese brokered agreement between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran stunned the world. The Biden administration was among the most surprised, as they saw yet another example of the diminishing status of the US in the Persian Gulf region. Saudi Arabia and its oil-rich neighbors have watched as the US has walked away from the region. Steven Sahiounie of MidEastDiscourse interviewed Dr. Javad Masoumi, a geopolitical researcher and analyst, to shed light on some key issues surrounding this new agreement. #1. Steven Sahiounie (SS): The Chinese brokered agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran surprised the world. In your opinion, will restoring full relations between the two have an effect of China's Belt and Road project? Javad Masoumi (JM): China's Belt and Road Initiative was established in 2013. It connects China to Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa through rail, road and sea corridors. This road belt evokes memories of the ancient Silk Road. This plan has placed China in a position of physical, financial, cultural, technological and political influence at the international level. China is drawing the exact details of the world map with new railways and bridges and ports with different capacities and potentials. This project has affected 60 countries of the world including Iran and Saudi Arabia. In addition to economic effects, China can transmit political and cultural values. Initiatives such as the road belt provide an attractive perspective of China's centrality. It requires the cooperation of other countries, including Iran and Saudi Arabia. Based on this, China is trying to highlight the world around it, including Iran, India, Saudi Arabia and Russia, in the new world order. In China's mediation in the recent agreement, Iran and Saudi Arabia effectively demonstrated that it can change diplomacy anywhere in the world. By using economic leverage, China is trying to force countries to impose their own policies. By organizing joint financing, China has made it possible to implement large infrastructure projects. China is one of the largest and most important trading partners of Iran, and is Saudi Arabia. Trilateral regional and extra-regional cooperation is at a common and turning point. Iran and China have a common point in the historical and ancient silk road belt. Also, Iran and China are fighting unilateralism in the world, and fighting against The United States of America with shared capacities and opportunities in West Asia. China's road belt initiative has benefits for all countries on the route of this ancient road, including Saudi Arabia. It also facilitates trade and economic relations. This idea can play a role in realizing the important goals of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as well as the important goals of the global development plan. SS: The tension between Riyadh and Tehran was solved after decades by the recent Chinese brokered agreement to resume full relations. In your opinion, will this play a role in ending the suffering of the Syrian people? JM: The reopening of embassies and the resumption of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia can have a positive effect on regional developments, including Syria. This agreement is considered a step towards reducing tension in Syria. Iran and Saudi Arabia are two powerful countries in the region of the Islamic world. These two countries have many capacities in the region in trans-regional issues. In addition, both Iran and Saudi Arabia have considerable influence in Syria. Following this agreement, regional tensions in Syria will definitely decrease. Of course, the necessary condition is that relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia are formed in good faith. In this case, we can witness the solution of the Syrian case. In general, if this agreement is implemented with the implementation of constructive and executive strategic plans, in the future we can witness peace in the West Asian region, especially in Syria. The costs of the conflict in Syria will lead to the reconstruction and development of the Syrian economy. The agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia can lead to peace and stability and an end to the suffering of the Syrian people. SS: The media has been for decades fueling a war between Sunni and Shiite people. In your view, will the rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran help to end this media war? JM: The real meaning of the media war between Iran and Saudi Arabia was in the creation of news and television channels in Persian and Arabic languages "-"-by the two countries. Saudi Arabia was able to become a leading media power in the West and Southwest Asia by spending its oil dollars in the field of media and gaining the support of European and American powers. The emergence of Iran International news network in the form of Persian satellite TV is an example of this media war. What is certain is that the media war works like a very strong ballistic missile. In a short period of time, the Iran International network is in close competition with the BBC Persian network. In today's era, which is called global village and virtual world, media is one of the tools of interference in the politics and governance of countries. Soft power in the global village is one of the sources of authority of countries and great powers, including Iran and Saudi Arabia. The problems of Iran-Saudi diplomacy in the past are based on a misunderstanding but have deep roots in the religious history of Shia and Sunni. Saudi Arabia is Sunni and Iran is Shia. But due to the fact that both countries are Muslim, Iran and Saudi Arabia will never directly go to war with each other. But they have faced each other in proxy conflicts. In the meantime, the active role of some trans-regional countries, including Israel, The UK and the US, has used the gap between Shia and Sunni religious differences and fueled this division between the two Muslim countries. The strategic development is that after the agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, the media policies of these two countries will be rearranged and adjusted based on identifying and defining the commonalities of each other's demands. It should be accepted that in the current situation of the agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the media of both countries will create a suitable opportunity for the development of strategic interactions. The most important factor affecting the relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia is the West, especially the United States and Israel. So it can be said that Iran and Saudi Arabia represent two religious thoughts, Shia and Sunni. But both are Muslims who seem to be careful about this important agreement and avoid tension. The zeroing of tensions is conditional on applying changes and rearranging the strategy of extensive media policies in the intellectual and identity foundations, which seems necessary and necessary in the conditions of the recent agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia. SS: The US and EU have seemingly approved this Saudi Arabia and Iran rapprochement brokered by China. In your opinion, will this bring life back to the Iranian nuclear deal negotiations? JM: The restoration of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia will help the stability of the West Asian region. But the JCPOA is a different matter and this agreement may have more of a psychological effect. The agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia is considered relatively timely to break the JCPOA political deadlock. Certainly, this correct procedure of restructuring Iran's foreign policy will not be ineffective in completing the JCPOA. I hope there is a change of attitude in international foreign policy. It is important to note that Iran's nuclear activities, including enrichment at various levels, are completely peaceful and in line with Iran's rights based on the NPT and are under the supervision, verification and control of the Agency. Iran wants to continue implementing the JCPOA obligations. But some regional and extra-regional countries, especially Israel, have tried their best to hide the facts. Iran has been the most active delegation during the negotiations and has put forward many initiatives to clarify the negotiations. What is certain is that countries and the United Nations do not pay attention to the important and extremely worrying issue of Israel's military nuclear program, which causes instability in the region and is a serious threat to world peace and security. In the current situation, the agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia is based on the strategic policy of reducing tension and improving the level of peace, stability and security in the region. With the dictatorship of Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel has become a more serious threat to the world with its temporary existence and the chaotic situation of the civil war. It seems that changes are taking place at the international level, which have also affected the JCPOA case. The issue of JCPOA is more of a political case than a technical case. Based on the political model of international relations, Iran's agreement with Saudi Arabia also has a psychological effect on the JCPOA case. But the JCPOA case is a different matter. SS: The Israeli media have been calling the Saudi Arabia and Iran agreement to restore full relations as a big loss for Israel politically, and they are considering it a threat to their national security. In your view, how could this affect Israel? JM: America and Israel were surprised. Israel relied on the continued hostility of Saudi Arabia against Iran. Above all, Israel does not want Iran to be powerful enough to effectively balance the power with Israel. Tel Aviv only looks at the world, especially Saudi Arabia, through the lens of its own benefit. Tehran's agreement with Riyadh is a fatal blow to Israel's Iranophobia project. The agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia is a strategic and double defeat for Israel and America and a fatal blow to their project to create an Arab-Israeli NATO against Iran. The new regional order has entered a new phase that is not in the interest of America and Israel. The former officials of the Zionist regime described the agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia to resume relations with each other as a complete failure of Tel Aviv's foreign policy and the collapse of the regional coalition against Iran. The recent agreement showed that there is a fundamental weakness in America and Israel towards Iran. Steven Sahiounie is a two-time award-winning journalist The US sphere of influence in the Middle East appears to be changing as the China-brokered peace talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran have resulted in a reconciliation of sorts between the two countries. After lengthy negotiations in Beijing, the two countries have now agreed to resume diplomatic relations and re-open embassies within a few months. The complicated relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran has long been characterized by tension, competition, and hostility for many decades. The two countries are regional powers and have significant influence in the Middle East, but they have very different political systems, ideologies, and strategic interests. Saudi Arabia's relationship with Iran can be traced back to the Iranian Revolution in 1979, when Iran's monarchy was overthrown and replaced by an Islamic republic. The new government in Iran adopted an anti-Western and anti-Saudi rhetoric, which alarmed Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries that saw Iran as a potential threat to their own security and stability. Since then, Saudi Arabia and Iran have been involved in a number of proxy conflicts in the region, supporting opposing sides in conflicts such as the Lebanese civil war, the Iraq-Iran war, and the ongoing conflict in Yemen. They have also been involved in a war of words, with each side accusing the other of supporting terrorism, destabilizing the region, and interfering in their internal affairs. In recent years, the relationship has been further strained by a number of events, including the Arab Spring uprisings, the Iran nuclear deal, and the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of supporting Houthi rebels in Yemen, launching attacks on Saudi oil facilities, and destabilizing the region, while Iran has accused Saudi Arabia of supporting terrorism and suppressing democracy and human rights. According to Middle East Eye, "Diplomatic relations between the two countries have been strained since the 2016 execution of the Saudi Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr, a critic of the Saudi monarchy, and dozens of his supporters. Attacks by Iranian protesters on the Saudi embassy in Tehran following the execution prompted Riyadh to cut diplomatic ties with Iran. Tensions were also exacerbated by the deadly Saudi-led war on Iran-aligned rebels in Yemen since 2015 and the deaths of hundreds of Iranian Hajj pilgrims in a stampede in the same year. " With this new agreement, the two countries have turned over a new leaf in their relationship as each side pursues their interests. Now, speculation exists that Saudi Arabia will cement ties with Syria after shunning it for years. Saudi Arabia's relationship with Syria has been complex and often strained. While both countries are members of the Arab League and share a common language and culture, their political ideologies and strategic interests have often diverged. During the Cold War, Saudi Arabia and Syria were on opposite sides of the ideological divide, with Saudi Arabia being closely aligned with the United States and the West, while Syria was aligned with the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc. This led to tensions between the two countries, especially during the 1970s and 1980s. In more recent years, Saudi Arabia and Syria have been at odds over Syria's civil war, which began in 2011. Saudi Arabia has been a strong supporter of the Syrian opposition, providing them with weapons and financial support, while Syria's government, led by President Bashar al-Assad, has been backed by Iran, a rival of Saudi Arabia. In 2011, Saudi Arabia withdrew its ambassador from Damascus and condemned the Syrian government's crackdown on opposition protests. The following year, Saudi Arabia became a founding member of the Friends of Syria Group, which seeks to support the Syrian opposition and provide humanitarian aid to civilians affected by the conflict. In 2018, Saudi Arabia reopened its embassy in Damascus, signaling a possible shift in its position on the Syrian conflict. However, the relationship between the two countries remained complicated and fraught with tension, as Saudi Arabia continued to view Syria as a key ally of Iran, and the two countries continued to support opposing sides in the Syrian conflict. But the new Iran-Saudi agreement changes all of this. According to the Reuters report, the re-establishment of ties between Riyadh and Damascus "would mark the most significant development yet in moves by Arab states to normalize ties with Assad, who was shunned by many Western and Arab states after Syria's civil war began in 2011." If Syria were to reestablish relations with Saudi Arabia, there could be several potential benefits for the country. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). The first thing an academic tells you when you mention the mystical side of the Afghanistan story is that you shouldn't talk about that. The study of foreign policy cannot be seen as having been motivated by anything other than rational and objective reasons and measured by the metrics of quantitative analysis. How then to explain 'Wild Bill' Donovan, the first director of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and the father of today's CIA calling his agents Knights Templars? How then to explain the American military's fascination with medieval knighthoods? How then to explain the use of New Testament biblical passages engraved on the gunsights of American and British troops in Afghanistan? How then to explain American exceptionalism whereby the United States gets to do anything it pleases because America is right no matter what it does or how it does it? In Maine they use the expression "You can't get there from here," to explain this sort of disconnect. It's being used to make the point that you can't get exoteric Afghanistan unless you understand the esoteric and you can't understand the esoteric without accepting your own personal motivations. In researching for our books, we discovered a trove of esoteric history surrounding the West's attraction to Afghanistan starting with the British. It revolves around Mystical Imperialism, a term first used to describe 19th century British imperial efforts to colonize the non-Christian world by applying Judeo Christian ethics and philosophies. Simply put, Mystical imperialism rationalizes the expansion of a nation's authority by conquest over other nations by infusing a sense of the divine into the raw politics of empire building. Today's practitioners of American mystical imperialism are a hardened core of ideological defense intellectuals and military officers who combine their own esoteric and religious beliefs with Washington policy making. These individuals can trace their philosophical DNA back to 19th century European secret esoteric societies who were known to be heavily involved in espionage on both British and Russian sides. Reflected in the fictional quasi-Masonic exploits of Rudyard Kipling's two soldiers in The Man Who Would be King, the "hidden" or occult game for control of Afghanistan and Central Asia was a factor in the foreign policy of the 19th century for the British and the Russians, and continues to this day through the United States. As the ancient home of Zoroaster and the Avesta, the foundation document for the Judeo/Christian war of light against dark, of good versus evil, 19th century Afghanistan and its surroundings provided a mystical underpinning to what today is dryly regarded as geopolitics. Described as the "World-Island" by early 20th century British geo-strategist Halford Mackinder, Russia's geographic position at the center of the Eurasian land mass rivaled Britain's as an island fortress. Mackinder foresaw Russia expanding with ferocity beyond its borders. From the outset - a Russian dominance of Central Asia spawned nightmares for the British of an apocalyptic horde sweeping from the Russian steppe across Europe which had to be stopped at any cost. Henry Wallace, Franklin Roosevelt's vice president, supported an expedition in 1934 with the intention of establishing a spiritual settlement in the Himalayas. Wallace expressed his enthusiasm for the plan known as the Shambhala Project, stating that, "the political situation in this part of the world is always rendered especially intriguing by the effect on it, of ancient prophecies, traditions and the like." Wallace anticipated that those prophecies were at last coming due. Hidden to human eyes, Shambhala was said, by Tibetan Buddhists, to lie somewhere near Tibet and would finally be revealed at the end of time. Others believed it was hidden in the valleys of the Pamir mountain range in Northeastern Afghanistan. This was the Shambhala that concealed the lost wisdom, the secrets of immortality and the beginnings of the human race. Adolph Hitler sent an expedition to Tibet and Afghanistan in 1939 in the hopes of uncovering proof of Aryan links to modern German society in the soil of Central Asia. From Halford Mackinder at the beginning of the 20th century to the American Cold Warrior James Burnham, the godfather of Neo-conservatism to Zbigniew Brzezinski, the Grand Master of Geostrategic American foreign policy, Eurasia represented the central basis for American global primacy, in a world defined by Manichean opposites. In a 1945 Partisan Review article titled "Lenin's Heir" Burnham, while still at the OSS, infused his apocalyptic political views with mystical allusions to the Eurasian heartland as "the magnetic core" of Soviet power, comparing it to the mystical "reality of the One-of-Neo-Platonism," whose inexorable and unstoppable " progression" descends through the stages of Mind, Soul, and Matter" towards its ultimate destination beyond the Eurasian boundaries and through "Appeasement and Infiltration England and the United States." As an "anti-Communist ideology" Burnham's apocalyptic warnings about the inevitability of Soviet expansion from Eurasia's magnetic core ring like a medieval theologian's incantation throughout Winston Churchill's 1946 "Iron Curtain" speech which set the terms of the Cold War. Twenty six years later, Senator William Fulbright would realize that only because of the disastrous outcome of Vietnam was there any willingness to reexamine the basic assumptions of the Cold War. The 1972 Strategic Arms Limitation Talks know as SALT, would spring from this rational re-assessment, as would the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and eventually SALT II. President Jimmy Carter and Soviet General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev sign the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT II) treaty, June 18, 1979, in Vienna. (Image by Original Uploaded by Thames to EN) Details DMCA Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). One reason for the division between the two religions is their different understandings of the nature of God. In Christianity, God is understood as a Trinity - one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This concept is rejected by Islam, which views God as a single entity, without any partners or associates. The rejection of the Trinity by Muslims has often led to accusations of polytheism against Christians, which has created tensions between the two religions. Another source of division between Christianity and Islam is their differing views on the role of Jesus. While both religions acknowledge Jesus as an important figure, they have different interpretations of his nature and mission. Christians believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that he died on the cross for the sins of humanity. Muslims, on the other hand, believe that Jesus was a prophet of God, but not the Son of God, and that he did not die on the cross, but was taken up into heaven by God. These differences in belief have often led to conflicts and misunderstandings between Christians and Muslims, which have been exacerbated by political and social factors. Historical events such as the Crusades, the Ottoman Empire, and Western colonization of Muslim lands have contributed to a legacy of mistrust and resentment between the two religions. In addition, extremist groups on both sides have used religion to justify acts of violence and terrorism, further fueling tensions between Christians and Muslims. This has led to a widespread perception that the two religions are inherently incompatible, and that peaceful coexistence is impossible. However, it is important to recognize that the majority of Christians and Muslims do not support violence or conflict, and that there are many examples of positive interactions between the two religions. Interfaith dialogues, joint humanitarian efforts, and cultural exchanges have all contributed to greater understanding and cooperation between Christians and Muslims. Ultimately, the division between Christianity and Islam is a complex issue that cannot be reduced to a simple explanation. It is important for individuals on both sides to engage in respectful dialogue and seek common ground, while acknowledging and respecting their differences. Only through mutual understanding and cooperation can we hope to overcome the divisions that have plagued our world for centuries. Double Mountain Brewery & Cidery announced Thursday that it will open its third location overall and second in Portland: a pizza-focused pub in the recently closed location of Lucky Labrador Tap Room in North Portlands Overlook neighborhood. Matt Swihart, who co-founded the operation in Hood River in 2007, said the new location will be similar to Double Mountains other Portland location in Woodstock, a neighborhood hub focused on pizza and beer. That Overlook neighborhood is a nice, dense housing area, Swihart told The Oregonian/OregonLive on Thursday. When Im there I see families and kids its got a great vibe to it. It reminds me of what we saw in Woodstock when we opened there 10 years ago. Ive got a good feel for the new location. Sign up for our free Oregon Brews and News newsletter. Email: Lucky Lab closed the spot at 1700 N. Killingsworth St. in late 2021 as sales slumped there, its fourth location. The other three locations continue to operate and are doing well, said Lucky Lab owner Gary Geist, who still owns the North Portland building. Coming out of COVID, we opened back up there in North Portland, but people were still hunkering down, and business never came back, Geist said in an interview. I got to the point where I thought we should close down and refocus on the other three and lease out North Portland. I have a feeling that Matt will do a heck of a lot better there than we ever did, so thats a win/win, Geist said. Swihart and Geist said mutual acquaintance Jerry Fechter, owner and founder of several Portland institutions that include the former Lompoc Brewing, knew of their mutual business interests and connected them. I ran into Jerry and told him, Hey man Im thinking about opening another location, I know you used to have a bunch of spots and maybe we should get a beer and you should talk me out of it, " Swihart joked. He didnt do that, but he gave me a bunch of leads, one of which was this spot. Swihart said that Double Mountain will start with a menu similar to the Woodstock locations, with pizza, sandwiches, salads and appetizers, but that a new menu is being developed to elevate the offerings. The location has space for additional ovens, so he is looking into Double Mountain baking its own bread. He anticipated pouring 15 to 18 Double Mountain taps, with 75% being beer and the rest cider. The location has three serving rooms, and he plans to include a bar that will be a real good vibe and place to hang out and have a beer. He also said it will be a full-service restaurant without QR code phone ordering, which he said he cant stand. As much as we can return to a friendly face and, How can i help you, and heres a menu, thats what we want to be, he said. He anticipates opening by midsummer at the earliest, after Double Mountain can redo the space. Just walking in there, its got good bones to it, he said. It needs some love. And I had so much fun redoing Woodstock, Im anxious to get in there and put our signature on the space. Swihart co-founded Double Mountain in 2007 with business partner Charlie Devereaux, who left in 2013 to launch Wayfinder Beer, then eventually Via Beer, leaving Swihart as Double Mountains majority owner. He said 2019 was a strong year for the operation. Then the pandemic pulled the rug out, but luckily we had the pizzeria, so takeout and having Woodstock saved us. Now Im seeing a return to draft and people going out to dinner and being more comfortable, he said. Were pretty close to hitting our pub numbers from 2019, and our draft business is almost double from what it was last year, so thats coming back, too. Swihart said the brewerys use of bottles has also contributed to its popularity. Our reusable glass containers are appealing to our customers, he said. And during COVID we didnt have any can issues like the rest of the industry, so that was a benefit, too. We own all that glass so theres no cost increases either. Swihart said the new location is the next step forward for the destination Oregon brewery. I see Portland coming back, and we wouldnt be investing in a new location if we didnt see that, he said. Were excited to be in that neighborhood and be part of another cool neighborhood. -- Andre Meunier; ameunier@oregonian.com; sign up for my weekly newsletter Oregon Brews and News, and follow me on Instagram, where Im @oregonianbeerguy Big technology companies won a major court victory in Washington, where a judge dismissed a suit challenging the rights of highly skilled H-1B visa holders spouses to work in the U.S. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan on Tuesday issued a decision upholding the Obama-era rule under which the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has issued H-4 visas to the spouses of hundreds of thousands of H-1B workers in the U.S., 70% of whom hold science and engineering jobs in the tech sector. Amazon.com Inc., Apple Inc., Google and Microsoft Corp. were among the companies who urged the judge to let the rule stand. In her ruling, Chutkan rejected arguments by Save Jobs USA, a group representing Southern California Edison computer professionals who said they had been replaced by H-1B visa-holders. Save Jobs had claimed Homeland Security wasnt legally permitted to put the rule in place and sought to eliminate work authorizations for more than 90,000 new H-4 visa holders. Plaintiffs primary contention is that Congress has never granted DHS authority to allow foreign nationals, like H-4 visa-holders, to work during their stay in the United States, the judge wrote. That contention runs headlong into the text of the (Immigration and Nationality Act), decades of executive-branch practice, and both explicit and implicit congressional ratification of that practice. A lawyer for Save Jobs said the group would likely appeal. We now have complete chaos as the federal courts have seized control over the immigration system from Congress and handed that authority over to DHS, the lawyer, John Miano, said. Tech companies were among a group, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, that filed a brief in the case arguing that eliminating H-4 visas would not only siphon off U.S. gross domestic product, but gift that productivity and the innovation that comes with it to other nations. Chutkan had previously dismissed the suit, ruling that Save Jobs lacked standing to challenge the H-4 rule. But a federal appeals court reversed that ruling in 2019 and revived the case. The case is Save Jobs USA v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 15-cv-00615, U.S. District Court, District of Columbia (Washington). With assistance from Joel Rosenblatt. ___ 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. By Michael J. Klein, Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery, New York University The shooting deaths of three children and three adults inside a Nashville school has put further pressure on Congress to look at imposing a ban on so-called assault weapons. Such a prohibition would be designed cover the types of guns that the suspect legally purchased and used during the March 27 attack. Speaking after the incident, President Joe Biden issued his latest plea to lawmakers to act. Why in Gods name do we allow these weapons of war on our streets and at our schools? he asked. A prohibition has been in place before. As Biden has previously noted, bipartisan support in Congress helped push through a federal assault weapons ban in 1994 as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. That ban was limited it covered only certain categories of semiautomatic weapons such as AR-15s and applied to a ban on sales only after the act was signed into law, allowing people to keep hold of weapons purchased before that date. And it also had in it a so-called sunset provision that allowed the ban to expire in 2004. Nonetheless, the 10-year life span of that ban with a clear beginning and end date gives researchers the opportunity to compare what happened with mass shooting deaths before, during and after the prohibition was in place. Our group of injury epidemiologists and trauma surgeons did just that. In 2019, we published a population-based study analyzing the data in a bid to evaluate the effect that the federal ban on assault weapons had on mass shootings, defined by the FBI as a shooting with four or more fatalities, not including the shooter. Heres what the data shows: Before the 1994 ban: From 1981 the earliest year in our analysis to the rollout of the assault weapons ban in 1994, the proportion of deaths in mass shootings in which an assault rifle was used was lower than it is today. Yet in this earlier period, mass shooting deaths were steadily rising. Indeed, high-profile mass shootings involving assault rifles such as the killing of five children in Stockton, California, in 1989 and a 1993 San Francisco office attack that left eight victims dead provided the impetus behind a push for a prohibition on some types of gun. During the 1994-2004 ban: In the years after the assault weapons ban went into effect, the number of deaths from mass shootings fell, and the increase in the annual number of incidents slowed down. Even including 1999s Columbine High School massacre the deadliest mass shooting during the period of the ban the 1994-2004 period saw lower average annual rates of both mass shootings and deaths resulting from such incidents than before the bans inception. From 2004 onward: The data shows an almost immediate and steep rise in mass shooting deaths in the years after the assault weapons ban expired in 2004. Breaking the data into absolute numbers, from 2004 to 2017 the last year of our analysis the average number of yearly deaths attributed to mass shootings was 25, compared with 5.3 during the 10-year tenure of the ban and 7.2 in the years leading up to the prohibition on assault weapons. We calculated that the risk of a person in the U.S. dying in a mass shooting was 70% lower during the period in which the assault weapons ban was active. The proportion of overall gun homicides resulting from mass shootings was also down, with nine fewer mass-shooting-related fatalities per 10,000 shooting deaths. Taking population trends into account, a model we created based on this data suggests that had the federal assault weapons ban been in place throughout the whole period of our study that is, from 1981 through 2017 it may have prevented 314 of the 448 mass shooting deaths that occurred during the years in which there was no ban. And this almost certainly underestimates the total number of lives that could be saved. For our study, we chose only to include mass shooting incidents that were reported and agreed upon by all three of our selected data sources: the Los Angeles Times, Stanford University and Mother Jones magazine. Furthermore, for uniformity, we also chose to use the strict federal definition of an assault weapon which may not include the entire spectrum of what many people may now consider to be assault weapons. Cause or correlation? It is also important to note that our analysis cannot definitively say that the assault weapons ban of 1994 caused a decrease in mass shootings, nor that its expiration in 2004 resulted in the growth of deadly incidents in the years since. Many additional factors may contribute to the shifting frequency of these shootings, such as changes in domestic violence rates, political extremism, psychiatric illness, firearm availability and a surge in sales, and the recent rise in hate groups. Nonetheless, according to our study, Bidens claim that the rate of mass shootings during the period of the assault weapons ban went down only for it to rise again after the law was allowed to expire in 2004 holds true. As the U.S. looks toward a solution to the countrys epidemic of mass shootings, it is difficult to say conclusively that reinstating the assault weapons ban would have a profound impact, especially given the growth in sales in the 18 years in which Americans have been allowed to purchase and stockpile such weapons. But given that many of the high-profile mass shooters in recent years purchased their weapons less than one year before committing their acts, the evidence suggests that it might. Editors note: This is an updated version of an article originally published on June 8, 2022. A Portland man accused of stealing an $80,000 forklift from a Portland State University parking garage and driving it erratically at least 15 blocks through downtown laughed maniacally as he chased a pedestrian and shouted to passers-by, I literally stole this, court records show. Joffre Zelinski, 30, was arrested and released from jail Tuesday after police say he stole a construction forklift parked behind a locked fence on an upper floor of the PSU garage at 1872 S.W. Broadway. Sarah Truax had never been to Montavilla Park, so when she pulled into the parking lot just after 4 p.m. on March 15 with her 6-year-old and 3-year-old sons, she made sure to survey the area. Everything appeared safe as another family enjoyed the early spring weather. As Truax and her children headed to a grassy area in the park, she said she felt someone following her. She turned around and a woman who appeared to be suffering from a delusion that Truaxs boys were her own began yelling obscenities. Truax held her 3-year-old and put her 6-year-old behind her as the woman punched her about a dozen times. When she called for help to the nearby family, they did not intervene and left the area. In the aftermath Truax managed to hustle her boys back to the car, drive away and call 911 Truax has wondered what else she or the other family could have done to stop the attack. Portland police advise people to call 911 first, but as the bureau deals with low staffing, they dont always come to the scene. In the absence of an immediate police response, numerous organizations teach bystanders how they can safely intervene. Thank goodness I was able to get away and I didnt need anyone, but this is a big issue because, what if I had? Truax said. The 5 Ds Portland saw a demand for bystander intervention training in the wake of the 2017 MAX train attack that left two people dead and a third person wounded after they helped two teens who were being harassed by an extremist. While the city has offered free personal safety training in the past, it hasnt partnered with local advocacy groups to provide direct intervention resources since 2021. In early March, another attack on MAX light-rail called attention to bystander intervention when an assailant hit a man in the face with a large rock after the man tried to help a woman who was being yelled at by the assailant. Portland police spokesperson Sgt. Kevin Allen said that the bureau prefers people do not intervene, but if they decide to anyway, they should assess the risks at hand and balance the need for immediate action with their success rate. Are there weapons present and are they accessible to the suspect? Are there other suspects? Allen said in an email. Brittini Long, senior program coordinator with Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services in Montgomery County, Ohio, said to keep direct intervention short and sweet to avoid escalation. It can be as simple as telling someone to leave them alone, Im here to support this person please step away, Long said. We never want to incite violent behavior, but use your voice to show that youre an ally. Long advises people to thoroughly survey the situation before directly intervening, though. Does the person look like they are alone and need someone to intervene? Do I have options to involve other people for support? Long said. She partners with nonprofit Right to Be to offer virtual intervention workshops twice every three months, to help people feel safe on the streets, online and at work. Intervention, even when done right, can be extremely risky. So, Right to Be teaches a variety of safe measures to take before directly intervening. They practice the five Ds to de-escalation: distract, delegate, document, delay and direct. To distract, bystanders can derail the harasser by ignoring them and speaking about something else to the victim. Delegating involves speaking to people around you or people who may hold power in the situation, such as a bus driver or teacher and asking for help. Together, they can come up with a plan to assist the person who is being harassed. If a bystander would like to document harassment either by jotting down notes or recording a video, they should make sure the person being harassed already has help. And after everyone is safe, the bystander should ask the victim what to do with the documentation. Even if a bystander couldnt help someone in the moment, they can practice delay by checking on the person after the harasser is gone. The bystander can ask how they can support the person or if they need company. The last option is to be direct, which should be done with caution and assessment. In this course, the bystander should avoid arguing with the harasser and say something simple like thats inappropriate, or leave them alone. On April 12, the two organizations will host a virtual bystander intervention training geared toward harassment in public places. It aims to teach people what to do when they see someone being physically or verbally attacked on the street. Portlands Office of Community and Civic Life also offers free personal safety workshops by request. In 90 minutes, they discuss de-escalation tactics, what-if scenarios and touch on upstander someone who stands up rather than stands by intervention. Sara Johnson, who hosts the majority of the personal safety workshops, said that just interrupting the harassment can help someone in need. We recommend not connecting with the person who is doing the targeting but the person who is being targeted, Johnson said. Even saying something simple like hey, how is your day going? or pretending you know the person. But when an altercation turns physical, its time to gather help, Johnson said. CLARA The Portland Peace Team, founded by Tom Hastings, also offers training sessions on de-escalation to organizations and the public with a focus on non-violent approaches to reducing violence. They teach CLARA to address de-escalation: Calm and center, listen, affirm, respond and add. When engaging anyone, we try to move from a calm and centered space, said Bodhi Ahlson, president of the board of directors for the Portland Peace Team. Once the bystander is relaxed and ready to help, they should listen and affirm. To employ this tactic, the bystander shouldnt argue, but play a mediator role in any verbal disagreement. If someone seems very passionate about a topic, a bystander can affirm that persons feelings to de-escalate the interaction. Were not out to change anybodys minds, Ahlson said. To respond and add, the bystander can offer help or resources to settle the situation. If a bystander wants to be more direct, they can also distract and voice disapproval to interrupt abusive behavior, Ahlson said. For example, if a bystander sees people arguing in a restaurant, they can spill a drink or ask the victim for directions. Your goal is to remove the victim from the situation, Ahlson said. If a bystander is untrained or afraid to handle harassment, they should still see, report and support. Overall, Ahlson urges bystanders to approach intervention with caution and kindness. If you come with a violent, aggressive, force-based method, its going to evoke fear and more force, he said. So thankful Once her family was safely away from the park, Truax called 911. A dispatcher told her an officer would follow up with her later, when one was available. It was on that call that Truax learned someone else, probably a member of the other family at the park, had already dialed for help. At first, Truax was confused that the bystanders did not intervene, but she later realized the family was probably just afraid and trying to protect their own children. Truax said her attack has completely shifted her perspective on personal safety, and she still hasnt been contacted by a police officer as of Tuesday. Im so thankful that were OK, she said. Physically, were OK, but mentally and emotionally, Im not sure. -- Lisa Moreno; lmoreno@oregonian.com Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe Smelt are back in the lower Sandy River, and that means wildlife managers have opened a rare one-day dipping season Thursday afternoon, March 30, 2023. Dipping (only) will be allowed from the bank (only) from the rivers mouth upriver to the Stark Street Bridge on Thursday, from noon until 7 p.m. Each dipper will be allowed 10 pounds of smelt, which is about a quarter of a 5-gallon bucket or a full five-quart bucket. Dippers must have their own container, use a dip net and have a valid 2023 Oregon fishing license. Eulachon smelt return to the Columbia River each year but only periodically to the Sandy River. This is the first time since 2015 any numbers have been recorded in the lower Sandy. Smelt are silvery oily fish about 6-9 inches long. --The Oregonian/OregonLive Oregon regulators have denied Legacy Healths request to close its birthing center at Mount Hood Medical Center in Gresham, finding that the closure could endanger pregnant patients and their babies. The decision escalates a high-stakes standoff, since Legacy went ahead with the shutdown two weeks ago even without approval from the Oregon Health Authority. Legacy said too many of the birthing centers employees had quit to resume normal operations. A federal judge ruled Monday that BNSF Railway intentionally violated the terms of an easement agreement with the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community in Washington state by running 100-car trains carrying crude oil over the reservation. The ruling in the civil case comes after two BNSF engines derailed on Swinomish land earlier this month, leaking an estimated 3,100 gallons of diesel fuel near Padilla Bay. BNSF operates a rail line through the Swinomish Reservation under a 1991 easement agreement that allows trains to carry no more than 25 cars per day. It also required BNSF to tell the tribe about the nature and identity of all cargo transported across the reservation. In his written order U.S. District Court Judge Robert Lasnik said the railway made a unilateral decision in increasing the number of trains and cars crossing the reservation without the tribes consent, The Seattle Times reported. Lasnik ruled that BNSF willfully, consciously and knowingly exceeded the limitations on its right of access from September 2012 to May 2021 in pursuit of profits. A BNSF spokesperson declined to comment to the newspaper on the ruling. The tribe takes its agreements very seriously and it expects them to be honored, and we are thankful that BNSF is being held to the promises it made, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community Chair Steve Edwards said in a statement. The railroad easement crosses sensitive marine ecosystems over a swing bridge at the Swinomish Channel and a trestle across Padilla Bay within the reservation. The water bodies connect other waters of the Salish Sea, where the tribe has treaty-protected rights to fish. The tribe learned through a 2011 Skagit County planning document that a nearby refinery would start receiving crude oil trains. It wasnt until the following year that the tribe received information from BNSF addressing current track usage, court documents show. The tribe and BNSF discussed an amended agreement, but at no point did the Tribe approve BNSFs unilateral decision to transport unit trains across the Reservation, agree to increase the train or car limitations, or waive its contractual right of approval, Lasnik wrote. In 2013, BNSFs in-house counsel cited the railways common carrier obligation to serve its customers in a meeting with the Swinomish. Under federal law, rail companies are required to provide reasonable freight transportation upon request. Swinomish counsel pushed back in that meeting, pointing out that this was not the typical right of way case involving state or local regulation, Lasnik wrote, but rather involved limitations arising from a federally-approved easement crossing tribal trust lands established by treaty, the supreme law of the land. Meanwhile, 100-car trains hauling crude oil from the Bakken Formation in and around North Dakota ran through the reservation. Bakken oil is easier to refine into the fuels sold at the gas pump and ignites more easily. After train cars carrying Bakken crude oil exploded in Alabama, North Dakota and Quebec, a federal agency warned in 2014 that the oil has a higher degree of volatility than other crudes in the U.S. The tribe sued in 2015, alleging BNSF was running trains with four times the number of cars permitted under an easement agreement with the tribe. In 2020, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed an earlier federal court ruling that found BNSF had breached the easement agreement, and the tribe has the right to enforce it. Later that year, BNSF requested permission to move 16 Bakken crude trains each month in each direction across the easement during 2021. The request was denied. Lasnik found previous intentional easement crossings by BNSF exceeded what was outlined in the agreement, and therefore, the railway trespassed on Indian lands and is liable for the damages caused by its overburdening of the easement. A second phase of the trial will evaluate the tribes claim for damages. -- The Associated Press Multnomah Countys population has shrunk far faster than any other Oregon countys since the start of the pandemic, new population estimates from the Census Bureau say. Its population loss was also one of the steepest in the nation among the nearly 100 counties with populations between 500,000 and a million people. Actor Patrick Duffys longtime southern Oregon residence along the Rogue River is for sale, with the main house and 327 acres listed at $10,995,000, and four smaller parcels, from two to 30 acres, to be sold separately. The entire 383-acre estate outside of Eagle Point was for sale at $14 million in September 2022, and brokers Alan DeVries and Matthew Cook of Cascade Hasson Sothebys International Realty say they were flooded with interest by potential buyers as well as worldwide media. But there were no takers. On Wednesday, DeVries introduced the new offerings. The Duffy Ranch at 436 Staley Road is the largest, most significant listing, with 327 acres of land plus a 15-acre island in the Rogue River. The ranch includes a 1950s lodge-style house with river-stone fireplaces and knotty pine walls under exposed beam ceilings, and an enclosed sunroom facing the water. They just dont build them like this anymore, says Portland interior designer Max Humphrey, who was asked by The Oregonian/OregonLive to look at the real estate photos. He focused on the cowboy-cool porch balusters, board-and-batten exterior and other vintage features. You can see the authenticity between the walls; this is more than a house its a whole lifestyle, says Humphrey, whose latest book, Lodge: An Indoorsy Tour of Americas National Parks, encourages elements of the cozy lodge decor at home. Humphrey says an owner can respect the charm and architecture of the Duffy Ranch house without being limited by it. He suggests having midcentury furnishings, common at the time the house was built, which still look fresh today. But dont touch the scallop-shaped wood cornice boxes and keep your electrician away from the light-free ceilings, he says. An antique wood-fired kitchen range made in South Bend, Indiana, and some of the other materials in the house were rescued from the original, dilapidated homestead after Duffy bought the property in 1990. The once rusty range has been restored and converted to use propane. It is the centerpiece of the kitchen, says Duffy in a real estate video. Duffy added a wing to the house with a high-ceilinged art gallery and a primary suite. A detached building with a series of sliding glass doors shelters an indoor swimming pool. The main ranch, with nine tax lots that can be sold separately, also has two riverfront homes, two detached guest cottages, a manufactured home and three barns. One of Duffys sons was married on the property and the reception was held in a large barn with a river view. There are several different worlds on the property, says Duffy in the video, as he moves from pastoral to forest to waterfront areas. He said the natural environment, which he has kept undeveloped, has a feeling that cant be invented but can be understood in any language. This property just needs another set of ears and another heart to come in and understand it, he says in the video. There are two additional homesites and 80 acres zoned Rural Residential Zone 5 that can be divided. In addition to two miles of river frontage, the ranch has a two-acre bass-stocked pond and 110 acres of water rights from the Rogue River. Across the river is the Rogue River Preserve, the former 352-acre MacArthur Ranch that cannot be developed. The Southern Oregon Land Conservancy owns the land that protects declining, rare plant and animal species. Amazing views, abundant wildlife like an elk herd, turkeys and black-tail deer, says DeVries of Duffys property that DeVries calls a true generational sanctuary 16 miles from the Rogue Valley International Airport. Smaller parcels for sale Other listings surrounding Duffy Ranch being sold by Patrick Duffy are: A ranchette" on 29.5 acres is for sale at $719,000.Cascade Hasson Sotheby's International Realty A 1,511-square-foot house, covered arena and older barn rest on 29.5 acres at 775 Trails End Lane. The ranchette, zoned exclusive farm use, has rights to 21.5 acres of irrigation, says DeVries. This would be a top spot to remodel the existing home or build your dream home, states the listing description. Lots of options here. Asking price: $719,000. A chalet-style cabin with cedar siding is for sale at $475,000.Cascade Hasson Sotheby's International Realty Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072 jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs community gathered Wednesday to celebrate the grand re-opening of the Warm Springs Skatepark. During the grand opening, Tribal Councilman Carlos Calica from the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs shared a traditional blessing to open the park and protect all that utilize it, a news release said. Wednesdays event also featured guest speakers, a ribbon cutting, a DJ, food and giveaways. And, of course, there was time for skateboarding in the new facility outfitted with sophisticated concrete features at Elmer Quinn Memorial Park in Warm Springs. The effort to rebuild the park began when a Tactics team skateboarder, who lives close to the reservation, flagged the existing park as unsafe, according to a news release. HERE IS OREGON: HereisOregon.com | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | TikTok The skatepark had fallen into such disrepair that local kids had been hitch-hiking to a skatepark that was miles away and outside the reservation, said Michael Collins, director of Managed Care for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. That was how their love of boarding was, Collins said. Ultimately, Tactics worked with the Tribal Council and reached out to Collective Concrete & Construction to suggest working together to restore and improve the park. The Skatepark Project, a nonprofit organization founded by Tony Hawk, helped to raise more than $235,000 to rebuild the park, according to a news release, with support from Tactics, Ginew, Dehen, The Ford Family Foundation, The Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation, Roundhouse Foundation, PTM Foundation, Visit Central Oregon, Jefferson County Commissioners and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. Benjamin Bashein, executive director of The Skatepark Project, on Wednesday recalled what the park had been like before the renovation. We were about year and half a go and they had a concrete pad with some old wooden ramps that had just been loved to death, he said. The new park is indeed a collaborative effort, he said. We worked with young people from the the community to help design this park, he said. All of these elements and obstacles reflect their input and their insights into how they like to skate. Watching skaters enjoy the new park, Collins grew emotional. I look around today and I cant help but be emotional to see all the smiles and all the great people having a good time, Collins said Wednesday. I just cant thank everybody enough. This is going to help our community be bonded together, a safe place for our kids to skate, minus a couple skinned elbows and knees, of course. The Oregonian/OregonLive Midland County Emergency Food Pantry Network has been serving residents in need for the past four decades. To celebrate its 40th anniversary, Linden Rogers, Vice President for the board of directors, said the network's 2023 annual meeting on April 10 will kick off the celebration. This meeting will be open to the public. Additional activities and promotions are in the works for later this year around the pantries. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate HELSINKI (AP) Expulsions of Russian intelligence officers and visa refusals have substantially weakened Moscows intelligence operations in neighboring Finland in the past year, the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service said Thursday. The intelligence agency, known by the abbreviation SUPO, said in a statement that Russian intelligence has been squeezed in the Nordic country because of the agencys ability to compromise spy operations in 2022. The Russian intelligence station (in Finland) shrank to about half of its former size last year, SUPO Director Antti Pelttari said, adding that the main reason for the decline were expulsions of suspected spies and visa refusals on the advice of his agency. The falling number of intelligence officers and restrictions on travel across the Russian-Finland border amid Moscow's war in Ukraine have significantly undermined operating conditions for Russian spies in Finland, SUPO said. It noted that operations under diplomatic cover have traditionally been the main instrument of Russian intelligence abroad, and Moscow was seeking to use, among other methods, cyberespionge to make up for the shortfall in human intelligence. While Russia is still seeking to station intelligence officers under diplomatic cover, it will have to find ways of compensating for the human intelligence shortfall, such as by increasingly adopting other forms of covert operation abroad, Pelttari said. The agency said that Russia, China and certain other countries were the most active users of intelligence operations to acquire information for their own ends and against the interests of Finland. Finland, a nation of 5.5 million people, applied for NATO membership together with neighboring Sweden in May. It shares a 1,340-kilometer (832-mile) land border with Russia, the longest of any European Union member. SUPO has earlier said that Finlands future NATO membership will make the Nordic country a more interesting target for Russian intelligence and influencing operations, and Moscow may seek to acquire NATO-related intelligence through its neighbor. The Russian occupation authorities continue to implement measures to integrate the occupied territories into the Russian administrative and legal system and cultural space, according to a report of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) dated March 29. So, on March 29, in Luhansk Regional Military Administration of Ukraine, it was reported that the "LPR prosecutor's office" will attract Russians to the posts of prosecutors instead of local residents, noting that Russians are exempt from passing the exams necessary to obtain this position. A Russian source published an official decree of the "LPR" dated March 29 on the liquidation of the official state authorities of the "LPR" in connection with further integration into the Russian legal system. In addition, according to the institute's analysts, the Russian occupation authorities continue to promote the integration of the occupied Ukrainian territories into the Russian economy. In support of these conclusions, ISW suggests the following facts. The occupation Administration of Kherson region on March 29 noted that the participants of the free economic zone (FEZ) established in the occupied Kherson region will be exempt from paying certain regional taxes. The occupation authorities of Kherson region also claimed that the FEZ would lead to a reduction in insurance premium rates to 7.6%. The occupation administration of Kherson region also supplemented the statement of the Federal Tax Service of Russia on March 29 that business entities and enterprises that have passed state registration will not be required to pay state duty, stressing that this norm will be valid only until December 31, 2023. The Russian occupation authorities, as the Institute says, continue to try to eradicate Ukrainian culture and history by replacing Ukrainian landmarks with Russian monuments. So, on March 29, it was decided to establish monuments of the Great Patriotic War (World War II) in Kherson region until May 9 (the date of the Victory Parade in Moscow). At the same time, it is stated that heads of districts and ministries, youth and social movements, every enterprise, every school will take part in the construction of monuments. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SAN MARTIN JILOTEPEQUE, Guatemala (AP) The last Ana Marina Lopez heard of her husband, the 51-year-old Guatemalan migrant told his family that he was being detained by Mexican immigration agents at the U.S.-Mexico border. That was two days before a fire in an immigration detention center in Ciudad Juarez claimed the lives of at least 39 migrants and left more than two dozen injured. Then his name appeared on a government list of the fire victims, but not specifying whether he was among the dead or the hospitalized. That has left Lopez and her daughter back in their small western Guatemalan town clinging to hope that he may be alive. And they aren't the only ones. As images of the devastating blaze consume news broadcasts and social media, families scattered across the Americas are reeling in agony as they await news of their loved ones. The pain and uncertainty felt by families underscores how the effects of migration ripple far beyond the individuals who embark on the perilous journey north, touching the lives of people across the region. In Juarez, Mexico, a sister waits for news of her Venezuelan brother who's been sedated and intubated in a hospital. In Honduras, families sit stunned after watching video of guards hurrying away from a growing cloud of flames and smoke in the immigration detention center. And in Guatemala, Lopez cradles a photograph of her husband in a cowboy hat unsure if he is alive or dead. This shouldnt be able to happen. (Migrants) are people, they are humans, Lopez said, her voice shaking. What I ask for is justice. They arent animals and cant be treated as such. Little is known about the cause of Monday night's fire, and authorities are investigating eight people, including a migrant, who may have started it. When Lopez's husband, Bacilio Sutuj Saravia, departed on his journey north in mid-March, he told her he was going to Mexico for tourism. Sutuj, who ran a small transport business with two pickup trucks, waited until he was in Mexico to tell her that his intention was to cross to the U.S. to see their daughter and two sons. However, he never had the chance. Getting off a bus in Juarez's station on Saturday, immigration agents detained him. Lopez learned of the fire from television news reports. Their children had been unable to reach Sutuj since a brief call he made Saturday saying he had been caught. The authorities should be there watching them and taking care of them, not fleeing and leaving them locked up and burned. That pains me," Lopez said. In the rolling coffee-dotted mountains of western Honduras, the three families horrified by the surveillance video are awaiting confirmation of the fates of their sons. The three friends had set out together for the United States from their small town of Proteccion. Like many in the rural area, the men planned to work and send money back to support their families. They met a smuggler in San Pedro Sula, a major point of departure in northern Honduras, who took them to Mexico. On Tuesday the three men's names Dikson Aron Cordova, Edin Josue Umana and Jesus Adony Alvarado were among those to appear on the governments list of victims without any details of whether they were alive. You want to be strong, but these are hard blows. Theyre unbearable, said Jose Cordova Ramos, father of 30-year-old Cordova. Were waiting for real news that would be the first and the last, as they say, if they are alive or dead. Their concern is matched by anger from watching guards run away from growing flames and thickening smoke rapidly encapsulating migrants. Another father rambles off questions: Who started the fire? How did they get fire in there? Did a guard give a lighter to someone inside? They didnt want to do anything," Jose Cordova said of the guards. In Ciudad Juarez at the U.S.-Mexico border, 25-year-old Venezuelan nursing student Stefany Arango Morillo has been left with the same pit in her stomach. She and her brother Stefan Arango Morillo, both single parents, migrated from their northern Venezuelan city of Maracaibo in February, leaving behind three young children between them with their mother in hopes of claiming asylum in the U.S. Joining a rising wave of Venezuelans heading to the U.S. border, the siblings traversed seven countries in a months time to reach Ciudad Juarez. Together, they attempted unsuccessfully each day to register through a smart-phone app for an appointment to apply for asylum in the U.S. But their quest came to an abrupt halt Monday, when Stefan was detained by Mexican immigration authorities and placed behind bars in the detention center that hours later would turn into an inferno. Stefany, searched desperately for her 32-year-old brother, fearing the worst when she received a text from his phone inside a private hospital. He was alive, but his injuries from smoke inhalation made it nearly impossible for him to talk. In the hospital, Stefan's health deteriorated, and the aspiring physical education teacher was transferred to the hospital emergency room in a coughing fit. Hours later, his sister pushed into the bustling hospital and planted a kiss on her brothers forehead shortly before he was sedated and intubated. Hes playful, but also has a strong will, she said. In the hospital waiting room she cries as she calls relatives in Venezuela, delivering the news. But as she waits, she clings to hope that she can bring him back home. This is a like a life lesson," Stefany said. "And believe me that I know and have faith that my brother, that hell get out of there and also keep fighting for our dream. ___ Lee reported from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and Escalon from Proteccion, Honduras. Associated Press writer Megan Janetsky contributed to this report from Mexico City. New York, US (PANA) - The UN General Assembly will seek the opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on countries obligations to address climate change, following the adoption by consensus of a resolution on Wednesday Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga called Thursday for constitutional reform and asked for an audit of last year's presidential election results during the twice weekly protests against President William Ruto's government Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - The Trilateral Mechanism in Sudan on Wednesday said they held a constructive meeting with the Sudanese entities that have so far declined to be part of Framework Political Agreement aimed to pave the way for an all-inclusive settlement in the Sudan The entities known as the non-signatories parties are mainly the former Darfur rebel movements and splinter groups from the Forces for Freedom and Change, who believe the framework is seeking to exclude a certain group of political entities in Sudan and to favour the left wing factions within the Sudanese political continuum Photo: (Photo : JOSEPH PREZIOSO / Getty Images) West Virginia has made significant progress in protecting minors from child marriage by banning it for children under the age of 16. The new law signed by Republican Governor Jim Justice will still allow 16- and 17-year-olds to get married, but with restrictions. The minors must obtain parental consent and cannot marry someone who is more than four years older than them. The new law also does not affect existing legal marriages or those conducted in other states. In West Virginia's previous law, it allowed children younger than 16 to get married with a judge's waiver. West Virginia restricts child marriage under 16 According to the Associated Press, the new legislation represents a compromise between Democrats and Republicans, with some Democrats hoping that it will eventually lead to the complete elimination of child marriage. West Virginia had the highest rate of child marriage among the states, with around seven marriages for every 1,000 children ages 15 to 17, according to the Pew Research Center. The rate was significantly higher than the national average of around 4.6 marriages per 1,000 for the same age group, based on data collected from 2010 to 2014. The new law signed in West Virginia is a step forward in protecting minors from child marriage. The minimum age for marriage has been set at 16, and minors under 18 must have parental consent to get married. Moreover, they cannot marry someone who is more than four years older than them. Del. Kayla Young, the bill's sponsor, celebrated the aspect of the bill that prohibited large age gaps. However, advocacy groups argue that more needs to be done to protect minors from forced marriages. Child marriage is the act of marrying one or both of the individuals involved below the age of 18. According to Equality Now, Org., unfortunately, child marriage is still legal in 43 states in the U.S., with only Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Delaware, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania setting the minimum age at 18 without any exceptions. Additionally, in 20 U.S. states, there is no required minimum age for marriage, as long as there is a parental or judicial waiver. Shockingly, between 2000 and 2018, almost 300,000 children were married in the United States, with most of them being young girls marrying adult men who were often significantly older than them. According to the group, child marriage is a human rights abuse that causes physical and emotional harm to children, perpetuates poverty, and undermines their education and employment opportunities. Read Also: New York Students Rally at Capitol, Demand Free Meals for All Public School Pupils Call for more action to end child marriage and protect minors The new law in West Virginia is an important step forward in ending child marriage, but advocates call for more action to protect minors across the United States. Advocacy organizations are calling on lawmakers in other states to follow the example of those who have passed legislation to completely outlaw child marriage. According to Girls Not Brides Org., the practice of child marriage particularly impacts girls, exposing them to higher risks of sexual, psychological, and physical violence and its related consequences throughout their lives. Advocates are saying that ending child marriage would improve the lives of teens, reduce domestic violence, and prevent unwanted pregnancies. However, even if there is more to be done, West Virginia's new law is a significant step forward in protecting minors from child marriage. The new law restricts marriage for minors under 16 and sets restrictions for those aged 16 and 17. However, child marriage is still legal in many other states, and advocacy groups call for more action to protect minors from forced marriages. Ending child marriage altogether is essential to protecting the rights and well-being of children across the United States. Related Article: Nashville School Shooter: Manifesto, Maps Found in Possession Shed Light on Attack Plans Photo: (Photo : Getty Images/ Brandon Bell) A female protester started arguing with a couple accompanied with two kids outside of Manhattan courthouse before allegedly threatening them with a knife. Angelica Rucker, a supporter of Donald Trump, was protesting against the Manhattan district attorney's probe of the former president Tuesday outside of the Manhattan Criminal Court when she pulled a knife on a family with two small children, one of them in strollers, a court official stated. According to three bystanders who talked with Politico, the parents of the kids accidentally bumped into Rucker while crossing the intersection of Hogan Place and Centre Street at pass four in the afternoon. The 39-year-old Trump supporter, who was holding a sign with the message "I support Trump, do you?" began arguing with the couple and suddenly pulled a six-inch long blade and waved it at the family. "Angelica Rucker pulled a knife from her right side belt hip area and began menacing one of the complainants with the knife as the verbal confrontation pursued," a court spokesperson narrated. Arrested without resistance The mother of the kids yelled, "Knife, knife," which was responded to immediately by court officers who were standing outside the building, 20 seconds from where the commotion was happening. The court officers rushed over to the family, pulled out their guns and ordered the female protester to drop the knife immediately, one of the bystanders said. No one was injured in the incident, Yahoo News reported. Rucker was arrested without resistance and was placed in custody with pending charges, as per a court spokesperson. Read More: Donald Trump News: Why Celebrities Would Abandon America If Donald Trump Wins The 2016 US Presidential Elections? Trump called supporters to "protest" The commotion comes as New York City and the world await the former president's indictment on criminal charges over the "hush money payments" worth $130,000 given to porn star Stormy Daniels days before the presidential election in 2016. Manhattan prosecutors claim that the money was used to silence Daniels about an alleged affair with the former president. The investigation has been around the alleged falsification of Trump Organization's business records when Michael Cohen, his former lawyer and "fixer" made the said payment. Trump called on his supporters to "protest, and take our nation back," and even predicted a "potential death & destruction" if he is indicted. However, significant support failed to materialize as only Rucker was protesting outside of the Manhattan courthouse Tuesday. Moreover, he claimed that he was going to be arrested on March 21, yet as of today, the Manhattan grand jury, who were reviewing his case, announced a month-long break. They would not be hearing any evidence in the proceedings because of "an already-scheduled hiatus." Despite the changes in schedule though, possible indictment of Trump can come late of April the earliest, as reported by The Independent. If Trump is indicted, it will be the first time in American history where a former or current president of the United States has ever been convicted on criminal charges. Related article: Hillary Clinton Vs. Donald Trump: Who Has Better Education Proposals As The 2016 US Presidential Election Looms? Head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Vasyl Maliuk and U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink discussed key issues of Ukraine's security during the war and the interaction of special services in the fight against aggression of the Russian Federation, the SBU reported on the Telegram channel on Thursday. "Today, the primary priorities of the Service are counterintelligence activities and the performance of operational and combat tasks. All our efforts are aimed at Ukraine's victory in the war," the SBU quoted Maliuk as saying during a meeting with the ambassador in Kyiv. In turn, the Ambassador assured that her goal is to do everything possible to help Ukraine win the war and build an independent, secure and successful future. The U.S. Ambassador said that the United States stands side by side with Ukraine in protecting its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and ready to provide all necessary assistance and their experience to improve Ukraines capabilities for the effective protection of our country. Also, as noted in the message, the head of the SBU said that the Service seeks to deepen cooperation with foreign partners in the areas of countering the intelligence and explosive activities of third countries and in the field of cyber defense. According to him, the SBU is building a new and modern model of state security, taking into account the experience of the war. For this purpose, as Maliuk noted, risk-oriented approaches, strengthening of analytical work, strategic management and forecasting are used. Maliuk said that a working group has been set up in the Security Service to implement NATO standards and achieve partnership goals, and the necessary legislative changes are currently underway. In particular, the head of the Ukrainian Security Service recalled that the Verkhovna Rada recently supported a bill on countering terrorism, which strengthens the capabilities of the service to repel Russian aggression and brings Ukrainian legislation closer to NATO standards. "The head of the SBU thanked for the support and assistance that the United States provides to Ukraine in the fight against the armed aggression of the Russian Federation," the SBU said in a statement. In turn , Brink wrote on Twitter: Great discussion with SBU Chairman Maliuk on two shared priorities helping Ukraine defend itself and advancing Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration aspirations. Photo: (Photo : Scott Olson/ Getty Images) A new U.S. bipartisan bill has been presented that cracks down with stricter penalties on corporations found to be using illegal child labor practices. The proposed legislation, named the Justice for Exploited Children Act, comes after the publication of a New York Times article that exposed Hearthside Foods for allegedly employing migrant children who are below the legal working age. The article made waves as it revealed that these children were subjected to hazardous working conditions at their West Michigan facilities. Bipartisan bill called the Justice for Exploited Children Act According to MiBiz, following the release of the New York Times article, US Representative Hillary Scholten has taken steps to combat child labor exploitation. In February, Scholten helped set up an inter-agency task force, approved by the Biden Administration, that brings together the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Labor. The new agency she helped form helped enforce child labor laws and tackle the issue of child exploitation in the workforce, particularly among migrant children. Scholten, who is a native of Grand Rapids and a mother herself, believes that addressing this issue is her responsibility. To this end, she has introduced the bipartisan Justice for Exploited Children Act, an emergency response legislation that seeks to raise the civil monetary penalties for companies found violating child labor laws. Notably, the bill proposes to establish a minimum monetary penalty, which is a first in history. Currently, there is only a maximum fine of $15,138, and no minimum amount is set. The bipartisan bill proposed in the US seeks to impose a maximum fine of $132,270 and a minimum of $5,000 to serve as a strong deterrent and prevent future exploitation of children in the workforce. Representative Scholten emphasized that it is crucial to hold accountable employers who engage in exploitative practices. Read Also: New York Students Rally at Capitol, Demand Free Meals for All Public School Pupils Child Labor in the U.S. As reported by Reuters, under current US federal law, individuals under the age of 16 are prohibited from working in most factory settings due to outdated regulations. Additionally, those under the age of 18 are prohibited from engaging in the most hazardous jobs within industrial plants. Following recent press investigations, labor experts and policymakers have questioned whether existing enforcement and penalties go far enough to deter employers. Based on data collected by the Department of Labor, the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs estimates that around 500,000 children work in the agricultural sector in the United States. Shockingly, some of these children begin working as young as eight years old, and work weeks exceeding 72 hours with more than 10 hours per day are not uncommon. Agricultural labor is a strenuous and hazardous occupation. Children who work in this industry are regularly exposed to pesticides, which greatly increases their risk of developing cancer. According to the American Federation of Teachers, an estimated 100,000 child farmworkers suffer from work-related injuries every year and make up 20 percent of farming-related fatalities. Shockingly, many of these abuses are currently legal under US law. The Fair Labor Standards Act in the US forbids most industries from employing individuals under 14 and limits work hours on school days to a maximum of three until the age of 16. Hazardous work is prohibited for those under 18 in most sectors. Despite being mostly migrant workers, farmworker children need the same protection as young individuals employed in less dangerous jobs. Related Article: West Virginia Restricts Child Marriage, But Advocacy Group Calls for More Action Photo: (Photo : AFP Contributor/ Getty Images) Kim, whose last name was withheld for her protection, is a Tennessee resident and a volunteer pilot. She decided to help people in need of medical attention, particularly for abortions, after more than a dozen states had enacted near-total abortion bans, while eight others had restricted gender-affirming care. Kim was particularly affected when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which had legalized abortion across the United States in 1973. Tennessee woman becomes a volunteer pilot According to TODAY, Kim's husband was supportive of her decision to help people in need of medical care. They discovered Elevated Access, an organization that provides transport services for patients requiring medical care out of state. The organization requires volunteer pilots to have at least 200 flight hours. Kim had logged 200.8 hours and signed up for Elevated Access immediately. Kim had an abortion nine years ago when she was a single mom, just starting over with her new career. During the procedure, a nurse who had undergone an abortion twice comforted her. Since then, Kim has been haunted by the fear of anti-abortion activists and the risks abortion clinic workers face. Since 1977, there have been 11 cases of anti-abortion activists killing abortion workers and 26 cases of attempted killings, according to the National Abortion Federation. There have also been 42 bombings and 194 arsons at abortion clinics. After speaking to her husband about how they could help people, Kim shared her abortion story for the first time. She decided to help those in need and help them access the medical care they require. According to her, her sole intention is to assist them in reaching their desired destination. Read Also: Creating a Positive Home Environment: Tips for Fostering a Happy and Healthy Family Life Abortion restrictions across the United States Since the Roe v. Wade ruling was reversed, legal battles over abortion have erupted across the United States. According to Guttmacher, in June 2022, the Supreme Court granted states free rein to ban pregnancy terminations. More than a dozen Republican-led states have now banned all or nearly all abortions. Access to abortion pills has become a subject of legal controversy, particularly in light of several states passing trigger bans set to take effect if abortion protections are eliminated. In Texas, opponents of abortion are working to prevent the nationwide availability of mifepristone, a medication utilized in the early termination of pregnancies. Given the growing difficulty in accessing medical services, individuals such as Kim, who volunteers as a pilot, are playing a vital role in helping those in need. Kim's story highlights the challenges that women face in accessing medical care in a political climate that restricts abortion access. She has used her experience to help others, ensuring that they can obtain the medical care they require. With abortion access increasingly limited in the United States, her work is more important than ever. Kim is an example of how ordinary people can help others in extraordinary ways, and her work is a reminder that access to medical care is a fundamental right that should be available to everyone. As per Context, the following states have banned abortion: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wyoming, and Wisconsin. Related Article: Healthy Eating for Busy Families: Meal Planning, Time-Saving Tips for Eating Well This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has made advance declaration available to all travelers arriving on international flights at Edmonton International Airport (YEG) in Canada. Express lanes are also available in the customs areas for travelers who complete their advance declaration to skip line-ups for primary inspection kiosks (PIK). The advance declaration service provides travelers with the option to submit their customs and immigration declaration up to 72 hours in advance of their arrival in Canada. Travelers can now spend less time at PIKs when they arrive at the airport, resulting in shorter wait times at the border. ') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write(' ') } // --> ') } else if (width >= 425) { console.log ('largescreen'); document.write('') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write('') } // --> The advance declaration service is also available to travelers arriving on international flights at Calgary (YYC), Halifax Stanfield (YHZ), Toronto Pearson (YYZ), Montreal Trudeau (YUL), Winnipeg Richardson (YWG), Quebec City Jean- Lesage (YQB), Billy Bishop Toronto City (YTZ), Ottawa Macdonald- Cartier (YOW) and Vancouver (YVR) airports. Advance declaration is part of CBSAs Traveller Modernization initiative, which is being implemented over the coming years. Modernizing the travel experience includes the use of digital technologies and tools for both travelers and border services officers. This initiative is intended to deliver a better and faster border experience for travelers entering Canada. Early usage data shows that using the advance declaration feature in traveler app ArriveCAN cuts the amount of time a traveler spends at a PIK or e-gate by roughly one-third. Brad Wozny, regional director general of the Prairie Region for CBSA, said, With advance declaration and express lanes now available at Edmonton International Airport, travelers can enjoy a faster border experience. This is one example of how we are modernizing Canadas borders, and were happy to work with partners, like the Edmonton Airport Authority, to make this digital option available to travelers. Steve Maybee, vice president of operations, infrastructure and corporate communications at Edmonton International Airport, commented, CBSA has the integral role of providing border control, immigration and customs services at Edmonton International Airport (YEG). While safety and security are always our top priorities, we aim to deliver an efficient and positive experience for our travelers journey throughout the airport, including navigating their border crossing. We welcome CBSAs advance declaration and are certain our passengers will be pleased to experience a better and faster border experience at YEG. Read more regulation and policy updates from the passenger terminal industry, here. Apple's CEO Tim Cook began his latest tour in China by attending the 2023 China Development Forum in Beijing over the weekend. Since then Cook has been visiting a number of Chinese companies and Apple Stores as his tweets on Weibo proved out. This morning, Cook posted a picture on his Weibo, saying: "I am very happy to meet the creators behind the iPhone and iPad award-winning game "Yuan Shen" . Each creates an immersive fantasy world." In the picture that Cook supplied we that he's talking with Liu Wei, the co-founder of "Big Viagra" Mihayou, and another company member as they present Cook with something to review on an iPad. The general itinerary of Cook's China trip organized by IT House is as follows: On the afternoon of March 24, Cook appeared in the Apple retail store in Sanlitun, Beijing. On March 26, Cook met with the Apple China Central Place retail store team. On March 27, Cook posted that he was very happy to spend a good time with the customers and team members of the Apple Wangfujing retail store. On March 28, Cook flew from Beijing to Shanghai and went to the training base of swimming and triathlon disabled athlete Wang Jiachao. On Weibo, he posted a picture of playing Apple Watch with Wang Jiachao. On March 29, Cook visited Wang Peiyu's Peking Opera studio "Yu Yinshe" in Hongkou, Shanghai, to enjoy Peking Opera and applaud the young actors in Chinese. On March 30, Cook went to Mihayou's Shanghai headquarters to talk with the creator of "Yuan Shen". To review a series of Tim Cook's Tweets on his various visits, review the IT House report. I frequently read online comments, especially from former believers, claiming that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a corporation that cares only for its own interests and doesnt care about the needs of its members. I must admit that I find such remarks baffling. Weird, even. Its true, of course, that believing Latter-day Saints (presumably including their leaders) regard the Church as the Kingdom of God on the earth, and that they feel a powerful obligation to consecrate their time and effort and resources to building it and strengthening it. I certainly do. But an essential part of building and strengthening the Kingdom is caring for the needs of its members. I was no false modesty here; Im quite serious at best a mediocre bishop. But even I, not naturally the most caring and empathetic of men, devoted many hours each week to counseling, one-on-one, with young people who were struggling with their social lives (or lack thereof), with various kinds of addiction, with burdensome guilt, with dysfunctional or absent families. I helped members prepare for missions and marriages. I encouraged large responses to blood drives. I performed a few weddings. I dealt with unwed pregnancies. I accompanied sick and injured people to hospitals, often in the middle of the night. I dealt with police situations. If they wanted it, I sent people with mental and emotional problems to professional counselors and I picked up their bills with Church funds. I paid rent for those who would otherwise be homeless. I bought food for those who would otherwise not eat. And I was just one of thousands of such unpaid bishops, who were and are doing similar things at any moment of any given day, worldwide. Moreover, I loved doing it. I found it exhausting, but profoundly gratifying. To which some will respond, Yeah, but you were just one of the exploited underlings. The Church, as such, doesnt care about its members. To which I respond, Who or what is this Church of which you speak, if its not precisely such people as I was (and as, I hope, I still am)? Take away its members, and there is no Church left over. Moreover, the very highest leadership of the Church doesnt come from any sort of distinct professional caste. Just a few years ago, they too were bishops and stake presidents, and elders quorum presidents and deacons quorum advisors and home teachers, helping to load moving vans and serving at ward breakfasts and accompanying Scout camps and caring for families and counseling with members, one on one. And they still do quite a bit of the latter, even now. I happen to know many of these highest leaders, some more familiarly than others. If theyre not honest, committed, and sincere men, dedicated to both the Church and the Saints and, for that matter, to serving the world at large Im a two-headed leprechaun. Im reminded of a remark from Heber J. Grant: I had a letter when I, as a young man, was made an apostle, from a nonmember of the Church. . . . Of prominence in the world so far as business affairs are concerned, he was the manager of a great corporation.. . . He said: I never thought very much of the leaders of the Mormon people, in fact I thought they were a very bright, keen, designing lot of fellows, getting rich from the tithes that they gathered in from a lot of ignorant, superstitious, and over-zealous religious people. But now that you are one of the fifteen men at the head of the Mormon Church, I apologize to the other fourteen. I know that if there were anything crooked in the management of the Mormon Church you would give it all away. Finally, I need to share with you a horrifyingly large number of truly appalling items that Ive recently drawn from the Christopher Hitchens Memorial How Religion Poisons Everything File: This rapper told Billboard magazine that he plans to become a Latter-day Saint: YoungBoy said that when Latter-day Saint missionaries first came to his door, he turned them away. Later, he let them in Perspective: How religious faith and a sense of agency corresponds with mental health: Religious conservatives believe that small actions by individuals can make a difference, while secular nihilists say, Were doomed Service Missionaries Help People Come to Christ: Nearly 3,000 service missionaries help in their congregations and communities in 34 countries JustServe Project Sends Relief to Pakistan Flood Victims: Church members and their neighbors around Mesa, Arizona, gather thousands of items in a JustServe project for Pakistan Clean Water Heralds a Healthier Future in Tajikistan: Bringing sustainable clean water and sanitation to rural Tajikistan captures the goals of World Water Day 2023 Bringing Light to the World, One Donation at a Time: Giving Machine donations will bless millions around the globe in 2023 Opinion: How religion and belonging together can lift the loneliest generation: Generation Z has been dubbed the loneliest generation due to social isolation, exclusion and lack of belonging. Religion can help but not just church attendance Perspective: BYU the most politically balanced university in America? According to an analysis of political donations, Utah universities are more ideologically balanced than most, with BYU topping the chart What makes families flourish or flounder? 5 studies you might have missed: From where people want to live and why it matters to what faith and community offer families There is also an abundance of rich Hitchens File material in this linked video: The April 2023 Edition of the World Report: The April 2023 edition of the World Report, a biannual video compilation of news from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is now available. Ive begun to read Chris Ferrie and Geraint F. Lewis, Where Did the Universe Come From? And Other Cosmic Questions: Our Universe, from the Quantum to the Cosmos (Naperville IL: Sourcebooks, 2021) a relatively brief book with a very long title. Chris Ferrie is a physicist and an associate professor of quantum software and information at the University of Technology Sydney; Geraint F. Lewis is a professor of astrophysics at the Sydney Institute for Astronomy. Here is a quintet of the passages from the book that have caught my notice thus far. The common theme, I suppose, is that our current science appears to be up against a limit. One might almost call it a veil: By the end of the nineteenth century, it looked like the end might be in sight. The great Lord Kelvin is rumored to have said that there was nothing new to be learned in science, and all that was left to do was to make measurements at higher and higher precision. (2) But then, of course, within just a few short years Max Planck launched quantum mechanics and Albert Einstein published first his special theory of relativity and then his general theory of relativity. Quantum theory and relativity theory were both utterly and profoundly revolutionary. Science, it turned out, wasnt finished after all. While people have looked into the skies for meaning from the earliest beginnings of humanity, cosmology has only become a true science over the last century. Advances in telescopes have opened up the heavens, revealing a universe much larger and richer than we could have ever imagined. Our Sun is one star of hundreds of billions in the Milky Way galaxy, whose light shines across the sky from horizon to horizon. And the Milky Way is just one of possibly trillions of galaxies visible to our most powerful telescopes. (21-22) While Einsteins general relativity led us to the Big Bang, we need more physics to describe the complex interactions underway when the universe was immensely hot and dense. As well as the intense pull of gravity [which is accounted for in general relativity -dcp], the vigorous collisions between the basic building blocks of matter, elementary particles like electrons and quarks, mean we cannot neglect the other fundamental forces: electromagnetism, the strong force, and the weak force. We will revisit these forces numerous times in this book, but for now, all we need to know is that each of these three phenomena is described by the laws and language of quantum mechanics. In the earliest stages of the universe, gravity and the other forces were vying for dominance. In describing the universe, neither quantum mechanics nor general relativity can be ignored. Both must be used on an equal footing. But we dont quite know how to reconcile these two distinct frameworks in a way that brings them together seamlessly. To explore the earliest stages of the universe, we have to stick the various bits of mathematics together in a rather haphazard way in an attempt to join the four fundamental forces (gravity, electromagnetism, strong force, and weak force) into something we think we hope works. There is more than one way of sticking the pieces of mathematics together, and we dont really know if any approach is a good approximation of reality in the extreme conditions of the earliest epochs of the universe. Eventually, we reach a point, peering back earlier into the history of the universe, where we know this Frankenstein mathematics simply cannot work. We end up stuck, facing a wall in our physical theories and unable to explore any further. This prevents us from revealing the mechanics of the birth of our universe and answering the fundamental question where did the universe come from? (24-25) Even in the time it takes you to say the word nothing, a lot can happen in the timescales as measured by the early universe. The first era of the universe, as we currently understand it, lasted only about 10^-43 seconds. That is 0.00, followed by forty more zeros, then a 1. That is: 0.0000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 An unimaginably small chunk of time. What can we compare this to? How can we, as humans, get a sense of such a small scale? Frustratingly, the answer is we cant. This amount of time is much, much smaller than any of our current theories of physics can explore. (30) Why cant we see the Big Bang itself? After the first few minutes of the universes existence, minutes that saw the formation of the first atomic nuclei, the universe was still extremely hot, with electrons zipping through the soup of matter and radiation. These high-speed electrons were moving too fast to join an atomic nucleus to create the atoms we know today. Instead, the universe was full of plasma, with free electrons jostling with light rays, making it opaque. After about 380,000 years of cosmic time, the universe was cool enough and the electrons slow enough for them to stick to the atomic nuclei. In a moment, the universe became transparent. Once the universe was transparent, light could travel freely across the universe and to our telescopes. But trying to peer more deeply into the universe, into the time when it was opaque, is like trying to stare through a brick wall. (38-39) It seems obvious to me that we ought to approach such topics not only with our best scientific thinking and our deepest reflection but with an attitude of awe and humility. The second Summit for Democracy to be co-hosted by the United States later this week has been stigmatized by some critics in the Western media. The US based responsiblestatecraft.org correspondent Daniel Larison writes that the summit seems unlikely to achieve of avail. Azernews presents the full article: . xxx Why is Biden doing another pointless Summit for Democracy? The event is more a show of dividing the world against Russia and China, creating numerous pitfalls that dont seem worth it. The United States is co-hosting the second Summit for Democracy later this week. In coordination with events in the capitals of Costa Rica, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Zambia, Washington will host a combination of in-person and virtual meetings to follow up on the original 2021 summit. The summit seems unlikely to accomplish anything useful. The first Summit for Democracy was a largely pointless exercise in Bidens first year in office, and it raises the question of why the administration thought it was worth holding a second one. The same controversies that marred the first summit are sure to accompany this one. NATO allies Hungary and Turkey have once again been left off the list of invitees, while other governments that have been undermining democracy and the rule of law in their countries will still be represented. The snubbed governments may consider their exclusion to be a badge of honor, or they may take offense that they have been excluded again for what they will consider to be arbitrary reasons. Regardless, the U.S. and its co-hosts need to be able to explain why certain states dont make the cut for events like this and others with similar records do. One problem is that the hosts may end up paying a political price for excluding some states from what is little more than a glorified talking shop. If the hosts refuse to draw any lines about which states can participate, they open themselves up to criticism that the summit has no substance, but if they set the bar high enough, they will end up leaving out most of the worlds elected governments. When the U.S. and its partners make decisions to exclude some states for backsliding while ignoring the failings of others, it opens them up to charges of hypocrisy and favoritism. Take India, for example. India has been steadily moving in the wrong direction under Prime Minister Narendra Modi for years. In the latest example of Indias backsliding, the leader of Indias opposition, Rahul Gandhi, has just been expelled from parliament after being found guilty of defamation because of his criticisms of the prime minister. Gandhi will now be barred from standing in elections for the next six years. The decision has provoked protests from all of Indias opposition parties, and Gandhis expulsion has even been called the direct murder of democracy. The spokesman for Gandhis Congress Party said that it was part of a systematic and repetitive emasculation of democratic institutions by the ruling party. It remains to be seen what the administrations official response to this development will be, but it would be genuinely surprising if the U.S. did more than express concern. The U.S. has mostly ignored democratic backsliding in India in recent years out of a desire to cultivate their government as a partner against China. Earlier this year, the Indian government banned a BBC documentary critical of the prime minister, and the State Department played dumb. When the government then raided BBC offices last month, the State Department downplayed it. Washington has lots of practice of looking the other way when a partner government becomes more illiberal and authoritarian, but this becomes much harder to ignore when our government is frequently touting the importance of democracy in a grand struggle with autocracy. It will be awkward at best to have the Indian government represented at a democracy summit while that government is openly undermining democracy and press freedom in India. Including India in this years summit makes it clear that there is no consistent or principled standard being applied against backsliding governments. Letting India participate in an event like this right now helps Modi to distract from his governments creeping authoritarianism and majoritarian abuses. Whatever goals the Biden administration hopes to achieve with these summits, providing cover for an illiberal nationalist while he squashes his political opposition is presumably not one of them. The Biden administrations democracy vs. autocracy rhetoric has never been a good fit for U.S. foreign policy or international political realities. Not only does the U.S. have many semi-authoritarian and authoritarian partners and clients that have absolutely no interest in defending democracy, but U.S. leadership has also put Washington at odds with democratic nations that do not want to be part of its global conflicts and rivalries. Instead of rhetorically dividing the world into opposing camps, the U.S. should be open to cultivating better relations with as many states as possible regardless of regime type. As many observers have started to notice, the U.S. has become too inflexible in its foreign policy, and the democracy vs. autocracy framing risks reinforcing this rigidity when we can least afford it. Other democratic governments will naturally have their own national interests, and they are not going to sacrifice those interests just because the U.S. and its European allies say that it is necessary for the sake of a larger ideological cause. The U.S. needs to understand that other democracies are not obligated to side with Washington on every major issue, and it needs to appreciate that sharing a form of government does not guarantee that other states will see the world as our government does. In many cases, other states may remain neutral or even end up on the other side of a major issue because their governments are doing what their voters want. If the U.S. truly respects other democracies, it has to accept that they may adopt different and even opposing views about important international developments. Our leaders should not delude themselves into believing that they speak for all democratic states or that their preferences are the ones that all democracies must have. The U.S. would be better served if our leaders devoted their attention to shoring up and repairing our own dilapidated political system. Especially in foreign policy, we need a government that is more transparent and accountable to the people. Our leaders preach democracy to the rest of the world while neglecting or weakening it at home. The best thing that the U.S. could do to bolster the cause of democracy in the world is to improve our own practice of it here. That brings us back to the question of what purpose this summit serves. If it is intended to bolster democratic norms and practices and stave off backsliding, it is not working very well. If it is just putting on a show to congratulate ourselves on the superiority of our own system, it is a waste of time and effort. If it is mostly an exercise in providing window dressing for some other policy agenda, we could dispense with the pretense that it has anything to do with democracy at all. Given all these pitfalls, another democracy summit doesnt seem to be worth the headaches that it will likely create for Washington. The Russian Federation is preparing to start recruiting an additional 400,000 troops, according to a defense intelligence report published on Twitter by the Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on Thursday morning. Russian media reporting suggests that the authorities are preparing to start a major military recruitment campaign with the aim of signing up an additional 400,000 troops. Russia is presenting the campaign as a drive for volunteer, professional personnel, rather than a new, mandatory mobilization, the report reads. At the same time, British intelligence analysts believe that there is a realistic possibility that in practice this distinction will be blurred, and that regional authorities will try to meet their allocated recruitment targets by coercing men to join up. Russian authorities have likely selected a supposedly volunteer model to meet their personnel shortfall in order to minimise domestic dissent. It is highly unlikely that the campaign will attract 400,000 genuine volunteers, the analysts conclude. At the same time, they note another very significant factor: rebuilding Russias combat power in Ukraine will require more than just personnel; Russia needs more munitions and military equipment supplies than it currently has available. Nelson Mandela Raises his Fist: A Meditation on a Zen Koan James Ishmael Ford The Case Zhaozhou Congshen went to a hermits cottage. At the entrance he called out, Anybody in? Anybody in? The hermit appeared in the doorway and lifted up his fist. Zhaozhou replied, The water is too shallow for a ship to anchor. And he left. Later, he went to a hermits cottage and at the entrance asked, Anybody in? Anybody in? This hermit lifted up his fist, as well. Zhaozhou said, Freely you give, freely you take away, freely you kill, freely you give life. And he made his bows. Gateless Gate, Case 11 Ive always loved this case. For several reasons. One, of course, is how it builds in a bit of ambiguity. Is Zhaozhou visiting different hermits, or is he revisiting the same hermit? Also, for me, at least, it echoes other koans. In the same collection, Case 26, where Fayen asks two monks to roll up blinds, and case 42, where Mansusri and the Bodhisattva of Delusive wisdom meet a young woman meditating, come to mind. Or, for my money, one of the most interesting of the whole collection, case 2. While Wumen claims the koans in his anthology are just randomly collected, I notice the first case is the great invitation into the koan of not knowing, the very next deals with the matter of how we meet the world. Kind of the whole matter of the koan way in two koans. For which the rest can be read as commentary. Well, except when were invited to look at the matter once again. Here the case invites us into the meeting of the great mystery and our very lives. Perhaps presented in a bit lower stakes than with the fox. But, then, maybe not. Im not sure when I first realized the power of raising a clenched fist. Maybe my first sense of it as a child was being yelled at to Get off my lawn, by a fist waving old man. Which may be an actual memory. Or, one that attached itself to me, somewhere along the line from cartoons and television shows. I can see that hermit, or those hermits telling Zhaozhou to stop bothering them, and to be on his way. I like that image, for sure. And there are others, that linger in the heart. My heart. In 1913, silk mill workers went on strike in Patterson, New Jersey. Their demands centered on an eight-hour work-day. The strike was savagely broken, and along the way two of the strikers were killed. Theres that. But also, in the middle of the strike, one of the organizers, Wobbly William Dudley Haywood, known best as Bill Bill Haywood gave a speech. He held up his hand and told the audience they were like fingers. He then gathered the fingers into a fist saying this is how the sum can become greater than the parts. Possibly it was used in Europe a year before. But this is the earliest attestation to the use of a fist, at least in the US, that I find. Later, during the Spanish Civil War the clinched fist became an answer to the Fascist flat hand salute. In the 1960s it became identified with the Black Power movement, and in the 1970s it became a symbol of the rising womens consciousness and the Feminist movement. For me a raised fist evokes images of Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1978 Summer Olympics. And of Nelson Mandela as he left the Victor Verster Prison in 1990. Raised fists. Lots of different raised fists. Returning to the koan as koan. As a presentation of an intimate truth bound up together with an invitation. Like fingers folded into a fist. Aitken Roshi reminds us that the cottage or hut for an hermit isnt going to be very big. And its unlikely Zhaozhou is unclear about whether someone is present, or not. For the roshi it reminds him of one of his teachers, using the Japanese Ariya? Or, maybe its a shout, Ariya! Are you there? Are you there! As Aitken Roshi notes, old Zhaozhou liked to test the depth of the water. Me, I also find an invitation here. The old school yard call, Olly, olly, oxen free. Come home, come home! Maybe even, come home, all is forgiven. Come home. Many shades here. The Rinzai master Zenkei Shibayama offers as comment a verse from an unnamed worthy. Whether to call it crazy or rude I leave it to someone else to judge. Peach blossoms are by nature pink; Pear blossoms by nature white. A reminder of where and how to look. Its like encountering a semi-feral cat. You cant reach out, you have to wait, and allow it to present. Pink. White. The fragrance alone instructs, invites. If we are willing to bow into the koan as a huatou or a koan, the Chan master Guo Gu offers some pointers. The way to try to get a handle on this case is to keep questioning it. If you meditate like this, you will generate the sense of great questioning. If you rely on logic, you will get nowhere. If you think one hermit is better than the other, you dont have what it takes to investigate Chan. If you think theyre equal, you also dont have what it takes to investigate Chan. Old advice. And the best advice. We need to bring our deep curiosity. In some settings it can be that burning coal lodged in the esophagus. But in most of our lives, these ordinary lives with jobs or careers and rent or mortgage, with many things pulling at our hearts and calling for our attention; just being curious. A wonderful thing curiosity. It may kill a cat on occasion, but it also invites mysteries. And, here, one in particular. What happens when we have two things that seem no different, but one is shallow and the other deep? With that Guo Gu reminds us of Wumens gift in this collection and in this case. He forces you to have nowhere to advance, nowhere to retreat. In the conundrum of our lives, our real lives, mixed up, of course, with our imaginal lives; what is presenting? How is the ordinary and the mystery the same and different? Heres my offering. Like with those other pointers to that meeting of the mystery and our individual lives, it takes many shapes. Protest. Solidarity. I love Big Bills words about fingers and fists. Are they one? Or are they two? Or are we being invited into something rather wonderful? Something as shallow as a puddle in the street, something as deep as the Mariana Trench. Our whole lives presented. Get off my lawn. Nelson Mandela walking out of prison. Now this. Now that. Songs of the world. Songs of the great empty One? Two? Or simply a clenched fist? For his latest project, acclaimed documentarian Gianfranco Rosi (Fire At Sea, Sacro GRA) was inspired to share the human side of one of the worlds most iconic figures, Pope Francis. In Viaggio: The Travels of Pope Francis follows the first eight years of the pontiffs travels and public appearances, using footage from The Vatican archives and original content from Rosi. Shaped from 800 hours of content, In Viaggio presents a straightforward portrait of the religious figure, Rosi said. Although the film doesnt have an agenda other than presenting the footage, Pope Francis found common ground with the filmmaker. Two weeks ago, when Rosi presented him with a DVD which he knows he wont ever see (he never watches things where he is the protagonist), posters and press materials, the pope encouraged the filmmaker and expressed thanks. Before leaving, he said something extremely precious to me, she said. He said, Risk, always risk. Be courageous and risk. And then he came closer, and said, There are too many conservative people around us. For a pope, I thought it was very strong. Because he is fighting conservatives a lot. Rosi believed Pope Francis was reacting to what the filmmaker said is a big branch of the Catholic Church in America that is conservative and has recoiled from some of the more progressive items on the popes agenda, such as exposing pedophilia and outreach to the LGBT community. His positions are not always appreciated by the Catholic Church in the States, he said. To hear him speak of the pontiff, its evident Rosis admiration runs deep, even though he doesnt share his religious beliefs. The directors beautifully crafted film pays homage to not only the religious figure but also a head of state that speaks to the challenges facing the world. During his meetings with Pope Francis, he admitted that he is an unbeliever, although hes quick to point out to anyone that his spirituality runs deep. I have complete respect for all believers in all religions, he said. And when I say Im not a religious person, it doesnt mean that I dont have a need for spirituality I always say I dont know if God exists, but I live my life as if it does exist. Its a gift to believe. Rosis first inspiration for In Viaggio traces back nearly ten years ago, when his film Fire At Sea spotlighting the European migrant crisis and its effect on the Sicilian island of Lampedusa. Pope Francis first trip outside of the Vatican was to the island, and upon viewing the film, he invited Rosi to the Vatican to speak about migration and the film. After two more encounters and learning that the pope had made 34 trips, he proposed the concept for the documentary to Vatican officials. When I said that would be a great film to do, from Lampedusa to Baghdad, they were very enthusiastic and they gave me basically 800 hours of footage of archival footage of all the trips of the pope, he said. Piecing it together, Rosi accepted the challenge of making a portrait of one of the most important figures on earth. What I did was make a portrait that was somehow not ideological, and not theological, he said. I wanted to make a portrait of a man, of his world, the world watched by the pope. In Viaggio, directed by Gianfranco Rosi, will release theatrically this Friday through Magnolia Pictures. Does Your College Have Anything To Do With The Pay Package You Command? College Placements are not really the true indicators of quality of the graduate a college produces. Graduates from certain colleges may command a premium entry level salary. However, over a period of time, with a work experience of about five years or more, his/her salary evens out with that of the graduates from any other renowned colleges. For instance, of the 60 engineering colleges in Bangalore, the Silicon Valley of India, some graduates may land into their dream jobs with a hefty pay-package. However, none of these colleges produce graduates who can command an average salary anywhere close to that of an IIT graduate. Even with 5 years of corporate exposure an IIT grad commands Rs 15 lakh per annum of pay package, while most other graduates from the top 100 colleges in India command an average salary of Rs 10 lakh per annum. IITs indeed still continue to produce the best engineering graduates in the country. However, this does not mean there is no talent pool beyond the IITs .The compiled list of 'Top 100 Engineering Institutes' suggests the same. This comprehensive survey, based on the real worth of a graduate that each college has produced is the first one of its kind. The colleges here have been ranked based on the quality of talent and the performance of their graduates in the corporate world. The presence of a large number of technical institutions across the country often makes it difficult for the potential students to make the right choice. Also, the IT organizations are always looking to hire from a variety of quality Institutions. To Bridge this gap between the Industry and the Academia, SiliconIndia.com consulted HR managers, collected data from the various recruitment firms and Job boards. Also, over 3000 working professionals who completed their engineering in 2006 were interviewed for the same purpose. After an extensive and exhaustive research, the list of top 100 engineering institutes was compiled. "We believe that despite the various criteria's, the quality of a college lies in the performance of the graduate. This is assessed by the pay package they command in the corporate world after a period of 5 years. This is the real value a college adds to the graduate," says Harvi Sachar, CEO, SiliconIndia.com. This list is integral to the students and the corporate organizations. It allows the companies to look beyond IITs and hire quality engineers from various colleges. The annual average salary of a graduate after five years in the industry is provided for the students to make a choice as per their interest and caliber at the very start of their career. The 'Top 100 engineering colleges in India 2011' provides the companies with an insight so that they can reach out to the right colleges and thereby promote industry growth by hiring deserving graduates. The list holds a good amount of credibility and helps the students and the companies select better. The supplement is easily available in almost all the news-stands and the list is available for download on the website. http://www.siliconindia.com/education/engineeringcollege/top-100-engineering-colleges-in-india.php?location=cs#1 *Additional Information* Kindly note that according to our survey, in Jharkhand: Birla Institute Of Technology, Mesra; Jharkhand is ranked 9th among the 'Top 100 Engineering Colleges 2011'. Also, BIT, Mesra is ranked 4th and NIT, Jamshedpur 8th are among the Top 10 Colleges in the Eastern India. In the 'Top 50 M.Tech Colleges across India' BIT Mesra, Ranchi is ranked 3rd. Article provided by SiliconIndia.Com. Contact: Kornica Dhar Pr Manager, SiliconIndia.com Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Phone No.: +91- 8043112-146 [10:00 A.M - 6:30 P.M] http://www.siliconindia.com/ Huawei today announced its Non-Stop Banking initiative. Unveiled at the Huawei Intelligent Finance Summit for Africa 2023, the initiative calls for hand-in-hand collaboration between the ICT and banking industries and facilitate a digital future of non-stop services, non-stop development, and non-stop innovation. In a keynote speech announcing the initiative, Leo Chen, president of Huawei Sub-Saharan Africa Region spoke about why going digital has become such a major imperative for the banking industry. Not only does it make it easier for banks to broaden their customer base, he said, it also saves operational costs, allows them to develop new products, and deepen the customer relationship, thus generating revenues for banks. In Africa, he added, theres an even greater imperative for banks to embrace digitization, as it allows for greater financial inclusion. While Chen lauded the innovative work done by many African banks in embracing digitization, he pointed out that all players in the industry need to go further if theyre to embrace the non-stop approach that will characterise the future of banking. Huawei has already served more than 2500 financial customers in over 60 countries and regions, including 50 of the world's top 100 banks. Numerous Huawei technologies, Chen said, are helpful on this front. Over the years, it has provided the foundation and backbone for the digitalization of the banking industry in Africa by supporting the construction of the continents ICT infrastructure and digital connectivity in rural areas. Its extensive focus on research and development (R&D), meanwhile, means that its well-poised to help the industry shape its future too. From a technical perspective, he pointed to Huawei's strength in storage, fibre optic networks, IP networks and data communication, which enable multi-domain collaboration solutions for banks. For example, its storage and optical connection coordination (SOCC) solutions can reduce system switchover time from two minutes to two seconds after a network breakdown, ensuring zero transaction interruptions. The multilayer ransomware protection (MRP) technology, meanwhile, can provide 6-layer protections, from storage, to network, to applications and other layers. It enables a reliable and secure end-to-end protection to the whole system. Finally, Huaweis intelligent network O&M solutions enable faults to be detected in one minute, diagnosed in three minutes, and rectified in five minutes. Huawei Cloud, the world's fastest-growing major cloud service provider, can additionally support the hybrid multi-cloud service required by banks. Huaweis digital energy solutions, meanwhile, can help to provide an uninterrupted and green power supply for the banking sector. This effectively addresses power deficit issues and supports non-stop banking. That kind of technological innovation will be important because, as Jason Cao, CEO of Huawei Global Digital Finance pointed out, financial services are becoming mobile and intelligent at a blistering pace. The financial industry should pay acute attention to users and their demands, embracing changes, he said. Huawei is dedicated to helping its African financial customers address challenges and accelerate changes across six fields: shifting from transaction to digital engagement, cloud-native and agile businesses, data democratization, secure and reliable infrastructure, hybrid multi-cloud and Lego-style modular services, and automated and predictable operation. In this way, Huawei will facilitate financial digitalization and innovatively improve productivity in Africa. Revolving around stability, agility, and intelligence, Huawei aims to build non-stop financial services, and achieve non-stop development alongside non-stop innovation, he added. Beyond technology, Huawei issued a call for all parties in the industry to come together and build more robust ICT infrastructure, facilitate more measures and policies to encourage digital finance innovation, cultivate a sound innovative ecosystem, and train more digital talent for the industry. Huawei is particularly active on the last two points. Huawei Clouds Spark programme, for example, has pledged to assist 1 000 SMEs over the next three years. And having already trained more than 80 000 digital talents in Africa, it has launched the LEAP digital talent training programme in Sub-Saharan Africa region, aiming to train another 100 000 people in the next three years. The Huawei Intelligent Finance Summit for Africa 2023 brought together more than 200 attendees, including key industry opinion leaders, as well as executives from major banks across Africa. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Grave robbers took body parts of a dead albino man in western Mozambique after digging through concrete that was used to reinforce the grave. Body parts of albinos are much sought after in the country for use in witchcraft. Police say the suspects are still at large after the incident in Moatize district, in Tete province. The deceased, who was about 50 years old, was recently buried in a village that borders Malawi. His relatives had reinforced the grave with concrete in anticipation of a possible theft. A campaigner for albino rights, Remane Madane, has condemned the robbery. He said the police had promised to do everything to arrest the suspects. The cemetery is isolated. To get there it is a long distance, to go alone you have to think twice, otherwise maybe a team [was involved], he said. People with albinism, who lack pigment in their skin and appear pale, are regularly killed in several African countries including Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The situation in Malawi is still dire two weeks after Storm Freddy left a trail of devastation in the southern region, the country's information minister has told the BBC's Newsday programme. Moses Kunkuyu said the death toll had risen to more than 600 and many displaced people were still living in camps providing shelter and food. He said roads and dozens of bridges had been washed away by floods, making it difficult to provide desperately needed aid. The minister said there was a risk of outbreaks of water-borne diseases in the camps because of congestion. He said there was a crisis in the health and education sector in the areas affected by the storm. Repair works on electricity lines damaged by a previous cyclone were still unfinished and many areas are currently without power. So even the health sector is now overwhelmed as well. Education centres also remain affected because most of the camps that have been created are at schools, he said. He said with schools reopening, the government was having to make a tough decision to move the displaced people from the schools to tents that would serve as temporary shelters. He also noted that at least 500 schools had been damaged by the storm. The minister has appealed for more humanitarian assistance. Storm Freddy struck Mozambique and Malawi earlier in March for the second time in a month, destroying scores of homes and triggering widespread floods. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Women in Africa must be given the opportunity to participate equally in all spheres of life, including in leadership positions, says US Vice-President Kamala Harris. "It is key to maximizing global growth and opportunity, she told students in Ghana's capital, Accra, promising that the US will closely work with its partners to bridge the gender gap. The US's first female vice-president is on a three-nation tour of the continent. Speaking on Tuesday, she praised Africas ingenuity and creativity but emphasised the need to address challenges, including security, barriers to economic growth and the impact of climate change. She has already announced $100m (81m) in funding for the fight against violent extremism. Internet facilities will also be invested in by the US to promote economic growth on the continent, she said. "Let us dream with ambition and lead with conviction," the politician told young people in Accra. A summit on democracy is being organised in Zambia, where Ms Harris will visit after Ghana and Tanzania. The US government says it will continue to work with democratic governments on the continent in line with the aspirations of Africans. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The infrastructure of Avdiyivka (Donetsk region) was completely destroyed as a result of Russian shelling, not a single surviving building remained in the city, and the housing stock was destroyed by 80%, said head of Avdiyivka Town Military Administration Vitaliy Barabash. "The infrastructure is completely broken nothing works. The housing stock is more than 80% destroyed this is something that can no longer be restored, repaired, but only demolished and rebuilt. Now there is not a single surviving house. There probably hasn't been a single surviving building in the town since the summer. And in general, we had 149 multistorey and about 4,000 private houses," he said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine. Barabash noted that in winter, the locals who remained in the town heated their homes with the help of stoves, which "were provided a lot by both volunteers and the state," and fuel for the small stoves was purchased at the expense of a subvention from the state budget. Pope Francis is being kept in hospital for checks after attending a scheduled appointment at a hospital in Rome, Vatican sources say. The pontiff's closest staff, including security, are expected to stay the night at the Gemelli Hospital should the Pope not be sent home, a person with direct knowledge told the BBC. Pope Francis' schedule has reportedly been cancelled for the next two days. A source said medical checks would continue for as long as necessary. It is not clear whether a new ailment prompted his visit to hospital. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the Pope was taken to hospital for "some previously scheduled checks". But some Italian media report he may have been suffering from respiratory problems and was then taken to hospital by ambulance. This is the busiest time of the year for Pope Francis, 86, with many events and services scheduled ahead of Easter weekend. A Palm Sunday Mass is scheduled this weekend, and Holy Week and Easter celebrations next week. He is also scheduled to visit Hungary at the end of April. On Wednesday morning, he presided over his weekly general audience in St Peter's Square. Though he looked to be in good spirits, he was seen grimacing as he was helped with getting into his vehicle, AFP news agency reports. The pontiff has suffered from mobility problems related to his knee in recent months, forcing him to use a wheelchair. He also underwent surgery to treat a colon problem at the same hospital in Rome in 2021. In January, the Pope led the funeral of his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI - who was the first pope to step down voluntarily for centuries. He said this was due to ill health. Pope Francis has previously indicated that he may also wish to follow in Benedict's footsteps in the event that his health deteriorated. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Eight persons are reported dead after a boat carrying 15 persons headed for Kpadzori, in the Krachi West District, in the Oti Region, capsized on River Oti. The accident allegedly happened around 12:00 pm on Monday due to the overloading of the boat designed to carry eight persons. The deceased are six adults and two children, and all the victims of the accident were not wearing life jackets, according to an eyewitness. It would be recalled that on March 20, 2023, barely three weeks ago, a similar incident occurred when, five people, including two children drowned, when an overloaded canoe carrying mourners crossing the Ada River from Azizanya to Azizakpe in the Ada East District, in the Greater Accra, capsised. Gabriel Ajigodi, the canoe operator was arrested by the Ada Foah Police to assist with investigation to unravel the circumstances under which the incident occurred. Reports however, indicated that the operator overloaded the canoe putting all passengers in danger. According to the Assembly Member of Azizakpe Electoral Area, Daniel Adzakpa, the disaster struck because the canoe was overloaded. He explained that the canoe, which was supposed to carry 25 passengers, was transporting 60 people at the time of the accident. Some of the survivors narrated that they alerted the operator about the overload and pleaded with him to return them to their boarding point at Azizanya, but he refused. They indicated that the accident occurred mid-journey after the canoe lost balance and capsised. Mary Donuki, who lost her one-and-half-year-old baby in the accident, blamed the operator for the disaster, calling for his prosecution as all of them were without life jackets. The Ada District Court has ordered the remand of Gabriel Ajigodi in police custody as a key suspect in the canoe accident. Source: Ghanaiantimes.com.gh Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Andrew Asiamah Amoako, has expressed concern over the decision by some Members of Parliament (MPs) of the minority caucus to breach the practice of secret voting in Parliament. He said the MPs took videos and photos of their votes in last Fridays vote on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos ministerial and Supreme Court justice nominees. The Second Deputy Speaker, who is also an independent MP for the Fomena Constituency, in the Ashanti Region, said the action of the MPs violated the secrecy of votes, which should not be allowed to recur. In a statement on the floor of Parliament, yesterday, Mr Amoako said the action was an affront to Article 104 of the 1992 Constitution and Order 10(b) of the Standing Orders of the House. The elections were held in secret, but we have read on various social media platforms that some of our members, probably as a matter of proving a point, videoed and took pictures of how they voted. I understand and appreciate why they did that, but the fact of the matter is that their actions are an affront to the electoral process, Mr Amoako said. As the bastion of the countrys democracy, Mr Amoako said MPs should set good examples for the general population to follow. We are supposed to be the creme of our democratic dispensation and whatever we do must show that we understand what we are doing. I submit that going forward, if we are to vote, in as much as we may want to prove to the caucus leaders, constituents or the party that indeed this is the way we voted, we should also be reminded that whatever we do here conforms with general rule of voting in the country, he said. Mr Yusif Sulemana, MP for Bole/Bamboi, called for the annulment of the polls if indeed there were evidence that MPs took pictures of their votes and revealed same. To the best of my knowledge, the election was conducted in secrecy, but if there is any evidence to suggest that it was not done in secrecy, then the result should be declared null and void. Mr Sulemana said going forward, there would be the need for the House to adopt standards on how voting should be conducted because the mode kept changing anytime there was a vote. But the MP for Bortianor-Ngleshie Amanfrom, Sylvester Tetteh, disagreed with the call for the votes to be annulled. He urged the House to purge itself of this unfortunate development, and said MPs would not have the moral right to educate their constituents if the practice was not stopped. I understand and appreciate why they did that, but the fact of the matter is that their actions are an affront to the electoral process, Mr Amoako said. As the bastion of the countrys democracy, Mr Amoako said MPs should set good examples for the general population to follow. Source: Ghanaiantimes.com.gh Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Audio Attachment: Listen to Kabila's submission on Peace FM's 'kokrokoo' James Kwabena Bomfeh, a former acting CPP General Secretary, has slammed the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for rebuking their Members of Parliament who voted in favour of the six Ministers appointed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. The Members of Parliament (MP), both from the majority and minority caucuses, approved all six new Ministers last Friday and following the approval of the ministerial appointees by the NDC MPs, the party and its 2020 Presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama have expressed diappointment in the MPs. The NDC MPs who voted for the new Ministers have been branded "traitors" by the party and also accused of receiving bribes. "Unfortunately, Ghanaians were sorely disappointed yesterday when several members of the Minority for some parochial and personal interest voted against the principled position adopted by the party. I am also disappointed. Those responsible for this betrayal must do some serious soul searching and learn to place national interest over personal interest," Mr. Mahama said in a Facebook post. They will not see rest in the money they have taken from Akufo-Addo because they have eaten a curse, they have eaten trouble and they will pay for it, Mustapha Gbande, NDC Deputy General Secretary, said in an interview on Asempa FM and called for an intense investigation to get names of those who voted against the Minority decision. Such MPs must be taken out of Parliament. Reacting to the issue, James Kwabena Bomfeh, also called 'Kabila, found it insulting for the NDC to reprimand their MPs for objectively exercising the franchise. To him, the NDC's bribe allegation does not speak well of their MPs. "For you to accuse someone of taking a decision because the person has received money, it is to insult the individual and deny the individual of his individuality to say the person has no mind of his or hers to make decisions," he said while making his submissions during Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo'. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Veteran Broadcast Journalist, Luther King Kwame Adinkra has diffused anti-Bawumia propaganda over the number of Parliamentarians who were at Manhyia Palace with the Vice President of Ghana, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia a week ago. A portion of a video from nearly 18-hours of the event in circulation on various social media platforms with Kwame Adinkra who was the Master of Ceremony(MC) for the occasion, seeks to suggest that the Vice President was accompanied to Otumfuo Osei Tutus Akwasidae by 30 Members of Parliament and not over 80 as being reported by a section of the media. But speaking in an interview to dismissed the claim, Kwame Adinkra who is always Emcees the event indicated that his video was taken out of context to suit peoples parochial interest and not a true reflection of what transpired at the second Akwasidae in 2023. He indicated that he was mentioning the number of MPs per region who accompanied the Vice President to the event. There is a video captioned Kwame Adinkra exposes team Bawumia. The list I was given was a breakdown of MPs per Region. Ashanti Region was the first, followed by Eastern Region, and Northern Region and the other regions. So when you pick the Ashanti Region, for example, we have 47 MPs of which 4 are NDC MPs. Out of the 42 NPP MPs in the Ashanti Region, those who came were 31. So after mentioning their names, I concluded that the MPs who accompanied the Vice President to the Akwasidae from the Ashanti Region were 31. So the person who did the video suggesting I said only 30 MPs accompanied Dr Bawumia cut the video to suit their interest. I said 30 MPs from the Ashanti region joined the Vice President and not 30 MPs in total, he said on Accra-based OKAY FM. Kwame Adinkra who was the MC for the Akwasidae indicated that apart from the Members of Parliament who were present, some Government appointees who hitherto were not known faces at the Akwasidae were present just for the love for the Vice President of Ghana, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Parliament last Tuesday passed the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2021. The object of the bill is to amend the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) to decriminalise attempted suicide and provide for related matters. If assented to by the President, the bill will ensure that survivors of attempted suicide will no longer be at risk of being apprehended, prosecuted and penalised; they would rather receive medical and psychological help. The overall aim of the bill is to concede that attempted suicide is a mental health condition, and thus, to provide opportunities to support those who may be found in those circumstances. In general, the bill will also help decongest the prisons and reduce caseloads on prosecutors. The bill was laid in the House on August 2, 2021 by the Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, on behalf of the sponsors of the bill. It was subsequently referred to the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs for consideration, and for them to report back to the House. The private members bill was sponsored by the New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament (MP) for Asante Akim Central, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, and the National Democratic Congress MP for Akatsi South, Bernard Ahiafor. Key motivation Per a report of the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, signed by Mr Anyimadu-Antwi, who is the Chairman of the committee the members gathered that among the key motivations underlying attempted and completed suicides were experiences of shame related to the loss of economic control, sexual weakness, marriage and familial problems. Others, the report said, were poverty and financial difficulties, evasion of dishonour and punishment, health problems and previous attempted suicides. Reformation During the second reading of the bill on March 23, 2023, Mr Anyimadu-Antwi said the proponents of the bill were of the view that suicide was a mental health issue and, therefore, must not be treated as a criminal act. He cited some research findings that were made available to the committee during its work. The research, he said, showed that a survey conducted by the World Health Organisation in 2021 revealed that seven persons per 100,000 people died out of suicide in 2019. In his view, suicide acts in universities in Ghana were also on the ascendency, showing that 6.3 per cent of university students attempted suicide, 24.3 per cent wished they were dead, while 6.8 per cent had plans to commit suicide. Suicide statistics He mentioned one prevalent factor that contributed to suicidal acts as psychological distress. At the junior high school level, he said the research found out that 27.6 per cent of adolescents also attempted suicide. The chairman indicated that interactions with some female victims, who were put before court for attempting suicide, revealed that they could not bear the heartbreaks that came with terminating relationships with their boyfriends and decided to end their lives. The males on the other hand were influenced by financial difficulties, he said. Mr Anyimadu-Antwi said based on those factors, the committee came to the conclusion that suicide was more of a mental issue rather than criminal and, hence should not be criminalised. The committee has examined the provisions of the bill and is of the view that the best remedy to dealing with attempted suicide is to provide avenues in schools, workshops, workplaces and community centres for stressed persons with emotional problems to seek therapy and treatment. The committee accordingly recommends to the House to adopt its report and pass the Criminal Offences Bill into law in accordance with Article 107 of the 1992 Constitution, he said. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former President and National Democratic Congress(NDC) Flagbearer hopeful Presidential Candidate John Dramani Mahama has expressed worry over the poor quality of the food being served in the various Senior High Schools in the Country. According to him, the poor quality of food leave the students growing very lean and look malnourished. Addressing delegates and party members in the Asikuma Odoben Brakwa Constituency, in the Central Region on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, Mr Mahama said the Free Senior High School programme is being poorly implemented. Today, if you look at the quality of food being served the students, pardon me, but Im sure even dogs in their homes will not be served such poor quality of food. They come home from school very lean. The students are too parked in their dormitories for lack of space and they come home with bedbugs and if you dont disinfect their items youll end up hosting lots of bedbugs in your home. I suggested that we have a national discussion on the Free SHS programme where various stakeholders and experts will share ideas about how to improve on the programme, but the Akufo-Addo government declined and we are all witnesses to what our students are going through at the Senior High Schools. The ex-President noted that the Free SHS programme has caused more harm to the students than good, adding that when hes elected President, he will ensure the feeding system under the Free SHS will be decentralized to ensure quality food is served the students. According to Mr Mahama, the Education System under the leadership of Nana Akufo-Addo has been terribly mismanaged hence theres the need for a new government to introduce reforms to get the education sector back on track. Source: kasapafmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Member of Parliament for Afram Plains South, Joseph Appiah Boateng, popularly known as "JAB1", has threatened to lead a massive demonstration against the Government of Ghana for allegedly attempting to divert funds meant for the construction of Afram bridge and road projects to other road projects in Akyem. Speaking to Agoo FM in Nkawkaw, Joseph Appiah Boateng said there are available copies of loan agreements, projects and letters of diversion which when approved is a deliberate attempt to deprive the people of Afram Plains of their share of the national cake and also worsen their living conditions as a result of the deplorable state of the roads in the area. This follows a joint statement from the Member of Parliament for Afram Plains South and Member of Parliament for Afram Plains North, Joseph Appiah Boateng and Betty Krosbi Mensah respectively. Read the full statement below: PRESIDENT AKUFFO ADDO DIVERTS 98 MILLION DOLLARS OF ROAD FUNDS MEANT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF ADAWSO-EKYI AMANFROM-DONKORKROM ROADS TO HIS STRONGHOLD In February 2022, the minister for Roads and Highways and the Minister of Finance in a joint memorandum brought a loan agreement to parliament for approval for the construction of a bridge from Ekyi to Amanfrom, the rehabilitation of the Ekyi-Donkorkrom road as well as the BunsoObuoho road under the Deutsche Loan Facility. Its very sad, unfortunate, and disheartening to read from the Ministry of Roads and Highway and the Ministry of Finance a letter signed by the secretary to the president, Mr. Asante Bediatuo calling on parliament to suspend plans for the construction of the roads per the initial agreement approved by Parliament. Currently, the government is making arrangements to divert the approved funds for the construction of by-passes on the ACCRA- KUMASI road from Osino to Konongo which is purely politically motivated. This decision by the government will deprive the people of Afram plains of their share of the national cake and also worsen their living conditions as a result of the deplorable state of the roads. The government whilst bringing the agreement stated explicitly why we must prioritize the road network in Afram plains; to provide food security in the country since most of the cities and towns all get their food supplies from Afram plains, and also, because the inhabitants of Afram plains have been cut off from the rest of the country due to physical access and lastly lack of connecting roads to other parts of the country leaving the ferry as the only means of transport. As Members of Parliament representing the people of Afram Plains, we want to ask the President what happened to all these priorities to bring the road to Afram Plains. I wish to publicly condemn this unfortunate and politically motivated decision as it will deprive my people of better living conditions. This government since its inception in 2017 has clearly and in many cases shown its bias against the good people of Afram Plains, we would all recall how the previous government made an arrangement with legal backing for the construction of a University Of Environment And Sustainable Development (USED) campus in Donkorkrom which was hijacked and taken to Bunso the hometown of the President. That was the unfair treatment given to us by the president of the republic, we tried any means possible to get our university back but all prove futile. As the saying goes once bitten twice shy, we will like to state categorically to the president through his ministers that we will not sit down for this to repeat itself, so we are therefore calling on the good people of Afram Plains and sympathizers to rally behind us to stop the diversion of the 98 million Dollars road fund to the stronghold of the NPP once again. Afram Plains also deserves development and our share of the national cake. Signed Betty Nana Efua Krosbi Mensah MP. Afram Plains North Hon. Joseph Appiah Boateng MP. Afram Plains South Source: Michael Akrofi/Peace FM News Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video One of the fastest rising political volunteer groups in the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), known as "Bawumia Must Win" -BMW says the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is a threat to the opposition National Democratic Congress, hence the reason why the NDC are always planting him black to the public. According to the group, the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia through the digitalization process has done a lot to make living for every Ghanaian very easy, which the NDC is not happy with it since he is standing tall among the other candidates that can lead the party to win the 2024 General elections. The Group President, Gyasi Baako said this during the launching of the BMW to throw their support behind Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, as the flagbearer-hopeful of the party. The launch of the Bawumia Must Win campaign was held at the GNAT Hall in Accra, on the theme, Making history with Dr. Bawumia as the next president of Ghana. Speaking at the well-attended event, graced by some bigwigs in the party, the President of BMW said their research across the board clearly shows that Dr. Bawumia over the years has demonstrated great competencies and exceptional leadership quality in leveraging technology to improve and correct the structural deficiencies of the traditional economy, and he is the best choice for NPP for the next general elections. According to him, Bawumia is a competent, humble, diligent, affable, and hardworking personality who has the wherewithal to break the 8-year political jinx successive governments have had to succumb to in the past, therefore urged the party delegates to get him eligible to become the party flag bearer. Outlining some of Bawumia's achievements, he said "Today, through Dr. Bawumia's handiwork, clearing agents, freight f forwarders, and the public can clear their goods at the ports without devoid of paper printing". "Today, you can sit in the comfort of your home or office, and file tax returns. This has been made possible by the digitalized man - Dr. Bawumia. Today, by the click of a button on one's phone, payments for all government services devoid of queues or human interfaces are easily and swiftly provided". He continues that "Today you don't struggle to locate people all you need to do is input the person's digital address. Today we have a unified system of identification for every Ghanaian. Today we can easily deliver medications to our family members who are difficult to be reached by road. In a few days to come all passengers flying both in and out of our airports will save themselves time and the frustrations of completing both departure and landing cards". He added that this and many more, are the reasons they have gathered here, to appeal to delegates and the general public to massively endorse the candidature of the Vice President to become the Flagbearer of the NPP and ultimately the next President of the Republic. He explained that 'In line with this, the National Leadership of BMW shall harness one of its great potentials - which is COMMUNICATION BMW shall use all available communication channels traditional and social media to project, protect and defend the brand Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, and reach out to as many delegates as possible before the Presidential primaries". "While we do not doubt in our mind that Dr. Bawumia will win the presidential primaries, we are determined to help the National Campaign team to achieve a percentage not less than 85, to send a strong message to all aspirants and the opposition National Democratic Congress" he added. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Chief Executive Officer of Globe Productions, Mr Latif Abubakar has urged stakeholders in Ghana's theater industry to commit more resources to the industry. The playwright is of the view that beyond using drama as a means of social education and change, it would also serve as a means of revenue generation and foreign exchange if given the right push. He said, stakeholders including the government and private sector must endeavour to commit technical and financial resources to spur the industry to international heights. In an interview to commemorate this year's World Theater Day celebration, Mr Abubakar said, the government through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts must create an avenue and provide resources that would help industry players take Ghana's theater international. He however added that theater practitioners must equally put in their best to compliment the effort of government and the private sector to place the industry on the world stage. "It will take quality productions with the needed financial resources, and the right policies to make an impact on the word stage," he said. "It is for this reason that we need all stakeholders on board," he added. Technical/Financial support As Ghana joins the rest of the world to celebrate this year's World Theater Day, on the theme Theatre and a Culture of Peace, Mr Abubakar is of the view that theater industry is abound with extraordinary talents who lack the necessary technical and financial support. "I dare say we have more that what it takes to put the industry on the world stage. What we are left with is the support to do so," the playwright said. The playwright who has partnered with some international organizations including the Spanish Embassy, Star-Ghana, UK Aid, DANIDA and the European Union says the time is right again to take the theater industry beyond the shores of Ghana. He is of the view that the Ghanaian theater had yet again become very attractive in recent times, hence the need to "show the world what we have to offer." Mr Abubakar who revealed his intention of taking Ghana's theater industry international said, he believes storytelling and theatre could be used to achieve the needed foreign exchange if it makes it to the world stage. "We, at Globe Productions, have what it takes to put the industry on the world stage, and we are determined to make this happen," he stressed on. After recently partnering the Spanish Embassy to stage an adaptation of Miguel's Delibes' Five Hours with Mario, the Globe CEO is currently working on a piece titled "The Second Coming of Nkrumah." The play is expected to go on a world tour in some selected countries including the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Spain, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Egypt and Morocco. Having gained some international recognition via an interview on BBC World Service on the topic: Resurgence of Theatre in Africa, the celebrated playwright is credited with staging the world's first live virtual plays on COVID-19 with a record of 3.5million views across various social media platforms. Globe Productions As a theatre company focused on theatre for development, Globe Productions has to its credit 16 plays that have been performed 76 times across the country to an audience base of about 40,000. The strategic vision of implementing the tri-annual plays has currently made Globe the fastest-growing theatre company in Ghana with the widest coverage. Plays Some written and produced works by Mr Abubakar include I can't think far; a non-violence campaign towards the 2016 election which was sponsored by Star-Ghana, UK Aid, DANIDA and the European Union. Also, Saint and Sinners which focused on galamsey and was sponsored by WaterAid Ghana and the Media Coalition Against Galamsey. Another work that made a social impact was Men don die, a road safety campaign sponsored by the National Road Safety Commission. World Theater Day World Theatre Day (WTD), initiated by the International Theatre Institute (ITI) in 1961, has been celebrated since 1962 as an annual global celebration that fosters the values of theatre as an art form. The day is also set aside to commemorate the art form theatre, which is celebrated by ITI centres, cooperating members, theatre professionals, universities, organisations and enthusiasts. It is a day on which theatre practitioners call to action the government, politicians, as well as institutions and individuals, to realise the potential of theatre to improve every aspect of life. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Zelenskyy invites Austrian MPs to visit Ukraine, see what Russia 'brings to Ukraine and the world' President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has invited the president of the National Council of Austria and other representatives of the Austrian parliament to visit Ukraine. "I invite you, Mr. President of the National Council, and other honorable representatives of the Austrian Parliament to visit our country as well, talk with our people and see with your own eyes, in the de-occupied territory or in the frontline areas, what Russia is like today, what it brings to Ukraine and the world," the Ukrainian president said on Thursday in a video address to the Austrian parliament. He also said he was glad to have productive meetings with the Federal Chancellor and the Federal President of Austria. According to Zelenskyy, "when we appeal for support for Ukraine, we appeal to save lives. [] We seek safety, peace, freedom, happiness for our children in our Ukrainian home." He recalled the Peace Formula proposed by Ukraine, and said that Russia responded with "another batch of lies, denial, another manifestation of evil." "I am grateful to you, Austria, for the fact that your response was even greater support for the Ukrainian people, our state, and international law," Zelenskyy said. "Understand how important each voice in support of international law and Ukraine is when relevant issues are brought up for consideration by the UN General Assembly, the European Parliament or other international platforms. Every voice in support of sanctions and other global steps that deprive Russia of the opportunity to increase its aggression," he said. According to the Ukrainian president, "supporting our people now means understanding how important it is not to remain morally neutral towards evil. This is not about geopolitics, not about military-political issues." "I am especially grateful to every Austrian who took part in the "Neighbor in Need" campaign - Nachbar in Not - we appreciate it very much. I thank you for your help in protecting our energy industry from Russian terrorist missile strikes," he said. US Vice-President Kamala Harris has shared a playlist of 25 songs by African musicians that she listening to during her current trip to the continent. The playlist, titled My Travels: Ghana, Tanzania, and Zambia, is live on Spotify and is dominated by Tanzanian musicians. Tanzania is the vice president's next stop before she heads to Zambia. The diplomatic tour will end on 2 April. "A playlist to amplify the artists and sounds from my travels across Ghana, Tanzania, and Zambia," she described it. Some of the featured Tanzanian artistes include Zuchu, Alikiba, Jay Melody, Mbosso, Jux, Darassa, Marioo and Platform. A collaboration between Kenya's Bien Aime Baraza of Sauti Sol and Tanzanian artiste Darassa is also on the list. Ms Harris arrived in Ghana on Sunday and will visit Tanzania on Wednesday. She met some Ghanaian artistes on Monday and expressed her intention to promote African artistes in international markets to help them reach a wider audience. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video LOCK HAVEN A former Lock Haven University student has been found guilty of sexually assaulting an 18-year-old female at a party hosted by an unrecognized fraternity. Bail was revoked for Devon Jarrett Bushor, 22, of Hughesville, after a Clinton County jury Monday night found him guilty of charges of sexual and indecent assault. He was acquitted of rape, aggravated indecent and another indecent assault charge. WILLIAMSPORT The mother of one of the two teenagers accused of attempted homicide in a Williamsport shooting has been charged with perjury for allegedly lying as to her sons whereabouts the day of the incident. Lakeisha N. White, 46, of Pennsauken, New Jersey, was arraigned Tuesday following her sons preliminary hearing and then released on $50,000 unsecured bail. She is accused of lying when she testified under oath in a Jan. 26 juvenile court proceeding in Lycoming County court about her son Keyon Anthony White, who turns 17 on Thursday. The teen and Nazier Jihad Thrower, 17, of Williamsport, are charged as adults with attempted homicide and related counts from the Sept. 12 shooting that occurred about 3 a.m. in the citys west end. At the juvenile court hearing when asked if her son was in Williamsport the day of the shooting, she replied: No he wasnt. He was enrolled in school. She also testified she not aware of him traveling from New Jersey to Williamsport without her, the charge states. City police Agent Benjamin Hitesman testified at the teens preliminary hearing that a check with Pennsauken school officials revealed he was not in school Sept. 12 or 13 and that his mother had withdrawn him from high school there. No one was injured in the shooting but a juvenile who was on his phone walking about his second-floor bedroom told police he ducked for cover when he saw flashes and heard the shots. Bullets penetrated the walls of both sides of the occupied double house in the 2400 block of Lila Lane, according to the preliminary hearing testimony. There was no testimony on a possible motive for the shooting. It appears in one of several surveillance videos police obtained that White had a firearm protruding from a pocket, Hitesman said. Juvenile probation officer Ty Kanouff said he recognized White from the videos that showed two males going to and leaving the area of the shooting. Thrower was tracked to and from the area through the GPS monitor he was wearing because he was under juvenile supervision, the officer said. District Judge Christian D. Frey deferred his decision on the attempted homicide and aggravated assault charges against White. He held him for court on counts of recklessly endangering another person, discharging a firearm into an occupied structure and illegal possession of a firearm because of his age. Defense attorney Edward Foster argued the evidence presented did not support an attempted homicide charge. It is clear from what occurred [that] there was intent to kill the juvenile in the bedroom, Assistant District Attorney Taylor J. Buechler claimed. Thrower waived his preliminary hearing. His charges are the same as Whites except for the firearm count. Both teens are jailed without bail because of the attempted homicide charges. More: A year after central Pa. police officers killing, widow finds peace in forgiveness, nonprofit work Pa. judge dismisses murder charge against mom in death of her premature daughter A western Pennsylvania man has been sentenced to six and a half years in prison for taking millions in COVID-19 relief funds, according to reports from KDKA, TribLive and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Randy Fransinelli, 66, of Scott Twp., Allegheny County, pled guilty last year to bank fraud and money laundering, after stealing more than $3.8 million from the Paycheck Protection Program. He had been indicted in 2021 by IRS and FBI agents for filing fraudulent PPP loans to help nonexistent businesses. Officials said he used the money to buy cars, art, guns, and even a Mexican villa. While he was out on bond for the initial charges, officials said Fransinelli applied for another fake loan worth over $500,000. In addition, during the sentencing phase, the U.S. Attorneys Office said Fransinelli had forged 13 out of 14 letters from businessmen and politicians praising him and his character. In addition to the prison sentence, the judge also sentenced Fransinelli to five years of supervised release. Im a very flawed man with a good soul, Fransinelli said to the court, according to TribLive. My recent actions were not to, in any way, diminish the court or mislead anyone. But Judge W. Scott Hardy said that the fake letters eroded the courts faith in him. The court lost a sense of trust in you by submitting those letters to me, Hardy told Fransinelli. I take those letters very seriously because they give me a window into who you are. An eviction in Philadelphia turned violent on Wednesday morning, when a deputy landlord-tenant officer shot a woman in the head, according to multiple media reports. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, police reported a shooting at the Girard Court Apartments in the Sharswood neighborhood shortly after 9 a.m. A private contractor had arrived in plain clothes earlier to serve a court-ordered eviction of the woman and her husband, and police said the eviction escalated into an armed struggle with a knife. According to police, the contractor shot the 35-year-old woman in the head during the struggle, and the woman was taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in critical condition. It was not clear if the woman was holding the knife. The deputy was also reported to have a head injury, though the severity was unclear. The contractor in question is referred to as a landlord-tenant officer, but is not a member of law enforcement. Instead, the position is deputized by a private law firm operated by attorney Maria Shuter, whose firm was appointed by the courts to serve writs of eviction. NBC 10 reports that a landlord-tenant officer is not a servant of Philadelphias municipal court, and is paid by the landlord for carrying out evictions. According to WHYY, Shuters firm has been targeted for scrutiny by several legal experts and housing advocates. Shuters husband, Philadelphias Municipal Courts judge David Shuter, has in the past presided over eviction cases, which critics believe might have led to profits for his wifes law firm. According to sources that spoke with PennLive, the Philadelphias Municipal Court handled 81,572 eviction cases over a four-year period between 2017-2020, of which 19 were handled by Judge Shuter. Seven of those 19 cases resulted in evictions. The Inquirer reports that court records show that the landlord and tenants came to an agreement over an alleged $8,000 in unpaid rent. In that agreement, no money would be owed, and the landlord would make necessary repairs, but the tenants would move out in January. The tenants sought to postpone their eviction in October, according to the Inquirer, claiming the landlord had failed to make the promised repairs. A judge denied their petition in February. In an interview with NBC 10, the womans husband, Gabriel Plummer, said that the officer was attempting to force his way into the apartment, while they attempted to keep him out. In the interview, Plummer said, were pushing it closed. Because youre not coming in here. We dont know whats going on. In Pennsylvania, employees like landlord-tenant officers are allowed to carry guns while they are enforcing court orders, provided they have proper certification. Neither the identities of the landlord-tenant officers nor their hiring or training guidelines are available to the public. According to the Inquirer, Shuter has said her office employs roughly eight contracted deputies, each of whom is licensed to carry firearms, provide their own weapons, and hold court-issued identity cards. Most of the officers are retired police, constables, or private security. The Inquirer reported that the legal aid group Community Legal Services said the combination of low-income tenants, expensive housing markets, and a privately-run eviction process was bound to become volatile. A similar statement was given by Karen Harvey, director of the Philadelphia Rent Control Coalition. The shooting today of a Philadelphia Tenant by an LT Officer serving an immediate eviction notice can only be described as a tragedy, Harvey said, according to NBC10. Many of this citys most vulnerable tenants; single parent headed households, people of color and the working poor, who on a daily basis face a similar fate as that of todays victim. The shooting is still under investigation by Philadelphia police. This story has been updated to correct that Shuters law firm was appointed by the president judge of the Philadelphia Municipal court, not contracted by the city of Philadelphia, as well as correct the professional interactions between her and Judge Shuter. By SHARON JOHNSON, The Associated Press FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (AP) Nine people were killed in a crash involving two Army Black Hawk helicopters conducting a nighttime training exercise in Kentucky, a military spokesperson said. Nondice Thurman, a spokesperson for Fort Campbell, said Thursday morning that the deaths happened the previous night in southwestern Kentucky during a routine training mission. A statement from Fort Campbell says the two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, part of the 101st Airborne Division, crashed around 10 p.m. Wednesday in Trigg County, Kentucky. The 101st Airborne confirmed the crash about 30 miles northwest of Fort Campbell. The crash is under investigation. The helicopters landed in a field near a residential area with no injuries on the ground, Brig. Gen. John Lubas, the 101st Airborne deputy commander, said. One helicopter had five people aboard and the other had four, Lubas said. Speaking a news conference Thursday morning, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said the state would do everything they can to support the families of those killed. Were going to do what we always do, were going to wrap our arms around these families, were going to be with them for the weeks and days to come, Beshear said. Fort Campbell is located near the Tennessee border, about 60 miles northwest of Nashville, and the crash occurred in the Trigg County, Kentucky, community of Cadiz. Nick Tomaszewski, who lives about a mile from where the crash occurred, said he saw two helicopters flying over his house moments before the crash. For whatever reason last night my wife and I were sitting there looking out on the back deck and I said Wow, those two helicopters look low and they look kind of close to one another tonight, he said. The helicopters flew over and looped back around and moments later we saw what looked like a firework went off in the sky. All of the lights in their helicopter went out. It was like they just poofed ... and then we saw a huge glow like a fireball, Tomaszewski said. Flyovers for training exercises happen almost daily and the helicopters typically fly low but not so close together, he said. There were two back to back. We typically see one and then see another one a few minutes later, and we just saw two of them flying together last night, he said. Members of the Kentucky Senate stood for a moment of silence Thursday morning in honor of the crash victims. More: Fake Pa. school shooter calls spurred real reactions, investigations 7 victims of Pa. chocolate factory explosion identified The calls were hoaxes but the effects were real. Police and parents converged on dozens of schools Wednesday across Pennsylvania and elsewhere responding to fake calls of active school shooters. The spoofs which may have been computer-generated reached school districts in Allentown, Catasauqua, Lehighton, Nazareth and Phillipsburg. Similar calls also were recently reported in Massachusetts, the Kansas City area and Utah. In all Pa. cases, schools were quickly cleared of any actual threats. At this point, its impossible to know why someone would call in the fake school shootings. Maybe they were looking to create a panic in the wake of this weeks real mass shooting at a Nashville school, or perhaps it was for media attention, said Joseph Walsh, a criminal justice professor at DeSales University. In case theyre reading this, then, here is something else Walsh said: Theyre not as anonymous as they think they are. The professor is a police veteran and expert in digital forensics who has investigated swatting incidents, when someone makes a fake report to cause a large police response usually against a specific person. Wednesdays rash of hoaxes was broader, more random, but similar and hazardous enough. Warren County Prosecutor Jim Pfeiffer described a madhouse as anxious and panicked parents headed to Phillipsburg High School. Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Nate Branosky spoke of a mass exodus of troopers, some at their desks, rushing to Catasauqua Area High School fearing that they were facing a potential copycat of the Nashville shooting. Walsh said there is a surge of adrenaline when responding to such calls as officers run through potentially deadly scenarios in their minds. And the resulting hazards and effects are numerous, from emergency vehicles speeding to the scene, to trials delayed when officers scheduled to testify duck out of court for what they believe to be a high-priority call. And, of course, theres the anguish. In Phillipsburg, Superintendent Greg Troxell sent a statement to parents thanking them for their patience and understanding. Although this turned out to be a hoax, he wrote, in the moment, we recognize your fear and anxiety and apologize that you had to experience this entire ordeal. He separately commended faculty and staff for handling their own emotions while trying to help students with theirs. UPDATE ON INCIDENT AT PHS At approximately 8:04 am this morning, an individual called Warren County dispatch stating... Posted by Superintendent of Schools, Phillipsburg School District on Wednesday, March 29, 2023 Branosky also spoke of the students. Its just terrible. What this does to kids, I cant imagine. The strain extends to the 911 dispatchers who handle the calls. Were still wound up from this morning, said Warren County Public Safety Director Frank Wheatley, describing the mood early Wednesday afternoon in the countys 911 center. He called the team the first of the first responders. They deal with incoming calls sometimes from frightened parents and outgoing dispatches before anything is known. For some in the dispatch, there may be an unexpected personal connection to any given emergency. In the most serious circumstances, dispatchers are debriefed and counselors are brought in. Even if it wasnt on the heels of a deadly mass shooting, we have to treat everything and do our very best to get all first responders and assets to that thing as quickly as possible because if it is the real thing we need to be there to render aid, Wheatley said. Whoever was behind this, they dont believe in the ramifications, what could possibly happen when you put all this in motion. With the local schools cleared of threats, the next job will be tracing the source of the calls. Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin said the initial investigation indicates the calls came from outside Pennsylvania, but declined to elaborate further. The FBI office in Philadelphia said it is aware of the numerous swatting incidents. Walsh, at DeSales, said investigators will attempt to cut through online services that mask phone numbers and call locations by going to service providers and requesting data on the calls. Its a process that can take weeks or months. If the caller is in the U.S. or a country that will extradite, they could face state or federal charges. Its a lot of work. Its not always easy, but sometimes the good guys get to win and get to catch people who are doing this type of thing, Walsh said. In the meantime, everyone else is left to decompress after fearing the worst. Theres absolutely real effects. Theres profound psychological effects, Wheatley said. Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. ROME Pope Francis tweeted his thanks to well-wishers on Thursday, his first message on Twitter since entering a hospital for treatment of a respiratory infection. I am touched by the many messages received in these hours and I express my gratitude for the closeness and prayer, the Pope said in his message. A statement from the Vatican on Thursday said the pontiffs health was progressively improving and he is working from the hospital, the Catholic News Agency reported. Related Stories: His Holiness Pope Francis rested well during the night. The clinical picture is progressively improving, and the planned treatments continue. This morning after breakfast, he read some newspapers and went back to work, Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni said in the statement. Before lunch he went to the little chapel of the private apartment, where he gathered in prayer and received the Eucharist. The Pope, 86, was taken to a hospital in Rome after complaining of some breathing issues. In recent days Pope Francis complained of some respiratory difficulties and this afternoon he went to Policlinico A. Gemelli for some medical checks, Bruni said in the statement Wednesday. Tests showed he did not have COVID-19. The outcome of the same showed a respiratory infection that will require a few days of appropriate hospital medical therapy, Bruni said. It is unclear when the pope might be discharged from hospital and whether he will be able to fulfill duties during Holy Week, The Guardian reported. He presently is scheduled to preside over a Mass in St. Peters Square on April 2 for Palm Sunday and to give the usual Sunday Angelus address, the Catholic News Agency said. Russias top security agency has arrested an American reporter for the Wall Street Journal on espionage charges, the first time a U.S. correspondent was put behind bars on spying accusations since the Cold War. The Federal Security Service said Thursday that Evan Gershkovich was detained in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg while allegedly trying to obtain classified information. The Wall Street Journal said in a statement that it is deeply concerned for Gershkovichs safety. The arrest comes amid bitter tensions between Moscow and Washington over the fighting in Ukraine. Gershkovich is the first American reporter to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since September 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, a Moscow correspondent for U.S. News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB. He was released without charges 20 days later in a swap for an employee of the Soviet Unions United Nations mission who had been arrested by the FBI. The building of the Federal Security Service (FSB, Soviet KGB successor) in Lubyanskaya Square in Moscow, Russia. (AP Photo, 2017)AP The FSB, which is the top successor agency to the Soviet-era KGB, alleged that Gershkovich was acting on the U.S. orders to collect information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military industrial complex that constitutes a state secret. The agency didnt say when the arrest took place. Gershkovich could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of espionage. Gershkovich covers Russia, Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations as a correspondent in the Wall Street Journals Moscow bureau. The FSB noted that he had accreditation from the Russian Foreign Ministry to work as a journalist, but Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Gershkovich was using his journalistic credentials as a cover for activities that have nothing to do with journalism. His last report from Moscow, published earlier this week, focused on the Russian economys slowdown amid Western sanctions imposed when Russian troops entered Ukraine last year. Gershkovichs arrest follows a swap in December, in which WNBA star Brittney Griner was freed after 10 months behind bars in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Another American, Paul Whelan, a Michigan corporate security executive, has been imprisoned in Russia since December 2018 on espionage charges that his family and the U.S. government have said are baseless. By Robert Moran, The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS) PHILADELPHIA The Berks County coroners office on Wednesday released the names of the remaining victims of the explosion at the R.M. Palmer chocolate factory in West Reading that killed seven people. The remaining five were identified as: Xiorky D. Nunez, 30, of Reading; Susan H. Halvonik, 63, of Upper Providence Township; Michael D. Breedy, 62, of Marion Township; Diana M. Cedeno, 44, of Reading; and Judith Lopez-Moran, 55, of Reading. On Monday, the coroners office identified Amy S. Sandoe, 49, of Ephrata, and Domingo Cruz, 60, of Reading, as the two other people killed on Friday in the massive blast at the Berks County factory. Ten people were hospitalized and several nearby buildings were damaged. The coroners office said forensic medical examinations are continuing to determine the cause and manner of death for all the victims. The National Transportation Safety Board announced late Tuesday afternoon that it had launched a probe, calling the incident a natural gas explosion and fire. The agency has preliminary information from local authorities and a natural gas utility that a gas pipeline was involved, an agency spokesperson, Keith Holloway, told the Associated Press. The NTSB is investigating what caused, how and why the explosion occurred, Holloway told the wire service. Other local, state, and federal investigations are ongoing. Emergency personnel work at the site of a deadly explosion at the R.F. Palmer Co. chocolate factory in West Reading on March 25, 2023. Vicki Vellios Briner | Special to PennLiveVicki Vellios Briner | Special to PennLive Some workers told relatives they smelled natural gas before the blast, although the gas utility UGI said it received no reports of a gas leak. UGI is cooperating with authorities in the investigation concerning the incident at R.M. Palmer, utility spokesperson Joe Swope told the Associated Press. ABC News on Wednesday reported that a woman who lives next to the factory filed a lawsuit against the company, accusing R.M. Palmer of negligence that led to the fatal explosion. Betty Wright claimed she was home at the time of the explosion and was lifted from her feet and blown across the room causing severe and permanent injuries, according to the lawsuit. Wright is asking for damages in excess of $50,000, according to the suit. The company could not be reached Wednesday evening for comment on the lawsuit. On Saturday, R.M. Palmer said in a statement posted on social media that the companys owners have always viewed our employees as family, and are focused now more than ever on providing any support we can to you and the families of employees directly affected by this tragedy. As of Tuesday, the Berks County Community Foundation said it had raised nearly $330,000 for a disaster recovery fund to provide assistance to families of the victims and for other related needs. Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko says a complaint was filed with the police on the fact of obstructing the work of the Commission for the Acceptance and Transfer of State Property of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, and that on March 31 the Commission will continue its work in any case. "We must state that due to physical obstacles on the part of the UOC (MP), the Commission for the Acceptance and Transfer of State Property of the National Reserve Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra was unable to start work today," Tkachenko said in the Telegram channel. According to him, representatives of the monastery from the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, who are members of the Commission, could not explain who had the keys to the building, the inspection of which was planned, and numerous unknown people prevented members of the Commission from getting inside the building. "On the fact of obstructing the work of the Commission, a complaint was filed with the police. The brutal behavior of the representatives of the UOC (MP) towards the representatives of the Commission deeply debates with their calls to God. Tomorrow the Commission will continue its work in any case," the minister said. As reported, on March 10, it became known that Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve is terminating the lease agreement with the Holy Assumption Monastery of the UOC (MP) from March 29, 2023. The Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee held a hearing Wednesday on bills that would allow for constitutional amendments opening a statute of limitations window for child sex abuse claims one step in what is likely to result in a partisan impasse between the House and state Senate. Theres no more single effective measure to protect todays society than to allow window legislation, Mike McDonnell, an abuse survivor who is now the communications director for the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, told the committee Wednesday. The possibility of justice will embolden more survivors to come forward, advocates told the committee, and they need a good law in place to be able to hold their abusers accountable and name them publicly, McDonnell said. Wednesdays hearing was advertised as addressing both House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 1, both of which would, if passed, place a constitutional amendment before voters on the next eligible ballot. That referendum would allow voters to enact a two-year window to bring civil suits involving childhood sexual abuse that would otherwise be outside the normal statue of limitations, a measure driven in part by the abuse scandal in the Catholic church that has unfolded over the last two decades. Both bills were re-committed to the Judiciary committee for the purpose of the hearing, which is required to be held under the new procedural rules passed by House Democrats earlier this year. Judiciary Chairman Tim Briggs, D-Montgomery, said Wednesday he is awaiting a determination from the House Parliamentarian as to whether the committee will need to vote at its next meeting to return the bills to the full House for final passage. Despite having been introduced in Harrisburg repeatedly for years, window legislation for child sex abuse has previously been stymied, either by political brinksmanship or, in 2020, a publication error by the Pennsylvania Department of State. Politically, what is not in the current bills is also crucial. SB1 was originally passed by the Republican majority in the Senate with two further constitutional amendment referenda one that would give the legislature power to kill regulations without the governors approval and another that would enact stricter voter identification requirements. Democrats voiced concerns that the provisions would open the door to Republicans killing environmental policies and enacting restrictive voting laws; further, the new House rules set requires sole-subject bills for constitutional amendments. The House Judiciarys Democratic majority promptly voted to strip the two Republican-favored provisions out of SB1 during a meeting March 1, leaving the bill identical to HB1, the statute of limitations bill introduced in the House by Rep. Mark Rozzi, D-Berks. Rozzi, the former Pa. House Speaker, has been open about his own childhood abuse by a Catholic priest. Republicans during the March 1 meeting predicted the move to gut the other two measures from SB1 would leave the matter dead on arrival when it returned to their Senate colleagues. The House previously sent identical language to that contained in HB1 and SB1 to the Senate during the special session on sexual abuse limitations in February, but the Senate has not acted on those bills. Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, R-Indiana, said last month the Senate has fulfilled and completed our commitment to address the issue of statute of limitations for child sex abuse victims by passing the multi-amendment bill in January. The arcane political wrangling has not been kind to victims, who are told to stand around and wait while the debates occur over the unrelated constitutional amendments, Marci Hamilton, founder of the child protection advocacy group Child USA, told the Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. Some Republicans also have voiced objections to the window legislation on its face. Rep. Paul Schemel, R-Franklin the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee in the absence of Minority Chair Rob Kauffman, R-Franklin acknowledged Wednesday that Ive been a vocal opponent of the statute of limitations window. While this might seem a very repugnant position to take for some, Schemel said, the purpose of a statute of limitations is to protect justice on the part of the defendant by ensuring cases are brought in a timely manner while proper evidence is still available. Schemel also voiced concerns that civil suits would not necessarily cause instances of abuse to be brought to light, and what actually happens in most cases is these cases are aggregated into large class-action suits that are settled out of court with very little admission on the part of the defendant. Wednesdays hearing panelists broadly rejected those arguments, given that coming forward about childhood sexual abuse is different than disclosing victimhood in any other crime, said Katie Shipp, managing partner for Marsh Law Firm, which works exclusively on sexual abuse cases. The power imbalance involved, and the age of the victim, means that most are not able to come to terms and fully process what happened until decades later. The average age of disclose is 50, Shipp said, making the existing statute of limitations an arbitrary legal timeline that does not comport with the unique nature of the crime. Further, the opportunity to make a claim in court provides an outlet for victims to address their abusers without fear of a defamation suit, Hamilton said. I can tell you what happens to the victim who comes forward they get sued for defamation, Hamilton said, with perpetrators aiming to swamp their accusers in legal fees, even if the allegations are true. If the other side can use the defamation laws against you, it basically shuts you back up, Hamilton said. What the windows do is create a safe space to tell your story. A 2018 grand jury report by then-Attorney General Josh Shapiro detailed over 1,000 cases of abuse by 300 Catholic priests in Pennsylvania, with the church often moving priests in order to conceal the problem; a 2004 investigation of the Catholic church by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, commissioned by Catholic clergy, estimated that 4% of priests active between 1950 and 2002 nationwide engaged in abuse. McDonnell cited certain Catholic dioceses where the prevalence was 10% or more, as well as his own experience in Philadelphia where he said the acts of known pedophiles were labeled ministerial misconduct by the churchs internal investigations. One of the men McDonnell said abused him, Francis Trauger, was convicted of acts falling within the criminal statute of limitations and sentenced to prison time. Even though some victims have obtained closure under current law, a limitations window will do exactly what its designed to do to expose the predator, to allow the victim some level of justice, and more importantly have their story validated, McDonnell said. Further, Hamilton noted, the limitations window would not just apply to victims of Catholic priests other states that have enacted such windows have seen large claims against others, particularly doctors who were serial abusers of patients. Only one speaker at Wednesdays hearing provided information that would support opposition to the limitations window - Charles Greenawalt of the Susquehanna Valley Center for Public Policy, a conservative think tank that published a paper asserting the window would probably result in a large number of claims being filed against Pennsylvania school districts for abuse by teachers. The paper by Greenawalts organization argues that the window could result in thousands of claims worth billions of dollars against school districts, numbers that Child USA described as an egregious misuse of data and which Marc Stier of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, a liberal-leaning think tank, said Wednesday were implausibly high. Stier noted one of the core estimates in the Susquehanna paper appears to assume that the rate of abuse among public school teachers is identical to the rate of abuse among Catholic priests - despite priests being entirely male and teachers being three-quarters female, with women statistically less likely to be sex offenders. Asked about the methodology on Wednesday, Greenawalt stated he was not the actual author of the paper and would need to get back to the committee. Greenawalt was invited to testify by Republican membership, Briggs said. In addition to the bills for which the hearing was held Wednesday, the House also has passed House Bill 2, which would create a two-year window for childhood sexual abuse victims by simple statute; some critics have objected that this is unconstitutional, hence the bills to create amendment referenda as well. The goal is to send [the Senate] multiple options in hopes that Republican leadership bites on one, Briggs said Wednesday. More: Making education in Pa. look different focus of Senate budget hearing Child Victims Act to move to Md. House floor: It has taken a long time, so lets not wait any longer By Dr. Edward P. Balaban The president of the Pennsylvania Medical Society was recently interviewed for the article In Pa., nurse practitioners must work under doctors. But is it what patients want? While it spoke at length about the recently introduced Senate Bill 25, legislation that would allow nurse practitioners to practice independently from physicians, my colleague, Dr. Wilson Jackson, was quoted minimally. As one of the leaders of the Pennsylvania Medical Society, I want to be clear about our concerns as they relate to this legislation and the independent practice of nurse practitioners. Specifically, what it would mean for Pennsylvania patients. What we see and what large well-constructed studies have shown, is that patient care is most effective when delivered through health care teams, a cadre of non-physician roles with physician oversight. The collaborative agreement is the most effective way to ensure a safety net for patients to receive the highest level of care in Pennsylvania, from all levels of health care providers. In the article, the Commonwealth Foundation quotes a recent study saying, Overall, the evidence suggests that [nurse practitioners] provide safe care at the same level as physicians. Of course, physicians can offer a more extensive range of services. This phrase is contradictory because on one hand it states that nurse practitioners can offer the same level of care, but recognizes the reality that physicians, because of much more intense training, have an elevated level of knowledge for patient care. Access to care in rural areas continues to be a focus of proponents of nurse practitioners independently practicing without a collaborative agreement. As it stands now, there is nothing stopping nurse practitioners from opening their own practice. However, the experience of other states that passed legislation to allow the independent practice of nurse practitioners has demonstrated that it is no solution. In those states, access to care issues in rural and underserved areas persist. In fact, the American Medical Association mapped the locations of primary care physician and nurse practitioners in 2013, 2018 and 2020; the results show physicians and nurse practitioners tend to practice in the same areas of the state, regardless of the states scope of practice laws. The real question is, why arent nurse practitioners going to those rural areas? Experience and data suggest that the relationship between physicians and nurse practitioners is one of several issues requiring focus to successfully answer that question. One thing is for certain, Pennsylvania physicians will not stop fighting for quality patient care in Pennsylvania. Dr. Edward P. Balaban is board chair of the Pennsylvania Medical Society. A seemingly relentless series of severe storms, likely with deadly tornadoes, are forecast to rip across parts of Americas Midwest and South over the next couple weeks, especially Friday, meteorologists said. An unusual weather pattern has set in, last week triggering the devastating tornado that hit Rolling Fork, Mississippi, and meteorologists fear this Friday will be one of the worst days, with much more to come. The National Weather Service said 16.8 million people live in the highest risk zone, and more than 66 million people overall should be on alert Friday. Its pretty darn clear that somebody is going to take it on the nose on Friday, said Northern Illinois meteorology professor and tornado expert and chaser Victor Gensini. Its just a matter of where and exactly when. The weather service is cautioning a large area of the country including parts of Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, West Virginia, Georgia and Kansas to be alert for intense thunderstorms, tornadoes and other damaging winds. Big cities in the highest danger area include Memphis, St. Louis, Des Moines and Little Rock. Gensini fears Fridays onslaught will be deadly. The storms are expected to start Friday afternoon and go overnight, which is particularly dangerous because people cant see them coming and often wont seek shelter, weather service Storm Prediction Center warning coordination meteorologist Matt Elliott said Wednesday. The storms will be moving very quickly, Elliott said. So you wont have a lot of time to react to warnings as well. So nows the time to start preparing. Though all the ingredients are there for dangerous storms, its possible they may not combine precisely enough to pose the threat that meteorologists are warning about, Elliott and others said. FILE - Debris covers the ground in the aftermath of a tornado in Tuscaloosa, Ala., May 7, 2011. Meteorologists are warning of a series of severe storms that could rip across Americas Midwest and South over the next couple of weeks. One weather expert said the current persistent pattern of storm ingredients is consistent with the April 2011 tornado onslaught, one of the largest, deadliest and most destructive tornado outbreaks in American history. (AP Photo/Dave Martin, File)AP Another batch of severe storms, powered by a firehose of unstable waves in the atmosphere that keep flowing from the cold west and combine with moist air from the east, could hit next Tuesday and the next few days after that, said Walker Ashley, another meteorology professor at Northern Illinois and Gensinis storm-chasing partner. You could see these things coming days in advance, Ashley said. They will be continual punches, one, two, three, four. The weather service is already forecasting another batch of intense storms next Tuesday in the same general area as Friday with fairly high confidence, Elliott said. At least the first 10 days of April will be rough, said Accuweather meteorologist Brandon Buckingham. The current persistent pattern of storm ingredients reminds Gensini of the April 2011 tornado onslaught that killed 363 people in six states, hitting Alabama hardest. That was one of the largest, deadliest and most destructive tornado outbreaks in American history, the weather service said. Even before Friday, its been the most active weve seen in several years' starting around last November, with a large number of winter storms through this year, Elliott said. The deadly storms that hit Rolling Fork were part of that pattern. Buckingham and the other meteorologists said current conditions come along only once every few years to create the potential for a train of supercells, which spawn the worst of the tornadoes and damaging hail. FILE - A man, top center, salvages a jacket as he looks over a tornado damaged home, March 26, 2023, in Rolling Fork, Miss. An unusual weather pattern has set in, triggering the devastating tornado that hit Rolling Fork, and meteorologists fear this Friday, March 31, will be one of the worst days, with much more to come. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)AP Central to this is a fast-moving rollercoaster-like jet stream, the shifting river of air that moves weather systems, such as storms, from west to east. On the west side of the jet stream is extreme cold air and to the east, parked off Florida and Caribbean, is a very warm and dry high-pressure system. When you kind of combine the two it kind makes those hairs on the back of your neck stand up, Buckingham said. The ingredients are here. Theyre primed towards the extreme end of things. Add to that the Gulf of Mexico, which provides moisture heat and energy for storms, is roughly 2 to 5 degrees (1 to 1.5 degrees Celsius) warmer than average or more, meteorologists said on fire, as Ashley put it. The additional warmth and humidity really get these thunderstorms firing up, Buckingham said. The worst weather will be underneath the clashing' of hot and cold air, a battleground of sort, Gensini said. Fridays lunchtime forecast at Storm Lake, Iowa, is around 67 degrees but just 140 miles to the northwest, Brookings, South Dakota is forecast to be barely above freezing. The greater the temperature gradient, the stronger the storm systems are, Gensini said. The winds twirling at opposite directions on the west and east of the jet stream battleground add to the problem, the meteorologists said. This May 21, 2020, photo provided by Victor Gensini shows a tornado in Moscow, Kan. A new study says warming will fuel more supercells or tornados in the United States and that those storms will move eastward from their current range. (Victor Gensini via AP)AP Ashley said current conditions are mostly random weather variability, though he said the hotter Gulf of Mexico and human-caused climate change might have made a small contribution. These events have always occurred, Ashley said. The question is are we turning the knob a little bit by contributing more moisture, more heat, more instability? Seth Borenstein of The Associated Press wrote this story. Follow APs climate and environment coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment Follow Seth Borenstein on Twitter at @borenbears 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. More: Powerful winds could knock down trees, power lines in central Pa. this weekend A year after central Pa. police officers killing, widow finds peace in forgiveness, nonprofit work FILE - West Virginia University students El Didden, Lia Farrell and Bri Caison demonstrate medical procedures needed for hormone replacement therapy on March 8, 2023, in Morgantown, W.Va. West Virginia Republican Gov. Jim Justice on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, signed a bill banning gender-affirming care for minors, joining at least 10 other states that have enacted laws restricting or outlawing medically supported treatments for transgender youth.(AP Photo/Kathleen Batten, File) A court in the city of Chambery (France) on Thursday rejected the request of the Ukrainian side for the extradition of Kostiantyn Zhevaho, according to a statement by the lawyers of the Ukrainian businessman, handed over to Interfax-Ukraine. "The court rejected the request after careful consideration of all the case files, taking into account all the evidence and arguments provided by the defense," the lawyers said in the document. According to the Ukrainian businessman, the decision of the French court confirms the lack of sufficient grounds for extradition and proves the groundlessness of the charges. "This persecution contains a political motive and clear signs of a PR campaign by public law enforcement agencies. I hope the State Bureau of Investigations and the Prosecutor General's Office will finally listen to my arguments and adhere to the law in further consideration of this case," Zhevaho said in the statement. His lawyers said that over the past four years, the businessman has repeatedly appealed and continues to appeal to the State Bureau of Investigations and the Office of the Prosecutor General with a proposal to provide evidence in order to open an objective investigation and ensure his right to fair justice. According to them, Zhevaho wants to bring the case either to closure or to consideration in court as soon as possible, but neither the State Bureau of Investigations nor the Prosecutor General's Office show interest in this, while the case damages the entrepreneur's business and personal reputation. The Le Dauphine libere French edition said the court, in its decision to refuse extradition, indicated that Ukraine, which requested it, was at war and, in such an uncertain situation, was unable to maintain a court guaranteeing fundamental freedoms. The Prosecutor General's Office and the State Bureau of Investigations have not yet officially commented on the decision of the French court. A law enforcement source told the agency that the refusal to extradite is due to the inability to ensure security due to hostilities, and whether a decision will be made to file an appeal will be finally clear after receiving official court documents. Earlier, Zhevaho himself predicted that any decision of the French court on his extradition would be appealed, so the process would continue for several more months. JUNEAU (AP) Two southeast Alaska men face charges in the beating death of a man who was attacked because of a social media post, according to an investigators affidavit. Moses S. Blanchard, 22, and Blaise A. Dilts, 21, of Klawock, face charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter and burglary in the death of 80-year-old Lincoln Peratrovich, according to the states online court records system. An attorney listed for Dilts did not return a message seeking comment. An attorney was not listed online for Blanchard. The investigation was being conducted by the Alaska Bureau of Investig... In a 2-1 decision, the Alaska Supreme Court affirmed the dismissal of the Estate of Molly Parks' wrongful death claim against the Petersburg Borough and William "Chris" Allen last month. The estate had appealed the case to the Alaska Supreme Court, which heard oral arguments on Feb. 8, 2022, in an effort to overturn the Petersburg Superior Court's decision to dismiss the case and to reopen the lawsuit against the borough and Allen. On July 4, 2016, Molly Parks and Marie Giesbrecht were killed in a van crash after Allen, who was driving a borough vehicle transporting employees assigned to se... The Alaska Legislature has passed a fast-track budget bill intended to immediately address problems with the states food-aid program for poor Alaskans and other immediate concerns. House Bill 79, proposed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy, is intended to address the food-aid problem. It transfers $3.1 million from the states Medicaid program to the Division of Public Assistance, which oversees the program. It also allows the division to use $3.7 million in additional federal funding available for food aid. The Alaska Senate voted 20-0 on Monday to approve the bill, which now goes to Dunleavys desk. The House approved the bill 38-1 on March 22. The food-aid program, commonly referred to as food stamps and formally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is months behind on distributing aid to thousands of Alaskans. About one in eight state residents receive help from the program, and a handful have sued the state, alleging mismanagement. That case is now in federal court. Food banks have reported high demand, and three people from one rural village were hospitalized for malnutrition, a city administrator told the Anchorage Daily News in February. Shirley Young, director of communications for the Alaska Department of Health, said the new funding will pay for 30 additional long-term temporary workers, covers overtime for supervisors and supports a contract for 75 additional staff. The bill also contains $4.7 million in additional immediate funding for the Office of Public Advocacy and the Public Defender Agency, two organizations that provide criminal defense attorneys to poor Alaskans. Earlier this year, the Public Defender Agency warned that staffing shortages meant it would soon be unable to defend people accused of serious felonies in Nome and Bethel. That raised constitutional concerns because the Alaska Constitution requires that the state provide legal defense to Alaskans who cannot afford it. A sharply lower state revenue forecast, released last week, required lawmakers to include additional language in the bill that allows the state treasury to use money from the Constitutional Budget Reserve, a $2.3 billion savings account, to cover a hole in the state budget created by low oil prices. As much as $365 million could be needed to pay for state operations through June 30, the end of the fiscal year. We know we are underwater, said Sen. Bert Stedman, R-Sitka and co-chair of the Senate Finance Committee. Were pretty confident thats going to carry us through the end of the year, he said of Mondays vote. The AlaskaBeacon.com is a donor-funded independent news organization in Alaska. The issue of a possible visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Turkey on April 27 is being worked out, there is no official confirmation of this information, Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey Vasyl Bodnar has said. "Indeed, such a message [about Putin's possible visit to Turkey] appeared in the media today: what could be his visit or online inclusion. There is a context here: the first nuclear power plant is being built in Turkey, and nuclear fuel is planned to be loaded into the first power unit on April 27. Since Rosatom is building, then, most likely, options for such a visit were being worked out. Now we are working on this issue, so far the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other official authorities have not confirmed this," Bodnar said at an online briefing at Ukraine Media Center on Thursday. The ambassador said after the issue is worked out, the official position of Ukraine will be made public. He also said Turkey has not ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg has dumped the attorneys that the former president was paying for. If he struck a deal with the DA, Trump would have a new big problem. Video of MSBNC reporting that Weisselberg is changing lawyers: IntriguingWeisselberg's lawyers were Mary Mulligan and Nicholas Gravante and their fees were being paid by the Trump Organization. Recall: during the criminal trial of the Trump Org. late last year, the Trump Org. blamed Weisselberg for everything. https://t.co/8qh27aZNPo Katie S. Phang (@KatiePhang) March 30, 2023 The nation has been down this road so many times with Trump legal news that it is wise to use a degree of caution, but Weisellberg is the big fish in terms of witnesses who could implicate Trump in very serious potential crimes. Bragg had left the door open to filing more charges against the former Trump CFO, and maybe after doing months in prison, Weisselberg has had enough. Weisselberg is 75 years old but also Trumps primary firewall. As long as Trumps former right-hand man stays quiet, prosecutors will have difficulty proving the potentially more severe financial crimes of Donald Trump. No one knows what any of this definitively means at this time, but Bragg may have made more progress with Weisselberg than other prosecutors. Historically speaking, when witnesses drop their Trump paid-for lawyers, it is usually a bad sign for the failed former president. If Weisselberg cooperates, it will mean that Trumps legal peril has gone from bad to absolute disaster. Miller legal company, representing the interests of the ex-general director of Boryspil airport, Yevhen Dykhne, on Thursday filed an appeal against the decision of the High Anti-Corruption Court, which found Dykhne guilty of abuse of power and sentenced him to 5 years of imprisonment. "An appeal is being filed today. We will insist on a full acquittal. There is not a single piece of evidence in the case that would allow us to find elements of a crime in it," said Oleksiy Nosov, the partner of the Miller company, said at a briefing in Kyiv with the participation of Dykhne. According to Nosov, the presence of a corruption component was not proved during the process. "It is not even in the prosecution materials. They did not even try to attribute it to the fact that this was done in the interests of ... or Yevhen Hryhorovych (Dykhne) received a kickback, for example. There was no such thing, it was not even proved, it was not even investigated," the lawyer said. Dykhne said that during the period when he was in charge of Boryspil airport, the task was to urgently solve the problem of the airport's compliance with the requirements of international rules in terms of the level and quality of service. "Under these conditions, of course, decisions were made that were not related to any possible restrictions," the ex-general director said. According to him, the charges brought against him and Olesia Levochko, the head of the airport's rental relations service, who was recognized as his accomplice and sentenced by the court to four years in prison, may influence the decisions of other directors of state enterprises. "How will the airport compete in the future? It will be exactly the same situation as in 2014. The war will end with our victory, it will be necessary to resume the operation of the airport, it will be even more empty. And where are the mechanisms?" said the ex-director. He noted that over the three years of discussion of the problem in court, there have been no changes to the legislation, and the mechanisms for managing state property have remained the same. Dykhne said that he had received two attractive job offers in public sector enterprises related to infrastructure, but he could not accept them before the court's verdict of acquittal. As reported, on March 1, the High Anti-Corruption Court found Dykhne guilty of abuse of power and sentenced him to five years in prison. The court also satisfied the civil claim of the regional branch of the State Property Fund (SPF) for recovering the damage in the amount of about UAH 10 million. Dykhne is accused of the fact that being in the position of acting general director of Boryspil airport, in April 2016 he entered into preliminary agreements with Arteria Group LLC and Coffee Bar Plus LLC, allegedly at a lower cost, without the consent of the airport's governing body - the Ministry of Infrastructure - and without a competitive selection of the tenant. This allegedly led to losses in the amount of UAH 15.7 million: about UAH 10 million to the State Property Fund as a lessor and about UAH 5 million to Boryspil airport. The materials of the case are available at the link: www.nojustice.com.ua A major anniversary in U.S. military history helped set the stage for a Wednesday ceremony at Aiken County Veterans Memorial Park, with dozens of veterans and others gathering to mark 50 years since the end of U.S. combat operations in Vietnam. The featured speaker was North Augusta resident Dennis DuPuis, an Army National Guard veteran who was deployed twice to Vietnam and was largely known for his service as an Apache helicopter pilot. His Vietnam record included 1,155 combat flight hours, and by retirement, he had four years of active duty and 31 more with the S.C. National Guard Reserve. Recognition included the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross (on three occasions) and a Bronze Star among his mementoes. DuPuis touched on the meaning of the National Vietnam War Veterans Day, and recalled that appreciation of veterans became more visible in the aftermath of the Gulf War and the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The historic importance of March 29, 1973, he noted, was the result of negotiations between the U.S. and North Vietnam, leading to an agreement for the U.S. to remove combat troops from Vietnam and send them home, in exchange for the release of U.S. prisoners of war in Vietnam. The Aiken event itself was unique, as the first Vietnam remembrance ceremony held at the site since the memorial monument was moved from its former site on Laurens Street, near the post office. Sponsorship was by Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 1145 (established in 2022) and Daughters of the American Revolution Trenton Chapter (1911). Among DuPuis' listeners was Warrenville resident J.D. Tucker, an Army National Guard resident who served in Iraq. "Couldn't be any better," he said, when asked about Wednesday's gathering. "This is something that has been coming for a long time for Vietnam vets. I enjoyed it, and I'd like to see more," he said, citing his own involvement as a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10601, and the group's efforts to have more such events. "I had a brother that served in Vietnam, in the Navy, and a good friend of mine was a first lieutenant in the 82nd Airborne that served in Vietnam, so I grew up during that era," he said. "I had some first-hand experience and conversations with veterans for years. Dad was a World War II veteran, so it's kind of a family thing now." The event also included Mayor Rick Osbon's presentation of a proclamation to "recognize and honor all those who served in the Vietnam war, to proclaim March 29 as Vietnam War Veterans Day in the city of Aiken and encourage all residents to extend heartfelt appreciation to our Vietnam veterans and their families for their service and sacrifice." Among other prominent participants was Aiken County Veterans Council Chairman Lowell Koppert, an Army combat veteran. He expressed particular appreciation for several men who were on hand for the event and had traveled from Augusta, where they are receiving treatment for spinal-cord injuries at one of the city's two Veterans Affairs hospitals. "I'd like to thank all of you for your service, and I appreciate you coming from the VA over in Augusta to spend your afternoon with us As you can imagine, it's probably no easy task getting these gentlemen over here, so I'd like to thank the ladies and the one gentlemen that brought them over," Koppert said. The monument at the center of Wednesday's event was relocated partially as the result of a 2021-22 legislative effort in Columbia. It won final approval April 4, 2022. The bill read, in part, "The Aiken County Council and the Aiken City Council are authorized by the General Assembly to proceed with appropriate ordinances to designate an entity to transfer the Vietnam War Memorial, eternal flame, and United States flag installations from the corner of Edgefield Avenue and Laurens Street, North West, in Aiken, South Carolina, to the Aiken County Veterans Memorial Park located at 1435 Richland Avenue, East, Aiken, South Carolina, 29801." COLUMBIA Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will be at the South Carolina Statehouse next week as Republicans continue their push to help parents afford private tuition. The 2016 GOP presidential candidate will address the House GOP Caucus on April 4, Majority Leader Davey Hiott, R-Pickens, said. Bush, Florida's governor from 1999 to 2007, has been invited to testify later that afternoon at a House Education Committee meeting, said Chairwoman Shannon Erickson, R-Beaufort. The only item on the agenda is a bill that would provide parents taxpayer-funded scholarships, or vouchers, toward private K-12 education. As it passed the Senate earlier this year, the bill would provide up to 5,000 Medicaid-eligible children $6,000 each toward private tuition during the 2024-25 school year. Once the law is fully phased in two years later, the number of participating students could rise to 15,000, and income eligibility would reach 400 percent of the federal poverty level. Under current guidelines, that means a qualifying family of four could have an income up to $111,000. The House is expected to change the bill, though how is yet to be determined. Republicans intend to get a private school choice bill across the finish line this year. A measure almost made it to Gov. Henry McMasters desk last year but the bill died at sessions end with Republicans in the House and Senate unable to agree on student testing requirements. It won't be Bush's first off-the-campaign-trail address to South Carolina Republicans on school choice. In 2012 he headlined an education forum in Columbia organized by then-U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, in which Bush touted his state's educational options. Republicans have long pointed to Florida in their arguments for school choice. Bush, the brother and son to two former presidents, signed Florida's first school choice bill into law nearly 25 years ago. As the options expanded, they continued to focus on poor students and children with disabilities. Earlier this week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is considered a presidential contender, signed a law expanding voucher options to all K-12 students, eliminating income eligibility limits. Bush has supported the effort. In the 2016 presidential race, Bush came in fourth in South Carolina's first-in-the-South primary behind the eventual winner, Donald Trump, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. He then ended his White House bid officially in South Carolina. COLUMBIA Bills banning gender-transitioning hormones for minors and preventing anyone over a year old from changing the gender on their birth certificate are advancing in the South Carolina Senate along party lines. Both measures were sent March 29 to the full Senate Medical Affairs Committee over vocal and sometimes loud objections from opponents who packed a hearing room. The panel's predictable 4-2 votes followed several hours of testimony over two days. It's unclear when the entire committee will debate the bills. What is certain is that it will be after the so-called crossover deadline for bills to move from one chamber to the other, making passage this year unlikely. Opponents said both measures will increase the suffering of transgender people and prevent them from being their true selves, increasing suicide risks. "Right now, youre considering one of the most extreme political attacks on transgender people in recent memory," said Jace Woodrum, the first transgender director of the American Civil Liberties Union's S.C. chapter, who returned to his home state last fall. As for the drugs-and-surgery ban for minors, they argued politicians shouldn't come between families and their doctors who have the expertise simply because they don't understand the complexities. While it bans surgery for teens under 18, doctors have testified that's not offered to minors in South Carolina anyway. Supporters of that bill said confused adolescents need to be protected from puberty blockers that disrupt growth and life-altering hormone treatments that can be irreversible. Lynne Teague with the League of Women Voters acknowledged last week's testimony from two de-transitioning women who deeply regretted transitioning to be male, while noting both were from outside South Carolina. "We're puzzled why these examples should end care for everyone," she said, adding it sounded like medical malpractice could even be involved in their cases. But "we don't prohibit every medical procedure that can turn out badly," she said. "If we did, no one would ever get knee replacement or back surgery." The bills are part of a national movement among Republican-ruled states. The Associated Press reports that at least 10 states have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-transitioning treatments for minors: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Utah and South Dakota. A proposed ban is pending before the Republican governor in West Virginia. Federal judges have blocked enforcement of laws in Alabama and Arkansas, and nearly two dozen states are considering bills this year to restrict or ban care. Religious groups came down on different sides of the issue at the hearing before South Carolina senators. Rev. Ruth Woodliff-Stanley, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese in South Carolina, urged legislators to reject the bills, saying "we have enough suffering. We do not need to legislate more. "We join with our transgender and gender-nonbinary siblings and their loved ones in opposing government interference in their lives," she concluded: "Be about love." The Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston is pushing for passage. "Men and women are not interchangeable," said Caroline Funk, a lobbyist for the diocese. "Use of puberty blockers in children with gender dysphoria is reckless since it radically stops the natural sequence of physical and psychological development." Sen. Richard Cash, the panel's chairman and a co-sponsor, attempted to give equal time to opponents and supporters through an online sign-in system ahead of the meeting. But that system quickly fell apart, as people who signed up to speak in support instead opposed the legislation. His insistence that doing so bumped other opponents off the list and refusal to extend time to more speakers even after it became abundantly clear the opposition outnumbered supporters in the room riled up the crowd. Several stood up and yelled at Cash directly, noting they'd driven long distances, and were asked to leave. Others yelled as they walked out the door. "This isn't democracy," one said. "This is garbage." Afterward, Cash said he will not apologize for trying to handle the meeting as fairly as possible. No one in the audience spoke in support of the bill preventing people from changing the gender on their birth certificates, except in rare circumstances prior to the child's first birthday. Cash and other GOP senators said they will seek to stop a regulation in the works proposed by the Department of Health and Environmental Control that would allow people to change their gender on the legal document through the public health agency. Currently, people can do so but only by going through family court and getting an order of a judge who reviews documents submitted by a doctor that a gender transition is complete a process transgender advocates say is unnecessarily time consuming and clogs courts. The public health agency is proposing to make the birth certificate change administratively after an internal review of standardized documents, negating the need for a judge to get involved. But the advancing legislation may result in that proposed regulation being thrown out regardless of the bill's fate. Moncks Corner, SC (29461) Today Partly cloudy skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. High 69F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Low 52F. Winds light and variable. Plans to replace a budget motel with a luxury hotel in the heart of downtown Charleston's tourist district cleared a hurdle this week, after a majority of City Council voted in favor of height changes the developer requested. The rezoning of the former Days Inn site at 155 Meeting St. requires two more rounds of approvals. In their first review on March 28, all but two members of City Council agreed with the city Planning Commission's recommendation. Karl Brady and Caroline Parker voted against approval, with Brady citing concerns about the possibility that part of the project could go as high as eight stories. Strategic Property Partners is proposing three buildings for the 1.9-acre corner property, with heights varying from three to seven or even eight stories if the Tampa, Fla.-based developer can demonstrate "architectural merit" to the city. The 150-room hotel, said to likely be a Four Seasons, is the centerpiece of the mixed-use project just south of the City Market. The development also includes 40 residential condominiums and commercial space. The site plan shows a recessed three- and five-story structure along Meeting Street, where the zoning code allows four stories. A seven- or possibly eight-story structure closer to King Street would be in an area now limited to six floors. An attorney for Strategic Property Partners said the rezoning request was "reasonable," noting the company is expanding the boundaries of the property beyond the Days Inn site. Several City Council members questioned the need for the additional height. The developer said it's necessary because part of the property will be used to create a courtyard, pedestrian walkways linking Meeting and King streets and a 10-foot-wide sidewalk along Horlbeck Alley. Charleston architect Steven Ramos, who is working with Strategic Property Partners, said the project balances the need for density and connectivity while also respecting the size and scale of nearby buildings. It's a significant project in the heart of the city, Ramos said. We feel like that's the appropriate place to put density and sometimes height Sometimes existing zoning can be improved, and we think that that is the case for this particular site. Council member Mike Seekings and others noted that the new Horlbeck Alley sidewalk to be built between Meeting and King streets would be a public benefit. City planning director Robert Summerfield said the redevelopment of the Days Inn property is a good thing. The former motor lodge is a bit of a blip in the Meeting Street corridor development pattern, he said. This building is stuck in a period that most of the rest of the street has either moved past or never went through. This project will continue to be refined, and it comes down to the details in how this vision can be executed. The proposed building heights drew some opposition Tuesday, including Sam Spence of the Preservation Society of Charleston. He urged elected officials to deny the request. We believe entitling development up to eight stories on this sensitive site would further challenge a block of the historic district downtown that already feels the impacts of misguided large-scale development, just steps from King Street and a number of other significant 18th- and 19th-century historic structures, Spence said. Cashion Drolet from the Historic Charleston Foundation said her group supported most of the zoning changes, but, like the Preservation Society, it was opposed to allowing a structure taller than six stories. The property accommodated budget-conscious downtown visitors for decades. The Golden Eagle Motor Inn opened at 155 Meeting in 1968. Days Inn bought the business and real estate in 1983. In 2021, Pinnacle Mountain Holdings, which is affiliated with the firm that manages the personal fortune of Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates, purchased the real estate for $40.5 million. Strategic Property Partners has since invested another $17 million to secure neighboring properties. The firm is a partnership between Gates' Cascade Investment and Jeff Vinik, a former manager of the famed Fidelity Magellan stock fund who now owns the Tampa Bay Lightning and is a minority owner of the Boston Red Sox. Brad Cooke, senior vice president, said he was pleased with this outcome" of this week's meeting. Council will review the project again on April 11. If the height requests win final approval, the development will need to go through the city's Technical Review Committee, the Board of Zoning Appeals and Board of Architectural Review. A angular swath of timberland known as the Nebo Tract was an early poster child of the development pressures that were bleeding over into Awendaw and the Cape Romain Wildlife Refuge some 15 years or more ago. The debate hasn't relented about growth in and around the rural town of about 1,500 residents, just up the road from Mount Pleasant. But as for that particular piece of real estate it's off the table. The Nature Conservancy now owns the 355-acre parcel along U.S. Highway 17, bounded by Mount Nebo AME Church and the 259,000-acre Francis Marion National Forest. The land-protection group bought it from the previous longtime owner from the Chicago area earlier this month for $3.6 million. The property had been marketed for several years through NAI Charleston for $4.5 million. "It was Christmas in March when we closed," said Dale Threatt-Taylor, executive director of the Nature Conservancy in South Carolina. She said her organization had been keeping its eye on the Nebo Tract for some time. It decided to step in after a deal with another would-be buyer fell through. "We made an offer to purchase it, and the owners accepted," Threatt-Taylor said. "So we were delighted and moved forward with it." For now, the nonprofit has no firm plans for its latest acquisition in the Sewee-to-Santee district, between Awendaw and lower Georgetown County. Typically, the group will quickly sell or transfer its land holdings to a like-minded owner, such as the U.S. Forest Service, but that's not likely in this instance, Threatt-Taylor said. She also stressed the conservancy won't "go off mission." "We're actually going to look at this property to find the best path forward. We want to engage the community in the conversation. ... Also, we may do something totally new ... and innovative that we can lead from here in South Carolina and show our partners across the nation, 'Hey, it's a new day in conservation.'" The purchase follows a state Supreme Court decision that put to rest a lengthy legal battle. Sign up for our real estate newsletter! Get the best of the Post and Courier's Real Estate news, handpicked and delivered to your inbox each Saturday. Email Sign Up! The hand-wringing began around 2009, after a real estate developer proposed to build about 360 homes and commercial space on the Nebo Tract. A financial hitch was that the property was in an unincorporated area. The town, with less restrictive and more lucrative land-use rules than Charleston County, was asked to annex it. One of the primary concerns at the time was the possibility of a domino effect. If the Nebo Tract was added to the town, other large nearby parcels that were part of the former Fairlawn Plantation could soon follow. As Awendaw saw it, the 355 acres it was eyeing already were bumping up against its municipal boundaries, which is a requirement for annexations in South Carolina. Around 2004, the town had annexed a 1-mile-long, 10-foot-wide strip within the Francis Marion, as well as the church next door to the Nebo Tract. That provided the mandatory "contiguity." It wasn't until October 2009 that Town Council annexed the Nebo Tract. At the same meeting, it approved a development plan for the property. Two nearby residents and the Charleston-based Coastal Conservation League mounted a legal challenge. They alleged in a lawsuit the next month that the Francis Marion annexation wasn't legal because the owner the U.S. Forest Service never signed a petition formally authorizing the change, as required. The litigation eventually worked its way up and down the appeals system, giving the S.C. Supreme Court the final word. It found that Awendaw's annexation was invalid, citing the town's "false statement" that it had obtained written authorization from the Forest Service for the 10-foot strip. Mayor Miriam Green, who was not serving in that role at the time, did not respond to a request for comment. The Coastal Conservation League said it's pleased that the Nebo Tract has found a buyer that "will be working directly with the Awendaw community to chart the best path forward for permanent protection of the property." "We know that large and sprawling development within and adjacent to protected public lands like the Francis Marion ... can pose threats to both people and wildlife in addition to creating barriers to important tools for managing the ... forest, like prescribed fire," project manager Robbie Maynor said in a written statement. "This is a huge win for our communities and coastal critters." And as it turned out, all the early unrest about development at the nearby Fairlawn properties also has faded, courtesy of some of the region's biggest industrial employers. Boeing Co., the Port of Charleston and others have ponied up the funds over past decade or so to protect about 5,400 acres of the privately owned property to mitigate the environmental impacts of their expansion plans in other parts of the region. The family-run partnerships behind the sales of the Fairlawn and Nebo Tract parcels are conservation-minded Lowcountry landowners and investors that have been selling property to groups like the Nature Conservancy, the Audubon Society and the Open Space Institute for years. They're affiliated with descendants of the turn-of-the-20th-century lumber titan and Berkeley County forest namesake Francis Beidler. A representative for ECB LLC, which sold the Nebo Tract, could not be reached for comment last week. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with a delegation of the German defense industrial concern Rheinmetall AG headed by Chairman of the Board Armin Papperger, the presidential press service said. During the negotiations, the current state of cooperation with the concern and the prospects for its development were discussed in detail. The president noted the need to further deepen and intensify the partnership in order to meet both the urgent needs of the Ukrainian defense forces and to significantly strengthen the defense capability of Ukraine in the future. He also expressed gratitude to the German leading defense company and all the people of Germany for their comprehensive assistance and support to Ukraine in the ongoing fight against Russian aggression. "We appreciate this important assistance in our struggle for freedom and democratic values," Zelenskyy said. On the brink of National Poetry Month, Charleston's new poet laureate is ramping up for a school reading and a festival workshop. Surrounded by shelves full of words at the Charleston County Public Library, Asiah Thomas, who goes by AsiahMae, finds a moment of speechlessness. The poet, who was ordained to the position in December by Charleston City Council, flips through a journal of scribbled-down thoughts in search of a new piece to recite. There isn't quite a fully formed poem yet on these particular pages; the notebook closes for the time being, but AsiahMae's own story has just begun. The community maker has been building up the Charleston arts scene for more than half a decade, much like predecessor, Marcus Amaker. In 2016, the same year Amaker became Charleston's first poet laureate, AsiahMae co-founded a group of Black event curators known as IllVibetheTribe. "That was the first time we saw we could create something magical," said AsiahMae. "The most we made was $33 each, but we always paid for everything and paid the artists. It wasn't about the money. We wanted to go to (cool events), so we made them." Along with Sabrina Hyman and Samira Miche, AsiahMae helped increase visibility for local and underground artists with IllVibetheTribe. KJ Kearney, the North Charleston native and entrepreneur behind Black Food Fridays, was among those to offer the group an opportunity to host events. "I've had a hard time learning how to delegate things, but their eagerness and willingness to help made it a little easier for me to give them a shot," Kearney said. He remembers them helping with a streetwear event called The Big Mix, a Fake Race party during the Cooper River Bridge Run and a trap music concert. "It was maybe the first time I was like, 'I'm going to help someone else out, help them shine,'" said Kearney. "Them being Black women was just a bonus." AsiahMae now identifies as non-binary. "I use they/she pronouns, because I also identify with Black womanhood as a unique experience," said AsiahMae. "It's a process and something I've powered through my whole life. Luckily, I have a very open-minded mom who's been supportive of me crafting this identity that feels like home to me, but that can also change as we're always evolving." AsiahMae's identity also lies in their poetry, a space for experimentation, play and passion to arise. "I feel like I've always been writing," they said. "Me and my brother were complete nerds growing up. We had this deep love of books, and poetry came along the way. ... I still intensely express through poetry. It's pretty personal." AsiahMae attended the now-closed Art Institute of Charleston for college as a film student, where they began reading at open mics. They found that on stage, reading what they compared to theatrical monologues, was a place of comfort. "The persona of a poem is what I become," said AsiahMae. "It's where my authentic self is on display." At the time, Courtnay The Poet was hosting Neo-Soul Sundays in town, and AsiahMae dove into that community, growing their skills for the art form while building bonds with fellow artists. During that time, former South Carolina poet laureate Marjory Wentworth taught a creative writing class at the Art Institute that AsiahMae was in. "(AsiahMae) was just one of those shining stars," said Wentworth. She remembers AsiahMae as a bright, talented and creative student who was in the midst of discovering and developing their performance skills. Now, Wentworth sees AsiahMae's goals of creating more writing workshops and facilitating the growth of local talent as noteworthy and necessary. "Right now we dont have a state poet laureate, so city poet laureates are doing incredible work all over the state, and its really exciting to see that," said Wentworth. "I think (AsiahMae) certainly follows in Marcus' footsteps and will rise to the occasion." Among AsiahMae's ideas in the new role is creating accessible incubation hubs for creatives to build in their craft together. AsiahMae notes some venues, like Public Works Art Center in Summerville, The Royal American downtown and Commonhouse Aleworks in North Charleston, have been very receptive to hosting workshops, poetry readings and other community-minded events. "I would like to challenge more spaces in opening their doors to allow for community activities," they said. "A lot don't stick around, and that's something that's needed." The enthusiasm is already there among the local poetry scene, but experimentation and expansion are also needed, AsiahMae offered. "A lot of times, people are afraid to progress, but there are poets doing really crazy things with form right now, and this is the kind of stuff I'm excited about, things that push the genre forward," they said. Bringing nationally renowned poets to town, as well as offering residencies and scholarships to out-of-town seminars and writing retreats, are other goals. One opportunity to do this is at the annual Free Verse Festival that Amaker helped establish and that the city financially supports. Amaker has brought in Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Jericho Brown, world-renowned spoken-word poet Andrea Gibson and more. When handing off the baton to AsiahMae for a two-year term in the role he held for six years, Amaker gave the advice to stay motivated while prioritizing self care, utilize the resources at hand and continue to support this community that has been so integral to his own writing career. He said AsiahMae was chosen for a reason. "Asiahs skills as a writer, community organizer and teaching artist were all big factors in our confidence that they are the best person for the position in 2023 and beyond," Amaker said. He also offered up another nugget: to be authentic and do everything with intention. The art form lends itself to that, he said. "Marcus told me, 'Be YOU, because YOU are what's needed," said AsiahMae. Amaker has certainly done a lot in his six years in the role, but, as AsiahMae puts it, "Charleston is still fertile ground." It's time to grow. LEXINGTON Four candidates with varied backgrounds are taking on traffic issues, small business and public safety improvements as the race for Lexington's Town Council special election heats up. On May 2, voters in Lexington will choose between Edwin Gerace, owner of a Lexington marketing company; Constance Flemming, a former council member and longtime Lexington One music teacher; Matthew Graham, founder of Columbia-based contracting company; and Gavin Smith, a Lexington entrepreneur and political strategist. The special election comes after former Lexington Councilman Steve Baker announced his resignation in a Feb. 6 meeting. As the election nears, the candidates hope to address major issues they see in the Lexington County town, while distinguishing themselves from their opponents. Here's what they said. Who are the candidates? Flemming wants to help Lexington keep up with its growth. Flemming has lived in Lexington, a 24,000 person town, for every one of her 71 years, and has seen the area 20 miles west of South Carolina's capital city boom from a small rural town to vibrant business hub. As a life-long resident, and a former teacher at Lexington One schools, Flemming said her understanding of the town runs deep, which makes her an ideal candidate. Flemming said she is truly plugged in to the community and its concerns, which she will be able to better address on council. As a staffer in former President Donald Trumps and former S.C. Gov. Nikki Haleys administrations, Smith said he forged connections at the state and federal levels that would help him on the Lexington council. "I have fresh ideas and and fresh perspective that I want to bring to the council," Smith, 30, said. Gerace, 53, owns Giraffe Marketing, a Lexington firm, and has lived in town for 15 years. During that time, he served on the Lexington Planning Commission. "Unintentionally, I've been preparing for this for 20 years," Gerace said. "I think the town's a really pivotal place right now. We've transitioned from a small town to a large town." Graham is the founder of Palmetto Renovations, a family-run contracting business in Northeast Columbia. Graham did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Traffic and parking Like many Lexington residents, candidates say traffic is high on their list of concerns. Heavy traffic through Lexington's downtown has long been one of the town's biggest headaches for residents and commuters both. Previous councils have taken steps to ease congestion. However, many residents still see the issue as their top concern. "I don't want to say that I'm going to fix traffic," Gerace said. "We, as a community or as a council, we all should get together and sit at the same table. The (S.C. Department of Transportation) Lexington County, Town of Lexington, whoever touches the road." Gerace said he has some ideas on how to improve traffic in town, but won't share them until after the election. To ease traffic, Smith said he would leverage connections at the state and federal level to bring resources to Lexington. Because a significant portion of roads in Lexington are not town-owned, Smith said that he could bring stakeholders in and get their approval to get the projects needed to ease gridlock. Smith said he would like to tackle parking in town by getting existing plans for a parking garage passed. Flemming said she sees traffic as something that should have been addressed long ago. "Traffic is still going to be an issue," Flemming said. "But it's probably one of those issues that will be with us henceforth and forevermore." Small businesses Smith's top priority is cutting red tape for small business owners. Smith, a Lexington native, owns a Lexington-based PR and public affairs firm and was a business partner in the Navy Yard on Main project, a biergarten that was planned to open in downtown Lexington last year, but faced legal obstacles and was eventually canceled because of skyrocketing construction costs. "Being a small business owner in the community and also being someone who tried to start a small business that failed in the community, I've seen firsthand the red tape that a business can get caught up in," Smith said. Smith said if on the council, he would establish a Small Business Advisory Council to act as a liaison between small businesses and town officials. Flemming disagreed that easing the process for small business opening was necessary. "My concern is with the citizens," Flemming said. "Most of them are not concerned about the small business factors." Flemming said her priority is to manage Lexington's growth. Making it too easy to open a business in town would cause an explosion of small businesses, some of which would eventually fail, she said. The barriers to opening a small business exist for a reason, Flemming said. Gerace said he would also like to establish a forum to give small businesses a voice in the town. Public safety Candidates also agreed that public safety is a top priority, but diverged on how to tackle the issue. As the town grows, it will take more officers to cover Lexington, Flemming said. Flemming said she would happily allocate more money to police, fire and EMS and work with officials on strategies to recruit more public safety staff. She did not yet know how much more funding she would be willing to give, nor where in the budget she would pull from. That would be something to discuss with the rest of council, if elected, Flemming said. "We tend to put certain things on the back burner until something happens," Flemming said. "I'm a proactive individual, not a reactive individual." Gerace agreed that he would support Lexington Police Chief Terrence Green and other officials in public safety initiatives, but did specify how, nor whether he would allocate more money to the cause. Smith said he would also ensure that the Police Department had the resources it needed to continue to keep Lexington safe. As Greenville prepares to move its municipal court operations into a new public safety headquarters, the city is looking to sell its decrepit downtown court building that sits on prime real estate. The current city court space, built in 1946, sits at the corner of North Main Street and North Academy streets next to historic Springwood Cemetery. Officials say it has outlived its use and is deteriorating. In summer 2021, it was temporarily shut down when pipes burst, spilling sewage into the halls. At a March 27 City Council meeting, Assistant City Manager Shannon Lavrin said staff is beginning a search for a broker to help sell the roughly 2-acre property. "We're anticipating an urbanized form on this property because of its location and its ability to have height," Lavrin said. It is unclear what the future use of the site will be but the city said in a social media statement that a stipulation of the sale is that the developer "recognize the city's commitment to the GVL2040 Plan that prioritizes open space, affordable housing and mobility." It could also serve to address a longstanding historical conflict in the city. The property sits near the site of a Confederate monument that has long been a source of controversy, particularly in summer 2020 when it was the center of contentious protests and counter-protests. City officials have struggled for years to find a way to respond to criticisms the statue is a symbol of a racist past, saying state law prevents them from taking it down. During the March 27 meeting, Mayor Knox White said redevelopment of the current municipal court property could include a monument to African Americans. "This would be a good place perhaps to think of doing that," he said. "Taking a small piece of the proceeds from this (property sale), I'm talking maybe $200,000 or so, toward that would be good down payment for what would be a good effort to memorialize on that site." Lavrin said she expects the city's economic development department will select a broker for the property within the next two months. Court operations will be moved to the city's new public safety headquarters on Halton Road across town near Haywood Mall. The Greenville Police Department and fire department headquarters will also be housed in that facility, once the former office building for the Fluor Daniel company. Renovations to the headquarters will likely be complete by early next year, Lavrin said. RIDGELAND In contrast to the slow-moving gopher tortoises that inhabit the Slater Tract in Jasper County, state officials approved the purchase of the 3,500-acre parcel at breakneck speed. The request appeared before the State Fiscal Accountability Authority on Mar. 28. Gov. Henry McMaster, who chairs the authority, moved quickly through the agenda, and the $17.55 million purchase was approved without comment or discussion. The entire transaction lasted less than a minute. The approval represents the first step in a plan to transfer more than 12,000 acres of protected land in Jasper and Hampton counties to the care of the state. While the approval happened quickly, the plan has been in the works for three years, noted Nate Berry, senior vice president with the Open Space Institute, the agency that's played a leading role in the conservation effort. "You've got to remember that was the final phase of the process," he said. "It had been vetted by other people and agencies, but I was happy that there was no discussion." The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources asked the state for approval to buy the tract to protect water quality in the Port Royal Sound watershed, preserve and improve wildlife habitat and create outdoor recreational opportunities for residents. "One of the big goals of this project is to create a protected land corridor from the 300,000 protected acres in the ACE Basin to the 500,000 acres of protected land in South Lowcountry Focus Area, which is along the Savannah River," explained Berry. The sale isn't a done deal yet. The state still needs to complete some steps before the sale can be finalized, said DNR spokesman Stephen Fastenau. Assuming the rest of the process goes according to plan, the agency will manage the property as the Jasper-Slater Sandhills Heritage Preserve, which will be open to the public Crafting a very large land deal The parcel, located approximately eight miles north of the Town of Ridgeland, is currently owned by the Open Space Institute. The institute is a conservation organization based in New York that also has an office in Charleston. In the nine years the organization has had a presence in South Carolina, it has preserved about 50,000 acres over the course of 50 projects. Its niche, Berry said, is creating new public land. Between May 2021 and April 2022, the institute made three separate purchases of Slater property totaling 5,081 acres. The investment was its first in the region. "The Slater assemblage sits in a biodiversity hotspot on an unusually high sand ridge," Berry said. "It's got 68 state-priority species on it. It's a herpetologist's dream. It's a special property." In the summer of 2022, the institute partnered with The Nature Conservancy on a plan to purchase more than 7,300 adjoining acres known as the Buckfield property, most of which is in neighboring Hampton County. The Nature Conservancy closed on its half of the purchase in June of last year. The Open Space Institute expects to close on its portion of the property after the sale of the Slater parcel to the state is complete. The protection of Buckfield represents the power of innovative collaboration working together in new ways to accomplish more than any organization could alone," said Dale Threatt-Taylor, executive director of The Nature Conservancy in South Carolina. Eventually, the entire combined property amounting to more than 12,300 acres will be owned and managed by the state as part of its network of wildlife management areas. Very rarely do we have opportunities to protect assemblages of land at this magnitude, particularly along the rapidly urbanizing coast," said Raleigh West, executive director of the South Carolina Conservation Bank. "When you consider its size, along with the uniqueness of the wildlife habitat it provides, the Slater-Buckfield project is one of the most significant conservation victories in recent times. An important habitat The Open Space Institute paid $16 million when it bought the first and largest of the Slater parcels two years ago. That's the land the state is now planning to purchase. An appraisal completed last winter pegged the value of the 3,507-acre parcel at $19.1 million. A federal grant provided nearly $9.5 million of the purchase price, and DNR's Heritage Land Trust chipped in another $6 million. The Nature Conservancy and South Carolina Conservation Bank, among others, also contributed to the purchase. DNR described the land as mix of forested uplands, bottomland hardwood forests, fields and open areas. Approximately 11 miles of the Coosawhatchie River and its tributaries are contained within the tract. It's believed to be suitable to restore the bobwhite quail and red-cockaded woodpecker habitat. It's also home to a large and growing population of gopher tortoises. According to the Open Space Institute, the tortoise colony, which numbers around 150 individuals, is one of the largest in the eastern United States. The tortoise is federally designated as an at-risk species. Its extensive underground burrows provide habitat for dozens of other animals, making it a keystone species in its ecosystem. The transfer of the remaining Slater and Buckfield acreages to DNR is expected to take place over the coming year, though the schedule has not yet been solidified. "It's a huge effort," Berry said. "This could be the biggest project I work on in my career." Summerville, SC (29483) Today Showers early, then cloudy in the afternoon. High 74F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 53F. Winds light and variable. BEAUFORT Alpha Genesis Inc., a company that breeds thousands of monkeys in Yemassee for research, recently landed a new federal contract to run another large monkey colony on Morgan Island in the ACE Basin. The move highlights Alpha Genesis status as one of the worlds largest breeders of monkeys for research and medical testing. It also makes it a bigger target for animal rights groups who say their work is inhumane. Morgan Island is home to about 3,500 rhesus monkeys. It sits on some 400 acres of high ground at the mouth of the Combahee River, one of three rivers that form the ACE Basin estuary. Passing boaters can often spot monkeys lounging on the shore and scampering up the island's pines. Locals call it Monkey Island. The S.C. Department of Natural Resources owns Morgan Island, but the federal National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is responsible for the colony itself. Alpha Genesis Inc. will be responsible for feeding the monkeys, providing veterinary aid and any other care services. Government researchers typically pluck between 400 and 600 monkeys a year from the island. No testing is done on the island itself. Instead, monkeys are sent to researchers working on vaccines and medical treatments. The federal government established the colony in the late 1970s, moving monkeys from another operation in Puerto Rico. Upon arrival, each animal was uncrated and given a complete physical exam, and then released to the wilds of Monkey Island, as Morgan Island was immediately christened, David Taub, former mayor of Beaufort who helped start the colony in the 1970s, later wrote in a column for The Island News. Despite its remote location, at least seven monkeys escaped between 1980 and 1996, DNR reported in 2002. All were recaptured, including one on Ladys Island more than 6 miles away. The NIAID, an arm of the National Institutes of Health, has long hired private companies to care for the monkeys, including Alpha Genesis in the colony's early days. But Charles River Labs took over the lucrative contract in 2007. Between 2018 and 2022, the federal government paid Charles River $16.7 million to run it, spending records show. Alpha Genesis won back the work earlier this month, NIAID said March 30. Robert Boyles, DNR's director, informed the agency's board about the move last week. "We have nothing to do with it other than being the landlord," Boyles told the board. Still, the replacement of Charles River Labs with Alpha Genesis removes a potential conflict of interest highlighted last year in The Post and Courier's investigative report, "Monkeys and Blood." Charles River Labs also collects horseshoe crabs to extract their blood and make a life-saving biomedical material. The state DNR regulates this practice. Charles River also paid DNR about $1.5 million a year to rent Morgan Island for the monkey colony. And DNR used that rent money to pay part or all of the salaries of at least 33 employees, including some who regulate Charles River's horseshoe crab business. Charles River decided not to pursue the federal contract this time, a spokesperson said. With Alpha Genesis taking over, DNR's financial relationship with Charles River Labs becomes less tangled. The new contract also puts a brighter spotlight on Alpha Genesis. The company on its website says it maintains the "largest commercial breeding colony of research primates outside of Asia." Its operation in Yemassee houses about 6,500 monkeys, six times the human population of Yemassee itself. Locals call it the "Monkey Farm." Alpha Genesis' new contract was a logical extension, said Greg Westergaard, the company's founder. Even when Charles River Labs had the contract, the Yemassee-based company provided support services. "We've been actively involved the whole time," Westergaard said. "We just weren't listed as the prime contractor for the last whatever it is 15 years." Westergaard said the company is pleased to have the five-year contract come back to a Lowcountry business that utilizes local vendors and whose dollars generate local jobs. "It's a good piece of business for the Lowcountry to have this particular resource managed locally," Westergaard said. For years, the scientific community has debated the ethics of using monkeys, often referred to as non-human primates. Many researchers argue that testing monkeys is a critical tool to understand infectious diseases, from Alzheimers to cancer. At the same time, animal rights groups and some scientists argue that such research is unnecessary, immoral and should be phased out. In 2018, the U.S. Department of Agriculture fined Alpha Genesis $12,600 in connection with six incidents, including the escape of 26 monkeys in 2014. Last year, the USDA cited Alpha Genesis for failing to properly house monkeys. In one case, workers put a monkey in the wrong enclosure, leading to a fight that led to the death of one monkey and injuries of four others. In another, two monkeys died after being trapped in their enclosures. The deaths were "Alpha Genesis Inc.s latest victims in a long history of incompetence," Alka Chandna, vice president of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said in a statement earlier this year. Charles River Labs also made headlines earlier this year when it revealed the Department of Justice issued a subpoena to the company in connection with a monkey-smuggling plot in Cambodia. Cambodia has become a major source of monkeys for scientific testing after China stopped exporting them during the pandemic. Noting the subpoena to Charles River, Wayne Pacelle of Animal Wellness Action in Washington, D.C., said: "Now enters Alpha Genesis, which has shown a disregard for animal welfare laws while raking in the money." Don Edwards watched the sunlight poke through the rafters of his nearly 110-year-old house in downtown Charleston. The roof is caved in at the back and vines stretch across a precarious second-floor porch. He wondered if getting permission from the city to demolish the home and build affordable housing in its place would prompt a shift in the Holy City. In a place where families like his are getting rapidly priced out, should historic preservation always trump growth? A group of city staff and members of the Charleston Board of Architectural Review met Edwards at 51 Poinsett St. for a site visit the morning of March 23. They didn't step far past the overgrown front yard. A red and white sign with an X tacked on the front of the house is the code enforcement department's way of saying it is on the verge of collapse. A pink piece of paper by the door doubled down on that warning, spelling out "UNSAFE" in all capital letters. But members of the Board of Architectural Review, or BAR, see homes with signs like this all the time. And it doesn't stop them from denying demolition requests like the one they were to consider from Edwards later that day. Some houses have fallen into disrepair as families dispute what to do with the property or struggle to identify the proper heir to the title. Others fall apart because the historically sensitive repairs required by the BAR are too costly. Like many downtown residents, several longtime homeowners on Poinsett have sold their properties to developers with the resources needed to navigate the BAR. The five-member volunteer board appointed by the mayor and approved by City Council has outsized influence on what does and does not happen on the peninsula. The Historic Charleston Foundation and the Preservation Society of Charleston teamed up last summer to study the issue. Out of 98 requests to the BAR since 2017 to repair or demolish historic homes in the former working-class neighborhood north of Line Street, 66 were rejected. Out of those rejections, 70 percent were from individual homeowners and 30 percent were from investor-backed projects. In Edwards' case, the house was built by his great-great-grandfather, a freedman from Alabama. It was passed down for generations. And although he hasn't had the funds to do anything to it until now, he has never been able to stomach the idea of selling it. He held on even as an empty lot down the street listed for $450,000 on a website called Charleston Luxury Home Finder. Instead, Edwards envisions building a new house that looks just like the current one. It would be divided into three units to be rented out at an affordable rate to the elderly and working class a disappearing populace in this area of town. Working for decades to build a successful land-use consulting business in Washington D.C., Edwards said he finally has the three key components he needs to make his dream a reality. He has money, support from city staff and a good architect. The BAR stood as his last hurdle. His first attempt to get a demolition approval failed to get initial approval from BAR staff. So he decided to try again. "I guess it would be a little bit of a faith walk," Edwards said. "The people who built this here had a lot of faith in something. So I hope I'm living that tradition." Rebuilding a community Before it fell into disrepair, Edwards' house was always a landing place for friends and relatives. Edwards recalled playing with them in the street, which was then a dirt road with no sidewalks, while his grandfather smoked a pipe on the porch. His first girlfriend, who also lived on Poinsett, taught him how to jump rope. If he can re-establish even a fraction of that kind of community, he said he knows his ancestors will be happy. "I hope it will be an encouragement, in the sense that there's always an opportunity to do some good in a small way," he said. To some degree, that community building was already starting. Curious neighbors poked their heads out of their doors to watch the site visit. Edwards showed architectural drawings to an elderly woman next door. Then a young couple leaving for work stopped their cars a few minutes apart to ask him what was going on. The husband excitedly shook Edwards hand and wished him luck. A man walking home from a coffee shop stopped another neighbor to ask about the house. They both decided to go to the BAR meeting to provide their support. The neighborhood was stirring. They were excited about the idea of someone finally being able to live in Edwards' house. And maybe someday, in the other three abandoned houses on the same block. While historic buildings are subject to varying preservation standards depending on their location on the peninsula, those standards do little to differentiate between the backgrounds or economic realities of the homeowners. That means the BAR cannot consider the fact that the house has been in Edward's family since Reconstruction. In a city built by enslaved people, emancipation meant those workers could finally get a slice of the pie. And while Charleston suffered economic hardships through the turn of the century, families like Edwards' looked out for each other. In the 1930s, Charleston established the country's first ever historic preservation ordinance. And that laid the groundwork for the city's vital tourism industry. The Poinsett house stood by as the city around it changed. In the 1960s, Edwards began his freshman year as one of the first integrated classes at nearby Rivers High School. As more visitors came to see pristinely preserved historic homes South of Broad, a hospitality industry sprung up and eventually an influx of new residents transformed the city's demographics. Over time, the Edwards and other families moved away for better opportunities or a lower cost of living. Eventually, the city expanded its historic preservation efforts beyond the tourist districts on the southern end of the peninsula so that they included neighborhoods on the northern end as well. City officials added the area north of Line Street, which includes Poinsett, to its own district under the BARs oversight. The intention was to preserve the historic character of the area while creating a more simplified set of rules than homeowners in the wealthier areas of town had to follow. The opposite happened. BAR oversight north of Line follows a strict set of standards. Changes to homes are approved or denied based on what historic materials will be lost in a demolition or repair. Board members are not permitted to ask what a homeowners plans are to replace a structure, such as Edwards' proposal to build affordable housing. As a result, if a homeowner cant demonstrate clearly why a demolition is necessary on its own, the board may err on the side of caution and reject the application in favor of recommending a costly rehabilitation. Rejected applications have led others to pursue more desperate measures. In July, a homeowner on Tram Court, not far from Poinsett, was caught trying to tear down her own home with a rope tied to a pickup truck because BAR had repeatedly denied her demolition requests. Unless the board changes its policies north of Line, houses like hers will continue to sit vacant. 'Adding fuel to the fire' A recent city estimate found that Charleston will need to build 16,000 units of affordable housing by 2030 to meet demand. And as downtown faces some of the steepest increase in home values and rents, it is losing a voice at City Hall. City Council voted last year to merge the downtown district that includes Poinsett into another in order to create a new one on the city's rapidly growing fringes. Poinsett will be looped in with the East Side. It also will lose one of the city's strongest advocates for reforming the rules used north of Line in Councilman Jason Sakran. Until his term is up in 2024, he is trying to bring attention to the ways BAR policies affect low- and middle-income homeowners in his area of town. According to the Trident Association of Realtors, the median sale price for single-family homes on the lower peninsula more than doubled since 2013, rising from $650,000 to $1.5 million. During that same time period, the median sale price grew from $250,000 to $650,000 on the upper peninsula. Poinsett Street sits right in the middle. In October, Sakran successfully rallied to get the BAR to accept a new set of standards for reviewing repair requests. The policy change added more flexibility for those making 80 percent or less of the area median income (about $45,000 for a single person) and for those who have lived in their home for 25 years or more. The change also gives homeowners more building materials to choose from that cost less but are still historically accurate. When he heard about Edwards' project, Sakran said it was a perfect example of the issue his constituents have come up against time and time again. If the application was rejected, it would prove his point. If it was approved, it could set a precedent for a new way of thinking about historic preservation. And maybe either scenario could be translated into actual policy change. "The system is creating a place where we are forcing people to rehab these buildings that are falling apart, and the only people who can afford to do it are developers," he said. "We are adding fuel to the fire of the affordable housing issue." Councilman Robert Mitchell, who represents the East Side, said that while he hoped Edwards would succeed, he was more skeptical about broader changes. After more than two decades on council, he said he has seen the BAR reject all kinds of proposals without considering a change in policy. He even remembered examples of buildings being constructed by other city departments getting rejected for not following BAR guidelines. "They have their own power," he said. That's why Edwards set out to get as much support as possible. He worked with the city's Community Development Department to get his proposal federally recognized as an official affordable housing project. Doing so sets him on a path to secure the tax breaks he would need to rent the units at an affordable rate. He appealed to the influential Preservation Society of Charleston and the Historic Charleston Foundation. Both allocate considerable resources to monitoring BAR agendas and speak for or against certain proposals. He secured a letter of support from the Preservation Society. The Historic Charleston Foundation agreed not to speak against the proposal despite their typical stance that as many buildings as possible be saved rather than demolished. With all of the networking he had done, even among city staff, his application was still a toss-up. Decision time On the evening of the BAR vote, just hours after the site visit, Edwards' neighbors filed into the seating area and waited their turn to provide comments of support. Two other applications preceded 51 Poinsett on the agenda. The first was from a young couple in Wagener Terrace requesting to replace a fire-damaged roof on their home and add a dormer. Their application was rejected. The second was a young man requesting to demolish and rebuild a house near Upper King street that had no siding. Its frame was covered only by sheets of plywood. His application was approved. Finally, it was Edwards' turn. His architect, April Magill, presented the application and also showed the board drawings of the new house they designed. Although this was outside of the required application process, she said she wanted to show the board that Edwards planned to rebuild the house as close to its original design as possible. If Edwards was asked to repair it instead, the costs would be too high for him to later afford renting it at below-market value. It would also likely fail to meet federal safety standards for affordable housing because it would be difficult or nearly impossible to make it handicap accessible and add sprinklers. Then came time for public comments. A member of the Preservation Society spoke in favor of the proposal. Edwards' neighbors followed. "We would love to have a full street of lively people," said neighbor Cheyenne Cornett. "Whatever happens, we hope it becomes a home again. The director the Community Development Department, a former city councilwoman and Sakran joined the chorus of voices appealing the board. Finally it was Edwards' turn to make his case. He told them he and his family have turned down numerous offers from people interested in buying the house. "I'm doing this because I believe in Charleston, and I believe in the kind of place Charleston should be," he said. "And I also believe that there's other things that matter as much as the value that you get economically for property." It was time for the board to discuss. "We have very limited power with this. We have a very limited range with what we can talk about," said BAR member Bill Huey. "But in this instance, I'm torn because I support what you what you want to do." They debated for over 20 minutes. "If I were looking at this strictly from perspective of, 'should we demolish this historical structure or not?' ... I would say we shouldn't demolish it," board member Fillmore Wilson said. "However, there is another factor here, and that is affordable housing." BAR member Julia Martin mentioned that there there is no policy in place that would stop Edwards from rescinding his commitment, rebuilding the house and selling or renting it at market value. "There is an element of trust in this decision," she said. Despite their reservations, they voted unanimously to approve the application. Edwards' neighbors broke out in applause. If the ideas discussed during the meeting turn into policy changes, they could alter the outcomes for some of an estimated 200 dilapidated homes on the peninsula. If they don't, the results of the next BAR meeting will be another roll of the dice. As I discussed in a Dec. 14 column, South Carolina is well on its way to becoming a leader in all things automotive, and increasingly that means electric vehicles. Unfortunately, even as EVs roll off our assembly lines, the opportunities for small businesses to sell electricity to power thes Read moreGrooms: South Carolinas EV predicament and its golden opportunity Charleston Southern University (CSU) began their Faith Works Conference for Chaplaincy on April 12 at their Dewey Center for Chaplaincy. The first day of the conference kicked off on the topic of global Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) training for Ministry Leaders. Read moreSpotlight on PTSD At a meeting on Wednesday, the Government of North Macedonia decided to donate to Ukraine 12 Mi-24 helicopters previously purchased from Ukraine itself, but not currently used, the Focus Macedonian publication said, citing Defense Minister Slavjanka Petrovska. "The Government considered and adopted the information on the need to conclude a protocol on the gratuitous transfer of aircraft (helicopters) between the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of North Macedonia and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and made a decision on the gratuitous transfer of aircraft (helicopters) to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. The Government of the Republic of North Macedonia considered and adopted the agreed text of the protocol on the free transfer of aircraft between the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of North Macedonia and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine," the government said in a statement. North Macedonia will transfer Russian-made Mi-24 helicopters to Ukraine, which were purchased in Ukraine in 2001, but their service life ended eight years ago, they are also not used due to lack of spare parts and for other reasons. "Some of them were modernized, but this modernization was adapted to those conditions then [during the purchase by North Macedonia] and absolutely does not correspond to what is needed now, even if we want to talk about the development of technologies," Petrovska said. At the same time, the head of the defense department said Ukraine has the ability to put these combat helicopters into operation and the Ukrainian army needs them to conduct various operations and combat operations in modern conditions. COLUMBIA As families of people with disabilities struggled to find help during the pandemic and waitlists lengthened, the commission running the state Department of Disabilities and Special Needs lavished taxpayer money on themselves, a scathing audit given to Statehouse lawmakers found. They bought leather chairs, fancy tablecloths, name badges and frames for portraits of themselves hung in the departments lobby. Meanwhile, the commissioners were running roughshod over the states transparency laws, routinely discussing matters that should have been addressed in open meetings by email and in closed executive sessions. The breach in protocol came even after they received comprehensive Freedom of Information Act training and warnings from their own lawyer, the Legislative Audit Council report given to the S.C. Senate on March 29 found. The depth of the alleged abuses stunned lawmakers. What our constituents complain about is waste in government and having people take advantage of the situation with obviously no parameters, no accountability, Sen. Penry Gustafson, R-Camden, said during a Senate subcommittee hearing on the audit. I am personally appalled. The report evoked bipartisan fury from state senators who want to pass a bill to eliminate the commission and turn the department into a Cabinet agency with a director who reports to the governor. The 1,600-employee agency administers Medicaid programs and oversees a care provider network that serves about 13,000 South Carolinians with intellectual and development disabilities. The commissions chairwoman, vice chairman and secretary strongly pushed back on the reports findings in a March 20 letter to the audit council. Chairwoman Stephanie Rawlinson called the report's allegations that the commission likely violated the states Freedom of Information Act without merit and slanderous. Rawlinson said the commissions old tablecloths were stained and that it was agency officials who requested the new chairs, phones, sound system and televisions. As to the portraits and a custom-design logo the commission planned to spend $1,000 on last fall, Vice Chairman Barry Malphrus said they were intended to help the public better understand that the commissioners are there to serve them and are accountable to them. Two of the commissioners wrote to the auditors saying they agreed with the reports findings. Dr. Gary Kocher said in his response that he had unsuccessfully asked for the resignations of the two or three commissioners he said are responsible for the bulk of the listed wrongdoing and called for the state to remove those commissioners. In a statement to The Post and Courier on March 29, the department's interim state director, Constance Holloway, said the agency fully cooperated with the audit but declined to comment further. Beyond the expenses the report labelled frivolous, the commissions overall expenditures have spiked in recent years, rising from $16,661 in 2019 to $84,472 in 2021 a five-fold increase while travel expenses and per diems have risen by 60 percent, the report found. The auditors said the commissioners steadily increasing the number of their meetings to 53 in 2021 it was 16 in 2018 and filing for reimbursements for one-on-one meetings with department staff were responsible for the ballooning expenditures. The commissions leadership in their response letter said that because vacancies on the commission were filled and because a Senate committee instructed the commission to take a more active role in overseeing the department in 2017, they had to increase expenses and travel. The auditors painted a different picture, reporting that the number of meetings went up because commissioners have been micromanaging the department. Commissioners are getting involved in writing and rewriting policy (on) something as small as who answers the phone at the front desk, Marcia Lindsay, the deputy director of the audit council, told the Senate subcommittee. The auditors reported the micromanagement has turned the relationship between the commission and the departments leadership toxic, with commissioners telling staff theyd lost their trust and threatening them over personnel decisions. Meanwhile, on at least three occasions, commissioners the report did not name them used their positions to directly contact upper-level department staff with questions or requests related to their disabled family members care, something regular citizens cannot do. Another anecdote that drew senators ire was that the department signed an unusual agreement to pay aides for a commissioner who is disabled through the commissioners business, and the commissioner filed little documentation to prove the money was flowing to the aides. Despite receiving thorough FOIA training from an outside law firm in September 2021, commissioners appeared eager to hide what they were doing from the public, the report also alleges. According to the report, commissioners sent 32 emails to a quorum of members about public business. They also criticized a staff member for sending them a memo reminding them about the states open records law, and one commissioner asked in an email: What do we need to discuss in an open meeting that cant be resolved outside a public meeting? In March 2022, auditors sat in on the executive session of a commission meeting and watched as the commission members discussed subjects over lunch they werent allowed to address out of the public view, even as their own general counsel repeatedly warned them they were violating the law. The FOI violations are extraordinarily clear, said Democratic Sen. Dick Harpootlian, a high-profile Columbia lawyer who has handled public records cases. Not only are they clear. We have emails where they talk about how we can avoid the FOI by structuring things," he added. "I mean, Ive never seen anything like this. The largest expenditure the commissioners reported which the auditors flagged was $8,314 to soundproof their meeting rooms. The reason, Malphrus, the commission vice chairman, explained in the response letter, is they were worried their conversations might be overheard outside the room posing a FOIA risk, he wrote. SUMMERVILLE When the town holds its election on Nov. 7, one name won't be on the ballot: Mayor Ricky Waring. Waring said when he initially ran for mayor in 2019, he was only running for one term. He confirmed he's sticking to that pledge. During his four years in office, Waring saw the final phase of the Berlin G. Myers Parkway extension begin, which was one of the main parts of his platform. He and Town Council worked hard to get some of the permits necessary to start the third and final phase during his first two years in office. Before his tenure as mayor, Waring had also served as Summerville's fire chief and was on Town Council for eight years. As Waring passes the torch to the next mayor of Summerville, he expressed his hopes for his replacement. "I just hope they're dedicated, and do a good job," Waring said. Town Councilman Russ Touchberry announced March 27 that he is running to be the next mayor. He is joined by broker Dickie Miler, who announced in November that he plans to run. The election is nonpartisan. This isnt Milers first time running for mayor. He ran in 2011 after the late longtime Mayor Berlin G. Myers chose to step down, but lost to Bill Collins. He considers himself a public servant, having been part of many organizations like the YMCA as board chairman, the One Cent Tax Authority Commission and the Summerville Rotary Club. My great-great-grandfather was the first intendant of Summerville in 1867, and my great-grandfather was the first mayor of Summerville in 1902, Miler said. Service has always been in the blood. Miler said he has seven points on his platform, which include managing traffic, downtown parking and increasing town staff salaries. Miler said hes already formulated a traffic advisory team the police chief, town engineer, a retired Highway Patrol captain, an engineer with the Department of Transportation and himself to try to figure out solutions to the traffic and congestion in Summerville. Were looking at other cities that have had similar problems and have managed to relieve so much of this stuff, Miler said. Theres a lot of different things that people are doing across the country that will relieve traffic, and we can do those things. Touchberry is a Summerville native elected to council in 2021. Since then, he's learned a lot about what the town is doing well and where it needs improvement, he said. I believe the person who is in the mayors office needs to be someone who can collaborate and work well with others, Touchberry said. Working with each other is vitally important for the success of our town. Among Summerville's goals should to engage more with other regional players and get its fiscal house in order, Touchberry said. Were the seventh-largest municipality in the state, he said. Growth is happening all around us, and we need to be prepared for that by being proactive. He added that bike and pedestrian connectivity, roads and infrastructure are all things the town needs to be intentional about. He emphasized the importance of collaborating with county leaders. We need to work with our county partners not only Dorchester County but also Berkeley County to make sure that we are taking care of our infrastructure and planning for the future, Touchberry said. He named the North Maple Street extension and the final phase of the Berlin G. Myers Parkway extension as some projects that will alleviate the congestion and traffic problem. Those are great projects, but theres a lot left to be done, Touchberry said. We need to be able to identify those and take care of them. To be on the ballot, the candidates must file with the elections office. Filing opens at noon Aug. 8. SPARTANBURG Another inmate of Spartanburg County Detention Center has died, marking the third death in the facility this year. The Coroners Office on March 29 was called to the jail one of South Carolinas deadliest to investigate the death. Coroner Rusty Clevenger identified the inmate as Jimmy Lee Hill, 41, of Spartanburg. Lt. Kevin Bobo of the Spartanburg County Sheriffs Office, which runs the jail, said they are conducting an investigation into Hill's death alongside the State Law Enforcement Division. Hills death follows those of Forrest Edward Taylor III on March 2 and Casey Michelle Tate in January. Both were inmates of the jail at the time of their deaths. As The Post and Courier previously reported, the jail has been overcrowded for decades. State inspection reports showed that the facility, which can hold 329 inmates, had an average daily population of 741 during a three-month period in 2022. This is a developing story. There was nothing easy about Plan B's victory in the 2023 South Carolina Wahoo Series, according to Capt. Daniel Driggers of Summerville. Participants in the event, which ran from Feb. 15-April 15, are allowed to select three fishing days, weigh their heaviest wahoo each day, and count the t Read moreSummerville crew wins $62,422 in 2023 SC Wahoo Series PR-Inside.com: 2023-03-30 17:15:36 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 294 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 WILMINGTON, DE / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Agoverse, a blockchain-based platform, has launched a new multi-vendor marketplace for the agricultural industry sector, providing a secure and transparent way for farmers, manufacturers, and retailers to connect and do business. According to Treasurer Christine Van Allen, "Agoverse's innovative platform is helping to drive growth and prosperity in the agricultural industry." Vendors can use Agoverse to create their own online stores and showcase their products and services to a global audience. The platform offers a range of features to help vendors manage their stores, including secure payments, shipping options, and order tracking.In addition to the marketplace, Agoverse has also developed a unique blockchain advertising metaverse that allows advertisers to create immersive and interactive ads for the agricultural industry. CTO Preska Thomas states, "Agoverse's blockchain technology ensures that our advertising metaverse is secure, transparent, and tamper-proof, providing a new level of trust for advertisers and their target audience." Agoverse's President, Bryan Candelaria, expressed excitement about the launch, stating, "We are thrilled to offer a unique and innovative solution for the agricultural industry." CEO, Matthew Candelaria adds, "Our multi-vendor marketplace provides a secure and transparent platform for vendors to do business, while our blockchain advertising metaverse offers a new way for advertisers to reach their audience." Agoverse is committed to supporting the agricultural industry and creating new opportunities for growth and innovation, as stated by Kevin Finn, President of Business Operations in Indiana. With its range of features and unique blockchain technology, Agoverse is poised to become a leading platform for the agricultural industry sector.For more information about Agoverse and its multi-vendor marketplace and blockchain advertising metaverse, please visit the Agoverse website at www.agoverse.com Contact:elmusk@ agoverse.com SOURCE: Agoverse PR-Inside.com: 2023-03-30 20:15:56 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 512 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Consistent with its sustainable business model, the company plans to invest Ps. 14,500 million in the five countries it serves.Investments will be focused on initiatives in digitalization, production capacity, market support and shared value projects.MONTERREY , MEXICO / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Arca Continental, one of the largest Coca-Cola bottlers in the world, announced today during the Annual Shareholders' Meeting its investment plan for 2023, an estimated amount totaling more than Ps. 14,500 million.The investments will go primarily towards expanding its digital tools, increasing production and distribution capacity, strengthening new beverage categories, and advancing shared value projects in the communities it serves across Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, and the United States.Approximately 50% of the investment will be allocated to operations in Mexico, while the other 50% will go towards operations in the United States and South America.At the event, Arca Continental's Chairman of the Board, Jorge Humberto Santos Reyna, and Chief Executive Officer, Arturo Gutierrez Hernandez, highlighted the company's solid results for 2022 and reaffirmed the commitment of Arca Continental to continue achieving profitable and sustainable growth while supporting the integral development of their associates and the communities it serves."At Arca Continental we value the importance of operating a sustainable business model that enables us to continue growing as a company, conscious of caring for the environment while being committed to creating shared value in all of the territories in which we operate," stated Santos."This year's results confirm that we continue to advance in the right direction, strengthening our operations and value chain, while continuously evolving our business to meet the demands of today's dynamic market conditions," he added.Furthermore, Gutierrez emphasized that at the close of 2022 Arca Continental reported consolidated net sales of Ps. 207,785 million, 13.3% higher than in 2021, and EBITDA of Ps. 39,622 million, 11.9% above the previous year."This year we accelerated the use and benefits of digital tools in the market, improving our customers' competitiveness, while strengthening the execution and optimization of our processes in order to continue supporting our leadership and trust from consumers", expressed Gutierrez.In 2023, Arca Continental will continue exploring new avenues of growth in line with the long-term collaboration framework agreement signed with The Coca-Cola Company for its Latin American operations in 2022.About Arca ContinentalArca Continental produces, distributes, and markets beverages under The Coca-Cola Company brand, as well as snacks under the Bokados brand in Mexico, Inalecsa in Ecuador, and Wise and Deep River in the United States. With an outstanding history spanning more than 97 years, Arca Continental is the second-largest Coca-Cola bottler in Latin America, and one of the largest in the world. Through its Coca-Cola franchise, the company serves more than 127 million people in the Northern and Western regions in Mexico, as well as in Ecuador, Peru, in the Northern region of Argentina, and in the Southwestern United States. Arca Continental is listed on the Mexican Stock Exchange under the ticker "AC". For more information on Arca Continental, please visit www.arcacontal.com Press contact:Daniela Castillo+52 81 8151 1400 Ext. 11643SOURCE: Arca Continental PR-Inside.com: 2023-03-30 18:45:22 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 570 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 DUBAI, UAE / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Recent data shows that there are over 600 million stray dogs globally, and this number continues to rise. On March 27th, CoinW, MiloInu, BinaryX, and Assure Wallet collaborated on a Twitter charity event named CoinW Puppy Day. The event garnered substantial support and engagement from numerous users, with an estimated overall exposure of nearly 400,000. For each retweet of the event, a specific amount of love was donated to stray dogs. The charity event successfully raised $3,000 in donations, which CoinW employees in Turkey, Malaysia, and India will directly donate to various stray dog rescue organizations.As a socially responsible company, the CoinW Social Welfare Charity Foundation remains committed to promoting and participating in various social welfare undertakings worldwide. The Foundation recognizes its corporate social responsibility and acknowledges the importance of contributing to social welfare programs. The platform's mission is closely intertwined with its public welfare responsibilities, and it is hoped that the fire of public welfare will continue to spread rapidly on a larger scale.According to the World Animal Protection organization, there are an estimated 200 million stray dogs worldwide, and over 600 million stray cats. These animals face not only the lack of basic necessities but also the threat of diseases, traffic accidents, abuse, and violence. The problem is particularly severe in developing countries where the issue is compounded by inadequate infrastructure and funding for animal welfare. To address this global crisis, numerous individuals, and organizations have been working to provide shelters, food, and medical care for these animals. CoinW's efforts to protect stray animals include supporting sterilization programs, establishing animal shelters, and launching adoption campaigns, all of which have helped to raise awareness of the issue and promote more significant public participation in animal welfare efforts. A variety of initiatives were launched in multiple countries, including Beijing, Shanghai, Turkey, Malaysia, and India, as part of its corporate social responsibility to make a significant impact on the lives of animals in need.Recognizing that the responsibility for helping stray animals extends beyond just animal rescue organizations, CoinW has established a social welfare charity fund in 2022 and launched a comprehensive "Stray Dog Care Plan". This initiative calls for builders, project teams, and industry organizations in the Web3 field to join together and donate funds and materials through various rescue channels. By improving the living environment of small animals in rescue stations worldwide, CoinW aims to inspire more people to participate in the protection and rescue of stray animals through the power of enterprises. Through initiatives like these, the exchange platform is living up to its commitment to create a more compassionate world.CoinW is planning to launch an official website that focuses on public welfare activities soon. This website will utilize diverse methods to rescue stray animals, encourage user participation, promote the concepts of love and social welfare, and inspire individuals to contribute their own resources. According to the head of social welfare at CoinW, the company aims to go beyond simply rescuing animals and extend their animal care plan to address the root causes of animal abandonment. They hope to promote the idea of equal companionship between people and pets and create a better living environment for stray animals through the joint efforts of society.Company DetailsOrganization: CoinWContact Person: Skylar WuWebsite: https://www.coinw.com/ Email: marketing@ coinw.com Country: United Arab EmiratesPR ContactKing NewsWireEmail: Support@ kingnewswire.com SOURCE: CoinW A group of OSCE participating States have launched an independent investigation in accordance with the Moscow Mechanism to investigate cases of deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said. "I welcome the invocation of the Moscow Mechanism by 45 OSCE States to address the forcible transfer of Ukrainian children by Russia. We need resolute joint actions to stop this genocidal practice, return children back to Ukraine, and ensure that perpetrators are held accountable," Kuleba said on Twitter on Thursday. The Moscow Mechanism adopted at the third stage of the Human Dimension Conference in 1991, complements and strengthens the Vienna Mechanism. It provides for the possibility of sending missions of experts to assist participating States in resolving a particular issue or problem related to the human dimension. PR-Inside.com: 2023-03-30 02:52:44 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 948 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 RADNOR, PA / ACCESSWIRE / March 29, 2023 / The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP( www.ktmc.com) informs investors that securities class action complaints have been filed against Credit Suisse Group AG ("Credit Suisse") (NYSE:CS). The complaints charge Credit Suisse with violations of the federal securities laws, including omissions and fraudulent misrepresentations relating to the company's business, operations, and prospects. As a result of Credit Suisse's materially misleading statements and omissions to the public, Credit Suisse's investors have suffered significant losses.CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR CREDIT SUISSE LOSSES. YOU CAN ALSO CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK OR COPY AND PASTE IN YOUR BROWSER: https://www.ktmc.com/new-cases/credit-suisse-group-ag?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=cs&mktm=r CANNOT VIEW THIS VIDEO? PLEASE CLICK HERELEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE:MAY 8, 2023CLASS PERIOD: MARCH 10, 2022 THROUGH MARCH 20, 2023CONTACT AN ATTORNEY TO DISCUSS YOUR RIGHTS:Jonathan Naji, Esq. at (484) 270-1453 or via email at info@ ktmc.com Kessler Topaz is one of the world's foremost advocates in protecting the public against corporate fraud and other wrongdoing. Our securities fraud litigators are regularly recognized as leaders in the field individually and our firm is both feared and respected among the defense bar and the insurance bar. We are proud to have recovered billions of dollars for our clients and the classes of shareholders we represent.CREDIT SUISSE'S ALLEGED MISCONDUCTOn March 10, 2022, Credit Suisse filed with the SEC its 2021 annual report on a Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2021. The 2021 annual report failed to identify any material weaknesses with Credit Suisse's internal controls.On December 1, 2022, Credit Suisse's Chairman, Axel P. Lehmann ("Lehmann") stated in an interview with Financial Times that customer outflows had not only "completely flattened out," but had, in fact, "partially reversed." The following day, in an interview with Bloomberg Television, Lehmann reiterated his previous statements, reassuring investors that as of November 11, 2022, customer outflows had "basically stopped." Following Lehmann's statements, Credit Suisse's American Depository Share ("ADS") price rose $0.29 per ADS, or 9.36%, to close at $3.38 per ADS on December 2, 2022.Then on February 9, 2023, Credit Suisse issued a press release announcing its 2022 financial results. The press release revealed that, contrary to Lehmann's prior statements, large customer outflows had continued through year-end 2022. Specifically, the press release reported customer outflows of 110.5 billion Swiss francs in the final three months of 2022, a figure which far exceeded market expectations. Following this news, Credit Suisse's ADS price fell $0.56 per ADS, or 15.64%, to close at $3.02 per ADS on February 9, 2023.On February 21, 2023, Reuters reported that the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority was reviewing Lehmann's previous comments regarding customer outflows. Following this news, Credit Suisse's ADS price fell another $0.10 per ADS, or 3.31%, to close at $2.92 per ADS on February 21, 2023.Then on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, Credit Suisse issued its annual 2022 report and revealed that it had identified "certain material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting" for the years 2021 and 2022. Additionally, on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, the chairman of Credit Suisse's largest shareholder, Saudi National Bank, which holds 9.88% of Credit Suisse, announced that it won't provide further financial support to Credit Suisse and that it would not buy more shares on regulatory grounds.Following this news, the price of Credit Suisse ADSs fell 13.94% to close at $2.16 per ADS on March 15, 2023.Finally, on March 20, 2023, Credit Suisse issued an announcement on Form 6-K of its merger agreement with Union Bank of Switzerland and that Union Bank of Switzerland would be the surviving entity upon closing of the merger transaction.Following this news, the price of Credit Suisse ADSs fell 52.99% to close at $0.9450 per ADS on March 20, 2023.WHAT CAN I DO?Credit Suisse investors may, no later than May 8, 2023, move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff for the class, through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLPor other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP encourages Credit Suisse investors who have suffered significant losses to contact the firm directly to acquire more information. The first class action complaint against Credit Suisse, Calhoun v. Credit Suisse Group AG, et al. Case No. 23-cv-01297, is filed in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey before the Honorable Karen McGlashan Williams.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE CASEWHO CAN BE A LEAD PLAINTIFF?A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent the lead plaintiff and the class and these attorneys, if approved by the court, are lead or class counsel. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff.ABOUT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLPKessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country and around the world. The firm has developed a global reputation for excellence and has recovered billions of dollars for victims of fraud and other corporate misconduct. All of our work is driven by a common goal: to protect investors, consumers, employees and others from fraud, abuse, misconduct and negligence by businesses and fiduciaries. The complaints were not filed by Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP please visit www.ktmc.com Contact:Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLPJonathan Naji, Esq.280 King of Prussia RoadRadnor, PA 19087(484) 270-1453info@ ktmc.com SOURCE: Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP PR-Inside.com: 2023-03-30 20:31:02 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 542 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 HOUSTON, TX / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / The Dayne Yeager Scholarship for Entrepreneurs is pleased to announce that it is now accepting applications for its one-time $1,000 award. This scholarship has been established to support students who have a passion for entrepreneurship and who are currently pursuing a business major at an accredited university. The scholarship is also open to high school students who are preparing to enter a university to study business.The focus of this scholarship is to help students who wish to launch their own business. Dayne Yeager, the founder of the scholarship, recognizes that starting a business can be challenging, especially for young entrepreneurs who are just starting out. He wants to help students overcome these challenges by providing them with financial support to pursue their dreams. This scholarship is a one-time award of $1,000, and the deadline to apply is July 15, 2023. Applicants are required to submit a creative essay of under 1000 words, answering the question: "How would you define success for your future business?" The winner of the scholarship will be selected based on the best essay, and the award will be given to the winner to support their education in pursuit of their entrepreneurial dreams."We are excited to offer this scholarship to support the next generation of entrepreneurs," said Dayne Yeager. "Starting a business is not easy, and it requires hard work, dedication, and financial support. We want to help students who have a passion for entrepreneurship to achieve their dreams." The Dayne Yeager Scholarship for Entrepreneurs is open to all students who meet the eligibility criteria. Applicants must be currently enrolled at an accredited university pursuing a business major or a high school student who is preparing to enter a university to study business. Additionally, applicants must have a strong interest in starting their own business."We want to encourage students who are passionate about entrepreneurship to apply for this scholarship," said the scholarship committee. "We believe that entrepreneurship is the backbone of the American economy, and we want to support students who have the drive and determination to start their own business." The deadline to apply for the scholarship is July 15, 2023, and the winner will be announced on August 15, 2023.Dayne Yeager, the founder of the scholarship, is a successful entrepreneur himself. Born in Houston, Texas in 1970 and raised in Shepherd, Texas, he earned his degree in agribusiness from Texas A&M, graduating on the Dean's list. In 1994, Dayne began working for Performance Truck, and he was offered the position of General Manager in 2005. Today he owns 20% of the company and serves as CEO. "I know how important it is to have support when starting your own business," said Dayne Yeager. "That's why I started this scholarship - to help the next generation of entrepreneurs achieve their dreams." The Dayne Yeager Scholarship for Entrepreneurs website, dayneyeagerscholarship.com , provides all the necessary details and instructions for applicants. Students who meet the eligibility criteria are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. For more information about the scholarship, please visit the official Dayne Yeager Scholarship website.Contact Info:Spokesperson: Dayne YeagerOrganization: Dayne Yeager ScholarshipWebsite: https://dayneyeagerscholarship.com Email: apply@ dayneyeagerscholarship.com SOURCE: Dayne Yeager Scholarship PR-Inside.com: 2023-03-30 20:25:15 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 517 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 PHILADELPHIA. PA / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Berger Montague advises investors that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has been filed against PLDT, Inc. ("PLDT") (NYSE:PHI) on behalf of those who purchased PLDT securities between January 1, 2019 and December 19, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period").Investor Deadline: Investors who purchased or acquired PLDT securities during the Class Period may, no later than April 7, 2023, seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class. For additional information or to learn how to participate in this litigation, please contact Berger Montague: James Maro at jmaro@ bm.net or (215) 875-3093, or Andrew Abramowitz at aabramowitz@ bm.net or (215) 875-3015, or visit: https://investigations.bergermontague.com/pldt-inc/ PLDT purports to be the Philippines' largest fully integrated telco company. Through its principal business groups, PLDT offers a wide range of telecommunications and digital services across the Philippines' most extensive fiber optic backbone, and fixed line and cellular networks.On December 16, 2022, PLDT filed with the SEC a Form 6-K, which stated, "over the past four years . . ., PLDT, Inc. and its subsidiary, Smart Communications Inc., embarked on a massive network transformation" which cost PHP 379 billion, including an estimated budget overrun of PHP 48 billion ($866 million).On December 19, 2022, Bloomberg reported that "The Philippines' Securities and Exchange Commission has launched an inquiry into the 48-billion peso ($866 million) capital spending budget overrun at PLDT Inc. that triggered a record plunge in the stock amid questions over its corporate governance and fiscal control." Following this news, on December 19, 2022, PLDT's share price fell $6.35 per share, or more than 19%, to close at $20.46.The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, the defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) there were capital spending budget overruns; (2) the defendants failed to address weaknesses that allowed such budget overruns; and (3) as a result, the defendants' statements about its business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.A lead plaintiff is a representative party that acts on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. In order to be appointed lead plaintiff, the Court must determine that the class member's claim is typical of the claims of other class members, and that the class member will adequately represent the class. Your ability to share in any recovery is not, however, affected by the decision whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff. Any member of the purported class may move the Court to serve as a lead plaintiff through counsel of his/her choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an inactive class member.Berger Montague, with offices in Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Chicago, and San Diego, has been a pioneer in securities class action litigation since its founding in 1970. Berger Montague has represented individual and institutional investors for over five decades and serves as lead counsel in courts throughout the United States.Contacts:James Maro, Senior CounselBerger Montague(215) 875-3093jmaro@ bm.net Andrew Abramowitz, Senior CounselBerger Montague(215) 875-3015aabramowitz@ bm.net SOURCE: Berger Montague PR-Inside.com: 2023-03-30 18:01:21 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 518 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 ROCK HILL, SC / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Businesses of all sizes throughout the country have several IRS deadlines approaching this Friday, March 31, 2023. The IRS requires that the following IRS forms are e-filed with the IRS by this date:1099-MISC1099-INT1099-DIV1099-R1099-K1099-S1099-B1099-G1098-T1095-B1095-CACA Reporting on 1094/1095 FormsACA 1094 and 1095 forms are used to summarize and report health insurance coverage information. This is typically filed by employers or health insurance providers that offer coverage to employees or other individuals during the given tax year.Reporting Payments on 1099 Forms1099 forms are a group of information returns that businesses use to report payments such as interest income, dividends, retirement account information, miscellaneous payments, and more. This series of forms are extensively used by government entities, financial institutions, and businesses of every size that make payments throughout the course of doing business.Simplified IRS E-filing Powered by TaxBanditsBusinesses that need to e-file Form 1095-C, 1095-B, and Form 1099 on time and accurately can count on TaxBandits.com to provide a simple and efficient e-filing option. The application offers a user-friendly filing experience that allows last-minute filers to maintain their IRS compliance.Specialized Features for Tax ProfessionalsTaxBandits also offers specialized features for tax professionals seeking a solution for last-minute filing. With TaxBandits' Bulk Upload feature, their clients can easily upload filing details for multiple businesses at once, speeding up the filing process significantly.Tax professionals can also take advantage of volume-based pricing options, Staff Management Tools, extensive reporting, and more in their TaxBandits account.Recipient Copy DistributionWhile the IRS deadlines to distribute copies of these forms have passed, the requirement is still crucial for maintaining IRS compliance. TaxBandits provides easy options for distributing Form 1095 C, 1095 B, and 1099 copies that don't require any additional administrative work. Either during the filing process or after the forms are transmitted, clients can select one or both of these options for distributing their recipient copies.Postal Mailing ServicesOnline Tax Form AccessE-File Form 1095 B, 1095 C, and 1099 today, Get started with TaxBandits.com today!TaxBandits encourages businesses that need a full-service ACA reporting provider to reach out to their sister company, ACAwiseWhen asked about the upcoming deadline, Agie Sundaram, the CEO and Co-Founder of SPAN Enterprises, the parent company of TaxBandits stated, "There is a lot of pressure on businesses to meet their mandated ACA reporting requirements or face massive IRS penalties. This is why we are dedicated to offering businesses a simple ACA e-filing solution, and recommending our sister company when a full-service provider is needed." About TaxBanditsThe 1099 and W-2 experts! TaxBandits is a SOC 2 Certified, IRS-authorized e-file provider of 1099 Form, Form W2, 1095-B, Form 1095-C, 940, 941, and W-9, serving businesses, service providers, and tax professionals of every shape and size.About SPAN EnterprisesBased in Rock Hill, South Carolina, SPAN Enterprises has been developing industry-leading software solutions for IRS e-filing and business management tools for over a decade.The SPAN Enterprises portfolio of products includes TaxBandits, Tax990, ACAwise, ExpressExtension, 123PayStubs, and TruckLogics.For any media inquiries, please reach out to Stephanie Glanville, Content Writer at stephanie@ spanenterprises.com ###SOURCE: TaxBandits PR-Inside.com: 2023-03-30 18:01:10 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 512 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Clinical Study of TISSIUM's COAPTIUM Connect Atraumatic Sutureless Nerve Coaptation System Is Underway in AustraliaPARIS, FRANCE and BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / TISSIUM, a privately-owned medical technology company developing biomorphic programmable polymers for atraumatic tissue reconstruction, announced today the successful implantations of the first patients with its COAPTIUM Connect Sutureless Nerve Coaptation System as part of its peripheral nerve repair study in Australia. The procedures were performed as part of an ongoing clinical trial conducted by Dr Michael Wagels at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, supported by the Translational Research Institute's Translational Trials team, and by Prof Randy Bindra at the Gold Coast University Hospital.The COAPTIUM Connect System has been designed for sutureless and consistent nerve repair. It leverages TISSIUM's unique biopolymer platform and is comprised of a biodegradable light-activated surgical adhesive and a protective coaptation " chamber." "I am honored to have treated the first patient with the COAPTIUM Connect System. The sutureless nerve coaptation was straightforward, and the patient has recovered well. I am optimistic that COAPTIUM Connect can bring us a step closer to better nerve repair outcomes," said Dr. Michael Wagels, Director of the Australian Centre for Complex Integrated Surgical Solutions, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Princess Alexandra Hospital.Dr. Randy Bindra, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Gold Coast University Hospital and Griffith University School of Medicine and principal trial investigator at Gold Coast University Hospital added: "We are thrilled that this important study has started in Australia with the enrollment of the first patients. This novel technology has the potential to present a significant advancement for repair of the injured nerve."TISSIUM's technology has the potential to revolutionize the field of tissue reconstruction in multiple therapeutic areas" said Christophe Bancel, CEO of TISSIUM, "The first clinical use of COAPTIUM Connect Sutureless Nerve Coaptation System is the culmination of years of research and an important step toward our goal of enabling atraumatic tissue repair." About TISSIUMTISSIUM, a privately-owned MedTech company based in Paris, France and Boston, USA, is dedicated to the development and commercialization of products derived from its unique biopolymer platform. The company's products will address multiple unmet clinical needs, including atraumatic tissue repair and reconstruction.TISSIUM is developing a portfolio of products that leverage its proprietary family of fully biosynthetic, biomorphic, and programmable polymers, which are the foundation of the company's technology platform. Currently, the Company has a pipeline of seven products across three verticals, including atraumatic sutureless nerve repair, hernia repair and cardiovascular sealants. Each product is designed to enhance the tissue reconstruction process in a unique way. In addition, the company develops complementary delivery and activation devices for enhanced performance and usability of its products.TISSIUM's technology is based on world-class research and intellectual property from the laboratories of Professor Robert Langer (MIT) and Professor Jeffrey M. Karp (Brigham and Women's Hospital), who co-founded the company in 2013.###CONTACTSInvestor relationsRomain Attard - Chief Financial Officer rattard@ TISSIUM.com Tel: +33 1 76 21 72 28 Twitter: @TISSIUMtechPressJeanene Timberlake. jtimberlake@ rooneypartners.com Tel : +1 646-770-8858SOURCE: TISSIUM PR-Inside.com: 2023-03-30 15:01:19 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 610 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Small Businesses and Thousands of Jobs at Stake as New Legislation Being Pushed Could Devastate the State's Thriving Hemp IndustryTALLAHASSEE, FL / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Patrick O'Brien, an American veteran, founder of Learn Sativa University and SaveFLHemp.org - an organization committed to protecting Florida's thriving hemp industry and the small businesses that depend on it - recently spoke before the Florida House of Representatives, advocating for small businesses and the people of Florida. His plea, however, went unanswered as the House pushed forward with House Bill 1475, potentially endangering the entire hemp industry in the state.Defending Florida's Hemp: Veteran Patrick O'Brien Takes a StandPatrick O'Brien, a determined American veteran and hemp advocate, stands tall before the Florida House of Representatives, passionately defending the rights of small businesses and the livelihoods of thousands in the state's hemp industry. O'Brien, along with other business owners and cancer survivors, was allotted a mere 30-second window to passionately argue against the bill's devastating consequences on small businesses, individuals, and the economy. In a room filled with over 70 opponents of the bill, including stage 4 cancer patients, doctors, and lawyers who attested to the benefits of hemp products and how the bill would adversely affect Florida's industry, the representatives seemed to disregard the pleas of their constituents.The hemp industry has contributed significantly to Florida's economy, providing jobs for over 100,000 people and generating substantial tax revenue. Despite the overwhelming evidence against the bill, hemp businesses were told to "stay in their lane" as HB 1475 continues to push forward.The bill, disguised as a measure to protect children, would primarily benefit Florida MMTCs at the expense of the hemp industry. The representatives, many of whom demonstrated little knowledge of the plant, its uses, or the science behind it, chose profit over people, voting in favor of the bill while claiming to hear the concerns of the crowd. The proposed legislation is constitutionally unethical and goes against federal guidelines. Moreover, the "guidelines" set by this bill are already in effect in Florida, and the addition of outrageous THC caps and the redefining of hemp in Florida law would only serve to destroy small businesses.All eyes are now on the next committees, the Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee and the Infrastructure Strategies Committee, which have the power to stand with small businesses and prevent large corporations from monopolizing the hemp industry in Florida, a state that prides itself on freedom and opportunity.O'Brien has also initiated a petition opposing the bills, which can be signed online at saveflhemp.org . With thousands of signatures already collected, the goal is to gather even more support to protect Florida's hemp industry.O'Brien will continue his fight for the industry when he returns to Tallahassee for SB 1676, which will be presented before the Fiscal Committee. The bill is almost identical to HB 1475 and could devastate the state's hemp industry. His determination and commitment to the cause serve as a powerful reminder that the people of Florida will not back down without a fight.About SaveFLHemp.org SaveFLHemp.org is a dedicated organization committed to protecting Florida's thriving hemp industry and the small businesses that depend on it. With a focus on providing accurate information, resources, and advocacy, SaveFLHemp.org works tirelessly to ensure that the voices of entrepreneurs, industry workers, and consumers are heard by policymakers and legislators. Through grassroots efforts, educational campaigns, and strategic partnerships, SaveFLHemp.org seeks to create a sustainable future for Florida's hemp industry, safeguarding the economic and social well-being of the countless individuals who rely on it.Contact InformationAllyson PerezDirector of Operationsmedia@ saveflhemp.org 720-295-1439SOURCE: SaveFLHemp.org PR-Inside.com: 2023-03-30 08:51:58 Press Information Dhirtek Business Research and Consulting Private Limited +91 7580990088 email www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com Published by Parmeet Singh 7580990088 e-mail https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/ # 1096 Words +91 7580990088Parmeet Singh7580990088 Dhirtek Business Research and Consulting recently released their most comprehensive study on the global beta-alanine supplements market. This research report provides a detailed overview of the market's drivers and restraints, as well as a thorough analysis of the current trends that are likely to shape its future. To create this in-depth report, the team of analysts used both primary and secondary research methods. The report offers an unbiased perspective on the beta-alanine supplements industry, allowing clients to make well-informed business decisions. The report reveals key insights about the global beta-alanine supplements industry, such as the market's size and potential for growth. It also examines the impact of technological advancements, regulatory changes, and consumer behaviors on the market's performance. Analysts also take a closer look at the market's competitive landscape, highlighting the strategies used by leading players to gain a competitive edge. Additionally, the report outlines potential threats and opportunities that may arise in the near future.Overall, this comprehensive report offers an invaluable resource for those looking to better understand the global beta-alanine supplements market. With the help of the study's data-driven insights, clients can gain a better understanding of the current market dynamics, allowing them to make informed business decisions.Request a Sample of this Report at: https://www.dhirtekbusinessresearch.com/market-report/Beta-Alanine-Supplements-Market/request-for-sample-report The global beta-alanine supplements market was in a state of flux, and the future direction was uncertain. To gain clarity, a comprehensive research study was conducted to analyze the market using Porter's five forces analysis and SWOT analysis. By combining these two methods of analysis, the research could gain a clear perspective of the global beta-alanine supplements market's expected direction.The SWOT analysis focused on identifying the market's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It was a useful tool in determining the potential of the market to succeed and develop, as well as its potential vulnerabilities. The Porter's five forces analysis, on the other hand, provided a detailed look into the competitive landscape, examining the level of competition, the bargaining power of customers, the bargaining power of suppliers, the threat of new entrants, and the threat of substitute products.The research report delved into the trends that were shaping the market, as well as consumer behavior patterns. It was found that the competition among the existing players in the market was intense, and new entrants posed a major threat. The bargaining power of customers was also strong, and suppliers had to come up with innovative products to keep their customers satisfied. Additionally, the threat of substitute products was also present, and companies had to be prepared to face this competition.Overall, the research study provided a comprehensive understanding of the global beta-alanine supplements market's expected direction. By combining Porter's five forces analysis and SWOT analysis, the research was able to gain a clear picture of the market's future. The report gave readers a better understanding of the trends and consumer behavior patterns that would shape the market's evolution.Highlights of Global Beta-Alanine Supplements Market ReportThe global beta-alanine supplements market report is a comprehensive overview of the current state of the industry and provides an in-depth analysis of its future trends and developments.The report details the market size, growth rate, industry trends, and other noteworthy information. It also highlights key products and services that are driving the growth of the market, as well as their respective market shares.One of the most important aspects of the global beta-alanine supplements market report is the analysis of the competitive landscape. The report details the competitive positioning of the leading players in the market and the various strategies they are using to stay ahead of their rivals.The report also examines the recent technological developments that are disrupting the industry and the effect they will have on the market in the long term. It also covers the impact of government regulations and policies on the industry and provides an insight into the future trends in the industry.The global beta-alanine supplements market report provides an insightful look at the current state of the industry and a comprehensive overview of its future prospects. It is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to gain an understanding of the market and its potential.Scope of the ReportBeta-Alanine Supplements Market SegmentsThe market by product type is segmented into pills, powders, capsules.The market by application is segmented into online retail, offline retail.Regions Covered in the Global Beta-Alanine Supplements Market:North America (the United States and Canada)Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Russia, and Rest of Europe)Asia-Pacific (China, India, Japan, Korea, Australia, and Rest of Asia Pacific)The Middle East and Africa (GCC Countries, South Africa and Rest of the Middle East & Africa)Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Rest of Latin America)The beta-alanine supplements market has been under intense scrutiny over the past few years, and the latest report released by the market research division provides a comprehensive overview of the leading players in the industry. The report contains a detailed chapter on company profiles which provides an overview of the strategic objectives of the leading players, their primary products and services, and an in-depth analysis of their strategic initiatives.The report reveals that the leading players in the beta-alanine supplements market are taking aggressive steps to strengthen their position in the industry. Many of the organizations have embarked on R&D activities to stay ahead of the competition and remain competitive. Their strategic initiatives have also been designed to capitalize on the technological advances in the industry.The report also provides an overview of the financial outlooks of the leading players in the industry. An overall analysis of the organizations' financial statuses reveals the current trends in the market. This allows readers to gain a better understanding of the potential of the beta-alanine supplements market and its expected trajectory.It is clear that the beta-alanine supplements market is a highly competitive industry and the leading players have to continuously innovate to keep up with the competition. The report provides an in-depth analysis of the industry and its key players and provides readers with an understanding of the industry's current and future prospects. This research aims to provide readers with an informed assessment of the anticipated trajectory of the beta-alanine supplements market.The following Companies as the Key Players in the Global Beta-Alanine Supplements Market Research Report:ABH Pharma, ALLMAX Nutrition, Huaheng Biotech, Natural Alternatives International (NAI), NutraBio, NutraBlend Foods, Shandong Yangcheng Biotech, Xinfa PharmaceuticalContact UsDhirtek Business Research and Consulting Private LimitedContact No: +91 7580990088Email Id: sales@ dhirtekbusinessresearch.com PR-Inside.com: 2023-03-30 03:05:24 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 743 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / March 29, 2022 / WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds investors in BlockFi Interest Accounts ("BIAs") between March 4, 2019 and November 28, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period"), against Zac Prince, Flori Marquez, Amit Cheela, David Olsson, and Samia Bayou (together, "Defendants"), of the important May 1, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline.SO WHAT: If you invested in BlockFi Interest Accounts ("BIAs") during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the BlockFi class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=12656 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 May 1, 2023. 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 litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, the Defendants made false and misleading statements to promote BlockFi Interest Accounts ("BIAs"), including that BIAs were a secure method of collecting interest. In addition, the Complaint alleges, among other things, that the defendants omitted and concealed material information concerning the risks associated with BIAs, including through BlockFi's exposure to FTX Trading, Ltd. ("FTX") and Sam Bankman-Fried's trading firm Alameda Research ("Alameda"), both of which collapsed in the wake of revelations that FTX and Alameda were engaging in fraud on a massive scale. In the wake of the FTX collapse, the lawsuit alleges that BlockFi froze withdrawals in BIAs, harming BIA investors. Further, investors in BIAs were not aware of conflicts of interest and self-dealing between BlockFi and other entities, such as Gemini Trust LLC, controlled by Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss. The Complaint further alleges BlockFi and the Individual Defendants engaged in the unlawful offer and sale of securities in violation of Sections 5, 11, 12(a)(2), and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 by selling BIAs to investors. The lawsuit also alleges claims for violation of Section 10(b) and 20 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Massachusetts General Law Chapter 110A.To join the BlockFi class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=12656 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 investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm , on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/ Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.Contact Information:Laurence Rosen, Esq.Phillip Kim, Esq.The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.275 Madison Avenue, 40th FloorNew York, NY 10016Tel: (212) 686-1060Toll Free: (866) 767-3653Fax: (212) 202-3827lrosen@ rosenlegal.com pkim@ rosenlegal.com cases@ rosenlegal.com SOURCE: The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. PR-Inside.com: 2023-03-30 02:00:21 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 554 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 DENVER, CO / ACCESSWIRE / March 29, 2023 / Renowned fashion designer Guillermo Pharis has announced the opening of his headquarters in Denver, Colorado, where he plans to expand his worldwide bridal and evening wear brand. Guillermo's passion for designing wedding dresses started at a young age, and now, he is fulfilling his childhood dream of becoming a bridal fashion designer.Guillermo Pharis Bridal is known for its exquisite and sophisticated designs that perfectly blend elegance and beauty. His romantic Whisper Bridal Collection features timeless aesthetics, delicate and intricate details, and a perfect balance of modern and traditional elements.The brand's commitment to providing exceptional service to its clients is reflected in its approach at its Denver location. Every bride is assigned a personal stylist for their 60-minute appointment, ensuring an unparalleled experience. Given the personalized and intimate nature of these appointments, it is advisable to make a reservation ahead of time. Clients can select their preferred time slot from Monday to Saturday and, for a supplementary fee, arrange for special appointments.At Guillermo Pharis Bridal, each client's unique taste and budget are carefully considered during their appointment with the fashion maestro himself. Guillermo's goal is to help every bride discover the dress of her dreams for her big day. The showroom exclusively showcases Guillermo Pharis Bridal's two signature brands, Whisper Bridal New York and GIA New York, boasting an extensive collection of over 200 distinctive styles to suit every preference.For the discerning bride seeking bespoke attention, the design studio extends private consultations that promise to demystify the bridal journey and sidestep any missteps. With Guillermo's expert guidance, brides-to-be can confidently navigate the intricate world of bridal wear, from gown shapes and fabrics to intricate patterns and venue-appropriate materials. This one-hour consultation for bespoke gown design is available exclusively at the Denver location. As an added indulgence, clients who avail themselves of this service will receive a luxurious bottle of champagne on the house.Guillermo's extensive experience in the fashion industry has earned him a reputation for designing high-quality bridal and evening dresses. His work has been featured in major publications like BRIDES, Yahoo Finance, New York Weekly, The New York Post, NY TV, and local, national, and international press & TV. His expertise in dressmaking techniques has allowed him to perfect the exquisite craft of bridal couture and luxury evening wear, ensuring his clients receive only the highest quality and luxury results.As Guillermo Pharis Bridal expands to Denver, it continues its mission of designing exquisite bridal and evening dresses that bring a sense of value and meaning to its clients' special days. With a passion for designing wedding dresses and its team of experts' extensive knowledge of the fashion industry, Guillermo Pharis Bridal is a force to be reckoned with in the world of bridal fashion.About GP BridalGP Bridal is a premier bridal shop destination that offers a diverse collection of exquisite gowns in various styles, sizes, colors, and fabrics to suit individual preferences. With a focus on quality, elegance, and timeless beauty, GP Bridal is committed to providing high-quality gowns and an unforgettable shopping experience to help every bride find the perfect dress for their special day.CONTACT:Country: USAMedia Contact: Guillermo PharisCompany: Guillermo Pharis BridalEmail: info@ gp-bridal.com Phone number: +1(646) 322-4959Website: https://gp-bridal.com/product-category/gowns/ SOURCE: Guillermo Pharis Bridal PR-Inside.com: 2023-03-30 16:01:06 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 836 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Experienced mining executives join forces with Magellan Gold to further exploration and development of Idaho properties portfolioWALLACE, ID / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Magellan Gold Corporation (OTC PINK:MAGE) ("Magellan" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that the company has teamed with the experienced management team at Gold Express mines and has purchased five new properties located within the State of Idaho. The five properties are in various stages of exploration and development and are located in: Idaho County, Custer County, Shoshone County and Lemhi County.Mr. Howard Crosby will be joining the board of directors of Magellan Gold Corporation and Mr. John Ryan will be joining the Company's Advisory Board. Mr. Crosby and Mr. Ryan have been business partners for twenty-five years with a focus on natural resource companies. The two entrepreneurs have founded, developed, and grown multiple successful companies from start-up phase to public listings, strategic buyouts, and/or asset sales. Notably the two were founders of US Silver Corporation which acquired the Galena Mine in the Coeur d' Alene Mining District from Coeur d' Alene Mines in 2006 and were founders or co-founders and/or held various positions with White Mountain Titanium, Bunker Hill Mining Corp., Cadence Resources Corporation, High Plains Uranium, Western Goldfields, Inc., and Metalline Mining Company among others.The newly acquired properties fit perfectly with the Company's focus to acquire, explore, and develop early to mid-stage exploration targets or near-term production plays. The Company continues to remain focused in the State of Idaho and to leverage current managements many years of experience in the mining industry in the state. In the near future the Company will be speaking more specifically about each of the new property acquisitions, and we look forward to updating our current shareholders and the investing public about these new acquisitions and our Center Star Mine project as well.Mike Lavigne, the CEO of Magellan Gold Corporation stated, "We are pleased to announce the acquisition of this new group of Idaho based properties". He added, "Having Mr. Crosby and Mr. Ryan with their many years of experience and success in the resource sector and specifically in the State of Idaho is an incredible asset for Magellan Gold Corporation and their shareholders".New Magellan Gold Corporation Director, Mr. Howard Crosby said, "We are excited to be teaming with Magellan Gold to help move the exploration and development of these properties forward". He went on to say, "We believe that each of these unique properties provide significant opportunity for future exploration development".About Magellan Gold CorporationMagellan Gold Corporation (MAGE) is focused on the exploration and development of precious metals in North America and more specifically the Western United States. Magellan controls six projects: The Center Star Gold Mine, Golden, Idaho Project, Seafoam District, Blacktail District, Bit-It Project, and Terror Gulch (Capparelli Group), all located within the State of Idaho.To learn more about Magellan Gold Corporation, visit www.magellangoldcorp.com About Gold Express Mines, Inc.Gold Express Mines is a US-based, multi-commodity mining company focused on the discovery, development and production of precious and base metal assets and focused on historic mining districts and other known mineralized areas. Gold Express Mines prioritizes sustainability in its operations. We will utilize best practices to ensure that the economic, social and environmental impacts of our projects are in harmony with the goals and desires of the local towns, regions, and indigenous organizations where we operate. Our aim is to be a part of a new era of low-impact, socially responsible mining which provides an abundance of newly mined metals critical to our nation's security, economic growth, and reduction of carbon dioxide emissions.Cautionary StatementThe United States Securities and Exchange Commission permits mining companies, in their filings with the SEC, to disclose only those mineral deposits that a company can legally extract or produce. Under SEC Industry Guide 7 standards, a "final" or "bankable" feasibility study is required to report reserves. Currently we have not delineated "reserves" on any of our properties. We cannot be certain that any deposits at our properties will ever be confirmed or converted into SEC Industry Guide 7 compliant " reserves." Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of any "resource" estimates will ever be confirmed or converted into reserves or that they can be economically or legally extracted.Forward Looking StatementsThis release contains "forward-looking statements." Such statements are based on good faith assumptions that Magellan Gold Corporation believes are reasonable but which are subject to a wide range of uncertainties and business risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed, projected or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from those anticipated are discussed in Magellan Gold Corporation's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.Contacts:Magellan Gold CorporationMike Lavigne, CEOmblavigne@ magellangoldcorp.com SOURCE: Magellan Gold Corp. Bahrains successful efforts to attract foreign direct investment for fintech innovation and other segments of the economy with high growth potential will be mapped out in a report soon. To be published by the global research and advisory company Oxford Business Group (OBG), The Report: Bahrain 2023 will track the strides being taken by the kingdom to further enhance its business environment, which helped to attract a record $1.1 billion in direct investment in 2022 (Bahrain Economic Development Board). It will shine a spotlight on the areas of the economy identified as ripe for development, which range from financial services and ICT to logistics, manufacturing and tourism. Regulatory sandbox Fintechs increasing contribution to growth will be a key focal point. The report will chart the far-reaching measures introduced to support the segments development, which include the setting up of a regulatory sandbox and new rules for emerging technologies, such as open banking, debt- and equity-based crowdfunding, and the crypto-asset module. To support its analysis, OBG has signed a first-time memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bahrain FinTech Bay. Under the agreement, the regional fintech hub will contribute to The Report: Bahrain 2023 and other content for the OBGs suite of research tools. The MoU was signed by Suzy Al Zeerah, Chief Operating Officer of Bahrain FinTech Bay, and Fernanda Braz, OBGs Country Director in Bahrain. Immense potential Al Zeerah said: In Bahrain we recognise the immense potential of fintech to drive innovation, enhance efficiency and transform our economy. As we continue to embrace the digital age, fintech will play an increasingly critical role in ensuring that we remain at the forefront of innovation and growth. We see fintech as a key driver for digitalizing our economy as part of Bahrains Economic Vision 2030 and are optimistic about future projects that will take this industry forward. Oxford Business Group is known for producing high-calibre research tools on fast-growing markets and their investment potential. Were thrilled to be partnering with its representatives on this highly anticipated report to promote the national and regional fintech industrys underlying opportunities, she added. Welcoming the Bahrain FinTech Bay on board, Braz said the kingdoms efforts to position itself as a fintech hub were advancing rapidly, buoyed by its competitive advantages, which include a strategic location, highly capable workforce, strong regulatory framework and supportive ecosystem. Key role Bahrain FinTech Bay is playing a key role in supporting the development of the regional fintech industry, providing resources and services to both startups and investors, while fostering a range of initiatives across emerging tech fields, she said. Im delighted to have its experts input for our research, which will enable us to highlight the investment potential of this important financial services segment and share a broad range of valuable insights with our subscribers. The Report: Bahrain 2023 will be produced with Bahrain FinTech Bay, Bahrain Bourse, KPMG and Zubi and partners. It will contain contributions from leading personalities in the public and private sectors. The Report: Bahrain 2023 will mark the culmination of several months of field research by a team of analysts from Oxford Business Group. It will be a vital guide to the many facets of the kingdom, including its macroeconomics, infrastructure, banking and other sectoral developments.-- TradeArabia News Service The grain agreement is important for the economy of Ukraine, and its continuation is a key interest for the Ukrainian state, Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey Vasyl Bodnar said during a briefing at Ukraine Media Center. He said last week the "grain deal" was extended for the next term. "We believe that the agreement has been extended for 120 days, as it is provided for by the document that was signed on July 22 last year," the ambassador said. At the same time, he said that there are speculations on the part of the Russian side about the timing of the extension of the agreement. "There are speculations by the Russian side that it seems to want to reconsider, wants an extension for only 60 days. These are, of course, attempts by the aggressor country to manipulate both public opinion and mediators," Bodnar said. At the same time, the ambassador noted the unanimous position on the extension of the grain agreement on the part of the UN Secretary General and the Turkish side. "We have seen the statement of the UN Secretary General that it is 120 days. We also have a clear statement from the Turkish side that in their understanding it is also 120 days. We will see how the situation will unfold in 60 days. during this period, presidential elections are taking place in Turkey, and all attention within this country will be riveted to the ongoing electoral process," he said. PR-Inside.com: 2023-03-30 15:17:55 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 500 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Fragali's unique ability to create luxury spaces is exhibited throughout every square foot of the new South Miami residence.MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Design Solutions Miami, a leader in Miami home design, is one of the area's most sought-after agencies for creating truly luxurious commercial and residential properties. And when founder and lead designer Luciana Fragali set her sights on an under-construction estate in South Miami's Ponce Davis neighborhood, the firm's skills in interior design brought to life a stunning property with the perfect balance of art, nature, and contemporary luxury.Design Solutions MiamiDesign Solutions Miami The home, initially planned as a spec property by developers, was purchased by Fragali and her husband with the intention of building a home that would exude the luxury interior design Miami-based Design Solutions is known for. The primary inspiration for the design came from a 400-year-old banyan tree rooted in the property's backyard-a charming piece of natural history that remains a focal point of the finished space.Working with architect Cesar Molina of CMA Design Studio and builder Mocca Construction, Fragali quickly got to work, bringing her inspired Miami modern home design vision to life. The finished home is a 6,000-square-foot masterpiece complete with expertly-crafted millwork, a state-of-the-art kitchen, and a backyard oasis purposefully designed around Fragali's banyan inspiration.Other features of the home highlight the unique elements Fragali is known for as one of the top Miami interior designers. This includes an eclectic mix of powerful fine art pieces and meaningful collectibles acquired by Fragali on her travels. There is also ample use of glass and greenery to merge the property's indoor and outdoor spaces. Speaking to Florida Design magazine about the completed project, Fragali says, "What I love about this house is that anywhere you are inside, you feel like you are outside; always at one with nature." Those who are interested in learning more about the newly-finished Ponce Davis property or Design Solutions' expertise in creating truly one-of-a-kind Miami luxury homes are encouraged to contact the firm directly or visit their website at www.ds-miami.com . Design Solutions offers high-end interior design services in Miami and around the country, with a passionate team that is committed to move-in-ready luxury.About Design Solutions MiamiDesign Solutions Miami has provided the top luxury interior design and decorating for commercial and residential properties for 15 years. The team is composed of twelve first-rate professionals in six very well-structured departments: creative, specifications, purchase & logistics, construction supervision, finance, and final staging. Design Solutions Miami is distinguished for its ability to develop accurate project estimates at project inception and work with responsible and trusted contractors, vendors, and other partners to deliver projects on time and within budget. They are also willing to travel to other US locations for any necessary services.For more information, please visit www.ds-miami.com Contact:Design Solutions(786) 391-1418Send a messageContact InformationSuri Del CastilloDirector of Sales and Marketingscastillo@ ds-miami.com 305-778-6860SOURCE: Design Solutions Miami PR-Inside.com: 2023-03-30 14:01:44 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1020 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Frequency Exchange Corp. ("Frequency Exchange" or the "Company") (TSXV:FREQ) pleased to announce that its wholly-owned subsidiary, FREmedica Technologies Inc. ("FREmedica"), has been approved for its new App "NIKKI CONNECT" to be registered with both the iOS App Store and Android Play Store. The app will allow NIKKI owners to update their own devices and frequency sets. Early user feedback has been very positive on the effect the frequency sets are having on stress, fatigue, pain and sleep to name a few big wins for NIKKI owners."The App is a critical piece of software that allows NIKKI owners access to the Platinum Set of frequencies and to allow critical firmware updates when required. Says Stephen Davis, CEO. Having the App also allows NIKKI owners to receive new frequency updates along with exclusive access to new frequency set providers." The results of our Quality of Life study have set the stage to help millions of people who are struggling with issues related to sleep, pain & inflammation, lackof energy, stress& anxiety, or a combination of all the above. Early indications from NIKKI owners seem to verify the results that were obtained in the study.PLATINUM SUITE, 9 FREQUENCY SETS FOR THE LIFE OF YOUR NIKKINicole Sullivan, President of FREmedica states "We are excited to offer the Platinum Set of frequencies for the LIFETIME of your NIKKI at no charge, a gift to you from the NIKKI team. In this exclusive offer you will receive each of the following nine frequency sets for life at the time you download the "NIKKI" App."Join the growing NIKKI community of owners sharing how NIKKI has affected their life in such positive ways." NIKKI is a first-of-its-kind frequency delivery system that you wear. A wellness centre on your wrist that delivers frequency sets on demand into the body designed for wellness and performance enhancement. With the new App "NIKKI CONNECT" owners will be able to update their NIKKI with new frequency sets as they are released.Download "NIKKI CONNECT" App and receive the Platinum Frequency Sets at no charge for the life of your NIKKI. You will also note you can turn your Bluetooth OFF while playing your frequency sets. This is just one more way we are helping you to stay healthy. Says Nicole Sullivan, President of FREmedica."NIKKI STORIES""I admit I was skeptical, but I bought two, one for myself and my wife. We started wearing them as soon as the devices were fully charged. My wife noticed a quick reduction in pain which is a regular occurrence for her. She swears that the NIKKI has been extremely beneficial for pain and stress. I felt more ease when dealing with stress and have started to gain momentum on better sleep. I would recommend everyone try one and feel its benefits." MARK A"I like that NIKKI's Sleep frequency makes me tired before I go to bed. During work the Stress & Anxiety frequency helps me keep my cool as a teacher when my class is going bonkers." JADEEN D"I have been using NiKKi for about two months. I use the Stress + Anxiety frequency set and have found wearing NiKKi takes the edge off. I wear it consistently over three days and then recharge. It's very easy to use and comfortable". AMANDA A"I have been using NIKKI frequencies for the past two months. My favorites are the Energy and Sleep frequencies. I feel a boost of energy and have had a better quality of sleep. When I feel a little sluggish or experience back pain I switch to Pain and/or Energy frequencies. I realize most things don't happen overnight. I'm committed and will continue to use NIKKI to discover more improvements." MARION BAbout the CompanyBased in British Columbia, Canada, FREmedica is focused on the development and global commercialization of a wearable Frequency Delivery System providing specialized programs designed for health and wellness as well as performance enhancement. NIKKI is the fifth-generation Frequency Delivery System released by the Company, initially to help clients with chronic Lyme disease. This wearable frequency technology is the product of years of research and development applying the latest in bioenergetic science.For more information, please contact:Frequency Exchange Corp.Stephen DavisCEO & Director250-732-7170FREmedica Technologies IncNicole SullivanPresidentnicole@ fremedica.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking InformationCertain information contained herein constitutes "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the trading date of the Company's common shares on the Exchange. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "will" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. 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. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws.Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in filings by the Company with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com Neither the Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.SOURCE: Frequency Exchange Corp. PR-Inside.com: 2023-03-30 03:09:49 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1007 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 RADNOR, PA / ACCESSWIRE / March 29, 2023 / The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP ( www.ktmc.com) informs investors that a securities class action lawsuit has been against Norfolk Southern Corporation ("Norfolk Southern") (NYSE:NSC). The action charges Norfolk Southern with violations of the federal securities laws, including omissions and fraudulent misrepresentations relating to the company's business, operations, and prospects. As a result of Norfolk Southern's materially misleading statements and omissions to the public, Norfolk Southern's investors have suffered significant losses.CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR NORFOLK SOUTHERN LOSSES. YOU CAN ALSO CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK OR COPY AND PASTE IN YOUR BROWSER: https://www.ktmc.com/new-cases/norfolk-southern-corporation?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=nsc&mktm=r CANNOT VIEW THIS VIDEO? PLEASE CLICK HERELEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE:MAY 15, 2023CLASS PERIOD: OCTOBER 28, 2020 THROUGH MARCH 3, 2023CONTACT AN ATTORNEY TO DISCUSS YOUR RIGHTS:Jonathan Naji, Esq. at (484) 270-1453 or via email at info@ ktmc.com Kessler Topaz is one of the world's foremost advocates in protecting the public against corporate fraud and other wrongdoing. Our securities fraud litigators are regularly recognized as leaders in the field individually and our firm is both feared and respected among the defense bar and the insurance bar. We are proud to have recovered billions of dollars for our clients and the classes of shareholders we represent.NORFOLK SOUTHERN'S ALLEGED MISCONDUCTFor several years leading up to the beginning of the Class Period, Norfolk Southern took a number of measures which put profits and executive compensation over safety. For example, in October 2018, Norfolk Southern adopted "Precision Scheduled Railroading" or "PSR" which was purportedly aimed at producing better service at a lower cost. In actuality, the company sought to increase revenues by cutting operating costs including reducing staff, running fewer, heavier, faster trains and optimizing the company's networks in order to increase efficiency. Norfolk Southern also began tying executive compensation to achieving PSR goals. For example, in 2021, multiple Norfolk Southern executives received millions of dollars in cash bonuses for reducing costs by achieving "record performance for train length and weight." Industry critics have warned that this type of compensation system incentivizes executives to cut costs at the expense of safety and also leads to longer and more dangerous trains which "have greater damage done, greater, larger pileups, fires and so on." At the same time, Norfolk Southern and its lobbyists played a key role in defeating an Obama-era safety rule that was used following a number of oil train accidents, including the "ECP Brake Rule" which was ultimately repealed in 2018.On February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern Railway Company general merchandise freight train derailed 38 railcars in East Palestine, Ohio, leaving behind what the Associated Press called "a mangled and charred mass of boxcars and flames." The derailed equipment included 11 tank cars carrying hazardous materials that subsequently ignited, fueling fires that damaged an additional 12 non-derailed railcars.On February 6, 2023, responders engaged in a controlled detonation and burn of the vinyl chloride, spewing massive volumes of chemicals into the vicinity. The chemicals released from the derailment entered the air and water of the surrounding residential areas, the closest of which were only 1,000 feet from the site of the accident. Following this news, the price of Norfolk Southern stock fell on February 6, 2023 - down $5.66 per share from its closing price on Friday, February 3, 2023.Then, on February 8, 2023, after lifting a previously issued evacuation order, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine stated that Norfolk Southern was "the one[] who created the problem. It's their liability. They're the ones who ought to pay for it." Following their return, numerous residents reported hazardous air quality and other health and environmental concerns. Following this news, the price of Norfolk Southern stock fell on February 9, 2023, closing at $238.98 per share - down $7.64 per share from its closing price of $246.62 per share on February 8, 2023.Thereafter, Norfolk Southern's stock price continued to drop in response to several other reports and public officials who spoke out about Norfolk Southern's liability for all of the harm and damage it had caused.On March 4, 2023, another Norfolk Southern freight train derailed near Springfield, Ohio. Two days later, on March 6, 2023, Norfolk Southern announced a 6-part plan to improve operational safety. Following this news, the price of Norfolk Southern stock fell again on March 6 and March 7, 2023, closing at $215.18 per share - down $13.21 per share from its closing price of $228.39 on Friday, March 3, 2023.WHAT CAN I DO?Norfolk Southern investors may, no later than May 15, 2023, move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff for the class, through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLPor other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLPencourages Norfolk Southern investors who have suffered significant losses to contact the firm directly to acquire more information. The class action complaint against Norfolk Southern, captioned Bucks County Employees Retirement System v. Norfolk Southern Corporation, et al. and docketed under 23-cv-0982, is filed in the United States District Court for Southern District of Ohio (Eastern Division) before the Honorable Michael H. Watson.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE CASEWHO CAN BE A LEAD PLAINTIFF?A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent the lead plaintiff and the class and these attorneys, if approved by the court, are lead or class counsel. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff.ABOUT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLPKessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country and around the world. The firm has developed a global reputation for excellence and has recovered billions of dollars for victims of fraud and PR-Inside.com: 2023-03-30 17:32:36 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 894 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 MEDFORD, OR / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Satya Inc. (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it will receive genetics from Modern Mushroom Cultivation ("MMC"), a leading researcher of unique and powerful sub strains of psilocybe cubensis.Andreas Met, Satya CEO and Co-Founder, said, "We are incredibly lucky to be working with Tim Oliver, Founder of Modern Mushroom Cultivation. He has some amazing strains that he will share with us, most notably Melmac and Halo. MMC's genetics have been carefully bred for consistently high potency while at the same time being more palatable for the end user." Satya endeavors to become the world's largest library of the strongest strains of psilocybe cubensis. The more potent the strain, the less volume is required to be placed into an edible and thus a better taste profile. "Not everyone likes the taste of dried mushrooms and we have solutions for that," stated Mr. Met.Satya is also focused on potency to begin establishing efficient protocols for its planned mushroom extraction. "Extracts are a pathway to the best tasting edibles in the future, and to developing new products that don't yet exist today," Mr. Met continued.Modern Mushroom Cultivation's Oregon PlansFor MMC's part, Mr. Oliver expressed his excitement about the alliance: "I'm delighted to collaborate with Satya and contribute my expertise in genetics and cultivation to help them achieve their ambitious goals. Our shared vision for the future of psilocybin and its potential applications align seamlessly, and I'm hopeful that this will lead to groundbreaking advancements in the field." Regarding the genetics to be provided, Mr. Oliver stated, "The Melmac and Halo varieties are just the beginning. We have been researching unique sub strains of psilocybe cubensis to bring forward the best possible experiences for consumers. Our library currently contains over 40 unique monocultures that are commercially viable. We are committed to ongoing research and development to discover and refine even more strains with diverse psychoactive components and characteristics." On the relationship between Satya, Silo Wellness, and MMC, Mr. Oliver said, "Our cooperation is built on mutual respect, shared values, and a strong commitment to research and innovation. We have established a deep mycelium-like network among top-tier purveyors, which I believe will create a synergistic effect that propels us to become the world's leading source of high-quality psilocybin products." Discussing future plans, Mr. Oliver shared, "We are eager to establish our own psilocybin manufacturing facility in the near future. Collaborating closely with Satya, Silo Wellness, and other potential partners, our focus is on developing innovative products and solutions that cater to consumers' needs. While extracts and edibles hold potential, we are particularly enthusiastic about creating unique offerings that set us apart in the market." In conclusion, Mr. Oliver conveyed a sense of optimism for the future, underscoring the importance of collaborative efforts, cutting-edge research, and continuous innovation to deliver the finest psilocybin fungi to the community:"We at Silo Wellness believe Mother Nature is the best teacher," stated pharmaceutical chemist and Silo Wellness board member, Michael Hartman. "With cannabis, the focus lies on isolating the most desirable buds to produce bigger, more potent, and aromatic biomass, resulting in an isolative approach which isn't necessarily in the best interests of the end consumer. In contrast, mushrooms establish deep connections through mycelial networks, fostering the development of exceptional strains. We embrace this collaborative approach in our business practices to learn from the incredible nature of fungi: Oregon already provides an apt reminder for the potential scope of this industry with the honey mushroom found in eastern Oregon being the largest organism on Earth covering over 3 square miles." Satya Material Supply Agreement UpdatesThe Company entered into a material supply agreement with anticipated service center licensee, Silo Wellness, on March 23, 2023. The agreement gives Silo the right of first refusal on all production. The agreement also sets forth base pricing for products."The best way to ensure a steady supply of products to service centers is through formalized agreements," Mr. Met stated. "It provides a mechanism to stabilize supply and pricing. The cost of psilocybin is very small compared to the price a service center will charge clients for sessions. Running out of product can be a disaster for a service center's cash flow. The Company commits to always keep a partner in stock no matter what. We are working with several other future service centers on MSAs and will announce these in due course." ABOUT SATYA INC.Satya Inc. is a growth-oriented company focused on psilocybin-based opportunities that benefit from a diverse ecosystem and exceptional leadership. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Medford, Oregon, the Company intends to become a global leader in the psychedelic treatment space.For more information about Satya Inc. Contact:Andreas Met, CEO541-930-2478 orandreas@ satyatherapeutics.com Instagram: met.andreas This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities of the Company, none of which have been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the laws of any other jurisdiction. The plans and goals of the Company may not be realized and are subject to significant business, economic, legal, regulatory, and competitive risks and uncertainties.SOURCE: SATYA INC. PR-Inside.com: 2023-03-30 13:41:05 Press Information Absolute Markets Insights 1 st Floor,The Work Lab, Model Colony, Pune, Pin - 411016 Shreyas Tanna CEO 07400242424 email http://www.www.absolutemarketsinsights.com # 728 Words 1 st Floor,The Work Lab, Model Colony, Pune, Pin - 411016CEO07400242424 The Global Organic Almonds Market Report by Absolute Markets Insights is a comprehensive study about top companies, revenue share, data streams, ongoing deals, purchases and dealer volume. The report includes corrective market classifications, application definitions, and a sincere market overview. The Organic Almonds market is based on specific parameters that aims to dictate proven facts to professionals who are looking to upgrade their current market aspects.Get a PDF Sample Copy of this Report at: https://www.absolutemarketsinsights.com/request_sample.php?id=13 Some of the Key Players Operating in the Global Organic Almonds Market include: Aryan International, Big Tree Organic Farms, Billings Marketing, Harris Woolf California Almonds, Hilltop Ranch, Inc., OHM SAI AGRO PRODUCTS, Royal Nut Company, Royal Rifco Company, and Sran Family OrchardsThe competitive landscape of the market study contains a broader analysis on the regions including North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, The Middle East and Africa, Latin America which are expected to capture the core essence of the market in its widest category. The list covers significant players that manage the industry based on overall system production capabilities, environmental contributions, appropriate channels, and territorial nearness through a system of primary and secondary research methodologies further followed by an in-house analytical model. Furthermore, income generated and a generalized market share for the market is showcased with the help of charts, graphs, and tables.In addition, the report also contains major collaborations, mergers and acquisitions, leading market trends, and business policies are evaluated. The study contains primary and secondary information that pertains to the Organic Almonds market in terms of global status, market size, growth forecasts, trends, segments and a detailed forecast.Key Insights of the Report: The report provides key statistics on the market status of the Organic Almonds manufacturers and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the industry. The report provides a basic overview of the industry including its definition, applications and manufacturing technology. The report presents the company profile, product specifications, capacity, production value, and 2023-2030 market shares for key vendors. The total market is further divided by company, by country, and by application/type for the competitive landscape analysis. The report estimates 2023-2030 market development trends of Organic Almonds industry. Analysis of upstream raw materials, downstream demand, and current market dynamics is also carried out. The report makes some important proposals for a new project of Organic Almonds Industry before evaluating its feasibility.If You Have Any Query/Inquiry, Ask Our Expert: https://www.absolutemarketsinsights.com/enquiry_before_buying.php?id=13 Cumulative Impact Covid-19:This study presents insights on COVID-19 in consumer behavior and shifts in demand, purchasing patterns, supply chain reorganization, market forces dynamics and substantial government involvement. The new research provides insights, analyses, estimates and forecasts in view of COVID-19s effect on the markets. The Organic Almonds market report delivers a solid watch on the prominent players in terms of strategic analysis, micro and macro market trends and opportunities, pricing trends and a generalized overview of the market. The Organic Almonds market is a detailed study packed with primary and secondary market drivers, market share, leading segments, and an apt geographical analysis.Key Questions Answered in this Report: What will be the size of the market and the pace of growth in 2030? What are the primary drivers of the worldwide market? What are the main market trends that have an impact on global market growth? Which are the market growth challenges? Who are the main global market suppliers? What are the worldwide market opportunities and challenges for sellers? What are the primary results of the global Organic Almonds Market five-point analysis?Request for Customization: https://www.absolutemarketsinsights.com/request_for_customization.php?id=13 Global Organic Almonds Market Segmentation: By Product Type (Bitter Type, Sweet Type) By Application (Edible, Medicinal, Personal Care Products, Others) By Regional Outlook (U.S., Rest Of North America, France, UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, Rest Of Europe, China, Japan, India, Southeast Asia, Rest Of Asia Pacific, GCC Countries, Southern Africa, Rest Of MEA, Brazil, Rest Of Latin America)For More Information Click: https://www.absolutemarketsinsights.com/reports/Global-Organic-Almonds-Market-2018-2026-13 Seeking to Initiate a Fruitful Business Relationship with You!Contact Us:Company: Absolute Markets InsightsEmail Id: sales@ absolutemarketsinsights.com Phone: IN +91-740-024-2424 , US +1-510-420-1213Contact Name: Shreyas TannaWebsite: https://www.absolutemarketsinsights.com PR-Inside.com: 2023-03-30 16:00:57 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 504 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Acquires domain " Faster.ca" with new updated website to followTORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / 2757953 Ontario Inc. (dba Paaspay, Faster and Faster.ca) ("Faster" or the "Company") - the Toronto-based fintech leader previously known as Paaspay is pleased to announce that it has changed its branding and operating name to "Faster" with a new Company internet domain and website to be launched at Faster.ca . The rebranding reflects the Company's continued commitment to delivering innovative and faster payment solutions to small businesses in Canada.Faster provides a comprehensive suite of tools that small businesses need to operate successfully and save money. Faster provides turn-key solutions for accepting credit and debit-card payments, a free cloud based business account to facilitate same-day settlements of card payments and other banking features like bill payment, EFT and Interac e-Transfers. The Faster solution also include a business Mastercard-branded debit card for business expenses and instant access to funds through one of the largest coast to coast surcharge-free ATM networks.The Company's new name reflects its mission to help small businesses run their operations more efficiently, save money get paid faster.The rebranding will not affect any of the Company's services, products, or customers. The Company's website and branding will be updated over the coming weeks to reflect the new name.FasterFaster specializes in payment technology allowing businesses to accept electronic forms of payment namely Interac, Mastercard, Visa and American Express with faster settlement times including weekends and holidays. The solutions offered by Faster includes a feature rich payment terminal, a free cloud based mobile business account and a free commercial debit Mastercard linked to a user's cloud account for business purchases and expenses. The sign up and onboarding process takes less than 2 minutes.For further information please visit Faster.ca or contact our team at info@ faster.ca Notice regarding Forward Looking StatementsThis news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Company's future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", or "plan". Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties as described in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law.SOURCE: Faster PR-Inside.com: 2023-03-30 19:30:22 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 398 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP ("Scott+Scott"), an international shareholder and consumer rights litigation firm, is reminding investors that the deadline to move for lead plaintiff in a securities class action lawsuit against Dutch Bros, Inc. (NYSE:BROS) ("Dutch Bros" or the "Company") and certain other defendants (collectively, "Defendants") is May 1, 2023.CLICK HERE TO RECEIVE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THIS CLASS ACTIONThe action, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York asserts claims under 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") on behalf of a Class consisting of all persons who purchased or otherwise acquired Dutch Bros securities between March 1, 2022 and May 11, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period"), and who were damaged thereby (the "Class").According to the complaint, during the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, and failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) that the Company was experiencing increased costs and expenses, including on dairy; and (2) that, as a result, the Company was experiencing increased margin pressure and decreased profitability in the first quarter of 2022, among other things.When the truth emerged, according to the Complaint, Dutch Bro's share price fell $9.26 per share, or 26.9%, to close at $25.11 per share on May 12, 2022, thereby injuring investors.Lead Plaintiff DeadlineThe Lead Plaintiff deadline in this action is May 1, 2023. Any member of the proposed Class may seek to serve as Lead Plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain a member of the proposed Class.What You Can DoIf you purchased Dutch Bros securities during the Class Period, and suffered damages, realized or unrealized, you are encouraged to contact Scott+Scott attorney Jonathan Zimmerman at (888) 398-9312, or jzimmerman@ scott-scott.com , for more information.About Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLPScott+Scott has significant experience in prosecuting major securities, antitrust, and employee retirement plan actions throughout the United States. The firm represents pension funds, foundations, individuals, and other entities worldwide with offices in New York, London, Amsterdam, Connecticut, Virginia, California, and Ohio.Attorney AdvertisingCONTACT:Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLPJonathan Zimmerman(888) 398-9312jzimmerman@ scott-scott.com SOURCE: Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP PR-Inside.com: 2023-03-30 13:01:01 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 993 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Sierra Madre Gold and Silver Ltd. (TSXV:SM) ("Sierra Madre" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that, pursuant to the share purchase agreement dated May 25, 2022, as amended and restated on October 28, 2022 (the "Share Purchase Agreement"), among the Company, First Majestic Silver Corp. ("First Majestic") and Corporacion First Majestic, S.A. de C.V. ("CFM"), the Company has completed its previously announced acquisition (the "Acquisition") of La Guitarra Compania Minera S.A. de C.V. ("Subco"), an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of First Majestic incorporated under the laws of Mexico, that holds a 100% interest in the La Guitarra silver-gold property (the "La Guitarra Property"), as described in the Company's news releases dated May 25, 2022, November 1, 2022, December 28, 2022, and March 21, 2023 (collectively, the "Prior News Releases") and the Company's information circular dated November 8, 2022 (the "Circular").The Company will continue to be classified as a Tier 2 Mining Issuer on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV"). The common shares of the Company (the "Common Shares") are expected to resume trading on the TSXV under the symbol "SM" following the closing of the Common Share Offering (defined below).Escrow RestrictionsUnder the terms of the Share Purchase Agreement, and as further described in the Circular, the Company acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of Subco in exchange for the Company issuing to First Majestic 69,063,076 Common Shares (the "Consideration Shares") at a deemed price of $0.65 per Consideration Share.As described in the Circular, First Majestic may distribute all Consideration Shares in excess of a 19.9% ownership position of Sierra Madre (on a non-diluted basis) pro-rata to First Majestic's shareholders (the "Excess Shares"). Following the closing of the Acquisition, First Majestic has retained a participation right to maintain its pro-rata interest in the Company (to a maximum of 19.9%) in any future share issues of the Company, subject to customary exceptions. The Consideration Shares held by First Majestic are subject to the following contractual resale restrictions, in addition to applicable securities laws resale restrictions and TSXV policies:Release DatesProportion of Total Escrowed Securities to be ReleasedSeptember 29, 202325%March 29, 202425%September 29, 202425%March 29, 202525%The contractual resale restrictions above will not apply to the Excess Shares, which will remain subject to customary carve-outs in the event of a takeover bid or merger or acquisition transaction involving the Common Shares.Concurrent FinancingOn September 8, 2022, the Company completed the first tranche (the "First Tranche") of a "best efforts" brokered private placement financing (the "Private Placement") pursuant to an agency agreement dated September 8, 2022 (the "Agency Agreement") with Beacon Securities Limited and Canaccord Genuity Corp. on behalf of a syndicate of agents including Haywood Securities Inc.Pursuant to the Agency Agreement, the Private Placement is compromised of (i) subscription receipts of the Company (the "Subscription Receipts") at a price of $0.65 per Subscription Receipt (the "Subscription Receipt Offering"), and (ii) Common Shares at a price per $0.65 per Common Share (the "Common Share Offering"), for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $10,000,250, as further described in the Company's news release dated September 8, 2022.Under the First Tranche, the Company issued 9,504,647 Subscription Receipts at a price of $0.65 per Subscription Receipt for aggregate gross proceeds of $6,178,020.55. Each Subscription Receipt has, upon satisfaction of certain escrow release conditions, including the closing of the Acquisition, and without the payment of any additional consideration, automatically converted into one Common Share. The Company expects the Common Share Offering to close in early April, 2023.Trading HaltThe Common Shares continue to be halted from trading, and the Common Shares are expected to resume trading following the closing of the Common Share Offering, or as otherwise determined by the TSXV.About Sierra MadreSierra Madre Gold & Silver ( TSX.V: SM) is a precious metals development and exploration company, focused on the restart of the La Guitarra Mine in the Temascaltepec mining district, Mexico, and the exploration and development of its Tepic and La Tigra properties in Nayarit, Mexico. The La Guitarra Mine is a permitted, past-producing underground mine which includes a 500 t/d processing facility that operated until mid-2018.The +2,600 ha Tepic project hosts low-sulphidation epithermal gold and silver mineralization with an existing historic resource. La Tigra, located 148 km north of Tepic, has been mined historically; Sierra Madre's maiden 2022 drill program at the site intercepted shallow mineralization.Sierra Madre's management has played key roles for managing exploration and development of more than 22Moz gold and 600Moz silver in combined reserves and resources. Sierra Madre's team of professionals has collectively raised over $1B for mining companies.On behalf of the board of directors of Sierra Madre Gold and Silver Ltd.,"Alexander Langer"Alexander LangerPresident, Chief Executive Officer and DirectorContact:investor@ sierramadregoldandsilver.com Cautionary NoteNeither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.This press release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. The forward-looking statements herein are made as of the date of this press release only, and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budgets", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "projects", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by s PR-Inside.com: 2023-03-30 18:42:49 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 600 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 ORLANDO, FL / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / SolutionInn, a USA-based EdTech company, strives to reduce educational disparities among students from all across the world and particularly in the US. It announces support for disadvantaged students in form of free textbooks for high school and college. The company has so far delivered 5,000 free textbooks to students with low socioeconomic backgrounds, covering various subjects including but not limited to science, math, literature, business, geometry, economics, and engineering. Over 26,000 textbook titles are readily available for students and around 100 more titles are added to the database every day.The company acquires used textbooks from authoritative resources and makes them available for students from low-income families in US and Canada. Additionally, it has developed a web-based educational and learning system to promote self-directed learning for students from unprivileged areas having fewer resources and low-quality teachers. It connects them with subject experts and qualified educators from all over the world for concept-building and improved academic performance. Through this platform, students get free textbooks and enhance their understanding of concepts and develop hard and soft skills crucial for increased opportunities and career growth.SolutionInn has established a huge database developed and acquired by experts containing solutions to complex problems with an easy and step-by-step explanation. The information has been organized smartly with an aim to save time for both learners and educators and better concept building. There are over 2 million study guides and questions and answers available on this online learning platform. Around 0.8 million students have got themselves registered on this learning platform. The platform has provided learning to around 0.6 million students from the US and 0.2 million students from the rest of the world.Education contributes to an improved standard of living, increased earnings, better health, greater productivity, and long-term economic growth. People having access to education can be prepped up for a successful career that leads to a better quality of life. However, people from disadvantaged backgrounds may experience disparity in educational achievements based on race, ethnicity, geographical location, and socioeconomic status.Socioeconomic factors affect students' academic performance and grades, as students with strong financial backgrounds are likely to show better results and get more support from their parents. On the contrary, students from low-income families have lower test scores, lower graduation rates, and lower college enrollment rates. Students from low-income families hardly complete their postgraduate degrees as compared to students with high socioeconomic backgrounds.Addressing the education gap in the United States requires a multifaceted approach including improving the quality of schools in low-income areas, increasing access to early childhood education, and addressing systemic barriers. SolutionInn plays its role in bridging the education gap by letting students get free textbooks, required resources, and academic material. Free textbooks help reduce students' financial burdens and make education more accessible to a wider range of students regardless of their financial status. This leads to enhanced academic performance resulting in higher GPAs.About SolutionInnSolutionInn is an EdTech company providing an online learning platform for students from different regions of the world. It earns from the study membership and the amount charged against the provision of study and homework help, and textbook solutions. It has been operating since 2009 and its prime beneficiaries are students from the US and Canada who get free textbooks. The EdTech service has been working on its free textbook program since 2019 to provide learners with more free resources required for better academic performance, skill development, and career growth.Media ContactOrganization: SolutionInnContact Person: Fawad SaleemWebsite: https://www.solutioninn.com/ Email: fawad@ solutioninn.com Contact Number: 407-243-8655City: OrlandoState: FloridaCountry: United StatesSOURCE: SolutionInn PR-Inside.com: 2023-03-30 06:40:19 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 619 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LUXEMBOURG / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Ternium S.A. (NYSE:TX) announced today that its subsidiaries Ternium Investments and Ternium Argentina, together with Confab, a subsidiary of its affiliate Tenaris S.A., all of which compose the T/T group within Usiminas control group, have entered into a share purchase agreement to acquire from Nippon Steel Corporation, Mitsubishi and MetalOne (the "NSC group"), pro rata to their current participations in the T/T group, 68.7 million ordinary shares of Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais S.A. - USIMINAS ("Usiminas") at a price of BRL10 per ordinary share. Pursuant to the transaction, Ternium would pay approximately $111.0 million in cash for 57.7 million ordinary shares, increasing its participation in the Usiminas control group to 51.5%. The transaction is subject to approval by Brazil's antitrust authorities and will be financed with cash on hand.The Usiminas control group holds the majority of Usiminas' voting rights and manages the company based on mutual trust. Upon the closing of this transaction, the T/T group will hold an aggregate participation of 61.3% in the control group, with the NSC group and Previdencia Usiminas (Usiminas employees' pension fund) holding 31.7% and 7.1%, respectively.The Usiminas control group members have also agreed a new governance structure in the best interest of Usiminas. The T/T group will nominate a majority of the Usiminas board of directors, the CEO and four other members of Usiminas board of officers, and ordinary decisions may be approved with a 55% majority of the control group shares.At any time after the second anniversary of the closing of the transaction, the T/T group will have the right to buy the NSC group's remaining interest in the Usiminas control group (153.1 million ordinary shares) at the higher of BRL10 per share and the 40-trading day average price per share immediately prior to the date of exercising the option. In addition, the NSC group will have the right, at any time after the closing of the transaction, to withdraw its remaining shares from the control group and sell them in the open market after giving the T/T group the opportunity to buy them at the 40-trading day average price per share immediately prior to the NSC group's notice of withdrawal, as well as the right, at any time after the second anniversary of the closing, to sell such shares to the T/T group at BRL10 per share.Ternium will continue working to take Usiminas to its full potential. All members of the Usiminas control group are committed to enhance the company's competitiveness and value, in the best interest of Usiminas and all its stakeholders.About TerniumTernium is Latin America's leading flat steel producer, with operating facilities in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, the southern United States and Central America. The company offers a broad range of high value-added steel products for customers active in the automotive, home appliances, HVAC, construction, capital goods, container, food and energy industries through its manufacturing facilities, service center and distribution networks, and advanced customer integration systems. More information about Ternium is available at www.ternium.com Forward Looking StatementsSome of the statements contained in this press release are "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements are based on management's current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by those statements. These risks include but are not limited to risks arising from uncertainties as to gross domestic product, related market demand, global production capacity, tariffs, cyclicality in the industries that purchase steel products and other factors beyond Ternium's control.Sebastian MartiTernium - Investor Relations+1 (866) 890 0443+54 (11) 4018 8389SOURCE: Ternium S.A. FM: I won't tell year when Ukraine to become EU's full member, but it to happen much faster than many people expect (Version of 30 March news item titled 'Ukraine may become EU's member one year after start of pre-accession negotiations Kuleba' has been updated) Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba expects Ukraine and the EU to start pre-accession negotiations as early as 2023 and full membership will take about a year. "Our goal is to open membership negotiations in 2023. I will not tell you the year when Ukraine will become a full member of the EU, I will only say that it will happen, and it will happen much faster than many people expect. And third, this will happen if the EU does not come up with any artificial or new conditions, requirements and procedures to slow down this process," Kuleba said during a speech at an event from Chatham House. According to the minister, "Ukraine has proven that it is ready and is doing its homework much faster than anyone expected." Kuleba also said that for 20 years the EU has been saying that Ukraine needs reforms to obtain candidate status. "Now we hear that the EU must reform itself in order for Ukraine to become a member," he said. PR-Inside.com: 2023-03-30 13:01:28 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1038 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREINVANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Usha Resources Ltd. ("USHA" or the "Company") (TSXV:USHA)(OTCQB:USHAF)(FSE:JO0), a North American mineral acquisition and exploration company focused on the development of drill-ready battery and precious metal projects, would like to remind shareholders of the upcoming share distribution record date (the "Record Date") of April 12, 2023, with respect to the plan of arrangement (the "Arrangement") among the Company, Formation Metals Inc. ("Formation Metals" or "FMI") and the shareholders of the Company (the "USHA Shareholders").Under the terms of the Arrangement and upon completion of the share exchange prescribed by Article 3 of the Arrangement, the USHA Shareholders of record at the close of business on the Record Date will receive one (1) common share of FMI (each a "Formation Metals Share") with respect to every five (5) common shares of USHA ("USHA Share") held on the Record Date, with fractions rounded down to the nearest whole number. For example, upon completion of the Arrangement, for each 10,000 common shares of USHA owned on the Share Distribution Record Date, the USHA Shareholder will own 2,000 common shares of FMI. USHA common shares will be exchanged for new USHA common shares on a one-to-one basis. USHA Shareholders will continue to own the same number of USHA common shares as they did on the Record Date. Formation Metals Shares will be issued to the USHA Shareholders on or around April 17, 2023 (the "Payment Date").The Arrangement is expected to become effective on the Record Date.USHA Shareholders must hold their USHA common shares on the Record Date in order to receive their pro rata portion of the Formation Metals Shares being distributed pursuant to the Arrangement.By way of this news release, the Company is also providing notice to its warrant holders and option holders with respect to the Record Date. To receive Formation Metals Shares pursuant to the Arrangement, a person must be a holder of USHA Shares as of the Record Date. If an option holder or a warrant holder does not exercise his or her warrants or options on or before the Record Date, he or she will not receive Formation Metals Shares and there will be no changes with respect to the number, terms and conditions of the issued warrants and options of the Company.FMI will then hold the Company's interest in the Nicobat Nickel Project and will focus on the advancement of this project, while USHA will retain and focus on the advancement of exploration projects in the lithium space, including the Jackpot Lake Lithium Brine Project where the Company is presently undertaking is maiden drill program with a goal of defining a 43-101 resource, and its newly acquired White Willow Lithium-Tantalum Project, the first of the Company's planned expansion into the hard-rock pegmatite space (see the Company's news release dated March 28, 2023). For updates on the drill program at Jackpot Lake and its recent land expansion, please see the Company's news release dated February 7, 2023, February 16, 2023, February 21, 2023 and February 28, 2023.USHA Shares will trade on a "due bill" basis until the close of trading on the Payment Date, i.e. the Due Bill Trading Period. The details of the Due Bills Trading will be announced later by a separate news release.Additional information regarding the terms of the Arrangement are set out in the Company's management information circular dated November 15, 2022, and the news releases dated February 9, 2022, November 17, 2022, November 29, 2022, December 21, 2022, January 10, 2023, March 2, and March 15, 2023, all of which are available for viewing on the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com The Nicobat Nickel PropertyThe Nicobat Nickel Property is a nickel-copper-PGE project located in Dobie Township, Northwest Ontario 21 kilometres south of New Gold's Rainy River Mine which hosts the Zone 34 nickel discovery.Historic exploration work between 1952 and 1972 included over 15,000 metres of drilling, 220 drill holes and numerous bulk samples that identified a non-compliant historic resource of 5.3 Mt grading 0.24% Ni that contained a high-grade zone of approximately 225,000 tons grading 0.87% Ni.Recent exploration work includes over 4,000 metres of drilling that has confirmed high-grade nickel-copper shoots do exist and are considerably better than previously recorded in the historical drilling, with drillhole A-04-15 intersecting from surface to approximately 63.75 metres a weighted average of 1.05% nickel and 2.18% copper that included an approximately 9.8-metre interval of 1.92% Ni from 53.95 to 63.75 metres.The targeted feeder conduit measures approximately 305 metres by an average of 60 metres in width to a depth of 245 metres that is potentially open at depth and down-plunge to the north and is composed of cumulate textured olivine gabbro. This magma conduit sits in a larger norite body at the base of the Dobie Gabbro. The historical assessment data records high-grade "ribs", one of which includes the zone described above. Future work will, therefore, focus on making the historic resource compliant current and expanding on the work completed to assess for other high-grade "ribs" and the potential high-grade feeder zone as shown in the model below.Qualified personThe technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Andrew Tims, P.Geo., a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.About Usha Resources Ltd.Usha Resources Ltd. is a North American mineral acquisition and exploration company focused on the development of quality battery and precious metal properties that are drill-ready with high-upside and expansion potential. Based in Vancouver, BC, Usha's portfolio of strategic properties provides target-rich diversification and consist of Jackpot Lake, a lithium project in Nevada; Nicobat, a nickelcoppercobalt project in Ontario; and Lost Basin, a gold-copper project in Arizona. Usha trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol USHA, the OTCQB Exchange under the symbol USHAF and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol JO0.USHA RESOURCES LTD."Deepak Varshney" CEO and DirectorFor more information, please call Tyler Muir, Investor Relations, at 1-888-772-2452, email tmuir@ usharesources.com , or visit www.usharesources.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policie Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. Famous comedian, actor and skit maker Ganiyu Kehinde, popularly called Ijoba Lande, who went missing on Sunday, has been found. Although details of his return are still sketchy, it appears the actor went through an ordeal. A video on his Instagram page shows him alighting from a vehicle and walking into his house. The comedian broke down in tears as he stepped foot in his parlour. Disappearance In a post on his Instagram page, the actors fans were informed that Ijoba Lande left home to an unknown destination on Sunday, the 26th of March, at about 9:00 pm and has not been located since then. Up till now, we can find him; we have reported the case to the nearest police station, and with their help, they help us to send the signal to the radio station. If you notice anything, please find his account or @ijesaekun. He left his phone at home after breaking his fasting on the 26th. That was the last time we heard from him, the message read. The skit maker went missing three days after he celebrated his birthday. The actors colleague and friend, Alo Oluwatosin, aka Ijesaekun, a video creator, stated on his page that the police or radio stations are not forthcoming with any promising information. However, he said he is holding on to his faith that Mr Lande will return soon. Mr Landes wife also appealed passionately to his fans to help her locate her husband. In a video posted on the actors Instagram page, the tearful wife said that her husband left home without his phone, and she was confused and didnt know what to do. Good afternoon, everyone. Im Ijoba Landes wife. My husband has been missing for the past three days. Please, I dont know what to do If you have any clue about him, if you see anything about him, or if you noticed anything about him before, please, you can contact me or send me a message. He left his phone at home, so please help me. Im at the station right now. Looking for him for the past three days now, she said amidst tears. Ijoba Lande Ganiyu Kehinde is a brand ambassador, motivational speaker, and content creator with a large fan base on Instagram and TikTok. His persona, Ijoba Lande, became famous after one of his videos went viral in 2019. Since then, he has released several comedy skits on his Instagram page. He is one of the young Nigerian content creators who popularised skit-making. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. The victory of Abba Kabir of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the 18 March governorship election in Kano State did not take many by surprise. The party had three weeks earlier won the state in the presidential election and taken most of the states seats in the Senate and House of Representatives. However, there was a surprise in the governorship election from the performance of the APC candidate, Nasiru Gawuna, in areas that the NNPP won with wide margins on 25 February. The race was so tight that in Fagge and Kabuga areas of the Kano metropolis, NNPP agents and members feared the worst until the votes were counted and the final result declared by INEC. The INEC returning officer, Ahmad Doko, said the NNPP candidate won with 1,019,602 votes to defeat the candidate of the APC who scored 890,705 votes. The NNPP candidate thus won with a margin of 128,897 votes. The NNPP ousted the APC in Kano. It turned out to be the only state that the partys candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, won in the presidential election. Although his supporters had branded Mr Kwankwaso as the next Muhammadu Buhari who would sweep the polls across northern Nigeria, his partys performance in other northern states was abysmal, as correctly projected by PREMIUM TIMES. Apart from Taraba State, the NNPP was not considered a threat by either the APC or the People Democratic Party (PDP) in the governorship elections in other northern states. The outcomes of the elections across the northern states showed that they were correct in their assessment. For instance, in Jigawa State, the NNPP candidate, Aminu Ibrahim, came a distant third with 37,156 votes. The winning votes of the APC candidate, Umar Namadi, were 618,449. In Katsina State, the NNPP candidate, Nura Khalil, got only 8,263 votes, far below the winning votes of the APC candidate, Dikko Radda, which were 859,892. In Kaduna State, the NNPP candidate, Suleiman Hunkuyi, also scored a relatively low 21,405 votes. The APC candidate, Uba Sani, won the election in the state with 730,002 votes. In Sokoto State, the NNPP came sixth behind the APC, PDP, APGA, NRM, PRP. Its candidate scored just 427 votes, against the APC candidate Ahmed Aliyu, who won with 453,661 votes. In Gombe, NNPP scored 19,000 votes against the APC candidate Inuwa Yahaya, who got 342,821 votes. And in neighbouring Bauchi State, the NNPP got 60,496 votes where the PDPs Governor Bala Muhammed was reelected with 525,280 votes. In Adamawa where the governorship election was declared inconclusive, the NNPPs candidate also got a paltry 4,847 votes. Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the PDP got 421,524 votes but faces Aishat Dalhatu, aka Binani of the APC in a supplementary poll on 15 April. In Yobe State, the NNPP candidate got 14,244 votes with the victorious APC candidate, Maimala Buni, far out of his sight with 317,113 votes. And in Niger State, the NNPP got 3,378 votes while the APC candidate, Umaru Bago, won with 469,896 votes. The NNPP had no governorship candidates in Borno, Zamfara and Kebbi states. Thus, across the 18 northern states aside from Kano, the NNPP came second only in Taraba State where its candidate got 202,277 votes. And that rare feat has been atributed to protest votes against the ruling PDP candidate by political groups which felt marginalised in the North-east state. In spite of the infighting in the ruling party, the PDP candidate, Agbo Kefas, still won with 302,614 votes. The factors Arguably the most important factor that worked for the NNPP in Kano but not in other northern Nigerian states is that Mr Kwankwaso only governed Kano, of all the northern states. Mr Kwankwanso served as a two-term Kano governor during which he built a large following in the state based on what many considered to be his impressive performance as governor, particularly in the areas of education and health. Another factor behind the dismal showing of the NNPP in the north in both the presidential and governorship elections is that the influential politicians in the region are all either in the APC or the PDP. Also, Mr Kwankwasos politics is largely limited to Kano where he is better known. His political practice appears alien to politicians and voters in other northern states. Why NNPP won in Kano? The NNPPs repeat victory over the APC in the 18 March governorship election in Kano was due to many factors.Traditionally, from the days of Aminu Kano, political support in Kano had tilted towards the opposition and against the central government. The hostility to Aminu Kano in the First Republic by the northern regional and the central government, both controlled then by the defunct Northern Peoples Congress (NPC), earned the leader of the defunct Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU), Mr Kano, the sympathy of the poor (talakawas) at the grassroots who distrusted the ruling class and the government in power. Mr Kwankwaso has in like manner won the sympathy of the masses in Kano by blaming the government of the day for the economic hardship under which they live. In 2003, Mr Kwankwaso had been a victim of that anti-establishment posture himself. He lost his governorship reelection bid as the candidate of the PDP to Ibrahim Shekarau of the defunct All Peoples Party (APP). At that time Kano people aligned with the opposition APP which had Mr Buhari as its presidential candidate, But Mr Kwankwaso was supporting the federal government of President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was then being vilified as anti-North and anti-Shariah Law. This eventually consumed Mr Kwankwasos second-term bid. Mr Kwankwaso learned from that experience after he was reelected as governor eight years later in 2011. He never again aligned himself with the central government even when he was in the same political party with it. He fought the late president Umaru Yaradua and his successor, Goodluck Jonathan. He also fought President Muhammadu Buhari, even though he had helped the president win in 2015 by joining four other state governors to defect from the PDP to the newly formed APC in 2013. Mr Kwankwaso was always there, mouthing popular setiments on a radio station that he founded, attacking the government and accusing officials of corruption, looting and hatred for the downtrodden. The tirades endeared him to the largely semi-exposed voters in the Kano metropolis who began to see the NNPP as the messiah. In the build-up to the 2023 election, Mr Kwankwaso also exploited a crisis in the APC in Kano. The NNPP also saw the 2023 governorship election as a war to recover the stolen mandate of 2019. INEC had declared that previous election as inconclusive after Mr Kabir polled 1,014,474 votes, against the incumbent governor, Abdullahi Ganduje of the APC, who scored 987,819 votes. Mr Ganduje later overtook Mr Kabir in the supplementary election marred by allegations of voter suppression. Since then, Mr Kwankwasos followers drew the battle line. APC crisis in Kano Governor Ganduje was widely accused of mismanaging the APC in Kano which led to an intractable crisis in the state chapter of the party. He failed to reconcile with his opponents even after his faction of the party secured a favourable court judgement in the fight for the control of the party. The crisis that led to the defection of a former governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, and Kawu Sumaila later affected the APC badly. Mr Sumaila later won a senatorial seat under the NNPP against Kabiru Gaya, a former governor himself and long serving-senator supported by Governor Ganduje in the APC primary election. The nomination of Mr Gaya was despite protests against him for alleged poor representation by some members of his constituency. Also, a group of federal lawmakers led by Mr Shekarau, referred to as the G7, accused the state leadership of the party of sidelining them in party activities, among other issues. Many of the lawmakers eventually joined the PDP and NNPP after Mr Ganduje ignored their demands. Most of them won their elections on 25 February. The NNPP exploited the APC crisis and lured the aggrieved members into its fold. But luckily for the APC, the senator for Kano North district, Barau Jibrin, who was one of the aggrieved, chose to remain in the party and was reelected with a wide margin. Mr Jbrin, who was punished by the APC leadership in Kano, is now a cornerstone of the party in the state. Another member of the G7, Abdulkadir Jobe, who was replaced by Mr Gandujes son on the APC ticket for the House of Representatives, won his reelection under the NNPP. Another member of the group, Shaaban Sharada, emerged the governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) after he was denied a return ticket in the APC to represent the Kano Municipal in the House of Representatives. Mr Sharada is a former aide to President Buhari and is the current chairman of House committee on national security and intelligence. He fought tooth and nail against the APC in the governorship election. Intrigues in Kano governorship election President Buhari had in a video message endorsed the APC governorship candidate in the state, but party sources alleged that the presidency and security agents deployed to the state were against the APC in the elections. Some faceless forces in the presidency were said to hold grudges against Mr Ganduje for attacking the president over the Naira redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). They were said to have helped Mr Kwankwaso on both days of the elections. A remark by Mr Ganduje allegedly describing President Buhari as Habu na Habu, a drunkard in a song by Mamman Shata, grossly offended the supporters of the president. Mr Ganduje had also described the president as a builder and a destroyer of the APC over the controversial naira redesign policy. The remarks were said to have offended many supporters of the president in Kano and officials at the Aso Rock Villa who reportedly vowed to punish Mr Gandujes APC in the state. Many APC stakeholders cited that as the reason for security agents alleged harsh treatment of APC members in some important areas of the state during the governorship election. They cited the case of an APC former councillor, Ibrahim Nakuzama, who was shot dead by a soldier on suspicion of ballot box snatching in Getso town, Gwarzo Local Government Area. At least two other people, including an aged woman, were injured by stray bullets believed to have been fired by security agents. Mr Nakuzamas killing sent fears to APC stakeholders in the areas who believed they were the targets of security agents. Many APC supporters were reported to have stayed away from polling units in such areas, which reportedly gave the agents of other parties the opportunity to dominate the polling units. The APC later at a press conference addressed the issue. Its governorship candidate, Mr Gawuna, accused security agents of intimidating APC members. We shall continue to pray for peace in Kano and also pray that nobody will ever terrorise the people of Kano again. The security agents have taken different stands, we are praying that nobody will intimidate us again and the people of Kano on this issue of election because it is God that gives power, Mr Gawuna said. Overall, although he left the PDP last year to run for president as candidate of the NNPP, Mr Kwankwaso has instead returned from the 2023 elections as the current king of Kano politics. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. The Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, has accused the federal government of militarising the 18 March gubernatorial and state assembly elections in the state to punish him for challenging its new naira policy in court. Mr Matawalle and his counterparts from Kano and Kaduna, Abdullahi Ganduje and Nasir El Rufai filed a suit challenging the federal government and the Central Bank of Nigeria at the Supreme Court over its new naira policy. The three governors are members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Mr Matawalle lost his re-election bid to the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dauda Lawal. Mr Lawal polled 377,726 votes to defeat Mr Matawalle, who got 311,976 votes. The APC candidate in Kano also lost the governorship election but the partys candidate won in Kaduna. But in a nine minutes interview with the DW Hausa, the governor said he was warned that the election might not go his way for his actions. He said over 300 truckload of soldiers were sent to the state in the eve of election with over 50 soldiers sent to strategic polling units to intimidate voters against voting for APC. Weve security challenges in Zamfara state and weve been asking them to send soldiers to us but they didnt. But three days to the election (gubernatorial) they sent over 300 vehicles conveying soldiers into Zamfara. Such a high number of soldiers, if they could send them to us to fight insecurity it would be better. But they only sent them during elections. And I tell you, they were over fifty soldiers in our polling units in Zamfara. They (soldiers) were even straight about it that those voting for APC would not be allowed to vote. People were harrassed and beat because they wanted to vote for APC. We all have this evidence on video. When we called soldiers to come to our aid, they didnt come. But Ive left everything to God, he said. When asked if there was any reason for the militarisation of the election in the state, Mr Matawalle said he had intelligence report that the soldiers were sent to rig the election. When I saw that (the soldiers being sent) I knew they were up to something. That was why it didnt bother me. Because I received intelligence report on what they were going to do against me. Not only myself but other governors that did something that is considered wrong.. Yes, whats being said is that we went to the court (Supreme Court) over new naira notes redesign. They said myself, Ganduje and El Rufai would be punished accordingly, he said. READ ALSO: Appeal Court Reinstates Dauda Lawal As Zamfara PDP Governorship Candidate When he was asked why APC won the state during the presidential election but failed to reflect so in the gubernatorial, Mr Matawalle said he was happy that Bola Tinubu, the president elect, won the state with a landslide. On whether he would go to court over the irregularities, Mr Matawalle said he has left it to the party to decide and he would respect whatever decision the party take on whether or not to go to court. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. A new report by the Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative (PLSI), a civic organisation promoting accountability in Nigeria, has placed Akwa Ibom and Yobe as top states in its Subnational Audit Efficacy Index for 2022. The index is the third consecutive annual assessment that examined the level of transparency and accountability operational in the management of public funds and implementation of public policies in all 36 states of the federation. The SAE Index 2022 report was released in Abuja on Wednesday with oil-rich Akwa Ibom in Nigerias south scoring 69 per cent to be on top of the log. Northeastern Yobe and Northwestern Katsina ranked 2nd and 3rd with 63 per cent and 50 per cent respectively. Delta and Edo states are behind scoring 48 per cent each; Ebonyi and Osun States gained 46 per cent each while Ekiti and Gombe states got 45 per cent each to stay in the top ten groups. On the other hand, Abia, Benue, Borno, and Kano States occupied 33, 34, 35, and 36 positions respectively having recorded 12 per cent, 10 per cent, 5 per cent, and 3 per cent in that order. The other states in the bottom 10 are Rivers and Oyo States scoring 15 per cent on the eight parameters measured. Others are Bayelsa, Zamfara, Ogun, and Kogi states. Speaking on the methodology used for the assessment, the Executive Director of PLSI, Olusegun Elemo, said the 2022 Index applied eight scoring parameters including Audit Legal Framework & Operationalisation, Submission of Annual Activity Report, Type of Audit Document Published Online, Implementation of House Resolutions on Audit Recommendations, Evidence of Performance Audit, Availability of Citizens Accountability Report, Civil Society/Media Participation in the Audit Process and Effectiveness of Public Accounts Committee. Mr Elemo added that the PLSI research team collected, examined, and validated data provided by Offices of Accountant-General, Supreme Audit Institutions, Public Accounts Committees, and Civil Society Organisations in all 36 States. Mr Elemo explained that, The States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) Programme for Result initiative implemented between 2018 and 2022 achieved much in incentivising transparency reforms and enacting legal frameworks as the foundation for accountability. However, implementation of these legal frameworks has been a hard task for state executives and PLSI having envisaged a potential push-back or stagnation of these reforms especially as monetary incentives cease initiated the Subnational Audit Efficacy Index an annual scorecard that assesses both the management of public funds and implementation of public policies at the state level. PLSI said it leveraged evidence from a previous assessment to provide two-year assistance to five states through the strengthening public audit practices and accountability at the state level in Nigeria project supported by the MacArthur Foundation. Findings The SAE Index 2022 report showed that only 2 out of 36 states have made progress toward implementing financial autonomy for the office of the Auditor-General. Likewise, only 10 out of 36 States have implemented legal provisions to activate administrative independence for the Office of the Auditor-General. Also, 21 States did not publish a full audit report for 2021 as against 19 States that did not for the 2020 and only 11 out of 36 States published the Citizens Accountability Report for 2021 online. None of the 36 ztates produced a standard performance audit report on the governments programmes, projects, or policies in 2021 and only 5 out of 36 states have an effective Public Accounts Committee in their Houses of Assembly. Similarly, only 2 out of 36 states are sufficiently involving civic and media actors in the audit process of their states. The SAE Index 2022 again showed that all the states (except Benue & Anambra) enacted and/or amended their audit laws to guarantee the independence of Supreme Audit Institutions and strengthen public audit practices in their states. Despite the improvement witnessed in the policy environment, the report said the lack of effective implementation of the enacted audit laws has overshadowed the gains recorded. It is therefore imperative to sustain and continue to improve on accountability reforms achieved through the SFTAS program if development must be realised at the subnational level, the not-for-profit said. PLSI also recommends the need for governors to exhibit strong political will to enhance the effective implementation of Audit Laws, capacity strengthening for auditors, timeous review of audit reports by State Houses of Assembly, and publishing full audit reports as well as citizens accountability reports online to enhance civic participation in the audit process. State governments are advised to publish Citizens Accountability Reports online and organise public dialogues to discuss findings from the reports. Also, they recommend Supreme Audit Institutions should own and manage their websites without relying on Executive agencies. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. A High Court in Lagos has fixed 20 April to rule on an application filed by Kogi State seeking to vacate an interim order of the court freezing 14 properties linked to the state governor. The judge, Nicholas Oweibo, fixed the date on Tuesday after taking submissions from the Kogi State governments lawyer, Abdulwahab Mohammed, and the lawyer representing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Rotimi Oyedepo. On 22 February, the court had granted the interim forfeiture order following an exparte motion to confiscate 14 properties and firms in Lagos, Abuja, and the United Arab Emirates as well as N400 million recovered from one Aminu Falala. During the hearing, the states lawyer told the court that he had an application dated 9 March seeking to vacate the order of the court made on 22 February. Mr Mohammed, while moving the application, stated that about the third quarter of 2021, EFCC approached the court to freeze Kogi States N20 billion salary bail out loan that was allegedly hidden in Sterling Bank. He said that when the Kogi State government called Sterling Bank, the bank denied that such an account existed, and that they challenged the freezing order made by Justice Tijjani Ringim, insisting the order was obtained illegally. The lawyer further stated that the EFCC, instead of apologising, sent a press release that the money had been returned to the Central Bank of Nigeria. According to him, the Kogi State Government approached the state high court and obtained an order restraining the EFCC from having anything to do with Kogi State until the substantive matter was determined. He argued that the order of the Kogi State High Court restraining EFCC from taking any step against the state government was still subsisting. The EFCC in flagrant disregard of the said order of the Kogi State high court and her pending appeal at the Court of Appeal Abuja Judicial Division, arrested one Ali Bello Nephew of the applicant herein, who is an associate of the Kogi State Government on the 29th of November, 2022, Mr Mohammed said. That the EFCC in flagrant disobedience of the subsisting order of the high court of Kogi State, interrogated the said Alli Bello and coerced him to oblige them information pertaining to most of the properties listed in the order of this honourable court made on the 22nd of February, 2023. That the said Ali Bello aggrieved by his illegal arrest and forced interrogation, filed a fundamental rights enforcement application at the high court of Kogi State, Lokoja Judicial Division agafnst the EFCC in Suit No: HCL/696/2022: Ali Bello V. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) & Anor. That the High Court of Kogi State in a judgement delivered on the 12th of January, 2023 granted all the reliefs sought by the applicant and made an order declaring his arrest, detention and interrogation illegal and unconstitutional and further order of perpetual injunction restraining the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, their agents, servants, privies or howsoever called from further arrest, detention, harassment and intimidation of the said Ali Bello, nephew of the applicant herein. ALSO READ: Two women elected into Kogi State House of Assembly That the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in continuous disobedience of the extant orders of court barring it from inviting or doing anything with respect to the affairs of the Kogi State Government and its officials, brought the instant application for preservation order of properties they alleged are reasonably suspected to have been derived from unlawful activity stemming from the purported misappropriation of funds belong to Kogi State Government. That the Application filed by the EFCC on the 20 of February, 2023 upon which this Honourable Court made the order dated 22 February,2023, sought to be vacated herein, is a continuous disobedience of subsisting Orders of Courts of coordinate jurisdiction, that had restrained the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission from doing anything with respect to the affairs of the Applicant including the employees, appointees or associates of Kogi State Government, he said. Mr Mohammed argued that in a federation, the EFCC lacks power to dictate to a state how it spends its money. The EFCCs lawyer, Mr Oyedepo, in his response said the applicant had brought nothing before the court to convince the court to vacate the order. He urged the court to dismiss the application of the applicant seeking to vacate the order earlier made by the court. After listening to both parties, the judge fixed 20 April for his ruling. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reversed the suspension of a former Senate President, Pius Anyim, former Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose and former Katsina State governor, Ibrahim Shema, from the party. It also lifted the suspension on two other members Dennis Ityavyar from Benue State and Aslam Aliyu from Zamfara State. The party also reversed the referral of the governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, to its disciplinary committee. A statement by the spokesperson of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, on Thursday in Abuja, said it took the decision at the meeting of the national working committee (NWC) where recent developments in the party were extensively discussed. The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at its meeting today, Thursday, March 30, 2023 extensively discussed recent developments in the Party. The NWC recognised the imperativeness of a total reconciliation among Party leaders and critical stakeholders for a more cohesive Party in the overall interest of our teeming members and Nigerians in general. Consequent upon the above, the NWC reverses the referral of the Governor of Benue State, His Excellency, Dr. Samuel Ortom to the National Disciplinary Committee. The NWC in the same vein reverses the suspension of the following underlisted members of our great Party: 1. H.E Ibrahim Shema (Katsina State) 2. Ayodele Fayose (Ekiti State) 3. Sen. Pius Anyim (Ebonyi State) 4. Prof. Dennis Ityavyar (Benue State) 5. Dr. Aslam Aliyu (Zamfara State) The party said the decision was without prejudice to the powers of the NWC to take necessary disciplinary action against any member of the party at any time pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017). It said the NWC charges all leaders, critical stakeholders and teeming members of our party across the country to be guided by the provisions of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017) as well as the new spirit and necessity of reconciliation, unity and harmony in our Party at this critical time. The statement also said the PDP must remain focused as necessary action was being taken to recover the stolen mandate freely given by Nigerians to our party and Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, on Saturday February 25, 2023, at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal. The NWC had last Friday approved the suspension of Messrs Anyim, Fayose, Shema and two others from the party. It did not, however, disclose their offences. The decision to reverse the suspension came two days after Iyorchia Ayu stepped aside as the PDP national chairman and was replaced with the partys deputy national chairman (North), Umar Damagum. Mr Ayu had been ordered by a Benue High Court, Makurdi, to stop parading himself as the partys national chairman. Two days before the court order, the PDP Igyorov ward chapter, Benue State had announced the suspension of the national chairman from the party for alleged anti-party activities. Mr Ayu, however, kicked against the action, saying only the partys national executive committee (NEC) could suspend him. Anyim, Shema react Meanwhile, Mr Anyim had condemned the decision of the PDP to suspend him. Although the NWC did not state their offence, Mr Anyim, in a statement, said the action was to say the least, disappointing. He said the party ought to have concerned itself with how to undertake a thorough self-examination on why they performed so poorly in the 2023 elections rather than seek to further divide the party by shifting blame. He added, It smacks of arrogance for the NWC to put up a bold face instead of showing remorse and being sober for leading the party to such a colossal loss in the 2023 elections, thereby dashing hopes and expectations of the party members and indeed Nigerians. On his part, Mr Shema, in a letter to Mr Ayu, threatened to quit the party if his suspension was not revoked within 48 hours. He also asked the national chairman to rescind the decision to dissolve the Katsina State executive committee of the party. Nnamani, others suspended earlier Before the hammer fell on Messrs Anyim, Fayose and Shema, the PDP had earlier expelled a former governor of Enugu State, Chimaroke Nnamani, and others in Ekiti and Imo states for alleged anti-party activities. Among those expelled was Oluwajomiloju, son of Mr Fayose, who was already nominated as a candidate in the 25 February National Assembly polls They were initially suspended from the party. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State and his Imo State counterpart, Hope Uzodimma, would, among other dignitaries, headline the public presentation of Nigeria Heroes and Sheroes: Diary of a Journalist of Courage, a book authored by Ken Ugbechie, publisher of Political Economist NG. The event, slated for Thursday, 6 April 2023 at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos would also feature the presentation of Political Economist Merit Award to some outstanding Nigerians and corporates in both the public and private sector. A statement by Mr Ugbechie described the event as an occasion to celebrate development in the country and reward some of the people who, despite all odds, have sustained the spirit of nationalism and productivity at their various stations in life. The 644-page book published by Godson and Godman, publishers of Political Economist, curates milestones and imprints of development even as it exposes some of the perils that have over the decades slowed down the advancement of the nation. According to the statement, the book periscopes Nigerias journey through the decades. It chronicles a peoples march through a forest of hope, faith, triumphs and trials. It details, with clarity, the authors perspectives on every sector of our national existence. The choice of title, Heroes and Sheroes, is deliberate. Regardless of the multitude of challenges tugging at the nation, there are still oasis of hope created by outstanding men and women whose sweat ensured that we still have a country geographically so defined, the statement said. According to Mr Ugbechie, those expected to be honoured at the event include Governors Udom Emmanuel, Nyesom Wike, Nasir El-Rufai, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Dave Umahi and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi. Other award recipients include Aliko Dangote, Umar Garba Danbatta, Leo Stan Ekeh, Herbert Wigwe, Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited, Buba Marwa , Mele Kolo Kyari, Barry Tariye Ndiomu, and Godwin Emefiele. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. A health practitioner, Uwom Eze, on Wednesday, testified before the Special Offences and Domestic Violence Court in the Ikeja area of Lagos in the alleged rape case involving Femi Olaleye, a doctor. Mr Olaleye, the managing director of Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, is facing a two-count charge of defilement and sexual assault by penetration of his wifes niece, offences which he is alleged to have committed between March 2020 and November 2021. In December, he pleaded not guilty to the charges. The expert witness presented a review of the medical examination conducted on the survivor. The health practitioner is a clinical forensic physician with the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Oyo states capital. Mr Eze is the first witness presented to the court by the defence team. On 4 January, Oyebimpe Akinbunmi, a health practitioner, who was a witness from the prosecution, appeared before the court to present the findings of her medical examination on the survivor. She told the court that the findings show that there was repeated forceful penetrative injury on the vagina of the survivor. No evidence of sexual contact However, during Wednesdays hearing, Mr Eze conducted a review of the medical report of the survivor earlier presented to the court by Ms Akinbunmi. The health practitioner told the court that the medical examination conducted on the survivor by Ms Akinbunmi did not meet the standards of the World Health Organisation (WHO) for medical examination of sexual assault. Mr Eze said the survivors vaginal features stated in the report were not that of injuries but normal features of a vagina. He added that the medical report presented to the court was predicated on vaginal features and testimony of the survivor. This (referring to the report) doesnt follow the standard. There is no evidence whatsoever. The features in the vagina were not that of injuries but normal features, he explained. The document was predicated on the vaginal features and account of the survivor. It is not the standard to predicate your test on only vagina features and survivors testimony. No swab, blood, forensic toxicology tests conducted Speaking further, he said the survivor was not subjected to a vaginal swab test during the medical examination to determine the presence of seminal fluid. The doctor said the survivor was not subjected to the forensic toxicology test to determine the drugs allegedly taken after the sexual assault. There is no documentation of any swab. It is a must requirement of any sexual assault test, he told the court. Swab from the vagina was not taken to help determine the presence of seminal fluid. No swab from the mouth was taken. None of these were carried out in the medical. No documentation on DNA tests or the reason why it was not carried out. If the alleged pills were given to her in all the alleged four rounds of sexual escapade, a forensic toxicology test on the blood should have been conducted to determine the alleged pills taken. No physical, forensic, biomedical was documented during the medical examination. The doctor argued that the medical examination should have been conducted 72 hours after the alleged sexual incident. The golden time for examination is 72 hours. They are lacking here. It makes it difficult to objectively evaluate sexual contact, he testified. There was no physical evidence of blunt force trauma of the vagina. The report shows that there was no sign of bruises, injuries, and lacerations on the vagina of the survivor. Cross-examination During cross-examination, Babajide Boye, the prosecution lawyer, asked the medical doctor what excuse he gave his employer for appearing in court today. I work for the UCH. I am also a public servant. As a consultant, I am entitled to one or two days of private practice. I was engaged to do a medical review of the medical report, he responded. Mr Boye asked the doctor what his mode of transportation was from Ibadan to Lagos. I came by public transport from Ibadan. I lodged in a hotel. This morning, one of the lawyers came to pick me up from the hotel, he said. Asked if he knows the survivor, the medical doctor said he has not met the survivor before or known the competence of the health practitioner from Mirabel Centre. After further cross-examination by Mr Boye, Rahman Oshodi, the judge, fixed 26 April for further hearing of the matter. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. Former presidential spokesperson and Director Communications and Media Strategy of Delta APC Campaign Organization, Ima Niboro, has described as a tissue of lies, allegations by expelled APC hieftain, Cairo Ojougboh. It is a tissue of lies, allegations by expelled APC chieftain, Cairo Ojougboh that Deputy Senate President and Delta APC Governorship candidate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, fictionalised the party and did not carry everybody along and that was why the party lost the March 18 governorship election in Delta State. Speaking on an AIT programme, Democracy Today, Tuesday night, Mr Niboro exposed how Mr Ojougbouh chose the Mr Omo-Agege and Great Ogboru faction of the APC to contest the governorship primary election of the party in 2019, because he believed it was the winning side. He posited that it was only after he lost out that he began to wage a war against Mr Omo-Agege. Mr Niboro, also a former Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) explained that in 2019, the party had two factions, one led by the founding leader in Delta, Otega Emerhor, and the other led by Messrs Omo-Agege and Ogboru. Before our reunification, the APC had broken into two, the mainstream APC led by Olorogun Emerhor and the faction that was led by Senator Omo-Agege and Chief Great Ogboru. I happened to be with the Emerhor faction. In fact, I ran for the House of Representatives, Mr Emerhor ran for senate but because of the crisis we were outmaneuvered and we lost out. But Emerhor, myself and two others I will not name sat down and took a deliberate decision that we are not going to throw away the baby with the bath water; that we are going to put the party together. The other two didnt agree and they quit the party. But I stood with Emerhor, because he and I had agreed on our direction even before we invited the other two persons. That is how the process started and the APC came together and today we are one big happy family. However, Ojougboh was with us in 2019. In fact, our faction needed a candidate for governorship whos from Delta North. He was our candidate for the mainstream APC. We didnt support Ogboru; we wanted equity, that look, we have accepted rotation of power in Delta State, it was Delta Norths turn and the next Governor to come in to complete the remaining four years of the Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa administration, if we are to get him out, should come from his own place, Delta North, so that in 2023, which is now upon us, we can confidently back an Urhobo, Delta Central, person. But on the morning of the primaries, Cairo Ojougbouh called to say he was joining the Senator Omo-Agege side to contest the Governorship primary and thats what he did. So he willingly joined the Senator Omo-Agege faction then, and it was only after he lost out that he started this long talk about Omo-Agege factionalising the party, Mr Niboro said. Rather than the faction theory advanced by Mr Ojougboh, Mr Niboro said the PDP led by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa penetrated the state with tremendous amount of money after allegedly borrowing N250 billion to prosecute the 2023 elections. Some of us still had a basic trust in the human character, not believing that they would ever attempt to tamper with something so transparent as the BVAS, but we were caught out by the PDP using money to influence INEC officials to upload fake results into the IRev. In my local government, at the end of collation, they gave APC 15,620 votes and PDP 15,613 votes, a difference of seven votes. I sat down and calculated the figures that were right there on the final result sheets. I discovered that what PDP actually scored was 14,513votes, so they undermined 1,100 votes right on the result sheet and they declared it and this is how they won their so called 21 local government areas. So, we need now to go and verify the results they claim gave them this dubious, fake victory, Mr Niboro insisted. READ ALSO: Delta Assembly suspends local council chairperson According to him, the APC promptly petitioned INEC about these and other observations and requested the election umpire to review the results but they refused. Thus, the INEC position as to the declaration of the disputed result has to be tested in Court, he said. He explained that what happened in Delta on 18 March was an electoral heist, assuring that the court will definitely give judgement to the APC and overturn the INEC position because, we have evidence to prove that the election was a sham. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Nefco is working with several new initiatives under the Green Recovery for Ukraine programme - Chief Investment Advisor of Nefco Yuliia Shevchuk Interview with Chief Investment Advisor of Nefco Yuliia Shevchuk to the Interfax-Ukraine Agency Text: Oksana Gryshyna Tell us about the Programmes that Nefco are currently launching in Ukraine. Nefco implements environmental projects in Eastern Europe, including Ukraine. A large number of municipal projects have been implemented regarding energy efficiency, district heating and wastewater modernisation. Nefco has a Framework Agreement with the Government of Ukraine ratified by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, which gives Nefco the possibility to operate as an International Financial Institution (IFI)in Ukraine. We have been cooperating with over 100 Ukrainian municipalities for more than 10 years. Nefco launched the Green Recovery Programme for Ukraine in July 2022, with the aim to provide financial and technical support to municipal projects. The Programme will support the green transition and the development of a green economy while helping to rebuild Ukraine. The purpose is to enhance and finance projects focused on rebuilding infrastructure at the municipal level to ensure that Ukraine is built back greener and better. As during the pre-war time, Nefcos focus will be on implementation of small and medium sized projects in direct cooperation with Ukrainian municipalities, combined with technical assistance paving the way for medium- and long-term sustainable planning and operations. The programme is a multi-contributor initiative, with the EU and the Nordic Governments as the initial contributors. We manage three new actions funded by the European Union (EU), which includes around 30 communities in Ukraine. These actions are aimed at rebuilding critical infrastructure, urgent housing needs and building new housing for internally displaced persons (IDPs). Nefco administers and implements these actions. One of the actions is about repairing and reconstructing damaged critical infrastructure in the Kyiv region. The included projects will be related to rehabilitation of water supply, wastewater and district heating. This action includes 12 cities and urban villages in the Kyiv region; the Borodyanka, Borschahivka, Dymer, Dmytrivka, Hostomel, Irpin, Ivankiv, Kalynivka, Nemishaieve, Piskivka, Slavutych and Velyka Dymerka territorial communities. The total funding is EUR50 million allocated by the EU through Nefco. Another new action, with funding allocated from the EU is the Housing for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and rehabilitation of liberated cities in Ukraine. The action includes so far 6 cities: Chernivtsi, Dubno, Kovel, Lviv, Zhytomyr and Makariv. A third action with EU funding applies to the repair of Housing for IDPs. Under this Programme we work in 10 cities located in the western Ukraine. Two of the actions are at the procurement stage and the Housing for IDPs has started the construction phase. How were the projects that have already received the support chosen? Did communities actively apply? The projects were chosen based on proposals by Ministry for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine and final approvals were made by the EU. There were much more applications than what was possible to include under these new actions. Together with the European Union, Nefco began the pre-preparations of the programmes in spring 2022. Cities are very active, we currently get three to five new applications every week from the communities. The name of one of the Programme is Housing for IDPs and rehabilitation of liberated cities, but according to the notice, the cities of the West of Ukraine were chosen. Most of the construction projects of the new housing for IDPs are located in Western Ukraine, as there has been a relocation of people from Eastern to Western parts of Ukraine since the war started. In addition, rehabilitation of public buildings will be implemented in two liberated cities. What type will the new Housing for IDPs be? The technical assistance of the European Union involves professional international and Ukrainian consulting companies that will assist cities in the development of housing concepts for IDPs, taking into account modern energy efficient and environmentally friendly technologies, as well as requirements for inclusivity, as housing should be built taking into account the needs of the wounded and disabled people. What are your requirements for these housing projects? Our requirements relate to implementation of energy efficiency measures, and usage of more environmentally friendly materials according to European building standards. Cities should follow the procedure provided by the Government of Ukraine on the distribution of social housing for Ukrainian citizens. Priority will be given to the most affected groups. The action has a requirement that housing which have been built with funding provided from the action is not privatised, which means it is the property of the municipality. A Project Implementation Unit has been formed in each of the included cities, including all necessary departments to ensure as quick project implementation as possible. When talking about Project Implementation Unit of the projects, do you focus on further expansion of cooperation? Yes, we hope to continue working in the chosen cities, because they are known partners for us, they already know our rules, have a team for implementation, so it is more efficient to work with these cities. For example, we have four projects in Chernivtsi, and three of them are now being implemented simultaneously. But we also have new cities in the portfolios of these new actions. Have you already analysed the current state of critical infrastructure? What part of the need for rehabilitation does the amount of grant support provided by the European Union through Nefco cover in the chosen communities? There is no consolidated analysis as projects are under development. ommunities that were seriously destroyed have been chosen by the EU, together with the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine and Nefco. For example, in a small town near Kyiv, a project including a substantial number of measures for the rehabilitation of both district heating, water supply and wastewater facilities is planned. But are small towns able to manage such big projects? Small communities have limited resources for the implementation of projects funded by international organisations. Therefore, the European Union provides financial support for technical assistance to support the project implementation. Technical assistance includes support for project development, preparation of tender documentation under Nefcos requirements as well as monitoring and technical supervision of project implementation. Nefco has extensive experience of implementation of similar projects and we have created a monitoring system that provides several stages of project quality control. What are the difficulties already revealed? During the implementation of projects, we see a possibility of shortage of local materials, because many production facilities of building materials have been destroyed as a result of Russia's aggression. In addition, the male part of the population can be mobilised, which applies to both the staff of the contractors and municipalities, so the availability of human resources may be a challenge for our new actions. We also wish to highlight the difficult financial condition of the included municipalities, as taxes have decreased as a result of decreased activity, and cities have to contribute to the approved projects. For example, there is a condition that the Housing for IDP projects will ensure the connection of the new housing to all necessary infrastructure (water, heat, electricity). In addition, the community is responsible for the bomb shelter equipment, because without bomb shelter the new housing cannot be put into operation. What are the contributions of municipalities to the rehabilitation of critical infrastructure? These projects should also have some local funding from the included cities, but we understand that it is very difficult to expect powerful financial contributions from destroyed cities. Among the risks of the projects you have mentioned the problems with local equipment or building materials. How will it be resolved? We are planning public tenders, in which any company, not under sanctions, can participate in. Taking into account our previous experience, if we talk about construction, among the contractors who won the tenders, there were mainly Ukrainian companies, because local permits and licenses were required, but at the same time the materials provided were from different countries. Now, most likely, we will see even more foreign materials, while Ukraine's own production of for example windows and other materials is destroyed. But we will see the new reality after the tendering has been completed. When will the first results be? Some of the tenders are already ongoing and some will be announced in the near future. We expect to have first tenders finalised by summer. We are very hopeful that most of the construction works for all three actions will begin during this year. And what are the chances that works can be completed by the end of the year? It is challenging to start and finish the construction work during the same season. We have to look at what type of technologies to be chosen for all projects and usually construction or repair takes more than a year. For example, there is a day-care centre among the chosen projects and it is completely destroyed. It must be demolished and a new one must be built, which will take more than a year. What are the requirements in terms of safety for the cities in which you start the projects? In which regions do you work, which are at the stage of waiting? Now the issue of safety is our first priority when making the decision whether we can work in a certain region or city and under which circumstances. For example, in the cities in the Kyiv region, where we will repair critical infrastructure, there is a requirement for the demining of objects. We will undergo such a procedure in our implemented projects for the first time in our history. We hope that everyone, including state authorities, will work smoothly to fulfil this condition. In general, if you look at geography, most of the included projects are in the western part of Ukraine now. This is related first of all to safety, but also due to the fact that IDPs have moved from east to west, and due to this housing is now needed in the western regions. But also projects in Central Ukraine are included, for example where Nefco funds the supply of mobile boilers for a citys heating system due to the destruction of heating infrastructure by Russia. The donor of this project is the Danish Government, which provides significant funding through Nefco. Of course, we do not work in the eastern part of the country, although we had a very large initiative being implemented in Eastern Ukraine before the war, supported by the Government of Norway and the other Nordic Countries. A number of projects were implemented with Nefcos participation in Bakhmut and Vuhledar and in other cities that are damaged now. We constantly communicate with the municipal authorities, for example with Melitopol, which hopes that when these territories will be liberated, we will be able to continue our cooperation. With the participation of CFI, Agence francaise de developpement medias, as part of the Hub Bucharest / Residency Yak Vdoma Project Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. The House of Representatives on Thursday approved President Muhammadu Buharis request for the establishment of 10 new National Parks. This is sequel to the adoption of a motion by Ado Doguwa, the majority leader of the House at the plenary in Abuja. The upper chamber of the assembly had earlier approved the request for the parks on Tuesday. Mr Doguwa said Mr Buhari had on 16 November, 2022 signed a declaration order for 10 parks across Nigeria as national parks. He said in consonance with the provisions of Section 18 of the National Park Service Act, the president, in writing requested the concurrence of the House on 10 New National Parks. Subject to this Act, the president with the concurrence of the National Assembly will publish in the gazette, declaring such areas in the federation as national parks, he said. This, according to him, shall be subject to the provisions of the Act; or, an order made under Subsection (i) of this section shall set out the situation limits of each National Park. He added that it specifies the intern management policy for the National Park, and specifies the classification of the National Park. He said: Aware that the declaration Order, 2022 set out; the declaration of new National Parks; name, situation and limits of the new National Park; and constitution of the National Parks Management Committee. The 10 new National Parks declared in the Order are: Allawa Game Reserve, Niger, Apoi Forest Reserve, Bayelsa, and Edumenum Reserve, Bayelsa. Others include: Falgore Game Reserve, Kano State, Baturiya Wetland Game Reserve, Jigawa, Kampe Forest Reserve, Kwara, Kogo Forest Reserve, Katsina State, and Marhai Forest Reserve, Nasarawa State Also in the lists are; Oba Hill Forest Reserve, Osun and Pandam Forest Reserve, Plateau State. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the just concluded election in Kano, Nasir Gawuna, on Wednesday, congratulated the candidate of the New Nigeria People Party (NNPP), Abba Yusuf, who won the 18 March governorship election. I am congratulating him and I pray for Allahs guidance in his administration, Mr Gawuna said. Initially we have prayed to Allah to choose what is best for us because he is the Almighty who gives power to whom he wishes. Even though our party has written a petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to complain to review the election due to some irregularities but today it has issued the pronounced winner with a certificate of return. I have taken it in good faith. I commended President Muhammadu Buhari and President-Elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu vice President-Elect Kashim Shettima and my leader Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, thank you for your immeasurable contribution. I am therefore expressing my appreciation to the Kano people and the APC supporters for casting their votes for the APC, thank your unwavering support. I am commending All members of our campaign council, party executives and stalwarts for their dedication, loyalty and commitment. My gratitude goes to my family, friends and associates for standing with me all through the electioneering process, Mr Gawuna said. Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission also presented a certificate of return to the governor-elect, Mr Kabir, and his running mate, Aminu Abdulsalam, at its office in the metropolis on Wednesday. Mr Yusuf was declared the winner of the contest after scoring 1,019,602 votes to defeat the candidate of the APC who got 890,705 votes. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. CLAIM: INEC has uploaded National Assembly election results on the IReV portal but has yet to do so for presidential elections. VERDICT: False Full Text Reactions from across the world have followed the 25 February presidential election in Africas biggest democracy, which produced Bola Tinubu as Nigerias next leader. Mr Tinubu was the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Major opposition parties in the fiercely contested polls have refused to concede defeat, and the two closest contestants have launched a formal challenge of the results in court. Mr Tinubu, 70, scored 8,794,726 votes, the highest of all the candidates. His closest rival, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), scored 6,984,520 votes to emerge second in the election while Labour Partys Peter Obi got a total of 6,101,533. Atiku called the result a rape of democracy after getting 29 per cent of the votes while Mr Obi, who got 25 per cent, told supporters they had been robbed of victory, and said the election is the worst in Nigerias recent history. The opposition parties are lamenting the inability of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to upload photos of polling station results to a central portal, IReV, created for the purpose. INECs guideline for the election explicitly states that results from each of the more than 176,000 polling stations will be electronically transmitted to the commissions collation system and also uploaded to its website. But that was not possible with INEC apologising for what it called technical glitches. As Messrs Obi and Atiku continue their challenge of the presidential elections results for, among other reasons, not being uploaded on IReV on time, they have ironically endorsed and celebrated some of the election results at the national legislative levels favourable to their parties. The elections of the federal lawmakers were simultaneously held on the same day as the presidential election. For instance, on 8 March, Mr Obi organised a dinner for the elected legislative members of the Labour Party. This evening, I hosted the welcome dinner for Labour Party Senators and Members of the House of Representatives in Abuja, he wrote on Twitter with pictures attached from the event. The senator-elect of the FCT, Ireti Kingibe also posted: The elected Senators and House of Representative members of our great party came together to dine and celebrate with each other in harmony. Thank you @PeterObi for hosting us. Then, On 10 March, the PDP National Youth Coordinator, Abba Kadade, led the partys members-elect of the Kaduna House of Representatives to meet Atiku. The Labour Party won 40 seats in the National Assembly: six Senate seats and 34 House of Representative positions. On the other hand, the PDP got 29 seats in the Senate and 102 in the House of Representatives. The APC won a majority of the seats with 57 in the Senate and 162 in the House of Representatives. The results of the Senate and House of Representatives elections were expected to be uploaded and published on the IReV portal at the end of voting. Some public commentators have claimed that INEC has since uploaded the election results at the national legislative levels. In a widely circulated video, Emmanuel Ogebe, the coordinator of Washington-based Democratic Election Monitoring Observers (DEMO) said: Just to show you the extent of the mischief that occurred, the result of National Assembly elections which occurred at the same time simultaneously with presidential elections results were able to be uploaded on IReV but the presidential election results were not uploaded. Till this moment, the results have not been completely uploaded, Mr Ogebe said at an event on 8 March in Washington. Then a Twitter user Daniel Okezue wrote: I told you that @inecnigeria could not be trusted. I told you that elections are not rigged at PUs but at collation centres. Whatever makes you able to upload National Assembly results but couldnt upload the presidential is the beginning of rigging. INEC has to answer for this. One of Mr Obis special advisers Valentine Ozigbo wrote: INEC officials uploaded the results of the National Assembly elections to the server without hitches. But how true is the claim that INEC has uploaded the National Assembly elections results on IReV but has yet to do so for the presidential election? Verification PREMIUM TIMES extracted data on the INEC portal on Monday 27 March and we discovered that out of 176,846, INEC has uploaded 166,656 polling units results for the presidential election. This represents 94.24 per cent. The electoral commission is still expected to upload 10,190 polling units results. On the other hand, INEC has uploaded 150,281 polling units results for senatorial elections on the IReV portal, representing 84.97 per cent of the total. As for the House of Representatives, the electoral commission has uploaded 152,055 polling units results from federal constituencies on IReV. This represents 85.98 per cent of the results. A review of the results by PREMIUM TIMES shows that as of Monday, 27 March, only 48 per cent of FCT senatorial elections results were published on IReV. INEC has published only 1,356 out of 2,822 polling units results in the FCT senatorial district. In the same vein, only 78 per cent of senatorial election results in Akwa Ibom South are uploaded on IReV. PDPs Ekong Samson is the senator-elect of the Akwa Ibom Senatorial South district election. The electoral commission uploaded only 996 out of 1,275 polling units results in the senatorial district. Then in Delta central, INEC published 1,399 out of 2,180 polling units results of the senatorial elections. This represents 64.17 per cent of the final results that produced APCs Ede Dafinone. Conclusion Using official data from Nigerias electoral umpire, INEC, we found that as of 27 March, out of 176,846, INEC has uploaded 166,656 polling unit results from presidential elections. This represents 94.24 per cent. On the other hand, INEC has published 150,281 (84.97 per cent) of the total results of senatorial elections and 152,055 (85.98 per cent) of the results for the House of Representatives. Therefore it is false and misleading to say INEC has uploaded the results of national legislative elections but has yet to upload the presidential elections results. The data shows that as of 27 March, INEC had uploaded and published more presidential election results on IReV than that of the National Assembly. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. The House of Representatives has adopted the report of the conference committee on the Peace Corps Bill. The House Committee of the Whole on Thursday considered the report submitted by Ibrahim Babangida (NNPP, Katsina) and adopted the recommendations. The lower chamber had in December 2022 passed the bill. However, there were differences in the versions passed by the House and the Senate. Consequently, the two chambers of the National Assembly set up the harmonisation committee to address the differences. Members of the House Conference Committee are Mr Babangida, Tijani Ismail (APC, Kwara), Chinedu Ogah (APC, Ebonyi), Ibrahim Potiskum (APC, Yobe), Abdulmumini Ari (APC, Nasarawa) and Legor Idegbo (PDP, Cross River). The Senate members are Kashim Shettima (APC, Borno) Chairman, Abba Moro (PDP, Borno), Betty Apiafi (PDP, Rivers), Oriolowo Adelere (APC, Osun), Eyinnaya Abaribe (APGA, Abia) and Seriake Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa). The Senate version of section 38 of the bill calls for the dissolution of the existing Peace Corps of Nigeria and the National Unity and Peace Corps. But the House version provides for the transformation of the existing Peace Corps into the new entity. READ ALSO: Presenting the synopsis of the report, Mr Babangida stated that the harmonisation committee met and resolved to go with the position of the House on section 38. The conference committee met with the Senators and the resolution was that the version of the House be adopted, he said. Section 38 (8) of the bill provides a window of opportunity for individuals, groups, associations or bodies that show or demonstrate interest to be absorbed as members of the Corps shall be absorbed subject to the mandatory basic training and orientation program of the Corps as may be prescribed from time to time when the Bill is signed into law. The two chambers of the National Assembly will have to pass the bill before transmitting it to the president for assent. The Peace Corps bill was passed by the eighth Assembly in late 2017 but President Muhammadu Buhari declined assent to the legislation in February 2018, citing security concerns as one of the reasons for his decision. He also cited paucity of funds and duplication of duties of existing security agencies by the proposed corps as other reasons for declining assent. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has commenced action on the petition filed by the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, against former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar. Mr Keyamo, a spokesperson for the campaign council of the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, had in a petition filed in January, called for an investigation into the corruption allegations levelled against Atiku by a former aide, Michael Achimugu. PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Keyamo sent the petition to several anti-graft agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) and CCB. Mr Keyamo, on 16 January, gave the anti-graft agencies 72 hours to investigate, arrest and prosecute the PDP presidential candidate. The CCB, in a letter dated 28 March and signed by its Director of Intelligence, Investigation and Monitoring, Sebastian Gwimi, asked Mr Keyamo to appear at the bureaus office in Abuja to adopt his petition. Mr Keyamo is scheduled to appear before the CCB on Friday 21 April. READ ALSO: This invitation is to enable you adopt the aforementioned petition and to provide any additional information that may be material to this investigation. You are requested to come along with one Michael Achimugu, to assist with enquiries regarding the attachments to your petition, the letter reads. SPV allegation Mr Achimugu, who claimed to be a former aide of Atiku, in a series of social media posts, accused Atiku of using Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV) to commit financial fraud. Mr Keyamo, at the end of the expiration of the 72 hours ultimatum, filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking an order compelling the security agencies to arrest Atiku. Keyamo, Atikus camp react The minister shared the CCBs invitation letter and a statement from his law firm, Festus Keyamo Chambers on the matter via his Twitter timeline on Thursday. The statement, issued by John Anietor, said Mr Keyamo will see the case to a logical conclusion, noting that it is not a political gimmick. The Bureau has invited our client Mr Festus Keyamo to come forward to adopt his petition and to help it to secure the presence of the whistleblower, Mr Michael Achimugu to assist in the investigation. See a copy of the letter below. Mr Keyamo assures that the crusade for accountability in respect of this issue was not a campaign gimmick as he promises to follow it through to a logical conclusion, even after the victory of the President-Elect, ASIWAJU Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he said. Petition dead on arrival Atikus campaign council Daniel Bwala, the spokesperson for the Atiku Campaign, told PREMIUM TIMES that the invitation by the CCB was a formality to allow Mr Keyamo to adopt his petition. He described the petition as frivolous, fictitious and dead on arrival. He added that Mr Keyamo wrote the petition ahead of the election for the optics and nothing more. Atiku was the Vice President from 1999-2007, and he is currently challenging the outcome of the 25 February presidential election that produced Mr Tinubu as the president-elect. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a suit filed by a former Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajuba, for the disqualification of the presidential candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). A five-member panel of the court unanimously dismissed the suit after Mr Nwajiubas legal team withdrew the suit against Bola Tinubu of the APC and Atiku Abubakar of the PDP at Thursdays proceedings. The former minister had lost the case at both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal as both courts concurrently ruled that it was statute-barred. Mr Nwajiuba and 12 others contested and lost the APC presidential primary election to Mr Tinubu in June last year. The former minister, who was absent from the APCs primary election in June 2022, polled only one vote. In July 2022, he along with a group, Rights for All International, filed a suit for the disqualification of both Mr Tinubu and Atiku as the presidential candidates of their respective parties. Their prayer was anchored on the grounds that APC and PDP candidates failed to disclose the sources of the funds with which they procured their parties nomination and expression of interest forms. Mr Nwajiuba, who resigned his ministerial position in the President Muhammadu Buhari-led cabinet to contest the APCs presidential primary, was the first aspirant to procure the partys N100 million nomination and expression of interest forms. Suit In his suit, Mr Nwajiuba said he was the only presidential aspirant who met the requirement of section 90(3) of the Electoral Act, 2022 by disclosing the sources of the funds with which he purchased his APC nomination and expression of interest forms. He said he produced a verifiable list of donors who donated between N500 to N500,000 for him to procure the APCs forms conformed with the provision of the law. According to him, both Mr Tinubu and Atiku failed to disclose their own sources of funding in violation of the law. He therefore urged the court to disqualify the two candidates and declared him as the only qualified contestant at the APC primary. He urged the court to also declare his vote as the only lawful and valid vote scored at the convention and declare him as the candidate of the APC for the 2023 presidential election. The judge, Z.B Abubakar, dismissed the suit in a judgement on 23 November, 2022. The judge agreed with the contention in the preliminary objections filed by Mr Tinubus lawyer, Babatunde Ogala, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and other defence lawyers that Mr Nwajiubas suit was statute-barred. The judge held that by virtue of the provisions of section 285(9) of the Nigerian constitution, the suit ought to have been filed within 14 days after the primary elections of the parties. Appeals Displeased with the Federal High Courts decision, Mr Nwajiuba appealed to the Court of Appeal in Abuja in January. A three-member panel of the appellate court, in a judgement delivered on 15 February, upheld the decision of the Federal High Court by similarly dismissing the former ministers suit. The court also awarded one million naira cost against the former minister and in favour of the respondents. Still dissatisfied, Mr Nwajiuba, appealed to the Supreme Court. But when the matter came up for hearing on Thursday, his legal team opted to withdraw it. Inyang Okoro, who led a five-member panel of the court, went on to dismiss the suit. Upon the application for withdrawal by the appellants counsel and without any objection from the respondents counsel, the appeal is dismissed, the court ruled. Mr Tinubu went on to win the 25 February presidential election after defeating Atiku and 16 other candidates. But Atiku as well as the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and others have disputed the outcome of the election. They have filed separate petitions to challenge the outcome. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. Jigawa State Governor, Muhammad Badaru, on Thursday received 60 medical students that were sponsored by the state government to study medicine in China. The governor directed that 32 of the 60 beneficiaries who have completed their studies be employed immediately. Mr Badaru gave the directive while some of the students visited him to thank him for the support and opportunity his administration offered them in 2016. After the visit, the Permanent Secretary of the states Ministry of Health, Salisu Muazu, told reporters that 28 beneficiaries are still undergoing medical certification processes in Nigeria. The state government in 2016 selected the 60 students meritoriously across the constituencies in the state and they have returned home after six years of extensive medical studies. We have currently received 32 of the 60 students who are certified medical doctors who have passed their prescribed examination and the medical and dental council screening examination in Nigeria. With that, they are duly registered doctors with a licenses to practice in Nigeria. The 32 have been posted to Rasheed Shekoni Special Hospital in Dutse for a one-year internship training before being dispatched to various health facilities in the state, Mr Muazu said. Meanwhile, the permanent secretary said besides the 60 returning medical students who graduated from the Chinese university, the state government also sponsored 160 students to study various medical courses in Sudan last year. He said 100 of them were women. According to him, the policy was aimed at producing manpower that will manage the newly constructed and upgrade primary and tertiary healthcare facilities in the state. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. The National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Edozie Njoku, says he will be taking over the national secretariat of the party now that the certified true copy (CTC) of the Supreme Court judgement on the leadership tussle has been released. Mr Njoku, who was recently reinstated by the Supreme Court as the national chairman of APGA, stated this at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday. He said he will be taking over the secretariat from Victor Oyes led faction. Supreme Court had delivered a judgement on 24 March affirming Mr Njoku as the authentic national chairman of the opposition party. The CTC was released on 29 March. Background The APGA leadership tussle between Messrs Njoku and Oye began in 2019. That year, Mr Oye was elected for a second term at a national convention in Akwa, Anambra State. However, another group led by Mr Njoku organised a parallel convention in Owerri, Imo State, where he was elected as national chairman. Since then, the duo has been in and out of court. In 2022, a verdict by the Supreme Court further exacerbated the crisis due to an error that referred Oye instead of Njoku in the judgement. PREMIUM TIMES reported that the police had arraigned Mr Njoku before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, alleging that he forged a judgement of the Supreme Court. Mr Njoku subsequently approached Supreme Court for clarification on the judgement. PREMIUM TIMES reported that a five-member panel of the Supreme Court, led by Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, said on Friday that it made a mistake in a judgement it delivered in 2021, where the court erroneously wrote the name of Victor Oye as APGA national chairman. The Supreme Court subsequently declared Mr Njoku was the substantive national chairman of the party. I will take over the party Mr Njoku said the judgement by the Supreme Court has settled every dispute on the leadership of the party, and they can now focus on taking over the party. He said he refused to take over the secretariat because he was waiting for the Certified True Copy of the judgement. I have had calls to take thugs and policemen to go and invade the party office but I will not operate at that level of gutter. Things will be done properly. Nigeria is not a banana republic. We are not baboons. There is always a process to things. A judgment came out yesterday, the certified true copy came out literally this morning, he said. Mr Njoku added that INEC will also be availed the Certified True Copy of the judgement to ensure a seamless transition. The CTCs were released yesterday. Before the end of tomorrow, INEC will be served. You cant be talking to INEC without the documents. READ ALSO: Supreme Court upholds Edozie Njoku as APGA National Chairman If you are going to the police, you have to serve them, if INEC is going to respond to you, you have to serve them, they have to read it to respond. The Supreme Court has given us a major ammunition; from the back channels, INEC has said we should send the copy and they will respond, he said. We must reconcile Mr Njoku also called on aggrieved members of the party to embrace reconciliation in the interest of the party. I call on Oye again, all the former members of NWC, all the people in the wards, local governments, let us unite and move this beautiful party forward. APGA needs to reconcile. We are facing reconciliation. There are three elections coming up in a twinkle of an eye in Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo States. A timetable is going to be reeled out tomorrow and we are now going to work hard to see how we can get our act together. So, whosoever has been offended or hurt in the process, dont take it out on APGA, he said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has sacked several of his political appointees in the state. The Secretary to State Government (SSG), Chris Ezem, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday. Mr Ezem, a lawyer, said those affected include: special assistants, senior special assistants, special advisers and technical advisers. This implies that commissioners in the state were not affected. The governor further directs the state accountant general to ensure immediate payment of March 2023 stipends to all the appointees, Mr Ezem said. The SSG said the governor has thanked the sacked appointees for their contributions and services to the state and also wished them well in their future endeavours. The sack came days after Mr Ikpeazus anointed governorship candidate, Okey Ahiwe of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost in the 18 March governorship election in the state to Alex Otti of the Labour Party (LP). PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Otti, the LP candidate, polled a total of 172,386 votes to defeat his closest rival and candidate of the PDP, Mr Ahiwe, who garnered a total of 88,174 votes. Governor Ikpeazu also lost his senatorial bid in Abia South District to Enyinnaya Abaribe of the All Progressives Grand Alliance. PDP is the ruling party in the state. The sack of the political appointees also comes barely 24 hours after Mr Otti, the governor-elect, raised an alarm that the state government was engaging in late-hour employment racketeering in the state. READ ALSO: Abia lawmakers deny plan to impeach Governor Ikpeazu Mr Ikpeazu would later deny the allegation, pointing out that even if the allegation was true, his administration, with executive powers to run the affairs of the state has the power to hire employees of the government if it so desires. Mr Otti is expected to be sworn in as the governor of the state on 29 May when the tenure of the incumbent governor, Mr Ikpeazu, would come to an end. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. A senior South African journalist, Ferial Haffajee, put it this way: South African media is pretty myopic. There was some interest in Peter Obis chances as an outsider who resonated with young people. There was more coverage of the cash crisis (in Nigeria) and its possible impact on the elections outcome. Burna Boy is bigger news here to be honest. From Accra to Cape Town, images of Nollywood, Nigerias popular movie footprint, are a common staple in homes across the continent, as are the sights and sounds of its pop icons, who are also amongst Africas biggest. When politics is on the menu, however, it does not appear that the rest of the continent has the same appetite for what Nigeria has to offer, as it does for the countrys jollof rice, its captivating movies or perhaps the Afrobeat of superstar, Burna Boy. Between February and March 2023, Nigeria held its general elections; the seventh since 1999 when the country transitioned to constitutional democracy, after three decades of military rule, briefly interrupted by a four-year spell of civilian rule. I was curious to see how Africas media would cover Nigerias election for a number of reasons. One, Nigeria is the continents largest democracy. It has nearly 20% of Africas population and is home to one of every four black persons in the world. The country also has the most dispersed number of black persons, with the highest diaspora population in the US, closely followed by Kenyans and Ghanaians. A common Nigerian joke is that if you arrive in any part of the world where there is no Nigerian, make your stay brief. Two, the country is Africas biggest economy. With a portfolio of $6 billion, it is also the largest continental shareholder in the African Development Bank (AfDB), and very often its biggest cashier in times of crisis. This intervention goes back to the liberation struggle, through apartheid, to multiple regional wars. Three, apart from the size of Nigerias economy and its population, it also makes multilateral sense to be interested in the outcome of the countrys general elections and to follow the story closely. Perhaps one of the biggest issues on the continent today is the African Free Continental Trade Area (AfCTA) agreement, a protocol that is supposed to boost intra-African trade by up to $450 billion yearly and also create new opportunities. In spite of the excitement in parts of the continent, Nigerias outgoing president, Muhammadu Buhari, has however treated the protocol with skepticism, if not disdain. It would be in the continents interest to know if the incoming president would be as lukewarm as Buhari has been in this regard. Also, it was more than mere symbolism that the continents richest man and Nigerian, Aliko Dangote, after voting in the presidential and National Assembly elections on 25 February, granted a press interview in which he said, People who dont come out to vote at elections have no reason to complain when things are not going well. Nor should African journalists who ignore the continents biggest political story. And if these reasons are insufficient, recent events on the continent, especially the rise in unconstitutional changes in government, have shown that general elections are quite often the trigger point. At least 10 African countries have presidential and or National Assembly elections this year; two of Nigerias neighbours Sierra Leone and Liberia have presidential elections later this year, while half a dozen others have local elections. The Editor of a major Ghanaian newspaper, The Chronicle, Emmanuel Akli, explained why: The Ghanaian economy is in a very bad shape, he said. The press is struggling. Readership is very low. Advertising is even worse. We are all struggling, and that includes Daily Graphic, the biggest daily. We cant even cover internal issues well, never mind sending reporters to cover elections in Nigeria! What happens in Nigeria could have a knock-on effect on its neighbours and maybe even beyond. Its common to hear of how poorly the Western press portrays Africa and how Western journalists report mostly stories about disease, death and destruction, judiciously sprinkled with prejudice about tribe, religion and poverty. Yet, the paradox of this charge, even in the runup to Nigerias recent presidential election, is that politicians dont seem to think they would have a good outing, until they have paraded themselves before the foreign press in what appears to be a craven desire for validation. Londons Chatham House, a private think tank, for example, is the favourite staging post of Nigerian politicians. But I digress. The point is, in a season when Nigerias new electoral law provided five months the longest runway yet between the start of campaigns and elections how did the media cover it? Nigerias media, famous for vibrancy, as it is for its fleetingness and partisan cacophony, is not yet out of election mode, especially following the bitter post-election wrangling among the major parties the ruling All Progressives Party (APC); the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); and the new table shaker, the Labour Party (LP). Anyone following the Nigerian media, especially social media, might be forgiven to think Armageddon is at hand. CEO/Editor-In-Chief of Media Review and member of Nigerias National Ombudsman, Lanre Idowu, said coverage was not rigorous enough, especially because of the large number of political parties (18 in all) involved. That it was so easy for candidates to pick and choose who could interview them weakened the place and importance of the media as agenda-setters, he said. Sections of the media overreached themselves in the way they reported the elections, not showing sufficient conflict-sensitivity. Well, if charity failed at home, how much attention did the continents media pay, considering what was at stake both at the bilateral or multilateral levels? The tragic, short answer is, not much. I wasnt particularly surprised. Yet, for all the reasons I have given and perhaps more, I was hoping that improved interconnectivity, if not increased commerce, travel, and self-interest, would spark a greater level of attention amongst the continents journalists in the coverage of Nigerias elections. I took particular interest in four anglophone countries with a fairly vibrant and robust tradition of press freedom, and randomly browsed coverage, just before, during and after the polls, to see if I would be disappointed. I wasnt. Not by Ghana, Nigerias western neighbour, which has its own district and local elections later this year. One or two TV stations, particularly Joy FM, used feeds from a few Nigerian sources and conducted some live interviews. But the bulk of the Ghanaian press tucked the election stories inside, scrapping whatever little content they could find from online sources. The Editor of a major Ghanaian newspaper, The Chronicle, Emmanuel Akli, explained why: The Ghanaian economy is in a very bad shape, he said. The press is struggling. Readership is very low. Advertising is even worse. We are all struggling, and that includes Daily Graphic, the biggest daily. We cant even cover internal issues well, never mind sending reporters to cover elections in Nigeria! Sierra Leonean journalists didnt fare better. They relied mostly on reports from the foreign press, mostly BBC, for their coverage. Abdul Rahman Kamara, Manager at Sierra Leones Star TV, said, It is always the wish of journalists to cover stories beyond the shores of Sierra Leone, but financial limitations have been the challenge. In light of reports of the desperation by the ruling Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) of Julius Maada Bio to forestall peaceful transfer of power, a vigilant continental media could help ensure that Sierra Leone does not become the sixth African country in three years to slide into chaos over disputed elections While the continent rocks the Afrobeat of its music stars, Sierra Leones general elections in June shouldnt be another outsourced African story. The tragedy is not only the disservice the limitations do to historically close relations between both countries, but also, content from major foreign networks are often the echo chambers of their home governments. Kamara agreed that African journalists need to do more about the African story, otherwise the foreign media will hijack the narrative: Doing so, he said, requires a consensus that we set our own agenda through media conglomerates sharing the ideas and putting Africa first. South Africas press tried to do a better job of it, with Mail & Guardian reporting the anxiety in Nigeria while voters waited for the results. Times Live covered the story of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar, leading a protest against the results after they were released. Yet, the coverage which was significantly slanted in favour of the LP candidate, Peter Obi, was nothing to be compared with the massive interest in the over one-year-old war between Russia and Ukraine, for example, or the Julius Malema protests. A senior South African journalist, Ferial Haffajee, put it this way: South African media is pretty myopic. There was some interest in Peter Obis chances as an outsider who resonated with young people. There was more coverage of the cash crisis (in Nigeria) and its possible impact on the elections outcome. Burna Boy is bigger news here to be honest. Kenya did much better. Perhaps because of the countrys own recent history of electoral violence, journalists there were particularly sensitive to what was going on in Nigeria. In an article in one of the East African countrys leading newspapers, Nation, for example, entitled, Why Kenya should closely follow Nigeria elections, the writer, Muliro Wilfred Nasongo, provided insights covering everything from what the elections mean to Nigeria to why Kenyans must follow the outcome. Nasongos piece was a breath of fresh air in a moment of eccentricities when African journalists, either unable or unwilling to tell an important continental story, appeared to have outsourced responsibility, yet again, to foreign media networks. It wont be long before Nigerian journalists, and perhaps journalists in the subregion, would face yet another test. The Sierra Leonean general elections, which may well be one of the countrys most hotly contested in decades, come up in June. Only 32 years ago, that country was the theatre of a bloody four-year-long civil war. The war may have been caused by the scramble for bloody diamonds but it was sustained and prolonged by a weak and corrupt political system. In light of reports of the desperation by the ruling Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) of Julius Maada Bio to forestall peaceful transfer of power, a vigilant continental media could help ensure that Sierra Leone does not become the sixth African country in three years to slide into chaos over disputed elections. While the continent rocks the Afrobeat of its music stars, Sierra Leones general elections in June shouldnt be another outsourced African story. Azu Ishiekwene is Editor-in-Chief of LEADERSHIP. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. The captain of an EL AL aircraft operating a Tokyo-Tel Aviv flight sent a request for an emergency landing at Heydar Aliyev International Airport, due to the deterioration of the health of one of the passengers, Trend reports. The Boeing 787-9 aircraft landed safely at the Baku airport at 21:51 local time. Immediately after landing, the passenger was handed over to the ambulance team, which took him to one of the Bakus clinics. Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. Comprehensive guide to list of federal universities in Nigeria that accept Second Choice Selecting the ideal university is a significant decision that can shape your future career path. Unfortunately, with an increasing number of students seeking higher education in Nigeria, competition for admissions has grown fiercer often leading to disappointment when their first choices universities are no longer available. Do not despair! There are still plenty of great options available to you. In fact, several federal universities in Nigeria accept second choice applicants! In this comprehensive guide well examine the list of federal universities in Nigeria that accept second choice and arm you with all the information needed to make an informed decision. What is a Second Choice university? Before we dive into the list, lets define what a second choice university is. A second choice university is simply an alternate option for students who did not meet the admission requirements of their first choice university. So if your preferred institution didnt accept you as your top pick, you have the option of applying to another one as your backup choice. List of federal universities in Nigeria that accept Second Choice admissions Here is a list of federal universities in Nigeria that accept second choice applicants: University of Lagos (UNILAG) (UNILAG) University of Benin (UNIBEN) University of Calabar (UNICAL) Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) University of Jos (UNIJOS) Federal University Oye Ekiti (FUOYE) University Maiduguri (UNIMAID) Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ikwo (FUNAI) Federal University Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA) Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike (MOUAU) What are the admission requirements for Second Choice universities? It is essential to be aware that just because a university accepts second choice applicants doesnt mean the admission requirements are any less stringent. In many cases, universities require the same admission criteria for both first and second choice students. Admission requirements for second choice universities typically include: Meeting the minimum cut-off mark for your university in your UTME score in your UTME score Fulfilling O-level requirements (five credits including Mathematics and English) Complying with any additional departmental specifications (such as subject combinations for certain courses) Applying to Second Choice Universities How do you apply to universities of your second choice? Applying to a second choice university is just like applying to your first choice; just follow the same application process. Heres an overview of those steps: Registration for the JAMB/UTME exam and selecting your top universities exam and selecting your top universities Wait for your results and confirm if you meet all admission criteria for your top choice university. If not, consider applying to another institution as a backup plan. Follow the application guidelines provided by the university, including submitting your UTME result, O-level result and any additional requirements. result and any additional requirements. Wait for the university to release their admission list FAQs Q: Can I apply to more than one second choice university? A: Yes, you are free to apply to as many second choice universities as desired. Just remember that each application may require a separate fee. Q: Can I switch my second choice university? A: Yes, you can switch your second choice university before the admission deadline. Just make sure that you notify JAMB (Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board) of the change and follow all necessary procedures accordingly. Q: Will applying to my second choice university put me at a disadvantage? No, second choice applicants receive the same consideration as first choice ones provided they meet all admission requirements. Q: Can I still apply to a second choice university if I already accepted an admission offer from another school? No, once you accept an offer of admission you cannot pursue further study at that institution. Advantages of applying to Second Choice universities While being denied your top university choice can be disheartening, applying to a second choice university has several advantages: Increased Chances of Admission: As competition for admission into first choice universities grows increasingly tough, applying to a secondary university may increase your chances of being admitted. Chance to explore other options: Applying to a second choice university provides you with the unique opportunity to discover other universities and courses you may not have considered before. Opportunities to Build New Connections: Attending a different university can offer you the chance to form new relationships and expand your social circle. Conclusion While missing out on your dream university can be disheartening, there are still plenty of amazing possibilities available to you. The list of federal universities in Nigeria that accept second choices provides students with a chance to explore other institutions and increase their chances of admission. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. FCT senator-elect, Ireti Kingibe, on Thursday in Abuja expressed willingness to work with her predecessor, opponents and other political parties for a better territory. Mrs Kingibe of the Labour Party (LP) defeated serving senator, Phillip Aduda of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Zakari Angulu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the 25 February National Assembly elections. She noted at a thank you news conference that her predecessor senators in the FCT had made their inputs in ensuring the development of the capital territory. She particularly thanked the territorys outgoing senator, Mr Aduda, whom she said gave the FCT his best in the last 12 years in the Senate. She said she would like to continue to work from wherever Mr Aduda stopped and would listen to his advice. I will also like to reach out to all the other contestants and make them understand that it is not about me, but about the good of the FCT. If we join hands, we will move FCT to greater heights. I am willing to work with everyone to get things done. I call on Hon. Angulu and all others, irrespective of their parties, who contested with me that I am willing to work with everybody. I have always said that FCT should be a model for the rest of the country. I will show that even in appointments, wishes and needs; all of them can consider me to be their senator, she said. Mrs Kingibe promised to gradually push for the approval of FCT as a mayoralty. She thanked FCT residents for their resounding support and the LP for believing in her and giving her the ticket to contest. She listed some women who gave her support in her political journey to include Khairat Abdulrazaq-Gwadabe, the FCT senator between from 1999 to 2003 for showing her the ropes. She also thanked the late first lady, Maryam Babangida and Jummai Aduda among others and also thanked women and all women groups that supported her. Mrs Kingibe also thanked traditional rulers in the FCT for their support and noted that they never discriminated against her. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. Telecommunication company, MTN Nigeria, has debunked a report that two of its officials were among those killed by gunmen in a recent attack in the state. PREMIUM TIMES reported how the gunmen, on Monday, killed two personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) after ambushing them at Ekelsu Market, Obiangwu, a community in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of the state. An official of the NSCDC in the state said two other civilians said to be officials of the MTN Nigeria were also killed by the hoodlums during the attack. But reacting in a statement on Tuesday which was made available to PREMIUM TIMES, the telecommunication company said none of its officials was killed in the state. Whilst we empathise with the grieving families and the NSCDC affected by this tragic incident, we wish to correct the reports that two MTN officials were also killed in the incident. We can confirm that no MTN officials were hurt during the incident, the statement read in part. The company said it was deeply saddened by the killing of the NSCDC personnel and two others killed in the attack, but that they were not its employees. MTN Nigeria remains committed to the safety and security of our staff in all our operations across the country. We place the utmost importance on the safety and security of our staff, customers, and the communities in which we operate, and will continue to work with relevant authorities in this regard, it added. Worsening insecurity Like other states in Nigerias south-east, security has deteriorated in Imo State with frequent attacks by armed persons. The attacks often target security agencies, government officials and facilities. The Nigerian government has accused the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region. But the group has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks. IPOB is a group leading the agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants to be carved out from the South-east and some parts of South-south Nigeria Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it. The latent crisis in the apex Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, has become active again as two foremost leaders of the group have disagreed over the emergence of Bola Tinubu as the President-elect. Mr Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was on 1 March declared the winner of the 25 February election by INEC. But Afenifere, under its acting leader, Ayo Adebanjo, rejected the declaration, saying Peter Obi of the Labour Party, who came third, actually won the election. Afenifere had endorsed Mr Obi for the election, saying it is the turn of the Igbo people of the Nigerian South-east to produce the president. However, the stand of the Adebanjo leadership appears not to enjoy the support of many leaders of Afenifere, including Reuben Fasoranti, who is the leader of the organisation. Mr Fasoranti had named Mr Adebanjo as the acting leader of the group in 2021 when he stepped down from the position on account of his advanced age. Dissatisfied with the endorsement of Mr Obi, Mr Fasoranti had last year hosted a reception for Mr Tinubu in which he blessed his presidential bid. The current exchanges followed a statement on Tuesday after a meeting presided over by Mr Adebanjo in Isanya Ogbo in Ogun State, in which Afenifere formally rejected the results of the presidential election. The statement countermanded a message by the spokesperson of Afenifere, Jare Ajayi, congratulating Mr Tinubu on his declaration as the President-elect. in Tuesdays statement, signed by Mr Adebanjo and the groups general secretary, Sola Ebiseni, Afenifere said it has evidence that Mr Obi won the election. The results of the lawful votes at the presidential election available to the Afenifere through credible sources confirm that Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, won the said election, the group said in the statement. It also announced the suspension of Mr Ajayi and the National Organising Secretary, Abagun Omololu, for issuing the congratulatory message to Mr Tinubu. However, in a statement he issued in Akure a day later on Wednesday, Mr Fasoranti said Afenifere could not have asserted that someone other than the person declared by the body authorised to do so by the Nigerian Constitution is the winner of the presidential election. Mr Fasoranti noted that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Mr Tinubu as the winner of the election. Our National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Comrade Jare Ajayi, issued a congratulatory message to the President-elect after he had been issued a Certificate of Return by INEC. This was cited as an uncouth activity by the Communique mentioned above which further stated that Abagun and Ajayi were suspended sine die, pending further decisions after their appearance before and recommendations by the Disciplinary Committee. Meaning that the two were pronounced guilty and consequently sanctioned even before their appearance before a Disciplinary Committee. This type of position is alien to us in Afenifere, which does not conduct itself as an agent of the state, let alone as an electoral umpire. We accept the results of the elections at all levels as declared by INEC until otherwise decided by competent courts in the land. Presently, the whole world knows that Nigeria has a President-elect in the person of Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, a true Yoruba son and nationalist. We in Afenifere not only acknowledge this, but we also take delight in his in-coming Presidency and are confident that he will, by the grace of God, return Nigeria to the glorious position that all of us will be proud of. Which was why I also congratulated him in a personal letter I sent to him. Mr Fasoranti also recalled that he had personally endorsed Mr Tinubu on 30 October 2022 in the presence of notable people from all parts of Yorubaland at his residence in Akure. How can we then turn round and condemn the election of such a person? We never did, he said. On the suspended officials, Mr Fasoranti said no report was made to him on any misconduct of the officials or any queries issued to them. He said Afenifere believes in justice and fairness and would not support an arbitrary removal of officials. Afenifere believes in the rule of law and the fundamental rights of all, including the right to a fair hearing, the statement further read. For these and other reasons, the purported removal and suspension are null and void. The two officials should be commended rather than condemned for the selfless services they are rendering to Afenifere, the Yoruba race and Nigeria and humanity. They are hereby so commended. Mr Adebanjo and the groups General Secretary, Sola Ebiseni, backed Mr Obi who has also rejected the results declared by INEC. However, many other leaders of Afenifere were not with them in their campaign for Mr Obi. A source in Afenifere said efforts were made to reconcile the positions but Mr Adebanjo stuck to his position. I dont know why Adebanjo is not carrying Baba Fasoranti along, the source, who asked not to be named, said. Baba Fasoranti is still the leader of the group, he is not dead yet. Adebanjo is supposed to be acting on his behalf, the source added. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print ( Read 2469 Times) The Moinee Foundation held its annual board meeting on March 25, 2023, in Jaipur, Rajasthan. The meeting was attended by the board members and core team members from various projects across the country. Ms. Neha Purohit, Stakeholder Relationship Lead of the foundation, led the conduct of the meeting, ensuring that all the agenda items were discussed. The Foundation also celebrated the completion of 10 years of its operations during the annual board meeting. Dr. Vijay Vyas expressed gratitude towards the foundation's supporters and stakeholders for their unwavering support and commitment. The meeting began with a welcome address by Dr. Vijay Vyas (Director), who thanked everyone for their support and dedication towards the foundation's mission of providing education, and healthcare to underprivileged sections in India. He also presented a report on the foundation's activities over the past year, highlighting the progress made in various areas such as education, healthcare, skill development and rural & community development. He highlighted the foundation's achievements over the past 10 years, including the successful implementation of various programs, the establishment of partnerships with CSR Partners, NGOs and government bodies, and the impact of the foundation's initiatives on 8 lakh+ beneficiaries in 15 states & union territories. During the meeting, project updates were shared by project managers of various implementations in the sectors of education, skill development, and rural development across the country. The board members also recognized the contributions of the foundation's team members and donors, without whom the foundation's mission would not have been possible. They thanked them for their support and encouraged them to continue their contributions towards the foundation's cause. The team members were also recognized with the Long Term Service Award for their dedication, Loyalty & Commitment towards the organisation. Trustee and Chief Mentor of the foundation provided insights into the way forward and emphasised the need for the foundation to adapt to the changing social and economic landscape of the country. He also encouraged the team members to explore innovative approaches to address the challenges. In his closing remarks, he expressed his gratitude to the board members for their commitment to the foundation's mission and their efforts in making it a success. He also emphasised the importance of continued collaboration and teamwork to achieve the foundation's goals. The annual board meeting of the Moinee Foundation was a resounding success, marking a decade of the foundation's efforts towards transforming lives through techno social solutions. The foundation's commitment towards its cause was reaffirmed, and its supporters and stakeholders were recognized and appreciated for their contribution. Source : ( Read 1935 Times) Warren Pereiras feature documentary Tiger 24 will be available to rent on Prime Video India, starting March 31, 2023. The film has been released in theaters and digital platforms in North America and most recently in theaters across India through AA Films. I am thrilled to bring Tiger 24 to Indian audiences through Prime Videos movie rental service. I hope my film resonates with Indians who are the ideal audience but above all I want TIGER 24 to be a tribute to T24! Warren Pereira In Tiger 24, a wild tiger kills men who enter his territory, then being declared a man-eater and locked up in a zoo. This galvanizes massive social uproar and activists to take their cause to the streets, online, on billboards and all the way to the High Court and Supreme Court. Tiger 24 won the Panda Award at the 2022 Wildscreen Festival and was a finalist at the 2022 Jackson Wild Media Awards, where previous winners include My Octopus Teacher. The Picture also claimed Best Documentary at the 2022 Burbank International Film Festival. Pereira served as the films Director and Producer, with The Gotham Groups Ellen Goldsmith-Vein and Jeremy Bell exec producing alongside Eagle Egilsson, Howard Barish, Zach Mann and Stephen Nemeth. Pereiras past work has garnered top accolades, including the Cannes Gold Lion, and has been showcased at top international film festivals. Clients under his production company W Films include The Royal Bank of Scotland, Spectrum, Tissot, NBA, Hpnotiq, The Wall Street Journal and agencies such as DDB and CAA. Additionally, Pereira founded The Tiger Fund LLC, which produces content related to tiger conservation, including films for the government of India. The filmmaker is currently in post-production on the feature-length doc The Bamera Tiger, and is at the same time developing a horror pic entitled Scarebnb and the darkly comic thriller, Double Bite. Consumers will be able to rent Tiger 24 on Prime Video. The rental destination can be accessed via the STORE tab on primevideo.com and the Prime Video app on Android smart phones, smart TVs, connected STBs and Fire TV stick. Customers get a 48-hour window to complete the film once playback is initiated. Customers can start watching the film within 30 days of the transaction date. Source : ( Read 5967 Times) Sambalpur: IIM Sambalpur, established by the Government of India in 2015 with a unique vision to be an Institute of par excellence in nurturing responsible leaders with an entrepreneurial mindset, has been achieving 100% placements ever since its inception and has pioneered in introducing flipped classroom as learning pedagogy in its well-equipped digital and smart classrooms. IIM Sambalpur has concluded 100% final placements successfully for its MBA (2021-2023) batch with the highest package of Rs 64.61 LPA (Domestic) and Rs 64.15 LPA (International). The average salary is Rs 16.64 LPA and the Median salary is Rs 16 LPA for MBA batch 2021-2023. However, the average salary for female students is Rs 18.25 LPA. The average for the top 10% of the batch is Rs. 31.69 LPA. The prominent recruiters are: Microsoft, Vedanta, Tolaram, Amul, Adani, EY, Accenture, Cognizant, Deloitte, and Amazon etc. On successful completion of placement of MBA (2021-23) despite global economic slowdown, Prof. Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director, IIM Sambalpur, expressed his gratitude towards government of Indias progressive policy and Industrys belief in the calibre of students and the Institute's unique academic culture and core values, i.e., Innovation, Integrity, and Inclusiveness. Overall, the outstanding placements of the 2021-23 MBA batch at IIM Sambalpur demonstrate the Institute's commitment to providing students with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in their chosen careers. More than 130 recruiters participated in the recruitment process at the institute, with 75 new recruiters making offers across various domains. The MBA batch size also increased from 156 last year to 167 students this year. The last six years placement trends at IIM Sambalpur are: Placement year Average Placement (Rs. in lakhs) Highest Placement (Rs. in lakhs) Placement 2023 16.64 64.61 Placement 2022 13.26 26.19 Placement 2021 11.21 21.00 Placement 2020 11.62 18.92 Placement 2019 11.33 58.00 Placement 2018 10.55 60.74 Placement 2017 9.15 13.80 Female students have excelled, with an average salary of Rs 18.25 LPA. The largest batch size of the outgoing cohort participated in the placement, with Sales & Marketing emerging as the most popular sector, attracting over 27% of the batch, followed by General Management with 21%. Placements Domain The students were offered prominent roles in Finance, HR, and Operations domains. The positions offered include Management Consultant, Functional Consultant, Product Manager, Seniors Analyst, Research & Advisory, Business Analyst, Team Lead, Sr Consultant, Senior Analyst, Product Management, Credit Manager, Digital Marketing Manager, Project Manager, Sr. RM, Key Account Management, Inventory Planner, among others. Top recruiters This year's placement season witnessed participation from over 130 recruiters, with an increase of 44% in first-time recruiters aiming to find the best talent available on campus. The top recruiters include Microsoft, Tolaram, Adani, Vedanta, Micron, Aditya Birla, Jindal Group, Amul, GMR group, AM/NS India, Tresvista, Amazon, Accenture, Cognizant, ICICI, Bosch, Bluestone, Deloitte, EY, PwC, Gartner, Lowe's, Fullerton, Kansai Nerolac, Akzo Nobel, Crisil, Capgemini, Tata Power and many more. Source : BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania are preparing an agreement for gas supplies from Azerbaijan, Peter Szijjarto, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, said, following the meeting of the ministers of the countries of Organization of Turkic States, Trend reports via Hungarian media. According to the minister, an agreement has been reached to launch the supply of 100 million cubic meters of gas from Azerbaijan to Hungary this year. "Later, the parties will sign a long-term contract for the supply of about 2 bcm of gas per year. The gas will be transited through Turkiye. The relevant companies are now discussing the details," he said. As the minister pointed out, certain infrastructure development is needed in Southeastern Europe, so Hungary has joined forces with Bulgaria and Romania on this issue. The agreement will be signed at the end of April. "For us, diversification means the ability to buy energy from as many sources as possible and along as many routes as possible. Hungary's energy security cannot be guaranteed without the participation of the Turkic states. Supplies to Hungary, guaranteed by long-term contracts, are carried out primarily through Turkiye. Last year, the Turkish Stream gas pipeline received 4.8 bcm of gas. As for new sources, Azerbaijan is the most realistic supplier in this regard," he noted. Azerbaijani gas supplies via the Southern Gas Corridor began on December 31, 2020. In July 2022, a memorandum was signed between Azerbaijan and the European Commission, that envisages an increase in gas supplies from Azerbaijan to Europe from 10 billion to 20 billion cubic meters per year. TORONTO, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - The Gairdner Foundation is pleased to announce the 2023 Canada Gairdner Award laureates, recognizing some of the world's most significant biomedical and global health research and discoveries. "Congratulations to all the 2023 Canada Gairdner Award recipients! The ground-breaking work of this year's laureates has resulted in innovative, globally accessible tools to fight diseases and improve our well-being. The work of two Canadian researchers Dr. Christopher Mushquash and Dr. Gelareh Zadeh especially stands out. Dr. Zadeh's research to better understand brain tumours and Dr. Mushquash's research on Indigenous-led mental health and substance use will be transformative in improving the quality of life of so many here in Canada and around the world." - The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health "Our government knows that in order to create a better future for all, we need to foster the research that will improve human health around the globe. It is why I want to congratulate the 2023 Canada Gairdner Awards recipients showcasing international excellence in science and research. I'm proud to highlight the two Canadians awarded for their world-class achievements including improving our understanding of brain tumour treatments and providing culturally appropriate mental health services for First Nations." - The Honourable Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry "I wish to congratulate this year's award recipients for their groundbreaking research and the profound contributions that their discoveries will have. It is specifically noteworthy to see Dr Christopher Mushquash as a recipient of the 2023 Canada Gairdner Momentum Award. Chris's contributions to our understanding of mental health amongst Indigenous communities are already profoundly affecting the needs of Indigenous peoples. As a member of CIHR's Institute for Indigenous Peoples Health Advisory Board, Chris has provided the same critical thinking to advancing Indigenous research in Canada." - Dr. Michael J. Strong, President of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research 2023 Canada Gairdner International Award The five 2023 Canada Gairdner International Award laureates are recognized for seminal discoveries or contributions to biomedical science: Demis Hassabis, CBE FRS FREng FRSA Founder & CEO, DeepMind; Founder & CEO, Isomorphic Labs John Jumper, PhD, MPhil AlphaFold Lead and Senior Staff Research Scientist, DeepMind Awarded "For developing AlphaFold, which has been heralded as an AI-based solution to the 50-year grand challenge of protein structure prediction and has culminated in the release of the most accurate and complete picture of the structure of the proteome, with enormous potential to accelerate biological and medical research." The Work: Proteins are essential to life, supporting practically all its functions. They are large complex molecules, made up of chains of amino acids, and what a protein does largely depends on its unique 3D structure. Figuring out what shapes proteins fold into from their amino acid sequence is known as the 'protein structure prediction problem' and has stood as a grand challenge in biology for the past 50 years. With their team at DeepMind, Demis Hassabis and John Jumper have developed the artificial intelligence (AI) system AlphaFold, which today can predict the structure of a protein, at scale and in minutes, down to atomic accuracy. Hassabis had long suspected that protein structure prediction might be the perfect problem for AI to tackle. He was the project leader on the AlphaFold project from its inception in 2016 to its conclusion, and recruited Jumper to the project in late 2017. In 2018 the team was expanded, with Jumper becoming the new research lead, with the goal to re-design the system with a completely new architecture into what would become AlphaFold2. Together they co-supervised the subsequent projects to create the most accurate and complete picture of the human proteome and predict the structures of nearly all known proteins, and released an open-access database to make all of AlphaFold's predictions freely available to the scientific community. In a major scientific advance, in 2020 AlphaFold2 was recognized as a solution to the 50-year grand challenge of protein structure prediction by the organizers of the biennial Critical Assessment of Protein Structure Prediction (CASP). The Impact: AlphaFold has culminated in the creation of structure predictions for over 200 million proteins - nearly every protein known to science - which DeepMind have made freely available through the AlphaFold Protein Structure Database (AlphaFold DB). Designed in partnership with European Molecular Biology Laboratory - European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), the AlphaFold DB serves as a 'google search' for protein structures, providing researchers with instant access to predicted models of the proteins they're studying, which has the potential to accelerate every field of study in biology. Since launch, the AlphaFold DB has already been accessed by 1 million researchers and users in 190 countries. The program dramatically reduces the time scientists typically spend determining protein structure and demonstrates the impact AI can have on scientific discovery and its potential to accelerate progress in some of the most fundamental fields that explain and shape our world. Further, this research will help to better our understanding of disease, and accelerate the development of new targeted drugs. Bonnie L. Bassler, PhD Squibb Professor and Chair, Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University; Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator E Peter Greenberg, PhD Eugene and Martha Nester Endowed Professor of Microbiology, Department of Microbiology and Molecular & Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington School of Medicine Michael R. Silverman, PhD Emeritus Investigator, The Agouron Institute; Emeritus Adjunct Professor, Scripps Institution of Oceanography Awarded "For their discoveries of how bacteria communicate with each other and surrounding non-bacterial cells, providing a new paradigm for how microbes behave and yielding novel avenues for therapeutics against infectious diseases." The Work: Bacteria are found everywhere from soil to water to the human body. Despite their simple single-cell forms, bacteria are sophisticated organisms that are remarkably adaptable to changing conditions. Bacteria play crucial roles in medicine, both as members of the microbiome, increasingly understood to contribute to human health, and as major causes of disease. The discovery of how bacteria communicate with one another, coined "quorum sensing" by Dr. Greenberg and his colleagues, is foundational. Drs. Bassler, Greenberg and Silverman are awarded for a combined body of work that spawned an unexpected field in microbiology and are also recognized for their individual discoveries that underpin its implications for all of biology, human health and disease. Quorum-sensing studies began with an obscure bioluminescent marine bacterium called Vibrio fischeri. In the 1970s, Dr. J. Woodland Hastings and colleagues described a signaling chemical of then unknown structure that stimulated collective glowing after the Vibrio fischeri bacteria had reached a particular population density. This finding was one of the first clues that bacteria could communicate using chemical "words", but it lay dormant for a decade until Silverman, exploiting the power of genetics, identified the genes involved in this signaling pathway and characterized their functions. Silverman's elegant analyses of the role each component played provided the world's first quorum-sensing circuit and the foundation for thousands of similar circuits identified later. Widely thought to be a function specific to Vibrio fischeri, this phenomenon did not initially gain much traction. Indeed, the idea that bacteria could communicate was deemed highly improbable. But Greenberg was intrigued and trained with Hastings before he later independently further characterized the genes Silverman had identified, and discovered a similar quorum sensing signal that controlled virulence in the pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The term "quorum sensing" was born as he demonstrated that this phenomenon was indeed bacterial communication, and not isolated to Vibrio fischeri. He not only showed that other bacteria exhibited quorum sensing, but he also discovered nearly all major steps in its mechanism. It was Bassler who then brought Hastings' and Silverman's findings to an unprecedented level by showing that quorum sensing is not an exception but the rule in the bacterial world. What's more, the principal reason bacteria are so successful is that they rarely act alone. Quorum sensing turns out to be essential to many aspects of bacterial virulence and antimicrobial resistance. Initially with Silverman then later independently, Bassler discovered entirely new types of quorum-sensing signal molecules, mechanisms of detection and response to those molecules, and the profound influence quorum sensing exerts over the behaviour of many bacterial species. Moving to the human health front, Bassler demonstrated that it was possible to hijack quorum-sensing mechanisms to control virulence in globally important pathogens. She also made the stunning discovery that quorum-sensing communication is not restricted to bacteria. She found that bacteria can communicate across species and, moreover, quorum sensing underlies bacterial interactions with viruses and other types of cells. For example, she showed that human gut cells use quorum sensing to communicate with resident microbiome bacteria to defend the body against invading pathogens. The Impact: A new field of microbiology has emerged and the discoveries of Bassler, Greenberg and Silverman are at the heart of it, shaping and defining the field we now know as quorum sensing. They have independently and collaboratively revolutionized the way we think about bacteria, completely overturning the paradigm that bacteria act independently of each other. The originality and elegance of their work led to novel and unexpected discoveries in the field time again, laying the groundwork for a deeper understanding of the microbial world with clinical ramifications that are being realized today. For example, Greenberg's work showed promise in targeting difficult infections such as those associated with cystic fibrosis and Bassler's small-molecule therapies are much less vulnerable to development of antimicrobial resistance than are traditional antibiotics because her strategies target the quorum-sensing mechanism rather than bacterial growth. With the recent recognition that microbes are foundational to the vitality of all corners of the biosphere, understanding their biology is crucial. Bassler's work in particular has provided vital mechanistic underpinnings that foster a growing understanding of the human microbiome, the niches in which different organisms thrive, and how behavior and competition within these niches is affected during disease. All of this serves as pivotal in understanding how the microbiome influences our health and wellbeing and provides insight into novel ways to harness microbial communities to promote health and prevent disease. Bassler, Greenberg and Silverman have undoubtedly paved the way for unprecedented new possibilities for biological solutions to the world's most pressing problems in health, food, energy, and the environment. 2023 John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award The 2023 John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award laureate is recognized for outstanding achievements in global health research: Jose Belizan, MD, PhD Senior Scientist, Department of Research in Maternal and Child Health, Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy (IECS) Argentina; Superior Researcher at the National Scientific and Technical Research Council of Argentina (CONICET); Researcher, Bone Biology Laboratory, School of Medicine, University of Rosario, Argentina. Awarded "For the development of innovative, evidence-based and low-cost global interventions in maternal and child health during the perinatal period that improve wellbeing and care during pregnancy, reduce morbidity and mortality, and promote equity in vulnerable populations." The Work: Dr. Jose Belizan is a trailblazer in the field of maternal and child health research in Latin America and internationally, focused on the perinatal period and its relevance to community health and the life cycle. His work spans basic research to international clinical studies, demonstrating the full cycle of scientific effort and leading to innovative, evidence-based and low-cost interventions. These interventions promote equity by improving maternal and child health in vulnerable populations. Through his work within these communities, he educates and empowers pregnant people, and witnesses real life health problems, which informs his outstanding scientific contributions. Dr. Belizan discovered the connection between calcium intake and a decrease in the risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) by observing Guatemalan Mayan women, where the prevalence of HDP was low, and their traditional cooking methods. Taking his observations further, he led numerous animal and human studies to confirm the association and basic studies to explain the mechanisms. He then planned and implemented international clinical trials in underdeveloped and developed country settings, which led to policy formulations at the highest international level and grassroots efforts to improve adherence to these guidelines. This is just one of many examples of his extensive and comprehensive work to improve the wellbeing and care of people during pregnancy and interventions to reduce severe maternal morbidity and mortality. Dr. Belizan was the first to document, as well as design, test and implement landmark interventions addressing the issue of unnecessary increased use of Caesarean section. This is a complex and multifactorial challenge affecting not only high-income but also low- and middle-income countries, where associated risks can extend many years beyond delivery and are higher in those with limited access to comprehensive obstetric care. His research has also led to the decrease in unnecessary routine episiotomy worldwide, including in Canada and the US. The Impact: Dr. Belizan has undoubtedly improved maternal and childbirth outcomes and made a difference in the lives of pregnant people and their children. His discovery of the importance of calcium intake alone has significant potential as three billion people lack access to adequate calcium intake worldwide. Reaching the scientific community, health systems decision-makers, international organizations, practitioners, health-care providers and local communities, he has overturned practices, introduced more effective and equitable practices, and spearheaded global policies that will contribute to more equitable societies. His work has informed various World Health Organization recommendations, which have been adopted by many countries around the world. Dr. Belizan goes above and beyond, ensuring that these best practices are known and used at the community level. As an international expert, Belizan's innovation and rigorous research from basic science to implementation has had a profound impact on global health and motivated researchers' careers and actions worldwide over the last five decades. His work has sparked and will continue to lead to important developments in this sector as he demonstrates the importance of representation from low- and middle-income countries in global health research. 2023 Canada Gairdner Momentum Award The 2023 Canada Gairdner Momentum Award laureates are mid-career investigators recognized for exceptional scientific research contributions with continued potential for impact on human health. Christopher Mushquash, Ph.D., C.Psych Professor, Department of Psychology, Lakehead University; Psychologist, Dilico Anishinabek Family Care; Vice President Research, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre; Chief Scientist, Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute Awarded "For Indigenous-led mental health and substance use research that leads to culturally and contextually appropriate services for Indigenous children, adolescents, and adults." The Work: Dr. Christopher Mushquash brings together his clinical experience as a psychologist and his community-based participatory approach to research to meet community needs and improve systems and services that make a difference in people's lives. His innovative work focuses on Indigenous mental health and substance use through evidence-based practices that align with First Nations values. This approach ensures his research and its outcomes are culturally and contextually appropriate for people in First Nations, as well as those in rural and northern communities. Through large team collaborations and partnerships with communities, government and academia, Dr. Mushquash addresses various aspects of mental health for Indigenous communities, such as mental health, substance use, trauma, and general mental wellness. The overarching goals of his research are rooted in the four interconnected directions and include identifying culturally and contextually appropriate targets of intervention, developing methods of measuring community outcomes; developing and testing of interventions that incorporate culture-based knowledge with scientific methods; and the sharing of knowledge among Indigenous and academic communities, clinicians, and policymakers. These themes come together to form a holistic framework to improve not only systems and services but also research involving Indigenous communities. By putting the communities at the forefront of his work, Dr. Mushquash demonstrates the importance of understanding unique contexts and issues experienced by individuals in Indigenous communities. He has effectively shifted the relationship between communities and researchers, enabling more meaningful and relevant research and advancing the understanding of mental health in Indigenous communities. Systems and services are thus better equipped to address the needs of Indigenous, rural and northern communities in a culturally- and contextually-appropriate manner. The Impact: Dr. Mushquash champions culturally and contextually appropriate mental health and substance use services for Indigenous communities. His high-calibre work has improved the lives of many Indigenous communities and influenced national mental health and addiction understandings as he brings together western and Indigenous methodologies. His team conducted the first Canadian study of adverse childhood experiences in First Nations adults seeking residential treatment for substance use difficulties. The outcomes enhanced the understanding of the nature of developmental and intergenerational trauma in First Nations people and improved clinical care for those with substance use difficulties. His research has also upended conventional understandings of mental health in Indigenous families and established best practices for engaging Indigenous people in research. Furthermore, his research has directly influenced federal funding policy in remote First Nations communities. As a leader in his field, Dr. Mushquash has advanced mental health across Canada, garnering various awards, honours and appointments in recognition of his research and clinical expertise. His devotion to the profession and Indigenous mental health can be seen in the impact of his work in changing Canadian policy, educating professionals working with First Nations people, and, more importantly, bettering the quality of life and care of many Indigenous youth and communities. Gelareh Zadeh, MD, PhD, FRCS(C), FAANS Professor and Neurosurgery Division Chair, Dan Family Chair in Neurosurgery, Wilkins Family Chair in Brain Tumor Research, Department of Surgery, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto; Head, Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital, Sprott Department of Surgery, University Health Network; Co-Director, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network; Senior Scientist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network Awarded "For advancing the molecular and genomic understanding of brain tumours, leading to better ways of discriminating, classifying and managing brain tumour subtypes with potential to transform the clinical care of the disease." The Work: Dr. Gelareh Zadeh is a neurosurgeon and senior scientist who combines her in-depth clinical knowledge of brain cancer with clinical and translational research to improve the diagnosis and management of adult brain tumours. Dr. Zadeh's research program applies advanced genomic and epigenomic profiling to further our understanding of the molecular regulators of brain tumours and to develop tools that can refine biomarkers of diagnosis to predict treatment responses and ultimately, improve patient outcomes. Dr. Zadeh's research focuses on advancing knowledge of brain tumours through integration of multiple platforms of genomic analysis. This includes her research incorporating the largest-ever data analysis of meningiomasthe most common type of brain tumour, which has limited treatment options. She co-founded and leads the International Consortium on Meningiomas (ICOM), which provides researchers around the world with access to meningioma samples and data sets, as well as research expertise and collaborations. ICOM also helps to raise awareness of the importance of research funding into this disease. Dr. Zadeh's discoveries in this field have led to new classification criteria that are biologically and clinically relevant, with the potential to outperform the current standard classification system developed by the World Health Organization. Specifically, her research has shown that meningiomas can be classified into four molecular groups, which reveals biological insights into how the cancer behaves. Using molecular features that reflect tumour behavior, the new classification criteria more accurately predicts cancer recurrence. Dr. Zadeh's lab has also produced a comprehensive body of work on neuronal tumours, including schwannomas and peripheral nerve tumours. By performing the first integrated molecular analysis of schwannomas, her group established the genomic and epigenomic road map for sporadic and neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2)-related schwannomas and identified a novel fusion protein that can be used for diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic benefit. Similarly, Dr. Zadeh's research has shown that the transformation of benign neuronal tumours to malignant cancers occurs via two independent molecular pathways, both of which can be therapeutically targeted. Another key contribution of her work has demonstrated the utility of plasma-based biomarkers for diagnosis, discrimination and determination of response to treatment, for a wide variety of brain tumours. The Impact: Dr. Zadeh exemplifies an extraordinary commitment to advancing our understanding of brain tumour biology to improve patient outcomes. Her team has made significant strides in understanding how molecular features influence tumour management and has identified novel approaches to reduce the negative side effects of brain tumour treatments. Additionally, her team has identified plasma biomarkers that can help to diagnose intracranial tumours, predict treatment response and detect early recurrence, as well as potential drugs to treat malignant brain tumours. Her work is having a considerable impact in the diagnosis and clinical management of brain tumours and is giving hope to individuals affected by brain cancer. About the Gairdner Foundation: The Gairdner Foundation, established in 1957, is dedicated to fulfilling James A. Gairdner's vision to recognize major research contributions to the treatment of disease and alleviation of human suffering. Through annual prestigious Canada Gairdner Awards, the Gairdner Foundation celebrates the world's most creative and accomplished researchers whose work is improving the health and wellbeing of people around the world. Since its inception, 410 awards have been bestowed on laureates from over 40 countries, and of those awardees, 96 have gone on to receive Nobel Prizes. The Gairdner Foundation believes in coming together to openly discuss science to better engage the public, understand the problems we face, and work together to find solutions. Since its founding, a number of outreach events and programs have been developed with the goal of inspiring the next generation of scientific innovators and fostering an informed society. SOURCE Gairdner Foundation Related Links https://gairdner.org/ CHICAGO, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Arizton's latest research report, the Saudi Arabia construction equipment market will grow at a CAGR of 5.47% during 2022-2029. TO KNOW MORE, DOWNLOAD THE FREE SAMPLE REPORT: https://www.arizton.com/request-sample/3788 Saudi Arabia Construction Equipment Market BROWSE IN-DEPTH TOC ON THE SAUDI ARABIA CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT MARKET 54 - Charts 169 Pages The Saudi government is proactively investing in transforming the country into a global logistics hub. Saudi Arabia has made significant budgetary allocations to develop transportation infrastructure such as airports, railroads, highways, and ports. In July 2021, the Saudi Ports Authority invited private sector players to build 8 new terminals (terminals in Jeddah Islamic Port, King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, Ras Al-Khair Port, Jizan Port, Yanbu Commercial Port, King Fahad Industrial. The region is witnessing a surge in investment in the gold mining industry, and the government aims to increase gold and phosphate production. Investment is directed toward the construction of new gold extraction mines. Hence, growth in the mining industry is expected to drive the sale of large excavators in the Saudi Arabia construction equipment market. SAUDI ARABIA CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT MARKET REPORT SCOPE Report Attributes Details Market Size (2029) 48,717 Units Market Size (2022) 33,551 Units CAGR (2022-2029) 5.47 % Historic Year 2020-2021 Base Year 2022 Forecast Year 2023-2029 Type Earthmoving Equipment, Road Construction Equipment, Material Handling Equipment, and Other Construction Equipment End-Users Construction, Mining, Manufacturing, and Others LOOKING FOR MORE INFORMATION? DOWNLOAD THE FREE SAMPLE REPORT NOW: https://www.arizton.com/request-sample/3788 Earthmoving equipment accounted for the largest market share of 47.7% in Saudi Arabia construction equipment market in 2022. Excavators in the earthmoving segment accounted for the largest share; further, the rising investment in infrastructures, development of roadways, & other waste management projects in 2023 is expected to drive the demand for hydraulic excavators. Saudi Arabian government in waste management projects in 2023 is expected to drive demand for loaders, excavators, and dump trucks in the country. The government aims to eliminate 82% of waste generated by 2030. Therefore, government fund is also allocated for constructing new waste management facilities across the country in 2023. Investment in renewable energy projects across the country in 2023 is expected to drive demand for mini excavators, cranes, and aerial platforms in the Saudi Arabia construction equipment market. CUSTOMIZE YOUR REPORT NOW: If our report does not include the information you are searching for, you may contact us to have a report tailored to your specific business needs https://www.arizton.com/customize-report/3788 KEY VENDORS Caterpillar Komatsu Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group Co. Ltd. (XCMG) Liebherr Volvo Construction Equipment Hitachi Construction Machinery JCB SANY CNH Industrial Kobelco OTHER PROMINENT VENDORS Yanmar Manitou Kubota Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science & Technology Co., Ltd. Hyundai Doosan Infracore DISTRIBUTOR PROFILES Kanoo Machinery Al-Futtaim Auto & Machinery Company Arabian Truck & Construction Equipment Co. Arabian Auto Agency Al-Qahtani Vehicle & Machinery Company MARKET SEGMENTATION Earthmoving Equipment Excavator Backhoe Loaders Motor Graders Other Earthmoving Equipment (Other loaders, Bulldozers, Trenchers) Road Construction Equipment Road Rollers Asphalt Pavers Material Handling Equipment Crane Forklift & Telescopic Handlers Aerial Platforms (Articulated Boom Lifts, Telescopic Boom lifts, Scissor lifts) Other Construction Equipment Dumper Tipper Concrete Mixer Concrete Pump Truck End Users Construction Mining Manufacturing Others TABLE OF CONTENT Section 1 Research Methodology Section 2 Research Objective Section 3 Research Process Section 4 Introduction 4.1 Market Coverage 4.2 Report Scope Section 5 Market At A Glance 5.1 Market Snapshot Section 6 Executive Summary Section 7 Market Landscape 7.1 PESTEL Analysis 7.2 Economic Scenario 7.3 Key Projects 7.4 Market Dynamic 7.5 Key Upcoming Cities in Saudi Arabia 7.6 Import & Export Analysis 7.7 Supply chain Analysis Section 8 Segmentation 8.1 By Equipment Type 8.1.1 Equipment Definition (Earthmoving) 8.1.1.1 Earthmoving Equipment (Volume & Value) 8.1.1.2 Excavators 8.1.1.3 Backhoe Loaders 8.1.1.4 Motor Graders 8.1.1.5 Other Earthmoving Equipment (Other Loaders, Bulldozers, Trenchers, etc.) 8.1.2 Equipment Definition (Road Construction) 8.1.2.1 Road Construction (Volume & Value) 8.1.2.2 Road Rollers 8.1.2.3 Asphalt Pavers 8.1.3 Equipment Definition (Material Handling) 8.1.3.1 Material Handling Equipment (Volume & Value) 8.1.3.2 Cranes 8.1.3.3 Forklifts & Telehandlers 8.1.3.4 Aerial Platforms 8.1.4 Equipment Definition (Other Equipment) 8.1.4.1 Other Equipment (Volume & Value) 8.1.4.2 Dumpers 8.1.4.3 Tippers 8.1.4.4 Concrete Mixtures 8.1.4.5 Concrete Pump Trucks 8.2 By End-users 8.2.1 End-user Definition 8.2.2 Construction 8.2.3 Manufacturing 8.2.4 Mining 8.2.5 Others (Waste Management, Agriculture, Oil & Gas Extraction, Utilities & Energy, Power Generation, Disaster Management and Water Management) Section 9 Geographical Analysis Section 10 Technology Development Section 11 Competitive Landscape 11.1 Competitive Landscape Overview 11.2 List of Construction Companies/ Contractors 11.3 Vendors (Caterpillar | Volvo Construction Equipment| Komatsu | Hitachi Construction Machinery |Liebherr | JCB | Hyundai Doosan Infracore | CNH Industrials| Kobelco| Kubota| Manitou |Yanmar |SANY| XCMG) 11.4 Other Prominent Vendors 11.5 Distributors Companies Profiles Section 12 Report Summary 12.1 Key Insights 12.2 Abbreviation 12.3 Exhibits 12.4 Related Report 12.5 Database 12.6 Global Reach 12.7 Offerings CHECK OUT SOME OF THE TOP-SELLING RESEARCH REPORTS: Kuwait Construction Equipment Market - Strategic Assessment & Forecast 2022-2028: The Kuwait construction equipment market share by units is expected to reach 7,383 by 2028. The growth in the construction equipment market is majorly driven by the increase in government investment in infrastructure & renovation projects, the boost given by the demand by the oil sector, and Kuwait's construction plans to expand its power generation capacity in wind and solar parks. Iran Construction Equipment Market - Strategic Assessment and Forecast 2022-2028: Iran's construction equipment market to reach USD 411.1 million by 2028. Arizton Advisory & Intelligence states Iran's construction equipment sales will reach around 9,029 units by 2028. Government investments in modernizing infrastructure, transport & mining industries are expected to drive the demand for construction equipment in Iran. Oman Construction Equipment Market - Strategic Assessment & Forecast 2022-2028: Oman construction equipment market is projected to reach $157 million by 2028. The shift toward hydrogen fuel-based construction equipment and demand for advanced and Hi-tech equipment are some of the latest trends. GCC Construction Equipment Market - Strategic Assessment & Forecast 2021-2027: GCC construction equipment market will be valued at USD 3722.2 million by 2027. The focus on affordable housing by GCC countries' governments and the popularity of modular construction are driving the growth of the GCC construction equipment market. ABOUT US: Arizton Advisory and Intelligence is an innovative and quality-driven firm that offers cutting-edge research solutions to clients worldwide. We excel in providing comprehensive market intelligence reports and advisory and consulting services. We offer comprehensive market research reports on consumer goods & retail technology, automotive and mobility, smart tech, healthcare, life sciences, industrial machinery, chemicals, materials, I.T. and media, logistics, and packaging. These reports contain detailed industry analysis, market size, share, growth drivers, and trend forecasts. Arizton comprises a team of exuberant and well-experienced analysts who have mastered generating incisive reports. Our specialist analysts possess exemplary skills in market research. We train our team in advanced research practices, techniques, and ethics to outperform in fabricating impregnable research reports. CONTACT US Call: +1-312-235-2040 +1 302 469 0707 Mail: [email protected] Contact Us: https://www.arizton.com/contact-us Blog: https://www.arizton.com/blog Website: https://www.arizton.com/ Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2044232/SAUDI_ARABIA_CONSTRUCTION_EQUIPMENT_MARKET.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/818553/Arizton_Logo.jpg SOURCE Arizton Advisory & Intelligence Are the top ESG tech leaders actually impact laggards? Download the full report PARIS, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- impak Analytics is proud to present an impact analysis of the three largest tech companies in the world in 2022. To view the Multimedia News Release, please click: https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/9154051-new-case-study-by-impak-analytics/ A new case study by impak Analytics reveals the global impact of Apple, Alphabet (Google) and Microsoft Doubts on ESG ratings' trustworthiness Among the Big Tech companies, Apple, Microsoft and Alphabet have some of the best ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) scores on the planet. According to Yahoo Finance, they hold 7th, 3rd and 1st place, respectively, among the Top 12 ESG companies of 2022. However, their impact analysis on ESG factors shows an unexpected conclusion. After analyzing Apple, Alphabet and Microsoft with an impact approach, each has an impak Score lower than 200 points out of 1,000, making them average rather than leaders. To put things in perspective, the average impak Score of impak's large-cap universe is 145 out of 1,000 points, with best-in-class scores above 400. The impact approach to answer investors' needs "Assessing the global impact of a company requires a holistic analysis [...], and the traditional financial metrics alone provide neither a complete nor a comprehensive picture of a company's impact. A narrow focus may be detrimental to achieving the United Nations's 17 Sustainable Development Goals or investor returns in the long run." The study intends to demonstrate (i) why the ESG approach appears to have yet to adequately assess the global impact of the three companies, (ii) the extent to which the consideration of Apple, Alphabet & Microsoft's numerous and severe controversies is crucial to the understanding of the sustainability-oriented investor, and (iii) why their mitigation of negative impacts does not equate to a positive impact. The tipping point of sustainable finance Going beyond the financial materiality of ESG assessment, the analysis shows that Apple, Alphabet and Microsoft fail to be the real proponents of sustainability. We are at a pivotal moment for non-financial reporting and as shown in the study, the market has all the tools, theories and data to prevent further misleading ESG ratings on large-cap companies. A must-read for any investor wishing to avoid reputational risks and to make a measurable impact on both people and the planet. Download the full report To learn more about impak, visit www.impakanalytics.com/about-us/ Source: Impact statements of Alphabet, Apple and Microsoft Media Contact Stephanie Bernier-Monzon [email protected] +1 438 886 8796 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2042962/impak_Ratings_case_study.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2014430/3959215/impak_analytics_Logo.jpg SOURCE impak Ratings TOKYO, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund announced today an investment totaling approximately 400 million yen (US$2.9 million1) for the research and development of new drugs against mycetoma and onchocerciasis, which are Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), as well as a vaccine against malaria.2 GHIT Logo The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes 20 NTDs,3 which are infectious diseases caused by parasites, bacteria, fungi, toxins and viruses prevalent mainly among the poor in tropical regions. NTDs afflict over 1.6 billion people4 in the world and have until now received limited attention in terms of the development of therapeutic interventions, partly due to the lack of market incentives. Since its inception, the GHIT Fund has invested in new product development with the aim of contributing to global health via Japanese technology and innovation to address infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and NTDs, which threaten the health of the world's poor. Approximately 300 Million Yen Investment in a Drug for Mycetoma The GHIT Fund will invest approximately 300 million yen (US$2.2 million1) in a project by Eisai Co., Ltd. (Eisai) and Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) for regulatory approval and to prepare for patient access to drugs for eumycetoma. Mycetoma, an NTD, is a progressive disease that destroys subcutaneous and deep tissues infected by bacterial or fungal invasion through a wound. Painless and slow progression delays detection and treatment of the disease, leading to amputation of the affected area or even death.5 Dr. Osamu Kunii, CEO of the GHIT Fund, said "We have continued to invest more than 500 million yen (US$4 million1) since 2017 in the development of mycetoma drugs by Eisai and DNDi, including this recent investment, to support their efforts to control NTDs. We hope this treatment will be quickly approved and reach patients as soon as possible, during GHIT's third five-year plan." The GHIT Fund will also invest approximately 70 million yen (US$0.5 million1) for the development of an mRNA vaccine against malaria by Ehime University and Mahidol University and 30 million yen (US$0.22 million1) in an onchocerciasis6 drug development project by BoZo Research Center, DNDi, University Hospital Bonn, and Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU). As of March 30, 2023, there are 53 ongoing projects, including 26 discovery, 15 preclinical and 12 clinical trials in GHIT Fund's portfolio. The total amount of investments since 2013 is 29.1 billion yen (US$213 million). 1 USD1 = JPY136.34, the approximate exchange rate on February 28, 2023. 2 These awarded projects were selected and approved as new investments from among proposals to RFP2022-002 for the Target Research Platform and Product Development Platform, which was open for applications from June 2022 to January 2023. 3 Reference: World Health Organization (WHO) https://www.who.int/health-topics/neglected-tropical-diseases 4 Reference: World Health Organization (WHO) https://www.who.int/news/item/30-01-2023-more-countries-eliminate-neglected-tropical-diseases-but-investments-key-to-sustain-progress 5 Reference: World Health Organization (WHO) https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mycetoma 6 Onchocerciasis (river blindness) is a parasitic disease caused by Onchocerca volvulus which can lead to blindness. More than 99% of infected people live in 31 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Reference: World Health Organization (WHO) https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/onchocerciasis The GHIT Fund is a Japan-based international public-private partnership fund (PPP) between the Government of Japan, multiple pharmaceutical companies, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Wellcome, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The GHIT Fund invests and manages an R&D portfolio of development partnerships aimed at neglected diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis and neglected tropical diseases that afflict the world's vulnerable and underserved populations. The GHIT Fund mobilizes the Japanese industry, academia, and research institutes to create new drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics for malaria, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical diseases, in collaboration with global partners. Appendix 1. Project Details G2022-201 Project Title Preclinical development of DNDI-6166 (or CC1076166) a selective macrofilaricide for the treatment of river blindness Collaboration Partners BoZo Research Center, Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), Universitatsklinikum Bonn (UKB), Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU) Disease Onchocerciasis Intervention Drug Stage Preclinical Awarded Amount 30,000,000 (US$0.22 million) Status New project Summary [Project objective] The objective of this project is to develop a safe, efficacious, affordable, and field-adapted macrofilaricidal or long-term sterilizing drug for onchocerciasis. Within the timeframe of this project, DNDi and its partners aim to complete the preclinical development of the molecule DNDI-6166 and make it ready to enter Phase I studies in healthy human volunteers. [Project design] The main objective for this project will be to assemble a data package around DNDI-6166 to support the initiation of first in human (FIH) studies. To reach this objective we propose to conduct four different work packages. Work package 1, Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC): to develop a suitable active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing process for scale-up synthesis, to develop and manufacture an enabling FIH formulation. Work package 2, Preclinical safety: to establish the safety profile of DNDI-6166 through regulatory Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) studies. Work package 3, Mechanism of Action (MoA): elucidation of the MoA of DNDI-6166. Work package 4, Refinement of safety margin, to refine the human efficacious dose, and to establish the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) relationship. Project Detail https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/portfoliodetail/detail/208/en G2022-208 Project Title Fosravuconazole treatment in eumycetoma: corroborating study outcomes, preparing for access Collaboration Partners Eisai Co., Ltd., Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) Disease Mycetoma Intervention Drug Stage Registration Awarded Amount 296,466,665 (US$2.2 million) Status Continued project Summary [Project objective] This project aims to bridge the gap between outcome of the fosravuconazole's randomized clinical trial (RCT), and access to fosravuconazole for treatment of eumycetoma in Sudan. 1. Registration Objective: to make fosravuconazole accessible to patients in Sudan through a registration process. 2. Implementation and preparing for access i. Cohort study Objective: to treat a cohort of 100 patients with fosravuconazole under supervision of the Mycetoma Research Center (MRC), collecting additional data on safety and treatment outcome. ii. Development of a strategic plan Objective: to develop a strategic plan for mycetoma. To understand the needs and opportunities in other endemic areas (e.g. India and Senegal), field visits and expert meetings will guide and outline the next steps for use of fosravuconazole in severe eumycetoma. [Project design] 1. Registration Based on the results of the clinical trial, preparations for the application for approval will be undertaken. Fosravuconazole is registered in Japan for indication of onychomycosis. 2. Implementation and preparing for access i. Cohort study The cohort study provides early access to treatment with fosravuconazole for patients with eumycetoma in a controlled manner, whilst monitoring treatment outcome and patient safety. Approximately 100 patients enrolled in the cohort study will be treated with weekly doses of fosravuconazole at 200 mg for 12 months in combination with surgery at 6 months. ii. Development of a strategic plan A strategic plan will be developed by the following steps. Post-hoc analyses of the RCT will be performed to evaluate all factors that have influenced outcomes. Expert meetings will be organized to discuss the study data and outcomes, and how to assess new drugs that have been developed in the context of other fungal diseases. Field visits to other important eumycetoma endemic areas such as India and Senegal will be conducted to assess current practice and local needs for treatment while also collecting epidemiological data to assess burden of the disease. Project Detail https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/portfoliodetail/detail/209/en T2022-151 Project Title Development of a potent Pvs230 mRNA vaccine to block transmission of P. vivax Collaboration Partners Ehime University, Mahidol University Disease Malaria Intervention Vaccine Stage Target Research Awarded Amount 69,965,220 (US$0.5 million) Status New project Summary [Project objective] This project aims to develop a novel mRNA-based malaria transmission-blocking vaccine of P. vivax. It targets Pvs230, a sexual stage protein of the parasite, that induces potent and long-lasting transmission blocking immunity and is able to interrupt transmission of P. vivax from human to mosquito. [Project design] We will combine the expertise in malaria vaccine development from Mahidol and Ehime Universities to generate new mRNA vaccines that block transmission of P. vivax. The vaccine target is the parasite protein called Pvs230, a well-known vaccine candidate expressed during the sexual-stage development of the parasite. Since Pvs230 is a large protein, we will first screen several Pvs230 fragments to identify the subdomain that induces strongest functional immunity. Then we will employ both the classical linear nucleoside-modified mRNA and our newly developed circular mRNA to devise the best performing vaccine construct. Vaccine efficacy will be determined by the ability of the vaccine to induce antibodies that block transmission of the parasite from humans to mosquitoes. Project Detail https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/portfoliodetail/detail/207/en *All amounts are listed at an exchange rate of USD1 = JPY136.34, the approximate exchange rate on February 28, 2023. Appendix 2. Investment Overview (as of March 30, 2023) Investments to date Total investments: 29.1 billion yen (US$213 million1) Total invested projects: 118 (53 active projects and 65 completed projects) To learn more about GHIT Fund's investments, please visit Investment Overview: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/overview/en Portfolio: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/portfolio/en Advancing Portfolio: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/advancingportfolio/en Clinical Candidates: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/clinicalcandidates/en For more information, contact: Katy Lenard at +1-301-280-5719 or [email protected] Mina Ohata at +81-36441-2032 or [email protected] SOURCE Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund DETROIT, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- General Motors recognized American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. (AAM), (NYSE: AXL) as an Overdrive award winner as part of GM's 31st annual Supplier of the Year awards. AAM was one of 16 companies to earn an Overdrive award for 2022. The company celebrated honorees at an event in San Antonio, Texas, earlier this month. First presented in 2012, the Overdrive award is a distinction reserved for suppliers who display outstanding achievement across the Global Purchasing and Supply Chain organization's key priorities. These include sustainability, innovation, relationships, total enterprise cost, launch excellence and safety. "AAM is extremely proud to once again receive GM's Overdrive Award for the third straight year," said David C. Dauch, AAM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We are grateful that GM recognizes our commitment and leadership in the area of sustainability and how AAM is POWERing a more sustainable future that is safer, greener and more inclusive for Associates, customers, communities and stakeholders." "We are thrilled to recognize these outstanding suppliers after yet another challenging year in the automotive industry," said Jeff Morrison, GM vice president of Global Purchasing and Supply Chain. "They overcame countless obstacles and exemplified what it means to be resilient, resourceful and determined. Beyond that, these suppliers demonstrated their commitment to sustainable innovation and to driving advanced solutions in collaboration with the GM team." Each year, the Supplier of the Year and Overdrive award recipients are selected by a global, cross-functional GM team for their performance in criteria such as Product Purchasing, Global Purchasing and Manufacturing Services, Customer Care, and Aftersales and Logistics. About General Motors: GM is a global company focused on advancing an all-electric future that is inclusive and accessible to all. At the heart of this strategy is the Ultium battery platform, which will power everything from mass-market to high-performance vehicles. General Motors, its subsidiaries and its joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, https://www.holden.com.au/?evar25=gm_media_releaseBaojun and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety and security services, can be found at https://www.gm.com. About AAM: As a leading global Tier 1 Automotive and Mobility Supplier, AAM (NYSE: AXL) designs, engineers and manufactures Driveline and Metal Forming technologies to support electric, hybrid and internal combustion vehicles. Headquartered in Detroit with 85 facilities in 18 countries, AAM is Bringing the Future Faster for a safer and more sustainable tomorrow. To learn more, visit aam.com. AAM Media Contacts: Christopher M. Son Charlotte Fisher Vice President, Marketing & Communications Director, Communications & Community Relations (313) 758-4814 (313) 758-2411 [email protected] [email protected] SOURCE American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. BASEL, Switzerland, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ACROBiosystems has begun to narrow its focus into helping accelerate the process between preclinical, clinical and commercialization. With over 10 years development, ACROBiosystems continues to surprise and bring new solutions to the pharmaceutical industry that assists in therapeutic manufacturing and its subsequent commercialization. The establishment of a GMP quality management system, which upholds the strict standards throughout preclinical and clinical manufacturing, is no easy task. This substantial commitment is demonstrated by an investment in a GMP-grade production facility. ACROBiosystems' GMP facility with over 180,000 sq. ft available for manufacturing GMP products, including cytokines, enzymes, and antibodies. ACROBiosystems also offers custom GMP-grade raw material development starting from its targeted protein design, gene synthesis, vector construction, protein expression, and scale-up / scale-out production services. Operated by its subsidiary, ACROBiosystems also emphasizes the importance to its clinical-focused strategy. ACRODiagnostics Inc. is a translational medicine biotechnology company in the ACROBiosystems group focused on providing analytical reagents and custom services for the clinical diagnostics industry. ACRODiagnostics has assembled a comprehensive pathology assay development team, including more than 10 years of experience in the diagnostic kit development and CRO services. The ClinMax product line includes both biological and clinical sample analytical kits, to help accelerate the clinical translation and commercialization of therapies. With a product development team rich in experience in designing, developing, and validating kits for various platforms, products offered are ensured to be low-risk and high-quality, ideal for clinical research. "With our first strategic development phase success, we begin to enter the second phase our strategic development which is to focus on more clinically relevant applications and scale-up our manufacturing capabilities. This helps support a large-scale, high-quality, and more localized supply chain response to assist the needs of our clinical customers." reveals Mike Chen, Chairman and CEO of ACROBiosystems. ACROBiosystems was founded on customer needs and continues to support preclinical, clinical, and commercialization efforts worldwide. About ACROBiosystems Inc. ACROBiosystems Group (SZ.301080) is a biotechnology company aimed at being a cornerstone of the global biopharmaceutical and health industries by providing products and business models innovation. The company spans across the globe and has established numerous long-term and stable partnerships with the world's top pharmaceutical enterprises and numerous well-known academic institutes. The company comprises of several subsidiaries such as ACROBiosystems, bioSeedin, Condense Capital, and ACRODiagnostics. SOURCE ACROBiosystems Group In addition, comprehensive technology platform announces new model marketplace at T3 Technology Conference CHICAGO, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Advyzon, a comprehensive service and technology platform and portfolio management solution for financial advisors and investment managers, recently achieved high client satisfaction ratings and showed significant increase in market share across multiple categories in the 2023 T3 / Inside Information Software Survey including earning the highest rating in the All-In-One Software category for the sixth year in a row. The results of the annual technology survey and report, produced by Joel Bruckenstein of T3 Technology Tools for Today and Bob Veres of Inside Information, were unveiled and presented live at the recent T3 Advisor Conference, which took place March 13th 16th in Tampa, Florida and saw nearly 1,000 total attendees. "Based on the ratings in the various categories it fits into, one could call Advyzon a best-of-breed solution in each." Tweet this "We're very excited to yet again score top marks in this industry-leading survey and report," said John Mackowiak, Chief Revenue Officer at Advyzon. "It's an honor to see that our clients are highly satisfied with our platform and our offerings, and extremely encouraging to see our continued growth in market share in the industry." ALL-IN-ONE VS. BEST-OF-BREED While the industry debate of comprehensive technology solutions vs. best-of-breed tech stacks rages on, the report did note that in addition to being the highest rated All-In-One solution: "Based on the ratings in the various categories its software fits into, one could plausibly call [Advyzon] a best-of-breed solution in each of them." Advyzon's average rating across all of the categories it qualified for was among the highest of the more than 800 firms featured in the report: "[Advyzon's] user ratings are among the highest in the entire survey, and they have consistently earned high user satisfaction scores since we began polling the profession." In addition, the report noted that while most of the solutions providers in the All-In-One Software category have taken the "All-In-One-by-acquisition trend" by purchasing and merging best-of-breed software from multiple categories, Advyzon has been an exception to this trend, as all of the platform's solutions were built in-house on single-source code. "For best results, the experience needs to be cohesive and the best way to do that is to build it yourself from the ground up rather than try to stitch things together," said Mackowiak. "Building it ourselves has really given us and our users an advantage, and the seamless experience allows advisors to be more efficient and focus on what they do best." The report dubbed client satisfaction ratings higher than 8 "remarkable" in its summary findings: Advyzon received the highest client satisfaction rating (8.77) in the All-In-One Software category a feat they have now accomplished for the past six years (every year since 2018) Advyzon scored the highest client satisfaction rating (8.52) in the Portfolio Management/Reporting Tools category for firms with more than 0.8% market share Advyzon received the second-best overall client satisfaction rating (8.46) in the CRM category, and the highest overall for firms with more than 3% market share Advyzon scored an 8.04 rating in the Document Management category, their first year in this category Advyzon received a 7.89 rating in the Trading/Rebalancing Tools category, their first year in this category after launching Advyzon Quantum in Spring 2022, a robust rebalancer seamlessly integrated into the Advyzon platform Advyzon also showed growth in market share within all of these categories: Grew from 3.56% to 4.26% in the All-In-One Software category (up from fourth to third overall) Grew from 3.80% to 4.93% in the Portfolio Management/Reporting Tools category (sixth overall) Grew from 4.25% to 4.50% in the CRM category (up from sixth to fifth overall) Earned 2.57% market share in their first year in the Document Management category Earned 2.21% market share in their first year in the Trading/Rebalancing Tools category Also named often in 'Programs Respondents Are Considering' within these categories, and was listed among 'Other Programs Mentioned' in multiple other categories Thanks to their stellar ratings, Advyzon was dubbed a "Software All Star" solutions that finished in the top five of their categories in market penetration and also achieved an extraordinary (8.0+) average user rating receiving a user rating of 8.77 while ranking third in market share in the All-In-One Software category, and a user rating of 8.46 while ranking fifth in market share in the CRM category. Only three other firms besides Advyzon qualified for the "Software All Star" list more than once. In addition, Advyzon was named to the list of "Mighty Mites" in Portfolio Management/Reporting Tools and Document Management solutions that were not market share leaders but achieved an extraordinary (8.0+) average user rating. Only six other firms besides Advyzon were named to the "Mighty Mites" list more than once. To see the full T3 / Inside Information Software Survey results, which Advyzon was also proud to be a sponsor of, please click here. DRIVEN BY ADVISOR FEEDBACK While Advyzon routinely receives high ratings in the T3 / Inside Information Software Survey, thanks to the increase in market share and many mentions in 'Programs Respondents Are Considering', the 2023 report acknowledged that "it looks like the marketplace has begun to notice Advyzon's year-in-year-out high user ratings." Advyzon is currently serving nearly 1,300 advisory firms with a rapidly growing user base. The great strides Advyzon made in the last few years to improve its offerings to advisors was driven by advisor feedback at every stage of development. Over the years, the Advyzon team began to see that advisors wanted additional, comprehensive options for asset management solutions without having to look outside of Advyzon's comprehensive platform. Therefore, Advyzon launched Advyzon Investment Management (AIM) in Spring 2022, a comprehensive turnkey asset management program (TAMP) fully integrated into Advyzon's cloud-based platform a natural evolution for Advyzon. ADVYZON INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT ANNOUNCES NUCLEUS MODEL MARKETPLACE AT T3 CONFERENCE During their main stage session at the T3 Conference, Advyzon announced that they are launching their new model marketplace called Nucleus, which will be fully integrated into the award-winning Advyzon platform, with the option to be Advyzon traded with advisor built UMAs or pre-set UMA portfolios built by AIM, or advisor traded with Nucleus access available in Advyzon's Quantum Rebalancer. "Adding a model marketplace enhances AIM's TAMP offering and moves Advyzon closer than ever to offering a fully comprehensive solution that allows financial advisors and investment managers to run their firms while managing client accounts with efficiency and ease," said Lee Andreatta, CEO and co-founder of Advyzon Investment Management. To learn more about the Nucleus model marketplace, please click here. ABOUT ADVYZON Advyzon provides comprehensive, intuitive, cloud-based wealth management technology and investment management services for independent financial advisors and registered investment advisors (RIAs). The Advyzon tech platform combines portfolio management, customizable performance reporting, trading and rebalancing, client web portals, client relationship management (CRM), client billing, and document storage, along with investment management services and a model marketplace offered by Advyzon Investment Management, LLC. A team of entrepreneurs led by CEO Hailin Li, Ph.D., CFA, Advyzon strives to innovate in strategic and useful ways. Financial advisors inspire Advyzon's innovation and integrations. Their exceptional technology and unmatched service exist to improve the advisor experience whether it's via portfolio and firm management or client relationships and growth. To learn more about Advyzon, visit www.Advyzon.com. To learn more about Advyzon Investment Management, visit www.AdvyzonIM.com. Media Contact: Jonny Swift Impact Communications, Inc. 913-649-5009 [email protected] SOURCE Advyzon SHENZHEN, China, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Waton Securities International Limited (also known as Waton or Waton International) is a premier brokerage service provider, established in 1989 with its headquarters in Hong Kong. With an R&D team located in Mainland China and offices across the globe, Waton Securities International is a licensed securities broker (Central Number: AAK004) with over 30 years of sound track record and brokerage experience in the industry. The company strictly adheres to the requirements of the SFO, providing customers with simple, safe, and reliable securities trading services. Leveraging the power of Amazon Web Services (AWS), Waton has successfully launched its Broker Cloud (SaaS) service, enabling traditional securities companies to conduct online real-time trading. This service reduces the costs of IT infrastructure and operation, such as hardware procurement, maintenance fees, and data center costs, while improving resource utilization and business performance. Furthermore, Waton can accelerate the process of application development and deployment, while increasing the flexibility in choosing various cloud-native services and tools to meet different business demand scenarios. Market quotations and news feeds are crucial public data in the brokerage industry, and require the Broker Cloud to be capable of real-time processing and distribution of information to clients. Waton's Broker Cloud adopts Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (MSK) to build fully managed, highly reliable, and secure data streaming services. In addition to market quotations and news feeds, the platform also covers log collection and big data processing. AWS provides powerful computing and storage capabilities to process big data, and offers rapid elasticity to scale resources. Through the development of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) technology, Waton is exploring new trading strategy optimization and user service customization. By utilizing AWS's impressive computing power and scalability, Waton delivers exceptional data analysis results, enabling Broker Cloud to innovate and expand swiftly and cost-effectively, catering to a variety of demand scenarios. In the future, the demand for digital transformation in the brokerage industry will continue to rise, and the integration of big data and FinTech into applications will be accelerated. Waton Securities International's in-depth sector expertise and category-defining FinTech capabilities, together with the global cloud service platform, will empower more market participants to break through existing barriers and deliver best-in-class customer services to global users efficiently and effectively, while creating more added value through tailored digital solutions. SOURCE Waton Truestone will provide logistics and engineering technician support across all facets of electronics, communications, and security equipment maintenance HERNDON, Va., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Akima today announced that its subsidiary, Truestone, has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Army to provide logistics and engineering technician support at the Tobyhanna Army Depot, the largest full-service electronics maintenance facility in the Department of Defense (DoD). The contract has a value of $194 million over five years if all options are exercised. Tobyhanna is a recognized leader in providing world-class logistics support for command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C5ISR) systems across the Department of Defense. Tobyhanna's capabilities include full-spectrum support for sustainment, overhaul and repair, fabrication and manufacturing, engineering design and development, systems integration, technology insertion, modification, and global field support to our warfighters. Located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania, the Tobyhanna Army Depot is part of the U.S. Army Communications Electronics Command. "Supporting warfighter readiness has been a long-standing focus for Akima," said Duncan Greene, President of Akima's Mission Systems, Engineering & Technology Group. "We are proud to continue our support to the U.S. Army delivering quality services to Tobyhanna in support of the DoD's mission to empower the soldier with winning C5ISR capabilities." The contract was awarded under the Responsive Strategic Sourcing for Services (RS3) contract. Truestone will support the Tobyhanna maintenance mission of total sustainment, including fabrication, repair and overhaul of hundreds of electronic systems and support equipment. About Truestone, an Akima Company An Alaska Native Corporation (ANC), Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) and a wholly owned subsidiary of Akima, Truestone enables customers to achieve superior project outcomes and long-term business success. A systems Integrator and an end-to-end technology services and solutions provider, Truestone can support you across every critical point of your project's lifecyclefrom strategy, development and integration through operations, management, and maintenance. Proven at some of today's most complex, demanding, visible and secure operationsand quickly scalable to any size project Truestone is your partner of choice when quality, performance and value matter most. To learn more visit www.truestonefed.com. About Akima Akima is a global enterprise with over 9,000 employees, delivering agile solutions to the federal government in the core areas of facilities & ground logistics; information technology; aerospace solutions; protective services; systems engineering; mission support; furniture, fixtures & equipment (FF&E); and construction. As a subsidiary of NANA, an Alaska Native Corporation owned by more than 15,000 Inupiat shareholders, Akima's core mission is to enable superior outcomes for our customers' missions while simultaneously creating a long-lived asset for NANA consistent with our Inupiat values. In 2022, Akima ranked #29 on Washington Technology's Top 100 List and #56 on Bloomberg Government's BGOV200 List of top federal contractors. To learn more about Akima, visit www.akima.com. SOURCE Akima Details added: first version posted on 15:14 BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. The Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan has adopted a decree to restrict import of passenger cars with a service life of over 10 years into Azerbaijan, Trend reports via the Cabinet of Ministers. This decree will enter into force 30 days after its publication. The new decision caused some concern among citizens who ordered cars from abroad. The citizens said that the ordered cars will most likely arrive in Azerbaijan within three-four months. Thus, citizens are concerned that the cars wont be allowed into the country. The Cabinet of Ministers commenting on the issue noted that citizens who ordered cars, produced more than 10 years ago, from abroad and paid for their purchase by concluding a deal before March 29, 2023 will be allowed to bring these cars into the country. The State Customs Committee said that in accordance with the Cabinet of Ministers decree "On limiting import of used cars into the customs territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan" dated March 29, 2023, the import of cars with the service life of over 10 years into the country, will be restricted. "The decree envisages implementation of customs clearance of vehicles [cars with the above service life] purchased in foreign countries until March 29, 2023 (including March 29) and imported with the presentation to the customs authorities of the relevant payment documents confirming this," the committee added. More than $550,000 in prizes up for grabs. SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Americas Cardroom (ACR) is once again giving its players the chance to win a poker holiday of a lifetime in Cyprus. ACR is running two satellites this month with full poker vacation packages up for grabs. This coveted prize will see at least five players head to Cyprus for a Super High Roller Series from May 10th to 25th. Each Cyprus package is worth an incredible $110,000. The packages include $100,000 in tournament buy-ins plus $10,000 for travel and accommodation. To add to the excitement, the five package winners will have a choice at how they use their $100k. The typical buy-ins for the Series range between $15,000 and $100,000, so the winners are in for the ride of their life! The qualifiers take place on Sunday, April 16th and 23rd at 2:05pm ET. ACR is giving players chances to win $2,650 tickets every day via its Venom Fever Satellites happening throughout April. If a player wins a ticket, they have the choice to play the $5 Million Venom PKO or one of the Main Online satellites to Cyprus. If they win two tickets, they can play in both! 2 Packages GTD Sunday, April 16th at 2:05pm ET ( $2,650 buy-in) at ( buy-in) 3 Packages GTD Sunday, April 23rd at 2:05pm ET ( $2,650 buy-in) If the package winners want to lock up some of their $110,000 package into a guaranteed win, ACR CEO, Phil Nagy has agreed to purchase up to 50% of the buy-ins of each tourney the winners compete in ($50,000 total max), so he can get in on the action. Americas Cardroom Team Pro, Chris Moneymaker said: "After the incredible success of the High Stakes Adventure Vietnam a few months ago, ACR was keen to keep the momentum going and give more players a once-in-a lifetime-experience. Poker changed my life forever and I always get so excited when I see others given that chance too." Between the stunning beaches and ancient ruins, Cyprus will provide an incredible backdrop to a fantastic week of poker and travel. This life-changing prize is one not to be missed. For further information, please contact: [email protected] About Americas Cardroom Americas Cardroom joined the Winning Poker Network in 2011. The Winning Poker Network has one of the longest and trusted online names in the industry and has been in existence since 2001. Americas Cardroom accepts players from the US market and the rest of the world. Rated first place for payment processing and cashout reliability repeatedly over the last few years, Americas Cardroom offers outstanding customer service and a friendly environment for all poker players around the world. Contact: Melanie Moser 1-877-314-4195 [email protected] SOURCE Americas Cardroom Funding will promote the creation or rehabilitation of more affordable rental housing HARRISBURG, Pa., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency today has opened the application process for the $100 million Housing Options Grant Program. This program provides a new affordable housing development tool by making additional money available to create or preserve more affordable rental housing in the state. The application is available online. In addition to the web-based application, also available are the final guidelines for the program (look under "News & Awards 2019 Present," click on the year "2023"). This is the first year of this program which will fund emergency repairs to existing affordable rental units, the rehab and preservation of currently existing affordable apartments, and the construction of new affordable rental units. "This funding provides a valuable opportunity to create more affordable rental housing at a time when the demand is greater than ever," said PHFA Executive Director and CEO Robin Wiessmann. "Even before we opened the application, we saw tremendous public interest in this new program. We are very encouraged by that." The Housing Options Grant Program is intended to fund housing that has not already received Low Income Housing Tax Credit funding, or that does not anticipate receiving LIHTC funding during the next four years. LIHTC developments from 2018 through 2026 will not be eligible to apply. Additionally, applications for projects that are still in the LIHTC IRS compliance period (initial 15 years) will not be eligible to apply. The funding connected with this program is coming from the American Rescue Plan Act and must be awarded by the end of 2024. Questions about the new Housing Options Grant Program can be sent to [email protected]. Additionally, people can register for a question-and-answer session to be held by PHFA on April 5 at 10:00 a.m. About PHFA The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency works to provide affordable homeownership and rental housing options for older adults, low- and moderate-income families, and people with special housing needs. Through its carefully managed mortgage programs and investments in multifamily housing developments, PHFA also promotes economic development across the state. Since its creation by the legislature in 1972, it has generated more than $16.9 billion of funding for more than 191,870 single-family home mortgage loans, helped fund the construction of 103,328 rental units, distributed approximately $239 million to support local housing initiatives, and saved the homes of more than 50,660 families from foreclosure. PHFA programs and operations are funded primarily by the sale of securities and from fees paid by program users, not by public tax dollars. The agency is governed by a 14-member board. Media contact: Scott Elliott 717-649-6522 (cell) [email protected] SOURCE Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency Lightweight and groundbreaking battery for commercial electric airplane will enable efficient regional air travel GOTHENBURG, Sweden , March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- BAE Systems, a leading aerospace and defense company, and Heart Aerospace, a Swedish electric airplane maker, announced a collaboration to define the battery system for Heart's ES-30 regional electric airplane. The battery will be the first-of-its-kind to be integrated into an electric conventional takeoff and landing (eCTOL) regional aircraft, allowing it to efficiently operate with zero emissions and low noise. Battery system inside the ES-30 (PRNewsfoto/Heart Aerospace) Battery pack (PRNewsfoto/Heart Aerospace) BAE Systems& Logo (PRNewsfoto/BAE Systems) "Our industry-leading solution builds on decades of expertise delivering technologies and systems needed to progress sustainable transportation," said Ehtisham Siddiqui, vice president and general manager of Controls and Avionics Solutions at BAE Systems. "We are delighted to collaborate with Heart Aerospace on the innovative battery system for its electric airplane." The program will leverage more than 25 years of BAE Systems' expertise in electrifying large, heavy-duty industrial vehicles. Today, the company has over 15,000 power and propulsion systems operating in service across the globe. Work on the program will be conducted at the company's state-of-the-art facility in Endicott, New York. "BAE Systems' extensive experience in developing batteries for heavy-duty ground applications, and their experience in developing safety critical control systems for aerospace, make them an ideal partner in this important next step for the ES-30 and for the aviation industry," said Sofia Graflund, chief operating officer at Heart Aerospace. "We look forward to decarbonizing air travel together." The ES-30 airplane will be powered by four electric motors, and has an all-electric range of 200 kilometers, an extended reserve hybrid range of 400 kilometers with 30 passengers and ability to fly up to 800 kilometers with 25 passengers. The ES-30 will also have a cost-effective and scalable upgrade path as future battery technology matures. The battery upgrade roadmap allows for increased usable energy at the same weight, resulting in longer flight durations and expanded route options. Heart Aerospace has a total of 230 orders and 100 options for the ES-30, along with letter of intent for an additional 108 airplanes. About BAE Systems BAE Systems, Inc. and its 34,000 people are part of a global defense, aerospace, and security company with 89,600 employees worldwide. We deliver a full range of products and services for air, land, sea and space, as well as advanced electronics, intelligence, security, and IT solutions and support services. Our dedication shows in everything we design, produce, and deliver -- to protect those who protect us in a high-performance, innovative culture. We push the limits of possibility to provide a critical advantage to our customers where it counts. www.baesystems.com/US @BAESystemsInc About Heart Aerospace At Heart Aerospace we work at the cutting edge of technology while contributing towards a sustainable future. Heart's mission is to create the world's greenest, most affordable, and most accessible form of transport. This mission is grounded in the outlook that electric air travel will become the new normal for regional flights and can be transformational in addressing the industry's key sustainability challenges. www.heartaerospace.com For more information, please contact: Eric Peterson, BAE Systems Mobile: +1 603-288-4082 [email protected] Christina Zander, Heart Aerospace Mobile: +46 728-889-610 [email protected] Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2043029/Heart_Aerospace_BAE_1.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2043030/Heart_Aerospace_BAE_2.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2043028/3961368/Heart_Aerospace_Logo.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2043429/3962238/BAE_Systems_Logo.jpg SOURCE Heart Aerospace WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bahamas heightened its presence at this year's Palm Beach International Boat Show (PBIPS) through a co-branding collaboration with Worth Avenue Yachts, a world-class yacht brokerage firm specializing in the sale of luxury yachts, yacht charters and new yacht construction. This co-branding venture showcased Bahamas branding inside Worth Avenue Yachts' main tent area on their floating dock space over the four days of the 41st Palm Beach International Boat. Parliamentary Secretary, Hon. John H. W. Pinder, speaks at The Bahamas information desk at the 41st West Palm Beach International Boat Show. The prominent placement of Bahamas branding gave the Yachting Team of The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation an unrivalled opportunity to display the unique offerings of The Bahamas' yachting sector to a large audience comprised of high net worth superyacht owners and superyacht charter operators. The Boat Show took place downtown West Palm Beach, March 23-26. A leading event on the calendar of international boat shows, PBIBS featured the latest in boating, yachting, and marine technology. This year's edition of the Boat Show attracted more than 55,000 attendees and 600 exhibiting brands. Some 600 boats were on display, ranging from 8-foot inflatables to superyachts nearly 300 feet in length. "Each year, the Palm Beach International Boat Show presents The Bahamas with the great opportunity to showcase the allure of our island archipelago nestled in crystal blue water to the international yachting community," said the Hon. John H. W. Pinder III, Parliamentary Secretary at the BMOTIA. "This year, we've reached a new level in capturing the imagination of thousands of yachting enthusiasts." Parliamentary Secretary Pinder added: "PBIBS also offers The Bahamas a focused opportunity to strengthen its reputation as the regional leader in yachting." "This week, we've had a series of very productive meetings, reconnecting with longstanding business partners and engaging with new partners to generate increased tourism business for The Bahamas yachting and boating sectors growing our economy at large." Pinder conducted meetings over two days with a number of industry partners and stakeholders. On Thursday, March 23, he met with Eli Flint, Flexjet's President of Vertical Lift to discuss expanding private charter airlift and possible partnership with the air carrier. Discussions were also held with Michael Mahan, founder of Worth Avenue Yachts, on the new partnership with The Bahamas for this year's Palm Beach Boat Show. Later in the day, Pinder met and greeted professional athletes Kwon Alexander and Justin Hardee of the New York Jets and Duke Riley of the Miami Dolphins. The Bahamas team connected leading international event organizer Informa with these athletes to discuss off season training and second home ownership. On Saturday, March 25, Parliamentary Secretary Pinder engaged in meetings with IGY Marinas' senior executives, Bert Fowles, Vice President of Sales and Marketing and Ariana Hackelson, Sales and Marketing to discuss the yachting industry and The Bahamas' position in yachting and future partnership opportunities. A subsequent meeting was held with Randy Field, Vice President of Marketing of Informa to discuss the Bahamas involvement with the Palm Beach Boat Show, Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show and other opportunities to showcase The Bahamas. Over the four days of the Palm Beach International Boat Show, staff of The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation Yachting Department, joined by various industry partners including Odyssey, Nassau Yacht Haven and Romora Bay Club, showcased The Islands of The Bahamas as a top yachting destination, with opportunities throughout each day to interact directly with clientele visiting Worth Avenue Yacht's dock space. Highlighting the four busy show days were two memorable gala events: Worth Avenue Yachts' Annual Private Client Event and Bahamas Night, a Bahamas-themed soiree hosted by BMOTIA. Both events offered excellent networking opportunities for BMOTIA executives and industry partners to interact with clients and key players in the international yachting sector. About The Bahamas Explore all the islands have to offer at www.bahamas.com or on Facebook , YouTube or Instagram to see why It's Better in The Bahamas. PRESS INQUIRIES Anita Johnson-Patty Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation [email protected] SOURCE The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation Entirety of the Funds to be Awarded in Grants from the MrBallen Foundation to Affected Families and Organizations Focused on Education, Training and Financial Support AUSTIN, Texas, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ballen Studios, the global, multi-platform content company founded by leading storyteller and creator, John Allenknown globally as MrBallentoday announced a $1 million pledge to honor victims and support families affected by violent crime. The funds committed will be donated in 2023 via the MrBallen Foundation, which will award one hundred percent of the funds in financial grants throughout the year as part of their Honor and Hope Grant Programs. These programs were established to award grants to both 501(c)(3) organizations working to support victims or their families, as well as to provide financial resources directly to families and communities who have been affected by a heinous crime. "Ballen Studios is honored to make this pledge, and I personally couldn't be more grateful for the outpouring of support from our global community since the MrBallen Foundation launched last year," said Allen. "My hope was to provide a pathway to give back, and I'm proud to share the entirety of donations that come into the foundation go out the door and directly to aid victims, their families and organizations working at the root of issues to make a genuine difference in the lives of people that need it most." The MrBallen Foundation recently announced its first quarter 2023 grants to Free to Thrive, A21, and the Rebecca Bender Initiative, organizations focused on combatting human trafficking and advancing justice for survivors everywhere. Since receiving its 501(c)(3) nonprofit status last year, the MrBallen Foundation has already donated more than $400,000 to over a dozen organizations doing compassionate, needle-moving work around the world. "We are delighted to partner with the MrBallen Foundation, so more sexual assault survivors will hear the powerful message," said Joanne Archambault, CEO and Founder of End Violence Against Women International, an Honor grant recipient where funds were awarded to expand their Start by Believing Campaign and support victims of sexual assault. "We believe you. We support you. We will get you the help you need." The MrBallen Foundation also provides expedited financial assistance to victims and their families directly through their Hope Grant. Knowing that time is of the essence for so many victims and their families, this grant program is meant to be responsive to the immediate needs of those impacted by a heinous crime. As recently as this week, the MrBallen Foundation donated $25,000 to the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee in response to the tragic shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville where three nine-year-old students and three adults lost their lives. In December of this past year, the Foundation also awarded the Hope Grant to support the family of Athena Strand, the seven-year-old girl who was tragically kidnapped and murdered this past November outside her father's Paradise, Texas home. "Since our inception the MrBallen Foundation has continuously recognized the importance of serving victims of violent crimes and their families, and bringing hope to those that have experienced the devastation that violent crime brings," said the MrBallen Foundation Executive Director, Laurie Gift. "This pledge gives us the capacity to continue to provide that hope to victims and families in their greatest time of need, by partnering with organizations that meet the direct and tangible needs families are facing." In addition to being one of the internet's biggest storytellers, host of true crime hit, MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark and Mysterious Stories, and Founder of Ballen Studios and the MrBallen Foundation, Allen is a former Navy SEAL who was medically retired in 2017 after being injured in Afghanistan.Allen knows that it is a lifelong process healing from trauma and violence, and even one violent act has a ripple effect from the victims to their loved ones and entire communities. For more information and to find out how to get involved, visit https://mrballen.foundation/ and follow the MrBallen Foundation on Instagram @MrBallenFoundation, Facebook @MrBallenFoundation, LinkedIn @MrBallenFoundation, and Twitter @MrBallenFnd. About the MrBallen Foundation The MrBallen Foundation (MBF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to honoring victims and supporting families affected by violent crimes through education, training and financial support. Victims of heinous crime are faced with psychological, financial, and emotional traumas and residual effects far beyond the physical impact of the crime that need addressing for proper, holistic healing to begin. The MrBallen Foundation was founded by John Allen to provide dynamic solutions for victims and organizations that provide support to them through financial support. About Ballen Studios Ballen Studios is a global, multi-platform content company developing and producing projects spanning film, television, publishing, live touring, merchandising, audio, and digital-first platforms. Founded by top podcast host and one of the internet's biggest storytellers, John Allenbetter known to his millions of fans globally as MrBallenBallen Studios was established to propel the art of storytelling to new heights and connect audiences globally through authentic, engaging storytelling across mediums. Allen, a former US Navy SEAL turned prolific content creator, had a meteoric rise to fame in 2020, first on TikTok and YouTube, and most recently in audio when he launched hit podcast, MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories, a true crime-focused series that also explores strange and mysterious occurrences. Press Inquiries Ethos Group: [email protected] SOURCE MrBallen Foundation NEW YORK, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mexico is poised to gain potentially $168 billion more in non-oil exports over the next five years, thanks to companies moving factories closer to the United States to strengthen supply chains, according to Grupo Financiero Banorte, the largest Mexican-owned bank. "We want Banorte to be the bank of nearshoring," said its chairman, Carlos Hank Gonzalez, referring to the business practice of suppliers, manufacturers and other entities moving to establish more nimble supply networks closer to consumption centers. Banorte recently released a major research study that said Mexico's unique geographic location, demographic advantages, economies of scale and lower costs make it a natural hub for nearshoring. Banorte is betting the nearshoring boom will draw migration to the country's north from southern states and that likely will create more demand for mortgages and loans for small businesses, the chairman told Bloomberg after meeting with investors Tuesday in New York. "We have the capacity because we're a local bank to support these investments," he said. The predicted $168 billion in new exports from nearshoring over the next five years represents about 6.2% of non-oil exports in 2022. He said the benefits can reach throughout Mexico, calling it "an exceptional opportunity, extending beyond the north or central regions and into the south, southeast and furthermost parts of the country." Also, small and medium-sized companies must not be overlooked as they play a significant role in ensuring commercial success in nearshoring. He said the bank plans to add 800 jobs in Mexico to take advantage of the nearshoring trend, with most of the hiring aimed at supporting those types of businesses. Banorte said the industries most likely to register growth because of nearshoring include agricultural goods and livestock; chemicals and plastics; apparel and accessories; basic metals; machinery and equipment; and electric and electronics. Banorte's "Zoom Nearshoring" report is part of the bank's new biannual research series on economic trends. Website: carloshankgonzalez.com Twitter: @CarlosHankG Facebook: CarlosHankGonzalezBanorte LinkedIn: carloshankgonzalez Media contact Francisco Rodriguez Daniel Executive Director of Corporate Communication [email protected] SOURCE Grupo Financiero Banorte New Counsel Argues James Velissaris, One of the Leading African American Fund Managers, is Innocent of Securities Fraud ATLANTA, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On Friday, leading law firm Barnes & Thornburg filed a motion on behalf of Infinity Q founder James Velissaris to withdraw from a November plea deal regarding one count of alleged securities fraud. Velissaris, a graduate of Harvard University and Columbia University's Fu Foundation School of Engineering, was one of the leading African American fund managers in the country at the time his case began. After establishing himself as one of the highest performing managers on Wall Street, Velissaris founded his own firm, Infinity Q Capital Management, in 2014 and was backed by renowned investor David Bonderman. According to the motion, in 2021, Velissaris was falsely accused of misrepresenting the value of his multibillion-dollar fund solely based on a discrepancy between his valuation calculations and that of the Bloomberg BVAL pricing tool with known deficiencies. Velissaris believed, and repeatedly stated that the tool was not generating reasonable or directionally correct values and therefore the team had to augment with other known industry data points to arrive at more accurate valuations. This pricing methodology was consistent with the fund's disclosures to investors which, per the motion, stated, "that it [Infinity Q] retained broad, unilateral discretion to change prices received from third-party pricing services such as BVAL if the prices did not provide a reliable indication of fair value." James Velissaris, One of the Leading African American Fund Managers, Requests Trial in Securities Fraud Case Tweet this In January of this year, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) found that the Bloomberg tool did, in fact, misrepresent values and, as a result, fined Bloomberg $5 million dollars . As stated in the press release by Osman Nawaz, Chief of the Division of Enforcement's Complex Financial Instruments Unit, "This matter underscores that we will hold service providers, such as Bloomberg, accountable for misrepresentations that impact investors." In November of 2022, during the time the SEC was concurrently investigating the Bloomberg tool deficiencies that ultimately resulted in the aforementioned fine, Velissaris was forced to take a plea deal for a crime of which he was innocent or face a possible prison sentence of 90 years to life. Under immense pressure, Velissaris reluctantly chose the plea deal which carried a hefty and unorthodox maximum of 20 years for one count of securities fraud. As stated in the March 24th motion to withdraw by his new legal team at Barnes and Thornburg, "Mr. Velissaris is also innocent of fraudulently misstating the values of the funds' derivative securities because, as discussed further below, the securities were valued in accordance with the funds' internal risk models, which were objectively consistent with market conditions that prevailed during the relevant period." According to the filing, the SEC's own subject matter expert communicated as early as 2020 that the values were consistent and expected with the fund's unique investment strategy. "My main takeaway is it's believable that they [i.e., the Infinity Q volatility funds] have these returns' (i.e., the returns the funds disclosed to the public), that the strategy Infinity Q was employing "could deliver this type of return, which is not exactly outlandish," and that if Infinity Q "held these [fund] positions, [it] could have seen mark to market gains of several hundred million dollars . . . ." (See Oct. 15, 2020 email from D. Stevens to T. Husson). He was not alone, an excerpt from the report of valuation expert Dr. Atanu Saha, a partner with the global advisory firm StoneTurn cited, "Bloomberg's script files in historic BVAL models had an error, which caused it to systematically undervalue a majority of variance swaps at issue." The SEC settlement with Bloomberg confirmed that the tool did not consistently produce accurate valuations. This is consistent with Velissaris' assertions regarding the BVAL tool. According to the filing, the subsequent findings by respected valuation experts from the SEC and third parties affirm that the valuations by Velissaris were reasonable. Click here to read the full motion to withdraw the plea . For more information, please contact Fred Hicks at 678-701-5225 or via email at [email protected] SOURCE James Velissaris MIAMI, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Barry Sternlicht today issued the following statement announcing his resignation, effective immediately, from the Board of Directors of Cano Health, Inc. (NYSE: CANO). Dear Marlow and Fellow Board Members: I hereby give notice of my resignation from the Board of Directors of Cano Health, Inc. effective immediately. As you all know, since June 4, 2021 when we closed the merger of JAWS Acquisition Corp. with Cano Health, and Cano officially became a public company, I have worked tirelessly to support the Company's mission and help it become a professionally run public company. I believed in Cano's mission of providing high quality health care to the largely underserved and was impressed by the personal story, the passion and conviction of its CEO, Marlow Hernandez. I personally invested $50 million of the $800 million PIPE we raised from blue chip investors/shareholders like Fidelity, Third Point, Maverick, BlackRock and Owl Creek who shared my passion and enthusiasm for the firm. In total, we handed the company in excess of $1.4 billion in June 2021, less than two years ago. Fast forward to today, this management team has expended nearly all this cash and the Company has not enjoyed any demonstrable improvement in its core profitability. My interests are 100% aligned with the shareholders. The directors who have voiced serious concerns about the status quo have much more at stake in the Company, respectively, than the other members of the Board who appear willing to support the CEO at any cost. Unfortunately, I can no longer lend my name and reputation to the Company, nor support actions of the Board and Marlow Hernandez, which I believe are not in the best interest of stockholders. I have communicated my concerns to the Board and to Marlow Hernandez directly on numerous occasions, but they have largely been ignored. To be crystal clear, I do not believe Marlow should remain the Chairman & CEO of the Company. I believe that his continued tenure is harmful to the interests of stockholders and to Cano employees for all the reasons I have previously stated to you. I remain extremely troubled by the poor operating decisions and performance, by what I consider the opacity and obfuscation of information furnished to the Board, and by the inability to forecast the Company's financial performance over which Marlow and his management team have presided. These factors have caused the Company's stock price to be decimated, dropping over 90% from its debut, and the Company is now saddled with a crippling debt burden. The number and nature of related party transactions, together with what I consider poor governance (demonstrated by transactions such as MSP Recovery), is highly concerning to me as it should be to the rest of the Board. Instead of the Board calling the CEO to account, the majority of the Board has decided to continue to support the CEO and to continue to preside over the destruction of shareholder value. Over the past year and a half, some shareholders have called me to voice their concern over Marlow's stewardship and the Company's financial deterioration. I listened and conveyed their thoughts, which included these negative perceptions of our CEO, to the Board. The minority of the Board myself, Lew Gold and Elliot Cooperstone have tried to effectuate change, but as a minority our hands are limited by those who remain firmly aligned with Marlow for reasons I cannot understand. I have never witnessed such poor corporate governance at any company, let alone a public company, and I have been involved in at least nine and served as Chairman or CEO of six. As a steward of shareholder capital with fiduciary duties to stockholders, I cannot continue as a director under these circumstances. Lest there be any doubt, I am tendering my resignation because I have a fundamental disagreement with management as set forth in Item 502(a) of Form 8-K. Sincerely yours, Barry Sternlicht SOURCE Barry Sternlicht DALLAS, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- RKD Group, the leading fundraising and marketing solutions provider to nonprofits in North America, is thrilled to welcome Bart Lillie as Vice President of Strategic Engagement. Lillie comes to RKD with three decades of experience in nonprofit storytelling, analytics and relationship management. Bart Lillie "Bart is a dynamic advocate for nonprofits," SVP of Strategic Growth Lori Read said. "His knowledge, experience and successful track record supporting nonprofits adds tremendous value to how we serve clients. At RKD, we're constantly challenging the status quo, and I know Bart will be a major contributor in helping us revolutionize the future for our clients." Lillie will join Read's team, playing a key role in driving RKD's new business growth. "I am excited to bring my passion for people and service to RKD. Aligning with RKD's culture of excellence, this unique role allows me to partner with the best in the industry to impact organizations who are solving the world's most important problems. I'm humbled and delighted to contribute," said Lillie. About RKD Group RKD Group is a leading fundraising and marketing services provider to hundreds of nonprofit organizations. With five decades of expertise, RKD Group's omnichannel approach leverages technology, advanced data science and award-winning strategic and creative leadership to accelerate net revenue growth, build long-term donor relationships and drive the best return on investment. RKD Group creates breakthroughs never thought possible. For additional information go to RKDGroup.com. Related Links: https://rkdgroup.com/ Contact: Justin McCord [email protected] 214-755-9752 SOURCE RKD Group WASHINGTON, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bass Public Affairs (BPA) is excited to announce the launch of the Humphrey-Pinkston Fellows program. The Humphrey-Pinkston Fellows program is offered to students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The program is both a mentoring and a reverse mentoring program. In addition to learning from business and political leaders, HBCU students share their knowledge and insights with national influencers. The Humphrey-Pinkston Fellows program is offered to students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The program is both a mentoring and a reverse mentoring program. In addition to learning from business and political leaders, HBCU students share their knowledge and insights with national influencers. "As a proud alum of an HBCU, Fisk University, I am thrilled to launch the Humphrey-Pinkston Fellows program," said Bass Wilbon. "Our family has a long commitment to the HBCU community, and this fellowship is another way to highlight the incredible impact of HBCUs." The fellowship is named in honor of Lula Mae Pinkston-Humphrey, the maternal grandmother of BPA co-founders Dee Dee Bass Wilbon and Deana Bass Williams. "We know by targeting HBCU students we are targeting American exceptionalism," said Bass Williams. "Bernayl Sparks, our first fellow, is evidence of the outstanding students in the HBCU community." Sparks is a sophomore at Voorhees University in Denmark, South Carolina. She is an active member of the university's student body serving as vice president of the student government association, a member of the university's honors college and president of the student advisory council. While HBCUs only represent 3% of all higher-education institutions, they graduate 40% of all Black engineers, 40% of all Black U.S. Congressmen, 50% of all Black lawyers, and 80% of all Black judges. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. The program is open to sophomores, juniors and seniors attending HBCUs. While Bass Public Affairs is headquartered in Washington, DC, students may participate in the three-month program virtually or in person. Fellows receive a stipend and may pursue independent study credit per their university's guidelines. Students interested in learning more may visit BassPublicAffairs.com/hbcu . About Bass Public Affairs Bass Public Affairs (BPA) is a Washington, D.C.-based public affairs firm founded in 2007 by sisters Dee Dee Bass Wilbon and Deana Bass Williams. BPA specializes in helping organizations impact public discourse by projecting a clear message in the crowded marketplace of ideas. In addition, BPA publishes BPALiveWire , a free news service celebrating the diversity of thought in the African American community. For more information email [email protected]. Contact: Dorothy Humphrey [email protected] SOURCE Bass Public Affairs BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. In accordance with the training plan for 2023, Azerbaijan Air Force aircraft is conducting training flights, Trend reports citing the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan. Before the flights, the military pilots practice flying skills in the most modern simulators, safety rules are delivered to the servicemen, and then practical flights are carried out. Aircraft flights are carried out on specified routes in exercises focused on improving combat skills. Tasks on take-off and landing, difficult pilotage at different altitudes and combat maneuvers are accomplished by military pilots with high professionalism. MONTREAL, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - BCE Inc. (TSX: BCE) (NYSE: BCE) will hold its first-quarter 2023 results conference call with the financial community on Thursday, May 4, 2023 at 8:00 am eastern. Participants will include Mirko Bibic, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Glen LeBlanc, Chief Financial Officer. Media are welcome to participate on a listen-only basis. To participate, please dial toll-free 1-800-806-5484 or 416-340-2217 and enter passcode 1142910#. A replay will be available until midnight on June 1, 2023 by dialing 1-800-408-3053 or 905-694-9451 and entering passcode 3970985#. A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available on BCE's website at BCE Q1-2023 conference call. About BCE BCE is Canada's largest communications company, providing advanced Bell broadband wireless, Internet, TV, media and business communications services. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca or BCE.ca. Through Bell for Better, we are investing to create a better today and a better tomorrow by supporting the social and economic prosperity of our communities. This includes the Bell Let's Talk initiative, which promotes Canadian mental health with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns like Bell Let's Talk Day and significant Bell funding of community care and access, research and workplace initiatives throughout the country. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk. Media inquiries: Ellen Murphy 1-888-482-0809 [email protected] Investor inquiries: Thane Fotopoulos 514-870-4619 [email protected] SOURCE BCE Inc. DUBLIN, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Belgium Social Commerce Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics Databook - 50+ KPIs on Social Commerce Trends by End-Use Sectors, Operational KPIs, Retail Product Dynamics, and Consumer Demographics - Q1 2023 Update" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Social commerce industry in Belgium is expected to grow by 18.8% on annual basis to reach US$937.2 million in 2023. The social commerce industry is expected to grow steadily over the forecast period, recording a CAGR of 13.0% during 2022-2028. The social commerce GMV in the country will increase from US$937.2 million in 2023 to reach US$1956.4 million by 2028. This report provides a detailed data centric analysis of social commerce industry, covering market opportunities and risks. With over 50+ KPIs at country level, this report provides a comprehensive understanding of social commerce market dynamics, market size and forecast, and market share statistics. The research methodology is based on industry best practices. Its unbiased analysis leverages a proprietary analytics platform to offer a detailed view on emerging business and investment market opportunities. Reasons to buy In-depth Understanding of Social Commerce Market Dynamics: Understand market opportunities and key trends along with forecast (2019-2028). Insights into Opportunity by end-use sectors - Get market dynamics by end-use sectors to assess emerging opportunity across various end-use sectors. Develop Market Specific Strategies: Identify growth segments and target specific opportunities to formulate social commerce strategy; assess market specific key trends, drivers, and risks in the industry. Scope Belgium Ecommerce Industry Market Size and Future Growth Dynamics by Key Performance Indicators, 2019-2028 Belgium Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Future Growth Dynamics by Key Performance Indicators, 2019-2028 Belgium Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Retail Product Categories, 2019-2028 Clothing & Footwear Beauty and Personal Care Food & Grocery Appliances and Electronics Home Improvement Travel Hospitality Belgium Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by End Use Segment, 2019-2028 B2B B2C C2C Belgium Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by End Use Device, 2019-2028 Mobile Desktop Belgium Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Location, 2019-2028 Domestic Cross Border Belgium Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Location, 2019-2028 Tier-1 Cities Tier-2 Cities Tier-3 Cities Belgium Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Payment Method, 2019-2028 Credit Card Debit Card Bank Transfer Prepaid Card Digital & Mobile Wallet Other Digital Payment Cash Belgium Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Platforms Video Commerce Social Network-Led Commerce Social Reselling Group Buying Product Review Platforms Belgium Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Consumer Demographics & Behaviour,2022 By Age By Income Level By Gender For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/myq2e0 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. 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 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets Innovative American knife manufacturer celebrates permanent injunction that protects Benchmade's intellectual property and prevents future patent infringement. PORTLAND, Ore., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Benchmade Knife Company (Benchmade), the American manufacturer with more than 30 years of experience designing and manufacturing knives and edge tools, announces that it has secured a permanent injunction against Hogue, Inc. and Hogue Tool and Machine, Inc. (Hogue), prohibiting them from infringing one of Benchmade's patents. "This resolution honors Benchmade's commitment to protecting IP and supports our drive for innovation," says Benchmade CEO Jon deAsis. "Our brand has defined itself through industry leading, forward-looking designs and the court's permanent injunction against Hogue is a win for the makers, and designers everywhere who look to the law to protect their work." In its final order in the case, the Court enjoined Hogue "from manufacturing, using, selling, offering to sell, or importing into the United States" any of Hogue's accused knife designs or any other "products that practice" Benchmade's patent. The Court also permanently enjoined Hogue and its representatives from inducing or contributing to anyone else infringing Benchmade's patent in the United States. With a focus on innovation and customer needs, Benchmade takes pride in combining skilled design with precision manufacturing to produce knives for customers all over the world. From active military, law enforcement, and first responders to hunters, everyday carry fans, and chefs, Benchmade knives are built to deliver the highest quality products on the market, a trait that fans have come to expect from the brand. "Entrepreneurs and businesses must protect their intellectual property," said Kristine Gittins, Benchmade's Executive Vice President. "Benchmade will not allow its patented ideas to be pirated or misused and will continue to celebrate and honor the designs that other builders conceive and produce in the marketplace. This legal win is a loud, clear statement that we will vigilantly fight to protect Benchmade's intellectual property rights." For more information about Benchmade Knife Company, please visit www.benchmade.com. Please direct media inquiries to Greg Fitzsimmons at [email protected]. About Benchmade: Benchmade Knife Company is a premier knife manufacturing company headquartered in Oregon City, Oregon. With a focus on innovation and customer needs, Benchmade takes pride in combining skilled craftsmanship with precision manufacturing to produce knives for the world's elite. www.benchmade.com Contact: Greg Fitzsimmons [email protected] 970-925-6025 SOURCE Benchmade Knife Company 35% YOY Increase Reflects Increased Digital Adoption in an Economic Downturn LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Billtrust, a B2B accounts receivable (AR) automation and digital payments market leader, surpassed $100 billion in payments volume in 2022, a 35% year-over-year increase and a first for the company. In addition, with CFOs and finance leaders seeking to bolster their financial resilience amid an economic downturn, Billtrust's client base grew to exceed 2,400 customers globally, as Billtrust enabled them to present over 423 million bills to 13 million buyers. "More companies are turning to Billtrust to fortify their businesses through an accounts receivable digital transformation," said Sunil Rajasekar, Billtrust CEO. "Not only does creating a new generation of B2B digital payers support CFOs and other financial professionals by allowing them to maximize and forecast cash flow, it reduces dependence on paper checks and the U.S. mail, helping to future-proof businesses as uncertain times continue." "More companies are turning to Billtrust to fortify their businesses through an AR digital transformation." Tweet this Other 2022 highlights include: Billtrust acquired Netherlands -based Order2Cash, a leading B2B order-to-cash platform provider. The acquisition, completed in February 2022 , followed the October 2021 purchase of iController and broadened the company's European footprint, global presence and ability to expand its innovative Business Payments Network (BPN). -based Order2Cash, a leading B2B order-to-cash platform provider. The acquisition, completed in , followed the purchase of iController and broadened the company's European footprint, global presence and ability to expand its innovative Business Payments Network (BPN). Coupa Software, a leader in business spend management, joined BPN as a provider. It also joined the Billtrust Partner Program where Coupa can refer businesses to Billtrust's complete order-to-cash solution. Billtrust expanded its BPN provider relationship with KeyBank to include B2B invoice delivery in addition to capturing payments and processing remittance data through its first-of-a-kind digital lockbox. American Express Company (NYSE: AXP) announced a collaboration with Billtrust to enable suppliers to streamline acceptance of American Express virtual cards. G2 named Billtrust as the overall Leader in the G2 Grid Report for Accounts Receivable Automation Software for Winter 2022. Billtrust was also rated as G2's only Leader in the Best Accounts Receivable Automation Software for Enterprise Businesses category and the overall Leader in the Best Accounts Receivable Automation Software for Medium-Sized Businesses category. Billtrust achieved a number of key customer wins including PepsiCo successfully deploying its automated Credit Application solution to support the distribution of HARD MTN DEW, a new Mountain Dew-branded alcoholic beverage. Billtrust was acquired in mid-December 2022 by EQT, providing the company with resources and flexibility to build on its leadership position. About Billtrust Billtrust is a leading provider of cloud-based software and integrated payment processing solutions that simplify and automate B2B commerce. The order-to-cash process is broken and relies on conventional processes that are outdated, inefficient, manual and largely paper based. Billtrust is at the forefront of the digital transformation of the order-to-cash process, providing mission-critical solutions that span credit decisioning and monitoring, online ordering, invoice delivery, payments and remittance capture, invoicing, cash application and collections. For more information, visit Billtrust.com. Media Contact Paul Accardo [email protected] SOURCE Billtrust Benito Almanza announces retirement after 45 years at Bank of America and more than two decades as Phoenix and Arizona President PHOENIX, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of America has named Scott Vanderpool president of Bank of America Phoenix. The company also announced that widely known business leader Benito Almanza plans to retire April 6 after 45 years of service with the company and 22 years as Phoenix and Arizona president. Bank of America Benito Almanza and Scott Vanderpool As Phoenix president, Vanderpool assumes the responsibilities for connecting Bank of America's banking and investment resources offered through the company's eight lines of business to people and companies in the region. He also leads the effort to deploy the company's resources to help advance economic mobility and build strong communities. Vanderpool joined Bank of America in 2007 and retains his role as Phoenix market executive, leading operations for Phoenix and working in partnership with the company's Phoenix leadership team to drive market share growth, employee engagement and the bank's brand locally. Vanderpool previously held a leadership role as a Business Banking market executive with the company in Colorado. He holds a bachelor's degree from Arizona State University and received an MBA from the University of California at Riverside. Vanderpool also attended the Pacific Coast Banking School, a graduate school within the University of Washington, where he serves as a faculty member teaching their capstone leadership course. Having deep ties to the Phoenix community, Vanderpool is engaged in local nonprofit organizations and serves as the board chair of the Arizona Banker's Association and is a board member of ICAN: Improving Chandler Area Neighborhoods and Education Forward Arizona. Vanderpool lives in Phoenix with his wife and two children. During his distinguished career, Almanza delivered Bank of America's resources to clients and communities in Phoenix and across Arizona, helping direct close to $125 million in philanthropic investments that have led to better outcomes for tens of thousands of individuals and families. Civically active, Almanza holds membership in the California State Bar Association and the U.S. District Court Northern District Association and serves on the board of Arizona Community Foundation and the Arizona Bankers Association. He also is a member of Greater Phoenix Leadership and Greater Phoenix Economic Council. Almanza has received numerous accolades for his contributions, most recently including the award of Emeritus Status with Teach for America and last fall he was named the inaugural recipient of Education Forward Arizona's Luminary Award. "Benito has led with distinction and made a lasting impact on our employees, clients and nonprofit organizations," said Brian Moynihan, chief executive officer, Bank of America. "We thank him for breaking barriers and serving as a role model for so many and look forward to continued growth with Scott becoming the next Phoenix president." In addition to his Phoenix president roles, Almanza held leadership positions in a variety of areas within Global Commercial Banking and Business Banking. As Business Banking vice chair, he deepened connections with the Hispanic-Latino community and business owners through his leadership of the Hispanic-Latino Business Councils and by driving key initiatives. Born in the farming community of Hanford, CA, Almanza's parents, who themselves only had grade-school educations, encouraged their children to pursue their education. Almanza excelled in school, earning degrees from Stanford and Santa Clara University. For the past 10 years, Almanza served on Stanford's Graduate School of Business Alumni Interview team. "The honor of representing Bank of America and creating meaningful change across so many sectors has been one of the privileges of my lifetime," said Almanza. "With the bank's resources, we have created positive, generational impacts, particularly in low- and moderate-income communities across Arizona. Having worked alongside Scott for many years now, our leadership team is in a great position to continue delivering what Phoenix's economy needs from us. None of this would have been possible without my family, so I wish to acknowledge my wife, Rosa, and our children and grandchildren for their unwavering support." "I am looking forward to helping deliver on our continued commitment of Responsible Growth across Phoenix, a community I care deeply about," said Vanderpool. "We have much to be proud of here in the Valley of the Sun, but we also have more work to do to build a more inclusive economy. Together with our Bank of America team, I know we can continue improving people's financial lives." Bank of America Bank of America is one of the world's leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 67 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 3,900 retail financial centers, approximately 16,000 ATM and award-winning digital banking with approximately 56 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and approximately 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, register for email news alerts. Reporters may contact: Britney Sheehan, Bank of America Phone: 1.425.467.9744 [email protected] SOURCE Bank of America Corporation In addition to wildland tree programs with the National Forest Foundation, Boxed Water aims to support environmental justice and city-centered projects for communities in need HOLLAND, Mich., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Boxed Water Is Better the most sustainably packaged water alternative to single-use plastic bottles and aluminum cans announced their plans today to partner with One Tree Planted and their Urban Forestry Action Fund, funding a diverse mix of urban forestry projects to help communities achieve tree equity. Boxed Water's tree planting partnership with One Tree Planted will help reduce the effect of dangerous urban heat islands, providing green spaces for communities most in need and enhancing air quality to improve human health. This work is in addition to the brand's ongoing partnership with the National Forest Foundation (NFF), which has funded 1.4 million planted trees over the last six years to areas impacted by wildfires and deforestation. Boxed Water's tree planting partnership with One Tree Planted will help reduce the effect of dangerous urban heat islands, providing green spaces for communities most in need and enhancing air quality to improve human health. This work is in addition to the brand's ongoing partnership with the National Forest Foundation (NFF), which has funded 1.4 million planted trees over the last six years to areas impacted by wildfires and deforestation. "We are well aware of the importance of trees in our environment to effectively absorb carbon from the air," noted Robert Koenen, Chief Revenue Officer at Boxed Water. "However, equity is also a critical factor as it relates to trees, as low-income communities are disproportionately affected by climate change on micro and macro levels. We are thrilled to diversify our tree planting partnerships to include the incredible experts at One Tree Planted." Boxed Water's efforts with One Tree Planted will kick off this April, starting with a street tree planting project in the Bay Area, California. Within the next the year, the brand will fund projects in multiple cities nationwide, including: San Francisco Planting 240 trees, spanning across many neighborhoods including the Mission District, Embarcadero, Union Square, Fisherman's Wharf, and Sunset, focused primarily on areas that are dense, urban, diverse, and suffer from a history of redlining and neglect Planting spanning across many neighborhoods including the Mission District, Embarcadero, Union Square, Fisherman's Wharf, and Sunset, focused primarily on areas that are dense, urban, diverse, and suffer from a history of redlining and neglect LA ( Inglewood ) Planting 600 fruit trees with private landowners, and 100 shade street trees, prioritizing vulnerable communities Planting with private landowners, and 100 shade street trees, prioritizing vulnerable communities New York City ( Queens ) Planting 2,000 trees at Kissena Park to create a vibrant natural area at the heart of the largest city in the country Planting at Kissena Park to create a vibrant natural area at the heart of the largest city in the country Orlando ( West Orlando ) Planting 120 trees at multiple schools to address urban heat in this rapidly developing city ) Planting at multiple schools to address urban heat in this rapidly developing city Boston ( Chelsea ) Planting 100 street trees and conducting a tree inventory and other stewardship tasks to build towards long-term impact in this over-burdened, heavily polluted city "Now more than ever, America's cities need trees and we value brands like Boxed Water who bring essential resources and awareness to our efforts," states Tanner Haid, Director of Urban Forestry at One Tree Planted. "We are excited for this partnership and look forward to implementing these projects and creating more equitable access to urban trees for under-resourced communities in these cities." Boxed Water continues to lead the water category with the most renewable packaging compared to plastic and aluminum, as verified by an ISO certified Life Cycle Analysis conducted by Anthesis. Boxed Water cartons are 92% plant based (including the cap), all sourced from sustainably harvested pines and tree pulp waste. This year, the brand received CarbonNeutral product certification from Climate Impact Partners. To learn more about Boxed Water and its sustainability efforts, visit https://boxedwaterisbetter.com/ or follow them on Instagram , Facebook , TikTok or Twitter . ABOUT BOXED WATER Boxed Water was founded in the belief that sustainability matters with the purpose of changing the way packaged water is shipped, sold and enjoyed. This year, Boxed Water became the most sustainable brand on the market, at 92 percent plant based with their packaging and new plant-based cap. All of Boxed Water's cartons source paper from trees in well-managed forests where new trees are continuously planted to replace the ones harvested and are shipped flat to reduce the number of trucks required for transportation. Boxed Water also fills water close to the source and the consumer to reduce its carbon footprint, and all cartons are 100% recyclable, refillable, and BPA free. Boxed Water is a proud member of 1% For The Planet and partner of the National Forest Foundation and Ocean Blue Project. The simple act of choosing Boxed Water is a statement that sustainability matters. Boxed Water is headquartered in Holland, Michigan with filling locations in Michigan and Utah. ABOUT ONE TREE PLANTED One Tree Planted is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on a mission to make it simple for anyone to help the environment by planting trees. Their projects span the globe and are done in partnership with local communities and knowledgeable experts to create an impact for nature, people, and wildlife. Reforestation helps to rebuild forests after fires and floods, provide jobs for social impact, and restore biodiversity. Learn more at onetreeplanted.org. The projects that Boxed Water is supporting are part of a larger initiative of over 45 urban forestry projects that One Tree Planted is implementing globally as part of their Urban Forest Action Fund - a portfolio of high-impact urban forestry projects aimed at planting trees where they are needed most. Together, these trees will address urban heat, air pollution, and lack of community greenspaces - and ultimately help communities achieve tree equity, as measured in the United States by American Forests' Tree Equity Scores tool. SOURCE Boxed Water Is Better Supporting Canadian ventures building toward $20 million in revenue TORONTO, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - MaRS today announced the launch of the Growth Acceleration Program, a multi-sector initiative designed to support executives of scaling, high-growth companies on their way to reaching $20 million in revenue. "Given the state of today's economic environment, supporting Canadian ventures has never been more crucial. We need to help companies look beyond capital markets, to economic opportunities, to really be able identify the threats and risks to their business models," says Krista Jones, chief delivery officer, ventures and ecosystems group at MaRS. "This program will equip companies with the necessary tools of business fundamentals to optimize their growth inside whatever market conditions come their way." The Growth Acceleration Program, which is funded by FedDev Ontario, is ideal for ventures with total funding $10 to $20 million and/or annual recurring revenue of $5 to $20 million that have a core product in the market with traction beyond early customers. According to participating member Louis Brun, co-founder, president and CEO of Sollum Technologies, "I feel even more confident that we're going to succeed because whether it's engineering, supply, logistics, sales or marketing, we will have access to knowledgeable people that can help us do what we've been very good at, but we can be even better at. The Growth Acceleration program will help the whole team get aligned even more and get us even closer to success." The program supports ventures within the Canadian ecosystem on their sales and marketing, revenue growth and talent development through expert advisory, data tools and community building opportunities. "By guiding founders and their teams and ensuring their systems and processes are engineered to drive their desired outcomes and valuation milestones, these companies will have the capability to become world class category dominators," says Dennis Ensing, chief venture advisor and vice president of venture growth at MaRS. MaRS is North America's largest urban innovation hub. A registered non-profit, MaRS supports high-growth startups and scale-ups tackling key issues in the health, cleantech, fintech and other sectors. In addition, MaRS convenes all members of the tech ecosystem to drive breakthrough discoveries, grow the economy and make an impact by solving real problems for real people in Canada and around the world. To learn more, visit the Growth Acceleration Program's page on the MaRS website or email us at [email protected] SOURCE MaRs Discovery District 38,000-plus net new jobs added in 2022, second highest total nationally SACRAMENTO, Calif., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Against the backdrop of an eventful year, tech employment in California added new jobs and grew in depth and breadth, according to today's release of new research from CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the information technology (IT) industry and workforce. CompTIA's annual "State of the Tech Workforce" reveals that net tech employment1 in California grew by 2.6% in 2022, with the number of people employed in tech jobs increasing by an estimated 38,186 workers, the second highest total nationally. 2 CompTIA forecasts a 2.8% increase in tech employment for 2023 about 42,000 net new jobs. Nearly 1.5 million people work in tech jobs in California, spanning both technical and non-technical workers employed by tech companies and tech professionals who work in other industries. That represents 7.7% of the overall state workforce. California's tech workforce is the largest among all states by a wide margin. The estimated median tech wage for a tech worker in California is $119,568. That's 151% higher than median wage for all occupations in the state. California's tech industry delivers an economic impact of $536 billion, or 16.7% of the state economy. There are an estimated 55,868 tech business establishments in the state. CompTIA's "State of the Tech Workforce" is the most comprehensive source of data on the size and scope of the U.S. technology industry and workforce. The report includes data on employment, wages, business establishments, job postings, workforce diversity, emerging tech metrics and more. Among other highlights from the new report: Occupations poised for growth Positions in software development, programming, web development and quality assurance (4.2%); database, data science and analytics (4%); and cybersecurity and systems engineers (3.5%) are projected to see the most growth this year in California. Emerging tech employment opportunities 34% of all tech jobs postings in 2022 were for occupations related to emerging technologies or for positions that required emerging tech skills. San Francisco and Los Angeles were among the top five cities for emerging tech jobs. Workforce diversity California ranks in the first quartile in the report's diversity index, a measurement of the depth and breadth of diversity in the tech workforce for seven primary race and ethnicity groups, as defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Women account for 26% of California's tech workforce; Hispanic or Latino workers, 12%; and Black or African American workers, 3%. Access the full report at https://www.cyberstates.org/. About CompTIA The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is the world's leading information technology (IT) certification and training body. CompTIA is a mission-driven organization committed to unlocking the potential of every student, career changer or professional seeking to begin or advance in a technology career. Each year CompTIA, directly and through its global network of partners, provides millions of people with training, education and certification opportunities designed to help them build career-ready IT skills. To learn more visit https://www.comptia.org/ Media Contact Steven Ostrowski CompTIA [email protected] 630.678.8468 1 The tech workforce consists of two primary components technology professionals working in technical positions (IT support, network engineering, software development, data science, etc.) and business professionals employed by technology companies. Combined they are represented by the "net tech employment" designation. 2 The 2022 employment estimates and 2023 projections represent the most up-to-date data at the time of publication. As with any labor market data source there is a lag effect, recent developments during late 2022 and early 2023 will likely not be fully reflected in the data. SOURCE CompTIA SAN FRANCISCO, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Callan, a leading institutional investment consulting firm, announced today that Greg DeForrest, CFA, has been promoted to executive vice president and head of Fund Sponsor Consulting, effective April 1, 2023. He takes over the role from Millie Viqueira who is retiring after more than three decades at Callan. Mr. DeForrest, who also manages the West Coast consulting team, will report to CEO & Chief Research Officer Greg Allen. Greg DeForrest, Head of Fund Sponsor Consulting at Callan "Greg's breadth of knowledge, calm demeanor, and depth of industry experience make him perfect for this role," said Mr. Allen. "He has made significant contributions at Callan, and I can't wait to see what he will accomplish next." During his 25-year career at Callan, Mr. DeForrest has held a number of positions across the firm. He started in Client Report Services in 1998, then joined the Global Manager Research team in 2001, which he went on to manage in 2007. In 2009, he joined the West Coast consulting team as an investment consultant and became the group's manager in 2014. He will continue to manage this team in his new role, as well as remain co-chair of Callan's Manager Search Committee and a member of the firm's Management Committee and Institute Advisory Committee. Mr. DeForrest received a BA from Villanova University, is a holder of the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation, is a member of CFA Institute and CFA Society San Francisco, and is a shareholder of the firm. "I would like to congratulate Millie on her successful career at Callan," said Mr. DeForrest. "I look forward to continuing Callan's 50-year history of partnering with clients to achieve their goals." Ms. Viqueira, who joined Callan in 1991, took on the position of head of Fund Sponsor Consulting in 2018. Prior to that she managed Callan's New Jersey consulting office, co-chaired Callan's Manager Search Committee, and served as lead consultant for many of Callan's largest clients in the Northeast. "I can't say enough about the difference Millie has made in her long career at Callan," said Mr. Allen. "Her contributions to the success of our firm and our clients are legion, and she has been a great friend to many of us, providing candid advice, keen insight, and sincere encouragement. She will be greatly missed." About Callan Callan was founded as an employee-owned investment consulting firm in 1973. Ever since, we have empowered institutional clients with creative, customized investment solutions backed by proprietary research, exclusive data, and ongoing education. Today, Callan advises on more than $3 trillion in total fund sponsor assets, which makes it among the largest independently owned investment consulting firms in the U.S. Callan uses a client-focused consulting model to serve pension and defined contribution plan sponsors, endowments, foundations, independent investment advisers, investment managers, and other asset owners. Callan has six offices throughout the U.S. Learn more at callan.com. Media Contact: Elizabeth Anathan [email protected] 415-274-3020 SOURCE Callan LLC CHIBA, Japan, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As agriculture, forestry, and fishery are major industries in Chiba Prefecture, there are many facilities offering hands-on experiences for each sector. Chiba Prefecture has published an online brochure for strawberry picking farms in the prefecture which are easily accessed from Narita International Airport. To download brochure "Strawberry Picking Farms Easily Accessible from Narita Airport" (4P), please visit: https://www.pref.chiba.lg.jp/ryuhan/chokubai/guidebook/documents/strawberrypickingfarms.pdf The brochure contains information on various strawberries and picking know-how to enjoy fresh strawberries of visitor's choice. In addition, Chiba Prefecture warmly welcomes foreign tourists through Narita International Airport, which is located within the Prefecture. *Farms may close early if all ripe strawberries are picked quickly for the day. SOURCE Chiba Prefectural Government BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 29. Azerbaijan is not only becoming the most significant transport hub between China and the EU but is also launching a new project that completely predetermines the economic development of the entire region. Recently, the first shipment of crude oil from the Kashagan field in Kazakhstan was delivered to Baku on the tanker Academician Khoshbakht Yusifzadeh, owned by the Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company CJSC, along the Aktau-Baku route. The tanker, carrying the first batch of 6,900 tons of crude oil, left the Kazakh port of Aktau and arrived at the Sangachal terminal. The owner of the oil shipped by KazTransOil, the operator of the main oil pipelines in Kazakhstan, is the Japanese Inpex North Caspian Sea, Ltd. According to Hiroshi Ikeda, Director of the Inpex North Caspian Sea, Ltd. branch in Kazakhstan, the first test shipment confirmed the possibility of increasing the number of export routes for 'Kashagan' oil by rail in the direction of the Trans-Caspian route. Prior to this, Kazakhstan supplied crude oil to European markets through the territory of the Russian Federation. However, artificial problems seemed to constantly arise along this route. For instance, in March last year, the transportation of Kazakh oil through the territory of Russia was suspended. The reason was the damage to the oil terminal in the port of Novorossiysk after the hurricane. After this incident, official Moscow stated that it would take about two months for the terminal to repair the damage. In addition, from January through February 2023, KazTransOil sent 325,900 tons of oil to the Russian port of Makhachkala. This oil was subsequently transported via the Makhachkala-Tikhoretsk-Novorossiysk oil pipeline. It may seem that 6,900 tons of oil are a very small, even microscopic volume in terms of 'black gold' tanker shipments. Perhaps it is, but from a geopolitical and especially geo-economic point of view, this oil, supplied from Aktau to Sangachal, connects East and West, which means the launch of a new, efficient route on the economic map of a vast region. This route is a project of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), known as the Middle Corridor. As part of this project, the expansion of the Baku port in the Alat Free Economic Zone, located 70 kilometers south of the capital of Azerbaijan, has been completed. The Middle Corridor passing through Central Asia and the South Caucasus aims to increase the intensity of energy carriers and container traffic from East to West. Unlike China's Belt and Road Initiative, to which once very high hopes were attached and which was almost declared the "biggest global project of the new century," the Middle Corridor is more concrete and efficient. The first batch of test cargo successfully transported from the Chinese Central Railway Container Station Tuanjiecun (Chongqing) to Finland through Baku in May of last year serves as proof of this. The cargo, which belonged to Nurminen Logistics, was brought by ferry to the Romanian city of Constanta after being transported by rail through the Georgian port of Poti. The road from Tuanjiecun station (Chongqing, China) to Helsinki, Finland, is 13,000 kilometers long. Moreover, the Middle Corridor also offers the use of the Bulgarian port of Varna as an alternative to the Romanian port of Constanta for cargo bound from China to Europe. Azerbaijan, China, Kazakhstan, and Georgia intend to develop the route of the Middle Corridor. According to expert estimates, the annual potential of the route is 10 million metric tons or 200,000 containers. The four countries intend to establish single tariffs for local companies, as well as simplify the work of cargo transportation companies. As a result of the war in Ukraine, China and Central Asia consider it risky to pass export routes through the territories of their "northern neighbor". This situation has greatly increased the economic and geopolitical importance of the Middle Corridor. The volume of rail traffic on the China-Russia-Europe route increased in 2020-2021 by about 48.7 percent. But, now, due to the sanctions imposed by the West on Russia, there may be problems with transportation for Chinese goods on the main Russian transport routes, especially at ports and border checkpoints. Moreover, Chinese companies that intended to invest heavily in the development and expansion of Russia's railway infrastructure are now seriously reconsidering it. The Organization of Turkic States (OTS) has an exceptionally important role in the implementation of the Middle Corridor project. The project reached the level of a functioning route after reaching a mutual understanding between the countries included in this organization. And when the second stage of expansion of the Baku port is completed, 25 million tons of cargo will be transported there annually, including 500,000 containers in 20-foot equivalent. At the same time, the necessary infrastructure in the port has been created for 11 years. Among the ports that have been developed, expanded, and modernized ports on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea within the project, we should also mention Kazakhstans Kuryk port and Turkmenistans Turkmenbashi port. If the annual volume of transshipment of the Kuryk port was 4.1 million tons or 240,000 containers in 20-foot equivalent, today this volume has increased to about 6 million tons. Since the Turkmenbashi port has a capacity of 4 million tons and 400,000 containers in 20-foot equivalent, at first glance, it can be considered small for real traffic volumes. And given that the Middle Corridor is developing rapidly, Turkmenistans place and role in the project will increase many times. The moment that makes it inevitable to realize the nuance we are talking about is the increase in sea freight rates compared to land transport in the context of change in global logistics routes. The launch of the Middle Corridor, while the demand for energy carriers in the EU and other regions of the world is growing, significantly increases the attention to the TITR, and boosts the attention of the leaders of the world's energy industry to Azerbaijan, as well as to the route of the Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline (TSGP) from Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan. Baku's work, in recent years, related to the creation of a multimodal transit infrastructure in Azerbaijan has accelerated the implementation of new opportunities. Currently one of the three commercial routes between China and the EU is the TITR, the length of which is 4,256 kilometers by road and rail, and 508 kilometers by sea. A regular container train passing through the Middle Corridor delivers goods from China to Europe in an average of 20-25 days, which is a serious advantage. By comparison, the transshipment of goods from China and Southeast Asia to the EU, through the Suez Canal, takes from 35 to 40 days. Azerbaijan, which owns the largest marine fleet in the Caspian Sea (53 vessels), has become an international transport hub due to its location at the junction of Europe and Asia. Thereby, the volume of transit cargo transportation through Azerbaijan increased by 75 percent last year. This figure has been growing rapidly since the start of 2023. China has also intensified within the Middle Corridor and begun construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway route, which will go to the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea, from where goods will be delivered by ferries to Baku. Furthermore, the volume of traffic in reverse is also increasing from West to East. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway route is being modernized, and the necessary work to increase the capacity to 5 million tons per year is scheduled to be completed in 2024. The unification of customs documentation, the "single window" system, and the preparation of common principles within the tariff policy for the operation of the Middle Corridor at full capacity has also been accelerated. All this increases both the commercial value and the geopolitical significance of the route. Moreover, this will speed up the implementation of the Zangezur corridor project, since the corridor is the shortest transit route that can diversify transport routes between China, Central Asia and the EU. The Middle Corridor will stimulate Azerbaijans economic growth, as well as the development of the whole region. The corridor will become an additional tool of influence for establishing peace and stability in the region and will ensure uninterrupted cargo transportation to the countries of the EU. Overall, the West and East are ready for closer cooperation in transit cargo transportation through Azerbaijan. BEIJING, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- From the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China last year to the two sessions political gatherings in Beijing recently, the topic of Chinese path to modernization has attracted worldwide attention. The 10th episode of the second season of the China Daily series Youth Power, titled "With Gen Z aboard, modernization is unstoppable", was broadcast on March 30. In this episode, Gen Zers from China, Cameroon, France, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Nigeria and Russia gathered at Tianjin Port to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese modernization. Drawing from their own stories and experiences in Tianjin Port, Gen Zers looked at the values and key features of Chinese modernization. They also dug into the roles young people play in ensuring its success, and at the impact the country's modernization will have on the rest of the world. Young people from around the globe were invited to see the operation of Tianjin Port and were particularly impressed with the level of automation, witnessing the innovation and progress of China's infrastructure construction and science and technology. With the aid of simulation they also tried the remote operation of loading and unloading by quay cranes. By the end of their visit all had a much deeper appreciation of the achievements of Chinese modernization. Gen Zers have recognized that Chinese modernization is socialist modernization pursued under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. It includes elements common to modernization in many countries, but at the same time has distinct characteristics unique to China. "Chinese modernization is really something that attracts a lot of global attention, because China has managed to modernize at a faster pace and bigger scale than perhaps any country in the history of the whole world," said Matthew Kelly, an Irishman studying at Peking University. He was amazed by what he saw at Tianjin Port and marveled at Chinese modernization. Cabrel Domche from Cameroon called China's accomplishments over the past 40 years a miracle and said he sees the country as a model for Africa. Chinese modernization offers humanity a new choice for achieving modernization, the program's guests said. "In terms of the economic side of modernization, China only started a few decades ago," said the program's presenter, Zhong Yutong. "If we compare things through a longer historical lens we see how tremendous all this is." The Gen Zers also said that Chinese modernization reveals another path to modernization that differs from the Western model, expanding channels for developing countries to achieve modernization. Nora Edwin, a Nigerian studying at Shanghai International Studies University, said the Western world colonized Africa, contrasting with China's goal of fostering and building bilateral relationships. "China is giving you a choice," she said, and that is one of the differences between Western and Chinese modernization. Pei Haotian, who works at Tianjin Port, said that the differences are also demonstrated in approaches to progress. "We are people-oriented. We don't sacrifice the environment to develop our economy." He cited wind turbines that generate power at Tianjin Port, illustrating that Chinese modernization is indeed one of harmony between humanity and nature. The Gen Zers focused on the five characteristics of Chinese path to modernization, namely the modernization of a huge population, of common prosperity for all, of material and cultural-ethical advancement, of harmony between humanity and nature, and of peaceful development. Tomiris Yelshibek from Kazakhstan said that prosperity for all means that "all people, through hard work, can achieve self-confidence, self-improvement and peace". Matthew Kelly talked of a recent trip he undertook to Yunnan province, including trains traveling at 300 kilometers an hour, 5G reception in far-flung mountain ranges giving internet access, and the ubiquitous scanned payments system. All these, he said, were the result of the Chinese government's investment in infrastructure regardless of financial gain or loss. "The government investment really improves local people's lives and is really creating modernization for all." Han Shuyuan of Tsinghua University in Beijing gave examples of how technological advances can be used in targeted poverty alleviation. By increasing farmers' revenue, improving citizens' quality of life and sustainable poverty reduction through rural tourism, the production of agricultural brands, and e-commerce livestreaming, Chinese modernization is benefitting Chinese people, he said. "On Chinese modernization journey everyone can benefit from technology." Zeng Kailai, a Tsinghua student interning with the United Nations Development Programme, said China has not been engaged in any war in the past 40 years. He also highlighted China's successful recent diplomatic engagement with Saudi Arabia as an example of the country's role in upholding world peace and security. Shamim Zakaria, an Indian journalist working in China, recounted India's history of colonialism, saying that what sets China apart from the West is the development of mutual respect and common progress. "In a world fraught with conflict and uncertainties, China is playing an increasingly important role in global affairs," he said. At the end of the episode, Gen Z guests engaged in animated debate on the future of Chinese modernization. China's evolution has helped humanity solve challenges common to all and has contributed to the cause of human peace and development, they said. Zhong Yutong concluded that Chinese path to modernization is unique, but that it is open to be shared by other countries and regions. "There are lessons that we would love to give to other people. However, that does not mean we want to impose our own model on anyone." Chinese modernization will help the world tackle the challenges it faces and promote modernization in other countries, the Gen Zers said. As China presses on with modernization, ever more young people will contribute to it and to modernizing the world. Youth Power, organized by China Daily, aims to build a global platform of communication and exchange, focusing on the interests and ideas of Generation Z. The program comes in the form of interviews, forums and speeches, with topics related to anything of current interest in the world. This episode is the final one in the program's second season. The third season begins in June. SOURCE China Daily CHICAGO, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - As part of its ongoing effort to bring financial literacy curriculum to K-12 students throughout Chicago, CIBC today announced that it has partnered with the Big Shoulders Fund Schools for the 10th year to teach the Money Savvy Generation curriculum, a program using simple methods to teach kids about money. "Educating the next generation on how to save, spend, donate and invest gives them the confidence they need for financial well-being, and that is incredibly important to us," said Shawn Beber, Senior Executive Vice President and Group Head, CIBC US Region, and President and CEO, CIBC Bank USA. "We are pleased to continue our long-standing partnership with Big Shoulders to give their students these important life skills." This is the second time this school year that CIBC has participated in an all-day volunteer event. Combined, more than 260 CIBC volunteers visited ten Chicago schools to teach important lessons in financial literacy. Since the inception of the All-Team Volunteer Day in 2013, 3,000 CIBC professionals have volunteered at over 50 financial literacy events, donating 13,000 hours of their time and more than $750,000 in resources to area schools. "The professionals at CIBC have taught financial literacy to over 23,000 students in the course of 10 years," said Beber. "We look forward to continuing our commitment to empower young kids to make sound financial decisions for years to come." Throughout the month of April, employees of the Bank will further their mission of providing financial education to the next generation through several volunteer events, including: Chicago Scholar Students will visit CIBC's Little Village banking branch to learn more about managing finances. Students will visit CIBC's Little Village banking branch to learn more about managing finances. Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship Students will pitch small business ideas to volunteer CIBC bankers. Students will pitch small business ideas to volunteer CIBC bankers. Think Big Chicago and Junior Achievement Financial literacy will be taught to students in under-resourced communities. and Financial literacy will be taught to students in under-resourced communities. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Chicago Children will visit CIBC's corporate office to take part in mentor/mentee meetings. About CIBC CIBC is a leading North American financial institution with 13 million personal banking, business, public sector and institutional clients. CIBC offers a full range of advice, solutions and services in the United States, across Canada and around the world. In the US, CIBC Bank USA provides commercial banking, private and personal banking and small business banking solutions and CIBC Private Wealth offers investment management, wealth strategies and legacy planning. Visit us at cibc.com/US. The CIBC logo is a registered trademark of CIBC, used under license. Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender. SOURCE CIBC MADRID, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 100 performers from China and Spain have come together for a concert to mark a half-century of diplomatic relations between the two countries. CMG: Chinese and Spanish musicians play together to mark 50 years of diplomatic ties China Oriental Performing Arts Group Dance "Spanish flamenco" China Oriental Performing Arts Group Dance "Jasmine" "The Third China-Europe Music Festival and the Concert for the 50th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between China and Spain" hosted by China Media Group (CMG) will be broadcast on CGTN on March 31. It will feature classical music and folk dances showcasing the long-standing cultural traditions of the two countries. The concert's aim is to build a bridge of friendship between peoples and deepen mutual understanding. 2023 is the third consecutive year that China Media Group has held the China-Europe Music Festival. For the first time, artists from Franz Schubert Filharmonia Barcelona and China Oriental Performing Arts Group were brought together remotely to record their music from Barcelona and Beijing. Barcelona's Palau de la Musica Catalana, famed as the pinnacle of architectural modernism, was filled with Chinese music. The Schubert Filharmonic Orchestra played four pieces of Chinese music including Symphonic Overture No. 1, Dance of the Yao People, Glowing Red Morningstar Lilies, and Swan Goose. China Oriental Performing Arts Group Dance "Spanish flamenco" Yang Tianwa, a Chinese violinist living in Europe, performed Carmen Fantasy imbued with a Spanish flavour. Spanish guitarist Raphael Rafael Aguirre played Romance de Amor, Memories of the Alhambra and Liu Yang River. The China Oriental Performing Arts Group represented its nation. Dancers dressed in floor-length skirts performed the world-famous Spanish flamenco while twisting and flickering like summer flames. In the dance Jasmine, they melded the grace of Chinese dance with the fragrant and lingering image of the flowers, embodying a blessing for the friendship between China and Spain. "I hope that through this concert, more of our friends abroad can learn about Chinese culture and fall in love with it," said Wu Yuting, a performer with the group. China Oriental Performing Arts Group Dance "Jasmine" Rafael Dezcallar, the Spanish ambassador to China, thanked CMG for organizing the concert. He described music and culture as bridges connecting people from different countries. Only through mutual understanding can bilateral relations be enhanced, he added. China cherishes its longstanding friendship with Spain and sees the anniversary as an opportunity to push the partnership to a new level, said Wu Haitao, the Chinese ambassador to Spain. CONTACT: Tao Liang; [email protected]; 0044-(0)7384652625 Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2044152/CMG_Video.mp4 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2044153/CMG_Spanish_Flamenco.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2044122/China_Oriental_Performing_Arts_Group_Dance.jpg SOURCE CMG 10,000-plus net new jobs added in 2022, more growth projected for this year DENVER, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Against the backdrop of an eventful year tech employment in Colorado added new jobs and grew in depth and breadth, according to today's release of new research from CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the information technology (IT) industry and workforce. CompTIA's annual "State of the Tech Workforce" reveals that net tech employment[1] in Colorado increased by 10,174 net new jobs in 2022, a 4.3% growth rate that surpassed the 3.2% national figure.[2] Colorado ranked seventh among all states in tech job growth. CompTIA forecasts a 3.6% increase in tech employment for Colorado this year an estimated 8,960 net new jobs, the highest total nationally. Positions in software development, programming, web development and quality assurance; database, data science and analytics; cybersecurity and systems analysts; and emerging tech, IT project management and related occupations are projected to see the most growth. "In a year of even more uncertainty than usual, the tech labor market routinely defied expectations," said Tim Herbert, chief research officer for CompTIA. "The data continues to confirm the degree to which technology underpins so many facets of business activity across the economy and the breadth of employers reliant on technical and digital skills." More than 248,000 people work in tech jobs in Colorado, spanning both technical and non-technical workers employed by tech companies and tech professionals who work in other industries. That represents 8.3% of the state's workforce, the fifth highest concentration nationally of tech workers relative to the overall labor force and the 14th largest by total number. The estimated median wage of $103,946 for a tech worker in Colorado is 118% higher than median wages for all occupations in the state. Colorado is in the third quartile in the report's diversity index, a measurement of the depth and breadth of diversity in the tech workforce for seven primary race and ethnicity groups, as defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Women account for 24% of the state's tech workforce; Hispanic or Latino workers, 8%; and Black or African American workers, 3%. Colorado's tech industry has an economic impact of $52.6 billion, or 12.2% of the state economy, fifth highest among all states. There are 19,669 tech business establishments in the state, including 1,622 that opened in 2022 the fifth highest total in the country. CompTIA's "State of the Tech Workforce" is the most comprehensive source of data on the size and scope of the U.S. technology industry and workforce. The report includes data on employment, wages, business establishments, job postings, workforce diversity, emerging tech metrics and more. Among other highlights from the new report: Access the full report at https://www.cyberstates.org/. About CompTIA The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is the world's leading information technology (IT) certification and training body. CompTIA is a mission-driven organization committed to unlocking the potential of every student, career changer or professional seeking to begin or advance in a technology career. Each year CompTIA, directly and through its global network of partners, provides millions of people with training, education and certification opportunities designed to help them build career-ready IT skills. To learn more visit https://www.comptia.org/ Media Contact Steven Ostrowski CompTIA [email protected] 630.678.8468 [1] The tech workforce consists of two primary components technology professionals working in technical positions (IT support, network engineering, software development, data science, etc.) and business professionals employed by technology companies. Combined they are represented by the "net tech employment" designation. [2] The 2022 employment estimates and 2023 projections represent the most up-to-date data at the time of publication. As with any labor market data source there is a lag effect, recent developments during late 2022 and early 2023 will likely not be fully reflected in the data. SOURCE CompTIA MISSION, Texas, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With competitive advantages and constant development offered by the Rio South Texas Region for industries worldwide, COSTEP, Council for the South Texas Economic Progress (COSTEP) has approved a grant award to the Texas Economic Development Corporation (TxEDC) for $450,000 that will be disbursed in the next three years. The state of Texas currently rates as the top state in expansion, corporate locations, and exports. In 2022, Texas was declared the "Best State for Business," a recognition reinforced by the US Census Office. The names from left to right in the picture: Adam Gonzalez COSTEP Senior Vice President of Sponsor & Program Development Whit Jones - COSTEP Board Vice Chair Mari Mann-Silva COSTEP Interim Chief Executive Officer Christin Evans - Texas Economic Development Corporation, Vice President of External Affairs Jim Darling COSTEP Board Chair Danny Vela COSTEP Board Member James Moore COSTEP Board Member COSTEP is an organization that promotes economic development, industry recruitment, and workforce development in the Rio South Texas Region. This prosperous economic region includes seven counties: Cameron, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Starr, Webb, Willacy, and Zapata, and ten municipalities in Tamaulipas, Mexico: Nuevo Laredo, Miguel Aleman, Mier, Camargo, Guerrero, Diaz Ordaz, Reynosa, Rio Bravo, Valle Hermoso, and Matamoros. Adam Gonzalez, Senior Vice President of Sponsor and Program Development, for COSTEP, stated that these economic grants would be $250,000 in the first year and $100,000 each for the following two years. The Texas Economic Development Corporation is working arduously for Texas to maintain its economic leadership position in conjunction with Governor Greg Abbott's Office of Economic Development and Tourism, a solid alliance focused on promoting economic development in a constantly growing state. Rio South Texas is a very cost-competitive region for international trade. The region's advantages include its geographic location with sixteen (16) international bridges with Mexico, seven (7) international airports, and five (5) seaports. The Port of Brownsville, one of the seaports, is the only deep-water US border port that allows merchandise movement without formal customs entry. Rio South Texas has seen growth in the past few years in Laredo, Brownsville, Harlingen, Pharr, McAllen, Edinburg, and Mission, examples of a positive perspective that TxEDC will enhance through their investment program and attraction of new industries, an efficient duo for the expansion and consolidation of venture projects. COSTEP's support of TxEDC will significantly benefit the Rio South Texas region by bringing awareness of its assets to attract worldwide investment and provide them with a strategic zone that offers global competitive logistic management facilities. Contact: COSTEP +1.800.949.6371 [email protected] SOURCE Council for South Texas Economic Progress The two Companies combine EdTech Learning Solutions for K-12 Schools LONDON, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of the Logitech Collaboration Program (LCP), CTL and Logitech announced today at Bett UK 2023 the introduction of two new Zone Learn Wired headsets for schools and parents looking for a comfortable, durable, and upgradeable solution. "We are excited to collaborate with Logitech and their long-standing experience and expertise in connected devices to offer students a superior solution," noted Erik Stromquist, CTL's CEO. "Combining Zone Learn headsets with our award-winning Chrome OS devices creates an ideal solution for K12 students." Logitech Zone Learn Headset (PRNewsfoto/CTL) CTL will feature two Zone Learn headsets designed for learning and built for schools. With a comfortable, micro-adjustable fit, audio designed for educational applications, and fully swappable, upgradeable cables and ear pads, Zone Learn headsets are built for sustained focus, and long-term use to promote better learning outcomes. They have been extensively drop tested to meet the military standard 810G (4 feet) and wipe-tested to withstand every day cleaning and use. Zone Learn is compliant with product regulations and is 100% free of PVC, VOCs, and paint. "CTL has proven to be an exceptional supplier of Chromebooks that improve the learning experience and increase student engagement," said Jason Marr, Global Head of Google Alliance, Logitech B2B. "We are pleased to work with CTL to make our headsets a valuable addition to their product offering." About Zone Learn Headsets Zone Learn heads offer a comfortable fit and listening experience for uninterrupted, sustained learning, with a choice of padded leatherette pads (swappable on-ear or over-ear), an ultra-soft headband comfort layer, even weight distribution, and articulating ear cups that move in all directions. With audio drivers tuned for voice clarity rather than music, these headsets are optimal for digital learning applications such as lessons that involve speaking. Applications include: reading, testing, ESL/ELL, and other language learning scenarios. Built for day-to-day school use, they are durable, wipe tested, and tested to exceed military standards of drop protection (4 ft); a flexible headset design with a rigid boom mic reduces breakage. Zone Learn headsets can be easily repaired with replaceable ear pads and cables. Switch from over-ear to on-ear pads for longer life, less waste, and more cost savings as they can be used across most devices, and operating systems. At Logitech, products are designed to deliver great user experiences and minimize environmental footprint,, and Zone Learn was designed with your future in mind. Compliant with product regulations, Zone Learn is 100% free of PVC, VOCs, and paint. Additionally 22% of the headset's plastic parts are made from post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic. All Logitech products are certified carbon neutral and use renewable energy wherever possible. When you purchase a Logitech product, the carbon footprint of that product has been reduced to zero by supporting forestry, renewable energy, and climate-impacted communities that reduce carbon. Zone Learn Headset Specifications Headset with Over-Ear Cushions 4.3' 3.5mm USB-C cable 3yr Warranty Headset with On-Ear Cushions 4.3' 3.5mm USB-C cable 3yr Warranty About CTL CTL builds award-winning Chrome OS solutions backed by frictionless service and support. Our Chromebook and Cloud Computing Solutions support EdTech and enterprise teams in over fifty countries across the globe. In 2022, CTL was named to the list of "Best & Brightest Companies to Work For." For more information about CTL and to purchase CTL products, visit us at ctl.net . About Logitech Logitech designs products that have an everyday place in people's lives, connecting them to the digital experiences they care about. Almost 40 years ago, Logitech started connecting people through computers, and now it's a multi-brand company designing products that bring people together through music, gaming, video, and computing. Logitech's Video Collaboration goal is to make video meetings accessible to every business and every individual, without sacrificing quality. We want to video-enable every meeting room, every workspace, and every home. Find Logitech and more on its video collaboration products at https://www.logitech.com/en-us/products/video-conferencing.html , the company blog or on Twitter @LogitechVC . Logitech and other Logitech marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Logitech Europe S.A and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. For more information about Logitech and its products, visit the company's website at www.logitech.com . Editorial Contact: Mark Jorgensen [email protected] +1-503-866-0850 SOURCE CTL MAUMEE, Ohio, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dana Incorporated (NYSE: DAN) announced today that it has been named to the inaugural list of "America's Greatest Workplaces for Women 2023" by Newsweek magazine. The award recognizes the company's impact and commitment to building a culture that supports and embraces women in the workplace. Dana was one of only two Tier One mobility suppliers among 600 companies identified in the rankings. "Women have always faced unique challenges in the workplace, but I am proud to be part of an organization that works everyday toward strengthening our company culture through initiatives and policies that promote fairness, equity, and respect for all our team members around the world," said Maureen Pittenger, senior vice president and chief human resources officer for Dana. The rankings are based on a large employer survey and a sample set of more than 37,000 women working in the U.S. for companies that employ at least 1,000 employees. In total, the study collected more than 224,000 reviews of companies in the U.S. that employ at least 1,000 employees, across all industry sectors. The evaluation and scoring were based on eight key drivers of employee satisfaction: company image, corporate culture, working environment, work-life balance, training and career progression, compensation and benefits, sustainability awareness, and proactive management of a diverse workforce. "Running the business the 'right way' begins with ensuring that we always provide a safe, inclusive, and diverse environment for our people," said James Kamsickas, chairman and CEO of Dana Incorporated. "Our commitment to this is evidenced by the recognition we have received from numerous organizations over the past several years. We believe that valuing others and winning together are core to ensuring that all Dana people have equitable opportunities to thrive and reach their full potential." This latest honor caps a number of third-party recognitions of Dana. The company was previously named one of "America's Greatest Workplaces for Diversity 2023" by Newsweek, and late last year the magazine selected Dana as one of "America's Most Responsible Companies 2023" for the fourth consecutive year. Last month, Dana was one of only 135 companies globally to be named to the "2023 World's Most Ethical Companies" list by Ethisphere. Additionally, the Top Employer Institute recognized Dana operations in Belgium, China, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States as being a Top Employer, and company operations in Mexico were separately honored by Great Places to Work. In total, these countries represent more than 80 percent of the company's employees and sales. About Dana Incorporated Dana is a leader in the design and manufacture of highly efficient propulsion and energy-management solutions that power vehicles and machines in all mobility markets across the globe. The company is shaping sustainable progress through its conventional and clean-energy solutions that support nearly every vehicle manufacturer with drive and motion systems; electrodynamic technologies, including software and controls; and thermal, sealing, and digital solutions. Based in Maumee, Ohio, USA, the company reported sales of $10.2 billion in 2022 with 42,000 people in 31 countries across six continents. Dana, with a history dating to 1904, was named among the "World's Most Ethical Companies" for 2023 by Ethisphere and as one of "America's Most Responsible Companies 2023" by Newsweek. The company is driven by a high-performance culture that focuses on valuing others, inspiring innovation, growing responsibly, and winning together, earning it global recognition as a top employer. Learn more at dana.com. SOURCE Dana Incorporated 11-MW battery will operate alongside existing solar facility Both are located inside the site boundary of Camp Lejeune on leased land CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy is expanding its battery storage capabilities in North Carolina and has begun commercial operation of the state's largest battery system, an 11-MW project in Onslow County. The battery system will frequently be operated in conjunction with an adjacent 13-MW solar facility located on a leased site within Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, which has been generating carbon-free energy since 2015. The two sites can also be operated independently. "Battery storage is an important resource for our transition to cleaner energy," said Kendal Bowman, Duke Energy's North Carolina state president. "Pairing the energy storage system with our existing solar facility at Camp Lejeune helps strengthen the reliability of our energy grid and makes better use of our existing solar generation." Together, the projects enable the most efficient and reliable use of renewable resources. Both projects are connected to a Duke Energy substation and will be used to serve all Duke Energy Progress customers. Future work could enable the solar and battery systems to improve the resiliency of MCB Camp Lejeune against outages. "Through an enhanced use lease (EUL) and strategic partnership with Duke Energy Progress, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune has been able to make an important investment in the pursuit of energy security inside the fence-line," said U.S. Navy Cmdr. Ross Campbell, director, Public Works at MCB Camp Lejeune. "Integration of the solar plant with a battery energy storage system, unthinkable a decade ago, presents the installation with a number of opportunities to achieve energy resilience objectives. These systems are part of the ongoing collaboration with the Department of Defense and its utility providers to ensure energy security at federal facilities." The battery's chemistry is lithium iron phosphate with the system rated at 11-MW/11-MWh, and its physical footprint is about 1 acre. Duke Energy partnered with Black & Veatch construction entity OCI, which acted as the prime contractor for engineering, procurement and construction. In recent years, Duke Energy has been expanding battery storage in North Carolina. In the city of Asheville, a 9-MW lithium-ion battery system is operating next to a Duke Energy substation in the Shiloh community. In Madison County in the town of Hot Springs, the company has a 4-MW lithium-ion battery system that is part of a microgrid in the town. Battery storage is essential to speed the clean energy transition in the United States. It helps maximize the positive impact intermittent generation sources like wind and solar have on the energy grid. The company plans to continue investing in battery technology over the next few years. Duke Energy expects to have more than 1,600 MW of battery storage in service by 2029. Currently, the company's regulated utilities have about 90 MW of battery energy storage projects in operation in three states. Duke Energy Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 27,600 people. Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company has interim carbon emission targets of at least 50% reduction from electric generation by 2030, 50% for Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 upstream and downstream emissions by 2035, and 80% from electric generation by 2040. In addition, the company is investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy storage, and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear. Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2023 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' "World's Best Employers" list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Contact: Randy Wheeless 24-Hour: 800.559.3853 Twitter: @DE_RandyW SOURCE Duke Energy SHELTER ISLAND, N.Y., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The most eccentric and funky bagel shop in The Hamptons is turning one and you're invited to celebrate with them! Eccentric Bagel Eccentric Bagel, the ultimate destination for authentic New York-style bagels and retro pop decor, is marking its first anniversary on Shelter Island on April 8, 2023. From Shelter Island locals to tourists to the Hamptons, everyone has been bitten by the Eccentric Bagel bug, and we're not surprised - who wouldn't love a bite of their delicious bagels while grooving to original MTV and commercials from the 80s playing on their vintage TV. Led by the quirky and charismatic bagel man himself, Darryn Weinstein, their friendly staff has created a cool and fun environment that customers can't resist returning to. "We set out to bring the iconic New York bagel experience to this community, and the response has been amazing," says Darryn Weinstein, Chief Bagel Officer of Eccentric Bagel. "We are grateful for the support we have received, and excited to continue serving our customers with the same passion and dedication that we started with." From the classic flavors like plain, sesame, and everything to specialty bagels like garlic parmesan, smoked bacon, and honey and heat. Eccentric Bagel offers a wide variety of bagels that will satisfy your taste buds. But wait, there's more! They also serve a selection of house-made spreads & salads as well as unique sandwiches, and gourmet coffee. This past fall they debuted a selection of "we make you bake" pot pies, chili and mouthwatering soups. To thank their loyal customers, they are offering a special promotion throughout the month of April. Spend over $100 and get an Eccentric Bagel zip-up hoodie - perfect for showing off your love for The Eccentric Bagel and all things fun! Don't miss out on the celebration! For more information about Eccentric Bagel, visit their website at www.eccentricbagel.com SOURCE The Eccentric Bagel Over 458,300 Dozen Eggs to Be Given to Local Food Banks Nationwide During Easter and Passover Season CHICAGO, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Egg farmers across America are donating more than 5.5 million eggs to local food banks in the three weeks leading up to Easter and Passover as part of the "Fighting Hunger by the Dozens" initiativeone of the largest egg donation drives in history. High-quality, nutritious food matters to everyone, and egg farmers nationwide are mobilizing to ensure people have eggs on their tables this spring holiday season. "From dyeing and decorating to their prominent position on the seder plate, eggs are such an important part of Easter, Passover and other springtime holidays and traditions. That's why our farmers are committed to ensuring that all who hold their traditions dear can celebrate with eggs this season," said Emily Metz, president and CEO of the American Egg Board. "We also know that year-round, high-quality protein is something that many foodbanks struggle to obtain. Every year in their local communities our egg farmers work to ensure that eggs are available and I know this effort will continue the remaining months of this year, too." More than 20 egg farms from Washington state to Washington, D.C. have signed on to participate in the Fighting Hunger by the Dozens initiative, which also includes donations in Arizona, Indiana, Iowa, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon and Pennsylvania. "America's egg farmers are proud to join together in a nationwide effort to provide nutritious eggs to our neighbors in need," said Alex Simpson, American Egg Board chairman and president of Simpson's Eggs in Monroe, N.C. "It is our responsibility as farmers, as food providers and as members of our local communities to do what we can to help address hunger, and to give all the support we can to help those who are on the front lines at hunger relief organizations." Simpson, a fourth-generation egg farmer, is donating 43,000 eggsequal to 3,583 dozento the Food Bank of Metrolina in Charlotte, N.C. on March 31, and Simpson's Eggs has donated 559,000 eggs so far to that food bank in 2023. America's egg farmers have donated more than 15.3 million eggs to date in 2023 to hunger relief causes and organizations and will continue to contribute eggs year-round. Egg farmers are committed to supporting the communities where they live and work, and they donate tens of millions of eggs every year to help feed those in need. A full list of participating egg farmers and donation locations follows. Braswell Family Farms ( North Carolina ) ) Cal-Maine ( Mississippi ) ) Centurion Poultry, Inc. ( Georgia ) ) Cooper Farms ( Ohio ) ) Creighton Brothers LLC ( Indiana ) ) Deb El Food Products ( New Jersey ) ) Forsman Farms ( Minnesota ) ) Fremont Farms ( Iowa ) ) Herbruck's ( Michigan ) ) Hertzfeld Poultry ( Ohio ) ) Hickman's Family Farms ( Arizona ) ) Hillandale Farms ( Pennsylvania ) ) Hudson Egg Farms ( New York ) ) Kreher's Family Farms ( New York ) ) MPS Egg Farms ( Indiana ) ) Nature Pure ( Ohio ) ) Opal Foods ( Missouri ) ) Puglisi Egg Farms ( New Jersey ) ) Rose Acre ( Indiana ) ( ) Sauder's Eggs ( Pennsylvania ) ) Simpson's Eggs ( North Carolina ) ) Stiebrs Farms ( Washington ) ) Versova ( Iowa ) ) Wabash Valley Produce ( Indiana ) ) Weaver Eggs ( Ohio ) About the American Egg Board (AEB) Home of The Incredible Egg, the American Egg Board (AEB) is the national marketing organization of America's egg farmers. AEB's mission is to increase demand for eggs and egg products through research, education and promotion. AEB is located in Chicago. For more, visit IncredibleEgg.org . SOURCE American Egg Board Details added (first public: 29 March 2023 18:27) BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 29. The inauguration ceremony of the Azerbaijani Embassy has been held in Tel Aviv, Trend reports. The event was attended by Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, representatives of parliaments, the public, and artists of both countries. The ceremony began with the performance of the national anthems of both countries. Speaking at the event, Minister Jeyhun Bayramov noted that the opening of the embassy would give a new impetus to the development of relations between the two countries. He spoke about the various areas of Azerbaijan-Israel cooperation and noted promising opportunities. The contribution of the Jewish community of Azerbaijan to the development of society in the country was also noted. The minister expressed confidence that after the opening of the embassy, the activities of the Azerbaijani diaspora in Israel will also become more active. Describing this ceremony as a historic event, Minister Eli Cohen noted that the opening of the embassy indicates the level of strategic ties between the two countries over 30 years of cooperation. Referring to Azerbaijan as a strategic partner of Israel, the minister noted the close cooperation between the two countries in various fields. He expressed confidence in the further deepening of these ties. The inauguration ceremony also featured a concert program of Azerbaijani artists. On March 28, Azerbaijani FM Jeyhun Bayramov went on an official visit to Israel and Palestine. During the visit, which will last from March 29 through March 30, Bayramov is expected to meet with high-ranking representatives of both countries. Besides, his participation in the opening ceremony of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Israel is also planned. Scholarship program pledges $500,000 to support higher education students in financial distress globally, with focus on 2-year public colleges in U.S. RESTON, Va., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ellucian Foundation, established in 2020 by the leading higher education technology solutions provider Ellucian , today announced that the 2023 Progress, Accomplishment, Thriving, Hope (PATH) Scholarship Program will accept applications March 27th May 12th for U.S. institutions and March 27th May 26th for eligible institutions outside of the U.S. Now in its fourth year, the PATH Scholarship provides grants to higher education institutions globally to support students facing economic hardship and educational disruptions. For 2023, the PATH Scholarship Program will focus on providing grants to 2-year public colleges in the U.S. and eligible higher education institutions in Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Ireland, Lebanon, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. "Students across the globe cite lack of financial resources among the biggest obstacles to achieving their educational goals," said Laura Ipsen, President & CEO, Ellucian. "We are proud to support students through The Ellucian Foundation's PATH Scholarship program, helping those facing financial hardship stay in school and complete their program of study." "Receiving the Ellucian PATH Scholarship means that I will be able to prioritize and focus on my education rather than worrying about how to finance it." - 2022 PATH Scholarship Recipient, Pacific University "Funding with my bills will take some of my worries and stress away so I can concentrate and finish school, which will be a dream come true." - 2022 PATH Scholarship Recipient, Central Carolina Technical College "This program provided invaluable support to students who were needing additional assistance...because of this award, our students are edging closer to achieving their goal of earning a degree." - an administrator from Our Lady of the Lake University . . "With the allocation of these funds, I can complete my degree this year. If I was not awarded...I would have had to remain on an academic registration hold, restricting my enrollment in Spring semester classes." - 2022 PATH Scholarship Recipient, Pacific University See the full list of 2022 U.S. PATH Scholarship Program recipients here: https://www.ellucian.com/news/ellucian-foundation-awards-500000-path-scholarships-us-minority-serving-institutions "In the U.S., two-year public colleges play a vital role in providing access to higher education for underserved students, offering an affordable and flexible learning pathway to a better life," said Jen Welding, Executive Director of the Ellucian Foundation. "We are honored to continue this program and support students at these institutions and other higher education institutions around the world through this year's PATH Scholarship program, providing much-needed financial relief to help students facing hardships stay in school and achieve their educational and career goals." In 2020, Ellucian partnered with the Business-Higher Education Forum and pledged an initial $1 million to create the PATH Scholarship. Now administered by the Ellucian Foundation, the program will award block grants to higher education institutions in $10,000, $15,000 and $25,000 (USD) amounts. The institutions will then distribute the scholarships to students in financial need, with a maximum award of $1,500 (USD) per student. Students can use these funds to help cover items such as housing, tuition and food. Since its creation, the program has distributed over $1.6 Million in scholarships to 1,900+ students. For 2023, The following types of higher education institutions are invited to apply: In the U.S., public two-year institutions that are eligible to participate in the Federal Title IV Student aid programs. Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) are strongly encouraged to apply. In Australia , Canada , Chile , Colombia , Ecuador , Ireland , Lebanon , Mexico and the United Kingdom , not-for-profit higher education institutions that are approved by the country's ministry of higher education (or other national government ministry) to provide associate's or bachelor's degrees. An independent judging committee will select the institutions chosen to receive a PATH Scholarship award. Recipient institutions in the U.S. will be notified in mid-July and those outside the U.S. in mid-September. For more details and application access, visit: https://stayonpath.org/ . ABOUT ELLUCIAN Ellucian powers innovation for higher education, partnering with more than 2,900 customers across 50 countries, serving 22 million students. Fueled by decades of experience with a singular focus on the unique needs of learning institutions, the Ellucian platform features best-in-class SaaS capabilities and delivers insights needed now and into the future. These solutions and services span the entire student lifecycle, including data-rich tools for student recruitment, enrollment, and retention to workforce analytics, fundraising, and alumni engagement. Ellucian's innovative solutions, vast ecosystem of partners and user community of more than 45,000 provides best practices leading to greater institutional success and achieving better student outcomes. Media Contact Lindsay Stanley [email protected] SOURCE Ellucian EdTech leader sets greenhouse gas reduction target and details global impact across key areas of focus RESTON, Va., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ellucian, the leading higher education technology solutions provider, today released its second Impact Report, which calls attention to the Company's longstanding commitment to corporate responsibility, specifically its work in the DEI, sustainability and compliance and governance spaces. "Last year's inaugural Impact Report established a set of guidelines and metrics that our team holds ourselves accountable to around the world. This year's report demonstrates our progress against those metrics and invites the community we serve to join us in our work to drive positive change," said Greg Giangrande, Chief People and Communications Officer, Ellucian. "I am so proud of the work we are doing across the globe to give back in our communities and to leave the world better for future generations. We are committed to continuing this work and look forward to making an even greater impact in the future." Among other elements, which include corporate giving, employee-led philanthropy and efforts to bolster and strengthen compliance initiatives, the 2022 Report underscores a companywide push to pursue a workplace that is ethical, inclusive and centered around employee success and wellbeing. The report outlines ambitious goals for the future, informed by metrics set in the 2021 Report. "The work we do externally is only as good as the work that goes on behind the scenes. Our team sets rigorous goals, and we've made a real impact over the past year," said Kirsten Weeks, senior director, environmental, social and governance. "Our team is purpose-driven and oriented around service. We are united by a vision for a more equitable, more sustainable future and we are accountable to seeing that future to fruition." Highlights from the Report include: Carbon Emissions and Waste Management: In 2022, Ellucian set its first-ever greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction target and committed to offset our 2022 emissions by investing in carbon offsets in 2023. In addition, Ellucian recycles office waste with in-and out-of-office resources, and IT equipment through partnerships globally. In 2022, more than 1,000 laptops were donated to schools around the world. In 2022, Ellucian committed to purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs) to power its Malvern, PA (USA) office with a commitment to run this office on 100% renewable energy by the end of 2023. In 2022, Ellucian set its first-ever greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction target and committed to offset our 2022 emissions by investing in carbon offsets in 2023. In addition, Ellucian recycles office waste with in-and out-of-office resources, and IT equipment through partnerships globally. In 2022, more than 1,000 laptops were donated to schools around the world. In 2022, Ellucian committed to purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs) to power its (USA) office with a commitment to run this office on 100% renewable energy by the end of 2023. Corporate Philanthropy: Ellucian employees and the Ellucian Foundation supported both national and global philanthropic efforts, including donations of $75,000 in relief to Ukraine . Charitable giving opportunities are incorporated into year-round employee events. For example, Ellucian conducted employee learning sessions and opportunities for giving back focused on partner charities including, The India Literacy Project, Rise Against Hunger and Swipe Out Hunger. Ellucian employees and the Ellucian Foundation supported both national and global philanthropic efforts, including donations of in relief to . Charitable giving opportunities are incorporated into year-round employee events. For example, Ellucian conducted employee learning sessions and opportunities for giving back focused on partner charities including, The India Literacy Project, Rise Against Hunger and Swipe Out Hunger. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: In 2022, more than 65% of Ellucian employees actively participated in events focused on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Ellucian benefits from eleven active Employee Resource Groups, which offer engagement opportunities year-round. Ellucian has a multi-year partnership with Year Up, a non-profit organization dedicated to offering all students a pathway to economic success, leading to the hiring of full-time employees at the conclusion of their internship. In 2022, more than 65% of Ellucian employees actively participated in events focused on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Ellucian benefits from eleven active Employee Resource Groups, which offer engagement opportunities year-round. Ellucian has a multi-year partnership with Year Up, a non-profit organization dedicated to offering all students a pathway to economic success, leading to the hiring of full-time employees at the conclusion of their internship. PATH Scholarship: In 2022, Ellucian awarded $400,000 in Progress, Accomplishment, Thriving, Hope (PATH) Scholarships to students. U.S. PATH grants were focused on supporting students at Minority Serving Institutions. In addition, scholarships were presented to higher education institutions in Australia , Canada , Colombia , Dominican Republic , Ecuador , Ireland , Lebanon , New Zealand , and United Kingdom . In 2022, Ellucian awarded in Progress, Accomplishment, Thriving, Hope (PATH) Scholarships to students. U.S. PATH grants were focused on supporting students at Minority Serving Institutions. In addition, scholarships were presented to higher education institutions in , , , , , , , , and . Corporate Governance and Compliance: A renewed commitment to Ellucian's Code of Conduct, for Ellucian employees and board members includes a robust formal Data Security and Privacy program with policies, regular mandatory training and risk monitoring. For more information, view the full report at Ellucian Impact Report | Ellucian. About Ellucian Ellucian powers innovation for higher education, partnering with more than 2,900 customers across 50 countries, serving 22 million students. Fueled by decades of experience with a singular focus on the unique needs of learning institutions, the Ellucian platform features best-in-class SaaS capabilities and delivers insights needed now and into the future. These solutions and services span the entire student lifecycle, including data-rich tools for student recruitment, enrollment, and retention to workforce analytics, fundraising, and alumni engagement. Ellucian's innovative solutions, vast ecosystem of partners and user community of more than 45,000 provides best practices leading to greater institutional success and achieving better student outcomes. SOURCE Ellucian SACRAMENTO, Calif., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sparck is thrilled to announce the global launch of their proprietary survey and recognition platform. Sparck is redefining recognition through science, psychology and sophisticated AI, allowing their clients critical and actionable insights into their organizations. Deploying the Sparck solution allows businesses to focus on general and specific areas of their organization, increasing engagement and productivity, and empowers leaders to improve culture and meet the objectives of their organization, and decreases the high costs of employee turnover. Sparck has redefined employee recognition through the science of human behavior powered by AI Tweet this Anna Straus, Founder and Chief Executive Officer "Effective recognition improves business outcomes and strengthens culture," said Sparck Founder and CEO Anna Straus. "We partner with our clients to align organizational goals with individual motivators. Traditional recognition practices are failing because every employee feels valued differently." "Our solution empowers businesses to celebrate and award achievements at precisely the right time, in the right way, with the right reward," Straus continued. "When we recognize the unique brilliance in each person, we create an environment where innovation and success are not only possible, but inevitable." "Our experience with this groundbreaking technology has been nothing short of transformative," said Ben Polley, Executive Vice President/Sacramento Regional director at Alliant Insurance Services. "Sparck has effectively engaged and motivated our team, and our ability to deploy their proprietary survey gave us unique insights into our organization which allowed us to meet our business objectives. Once we partnered with Sparck, we were named a "Best Place to Work", which allows us to not only keep the talent we have, but attract the talent we need." The creation of Sparck was founded on the science of human beings and what drives their motivation. The one-size-fits-all approach has proven to be ineffective. The right solution tailored to the individual employee can ignite a transformative synergy that elevates the entire organization. Personalized and responsive recognition creates a culture of appreciation that not only strengthens employee loyalty but also sparks innovation and fosters sustainable growth. About Sparck: Sparck is on a mission to share the secret of effective recognition to ignite innovation, growth, and culture that allows businesses to keep the talent they have and attract the talent they need. With customizable solutions and data-driven insights, organizations are now empowered to reduce employee turnover and increase productivity. To learn more about Sparck and transform your own organization, please visit www.sparckco.com SOURCE Sparck ENGLEWOOD, N.J., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Englewood Health has announced new physician leaders to oversee invasive cardiology, neurology, nephrology, pulmonology, obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine, hospital medicine, urology, gastroenterology, oral maxillofacial surgery, and hospice and palliative medicine. "We celebrate the rise of an accomplished group of physician leaders," said Warren Geller, president and CEO of Englewood Health. "Each of our new leaders is a current member of our medical staff. Their accomplishments and contributions to Englewood Health and the field of medicine have already been numerous and impactful." Department chiefs: Arthur Gross, MD, has taken on the role of chief of obstetrics and gynecology. Dr. Gross is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology. He received his MD from Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. He performed his residency at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where he served as administrative chief resident. Dr. Gross has been cited as a "Best Doctor" by many publications including Castle Connelly, 201 Magazine, and The Jewish Standard. Maz Ganat, MD, has taken on the role of chief of urology. Dr. Ganat is board certified in urology and obtained his MD from SUNY Downstate College of Medicine. He did his internship in surgery and residency in urology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center. Following his residency, Dr. Ganat completed an additional urologic oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. His clinical interests include cancers of the prostate, bladder, kidney, testes, and penis and he performs endoscopic, robotic, and open surgery. Associate chiefs: Gabriel Lisung, MD, FACP, has taken on the role of associate chief of hospital medicine-operations. Dr. Lisung is board certified in internal medicine. He received his MD from Universidad San Martin de Porres and completed his residency at Northwell/Hofstra Lenox Hill Hospital. Dr. Lisung is an assistant professor at Hackensack Meridian SOM and serves on Englewood Health's Diversity and Inclusion Education Council. In addition to English, he is fluent in Spanish. Yelena Galumyan, MD, has taken on the role of associate chief of hospital medicine-safety, quality, and wellness. Dr. Galumyan is board certified in internal medicine. She received her MD from Russian National Research Medical University and did her residency at Montefiore Medical Center. Dr. Galumyan is a senior fellow in hospital medicine with the Society of Hospital Medicine and has an MBA from University of Massachusetts Amherst. In addition to English, she speaks both Armenian and Russian. Section chiefs: Lee Kojanis, DDS, has taken on the role of section chief of oral maxillofacial surgery. He received his DDS from New York University College of Dentistry. Dr. Kojanis subsequently completed an oral/maxillofacial surgery program at New York University/Bellevue Hospital Center. His clinical interests include complex facial trauma, TMJ surgery, jaw corrective surgery, implantology, facial reconstruction, and dental rehabilitation. Aron Schwarcz, MD, has taken on the role of section chief of invasive cardiology. Dr. Schwarcz is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, and interventional cardiology. He is also certified in echocardiology and nuclear cardiology. He received his MD from Mount Sinai School of Medicine and did his residency in internal medicine, as well as fellowships in cardiology and in interventional cardiology, at Montefiore Medical Center. Dr. Schwarcz specializes in the use of catheter-based techniques to treat heart disease such as coronary artery disease and valvular disease. He has helped create the coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) program and Complex Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) program at Englewood Health. Mitchell Spinnell, MD, has taken on the role of section chief of gastroenterology. Dr. Spinnell is board certified in gastroenterology and internal medicine. He received his MD from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine and did his internal medicine residency at Albert Einstein College of Medicine-Montefiore Medical Center, where he served as chief resident and received additional gastroenterology training. His clinical interests include advanced endoscopic procedures, including ERCP, EUS, and stenting. He has participated in clinical research involving Crohn's disease, C. difficile colitis, hepatitis, and bloodless medicine. Catherine Laiosa, MD, PhD, has taken on the role of section chief of internal medicine. Dr. Laiosa is board certified in internal medicine, as well as hospice and palliative medicine. She completed her residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in hospice and palliative medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital. During her fellowship, she had additional training in geriatric care. In addition to providing preventative care, risk-factor modification, and advanced care planning, Dr. Laiosa treats patients with hypertension, diabetes, thyroid disorders, and common infections. Marc Zelkowitz, MD, has taken on the role of section chief of nephrology. Dr. Zelkowitz is board certified in internal medicine and nephrology. He received his MD from Albert Einstein College of Medicine and performed his internship and residency at Jacobi Hospital. Dr. Zelkowitz pursued additional fellowship training at Montefiore Medical Center. In addition to English, Dr. Zelkowitz speaks Hebrew. Kirk J. Levy, MD, has taken on the role of section chief of neurology. Dr. Levy is board certified in neurology, clinical neurophysiology, and sleep medicine. He received his MD from SUNY Stony Brook School of Medicine. He did his residency in neurology at Barnes-Jewish Hospital of Washington University and his fellowship in clinical neurophysiology at University of Michigan Hospital at Ann Arbor. Dr. Levy is co-medical director of the Center for Sleep Medicine at Englewood Hospital. His clinical interests include epilepsy, seizure, sleep disorders, and migraine. David Shiu, DO, has taken on the role of section chief of pulmonary medicine. Dr. Shiu is board certified in internal medicine and specializes in pulmonary and critical care medicine. He received his DO from New York College of Osteopathic Medicine and did his internal medicine residency, as well as his fellowship in pulmonary and critical care, at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. In addition to English, Dr. Shiu is fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin and has a working knowledge of Spanish. Vinnidhy Dave, DO, has taken on the role of section chief of hospice and palliative medicine. Dr. Dave is board certified in hospice and palliative medicine, as well as internal medicine. He received his DO from New York College of Osteopathic Medicine and did his internal medicine residency at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, followed by hospice and palliative medicine clinical and research fellowships at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. His clinical interests include cancer pain management, pain management in patients with multiple medical conditions not eligible for interventional treatment, symptomatic management in oncology patients, and advanced care planning. About Englewood Health Englewood Health, one of New Jersey's leading hospitals and healthcare networks, delivers nationally recognized inpatient and outpatient care through its hospital and network of physician practices, urgent care centers, and imaging centers. Englewood Hospital, founded in 1890, consistently earns high marks for clinical excellence and patient safety. It is recognized as a 2022-23 Best Regional Hospital by US News & World Report, holds the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade 'A' (fall 2022), and was named a Leapfrog Top Teaching Hospital (2022). Englewood Hospital is nationally recognized for nursing excellence, earning a fifth consecutive designation by the Magnet Recognition Program in 2021. The Englewood Health Physician Networka coordinated network of more than 600 office-based and hospital-based providersoffers primary care, specialty care, and urgent care at more than 140 locations in five counties across northern New Jersey. Areas of clinical excellence offered by the health system include cardiac surgery and cardiac care, cancer care, orthopedic surgery, primary care, spine surgery, vascular surgery, and women's health, as well as bloodless medicine and surgery and minimally invasive robotic surgery. The hospital offers a vascular surgery fellowship, residency programs in dentistry, internal medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and podiatry, and training programs in radiography, emergency medical services, and other disciplines. The hospital's state-of-the-art imaging centers across the region enhance access to diagnostic imaging, breast imaging, and cardiac imaging. A single electronic health record system offers full and seamless integration of patient information from the practices in the network and the hospital and imaging sites to support the patient experience and continuity of care. Englewood Health's focus on population and community health encompasses out-reach to underserved populations to enhance individual and public health, prevent disease, support lifelong wellness, reduce the burden of mental health challenges and substance use disorders, and meet the cultural, social, and holistic needs of specific populations. Through its hospital, physician network, and community health and wellness programs, Englewood Health delivers a healthcare experience that puts patients at the center. Media Contact: Office of Communications Englewood Health 201-894-3499 [email protected] SOURCE Englewood Health VANCOUVER, Wash., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Earth Merchant Inc. announced the launch of their Regulation Crowdfunding raise. Earth Merchant is the premier company creating a circular economy for hemp farming and the green building industry. Earth Merchant (EM) has begun development of a scalable manufacturing system to produce hempcrete blocks. Additionally, operations are supported by Earth Merchant Farmer Network digital platform, which provides accountability, framework, data collection, and infrastructure for climate-smart farming. EPA Award Winner Launches Crowd Funding Raise To Begin Hempcrete Manufacturing Tweet this With the help of Start Engine, Earth Merchant announces the commencement of their equity crowdfunding campaign. "We're looking to build a long-term relationship with our investors. We are creating a community of investors and supporters that act as our brand advocates," said Founder and CEO, Gina Engel. Earth Merchant's operations are U.S. based and take place at the hyperlocal level, working to eliminate the need to ship and transport materials across the country a common practice that creates greenhouse gas emissions and negates the positive impact of many sustainable materials. All farm partners are within a 100 mile radius of our processing and manufacturing hub, and products are distributed no more than 1,000 miles from each location. Their multibranched approach, Farming, Processing, Manufacturing and Building is powering the industrial hemp and green building economy to develop a climate-smart commodity supply chain with measurable environmental benefits at each link. About Earth Merchant As a woman-owned enterprise, Earth Merchant is active and validated by numerous government entities including being awarded a $100,000 EPA grant and backed by credentials integral to doing business at the federal level. The Company's founder has assembled a team of experienced and educated business leaders, scientists, and organizations who are dedicated to expanding the use of hemp as a green building material and climate conscious crop. "Bringing a sustainable building material to the market for builders who are looking for an environmentally conscious alternative just make sense in an industry starved for innovation." said Founder and CEO, Gina Engel Earth Merchant is online at earthmerchant.com. For more information on Earth Merchant's business and growth plan, financials, and investor benefits please visit their Start Engine page. SOURCE Earth Merchant Everlaw's cloud-native ediscovery platform earns approval from VITA to support with litigation, investigations, public records requests and collaboration in the Commonwealth and beyond OAKLAND, Calif., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Everlaw , the cloud-native investigation and litigation platform, announced today it has been selected and approved by The Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA), the Commonwealth's lead cybersecurity and executive branch IT agency, for a multi-year standardized contract for legal tech transformation. The VITA contract establishes Everlaw as a standard ediscovery provider in Virginia, and is also open to cities, counties and towns within the Commonwealth, along with other government entities. A majority of state and local government executives prefer cloud-based platforms but often lack dedicated security and IT experts to vet out new technology. Delaying upgrades to modern cloud platforms can prevent state and local orgs from achieving greater efficiencies and even heighten their risk to become targets of ransomware and cyber attacks. VITA has solved this problem by pre-vetting the security, effectiveness and pricing of cloud platforms making efficient platforms like Everlaw easy to purchase. "Often local and state organizations are challenged resource-wise in their move to the cloud. With VITA doing the heavy-lifting for security and pricing, those orgs can confidently and easily gain the advantages of Everlaw's cloud platform," said Jessica Shane, director of state, local and education at Everlaw. "Building on our StateRAMP authorization, the green light from VITA is another important milestone in our company's mission to transform public sector legal work." After an extensive evaluation, VITA chose Everlaw for its scalability that can be used for legal matters of all sizes; security that's been through a rigorous third-party assessment for FedRAMP and StateRAMP landing Everlaw authorities to operate as a cloud service provider for multiple Federal and state and local agencies; and self-service platform, which provides legal teams flexibility and independence without the need for a partner or managed service provider. VITA's approval means that Everlaw's ediscovery platform meets the demands of litigation, investigations, public records requests and legal holds in one intuitive, secure, self-service platform to collaborate across state matters. Specifically, Everlaw helps: Manage large, complex litigation matters in one highly collaborative space Transform public records requests from a time-consuming response to a low-effort, citizen-friendly experience Streamline the legal holds process and reduce the risk of human error with automated notifications, escalations and a built-in audit trail The award has standardized key terms for security, pricing and payment. Users can contact Everlaw with the technical specifics of their needs and then receive these key terms for their project. To continue supporting public sector organizations on their journey to the cloud, Everlaw will host a virtual event, "Everlaw Connect: Virtual Government Forum 2023," on April 26 and an in-person conference, "Everlaw Connect D.C.," on May 18, exclusively created to bring together leading government professionals for training, networking and peer-to-peer education. Sign up to attend the April 26 event here and the May 18 event here. About the Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA) VITA is the Commonwealth's lead cybersecurity and executive branch IT agency responsible for the operation of the state's technology infrastructure, governance, security and oversight of major IT projects, and procurement of technology-related goods and services on behalf of state and local governments. VITA serves the Commonwealth's more than 60 executive branch state agencies and 55,000 state employees, equipping and empowering agency colleagues to serve Virginia's 8.6 million residents and many more visitors. www.vita.virginia.gov About Everlaw Everlaw helps legal teams navigate the increasingly complex ediscovery landscape to chart a straighter path to the truth. Trusted by Fortune 100 corporate counsel, 91 of the Am Law 200, and all 50 state attorneys general, Everlaw's combination of intuitive experience, advanced technology, and partnership with customers empowers organizations to tackle the most pressing technological challengesand transform their approach to discovery and litigation in the process. Founded in 2010 and based in Oakland, Calif., Everlaw is funded by top-tier investors, including Andreessen Horowitz, CapitalG, HIG Growth Partners, K9 Ventures, Menlo Ventures, and TPG Growth. Learn more at https://www.everlaw.com and follow us on LinkedIn . Everlaw Media Contact: Colleen Haikes [email protected] SOURCE Everlaw College Students to Benefit from Affordable Connectivity Program LOS ANGELES, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Excess Telecom is partnering with Santa Ana College through 2026 to bring affordable broadband Internet connectivity to enrolled students. This partnership was facilitated by Genesis Bank, one of two multiracial minority depository institutions in the United States with a mission to bring communities together and create opportunities for low- to moderate-income households. Because access to digital learning outside of a traditional classroom is necessary for students pursuing higher education, Excess Telecom and Santa Ana College (SAC) will narrow the digital divide by providing qualifying students with discounts on monthly broadband Internet access service and certain connected devices. The discounted Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is made possible through Excess Telecom, a service provider. To be eligible for the ACP and a discounted device with Excess Telecom, students or a household member must be currently enrolled in a government assistance program. "We always strive to remove barriers and to foster a successful learning environment for all our students," said Dr. Annebelle Nery, president of Santa Ana College. "Students need accessibility, and by partnering with Excess Telecom and Genesis Bank, we are helping to close the digital divide by offering an opportunity to procure the technology and the Internet service they need to complete their educational goals." Santa Ana College held the first two events on campus in February, where students were able to apply for service with Excess Telecom. Additional dates are forthcoming. When approved for service, an affordable device will be provided to students for a small fee and broadband Internet will be made available. "As our world becomes increasingly digitized, our mission is to provide the resources students need to successfully pursue higher education," said Art Felix, vice president of Strategic Partnerships at Excess Telecom. "By partnering with Santa Ana College, we are changing the trajectory of students' lives. We are narrowing the digital divide and creating a climate where our leaders of tomorrow can thrive." More details on the ACP and Excess Telecom, including program eligibility can be found at excesstelecom.com. About Excess Telecom Excess Telecom is a service provider for the government-funded Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The ACP is a government benefit program operated by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) that provides discounts on monthly broadband Internet access service and certain connected devices. The ACP provides discounts of up to $30 per eligible household on monthly broadband Internet access service (or up to $75 per eligible household on Tribal lands) and up to $100 on certain connected devices (with a required co-payment of between $10 and $50). ACP service and device discounts cannot be transferred to another household or individual. Eligible households are limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount. Rates and device discounts available for qualified customers only. Visit www.excesstelecom.com for full eligibility requirements, service agreement, coverage map, and program details. About Santa Ana College Santa Ana College (SAC), which turned 100 years old in 2015, serves about 20,000 students each semester. The college prepares students for transfer to four-year institutions and provides workforce training for business and industry. In addition, another 11,000 students are served through the college's School of Continuing Education located at Centennial Education Center. Ranked as one of the nation's top, two-year colleges awarding associate degrees to Latino and Asian students, the college is also recognized throughout the state for its comprehensive workforce training programs for nurses, firefighters, law enforcement and medical personnel. SAC is one of two comprehensive colleges under the auspices of the Rancho Santiago Community College District. About Genesis Bank Genesis Bank is a California state chartered commercial bank, organized by a group of highly experienced and successful bankers, investors, and business professionals. The Bank focuses on serving the financial needs of small to mid-sized businesses and owners, and investors in income-producing multifamily and commercial real estate located in the Bank's Target Markets of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, California. Additionally, Genesis Bank is designated by the FDIC as a Minority Depository Institution ("MDI"), and is only the second diverse, multi-racial MDI in the U.S. The Bank's products, services, and solutions primarily include traditional commercial business, Small Business Administration, income property, and owner-occupied commercial real estate loan and deposit products, as well as treasury management, escrow, and Section 1031 exchange services and solutions. Genesis Bank, headquartered in Newport Beach, California is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. Media Contact: Erwin Ramos Email: [email protected] SOURCE Excess Telecom DUBLIN, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Finland Social Commerce Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics Databook - 50+ KPIs on Social Commerce Trends by End-Use Sectors, Operational KPIs, Retail Product Dynamics, and Consumer Demographics - Q1 2023 Update" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Social commerce industry in Finland is expected to grow by 22.7% on annual basis to reach US$1033.1 million in 2023. The social commerce industry is expected to grow steadily over the forecast period, recording a CAGR of 12.8% during 2022-2028. The social commerce GMV in the country will increase from US$1033.1 million in 2023 to reach US$2122.6 million by 2028. This report provides a detailed data centric analysis of social commerce industry, covering market opportunities and risks. With over 50+ KPIs at country level, this report provides a comprehensive understanding of social commerce market dynamics, market size and forecast, and market share statistics. The research methodology is based on industry best practices. Its unbiased analysis leverages a proprietary analytics platform to offer a detailed view on emerging business and investment market opportunities. Reasons to buy In-depth Understanding of Social Commerce Market Dynamics: Understand market opportunities and key trends along with forecast (2019-2028). Insights into Opportunity by end-use sectors - Get market dynamics by end-use sectors to assess emerging opportunity across various end-use sectors. Develop Market Specific Strategies: Identify growth segments and target specific opportunities to formulate social commerce strategy; assess market specific key trends, drivers, and risks in the industry. Scope Finland Ecommerce Industry Market Size and Future Growth Dynamics by Key Performance Indicators, 2019-2028 Finland Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Future Growth Dynamics by Key Performance Indicators, 2019-2028 Finland Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Retail Product Categories, 2019-2028 Clothing & Footwear Beauty and Personal Care Food & Grocery Appliances and Electronics Home Improvement Travel Hospitality Finland Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by End Use Segment, 2019-2028 B2B B2C C2C Finland Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by End Use Device, 2019-2028 Mobile Desktop Finland Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Location, 2019-2028 Domestic Cross Border Finland Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Location, 2019-2028 Tier-1 Cities Tier-2 Cities Tier-3 Cities Finland Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Payment Method, 2019-2028 Credit Card Debit Card Bank Transfer Prepaid Card Digital & Mobile Wallet Other Digital Payment Cash Finland Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Platforms Video Commerce Social Network-Led Commerce Social Reselling Group Buying Product Review Platforms Finland Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Consumer Demographics & Behaviour,2022 By Age By Income Level By Gender For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/i6owpf About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. 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 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets Brings tech support to eight new Realtor organizations with over 14,000 members ORLANDO, Fla., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Tech Helpline continues to grow the reach of its tech support services, adding eight more Realtor organizations in North America, including Canada's Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB) and seven other US-based Realtor organizations, adding more than 14,000-plus members since last May. Real estate's No. 1 tech support service is now accessible to 750,000 members across the US and Canada. Tech Helpline continues to grow the reach of its tech support services, adding eight more Realtor organizations in North America, including Canada's Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB) and seven other US-based Realtor organizations, adding more than 14,000-plus members since last May. Real estate's No. 1 tech support service is now accessible to 750,000 members across the US and Canada. Margy Grant, Florida Realtors CEO. In addition to the CREB with nearly 7,000 members, additions include the Southern Maryland Association of REALTORS with over 1,700 members, the Lancaster County Association of Realtors with 1,570-plus members, the Reading-Berks Association of REALTORS with more than 1,060 members, the Southwestern Michigan Association of REALTORS with over 1,000 members, Northern Fairfield County Association of REALTORS with 900-plus members, Beaver County Association of REALTORS with over 600 members, and the Woodstock Ingersoll Tillsonburg & Area Association of REALTORS with just over 300 members. These Realtor organization's members will receive free unlimited access to all tech support services that Tech Helpline offers. "Tech Helpline is one of the most popular member benefits for Realtors across North America because every real estate agent's business is powered by technology," says Margy Grant, Florida Realtors CEO. Each Realtor organization member has access to unlimited tech support provided by Tech Helpline, owned and operated by Florida Realtors, known by the moniker "the Genius Bar for real estate." Last year, Tech Helpline debuted its new mobile app, allowing agents to connect quickly to a tech advisor no matter where they are. Available for iPhones and iPads in the Apple App store, the Tech Helpline app also is available for Android devices via Google Play. From the app, agents and brokers can call a Tech Helpline analyst, chat with an analyst, or "open a case" to receive email support from an analyst. Tech Helpline's experts have a combined IT experience of more than 350+ years, providing support for thousands of cases each month. Tech Helpline also includes tech support for Form Simplicity, one of the real estate industry's most popular transaction management programs, also owned and operated by Florida Realtors. Form Simplicity manages over one million transaction sides annually. US-based Tech Helpline offers real estate agents bilingual support in English and Spanish, providing an enormous range of software and hardware solutions for tech challenges agents encounter daily. Support includes advanced file and computer recovery services, virus and adware removal from devices, Wi-Fi connection issues, software setup, mobile phone crashes, and more. "As technology weaves deeper into our business lives, we are helping more real estate agents and brokers solve more tech challenges than ever," Grant noted. "Tech Helpline has become one of the most coveted member benefits because we help reduce stress and help agents get back to business," she added. Grant points out that Tech Helpline analysts have earned a reputation for their technical skills and friendly approach. "There is no limit on the number of questions they may ask a Tech Helpline expert," Grant said, adding, "and because Tech Helpline is the largest service in the world that only works with real estate agents every day, they understand the business and deadline pressure agents face. As a result, they know how to take the fear out of calling tech support." Learn more about Tech Helpline at www.techhelpline.com. About Tech Helpline Tech Helpline began 20 years ago as a service for members of Florida Realtors. Known for its no-nonsense technical advice and warm, friendly customer service, Tech Helpline rapidly grew by offering its service to other REALTOR Associations and organizations, Multiple Listing Services (MLSs), and real estate brokerage firms. Tech Helpline is the real estate industry's No. 1 tech support service, available to nearly half the Realtors in North America with 750,000 members, 16 state associations, and 68 local associations and organizations in the US and Canada. More information is available online at www.techhelpline.com. Florida Realtors serves as the voice for real estate in Florida and is the largest state Realtor association in the US. It provides programs, services, continuing education, research, and legislative representation to more than 238,000 members in 51 boards/associations. Note: The term REALTOR is a federally registered collective membership mark, which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics. Media Contact: Tricia Stamper Director of Technology Products Florida Realtors [email protected] 407.583.2714 Kevin Hawkins for Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity (206) 866-1220 cell/txt [email protected] SOURCE Florida Realtors Fluoropolymer Additives Market Is Boosted by the Rapid Trend toward Ecologically Friendly Products PUNE, India, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Exactitude Consultancy, the market research and consulting wing of Ameliorate Digital Consultancy Private Limited has completed and published the final copy of the detailed research report on the Fluoropolymer Additives Market The market for fluoropolymers additives market was valued at USD 1.35 billion in 2020, and is predicted to reach at USD 2.22 billion in 2029 grow at a CAGR of 5.7 % over the forecast period. Fluoropolymers additives are used to modify the surface properties of a plastic or elastomer. Additives are used to incorporate the specific properties to the final products. The global fluoropolymer additives market is majorly driven by increasing demand for the fluoropolymer additives from various sectors, rising demand for the coating products, increasing demand for the automotives. Increasing demand for coatings application owing to its excellent weather ability have driven the fluoropolymer additives market size. Increasing investments in construction sector along with development in urbanization is likely to industry growth increasing the demand for fluoropolymers additives market; driving the market growth. Download Sample Report Pages for Better [email protected] https://exactitudeconsultancy.com/reports/4597/fluoropolymer-additives-market/#request-a-sample Recent Developments DuPont is one of the world's largest producers of chemicals and science-based products. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware , DuPont is responsible for developing innovative materials such as Teflon, Mylar, Dacron, Lycra, and Orlon. , DuPont is responsible for developing innovative materials such as Teflon, Mylar, Dacron, Lycra, and Orlon. Daikin Industries Ltd (Daikin) is a manufacturer of air conditioners and refrigerants. It provides a wide range of products and technologies related to air-conditioning, refrigeration systems, oil hydraulics, defense systems, chemicals, and other electronics. Eastman is a global specialty chemical company that produces a broad range of advanced materials, additives and functional products, specialty chemicals, and fibers that are found in products people use every day. Arkema is scheduled to inflate its fluoropolymer production capabilities in the Changshu site situated in China by around 35% by 2022. This novel investment is probable to enhance the demand of Li-ion battery business and develop prospects in the semiconductor, construction coatings, and water filtration industries. Asia-Pacific held the 42% share of the global fluoropolymer additives market in 2022 Asia Pacific, which is led by China, India and Japan, may have significant growth by 6.4% by the end of 2029. Fluoropolymer additives are expected to grow. In the region the demand for residential and commercial buildings, which has boosted the lacquer industry, has been increasing significantly. They are used for the durability, weather resistance and economic feasibility of infrastructure coatings. In the predicted timeframe, Europe's market demand of fluoropolymer additives led by Germany, the UK, France and Italy may anticipate growth of almost 5.4 %. Increasing demand for light thermoplastics for their superior properties such as electrical anti-friction and climate stability in the automotive industry will stimulate growth in the regional market. Substituting metal components with thermoplastics improves efficiency significantly and minimizes fuel costs. The demand for fluoropolymer additives in the industry should be increased by environmental concerns with regard to carbon emissions and increased consumer awareness on thermoplastics. Fluoropolymer Additives Market - Driving Factors Extensive use of Fluoropolymer Additives in the production of Printing Inks is a key growth factor. Expansion of the global Thermoplastics industry in emerging economies is contributing to critical growth opportunities. Characteristics including weather stability, chemical resistance, and thermal properties bolster scope of application in multiple verticals. Fluoropolymer Additives Market - Leading Constraints Strict regulations governing the production and application of Fluoropolymer Additives is a key challenge to market growth. Risks of perfluorooctanoic acid contamination in coating applications hurts market prospects. Fluoropolymer Additives Market - Opportunity Spending on construction and infrastructure development initiatives should be increased. Developing recyclable substitutes. The growing need for lightweight thermoplastic materials as metal alternatives and structural coatings in the construction industry is expected to drive the global fluoropolymer additives market forward. Chemical and heat resistance, low coefficient of friction, and high tensile strength are all essential characteristics of fluoropolymer additives, which improve the look of end-use goods including coatings, coaxial cables, and insulation wires. Fluoropolymer additives market size should be driven by rising demand for coatings application due to its excellent weatherability and improved time between recoats, extending the life cycle of exterior coatings. Market growth is expected to be fuelled by increased investments in the building and construction industry, as well as increased plastic adoption in the automobile industry. Increased penetration in the metals, paints, construction, and bedding and furniture industries is expected to drive the fluoropolymer coating additives market. Similarly, the growing need for and uses of fluoropolymer additives in the coatings and thermoplastics industries are likely to fuel demand and propel the worldwide fluoropolymer additives market forward. The global market of fluoropolymer additives is expected to witness new growth opportunities as a result of the industry's constant attempts to use fluoropolymer in new applications. The fast trend toward environmentally friendly products, as well as increased use of fluoropolymer coating additives in the furniture and paints & coatings industries, are expected to drive the fluoropolymer additives market forward. Fluoropolymer Additives Market Report Scope Report Attribute Details Market size value in 2022 USD 1.35 billion in 2022 Revenue forecast in 2029 USD 2.22 billion in 2029 Growth rate CAGR of 5.7% from 2023 to 2029 Base year for estimation 2022 Historical data 2018 - 2022 Forecast period 2023 - 2029 Quantitative units Volume in kilo tons, revenue in USD million and CAGR from 2023 to 2029 Report coverage Revenue forecast, company ranking, competitive landscape, growth factors, and trends Segments covered Product, application, region Regional scope North America; Europe; China; Asia; Pacific; Central & South America; MEA Key Market Drivers Increasing regional government investments in industrial development. End-user application sectors are driving up demand. Competitive Stance A variety of market players such as A & A Thermal Spray Coatings, Flame Spray Coating Company, Metallization Limited, AMETEK Inc., Praxair S.T. Technology, Inc., DuPont, Dow, The Chemours Company, Eastman Company, Akzo Nobel N.V., ELEMENTIS PLC, BASF SE, BYK-Chemie GmbH, The Lubrizol Corporation, Momentive, Ashland, Cabot Corporation, Solvay, Arkema, and DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, Ltd., among other are consolidating their global fluoropolymer additives market share. Manufacturers focus on new innovative products for the purpose of expanding their line of products and involving new customers. In addition, most industry participants expand their regional reach and concentrate on acquisitions to increase their strategic business line. View Detail Information with Complete [email protected] https://exactitudeconsultancy.com/reports/4597/fluoropolymer-additives-market/ Key Market Segments: Fluoropolymer Additives Market Fluoropolymer Additives Market By Product, 2023-2029, (USD Million) (Thousand Units) Polytetrafluoroethylene Micro Powders Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene Micro Powders Perfluoro Alkoxy Micro Powders Fluoropolymer Additives Market By Application, 2023-2029, (USD Million) (Thousand Units) Printing Inks Coatings Lubricants & Grease Thermoplastics Elastomers Fluoropolymer Additives Market: Important Evolution Dynamics Increasing demand for light weight plastics along with growing investments in building & construction activities should stimulate fluoropolymer additives market growth. These additives offer high resistance to corrosion, chemicals, UV rays, require low maintenance cost and provides superior temperature resistance which makes them suitable for use in harsh temperature surroundings. Rising demand for high-performance plastics along with increasing penetration in automotive and infrastructure development are likely to boost product demand. The increasing demand for premium thermoplastics across a range of end-use sectors is one of the key reasons generating lucrative product development opportunities in the fluoropolymer additives market. Electronics and semiconductor, automotive, transportation, and construction are a few of the important end-use industries. An illustration of this is the use of fluoropolymer compounds in the production of lightweight thermoplastics, which are in high demand for use in the car industry. Another case in point is impact-resistant cold-weather plastics that find use in exceedingly low-temperature uses. Printing inks are another application that could pave the way for substantial earnings. Lucrative prospects have also been supported by the expanding demand for resins with high performance characteristics in the plastics manufacturing industries. By altering the properties of resins, additives encourage their use in toughening and promoting adhesion. In this respect, perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) fluoropolymer additives have increased in favour in recent years. Massive study into creating new resins is likely to be the driving force behind the creation of novel products. Key questions answered in the report include: What will the market size and the growth rate be in 2023-2029? What are the key factors driving the Fluoropolymer Additives Market? What are the key market trends impacting the growth of the Fluoropolymer Additives Market? What are the challenges to market growth? Who are the key vendors in the Fluoropolymer Additives Market? What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in the Fluoropolymer Additives Market? Trending factors influencing the market shares of the Americas, APAC, Europe , and MEA. Explore Wide-ranging Coverage of Exactitude Consultancy's Chemicals & Materials Landscape Fluoropolymer Films Market by Type (Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) films, Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) films, Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene (FEP) films, Perfluoroalkoxy Polymer (PFA) films, Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) films), Application (Electrical & Electronics, Industrial, Automotive & Aerospace, Medical & Pharmaceutical, Consumer Products) Region (North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, South America, Middle East & Africa), Global Trends and Forecast from 2023 to 2029 Fluoropolymer Additives Market by Product (Polytetrafluoroethylene Micro powders, Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene Micro powders, Perfluoro alkoxy Micro powders), Application (Printing Inks, Coatings, Lubricants & Grease, Thermoplastics & Elastomers) and Region, Global trends and forecast from 2023 to 2029 Fluorochemicals Market by Product (Fluorocarbons, Fluoropolymers, Inorganics & Specialties), Application (Refrigeration, Aluminum, Automobile, Films, Tubing, Blowing Agents and Others) and Region, Global trends and forecast from 2023 to 2029 High-Performance Fluoropolymers Market by Type (PTFE, FEP, PFA/MFA and ETFE), Application (Coatings & Liner, Mechanical Parts & Component, Film, Additives and Others), End-use Industry (Industrial Processing, Transportation, Electrical & Electronics, Medical) and Region (APAC, North America, Europe, MEA and South America) Global Forecast 2023-2029 About Exactitude Consultancy Exactitude Consultancy is a market research & consulting services firm which helps its client to address their most pressing strategic and business challenges. Our market research helps clients to address critical business challenges and also helps make optimized business decisions with our fact-based research insights, market intelligence, and accurate data. Contact us for your special interest research needs at [email protected] and we will get in touch with you within 24hrs and help you find the market research report you need. Website: https://exactitudeconsultancy.com/ Contact: Irfan Tamboli [email protected] +91-7507-07-8687 Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1871697/Exactitude_Consultancy_Logo.jpg SOURCE Exactitude Consultancy BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 29. The opening of Azerbaijani Embassy in Israel will contribute to the strengthening of bilateral relations, Eli Cohen, Foreign Minister of Israel, told Azernews newspaper and Trend. The Israeli top diplomat expressed his gratitude to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev for his decision to open the embassy in Israel. Today, is a historic day of the relation between Israel and Azerbaijan. With the opening of the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Israel we are entering a new era in our relations, he said. The minister noted that he plans to visit Baku next month. It is very important for our cooperation to focus on such areas as security, economy, trade, tourism. Also, I want to note that Azerbaijani people can be very proud that they have never been anti-Semitic. This is something we will always appreciate, he added. Hailing the long-time strong relations and harmony between Azerbaijani people and the Jewish community, the minister also congratulated the Azerbaijani people on Ramadan holiday. Dining subscription company offers bulk memberships to boost customer appreciation SYOSSET, N.Y., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Foodie Card, a socially conscious dining subscription company founded in 2018, has announced a program that is transforming corporate gifting into a way for companies to not just give, but give with purpose. This new "Enterprise Solutions for Businesses" program allows companies to give Foodie Card memberships to their employees, colleagues and clients at a significant discount while doing good for their community. Foodie Card Launches an Enterprise Solution for Businesses Recipients of a Foodie Card can enjoy saving money at over 2,200 participating restaurants throughout the NY Tri-State Area and South Florida. They get 10% off every purchase and save an average of $200+ per year. The Foodie Card app also matches every dollar saved with reward points, which members can redeem for gift cards to top retailers. Foodie Card rewards its members in many ways, making it a great "thank you" gift that lasts all year long, and is certainly a better brand statement than anything you'll find on a standard corporate gift list. "Our bulk memberships provide tremendous value that businesses would be hard-pressed to find anywhere else," said Jared Katz, CEO of Foodie Card. "The giftee receives a year's worth of discounts for free. And the more they save, the more value they get. In return, companies build better relationships with their clientele because they're giving a gift people will actually use. It's a win-win for businesses and their customers or employees alike." These membership gifts come with customized digital cards, complete with your corporate logo, that help businesses show their appreciation for loyal customers, clients and employees while setting the example as being a brand that is actively making a difference by supporting Foodie Card's philanthropic initiatives, including their "Buy a Card, Give a Meal" program. A day of meals is donated to a major food bank within the buyer's community for every membership purchased. Foodie Card recently celebrated reaching 80,000 meals donated across the New York Tri-State Area. "I'm feeling very confident that more and more businesses will want to become Enterprise Clients," Katz said. "Our memberships are a gift they can feel good about. They give back not just to their customers, but to the food insecure within their local community. About Foodie Card Foodie Card is a socially conscious subscription-based company that drives business to local restaurants with a loyalty program that keeps customers coming back for more. The company allows its members to save 10% off at participating restaurants and earn rewards with every purchase, all while helping feed those in need with its "Buy A Card, Give A Meal" program. Since inception, Foodie Card has donated over 80,000 meals thanks to our loyal members and partnered restaurants. For more information about Foodie Card, visit www.foodiecard.com , Facebook and Instagram . Please direct inquiries to: Allison Pavone [email protected] SOURCE Foodie Card, Inc. DUBLIN, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Border Security Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2017-2027 Segmented By System (Laser Systems, Radar Systems, Camera Systems, Perimeter intrusion detection systems, Unmanned Vehicles, Others), By Platform, and By Region" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global border security market is anticipated to witness a steady CAGR in the forecast period, 2023-2027. Companies Mentioned Lockheed Martin Corporation Northrop Grumman Corporation Raytheon Company BAE Systems PLC Thales SA Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. Rockwell Collins, Inc. Airbus Group SE Elbit Systems Saab AB Factors such as the surge in territorial conflicts and cross-border issues and the high defense expenditure by the developing countries are driving the demand for the global border security market. Also, the growing need for unmanned system solutions by different military and defense forces and high-end investments for research and development activities by public and private market players are expected to create lucrative growth opportunities for the global border security market in the forecast period. Increased Popularity of Unmanned Vehicles Drives the Market Growth Unmanned vehicles are gaining popularity across the globe as they find uses in various end-user applications. Unmanned vehicles can be used to maintain a safe environment. With their enhanced capabilities, drones can be used to monitor locations and alert the concerned authorities about the possible threats in the oil and gas industry. They find high demand from the defence sector as they can be used in places where the risk is high and is not accessible. Unmanned vehicles provide real-time updates, which helps the armed forces to make informed decisions and strategies. Countries prefer to invest in unmanned system solutions as they help them to increase the number of lives saved in a combat situation. Also, they used to secure the long borders of any country, which helps the armed forces to counter a diverse array of threats. They efficiently fill the void in the current border surveillance as they increase the coverage area along remote sections and monitor every part of the country. They are less expensive than the other manned aircraft on the borders. Therefore, the benefits offered by unmanned vehicles are expected to accelerate the demand for the global border security market over the forecast period. Ongoing Research and Development Activities Supports the High Market Demand Leading authorities are investing in the technologies, weapons, and equipment to ensure the safety of their citizen. The countries have started to use chemical detectors, lasers, electro-optical cameras, X-rays, unmanned vehicles, perimeter intrusion detection systems, and cameras, amongst others. Emerging technologies such as the internet of things, machine learning, blockchain and biometrics have introduced new threats and opportunities which require a rapid response from the market players. Market players are increasing their investments in research and development activities to increase the performance and accuracy of their border security solutions. The advent of advanced laser systems that are equipped with a long-range acoustic device allows to talk to someone and give commands to suspect vessels. The advancements in biometric technology, such as the development of facial recognition software, prevent unauthorized access to confidential information. The launch of better performing border security solutions and continuous upgrade of the solutions by the market players is expected to boost the growth of the global border security market in the forecast period. Report Scope: In this report, global border security market has been segmented into following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below: Border Security Market, By System: Laser Systems Radar Systems Camera Systems Perimeter intrusion detection systems Unmanned Vehicles Wide-band Wireless Communication Systems Command and Control (C2) Systems Biometric Systems Others Border Security Market, By Platform: Ground Air Water Border Security Market, By Region: North America United States Canada Mexico Asia-Pacific China India Japan Thailand Indonesia Australia South Korea Europe & CIS & CIS Germany France United Kingdom Spain Italy Netherlands Russia Poland South America Brazil Argentina Middle East & Africa & Saudi Arabia Iran Israel UAE Turkey For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/qctpjz About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. 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 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets DUBLIN, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Compostable Plastics Market- Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity & Forecast, 2017-2027 Segmented By Compostable Plastics Type (PLA, Starch Blends, PHA, PBAT, and Others), By End User Industry (Packaging, Consumer Goods, Textiles, and Others), By Company, By Region" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global compostable plastics market is expected to grow at impressive rate during the forecast period through 2027. Composite plastic is a biodegradable plastic that decomposes in a specific environment. These plastics are made up of renewable sources or materials such as starch of tapioca, corn, potato, cellulose, soya protein, and lactic acid. These types of plastic are non-toxic and break down into carbon dioxide, water, and other biomass, unlike conventical plastic. In the modern world, plastic is a significant issue in terms of health. Due to the extensive use of plastic, people face different problems like cancer, deficiency, endocrine disruption, and other issues. According to Statista, almost 367 million metric tons of plastic worldwide were produced in 2020, which is 0.3% less than last year. Nearly 32% of the overall production is accounted for in China. The above data indicate that, on average, more than 325 million tons of plastic are produced every year after 2010, which is not biodegradable. Thus, government and peoples are worried about the situation and moving toward the best alternative. As plastic has become an essential product for many industries, business is switching toward composite and biodegradable plastic. Thus, we can expect a rise in the market share in the upcoming period. The demand for plastic is increasing due to its properties and cheaper cost compared to the alternative. Due to its diverse uses in different industries like infrastructure, packaging and logistics, and various sector. Due to government policies on conventical plastic, the demand for plastic will switch to compostable plastic. Therefore, it is going to robust the demand of the compostable market. Thus, we can expect a rise in growth and increasing demand in the market share of Global Compostable Plastics. Rising Awareness About the Side Effect of Conventical Plastic The demand for the product is increasing around the globe as the population is increasing. In the last 20 years, we have extracted a lot of resources to fulfill the demand without any proper disposal management. All these scenarios led to creating difficult healthcare problem situations for people causing diseases. Plastic waste was one of the resources extracted at a large scale and aggressively used by the organization. Tearfund said that around one million to four hundred thousand people die directly and indirectly yearly because of the mismanagement of plastic and waste. Now people are getting aware of the drawback of traditional plastic and its non-biodegradable nature. They are shifting towards composite or biodegradable plastic and force organizations to use biodegradable plastic. Therefore, this shift will impact positively and is expected to cause significant market growth in the projected period. After digitalization, the demand for plastic products has increased drastically for packaging. Due to its plastics nature and cost efficiency, it is highly demanded in the market for packaging purposes. Furthermore, the Demand for Plastic in packaging is increasing in the modern era. The different sectors like pharmaceutical, agriculture, textile, and others sector are some examples of the industry. Thus, the increasing trend is going to experience in the market share of the compostable plastic market. Various community, government, and community initiatives are operating around the globe to abolish the use of single-use plastic. Governments worldwide are planning the alternative to save the earth as we have limited fossil fuels and resources. India has started the Prakriti initiative to stop using single plastic and reduce traditional plastic consumption. Apart from this, the US has funded 14.5 million to US Plastic Pact to Innovate, recycle and reduce the carbon footprint of plastic products. The market is shifting towards compostable and biodegradable products as a substitute for traditional plastic products eliminating the degradation problem. All the factors mentioned above are expected to drive the growth of the Global Compostable Plastics Market. Fluctuation in the Cost of Raw Material is Restraint for Market The Continuous change in the price of petroleum led to volatility in the cost of the raw material of composite plastic. Apart from this, the manufacturing cost of composite plastic material is 80-20% costlier than conventical plastic. Thus, the economic viability of the substitute product is affecting the market growth of the compostable plastic market. Ongoing R&D is developing the alternative, which is going to hamper the growth. Continuous R&D for Better Product is Driving Growth Regulation is propelling the marketer towards research and development on the growing demand for eco-friendly plastic and favorable government. The organization is investing actively in eco-plastics to check various aspects that will lessen drawbacks. The main motto of companies is to make compostable plastic more effective than its substitute in terms of cost or performance. Companies Mentioned BASF SE Novamont S.p.A. Corbion N.V. Biome Technologies plc Total Corbion PLA Dow Chemical Company Natureworks LLC Eastman Chemical Company Danimer Scientific, Inc. Mitsubishi Chemical America, Inc Report Scope: In this report, global compostable plastics market has been segmented into following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below: Global Compostable Plastics Market, by composite plastic type: PLA Starch Blends PHA PBAT Others Global Compostable Plastics Market, by end user type: Packaging Consumer Goods Textiles Others Global Compostable Plastics Market, By Region: North America United States Canada Mexico Asia-Pacific China India Japan Australia South Korea Europe & CIS & CIS Germany France United Kingdom Spain Italy South America Brazil Argentina Colombia Middle East & Africa & South Africa Saudi Arabia UAE Egypt Turkey For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/yob6xu About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. 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 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets DUBLIN, March 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Data Security as a Service Market by Type (Data Encryption and Masking as a Service, Data Governance and Compliance as a Service), Organization Size, Vertical (BFSI, IT and ITeS, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Education) and Region - Global Forecast to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global data security as a service (DSaaS) market is expected to grow from an estimated USD 31.0 billion in 2022 to USD 55.3 billion by 2027 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12.3% from 2022 to 2027. By type, Data Encryption and Masking as a Service segment to account for a larger market size during the forecast period Data encryption is converting electronic data into ciphertext, a format that cannot be easily understood by an unauthorized person, making the data highly secure. The major objective of data encryption is to prevent the confidentiality and integrity of the digital data stored in a computer or transit. Data encryption and masking as a service solution encrypt the digital files. It protects digital information from unauthorized access by making the information unreadable. Any mobile device that stores data is a potential weak point for data theft. It is not possible to control who transfers confidential files onto mobile devices. However, access to that data can always be handled with encryption and masking as a service solution. Therefore, advanced data encryption-based data security as a service (DSaaS) solutions are integrated with other security solutions to provide enhanced data security at a lower cost. These services protect user data in both cloud and on-premises environments. By vertical, BFSI to account for a larger market size during the forecast period The development of mobile and other online facilities with ubiquitous connectivity and without interruption has pressured companies to provide advanced data security service (DSaaS) to their customers. The increasing use of mobile technologies has enhanced the adoption of DSaaS solutions in financial organizations. Encryption solutions are used in this vertical to control and secure customers' sensitive data and protect their company from the internal and external risks of theft. In addition, banking organizations are enforcing regulations to ensure the use of unsecured external networks, thus enhancing business opportunities. By organization size, large enterprises account for a significant market size during the forecast period The easy availability of business information through mobile devices has comprehensively leveraged corporate profits. The requirement for timely data access has increased the usage of personal devices. However, the extensive use of corporate data by the wide-ranging workforce has increased the threat of the wrong usage of data, unauthorized access, and data theft. Moreover, the misuse, loss, and theft of business documents can affect the profitability of businesses. Hence, to provide security to business information from cyberattacks, data thefts, and unauthorized access, large enterprises are considering adopting the DSaaS solution. These solutions enable businesses to audit their sensitive data, control access, and protect it from thefts. Furthermore, large enterprises usually do not have budget constraints and are flexible enough to use these solutions and services within their organizations. Large enterprises have teams working on different silos, such as file systems, databases, software as a service (SaaS), and infrastructure as a service (IaaS). Thus, there is a greater need for data governance, data auditing, and data protection and security solutions in the large enterprise segment. Market Dynamics Drivers Data Evolution and Growing Security Problems Strict Guidelines to Boost Use of Data Security as a Service Increased Issues Concerning Significant Data Loss in On-Premises Environment Restraints Traditional and On-Premises Applications' Compatibility Limitations in Cloud Environment Low Data Security Spending and Expensive Installation Opportunities Increased Adoption of Cloud Technology in Enterprises Widespread Use of Data Security as a Service in Highly Regulated Industry Sectors Future of Data Backup and Recovery with Blockchain Technology Challenges Synchronizing Management of Unstructured to Structured Data Lack of Technical and Operational Knowledge Among Workers Companies Mentioned Acronis Alation Asigra Aws Carbonite Cisco Clarip Cloudian Cobalt Iron Cognizant Dataguard Guidepoint Security Hpe Ibm Imperva Informatica Infrascale Micro Focus Microsoft Netapp Netwrix Polar Security Securiti Seqrite Storagepipe Thales Trustarc Varonis Systems Veritas Technologies For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ysj6c7 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. 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 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets NEW YORK, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Infrastructure Partners ("GIP"), a leading global independent infrastructure investor, today jointly announced with Grupo Romero, one of the largest privately owned diversified conglomerates in Latin America, that it has completed the acquisition of a 50% stake in Trabajos Maritimos S.A. ("Tramarsa"), an integrated port infrastructure platform in Peru. GIP is investing in Tramarsa through its GIP Emerging Markets I Fund1. The transaction represents the beginning of a new joint venture that will be co-controlled by GIP and Grupo Romero. Through this strategic partnership, and building on Tramarsa's established operations, both firms plan to invest further in port- and mining-adjacent infrastructure throughout the Andean region in South America. Founded in 1990, Tramarsa operates two port concessions in Peru: Terminal Internacional del Sur at the Port of Matarani and Salaverry Terminal Internacional at the Port of Salaverry. Both concessions are strategically located at the natural maritime exit and entry points for Peru's primary mining and agricultural regions. Tramarsa also provides port services and operates private terminals through its subsidiaries and has minority investments in three specialized cargo terminals. With Peru being the world's second-largest copper producer, representing ~10% of the metal's global production in 20222, Tramarsa benefits from attractive long-term trends as copper demand is expected to nearly double by 20353, driven by global electrification and energy transition initiatives. "We are excited to partner with Grupo Romero and invest in Tramarsa, which has a track record of over 30 years of strong operational performance and continued growth. We look forward to working with Grupo Romero and Tramarsa, leveraging our operational expertise to build on the company's established ports business and pursue growth and expansion opportunities in the transportation sector in the Andean region," said Adebayo Ogunlesi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GIP. "This partnership is a key milestone for Tramarsa and positions us to benefit from fresh additional investment in the company. We look forward to collaborating with GIP and to continue working with Tramarsa's outstanding management to create value for our stakeholders, including employees, investors, and local communities," said Dionisio Romero Paoletti, Chairman of Grupo Romero. About Global Infrastructure Partners GIP is a leading independent infrastructure fund manager that makes equity and debt investments in infrastructure assets and businesses. GIP targets investments in the energy, transport, digital infrastructure, and water/waste sectors in both OECD and select emerging market countries. Headquartered in New York, GIP operates out of 10 offices: New York, London, Stamford (Connecticut), Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Mumbai, Delhi, Singapore and Hong Kong. GIP manages c. US $87 billion for its investors. GIP's portfolio companies have combined annual revenues of c. US $80 billion and employ over 100,000 people. For more information, visit www.global-infra.com. About Grupo Romero Founded 125 years ago in Peru, Grupo Romero is a Peruvian conglomerate with a leading presence in the infrastructure, financial, insurance, fuel retail, consumer goods, agribusiness, logistics, real estate and fishery sectors; generating more than US$ 9 billion in revenues; and employing over 33,000 employees throughout Latin America. Media Contacts GIP: Media Inquiries Team [email protected] +1.646.282.1545 Brunswick Group: Alex Yankus / Zaman Toleafoa [email protected] +1.212.333.3810 1) Acquisition made by GIP Emerging Markets I Fund through its Peruvian entity Dragon BidCo S.A.C. 2) Source: Data from U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 3) Source: IHS Markit SOURCE Global Infrastructure Partners DUBLIN, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Metal Injection Molding Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2023-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global metal injection molding market size reached US$ 3.9 Billion in 2022. Looking forward, the analyst expects the market to reach US$ 7.1 Billion by 2028, exhibiting a CAGR of 10.5% during 2022-2028. Companies Mentioned Amphenol Corporation ARC Group Worldwide Inc. ATW Companies Inc. CMG Technologies CN Innovations Ltd. Dean Group International Ltd Ernst Reiner GmbH & Co. KG Metal Powder Products LLC Parmaco Metal Injection Molding AG Sintex a/s Smith Metal Products and Tanfel Metal Metal injection molding (MIM) refers to an advanced, cost-effective, metalworking procedure, wherein finely powdered metal is mixed with binder material to manufacture the output of feedstocks. These raw materials are further solidified and shaped accurately with the assistance of injection molding. After formation, conditioning operations are executed on finished feedstocks for sintering, removing blinders, and densifying the powders. MIM offer corrosion, thermal stability, high mechanical strength, and dimensional stability to small, finished metal products, due to which they are extensively employed across various industrial applications. One of the key factors primarily driving the metal injection molding market growth is the widespread product adoption in the automotive sector for producing precise, lightweight, and high-quality motorized parts in large quantity. These components are further used to manufacture various vehicular parts, such as steering, gearbox, locking mechanisms and turbochargers. In line with this, the extensive deployment of metal injection molding technology for manufacturing surgical equipment, including ablation electrodes, endoscopic graspers, scissors, orthopedic tools, and trauma plates is acting as another growth-inducing factor. Moreover, the shifting inclination of manufacturers toward MIM solutions over conventional molding procedures is contributing to the market growth. Metal injection molding assists in completing operations at affordable prices and reducing the production time and wastage of raw materials used in the production of feedstocks. Other factors, such as rapid urbanization and industrialization, particularly in emerging economies, strategic collaborations amongst key players and the rising investments in research and development (R&D) activities to introduce advanced MIM for mass designing complex shaped metal components are creating a positive outlook for the market. Key Questions Answered in This Report 1. What was the size of the global metal injection molding market in 2022? 2. What is the expected growth rate of the global metal injection molding market during 2023-2028? 3. What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global metal injection molding market? 4. What are the key factors driving the global metal injection molding market? 5. What is the breakup of the global metal injection molding market based on the material type? 6. What is the breakup of the global metal injection molding market based on the end use industry? 7. What are the key regions in the global metal injection molding market? 8. Who are the key players/companies in the global metal injection molding market? Key Topics Covered: 1 Preface 2 Scope and Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Introduction 4.1 Overview 4.2 Key Industry Trends 5 Global Metal Injection Molding Market 5.1 Market Overview 5.2 Market Performance 5.3 Impact of COVID-19 5.4 Market Forecast 6 Market Breakup by Material Type 6.1 Stainless Steel 6.1.1 Market Trends 6.1.2 Market Forecast 6.2 Low Alloy Steel 6.3 Soft Magnetic Material 6.4 Others 7 Market Breakup by End Use Industry 7.1 Electrical and Electronics 7.2 Automotive 7.3 Medical and Orthodontics 7.4 Consumer Products 7.5 Firearms and Defense 7.6 Others 8 Market Breakup by Region 9 SWOT Analysis 10 Value Chain Analysis 11 Porters Five Forces Analysis 12 Price Analysis 13 Competitive Landscape 13.1 Market Structure 13.2 Key Players 13.3 Profiles of Key Players For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/wisdr6 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. 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 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets CHICAGO, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Landmarks Illinois has awarded grants to fund historic preservation projects in Golconda and Murphysboro through the Landmarks Illinois Banterra Bank Preserve Southern Illinois Grant Program. The matching grants will support projects at the Riverview Mansion Hotel in Golconda and a commercial building in Murphysboro's Main Street corridor, sparking local economic development and reinvestment in our historic places in Southern Illinois. The owners of 1330 Walnut St. in Murphysboro (pictured), have been awarded a $2,500 grant through the Landmarks Illinois Banterra Bank Preserve Southern Illinois grant program to help repair windows on the second floor of the historic building. Golconda grant A $2,500 Landmarks Illinois Banterra Bank Preserve Southern Illinois matching grant was awarded to the owners of the Riverview Mansion Hotel in Golconda to help make necessary exterior repairs to the 129-year-old building. The Riverview Mansion Hotel is a Victorian-style home built in 1894 for John Gilbert, Jr., who served as the city's mayor. It has operated as a hotel since the mid-1920s, providing overnight accommodations and bringing economic activity to the city in Pope County. The stately structure features a dozen stained glass windows, including a Palladian-style window on the front elevation that is in need of repair. Riverview's owners Anthony and Beth Eckert will use the grant to help pay for exterior maintenance to the window. Murphysboro grant Jamie and Shannon Green, owners of the historic building at 1330 Walnut St. in Murphysboro, will use their $2,500 grant through the Landmarks Illinois Banterra Bank Preserve Southern Illinois grant program to help cover the cost of installing new windows on the second floor of the commercial building. The first floor is home to two local businesses (White House Salon and Yoga on the Block), and the second floor is being rehabilitated for residential use. The structure is one of six commercial properties in Murphysboro's Main Street corridor that the Greens have purchased and are restoring in an effort to increase activity in downtown. Jamie also serves as Director of Murphysboro's Main Street program and is a steering committee member for Revitalize 62966, which is dedicated to revitalizing Murphysboro through project development and community input. Read more about each of these grant projects at the Landmarks Illinois website. Landmarks Illinois and Banterra Bank will host check presentations with both grant recipients in May. The public and the press are welcome to attend. More details will be announced at a later date. About the grant program The Landmarks Illinois Banterra Bank Preserve Southern Illinois Grant Program provides monetary assistance to preserve or rehabilitate historic structures in downtowns and other commercial corridors of Southern Illinois to support economic development. Launched in the spring of 2022, this is the first grant program Landmarks Illinois has targeted to a specific Illinois economic development region and is also the organization's first grant program offered to private building owners, developers and for-profit business owners. Grants are awarded on a matching basis and range from $500 to $2,500 each based on project need. Grants are distributed twice a year. Grant application deadlines are January 1 and July 1. Commercial property owners, nonprofit organizations or governmental bodies are encouraged to apply. Visit our website to read detailed grant guidelines and to submit an application. About Banterra Bank Founded in Southern Illinois, Banterra Bank approached Landmarks Illinois with the grant program concept, because they saw a need for preserving the region's historic downtown buildings and supporting small business development in the area. Banterra began as a single bank in Ridgway, Illinois in July of 1975. Today, Banterra has $2.7 billion in assets and is ranked in the Top Ten Percent of U.S. Charter Banks and Top Five Percent for Illinois Charter Banks by asset size. Banterra has almost 40 locations in Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri and Utah, as well as a specialty lending division that serves customers nationwide. For more information, call 866-BANTERRA (226-8377) or go to www.banterra.bank. About Landmarks Illinois We are People Saving Places for People. Landmarks Illinois is a membership-based, historic preservation nonprofit organization serving the people of Illinois. We inspire and empower stakeholders to save places that matter to them by providing free guidance, practical and financial resources and access to strategic partnerships. For more information, visit www.Landmarks.org. Media Contact: Kaitlyn McAvoy Communications Manager Landmarks Illinois [email protected] SOURCE Landmarks Illinois Clinical candidate selection finalised for lead programme targeting mast-cell driven diseases Dermatology industry veteran Thibaud Portal, PhD appointed as CEO LONDON, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Granular Therapeutics, (Granular) a private biotech company specialising in precision biologic therapies for treating mast cell driven disorders, today announces clinical candidate selection for its lead programme which has demonstrated promising results in initial preclinical studies., Granular has now commenced proof-of-concept (POC) and IND-enabling studies as it prepares for clinical development. Since starting work on these concepts in 2019 with backing from Medicxi, Granular has gained a deep understanding of the biology of mast cells and their role in chronic inflammatory diseases. It has developed a pipeline of next-generation approaches that selectively target mast cells. This approach can drive direct and specific mast cell inhibition, avoid systemic toxicity and enable safe chronic dosing for mast cell driven diseases such as chronic urticaria or systemic mastocytosis. Brian Kim, Scientific Advisory Board member of Granular Therapeutics, remarked: "Recent data in the field of mast cell driven diseases like Urticaria have shown that tremendous efficacy can be attained, but safety concerns still remain, especially in chronic disease settings. Granular offers a next generation modality that offers the promise of increased selectivity and safety." As Granular embarks on the development of its mast cell targeting pipeline of therapies towards clinical phases, it has appointed a dermatology expert, Dr Thibaud Portal, as Chief Executive Officer. Thibaud Portal is a dermatology specialist who was previously Head of Prescription Medicines business and strategy at Galderma SA and is also co-founder of multiple dermatology focused start-up companies. Dr Jonny Finlay, who co-founded Granular and oversaw the discovery phases, will continue to advise the company and will serve on its Board of Directors. Thibaud Portal, Chief Executive Officer of Granular Therapeutics, commented: "I am honored and delighted to join the Granular team. Selective mast cell targeting offers outstanding opportunities to address a range of disease indications with a high unmet medical need. I believe this new approach is a significant advancement in the field of chronic inflammatory diseases and that Granular has most exciting pipeline in the field." Jonny Finlay, Co-founder and Member of the Board of Directors of Granular Therapeutics said: "Finalising the selection of our first clinical candidate is a critical milestone for our company. It is the ideal time to add new competences to the company in order to optimise the positioning of Granular's innovative portfolio of exciting assets across high priority therapeutic areas in the field of chronic inflammatory diseases." Francesco De Rubertis, Chairman of Granular Therapeutics, added: "We are pleased to welcome Thibaud to Granular's leadership team at this pivotal time of Company growth. As we approach important inflection points, Thibaud's expertise and knowledge will be invaluable in making defining decisions for the future of our innovative programmes." About Granular Therapeutics Granular Therapeutics is a UK-based biotechnology company backed by Medicxi, focusing on treatment of mast cell driven diseases. The company was co-founded by Jonny Finlay and Jamie Coleman. Jonny is an industry veteran with two decades of experience in biologics discovery and development in academia, government and pharma whose career spanned CBER-FDA, Wyeth and Pfizer before becoming a Biotech entrepreneur and the founder of Biotech UltraHuman which spun out of LockBody Therapeutics (now a Centessa company), and Granular Therapeutics. Jamie has been involved for many years in the interface between software, healthcare and investment and co-founded UK-based tech incubator CodeBase, as well as UltraHuman. Granular's CSO, Orla Cunningham was previously Senior Director of Pfizer's BioMedicine Design Group leading multi-disciplinary teams across diverse research units and supported discovery programmes from conception through to late-stage development. For further information, please visit www.granulartherapeutics.com About Medicxi Medicxi is a healthcare-focused investment firm with the mission to create and invest in companies across the full drug development continuum. Leveraging deep expertise in drug development and company creation spanning over two decades, Medicxi invests in early and late-stage therapeutics with a product vision that can fulfill a clear unmet medical need. For more information, please visit: https://www.medicxi.com. SOURCE Granula Therapeutics DUBLIN, March 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Growth Opportunities in North American Passenger Vehicle Connected Services" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The North American connected car market is incorporating technologically advanced services into vehicles. By initiating connected services, such as vehicle DTC and eCall, into the present-day remote car-to-home and biometric authentications, automakers focus on increasing awareness of these services among users to improve connected vehicle penetration. With the shift in vehicle usage during the pandemic, automakers have quickly changed business models, particularly across premium OEMs, to adopt a feature-on-demand post-service trial period; however, the mass market still relies on active subscribers. The North American connected car report discusses OEMs with the highest sales in North America, focusing on embedded and tethered connectivity. The connected services provided by each OEM are categorized into 8 segments. The growing market of connected services will influence the support for electric vehicle (EV) and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) adoption by aiding remote services, such as EV charging status and control, charging station availability, drive monitoring, and map data and intelligent traffic management. Connected car data is crucial for smart cities and the autonomous era, as it conveys vehicle and consumer usage. While the US and Canada are predominant in contributing to the revenue of connected cars in North America, Mexico is in tandem with smartphone integrations, such as CarPlay and Android Auto, and embedded services. Key Topics Covered: 1. Strategic Imperatives Why Is It Increasingly Difficult to Grow? The Strategic Imperative 8 The Impact of the Top 3 Strategic Imperatives on the Connected Service Industry Growth Opportunities Fuel the Growth Pipeline Engine 2. Growth Opportunity Analysis Scope of Analysis Segmentation Key Competitors Growth Metrics Growth Drivers Growth Restraints Forecast Assumptions CC Sales Forecast Unit Shipment Forecast by Connectivity Percentage Connectivity Penetration Forecast Vehicle Parc Forecast by Connectivity Active CCs and CC Revenue Forecast Revenue Forecast by Connectivity Pricing Trends and Revenue Forecast Analysis, CC Market Competitive Environment 3. Growth Opportunity Analysis: Embedded Connectivity Growth Metrics Active Embedded CCs and CC Revenue Forecast Pricing Trends and Revenue Forecast Analysis: The Embedded CC Market 4. Growth Opportunity Analysis: Tethered Connectivity Growth Metrics Active Tethered CCs and CC Revenue Forecast Pricing Trends and Revenue Forecast Analysis, Tethered CC Market 5. Growth Opportunity Analysis: OEM Strategies Connected Service Categories Connected Services in Premium Brands Connected Services Features in Volume Brands Audi Connected Platform Services Audi Connected Services Platform Availability BMW Connected Platform Services BMW Connected Services Platform Availability Chevrolet Connected Platform Services Chevrolet Connected Services Platform Availability Ford Connected Platform Services Ford Connected Services Platform Availability Honda Connected Platform Services Honda Connected Services Platform Availability Lexus Connected Platform Services Lexus Connected Services Platform Availability Mercedes-Benz Connected Platform Services Mercedes-Benz Connected Services Platform Availability Nissan Connected Platform Services Nissan Connected Services Market Platform Availability Tesla Connected Platform Services Tesla Connected Services Platform Availability Toyota Connected Platform Services Toyota Connected Services Platform Availability 6. Growth Opportunity Universe Growth Opportunity 1: Future of Connectivity - Convenience Services Growth Opportunity 2: EV Connected Services Growth Opportunity 3: 5G Connected Services 7. Next Steps Your Next Steps List of Exhibits Legal Disclaimer A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes Audi BMW Chevrolet Ford Honda Lexus Mercedes-Benz Nissan Tesla Toyota For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/l0m4kx About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. 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 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets Organizations centralize data integrations on the warehouse to save time, develop new use cases and increase confidence in data. SAN FRANCISCO, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hightouch, the Data Activation company that has popularized Reverse ETL, together with Fivetran, the global leader in automated data movement, today announced a key milestone in their partnership and the adoption of the modern data stack at large: over 230 data-driven organizations rely on both companies to automate their end-to-end data pipelines. This rapid acceleration in joint customers is testament to the value of building warehouse-centric data pipelines, and bridging that data to business teams. Fivetran has drastically simplified the most time-consuming and toilsome tasks of the ELT process, while Hightouch ensures that the data loaded into the warehouse gets used to its full potential by making it readily accessible to business users in the downstream tools used to build exceptional customer experiences. Until recently, data warehousing was only accessible to the largest enterprises with outsized budgets, and those who did have a warehousing strategy often were forced to make tradeoffs related to the amount of data they collected and analyzed. Monolithic on-premises warehouses were prohibitively expensive to procure, and the process of moving and modeling data was onerous, costly, and manual. Further, once data was stored in the warehouse, it was typically used for backwards-looking analytics efforts, visualized through static dashboards. The advent of the cloud data warehouse has flipped the paradigm on its head. The emergence and rapid adoption of the cloud data warehouse ushered in a new era of data integration, allowing data teams to ingest data from virtually any source with the flexibility to define transformation schemas once data is in the warehouse. This, coupled with the explosion of data (propagated by mobile, social, IoT, AI, etc.) and the exponential number of data consumers across a given organization, has made data pipeline automation a requirement. Rising to the occasion, Fivetran has established itself as the de facto leader in ELT . What's more, organizations aren't simply collecting more datathey are doing more with the data they collect. Winning teams are "closing the loop" on their data pipelines by delivering transformed data from the warehouse back into the apps that marketing and business teams rely on using Hightouch. Further, Hightouch's deep integrations into Fivetran ensure seamless orchestration of data pipelines both in and out of the warehouse. By building warehouse-centric data integrations with Hightouch and Fivetran, organizations can: Simplify architecture, reduce toilsome work, and promote data consistency across the business Ensure that the freshest data is informing marketing campaigns and business decisions by using Hightouch's native Fivetran integration to trigger Hightouch syncs to run once Fivetran jobs and dbt transformations are complete Deliver exceptional customer experiences by giving marketing teams ready-access to up-to-date customer data to launch personalized omnichannel campaigns "Finding ways to streamline the flow of data is critical to our growth. Using Fivetran to get information into our data warehouse and activating that data with Hightouch enables the data team to deliver even more value to our organization and customers." -Josiah Brann, Director of Engineering at Discovery Education "Our business teams are constantly finding new ways to use data. Product and marketing, for example, self-serve the data they need directly from the warehouse. They don't know how much we lean on Fivetran for ELT and Hightouch for rETL. They just know that the data they need can be easily accessed for new campaigns, experiments, and initiatives." - Matt DiRe, Manager Business Intelligence & Analytics at Homebot "Fivetran and Hightouch drastically decrease our time to market. We don't have to worry about source schema or API changes - everything lands in our warehouse with a click and then our audiences are synced out to all of our tooling with Hightouch and not needing any technical expertise for our internal users." -Garrett McClintock, Analytics Engineering Manager at Heap "Company growth requires that we reduce confusion and increase confidence in the accuracy of our data. Fivetran and Hightouch ensure that all relevant data is ingested into and then synced from the warehouse, which gives our teams the confidence to make data-driven decisions." -Patrick Chouinard, Senior Product Manager at Fabfitfun "Fivetran and Hightouch both work seamlessly within our data platform. They remove the burden of cumbersome (reverse) ETL from the data team, enabling them to focus on initiatives that drive business outcomes. They are easy enough to use that business users can self-serve many data loading and data export tasks themselves." - Jonathan Talmi, Senior Engineering Manager - Data Platform at Super "By adopting a hub-and-spoke model centered on the data warehouse, the complexity of traditional point-to-point integrations can be avoided. The integration between ELT and reverse ETL allows for a cohesive flow of data, providing greater control over all customer data regardless of its origin. This is precisely why Fivetran and Hightouch, working together in parallel, offer a streamlined, efficient, effective, and practical approach to data integration." Michael Bull, Senior Director, Technology Alliances at Fivetran "By streamlining and industrializing data acquisition and activation, Fivetran and Hightouch accelerate leveraging data for new and exciting opportunities. The continued digitalization of products and interactions require new and more efficient models for integrating and harmonizing data that is actionable with fewer feats of engineering. As enterprises mature capabilities around predictive and prescriptive models, reliably moving data through a high performance data platform, in a declarative manner, reduces complexity and time to value. Companies that continue to digitally optimize at speed and scale will come out ahead." - Hal Jagger, CRO at phData "It's becoming increasingly evident that the modern data stack isn't a horizontal line. It's actually a circle, anchored by the cloud data warehouse and various SaaS applications that power a business," explains Tejas Manohar, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Hightouch. "Fivetran has simplified and standardized how data teams move data from their source (SaaS apps) into the warehouse. Hightouch has standardized how that transformed data is then moved out of the warehouse and back into SaaS applications to power day-to-day decisions for marketing and business teams. We look forward to our continued partnership as we help all organizations close the loop on their data pipelines." Learn more about Fivetran, Hightouch, and the value they jointly deliver to over 230 mutual customers. Come join us at the Modern Data Stack Conference April 4-5 in San Francisco where Erik Edelmann, Data Engineer at Hightouch and Josiah Brann, Director of Engineering at Discovery Education will together deliver a session entitled Centralized Integrations for Centralized Data on Tuesday April 4 at 2pm PT . About Hightouch Hightouch is the world's leading Data Activation platform that transforms the data warehouse into an actionable hub for any team within an organization. Powered by Reverse ETL and a suite of no-code features, data and marketing teams lean on Hightouch to activate data from their data warehouse directly into 140+ business tools and applications. Equipped with ready access to complete customer data in the SaaS tools they already use, modern teams are empowered to deliver the personalized experiences consumers have come to expect. That's why hundreds of companies like Autotrader, Plaid, the NBA, and Imperfect Foods trust Hightouch to sync billions of customer data points and audiences each year. For more information, visit hightouch.com. SOURCE Hightouch The Central Bank of Bahrain has issued amendments to its Crypto-assets (CRA) Module expanding their scope to comprise Digital Token Offerings as part of its framework for regulated crypto-assets. The amendments aim to cater to the ongoing developments in the crypto-assets markets and comply with the industry best practices while enhancing investors protection, as part of the CBBs plan to further develop the crypto-assets market in line with the kingdoms Economic Recovery Plan. Accordingly, all offers of digital tokens that exhibit the characteristics of security will be regulated by the CBB. In determining whether a digital token qualifies as a security, the CBB will examine the underlying economic purpose of the digital token, its structure, characteristics, as well as the rights attached to the digital token. Protection for investors The amendments also outline new requirements to enhance safeguarding clients assets to provide high levels of protection for investors. Furthermore, the new amendments allow crypto-assets licensees (after obtaining the CBBs approval) to engage in additional activities, which are not within the stipulated regulated crypto-asset services. Director of the Capital Markets Supervision Directorate, Abeer Al Saad, said: We have issued new amendments to our regulatory framework for crypto-assets. They specifically introduce new regulatory requirements for the digital token offerings in order to regulate the crypto-assets market in a fair and transparent manner. Therefore, the CBB has adopted a risk-based regulatory approach towards requirements, which are proportionate and commensurate to the regulated activity undertaken by a licensee. We endeavour to provide adequate safeguards to investors without inhibiting innovation adoption at the CBB, as we continue to monitor market trends and review the regulatory framework to keep up with the latest developments in the field, as well as maintain the competitiveness of the sector. This milestone is a reflection of the pioneering role the CBB continues to play in regulating crypto-assets.-- TradeArabia News Service BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. In regard with the commissioning of the new Lachin road, several high grounds between Jaghazur and Zabukh villages of Lachin region, main and auxiliary roads, as well as large areas along the border were taken under the control of the Azerbaijan Army Units, Trend reports via the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan. New cruises include a spectacular 21-day roundtrip from Boston; private island Half Moon Cay remains centerpiece of Caribbean sailings SEATTLE, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Holland America Line's 2024-2025 Caribbean season opens for booking today, and the premium cruise line is continuing its trend of longer, more immersive cruise itineraries with the introduction of three new voyages that are 14 and 21 days. Also new for this season is adding Boston, Massachusetts, as a Caribbean departure port in addition to Fort Lauderdale, Florida and the return of calls at Bermuda. Caribbean cruises range in length from four to 14 days, span the entire region and include a call at Half Moon Cay, Holland America Lines award-winning private island. ms Eurodam at Half Moon Cay in the Caribbean The 2024-2025 season puts the spotlight on longer voyages, offering travelers more time in the Caribbean and the opportunity to visit more islands on one itinerary. "Holland America Line is meeting the desire of our guests who want more immersive experiences, and we're excited to offer new itineraries and a new departure option for this Caribbean season," said Gus Antorcha, Holland America Line's president. "With sailings covering the entire region and combinable itineraries up to 35 days, our Caribbean cruises extend to lesser-visited islands and are among the most diverse in the industry." Holland America Line's Caribbean cruises sail from October 2024 through March 2025 and feature five- to 21-day options to the eastern, western and southern regions, including sailings that spend a day discovering the Panama Canal. Six Holland America Line ships will head to the Caribbean including two Pinnacle Class ships with the majority of itineraries roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale. Two of the new itineraries depart from Boston. Nearly all itineraries feature Half Moon Cay, Holland America Line's award-winning private island in the Bahamas boasting the finest beach in the Caribbean. On select itineraries, evening departures from Puerto Rico, Curacao, St. Maarten and Aruba mean more time in port and the chance to experience the vibrant Caribbean nightlife. Guests can cruise to the Caribbean aboard Eurodam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Nieuw Statendam, Rotterdam, Volendam and Zuiderdam. New and Notable Longer Cruises: New is a unique 21-Day "Perfect Caribbean Escape" cruise roundtrip from Boston aboard Zuiderdam. Departing Oct. 19, 2024, this extended tropical adventure includes a partial Panama Canal transit and a call at Bermuda. Following Bermuda, the ship makes its way to Half Moon Cay; Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos; Curacao; Aruba; Cartagena, Colombia; Colon, Panama; Puerto Limon, Costa Rica; Port Canaveral, Florida; and Bimini, Bahamas. Following the 21-day roundtrip Boston cruise, Zuiderdam offers a new 14-day "Southern Caribbean" itinerary from Boston to Fort Lauderdale departing Nov. 9 that also includes a call at Bermuda. The ship then heads to St. Thomas, St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Barbados, Curacao and Half Moon Cay. The 21- and 14-day departures can be combined to form a destination-rich 35-Day Collectors' Voyage for the ultimate Caribbean experience. Another new 21-day Caribbean exploration sails roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale aboard Volendam. Departing Jan. 4, 2025, this in-depth "Ultimate Caribbean" journey deeply explores the area, with calls at Half Moon Cay; Amber Cove, Dominican Republic; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Tortola; St. Maarten; Antigua; Dominica; St. Lucia; Barbados; St. Vincent; Grenada; Bonaire; Aruba; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; and Grand Cayman. Western Caribbean: Holland America Line's western Caribbean itineraries include six-, seven- and 10-day options. The seven-day cruise calls at Cozumel, Mexico; Half Moon Cay, Ocho Rios and Grand Cayman. The three 10-day itineraries span the region and are combination of ports that include Montego Bay or Falmouth, Jamaica; Mahogany Bay, Honduras; Belize City, Belize; Grandy Cayman, Cozumel, Half Moon Cay, and Bimini. Eastern Caribbean: The seven-day eastern Caribbean itinerary includes Grand Turk, St. Thomas, San Juan and Half Moon Cay. A longer 11-day "Eastern Caribbean Wayfarer" itinerary calls at St. Maarten, Antigua, St. Lucia, Dominica, St. Kitts, St. Thomas and Half Moon Cay. Southern Caribbean: In addition to the new Boston to Fort Lauderdale cruise, the southern Caribbean itineraries range from nine to 14 days. The nine-day cruise makes way to the ABC Islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao before visiting Half Moon Cay, while the 10-day itinerary also adds Grand Turk and Amber Cove. The 14-day "Southern Caribbean Holiday" cruise departing Dec. 21, 2024, explores St. Thomas, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, Guadeloupe, St. Maarten, Puerto Rico and Half Moon Cay. Tropical Caribbean: Guests looking for a shorter getaway can embark on the five-day itinerary that visits Half Moon Cay and Amber Cove. The popular seven-day Tropical Caribbean returns with calls at Grand Turk, Amber Cove and Half Moon Cay. Partial Panama Canal: Guests looking to visit the Panama Canal without a coast-to-coast transit can embark on the 12-day "Panama Canal Sunfarer" itinerary. In addition to venturing around Panama Canal's Gatun Lake and a partial transit, the itinerary includes Curacao, Cartagena, Colon, Puerto Limon, and Half Moon Cay. Combine Back-to-Back Cruises for Longer Collectors' Voyages Many of the cruises can be extended into Collectors' Voyages to create the ultimate Caribbean exploration with more economical fares than booking the cruises individually. Ranging from 14 to 35 days, these longer journeys combine nonrepeating, back-to-back itineraries, enabling guests to span more than one Caribbean region and enjoy the ultimate island-hopping journey. Early Booking Bonus Offers For a limited time, when guests book newly opening 2024-2025 Caribbean cruises with the Have It All premium package, the standard package amenities of shore excursions, specialty dining, a Signature Beverage Package and Surf Wi-Fi are included plus the added perk of free prepaid Crew Appreciation, along with free upgrades to the Elite Beverage Package and Premium Wi-Fi. Guests also can take advantage of Holland America Line's Exclusive Mariner Society Early Booking Bonus. Mariner Society loyalty members can enjoy up to $400 onboard credit per stateroom when select cruises open for sale. Guests must book these cruises by June 27, 2023, to receive the Exclusive Mariner Society Early Booking Bonus. For more information about Holland America Line, consult a travel advisor, call 1-877-SAIL HAL (877-724-5425) or visit hollandamerica.com. Editors Note: Photos are available at https://www.cruiseimagelibrary.com/c/zuqcdnsf. Find Holland America Line on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the Holland America Blog. You can also access all social media outlets via the home page at hollandamerica.com. About Holland America Line Holland America Line, part of Carnival Corporation and plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL andNYSE:CUK), has been exploring the world for 150 years with expertly crafted itineraries, extraordinary service and genuine connections to each destination. Offering an ideal mid-sized ship experience, its fleet visits nearly 400 ports in 114 countries around the world and has shared the thrill of Alaska for 75 years longer than any other cruise line. Holland America Line's 11 vessels feature a diverse range of enriching activities and amenities focused on destination immersion and personalized travel. The best live music at sea fills each evening at Music Walk, and dining venues feature exclusive selections from a Culinary Council of world-famous chefs. CONTACT: Bill Zucker, Erik Elvejord PHONE: 800-637-5029, 206-626-9890 EMAIL: [email protected] SOURCE Holland America Line DHAKA, Bangladesh, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Huawei and bKash agreed to deepen partnership in Bangladesh, to further drive financial inclusion and enable more people to participate in and benefit from digital economy in the country. bKash, Bangladesh's largest mobile payment operator, provides mobile financial services to 68 million people, caters to every family in Bangladesh. Huawei powers bKash's services with its cutting-edge digital finance solutions. Representatives from Huawei Bangladesh and bKash are signing the MOU. To take the journey forward, Pan Junfeng, President, Huawei South Asia Region & CEO, Huawei Bangladesh and Kamal Quadir, Founder and CEO of bKash have signed an MoU at Huawei Bangladesh Academy on Wednesday, 29th March 2023 in Dhaka. Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony titled "Smart Fintech: Inclusive. Innovative. Inspiring Bangladesh", Kamal Quadir, Founder and CEO of bKash highlighted the significance of the partnership. "Financial inclusion and inclusive services have been part of bKash's DNA since its inception in 2011. At the advent of the fourth industrial revolution, we are working tirelessly towards a digital financial ecosystem and becoming a Smart Nation. The joint effort of bKash and Huawei aims at driving financial inclusion and eliminating poverty for SDGs with innovative solutions," said Kamal. Since development of the current FinTech products, Huawei has deployed its platform across more than 30 markets in Asia and Africa. In total, Huawei's FinTech solutions are being used by over 400 million people worldwide. Pan Junfeng, President, Huawei South Asia Region & CEO, Huawei Bangladesh said that the strengthened partnership between Huawei and bKash in Bangladesh aims to drive digital inclusion in the country. "Since 2017, Huawei has been working closely with bKash in digitalizing its MFS with the leading Mobile Money platform. The platform offers services such as e-wallet and Nano-loan, bringing financial inclusion and innovation to local communities. Moving forward, we will continue to deepen our partnership to empower and enable more people in Bangladesh to seize the benefits of the digital economy for development. And I believe that our partnership will drive the growth of the digital economy in Bangladesh, setting a remarkable example to other EM countries in the region, when it comes to financial inclusion," said Pan. Speaking at the event Sarder M Asaduzzaman, Assistant Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme highlighted the contribution of MFS in the development and in achieving the target of SDGs, "This initiative: smart fintech bringing an inclusive, innovative, and inspiring Bangladesh carries heavy weight and insights. I believe both Huawei and bKash agree and are working on that. And their further partnership will reinforce the whole initiative." "SDG is the end goal, it is where we want to be in the 2030s. We are on the path and this Smart Fintech partnership is the vehicle that will drive us to get there." said Ms. Susan Vize, Officer-in-Charge of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Dhaka Office. SOURCE Huawei Four Days of In-Person and Virtual Events, Featuring Inspiring Digital Content Presentations Maria Menounos returns to Host IAB Main Stage on Wednesday, May 3 NEW YORK, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Advancements in streaming and digital media continue to provide consumers with exceptional viewing experiences. With a four-day series of exclusive presentations highlighting new content, talent, and advertising opportunities, the 2023 IAB NewFronts reveals what's next in data-powered advertising across digital video, advanced TV, and connected TV. Commencing on May 1 across New York City and virtually on IAB.com, the 2023 IAB NewFronts will gather thousands of brands, agencies, media buyers, and technology providers. Google/YouTube is one of the founding partners of the NewFronts and has been a presenting partner for over a decade. For the second year in a row, YouTube returns as the IAB NewFronts Principal Partner and will kick off the 2023 IAB NewFronts on Monday with a networking breakfast followed by the first NewFronts presentation. New this year, IAB will be hosting an insights-packed, rapid-fire series of presentations from a stage in NYC at Convene (225 Liberty Street) on Wednesday, May 3. Returning for the second time, Emmy Award-winner and New York Times bestselling author Maria Menounos will host on Wednesday of IAB NewFronts, bringing her own experience in the creator economy as a streaming media entrepreneur to every conversation. Additionally, IAB will be releasing its annual Video Ad Spend Study, which includes full year 2022 results and an outlook for 2023. "With more opportunities than ever, the 2023 IAB NewFronts is the best opportunity to gather buyers and sellers to talk about growth, innovation, and the state of the industry," said David Cohen, Chief Executive Officer, IAB. "This year, we asked buyers about which diverse media companies they wanted to hear from, and they suggested: Blavity, Cocina, and Urban One. We are pleased to offer each of them an opportunity to present this year at no cost. In summary, there's no better place to kick off the buying season, especially if you're interested in what's new and what's next." "The growth of ad-supported platforms means that consumers and media buyers have more choices than ever," said Eric John, Vice President, Media Center, IAB. "No one should be taking last year's approach to this year's NewFronts. The IAB NewFronts is a must-attend event for everyone who needs to understand the latest consumer trends and newest interactive ad models to remain competitive." 2023 IAB NewFronts May 1-4 Agenda* Monday, 5/1 In-Person + Virtual Tuesday, 5/2 In-Person + Virtual Wednesday, 5/3 In-Person + Virtual Thursday, 5/4 In-Person + Virtual 8:00am-9:00am Networking Breakfast YouTube 9:00am-10:30am Samsung Ads 9:00am-6:30pm IAB MAIN STAGE Details below 9:00am-10:30am Conde Nast 9:00am-10:30am YouTube 11:30am-1:00pm Snap Inc. 11:30am-12:30pm IAB Presents: Special Sessions from Amagi, Kargo, and TiVo 2:00pm-3:30pm VIZIO Ads 2:00pm-3:30pm Peacock 2:00pm-2:30pm Meta 7:00pm-8:30pm Amazon 4:30pm-6:00pm Roku 4:30pm-6:00pm Vevo 7:00pm-8:30pm Yahoo* *Session not streamed 7:00pm-8:30pm TikTok* *Session not streamed *All times are in EST; Attendees must reach out to presenters' PR contacts to attend their presentations; Speakers and timing are subject to change; For up-to-the-minute agenda, refer to the IAB website: iab.com/newfronts . 2023 IAB NewFronts Main Stage May 3 Agenda 9:25am-9:30am IAB Welcome David Cohen, CEO, IAB 12:55pm-1:00pm Lunch Sponsor Remarks Presented by Kargo 9:30am-9:45am Opening Keynote Eric John, VP, Media Center, IAB 2:10pm-2:30pm LG Ads 9:45am-10:05am BBC 2:30pm-2:40pm TransUnion 10:05am-10:15am Innovid 2:40pm-3:00pm Canela Media 10:20am-10:35am CafeMedia 3:05pm-3:20pm Samba TV 10:35am-11:20am Networking Break Sponsored by Fubo 4:10pm-4:30pm LATV 11:30am-11:50am Crackle Connex 4:30pm-4:40pm Teads 11:50am-12:10pm Estrella Media 4:45pm-5:05pm GSTV 12:15pm-12:25pm Comscore 5:05pm-5:25pm Americano Media 12:25pm-12:40pm REVRY 5:25pm-5:30pm Closing Remarks Eric John, VP, Media Center, IAB 12:40pm-12:50pm DIRECTV Advertising 5:30pm-6:30pm Networking Reception Presented by A+E Networks *All times are in EST; Speakers and timing are subject to change; For up-to-the-minute agenda, refer to the IAB website: iab.com/newfronts . About IAB The Interactive Advertising Bureau empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. Its membership comprises more than 700 leading media companies, brands, agencies, and the technology firms responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital ad marketing campaigns. The trade group fields critical research on interactive advertising, while also educating brands, agencies, and the wider business community on the importance of digital marketing. In affiliation with the IAB Tech Lab, IAB develops technical standards and solutions. IAB is committed to professional development and elevating the knowledge, skills, expertise, and diversity of the workforce across the industry. Through the work of its public policy office in Washington, D.C., the trade association advocates for its members and promotes the value of the interactive advertising industry to legislators and policymakers. Founded in 1996, IAB is headquartered in New York City. SOURCE Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Supporting 320K+ jobs BELMONT, Mass., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Massachusetts (AICU Mass), which represents fifty-nine independent, nonprofit colleges and universities across the Commonwealth, today released an economic impact study that demonstrates the statewide annual impact in Massachusetts of its members at $71.1B. The study was conducted by the national, independent research firm Econsult Solutions, Inc. (ESI). ESI's research also shows that the educational and research activities of the colleges and universities in AICU Mass generate $2.4B in tax revenues to the Commonwealth, as well as an economic impact of $28B from an alumni wage premium, and collectively support 320,800 jobs. "In Massachusetts, we know instinctively that our private colleges and universities are crucial for our economy, with these institutions helping to define what it means to learn, work and live in the Commonwealth," said Rob McCarron, president and CEO of AICU Mass. "This Economic Impact Study puts that into hard numbers that quantify just how crucial. Across this state, these schools are the economic engines for their communities and their regions. Taken together, they are one of the most important anchors of our robust and vibrant knowledge-based economy." The study details the impact of AICU Mass members in four categories: Operations; capital spending; student and visitor (ancillary) spending; and the alumni wage premium. The economic impact in each category, broken down, is: Operations: $35B . Operations are the costs associated of running a campus, such as payroll and purchasing. Oftentimes a local college or university is a community's largest employer and among the largest procurers of goods and services. . Operations are the costs associated of running a campus, such as payroll and purchasing. Oftentimes a local college or university is a community's largest employer and among the largest procurers of goods and services. Capital spending : $4.4B . Capital spending is defined as spending and investments in new construction and on-going maintenance, which supports the construction sector and its related ecosystem. : . Capital spending is defined as spending and investments in new construction and on-going maintenance, which supports the construction sector and its related ecosystem. Ancillary spending : $3.6B . Ancillary spending is student and visitor spending such as campus visits; reunion weekends; commencements, etc. : . Ancillary spending is student and visitor spending such as campus visits; reunion weekends; commencements, etc. Alumni wage: $28B . Alumni wage describes the spending power of the alumni of AICU Mass institutions who live and work in the state. "We know that from one end of the state to the other, our private colleges and universities are producing patents and vital research that drive new products, supporting our current industries and helping create startups," John R. Regan, President and CEO, Associated Industries of Massachusetts. "What the research makes clear in this Economic Impact Study is their enormous daily contribution to our economy in direct spending and jobs, with ripple effects keeping so many small- and mid-sized companies viable." Regional Impacts Eastern Massachusetts has one of the densest concentrations of private higher education in the world and the economic impact reflects it. The region surrounding Boston hosts 42 AICU Mass member schools with a combined economic impact of $64B and supporting 283,000 jobs. While eastern Massachusetts is home to the majority of the private colleges and universities, and to the bulk of the economic dollars and jobs, the presence of private higher education institutions is felt in all regions of the state. In western Massachusetts, 11 AICU Mass schools have an economic impact of $3.3B in the region and support 19,400 job. In central Massachusetts, there are eight AICU Mass members, two with campuses based in Boston, which have an economic impact of $3.8B in the region and support 18,800 jobs. "If you live in Boston or Cambridge or one of the small towns that host so many of our Massachusetts colleges then you know the unique intangible benefits the vibrancy of the students, the access to the arts, to theater and music and classes. What this report shows in hard data are the very tangible impacts of dollars and jobs," said Suffolk University President Marisa J. Kelly and AICU Mass board chair. "The research makes clear the enormous daily contribution of private higher education to our economy in direct spending and jobs." AICU Mass institutions are not only feeding the future workforce for Massachusetts, collectively they educate the majority of Pell Grant recipients* and first-generation students attending a four-year college or university in Massachusetts, while also producing the majority of STEM, nursing and allied healthcare professions earning an Associate's degree or higher in Massachusetts** that will support the Massachusetts workforce for years to come. "This report should serve as a critical reminder of the tremendous impact of the private colleges and universities in the state, not just those detailed in the report, but those less quantifiable, added McCarron. "Our knowledge-based economy and access to talent is why companies relocate their headquarters to the Commonwealth; it's what helps our state economy better weather recession, and is often cited as an invaluable asset in state bond ratings. Massachusetts and the higher education community can take pride in the work we are doing together to build and sustain a unique educational ecosystem that delivers significant impact to local communities, brings opportunity to people's lives, and creates knowledge that benefits the world." A full copy of the report is available by clicking here . About the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts AICU Mass represents 59 independent colleges and universities throughout the Commonwealth, educating more than 285,000 students each year and employing nearly 100,000. Our members include large nationally renowned research universities, smaller, highly regarded liberal arts colleges, religiously affiliated institutions, and colleges with special missions focused on business or music or allied health services. *National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, Federal Student Aid Summary, January 2023 **Source: The Integrated Postsecondary Data System, 2020-21 Completions, First Majors, Degrees Total, Grand Total, STEM-related CIP classification codes. For more information: [email protected] 617-742-5147 SOURCE AICU Annual gathering brings together powerhouse travel advisors, key partners NEW YORK, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Internova Travel Group, one of the world's largest travel services companies, continues to expand its presence in the luxury travel space and strengthen the opportunities it provides to its advisors and partners. Internova will continue to foster close collaboration between its elite travel advisors and luxury supplier partners with the return of Internova PLUS, which will take place from Jan. 16-19, 2024, at the soon-to-be-opened Pendry Newport Beach in Orange County, California. The company recently announced the debut of OLTRE, a new consumer magazine produced for affluent clients of its luxury travel advisors. Global Travel Collection, a division of Internova representing the most influential community of luxury travel agencies, added more than 60 luxury travel advisors last year, representing annual sales growth of almost $100 million. Internova will continue to foster close collaboration between its elite travel advisors and luxury supplier partners with the return of Internova PLUS, which will take place from Jan. 16-19, 2024, at the soon-to-be-opened Pendry Newport Beach in Orange County, California. "We are beyond thrilled to host Internova PLUS at Pendry Newport Beach next year," said Chris Hamaway, Executive Vice President, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of Montage International. "Since our company's founding over 20 years ago, our commitment to the advisor community has been unwavering. We look forward to welcoming our friends from Internova as one of the very first guests at our newest destination for Montage International." Internova PLUS will include 125 powerhouse advisors from among the 100,000 advisors represented across the company's affiliated brands who collectively represent more than $300 million in luxury travel bookings. Advisors are selected based on their production, growth potential and accomplishments. Next year's event comes on the heels of the inaugural Internova PLUS, held at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar in San Diego this past January and attended by 250 industry innovators and thought leaders. Internova PLUS is designed to push the boundaries of traditional event programming by bringing together participants in a smart, sophisticated and innovative approach. "At Internova, we believe partnership is an elegant equation that perfectly balances advisors, partners and travelers, and that when we work together, we can bring tremendous value for everyone," said Albert Herrera, Internova's Executive Vice President, Partner Relations. "The inaugural PLUS event was true partnership in action. We're excited to build upon that momentum as we continue to provide intimate, targeted and curated experiences for our valued advisors and preferred partners to connect." About Internova Travel Group Internova Travel Group is one of the largest travel services companies in the world with a collection of leading brands delivering high-touch, personal travel expertise to leisure and corporate clients. Internova manages leisure, business and franchise firms through a portfolio of distinctive divisions. Internova represents more than 100,000 travel advisors in over 6,000 company-owned and affiliated locations predominantly in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, with a presence in more than 80 countries. CONTACT: Elizabeth Gaerlan [email protected] 212-944-1125 SOURCE Internova Travel Group NEW YORK, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The global intimate wash market size is estimated to increase by USD 174.38 million from 2021 to 2026. The market's growth momentum will progress at a CAGR of 6.44% during the forecast period. One of the major factors fueling growth in the intimate wash market is the changing consumer perception of feminine hygiene products. There is a rapid increase in the number of working women due to urbanization in developing countries and hectic lifestyles. Improving literacy rates among women has led to an awareness of feminine hygiene products. Many women prefer to use intimate wash products to decrease vaginal discharge and the chances of infections. The rise in the number of working women and their growing disposable income allow them to spend more on personal hygiene products. The increasing use of intimate wash products among sportswomen and the publicity about intimate wash products further drive their adoption among women. Thus, the rise in the number of working women and sportswomen drives the demand for intimate wash products. Discover some insights on market size during the forecast period (2021 to 2026) before buying the full report - Request a sample report Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Intimate Wash Market 2022-2026 Intimate Wash Market - Segmentation Assessment Segment Overview Technavio has segmented the market based on distribution channels (offline and online) and geography (Europe, North America, APAC, South America, and the Middle East and Africa). The market share growth by the offline segment will be significant for the global intimate wash market growth during the forecast period. Manufacturers sell their products through specialty stores and retailing formats such as hypermarkets, supermarkets, convenience stores, clubhouse stores, and department stores. Retailers are introducing new business and retail strategies, such as better pricing strategies and wider assortments, due to the declining preference for offline shopping and the need to survive in a competitive market. As a part of the marketing and offline sales strategy, resellers place attractive displays that generate strong sales. Geography Overview The report provides actionable insights and estimates the contribution of all regions to the growth of the global intimate wash market. North America is estimated to account for 31% of the global intimate wash market growth during the forecast period. The US and Canada are the key markets for intimate wash products in the region. Market growth in this region is estimated to be faster than the growth of the market in any other region. The rapid product penetration and ease of availability of these products across the region facilitate the intimate wash market growth in North America during the forecast period. For insights on global, regional, and country-level parameters - Download a Sample Report Intimate wash market Vendor Analysis Vendor Landscape - The global intimate wash market is fragmented with the presence of several global as well as regional vendors. A few prominent vendors that offer intimate wash in the market are Biozoc Inc, Combe Inc., Corman SpA, Healthy Hoohoo, Imbue Natural, INLIFE Pharma Pvt. Ltd., Ketzet Ltd, Kimberly Clark Corp., Laclede Inc., Lemisol Corp., Lifeon Labs Pvt. Ltd., Nutraceutical Corp., Ontex BV, Oriflame Holding AG, Prestige Consumer Healthcare Inc., Sanofi SA, The Honey Pot Co. LLC, Unilever PLC, Walgreen Co., and Zeta Farmaceutici Spa and others. Vendor Offerings - Biozoc Inc. - The company offers an herbal vaginal wash. The company offers an herbal vaginal wash. Combe Inc. - The company offers intimate wash products such as coconut hibiscus wash, rose wash, mini wipes, dry wash, and others. The company offers intimate wash products such as coconut hibiscus wash, rose wash, mini wipes, dry wash, and others. Corman SpA - The company offers intimate wash products under various brands namely, Linfagel and Floragel. The company offers intimate wash products under various brands namely, Linfagel and Floragel. For details on vendors and their offerings Request a sample report Intimate Wash Market Market Dynamics Key Trends - The rising popularity of organic products is an intimate wash market trend that is expected to have a positive impact during the forecast period. People generally prefer organic products when compared to inorganic products. Most consumers in developed countries prefer high-quality intimate wash products that are made from organic materials. One out of five people who use intimate wash products is vulnerable to bacterial vaginosis and other infections. Approximately 84% of users are unaware of exposure to such infections. Almost 95% of all organic intimate washes provide a safe and healthy alternative to conventional intimate washes with their properties such as being free from petrochemicals, parabens, glycerin, and animal products. Hence, factors such as innovations are expected to increase the adoption of organic products. Major challenges - The presence of colorants is expected to be a major challenge impeding the intimate wash market growth during the forecast period. The artificial colors used in intimate wash products cause irritation and increase the chances of infections, as reflected in a recent petition filed to the FDA regarding clear safety guidelines on the use of colorants in feminine care products. Some of the effects of colorants are rashes, bleeding, and vaginal discomfort. For instance, in 2014, the FDA launched a complaint against Laclede Inc. (Laclede) for its Luvena vaginal prebiotic products. The FDA claimed that the products were not healthy for internal use. Such complaints may have a negative impact on brands. Hence, factors such as the presence of colorants may impede the market growth of intimate wash products during the forecast period. Drivers, trends, and challenges have an impact on market dynamics, which can impact businesses. Find more insights in a sample report! Why Buy? Add credibility to strategy Analyzes competitor's offerings Get a holistic view of the market Grow your profit margin with Technavio - Buy the Report What are the key data covered in this Intimate Wash Market report? CAGR of the market during the forecast period Detailed information on factors that will drive the growth of the intimate wash market between 2022 and 2026 Precise estimation of the size of the intimate wash market and its contribution to the parent market Accurate predictions about upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior Growth of the intimate wash market across Europe , North America , APAC, South America , and Middle East and Africa , , APAC, , and and A thorough analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information about vendors Comprehensive analysis of factors that will challenge the growth of intimate wash market vendors Gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Related Reports: The women's intimate care products market size is expected to increase to USD 741.84 million from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 7.31%. A key factor driving the global women's intimate care products market growth is product premiumization due to product innovation and portfolio extension owing to rising competition and high demand. The maternity intimate wear market is projected to grow by USD 254.64 million with a CAGR of 2.56% during the forecast period 2021 to 2026. The growing online sales are one of the key factors driving the growth of the maternity intimate wear market. Intimate Wash Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 6.44% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 174.38 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth of 2021-2022 (%) 5.4 Regional analysis Europe, North America, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution North America at 31% Key countries US, Canada, China, UK, and Germany Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled Biozoc Inc, Combe Inc., Corman SpA, Healthy Hoohoo, Imbue Natural, INLIFE Pharma Pvt. Ltd., Ketzet Ltd, Kimberly Clark Corp., Laclede Inc., Lemisol Corp., Lifeon Labs Pvt. Ltd., Nutraceutical Corp., Ontex BV, Oriflame Holding AG, Prestige Consumer Healthcare Inc., Sanofi SA, The Honey Pot Co. LLC, Unilever PLC, Walgreen Co., and Zeta Farmaceutici Spa Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, Market condition analysis for the forecast period Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized. Browse for Technavio Consumer Staples market reports 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 Distribution Channel Exhibit 06: Executive Summary Chart on Incremental Growth Exhibit 07: Executive Summary Data Table on Incremental Growth Exhibit 08: Executive Summary Chart on Vendor Market Positioning 2 Market Landscape 2.1 Market ecosystem Exhibit 09: Parent market Exhibit 10: Market Characteristics 3 Market Sizing 3.1 Market definition Exhibit 11: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition 3.2 Market segment analysis Exhibit 12: Market segments 3.3 Market size 2021 3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026 Exhibit 13: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 14: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 15: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 16: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 4 Five Forces Analysis 4.1 Five forces summary Exhibit 17: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2021 and 2026 4.2 Bargaining power of buyers Exhibit 18: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers Impact of key factors 2021 and 2026 4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers Exhibit 19: Bargaining power of suppliers Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.4 Threat of new entrants Exhibit 20: Threat of new entrants Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.5 Threat of substitutes Exhibit 21: Threat of substitutes Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.6 Threat of rivalry Exhibit 22: Threat of rivalry Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.7 Market condition Exhibit 23: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2021 and 2026 5 Market Segmentation by Distribution Channel 5.1 Market segments Exhibit 24: Chart on Distribution Channel - Market share 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 25: Data Table on Distribution Channel - Market share 2021-2026 (%) 5.2 Comparison by Distribution Channel Exhibit 26: Chart on Comparison by Distribution Channel Exhibit 27: Data Table on Comparison by Distribution Channel 5.3 Offline - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 28: Chart on Offline - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 29: Data Table on Offline - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 30: Chart on Offline - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 31: Data Table on Offline - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.4 Online - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 32: Chart on Online - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 33: Data Table on Online - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 34: Chart on Online - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 35: Data Table on Online - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.5 Market opportunity by Distribution Channel Exhibit 36: Market opportunity by Distribution Channel ($ million) 6 Customer Landscape 6.1 Customer landscape overview Exhibit 37: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria 7 Geographic Landscape 7.1 Geographic segmentation Exhibit 38: Chart on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 39: Data Table on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%) 7.2 Geographic comparison Exhibit 40: Chart on Geographic comparison Exhibit 41: Data Table on Geographic comparison 7.3 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 42: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 43: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 44: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 45: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.4 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 46: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 47: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 48: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 49: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.5 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 50: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 51: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 52: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 53: Data Table on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.6 South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 54: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 55: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 56: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 57: Data Table on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.7 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 58: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 59: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 60: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) and - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 61: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.8 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 62: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 63: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 64: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 65: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.9 China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 66: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 67: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 68: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 69: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.10 UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 70: Chart on UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 71: Data Table on UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 72: Chart on UK - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 73: Data Table on UK - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.11 Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 74: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 75: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 76: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 77: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.12 Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 78: Chart on Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 79: Data Table on Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 80: Chart on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 81: Data Table on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.13 Market opportunity by geography Exhibit 82: Market opportunity by geography ($ million) 8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 8.1 Market drivers 8.2 Market challenges 8.3 Impact of drivers and challenges Exhibit 83: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026 8.4 Market trends 9 Vendor Landscape 9.1 Overview 9.2 Vendor landscape Exhibit 84: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation 9.3 Landscape disruption Exhibit 85: Overview on factors of disruption 9.4 Industry risks Exhibit 86: Impact of key risks on business 10 Vendor Analysis 10.1 Vendors covered Exhibit 87: Vendors covered 10.2 Market positioning of vendors Exhibit 88: Matrix on vendor position and classification 10.3 Biozoc Inc Exhibit 89: Biozoc Inc - Overview Exhibit 90: Biozoc Inc - Product / Service Exhibit 91: Biozoc Inc - Key offerings 10.4 Combe Inc. Exhibit 92: Combe Inc. - Overview Exhibit 93: Combe Inc. - Product / Service Exhibit 94: Combe Inc. - Key offerings 10.5 Corman SpA Exhibit 95: Corman SpA - Overview Exhibit 96: Corman SpA - Product / Service Exhibit 97: Corman SpA - Key offerings 10.6 Ketzet Ltd Exhibit 98: Ketzet Ltd - Overview Exhibit 99: Ketzet Ltd - Product / Service Exhibit 100: Ketzet Ltd - Key offerings 10.7 Laclede Inc. Exhibit 101: Laclede Inc. - Overview Exhibit 102: Laclede Inc. - Product / Service Exhibit 103: Laclede Inc. - Key offerings 10.8 Nutraceutical Corp. Exhibit 104: Nutraceutical Corp. - Overview Exhibit 105: Nutraceutical Corp. - Product / Service Exhibit 106: Nutraceutical Corp. - Key offerings 10.9 Prestige Consumer Healthcare Inc. Exhibit 107: Prestige Consumer Healthcare Inc. - Overview Exhibit 108: Prestige Consumer Healthcare Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 109: Prestige Consumer Healthcare Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 110: Prestige Consumer Healthcare Inc. - Segment focus 10.10 Sanofi SA Exhibit 111: Sanofi SA - Overview Exhibit 112: Sanofi SA - Business segments Exhibit 113: Sanofi SA - Key news Exhibit 114: Sanofi SA - Key offerings Exhibit 115: Sanofi SA - Segment focus 10.11 Unilever PLC Exhibit 116: Unilever PLC - Overview Exhibit 117: Unilever PLC - Business segments Exhibit 118: Unilever PLC - Key news Exhibit 119: Unilever PLC - Key offerings Exhibit 120: Unilever PLC - Segment focus 10.12 Zeta Farmaceutici Spa Exhibit 121: Zeta Farmaceutici Spa - Overview Exhibit 122: Zeta Farmaceutici Spa - Product / Service Exhibit 123: Zeta Farmaceutici Spa - Key offerings 11 Appendix 11.1 Scope of the report 11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist Exhibit 124: Inclusions checklist Exhibit 125: Exclusions checklist 11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ Exhibit 126: Currency conversion rates for US$ 11.4 Research methodology Exhibit 127: Research methodology Exhibit 128: Validation techniques employed for market sizing Exhibit 129: Information sources 11.5 List of abbreviations Exhibit 130: List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio The History of Diving Museum presents "Dive Into Art & Music," a multimedia event featuring the Grateful Dead legend's art with musical performances by Rainbow Full of Sound, Tony Saunders and Jair-Rohm Parker Wells. ISLAMORADA, Fla., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Commemorating Jerry Garcia's affinity for scuba diving and his commitment to protecting our oceans, the Jerry Garcia Foundation has donated a 21-piece collection of authenticated, limited-edition, museum-quality giclee prints of his art to the History of Diving Museum for its "Dive Into Art & Music" event. Much of the art is sea themed and will be paired with rare travelogue photos of the Garcia family in Hawaii, where Jerry actively supported coral reef preservation. Jerry Garcia circa 1979 Photo by Elliot Newhouse Seascape Watercolor by J.Garcia The exhibition and concert will be held under the stars on March 31, 2023, from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. at the Safe Harbor Angler House in Islamorada. The concert is scheduled to be livestreamed into the Neverworld Grid, a metaverse environment founded by digital artist Penny Fischer Otte, through which the images of the art exhibition will be on display. Archivist Peter Agelasto will give an inaugural multimedia presentation about the Jerry Garcia Archive by using Starchive, his media management platform powering Jerry's archive. Agelasto said, "While Jerry Garcia is recognized as one of the greatest guitarists and musicians, he is in reality so much more. By bringing together his love and respect for the ocean with his visual art, we're showcasing another side of Jerry that fans will find fascinating." Along with the art exhibition showcasing Jerry's fine art, this fundraising event in Islamorada will include live music, dinner and dancing. The opening performance will feature the Schells & Vine Trio, followed by Rainbow Full of Sound, the popular Grateful Dead tribute band. Special guests bassist Tony Saunders and sound poet Jair-Rohm Parker Wells will also perform an eclectic set of experimental music. For those who prefer to enjoy the event virtually, Penny Fischer Otte and her talented team at the Neverworld Grid have created a virtual stage located on a stylized replica terrain of Islamorada. Visitors are invited to create their own unique avatars to attend the concert, where they can dance and interact with others online during the show. For more information visit http://www.neverworldgrid.com . The Jerry Garcia Foundation is providing a Certificate of Authenticity with each limited-edition museum-quality giclee print. The gift grant art is hand signed by Jerry's daughter Keelin and his wife Manasha. Tickets are available at a range of prices: $35 for general admission; $100 for poolside access, dinner and admission to the museum; and $3,000 for a signed giclee, VIP reserved seating, dinner for four, poolside access and a family pass to the museum. Seating is limited. All art proceeds from the "Dive Into Art & Music" fundraiser will benefit educational outreach programs and support featured exhibits. For more information, please visit the History of Diving Museum website or Jerry Garcia Archive . THE HISTORY OF DIVING MUSEUM The History of Diving Museum is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to promote the preservation, education and exhibition of the history of diving and southern Florida's special role in it. The Jerry Garcia Archive The official Jerry Garcia Archive is an online resource devoted to providing a digital library of historical information about the beloved virtuoso. The collectively assembled archive serves as an educational vehicle for the greater community by preserving Jerry Garcia's artistic contributions for future generations. For more information, please visit the Jerry Garcia Archive website. Neverworld Grid Neverworld Grid is a virtual online open simulator metaverse created by founder/owner and digital artist Penny Fischer Otte. Neverworld is a place where creatives play. The Jerry Garcia Foundation The Jerry Garcia Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports environmental, artistic, and humanitarian causes through the beauty of music and art. SOURCE Jerry Garcia Archive ISSAQUAH, Wash., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Institute of Museum and Library Services announced today that the King County Library System (KCLS) is among 30 finalists for the 2023 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. KCLS is the only institution in Washington to be selected as a finalist for this award. The National Medal is the nation's highest honor given to museums and libraries that demonstrate significant impact in their communities. For more than 25 years, the award has honored institutions that demonstrate excellence in service to their communities. "We are thrilled to be recognized for this national honor. Our mission is to establish meaningful connections and foster inclusive communities across all 50 of our libraries," said KCLS Executive Director Lisa Rosenblum. "KCLS is dedicated to offering our patrons the necessary resources, information, and services to build critical skills, navigate life's challenges, and flourish in their communities. This recognition only strengthens our commitment to these goals, and we look forward to continuing to serve our patrons with excellence." "So many museums and libraries across the country are committed to providing programs that are vital to the health and growth of engaged communities. We are very proud to announce the 30 finalists for this year's IMLS National Medal," said IMLS Director Crosby Kemper. "These institutions represent the best of what museums and libraries do for their communities." To celebrate this honor, IMLS is encouraging KCLS' community members to share stories, memories, pictures and videos on social media using the hashtags #ShareYourStory and #IMLSmedals, and engage with IMLS on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. For more information, please visit the IMLS website. National Medal winners will be announced in late May. Representatives from winning institutions will be honored for their extraordinary contributions during an in-person National Medals Ceremony this summer. To see the full list of finalists and learn more about the National Medal, visit the IMLS website. About the King County Library System Founded in 1942, the King County Library System (KCLS) is one of the busiest public library systems in the country. Supporting the communities of King County (outside the city of Seattle), KCLS has 50 libraries and serves nearly 1.6 million people. In 2022, residents checked out 7.9 million digital eBooks and audiobooks through OverDrive, making KCLS the second-highest digital circulating library system in the U.S. In 2011, KCLS was named Library of the Year by Gale/Library Journal. About the Institute of Museum and Library Services The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower America's museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. Our vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Media Contacts King County Library System Contact: Sarah Thomas, [email protected], 425-369-3277 IMLS Contact: Savannah Young, [email protected], 202-248-5446 SOURCE King County Library System Enabling self-service monitoring and optimization for Snowflake customers FRISCO, Texas, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- kipi.bi, a modern data engineering, data strategy, and business intelligence consultancy, today announced the launch of its Watchkeeper Monitoring Accelerator for Snowflake. Driven by real-time data insights, this new Accelerator provides out-of-the-box optimization to organizations looking to enhance monitoring and observability in their Snowflake environment. Watchkeeper Monitoring Accelerator for Snowflake As a Snowflake Elite Services Partner, kipi.bi designed Watchkeeper to enable Snowflake customers to self-serve monitor cloud compute and storage resources, credit consumption, performance, and security governance. With this unified monitoring solution, users can shift their approach to analytics from descriptive to diagnostic and maximize their data investments. Today's enterprises own an average of 364 SaaS application subscriptions. As organizations of all sizes move towards adapting more SaaS applications across IT & business, there's a larger debate around the utilization and engagement of these applications, cost control, and governance. The SaaS sprawl is creating a significant need for tighter monitoring of these applications, ensuring there is neither an under-utilization nor an over-utilization, as both can lead to poor performance and rising overhead. "With Watchkeeper, enterprises now have a single source of truth to review and action their monitoring results, and can more easily identify errors or inefficiencies that may be impacting query response times and user experience," said Rakesh Reddy, CTO at kipi.bi. The Watchkeeper Monitoring Accelerator supports over 120 native KPIs and empowers business leaders and decision-makers to better understand historical trends and effectively forecast, enables IT development teams to optimize pipelines and improve load times, and assists administrators in enforcing governance and security across their organization. Watchkeeper supports a variety of visualization tools, including Tableau, Streamlit, and Snowflake's out-of-the-box web interface - Snowsight, and can deploy packaged dashboards in minutes, empowering customers with on-the-go visualization at their fingertips. With custom alerts, Watchkeeper integrates with email, Slack, ServiceNow, and other API-based systems to allow notifications at predefined thresholds or create service tickets with end-to-end automation. "Watchkeeper maintains an exact view on business-critical metrics within an organization's Snowflake platform,' said Sumit Bhatia, Vice President of Technology at kipi.bi. "It empowers Business Stakeholders, Administrators, and Technical teams with real-time insights into the health of their Snowflake environment to quickly enact change and more effectively plan and allocate resources, govern risk, and augment performance." The Watchkeeper Monitoring Accelerator is one of a series of new Accelerators and Solutions by kipi.bi. About kipi.bi kipi.bi helps businesses overcome data gaps and deliver rapid insights at scale. With Snowflake at our core, we believe good data has the power to enable innovation without limits, helping you say goodbye to complex data solutions and hello to the modern world of cloud elasticity. kipi.bi is a registered trademark of kipi.bi, inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and certain other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners. SOURCE kipi.bi New Antennas Cover Extensive Frequency Bands Up to 7 GHz IRVINE, Calif., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- KP Performance Antennas, an Infinite Electronics brand and a manufacturer of wireless network antennas, has just introduced a new line of low-profile antennas covering the latest frequency bands of Wi-Fi 6e and unlicensed 6 GHz. KP's new antennas cover extensive frequency bands up to 7 GHz KP's new Wi-Fi 6e, low-profile antennas feature 4x4, 6x6 and 8x8 MIMO options that help protect high-bandwidth applications from microwave and RF interference. These new in-building and mobile Wi-Fi 6e antennas have low-profile designs for discrete installations; SMA, NMO and Type N connector options; and high gain of 3, 6, 9 and 11 dBi. Both omnidirectional and flat-panel models are available with a range of frequency and gain options. "The low-profile design of these new omni and panel antennas makes them great for installations where you want the antenna to blend into the surrounding environment. These new Wi-Fi 6e antennas address the latest 6 GHz spectrum and offer high performance and wide coverage," said Kevin Hietpas, Antenna Product Line Manager. KP Performance Antennas' new Wi-Fi 6e, low-profile antennas are in-stock and available for same-day shipping. For inquiries, call 1-855-276-5772. About KP Performance Antennas: With decades of in-the-field expertise as former WISP operators and Ph.D. antenna engineers, KP Performance Antennas helps wireless internet service providers maximize ROI with products engineered to exceed industry expectations by delivering superior throughput, greater service coverage, dependable performance and reduced maintenance costs, while also providing responsive service, expert technical support and same-day shipping. KP is an Infinite Electronics brand. About Infinite Electronics: Based in Irvine, Calif., Infinite Electronics is a global electronics supplier offering a broad range of components, assemblies and wired/wireless connectivity solutions. It serves the aerospace/defense, industrial, government, consumer electronics, instrumentation, medical and telecommunications markets. Its brands are Pasternack, Fairview Microwave, L-com, MilesTek, ShowMeCables, NavePoint, INC Installs, Integra Optics, PolyPhaser, Transtector, KP Performance Antennas, RadioWaves and Aiconics. Infinite serves its customers with deep technical expertise and support. Its broad inventory is available for immediate shipment, fulfilling unplanned demand for engineers and technical buyers. Infinite is a Warburg Pincus portfolio company. SOURCE KP Performance Antennas BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Sabina Aliyeva, has issued a statement on the 31 March - Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis, Trend reports. "31 March went down in our history as a Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis, as one of the manifestations of Armenian vandalism committed against whole humanity. During these bloody events perpetrated in 1918, tens of thousands of peaceful Azerbaijanis were exterminated due to their ethnic identity being subjected to continuous genocide and the aggressive policy of Armenian nationalists. The people were burned alive in their homes by Armenian-Bolshevik groups, along with murdering with special methods of torture and cruelty," she said. Sabina Aliyeva noted that the genocide of Azerbaijanis had been committed with special brutality in Baku city, the cities and districts included in the governorate of Baku, as well as in Shamakhi, Guba districts, Karabakh, Zangazur, Nakhchivan, Lankaran and in our other various regions; the peaceful population had been murdered en masse, the villages had been burned, and our cultural monuments, gravesites, and mosques had been destroyed by cannon fire. "During this genocide, which was committed by Armenian nationalists intentionally and in the most brutal ways, 110 villages in Shamakhi district, 167 villages in Guba district, more than 150 in Karabakh, 115 in Zangazur, and 98 villages in Kars province had been destroyed, burned, and in general, more than tens of thousands of peaceful population, including women, children and the elderly had been killed on the ground of ethnicity and religious background. 199 villages had been destroyed in Iravan city, which is an ancestral land of Azerbaijan, and its surroundings and 132 thousand Azerbaijanis had been killed," said the statement. According to the Ombudsman, after the establishment of the Soviet power in Armenia and Azerbaijan, with the support of this regime, another part of Azerbaijani lands, including Western Zangazur, the mountainous part of Gazakh district and some villages of Nakhchivan, were given to Armenia, as a result of which its territory was expanded many times and increased from 9,000 to 29,000 square kilometers. The crimes of genocide committed by Armenians were based on a lasting, centuries-old hatred against Azerbaijanis, discriminatory policies and completely unfounded territorial claims. "Despite being subjected to genocides, our people, who are connected to their national and moral values, historical roots, land, and motherland, have preserved their national memory and identity, and as a result of solidarity, our independence has been restored," the statement added. Sabina Aliyeva noted that after the return to power of National Leader Heydar Aliyev, it became possible to convey to the international community the terrible scale of the genocidal policy and ethnic cleansing that Azerbaijani people suffered throughout history, and at the same time to investigate the crimes committed and give a political and legal assessment of the events that took place. "In 2007, the mass grave accidentally discovered during the construction excavations in Guba city clearly proves the crimes of genocide committed by the Armenians in 1918. To deliver the crimes of genocide and inhuman acts committed by the Armenian nationalists against a peaceful population to the world community relying on historical facts and to commemorate the memory of victims of genocide, the Guba Genocide Memorial Complex was created in accordance with the relevant Order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev," Sabina Aliyeva said. Armenia's territorial claims to Azerbaijan, and its policy of aggression, as well as war crimes committed against Azerbaijanis, said the Ombudsman, became more acute at the end of the 20th century, and 20 percent of the areas recognized as the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan at the international level remained under occupation for nearly 30 years. In 2020, those territories were liberated from occupation by Azerbaijani Army, and the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan was restored. "By grossly violating the norms and principles of international law, Armenia repeatedly committed crimes of genocide against the population, and our historical and religious monuments were destroyed, looted and desecrated," she added. Sabina Aliyeva said that with regret, it should be noted that although there are sufficient proof and evidence about the acts of genocide committed by Armenians against Azerbaijanis, there has not yet been an adequate response to these crimes against peace and humanity at the international level. "I call on the world community and influential international organizations to recognize the crimes of ethnic cleansing and genocide committed by Armenians against Azerbaijanis throughout history as genocide and to support the establishment of justice," the statement concluded. Grocer opens new spoke serving the greater Austin area and celebrates nearly 70 new associates AUSTIN, Texas, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), America's grocer, today announced the official opening of a new spoke in Austin, Texas. This facility opening means customers can tap into Kroger's incredible selection of fresh items, unique Our Brands products and favorite national brands, as well as individualized offers for the groceries most important to their families all delivered directly to their door by a friendly, professional associate. Kroger was joined by the local community to officially open the spoke and to celebrate its new associates. Kroger Delivery driver (PRNewsfoto/The Kroger Co.) "Austin is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, and we are thrilled to connect more customers to the Kroger Delivery shopping experience, which brings thousands of digital coupons, valuable fuel points and the freshest products directly to customers' doors," said Rebekah Manis, Senior Director, Kroger Delivery Fulfillment Centers. "Whether they are using the Kroger app or browsing our weekly ad at Kroger.com, customers can enjoy fresh, high-quality, affordable groceries delivered by best-in-class uniformed drivers." The 70,121 -square-foot spoke facility located in Austin, Texas will work in conjunction with the Dallas fulfillment center. All orders are picked at the products' peak freshness within the Dallas facility. Associates carefully assemble orders and place them in climate-controlled vehicles to travel to Austin. Once the orders arrive, they are checked and placed on refrigerated delivery trucks that deliver directly to customers' doors, ensuring cold and frozen products remain at the perfect temperature from the supplier to the customer's refrigerator. The facility will employ nearly 70 associates. Learn more about pursuing a career at Kroger here. "Much of District 1 is what the USDA identifies as a 'food desert' which is defined as an area where residents have limited options for securing affordable and healthy foods. And although this Kroger facility will serve all of Austin, it's important to note that its location is in one of these areas," said District 1 City Councilmember Natasha Harper-Madison. "I am glad to see Kroger making this investment in our community starting right here in District 1 where residents need access to healthy, fresh food." Austin customers can get more value when purchasing their favorite items using Boost by Kroger Plus, the annual grocery delivery membership that can save customers up to $1,000 per year on fuel and grocery delivery. Eligible customers can try the Boost membership with a free 30-day trial and subscribe for as little as $7.99 a month. Kroger Delivery Explained Kroger Delivery CFCs, powered by Ocado Group have achieved a significant step up in geographical penetration and in customer satisfaction. Kroger is bringing these benefits to the Austin area with the Dallas CFC, and to more U.S. markets. The expansion to the Austin area represents an extension of a collaboration between Kroger and Ocado Group, a world leader in technology for grocery e-commerce. In 2018, the companies announced a collaboration to establish a delivery network that combines artificial intelligence, advanced robotics and automation in a bold new way, bringing first-of-its-kind technology to America. The delivery network relies on highly automated fulfillment centers. At the hub sites, more than 1,000 bots move around giant 3D grids, orchestrated by proprietary control systems. The grid, known as The Hive, contains totes filled with products and ready-to-deliver customer orders. Kroger's end-to-end cold solutions keep groceries fresh once loaded into a customized refrigerated delivery van, which can store up to 20 orders. Powerful machine learning algorithms optimize delivery routes, considering factors such as road conditions and optimal fuel efficiency. Vans may travel up to 90 minutes with orders from the hub and spoke facilities to make deliveries. Associates at the spoke facility will deliver orders within their service area, adding ZIP codes as demand grows. Kroger currently operates customer fulfillment centers in Monroe, OH, Groveland, FL, Forest Park, GA (Atlanta), Pleasant Prairie, WI, Dallas, TX, Romulus, MI (Detroit), Aurora, CO and Frederick, MD, with additional customer fulfillment centers slated for California, Phoenix, AZ, Cleveland, OH, Charlotte, NC, as well as South Florida and the Northeast. Media Assets To download Kroger Delivery photography and video, visit here. About Kroger At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are Fresh for Everyone and dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit. We are, across our family of companies, nearly half a million associates who serve over 11 million customers daily through a seamless shopping experience under a variety of banner names. We are committed to creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site. About Ocado Group Ocado Group is a UK based technology company admitted to trading on the London Stock Exchange (Ticker OCDO). It provides end-to-end online grocery fulfillment solutions to some of the world's largest grocery retailers and holds a 50% share of Ocado Retail Ltd in the UK in a Joint Venture with Marks & Spencer. Ocado has spent two decades innovating for grocery online, investing in a wide technology estate that includes robotics, AI & machine learning, simulation, forecasting, and edge intelligence. SOURCE The Kroger Co. This April 30th, Kung Fu Tea, America's largest bubble tea company, celebrates National Bubble Tea Day & their 13th birthday! NEW YORK, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- This April 30th, Kung Fu Tea is celebrating National Bubble Tea Day - an international holiday they helped create to honor the growing community of boba enthusiasts around the world. To ring in the holiday (also founded on the company's birthday), Kung Fu Tea will be launching a series of in-store promotions and social media giveaways to make National Bubble Tea Day a month long celebration. From deals on the newest KFT snacks to Free Toppings on all drinks, there will be numerous ways to celebrate National Bubble Tea Day with Kung Fu Tea this year. For those who follow the brand on Instagram at @KungFuTeaUSA - 25 lucky winners will receive Free Bubble Tea for a Year. Beginning this month, Kung Fu Tea will also be launching a new Happy Hour Program, offering their fan favorite Punches for $4. Customers can snag this special Monday - Friday before 3pm local time. Kung Fu Tea celebrates National Bubble Tea Day and their 13th Birthday this April 30 Tweet this Founded in Queens on April 30, 2010, Kung Fu Tea's mission - to be America's Bubble Tea, is still deeply resonating with the company today. 13 Years later and with over 350+ locations around the US, Kung Fu Tea has continuously elevated the world of made-to-order bubble tea with their 'Fresh - Innovative - Fearless' approach. As the original founders of National Bubble Tea Day, Kung Fu Tea is excited to honor the growing community of 'boba lovers' and celebrate the beverage that gives everyone that extra pop! In recent years, it's been exciting to see other bubble tea brands embrace the holiday and join in its celebration for all things Boba. "Bubble tea has something for everyone. The variety of ingredients and flavor combinations ensure that people from all walks of life have something to enjoy. Be creative! Be innovative! We know you'll be hooked from the first sip. Which is why we are so excited to celebrate National Bubble Tea Day with Boba lovers on our birthday year after year," says Kung Fu Tea Marketing Manager, Matthew Poveromo. Fans can hear the latest on all things boba by following Kung Fu Tea on TikTok and Instagram . SOURCE Kung Fu Tea LAS VEGAS, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lance Bradford Consulting is proud to announce the expansion of its services to assist physicians in real estate development projects in Las Vegas, NV. With the growing demand for medical services and the need for specialized facilities to accommodate them, physicians in Las Vegas are increasingly looking to build or renovate their own clinics or medical centers. However, the real estate development process can be complex and overwhelming, especially for those who are not familiar with it. Lance Bradford Las Vegas Lance Bradford Consulting has years of experience in real estate development and has helped numerous clients successfully navigate the process. With the expansion of their services to Las Vegas, they are now offering tailored solutions to physicians who are looking to develop medical facilities in the area. The team at Lance Bradford Consulting has a deep understanding of the unique requirements and challenges that come with developing medical facilities, including zoning regulations, building codes, and safety standards. One of the primary benefits of working with Lance Bradford Consulting is the company's vast experience in assisting physicians in obtaining ownership of their properties. This can create additional equity and value in their businesses, which can be critical for their long-term success. The team at Lance Bradford Consulting will work closely with physicians in Las Vegas to help them navigate the process of obtaining ownership of their properties, whether it's through purchasing or leasing. Founder, Lance Bradford, stated, "We are excited to expand our services to assist physicians in Las Vegas with their real estate development projects. We understand the challenges that physicians face when trying to build or renovate a medical facility, and we are committed to providing them with the expertise and support they need to succeed." The new services offered include site selection, feasibility analysis, design development, project management, and construction supervision. They will work closely with physicians to understand their specific needs and goals and will provide personalized solutions to meet those needs. Additionally, they will work with local municipalities and agencies to ensure that all necessary permits and approvals are obtained. Lance Bradford Consulting is committed to providing the highest level of service to its clients. They understand that every real estate development project is unique and requires a personalized approach. With their expanded services in Las Vegas, they are well-positioned to assist physicians in developing state-of-the-art medical facilities that meet their specific needs and the needs of their patients, while also helping them achieve ownership of their properties to create additional equity and value in their businesses. For more information visit https://lancebradfordconsulting.com/ SOURCE Lance Bradford Consulting New Book Published by the American Association for Physician Leadership Addresses the Lack of Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics with First-Person Accounts of Successful Women WASHINGTON, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A new book published by the American Association for Physician Leadership, Lessons Learned: Stories from Women Leaders in STEM, addresses the lack of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) through the first-person accounts of notable women who have excelled in a range of STEM-related leadership roles. "In the past 50 years, women in the United States have made great strides in terms of education, representing the majority of college graduates and master's level programs today. In 2020, for the 12th straight year women earned the majority of doctoral (PhD) degrees," says the book's editor, Deborah M. Shlian, MD, MBA. "However, men vastly outnumber women majoring in the STEM fields. While women make up 48% of the workforce, women hold only about 29% of positions in STEM specialties. The book's contributors who bucked this trend share their personal and compelling stories, including obstacles and challenges faced in balancing work, family, and personal life." "Role models matter," says Sheryl Sandberg, founder of LeanIn.org and former COO of Meta (Facebook). "In Lessons Learned, Deborah Shlian introduces us to more than 30 extraordinary women who've pushed past gender bias to expand perceptions of what it means to lead in STEM. This book will inspire so many other women and girls to reach for their goals." "The AAPL is proud to provide this platform and hopefully advance the cause of young women pursuing STEM careers," Peter Angood, MD, president and CEO of AAPL, says. "The lessons learned and the achievements of the book's contributors are astounding, and should provide a roadmap for those who follow their lead." The book's contributors represent a who's who of women in STEM: Evangelyn C. Alocilja , PhD Professor, Department of Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering, Michigan State University Founder, Global Alliance for Rapid Diagnostics Member, National Academy of Inventors Professor, Department of Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering, Founder, Global Alliance for Rapid Diagnostics Member, National Academy of Inventors Cecilia Aragon , PhD Professor of Human-Centered Data Science University of Washington CeciliaAragonAuthor.com Professor of Human-Centered Data Science CeciliaAragonAuthor.com Gilda A. Barabino , PhD President and Professor of Biomedical & Chemical Engineering Olin College of Engineering President and Professor of Biomedical & Chemical Engineering Lisa D. Chong , PhD Editor, Science Journals Editor, Journals Daphney R. Chery , PhD STEM Advocate, Speaker, Innovation Lead at Northrop Grumman STEM Advocate, Speaker, Innovation Lead at Northrop Grumman Rita R. Colwell , PhD, DSc Distinguished University Professor University of Maryland College Park and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Distinguished University Professor and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health The Honorable France A. Cordova, PhD President, Science Philanthropy Alliance 14th Director, National Science Foundation External Faculty, Santa Fe Institute President, Science Philanthropy Alliance 14th Director, National Science Foundation External Faculty, Santa Fe Institute Catie Cuan PhD candidate in Mechanical Engineering Stanford University Roboticist, artist, choreographer PhD candidate in Mechanical Engineering Roboticist, artist, choreographer Margaret Dayhoff-Brannigan , PhD Regulatory Project Manager and Primary Reviewer Office of Vaccines Research & Review Food & Drug Administration Regulatory Project Manager and Primary Reviewer Office of Vaccines Research & Review Food & Drug Administration Claire M. Fraser , PhD Dean E. Albert Reese Endowed Professor, Department of Medicine Director, Institute for Genome Sciences University of Maryland School of Medicine Dean E. Albert Reese Endowed Professor, Department of Medicine Director, Institute for Genome Sciences Olivia L. George , PhD Associate Professor, Biology University of Hawaii -West O'ahu Mathematics, Natural & Health Sciences Division Associate Professor, Biology -West O'ahu Mathematics, Natural & Health Sciences Division Korie Grayson , PhD Chemist, Biomedical Engineer, STEM Diversity Advocate AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow www.koriegrayson.com Chemist, Biomedical Engineer, STEM Diversity Advocate AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow www.koriegrayson.com Malika Grayson , PhD Speaker and Founder, STEMinist Empowered LLC Program Manager, Northrop Grumman www.malikagrayson.com Speaker and Founder, STEMinist Empowered LLC Program Manager, Northrop Grumman www.malikagrayson.com Judith Greenberg , PhD Former Deputy Director, National Institute of General Medical Sciences National Institutes of Health Former Deputy Director, National Institute of General Medical Sciences National Institutes of Health Ronna Hertzano, MD, PhD Senior Investigator and Chief of Neurotology Branch National Institutes for Deafness and other Communications Disorders National Institutes of Health Professor, Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Affiliate member, Institute for Genome Sciences University of Maryland School of Medicine , Baltimore Senior Investigator and Chief of Neurotology Branch National Institutes for Deafness and other Communications Disorders National Institutes of Health Professor, Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Affiliate member, Institute for Genome Sciences , Aishwarya Iyer MD/PhD Student (PhD candidate in Biochemistry) Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) University of Maryland School of Medicine MD/PhD Student (PhD candidate in Biochemistry) Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) Maria Klawe , PhD President, Harvey Mudd College Incoming President, Math for America President, Incoming President, Math for America Kristin E. Lauter , PhD Director of Research Science North American Labs for Meta AI Research Director of Research Science North American Labs for Meta AI Research Cathleen (Cat) Lutz, PhD, MBA Vice President, Rare Disease Transitional Center at The Jackson Laboratory Vice President, Rare Disease Transitional Center at The Jackson Laboratory Marcia McNutt , PhD President, National Academy of Sciences President, National Academy of Sciences Estelle Russek-Cohen , PhD Former Director, Division of Biostatistics Center for Biologics Evaluation & Research Food & Drug Administration Former Director, Division of Biostatistics Center for Biologics Evaluation & Research Food & Drug Administration Deborah M. Shlian , MD, MBA Former CEO, Shlian & Associates, Inc. (executive/physician search and medical management consulting) Author of fiction (shlianbooks.com) and nonfiction Former CEO, Shlian & Associates, Inc. (executive/physician search and medical management consulting) Author of fiction (shlianbooks.com) and nonfiction Ida Sim , MD, PhD Professor of Medicine & Computational Precision Health University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Professor of Medicine & Computational Precision Health (UCSF) Barbara Simons , PhD Retired, IBM Research Former President, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Board Chair, Verified Voting Retired, IBM Research Former President, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Board Chair, Verified Voting Tatiana Toro , PhD Professor, Department of Mathematics, University of Washington Director, Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MRSI) Simons Lauter Mathematical Sciences Institute (SLMath) Professor, Department of Mathematics, Director, Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MRSI) Simons Lauter Mathematical Sciences Institute (SLMath) Lydia Villa-Komaroff , PhD Founder & President, Intersections Consulting: Science, Business, Diversity Founder & President, Intersections Consulting: Science, Business, Diversity Valda Vinson , PhD Executive Editor, Science Journals Executive Editor, Journals Maggie Werner-Washburne , PhD Regents Professor Emerita, University of New Mexico Founder, STEM Boomerang www.stemboomerang.org career portal: www.boomerang-nm.com Regents Professor Emerita, Founder, STEM Boomerang www.stemboomerang.org career portal: www.boomerang-nm.com Telle Whitney , PhD Consultant and Speaker Co-Founder, Grace Hopper Celebration Former CEO, Anita Borg Institute www.TelleWhitney.com Consultant and Speaker Co-Founder, Grace Hopper Celebration Former CEO, Anita Borg Institute www.TelleWhitney.com Amie Wilkinson , PhD Professor of Mathematics, University of Chicago Professor of Mathematics, Rachel Willand-Charnley , PhD Assistant Professor, South Dakota State University Department Chemistry & Biochemistry Assistant Professor, Department Chemistry & Biochemistry Jiwon Yang , PhD, MBA Principal Scientist, The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) About Deborah M. Shlian, MD, MBA Deborah M. Shlian, MD, MBA, is a board-certified family practitioner with more than three decades of clinical and management experience. Dr. Shlian has been able to balance work life with writing, producing several nonfiction articles, chapters, and books on medical management issues. She also writes fiction. All her works of fiction have won literary awards, including the Florida Book Award's Gold Medal. About the American Association for Physician Leadership The American Association for Physician Leadership (AAPL) is focused on the personal transformation of all physicians, and through them the organizations they serve. With the goal of improving patient outcomes, workforce wellness, and a refinement of all healthcare delivery, AAPL has remained the only association solely focused on providing professional development, leadership education, and management training exclusively for physicians. Since its founding in 1975, AAPL has educated 250,000+ physicians across 40 countriesincluding CEOs, chief medical officers and physicians at all levels of healthcare. www.physicianleaders.org SOURCE AAPL Consumer protection cases continued the slow gradual decline that began in 2017, a case filing trend that was reflected in several subsets of cases including class action, FDCPA, and TCPA cases. MENLO PARK, Calif., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lex Machina, a LexisNexis company, today releases its annual Consumer Protection Litigation Report. The report examines trends in consumer protection litigation in federal district courts and appellate courts. Focusing on the three-year period from 2020 to 2022, it surveys emerging trends in case filings, venues, judges, law firms, parties, timing metrics, case resolutions, findings, and damages. The report often focuses on different sets of data, e.g., filtering cases in order to provide analytics on class action, FCRA, FDCPA, TCPA, data breach, and federal appellate cases. Lex Machina 2023 Consumer Litigation Report Highlights "The decline in the number of consumer protection cases filed each year continues the trend that began in 2017," said Laura Hopkins, Lex Machina's consumer protection legal data expert and editor of the report. "What is really interesting is that our data and analytics show the same pattern in crucial subsets of consumer protection cases including class action, FDCPA, and TCPA cases. However, FCRA and data breach cases are both trending upwards, keeping the overall decrease in the number of consumer protection cases declining at a gradual pace. By comparing and contrasting case filing patterns of different types of cases, we can derive an accurate portrayal of consumer litigation from which we can draw important insights." Highlights from the report include: In 2022, 11,327 consumer protection cases were filed, the lowest number of cases filed in any year over the past decade. The majority of the most active plaintiffs were individual plaintiffs who filed cases that primarily involved claims under the TCPA. Credit reporting companies dominated the list of the most active defendants, defending themselves in cases that largely involved claims under the FCRA. Atlas Consumer Law represented plaintiffs in the highest number of consumer protection cases filed in the three-year period from 2020 to 2022. Jones Day represented defendants in the highest number of consumer protection cases filed in the three-year period from 2020 to 2022. represented defendants in the highest number of consumer protection cases filed in the three-year period from 2020 to 2022. For consumer protection cases that were appealed to a federal appellate court and terminated from 2020 to 2022 with a decision on the merits of the appeal, 26% were ultimately reversed. $4.9 billion in total damages were awarded as Restitution across 109 cases from 2020 to 2022. Lex Machina's reports and software enable practitioners to devise data-driven litigation strategies. The metrics in this report can help readers decide who to pursue as clients, whether to file a particular motion, or when to settle (and for how much). This research supplements traditional legal research and anecdotal data for a competitive edge in court. Register here for a copy of the report: https://pages.lexmachina.com/2023ConsumerProtectionReport_LP.html Consumer Protection Litigation Report Webcast Lex Machina is hosting a webcast to discuss the report on March 30, 2023 at noon ET/9am PT with Anya Verkhovskaya (President and CEO of Class Experts Group, LLC), James Vlahakis (Senior Attorney at Vlahakis Law Group LLC), Laura Hopkins (Lex Machina's Legal Data Expert in Consumer Protection Litigation), and Aria Nejad (Lex Machina's in-house counsel). Register for the event or view a recording: https://pages.lexmachina.com/2023-Consumer-Protection-Report-Webcast_LP.html About LexisNexis Legal & Professional LexisNexis Legal & Professional provides legal, regulatory, and business information and analytics that help customers increase their productivity, improve decision-making, achieve better outcomes, and advance the rule of law around the world. As a digital pioneer, the company was the first to bring legal and business information online with its Lexis and Nexis services. LexisNexis Legal & Professional, which serves customers in more than 150 countries with 11,300 employees worldwide, is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. About Lex Machina Lex Machina fundamentally changes how companies and law firms compete in the business and practice of law. The company provides strategic insights on judges, lawyers, law firms, parties, and other critical information across 20 federal practice areas and a rapidly growing number of state courts. Lex Machina allows law firms and companies to predict the behaviors and outcomes that different legal strategies will produce, enabling them to win cases and close business. Lex Machina was named one of "Legal Tech's Most Promising Solution Providers" (CIO Review Awards 2022), "Greater Bay Area Top Workplaces 2022" (The San Francisco Chronicle Top Workplaces in the Bay Area 2022), "Legal Tech Company of the Year 2021" (CIO Review, 2021), "2021 Legal Technology Trailblazer" (National Law Journal Trailblazer Awards, 2021), Winner of the "Media Excellence" Award for Analytics/Big Data (13th Annual Media Excellence Award, 2021). Based in Silicon Valley, Lex Machina is part of LexisNexis, a leading global provider of legal, regulatory, and business information and analytics. For more information, please visit www.lexmachina.com. SOURCE Lex Machina LG Continues to Lead Future Vehicular Software Development by Acquiring Both Functional Safety and Cybersecurity Certifications SEOUL, South Korea, March 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- LG Electronics (LG) is the first player to meet international testing standards for functional safety and cybersecurity management for vehicles. LG annually updates required certifications for its hardware and software solutions for electric vehicle components through leading global testing organization, TUV Rheinland. LG Electronics (LG) is the first player to meet international testing standards for functional safety and cybersecurity management for vehicles. LG Electronics (LG) is the first player to meet international testing standards for functional safety and cybersecurity management for vehicles. A respected player in the rapidly growing EV components industry, LG has consistently complied with international regulations and participated in key certification programs. To lead the field of vehicle safety, LG is committed to securing the technical capabilities both at the employee and the organizational level. Recently, LG research engineer Kim Min-kyu obtained the Automotive Functional Safety Expert qualification, becoming the second individual ever to do so since the qualification program was established in 2011. Also, LG acquired functional safety certification for its ADAS front camera in the '4M' (Material, Method, Machine, Man) categories in 2022. The company's vehicle components also comply with the Cyber Security Management System (CSMS) the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe's (UNECE) regulation No. 155 (UN R155). "With the rising importance of vehicle security and safety regulations in the global auto industry, acquiring certification for our auto components and technologies is key to maintaining competitiveness," said Eun Seok-hyun, President of LG Vehicle component Solutions (VS) Company. "LG will continue to comply with the latest standards and grow its capabilities in safety and security to provide our customers with even more reliable solutions." "We congratulate LG on producing Asia's first Functional Safety Expert, an achievement that reflects the company's outstanding, across-the-board performance in acquiring top industry certifications and qualifications," said Frank Juettner, CEO and director of TUV Rheinland Korea. "Obtaining the latest certifications, including ISO/SAE 21434, demonstrates LG's commitment to providing its customers and partners with the highest level of product, system safety and security." LG has built stellar track records maintaining its innovation at the highest level of quality and reliability. Already in 2018, LG secured technical certification for Functional Safety Management (FSM) in infotainment development, and in 2021, its Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) front camera passed assessments for functional safety (product and processes) based on ISO 26262 an international functional safety standard for the development of electrical and electronic systems for vehicles. LG also plans to lead future trends in autonomous driving, where functional safety will be centered on the fast-growing area of Safety of The Intended Functionality (SOTIF). SOTIF is becoming increasingly important as the entire auto industry seeks to incorporate and expand the use of various advanced technologies in their vehicles, including artificial intelligence (AI), high-definition maps, sensor data interfaces and cybersecurity applications. About LG Electronics Vehicle Component Solutions Company The LG Vehicle component Solutions Company is bringing human-centric innovations to the auto industry. Having secured its position as a trusted and innovative partner, the company continues to provide intelligent and environmentally responsible solutions including in-vehicle infotainment, connectivity, and automotive vision systems. As an 'Innovation Partner for Future Mobility', LG is committed to diversifying its portfolio to further strengthened its capabilities with acquisitions including automotive lighting systems provider, ZKW Group, and vehicle cybersecurity company Cybellum, as well as the joint venture, LG Magna e-Powertrain. For more news on LG, visit www.LG.com/global/mobility. SOURCE LG Electronics WASHINGTON, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- At sunrise on Sunday, April 9, thousands will gather at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial for one of the nation's largest Easter sunrise services to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. A crowd of more than seven thousand people of all ages, races, and backgrounds comes together in unity to sing, celebrate, and watch in quiet awe as the sun rises over the National Mall. People of all ages, races, and backgrounds come together on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at dawn every Easter Sunday to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. This longtime Washington tradition draws thousands. All are welcome; service begins promptly at 6:30am Sunday, April 9, rain or shine. EASTER SUNRISE AT THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL - Sunday, April 9, 6:30am. Thousands gather at dawn every year to sing, celebrate, and watch the sun rise over the National Mall. This longtime Washington tradition brings together people of all backgrounds to celebrate the new life and hope brought by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Photo from 2022. The interdenominational Easter Sunrise Service is a longstanding Washington tradition, now in its 43rd year. It's been featured in The Washington Post and named #5 on the Washingtonian's The Great Washington Bucket List. The service is hosted National Community Church in Washington, DC. People from all over come to DC to attend the service, joining thousands of Washingtonians for whom this has become an annual tradition. Rain or shine, they get up while it's still dark and head to the Lincoln Memorial. Some arrive in their sweats with their dogs on a leash, others show up in their most lavish Easter Sunday finery. Some come for the Washington, DC experience; others come for reverent celebration in an unforgettable location. This year, New York Times bestselling author Mark Batterson , Lead Pastor of National Community Church , will be speaking. He is joined by gospel/worship artist Todd Dulaney . Says Batterson, "My wife, Lora, and I first attended this service about 25 years ago. There's something special about standing on those historic steps: it's larger than life. When thousands of people are gathered there, singing as one, it echoes a little louder, a little longer." "At the dawn of Easter morning, from the heart of the city that influences the world, thousands will gather to declare that Christ is risen!" says Pastor Amos Dodge, who hosted the first service in 1979. He adds, "I never dreamed that such a simple idea would grow into an internationally-recognized gathering of thousands of people celebrating the resurrection of Jesus." He says that first service gathered about 100 people. Says organizer Heather Zempel, "If you think Washington's Cherry Blossom Festival is unforgettable, just wait until you see the sun rise over the National Mall and hear thousands of people singing together. Come early. While the 1700 chairs fill up fast, there is plenty of room for everyone on the Memorial steps and on the lawn. The morning can start out on the chilly side, so be sure to dress warmly and bring a blanket." Find more information and live stream the service at EasterSunrise.com . :30 video available here SOURCE National Community Church Despite Previous Loan Defaults, 88% of North American Businesses Still Believe Loan Applications Will Be Approved in 2023, Finds Creditsafe Study ALLENTOWN, Pa., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Loan bailouts have become a common occurrence and safety net for large businesses teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. But these bailouts may be lulling companies into a false sense of financial security, according to the 'Feeling the Recession Pinch' research study released by Creditsafe. Even though one-third of North American businesses admitted to defaulting on loans in the last 12 months, a whopping 88% still believe their loan applications would be approved in 2023. What's more, the study reveals that 85% of businesses are owed money by their customers indicating cash flow may not be as strong as it should be. Matthew Debbage, CEO of the Americas and Asia for Creditsafe, explains how this false sense of security could become the downfall of businesses. "Many businesses have come to rely on loans as a safety net, so much so that they aren't all that concerned or even aware of the state of their financial affairs. And they rarely know what factors lenders take into consideration when reviewing loan applications, let alone what their business credit reports say about their company's financial health and credit risk. So, the chances of securing a loan could be significantly lower if a company's credit report shows various financial and legal issues, such as a high amount of past due payments owed to suppliers, a significant number of lawsuits as well as a high DBT (Days Beyond Terms) score. Combined, these problems signal that revenue may be declining, financial management practices aren't very strong and cash flow could be a serious problem. And you can bet these financial issues will give lenders cause for concern and make them more likely to reject a loan application. As optimistic and hopeful as business leaders might be about their loan approval chances, hope will never win over credit risk data and fiscal responsibility." Key findings from the research study include: Recession fears have businesses panicking about missed payments, layoffs and bankruptcy. Nearly two-thirds of North American businesses (64%) believe a recession will have a moderate to severe impact on their business. Their top three recession fears are: struggling to get paid by customers (33%), layoffs (28%) and business closure or bankruptcy (10%). These fears are warranted given that 85% of the surveyed companies reported being paid late by their customers. Of that 85%, 42% of businesses are paid late by 11-30% of their customers and nearly one in 10 businesses are owed money from over 30% of their customers. Nearly two-thirds of North American businesses (64%) believe a recession will have a moderate to severe impact on their business. Their top three recession fears are: struggling to get paid by customers (33%), layoffs (28%) and business closure or bankruptcy (10%). These fears are warranted given that 85% of the surveyed companies reported being paid late by their customers. Of that 85%, 42% of businesses are paid late by 11-30% of their customers and nearly one in 10 businesses are owed money from over 30% of their customers. Crippling debt and soaring borrowing costs will put struggling businesses in a chokehold. Our study found that 28% of North American businesses expect to rack up between $500,000 and $3 million in debt over the next 6 to 12 months. Meanwhile, 7% expect their debt to exceed $3 million . On top of this, more than two-thirds (67%) of businesses expect borrowing costs to increase this year. Our study found that 28% of North American businesses expect to rack up between and in debt over the next 6 to 12 months. Meanwhile, 7% expect their debt to exceed . On top of this, more than two-thirds (67%) of businesses expect borrowing costs to increase this year. Falling revenue and lower inventory turnover push cash flow into the red. According to our study, 36% of North American businesses saw their cash flow decrease in the last 12 months. The top three reasons for cash flow dropping were cited as a decrease in net income (25%), changes in working capital (23%) and lower inventory turnover (21%). According to our study, 36% of North American businesses saw their cash flow decrease in the last 12 months. The top three reasons for cash flow dropping were cited as a decrease in net income (25%), changes in working capital (23%) and lower inventory turnover (21%). Due diligence (or lack of) could be the biggest cause of cash flow problems. Given how turbulent the economy is right now, you would expect companies to be extra cautious about who they work with and do everything possible to make sure they get paid. But our study found this to be far from the case, with 36% of businesses admitting they sign contracts with new customers without running a business credit check. What's even worse is that 26% of businesses admitted they either rarely or never run credit checks on their existing customers. Thea Dudley, a seasoned expert with over 30 years of credit management experience and author of The Credit Overlord's Guide to Credit & Collections, explains that she's seen her fair share of businesses struggling to get paid, with upwards of 30% of customers paying late. "If I had a penny for every time a company missed the due date for paying its invoices, I'd be a billionaire by now." The sad truth is that late customer payments have become more of a rule than an exception these days. But when a company's finance team tries to lay down the law and hold customers accountable to pay within terms, sometimes business leaders will let it slide out of fear that they'll lose the business or ruffle a longtime customer's feathers. But if a customer pays you late repeatedly and you're not seeing most or any of that income in your account, why would you be so lenient with them? Being too lenient with customers simply because you're afraid to lose their business could end up draining your own business and put you on the path to eventual closure or bankruptcy. The businesses that will thrive this year will be the ones that are proactive, data-driven and take due diligence seriously by running credit checks on both new customers and existing customers throughout their lifecycle. The outlook won't be good for any business that doesn't do this." Survey Methodology The study surveyed over 365 senior-level finance, accounting, strategy/planning and procurement executives working in small, mid-sized and large businesses in the United States and Canada. The goal was to understand how a recession will impact North American businesses and to get a clear picture of their fiscal management practices, cash flow challenges and budgeting priorities. About Creditsafe Creditsafe, the global expert in credit monitoring and risk management, is the world's most used provider of business reports. Today, over 115,000 customers globally depend on Creditsafe to make critical business decisions. Using real-time data from over 9,000 sources across 160+ countries, Creditsafe's mission is to help businesses mitigate financial, legal and compliance risks, while also empowering them to make more informed decisions. To learn more, visit www.creditsafe.com. Media Contacts Crackle PR for Creditsafe (US) Emily Shuler, Senior Account Manager Email: [email protected] Phone: +1 609 751 4712 Creditsafe Ragini Bhalla, Head of Content & PR, US & Canada Email: [email protected] SOURCE Creditsafe With over 230 members, USUBC provides a strong international voice for business in Ukraine. ERIE, Pa., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Logistics Plus, Inc., a leading worldwide provider of transportation, logistics, and supply chain solutions, is pleased to announce it has been accepted for membership in the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC) by its more than 230 members. Logistics Plus (LP) is a global logistics company with annual sales of over $500 million and 1,000 employees in 45+ countries worldwide. LP established a presence in Ukraine in 2017 and now employs 70 people across offices in Kyiv, Odesa, and Ivano Frankivsk. Since the invasion in 2022, LP has directed over $1 million of its own capital into Ukraine, and it continues to spearhead far-reaching efforts to provide critical humanitarian supplies and materials to the country and front-line populations. "We are excited to welcome Logistics Plus to the US-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC)," said Morgan Williams, President and CEO of the USUBC. "As a global logistics provider with operations in Ukraine, Logistics Plus brings valuable expertise. We look forward to working with them to help promote U.S.-Ukraine business relations." "We are honored to join the US-Ukraine Business Council and to collaborate with its distinguished members to promote and expand economic opportunities between the United States and Ukraine," said Yuriy Ostapyak, Chief Operating Officer for Logistics Plus. "At Logistics Plus, we understand the importance of building strong relationships and investing in our global community, and we are committed to bringing our expertise to the table to support U.S.-Ukraine business relations." About the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council The U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC) was established in October 1995 to advance U.S. companies' trade and investment interests in Ukraine's significant emerging market, advocate for measures to improve conditions for bilateral trade and investment, and generally promote strong, friendly bilateral ties. In support of its mission, the Council works closely with a full range of other organizations interested in supporting a growing commercial relationship between the United States and Ukraine. Visit usubc.org to learn more. About Logistics Plus, Inc. Logistics Plus, Inc. is a 21st-century logistics company that provides freight transportation, warehousing, fulfillment, global logistics, business intelligence, and supply chain management solutions through a worldwide network of talented and caring professionals. It is a highly regarded, fast-growing, and award-winning transportation and logistics company. With a Passion For Excellence, its employees put the PLUS in LOGISTICS by doing the big things properly, plus the countless little things, that together ensure complete customer satisfaction and success. The Logistics Plus network includes dozens of offices and warehouses in the United States, and numerous other offices in more than 45+ countries around the world. For more information, visit www.logisticsplus.com or follow @LogisticsPlus on Twitter. Press Contact: Scott Frederick 8142406881 https://www.logisticsplus.com SOURCE Logistics Plus, Inc. XI'AN, China, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 28th, the 2023 Annual Conference of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) officially kicked off in Hainan Province with the theme "An Uncertain World: Solidarity and Cooperation for Development amid Challenges." This year, the BFA considers the supply of "green electricity" to be a crucial aspect of "green hosting," serving as an important opportunity to showcase China's achievements in "Dual Carbon" initiatives. More than 2000 representatives from over 50 countries and regions will witness and experience the "Green Boao" achievements for the first time. According to the official figures from BFA, LONGi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (LONGi), one of the world's leading solar technology companies, has cooperated with its partner CENTER INT supplied a total of 3.88 MW of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) products (LONGi Roof & LONGi Park) for the permanent venue in Boao Town. In 2021, LONGi injected capital into CENTER INT, thus becoming the second largest shareholder of CENTER INT. Led by the "LONGi-CENTER INT" dual-brand strategy, the company is now focusing on BIPV market and making strategic transformation to the new energy field at all their capacity. LONGi and CENTER INT have effectively utilized the existing roofs and facades of the BFA by implementing green techniques and energy-saving upgrades, resulting in the installation of a unique and distinctive "New Skin". The Boao Zero Carbon Demonstration Zone, located on Dongyu Island, is the first national-international forum zero carbon park jointly developed by Hainan Province and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. It serves as a significant green development benchmark project that possesses international influence and stands as one of the six landmark projects in the province. Dongyu Island, with a land mass of about 1.78 square kilometers, has a limited forest area. As a result, LONGi's photovoltaic module products have become the "New Skin" of these landmark buildings on the available roofs and open spaces of hotels, news centers and parking lots on the island, constantly providing green power and security for the Boao Forum for Asia. In order to achieve the "Zero Carbon" goal and ensure that the building in the small is aesthetically pleasing and reliable, LONGi and its partner has fully taken into account the combination of photovoltaic and architecture and made full use of architectural space. Without affecting the light transmission of the building, they designed products such as photovoltaic roofs, glass curtain walls, photovoltaic power generation glass, and photovoltaic power generation railings, which perfectly integrated photovoltaic products with the building, and diversified photovoltaic application scenarios. About LONGi Founded in 2000, LONGi is committed to being the world's leading solar technology company, focusing on customer-driven value creation for full-scenario energy transformation. Under its mission of 'making the best of solar energy to build a green world', LONGi has dedicated itself to technology innovation and established five business sectors, covering mono silicon wafers cells and modules, commercial & industrial distributed solar solutions, green energy solutions and hydrogen equipment. The company has honed its capabilities to provide green energy and has more recently, also embraced green hydrogen products and solutions to support global zero-carbon development. www.longi.com SOURCE LONGi BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. Israeli President Isaac Herzog met with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, Trend reports via the tweet of the Office of the President of Israel. It was noted that Herzog congratulated Bayramov on the opening of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Israel and the appointment of the first ambassador. On March 28, Jeyhun Bayramov went on an official visit to Israel and Palestine. On March 29 inauguration ceremony of the Azerbaijani Embassy has been held in Tel Aviv. The event was attended by Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, representatives of parliaments, the public, and artists of both countries. Describing this ceremony as a historic event, Israeli Minister Eli Cohen noted that the opening of the embassy indicates the level of strategic ties between the two countries over 30 years of cooperation. Referring to Azerbaijan as a strategic partner of Israel, the minister noted the close cooperation between the two countries in various fields. He expressed confidence in the further deepening of these ties. NEW YORK, March 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Lotus Technology Inc. ("Lotus Tech" or the "Company"), a leading global luxury electric vehicle maker, successfully completed its first delivery of Eletre, its first fully electric hyper SUV. Lotus Tech hosted a delivery ceremony at the Shanghai International Circuit F1 track to celebrate the occasion, in conjunction with the 75th anniversary of the Lotus brand. : Lotus Tech successfully completed the first delivery of Eletre, its first fully electric hyper SUV. Eletre integrates Lotus's 75 years of racing heritage and engineering expertise into a luxury lifestyle vehicle. In addition to superior aerodynamics and design, it features innovative technologies including fully embedded L4-ready hardware with the world's first deployable LiDAR system. It is powered by Lotus's proprietary 800-volt Electrical Performance Architecture, delivering a sportscar-like experience and enabling Lotus Tech's 420-kilowatt supercharging solution. As of January 31, 2023, Lotus had received more than 5,000 Eletre orders worldwide. The first Eletre delivery marks a key milestone in Lotus's transformation into an advanced, fully electric, intelligent, and sustainable luxury mobility provider ahead of its 80th anniversary in 2028. The company is now rolling out further deliveries across China, and will begin delivery in the UK and EU later this year. Planning is also underway for future delivery to the U.S. and rest of the world, leveraging the brand's global network. Mr. Qingfeng Feng, Chief Executive Officer of Lotus Tech, commented, "Eletre is a crucial part of our plan to transform Lotus into a truly global electric car brand. We are a pioneer in the decarbonization of luxury automobiles, and the delivery of Eletre has demonstrated our capability to lead the energy transition and steer the industry towards a more sustainable future." About Lotus Technology Lotus Technology Inc., headquartered in Wuhan, China, has operations across China, the UK, and the EU. The Company is dedicated to delivering luxury lifestyle battery electric vehicles including SUVs and sedans with a focus on world-class R&D in next-generation automobility technologies such as electrification, digitalisation and more. Forward-Looking Statements This press release (the "Press Release") contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, that are based on beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to Lotus Tech. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this Press Release are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "may", "should", "expect", "intend", "will", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "predict", "potential", "forecast", "plan", "seek", "future", "propose" or "continue", or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology although not all forward-looking statements contain such terminology. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Lotus Tech and its management, as the case may be, involve inherent risks and uncertainties, including those identified in the documents filed or to be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission by Lotus Tech. There may be additional risks that Lotus Tech does not presently know or that Lotus Tech currently believes are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Nothing in this Press Release should be regarded as a representation by any person that the forward-looking statements set forth herein will be achieved in any specified time frame, or at all, or that any of the contemplated results of such forward-looking statements will be achieved in any specified time frame, or at all. The forward-looking statements in this Press Release represent the views of Lotus Tech as of the date they are made, and Lotus Tech undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law. Contact Information For inquiries regarding Lotus Tech Demi Zhang [email protected] Brunswick Group [email protected] SOURCE Lotus Technology Inc. 3,600-plus net new jobs added in 2022, more growth projected for this year ANNAPOLIS, Md., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Against the backdrop of an eventful year tech employment in Maryland added new jobs and grew in depth and breadth, according to today's release of new research from CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the information technology (IT) industry and workforce. CompTIA's annual "State of the Tech Workforce" reveals that net tech employment1 in Maryland increased by 3,610 net new jobs in 2022, a 1.7% growth rate.2 CompTIA forecasts a 2.3% increase in tech employment for Maryland this year an estimated 5,100 net new jobs. Positions in database, data science and analytics; and software development, engineering, programming, web development and quality assurance are projected to see the most growth. "In a year of even more uncertainty than usual, the tech labor market routinely defied expectations," said Tim Herbert, chief research officer for CompTIA. "The data continues to confirm the degree to which technology underpins so many facets of business activity across the economy and the breadth of employers reliant on technical and digital skills." More than 222,000 people work in tech jobs in Maryland, spanning both technical and non-technical workers employed by tech companies and tech professionals who work in other industries. That represents 7.9% of the state's workforce, the ninth highest concentration of tech workers and the 15th largest total nationally. At $109,357, the median wage for a tech worker in Maryland is 123% more than the median wage for all occupations in the state. Maryland is in the third quartile in the report's diversity index, a measurement of the depth and breadth of diversity in the tech workforce for seven primary race and ethnicity groups, as defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Women account for 29% of the state's tech workforce; Black or African American workers, 22% (the fourth highest percentage among all states); and Hispanic or Latino workers, 4%. Maryland's tech industry has an economic impact of $36.6 billion 8.9% of the state economy, the 10th highest percentage nationally. There are an estimated 14,227 tech business establishments in the state. CompTIA's "State of the Tech Workforce" is the most comprehensive source of data on the size and scope of the U.S. technology industry and workforce. The report includes data on employment, wages, business establishments, job postings, workforce diversity, emerging tech metrics and more. Among other highlights from the new report: Access the full report at https://www.cyberstates.org/. About CompTIA The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is the world's leading information technology (IT) certification and training body. CompTIA is a mission-driven organization committed to unlocking the potential of every student, career changer or professional seeking to begin or advance in a technology career. Each year CompTIA, directly and through its global network of partners, provides millions of people with training, education and certification opportunities designed to help them build career-ready IT skills. To learn more visit https://www.comptia.org/ Media Contact Steven Ostrowski CompTIA [email protected] 630.678.8468 1 The tech workforce consists of two primary components technology professionals working in technical positions (IT support, network engineering, software development, data science, etc.) and business professionals employed by technology companies. Combined they are represented by the "net tech employment" designation. 2 The 2022 employment estimates and 2023 projections represent the most up-to-date data at the time of publication. As with any labor market data source there is a lag effect, recent developments during late 2022 and early 2023 will likely not be fully reflected in the data. SOURCE CompTIA DENVER, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: MDC), one of the nation's leading homebuilders, will release its 2023 first quarter earnings before the market opens on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. MDC will host a teleconference the same day at 12:30 pm ET. The live teleconference will be available by calling 844-757-5733 and requesting to join the M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. conference call. A replay of the teleconference will be available through May 9, 2023 by calling 877-344-7529 and entering Access Code # 5928426. A webcast of the teleconference will be available live at www.mdcholdings.com, and beginning two hours after the call, a replay of the webcast will be available on the website. About MDC M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1972. MDC's homebuilding subsidiaries, which operate under the name Richmond American Homes, have built and financed the American Dream for more than 230,000 homebuyers since 1977. MDC's commitment to customer satisfaction, quality and value is reflected in each home its subsidiaries build. MDC is one of the largest homebuilders in the United States. Its subsidiaries have homebuilding operations across the country, including the metropolitan areas of Denver, Colorado Springs, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Tucson, Riverside-San Bernardino, Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County, San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, Washington D.C., Baltimore, Orlando, Jacksonville, Seattle, Portland, Boise, Austin, Albuquerque, Huntsville and Nashville. MDC's subsidiaries also provide mortgage financing, insurance and title services, primarily for Richmond American homebuyers, through HomeAmerican Mortgage Corporation, American Home Insurance Agency, Inc. and American Home Title and Escrow Company, respectively. M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "MDC." For more information, visit www.mdcholdings.com . SOURCE M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. JACKSONVILLE, Fla., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Merritt Properties is growing its Jacksonville, Florida portfolio with the purchase of 16 acres of land to build three additional flex/light industrial buildings totaling up to 114,500 square feet at the company's Imeson Landing Business Park. Pre-leasing is underway, and construction is scheduled to start in 2024. Once complete, the development will feature 380,700 square feet across eight flex/light industrial buildings. Merritt Properties Acquires 16 Acres to Expand Imeson Landing Business Park in Jacksonville, Florida. Leasing activity at the park has been strong, in alignment with high demand for warehouse space across the country. According to a recent report posted by CoStar, industrial vacancy in the Jacksonville submarket is less than one percent. Situated at the corner of Imeson Park Boulevard and Zoo Parkway in Duval County, the first three buildings at Imeson Landing Business Park delivered last month and are already 75 percent leased. Merritt anticipates constructing the next two buildings within the park this year before starting work on this new expansion area, which sits adjacent to the first phase of development. Those properties will offer 18-foot clear heights and 100-foot-deep rear-loaded truck courts. "This purchase stood out as the perfect land-acquisition opportunity given its proximity to our buildings across the street. Our expansion will allow us to continue to fill a void for newly constructed, Class A light industrial product while providing flexibility for growing companies of all sizes," said Pat Franklin of Merritt's leasing team. "Our single-story flex buildings are leasing to small and mid-sized businesses that require a combination of office and warehouse or light manufacturing space." So far, Merritt has signed nine leases with tenants ranging from 3,000 square feet to 29,000 square feet. "We're excited to expand our presence in a strong, sought-after market and we look forward to building more well-designed properties that meet the operational needs of all customers," said Gary Swatko, director of development and construction at Merritt Properties. "We credit the area's business-friendly culture, our local partners and the JAXUSA Partnership for our success thus far." "Merritt's continued investment in Jacksonville is great news for our community and another example that Northeast Florida is one of the most desirable markets in the country," said Aaron Bowman, senior vice president of business development for advanced manufacturing and corporate operations for JAXUSA Partnership, the seven-county regional economic development arm of JAX Chamber. "Our region is growing, and we look forward to working with Merritt on their continued success and growth." With the expansion of Imeson Landing Business Park, Merritt's Florida flex/light industrial footprint will surpass 600,000 square feet over 15 buildings. Merritt's Oakleaf Commerce Center, a 158,400-square-foot flex/light industrial business park in Clay County, is under site plan review with the County, and the developer hopes to deliver the first building before the end of 2023. The company also owns and manages Magnolia Park, a three-building, 80,863-square-foot flex/light industrial park in Duval County. Bobby Lanigan and Franklin represented Merritt and Luke Pope of JLL represented the seller in the transaction. To inquire about leasing options, visit www.Merritt-FL.com. About Merritt Properties Established in 1967, Merritt Properties is a full-service commercial real estate firm with over 21 million square feet of office, flex, warehouse, industrial, retail and build-to-suit throughout Maryland, Florida, North Carolina and Virginia. Our company is committed to "Creating Homes for Businesses" and providing the highest quality service to our customers. Merritt is unique in that we build for the long-term and manage all of our properties internally. Therefore, we value trust, integrity, respect, and lasting relationships over short-term gain. And, because every Merritt employee is also an owner of the company, we each have a vested interest in the success of our customers. That's why we are responsive and committed to honest and fair business dealings that grow customer relationships into long-term partnerships. SOURCE Merritt Properties, LLC Emmy Award-winning actor to headline May 2 event hosted by Foundation MEMPHIS, Tenn., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare will host its ninth annual Mental Health Breakfast on Tuesday, May 2, at the Hilton Memphis, and will feature a keynote address from well-known actor and producer Joe Pantoliano. This event benefits the Dennis H. Jones Living Well Network, a free behavioral health connection resource offered through Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare will host its ninth annual Mental Health Breakfast on Tuesday, May 2, at the Hilton Memphis, and will feature a keynote address from well-known actor and producer Joe Pantoliano. This event benefits the Dennis H. Jones Living Well Network, a free behavioral health connection resource offered through Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. Established in partnership with the Memphis-based healthcare system in 2009 to honor the memory of Memphian Dennis H. Jones, the Living Well Network connects people with behavioral health resources to address life challenges including depression, anxiety and substance abuse. Pantoliano received an Emmy Award for his role in The Sopranos, and has appeared in more than 150 films and television shows including The Matrix, Bad Boys, Risky Business and The Goonies. During the breakfast, he will share his personal experience with depression and his work as a mental health advocate. An optional educational breakout session will follow the program with licensed professional counselor Charles Winton, Jr., offering a deep dive into the mental health issues and stigmas facing men. Continuing education unit (CEU) hours will be offered for participation in both the keynote presentation and the breakout session. Past breakfast speakers include missing persons advocate Elizabeth Smart, acclaimed actress Marlee Matlin and mental health advocate Patrick Kennedy. Cigna is the presenting sponsor. Additional sponsors include Private Wealth Management, AmerisourceBergen, FedEx, Kenny Floor Covering, LLC, Lakeside Behavioral Health System and Shelby County Government. For more information on the Living Well Network, visit TheLivingWellNetwork.org. To purchase event tickets, please visit MethodistHealth.org/livingwellbreakfast. About Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare Based in Memphis, Tennessee, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare has been caring for patients and families regardless of their ability to pay for more than 100 years. Guided by roots in the United Methodist Church and founded in 1918 to help meet the growing need for quality healthcare in the greater Memphis area, MLH has grown from one hospital into a comprehensive healthcare system with 13,000 Associates supporting six hospitals, including nationally ranked Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, ambulatory surgery centers, outpatient facilities, hospice residence and physician and specialty practices serving communities across the Mid-South. From transplants and advanced heart procedures to expert neurology services and compassionate cancer care, MLH offers clinical expertise with a focus on improving every life we touch. SOURCE Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare CHICAGO, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The military non-steerable antenna market is projected to reach USD 739 million by 2028, from USD 529 million in 2023, at a CAGR of 6.9% according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. Non-steerable antennas are used in military operations to provide communication and navigation capabilities. Unlike steerable antennas that can be directed toward a specific target, non-steerable antennas have a fixed direction and cannot be repositioned. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=206288250 Browse in-depth TOC on "Military Non-Steerable Antenna Market" 166 Tables 71 Figures 245 Pages Military Non-Steerable Antenna Market Report Scope: Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2023 $529 million Estimated Value by 2028 $739 million Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 6.9% Market Size Available for 20202028 Forecast Period 20232028 Forecast Units Value (USD Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered By Platform, By Application, By Product, By Frequency, By Point of sale Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and RoW Key Market Challenge Competition from steerable antennas Key Market Opportunities High demand for military unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) Key Market Drivers Modernization of legacy radio systems These antennas are often used when a reliable and robust communication link is required, such as in remote locations or combat operations. They can also be used for electronic warfare and intelligence gathering. The advantages of non-steerable antennas include simplicity, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. They are also less vulnerable to jamming or interference, making them ideal for use in hostile environments. Based on platform, the ground segment is expected to account for the largest share in 2023. Based on platform, the military non-steerable antenna market is segmented into airborne, ground, and marine. The ground segment is estimated to account for more than 80% of the military non-steerable antenna market in 2023. The growth of this segment can be attributed to the increased modernization of armored vehicles and the deployment of military non-steerable antennas in unmanned ground vehicles by defense forces to ensure improved communication, enhanced navigation, and efficient situational awareness. Based on product, the patch antenna segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Based on product, the military non-steerable antenna market is segmented into blade antennas, patch antennas, whip antennas, conformal antennas, rubber ducky antennas, loop antennas, and others. Others include foldable SATCOM antennas, body-worn antennas, X-wing antennas, glideslope antennas, localizer antennas, and panel mount antennas. The patch antennas segment is projected to grow registering the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Patch antennas are popular because they are lightweight, easy to manufacture, and can be made very thin. They are also relatively inexpensive and can be designed to operate at varying frequencies Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=206288250 The Asia Pacific region is projected to command a major share during the forecast period. Based on region, the military non-steerable antenna market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and the Rest of the World (RoW). The Asia Pacific military non-steerable antenna market is expected to command a major share during the forecast period. China is the largest country-level market for military non-steerable antennas in the region. The increasing demand for military aircraft and UAVs, owing to growing cross-border threats in the region, is driving the Asia Pacific market. Several countries in this region are rapidly transforming from conservative one-party political systems to western-style democratic systems. China, Malaysia, and Singapore continue with a one-party political system but are under constant pressure to transform into the western style of governance, leading to a favorable environment for foreign companies seeking to invest in the region. Asia Pacific has rapidly growing economies, along with strong purchasing power parity, and is ranked second after Europe. Most Asian countries will overtake several leading economies in the world following the rapid expansion of the continent's nominal GDP. Governments here are focusing on enhancing economic development and creating favorable environments for investments to flourish. Major players in the Military non-steerable antenna market are L3Harris Technologies, Inc. (US), Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions (US), Rohde & Schwarz (Germany), Comrod Communication Group (Norway), and RAMI (US). Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=206288250 Browse Adjacent Market: Aerospace and Defence Market Research Reports &Consulting Related Reports: Military Radars Market by Component (Transmitter, Digital Signal Processor), Platform (Land, Naval, Airborne, Space), Technology (SDR, Quantum, Conventional), Waveform (FMCW, Doppler), Application, Type, Frequency Band & Region - Global Forecast to 2027 Tactical Communication Market by Application (Command & Control, ISR, Communication, Combat), Platform (Ground, Airborne, Naval, Unmanned Systems), Type (Soldier Radios, Manpacks, VIC, HCDR), Frequency, Technology, Point of Sale, Region - Forecast to 2027 Military Antenna Market by Component (Reflectors, Feed Horn, Feed Networks, Low Noise Block Converter (LNB)), Frequency Band (HF, VHF, UHF SHF, AND EHF), End Use (OEM and Aftermarket), Type, Application, Platform and Region (2021-2026) Aircraft Antenna Market by Frequency (VHF&UHF band, Ka/Ku/K band, HF band, X band, C band, L band), Antenna Type, Installation, Application, End User (OEM, Aftermarket), Aircraft Type, & Region 2026 Surveillance Radars Market by Application (Commercial, National Security, Defense & Space), Platform (Land, Airborne, Naval, Space), Frequency Band (HF, UHF & VHF; L; S; C; X; Ku; Ka; Multi-bands), Dimension, Component, Region (2020-2025) About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/military-non-steerable-antenna-market.asp Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/military-non-steerable-antenna.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg SOURCE MarketsandMarkets New hire brings extensive experience working with tribal communities to further advance the Company's retirement plan offerings to tribal nations, native-owned businesses and nonprofits NEW YORK, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mutual of America Financial Group, which specializes in providing retirement services and investments to organizations and individuals, is pleased to announce that Lorilee Morsette has been named Vice President of National Accounts for Tribal Markets. Morsette is an enrolled member of the Suquamish Tribe of Washington and a Chippewa Cree, from Rocky Boy, Montana. Tweet this Lorilee Morsette Morsette will oversee Mutual of America's nearly 90 tribal clients, working with tribal nations, native-owned businesses and nonprofits. She will collaborate with Regional Offices across the country to ensure the Company's tribal clients and partnerships continue to receive the tailored retirement solutions, personalized education and guidance they have come to expect from Mutual of America. Morsette is an enrolled member of the Suquamish Tribe of Washington and a Chippewa Cree, born and raised in Rocky Boy, Montana. She leads her work with her traditional values at the forefront. On a national level, she will be able to identify tribal communities seeking to achieve greater financial security. "Having worked for tribal organizations to help implement employee benefit policies for years, I've seen how important it is for a company to understand the needs of its clients," said Morsette. "In my previous role, I worked on our retirement plan offerings with Mutual of America representatives and experienced first-hand their commitment to providing hands-on customer service. I'm excited to join Mutual of America and to bring that level of service to help tribal communities nationwide work towards achieving brighter financial futures." "We are thrilled to welcome Lorilee to Mutual of America. Her experience, passion and understanding of the needs of tribal communities will further strengthen the Company's relationships with our customers and ensure they have the direct support and resources needed to make confident, informed financial decisions," said Lisa Loughry, Executive Vice President, National Accounts. Before joining Mutual of America, Morsette was the Human Resources Director and Tribal Employment Rights Officer for the Nisqually Indian Tribe in Olympia, Washington. In this role, she provided executive-level leadership by supporting tribal elected officials and the executive leadership team to advance and deliver all human resource activities and policies to nearly 600 employees in 20 departments. She has also served in human resources roles for the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission and Native American Youth and Family Center in Portland, Oregon. Morsette represents Mutual of America as an active member and partner with the National Native American Human Resources Association and the Native American Finance Officers Association. With her knowledge, passion and understanding of tribal communities, she is committed to strengthening our values and social responsibility. About Mutual of America Financial Group Mutual of America Financial Group is a leading provider of retirement services and investments to employers, employees and individuals. We provide high-quality, innovative products and services at a competitive price, along with outstanding personalized service, to help our customers build and preserve assets for a financially secure future. Our mission is built upon our valuesintegrity, prudence, reliability, excellence and social responsibilitywhich have guided us since 1945 and continue to serve us and our customers well. For more information, visit mutualofamerica.com, and connect with us via Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. SOURCE Mutual of America The integrated luxury retailer partnered with influential female leaders including Veronica Swanson Beard, Veronica Miele Beard, Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt, and more DALLAS, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Neiman Marcus has a well-established history of female leadership dating back to its co-founder, Carrie Marcus Neiman, and its majority female representation today. This year, Neiman Marcus honored Women's History Month with in-depth women-led panel discussions that united customers, community leaders, and industry innovators in all 36 Neiman Marcus locations nationwide. Marisa Brahney, Veronica Swanson Beard, Jodi Kahn, Veronica Miele Beard, and Mia DeMeola at Neiman Marcus Short Hills. Chase Polan, Andrea Mary Marshall, Aimee Josette Dwyer, Margaret Merritt, and Lara McDonald at Neiman Marcus Scottsdale. Adriana Sender, Brie Olson, Diana McBride, Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt, and Kelly Bartlett at Neiman Marcus Fashion Island. Nathalie Diamantis, Elias Synalovski, and Jackie Nespral at Neiman Marcus Coral Gables. "As a majority women-led retailer with a long history dedicated to advancing the careers and wellbeing of women, Neiman Marcus continues to foster a culture of Belonging that supports and encourages female leaders," said Jodi Kahn, VP of Luxury Fashion at Neiman Marcus who served as moderator at the Neiman Marcus Short Hills panel. "We are proud to have a community of powerful female customers and were thrilled that these specially curated events could bring them together to connect with and celebrate fellow innovators, creators, and visionaries." With over 100 participants across the country, Neiman Marcus' Women's History Month customer events showcased influential female history makers and innovators that are inspiring this generation to be a force for positive change across a variety of industries including fashion, business, community, philanthropy, tech, science, and more. Highlights included: On March 9 , Neiman Marcus Scottsdale hosted a panel on "Women in Design." Panelists included founder and designer of Salon 1884, Andrea Mary Marshall , following Neiman Marcus' exclusive launch of the brand last year. Chase Polan , founder of Kypris Beauty, Margaret Merritt , Owner of Margaret Merritt Productions, and Lara McDonald , Owner and Creative Director of Prim Design Company, also spoke on the panel. , Neiman Marcus Scottsdale hosted a panel on "Women in Design." Panelists included founder and designer of Salon 1884, , following exclusive launch of the brand last year. , founder of Kypris Beauty, , Owner of Margaret Merritt Productions, and , Owner and Creative Director of Prim Design Company, also spoke on the panel. On March 15 , Jodi Kahn , Vice President of Luxury Fashion at Neiman Marcus, moderated a private tableside chat at Neiman Marcus Short Hills. Participants included Veronica Swanson Beard and Veronica Miele Beard , founders and designers of Veronica Beard , along with Mia DeMeola , a 2023 recipient of the NMG x FSF scholarship. Last month, NMG awarded 10 NMG x FSF scholarships to undergraduate students like DeMeola pursuing careers in sustainable and ethical fashion. , , Vice President of Luxury Fashion at Neiman Marcus, moderated a private tableside chat at Neiman Marcus Short Hills. Participants included and , founders and designers of , along with , a 2023 recipient of the NMG x FSF scholarship. Last month, NMG awarded 10 NMG x FSF scholarships to undergraduate students like DeMeola pursuing careers in sustainable and ethical fashion. On March 23 , Neiman Marcus Fashion Island hosted a panel on "The Modern Working Woman." Panelists included Brie Olsen, Co-CEO of Pac Sun, Diana McBride , Senior Associate Publisher of Modern Luxury Rivera Magazine, and best-selling author and activist, Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt . The discussion highlighted the debut of her latest New York Times best-selling children's book, Good Night, Sister . , Neiman Marcus Fashion Island hosted a panel on "The Modern Working Woman." Panelists included Brie Olsen, Co-CEO of Pac Sun, , Senior Associate Publisher of Modern Luxury Rivera Magazine, and best-selling author and activist, . The discussion highlighted the debut of her latest best-selling children's book, . On March 23 , Neiman Marcus San Francisco hosted a panel on "Perspectives from Female Leaders in the Tech and Science Industries." Panelists included Aparna Bawa , Chief Operating Officer at Zoom Video Communications, Lynne Zydowsky , Ph. D., Chief of Science at Alexandria Real Estate Equities, and Devika Patil , Managing Director at Venture Capital Relationship Management Group, Silicon Valley Bank. , hosted a panel on "Perspectives from Female Leaders in the Tech and Science Industries." Panelists included , Chief Operating Officer at Zoom Video Communications, , Ph. D., Chief of Science at Alexandria Real Estate Equities, and , Managing Director at Venture Capital Relationship Management Group, Silicon Valley Bank. On March 29 , Neiman Marcus Coral Gables hosted a panel discussion with Nathalie Diamantis , President and CEO of Americas at Pomellato. Neiman Marcus Group (NMG) has a longstanding commitment to cultivating a culture of Belonging by increasing workforce diversity, advancing workplace equity, and championing inclusive marketplaces. The company's workforce consistently outpaces the U.S. population in racial and gender diversity, with women making up 67% of executive officers and 57% of the board of directors. This week, Neiman Marcus was listed by Newsweek as one of America's Greatest Workplaces for Women 2023. The retailer received an impressive five-star rating based on criteria like compensation and benefits, work-life balance, and proactive management of a diverse workforce. To further advance workplace equity for women and people of color, NMG recently completed its first Pay Equity Analysis. Results from the analysis will be shared within the company's second annual ESG report in the coming months. Link to assets here. ABOUT NEIMAN MARCUS: Neiman Marcus is a Dallas-based luxury retailer, providing customers access to exclusive and emerging brands, anticipatory service, and unique experiences since 1907. Each day, Neiman Marcus connects with customers worldwide while delighting them with exceptional experiences across a 36-store presence in the U.S., one of the largest U.S. e-commerce luxury platforms, and industry-leading remote selling and personalization technology. From delectable dining and indulgent beauty services to bespoke experiences and exclusive products, there is something for everyone. To keep up with the latest news and events at Neiman Marcus, visit neimanmarcus.com or follow the brand on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. Neiman Marcus Group is a relationship business that leads with love in everything we do for our customers, associates, brand partners, and communities. Our legacy of innovating and our culture of Belonging guide our roadmap for Revolutionizing Luxury Experiences. As one of the largest multi-brand luxury retailers in the U.S., with the world's most desirable brand partners, we're delivering exceptional products and intelligent services, enabled by our investments in data and technology. Through the expertise of our 10,000+ associates, we deliver and scale a personalized luxury experience across our three channels of in-store, eCommerce, and remote selling. Our NMG|Way culture, powered by our people, combines individual talents into a collective strength to make life extraordinary. Our flagship brands include Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. For more information, visit neimanmarcusgroup.com. SOURCE Neiman Marcus Group DUBLIN, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Netherlands Social Commerce Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics Databook - 50+ KPIs on Social Commerce Trends by End-Use Sectors, Operational KPIs, Retail Product Dynamics, and Consumer Demographics - Q1 2023 Update" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Social commerce industry in Netherlands is expected to grow by 20.3% on annual basis to reach US$3689.5 million in 2023. The social commerce industry is expected to grow steadily over the forecast period, recording a CAGR of 14.8% during 2022-2028. The social commerce GMV in the country will increase from US$3689.5 million in 2023 to reach US$8442.3 million by 2028. This report provides a detailed data centric analysis of social commerce industry, covering market opportunities and risks. With over 50+ KPIs at country level, this report provides a comprehensive understanding of social commerce market dynamics, market size and forecast, and market share statistics. The research methodology is based on industry best practices. Its unbiased analysis leverages a proprietary analytics platform to offer a detailed view on emerging business and investment market opportunities. Reasons to buy In-depth Understanding of Social Commerce Market Dynamics: Understand market opportunities and key trends along with forecast (2019-2028). Insights into Opportunity by end-use sectors - Get market dynamics by end-use sectors to assess emerging opportunity across various end-use sectors. Develop Market Specific Strategies: Identify growth segments and target specific opportunities to formulate social commerce strategy; assess market specific key trends, drivers, and risks in the industry. Scope Netherlands Ecommerce Industry Market Size and Future Growth Dynamics by Key Performance Indicators, 2019-2028 Netherlands Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Future Growth Dynamics by Key Performance Indicators, 2019-2028 Netherlands Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Retail Product Categories, 2019-2028 Clothing & Footwear Beauty and Personal Care Food & Grocery Appliances and Electronics Home Improvement Travel Hospitality Netherlands Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by End Use Segment, 2019-2028 B2B B2C C2C Netherlands Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by End Use Device, 2019-2028 Mobile Desktop Netherlands Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Location, 2019-2028 Domestic Cross Border Netherlands Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Location, 2019-2028 Tier-1 Cities Tier-2 Cities Tier-3 Cities Netherlands Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Payment Method, 2019-2028 Credit Card Debit Card Bank Transfer Prepaid Card Digital & Mobile Wallet Other Digital Payment Cash Netherlands Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Platforms Video Commerce Social Network-Led Commerce Social Reselling Group Buying Product Review Platforms Netherlands Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Consumer Demographics & Behaviour,2022 By Age By Income Level By Gender For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ok2ga7 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. 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 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets FanDuel is fastest growing brand from the US, up 259% to US$3.4 billion Bite taken out of Apple as it falls to be second most valuable American brand Alphabet owns USA's strongest and second-strongest brands in Google and YouTube strongest and second-strongest brands in Google and YouTube Amazon has highest Sustainability Perceptions Value of any US brand at US$19.9 billion , followed by Tesla DALLAS, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Amazon has retaken top spot as the USA's most valuable brand despite its brand value falling 15% this year from US$350.3 billion to US$299.3 billion. Amazon was previously the world's most valuable brand from 2018 to 2020. Every year, leading brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance puts 5,000 of the biggest brands to the test, and publishes over 100 reports, ranking brands across all sectors and countries. The United States' most valuable and strongest brands are included in the annual Brand Finance US 50 2023 ranking at brandirectory.com/usa Top 10 Most Valuable American Brands 2023 (PRNewsfoto/Brand Finance) Amazon's brand has fallen by over US$50 billion this year, substantially in connection with its fall in brand strength, with its brand rating falling from AAA+ to AAA as consumers evaluate it more harshly in the post-pandemic world. Despite its fall in value this year, Amazon's brand is still up 36% in value since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. David Haigh, Chairman & CEO, Brand Finance committed: "Our research has found that Amazon's brand value comes from its strong position in both B2C and B2B sectors of the economy, as it is a key global market leader in the massive markets of both online retail and online cloud computing services." FanDuel is fastest growing brand from the US, up 259% to US$3.4 billion New entrant FanDuel is the fastest growing brand in the ranking, more than tripling in brand value to US$3.4 billion. FanDuel is leading the expansion of the US online gambling market, which has flourished since 2018 when restrictive US gambling restrictions were repealed in some States. Bite taken out of Apple as it falls to be second most valuable American brand Apple has fallen to be the United States' second most valuable brand. Its brand value is down 16% from US$355.1 billion to US$297.5 billion, to move from slightly above Amazon's brand value to now be slightly below Amazon's brand value. Laurence Newell, Managing Director Brand Finance, North America, commented: "Despite challenges faced by Apple this year, the brand continues to innovate, invest in long-term growth plans. Apple's high level of customer loyalty and continued strong customer response to new products saw the installed base of active Apple devices hit an all-time high in 2022." Alphabet owns USA's strongest and second-strongest brands in Google and YouTube In addition to calculating brand value, Brand Finance also determines the relative strength of brands. Compliant with ISO20671, Brand Finance's assessment of stakeholder equity incorporates original market research data from over 100,000 respondents in 38 countries and across 31 sectors. Alphabet Inc, the parent company of both Google (brand value up 7% to US$281.4 billion) and YouTube (brand value up 24% to US$29.7 billion) achieved a rare one-two ranking as the United States' two strongest brands. Both brands have overtaken last year's strongest brand, Coca-Cola, which is now the US' sixth strongest brand, after a 4-point Brand Strength Index score reduction. Amazon has highest Sustainability Perceptions Value of any US brand at US$19.9 billion , followed by Tesla As part of its analysis, Brand Finance assesses the role that specific brand attributes play in driving overall brand value. One such attribute is sustainability. Brand Finance assesses how sustainable specific brands are perceived to be, represented by a 'Sustainability Perceptions Score'. The value that is linked to sustainability perceptions, the 'Sustainability Perceptions Value', is then calculated for each brand. Amazon has the highest sustainability perceptions value of any US brand at US$19.9 billion. Like many of the world's top brands, Amazon has a huge scope for impact due to the sheer scale of its operations. It is important to note that Amazon's position at the top of the table is not an assessment of its overall sustainability performance. Instead, it highlights the value that Amazon has tied up in the sustainability perception of stakeholders. Note to Editors Brand value is understood as the net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market. Brand strength is the efficacy of a brand's performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors. The full ranking, additional insights, charts, more information about the methodology , and definitions of key terms are available in the Brand Finance US 500 2023 ranking at brandirectory.com/usa Media Contacts Laurence Newell Managing Director, Brand Finance North America T: +1(214)803-3424 [email protected] Disclaimer Brand Finance has produced this study with an independent and unbiased analysis. The values derived and opinions presented in this study are based on publicly available information and certain assumptions that Brand Finance used where such data was deficient or unclear. Brand Finance accepts no responsibility and will not be liable in the event that the publicly available information relied upon is subsequently found to be inaccurate. The opinions and financial analysis expressed in the study are not to be construed as providing investment or business advice. Brand Finance does not intend the study to be relied upon for any reason and excludes all liability to any body, government, or organization. The data presented in this study form part of Brand Finance's proprietary database, are provided for the benefit of the media, and are not to be used in part or in full for any commercial or technical purpose without written permission from Brand Finance. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2044623/Brand_Finance.jpg SOURCE Brand Finance BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended the inauguration of a new administrative building of the State Service on Property Issues under the Ministry of Economy in Baku, Trend reports. Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov informed the head of state of the building. The 33-storey building designed in modern and postmodern style is 125 meters tall. The building has 254 rooms and provides workplace for 537 employees. It houses a conference hall, meeting rooms, canteens and a control room. A new report by Common Sense Media shows that nearly half (45%) of girls who use TikTok say they feel "addicted" to the platform or use it more than intended at least weekly. The report is the first release under the Healthy Young Minds campaign, a new initiative launched by Common Sense Media to address the nation's youth mental health crisis. SAN FRANCISCO, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- Today, Common Sense Media released a new research report that reveals what teen girls think about TikTok and Instagram, and describes the impact that these and other social media platforms have on their lives. According to the report, Teens and Mental Health: How Girls Really Feel About Social Media, nearly half (45%) of girls who use TikTok say they feel "addicted" to the platform or use it more than intended at least weekly. Among girls with moderate to severe depressive symptoms, roughly seven in 10 who use Instagram (75%) and TikTok (69%) say they come across problematic suicide-related content at least monthly on these platforms. Common Sense Media surveyed more than 1,300 adolescent girls across the country to better understand how the most popular social media platforms and design features impact their lives today. Among the report's key findings, adolescent girls spend over two hours daily on TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat, and more than 90 minutes on Instagram and messaging apps. When asked about platform design features, the majority of girls believe that features like location sharing, public accounts, endless scrolling, and appearance filters have an effect on them, but they're split on whether those effects are positive or negative. Girls were most likely to say that location sharing (45%) and public accounts (33%) had a mostly negative effect on them, compared to other features. In contrast, they were most likely to say that video recommendations (49%) and private messaging (45%) had a mostly positive impact on them. "For years, Common Sense Media has said that social media, particularly its addictive design features, have been problematic, and now teen girls themselves are sounding the alarm, said Jim Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media. "This report reaffirms that social media is addicting our kids and exposing them to online harms, undeniably. If Big Tech companies are not going to listen to parents or policymakers, then maybe they'll start to listen to the kids and teens who are telling them point blank that social media is putting their mental health and safety at risk." Common Sense Media also announced today that the organization is launching the "Healthy Young Minds" campaign, a multiyear initiative focused on building public understanding of the youth mental health crisis, spotlighting solutions, and catalyzing momentum for industry and policy change. At launch, Common Sense Media released an exclusive interview between Jim Steyer and United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy . Town halls are scheduled for New York City, Arizona, Los Angeles, Indianapolis, Florida, Massachusetts, London, and Brussels, with more locations to be announced shortly. Further research and digital well-being resources for educators will be released in the coming year. More information about the campaign and other upcoming events can be found at www.commonsensemedia.org/healthy-young-minds . "This research is a continuation of our commitment to exploring the intersection of technology, social media, and kids' well-being, said Supreet Mann, PhD, director of research at Common Sense Media and coauthor of the report. "There's so much more we need to learn about the positive and negative impacts that these platforms, and features found across platforms, have on kids. This data is critical because it helps to inform important decisions that parents, educators, and policymakers make to keep teens safe online." Other key findings Nearly four in 10 (38%) girls surveyed report symptoms of depression, and among these girls, social media has an outsize impactfor better and for worse Girls who are struggling socially offline are three to four times as likely as other girls to report daily negative social experiences online, but they're also more likely to reap the benefits of the digital world. Seven out of 10 adolescent girls of color who use TikTok (72%) or Instagram (71%) report encountering positive or identity-affirming content related to race at least monthly on these platforms, but nearly half report exposure to racist content or language on TikTok (47%) or Instagram (48%) at least monthly. Across platforms, LGBTQ+ adolescent respondents are roughly twice as likely as non-LGBTQ+ adolescents to encounter hate speech related to sexual or gender identity, but also more likely to find a connection. More than one in three LGBTQ+ young people (35%) who use TikTok say they have this experience daily or more on the platform, as do 31% of LGBTQ+ users of messaging apps, 27% of Instagram users, 25% of Snapchat users, and 19% of YouTube users. Girls have mixed experiences related to body image when they use social media. Roughly one in three girls who use TikTok (31%), Instagram (32%), and Snapchat (28%) say they feel bad about their body at least weekly when using these platforms, while nearly twice as many say they feel good or accepting of their bodies at least weekly while using TikTok (60%), Instagram (57%), and Snapchat (59%). The majority of girls who use Instagram (58%) and Snapchat (57%) say they've been contacted by a stranger on these platforms in ways that make them uncomfortable. These experiences were less common, though still frequent, on other platforms, with nearly half of TikTok (46%) and messaging app (48%) users having been contacted by strangers on these platforms. Methodology This report represents the results of a demographically representative online survey of 1,397 girls (as identified by their parent/guardian) in the United States age 11 to 15, conducted from November 11 to December 5, 2022. Girls were invited to participate in a self-administered online survey (in English or Spanish) through their parents/guardians, who were targeted both via the SSRS Opinion Panel and non-probability panels. The web panel allowed for the over-sampling of harder-to-recruit participants to secure a readable base among subgroups. Data were weighted to represent the target population of preteens and teens. The sampling error for the complete set of weighted data is 3.5 percentage points. Find the full report here . About Common Sense Common Sense is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century. Learn more at commonsense.org . Media Contacts Lorena Taboas [email protected] (786) 521-4215 Lisa Cohen [email protected] (310) 3952544 SOURCE Common Sense Media Daily Dose Helps Improve Memory, Executive Function, and Blood Pressure in Healthy Older Adults ORNONO, Maine, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- New research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition further supports that daily consumption of wild blueberries improves episodic memory, executive function, and blood pressure in healthy adults. The 12-week clinical trial called BluFlow, led by Dr. Ana Rodriguez-Mateos, Associate Professor in Nutrition at the Department of Nutritional Sciences of King's College London, and Professor Claire Williams, Chair of Neuroscience in the School of Psychology & Clinical Language Sciences at the University of Reading, investigated the cognitive and vascular benefits of daily wild blueberry consumption in healthy older individuals. Wild Blueberries in Maine BluFlow Study Design & Results The BluFlow, double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial focused on healthy older men and women, ages 65 to 80. Participants were divided into two groups with one receiving a beverage made with 26 grams of freeze dried whole wild blueberry powder (equivalent to about cup whole berries, or 178 grams of fresh blueberries) and the other, a placebo matched for macro and micronutrients, as well as fiber, color, and taste. Both groups consumed their beverages daily at the same time over the course of 12 weeks. Scientists found that daily wild blueberry supplementation for 12 weeks led to improvements in cognitive and vascular function. Specifically, those who consumed the wild blueberry beverage daily exhibited: Improved episodic memory (AVLT immediate word recall) Improved accuracy and quicker reaction time on switch task (executive function) Improved peripheral vascular function (flow mediated dilation (FMD) and lower systolic blood pressure) "In terms of vascular function, our results reinforce what we've found before in younger populationsthat consuming wild blueberries improves blood vessel function as well as lowers blood pressure. We think the effects are driven by the blue pigments in blueberries, the anthocyanins, and we found increases in their metabolites in the blood and urine of the volunteers consuming wild blueberry. This study also documented increases in some beneficial bacteria in the gut that seem to be driven by wild blueberry consumption, although larger studies are needed to confirm the role of the gut microbiota on the beneficial effects seen here," explains Dr Rodriguez-Mateos. Building on a 20+ Year Body of Brain Health Wild Blueberry Research The BluFlow study results build on a growing body of evidence that consuming wild blueberries has a positive effect on cognitive performance. "It's clear from this study that consuming wild blueberries is beneficial to cognitive function, as well as vascular health. We saw improvements in healthy older adults who consumed a freeze-dried wild blueberry powder, daily, for 12 weeks," said Professor Williams. "The group who had the wild blueberry powder showed signs of better memory and greater mental flexibility when completing cognitive tasks. This is consistent with what we already know about the health benefits of anthocyanin-rich foods. It points to an important role of polyphenols in healthy ageing." While multiple studies have shown improvements from wild blueberry consumption in both heart health and brain function in compromised populations, in this study, impressive results were shown in healthy adults, too. "These vascular and cognitive findings track right along with the common saying that what's good for the heart is good for the brain," says Kitty Broihier, MS, RD, LD, nutrition advisor for the Wild Blueberry Association of North America. "This is great news for the broader population, as now we know that more of us may experience these health benefits from a daily dose of wild blueberries." Further research findings can be found by visiting the wild blueberry research library. This research was funded by the Wild Blueberry Association of North America. Contact and Interview Opportunities:For briefings or interviews with authors of the paper, please contact Erin Johnson at King's College London, at +44 (0)20 7848 3202 or email [email protected] Kitty Broihier, MS, RD, nutrition advisor to the Wild Blueberry Association of North America, can be reached by email at [email protected]. About the Wild Blueberry Association of North America The Wild Blueberry Association of North America (WBANA) is a trade association of farmers and processors of Wild Blueberries from Maine who are dedicated to bringing the Wild Blueberry health story and unique Wild Advantages to consumers and the trade worldwide. WBANA is dedicated to furthering research that explores the health potential of Wild Blueberries. Hundreds of studies have been conducted on the potential health and disease fighting benefits of Wild Blueberries. For news, recipes, and related health information about Wild Blueberries, visit www.wildblueberries.com. For the latest updates, read our blog. Visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter. About King's College London King's College London is one of the top 35 UK universities in the world and one of the top 10 in Europe (QS World University Rankings, 2020/21) and among the oldest in England. King's has more than 31,000 students (including more than 12,800 postgraduates) from some 150 countries worldwide, and some 8,500 staff. King's has an outstanding reputation for world-class teaching and cutting-edge research. Since our foundation, King's students and staff have dedicated themselves in the service of society. King's will continue to focus on world-leading education, research and service, and will have an increasingly proactive role to play in a more interconnected, complex world. Visit our website to find out more about Vision 2029, King's strategic vision to take the university to the 200th anniversary of its founding. World-changing ideas. Life-changing impact: kcl.ac.uk/news SOURCE Wild Blueberry Association DALLAS, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- NexPoint Capital, Inc. (the "Company"), a non-traded publicly registered business development company sponsored and managed by NexPoint Advisors, L.P., today announced the expiration and final results for its tender offer (the "Tender Offer") for up to 2.5% of its outstanding common stock ("Shares") at a price of $5.47 per Share (an amount approved by the Company's board of directors on March 29, 2023), plus any unpaid dividends accrued through the expiration date of the Tender Offer. The Fund's Tender Offer expired on March 24, 2023, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. 171,626.715 shares of the Company were tendered for repurchase in the Tender Offer. Any questions regarding the Tender Offer can be directed to the Company's Tender Agent, DST Systems, Inc., at (844) 485-9167. The Company's current offering price for its Shares, as well as other information, including information about management and the healthcare-focused investment strategy, are available at nexpoint.com. The information on or accessible through nexpoint.com is not incorporated by reference herein. About NexPoint Capital, Inc. NexPoint Capital, Inc. is a non-traded, publicly registered business development company sponsored and managed by NexPoint Advisors, L.P. About NexPoint Advisors, L.P. NexPoint Advisors, L.P. ("NexPoint Advisors") is an SEC-registered adviser on the NexPoint alternative investment platform ("NexPoint"). NexPoint Advisors serves as the adviser to a suite of funds and investment vehicles, including a closed-end fund, interval fund, business development company ("BDC"), and various real estate vehicles. For more information visit www.nexpoint.com. Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking statements. These statements may involve a number of risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, including the performance of financial markets, the investment performance of NexPoint Advisors' sponsored investment products, general economic conditions, future acquisitions, competitive conditions, and government regulations, including changes in tax laws. Readers should carefully consider such factors. Further, such forward-looking statements speak only on the date at which such statements are made. NexPoint Advisors undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statement. This material has been distributed for informational purposes only and should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation of any particular security, strategy, or investment product. Neither the Company, nor the Company's Board of Directors, nor NexPoint Advisors makes any recommendation as to whether to tender or not to tender any Shares in the Tender Offer. No part of this material may be reproduced in any form, or referred to in any other publication, without express written permission. Contact Information for Tender Offer: Financial Advisors: (855) 498-1580 Shareholders: (844) 485-9167 Media Contact: [email protected] SOURCE NexPoint Capital, Inc. Former NSA Director Mike Rogers endorses the first and only open framework of its kind, as Dineshwar Sahni joins the consortium TEL AVIV, Israel, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The founding members of OSC&R (Open Software Supply Chain Attack Reference) , the first and only open framework for understanding and evaluating existing threats to entire software supply chain security, announced today that the framework is now on Github, allowing anyone to contribute to the model. OSC&R has also just received the endorsement of former U.S. National Security Agency Director Admiral Mike Rogers, as Dineshwar Sahni joins other prominent industry figures adopting the framework. Spearheaded by OX Security, OSC&R is a MITRE-like framework designed to provide a common language and structure for understanding and analyzing the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used by adversaries to compromise the security of software supply chains. It aims to give the security community a single point of reference to proactively assess their own strategies for securing their software supply chains and to compare solutions. "After we launched OSC&R we were overwhelmed with emails from people working on elements within OSC&R and wanting to contribute," said OX Security CEO and co-founder Neatsun Ziv, who served as Check Point's VP of Cyber Security prior to founding OX. "By moving to Github and opening the project to contributions we hope to capture this collective knowledge and experience for the benefit of the entire security community. It provides real value to the project to now have Mike and Dineshwar as part of the community, as well." "Cybersecurity is a game of cat and mouse," said Mike Rogers. "Gaining the upper hand requires building a good threat model and OSC&R enables organizations to identify security requirements, pinpoint security threats and potential vulnerabilities, quantify threat and vulnerability criticality, and prioritize remediation methods." Dineshwar Sahni now joins the consortium of cybersecurity leaders behind OSC&R, which includes: David Cross, former Microsoft and Google cloud security executive; Neatsun Ziv, Co-Founder and CEO of OX Security; Lior Arzi, Co-Founder and CPO at OX Security; Hiroki Suezawa, Senior Security Engineer at GitLab; Eyal Paz, Head of Research at OX Security; Dr. Chenxi Wang, former OWASP Global Board member; Shai Sivan, CISO at Kaltura; Naor Penso, Head of Product Security at FICO; and Roy Feintuch, former Cloud CTO at Check Point Technologies. "In one episode of Star Trek, while working on vulnerabilities of the Enterprise in relation to the threat actor, Mr. Spock said, 'Insufficient facts always invite danger, Captain!' The same certainly holds true in cybersecurity, where a lack of information increases vulnerability. By increasing the community's knowledge, OSC&R holds tremendous potential to mitigate dangers to the software supply chain and reduce the attack surface more broadly," according to Sahni. For companies looking to build out a software supply chain security program, the OSC&R framework can help guide the effort. OSC&R can be used by security teams to evaluate existing defenses, define which threats need to be prioritized, and how existing coverage addresses those threats, as well as to help track the behaviors of attacker groups. Founding members of OSC&R share a common mission of helping security teams reduce their attack surface and build their security strategy with confidence. "The velocity, diversity, and dynamic nature of the modern-day engineering ecosystem have reshaped the Software Supply Chain Security domain," said David Cross, former Microsoft and Google cloud security executive and founding member of OSC&R. "Tools that standardize on OSC&R will provide continuity and cohesiveness that many security strategies are often lacking." Cybersecurity professionals interested in getting involved with the OSC&R framework can now contribute on Github and join the OSC&R Slack channel . About PBOM.dev PBOM.dev is an open community committed to helping organizations secure their software supply chains. Community members leverage real-world observations and experiences to build a shared knowledge base that can be used to help security teams take proactive action to prevent attacks across their software supply chains, and release secure products with confidence. SOURCE Ox Security Company to release Q1 results May 3 PROVO, Utah, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: NUS) today announced the resignation of its chief financial officer, Mark Lawrence, effective March 31, 2023. After six years at the company, Lawrence has elected to pursue an outside opportunity but will remain as a senior advisor through April 2023 to support a smooth transition. Additionally, based upon current business trends and early reception of new product introductions, the company is reiterating first quarter and annual 2023 guidance provided on Feb. 15, 2023. "On behalf of our board, management and the entire Nu Skin team, we thank Mark for his leadership and significant contributions over the past six years," said Ryan Napierski, president and CEO. "He has been integral in our transformation toward Nu Vision 2025, including the introduction of our first connected beauty device system and expanding our digital-first business model. Mark has been a tremendous leader and has built a highly talented team of proven professionals to accelerate our work moving forward. We wish him and his family well in their future endeavors." Nu Skin's board of directors has appointed James D. Thomas, senior vice president and chief accounting officer, as interim CFO and has initiated a formal process to identify a permanent replacement. Thomas joined Nu Skin in 2010 and has served as chief accounting officer since 2019. He has led several critical, global financial projects across multiple disciplines over the years. Prior to Nu Skin, Thomas worked as an assistant controller of another public, technology-enabled wellness company and served in the assurance practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Thomas holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Accounting degrees from Utah State University. The company will announce first-quarter results after the market closes on Wednesday, May 3, 2023. The management team will host a conference call with the investment community later that same day at 5 p.m. ET. The webcast of the conference call, including the financial information presented, will be available on the investor relations page of the company's website at ir.nuskin.com. A replay of the webcast will be available at the same location through Wednesday, May 17, 2023. About Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. 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 nearly 40 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 nearly 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. Important Information Regarding 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, that represent the company's current expectations and beliefs. All statements other than statements of historical fact are "forward-looking statements" for purposes of federal and state securities laws and include, but are not limited to, statements of management's expectations regarding the company's revenue and earnings guidance for the first quarter and the full year, as well as its future performance. The forward-looking statements and related assumptions involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially from any forward-looking statements or views expressed herein. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following: issues that could arise during the company's closing and review/audit procedures, such as the need to make an adjustment to the projected numbers; risk that epidemics, including COVID-19 and related disruptions, and other crises could negatively impact our business; adverse publicity related to the company's business, products, industry or any legal actions or complaints by the company's sales force or others; risk that direct selling laws and regulations in any of the company's markets, including the United States and Mainland China, may be modified, interpreted or enforced in a manner that results in negative changes to the company's business model or negatively impacts its revenue, sales force or business, including through the interruption of sales activities, loss of licenses, increased scrutiny of sales force actions, imposition of fines, or any other adverse actions or events; any failure of current or planned initiatives or products to generate interest among the company's sales force and customers and generate sponsoring and selling activities on a sustained basis; political, legal, tax and regulatory uncertainties, including trade policies, associated with operating in Mainland China and other international markets; uncertainty regarding meeting restrictions and other government scrutiny in Mainland China, as well as negative media and consumer sentiment in Mainland China on our business operations and results; risk of foreign-currency fluctuations and the currency translation impact on the company's business associated with these fluctuations; uncertainties regarding the future financial performance of the businesses the company has acquired; risks related to accurately predicting, delivering or maintaining sufficient quantities of products to support planned initiatives or launch strategies, and increased risk of inventory write-offs if the company over-forecasts demand for a product or changes its planned initiatives or launch strategies; regulatory risks associated with the company's products, which could require the company to modify its claims or inhibit its ability to import or continue selling a product in a market if the product is determined to be a medical device or if the company is unable to register the product in a timely manner under applicable regulatory requirements; unpredictable economic conditions and events globally; the company's future tax-planning initiatives; any prospective or retrospective increases in duties or tariffs on the company's products imported into the company's markets outside of the United States ; and any adverse results of tax audits or unfavorable changes to tax laws in the company's various markets; and continued competitive pressures in the company's markets. The company's financial performance and the forward-looking statements contained herein are further qualified by a detailed discussion of associated risks set forth in the documents filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements set forth the company's beliefs as of the date that such information was first provided, and the company assumes no duty to update the forward-looking statements contained in this release to reflect any change except as required by law. SOURCE Nu Skin Enterprises Funds will be used to accelerate product innovation and company growth TORONTO, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Nulogy, the leading provider of supply chain collaboration solutions, today announced the company has received $20 million CAD (approx. $15 M USD) in a mix of funding from Export Development Canada (EDC) and incremental working capital from a Tier 1 Canadian Bank. The funds will be used for product innovations and to accelerate the growth of Nulogy's multi-enterprise supply chain platform and solutions. Nulogy's solutions are used by fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) and consumer packaged goods companies and their networks of contract manufacturing and contract packaging suppliers. The funding from EDC was completed in the first quarter of 2023. Nulogy's cloud-based platform provides a set of solutions both for suppliersincluding co-packers and contract manufacturers, and for the brands and manufacturers who trust these suppliers to function as an integral part of their business operations. The unique capabilities of the Nulogy solutions enable these companies to collaborate in near real time to monitor and manage orders, to respond to rapidly changing conditions, and to cut costs, increasing the quality and efficiency of their supply chain operations. According to a 2021 report from industry analyst firm Gartner, Nulogy is the only notable vendor for the contract manufacturing and contract packaging industry. "We're excited to partner with EDC to continue innovating new capabilities to better serve our customers, while accelerating the growth of our network of users," said Jason Tham, CEO and co-founder of Nulogy. "As a provider of multi-enterprise solutions, the larger the number of users of our network, the greater the value for all usersso we're very excited about the value this brings to our community of customers." "Nulogy has been focused on core supply chain solutions, propelling some of the world's leading brands and their supplier networks in more than 20 countries," said Guillermo Freire, Senior Vice-President, Mid-Market Group at EDC. "EDC is committed to helping Canadian mid-market companies like Nulogy realize their international growth potential. As a strategic partner, EDC can support Nulogy by leveraging our financial solutions, trade knowledge, and global networks, which will provide the company with even more momentum as they expand into new markets around the world." About EDC Export Development Canada (EDC) is a financial Crown corporation dedicated to helping Canadian businesses make an impact at home and abroad. EDC has the financial products and knowledge Canadian companies need to confidently enter new markets, reduce financial risk and grow their business as they go from local to global. Together, EDC and Canadian companies are building a more prosperous, stronger and sustainable economy for all Canadians. For more information and to learn how we can help your company, call us at 1-800-229-0575 or visit www.edc.ca. About Nulogy Nulogy, a leading supplier of cloud-based supply chain solutions, enables customers and their supplier communities to collaborate on a multi-enterprise platform to deliver with excellence to an ever-changing consumer market. The Nulogy platform optimizes upstream supply ecosystems composed of brands, contract manufacturers and packagers, third party logistics providers, and raw material and packaging suppliers in order to accelerate supply chain responsiveness and collaborate at the speed of today's market. SOURCE Nulogy Corporation VANCOUVER, BC, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Numinus Wellness Inc. ("Numinus" or the "Company") (TSX: NUMI) (OTCQX: NUMIF), a mental health care company advancing innovative treatments and safe, evidence-based psychedelic-assisted therapies, will release its financial results for the quarter ended February 28, 2023, after market close on Thursday, April 13, 2023. Interested parties are invited to participate in the Company's Q2 2023 results conference call and webcast occurring on the same day, at 5:30 p.m. Eastern time / 2:30 p.m. Pacific time. During the call, Numinus executives will review the Company's performance and recent initiatives, and answer questions from analysts. To listen to the live webcast, please register at: https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/711589893 The webcast will also be archived on the Events and Presentations page of Numinus' Investor Relations website: https://www.investors.numinus.com/events-and-presentations To participate in the live conference call, please use the following dial-in information: 1 (888) 330-3632 (Toll-free North America ) ) 1 (646) 960-0837 (International) Please ask to participate in Numinus' Q2 2023 Results Call. To avoid any delays in joining the call, please dial in at least five minutes prior to the call start time. If prompted, please provide conference passcode 3547386. A replay of the conference call can also be accessed after 8:30 p.m. Eastern time / 5:30 p.m. Pacific time on April 13, 2023, at 1-800-770-2030 or 1-647-362-9199 (using passcode 3547386). The replay will be available until April 27, 2023. About Numinus Numinus Wellness (TSX: NUMI) helps people to heal and be well through the development and delivery of innovative mental health care and access to safe, evidence-based psychedelic-assisted therapies. The Numinus model - including psychedelic production, research and clinic care - is at the forefront of a transformation aimed at healing rather than managing symptoms for depression, anxiety, trauma, pain and substance use. At Numinus, we are leading the integration of psychedelic-assisted therapies into mainstream clinical practice and building the foundation for a healthier society. Learn more at www.numinus.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Forward-looking statements Statements and other information contained in this press release about anticipated future events constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect" and "intend" and statements that an event "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and opinions of management at the date the statements are made. There is no assurance that Health Canada will approve the application. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements even if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable laws. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. SOURCE Numinus Wellness Inc. The ex-vivo model is based on a unique technology developed at the Weizmann Institute, and it can predict oncological treatment success and personalize the right treatment for each patient OncoRix's cancer solutions, developed by Cannabotech, will soon be available in California as medical cannabis with doctor's recommendation The research was carried out under the supervision of Prof. Tamar Peretz, Senior Oncologist at the Hadassah Medical Center, director emerita of the Sharett Institute of Oncology and director emerita of the Breast Cancer Center at the Hadassah Medical Center; and Dr. Yitzhak Angel, a pharmacologist specializing in drug development HERZLIYA, Israel, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cannabotech (TASE: CNTC), a biotechnology company that developed OncoRix an integrative oncology brand, based on Cannabis and functional mushroom extracts, published the results of its study using an ex-vivo model to test its anticancer efficacy on breast cancer tissues. As part of the study, the integrative products were also examined in combination with chemotherapy, including their effects on the tumor environment and immune response. Breavix was designed to support oncological journey of breast cancer patients, have been tested in several preclinical studies, and will be sold in California soon. At OncoRix.com, patients can register to participate the trial and integrate Breavix with chemotherapy. (PRNewsfoto/Cannabotech) Results from the experiment on the patients' tissues confirmed Cannabotech's previous results in cells, demonstrating a critical milestone toward proving the products' efficacy in humans. Among the important findings, OncoRix products showed: Synergistic activity in combination with common chemotherapy: increasing the anti-cancer effectiveness of low-concentration chemotherapy and a significantly higher anticancer efficacy in comparison with chemotherapy alone. An impact of the treatment on immune system cells in the tumor environment, which may indicate the activation of the immune cells in the tissue. These findings mean that it would be possible to achieve increased efficiency in killing breast cancer cells while reducing the required chemotherapy doses. This, in turn, should significantly reduce side effects and thus offer a cure to more patients, since today, dosage reduction is sometimes required due to the adverse effects of anticancer drugs. It is estimated that a significant proportion of breast cancer patients already take medical Cannabis in parallel to medications, aiming at treating tumor process symptoms and oncological treatments' side effects. OncoRix offers these patients a solution that would mitigate side effects and holds real potential for enhancing anticancer therapy per se. OncoRix's integrative oncology product series was based on extensive data in the literature, and its efficacy was tested in a number of different research models. The Cannabinoid products will be administered in the form of a soft gel, and the functional mushroom extracts in the form of caplets, where a unique delivery system technology has also been incorporated into each solution to improve treatment effectiveness. The products have been specifically adapted to be integrated into current oncological treatment protocols, in parallel with the conventional drugs, under the medical cannabis regulations. The products are expected to go to market in California in the coming months, under the OncoRix brand. Of the first two solutions to be launched, one supports breast cancer patients and the other treats pain associated with tumor-related disease. Additional solutions for colon, pancreatic, lung and prostate cancers are to be launched subsequently. The solutions will be offered as part of a six-month program in which the oncology patient will take the integrative products alongside the conventional treatment. As part of the program, patients will also be accompanied by a personal oncology nurse and professional counsel from OncoRix's team of clinical experts. In parallel to the products' commercial launch, OncoRix is expected to conduct a clinical-observational trial in California, where it will collect relevant patient data in order to further test the combined treatment in humans. OncoRix will use the collected findings in its marketing efforts to penetrate the oncology market in California, as well as in the construction of a personalization system that is currently under development. In the current experiment, cancer tumors were taken only from patients with breast cancer expressing hormone receptors (luminal breast cancer), considered the most common breast cancer tumors. The combination was tested alongside the most common chemotherapy in the treatment protocol. It should be noted that OncoRix has previously shown a different efficacy in other subtypes of breast cancer. At present OncoRix is racing to finish the production of its initial stock according to California's local regulations, forming a team to manage the project in California, and raising capital to ensure successful penetration of the local oncology market. Cannabotech's CEO, Elchanan Shaked, said: "This is another significant milestone on Cannabotech's path to becoming a leader in the integrative oncology arena. OncoRix products are intended for use in combination with chemotherapy in several types of cancer and are expected to be launched in the coming months in California. The company aims at setting a new standard in the oncology industry." Prof. Tamar Peretz, Senior Oncologist, said: "A significant percentage of cancer patients is currently being treated with Cannabis alongside the conventional treatment. The integrative products developed by Cannabotech are unique in being developed under standards similar to those in the pharmaceutical industry and combining several active agents. The company's integrative products have demonstrated impressive and promising results in cell cultures tested in the laboratory. Based on these experiments, there is room to start exploring the possibility of integrating the products in treating breast cancer patients as well." Dr. Yitzhak Angel, Cannabotech's pharmacological consultant, said: " The strong synergistic effect on breast cancer tissues demonstrated by the products among themselves, and in combination with chemotherapy, resulted in increased efficiency of killing cancer cells. The unique experimental system enables a functional study in a 3D cell system where treatment can be personalized, bringing us closer to the patients. We are greatly encouraged by these results, which constitute another important milestone in proving the scientific feasibility of the products. We shall continue working to provide patients with a cure." About Cannabotech: Cannabotech is an Israeli biomedical company that develops personalized botanical solutions for preventive medicine and integrative oncology medicine. The solutions are based on research and development and in-depth surveys performed over the past four years and are currently at the commercial stage for select target markets, including England, Poland and California. In the last three years, as part of the integrative oncology concept, Cannabotech has been developing OncoRix, which includes a series of 8 formulations designed to assist in the oncological treatment and are based on unique combinations of botanical extracts from the Cannabis plant and functional mushrooms. The company aims to designate these medical products for integration into the existing treatment protocols for oncology patients. Cannabotech's shares are traded on Tel Aviv Stock Exchange under the symbol CNTC For more information visit: www.OncoRix.com Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2044108/BREAVIX___Packages_5.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2044109/3963707/New_Logo_OncoRix_Logo.jpg For investment and collaboration options: [email protected] or +972-54-9720724 SOURCE Cannabotech ST. LOUIS, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Peabody (NYSE: BTU) today provided an update following yesterday's fire at Shoal Creek Mine near Birmingham, Alabama. Peabody is continuing to work with the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) on a reentry plan. Gas monitoring of exhaust air is showing acceptable air quality and atmospheric conditions within the mine. Shoal Creek is in a ramp-up period throughout 2023 and expecting delivery of a new longwall kit during the second half of the year. As a result, Peabody does not expect the current incident to have a material impact on the Company's 2023 financial results. Shoal Creek has approximately 419 employees and is a production-stage underground longwall metallurgical coal mine located 35 miles west of Birmingham, Alabama, USA. The mine extracts coal from the Mary Lee and Blue Creek coal seams at depths of 1,000 to 1,300 feet. The Shoal Creek Mine produced approximately 800,000 tons of coal in 2022. Peabody is a leading producer of metallurgical and thermal coal. The health and safety of our people is our first value. CONTACT: Mary Compton 314-342-3489 [email protected] Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the securities laws. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They often include words or variation of words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "projects," "forecasts," "targets," "would," "will," "should," "goal," "could" or "may" or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements provide management's current expectations or predictions of future conditions, events, or results. All statements that address operating performance, events, or developments that may occur in the future are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the potential impacts of the incident at the Shoal Creek Mine, including impacts on the operations at the mine or on Peabody's overall operations. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and reflect Peabody's good faith beliefs, assumptions, and expectations, but they are not guarantees of future performance or events. Furthermore, Peabody disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, except as required by law. By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to, a variety of economic, competitive, and regulatory factors, many of which are beyond Peabody's control, including the that are described in Peabody's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2022, and other factors that Peabody may describe from time to time in other filings with the SEC. You may get such filings for free at Peabody's website at www.peabodyenergy.com. You should understand that it is not possible to predict or identify all such factors and, consequently, you should not consider any such list to be a complete set of all potential risks or uncertainties. SOURCE Peabody SOURCE Peabody PRINCETON, N.J., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Prysm Capital ("Prysm" or the "firm"), a growth equity firm that invests in the technology, consumer and healthcare sectors, today announced the close of its inaugural fund, Prysm Capital Fund I, L.P. (the "fund"), with $305 million in capital commitments. The fund received support from a diverse institutional investor base, spanning public pension funds, corporate pension funds, university endowments, family offices and foundations. Prysm Capital is focused on partnering with exceptional entrepreneurs and management teams who are building disruptive, generational and durable companies. The firm was founded in 2019 by Jay Park, Muhammad Mian and Matt Roberts, who previously worked together at BlackRock for nearly a decade. With offices in New York, Princeton and San Francisco, the firm currently manages over $1 billion in assets. "We are humbled by and incredibly grateful for the trust and support from our capital partners and are excited to continue collaborating with founders and management teams," said Mr. Park, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Prysm. "This fundraise is an endorsement of what we have built at Prysm to dateour partnership approach to growth investing and our team." As a minority-owned firm, Prysm upholds the fundamental belief that diversity in thought drives better leadership, decision-making and outcomes. "We believe team and culture are the most durable competitive advantages. To that end, we've been intentional in building a diverse and inclusive firmcentered on character and integrity, collaboration and hustle, and transparency with all our partners," said Mr. Park. "We selected Prysm as a partner because we felt a strong cultural alignment between our companiesin our shared values, our investment in people and our focus on diversity," said Jenny He, Co-Founder and CEO of Ergeon. "Prysm backs visionary companies, and we knew they recognized our ambition and long-term goals from day one. As we've scaled our business, the Prysm team has acted as an extension of our own, serving as strategic and active thought partners." Prysm is a flexible growth capital provider to management teams with a focus on active collaboration and partnership. Prysm employs a top-down thematic investing approach, coupled with bottom-up network-based sourcing, to identify emerging innovators and drive growth. Steve Neel, Deputy Chief Investment Officer at the New Mexico Educational Retirement Board, said, "NMERB is committed to supporting new and innovative talent in the investment industry, and we believe in Prysm and its strategy. The Prysm team has a demonstrated history of generating differentiated investment opportunities, leveraging trusted relationships to partner with category-defining disruptors. Importantly, we remain dedicated to enabling diverse perspectives and nurturing a dynamic investment ecosystem." Acalyx Advisors served as placement agent and Kirkland & Ellis served as legal counsel for Prysm. About Prysm Capital Prysm Capital is a growth equity firm focused on partnering with founders and management teams who are disrupting industries and building category-leading companies. With offices in New York, Princeton and San Francisco, Prysm acts as a flexible source of growth capital for companies in the technology, consumer and healthcare sectors. For more information, please visit www.prysmcapital.com. Media Contact Adam Pollack / Ed Trissel Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher 212-355-4449 Not an offer of any securities or of the investment advisory services of Prysm Capital, L.P. NMERB is an investor in the fund; Ergeon is a portfolio company in which the fund invested. None of Ergeon, NMERB or their respective representatives was compensated in connection with, or in exchange for, providing the endorsements included herein. The receipt of compensation, other benefits, or the opportunity to invest with lower or alternative compensation arrangements can provide endorsers with material incentives to recommend an investment adviser such as Prysm. SOURCE Prysm Capital BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov was received by Israeli President Isaac Herzog as part of his official visit to Israel, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Trend. Current issues of the bilateral and multilateral agenda of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Israel were discussed at the meeting. The FM gave information about the situation in the region in the post-conflict period. Will be updated The sensor system is based on a force-sensing resistor and utilizes a support vector machine algorithm for detecting pipeline damages BUSAN, South Korea, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pipelines, lifelines of the oil and gas industry, can rupture unexpectedly and cause undesirable leaks. Normally, the integrity of pipelines is monitored in real-time using intrusive and non-intrusive sensor systems. While the former need to be pre-installed, the latter offer more flexibility but are limited by cost and environmental noise. Recently, researchers from Korea have proposed a low-cost non-intrusive sensor system for accurate pipeline damage detection. Researchers from Pusan National University have proposed a low-cost non-intrusive sensor system which employs a force-sensing resistor, the Euclidean distance method, and a support vector machine learning algorithm to optimally detect pipeline damage and monitor pipeline integrity. Unexpected pipeline failures can lead to leakages that pollute the environment and compromise public safety, thereby underscoring the importance of accurate, real-time pipeline monitoring. Pipelines on naval ships that are a part of fire-extinguishing and cooling systems are especially prone to damage due to frequent projectile launches and collisions. There are two kinds of sensors for this purposeintrusive and non-intrusive. Intrusive sensors are highly accurate sensors that measure pressure or mass flow must be pre-installed during the construction of the pipeline. Non-intrusive sensors, on the other hand, use light and sound-based measurement systems. They can be installed after a pipeline is constructed, thereby offering more flexibility. However, non-intrusive sensors are expensive are affected by environmental conditions and noise. To overcome these limitations, a group of researchers led by Assistant Professor Yun-ho Shin of the Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering at Pusan National University, has proposed a novel non-intrusive sensor system based on a low-cost, force-sensing resistor (FSR). The research was conducted jointly with the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) and was made published online in the Structural Control and Health Monitoring journal on 7 February 2023. The sensor consists of a stiff clamping band with an FSR that contains conductive particles in a non-conductive polymer. "When the pressure inside a pipe increases, the contact force between the pipe and clamping band also increases. That, in turn, compresses the FSR. As a result, the conductive particles come closer to each other, and current starts flowing in the non-conductive polymer due to quantum tunneling. This brings down the FSR resistance. Hence, the sensor can indirectly measure pipe pressure and detect changes in it," explains Prof. Shin. The researchers found that the novel sensor's measurements showed a 99.4% correlation with a commercial, intrusive sensor, emphasizing its accuracy. The researchers then utilized the Euclidean distance method to determine where the sensors must be optimally placed in a pipeline network. Based on its results, they installed two sensors on a naval ship-like fire main pipeline system. Their data was fed to support vector machinea machine learning-based classification algorithmwhich allowed them to detect the type and location of damages in the system rapidly and accurately. "The FSR-based sensors can be applied to any pipeline system in industries with a high risk of pipe failure, including nuclear power plants and naval ships. They will also reduce required manual work by automating pipe integrity monitoring," concludes Prof. Shin. The novel, low-cost, FSR-based non-intrusive sensor system paves the way toward more robust pipeline safety, thereby displaying the potential to protect human health, as well as environmental health. Reference Title of original paper: Non-intrusive Sensor System Developed using a Force-sensing Resistor for Pipeline Integrity Monitoring Journal: Structural Control and Health Monitoring DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/4676060 About Pusan National University Website: https://www.pusan.ac.kr/eng/Main.do Media Contact: Jae-Eun Lee 82 51 510 7928 [email protected] SOURCE Pusan National University FORT COLLINS, Colo., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Peak Solutions is proud to announce that veteran nonprofit executive, Ray Caraway, has joined their team. Ray joins the Fort Collins-based leadership development firm after 30 years of nonprofit experience and 17 years as CEO at the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado. After several years as a practicing attorney, Ray served as CEO of public and private foundations in four different states, most recently leading a private family foundation in New Mexico. "Nonprofits face unique challenges when it comes to building a strong culture. Oftentimes, their important mission gets sidetracked because of relational or cultural strain. We're thrilled to have Ray on board to help solve that challenge for nonprofits." said Richard Fagerlin, President and CEO of Peak Solutions. With Ray's leadership, Peak Solutions offers organizational assessments, strategic planning, and team-building retreats designed specifically for nonprofits. "Nonprofit executives can feel pulled in many different directions, and board members can feel unsure of how to contribute to the organization's mission. I know firsthand how performance is maximized when the lead executive and the board are properly aligned, and my work is designed to create the clarity that will make that happen," said Ray Caraway. "Peak Solutions has a great reputation and an amazing array of resources for clients. I'm honored to be a part of the team." Ray Caraway's focus at Peak Solutions will be helping nonprofit teams narrow their focus while enabling board members to make meaningful contributions with guidance from his wealth of experience in the nonprofit world. To learn more about the work Ray Caraway and Peak Solutions are doing with nonprofits, visit peaksol.com/non-profits. About Ray Caraway: Ray served as CEO of the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado from 2003 to 2020. During that time, he led the effort to grow the foundation's assets by more than tenfold while leading community initiatives and distributing millions in grants each year. Following his run as CEO of the Community Foundation, he spent two years as CEO of a private, family foundation in New Mexico before returning to Northern Colorado. He and his wife, Mary, are excited to be back in their home in the foothills west of Fort Collins. About Peak Solutions: Peak Solutions was founded in 2001 by Richard Fagerlin to help organizations develop confident leaders, create cohesive cultures, and drive successful execution with clear strategies. Over the last two decades, Peak Solutions has served a diverse client base. Through leadership development, culture building, and strategic development, Peak Solutions has helped organizations ranging from private family-owned businesses to organizations on the Fortune 500 list find success and win without drama. SOURCE Peak Solutions PHOENIX, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Restb.ai is launching its groundbreaking AI-powered Property Descriptions technology for the US and Canadian real estate industry, making it easier than ever for agents to automate the time-consuming task of creating property listing descriptions. A short video demonstrating this powerful new technology recorded live is located here: https://youtu.be/ZEH18UpPp-c. Video at https://youtu.be/ZEH18UpPp-c shows groundbreaking AI-powered Property Descriptions technology from Restb.ai for the US and Canadian real estate industry, making it easier than ever for agents to automate the time-consuming task of creating property listing descriptions. The new Restb.ai technology uses AI-powered computer vision, natural language processing (NLP) and large language models (LLM) to generate unique, captivating, and human-like property descriptions from photos and data provided by real estate agents when listing properties for sale in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). The Restb.ai innovative technology uses AI-powered computer vision, natural language processing (NLP) and large language models (LLM) to generate unique, captivating, and human-like property descriptions from photos and data provided by real estate agents when listing properties for sale in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Available to MLSs, MLS vendors, brokerages and portals, Restb.ai's computer vision technology can detect over 300 property features, many of which go beyond the details available within a typical listing, and integrates with numerous third-party APIs to enhance and localize listings. These visual insights are crucial to providing valuable details to the description. "Our 8 years of experience building real estate specific computer vision models, deep ties to MLS software vendors, and the recent developments in generative AI models make our solution a truly unique and unmatched offering," said Nathan Brannen, Chief Product Officer. "Creating listing descriptions has long been a time-consuming process, taking agents up to 30 minutes or longer to complete but now our Property Descriptions solution can generate complex and creative descriptions in mere seconds." Brannen notes that Property Descriptions offer a selection of different tones and styles that allow agents to create listing remarks to match their personal brand. Once a response is generated, agents can add their final tweaks before publishing, or instantly regenerate another AI-produced alternative. Additionally, all descriptions highlight the property's best features while remaining FHA-compliant and error-free. Restb.ai Property Description technology is available as part of the listing creation process through its existing partnerships with nearly all the largest MLS technology platform providers, serving agents and brokers who generate over 80% of all North America property listings. MLSs and MLS vendors can easily pass photos and basic listing information to the Restb.ai API, instantly receiving ready-to-use property descriptions. Over the past five years, Restb.ai's technology has produced more than 100,000 property descriptions for its global client base. Research shows that these auto-generated descriptions frequently outperform those created by agents. The AI-powered Property Descriptions solution supports more than 50 languages, reduces direct and opportunity costs by 90%, and accelerates the time to market by 5x. In addition, agents can either publish generated descriptions as-is or use them as a starting point for their own text. As the leader in this AI-powered technology for over half a decade, Restb.ai delivers the most reliable, accurate, and error-free listing description solution for real estate. A complete list of MLS Product solutions is available at https://restb.ai/company/press-releases/restb-ai-mls-suite. Learn more about Restb.ai solutions for real estate by contacting Managing Director Lisa Larson at [email protected] or visiting restb.ai About Restb.ai Restb.ai, the leader in AI and computer vision for real estate, provides image recognition and data enrichment solutions for many of the industry's top brands and leading innovators. Its advanced AI-powered technology automatically analyzes property imagery to unlock visual insights at scale that empowers real estate companies with relevant and actionable property intelligence. Restb.ai is like having a real estate expert instantly research and provide a deep insight into each of the 1 million property photos uploaded daily. For more information on Restb.ai, visit its website. For Restb.ai related media inquiries, please reach out to Maya Makarem [email protected] or [email protected] or Kevin Hawkins at 1-206-866-1220 or [email protected]. SOURCE Restb.ai Global Investor Signs Agreements to Buy Leading Cleanroom Consumables Businesses Dastex in Germany and Vita Verita in Sweden CLEVELAND, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Riverside Company, a global private investor focused on the smaller end of the middle market, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Dastex Reinraumzubehor GmbH & Co. KG (Dastex), a leading specialized independently owned cleanroom garment & consumables distributor in Europe. In parallel, Riverside signed a definitive agreement to acquire Vita Verita, a leading player in the Swedish market, as a first add-on to the platform. Closing of the deals is subject to customary approvals by the competent regulatory authorities. Founded in 1979 in Germany, Dastex has grown to become a market leading provider of both third-party brand and proprietary garments and consumables for cleanrooms in Germany, Austria and Switzerland with a strong foothold in the Benelux and a growing pan-European presence. The company has grown rapidly in recent years, driven by its unique technical know-how and R&D capabilities, comprehensive product assortment and excellent customer service, meeting strong demand from the pharmaceutical and semiconductor industries. Vita Verita was founded in Sweden in 1983 and is a specialist in cleanroom consumables and laboratory equipment, air quality testing, service and maintenance for pharmaceutical companies, hospitals and other controlled environments. The company offers both own-brand and third-party products including disposable garments, gloves and wipes, as well as qualified verification and validation services. Vita Verita has experienced nearly two decades of continuous growth, supported by its long-lasting customer relationships and consistent focus on quality. Damien Gaudin, Partner at Riverside Europe who led the deals, commented: "By acquiring Dastex and Vita Verita, we combine two cleanroom consumables specialists in Europe, providing mission-critical products and services and forming the nucleus to our pan-European buy-and-build strategy. This creates a unique platform perfectly positioned to continue growing organically and via acquisitions. We are excited to team-up with the strong management teams at Dastex and Vita Verita with the aim to build the European leader in contamination control for cleanrooms, offering best-in-class products as well as value-add technical and regulatory services supported by an ambitious ESG strategy." Karsten Langer, Managing Partner of Riverside Europe, added: "The investments highlight Riverside Europe's expertise at the crossroads of two of our focus sectors: healthcare and specialty distribution. It is also a clear illustration of our pan-European reach and ability to execute on primary opportunities to build leading businesses. Dastex and Vita Verita serve the resilient and growing cleanroom industry, helping customers in pharmaceutical, life sciences and other high-tech industries to meet ever stricter quality and regulatory standards. The acquisition of Dastex and Vita Verita will create a leader in contamination control to the benefit of its customers, facilitating further growth of the sector in Europe." Carsten Moschner, CEO of Dastex, commented: "The management team and I are excited to join forces with Vita Verita and Riverside to open the next chapter in the company's history. I truly believe Riverside is the ideal partner to support our ambitious growth plans and that the addition of Vita Verita's commercial platform and value-add service offering in Sweden is a critical step in our journey to become one of Europe's preeminent providers of contamination control products and services. We look forward to further expanding our business across the continent and continuing to serve our customer base with an even broader full-service offering. I would like to thank all employees, colleagues, suppliers and customers for their support and trust." Anders Kumbrant, CEO, and Magnus Kumbrant, COO of Vita Verita, added: "We are delighted to partner with Dastex and Riverside to further realize our ambitions and vision for the company. We are particularly thrilled by the prospect of teaming up with Dastex, one of Europe's leading players well known for their outstanding expertise and professionalism. We would like to thank Anna-Lena Weiss, who will have a leading role in the Nordics organization going forward, and the whole Vita Verita team, our customers, suppliers, and the team at Riverside for their trust and support." Working with Gaudin on the deal for Riverside were Vice President Maxime Meulemeester, Senior Associate Nicola Tomaschko, Associates Sebastiaan Pauwels and Nils Mjornemark and Associate, Origination, Bence Putnoky. Damien Gaudin sourced the Dastex deal, while Ali Al Alaf and Nils Mjornemark sourced the Vita Verita deal for Riverside. About The Riverside Company The Riverside Company is a global investment firm focused on being one of the leading private capital and credit options for investors, business owners and employees at the smaller end of the middle market by seeking to fuel transformative growth and create lasting value. Since its founding in 1988, Riverside has made more than 960 investments. The firm's international private equity and flexible capital portfolios include more than 150 companies. Riverside Europe is an integral part of the firm's broad global network and has invested in Europe since 1989. Riverside believes a truly global presence provides exceptional insight into local conditions, culture and business practices, making team members better investors and business partners. Contact: Holly Mueller Marketing Consultant The Riverside Company +1 216 -535 -2236 [email protected] Sam Barton Partner Hydra Strategy +44 7380 961 549 [email protected] SOURCE The Riverside Company Turkish company Korteks addresses risk of unplanned downtime due to obsolescent hardware, and reaps rewards of its new digitalized architecture, in a plant with more than 50 machines. ISTANBUL, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), the world's largest company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, today announced that its digital solutions, knowledge and capabilities have proved pivotal in the successful plantwide modernization of Korteks' fiber and textiles plant in Turkey. The leadership teams at Korteks (left) and Rockwell Automation Turkey signed a contract for the plantwide redesign and modernization of Korteks' polyester yarn production plant in Bursa, Turkey. Korteks, one of Europe's biggest fully integrated polyester continuous filament yarn manufacturers, boasts about 335,000 m2 of production facilities, with daily polymer production capacities amounting to nearly 600 tons of yarn in various formats, including POY, FDY, texturized, twisted and air texturized. The company faced a growing risk of unplanned downtime due to the obsolescence challenges within its legacy OT infrastructure. However, it also faced difficulties in the planning of its modernization investment due to the complexity of its installed base. After in-depth technical discussions and multiple site visits, Rockwell Automation demonstrated a holistic modernization approach that factored in all the complexities of the existing OT and IT infrastructure with minimum production disruptions. "This phased modernization approach is a textbook example of what can be achieved with the right planning, backed by proven hardware and supported by a highly knowledgeable technical team," explains Ediz Eren, Rockwell Automation country sales director in Turkey. "The three-year plan will see a complete plantwide redesign with the final architecture delivering a fully digitalized platform that Korteks will be able to use to generate even greater efficiencies. "We examined each individual machine and developed bespoke machine-specific upgrade pathways that would keep downtime to an absolute minimum. Each individual plan then feeds into the overall plan, which will eventually deliver a standardized plantwide automation and control infrastructure that will greatly simplify maintenance, training, operation and future integration." "One of the most fundamental factors we considered was that production could not be stopped and each machine could be out of service for limited periods of time, only," explains Bars Mert, General Manager of Korteks. "Our primary goal was to address the risks we anticipated, relating to obsolescent control hardware, but the secondary outcomes - provided by a fully digitalized architecture - will open the door to great operational improvement opportunities in the near future." Learn more about Rockwell Automation modernization solutions here. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2042951/RA___Korteks_teams.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1981317/3961234/Rockwell_Automation_Logo.jpg SOURCE Rockwell Automation NEW YORK, March 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the common stock of Lumen Technologies, Inc. f/k/a CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: LUMN, CTL) between September 14, 2020 and February 7, 2023, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important May 2, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline. SO WHAT: If you purchased Lumen common stock during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Lumen class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=12736 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than May 2, 2023. 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 litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) various headwinds were impeding the Company's ability to invest in and grow its Quantum Fiber brand; (2) the Company's Quantum Fiber business was not progressing as was represented to the investing public; (3) the Company's management was reassessing its strategic priorities and had placed a hold on the plans to quickly scale up the Quantum Fiber brand; and (4); as a result of the Company's decision to delay expansion to Quantum Fiber, the Company's results and metrics were negatively impacted and the scaling up of Quantum Fiber would not occur until, at the earliest, the end of 2023; and (5) as a result, defendants' statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. To join the Lumen class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=12736 mailto:or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action. No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.rosenlegal.com SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. Runa is a first-of-its-kind infrastructure for transferring and exchanging digital value from fractional shares to gift cards enabling people to pay and get paid by anyone, anywhere, instantly LONDON, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Runa , formerly known as WeGift, today announced its launch as a digital value infrastructure that enables individuals and businesses to pay and get paid by anyone, anywhere, instantly. Runa's first-of-its-kind payment rail unlocks all forms of digital value from fractional shares and gift cards to cryptocurrencies and NFTs seamlessly facilitating B2C payouts and C2B payments regardless of the asset category being used. Runa's infrastructure facilitates instant B2C global payouts free of charge for the sender and the recipient. The digital currency and digital payment markets are expected to become a multi-trillion-dollar industry within the next decade, but they remain largely siloed and are not integrated within legacy payment systems. Sending, receiving, and holding digital value has become routine, with individuals now sitting on billions of dollars in the form of gift cards, airline miles, rewards points, and more. While this digital value can be stored easily, it cannot be readily exchanged as desired: businesses often do not accept it so individuals struggle to spend it. By boosting the liquidity of digital assets, Runa creates a win-win outcome for businesses and consumers alike. Businesses can adapt to an increasingly mainstream part of the economy, such as utilizing digital value for mass payouts, while consumers can spend the value they have received just as they would like, purchasing the products they want, when they want them. "Today, it would be unimaginable for any business not to accept credit card payments," said Aron Alexander, CEO and Founder, Runa. "Soon, it will be just as unimaginable for the same business not to issue or accept any form of digital value. With Runa's infrastructure in place, there is no need for one of these payment methods to be more complex than the other. I am excited to witness the impact Runa will have as a means of transforming the way people use, exchange, and create digital value." Since its foundation in 2016, Runa has already helped users unlock and spend digital value in the form of gift cards, sending over 22.5M gift cards across 30 countries and 18 currencies, through partnerships with over 1,300 businesses. The closed-loop prepaid and stored value ecosystem used for gift card processing is a proven example of how new forms of digital assets can be used for payments at the Point-Of-Sale or online, a model that can be replicated with other forms of digital assets. Now, Runa's platform is broadening its capabilities to form one all-encompassing digital payment network for all categories of digital assets that will include all of the company's existing functionalities. The Runa infrastructure can integrate all forms of digital assets, including prepaid and branded currency, cryptocurrencies, web3 tokenized assets (NFTs), air miles, stocks, subscriptions, and more. These digital asset categories are currently underserved by the payments industry, and Runa complements established bank and credit card networks to create a comprehensive payments infrastructure capable of transferring value rapidly and at scale. "Legacy payment systems are struggling to keep pace with the rapid digitization of the economy, and lack the necessary flexibility to transfer diverse assets outside of traditional card networks," continued Alexander. "By pioneering a first-of-its-kind payment rail, Runa will make it significantly easier to unlock all forms of digital value, making them accessible across a wide range of merchant networks." Visit runa.io to explore the website and learn about Runa's solutions. About Runa Runa is a digital value infrastructure that enables people to pay and get paid by anyone, anywhere, instantly. The Runa network reaches more than 1 billion people and connects merchants, organizations, and individuals for fast, affordable, and data-rich payouts in more than 30 countries and 18 currencies. Thousands of the world's leading organizations rely on Runa to reward, incentivize, and disburse funds to the people they serve. Runa provides direct connections to its 1,400+ network and merchant partners, enabling digital value to move more efficiently and economically than legacy systems. Runa is headquartered in London with teams across the globe. Our investors include Element Ventures, CommerzVentures, Clocktower Ventures, Volution Capital, AlbionVC, and SAP. For more information, visit runa.io . Media Contact Ben Crome Headline Media [email protected] UK: +44 7481 249328 SOURCE Runa New analytics training and data sharing capabilities highlight partnership CARY, N.C., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Global analytics leader SAS is contributing training and technology to support the 3030 Initiative, a coalition to advance the representation of women in policing agencies. SAS has increased its focus on public safety analytics in recent years as law enforcement agencies have strived to make better use of data to speed investigations and improve community outcomes. SAS is proud to help police forces use data & analytics to increase representation & reflect the communities they serve. Tweet this SAS is contributing training and technology to support the 3030 Initiative, a coalition to advance the representation of women in policing agencies. Currently, women make up only 13% of sworn officers and 3% of police leadership in the US. The 30x30 Initiative aims to increase the representation of women in police recruit classes to 30% by 2030 and to ensure police policies and culture intentionally support the success of qualified women officers throughout their careers. The American Society of Evidence-Based Policing (ASEBP) is a founding member of 30x30, which includes police leaders, researchers and professional organizations. Maureen McGough, Chief of Strategic Initiatives for the Policing Project at New York University School of Law, is Co-Founder of the 30x30 Initiative and an ASEBP board member. McGough believes the rise of data and increased women representation can complement one another. "Data is at the heart of the change we're advocating for. It helps agencies diagnose disparate outcomes in recruitment, assessment and retention, and is critical for agencies seeking to measure the impact of their gender equity efforts," said McGough. That is just one of many benefits of increasing women representation in law enforcement. According to 30x30, research shows women officers: Use less force and less excessive force. Are less likely to be named in complaints and lawsuits. Are perceived by communities as being more honest and compassionate. See better outcomes for crime victims, especially in sexual assault cases. Make fewer discretionary arrests. SAS training path goes from basic programming to investigations management Law enforcement agencies around the world are harnessing the power of data for case management, officer safety, community engagement and evidence-based policing. Thus the policing profession requires new skill sets to fight crime as it evolves. SAS is providing a customized training path for law enforcement personnel focused on these valuable data skills: SAS Programming I: Essentials teaches the basics of programming in a world where digital evidence gathering is evermore important. teaches the basics of programming in a world where digital evidence gathering is evermore important. Data Literacy Essentials includes what data is, why it is important in today's world and how it is key to understanding potential threats, risk and harm to our communities. includes what data is, why it is important in today's world and how it is key to understanding potential threats, risk and harm to our communities. Leading with Analytics teaches how a data-driven approach can support effective decision making that generates positive change. Trainees will learn how to frame business problems so that they can be answered with data and analytics and how to overcome communication barriers among data owners. teaches how a data-driven approach can support effective decision making that generates positive change. Trainees will learn how to frame business problems so that they can be answered with data and analytics and how to overcome communication barriers among data owners. Investigation Management and Analysis is created by subject matter experts in law enforcement investigations and training, using best practices, detective techniques to understand criminal activities and the identity of suspects using the SAS Law Enforcement Intelligence platform. Learners are entrenched in a crime story that will lead them to identify the lead criminal of an organized crime group, learning techniques that will assist in real investigations. Interested members of law enforcement can access the training on the SAS Women in Policing page. In addition, the SAS Data for Good team is building data-sharing capabilities to help 30x30 members more easily track and monitor their progress toward quality and diversity goals. SAS has repeatedly been recognized as a Best Workplace for Women by Fortune magazine. This commitment to gender representation is part of the reason that women make up over 40% of the SAS global workforce and 33% of global leadership. "SAS engages in many activities designed to close the gender gap in technology and recruit and retain women in the industry," said Nilay Cetin, Senior Director, Justice and Public Safety, SAS. "SAS is proud to help police forces use data and analytics as they strive to increase representation and reflect the communities they serve." About SAS SAS is the leader in analytics. Through innovative software and services, SAS empowers and inspires customers around the world to transform data into intelligence. SAS gives you THE POWER TO KNOW. SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright 2023 SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved. Editorial Contact: Trent Smith [email protected] 919-531-4726 sas.com/news SOURCE SAS SUNDSVALL, Sweden, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Annual General Meeting of SCA was held on March 30, 2023 at Clarion Hotel in Sundsvall The Meeting approved the income statement and balance sheet for the parent company and the consolidated income statement and consolidated balance sheet for 2022. The Annual General Meeting resolved, for the financial year of 2022, on a dividend of SEK 2.50 per share. The record date for the dividend is Monday, April 3, 2023. Payment through Euroclear Sweden AB is expected to be made on Thursday, April 6, 2023. The Board of Directors and the President were granted discharge from liability for the financial year of 2022. The Annual General Meeting decided that the number of Board members should be ten. Board members Par Boman, Asa Bergman, Lennart Evrell, Annemarie Gardshol, Carina Hakansson, Ulf Larsson, Martin Lindqvist, Anders Sundstrom, Barbara Milian Thoralfsson and Karl Aberg were re-elected. Par Boman was re-elected Chairman of the Board. The registered accounting firm Ernst & Young AB was appointed as auditor until the end of the Annual General Meeting 2024. The Meeting resolved to adopt the remunerations to the Board members and the auditor that were proposed in the notice convening the Meeting. The Meeting also approved the Board's remuneration report for 2022 and the Board's proposal on a long-term cash-based incentive program for the years 2023-2025. Minutes from the Annual General Meeting will be available on the company website, www.sca.com, within two weeks. For further information, please contact: Anders Edholm, Senior Vice President Sustainability and Communication, +46 60 19 32 12 Sofia Haga, Senior Vice President Legal Affairs & General Counsel and Board Secretary, +46 60 19 31 29 The core of SCA's business is the forest, Europe's largest private forest holding. Around this unique resource, we have built a well-developed value chain based on renewable raw material from our own and others' forests. We offer packaging paper, pulp, wood products, renewable energy, services for forest owners and efficient transport solutions. In 2022 the forest products company SCA had approximately 3,300 employees and sales amounted to SEK 21 bn. SCA was founded in 1929 and is headquartered in Sundsvall, Sweden. For more information, visit sca.com The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/600/3741212/1942952.pdf Press release - SCAs Annual General Meeting 2023 SOURCE SCA CANTON, Mass., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- School of Rock , the leader in performance-based music education with over 325 schools across 15 global markets, is looking to expand its presence in New York City to meet the demand for quality music education programs. "New York City has always been a hub of creativity and a mecca for music lovers, with a rich history of genres such as jazz, rock, soul, R&B, and more. From the bustling music scene to the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of the city, NYC has been home to some of the greatest music minds in the country," said Rob Price, CEO of School of Rock. "At School of Rock, we are committed to providing students with unparalleled access to music education, while also creating opportunities for aspiring business owners to join our franchise network. With the ever-increasing demand for quality music education, we are thrilled to expand our presence in this thriving market over the next few years." With more than two decades of experience, School of Rock offers entrepreneurs the opportunity to quickly plug into a global brand with a proven business model. Through the power of music, prospective franchise investors have the ability to positively impact the lives of their students and their community as a whole. "As I prepare to open my sixth School of Rock location, I often ask myself "why"? The answer is always very clear. Being an owner has allowed me the opportunity to not only bring the joy of music into our community but to introduce our students to a universal language that helps integrate them into their community," says Monica Rubin, owner of multiple School of Rock locations across Long Island and Queens, New York. "School of Rock provides so much more than music education, we help our students hone in on one of the most important life skills - self-confidence. After growing with the School of Rock franchise for almost 10 years, I can honestly say that School of Rock is an instant segue into the heart of the community, which can be both financially beneficial and personally enriching." School of Rock's approach to music education is unique. Whereas traditional music education approaches focus on teaching music only through one-on-one lessons with an instructor, School of Rock's Method combines one-on-one instruction with group rehearsals and live performances, starting students on their musical journey by playing songs that inspire them. The brands' integrated SongFirst approach teaches students techniques and theory while also helping them apply those skills when performing with other musicians. This results in remarkable musical proficiency. The initial investment for a School of Rock franchise is approximately $395,800 $537,400 including a $49,900 franchise fee. Ideal candidates, or group of investors, will have a net worth of $350,000, of which $150,000 is liquid. Additionally, Veterans receive a special discount on their initial franchise fee. School of Rock provides students of all ages an exciting and engaging music education experience, which includes bass lessons , guitar lessons , singing lessons , drum lessons , and piano lessons . Drawing from all styles of rock and roll, School of Rock students learn theory and techniques via songs from legendary artists such as Aretha Franklin, Lenny Kravitz, and Led Zeppelin. Thanks to the school's performance-based approach, students around the world have gained superior musical proficiency, with some moving on to record deals and larger platforms such as American Idol, The Voice and Broadway. For more information on School of Rock visit www.SchoolofRock.com or call 866-695-5515. To learn more about School of Rock franchise opportunities visit http://franchising.schoolofrock.com/ About School of Rock School of Rock helps aspiring musicians master skills, unleash creativity, and develop tools they need to thrive in life. Founded as a single school in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1998, School of Rock has become a rapidly growing international franchise with over 500 schools open and in development across 15 global markets. Since 2009, School of Rock has grown its student count from 4,000 to over 60,000. School of Rock offers a wide variety of music lessons , including guitar lessons , singing lessons and piano lessons . The company also sells musical instruments and music gear through its GearSelect program. School of Rock is proud to support Music Will (formerly Little Kids Rock), the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM), and the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide (SPTS). School of Rock was awarded US Patent 10,891,872 in 2021 for its innovative music education method. School of Rock also has garnered the following industry awards: 2023 Global Franchise Grand Champion; 2023, 2022 and 2021 Global Franchise's Awards Best Children's Service and Education Franchise; 2023 Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 Top Children's Music Enrichment Brand; 2021 Franchise Innovation Award for Most Innovative Use of Customer-Facing Digital Tools; Franchise Business Review's 2023 Top 200 Franchises and Culture 200 list; 2020 Entrepreneur Magazine's Top 200 Franchise and the #1 Child Enrichment Franchise; and 2018 Forbes # 2 Best Franchise Medium-Level Investment Award and the #1 Music Franchise in America. Follow School of Rock on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SchoolofRockUSA and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SchoolofRockUSA . For more information on School of Rock visit www.SchoolofRock.com or call 866-695-5515. To learn more about School of Rock franchise opportunities head to http://franchising.schoolofrock.com/ SOURCE School of Rock BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. Armenia has been going for aggressive rhetoric in recent weeks, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said during his meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Trend reports. Bayramov also spoke about the current situation in the region in the post- Karabakh conflict period, and the large-scale restoration and construction that Azerbaijan is carrying out on its liberated territories. In addition, information was provided on the military-political provocations committed by Armenia, its imitation of negotiations with the evasion of its obligations, the continuing threat of mines, and Armenia's incomplete withdrawal of its armed forces from Azerbaijan following its obligations. Azerbaijan's determination to establish peace and security in the region, as well as the reintegration of Armenian residents, were also noted. On March 28, Azerbaijani FM Jeyhun Bayramov went on an official visit to Israel and Palestine. KRAKOW, Poland, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Selvita S.A. [WSE: SLV] one of the largest CRO (Contract Research Organization) companies in Europe has published a full-year report for 2022*. The Group reported record results for 2022, in excess of meeting the objectives of its ambitious development strategy for 2022-2025. In 2023 the Company is strengthening the base for further dynamic growth of its business scale. In 2022 Selvita (excl. Ardigen) generated EUR 75.4 million in revenue from commercial services, marking an increase of 29% y/y. EBITDA profit reached EUR 22.7 million , 41% higher than in 2021 (EBITDA margin reached 30.0%, 2.6 p.p. higher y/y). in revenue from commercial services, marking an increase of 29% y/y. EBITDA profit reached , 41% higher than in 2021 (EBITDA margin reached 30.0%, 2.6 p.p. higher y/y). At the end of March, Selvita announced that it had completed construction of its new research space in Krakow , to which it is moving part of its high-margin drug discovery services business. Selvita's new research center is capable of providing workspace for approximately 250 scientists, marking a significant milestone in the Company's development and laying the foundation for the Company's continued organic growth. , to which it is moving part of its high-margin drug discovery services business. Selvita's new research center is capable of providing workspace for approximately 250 scientists, marking a significant milestone in the Company's development and laying the foundation for the Company's continued organic growth. Selvita's backlog for 2023 reached EUR 43.3 million (as of March 28, 2023 ) and is 7% higher than the value reported a year earlier (as of March 24, 2022 ), despite a very high base. There are many indications that in 2023 the dynamics of contracting between quarters will be different than usual. The company is observing an increased caution from its customers, resulting in contracting for shorter periods, which makes it possible to count on extensions in subsequent quarters of 2023. (as of ) and is 7% higher than the value reported a year earlier (as of ), despite a very high base. There are many indications that in 2023 the dynamics of contracting between quarters will be different than usual. The company is observing an increased caution from its customers, resulting in contracting for shorter periods, which makes it possible to count on extensions in subsequent quarters of 2023. Due to investments in infrastructure and team development, the Company entered 2023 with a higher cost base, which taking into account slowing growth rates, is putting pressure on margins. Today, Selvita is fundamentally positioned for continued strong growth, and the Management Board's priority is to return to high revenue growth and margin levels. Selvita is actively responding to this situation, focusing on identifying markets and customers with the largest research budgets, significantly intensifying sales activities in selected areas - primarily in the US market and towards big pharma. The Company is already observing the first effects of these activities and expects further positive results from the tactics adopted in the coming months. In parallel, the Company is taking advantage of this more challenging period to identify areas where optimizations can be made, and is improving its savings policies, which should have a positive impact on margins both in the coming quarters and in the long term. Boguslaw Sieczkowski, co-founder, major shareholder and Chief Executive Officer at Selvita, comments: - 2022 was a record year for us. We made good use of several years of excellent economic conditions, growing more than three times faster than our environment and more than quadrupling the scale of the business between 2019 and 2022. At the same time, we have built a solid base for further dynamic growth and are now focusing on increasing and diversifying our revenue base. There are many indications that this year the distribution of backlog between quarters will be different than usual. Thus, we expect growth rates to increase and margins to improve in the second half of 2023. Returning to the high dynamics of revenues and margin levels that we got our investors accustomed to is our top priority at the moment. Both biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies have high cash reserves and are gradually increasing their R&D spending, outsourcing an increasing portion of its activities. At the same time, access to new capital has been difficult for several quarters, making our clients more cautious with their budgets. This situation allows us to hope that as market sentiment improves, our clients will quickly return to bolder investments in R&D. In the long term, we operate in an attractive market, which gives us excellent prospects for growth. While funding for the global biopharmaceutical sector more than doubled in the pandemic years - 2020-2021 in 2022 it dropped to the 2019 levels, with the largest amount of capital (more than 70%) going to companies in the U.S. market. In Europe, the U.K. market stands out positively. Selvita is very active in both these markets, based on its local sales offices in major biotech centers. Dr. Milosz Gruca, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Selvita, said: - We are trying to play on our numerous competitive advantages and focus on the most attractive markets and customers at the moment. We took the first steps towards strengthening sales back in 2022, and since the beginning of this year we have significantly intensified these activities. In 2022 Selvita completed the integration of Fidelta, the Croatian company, acquired in early 2021. Selvita has strengthened its market position, significantly increased its customer portfolio and introduced new high-margin services. At the same time, the Company continued to invest in team and infrastructure development. In March 2023, Selvita announced the completion of its new headquarters in Krakow, which constitutes nearly 4 000 sq. m. of new research space and can provide workspace for approximately 250 scientists. FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE AND MARKET ENVIRONMENT In 2022, Selvita's drug discovery services generated EUR 63.7 million (up by 24% y/y) and accounted for 84% of Selvita's commercial services revenue. Services in the area of regulatory research constituted the remaining part of commercial services revenues and amounted to EUR 11.7 million (up by 61% y/y). Dr. Milosz Gruca adds: - We are continuing very strong business development activities. While in 2022 we participated in more than 80 events, this year we plan to take part in more than 110 shows and conferences. We are working hard to strengthen our visibility and scientific recognition. The bioinformatics segment (Ardigen) generated in 2022 EUR 10.2 million in external revenues, indicating a 51% year-on-year increase. EBITDA in this segment of the business amounted to EUR 1.3 million. The company continues its intensive development investments. Starting in 2023, Ardigen will not be consolidated in Selvita's results. For the full year 2022, Selvita Group generated EUR 88.8 million in revenue, showing an increase of 31% year-on-year. EBITDA amounted to EUR 24.0 million (stable profitability at 27.0%), a result which is 32% higher than a year earlier. Net profit reached EUR 13.5 million (up by 28% y/y, profitability of 15.2%). In Q4 2022 alone, the Group generated EUR 23.1 million in revenue, up by 16% year-on-year. EBITDA amounted to EUR 5.6 million, and due to Ardigen's intensive investments, remained at a similar level to a year earlier. There are numerous indications that in 2023 the dynamics of contracting between quarters will be different than usual. Selvita's backlog for 2023 reached EUR 43.3 million (as of March 28, 2023) and is 7% higher than the value reported a year earlier (as of March 24, 2022), despite a demanding market environment and a high base. The Company expects intensified contracting in the second part of the year. The market in which Selvita operates is at the advanced stages of the longest and deepest cycle of restrictions on access to new financing seen in the last 15 years. Both biotech and pharma companies have high cash reserves, but due to heightened uncertainty, they are investing in R&D activities more cautiously, and what follows R&D outsourcing is also handled more cautiously. Selvita is expecting this situation to improve swiftly once market sentiment improves. Boguslaw Sieczkowski adds: - We are looking ahead to 2023 with a lot of caution but also optimism. We have taken numerous measures focused on business development growth, targeting the market sectors which are currently most attractive. At the same time, we are implementing various optimization measures, and have introduced cost-saving policies that will have a positive impact on Selvita's efficiency both in the coming quarters and further in the future. *The results do not include non-cash costs of the non-dilutive employee incentive program. Backlog as of March 28, 2023. About Selvita Selvita is one of the largest preclinical contract research organizations in Europe, driven by a clear mission: to offer a comprehensive scope of services bridging the gap between early drug discovery and the clinical stage of drug development. Selvita provides comprehensive solutions supporting Clients and their drug discovery projects, across a broad range of therapeutic areas, specializing in infectious diseases, inflammation, fibrosis, and oncology. The Company offers a range of stand-alone or fully integrated drug discovery and development solutions spanning the entire value chain from early drug discovery to preclinical development. On top of that Selvita also offers analytical support for drug development and contract testing studies. Selvita, established in 2007, operates globally with almost 900 highly qualified employees, of which over 40% hold a PhD degree. The Company's research sites are in Krakow (HQ), Poznan, Poland, and Zagreb, Croatia. The international offices are located in Cambridge, MA, and San Francisco Bay Area, in the U.S., as well as in Cambridge, UK. Ardigen, a bioinformatics company harnessing advanced Artificial Intelligence methods for novel precision medicine, is part of Selvita Group portfolio of companies. The company employs over 180 professionals. Selvita is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE: SLV). For more information, please see www.selvita.com. Contact: Natalia Baranowska | Selvita +48 784 069 418 [email protected] SOURCE Selvita S.A. -- Servotronics to focus on core aerospace markets for continued growth -- ELMA, N.Y., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Servotronics, Inc. (NYSE American SVT), a designer and manufacturer of servo-control components and other advanced technology products, today announced that the Company's Board of Directors has authorized the review of strategic alternatives for the Consumer Products Group (CPG) with a goal of enhancing shareholder value. The Group consists of the Ontario Knife Company (OKC), a USA Heritage Brand that traces its origins to 1889, that currently markets a complete line of knives and tools for tactical, outdoor and home use. In 2022, CPG generated revenues of approximately $8.6 million. "I want to start by acknowledging the incredible employees of the Ontario Knife Company and their tremendous efforts. We continue to believe that the business is set to grow and maintains high quality brand recognition in the market." said William F. Farrell Jr., Chief Executive Officer of Servotronics. "We are taking actions that are in line with our recently announced long-term strategy, and that centers around our core markets in the aerospace industry. The Ontario Knife Company will be a prime business addition to an organization that is more significantly invested in OKC's primary markets." Servotronics has engaged Paramax Corporation as its financial advisor to evaluate potential alternatives. The Company noted that there can be no assurance that the Board's review process will result in any transaction or other alternative. There is no set timetable for the strategic review process, and Servotronics does not intend to provide updates until the Board approves a specific action. About Servotronics The Company is composed of two groups the Advanced Technology Group (ATG) and the Consumer Products Group (CPG). The ATG primarily designs, develops and manufactures servo controls and other components for various commercial and government applications (i.e., aircraft, jet engines, missiles, manufacturing equipment, etc.). The CPG designs and manufactures cutlery, bayonets, pocket knives, machetes and combat knives, survival, sporting, agricultural knives and other edged products for both commercial and government applications. Forward Looking Statements This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this release, the words "project," "believe," "plan," "anticipate," "expect" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Such forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. These risks and uncertainties may cause actual results to be materially different from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, and include, without limitation the following: (a) the possibility that a strategic transaction will not be completed on the terms and conditions, or on the timing, currently contemplated, and that it may not be completed at all, due to a failure to obtain or satisfy, in a timely manner or otherwise, required approvals and other conditions of closing necessary to complete such transaction or for other reasons; (b) the possibility of adverse reactions or changes in business relationships resulting from the announcement or completion of a strategic transaction; (c) risks relating to the Company's ability to retain and attract key personnel during the interim period; (d) market, operational and liquidity risks generally and relating specifically to any such transaction; and (e) other risks discussed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect management's analysis only as of the date hereof. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. SERVOTRONICS, INC. (SVT) IS LISTED ON NYSE America SOURCE Servotronics, Inc. NEW YORK, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SHOWFIELDS, the industry-disrupting lifestyle discovery store, is pleased to announce the addition of several new brands to its already impressive lineup for a spring refresh. Over twenty brands have joined the store, offering an exciting array of products for shoppers seeking unique and trendy items. Commando is one of the several brands featured in the latest SHOWFIELDS NOHO brand curation. Just in time for warmer weather, shoppers will find names such as Hydro Flask , Sun Bum , Out of The Woods and Branch Basics . The ever-popular SHOWFIELDS sampling bar will highlight Tindle and HLTH Code. These brands offer a diverse range of products, from suncare to reusable drinkware, making SHOWFIELDS the perfect destination for those looking to discover something new in every category. Curlsmith , the brand on a mission to celebrate curly hair, will have a large feature in store, allowing customers to explore their full line of sustainably-minded haircare. SHOWFIELDS has also introduced new experiences for customers to enjoy. Love Weld joins the NOHO store to adorn shoppers with permanent jewelry by appointment or walk-in. Digitally-native sustainable fashion company Save Your Wardrobe will be featured on the store's first floor and will host weekend activations to encourage shoppers to extend the life of their current closet. The new SHOWFIELDS Wedding Suite is home to a carefully curated selection of top-tier brands to elevate any bridal planning experience; Commando's innovative smoothing shapewear ensures a flawless foundation under any dress and ready-to-wear styles made for the ultimate bachelorette party, while jewelry from Luv AJ , Nadri and Olive & Piper are sure to add the finishing touch to any bridal look. Popular plant-based jewelry cleaning innovator Shinery will be on hand to add to every bride's toolkit. Jenny Yoo's versatile and sophisticated Little White Dresses will be featured as well as first-of-its-kind bridal gown rental retailer, Laine London . Shoppers can check out innovative audio guestbooks from After the Tone . Nulastin's science-backed skin & hair care line and Bride Brite's teeth whitening products will help to ensure that everyone looks their best on the big day. SHOWFIELDS has gained a reputation as a retail innovator since opening its doors in 2019. The store is designed to provide a unique shopping experience, with a rotating selection of brands and interactive installations. By curating a selection of exciting new brands, SHOWFIELDS continues to cement its reputation as a destination for shoppers seeking the latest and most innovative products. For more information on SHOWFIELDS and its exciting new lineup of brands, visit www.showfields.com or follow on Instagram . About SHOWFIELDS Launched in 2019, SHOWFIELDS is a lifestyle discovery store featuring rotating, themed curations of mission driven products, art, and events that can be found "IRL" for the first time. With stores in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Miami, Washington DC and Los Angeles, SHOWFIELDS has created a unique opportunity for brands to run measurable retail campaigns in the world's most desirable retail locations. Press inquiries: [email protected] SOURCE SHOWFIELDS With 50% of phishing happening outside of email, security leaders express concerns about attacks via private messaging apps PLEASANTON, Calif., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SlashNext, the leader in SaaS-based Integrated Cloud Messaging Security across email, web, and mobile, today released its 2023 Mobile BYOD Security Report. In partnership with a third-party research firm, SlashNext surveyed 300 individuals about the use of personal devices for work-related tasks, how employers balance corporate security and employee privacy amidst the rise of BYOD, and the resulting cybersecurity gaps. The study found that 90% of security leaders say protecting employees' personal devices is a top priority, but only 63% say they definitely have the tools to do it adequately. Additionally, 43% of employees were found to have been the target of a work-related phishing attack on their personal devices. "With the widespread use of personal mobile devices in the workplace, it is increasingly difficult for employers to ensure the security of sensitive information," said Patrick Harr, CEO, SlashNext. "In 2022 we saw that the use of personal devices and personal apps were the direct cause of many high-profile corporate breaches. This is a trend that will surely continue, as employees often use corporate and personal devices for work, effectively doubling the attack surface for cyber criminals. Threat actors know there are fewer security controls on personal mobile devices, and they have increased efforts to compromise these devices and access valuable corporate data." Key findings of the report include: 71% of employees store sensitive work passwords on their personal phone 95% of security leaders say that phishing attacks via private messaging apps is an increasing concern 66% of employees use their personal texting apps for work85% of employers require work-related apps to be installed on employees' personal devices 89% of IT and security leaders acknowledge legal concerns about having access to employees' private data 81% of employers say the solution for employee mobile data security and privacy is to give employees a separate phone just for work, which effectively doubles the attack surface for threat actors More employees are worried about being the target of a corporate phishing attack than employer surveillance on their personal devices 98% of employers say that even with regular training, employees are still susceptible to phishing and other attacks "Employees want to protect sensitive company information on their devices, but not at the cost of their privacy," continued Harr. "The tricky part is striking the right balance. As employees continue to use their personal devices for work, using private messaging and texting apps, more breaches will be reported through the mobile channel. Given the expanded threat surface, employers need to ensure they have the necessary tools for securing corporate data while maintaining employee privacy on personal devices." With the expansion of today's threat landscape to mobile, security awareness training is not enough to keep employees and corporate data safe. Which means every security plan must include BYOD mobile devices, and employers should implement a strategy that includes robust AI phishing controls to address all variations of phishing attacks, while preserving employees' privacy. The full report is available at this link: https://www.slashnext.com/report-the-mobile-byod-security-report/ About SlashNext SlashNext protects the modern workforce from malicious messages across all digital channels. SlashNext Complete integrated cloud messaging security platform utilizes patented HumanAI technology with 99.9% accuracy to detect threats in real-time to stop zero-hour threats in email, mobile and web Messaging Apps across M365, Gmail, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Teams and others messaging channels. Take advantage of SlashNext's Integrated Cloud Messaging Security for email, browser, and mobile to protect your organization from data theft and financial fraud breaches today. Media Contact Emily Ashley Lumina Communications for SlashNext [email protected] SOURCE SlashNext Taking place June 67, Summit themes, key partners and SIS Innovator of the Year Award applications have also been announced NEW YORK, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Social Innovation Summit (SIS) announces Steve Aoki as a headlining speaker, as well as an impressive 2023 speaker lineup, who will join its flagship summit on June 6-7, 2023 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. The two-day, purpose-driven gathering hosted by Landmark Ventures will convene corporate leaders, funders, government and nonprofit leaders and celebrities from innovative organizations to engage in thoughtful discussions on critical issues. Social Innovation Summit Announces Steve Aoki as a Headlining Speaker for Flagship Event in Los Angeles "Given all of the changes and disruption, the one constant is the need for partnerships," said Zeev Klein, founder and curator of Social Innovation Summit and general partner at Landmark Ventures. "Social Innovation Summit acts as a catalyst in bringing together thinkers and doers across industries, sectors and positions of influence to increase impact in our communities and propel innovation for good." Current Confirmed Speakers for the 2023 Social Innovation Summit will include: Steve Aoki , Grammy Nominated DJ, Producer, Entrepreneur & Investor , Kathy Carter , Chief Executive Officer LA28 Olympic & Paralympic Games , LA28 Olympic & Paralympic Games Ayele Shakur , President Redstone Family Foundation , Redstone Family Foundation Maura Pally , Executive Director, Blackstone Charitable Foundation Blackstone , Blackstone Elyse Cohen , President, Rare Impact Fund; Vice President, Social Impact & Inclusion Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez , Rare Beauty by Darnell Strom , Partner & Head of the Culture and Leadership Division United Talent Agency , United Talent Agency Gerald Chertavian , Founder & CEO Year Up , Year Up Aria Finger , Chief Of Staff Office of Reid Hoffman , Office of Veena Jayadeva , Head of Enterprise ESG & Chief of Staff, Chief Information & Operations Officer Guardian Life , Guardian Life Alia McCants , Director, Social Impact Peloton , Peloton Dean Carter , Chief People & Purpose Officer Guild Education , Guild Education Rembrandt Flores , Founder of 8Commas & Co-Founder of Flowing Ventures , & Sara Guderyahn , Executive Director, Chicago Blackhawks Foundation; Vice President, Social Impact & Outreach Chicago Blackhawks , Chicago Blackhawks Vicki Shabo , Senior Fellow, Paid Leave Policy and Strategy, Better Life Lab New America , New America Fred Tan , Deputy Director, HPE Foundation; Global Lead, Social Impact Strategy Hewlett Packard Enterprise , Hewlett Packard Enterprise Holly Copeland , Executive Director, Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability & Impact Horizon Therapeutics Horizon Therapeutics Brooke Hanson , Director, Emerging Issues & Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy AT&T , AT&T Tom Davidson , Executive Vice President, Corporations Blackbaud , Blackbaud Trent Fuenmayor , Senior Manager, Corporate Partnerships The Trevor Project , The Trevor Project Courtney della Cava , Senior Managing Director & Global Head of Portfolio Talent & Organizational Performance Blackstone , Blackstone Trooper Sanders , Chief Executive Officer Benefits Data Trust , Benefits Data Trust Sarah Glickstein , Head of Social Impact Visible , Visible Mana Purdy , Assistant to the President Liliuokalani Trust , Liliuokalani Trust Mahrinah Shije , Chief Executive Officer NGO Pueblo Development Commission , NGO Pueblo Development Commission Catherine Clinch , Chair, Career Longevity Committee Writers Guild of America West , Writers Guild of America West Rob Richardson , CEO & Founder Disruption Now Media , Disruption Now Media David Hardy Jr. , CEO & Co-Founder Made By Change , Made By Change Caleb Gardner , Managing Partner 18 Coffees , 18 Coffees Charles Ray Patton II , Author & Poet Red Lion Poetry , Red Lion Poetry Mel Ochoa , Chief Operating Officer & General Partner Landmark Ventures , Landmark Ventures Olivia Brooks Allan , Executive Vice President & Head of Events Landmark Ventures , Landmark Ventures Zeev Klein , Founder & Curator of Social Innovation Summit; General Partner Landmark Ventures among others! Social Innovation Summit speakers will present on a variety of timely topics spanning the future of work, education, health and wellness, technology for good, corporate leadership, economic empowerment, social justice, philanthropy, environmental issues, sustainability, and more. "We are thrilled this event grows every year," said Mel Ochoa, chief operating officer and general partner at Landmark Ventures. "The more voices we bring to the conversation, the richer the ideas become. With events back in full swing, we are leveraging the power of our curated community and 'convening for social impact' model to spark innovation and address the world's most pressing issues." As part of Social Innovation Summit's mission to elevate groundbreaking ideas and shine a spotlight on the most innovative leaders addressing the most urgent social issues, a select group of community members will be honored through the "SIS Innovator of the Year Awards." The application is now available on the SIS website to nominate organizations and individuals by the Monday, May 1, 2023, deadline. Social Innovation Summit is produced with support of its partners including Amazon Web Services, KPMG, Blackbaud, UBS, Comcast NBCUniversal, lululemon, Cruise, Guild Education, Prison Fellowship, Best Buy, Horizon Therapeutics, Blackstone, Lyft, Discovery Education, AARP, 18Coffees, The Giving Back Fund, and media partner Upworthy. To view the full Social Innovation Summit speaker roster and agenda, visit the website . To engage with Summit-related conversations, please follow the event hashtag #SIS23 and the event pages on LinkedIn , Facebook , Instagram, TikTok , and Twitter . Attendees can register for the event here . About Social Innovation Summit Operating at the nexus of technology, philanthropy and business, Social Innovation Summit brings together the brightest minds across industries, sectors and generations to catalyze inspired partnerships that are disrupting social impact. Social Innovation Summit works diligently to curate and convene a social good community that is an influential and action-oriented agent for impact, and a unique platform in which the norm is challenged, the new is embraced and the unexpected is celebrated. Online registration is now open for the Summit's two-day in-person experience on June 6-7, 2023, at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, California. The event will include main stage programming, interactive breakout sessions and VIP opportunities. For more information and for sponsorship inquiries, please visit https://www.socialinnovation.com/ . About Landmark Ventures Landmark Ventures specializes in crafting authentic relationships that are built on trust. As the Social Innovation Summit creator and organizer, the team is naturally curious, hardworking, humble, empathetic listeners and creative. Landmark Ventures offers a deep knowledge of emerging technology markets and investment landscapes, crafted because of our partners' decades of experience across industry sectors. To learn more, please visit https://www.landmarkventures.com/ . Media Contact Elle Welch [email protected] (423) 605-5553 SOURCE Social Innovation Summit Event Sponsored by Milliken ARLINGTON, Va, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As more contract chemical manufacturers implement ESG programs into operations, the Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates (SOCMA) announces its upcoming in-person ESG workshop, "Developing an ESG Strategy," April 11 in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The workshop is sponsored by Milliken and will take place at their Spartanburg headquarters. The event will deliver a full day of interactive sessions on ESG-related topics designed for the unique needs of specialty chemical manufacturers, including: Steps to identify and prioritize ESG objectives through materiality assessments. through materiality assessments. Components of sustainable supply chains , with discussion around best practices and resources available to the industry. , with discussion around best practices and resources available to the industry. Upcoming regulatory changes at EPA , SEC climate risk disclosure information, and business impacts to public and private companies. , SEC climate risk disclosure information, and business impacts to public and private companies. Best practices for defining and measuring Scope 3 Emissions and technologies available for doing so. Attendees will also have the opportunity to network with colleagues about developing and implementing ESG programs into their operations, share current benchmarking data, and learn more about the resources and templates available through SOCMA's new ESG Framework for the industry. "SOCMA's proactive approach to delivering ESG tools and insights will enable the growth of the specialty and fine chemical sector by raising the industry's sustainability competitive advantage," Maurie Lawrence, VP of Sustainability, Milliken. "Milliken is committed to sharing our lessons learned and collaborating to advance best practices and leave positive, lasting impacts for the industry. We are excited to host SOCMA's first in-person ESG workshop on April 11 at our Spartanburg facility." Registration for the workshop is currently open to SOCMA Manufacturer members, non-members, and participants of SOCMA's ESG Task Force. Contact Erika Krueger, Director, Industry Relations, to learn more about the workshop and SOCMA's groundbreaking ESG/Sustainability Framework for the contract chemical manufacturing space: [email protected]. About SOCMA Solely dedicated to the specialty and fine chemical industry, SOCMA builds commercial connections, supports manufacturing and operations, and advocates regulatory and legislative policies. www.socma.org SOURCE Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates NEW YORK, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sotheby's International Realty today announced the opening of Saudi Arabia Sotheby's International Realty, signifying the brand's seventh affiliated office in the Middle East and its 227th office in the EMEIA region. The company is headquartered in the Al Faisaliah Tower in the city of Riyadh and will service the entire country. Saudi Arabia Sotheby's International Realty is headed by George Azar who brings more than 15 years of real estate experience to the company. An international businessman, Azar is also CEO and Owner of Luxhabitat Sotheby's International Realty in Dubai and United Kingdom Sotheby's International Realty. "Saudi Arabia is seeing an increase of major development projects, including luxury branded residences, internationally recognized hospitality resorts, and exclusive residential projects," said Philip White, president and CEO of Sotheby's International Realty. "I look forward to supporting George and the entire Saudi Arabia Sotheby's International Realty team." "We are thrilled to align with Sotheby's International Realty as their international expertise and experience in working with high-end listings pairs well with our business," said Azar. "We are seeing increased demand for luxury properties and development projects and our affiliation with Sotheby's International Realty enables us to meet this demand." The company's office and retail space will handle all luxury real estate needs, from buying and selling to managing exciting development projects across all the major cities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and along the Red Sea. The Sotheby's International Realty network currently has more than 26,000 affiliated independent sales associates located in 1,075 offices in 81 countries and territories worldwide. Saudi Arabia Sotheby's International Realty listings are marketed on the sothebysrealty.com global website. In addition to the referral opportunities and widened exposure generated from this source, the firm's brokers and clients will benefit from an association with Sotheby's auction house and worldwide Sotheby's International Realty marketing programs. Each office is independently owned and operated. Sotheby's International Realty Sotheby's International Realty was founded in 1976 as a real estate service for discerning clients of Sotheby's auction house. Today, the company's global footprint spans 1,075 offices located in 81 countries and territories worldwide, including 50 company-owned brokerage offices in key metropolitan and resort markets. In February 2004, Anywhere Real Estate Inc. entered a long-term strategic alliance with Sotheby's, the operator of the auction house. The agreement provided for the licensing of the Sotheby's International Realty name and the development of a franchise system. The franchise system is comprised of an affiliate network, where each office is independently owned and operated. Sotheby's International Realty supports its affiliates and agents with a host of operational, marketing, recruiting, educational and business development resources. Affiliates and agents also benefit from an association with the venerable Sotheby's auction house, established in 1744. For more information, visit www.sothebysrealty.com . The affiliate network is operated by Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates LLC, and the company owned brokerages are operated by Sotheby's International Realty, Inc. Both entities are subsidiaries of Anywhere Real Estate Inc. (NYSE: HOUS) a global leader in real estate franchising and provider of real estate brokerage, relocation and settlement services. Both Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates LLC and Sotheby's International Realty, Inc. fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Contact Melissa Couch Senior Manager of PR and Communications [email protected] SOURCE Sotheby's International Realty Driving efficiency and transparency in Asian UCO and UCOME physical trading markets SINGAPORE, March 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Global Commodity Insights, the leading independent provider of information, analytics and benchmark prices for the commodities and energy markets, will launch on March 29, 2023 the Platts Editorial Window (eWindow) communication tool for assessing the tradable value of physical Asian Biofuels and Feedstock FOB Straits and China. The Platts eWindow communication online data-entry and communications tool brings greater speed, transparency and efficiency to the Platts Market-on-Close (MOC) price assessment processes. Between 2020 and 2022, S&P Global Commodity Insights launched four assessments for ISSC-Certified UCO (Used Cooking Oil) and UCOME (Used Cooking Oil Methyl Ester) in China and the Straits, encompassing terminals beyond Singapore's borders. Against the backdrop of growing liquidity and maturity of the Asian Biofuels and Feedstock industry, S&P Global in collaboration with Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) will now launch the Platts Editorial Window (eWindow) communication tool for assessing the tradable value of physical UCO and UCOME cargoes in Asia, allowing market participants to trade with increased confidence. Andrei Agapi, APAC associate pricing director for Agriculture, S&P Global Commodity Insights, said, "The expansion of Platts Editorial Window (eWindow) to support Platts MOC for Asian Biofuels and Feedstock marks a further milestone in the maturity and rapid commoditization of the market. This latest addition to the Platts Asian biofuels price assessment offering will provide valuable insight into an important energy source and further enhance transparency for the physical cargo market. Market participants can now submit outright and time spread bids and offers for publication directly through the eWindow communication tool." "With the continued drive towards reducing our carbon footprint in the transportation sector, the world is increasingly exploring the use of second-generation biofuels. This new generation of biofuels increasingly relies on the supply of oils-derived vegetable waste materials such as Used Cooking Oil (UCO) that has seen a rapid growth in liquidity over the past three years. According to analytics data from S&P Global Commodity Insights, forecasted biofuels demand will exceed 3.25 million barrels per day by 2025, and much of the growth will be attributed to biodiesel, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)." Asia is at the heart of production and export of waste material used in the production of biofuels. The largest export volumes presently come from China, Malaysia and Indonesia and are thereafter imported into Singapore, Europe and the US where Renewable Diesel and Sustainable Aviation Fuel capacities are ramping up simultaneously. In addition, Singapore has seen a rapid growth in biofuels blending into marine fuels to reduce carbon emissions from the maritime sector. The volume of biofuels such as UCOME supplied in Singapore to oceangoing vessels has reached approximatively 70,000 metric tons according to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. Platts Editorial Window (eWindow) will be launched for these 4 products below see subscriber note: UCO North Asia $/mt AUCOC00 UCO FOB Straits $/mt UCFCC00 UCOME FOB China $/mt UCFCA00 UCOME FOB Straits $/mt UCFCB00 About Platts eWINDOW Platts Editorial Window (eWindow) is a data-entry and online communications tool that provides market participants with a transparent, at-a-glance view of the Platts price assessment process in the physical spot and derivatives markets. Delivering greater speed and efficiency to the price assessment process for crude, as well as refined products and biofuels, Platts eWindow facilitates the price assessment process by combining the Platts Market on Close (MOC) price assessment methodology with state-of-the-art technology, customized for Platts and licensed from the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE). Platts eWindow is used by more than 460 companies, covering over 60 markets worldwide in crude oil, refined products, LNG, petrochemicals, and biofuels and supports the MOC process for more than 80 benchmark price assessments globally. Since its introduction in 2007, more than 391,000 transactions data have been reported to Platts editors and the marketplace via Platts eWindow. Media Contacts: Global/EMEA: Paul Sandell, +44 7816 180039, [email protected] Americas: Kathleen Tanzy, + 1917 331 4607, [email protected] Asia: Melissa Tan, + 65 68189 7569, [email protected] About S&P Global Commodity Insights At S&P Global Commodity Insights, our complete view of global energy and commodity markets enables our customers to make decisions with conviction and create long-term, sustainable value. We are a trusted connector that brings together thought leaders, market participants, governments, and regulators and we create solutions that lead to progress. Vital to navigating commodity markets, our coverage includes oil and gas, power, chemicals, metals, agriculture, shipping and energy transition. Platts products and services, including the most signicant benchmark price assessments in the physical commodity markets, are offered through S&P Global Commodity Insights. S&P Global Commodity Insights is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI). S&P Global is the world's foremost provider of credit ratings, benchmarks, analytics and workow solutions in the global capital, commodity and automotive markets. With every one of our offerings, we help many of the world's leading organizations navigate the economic landscape so they can plan for tomorrow, today. For more information visit https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights. SOURCE S&P Global Commodity Insights Workers Secure Significant Wage Increases, Teamsters 401(k) Contributions, Safety Bonuses, and More FLORISSANT, Mo., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Drivers and monitors at Student Transportation of America (STA) represented by Teamsters Local 610 have ratified their first union contract. The agreement covers 180 workers at the Ferguson-Florissant School District (FFSD). These new members join more than 700 other bus workers represented by Local 610. "With this new contract FFSD bus workers will now be some of the highest-paid private sector bus workers in Missouri," said Gary Dunakey, President of Local 610. "We are ecstatic that we were able to get higher wages, more holidays, bonuses, retirement contributions, and more in this contract. A big thanks to our members and Teamster organizers especially Sean O'Neill and Shelley Goodman for their stewardship on this campaign, and to our negotiating committee for securing FFSD bus workers a well-deserved contract." The new contract includes increased wages, a $250 ratification bonus, Teamsters 401(k) contributions, bereavement and jury duty pay, additional paid holidays, and higher annual safety bonuses for drivers with no accidents. Teamsters Local 610 represents thousands of workers in student transportation and other trades throughout Greater St. Louis. Contact: Matt McQuaid, (202) 624-6877 [email protected] SOURCE Teamsters Local 610 Strike Enters Day Four in Louisville and Indianapolis; Picket Lines Extend to California WASHINGTON, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Striking Teamsters at Sysco [NYSE: SYY] in Indianapolis and Louisville, Ky., extended their strike to California today. Nearly 1,000 members are now on the picket line nationwide as members of Teamsters Locals 495, 630, and 848 began honoring the strike in Southern California this afternoon, with more extensions expected to go up as early as tonight. "The days of Sysco holding our members down are over. The Teamsters have made it clear that we will strike this company again and again to protect our members," said Teamsters General President Sean M. O'Brien. "The company's attitude toward its workers is despicable. It's time for Sysco to get its act together. Until then, we'll be out in full force to hold this company accountable." Nearly 300 workers represented by Teamsters Local 89 and Teamsters Local 135 went on strike on March 27 at Sysco Louisville and Sysco Indianapolis after weeks of contentious contract negotiations and unfair labor practices (ULPs). At both locations, members are united to win higher wages, affordable healthcare, fair work rules, and protections against excessive overtime. "This strike extension shows that we have the support from Teamsters across the country and that our fight will continue to spread," said Cody Combs, a striking Local 89 member. "We're standing up to Sysco by standing up for each other." The nationwide strike is the latest example of coordinated bargaining and collective action by the Teamsters at Sysco. In October, Teamsters went on strike at Sysco for nearly three weeks to win contracts for more than 800 members in Arizona, Syracuse, N.Y., and Plympton, Mass. "Our members at Sysco work up to 16 hours a day, six days a week, keeping our communities fed. They're fed up by the way they're treated by this company," said Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman. "Sysco's blatant disregard for workers is wrong and shameful. Our members are going to continue to take action until this company stops playing games and gets serious in negotiations. We won't stop fighting until strong contracts have been reached." Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.2 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters. Contact: Daniel Moskowitz, (770) 262-4971 [email protected] SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters Details added: first version posted on 14:25 BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. Prevention of the illegal activities of Armenia is the sovereign right of Azerbaijan, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Aykhan Hajizada said, commenting upon the statements of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at a government meeting on March 30, Trend reports. Hajizada called unacceptable the statements of Armenian prime minister regarding the appropriate control measures taken by the units of the Azerbaijani army without the use of any force, in order to suppress the intentions of Armenia to use the roads north of the Lachin-Khankendi road, on the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan, for illegal activities in order to further aggravate the situation and committing possible provocations by transferring weapons and ammunition to the territory of Azerbaijan. According to the spokesperson, the illegal activities include active engagement in transfer of manpower, ammunition, mines, and other military equipment to the territory of Azerbaijan, where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily deployed [in accordance with trilateral statement of November 10, 2020 signed by Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian leaders following the second Karabakh war], and Azerbaijan is determined to take all necessary measures to prevent these activities, the spokesperson added. Previously, Hajizada said that the Armenian side should renounce its territorial claims to Azerbaijan. Led by Hawke Ventures and Vanterra Ventures, the seed round will enable Superfiliate to reach more brands looking to transform traditional affiliate links and discount codes into personalized shopping experiences LOS ANGELES, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Superfiliate, a software platform supercharging brands word of mouth marketing channels through co-branded landing pages across their best customers, influencers, ambassadors, and affiliates, today announced the closing of a $3 million seed funding round led by Hawke Ventures and Vanterra Ventures, with participation from R2 Ventures, Revolution's Rise of the Rest Seed Fund, Sandbox Studio Investments, Nik Sharma of Sharma Brands, Ben Zises, founder of Super Angel, and Jesse Pujji, founder of Ampush and Khahani, and Piersen Krass, founder of Lunar Solar Group. Hawke Ventures x Superfilliate x Vanterra Ventures In 2022, Affiliate marketing accounted for 16% of all online purchases in the U.S. Superfiliate takes legacy affiliate links and referral codes , historically used to simply track attribution, and turns them into fully personalized shopping experiences to drive sales and boost site conversion. By doing this, creators and customers speaking on behalf of a brand no longer disappear from the buying experience beyond the link, but send their audiences to a landing page where they can tell their brand story, curate their favorite products, and get paid for the sales they generate. Scalable personalization and customization of the product-sharing experience have raised conversion rates by 20%+ while helping deepen the sense of partnership between brands and their creators and customers. Historically, brands were able to succeed with static shops because nearly all traffic and revenue came from traditional paid media channels. But with headwinds in the paid acquisition, brands have to diversify acquisition across a number of channels, with Superfiliate enabling them to optimize the conversion funnel for each unique source of traffic. Founded less than two years ago by Anders Bill and Andy Cloyd, the company is already working with some of the top ecommerce merchants, including MudWTR, Florence By Mills, Beam, and Hiya Health. CEO of Superfiliate, Andy Cloyd said, "With the rise of the creator economy and proliferation of short-form video, the way people discover products and shop has transformed entirely in the last five years, but the technology at a brand's disposal has not evolved in step. We're building a platform native to new e-commerce paradigms that empower creators and help brands consolidate disparate tools into one easy-to-use app that is consistent with the brand aesthetic that merchants spend years crafting." "Superfiliate has created something incredibly needed and special. Companies are quickly trying to identify how to maximize their returns on their marketing, and what Superfiliate has created is a great answer to that need. We are very excited to be a part of that journey," said Erik Huberman, CEO and Founder of Hawke Media. About Superfiliate Superfiliate helps brands supercharge their word-of-mouth marketing channels with high-converting, co-branded landing pages across their best partners, ambassadors, creators, and customers. About Hawke Ventures Hawke Ventures is an early-stage venture fund that invests $50k-$2M in martech, ad tech, and ecomm tech. They focus on growing US-based companies in the pre-seed or seed stage that have gained quantifiable traction in their market. Hawke Ventures co-invests alongside prominent angel and venture capital lead investors. General Partners include founders of Hawke Media, Erik Huberman & Tony Delmercado, and Managing Partner Drew Leahy. Hawke Ventures also operates a venture fellows program focused on training individuals from underrepresented backgrounds. The goal is to help shape the future of venture capital to look more like the population of the United States - diverse, skilled, and well-rounded. About Vanterra Ventures Vanterra Capital is a leading private equity investment firm that develops specialized fund platforms. Vanterra Capital formed Vanterra Ventures ("VV") in 2018, a venture capital fund designed to capitalize on the substantial market opportunity in early-stage consumer and consumer technology while leveraging the team's successful private equity track record. VV invests in disruptive companies across consumer goods, digital health, and enabling technologies. For more information please call Alyssa Mosher, Public Relations Manager at 310-451-7295 or email [email protected]. SOURCE Hawke Media; Superfiliate KILLEEN, Texas, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has awarded an $807 million judgment to direct victims and families of the USS Cole bombingwhich was attacked while docked in Yemen in 2000in a brazen act of state-sponsored terrorism facilitated by the nation of Iran. See Sean Taitt et al v. the Islamic Republic of Iran, Case No. 1:20-cv-01557-rc, ECF No. 22 (D.D.C. 2023). In a plot directly supervised by Osama Bin Laden, AlQaeda operatives attacked the Cole by sending a small speedboat to detonate a bomb near the vessel. Ultimately, the terrorist attack killed 17 American sailors and injured 42 other crewmembers. Carlson Law Firm, P.C. attorneys Craig Carlson and Philip Koelsch, along with their co-counsel Matthew McGill with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP and DeJon Lewis with the Law Office of DeJon R. Lewis represented 25 sailors injured in the Cole bombing and 33 members of their immediate family. The Cole Plaintiffs filed suit against Iran under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA), 28 U.S.C. 1605A. The FSIA's terrorism exception allows plaintiffs to pursue monetary damages against a foreign state for providing material support or resources for acts resulting in personal injury or death like the Cole bombing. On March 16, 2023, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras found that Iran offered material support and resources like large sums of money, travel assistance, and training to Osama Bin Laden and AlQaeda. Accordingly, Iran facilitated the planning and execution of the USS Cole attack and is liable for the Cole Plaintiffs' damages under the FSIA. "Since the attack, many of our clients have dealt with debilitating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder," Carlson Law Firm's Managing Partner Craig Carlson said. "Even decades later, their PTSD causes nightmares, substance abuse, and significant anxietyparticularly when attending events involving loud noises. The family members have also suffered as they have lived with the emotional toll the Cole attack has taken on their loved ones." The $807 million judgment breaks down as follows: Directly injured plaintiffs were awarded $128.75 million in pain and suffering damages. in pain and suffering damages. Families were awarded $73 million in solatium damages. in solatium damages. Plaintiffs were awarded a total of $605.25 million in punitive damages. "This has been a long and complicated process for these families, and our fight for Cole families is not done," Carlson said. "Our clients have been patient while we've worked tirelessly to ensure that no stones were left unturned in our pursuit of the just resolution they deserve. Because of the heinous act of state-sponsored terrorism, they've lost close friends, the ability to enjoy life, and much more than most of us can ever imagine. We continue to advocate for the veteran community in cases like Camp Lejeune and 3M earplugs. We hope that this $807 million judgement shows our country's veterans and their families that no matter who they're up against, we are a law firm with the resources, determination and knowledge to seek justice on their behalf." About The Carlson Law Firm In addition to assisting with State-Sponsored Terrorism claims, The Carlson Law Firm is a Veteran Owned & Operated law firm that represents thousands of Veterans in several other legal matters that have affected active duty and retired military: Camp Lejeune PFAS water contamination claims Defective Military Earplugs lawsuits against 3M Recover GI Bill losses from for-profit colleges like DeVry and the University of Phoenix Our attorneys are committed to serving you. Media Contact: [email protected] 800-359-5690 Follow The Carlson Law Firm: Twitter , Facebook , Linked In Source: The Carlson Law Firm SOURCE The Carlson Law Firm JINAN, China, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 3rd Conference of Great Business Partners (CGBP), jointly organized by the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee and the Shandong Provincial People's Government, was held in Jinan, Shandong province , on March 29, 2023. The opening ceremony of the 3rd Conference of Great Business Partners was held in Shandong Gao Yunlong, Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference ( CPPCC) and Chairman of All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, attended and delivered a speech. Lin Wu, Secretary of Shandong Provincial Party Committee, delivered a welcome speech and announced the opening of the conference. Zhou Naixiang, Vice Secretary of Shandong Provincial Party Committee and Governor, presided over the conference. Ge Huijun, Chairman of the CPPCC Shandong Provincial Committee, and Yang Dongqi, Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of Shandong Provincial People's Congress attended the conference. Gao Yunlong said that Shandong is committed to accelerate the construction of the close and cleaning government-business relationship, and create a business-friendly environment with more market-oriented, law-based and aligned with international levels for the facilitation of development and cooperation. He hopes that the entrepreneurs will take this conference as an opportunity to work together, achieve win-win development and reach more cooperation projects, to make greater contributions to build a modern Shandong. Shandong Provincial Party Secretary Lin Wu, said that Shandong will always focus on the primary objective of high-quality development, the construction of a green and low-carbon economy, and high-quality development pilot zones, and strive to create new driving forces and new advantages for development. Shandong is willing to join hands with all entrepreneurs to expand a broader market, work on industrial upgrading, build a new innovation-driven ecology, develop with a new height of openness to the world, open for green transition, and create a mutually beneficial and win-win future. This conference is themed with "Forging Partnerships for High-quality Development in Shandong". During the conference, many themed activities will be organized by 16 cities of Shandong. Six parallel forums were held in the morning, focusing on topics such as Replacement of Old Growth Drivers with New Ones and High-quality Development, Green and Low-carbon High-quality Development, Rural Revitalization in the Yellow River Basin. JD.com, Alibaba, Tiktok and other E-commerce platforms were invited to discuss how e-commerce can support rural revitalization. SOURCE Information Office of the People's Government of Shandong Province JINAN, China, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 3rd Conference of Great Business PartnersCGBPhosted by the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee and the Shandong Provincial People's Government opened in Jinan on March 29, 2023. The conference achieved fruitful results, with a total of 444 industrial projects signed for a combined investment of $100.53 billion. According to Information Office of the People's Government of Shandong Province, the conference signed 444 deals in total, including 112 foreign funded projects with a total investment of 21.21 billion US dollars, and 257 local-funded projects with a total investment of $79.32 billion. Among them there were 236 manufacturing projects, mainly in the fields of emerging industries such as new energy, new materials, high-end equipment manufacturing, and new-generation information technology, as well as 75 projects for talent cooperation. During the conference, a key cooperation projects signing ceremony was successfully held for 50 investment and talent cooperation projects. Among them, there were 20 foreign-funded projects with a total investment of 3.45 billion US dollars; 20 local-funded projects with a total investment of 14.59 billion US dollars , and 10 talent cooperation projects as well. Over 763 guests from 15 countries attended the conference, including 71 Fortune 500 companies such as ZF Friedrichshafen AG, 23 State-owned enterprises such as China General Technology Group, and 77 of Top 500 Chinese enterprises such as Gree Electric Appliances, iFlytek, JD.com, and Geely Auto, as well as many new forces such as "Unicorn Companies", " Gazelle Enterprises ", and "specialized and innovative" high-tech enterprises. There were also academicians, Changjiang Scholars, Mount Taishan Scholars, leaders of well-known universities and research institutions with close cooperation with Shandong, business association leaders, overseas Chinese community representatives. The 3rd Conference of Great Business Partners held a special event for Shandong cuisine, where various delicacies from 16 cities in Shandong Province were showcased. While promoting the culture and stories of Shandong cuisine, it also gathered the power of Shandong people from home and abroad to serve their hometowns, innovate and start businesses, and promote the " Attracting investment and Talents" strategy. The 3rd Conference of Great Business Partners is an important institutional event for Shandong to attract investment and talent from a wider range and at a higher level, and accelerate the construction of a strong modern province in the new era. Since 2018, it has successfully held two sessions and has become a bright business card for Shandong's opening-up. SOURCE Information Office of the People's Government of Shandong Province BALTIMORE, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the American Urological Association (AUA) announced Stacy Tanaka, MD, as the Editor of AUANews, AUA's official newsmagazine, published bi-monthly and free to all AUA members. Dr. Tanaka will start her term April 1, 2023, and continue for three years ending on March 31, 2026. Stacy Tanaka, MD, will become the editor of AUANews, AUA's official newsmagazine, starting April 1, 2023. As the editor of AUA News, Dr. Tanaka will be responsible to maintain the highly regarded editorial integrity of this best-in-class urological newsletter and elevate its status as the most-read and highly trusted tabloid in urology. The Editor also collaborates with the Editors of The Journal of Urology, Urology Practice and JU Open Plus to facilitate cascade submission transfers and to retain all quality sound science research in the AUA's family of publications under the "Voice of Urology" umbrella. "We are looking forward to working with Dr. Tanaka as the new editor for AUANews," said AUA President Edward Messing, MD. "Her skill, expertise and commitment make her a perfect fit for this a new position, and we are excited to see her take ownership of the role." An active member of the urologic community, Dr. Tanaka currently works at The Children's Hospital of Alabama and the University of Alabama Birmingham Medical Center. She is a Professor of Urology and Chief of Pediatric Urology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham as well. She brings extensive experience to the editor role as she has previously worked on the The Journal of Urology as an editorial board member, as well as associate and assistant section editor. Dr. Tanaka obtained her medical degree and postgraduate training from University of California, Davis, and completed her fellowship in Pediatric Urology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She then became a Professor of Urology and Pediatrics Vanderbilt University Medical Center and taught there until moving to the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Currently she is the co-chair of the US News & World Report Best Children's Hospitals Urology working group, a scientific vice-chair of the Urologic Management Protocol to Preserve Initial Renal Function in young children with spina bifida, a treasurer of the International Children's Continence Society, and holds numerous other positions within the field of urology. About the American Urological Association: Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American Urological Association is a leading advocate for the specialty of urology and has nearly 24,000 members throughout the world. The AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research and the formulation of health policy. Media Contact: Corey Shegda, Corporate Communications and Media Relations Manager 410-689-4033, [email protected] SOURCE American Urological Association Mayor Rory Rowland joins more than 100 local seniors and civic leaders to welcome Dedicated Senior Medical Center's affordable, VIP, primary care for region's most vulnerable adults. INDEPENDENCE, Mo., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ChenMed, a leading provider of concierge-style primary care for older adults and operator of more than 125 centers in underserved neighborhoods across 15 states, is now welcoming patients at its second Dedicated Senior Medical Center in greater Kansas City. Thousands of local seniors can now benefit from what hometown hero President Harry S. Truman would herald as preventive, affordable, VIP care from Dedicated doctors in Independence (1010 West U.S. Highway 24), as well as neighboring Kansas City's Seven Oaks neighborhood (4400 East 39th Street). "Our doctors look forward to offering Independence seniors the love, dignity and respect they deserve." Joel Meyer, MD Tweet this ChenMed, one of the nations leading primary care practices, officially opened its new Dedicated Senior Medical Center in Independence, Missouri, the second center for greater K.C.. Pictured (left to right) are: Brandon Milne, Center Operations Manager; Joel Meyer, M.D., Regional Chief Medical Officer; Sandra W., Patient Champion; Mayor Rory Rowland, City of Independence; Michael Bruggeman, Regional VP; Tisha Anyanike, M.D. and Melissa Blake, FNP, APRN-C, Med,, Primary Care Clinicians. Independence Mayor Rory Rowland helped cut the ribbon at today's official grand opening. Doctors at both new Dedicated centers in Kansas City area are now seeing new patients and ushering in a new era of high-touch, transformative care for the neediest populations across the region. Dedicated is rapidly expanding across the Midwest and is already seeing patients in Wichita, Kansas as well. "President Truman said 'America was built on courage, on imagination and on an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand' and the area's Medicare-eligible older adults will find that courage and determination, along with compassionate, personalized care, drive Dedicated Senior Medical Centers to improve a patient's life and health," says Joel Meyer, M.D., Regional Chief Medical Officer for Dedicated Missouri and Kansas. "Our doctors look forward to offering Independence seniors independence from inferior healthcare, by providing the love, dignity and respect they deserve as we transform their health in ways that are proven to reduce emergency room visits and hospitalizations by 33 percent." Dedicated locates centers in communities where a lack of access to high-quality primary care and other social determinants of health have negatively impacted longevity for many years. These barriers have shortened average life spans by as much as 20 years when compared to others living in nearby more affluent zip codes. So, the innovative medical practice is working to address what Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. heralded more than 50 years ago: "Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and the most inhumane." In addition to Mayor Rowland, the festive, ribbon-cutting ceremony also included the participation of Independence Chief of Police Adam Dustman, area faith leaders, dignitaries, and dozens of area seniors. The event featured music, food, photo opportunities, a Harry Truman look-alike personality, and facility tours. "This is an opportunity to get wrap-around services for seniors at one location, and it is so important to make it simple for people to get medical care," said Mayor Rory Rowland, City of Independence, Missouri. "You've got everything here for those initial visits. And, I just think it's a great opportunity for our seniors and our community to have a place they can go to receive those services." Dedicated doctors used the event to explain how their medical practice fulfills its purpose by being accountable for helping their patients achieve better health. An April 2022 survey (N=185) of Kansas City area residents ages 65 or older and responsible for their healthcare decisions found that among respondents self-identifying as likely to be switching their doctor: 42% report, "It is too difficult to get an appointment when I need one." 33% say, "I do not believe I am getting the care I deserve." 25% declare, "My doctor does not treat me with love, respect and kindness." 25% note, "The staff is unfriendly or difficult to work with." The Dedicated staff provides personalized, friendly care and ensures its patients can get the care they need when they need it. Dedicated doctors give patients their cell phone numbers and respond quickly to patient calls or texts. Dedicated also offers same-day telehealth or in-person appointments, whenever needed. Additionally, Dedicated centers help reduce barriers to healthy living, and help seniors benefit from community services. "Our doctors and care teams are champions for vulnerable seniors," explains Shalaunda Gray, M.D., Dedicated Independence's Center Medical Director. "We honor patients like members of our family, delivering affordable VIP care that includes patients getting more frequent visits with the doctor who knows them best. Plus, Dedicated doctors give 100 percent of patients their cell phone numbers, encouraging patients to call or text anytime. And, we welcome same-day and walk-in appointments by patients in need." The highly personalized care at Dedicated leads to happier and healthier patients, as noted by a 2022 third-party survey of more than 76,500 ChenMed patients: 94.8% report provider satisfaction. 95.3% agree their doctor listens to them. 97.0% feel their doctor shows respect. About Dedicated Senior Medical Center: Dedicated is part of ChenMed, which today operates more than 125 centers in 15 states. The hyper-growth company employs outstanding primary care physicians and specialist doctors who are empowered to do whatever it takes to deliver VIP service; to detect and effectively manage high-risk diseases; and to reduce hospital sick days for Medicare-eligible seniors, many of whom are living with multiple and major chronic conditions. ChenMed is a privately owned medical, management and technology company that delivers the high-touch and personalized primary care Medicare-eligible seniors need to enjoy better health. Named one of Fortune 2020 "Change the World" companies, twice a "Most Loved Workplace" by Newsweek Magazine, and a certified Great Place to Work by the Great Place to Work Institute, ChenMed brings concierge-style medicine and better health outcomes to the neediest populations. See ChenMed's 2022 Impact Report. SOURCE ChenMed The nuclear medicine market is expanding rapidly due to the rising prevalence of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic diseases caused by an inactive lifestyle. Furthermore, the growing geriatric population susceptible to chronic diseases, rising demand for image-guided procedures and diagnostics globally, and the presence of robust products in the pipeline will drive nuclear medicine demand during the forecast period LAS VEGAS, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- DelveInsight's Nuclear Medicine Market Insights report provides the current and forecast market analysis, individual leading nuclear medicine companies' market shares, challenges, nuclear medicine market drivers, barriers, and trends, and key nuclear medicine companies in the market. Key Takeaways from the Nuclear Medicine Market Report As per DelveInsight estimates, North America is anticipated to dominate the global nuclear medicine market during the forecast period. is anticipated to dominate the global nuclear medicine market during the forecast period. Notable nuclear medicine companies such as Lantheus., Cardinal Health., GE Healthcare, Curium Pharma, Nihon Medi-Physics Co., Ltd., Novartis (Advanced Accelerator Applications), Cambridge Isotope Laboratories, Inc, Sotera Health LLC, Bracco Imaging SpA, Jubilant Pharma Limited, Necsa, IBA Radiopharma Solutions, Bayer AG, Norgine, Eczacbas-Monrol, NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, LLC., Eckert & Ziegler., Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited, ITM Isotope Technologies Munich SE, Mallinckrodt PLC, and several others are currently operating in the nuclear medicine market. and several others are currently operating in the nuclear medicine market. In February 2023 , Nuclear Medicine 600/800 Series Systems were recalled by GE HealthCare due to risk of detector fall injuring patients. Nuclear Medicine 600/800 Series Systems were recalled by GE HealthCare due to risk of detector fall injuring patients. In May 2022 , Penang Adventist Hospital (PAH) , located in Pulau Pinang, Malaysia , launched a full-fledged private nuclear medicine center in northern Malaysia . The new facility offers diagnostic and treatment procedures for specific conditions and diseases such as hyperthyroidism, thyroid cancer, lymphomas, and bone pain caused by different types of cancer. , located in Pulau Pinang, , launched a full-fledged private nuclear medicine center in northern . The new facility offers diagnostic and treatment procedures for specific conditions and diseases such as hyperthyroidism, thyroid cancer, lymphomas, and bone pain caused by different types of cancer. In March 2022 , Bracco Imaging launched Blue Earth Therapeutics to advance the development of therapeutic radiopharmaceutical technology. Blue Earth Therapeutics is building a pipeline of precision-targeted therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals, initially focused on prostate cancer, with plans to expand into additional disease areas in oncology. to advance the development of therapeutic radiopharmaceutical technology. Blue Earth Therapeutics is building a pipeline of precision-targeted therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals, initially focused on prostate cancer, with plans to expand into additional disease areas in oncology. In February 2022 , Applied Molecular Therapies launched 177Lu PSMATherapy, a molecularly targeted radiopharmaceutical for treating prostate cancer. launched 177Lu PSMATherapy, a molecularly targeted radiopharmaceutical for treating prostate cancer. In February 2022 , Cerveau Technologies, Inc. and Nihon Medi-Physics announced that they signed a manufacturing service agreement in which Cerveau grants NMP the right to manufacture [18F] MK-6240, a next generation investigational Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging agent. To read more about the latest highlights related to the nuclear medicine market, get a snapshot of the key highlights entailed in the Global Nuclear Medicine Market Report Nuclear Medicine Overview Nuclear Medicine is an essential component of today's healthcare delivery system and has a significant impact on patient care. The development of various radionuclide and radio-labeled compounds and equipment has resulted in rapid growth in the Nuclear Medicine Market over the last four to five decades. Nuclear medicine employs trace amounts of radioactive materials (or tracers) in products and procedures to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of illnesses. Iodine-131 was the first radionuclide used in medicine. Following that, several other radionuclides and isotopes were created for diagnostic purposes. Several radioisotopes are now produced and distributed in the market for various medical purposes. The two major types of conditions for which Nuclear Medicine has enormous potential are cancer and cardiovascular disease. It also has applications in a variety of diseases, including nephro-urology, orthopedics, rheumatology, and neuropsychiatry. Nuclear Medicine Market Insights North America dominated the global nuclear medicine market in 2021 and will continue to do so during the forecast period (20222027). This can be attributed to the region's increasing incidence of cancer, cardiovascular disorders, and other diseases due to high processed food consumption and lifestyle changes. Furthermore, the presence of key domicile players in the region, the rising burden of the geriatric population prone to chronic diseases, the favorable reimbursement scenario for radiopharmaceuticals in the United States, and others are among the key factors that contribute to the growth of the nuclear medicine market in North America between 2022 and 2027. In addition, the rise in product launches in the region is expected to boost the nuclear medicine market growth. For instance, in April 2022, the FDA recently approved 177Lu-PSMA-617 (Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan; Pluvicto) as a targeted radioligand therapy for the treatment of patients with PSMA-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). To know more about why North America is leading the market growth in the nuclear medicine market, get a snapshot of the Nuclear Medicine Market Outlook Nuclear Medicine Market Dynamics One of the key factors driving the nuclear medicine market is the rising prevalence of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other diseases around the world, which can be attributed to a variety of factors such as genetics, age, obesity, and unhealthy lifestyles. Furthermore, the establishment of nuclear medicine centers that will provide access to nuclear medicine treatments all over the world is expected to boost the nuclear medicine market. Moreover, increasing technological advancements in disease diagnosis and treatment, and the rising approval of new nuclear medicine-based devices that aid in meeting patients' treatment needs will drive the nuclear medicine market in the coming years. However, the high cost of nuclear medicine, the equipment used in the procedure, and the stringent regulatory approval process may impede the growth of the nuclear medicine market. Additionally, the nuclear medicine market suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic because the outbreak resulted in the cancellation of outpatient visits and the suspension of non-emergency hospitalization and diagnostic procedures. As a result, routine clinical examinations and diagnosis procedures were reduced. However, the development of the COVID-19 vaccine has begun the process of economic recovery, with the easing of lockdown restrictions and the return of normalcy in the economic landscape, which has begun the process of resumption of regular healthcare services such as outpatient visits for diagnosis and treatment purposes, bringing the demand for products in the nuclear medicine market back on track. Get a sneak peek at the nuclear medicine market dynamics @ Nuclear Medicine Market Dynamics Analysis Report Metrics Details Coverage Global Study Period 20192027 Base Year 2021 Nuclear Medicine Market CAGR ~10% Projected Nuclear Medicine Market Size by 2027 USD 12.4 Billion Key Nuclear Medicine Companies Lantheus., Cardinal Health., GE Healthcare, Curium Pharma, Nihon Medi-Physics Co., Ltd., Novartis (Advanced Accelerator Applications), Cambridge Isotope Laboratories, Inc, Sotera Health LLC, Bracco Imaging SpA, Jubilant Pharma Limited, Necsa, IBA Radiopharma Solutions, Bayer AG, Norgine, Eczacbas-Monrol, NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, LLC., Eckert & Ziegler., Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited, ITM Isotope Technologies Munich SE, Mallinckrodt PLC, among others Nuclear Medicine Market Assessment Nuclear Medicine Market Segmentation Market Segmentation By Product Type: Diagnostic Products [Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) {Technetium-99m, Iodine-123, Xenon-133, And Others}, And Positron Emission Tomography (PET) {Flourine-18, Carbon-11, Gallium-68, and Others}], Therapeutic Products [Alpha Emitters {Astatine-211, Actinium-225, Lead-212, and Others}, Beta Emitters {Lutetium-177, Iodine-131, Yttrium-90, and Others}, and Brachytherapy] Diagnostic Products [Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) {Technetium-99m, Iodine-123, Xenon-133, And Others}, And Positron Emission Tomography (PET) {Flourine-18, Carbon-11, Gallium-68, and Others}], Therapeutic Products [Alpha Emitters {Astatine-211, Actinium-225, Lead-212, and Others}, Beta Emitters {Lutetium-177, Iodine-131, Yttrium-90, and Others}, and Brachytherapy] Market Segmentation By Application: Cardiology, Neurology, Oncology, and Others Cardiology, Neurology, Oncology, and Others Market Segmentation By End User: Hospitals, Diagnostic Centers, and Others Hospitals, Diagnostic Centers, and Others Market Segmentation By Geography : North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest of World : , , , and Rest of World Porter's Five Forces Analysis, Product Profiles, Case Studies, KOL's Views, Analyst's View Which MedTech key players in the nuclear medicine market are set to emerge as the trendsetter explore @ Nuclear Medicine Companies Table of Contents 1 Report Introduction 2 Executive summary 3 Regulatory and Patent Analysis 4 Key Factors Analysis 5 Porter's Five Forces Analysis 6 COVID-19 Impact Analysis on Nuclear Medicine Market 7 Nuclear Medicine Market Layout 8 Global Company Share Analysis Key 3-5 Companies 9 Nuclear Medicine Market Company and Product Profiles 10 Project Approach 11 About DelveInsight Interested in knowing the nuclear medicine market by 2027? 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It supports pharma companies by providing comprehensive end-to-end solutions to improve their performance. Get hassle-free access to all the healthcare and pharma market research reports through our subscription-based platform PharmDelve. Connect with us on LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter Additionally, get in touch with our business executive to explore @ Healthcare Due Diligence Services Contact Us Shruti Thakur [email protected] +1(919)321-6187 https://www.delveinsight.com/medical-devices Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1082265/DelveInsight_Logo.jpg SOURCE DelveInsight Business Research, LLP Emotional health challenges for first responders are an ongoing concern INDIANAPOLIS, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Police Association (NPA) has submitted written testimony to the Alaska State Legislature in support of Senate Bill 103: "An Act relating to peer support counseling programs for law enforcement agencies, emergency service providers, and the Department of Corrections." Ammentorp Photography / Alamy Stock Photo The bill authorizes law enforcement agencies and other emergency service providers, to establish a peer support counseling program to provide emotional and moral support and counseling to first responders who have experienced emotionally traumatic incidents in the course of employment. The law would allow for a law enforcement agency, emergency service provider, or department to designate an employee of the agency, provider, or department to serve as a peer support counselor if the employee has received training in counseling. Further, the law would make communication made by a participant or counselor during a peer support counseling session confidential. The NPA's testimony stated in part: "Very often police officers and dispatchers are hesitant to utilize Employee Assistance Programs or insurance-based counseling services because of privacy concerns. Additionally, traditional mental health counselors are often unprepared to deal with the level of trauma experienced by police personnel" Read the full NPA testimony here https://nationalpolice.org/main/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/NPA-Testimony-Alaska-SB-103.pdf About The National Police Association: The National Police Association is a 501(c)3 non-profit Educational/Advocacy organization. For additional information visit www.nationalpolice.org. Media Contact: Sgt. Betsy Brantner Smith (Ret) 302-469-1765 [email protected] SOURCE National Police Association Over $1.5 million in funding awarded in Foundation's latest round of grantmaking to directly address urgent issues currently facing New York City and beyond with newly expanded geographic reach NEW YORK, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, The New York Women's Foundation (NYWF) announced its latest round of grantmaking totaling $1.54 million in support of 21 organizations who have established themselves as community changemakers across New York City and beyond. The March grantmaking focused on increasing The Foundation's investment in growing areas of need for advancing economic justice, strengthening democracy, and ending mass incarceration. This commitment awards both new and existing grantee partners with sustainable funding over multiple years to continue their mission critical work without interruption, furthering The Foundation's practice of trust-based philanthropy and strategic early and long-term investment in community-rooted organizations. Two new grants to The Haitian Women's Collective and Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA) speak to the far reach of The Foundation's investments in opportunities beyond the borders of New York City to advance economic security policies on a national level, as well as advance women's philanthropic practices globally. With support from The Foundation, the Haitian Women's Collective grant will further develop the infrastructure of its Haitian Women's Fund which invests in the well-being and safety of women in Haiti, a heritage with deep ties to NYC. Funding for FPWA will support development of a far-reaching national coalition of supporters to redefine the federal poverty measure to reflect the expenses and needs of people in American society today more accurately. "Together, in solidarity with our grantee partners, we cannot allow the persistent issues of economic injustice, threats to our democracy, and mass incarceration practices to go unchecked,'' said President and CEO Ana L. Oliveira of The New York Women's Foundation. "These grants allow us to authentically expand the geographic reach and impact of community-based solutions we believe are the keys to driving sustainable change for a more equitable tomorrow.'' Leveraging the growth and momentum of existing investments, The Foundation has renewed grants that will support ongoing work and authentically expand the reach and presence of community-based solutions to generate impact. Notable highlights include a $720,000 disbursement to fund and expand the next phase of a multi-year cohort with the Brooklyn Economic Justice Project (BEJP), and $620,000 awarded to sustain The Justice Fund as it moves its strategy and goals forward to help dismantle mass incarceration and its effects on families and communities in New York City. Thanks to the continued financial support of NYWF and partnership with Fondation Chanel, BEJP will invest in several organizations working collectively to interrupt the negative impacts of gentrification while strengthening economic prosperity for women and gender expansive people and their families in Brooklyn. New members to lead Phase 2 include Brooklyn Movement Center, Brooklyn Level Up, East New York Community Land Trust and Brooklyn Cooperative Federal Credit Union. Together, the cohort will join current grantee partners Central Brooklyn Economic Development Corporation (CBEDC), Churches United for Fair Housing (CUFFH), Equality for Flatbush (E4F) and Justice Innovation's Brownsville Community Justice Center (BCJC) to collectively implement innovative approaches to new, more equitable economic systems that redistribute power and resources back to the community. The Justice Fund is entering year five of its seven-year initiative in 2023, providing renewed support to 10 community-based and cross-sector solutions that significantly decrease the involvement of women, families and communities in all phases and aspects of the justice system. With a particular focus on closing Rikers Island, the fund will simultaneously invest in incarceration alternatives that promote justice, safety, and overall well-being. Recent impact of this important work is evidenced by the 1-year anniversary of parole reform policy #LessIsMore championed by grantee partner Katal Center for Health, Equity and Justice in which 17,000 system-impacted people have already been discharged early from parole. Furthermore, Justice Fund grantee partner Transgender Law Center is tirelessly advancing advocacy that protects the transgender and gender non-conforming community, while challenging current anti-trans legislation at the State and Federal levels. "We are excited about making a bold investment in equity and justice by supporting emerging and seasoned community leaders advancing meaningful and lasting social, cultural, and economic change. The critical work of our grantee partners will impact the lives of women and gender-expansive people in NYC and beyond,'' said Camille Emeagwali, Senior Vice President, Programs & Strategic Learning for The New York Women's Foundation. About The New York Women's Foundation The New York Women's Foundation is a voice for women and gender-expansive people and a force for change. The Foundation's mission is to create an equitable and just future for women and families. It achieves this goal by uniting cross-cultural and community alliances that ignite action. The Foundation invests in women-led, innovative, and bold community-based solutions that promote the economic security, safety, and health of the most underserved women. The Foundation has distributed more than $100 million in its 35-year existence to over 500 organizations, impacting millions of women and girls across New York City and beyond. To learn more about The New York Women's Foundation's work to transform lives, families, and communities, please visit www.nywf.org. SOURCE The New York Women's Foundation SWANSEA, Mass., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Stone Soup Leadership Institute is pleased to announce the recipients of the first Cronkite Awards for Climate Education. Connecticut : State Representative Christine Palm Hawaii : State Representative Nicole Lowen Massachusetts : Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer Massachusetts : State Senator Marc Pacheco New Jersey : First Lady Tammy Murphy We honor these leaders who have led visionary legislation to integrate climate education into their state's schools. They represent a model for future collaboration; with the award we will highlight their leadership and build bridges to push this important agenda forward. The Cronkite Awards is an official event with Earth Week - held on April 20. Celebrities and VIP speakers will honor this year's Award recipients at this hybrid live and virtual event in multiple locations. Our global youth leaders will premiere the Call-to-Action video with an online pledge inviting everyone to take action and bring climate education to our schools. To register: Eventbrite link. About the Cronkite Awards for Climate Education. Widely recognized as "the most trusted man in America," Walter Cronkite believed that journalism was a higher calling. He felt a personal responsibility to use his platform as the anchor of CBS Nightly News to inform and educate ordinary people so they could make wise decisions about their future. Over 50 years ago he boldly covered the first Earth Day with the same passion he had for covering the moon landing, rallying more than 20 million Americans to join the emerging green movement. Mr. Cronkite served as The Institute's honorary chairperson for over a decade. It is his wisdom, leadership, and vision of preparing youth as future leaders in their communities that has inspired the Institute's Cronkite Awards. Why Climate Education? Scientists, universities, nonprofits, NGOs, concerned parents, and youth environmental leaders are working tirelessly to spread an urgent message: the next generation deserves the best educational tools to prepare them for their future to offset the impacts of the climate crisis see IPCC Report . Climate education affects us all: Business leaders of sustainability-oriented companies need help recruiting a trained sustainable workforce. Educators need educational tools and resources to train students for the transition to this sustainable economy. Young people want climate education in their schools so they can learn about how they can get green jobs to build a sustainable world. Media can educate ordinary citizens by spotlighting climate change and actions they can take in their communities. About the Stone Soup Leadership Institute: The Institute has been a leader in developing climate education tools, trainings, and initiatives to build a sustainable world for over 25 years (Case Studies). The Institute's Stone Soup Climate Education Curriculum brings to life the 100 stories in the book, Stone Soup for a Sustainable World: Life-Changing Stories of Young Heroes. It is aligned with NGSS and state standards. It is distributed directly to schools nationwide in partnership with Barnes & Noble. Stone Soup Leadership Institute www.stonesoupleadership.org www.CronkiteAwards.com Contact: Jim O'Neill (617) 299-6185 [email protected] SOURCE Stone Soup Leadership Institute BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. President Ilham Aliyev amended the Decree dated September 4, 2012 "On the application of the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated June 29, 2012 "On the approval of the Urban Planning and Construction Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, its entry into force and related legal regulation" and the Decree dated May 22, 2015 "On approval of the procedure for suspension of construction work", Trend reports. In this regard, the head of state signed a new decree. According to the decree, if cultural heritage objects are discovered during construction work in the city of Shusha, the ongoing work is immediately stopped, which is reported to the Management of the Shusha City State Reserve. In this case, the decision to continue construction work is made by the Management of the Shusha City State Reserve. Third Company Created by M:M Bio and Jointly Incubated by Canaan Partners has Raised $20 Million to Date Pioneering a New Precision Medicine Approach to Gastrointestinal Diseases and Cancers through Targeted Inhibition of GPR35 with First-in-Class Small Molecules AACR Presentation to Highlight Preclinical Data Validating GPR35 as Novel Cancer Target and Describing Discovery of Potent, Selective GPR35 Inhibitors OXFORD, United Kingdom, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ThirtyFiveBio Limited, a biotechnology company developing first-in-class small molecule inhibitors of G protein-coupled receptor 35 (GPR35) for the treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) disease, today emerged from stealth and announced that it will present the first data from its GPR35 antagonist program at the upcoming American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2023. The presentation will include a suite of preclinical data highlighting the biological role of GPR35 in GI disease and cancers, outlining the hypothesis that GPR35 activity has the potential to drive pro-oncogenic growth biology in digestive tract cancers, and spotlighting the company's discovery of potent GPR35 inhibitors that demonstrate the ability to prevent GPR35 signaling and tumour growth in a patient-derived cancer model. The AACR conference is being held April 14-19, 2023, in Orlando, Florida. ThirtyFiveBio, which has raised $20 million in seed financing to date, was created in 2021 by M:M Bio Limited (M:M Bio) in partnership with Canaan Partners. The company was formed to advance foundational research on the biology of GPR35 and the role that the target plays in a range of GI diseases, including cancers of the digestive tract. In less than two years since its founding, ThirtyFiveBio has built a fully enabled drug discovery platform and is advancing multiple unique families of first-in-class small-molecule inhibitors of GPR35 through lead optimization activities. "We are excited to unveil ThirtyFiveBio, the third innovative biotechnology company that we have created in collaboration with Canaan Partners, a group with who we share the goal of supporting efficient development of first-in-class medicines with clear benefit to patients and payers," said Tom McCarthy, Ph.D., chairman of M:M Bio and co-founder and executive chair of ThirtyFiveBio. "ThirtyFiveBio has the key elements that we look for when starting a company, namely thought leadership on the biology of a genetically validated target in an area of high unmet clinical need, paired with the drug discovery know-how required for the creation of first-in-class small molecules. As with Grey Wolf Therapeutics and Pathios Therapeutics, our other ecosystem companies, ThirtyFiveBio benefits from M:M Bio's hubs of excellence, which span a wide range of drug discovery and development services, as well as complete and agile operational support." The role of GPR35 in GI diseases is genetically validated with several drug developers advancing programs designed to address the target. To date, virtually all these efforts have been focused on increasing the activity of GPR35 with targeted agonists. However, important recent scientific findings, including key insights from the ThirtyFiveBio team, support the hypothesis that GPR35 antagonism may represent a more appropriate therapeutic approach by blocking unwanted GPR35 signaling. Based on this evolved scientific perspective, supported by the company's work with several world-leading, academic GPR35 specialists, ThirtyFiveBio is uniquely pursuing antagonism of the target with first-in-class small molecule GPR35 inhibitors. Supporting the company's focus on GPR35 inhibition is a collection of pre-clinical data generated by its scientists that highlights the association between GPR35 mutations and GI diseases. This includes research showing that GPR35 variants are linked to irritable bowel disease, and that GPR35 expression is upregulated in GI cancers. The company has also shown that pathogenic mutations of GPR35 drive its increased expression and function. Furthermore, study results have demonstrated that commonly dysregulated GI-cancer genes can be reversed by knocking out GPR35 in cancer cells. Taken together, these findings provide compelling evidence that hyperactive genetic mutations within GPR35 contribute to a range of GI disease processes, and that inhibiting GPR35 activity may have therapeutic utility in these diseases. "Our evolving understanding of GPR35 biology and its relevance to GI diseases has guided our unique focus on target antagonism and positioned the company with the unique opportunity to discover and advance multiple families of first-in-class small molecule inhibitors," said James Westcott, Ph.D., chief executive officer of ThirtyFiveBio. "We're excited to unveil the first data from our GPR35 inhibition program, which will spotlight the extensive work our scientists and bioinformaticians have undertaken illuminating the way GPR35 impacts digestive tract cancers, how these findings support our rationale of pursuing GPR35 inhibition as a potential anti-tumour therapy, and our identification of various novel GPR35 antagonists suitable for advancement." The AACR presentation (#454/18), entitled "Validation of GPR35 as a Novel Cancer Target in Digestive Tract Cancers and Discovery of Potent, Selective GPR35 Inverse Agonists," will take place on Sunday, April 16, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. Eastern in the "New Drug Targets" poster session (PO.ET02.08) located in Section 16 within the Orange County Convention Center. The abstract for the poster presentation can be found here: https://www.abstractsonline.com/pp8/#!/10828/presentation/2492 About M:M Bio M:M Bio Limited is a U.K.-based biotechnology hub that is leveraging its unique ecosystem to build enduring, commercially orientated drug discovery and development companies. The group's model involves assessing and identifying compelling biological targets and then assembling purpose-built teams of scientists, managers and investors to discover and develop therapeutics that address those targets efficiently and effectively. Supporting these efforts are M:M's hubs of excellence, which span a wide range of agile business services, designed to support emerging biotechnology companies from ideation through to the clinic and/or transaction, including research and development, bioinformatics, project management, commercial, operations, finance and personnel. To date, M:M Bio has played a key role in the founding, incubation and management of three biotechnology companies: Grey Wolf Therapeutics, Pathios Therapeutics, and ThirtyFiveBio. For more information, please visit: www.m2m.bio. About ThirtyFiveBio ThirtyFiveBio Limited is a biotechnology company developing first-in-class small molecule inhibitors of G protein-coupled receptor 35 (GPR35) for the treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) disease. The company has built scientific thought leadership in the biology of GPR35 and the role that it plays in GI disease, including digestive tract cancers. ThirtyFiveBio has leveraged its fully enabled drug discovery platform to identify multiple unique families of first-in-class small-molecule GPR35 inhibitors that it is advancing through lead optimization activities. Created by M:M Bio and Canaan Partners, the company has raised $20 million in seed financing to date. ThirtyFiveBio is headquartered at the Innovation Centre on Milton Park, a key science precinct south of Oxford, UK. For more information, please visit: www.30fivebio.com Contacts: ThirtyFiveBio James Westcott Chief Executive Officer P: +44 (0)1235 644980 [email protected] Vida Strategic Partners (on behalf of ThirtyFiveBio) Tim Brons (Media) 415-675-7402 [email protected] SOURCE ThirtyFiveBio SHENYANG, China, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- "Tiexi Day" In Germany and China-Germany (Shenyang) High-end Equipment Manufacturing Industrial Park Industry Cooperation Exchange Conference was held to great success in Munich, the capital of the state of Bavaria. Participants engaged in dialogues about industrial cooperation between China and Germany, and exchanged ideas about the future of China-Germany development. "Tiexi Day" In Germany and China-Germany (Shenyang) High-end Equipment Manufacturing Industrial Park Industry Cooperation Exchange Conference was successfully held in Munich. Revolving around the theme of "Meet China and Germany, Foresee the Future," the event was attended by more than a hundred participants, including representatives from German and Chinese enterprises such as BMW and LiangDao, and government organs and related research institutions of both Munich and Shenyang. Contract-signing ceremony was hosted on the same day for 11 projects such as the China-Europe Digital Alliance digitization, renovation and improvement project, Kaytrip culture and tourism cooperation project, and Kemether and Automation W+R GmbH strategic cooperation project, according to the Information Office of Shenyang Municipality. During the event, leaders from relevant Shenyang government bodies introduced the city's ideal investment environment and optimal industrial park policies, sincerely encouraged German enterprises to invest in Shenyang, and promised to provide "service support for each and every single enterprise". Chinese participants also introduced the China-Germany (Shenyang) High-end Equipment Manufacturing Industrial Park, which focuses on the development of the five major areas of intelligent equipment, high-end equipment, automotive manufacturing, industrial service and strategic emerging industry, and at present already hosts more than 470 enterprises, including over 80 German enterprises. In 2022, the industry park recorded an output of RMB 86.4 billion from its above-industry-designated-scale enterprises, while completing RMB 19.5 billion in fixed asset investment. Germany is China's largest E.U. trade partner, and according to the latest data from the German Federal Statistical Office, in 2022 bilateral trade between Germany and China reached EUR 297.9 billion, with China being Germany's most important trade partner for the 7th straight year. Image Attachments Links: Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=439407 SOURCE Information Office of Shenyang Municipality CHICAGO, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ohio native Luke Grimes, known for his role as "Kayce Dutton" on Paramount Network's Yellowstone, and the Jeff Ruby Family, who own and operate seven fine dining steakhouses in the Midwest including four in Ohio, are partnering to bring relief aid to the residents of East Palestine, Ohio in the wake of the toxic train derailment last month. Grimes and members of the Jeff Ruby family will visit East Palestine on the morning of March 31 to distribute 250 water filtration systems from Hydroviv and present Mayor Trent R. These filters were transported by TransLoop, whose Founder and CEO, Nick Reasoner, is also an Ohio native. "We are extremely grateful for this generous donation from Luke Grimes and the Jeff Ruby Family. Their support will help us move forward toward our vision of a thriving and resilient community," said East Palestine Mayor Conaway. "While our water is already safe to drink, the generous donation of water filtration systems will provide an extra layer of protection and peace of mind for our residents while further enhancing the quality of our water supply. We are grateful for everyone's commitment to ensuring our community's health and safety." About TransLoop TransLoop is a battle-tested, technology-driven logistics company built in collaboration with experienced team members from prominent companies all over the country. The team pairs cutting-edge technology, AI systems, and white-glove customer service to provide a one-of-a-kind logistics experience for their shippers and carriers. TransLoop's forward-thinking and modern-tech approach helps provide its partners with a smarter way to transport goods. Visit TransLoop.io Note to media: Free water filtration systems will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis to residents of East Palestine on March 31, starting at 8 a.m. at The Original Roadhouse, 333 W. Main Street, East Palestine, OH 44413. SOURCE TransLoop VANCOUVER, BC, March 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Trevali Mining Corporation ("Trevali" or the "Company") announced today that, on application by the Company, the Supreme Court of British Columbia has approved a Claims Process Order (the "Order") as part of the Company's ongoing Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act ("CCAA") proceedings. The Order provides for a "Claims Process" pursuant to which the court-appointed Monitor, FTI Consulting Canada Inc. (the "Monitor") and the Company will call for and adjudicate, as necessary, all claims against the Company and its wholly owned subsidiary, Trevali Mining (New Brunswick) Ltd. ("Trevali NB", together with the Company, "Trevali"), as well as their respective directors and officers. Known creditors with respect to whom the Company and the Monitor have sufficient information to make a reasonable assessment of their claim will be sent a "Claims Notice" setting out the amount and status of their claim. Creditors who receive a Claims Notice do not need to take any further action if they do not wish to dispute the amount or status of their claim as set out in the Claims Notice. Creditors who receive a Claims Notice but wish to dispute the amount and status of their claim must submit a "Proof of Claim Form" to the Monitor. All other creditors who wish to assert a claim must submit a "Proof of Claim Form" to assert a claim against Trevali or a "Director/ Officer Claim Form" to assert a claim against Trevali's directors and officers. Copies of all Claims Process forms will be available on the Monitor's website at http://cfcanada.fticonsulting.com/trevali/ (the "Monitor's Website"). With the exception of "Restructuring Claims", all Proof of Claim Forms and Director/Officer Claim Forms must be received by the Monitor by no later than 4:00 p.m. (PST) on the "Claims Bar Date" of April 21, 2023 . All Proof of Claim Forms with respect to Restructuring Claims must be received by the "Restructuring Claims Bar Date", which is the later of: (a) the Claims Bar Date; and (b) 4:00 p.m. on the day that is fifteen calendar days after the date that an applicable Notice of Disclaimer or Resiliation is sent to a creditor. Any claims not received by the Claims Bar Date or the Restructuring Claims Bar Date, as applicable, will be forever barred and extinguished. All claims submitted to the Monitor will be subject to the Claims Process as set out in the Order. All inquiries regarding Claims Process and Trevali's CCAA proceedings should be directed to the Monitor (email: [email protected] or telephone: +1-877-294-8998). Information about the Company's CCAA proceedings, including all court orders, are available on the Monitor's Website. About Trevali Mining Corporation Trevali is a base-metals mining company headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. For further details on Trevali, readers are referred to the Company's website (www.trevali.com) and to Canadian regulatory filings on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information and Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, expectations and opinions of management of the Company as of the date the statements are published, and the Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required by law. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "outlook", "guidance", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative of these terms or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's expectations or beliefs regarding future events including, but not limited to, statements with respect to the CCAA proceedings and creditor protection, the claims process and the restructuring process, including the outcome thereof. By their very nature, 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 the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, operating in foreign jurisdictions with risk of changes to governmental regulation; compliance with governmental regulations; compliance with environmental laws and regulations; maintaining ongoing social license to operate; limitations inherent in our insurance coverage; litigation; and other risks of the mining industry including, without limitation, risks and uncertainties that are more fully described in the Company's annual information form, interim and annual audited consolidated financial statements and management's discussion and analysis of those statements, all of which are filed and available for review under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Trevali provides no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events may differ from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. SOURCE Trevali Mining Corporation VANCOUVER, BC, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Trilogy Metals Inc. (TSX: TMQ) (NYSE American: TMQ) ("Trilogy Metals" or "the Company") will hold the Company's 2023 Annual General Meeting of the Shareholders ("AGM") on Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at 10:00 am Pacific Time at the office of the Company, Suite 1150, 609 Granville Street, Vancouver, British Columbia. All current directors will stand for re-election at the AGM with the exception of Mr. Kalidas Madhavpeddi, a director of the Company since it went public in 2012. Mr. Madhavpeddi is Chairman of Glencore Plc and has more than 40 years of international experience in corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, government relations, marketing, mining engineering and capital. The Board of Directors and Management of the Company would like to thank Mr. Madhavpeddi for his valuable contributions to Trilogy Metals and wish him success in his future endeavors. Shareholders as of the record date of March 28, 2023 ("Record Date") will be eligible to vote at the AGM. The Company's 2023 Management Information Circular (also called a proxy statement), which contains information about all director nominees and other items of business was filed today and is now available to the public. As always, we encourage you to vote your shares prior to the AGM. No presentations or updates on the Company's activities will be provided at the AGM. The Company's most recent investor presentation can be found on our website at www.trilogymetals.com. Any investor who would like further information on the items of business at the AGM or the Company's activities is welcome to contact us directly. Proxy Statement Filed with Regulators Additional information about the AGM can be found in the Company's 2023 Management Information Circular (or proxy statement), which has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC") and the Canadian securities regulatory authorities. The Management Information Circular is available on the Company's website at https://trilogymetals.com/investors/proxy-circular and on the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. The Company, its directors and certain of its executive officers are participants in the solicitation of proxies from the Company's shareholders in connection with the Company's 2023 AGM. The Company has filed its Management Information Circular with the SEC and Canadian securities regulatory authorities in connection with any such solicitation of proxies from the Company's shareholders. SHAREHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO READ SUCH PROXY STATEMENT AND ALL OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC AND CANADIAN SECURITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITIES CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY AS THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, including, without limitation, the date and time of the AGM, items of business at the AGM and the Company's plans to provide further updates and the timing thereof are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include the uncertainties involving our assumptions with respect to the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended November 30, 2022 filed with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and in other Company reports and documents filed with applicable securities regulatory authorities from time to time. The Company's forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements or beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. SOURCE Trilogy Metals Inc. ATMORE, Ala., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- UB Community Development, LLC (UBCD), a community development partner of United Bank, announced that it provided a $12.5 million New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) allocation toward the construction of the Wilson Science Research Center at the Alabama School of Mathematics and Science (ASMS) campus located in Mobile, Alabama. "For over 30 years, ASMS has offered an accelerated, college-level STEM education to high schoolers from all 67 counties in Alabama, transforming their college and career outcomes for a lifetime. As we look to the next 30 years for our school, a new science building and research facility is essential to achieving our strategic plan. We are deeply grateful for the time and investment of the UB Community Development team in making this new building possible for ASMS. Their partnership will allow us to further prepare students for promising futures as the foremost leaders and experts in their fields here in Alabama and around the world too," shared Dr. John Hoyle, ASMS President. Upon completion, the new 32,000-square-foot science research center will increase opportunities for students to conduct research and create access to a modern research laboratory. The science center aims to capitalize on job growth in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields by providing students with worldclass facilities. The campus will also undergo extensive renovations to enhance and expand community and living spaces. The existing science building will transition into an academic hub for Humanities, an enhanced student activities center, and additional space for the Admissions and Outreach Department and Development Department. "ASMS serves high school students from across the State of Alabama at no cost to them or their families," stated Alex Jones, President of UB Community Development. "We were honored to have the opportunity to support ASMS and their mission through our participation in the financing of the new Wilson Science Research Center. Being able to support an organization that has made not only local but national impact through its alumni is a rare opportunity." ASMS is currently the only public residential high school in the State offering advanced studies in math, science, computer science, and the humanities. It serves sophomore, junior, and senior students in a boarding school model and does not charge students for tuition, room, or board. ASMS supports the local community through various outreach and educational programs aimed at encouraging low-income student participation in STEM education. One such program is its 'STEM Leadership Academy' residential summer camp. This camp offers a creative learning opportunity for over 1,200 students from across the State in 7th through 9th grades each summer. About UB Community Development UB Community Development's strong history and experience in New Markets Tax Credit transactions, coupled with our passion for improving the communities around us, make UBCD Alabama's premier financial partner for economic and community development. Through our NMTC projects, Community Facilities Lending Program and Community Housing Capital Fund, UBCD is working with community development partners in the fields of healthcare, education, manufacturing, public works, affordable housing and more. For more information about UB Community Development, visit our website at www.UBCommunityDevelopment.com. SOURCE United Bancorporation Appliance and lighting customers throughout the U.K. and Europe can now benefit from the in-depth knowledge of UL Solutions EMC and wireless scientists, engineers and technicians while leveraging the latest test equipment in one location. BASINGSTOKE, England, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- UL Solutions, a global leader in applied safety science, today announced the opening of its expanded Basingstoke electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and wireless testing laboratory with the debut of new testing facilities specifically for the lighting and appliance industries. With this expansion, the UL Solutions campus in Basingstoke is now one of the most extensive commercial EMC and wireless test laboratories in the United Kingdom (U.K.). Offering total service offerings to help customers meet EMC regulations at one location helps expedite access to global markets. UL Solutions expands U.K. laboratory to help better service the appliance and lighting industries. Pictured above left to right: Alessio Dellanoce, VP and GM, UL Solutions, Kieron Dent, senior sales executive, UL Solutions, Paul Jones, director, UK and Ireland, B.E.G. UK Ltd, Andy Threlfall, technical and policy director, Foodservice Equipment Association, Jordan Bucko, operations manager, UL Solutions, Mette Pedersen, SVP, UL Solutions, and Morten Claudi Lassen, VP, Europe UL Solutions. "Balancing EMC and wireless technology innovation and speed-to-market with operational and product safety are crucial to customer success in a dynamic and demanding market," said Phil Davies, general manager in Europe for the Consumer, Medical and Information Technology group at UL Solutions. "By prioritizing our EMC and wireless investments to test a myriad of devices and equipment, we are advancing our capabilities with the fast pace of technological innovationhelping wireless technology manufacturers and their suppliers increase the interconnectivity of their productssafely and securely." One of the largest independent specific absorption rate (SAR) testing laboratories in Europe, the Basingstoke facility expansion includes: A new chamber that offers the ability to make measurements from 30MHz to 18GHz without changing device or product configuration. Extensive process automation resulting in quicker testing, data collection and time to market. Existing safety testing for lighting and appliance products, which can now be combined with EMC and wireless testing to offer a full solution for connected lighting and connected appliances. The Basingstoke facility can also test and certify products with Wi-Fi 6E capabilities. Wi-Fi 6E is a technology that enables high-performance Wi-Fi in phones, tablets and PCs. It also enables advanced features and capabilities that bring new opportunities for the Internet of Things (IoT), service provider deployments, and dense public areas to deliver better user experiences. This laboratory expansion complements over 20 years of UL Solutions expertise in testing and certifying mmWave technology. In addition to the new capabilities listed above, the UL Solutions laboratory in Basingstoke is one of only a few third-party testing laboratories in Europe to offer 5G testing for both millimeter wave (mmWave) and sub-6 gigahertz (GHz) frequency ranges. For the lighting industry, UL Solutions continues to expand its lighting capabilities to match innovation in the industry and leverage the company's safety science expertise across many lighting market segments. To help customers stay ahead of the latest industry trends and innovate confidently, the UL Solutions lighting services now available at the Basingstoke laboratory address smart and connected lighting, including cybersecurity, interoperability, EMC and wireless testing. "UL Solutions is a worldwide leader in lighting products testing," said Todd Straka, global industry director of the UL Solutions Lighting group. "Our lighting performance, energy efficiency and safety testing offerings help the lighting industry meet the demands of a rapidly growing market while mitigating the risks associated with innovation and evolving regulations. This laboratory, matched with our world-class engineering expertise, will increase our capability in the U.K. and Europe and help our customers access and enter new markets worldwide." For the appliance industry, UL Solutions testing and certification services evaluate household and commercial appliances against stringent safety, security and sustainability standards to navigate complex regulatory requirements. New appliance services at the Basingstoke facility include EMC, wireless functionality and interoperability testing that help smart appliances and devices connect to a network right out of the box and perform to specifications on promoted features. In addition to EMC and wireless testing such as Bluetooth, Zigbee and Thread, UL Solutions has recently added capabilities to test to Konnex (KNX) and Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI) protocols. KNX is a protocol standard for building control systems used for commercial and domestic building automation. It was designed to keep the energy consumption of sensors and switches for wireless components low, with tight interaction between all components. "As the world is becoming more complex, interconnected and demanding, companies must address constantly changing global and local regulatory requirements while meeting market demands for faster innovation and increased safety, security and sustainability," said Morten Claudi Lassen, vice president in Europe for UL Solutions. "The UL Solutions laboratory in Basingstoke demonstrates our commitment to offering high-performance services to manufacturers in the U.K. from a single source and at one location for testing and inspection. It also demonstrates our commitment to empowering manufacturers with shorter development cycles, a faster time-to-market and the ability to be more competitive in the global marketplace." About UL Solutions A global leader in applied safety science, UL Solutions transforms safety, security and sustainability challenges into opportunities for customers in more than 100 countries. UL Solutions delivers testing, inspection and certification services, together with software products and advisory offerings, that support our customers' product innovation and business growth. The UL Certification Marks serve as a recognized symbol of trust in our customers' products and reflect an unwavering commitment to advancing our safety mission. We help our customers innovate, launch new products and services, navigate global markets and complex supply chains and grow sustainably and responsibly into the future. Our science is your advantage. Press contact: Steven Brewster UL Solutions [email protected] T 1+847.664.8425 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2043478/UL_Solutions_UK_Laboratory.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1849892/UL_Solutions_Logo.jpg SOURCE UL Solutions LONDON, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- UPL Ltd. (NSE: UPL & BSE: 512070 LSE: UPLL) ('UPL') a global provider of sustainable agricultural solutions, will support a renewed commitment to strengthening developing world food production, storage, and supply chains with a 'food security' programme. Leaders at the Earthna Summit The agreement was reached at the inaugural Earthna Summit in Doha, Qatar, with the governments of Zambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and The Gambia alongside the Commonwealth Secretariat. The sessions were also attended by representatives from Qatar Foundation's (QF's) Earthna Centre for a Sustainable Future, AGRA, United Nations Development Programme, CGIAR, Chatham House, EMBRAPA, and the Indian Institute of Management Rohtak. The Summit aimed to build new sustainability pathways for hot and arid environments as part of global efforts to address the moderate or severe food insecurity faced by one-in-four people globally. The summit sought to align South-South efforts and create a dedicated food security programme for producing and importing countries in Africa, India, and Latin America. UPL contributed to the creation of this 'food security' programme through open plenary session and closed-door technical discussions, in which experts agreed to explore a new working methodology for food security. This included ensuring developing farmer resilience, capacity building, and creating demonstration plots for climate resilient crops. Jai Shroff, Group CEO of UPL Ltd., said: "Our contention is clear: no one has food security until everyone has food security. And the key to security is farmer resilience. The results of our discussions in Doha show that there is new urgency to address food security and new energy among developing world nations to agree on approaches that will deliver real results. We look forward to announcing our roadmap with Earthna and to developing initial projects across Africa as part of our Reimagining Sustainability mission and OpenAg commitment to collaboration." Gonzalo Castro de la Mata, Executive Director of Earthna, said: "It is essential that the global community works together to encourage and enable self-sufficiency at national and international levels. I am delighted that at the Earthna Summit 2023, heads of state, QF's Earthna and other partners have come together and committed to a new collaborative approach to enhance food security. I am confident that this programme will lead to lasting and impactful action, and make a significant contribution to these country's fight against climate change." A technical white paper will be prepared for the launch of pilot programmes in Zambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and The Gambia. For more information, please contact: Earthna Centre Joanne Harris [email protected] UPL Reina Roets, Head of Global Marketing Communications [email protected] Qatar Foundation Press Office [email protected] Notes to editors: About UPL UPL Ltd. (NSE: UPL & BSE: 512070, LSE: UPLL) is a global provider of sustainable agriculture products and solutions, with annual revenue exceeding $6bn. We are a purpose-led company. Through OpenAg, UPL is focused on accelerating progress for the food system. We are building a network that is reimagining sustainability, redefining the way an entire industry thinks and works open to fresh ideas, innovation, and new answers as we strive towards our mission to make every single food product more sustainable. As one of the largest agriculture solutions companies worldwide, our robust portfolio consists of biologicals and traditional crop protection solutions with more than 14,000 registrations. We are present in more than 130 countries, represented by more than 10,000 colleagues globally. For more information about our integrated portfolio of solutions across the food value chain including seeds, post-harvest, as well as physical and digital services, please visit upl-ltd.com and follow us on LinkedIn , Twitter , Instagram and Facebook. About the Earthna Summit Global sustainability discussions have been shaped by issues primarily relevant to tropical and temperate countries. Less attention has been placed on hot and arid environments and deserts, and a perception has emerged that these environments are less relevant to sustainability. The 2023 Earthna Summit will seek to challenge these understandings and build new sustainability pathways for hot and arid environments. The Summit will convene global, regional and local policymakers, thinkers, business and industry leaders, and academia. It will start to dispel these erroneous understandings and highlight the critical adaptation needs of these countries, as well as the major contributions that energy-rich countries such as Qatar can make towards energy transition and addressing climate change. https://www.earthna.qa/summit/summit-2023 About Earthna Centre Earthna is a non-profit policy research and advocacy center, established by Qatar Foundation (QF) to provide a holistic view of environmental, social, and economic prosperity. Our roots are anchored in supporting Qatar's ambition to enhance sustainability through our work, which aims to inform and influence national and global sustainability policy. We bring together Qatar's wide community of technical and research experts, government departments, policy and decision makers, businesses, multilateral institutions, and civil society, and collaborate with leading international institutions to enhance the depth and breadth of the country's sustainability efforts. Our name - Earthna - has a significant link to our work. In Arabic, embodies the essence of sustainability, a prosperous future for Qatar and humankind, a legacy of harmony with the planet. In English, Earthna recalls the fundamental purpose of Mother Earth as the giver of life and provider of sustenance to human societies. https://www.earthna.qa/about-us Qatar Foundation Unlocking Human Potential Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) is a non-profit organization that supports Qatar on its journey to becoming a diversified and sustainable economy. QF strives to serve the people of Qatar and beyond by providing specialized programs across its innovation-focused ecosystem of education, research and development, and community development. QF was founded in 1995 by His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Amir, and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, who shared the vision to provide Qatar with quality education. Today, QF's world-class education system offers lifelong learning opportunities to community members as young as six months through to doctoral level, enabling graduates to thrive in a global environment and contribute to the nation's development. QF is also creating a multidisciplinary innovation hub in Qatar, where homegrown researchers are working to address local and global challenges. By promoting a culture of lifelong learning and fostering social engagement through programs that embody Qatari culture, QF is committed to empowering the local community and contributing to a better world for all. For a complete list of QF's initiatives and projects, please visit: www.qf.org.qa . To stay up to date on our social media activities, follow our accounts on: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2043628/UPL_Ltd.jpg SOURCE UPL Ltd. Orlando-Based Vacation Innovations Wins Company and Individual Accolades in the 2023 GNEX Vacation Industry Awards ORLANDO, Fla., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Vacation Innovations ("VI" or the "Company"), a leading provider of travel-related products, software and services, today announced it was awarded the 2023 GNEX Vacation Industry Awards for Best Technology, Best Industry Leader, and Best Marketing Professional at the 2023 Global Networking Expo. The Company has a strong tradition of excellence in the GNEX Vacation Industry Awards (formerly Perspective Magazine Awards), with multiple wins each year since the awards' inception in 2011. Vacation Innovations Wins Best Technology, Best Industry Leader, and Best Marketing Professional at the 2023 GNEX Conference The honor of Best Technology is a reflection of the industry-leading technology that drives the company's suite of established travel products, leveraging business intelligence, marketing automation, and improved algorithms to create an enhanced experience for both its customers and business partners. Sergio Santos, Chief Product Officer of Vacation Innovations, who was named Best Industry Leader, has played a significant role in the development, evolution, and integration of the company's technology and products over his 16-year career with the organization. In addition, Alex Glover, VI's Director of Communications, was named Best Marketing Professional for his dedication to ensuring the success of the Company through effective communication and marketing practices. "Our technology and our focus on data and business intelligence are the foundation of what sets us apart as an organization and we're honored to receive this recognition," said Bryan Rand, President of Vacation Innovations. "We thank the Perspective Group for helping us to call attention to the excellence our team members bring to our organization and to the industry. We remain focused on further developing our products and services to deliver innovation in the rental and resale space, as well as tour generation." The Company has maintained a significant level of involvement at all GNEX conferences and sees the annual series of events in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico as an important forum for building global relationships and exploring opportunities within the vacation ownership industry. "I'm incredibly proud to receive this award for Best Industry Leader," Sergio said. "I've spent my career working to maximize the value our products and services provide our clients and partners, and it's an honor to be recognized by our industry. We're proud serve as a strong partner to the vacation ownership and larger travel industries and I look forward to continuing to evolve our products and services to best serve our clients' needs." Vacation Innovations continues to invest heavily in its brands, programs, and technology, with additional updates launching throughout 2023 and beyond. The Company also maintains a strong presence within the industry with executive-level representation at key events led by the American Resort Development Association, the Canadian Resort and Travel Association (CRTA), the Asociacion de Complejos Vacacionales y Turisticos (ACOTUR), the Cooperative Association of Resort Exchangers (C.A.R.E.), and more. About Vacation Innovations Founded in 1999, Vacation Innovations (vacationinnovations.com) is a leading provider of travel-related products, software and services. Leveraging advanced digital marketing strategies, sophisticated software solutions, and decades of experience in vacation ownership, VI brings new vacation opportunities to a diverse audience of novice and seasoned travelers alike. The Vacation Innovations family of brands offers a wide range of travel services, including simplified resort rentals, online advertising and marketing products for by-owner timeshare sales and rentals, licensed timeshare brokerage and title transfer services, as well as customized owner services, tour generation, and product solutions for timeshare resorts, resort developers, HOAs and timeshare management companies. VI has been recognized with the 2022 ARDA Award for Business Administration or Operations Team and the 2023 GNEX Vacation Industry Awards for Best Technology, Best Industry Leader, and Best Marketing Professional. MEDIA CONTACT: Alex Glover, Director of Communications [email protected] 407-205-0120 SOURCE Vacation Innovations Details added: first version posted on 16:27 BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. Palestine was among the first countries which established diplomatic relations with Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said at a joint briefing with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki, Trend reports. "Today my colleague and I had a very productive meeting. The discussions were based on common goals aimed at further developing our relations," Bayramov noted. Will be updated MEXICO CITY, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Corporacion Inmobiliaria Vesta, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: VESTA) ("Vesta") is pleased to invite you to its conference call to discuss the first quarter 2023 results. The call will take place: Friday, April 21, 2023 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time (9:00 a.m. Mexico City time) To participate in the conference call, please connect via webcast or by dialing: US: +1-718-866-4614 Mexico: +52-55-1168-9973 Brazil: +55-61-2017-1549 Participant Code: 748643 Webcast: https://mm.closir.com/slides?id=748643 The call replay will be available 2 hours after the call has ended and can be accessed on Vesta's IR website. Vesta's First Quarter 2023 Earnings Results press release will be released after market close on Thursday, April 20, 2023. About Vesta Vesta is a best-in-class, fully integrated real estate company that owns, manages, acquires, sells, develops and re-develops industrial properties in Mexico. As of December 31, 2022, Vesta owned 202 properties located in modern industrial parks in 15 states of Mexico totaling a GLA of 33.7 million ft2 (3.13 million m2). The Company has multinational clients, which are focused on industries such as e-commerce/retail, aerospace, automotive, food and beverage, logistics, medical devices, and plastics, among others. For additional information visit: www.vesta.com.mx. SOURCE Corporacion Inmobiliaria Vesta, S.A.B. de C.V. $1.00 Special Dividend Remains Intact ZEPHYR COVE, Nev., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- VirnetX Holding Corporation (NYSE: VHC) an Internet security software and technology company, announced today that the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued a decision in appeals No. 2020-2271 and 2020-2272 involving certain claims of U.S. Patent Nos. 6,502,135 and 7,490,151. The Federal Circuit affirmed the decisions by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board in two inter partes review proceedings (IPR2015-01046 and IPR2015-01047), which found claims 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, and 12 of the '135 patent and claims 1, 2, 6-8, and 12-14 of the '151 patent to be unpatentable. "We are disappointed and disagree with the Federal Circuit's decisions in light of its past rulings on these same patents," said Kendall Larsen, VirnetX CEO and President. "We are evaluating all of our available options, including potentially seeking rehearing or certiorari review." The VirnetX announcement today of a Special Cash Dividend of $1.00 Per Share remains intact regardless of litigation outcomes. SOURCE VirnetX Holding Corporation Realignment of product lines to be more customer centric and support sustainable growth model HOUSTON, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Vortex Companies, a leading provider of advanced trenchless water and sewer technologies and renewal services, has reorganized the Products division in what it believes will streamline processes and sales in a fast growing market, according to Mike Vellano, CEO of the Vortex Companies. "Over the last few years, products growth has far exceeded our expectations," he said. "After making several acquisitions, it was time to bring all product lines into the fold with a singular focused strategy, so we overhauled our products team and simplified the sales model, to continue to meet the growing demands of our customers." Matt Peterson promoted to SVP, Coatings & Rehab Materials at Vortex. Pete Dannenberg promoted to SVP, Technologies Group at Vortex. As part of the reorganization, the Vortex products division has been split into two groups: Coatings and Rehab Materials, and Technologies. Each group will be headed by long-time industry experts, where they will work closely with Wes Kingery, Vortex COO, and the management team to refine the division's development, production, and selling processes. Matt Peterson whose company, Stag Technologies was acquired by Vortex in 2018, and most recently the GM of the Polymerics division, has been promoted to SVP - Coatings and Rehab Materials, where he will oversee the company's vast line of protective and structural lining, repair and stabilization products. "I'm excited for the opportunity to bring these product lines together where we can more effectively provide the best solution recommendations for our customers' project needs," added Peterson. Pete Dannenberg, a 20 year veteran of rehabilitation equipment and technology sales, was tapped to lead the Technologies group and has been promoted from Midwest Regional Manager to SVP - Technologies Group , where he will direct the Schwalm robotics, UV CIPP, VeriCure and specialty technology product lines. "There is tremendous growth opportunity within the technologies group. Bringing them together, and repositioning the way we approach the market, has reenergized the sales team," stated Dannenberg. "Beyond their experience, both Matt and Pete are well-respected in our industry and terrific ambassadors of the Vortex brand," concluded Kingery. "Taking care of our customers is our first priority and I can't think of anyone else better suited to oversee the development, and ultimate delivery, of our trenchless infrastructure rehab solutions." About the Vortex Companies The Vortex Companies is a leading provider of advanced trenchless water and sewer technologies. Through its products and services divisions, Vortex delivers a comprehensive suite of rehabilitation products, equipment, services, and field support to the municipal, industrial, and commercial marketplaces. This includes pipe and manhole lining systems; sewer robotics; mortars; epoxies and resin materials; installation equipment; contracting services, training, and field support. Operating globally, Vortex is focused on providing customers a broad range of industry leading, cost-effective trenchless solutions and technical expertise, best suited for their project needs. For more information, go to vortexcompanies.com SOURCE Vortex Companies MATTAWA, Wash., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The recently released proposed 2023-25 House Capital Budget includes $361,000 for the Port of Mattawa Event Center. Rep. Bryan Sandlin (representing the 15th Legislative District and also a member of House Capital Budget Committee) played a key role in helping to get this important funding for the Event Center included in the House Capital Budget. Aerial Map highlighting Port of Mattawa Event Center Map of Washington State highlighting Mattawa The $361,000 in funding will be used to upgrade the Event Center to accommodate the fast-growing southern Grant County area (Mattawa and Desert Aire), as there is a rapidly increasing demand for business conferences and meetings, community events, education and training space and classrooms, and a gathering hall for community needs. In particular, the funding will be used by the Port of Mattawa to make some necessary improvements to the exterior of the Event Center, such as expanding and upgrading the Event Center parking lot by doing the following: Leveling, grading and gravel of the Event Center parking lot; Asphalt paving of the Event Center parking lot; Security and fencing around the Event Center parking lot; Adding seven (7) light poles to the Event Center parking lot. This critical upgrade project will allow the Port of Mattawa to better serve the community's meeting and conference needs, by providing a safe external area around the Event Center with expanded and better parking, as well as a security fence and more and improved external lighting. As the south Grant County area (Mattawa and Desert Aire) has been growing quickly and is nearly 50 miles away from larger communities, there is a growing need for a suitable venue/facility in Mattawa that can host larger-sized community events and business meetings and conferences. As a result, upgrading the Port of Mattawa Event Center will increase tourism, business and community meetings, and education and training events in south Grant County, which will in turn boost sales tax revenues for the Mattawa area, and help to increase existing restaurant and catering revenues, and attract hotel development and more restaurant development in the Mattawa area. For more information, please contact Lars Leland at Port of Mattawa at 509-932-4928 or [email protected]. About the Port of Mattawa The Port of Mattawa is located in southwest Grant County on the Columbia River in Washington State and is the closest inland port in central/eastern Washington State to the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma. Grant County is the top agricultural production county in Washington State, and Mattawa is a major producer of wine grapes, apples, cherries, potatoes and onions and other high-value irrigated crops. The Port offers ideal sites for wineries, food processors, fresh produce packing companies, cold storage facilities, small manufacturers, and is a prime location for agribusiness companies because of its central location in Washington State near major irrigated agricultural production areas including the Columbia Basin and the Yakima Valley. The Port of Mattawa is also very close to Interstate 90 and enjoys some of lowest-cost electricity in the United States from Grant County PUD. The greater Mattawa area (Mattawa, Desert Aire, Beverly, etc.) is one of the fastest growing rural communities in Washington State and has a population of nearly 10,000 people. Additionally, Mattawa is only a one-hour drive or less from several major communities in central Washington such as Moses Lake, Othello, Richland, Kennewick, Pasco, Yakima, Sunnyside, and Ellensburg, which have metropolitan statistical areas (MSA's) with a combined population of nearly 1 million people. SOURCE Port of Mattawa Sealed the deal with Liithos Inc., Hit Factor Inc., and PM Champions LLC at GDC 2023 Titles including Ashfall, Glimmer Peak and Roshpit Champions 2 to be serviced on WEMIX PLAY SEOUL, South Korea, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Wemade, a South Korean gaming and blockchain giant, signed MOUs for strategic partnerships with three North American game developers Liithos Inc., Hit Factor Inc., and PM Champions LLC. The companies met at GDC 2023 and agreed to join forces in expanding the WEMIX ecosystem. Ashfall by Liithos and Roshpit Champions 2 by PM Champions will onboard WEMIX PLAY, Wemade's blockchain game platform. Hit Factor will soon disclose details of its onboarding game. Wemade announces strategic partnerships with North American game developers "Today, Liithos and Wemade have entered into a strategic partnership to develop AAA Web 3 games for global audiences", said Michael Mumbauer, CEO of Liithos. "We couldn't be more thrilled to work alongside their blockchain gaming experience and leverage their experience and the WEMIX PLAY game platform for next generation audiences." "We are honored to announce that we have entered into a strategic partnership with WEMIX," said Cooper Bachman, CEO of Hit Factor. "The team is incredibly excited to create engaging and groundbreaking experiences for our players around the world utilizing WEMIX's cutting-edge blockchain platform." "I am thrilled to announce our partnership with Wemix, offering their expertise in blockchain technology and an extensive network of industry connections," said Ryan Racioppo, CEO of PM Champions. "Working with WEMIX will ensure the highest possible quality for our game upon release and underscores our commitment to delivering an unforgettable gaming experience for our players." WEMIX PLAY currently focuses on building a more robust game line-up and genre diversifying for a more competitive edge. Various blockchain games are currently being serviced on the platform, information about which can be found on its official website https://wemixplay.com/ . Wemade participated in GDC 2023, held from 20th to 24th March, and had meetings with game developers from around the world. Several speeches were also given by its key members to introduce a vision of the blockchain game market and the strength of the global number 1 blockchain game platform WEMIX PLAY. About WEMADE "Where Games Change" WEMADE is a renowned industry leader in game development with over 20 years of experience as well as a pioneer for mass adoption of blockchain technology in the global gaming industry. Through more than two decades of game development and servicing experience, WEMADE genuinely understands what it takes to create good games for the global gaming community. About the WEMIX "Mega-ecosystem" WEMIX is a robust EVM-compatible open source protocol powered by SPoA (Stake-based Proof of Authority) consensus algorithm which is secured by 40 decentralized authority nodes operated by highly-qualified global partners as well as on-chain community DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization), collectively known as the 40 WONDERS. It is designed to be an experience-based, platform-driven & service-oriented mega-ecosystem home to innovative projects and applications built by the community for the world. About WEMIX PLAY "Life is Game" WEMIX PLAY is the world's largest blockchain gaming platform servicing millions of gamers from around the globe. WEMIX PLAY opens a new door into the future of gaming through its modular transformation that implements Tokenomics, GameFi, Marketplace, and Community to good games. Onboarding WEMIX PLAY is the answer to all your questions. All you need to do as developers is to focus on creating good games. SOURCE Wemade Co., Ltd Consumers' most preferred soup dumpling brand embraces Chinese culture with revamped brand and expands to omni-channel presence SEATTLE, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the modern Chinese brand bringing restaurant-quality dishes into consumers' homes unveils a fresh identity as MiLa, formerly Xiao Chi Jie, and announces a strategic partnership with actor and author Simu Liu. Rooted from the Chinese words for honey (mi ) and spice (la ), MiLa reflects the founders' experiences of being "third culture" kids: both Chinese and American, not either/or. This new name represents the evolution of the street food concept into a national brand positioned to serve consumers across the U.S. "Simu has broken barriers in Hollywood in the same way we want to increase representation of authentic Chinese flavors in grocery aisles nationwide," said MiLa Cofounder Jennifer Liao. "At MiLa we want to celebrate Chinese cuisine in a way that is inclusive, exciting and approachable for people. Together, Simu and MiLa are aiming to amplify understanding and enjoyment of modern Chinese food." As Chief Content Officer, Simu Liu joins MiLa's executive team and will play an active role in the business, partnering on creative strategy and driving major initiatives for the brand. He will also act as the company's brand ambassador, representing MiLa across diverse marketing channels and assisting in its expansion to the retail channel. Liu will champion storytelling that will help bring "third culture" visibility to wider audiences, uniting people through inclusive food experiences rooted in heritage, and crafted for a new generation. "Many Asian kids, like myself, grew up being made fun of for the taste, look or smell of food that wasn't familiar to other kids. MiLa is demystifying Chinese cuisine and creating an inclusive conversation around third culture in a way that I'm thrilled to be a part of," said Liu. "As I grew to know the brand, Jen and Caleb, and their mission to recreate and further evolve the delicious flavors and dishes we all grew up eating, partnering with them felt very natural. Plus, MiLa's soup dumplings got my parents' tough stamp of approval." "Our new brand identity and partnership with Simu is a continuation of growth for the company this sets us up well for our retail debut further increasing the accessibility and reach of our products," said MiLa Cofounder and CEO, Caleb Wang. MiLa will be hitting shelves close to home in Town & Country, Metropolitan Market and QFC stores in Washington and Oregon in April. In the coming months, the brand will launch in Bay Area Costco locations and will be available at more stores by mid-summer, with additional retailers to be announced. This announcement comes on the heels of MiLa's $22.5 million Series A raise led by Stripes and Imaginary Ventures. Made according to restaurant-quality standards and flavors of Chinese cuisine, MiLa's products are crafted for the ultimate at-home dining experience. Learn more at www.eatmila.com and @eat.mila. ABOUT MiLa MiLa, formerly known as Xiao Chi Jie, is a modern Chinese food brand bringing restaurant-quality dishes, made with premium, all-natural ingredients into consumers' homes. In 2018, the brand started as a brick-and-mortar shop in Bellevue, Washington. After expanding to offering frozen, direct-to-consumer products in 2020, MiLa now offers a range of soup dumplings, noodles, sauces and ice creams. Cofounders Jennifer Liao and Caleb Wang celebrate third culture through the brand's products and flavors, exemplified in its new name, MiLa, which means honey (mi ) and spice (la ) in Chinese, telling their story of being both Chinese and American, not either/or. MiLa products ship directly to doorsteps or are available at select retailers on the west coast. Contact: Kirsten Anderson, [email protected] Amy McCullaugh, [email protected] SOURCE MiLa LONDON, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- XRP Healthcare has announced its entry into the African Healthcare sector to acquire and merge privately owned healthcare establishments via its subsidiary XRP Healthcare Africa, creating a sustainable premier healthcare network. In a move that will provide easier access to healthcare services and medication, the company is entering pharmerging countries to help revolutionize the healthcare industry. XRP Healthcare enters Africa to revolutionize the multi-billion-dollar Healthcare industry Started by Father and Son duo, Laban and Kain Roomes from the UK, XRP Healthcare is the first Pharma and Healthcare platform to be built on the XRP Ledger. XRP Healthcare Africa will be the vehicle to invest in privately owned clinics, care homes, pharmacies, and hospitals. Entering into the African market operating as a healthcare acquisitions company, XRP Healthcare Africa will foster the creation of a better and more sustainable network via focused investments into privately owned healthcare-related establishments that reside under one roof with access to improved systems, doctors, and medical provisions which will all utilize XRP Healthcare's' developing blockchain technology as well as its native token (XRPH) that is paired with (USDT) for sending and receiving payments. By providing users with a decentralized platform that exists outside centralized banking systems, XRP Healthcare allows for more transparent and secure transactions for those involved. The international expansion is timely as the African healthcare market is estimated to be worth USD 259 billion by 2030, and its population is set to double between 2021 and 2050 to 2.5 billion people, further requiring a solution for quality private care establishments to deal with the changing nature of burden disease. On January 1st 2021 The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) was put into force, meaning the African continent was formed into one common market, with the intention of standardization toward health in trade policies and programs that will lead to an increased level of integration between African nations. By partnering with selected Ministries of Health and Private Healthcare Professionals XRP Healthcare Africa is perfectly positioned to deliver digital health, medical provisions, and sustainable growth throughout the Private healthcare sector. Chief Medical Officer Dr Marc O'Griofa (who was a part of the NASA NEEMO project CASPER and is a Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine) made this statement: "We aim to create a new industry standard in the private African healthcare sector, combining pharma, crypto, and medicine to help support the already existing systems to be upgraded and open up growth for premium digital health strategies fueled by the (XRPH) token." Brian J. Esposito Chief Strategic Officer of XRP Healthcare says: "It is with great enthusiasm to be rolling out XRP Healthcare Africa throughout one of the most beautiful and natural resource-rich continents in the world. XRP Healthcare was created to help fuel the good health and well-being of humankind through the tools, technologies, blockchain, marketplace, payments, and information we can provide. It is wonderful to announce that we will properly begin to roll out the XRPH platform to the 1.4 billion African Citizens that require this." Kain Roomes, founder of XRP Healthcare stated: "It is amazing to think that in such a short space of time, so much has been accomplished I am extremely proud that as a company we are investing in the deeply fragmented African Healthcare sector to deliver premium and accessible healthcare to all, fueled by our native token (XRPH)." Business Development officer Laban Roomes said: "Our entry into the African Healthcare sector is in line with our vision to provide fast and secure payments, with better access to healthcare facilities for pharmerging countries. I am confident that XRP Healthcare Africa will bring a level of medical relief to our target areas, and save many lives in the process." XRP Healthcare Africa is establishing itself as a trailblazer in the African healthcare industry and seeking to resolve some of the prevailing challenges related to healthcare. The company's innovative investment strategy, international partnerships, and innovative payment system (XRPH) are positioning it to become a global leader in the industry. By utilizing its technology and global partnerships, XRP Healthcare Africa looks to transform the private healthcare sector in Africa, providing more opportunities for everyone across the continent and going a long way in changing the way people access healthcare. You can find out more about XRP Healthcare via www.xrphealthcare.com About XRP Healthcare The first Pharma and Healthcare platform to be built on the XRP blockchain - XRP Healthcare (XRPH) is an innovative, scalable solutions company utilizing Web3 technology to revolutionize the way people access and afford healthcare services globally. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2044584/XRP_Healthcare_Africa.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1983109/XRP_Healthcare_Logo.jpg SOURCE XRP Healthcare BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. The peaceful protest of Azerbaijani eco-activists on the Lachin-Khankendi road, passing near Shusha, continues, Trend reports from the scene. The demands of the protesters remain unchanged. Currently, eco-activists and volunteers on the Lachin-Khankendi road passing through the territory of the city of Shusha are chanting such slogans as "Our wealth is indivisible and cannot be given to anyone!", "Azerbaijan is united, it owns its wealth!", "End eco-crimes", "Stop eco-terror!", "Protect nature!", "No to ecocide! Yes to monitoring!". The participants of the protest stated that there are no obstacles to movement along the Lachin-Khankendi road. The road is completely open for humanitarian purposes. The peaceful protest on the Lachin-Khankendi road against the illegal exploitation of Azerbaijan's mineral resources in the area of Russian peacekeepers' temporary deployment has been going on since December 12, 2022. Financial crime, Illegal wildlife trafficking, the evolving challenges facing payments systems, insurance trends and global regulatory changes were discussed at a symposium hosted by Deloitte. Also on the agenda was the banking and designated non-financial businesses and professions (DNFBPs). Deloittes sixth annual Financial Crime Symposium in Dubai was attended by key stakeholders across the financial services industry, including representatives of law enforcement, regulatory bodies, financial institutions and industry leaders. The symposium highlighted current trends in combatting financial crime which depend on advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. The discussions covered the need for collaboration between the public and private sectors to implement robust enforcement mechanisms and ensure compliance with regulations. Endangered species Additionally, the conference discussed the impact of illegal wildlife trafficking, a reportedly multi-billion-dollar industry that threatens the survival of endangered species. The symposium provided a vibrant forum for global experts who engaged in panel discussions covering the latest regulatory developments and emerging trends. The conference provided valuable insights as financial crime continues to pose a significant challenge both regionally and globally. The panel covering the evolving nature of the challenges facing payment systems was particularly interesting, as it highlighted the importance of being a step ahead of illicit activity. Therefore, financial institutions must embed effective programmes to work hand in hand with peers, regulators, advisors and law enforcement to tackle these issues, said Muzammil Ebrahim, Deloitte Middle East Financial Crime & Data Analytics Leader. Michael Shepard, Deloittes Global Financial Crime Leader, commented: The Financial Crime Symposium was a truly insightful experience exploring topics on the emerging trends in the industry relating to illegal wildlife trafficking. By implementing effective controls, financial flows that help sustain illegal wildlife trafficking networks can be disrupted. Anti-financial crime efforts can make the world a safer place for all.-- TradeArabia News Service BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. Spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova has issued a response to the recent provocative claims by the head of the EU mission in Armenia Markus Ritter that Azerbaijan is allegedly "preparing to attack Armenia", Trend reports. "Its very important to hear not those who have never been a mediator in the settlement, that is, who have never brought added value, nor achieved practical results, but its important to hear Baku and Yerevan," Zakharova said at a weekly briefing. We need to act in the interests of the two countries. Yes, we understand that there are different points of view, and periods of extreme escalation, but at the same time, we see that the parties can agree, she noted. The main thing is to create an appropriate atmosphere for them, a basis for such agreements and mutual understanding and to promote this mutual understanding, and not vice versa. These claims only confirm the validity of our earlier conclusions regarding the destructive intentions and actions of the EU in this region, the spokesperson said. Zakharova stressed that with their unprofessional, unreasoned, and dishonest activity, the EU representatives foment contradictions between Baku and Yerevan. Previously, Spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Aykhan Hajizada said that the EU mission should not succumb to the false and slanderous statements of Armenia. "We strongly condemn the fact that the head of the EU mission, based on the false and slanderous allegations of the Armenian side, expressed the opinion that Azerbaijan was allegedly preparing for an attack, and presented the main task of the EU mission as "protecting Armenia from Azerbaijan." We have repeatedly stressed the need to prevent the abuse of this mission to undermine the process of normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia," Hajizada noted. Ankara, March 30 : Turkey is ready to supply natural gas to Hungary through the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline Project (TANAP), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said. "As of now, we are ready to provide all kinds of support with Azerbaijan regarding the delivery of natural gas to Hungary through TANAP," Erdogan said at a joint press conference with visiting Hungarian President Katalin Novak, Xinhua news agency reported. TANAP was commissioned in 2018 as the central part of the Europe-proposed Southern Gas Corridor that connects a major gas field in Azerbaijan with European markets. The trade volume between Turkey and Hungary hit $3.5 billion in 2022, with the goal of reaching $6 billion in the future, according to Erdogan. For her part, Novak said energy was one of the topics of her meeting with Erdogan in the Turkish capital of Ankara. Turkiye has "vital importance" in Hungary's energy security, she said, stressing that her country attaches importance to the Turkish Stream, a natural gas pipeline running from Russia to Turkey via the Black seabed. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Kiev, March 30 : Ukraine aims to increase the share of renewable energy in its power generation to 50 per cent to boost energy security, the country's Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko has said. "We must strengthen the development of renewable energy sources and accelerate the energy transition. This is a matter of national security and the safety of electricity transmission," Galushchenko was quoted as saying by the Energy Ministry's press service, Xinhua news agency reported. Shifting to green energy will allow decentralising electricity generation, reducing the vulnerability of the power system, and increasing the security of energy supplies, Galushchenko said. From 2011 to 2021, the share of renewable energy sources in Ukraine's power generation increased from 4 per cent to almost 14 per cent. Ukraine's Energy Strategy set the target to increase the share of renewables in the energy mix to 25 per cent by 2035. Ankara, March 30 : Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin may travel to Turkey on April 27 to attend the inauguration ceremony of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant. Erdogan told news channel ATV-A Haber in an interview that Putin may either travel to Mersin in person or attend the ceremony via teleconference, Xinhua news agency reported. The project, located in the southeastern Turkish province of Mersin, is Turkey's first nuclear plant. It is expected to produce 35 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually and will meet about 10 per cent of domestic electricity needs. It is the world's first nuclear power plant project implemented through a build-own-operate model. Under a contract, Russia's Rosatom firm has agreed to provide the power plant's design, construction, maintenance, operation and decommissioning. Jerusalem, March 30 : Azerbaijan has opened an embassy in Israel, three decades after the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen hosted his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov before the opening ceremony, Xinhua news agency reported. Cohen said that the opening of the embassy in Tel Aviv marks "an important occasion for our two countries and peoples". He stressed that Azerbaijan is a "strategic partner", and he plans to go on a diplomatic visit to Baku with an economic delegation "soon". For his part, Bayramov said that "Israel was one of the first countries to recognise the independence of Azerbaijan. During the past 30 years, relations between the two countries were strong on the basis of dialogue and mutual understanding". "We discussed ways to enhance economic cooperation, which has promising opportunities," Bayramov said, adding that 114 Israeli companies operate in Azerbaijan and there have been direct flights between the two countries since 1993. Israel and Azerbaijan have had official ties for 30 years, and Israel first opened its embassy in Baku in 1993. Prayagraj, March 30 : The Allahabad High Court has issued notices to the Centre and Uttar Pradesh government seeking their reply on alleged illegal operations of meat shops and slaughter houses in Ghaziabad. Notices have also been served to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), animal welfare board of India, commissioner of food safety, Uttar Pradesh, Ghaziabad municipal corporation, Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Hearing a PIL filed by Ghaziabad councillor Himanshu Mittal, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker and Justice Saumitra Dayal Singh directed the above-mentioned respondents to file their respective replies by May 3. The PIL has raised state-wide non-compliance of the food safety and standards Act 2006, prevention of cruelty to animals Act, 1960, environment (protection) Act, 1986 and MOEFCC guidelines and various apex court orders. Appearing for the petitioner, his counsel Akash Vashishtha submitted before the court that in Ghaziabad, out of nearly 3,000 meat shops and slaughterhouses, only 17 have licences under section 31 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. "Only 215 meat establishments are registered with the food safety department under the Act and only 62 improvement notices have been served upon them," the plea stated. "None of the meat shops and slaughter houses in the district has mandatory consent to establish and operate under section 25 of the Water Act,", alleged the petitioner in his PIL. The petitioner's counsel further submitted that the perpetual cruelty to animals is being caused in violation of laws. In the Laxmi Narain Modi matter, the Supreme Court constituted a committee on slaughter houses for each state. "Such committees are completely defunct across the state. The society for prevention of cruelty to animals, to be constituted in each district, is either non-existent or defunct in most of the districts," added counsel for the petitioner. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. On March 30, 2023, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Jeyhun Bayramov, met with the Prime Minister of Palestine, Mohammed Shtaye, Trend reports citing Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. The meeting discussed the agenda of bilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and Palestine in various fields, issues of interaction on multilateral platforms, as well as the regional situation. Noting that relations between the two peoples have historical roots, as well as strong friendship between peoples, Jeyhun Bayramov spoke about the prospects for expanding cooperation between Azerbaijan and Palestine in various fields. Confidence was expressed that the opening of a representative office of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Palestinian city of Ramallah would create new opportunities for the development of existing relations. Jeyhun Bayramov, noting Azerbaijan's demonstration of solidarity with regard to the Palestinian issue, stressed that our country supports the solution of the Palestinian issue on the basis of the two-state principle in accordance with UN resolutions and decisions, and this position is unequivocally expressed within the framework of international organizations. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtaye said that his country is interested in further expansion of cooperation with Azerbaijan. He expressed gratitude to the government of Azerbaijan for the humanitarian assistance provided by our country to Palestine and attention to the Palestinian issue, as well as for the support provided within the framework of international organizations. During the meeting, there was also an exchange of views on other issues of mutual interest. Lucknow, March 30 : Two days after the Supreme Court cleared the way for holding urban local bodies' polls in Uttar Pradesh, the state cabinet has recommended promulgation of an ordinance to amend the rules of nagar nigams and nagar palikas (civic bodies) in light of the Uttar Pradesh Backward Classes Commission's recommendations for other backward classes (OBC) reservation in the urban local bodies' polls. "The OBC commission, in its report submitted on March 9, has made certain recommendations that would require us to effect certain changes and on the basis of which the election process would move ahead. For that purpose, the cabinet has recommended promulgation of ordinance to bring about changes in the urban local bodies act," Urban Development Minister A.K. Sharma said. The Minister said the draft ordinance would now be sent to Raj Bhavan for mandatory clearance by Governor Anandiben Patel. He also said the government was hopeful of speedy promulgation of the ordinance on the basis of which the new backward reservation criteria for the civic polls would be rolled out. The Minister said a notification for the local body elections was issued on December 5, 2022 and several petitions were filed in court against the move. A five-member commission was formed on December 28, a day after the Allahabad high court order to hold the urban body polls without OBC quota. The commission had submitted the report to chief minister Yogi Adityanath on March 9 and it was accepted by the cabinet on March 10. On January 4, the apex court had stayed the Allahabad high court direction to the state election commission to hold civic polls without OBC quota. In December last year, the state government issued a provisional list of reserved seats for the mayors of 17 municipal corporations, chairpersons of 200 municipal councils, and 545 nagar panchayats for the three-tier urban elections, and had sought suggestions and objections to the draft within seven days. The ruling BJP and the state's main opposition Samajwadi Party, who had been accusing each other of delaying polls, said they were ready for the elections. State BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary said: "The government is determined to protect the rights of each community and conduct urban local bodies' elections by lawfully making reservations." Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said that "the BJP is fully prepared for the ULB elections". Rajpal Kashyap, the chief of Samajwadi Party's OBC Cell, said, "We are fully prepared for elections and the SP will continue to fight for the rights of the OBCs." Jalaun, March 30 : Police in Uttar Pradesh's Jalaun have arrested five persons, allegedly involved in cases of theft and dacoities in different districts, following an encounter in which two of them were injured. All five persons belong to Karnataka. The breakthrough came when the Special Operation Group SOG and Kotwali police teams, acting on a specific tip-off, tried to stop a car near the factory area. Instead of stopping the car, the miscreants opened fire on the policemen. In retaliatory action, two miscreants were injured. A constable also suffered bullet injuries in the encounter. Police have recovered cash worth Rs 1.55 lakh a long with a Honda City car bearing a registration number of state capital (Lucknow) from them. The police identified the injured criminals as Arif and Mohd Gaus, both residents of Mundeshwar Colony, district Karwar, Karnataka, while their arrested accomplices have been identified as Anees Shaikh, Asif Shaikh and Arslan, residents of Mandi police circle in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. Police claimed the accused confessed to their involvement in incidents of dacoity and said that they keep changing their locations from one state to another. Circle officer Girja Shankar Tripathi said: "At present they were residing in a locality in Barabanki district." The police also seized two pistols along with live cartridges. The injured criminals, besides a constable, have been admitted to district hospital. Police said the accused have revealed the names of two more members of the gang and two more police teams have been assigned to arrest them. Lucknow, March 30 : A 22-year-old airman shot himself with his service rifle on duty at the Memaura Air Force station in Lucknow's Banthra. As per reports, the airman Vignesh Sunder of Madurai in Tamil Nadu was on duty at guard post at the station. He shot himself dead during the duty. Flying Officer, station adjutant 505 Signal Unit, Memaura Ahul Soman said Vignesh was deployed at the gate of 505 Signal Unit Room. He had joined the Memaura Air Force Station two years back. The police said Vignesh trained the rifle at his forehead and shot himself. Hearing the gunshot, his colleagues rushed to the scene and found Vignesh in a pool of blood. SHO Ashish Mishra, said that a police team inspected the scene and sent the body for autopsy. The police also took the rifle in its custody. "We have informed the family of the victim airman who lives in Madurai," said Mishra. Meerut : , March 30 (IANS) Four persons of one family have been arrested for thrashing a youth, tonsuring his head and forcing him to wear a garland of shoes. The youth, who belongs to Rajasthan, was allegedly accused of eve teasing. The incident took place on Wednesday in Mangatpuram region under the Brahampuri police station and came to light after a purported video of the man being thrashed went viral on social media. The victim, identified as Lakhan Kumar, is a resident of Jaunpura village in Rajasthan and had been staying with his sister and brother-in-law here in Meerut for the last few months. "My sister and brother-in-law had enmity with a few locals here who caught me on March 22, when I had gone to a nearby market, thrashed me, shaved my head, and forced me to wear a garland made of slippers," Lakhan Kumar stated in the FIR. He alleged that the police were initially reluctant to register a case in the matter. "The police failed to register a complaint in the matter. Later, I met the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rohit Singh Sajwan and showed him the video of the incident following which he directed the Brahmpuri police station in-charge to lodge an FIR in the matter and arrest the accused immediately," he said. Vishnu Kaushik, SHO (Brahmpuri), said, "Six persons, belonging to the same family, have been booked, of which four have been arrested so far and the remaining two will be nabbed soon. During the probe, the arrested accused alleged that Kumar had molested the sister of one of the accused persons. However, Kumar denied the allegation and said that they were making baseless allegations to evade punishment. We are trying to ascertain the actual reason behind the incident. Further probe is underway." Chicago, March 30 : As supply chain disruptions continue to haunt tech companies globally, PC and printer major, HP Inc is bullish on manufacturing its next-gen range of products locally in India, to address the domestic market in a much better and efficient way, the company's CEO Enrique Lores has emphasised. Lores told IANS that India is a key market for HP where growth continues to happen and the company continues to see more opportunities going forward. "We will increase our manufacturing footprint in India to cater well to the domestic demand. Eventually, we see India manufacturing to help us better serve the rest of the world," Lores said during the company's flagship 'HP Amplify Partner Conference 2023' here. HP Inc is already manufacturing multiple PC products, including laptops in India, as part of the government's 'Make in India' initiative. The company manufactures multiple models of laptops, desktop towers, mini desktops at the Flex facility in Sriperumbudur near Chennai, Tamil Nadu. HP is also manufacturing display monitors in the country. The company led the Indian PC (excluding tablets) market with more than 30 per cent market share in both Q4 and full-year 2022, according to latest data from global market research firm Canalys. The company is currently manufacturing a wide range of laptops in India, with products such as HP EliteBooks, HP ProBooks and HP G8 series notebooks. It has also expanded its locally-manufactured commercial desktops by adding various models of desktop mini towers (MT), mini desktops (DM), small form factor (SFF) desktops and a range of All-in-One PCs. These products have both Intel and AMD processor options and cater to a wide range of customer segments. HP partnered with supply chain and manufacturing solutions provider Flex to manufacture commercial desktops in the country from August 2020. According to Lores, India offers a massive opportunity for the company. "We will continue to invest in India which has always been one of the primary markets for us globally," the HP CEO told IANS. The PC and printer major is expanding its portfolio in manufacturing across multiple products within India in order to make sure that it plays a meaningful role in building the country as a global manufacturing hub. The company has been working with the central and state governments in the mission to empower the lives of millions of citizens and enhance the community's quality of life. According to Lores, as large enterprises and small and medium businesses (SMBs) in India and elsewhere hit the refresh button in the post-pandemic times, digital transformation has entered top gear. The adoption to digital technologies is something not limited to large corporations only as more and more SMBs are on the path to realise their digital dreams and embrace state-of-the-art, secure workplaces, he had told IANS in an earlier interaction. (Nishant Arora can be reached at nishant.a@ians.in) Miami, March 30 : The men's and women's singles quarterfinal clashes between Carlos Alcaraz-Taylor Fritz and Petra Kvitova- Ekaterina Alexandrova at the Miami Open on Wednesday night was postponed due to rain. The World No. 1, Alcaraz, who must successfully defend his debut ATP Masters 1000 title in Miami this week to remain atop the ATP Rankings, will continue his quest for the 'Sunshine Double' against Fritz on Thursday night now. On the other hand, the last remaining singles quarterfinal between No.15 seed Kvitova and No.18 seed Alexandrova never got started and will be also held on Thursday. Defending champion Alcaraz is aiming to become the youngest player to win the 'Sunshine Double'. If the Spaniard can defeat Fritz and go all the way, he will also remain at No. 1 in the ATP Rankings. Any slip up, however, and Novak Djokovic will return to the top. Chasing his 10th consecutive win, the Spaniard will look to maintain his level and overcome Top 10 star Fritz. The American is no stranger to the big stage, having lifted the trophy in Indian Wells last year. Fritz would rise to No. 6 in the ATP Rankings if he lifts his second ATP Masters 1000 crown on Sunday. Meanwhile, the last remaining women's doubles quarterfinal, pitting No.2 seeds American pair Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula against No.6 seeds Australian-Belgian duo of Storm Hunter and Elise Mertens, was also interrupted and postponed as well. Hunter and Mertens lead that match 3-1 in the first set when rain played spoilsport. Seoul, March 30 : The most exact variation known to date of "Daedongyeojido", a famous large-scale map of the Korean Peninsula created in the 19th century, has returned from Japan. The Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) unveiled the map to the media on Thursday as the newly found edition draws public attention as its composition and content is different from earlier known versions, reports Yonhap News Agency. Daedongyeojido, meaning "territorial map of the Great East", was first produced and published in 1861 by by Korean cartographer Kim Jeong-ho in the form of an accordion-style album, and was republished three years later. The map is considered a masterpiece of Korean cartography and is renowned for its accuracy and level of detail. The CHA said the version retrieved from Japan is based on a woodblock-printed edition produced in 1864. It is not known exactly how many copies of the first and second editions were published, but there are reportedly about 30 editions inside and out of South Korea. While the first edition typically consists of 22 booklets, the newly discovered version has a total of 23 booklets, including a catalogue book. The accordion-style booklets are each 20 cm wide and 30 cm long. When combined together, they make a full-size map of the peninsula, which is 4 meters wide and 6.7 m long. The map also features colourings from the original wood-block printed map and additions from "Dongyeodo", another map presumed to be from the 19th-century Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Dongyeodo is a handwritten copy of the original map that contains geographical information about transportation routes, military facilities and over 18,000 place names from the Joseon era. Scholars speculate that the map may have also been produced by Kim since the outline of the peninsula, road networks and other features on it are similar to those on Daedongyeojido. Washington, March 30 : Several river barges broke loose from a tow boat on the Ohio river, with three barges pinned against the lower McAlpine Dam site in Louisville, Kentucky. The city government of Louisville said in a statement on Wednesday that crews are further assessing damage and determining operational objectives for the next 12 to 24 hours, reports Xinhua news agency. The cargo carried aboard the barges is corn, and one vessel with three independent cargo holds contains approximately 1,400 tonnes of methanol, a water-soluble, colorless liquid. Methanol evaporates when exposed to air, quickly dissolves in water, and is readily biodegradable. It is potentially harmful if ingested or inhaled in sufficient quantities. The city government of Louisville stated that the methanol contained within the vessel does not pose a risk to the surrounding air or water supply in the greater Louisville area. There remains no evidence of a tank breach or any leaks, and air and water monitoring resources are in place, according to the government. The US Coast Guard is said to be investigating the incident. The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet will continue sampling the Ohio River downstream from the dam, according to local authorities. Panaji, March 30 : Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said that his government has made a strong case before the Regionally Empowered Committee (Forest) at Bengaluru and in New Delhi to not grant any Forest Clearance to Karnataka to divert water from Mhadei. Sawant said in his budget speech on Wednesday that ever since he took charge as the Chief Minister, one of the major issues was the Mhadei Water Dispute before him. "We were faced with the Award of the Tribunal, permitting diversion of 3.9 tmc of water outside the basin. I took immediate steps to challenge the Award in the supreme Court," he said. "We have made a strong case before the Regionally Empowered Committee (Forest) at Bangalore and in New Delhi to not grant any Forest Clearance. The Chief Wildlife warden-Goa has issued notice and ordered stopping all activities of Karnataka," he said. "As of today, we have favourable orders from the Supreme Court, stopping Karnataka from carrying out any further work or diversion unless permissions under the environmental laws are obtained," he said. Sawant said that the government has effectively stopped any further construction or diversion of the Mhadei waters. "My government is closely monitoring the activities of Karnataka and issues pending before the various Central government authorities," he said. He said that the all party delegation met the Union Ministers in New Delhi and made a strong case for the protection of Mhadei. "A house-committee has also been constituted. Help of experts in the field of environment, forests and hydrology is being obtained. All the departments of the government are acting in a synchronised manner," Sawant said. "We are confident that we shall be able to take all steps to ensure that no damage/diversion takes place. We are successful in agitating our case for Mahadayi Water Management Authority (PRAWAH) which will help us to stop any illegal diversion by Karnataka," Sawant further said. Kolkata, March 30 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's allegations that the state government employees, who had secured jobs "illegally" during the previous Left Front regime, are protesting against pending dearness allowance (DA) arrears are baseless, the joint forum of state government employees said here on Thursday. While addressing a gathering at her sit-in demonstration against the Centre over non-payment of dues on Wednesday, Mamata Banerjee claimed that those who secured jobs during the previous regime by virtue of recommendations made on pieces of paper by the ruling party leaders were holding agitations over dearness allowance. "Why should I take advice from them? They are all thieves and dacoits. Moreover, goons associated with the BJP are now making tall claims in the matter," she said. This morning, the office-bearers of the joint forum of state government employees - the umbrella organisation spearheading the movement on the DA issue -, rubbished the allegation as baseless and expressed outrage against the chief minister comparing the DA agitators with thieves and dacoits. "What she alleged is totally baseless. Will she be able to prove her allegations? If she can, we on behalf of the state government employees, will be felicitating her. If she cannot, she will have to face the repercussions," said the joint forum convener Bhaskar Ghosh. A woman protester said that had she got the job illegally, she would have sat in the dais of Trinamool Congress instead of joining those agitating in demand of their legitimate dues. "Everyone is aware of the kind of irregularities in recruitments that have taken place during the current regime. The chief minister often takes pride in receiving national and international accolades for state government projects. She is forgetting that those accolades would not have come unless the state government employees had given their full effort to make those projects. Now the state government is not only depriving those employees of their legitimate dues but also branding them as thieves," the demonstrator said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. As part of an official visit to Palestine, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has visited the house-museum of the leader of the Palestinian liberation movement, Yasser Arafat, Trend reports citing Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. During the visit, the museum's management informed the Azerbaijani delegation in detail about the house-museum, the exposition of which reflects the most important events in the history of Palestine from the beginning of the 20th century until the death of the leader of the Palestinian people Yasser Arafat in 2004. Minister Bayramov, who closely familiarized himself with the collections of the museum, left a note in the Museum's Book of Memory. Kochi, March 30 : Angry protesters, including children and women, from 10 villages in the hilly district of Idukki on Thursday are out on the streets, blocking traffic on the Kochi-Dhanushkodi highway. This highway passes through Idukki and the protesters are unhappy with the Kerala High Court's Wednesday decision involving wild tusker 'Arikomban' and two other rogue elephants causing destruction to life and properties of people in these affected villages. The Kerala High Court on Wednesday warned the state of strict action if it found that the area in Idukki district where these wild tuskers, including 'Arikomban', were roaming had been an elephant habitat before the tribals were resettled there. The division bench, according to the protesters, instead of helping them, called for records and reports on the resettlement of tribal people in the area back in 2000. The court said, "If it was an elephant habitat, you had no business resettling people there and putting them in danger. The court said that resettling people in an elephant habitat was the root of the entire problem." "We will examine it. If it was an elephant habitat, then your policy makers went way off board. If people were resettled there despite being aware of this fact, we will come down heavily on those responsible. "Errors in history can be corrected later in time. We need to find whether the mistake happened and if yes, correct it," the bench said, and declined to issue any direction in the interim for capture and captivity of the wild tuskers, including 'Arikomban'. The feature of Arikomban (translated in Malayalam as Aari-rice and Komban-tusker) is it attacks ration shops and houses for rice. The villagers are unhappy with the court decision as it said that it will constitute a five-member committee that would decide whether to capture the wild elephant and turn it into a captive tusker or relocate it to interior areas of the forest. It further said that till the panel came to a decision by the next week, the tusker was not to be captured and put in captivity, but allowed tranquilising for a limited purpose of radio-collaring it to track its movements. "We are not going to stop our protests and we will do it, only when some concrete things come out, as we are fed up living in constant fear. Lives are lost and properties are being destroyed," said a group of angry protesters. Meanwhile, state Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran said the people have the right to protest as the Court's directive complicated things. "The state will go forward exploring all the legal remedies and it will seek legal recourse," said Saseendran. Hyderabad/Amaravati, March 30 : Chief Ministers and Governors of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on Thursday greeted people on the occasion of Ram Navami. Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao extended greetings to the people of the state and the country. He said that Hindus revered Lord Sitaramchandramurthy, who are considered an ideal couple, as divinity and holiness. AIt is a great thing that the Kalyana Mahotsavam of the ideal couple Sri Sitarama is celebrated as a festival on a grand note by all the people of the country on Chaitrashuddha Navami in the spring season every year, he said in his message. The Chief Minister said that Lord Ram is a role model for generations to come for his sacrifices. As the eldest son in the house, Lord Rama gave utmost importance to family responsibilities and commitments and invited harsh sacrifices in his life to fulfill his father's words. He said that Lord Ram's life is an inspiration, as he showed his belief in truthfulness and righteousness in spite of all the hardships he faced. He stated that in the present times when the family values are on the decline, the Ram Navami festival is a special occasion to embrace the aspirations and values of Lord Sitaram and continue an ideal family life. Like every year, the Chief Minister said the state government is officially organizing the Kalyana Mahotsavam of Sri Sitarama with pomp and grandeur in Bhadrachalam. Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan also greeted people on the occasion. She noted that Ram Navami is celebrated all over the country with great devotion and dedication on the auspicious 'Punarvasu' -- the Janma Nakshatra of Lord Ram, who is known as the personification of dharma for all his ideal qualities. The celestial Kalyana Mahotsavam of Sri Rama with his consort Sita is celebrated on this holy occasion by celebrating the Sri Rama Navami, we get inspiration for a holistic living as Lord Rama is dharma incarnate, she said. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy extended his greetings to people on the occasion of Ram Navami. In his message, the Chief Minister said that Ram Rajya is an inspiration for any government that works for the people. The best way is the rule of Lord Ram to make every home happy. The quality of Sri Ram is that he is faithful to his word and endures hardships for it and he is always exemplary in moral and social behaviour, he said. Andhra Pradesh Governor S. Abdul Nazeer also extended his warm greetings and best wishes to the people of the state. Ram Navami festival signifies the victory of good over evil and the establishment of dharma as exemplified by Lord Ram, he said. "Lord Ram is the embodiment of compassion, righteousness and integrity. May Lord Ram guide us all to lead a life of Dharma, kindness and compassion." Washington, March 30 : The grand jury in an alleged hush-money payment case relating to former US President Donald Trump is reportedly not scheduled to meet about the case until late April, according to media reports. The jurors will consider another case on April 3 and 5 ahead of a previously scheduled two-week hiatus, but the Manhattan District Attorney's Office could change the schedule, Xinhua news agency quoted the reports as saying. New York prosecutors are examining alleged Trump's role in a hush-money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election. The payment of $130,000 was said to be used to prevent Daniels from going public about an alleged sexual encounter that she had with Trump in 2006. Trump has denied that the affair happened, dismissed any wrongdoing, and charged that the inquiry is politically motivated. The case has been closely watched as no former American President has ever been indicted on criminal charges and Trump is running for the White House. Republicans have rallied around Trump by attacking Bragg and lashing out that the case is yet another example of law enforcement being "weaponised" by Democrats for political purposes. Congressman Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, tweeted last week that "House Republican efforts to interfere in the investigation of Trump are a blatant attempt to shield the former president from justice". In addition to the Manhattan probe, Trump is under criminal investigation by a prosecutor in Georgia for his efforts to overturn his loss in that state's 2020 presidential election. He is also facing criminal probes by the Department of Justice for his role in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, and in retaining classified documents at his private Florida residence after leaving the White House. Kochi, March 30 : A six-year-old boy was killed in a fight that broke out between his and another migrant worker's family in Kerala's Thrissur district on Thursday. According to police, the families were engaged in a brutal fight since Wednesday in Puthukkad. This morning, the fight took a turn for the worse when six-year-old N.Islam lost his life while his mother suffered grievous injuries. A few migrant workers, including the uncle of the boy, have been taken into police custody. Further details are awaited. Islamabad, March 30 : Four policemen were killed and six others injured in two coordinated attacks on Thursday in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, an official said. Some unknown attackers stormed a checkpost with sophisticated weapons in Lakki Marwat district, injuring five cops in an exchange of fire, Xinhua news agency quoted the police official as saying. The attackers fled the scene amid retaliatory fire by the police who also called for an extra contingent of force for a search operation. A police officer with his three gunmen and a driver left for the site, after receiving information regarding the incident and was attacked on the way. "The deputy superintendent of police Iqbal Mohmand's vehicle was attacked by a roadside planted bomb when he was on the way to the check post," the spokesperson added. The attack killed the officer and his three gunmen whereas his driver got critically injured. All the injured were shifted to a nearby hospital. No group has claimed the attack yet. Manila, March 30 : At least 10 people were killed and 230 others rescued after the ferry they were travelling in caught fire in the Philippines, authorities said on Thursday. Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commodore Marco Antonio Gine said the M/V Lady Mary Joy 3, a passenger and cargo vessel, was headed to Jolo from Zamboanga City when it caught fire in the waters off Baluk-Baluk Island at around 10 p.m. on Wednesday, REPORTSxINHUA NEWS AGENCY. Nixon Alonzo, the chief of disaster reduction and management office in Basilan province, told a local radio that authorities were verifying reports that seven more passengers who jumped into the sea are missing. At least 195 passengers and 35 crew members have been rescued. He said rescuers found four bodies on the vessel, while six were recovered from the sea. "The passengers died from drowning after jumping into the water. Some suffered burns," Alonzo said. Hadji Muhtamad Mayor Arsina Kahing-Nanoh posted pictures of the vessel on the beach of Baluk-Baluk Island and some of the rescued passengers on social media. Authorities are looking into the cause of the fire, which reportedly started in an air-conditioned cabin in the vessel. Most of the passengers were asleep when the fire broke out. The PCG said it deployed personnel and its vessel to help in the search and rescue operation, which continues at the time. New Delhi, March 30 : In yet another controversial statement, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Thursday thanked the German foreign minister for remarks on Rahul Gandhi's sentencing and subsequent disqualification from Parliament. Digvijaya Singh tweeted, "Thank you Germany Foreign Affairs Ministry and Richard Walker @rbsw for taking note of how Democracy is being compromised in India through persecution of @RahulGandhi." The German Foreign Ministry spokesperson commented for the first time on Rahul Gandhi's case, and said, "It takes note of verdict, suspension from Parliament, and appeal will show whether verdict stands and suspension has basis. It expects standards of judicial independence and democratic principles to apply in Rahul Gandhi's case." This could become another flashpoint as the BJP is demanding an apology on Rahul Gandhi's statement in London. Reacting to Digvijaya Singh's comment, Union Minister of Law and Justice, said, "Thank you Rahul Gandhi for inviting foreign powers for interference into India's internal matters. Remember, Indian Judiciary can't be influenced by foreign interference. India won't tolerate 'foreign influence' anymore because our Prime Minister is:- Shri @narendramodi Ji." While disqualifying Rahul Gandhi, the Lok Sabha Secretariat in its notification had said, "Consequent upon his conviction by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Surat..., Rahul Gandhi, Lok Sabha MP representing Wayanad Parliamentary constituency of Kerala, stands disqualified from the membership of the lower house from the date of his conviction..." Earlier, Surat district court in Gujarat convicted Gandhi in a criminal defamation case against him over his alleged 'Modi surname' remark made in 2019. New Delhi, March 30 : A procession marking the occasion of Ram Navami is being taken out in Delhi's Jahangirpuri area on Thursday defying a police order. Amid heavy police presence, hundreds of people have participated in the Shree Ram Bhagwan Pratima Yatra. Earlier in the day, a large number of police personnel were deployed in the area to maintain law and order and to avoid any untoward incidents in anticipation of the procession. On Monday, the Delhi Police had denied permission to hold the Shree Ram Bhagwan Pratima Yatra, as well as offering Ramzan prayers at a park in the same area. An official order signed by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, HQ, Northwest district, issued on Monday said: "I am directed to inform you that your request for Shree Ram Bhagwan Pratima Yatra on the occasion of Ram Navami Mahotsav on Thursday has been considered by the competent authority but could not be acceded to from the law and order point of view. In April last year, communal clashes broke out in Jahangirpuri during a procession taken out to mark Hanuman Jayanti. At least eight police personnel and a civilian sustained injuries in the ensuing violence. After the procession had passed through a mosque area, stone pelting and firing had started which triggered the clashes. It was not just one procession that passed through the area, but there were three and the third one ultimately led to the violence. Sanaa, March 30 : Hundreds of people were forced to leave their homes as fighting between the Yemeni government and the Houthi militia has continued to escalate in the war-torn nation's oil-rich province of Marib, a military official said. Key areas in Marib have been engulfed in armed confrontations over the past few days, leading to a large number of casualties on both sides, the official told Xinhua news agency late Wednesday. He said that the situation has become increasingly dire for the civilians caught in the crossfire in Harib district, as many have been forced to leave their homes and belongings behind in search of safer places. "The ongoing battles prompted a mass exodus of people from several villages in Marib and Shabwa provinces, causing overcrowding in temporary shelters and refugee camps with limited resources," said the official. From March 19 to 25, approximately 235 families, comprising 1,410 individuals, were forced to leave their homes in Marib, Hodeidah, and Taiz, according to the International Migration Organization (IOM). The total number of families that had been transferred to various provinces in Yemen since January was 2,030, consisting of 12,180 individuals, according to the IOM. The recent Houthi attacks against government troops in Marib and other regions have shattered hopes for a lasting peace pact. The UN-brokered truce, which lasted from April to October last year, provided a momentary respite in the war-torn country. Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating civil war since 2014, with the Houthis fighting against the internationally-recognized government and its allies, which include a Saudi Arabia-led coalition. The years-long war brought the Arab world's poorest country to the brink of collapse, causing famine and widespread suffering as well as disrupting the country's food supply chain, leaving millions of people without access to adequate nutrition. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, March 30 : Violent clashes between two groups shattered the Ramzan peace on the eve of Ram Navami in the minority-dominated Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly, Aurangaad) city, here on Wednesday-Thursday night, officials said. The clashes broke out around midnight on Wednesday in the Kiradpura area with some people from different communities shouting slogans followed by stone pelting at each other. Soon, it turned more violent with around 20 vehicles, including some belonging to police, in the vicinity allegedly being set ablaze by the rioters. Police teams were rushed there to combat the situation but even they were targeted by the stone pelters, and later a SRPF team was also deployed there. At one point, the police resorted to mild caning and bursting teargas shells to control the rioters as additional forces rushed there. Finally, the situation was brought under control early on Thursday morning, even as Deputy Chief Minister and home minister Devendra Fadnavis appealed for restraint. There are no reports of any casualties in the incident that has left the minority-dominated city worried in the middle of the Holy Ramadan month of fasting. The trigger for the sudden violence is allegedly due to some miscreants playing loud music outside a mosque in Kiradpura, though officials have not commented on it so far. Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Leader of Opposition (Council) Ambadas Danve condemned the clashes and blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party and All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen for the disturbances. Condemning the developments, Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut asked whether "these are the riots that are being feared" and said that "there is no home department in the state". Sena (UBT) strongman from the city Chandrakant Khaire said "Fadnavis is the masterminda of the arson-rioting that rocked the world-famous tourist destination of Ajanta-Ellora Cave temples. On the other hand, the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP accused the Sena (UBT) of trying to play politics over last night's rioting. Hitting back, Fadnavis said that some persons - whom he did not identify - are deliberately making vituperative statements in an attempt to aggravate the situation and appealed to them to refrain from doing so, as the city is peaceful now. State President of AIMIM and MP Syed Imtiaz Jaleel called upon the government to launch a combing operation and weed out the culprits responsible for the night of disturbances. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Police Commissioner Nikhil Gupta said they are keeping an eye open for any potential troublemakers, while the district Collector has convened a high-level meeting to discuss the scenario. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. During the period of occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenia, the Iranian side has never voiced accusatory statements against Armenia, the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan said in response to the complete slanderous statements of the Commander of the Ground Forces of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran Kiyumars Heydari addressed to Azerbaijan, Trend reports. "Armenia kept Azerbaijani territories under occupation for 30 years. As a result of this military aggression, a 132-kilometer section of the Azerbaijani-Iranian state border was also occupied. However, the Iranian side has never made accusatory statements against Armenia. Today it's no secret to anyone that if Armenia has two main allies in the world, then one of them is France, and the second is Iran," the Defense Ministry said in a statement. United Nations, March 30 : Fighting in two provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has disrupted the education of some 750,000 children, a UN spokesman said. Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said new figures released by the Unicef showed that between January 2022 and the present, in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri at least 2,100 schools were forced to close because of a worsening security situation, reports Xinhua news agency. Dujarric said "the scale of the crisis means that the majority of children living in displacement camps are not able to have any educational services, only a minority of these children are able to access some Unicef-supported child friendly spaces or temporary learning centres". Unicef is supporting the construction of temporary learning spaces and providing school materials to students, in addition to training teachers on relevant topics, including psychosocial support, he said. Insecurity has been especially damaging for the nearly 240,000 recently displaced children living in the vast camps around Goma, North Kivu's provincial capital, the UN agency said in its report. "Violence by armed groups has forced thousands of families from their homes in search of safety, preventing their children from attending school," it said. The report said 119 schools have been attacked, occupied or temporarily used by armed groups. Nearly 1,700 schools closed due to persistent insecurity, mainly because they are in areas controlled by armed groups. However, according to Unicef, direct conflict or insecurity alone did not close schools. Nearly 300 schools couldn't operate because they are being used as shelter for people displaced by conflict. Melbourne, March 30 : Three men were arrested in relation to an alleged violence that broke out late in January when pro-Khalistani supporters clashed with Indians at Federation Square in Melbourne, Victoria Police said. Police didn't specify whether the three were among the Khalistani backers, who incited violence during a referendum called by the banned Sikhs For Justice for the creation of an independent Sikh state. The three include, a 23-year-old man from Kalkallo, who has been charged with affray, unlawful assault, and a 39 and a 36-year-old from Strathtulloh and Craigieburn, both charged with affray and violent disorder. All those charged have been bailed to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on August 8. The investigation remains ongoing and police are making enquiries to identify and apprehend any further alleged offenders from the day, the Victoria Police said in a statement. The police, which used pepper spray to quell the protests had earlier arrested two men, aged 34 and 39, and issued a penalty notice for their riotous behaviour. Police said they were in attendance at a Khalistan Referendum event at Federation Square on January 29, when fights broke out -- one at about 12.45 p.m. and the other around 4.30 p.m. It's alleged flag poles were used by several men as weapons which caused physical injuries to multiple victims. An Indian Tricolour was also burnt by a group of men at the event. Two victims, one with a hand laceration to their head and another with a hand injury, were treated at the scene by paramedics. Several other victims sustained injuries and required medical treatment. In both alleged incidents, police said they quickly responded to separate and disperse the crowd. Continuing its massive crackdown against the Khalistanis, Victoria's police had earlier released images of six men, believed to have been involved in the late January violence. Kolkata, March 30 : Expelled youth Trinamool Congress leader Kuntal Ghosh, arrested in connection with the multi-crore scam in recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff in state-run schools of West Bengal, on Thursday made a serious allegation that the sleuths of central agencies were putting pressure on him to name top Trinamool Congress leaders in the scam. He made this allegation while interacting with the media persons when he was brought for his appearance at a special court of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Kolkata. Ghosh is in judicial custody currently. He was arrested by Enforcement Directorate in January. "The central agency officials are harassing us and putting pressure on us to take the names of Trinamool Congress leaders as being involved in the scam," he said. When the media persons specifically asked whether the central agency sleuths were trying to force him to name the Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in the matter, Ghosh said, "Of course, Of course". Incidentally, on Wednesday, while addressing a rally of the youth and the student wings of Trinamool Congress, Abhishek Banerjee alleged that during the investigation of Saradha chit fund scam, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sleuths had put pressure on party leaders like Madan Mitra and Kunal Ghosh to name him. Now a somewhat similar allegation by Kuntal Ghosh less than 24 hours after that has added a new dimension to the entire scenario. On Thursday, Kuntal Ghosh made it clear that despite being expelled from the party, his allegiance towards Trinamool Congress has continued. "The central agencies are putting different types of pressure on us to name different Trinamool Congress leaders. But we as dedicated soldiers of the Trinamool Congress are not scared of such pressures," Kuntal Ghosh said. New Delhi, March 30: India must increase security and terror watch following the European Union's (EU) decision to remove Pakistan from the list of 'High-Risk Third Countries' for adequately tackling anti-money laundering (AML) and counter terrorism financing. This would mean that the additional regulatory watch and restrictions applicable to Pakistan until now, would no longer be in place. Experts said that this could lead to a rise in money laundering and terror financing activities in the region especially since general elections in Pakistan and Bangladesh are approaching. The rising uncertainty in these two countries is also likely to give rise to the hydra-headed problem of radicalism, directly impacting India. Countries, which reflect higher threat to the financial system owing to strategic deficiencies in their internal anti money laundering and counter financing of terrorism (CFT) regimes are part of this list. Last year, in October, Pakistan exited the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) global money laundering watchlist. Subsequently, the UK removed Pakistan from the list of "high risk third countries" in November 2022. It is noteworthy that in around the same time-October 2022, global experts at the Security Council's Counter Terrorism Meeting in New Delhi reiterated that cash and hawala remain the key source for terror financing. Governance and counter terrorism regime in Taliban-led Afghanistan also led to concern. The Diplomat said the Afghanistan-Pakistan border has been the main theatre of vulnerability. The EU's move, therefore, has come as a surprise to many especially since in February this year, the UN Sanctions Monitoring Committee Report stated the bordering "Afghanistan remains the primary source of terrorist threat for Central and South Asia." Not just that. The 10th edition of the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) - a report produced by Sydney based Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) revealed that Pakistan experienced a sharp increase in terror activities with the toll more than doubling from 2021. "Given the nature of developments in recent months in Afghanistan and Pakistan with increase in terror attacks and clashes between the terror groups, it is far more critical that international oversight is increased and legal framework is strengthened for monitoring flows of funds in and around Afghanistan and Pakistan," Navita Srikant, a commentator on international affairs told India Narrative. She added that since cash and hawala remain the two preferred routes to terror financing, such means can easily be exploited along the border states of landlocked Afghanistan. Last month, a UN report also noted that Afghanistan continues to be the primary source of terrorist threat for Central and South Asia. Terror groups such as ISIL-K, Al-Qaeda and Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan enjoy greater freedom of movement owing to the absence of an effective Taliban security strategy, it added. The EU Commission should have taken cognisance of the UN Security Council's report, Srikant said. "It should have asked the FATF for reassessment of the emanating terror financing risk from the region and recommended a 'high risk third country' rating for all neighbouring countries of Afghanistan including Pakistan," Srikant added. According to Islamabad based Pak Institute for Peace Studies, a total of 419 people were killed in Pakistan in 262 terror attacks, news agency reported. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative New Delhi, March 30 : The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has demanded an empowered Regulatory Authority to monitor and regulate the e-commerce trade in the country. The CAIT has strongly pitched for six basic fundamentals needed for e-commerce policy and the rules under the Consumer Protection Act. In a communication sent to Union Commerce & Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal, the CAIT said six fundamentals are necessary for a robust growth of e-commerce which include transparent operations of e-commerce platforms; easy accessibility and adequate grievance redressal by e-commerce entities; non- discriminatory access of marketplace platforms to all stakeholders of the value-chain; avoidance of conflict of interest between marketplace platforms; sellers and various service providers on the platform and formation of an empowered Regulatory Authority to monitor and regulate the e-commerce trade in India. CAIT President B.C. Bhartia and Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said that mandatory registration of e-commerce entities conducting business through any e-mode will lay the substantial foundation of a well defined eco-system and the extent of e-commerce landscape can easily be gauged with the registration process and shall protect consumers from rogue/fraudulent e-commerce companies. Transparency should be the hallmark of any business activity and every e-commerce marketplace must therefore act in a transparent manner with respect to all stakeholders, namely -- the customer, sellers, logistics partners and payment gateways. They said that it must be ensured that consumers can reach out to senior grievance redressal officers of the marketplace entities to resolve their concerns and therefore provision of Grievance Officer, Nodal Officer & Compliance Officer is laudable. The CAIT further opined that it is extremely important for an e-commerce marketplace platform to act as a neutral platform for third party sellers where every such seller has a non-discriminatory access in the context of Logistics service provider, payment gateway system and each seller must have a non-discriminatory access to every customer and every customer must have such access to every seller on the platform. The traders' body suggested that to avoid any conflict of interest, the e-commerce marketplace or its related entities should not act as a seller on such marketplace platforms. "At present many E-commerce Marketplace entities are creating economic disruption by surreptitiously carrying on inventory e-commerce activities on their marketplace platform. The E-commerce Marketplace entities themselves become sellers on the platform by misusing loopholes and are virtually carrying out Multi Brand Retail Trade (MBRT) and also they are even selling goods below the cost to capture market share thereby creating enormous financial strain on small retailers who have no option but to shut shop," it said. The trade leaders said that the e-commerce policy and the rules will put an end to the subsidies being extended to controlled sellers by offering huge discounts to them in a differentiated manner. Similarly, the use of affiliated payment service providers to lure consumers and influence them to buy from these controlled trading companies, by giving discounts on payment service charges, would come to an end. Guwahati, March 30 : An inquiry has been setup into an incident of police opening fire at a mob that gheraoed a police station in Assam's Karimganj district, official said on Thursday.. The incident took place on Wednesday night at the Badarpur police station premises. Karimganj Superintendent of Police (SP) Partha Partim Das told IANS: "There were two incidents that got mixed up. The police went to nab an accused Ruhul Amin, but he got engaged in an altercation with the police. It was time for evening namaz and people got angry, triggering chaos." The SP said that the locals were unhappy with the style of working of the station officer-in-charge, Chandan Goswami for the last few days. "The incident happened at the time of namaz, which fuelled anger among the locals and caused tension to flare up. They later gheraoed the police station. Police resorted to blank firing to disperse the crowd," Das added. He further said that Goswami has been placed on an administrative leave following the incident, adding that a departmental inquiry has started against him. Bhubaneswar, March 30 : Amid alleged kidnap and murder of a 15-year boy in poll-bound Jharsuguda district, senior BJP leader and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan slammed the ruling BJD government alleging "lawless Odisha is a reality". Notably, Samarth Agrawal, a 15-year-old boy, was kidnapped on March 27. His father received a call at around 8.30 p.m. from the kidnappers, who had demanded a ransom of Rs 50 lakh for releasing the child. The police on Tuesday found the charred body of the boy on a river side in Bargarh district, around 100 km away from Jharsuguda. The crime happened two months after then minister and local MLA Naba Das was shot dead by a policeman in Jharsuguda district on January 29. Taking to Twitter, Pradhan said this is how high-time people in power (BJD government) recognise the fault-lines in the law and order situation in the state. "Murder of young Samarth exactly within two months of the broad daylight killing of Minister Nabha Das exposes the Odisha government's tall claims on rule of law," he said. The BJP leader alleged that neither citizens nor public representatives are safe in the state. Gruesome incidents like the above mentioned two murders on a regular basis, particularly in Jharsuguda, have shocked everyone and weakened the trust of people of Odisha, he said. "No amount of empathy will bring solace to young Samarth's family. The Odisha government must pull up its socks to ensure rule of law and safety of citizens," Pradhan added. Senior BJD leader and Rajya Sabha member Sasmit Patra countered Pradhan's statement saying BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have more murder cases than Odisha in 2021. Calling Pradhan as Bhai (brother), Patra said, "Don't insult the peace-loving people of Odisha by branding them as lawless. Don't insult Odisha for your petty political narrative. It's surprising to see that despite you having been an Hon'ble Union Minister for so long, you are still unaware about the difference between lawlessness (law and order) and crime." Lawlessness is when during a GST raid in Padampur, Odisha, hundreds of Odisha BJP leaders and workers storm in forcibly, snatch the papers seized by the GST raiding party, in a bid to help the businessman who had cheated in paying GST, he said. When 500 people block National Highway between Sambalpur to Cuttack, delay in completing NH work for many years and when thousands of farmers protest against Central neglect for not lifting surplus paddy are "law and order" issues, Patra said. Stating that crime is committed by a group or individuals which is investigated and the guilty are brought to justice, the BJD leader said, "Please don't try to mislead and do politics on sensitive matters of crime." As per NCRB Report (2021), BJP-ruled states like UP, MP, Maharashtra, Assam & Haryana have more rape cases than Odisha. Similarly, the BJP-ruled states like UP, MP and Maharashtra have more murder cases than Odisha in 2021, the BJD MP said. Seoul, March 30 : The South Korean presidential office on Thursday ruled out resumption of seafood imports from Japan's Fukushima region over radiation contamination concerns, saying the health and safety of people are the foremost priority. "Fukushima seafood will never come into the country," Yonhap News Agency quoted the office as saying in an official statement. "With regard to the import of Japanese seafood products, the government's stance remains unchanged that the health and safety of the people are the top priority." South Korea has banned imports of all seafood and some agricultural products from the region since 2013 due to concerns over their possible radiation contamination following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant meltdown after an earthquake and a tsunami. But some have raised speculation that the government of President Yoon Suk-yeol could resume imports from Fukushima, following Japanese news reports that it was one of the unannounced topics during his summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida earlier this month. London, March 30 : AstraZeneca's Covid vaccine (manufactured and administered in India as Covishield) raised the risk of heart problem, and death by 3.5 times in young women in the first three months following the first dose, according to a report. The report by the UKaAs Office for National Statistics is based on the impact of Covid infection and vaccination's risk on cardiac and all-cause mortality in young people, aged 12 to 29 years, in England. The report included data starting December 8, 2020, when the vaccines were first rolled out in Britain. The mortality data came from two independent sources: deaths registered by June 8, 2022, and hospital deaths by March 31, 2022. However, the UK had, in April 2021, stopped AstraZeneca's vaccination for young people following safety concerns, and most of the young people who received it would have been prioritised due to clinical vulnerability or being healthcare workers.A "The subgroup who received AstraZeneca's Covid vaccination, was more likely to be clinically vulnerable and may be at greater risk of adverse events following vaccination than the general population," said Vahe Nafilyan, a senior statistician at the ONS, in the study published in the journal Nature Communications. According to the statistical model, 11 out of the 15 cardiac deaths in young women that occurred within 12 weeks of a first dose of a non-mRNA vaccine were likely to be linked to the vaccine. "This corresponds to 6 cardiac-related deaths per 100,000 females vaccinated with at least a first dose of a non-mRNA vaccine,a the report showed. Of these, cardiac-related death was 3.5 times more likely in the 12 weeks following vaccination than after the 12-week period. On the other hand, no acestrong evidence" was found between heart-related death risk and any Covid vaccination among young men. The findings also showed there was no significant increase in cardiac or all-cause mortality in the 12 weeks following Covid vaccination compared with more than 12 weeks after any dose for the study population as a whole. However, Covid was found to be associated with one additional death for every 12,000 unvaccinated young people and one additional death for every 56,000 vaccinated young people. "Whilst vaccination carries some risks, these need to be assessed in light of its benefits. Our analysis shows that the risk of death is greatly increased following a positive test for Covid-19 even in young people and many studies show that vaccines are highly effective at preventing hospitalisation or death following Covid-19 infection,a Nafilyan said. "Therefore, these results cannot be generalised to the population as a whole." The analysis does not conclusively link the vaccines to the deaths, experts cautioned. "It's enough to catch my interest and say we should study this more," Daniel Salmon, director of the Institute for Vaccine Safety at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, was quoted as saying by The New York Times But "I wouldn't come close to drawing any causal conclusions." "Overall it's fairly reassuring, but it does bring up some vaccines and some populations that deserve further study," Salmon said. Mumbai, March 30 : Ahead of IPL 2023, Australias fast-bowling all-rounder Cameron Green said he cannot wait to play in a jam packed Wankhede Stadium when five-time champions Mumbai Indians play their home games during the competition. "The ground's pretty special, I'm lucky enough to play here and was here a few weeks ago (when Australia played India in an ODI on March 17). It's a cool ground to be around with all the blues here. Can't wait to see when its packed," said Green in a video posted by the MI Twitter handle. Green recently came back from a finger injury to play in the third and fourth Tests of the Border Gavaskar Trophy against India in Indore and Ahmedabad as well as in the recent three-match ODI series, which Australia won by 2-1. He had scored his maiden Test hundred in the drawn fourth Test at Ahmedabad, but failed to create an impact in the ODI series. Turning out for Mumbai in IPL 2023 will be Green's first big stint in the tournament. In the mini-auction held last year, Green was acquired by Mumbai at a whopping price of INR 17.5 crores, making him the second most expensive player in the history of the tournament and the most expensive deal bagged by any player from his country. In the auction, Green had attracted biddings from Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Capitals and Mumbai. But eventually, Mumbai roped him in for the IPL 2023 season. Mumbai will open their IPL 2023 campaign against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on April 2. Latest updates on IPL 2023 BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 31. On March 30, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov was received by President of the State of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas, Trend reports citing Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. The meeting discussed issues of cooperation on bilateral and multilateral platforms, including the current situation in the region. First of all, President Mahmoud Abbas recalled his meetings with national leader Heydar Aliyev and President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. He noted that the broad agenda of bilateral and multilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and Palestine, mutual support and solidarity within international organizations is admirable. It was noted that the initiatives of Azerbaijan, as the chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement, in the direction of strengthening the Movement, including the coordination of the activities of the member states, are commendable. Jeyhun Bayramov recalled that last year marked the 30th anniversary of Azerbaijan's diplomatic relations with Palestine, and stressed that relations between the two states are developing on the basis of friendship, solidarity and common values. Confidence was expressed that the establishment of the Representation of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the State of Palestine would stimulate the further development of relations. Minister Jeyhun Bayramov also informed the other side about the current situation in the region after the 44-day Patriotic War, the establishment of peace and security in the region in the post-conflict period, the opening of communications, the measures taken by Azerbaijan to ensure a decent return of IDPs displaced from their homes as a result of almost 30 years of occupation. It was noted that the constant provocations by Armenia and the failure to fulfill obligations are an obstacle to the peaceful and constructive efforts of Azerbaijan in the region. Phnom Penh, March 30 : The National Assembly of Cambodia on Thursday began its ninth plenary session of the sixth legislature after a three-month recess. Some 105 lawmakers took part in the session, reports Xinhua news agency. King Norodom Sihamoni sent a royal message to mark the opening session, praising the legislators for adopting 109 draft laws in the sixth legislature (2018-2023). After the opening session, the National Assembly also ratified the treaty on the delimitation of the state border between Cambodia and Laos. The National Assembly comprises 125 lawmakers, all from the ruling Cambodian People's Party. New Delhi, March 30 : There is no stopping layoffs in the Indian edtech space and Gaurav Munjal, Co-Founder and CEO of Unacademy, has announced to reduce the size of team by 12 per cent or more than 350 employees to "meet the goals we are chasing in the current realities we face". Apologising for the fresh round of job cuts, Munjal said in an internal memo seen by IANS that today's reality is a contrast from two years ago "where we saw unprecedented growth because of the accelerated adoption of online learning". "The global economy is enduring a recession, funding is scarce and running a profitable business is key. We have to adapt to these changes, build and operate in a much leaner manner so we can truly create value for our users and shareholders," Munjal wrote. In November last year, the edtech major laid off 10 per cent of its workforce or nearly 350 employees, as funding winter deepened. Munjal said that for impacted employees, the severance pay will be equivalent to the notice period with an additional one month's pay. There will be an accelerated vesting of one year for employees who have been with the company for at least one year and medical insurance coverage for additional six months (until September 30), along with placement and career support. "We have taken every step in the right direction to make our core business profitable, yet it's not enough. We have to go further, we have to go deeper. Unfortunately, this has led me to take another difficult decision," said Munjal. Earlier this year, Unacademy-run Relevel laid off 40 employees, or 20 per cent of its workforce, as it shifts its focus from the education business to "tests product" and a new app called NextLevel. Agartala, March 30 : A legislator of the ruling BJP in Tripura, Jadab Lal Debnath was caught on camera watching obscene video on his mobile phone during the just concluded Assembly session. BJP Tripura state President Rajib Bhattacharya told IANS that the party would soon issue a notice to him and seek clarification. A video of Nath watching a video while the session was on has gone viral on social media leading to a sharp criticism and demanding action against the lawmaker. Netizens termed the act as 'shameful'. According to the reported viral video, the MLA was watching some obscene content on his mobile phone. The first three-day session of the newly constituted Tripura Assembly was held on March 24 and March 27-28. Criticising the BJP MLA, opposition leader Animesh Debbarma said that all the legislators are responsible persons and their acts should not create a bad precedent for the others, especially the young generations. Debbarma demanded appropriate action against the legislator. The CPI(M) and Congress also criticised Nath and demanded severe action against him "Operation of mobile phones inside the Assembly is restricted. We should all concentrate on the proceedings and business of the House.. Despite this, Nath watched the porn video damaging the reputations of the House," said Birajit Sinha, state Congress chief and one of the three party MLAs. He said that if the BJP has minimum morality, it must take action against Nath. When contacted by IANS, the BJP MLA denied the allegations. "I will talk to the Assembly Speaker (BiswaBandhu Sen) and state Party President (Rajib Bhattacharjee) and then I will take next course of actions," Nath, who was elected to the state Assembly in the February 16 Assembly elections for the first time from the Bagbassa seat in north Tripura. The 55-years-old leader is also the Secretary of BJP's Tripura state unit. New Delhi, March 30 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah here and urged him to resolve several long-pending issues since the bifurcation of the state. Chief Minister Reddy requested the Home Minister to immediately release a grant of Rs 10,000 crore on an ad-hoc basis to expedite Polavaram project. He added that pending issues have pushed Andhra Pradesh backwards in terms of development and revenue. He also requested for Rs 2,020 crore to fill the scourge pits formed at the main dam site due to the washing away of the diaphragm in flash floods, said a statement on Wednesday night. This is Reddy's second visit to Delhi in a month. On March 17, Reddy had met with Prime Minster Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. During the meeting, Reddy sought the reimbursement of Rs 2,601 crore expenditure incurred on Polavaram project and accept the technical advisory committee's revised estimates of Rs 55,548 crore, including treating the drinking water supply component as a part of it. Shah was apprised of the financial burden of Rs 5,527 crore that the state had incurred on supplying rations to 56 lakh families under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) due to irrational selection of beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act. As a result, the Chief Minister said that the state be compensated by the unused ration stocks as recommended by the NITI Aayog. Reddy appealed to the Centre to release the pending amount of Rs 36,625 under resource gap funding for the fiscal 2014-15 and raise the credit limit of Rs 17,923 crore, which was cut down from Rs 42,472 crore post the pandemic. Kabul, March 30 : At least 4,327 Afghan refugees have returned to the country from neighbouring Iran over the past two days, the Ministry for Refugees and Repatriation Affairs on Thursday said in a statement. The process of returning the refugees to their homeland continues, according to the statement. Around 300,000 Afghan refugees have returned to their homeland from Iran over the past six months, reports Xinhua news agency citing the Ministry as saying. According to the UN, Afghans make up one of the largest refugee populations worldwide. There are 2.6 million registered Afghan refugees in the world, of whom 2.2 million are registered in Iran and Pakistan alone. Another 3.5 million people are internally displaced, having fled their homes searching for refuge within the country. Tokyo, March 30 : Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will lead a panel of experts to reverse the country's critical decline in birthrate, which dropped in 2022 to its lowest level since 1998, local media said on Thursday. Along with Kishida, the expert panel will comprise Masanobu Ogura, the minister in charge of policies for children, groups working with children, and labour union representatives, reports Xinhua news agency. Later this week, a policy to provide more support for parents, including raising child-rearing allocations and easing outlays on higher education borne by parents, will be compiled, public broadcaster NHK said. The draft policy will set the parameters of the budget and how it will be financed, with the plan to inform a subsequent comprehensive policy package. According to recent statistics from the Health Ministry, the birthrate in Japan last year plummeted to a record low since 1889, with the number of newborns dropping 5.1 per cent from the previous year to 799,728. The falling birthrate and rapidly aging population are simultaneously hollowing out Japan's taxpaying labour force, leading to Kishida vowing to double budget outlay for child-related programs. Money allocated to help with child-rearing, coupled with ever-increasing massive outlays for social security costs related to the increasing population of seniors, who comprise a higher proportion of the population than in any country globally, is adding to the country's fiscal woes. Japan's public debt stands at double the size of the country's gross domestic product and is the worst among developed countries. Chennai, March 30 : In what could be another opposition to imposing Hindi in the state, Tamil Nadu Cooperative Milk Federation known as, Aavin, will use only 'thayir' instead of 'dhahi'. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed all the state governments to print the word 'dhahi' before August 2023 in all the sachets that sell 'Curd'. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said that this was another move to 'impose Hindi' in the state. State minister for cooperatives, S.M. Nasar said that the state government cooperative will not use the word 'dhahi' as directed by the FSSAI and instead would stick on to the local term 'thayir' for curd. The Tamil Nadu Cooperative Milk Federation officials told IANS that the message of the state government that it would use only the word 'thayir' and not 'dhahi' has been communicated to the FSSAI. Meanwhile the Tamil Nadu state president of the BJP opposed the move of the FSSAI to use 'dhahi' and added that this was not in tandem with the central government policy of promoting regional languages. In a tweet, Annamalai said, "The notification released by the FSSAI for the use of word, Dhahi in curd sachets produced by the state run cooperative societies is not in tandem with the policy of our Hon PM Thiru@narendramodi avl to promote regional languages. We want an immediate roll back on the notification." The DMK functionaries have also tweeted in large numbers against the FSSAI directive. A twitter hashtag, "DahiNahipoda" (No to Dahi. Go on) is going viral on Twitter. It is to be recalled that Tamil Nadu has a long history of fighting for the language and several agitations had taken place in the state for the Tamil language pride. Patna, March 30 : Three youths drowned while bathing in the river Ganga in Mokama town -- in the outskirts of the state capital -- on Thursday. The incident took place in Mahadeva Asthan Ghat which falls under Mokama city council. According to police, five youths went to the bank of the Ganga to take a bath. While taking a bath, they ventured into deep water and started drowning. The local fishermen present there managed to rescue two of them. The deceased have been identified as Shyam Kumar, Shivam Kumar and Aayush Kumar. A team of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) was called immediately. They managed to fish out the bodies. The deceased were residents of Mokama. New Delhi, March 30 : Amid surge in Covid-19 cases in Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will chair a meeting on Friday to review the situation even as the government said it is "on alert". Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said: "We are on alert, Covid-19 situation in Delhi being closely monitored." Bhardwaj chaired an emergency meeting on Thursday, where Special Secretary, Health, the Director General of Health Services, nodal officer for oxygen and testing, and Medical Directors of several hospitals including Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) were present. However, talking to the media about the increasing cases, the minister said that the Delhi government has not discussed any restrictions so far. As many as 300 new cases of Covid-19 and two deaths were registered in Delhi on Wednesday. According to the bulletin issued by the Health Department, there are currently 806 active cases in the capital and the infection rate is 13.89 per cent. Hyderabad, March 30 : Thousands of devotees participated in the Ram Navami celebrations at Sri Sita Ramachandra Swamy temple in Bhadrachalam town of Telangana on Thursday. Devotees from both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh took part in the celestial wedding (Sitarama Kalyanam) on the occasion of Ram Navami. The celebrations were held in a grand way in the traditional manner with the famous temple being decked up for the celestial wedding of Lord Rama with his consort Sita. A group of priests performed elaborate rituals to mark the celestial celebrations. Priests performed rituals associated with Sitarama Kalyanam in the presence of Tridandi Chinna Jeeyar Swamy. Thousands of devotees watched the annual event at Mithali Stadium. Endowments minister A. Indrakaran Reddy and his wife offered 'pattu vastralu' (silk clothes) on behalf of the state government. Public representatives and district collectors of Khammam and Bhadradri Kothagudem districts and offered 'Mutyala talambralu'. Earlier, some rituals were performed in the main temple and later, the deities were brought to the temple in a procession. The endowments department had put up tents for devotees to protect them from the scorching sun. The area around the stadium was divided into 26 sectors for the devotees to watch the celestial wedding. One special officer was appointed for each sector to provide facilities to the devotees. The endowments department had set up 70 counters to provide talambralu to devotees. The temple authorities prepared two lakh packets of 'prasadam' for distribution among devotees. More than 2,000 policemen were deployed as part of the security arrangements at the temple. Ram Navami celebrations were also held at various temples in both the Telugu states. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. As part of the implementation of the 'Great Return' to the liberated territories, active employment measures are taken for the residents of the Talish village in the Tartar district, Trend reports via Azerbaijan's Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population. At the initial stage, meetings were held with each of the 20 families that had been resettled in the village, as a result of which up to 20 people were employed in various jobs. Furthermore, preparatory work is also underway to attract residents of the village of Talish to the self-employment program. Professional training courses are arranged for some of the villagers to master new professions. Jointly with the employers working in these territories, a "Financing of the employee's wages jointly with employers" program will be implemented. As part of this program, the employment of the residents of the village will also be carried out. Following the order of the President of Azerbaijan dated November 16, 2022, the "First State Program of the "Great Return" to the territories liberated from occupation" was approved. As part of this program, 20 houses were restored and reconstructed in the first stage. Also, within the Great Return program, on March 16, 20 families living in temporary residential areas in Baku, Tartar, Samukh, and Goranboy were relocated to the Talish village of Tartar district. The village of Talish in the Tartar district was liberated from the Armenian occupation by the Azerbaijani Army on October 3, 2020. New Delhi, March 30 : Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday accused the Congress of inviting "foreign powers" to interfere in the country's internal affairs. The development followed Germany's reaction to the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from the membership of the Lok Sabha after a Surat court convicted him in a 2019 defamation case and sentenced him to two years imprisonment. While commenting on Rahul Gandhi's case, Germany has said that it is keeping an eye on the matter. Thanking Germany on behalf of the Congress for its response, senior party leader Digvijaya Singh tweeted, "Thank you Germany Foreign Affairs Ministry and Richard Walker @rbsw for taking note of how the Democracy is being compromised in India through persecution of Rahul Gandhi." Sharing the screenshot of Singh's message, the Finance Minister tweeted, "Apparent that @INCIndia wants foreign interference in our affairs. Sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Communist Party of China with opaque contents. During interactions abroad, plead for help to change government. Thank them when help forthcoming. Any more proof needed?" Mumbai, March 30 : A day after the Supreme Court's scathing remarks against the Maharashtra government as being "impotent" for failing to curb hate speeches, the state Congress on Thursday demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. "The Shinde government has given a big blow to the image of Maharashtra in the past nine months. Communal clashes are on the increase due to the inflammatory speeches made by certain organisations, but no action is taken against them," said state Congress President Nana Patole. Now, even the apex court has expressed its anger by calling the state government as "impotent" and "powerless" as it does not act promptly, and asked "why do we have a state at all if it is remaining silent", he added. "This is a big slap on the government of Shinde-(Deputy Chief Minister Devendra) Fadnavis and they have forfeited the right to remain in power. Owing to their inaction, religious disputes are getting out of hand. They must immediately step down," Patole demanded. Endorsing the SC's ire, he alleged that the state's law and order has totally collapsed and the MPs and MLAs of the ruling Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party openly bully the people and the Opposition leaders. "A notorious bookie's family has open access to the Home Minister (Fadnavis)'s residence but he is unaware of it, elected leaders, former ministers and legislators are being threatened and attacked in the state but no action is initiated. A ruling party MLA fires bullets from his gun but he escapes police action," Patole said. Referring to the Sakal Hindu Samaj (SHS)'s recent rallies which earned the SC's wrath, he pointed out that they have been making extremely provocative and inflammatory statements which have created a threat to social peace. Some organisations have opposed and lodged police complaints, but the law-enforcers hands are tied down as the government is blatantly supporting the fanatic group, he added. Patole said that the government is expected to curb such groups "but it lacks willpower" that allows these outfits to flourish, and tarnish the fair image of Mumbai and Maharashtra before the world. "The word ('impotent') that the apex court used for the Maharashtra government has never been applied for any government till date... this itself shows how serious the deterioration is," said Patole. Jaipur, March 30 : A day after the Rajasthan High Court acquitted four convicts in the 2008 Jaipur serial blasts case, former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot on Thursday raised questions on the home department held by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Pilot said that everyone knows the blasts took place and the accused were caught. If the accused sentenced to death by the lower court are released due to lack of investigation, then it is a serious matter. Action should be taken against those responsible. He said that we have to answer the victims, they have to get justice. If we are not able to get justice from the court, then there is some deficiency, he added. Pilot was talking to the media at his residence in Jaipur on Thursday. Pilot said that the Home Department and the Law Department will have to see that even after awarding the death sentence, if the accused is acquitted due to flaws in the investigation in the High Court, then it is a very serious matter. The investigation was not done properly, there were shortcomings. Those responsible should be investigated. How did this happen? Somebody must have blasted it, he added. Pilot said that the lower court had sentenced the accused to death. It is a different matter to reduce the sentence, but because of the evidence, if they are released instead of the death sentence, then it is a very serious matter. The judge also did not want the accused to be released, but had to be released due to lack of evidence. This is a big matter, it should be investigated. Pilot said that we will also have to answer those who died in their homes. It is necessary to punish those who have committed the crime. It is our responsibility to take this matter to its logical conclusion. I think action should be taken in this matter with immediate effect, he added. The government should collect all the evidence, documentary evidence of the blast case and provide justice to the people. If we are not able to get justice from the judiciary, then there must be something missing. On the doctors' strike in protest against the Right to Health Bill, Pilot said that the strike has been going on for the last 12 days. "Some way out should be found after listening to the side of the hospital and the doctor. The most worrying thing is that thousands of people of Rajasthan cannot wait due to medical emergencies, talks are necessary to improve such a situation. Everything is possible through dialogue, he said. Pilot said that no doctor in Rajasthan would want patients to be helped. "There have been hurdles in the past as well. This confrontation is not happening for the first time, but this matter is very poignant and affects the patients of the state. Laws were made by giving many universal health schemes and rights. In this act too, a middle way should be found. Sit and talk to both sides, so that the public does not face any problem. The responsibility lies with all of us," he added. Kolkata, March 30 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday complained to the Calcutta High Court about the West Bengal Police's "non-cooperation" over handing over documents related to the attack on the convoy of Union Minister Nisith Pramanik allegedly by Trinamool Congress activists on February 25. The division bench of Chief Justice Prakash Srivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj, on March 28, had directed a CBI probe in the matter. The very next day, the state government approached the Supreme Court challenging the decision. However, the matter took a new dimension on Thursday with the CBI complaining to the same division bench against the West Bengal Police. To this, the state government counsel said that since the matter is pending at the apex court, the process can be continued depending on the development there. However, after hearing both sides, the division bench of Justice Srivastava and Justice Bharadwaj observed that since the apex court has not imposed any stay in the matter, hence it would be better to honour the directive of the division bench on this count. It also observed that it is the duty of the state government to ensure that CBI officials do not face hurdles in carrying out their course of investigation. On February 25, the vehicle of Pramanik was attacked allegedly by Trinamool Congress activists at Burihat under Dinhata Assembly constituency in Cooch Behar while it was passing through the area. The situation got tense as Trinamool and BJP supporters clashed with each other, throwing brickbats and stones, smashing the glass window of Pramanik's car in the process. The minister, however, did not sustain any injury as his security personnel safely escorted him out of the area, which by then had turned into a virtual battlefield. Pramanik alleged that besides stones and bricks, the ruling party workers also hurled crude bombs targeting his convoy, his security personnel and local BJP supporters. New Delhi, March 30 : Slamming the Congress for creating an unwarranted hue and cry over Rahul Gandhis ouster from the Lok Sabha, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the former MP was not the first member to be disqualified from the legislature following conviction and suggested the grand old party to move the higher court challenging the judgement instead of blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his ouster. Rahul Gandhi was ousted from the Parliament following his conviction by a Surat court over his derogatory remark on the 'Modi' community. Following the rule book, the Lok Sabha speaker disqualified him from the House the very next day and subsequently, Gandhi was asked to vacate his official bungalow. The Congress is trying to project the whole episode as a conspiracy against its leader and gain political mileage out of it ahead of the crucial elections in various states, but it has not appealed in any higher court so far against the conviction. Questioning Rahul Gandhi's "arrogance" in not appealing to a higher court, Shah wondered, "Where does this arrogance generate from? Lalu Prasad, J. Jayalalithaa, and Rashid Alvi were among 17 people who lost their membership, but no one created a ruckus. This is based on the judgement of the Supreme Court; it is the law of the land. Why does the Gandhi family want a separate law for itself? People of India need to decide if we need a separate law for one family." Speaking at News18's 'Rising India' summit, Shah said Congress' attempt to put the blame on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Rahul Gandhi's ouster is unfounded and unlikely to break any ice with the electorates since the law has only taken its course. Refuting allegations of "vendetta" politics, Shah said Rahul Gandhi would have been saved had he not, in 2013, torn the ordinance on disqualification of MPs from the House. "The Congress wanted to save RJD's Lalu Prasad so it brought in the ordinance. But Rahul Gandhi called it nonsense and tore it. If the law was in force today, Rahul Gandhi would have been saved," Shah said. "Why was democracy not in danger when other MPs were disqualified? Why is he beating his chest now when he was the one who tore the ordinance," Shah asked. Shah also slammed Rahul Gandhi for his recent remarks on Veer Savarkar. Following his disqualification, Rahul Gandhi had said, "My name is not Savarkar, my name is Gandhi and a Gandhi does not offer an apology to anyon." Shah said Rahul Gandhi should not use such words for Savarkar who sacrificed a lot for the country. Indira Gandhi praised Savarkar a lot, Shah said, adding, "He can choose to not apologise. But then why did he furnish the bail bond?" Shah also tore into the Opposition's charge that central agencies are being used to target them, narrating his arrest by the CBI in an encounter case when he was the Home Minister of Gujarat. "I will tell you how agencies are misused, I have been a victim of it... Congress did not file a corruption case against us. There was an encounter when I was the Home Minister of Gujarat. A case was filed against me and I was arrested by the CBI. In 90 per cent of the questions during my interrogation, I was asked why I was getting bothered and they said they would leave me if I name Narendra Modi. Even then, we did not protest or wear black clothes or stop Parliament's functioning. An SIT was formed against Modi which the Supreme Court itself dismissed," Shah said. "During my entire interrogation, I was told 'Modi ka naam de do, de do'. But why should I frame him? Because of me, several innocent police officers were put in jail. Today, the same Congress is crying over their fate. They must reflect on their behaviour," Shah said. To a question on the party's prospect in the Assembly elections in Karnataka, Shah said BJP would comfortably cross the halfway mark in the 224-seat Karnataka Assembly and come out with a clear majority in the state that goes to polls on May 10. The party would also do better than it did in the past in the Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, he said. Bhopal, March 30 : At least 13 people, a majority of them women, were killed after they fell into a deep steepwell at a temple in Indore on Thursday, while one minor girl was also also missing, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra said. Out of the 13 fatalities so far, 10 were women. The death toll are likely to go up as some people are still missing. "There was water into the well, which has turned into mud. A girl is reported missing. NDRF team is trying to find out some more people. So far, 13 dead bodies have been recovered," Mishra added. He said this unfortunate incident, which occurred at around 12.30 p.m. at the Baleshwar Mahadev temple as people came to offer prayers on the occasion of Ram Navami, has sent shock waves across Madhya Pradesh. The incident occurred after the roof over the the stepwell, said to be at least 50-60 feet deep and full with water, collapsed as over 25 people were standing on it. "An inquiry has been ordered under into the matter. Rescue operation was started soon after the roof of the well collapsed, but narrow space at the accident spot created hindrance in quick rescue operations," Mishra added. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath has express their grief over death of people in the incident. Senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayavargiya and Indore Mayor Pushymitra Bhargava have reached the spot. New Delhi, March 30 : Delhi Police has arrested a 52-year-old man impersonating as a journalist and extorting money from businessmen by threatening them to defame by posting fake news against them, an official said on Wednesday, adding that his son has also been arrested. The accused identified as Laxman Indoria and his son Lakshay (26) also assaulted a police team and tore their uniform when they had gone to serve notice at their residence in Qutub Road near Nabi Karim. According to police, a police control room (PCR) call was received on Monday at Nabi Karim police station in which the caller identified as Daulat Ram stated that Laxman is harassing him and demanding Rs 50,000. "The police team contacted the caller, who also gave a complaint to police. The complainant, who runs a restaurant in Ram Nagar market, alleged that Laxman along with his associates on March 23 came to his restaurant and demanded Rs 50,000 for running the restaurant and threatened to kill," said Sanjay Kumar Sain, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central). When Laxman came to know that the victim had reported the matter to the police, he along with his two sons stopped the complainant and his friend in front of Sheetla Mata Mandir, Qutub Road and thrashed them using iron rods and plastic pipes. Daulat Ram reported the incident to Nabi Karim police station. During investigation, when the police team reached the residence of Laxman for enquiry and to serve the notice, his wife and two sons--Lakshya and Pragywan-- blocked the entry and misguided the police team. "When police team searched the house, they found Laxman hiding himself under the water tank on the terrace. Police tried to serve him the notice but Laxman along with his family members assaulted head constable Shashank and constable Vijyant, but they overpowered them and apprehended," said the DCP. During interrogation, it was revealed that the accused Laxman is previously involved in five cases of wrongful restraint, house trespass, criminal intimidation among others. "He used to run a YouTube channel IPPCI Media-24x7 News Network and posed as a journalist and used to extort businessmen, shopkeepers by threatening them to defame them by posting fake news affecting their businesses," said the DCP. "His one son Lakshay was also arrested while a manhunt has been initiated to nab Laxman's wife and son Pragyawan, who are on the run," said the official. Thiruvananthapuram, March 30 : Congress President Malikarjuna Kharge was on Thursday was given a rousing welcome at the airport here when he arrived on his maiden visit to Kerala after taking over the post. Kharge was received by top party leaders and when he came out of the airport, he was accorded a traditional welcome by the party workers and it was with great difficulty that he was able to enter his vehicle. Incidentally, it was Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha member Shashi Tharoor who contested against Kharge, but lost by a large margin. Kharge arrived in the state to take part in the centenary celebrations of the Vaikom Sathyagraha. Bengaluru, March 30 : The Varuna assembly constituency in Mysuru district is all set to witness a high voltage contest between Opposition leader Siddaramaiah and former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa's son B.Y. Vijayendra, according to sources. Former Chief Minister and BJP Parliamentary Board Member B.S. Yediyurappa on Thursday stated that the party is contemplating to field his son Vijayendra from Varuna constituency. The high command will take a call on finalising the candidature of Vijayendra for Varuna, he added. "Siddaramaiah's victory won't come easily. The ground beneath him is falling. We will field a strong candidate against him," Yediyurappa stated. Reacting to Vijayendra's candidature from Varuna, Siddaramaiah had stated that he had never bothered about his opponents. Reacting to the development, Karnataka Congress President D.K. Shivakumar stated he would welcome Yediyurappa himself to contest from Varuna constituency against Siddaramaiah. Vijayendra was denied ticket to contest from Varuna constituency in 2018 at the last minute from the BJP. However, Vijayendra has stated that he is focusing on contesting from Shikaripura constituency represented by his father. He has also stated that he is prepared to contest elections from any constituency in the state his party asks for. Siddaramaiah had already announced that it is his last election and as per his wish to contest from the native constituency, from where he began political career, he had been given a ticket. Sources explained that the BJP's strategy in fielding Vijayendra is to contain Siddaramaiah in his constituency and not giving him much time to travel to take up campaigns across the state. Siddaramaiah is planning to carry out campaigning in 120 constituencies in one month. Chennai, March 30 : The Tamil Nadu government would organise year-long celebrations to commemorate the centenary of the Vaikom satyagraha - the struggle for temple entry for the Dalits and other-so called lower castes at the Vaikom Mahadeva temple in Kerala's Kottayam, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said on Thursday. Making the announcement in the Assembly, he also said that a 'Vaikom Award' would be presented to eminent personalities or organisations who work for the betterment of downtrodden people beyond the borders of the state. The Chief Minister also said that the awards would be given away on September 17, which is the birth anniversary of the Dravidian ideologue E.V. Ramaswamy Periyar, commonly known as 'Thanthai APeriyar', and is marked as social justice day in Tamil Nadu. Underlining the significance of Vaikom satyagraha that took place in 1924-25 in India's history of reforms, he cited the impact of Periyar's participation in the movement as a then leader of the Congress. "Periyar is a leader not only for Tamils and Tamil Nadu. His thoughts and actions proved that he was a leader beyond languages and international boundaries. "Self-respect, rationalism, equity, and social justice are universal philosophies. His thoughts form the base for yesterday's rebellions, today's efforts, and tomorrow's developments." Stalin will be taking part in the centenary celebrations of the Vaikom Satyagraha to be held in Kerala's Kottayam on April 1 along with his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan. Stalin also told the assembly that the Tamil Nadu government would spent an amount of Rs 8.14 crore to renovate the Periyar memorial at Vaikom. He also said that the government would take efforts to set up a memorial at Aruvikutti where Periyar was first jailed. The book "Vaikom Protest", written by scholar and researcher Pazha Adhiyaman in Tamil would be translated to Malayalam and also published in English, Telugu, and Kannada, he told the Assembly. He also said that a book on Vaikom movement would be published by the Text Book and Educational Service Corporation of the state government and added that competitions would be held in schools, colleges and universities in Tamil Nadu on elocution and essays on the Vaikom Satyagraha. Stalin said that the state government was taking steps to issue a commemorative stamp to mark the centenary of Vaikom Satyagraha. Details added (first published: 12:54) BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. It is planned to establish the "100th anniversary of Heydar Aliyev" jubilee medal of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Trend reports. In this regard, it is proposed to amend the law "On the establishment of orders and medals of the Republic of Azerbaijan" to establish the jubilee medal of the Republic of Azerbaijan. This matter was discussed at today's meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Law Policy and State Building. May 10, 2023, marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of the National Leader of the Azerbaijani people, the founder of the independent Azerbaijani state, and prominent political and statesman Heydar Aliyev. Following the order of President Ilham Aliyev, 2023 has been declared the "Year of Heydar Aliyev" in Azerbaijan. Mumbai, March 30 : Late actor-director Satish Kaushik will soon be seen in one of his last films titled 'Mirg', which is ready for release after rounding up its post-production work. The film also features Raj Babbar, Anup Soni and Shwetaabh Singh in pivotal roles. The film, which is centred around the legend of the mountain leopard popular in the lower regions of Himachal Pradesh, is a genre-bending story of a heist-gone-wrong revenge drama. Talking about the film, director Tarun Sharma said: "My main aim while approaching 'Mirg' was to give the audience an engaging film. Every aspect of filmmaking should come together to create something engaging, transporting people into an alternate reality." "That for me is the magic of cinema. I was blessed with a wonderful and involved crew. Having stalwarts like Raj Babbar, Satish Kaushik and Anup Soni in my debut film was a blessing," he said. The director shared that Satish was the first cast member to come on board and to his surprise, the actor agreed to do the film within two hours of him sending the script. "To this day I can't believe that he is no more. His childlike passion for cinema is something I shall never forget. I really wanted him to see the final product but that is one feeling which shall remain regretfully unfulfilled. I must also add that Shwetaabh gave a breakthrough performance standing up to such senior actors," Tarun added. Commenting on the film, Raj Babbar said: "I thoroughly enjoyed shooting for this movie. We had a blast. Tarun is a brilliant director. He really gives his actors a free hand to grasp the characters their own way. "This technique gets you much more attached to the character and you grow a sense of responsibility to really do justice to it. Every actor in this film has delivered nuanced performances," he said. 'Mirg' is majority financed by the UK-based Studio RA and produced by Rishi Anand, NaMa productions and OneShot Films. The film has been shot in Himachal Pradesh, mainly in Una, Hamirpur and Gobind Sagar Lake. Imphal, March 30 : The Manipur government has decided to identify those Myanmarese refugees -- who have sought asylum in the northeastern state, and keep them at the designated detention centres, an official said on Thursday. So far, around 5,000 immigrants, including women and children, have fled from conflict-hit Myanmar, where the military took power in February 2021. An official said that the Manipur government has recently constituted a Cabinet Sub-Committee headed by Tribal Affairs and Hill Development Minister Letpao Haokip after thousands of Myanmarese crossed over to the state due to the armed conflict happening near Indian border areas between the Myanmar Army and the People's Defence Force (PDF) A ministerial committee led by Haokip visited Moreh along the Myanmar border and Gamphazol village of Chandel district during the past few days and interacted with villagers. Manipur shares 400 km of unfenced border with Myanmar. The ministers accompanied by officials requested the villagers to help the officials to identify the Myanmar refugees and not to provide shelter for them at their homes. All the Myanmar refugees would have to stay in the temporary detention centres and they would have to return to Myanmar after the situation in the country improves, Haokip told the media. Among the refugees, Myanmar MP Thangsel Haokip, who is also taking shelter in Manipur, reportedly told the ministerial team in Moreh that they would like to take shelter in Indian territory as the violent clashes between the Myanmar military and the PDF cadres continue in the Saingang region of Myanmar that borders with the Indian states of Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram. Amid the clashes between the Myanmar army and the resistance group PDF, the Manipur government has tightened the security along the Myanmar border and asked the Assam Rifles to maintain strict vigil along the international border. Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh had earlier said that the security along the India-Myanmar border with Manipur has been further strengthened to avoid untoward incidents. According to security officials and the district administration, round-the-clock foot patrolling has been intensified along the international border. Besides, additional forces comprising Manipur State Rifles, police and other security personnel have also been deployed. Around 31,000 Myanmar nationals have been sheltered in Mizoram after the military seized power in the country through a military coup in February 2021. The Mizoram government, various NGOs and churches have been providing food and shelter to the Myanmarese, including women and children. San Francisco, March 30 : The supplier of Apple camera lens is reportedly facing two risks -- high inventory levels leading to a weaker-than-expected second quarter this year, and suppliers being unable to profit from periscope camera lenses. "Apple camera lens suppliers face two risks: High inventory levels leading to a weaker-than-expected 2Q23 and suppliers being unable to profit from periscope camera lenses," Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo tweeted on Thursday. Since early 2020, when Kuo had first mentioned the possibility, rumours about the iPhone receiving a periscope camera lens have been circulating. The analyst had initially predicted that a periscope lens would be included in iPhone 14 Pro, but it did not happen. Kuo has since stated that the lens type will only be available in iPhone 15 Pro Max. "The component/lens inventory risk I had previously predicted for iPhone 14 Pro/Pro Max is now happening," Kuo said. He also said that Taiwanese company Largan, the world's biggest supplier of smartphone camera lenses, is expected to be the sole lens supplier for this year's iPhone 15 Pro Max periscope camera. Moreover, Kuo anticipated that Apple supplier Genius will start supplying periscope lens for iPhone 16, at which point the component's price will be even lower, thus negatively impacting lens suppliers. New Delhi, March 30 : The Supreme Court has acquitted four men convicted in a 1989 murder case, saying the prosecution has not come forward with fair and honest version of the case -- with a sketchy FIR, role of police officers at the crime spot in witnesses' statements, loopholes in the investigation etc. - while terming the case "a possible set-up by police". The top court emphasised that the prosecution's job is not to accept the complainant's version as gospel truth and the investigation must be made in a fair and transparent manner and must ascertain the truth. A bench of Justices B.R. Gavai, Vikram Nath, and Sanjay Karol noted: "It is still a mystery as to how the investigating officer in his statement has stated that he had filed a charge- heet against eight accused as five were absconding and there is no further statement regarding three more accused being arrested and put to trial... how the trial court proceeded to convict 11 accused and only two were set to be absconding." Justice Nath, who authored the judgment on behalf of the bench, noted that the evidence in the case creates a very serious doubt on the entire prosecution story and it is quite possible that the police personnel were there to arrest the Pradip Phukan and his brother and in that process, some resistance may have resulted into the incident causing his death. "Even the scribe of the FIR has not been produced nor the signatures have been proved. It is quite possible that it was a complete set-up by the police. They (police) having committed the murder in the process of arresting the deceased, and thereafter, knowing the enmity between the two parties, set-up a false case against the accused," Justice Nath said. The bench said no explanation has come forward to explain the presence of the police personnel of Chabua police station throughout the incident. Justice Nath said: "The job of the prosecution is not to accept the complainant's version as gospel truth and proceed in that direction but the investigation must be made in a fair and transparent manner and must ascertain the truth." The bench further added that the entire version of the prosecution witnesses that the police personnel accompanied the accused and were standing outside the house of the deceased creates a serious doubt on the very genesis of the prosecution story. It said if the investigation is unfair and tainted then it is the duty of the trial court to get the clarifications on all the aspects which may surface or may be reflected by the evidence so that it may arrive at a just and fair conclusion. The top court judgment came on an appeal challenging a 2015 Gauhati High Court judgment affirming the conviction and life sentence of the accused by the trial court. The trial court and high court convicted 11 accused under various sections, however, only four of the convicts moved the apex court. The bench noted that the informant and the three eye-witness had categorically stated that police officials had accompanied the accused-appellants to the house of the deceased and they were present throughout the incident. Acquitting the four men, the bench said: "we are of the view that although the death of Pradip Phukan was homicidal but we are not convinced that the prosecution has established the case beyond reasonable doubt against the accused appellants. The appellants would be entitled to benefit of doubt. The appeal is accordingly allowed. The conviction and sentence are set aside. The appellants are set at liberty forthwith." New Delhi, March 30 : Indigo and Virgin Atlantic have expanded their codeshare, opening up an array of new destinations across India. Air passengers will now be able to book one ticket which allows them to connect seamlessly to London and beyond from destinations such as Varanasi, Srinagar, Mopa and Lucknow, through Delhi and Mumbai. In total, the partnership is adding 18 destinations to its existing portfolio making it a total of 34. The beautiful beaches of Goa have proved particularly popular with Virgin Atlantic customers. The expanded partnership will incorporate Goa's second airport at Mopa, providing travellers with even more access to one of their favourite destinations. The expanded codeshare allows Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club members to reach their rewards faster, with opportunities to earn both Virgin Points and Tier Points available on every codeshare flight with IndiGo. Alex McEwan, Country Manager - South Asia, Virgin Atlantic said: "We are excited to more than double the number of destinations available in our codeshare partnership with IndiGo. This offers our customers even more choice when travelling to and from India. By combining IndiGo's vast network with Virgin Atlantic's three daily services between India and the UK, we offer a range of connections to and from India's most popular destinations." Mumbai, March 30 : Actor Lokesh Mittal, who was last seen in the web series 'Farzi', plays a cop in the Ajay Vevgn directorial 'Bholaa', which released in theatres on Thursday. Talking about his working experience in the film, Lokesh said, "When you get to work with the same director again, it becomes blissful. Because when you work with a director for the first time, you may not feel that connected to him as you're more into understanding things. "But when you reunite with the same director, it is quite advantageous both for the actor, who can suggest to the director the way in which he wants to create the scene, and for the director, who becomes more receptive." Lokesh added: "Ajay Devgn Sir is very calm and cool on the sets. He is really focused and dedicated towards his work. He is also very caring about his team. He even apologises when any delay occurs due to him. His sets are very peaceful and tranquil without any illogical hassles or commotion. Rather, he cracks jokes with the team and works in a fun-filled, amusing manner." Talking about his rapport with Tabu, the actor said: "I have got one scene with Tabu Ma'am in the movie. But I had many opportunities to talk to her behind the scenes. Tabuji is very focused and dedicated when she is on the sets; but when she is not shooting, she is very cheerful and jovial. Working with Tabuji was a really pleasurable learning experience for me." Speaking about what prompted him to take up the role, Lokesh said, "There is no question of saying no when you get an offer from such a big production house and director. Also, the role is very pivotal to the film as it creates turns and twists in the story. "I had already worked with Ajay Sir in 'Runway 34' and working with him again was really fabulous for me. So, it was an instant 'yes' when I got the offer." Recalling one of the incidents from the sets, Lokesh said: "As such I didn't face any challenge while doing 'Bholaa'. Rather, during one scene, I became the challenge for the team. There is a scene where I fall down and I am supposed to be lifted by a few people, which is an obvious challenge for them. Then Ajay sir jokingly instructed the guys to drag me rather than lifting me and the whole set burst into laughter." Lokesh has also appeared in films such as 'Khuda Haafiz: Chapter 2', 'Runway 34', 'Sui Dhaga', 'Long Live Brij Mohan', 'Chef', 'Sherni', 'The White Tiger' and 'Uunchai'. New Delhi, March 30 : Union minister Anurag Thakur on Thursday slammed senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh over his tweet thanking Germany for taking note of Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from the Lok Sabha, saying "India will not tolerate any foreign intervention". Taking to Twitter, Thakur shared a screenshot of Singh's tweet and wrote: "Disgrace to nation, @INCIndia & @RahulGandhi don't believe to fight India's democratic, political and legal battle within country, hence, invite foreign powers to interfere in our internal matter. But New India headed by @narendramodi Ji will not tolerate any foreign intervention." Earlier on Thursday, Singh had shared a post and thanked the German Foreign Ministry for remarks on Rahul Gandhi's sentencing and subsequent disqualification from the Lok Sabha. Singh had tweeted: "Thank you Germany Foreign Affairs Ministry and Richard Walker @rbsw for taking note of how Democracy is being compromised in India through persecution of @RahulGandhi." Commented for the first time on Rahul Gandhi's disqualification, German Foreign Ministry spokesperson had said, "We have taken note of the verdict, suspension from Parliament, and appeal will show whether verdict stands and suspension has basis. It expects standards of judicial independence and democratic principles to apply in Rahul Gandhi's case." New Delhi, March 30 : For effective monitoring of the election expenditure of the candidates during Karnataka polls, the Excise Department has been asked to monitor production, distribution, sale and storage of liquor. Moreover, Air Intelligence Units will take necessary action to check movement of large sums of money. The functioning and operations of the flying squads or mobile teams shall be closely monitored using GPS Tracking or the c-VIGIL App. For greater transparency and ease of monitoring of election expenses, candidates would be required to open a separate bank account and incur their election expenses from only that account. The Investigation Directorate of Income Tax Department has been asked to activate Air Intelligence Units in the airports of the state and also to gather intelligence and take necessary action to check the movement of large sums of money in the state. As per the poll panel, district election officers (DEOs) have been directed to obtain unusual and suspicious cash withdrawal or deposit of cash exceeding Rs 1 lakh from banks for due verification followed by the necessary action. If the amount is more than Rs 10 lakh, then DEOs shall pass on such information to Income Tax Department for necessary action. For the purpose of maintaining purity of elections, the Election Commission has issued a Standard Operating Procedure for Flying Squads and Static Surveillance Teams constituted for keeping vigil over excessive campaign expenses, distribution of items of bribe in cash or in kind, movement of illegal arms, ammunition, liquor, or anti-social elements etc. in the constituencies during election process. Officials said that it has come to the notice of the Commission that the candidates take permission from the Returning Officer (RO) for use of vehicles for campaign purposes but some candidates do not show the vehicle hiring charges or fuel expenses in their election expenditure account. Therefore, it has been decided that unless the candidate informs the RO regarding withdrawing vehicles from campaigning, the notional expenditure on account of campaign vehicles will be calculated based on the number of vehicles for which permission has been granted by the RO. New Delhi, March 30 : A gangster, associated with infamous Salman Tyagi-Saddam Hussain gang and absconding for more than three years in a MCOCA case, was arrested by the Delhi Police's Special Cell from Khurja city in Uttar Pradesh, a police official said on Thursday. The accused identified as Muntzeer Tyagi alias Munti was also wanted in two more cases of abduction and extortion. According to police, since the last two months there has been information about the movements of absconding criminal, who was continuously changing his hideouts in UP to evade arrest. "Various teams were sent in UP to track the movements of fugitive during this period. After incessant efforts of more than two months, specific information was received about presence of accused Tyagi in Khurja City," Deputy Commissioner of Police, Special Cell, Alok Kumar said. "On Wednesday, a police team traced and nabbed Tyagi from Khurja at 11 p.m," said the DCP. The DCP said that Tyagi is a member of notorious Salman Tyagi and Saddam Hussain gang, which is also associated with Neeraj Bawana gang. "Muntzeer, with members of the gang, is involved in cases of murder, attempt to murder, assault, abduction, extortion, robbery, hurt, threatening, gambling act, arms act satta operating among others in Delhi," he said. A FIR under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act was registered against Tyagi and other gang members at Hari Nagar police station in 2019. "Tyagi was wanted and absconding in this case. He was also declared a proclaimed offender last year in November," the official added. In 2018, Tyagi, along with his associates, had abducted a person who was a witness in a case against his brother Salman Tyagi and threatened him not to depose in court. "He, along with his associates, had also demanded extortion from a person in Hari Nagar area in 2021," said the official, add ing that further interrogation of the accused is in progress. New Delhi, March 30 : A 23-year old man, out on bail for his involvement in a riots case, along with his brother allegedly had an altercation with the police in North Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar area. The video of the entire incident has also gone viral on social media. In the video, it can be seen that couple of people had a fight with police staff. According to the police, beat staff of Mukherjee Nagar police station was patrolling on Wednesday evening in the area of Indira Vikas colony, when they tried to verify the antecedents of a suspicious person, identified as Deepak (23), who and his brother became agitated and started an altercation with the staff in uniform. Accordingly, a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code was registered and legal action is being taken as per provisions of law, said a senior police official. "Further during verification, alleged Deepak was found previously involved in a riots case and he recently came out of jail on bail. Further probe is in progress," the official added. In the National Academy of Sciences, with the assistance of the International Scientific Cultural Polish Center and the NG Creators Club, a round table was held on the theme "Literary Krakow", dedicated to the work of the Nobel Prize Laureates in Literature of the Republic of Poland. Organizers of the event: Institute of Literature named after Nizami Ganjavi of ANAS, Baku Slavic University. On behalf of the President of the Academy of Sciences, Academician Isa Habibayli, the Executive Director of the Institute of Literature, Candidate of Philology Mehman Hasanli addressed the participants of the event with a welcoming address. Words of greeting on behalf of the rector of the Baku Slavic University, Doctor of Philosophy. in Sociology Anar Nagiyev were conveyed to the guests by the vice-rector of the university, candidate of philological sciences Anver Abbasov. Head of the Department of World Literature of the Institute of Literature, Doctor of Philology, Professor Gular Abdullabeyova, Head of the Department of Education of the Institute of Literature, Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology Samir Sattarov, Senior Lecturer of Slavic Philology at BSU Elnara Abdulhalimova, Deputy Chairman of the Polish Community in Azerbaijan Alexander Kostin made presentations on the work of Polish writers. Further, students of the Faculty of Translation of the Baku Slavic University Zeinab Samedova, Maleyka Pashayeva, Afet Mustafayeva presented their presentations with individual translation of the poems of the laureates in literature. In conclusion, the participants of the round table recommended that such meetings be held in the future in order to popularize high literature among the reader's environment. It should be noted that this is the second meeting in the series of events of the Literary Krakow Project, dedicated to the work of Polish writers. The first took place in 2021 at the Maksud Ibragimbekov Creativity Center and was dedicated to the anniversary of the Polish science fiction writer Stanislav Lem. New Delhi, March 30 : The government has informed the Parliament that there has been no death in the country caused by starvation. Responding to a starred question in the Lok Sabha on whether the country is still facing the problem of starvation deaths, Union Minister for Food and Consumer Affairs, Piyush Goyal said, "No sir. Not a single state government or Union Territory administration has reported any incident of death due to starvation." Goyal's response came just months after India was ranked 107th out of 121 countries in the Global Hunger Index 2022, with its child-wasting rate at 19.3 per cent, the highest in the world. In 2021, India was ranked 101st but slipped further in the index that tracks hunger globally. The report had come out in October 2022. Goyal's statement is also in stark contrast to the Central government's response to the Supreme Court in September 2022, when it had informed that 69 per cent deaths in children under five years were due to malnutrition and malnourishment. It had also told the apex court that 'hungry Indians' have gone up from 19 crore to 35 crore now. The Supreme Court had asked the Central government to work with the states to provide data on starvation deaths, hunger and malnutrition across the country. The government had also rejected the Global Hunger Report 2022, saying that a consistent effort was being made to taint India's image as a nation that does not fulfil the food security and nutritional requirements of its population. Mumbai, March 30 : On Ram Navami day, independent MP from Amravati, Navneet Ravi Rana attempted to needle her bete-noire, former Chief Minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray, here on Thursday. Almost a year after the famous 'Hanuman Chalisa' row which saw Navneet Rana and her MLA husband Ravi Rana cooling their heels in jail, the woman MP on Thursday hit back. Posters of the actress-turned-politician Navneet Rana proclaiming her as a 'Hindu Sherni' (Hindu Tigress) were seen near Thackeray's home 'Matoshri' in Bandra east, Thane, Amravati and other places. Drawing comparisons with Lord Ram's 14-year exile, Navneet Rana (37) is shown sporting a saffron colour sari on the posters which said 'Rajdroh & 14 days in jail'. She also announced that on April 6 on Hanuman Jayanti Day, a 111-feet tall grand statue of Lord Hanuman would be unveiled in Amravati followed by a mass recital of 'Hanuman Chalisa' there. The posters have an image of Lord Ram at the top right corner and photos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and her husband Ravi Rana, and one picture of Lord Hanuman's statue to be inaugurated next month. Earlier in the morning, Navneet Rana set the tone for Ram Navami celebrations by riding a Bullet motorcycle, sporting a stark black salwar-kurta suit with a bright orange headgear, raising full-throated slogans of 'Jai Shri Ram' and 'Jai Hanuman', several times, while speeding carefree on a deserted road on the power-bike in her hometown. It may be recalled that last year in April, Navneet Rana and her husband Ravi Rana and their supporters attempted to chant 'Hanuman Chalisa' outside Thackeray's Bandra home, much to the chagrin of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi government then in power. However, the MVA regime did not permit the Ranas to have their way, they detained the law-makers, arrested them and shunted them to jail amidst a huge row that went on for several days even as the Thackeray government fell after barely three months in June 2022. Later, the Ranas were granted bail by a special court. New Delhi, March 30 : Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh on Thursday said that the Bhutan-India relationship is facing a Chinese challenge, which also poses a threat to the Siliguri Corridor - the land bridge to the northeastern states. "Bhutan and India's so far unshakeable relationship is facing a challenge from an aggressive China. We urge the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) to not hide behind smokescreens and ensure that this very long-standing partnership with Bhutan remains strong and is further deepened," he said in a statement. He said the Modi government presented the 2017 Doklam standoff as a "major victory", but since then the Chinese have engaged in an unprecedented military infrastructure buildup in the area, and also built villages and roads adjacent to the Doklam plateau many kilometres inside Bhutanese territory. "It is well-known that the adjacent Chumbi Valley poses a potential threat to India's strategic Siliguri Corridor, the so-called Chicken's Neck that connects the seven northeastern states with the rest of the country. In this context the remark by Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering that 'there is no intrusion' into Bhutan by China and that Beijing has an 'equal' say in any discussion over its illegal intrusions raises several concerns." The Congress leader also questioned if there a dilution in the unwavering Indian and Bhutanese contention that the tri-junction of India, China, and Bhutan lies at Batang La, and not at Mount Gipmochi as the Chinese claim? This could cause a serious problem for the security of the Siliguri Corridor, he warned. The recent Chinese construction reportedly includes an all-weather road in the Amu Chu river basin inside Bhutan moving south towards the Jhamperi Ridge that overlooks the Siliguri Corridor. "Is China eyeing the coveted Jhamperi Ridge from a new angle? What is India doing to defend Bhutan and to prevent the Chinese from reaching this important geographical feature? "When will the Modi government respond to China's renewed verbal, geographical and military aggression?" Ramesh asked. New York, March 30 : Two Indian-origin men have been arrested for allegedly stealing over $100,000 from a 78 year-old woman in Massachusetts via a computer virus scam, police said. Nikit S Yadav, 22, and Raj Vipul Patel, 21, of Parsippany in New Jersey were involved in a computer virus scheme and demanded funds from the victim to remove unwanted items from their computer. The victim called a tech support number to assist with an issue with her computer last week. The suspects were arrested after they returned to the victim's residence on Monday evening to collect money from her, the Yarmouth Police said in a media statement. Both are charged with conspiracy and larceny over $1,200 by false pretenses.They were held overnight at the Yarmouth Police Department and transferred to court for arraignment. The investigation into this incident is ongoing. An increasing number of senior people in the US are falling victim to government impersonation, sweepstakes, and robocall scams. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in 2021 there were 92,371 older victims of fraud resulting in $1.7 billion in losses. The investigating bureau also said that senior citizens are less likely to report fraud. In the five-year period ending December 31, 2020, the US Senate Special Committee on Aging Fraud Hotline received more than 8,000 complaints nationwide, according to the National Council on Aging. New Delhi, March 30 : The Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) on Thursday welcomed the Rajasthan High Court's decision to acquit all the four men who were sentenced to death in 2019 for the 2008 Jaipur bomb blasts that killed 71 people and injured 185 others. The court also upheld the acquittal of a fifth accused besides accepting the plea of one of the accused stating that he was a minor. The JIH also demanded compensation for the acquitted persons besides seeking action against the police team that framed 'false' charges in the case. In a statement issued to the media, JIH vice-president Salim Engineer said, "Jamaat welcomes the Rajasthan High Court judgment in the 2008 Jaipur bomb blasts case. The judgment by Justice Pankaj Bhandari and Justice Sameer Jain has overturned the ruling of the trial court that awarded death sentence to the four accused in the case." However, the statement said the judgment raises some disturbing questions. As the accused have been pronounced innocent, it implies that the real perpetrators of the crime are still at large. "Will the government set up a new team to inquire into and trace the criminals who planned and executed the blasts? It must do so as justice has evaded the relatives of those who died in the blasts. The issue of justice for the victims of the blasts is very important and should not be ignored," Engineer said. The high court has identified various flaws and gaping holes in the investigation that led to the accused being falsely implicated in the case, he said. Engineer said, "JIH agrees with the court that the guilty police officers who framed false charges should be identified and punished. Jamaat-e-Islami Hind demands that compensation be given to the five acquitted persons as they lost 15 years of their precious lives in jail because of the false cases built against them." The high court on Wednesday acquitted the four accused persons who had filed 28 appeals before the court. In its verdict, the bench reportedly said that the investigating officer did not have legal knowledge. Therefore, instructions have been given to the DGP to take action against the investigating officer as well. The court also asked the Chief Secretary to conduct an inquiry into the investigating officer. Syed Sadat Ali, the lawyer representing the accused, said that the high court has termed the entire theory of ATS as wrong, which is why the accused have been acquitted. New Delhi, March 30 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday conducted raids at GTB Enclave Police Station and apprehended three police personnel including an inspector rank official for allegedly demanding bribe to cancel bail. No comment was made by the CBI in this respect while the senior police officers confirmed the incident. A senior police official said that a raid was conducted by the CBI officials at around 12:30 p.m. at Police Station GTB Enclave. The CBI had lodged an FIR in which inspector Shiv Charan Meena was accused of corruption. "Meena allegedly demanded bribe for bail cancellation of one accused Ravinder alias Titu who was released on bail in an Arms Act case. Meena has been apprehended by the CBI team, though no recovery is made," the police said. The police said that the CBI team conducted search at police station premise including adjoining rooms, gallery, corridor etc but recovery could not be effected. "The CBI team has taken inspector Shiv Charan Meena, ASI Trilok Chand Dabas and DHG Rishi with them for further interrogation. In this regard, a case has been registered by the CBI," the police said. Kolkata, March 30 : West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said she will take her agitation over non-payment of Central dues under various Centrally-sponsored schemes to Delhi in the coming days. Speaking on the second day of her two-day sit-in agitation here on Thursday, Banerjee said she had expected that her two-day agitation would evoke some response from the Central government on this count. "I waited till Thursday. I thought that at least out of courtesy, I will receive a phone call from the Union government with assurance of payment of the Central dues. But nothing of that sort happened. Now it is time to go to Delhi. If necessary, we will beg and go to the national capital by hiring a train," she said. The Chief Minister said that she had interacted with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah earlier, requesting them to initiate the payment of Central dues to West Bengal. "But when nothing happened finally, I decided to go for the sit-in agitation. The next agitation will be in Delhi," she said. Without naming the Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, the chief minister said that he is actually taking the main initiative so that the Central dues are not paid to the Bengal government. "One traitor from the state is going to Delhi and constantly asking the Union government to stop payment of central dues and the Union government is blindly accepting his suggestions," the Chief Minister said. Speaking on the occasion, she once again launched a scathing attack against the Union government on the alleged misuse of central agencies. "The central agencies are being sent randomly to the states ruled by the non-BJP parties. But the BJP is forgetting that if they are defeated in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the same central agencies can be directed against them," she said. On Thursday, the chief minister repeated her allegations that those who secured state government jobs during the previous Left Front regime "illegally" are now agitating in demand for payment of dearness allowance arrears. New Delhi, March 30 : Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said that a legal team is working on the case in which former INC chief Rahul Gandhi was convicted by a Guajart court following which he was disqualified from the Lok Sabha. Kharge said that the party is ready to face the matter "politically and legally", and also criticised the Central government for disqualifying Rahul Gandhi "in haste". The Congress president termed the disqualification "vengeance". As a mark of protest against the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha, and to press its demand for a probe into the allegations of fraud levelled against the Adani Group, the Congress has launched 'Jai Bharat Satyagraha' across the country against the Centre . The party has set up a war room to monitor the 'Satyagraha', which will culminate in Delhi with a rally. Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal had said: "The 'Jai Bharat Satyagraha' is a protest against the erroneous conviction and disqualification of Rahul Gandhi, and to express the party's strong resolve to keep raising the voice of the people against the blatant loot of people's money and nation's wealth." As part of the programmes planned to be organised during the protest, all block/mandal units of the Congress will hold 'nukkad sabhas' and address the public on relevant issues. Social media campaigns focusing on Rahul Gandhi's message to the people will also be carried out to appeal for public support for the 'Satyagraha'. Washington, March 30 : Nine US servicemen of the elite 101st Airborne Division - the US Army's sole air assault formation - were killed when two Black Hawk helicopters crashed during a "routine training mission" in US' Kentucky state late on Wednesday, media reports said. The incident, involving the 101st Airborne Division, happened during a training mission near the Fort Campbell military base at around 10 p.m. local time (2 a.m. GMT) on Wednesday, the BBC reported. It said the US military officials termed the incident as a "truly tragic loss". Crew members were flying "during a routine training mission when the incident occurred", the Fort Campbell base said in a statement on Facebook. Kentucky State Police got the call at around 10.15 p.m. (local time) and rushed to an area with a field and woods, State Police Post 1 spokesperson Trooper Sarah Burgess said, adding that no residential areas are affected. As per the BBC, a US Army spokesperson, in a statement issued earlier, said two HH60 Black Hawk helicopters had crashed during "a routine training mission" and the incident was under investigation and more information would be released as they become available. Mumbai, March 30 : On the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami, the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India, Milina Moragoda, said that the island nation is developing the legendary Ramayana and Sita trails, here on Thursday. Moragoda, along with the Sri Lankan Consul-General in Mumbai Valsan Vethody, informed Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais on their country's plans. It was in Sri Lanka that Lord Ram's wife Sita was kidnapped and held captive by Ravana for a year. Later, Lord Ram, along with his army led by Lord Hanuman, fought a war for seven days to finally vanquish and kill the 10-headed demon king. The visiting envoy also revealed that Sri Lanka is considering the possibility of allowing the use of Indian rupee (INR) for economic transactions in the island nation to boost tourism from India. "We are discussing the possibility of allowing the use of Indian rupee for economic transactions and hope that the move will help increase the flow of Indian tourists to Sri Lanka. The country is also considering developing the Ramayana trail and a separate Sita trail," Moragoda said on the planned tourist circuits. According to Moragoda, Sri Lanka has at least 40 places associated with Ramayana spread across the country. "There are five Shiva temples in Sri Lanka, and the one in Trincomalee is believed to have been established by Ravana," he said. He told the Governor that there is also a Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka where Vibhishana is worshipped, and many Sri Lankans believe that Lord Buddha had visited Sri Lanka. The diplomats also said that they are working closely with India's Minister for External Affairs, S. Jaishankar, and Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, and trying to get more investments from India to Sri Lanka - which was hit by a major economic crisis and political upheavals recently. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. Azerbaijani holding and a major Hungarian company signed an investment agreement, Trend reports via the tweet of Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov. Mikayil Jabbarov noted that Azerbaijan-Hungary trade-economic relations are growing. "The investment agreement signed between Azerbaijan Investment Company OJSC and Hungary's Hell Energy Ltd. is a significant step in the direction of efficient cooperation between the business circles of our countries," the minister said. In 2021, the total trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Hungary amounted to $35.16 million, while in 2022 this figure increased by 34.81 percent and reached $47.4 million. New Delhi, March 30 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday filed a chargesheet against two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists in connection with the Udhampur IED blast case, an official said. The chargesheet has been filed against Mohd. Aslam Sheikh a.k.a. Adil and Mohd. Amin Bhat a.k.a. Abu Khubaib under sections 120B, 121A, 122, 307 and 407 of IPC, sections 3, 4 of the Explosives Substances Act and sections 16, 18, 18B, 20, 23, 38 & 39 of the UA (P) Act. They have been accused of trying to revive terrorist activities in Jammu by carrying out recruitment. They were allegedly approaching surrendered terrorists and motivating them to carry out terrorist acts. The NIA took over investigations into the case on November 15, 2022 from Jammu & Kashmir Police. "Investigations revealed that Adil was in touch with Pinna, another LeT terrorist, who was now operating from Pakistan. Pinna recruited Adil to carry out the two IED blasts on buses parked in the public areas of Udhampur district in Jammu and Kashmir, which had inflicted injuries to two persons," the NIA said in its chargesheet. Pinna was a resident of Doda district in Jammu and Kashmir. In 1997, he joined the terrorist ranks of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and was involved in the execution of various terrorist acts in Jammu and Kashmir. He escaped to Pakistan in 2009 and is currently an active LeT handler who is playing a vital role to revive and accelerate terrorist activities in the Jammu region. "Adil collected the explosives consignment delivered Pinna's associates from across the border in Kathua sector. Pinna used drones and dead drop method for this delivery. Pinna trained Adil in cyberspace on how to prime the IEDs. On 28th September, Adil planted 2 IEDs in two different buses, which were plying between Basnatgarh and Udhampur. One blast took place around midnight on 28th and the other in the early hours of September 29," the NIA has alleged in the chargesheet. After his arrest, Adil made disclosures about hoarding explosives for 'future attacks'. Later, more explosives were recovered from Adil's residence. These were part of the consignment that was delivered from Pakistan. New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspects the construction of a new parliament complex in New Delhi on Thursday, March 30, 2023. (Photo:IANS) Image Source: IANS News New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspects the construction of new parliament complex in New Delhi on Thursday, March 30, 2023. (Photo:IANS) Image Source: IANS News New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspects the construction of new parliament complex in New Delhi on Thursday, March 30, 2023. (Photo:IANS) Image Source: IANS News New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspects the construction of a new parliament complex in New Delhi on Thursday, March 30, 2023. (Photo:IANS) Image Source: IANS News New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspects the construction of a new parliament complex in New Delhi on Thursday, March 30, 2023. (Photo:IANS) Image Source: IANS News New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspects the construction of a new parliament complex in New Delhi on Thursday, March 30, 2023. (Photo:IANS) Image Source: IANS News Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise visit to the new Parliament House, interacted with the workers engaged in the construction work. Image Source: IANS News Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise visit to the new Parliament House, interacted with the workers engaged in the construction work. Image Source: IANS News Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise visit to the new Parliament House, interacted with the workers engaged in the construction work. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, March 30 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise visit to the new parliament building on Thursday evening. Sources said that the Prime Minister spent more than an hour inside the new building, during which he inspected various works. According to the sources, during his surprise visit, the Prime Minister also inspected the facilities being installed in both the Houses of Parliament (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha). During the visit, Modi also interacted with the workers engaged in the construction work of the new parliament building. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The new building, which was earlier expected to be completed by November last year, is likely to be inaugurated soon. A series of pictures showed the Prime Minister interacting with construction workers, standing amid the big halls, and taking a tour of the place. The new building will have facilities like a grand Constitution Hall to showcase India's democratic heritage, a lounge for members of Parliament, a library, multiple committee rooms, dining areas, ample parking space etc. It will also have a new Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Cabinet Secretariat, India House and National Security Council Secretariat. Bhopal, March 30 : In a tragic accident on Ram Navami day, at least 13 people were killed and several others injured after they fell into a deep stepwell, containing water, at a prominent temple in Madhya Pradesh's Indore as they came to offer prayers on Thursday, officials said. President Draupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and other leaders expressed their shock and grief at the tragic incident. The incident occurred at the Baleshwar Mahadev temple. As per the police, the cover over an old stepwell, around 50 to 60 feet deep, on which devotees were standing to offering their prayers caved in, due to which around 30 people fell into it. Panic spread as people started crying after seeing their beloved gasping for life into deep well. District administration and the police swung into action soon and NDRF teams were also called for the rescue operation. District Collector Illaiaraja T. also reached to monitor the rescue operation and other departments like health and fire were also alerted. "Rescue operations were severely hampered due to narrow and iron rods on top of the well. Only one person could go inside at one time and similarly only once person could be brought out at one time," a police officer, involved in the rescue operation, said. Amid rescue operations, the police also had to manage the crowd, especially whose family members fell into the well and were frantic. Police used ropes to take out the trapped people, however, water in the stepwell was yet another hindrance. "Those fell into the deep well were severely injured and debris made the water muddy. One little girl is still missing and search operation was underway," Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra told the press in Bhopal. "As many as 11 bodies have been recovered. Of the 19 people who were rescued, two died. So, a total of 13 have died. Order has been given to probe the incident. This unfortunate incident has shaken the entire Madhya Pradesh," he said. Expressing her grief, President Murmu, in a tweet, said: "I am deeply saddened by the news of the death of many people in the accident in Indore. I express my deepest condolences to all the bereaved families and wish speedy recovery to the injured". Prime Minister Modi, expressing his condolences on this tragic incident, also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of those killed. "Extremely pained by the mishap in Indore. Spoke to CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and took an update on the situation. The State Government is spearheading rescue and relief work at a quick pace. My prayers with all those affected and their families. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased in the unfortunate tragedy in Indore today. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000," a tweet by the PMO said. Chief Minister Chouhan announced that the state government will provide a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the families of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for those injured in the incident. "We are with the bereaved families in this hour of grief. Rs 5 lakh each will be given to the relatives of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each to the injured. Proper arrangements have been made for the treatment of the injured, and the entire medical expenses will be borne by the state government," he said. Kolkata, March 30 : Some areas in West Bengal's Howrah district on Thursday turned into mini battlefields after clashes broke out between two groups of people over a Ram Navami procession. An organisation, Anjani Putra Sena, took out a procession at Sandhyabazar area of Shibpur on the occasion of Ram Navami. The organisers alleged that while the procession was passing through the area, a group of people attacked and started throwing glass bottles, stones and bricks at those who had participated in the procession. The organisers also alleged that the attackers later hurled crude bombs at them. Eventually, clashes broke out following which a number of vehicles, including some belonging to the police, were set afire. The procession organisers, meanwhile, claimed they had the police permission to take out the march. "The police, instead of taking action against the attackers, resorted to baton charge on those participating in the procession peacefully," an organiser said. The police, however, have maintained a silence on the matter, including the number of arrests, so far. The situation is said to be under control, and as per sources, at least 15 people, including some police personnel, were injured in the clashes. However, barring this incident, the situation was overall peaceful in the remaining areas in the state. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was on a sit-in agitation in Kolkata, said it is unfortunate that despite her appeal for a peaceful rally, an incident in Howrah took place. "The rioters always target Howrah. They are the enemies of the people of the country," she said, and warned that the administration and police will take strong action against the offenders. New Delhi, March 30: Despite exhortation from India to act, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has failed to take action against a new wave of Khalistani activism in Canada. Here is why. Trudeau heads a minority government which is backed by the New Democratic Party (NDP), headed by Jagmeet Singh, an arch-Khalistani separatist. Singh's NDP has 24 seats in parliament, whose support is critical for the survival of the Trudeau government. The Canadian Prime Minister therefore cannot afford to antagonise Singh, because of the extraordinary leverage his NDP enjoys with the Liberals. The results of the 2019 elections sealed the bonds between Singh and Trudeau. In the Canadian general election, Trudeau's Liberal Party bagged 157 seats, the opposition Conservative 121, Bloc Quebecois 32, NDP 24, Green Party 3 and one Independent. Trudeau therefore had to depend on the support of at least 13 legislators from his left-leaning rival parties to reach the magic 170 number mark to stay afloat. After the elections Singh and Trudeau signed what has been dubbed as the confidence-and-supply agreement. This will remain in force till 2025. So far Singh has remained Trudeau reliable partner. Recently when attacked by the opposition which wanted a probe into China's suspected interference in Canada's elections, Singh's NDP backed Trudeau. Secure with his backing from Trudeau, Singh has gone into overdrive against India, and in support of the Khalistani cause. Unsurprisingly, as the heat turned on Khalistani separatist Amritpal Singh in Punjab, leading to temporary suspension of the internet in some districts, the Canadian lawmaker knocked on Trudeau's door for support. "I am calling on Justin Trudeau and the Liberal government to immediately contact their Indian counterparts to express concern regarding the suspension of civil liberties and the safety of Canadians abroad," tweeted Singh. In fact, the entire Khalistani network in Canada sprang into action. For instance, Gurratan Singh, a former member of the provincial parliament, condemned the "repression" and said the whole world is watching. "Mass arrests of Sikh activists, shutdown of internet and text, crackdown on public gatherings, mass censorship of human rights media. Let the Indian government know that we condemn this repression," he tweeted. Now Gurratan Singh is no ordinary politician. He is Jagmeet Singh's brother. Gurratan Singh was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2018 provincial election. A member of the Ontario New Democratic Party, he represented Brampton East. Earlier Jagmeet and Gurratan came up with guns blazing against the Narendra Modi government during the farmers agitation. Singh shared the video of the speech made by him in the Ontario Assembly in a tweet posted by him. "The Indian govt's use of water cannons and tear gas on farmers protesting mass privatization of the agricultural sector and unjust reform of farming laws is appalling. They deserve respect for feeding the nation instead of being subjected to state brutality," Singh tweeted along with the video of his speech in Ontario Assembly in November 2020. According to a report in OpIndia, Indian intelligence agencies have suspected that Jagmeet Singh was not only sheltering pro-Khalistani sympathisers in Canada but also for leading an anti-Indian movement more vociferously in the Americas, especially after the abrogation of Article 370. Singh has long been suspected of attempts to link Khalistani and Kashmiri separatism from his perch in Canada. He is apparently connected with prominent Khalistani and Kashmiri separatist groups based in different countries of Europe, according to media reports. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative Kolkata, March 30 : A special CBI court here on Thursday pulled up the agency team probing the multi-crore scam in recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff in West Bengal over the slow pace of investigation in the matter. The judge of the special court even went to the extent of telling the Central Bureau of Investigation sleuths to admit if they cannot perform a timely probe in the matter. "You better go to the Calcutta High Court and inform them that carrying out this investigation is beyond your limits. It seems that the investigation is beyond your capability," the judge told the central agency officials and its counsel on Thursday while hearing on the bail petition of former Education Minister and Trinamool Congress Secretary General Partha Chatterjee. The judge also asked the agency to fix a deadline for completion of the investigation process. The CBI counsel's reply that considering the large number of people involved with the scam, the process of probe is getting delayed irritated the judge further. "How long will you continue to play the same record? The investigation process has to be completed even if the involvement is in thousands," the judge said. Moving the bail plea on behalf of Chatterjee, his counsel argued that the CBI is describing his client as the mastermind in the scam despite he is being not named in the FIR. "The central investigative agency should explain why they are describing my client as the mastermind," counsel argued. However, finally despite snubbing the CBI, the judge rejected Chatterjee's bail plea and extended his judicial custody till April 14. Hyderabad, March 30 : A portrait of Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse was displayed during a Ram Navami procession led by suspended BJP MLA T. Raja Singh here on Thursday. During the 'Shobha Yatra' led by the controversial leader, some participants were seen carrying a picture of Godse while dancing to a song and waving saffron flags. Hundreds of people took part in the yatra, which began from a temple in Sitarambagh and passed through different areas in Goshamahal, the Assembly constituency represented by Raja Singh. The police have made elaborate security arrangements for the Shobha Yatra by deploying hundreds of cops on the procession route, besides keeping vigil using CCTV cameras and drones. Police Commissioner C.V. Anand was monitoring the procession from the integrated command and control centre. Meanwhile, Raja Singh has been booked for allegedly delivering a hate speech at a rally in Mumbai on January 29. According to the police, a case was registered four days ago after Raja Singh's speech at the rally organised by the Hindu Sakal Samaj was examined. He has been booked under Indian Penal Code Section 153A(I)(a) for allegedly making provocative statements. Raja Singh was arrested by the Hyderabad police in August last year for making certain comments that hurt the religious sentiments of the Muslims. He was sent to jail on August 25 after the Police Commissioner had invoked Preventive Detention (PD) Act. The BJP had also suspended him from the party. Raja Singh was released from jail on November 9 last year, after spending two months in jail following his arrest under the PD Act. The Telangana High Court had set aside the Police Commissioner's order and released the MLA on bail, but had directed him not to make any speech or comment which could create hatred among communities. Over the last couple of months, Raja Singh attended various rallies and meetings in Maharashtra and allegedly delivered provocative speeches. New Delhi, March 30 : A transgender rights activist, Grace Banu has filed an "Intervention Application" before the Delhi High Court, seeking permission to support the court in a plea seeking hiring of transgender people in public appointments. Representing Banu, Senior Advocate Jayna Kothari submitted that she wanted to assist the court in the present case. The bench of Justice Prathiba M. Singh allowed the intervention application, but refused any impleadment in the case. The court noted: "In terms of the previous order affidavit were to be filed by the respondents. However, it is stated that the Union of India received the petition only on March 24." Thus, the court directed all the respondents to file their affidavits. The court added: "Let the paper book be given to the Union of India, so that they can reply on the affidavit in 6 weeks. List the matter for August 4." The court was hearing a plea filed by one Jane Kaushik, a transgender person living in the national capital. Being a qualified individual with degrees in B.A. (General), M.A. (Political Science), B.Ed., and a two-year diploma in Nursery Teacher Training (NTT), which is also known as Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), since 2019, Kaushik had been looking for employment in Delhi government schools, but to no avail. The Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board (DSSSB) advertised a position, but Kaushik was unable to apply since the online application registration system (OARS) did not contain "transgender" as an option for identification. As a result, she filed the current plea. Kaushik in her plea stated that various positions advertised required a "specific gender" of the candidate, either male or female. She has sought directions through the current plea in order to develop a policy for the hiring of transgender people for all positions with the Delhi government. She also sought relaxations for transgender persons by Clause 9 of the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) guidelines issued by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) and sought effective implementation of the provisions of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019. The court had sought the Centre's response to the current plea in January. The Ministry of Home Affairs of the Central Government was to be included as a party to the plea, the court had directed. The Delhi government's counsel subsequently informed the court that the DSSSB had already taken the necessary actions to instantly alter the portal. After considering the arguments, the court had clarified that Kaushik would be permitted to apply for positions at any time, regardless of the gender indicated in the job posting. Bhopal, March 30 : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has arrived in Bhopal to take part in the three-day Combined Commanders' Conference (CCC) of the three armed forces, which commenced here on Thursday. The biennial event, which will see the country's top military brass come together to brainstorm on military matters and national security, commenced at the Minto Hall on Thursday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend the event on the last day of the conference on April 1 and address the military commanders in the closing session. On Thursday evening, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and state Home Minister Narottam Mishra welcomed Singh on his arrival in Bhopal. As per official information, the Defence Minister will meet state intelligence officers, following which he will reach the Chief Minister's residence for dinner. An exhibition of CCC titled 'Fauji Mela' was formally inaugurated on Wednesday in the presence of Chouhan. The Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, the three service chiefs and senior military commanders of the three forces will attend the event, which is based on the theme 'Ready, Resurgent, Relevant'. As per information received, the CCC this year is likely to discuss various issues, such as digitisation of data, challenges and opportunities of social media and defence exports, among others. The conference is neing held amid an ongoing military standoff with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh and an array of geopolitical challenges thrown by the war between Russia and Ukraine, which has been going on for over a year now. There could be likely discussions on the operational aspects related to these issues. On April 1, the Prime Minister will also flag off the Bhopal-New Delhi Vande Bharat Express train from the Rani Kamlapati railway station here. The Vande Bharat Express between Bhopal and the national capital will cover a distance of 708 km in 7.45 hours, Chouhan had said. Guwahati, March 30 : The Assam government informed the Assembly on Thursday that a central hiring board will be established to recruit teachers in colleges across the state. Accordingly, college authorities have been asked not to initiate any new hiring process on their own. State Education Minister Ranoj Pegu said a large number of pending court cases related to the recruitment of teachers has forced the government to take this decision. "We have now decided to forego any further academics-based hiring by colleges. This approach causes a lot of legal disputes," he said. Replying to a question raised by AIUDF MLA Ashraful Hussain, Pegu said, "The education department has been facing at least 2,500 court cases related to the recruitment of teachers in schools and colleges." The minister said a total of 640 teaching posts in colleges are lying vacant across the state. "We have chosen to build a centralised recruitment board. After passing the selection test, a candidate will be posted to the college of his/her choice," Pegu added. However, the colleges which have already initiated the recruitment process have been allowed to complete it. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. Azerbaijan invites the Turkic states to participate in the process of turning Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur into a green energy zone, Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov said during the meeting of the ministers of the Organization of Turkish States (OTS) in Budapest, Trend reports. According to the minister, boosting Azerbaijan's energy cooperation with the EU, along with the expansion of energy security projects, such as the Southern Gas Corridor, as well as the project for the supply of green energy from Azerbaijan, has given a new impetus to energy cooperation between the Turkic states. Shahbazov added that the annual transportation of 1.5 million tons of Kazakh oil to world markets via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, the launch of new projects with Uzbekistan, as well as the signing of a document on cooperation in the energy sector with Turkmenistan in a trilateral format, are of great importance for strengthening cooperation between the OTS countries. Patna, March 30 : A teacher of a private school in Bihar's Madhubani district was shot dead by unidentified assailants on Thursday, police said. The incident occurred at Mushari Tola under Arer police station as the teacher, Saroj Thakur, was returning to his native village at Ijot village under Basopatti police station after tuition classes to students. The police said that the incident occurred around 6 p.m. Local police recovered the dead body and sent it to the postmortem. The reason of murder is yet to be ascertained. In another incident, two persons were shot and injured during a robbery bid in Hajipur on Thursday. The two were returning home on a bike from work when three gunmen, wearing face masks, intercepted them and tried to rob them of their valuables and the vehicle. When they resisted, the robbers opened fire on them. The victims sustained gunshot injuries in their hands and were admitted to a hospital. Jaipur, March 30 : Rajasthan BJP President C.P. Joshi claimed on Thursday that weak lobbying was done by the state government in the Jaipur serial bomb blasts case. Joshi's remark came after the Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday acquitted all the four men who were sentenced to death in 2019 for the 2008 serial bomb blasts in Jaipur that killed 71 people and injured 185 others. The court also upheld the acquittal of a fifth accused besides accepting the plea of one of the accused stating that he was a minor. "The entire case puts the government under suspicion for gross negligence. The acquittals show the insensitivity of the government in this whole matter. Seventy-one innocent lives were lost in the bomb blasts while hundreds of people were left. The government should punish the accused by strong lobbying in the Supreme Court and justice should be done to the victims. "Going by the activities of the state government in the last four years, it is clear that it is doing appeasement politics on religious grounds, be it the case of Kanhaiya Lal's murder in Udaipur or the Karauli riots. "Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also holds the home portfolio, yet the common man of Rajasthan is yearning for justice. If the state government does not show seriousness even in punishing the accused in heinous crimes like the Jaipur blasts, what will happen to the rest of the cases?" Mumbai, March 30 : India's first-of-its-kind, multi-disciplinary cultural space, the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, will open in Mumbai on Friday which will showcase the best of India across the fields of music, theatre, fine arts and crafts to audiences from both India and around the world. The centre will mark another definitive step in strengthening India's cultural infrastructure and bringing to fruition the best of India and the world in the sphere of arts. The launch programme will features a specially-curated art and craft exposition called 'Swadesh' along with three shows - a musical theatrical called 'The Great Indian Musical: Civilisation to Nation'; a costume art exhibition called 'India in Fashion'; and a visual art show titled 'Sangam/Confluence'. Together, the event will explore the diversity of India's cultural traditions and their impact on the world, while also showcasing the diversity of spaces at the cultural centre. Speaking on the occasion, Nita Ambani said, "Bringing this cultural centre to life has been a sacred journey. We were keen to create a space for both promoting and celebrating our artistic and cultural heritage in cinema and music, in dance and drama, in literature and folklore, in arts and crafts and in science and spirituality. It is a space where we will showcase the best of India to the world and welcome the best of the world to India." The Centre will be highly-inclusive with free access for children, students, senior citizens, and the differently-abled, and will strongly focus on community nurturing programmes The launch programme has been imagined to highlight India's immense cultural impact and provide a platform where the artist meets the audience. The cultural centre is a first-of-its-kind, multi-disciplinary space in the sphere of arts, within the Jio World Centre, located in the heart of Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex. The centre is home to three performing arts spaces: The 2,000-seat Grand Theatre, the technologically advanced 250-seat Studio Theatre, and the dynamic 125-seat Cube. It also features the Art House, a four-storey dedicated visual arts space built as per global museum standards. Jaipur, March 31 : Three people were electrocuted to death and four others seriously injured after coming in contact with a high-tension power line during a Ram Navami procession in Rajasthan's Kota on Thursday. The accident took place in Kotdadeep village when the youths were performing a stunt. One youth's cycle stuck with the high-tension line. While freeing it, 7 youths got electrocuted and were brought to Sultanpur Hospital, where doctors declared three dead. According to the information, the incident took place around 5 p.m. The deceased were identified as Barod residents Mahendra Yadav, Abhishek Nagar, and Lalit Prajapati. Three injured were referred to Kota while one is undergoing treatment in Sultanpur. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has expressed grief over the incident. "The accident that took place during the Ram Navami procession in Kota's Kotra is extremely sad. Our deepest sympathies go out to the families of those who lost their lives in this unfortunate accident. Necessary instructions have been given to provide the best treatment to the injured. I wish well for all those injured in the accident," he said. Bhopal, March 31 : The Indian Army has joined the rescue operations at a prominent temple in Madhya Pradesh's Indore where at least 14 people were killed and several others injured after they fell into a deep stepwell, containing water. Continuous water seepage in the stepwell was creating hindrance in the rescue operation. Therefore, Indian Army's help was sought, Indore collector Illaiaraja T. said. Around one-fourth of the well, which is around 60 feet deep, is filled with water and the SDRF team is continuously trying to drain out the water. However, continue water seepage is creating hindrance. "So far, 12 bodies were recovered from the well, while two persons died at hospital, and therefore, total casualty was 14. Some more people are suspected to be stucked in the well, that is why the Army's help was needed," he added. Later, IANS learnt that a team of the Army has joined the rescue operation. The incident occurred at Baleshwar Mahadev temple on Thursday afternoon after a concrete slab over the old stepwell, on which devotees were standing while offering prayers, caved in, due to which around 30 people fell into the well. Devotees thronged the temple in large numbers to offer prayers on the occasion of Ram Navami. A magistral injury has been ordered in the matter. We are so proud of this Kia President's Club recognition, especially as it is a reflection of our core beliefs that equally value customer, employee and community. Matthew Phillips of Car Pros Kia Moreno Valley, California, and CEO of Car Pros Automotive Group, has been named by Kia America as one of only 40 dealers in the United States to earn a spot in the brands prestigious Presidents Club. Car Pros Kia Moreno Valley is one of three Car Pros Kia dealerships to receive the honor this year. Selected from the network of nearly 800 retailers, the Kia Presidents Club recognizes dealers that have achieved the highest overall sales volume and provided outstanding customer satisfaction. This is the first time that Car Pros Kia Moreno Valley has received Presidents Club honors, achieved in its first full year of business. In addition, Car Pros Kia Moreno Valley was named 2022 City of Moreno Valley Community Business Member of the Year. 2022 was an important year in the ongoing maturation of the Kia brand in the United States, and on behalf of the Kia family, I would like to recognize and thank Matthew Phillips and the staff at Car Pros Kia Moreno Valley for their commitment to exemplary sales performance and top-notch customer satisfaction, said Sean Yoon, president and CEO of Kia North America and Kia America. Car Pros Moreno Valley, which is located at Moreno Valley Auto Mall, opened in May 2021 and, after its first full year of operation, was ranked thirteenth in new Kia sales volume for 2022. We are so proud of this recognition, especially as it is a reflection of our core beliefs that equally value customer, employee and community, said Phillips. Moreno Valley, one of the fastest growing cities in the Inland Empire, has been a fantastic and welcoming community as our great Car Pros Moreno Valley team has built this success. Our vision is to make Car Pros a great place to work, a great place to shop, and an involved community member, all of which has helped lead to this honor. Phillips, a well-respected automotive industry veteran, change management leader, franchise retail advocate and EV evangelist, has helped build Car Pros Automotive Group to become the fastest growing dealership group (2021) in the US and the top Kia retailer in the United States. Its five Kia dealerships, including Car Pros Glendale Kia, the number one Kia dealership in the US, were all named to the top 25 Kia dealerships in the Western Region. In addition, under Phillips leadership Car Pros was named the #1 Kia EV dealer last year, selling approximately 5% of the Kia EVs in the nation. A next-gen leader, Phillips brings in-the-trenches experience to his vision of changing lives and creating opportunity through excellence, as well as a powerful background and education in organizational psychology, financial management and business. In 2022, Kia received the most model awards in the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. ALG Residual Value Awards and Telluride, Seltos and Sportage PHEV all earned 2023 Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Awards. EV6 earned a Top Safety Pick+ for 2022 by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) and took home Best EV of 2022 honors from The Drive. Thanks to design and performance improvements, 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid was awarded top honors in the Best SUV category in the Motor1.com 2022 Star Awards. 2023 has been off to a fast start with numerous accolades, including the EV6 being named North American Utility Vehicle of the Year by the North American Car of the Year (NACTOY) jury. About Car Pros Automotive Group Car Pros Automotive Group is a leading automotive sales and service group, with dealerships representing Kia, Hyundai, and Honda. Founded in 1993 by Ken Phillips, Car Pros currently has annual sales of $1 billion and is the top selling Kia retailer in the nation, having retailed over 150,000 new Kia models. The retailer is committed to changing lives through high-performance and values-led dealerships. Led by CEO Matthew Phillips, Car Pros is shaping the future of automotive retail: Franchise, professional, tech-savvy, values driven, and people focused. Visit https://www.carpros.com to learn more. Media Contacts: Angela Jacobson, mWEBB Communications, angela@mwebbcom.com, (714) 454-8776 Melanie Webber, mWEBB Communications, melanie@mwebbcom.com, (949) 307-1723 Bauer College is well known for its world-class executive education programs, giving executives and working professionals enhanced knowledge and competencies to help them grow their skills and advance in their careers. The Office of Executive Development at the C. T. Bauer College of Business is partnering with Focus EduSolutions to offer a variety of continuing and executive education non-degree programs aimed at advancing professional development and lifelong learning. This collaboration will enable Bauer College to expand its portfolio of continuing and executive education courses and provide lifelong learners with practical skills and industry knowledge in a wide variety of fields. Bauer College Executive Development offers a broad range of courses including Women in Leadership, Mini MBA in Finance, Presentation Skills, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the Workplace, Employee Retention in Turbulent Times, Human Resource & Strategic Management for Energy Sector Leaders, Mini MBA Healthcare, Mini MBA Supply Chain, Financial Management for Non-Financial Managers, and Mini MBA Data Analytics, among others. Focus EduSolutions has developed a suite of courses that are tailored to the needs of modern-day professionals, with a focus on Industry 4.0 skills and other in-demand areas. The courses offered include Building Professional Expertise in Industry 4.0, Food Truck Entrepreneurship, Trucking Operations, Insurance Sales, Data Analytics Bootcamp, and Cybersecurity Bootcamp. Bauer College is well known for its world-class executive education programs, giving executives and working professionals enhanced knowledge and competencies to help them grow their skills and advance in their careers, Dean Paul A. Pavlou said. By engaging with Focus EduSolutions, we are broadening the scope and reach of our portfolio of non-degree offerings so that we can bring the prestigious Bauer experience to a wider audience. These continuing and executive education programs are designed for busy professionals and executives, with flexible options that allow diverse learners to learn at their own pace and on their own schedule. About the Bauer College of Business: The Bauer College of Business is Houstons most comprehensive business school, offering a range of degree programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. The colleges mission is to provide an innovative learning environment that fosters growth, entrepreneurship, and diversity, and prepares students for the global business environment. The colleges faculty is made up of leading scholars and experts in their fields, and the college has strong ties to the business community in Houston and beyond. The colleges focus on practical, real-world learning has earned it a reputation as one of the top business schools in the country. About Focus EduSolutions: Focus EduSolutions is a Boston-based company that works with colleges, universities, and industries to create micro-credentials to meet the needs of industries throughout the country. These micro-credentials are developed by Focus EduSolutions in partnership with subject matter experts directly from the industry and industry associations. Their mission is to create an education system that truly addresses the needs of the industry, provides alternative methods of education for future generations that are cost and time effective, and creates stronger relationships between higher education institutions and industry, for permanent culture change and workforce development solutions. Their certificates address the skills gaps that currently exist in the workforce, assist industries in their transformational changes, and provide educational opportunities for future generations of the industry. "We are prepared as scholars, not instructors. This must change, for the sake of our students and American higher education." The Association of College and University Educators (ACUE), the leader in student success and equity through quality instruction, believes the key to restoring public confidence in the value of higher education is to ensure student success through great teaching. To help colleges and universities provide all students with access to effective learning opportunities, ACUE today unveiled the agenda for the inaugural National Higher Education Teaching Conference (NHETC). Hundreds of higher education leaders from across the country ranging from presidents, academic affairs leaders and faculty to policymakers and philanthropists will convene June 22-23 in New York City to address the policies and practices that must be advanced to center effective teaching in the nations success and equity agenda. Attendees will identify practical ideas they can take back to their campuses and implement immediately, as well as strategies for elevating the attention on the importance of this work. Decades of research demonstrate effective instruction has the greatest impact on student success, said Penny MacCormack, Ed.D., Chief Academic Officer, ACUE. Yet, todays colleges and universities face a myriad challenges ranging from decreasing enrollments, non-traditional students seeking relevance and an active role in their own learning, and the resulting public debate about the value of higher education all pointing to the need for more attention on the quality of teaching and learning. By convening the best minds in higher ed, our inaugural national conference will further the national movement to create learning environments where all students can be successful. Featured plenary presenters include Harry Williams, president and CEO of Thurgood Marshall College Fund; Dame Louise Richardson, the new president of the Carnegie Corporation of New York; Felix V. Matos Rodriguez, Chancellor of the City University of New York; and Nancy L. Zimpher, Chancellor Emerita of the State University of New York and director of the Power of Systems initiative by the National Association of System Heads. In addition, more than 75 other experts, practitioners and champions of effective college instruction will lead more than four dozen concurrent sessions. NHETC's opening plenary, facilitated by NPR correspondent Michel Martin, will address college teaching's past present and future with Jose Bowen, author of Teaching Naked and Teaching Change," American University's Corbin Campbell, author of Great College Teaching,, DEI expert and author of Sentipensante, University of Texas-San Antonio's Laura Redon and author of Amateur Hour University of Pennsylvanias Jonathan Zimmerman. We are prepared as scholars, not instructors. This must change, for the sake of our students and American higher education, said Jonathan Gyurko, Ph.D., ACUE President and Co-founder. Students learn more, persist in their studies and graduate into more fulfilling lives when taught by professors who are experts in evidence-based teaching. Every student deserves the highest quality education we can provide. Modeling effective teaching practices, breakout sessions will include proven, active-learning pedagogies. Attendees will learn: the evidence behind proven instructional approaches, innovations in teaching; the relationship between pedagogy and equity; research how to demonstrate greater learning, retention, financial ROI, and reputational benefits; how to best engage and recognize faculty; and how we can, together, restore the publics confidence in the value of higher education. In addition to ACUE, co-hosts for the NHETC include the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the City University of New York, the ECMC Foundation, Excelencia in Education, the National Association of System Heads, Strada Education Foundation, the Raikes Foundation, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the American Council on Education. Participating publishers include Corwin-Sage Publishing, Harvard Education Press, Hopkins Press, SUNY Press, West Virginia Press and Wiley. For more information or to register for the NHETC, visit https://acue.org/national-higher-education-teaching-conference/. Media registration for NHETC is available by contacting Lisa Wolfe at lwolfe@lwolfe.com. About ACUE The Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) is on a mission to accelerate student success, belonging, and equity through quality instruction. In partnership with colleges, universities, higher education systems and associations, ACUE prepares and credentials faculty in the evidence-based teaching practices that lead to higher retention and achievement, deeper learning, and closed equity gaps. Numerous and independently validated studies confirm that students are more engaged, learn more, and complete courses in greater numbersmore equitably with their peerswhen taught by ACUE Certified faculty. ACUEs online, cohort-based credentialing programs are delivered through institutional partnerships and open enrollment courses endorsed by the American Council on Education. Glorify your online game with cutting-edge Website Development Companies. Let the champions of the field deliver unparalleled results. SelectedFirms, a leading B2B research and rating agency, has released its highly anticipated list of Top Website Development Companies in the United States. This report recognizes the best companies for web development that have demonstrated excellence in delivering cutting-edge web solutions to clients across various industries. With the digital world evolving rapidly, it is essential for businesses to have a robust online presence, and for that, they need reliable and top web development companies. Therefore, the selected agencies in the list have been carefully evaluated based on their expertise, experience, client feedback, market presence, and portfolio quality. The 2023 edition of the list features the best website development companies in the USA, including some of the most prominent names in the industry. These companies are known for their exceptional website design, development, and maintenance skills using various technologies such as Symfony, WordPress, Drupal, and many more. According to SelectedFirms, "We are delighted to present our list of Top Website Development Companies in the United States. The companies on this list have proven their mettle in the highly competitive web development industry, and we are proud to recognize their outstanding achievements." SelectedFirms' comprehensive research process ensures that only the best companies are selected, making it easier for businesses to find the right partner for their web development needs. In addition, the list is valuable for businesses looking to develop a new website or revamp their existing one. The list of the top website development companies in the United States are: Magneto IT Solutions Magneto is a team of digital commerce experts who work with manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers across the globe to turn ideas into one-of-a-kind customer and content-centric experiences. With their platform-agnostic approach, they have been providing innovative solutions and managing delivery since 2010. As a result, they accelerate the speed at which leading B2B, B2C, D2C, and marketplace brands can scale their online offerings flexibly. Whether building an e-commerce store from scratch or enhancing an existing one, Magneto can help you achieve your business goals with their E-Commerce development services. Promatics Technologies Promatics Technologies specializes in creating and providing top-of-the-line e-commerce websites with advanced features. Their adept team of E-commerce developers comprises consultants, analysts, Magento-certified developers, and proficient testers. Additionally, the company prides itself on its proficiency in Prestashop, Shopify, WooCommerce, Bigcommerce, and Volusion. Established in 2008, the company is headquartered in India and operates in Australia. Intersog Intersog is a global IT staffing and web development company that leverages cutting-edge technologies and the best talent to propel businesses toward success. With a strong presence in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Ukraine, and Israel, their team of 250+ IT experts has executed over 1,300 projects for European and American clients. Their unparalleled professionalism and unwavering commitment to providing top-notch technology and staffing solutions have earned them a reputation as a trusted partner for businesses worldwide. Softermii Softermii is a product development company that prides itself on crafting innovative software solutions tailored to your unique business goals. With a focus on quality over quantity, their team collaborates closely with you to bring your ideas to life. Their flexible cooperation models and commitment to cost-effectiveness make them the go-to partner for companies looking to streamline their development process without sacrificing quality. With their 24/7 availability and deep technical expertise, you can trust Softermii to deliver cutting-edge software solutions that exceed your expectations. ScienceSoft With a laser focus on web development for over two decades, ScienceSoft has crafted over 1,900 triumphant web projects for over 30 industries. As a leading web development agency in the USA, ScienceSoft offers a range of professional web services that aim to reduce web page loading time to an impressive 0.2 seconds, drive up conversions by a staggering 6x, and enhance user satisfaction to an impressive 97%. TagDiv TagDiv is the trailblazing WordPress development and web design software company that harnesses cutting-edge technologies, including PHP development, Open-source web and WordPress development, JavaScript development, Bootstrap, Vue.js, iOS, and Android app, to craft stunning and high-performing websites. With over 10 years of excellence and trust garnered from 150,000 satisfied clients globally, tagDiv is the leading premium news author on Envato's ThemeForest market, elevating the digital experience for modern businesses. ThinkPalm With a decade of experience, ThinkPalm is a leading software development company, providing end-to-end product engineering solutions in the Enterprise, IoT, and Telecom industries. Their diverse expertise and holistic approach enable them to deliver innovative bespoke software solutions that help businesses achieve their corporate goals and deliver exceptional customer experiences. In addition, their expertise in project management and custom software development has helped them establish themselves as a reliable partner for emerging and established businesses alike. Orases Orases is a cutting-edge web development company headquartered in the USA that crafts customized and dynamic websites for all types of businesses. They are a team of software enthusiasts who are passionate about providing top-notch websites and apps using the latest technologies and proven methodologies to help businesses from various industries achieve their highest goals. With more than 20 years of experience, Orases has assisted hundreds of businesses in developing game-changing software that delivers an exceptional user experience. SelectedFirms' list of Top Website Development Companies in the United States is a testament to these agencies' hard work and dedication. It is a must-read for anyone looking for the best website development services. About SelectedFirms SelectedFirms is the go-to B2B research and review platform for businesses seeking top-notch service providers in their industry. Our platform boasts an extensive evaluation and research process to identify the best-performing companies across various fields, including eCommerce development, web development, mobile app development, digital marketing, and more. We aim to empower businesses with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions and find the perfect service provider to meet their unique requirements. Prevent Applicant Fraud with S.A.F.E. "Our goal is to tackle the increase in fraudulent and suspicious activity across the country and protect institutions from potential harm." - Maurice Simpkins, President of A.M.Simpkins & Associates Higher Ed institutions like Prince George's Community College (PGCC), Louisiana State University (LSU), Howard Community College (HCC) and Lehigh Carbon Community College (LCCC) are leveraging S.A.F.E. (Student Application Fraudulent Examination), to address the influx of fraudulent activity by fake applications. This innovative system is part of a larger effort spearheaded by President Maurice Simpkins via A.M. Simpkins & Associates, Our goal is to tackle the increase in fraudulent and suspicious activity across the country and protect institutions from potential harm. S.A.F.E. , enables clients to quickly identify and eliminate fake applications, before they are added to your applicant pool. This ensures that the college only accepts legitimate applicants whose qualifications allow entrance into the schools applicant pool and ultimately the student body. S.A.F.E. also helps improve employee productivity and retention by reducing manual workload of employees, freeing up valuable resources for other tasks within the admissions office and other departments across campus. S.A.F.E also has budgetary implications relative to tuition income keeping projections based on real students and not fraudulent ones. S.A.F.E. also has the ability to detect Chat GPT Ai within recommendation letters, reference letters and essays so you can rest assured knowing that only verified content makes it into your database. Featuring advanced technology and easy-to-use tools, S.A.F.E. ensures accuracy when verifying student data so bad actors are unable to enter your institutions records system undetected! Prince Georges Community College successfully implemented S.A.F.E and is already receiving these benefits. PGCC is able to combat fraudulent activity while still providing a safe environment for all prospective students seeking admission into their respective college or university program . Dr Spells' leadership has enabled her institution to remain ahead of the curve when it comes to protecting its students from malicious activity while still providing an enjoyable experience for all involved in their admissions process. The S.A.F.E. system has been an effective tool for PGCC and soon to be for other community colleges & universities since its introduction last year, helping to ensure that only qualified applicants are accepted into their respective student bodies. This is done without sacrificing time or resources from their departments or staff members involved in admissions processes across the country. In addition to providing a secure method of communication between schools and prospective students, S.A.F.E. also offers an efficient way for college administrators to review application materials quickly and accurately while maintaining compliance with all applicable regulations regarding student admission requirements and data protection policies. For more information about S.A.F.E. Please visit our website. About A.M.Simpkins and Associates A.M.Simpkins & Associates is a leading EdTech company that provides innovative software solutions to Higher Ed. We make it our mission to provide institutions with the tools they need to help students succeed. With over 200 years of experience, we are experts in providing innovative software solutions that improve learning outcomes. Our products are used by millions of students and educators worldwide, and we continue to innovate and develop new ways to help students achieve their academic goals. Find out how to obtain a Threat Assessment for your CRM or to schedule a free demo please visit: https://amsaconnect.com/request-a-demo/ Leading UAE developer Emaar Properties has announced that its board has approved the distribution of cash dividends worth AED2.2 billion ($598 million) to its shareholders for FY 2022. In a disclosure to Dubai Financial Market (DFM), the company said the proposed profits represent 25% of the capital, at 25 fils per share. For FY 2022, Emaar had reported solid growth in its profitability and marked improvement in the performance of recurring revenue businesses in 2022. Its net profit surged by 80% to hit AED6.8 billion ($1.9 billion), while its ebitda for the period hit AED9.8 billion ($2.7 billion), up 18% over the previous year, as a result of sustained revenue, improved margins, and continued control over costs. It also showed continued improvement in its property sales which rose to a record AED35.1 billion ($9.5 billion) The Dubai developer recorded a revenue of AED24.9 billion ($6.8 billion) in 2022, supported by the continuous strengthening of the Dubai real estate market and growth achieved by the recurring revenue businesses due to the rebound of global tourism. The BoD has submitted the proposal to the General Assembly which will meet next month to decide on the approval of Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) on the meeting agenda. It also approved the annual report on the consolidated statement of financial position for the year ending 31st December 2022 which will be presented to the General Assembly meeting for review and approval.-TradeArabia News Service Details added (first published: 13:25) BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. Construction of the Turkish part of the Igdir-Nakhchivan gas pipeline will begin in the near future, Trend reports via the Energy Ministry of Azerbaijan. According to the ministry, this matter was noted during the meeting of the Energy Minister of Azerbaijan Parviz Shahbazov and his Turkish counterpart Fateh Donmaz as part of the meeting of ministers of the Organization of Turkish States in Budapest. During the meeting, the issues of gas transit through Turkiye, increasing the capacity of TANAP (Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline) as part of the expansion of the Southern Gas Corridor, new opportunities for cooperation between SOCAR, and BOTAS, TPAO (Turkish Petroleum Corporation) in the field of exploration and production of hydrocarbon deposits, and the implementation of the Igdir-Nakhchivan pipeline project were discussed. In addition, large wind and solar energy projects to be implemented with investors in Nakhchivan were also mentioned. "The steps to be taken in the direction of the export of most of this energy to Turkiye, as well as the supplies of green energy to Europe through the fraternal country, were discussed. Also, the importance of the signing of a relevant document between the two countries to implement new opportunities for cooperation in the energy sector was noted," said the statement. Azerbaijan and Turkiye signed a memorandum of understanding on the Igdir-Nakhchivan gas pipeline on December 15, 2020. The project will be implemented by the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) and Turkish BOTAS Petroleum Pipeline Corporation. Currently, Nakhchivan receives gas mainly through Iran. Azerbaijani gas supplies through Turkiye will help Nakhchivan meet its gas needs. The Turkish part of the pipeline from Igdir to Sadarak in Nakhchivan will be 85 kilometers long. We have some incredible speakers and performers lined up and its guaranteed to be a great time for everyone. Debbie Cavalier, Berklee Online CEO and Cofounder On June 2-3, Berklee Online will hold its sixth annual Berklee Onsite conference at the Berklee College of Music campus in Boston. Back for the first time since 2019 because of pandemic cancellations, Berklee Onsite 2023 is two days of workshops, panels, performances, and networking events, open to Berklee Online students and the music community at large. Were thrilled to be hosting Berklee Onsite again after a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic, said Berklee Online CEO and Cofounder Debbie Cavalier. Its such an important part of our online students experience to make the trip to Boston and spend time with the community that theyre a part of. We have some incredible speakers and performers lined up and its guaranteed to be a great time for everyone. Early registration is open from now until Friday, April 14 at 11:59 PM ET at the discounted rate of $129. After April 14, the price will jump to $159 and registration will remain open until the first day of the conference on June 2. In past years, Berklee Onsite has welcomed nearly 300 attendees representing close to 30 countries and 40 US states. The conference began as a way to give Berklees online students the opportunity to meet their instructors and advisors in person while visiting the Berklee College of Music campus, but has since expanded to welcome anyone interested in attending. This Years Featured Sessions Include: "Connection and Collaboration Workshop with Song Critique" with Kara DioGuardi, 11-time Grammy-nominated songwriter and former judge of American Idol, who is currently a visiting scholar at Berklee College of Music. "The Billboard Hot 100 Is Your Toolbox" with Prince Charles Alexander, Berklee professor and former recording engineer for Bad Boy Records, whose clients included Mary J. Blige, Destinys Child, the Notorious B.I.G., and others. "New Developments in Small Room Studio Design" with John Storyk, architect and acoustician who built Electric Lady Studios for Jimi Hendrix, among 3,500 other audio and video production facilities worldwide. Christopher Wares, assistant chair of the Music Business/Management department at Berklee College of Music, will give the opening keynote address. The closing keynote will be presented by Berklee professor and researcher, Susan Rogers, who was the staff engineer for Prince from 19831988. For more information on sessions or to register, visit http://www.berkleeonsite.com. About Berklee Online: Founded in 2002, Berklee Online is the premier innovator and largest provider of worldwide music education, offering more than 75,000 students from 164 countries the renowned curriculum of Berklee College of Music, at a fraction of the cost. With more than 18,000 annual enrollments in credit-based courses, certificates, bachelors, and masters degree programs, and 3.1 million enrollments in massive open online courses, students receive expert music instruction and emerge with the skills to exceed the demands of the music industry. Valbridge Property Advisorsthe largest independent commercial property valuation and advisory services firm in the United Statesis pleased to announce that the company is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Valbridge Property Advisors was formed by leading appraisers from various regions across the U.S. with the goal of building an independent commercial appraisal company to better serve national clients while retaining local expertise in major markets across the U.S. Although the firm launched a decade ago, it carries with it the experience and tenacity of having valued property through numerous market cycles, as many of its founding firms have been in business for nearly 50 years. Since its launch in 2013 with nineteen original founding firms, Valbridge has grown to become the largest independent commercial appraisal firm in the U.S., with approximately 700 employees and over 80 offices nationwide. Each Valbridge Property Advisors office is led by an appraiser who holds the MAI designation of the Appraisal Institute, and there are more than 200 MAIs on staff nationwide. Valbridge Property Advisors has experienced tremendous growth over the last ten years, and we are excited about our future, says Rick Armalavage, MAI, MRICS, President and CEO of Valbridge Property Advisors. Having a national team of the best commercial appraisers in the business, in-depth knowledge of local property markets and time-tested judgment allows us to innovate, grow and shape the future of our industry, said Armalavage. In addition to providing clients with quality real estate appraisal across all major commercial asset classes, Valbridge Property Advisors has deep experience in valuing specialty property types and practice areas. These specialty valuation and advisory services include litigation support, fair-value accounting, fractional interest valuation, risk assessment, right-of-way valuation, tax appeal support, and more. Valbridge Property Advisors is known as a thought leader in commercial real estate technology solutions, and has developed several cutting-edge CRE platforms, including Datappraise, Valnow, and V-AMS. The firms tech CRE products aid appraisers and investors in efficient and data-driven report writing, portfolio valuation, and project management. With the formation of the Valbridge Womens Council, DEI initiatives, and Valbridge Future Leaders Alliance, Valbridge Property Advisors is paving the way for the next generation of CRE appraisers while setting a strong precedent to elevate the industry, in line with goals set forth by the Appraisal Institute for equitable growth of the profession. # # # About Valbridge Property Advisors Valbridge Property Advisors is the largest commercial property valuation and advisory services firm in the U.S., with 200 MAI-designated appraisers, more than 80 office locations, and more than 675+ staff across the nation. Valbridge provides independent appraisal services consistent with the highest industry standards of practice. Each Valbridge office is led by an appraiser who holds the MAI designation of the Appraisal Institute. For more information about Valbridge Property Advisors, please visit https://www.valbridge.com. GreyNoise has earned seven cybersecurity accolades in the past twelve months. GreyNoise increases security analyst capacity, enabling security teams to see emerging threats faster and accelerate their time-to-verdict," said Andew Morris, Founder and CEO, GreyNoise. GreyNoise Intelligence, the cybersecurity company analyzing internet scanning traffic to separate threats from background noise, today announced that it has earned a Gold Award in the 19th Annual 2023 Globee Cybersecurity Awards as the best solution for Vulnerability Assessment & Penetration Testing. This award marks the seventh cybersecurity accolade GreyNoise has received in the past twelve months. The Globee Cybersecurity Awards were created to recognize achievements in every facet of security and information technology, and honor cybersecurity companies and professionals for their innovative approaches and effective solutions in ensuring security in the digital age. The awards cover various categories such as risk management, threat detection, cloud security, data privacy, and more. The Globee program aims to raise awareness about cybersecurity issues and honor those who have made significant contributions in protecting organizations and individuals from cyber threats. GreyNoise Intelligence collects, analyzes, and classifies internet scanning traffic to separate malicious threats from background noise. Rather than barraging security teams with alerts, GreyNoise helps to eliminate harmless activity by labeling data on IP addresses that saturate security tools with noise. This unique approach helps security analysts waste less time on irrelevant alerts and focus instead on targeted and emerging threats. GreyNoise helps security analysts identify and respond to opportunistic mass exploitation attacks in real time by providing context about the behavior and intent of IP addresses scanning the internet. The GreyNoise Mass Exploitation Defense Solution provides security teams with: An early warning system, offering real-time visibility into whether a vulnerability is being actively exploited in the wild. The ability to close the window of exposure by blocking mass exploit attack IPs at the perimeter and providing extra time to patch. A way to hunt for intrusions a and search for IP addresses that may have penetrated your defenses before blocking. Over the course of the past year, weve seen a drastic increase in the frequency of mass-exploitation attempts on severe vulnerabilities in internet-facing enterprise software, with new vulnerabilities being weaponized at a shocking rate, said Andew Morris, Founder and CEO, GreyNoise. GreyNoise increases security analyst capacity, enabling security teams to see emerging threats faster and accelerate their time-to-verdict. Having a Mass Exploitation Defense Solution in place enables security teams to do a better job of defending against malicious threats at scale. In addition to The 19th Annual Globee 2023 CybersecurityAward, GreyNoise has received six additional industry accolades in the past twelve months, including: For more information about GreyNoise Intelligence and its Mass Exploitation Defense Solution, please visit https://www.greynoise.io/. To request a copy of the GreyNoise 2022 Mass Exploitation Report, please visit https://www.greynoise.io/resources/greynoise-2022-mass-exploitation-report. About GreyNoise Intelligence GreyNoise is THE source for understanding internet noise. We collect, analyze and label data on IPs that saturate security tools with noise. This unique perspective helps analysts waste less time on irrelevant or harmless activity, and spend more time focused on targeted and emerging threats. GreyNoise is trusted by Global 2000 enterprises, government organizations, top security vendors and tens of thousands of threat researchers. For more information, please visit https://www.greynoise.io/, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. ### "The results that we have been delivering to our clients speak on the confidence that we have built with each of the businesses that we represent," states Ken Collis, Founder & CEO. "The value for our client base are the pillars that build strong businesses and the partnership that holds them up." TLK Fusion, a world-renowned hybrid marketing and retail servicing firm in Los Angeles, CA, is ranked No.348 by the Financial Times and Statista Inc.'s prestigious list of Americas Fastest Growing Companies 2023. Reported on March 28th, 2023, Statista Inc. is the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider. The list can be viewed on the Financial Times website. "To be honored with this award has been thrilling. The results that we have been delivering to our clients speak on the confidence that we have built with each of the businesses that we represent," states Ken Collis, Founder & CEO. "TLK Fusion has remained nimble in the recent economic challenges that all small businesses are experiencing. The value of what we bring for our client base are the pillars that build strong businesses and the partnership that holds them up." The companies on this list awarded by the Financial Times and Statista Inc. show a remarkable compound annual growth rate in revenue between 2018 and 2021. Across 20 countries, over 7,000 companies were examined, and only 500 were ranked and named Americas Fastest Growing Companies 2023. The data was collected via desk research in public and official sources such as available earning presentations, investor websites, or annual reports. Small businesses are seeking trusted solutions that drive real revenue, Collis further explains. For fourteen years, we have built and sustained relationships with the nation's leading retailers and the buying communities that support them. Our partners know that if we are presenting them with a brand that we have done our due diligence to ensure market viability. Our organization has generated over a billion dollars in purchase orders for our clients and can extend our service offering that provides the much needed marketing support that drives success. TLK Fusion remains the only award-winning hybrid agency that combines signature marketing services with the power of bringing products to the retail community. As a leader in the industry, TLK Fusion has reset the business model that modern agencies are based on. TLK Fusion (https://tlkfusion.com/) is an innovative, fast-paced, award-winning hybrid Retail Management and Marketing firm based in Los Angeles, CA. Established in 2009 by successful entrepreneur Ken Collis, TLK Fusion boasts not only an A-List roster of celebrity talent but also has an aggressive footprint in Influencer Marketing and Distribution into Retail markets. TLK Fusions unique out-of-the-box thinking and 360-degree service mix have proven successful throughout its history. As the recipient of many accolades and awards that include multiple Best in Biz Awards, The Rolling Stone Magazine Impact Award, the notorious Golden Bridge Award, a coveted Stevie Award, multiple Clutch Awards, consecutive Entrepreneur 360 Awards, INC5000 Fastest Growing Companies for three consecutive years in 2020, 2021, and 2022, and finally, the Financial Times Americas Fastest Growing Companies 2023 List, TLK remains the brands choice of firms to partner with and experience real growth. We are honored to be recognized by The Financial Times and Statista Inc. as one of The Americas' Fastest Growing Companies, said Rida Bint Fozi, president of The TASC Group. The TASC Group, an independent, nonprofit communications and public relations firm, was ranked by the Financial Times and Statista as one of The Americas' Fastest Growing Companies of 2023.TASC was ranked number 384 out of 500. Rankings are available on the Financial Times website. For over 20 years, The TASC Group has been committed to providing comprehensive services to a wide range of advocacy-driven clients. Due to its passionate dedication to its clients and employees, The TASC Group has grown over 325% since 2019 despite the adversities faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are honored to be recognized by The Financial Times and Statista Inc. as one of The Americas' Fastest Growing Companies, said Rida Bint Fozi, president of The TASC Group. Our clients rely on TASC to provide strategic communications and level-headed guidance in a fast-paced, ever-evolving world. The Financial Times offers one of the worlds most comprehensive and credible ranking systems, and this recognition underscores our teams hard work and dedication to our mission and clients and solidifies our role as an expert in the public relations and communications industry. The TASC Group has been consistently recognized for excellence in public relations and communications. Since its inception, the company has received 20 PRSA Big Apple Awards, 11 PR News Nonprofit Awards, three PR Dailys Corporate Social Responsibility Awards, two PRSA Silver Anvil Awards, one Social Good Award and one Power PR 50 Award. The TASC Groups notable clients have included Trayvon Martins family and legal team, the Heather Heyer Foundation, a consortium of asbestos litigation lawyers representing victims against Johnson & Johnson and Georgia Pacific, The Eagle Academy Foundation, United Way of New York City, Dictionary.com and The David Lynch Foundation, among others. The Americas' Fastest Growing Companies of 2023 ranking lists the top 500 companies in the Americas that have attained the highest compound annual growth in revenues between 2018 and 2021. The research to collect these results was conducted across 20 countries, with over 7,000 public companies examined. The Americas Fastest Growing Companies title acknowledges those selected as companies with high growth potential. Media interested in learning more about The TASC Group should contact Zadie Adams at zadie@thetascgroup.com or (973) 914-1333. About The TASC Group The TASC Group (TASC) is an independent, full-service nonprofit communications and public relations firm. TASC was built on a foundation of progressive values and a passion for public service, which are reflected in the work that TASC does for client partners every single day. The company exists to help make a meaningful difference for nonprofit organizations, social advocacy causes and campaigns, and mission-driven businesses that are committed to building stronger communities and making the world a better place. TASC's services include media relations, crisis communications and issues management, corporate social responsibility campaigns, thought leadership development, cause-related marketing, red carpet galas, SEO and digital marketing, online reputation management and social media. For more information, visit http://www.thetascgroup.com. Contact: Zadie Adams Phone: (973) 914-1333 Email: zadie@thetascgroup.com Five Charlotte chefs are competing in a Sip & Bite Battle on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, to benefit the winning chefs charity of choice. The event is hosted by Charlottes Food & Beverage Social Club and the Culinary Fight Club. Guests will participate in the food sport action during the live cooking competition by tasting samples, voting for the best dishes, and supporting their favorite chefs and charities in the process. Chefs will have 60 minutes to prepare their greatest dish for the judges and the audience. For this Sip & Bite challenge, each chef must pair a varietal of Fresh Vine Wine with their dish and incorporate the featured ingredient, Butterball Ground Turkey. Were thrilled to host the Culinary Fight Clubs first North Carolina cooking competition, said Mike Pruitt, Founder of Food & Beverage Social Club, Chairman of the Board for Fresh Vine Wine NYESE: (VINE), Amergent Hospitality Group and Culinary Fight Club Judge. Im sure it will be an exciting evening as we cheer on fantastic local chefs and support important nonprofits at the same time. Im really looking forward to seeing who emerges as the winner of the Sip & Bite battle and savoring the contestants creations. The Sip & Bite battle is sponsored by Butterball Turkey, Fresh Vine Wine, and Galley Solutions: Restaurant Management Software. Tickets for the Sip & Bite Battle are $30. To purchase tickets, click here! This event will be held at Piedmont Natural Gas Technology & Design Center, located at 4320 Yancey Rd. in Charlotte. Piedmont Natural Gas Technology & Design Center offers a world-class, try-before-you-buy-or-build experience featuring natural gas innovation, performance and equipment. This modern natural gas commercial kitchen and outdoor living solutions facility is the premier commercial and residential resource for comparison testing, training and developing natural gas applications. Food & Beverage Social Club handpicks Charlottes best restaurants and drinking establishments where it hosts 2 to 4 unique and delicious culinary experiences each month. The club is dedicated to connecting its members with new and interesting people who enjoy Charlotte and all its culinary and social delights. To learn more about Food & Beverage Social Clubs events and membership benefits, visit https://fbsocialclub.com/. For more information about the Sip & Bite Battle, contact Lucia Zats by email at LZats@FBSocialClub.com About Food & Beverage Social Club Food & Beverage Social Club partners with Charlottes best restaurants, breweries and chefs to host exciting events each month. The clubs members love meeting new and interesting people who connect over fine food, drinks, and social experiences. Members get discounted ticket prices, exclusive access for hard-to-get reservations, the inside track to the hottest chefs in town, VIP members-only events, and more. From Chefs Table gourmet to whiskey, wine and beer, to the finest restaurants (and even food trucks!) in town, Food & Beverage Social Club has something delicious and excitingly social for everyone! Visit https://fbsocialclub.com/ to join the club, today! Sarah Heller exhibition, PalaExpo Coming from a fine art background, I have always relied on visuals to make sense of the world. After completing my wine studies, I returned to visual art to help express the deeply subjective sensations, emotions and memories that drinking wine can stimulate. The Italian government has authorized the temporary loan of two significant works of art from their permanent home in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Both the masterpieces selected for display at Vinitaly depict Bacchus, the ancient god of wine, and will provide a striking artistic backdrop to the worlds largest international wine fair. The two priceless canvases will be on display at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereigntys stand from 2-5 April. Meanwhile, an exhibition by visual artist and Master of Wine Sarah Heller will give attendees the opportunity to enjoy a more contemporary interpretation of wine and the feelings it evokes. Guests can also hear directly from the artist herself as Sarah Heller shares the sensations, emotions and intentions behind her work, along with a specially selected wine list, at a Vinitaly tasting event on Tuesday 4 April at 10.30 am. Commenting on the links between wine and art, Sarah Heller explained: Wine and art have a long-shared history that I am delighted to see being celebrated at Vinitaly this year. Both are sensuous pleasures first but with the power to elevate and reconnect us with deeper facets of human existence than we regularly encounter in our day to day lives. She continued: Coming from a fine art background, I have always relied on visuals to make sense of the world. I felt language - particularly the purportedly objective, analytical prose favored by most formal wine education - was a clumsy tool for capturing what is truly magical about wine. After completing my wine studies, I returned to visual art to help express the deeply subjective sensations, emotions and memories that drinking wine can stimulate. Admission to Sarah Hellers tasting, Envisioned Icons: Visual tasting notes of iconic Italian wines, is by invitation only. Further information is available at: https://liveshop.vinitaly.com/. About: Vinitaly 2023 will be held in Verona from 2-5 April 2023. Each year, Vinitaly counts more than 4,000 exhibitors in a 100,000+ square meter area and 130,000 visitors from over 140 different countries with more than 30,000 international buyers. The premiere event, OperaWine Finest Italian Wines: 100 Great Producers, takes place on 1 April, the evening before Vinitaly itself kicks off, and brings international wine professionals together in the heart of Verona, offering a unique opportunity to discover and taste the wines of the 100 Best Italian Producers, as selected by Wine Spectator. Since 1998 Vinitaly International has extended its global reach, with the help of its strategic arm abroad, Vinitaly International. In February 2014 Vinitaly International launched an educational project, the Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) with the aim of promoting and sharing the excellence and diversity of Italian wine around the globe. To date, there are 340 Certified Italian Wine Ambassadors of whom 16 are also Italian Wine Experts. Our team is truly looking forward to a mutually beneficial partnership with Dental Care Alliance, shared Dr. Joe Miller Dental Care Alliance (DCA) proudly welcomes Rivertown Dental Care, a three-doctor general dentistry practice located in Columbus, Georgia. Established in 1968, the practice is currently owned by Dr. Joe Miller, Dr. Chris Miller, and Dr. Michael ONeal. The doctors of Rivertown Dental Care practice a full scope of general and cosmetic dentistry, offering tooth-colored fillings/restorations, cosmetic bonding, porcelain veneers, whitening, Invisalign clear braces, sealants, crowns, bridges, implants, root canal, dentures, partial dentures, extractions, emergency services, bruxism treatments, bone grafting, and CEREC. The office prides itself on being able to literally redesign a smile. Dr. Joe Miller graduated from the University Tennessee and completed his Doctor of Dental Surgery at the University of Tennessee-Memphis in 1966. He served two years in the Air Force before coming back to the Columbus area. Dr. Chris Miller graduated from the University of Georgia and completed his Doctor of Dental Surgery at the University of Tennessee-Memphis in 1994. He returned to Columbus to work at Rivertown Dental Care with his father. Dr. Michael ONeal graduated from Georgia Southern and completed his Doctor of Dental Medicine in 2004 at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. He joined Rivertown Dental Care that same year. Dr. Miller, Dr. Miller, Dr. O'Neal and their expert staff are dedicated to providing patients with a pleasant visit and results to be proud of. The administrative staff is welcoming and helpful with answering questions about scheduling, financial policy, and insurance. The 2,000+ Google reviews averaging 4.9 stars are indicative of the exceptional level of service at Rivertown Dental Care. Our team is truly looking forward to a mutually beneficial partnership with Dental Care Alliance, shared Dr. Joe Miller. Not only do I believe that DCA can help make Rivertown Dental a stronger practice, but that Rivertown Dental can make DCA a greater company. Our collective futures are brighter than ever before. This affiliation continues the rapid growth and momentum for the organization and expands DCAs footprint in Georgia to 16 allied practices, and DCAs total footprint to over 400 allied practices across the US. I couldnt be more excited to be a part of this affiliation, said Mandy Gast, DCA VP Business Development. I knew immediately when I met Drs. Miller, Miller, and ONeal they embodied the culture we strive for at DCA. They truly want to be the best partners we have ever had, and I have no doubt they will fulfill that aspiration. It was a pleasure to meet their terrific staff and I look forward to having them all as part of the DCA family. Dental Care Alliances mission is to advance the practice of dentistry by partnering with and supporting dental professionals to create a lifetime of healthy smiles. DCA currently supports over 400 allied practices and supports over 900 dentists across 22 states. DCAs allied practices represent all dental specialties and treat patients under more than 150 brand names. Weve experienced significant success in South America since...2014...But, over the last several years, volumes of companies are seeking out and adopting our automation solutions; including a suite of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) services that we deliver. - Avner Schneur, GRM Global CEO GRM Information Management is enjoying significant growth of its digital solutions business in South America. With established operations in Brazil, Colombia and Peru, across a total of six major metros, GRM continues to expand its digital business among both existing and new clients. The GRM South America operations have been successful in introducing a broad variety of digital solutions previously adopted by U.S. clients across vertical markets. With the capture, structuring and automated flow of data as the basis of most solutions, GRM South America has been particularly successful in securing partnerships in the Healthcare, Energy and Banking industries. GRM Global CEO, Avner Schneur states, Weve experienced significant success in South America since establishing operations there in 2014. We quickly built a very successful document storage business. But, over the last several years, volumes of companies are seeking out and adopting our automation solutions; including a suite of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) services that we deliver. BPO services are a natural marriage of GRM's document storage and scanning capabilities and its advanced digital automation solutions. GRM is able to build end-to-end processes, where important paper documents such as patient records and high-value financial transactions can be secured, scanned, auto-indexed and leveraged to drive workflow automation in an increasingly digital environment. In addition to high value processes and documents being processed more efficiently and quickly, all of these documents and processes become more easily reported upon and better understood with advanced analytics functions applied. *** About GRM GRM Information Management is a leading provider of document storage services and enterprise content management (ECM) solutions. GRMs robust, cloud-based content services platform serves as the centerpiece of the digital solutions that GRM provides its clients. Serving a diverse base of industries such as healthcare, government, higher education, legal, finance and human resources, GRM delivers its clients services such as digital conversion, advanced data capture solutions, document management systems, workflow automation, legacy data archiving, compliance and governance, business process management and advanced analytics capabilities, as well as a full suite of document storage, scanning and physical records management services. GRM maintains offices in 14 major metros across the U.S., including Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Miami, New Jersey/New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. GRM also has facilities in Lima, Peru; Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Jundiai, Brazil; and Bogota, Medellin and Cali, Colombia. For more information, visit GRM Information Management. New research published in the Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy investigates a linkage between farm size and Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program choices and finds that larger operations are more likely to participate in DMC and make margin coverage choices that maximize the net returns. This finding implies that the larger operations are more likely to fully capture the benefit from the program. In the new article, Do Large Farms Make Better Choices: Evidence from Dairy Margin Coverage Program Participation Patterns, Jisang Yu from Kansas State University and Georgi Gabrielyan from the USDA-FPAC, investigate if larger farms are more likely to participate in the Dairy Margin Coverage Program and whether their program choices lead to greater returns from the program. The authors say, Our findings provide useful insights on the future budgetary implication of the program, particularly in the context of the ongoing consolidation of the dairy industry. We provide a back-of-envelop budget prediction for some consolidation scenarios and find that the program cost increases most when the consolidation occurs in a form that smaller dairies become larger. This is because the increase in the likelihood of making the program choice that maximizes net benefit is greater for smaller dairies compared to larger ones when their sizes become larger. If you are interested in setting up an interview, please contact Allison Ware in the AAEA Business Office. ABOUT AAEA: Established in 1910, the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) is the leading professional association for agricultural and applied economists, with 2,500 members in more than 60 countries. Members of the AAEA work in academic or government institutions as well as in industry and not-for-profit organizations, and engage in a variety of research, teaching, and outreach activities in the areas of agriculture, the environment, food, health, and international development. The AAEA publishes three journals, the Journal of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (an open access journal), the American Journal of Agricultural Economics and Applied Economic Perspectives & Policy, as well as the online magazine Choices and the online open access publication series Applied Economics Teaching Resources. To learn more, visit http://www.aaea.org. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. Azerbaijan plans to supply 10.2 billion cubic meters of gas to Turkiye and about 12 billion cubic meters to Europe in 2023, Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov said during the third meeting of the ministers of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), Trend reports via the Ministry of Energy of Azerbaijan. According to the minister, it is expected to export 24.5 billion cubic meters of gas this year. "During his speech, the minister noted that Azerbaijan's trade turnover with the member and observer countries of the Organization of Turkic States increased by 42.7 percent last year and exceeded $7.2 billion. The investments of the OTS countries in the economy of Azerbaijan amounted to $14.3 billion, whereas Azerbaijan invested $21 billion in the economies of the Organization's member countries. The importance of developing energy cooperation in terms of ensuring energy security in Eurasia was also noted," the statement said. According to Shahbazov, since the commissioning of TANAP (Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline) and TAP (Trans Adriatic Pipeline), 20.9 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas have been supplied to Turkiye, while the volume of gas supplied to Europe amounted to 22 billion cubic meters. The ministry said that the strategic energy partnership with the EU, along with the expansion of energy security projects such as the Southern Gas Corridor, and the transformation of Azerbaijan into a green energy supplier, added a new impetus to energy development. "Moreover, cooperation reached in December in the field of development and transportation of green energy from the Caspian Sea to Europe, as well as the agreement and memorandum of understanding signed between Azerbaijan and Hungary in January this year on cooperation in the field of natural gas, will allow Hungary to receive Azerbaijani natural gas and electricity. We believe that Hungary will become a transit hub, which will allow us to expand the geography in the future," said the statement. In addition to all this, among the important events were also noted the annual transportation of 1.5 million tons of Kazakh oil to world markets along the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan route, the launch of new projects with Uzbekistan, the signing of a document on cooperation in the energy sector with Turkmenistan in a trilateral format. "The Turkic states were offered to participate in the process of reconstruction and transformation of Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur into a green energy zone," the ministry added. Azerbaijan, Turkiye, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan are members of the Organization of Turkic States, while Hungary, Turkmenistan, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus are observer states. Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLPs Los Angeles office was a finalist for the Los Angeles Business Journals DE&I Company of the Year in the category of 50-250 employees in Los Angeles County. This honor is a reflection of Greenberg Traurigs dedication to promoting a diverse and inclusive atmosphere in our office and across the firm, said Barbara A. Jones, co-managing shareholder of the firms Los Angeles office. Our local Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) committee, led by Lori Chang, Dillon R. Colucci, David Javidzad, Paige Kaplan, Nigel Masenda, Sarah Mirza, Ryan Porter, Gagan Sandhu, and Monica W. Zhang, has been a leader among the firms local DE&I teams for its thought-provoking programming and community involvement. The Business Journal recognized companies in the Los Angeles region during its annual Diversity, Equity + Inclusion Symposium & Awards event held March 29. Nominees were championed for their ongoing efforts to celebrate and respect the unique needs, perspectives, and potential of all their team members while simultaneously creating an inclusive environment that enables diversity and equity to thrive, according to the publication. Greenberg Traurig is at the forefront of driving diversity within the legal profession. The firm is Mansfield Rule 5.0 Certified Plus by The Diversity Lab and has won several other diversity awards within the legal profession, including Euromoneys Global Women in Business Laws Gender Diversity Firm of the Year award, Morgan Stanleys Leadership in Excellence in Inclusion and Diversity, and Chambers & Partners Outstanding Firm for Furthering Diversity and Inclusion. The event featured panel discussions on the cost of inequity, building a diverse and multi-generational workforce, and the journey to successful inclusion efforts. About Greenberg Traurigs Diversity Initiative: From its inception, Greenberg Traurig has been committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. Greenberg Traurig is a uniquely empowering and diverse firm built on a foundation of fairness, equality, and authenticity. Through its Social, Racial, and Economic Justice Action Plan, the firm has committed $5 million over five years to help combat systemic racism and support impoverished communities. In addition, the firms efforts have been recognized through its Mansfield Rule 5.0 Certification Plus, administered by The Diversity Lab, and by local, national, and global publications and organizations including Chambers and Partners. Web: https://www.gtlaw.com/en/general/our-firm/diversity Twitter: @GT_Drives. About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than 2650 attorneys in 44 locations in the United States, Europe and the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia. The firm is a 2022 BTI Highly Recommended Law Firm for superior client service and is consistently among the top firms on the Am Law Global 100 and NLJ 250. Greenberg Traurig is Mansfield Rule 5.0 Certified Plus by The Diversity Lab. The firm is recognized for powering its U.S. offices with 100% renewable energy as certified by the Center for Resource Solutions Green-e Energy program and is a member of the U.S. EPAs Green Power Partnership Program. The firm is known for its philanthropic giving, innovation, diversity, and pro bono. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com. In any cloud environment, the clear benefits come with added security risk. MSPs protect your Microsoft 365 environment by providing deep security expertise, cutting edge tools and other critical services. Messaging Architects, an eMazzanti Technologies Company and Microsoft 365 expert, shares five ways that managed services providers (MSPs) protect business Microsoft 365 environments from cyber-threats in a new article. The informative article first identifies several cloud security threats, including misconfiguration, lack of visibility, and an expanded attack surface. The author then explains how MSPs protect their customers Microsoft 365 environments by highlighting security risks and providing 24/7 security monitoring. He also relates how MSPs act as trusted advisors with deep Microsoft expertise, ensure timely patch management, and provide customized security awareness training to prevent attacks. In any cloud environment, the clear benefits come with added security risk, stated Greg Smith, Vice President of Services Delivery at Messaging Architects. MSPs protect your Microsoft 365 environment by providing deep security expertise, cutting edge tools and other critical services. Below are a few excerpts from the article, How MSPs Protect Your Microsoft 365 Environment from Cyber Threats. Highlight Security Risks An MSP will conduct regular risk assessments and periodic penetration testing to identify weaknesses that hackers could exploit. Using these audits as a base, the organization can implement an informed security strategy and test its efficacy. Provide 24/7 Security Monitoring A security-focused MSP will provide fully managed incident detection and response that combines automated monitoring with human expert analysis. For instance, Security Information and Event Management(SIEM) systems deliver automated alerts. Trained engineers from the MSP then review and address those alerts using industry best practices. Act as Trusted Advisors with Deep Microsoft Expertise By partnering with the right MSP, companies gain critical access to trusted experts. For instance, the MSP can help standardize and automate security policies across multiple tenants. They can also assist your IT department with implementing MFA, zero trust, advanced email protection and other critical security tools. Ensure Timely Patch Management With hundreds of applications and devices, including IoT devices, staying on top of security patches can prove challenging. An MSP protects your on-premises and cloud environments by implementing a comprehensive patch management strategy. MSPs Protect Your Microsoft 365 Environment With deep expertise in Microsoft and cyber security, the consultants at Messaging Architects deliver the services business leaders need to keep their Microsoft 365 environment safe. From risk assessments to continuous monitoring, ePolicy review to email security, they help to optimize the organizations cloud environment. Have you read? Enhance Success with a Data-Driven Business Strategy Enterprise Information Governance Next Steps to Drive Data Value About Messaging Architects Messaging Architects specializes in effectively managing and securing an organizations most precious asset, its information. With over 20 years of information management and technology consulting experience, the Messaging Architects team has provided corporations, educational intuitions, health care facilities and nonprofits with methodologies, procedures, and technology to keep their data organized, compliant and secure. About eMazzanti Technologies eMazzantis team of trained, certified IT experts rapidly deliver increased revenue growth, data security and productivity for clients ranging from law firms to high-end global retailers, expertly providing advanced cyber security, retail and payment technology, digital marketing services, cloud and mobile solutions, multi-site implementations, 247 outsourced network management, remote monitoring, and support. eMazzanti has made the Inc. 5000 list 9X, is a 4X Microsoft Partner of the Year, the #1 ranked NYC area MSP, NJ Business of the Year and 5X WatchGuard Partner of the Year! Contact: 1-866-362-9926, info@emazzanti.net or http://www.emazzanti.net Twitter: @emazzanti Facebook: Facebook.com/emazzantitechnologies. iTrip Nashville now serves entire metro area. Our existing short-term rental property owners are having a record-setting first quarter, and we expect a very robust summer and fall." iTrip is thrilled to announce short-term rental property owners and guests in the entire metro Nashville area now benefit from world-class short-term rental property management and customer service. iTrip West Nashville has expanded to include the metro area and is now iTrip Nashville. The full-service short-term rental property management program increases net rental income and five-star guest reviews, while providing worldwide marketing, free light maintenance, professional cleaning, and automatic-response systems. We are excited to now officially serve all eligible short-term rental homeowners across Nashville, said Kevin Copeland, iTrip Nashville owner. Our existing property owners are having a record-setting first quarter, and we expect a very robust summer and fall. Our guests continue to return to Nashville because we work hard to provide excellent guest experiences every time. The Tennessee expansion is part of a growing portfolio of destinations managed by iTrip, the largest franchise brand serving the short-term rental property management industry in North America. iTrip also just earned Elite Partner status with Vrbo for the sixth consecutive year, said Steve Caron, iTrip 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. Named one of the top cities to work and live by multiple media sites, Nashville has become the must-see destination of the south. Culture, music, family-friendly attractions, outdoor activities, events and food attract travelers from all over the world who want to experience Southern hospitality. Affectionately known as Music City, Nashville is a top destination for sports, festivals, expos, concerts and has a vibrant downtown. To learn more about the full-service property management program, contact iTrip Nashville at 615-488-0500 or visit https://nashville.itrip.co/. About iTrip Vacations iTrip Vacations is a leader in short-term rental property management with more than 4,000 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 Connectivity Partner in Software. National Aviation Academy is dedicated to providing quality aviation maintenance education to all students. We are pleased that this newest expansion of student scholarship funding continues and extends that commitment to our students and the industry at large. National Aviation Academy (NAA) announced today the expansion of available aviation maintenance scholarship funding for newly enrolling students at their Tampa Bay campus in Clearwater, FL. This increase in student scholarships has been made possible through the support of the industry and educational foundations, and provides hands-on learners an even greater opportunity to invest in themselves through quality aviation maintenance training at National Aviation Academy. New students who have enrolled in an NAA program but have yet to start their training can apply for awards up to $3,000. Eligible students can use this funding to complete training and enter the industry as certified technicians in as little as 14 months. National Aviation Academy is dedicated to providing quality aviation maintenance education to all students. We are pleased that this newest expansion of student scholarship funding continues and extends that commitment to our students and the industry at large, said Holli Hudson, Chief Strategy Officer. As the need for skilled workers drives individuals towards career-driven educational pathways, this is an ideal time to begin Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) training at NAA. Boeing has forecasted that 610,000 new aviation maintenance technicians will be needed to support the aviation industry by 2041. NAA scholarships can offset the cost of training, so qualifying students can better overcome barriers to achieving professional success in the aviation industry and beyond. NAAs aviation maintenance training offers access to rewarding careers in aviation maintenance, even if an individual has no prior hands-on experience the curriculum pairs with career-focused, practical experience with the industrys requirements in mind. Recent graduates have gone on to positions with exciting employers from Boeing to SpaceX, with them and other industry-leading companies having recruited onsite at NAA Career Fairs routinely. Increased scholarship opportunities will help support industry demand and allow individuals to pursue rewarding, pride-filled careers in aviation maintenance. For more information on scholarship details, eligibility, and how to apply, visit: naa.edu/naa-scholarship Smithtown Central School District Joins the Empire State Purchasing Group The Smithtown Central School District invites all potential vendors to register online. Today, the Smithtown Central School District announces it has joined the Empire State Purchasing Group, a regional purchasing community by Bidnet Direct. Local government agencies throughout New York State utilize the purchasing group for bid and vendor management. The Smithtown Central School District invites all potential vendors to register online with the Empire State Purchasing Group to access its upcoming solicitations by visiting http://www.bidnetdirect.com/new-york/smithtownk12. The Smithtown Central School District joins the Empire State Purchasing Group and the community of almost 325 participating local government agencies located throughout New York. Along with a variety of bid and vendor management solutions, Smithtown Central School District gains access to a bid library to help with bid creation, a shared pool of vendors, and association with like-minded purchasing professionals in the area. Vendors interested in doing business with the Smithtown Central School District and other nearby government agencies are encouraged to register at http://www.bidnetdirect.com/new-york/smithtownk12. Benefits of joining the Empire State Purchasing Group include: Centralized location for bids from almost 325 participating agencies Bid alerts customized to the vendors products or services Reliable and timely delivery of notifications, addenda and documents Advanced notice of Term Contract expiration E-Bid and E-Quote Submission The Empire State Purchasing Group is one of Bidnet Directs regional purchasing groups throughout the country. It provides the Smithtown Central School District a bid and vendor management solution, document and addendum distribution, and tracking of all activity throughout the procurement process. About the Smithtown Central School District: Smithtown Central School District covers an area of 35 square miles in Suffolk County, NY and serves approximately 8,000 students in seven elementary schools, three middle schools and two high schools. SCSD is dedicated to educating students to develop desired moral, ethical, and cultural values, to stimulate and expand a continual learning process and to cultivate an understanding and appreciation of the rights and responsibilities of American citizens, which will enable them to function effectively as independent individuals in a democratic society. About Bidnet Direct: Bidnet Direct, powered by mdf commerce, is a sourcing solution of regional purchasing groups available at no cost to local government agencies throughout the country. Bidnet Direct runs regional purchasing groups, including the Empire State Purchasing Group, across all 50 states that are used by over 1,600 local governments. To learn more and have your government agency gain better transparency and efficiency in purchasing, please visit https://www.bidnetdirect.com/buyers Latest ezPaycheck for mid-year processing and greater security Latest ezPaycheck is now available for mid-year processing and greater security with in-house applications to easily handle payroll with peace of mind. Halfpricesofoft.com states that in-house payroll processing with the latest ezPaycheck 2023 will provide greater control, improved security, flexibility, and cost savings for business owners and tax professionals. Starting ezPaycheck mid-year is a seamless task with available quick start guide and customer support for new and returning customers. Latest ezPaycheck is now available for mid-year processing and greater security with in-house applications to easily handle payroll with peace of mind, said Dr. Ge, the Founder of Halfpricesoft.com. Business owners are welcome to visit https://www.halfpricesoft.com/index.asp and download ezPaycheck for up to 30 days with no cost or obligation. The download includes the full version of the paycheck software along with a sample database. The sample database allows new customers to try all of ezPaychecks exciting features, including the intuitive graphical interface, without wasting time entering data. (Please note: TRIAL appears on checks and forms until the purchased license key is entered). Businesses get unique features in the latest release of ezPaycheck payroll software: Increased security by processing, in-house Prints vendor checks for bill pay and other necessary business expenses. Supports daily, weekly, biweekly, semimonthly and monthly payroll periods. Features report functions, print functions, and pay stub functions. Automatically calculates Federal Withholding Tax, Social Security, Medicare Tax and Employer Unemployment Taxes. 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To start the no obligation 30-day test drive today, please visit https://www.halfpricesoft.com/index.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, 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. These are valuable lessons that any organization can benefit from, so we extend an open invitation to our global community. Anyone who wants to learn more about how to achieve high assurance security for cloud-native applications should join us. Tetrate - the company driving zero trust architecture, accelerating enterprise service mesh adoption, and reducing hybrid cloud complexity - announces the fourth annual conference on zero trust architecture (ZTA) and high assurance for cloud-native applications. Hosted by Tetrate in partnership with the Department of Commerce and the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the 4th Annual Multi-Cloud Conference and Workshop is a premier event for cybersecurity professionals, policy makers, entrepreneurs and students. The conference will take place on Thursday, May 25 from 8:30 a.m. 4:30 p.m. EDT and will be preceded by a free 3-hour service mesh workshop from 1 4 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, May 24. ***REGISTER HERE*** *Conference on May 25, 2023, from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; open to the public streaming live and held in-person at Herbert C. Hoover Federal Building in Washington, DC* This years conference will focus on delivering zero trust architecture (ZTA) through application-tier and network-tier policies in a high assurance service mesh operating environment. The conference program features both thought leadership and actionable insight from experts in service mesh, ZTA, identity-centric security, open source software development and emerging NIST Special Publications. Featured speakers include: Justin Antonipillai, founder & CEO Wirewheel.io Matt Bates, CTO, Venafi Zack Butcher, co-author of NIST Special Publications on cloud-native security and founding engineer at Tetrate Ross Foard, CISA, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Robert Wood, CISO, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) The U.S. government is the largest procurer of IT in the world, and protecting the IT infrastructure that supports our agencies is a monumental task, made all the more challenging as the world moves toward cloud-native applications, said David Ferraiolo, group manager for Secure Systems and Applications Group, NIST. The 4th Annual Multi-Cloud Conference and Workshop will offer perspectives on the security challenges that public agencies face and provide insight and know-how to address these challenges. Tetrate is pleased to once again partner with NIST and the Department of Commerce to offer this valuable learning experience to help our agencies better protect themselves against threats, said Varun Talwar, co-founder of Tetrate. These are valuable lessons that any organization can benefit from, so we extend an open invitation to our global community. Anyone who wants to learn more about how to achieve high assurance security for cloud-native applications should join us. Presentations will cover a wide range of topics including: Critical tools to achieve high assurance security for cloud-native applications Approaches for authentication and access control for users/services/devices in cloud-native applications in multi-cloud environments Techniques for instilling trust in the entire application lifecycle The role of open source in cloud-native application security and compliance Best practices and common pitfalls for implementing ZTA *Free service mesh workshop on May 24, 2023, from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.; open to the public streaming live and held in-person at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC* On the day before the conference, a free workshop entitled Introduction to Service Mesh with Istio and Envoy will be offered, featuring presentations from Matt Turner, software engineer, and Zack Butcher, founding engineer, both with Tetrate. This workshop will teach the basics of service mesh using the widely adopted Istio service mesh based on the modern Envoy proxy. The workshop will also include hands-on training with Istio, Kubernetes and other tools to build in-app and user-level security permissions, encryption in transit, enhanced identity and access controls, and provide runtime observabilityall of which are required to achieve zero trust security in practice. A service mesh is a modern and powerful tool for implementing the tenets of zero trust, said Zack Butcher of Tetrate. During this workshop, youll learn the basics of service mesh and how it works, and in between our hands-on exercises, well be available to answer your questions about how you can use service mesh to deliver a zero trust architecture. Participants can expect to leave the workshop with the ability to: Understand service mesh and the capabilities it offers to manage microservices Understand the high-level architecture and components of technology solutions (e.g., Istio) Install Istio service mesh on the top of a Kubernetes cluster Interact with the service mesh using istioctl command line tool Use Istio dashboards to monitor and debug microservices Join and follow the conversation with hashtag #ZTACon2023 Twitter: @tetrateio LinkedIn: Tetrate YouTube: Tetrate *About Tetrate-NIST Collaboration* Tetrate and NIST have collaborated over the last four years across multiple deliverables. Using NISTs experience with cybersecurity and Tetrates expertise on secure service mesh, they have collaborated to produce U.S. security standards for a distributed architecture: *About Tetrate* Started by Istio founders to reimagine application networking, Tetrate is the enterprise service mesh company managing the complexity of modern, hybrid cloud application infrastructure. Its flagship product, Tetrate Service Bridge, provides a comprehensive, enterprise-ready service mesh platform built for multi-cluster, multi-tenancy and multi-cloud deployments. Customers get consistent, baked-in observability, runtime security and traffic management in any environment. Tetrate remains a top contributor to the open source projects Istio and Envoy Proxy. Find out more at http://www.tetrate.io and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Tetrateio. ### Backed by its tech-enabled traceability software solution, Trustwell now offers expanded FSMA 204 consulting services to the food industry. "We are excited to apply the lessons weve learned from implementing traceability with leaders in the industry to help companies navigate the complexities of FSMA 204," said Julie McGill, Vice President of Supply Chain Insights and Strategy at Trustwell Trustwell, a leading SaaS software provider to the food and supplements industries, has announced expanded professional services to support growing traceability regulatory requirements in the United States. Trustwell's FSMA 204 Professional Services will provide food companies with the necessary support to comply with Section 204 of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA 204), the Food Traceability Rule finalized by the Food and Drug Administration in November 2022. Food companies have until January 2026 to be compliant with the ruling. These new services will enhance Trustwells existing offerings that include implementation services, application managed services, labeling services, and a wide variety of online and in-person training offerings. FoodLogiQ, which recently merged with ESHA Research to form Trustwell, brings over 20 years of experience in implementing traceability programs. The company participated in the first round of FDA traceability pilots, helped test industry interoperability to demonstrate connectivity leveraging industry standards, contributed public comments to the FDA public meetings to discuss the FSMA proposed rule, and boasts a traceability platform containing over 150 million critical tracking events. The product was also recently highlighted in the webinar FDAs Food Traceability Rule: Everything You Need to Know. We are excited to apply the lessons weve learned from implementing traceability with leaders in the industry to help companies navigate the complexities of FSMA 204, said Julie McGill, Vice President of Supply Chain Insights and Strategy at Trustwell. McGill will help lead Trustwells FSMA 204 offering. One of the first opportunities under the new services offering includes an upcoming regulatory seminar, FSMA 204 Compliance Planning and Implementation, on April 5, 2023. The paid seminar, led by McGill, will provide an in-depth overview of the rule, review industry best practices for compliance, and detail key considerations for building a traceability plan. McGill and the Trustwell team will present real-world examples and scenarios to help companies understand their data requirements and trading partner dependencies, as they navigate through this complicated process. Attendees will also receive a FSMA 204 Toolkit, including a checklist for FSMA 204 planning. McGill is an active participant on several industry groups and committees, including the GS1 US Joint Foodservice and Retail Grocery FSMA 204 Working Group, RFID Foodservice Supply Chain Visibility Working Group, Supply Chain Optimization Working Group, and the EDI Discussion group. She serves on the Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI) Leadership Council, is co-chair of the PTI Technology Work Group and participates in the PTI FSMA 204 Work Group. Julie also is co-chair of the AIM North America Food Supply Chain Work Group and participates in the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability and GS1 Global GSMP Work Groups. McGill spent over 16 years at GS1 US where she led the Foodservice GS1 US Standards Initiative, working with manufacturers, distributors, operators, and trading partners to build a foundation for traceability and supply chain visibility. McGill also contributed to the recently published guidelines released by GS1 US to help the food industry leverage GS1 Standards to help address FSMA 204 compliance. FoodLogiQ Traceability is part of the Trustwell Connect platform, the most comprehensive, data-driven software solution enabling product formulation, nutritional labeling, supply chain compliance, quality management, automated recall and traceability all on a single platform built exclusively for the food industry. Through its Genesis and FoodLogiQ products, Trustwell Connect enables companies to: Increase Speed to Market for Product Development: With Genesis Foods, increase speed to market without sacrificing safety and transparency. Create recipes and formulas by leveraging Trustwells rich ingredient database, adding user-generated ingredients, or modify existing database ingredients. Save recipes and ingredients for use in other formulations and reformulate while immediately seeing the impact to that formulation. Create Regulatory Compliant Nutrition Labels: Based on your product formulation, Genesis Foods can then generate Nutrition Facts labels in real time that conform to regulatory guidelines. The software automatically creates ingredient statements, allergen statements, and nutrient content claims for products. Increase Supply Chain Compliance: FoodLogiQ Compliance is the supplier engagement platform built just for the food supply chain. The product empowers food companies to efficiently manage suppliers, locations, and products and monitor the data and documentation needed for a safe and transparent supply chain. Improve Quality Monitoring: Food companies can also capture quality issues and CAPAs anywhere in the supply chain, report them in real-time and recoup the costs of nonconforming product. Comply with Mounting Traceability Requirements: With FoodLogiQ Traceability, food companies can capture critical tracking events of their products at the batch-lot level to achieve traceability and FSMA 204 Compliance. When an issue occurs, run an investigation to better understand where your product is within your supply chain. And connect that data into your ERP for real-time inventory management. Address Recalls Faster: And when an issue arises, theres FoodLogiQ Recall. Initiate a recall or stock withdrawal across all your locations simultaneously using email, phone, and text. Monitor responses and completion actions through a live dashboard as the recall unfolds in real time via the Command Center. Trustwell's FSMA 204 professional services are available now, and interested customers can learn more by visiting https://info.trustwell.com/professional-services/fsma-204-consulting. About Trustwell Trustwell is on a mission to change the food industry. From food and supplement manufacturers to retail grocers and restaurant chains, food companies around the world use Trustwell software as their trusted source for compliance and quality solutions in the food industry. For more information, visit trustwell.com. Details added (first published: 16:06) BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. Azerbaijan plans to supply 10.2 billion cubic meters of gas to Turkiye and about 12 billion cubic meters to Europe in 2023, Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov said during the third meeting of the ministers of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), Trend reports via the Ministry of Energy of Azerbaijan. According to the minister, it is expected to export 24.5 billion cubic meters of gas this year. "During his speech, the minister noted that Azerbaijan's trade turnover with the member and observer countries of the Organization of Turkic States increased by 42.7 percent last year and exceeded $7.2 billion. The investments of the OTS countries in the economy of Azerbaijan amounted to $14.3 billion, whereas Azerbaijan invested $21 billion in the economies of the Organization's member countries. The importance of developing energy cooperation in terms of ensuring energy security in Eurasia was also noted," the statement said. According to Shahbazov, since the commissioning of TANAP (Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline) and TAP (Trans Adriatic Pipeline), 20.9 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas have been supplied to Turkiye, while the volume of gas supplied to Europe amounted to 22 billion cubic meters. The ministry said that the strategic energy partnership with the EU, along with the expansion of energy security projects such as the Southern Gas Corridor, and the transformation of Azerbaijan into a green energy supplier, added a new impetus to energy development. "Moreover, cooperation reached in December in the field of development and transportation of green energy from the Caspian Sea to Europe, as well as the agreement and memorandum of understanding signed between Azerbaijan and Hungary in January this year on cooperation in the field of natural gas, will allow Hungary to receive Azerbaijani natural gas and electricity. We believe that Hungary will become a transit hub, which will allow us to expand the geography in the future," said the statement. In addition to all this, among the important events were also noted the annual transportation of 1.5 million tons of Kazakh oil to world markets along the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan route, the launch of new projects with Uzbekistan, the signing of a document on cooperation in the energy sector with Turkmenistan in a trilateral format. "The Turkic states were offered to participate in the process of reconstruction and transformation of Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur into a green energy zone," the ministry added. Azerbaijan, Turkiye, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan are members of the Organization of Turkic States, while Hungary, Turkmenistan, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus are observer states. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov, who is on a visit to Hungary, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of this country Peter Szijjarto have discussed the issue of launching Azerbaijani gas supplies to Hungary by the end of this year, Trend reports citing the energy ministers tweet. The parties also paid attention to issues related to the implementation of Green Energy Corridor project, which provides for the supply of clean energy from Azerbaijan to Europe. "We defined the necessary steps for the project," Shahbazov said. Besides, the parties discussed the possibility of expanding the participation of the Hungarian MOL company in the development of oil and gas fields in Azerbaijan. Hungary expects to start importing Azerbaijani gas by the end of 2023 and receive one-two billion cubic meters per year in the future. To do this, it will be necessary to increase the capacity of gas pipelines in the region, and Hungary is counting on financial assistance from the European Union. Azerbaijan plans to supply 12 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe this year. Subscription to paid content Gain access to all that Trend has to offer, as well as to premium, licensed content via subscription or direct purchase through a credit card. Above, GOP Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona with fellow House majority members calling on Feb. 1 for the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for flouting immigration law. Nearly two months later, no impeachment. March 30, 2023 By James Varney , RealClearInvestigationsMarch 30, 2023 Its almost an understatement to say that Republican candidates campaigned hawkishly on border control in the runup to the 2022 midterms: As they decried the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs from Mexico, many vowed to impeach the man they largely blamed for the mess, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Alejandro Mayorkas: You claim you care, Mr. Secretary -- that is a lie, Sen. Ted Cruz told him. Republicans have continued hammering Mayorkas since taking control of the House. Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, who called the flooding of more than 5 million illegal immigrants across the southern border since President Biden took office an intentional policy, has made several visits to the U.S.-Mexico border with other Republicans, and the House has held multiple hearings on immigration. But as winter has turned to spring, the GOP has taken little action to remove Mayorkas. Republicans Andy Biggs of Arizona and Pat Fallon of Texas have each filed bills, but the House Judiciary Committee, from which any impeachment move must come, has not taken up either resolution. Conservative groups focused on the southern border told RealClearInvestigations that impeachment did not come up during recent meetings in Washington. I just came from the Hill and a bunch of meetings with staffers and theyre reporting the same thing; one said the conference is split, with a lot of GOP George W. Bush types who love the cheap labor for American industry and agriculture, said Todd Bensman of the conservative Center for Immigration Studies and author of Overrun: How Joe Biden Unleashed the Greatest Border Crisis in U.S. History. Rep. Jim Jordan: The Judiciary Committee he chairs hasn't taken up either impeachment resolution. Bensman calls it an old story, but cheap labor is only part of it. Republicans arent united on this issue because some fear that following through on impeachment talk will alienate the moderate swing voters that the GOP needs to remain in control of the House. Even Republicans who have publicly attacked Mayorkas are now reticent about discussing impeachment. RCI reached out to 16 GOP House members for comment. Neither Biggs nor Fallon responded. Virginia Rep. Bob Good, a member of the Freedom Caucus who is co-sponsor of both resolutions, declined to comment on the record. Other outspoken administration critics such as Dan Crenshaw of Texas, Tom McClintock of California, and Matt Gaetz of Florida did not respond. Only two of the 16 Republican House members agreed to speak on the record. I have repeatedly called for his impeachment and am confident that Chairman Jordan will hold true to his word of impeaching Mayorkas for overseeing an unprecedented surge of illegal activity at our southern border, Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona said. Rep. Pat Fallon: The Texan has filed an impeachment bill. So has Rep. Biggs, at top. Neither has been acted on. Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania said Biden administration officials have lied about what they have done at the border but was more circumspect on impeachment, suggesting a wait-and-see attitude may be behind the aggressive rhetoric. Im not on the Judiciary Committee and it would have to come from there, he said. My hope is that at least some information will come from hearings because some members legitimately have some questions. Perry and others said they would like to see the Judiciary Committee make the case for impeachment, a process Jordan appears to be favoring. For the moment, however, the only concrete step Republicans have taken is a symbolic gesture by Rep. Chip Roy of Texas to try to cut Mayorkas salary from the DHS budget. The bills filed by Reps. Biggs and Fallon contend that Mayorkass conduct meets the constitutional threshold for impeachment, high crimes and misdemeanors. Fallons bill, H. Res. 8, alleges that the secretary has violated the oath all cabinet members take to faithfully uphold the laws of the United States by failing to enforce: The Secure the Fence Act of 2006 that requires the DHS secretary to maintain operational control over the entire international land and maritime borders of the United States. The Immigration and Nationality Act that requires the DHS secretary to detain inadmissible aliens arriving in the United States or aliens who are present in the United States without inspection until processed. Instead, it claims, Mayorkas catch and release approach has allowed more than 1,000,000 illegal aliens into the country. While referencing those two laws, the Biggs resolution, H. Res. 582, also accuses Mayorkas of violating the Public Health Services Act by failing to protect U.S. citizens from risk and exposure to and contracting Covid-19 by refusing to take necessary steps to prevent contagious illegal aliens from entering the United States. In sum, the Biggs resolution concludes Mayorkas should be impeached because his actions have subverted the will of Congress and the core tenets of the Constitution. RCI reached out repeatedly to a dozen Democratic members of the House Judiciary Committee seeking comment on a possible impeachment of Mayorkas and their reaction. None of them responded. Mayorkas has stated repeatedly he has no intention of resigning, a suggestion Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas made again Tuesday when Mayorkas appeared at a Senate committee hearing. "If you had any integrity you would resign," Cruz said. The volley came after the two got into a verbal spat over how truthful the administration has been about the border. Cruz cited comments by White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre that people are not walking across the border along with photographs of people doing just that. You claim you care, Mr. Secretary -- that is a lie, Cruz said. Cruz again accused Mayorkas of dissembling after the DHS chief would not answer a question about whether Jean-Pierre lied. Mayorkas called Cruzs accusation revolting. Hans von Spakovsky, Heritage Foundation: Mayorkas "repeatedly abused the authority of his office." Nevertheless, the department is bracing for a possible impeachment and taking steps for Mayorkas' defense. A government contract was signed with the law firm Debevoise & Plimpton to provide legal assistance to the secretary; that contract would kick in only if the Judiciary Committee moved an impeachment motion to the House floor. Debevoise & Plimpton did not respond to a request for comment about the arrangement. Biden administration officials familiar with it said it was necessary because the impeachment of a cabinet secretary is so rare none of its legal staff has any relevant experience. The terms of the contract were not disclosed, although officials pointed to examples in the past where House Republicans hired outside legal counsel to assist it on legislation that proved legally fraught. A DHS spokesperson said the contract was necessary to "ensure the Department's vital mission is not interrupted by the unprecedented, unjustified and partisan impeachment efforts of some members of Congress, who have already taken steps to initiate proceedings." History shows the House can move swiftly on impeachment if members choose to. The Democratic majority, along with a handful of Republicans, voted to impeach departing President Trump just one week after the post-election riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Defenders of the governments current border policies say that the conservatives argument is flawed. The Biden administrations approach is basically a relaxation of the Trump administrations more stringent strategy. As such, they amount to policy differences between the two major political parties and fall far short of any crimes and misdemeanors that would justify impeachment. Still they come: Here is the scene at the border near where dozens died this week in a Ciudad Juarez detention center fire across from El Paso, Texas. It's a calamity tied by critics left and right to Biden border policies. But, as RCI has previously reported, President Biden's policies have marked a sharp break from his predecessors, since Bidens first day in office, when he signed seven executive orders on immigration that, among other things, suspended deportations. Hans von Spakovsky, a senior fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation who co-authored the February report, The Case for Impeachment of Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas Secretary of Homeland Security, defended the impeachment argument from liberals who deride it as purely political. It inaccurately and incorrectly asserts that we are confusing the requirements of the Immigration and Naturalization Act with the Trump administration policies, he said. Our analysis is based not on disagreeing with the policies implemented by Mayorkas, but with his violation of federal immigration law. I think we have laid out in our paper what we think the basis is for impeachment, von Spakovsky told RCI. They include the claims that Mayorkas: deliberately defied and contravened the laws he is charged with faithfully executing. repeatedly abused the authority of his office, including by, among other conduct, enticing a flood of aliens to cross the U.S. southern border with his policies and Statements. betrayed the trust of the people by lying to Congress and withholding information and misleading the public in an effort to hide and suppress the nature and consequence of his abominable policies. Von Spakovsky added that the misguided priorities of Mayorkas have resulted in a huge backlog in the adjudication system that unfairly hurts the many thousands of U.S. citizens and lawful applicants whose immigration matters are delayed many months. William Belknap: Ulysses S. Grants War Secretary was impeached in 1876 -- a Cabinet rarity. Although von Spakovsky and others argue impeachment is warranted consistent with U.S. history and constitutional traditions, it would also be a highly unusual move. Only one cabinet member has ever been impeached, President Ulysses S. Grants War Secretary William Belknap in 1876, but he resigned the same day the House voted unanimously against him. Attorney General Harry Daugherty in 1922 and Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon in 1932 also faced possible impeachment proceedings by the House, but the former resigned in 1924 and the latter left the cabinet and became U.S. ambassador to England. Impeachment supporters also point to the dangers the Biden administrations porous border have created. In addition to the humanitarian issues of hundreds of thousands of people migrating through Mexico to the U.S., and the money they have paid to Mexican cartels to facilitate their passage, the southern border has become the main conduit for deadly illicit fentanyl. Scott Perry said his constituents would like to see the Republicans do more than simply talk about the border crisis, though he noted that Mayorkas is the agent who carries out policies set by President Biden. Its chaos down there with the fentanyl and the cartels making millions of dollars, he said. Most of our constituents are distraught about that and want it fixed, and many would like accountability for how it occurred. Ultimately, the president is responsible so why not impeach him? But as to what might actually happen with Mayorkas, Perry acknowledged he wasnt sure. When the National Taxpayers Union Foundation released its study on states tax policies affecting remote and mobile workers, the 2023 Remote Obligations and Mobility (ROAM) Index, one of the more notable results was the lack of clear divide between red and blue states. While the usual suspects like New York and California scored poorly and Texas and Florida scored high (by virtue of having no individual income tax), other states were not easily grouped by political ideology. One example of this phenomenon was the poor score received by Alabama, which ranked 43rd out of 50 states. Unfortunately, that doesnt appear likely to improve soon. If Ive written in this space before about convenience of the employer rules a lot of late, its because they are so pernicious. These rules essentially require taxpayers who switch from working in-person in one state to working remotely in another to continue paying income taxes to the state they used to work in, not the one they currently work in. But particularly troubling about convenience of the employer rules is the fact that most of the time, creation and enforcement occurs without any elected representative raising a finger in support. Part of how states with legislative majorities that pride themselves on not overburdening taxpayers with confusing regulations and excessive tax burdens end up doing just that is that their tax authorities never bothered to ask those legislators for permission. Thats what just happened in Alabama, where the Alabama Tax Tribunal upheld an Alabama Department of Revenue effort to continue levying income tax obligations against a man who switched from working in Alabama to working remotely for the same business in Idaho. The legislature never told Alabamas Department of Revenue to tax out-of-state workers it simply took it upon itself to creatively interpret existing law. But while convenience of the employer rules might appear to state revenue officials to be an easy way to keep pesky taxpayers from trying to escape their clutches, they threaten to undermine a truly revolutionary opportunity for taxpayers to flex their muscles. Up until now, taxpayers ability to choose where to pay taxes has been largely restricted to a radius of commuting distance from where they can find a job. Remote work means that they can, if they wish, choose to live just about anywhere. Taxes are certainly not the only consideration in that choice, but they are a major one. Convenience rules undermine that choice by claiming that it doesnt matter where a taxpayer physically works from, what matters is where a taxpayers business is located. Ironically, an argument that is presented as a logical adaptation to changing economic circumstances is, in reality, just a thinly disguised attempt by state revenue officials to stick their heads in the sand. At the most basic level, taxes are a contribution towards government services a taxpayer benefits from. Of course, there is not a one-to-one relationship between taxes paid and services received, but a taxpayer commuting into a state benefits from the roads maintained, emergency services provided, and all the infrastructure that goes into maintaining the office they work in. Even though they lack representation in that state, it makes sense that their income taxes would go to the state facilitating their ability to earn an income. But that no longer holds true when a taxpayer switches to working remotely. A taxpayer living in Idaho is receiving no benefit from Alabama services. The only relationship that taxpayer has to Alabama from that point is through his employer (which pays corporate income taxes) and his co-workers still physically working there (who still pay individual income taxes). Imagine that every employee in that office switched to working remotely in Idaho, leaving an empty office. That office could burn down in a fire, be ransacked by thieves, or destroyed in a natural disaster with no impact whatsoever on the remote workers ability to do their job and earn a living. Clearly, theres no longer any relationship between the Idaho-based taxpayer and the government services they are forced to pay taxes for. Setting aside esoteric arguments about fairness that are hardly the tax departments driving motivation regardless, should states pursue convenience rules aggressively, other states will only retaliate. New York is already learning this the hard way, with Pennsylvania enforcing its own rule and Connecticut enforcing a retaliatory version directed at New York with New Jersey likely to follow suit. In the end, no states will win, but taxpayers will certainly lose. Its clear that state legislators who wish to avoid placing illogical and confusing tax burdens on out-of-state workers can no longer simply not vote to do so. Legislators need to act proactively to preclude their tax departments from doing so on their own. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. Alikhan Smailov reassigned as Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Trend reports, citing the press service of the President of Kazakhstan. According to the government of Kazakhstan, 82 deputies of the Mazhilis (lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Kazakhstan) have voted for him, while 8 abstained, and 7 opposed. Smailov headed the cabinet for more than a year. He was appointed as PM after the January riots in the country. Property details: Please Read Everything Before Bidding.You Are Bidding on CASH PRICE FOR DEED + LOW BUYER's Premium SERIOUS BIDDERS ONLY Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Subdivision Lot in Village of Brooklyn and not far from Napoleon Michigan. Great future investment or buy and HOLD. Jackson County is known for its prized bucks! Brooklyn hosts the NASCAR Track with Races twice a year and a huge Annual Country Music Festival called "Faster Horses"! An opportunity to own a buildable Residential Inve... Price: $ 2,605 Seller State of Residence: Florida Type: Homesite, Lot Property Address: 118 St Clair Circle Zip/Postal Code: 49230 Zoning: Residential City: Brooklyn State/Province: Michigan Location: 492**, Brooklyn, Michigan You will be redirected to eBay Nearby Michigan PART HUNTING RIFLE, PART LONG RANGE RIFLE With over a year of shooting the SIG Cross for fun and competition, Ive had a long time to really evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the rifle. It might not be what you expected, but I think most modern hunters would appreciate the Cross for what it is. And what it isnt. From the high desert of California to the mountains of Washington, this is my experience and review of the Cross. SPECS In addition to what comes in the box, I've added a Bushnell Match Pro ED 5-3056 scope, Area 419 Hellfire Pro muzzle brake, MKM bubble level, Kestrel HUD, and sometimes an Area 419 ARCA rail. Total weight as I have my SIG Cross set up is 11.8 pounds SIG Cross Specs MODEL Cross .308 Win Cross 6.5 Creedmoor CALIBER 308 Win 6.5 Creedmoor BARREL LENGTH 16 in (406 mm) 18 in (457 mm) MAGS INCLUDED (1) 5rd Polymer Mag (1) 5rd Polymer Mag MAG TYPE AICS AICS ACTION TYPE Bolt Bolt STOCK TYPE SIG Precision Stock SIG Precision Stock BARREL MATERIAL Stainless Steel Stainless Steel TRIGGER TYPE 2-Stage Match 2-Stage Match TWIST RATE 1:10 1:8 FOREND TYPE Alloy Alloy GRIP TYPE Polymer Polymer RECEIVER FINISH Black Anodized Black Anodized OVERALL LENGTH 36.5 in (927 mm) 38.5 in (977.9 mm) OVERALL WIDTH 2.9 in (74 mm) 2.9 in (74 mm) HEIGHT 8 in (203.2 mm) 8 in (203.2 mm) THREADS 5/8 in 24 5/8 in 24 ACCESSORY RAIL M-LOK M-LOK OPERATING SYSTEM Bolt-Action Bolt-Action WEIGHT 6.5 lb (2.94 kg) 6.8 lb (3.08 kg) SAFETY RECALL Lets talk about the elephant in the room while the Cross was released in 2020, it was quickly recalled due to a major problem with the safety. As NutNFancy found out on YouTube, the first wave of Cross rifles had the ability to fire with the safety on safe. That is, obviously, very not good. The Cross was recalled and fixed quickly. It took a few months, but SIG sorted it out and got the rifles fixed. Since then, the Cross has had a perfect safety record with no issues. I only mention this because you should know the history in case someone asks. Ive had a SIG Cross for over a year and have never had a problem. PRS, NRL: HUNTER, PLINKING, AND MORE I first shot a Cross way back at SHOT 2020 at the SIG Range Day Event. From then on, I was bugging SIG to let me get my hands on a production model to play with. Eventually, I finally was able to buy one at a discount. Since then, Ive spent some major time with this rifle. Ive shot PRS-style matches, a 2-day NRL: Hunter match, a whole lot of plinking at the range, and more. By my count, I have just over 1,000 rounds down the pipe. In that time, this rifle has been rained on, hiked with through the desert dust, knocked over at least 5 times, and dropped in the mud once. Ive cleaned the barrel exactly once, Ive shot hand loads and factory ammo, and Ive re-lubed and wiped down the bolt maybe 4 times. Basically, I have not babied this rifle at all. For a precision rifle, Ive basically abused it. Through all of that, this rifle has never failed me and has performed outstandingly well. The only issue I ever had was when I crammed 11 rounds into a 10-round magazine and when I had a bad primer fail to fire a handload. Both of those have nothing to do with the Cross. That is some impressive fortitude for a firearm. While wed like to pretend that all rifles can could the same, we know the truth is different. WHAT THE CROSS EXCELS AT This is a hunting rifle. A really good, lightweight, modern-feeling hunting rifle. For a hunting rifle, I love the Cross. Lightweight, easy to carry, and plenty accurate. The Cross comes in two flavors, 18 for 6.5 Creedmoor and 16 for .308 Win. The shorter barrel saves a ton of weight and makes it a lot easier to navigate brush with. But that same short barrel also cuts down on your muzzle velocity. With factory ammo in my 6.5 Creedmoor Cross, I normally get about 2,600 FPS. My handloads of 140gr ELDM run 2544 for target shooting. With 143gr ELDX, I bump up the spicy level a little to hit 2590 FPS. For game within a reasonable range of about 400 yards, thats more than enough hitting with about 1,375 ft.lbf at 2,089 FPS. Hogs, deer, elk at shorter ranges, and everything in between the SIG Cross can harvest with confidence. This is also a wonderful rifle to take to the range. While its lightweight, its not so light that you cant plink with it half the day. I recommend a nice big brake like the Area 419 Hellfire Match, but even with a bare muzzle, you wont get too beat up. If you have a suppressor for it, thats even better. The trigger is two stage, but fairly light at about 3 pounds. More importantly, it is very crisp with a well defined wall that breaks extremely smoothly and consistently. Not the smoothest bolt on a factory rifle I've ever felt, but it smoothed out a lot with use and feels good to run quickly. The bolt handle felt a little odd to me at first, but it ever got in the way, snagged on any gear, and is easy to use when you need to work the bolt in a hurry. I don't love the magazine release, but for a hunting rifle it makes sense. The folding stock is awesome. Really helps the Cross pack down for travel, keeps the bolt handle protected when it is folded, and it still feels really stock and stable when folded out. One thing to know is that the screw that locks the stock onto the rifle WILL walk out with use. Throw some Loctite on that screw and tighten it down hard as soon as you bring your Cross home from the gun store. After I put some Loctite on it, I've never had an issue since. WHAT THE CROSS IS NOT SIG markets the Cross as a long range rifle, and I find that not entirely true. This is a really good hunting rifle, but a kind of meh long range precision rifle. Dont get me wrong, the Cross can shoot. Ive made impacts on the clock and off of props out to 950 yards. But lightweight rifles being great for hunting also makes them not amazing for long range precision shooting. Sure, Ive taken it to PRS and done okay with it but my 22-pound rifle that is actually built for PRS does a whole lot better. NRL: Hunter is a beast of its own and is actually a match where the SIG Cross does pretty well. If you want to push yourself and your gear to see what you can really do, I highly recommend an NRL: Hunter match. Its two days and a whole lot of fun. ACCURACY, AMMO, & HANDLOADS Something that might be a bit frustrating for people is that the Cross is really picky about ammo. Almost every Cross owner Ive met has said the same thing, it likes one or two kinds of ammo and nothing else. Normally, Hornady ELDM and ELDX are pretty safe bets. SIG Elite Hunter ammo is also a flavor that the Cross likes (normally.) Lower-grade ammo can be really hit-and-miss with most of it missing. My rifle likes 140gr Hornady American Gunner pretty well but hates Sellier & Bellot 140gr. With great factory ammo, I shoot about 1.2 MOA 10-shot groups. Note I said 10-shot groups, these arent cherry-picked 3-round groups this is a real representation of the rifles accuracy. Most of my match shooting has been using handloads. With barely any load development, Ive been getting .70 MOA using 140gr ELDM bullets, H4350 powder, and Alpha Precision brass. LOOSE ROUNDS A SIG Cross isnt a cheap rifle, but it is a good rifle. While I wouldnt call this the best long range rifle ever built, I would call it an outstanding hunting rifle with longer legs than most of us will ever need. If you want to take it to some long range shooting, you absolutely can do it. Ive got a lot of rounds down range with my Cross, and I love it. I strongly recommend it, and I look forward to shooting it more in the future. Believe it or not, Tule River Reservation still has water issues Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. On March 17, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department arrested and charged 20-year-old Jaden Appling, of Athens, with murder, for his involvement in a fatal shooting that occurred on March 5 on Northview Drive, according to an ACCPD press release. This is the third arrest related to this shooting, according to the press release. Air India will provide 26 weeks of maternity leave to women employees as well as daycare support under its revamped policies. Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters Besides, the airline will give women pilots the choice to opt for quicker turnaround flights till the child reaches the age of one year. The option will be subject to request and availability, according to an internal communication. The revised policies, to be effective from April 1, are part of the carrier's 'MOMS - Returning Mothers Programme'. MOMS refers to 'Making Our Mothers Soar'. Women employees will get maternity leave for 26 weeks, including for commissioning and adopting mothers, as per the communication. Currently, the maternity leave is for 12 weeks. A commissioning mother refers to one who commissions a surrogate mother to bear a child on her behalf while adopting mother is one who legally adopts a child. Under the programme, a woman employee can avail of nutrition guidance and day care facility on a co-pay model. There will also be counselling sessions to "address mental well-being, preparation for childbirth and plans to return to work for expectant mothers", the communication said. Air India, which was taken over by Tata Group in January last year, has more than 5,000 women employees, including flying and non-flying staff. This accounts for around 40 per cent of the total headcount of nearly 11,000 people. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. Kazakhstan needs to meet an annual threshold of sustainable economic growth equaling 4 percent, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the President of Kazakhstan, said, Trend reports, citing the President's press service. The statement was made during the Presidents address to the lower house of the Parliament. The head of state added that it is vital to ensure that Kazakhstan becomes a critical regional hub. We have completed a significant volume of work to ensure the de-monopolization and creation of a competitive economy. However, we must not stop there, Tokayev noted. He added that the government needs to systematically address this issue, which will improve the maturity of Kazakh institutions. According to the president, this will make the domestic economy more resistant to external and internal shocks. Earlier, President Tokayev said that Kazakhstan needs to decrease the economy by half in 2023, in addition to containing food production price growth. It is clear to any observer that the BJP risks its demolition drive boomeranging on itself. Except for one unpredictable factor in the works -- Rahul Gandhi himself, observes Shyam G Menon. IMAGE: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addresses a press conference, March 25, 2023. Photograph: Amit Sharma/ANI Photo Watching Rahul Gandhi's press conference of March 25, 2023 -- his first one after being convicted by a court in Surat -- was tough. Just when he had everyone's attention and required to speak well, he ended up offering ammunition to his opponents. Although his claim of Rs 20,000 crore (Rs 200 billion) arrived in Adani's shell companies remained in one's mind, what resonated equally was Rahul Gandhi saying it made no difference to him whether he was retained in Parliament or not; that he would still continue his crusade. The man has been hunted like few Indian politicians have been in recent times, by the ruling dispensation. Most people forced to suffer the personal indignity, ridicule and trolling he faced, would have crumbled long ago. To his credit, he soldiers on. It is clear to any observer that the BJP risks its demolition drive boomeranging on itself. Except for one unpredictable factor in the works -- Rahul Gandhi himself. IMAGE: Rahul Gandhi with Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi at Parliament House, March 29, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo After years of being attacked by the BJP, the few months of the Bharat Jodo Yatra had seen Rahul Gandhi in a pleasant spot. The yatra must have been a revelation to his political opponents drunk on the belief that India responds to only alpha male-posturing, hardline politics and propaganda. After their orchestrated rallies designed to project power, it must have shocked to see people curious about a long walk and looking happy there. Ordinary people joined Rahul Gandhi's walk from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. It was a season of few caring for the BJP's barbs aimed at him. The Bharat Jodo Yatra ended on January 30, 2023, six days after the report by Hindenburg Research on Adani was made public. With the report, Gautam Adani and his proximity to the Indian government became hot topic of discussion. On February 8, The Wire reported, 'Hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave his speech in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, the Congress said that portions of Rahul Gandhi's speech that hit out at the prime minister for allegedly facilitating the unencumbered growth of Adani Group have been expunged from the Parliamentary records at Speaker Om Birla's behest.' Less than a month later, during his early March visit to the UK, Rahul Gandhi had seemed collected and restrained while outlining the emergent reality of Indian democracy to audiences there. It takes a baiting-artiste like the BJP, perched on the high stool of hyper-nationalism to boot, to see an anti-national angle in what he said. Ordinary people who listened to the videos of his talks found nothing unduly controversial. IMAGE: Congress legislators wearing black stage a protest at the Assam assembly in Guwahati, March 29, 2023, in support of Rahul Gandhi against his disqualification as a member of the Lok Sabha. Photograph: ANI Photo According to media reports, the BJP asked Sonia Gandhi to control her son, even as the UK trip was on. Once Rahul Gandhi was back in India, the BJP demanded an apology in Parliament for things he had allegedly said overseas. He was denied chance to speak in Parliament and counter the accusations levelled unless he apologised first. On March 23, a court in Surat convicted him in a defamation case, following which he was hastily disqualified from Parliament. The first press conference by the Congress after Rahul Gandhi's disqualification, in which senior Congress leaders Abhishek Singhvi and Jairam Ramesh participated, was to the point and handled respecting the legal viewpoint and the viewpoint of the party. Things stayed quiet thereafter. Then came Rahul Gandhi's press briefing. Two slip-ups happened at the press conference, which helped realise the opposite of what Rahul Gandhi continuously sought -- don't distract from the main narrative he considered significant (the relation between Adani and Narendra Modi). From the beginning, Rahul Gandhi's presser appeared to walk the path of a one man-show when in reality, everything in politics -- even the aftermath of an elected representative's disqualification -- affects many. People elect their representatives and send them to participate in the process of governance, believing they (the people) will be cared for. Rahul Gandhi was elected to Parliament from Wayanad. When an elected representative is disqualified, his constituency loses its voice in the Lok Sabha. Ideally, Wayanad should have featured in Rahul Gandhi's opening remarks. In fact, it should have been the reason for the press briefing because post-disqualification it is the constituency that matters the most. You owe your voters an explanation. Wayanad found mention merely as answer to a question posed from the media. Its elected representative said he planned to write Wayanad a letter. That was it. The collective temporarily overlooked, didn't end there. The architecture of the collective rests on several underlying treaties. In November 2022, during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi had ruffled feathers in Maharashtra with his observations on Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. The tendency returned at the press conference with an ill-timed comparison of the two surnames -- Gandhi and Savarkar. For most people wishing for an alternative to the BJP (and therefore tracking the fortunes of the Congress) settling whether Savarkar wrote a mercy petition to the British or did not, is not a pressing priority. Between now and the 2024 elections is too short a period of time to contest every detail in the thinking of the public. IMAGE: Mahila Congress workers protest outside the Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram, March 29, 2023, in solidarity with Rahul Gandhi. Photograph: ANI Photo Irrespective of why he instinctively latched on to Savarkar, given general elections due in 2024, criticism of Savarkar comes with the accompanying risk of upsetting critical Opposition alliances. On March 27, 2023, following Rahul Gandhi's remark that he wasn't Savarkar but a Gandhi and wouldn't therefore apologise, The Indian Express newspaper reported that former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray had cautioned Rahul Gandhi against making statements that could cause a rift between their parties. Thackeray's share of the Shiv Sena is part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (along with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party), which used to rule the state and is currently the main Opposition in Maharashtra. By March 28, according to news reports, NCP chief Sharad Pawar had got involved to make sure the issue didn't escalate. A third slip-up -- one of treating a journalist badly -- lost steam in a day. At the end of Rahul Gandhi's press conference, one wondered: Couldn't he have just issued a detailed, well-written press statement instead of a one man-show that fragmented into damage-control? It is always easy for another (like this writer) to look back at what happened, question and speculate how things could have been. Especially when one has been spared the kind of character assassination Rahul Gandhi endured at the hands of the BJP. Following the press conference, BJP leaders lost no time in leveraging the Savarkar-reference and the journalist issue, to adopt the morally high ground. But the freshly minted saints of the Right-Wing crumbled as fast as the presser had. Two days after Rahul Gandhi's press conference, Union Minister and former diplomat Hardeep Singh Puri showcased the type of response BJP revels in. The Mint newspaper quoted him on the subject of the opposition protesting against Rahul Gandhi's disqualification, 'You are getting an ass to run a horse's race... They really deserve to do some serious introspection... People of India would judge them for what they are... Fight Court's action in the Court, you are invoking Mahabharat and Savarkar.' As some columnists have pointed out, if the same mindset that bore down on Rahul Gandhi as regards the defamation case was applied to those in the BJP, casualties would be several. IMAGE: Opposition leaders in Nagpur, March 29, 2023, protest over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's disqualification as AN MP. Photograph: ANI Photo On March 30, The Telegraph newspaper reported that unlike Rahul Gandhi, who was disqualified in less than 24 hours following his conviction, a BJP parliamentarian from Gujarat convicted for assaulting a Dalit doctor in 2016 had been protected from disqualification for 16 days till he got legal relief. In the case of Rahul Gandhi's disqualification, the BJP had been insisting that the law merely took its course. As The Telegraph report pointed out, while the Congress politician was battling a defamation case wherein the charge was that he defamed the Modi community, the 16 day-delay in disqualification in the BJP MP's instance was despite him assaulting a Dalit doctor. The BJP politician not only survived as MP, he secured a ticket to contest polls again in 2019 and is currently in Parliament. With this and Puri's comment available as most recent proof of BJP mentality, the quality of Rahul Gandhi's presser didn't seem to matter. What counts is that the Congress and the larger Opposition, keep the political battle alive. Shyam G Menon is a Mumbai-based columnist. You can read his earlier columns here. Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com At least 12 persons, including 10 policemen, were injured after a mob of around 500 people went berserk and hurled stones and petrol-filled bottles when the cops tried to control the situation following a clash between two groups near a Ram temple in Maharashtra's Aurangabad city, officials said on Thursday. IMAGE: Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: PTI Photo The incident, in which 13 vehicles were torched by the miscreants, occurred during the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday in the city's Kiradpura locality that houses the famous Ram temple, they said. Ram Navami is being celebrated on Thursday. The police used tear gas and fired some plastic bullets as well as live rounds to control the mob, the officials said, adding that eight teams have been formed to identify and arrest the perpetrators. The situation is now under control and security personnel have been deployed across Aurangabad, now named Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. "It started after two groups, each comprising around five persons, clashed near the Ram temple. After some time, one group left the place and the police soon came to the site. After an hour, a mob gathered there, bringing stones and petrol-filled bottles along, which they threw at the police personnel," Aurangabad Police Commissioner Nikhil Gupta told ABP Majha, a Marathi news channel. The streetlights in the area were also damaged by the miscreants, so there was darkness in the area, he said. "We had to use extra force to disperse the mob. They burnt police vehicles near the Ram temple beside hurling stones and petrol-filled bottles at the police personnel. The police used tear gas extensively along with some plastic bullets and live rounds in this case," he said. "We have formed eight teams to identify the miscreants and arrest them. We have also got additional force which is now deployed in the city to maintain peace. The administration will hold an all-party meeting over maintaining peace," the police commissioner said. Talking to PTI, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Shilwant Nandedkar said an offence has been registered at Jinsi police station against 400 to 500 people. "Thirteen police vehicles were set on fire by the miscreants. Ten policemen and a couple of others were injured in the incident," he said. The offence has been registered under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 307 (attempt to murder), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty), 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class), 147 and 148 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly) and others, as well as the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, he said. Speaking at his residence in Nagpur on the violence, Deputy CM Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio, said, "The incident that happened in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar is very unfortunate and efforts are on to maintain peace in the area. However, some people are trying to vitiate the atmosphere there by making provocative statements." "I feel that political leaders should know how to behave in such situations. Hence, if anyone is giving such wrong statements, they should refrain from it. Everyone should maintain peace. If anyone is trying to give political colour to this incident, then it is unfortunate," he said in response to a query about some leaders accusing him of being responsible for the episode. The incident gave ammunition to the opposition parties in the state, with the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leaders accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the All India Majalis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) of orchestrating violence, and alleged that it was aimed at disturbing the Maha Vikas Aghadi's (MVA) upcoming rally in the city. The opposition MVA, comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress, is scheduled to hold a rally in Aurangabad city, now named Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, on the coming Sunday. Targeting the BJP and the AIMIM over the incident, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Chandrakant Khaire claimed, "Imtiaz Jaleel (of the AIMIM), Devendra Fadnavis and Union minister Bhagwat Karad (who hails from Aurangabad) are friends. It is their plan. The violence is aimed at disturbing our (MVA's) rally scheduled on April 2. People are also saying that the AIMIM is a 'B' team of the BJP." Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut alleged that tension is being created deliberately and the home minister (Fadnavis) should know who the perpetrators are. "The MVA's rally on April 2 will go ahead as scheduled. It will be a huge success and preparations are on for it," he said. Speaking in Nashik, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ajit Pawar said, "Is this an attempt to create hatred between two communities? The police should inquire and find the mastermind. The police should work without any political pressure." Responding to the allegations against him, AIMIM's Jaleel told reporters, "This is being done to hide their failure. According to them, when anything good happens, it is because of them, but if anything bad happens, it is due to AIMIM." "I want an inquiry into the incident. All the leaders in Aurangabad should ensure that peace prevails in the city," the AIMIM Lok Sabha member from Aurangabad said. Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana, sought for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, has approached a US court for a status conference after waiting for an order on his extradition to India for more than 20 months. Rana, 62, a childhood friend of David Coleman Headley, was re-arrested on June 10 in Los Angeles on an extradition request by India for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack in which 166 people, including six Americans, were killed. He is a declared fugitive in India. US district court judge in Los Angeles Jacqueline Chooljian held the last hearing on the extradition issue in June 2021 and the last set of papers was filed in July 2021. The court is yet to give a verdict on the US government's request to extradite Rana to India. In a motion moved through his lawyer, Rana has asked for a status conference. The last pleading in the case was filed on July 21, 2021. Given the passage of time and Rana's continued incarceration, it appears appropriate for the court and counsel to discuss the current status of the matter, his lawyer said. The US government has not opposed the motion for a status conference. Rana's lawyers have suggested that the status conference be held on April 25. During court hearings, federal prosecutors argued that Rana was aware that his childhood friend Headley was involved with the Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Tayiba (LeT), and that by assisting Headley and affording him cover for his activities, he was supporting the terrorist organisation and its associates. Rana knew of Headley's meetings, what was discussed, and the planning of the attacks, including some of the targets. The US government asserted that Rana was part of the conspiracy and there is probable cause that he committed the substantive crime of commissioning a terrorist act. Rana's attorney, on the other hand, opposed the extradition. As many as 166 people, including six Americans, were killed during the attacks by the LeT members. Because members of the conspiracy committed acts resulting in death with the intention of causing death, or at a minimum committed those acts knowing its imminent dangers, there is sufficient evidence that the elements for murder would be satisfied, federal prosecutors said. "Under Indian law, other members of the conspiracy also would be liable for murder, even if they were not physically present," it said, adding that in this case, death resulting from the attacks was foreseeable. Rana knew that Headley was working with terrorists and that LeT and other co-conspirators were planning attacks in Mumbai. He also was aware of some of the potential targets, such as the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and its second floor, because he and Headley had discussed those locations. "Thus, Rana understood that by helping Headley and allowing him to use his immigration office in Mumbai as a cover, LeT and the other terrorists would be able to carry out their attacks. "Further, because Headley had a co-conspirator meet Rana in Dubai, UAE, and warn him of the upcoming attacks, Rana was in no doubt of what was going to happen," according to the federal prosecutors. Pakistani-American LeT terrorist Headley was involved in plotting the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. He was made an approver in the case and is currently serving a 35-year prison term in the US for his role in the attack. India seeks his arrest on a number of offences, including the conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit forgery for the purpose of cheating, and murder under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He is sought for his role in the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. The 2008 Mumbai attack was one of India's most horrific terrorist attacks. Pakistani national Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist captured alive, was hanged to death on November 21, 2012. The Australian police have arrested three more people in connection with two incidents of brawl that broke out between Khalistan activists and pro-India demonstrators in Melbourne in late January, the police said on Thursday. IMAGE: Manpreet Vohra, India's high commisioner to Australia, offers prayers at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Melbourne, amid reports of attacks on Hindu temples in Victoria state. Photograph: ANI on Twitter The alleged incidents happened during the so-called 'Punjab independence referendum' where two fights broke out between the two groups which injured several people on January 29, the Victoria police said in a statement. Apparently, flag poles were used by several men as weapons which caused physical injuries to multiple victims, the statement said. The US-based Sikhs for Justice, the group spearheading the non-binding referendum, is a banned organisation in India. The three arrested include a 23-year-old man charged with affray and unlawful assault while a 36-year-old and 39-year-old have been charged with affray and violent disorder, the police said. The identities of the arrested men have not been disclosed. Earlier, two men aged 34 and 39 were arrested and issued a penalty notice for riotous behaviour. All those charged this week have been bailed to appear at the Melbourne magistrates' court on August 8. Further investigation is underway and the police are making enquiries to identify and apprehend any further alleged offenders from the day, the statement added. India has asked the Australian government to curb the anti-India activities of the Khalistani separatists and frequent attacks on the Hindu temples in the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised concerns over the recent attacks on temples in Australia as well as pro-Khalistan activities there with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese during their meeting in New Delhi this month. Albanese has assured Modi that the safety of Indians was a "special priority" for him. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had also raised the issue during his meeting with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong. "Signals that pro-Khalistan elements are stepping up their activities in Australia, actively aided and abetted by members of proscribed terrorist organisations such as the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) and other inimical agencies from outside Australia, have been evident for some time," the Indian high commission in Canberra said in a strongly-worded statement on January 26. Eleven persons died after the roof of a bawdi (well) collapsed during a havan fire ritual, on the occasion of Ram Navami at a temple in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, on Thursday, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said. IMAGE: The site of the tragedy in Indore, March 30, 2023. Photograph: ANI on Twitter Earlier, Indore Collector Illaiyaraja T had given the death toll as 12. Ten women and a man died in the accident, state home minister Narottam Mishra told reporters in Bhopal. It is feared that a few kids are also missing and a search is on to trace them by pumping out the bawdi's water, Mishra said. Chouhan told reporters in the state capital that 11 persons have died in the bawdi collapse tragedy at the Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal temple in Indore's Patel Nagar. The CM said he has ordered a probe into the incident. According to Chouhan, 19 persons were rescued and taken to the hospital but one of them succumbed to his injuries. The chief minister has also announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for every injured person. Expressing anguish soon after the accident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had tweeted, Extremely pained by the mishap in Indore. Spoke to CM Shivraj Chouhan Ji and took an update on the situation. The state government is spearheading rescue and relief work at a quick pace. My prayers with all those affected and their families. The temple was constructed by laying a slab over the bawdi in a covered campus, home minister Mishra said. A probe has been ordered into the matter, particularly to find out how the temple was allowed to be constructed over a bawdi, Mishra said. Nearly 30-35 devotees fell into the well after the accident at the temple, said Indore Police Commissioner Makrand Deoskar citing eyewitness accounts. Earlier, a witness had put the number at nearly 25. An eyewitness said that during the religious programme, there was a huge crowd of devotees on the roof of the bawdi in the temple. As the structure could not bear the load of so many people, it caved in, he said. After the accident, people gathered around the temple looking for their family members who were present on the premises at the time of the tragedy. Kantibhai Patel, president of Patel Nagar Residents Association, said no ambulance reached the spot for an hour even after authorities were alerted about the accident. Officials have identified the deceased persons as Lakshmi Patel (70), Bharti Kukreja (58), Jaivanti Khhobchandani (84), Daksha Patel (60), Madhu Bhammani (48), Manisha Motwani (40), Ganga Patel (58), Kanak Patel (32), Pushpa Patel (49), Bhumika Khanchandani (31) and Indra Kumar Harwani (53). CM Chouhan also spoke to the Indore collector and police commissioner over the phone and directed them to speed up the rescue operation, said an official. Efforts are on with full might to rescue the trapped people, he added. Suspended Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Telangana T Raja Singh has been booked for allegedly delivering a hate speech at a rally in Mumbai on January 29, a police official said on Thursday. IMAGE: Telangana BJP MLA T Raja Singh. Photograph: PTI Photo A case was registered four days ago after Singh's speech at the rally organised by the Hindu Sakal Samaj between Shivaji Park and Labour Board office was examined, the Dadar police station official said. Singh, the MLA from Goshamahal in Telangana capital Hyderabad, has been booked under Indian Penal Code section 153A(I)(a) for allegedly making provocative statements aimed at a community at the event, the official said. The morcha was held to discuss various issues facing the Hindu community, especially women. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was 'putting pressure' on him to 'frame' the then chief minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi in an alleged fake encounter case in Gujarat when he was being questioned by the probe agency during the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government. IMAGE: Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Photograph: ANI Photo Shah said this at the 'News 18 Rising India' programme in response to a question on Opposition's charge that the Narendra Modi government is 'misusing' central agencies to target them. The CBI 'was putting pressure' on me to 'frame Modi ji' (when he was Gujarat CM) in an alleged fake encounter case during the Congress government, he said, adding that the Bharatiya Janata Party never raised a ruckus despite this. On Rahul Gandhi's conviction in a criminal defamation case by a court in Surat, the home minister said the Congress leader was not the only politician who was convicted by a court and lost membership of the legislature. Instead of moving to a higher court, Rahul has been trying to create hue and cry and blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his fate, he said. Shah said Rahul Gandhi should go to a higher court to fight his case, instead of trying to put the blame on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said the Congress is spreading misconception; conviction can't be stayed. "The sentence can be stayed if the court decides," he said. "He has not appealed to take stay on his conviction. What kind of arrogance is this? You want a favour. You want to continue to be MP and will also not go before the Court," Shah said. Where does such arrogance gets generated, he said. Shah said 17 prominent leaders, including Lalu Prasad, J Jayalalitha and Raashid Alvi, had lost their membership because of a 2013 Supreme Court order during the UPA government, which said an elected representative would lose his seat immediately after conviction. Still, no one protested wearing black clothes because it is the 'law of the land', he said. "Listen to the full speech of Rahul Gandhi, he has not only spoken abusive words for Modi ji. He has spoken abusive words for the entire Modi community and OBC society," he said. "The law of the land is clear. There is no question of vendetta politics. It is the judgment of the Supreme Court of India, which had come during their government," Shah said. Asked about the notice to vacate his bungalow, Shah asked why should there be 'special favour' when the Supreme Court had said to act as soon as the conviction comes into effect. "It was a deliberate statement by Rahul Gandhi. If Rahul Gandhi did not want to apologise, then he should not have applied for bail. Let him not apologise," Shah said. "This gentleman is not the first one. Politicians who held much bigger positions and with much more experience have lost their membership because of this provision," the home minister said. He said India's democracy wasn't threatened when Lalu ji was disqualified but it is endangered only when a person from the Gandhi family is disqualified. "Now it has come on him, so they are saying make a separate law for the Gandhi family. I want to ask the people of this country whether there should be a separate law for a single family. What kind of mentality is this? Whatever happens, they start blaming Modi ji and the Lok Sabha Speaker," Shah said. He said senior lawyers who are Congress MPs in Rajya Sabha should tell their colleagues that Lok Sabha Speaker has no role in the disqualification. "It is the law of the country that all his speeches in Parliament would have to be erased from the records from the moment of his conviction. Even if his disqualification notice were served a few days later, it would have no purpose," he said. Shah said BJP did not want changes in the Supreme Court order. The Manmohan Singh government brought an Ordinance to blunt the apex court order, but Rahul Gandhi tore it apart, calling it 'nonsense'. "Once he tore it apart, who in his government would have dared to turn it into law? It was vetoed. Had that ordinance become a law, he could have been saved," Shah said. Asked about Rahul's comment on Savarkar, the Home Minister said Veer Savarkar was the only freedom fighter who was sentenced to two life terms in Andaman prison. "Such language for such a freedom fighter should not have been used," he said. He (Rahul) should read his grandmother's speech on Veer Savarkar. His own party people are advising him to not speak against Savarkar, he said. In the general election of 2024, Shah said Modi would again be PM with a larger majority. The BJP will get more seats in the 2024 elections than 2019 elections, he said, adding that there is no unity among the Opposition. On the upcoming Karnataka elections, Shah said BJP would comfortably cross the halfway mark and form a government with a clear majority in the state. Ruling out any alliance in Karnataka, Shah said, "The BJP will definitely cross the halfway mark and form the government with an absolute majority in Karnataka. We will win record mandate." Referring to recent Karnataka government's decision to end quota on the basis of religion, he said reservation based on religion is unconstitutional. "Karnataka's Congress government did it due to polarisation, and we have just rectified it. It should have done earlier," he said. The home minister rejected the allegations on the misuse of investigative agencies against the opposition leaders. Shah said we never blamed the opposition for anything, innocent police officers were put behind bars during Congress government. Shah said the BJP had won the 2014 and 2019 elections on the plank of anti-corruption. He said Enforcement Directorate had seized 1.10 lakh crore of assets, of which not even five per cent are of political leaders. "Shall we stop the fight against corruption? Should we not act if the accused is a politician," Shah asked. The home minister asked who had filed cases against Lalu Prasad Yadav and who had sent a plane full of officials from Delhi to arrest Shaikh Abdullah. Citing the misuse of agencies, Shah said thousands of innocent persons were imprisoned for 19 months of Emergency and questioned whose doing it was. It was his grandmother Indira Gandhi, he said. On the Maharashtra question, Shah said people wanted Shiv Sena and BJP government and now the real Shiv Sena is with BJP. "I also accept that BJP on its own could have formed the government in Maharashtra. There is no question of the merger of Shiv Sena," he said. He said the Congress should introspect about its contribution to corruption. There is a strong resentment against Congress governments in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. We will definitely win elections in Madhya Pradesh, he said. Shah said we have not taken any decision on the face in Rajasthan elections. People want to change the CM of Rajasthan, he said. On Amritpal Singh, Shah said he meets Punjab Chief Minister every three months, irrespective of the government and stand with the party when it comes to the security of the country. "Many people have been arrested in connection with Amritpal case, police and intelligence agencies are working on the case," he said. On attacks on Indian missions abroad, Shah said it was an attack on India. "We will take action against those involved in the attack, FIR already lodged in Delhi," he said. Shah said the contribution of Sikhs to India's freedom has been immense; every Sikh wants to be with India. The home minister ruled out any confrontation between the judiciary and the government. "Both are working within their limits," he said. The government's duty to make law now and the Parliament will think over it, he said. A row erupted in Chennai on Thursday over the alleged denial of entry to a family, said to be from a particular ST community, into a city cinema theatre despite possessing valid tickets, though the cinema house insisted it only adhered to Censor rules. IMAGE: People belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC) hold a protest against the caste-based exploitation, at Jantar Mantar, in New Delhi. Photograph: ANI Photo As the issue snowballed into a major controversy, with many on Twitter asking if the members were denied entry because they belonged to the particular Narikuravar community, the theatre management later allowed all of them to watch the newly released Tamil flick, Pathu Thala, starring Silmabarasan TR. A video of the members being denied entry despite showing what seemed like valid tickets but being shooed away by theatre staff went viral, drawing widespread condemnation. Some people were heard trying to persuade the staff to allow the family inside. The management of Rohini Silver Screens theatre, where the film was running, said it has taken note of the situation. "A few individuals along with their children with valid tickets have sought entry to the cinema to watch 'Pathu Thala' movie. As we know, the movie is censored U/A by the authorities," it said in a statement. Children below 12 years cannot be permitted to watch U/A rated movies as per the law, it added. "Our ticket checking staff has denied entry on this basis to the family which had come with children aged 2,6,8 and 10." "However, since the audience gathered turned into a frenzy and took a different perspective of the situation without full understanding, in order to avert any law and order problem... the same family was allowed entry to watch the movie on time," the statement read. The theatre management later released a video of the family enjoying the action flick. The Coast Guard conducted a Search and Rescue operation at Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. The Coast Guard displayed its capabilities on water and air by deploying seven ships, helicopters and unmanned rescue boats in the exercise commanded by Coast Guard Kakinada Commanding Officer T R K Rao. Held approximately five nautical miles away from the Kakinada coast, Coast Guard ships ICGS Samudra Paheredar, ICGS Vigraha, Kanaka Latha Barua, Priyadarshini, C-430, 438 and 449 participated in the operation. Photograph: PIB/PTI Photo Photograph: ANI Photo Photograph: ANI Photo Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com The Congress on Thursday said it firmly believes that India's democratic processes themselves have to deal with the threats posed to its democracy, remarks that came after the Bharatiya Janata Party attacked the opposition party for its leader Digvijaya Singh thanking Germany for "taking note" of Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from the Lok Sabha. IMAGE: Digvijaya Singh. Singh thanked the German foreign ministry and Richard Walker, chief international editor of Deutsche Welle for "taking note of how democracy is being compromised in India through the persecution of Rahul Gandhi". He also tagged a tweet and a video posted by Walker on the German foreign ministry reaction to Gandhi's disqualification. A host of senior BJP leaders and Union ministers attacked the Congress and Singh, accusing the party of "inviting foreign interference" in internal affairs. Without taking names, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Twitter,"@INCIndia firmly believes that India's democratic processes themselves have to deal with the threats posed to our democracy by Mr Modi's assault on our institutions & his politics of vendetta, intimidation, threats & harassment." The Congress and Opposition parties will take him on fearlessly, Ramesh added. His reaction is seen as damage control by the party amidst an all out BJP attack following Singh's remarks. At a press briefing, Germany's foreign ministry spokesperson said, "We have taken note of the verdict of first instance against Indian opposition politician Rahul Gandhi as well as the suspension of his parliamentary mandate." "To our knowledge, Mr Gandhi is in a position to appeal the verdict. It will then become clear whether this verdict will stand and whether the suspension of his mandate has any basis," the spokesperson was quoted as saying. Germany expects that "standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles" will equally apply to the proceedings against Rahul Gandhi, the spokesperson added. Sharing a screenshot of Digivijaya Singh's tweet, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said, "Thank you Rahul Gandhi for inviting foreign powers for interference into India's internal matters." "Remember, Indian Judiciary can't be influenced by foreign interference. India won't tolerate 'foreign influence' anymore because our Prime Minister is:- Shri @narendramodi Ji," Rijiju said. Hitting back at Rijiju, Congress' media department head Pawan Khera said, "Mr. Rijiju, why divert from the main issue? The issue is that the Prime Minister cannot answer Rahul Gandhi's questions about Adani." Instead of "misleading" people, please answer the questions, Khera said. Attacking the Congress over Singh's tweet, Information and Broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur said, "Disgrace to nation, @INCIndia & @RahulGandhi don't believe to fight India's democratic, political and legal battle within country, hence, invite foreign powers to interfere in our internal matter. But New India headed by @narendramodi Ji will not tolerate any foreign intervention." Former Janata Dal-Secular MLA SR Srinivas (Gubbi Srinivas alias Vasu) on Thursday became the third legislator to resign from the post, and join Congress, this month, ahead of May 10 assembly polls in Karnataka. IMAGE: JD-S legislator from Gubbi constituency SR Srinivas (right) joins Congress in the presence of Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah, in Bengaluru, March 30, 2023. Photograph: Courtesy Karnataka Congress/Twitter According to the Congress, 37 leaders associated with JD-S in the 2018 assembly polls, have joined the party so far, in the run up to the upcoming elections. Srinivas, a former minister had resigned as MLA on March 27, while two MLCs from Bharatiya Janata Party Puttanna and Baburao Chinchansur had resigned from their legislative council membership earlier this month to join the Congress. Puttanna has been fielded from Rajajinagar assembly segment by the Congress in its first list, and there are indications that the party might field Chinchansur and Srinivas too from Gurmitkal and Gubbi segments respectively. Inducting Srinivas, a four-time MLA and former Minister,and his supporters into the party, KPCC President D K Shivakumar said, "I had been trying to get Vasu (Srinivas) to Congress for a long time, but now looking at the mood of the people he has decided to join the party...His joining will not only strengthen the party in Tumakuru, but the entire Old Mysuru region." Noting that about 37 leaders, who were associated with JD(S) in the last assembly polls have joined the party so far -- also two BJP MLCs Puttanna and Baburao Chinchansur, among several others, Shivakumar claimed, there is a "long list of people" wishing to join the Congress and it will be made known in stages, in the days to come. Srinivas said he was returning to his "own house", recalling his and his father's earlier association with the Congress. "I had no intention to leave JD(S) but was forced to. In October, 2021 Kumaraswamy announced a JD(S) candidate from my seat even as I was still in the party. He also made certain false allegations against me, like holding me responsible for Deve Gowda's defeat in 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Tumakuru. I had never done such anti-party activity and had honestly served the party," he said. He claimed that he too was thrown out of JD-S for no fault of his, like it was done to Siddaramaiah by the regional party in the past. Welcoming Srinivas, former CM Siddaramaiah said, it is "Ghar Vapsi" for him. He said, "In JD-S you will have to go by what HD Deve Gowda (party patriarch) and HD Kumaraswamy (leader and former CM) say, what is decided in the family is final, there is no freedom of expression there, and if anyone violates it, if anyone expresses their opinion in the party against their will, they can't stay in the party. Same thing happened to me and now to Vasu." Averring that several people are joining Congress because, the party alone can "save the state from BJP's corruption" and set right the system, Siddaramaiah said, JD-S cannot come to power on its own; they wait for a fractured verdict. "Congress alone can come to power in the state, and save it from BJP." Meanwhile, BJP leader Mudigere in Chikkamagaluru district, Halappa, who was a former Pura Sabha and Housing Board president, joined the Congress. He had quit the Congress when former Chief Minister SM Krishna joined the BJP in 2017. Another BJP leader from Mandya, Satyananda too joined the party. Former Indian Premiere League chief Lalit Modi, accused of financial irregularities in India, launched a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi on Thursday and threatened to take the senior Congress leader to court in the United Kingdom over his 'Modi surname' remark. IMAGE: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addresses a press conference, at AICC headquarters, in New Delhi. Photograph: Amit Sharma/ANI Photo Lalit Modi, 59, also hit out at the Congress party for referring to him as a fugitive of justice even though he had never been convicted of any charges. In a series of tweets, which lacks punctuation and grammar, Lalit Modi also hailed himself as the man behind the 'greatest sporting event in this world', claiming that it has generated close to $100 billion.. He also posted images of his grandparents to say that his family has done more for India than the Gandhi family. 'I see just about every Tom, Dick and Gandhi associates again and again saying I am a fugitive of justice. why? How? and when was I to date ever convicted of same,' reads the tweet. 'Unlike #Papu aka @RahulGandhi now an ordinary citizen saying it and it seems one and all opposition leaders have nothing else to do so they too are either ill- informed or just vendetta prone. I have decided to take the @RahulGandhi at least him to court in UK right away. I am sure he will have to come up with some solid evidence. I look forward to seeing him make a complete #fool of himself,' it adds. Lalit Modi's attack on Rahul Gandhi came nearly a week after the former Congress chief was convicted in criminal defamation case and was sentenced to a two-year jail term by a Surat court for his 'Modi surname' comment. The conviction has since led to Gandhi's disqualification as a Member of Parliament. In his Twitter thread, Lalit Modi accused several Congress leaders, alleging them to be as bag men of the Gandhi family and of having overseas assets . He also claimed that he can provide the details. 'Not even a penny to date has been proven I took in last 15 years. But what is clearly proven I created the greatest sporting event in this world that has generated close to 100 billion dollars,' he tweeted. 'Let not 1 Congress leader forget that from early 1950's the Modi family has done more for them and our country then they can ever imagine. 'I too have done more than they can ever dream of doing. So keep barking scam- tainted looters of India like the very own Gandhi family,' he added. The businessman, who has been based in the UK since 2010, said he will return to India as soon as stringent libel laws are passed in the country. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sat overnight in front of Dalit icon Dr B R Ambedkar's statue on Red Road in the heart of the metropolis, surrounded by a cohort of Trinamool Congress leaders and workers under television camera arclights. IMAGE: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during a two-day dharna against the Central government for not clearing funds for several schemes including 100 days work, in Kolkata on Wednesday. Photograph: ANI Photo Banerjee, who is staging a two-day sit-in to protest alleged discrimination by the Centre against the state, had on Wednesday in a change of stance urged all political parties in the country to unitedly fight the Bharatiya Janata Party in next year's Lok Sabha election. This is a departure from an earlier decision to remain equidistant from both the Congress and the right-wing party ruling India's federal polity. The TMC supremo was accompanied by several party leaders, including Firhad Hakim and Aroop Biswas at the protest site. Banerjee's 30-hour demonstration is likely to end around 7 pm on Thursday. Security measures in and around the venue were tightened keeping in mind the presence of high-profile leaders, a senior officer of Kolkata Police said. Banerjee started the sit-in from Wednesday noon, protesting against the Centre's 'stoppage' of funds to the state for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and other schemes of the housing and public works departments. Stating that the 2024 Parliamentary polls will be a fight between the citizens of the country and the BJP, Banerjee had Wednesday asserted that people across religions must unite to defeat the saffron party and save the poor of the country. She described the BJP as 'Dushasana' and 'Duryodhana' -- the two antagonists from the epic 'Mahabharata'. "I urge every political party in India to unite to oust this 'Dushasana' BJP government. "This Duryodhana' BJP should be removed from power to save the country's common man as well as Indian democracy," Banerjee said. Kolkata has been witnessing a flurry of political activity ahead of the panchayat elections slated for this summer, which has now received a green signal from the Calcutta high court. The state's political temperature has risen by a few notches with rallies by Banerjee's nephew and TMC leader Abhisek, BJP's Suvendu Adhikari and a march organised by the Left-Congress alliance, alongside the sit-in, which has been drawing large crowds of onlookers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise visit to the new parliament building in New Delhi on Thursday evening and inspected various works as well as interacted with construction workers, sources said. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes a surprise visit to the new Parliament building, New Delhi, March 30, 2023. All Photographs: ANI Photo The prime minister spent more than an hour inside the building. Accompanied by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Modi had a look at the facilities coming up at both Houses of Parliament, the sources said. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with the workers during a surprise visit to the new Parliament building, New Delhi, March 30, 2023. He also interacted with the construction workers, they said. The new building, which was earlier expected to be completed by November last year, is likely to be inaugurated soon. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes a surprise visit to the new Parliament building, New Delhi, March 30, 2023. In December 2020, Prime Minister Modi had laid the foundation stone of the new parliament building which will have modern facilities. Tata Projects Ltd is constructing the building after being awarded the project for Rs 971 crore in 2020. However, the project cost is believed to have gone higher. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at the new Parliament building, New Delhi, March 30, 2023. The new building will also have a grand Constitution Hall to showcase India's democratic heritage, a lounge for members of Parliament, a library, multiple committee rooms, dining areas and ample parking space. Under the Central Vista redevelopment project, the government will also construct an Executive Enclave that will house a new Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Cabinet Secretariat, India House and National Security Council Secretariat. The police on Thursday deployed a drone in a village in Hoshiarpur district where some suspects had abandoned their car following a chase two days ago, as radical preacher Amritpal Singh remained untraceable. IMAGE: The police personnel conduct a search operation for Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh, in Hoshiarpur, March 29, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo Cops deployed in and around Marnaian village were also checking vehicles in the search of the radical preacher. With the police resuming their search in the area, they deployed a drone in the village, sources said. There was, however, no official comment on it from the police department. Paramilitary personnel have also been deployed in and around the village. Earlier, the Punjab police had launched a massive search operation in the Hoshiarpur village and many adjoining areas following inputs that the radical preacher and his aides could be in the area. The Hoshiarpur action began as police chased a car, which some sources said may have carried Amritpal Singh and his aides, on Tuesday night. They abandoned the vehicle at the village and disappeared. There were also reports that the suspects could have used another car to escape. The police also conducted a door-to-door search operation but no success has been achieved yet. Amritpal Singh remains untraceable since the police crackdown against him and members of his pro-Khalistan 'Waris Punjab De' outfit began on March 18, about three weeks after he and his supporters stormed into the Ajnala police station near Amritsar to secure the release of an arrested man. The preacher escaped the police net in Jalandhar district on March 18, switching vehicles and changing appearances. He and his associates have been booked under several criminal cases related to spreading disharmony among classes, attempt to murder, attack on police personnel and creating obstructions in the lawful discharge of duty by public servants. The police already stepped up security in and around Amritsar and Bathinda amid reports that Amritpal may surrender after entering either the Golden Temple or the Takht Sri Damdama Sahib. The Kalakshetra, an iconic institution in Chennai, has announced closure of its college till April 6, in the wake of protests by students against alleged sexual harassment and misconduct on the campus. IMAGE: A view of Kalakshetra campus, in Chennai. Photograph: Courtesy Kalakshetra India/Twitter Students of the Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts, being run by the Kalakshetra on its campus, resorted to the protest at the "tapovan", the prayer space at the entrance of the college on Thursday demanding justice. They alleged harassment by a senior faculty and sought appropriate action against him. As the allegations surfaced a few days ago, chairperson of National Commission of Women Rekha Sharma, visited Kalakshetra on Wednesday to enquire about the allegations. The principal announced that the college will be closed till April 6 from Thursday evening. "Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts will remain closed from 5.15 pm today to April 6. All inmates are requested to vacate the hostel within two days with immediate effect," he said in a circular. Exams scheduled on the above days have been postponed and new dates would be announced in due course, the Principal added. Meanwhile, Kalakshetra in a statement said the chairman and the governing board is fully appraised of protests and grievances and all steps would be taken to ensure that no person who is involved in any unsavory activity in the Foundation will be spared. "There have been some allegations which we are considering. Some of the students of the Foundation have been protesting in our campus. The Director and the Deputy director from administration have spoken to the students taking into consideration the sentiments and grievances of the students. "On 29.03.2023, the chairperson of the national commission for women had also visited our campus and made enquiries about the allegations. The Foundation had already sought explanation from the persons against whom some allegations have been made and on receipt of their explanation, the Chairman and the Governing Board will consider the appropriate action that has to be taken in accordance with its Rules and Regulations and in conformity with law." "The chairman and the Governing Board is fully appraised of protests and grievances and all steps will be taken to ensure that no person who is involved in any unsavory activity in the Foundation will be spared," the statement said. Carnatic musician and writer TM Krishna called upon the Kalakshetra management to take necessary action to address the "very serious complaints." "I am writing to you regarding the complaints of sexual harassment and toxicity in the Kalakshetra environment that has been raised over the past few months," he said in an open letter to the college principal requesting for action. The Punjab government has informed the Akal Takht that 348 of the 360 people taken into preventive custody during a police crackdown against radical preacher Amritpal Singh have now been freed. IMAGE: Associates of 'Waris Punjab De' chief Amritpal Singh brought to Baba Bakala court, in Amritsar on March 23, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo The Akal Takht Jathedar's personal secretary Jaspal Singh on Thursday said a message was received from the state government that the rest would also be released soon. Earlier this week, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh had given an ultimatum to the state government to release all Sikh youths held during the police crackdown against Amritpal Singh and his aides. The Jathedar had also condemned the state government for invoking the National Security Act against a few people during the police crackdown. A few days prior to the Jathedar's ultimatum, the Punjab Police had said that out of those detained, nearly 30 were hardcore criminals. The rest would be released after verification, a senior police official had said. Meanwhile, police have stepped up security in and around Amritsar and Bathinda amid reports that Amritpal Singh may surrender after entering any of the two Sikh shrines -- the Golden Temple in Amritsar or the Takht Sri Damdama Sahib in Bathinda. Vehicles are being checked at several places in other districts, including Hoshiarpur, in search of the head of 'Waris Punjab De'. Amritpal, who has been on the run since March 18 when the police crackdown was launched, appeared in a video on Wednesday. In the undated clip, he urged the Akal Takht to summon a 'sarbat khalsa' -- a congregation of Sikhs to discuss issues concerning the community. The Punjab Police on Tuesday night launched a massive search operation in a Hoshiarpur village and many adjoining areas following inputs that radical preacher Amritpal Singh and his aides could be in the area. Ram Navami was celebrated across the country on Thursday with grand processions and special pujas, but the festivities were marred by the deaths of 14 devotees in separate incidents in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, and clashes and arson in some parts of the country. IMAGE: Artists dressed up in traditional attires take part in "Kachtha Pujan" rally of sandalwood pillar for Ram temple Ayodhya on the eve of Rama Navami festival, in Chandrapur. Photograph: ANI Photo Eleven people died during a havan at Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal temple in Madhya Pradesh's Indore after they fell into a well as its cover caved-in under the weight of a huge crowd, while three others got fatally electrocuted during a Ram Navami procession in Rajasthan's Kota. In Delhi, a large number of people defied a police order and took out a procession in Jahangirpuri, which witnessed riots last year during Hanuman Jayanti celebrations, while stones were pelted at two marches in Gujarat's Vadodara too. President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished people on the auspicious occasion. "Maryada Purushottam Lord Ram's life was based on sacrifice, tapasya, restraint and resolve," Modi tweeted. Ten women and a man died after the roof of a well collapsed during a havan, a fire ritual, at Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal temple in Indore's Patel Nagar, a senior official said. IMAGE: Paramilitary personnel deployed during the procession taken out at Jahangirpuri on the occasion of Ram Navami festival, in New Delhi. Photograph: ANI Photo An eyewitness said the roof of the well caved-in as a huge huge crowd of devotees gathered on it. In Rajasthan, the procession at Kotradeet village of Kota turned tragic as three people were electrocuted to death and four others got injured while attempting to to take out a juggling iron ring stuck in a high power line. The incident occurred at around 5.45 pm when the procession was being taken out with display of stunts. The iron ring with which the youngsters were displaying stunts got stuck in a high tension overhead power line. During their attempt to take out the ring, seven persons sustained injuries, three of whom died, official said. Violence broke out between two groups when a procession was taken out in West Bengal's Howrah city. Several vehicles were torched and shops were ransacked on Thursday evening. Police said a number of people were detained in this connection. IMAGE: Bihar Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar with state Chief Minister Nitish Kumar during 'Rama Navami Shobha Yatra', at Dakbunglow crossing, in Patna. Photograph: ANI Photo The police used force to disperse the mob. A large contingent of police was deployed in the locality where the situation is stated to be under control. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is on a dharna, said strict action will be taken against the culprits. Elsewhere in West Bengal, leaders of the BJP and RSS led processions in different parts of the state with the RSS organising about 1,000 small and large rallies across. Chanting slogans of 'Jai Shri Ram', thousands of people took part in those processions in Howrah, Kharagpur, Barrackpore, Bhadreswar, Siliguri and Asansol. Drumbeats, saffron flags and large cutouts of Lord Ram featured prominently in these processions. Some of those participating in the processions were carrying swords and trishulas. BJP leader Sajal Ghosh, who participated in one such rally in Howrah's Ramrajatala, said there was a need to use such weapons against the evil. "Lord Rama had used weapons to vanquish the demons," said Ghosh, a corporator of Kolkata. IMAGE: Police personnel conduct flag march after ruckus during 'Rama Navami' procession in Howraht. Photograph: ANI Photo Bharatiya Janata Party national vice-president Dilip Ghosh performed puja at the 300-year-old Ram Mandir in Ramrajatala. In the Aurangabad city of Maharashtra, at least 12 people, including 10 policemen, were injured after a mob of around 500 people went berserk and hurled stones and petrol-filled bottles when the personnel tried to control the situation following a clash between two groups near a Ram temple, officials said on Thursday. The incident, in which 13 vehicles were torched by the miscreants, occurred during the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday in the city's Kiradpura locality that houses the famous Ram temple, they said. The police used tear gas and fired some plastic bullets as well as live rounds to control the mob, the officials said, adding that eight teams have been formed to identify and arrest the perpetrators. About 25 lakh people took a dip in Saryu river in Ayodhya and visited temples in the city to mark the Ram Navami festivities, administrative officials said. They said lakhs of devotees thronged the temple town on the occasion of Chaitra Ram Navami amid tight security arrangements by the administration. IMAGE: Police personnel stand guard after stone pelting occurred during 'Rama Navami Shobha Yatra', in Vadodara. Photograph: ANI Photo The celebrations got off early in the morning. Special prayers were performed in all the temples of Ayodhya at midday. The festival was celebrated with fervour and enthusiasm across Telangana with devotees offering prayers and also attending the celestial wedding of Lord Ram and Sita performed in temples. Hundreds of devotees witnessed the 'Sri Sita Rama Kalyanam' at the famous Lord Ram temple at Bhadrachalam, about 300 kms from Hyderabad. Police made elaborate security arrangements for the 'sobha yatras' (processions) on the occasion of Ram Navami in Hyderabad. But in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, a fire broke out at Venugopala Swamy temple in West Godavari district, but nobody was injured. "It was a short-circuit and there was no loss of life or injury," West superintendent of police U Ravi Prakash said. The small Hindu population in Srinagar also celebrated the festival by taking out a Shobha Yatra amid tight security. IMAGE: Rescue operations being conducted for those trapped in the stepwell at a temple following its collapse, at Patel Nagar area, in Indore. Photograph: ANI Photo "We have been taking out this yatra and 'Jhanki' every year for the past 16 years. Earlier, it was stopped due to turmoil in the valley," said Pawan Chetanyadas, the organiser of the Yatra, said. In poll-bound Karnataka, political parties used the occasion to catch the attention of voters by setting up 'Prasad' counters in various parts of the state. The festival was celebrated in Jharkhand amid elaborate security arrangements including drone surveillance. Saffron flags and banners depicting Lord Ram and Lord Hanuman were displayed in many parts of the state, while devotees sang bhajans, chanted mantras and read Ramcharitamanas and Hanuman Chalisa to commemorate the birth of Lord Ram. Speaking at a conclave in Delhi on the occasion, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, "Lord Ram is not merely an embodiment in stone, wood or soil, he is the centre of our culture and faith. Lord Ram is our identity as well as that of our country." The Delhi police said they deployed riots controls personnel in Jahangirpuri after a group took out ''Shree Ram Bhagwan Pratima Yatra'' as part of the Ramnavami Mahotsav despite it being denied permission. "We also conducted Aman committee meetings in the area and patrolling was being done by the police," deputy commissioner of police (northwest) Jitendra Meena said, adding the even passed off peacefully. However, celebrations were not peaceful in Gujarat's Vadodara city where stones were hurled at two Ram Navami processions, leaving some persons injured. While the first incident took place near Panjrigar mohalla in Fatehpura area in the afternoon, the second took place in nearby Kumbharwada in the evening. While no one was injured in the Fatehpura incident, some persons including women were injured in the stone pelting by a mob in Kumbharwada, the police said. The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday issued a provisional list of reserved seats for mayors of municipal corporations, and chairpersons of municipal councils and nagar panchayats for the three-tier urban elections. IMAGE: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Photograph: ANI Photo "The draft notification has been issued for the reserved seats. Objections have been sought on the list of reserved seats within seven days," Urban Development Minister AK Sharma told reporters in Lucknow. The list has been issued for reserved seats for mayors of 17 municipal corporations, and chairpersons of municipal councils and nagar panchayats. The government has sought objections to the draft within seven days, till April 6. The state cabinet had on Wednesday approved an ordinance for the amendment of the Uttar Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act and the Nagar Palika Act. Governor Anandiben Patel on Thursday gave assent to the ordinance. Asked about declaration of local body polls in the state, the minister said, "We will finish our work and give (the final list) to the State Election Commission. It will be up to it to declare the polls." The mayor seat of Agra has been reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) (woman), Jhansi for SC, Shahjahanpur and Firozabad Other Backward Classes (OBC) (women), Saharanpur and Meerut for OBC, and Lucknow, Kanpur and Ghaziabad for women, according to the draft notification. The minister said eight mayor seats of Varanasi, Prayagraj, Aligarh, Bareilly, Moradabad, Gorakhpur, Ayodhya and Mathura-Vrindavan will be unreserved. On March 27, the Supreme Court had directed the State Election Commission to issue a notification within two days for holding the urban local body polls with the provision for reservation of seats for OBCs. A notification for holding local body polls was issued earlier, on December 5 last year, but several petitions were filed in the Allahabad high court against the move. The court then ordered the government to constitute a dedicated commission to identify the criteria for backwardness in an area for reservation. A five-member commission headed by Justice (retired) Ram Avatar Singh was formed on December 28. It submitted its report to Chief Minister Adityanath on March 9 and it was accepted by the Cabinet on March 10. The dedicated commission to oversee the process of identifying the backwardness criteria for reservation had in its report suggested several changes in the reservation, Sharma said. "The commission said that it had gone to several places and there was resentment among people at some places. Till now, elections were held considering the state as one unit. The commission recommended considering seats at the regional level and affix reservation criteria accordingly so that it can be made more acceptable," he said. For municipal corporations it did not recommend any change but for nagar palik parishads it said instead of state it should be considered at the regional level and for nagar panchayats, the consideration should be at the district level for rotation (in reserved seats), he said. The minister said that the ordinance was prepared keeping this in mind and it was given assent by the governor. On the changes in the draft notification from the earlier one that was issued on December 5 last year, Sharma said, "In a municipal corporation there was four OBC seats and that will continue. Reservation in six seats have changed. In both the notifications, there is 27 per cent reservation (on 205 seats) for OBCs." "As compared to previous and present draft notification, there were 255 seats reserved for women of all categories and now, there will be 288 seats for them. Similarly for SC, the number of seats have gone up to 110 from 102. The seats for scheduled tribes has also gone up from one to two," the minister said. Sharma added that now every section is getting due representation. The high court order had come on pleas challenging the preparation of the OBC reservation draft without following the "triple test" formula prescribed by the Supreme Court. The triple test requires setting up a commission to hold a "rigorous empirical inquiry" into the nature of the "backwardness" in the context of the local bodies, specifying the proportion of reservation based on the commission's recommendations and ensuring that it does not exceed the overall 50-per cent quota limit. The high court had held that the triple test condition formulated by the Supreme Court 11 years ago was mandatory. "Until the triple test is completed in all respects by the state government, no reservation for a backward class of citizens shall be provided," the high court order had said. In view of a rise in COVID-19 cases, the Yogi Adityanath government has put all the frontline workers and government as well as private hospitals on "alert mode", according to an official release issued on Thursday. Image used for representational purpose only. Photograph: ANI Photo Instructions have been given by the government to take necessary action immediately in districts where confirmed cases are found. Along with this, instructions have also been given to strictly monitor the cases of respiratory tract infection, influenza like illness and severe acute respiratory infection in all the districts, the release issued in Lucknow said. As of March 28, the number of active cases of COVID-19 in Uttar Pradesh was 340. In view of this, the Yogi government has issued instructions to make necessary arrangements for COVID-19 management. Instructions have been issued in a presentation regarding communicable disease control and dastak abhiyan before the chief secretary. Accordingly, officials have been directed to inform immediately about the increase in RTI, ILI, SARI cases, according to the release. Besides, there are also orders for intensive sampling of COVID-19 at places where cases of the fatal disease are reported. The samples will then be sent for genome sequencing to KGMU Lucknow, it said. The government has asked officials to take special care and precautions for elderly patients. Apart from this, instructions have been given to ensure availability of logistics, medicines, PPE kits, gloves, masks and equipment, oxygen plant and concentrator in hospitals. The district administration has been asked to ensure that dedicated hospitals and wards are activated immediately. However, as of March 28, the districts affected by COVID-19 are Gautam Budh Nagar (57), Ghaziabad (55), Lakhimpur Kheri (44), Lucknow (27), Bijnor (12), Lalitpur (9) and Saharanpur (8). Officials have been directed to carefully monitor the situation in these districts. Directions have also been issued for increasing testing and treatment in the affected districts and taking special precautions in districts that were most affected in the previous COVID-19 waves, it said. It is noteworthy that a communicable disease control campaign will be launched in the state from April 1 to April 30. The Dastak campaign will run from April 17 to 30. Under this, arrangements will be made for cleanliness and water logging disposal in rural and urban areas. Glimpses from downtown Kyiv when the curfew was relaxed. A war-time curfew in the Ukrainian capital was moved back an hour from 11 pm to midnight beginning March 26 according to Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko. The curfew ends at 5 am. IMAGE: People walk past destroyed Russian armored military vehicles on display. All photographs: Roman Pilipey/Getty Images IMAGE: A family walks past destroyed Russian armored military vehicles. IMAGE: A woman sits next to metal anti-tank barriers known as 'hedgehogs'. IMAGE: People walk past the hedgehogs. IMAGE: People walk on a Kyiv street in the evening. IMAGE: People walk on a pedestrian bridge overlooking the Dnipro river and the city. IMAGE: A view of the Dnipro river and the city. IMAGE: A woman sits at a restaurant. IMAGE: People gather next to a bar on the Podil neighborhood. IMAGE: The National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War in the background. Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com BURLINGTON If you are outdoors foraging for wild leeks, also known as ramps (Allium tricoccum), health officials want you to be sure you don You are the owner of this article. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) launched a project to improve regulations for the protection and sustainable use of agrobiodiversity and traditional knowledge and promote food and nutritional resilience in Tajikistan in 2022, a source in FAO told Trend. The project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Its main focus is to preserve and sustain the use of local genetic resources for agricultural production and improve livelihood in view of existing climate change, land degradation and other issues. The organization said that in 2022 for improved water resource management, jointly with Agrarian University and the Institute of irrigation, FAO Tajikistan developed the methodology for water use planning for drinking and irrigation and for the use of solar energy in irrigation and drinking water systems. "FAO also assisted the government in developing the mechanism for the proper planning and monitoring of green investments under the Green Climate Fund (GCF) facility by developing a monitoring system, improved private sector involvement strategy and other important strategic and normative documents," the source noted. Moreover, FAO initiated the support to develop the application to include Hissar Valley into the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems list. Besides, FAO launched a "Digital Village" to move towards more digital agriculture. Tajikistan and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations have been cooperating since 1995. For years, FAO has been focusing on improving sustainable food security and nutrition and increasing resilience to climate change in Tajikistan. The Bellows Falls Union High School Board is looking to replace the school's heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. Photographer / Multimedia Editor Has been working as a photojournalist since 2007, before moving into newspapers, he worked with an NGO called Project HOPE. He then went to work for the Press and Sun-Bulletin in New York, and then in New England working for the Brattleboro Reformer. Roshn, a leading Saudi community developer powered by the kingdom's sovereign wealth fund PIF (Public Investment Fund), has signed agreements worth SR8 billion ($2.1 billion) with top construction firms for the development of modern infrastructure and facilities across the several projects it is developing in the kingdom. These deal were inked on the sidelines of the inaugural PIF-backed Private Sector Forum that concluded in Riyadh recently. A first-of-its-kind event, the forum was attended by leading PIF executives, ministers, senior government officials, and representatives from 50 PIF portfolio companies, as well as over 4,000 private sector participants from across Saudi Arabia, representing a broad range of sectors. On the strategic agreements, Roshns Chief Development Officer Oussama Kabbani pointed out that the pace of work at its project sites encourages the group to partner with the private sector to achieve its goals. These contracts were awarded to top builders including China Harbour Engineering Company, Shapoorji Pallonji, Ansab Contracting, Cityscape Group, Al Kifah Precast Company, Haif Company and Trans Contracting Company. "These types of partnerships are core to what we do at Roshn, as we are mandated to uplift the industry and raise the bar in the real estate sector by providing new modes of living that contribute to raising the quality of life in Saudi Arabia and Vision 2030 goals," he added.-TradeArabia News Service A high court in Pakistan on Thursday struck down a colonial-era sedition law that criminalised criticism of the federal and provincial governments, terming it inconsistent with the Constitution. Justice Shahid Karim of the Lahore High Court (LHC) annulled Section 124-A of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) dealing with sedition, the Dawn newspaper reported. Justice Karim pronounced the verdict in response to identical petitions seeking to annul the sedition law, the paper said. One of the petitions, filed by a citizen named Haroon Farooq, which was identical to all other pleas urged the court to declare Section 124-A of the PPC as ultra-vires in terms of Article 8 of the Constitution being inconsistent with and in derogation of fundamental rights provided under Article 9, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 19, 19A of the Constitution. The law states: Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards, the Federal or Provincial Government established by law shall be punished with imprisonment for life to which fine may be added, or with imprisonment which may extend to three years, to which fine may be added, or with fine. It was argued in the petition that the sedition act was enacted in 1860 which is a sign of British colonial rule, Geo News reported. The petition added that this law was used for slaves under which a case can be registered at anyone's request. It was stated in the petition that the Constitution of Pakistan gives every citizen the right to freedom of expression but still, Section 124-A is imposed for making speeches against the rulers. According to the petition, the law has been recklessly used in Pakistan as a tool of exploitation to curb the right to free speech and expression guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution. The petition said the law was serving as a notorious tool for the suppression of dissent, free speech and criticism in free and independent Pakistan. Over the past few years, the petition argued, various politicians, journalists and activists had been booked under Section 124-A. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. A meeting of the Central Commission for Elections and Referendums in Turkmenistan was held on March 29 this year, at which the final results of the elections of deputies of the parliament, as well as members of the people's councils of regions, districts, cities and local self-government, were summed up, Trend reports with reference to the Turkmen media. According to the information, 91.12 percent of the country's citizens who have the right to vote took part in the voting, which took place at 2,602 polling stations in the territories of electoral districts of Turkmenistan and 42 polling stations in foreign countries. At the CEC meeting, the lists of elected deputies of parliament, as well as members of people's councils of regions, districts, cities and local self-government were reviewed and approved. In accordance with the approved lists, 65 candidates from the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan, 18 candidates from the Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, 24 candidates from the Agrarian Party, and 18 candidates from citizens' groups were elected to the new parliament consisting of 125 deputies. Meanwhile, on March 26, elections of deputies of the parliament, as well as members of the people's councils of regions, districts, cities, and local self-government were held in Turkmenistan. The newest indication of growing concerns in the area over US-China relations has been highlighted by leaders from Southeast Asia attending an annual economic meeting in China. They have warned of the spillover effects of great power rivalry and called for greater collaboration rather, reported South China Morning Post. Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong addressed the Boao Forum for Asia in the southern Chinese province of Hainan on Thursday morning. He described the US-China partnership as the "most worrying" and noted that the differences between the two countries were "keenly" felt throughout the globe. 'The US and China are at odds over many intractable issues,' says Lee Big powers have a heavy responsibility to maintain stable and workable relations with one another, because any clash between them will have grievous consequences, for themselves and the world, Lee remarked, as reported by SCMP. He added, And yet, the US and China are at odds over many intractable issues, including trade and investment, supply chains, cybersecurity, emerging and critical technologies, as well as freedom of navigation. We hope that China and the United States will succeed in stabilising their relationship and establishing mutual trust and respect, to cooperate in areas where their interests are aligned. Lee's comments come at a time when smaller countries throughout the world are attempting to find a middle ground amid intense US-China stand-offs on matters ranging from trade to military and technological superiority to ideology. 'Russias invasion of Ukraine has gravely violated the UN Charter' Relations between the two countries were already tight when Russia invaded Ukraine 13 months ago; Washington accused Beijing of colluding with Moscow by neither denouncing the military action or applying sanctions with the West. Russias invasion of Ukraine has gravely violated the UN Charter and international law, and profoundly undermined the rules-based international order, Lee said. Concerns about the consequences of the US-China dispute seem to be greater for Asia, a region that depends largely on trade and where China is the leading economic partner for the majority of countries while the US is seen as a key security ally. Lee predicted that the conflict between the great powers would have an adverse effect on the regional economy as well as efforts to address pressing global issues including pandemic preparation, energy and food security, and climate change. Economic imperatives are being overshadowed by national security concerns. Countries are pursuing self reliance and resilience by onshoring, or friend-shoring, their supply chains, Lee said. The bifurcation in technological and economic systems is deepening and this will impose a huge economic cost on countries as well as further exacerbate rivalries. Lee stated that the area would continue to be open to forming relationships with the rest of the globe in order to sustain healthy competition. Governments in Southeast Asia have so far refrained from picking sides in the US-China power struggle. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen is set to visit the United States and meet House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in an effort to shore up U.S. support amid increasing Chinese military pressure on the island. Meanwhile, Tsai's predecessor Ma Ying-jeou, whose opposition party espouses closer ties with Beijing, is visiting China. Ma raised eyebrows back home when he echoed Beijing's official line that people in democratic Taiwan and in mainland China are all "from the same family." Ma, described by Beijing state media as a "former Taiwan leader," is receiving a red-carpet welcome but is not scheduled to meet any Chinese leaders. Ho was sent back to jail after allegedly breaking bail conditions despite suffering from lung cancer. The United Nations has called on Hong Kong authorities to release veteran rights activist and lawyer Albert Ho, who was returned to custody to await trial for "subversion" under a national security law after his bail was revoked earlier this month. "We are following ongoing cases under National Security Law (#NSL) with great concern," the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said via its Twitter account on March 28. "A week ago, Albert Ho was returned to custody under this law, despite his critical health condition." "We urge authorities to release Ho, to continue his urgent medical care," the tweet said. The 71-year-old Ho had applied for bail on the grounds that he is suffering from cancer, and was released pending trial in August 2022. He was rearrested on March 22 following media reports citing police sources as saying that he "interfered with witnesses and obstructed justice, breaching his bail conditions. Ho, a former chairman of Hong Kong's second-largest political party, the Democratic Party, was also chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, which stands accused of acting as the agent of a foreign power. Leaders Chow Hang-tung, Albert Ho, and Lee Cheuk-yan were arrested on suspicion of "incitement to subvert state power," and the group's assets frozen under the national security law. Hong Kong activist Party's Albert Ho [center] frees himself from mock handcuffs during a 2015 protest in Hong Kong after at least 50 Chinese human rights lawyers and activists were detained or questioned in an "unprecedented" police swoop. Credit: AFP Hong Kong-born Ho was educated in the city, graduating in law from the University of Hong Kong, then serving as lawyer to various charitable and non-government groups before setting up his own law firm and eventually winning a seat on the Legislative Council for the Democratic Party, which he went on to lead. Ho also led legal training across various professional sectors in mainland China, and has represented Chinese victims of World War II, namely sex slaves and victims of forced labor, some of whom traveled to Japan to claim compensation, the London-based rights lawyers' advocacy group 29 Principles said in a profile on its website. Ho co-founded the Democratic Party of Hong Kong, which later became the most influential party in Hong Kongs Legislative Council in the 1990s. In early 2007, he set up the China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group and served as chairman and vice-chair of the Hong Kong Alliance, helping to organize the now-banned annual candlelight vigil in Hong Kongs Victoria Park to commemorate victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre. Ho was handed an 18-month jail term by judge Amanda Woodcock in May 2021 for organizing and inciting others to take part in an illegal assembly in connection with a protest over the banning of the vigil. Since 2019, he has been targeted with several different criminal charges for peacefully exercising his right to assembly. Before his arrest, Ho told journalists he was exhausted by constantly visiting friends and former colleagues in various prisons and detention centers, as the authorities began a citywide crackdown on dissent under the national security law, the 29 Principles profile said. It added that he had also asked his doctors to get his medication for lung cancer ready in case he was arrested. "I have been in the democratic movement for many years and I am still a free man, it quoted him saying before his arrest. I have been lucky. In many other places, people who fight for democracy are all jailed." Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster. As graduates seek work across borders, older people are bussed in on day trips from Guangdong to eat lunch The "Greater Bay Area" youth employment fair held in Hong Kong on Thursday was ostensibly meant to benefit Hong Kongers but saw many visitors from mainland China. Hong Kong is recruiting graduates from mainland China in an apparent bid to replace talent lost in the brain drain sparked by the imposition of a harsh security law in 2020. Many graduates looking for work at a "Greater Bay Area" youth employment fair on Thursday hailed from mainland China rather than Hong Kong, although the heavily subsidized fair was ostensibly held to benefit young people in Hong Kong. The event comes as Beijing seeks to drive greater integration between the former colonial cities of Hong Kong and Macau and their neighbors in Guangdong province, symbolized by the opening of the world's longest sea bridge linking cities across the Pearl River Delta in 2018. Last month, China unveiled a new visa program that could draw a large influx of highly qualified people to live and work in Hong Kong, which has seen a mass exodus of people since the ruling Chinese Communist Party launched a crackdown on dissent in the wake of 2019 protests, while the Hong Kong government has announced it will hand out free air tickets to boost visitor numbers. Companies that sign up for the employment scheme -- HSBC, Bank of China and Tencent all had a presence at the fair -- will receive a government allowance of H.K.$10,000 (U.S.$1,275) a month for 18 months, according to the city's labor department. A recent finance graduate from mainland China who gave only the surname Chen said she is looking to land a job in a bank, and believes the Greater Bay Area comprising Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Macau and Zhuhai is an attractive place to live and work. "I think there is more cultural crossover in the Greater Bay Area, which is where more foreigners come to do business, creating a lot of job opportunities," Chen said. "There are so many parts to the Greater Bay Area now, so maybe everyone can spread out to develop [their career] rather than just staying in one place." I like the work culture A recent graduate from mainland China who gave only the surname Lin said she has lived in Hong Kong for the past six years, and is looking for a media job. "I would choose Hong Kong to work in, because I like the work culture and professionalism," Lin said. "But mainland China's actually a bit more comfortable and convenient to live in, and the cost of living is lower." One recent mainland China graduate attending the "Greater Bay Area" youth employment fair held in Hong Kong on Thursday said the region comprising Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Macau and Zhuhai is an attractive place to live and work. Credit: Dong Shuyue A third graduate who gave the surname Huang said she had heard about the fair on the Xiaohongshu social media platform while studying for a master's degree at a mainland Chinese university. According to a Labour Department press release, some 2,600 Hong Kong-based jobs will be offered in 35 organizations taking part in the fair, nearly half of which are in the catering, retail and hotel industries. Most vacancies offer monthly salaries ranging from H.K.$12,000 to H.K.$23,000 (U.S.$1,530 - U.S.$2,930), compared with an average starting salary of around 6,000 yuan (U.S.$875) in mainland China. Meanwhile, more than 400 mainland China-based jobs will be on offer in management, banking, editorial, engineering and business intelligence, among other categories, it said. "For graduates, first of all, there are good salaries being offered at a reasonable level," labor bureau director William Ng said as the job fair opened. "Fresh graduates do not get such a high salary in the mainland, so it's a good starting salary for Hong Kong students." Rail link Meanwhile, plans are afoot to issue flexible commuter tickets for the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, a backbone of the Greater Bay Area, according to officials. "The Mass Transit Railway Corp Ltd and the relevant mainland railway authorities have been studying and discussing the feasibility of 'metroization' of short haul services of the [high speed rail link]," secretary for transport and logistics Lam Sai-hung told lawmakers on March 29. "Under the arrangement, ticket holders may flexibly alter the tickets to any other trains traveling to/from the same Mainland destination on the same day," Lam said. Mainland Chinese tourists walk to a tour bus after lunch in Hong Kongs To Kwa Wan district, Thursday, March 30, 2023. One Hong Kong resident said the mainland tourists were a nuisance because they block the sidewalks. Credit: Reuters Elsewhere in Hong Kong, older people have started flocking back to the city in their thousands on single-day, low-cost package tours that see them ushered into special restaurants by tour guides for lunch, to the annoyance of local residents. Tourist traffic is returning to To Kwa Wan and Hung Hom in Kowloon, with long lines of mainland Chinese tourists waiting for buses or filing into a restaurant for their package-deal lunches. Not all of them were happy customers, however. "We've been waiting for 10 minutes now ... I have a pretty poor impression of Hong Kong -- not much space and poorly managed," a tourist who gave only the surname Chen told Radio Free Asia on Thursday. "I hope they can open up more restaurants elsewhere and not just have them all concentrated in one place," a tourist who gave the surname Cheng said. The foods okay But a tourist surnamed Li said it wasn't so bad. "It's pretty good," she said. "People shouldn't demand perfection, as nothing is ever perfect." "The food's okay," a tourist surnamed Xiao said. "We had fish, meat and vegetables -- at our age, we've gone through a lot of hard times, but things are okay now." But a Hong Kong resident who gave only the surname Chow said the mainland tourists were a nuisance because they block the sidewalks. "I told them to move out of the way in Mandarin, but they didn't seem to hear me," Chow said, adding that some of the tourists throw toothpicks on the sidewalk after picking their teeth, and spit. Mainland Chinese tourists wait in a tour bus after lunch in Hong Kongs To Kwa Wan district, Thursday, March 30, 2023. Staff at the two main restaurants in To Kwa Wan catering to mainland tour groups said about 5,000 mainland Chinese tourists eat in the district every day. Credit: Reuters Staff at the two main restaurants in To Kwa Wan catering for mainland tour groups said that an estimated 5,000 mainland Chinese tourists eat in the district every day. Former pro-democracy lawmaker Ted Hui, who now lives in Australia, said there is considerable public opposition to mainland Chinese tour groups crossing the border in buses. "There are whole industries dedicated to serving customers from mainland China, which makes people worry that Hong Kong is becoming more like the mainland it reminds them of the wholesale mainlandization of Hong Kong ever since the [2014] Umbrella Movement and the [2019] protest movement," Hui said. "That goes for education, the electoral system, the judiciary and the government, which people in Hong Kong feel is a deterioration, a retrograde step, and that the old advantages of the past have been lost," he said. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster. As Beijing keeps a watchful eye, Taiwans leader delivers a speech in the US to a private audience. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen [second from left] attends an event at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York, Thursday, March 30, 2023. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has wasted little time since touching down in New York on Wednesday, delivering one speech shortly after her arrival with a second set for Thursday night. But its been hard to nail down the details. The controversial transit through Americas biggest city en route, apparently, to official visits in Taiwanese allies Guatemala and Belize is in part taking place behind closed doors, with press not invited. They are very serious about keeping this a private event, said Patrick Cronin, the Asia-Pacific security chair at the Hudson Institute, which is hosting Tsais speech at the Intercontinental Hotel. Taiwanese officials, Cronin told Radio Free Asia, did not want to create unnecessary pressure and dissent with a public speech, with Tsai also set to be presented with a global leadership award. TECRO set the rules, he said, referring to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office, Taiwans de facto embassy. Its not Hudson setting the rules, he said, but the Taiwan government. Careful diplomacy Tsai appears to be walking a fine line, advocating Taiwans case against Beijing during her trip while avoiding prodding it too much. Chinese officials have already warned of countermeasures after the visit, and even of a serious, serious, serious confrontation. Each of Tsais previous six transits through the United States one in 2016, two in 2017, another in 2018, and two in 2019 attracted far less attention, coming at times of relative calm in U.S.-China relations. Dennis Wilder, research fellow with the U.S.-China Dialogue on Global Issues at Georgetown University and a former CIA deputy assistant director for East Asia and the Pacific, told RFA on Tuesday that the kind of events Tsai holds this time would shape Beijings reaction. For example, Wilder said, if she were to give speeches where there would be live coverage of the speech, that would be a new kind of step; were she to give speeches that were incendiary in some way from Beijing's point of view we could see a harsh reaction. The few snippets of Tsais visit that has taken place in the public eye so far have largely been tame, avoiding Taiwanese independence and other themes that could complicate U.S.-China relations. In an earlier speech to supporters after arriving Wednesday, Tsai thanked the United States for its support and vowed to continue working with Taiwans partners in the face of threats from Beijing. At this juncture, our partnerships with the United States and other democracies are more critical than ever, Tsai said in the speech. We know that we are stronger when we stand together in solidarity with fellow democracies. Taiwan cannot be isolated. Thawing relations Her trip comes at a fraught time for ties between Washington and Beijing, with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceling a trip to Beijing at the last minute on Feb. 4 after an alleged Chinese spy balloon was discovered floating across the United States. However, U.S. officials insist the trip was only postponed, and there are already signs Beijing and Washington are seeking a new date. Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen departs the Lotte Hotel in Manhattan in New York, Thursday, March 30, 2023. (Reuters) Rick Waters, deputy assistant secretary of state for China and Taiwan and the head of the State Departments China House, last week paid a visit to China, meeting Chinese counterparts in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, department spokesman Vedant Patel said on Tuesday. It was a working-level discussion, Patel said, about a wide range of issues that we have as it relates to our bilateral relationship. Such a thawing gives U.S. officials reason to avoid an incident. In a call with reporters about Tsais trip on Thursday morning, Daniel Kritenbrink, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said U.S. officials had offered guidance to their Taiwanese counterparts about Tsais transit through the United States. But he declined to say if they had advised against public speeches. We are committed to making sure that President Tsai's seventh transit of the United States is conducted smoothly and successfully, and we have worked closely with many of our Taiwan friends and counterparts to ensure that that is the case, Kritenbrink said. If you have any questions on the specifics of any event that will take place during President Tsai's transits, he said, I would refer you to the Taiwan authorities and to those associated with the event itself. Cutting room floor Even with the private nature of Tsais speeches, attacks from Chinese officials about the visit have continued since her arrival. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters at a press briefing in Beijing on Thursday that the trip gravely undermines Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity and sends a seriously wrong message to Taiwan independence separatists. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning [shown in this file photo] said Thursday that Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wens trip sends a seriously wrong message to Taiwan independence separatists. (Reuters) This once again shows that the fundamental cause of the new round of tensions in the Taiwan Strait is the Taiwan authorities repeated attempt to solicit U.S. support for Taiwan independence and the fact that some in the U.S. intend to use Taiwan to contain China, Mao said. The Taiwan question is the very core of Chinas core interests, she added, the bedrock of the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and the first red line that must not be crossed in the relationship. Xu Xueyuan, charge daffaires at the Chinese embassy in Washington, also reportedly said Tsais visit could cause a serious confrontation. The so-called 'transit' is merely a disguise to her true intention of seeking breakthrough and advocating Taiwan independence, Xu was quoted as saying by Axios. Tsais trip, he added, could lead to serious, serious, serious confrontation in the U.S.-China relationship. Return ticket The worst from Beijing may be yet to come. Tsai departs New York for Guatemala at 11 a.m. on Friday and returns Tuesday to Los Angeles, where shes set to deliver another speech and meet with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in an echo of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to the self-governing island last year. That meeting will be seen as a provocation by the United States, Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of Chinas State Council said this week, when she threatened countermeasures. Convincing disgruntled wives to stay with their families amid harsh economic slump seems key thrust of program A North Korean couple has their wedding photos taken at Mansu Hill Grand Monument in Pyongyang in 2018. North Korea is trying to stop couples from getting divorced by launching an education campaign targeting married women, but residents say the initiative blames women unfairly, sources in the country told Radio Free Asia. The campaign also punishes the parents of divorcing couples by shaming them in public and holds companies responsible should their workforces have high divorce rates. North Korean divorce rates are not publicly available, but at least one source suggested they were rising and that a key reason for this was the enormous stress that economic difficulties have put on families and women in particular in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The directive emphasized that divorce should be prevented by strengthening ideological education for those who propose divorce, said a woman in North Hamgyong province who asked not to be identified to protect her safety. This phenomenon is directly related to the problem of the peoples livelihood, which has become increasingly difficult each day since the coronavirus crisis began, she said, referring to the rising divorce rate. Women are the breadwinners in most North Korean families. Men spend their days working in their government-assigned jobs, which pay meager salaries nowhere near enough to live on. So it usually falls to the women to run a side business such as selling food or crafts in a market stall to support the household. Giving up on families On orders from the Central Committee, the Socialist Womens Union of Korea held lectures for housewives to discourage divorce, a source from the northern province of Ryanggang told RFAs Korean Service. The lectures affirmed that divorce is against the party line and policy, which says that it must be somehow eliminated, the source said. But residents who attended the lecture said it was irresponsible of the authorities to say it is womens fault for families breaking down without acknowledging the responsibility of the state to improve living conditions, she said. They ask things like, Do you think women would voluntarily break up their families if it was easier to live? A pin showing North Korea's founder Kim Il Sung [left] and former leader Kim Jong Il decorates the wedding dress of a bride during a photo session at Pyongyang Folk Park in 2015. Credit: Reuters A 2016 article published in the Asian Population Studies academic journal said that 96% of North Korean adults over the age of 30 were married, and less than 1% of the countrys population was classified as separated or divorced according to official data. Housewives expected that they would be able to escape lifes difficulties when the coronavirus crisis subsided, the North Hamgyong source said. But now they are increasingly giving up on their families, as the hardships are becoming serious enough to be compared to the Arduous March. The Arduous March refers to the 1994-1998 North Korean famine that killed hundreds of thousands and possibly more than 2 million people by some estimates. Suggesting the current situation is anywhere close to the Arduous March is an indication that the future could be bleak for many families. Parents held accountable The North Hamgyong source said that in addition to the lectures, the government is even threatening to punish the parents of people who divorce. The Central Committee ordered that not only should the divorce petitioners be held accountable at collective meetings, but their parents should also be as well, for erroneous education of their children, she said, This is not the first time the government has tried to address divorce, she said. In September last year, the Socialist Womens Union of Korea issued an order to strengthen ideological education for women, in order to prevent divorce, said the source. However, as the number of divorce cases has not decreased, the Central Committee has again ordered measures to prevent divorce. Convincing disgruntled housewives to stay with their families seems to be the main thrust of the campaign, sources said. Each regional party office therefore will conduct an ideological education project for members of the Socialist Womens Union under the theme Lets thoroughly eliminate the phenomenon of divorce and build a harmonious family, the cell of society, the North Hamgyong source said. Party and labor organizations were ordered to strengthen individual collective education in order for each woman to fulfill her duty as a mother, a homemaker, and a wife, she said. In Ryanggang, preparations are being made to investigate every government institution, factory and enterprise to assess the number of divorcing households, the source there said. Company officials are nervous because the Central Committee has a policy to hold them responsible for poor family management in the organization if divorce and family discord frequently occur among employees' families, she said. Translated by Claire Shinyoung Oh Lee. Written in English by Eugene Whong. Edited by Malcolm Foster. Seemingly unprovoked air raid occurred in an area with no fighting, residents say. Khuabung village [shown in this undated photo] in Chin states Thantlang township was bombed by Myanmar junta jets. Two Myanmar military jets bombed a village in western Myanmar on Thursday where there was no fighting, killing at least 10 people and injuring 20 others, according to ethnic rebels and residents. The seemingly unprovoked attack on Khuabung village in Thantlang township in Chin state, near the Indian border, is the militarys latest use of air power in its sprawling offensive against anti-junta Peoples Defense Force paramilitaries and ethnic armies. Its a tactic that has become increasingly common as the countrys armed resistance makes greater gains. Such attacks are typically undertaken by the military to support troops fighting anti-junta forces with devastating effect. Chin National Front spokesman Salai Htet Ni told RFA Burmese that the strike by the two jets was unprovoked and clearly targeted a civilian population. However, Thantlang is one of several townships under martial law that the junta has targeted with multiple airstrikes since the start of the year. They attacked this morning [at around 10:00 a.m.] without any battles happening, Salai Htet Ni said. They dropped bombs into a civilian village. At least 10 residents were killed and 20 injured, he said. The airstrike set many of the villages houses on fire, residents said. Khuabung, around 5 miles (8 kilometers) from the seat of Thantlang township, is home to more than 230 people living in 53 households. Increasing airstrikes According to the Chin Human Rights Organization, the military launched at least 53 airstrikes, dropping more than 140 bombs, on the townships of Mindat, Hakha, Matupi and Thantlang in the first two months of 2023 alone. The strikes killed five members of the Chin National Front and three members of local anti-junta Peoples Defense Force, and also injured six civilians. In addition to the strike on Khuabung village on Thursday, the military also used Mi-35 aircraft to bomb areas it suspected were occupied by local PDF groups, the Chin National Front said. The military has yet to issue any statement regarding the bombing of Khuabung and attempts by RFA to reach Thant Zin, the juntas spokesperson for Chin state, went unanswered on Thursday. A report issued by the U.N. human rights agency earlier this month said that junta airstrikes in Myanmar had more than doubled from 125 in 2021 to 301 in 2022. The report followed a joint statement on March 1 by Amnesty International, Global Witness, and Burma Campaign (U.K.) urging governments to sanction companies that sell jet fuel to the junta to limit the countrys air force. While international sanctions have limited the air force to some extent, former military officials in Myanmar have said they will never be fully effective while powerful countries, such as Russia and China, are backing the junta. Deaths and displacements in Shan state News of the airstrikes on Thantlang came as RFA learned that at least 33 civilians were killed and more than 5,000 displaced from southern Shan states townships of Pinlaung, Pekon and Mobye during the first three months of the year alone. Yin Lianghan, a spokesperson for the Shan Human Rights Foundation, said his organization had compiled the statistics after interviewing Buddhist monks displaced by the violence, as well as aid workers in the region. These people have been severely displaced because of the juntas heavy artillery shelling and a massacre in the Nam Neint village, he said, referring to an incident on March 11, in which junta troops killed 21 civilians, including three monks, in a dawn raid on a monastery in Pinlaung before setting fire to the village. The main reason why they have become refugees is because of the juntas extrajudicial killing of innocent civilians, he said. Residents who fled villages in southern Shan state, Myanmar, are seen in the town of Pinlaung, Sunday, March 26, 2023. Credit: Comet social group Junta Deputy Information Minister Major Gen. Zaw Min Tun has told pro-junta media that the Karenni National Defense Army committed the massacre in Nem Neint village, but the KNDF claims that it was the handiwork of the military. According to Shan Human Rights Foundation, at least two children were among those killed by the military shelling in Pinlaung and Mobye townships since the start of the year.. Tensions rising Khun Bwe Hone, the information officer for the ethnic PaO National Defense Force, told RFA that the deaths and displacements occurred amid rising tensions between the military and the ethnic Karrenni Nationalities Defense Force in the three townships, as the junta is preparing a major offensive in the area. The junta is reinforcing its troops, he said, noting that most villagers have already left the area in anticipation of the fighting. Our defense forces have warned them to flee to safety. That's why they left. This battle is likely to be drawn out because we are determined to fight against the military dictatorship to the end and the enemy is going to do what it has set out to do, too. A woman who fled fighting in the area told RFA on condition of anonymity that civilians are pouring into the seat of Pinlaung township from nearby villages to take refuge in camps for the displaced. A monastery and residential homes burn in Nam Neint village, Pinlaung township on March 11, 2023, following a raid by Myanmar junta forces. Credit: Inn Sar Kuu The exact number of refugees is unknown, said aid worker Khun Kyaw Shwe. While the refugees are receiving assistance from social support groups and area residents, they are in desperate need of medicine, as well as food and access to clean water, he said. At the moment, local medical teams are taking care of them with what little medicine they have, Khun Kyaw Shwe told RFA. The demand for medicine is quite severe. The refugee camps are dealing with outbreaks of malaria, influenza and respiratory infections. Only around 20 days of food stores remain for the camps in Pinlaung, he said, urging international donors to help fill the gaps. RFA was unable to reach Khun Thein Maung, the juntas economic minister and spokesman for Shan state, for comment on the killings and displacements. Translated by Myo Myin Aung. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster. Vietnamese prisoners of conscience Huynh Thi To Nga (L) and and Nguyen Van Cong Em (R) in undated photos. Vietnam granted early release to two prisoners of conscience, each serving a five-year sentence following separate arrests and convictions in 2019 under a law frequently used by authorities to stifle dissent, activists with knowledge of the situation said. The two were convicted of violating Article 117 of the countrys penal code, which criminalizes making, storing, distributing or disseminating information, documents and items against the state. Violators can be sentenced to from five to 20 years in prison. Authorities on Tuesday freed Huynh Thi To Nga, 40, about 10 months earlier than scheduled. Police arrested the doctor in Ho Chi Minh City on Jan. 28, 2019, along with her older brother, Huynh Minh Tam, for their online activities. In November of the same year, they were sentenced to five years and nine years in prison, respectively, for negative comments they posted on Facebook about Vietnams leaders, national sovereignty, corruption and economic mismanagement. Ngas brother is still serving his sentence in Gia Trung Prison in Gia Lai Province. Authorities also freed Nguyen Van Cong Em, 52, about 11 months earlier than scheduled, on March 26. He was arrested on Feb. 28, 2019, for allegedly using Facebook to distort information about the U.S.-North Korea Summit, which took place in Hanoi that month. Police accused him of using four Facebook accounts to post and share stories and livestream videos with content distorting the summit and calling for protests during the event. Both former prisoners of conscience declined to give interviews to Radio Free Asia following their release. Former prisoner of conscience Le Thi Binh, who was held in the same jail An Phuoc Prison in Binh Duong province as Nga from December 2021 to December 2022, told Radio Free Asia that Nga followed the prisons rules and tried hard when performing labor to get penalty mitigation and return home early. Authorities also accused Nga of taking part in illegal demonstrations, writing and posting nearly 50 articles inciting people to take to the street to protest against the government, call for freedom and democracy, and oppose the Cybersecurity Law. The law, which came into force in 2019, in part restricts citizens use of the internet and requires companies like Google and Facebook to delete posts considered threatening to national security. Vietnam responds to U.N. In a related development, Vietnams permanent delegation to the United Nations in Geneva issued a response on March 24 to a November 2022 request by the Special Procedures Branch of the U.N. human rights agency concerning the arbitrary arrests of nine activists. Authorities convicted them of propagating untruthful information and abusing the right to freedom of expression and democracy to distort and smear the government. Hanoi said the arrests, detention and conviction of Nguyen Van Nghiem, Le Van Dung, Dinh Thi Thu Thuy, Do Nam Trung, Dinh Van Hai, Chung Hoang Chuong, Le Trong Hung, Le Chi ThanhTran Quoc Khanh, complied with Vietnamese law and Vietnams international human rights commitments. Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said Thursday that the Vietnamese government was completely two-faced by refusing to comply with its international obligations but then writing its response as if it is doing so. Hanois stance has been regularly repudiated by the Special Procedures of the U.N. Human Rights Council, yet the government shamelessly keeps making the same argument, he said in an email to RFA. Judging by Vietnam's rights abusing actions and total refusal to accept blame, much less change its practices, it's hard to see why Vietnam thinks it deserves to be on the U.N. Human Rights Council. In October 2022, Vietnam was elected to the 47-member U.N. Human Rights Council, despite calls by human rights groups that the country should be excluded because of its dismal rights record. The Southeast Asian nation began its three-year term on Jan. 1, 2023. Translated by Anna Vu for RFA Vietnamese. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster. AVDIYIVKA, Ukraine -- For many locals in Ukraine's Donbas region, the 2022 Russian invasion marked only an escalation in a war that first upended their lives in 2014. In the eastern city of Avdiyivka, many civilians interviewed earlier this month were trying their best to maintain some sense of normalcy, even as Russian forces closed in. The following interviews were made shortly before controversial new regulations effectively banned journalists from entering Avdiyivka and other frontline areas. Iryna Behind Avdiyivkas long-dormant train station lives Iryna. Several trees around her house have been shattered by artillery shells, and neighbors now run out into the street to collect the branches that they use to feed their stoves. Iryna cooks in her hallway, where it's easier to ventilate the smoke. The walls of her house are perforated by shrapnel. Some of those holes were made by a shell that landed in her backyard a few months ago and blew off her right leg. When they told me they would cut off the rest of my leg, I wasnt upset. I only asked my son (seen in the background of the photo above) whether he is going to take care of me," Iryna recalls. "When he said yes, I knew everything was going to be all right." "I miss working and walking around, but thats fine. So I lost my leg. Things like that happen here. It's no reason to stop living, Iryna says, smiling. Her faith is shared by many others who remain in Avdiyivka and believe the danger in their town is not significantly higher than in the rest of Ukraine. There's no point worrying about the shelling. It either hits you and you die or it doesn't. Its like worrying about having a heart attack," she says. Its sad that Ukraine is such a dangerous place to live now, but there's not much we can do about it." With limited access to the Internet, some Avdiyivka locals cant access news reports, while others choose not to. I dont want to hear about how bad the situation is in Avdiyivka. I want to stay here so my life can remain normal, Iryna says. Dima Not far from Iryna lives 12-year-old Dima. He and his sister Vika are two of the 43 children that still remained in Avdiyivka as of early March. Like Iryna, Dimas family tries to retain some sense of normalcy. They spend waking hours above ground in their house and only go down to the cellar at night when the shelling tends to be most intense. Their house has not been severely damaged yet. When shrapnel or a shock wave does some damage, we just repair it. Its endless work, but we like our house looking good, explains Dimas father, Serhiy. Choosing to stay above ground poses significant risks, but as Dimas mother says, They're kids. They should grow up in a house, not a cellar. The couple worries that the authorities will forcibly evacuate their children. The police tried to convince us that kids cant live here, but they're wrong, she says. When asked if hes afraid, Dima glances toward his mother. If my parents are not afraid, I'm not going to be afraid either, he says. Dimas friends left with their families long ago. He would like to be able to play with them in the streets and go to school again, but in the end its not his choice. The decision is his parents. Svitlana For the past year, Svitlana has lived in the cellar beneath the ruined building that was once her house. The Avdiyivka native shivers from the cold in the smoke-filled cellar. Its hard to believe the situation could get any worse, she says. As she is speaking, a large artillery shell explodes nearby. The walls shake and small pieces of concrete fall from the low ceiling. Svitlana starts to cry. I dont even care about the shelling," she says. "I just need to get some wood from somewhere. Sometimes I feel like if a bomb killed me it would be better than dying here slowly from the cold. Despite the explosions echoing through the streets, she grabs her coat and leaves to ask her friend in another neighborhood whether there is any firewood to spare. Throughout Avdiyivka, people face similar challenges: Where to get food, and wood for the stove? How to ventilate smoke-filled cellars? When is it safe to go out to charge phones, headlamps, and batteries? Volunteers and the Ukrainian authorities have attempted several times to evacuate Svitlana. I survived nine years of the war. Why would I leave now? she says. I was born in Avdiyivka, and I don't know any other place than this. Ethnic Serbs have boycotted en masse local elections in four majority-Serb municipalities in northern Kosovo where Serb mayors resigned last November to protest a cross-border dispute over vehicle registrations. The Central Election Commission (CEC) late on April 23 said preliminary results indicated that the Vetevendosje (Self-Determination) party of Kosovo's prime minister, Albin Kurti, had won the mayoral races in North Mitrovica and Leposavic, while the opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo had taken races in Zvecan and Zubin Potok. As expected, turnout was low, after the dominant ethnic Serb party, Srpska Lista (Serbian List), which enjoys the support of neighboring Serbia's government, announced it was boycotting the votes. The CEC said only 1,567 people -- or 3.47 percent of voters -- showed up at polling stations. Despite the low turnout, the results are considered legally valid. There is no minimum turnout rule for the vote. There are around 45,000 voters eligible to elect new mayors in North Mitrovica, Leposavic, Zvecan, and Zubin Potok, along with municipal assemblies in Zvecan and Leposavic. RFE/RL correspondents reported that the only ballots that were being cast were submitted in places with ethnic Albanian residents. WATCH: Most of the voters in RFE/RL footage from North Mitrovica and Zvecan are local Albanians, as are most of the candidates for mayor, due to a boycott by the dominant Kosovo Serb party, Serbian List. The result could further step up tensions between ethnic Serbs who are mostly loyal to neighboring Serbia and Kosovo's central government that represents the country's overwhelmingly ethnic Albanian majority. Ethnic Serbs compose some 1-2 percent of Kosovo's population of around 2 million people. Milan Radoicic, vice president of Srpska Lista, said following the vote that "those who think that with 1 or 2 percent of votes, they can lead the municipalities in the north, I have to say that the Serbian people will never allow them to do that." A former chairwoman of Kosovo's Central Election Commission, Valdete Daka, told RFE/RL that so long as proper procedures were being followed, the tiny number of votes would likely result in mayoral seats being filled but not necessarily an end to the local problems. Daka said the "nonappearance in the elections" was essentially "conveying a message to the government of Kosovo that they won't accept the leaders who emerge from these elections." Fifteen years after the mostly ethnic Albanian former province declared independence from Serbia, Belgrade continues to oppose recognition of Kosovo's independence. Many ethnic Serbs in Kosovo continue to lean heavily on support from Serbia and its nationalist President Aleksandar Vucic. The Srpska Lista party has demanded the formation of an Association of Serb Municipalities, as Kosovo's government pledged to the international community a decade ago, and the withdrawal of special units of the Kosovo Police from north of country. A total of 10 candidates were competing for the mayorships, only one of whom -- independent candidate Sladjana Pantovic in Zvecan -- is an ethnic Serb. Pantovic was the rare exception among ethnic Serbs, turning out to vote at around 8 a.m. Pantovic received just five votes, or 2.6 percent. Another ethnic Serb candidate, Aleksandar Jablanovic from the Party of Kosovo Serbs, withdrew from the race in Leposavic three days ago, saying there were not "adequate conditions" for voting. All of the remaining candidates were ethnic Albanians from the Mitrovica Civic Initiative, the Democratic Party of Kosovo, and Kurti's Self-Determination Movement. Kosovo's Central Election Commission had to organize alternative polling stations for the April 23 voting because the schools that normally host the voting in northern Kosovo operate within the so-called parallel system run by Serbia's leadership. Kurti this week accused Belgrade of intimidating Serbs from the north to discourage their participate in the voting. Vucic alleged on April 22 that Kosovar authorities were effectively staging "an occupation" of the north after the elections. The four northern municipalities have been without mayors since November, when Serb representatives largely loyal to Belgrade resigned from their jobs over the Kosovar government's threatened imposition of a requirement for all vehicles to be registered locally. The voting took place at 19 polling stations, 12 of which were organized by Kosovar authorities in the final days before the vote. Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani and the partly recognized country's Central Election Commission urged citizens in the north to exercise their right to vote. The international community has also expressed regret at the Serb-led boycott and urged all sides to exercise restraint. Following the election, the U.S. Embassy in Pristina said, We recognize Kosovan election officials' efforts to make polling places available to citizens wishing to exercise their right to vote, while minimizing potential points of tension. "We likewise express our appreciation for the professionalism of the Kosovo Police, EU Rule of Law Mission (EULEX), and KFOR in ensuring a secure environment for the elections." Kosovo remains blocked from many multinational organizations due to Serbian and Russian opposition to recognition, although there were recently signs of a possible breakthrough under EU-mediated talks. The European Parliament on April 18 approved a decision on visa liberalization that will allow citizens of Kosovo to travel to most European countries without a visa by January 2024 at the latest. It is the last Western Balkan country to achieve such status. U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo Jeffrey Hovenier told RFE/RL's Balkan Service on April 21 that citizens in the north of Kosovo and all political parties "have a responsibility to respect the democratic process, recognizing that they all had the opportunity to register and participate." Ukrainian artillery is targeting Russian armored guns at a range of up to 28 kilometers in the ongoing battle for Bakhmut. Using a captured self-propelled cannon, a Ukrainian artillery crew is also trying to destroy Russian command posts. They told Current Time on March 27 that they've seen a slowdown in the frequency of Russian attacks but added that intense fighting continues for control of the frontline city. "Sometimes it seems like someone is walking outside the window," said Margarita, a Russian military medic who has been on medical leave in Belgorod for the past two months receiving psychiatric treatment following her service in Russia's war in Ukraine. "Sometimes objects seem to move. Or it as if someone is sitting on me. I have constant nightmares and panic attacks." Margarita, whose real name has been concealed to protect her from potential reprisals for speaking out, told RFE/RL's North.Realities she has been in therapy and taking powerful antidepressants in a bid to cope with what she experienced as part of Russia's invading army in Ukraine. But what she fears most, she says, is being sent back. "Even when other people are around or I am busy doing something," she said, "I can constantly see all those horrors." During her months as a medic in Ukraine, Margarita said, she experienced severe sexual harassment herself and witnessed harassment, assault, and other crimes against women serving with her. She was also told of incidents in which officers threatened and abused soldiers who were reluctant to go into combat and encountered soldiers who had mutilated themselves in an effort to be sent back home. RFE/RL has confirmed the basic facts of Margarita's life and service record but has not been able to verify the details of her time in Ukraine, largely because of Russian government restrictions on reporting from the war zone. 'They Wanted To Break Me' Margarita, 42, left the military in 2017 after 11 years of service as a radio operator. She settled in the western city of Belgorod but had trouble adjusting to civilian life and never made a second career. In the summer of 2022, she went to the local military office for a document confirming her retirement status and was offered a new service contract in a medical unit. Her nightmare, she said, began before she even had a proper uniform. "As soon as I arrived in the Nizhny Novgorod region, at Novosmolino, a colonel noticed me in formation," she recalled. "He was the commander of the 10th armored division. He said, 'Margo, come with me.' "He ordered that I be given a uniform and that I report to work in his headquarters," Margarita said. "After I got to know some of the people there better, they told me, 'The colonel has his eyes on you. You will probably be his field wife.'" When she asked what that meant, they told her, "cooking, cleaning, and indulging him," suggesting a sexual relationship. She said she resisted his increasing pressure for nearly a month when the unit was sent to the combat zone in Ukraine, where Russian forces were continuing the massive, unprovoked invasion launched in February 2022. When the officer realized she would not become his field wife, he ordered that Margarita's life be made a living hell, she said. "When we arrived at the front, I finally was assigned to the medical unit," she recalled. "The officer there told me that the colonel had ordered that I be 'harshly punished.' For a month, I basically lived outdoors. While everyone else was quartered in buildings or barracks, I slept on the ground in a field tent by the road." "Sometimes I was also not given rations," she added. "They wanted to break me so that I would agree to sleep with him. But I held out. And when he realized I wouldn't submit, he transferred me to an artillery unit close to the front. I thought I would die there." Seven Women Margarita said there were seven other women in her medical unit, between the ages of 23 and 38, and that all of them faced pressure to become field wives for officers. "One got it from an intelligence officer," she said. "Another from a tank commander. A third from an infantry officer. When we arrived, no one knew what was going on there. And by the time we figured it out, it was too late." Margarita said she saw "with my own eyes" how one officer shot and seriously injured a female soldier. "Whether they were drunk or whether jealousy was involved, I don't know," she said. "But he tried to make it look like the Ukrainians had done it, even injured his own arm and said he had been protecting her." The woman, she said, was permanently disabled and has undergone five operations to repair the damage the officer caused. "Now she is back home in Buryatia, but this month she will travel back to Moscow for another operation," Margarita said, adding that the officer, who used the call sign Akatsia, had beaten the woman on several prior occasions. Eventually, almost all of Margarita's seven female colleagues, under the pressure of threats or hellish conditions, gave in to the officers, she said. "[One woman] gave in as early as September," she recalled. "They just told her bluntly: 'This guy likes you, and you will be with him.' She was also from Belgorod. She never came back to our unit." She said a mutual acquaintance, a military driver, later told her the woman had "adjusted" to her circumstance. "Most of the girls did," Margarita said. "They decided it was better to live in the rear with good food and plenty of cigarettes." Later an officer in the unit told Margarita, "We sold [that woman], and we'll sell you." "I looked at him in such a way that he added, Come on, I'm kidding,'" Margarita said. 'Just Prostitutes' The phenomenon of field wives has long been reputed to be a part of Russian and Soviet military culture. In a 2018 paper on women in the Soviet Army in World War II, English historian Alexander Wood Balsom wrote: "[S]ome government officials and army officers forced themselves upon female subordinates because they believed they were entitled to have 'field wives' (often referred to by the abbreviation PPZh in military jargon). Not all PPZh relationships were a product of coercion as some were formed from a genuine shared interest, while other relationships were initiated by women to take advantage of the benefits of favoritism." Marina Zaitseva is a St. Petersburg native who served in the Russian military in Chechnya from 2001 until 2006 and retired from the military in 2019. She told RFE/RL that field wives are an open secret in the military and that she encountered the practice during her own career. "Some women are able to resist, but some are looking for protection," Zaitseva said. "I resisted." She added that women face many other forms of harassment and discrimination in the Russian military. She said one officer tried to extort money from her in exchange for a promotion. Based on her experience, she said, she would not advise women to pursue military careers. "Russian society considers women at war to be just prostitutes," she said. "And that is really sad." St. Petersburg professor Maksim Arzamstsev is the author of a study on workplace sexual harassment. He reports that a quarter of all women in the Russian military have experienced some form of sexual harassment or abuse. Valentina Melnikova of the banned Committee of Soldiers' Mothers of Russia said she had encountered only a few cases of servicewomen complaining of rape or harassment in the military. She believes most victims are simply unwilling to come forward. "As long as they remain silent, the abuse will continue," Melnikova said. "Why they are silent and why they tolerate the abuse, I don't know. That's a question for psychologists." She added, however, that the victims of sexual abuse in the Russian military are not all women. She said many men have appealed to her organization with complaints of rape or sexualized violence. "In the Soviet Army, they bought and sold everything, including people," she said. "Soldiers were sold left and right. Our committee has worked since 1989. Under [Soviet leader Mikhail] Gorbachev there was a commission on deaths and abuse in the military, and I served on it. Nearly 4,000 servicemen appealed to that committee for help." Melnikova said she has no doubt that a Russian officer might shoot his field wife. "During the Second Chechen War there were cases when officers got drunk on one holiday or another and shot at their soldiers," she said, referring to the conflict that began in 1999 and officially ended in 2009. "Some of the injuries were very serious." 'Completely Mad' Margarita told RFE/RL that some of the soldiers she treated for injuries told her officers had tortured and shot at soldiers for refusing to go into combat. She was told that, in some cases, soldiers were held naked in rat-infested basements until they relented. In one case, officers forced such soldiers to dig their own graves, she claimed. "They dug a pit and then were forced to lie down in it," Margarita said. "Then others, at gunpoint, were forced to shovel in dirt from above." After the men were covered, an officer would fire his weapon blindly into the pit. "If they hit someone, too bad," she said. "Anyone who survived crawled out of that pit completely mad. They didn't care what happened to them next." "I asked one soldier what he had been punished for and he said he didn't remember anything," she recalled. "He had been hit in the head so hard that he lost consciousness. He was in pretty bad shape. There were a lot of guys like that." She said that only the most seriously wounded soldiers were sent back to Russia for treatment. The rest remained on Russian-held territory in Ukraine's Donetsk region so they could be more quickly returned to duty. 'Nothing To Do But Amputate' Conditions on the front lines were so bad, she said, that some soldiers would mutilate themselves in a bid to be sent home. "They had nothing," she said. "The boys in the trenches were hungry and in rags. They hadn't been paid for months." Frontline troops lacked ammunition, grenades, and transport, she added. "Everything was stopped, destroyed, or broken down," she said of the military vehicles she saw. "When I was in the Nizhny Novgorod region, I saw enormous transport trains of equipment -- tanks, armored personnel carriers, self-propelled artillery. We were shipped to Ukraine on such a train and waited forever while it was unloaded. But when we got to the front, there was almost nothing to fight a war with. What happened to it? I think it was sold to the Ukrainians, and I'm not the only one." Some of the soldiers she treated were suffering from self-inflicted wounds, she said. "They would shoot themselves in the leg because after weeks in the trenches they couldn't even walk anymore," she said. "The damp and freezing conditions just rotted their feet. When their boots were removed, I was in horror; I'd never seen such things before. Gangrene, dried blood -- you couldn't even find their toes. There was nothing for us to do but amputate." In the end, Margarita couldn't stand any more. She was sent home for psychiatric care at a civilian hospital in Belgorod. Despite everything she endured and her fear of being sent back to the war in Ukraine, she said she hopes to return to the military with a different unit. She said she wasn't made for civilian life and salaries in Belgorod are too low to live on. "I'd like to help the boys, at least a bit," she added. "I have some sort of sense of an unfinished obligation. I don't know, maybe I'm just crazy. But, yes, I'd probably serve again." This report was adapted from the original Russian by RFE/RL's Robert Coalson. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. Political consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan were held in the Turkmen capital of Ashgabat, Trend reports with reference to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan. The delegations of the parties were headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov and the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov. During the consultations, the current state and prospects of bilateral cooperation, issues of expanding political relations and filling them with practical content, including in the context of the implementation of previously reached agreements, were discussed. The sides stressed the role of inter-parliamentary ties, which are developing in an ascending line today. In this direction, the expediency of fully using the format of inter-parliamentary exchanges and dialogue between friendship groups for comprehensive multi-level communication on a broad agenda was expressed. The diplomats agreed to maintain the pace of regular political consultations to exchange views and coordinate positions on issues of bilateral relations, and topical international and regional issues of mutual interest. Furthermore, the diplomats noted the high level of cooperation between the two states in a multilateral format within the framework of reputable international and regional organizations. In this context, the parties agreed to continue to actively support initiatives and candidates on international platforms. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. The Turkmen delegation took part in the regular meeting of the Commission on Economic Issues under the CIS Economic Council, Trend reports with reference to the Turkmen media. According to the information, various aspects of economic cooperation of the CIS member states were discussed at the meeting, as well as drafts of a number of documents were considered. The participants discussed the draft concept of digital transformation of the fuel and energy complex industries of the CIS member states and the plan of priority measures for its implementation. These documents are aimed at developing interstate cooperation in the field of digital transformation of the oil and gas complex, coal industry, electric power industry, and nuclear energy. Furthermore, they will also contribute to the creation of an information infrastructure where competencies are formed for the development of the fuel and energy complex of the CIS member states. The participants also discussed cooperation in the field of renewable energy sources, librarianship, and interaction of customs services of the CIS member states. DISCOUNT chain Poundland is opening its biggest Yorkshire store in Rotherham tomorrow in a former Marks & Spencers. The super-sized 18,500 sq ft store will open at Parkgate Shopping in the unit last used by M&S, who vacated the premises in 2019. Poundland who currently operate a smaller unit on the other side of the park said they would create ten new jobs on top of the 29 current staff as a result of the move. Poundland director of retail, Darren Kay, said: We love being in Rotherham in fact, weve been here for over ten years and we know how much locals love their Poundland. Thats why we wanted to open an even bigger and better store our largest in Yorkshire. The size of the store means theres more of our amazing value under one roof across more categories than ever before. Where weve opened stores of this scale in other areas, they have wowed customers and were thrilled that Rotherham will be one of the first locations in the UK to have one of our large destination stores bringing shoppers from across Yorkshire. "Whats more customers wont have to travel far as we are on the same retail park. We really cant wait to open the doors on Friday. M&Ss decision to close the unit was the latest step in their withdrawal from central Rotherham, having previously pulled out of the town centre. It left shoppers with a choice of Meadowhall or Cortonwood for their next closest branch, but the latter is food-only. Formerly Discount UK and Hitchens, M&S former College Street store in the town centre is now operated by another discount retailer, One Below. A POLICE officer was hit in the back by a bat-wielding woman. The emergency worker was assaulted by Danielle Griffiths (31) after police went out to arrest her partner. Sheffield Crown Court heard on Tuesday that Griffiths, of Old School Lane, Clifton, had goaded the police, telling them: Come on then, come on then! Mr Neil Coxon, prosecuting, said that at about 7.35pm on December 21 last year, officers had attended a property to make an arrest because of a breach of an order. He added: Upon arrival, they heard shouting from the property. When the officers had tried to enter, he said, the defendant had shouted: Youre not coming in, mate. Mr Coxon said the police had tried to force entry but the defendant had threatened them and acted aggressively, telling them: Come on then, come on then! When the defendants then-partner left the property, Mr Coxon said, Griffiths had followed and struck an officer in the back with a bat. She had been tasered but continued to be aggressive. Mr Coxon read out a victims personal statement in which the assaulted police officer said: There was no reason or excuse to assault me or my colleagues. She hit me 30cm below my head. I was lucky shes much shorter than I am. This is the first time I have been assaulted and I will remember this for the rest of my life. Griffiths had been arrested on the spot but she had exercised her right to remain silent, Mr Coxon said. The defendant, who admitted three counts of assault of an emergency worker, had 11 previous convictions five of them related to assaulting emergency workers for 19 offences. Judge Graham Robinson told her: You have a quite dreadful record. Here are three more convictions. He told Griffiths that she had hit one of the police officers with a bat with full force. The judge added: The irony is that the police officers had come to arrest your ex-partner. It is very obvious you have long-standing mental health issues and substance addiction. He sentenced Griffiths to six months in prison suspended for a year. She will also have to complete 15 rehabilitation requirement activity days. Air India Express Flight Departs Early for Kuwait Passengers who could not board the plane have expressed displeasure over the incident. NEW-DELHI: An Air India Express flight to Kuwait on Wednesday (March 29) departed 4 hours early before its scheduled take off time. Atleast 20 passengers were left at Vijayawada airport. Passengers who could not board the plane have expressed displeasure over the incident. Air India flight IX-695 was scheduled to depart for Kuwait from Vijayawada International Airport at 1:10 pm on Wednesday. The flight departed 4 hours before the scheduled time i.e. at 9.55 am and more than 20 passengers had no information about it. Advertisement The passengers said that the flight time given to them was written at 1:10 pm on Wednesday but the flight departed earlier. According to reports, the Air India staff claimed that they had informed the passengers about the rescheduled flight timings. Seven people were imprisoned in Belgium Wednesday in two investigations into possible terrorist attacks, the federal prosecutors office said, Trend reports citing Al Arabiya. The seven, five Belgians as well as a Turk and a Bulgarian, were charged with participation in the activities of a terrorist group. Five of them were also charged with preparation of a terrorist offence, the prosecutor said. Raids were conducted late Monday on homes in the capital Brussels, the port city of Antwerp and the border town of Eupen, the federal prosecutors office said on Tuesday. Eight were arrested in the raids, but one of the suspects arrested in Antwerp has since been released. These were in relation to two inquiries -- one led by federal police in Brussels and the other by an investigating magistrate in Antwerp. The parallel investigations triggered a raid in Molenbeek, an inner-city Brussels district that has been the focus of some previous terror probes. More details of the potential targets of these attacks have not yet been released. The investigations in Antwerp and Brussels had initially focused on two young adults suspected of violent radicalism, state broadcaster RTBF reported. The countrys biggest ever criminal trial of nine suspects accused of taking part in the March 2016 suicide bombings that killed 32 people is underway in Brussels. Supreme Court Orders are like bricks in the structure of legal rule: SC NEW-DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday took hate speech seriously and said that the moment politics and religion are separated and leaders stop using religion in politics, such speech will automatically come to an end. The court said that these utterings are being made by fringe elements and people should keep calm and restrain themselves from doing so. A bench of justices KM Joseph and Judge BV Nagarathna referred to the speeches of former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, saying that people used to gather from far-flung areas to listen to their speeches. Advertisement The bench wondered how many people the courts could initiate judicial defamation proceedings against and why the people of India could not restrain from insulting other citizens or communities. The bench, while hearing an appeal against various state officials, including Maharashtra, for failing to register an FIR against those who uttered hate speech, said, "Everyday fringe elements are making speeches to defame others including on TV and public forums." Solicitor General Tushar Mehta drew the bench's attention to the hate speech given by a person against a particular community in Kerala and said that the appellant Shaheen Abdullah has selectively mentioned incidents of hate speech in the country. There was a heated debate between Mehta and the bench on this. Referring to those speeches, the bench said, "Every action has an equal reaction... We are following the Constitution and in every case, the orders are like bricks in the structure of legal rule. We are hearing the appeal because the states are not acting on time and they have become powerless. If the states are silent in such matters, what is the point of being a state?" The court fixed April 28 for the next hearing of the matter and asked the Maharashtra government to respond to the appeal. For Representation Purpose only Punjab is called the Nursery of Armed Forces in the Country CHANDIGARH: Punjab has the highest number of 'Veer Naaris' in the entire country - widows of a member of the armed forces who have died for the country during a war or military operation. According to the data tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, there are 2,132 war widows in Punjab. Even a large state like Uttar Pradesh, which accounts for about 17% of the country's population, lags behind Punjab as there are 1,805 war widows. At present there are 14,467 'veer women' in the entire country. Significantly, Punjab has only 2.3% of the country's population but has the highest number of war widows. Advertisement Statistics confirm that Punjab is called the nursery of armed forces in the country. After Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, Haryana ranks third with 1,566 war widows. Other smaller states/UTs including Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir also have significant numbers of 'veer naaris' at 1,076 and 1,218 respectively. The figure was tabled in the Rajya Sabha by the Ministry of Defense (MoD) on March 27 in response to a question raised by Rajya Sabha MP Mukul Balkrishna Wasnik, who sought the number of state/UT-wise 'veer women' by January. They also sought information about the facilities provided by the government regarding their health, housing and financial well-being. In response to the question, the Center has also given information about the various facilities, ex-gratia amount and privileges given to such widows. Advertisement In a related statistic shared by the central government on the state-wise representation of soldiers in the Lok Sabha in November 2019, it was revealed that out of the total number of 11.54 lakh jawans and junior commissioned officers (JCOs) serving in the army, a total of 89,893 soldiers and JCOs were from Punjab. The state also has about four lakh retired soldiers including widow pensioners. Widow pensioners are different from 'veer women' as they are wives of deceased senior citizens. Fire breaks out in a boat carrying at Philippines Those rescued had panicked & drowned after the fire incident: Governor MANILA: Twelve people have died and seven others are still missing after a boat carrying about 250 passengers and crew caught fire between Philippine islands. The provincial governor gave this information on Thursday. Jim Hataman, governor of the southern island province of Basilan, said many of those rescued had panicked and drowned after the fire. They were pulled out of the sea by the Coast Guard, Navy, another boat and local fishermen. Search and rescue operations are ongoing on Thursday. Most of the people on board in 'MV Lady Mary Joy 3' boat were rescued during the overnight operation, the governor said. The death toll is feared to rise as the data is being collected by various agencies. The governor said that three children were also included in the dead. At least 23 passengers have been injured in this accident, who have been admitted to hospitals. Gov. Jim Hataman said in a phone conversation that some passengers were awakened by the commotion caused by the fire. Some jumped overboard. Advertisement Officials said that the bodies of most of the people who died due to drowning have been recovered. Hataman said the burning boat was towed to the shores of Basilan. The case is being investigated. Marine accidents are common in the Philippine Islands, especially in remote provinces, often due to typhoons, poorly maintained boats, overcrowding and lax enforcement of safety regulations. Sikh community Recognized as a Separate Religion in Pak Local Sikhs filed plea in the Peshawar High Court in 2017 CHANDIGARH: The Sikh community living in Pakistan has been recognized as a separate religion. It has now been considered a separate religion during the census in Pakistan. The Sikh community in Pakistan got this right after a long struggle. The Pakistan Sikh community got its spot in column number 6 in the census forms. Similarly, separate columns have been created for Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Qadiani/Ahmadi, Dalit respectively. Earlier, Sikh community was placed in the category of other religions, due to which there was no data about the exact number of Sikh population in Pakistan. Now, the actual statistics of the population of the Sikh community in Pakistan will release soon. Peshawar's Sikh leader Gurpal Singh said that this time the census is being conducted digitally and a separate column has been created in the online new forms, registering Sikhs as a separate community. Advertisement He further informed that the new census forms are only available online, while the team of the concerned department is currently asking people to fill their information on the old forms only. Later, their online entry will be done by the officials. Meanwhile, pictures of old census forms are also going viral on social media. It is worth mentioning here that a petition was filed by the local Sikhs in the Peshawar High Court on 23 March 2017. About 5 and a half years later, when the matter reached the Supreme Court, the judge issued a notice to the Chief Census Commissioner, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics and the concerned ministry and ordered to include the Sikhs separately in the census list. A measure signalling future turning points in the Swiss decreased unexpectedly for the first time in four months in March, though marginally, results of a survey by the KOF Swiss Economic Institute showed Thursday. The economic barometer dropped by 0.7 points from February to 98.2 in March. Meanwhile, economists had forecast the index to rise to 100.5. Overall, the barometer was hardly changed from the previous month, but there were negative signals from the manufacturing, services and construction sectors. These were at least partly offset by positive developments in the indicator bundle reflecting Swiss exports, the KOF said. Within manufacturing, the electrical and wood industries, in particular, signaled a downturn, followed by the chemical industry. In contrast, positive signals came from the textile and paper industries. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News The United States must remain the most powerful nation on Earth if peace is to continue between the U.S., China and Russia, said Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark A. Milley. For the first time, the United States is facing two major nuclear powers, whose vital national security interests are in competition with the U.S. Both China and Russia have the means to threaten U.S. national security. But war with either is "neither inevitable nor imminent," Milley said during testimony about the Defense Department's fiscal year 2024 budget request. Fighting a war with Russia and China simultaneously would be very difficult, he told the House Armed Services Committee. A high state of readiness and modernization will deter aggression, and the fiscal year 2024 budget request of $842 billion will ensure that the joint force remains the most lethal and capable military in the world, he said. "There is nothing more expensive than fighting a war. Preparing for war will deter that war," according to Miley. Milley outlined global security efforts by the United States and its allies and partners. In his opinion, security assistance for Ukraine should continue, as it is in the interest of national security. Iran, he said, has taken actions to improve its capabilities to produce a nuclear weapon. "From the time of an Iranian decision, Iran could produce enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon in less than two weeks. And it would only take several more months to produce an actual nuclear weapon," Milley said. He added, "The United States military has developed multiple options for our national leadership to consider if or when Iran decides to develop a nuclear weapon." The United States remains committed, as a matter of policy, that Iran will not have a nuclear weapon, the chairman said. North Korea's continued ballistic missile testing and nuclear weapons development pose threats to the U.S. homeland and allies and partners, he said. He stressed the need for standing "shoulder to shoulder" with South Korea to continue to deter North Korean aggression. In addition to South Korea, bilateral alliances with other countries such as Japan, Australia, Thailand and the Philippines, along with partner nations provides increased security in the region in the face of aggressive behavior from China. Milley noted that there are nearly 250,000 U.S. troops deployed in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South America, combating terrorism and working with allies and partners. Milley told the lawmakers that the U.S. forces' operational readiness rates are higher now than they have been in many years. "Currently, 60 percent of our active force is at the highest state of readiness and could deploy to combat in less than 30 days. Ten percent of our force could deploy in less than 96 hours. The United States military is ready," he said. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin also testified, emphasizing the importance of passing this "strategy-driven budget" in a timely manner. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Rhodes University spruces up Makhanda to celebrate newly-minted graduates By Tanya Sylvia Mugwagwa Rhodes University usually dresses up its campus during its annual graduation celebrations, but this year it boosted efforts to include an even wider area. The University has increased the visibility of graduation messaging and branding across town. Senior Alumni & Stakeholder Relations Officer, Ikhona Mvaphantsi, attaches an important value to "branding and evangelising education beyond the campus borders". Targeting social, cultural spaces and high-traffic roads, the University, this year, uses different types of branding, including Correx boards, tree wraps, and banners. Banners are visible from the N2 highway from Gqerbeqa, down Somerset Street and Lucas Avenue, with 60 street poles decorated with 120 Rhodes University graduation posters from Raglan Road down to Engine Road. "The team was also able to identify and engage partners like Pick n Pay, Birch's and PhotoFirst, who have been known to be key service providers during the graduation season, to participate in the project and the branding process," Mvaphantsi stated. Director of Communications and Advancement, Dr Luzuko Jacobs, explained that targetting spaces around town where the community converges in large numbers has intentions beyond simply beautification. "There are critical subliminal messages that we aim to communicate through the project," Dr Jacobs remarked. "The branding aims to make education fashionable, and it aims to legitimise celebrating achievements of this nature." He continued, "As Rhodes University, we are an institution by scholarly achievement and hard work, which is reflected in our results; but we are also an institution by celebration and partying. Not only is our intention to ensure that students access quality education, but we aim to inspire others outside the University by including them in this massive celebration of human accomplishment." He further expanded on how, this year, the beautification project aimed to reach more people within the community not only primary and high school students but also other people within the community. He proudly indicated how previous years' efforts to engage the community in the celebratory graduation processes may have contributed to a significant increase in the number of students enrolling at Rhodes University from local high schools. He proudly proclaimed how particularly local public schools in Makhanda had become some of the largest feeder schools in the enrolment registry at Rhodes University. This is a testament to the fact that making education fashionable and using the celebratory graduation season to inspire young people is very much at the core and heart of the academic project. "Primarily, we seek to 'dress-up' the University and town in honour and celebration of our graduates," Dr Jacobs expressed. "We also seek to induct them into a life-long relationship with the University through the subtle messaging of our branding. Beyond just welcoming them into the alumni network, the messaging seeks to remind them of the values they embraced when they first joined Rhodes University." The messaging on the graduation-themed posters and banners across town depicts different values such as excellence, diversity, integrity, and commitment. "We want to ensure as they drive or walk up to the Monument for their graduation ceremonies that they are reminded of these core values, especially now as they are about to walk into the world of work," Dr Jacobs said. Mvaphantsi elaborated on the vital role of the graduation packs in the celebratory process. "The gifts are intended to express proud congratulations to the graduates and provide them with more information and access to the Old Rhodian Union and the alumni community at large. The packs include the famous Old Rhodian gold pin, as well as other gifts, and an information booklet on the different aspects of the alumni community." When asked about any challenges she and her team might have experienced when executing the project, she said there were none. "The enthusiasm of our staff and students, as well our partners within the town, are truly reflected in the smooth execution of the project," she reiterated. "Our only goal now is to expand the project in the years to come to include more local partners. The goal is to have more service providers in the form of restaurants, beauty parlours, and clothing stores on board. Our goal for the next few years is to 'paint Makhanda purple, so watch this space! Source: Communications DVC: Academic and Student Affairs, Professor 'Mabokang Monnapula-Mapesela reads out the citation of the project before the five individuals are honoured. During the 14h30 graduation ceremony of 30 March 2023, the Vice-Chancellors Distinguished Community Engagement Award was jointly awarded to Professor Megan Campbell, Nqobile Msomi, Dr Duane Booysen, Christine Lewis and Mandisa Ndabula from the Rhodes University Psychology Department. The winners have engaged with community leadership to establish a much-needed facility, the Joza Assumption Development Centre (ADC) Counselling Hub in Makhanda East. The work of the Hub was made possible through partnership building and collaboration between the ADC, Rhodes University Psychology Clinic and the Rhodes University Student Counselling Centre (SCC). It has transformed the Rhodes University space by building on the principles of community psychology and community-based service learning within the Masters in Counselling and Clinical Psychology programmes and in the internship year completed by Counselling Psychologist Interns at the SCC. The Hub provides counselling and psychological support beyond the university space whilst developing key skills of university students and academics. The award selection committee strongly believes that the inclusive, participatory partnership development process of the Hub, the trust and commitment between the diverse partners and the existing impact of the Hub on the youth of Makhanda are significant indicators of a sustainable, purposeful community engagement programme. A hearty congratulations to the whole team for this stellar achievement. Source: Communications Unlike EV startups that are starting from scratch, Honda can quickly expand its footprint by leveraging its existing pan-India sales and service network While it has been late in electric two-wheeler space, Honda has intentions to expand rapidly in coming years. For FY2024, Honda has confirmed that it will be launching two electric scooters. One of these will have a fixed battery setup, whereas the other will utilize swappable battery tech. Honda has shared a design sketch teaser of these two scooters. One of Hondas upcoming electric scooters could be named Activa Electric. Patent documents accessed recently had revealed designs of a fixed battery setup and hub motor. Honda will be targeting a high level of localization to be able to launch its electric scooters at a competitive price point. It will rival TVS iQube, Bajaj Chetak, and soon to be launched Burgman Electric. Honda new platform E Hondas upcoming electric two-wheelers will be based on an entirely new platform, built from the ground up. Codenamed Platform E, Hondas new electric platform will be able to support different types of battery architecture and installations. It will support both fixed battery and swappable battery formats. The latter will be utilizing Hondas Mobile Power Pack E. To reduce production costs, Honda will be sourcing most of the components from local manufacturers. It will include the battery packs and power control units (PCUs). Just like its ICE scooters, Hondas upcoming electric two-wheelers will be targeted at export markets as well. India could emerge as one of Hondas global hubs for manufacturing affordable electric two-wheelers. Honda Workshop E and Factory E To ensure a smooth landing for its upcoming electric two-wheelers, Honda has plans to deploy battery charging and battery swapping infrastructure across its more than 6,000 customer touchpoints. Of course, the plans will be executed in a phased manner. Some of the existing touchpoints will be converted to Workshop E, which will cater exclusively to EVs. All the necessary equipment such as charging cables will be available at these workshops. Honda will also be working to provide battery charging solutions at select petrol pumps, metro stations and other similar locations. Honda is working on a South to North plan for its EV infrastructure, where the initial focus will be more on Southern states. The starting point is Bengaluru, where Honda has already established 23 battery swapping stations. In Phase 2, more such swapping stations will come up, especially in southern states. In the 3rd phase, swapping stations will be deployed pan-India. Battery swapping system is probably the most convenient way to use electric two-wheelers. As of now, theres hardly any brand that offers such facilities across the country. When Hondas battery swapping network is up and running, theres expected to be a huge demand for its EVs. To cater to that, Honda is building a dedicated Factory E at its existing facility in Narsapura in Karnataka. By 2030, Factory E will have a production capacity of 1 million units per annum. NASA released its climate strategy on Wednesday in an effort to expand agency-wide efforts to counter climate challenges, Trend reports citing Xinhua. The strategy assesses NASA's climate portfolio across the agency for the first time, extending beyond science and exploration efforts to include every mission directorate and NASA facility. The strategy lays out four key priorities for the agency to aide with the integration of climate across NASA: innovate, inform, inspire, and partner. The first priority of innovation relies on continuing NASA's 60-plus years of Earth science studied not only from space, but also through airborne research, direct measurements and field campaigns. "With new missions coming online in 2023 to observe air pollution (TEMPO), Earth's water to help improve climate models (SWOT), and the increasing intensity of storms (TROPICS), NASA-powered observations of our planet are at the core of how we study the effects of climate change," NASA said in a statement. "This strategy will help NASA integrate our understanding of climate across the agency and in our partnerships to better serve the public," said Kate Calvin, NASA's chief scientist and senior climate advisor. Suzuki e-BURGMAN Electric Scooter: Features, Specs, Field Tests, and Battery Sharing Initiatives Bajaj and TVS are the two mainstream two wheeler brands who have entered the electric scooter segment. Honda has just announced that they will launch two new electric scooters in India next year. Yamaha too has plans to launch electric scooters around the same time. And it seems, Suzuki will also be ready with their first electric scooter by then. Suzuki Motor Corporation has announced an exciting new development in the world of electric two-wheelers the e-Burgman. First official images and specs of Burgman electric scooter are now out. Already spied on test in India, the e-Burgman will now enter advanced test phase in Tokyo Japan. Suzukis e-BURGMAN field tests: What to expect and why they matter Burgman electric scooter is part of a larger effort to promote battery sharing and increase the use of e2Ws in Japan. Suzuki is working with Gachaco Co., Ltd., a Tokyo-based battery sharing service. Field tests will be conducted over three months, starting from April to June 2023, and will involve eight Burgman electric scooters. Suzuki Motor Corporation staff and customers who apply will be participating in the field tests. Tests will help collect essential data through daily activities, such as commuting, going to school, and shopping. Data will be utilized to develop the production spec Burgman Electric Scooter. Classified as a Class-2 light electric scooter, it boasts impressive specs. Suzuki e-Burgman can travel up to 44 kms on a single charge when ridden at a steady speed of 60 km/h. It has a rated output of 0.98kW, maximum output of 4.0kW, and maximum torque of 18Nm. Dimensions are as follows length 1,825mm, width 765mm, height 1,140mm, seat height 780mm. Vehicle kerb weight is 147 kgs. Its powered by a synchronous AC motor and equipped with a lithium-ion battery. Swappable battery standardization: How the big four in Japan are leading the way Suzuki is part of the Swappable Battery Consortium for Electric Scooters, which includes Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., and Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. The consortium is working on standardising swappable batteries and replacement systems. A significant step towards battery sharing and increasing the use of electric two-wheelers in Japan. Common specs were derived from the TP21003 technical paper. Development standards are fine-tuned for swappable batteries that address drive range and charging time concerns. Furthermore, the consortium has been collaborating with e-Yan OSAKA field tests aimed at promoting the adoption of electric scooters. Honda Mobile Power Pack e: Making battery sharing a reality The collaboration led to the establishment of Gachaco, Inc., a sharing service for standardised swappable batteries. ENEOS, Honda, Kawasaki Motors, Suzuki, and Yamaha Motor have all come together to offer a BAAS (Battery as a Service) solution. This allows electric scooters to travel longer distances, eliminating concerns about running out of battery charge. Gachaco services get underway with the use of Honda Mobile Power Pack e:, which is common spec compliant. As battery sharing solutions become more accessible and reliable, eco-conscious riders will have a wider range of options for transportation. The future looks bright for the big four in Japan as they work together to increase the adoption of electric scooters in Japan and beyond. India launch of the new Burgman Electric scooter is expected sometime next year. Upon launch, it will rival the TVS iQube, Bajaj Chetak and the upcoming Honda Activa Electric. Suzuki Burgman electric price could be in the Rs 1.5 lakh range. Russias COVID-19 case tally rose by 10,750 over the past day to 22,625,524, the anti-coronavirus crisis center reported on Thursday, Trend reports with reference to TASS. A day earlier, 11,128 daily cases were recorded. As many as 1,714 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Russia over the past day, up 77.1% from a day earlier. The number of hospitalized patients increased in 63 regions, while in 17 regions the figure decreased. The situation remained unchanged in five regions. A day earlier, 968 people were rushed to hospitals. Moscows COVID-19 cases surged by 1,771 over the past day versus 2,134 cases a day earlier, reaching 3,476,064, according to the anti-coronavirus crisis center. St. Petersburgs COVID-19 cases increased by 1,054 over the past day versus 1,149 a day earlier, reaching 1,916,495. Russias COVID-19 recoveries rose by 12,467 over the past day, reaching 21,982,530., the anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters on Thursday. A day earlier some 12,597 patients recovered. Russias COVID-19 death toll rose by 32 over the past day, reaching 397,211, the anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters on Thursday. A day earlier 33 COVID-19 deaths were registered. Connor Leone, Aquaponics Innovation Center Education Coordinator at Ecolife Conservation holds a flat of Jericho lettuce showing how the roots hang down below the flat as it grows in the water in a solar powered greenhouse using a deep water culture system. Inside a greenhouse off Champagne Boulevard north of Escondido, lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes are being grown in an aquaponic research facility designed to teach others about sustainable farming. The ultimate goal of the center is far loftier: to save the world. The small greenhouse, dubbed the Auqaponics Innovation Center, contains a sophisticated system that uses fish, water and numerous filtration systems. Its run by Ecolife Conservation, a nonprofit headquartered in Escondido, whose director is Bill Toone, a conservation biologist by training. Advertisement Years ago, while working a conservation project in a national park in Madagascar, Toone lived with villagers near a rain forest for three years. Two months after leaving, the village was wiped out in a massive typhoon. So I reached out to all the conservation groups that for the past four years had funded me, Toone said. I asked for money to go back to look for people and help put things back together. And everyone said no. They said we do animals. We dont do people. It pissed me off and broke my heart. Toone said he took some time off to contemplate whether all the conservation work he had spent his life doing was making any difference. A few years later, in 2003, he established Ecolife and began a quest to address huge ecological and human problems. Extinction is caused by loss of habitat. Animals die because they dont have anywhere to live, he said. And the single largest cause of habitat destruction is expanding agriculture production. We use up more land to grow food than any other thing we do. We drive more species to extinction by agriculture. It became very clear to me if you wanted to save the world, you better learn how to farm more sustainably. The aquaponic center, built just a few months ago, is designed as a research and training facility that people can visit who wish to learn how to grow vegetables and fruit using far less water and land. This place is about giving us the opportunity to bring some attention to it, to demonstrate it at scale, he said. Last week, a couple farmers from Murrieta toured the facility to learn the process as did a gentleman representing a restaurant consortium that is interested in building rooftop aquaponic facilities atop the businesses. The idea is to save water, save land, reduce our carbon footprint and make a real conservation impact, Toone said. California produces 78 percent of the lettuce consumed in the United States. We export 55 billion gallons of water in California every year hidden in the heads of lettuce, Toone said, And we dont have any water, yet were sending it all over the country. Though a very small operation, what is being done at the innovation center can be reproduced on a far larger scale, he said. This system uses 10 percent of the water, Toone said. We could reduce that 55 billion gallons of water in lettuce to about 5 billion by growing produce this way. All of the vegetables grown at the center are donated to nonprofits such as Interfaith Community Services in Escondido. In the past month, we donated 400 pounds of cucumbers, for example, said Connor Leone, the centers education coordinator. On Thursday morning, a half-dozen volunteers with Senior Gleaners, a nonprofit that picks fruit and vegetables for the hungry, were at the innovation center to harvest about 40 pounds of lettuce. They contacted us. Its wonderful, said Karen Clay, a scheduler for the Gleaners. I think its amazing the work they have done here and the work they are doing in different areas to help people. Leone said the lettuce and other vegetables grow in about two-thirds the time they would in the ground and they can be planted in far greater densities using aquaponics. Simply put, the self-contained system uses fish Mozambique Tilapia -- in a tank that produces waste which is then turned into plant nutrients and added to water that the plants sit atop of on floating racks. Various filtration systems designed to catch solid waste, maintain pH levels and biofilters for nitrifying bacteria to colonize, all connected through PVC piping, complete the system. The center is located on land donated by one of several of Ecolifes angels, as Toone calls them large donors who support the goals and operations of the company. Those goals include building and supplying wood-burning stoves to people in Mexico and Africa. The fifth-leading cause of deforestation in the world, and the No. 1 killer of human beings in the world, is harvesting of wood for cooking fires, Toone said. Those cooking fires kill an estimated 4.3 million people every year from either burns or smoke inhalation-related diseases. He said three billion people still cook over an open fire, often indoors where smoke grows thick. Its the equivalent of smoking 400 cigarettes a day, according to the World Health Organization, Toone said. Ecolife builds stoves with chimneys to vent smoke out of the dwellings. For more information about Ecolife and its work go to ecolifeconservation.org on the web. jharry.jones@sduniontribune.com; 760/529-4931; Twitter: @jharryjones Three volunteers from Love Your Feral Felines rescue group with three of the cats theyre fostering for adoption. They are, from left, behavior and assessment coordinator Brianne Youngberg, foster coordinator Amanda Hodder and senior director Melissa Dunaj. The word feral is defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as unsocialized behavior suggestive of a wild beast. But Amanda Hodder, foster coordinator with the Vista-based rescue group Love Your Feral Felines, has a different definition. To me, feral just means misunderstood, Hodder said. So many of these cats can be socialized toward humans with time and attention. Advertisement The Oceanside resident is one of four volunteer officers for LYFF, which was founded in April 2011 by Vista resident Christine Hubbard. While working at a North County animal shelter, Hubbard was surprised to learn about the high euthanasia rate for cats and kittens deemed feral. Feral cats are born or abandoned in the wild. In the absence of human interaction and neutering/spaying, they can develop defensive, stand-offish and sometimes hostile behaviors. When these cats and kittens hiss, spit, growl, hide and spurn physical contact, shelters will declare them un-adoptable. If theyre not picked up by feral cat rescue groups, most will be euthanized. LYFF has two programs for giving feral cats another shot at life. Amanda Hodder, foster coordinator for the all-volunteer Love Your Feral Felines rescue group, cuddles Ralphie, one of 15 kittens rescued from a high-kill shelter in Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. (Pam Kragen/San Diego U-T) Over the past six years, the organization has taken part in the countywide barn cats movement. Designed for feral cats that prefer living outdoors away from humans, LYFFs Barn Cats program sends pairs of spayed feral cats to live in barns and out-buildings on ranches and other rural properties to control vermin. Over a five-week barn socialization program, the cats gradually come to associate the barns with food, shelter and minimal but positive human contact. LYFF also works with the Feral Cat Coalition and SPOT Rescues Cat Team to rescue wild cats and neuter them to gradually reduce the population of cats in the wild. The second program, which launched in May, is for under-socialized kittens. Overseen by LYFF senior director Melissa Dunaj of Fallbrook, the new program takes in under-age and abandoned kittens that would otherwise be euthanized or go feral in the wild. The kittens are spayed or neutered, vaccinated, de-wormed and micro-chipped, then sent to live with foster families where theyre socialized to live indoors with people and, in some cases, other pets. Since May, just over 140 kittens have been rescued through the program. About 70 kittens are now in foster care and, of those, about 20 are ready for adoption at events like one from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct 8, at the Kahoots pet store at 1535 Valley Parkway in Escondido. Brianne Youngberg, a veterinary hospital nurse who joined LYFF in June as its behavior assessment coordinator, said that since the program started six months ago, only 11 kittens have failed to graduate into socialized behavior. This is usually because theyve lived too long without human contact. Those who dont socialize after six months of training become barn cats. These kittens have missed the window of learning things and having positive interactions with people, Youngberg said. If we get them young enough, we can work with them. Tigger, a 5-week-old kitten in Love Your Feral Felines new Under-Socialized Kitten Foster Program, shares a transport cage with his littermate Bagheera, back left. (Pam Kragen/San Diego U-T) When litters of kittens born in the wild arrive at local shelters, Youngberg said its often impossible to know whether their skittish behavior is feral or just plain fear. Cats are solitary creatures, very sensitive to noise and not as adaptable to change as dogs. As a result, many cats appear hostile at shelters. They all start out with the behaviors that are describes as feral. Theyre scared, they hiss, they growl, they run and hide, theyve got airplane ears (arched back like plane wings), she said. But Ive seen them transform in just 24 hours when you get them home. Depending on the age of the kitten, the socialization training takes from a few weeks to a few months, with the average foster stay about four to eight weeks, Youngberg said. Among the socializing techniques is something called burrito-ing, where the kittens are swaddled in a towel or blanket and held to reduce anxiety. Another is for foster parents to build trust by getting the kitten to lick baby food off their fingers. Baby food is the key to every kittens heart, said Dunaj, who joined LYFF in June after volunteering for three years at a local animal shelter. Right now, LYFF has 25 foster families caring for kittens. Dunaj said it could use at least a dozen more. About half of the kittens now in foster care are feral and lack the social skills for adoption. The other half are abandoned newborns who would die without full-time nurturing. When kittens from 2 to 4 weeks old arrive at shelters or are found in the wild, their chances of survival are low. Not only do they need to be fed by bottle every two to four hours, 24 hours a day, they also need to be physically stimulated to go to the bathroom (a mama cat will lick her kittens abdomens to stimulate the reflex, but foster parents must rub the kittens abdomens with a washcloth). Because shelters dont have the manpower to care for under-age litters, they keep groups like LYFF on call for emergency pickups. Two weeks ago, a litter of underweight, underage kittens arrived at a local shelter just an hour before closing time. Hodder said she was given just 30 minutes to find someone to pick up the kittens or they would be euthanized that night. Fortunately, a transport driver arrived in the nick of time and the kittens are all now safe in foster care. Hodders day job is as a receptionist. She started volunteering for LYFF as an afternoon driver, transporting cats from shelters to barn homes. But the more she learned about the fate of feral cats at shelters, the more she felt compelled to do. Nothing involving rescue was as hard as not getting involved. I needed to do more, she said. There were a lot of sleepless nights, but it was something I had to do. Hodder recruits foster families who must undergo training to participate in the program, but are required to give only their time and love. All animal care costs are covered by LYFF, which is a donor-supported nonprofit (loveyourferalfelines.com). It costs LYFF about $35 to $50 per month to care for each cat, plus the $50 one-time cost of spaying/neutering and the ongoing cost of transport cages and unexpected veterinary care. Theyd like to grow donations by at least 50 percent next year to take in more feral cats from Orange, Riverside and Los Angeles counties. Melissa Dunaj, senior director for the Love Your Feral Felines rescue organization, cuddles Tinkerbell, one of 15 kittens saved from a high-kill shelter in Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. (Pam Kragen/San Diego U-T) As the organization grows, Hubbards dream is to one day have a property donated where she can build a permanent home for LYFF. Dunaj said it will be unlike any other shelter. We imagine large community cat rooms, two-story cat condos where each kitty has enough space to feel comfortable and other cat-friendly amenities to keep the kitties stress-free while giving the public a place they will feel good about visiting and adopting from, she said. Most months, LYFFs expenses top $2,500, but last month they doubled to $5,000 because LYFF joined 10 other local groups that arranged a convoy rescue of dogs and cats from high-kill shelters in Louisiana after Hurricane Harvey. LYFF took in 15 hurricane refugees, including Ralphie and Tinkerbell, tiny striped kittens who love being held; Bandit, a curious black and white kitten; and Rory Donovan, an outgoing light gray kitten who loves to play. Most of them are now fully weaned and socialized and should soon be ready for permanent homes. Dunaj said she and her fellow volunteers have an emotional connection to every kitten they save and when these once unwanted kittens are adopted, its cause for celebration. That was the case on Sept. 17, when one of the programs most notoriously finicky cats, Posh, found her new parents at an adoption clinic in Oceanside. Posh was born to a cat that lived in a car mechanics garage. While all of her siblings eventually found homes, the 6-month-old Bengal mix would hiss at all comers at adoption events. Youngberg said theyd nearly given up hope for Posh until she locked eyes and hearts with a couple who stopped by the adoption area on a whim. They just bonded instantly, Youngberg said. I captured the whole interaction on video as I sobbed. pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com The Mohammed Bin Rashid Aerospace Hub (MBRAH) has broken ground on the second phase of Dubai Helipark, being implemented in partnership with Air Chateau International. Spanning a 42,800-sq-m area, Dubai Helipark is located adjacent to the private jets terminal, and the new phase will incorporate a landside helicopter hangar, which will be a commercially owned and operated landside hangar. It will feature an extension of the existing apron to accommodate 12 helicopter parkings and cater to world-class helicopter MRO services, said MBRAH in its statement. The state-of-the-art helicopter centre is the largest of its kind, currently accommodating eight helicopters to facilitate transport between business centres and tourist destinations across the UAE; it will also feature a VIP lounge to meet and greet and brief potential ultra-high-net-worth individuals arriving at the facility. Air Chateau International was certified by the General Civil Aviation Authority to start helicopter operations at the Dubai Helipark in 2022, providing a window for the multitude of private helicopter owners, individuals and corporates to consider leasing a parking spot within the premises and guarantee easy access to other heliports. In addition to offering the best amenities for UHNWIs arriving by their private jets, Air Chateau International will also provide MRO services and a showroom for the latest helicopters showcased by world-leading manufacturers. The ground-breaking ceremony was attended by Tahnoon Saif, the Chief Executive of MBRAH; Dr Samir Mohammed, the Chairman and Founder of Air Chateau International; Shilton Tony Irudayaraj, Co-Founder and CEO of Air Chateau; and other senior executives. Speaking at the ceremony, Saif said: "We are thrilled to announce the commencement of construction on the new phase of Dubai Helipark. This remarkable development is a testament to our unwavering commitment to providing exceptional services that cater to the needs of helicopter owners." "At MBRAH, we are deeply committed to aligning ourselves with the governments vision of solidifying Dubais position on the world aviation map, and we are proud to play our part in contributing to Dubais economy through our innovative offerings and tailored solutions. We are dedicated to providing exceptional services that exceed our clients expectations and contribute to the continued growth of Dubais aviation industry," he added. Mohammed said: "Since the successful launch of the first phase of Dubai Helipark, we have been overwhelmed by the positive response from private helicopter owners and key stakeholders." "As a result, we are expecting a remarkable increase in the number of operations in the coming quarters. At Air Chateau International, we take pride in utilising our expertise in the aviation industry to ensure that the helicopter centre is operational and provides a first-class experience that caters to the needs of our discerning customers," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Russian President Vladimir Putin will probably attend the upcoming fuel loading ceremony at Turkiyes Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, Trend reports citing TASS. "The project to build the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant is being carried out successfully. Chances are that Mr Putin will come [to Turkiye] to attend the April 27 ceremony. Well probably participate online together," Erdogan told the A Haber TV channel. When Sophie Machado started traveling the world six years ago, she brought back one-of-a-kind jewelry, clothing and housewares to remind her of the people and places shed encountered. Now, people can buy a piece of Machados international scrapbook at Salt Collection, a globally inspired clothing and housewares boutique she opened March 4 on South Coast Highway 101 in Encinitas. The indoor/outdoor shop carries everything from bangle bracelets to dresses to succulent wall hangings, as well as few of her husbands custom-made surfboards. Machado is married to one of the worlds most famous surfers, Rob Machado, 43, who grew up in Encinitas. They met in 2010, married in 2013 and now live in Cardiff with their 3-year-old son and Robs two daughters from his first marriage. Advertisement Sophie Machado inside her new Encinitas boutique, The Salt Collection. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) While theres an overall theme to the colors, textures, patterns and styles of the merchandise at Salt Collection, Sophie Machado said its meant to be an eclectic collection of handicrafts she has found around the world. There are items from Japan, Bali, South America, Uganda and Robs native Australia. A macrame hanging chair on the patio was hand-woven by a woman she met on the beach in Nicaragua during one of her first trips abroad with Rob. There are also many items from Southern California artisans, including Naughty Knits, Jaye Swim and Lennon + Wolfe. Sophie, 27, grew up in Orange County, where her father was a commercial fisherman. Part Italian and part Cherokee Indian, she started working in high school as a makeup artist for MAC cosmetics and as a street marketer for Red Bull. After high school, she enrolled at an art college but the tuition was too expensive. Instead, she dropped out and used her savings to fly to Jamaica, where she volunteered for a nonprofit teaching computers skills to the poor. Eventually she returned to Orange County and Red Bull, and thats how she ran into quite literally her future husband. Red Bull was a sponsor for the 2010 U.S. Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, where Rob was one of the top competitors. I had told my friends I refused to date anyone until they stopped me dead in my tracks, she said. I think it was Gods way of playing a joke on me because I literally collided with him, head on, on my way to the restroom. The eclectic merchandise at The Salt Collection is hand-picked by owner Sophie Machado from all over the world. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) As their relationship grew, she transferred to Red Bulls San Diego division to be closer to Rob. Then he asked her to quit her job and travel the world with him full-time. They married in 2013 and welcomed their son Jaxton inspired by her time in Kingston, Jamaica in 2014. Now theres a new baby in the family, Salt Collection. At first the items Machado brought back from her trips were for her personal use. But soon her friends, family and retailers began asking her to bring back items for them as well. One of them was longtime friend Natalie Zlomek, who is now the store manager at Salt Collection. There are people with a natural eye for fashion and decor and Sophie is someone who always 100 percent knows style, said Zlomek, who previously ran the Encinitas clothing shop 22 Threads. Zlomek said that theres more to her friends business skill than just being a good collector. She said Machado is also a people person who understands customer service. She always leads with kindness, Zlomek said. She greets every person with they walk in. and shes warm to everybody, whether theyre 1 or 100. Machado said she got the idea to open her own store in 2014, but with a new baby, she couldnt focus on a business until recently. The shop is located in a renovated 1930s bungalow formerly used by the Rustic Rooster consignment shop. The name, Salt Collection, will soon undergo some alteration to make it more unique from competitors, but the word salt will remain in some form. Machado said its inspired by the element in ocean water and the desert flats she has visited, as well as the Bible verse You are the salt of the Earth. Business in the opening weeks has been strong, thanks to support from the local and surfing communities, but Machado said shes grateful that new customers from outside that circle are arriving each day thanks to word of mouth. She said there are no immediate plans to expand the business beyond her adopted hometown. This is home for us, she said. There was never any question where wed be. Salt Collection Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays Where: 930 S. Coast Highway 101, Encinitas Phone: (760) 487-5920 Online: salt-collection.com pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com A majority of the US Senate backed legislation on Wednesday to repeal two decades-old authorizations for past wars in Iraq, as Congress pushes to reassert its role over deciding whether to send troops into combat, Trend reports citing Al Arabiya. The Senate voted 66-30 in favor of legislation to repeal the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for the Use of Military Force, or AUMFs, well above the 51-vote majority needed to pass the measure that would formally end the Gulf and Iraq wars. To become law, the repeal of the two Authorizations for the Use of Military Force, or AUMFs, must still pass the Republican-led House of Representatives, where its prospects are less certain. All of the votes against repeal in the Senate were from Republicans and the party's leader in the chamber Mitch McConnell issued a statement opposing it. Biden has said he will sign the legislation, if it reaches his desk. US President Joe Biden has extended the national emergency and sanctions over cyberattacks on the United States for another year, according to a White House notice, Trend reports citing TASS. "These significant malicious cyber-enabled activities continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. For this reason, the national emergency declared on April 1, 2015, must continue in effect beyond April 1, 2023," the document reads. "Therefore <...> I am continuing for one year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13694," Biden said. According to the White House, the measures introduced by the US presidents Executive Order 13757 will also remain in effect. Pesticide use must be reduced. The EU has set a target to reduce pesticide use by 50% by 2030. Therefore, a strong focus on integrated weed management must be maintained in the coming years. When it comes to weeds, the focus has mainly been on improving the efficacy of pesticides, replacing or complementing them with mechanical treatments in the field. In the last five years, the Horizon 2020 project IWMPraise -- Integrated Weed Management: PRActical Implementation and Solutions for Europe has conducted a large number of trials on a wide range of tactics that can contribute to integrated weed management. This has been done in collaboration between researchers, agricultural advisors and manufacturers of weed control equipment. "There is a need for a paradigm shift in weed management. For too long, the focus has been on single treatments within a single growing season. There is a need for a more comprehensive mindset, where we focus on the long-term consequnces and thus on more crops and weed species at a time. This is what we have been working on in IWMPraise for the last six years. Not only have we explored many individual methods that can help us move in the right direction. We have also developed a very concrete and user-friendly tool that can help farmers and advisors plan their weed control and incorporate many more measures that can prevent weed problems, implement non-chemical control and minimize seed shedding as well as the build-up of the seed pool in the soil," says Professor Per Kudsk from the Department of Agroecology, who coordinated the IWMPraise project. Practical tool for farmers and advisors The high effectiveness of herbicides has meant that the same crops can be grown frequently without more weeds appearing in the field. Before the introduction of herbicides in agriculture, crop rotation had to be varied, as this is an effective way to avoid the multiplication of specific weed species. Less variety in the crop rotations has led to a dominance of fewer, but often more problematic weed species, which in turn increases the dependence on a now limited supply of herbicides. In addition, the increasing resistance to herbicides amplifies the need to use alternative methods of weed control. The negative effects of herbicide use can be counteracted by a more diverse weed control based on a conscious shift in management strategies. According to the researchers, this will require long-term strategies that do not only focus on the results of the next growing season. "Integrated weed management has simply not been implemented in many places, and there have been no intuitive tools to help farmers. Switching from using herbicides to integrated solutions is complicated. It requires more work and knowledge, and it can be difficult to develop the right strategy on your own. We have therefore created a user-friendly tool that helps farmers design and implement IWM strategies in practice," says Senior Advisor Mette Snderskov from the Department of Agroecology. The IWM Tool, developed by Wageningen University and Research, is based on concepts from the IWMPRAISE project. It brings together the existing knowledge on different methods and available tools for integrated weed management. The tool is designed to help farmers and advisors to diversify the weed management strategies to fit their specific needs. A bone marrow transplant can be a lifesaving treatment for people with relapsed blood cancers, but a potentially lethal complication known as graft-versus-host disease put limitations on this procedure. New research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison is helping to change that by identifying the cell population that causes GVHD, a target that may make bone marrow transplants safer and more effective. An allogenic (from a donor) bone marrow transplant is a common treatment for blood cancers and other diseases of the immune system. During the transplant, the patient's immune cells are replaced with the donor's healthy cells. While the donor cells can help cure the patient's blood cancer, they can also cause GVHD -- in which donor T cells, a specialized immune cell in the blood, attack the patient's healthy cells. This causes complications similar to an autoimmune disease that can be lethal. "Graft versus host disease is one of the most common complications after an allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation procedure, and the field knows quite well that the T cells from the donor are the ones mediating the disease," says the study's lead author Nicholas Hess, a scientist at UW-Madison's Carbone Cancer Center. "Before this study, there was no finite T cell population that we've been able to identify as the cause of GVHD, so all our treatment regimens generally impacted the entire T cell population. But targeting all the T cells is not ideal, as they don't just cause this detrimental disease, they also have a beneficial impact on the ability to prevent relapses." Today in Science Advances, Hess and collaborators including Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center members Christian Capitini, professor of pediatrics, and Peiman Hematti, professor of medicine, published their findings, identifying cells called CD4/CD8 double positive T cells (DPT) causing GVHD in immunodeficient mice. To further confirm their findings, the researchers directly investigated human patient samples. "We looked at over 400 clinical samples from 35 patients as a part of this study and found double positive T cells to be predictive of GVHD. We also found four other biomarkers which are predictive of not just GVHD, but also relapse in general," says Hess. "Based on that, our next step is to merge the biomarkers into a machine learning algorithm that can output a risk prediction model. Clinicians could then use this model to understand a patient's risk of relapse and GVHD." A team of physicians and scientists at UW-Madison is working on ways to address the problematic cells in patients while leaving healthy and helpful T cells to flourish. Hess says that while the team is very confident the double positive T cells are directly involved in GVHD, the key step in bringing this discovery to the clinic will be developing a targeted depletion strategy and this prediction model. "When we can gain confidence in this biomarker research and our ability to identify patients at risk, then we will potentially be able to treat them before they have all the detrimental effects of this disease," Hess says. The study won a Best Abstracts Award from the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy and was presented at the American Association of Immunologists (AAI) and ECOG-ACRIN conferences, creating excitement based on the findings' potential impact beyond blood cancer and transplantation. "I've learned that DPTs have been found in a variety of chronic human inflammatory diseases, which goes to show that this is not a specific thing to graft-versus-host disease. It's probably a wider phenomenon that these human T cells are doing that we've never really appreciated before," says Hess. "It's very exciting because it gives us something to study further. I've always been interested in taking something you discover in the lab and translating it to the clinic. I think it's what gets me up every day. It is kind of the ultimate goal in my life to be able to say I participated in something that helped patients in some way." In chemistry, we have He, Fe and Ca -- but what about do, re and mi? Hauntingly beautiful melodies aren't the first things that come to mind when looking at the periodic table of the elements. However, using a technique called data sonification, a recent college graduate has converted the visible light given off by the elements into audio, creating unique, complex sounds for each one. Today, the researcher reports the first step toward an interactive, musical periodic table. The researcher will present his results at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). Previously, W. Walker Smith, the project's sole investigator, took his combined passions of music and chemistry and converted the natural vibrations of molecules into a musical composition. "Then I saw visual representations of the discrete wavelengths of light released by the elements, such as scandium," says Smith. "They were gorgeous and complex, and I thought, 'Wow, I really want to turn these into music, too.'" Elements emit visible light when they are energized. This light is made up of multiple individual wavelengths, or particular colors, with brightness levels that are unique for each element. But on paper, the collections of wavelengths for different elements are hard to tell apart visually, especially for the transition metals, which can have thousands of individual colors, says Smith. Converting the light into sound frequencies could be another way for people to detect the differences between elements. However, creating sounds for the elements on the periodic table has been done before. For instance, other scientists have assigned the brightest wavelengths to single notes played by the keys on a traditional piano. But this approach reduced the rich variety of wavelengths released by some elements into just a few sounds, explains Smith, who is currently a researcher at Indiana University. To retain as much of the complexity and nuance of the element spectra as possible, Smith consulted faculty mentors at Indiana University, including David Clemmer, Ph.D., a professor in the chemistry department, and Chi Wang, D.M.A., a professor in the Jacobs School of Music. With their assistance, Smith built a computer code for real-time audio that converted each element's light data into mixtures of notes. The discrete color wavelengths became individual sine waves whose frequency corresponded to that of the light, and their amplitude matched the brightness of the light. Early in the research process, Clemmer and Smith discussed the pattern similarities between light and sound vibrations. For instance, within the colors of visible light, violet has almost double the frequency of red, and in music, one doubling of frequency corresponds to an octave. Therefore, visible light can be thought of as an "octave of light." But this octave of light is at a much higher frequency than the audible range. So, Smith scaled the sine waves' frequencies down by approximately 10-12, fitting the audio output into a range where human ears are most sensitive to differences in pitch. Because some elements had hundreds or thousands of frequencies, the code allowed these notes to be generated in real time, forming harmonies and beating patterns as they mixed together. "The result is that the simpler elements, such as hydrogen and helium, sound vaguely like musical chords, but the rest have a more complex collection of sounds," says Smith. For example, calcium sounds like bells chiming together with a rhythm resulting from how the frequencies interact with each other. Listening to the notes from some other elements reminded Smith of a spooky background noise, similar to music used in cheesy horror movies. He was especially surprised by the element zinc, which despite having a large number of colors, sounded like "an angelic choir singing a major chord with vibrato." "Some of the notes sound out of tune, but Smith has kept true to that in this translation of the elements into music," says Clemmer. These off-key tones -- known musically as microtones -- come from frequencies that are found between the keys of a traditional piano. Agreeing, Wang says, "The decisions as to what's vital to preserve when doing data sonification are both challenging and rewarding. And Smith did a great job making such decisions from a musical standpoint." The next step is to turn this technology into a new musical instrument with an exhibit at the WonderLab Museum of Science, Health, and Technology in Bloomington, Indiana. "I want to create an interactive, real-time musical periodic table, which allows both children and adults to select an element and see a display of its visible light spectrum and hear it at the same time," says Smith. He adds that this sound-based approach has potential value as an alternative teaching method in chemistry classrooms, because it's inclusive to people with visual impairments and different learning styles. A video on the research is available at www.acs.org/elementmusic. The watches of The Morning Show The watches of The Morning... Jennifer Aniston chose herself some timepiece candy on Apple TV's hit show. And it's all Chopard. Happenstance ? Well, not exactly Jennifer Aniston chose herself some... Egypt and Russia are speeding up the construction of the 4.8 GW nuclear power plant at El-Dabaa, which is located 135 kilometres west of Alexandria, putting it back on schedule after initial delays due to the war in Ukraine and COVID-19. The U.S. military airlifted embassy officials out of Sudan on Sunday and international governments raced to evacuate their diplomatic staff and citizens trapped in the capital as rival generals battled for control of Africas third-largest country for a ninth day. The British government was due to send a first plane carrying failed asylum seekers to Rwanda on Tuesday despite last-ditch legal bids to block the deportations, mounting protests and UN criticism. A chartered plane is set to leave one of London's airports overnight and land in Kigali on Wednesday, campaigners said, after British judges on Monday rejected an appeal against the deportations. Claimants had argued that a decision on the policy should have waited until a full court hearing on the legality of the policy next month. Thirty-one migrants were due to be sent but one of the claimants, the NGO Care4Calais, tweeted that 23 of them had now had their tickets cancelled. Those due to be deported include Albanians, Iraqis, Iranians and a Syrian, Care4Calais said. Other claimants included the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), whose members will have to implement the removals, and immigration support group Detention Action. PCS chief Mark Serwotka has said it would be "an appalling situation" if Tuesday's removals were subsequently found to be illegal at the full hearing in July. Home Secretary Priti Patel should wait until then if she "had any respect, not just for the desperate people who come to this country, but for the workers she employs", Serwotka told Sky News. Protesters gathered outside the Royal Courts of Justice and the Home Office on Monday. In Geneva, UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi has denounced the UK government policy as "all wrong" and said it should not be "exporting its responsibility to another country". 'Immoral policy' Church of England leaders, including top cleric the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, stepped up criticism of the policy as "one that should shame us as a nation". "Our Christian heritage should inspire us to treat asylum seekers with compassion, fairness and justice, as we have for centuries," Welby and 24 other bishops wrote in Tuesday's Times newspaper. "This immoral policy shames Britain." "Evil trafficking" must be combatted by providing safe routes to the UK to "reduce dangerous journeys", The Times quoted the bishops as saying ahead of the letter's publication. The British government insists the policy is needed to stop a flood of all-too-often deadly migrant crossings of the Channel from France. "I can't say exactly how many people will be on the flight," Foreign Secretary Liz Truss told Sky News on Tuesday. "The really important thing is that we establish the principle and we start to break the... business model of these appalling people, traffickers who are trading in misery," she added, reiterating remarks made by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday. "It's very important that the criminal gangs who are putting people's lives at risk in the Channel understand that their business model is going to be broken," Johnson told LBC radio. "They're selling people falsely, luring them into something that is extremely risky and criminal." 'Appalling' Under the agreement with Kigali, anyone landing in the UK illegally is liable to be given a one-way ticket for processing and resettlement in Rwanda. The UK government says that genuine asylum claimants should be content to stay in France. Contradicting the UN refugee agency UNHCR, it insists that Rwanda is a safe destination with the capacity to absorb possibly tens of thousands of UK-bound claimants in the future. Doris Uwicyeza, chief technical adviser to Rwanda's justice ministry, pushed back against criticism of the human rights record of President Paul Kagame's government -- which is set this month to host a Commonwealth summit attended by Prince Charles and Johnson. Rwanda's 1994 genocide made it particularly attentive to "protecting anybody from hate speech and discrimination", including gay people, she told LBC radio. British newspapers reported that Prince Charles had dubbed the plan "appalling". The reported comment prompted unnamed cabinet ministers to tell Queen Elizabeth II's heir to stay out of politics. International NGO Human Rights Watch issued a public letter warning that "serious human rights abuses continue to occur in Rwanda, including repression of free speech, arbitrary detention, ill-treatment, and torture". Search Keywords: Short link: In the third article in the series on influencial Egyptian women, Ahram Online sheds light on the life and struggle of Aziza Hussein, known as the "Peoples Ambassador." 16 March marks Egyptian Womens Day for a good reason. On this day in 1919, 300 Egyptian women led by Huda Shaarawi marched against British occupation. One woman, Hamida Khalil, was killed, making her the first female martyr that day. On that same day four years later, Shaarawi led the march to form Egypt's first feminist movement. The march progressed from then on. This year, Ahram Online celebrates Egyptian Women's Day in collaboration with The AUC Rare Books and Special Collection Library, by sharing the stories of inspiring Egyptian women who led the march for women's rights in the country. Every Thursday, the biography of an inspiring Egyptian woman will be shared. After exploring the life of Huda Shaarawi (1879-1947), the woman behind the march, and Doria Shafik (1908-1975) the "Daughter of The Nile," Ahram Online sheds light on the life and struggle of Aziza Hussein, the "Peoples Ambassador." Aziza Hussein (1919-2015): The First woman to lead the Egyptian Delegation in the United Nations in 1954 Do for your life on earth, as if you were to live forever, and for your next life beyond, as if you were to die tomorrow. This quote from Islamic culture was one of the life mottos of pioneer social worker and womens rights activist Aziza Hussein, as stated in her memoirs, A Pilgrim Soul (2013). The wisdom of the motto reflects in all aspects of her life. Hussein was the first Egyptian woman to head Egypt's delegation at the United Nations assembly in 1954, the first to launch a nursery and a whole family planning programme in the Egyptian village, and was known to the international community as the leading womens rights advocate. Hometown: The Republic of Zefta Hussein was born to a renowned physician whose humanitarian values and skills were so genuine that the locals named the public hospital in Zefta after him. Hussein grew up in a big family in a town that stood up to the British occupation and declared its independence as part of the Egyptian resistance revolution in 1919. My father was a feminist and gave us opportunities to study and go to university, Hussein recalled in an oral interview by AUC Rare Books and Special Collections Library. She attended the American University in Cairo, class of 1942, and her BA dissertation was on Prophet Mohamed's Role in Legal Reform. After college, she believed in the impact of civil society on human development. Civil society and womens rights Soon, Hussein started to delve into the rich social work in Egypt and thought of empowering women and raising awareness in rural areas. Through the Cairo Womens Club, she launched her first-of-a-kind village nursery in 1955 along with associated family planning programmes. The programme was such a success that it granted the club the first prize from the General Federation of Women's Club in Kansas City, Missouri in 1955, as stated in her memoirs. And that was the beginning of a leading role in empowering civil society. The Peoples Ambassador The prize won her an international lecture tour, where she made headlines in Washington, and soon her name became associated with womens rights and human development advocating. Being married to Ahmed Hussein, the first Egyptian ambassador to Washington post the 1952 Revolution, her impact on civil society's global movement was magnified, and she was often referred to as the Peoples Ambassador, as Al-Anbaa newspaper stated in 1995. In 1955, she became the first Egyptian woman to head Egypts delegation at the United Nations assembly in 1954 and was honoured by late president Gamal Abdel-Nasser, who gave her the Medal of Perfection in 1955. Her advocacy for family planning and human development continued to thrive, and her name was on every notable international conference. She was the one behind Egypts Population Conference in Cairo in the early 1990s, which was a big step to Egyptian civil society, and it led to the establishment of the Population Council later on. Throughout her journey, Hussein noted in the audio interview by AUC Rare Books and Special Collections Library that among the most notable people she met were renowned civil society advocate, International Corporate lawyer, and great supporter Mona Zulficar, Samir Elish, who was the head of the Central Organisation for Family Planning, and Mary Assad, a key figure of civil society. Life begins at 80 In the late 1970s, Hussein was introduced to Transcendental Meditation, which she explained had such a positive effect on her mindset and well-being. It led her to be the founder of the Egyptian Society for the Development of Consciousness and Human Potential. In her book A Pilgrim Soul: memoirs, she reflects on her life journey and all her bliss: Who would have thought that at the age of 93 I would still be so active implementing projects, hosting receptions, and even enjoying intense love -- be it transcendental here I am, writing my autobiography for you. Following Grandma Mosess motto, life begins at 80 means that I must now be 13 years old. How exciting! *Photos courtesy of AUC Rare Books and Special Collections Library Search Keywords: Short link: The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced settled charges against Sapere Wealth Management, LLC, a Matthews, North Carolina-based investment adviser, and its principal, Scott Trease, for unsuitably recommending that three clients invest $7.3 million in risky, alternative-investment deals. According to the SEC's complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, Trease befriended a self-described financier based on shared religious interests in July 2017. The complaint further states that from 2018 through early 2019 this financier helped identify numerous alternative-investment opportunities for Trease and Sapere to consider. The opportunities, which were unlike any others in which Trease or Sapere had ever invested, consistently fell apart and, according to the SEC, raised several red flags indicating that these types of alternative investments were unsuitable for Sapere's and Trease's clients. Nevertheless, the complaint states, in May 2019 Sapere and Trease recommended three clients invest a total of $7.3 million in two such alternative investments that Sapere and Trease incorrectly believed were collateralized by gold. The SEC alleges that Sapere and Trease did not reasonably understand the investments and thus lacked a reasonable basis to recommend them to clients. The complaint further states that in one of the investments, a client ultimately lost $2.3 million, while in the other, $5 million of client money was placed at risk, though the defendants and the self-described financier ultimately secured the funds' return. The complaint charges Sapere and Trease with breaching their fiduciary duties of care in violation of Section 206(2) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. Without admitting or denying the SEC's allegations, Sapere and Trease have consented to the entry of a final judgment imposing a permanent injunction against future violations of Section 206(2); a five-year injunction requiring Sapere and Trease to engage due-diligence consultants to review certain potential future transactions; a $100,000 civil penalty against Trease; and an undertaking to distribute the SEC's complaint and the final judgment to Sapere's and Trease's clients. The settlement is subject to court approval. The SEC's investigation was conducted by Joshua Hess of the Atlanta Regional Office, and supervised by Matthew F. McNamara and Justin C. Jeffries. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Michigan Age-Friendly Action Plan aims to make it easier for adults to age in place Michigan's Age-Friendly Action Plan has established a blueprint that's helping Michiganders ages 50 and older remain connected, feel respected, and live more independently within their communities. Egypt's Ministry of Youth and Sports announced on Tuesday that the fourth edition of Gamal Abdel-Nasser's Fellowship for International Leadership will be launched in June under the auspices of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi. The next round will be held under the theme Non-Aligned Youth and South-South Cooperation, and will focus on transferring the Egyptian experience in building institutions. Nasser's Fellowship previously organised virtual training to introduce participants to the concepts of leadership and authority in large companies and leadership transformation. During its previous edition, the fellowship expanded to include friendly countries and sought to enhance the role of youth in reviving the principles of non-alignment and activating cooperation between the global south. The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a forum of 120 world states that are not aligned with or against any major power bloc. In April 1955, representatives from 29 governments of Asian and African nations gathered in Bandung, Indonesia, to discuss peace and the role of the Third World in the Cold War, economic development, and decolonisation. The fellowship has received international praise for achieving sustainability through investing in youth, based on its Development Agenda 2030. Search Keywords: Short link: The driver of a sport utility vehicle who police said led Hercules police on a chase last week that ended with the SUV crashing into a car carrying a mother and her twin 6-year-old sons was charged with two counts of murder this week. Ralph White, 20, of Vallejo appeared in Contra Costa County court Wednesday afternoon for an arraignment that was postponed to allow the public defenders office time to review the case. White is charged with two counts of murder in the deaths of Ryniqueka Dowell, 31, and her son Jamari Humble, 6, fleeing a peace officer causing serious bodily injury, carrying a loaded, unregistered handgun and receiving a stolen motor vehicle, according to the criminal complaint. The murder charges against White are also enhanced because he was out on bail in both San Francisco and Alameda counties at the time of the incident, according to court records. Hercules police began the pursuit last Thursday after the Contra Costa County Sheriffs Office alerted the Police Department that a stolen 2021 Mazda SUV was headed east on Interstate 80 toward Hercules. A Hercules police officer saw the SUV exit at Willow Avenue and began pursuit, Hercules police said. When the Hercules officer caught up to the SUV, its driver accelerated and the pursuit continued on the streets, ending in the neighboring town of Rodeo when the SUV hit the car, killing Dowell and critically injuring one of her twin sons, who died on Monday. White was arrested Thursday after fleeing on foot from the scene of the crash. The fatal crash is raising questions about whether the pursuit by Hercules police fell within the departments policy. Family members and friends of Dowell and her boys have questioned whether the pursuit should have happened. If it wasnt for the police chasing him, this would not have occurred, Ranesha Moore, Dowells aunt, told NBC Bay Area on Monday. It was already a stolen vehicle so do you think hes going to obey the law when you get behind him and hes driving something thats not his? Hercules Police Chief Joseph Vasquez said that although the pursuit is still under review, officers were made aware that the SUV had been involved in other violent felony crimes at the time of the pursuit. Our staff knew that before they were involved in this incident, Vasquez said in an email to The Chronicle. A stolen vehicle by itself is considered a non-violent crime and would be considered before and after a pursuit is initiated. According to the Hercules Police Department policy handbook, a pursuit should be terminated whenever the totality of objective circumstances known or reasonably known to the officer and supervisor during the incident show that the risk of a pursuit outweigh the risks resulting from the suspects escape. Some factors that should be considered, according to the handbook, are distance between pursuing and fleeing vehicles, hazards to uninvolved bystanders and motorists, if the identity of the suspect is known and if the suspect is a violator of a nonviolent misdemeanor. Hercules police officers receive yearly pursuit training, Vasquez said. I just administered a new directive last month on recovering unoccupied stolen vehicles so that we avoid the possibility of unnecessary pursuits, he added. Police pursuits, according to former SFPD Deputy Chief of Patrol and San Francisco State Criminal Justice Lecturer Jim Dudley, present a conundrum for officers involved in them. To chase or not to chase is the dilemma officers must face when confronted by a criminal in a vehicle that refuses to yield, Dudley said. In the short pursuit estimated at a half mile the officer may not have had time to broadcast all information to dispatch and a supervisor who has the ability to call off the pursuit if deemed too dangerous. White is expected to return for his arraignment on April 12 at the A.F. Bray Courts Building in Martinez, according to the Contra Costa District Attorneys Office. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Nearly three weeks after a chronically faulty levee broke and flooded the town of Pajaro in Monterey County, residents who recently returned to their flood-damaged homes are still awaiting test results to confirm their water is safe to drink, which will take another week, officials said. The Pajaro/Sunny Mesa Community Services District restored water service in Pajaro on Saturday morning, two days after evacuation orders were lifted. But the communitys nearly 2,000 residents are being urged not to drink it because it is possibly contaminated and could result in illness, according to notices on the districts web page. Don Rosa, the water districts general manager, said the district has conducted two rounds of testing and is anticipating results on April 6. Those will be forwarded to the State Water Resources Control Board, the districts regulatory agency, and together they will decide whether the water is potable, Rosa said. We will have notices printed, flyers printed, and we will be going door to door with those notices at the earliest possible time that we can get to, he said. While test results from the first round of testing determined everything is clean, Rosa said, the agency is required to do two sets of sampling. Based on the first round, its very likely the April 6 results will show the water is not contaminated, he said. Pajaros situation would not normally require termination of water service, he said it had been disrupted because of an electrical equipment failure, and then restored. Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle Officials resumed water service because having water, for at least sanitation purposes, is a necessity, Rosa said. Also, the residents of Pajaro need water to begin the clean-up process. However, some residents expressed concern about the water quality, and aid workers are left trying to educate and answer their questions, some advocates said. Here they are giving us flyers saying not to drink the water but people are in their homes. Theyre probably showering in their homes because they dont want to go to the shower stations in the city, said Lorena Roman, whose two-bedroom apartment was red-tagged, meaning it was so damaged it was unsafe to occupy. In a couple of weeks Im afraid that were going to see people who are getting sick, she said. Noah Berger/Associated Press Residents have relied heavily on water donations from community organizations, as well as from Monterey County officials and the water district. Aid workers from local groups are going door to door to hand out warm meals and bottled water, and educate people about the water quality. Thats probably the No. 1 question that those affected are asking: When is our water system going to be back up? said Erica Padilla-Chavez, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz County. And we cant answer that, but we are educating them on the dos and donts, she said. Padilla-Chavez said she encouraged Monterey County officials to work on a public health advisory for relief workers on the ground. Last week the county set resource hubs at Pajaro Park and Pajaro Middle School with first-aid kits, bottled water, face masks, personal hygiene kits, showers and handwashing and laundry stations. Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle The showers and laundry stations were taken down Sunday, some residents said. They took away the laundry stations and now we cant even shower, Cristina Sandoval told The Chronicle. She, her partner and four children are taking showers at a family members home and buying gallons of water to drink at home, she said. Luis Alejo, chair of the Board of Supervisors, said Thursday that all resources except the distribution of clean water were removed from Pajaro Park because demand was down after people moved back into their homes. The resource hub at Pajaro Middle School remains, which Alejo said he advocated for. There has been a drop in the usage but nonetheless, I know the services are still needed, he told The Chronicle. Gov. Gavin Newsom this week asked President Biden to declare a major disaster for storm-affected California counties, including Monterey. That designation would provide assistance with housing, food, counseling, medical and legal services. It would also help support the cost of the emergency response as well as include resources to help reduce the risk of future disasters. Reach Jessica Flores: jessica.flores@sfchronicle.com; Twitter: @jesssmflores The Bay Area saw slowing population losses in the second year of the pandemic a signal that the surge of people moving out may be over, according to new U.S. Census Bureau data. San Franciscos population fell by only 0.4% or about 2,800 people from July 2021 to July 2022, much less than the 6.3% plunge, roughly 55,000 people, in the previous 12 months, new census data showed. In the first year of the pandemic, San Francisco saw the second-biggest percentage drop in population among all U.S. counties, behind only Manhattan. It is now the fourth straight year that the citys population has declined, even losing a small number (900) in the last full survey year before the pandemic. The city had net domestic out-migration of around 9,400 people from July 2021 to July 2022, sharply down from the net out-migration of about 58,000 people in the previous year. Yet, San Franciscos estimated population of 808,437 is at the lowest level since the July 2010 census. In the same period, Napa County saw a 1.4% drop in population, the highest percentage in the Bay Area, followed by San Mateo Countys 1.3%, which was down from a 3% loss in the previous year, and Marin Countys 1.2%. The other five Bay Area counties had losses below 1%. The narrower losses are good news for Bay Area officials hoping to revive their cities after years of health-related shutdowns and many local business closures. But many workers remain at home, imperiling municipal budgets and hurting San Franciscos office market. Bay Area trends matched other major urban centers around the country, which lost population at a lower rate than the previous year. The migration and growth patterns for counties edged closer to pre-pandemic levels this year, Christine Hartley, the Census Bureau assistant division chief for estimates and projections, said in a statement. Some urban counties, such as Dallas and San Francisco, saw domestic outmigration at a slower pace between 2021 and 2022, compared to the prior year. SFNext is Chronicle coverage devoted to the city's most vexing problems. To become involved: Send feedback, ideas and suggestions to sfnext@SFChronicle.com Lassen County saw the biggest percentage population drop in the country at 6%, a little over 1,900 people, which California officials have attributed to the closure of a state prison. New Yorks population losses slowed, and Manhattan gained nearly 17,500 people, but the Bronx and Queens had some of the highest losses on a percentage basis in the country. Counties that included Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore and Portland, Ore., also saw losses over 1%. Los Angeles County, the most populous in the nation, lost just over 90,000 people, or 0.9%, from July 2021 to July 2022, about half of its losses from the previous year. Yolo County, near Sacramento, gained 4%, or slightly over 9,000 people, in part because of UC Davis students returning. Many Bay Area residents have moved to the Sacramento area and Central Valley for cheaper housing, as reflected in previous U.S. Postal Service change-of-address data. However, Sacramento Countys population was little changed, declining by 3,900, or 0.2%. From July 2021 to July 2022, Californias population fell 0.3% to just over 39 million people. The trends matched California Department of Finance numbers released in January, which also showed continued population losses across the Bay Area, but at a slower rate than the previous year. The state and federal reports use different methodologies. The Sun Belt continued to dominate population growth, with half of the 10 fastest-growing counties on a percentage basis in Texas, with Florida and Georgia also seeing leading gains. San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins assumed office in July, and since then the share of criminal cases where people were sentenced to jail and prison has climbed, while the share completing programs that serve as alternatives to incarceration has sunk. The data confirms that Jenkins whose frequent criticisms of the progressive Chesa Boudin made her a prominent figure in his recall election in June is having a swift impact on criminal prosecution efforts and outcomes, especially considering that cases can take months or even years to resolve. These changes are most evident when it comes to drug crimes, for which arrest, charging and conviction rates have climbed sharply. These changes are intended to decrease overdose deaths and reduce other harmful consequences of rampant drug use, but those reversals havent happened yet. Overdose deaths have climbed recently. While the changes between the two district attorneys are in part driven by their policies, they are also impossible to disentangle from the COVID-19 pandemics impact on San Francisco's criminal justice system. Crime patterns shifted; social distancing measures forced a dramatic reduction in the jail population; and the Superior Court mostly stopped holding criminal trials, causing a case backlog hundreds of names long. Crime in the city has mostly reverted to pre-pandemic trends, but the low jail population and massive backlog nearly 1,000 cases have passed their trial deadline, according to the Public Defenders Office have persisted. After hitting lows near 25% in late 2021 and early 2022, the share of criminal cases ending in a jail or prison sentence began climbing following Jenkins appointment, hitting nearly 50% in March, more than any other month since April 2020. Charging and conviction rates have gone up for felony cases overall, while diversion rates the share of cases resolved through programs serving as alternatives to jail or prison time are down. Despite these shifts, the citys jail population hasnt ballooned under Jenkins, hovering around 800 people, the status quo during most of Boudins tenure. Thats well below its pre-pandemic average of nearly 1,300. In an interview, Jenkins said The Chronicles findings made sense given her commitment to shift direction from her predecessor, whom she had criticized as incompetent and overly lenient. She said under her leadership, attorneys have become more thoughtful about who they let participate in diversion programs. If youre (a first-time nonviolent offender), sure, (diversion) might be appropriate for you, she said. If this is your fifth or sixth time around the bend, then we need to be arguing for something different. (The San Francisco criminal justice data available to The Chronicle is not sufficient to confirm whether fewer repeat offenders are being offered diversion.) Jenkins added that her higher charging rates for felony cases likely stem from an increase in chargeable cases presented to her office. She said that San Francisco police have been presenting more arrests, with better-quality evidence, since she took over. (The Chronicle previously found that police ramped up arrests and stops for certain crime types following her appointment.) Jenkins felony charging rates in her first three quarters were higher than Boudins in every quarter but his last, the second quarter of 2022. But representatives from the San Francisco Public Defenders Office said that Jenkins policies particularly her decreased reliance on diversion for drug cases were both ineffective and harmful to their clients. I do think it is a shame. What were seeing come out of her office is not consistent with an aim to promote public safety, said Crystal Carpino, deputy public defender at the San Francisco Public Defenders Office. Proponents of diversion programs believe they can change peoples lives by replacing punishment with resources things like classes, drug rehabilitation and connection to health and housing services. SFNext is Chronicle coverage devoted to the city's most vexing problems. To become involved: Send feedback, ideas and suggestions to sfnext@SFChronicle.com They also provide an incentive that traditional jail does not: A person accused of a crime who completes diversion can avoid a criminal conviction (or in some cases, a criminal charge), and a subsequent stain on their records that can make finding a good job or housing more difficult. Theres a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, David Mauroff, CEO of the San Francisco Pretrial Diversion Project, told The Chronicle. Mauroff provided The Chronicle with data showing that as of January, just 171 people were clients of the Pretrial Diversion Program, a statutory diversion program for clients with misdemeanor charges that has been around since the early 1970s and was expanded by the state Legislature in January 2021. Thats a 72% decrease from the 600 clients the program had enrolled in January 2022, and 29% fewer clients than the program had in January 2019 under Boudins predecessor George Gascon. San Francisco has long been unusual in its robust network of diversion programs, and in how many complex and felony cases it diverts. The city has used diversion since the 1970s and, in addition to programs for veterans and primary caregivers mandated by the state, has its own initiatives run by the District Attorneys Office and the court system. While more research remains to be done on the effectiveness of diversion, early research based in San Francisco showed promising results. In a 2022 study by the California Policy Lab, a nonprofit based out of UC Berkeley, people charged with felony crimes from 2011-17 and sent through diversion programs were less likely to be rearrested and convicted than people sent through the traditional court process. The effects were strongest for people charged with drug offenses and offenses against a person like assaults and robberies, along with women, young people and first-time offenders. Jenkins said she believes Boudins office was allowing some people to take advantage of diversion by participating in the programs, getting released and heading straight back to the streets to sell harmful drugs like fentanyl. Whats going on right now are people selling deaths, she said. We have to take this more seriously. But officials who oversee diversion programs disagreed that they are less serious approaches compared to prison or jail. Members of the community want to see crime rates go down. They want to see people getting help in order to reduce recidivism, Carpino said. Instead, Carpino said, most people accused of drug crimes are once again going through the traditional criminal justice system, which prioritizes incarceration and punishment, and thats been shown not to work. Carpino oversees the Collaborative Justice Court (CJC) and Drug Court, both part of the citys diversion program network and both of which accept people charged with drug crimes. The CJC helps connect people to legal representation, medical treatment and employment; for unhoused people going through the court, it connects them to housing providers. Carpino said that under Gascon, most people charged with possession of more than 5 grams of substances like crack cocaine or fentanyl were unable to enter the CJC before pleading guilty to the charge. Under Boudin, many prosecutors waived the 5-gram requirement. Enjoying the data in this article? You should sign up for The Chronicles new newsletter California Data Dive. The ability to enter CJC pre-plea created an incentive for people to complete the diversion program, she said, because if they did, they could keep a criminal conviction off their record. This was particularly true of undocumented people who were worried a conviction would lead to deportation. Jenkins administration reinstituted the 5-gram limit for CJC eligibility, Carpino said. As a result, the number of people entering the program before pleading guilty to drug possession has basically come to a screeching halt. Jenkins has previously said she reinstated the 5-gram policy, along with other more stringent drug crime policies, because dealers charged for possessing large amounts of fentanyl were being released without material consequences and rearrested. While debate remains over which drug cases to divert, Jenkins tougher measures havent yet had a measurable impact on the citys overdose crisis. Overdose deaths have increased this year; Januarys overdose death count of 78 was the highest monthly total on record. Jenkins blamed this on court judges reluctance to detain people accused of drug crimes, saying they generally require their release ahead of their arraignments and possible trials. Representatives of the Superior Court did not respond to The Chronicles request for comment. Half of the Tenderloin right now may have an open case with our office, but because of the view of the bench about narcotics dealing that its quote-unquote, non-violent the majority of these individuals are back out onto the street, she said. But Carpino said that its unlikely jailing those people would have much of an effect, as more dealers can always come into the city. The truth is, as long as theres demand, theres gonna be a supplier, she said. San Francisco is fighting off a barrage of claims of up to $10,000 each from homeless residents who accuse the city of illegally confiscating or destroying their belongings during street cleaning operations. Since mid-January the city has received over 100 such administrative claims, totaling more than $1 million and exceeding the number of filings it received in the previous three years. The city rejects the vast majority of claims, some of which officials say are fraudulent, but claimants may appeal in court. Since 2020, the city has spent more than $132,000 to resolve 24 cases, paying out an average of $5,500, according to data from the City Attorneys Office. The rise in claims is the latest front in an escalating battle between the city and advocates who say San Franciscos homeless sweeps violate the constitutional rights of people living on the streets. A federal judge issued an injunction in December barring the city from destroying belongings of unhoused people, but the city can continue to clean city streets and sidewalks occupied by homeless residents. It comes amid a broader debate about the citys efforts to balance the rights of the homeless with those of the public at large, and how San Francisco should house and care for its most vulnerable residents. Homeless people have lost items they need to survive such as tents, sleeping bags and clothes and say other, more sentimental items have been taken, including heirloom jewelry and family photos, as well as the ashes of deceased loved ones. But City Attorney David Chiu says his office has received claims with no documentation, claims from people citing identical lists of confiscated property, claims for losses or emotional damage that far exceed the value of confiscated items, and claims from people who arent actually unhoused. There are also cases in which the same person filed multiple claims. The city is not an ATM for $10,000 checks. When we receive multiple identical claims that appear to be completely implausible, we have to defend our city, he said. We have claims from individuals who admit to having housing in our housing system. That is frustrating. The Coalition on Homelessness, which has sued the city to block it from destroying the belongings of unhoused people, is helping homeless residents file administrative claims for confiscated or destroyed property. Ian James, the coalitions organizing director, said the effort was a way to stand up for many of the citys poorest and most vulnerable residents. Our role is giving people who wouldnt be able to navigate the legal system resources to do so, he said. One unhoused resident described arriving at Jessie and Sixth streets in October, ready to slip into his tent. There was just one problem: San Francisco Public Works employees had come through on a street cleaning operation. His tent and belongings were gone. I couldnt believe it, the man wrote. I was angry, and I felt robbed and violated. The man said the city did not post a notice about the coming sweep, and he was unable to retrieve his property. He filed a $10,000 claim with the city that remains open. When the city receives an administrative claim, it can pay the claim or deny it. If it denies a filing, claimants can pursue the matter in small claims court, where judges have ordered the city to pay out as much as $10,000 the limit for small claims court. After a judgment in small claims court, either the city or claimant can appeal the ruling to a higher court, or settle for a lesser sum. The City Attorneys Office attributed some of the spike in claims to a Mission Local story about the issue that ran in late February. Its unclear how frequently this situation is playing out elsewhere. Officials in Oakland and Austin, Texas, two similarly sized cities with significant homeless populations, said theyd never heard of unhoused residents filing claims against their municipalities to seek reimbursement for items destroyed by city workers. In 2020, Caltrans agreed to pay $5.5 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over East Bay sweeps in which homeless residents said their belongings were confiscated and destroyed. After the homeless coalition and unhoused people sued San Francisco in September, raising the issue of property confiscation, federal Judge Donna Ryu issued an injunction preventing the city from destroying unhoused residents belongings. City leaders said the coalitions lawsuit put the city in an intractable position, particularly given San Franciscos efforts to address the problem. Its infuriating, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman said. Public Works has an impossible task of keeping the city clean. With this population camping, or worse, storing stuff in our public space, it does not work, we cannot accept that. While Ryus orders forbids the city from destroying unhoused peoples belongings or criminalizing homelessness, Public Works employees fan out across the city to clean streets and sidewalks, including areas where unhoused residents live in tents or other makeshift shelters. The Chronicle recently observed one such operation in which Public Works employees, accompanied by a firefighter and homeless outreach workers, cleaned a block in the Mission District. They told unhoused residents to temporarily move their belongings so they could clean under and around the tent sites and remove trash. They also asked all the unhoused whether they would be willing to move to a shelter, but those requests were declined. The citys policy is to give 72-hour notice to street dwellers. And when city workers clean up unattended but not abandoned property, they are supposed to bag and tag property and hold it for 90 days. But Zal Shroff, from the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, said the city routinely flouts its own rules during sweeps or street cleaning operations and that theres been a marked rise in such activity over the past few years. The committee represents the coalition in its suit against San Francisco. Public Works spokesperson Rachel Gordon said agency employees follow the bag-and-tag policy. She declined to comment further, citing the homelessness coalitions lawsuit against the city. The Chronicle reviewed dozens of the claims filed against the city over the past three years. It found numerous claims with claimants who listed confiscated property that was identical or nearly identical to that of other claimants. It also found claims from people who acknowledged in their claims that they had another place to stay, such as a shelter or hotel. After the sweep at Jessie and Sixth streets in October, a second man filed a claim similar to the other. Each listed a $900 guitar, and artwork both people said they made to support themselves including a sculpture of Kobe Bryant, another called the Bionic Man, and a third, The Tiger. The Chronicle was unable to locate or reach either man. A similar situation occurred on Dec. 5, when two men filed claims after city workers swept an encampment on Division Street near Folsom Street. Each man filed a claim saying hed lost a rare pair of black and chrome Adidas sneakers found at a street sale and estimated to be worth $1,300. Both claims also mentioned a pair of Ferragamo shoes and belt, estimated to be worth $1,000, as well as a 2019 MacBook and a gold necklace worth about $1,000. The entire lists of seized property were exactly the same. The city has not settled either claim. Shroff, with the lawyers committee, said the similarities between complaints were not necessarily unusual; two people living together might file an identical list of items destroyed. A small claims court judge would then hear the cases at the same time and decide how much they deserved. Frequently, he said, the administrative claims were just a way to preserve a persons right to sue the city in the future. Shroff called the city attorneys allegation of potential fraud galling. It allows the City Attorneys Office to peddle in misinformation to hide the extent of the Citys illegal conduct, he said, which only exacerbates the homelessness crisis. Numerous times, unhoused residents claimed emotional damages far exceeding the value of the items that were taken. One man who filed papers against the city said that on March 8, 2022, Public Works crews swept the corner where he was staying at 26th and Shotwell streets, making no attempt to bag his belongings. He filed a claim seeking reimbursement for the $2,619.91 in tools, clothes, bikes and other items he said were taken. And he asked for more than $7,300 in emotional damages after the city took a family photo album and handprints of his son, made when the boy was a newborn. I feel utterly defeated by this existence, he wrote. Ultimately, the city settled for $5,000. Another man brought a claim against the city after a sweep at 25th and Folsom streets last April. Among the items taken, he said, were a tent, sleeping bags, sheets, comforters, a power generator and a necklace, or about $4,555 worth of property. He also asked for $5,445 in emotional damages. The city settled the case for the $10,000 he sought, according to records from the city attorneys office. One of the most visible weapons used to fight out-of-control wildfires is being challenged in federal court in a case that could have major implications in California. Bright pink fire retardant sprayed from aircraft onto forests, grasslands and rooftops is being used in greater quantities in recent years as wildfires have burned more acres than decades prior. But some environmentalists contend that fire retardant is both less effective at slowing wildfires than promised and is killing fish and causing harm to wildlife and waterways. Andy Stahl, executive director of the nonprofit Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics in Eugene, Ore., said his organization is asking the courts to force the U.S. Forest Service to curb its use of retardant because it believes the benefits are unproven and therefore dont outweigh the harm. If fire retardant was not just a placebo and it actually made a difference then we might be able to make an intelligent choice about the environmental downsides, Stahl said. But it doesnt make any difference. Shayne Martin, a Forest Service spokesperson, did not respond directly to The Chronicles questions about whether fire retardant is effective, writing in an email that pending litigation made it inappropriate to comment. But he said less than 1% of retardant drops impacted waterways over the past 10 years. Guy Wathen/The Chronicle Made of ammonium polyphosphate, water and additives to make it sticky and colorful, fire retardant is meant to act like a chemical fire break, rendering plants and materials unburnable. The Forest Service already is barred from spraying bodies of water directly with exceptions for extreme life-threatening situations because these inorganic fertilizers and salts can harm aquatic life, trigger algae blooms and alter delicate habitats. The lawsuit is asking the courts to require the nations top firefighting agency to get permission from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for discharging retardant, triggering more oversight for how and where its used. Filed in October in U.S. District Court in Missoula, Mont., the complaint argues that fire retardant drops violate the Clean Water Act and the Forest Service should get a permit for these releases just like factories must do for fouling air, land and water. The nonprofit won its first battle in court earlier this year. The Forest Service admitted its use of fire retardant violates the Clean Water Act and told the court it had asked the EPA to create a permit that would establish rules for how the substance is used. Martin, with the Forest Service, said the process with the EPA to develop a permit program could take at least two years. Meanwhile, legislators have proposed a law that would exempt the Forest Service from these environmental regulations. Last week, Forest Service Deputy Chief Chris French testified before the House Committee on Natural Resources to support the bill, telling lawmakers that fire retardant is an essential tool that decreases fire intensity and slows the advance of the fire. Both fire retardants potential benefits and harms land hardest in California, where roughly half of all retardant dropped in the United States lands on the states neighborhoods and ecosystems. Last year, the Forest Service reported using 22.8 million gallons of Phos-Chek the brand-name fire retardant used in firefighting across the country. Of that, 11.9 million gallons was dropped in California. Cal Fire dropped another 9 million gallons in the state last year. If the EPA does create a permit for fire retardant use, those rules would apply to every firefighting agency in the country, including Cal Fire, according to Stahl. Cal Fires use of fire retardant has also increased during the past decade, keeping pace with the size and scope of disastrous wildfires. In 2018, the deadly Camp Fire grew so big and so fast that there was no opportunity for airplanes to drop fire retardant to slow that wind-fueled inferno before it destroyed the town of Paradise and surrounding communities. Even so, Paradise joined other local governments and forestry groups filing briefs urging the court to consider the consequences in areas where the risk of destructive fires remains high. Butte County residents are surrounded by a checkerboard of federal forests and rely on the agency to protect them against fire. About 80% of Plumas County is federal land, and officials there also asked the court to reject the lawsuits claims. Sonoma County Fire Chief Mark Heine, who oversees a fire-weary part of Northern California with no federal lands, said that while fire retardant wont stop wind-driven fires like the 2018 Camp Fire or the 2017 Tubbs Fire that destroyed parts of Santa Rosa it has proved critical in rural areas where it takes time for ground troops to amass. Heine said he has watched flames burning through dry grasses peter out once they hit a section of brush painted pink. He has seen fire slow at retardant-doused ridge lines. I can say emphatically the use of aerial retardant is an absolutely critical tool, he said. A 57-year-old San Francisco man has been arrested on suspicion of robbing a woman at gunpoint in the Richmond District last week, police said. Officers responded to the 2400 block of Lake Street around 5:52 p.m. Friday after reports of an armed robbery. According to police, the 32-year-old victim was exiting her parked vehicle with her two young daughters when they were approached by Darryl Robinson, who pointed a gun at her and demanded she give him her wallet. The victim told Robinson she didnt have a wallet and Robinson took the womans diaper bag that contained her cell phone, jewelry and keys before he fled in a getaway vehicle being driven by an accomplice, police said. The woman and her daughters were unharmed. Police were able to find the suspect vehicle by tracking the victims phone to Golden Gate Avenue and Jones Street. Officers from the Northern Station responded and conducted a traffic stop. Robinson was arrested and a firearm was seized but the second suspect fled and remains at large, police said. Robinson was booked into the San Francisco County Jail on robbery, child endangerment and gun-related charges. Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact the San Francisco Police Department 24-hour tip line at 415-575-4444, or text a tip to TIP411 and begin the message with SFPD. You may remain anonymous. Al-Azhar, the world's most prestigious seat of Sunni learning, celebrated its 1083rd Hijri anniversary on Wednesday, with Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayyeb hailing the institution as the "centre of Quranic and Sunnah wisdom The Grand Imams statements came on the seventh of Ramadan of the Hijri year 1444. The same day in the year 361 of the Islamic calendar saw the first-ever Friday prayers held in the mosque, confirmed by the institution. For 1,083 years, Al-Azhar has been a beacon designated by divine providence to be a centre for the wisdom of the Quran, the Sunnah and the sciences of reason and tradition," said El-Tayyeb in a Facebook post. He added that it has been unique in its enlightened and moderate approach. "Al-Azhar is not just a well-established institution or the oldest international university in the history of mankind; it is also, at its core, a message, approach and discourse of enlightened thought that aims for the good of all humanity," the Grand Imam added. We ask God to help us succeed in faithfully delivering his teachings, El-Tayyeb said. The ceremony was attended by Al-Azhar Undersecretary Mohamed El-Duwini and several scholars and officials. In his speech, El-Duwini hailed the institution as a safety valve" for Muslim nations that have protected the Islamic identity and the Qurans Arabic language over centuries. Al-Azhar, under the Grand Imams leadership, currently wages a vicious war to counter the lack of societal awareness and focuses all its abilities on educating people and enabling them to discern between what is right and what is not, El-Duwini stressed. Al-Azhar Mosque has around 11,000 establishments that embrace more than two million students, Abbas Shoman, former undersecretary of Al-Azhar, said during the celebration. Meanwhile, Al-Azhar University has more than half a million students, including over 40,000 foreigners who come from more than 100 countries, Shoman added. Al-Azhar, named after the Prophet Mohameds daughter Fatimah Al-Zahra, functions today as both a mosque and university. It was built on the orders of Fatimid Caliph Al-Muizz Ii-Din Allah and inaugurated in 972. Over the decades, thousands of prominent scholars graduated from the highly revered centre of Islamic learning and culture in the Sunni Muslim world. Search Keywords: Short link: The number of Bay Area restaurants and chefs nominated this year for James Beard Foundation Awards just three was the fewest since 1991, the first year the prestigious culinary accolades were awarded. The sharp decline sparked questions and concern in the Bay Area dining scene. Some industry experts said the limited number of nominations reflects the present difficulty of running a restaurant in San Francisco in particular. Others worried that it could feed the national narrative of San Franciscos decline in a misguided way. A few chefs, including those who have won James Beard awards before, shrugged it off; its just a subjective award, they said, without deeper implications. The three Bay Area nominations this year are Kyle and Katina Connaughton of the three-Michelin-star SingleThread in Healdsburg, the sole Northern California operators competing for best chef in California; Vince Bugtong, nominated for outstanding pastry chef, who recently moved to San Francisco Filipino restaurant Abaca after working as pastry chef at hit Oakland cocktail bar Viridian; and the two-Michelin-star Lazy Bear in San Francisco, up for outstanding wine and beverage program. Charles Chen, a restaurant consultant and owner of the Bay Areas Basuku Cheesecakes, believes the economics of the region, and San Francisco especially, have stifled creativity. Operators are now forced to operate in a way that will encourage them to be full and busy every day rather than pushing the culinary envelopes, he said. Its simply too expensive to take risks in the Bay now, so unfortunately that makes it very hard for us to compete with other smaller markets where most of the culinary talent has moved on to. Many of this years James Beard nominations are still in major U.S. cities, but also in places like Billings, Mont., and Costa Mesa (Orange County). Nine Los Angeles restaurants and chefs received nominations this year, up from four in 2022. New York restaurants and chefs received nine nominations this year as well, down from 12 last year. Historically, the Bay Area has averaged more than nine nominations. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle Thad Vogler, whose ambitious San Francisco cocktail destination Bar Agricole won a James Beard award in 2019, agreed with Chen. I think the restaurant business in the Bay has been governed by fear for a while now, he wrote in an email to The Chronicle. High operating costs and anxiety about public opinion have left operators reluctant to take chances. The small number of nominations could also indicate that San Francisco is still struggling to rebound from the pandemic, said Brandon Jew of Mister Jius in San Francisco. He won two James Beard awards last year but said his acclaimed Chinatown restaurant is still grappling with labor shortages and rising costs. Its one thing to be surviving and getting by, said Jew, and its another thing to be full-on thriving and really exploratory of your cuisine. He continued: I think we're just not to the point where everyone is able to fully express their point of view because of the state of our comeback. Its not the same as other cities. Nick Otto/Special to The Chronicle Madeline Janning, who runs a Bay Area restaurant public-relations company, felt some of the nominations were boring. The longer list of semifinalists, announced in January and narrowed down to the shorter list of nominees this week, felt more representative of the Bay Areas creative culinary energy, she said. It included more casual places like Jos Modern Thai in Oakland and other restaurants representing less buzzy parts of the Bay Area. Its kind of disappointing when the long list is really interesting and then the short list is not as surprising, she said. Douglas Keane, chef-owner of the Michelin-starred Cyrus in Geyserville, had a different take: Its the awards, not the restaurants. Winning a James Beard best chef award in 2009, after two previous nominations, meant nothing to him. Was I any better than the five chefs that year? I dont think so. Best chef of California? Like, really? Its a big fing state, he said. Several people have noticed a frustrating pattern in the Beard awards: Many of the same Bay Area names are shortlisted for years before winning, if they do at all. Bar Agricole was nominated seven times before finally taking home the outstanding bar program distinction. Joshua Skenes of San Franciscos Angler and formerly Saison has been a semifinalist and nominee 11 times but never won. James Syhabout of Oaklands two-Michelin-star Commis has made it as a semifinalist seven times and nominee once, but has never taken home a James Beard medallion. Its the same feeling of always a bridesmaid, Janning said. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. The James Beard Foundation does not publicize in detail its process for selecting restaurants. Harbor House Inn chef Matthew Kammerer, who was a semifinalist this year, said he was unsure if James Beard judges had ever visited his Mendocino restaurant. The foundation says anonymous judges are given specific criteria to score their dining experiences, but did not share what those are or how the scoring works. The restaurants or chefs with the top five average scores become nominees, and then the top scorers in each category win. The awards were on hiatus from 2020 until 2022, in part due to the pandemic, and in part due to a controversy over a lack of diversity among winners and allegations of misconduct among nominees, which prompted changes in the selection process. While they remain highly regarded within the restaurant industry, they are perhaps less influential for diners. Keane and Vogler said they didnt see any effect on sales after winning. Jew, who won for best restaurant cookbook last year, did say the award helped him get a second book contract. By contrast, the coveted Michelin stars are infamous for bringing in a flood of business and media attention. Even a Michelin Bib Gourmand award, given out to more casual spots, prompted a huge, huge bump for Hilda & Jesse in San Francisco last year, Janning said. Absent a financial bump, what you may be missing, though, is that you are staying notable, Vogler said. The alternative is to lose relevance, which is dangerous as a destination place in a city like San Francisco. Disclosure: Some Chronicle staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Foundation Awards. When Oakland cafe owner Cortt Dunlap emailed his insurance agent in January, he got some shocking news: His carrier of 15 years was dropping him. His downtown coffee shop, Awaken Cafe & Roasting, had been hit by crime too frequently, Farmers Insurance decided. It had been vandalized once in 2020 and burglarized twice in 2022, including one time when a person threw a trash can into the Broadway cafes front windows. Then, in December, someone stole the catalytic converter from Awakens cargo van. Dunlaps claims had reached a severity greater than anticipated in our rate structure, Farmers Insurance wrote in a nonrenewal letter. Dunlap couldnt find another major insurance company that would cover his business, so he eventually patched together policies from three companies that provide less coverage. His new property policy, for example, doesnt cover theft or vandalism. Dunlaps insurance challenges are one symptom of a broader issue that restaurant and bar owners say feels like a huge weight on downtown Oakland: crime. Theyre spending thousands of dollars to fix broken windows on a regular basis. Theyve installed security gates, door barriers and glass-break alarm sensors. They tell customers not to leave anything visible in their cars. They remind each other to be safe, especially since an Oakland baker died after a brutal robbery on a February afternoon. They say they feel demoralized and helpless, unsure how to fix what feels like the issue of the moment for restaurants and bars in parts of the Bay Area particularly in Oakland and San Francisco. Its like a war zone, said Denise Huynh of Vietnamese restaurant Tay Ho, which was broken into three times in March. Im afraid to hear my phone beep in the early morning because its the thing I dread the most. Its one of those nightmares that keeps recurring. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle While the number of reported crimes related to theft and vandalism in downtown Oakland dropped dramatically in 2020, probably because of a pandemic-era slowdown in commercial activity, reported rates of these crime types soared starting around last April. The city reported a monthly average of 100 to 120 crimes related to theft, commercial burglary, robbery or vandalism throughout most of 2022, higher than any period in 2019 through 2021. But as of late 2022 and early 2023, these kinds of crime appear to be falling once again. (Oakland Police Department data includes only crimes reported to police and may not accurately capture month-to-month changes in crime rates, especially for specific types of crime.) Last week, Oakland Police Capt. David Elzey announced that the department would respond to a spike in commercial burglaries over a dozen reported citywide in five days by deploying additional officers to the affected neighborhoods. (The Chronicle requested police data to corroborate this, but the department declined, citing the citys recent ransomware attack.) The Police Department also suggested owners hire private security and not keep valuables or large amounts of cash inside their businesses. The Oakland Police Department did not respond to other questions for this article. Downtown business owners say crime feels more frequent and brazen than at any time they can remember. About a month ago, Farleys East, Asha Tea House, the Melt and Parche, all within a few blocks of each other, were broken into on the same day. Popular cocktail spot Low Bar on Webster Street was burglarized five times in five weeks between Christmas and mid-January, said co-owners Matt Meyer and Daniel Paez. One time, the burglars smashed the front door and stole keys, something the owners didnt realize until the thieves came back the next night and let themselves in. One night, when Meyer was out on paternity leave for his first child, the bar owners dropped everything to respond to a call from their security system at 3 a.m. The pair built a makeshift barricade to protect the broken front door until it could be fixed, using a blanket, tables, chairs and a life-size cutout of Buddy from Elf to make it look like someone was standing inside. They posted about the crimes a few times on Instagram. But after so many times, it just gets old, Meyer said. You feel like people dont want to see this anymore. You feel alone in a way. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle They said theyve spent tens of thousands of dollars on security upgrades for Low Bar, including a security gate and a barrier to prevent people from prying the door open. They filed police reports for all five incidents, but there was little the police could do at that point. We want this neighborhood to thrive, Paez said. Were just trying to protect ourselves so we can continue being here. Owners say the cost of crime is a serious financial burden, though its not yet putting them out of business. In many cases, the cost of repairing a smashed window isnt enough to reach a business insurance deductible, so they pay out of pocket. Some owners are also hesitant to file too many insurance claims, worried it will lead to increased premiums or, like Dunlap, being dropped entirely. Insurance companies may be shying away from working with businesses in this area, said Oakland broker Xavier Quan of David E. Quan Insurance Agency. William Tsui of hit Oakland bar Viridian recently tried shopping around for more competitive rates and said he couldnt find a company willing to underwrite a bar in this ZIP code. It makes business more difficult, Tsui said. It feels bleak. The increase in crime comes as many restaurants and bars are struggling with lingering effects of the pandemic and unpredictable sales. In the restaurant industry, the margins are so slim that when theres an unexpected expense like this and its happening regularly, its cutting into your profits fairly significantly, said Farleys owner Chris Hillyard. People may come into the cafe and see a line and think everythings great, but one broken window wipes the days profit. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. Owners are looking to the city to do more to support small businesses hit by crime. Several said theyd like the city to expand its Safety and Maintenance Ambassador Program, which employs full-time ambassadors to patrol, offer safety escorts and clean downtown Oakland. Having these unarmed patrols out later at night would be helpful, they said, since many break-ins happen late at night or early in the morning. Many owners said theyre frustrated by what feels like a lack of police response to break-ins: Officers show up, sometimes a few hours later, and take a report but cant do much to apprehend the perpetrators. In February, city officials announced a new police foot patrol team would start walking business corridors on weekdays to address public safety concerns. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle Awakens Dunlap recently applied for a city grant to pay for a roll-down security gate. Hes in talks with the city about a proposal that would ask downtown businesses to require employees work in person one day a week, which he hopes would restore the neighborhoods vibrancy. His idea, called Oakland Work Wednesdays, was inspired by the robbery and death of Angel Cakes owner Jennifer Angel. Fighting crime just in responding to it case by case is maybe less effective than something thats more about bringing people back and making it a place that will feel safe for families and folks to come to, Dunlap said. Businesses are also starting to organize. A group of downtown and Uptown Oakland restaurant and bar operators, led by the owners of Bar Shiru, have started a coalition to share resources and respond collectively to crime and other pressing issues. In February, after yet another break-in at his bar Sobre Mesa, owner Nelson German took to social media to vent. The cost of doing business in Oakland at times makes us wonder if we should open in Walnut Creek, Palo Alto ... or maybe Los Gatos instead, he wrote on Instagram. In the comments, Oakland business owners traded sympathies and potential solutions, like a neighborhood watch for restaurants and bars. German feels indebted to Oakland, the city where he opened his first-ever restaurant, Alamar Kitchen & Bar. But its hard not to consider relocating. That post was just talking from the heart: that feeling of youre down, but you dont want to give up, but part of you does, he said. What do you do? Our 2023 edition of the Top 25 Wineries guide is here! This list represents what I believe are the best wineries and tasting rooms to visit in the Bay Area, from the South Bay to the North Bay. While putting together this guide, I think a lot about what makes a winery worth visiting. Value is a big consideration at a time when visiting Wine Country is undeniably growing less affordable, I take pride in recommending places that still feel like relative bargains. (Eighteen of the 25 wineries have tasting fees of $50 or less.) I also aim to represent a wide range of wine styles. The guide features wineries that could be described as natural, for example, as well as wineries that would never embrace that label. Today, I want to highlight a winery thats new to the list: Brown Estate, which claims to be (and is, as far as I can tell) Napa Valleys first Black-owned winery. Brown is not a new wine producer it will make its 27th vintage this year but it didnt open its tasting room in downtown Napa until 2017. I visited for the first time in January and was blown away by the experience. Id made a reservation for a Friday afternoon and had some trouble finding it. Theres no big, flashy sign advertising the tasting rooms existence. Once I found my way up the elevator into the second-story tasting room, I felt as if I were entering an entirely different Napa: one thats racially diverse and pulsing with energy. According to a 2018 study by Destination Analysts, only 4% of visitors to Napa Valley were Black. Thats much lower than one might expect given the fact that Black drinkers account for around 10% of total wine consumption in the U.S., as a 2021 study by Fresno State professor Monique Bell found. This disparity tracks with what I observe anecdotally, during my frequent embeddings in Napa and Sonoma tasting rooms. The crowds I see are seldom racially diverse. Why arent more Black wine consumers coming to Napa? That question is likely beyond the purview of this newsletter, though the overt racism that wine writer Jnai Gaither describes in her experience working at a Napa Valley tasting room offers some clues. The exception to this is Brown Estate. It has cultivated a large, devoted following of Black wine lovers. Word has spread organically over the course of the winerys long life; Brown has never engaged in aggressive marketing or public-relations strategies, the Brown leadership team explained to me in a conversation last month. For many years, the winery was content to host visitors in a makeshift tasting area on its vineyard property, in the remote Chiles Valley region of eastern Napa County. It never advertised tastings; people just kept showing up. Brown wasnt even on social media until 2015: That was the year that the Napa Valley Wine Train kicked out a group of Black women for laughing and talking too loudly. This high-profile incident moved Brown Estate to become more vocal and visible, to show people that even if there was a current of racism in certain Napa Valley institutions, there was also a Black-owned winery here. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. The entire tasting room experience is very dialed-in, with impeccable service, smart glassware, a way-better-than-average cheese plate and most important great wines. Browns specialty is Zinfandel, which grows well in Chiles Valley, and many of its other wines fall into the full-bodied reds category. Theyre bold but balanced. The core Brown Estate lineup isnt cheap (these are Napa wines, after all), with bottles up to $125. Those wines are what youll get when you visit the tasting room, though last year the winery also launched a second label, House of Brown, designed to be more accessible, with a red, white and rose at $20 apiece. A wine tasting at Brown is fun. Memorable. Delicious. I recommend that you plan a visit. Brown Estate. 1005 Coombs St., Napa. Tastings ($50) are held Tuesday-Sunday at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Walk-ins allowed Tuesday and Wednesday; reservation-only otherwise. brownestate.com/visit or 707-963-2435. We face grief and outrage yet again about the fatal school shooting in Nashville. And yet, why are we not as outraged at Marty Daniel, who owns Daniel Defense, one of the leading makers of the AR-15 killing machine, as we are with the Sackler family, whose company pushed Oxycontin, causing much of the tragic addiction across the country? How is the Daniel family not held liable for the blood on their hands? And why are we not outraged that a majority of Americans support more gun safety rules and yet our politicians ignore us? Why do we focus on the social media crisis that is damaging our kids (with legislation proposed in some states), yet we dont do anything about gun violence, the leading cause of childhood mortality? We hold the United States in such high regard and yet it is truly puzzling why we are the only country in the world that is completely unable to act on the gun crisis. Kristin Johnson, Oakland Get new pins You have to wonder if those craven, cynical, calculating Congress persons will leave their tiny assault rifle lapel pins off their jackets for a few days. Mary Minton, Sonoma Stereotypes run deep Regarding Ethnic studies classes made me less racist. Can they do the same for California high schoolers? (Opinion, SFChronicle.com, March 25): Reading this reminded me of an occurrence in my social studies classroom at Presidio Middle School in the late 80s that illustrates the need for ethnic studies even earlier than high school. The discussion involved Manifest Destiny when a bright eighth-grade girl declared that ethnicity-based unfairness seemed to be the norm, that there was nothing a Chinese kid, such as herself, could do about it in the near term and that for practical purposes, racism had to accepted and worked around if one wanted a modicum of success. The reality of the insidious and seamless inculcation of racism came when to make a point, she gestured toward a new kid in class who was one of the only blonde, white kids at Presidio, emphasizing, Yeah, but hes an American! It took the rest of the period to gently unpack with them the irony of the statement since I was fully aware that her family had been in San Francisco since the 19th century and that the new kid, unbeknownst to her, was a recent Russian immigrant who couldnt quite follow the discussion in English. Yet he was seen by his predominantly second- and third-generation Chinese classmates as being the real American. We have a lot of work to do yet if we aspire to equity and true equality, and long-overdue ethnic studies requirements in our public schools are an important component. Michael Bickford, Arcata, Humboldt County Cant work with new D.A. For the past 27 years, the Alameda County District Attorneys Office has published a manual, California Criminal Investigation, which explained the rules that law enforcement officers must follow in the course of their investigations. Its a complex field of constitutional and state law, and it covers all facets, including searches, seizures and interrogations. With over 600 pages, the manual is unique because it has no agenda other than to provide its readers with accurate information based on the published opinions of the California and federal appellate courts. As the writer and editor of the manual for 27 years and as an Alameda County prosecutor for the past 45 years, it was apparent that I could not work for the newly elected District Attorney Pamela Price. So, like many of my colleagues, I quit. Whats going to happen to California Criminal Investigation? Obviously, it cannot survive in the hands of any agenda-driven district attorney; especially one who believes that, generally speaking, officers and prosecutors are thugs and that we would all feel much safer if more criminals were roaming the streets instead of locked in prison. Its even more disturbing that the voters of Alameda County apparently agree with this. Mark Hutchins, Alameda This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Two antiabortion activists who posed as fetal researchers in order to enter national meetings of abortion providers and secretly record conversations will go to trial on criminal charges in San Francisco after the state Supreme Court rejected their latest appeal Wednesday. The state attorney generals office has charged David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt with violating a California law prohibiting the recording of private conversations without consent. The two claim they were acting as investigative journalists to expose alleged plots by abortion providers to sell fetal parts. A Superior Court trial is scheduled in July on nine felony charges against Daleiden and eight against Merritt. Daleiden heads an antiabortion group called the Center for Medical Progress, and Merritt is an employee there. Identifying themselves as researchers for Biomax Procurement Services, a nonexistent company, they gained access to conventions of the National Abortion Federation in San Francisco in 2014 and in Baltimore in 2015, as well as to meetings of Planned Parenthood around that time. After they posted videos of their discussions, which Planned Parenthood said had been heavily edited, both the abortion federation and Planned Parenthood said their members were subjected to harassment and death threats. Some states cited the videos when they cut off money to Planned Parenthood. In a separate case, a federal court jury in San Francisco awarded more than $2 million in damages to Planned Parenthood in 2019 in a suit accusing Daleiden, Merritt and their colleagues of fraud, clandestine recording and violating nondisclosure agreements the two had signed before entering the meetings. A federal appeals court upheld most of the damages last October. Their lawyers say Daleiden and Merritt will appeal to the Supreme Court. One issue in the criminal case is whether Daleiden and Merritt were protected by an exemption in state law that allows secret recordings to gather evidence about a violent felony a term the two activists claimed would apply to fetal research by the abortion groups. Superior Court Judge Christopher Hite refused to dismiss the charges on those grounds in 2019 but said a jury could decide whether the two reasonably believed a violent crime was being planned. The defendants also argued that the conversations they recorded were at lunch gatherings and other meetings that could have been overheard by others. But Hite said prosecutors had presented enough evidence to allow a future jury to decide whether discussions with eight abortion providers were confidential. Daleiden and Merritt are also charged with conspiring to violate the confidentiality law. Another judge, yet to be named, will preside over the trial, Brentford Ferreira, a lawyer for Daleiden, said Wednesday. In a filing with the state Supreme Court last month seeking to dismiss the charges, Ferreira said the secretly recorded conversations had all taken place in crowded, open areas and within earshot of other people. He said multiple attorneys had advised Daleiden that it was legal to record public conversations in public spaces with other people in California surreptitiously where other people can overhear. The filing cited a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June that overturned the convictions of two Alabama physicians for illegally prescribing opioids because the jury had not been asked to determine whether the two believed they were acting without authorization. Because the defendants were authorized to dispense potentially dangerous drugs classified as controlled substances, Justice Stephen Breyer wrote for the court, prosecutors must prove that they knowingly or intentionally acted in an unauthorized manner. In recording the conversations, Ferreira wrote, Daleiden and Merritt believed that they were simply exercising their First Amendment rights. The states high court denied review without comment Wednesday, allowing the trial to proceed. The case is Daleiden v. Superior Court, S278761. Witthaya Prasongsin, Contributor / Getty Images A Bay Area woman who was a federal agent when she testified at a forced-labor case has pleaded guilty to concealing her sexual relationship with another prosecution witness, a falsehood that, when revealed, led to dismissal of the case against a man who had already spent nearly three years in prison. Melissa Saurwein, 44, of Martinez pleaded guilty Wednesday to a felony charge of making a false statement to a prosecutor in the case. The charge is punishable by up to five years in prison, but the sentence could be affected by Saurweins plea agreement with prosecutors, which has been signed but not publicly disclosed. Sentencing is scheduled June 28 before U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria of San Francisco. SACRAMENTO Gavin Newsom has been working to raise his national profile for months with attacks on prominent Republican politicians across the country. Now, his efforts have an official campaign name and a political action committee for fundraising. The Democratic governor of California announced the effort Thursday with a flashy website featuring videos of him walking with supporters in Sacramento for his inauguration and posing with Vice President Kamala Harris and President Biden. The website also features photos of the Republicans he frequently rants about on Twitter and in speeches: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, former President Donald Trump, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Newsoms new campaign is sure to stoke speculation hell run for president someday, though hes repeatedly insisted he has sub-zero interest in doing so. As part of this new public effort, Newsom plans to travel with his family on a listening tour through red states this weekend and early next week, his spokesperson Nathan Click said. In Arkansas, hell meet with students fighting against attacks by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on wokeness. In Alabama, hell meet with author and criminal justice reform advocate Bryan Stevenson. And in Mississippi, hell meet with other activists fighting for liberal causes. In the meantime, his new website encourages people to sign up for email updates, register to volunteer and give money. Hes calling it the Campaign for Democracy. The problem in our country right now? Authoritarian leaders who are so hell-bent on gaining power and keeping it, by whatever means necessary, that theyre directly attacking our freedoms, Newsom says in a video launching the campaign. Were going to these states and investing in people and organizations where theyre fighting back. Hes seeding this effort with $10 million in leftover funds from his gubernatorial reelection campaign, Click said. His whole point is we need to go into the places where Democrats are on defense, Click said. Its part of what hes been doing for the last year. Now hes just putting his money where his mouth is. Its not the first time Newsom has used his campaign cash to troll Republicans. Last year, Newsom ran ads antagonizing DeSantis in Florida and Abbott in Texas. For months, Newsom has sought to co-opt conservative talking points about freedom, arguing Democrats are the real advocates for freedom with their policies fortifying abortion rights, restricting guns and expanding health care. Newsom is launching the PAC as he starts his second four-year term as governor, during which hes already dealing with massive problems in his home state, including persistent homelessness, a housing shortage and devastating flooding. The executive director of San Joses police union has been arrested and charged with trying to illegally import opioid drugs including the deadly narcotic fentanyl and distribute them for more than seven years, federal prosecutors announced. In the course of a stunning investigation, federal agents found that Joanne Marian Segovia, executive director of the San Jose Police Officers Association, allegedly had at least 61 shipments delivered to her home between October 2015 and January 2023 in packages with such labels as wedding party favors, food supplement and gift makeup. Investigators began focusing on Segovia late last year as they looked into a network shipping synthetic opioids from India to the Bay Area, and they found references to the police union president on a network operatives smartphone. Segovia tried to blame the drug activity on her housekeeper, records show. But within weeks, officials say, agents discovered messages in which Segovia had mixed police and drug business. Sorry, i had 50 new officers starting today so if Ive been tied up all morning, Segovia allegedly wrote to an associate on June 14, 2021. Ill be back on the office within an hour and Ill take care of all of it! Any news on the soma?? Soma is a trade name for carisoprodol, a prescription muscle relaxant that is often sold illicitly and abused. Im so sorry, im on a business trip because we had 2 officers that got shot! Segovia wrote on May 2, 2022, according to the government. I should be home tomorrow night so ill get them shipped as soon as i can. The allegations were made in an affidavit submitted Monday by David Vargas, a special agent for Homeland Security Investigation, that underpins charges made public Wednesday by the Department of Justice. Segovia stands accused of trying to illegally import synthetic opioid drugs and distribute them for more than seven years. Segovia, 64, has led the staff of the police union since July 2003. She is a civilian office manager who supervises two employees. As of Thursday morning, her name and profile did not appear on the staff page of the associations website, though she is listed on the board of directors in a brochure for the organizations charitable foundation. Attempts to reach her were unsuccessful. From July 2019 to January 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers intercepted and opened five parcels sent to her home address and disguised with generic labels, finding they contained thousands of narcotic pills, including the synthetic opioids Tramadol and Tapentadol. Dozens of drug shipments mailed to her San Jose home over the seven-year period originated from various countries, including Hong Kong, Hungary, India and Singapore. In my training and experience, such a large number of parcels, from such a diverse array of foreign countries, and with labels like these, are often indicative of illicit drug shipments, Vargas wrote in the affadavit. Tom Saggau, spokesperson for the Police Officers Association, said the union learned about the case Friday and was fully and completely cooperating with the federal authorities as they continue their investigation. No one at the POA is involved or had prior knowledge of the alleged acts, Saggau said in a statement. The POA immediately placed the civilian employee on leave as is standard procedure and cut off all access to the POA. Federal investigators questioned Segovia in February, when she reportedly told them she wouldnt even know where to start when it came to shipping illicit drugs, and then again last month. On March 14, Vargas wrote in his affidavit, Segovia blamed the drug shipments on her housekeeper, saying, It all leads to her. Segovia allegedly told agents she didnt want to throw the woman to the wolves, but wanted to be honest. Investigators believe this was an attempt to frame the woman. A day earlier, a package from China turned up in Kentucky, addressed to Segovia and containing the synthetic opioid valeryl fentanyl, authorities said. Prosecutors also said that in 2021, Segovia sent one drug supplier a photo of a shipment that used the account of the police union an indication that she had used her office there to distribute the drugs. The use of a San Jose Police Officers Association shipping label, Vargas wrote, indicates that Segovia used her office as part of her purchasing and distribution of controlled Substances. Vargas wrote, In June 2021 an image was sent from Segovias account depicting an HP computer monitor that showed a PayPal receipt in the amount of $999.99, sent to an entity with an apparent Indian name. Several items are visible in the area in front of the monitor, including a San Jose Police Officers Association letter opener with a business card containing Segovias name and notes containing apparent POA-related codes. Segovia was scheduled to appear in federal court Friday. Doom loop (noun) A scenario in which one negative development causes another negative development, which then makes the first problem worse. A vicious cycle. This is how San Francisco could die: Interconnected forces trap the city in economic free fall: Workers remain primarily remote; office space sits empty; businesses shutter; mass transit is sharply reduced or even bankrupt, making it even harder for low- and middle-wage workers who enable restaurants and small businesses to operate, causing major budget shortfalls from declining tax revenue that imperil numerous city services, trigger mass layoffs of city workers and shred the social safety net, all of which causes more people to leave. San Francisco officials and business groups acknowledge the possibility of a doom-loop scenario, as some economists call it, and agree that the city will struggle through an indefinite transition period. But they are optimistic the city as it has after previous downturns will bounce back to resemble what it was before 2020. Whats SFNext SFNext is a Chronicle special project to involve city residents in finding solutions to some of San Franciscos most pressing problems. Send feedback, ideas and suggestions to sfnext@SFChronicle.com Where to find more SFNext content Others argue that this amounts to magical thinking and a major re-imagining of the city is needed. Though many American cities are struggling in the wake of COVID, San Francisco is perhaps in the greatest peril of them all. The city is heavily reliant on technology and other knowledge industries that lend themselves to remote work, and there is little evidence that employees will return to offices more than two or three days a week. Those offices dominate the urban core, which has few people living there, keeping downtown a hollowed-out shell and less appealing to people who dont need to work there. Meanwhile, a shortage of affordable housing, sky-high commercial real-estate prices and political polarization persist. Public safety and tourism also would be affected by cuts to policing. The homelessness crisis would worsen. SFNext: Fixing Our City podcast: San Franciscos impending doom loop And perhaps the ultimate threat: The possibility of a return to 1960s-70s mass migration from cities to the suburbs. Its sort of ground zero for remote works impacts, Arpit Gupta, an associate professor of finance at New York University who co-authored a widely read doom loop paper last year, told The Chronicle during a recent San Francisco visit. Theres a little bit of desolation in the air, so it definitely seems a little bit apocalyptic to me. Significant doom loops have caused fiscal crises in other cities in previous decades, such as New York and Detroit. What should San Francisco do? Some believe current conditions present an opportunity to re-imagine the city. For example, rather than thinking about downtown San Francisco as simply the central business district for the region, I think we can be thinking about it as the central social district for the region, said Alicia John-Baptiste, CEO of urban planning think tank SPUR. I think its important for us to start to articulate a really proactive vision for the identity of San Francisco. To date, city leadership has yet to pass any major legislation to support significant changes to transform the city. Ted Egan, the citys chief economist, believes that the likeliest scenario is that the forces of market capitalism will right the ship. Ideas such as office-to-housing conversions, for example, cant be done quickly or at a big enough scale to make a difference, he has argued. We need an element of modesty here, he said. In San Francisco, theres a tradition of grand ambitions. And I think we need, rather than promoting a grand vision, we should let nature take its course while not going off the rails. Here is a primer on the threats, how they might play out, and what the city might do to mitigate them: Remote work Fueled by the tech boom, downtown San Francisco became the nations most expensive office market. Office work, concentrated downtown, accounted for more than 75% of the citys GDP and the area generated 95% of the citys business tax revenue in 2021. Now it is the emptiest market in the nation. The office vacancy rate soared to a record high 29.4% this month, nearly eight times the 3.7% vacancy rate at the end of 2019, according to preliminary data from real estate brokerage CBRE. San Franciscos measure of the available space to lease or sublease had by far the highest percentage jump in the nation during the pandemic. Office occupancy, the percentage of workers actually in the office on a given day, has consistently been among the lowest in the country, and was about 43% by late March, according to data about buildings managed by security firm Kastle. The absence of office workers hurts more than just corporate office landlords. When theyre downtown, theyre buying goods and services, Gupta said. Theyre getting a haircut, theyre going for lunch, theyre going for happy hour after work. Case in point: After 32 years, Alexander Books on Second Street said last week it is closing because foot traffic is only around 45% of pre-pandemic levels, largely due to the absence of office workers and tourists. If there had been a different mix of the type of office workers down here, it would have been different, said co-owner and co-founder Michael Stuppin, a San Francisco native. The citys changed. No one knows when the office market will rebound, nor what types of tenants might replace tech firms that are continuing to downsize. And now the city is facing a flood of property tax appeals, in which landlords seek to lower their annual bills. If successful, City Hall could see a direct hit to one of its most lucrative tax sources, imperiling the budget and the mayor and supervisors spending priorities for the entire city. The San Francisco Controllers Office estimated last November that the city could lose nearly $200 million per year in property taxes by 2028 in a worst-case scenario where office vacancy remains high a 35% plunge in office property tax revenue. Overall, the city is forecasting a $728 million deficit over the next two fiscal years and as much as a $1.2 billion annual deficit by 2028. That could mean a lot of cuts to city services. Theyre not forecasting a recession, but theyre forecasting a slowdown and weakness in property tax, said Egan. Felix Uribe/Special to The Chronicle 2022 Egan said the likeliest scenario is that office rents eventually drop far enough to entice new companies to move downtown, rather than a worst-case doom loop outcome. But he has no estimate of how long that would take and how far prices could drop. Its also unclear what industries would step in to absorb office space. Real estate experts also cant say when vacancy will peak and a recovery will begin. Rents havent budged much despite the explosion in office vacancies, with asking rents down around 15% compared with 2019. Thats far less than the 70% plunge after the 2000 dot-com bust, according to CBRE. Rents are staying high in part because landlords dont want to devalue their buildings and many long-term leases have yet to expire. Some office landlords are offering concessions like free months of rent and paying for interior office tenant improvements as a way to lure firms without reducing the stated rent per month. Robert Sammons, senior research director at real estate brokerage Cushman & Wakefield, declined to predict when office vacancy will peak, but said he expects it to continue to go up at least through this year. CBRE projects the same. In the near term theres going to be pain. In the longer term, if the public and private sectors can come together, it can come back and come back strong, Sammons said. For all the office vacancies and tech downsizing, San Franciscos unemployment rate remains at historic lows, though it rose from 2% in December to 2.9% in February. Lots of vacant office space is much better than lots of unemployed people, Egan noted in a recent report. BARTs survival BART is the linchpin for downtown San Franciscos economic health, and its future is in jeopardy. There isnt a path to sort of reoccupying downtown without (public) transit, Egan said, referring to BART. San Francisco is one of the only employment centers on the West Coast that most people get to work by (public) transit. BART was designed to feed the citys economic core and has leaned heavily on fare revenue from those workers. The switch to remote work decimated ridership, which in January was about 40% of pre-pandemic levels systemwide and 28% for downtown exits. The transit services budget forecasts show an expected $300 million deficit by 2026. As a result, the coming years could see widespread layoffs and service cuts, including shuttered stations, long waits between trains at remaining stations during weekdays and an end to weekend service. Even those cuts wouldnt secure the agencys future and, worse, theyd likely deter riders, further hurting revenues. And its impact would be felt throughout the city. We believe it is reasonable to assume ridership losses would be almost immediate, said BART spokesperson Alicia Trost. From there, we would last as long as our reserves could carry us. If BART dies, or must cut back dramatically, commuters would be sorely challenged. Office attendance could fall further, as could excursions into the city by regional residents who help support city restaurants and retailers. Some people could resort to bus service or driving their cars to get downtown. But there arent enough streets and parking spaces to accommodate a pre-pandemic volume of drivers into the citys northeast, Egan said. Bay Bridge traffic is already near pre-pandemic levels, surpassing it at some times of the day, and gridlocked city streets have returned. BART officials are contemplating a regional ballot measure in 2026 to raise tax revenue and keep the agency alive even if pre-pandemic ridership never returns. But waning federal funds will put BART in dire financial straits before then, leaving its fate uncertain. Exodus Across the country, the pandemic turned population trend lines upside-down by spurring a shift from urban centers to suburbs. This is the first time the nations major metro areas registered an annual negative growth rate since at least 1990, according to an analysis by the Brookings Institution. In San Francisco, more than 7% of residents working in computer, engineering and science fields moved out of San Francisco from 2019 to 2021, U.S. census data shows. While thats a meaningful hit to the citys tax revenue, its not a threat to the citys tech industry, Egan said unlike if tech workers left the Bay Area, because then they couldnt return to downtown in the future and seed the areas revival. As of 2021, only about one-quarter of 1% of tech workers left the San Francisco metropolitan area, which includes Oakland and Berkeley. The sector has suffered substantial layoffs since last year, with signs those workforce reductions could last through this year. But San Franciscos recovery is also threatened by the flight of lower-wage workers. The city lost 55% of food-service workers from 2019 to 2021, 34% of service workers, 33% of people in sales and 26% of office administrative workers, to name a few. Many cannot afford to live in the city, while higher-cost commuting options are driving them to seek jobs closer to home. With the economy reopened, businesses are now struggling to find workers to wait tables, manage offices and do other jobs that are essential for small and medium-size businesses. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle For all the recent downsizing and fears of a mass outmigration of companies due to remote work, high taxes and safety concerns, there have been no examples of major companies completely abandoning the Bay Area during the pandemic, and only a few significant departures in San Francisco, such as crypto firm Coinbase going fully remote. San Franciscos population loss also slowed during the second year of the pandemic, census data released this week shows. And there is no evidence that the citys infamously high tax rates are pushing businesses to move workers out of downtown, according to data through 2021, Egan said. Companies with the highest tax burdens werent disproportionately reducing their workforces compared to those with lower tax rates, he said. Everybody is having less payroll in San Francisco, irrespective of what happened to their taxes, he said. Its a sign that you shouldnt panic that the tax increases we introduced in 2018 and 2020 led to the increase of office vacancy were seeing now, because thats not what the data shows. Housing As the city struggles to come back to life, it will need to figure out how to draw workers back, and attract new ones. That means it must buck a long-term trend of producing homes that are too expensive for most people including service workers, police, firefighters and teachers in order to address hiring shortages, fight crime and teach children. For decades, San Francisco has produced less low-income housing than state agencies mandated. More than 22,000 housing units were built from 2015 to 2021, city records show, but only about 9% of units were affordable for two-person households earning up to $55,450. About one-quarter of San Francisco households earn up to that threshold, according to 2021 U.S. census data. The vast majority of the remaining housing built was market rate, generally for households earning at least $133,000 for a two-person household. The state has demanded that, from 2023 to 2031, San Francisco must build low-income housing at an annual rate greater than it has over the last two decades. Although they have softened, San Franciscos rents remain among the most expensive in the nation, although the city and San Jose are the only two U.S. regions where apartment rents remain below pre-pandemic levels, according to Apartment List. Other cities have seen price surges as people sought more space for working from home, alongside an influx of renters returning to the office part-time. That isnt happening as much in San Francisco. Before the pandemic, a lot of cities just sort of took an attitude towards their residents that they had no other choice, Gupta said. You have to live here, be it in San Francisco or New York or some other high-cost city. And that means you can kind of get away with offering those residents a poor quality of living. You can have very high house prices. You can have poor quality of governance. And people just dont have a choice. They have to stay there and live in the city. Whats changed now is that people do have a choice. For many, that choice is somewhere else. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle 2022 Silver linings? Overall, Egan sees three major upsides from remote work if the city and region can survive the transition period, and a potential easing of three of the Bay Areas biggest pre-pandemic challenges. Remote work has eliminated the citys shortage of office space, which was pricing out nonprofits and smaller firms, and making it hard for many companies to grow. It has also more widely distributed demand for housing, since people can work from home and accept longer commutes if they dont have to go in five days a week. And the burden on transit has lessened, reducing congestion in some areas, though the shift from mass transit to driving means Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge traffic resembles 2019, even as BART and Muni lag behind. Work from home is basically addressing indirectly the regions three biggest infrastructure constraints, Egan said. Looking out beyond 10 years, I think you have to be optimistic, assuming again you dont get into the doom loop scenarios. Once you do get to that office adjustment that positions the area for growth in a way that it wasnt positioned before. Not everyone shares his optimism. I think its a little bit of an open question whether and how youre going to get new tenants to come into that space ever, said Gupta. Its not so much that firms are paying lower prices for their office space, he said theyre simply giving it up. Its possible that the market has undergone such a fundamental shift that companies never want to come back, he said, especially with many tech startups now normalized to partial or full remote work. What firms look like five or 10 years from now is very uncertain, he said. The current boom in generative artificial intelligence driven by tools like OpenAIs ChatGPT, which can seemingly produce organic text, images and more, represents a leap forward both in what the technology can do and its potential to influence everything from the internet itself to the minds of the people who use it. The technology is having a moment, with the potential to overhaul millions of jobs while some experts are urging that it is accelerating too rapidly, although it has been in development in some form since World War II and the early days of the Cold War. But there are still far more questions than answers about what the rapidly evolving technology will mean for the lives of everyday people as it is already becoming ubiquitous in search tools and other applications. So we asked two experts in the field Rob Reich, associate director of the Stanford Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence institute, and Matt White, an AI researcher in the Bay Area about how the use of AI could play out for society, what it means for generations that will grow up with it, and much more. AI has been called the most powerful foundational technology ever to have existed. Accurate? I would restrict that to maybe the most powerful technology of the next decade, as opposed to the century or some other extended period of time, White said. Because, honestly, the internet was pretty powerful. The web was pretty powerful. And it changed a lot around the way we work and the way we live. So I would see AI being on the same level as those technologies. I would not necessarily agree with (former Google Chairman) Eric Schmidts characterization that its the most powerful or most important technology. Reich said. But if you agree, or even if youre a few degrees shy of agreeing, if its that significant, then democratizing access to it should sound like something to be worried about rather than something to celebrate. AI tools and technologies, theyre relatively cheap. Theyre often available in open access, open source modes, and (if you agree with Schmidt) it would be, to my mind, its akin to saying at the beginning of the nuclear age, what would it be like if everyone could play with plutonium and uranium? How will generative AI change education and how we learn to read and write? I think the consequence of this is that if people rely on machines to do their writing for them, then we face a generation that never learns how to write clearly or think clearly in the first place, Reich said. If youve already learned how to write, it might be a help, but for an eighth-grader, its a cheating machine that robs you of the ability to learn how to think and write well. An example is White himself, who is working on a book about generative AI and uses the software as an aid. I use ChatGPT to ideate or even to summarize my text, like, Rewrite this for me in a different way, White said. But the technology has the potential to change how future generations use the internet, White said. I call this search to chat, which is like you move off of Google and just looking and sorting through answers and spending so much time trying to find the answers youre looking for, as opposed to using generative AI to be able to ask a question and get a very deliberate answer. There are limits and complexities to that change, though. Right now, these large language models dont have citations, which is a big problem, White said. They should be able to tell you where theyve got that information from because of the way theyre trained and the way they learn. They cant do that. And so thats something that has to change, and that can be built into systems as these systems get perfected. Generative AI models are also prone to hallucinate by presenting inaccurate information as fact, another significant issue that needs to be worked out before the search to chat changeover can take place, White said. What are the best- and worst-case scenarios for generative AIs integration in everyday life? The most optimistic scenarios are that AI is like the equivalent of the Industrial Revolution, Reich said, creating exponential increases in productivity in the economy. It accelerates scientific breakthroughs, medical breakthroughs. It frees up human beings from having to do drudgery work, liberates people from unpleasant tasks and massively increases the size of the economy. White mostly agreed: The best scenario is one where we can enjoy life more and then not have to worry as much about work, create a more equal, balanced working life, while allowing the technology to help us learn better, help us enrich our experiences, that sort of thing. While the technologys role is unlikely to result in either of the most extreme situations both experts outlined, the worst-case scenario is unsettling. A pessimistic scenario is, inversely, this is an existential threat to humanity and that runaway AI that hasnt been harnessed to support human interests will turn out to subordinate humans to the machines own interests, the artificial machine intelligence. And its nothing short of an existential threat to the existence of humans, Reich said. Say you have an unconstrained machine that decides to make decisions about trading in the marketplace. It could create unbelievably adverse conditions for the market where no human being, as it were, could reel it back in because it was immunized from any human control if it was a genuinely autonomous decision-making machine, an autonomous system. White said the most significant misuse of the technology could come from the possibility that humans will not be able to discern what is a genuine image or video and what is AI generated, what he refers to as synthetics. One example is a photo-realistic picture of Pope Francis that recently circulated online and turned out to be created by an AI program. For example, that technology can be weaponized by Russia to create synthetic media that pushes their agenda, White said, adding, if nation-states have the tools to be able to create full synthetic video, now what happens is theres no truth in digital media. How will the technology affect jobs and the job market? One example is the software-programming industry itself. We have to ask ourselves in software development, Does it even make sense that were writing all of this code? White said. Why cant we just interact with machines and natural language? He envisioned a future in which a person can dictate to an AI model what they want their website to look like, and then you just sort of sit there and customize things. At least in the short term, its very complex to be able to go in and create an entire website and all of the nice features of the website and all of these things just by generating code through text, White said. But more remedial coding work could be supplanted by the technology. That means elite programmers will be in high demand. But I dont have to go and offshore a bunch of this development, because I can just do it here and automate a lot of the remedial type of development, White said. On a larger scale, that kind of job displacement could have unintended consequences, according to Reich. I think the very idea that companies that create AI technologies and that sell them in ways that are meant to automate labor or replace labor are not taking account of a wider dynamic that takes place when human beings are fundamentally insecure about their economic stability or well-being, he said. Thats a surefire recipe for political instability and populist revolts on the left and the right (and threats) to the stability of democratic institutions, Reich said. So its not merely a question of displacing labor. Its a shock to the political system how rapidly these technologies are changing the very nature of employment. And the same is true for education. Kuwait Ports Authority has launched the first phase of Shuwaikh Port Redevelopment Project being implemented at a cost of KD48.7 million ($160 million). South Korean builder Hyundai E&C and the Gulf Construction and Marine Works Company have been awarded the main contract for the project, which will be completed within the next three years. The scope of work includes redevelopment and rehabilitation of the 1.3-km-long docks of Shuwaikh port as well as the maintenance of the western docks and the suspended part of dock 8, reported Kuna. This would enable Shuwaikh Port to receive a great diversity of ships, increasing the number of ships throughout the year and positively reflecting on the movement of commercial goods exchange, said the report. The project is one of the authority's main projects that fall under the development plan for a New Kuwait 2035, it added. Romanias navy led multinational military drills in the Black Sea region Thursday that brought together U.S. and NATO troops as the 30-nation alliance looks to boost security on its southeastern flank amid Russias ongoing war in Ukraine. The sea and air exercises are part of a series of drills known as Sea Shield 2023 that involve some 3,400 military personnel from 12 NATO member countries and some partner nations. Romanias navy said Thursdays drills in the Mahmudia region of the Danube Delta, which flows into the Black Sea, would demonstrate how the combined forces would neutralize an enemy air landing in an area adjacent to such a waterway. More than 30 naval ships, 14 aircraft and 15 fast intervention boats and other patrol vessels are taking part in Sea Shield 2023, which started March 20 and runs until April 2. Anti-explosive divers have participated in drills, as have chemical, biological, and nuclear defense specialists. In response to Russias February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, NATO bolstered its presence on Europes eastern flank by sending additional multinational battlegroups to alliance members Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Slovakia. Romania, which joined NATO in 2004, has played an increasingly large role in the alliance throughout the war, including hosting a NATO meeting of foreign ministers in November. Last month, U.S. and French troops that are part of a NATO battlegroup in Romania held joint combat drills at the Black Sea training range in Capu Midia. The drills involved some 350 battlegroup troops who practiced firing live ammunition from a U.S.-made multiple rocket launcher. Ukraine's military has used the HIMARS system in the fight against Russia. Search Keywords: Short link: UPDATED FORECAST: April storm for the Bay Area? Heres what you need to know Residents in the Bay Area and across most of Northern California bore the brunt of yet another storm this week, with impacts ranging from small hail to damaging winds and power outages. This winter-like storm, known as an extratropical cyclone, reeled in some record-tying cold air to San Francisco that made it feel more like mid-January than March. Some of that cold air is still hanging over Northern California, even as the storm fizzles. California rain totals: Charts show dramatic effect of recent storms That lingering cold air will help raise patches of fog, mist and even isolated showers in remote corners of the Bay Area over the next couple of mornings, but the overall trend is calling for a steady return to warm, dry and sunny conditions by Thursday and Friday afternoons. As is the case with the regions microclimates, winters grip will loosen faster in some areas. Spring rollout Warm, dry air will trickle into some of the inland valleys in the North Bay, East Bay and South Bay this morning, coming into contact with leftover moisture from Wednesdays storm. Most of the moisture will fizzle, but some is looking to surface as fog and mist, particularly around the hillsides facing San Francisco Bay, the delta and the Pacific coast. Those pockets of moisture are still carrying bits of atmospheric energy from this past storm, and that energy will exhaust in the form of fog, mist or light showers. Weather models are mostly rendering patchy fog for Thursday morning, with most of it clearing out by 10 a.m. A few clouds will then likely hang along the coast, the bays and the delta as a weak northwest breeze sweeps into the Bay Area over the course of the day. This breeze wont pose any major wind impacts, but it will usher in some cold, moist air by the afternoon. Baron/Lynx This cold rush of air out of the northwest will keep daytime temperatures by the Pacific coast, including the west side of San Francisco, in the lower to mid-50s on Thursday afternoon, while temperatures along the bays and delta will also generally only make it up to the mid-50s. This afternoons sunshine will radiate over most of the region, helping to raise temperatures and keep the air just dry enough so shower activity is minimal. That said, a few pockets of showers will be possible in the Mayacamas Mountains in the North Bay and the Diablo Range, including some isolated snow showers around the Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton. Most will be short-lived and peter out by evening. All in all, the atmosphere will gradually warm in the coming days, helping to loosen winters grip and allow spring to take hold. Thursday breakdown San Francisco: A gentle breeze will blow into the west side of the city this morning, pulling in light mist and patches of fog on some of the hillsides around Mount Davidson and Diamond Heights. Most of the cloudy spots will clear out over the morning, though high clouds are forecast to linger this afternoon. Look for mostly sunny skies across the Sunset and Richmond districts, with temperatures rising to the mid-50s. As for residents east of Sutro Tower, a few upper 50s are on tap for the Mission and Castro by 2 p.m. Light, northwest winds will then spill into the city by midafternoon, keeping temperatures from rising past 60. Temperatures will drift back to the 40s overnight, with upper 40s on tap for wind-sheltered pockets around SoMa and the Haight-Ashbury. Pacific Coast and Peninsula: Patchy fog has a chance of filtering into Highway 92 between Half Moon Bay and San Mateo this morning, with light mist possible atop some of the hills across wide portions of the Peninsula. Most of it will clear out by 10 a.m., leaving behind mostly sunny skies along the coast. Residents along Highway 1 between Pacifica and Half Moon Bay can look forward to daytime highs in the lower 50s right before a light sea breeze rolls in after 2 p.m. and cools things down. A cool afternoon is also on tap for most of the San Bruno Gap, including Daly City, San Francisco International Airport and Millbrae. The natural barrier caused by west-facing hills in San Mateo County will help shield residents along the I-280 and 101 corridor south of Millbrae from the coolest air streaming from the Pacific Ocean. This means places like Redwood City, Atherton and Emerald Hills can expect slightly warmer temperatures in the upper 50s. After sunset, drier air overhead will allow nighttime lows to drop to the 40s, with lower 40s possible on the hillsides and upper 40s closer to the water. North Bay: Residents along the highlands of Napa and Sonoma counties may wake up to patchy fog. Be sure to watch for reduced visibility on parts of Highways 12, 128 and 121 around sunrise and to slow down and turn on your low beams when navigating thick fog. Most of it will clear out by 9 a.m., making way for a sunnier, more comfortable afternoon. Look for highs in the upper 50s to lower 60s across the Santa Rosa, Petaluma and Napa valleys, while a bay breeze keeps temperatures in the mid-50s in towns like Tiburon, San Rafael, Novato and Fairfield. After sunset, temperatures will drop to the mid-40s along the delta and bayside, while inland residents can expect nighttime temperatures closer to 40 degrees. East Bay: A few low clouds will stream over the hillsides of Oakland and Berkeley this morning, briefly settling as fog around Moraga and the Caldecott Tunnel. Most of it will clear out after 9 a.m., making way for sunshine across Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Temperatures will reach the 50s across the region, but a light bay breeze rolls in right around 2 p.m., keeping temperatures in the mid-50s along San Francisco Bay. This includes Oakland, Richmond, Hayward and most of the I-80 and I-880 corridors. The breeze will also make it to the delta, so that daytime highs also stay in the mid-50s around Concord and Pittsburg. Slightly warmer temperatures are on tap for residents in the San Ramon and Livermore valleys, where sunshine and a lack of bay and delta breezes will allow daytime temperatures to climb to the upper 50s to lower 60s in cities like Dublin and Walnut Creek. After sunset, temperatures across the region will fall to the 40s, with mid-40s slated for the bayside and delta while inland temperatures drop closer to 40. South Bay and Santa Cruz: A few patches of fog may develop along the Cupertino Hills and foothills of east San Jose this morning before quickly fizzling. The return of a high-pressure system will allow skies to clear and for sunshine to raise temperatures to the upper 50s and lower 60s across the Santa Clara Valley, Santa Cruz Mountains and the 101 corridor between Morgan Hill and Gilroy. After sunset, temperatures will drop to the 40s region-wide. Look for nighttime lows in the mid-40s by the bayside, including Milpitas and north San Jose, and the coastal towns in Santa Cruz County. Farther inland, temperatures are forecast to drop to the lower 40s. Catherine Sofianou is an inspiring entrepreneur, benefactor, and ambassador of the Greek diaspora. She believes that Egypt and Greece can capitalise on their shared past to build successful cooperation. Being a top leader in healthcare technologies and a renowned benefactor, Cairo-born Catherine Sofianou received many distinguished international awards for her contribution to the promotion of the Greek language and outstanding social initiatives. Sofianou, the ambassador of Hellenism Abroad of the Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa, was recently honoured at the Greek Women of the World event which was organised by the Hellenic National Commission for UNESCO and the Region of Western Greece, which took place at the Archaeological Museum of Patras, under the auspices of the General Secretariat of Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy. Sofianou has also received an Award for Exceptional Women of Excellence at the Women Economic Forum held in Cairo in 2020. The most important thing is just to bring joy to fellowmen. Nothing moves me more than the satisfaction that one feels when having the opportunity to offer to those in need, Sofianou said. The message I would like to send to the world is that all businessmen, especially those hosted in foreign countries, have the duty to offer help to those in need, either by educating children through scholarships or by supporting the elderly and the disabled fellow humans, she added. I really feel very lucky to have been born in Cairo, Egypt, where I had a wonderful childhood that left me with the best possible memories. Egypt is gorgeous and breath-taking, Sofianou said. I believe that the common past of Egypt and Greece for more than three and a half millennia provides all the necessary prerequisites for the successful cooperation between the two countries. Nowadays, the dynamism and determination of our leaders ensures further strengthening of our ties. Sofianou noted. The book Ena taxidi zois, or Life Journey, tells the true story of her ancestors who began their journey in Smyrna and around the First World War moved to Egypt, where they prospered. It continues of course with the biography of my parents and other siblings who in the 1960s moved to Greece. And finally, the book describes my life, relating how, together with my husband Pantelis Sofianos, I decided to invest in Romania at the beginning of the 1990s. Where I excelled, by Gods grace, and had the possibility to offer humanitarian aid to many people in need, and also to support cultural projects, she emphasised. My big dream is to see the children and grandchildren of all Egyptian-Greeks return to the Nile country which hosted our ancestors for many years, Sofianou said. As a vice-president and chairman of the Greek Chapter of the International Friends of Bibliotheca Alexandrina, I have done my best to support in various ways our beloved library, by enriching its collections, contributing to the organisation of congresses, and promoting it in Greece, especially among younger generations. Although nowadays I am just an honorary president of the Greek Chapter, I am committed to offer even more to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, she said. Regarding the ARGO humanitarian contribution award 2022 that was presented by the President of Greece Katerina Sakellaropoulou, sofianou said that the ARGO Humanitarian Award is considered the culmination of the numerous distinctions she has been honoured to receive over the past 20 years. Sofianou has dedicated the award to her husband and her children, George and Angeliki Polymnia, who have supported her and offered her the energy and strength to do so much in business, as well as in her philanthropic work. She stressed she will continue the humanitarian work unhesitatingly for the rest of her life. Referring to the latest technologies in the medical field, Sofianou emphasised that technology has been constantly and rapidly evolving and plays a vital role in the medical field. Our group has been opening new roads for the healthcare systems in our region with our digital and robotic technologies for almost three decades now, and we see an increasing appetite for adoption from healthcare providers. She said that the technologies which allow a collaborative approach between healthcare professionals so that they can offer integrated services to patients are the current trends in the field. We believe that telemedicine, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, gene-editing tools, and patient wearables are reimaging our health outcomes, while adding new dimensions to the holistic approach of future treatments, she said. My advice to young entrepreneurs is to set ambitious goals and to really believe in them. Work very hard in order to achieve these goals, she concluded. Search Keywords: Short link: Screenshot via Google A 33-year-old city of San Jose employee was arrested last week on suspicion of sexually assaulting multiple minors, San Jose police said. A minor filed a report with the police on March 21, saying they had been sexually assaulted by Gilberto Nevarez. The suspect was then booked into Santa Clara County Jail on March 22. The FBI is offering a $40,000 reward for information regarding a missing 29-year-old woman from San Mateo who went missing in Tepatitlan, Jalisco, Mexico, last year. Monica de Leon Barba, a United States citizen, was kidnapped on Nov. 29, 2022, while walking home with her dog, the FBI said in a Thursday news release. The FBIs San Francisco Field Office told SFGATE that she had been spending most of her time in Mexico since June 2022. De Leon Barba is 5-foot-7, weighs 240 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes, according to the FBIs kidnapping poster. A Facebook group with more than 1,000 members titled Help Us Find Monica De Leon includes family and community members who have shared flyers and posts spreading awareness about the incident. Since the time of my sisters' kidnapping we have all seen the news of multiple US Citizens that have been robbed of their freedom while traveling in Mexico, wrote Gustavo De Leon in a post Thursday in the Facebook group, after the FBI announced its reward offer. We cannot allow this to be the status quo and I will not allow my sister to become another statistic of cowardice and inaction in politics. This comes after several other U.S. citizens were kidnapped in Mexico in recent months, according to the FBI. Maria del Carmen Lopez, a 63-year-old woman, was likely kidnapped in Pueblo Nuevo, Colima, on Feb. 9; on March 3, four U.S. citizens were kidnapped in Matamoros in the state of Tamaulipas, just over the border from Texas, the FBI said. The State Department has a Do Not Travel advisory in place for both Colima and Tamaulipas and a Reconsider Travel warning for Jalisco due to crime and kidnapping. Individuals with information to share about de Leon Barbas location should contact their local FBI office, American embassy or consulate, or submit a tip. The tip line is 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). Tips can also be submitted online at tips.fbi.gov. A woman unintentionally spent the night in Death Valley National Park after her travel group reported her missing. The 61-year-old woman from Austin, Texas, was headed to Badwater Basin to capture photos of the stars, according to a news release. She left her group to retrieve something from the parking lot. When she didnt return, the group drove to Furnace Creek to call 911. Park rangers were dispatched at 2:30 a.m. and traveled on foot, according to officials. They also flashed bright vehicle lights in hopes the missing photographer would spot the parking lot, according to Henry Hungerland, an eyewitness, who recounted the event on Facebook. A common thread in many cases of lost hikers is that they started out with a group and then separated from their group. We dont get many calls for lost solo hikers, Abby Wines, management analyst at Death Valley National Park, told SFGATE. People following a friend or family member on a route may not be paying as much attention to their surroundings. Additional park employees began to assist with the search at daybreak. Park rangers also requested help from a California Highway Patrol helicopter, but the woman was found before the helicopter arrived. The woman was spotted about 2 miles past the Badwater Basin parking lot, according to Hungerlands post. Badwater Basin is the perfect location to take photos at night at 283 feet below sea level. But its also located in Death Valley National Park, an internationally recognized Dark Sky Park. Once the woman realized she could not see landmarks in the dark, she waited till the sun rose to walk to a main road just north of Badwater Basin, and hitchhiked back to the parking lot, arriving at about 8:20 a.m., the statement said. I definitely wouldnt describe getting lost as common It happens occasionally. We get calls for separated hikers once or twice a month, but most of the time, they get resolved quickly, Wines told SFGATE. So, tip: If youre hiking as part of a group, stay together. Be prepared: Anyone who sends me a note on the first day of April complimenting my monthly Off Ramp column will get an all-expenses-paid, two-week Hawaiian vacation. Actually, that wont happen at all. It would merely be an April Fools joke. I hope none of you stopped reading after the first sentence to start packing. That would simply prove how cruel April Fools can be. Lifes tough enough; we dont need a made-up holiday to make it even harder. Connecticut has plenty of April foolishness on its own without adding to it. A quarter-century ago, one nasty April Fools joke was foisted on us not by a clever prankster, but by Mother Nature herself. On April 1, 1997, parts of Connecticut were buried under more than two feet of snow. It was a daytime nightmare. Thousands of us had already stored away our snowblowers and our bags of ice melt, believing we were in the clear, weather-wise. Well, as the saying goes, theres a sucker born every minute. Which reminds me of another early-April anecdote, this one involving the guy who is said to have coined that phrase, Phineas T. Barnum. The famous showman of Barnum & Bailey Circus fame ran for mayor of Bridgeport on the promise of improving the water supply, installing gas lighting on city streets, and enforcing all liquor and prostitution laws. His moralism was initially applauded, but after he won the election just as April 1875 got underway, the joke was on his Bridgeport constituents. Barnum was far too severe and aggressive for most people in town, and his tenure in office was widely condemned. He didnt want to be a sucker, so he decided against running for a second term. This just proves that its best for politicians to avoid tempting fate by jumping on the April Fools bandwagon. A member of Gov. Dannel Malloys administration didnt heed that advice. On April 1, 2012, he posted a tweet claiming an elected official had been rushed to the hospital following a serious car accident. But it wasnt true, and the ruse didnt go well at all. He had to issue a public apology. To my credit, April Fools jokes of my own making never required an apology though one came close. My eldest daughter Celia attended the University of Connecticut. She had her own car for a portion of her undergraduate career, during which she made it her job to park in the wrong spots on campus. Years later she was married and living with her husband and children in Wethersfield. One day she received an email from what was listed as the UConn Campus Student Parking Authority informing her that she owed $4,566 in unpaid parking tickets, and that if she failed to comply, her license would be suspended. That wasnt an attractive option for a mother whose three active kids had clubs, practices and games to be driven to every day. Of course, there is no UConn Campus Student Parking Authority. But the email looked real enough. Celia was flabbergasted, angry and nervous. Thankfully, she called me right away to vent, and I was able to tell her of my April Fools joke sooner rather than later. See Im not a foolish dad. Curiously, no one knows with any certainty when, where or how April Fools Day got its start. There are many theories, but no decisive proof. The only thing thats sure is the fact that Connecticut residents love April Fools as much as anyone else. Plenty of people have already shared their hoaxes with me. Feel free to share yours. Whoever sends one in that I select to mention in a future column will be given a prize. No, not a Hawaiian vacation, but a congratulatory email from the Connecticut Association of Highly Appreciative Column Writers. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BERLIN (AP) After schmoozing with Berlin's political elite in the morning, King Charles III headed to the German countryside for a down-to-earth afternoon visit at an organic farm, where Britain's monarch helped make an orange-colored cheese with a crown imprint. We heard that the king is a great lover of cheese, said Katja von Maltzan, who with her husband runs the Brodowin farm 80 kilometers (50 miles) northeast of Germany's capital. We took that as an opportunity to make our own creation for him," the farmer told German news agency dpa. The Brodowin King is a Tilsiter-style cheese infused with carrot juice to give it "a little sweetness and an orange color, like British cheddar, she said. Charles' visit underlined his interest and commitment to environmental causes. His three-day visit to Germany his first foreign trip as Britains monarch also included a reception dedicated to building a more sustainable world. During the reception at German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier's Bellevue Palace, he met government ministers, experts and advocacy group representatives. He and Camilla, the queen consort, arrived in Berlin on Wednesday. Brodowin farm was established in 1991 on land that used to be part of an East German agricultural cooperative. The 2,300-hectare (5,683-acre) farm produces vegetables, dairy products, flax and sunflower oil, fresh meat and sausages according to strict organic standards. Almost all of its electricity is generated on-site through a solar energy system. At Brodowin farm, the British king met with young farming trainees and went on a tour of the property, which has 160 dairy cows, 300 dairy goats and 1,800 hens. Von Maltzan and her husband walked Charles through the entire cheese-making process. Due to torrential rain, the king skipped a visit to the cowshed and sought shelter in the farm's dairy, where he filled cheese mixture into a mold and smoothed it out. We were sort of stuck in the dairy," von Maltzan told dpa. "But that gave us the opportunity to talk to the king a bit, which might not have been so possible otherwise. The farmers plan to produce a total of about 150 round loaves of the royal cheese which will have to ripen for six to eight weeks before they are ready to eat and sell. Von Maltzan said it was an honor that the king has chosen to come to Brodowin on his first state visit and also a statement for organic farming and sustainability. Charles, 74, who ascended the throne after the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September, is set to be crowned during a May 6 coronation ceremony at London's Westminster Abbey. At Brodowin farm, he got a first taste of the experience when the farms pastry chef offered him a piece of a white chocolate cake with sugar icing gems and raspberries on top that was shaped like the crown he will wear on coronation day. The king also talked shop with the employees and asked very informed questions about organic farming, Leonie Schierning, the executive assistant of the farm told dpa. We talked about cow manure and how good it is for the soil, she added. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) New Mexicos special academy for training workers in the film and television industry is a step closer to fruition, with top state officials announcing Wednesday that it will be headquartered in Albuquerque. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and others gathered at the Albuquerque Rail Yards to announce that the location will serve as the primary hub for the New Mexico Media Academy. There also will be a satellite campus in Las Cruces to serve the southern part of the state. Lawmakers in 2022 approved $40 million for the effort, and numerous post-secondary institutions that offer film and media programs have agreed on the core curriculum for students. State officials said the goal is to meet the increasing need for trained professionals for an industry that generated $1.5 billion in direct film production spending over the past two fiscal years. They say the industry supports an estimated 8,000 jobs statewide and that a record 109 productions were filmed in New Mexico last year. Those productions included AMCs Better Call Saul and Netflixs Stranger Things. Filmmaker Chad Burris has been named as the academys executive director. An attorney and member of the Chickasaw Nation, Burris production credits include Four Sheets to the Wind by Sterlin Harjo, Michael Winterbottoms Killer Inside Me, and most recently Billy Luthers feature Frybread Face and Me," which premiered at South by Southwest. Burris said in a statement that the academy represents an opportunity for New Mexico to produce talent and content on a scale never imagined. I look forward making this a hub for all local talent and a launch pad for new ideas, he said. Once completed, the academy will offer hands-on and craft-specific training. Virtual and extended reality production will be among the focuses. Central New Mexico Community College will co-locate at the Rail Yards with the academy. Local voters approved $7 million for the college to expand its film training program, and funding will go toward designing and constructing the program at the Rail Yards. New Mexico State University and Dona Ana Community College are partners in the southern New Mexico campus. The goal is to admit 1,000 students annually, with Netflix, NBCUniversal and 828 Productions working with the academy and offering paid apprenticeships to students. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate LONDON (AP) A London judge said Thursday he would rule as soon as possible on whether to throw out or limit a phone hacking lawsuit brought by Prince Harry, Elton John and other well-known figures against a British tabloid publisher. The Duke of Sussex made a late arrival and early departure for the finale of a four-day High Court hearing on his invasion of privacy case against the company that publishes The Daily Mail. His surprise appearance during three days of the legal wrangling indicates the lawsuits importance in the princes broader battle against the British press. Harry, John, and actresses Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost are among a group of seven people suing Associated Newspapers Ltd. for allegedly paying private investigators to illegally bug homes and cars and to record phone conversations. The publisher denied the allegations and has argued that lawsuits based on alleged incidents dating as far back as 1993 should be thrown out because the cases were not filed within a six-year limitation period. Attorney David Sherborne, who represents Harry and the other famous claimants, argued that the deadline for filing the lawsuits should be extended because the alleged snooping was covert and the publisher concealed evidence of it through denials likely to lead the claimants off the scent. The claimants said they were unaware of phone hacking done for Associated Newspapers until private investigators, including Gavin Burrows, came forward in the last couple of years to disclose the covert work they allegedly did. Burrows, who said in a 2021 witness statement that he came forward to do the right thing and help the people he targeted, has since issued another sworn statement saying he had not been commissioned by Associated Newspapers to do unlawful work. In his earlier admission, however, he described how much he charged for different jobs and how Harry, John and his husband, David Furnish, and Hurley and Frost were just a small handful of my targets. He said he must have done hundreds of jobs" between 2000 and 2005 for a Mail on Sunday journalist whose name is redacted. In one section cited by Sherborne, Burrows described tapping Hurley's home phone, hacking her voicemail and digging up travel and medical details on her when she was pregnant. Burrows said that John didn't have a mobile phone but he got a lot of information about the singer from Hurley's phone because she was close friends with him, and through the phone of John's gardener. I hacked, tapped and bugged Liz a number of times, Burrows said in his earlier statement. "She (like Hugh Grant) was a huge earner for me. I could get an itemized phone bill for Liz and Hugh and sell each one for 5,000 pounds (about $6,185), much more than the average price on my menu." Until she read Burrows statement, Hurley did not know who had been the source of the information about her, Sherborne said. "Thats the trigger. Thats when the scales fall from her eyes, Sherborne said. Attorney Adrian Beltrami said the claims had been brought far too late and should be tossed out. He argued that a national scandal on phone hacking by journalists at other papers a decade ago could have inspired the claimants to look into articles written about them and file their lawsuits alleging wrongdoing within the time limits. Justice Matthew Nicklin said there was a difference between applying time limits to discovery of the alleged unlawful information gathering and the articles that resulted from some of those acts. "Its clear what the claimants are not entitled to pursue because of limitation, Nicklin said. But what they are entitled to pursue is slightly more nuanced than simply striking out reference to the articles. Attorney Steven Heffer, who is not involved in the case, said the defense is unlikely to prevail at this stage if they concealed the unlawful activity. Other newspaper groups emphatically denied phone hacking or any unlawful information gathering, but have had to pay millions in damages and costs, Heffer said. The publisher is also seeking to have evidence of payments to investigators barred from being used by claimants because it was protected by confidentiality rules when it was turned over by the publisher to a government inquiry into media law breaking. Sherborne argued the evidence is in the public domain. Attorney Michael Gardner, who also is not involved in the litigation, said Harry and the other claimants face an uphill battle on several fronts. First, the events in question took place so long ago that they may now be statute barred, Gardner said. Secondly, the evidence they are relying on includes material that may be inadmissible. Thirdly, a key witness in the case appears to have signed two completely contradictory statements. MADRID (AP) Spains ruling Socialist party said Thursday it will study toughening legislation covering surrogate pregnancies following the revelation that a 68-year-old popular Spanish television celebrity used a surrogate mother in Miami to have a baby. Actress and presenter Ana Obregon grabbed the attention of the Spanish media and the country's political parties Wednesday when the socialite magazine Hola! published a front-page photograph of her with a baby in arms, announcing she was the mother of a baby girl born by a surrogate mother. Surrogate pregnancies are banned in Spain, although children from such pregnancies can be registered. The news immediately triggered criticism from the leftist coalition government headed by the Socialists. Equality Minister Irene Montero of the leftist United We Can coalition partner said surrogate pregnancies were a form of violence against women while Socialist Treasury Minister Maria Jesus Montero described the practice as exploitation of a woman's body. The topic of surrogate pregnancies hasn't been an issue in Spain for quite some time, but it may turn out to be given this is an election year. Signaling it could be, the main opposition conservative Popular Party surprised many by announcing that it was open to debate legalizing such pregnancies if there's no payment involved. Socialist party parliament spokesman Patxi Lopez said legislation must be tweaked to prevent such cases. We must turn around what we have at the moment to prevent anybody going or wanting to go abroad to seek ways of hiring a woman to have children and this must not allow them to be able on arriving in Spain register their children in total normalcy like absolutely nothing had happened, Lopez said. The fact that it concerned Obregon seemed to generate as much controversy as the issue of surrogacy itself. Obregon, a biologist and once best known for her yearly start-of-summer magazine photo shoot in a new bikini, posted a message on her Instagram feed Wednesday saying, A light full of love has shone on my darkness. I will never be alone again. Spanish media highlighted the fact that the former actress, who appeared in an episode of the A-Team television series, had recently lost a son to cancer. DENVER -- Theres a lot more to Girl Scouts than cookies. Theres outdoor adventure, STEM projects, robotics, producing podcasts and building lasting friendships. And now theres also DreamLab. Girl Scouts of Colorado held a grand opening this month for a first-of-its-kind concept that will be a model for Girl Scouts across the country. The 4,000-square-foot center in Denvers Lowry neighborhood is a showcase for the organizations programs and a gathering place for Scout troops, employees and families and girls who want to learn more about Scouts. About 1,000 people turned out for the opening March 12, which coincided with the 111th anniversary of Girl Scouts. The location in the growing residential and shopping area along Quebec Street was picked because of its high visibility and diverse population, said Girl Scouts of Colorado CEO Leanna Clark. About 17% of our membership is within 10 miles of DreamLab and we have access to 80,000 girls who are Girl Scouts age who are not Girl Scouts, Clark said. So, it lets us serve our current membership as well as have access to potential members. In addition, the diversity index in the neighborhood is higher than the national average, Clark said. That gives us more access to building our membership with communities of color, which is important to us. Enhancing current members experience as well as boosting the organizations visibility are drivers behind the DreamLab concept, said Anne Smith, Girl Scouts USAs senior vice president of property strategy. The DreamLab has a bouldering wall, a podcast production booth, a boutique, a big lab space, a faux fire pit encircled by logs to sit on and a tent to practice camping skills. There are workstations, a conference room and smaller breakout rooms for Girl Scout employees. Denver is the site of the inaugural DreamLab in part because Smith lives in Denver and because Girl Scouts of Colorado was looking at developing some kind of center for all the states members. I said, We should talk because Ive been working on something at (Girl Scouts of America) that I think would fit really well,' Smith said. The stars just sort of aligned. The national organization paid for the design, development and research and contributed money toward building the center. Smith declined to say what the project cost. Throughout the process, the organization talked to Girl Scout staffers, volunteers and Scouts across the country. The feedback was incorporated into the design and activities. The name DreamLab was the girls overwhelming No. 1 choice. We love that because I still think, sometimes consciously, sometimes subconsciously, girls are told they shouldnt dream quite as big, temper your dreams a little bit. We completely disagree with that. We want girls to dream as big as possible, Clark said. Matilda Johnson, 10, a Junior Girl Scout from Denver, and Jillian Ingle, 13, a Cadette from Broomfield, said theyre looking forward to spending time at DreamLab. Both are interested in STEM projects. Matilda said the open space with a big countertop would have been good for her troops recent cooking activities. Im also looking forward to podcasting. Thats not something I would normally be able to do, Jillian said. I think it will be really nice to meet other troops and see what they do and maybe learn from them, Matilda said. Amanda Johnson, Matildas mother and a troop leader, is looking forward to being able to meet in a space designed specifically for Girl Scouts. The troop meets in a church and each time she hauls everything she needs in a wagon. She called it her pop-up Girl Scout meeting. Michelle Ingle, Jillians mother and a troop leader, said the friendships the girls make in Scouts are important. She said she still has friends from her Scouting days. Smith said DreamLabs will open soon in New Jersey and Louisiana. Another five Girl Scout councils are looking for locations. Members of the Girl Scouts of Nebraska visited Denver recently to see Colorados center. Clark said the Colorado council is still kicking the tires, working out some of the kinks to sort through managing the DreamLab. People will be able to reserve time to use the various spaces and hold troop meetings. The Scouts plan to sponsor community events at a nearby park. Were looking at doing a family fun day one weekend a month where we invite not just Girl Scouts or girls but families with all of their kids to come in and do special programming. We want to be a part of this community, Clark said. 2023 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at denverpost.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The Bruce Museum in Greenwich recently completed an expansion, and to celebrate its opening, the museum will hold its inaugural show by a single artist in the space, with the exhibit, Lois Dodd: Natural Order. On display from April 2 through May 28, the exhibit is one of eight that constitutes the grand opening of the new Bruce Museum. The largest survey of Dodds career to date, Lois Dodd: Natural Order is organized thematically and focuses on the subject matter that preoccupied Dodd across her career, including pastoral landscapes, woods, flowers, nudes, winterscapes, nocturnes, urban views and, of course, the window pictures for which she is most famous, said Margarita Karasoulas, curator of art at the Bruce Museum. Originally from Montclair, N.J., Dodd enrolled at The Cooper Union in the late '40s, to study art and textile design. In 1952 she served as one of five founding members of the legendary Tanager Gallery, among the first artist-run cooperative galleries in New York. Dodd is known for engaging with traditions of realism and abstraction in the 20th century a blending that makes her work so unique and consistently paints from life and from direct observation. In Karasoulas' opinion, Dodds paintings reward close looking, and she believes visitors will come away with a better understanding of the deeply personal nature of Dodds artistic vision. They reveal the extraordinary in the ordinary and, in many ways, evoke the passage of time, Karasoulas said. For some visitors, the exhibition will provide an introduction to Dodds work, and for those more familiar with Dodds career, it will provide a unique opportunity to see the artists early and most recent work in dialogue. Lois Dodd: Natural Order is an expanded version of a recent show at the Hall Art Foundation. The Bruce Museums exhibition is much larger, and it includes institutional loans from the Portland Museum of Art, Farnsworth Art Museum, and Colby College Museum of Art in Maine. It also includes work from private collections that show the great range and breadth of Dodds art. In all, the show will include nearly 80 paintings spanning the entirety of Dodds artistic production, from her earliest work dating to the mid-1950s to examples produced as recently as 2021. The show is accompanied by a richly illustrated catalogue with an essay by Barry Schwabsky and texts transcribed from interviews conducted with the artist. Choosing to feature Dodds work was an easy one for the museum to make. Dodds enduring interest in nature and commitment to painting outdoors en plein air is very much in keeping with the Bruce Museums own collection and institutional origins, which felt appropriate for our reopening, Karasoulas said. We also felt this exhibition was timely and long overdue for the artist, who spent much of her career living and working in New Yorks Lower East Side. The Bruce Museums public program on April 17 at 6 p.m., will provide a unique opportunity to see Dodd in dialogue with Faye Hirsch, associate professor and MFA chair at the School of Art + Design in Purchase College, for an in-depth conversation about the exhibition and the artists career. For more details about the talk or the exhibit, www.brucemuseum.org. Egypt and the European Union signed a grant agreement worth 40 million euros to enhance food security efforts in Egypt, implemented by the Italian Agency of Development Cooperation (IADC), a statement by the Ministry of International Cooperation said on Thursday. The IADC will work with the Ministry of Agriculture to support wheat and grain production by increasing access to certified seeds and agricultural mechanisation, valued at 25 million euros. Cooperating with the Ministry of Supply, the IADC will build field silos and complete an information control system for the movement of wheat, with a value of 15 million euros. The grant is part of the "European Union's support for food security in Egypt" programme grant of 100 million euros. Projects related to the remaining amount are being agreed upon. The grant comes in light of efforts made by Egypt through development cooperation with multilateral and bilateral development partners to face food security challenges as a result of the Russian-Ukrainian war, stimulate climate resilience and increase strategic grain storage capacities, Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat said. The agreement also includes support for breeding programmes and the production of high-yielding varieties of strategic crops, as well as support for agricultural mechanisation and enhancing the flexibility of food security. The development cooperation portfolio between Egypt and the EU amounts to about 1.3 billion euros, with projects funded through European financing mechanisms including bilateral and regional cooperation and blended finance mechanisms. Search Keywords: Short link: DALLAS -- Millions of years ago, Tyrannosaurus rex stalked the earth, chowing down on whatever it wanted. A replica of the prehistoric predator, named Rexy, greets visitors at the new Frisco Public Library in Texas. Standing at over 20 feet tall, Rexy lifts the past off the page and shows how libraries can bring unseen worlds to life. The perfect fit When the Frisco Public Library planned its move to a former rocket factory, director Shelley Holley knew she wanted to take advantage of the buildings tall ceilings. She envisioned an educational, attention-grabbing display at the entrance to the childrens area. She looked up a list of the most popular childrens nonfiction books and reading subjects. Dinosaurs ranked high. The T. rex was chosen because of its height, making the most of the high ceilings. The dinosaurs name, Rexy, was chosen by a public vote on the librarys website. Rexy was just the perfect fit, Holley said. She works with the building, she is a topic of great interest to a lot of people and shes touchable. Created by Artisan Industry in Tennessee, Rexy was brought to Frisco in parts. Once she arrived, she was assembled in a few days. Rexys vertebrae are strung together on a hollow, S-shaped steel rod that runs from the base of her neck to the end of her tail. Her feet have a thick coating, so kids can walk and sit on them. Next to Rexy, rocks with seats allow kids to read to her and dinosaur footprints throughout the library floor cause rumbling sounds when stepped on. Prehistoric predators T. rexes grew up to 40 feet long and 10 to 12 feet tall measured from the ground to above their hips, according to Ron Tykoski, vice president of science at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science. The replica at the Frisco Public Library is larger than a typical T. rex would have been. She is kind of oversized, but you know, this is Texas, Holley said. What do you do? Scientists have found T. rex fossils in the northern United States in Montana and Wyoming, and in Southern Canada. Some T. rex fossils have also been found in West Texas, including part of a hind leg at Big Bend National Park. T. rex dinosaurs are known for having large heads and amusingly small arms. Since they relied heavily on their heads and necks to grab and chomp on prey, Tykoski suspects they may have evolved to use their arms less over time. Theres no reason expending energy to grow big, long arms with big heavy claws that are never being used, he said. The T. rex replica at the Frisco library isnt anatomically correct, Tykoski said, but he doesnt see that as the point. It represents a topic kids enjoy and will hopefully draw them in. If it gets kids in there and they grab books and start reading, its done its job, he said. Holley has a favorite spot in the library where she can watch visitors set eyes on Rexy for the first time. A few mornings ago, she walked into the building and saw a mom with a little girl round the corner. As they came face to face with Rexy, the little girl opened her mouth and said, Rawr! It wasnt scary, Holley said. It was an oh, wow kind of sound. Its exactly the reaction she was hoping for. ____ Adithi Ramakrishnan is a science reporting fellow at The Dallas Morning News. Her fellowship is supported by the University of Texas at Dallas. The News makes all editorial decisions. ____ 2023 The Dallas Morning News. Visit dallasnews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. TAMPA, Fla. -- The Disney movie Ruby Bridges, which tells the tale of a 6-year-old who integrated New Orleans schools in the 1960s, has been a staple of Pinellas County Black History Month lessons for years. It never caused a stir until this year, as parents across Florida exert increased powers to question what children can see and read in schools. A North Shore Elementary parent who would not allow her child to watch the film in early March later complained that it wasnt appropriate for second graders. In a formal challenge dated March 6, Emily Conklin wrote that the use of racial slurs and scenes of white people threatening Ruby as she entered a school might result in students learning that white people hate Black people. Pinellas school officials responded by removing the movie from use by all students at the St. Petersburg school until a review committee can assess it a step that is drawing strong opposition A countywide group that represents the interests of Black children in Pinellas public schools has sent an open letter to the community questioning why one parents complaint resulted in actions that affect all families at the school. Many from historically marginalized communities are asking whether this so-called integrated education system in Pinellas County can even serve the diverse community fairly and equitably, wrote Ric Davis, president of Concerned Organization for Quality Education for Black Students. The group has been active for years, often working with school district officials and at times battling them in court. The controversy follows a heated dispute earlier this year over the banning of Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye from all district high schools after one parent complained about a two-page rape scene. District officials cited new state law and a rule telling them to err on the side of caution when considering whether books should be used in classrooms and libraries. The states guidelines, which some have called vague, have led to book challenges and bans by the dozens throughout Florida. The (Pinellas) districts leadership appears to fear the potential consequences of not acting in the way they have on these two decisions, Davis wrote in the open letter. This approach to challenging times in education in our state raises serious questions about Superintendent (Kevin) Hendricks leadership. Davis acknowledged the political climate in Florida has educators second-guessing themselves about what materials to use in classes. Lawmakers have made clear that they dont want books, movies or lessons about race to create student discomfort, though they also have said they want facts presented honestly. The scenes depicted in Ruby Bridges, released in 1998, are historically accurate, Davis said, adding that the truth will not change because someone doesnt like it. At the highest level of decision-making in the district, they have to have more sensitivity to the diversity of the community they serve, and not overreact because one white person objected to something, he said, quickly adding that they should not overreact to a Black persons objection either. At the end of the day, were one total community and we have to figure out how we work together to make decisions that serve everyone. Enrollment in Pinellas district schools is 51% white, 20% Hispanic, 19% Black and 4% Asian, according to state enrollment records. The remaining 6% are students of Native American or Pacific Islander descent or are classified as belonging to two or more races. North Shore Elementary is about 57% white, 24% Black and 12% Hispanic. Former St. Petersburg police chief and deputy mayor Goliath Davis first raised the issue of the films removal in a March 19 column in the Weekly Challenger. He too criticized the districts action, calling it a ban, and contended that the policy allowing for such decisions needs more clarity. He noted that a single complaint can lead to a book or movie being removed pending review, yet the policy sets forth no time frame for considering the challenge and rendering a decision. In the case of The Bluest Eye, he said, that has meant censoring the novel for months. If the decision ultimately is to keep the material, Davis said, then look at the damage that has been done. Davis also questioned the validity of the challenge. Conklin, development director for the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg, has asked for Ruby Bridges to be removed from the districts list of approved films for elementary schools. She did not respond to calls and emails seeking comment. Think about it. A 6-year-old girl (Ruby Bridges) can go to school every day with armed guards, but second graders cant learn about it? Davis said. It doesnt make any sense. School board member Eileen Long has complained about the districts attempts to remove The Bluest Eye and Ruby Bridges, and has asked for a list of other materials that might have been pulled during the year. She said shes getting few answers. I agree with Dr. (Ric) Davis, she said. Were going backward. The Florida Freedom to Read Project also has its eye on the district. Local parent Raegan Miller, a leader in the statewide organization, offered support for getting Ruby Bridges back into full circulation. It is distressing to me that one parent has, again, been able to have a resource removed from our schools when the vast majority of parents consented to their children seeing the film, Miller said. The district has not yet scheduled times to review either Ruby Bridges or The Bluest Eye. 2023 Tampa Bay Times. Visit at tampabay.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Jason Kempin/Getty Images for RH RH, the luxury furniture brand formerly known as Restoration Hardware, laid off approximately 440 workers last week. The Corte Madera-based company conducted the layoffs as part of a restructuring effort that included "the elimination of numerous leadership and other positions throughout the organization," according to a recent Securities and Exchange Commission filing. The filing states that reductions to the company's workforce were needed in order to upgrade its organizational structure and "streamline" aspects of its business operations. Currently Reading Alert: Donald Trump's lawyers say they will vigorously fight indictment against him in hush money case BOSTON (AP) A baby sitter who sexually abused two children she was supposed to be caring for, produced videos and images of the abuse that she then shared with another person, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison, federal prosecutors said. Nichole Cyr, 27, of Fall River, was also sentenced Wednesday in federal court in Boston to five years of probation, the U.S. attorney's office in Boston said in a statement. Forty-one municipalities are being awarded state grants for the repair and maintenance of neglected burial grounds and cemeteries, Gov. Ned Lamont announced Thursday. Cemeteries are sacred places, and maintaining them is essential out of respect for the dead and preserving our local heritage, Lamont said. Particularly here in Connecticut, we have some of the oldest and most historic cemeteries in the nation. These state grants will provide municipalities with financial support to ensure that the deceased are remembered in a respectful manner. The grants are for $5,000 apiece and will be released under Connecticuts Neglected Cemetery Account Grant Program. The program is funded through the state Department of Public Health from the issuance of death certificates and is intended to help provide basic maintenance, groundskeeping and the repair and restoration of memorial stones. The fund was established in 2014. That year, a case emerged at the Old Byram Cemetery in Greenwich that brought the issue of abandoned cemeteries into stark relief. The cemetery had been neglected for much of its history, but in 2014 the grounds were damaged by nearby home renovation project. According to an article in CT Explored by deputy state historic preservation officer Catherine Labadia, construction equipment was stored on site on top of the unmarked graves of African Americans and Native Americans. The area near the cemetery was cut back for terracing. The town issued a stop-work order and descendants of those interred at the site sued to stop construction. A settlement was reached requiring that the old Black cemetery be memorialized. That cemetery is now maintained by volunteers. The Byram Cemetery is just one of 5,000 graveyards across the state. Many graveyards are neglected or improperly cared for. In 2018, about 130 graves in the Park Cemetery in Bridgeport were found to have been vandalized. Fragments of coffins and human remains were found scattered at the cemetery. The former manager was arrested and in 2020, charged with embezzlement. Many other cemeteries are simply abandoned. The state Department of Public Health approves new cemeteries, but no government agency is responsible for the management of cemetery maintenance. Of all the battles Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has picked in his various culture wars, none looms larger than the one against Disney. DeSantis has turned his fight into a calling card, even as some Republicans have expressed discomfort with the government going after private businesses over their political views. And we just learned that Disney has ratcheted up the battle - with implications for the 2024 presidential race. In a previously unpublicized move from last month, the Walt Disney Co. sought to preempt a DeSantis-led takeover of its special tax district by passing restrictive new covenants that appear to neuter DeSantis's (R) new handpicked board. The move could reverberate during DeSantis's expected 2024 presidential campaign. DeSantis declared a month ago, "Today the corporate kingdom finally comes to an end" and "There's a new sheriff in town." But it looks as if he'll have to engage in a legal battle to back his boasts. And already, the discovery of Disney's new gambit is leading to charges that DeSantis's move was mostly for show. DeSantis initially tried to revoke Disney's special tax status altogether last year, following the corporation's opposition to the Florida education bill dubbed "Don't Say Gay." He was ultimately forced to back off that when it proved impractical. But this year he engineered what was billed as a takeover of the board that oversees Disney's development - formerly known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District. The board is now made up of five members appointed by the governor. Some at the time suggested that Disney was conceding defeat to the governor, appearing to give the would-be GOP 2024 nominee a major victory. Yet it turns out that the day before the Florida House voted to give DeSantis the power to install the new board, the previous board quietly passed new covenants. New board members says those covenants substantially hamstring the board's ability to do much of anything. "This essentially makes Disney the government," new board member Ron Peri told the Orlando Sentinel. "This board loses, for practical purposes, the majority of its ability to do anything beyond maintain the roads and maintain basic infrastructure." The logical question from there is why are we just finding out about this. Despite the lack of publicity about the move, it was done in a public meeting held the day before a key vote, and the documents were posted by the Orange County comptroller on Feb. 9. And experts say it was foreseeable that Disney would try to do something like this. A DeSantis spokesperson late Wednesday said that "DeSantis always thinks 10 steps ahead," but other comments from the governor's team suggest it is still trying to figure out what this means and how to fight it. "An initial review suggests these agreements may have significant legal infirmities that would render the contracts void as a matter of law," DeSantis spokeswoman Taryn Fenske said in a statement. "We are pleased the new governor-appointed board retained multiple financial and legal firms to conduct audits and investigate Disney's past behavior." The key words there would seem to be "initial review" - the covenants, after all, were passed nearly two months ago. In addition, the governor's office merely says the covenants "may have" legal holes in them, suggesting the governor's team isn't yet convinced of that. (DeSantis's office didn't answer a question about when it became aware of the situation.) Another board member seemed to hint at a possible legal strategy, calling the covenants "a subversion of the will of the voters and the legislature and the governor." "It completely circumvents the authority of this board to govern," Brian Aungst Jr. told the Sentinel. University of Florida law professor Danaya Wright said it would be difficult to argue that the covenants are invalid, given how common such covenants are and that Disney can say it had an interest in protecting itself from adverse actions by the incoming board. The will of the voters could also be understood as the existing laws that allowed it to pass such covenants in the first place, she said. Beyond that, Wright said, "really the only thing left to argue is that there is some kind of fraud, intent to defraud or bad motive here." DeSantis has a big decision to make about how hard to fight this. The move clearly undermines a major policy action and signature political issue. Should DeSantis fight it and lose, it would be another blow for an effort he has already been forced to pull back on. One of the few declared Republican 2024 candidates, Vivek Ramaswamy, hit DeSantis on Wednesday by suggesting the news indicates his Disney campaign was mostly a public-relations effort. "Here's what happens when a career politician meets a woke corporation: they strike a deal & both sides win," Ramaswamy said in a tweet. "The politician gets to do a press conference & the company gets to do exactly what it wants." Other potential 2024 hopefuls have suggested DeSantis's moves against Disney run afoul of the party's traditionally conservative, small-government approach to private business. "The idea of going after [Disney's] taxing authority - that was beyond the scope of what I as a conservative, a limited-government Republican, would be prepared to do," former vice president Mike Pence said last month. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) has said that it "isn't very conservative" to be "penalizing your business because they disagree with you politically." DeSantis initially claimed that the effort wasn't about retaliation against Disney but rather his opposition to such special tax statuses. But he has at other times pointed to Disney's political moves, labeling it a "woke" company. The reignition of his showdown with Disney also comes as multiple polls have shown DeSantis losing ground to former president Donald Trump. A Fox News poll released late Wednesday showed Trump expanding his 15-point lead from last month to 30 points. In addition to that headache, DeSantis is now faced with making good on his major claims to having brought Disney to heel. Narcan, a prescription nasal spray that reverses opioid overdoses, can now be sold over the counter, the Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday, authorizing a move long-sought by public health officials and treatment experts, who hope wider availability of the medicine will reduce the nations alarmingly high drug fatality rates. By late summer, over-the-counter Narcan, could be for sale in big-box chains, vending machines, supermarkets, convenience stores, gas stations and even online retailers. The commissioner of the FDA, Dr. Robert M. Califf, said in a statement that the over-the-counter authorization was meant to address a dire public health need. Todays approval of OTC naloxone nasal spray will help improve access to naloxone, increase the number of locations where its available and help reduce opioid overdose deaths throughout the country. We encourage the manufacturer to make accessibility to the product a priority by making it available as soon as possible and at an affordable price. Narcan is a nasal spray version of the drug naloxone, which blocks an opioids effect on the brain. As the overdose crisis has worsened, with more than 100,000 drug-related deaths in the United States for each of the last two years, millions of doses have been administered by outreach workers, health care providers and emergency responders. But for people who use drugs, as well as for their friends and relatives, ready access to the prescription medication has been elusive. Naloxone access laws in every state allow pharmacists to have a standing prescription so they can dispense Narcan or a generic brand to anyone who requests it. But many pharmacies choose not to do so, preferring not to engage customers around illicit drug use, especially without a doctors oversight. Of the nearly 17 million naloxone doses distributed in 2021, only 2.64 million were from pharmacies, according to a recent report. Though over-the-counter status will in theory make it far easier to obtain Narcan, the cost of the medicine could be a deterrent. Currently, a two-dose pack of prescription Narcan is often free to people covered by Medicaid or private insurance, or has a copay of less than $10. But public and private insurance programs do not cover most over-the-counter medicines. Whether an exception will be made for Narcan could take months to resolve. This month, a big-box pharmacy in Manhattan was charging $98 for the two-dose box of prescription Narcan to customers without insurance. Another pharmacy chain in New Jersey charged $73. The company that makes Narcan, Emergent BioSolutions has declined to disclose the price it plans for an over-the-counter version of Narcan, while the FDA was reviewing its over-the-counter application. On Wednesday morning the company did not mention a price in a statement released after the FDAs announcement. We are dedicated to improving public health and assisting those working hard to end the opioid crisis so now with leaders across government, retail and advocacy groups, we must work together to continue increasing access and availability, as well as educate the public on the risks of opioid overdoses and the value of being prepared with Narcan to help save a life, said Robert G. Kramer, the CEO of Emergent BioSolutions, which manufactures the nasal spray. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Shelly L. Carter was pushing her son in a stroller one day when they came across a fire truck. Like many kids, he was ecstatic about the truck, and though Carter didn't want to interrupt their work, a firefighter encouraged them to come over. They spoke for more than an hour and the firefighter explained how the department was looking for women to apply. "I can't do this," Carter thought to herself. "I'm a girly girl. This is hard work." But Carter applied and joined the Hartford Fire Department in July 1999. After more than two decades of service, the Hartford native is now New England's first Black female fire chief. Hired in December 2022 as the chief of the Southbury Training Center Fire Department, Carter was honored Wednesday by Gov. Ned Lamont in a pinning ceremony at the state Capitol. "It's an honor, but most importantly, it is my responsibility and my duty to mentor, to be an example and to be that leader that other folks, not just in Connecticut, but of course in New England look up to," she said in a phone call Thursday. Carter was with the Hartford Fire Department for more than 20 years, during which she was one of the city department's first female engine drivers. She retired as the captain of Engine 10 in 2021 and then joined the Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security in May 2021 as the operations and training manager for the state, she said. Before becoming a firefighter, Carter thought she wanted to be a news anchor. She went to school for communications and held several jobs before considering firefighting. Carter said she took the police and fire tests and decided whichever she scored higher on would be her career path. "The fire service kind of chose me," she said. The fire department helps protect the staff, clients and families at the Southbury Training Center, a state-run facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities. As the chief, Carter is hoping to update and expand fire protection and safety measures for people with disabilities across the state. This includes ensuring group homes and state-owned facilities are up to code and local fire marshals have the resources to keep vulnerable residents safe. The mother of five mentors other women in the field about managing their careers and home lives. "I'm a huge advocate for women in the fire services, and that's simply because I was told no so many times," Carter said, adding that it's important for her to encourage women who are working in the fire service or who also might be interested in the career. "It's hard sometimes being female and being that mom and wanting to be that leader," she continued. "It's important for me to have the conversation with ladies, not just about being firefighters, because it's a whole different mindset in the firehouse when you're working as the only female or female in leadership to all men." But she also tries to be there for anyone who needs her, not just women. "I couldn't be here without my amazing brothers and those who rooted for me," she said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON (AP) The horse is symbolic of the American West, but when and how domesticated horses first reached the region has long been a matter of historical debate. A new analysis of horse bones gathered from museums across the Great Plains and northern Rockies has revealed that horses were present in the grasslands by the early 1600s, earlier than many written histories suggest. The timing is significant because it matches up with the oral histories of multiple Indigenous groups that recount their peoples had horses of Spanish descent before Europeans physically arrived in their homelands, perhaps through trading networks. The study, published Thursday in the journal Science, involved more than 80 co-authors including archaeologists and geneticists, as well as historians and scientists from the Lakota, Comanche and Pawnee nations. Prior genetic research has shown that the ancestors of horses first evolved in North America millions of years ago, before making their way to the central plains of Europe and Asia, where they were domesticated. But those early horse ancestors disappeared from the American archaeological record around 6,000 years ago. In the new study, scientists examined about two dozen sets of horse remains from sites ranging from New Mexico to Idaho to Kansas to establish that horses were ridden and raised by Indigenous groups by the early 1600s. Almost every aspect of the human-horse relationship is manifest in the skeleton in some way, said University of Colorado at Boulder archaeologist William Taylor, a study author. The study found that the horses were present in the American West and Southwest several decades before the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 when allied Indigenous groups pushed Spanish colonizers out of New Mexico. The retreating armies left behind thousands of horses and livestock, and many historical accounts had inaccurately pinpointed this moment as the entrance of the horse into the cultures of Indigenous groups in North America. Now we can wave goodbye to the Pueblo Revolt as an explanation for the spread of the horse into the American West, said Oxford University archaeologist Peter Mitchell, who was not involved in the study. But Indigenous groups have long disputed this chronology, as the oral histories of many groups have told of them encountering horses before they met Europeans. Rather than receiving horses directly from retreating Spanish armies, multiple oral histories suggest that Indigenous groups first encountered horses that had run away from Spanish camps, or been traded through tribal networks, said Jimmy Arterberry, a study author and Comanche tribal member and historian in Medicine Park, Oklahoma. We have always known and said that we came across horses before we came across the Spanish, he said. Yvette Running Horse Collin, a study author who is an evolutionary geneticist at the Center for Anthropobiology and Genomics of Toulouse in France and a member of the Oglala Lakota Nation, said the findings show that the oral traditions of Indigenous peoples, which have often been neglected by outside historians, have unique value to understanding the past. Our cultures have been so misrepresented for so long, she said. Too often history has been told around us, without us. The ambitious research collaboration, which was initiated by Lakota scholars, is one step in repairing a longstanding mistrust between Indigenous groups and archaeologists, who in the early and mid- 20th century raided tombs and ceremonial sites for cultural artifacts without consent. The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 which established a process for museums and other institutions that receive federal funds to collaborate with tribes in returning stolen sacred objects was a key early step in establishing some measure of trust and communication, said Carlton Shield Chief Gover, a study author who is a citizen of the Pawnee Nation and an Indiana University archaeologist. Hopefully seeing new research like this will push more Indigenous people to develop their own archaeological and anthropological expertise, he said. The study also showed that, over time, the genetics of horses in North America switched from being primarily of Spanish origin to a mixture of British and Spanish, reflecting the ascent of different empires. It means that the shift from a Spanish to a British dominant colonial power can be seen even in the horse genome itself, said Ludovic Orlando, a study author who is an evolutionary geneticist at the Center for Anthropobiology and Genomics of Toulouse. ___ Follow Christina Larson on Twitter at: @larsonchristina ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni's mercurial son declared on Thursday that his country would send troops to defend Moscow if it came under threat. "Call me a 'Putinist' if you will, but we, Uganda shall send soldiers to defend Moscow if it's ever threatened by the Imperialists!" Muhoozi Kainerugaba said on Twitter. Call me a 'Putinist' if you will, but we, Uganda shall send soldiers to defend Moscow if it's ever threatened by the Imperialists! Muhoozi Kainerugaba (@mkainerugaba) March 30, 2023 "The West is wasting its time with its useless pro-Ukraine propaganda," added the outspoken general, a fervent supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin. In Africa, we only believe in President Putin when it comes to Eastern Europe. The West is wasting its time with its useless pro-Ukraine propaganda. Russia, China, Africa, India, South America shall win in Ukraine. 75% of humanity shall win against 15%. Muhoozi Kainerugaba (@mkainerugaba) March 30, 2023 Kainerugaba, who is notorious for his often erratic Twitter outbursts on all manner of issues, earlier this month announced that he plans to run for president in the 2026 elections. He also announced Thursday the creation of a television and radio station under his MK brand, headed by a former special forces spokesman, and said one of the first places it would visit would be Russia. As a serving military officer, Kainerugaba is banned under Uganda's constitution from making unauthorized statements about sovereign states or foreign policy. Uganda has abstained during UN votes on the conflict, including one last month marking the one-anniversary of the war that called for Moscow to immediately and unconditionally withdraw its troops. Museveni has also in the past defended his country's ties with the Kremlin. "How can we be against somebody who has never harmed us," he said during a tour of Africa by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in July last year to drum up support for Moscow over the war. Russia has traditionally strong ties with Africa after lending support to independence movements on the continent that fought to oust colonial rulers. Observers have long believed that Kainerugaba was being groomed to succeed his 78-year-old father, who has ruled Uganda since 1986. Some of his Twitter tirades have however caused foreign policy problems for Uganda. Following a row last year over a tweet threatening to invade Kenya, Museveni had sought to rein in his wayward son by telling him to stay off Twitter when it comes to affairs of state. Search Keywords: Short link: CHICAGO (AP) A Cook County jury awarded nearly $5 million Wednesday to the family of an 84-year-old retired teacher who was killed when a police cruiser crashed into a police van and careened into a car in which she was a passenger. The jury awarded $4.75 million to the estate of Verona Gunn and $180,000 to be divided among three other people in the car with her when the collision happened, for their physical injuries and emotional suffering, the plaintiffs' attorneys said in a statement. LOS ANGELES Mark Ridley-Thomas, one of Los Angeles Countys most prominent politicians, was found guilty Thursday of federal corruption charges related to special benefits his son received at the University of Southern California. The verdict, which jurors reached in their fifth day of deliberations, marks a devastating fall for a man who for more than 30 years was a power broker in L.A. politics and a vocal advocate for civil rights and racial justice. Ridley-Thomas, 68, now faces the possibility of years in federal prison and the permanent ouster from his seat on the L.A. City Council, from which he has been suspended for the last 17 months. The verdict is the most high-profile in a string of victories for a team of public corruption prosecutors in the U.S. attorneys office in Los Angeles. That team secured guilty pleas from two other L.A. City Council members and won the conviction of U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry in an illegal campaign contribution case. It has also unraveled a corruption scheme involving L.A.s Department of Water and Power and sent a wealthy and connected Beverly Hills developer to prison for bribery in a case involving leases with L.A. County government. Thursdays verdict also validates the work of FBI Special Agent Brian Adkins, a well-regarded public corruption specialist whose investigative steps were repeatedly attacked by Ridley-Thomas defense attorneys as they sought to sow doubt in jurors minds about the case presented to them. To convict Ridley-Thomas, prosecutors and the FBI pored over reams of emails, phone records and internal USC documents to stitch together a timeline of the lawmakers dealings with Marilyn Flynn, the former dean of USCs social work program. Prosecutors outlined a conspiracy that began around May 2017, when Ridley-Thomas son Sebastian Ridley-Thomas, then a member of the state Assembly, began expressing interest in attending USCs graduate social work program. In emails, Flynn expressed eagerness to enroll Sebastian, describing her plan to give him free tuition and saying she did the same for Karen Bass full scholarship for our funds. Prosecutors found the email about Bass, now L.A.s mayor, a brazen example of Flynns agenda using scholarships as a means to secure government contracts. Its not rocket science what Marilyn Flynn is looking for here, Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Greer Dotson told jurors in her closing argument last week. Bass was never charged, but as a member of Congress representing L.A. at the time, she had sponsored a bill that, if passed, would have expanded federal funding to social work schools. To show Ridley-Thomas role in the conspiracy, prosecutors weaved together months of emails, phone calls and other correspondence between Flynn and Ridley-Thomas, who was then a member of the L.A. County Board of Supervisors. The prosecutors pointed to a June 2017 meeting in which the pair discussed USCs requests for action on key issues before the board. Flynn later memorialized the meetings discussion in a confidential letter she had hand-delivered to the politicians office. To prosecutors, the letter was the blueprint for the conspiracy proof that Sebastians path at USC was discussed in the same breath as Flynns wish list for government business. A plan marked by winks and nods between Flynn and Ridley-Thomas turned to pushes and shoves in December 2017, prosecutors said. That month, a sexual harassment investigation into Sebastian Ridley-Thomas was launched by lawyers at the state Capitol. With scandal threatening to blight the Ridley-Thomas political machine, prosecutors argued that he leaned on Flynn and she in-turn moved quickly to supply Sebastian with extraordinary benefits. Among them were admission and a full scholarship before he had even finished his application; a part-time professors position; and later, the funneling of $100,000 through USC to a nonprofit run by the younger Ridley-Thomas. Through the duration of the alleged conspiracy, Ridley-Thomas voted on three agenda items before the Board of Supervisors that directly related to USCs social work program and were coveted by Flynn. Her verbal responses to these votes were among the most damning evidence against Ridley-Thomas. MRT is really trying to deliver here, said one email from Flynn to another USC colleague about a matter Ridley-Thomas later voted on. I met with the supervisor recently, Flynn told a colleague before another vote, adding, This is exactly what I had hoped would happen. Defense attorneys sought to chip away at prosecutors elaborate and detailed outline of the case, emphasizing that Sebastian Ridley-Thomas had resigned from the Assembly for legitimate health reasons. The first witness for the defense was Sebastians physician, who vouched for his illnesses and said he recommended his patient find another career. Sebastian, they said, was also qualified in his own right to attend USC and receive a scholarship. Defense attorneys pointed out that he had been thrice elected to the state Assembly before the age of 30 and had sponsored dozens of bills in Sacramento making him a shoo-in for admission and a marquee student in USCs graduate program. Next, the defense team attempted to establish that there was no need for or upside to bribing Ridley-Thomas. They emphasized that the lawmakers longstanding and public support for the key votes in the case on a reentry center for those recently released from prison; a probation training program; and a remote mental health clinic all aligned with the politicians key policy goals. The defense wanted jurors to contemplate why anyone, let alone a social work dean, thought they had to offer bribes to accomplish these measures. Ridley-Thomas did not testify in his defense, and throughout the trial, he quietly watched testimony and occasionally gestured to dozens of supporters who filled the courtroom each day. As jury deliberations continued this week, he greeted and hugged friends and former staffers in the halls and cafeteria of the First Street U.S. Courthouse. Flynn, who was ousted as dean of USCs social work program in 2018, pleaded guilty in September to one count of bribery. She did not testify during Ridley-Thomas trial and is awaiting sentencing. CLAYTON, Mo. (AP) A St. Louis County man has been found not guilty in the deaths of five people who were shot at an apartment complex in 2019. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that a jury deliberated less than two hours Wednesday before acquitting 33-year-old Anthony Watkins of five counts of first-degree murder and five weapons charges. Eds: This story was supplied by The Conversation for AP customers. The Associated Press does not guarantee the content. Roy Whitaker, San Diego State University (THE CONVERSATION) The life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. have been the subject of ongoing debate ever since his assassination on April 4, 1968. Today, those invoking Kings memory range from Black Lives Matters organizers and President Joe Biden to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Educators trying to teach Black history call on his principles, even as their opponents claim that lessons about systemic racism go against Kings desire not to judge people by the color of their skin. In an age of polarization, it is worth remembering that one of the pillars of Kings philosophy was pluralism: the idea of multiple communities engaging one another, acknowledging their differences and shared bonds, and striving to create what King called a Beloved Community. As an African American philosopher who studies comparative religion, I am especially interested in what role religious pluralism played in Kings fight for civil rights in the United States of America and human liberation around the world. A chorus of faiths Kings worldview was deeply nurtured by his experiences in the Black Church, where the Bibles stories of freedom and oppression are central. The Book of Exodus, for example, tells the story of Hebrew slaves seeking deliverance, and the message has been a frequent theme in Black hymns and preaching for centuries. In the Book of Amos, the prophet cries out, Let justice roll down like waters which is a line King famously quoted in his I Have a Dream speech. Building off the work of other pioneering Black Christians, King embracedinterfaith leadership. His mentor Howard Thurman, who founded the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples, traveled to India to meet with activist Mahatma Gandhi, who was Hindu. Gandhis approach to nonviolent protest was also influential for Mordecai Johnson, president of Howard University, whose sermon on the subject after a trip to India in 1949 profoundly shaped Kings religious philosophy. The religious diversity of Kings coalitions was evident in events like the 1965 March on Selma, where some participants were severely beaten by police on Bloody Sunday. Marchers came from a chorus of faiths that included priests and nuns, Episcopal seminarian, high-profile Unitarian Universalists like James Reeb, who was murdered days later, as well as Jewish leaders like Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. Complementing his Black Church upbringing, King was inspired by wisdom across continents and cultures, from the Greek classics and Gandhi to Buddhist leaders like Thich Nhat Hanh. Despite their differing dogmas, he hoped leaders from across the religious spectrum and those of no particular faith would join efforts to promote economic and racial justice and stand against imperialism. The great world house When King used the word pluralism, he assumed that its ideal of belonging had both religious and racial connotations. For example, King praised the Supreme Courts decision in Engel v. Vitale, which concluded that public schools could not sponsor prayers, and which segregationist Alabama Governor George Wallace opposed. In a pluralistic society such as ours, who is to determine what prayer shall be spoken, and by whom? King said in a 1965 interview. More than a decade earlier, during his time at seminary, King had written a paper exhibiting a keen awareness of Christianitys connections with other faiths: To discuss Christianity without mentioning other religions would be like discussing the greatness of the Atlantic Ocean without the slightest mention of the many tributaries that keep it flowing. Other vivid imagery like the great world house underscored how King interpreted all persons and all faiths as living in an interconnected web. Identifying common themes in the discrimination against Indian Dalits, the castes formerly known as untouchable, and the plight of African Americans in the U.S., King surmised, I am an untouchable. He also saw parallels between the African American struggle for freedom and the work of labor unions such as the National Farm Workers Association. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, King insisted. King then, today, tomorrow King wanted people to embody the highest forms of their own religion and morality. Religion at its best, he thought, promoted peace, understanding, love and good will. This is true of all of the great religions of the world, he wrote in a statement for Redbook magazine. Those were the kinds of ethics King hoped to fulfill in his own Christian ministry, as is clear in his wishes for what might be said at his own funeral. Id like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to give his life serving others, he said. Id like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to love somebody. I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity. Yet Kings goal of a world without hunger, war and racism remains unrealized. Poverty persists. War continues. Black peoples safety is still imperiled. Resolving current social and political crises in America may require the real integration and power-sharing that Kings radical vision demanded. However, the debate about Kings pluralist legacy is not only about him, but also about us. How do we want to be remembered? What world are we leaving future generations? The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. The Conversation is wholly responsible for the content. SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) The office manager for a Northern California police union allegedly imported illegal synthetic opioids from India and other countries and at least once used her work computer and address and the union's UPS account to ship the drugs within the country, federal prosecutors said. Joanne Marian Segovia, executive director of the San Jose Police Officers Association, was charged with attempting to unlawfully import valeryl fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, federal prosecutors said in a statement Wednesday. If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in prison. Starting in 2015, Segovia had at least 61 drug shipments mailed to her San Jose home from India, Hong Kong, Hungary and Singapore with manifests that listed their contents as wedding party favors, gift makeup, chocolate and sweets and food supplement, according to a federal criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday. It was not immediately known if Segovia, 64, has an attorney who can speak on her behalf. Tom Saggau, a spokesperson for the police union in San Jose, said Segovia, a civilian, has worked for the union since 2003, planning funerals for officers who die in the line of duty, being the liaison between the department and the officers' families and organizing office festivities and fundraisers. He said that federal officials informed the union last Friday that Segovia was under investigation and that no one else at the union was involved or knew about Segovia's alleged acts. The revelation shocked her colleagues, Saggau said. We didnt have any reason to suspect her, he said, adding that the unions board of directors has pledged to fully support the federal investigation. Federal prosecutors said that in 2019, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers intercepted a parcel being sent to her home address that contained $5,000 worth of Tramadol, a synthetic opioid, and sent her a letter telling her they were seizing the pills. The next year, the CBP again intercepted a shipment of Tramadol valued at $700 and sent her a seizure letter, court records showed. But federal officials didn't start investigating Segovia until last year when investigators found her name and home address on the cellphone of a suspected drug dealer who is part of a network that ships controlled substances made in India to the San Francisco Bay Area, according to the complaint. That drug trafficking network has distributed hundreds of thousands of pills in 48 states, federal prosecutors said. Segovia used WhatsApp messaging service and her personal and office computers to order thousands of opioid tablets and other pills to her home and agreed to distribute the drugs elsewhere in the United States, prosecutors said. On at least one occasion in 2021, Segovia shipped the illicit drugs to a North Carolina address by using the police unions UPS account, prosecutors said. That address is linked to at least five illicit drug seizures, they said. Investigators found hundreds of photographs in a WhatsApp chat on Segovai's cellphone, including an image of the UPS shipping slip and another one of a computer screen showing a PayPal payment to an Indian name and Segovia's police union business cards under it. Based on my training and experience, I know that shippers of controlled substances often send receipts and tracking numbers as proof that they in fact sent a package. I believe that the receipt provided by SEGOVIA was offered by her as proof that she sent a package to the North Carolina addressee, David Vargas, a special agent for Homeland Security Investigation, wrote in the affidavit. According to the complaint, Segovia continued to order controlled substances even after being interviewed by federal investigators in February. On March 13, federal agents seized a parcel in Kentucky, containing valeryl fentanyl, addressed to Segovia. The package allegedly originated from China three days earlier and declared its contents as a clock," prosecutors said. SAN DIEGO (AP) A San Diego jury has awarded more than $46 million to a man who suffered a catastrophic spinal injury during a beginner jiu-jitsu class five years ago, attorneys said Wednesday. Jack Greener was enrolled at Del Mar Jiu-Jitsu Club in 2018 when he was pinned to the mat by an instructor who placed his entire bodyweight on Greener's neck, according to the lawsuit. OMAHA, Neb. (AP) A judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by an employee of Catholic Charities of Omaha who said she suffered physical and emotional injuries during an active shooter drill involving actors smeared in fake blood and a man firing blanks from a semiautomatic handgun. Douglas County District Court Judge Timothy Burns ruled that Workers' Compensation Court should decide Sandra Lopez's claims against Catholic Charities over the drill last year at the organization's headquarters, the Omaha World-Herald reported Wednesday. Lopez said in the lawsuit that administrators did not warn employees that a drill was planned on May 19, 2022. One administrator who knew it was staged told her, It is a shooting as they ran out of the building together, according to the lawsuit. Lopez said she hurt her back while fleeing and also has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Catholic Charities sought to have the lawsuit dismissed, contending it should be decided in Workers Compensation Court, which has jurisdiction over accidental work-related injuries. Lopez's attorney, Tom White, argued that Catholic Charities intentionally injured Lopez and other employees by not telling them the drill was staged. He said an exception to state laws should be made when an employer intentionally harms employees. But Burns granted Catholic Charities' motion to dismiss last week, saying Nebraska laws and court precedent established that Workers Compensation Court is the exclusive remedy in such cases. White said he intends to appeal the ruling. Burns said he agreed the alleged facts show Catholic Charities had a specific intent to injure Lopez. But he cited a 2013 Nebraska Supreme Court ruling that dismissed a lawsuit filed by the family of a grain bin worker who died because of criminal negligence by his employer. The state Supreme Court said the man's death was an accident, despite the employer's negligence. It said any change to allow exceptions for intentional acts would have to be made by the Legislature. The man who was hired by Catholic Charities to stage the drill, John Channels, of Omaha, was charged in August with five counts of making terroristic threats and one weapons count. Channels was not named in the lawsuit. The incident unfolded when Channels showed up at Omaha Catholic Charities firing blanks and staging victims who appeared to have been wounded or killed, police said. The charity had hired him to test its workers preparedness for such an attack. Police said the charity paid Channels $2,500 to carry out the mock shooting and went along with his request not to inform employees beforehand. By Katy St. Clair Bay City News A Dublin man pleaded guilty Tuesday to multiple crimes, including conspiracy to distribute marijuana, aggravated identity theft and obstruction of justice, federal prosecutors said. Quenten Giovanni Moody, aka Christano Rossi, 38, admitted transporting marijuana out of state, committing insurance fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic, and creating fake FBI documents to attempt to get two of his government-seized vehicles released back to him. Between 2017 and 2022, Moody and a co-defendant generated hundreds of thousands of dollars by transporting marijuana bought in California to other states such as Texas, Georgia and Nevada, prosecutors said. Moody used commercial planes and carrier services to deliver the marijuana and then bring back the cash from its sale. Beginning in 2020, Moody also participated in a scheme to submit fraudulent unemployment benefit claims during the pandemic. Moody used another person's identity to get a benefits card through Bank of America that he used to buy things at two Las Vegas high-end stores, Louis Vuitton and Cartier. As part of its investigation, the U.S. government seized two vehicles from Moody in April 2022 that were purchased with money he obtained illegally, a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro and a 1956 Chevrolet pickup truck, prosecutors said. The vehicles were transported to an FBI field office for storage, but on May 8, a flat-bed truck arrived at the facility and the driver told FBI security personnel that he had been instructed to take the vehicles out of federal custody. The driver gave the FBI security team a document that purported to be an order issued by a judge ordering the U.S. Marshals Service and FBI to release the vehicles. The documents were fake, however, and were created by Moody. Moody tried the same thing on May 21, again sending a tow truck and having the driver present fraudulent documentation stating the vehicles were to be released. "The fraudulent federal court documents had been altered from the previous attempt," prosecutors said. Shortly before the arrival of the second tow truck, a co-conspirator also allegedly called the FBI field office pretending to be an FBI special agent. "While in character, the co-conspirator attempted to contact the employees assigned to the gate outside of the field office to facilitate the tow truck gaining access to the FBI property," prosecutors said. Moody has a sentencing date set for July 11. He is facing a maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $5 million for the marijuana conspiracy, prosecutors said. He is also facing up to 12 years for both the aggravated identity theft and obstruction of justice counts, plus fines of up to $500,000. Copyright 2023 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 2023 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. By Kathleen Kirkwood Bay City News The San Jose police union's longtime executive director has been charged with attempting to import illegal synthetic opioid drugs from overseas in a scheme to distribute them in the U.S., federal prosecutors said Wednesday. Joanne Marian Segovia, who has worked for the San Jose Police Officers' Association for nearly 20 years, is suspected of using her home and office computers -- and even the union's UPS account -- to order and distribute thousands of opioids and other pills, according to a release from U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. Segovia, 64, is charged with attempting to unlawfully import valeryl fentanyl, a fentanyl analogue. If convicted, she faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. A criminal complaint was filed Monday, alleging that between October 2015 and January 2023, Segovia had at least 61 shipments mailed to her home, from locations that included Hong Kong, Hungary, India, and Singapore. The shipments had labels that included "Wedding Party Favors," "Gift Makeup," and "Chocolate and Sweets," federal officials said. Between July 2019 and January 2023, investigators intercepted five shipments and found thousands of pills of controlled substances, including the synthetic opioids Tramadol and Tapentadol. Certain parcels were valued at thousands of dollars' worth of drugs. Segovia is a resident of San Jose and has worked at the police union since 2003. Representatives of the San Jose Police Association could not be reached for comment on Wednesday evening. The complaint against Segovia was unsealed on Tuesday. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Segovia was apprehended as part of an ongoing Homeland Security investigation into a network that was shipping controlled substances into the Bay Area. Segovia allegedly used encrypted WhatsApp communications to plan for receiving and sending pill shipments. The complaint describes a period between January 2020 and March 2023 during which Segovia is alleged to have exchanged hundreds of messages with someone using a phone with an India country code. The messages reportedly discussed details for shipping and payment of pills and contained hundreds of pictures of tablets, shipping labels, packaging, payment receipts, and payment confirmations. Segovia allegedly used her office at the San Jose police union to distribute controlled substances. In one instance, Segovia was told by a supplier to send a package to a woman in North Carolina. Segovia then allegedly sent the supplier a photograph of a shipment made using the UPS account of the San Jose Police Officers' Association. According to the complaint, Segovia continued to order controlled substances even after being interviewed by federal investigators in February. On March 13, federal agents seized a parcel addressed to Segovia in Kentucky, containing valeryl fentanyl, a fentanyl analog. The package reportedly originated from China on March 10 and declared its contents as a clock. Copyright 2023 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 2023 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that he intends to nominate career diplomat Herro Mustafa Garg to serve as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Egypt, according to the White House. Currently, Daniel Rubinstein has been assuming the responsibility of Charge dAffaires to Egypt since August 2022, succeeding US ambassador Jonathan Cohen, who had served two consecutive administrations under Donald Trump and Biden since 2019. The nominated ambassador, Garg, is an American diplomat of Kurdish descent and has a Bachelors from Georgetown Universitys School of Foreign Service and a Masters from Princeton University. She grew up in North Dakota and speaks Kurdish, Arabic, Farsi, Greek, Hindi, Bulgarian, and Portuguese. Garg, who is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor, served as the US Ambassador to the Republic of Bulgaria from October 2019 to March 2023. At the time, she was the first American of Kurdish descent to be nominated as ambassador. Previously, the White House says, she was the Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Lisbon, Portugal and Political Minister Counselor at the US Embassy in New Delhi, India. Earlier, Garg worked in the Office of the Vice President on issues related to the Middle East and South and Central Asia. Her other Washington assignments include Deputy Director of the Afghanistan Office, Advisor on the Middle East in the Office of the Under Secretary for Political Affairs, Director for Iran, Israeli-Palestinian Affairs, and Jordan at the National Security Council, as well as National Security Council Director for Iraq and Afghanistan. Garg has also served overseas as lead US Civilian Coordinator in Mosul, Iraq, Consular Officer in Beirut, Lebanon, and Political Officer in Athens, Greece. She is the recipient of the Matilda W. Sinclaire Award for superior achievement in a foreign language. Her family story is the subject of the documentary film, American Herro, and in 2021 she was honored by the Carnegie Corporation as one of the Great Immigrants of America. Search Keywords: Short link: SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) Florida's Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has targeted a tiny, public liberal arts college on the shores of Sarasota Bay, as a staging ground for his war on woke. The governor and his allies say the New College of Florida, known as a progressive school with a prominent LGBTQ+ community, is indoctrinating students with leftist ideology and should be remade into a more conservative institution. A top-down restructuring is under way at New College, where DeSantis' allies are carrying out what students and faculty call a hostile takeover and a political attack on their academic freedom. Here is the anatomy of the takeover, so far, at New College: Jan. 6 Gov. Ron DeSantis appoints six new members to 13-member Board of Trustees at New College, packing the board with Republican allies and insiders: -Christopher Rufo, conservative activist, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and architect of right-wing outrage over critical race theory -Jason Eddie Speir, co-founder and superintendent of a Christian school in Bradenton, Florida -Matthew Spalding, a professor and dean at conservative Hillsdale College; senior fellow at the Claremont Institute, a right-wing think tank -Charles Kesler, senior fellow at the Claremont Institute and a professor at Claremont McKenna College -Mark Bauerlein, retired English professor at Emory University and vocal opponent of diversity, equity and inclusion programs -Debra Jenks, an attorney in Palm Beach and the only new trustee who attended New College Jan 26 Floridas Board of Governors appoints seventh new trustee, Ryan Anderson, president of Ethic and Public Policy Center, a conservative think tank. Jan. 31 -At first meeting with new trustees, the board votes to fire New College president Patricia Okker. -Board announces plans to name new interim President Richard Corcoran, a former Republican speaker of the Florida State House and DeSantis first Commissioner of Education. They approve a base salary of $699,000 for Corcoran, more than double Okker's salary. -Board also announces plans to hire new general counsel, Bill Galvano, an attorney and former GOP Florida Senate president. Feb. 28 Second meeting of new trustees. Board votes to eliminate New Colleges Office of Outreach and Inclusive Excellence, as part of plans to abolish spending on diversity and equity programs. New trustee Rufo tells the meeting that DEI programs restrict academic freedom and degrade the rigor of scholarship because they treat people differently based on their skin color or other inborn identities. March 3 New president Corcorans first personnel move is to fire chief diversity officer, Yoleidy Rosario-Hernandez, who identifies as a transgender person of color. March 23 New College announces Provost Suzanne Sherman, who had publicly clashed with new trustees, has stepped down and will be replaced by an interim provost. Sydney Gruters, a former GOP congressional aide, named as executive director of the New College of Florida Foundation. She is married to State Sen. Joe Gruters, former chair of Florida Republican Party. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has compared the policies of the Bosnia Serb separatist leader to those of Russian President Vladimir Putin following his moves to curb dissent and LGBTQ rights. Blinken tweeted late Wednesday that Milorad Dodiks attacks on basic rights and freedoms in Republika Srpska show he is on President Putins authoritarian path. Republika Srpska is the name for the half of Bosnia that is dominated by the country's Serbs. Dodik is the entity's president and leading politician who has repeatedly advocated for the breakup of Bosnia and clashed with Western officials in the Balkan country. Earlier this month, Dodik's government faced criticism from the U.S. and the European Union for pushing forward with a law to recriminalize libel and insult offences, which was seen as an attack on the freedom of expression and independent media. Dodik also announced a law in the upcoming months to prohibit access for LGBTQ activists to kindergartens, schools and universities. This came only days after a group of hooligans attacked LGBTQ activists and journalists in Banja Luka, Republika Srpskas administrative center. Dodik, who is staunchly pro-Russia, has rejected Western criticism and said his entity would break off relations with the U.S. and British embassies in Bosnia. He has dismissed the need for U.S. support and blasted Washington's engagement in Bosnia, including continued financial backing. It would have been better if they (U.S.) hadn't given a single dollar, if they hadn't gotten so involved, he tweeted on Thursday. Washington and London have imposed sanctions on Dodik and his close associates for his policies of undermining Western efforts to promote reconciliation and democracy in Bosnia following the devastating ethnic conflict. Dodik has traveled often to Moscow and met with Putin there. Blinken said that the U.S. represented by Amb. (Michael) Murphy, continues to advocate for the democratic and prosperous future that all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina deserve. Bosnia's 1992-95 ethnic war erupted when Serbs launched a rebellion to break away from the countrys Bosniaks, who are mainly Muslims, and Croats. More than 100,000 people died in the conflict before the U.S. brokered a peace agreement in 1995. The deal divided Bosnia in two entities but kept them together by joint institutions. Fears have grown since the war in Ukraine that Russia could seek to stir trouble in Bosnia and elsewhere in the Balkans to avert attention from its full-scale invasion. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BEIJING (AP) As Taiwan's president began a stopover in the United States on her way to Central America, China said it was closely watching and would resolutely safeguard our sovereignty and territorial integrity. China claims Taiwan as its own territory, to be brought under its control by force if necessary, and portrays the self-governing island democracy of 23 million people as the most sensitive issue in its increasingly fraught relationship with the U.S. On Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning reiterated China's furious objections to any meetings between Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. officials. China firmly opposes any form of official interaction between the U.S. and Taiwan, Mao told reporters at a daily briefing. China will continue to closely follow the situation and resolutely safeguard our sovereignty and territorial integrity. China has particularly warned that a meeting between Tsai and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, would bring a strong but unspecified response. Neither Tsai nor McCarthy has formally confirmed a meeting. Tsai is scheduled to transit in Los Angeles on April 5. In August, Beijing responded to then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan by launching missiles, deploying warships across the median line of the Taiwan Strait and simulating a blockade of the island. China also temporarily suspended dialogue with the U.S. on climate and other major issues and restricted military-to-military communication with the Pentagon. Tsai's visit aims to show that Taiwan still has allies, despite China's military threats and attempts to isolate it diplomatically. Most recently, the Central American state of Honduras switched relations from Taiwan to China, leaving Taiwan with just 13 formal diplomatic allies. Tsai accused Beijing of using dollar diplomacy to poach another Taiwanese ally. Tsai is expected to meet with the American Institute in Taiwan chair, Laura Rosenberger. AIT is the U.S. government-run nonprofit that carries out unofficial relations with Taiwan. While the U.S. terms relations with Taiwan as unofficial, it is the island's chief source of military hardware and cooperation. U.S. law requires Washington to treat all threats to the island as matters of grave concern, but does not explicitly say whether the U.S. would commit troops. Tsai arrived in New York on Wednesday and was scheduled to spend Thursday in the city, but few details of the trip were made public. The U.S. typically foregoes any official meetings involving senior U.S. leaders in Washington for transit stops, as is the case for Tsai's visit. The latest spike in tensions comes months after the passage of what the U.S. said was a Chinese spy balloon across the continental U.S., which heightened questions about China's intentions. China says it was a research balloon that was blown off course, but the Biden administration ordered it shot down and canceled a planned visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken to China. Along with Taiwan and friction over trade, technology and human rights, Chinas close ties with Russia and its refusal to criticize Moscows invasion of Ukraine have also increased tensions between Washington and Beijing. Chinese leader Xi Jinping visited Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow last week, underscoring the warmth of the "no-limits relationship between the two authoritarian states announced just weeks before Russia's year-old invasion. China has provided Russia with an economic lifeline by buying the oil-rich country's resources. U.S. officials say they've seen indications Beijing is considering selling military hardware to Moscow, although they say there is no evidence that has happened yet. Days after Xi's visit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told The Associated Press he hopes to meet with Xi in Kyiv. China, which has put forward a peace proposal that says nothing about Russia withdrawing from Ukrainian territory it has seized, gave no immediate response about whether such a visit would take place. Also Thursday, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Tan Kefei said Xi and Putin had reached a number of important new points of consensus during their Moscow meetings, laying out a "blueprint for the future of relations." Strategic communication and practical cooperation between the two militaries have never ceased moving toward a higher level, Tan said at a monthly briefing. While Tan repeated China's stance that its relations with Russia do not constitute a formal alliance and were not aimed at any third parties, the two have increasingly aligned their foreign policies in a challenge to the dominance of global affairs by the U.S. and other democracies. He also pledged regular joint air and sea patrols, exercises and training as the two countries work together to implement "global security initiatives (and) jointly safeguard international fairness and justice." China has been steadily building up its 2 million-member armed forces already the world's largest standing military as well as latest-generation fighter jets, aircraft carriers and highly capable warships. U.S. military officials also say China is rapidly expanding its stockpile of nuclear weapons and recent tough talk by Xi and other Chinese officials has heightened concerns over a potential attack on Taiwan or other U.S. interests. QUITO, Ecuador (AP) Ecuadors Constitutional Court ruled Wednesday the opposition-dominated National Assembly can take up the question of whether to impeach President Guillermo Lasso over allegations of crimes against state security and corruption. The ruling was only a first step. The congress still must follow a formal process that requires the presentation of evidence and arguments before legislators may vote on impeachment. The court, which is the interpreter and guarantor of Ecuadors constitution, gave the go-ahead for impeachment proceedings on a 6-3 vote by the justices. The issue was put before the court by the unicameral legislature, a body of 137 legislators in which a majority is held by opposition parties led by the Union for Hope party, which has ties to former President Rafael Correa, who governed in 2007-2017. Lasso, a conservative former banker, began his four-year term in May 2021. Allegations have been raised that the presidents brother-in-law, Danilo Carrera, has links with public officials involved in corruption and drug trafficking. In urging the court to reject the matter, Lasso said there was no evidence to justify the accusations. The National Assembly now has up to 45 days to complete the impeachment process against Lasso. Removing the president will require the votes of at least 92 of the 137 legislators. There is constitutional provision that would allow Lasso to dissolve the legislature and then govern by decree for six months while running for re-election. But analysts think that unlikely due to his low popularity among Ecuadorians. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BRUSSELS (AP) The European Union must be prepared to develop measures to protect trade and investment that China might exploit for its own security and military purposes, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned on Thursday. Speaking before a trip to China planned for next week, von der Leyen said that it's important to stop sensitive technologies that could be used in security crackdowns or to restrict human rights from falling into Beijings hands. Chinas changing policies may require us to develop new defensive tools for some critical sectors, she said. Where dual-use purposes cannot be excluded or human rights might be implicated, there will need to be a clear line on whether investments or exports are in our own security interests. The commission, the EUs executive branch, manages international trade on behalf of the 27 member countries and defends their interests at the World Trade Organization. Von der Leyen said that the EU should focus its defenses on sensitive high-tech areas like microelectronics, quantum computing, robotics, artificial intelligence and the biotech sector. We need to ensure that our companies capital, expertise, and knowledge are not used to enhance the military and intelligence capabilities of those who are also systemic rivals, she told academics at an event run by the European Policy Centre think tank and the Mercator Institute for China Studies. We have to look at where there are gaps in our toolbox which allow the leakage of emerging and sensitive technologies through investments in other countries, von der Leyen said. The focus, she said, should be on tech that can lead to the development of military capabilities that pose risks to national security. The commission presidents speech comes as the EU reconsiders its frequently testy relations with China, notably in light of Beijings support for Russias war on Ukraine. Von der Leyen said, though, that its important not to cut political, economic or scientific ties with such a vital trading partner. French President Emmanuel Macron is also due to travel to China next week and will take part in some events involving von der Leyen. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was set to visit Beijing on Thursday and Friday at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. ATHENS, Greece (AP) Greeces defense minister announced Thursday that he will travel to neighboring Turkey next week as part of an effort to ease tension between the two NATO members, which have long-standing and often volatile disputes. Nikos Panagiotopoulos told reporters in Athens that he would visit areas devastated by earthquakes in early February with Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar. AUSTIN, Texas (AP) A federal judge in Texas who previously ruled to dismantle the Affordable Care Act struck down a narrower but key part of the nation's health law Thursday that requires most insurers to cover preventive services that include screenings for cancer, diabetes and mental health. Other no-cost services, including HIV screenings, are also impacted under the ruling by U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor that opponents say will jeopardize preventive care for millions of Americans. Experts cautioned that insurers are unlikely to stop any coverage immediately. The Biden administration was expected to appeal and seek a stay of the ruling. This is not the potential fatal blow to the ACA like previous court cases, but it would limit a very popular benefit that tens of millions of people use, said Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation. The decision comes more than four years after O'Connor, a nominee of former President George W. Bush, ruled that the entire health care law also known as Obamacare" was unconstitutional. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned that ruling. This time O'Conner blocked only the requirement that most insurers cover a range of preventive care including screenings for multiple types of cancer siding with plaintiffs who include a conservative activist in Texas and a Christian dentist who opposed mandatory coverage for contraception and an HIV prevention treatment on religious grounds. The requirements for coverage are driven by recommendations by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which is made up of volunteers. O'Connor ruled that enforcing the recommendations was unlawful" and a violation of the Constitution's Appointment Clause, which lays out how government officials can be appointed. Dr. Michael Barry, chairman of the federal task force, said in a statement following the ruling that people with low incomes have been able to get services they need as care has expanded over the past decade because of the law. Fundamentally, people across the country deserve the opportunity to receive these important preventive services that have been proven to help them live longer and healthier lives, Barry said. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services were reviewing the ruling, but called the case yet another attack on the health care law that has been in place for 13 years and survived multiple legal challenges. The Biden administration previously told the court that the outcome of the case could create extraordinary upheaval in the United States public health system. More than 20 states, mostly controlled by Democrats, had urged OConnor against a sweeping ruling that would do away with the preventive care coverage requirement entirely. The ruling applies to recommendations made by the task force after March 2010, when the Affordable Care Act was enacted. Some of the nation's largest medical groups came out against the lawsuit, warning that insurers in the future could impose cost-sharing on patients for screenings that are now fully covered. Levitt said if O'Connor's ruling is allowed to stand, insurers are likely to look at changes in coverage beginning in the next calendar year, since existing contracts are already in effect. Although the ruling impacts a broad spectrum of preventive care, it does not wipe out coverage for all preventive screenings. For instance, experts said the decision would not overturn coverage for preventive women's health services that were approved outside the task force. Some cancer screenings approved before 2010 would also not be affected, including screenings for cervical and colorectal cancer, said Alina Salganicoff, senior vice president and director for women's health policy at the Kaiser foundation. But she said screenings for lung and skin cancer, which were more recently approved, could be affected. In September, O'Connor ruled that required coverage of the HIV prevention treatment known as PrEP, which is a pill taken daily to prevent infection, violated the plaintiffs' religious beliefs. That decision also undercut the broader system that determines which preventive drugs are covered in the U.S., ruling that a federal task force that recommends coverage of preventive treatments is unconstitutional. Employers religious objections have been a sticking point in past challenges to former President Barack Obamas health care law, including over contraception. The lawsuit is among the attempts by conservatives to chip away at the Affordable Care Act or wipe it out entirely since it was signed into law in 2010. The attorney who filed the suit was an architect of the Texas abortion law that was the nations strictest before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June and allowed states to ban the procedure. ___ Associated Press reporters Amanda Seitz and Seung Min Kim in Washington contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Abuse survivors and advocates who've pushed for legislation making it easier in Kansas to prosecute abusers and file lawsuits decades later have achieved a breakthrough in the Legislature, where the proposal is advancing quickly. The bill would remove limits on how long prosecutors have to file charges against suspects for any of a dozen violent sexual offenses against children, including indecent liberties, aggravated human trafficking and internet trading in child pornography. It also would give abuse survivors more time to file lawsuits seeking monetary damages. Reports across the U.S. of abuse by Roman Catholic clergy have spurred interest in making it easier to pursue criminal prosecutions or lawsuits over cases of abuse dating back decades. In January, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation reported that it had identified 188 Catholic clergy suspected of crimes stretching back to the 1950s and submitted 30 affidavits to prosecutors. No criminal charges resulted, largely because of the state law limiting how long prosecutors have to pursue cases, the KBI said. The state Senate voted unanimously on Wednesday to approve the bill, six days after a committee hearing. The measure went to the House, which could vote on it next week. I am sad to say the person who sexually assaulted me is still out in the public and has never been held accountable, Earl McIntosh, a 57-year-old Topeka resident molested by a teenage neighbor when he was 10, told a Senate committee. McIntosh testified of his fellow abuse survivors, They deserve justice. For violent sexual crimes against children other than rape and aggravated sodomy, Kansas prosecutors currently can file criminal charges until the victim turns 28 or up to a year after DNA evidence establishes a suspect, whichever is later. The bill would eliminate those time limits. The bill would give abuse suvivors until they turn 31 or three years after the abuser is convicted of a sexually violent crime against a child. Lawsuits currently must be filed by the time a survivor turns 21 or three years after a survivor discovered or reasonably should have discovered that childhood abuse caused an injury or illness. The measure does not include another proposal survivors have pursued, requiring clergy to report allegations of child abuse to authorities. Eighteen states have eliminated their statute of limitations for child sex crimes, according to Child USA, a Philadelphia think tank that focuses on laws dealing with child abuse. The group says 15 states have no statute of limitations for filing at least some abuse-related lawsuits. Survivors and advocates told legislators that survivors often wait well into adulthood often into their 50s to disclose abuse because of the trauma, which often comes with shame and a fear of retaliation. Advocates for changing Kansas law had trouble in recent years even getting a hearing for their proposals. In January, they announced bipartisan efforts seeking to change state law. Survivors set up a table in the Statehouse visitor's center each day lawmakers were in session this year, and legislators had to pass it going between their parking garage and their offices. Survivors met with Senate President Ty Masterson, a Wichita-area Republican, and he recently helped draft the current proposal. No one testified against the measure, though some influential players were neutral. An association for insurance companies expressed concern about a provision eliminating a $500,000 cap on damages in lawsuits against government agencies, arguing that insurance costs would rise and drive companies out of the state. The league representing Kansas cities said the bill could result in them paying damages "simply because a bad actor chose to commit their crime on city property. But the Kansas Catholic Conference said in a statement that the bill appears to give survivors more tools in seeking justice." There is no time limitation on when the Catholic Church will offer services and support to clergy abuse victims, the statement said. During the Senate's debate Wednesday, state Sen. Cindy Holscher, a Kansas City-area Democrat, speaking in favor of the bill, told colleagues that when she was 5 years old, a man who often worked on her family's farm tried to sexually assault her in a barn. She said the noise of her home's back screen door banging against a wall interrupted him and allowed her to escape. She said she avoided telling the full story for nearly 50 years, until this week's debate. For years, I didnt even recognize this as an attempted assault and attempted sexual assault, not until I had my own children. Yes, I kept thinking I did something wrong, Holscher said. My mind keeps trying to shield me from the embarrassment, the shame, the trauma of that day. ___ Follow John Hanna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/apjdhanna BANGOR, Maine (AP) A 19-year-old from Maine who the FBI says built homemade explosives and plotted to attack a mosque in the name of the Islamic State group will plead guilty to providing material support to terrorists. Xavier Pelkey of Waterville faces a maximum of 15 years in prison under a plea agreement in which a second charge will be dropped, according to court documents filed Wednesday. The change-of-plea hearing is set for next week in U.S. District Court. BANGKOK (AP) Air strikes by Myanmars military on a village in the countrys northwest on Thursday killed at least eight civilians, including two children, according to members of a rebel ethnic minority group and independent media reports. The attack on Khuafo village, just north of Thantlang, a major town in Chin state near the Indian border, also wounded 20 people, they said. It came three days after Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the head of Myanmars ruling military council, said in a speech for Armed Forces Day that the military needs to take decisive action against the forces challenging its control. The countrys independent online media reported the aerial bombardment, but there were no immediate reports about it in the state-controlled media. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military overthrew the elected government of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, triggering widespread popular opposition. After peaceful demonstrations were put down with lethal force, many opponents of military rule took up arms, and large parts of the country are now embroiled in conflict. The pro-democracy resistance that arose allied itself with several ethnic minorities, including the Chin, that have been carrying out an armed struggle for decades seeking greater autonomy. The military has sought to suppress such opposition with air and artillery strikes, with civilians often the victims. More than 1 million people have been displaced by the armys offensives since the takeover. Salai Htet Ni, a spokesperson for the Chin National Front, an ethnic rebel group closely linked to the pro-democracy movement, said two jet fighters dropped four bombs on Khuafo village, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) north of Thantlang, killing a group of civilians, including two children. Many of the more than 60 houses in the village were destroyed by fire, he said. Another member of the group who is staying at its camp in Thantlang said a Mi-35 helicopter fired a machine gun at the village as the jet fighters were dropping bombs. According to a list of the dead he received, five were female and three male, and they ranged in age from 6 to 40. He spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he feared reprisals from the military. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an exile group that monitors human rights in Myanmar, at least 3,182 civilians have been killed by the security forces since the army seized power. In January, military planes bombed the headquarters of the Chin National Front in Thantlang, killing five members of its armed wing, the Chin National Army, and damaging a clinic and other buildings. There is currently no active fighting near Thantlang between the resistance forces and the army. More than 10,000 residents of Thantlang fled the town when intense fighting took place in late 2021, some staying temporarily in nearby villages including Khuafo and others seeking shelter across the border in Mizoram, India. The resistance forces in Myanmar have been able to prevent the military from taking firm control of large areas of the country, but have a great disadvantage in weapons, particularly in countering air attacks. Supporters of the resistance advocate banning or limiting the sale of aviation fuel to Myanmar to cripple the militarys advantage in air power. Many Western nations already have imposed arms embargoes on the military government, and in the past week the United States and Britain have enacted new sanctions targeting individuals and companies involved in supplying jet fuel to Myanmar. On Wednesday, the military government took another major step in its ongoing campaign to cripple its political opponents, dissolving dozens of opposition parties including that of ousted leader Suu Kyi for not meeting a registration deadline ahead of a promised election. Suu Kyis National League for Democracy, one of 40 parties ordered dissolved by the military-appointed election commission, had already announced that it would not register, denouncing the polls as a sham. On Thursday, a spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was deeply concerned by reports of the dissolution of the parties. Any attempts to undermine democratic institutions and processes will only deepen the crisis and delay the return to a fully democratic and inclusive Myanmar, spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said. The U.N. chief renews his call on neighboring countries and other member states to urge the military leadership to adhere to inclusive political processes and reiterates his call for the immediate release of all arbitrarily detained prisoners including Suu Kyi, Dujarric said. ___ Associated Press writer Edith Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report. Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sameh Shoukry, signed three memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with Cambodias Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign and International Cooperation Minister Prak Sokhonn on Thursday during his first official visit to Egypt. The agreements aim to enhance Egyptian-Cambodian cooperation in the fields of antiquities, museums and heritage, said Spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry Ahmed Abu Zeid. Shoukry welcomed his guest, expressing appreciation for his eagerness to visit Egypt to discuss means of boosting bilateral relations, Abu Zeid added. He also praised Cambodias selection of Egypt to house its only embassy in Africa. "Egypt was among the first African nations to establish diplomatic relations with Cambodia in 1953, Shoukry noted. He also voiced his aspirations to bolster cooperation with the Asian country and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Cambodia is a member. Shouky told Sokhonn that Egypt is prepared to support Cambodia in strengthening trade exchanges with the African continent, shedding light on the modernisation of the country's ports, sea and land shipping routes and opportunities in the Suez Canal Economic Zone. The Cambodian minister affirmed that the country aspires to increase cooperation with Egypt in the areas of culture, education and tourism. Sokhonn also praised the scholarships provided by Egypt's Al-Azharthe worlds largest Sunni institutionto Cambodian students in light of Egypt and Al-Azhars moderate approaches to Islam, Abu Zeid added. Search Keywords: Short link: MAHMUDIA, Romania (AP) Romanias navy led multinational military drills in the Black Sea region Thursday that brought together U.S. and NATO troops as the 30-nation alliance looks to boost security on its southeastern flank amid Russias war in Ukraine. The sea and air exercises are part of a series of drills known as Sea Shield 2023 that involve some 3,400 military personnel from 12 NATO member countries and some partner nations. SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) New Mexicos governor Thursday signed a Democratic-sponsored voting rights bill aimed at expanding access to the ballot and two other related measures. New Mexico was one of several Democratic-controlled states where lawmakers advocated for sweeping voter protections this year, drawing praise from advocates concerned about court rulings potentially undermining federal voting rights. Under New Mexico's legislation, automatic voter registration will be provided for U.S. citizens during transactions at state motor vehicle offices and voting rights will be restored to felons immediately after incarceration. It also will streamline the distribution of absentee ballots that can be returned by mail and make absentee ballot voting easier for Native Americans living in remote stretches of tribal land. Austin Weahkee, the Indigenous justice policy advocate with the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico, said the legislation will create a more equitable voting system by addressing many of the barriers that have historically disenfranchised rural, Indigenous and formerly incarcerated voters. Our elected leaders recognized that voting is an absolute right and not a privilege, Weahkee said in a statement. Voters in remote tribal areas sometimes dont have formal street addresses or receive mail at home. The bill will allow remote voters to designate a tribal government building as a home mailing address for election purposes including community chapter houses on the Navajo Nation. New Mexico is home to 23 federally recognized Native American communities, including a large portion of the Navajo Nation. Native Americans account for about 12% of the states population. Under the bill, Native American communities also would have greater flexibility in designating voting locations, including ballot drop boxes. Some tribal residents were cut off from polling locations by local emergency lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. Statewide, county clerks will distribute absentee ballots automatically in every election to people who sign up for the service. Before now, voters had to request an absentee ballot with each election in a voting process that can involve three or four mail deliveries. The law also will require that each of New Mexicos 33 counties maintain at least two monitored ballot drop boxes. County clerks can request an exemption. The governor also signed a bill that makes permanent the secretary of states election security program and increases compensation for election workers. The other measure signed Thursday is aimed at addressing the safety of election workers and officials. Under the legislation, the crime of intimidation will now include acts against employees and agents of the secretary of state's office, county clerk offices, municipal clerks and election officials themselves. Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, a Democrat, said she believes the three bills balance voter access protections with maintaining election security. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) Three former Illinois prison guards will spend years behind bars for fatally punching, kicking and stomping a 65-year-old inmate after dragging him out of sight of security cameras. Larry Earvin was just four months from the end of his six-year sentence for theft when he disobeyed an order to return to his cell in 2018. Handcuffed, the mentally ill Black man suffered 15 broken ribs and abdominal injuries so severe a portion of his bowel was surgically removed. He died a month later. A judge this month handed down 20-year sentences for two of the ex-guards Officer Alex Banta and Lt. Todd Sheffler after prosecutors had sought life in prison. Sgt. Willie Hedden, who pleaded guilty and cooperated in the investigation, got six years instead of the 10 prosecutors requested. The convictions send an important message to state penal institutions, said lead prosecutor Gregory Harris, the U.S. attorney for the Central District of Illinois, and assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Bass. They spoke with The Associated Press recently to discuss the governments reasoning behind key decisions in the case. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. Q: What's your reaction to the outcome? HARRIS: Its one of our most serious cases that weve handled in a number of years and its unfortunate, the outcome of Larry Earvin dying, but we had our best prosecutors involved and the FBI was superb in the investigation. Q: This office has prosecuted state government corruption but this case had added complexities. Are there more cases out there like this that youd like to prosecute were it not for those difficulties? HARRIS: Im not sure that theres more of it out there. Its difficult because its against law enforcement officials. In terms of dealing with correctional officials, its within an institution so you dont have that spotlight by the public of whats going on within the institution. Q: Why seek life sentences for Banta and Sheffler? Both expressed remorse at their sentencing and had significant community support. BASS: The offense was so serious because it first involved a homicide, which was second-degree murder. It involved correctional officers acting under color of law, a victim that was restrained and vulnerable and it also involved obstruction of justice. (Each of those factors is tied to a score on a federal sentencing scale that tops out at 43 with an advisory life sentence.) Their offense level was 50. HARRIS: Theyre off the charts, you might say. Q: Mr. Bass, you said in court that none of the defendants intended to send Mr. Earvin to the hospital, let alone kill him. This wasnt first-degree murder. BASS: I said in court that short of first-degree murder, this was the most serious offense, they didnt intend to kill. They didnt want him to go to the hospital because that would expose them. But the jury found that they intended to inflict harm on Mr. Earvin and they did so with a depraved indifference to loss of life. Q: The cases rested largely on the testimony of fellow Corrections officers who witnessed the events, but who lied initially about what they saw to the Illinois State Police, the FBI, or both. Why not prosecute those individuals and work your way up to the main defendants, maybe get to them without Heddens cooperation and end up with close to a dozen convictions? BASS: The three officers that participated in not only the beating of Mr. Earvin but the violation of federal law, the infliction of cruel and unusual punishment that caused Mr. Earvins death were charged and convicted and held accountable. Q: Given the those officers' testimony, did you need Heddens cooperation and testimony and subsequently need to offer him a reduced sentence? BASS: Ill just repeat what Judge Myerscough stated she found him credible. His testimony was important because he was one of only a few, five or six that were present in segregation and witnessed the assault. Q: Many times, a cooperating defendant will get a sentence that's a reduction of 20% or 30% from what co-defendants received. You recommended a 50% break for Hedden. HARRIS: The recommendation fit the circumstances for this particular defendant. I hope we reach that when we make any recommendation, whether its 20% or 50%. It fit the benefit that the government received from this defendant in this particular case. Q: What message do you hope the case sends? BASS: Correctional officers and police officers who violate peoples constitutional rights, youre going to be held accountable in the Central District of Illinois. But the further message beyond that to the Department of Corrections is we hope that those blind spots (out of view of surveillance cameras) which enable this type of offense to occur one of the easiest things to do to prevent future Larry Earvins is to eliminate those blind spots. So we hope thats being done. ___ Follow Political Writer John OConnor at https://twitter.com/apoconnor This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) Republican legislative leaders in New Mexico are asking the federal government to investigate two divisions in the state Health Department amid allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation of developmentally disabled people. The GOP House leaders sent a letter Wednesday to the inspector general for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, saying an independent investigation would ensure transparency and might prompt the state to take necessary steps to prevent such cases in the future. Unfortunately, the state of New Mexico has a rather dismal record of protecting vulnerable populations who are under the care of state agencies and who receive needed services through state administered programs, the letter states. "These recently discovered cases of alleged abuse, neglect and exploitation create a new round of questions and concerns. Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has called the allegations horrific, issuing a warning last week that caregivers who mistreat and abuse developmentally disabled or otherwise vulnerable people will be held accountable by the state. The governor and top health officials confirmed there was an ongoing investigation into an alleged abuse and neglect case involving a developmentally disabled person that was brought to the states attention March 1. That case resulted in the state terminating contracts with four providers in the Albuquerque area. It also prompted what the governor described as a forensic review of the entire developmentally disabled waiver system, which is meant to offer an alternative to institutional care. Five more cases including three in which individuals being cared for died are also under investigation. Officials have said they havent determined if those deaths are tied to abuse or neglect. State officials also were looking at several other potential cases following visits by health workers to clients who participate in the federally funded waiver program. More than 6,600 people receive services from one of the state's five developmental disabilities programs. The GOP lawmakers said the incidents of neglect and abuse seem to be related to system failures of various home and community based programs that fall under the purview of the Developmental Disabilities Supports Division and Division of Health Improvement, which report to the Health Department. Jodi McGinnis Porter, a department spokeswoman, wrote in an email to the Santa Fe New Mexican that the department shared the legislators concerns. Its exactly why we initiated our own comprehensive internal review of the system and processes to improve quality management of provider agencies, Medicaid oversight, and monitoring of services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are supported by our Developmental Disabilities Waiver programs, she wrote. The department has contracted with a law firm to investigate processes and recommend improvements. McGinnis Porter said the department will cooperate with the federal inspector general should that office choose to investigate as well. Put simply, we want to use every resource available to ensure that disabled clients in DD Waiver programs are well cared for and that every allegation of abuse, neglect, and Medicaid fraud is fully investigated, she wrote. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) The United Nations top court on Thursday rejected Tehrans legal bid to free up some $2 billion in Iranian central bank assets frozen by U.S. authorities to be paid in compensation to victims of a 1983 bombing in Lebanon and other attacks linked to Iran. In a 10-5 majority ruling, the International Court of Justice said it did not have jurisdiction to rule on the Iranian claim linked to the central Markazi Bank. The world court's vice-president, Kirill Gevorgian, said the majority upholds the objection to jurisdiction raised by the United States of America relating to the claims of the Islamic Republic of Iran related to the bank. In a complex, 67-page judgment, the world court also found that some other U.S. moves to seize assets of Iran and Iranians in the United States breached a 1955 treaty between the countries and said they should negotiate compensation. If they fail to reach a number, they will have to return to the Hague-based court for a ruling. But the largest part of the case focused on Bank Markazi, and its frozen assets of $1.75 billion in bonds, plus accumulated interest, that are held in a Citibank account in New York. The court said that it did not have jurisdiction based on the 1955 Treaty of Amity because the protections it offers do not extend to central banks. Both countries largely voiced satisfaction at Thursday's decision. In Washington, Deputy State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said that while the U.S. was disappointed with some aspects of the ruling it was pleased on the whole. Broadly we believe that todays decision is a major blow to Irans case, Patel told journalists. An Iranian foreign ministry statement lauded the decision as an indication of the strength and reliability of (Irans) demand, the official IRNA news agency reported on Thursday. It said Tehran would use all diplomatic, legal and judiciary means" to pursue its demands. At hearings last year, Iran cast the asset freeze as an attempt to destabilize the Tehran government and a violation of international law. Iran took its claim to the world court in 2016 after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that money belonging to Irans central bank could be used as compensation for the 241 American troops who died in the 1983 bombing, which was believed to be linked to Tehran. After the bombing of the a U.S. military base in Lebanon, a second blast nearby killed 58 French soldiers. Iran has denied involvement, but a U.S. District Court judge found Tehran responsible in 2003. The judge's ruling said Irans ambassador to Syria at the time called a member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and instructed him to instigate the Marine barracks bombing. At last year's hearings, U.S. legal team leader Richard Visek told judges they should invoke, for the first time, a legal principle known as unclean hands, under which a nation cant bring a case because of its own criminal actions linked to the case. However, the court's ruling Thursday rejected that defense. Iran argued the asset freeze was a breach of the 1955 Treaty of Amity, which promised friendship and cooperation between the two countries. The U.S. and Iran have had no diplomatic relations since militant students took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979. The judges accepted U.S. lawyers' contentions that the frozen central bank assets were state holdings not covered by the treaty, which Washington terminated in 2018 in response to an order by the International Court of Justice in a separate case to lift some sanctions against Iran. The courts judgments are final and legally binding. ON A TRAIN FROM SUMY TO KYIV, Ukraine (AP) AP Executive Editor Julie Pace interviewed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Zelenskyy visited the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, which still faces regular shelling from Russian forces, and northern towns in the Sumy region that were liberated shortly after the war began a year ago. Zelenskyy spoke to the AP aboard a train shuttling him across Ukraine to cities near some of the fiercest fighting and others where his countrys forces have successfully repelled Russias invasion. Zelenskyy rarely travels with journalists, and the presidents office said APs two-night train trip with him was the most extensive since the war began. Here is the transcript: ___ JULIE PACE: Well, lets actually start where we just began. We very much appreciate you inviting us to spend two days here. And you did tell us that you thought it was important to see the war outside of the capital. Do you worry that people are forgetting -- not just people around the world, but people in Ukraine whats happening close to the border in frontline cities? VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Of course, Im worried. Im worried. And of course, all those messages that they always come from our attitude to, from our opinion of our people abroad. So I mean that if we are losing this moment, a very sensitive and very principal moment of the war -- even some of the already occupied places, cities, towns, villages. If we dont feel the war, I mean, that from one side is great -- that children and families, people, they love the life. And its great because we are on the war because of the peace. From one side its great that our soldiers each day bringing back to normal life our people. So step by step, place by by place, village by village. ... But from another side its very dangerous. You know how is it? Its not because of the war -- all the challenges what people have. If we are not preparing that tomorrow, its a pity. But tomorrow we can be attacked by something -- by Iranian drones at night and artillery the day. And to hear alarms ... And to hear it and not to go to bomb shelter. I mean, that began to be our habit ... JP: To not go to the bomb shelters? VZ: Yes. And that is the problem. It was with the COVID -- you remember from the very beginning? People dont believe them. People, when we began to lose the parents, the old people, elderly, mostly. And then they began to go with masks and receive the vaccine. And then again the new way of it: OK, I can live. I have COVID. Nothing is terrible. So today we have this moment -- like the second wave of COVID. So its, OK. Its not dangerous. We will go. ... Our drones, our air defense guys are working well. So we can go. We can. And I think that is this message ... People dont feel that this message go straight to other people and then abroad. And thats why its big problem, huge problem, if journalists -- I mean that if they are not here, thats why I think you were reminded you came ... If journalists are not here, if they speak in news what they see -- they see video content and they see images, and you see the center of Kyiv ... Life, life came back. So it means not the first news. And even on the first news, it means not the first aid that we really need but the situation another. JP: It must make it difficult for you because on the one hand, as you say, life in the capital does feel quite normal and that is good that Kyiv is normal. At the same time, it must make you concerned that people forget. VZ: Yes, its not its not normal. That is exactly what means modern war today war. In the east, it can be hard, tough everthing. In Kiev, it can be very calm. Yes, not tough, but at night you can get ballistic rockets. So that means hybrid war. Sometimes it can be attacks, cyberattacks on economic situation. it will have big push and you will not ever come come back to normal life like it was -- with the water, with energy during all this winter. So that means we are in the war. JP: I understand. VZ: And what is also very dangerous people in normal lives have to motivate soldiers. And its very difficult because when you are on the frontline, you have you have to understand that you have support, that you are fighting for that, for the peace. But future peace, not for todays peace. And soldiers, they have to feel that there -- somewhere -- their people also think about it, about soldiers. They go to the work. They work their job and of course, its important because they pay taxes. And from these taxes, we can buy something for security, something for these soldiers. JP: I want to ask you, where is the war going from here, but let me ask you a few things first. You met yesterday with (Rafael) Grossi from the IAEA. Do you feel like there are options for securing the nuclear plant that would be satisfactory to you and to Ukraine? VZ: I dont feel it today. We began in complicated circumstances. Our dialogue with IAEA ... That the dialogue was difficult because I said to him, they occupied it -- the station. It began from not occupation, you remember. It was shut from artillery and different rounds to nuclear station. And I had that night I had phone calls with Biden and with a lot of different leaders, and with this institution and a lot of things. Because I ... (in Ukrainian) was ringing the alert to say that tomorrow they will occupy the station (Back to English).Tomorrow they will occupy it and thats why we should very quickly with all strong world political power push the Russians because they will occupy the stage. They occupied it and then 500 terrorists been there, still there and then they have a lot of tortures on professional, technical and top people on staff. I mean that and they killed someone and someone been a wounded, and someone been stolen because they didnt want to work on Russians. And you know that a lot of children of these people have been deported to Russia -- yeah, of these technical people. So what should they do? How they can live? Of course, they agreed to work because their children are there. Then they begin to change their citizenship, their ID. So they did a lot of steps, but during all these steps, it still each day was very dangerous for all the world -- not only for these people and for Ukraine, of course, but for these six blocs nuclear station. And it is six times bigger than Chernobyl and six times more dangerous than Chernobyl. And what I see after all this, really Grossi wanted to help. And its true. Not only him, President Biden and also Emmanuel Macron. We spoke a lot of time. But what we have some some people then, you know -- two, four people from Grossi -- they work on this station. But people have to understand: What does it mean nuclear station? Like the Zaporizhzhia station. It is the biggest in Europe, so that is the city. What does it mean for people? For people, its even not real analytics. Of course, they do what they can. There are no questions to Grossi -- I mean directly to him. But I have a lot of questions for the United Nations and for his organization because they have special mandate ... This they can do, this cannot do. Here they can come but without, for example, journalists. When I spoke with him because he wanted to go there and I wanted him to go there from Ukrainian territory. That is was ... condition. I have conditions to Grossis team. One of the conditions I had that hell go from Ukrainian territory and with journalists, and I told him that you can take not Ukrainian journalist because Russian be like, Yes, OK. I said take up world journalists, European journalists, American journalists -- it doesnt matter for us -- independent journalists, not even from Ukraine. But take somebody with you to show whats going on. And they didnt allow him. And I said him before it that you will not get there with normal company, with journalists, with understanding. Yes. So whats going on? And thats why I dont see and I dont see how it will work, because the station now doesnt work. Its in dangerous conditions. The level of water ... cooled down. Its lower than than we need. So technically, its not good. You know? And we lost a dangerous, but you have to understand, were in war and we need money and we lost a lot of energy and we lost a lot of money because its switched off. JP: So it sounds like you did not come out of this meeting yesterday feeling optimistic? VZ: Im optimistic. If hes going there, its good, you know? With all the international organization, what I can say really openly, Grossis one of that chiefs of such organizations. He really came and hes coming sometimes, and its good. I mean that because if temporary youre coming, you can see whats going on, minimum what you can do to control something, and that is good because there are so many organization they say, just by phone, we are not allowed by Russians. Thats why we cant come. But that is not the way. Thats why we see the station is not good. I think dangerous and good that we have person there -- our staff -- but they are less than it been before. JP: Okay, thank you for that. Let me ask you about China. Youve said that if China or any party wants to pursue peace, genuinely, youre open to that. President Xi obviously just went to Russia and met with President Putin. Based on what you saw from that visit, do you think China is genuinely interested in negotiating peace or are you skeptical? VZ: Im not thinking of what theyre interested in or not. Im sure that we need to involve as much as possible countries for our peace plan, and that is very important. And I dont know whats going on in China. And I dont know really the details of their relations with Russia. I understand something. We all understand something, really. And our intelligence gave me, time to time, some information. Thats why I can understand a little bit more than just ordinary people. But mostly Im not sure that their relations ... How to say it in an English? (Translator: Yeah, I can help.) ... I think that Russia lost the relations with all the world -- what I wanted to say. And of course they want to hold something with somebody on the playing of such as, you know, primitive game as you know that of the war -- not of Ukraine -- that the war of America, of West. Thats why who are against to West let be on our board. That you know ... its not even children not play such games so primitive. Yes, some sometimes provocative, but what is simple and not interesting. And after they finish their meeting, what we see that they and that Russia gave messages that maybe they will think about nuclear weapon on the territory of Belarus. What does it mean? It mean that the visit was not good for Russia, that real situation. And I think that the problem that he is not adequate -- Russian president -- and thats why he cant understand what is going on. Why even such, you know, allies, allies -- economical allies like China -- why they are not so close to his messages, narratives, etc. We, we are not using this situation when they are not so close to use China. No, no, no. At the very beginning, from the very beginning, we raised up the topic of Budapest Memorandum. We have there, you know, you know supporting or promises. Yes, I support him. Promises from China towards before the war. Yes. Full scale war. I mean that we had such messages that of course they support territorial integrity and nuclear security and etc. Thats why we just want to involve as much as possible adequate countries. And my message being to everybody -- of course, I know that United States, Europe, thats our strong ally and some of them of these countries more than allies, some of them friends, strategic partners, different, but really we understand that were one team. But when we are speaking about the war, we need to, you know, even even such countries which cant connect in real life economically or are their own views on something. Even with different view of civilized development. Yes, even the future even. But we need to involve as much as possible countries. That is my message to China. JP: If youre looking to involve other countries including China, do you have any plans to speak with President Xi or have him come visit you here in Ukraine? VZ: I said that I want to speak with Africa Conference. We didnt have good contacts with Latin America, countries we dont have so close. We began to do it with Africa. I had some conversations with some countries, with some leaders. With Latin America, I began I had with Chile and with President Lula, Brazil. Of course, I gave all the diplomatic and public and not public to president of China, to leader of China. And I want to speak with him because I have gone -- I had contact with him before full scale war. But during all this year, more than one year, I didnt have any. I really wait when our teams will find a solution. (crosstalk) JP: So youd like to, but no plan at the moment? VZ: Yes, yes. JP: And would you invite him here to Ukraine? VZ: Oh, yes. We are ready. We are ready to see him. Yeah. JP: Let me ask you, weve just passed the one year mark of the war and the world very much knows you now as a wartime leader. What has surprised you about yourself over this last year? VZ: (laughing) I dont know. This question it would be surprising. JP: How about this? What has surprised you most about Ukrainians this past year? VZ: People. You know, its like with my children. Relations with children. I think everybody who has children, I think they think that my children are so nice, so smart, so sweet. (laughing) No, other children arent so great, but mine ... I mean, that is real my attitude to Ukrainians. I mean that. I really believe I know that there are different people like in all the countries in the world. There are strong people and weak, there are good and not. But mostly I know there are some features of Ukrainians, so they are very, very free and we have problems with discipline. Really, we have big problems with discipline because of, for example, me. I come always in time when I have decision with somebody, I come in, I have to wait. And I know that there are some sound questions with some details. But in this free, there is one very important sense. We love freedom and you see minuses on one side, but there are big plus when you love somebody like people, like children, like freedom. You are really really you ready to stay strong. Strengths people who are, you know, up and under. ... I mean who are near. Yes. And you are ready to fight for freedom. And thats why it wasnt a surprise for me that people are ready to fight for freedom, but surprise for that we are so ready to do it so long. And I think that is very important moment because, you know, there are many people in history, they began a war -- not began wars, they began to defend their selves. They began to fight with enemies. And they lost because somebody was bigger and bigger and more rich and etc., but this situation -- that was the biggest surprise. That we are -- its not emotional to defend the freedom. Its really in Ukrainians heart, so it meant that everybody that we are ready to stay as long as we need. We need is longer than possible and thats really what I see and that is great. I dont know if its surprise, but great surprise. JP: Do you do you think at all about the impact of this war on the people of your country, though? All of the men who have had to go and fight, the children who are growing up in the middle of the war? Does the impact on the people of your country worry you? VZ: Yes. You mean that that people changed? JP: Yeah. VZ: Yes, everybody changed. Everybody. And that to do war, to find to a lot of privileges of the war. We cant. We cant do it because first of all, war brings tragedy and took and take and the war takes people. So there are nothing good in the war. And of course, children without childhood that without school years, without moments of friendship, moments of love. Young people, because they are on the war. And of course, sometime they found on the frontline, they found each other. That was great moments -- weddings in the frontline. But its a little number of side. Mostly that dredged in moments what war brings and brought to Ukraine and brings to the world. (pauses) But there is only one thing what I want to underline. What is good but not because the war came, because this war changed us. And that is a big, big challenge. And it could go one way to divide the country, or another way and to unite us. And in these two ways, Im so thankful. Im thankful for everybody, for everything, for partners, our people. Thanks, God, everybody. I mean, thanks that we found this way and this critical moment for the nation. I think this fighting this way, thats thing which saved our nation and we saved our land. We are together. And that is great. This unity need. Yes. From one side, somebody can say that. But that is against that is not with love or, you know, some something like this -- emotional -- but its only emotional really for the life, for all the nations. Im sure that the main thing is unity, to be strong. Because we are stronger than Russia, because they are not unity, because they have this ... (Ukrainian) hierarchy (English) like in Romes civilization. Thats why, thats really what means what is democracy. You know? (Ukrainian) The country has matured. (English) Because nobody understand. What does mean -- independence? (interrupted) What does it mean, independence? What does it mean? The price, the cost of sovereignty, the real cost? And what does it mean -- democracy? It mean to be a little bit older than young country, you know. And this moment, I think in this moment it became to us and we became, and that is very important. JP: How has the war changed you? VZ: I think, like everybody, like everybody, (Ukrainian) all unnecessary details are gone. (English) So I really didnt know ... I was surprised that I need nothing. (laughs) You know, mostly, mostly that. But I focused and also very important to what do you see, how you see your future? What is important? The question is like, do you believe in God or not? That is the same question from position of rhetoric, What is important for you? It bring me to the position. It changed the position. Now I know what is important. And it means sometimes only old people understand what is important because they see what was during their life. Oh, I cant. I cant. I can remember nothing. So nothing important.' So for what I lived and people cant find the solution within himself or itself. But for me, I know that important. Yes. That my home is important. And everything which is in my home, my home, my God, everything in my life, my country, my wife, my children and parents. And what is very important, when I say my I mean that Ukraine. And I mean, its very important. (Ukrainian) Fence (English) -- very important. Who is your neighbor. Yes. Very important. House near. Its important because you trust on trust. If something bad with somebody, will be back with you. If you will help, somebody will help you. And all these very simple things, which important with not so many. Not so many. No cars. No, no. You know JP: We talked about this a bit earlier. Your schedule is quite busy. Youre traveling a lot. Youre on the phone doing calls. Do you get any time to relax? How do you take breaks? How do you unwind? VZ: We have to understand. What does it mean to have break? Its about, I think, moments of little victories. I think that this break. Yes. On the frontline message, thats good. That is a break. Some emotional moment or phone call of my son. Is it victory for me? Yes. I have this break. He said something. He had competition at school and he got the second place in wrestling and its very important, but my question How are you? It was painful or something. I mean that just you relax during, and some sometimes this two, three minutes can bring you to very adequate state at every stage and you can relax. Sometimes to see people like weve been here (gestures out the window). And if somebody wants just the question of the woman -- she said, Can I hug you? So I shake hands to men and to women, and I gave them different medals. And one of them, she said, But can I thank you, thank you that you hold us together? And can I hug you? And I said, yes. And that is also moment that you can, you know? What give us relax, something positive. JP: The energy from people. VZ: Yes. Yes, some energy. And we can live. JP: Can I ask about your children? How are they doing? VZ: I think like all the children, its real that they became adults. Its real that my son, hes 10 -- hes almost 10 years. So hes the age of this war, you know. All this war, my son -- a real child of the war. I mean, and we have so many, so many children like my son. And he, all this time he lived in Ukraine. (inaudible) He has so strong position. His position never changed. And that is our new generation and I really believe in this. What weve did in this war, this thats real thing. When you ask him, he -- and I never told him that that is our enemy. He knows and he is not finding balance in some things. Hes real Ukrainian. He understands who is enemy, who is hero, who are our friends on frontline heroes. He is very understand. I think that is great because hes so strong, very emotional because the war was what bad things brought that emotionally. Everybodys very emotional because of stresses and thats real life. But what I see, the very strong man, not a child but a man. (crosstalk) My daughter, shes lady. Shes 18 and a half. And so, Im knocking to the door. (laughing) JP: Youre just hoping shell pick up your phone calls probably, at this point. VZ: I know that she wants to have her ... space. And Im very careful with that. I know, because I remember me and I wanted to have a lot of space because Im very free and I wanted to be free. For me, freedom was number one -- from everybody, from parents to people who walked with me. And thats why I understand what she feels. Thats why Im very careful. JP: You may be president of the country, but youre still her dad, too. VZ: Yes. (laughing) JP: Let me ask you, I think its fair to say that a lot of the world was surprised at how strong the Ukrainian military was at the start of the war. And I think people expected that Russia would be far stronger. Do you feel like the Ukrainian military can keep up this momentum as we head into the second year? And what do you need in order to be able to do that? VZ: For everything, for every victory we need only victory because otherwise well lose. If we lose, well lose the country. Its real, real situation. Thats why we need the victory. But when I say victory, its not so simple. Because to get victory, who always get a victory? Only very, very motivated people. And its very difficult to motivate on the frontline because youre tired. Soldiers, tired brigades tired, everybody tired. You have to change. You have to change, you know, some some weeks and you have to change people. They have to have some rest and there are wounded people and etc. But its so difficult. And one thing, even if you love your country, you have to be motivated -- all of us. And thats why we spoke about it at the very beginning of our dialogue about this society, how they feel the wartime. They sometimes they feel that theyre the peace and no, no, it doesnt demotivate people on the frontlines. So the first category, I think motivation its important. The same feeling, you know, strong back. When our people are on the frontline and when the soldier is shooting and if he knows that the bridge. Yes, the enemy, and the lot of more than us. And I have only one bridge back, but I cant go back because if I will go back, everybody will go back. But the problem is the bridge, because they fight and the rockets are flying to the bridge and if the bridge will be broken, I will be killed and nobody will give me some shells, additional ammunition. So I will be alone without rounds and they will kill me. And this bridge that is our help of our partners. We need to have always this bridge because we need to feel the support of of Europe, the support of United States. Of course, that is political support. We understand how its important and its motivate people who are deeply in the process. But emotionally, that guys who weve got on the frontline when they hear that there is no ammunition support, they feel that the bridge will be broken. Even if its not true, but its demotivated. And that is the problem. We are stronger on the frontline because we are on our land and that is one of the fact of motivation. They are not so strong, they are people -- ordinary people, Russians -- but they are not motivated because they dont know why they are here. So each day we have to find help, support and motivation for our soldiers. And when I said not very political ... United States really understand that they if they will stop help us, we will not win. And there are very simple things which we understand, which everybody understand. And sometimes, you cant understand why if the world understands what is going on. From, you know, from A to Z. If the world understands what the problem. JP: Does it worry you then that there is some debate starting to happen in the U.S. as we go into a presidential election? VZ: Yes. And Im speaking about it because its so. I mean that its so simple to understand what will be tomorrow. And its so simple to understand how it can be if everything will be the right side, the right way. So its very simple that Putin is a loser for today. He lost everything. He doesnt have allies. And its very primitive to see, especially for people with political experience and with intelligence, with details from their intelligence. Of course, its simple to understand the China is not ready to help him. And its very understandable that Europe can push with United States, Iran and Israel. Its really very primitive to understand that without China, without Iranian help, he will lose. And the question is not in years. No, not in the years. And its also very understandable how it will be that when he will lose the support -- not of society -- the support of business, he will lose everything. They will change him. Without the United States, without special agents. Everything is will be very quick -- like this (snaps fingers) in one moment, but its very simple understanding. Nobody believed in us. Its true. And Im happy and I dont know whom to say thanks that this right way, the right way joined and chosen us -- not we, not only we -- right way. And thats why for today, all our steps forward -- of course, our steps forward -- it means Putin steps back from Kremlin, from his political decision-making and from leader of Russia. He will be pushed. JP: But if something were to change in the U.S. position and U.S. support for Ukraine, you see all of that could fall apart? VZ: I think for today, for today really, I understand that even if it will go such way like this, like today, really ... We will win, but we will lose a lot of people because it will be more longer. And thats simple. The number of brigades, and we dont have secrets from the United States. They know all of our ideas. The number of brigades and the number of brigades has to be completed by the ammunition. The number, where it compared to number -- no fantastic number -- of ammunition in very confronting dates. And each operation also consists of worry, contradict number of the dates, days, weeks or months -- thats all, not years. And we have these, understandable for us, directions, ideas for operations. And our partners ... We shared with them our ideas. We can be on our own one side with some of the ideas, but we can have different thoughts that this is more dangerous. But that is normal because is dialogue. And thats why I cant understand ... If we can finish the war during the year and we really can win, how dozens of years people will think, What will be with Russia? What does this -- Im sorry, what is this stupid question? We cant rule the Russian society because Russian society is example like the leader of Russia wanted to rule Ukrainian society and the societies of Europe -- a lot of countries and etc. And we know whats been in Afghanistan, in a lot of different countries on this, you know, during this history. And thats why we have not to think now what to do with Russians. That from two-zero fourteen that is their problem and their question. Hes the problem of their society and they have to make decisions. They have to change. For example, when somebody say we cant take all the money from oligarchs of Russian, which are frozen, we can freeze but we cant take all money and give for renovation to Ukraine because we have to find some solution. Maybe to give half and half to freeze. And they found the answer, the answer to that question -- why they do and things such way -- because we cant lose the connection with Russian business. Its yeah JP: You can say it. Its okay. (laughter) VZ: ... (laughter) (profanity) Why that is (profanity) -- ... because they have and they will fight and they will change him, him or his opinion. That is their question. To take all their money, to cancel all the visas, to send their children to their country, they will change. (chatter with press secretary) JP: But the U.S. and Europe have not gone that far yet. Theyve done sanctions. Theyve done some asset freezes, but theyve not done everything that youre talking about here. VZ: I think that their policy of us, European Union, and United States -- they have common policy. What I see and thats, you know, to push, but not to the end. I just want to send the message, if we will give chance to circle of politicians near President Putin and himself, he will give them a chance to renovate their policy. They will come back, they will occupied us and they will not give chance to Europe and to United State, to everybody where they will feel power. I mean, that they will not give chance, will not give. Thats why its normal. That is that is about rule of law. Its not about attacking the civilian people even then when they attack us, because Im addressing to United States, European Union, to all the world. They have to push them to push their business. They have to know that they will lose all their money -- all their money, all these issues, all their real estate in Europe or in the world. Their yachts, everywhere. Turkey. Turkey gave a lot of things, I think, to Russia. A lot of possibilities how to live out of their Russia. And I think that is a mistake. JP: Theres been a lot of discussion about a Ukrainian spring offensive. VZ: Yeah. JP: How critical do you think that is going to be to your success in this war? VZ: I think they began everything, really. Of course, they collect. We understand even what they do and what the number is will be big number. But they really used it already. They begin using all this. They took from, you know, Abkhazia, Syria, from all the borders of Russia. So totally they lost that their image of strong army. They lost everything really because they took the troops from all these regions where they saw where they saw their presence. They brought it to Ukraine. And, of course, is difficult for us. Thats why of my messages are ... If they say that they are fighting against West on the territory of Ukraine, what can I say? The real situation that we are fighting against Iran, against weapon from Syria, against everything, against their Wagners, which are in many countries in the world and JP: But the idea of a Ukrainian spring offensive -- how critical do you think that will be? VZ: Its critical because the time, because we need defend things things. Its so difficult. we dont have still we dont have. for example, we have great decisions about Patriots. Yes. We dont have it real. We have good decision that we will train our pilots on modern aircrafts. I mean that some Western kind aircrafts and different different -- Im speaking about, you know, younger fighters or Typhoons. Its not about not only about F-16. I mean, theyre different, but we still dont have anything. And if we are speaking about what about their air defense systems, its not only about Patriots. For example, we had decisions about some some of them, and they are on the way. With all due respect to some European countries, but, you know -- I dont want to say the name of the country because when it came it doesnt work. For example, we changed it again and again and again. You know JP: You got something that didnt work? VZ: Yes, yes. But that is the life, I mean that is the life. you know but we lose this life. And thats why I mean that somebody told me that, Bad decision. Some systems of Patriots, you will have but you are not NATO country. But you will be the first country not NATO who will have Patriots. And some old journalist said to me, You have to be thankful. OK, yes. At least you will defend your people. No, because we need 20 systems of Patriots to defeat, to defend our sky from ballistic rockets. And even we will have such number, we will be sure with you and with our partners, because no country in the world wasnt attack by so many ballistic rockets. And thousands of S-300s. You know, so nobody had before us such no challenge, such experience. Thats why there no answer. Of course Im thankful for each air defense system and I spoke with leaders about each air defense and I have decisions with them about each air defense system. And every time people have to know Im very thankful, but Im realistic. We cant, for example, take all their air defense system to Kyiv because Kyiv is not the Ukraine. Kyiv in the capital of Ukraine. Very important, but we have very big territory, real life. JP: One of the things you hear from officials in Washington or Brussels or in other places is if the West gets more involved, if they give you more, then this will provoke Putin. And then were in World War Three. Do you buy that argument at all? VZ: No. Its not the argument because Putin is thinking -- I think so -- he is thinking, if he can. In some moments, if hes adequate in some moments Im not sure because I dont know. Because hes informationally isolated person. And I think hes thinking how to get out from this. So because from one side, I think his defense people will eat him or FSB -- at what moment they will feel the blood that hes not so strong, they will do it. Thats why hes thinking how to be strong, how to defend himself. That is my opinion and how to save, so find some solution. He was very strong and very principled. No solutions, no compromises. Only Crimea, Donbas is mine. That is a real document of what Im ready to sign up. That was, you know, all this time, all these years. But out there, they killed so many people. There are not any solutions with him. And now he understands that he has such moment and then lets think about nuclear weapon. If person wants to save himself, he really will use these. Im not sure that he he is ready to do it, but there is only one moment. But if he will feel again some blood from, you know ... smell that we are weak or Western part, of course he will push, push, push, push. And when he is ready and when he will be strong, I think he can use everything. Because Im not sure, again, that hes adequate. Because what was the Crimea? It was such a such example. He took the Crimea -- not the first days. If you remember, the first days, they came to Crimea without their uniform official uniforms the soldiers. Hes like a deminer. He was feeling what will be, trying, yes, trying. One day, second day. Somebody something say? Words nothing. Second Sunday, then he said, Its not our people. Thats the decision of Crimea. I didnt have any soldiers there. He didnt see a strong reaction. And they dont respect Russia, doesnt respect a weak countries, weak voices and weak leaders -- they dont respect. Thats why they always want such leaders. But in all the countries, including Ukraine including, and thats why West is more stronger than even sometimes some of the leaders imagine. More stronger. And now we see the NATO stronger in unity. JP: Is this part of why you are fighting so hard in Bakhmut? Because a lot of military analysts will say that strategically its not that significant. VZ: Because that will be victory for him. He will JP: And any victory VZ: Yes. He will sell this victory. He will sell this victory to West, to his society, to China, to Iran, to all the countries, to Brazil, to Latin America countries. Not to Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia. Of course, they really understand, you know, from details. And they feel these dangers because theyre neighbors. But he will sell it to his society. That one little step. Now, wait a minute. Wait a minute. I will have a decision with Ukraine. Then another step. Another step, nother step. And then he will, believe me, he will have solution. Maybe not official. After such point, he will have a solution with many countries in the world. On every continent, he will have allies in the question to push us and push me, and how to push me, to push our society and our society to find a way. How our society will feel tired, will feel dangerous, will feel dangerous after nuclear weapon. And our society will push me to have a compromise with them. Thats it. JP: So theres a lot on the line in every single battle here. VZ: We cant lose. We cant lose the steps because the war, its a pie. A pie of such pieces of victories. Small victories, small steps because very big country, big enemy, big army -- Russia -- and small hearts. JP: Let me ask you the one last question. Just maybe a fun one. Youve gotten to meet all of these ... well, I dont know if youll find it fun. (laughter) Youve gotten to meet all of these world leaders over the last year, spent all of this time with them. Theyve come here, theyve ridden the trains. Who do you like? Who have you bonded with? Who do you consider your friends among the world leaders? VZ: Oh, its very dangerous now. (laughter) But can I answer you after the war, after the victory? I will answer you. JP: Sure, you call me. Ill give you my number. VZ: OK, OK. JP: Well, we really appreciate you taking this time. Its very generous of you. VZ: Thank you so much. JP: And I think its really helped me understand the war and you better. (crosstalk) VZ: Thank you. Thank you. Youre welcome. JP: We may just get a couple casual shots and well turn the light on in a moment for a friend to VZ: Some photos ... JERUSALEM (AP) Two Jewish settlers have been charged with terrorism for an axe attack earlier this month on a Palestinian family in the occupied West Bank, Israels Shin Bet security agency said Thursday. The Shin Bet said the attack occurred in the northern West Bank town of Hawara the same town where hundreds of settlers burned houses and property in a rampage late last month that left one Palestinian dead. The settlers were arrested for an attack that occurred the following week, on March 6. Security camera footage showed two assailants throwing stones at a Palestinian car. One of the attackers is then seen repeatedly striking one of the windows with what appears to be a hatchet or a small axe, before the car drives away. The two suspects one a resident of the West Bank settlement of Yitzhar and the other a resident of the unauthorized outpost of Givat Ronen were charged on Thursday with committing an act of terrorism and intentional sabotage of a vehicle with racist intent, the Shin Bet said. The agency said the pair belonged to a violent group that tries to harm Palestinians and disrupt the activities of the Israeli military in the area. The Shin Bet sees these acts, which are carried out under nationalistic motives, as a danger to national security, it said. Hawara, which is located near several hard-line Jewish settlements, experiences frequent friction between the sides. Arrests of Israelis for attacks on Palestinians are rare. Last months settler rampage occurred after two Israelis were killed while driving through the town. Four Israelis have subsequently been wounded in two additional shootings there. Israels police force says it has arrested 16 people in connection to the Feb. 26 rampage, including two suspects who are being held without charge while the investigation continues. A total of 84,000 have undergone the recently expanded pre-marriage medical examinations under a new presidential initiative launched in late February, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Health and Population on Tuesday. The health ministry has issued 58,000 health certificates to would-be-spouses who underwent the examinations since the start of the initiative, the statement added. A QR-code-secure health certificate issued by one of 303 public health clinics designated to administer pre-marriage medical examinations is a requirement for each of the two would-be-spouses to finalise marriage procedures. Results of examinations are confidential and do not prevent a marriage from being finalised. Pre-marriage general medical examinations for would-be spouses have been mandatory since 2008. Last month, upon instructions from President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, the scope of pre-marriage medical examinations were expanded to include testing for HIV and other infectious diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, AIDS,, thalassemia and sickle cell disease. President El-Sisi has stressed that mandating pre-marriage medical examinations comes as part of the duty of the state to reassure parents of would-be couples and the couples themselves on health issues that affect not only those seeking marriage but future generations as well. Pre-marriage medical examinations are subsidised by the government and cost EGP 220, down from actual cost of EGP 450 to EGP 500. All certificates are valid for six months. Examinations must be taken at least 14 days before marriage to allow time for processing. Non-Egyptian residents who seek marriage in Egypt are also required to obtain a certificate. Anyone seeking to obtain a health certificate can call the hotline at 15335 or visit the 100 Million Healthy Lives initiative's website to find information about the nearest public health centre that administers required tests. Search Keywords: Short link: Currently Reading Alert: A Mexican court has issued arrest orders for 6 people in the fire that killed 39 migrants at a detention facility DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Prosecutors in the Arab Gulf nation of Bahrain on Thursday have handed down yearlong prison sentences to three people for debating Islamic theology in a series of blog posts and online videos. The three are part of a local cultural society called Tajdeed, Arabic for Renewal, that says it questions traditional Islamic scholarship and jurisprudence but not the religion itself. Critics, including prominent Shiite clerics in the kingdom, have accused the group of attacking the foundations of Islam and have waged a campaign of incitement against them. The case has divided the majority Shiite community in Bahrain, which is ruled by a Sunni monarchy. The public prosecutor's office said the three defendants were guilty of infringing on the foundations of the Islamic faith and insulting its prophets, in part by dismissing purported miracles as popular myths. It did not name the defendants, but activists have identified them as Jalal al-Qassab and Redha Rajab, who were summoned to court, and Mohammed Rajab, who lives in Britain. They are free on bail pending appeal. Islam, like other world religions, has a rich tradition of theological debate going back to its earliest days. But in modern Muslim-majority countries both political and religious authorities often enforce a conservative orthodoxy, and reformers are censured and in some cases targeted with violence. Prosecutors specializing in cybercrimes referred the three defendants to a criminal court last month, accusing them of deliberately undermining the basics of the Islamic religion on which all Muslims and sects agree, the state-run Bahrain News Agency reported. Human Rights Watch has called on authorities to drop the charges. Despite putting on an appearance of religious and political tolerance in the country, Bahraini authorities continue to target and suppress speech that does not conform to their own views, Niku Jafarnia, a Bahrain researcher for the New York-based rights group, said in a statement last month. The members of Tajdeed are being persecuted for doing nothing other than researching and questioning religious texts and speaking openly about their beliefs, HRW said. Prominent Shiite clerics in Bahrain have inveighed against Tajdeed in Friday sermons, accusing them of undermining Islam and calling on the faithful to ostracize them. Tajdeed says it does not question the Quran, Islam's holy book, or the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, which are at the heart of the faith, but rather the opinions of religious scholars and others who came later, including modern-day clerics. Bahrain was rocked by pro-democracy protests led by the Shiite majority against the Sunni monarchy in 2011. Authorities quashed the protests by force with aid from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, but Bahrain has continued to see low-level unrest over the years. The small island nation off Saudi Arabia is also home to the U.S. Navys 5th Fleet. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate TRURO, Nova Scotia (AP) A public inquiry has found widespread failures in how Canadas federal police force responded to the country's worst mass shooting and recommends that the government rethink the Royal Canadian Mounted Polices central role in the country's policing. In a seven-volume report released Thursday, the Mass Casualty Commission also says the RCMP missed red flags in the years leading up to the Nova Scotia rampage on April 18-19, 2020, which left 22 people slain by a denture maker disguised as an RCMP officer and driving a replica police vehicle. The assailant, Gabriel Wortman, was killed by two Mounties at a gas station in Enfield, Nova Scotia, 13 hours into his rampage. Disguised as a police officer, Wortman shot people in their homes and set fires in a killing spree that included 16 crime scenes in five rural communities across the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called it one of the darkest chapters in Canadian history and said he hopes the report is one of the many steps toward ensuring a tragedy like that never happens again. Trudeau attended the report's release in Nova Scotia and said his government will examine it closely. There is no question that there needs to be changes and there will be, Trudeau said. Among other things, the commission says the national police force is badly disorganized. Its review of the RCMPs 5,000 pages of policies and procedures found the forces own members were unclear on proper responses to critical incidents and communication with the public. The report delves deeply into the causes of the mass shooting. These include the killers violence toward his spouse and the failure of police to act on it, and implicit biases that seemed to blind officers and community members to the danger a white, male professional posed. In response, the commissioners call for a future RCMP where the current 26-week model of training is scrapped as its no longer sufficient for the complex demands of policing. The academy would be replaced with a three-year, degree-based model of education, as exists in Finland. The document begins with an account of the police errors in the years before the killings, and the events of April 18 and 19. The reports summary says that soon after the shooting started in Portapique, Nova Scotia, RCMP commanders disregarded witness accounts, and senior Mounties wrongly assumed residents were mistaken when they reported seeing the killer driving a fully marked RCMP cruiser. Important community sources of information were ignored, it says. In addition, the report says police failed to promptly send out alerts to the public with a description of the killer until it was too late for some of his victims. Having laid out a litany of shortcomings, the inquiry calls for a fresh external review of the police force. It says the federal minister of public safety should then establish priorities for the RCMP, retaining the tasks that are suitable to a federal policing agency, and identifying what responsibilities are better reassigned to other agencies. This may entail a reconfiguration of policing in Canada and a new approach to federal financial support for provincial and municipal policing services, the report says. Michael Duheme, the interim RCMP commissioner, said he hasn't had time to go through the recommendations despite the RCMP getting a copy of the report on Wednesday. Duheme said he was deeply sorry for the pain and suffering endured by families of the victims. I cant even imagine what you have endured, he said, adding that the RCMP "must learn and we are committed to do just that. Dennis Daley, the head of the RCMP in Nova Scotia, said to the families that he knows that the response wasn't what you needed to be. And for that I am deeply sorry. The victims in Canadas worst mass shooting included an RCMP officer, a teacher, health-care workers, retirees, neighbors of the shooter and two correctional officers killed in their home. The rampage started when Wortman attacked his spouse. Nothing will bring my brother back or any of the other people in this horrible ordeal, said Scott McLeod, the brother of victim Sean McLeod. If this report makes a positive change nationwide it will be appreciated, I know, by families. The report details Wortman s history of domestic violence in his relationships with women, including his spouse Lisa Banfield. In particular, the report notes the experience of Brenda Forbes, a neighbor in Portapique who informed the RCMP of Wortmans violence toward Banfield. He never faced any consequences, but she dealt with years of stalking, harassment and threats from Wortman, prompting her to leave the province. Jessica Zita, lawyer for Banfield, read a statement from her client in which she says she hopes there will be meaningful changes from the recommendations especially those involving domestic violence. Mass shootings are relatively rare in Canada. The country overhauled its gun-control laws after gunman Marc Lepine killed 14 women and himself at Montreals Ecole Polytechnique college in 1989. Before the Nova Scotia rampage, that had been the countrys worst, This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BARCELONA, Spain (AP) In his more than a decade battling wildfires, firefighter Manuel Rubio had never seen a blaze like the one that raged for the past week in eastern Spain. Not this early in the year. The forest fire that that broke out last Thursday near the village of Villanueva de Viver surprised Rubio and fire experts by displaying an unusual ferocity for spring, when in previous years lower temperatures helped keep fires manageable. That doesn't bode well for a country that led Europe in burned land during a record-hot 2022. I was expecting a fire like the ones we normally see in March, which can consume 100, 200 hectares, not the more than 4,300 hectares (11,600 acres) that this one has burned, Rubio, 39, told The Associated Press hours before going back into the fray. We are dealing with weather conditions appropriate for the summer and have a fire that is behaving like a summertime fire. The Mediterranean region is warming faster than the global average due to climate change caused by the release of greenhouse gases. The effects, European and Spanish officials agree, are already being seen in the multiple heat waves and the prolonged drought that Spain has endured over several months. Those conditions have turned Spains vast expanses of woods into a tinderbox just waiting for the random lightning strike, spark from a tractor or saw, negligently cast cigarette, or act of arson to ignite the landscape. Some 267,000 hectares (666,000 acres) burned last year in Spain, making 2022 its worst year of fire destruction since 1994, government statistics say. That was three times the national average for the past decade of 94,000 hectares (232,000 acres). According to the European Unions Copernicus satellite observation service, Spain accounted for 35% of all burned land in European wildfires in 2022. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned of worse to come unless some desperately needed rain comes to the rescue, on his visit to the countrys first major fire of the year. Unfortunately, over the last few years these fires are becoming normal. What is not so normal is that we see them in March, Sanchez said on Monday. This has a lot to do with the climate emergency that the world is facing. The fire has forced the evacuation of nearly 1,400 people from their homes in Villanueva de Viver and other small villages in the hilly, rural provinces of Castellon and Teruel. Like many parts of Spain's interior, the regions have shrinking, and aging populations. Some 4,600 hectares of forest that authorities deem of high ecological value have gone up in huge plumes of smoke. Five hundred firefighters, supported by 20 water-dumping aircraft, battle on to protect a nearby nature reserve. To make things tougher for Rubio and his fellow firefighters, the area is full of tiny villages that are surrounded by trees, making them difficult to protect. A generation ago, the lands were tended to by the villagers. Now that younger generations have abandoned those agricultural jobs, which included collecting firewood, the land is overgrown with dense foliage that fuels fires when dry. Rubio said that the areas vegetation, mainly made up of small pine trees typical of the Mediterranean, and brush, which is very dense, combined with abnormally high temperatures and well-under-average rainfall produced the perfect conditions for the fire. In this part of Castellon, only 20 millimeters (0.8 inches) of rain fell during the winter months, when the average is over 100 (4 inches). France, too, saw surprisingly early forest fires this year, after having several major fires in 2022 like Spain. Amid a record-breaking stretch of winter drought across France, wildfires broke out in February near Avignon in the southeast, in the Pyrenees region in the southwest, and the Charente-Maritime region on the Atlantic coast. The spokesperson for Spains weather service, Ruben del Campo, warned Wednesday that higher temperatures, reaching 5-10 degrees Celsius (9-18 degrees Fahrenheit) above average, were forecast for Castellon and the rest of eastern Spain in the coming days. He said the expected temperatures are normally seen in mid-to-late May. The rising temperatures combined with westerly winds, which reach the Mediterranean hot and dry, cause the relative humidity to fall, and the risk of wildfires goes up dramatically, Del Campo said. More fires flared up across northern Spain on Thursday. Over 1,100 hectares (2,718 acres) were scorched in the northwest province of Lugo, while authorities in the Asturias region reported over 97 different fires that forced at least 20 people to evacuate their homes. Army firefighting units were deployed to all three areas to help extinction efforts. The situation north of the fire in Spains Catalonia, which borders with France, is also incredibly delicate, and authorities are bracing for the worst. The region home to Barcelona is suffering its worst drought on record and temperatures beat yearly averages by a full 2.7 degrees Celsius (4.9 degrees Fahrenheit) last year. The director of Catalonia weather service, Sarai Sarroca, said Wednesday that their climate models hadn't expected such a huge surge in temperature until the year 2050. Sarroca said that one cause of the drought is the collapse of strong, humid winds that usually blow over the Pyrenees Mountains and help produce snow and rain in the winter. For Juli Pausas, a specialist in fire ecology who researches desertification for the Spanish National Research Council, this was all sadly predictable. He said that with temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius (84 degrees Fahrenheit) during the Castellon fire and a lack of rainfall, we now have 20th century vegetation in a 21st century climate." We are in climatic conditions that favor big fires, Pausas told the AP. We have known for a long time that the climate is changing, and we have known that this would have consequences, including more wildfires, yet we haven't done enough to stop it. ___ Follow APs climate and environment coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) A Canadian judge has acquitted a now-retired 93-year-old priest of assault after a student at one of Canadas notorious residential schools accused him of forcing himself on her more than 50 years ago. Victoria McIntosh testified she was assaulted by Arthur Masse in a bathroom of the Fort Alexander Residential School north of Winnipeg, Manitoba sometime between 1968 and 1970. PARIS (AP) A French court of appeal ruled Thursday not to extradite to Ukraine the Ukrainian billionaire businessman Kostyantin Zhevago, who was temporarily detained in France in December. Ukraines National Bureau of Investigation had said Zhevago, who owns a majority stake in mining group Ferrexpo, was wanted on suspicion of embezzlement and money laundering related to the bankruptcy of Ukrainian bank Finance and Credit. LONDON (AP) Britain's police watchdog asked prosecutors Thursday to decide whether to charge a police officer over the fatal shooting of an unarmed Black man in London last year. Chris Kaba died after an officer fired a single gunshot through the windshield of the car the 24-year-old was driving in a residential area of south London on Sept. 5. Officials said at an inquest last year that the Audi was believed to be linked to a firearms incident that took place the previous day. The vehicle's registration number had been entered into a database for automatic camera recognition, although Kaba's name was not included in an officer briefing. Kaba's family has accused London's Metropolitan Police of racism and called for the officer to be charged. The Independent Office for Police Conduct said Thursday it has completed a homicide investigation into Kaba's death and passed on a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service. The watchdog's director, Amanda Rowe, said it was up to prosecutors to decide whether or not to charge the officer, who was suspended from duty while under investigation. Kaba's family welcomed the move and said they hoped the truth will emerge, without delay, through criminal proceedings. Our family and community cannot continue waiting for answers, the family said in a statement. Kaba was expecting a child when police pursued and blocked the Audi, according to information from the inquest. An officer who got out stood in front of Kaba's car and fired through the windshield, striking him in the head. He died in the hospital soon after. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said Kaba's death prompted anger, pain and fear and a desire for change and justice across the capital, especially among Black Londoners. The shooting came amid intense scrutiny of the Metropolitan Police. In 2021, an officer on Britain's biggest police force pleaded guilty to raping, kidnapping and bearing responsibility for the death of a 33-year-old woman who disappeared while walking home from visiting a friend. Another Met officer, who worked in the same parliamentary and diplomatic protection unit, pleaded guilty in January to committing dozens of rapes between 2003 and 2020. The police department has been embroiled in other matters involving its treatment of women and minorities. Earlier this month, an independent review found the London force had lost public confidence because of deep-seated racism, misogyny and homophobia. Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday encouraged Tanzania's fragile progress toward a more inclusive government as she stepped onto the front lines of America's push to strengthen democracy in Africa. Standing alongside Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzanias first female president, Harris cited recent decisions from Tanzania such as lifting a ban on opposition rallies and encouraging more press freedom as important and meaningful steps toward democratic reforms. Hassan has undone some of Tanzania's more oppressive policies even though she came to power as a member of the ruling party. The United States will continue to work alongside democratic governments in support of democratic aspiration and the democratic aspirations in particular of the people of this continent, Harris said. The leaders planned to discuss matters of good government, long-term economic growth in Tanzania and the climate crisis. Hassan noted Tanzania's participation in a virtual summit on democracy hosted by the White House this week, saying it sends a clear message that the fathers of democracy recognize our efforts in building a democratic nation. She said the meeting with Harris was another milestone and would be an inspiration and a testimony to Tanzanian young girls. Hassan is finishing out the term of President John Magufuli, who earned a reputation for stamping out dissent, arresting critics and forcing them into exile, before he died in office. Hard-liners have been uncomfortable with some of Hassans changes, however, which could cost her in the next election two years from now. The meeting between Hassan and Harris, the first woman to be America's vice president, was a noteworthy show of support from the United States as it deepens its outreach to Africa. Harris announced $560 million in U.S. assistance for Tanzania, some of which will require congressional approval. The money is intended to expand the countries trade relationship, as well as encourage democratic governance. Theres so much excitement here, and people are saying its like madam presidents efforts in changing the country are being rewarded with recognition from an economic and political superpower that is the U.S., said Tanzania-based analyst Mohamed Issa Hemed. During a previous meeting in Washington, Harris told Hassan that we welcome the progress that you have made during the course of your leadership and, in particular, the work you have done to empower women leaders in Tanzania and the work you have done to support human rights. The time with Hassan will provide Harris with another opportunity to highlight womens issues in Africa, something shes done repeatedly over the course of her trip. During her previous stop in Ghana, Harris met with female entrepreneurs and said women need leadership opportunities. The future, Harris said, should be a place where women are not just treated equally but are able to thrive. These conversations are very important, she said at the Mix Design Hub, a modern building that features a restaurant, an art gallery and a co-working space. Because the well-being of women will be a reflection of the well-being of all of society. After her meeting with Hassan, Harris visited a memorial to the U.S. Embassy bombing in Tanzania on Aug. 7, 1998 the day a simultaneous bombing took place in Kenya. At the memorial, called Hope Out of Sorrow, Harris shook hands with staff who were present during the attack in Dar es Salaam, as well as the U.S. ambassador to Tanzania from that time, Charles Stith. Harris paused in front of the memorial, where there was a wreath adorned with white flowers, to pay her respects. Thank you all for a continued life of service, Harris told embassy staff. The bombing in Tanzania killed 12 people and wounded 77. Harris arrived in Tanzania late Wednesday from Ghana. She will conclude her weeklong trip with a stop in Zambia, another country that is striving to strengthen its democracy. She plans to return to Washington on Sunday. Idayat Hassan, director of the Centre for Democracy and Development in Abuja, Nigeria, said Harris visit can help galvanize enthusiasm when there are concerns over backsliding into authoritarianism in Africa and around the world. Many people will want the U.S. to speak to the issue of democracy, which they feel is beginning to decline and is not what it used to be, she said. There are more that need to be assured that democracy is here to stay. Like Tanzania, Zambia has made uneven steps toward democracy since its independence. But there has been a burst of hope after the country elected Hakainde Hichilema, a former opposition leader who once faced charges of treason. Zambia has since decriminalized defamation of the president, a law that was used to stifle opposition. Its also serving as a co-host of President Joe Bidens democracy summit. Hichilema warned this week that economic progress is necessary to sustain open societies. You cant eat democracy, he wrote in The Washington Post. Human rights may sustain the spirit but not the body. Search Keywords: Short link: This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SAN MARTIN, Peru (AP) In the nearly 15 years that a carbon credit program has been run to safeguard one of Peru's most valuable national parks, more than 28 million credits have been sold to fossil fuel producers like Shell and TotalEnergies. The project was supposed to stop deforestation in the Cordillera Azul National Park, helping to stem carbon emissions contributing to climate change. But an analysis by independent experts and reporting by The Associated Press raises doubts about whether the project has delivered on its promise to counter-balance emissions by oil companies and others. And the tree loss has more than doubled, according to satellite analysis. Some takeaways from the AP's investigation: LAUNCH OF THE PROGRAM Cordillera Azul National Park covers more than 5,000 square miles (12,950 square kilometers) on the eastern flank of the Peruvian Andes. The national park designation in 2001 gave it legal protection, but the carbon credits program was launched in 2008 after supporters argued that the park designation alone wasnt enough to protect it from pressures including migrants seeking to clear land for farming. It is thought to be the worlds fifth-biggest forest protection carbon credit project. Money raised from sale of the credits pays for forest patrols and education of local communities to try to stop deforestation. The more than 28 million credits sold for the Cordillera Azul project, in theory, offset 28 million tons of carbon dioxide emitted by their buyers. WHAT HAPPENED WITH TREE LOSS A stated goal of the project was to prevent all deforestation in the park. But satellite mapping shows tree canopy loss has actually increased. Space Intelligence, a company that maps forest carbon credit projects to aid in verification, found tree loss more than doubled to an annual average of 572 hectares (1,400 acres) after the program launched until 2021, the last year for which data is available. CIMA, the Spanish acronym for the independent nonprofit that runs the park for the Peruvian government, said natural phenomena such as landslides caused the tree loss, rather than human activity like logging, farming or mining. The satellite data does show many landslides, but deforestation is a major cause of landslides, which are far more likely where deforestation has occurred. Forest loss was also double in areas close to a park boundary or rivers areas that are most accessible, and therefore more vulnerable to logging or agriculture, than the rest of the park. More than a third of all the tree loss mapped in the gigantic park was within 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) of park boundaries or rivers. Experts say natural causes cannot be ruled out, but the evidence suggests human disturbance of the forest that made the landslides more likely. DUBIOUS EMISSIONS SAVINGS Experts say the Cordillera Azul program inflated projected benefits from the start. They doubt CIMA's claims in 2008 that almost 29 million tons of carbon dioxide would have been released from deforestation there over 10 years without the project. Coming up with the figure was complicated. Industry standard guidelines required CIMA to compare the project to a reference area to come up with estimates of what would happen without its protection. Simon Counsell analyzed the areas CIMA selected for this comparison for Friends of the Earth Netherlands. He said CIMAs reference area oversampled lowland valleys and floodplains, which are far more attractive to farmers than the rest of the park's more rugged terrain. That led to an inflated estimate of land likely to be cleared for farming, leading to a higher figure for prevented emissions. That enabled more credits to be sold. Counsell also said CIMA's numbers overestimated population growth in the reference area, also boosting estimates of prevented emissions. IN DEFENSE OF THE PROGRAM CIMA's executive director, Gonzalo Varillas, said selling credits brought in enough money to almost fully fund the park's operating costs and robustly defended the way it was set up. Steve Zwick is a spokesman for the nonprofit Verra, which nets a fee for each credit certified in forest carbon projects including Cordillera Azul. He said the program was a lifeline for the park. Zwick also said estimates for prevented emissions were chosen by the best available processes and with the best available data. Verra has recently said it will bring in a new rainforest carbon credit methodology by 2025. The projects biggest buyers, Shell and TotalEnergies, defended their participation. A TotalEnergies spokesman said by email that comparing tree loss before and after the project gave the misleading impression it had failed, because deforestation cannot be halted instantaneously. The spokesman declined to allow his name to be used. A Shell spokesman said catastrophic deforestation would have occurred without the program. But the spokesman, who also declined to allow his name to be used, said Shell will conduct an additional review before further purchases. ___ Follow Ed Davey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EdDavey1 ___ 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. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ANKARA, Turkey (AP) Turkeys parliament on Thursday ratified Finlands application to join NATO, lifting the last hurdle in the way of the Nordic countrys long-delayed accession into the Western military alliance. All 276 lawmakers present voted in favor of Finlands bid, days after Hungarys parliament also endorsed Helsinkis accession. This will make the whole NATO family stronger & safer, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter in welcoming Turkey's action. Alarmed by Russias invasion of Ukraine a year ago, Finland and Sweden abandoned their decades-long policy of nonalignment and applied to join the alliance. Full unanimity is required to admit new members into the 30-member alliance, and Turkey and Hungary were the last two NATO members to ratify Finlands accession. Swedens bid to join the alliance, meanwhile, has been left hanging, with both Turkey and Hungary holding out on giving it the green light despite expressing support for NATOs expansion. Turkeys government accuses Sweden of being too lenient toward groups it deems to be terrorist organizations and security threats, including militant Kurdish groups and people associated with a 2016 coup attempt. More recently, Turkey was angered by a series of demonstrations in Sweden, including a protest by an anti-Islam activist who burned the Quran outside the Turkish Embassy. Hungarys government contends some Swedish politicians have made derisive statements about the condition of Hungarys democracy and played an active role in ensuring that billions in European Union funds were frozen over alleged rule-of-law and democracy violations. Turkish officials have said that unlike Sweden, Finland fulfilled its obligations under a memorandum signed last year under which the two countries pledged to address Turkeys security concerns. "As a NATO member, we naturally had some expectations and requests regarding the security concerns of our country, Akif Cagatay Kilic, a legislator from President Recep Tayyip Erdogans governing party, told parliament before the vote. I would like to underline the concrete steps and their implementation by Finland, which supported and shaped the decision we are taking here. Kilic added: Im aware that there is a large number of people watching us from Finland. ... We can say to them: Welcome to NATO. Some opposition parties were critical of the Turkish governments position toward the two Nordic countries. Unfortunately, (Erdogans ruling party) turned the right to veto Finland and Swedens membership bids into a tool for blackmail and threat. We do not approve of it, said Hisyar Ozsoy, a legislator from the pro-Kurdish party. We find the bargaining process (to press for) the extradition of Kurdish dissident writers, politicians and journalists ... to be ugly, wrong and unlawful. Asked earlier this week about Swedens NATO membership, Erdogan told reporters: There are certain things we expect of them. They must be fulfilled first. Sweden, which made constitutional changes to pass tougher anti-terrorism laws, has expressed hope that it will be able to join before NATOs July summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. Sweden faces more significant obstacles in its bid, Hamish Kinnear, Middle East and North Africa analyst at the risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft, wrote in emailed comments. Turkey is unlikely to approve its acceptance into the alliance before the election in May. The Quran burning incident sparked popular rage in Turkey and President Tayyip Recep Erdogan wont want to risk angering his conservative base ahead of the polls," Kinnear said. The accession of Finland, which has a 1,340-kilometer (832-mile) border with Russia, has geographic and political importance for NATO, said Maia Cross, professor of political science at Northeastern University. Finland is at a very important strategic location and having that kind of shift from neutrality to respond to Russias aggression is bolstering the demonstration of the political will of NATO, she said. Cross added that the delay gave Finland more of a chance to prepare. "Finland is already sitting in the meetings with NATO. Its already revamping its armed forces, she said. So when it steps into NATO formally, it can actually hit the ground running. Theres been a lot of talk about downtown San Francisco becoming a ghost town of late. But even before the streets felt eerily abandoned, a dozen faceless ghosts in pale robes watched over the bustling streets from the black roof of 580 California. The 12-foot-tall specters stand stark white in front of the dark glass 350 feet above the city. Their heads bowed, watching over the living below; an empty blackness where a face should be. The sculptures can be seen from over a mile away. If you stare up from Portsmouth Square, they watch your every move; from the backside of Coit Tower, the three north-facing ghouls hover at eye level, floating over Chinatown. Since they were first lowered onto their lofty plinths by helicopter in 1984, the statues have been described as godly, deathly, ominous and cloudlike. But what exactly do they mean, and who put them there? Zac Rymland/Getty Images/500px The construction of the 23-story office tower on the corner of California and Kearny was controversial from the start. It was set to replace a four-story historic insurance building and clock tower, but planners were met with pushback from those in City Hall dismayed by the Manhattanization of San Francisco. It would cast a shadow over Kearny Street the last broad sunlit street downtown, attorney Sue Hestor complained when planning hearings commenced in 1982. Outside of development concerns, something else in famed architect Philip Johnsons plans was making City Hall anxious: 12 statues made by elusive New York artist Muriel Castanis that Johnson had chosen to crown his latest addition to the San Francisco skyline. (Johnson was also responsible for the Neiman Marcus building in Union Square and the skyscraper on stilts at 101 California.) What are they? What is their meaning, if they have meaning? Planning Commissioner Susan Bierman remarked at a hearing in 1982. Cant you think of anything else? A ball? An orb? Others joked that the strange statues represented the 11 city supervisors and Mayor Dianne Feinstein. An Examiner columnist called the statues a monumental joke. Despite the one-liners and critiques, Johnsons design was approved. And even before ground was broken on California Street, the building was creating a buzz. Businesses bought advertising space announcing they would be occupying the new skyscraper, next to page-length sketches of the tower topped with three distinct white figures. Archival The New York Times compared Muriel Castanis fiberglass sculptures to the Invisible Man bodiless, shaped only by their drapery, like the horror icons bandages. While most agreed the statues were strange, it seems no one quite realized how ominous they would appear in real life. Maybe it's the way the light falls on the black-glass mansard roof and its gothic stylings, an aesthetic not obvious in the planning renderings. Or maybe its the way the white robes are now backlit at night. Or maybe its the body position of the middle female figure on each side arms outstretched behind, as if ready to dive off her 350-foot-tall granite column to the street below or sail over the city like a Dementor. On what must have been an eerie day, in 1983, the statues were placed onto the building one by one, via helicopter. A sky full of ghosts all heading to their new home in the Financial District. The sight reminded some of the iconic opening to Fellinis La Dolce Vita, in which a helicopter swings a statue of Jesus Christ over Rome. The building was opened with corporate tenants, mostly banks, filling every floor on Dec. 12, 1984. The reaction by architectural critics to the statues atop 580 California can best be described as vicious. An Examiner critic despised the skyscraper so much that they stooped to using an ableist slur to describe it, calling it a hodgepodge of unrelated styles that amounts to a case of retarded Victorian confusion. Years later, the Sacramento Bee flat out called it the Grim Reaper building. sswj via Flickr CC 2.0 After Castanis death in 2006, the Los Angeles Times looked back at what the publication referred to as a Chilling existential riddle: Why no faces? In that story, some looked up to the Corporate Goddesses a name given to the art by their maker as a warning against the sins of greed and unbridled capitalism. (Curiously, another lofty, chilling warning watches over the city just a block away, at Old St. Marys Cathedral: "Son, observe the time and fly from evil.") Theyre creepiest after dark, one investment banker who worked in an office across the street told the newspaper. There are these black crows that fly around the building and nest inside the faces. A few liked the buildings audacious design. The Philadelphia Inquirer called the statues subversive and provocative. One blogger noted that if the finale of Ghostbusters had been set in San Francisco, not New York, surely the rooftop at 580 California would have been where Gozer tried to enter the earthly world. One San Francisco resident told the Examiner that they were his favorite piece of art in the city. They do not have faces or hands, Kalman Muller said, adding somewhat spookily, and yet they seem to have control over their surroundings. Santi Visalli/Getty Images Those who believed the statues had dark, mystical powers would have been shaken Nov. 28, 1989, when the figures watched over a very real tragedy. That morning, a 340-ton construction crane collapsed into the building, ripping through several floors and crushing a school bus at the intersection below. The disaster took five lives and injured 21. Muriel Castanis rarely spoke about the meaning behind her creations and seemingly only once publicly commented on the statues at 580 California in her lifetime. It arouses wonderful feelings. People stop and pause when they see them. It does make them think, she said in a rare interview in 1983 after the design was finally approved by the Board of Supervisors, adding that the sculptures would look like clouds going by. On a rainy March day, I strolled around Giannini Plaza, the park at the base of 555 California under the statues across the street. Its a little scary, San Francisco resident Antoine Levi tells me, looking up through the rain at the faceless beings. Is it about death or something? Theyre interesting, one might say scary, French tourist Jean-Baptiste Ferrian says, before taking in the surrounding nondescript glassy towers and looking back at the sculptures. No faces! Theyre different, unconventional. I enjoy them." Andrew Chamings / SFGATE The lobby on the ground floor of 580 California was recently remodeled. The redesign included the installation of a smaller, orange version of Castanis' vision. The designers described the statues orange makeover as both a continuity, a wit, and an extension of the most unique aspect of the building in a fresh new manner. It stands unnoticed to most, by an empty gray chair in the corner of the lobby, as bankers and delivery people hurry to and fro. A more accessible, and far less chilling version of the 12 macabre icons 23 floors above. British Airways has cancelled 50 short-haul flights in response to strikes in France and bad weather. A spokesperson for the airline told the Independent newspaper: "Like other airlines, due to French air traffic control industrial action and forecasted bad weather, weve made a small number of schedule adjustments to some of our flights." The spokesperson added the reasons for the cancellations were "beyond our control", and that the airline was in contact with affected customers. The newspaper said multiple departures to Amsterdam, Hamburg, Nice, Prague and Zurich were grounded. Domestic flights to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle were also affected. The latest round of cancellations come just days BA - part of Spain's International Airlines Group - confirmed it was axing more than 300 flights, around 5% of its schedule, to and from Heathrow over the Easter holiday period due to strikes by airport security staff. At the time it said the majority of affected customers would be booked onto alternative flights or fully refunded. Members of the Unite union are due to strike between 31 March and 9 April as part of a long-running pay dispute with Heathrow. The airport has offered the workers a 10% rise, but the union argues that it does not take into account pay freezes during the pandemic. Striking staff work in the security lanes in Terminal 5, which is used exclusively by BA, as well as campus security. BA tweeted on Thursday to expect "some delays" at the airport during the industrial action. SSE lifted its full-year earnings per share guidance again on Thursday as it hailed a strong performance from its flexible generation plant. The energy company now expects adjusted EPS of more than 160p per share for the full-year 2022/23, up from previous guidance of more than 150p. SSE had already lifted its guidance in January from at least 120p a share to at least 150p. "This reflects the strength and stability of SSE's balanced mix of regulated and market-facing businesses and the continued narrowing of the range of probable financial outcomes for the period," it said. "In particular, continued strong performance from flexible generation plant to support security of supply has more than offset the lower than planned renewables output and associated hedge buy-back costs." In line with its five-year dividend plan, SSE said it intends to recommend a full-year dividend of 85.7p per share plus RPI for 2022/23 followed by a rebase to 60p in 2023/24 to support "significant" investment plans. It will then target dividend increases of at least 5% for 2024/25 and 2025/26. SSE said its balance sheet continues to strengthen, with adjusted net debt and hybrid capital expected to be below 9bn at 31 March 2023. At 23 March 2023, around 8% of available liquidity had been utilised on cash collateral for forward commodity contracts, it said. Finance Director Gregor Alexander said: "As we progress our ambitious Net Zero Acceleration Programme, we are investing more than we make in profits into the infrastructure society needs for a more secure, affordable and clean energy system. Our balanced business model has performed well in a volatile year, helping to ensure security of supply. "At the same time, we are progressing multiple projects and adding to our pipeline as we deliver on our net zero focused electricity infrastructure strategy. This strong performance leaves us well positioned to continue our significant investment programme and we will update the market with more detail in May." Food aid rations for refugees in Burundi, mostly Congolese fleeing violence in eastern DR Congo, will be halved from April 1, the World Food Programme (WFP) announced Thursday, citing a lack of funding. "More than 56,000 Congolese refugees will soon receive only half the food rations they need, due to a dwindling of funding for food needs in five camps in Burundi." the UN agency said in a statement. According to the UN refugees agency, the UNHCR, the landlocked African country in the Great Lakes region, is currently hosting some 85,000 refugees and asylum seekers. The majority of the refugees come from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, which is in the grip of a rebellion in the east of the country. The World Bank ranks Burundi as the poorest nation in the world in terms of GDP per capita. The WFP said that up to now it has given each refugee cash or food equivalent to $0.55 to cover a daily caloric requirement of 2,100 kilocalories. The refugees "will soon receive only half the food rations they need," the UN agency said. "While we appreciate the support received so far, we urgently need US$7.1million to feed the 56,000 refugees with full rations for the next 6 months. The refugees are extremely vulnerable," said the WFP's Burundi representative Housainou Taal. The WFP is facing funding shortfalls and soaring food prices, partly due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. In Bangladesh, the WFP has already reduced food rations for the Rohingya refugees. Earlier this month, the agency warned that it requires more than double the money raised in Yemen this year to reinstate full food rations for millions in need. Search Keywords: Short link: Adani Group executives met US investors, including from BlackRock Inc., Blackstone Inc. and Pacific Investment Management Co., as part of its plans to market privately placed bonds for some of its group companies, according to people familiar with the matter. The conglomerate led by billionaire Gautam Adani is aiming to raise up to $1 billion in two tranches this year via such a route, said the people, who declined to be named as they were not authorized to speak about it. An Adani Group spokesperson did not immediately comment when contacted by Bloomberg. A representative for Pimco declined to comment. Representatives for BlackRock and Blackstone did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The meetings were part of a global roadshow that reached US cities, including New York, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco, as Adani seeks to reassure international investors that the ports-to-power empires finances are under control. As much as $153 billion in combined market value was erased from company stocks following a January short sellers report. Bloomberg first reported in February that Adani Group is considering offering privately placed bonds for at least three of its group companies. Documentation work is likely to begin in April, with the group aiming to launch the first tranche by September, according to the people. The size of the first tranche could be about $450 million, they said. The privately placed debt papers would be long-term tenors in the range of 10-20 years, the people said, adding that the coupon rate could be somewhere around the 8% area. Two of the group companies, including Adani Transmission and Adani Green, may sell those proposed bonds, the people said. AgriStack is an innovative technology stack designed to provide farmers with granular information on crop selection, market trends, and formal credit arrangements. The stack will incorporate various technology tools such as satellite imagery, weather forecasting, and soil sensors to offer farmers valuable insights into their farming operations. It has the potential to revolutionize the agricultural sector by providing farmers with the tools they need to make informed decisions, increase their productivity, and ultimately improve their livelihoods. India's livelihood, civilization, culture, and legacy based on agriculture. With 1.39 billion people, India is the second-most populous nation in the world and is predicted to pass China in population by 20272030. India is the seventh-largest country in the world, with 328 million hectares (Mha) of land. After the US, India has the second-largest amount of arable land at 160 Mha. Digital technology is increasing global connectivity. Mobile devices are used in more minor, faster, cheaper, and more effective ways. Assistance is being provided to help businesses and farmers make better decisions. The "Green Revolution," which started in the 1960s and assisted the nation in making significant breakthroughs in domestic food production, agriculture, and allied disciplines, is commonly linked to Indian agriculture. With the help of this industry, India went from having a food deficit to having a surplus of food and an emphasis on exports. Agriculture and allied businesses undoubtedly provide most of India's income, particularly in the country's extensive rural areas. Agriculture is made up of numerous intricately linked processes. For a decent yield, it should be organised into effective stages. A given product's success is determined by a triangle made up of the farmer, technology, and the service and consultancy idea. Agriculture will eventually become digitalized, just as other sectors of the economy. How AgriStack technology is impacting agriculture Precision farming: AgriStack technology includes precision farming techniques that use data analytics, sensors, and satellite imagery to improve crop yield, reduce input costs, and minimize environmental impact. For example, precision agriculture enables farmers to optimize the use of water, fertilizer, and pesticides, reducing waste and minimizing environmental impact. Internet of Things (IoT) devices: IoT devices are increasingly being used in agriculture to monitor crop health, soil moisture, and other critical parameters. These devices can be integrated with other agricultural technologies, such as drones and autonomous tractors, to automate farming operations and reduce labor costs. Blockchain technology: Blockchain technology is being used to enhance the transparency and traceability of the food supply chain. By using blockchain, farmers can track their products from the farm to the table, ensuring food safety and quality. Artificial intelligence (AI): AI is being used in agriculture to optimize crop yield and reduce waste. For example, AI algorithms can analyze data from sensors and other devices to predict weather patterns, soil moisture levels, and other factors that impact crop growth. Implementations on agriculture sector Governments use digital technologies to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of current policies and programs and create new ones. For instance, the availability of free, high-quality satellite photography drastically reduces the expense of monitoring various agricultural activities. This would enable governments to adopt more specialized policies that compensate farmers as per environmental effects noticed. Digital technologies enable new ways for governments to monitor and ensure compliance with standards and to provide quicker and more effective border procedures, which are crucial for perishable goods. These technologies can also support trade in agriculture and food products by connecting private-sector suppliers to new markets. Agriculture and the food system are evolving due to the Internet, mobile technology, data analytics, artificial intelligence, digitally delivered services, and apps. The Digital India Plan, which intends to overhaul India's public service sector digitally, was introduced by the Indian government in 2015. With a 14% GDP share, agriculture, the largest employment sector, is crucial to this digital initiative. Due to mechanization and knowledge dissemination initiatives, India has seen a significant improvement in yields and crop diversification, despite rising consumption due to population growth and increasing wealth. Final Note AgriStack technology is revolutionizing the agriculture sector in India, providing farmers with new tools and methods to improve crop yield, reduce input costs, and minimize environmental impact. With the implementation of precision farming, IoT devices, blockchain technology, and AI, farmers can optimize their farming operations, increase efficiency, and ensure food safety and quality. Governments are also leveraging digital technologies to monitor compliance with standards, support trade in agriculture and food products, and provide better public services. The Digital India Plan is a step in the right direction, and its success in the agriculture sector can pave the way for the digital transformation of other industries. By embracing technology, India can achieve sustainable growth, improve the livelihoods of its citizens, and secure its position as a global leader in agriculture. EnableX a global full-stack communications platform and solutions provider, has announced the launch of the EnableX Founders Peak Program, an initiative to support entrepreneurs across incubator programs. At launch, it has launched the program at Indias leading campuses, including IIM Bangalore, IIM Ahmedabad and XLRI. EnableX Founders Peak Program will help start-ups through free access to EnableXs CPaaS platform through complimentary credits for building their customer engagement journeys and offer mentorship from EnableXs experienced leadership team. EnableX is working with leading academic institutions globally to bring the program to more incubated start-ups. Under the MoU, EnableX will specifically support startups that emerge from NSRCEL, IIM Bangalore, CIIE, IIM Ahmedabad, and XCEED, XLRI- all incubators that assist founders in launching high-impact new ventures through a variety of resources. Sharing his view on the MoU, Chandan Agarwal, COO of EnableX, said, We are thrilled to collaborate with top B-schools through our EnableX Founders Peak Program. This partnership marks the start of an exciting journey to further support early-stage startups and play our part in the Startup India mission. We hope these leading B-schools and EnableXs collective forces will work as game-changers for young entrepreneurs. We are committed to making this a success. Commenting on the partnership, Dr. Fr. K.S. Casimir SJ, Director- XCEED, XLRI- Delhi NCR, said, We are excited to work with partners like EnableX who understand, encourage, and support founders in their entrepreneurial skills. The EnableX Founders Peak program exemplifies how the convergence of technology and education can unlock possibilities and avenues for growth and development. We look forward to having the team engage with founders to help them grow. Moscow said its foreign minister will chair a UN Security Council meeting in April, when Russia will hold the rotating presidency of the international body. Russia has repeatedly said it was confronted at the UN by the "collective West" that has ostracised Russia since the beginning of the Ukraine offensive. Ukraine has called for Russia to be removed from Security Council over the military operation launched in February last year. Russia last chaired the council in February 2022. "Another key event of the Russian presidency (of the Security Council) will be a high-level open debate on the 'effective multilateralism through the defence of the principles of the UN Charter'," ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a press briefing. "This meeting will be chaired by Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov," she added. Zakharova also said Lavrov was planning to lead a debate on the situation in the Middle East on April 25. Ukraine earlier criticised the upcoming change in presidency. "Russian UN Security Council presidency on April 1 is a bad joke," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter. "Russia has usurped its seat; it's waging a colonial war; its leader is a war criminal wanted by the ICC for kidnapping children," Kuleba said. The presidency rotates every month between the 15 member states. Russia would hold little influence on the decisions but would be in charge of setting the agenda of the international body. Search Keywords: Short link: Kurt Sievers, CEO of the Dutch semiconductor designer and manufacturer NXP Semiconductors, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the country. In a tweet about the meeting, the company said: "NXP CEO Kurt Sievers met with India's PM Narendra Modi to discuss strengthening the semiconductor ecosystem, developing STEM workforce and startup ecosystem in India. We're committed to driving innovation and positive change through our tech solutions." In response, Modi tweeted on Thursday: "Happy to have met Mr. Kurt Sievers, the CEO of NXP, and discuss the transformative landscape in the world of semiconductors and innovation. India is emerging as a key force in these sectors, powered by our talented youth." Sievers is learned to have told Modi that he would "strongly recommend" India as a future location for their foundry partners. There was a time when India's economic growth was driven by metropolitan and Tier 1 cities. However, thanks to big and rising ambitions, Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities in India are now fast emerging as business hubs, opening up the markets for entrepreneurship and job opportunities. We are now witnessing a clear shift in this direction as the aspirations of people in smaller cities and towns continue to grow. There is increased awareness and consciousness about brands among people living in smaller cities and towns, which is largely fuelled by the growing prevalence of a consumerist culture. Among the industry sectors that are gaining a stronghold in the Tier 2 and 3 cities in India, direct selling is playing a crucial role. Being one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing sectors in India, it has made a phenomenal contribution towards pushing the smaller cities ahead in line. The efforts of the direct selling industry have unlocked possibilities in these markets, enabling substantial job opportunities for all, especially the youth and women. The industry also helped strengthen the government's vision of a self-reliant India by sowing the seeds of financial independence at the grassroots level. In recent years, we saw a paradigm shift in consumer trends, especially in purchase behavior. Today, consumers are becoming more open to experimenting with the products available locally or within their vicinity. This trend is especially prevalent in tier 2 and 3 cities, where consumers have been seen switching to brands available locally. This is where the direct selling industry came to the forefront. Home-grown companies such as Vestige Marketing Pvt. Ltd. are offering a wide range of products under various categories to consumers. Through their well-connected network of direct sellers and extensive presence in Tier 2 & Tier 3 cities, they have successfully reached out to a large section of the population based in these markets. This has led to the demands from tier 2 and 3 cities to soar and this trend is likely to continue, shaping the future of the direct selling industry in India. The direct selling industry has been witnessing a continuous upsurge in the number of new joiners. The expansion of the sector helped in providing employment opportunities that led to the rise of micro-entrepreneurs, enabling people to earn their livelihood and, in many cases, an extra income. It also reflects a healthy growth trend in the number of women entrepreneurs. Over the last few years, the industry has maintained its momentum for growth and emerged as a winner with its pursuit of continuous innovation, the adaptation of new technology, and smartly aligning itself to evolving customer and market requirements. The direct selling industry redefined and reshaped its operations by facilitating flexibility, decentralization, and remote working. It adopted digital selling trends like digitalization, social selling, digital training, automatic payments, and CRM integrations. This has been the key to increasing sales and creating a relevant business model in today's omnichannel world. It effectively combines the online world with personalized selling and uses technology interventions in training and upskilling the augment individual capabilities. This has also helped in enhancing the industry's effectiveness in providing remote connectivity and promoting economic inclusion at the grass root levels. Commenting on the same, Gautam Bali, Managing Director, Vestige Marketing Pvt. Ltd., said, "As India witnesses an economic progression, Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities have emerged as a tsunami, contributing significantly to India's economic journey. The country's fiscal growth is inextricably linked to the resurrection of enterprises and an overall improvement in business performance across all sectors. Primarily, this growth is driven by wellness, nutrition, and other FMCG products. "Consumers see a huge value in categories such as immunity boosters, nutritional supplements as well as hygiene products, and these categories often register far higher sales even pre-pandemic. At Vestige Marketing, we focus on spreading 'Wellth' , or wealth, through wellness. It remains our constant endeavor to offer uniquely crafted products for our customers and we aim to enrich the lives of everyone who places their trust in our company and products." As India is moving towards its vision of becoming a global manufacturing hub, the direct selling industry is ideally placed to contribute to the vision of India becoming Aatmanirbhar. It is also acting as a catalyst for India's increasing focus on 'Make in India'. Home-grown direct-selling companies are actively encouraging this by sourcing products from local vendors and associating with people across India, with a prime focus on tier 2 and 3 cities. This is a constructive step towards realizing the country's Aatmanirbhar Bharat dreams. The vision for Aatmanirbhar Bharat has encouraged Indians to explore the option of buying and selling locally made products via the direct selling route as it entails low investments and high returns for the direct sellers. This has not only promoted local manufacturing but has also established a sense of ownership amongst budding entrepreneurs to succeed, part from significantly promoting micro-entrepreneurship. According to a recent FICCI-KPMG report, the current Rs 16,000 crore direct-selling industry is all set for massive growth. Backed by positive consumer sentiment and growing awareness, it is expected to reach Rs 64,500 crore by 2025. The Union Budget 2023-24 also focuses on growth and development designed to provide a boost to the FMCG sector, making the direct selling industry bullish and creating opportunities for self-employment, ultimately fulfilling the mission of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. The Richmond County District Attorneys Office and the NYPD are fighting back against unlicensed smoke shops with marijuana on Staten Island. On Tuesday, they executed a massive drug bust, recovering nearly 100 pounds of marijuana, 69 magic mushroom candy bars, and Ecstasy from two smoke shops in Great Kills and Port Richmond, District Attorney Michael E. McMahon announced. This week working w/NYPD we executed search warrants at 2 smoke shops in Port Richmond & Great Kills, seizing 100 lbs of mushrooms, ecstasy + marijuana products. Unlicensed shops selling illegal drugs & THC products are a stain on our communities & undercut law abiding businesses pic.twitter.com/zP8fLzX0Fw Michael E. McMahon (@StatenIslandDA) March 30, 2023 McMahon shared photos of the alleged haul on Twitter. No one is naive enough to believe that these establishments are financially thriving exclusively off of snacks and soda alone. Yet, with NYPD manpower at historic lows not seen in a generation and a toothless Office of Cannabis Management designed by idealistic and unrealistic legislators, a black market has been allowed to balloon across the five boroughs posing a threat not just to our children but to legitimate customers as well, McMahon said in a statement. According to a spokesman for McMahon, approximately 69 mushroom candy bars and 8-10 pounds of marijuana were recovered from GK Express on Brower Court in Great Kills. Seventy-five pounds of marijuana, the mushroom candy bars and Ecstasy were recovered from the P.A.I.N. Station on Port Richmond Avenue in Port Richmond, the spokesman alleged. Items recovered from two unlicensed smoke shops in Great Kills and Port Richmond. (Courtesy of the RCDA) ONGOING ISSUE On Staten Island, only two businesses have been awarded cannabis dispensary licenses, and last month, New York City Sheriff Anthony Mirandas office shared photos of its inspection of six local shops that netted nearly $20,000 in illicit merchandise, the Advance/SILive.com previously reported. Members of the city Sheriffs Joint Compliance Task Force swarmed the shops on the North, South and East shores of the Island in February as they conducted cigarette-tax inspections on unlicensed locations in the NYPDs 120th, 122nd and 123rd precincts. There have been at least nine armed robberies at smoke shops across Staten Island within the last several months. Since the state legalized marijuana sales in 2021, unlicensed shops have sprung up around the five boroughs, and in January, the City Council discussed what could be done to prevent the illegal stores from derailing the legal weed industry. Regardless of your opinion on the legalization of recreational marijuana, an unchecked, unregulated, and unadulterated black-market harms everyone. While these defendants remain innocent until proven guilty, I thank our tremendous partners in the NYPD for their excellent police work and look forward to continuing our efforts to stand up for legitimate businesses while remaining vigilant and holding accountable those who flagrantly fly in the face of our laws and public safety, McMahon added. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Fourth-graders at PS 59, New Brighton, were introduced to a special educational workshop this week about taking care of animals in honor of a young Staten Islander who lost his life in a fire trying to rescue his beloved pets. What we want to do in every fourth grade is to teach children about the benefits of having a pet and all the good that comes from being tuned in with nature, Ed Burke, senior adviser to Borough President Vito Fossella, told the students Tuesday morning. Burke hosted the workshop, called Pet Talk, to emphasize fostering healthy relationships with pets and the importance of pet adoption. The Pet Talk instructional curriculum was launched in January at PS 36, Annadale, in honor of 9-year-old Staten Island hero Tommy Monahan, who gave his life trying to rescue his pets from a Princes Bay blaze in 2007. Tommy was a student at PS 36. The programming is being offered in conjunction with the Animal Care Centers of NYC and the city Department of Education (DOE). In October 2022, Animal Care Centers of NYC opened a new facility in Charleston, dedicating the buildings lobby to Tommy. Tommy was 9 years old when we lost him, and 9 years old is that time when kids are soaking in anything they can about natural science and animal life, said Burke. Katherine E. Reeves, community kids coordinator of Animal Care Centers of NYC, speaks to students about ways to communicate with animals. (Priya Shahi/Staten Island Advance)Priya Shahi Pet Talk allows fourth-graders across Staten Island to learn about the resources provided by Animal Care Centers of NYC and the importance of adopting animals and nurturing healthy relationships with them. Burke shared that, just like Tommy, he also grew up as a nature kid, and with Staten Island being the borough of parks, he wants to do as much as he can to connect young people with nature and animals. On Staten Island as adults, were always grappling with the development, traffic, recreation, and when you are making decision about those things -- if you have been tuned into nature -- youll find ways to accommodate those needs without destroying the environment, he said. Young people today learning about this become those problem-solvers of the future. The goal is to expand the programming to all of Staten Island, and possibly all of New York City, while sharing stories of Tommy and his unwavering love of animals. Gabrielle Monahan is pictured at PS 59 next to a photo of her brother, Tommy. The root of this workshop is really important for all children to know, because ultimately it just teaches that animals deserve respect, and it teaches how to be an animals voice, because they dont have one," she said. (Priya Shahi/Staten Island Advance)Priya Shahi I think it is definitely validating that this is happening, and it is a reoccurring thing. All of our hopes for this is for it to become a permanent thing with the DOE -- and maybe one day even citywide, said Tommys sister, Gabrielle Monahan. The root of this workshop is really important for all children to know, because ultimately it just teaches that animals deserve respect, and it teaches how to be an animals voice, because they dont have one. In addition to PS 36 and PS 59, the Pet Talk curriculum is also being implemented at PS 69 in New Springville. I learned that people have to take care of their pets, and they have to remember them, or they might get hurt, said Leah Isabella Edofia, a fourth-grader at PS 59. Pets are very important. I have a hamster, a dog, a cat, a fish and turtle, and my brother helps me take care of them. Ed Burke and Gabrielle Monahan speak to students about Tommy's legacy. (Priya Shahi/Staten Island Advance)Priya Shahi ADDITIONAL EDUCATION STORIES New modern business classroom unveiled at Port Richmond High School | In Class column Heres how 5 dedicated parents helped students reclaim PS 30 school library after the pandemic Archdiocese of New York announces new Catholic schools superintendent The Staten Island FerryHawks pulled off a pair of trades this week, including one for a potential closer. The team acquired 35-year-old reliever Jim Fuller, a former New York Mets draft pick, from the York Revolution. The southpaw was drafted by the Mets in 2008 and reached levels as high as AAA during an eight-year run in the Minors, including stops in the Oakland As and Pittsburgh Pirates organizations. He enters his sixth season in the Atlantic League, making 210 appearances to date -- during which hes posted an 18-12 record out of the pen with 73 saves and a 2.39 era. He struck out 237 batters across 210.2 innings. Last year, with York, Fuller went 5-6 with a 3.92 era. He recorded 19 saves and piled up 46 strikeouts in 41.1 innings. He has previously pitched for Long Island and New Britain. The FerryHawks pulled off another deal this week, acquiring infielder Deibinson Romero from Long Island. Romero, a native of the Dominican Republic, spent the last three seasons with the Ducks. The 36-year-old first signed with the Minnesota Twins in 2006, but also played in the Yankees and Pirates organizations during an 11-year Minor League career. In 118 games last year, he hit .287 with 17 home runs and an impressive .419 OBP. The corner infielder drove in 80 runs and is expected to be a key cog in this seasons lineup. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said expanded telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic effectively reached people struggling with opioid use and contributed to lowering fatal drug overdoses. The study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, tracked two cohorts of medicare beneficiaries one using data from before the onset of the pandemic from September 2018 to February 2020, and another from September 2019 to February 2021 to ascertain the strength of receiving telehealth services and medications for opioid use disorder. More than 170,000 people were included in the study, which was a collaborative effort between researchers from the CDC, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the National Institutes of Health. It found those who began opioid use care during the pandemic had a 33% lower risk of a fatal drug overdose, underscoring the importance of expanding telehealth services, experts said. At a time when more than 100,000 Americans are now dying annually from a drug overdose, the need to expand equitable access to lifesaving treatment, including medications for opioid use disorder, has never been greater, Dr. Wilson Compton, deputy director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse and senior author of the study, said in a release. People who received medications for opioid use disorder from treatment programs and others who received buprenorphine one of the medications to treat opioid use in office-based settings experienced 59% and 38% reduced odds, respectively, to suffer a fatal overdose, the study said. Mortality rates overall were higher in the cohort of pandemic medicare beneficiaries; however, the increase was consistent with national trends showing overdoses rose starkly between 2019 and 2020, according to the CDC. Overdose deaths surged in New York City in the first year of the pandemic, and national overdoses have reached the highest level ever recorded. The results of this study add to the growing research documenting the benefits of expanding the use of telehealth services for people with opioid use disorder, as well as the need to improve retention and access to medication treatment for opioid use disorder, lead author Dr. Christopher Jones, director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, said in the release. The dispersal of overdoses in the United States has not struck all groups equally. The rate of drug overdose deaths for older adults has increased more than threefold over the past two decades, the CDC previously reported. Fentanyl, which can be fatal in extremely small doses, had an outsized impact on overdose deaths among this group. Racial disparities also persist, experts said. Hispanic Black men had higher drug overdose death rates compared to Hispanic men and non-Hispanic white men in recent decades. Overdoses doubled on Staten Island during the first months of the pandemic, bolstered by an influx of fentanyl. The outbreaks effect on mental health, socioeconomic status and isolation left experts concerned that individuals in recovery and those struggling from substance misuse would face severe struggles. Last year, New York City announced expansive investments to address a rise in overdose deaths. Despite the study showcasing positive effects of opioid use disorder-related telehealth programs, the researchers said only 20% of medicare beneficiaries received related services. Similarly, only one in eight study participants received medications for opioid use disorder. This study shows that many beneficiaries were able to utilize opioid use disorder-related telehealth services during the pandemic, but we need to continue our efforts to broaden the use of telehealth, particularly in underserved communities, said senior author Dr. Shari Ling, deputy chief medical officer at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. This Saturday might be April Fools Day, but its no joke that Saturday Night Live is returning from a mini-hiatus with an all new episode. Abbott Elementary actress Quinta Brunson is set to make her SNL debut on April 1. Joining the Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG Award winner will be rapper Lil Yachty, who will perform on the Studio 8H stage for the first time. And if youre wondering about upcoming episodes, weve got the good word on the next few hosts and musical guests. On April 8, SNL legend Molly Shannon will return to her old stomping grounds alongside musical guest The Jonas Brothers. On April 15, itll be Ana De Armas taking the reins with Karol G performing. SNL kicked off its 48th season on Oct. 1 with actor Miles Teller pulling hosting duties and Kendrick Lamar rocking out as musical guest. On Oct. 8, Brendan Gleeson hosted the show with musical guest Willow. Megan Thee Stallion was tabbed as host and musical guest on Oct. 15. Musician Jack Harlow also pulled double duty on Oct. 29 during the shows venerable Halloween episode. On Nov. 5, actress/comedian Amy Schumer hosted for the third time, while Steve Lacy made his musical guest debut. Comedian Dave Chappelle was welcomed back to Studio 8H for his third hosting gig on Nov. 12. He was joined by hip-hop group Black Star. On Dec. 3, actress Keke Palmer made her SNL debut alongside musical guest SZA. On Dec. 10, SNL greats Steve Martin and Martin Short hosted while Brandi Carlile returned as musical guest. Dec. 17 marked the final episode of 2022. It featured actor Austin Butler as host and Lizzo as musical guest. To audiences surprise, 11-year cast member Cecily Strong announced the episode would be her final, and that she was stepping away from the show. The first episode of 2023 featured Aubrey Plaza with musical guest Sam Smith on Jan. 21. Actor Michael B. Jordan hosted on Jan. 28 with musical guest Lil Baby. On Feb. 4, Pedro Pascal hosted with Coldplay as musical guest. Actor Woody Harrelson hosted the Feb. 25 episode with Jack White as musical guest. The first show of March featured Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, with music support from Kelsea Ballerini on March 4. Next up was Wednesday actress Jenna Ortega making her Saturday Night Live debut on March 11. She was joined by musical guest The 1975. If youre a cord-cutter or dont have cable, you can live stream SNL on Fubo TV or Peacock, NBCs streaming service. Both offer free trials. BTW: If you didnt know, Staten Islander Colin Jost is the longtime co-anchor of Weekend Update. Jost has been on the desk since 2014, and with the show since 2005. Fellow Staten Islander Pete Davidson left the show this past May following eight seasons. MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS Pete Davidsons new Peacock show Bupkis gets premiere date; see first look here Bebe Rexha announces release date for new album; Best Fn Night Of My Life tour set for this summer Firefighter-turned-Impractical Jokers star Brian Quinn continues to honor his roots by helping FDNY charity Impractical Jokers star Brian Quinn talks filming on Staten Island, celebrity guest hes still not over It was great: Staten Islander makes appearance in Trump skit on Saturday Night Live Pete Davidson involved in Beverly Hills car crash: Report Pete Davidsons Brooklyn apartment on the market at a reduced price, report says Pete Davidsons Brooklyn apartment goes back on the market, report says Country star Miranda Lambert to her former NYPD hubby Brendan McLoughlin: Ill be lovin you. Everyday. Pete Davidson removes Kim Kardashian tattoos, enjoys Hawaiian vacation with Chase Sui Wonders, reports say Pete Davidson living in $30K-per-month Brooklyn penthouse, spotted on low-key date with rumored girlfriend Chase Sui Wonders: reports This A-list movie star thinks Pete Davidson is the biggest celebrity in the world Joe Gatto says he had rough year, but is still good friends with former Impractical Jokers co-stars Miranda Lambert gives inside glimpse of life on the farm with former-NYPD hubby Brendan McLoughlin A New Jersey man admitted this week that he attacked two other passengers aboard a United Airlines flight from Newark Liberty International Airport two years ago. John Yurkovich, 47, of Millstone, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a federal charge of assault by striking, beating or wounding in an assault resulting in serious bodily injury, a court document from the U.S. Attorneys Office for South Carolina said. Yurkovichs unruly behavior on flight 728 to Miami on March 17, 2021, forced the pilots to make an emergency landing in Charleston, S.C., according to court documents. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The marine engineers on the Staten Island Ferry will receive a serious pay raise, provided a new ruling is not appealed by the city or the representing union. On Thursday, city Comptroller Brad Lander issued a final determination that Staten Island Ferry marine engineers, which represent about half the workers of the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association (MEBA), should be paid significantly higher wages. Staten Island Ferry engineers, who have been without a contract for over a decade, deserve a fair wage for safely steering thousands of New Yorkers across our harbor every day, said Lander. Todays ruling reflects diligent review of the work, pay and benefits for comparable workers to set a fair prevailing wage as required by state law. The comptrollers office is responsible for setting and enforcing prevailing wage law on New York City government-funded worksites, ensuring that employees are being fairly compensated for their work. In October, Lander issued a preliminary decision that these marine engineers should be paid higher wages that are more in-line with the wages set by domestic commercial cargo ship workers, due to the comparable nature of their work. The comptroller has spent the past several months determining what those exact wages should be, with the engineers now learning their new hourly rate, so long as the final determination is not appealed by the city or the union. Marine engineers will see their hourly rate increase from $37.65 to $56.48, representing a 50% raise, according to the comptrollers office. The hourly rate for chief marine engineers will increase from $40.32 to $79.71, nearly doubling their existing wage with a 98% increase, according to comptrollers office. The comptrollers final determination is the latest development in the unions years-long battle with the city for a fair and respectful new contract, with workers not having received a single wage increase since 2010. The lack of a new contract and existing low wages have made it difficult for the city to recruit and retain talent during a national maritime workers shortage. As a result, the Staten Island Ferry is currently short-staffed in various key operational positions, which has prompted numerous service reductions in recent years due to the citys inability to adequately staff the boats. The final determination echoed the sentiments expressed by Judge Faye Lewis of the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) in her August ruling on the lengthy prevailing wage lawsuit initiated by the union in 2018. City-employed marine engineers and chief marine engineers assigned to the Staten Island Ferry should be paid commensurate with wages and supplemental benefits of chief engineers and first assistant engineers employed on U.S.-flag Maersk Line Ltd. cargo ships under the Dry Cargo Agreement with the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association, Lewis said at the time. Union representatives stressed the importance of providing competitive wages to all Staten Island Ferry workers, not just marine engineers, as the existing low wages continue to contribute to the ongoing service issues. Our dedicated Staten Island Ferry crew have worked an essential public transportation service for the City of New York without a labor contract or wage increase for 13 years (2009) and are grossly underpaid for the U.S. Coast Guard license and pilot requirements onboard large volume vessels in our nations busiest harbor. Without prevailing and competitive wages, Staten Island Ferry passengers will continue experiencing troubled waters as the ongoing Staten Island Ferry service cancellations and disruptions will be inevitable, due to the enormous challenge of retaining and hiring qualified, licensed crew, said Roland Rexha, secretary treasurer for MEBA and former shop steward at the Staten Island Ferry. The union is now reviewing the final determination and plans to provide additional comment once its internal review process is completed, though there are some concerns about the supplemental benefits set forth in the ruling. At this time, MEBA is carefully reviewing Comptroller Landers final determination to confirm if his office has met the prevailing wage obligations with supplements benefit as required by law and recommended by OATH Administrative Judge Lewis, and we will be issuing a more in-depth public statements after our internal review is conducted, Rexha said. A representative from the Mayors Office said that the administration is reviewing the decision and will continue negotiations on a new contract. The Staten Island Ferrys hard-working MEBA members play a pivotal role in safely transporting tens of thousands of daily commuters. We are closely analyzing the comptrollers determination, and look forward to continuing the mediation process with MEBA to work out a contract for these employees, said Jonah Allon, deputy press secretary for the Mayors Office. The union and the citys Office of Labor Relations continue to engage in contract negotiations with the assistance of a third-party mediator that was agreed upon in August. ADDITIONAL TRANSPORTATION NEWS Which Staten Island express buses have the longest bus stop wait times? Which Staten Island express buses have the longest additional travel times? NYC congestion pricing: Bipartisan congressional caucus formed to combat controversial program Cell phone use, speeding and more: A breakdown of Staten Islands moving violations in 2022 NYC congestion pricing pushed back to 2024, costing $250M in revenue, MTA says Speed cameras on Verrazzano? Staten Island lawmakers unanimously oppose state proposal Getting to the bottom of it: Why Staten Island is the only NYC borough without a bike share program MTA nabs 32 toll evaders with fines totaling $900K in record-setting day STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. A series of unexplained hepatitis cases in otherwise healthy children that put health experts on alert last year may be linked to infection with a combination of common viruses. Adenoviruses, which typically cause illnesses like the common cold, bronchitis and conjunctivitis, were previously found in children who tested positive for hepatitis, and a trio of new studies bolsters the evidence the childhood ailments could be playing a role in the rare, but sometimes serious or fatal illnesses. One United States-based study, published in the journal nature, found adeno-associated virus type 2, or AAV2, in 81% of hepatitis cases versus just 7% of cases in the control group, insinuating a strong connection. However, that virus requires at least one other helper virus to spread in the body. Researchers found that most children with unexplained hepatitis had multiple helper viruses present in their system. We were surprised by the fact that the infections we detected in these children were caused not by an unusual, emerging virus, but by common childhood viral pathogens, said Dr. Charles Chiu, a professor at the University of California, San Fransisco, and senior author of the paper, said in a release. Thats what led us to speculate that the timing of the outbreak was probably related to the really unusual situations we were going through with COVID-19 related school and daycare closures and social restrictions, said Chiu. It may have been an unintended consequence of what we have experienced during the last two-to-three years of the pandemic. Two United Kingdom studies, also published in the journal Nature, found adenovirus in a high number of cases of children with hepatitis. All three studies found infections from multiple viruses in children with hepatitis, and 75% of the children in the U.S. study had three or four viral infections. Hepatitis is a condition that affects the liver and is most commonly caused by a virus. Hepatitis A, B, C, D and E are all precursors to the development of symptoms and can affect individuals differently, according to federal officials. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last year issued a nationwide alert that called on doctors and health officials to be aware of the surge of hepatitis cases and to consider testing pediatric patients for adenoviruses. The most recent studies do not affirmatively provide a cause for the increased vulnerability of some children; however, experts previously said restrictions initiated due to the COVID-19 pandemic could have limited young childrens exposure to viruses they would have otherwise encountered, leaving them potentially vulnerable to multiple infections when restrictions loosened. The unexplained outbreak peaked last summer and affected 35 countries, including the U.S., said the World Health Organization. Five percent of children required liver transplants, the agency said, and 2% died. Aamal, one of the regions leading diversified companies, has announced that its fully-owned subsidiary, Aamal Readymix, has been awarded a QR40 million ($11 million) contract by the Porr-HBK-Midmac consortium for the Wakra and Wukair drainage tunnel project in Qatar. As per the deal, Aamal Readymix will supply ready-mixed concrete products within a 18-month period starting from next month. On the contract win, CEO Rashid Bin Ali Al Mansoori said: "It is a pleasure to see Aamal Readymix awarded such an important contract, one that demonstrates the ability of Aamal and its subsidiaries to meet increasing market demands, particularly in the industrial manufacturing sector." "Aamal Readymix has maintained its market-leading position for almost three decades since its creation, providing the local market with innovative solutions in high quality ready-mixed concrete, and will continue to benefit from the attractive opportunities arising from all the many development projects in Qatar," he stated. General Manager Parveez Aslam said: "This contract is another milestone in Aamal Readymixs journey at the forefront of Qatars infrastructure development." "We are committed to always supplying our clients with high-quality ready-mixed concrete and are proud to be the partner-of-choice for most large-scale development projects," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Ukraine controls only a third of the embattled eastern city of Bakhmut, which has seen the longest battle of the Russian invasion, an advisor to Ukraine's presidency said on Thursday. "Bakhmut is one-third controlled by Ukraine, as international observers have established," Sergiy Leshchenko said in a briefing broadcast by the presidency's Telegram channel. He denied however that the city was surrounded by Russian forces despite recent claims from a Russian aide in the Donetsk region, where Bakhmut is located, that it was "practically surrounded". Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner paramilitary group spearheading Russia's assault in eastern Ukraine, said last week that his forces were in control of around 70 percent of the city. Bakhmut -- which once had an estimated population of around 70,000 people -- has been virtually emptied of civilians over months of fierce fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces. Kyiv says Bakhmut is key to holding back Russian forces along the entire eastern front. Both sides have invested heavily in the fight, even though analysts say the city has little strategic value. The US-based Institute for the Study of War said on Tuesday that Russian forces controlled "roughly 65 percent" of Bakhmut after advancing in recent days. Ukraine said last week its forces were "managing to stabilize the situation" around Bakhmut and that a counterattack could be launched soon against "exhausted" Russian forces near the city. Search Keywords: Short link: STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. The United States Army Corps of Engineers project aiming to protect New York City against devastating storm surge is inching toward a final plan that would jumpstart a multi-billion dollar effort to bolster defenses against climate change. The U.S. Army Corps NY-NJ Harbor and Tributaries Coastal Storm Risk Management Feasibility Study (HATS) report published last year outlined multiple approaches to blunting the impact of flooding when powerful weather systems roll into the area. The agency backed one proposal Alternative 3B that would fundamentally change the makeup of waterways surrounding Staten Island by creating massive retractable barriers and installing coastline measures to shield communities against future storms. The United States Army Corps "Alternative 3b" infrastructure project. (US Army Corps) WHAT IS ALTERNATIVE 3B? There are five proposals being considered by the Army Corps, and an interactive map details each proposal. Elements in fuchsia on the map are part of Alternative 3B, which carries a $52.7 billion price tag. The plan would create 2.2 miles of storm surge barriers, 50.6 miles of shoreline based measures, 11.8 miles of flooding-mitigation features and 18.7 miles of risk reduction features, according to the Army Corps. The latest Army Corps effort is separate from its years-long and delay-laden East Shore Seawall project centered on protecting borough communities devastated by Hurricane Sandy more than a decade ago. It would also join the South Shore Living Breakwaters coastal protection project that broke ground in 2021. The public comment period for the project was extended to March 31, and will be followed by a span where the Army Corps considers the suggestions before a meeting in June. Comments can be submitted via email or mail. A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' image released Sept. 22 shows an artist's rendering of what a possible flood barrier could like near the Outerbridge Crossing. (Courtesy: USACE) WHAT WOULD STORM SURGE GATES LOOK LIKE? Under Alternative 3B, two storm surge gates would be created in Staten Island waterways and would join 10 other storm surge gates in the New York City area. These behemoth structures would close during major storms and otherwise remain open for water traffic a critical measure as the boroughs West Shore begins to host the burgeoning offshore wind industry. One would be placed below the Outerbridge between Staten Island and New Jersey and another between Staten Island and Bayonne, N.J. A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' image released Sept. 22 shows an artist's rendering of what a possible flood barrier could like near the Kill Van Kull. (Courtesy: USACE) The navigational and auxiliary surge gate structures at these locations are currently delineated to have an estimated total length of 5,600 feet, with an associated 5,588 feet of shore-based measures comprising floodwalls and deployable flood wall barriers to tie-in to high ground, the Army Corps wrote in its 569-page report. The storm surge barriers would be key infrastructure pieces within the larger project and be accompanied by smaller efforts to address coastal flooding concerns. A group of major environmentalist groups have sounded alarm over the projects scope and effectiveness, specifically criticizing some of the major infrastructure elements of the proposal and calling for a greater infusion of nature-based solutions in place of gray construction. Calls, for example, to use in-water barriers only when absolutely necessary and instead prioritize nature-based solutions, would fundamentally alter the approach of mitigating intense flooding. Additionally, it is not clear what form of nature-based solution could substitute hardened infrastructure like storm surge barriers. Placating some of those concerns would have wide-spanning implications for a project that has taken years to even reach its planning phase. Daniel Zarilli, the citys former chief climate policy advisor and a Staten Islander, said the projects importance is too vital to take steps back and instead called for continued partnership to making the project work for the city. What I think New Yorkers really need to see is multipurpose flood protection infrastructure that needs to go through a deep design process with communities to make sure that we get the protection we need, and that it is integrated into our dense urban environment in a smart way, said Zarilli. And I think the Corps can do that, and they need New Yorkers to help them do that. "Alternative 3B" measures present on Staten Island's South Shore. (USACE) THE SOUTH SHORE The pink and yellow structure shown in the Army Corps interactive map centered on Staten Islands South Shore shows the location of the proposed storm surge gate; however, other structures would also be implemented north of that area. The yellow highlighted areas north of Ellis Street, near the Tottenville Marina, are low flood walls that would stand near the coast. The green section is a bulkhead, which is effectively a retaining wall aimed at holding back floodwaters. The final two sections, in purple, are revetments typically made of concrete or stone that are placed against the coast to protect against erosion "Alternative 3B" measures on Staten Island's West Shore. (USACE) THE WEST SHORE A flood wall would be placed above Burke Avenue in an area within the William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge in New Springville, which connects to the Arthur Kill through Main Creek. The Army Corps indicated the flood wall is expected to have low impacts to the refuges lands, though some species may become displaced during construction. The agency said species that flee the area during that phase are expected to return to the area when construction is completed. When the barriers are in the closed position in anticipation of a storm, the Army Corps said the area behind the wall would be benefited from coastal flood risk management. "Alternative 3B" measures on Staten Island's North Shore. (USACE) THE NORTH SHORE Outside of the major storm surge gate between Staten Island and Bayonne, a series of smaller projects would be put into place on the boroughs North Shore to help mitigate flooding. Areas in green on the Army Corps map are bulkheads slated to be placed along the coastline north of Richmond Terrace. They would play a role in reducing the risk of flooding in areas behind storm surge barriers that could experience high frequency flooding when the barriers are not in use. A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tidal gauge near Mariners Harbor saw seven high-flooding days in 2020 nearly double what the same gauge saw in 2000. By 2030, between 15 and 35 high-flood days are projected by NOAA; a range of 45 to 130 high-flood days could occur by 2050 causing consistent and significant risks to the coastline and those that live there. Revetments with flood walls similar to measures that would be implemented on the South Shore under Alternative 3B are labeled in green. A low flood wall, in yellow, would connect that infrastructure between Wright and Housman avenues in Elm Park. Meanwhile, east of the Bayonne Bridge, standard flood walls would line the coastline between Ferry Street and the mouth of the waterway extending into the northern end of Port Richmond. RELATED COVERAGE: Staten Island and climate change >> Staten Island in 2100: Graphic projections show harsh reality your grandkids may face if climate projections hold true >> Will Staten Island see another Hurricane Sandy? Heres what experts say rising tides, warming seas could mean for us. >> 9 in 10 U.S. counties have endured extreme weather disaster in past decade. Staten Island is among the most at risk. Thank you for visiting the Daily Journal. Please purchase an Enhanced Subscription to continue reading. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! Cash-strapped Lebanon has scrapped a deal for a second terminal at Beirut's international airport, the transport minister said Thursday, after critics raised transparency concerns in the $122 million project. Lebanon "will not proceed with the contract", Public Works and Transportation Minister Ali Hamieh said on Twitter, adding that the decision came "following legal controversy". Some had questioned how a caretaker government with limited powers could announce such a major infrastructure project, in a country where entrenched political barons are accused of systemic corruption. Civil society organisations and lawmakers noted the absence of a tender process and a lack of involvement of the Public Procurement Authority. Jean Ellieh, head of the authority, said "the contract did not pass through" the regulatory body as required under a 2021 law. Last week 10 civil society groups, including Transparency International Lebanon, warned of "serious abuses" in the procurement law's application which "open the door to corruption and nepotism". The government, which has been operating in a caretaker capacity since legislative elections last May, announced the second terminal project last week, to be carried out by private company Lebanese Air Transport and Irish firm daa International. Hamieh had said the private sector would fund project, which would have created "around 2,500 jobs", with the firms to operate the terminal for 25 years. Lebanon plunged into an economic crisis in 2019, that the World Bank has dubbed one of the planet's worst in modern times. The meltdown has pushed most of the population into poverty while the political elite, widely blamed for the country's financial collapse, has failed to take action. The International Monetary Fund last week warned the country was "at a very dangerous moment", criticising slow progress on reforms needed to unlock billions in emergency loans. Along with a caretaker government, the country has also been without a president for almost five months amid political deadlock. Search Keywords: Short link: Plans are under way to develop Australias first ethanol biofuel refinery to produce sustainable aviation fuel under a new partnership between Qantas, Airbus and the Queensland government. Bio energy company Jet Zero Australia and sustainable aviation fuel technology group LanzaJet will develop the facility, which will convert agricultural by-products including sugarcane into sustainable aviation fuel. Construction of the site is expected to start in 2024, the companies announced on Thursday morning. Qantas CEO Alan Joyce urged the government to invest more in sustainable aviation fuel last year. Credit: Oscar Colman Made from crops, household waste, animal fat and other biomass, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) produces about one-fifth of the emissions of conventional jet fuel. Qantas says it wants SAF to account for 10 per cent of its fuel use by 2030 and 60 per cent by 2050, but theres a global supply issue. Currently, theres only enough SAF being produced to replace less than 1 per cent of the global aviation industry, at more than double the price of conventional jet fuel. Qantas spends $5 billion on jet fuel a year. Im going to be the king, Im going to be starting knighthoods and citizenships, were gonna have our own stamps and our own flag. Were gonna raise money for mens sheds, he said. Unlike Prince Leonard, who declared war on Australia for two whole days in the 1970s, Penmans beef is with one particular state, and its overwhelmingly popular premier. Were not un-Australian, we just dont like Victoria. Conservatives unite Appearing on right-wing provocateur Joe Rogans podcast recently, every incels favourite philosopher king Jordan Peterson announced the creation of a new global network for like-minded conservatives. Loading The Canadian psychologist hopes his Alliance for Responsible Citizenship will form an alternative to the World Economic Forum and its apocalyptic fearmongering, but the whole thing seems a bit like the Succession siblings The Hundred for conservative self-styled intellectuals. Joining Peterson on this crusade are a few leading lights of the local right, with former prime ministers John Howard and Tony Abbott on the organising committee, along with ex-deputy prime minister John Anderson, shadow defence minister Andrew Hastie and recently defeated LNP Senator Amanda Stoker. The international contingent includes climate sceptic Bjorn Lomborg, colonialism defender Niall Ferguson and Republican lawmakers Dan Crenshaw and Mike Lee. Its the kind of company Howard told CBD hed be glad to keep. Strictly speaking, Im not involved in the organising of the event, but I am happy to associate myself with people such as Niall Ferguson, Jordan Peterson, John Anderson and Philippa Stroud, he said. It is an association of people concerned to defend the values of Western civilisation. Obamarama Barack Obamas speaking tour got back on track in Melbourne on Thursday after Wednesday nights PR train wreck (where a local Indigenous elder was dumped from giving a Welcome to Country) with an appearance before a few hundred business leaders at the citys Exhibition Centre. In a weird throwback to the dark days of 2020, biosecurity was tight, with those lucky enough to score a handshake with the great man required to take a COVID-19 PCR test from the on-site testing crew. Among the throng gathered to hear the 44th presidents thoughts on leadership were a couple of blokes at the top of organisations that could use a few tips Crown chief executive Ciaran Carruthers and AFL boss Gillon McLachlan with his brother Hamish McLachlan. Clean air Unlike the organisers of Obamas special lunch, most Australians have more or less forgotten about COVID-19. Many of those reluctant to move on and shocked by the publics laissez-faire attitude toward the virus have turned their attention to indoor air quality, with proponents arguing its the next big thing in public health and we must spend billions rebuilding everything to keep us safe. Among the believers is new Labor MP Michelle Ananda-Rajah, an industrious type who keeps air purifiers in her Canberra office and who convened a bunch of experts for a Clean Air Forum in Parliament House on Thursday. Each week, Benjamin Law asks public figures to discuss the subjects were told to keep private by getting them to roll a die. The numbers they land on are the topics theyre given. This week, he talks to Hugo Weaving. The actor, 62, is best known for his roles in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings trilogies. He is currently starring in the Australian TV series, Love Me. When were apart, we realise how much we rely on each other, how much we enjoy each other. Credit: Getty Images SEX Youve been with your partner, Katrina, for close to 40 years now. What first attracted you to her? My first love, Anna, and Katrina were good mates. We all lived together. Katrina was going out with my best friend from school, so the four of us used to hang out. He went off to Cambridge; Katrina followed him. By the time she came back, Anna and I had split up. It wasnt a terrible bust-up. When Katrina came back, I realised how thrilled I was to see her again and I was free. What keeps you together now? Were talking about it a lot at the moment. Im in London; shes in Sydney. I really miss her; she really misses me. When were apart, we realise how much we have in common, how much we rely on each other, how much we need each other, how much we enjoy each other. Advertisement Eating outJust open Pizza by the slice heats up in Sydney as Merivale and Michelin-starred chef open two new spots Tottis chef Mike Eggert is set to open Oti in Merivales Ivy precinct, while Ta Ta Ta Pizza opens in a backstreet in Bondi Junction. Scott Bolles March 30, 2023 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share A collection of the most exciting venues to visit in Sydney this month. See all stories . With a new venue from a former fine-dining chef and another on the way from Merivale, Sydneys pizza by the slice sector just got hotter. Tottis executive chef Mike Eggert is set to open Oti in Merivales Ivy precinct, while Shlomi Palensya, who worked in Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe, has opened Ta Ta Ta Pizza at Bondi Junction. Ta Ta Ta serves Roman-style pizza by the slice. Supplied Ive worked in 25 different countries and pizza by the slice is big everywhere but here, says Palensya, whose last gig was executive pastry chef at the Park Hyatt Sydney. I wanted to do something that embraces the skills I have with something the market needs. Advertisement Palensya isnt the first to ponder pizza by the slice for Sydney. Hot salami, jalapeno, spicy salami, cheddar, rocket and tomato pizza from Ta Ta Ta. Supplied Indeed, Sydney had a good example of the genre until last year (RIP Frankies), but the category has been a bit hit and miss. Operators generally go down the New York pizza slice route, or Roman-style. Ta Ta Ta opted for the latter, hailing Caesar when it comes to dough. Ours is Roman-style. The dough is made with a mix of spelt, rice flour, imported flour from Italy and some from [South Australia], Palensya says. The bottom is crispy and the top fluffy. Advertisement Tottis chef Mike Eggert is launching Oti. Edwina Pickles Toppings on Ta Ta Tas slices (sold, in the Italian style, by weight) run from a simple margherita to zucchini flowers and things that dont usually go on pizza. Im even using a bit of molecular [cooking], making pearls of balsamic, Palensya says. Ta Ta Ta, which partly takes its name from the Ta in takeaway, is located in a Bondi Junction back street, near the shopping centre carpark exit. Theyll even run your pre-orders to the car. Shlomi Palensya of Ta Ta Ta Pizza. Supplied Advertisement The best food is in side lanes. And the dough we use travels better than thinner pizzas, Palensya says. Oti, which is a play on the name of sister restaurant Tottis, will also deliver Roman-style pizza by the slice when it opens in April. Helmed by Tottis executive chef Mike Eggert, Oti will slide into the former home of Lorraines Patisserie, the site vacated at the end of 2022 following the retirement of Sydney pastry guru Lorraine Godsmark. Ta Ta Ta Pizza: open Wed-Thu 11.30am-10pm; Fri-Sat 11.30am-11pm; Sun 5pm-11pm. 10 Gray Street, Bondi Junction, tatatapizza.com.au Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up This was before the internet, and local cops didnt know him. Wilson was constantly being pulled over and hassled by his unknowing colleagues who thought he was shady as anything. Id tell them to f--- off, he says. I had to act tough. He recalls the spine-tingling moment he locked eyes with one cop in town, a bloke I knew from years back. I looked at him and he looked at me but out of context, he couldnt place me, and I just thought: be cool. Fourteen months is a long time to keep your cool. Wilson had guns drawn on him, his car was torched and the house he shared with his fellow undercover detective was burgled (including a certain grandfather clock with a trick bottom for stashing cash). How did Wilson do it? He shrugs. Im not an angry person. The lamb backstrap at the Ascot Vale Hotel. Credit: Joe Armao Indeed, hes disarmingly friendly. Lunch is on The Age today but as we order (steak for me and the lamb for Wilson, plus the pubs famous dim sims to share), Wilson repeatedly offers to buy photographer Joe Armao lunch on his own dime to keep your receipts in order, Sherryn. The lunch offer is a first, Armao tells me, in all his years on the job. As easy as it is to imagine Wilson getting hardened crooks to divulge their secrets, I can also see him sitting down for a cuppa with domestic violence victims in his current job: running security sweeps for vulnerable people. Protective Group, which Wilson started with another ex-detective, Steve Schultze, over a decade ago, is Australias only security firm specialising in helping domestic violence victims escape abuse. Stephen Wilson receiving a police commendation for the Mildura undercover operation with his son Tristan. While their work is not directly funded by governments, the two Steves (and a staff of mostly ex-cops) work with charities across the country supporting victims. Whether thats dashing out to Bunnings and installing locks, or doing a sweep of her car, her phone for trackers and bugs before she goes to the refuge, or her house, Wilson explains. We get so many calls for help, but we can usually find the funding somewhere. We look after probably 80 to 120 women a week now. As the food arrives, Wilson admits he didnt have to completely fake it undercover: I really do love antiques. But the job took a toll. He rarely saw his family. His marriage fell apart. He lost touch with friends like Schultze, whom he knew when Schultze worked in homicide downstairs and lived at the end of his street. It wasnt like I could go to the police pub on a Friday night. After he left the force, Wilson owned and ran a pub himself. Then, 15 years ago, he reunited with Schultze, and decided to go back to investigation. Both men had a brood of kids at home. And both of us ... well, we hate bullies. When the Salvation Army was given funding under the Turnbull government to help keep women at risk of violence safe in their homes, the charity turned to the two Steves. And soon refuges and other support services did, too, as well as private clients. Then chief commissioner Mick Miller with Stephen Wilson (right) at Wilsons graduation in 1980. Wilson describes men climbing through roof tiles at night to photograph their ex-partners sleeping; trackers sewn into teddy bears and childrens backpacks, hidden in glove boxes or under cars; and eerie arrays of cameras discovered in ceiling vents. Some of these men are lawyers, doctors, theyll go to jail, get out and do it all over again, he says. COVID drove a lot of the technology abuse [as more of life moved online]. Its really skyrocketed. Wilsons voice shakes as he recalls the vicious assault of a woman outside a supermarket her ex had tracked her down via her rewards card points. His team has to be careful, too. Schultze has been chased off a property with a machete. Ive gone to houses and the blokes still there hiding under the bed or in the cupboard, Wilson says. Perpetrators do not like us. At the pub when he tells people what he does now, he inevitably gets an earful from blokes saying, oh but domestic violence happens to men, too. I know it does, but you look at the numbers. Youd have to be blind to say its not mostly women. And kids. You see terrible things. I cant make any excuses for my gender any more. I think a lot of blokes have grown up without empathy. Not so for Wilson. The eldest of four kids, he grins as he mentions his square parents. Mums never had a drink. Dads the sort of bloke, he goes to his [favourite] fish and chip shop one night and they wouldnt give him a receipt. And he thought: Ah, youre dodging tax. So he never went back. At home, there was never an angry word, but on the job aged 18, Wilson was being called to dozens of domestic violence incidents a day. And back then, no cops wanted to go to them. The old attitude was shell just go back to him. Victims didnt have the support they do now. I think its changed. I hope its changed. Loading Now, Wilson rarely tells clients he used to be a cop. He wears polo shirts, not suits. Sometimes, theyll say, youre the first fella whos ever listened to me. My ex didnt, and I dont feel like his family did or the police or the magistrate did. Hes particularly passionate about helping Indigenous communities. The only womens refuge in Alice Springs recently called in the two Steves as unrest in the community made headlines. Were not Batman and Robin flying in to fix it, Wilson says. Its very complicated, but well see what we can do. Id love to train up some local Indigenous workers in what we do. The new owners of the Ascot Vale Hotel have kept dim sims on the menu as a nod to the pubs past. Credit: Joe Armao Billions of dollars have been poured into stopping domestic violence since Rosie Battys direct appeal for change following the murder of her son nearly a decade ago. Some things are better, but theres a lot of talkfests, too, sighs Wilson. We wanted to do something practical, even if its a Band-Aid. He taps his watch. Speaking of practical, Protective Group have also developed an app that turns smartwatches into safety alarms. If a client is in danger and activates the alarm, live audio and video from their watch will be streamed to a 24/7 monitoring centre, which can then call police with a special alpha code and brief officers on the perpetrators history while theyre en route. And those recordings have stood up in court as evidence before, Wilson says. The bill at the Ascot Vale Hotel. Credit: Theres other evidence he sees on the job, too: holes in plaster where a son has put his elderly mothers head through a wall. Or blood and scratch marks in the bathroom of a young mum. Forget the high-stakes world of undercover work how does he keep his cool now, in the face of so much cruelty and fear? Does that idyllic upbringing church on Sunday and loud family dinners make Wilson feel more responsibility to protect others? Barack Obama tour organisers apologise to First Nations elder removed from Welcome to Country Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Were working to restore it. Please try again later. Dismiss Our network Open Navigation Menu The Sydney Morning Herald Subscribe The federal governments top health protection committee will make indoor air quality a national priority, but a leading critic claims the effort will cost billions for little benefit. Politicians and scientists met at Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday for a Clean Air Forum hosted by government MP Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah, who has long campaigned on the issue. Australias Chief Health Officer Professor Paul Kelly told the forum hed asked a key subcommittee of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee to make indoor air quality a key priority for the next 12 months. Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah, photographed in 2020 when working as an infectious diseases specialist. Credit: Eddie Jim The question is no longer is clean air important? We know it is, he said. The questions now were: how clean is good enough? How do we measure that? And at what cost is society prepared to pay to achieve that? King Charles III became the first monarch to address Germany's parliament, the Bundestag, on Thursday as part of a high-profile visit aimed at bolstering ties between the two European powers. Charles, 74, is on his inaugural foreign trip since becoming U.K. king. He and Camilla, the queen consort, arrived in Berlin on Wednesday. Crowds of well-wishers and Germany's head of state, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, greeted the couple at the capitals iconic Brandenburg Gate. They later attended a banquet in their honor at the presidential palace. Pomp and royal glamour aside, the three-day visit has a decidedly political purpose. The U.K. government is trying to mend frayed ties with its continental partners following the painful Brexit process. The fallout has been considerable: Britain's departure from the European Union's common market has resulted in trade barriers and labor shortages, and locked the country out of key European science programs. By devoting special attention to the EU's two biggest powers France and Germany Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hopes to normalize relations with the 27-nation bloc. Charles originally planned to stop in France first, but anti-government protests there delayed that part of his trip. That put the focus on Germany, where the U.K. royal family and particularly the late Queen Elizabeth II have long enjoyed curiosity and admiration. Not all were enamored by the visit, however. Jan Korte, a lawmaker with the opposition Left party, said it wasn't in keeping with Germany's democratic tradition to have Charles address the country's highest political body, the Bundestag. A king isn't elected, Korte told public broadcaster ZDF. He can obviously speak everywhere and is very welcome, including by me, but I think that particularly in the Bundestag, which is about representing the people, it's not really appropriate to have a monarch speak. Charles has spoken to the Bundestag before, at a commemorative event held by the German War Graves Commission in 2020, though he was still the Prince of Wales at the time. Before his speech Charles met briefly with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and visited a farmers market in Berlin. After his speech, Charles and Camilla are scheduled to meet with refugees and British and German military personnel stationed near Berlin before visiting an organic farm. They plan to be in Hamburg on Friday. Search Keywords: Short link: Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Welcome back to Yours.Sincerely, our Friday dive into the letters and comments on what you decided was the topic of the week. This week the majority of messages were about the NSW election: why did the Liberal Party lose seats across the state and will the new Labor premier live up to expectations? Credit: Labor sweeps to power, as Liberals savaged by voters At 9.15pm on Saturday, March 25, the Heralds state political editor Alexandra Smith filed the first story declaring Chris Minns would be the next premier of NSW. Heres what you thought about the Labor Partys win: Maxwell Smart Yes, Labor sweeps to power and not a moment too soon to put the broom through the government. Both the federal and state Coalition sure left an almighty mess. Mark NSW people know that after a decade of Liberal rule the vast majority has been left behind. The rich have become richer, the rest of us are poorer. Thats the Liberal Party way. geoggrey When a federal poll goes badly, its federal issues. When a state poll goes badly, its down to state issues. Can the Libs now acknowledge they are out of touch at every level? Advertisement Loading Tommy O.G. After a decade in power in NSW, we will be suffering the consequences of the Liberals woes for a while yet. Julian On the contrary, NSW has benefited hugely in the last 12 years by having a government with some vision and one that builds things rather than just announces them and then cancels. So many have forgotten what a disaster the previous ALP government was. It would be a tragedy if we return to the blinkered, visionless Sydney is full ideas of the Bob Carr era. Chris Sherlock You mean, the Libs build things and then sell them to private corporations who charge us so much we cant use the infrastructure? Artemis I appreciated that there was not a lot of negativity in this campaign. Scaremongering to me, just says that you have nothing to offer. I really hope that the lesson the Coalition takes away is not to be more negative. Joan Brown, Orange With Dominic Perrottet stepping down as leader after losing the election, spare a thought for the cartoonists, who revelled in his chiselled features and long lanky frame. With Chris Minns, in contrast, offering very little for cartoonists to work on, they may have to draw him carrying a briefcase bearing his name until we get used to him. Illustration: John Shakespeare Credit: Advertisement Should Liberals head for the sensible centre? For many, the outcome of the election seemed inevitable: three terms in power, a pile of scandals and a clear leftward shift from voters federally and in other states made a change in government likely. But some Liberals hopes were kept alive by a fairly popular premier, wrote Sydney editor Michael Koziol. Doug #1 Looks like the Liberals need a woke-up call. Loading Private Citizen Perrottet was a fresh head put on a rotten fish. For me, it was the meh factor: it was truly a coin flip of an election. An infrastructure-adverse ALP v Liberal National coalition that had a stink about it. andilee Hang in there, Libs! If you move just a bit further to the right, youll have gone so far, youll all turn into communists and be on your way back to the sensible centre again Dekeito Voters have woken up to the nasty, divisive and extreme politics of the hard right who have shanghaied the Coalition. Until they get their house in order, ditch the religious and conspiracy nutters and aim for the sensible centre, they are doomed to remain on the fringes. Advertisement Middle aged balding white man None of them will mention the damage ScoMo and co did to their brand. Jfish Thats why they are finished they cant even be truthful to themselves. Illustration: John Shakespeare Credit: Mainland consensus not good for PM and premiers Having wall-to-wall Labor governments across the mainland is positive for the ALP and a low point for the Coalition. But it isnt all good for the prime minister, nor for Labor premiers elsewhere in the country, explains political correspondent for The Sun-Herald, Anthony Galloway. Mike Kenneally, Manly The Australian mainland is now governed at federal, state and territory level by Labor. Saturdays victory was another repudiation of the hysteria that emanates from the News Corp/Sky organisation. Like Rupert Murdochs previous four wives, the electorate has moved on. Fitzy It is not a massive change. It is simply a rearrangement of the furniture. Advertisement With animation and a sense of humour, Miss Keller spoke to every person. She had a warm handshake and a quick response to conversation which was relayed to her with incredible manual dexterity by Miss Thompson. Guests were introduced to Miss Thompson by Mr. Justice Maxwell, president of the Royal Sydney Industrial Blind Institution, which arranged the reception. Miss Thompson then introduced the guests to Miss Keller. Standing in her own pool of silence and serenity, Helen Keller, noted blind and deaf author, yesterday greeted 300 guests at a late afternoon reception at the Hotel Australia. With her devoted companion, Miss Polly Thompson, she stood in the receiving line for nearly an hour before chairs were provided for them. There was a moving scene when Mr. Roy Kippax, who was blinded in an accident when 12, took Miss Kellers hand and spoke to her in the same touch language that she uses. With fingers lightly touching, they exchanged greetings, and arranged to have a long talk when things became a littlequieter. Mr. Kippax has been welfare officer at the Blind Institution for about 25 years; he has done magnificent work for the rehabilitation of blinded soldiers. As one man took Miss Kellers hand Miss Thompson asked, Do you remember whose hand this is? Miss Keller thought for a moment, traced the hand with her sensitive fingers, then answered, My Lord Mayors. She had been the guest of the Lord Mayor, Alderman Bartley, at a civic reception yesterday morning. Miss Keller listened with intense interest to the comments of the guests, and occasionally her left hand strayed towards the lips of Miss Thompson if she felt she was missing something. Even when peoples names were unusual she understood them swiftly when they were spelled out for her by Miss Thompson. Miss Keller wore a becoming brown and white printed silk suit and an upturned cafe-au-lait felt hat trimmed with brown feathers. She has a feminine weakness for hats, and when she was praised for her choice, she ran her hand across the feathers and asked, Do you like it? Then you must see the blue hat I wore to Buckingham Palace. It is the same colour blue as the hat worn by the Queen. At the civic reception earlier, Miss Keller said: I feel that the boundless warmheartedness and hospitality of the Australian people surrounds me like an atmosphere. If I can show a little of the limitless goodwill in my heart and the heart of America while visiting the blind and deaf of Australia, I shall be happy and proud. Not enough man-eaters Sharks have become so scarce around Sydney that Manlys Oceanarium has offered 100 for the capture of a man-eater for exhibition. The director, Dr. Jim Thomson, said, "We are in desperate need of another big shark ... It must survive in the aquarium at least two weeks before we pay the bounty." He said he had never known a time when sharks were so difficult to find even in such favourite haunts as Seal Rocks. More relics off Dunbar A possible link with the Crimean War of the early 1850s has been found near the wreck of the Dunbar off South Head. It is a brass belt buckle inscribed March 30 Peace 1856. This is the date of the treaty of Paris, when the Crimean War was settled. The Dunbar sank with a loss of 121 lives on August 20, 1857. Mr K. Wardrope, 34, of Newtown, found the buckle while exploring the wreck. Officials search for marbles Police are searching for a man who allegedly tied an ibis by its neck and feet, trying to force it into a wheeled trolley before members of the public intervened. On Tuesday, officers from Ryde Police Area Command received calls that a man allegedly captured an ibis outside Eastwood Railway Station. A man allegedly tied up an ibis before members of the public intervened. Credit: Alan House Members of the public allegedly saw the man tie the bird up and try to put it into a wheeled red trolley before they stopped him from taking the native Australian animal. The man allegedly left the area before police arrived. A murder charge has been dropped against a 29-year-old man, more than a year after his arrest when a body was found in a Brisbane unit. Sreeram Rajgokul Palaniswamy was charged in November 2021 after a 75-year-old man died. The body of 75-year-old Palaniswamy Lakshmanan was found at an Alfred Street unit. He was accused of murdering Palaniswamy Lakshmanan, who had died a week earlier at a unit in Alfred Street in Fortitude Valley. Police said after his arrest that the men were known to each other but would not confirm their relationship. DOUG MULRAY: 1951 - 2023 The broadcaster Doug Mulray, who has died aged 71, was Australian radio royalty. Affectionately known to his listeners as Uncle Doug, he was much-loved for his rapier wit that always skated a little too close to the edge, as well as his outrageous skits featuring a variety of madcap characters. In 1982, he became one of the most influential voices in Australian radio at the newly-launched Triple M. As Sydneys breakfast presenter he grew the show from a ratings share of 2.6 per cent to an astonishing 18 per cent. Doug Mulray was one of the most influential voices in Australian radio. His breakfast show was famed for its quirky group of fictional characters who caught the listeners imagination, making morning commutes bearable and brightening breakfasts across the city. They included Madam Zenda, who made outlandish cosmic predictions about the future; Jack Africa, a permanently paranoid man who was convinced that the chooks were out to get him; the Prime Mincer, a parody of Bob Hawke; and Gloria, who was based on rival broadcaster Alan Jones. By then some of IBACs most important investigations will likely have been finalised and tabled, including the Operation Daintree probe into pledges made to the Health Workers Union shortly before the 2018 election, and Operation Sandon, into alleged planning corruption in Melbournes southeast. On Wednesday Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes said because the government went into caretaker period before the November election, consideration of Redlichs replacement was deferred. She noted she had discussions with shadow attorney-general Michael OBrien, about the appointment process. We are working through the relevant processes for this appointment in accordance with guidelines, which will include an open, public and competitive recruitment process, Symes said. The ideal candidate The IBAC Act says an eligible person must be a current or former judge in the High, Federal or Supreme courts, or at least qualified to do so. Most familiar with the integrity terrain agree that legal qualifications and deep experience in investigations, examination and the conduct of public hearings are prerequisites. Loading Retiring or recently retired judges are often said to be best qualified. Yet after the public lashing by Redlich a former judge now in his late 70s the government may prefer someone a little less senior. What other qualities are important? Someone who understands government is an expression sometimes heard in political circles, as ministers and public servants grapple with who to appoint to roles like IBAC commissioner. Its code for someone realistic about the imperfect, transactional nature of a political system, where deals are done, political allies get jobs, and favoured electorates are pork-barrelled. Integrity lobby the Accountability Round Table is calling for someone independent, with a strong background in the law and a deep understanding of how corruption works both the harder and softer versions. Its a difficult job, says Roundtable chair and former Australian Democrat Senator Lyn Allison. With more than 30 investigations underway, the commission will need to be properly resourced and allowed to do its work without political interference. Shadow attorney-general Michael OBrien says it is crucial the commissioner has no political ties. The most dangerous thing would be to choose any person who has any links whatsoever with the Labor Party, he says. We need a corruption watchdog, not a Labor lapdog. Shadow Attorney-General Michael OBrien. Credit: Eddie Jim We dont want somebody whos going to take current investigations initiated under Robert Redlich and file them in the too hard basket, or water down findings and recommendations made under commissioner Redlich. Who fits the bill? The Age has asked for recommendations from senior legal figures and political insiders from across the spectrum. No one wanted to publicly comment for fear of being the kiss of death for anyone they suggested. Plenty of names were put forward, nonetheless. Recently retired Court of Appeal president Chris Maxwell is one such name raised by multiple legal and political insiders. However, they also doubt he would be interested and, despite his parting shot at the Andrews government last year over its blunt, oppressive sentencing regimen, Maxwell is widely viewed as possibly too Labor friendly. Former Supreme Court judge Jack Rush is a prominent lawyer proposed by one Spring Street political figure because of his bulldog approach to law, as evidenced in his role as senior counsel assisting the Bushfires Royal Commission in 2009. However, Labor insiders dismiss Rush, pointing to his strident criticisms of Andrews, especially in 2016 over the alleged damage he says Labor has done to the Country Fire Authority (CFA). IBAC has had two commissioners since the Baillieu government established it in 2012, both male. There is little doubt that Labor would like to appoint a woman. But who? Marilyn Warren, the former chief justice of the Supreme Court and ex-Lieutenant-Governor of Victoria, is widely respected across the political spectrum. Legal colleagues say she would be ideal for the IBAC job. Former Supreme Court chief justice Marilyn Warren has been described as ideal for the IBAC job. However, the Warren option is viewed by other senior legal and political figures as wishful thinking. She is known to be heavily committed to her academic work at Monash University. Former Court of Appeal judge Pamela Tate is also viewed as eminently qualified. She was the first woman appointed as Victorian solicitor-general, the states second-highest law officer. But she held the position between 2003 and 2010 under the Bracks/Brumby Labor government, which may work against her in the unlikely event she were interested. Other names mentioned in political and/or legal circles include Supreme Court reserve judges Stephen Kaye and John Champion (also the former Director of Public Prosecutions), Court of Appeal judge Phillip Priest, former Federal Court judge Geoffrey Nettle (currently Victorias Office of Special Investigator probing the Lawyer X scandal) and former Court of Appeal judge Mark Weinberg, (currently Special Investigator probing allegations of war crimes by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan). Yet all these senior legal figures are still busy across many professional fields. Former Supreme Court judges Murray Kellam, 76, and Bernie Teague, 85, have also been mentioned as suitable prospects, however age may be an issue. The commissioners role is a five-year, non-renewable term. The fallback The obvious fallback option for the government would be Stephen Farrow, the current acting IBAC commissioner. Farrow joined IBAC in July 2021 as deputy and was appointed to the acting role in December, when Redlich retired. Senior legal figures insist Farrow was not Redlichs choice of acting commissioner, possibly a tick in his favour from the governments perspective. Since Farrow took over, IBAC has been noticeably less vocal. The agency did not comment when an explosive letter from Redlich to the speaker and president of the Victorian parliament emerged this month, alleging that the then-Labor dominated Integrity and Oversight Committee was seeking to undermine IBAC. In his letter, Redlich called on the government to relinquish control of the committee which oversees the states integrity system. IBAC has not publicly endorsed Redlichs position, despite him being commissioner at the time he wrote the letter in December. The Age has sought to contact all the people mentioned in this story for comment. Some refused to comment on the record, others did not respond. Amid the concern about the limited field for this important position, there is a glimmer of hope. A twist In a surprising twist last week, the government agreed to a revamp of the integrity committee so that no party has a majority, and it relinquished the chairs position with its casting vote. This was in return for Greens and Legalise Cannabis upper house MPs not supporting the Opposition push for an inquiry into its alleged suppression of the Redlich letter. The committee has a veto over the governments recommended candidate commissioner. If Labor were to choose someone perceived as too friendly for instance, the revamped committee could block the appointment. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size The Liberal Party will try to hold on to Aston, the once-safe Liberal seat vacated by Alan Tudge, as Labor pushes for an upset victory. The Age will publish updates from reporters in the field covering issues affecting voters in the lead-up to the poll on Saturday, April 1. See all 11 stories . A train line to Rowville in Melbournes outer east was first proposed in 1969. But five decades later in the federal electorate of Aston, the car is still king. Katrina Marques, who is raising her three school-aged children in Astons south, said a lack of public transport was the most important issue to her ahead of a byelection on Saturday. But she isnt expecting much after years of empty promises. Its pretty appalling, she said. Youve got no faith that anything will change. Saturdays byelection was called after Liberal MP Alan Tudge quit politics in February and is shaping as a test for Peter Dutton as Opposition leader, while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is hoping for an upset in the once-safe Liberal seat. Aston residents The Age spoke to said public transport infrastructure was one issue they wanted candidates to talk about as they competed for their vote. Road upgrades and the cost of living are among other issues to feature prominently in the campaigns of Liberal candidate Roshena Campbell and Labors Mary Doyle. Advertisement Advertisement Her children Taj, 17, Levi, 15, and Eloise, 10 go to school in Nunawading, largely because the school operates a private bus that picks them up from Rowville. Marques, a project manager, is also an expert on multi-hour commutes for work in the CBD. Her normal route starts with a 20-minute drive away from the city to Ferntree Gully station, where she begins an almost hour-long train trip to Flinders Street. Now, with the line disrupted for level crossing removal works, a 35-minute drive to Syndal station on the Glen Waverley line, followed by a 45-minute train is more likely. Finding a car park was still a lottery, she said. If Marques was to avoid using a car entirely, her trips would often require several, time-consuming bus changes. It would usually be two buses I would have to catch to get anywhere, Marques said. I often look at moving to other locations that arent as nice as Rowville, but have better connections. Advertisement Advertisement Rail Futures Institute president John Hearsch said trackless trams were probably not a perfect solution partly due to expensive wear on the roadway. However, proponents have touted the low infrastructure cost, quick construction compared to rail and high speeds as benefits. A proposal put forward by Vicinity Centres and Monash University has a $1.4 billion price tag. We, on balance, think light rail is probably a better option [than a trackless tram] but we are pretty agnostic about it all, Hearsch said. Grattan Institute transport and cities director Marion Terrill noted the Caulfield-Rowville link, potentially via trackless trams, wasnt on Infrastructure Australias priority list. The Aston byelection candidates Roshena Campbell (left) and Mary Doyle. Credit:The Age The public tends to prefer public transport modes that come with a dedicated road space because they can be confident that theres a long-term commitment to the route, but having said that, introducing a whole new mode into a system comes with significant costs, she said. Terrill also said the federal government isnt well-equipped to lead a business case because public transport is primarily a state government responsibility. Infrastructure Victorias 30-year strategy finalised in August 2021 recommended next-generation buses with dedicated lanes connected Rowville and Caulfield rather than trams or trains, arguing demand wasnt great enough for large transit investment. Advertisement Liberal leader Peter Dutton faces a critical test of his leadership in the Aston byelection, say some federal party MPs who argue that a defeat could be fatal to his leadership. Dutton and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have both visited the seat four times in the past month, and both will be back in the final two days of the campaign. The Liberal Party clung on to Aston at the 2022 election, but the margin was slashed from 10.1 per cent to 2.8 per cent as Labor candidate Mary Doyle pushed scandal-plagued former minister Alan Tudge into marginal seat territory. Doyle is standing against former barrister Roshena Campbell. Labor and Liberal MPs and operatives have both been talking down their chances of winning the seat in the final days of the campaign, in an attempt to manage expectations about the result. This series explores the plight of the National Gallery of Australia, an institution in a state of disrepair and in desperate need of funding. Minister for the Arts Tony Burke has been raising expectations but not too much that there will be money in the federal budget to stop the rot at the National Gallery of Australia. He acknowledged the funding crisis was horrific after the Herald published images taken inside the NGA showing buckets and towels arranged to mop up leaks. Leaks at the NGA But the NGAs problems, Burke indicated, were shared with those of the National Museum, the Portrait Gallery and the Museum of Australian Democracy. All had been underfunded, buildings were in disrepair and they were starved of funds to employ staff. Further, they were not the only areas of the budget in crisis. Big decisions have to be taken. Were getting close to being able to announce that. But effectively, for all of those institutions, theyre facing a funding cliff, and its not the only part of the budget where this is happening, he said. It would appear Burke is clearing the ground for a short-term fix across collecting institutions. But it is inappropriate to put them all in the same basket. The NGA has suffered nearly three decades of neglect, and now prominent Australians, including former governor-general Dame Quentin Bryce and artists John Olsen, Cressida Campbell and Patricia Piccinini, have called for sustainable funding and support. More senior figures are preparing to speak up. Palestine expert Khaled Elgindy speaks to Al-Ahram Weekly on the present transformative moment for the Palestinians in which the resurgence of new resistance groups is gaining momentum. Massive pro-democracy protests against attempts to undermine the judiciary might be rocking Israel, possibly marking a crack in the wall of the Jewish state, as some observers suggest. But on the other side of the barbed wire, 5.4 million Palestinians who live under Israels apartheid regime have only ever known the brutal force of settler colonialism since 1948. It is a reality that a minority anti-occupation bloc in Israel has been calling out, highlighting the contradiction between the countrys pro-democracy protests, essentially led by former military figures and politicians responsible for the military dictatorship imposed on the Palestinians, and Palestinian lives under occupation. In the Palestinian Territories occupied by Israel since 1967, Zionist settlers have been carrying out pogroms, burning a Palestinian home near Nablus on Sunday while the residents slept inside, for example, and the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have been pursuing deadly night raids to flush out resistance groups, committing massacres and wanton destruction in the process. The ultra-right-wing Israeli government is openly authorising the expansion of illegal settlements on Palestinian land. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Nakba, or the Palestinian Catastrophe, when Israel was created on 15 May 1948 following a series of massacres, forced displacements, and the dispossession of 700,000 Palestinians (85 per cent of the population). Nineteen years later, Israel occupied and annexed the Palestinian West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem in the 1967 War, capturing Syrias Golan Heights and Egypts Sinai, which was liberated in 1982. While anniversaries do not in themselves carry new meanings or realities, in its 75th year, the Nakba is being recalled to describe the recent surge in Israeli military and settler violence against the Palestinians and their continued dispossession. The Palestinians, on the other hand, are rallying behind new and emerging resistance groups in the West Bank, not Gaza, targeting Israeli soldiers and settlers. While many in Palestine and across the region are celebrating the resurgence of resistance groups such as the Lions Den and the Jenin Brigades for their retaliation against Israeli violence, the bigger picture is often lost in the news cycle as is keeping tabs on the casualties. What do the growing number of Palestinian lone-wolf attacks on Israelis mean? What will come next for a new generation of angry Palestinians that grew up to the reality of the failed two-state solution and has no faith in diplomacy? Are we seeing the signs of a new Intifada, as the Palestinian polls suggest, or is it a new Nakba, as the Israeli government adopts policies that translate into genocide and the mass expulsion of the Palestinians? It is very hard to analyse this period because its a transitional period, says Khaled Elgindy, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Middle East Institute and author of 'Blind Spot: America and the Palestinians from Balfour to Trump'. Elgindy, one of the most reputable Palestine experts in Washington, made a name for himself during the years when he was an adviser to the Palestinian leadership during the eventful years between 2004 and 2009. He witnessed Israels 2005 evacuation of Gaza, Hamas 2006 election, the Civil War with Fatah that followed, the Annapolis negotiations in 2007-08, and Israels war on Gaza in December 2008. I ask him if the cycle of violence in the Occupied Territories could be a ripple effect of the 2021 events in the East Jerusalem district of Sheikh Jarrah, when nationwide Palestinian protests, including in defiant Arab areas inside the Green Line, erupted against the Israeli court evictions of 13 Palestinian families from their homes to be replaced with Jewish settlements. I think its very hard to draw a line through these dates, [although] it does seem that theres a common thread. What is different now is that you have an armed insurgency in the northern West Bank in places like Jenin and Nablus [by] new groups like the Lions Den and the Jenin Brigades, Elgindy said. A lot of these activists belong to different factions like Fatah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad, working together under a new umbrella but not a cohesive leadership, he says. This is ad hoc violence by several dozen armed men, not a large military force, in different places, but not directed and organised. The influence of these new groups is served by the fact that the two main factions, Fatah and Hamas, have been, in Elgindys words, neutralised and contained in their own areas. Hamas arrangement with Israel in August 2022 allowed work permits to be issued to workers in Gaza to work in Israel with a few less restrictions on the 16-year-old blockade. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his Palestinian Authority (PA) are completely neutralised in Area A (18 per cent of the West Bank) and are in fact shrinking and losing control over major urban areas like Nablus and Jenin, Elgindy said. TRANSITION For the Palestinians, they see that the PA is committed to security cooperation and intelligence-sharing with Israel, despite claims this has been suspended over the violence, and it continues to communicate with the US coordinator on the ground. The PA does not want to see another Intifada, but they also do nothing to protect Palestinians from the settlers and the army. So, what were seeing in Jenin and Nablus is basically people taking matters into their own hands and trying to fill that vacuum. Whenever we see these armed groups, they are emerging in places where the PA is losing control, or has already lost control, Elgindy said. Although they were not sustained, the protests triggered in Sheikh Jarrah in 2021, which the Palestinians called a Unity Intifada, were alarming for the Israelis, who have since redoubled their efforts to keep the Palestinians fragmented: politically, physically and otherwise. Despite their organisational shortcomings, recent polls by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research, a think tank, show that 68 per cent of Palestinians support the formation of armed resistance groups and 87 per cent reject the PAs efforts to arrest them, while support for a two-state solution has dropped to 27 per cent. I think public opinion is very important because we are now in a moment when armed resistance is quite popular, in large part because of the complete failure of the diplomatic process and the bankruptcy of the PA leadership to provide not just a political horizon but even basic safety for their people. The new generation of young Palestinians are different from their parents, Elgindy observes, because they do not remember the 2002-2003 Intifada. These were the bad years when the Palestinians paid a very heavy price for an armed uprising that was extremely violent and destructive. They dont remember any of that, so that helps in terms of not being fully aware of the risks. Its cyclical. Its almost every 20 years where you have a new generation that emerges that wants to do things differently. But you still need political leadership and direction. But right now, what is the Lions Den and what are their political demands? Do we know? Is it just to stop the [Israeli Occupation] army incursions every night? Is that enough? Or is to end the occupation? How? Whats the political dynamic that it is pushing? Of course, they dont have any real demands. I think their goal is, if were going to pay a cost, then we will inflict the cost on the Israeli side. If were going to die were going to make sure that Israelis also die, though not in the same numbers obviously because we dont have the same capacity. Elgindy reminds us that an Intifada has to have a political programme. The first Intifada (1987-1993) opened a political space that created a political process, empowering the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) leadership, which was becoming irrelevant, to take up a position. Even the second Intifada, as violent as it was, opened up a political process. We had the Quartet [the international diplomatic entity mediating between both sides], the Road Map, and clearly articulated steps that were needed to move towards a Palestinian state. They were then completely abandoned, and the Road Map was aborted, but there was a political process, and there was a horizon that was inserted. Right now, there is nothing, Elgindy said. There is no horizon, and there is no attempt to make a horizon. There is no political initiative by the Palestinian leadership, and there is nothing from the international community, forget about the United States. Never mind the great powers, theyre busy doing other things. And forget the Arab states also. So, where is the political initiative going to come from? Its not coming from any of the Palestinian actors and certainly not coming from the region. So, what is the purpose of this violence and what is it pushing towards? The Lions Den and their supporters may not have agency, but isnt this about just existing and fighting back? Israel has killed over 90 Palestinians in 2023 so far. I understand why someone picks up a gun to attack the settlers or soldiers, when he sees his leadership totally incapable of protecting him and his family. Its a basic expectation: your government will protect you from outside threats. But theres a difference between explaining it in a rational way and whether that is going to be effective. That is a different calculation, Elgindy said. You have to have a political programme, leadership, and a political organisation if you want to have a sustained or a successful uprising, he urges. Its pretty basic, whether its armed or unarmed: you need political and operational coherence. Israels mission, like that of any colonial power, has been to spend the last 20 years destroying any semblance of Palestinian cohesiveness, physically and materially, and to divide and rule. Recent polls also show that for the first time a majority of Palestinians find that the dismantling or collapse of the Palestinian Authority is in their interest. END OF AN ERA Elgindys portrayal of the PA and its octogenarian president is that of the end of an era. Founded in 1994 as the two-state solution track took off, the PA is now in a state of slow-motion collapse, says Elgindy. In the last 10 years, the PA has lost 85 per cent of its international donor funds, as well as losing control on the ground. Nobody is paying attention to them: they have very few allies in the region, and theyre physically shrinking. They cant pay salaries teachers and lawyers are on strike so Abbas main goal now is seeking money to keep his authority functioning. It is not about a political programme and statehood or liberation. Its just survival. The Palestinians have two options, he says: either reform the institutions and bring in the whole population and create a truly representative political body, which would mean both Hamas and the PLO, or replace the old structures and build new ones. This is not an overnight project. Ive written many times that the next Intifada, when and if it happens, will be as much directed at their own leadership as at the occupation. And it could be something more like what the Palestinians saw in 1936: the Great Arab Revolt during the British mandate in Palestine, which wasnt just against the British and Zionists, but it also swept away the totally bankrupt leadership of semi-feudal notables at the time. The revolt was a direct outcome of the influx of immigrant Jews to Palestine, which was encouraged by the British mandate (1920-1948), soaring from 57,000 to 320,000 by 1935. Today, we are at the end of one paradigm in which we talked about two states, Resolution 242, land for peace, the Peace Process, Oslo, the Palestinian Authority, and Hamas, and all of these things were relevant in that framework. Now were moving towards an entirely different framework where those things arent relevant. The old order is dead, but the new order or alternative vision hasnt been articulated. Support for a two-state solution has almost collapsed, and even in the West Bank and Gaza, which were the primary constituency that supported a Palestinian state in 1967, now a plurality of Palestinians no longer support the two-state solution, Elgindy said. Who can you name in the Palestinian political arena that is championing the cause of the one-state solution, he asks. Nobody. The two-state solution is dead, but what has filled its place ideologically? Nobody knows. In this almost nihilistic moment, it is difficult to ignore the small anti-occupation bloc in Israel that became visible in the protest movement and is advancing a narrative questioning democracy under the Israeli military occupation. Should it be part of the conversation? I think there is a segment of Israelis that is realising the link between what is happening in their own country, from their own government, and just across the Green Line. Theyre finally starting to see the connection when you had 55 years of military dictatorship where this is no rule of law. The rule of law is basically whatever the military decides arbitrary arrests, people lose their land, people have basically no rights. And that system was sustained by the left, right and centre governments in Israel. It was only a matter of time before that disease infected the rest of Israel itself. It was never possible to keep an area that is a shining democracy for Jews but an oppressive dictatorship for millions of Palestinians. How long could you keep that wall and keep that quarantine? You cant. Whats really behind the present attempt to destroy the independence of the judiciary in Israel, explains Elgindy, is in large part the settler movement that does not want restrictions and constraints on their expansion. In theory, rather than in practice, such restrictions are coming from the Israeli Supreme Court, which they want to eliminate. A lot of Israelis are realising this organic connection, but not enough of them. But then again the Israelis are like the Palestinians and are going to have to go through a generational debate about where this goes. I think if theres a future where Palestinians and Israelis have equality in any form, then obviously you need to have a constituency in both places. And maybe what comes out of these protests will be an expansion of that constituency on the Israeli side as more and more people realise the connection. The crisis should also be triggering questions about the nature of Israels constitutional crisis. Why is Israel facing a constitutional crisis? Because they dont have a constitution. Why? They couldnt have a constitution that enshrined basic rights when Israel was created in 1948, because what do you do with the captive Palestinian minority? Palestinians who became Israeli citizens in 1948 were put under martial law for 18 years until 1966. Now that original sin is coming back to haunt them, Elgindy said. All of the excuses and loopholes that were created to maintain the illusion of Israel as a democracy are now falling apart. * A version of this article appears in print in the 30 March, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has condemned homophobic comments made by her NSW party leader Mark Latham, describing them as disgusting and demanding he apologise to voters. Latham on Thursday morning tweeted a highly graphic and offensive comment aimed at Sydney independent MP Alex Greenwich, who is gay. The Herald and The Age have chosen not to publish the words contained in the tweet. In a video message posted to Facebook late on Thursday, a visibly angry Hanson said she had tried to call and text Latham to no avail. I want you to know that I dont condone them [the comments] and neither do my members of parliament or party associates, Hanson told her supporters. Singapore: Chinas Premier Li Qiang described Beijing as an anchor of world peace and took aim at the West for pursuing a clash of civilisations, as leaders from Europe and Asia warned it must build trust if it is to be taken seriously. The volley of speeches at the Boao Forum on the Chinese island of Hainan on Thursday morning was laced with goodwill but also revealed a deepening scepticism from both sides over economic protectionism, the war in Ukraine and the growing tensions between the United States and China. In his first major speech as premier, Li said China offered an anchor for world peace and development. Chinese Premier Li Qiang said China has been a builder of world peace and a defender of the international order. Credit: Getty This is the case in the past and will remain so in the future, he said, warning of bloc confrontations and a new Cold War. Russias security service arrested an American reporter for The Wall Street Journal on espionage charges, the first time a US correspondent has been detained on spying accusations since the Cold War. The newspaper denied the allegations and demanded his release. Gershkovich could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of espionage. Credit: WSJ Evan Gershkovich was detained in the city of Yekaterinburg while allegedly trying to obtain classified information, the Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Thursday (Russia time). White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the Biden administration was deeply concerned by the reports of the Gershkovichs detainment in Russia. The targeting of American citizens by the Russian government is unacceptable, she said in a statement. We condemn the detention of Mr Gershkovich in the strongest terms. When I was growing up, Bill Cosby was almost universally loved. The Cosby Show was hugely popular, and profoundly aspirational. We all wanted families like the Huxtables. Bill Cosby was a hero to us all. Unfortunately, it turned out that Cosby was drugging and sexually assaulting women. He certainly isnt a hero anymore. I remember how devastated I was to learn that my hero had fallen. A curtain had been pulled back to reveal an ugly truth at the heart of a myth, and I couldnt unsee it. Once hugely popular and inspirational: Bill Cosbys fall from grace mirrors that of the United States. Credit: AP Well, I feel like the entire United States of America is now my Bill Cosby. The US used to be incredibly aspirational for me and many of my peers. We revered the US. It was the centre of the free world! The land of opportunity! The home of the brave! When I was growing up, Green Cards were so highly prized they were almost mythologised. They were the golden ticket, a chance to move to the greatest country on earth and pursue the American Dream. When a friend of mine won one in the Green Card lottery, we were awed and envious and disbelieving. CARICOM Secretariat Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown Guyana March 30, 2023 Subject: Bonaire Human Rights denounce The Dutch Kings official visit to the United Nations March 22-24, 2023 Excellencies, We, Bonaire Human Rights Foundation (BHRO) and Nos Kier Boneiru Bek (NKBB), are writing to you about the above-mentioned visit of King Willem Alexander of the Netherlands within his delegation of democratically elected leaders of Curacao Aruba and St Maarten, the semi-autonomous islands of the Kingdom. In his delegation, the governor of Bonaire Mr. Edison Rijna was also present and was said to represent the people of Bonaire. This is yet another attempt to manipulate the UN about Bonaire, because of the island of Bonaire, which has a no-democratic elected leader. The governor is representing the King and the Dutch government that appointed him, as the governor is not elected by the Bonaire people. Immediately after this hypocritical Dutch King-led UN water conference, the Netherlands appoints governor Rijna of Bonaire that has a notorious track record of corruption and criminal linkage and acts and was under investigation of the Dutch RST(Investigation Collaboration Team) and the Public Prosecutor. This shocking appointment of Mr. Rijna as top diplomatic position in the UN as special envoy for the Caribbean Netherlands for EU and UN funds and economic relations with Latin America to maintain contact with the region as well as with UN-related organizations relevant to the Caribbean Netherlands is wrought under Dutch government duress. This is a deliberate action of the Netherlands to contravene the activities of BHRO and NKBB of the last ten months in the Caribbean region and Latin America highlighting exposing and raising awareness of the blatant continued Dutch colonialism our island Bonaire is facing as we are seeking the re-enlistment of Bonaire as a Non-Self-Governing-Territory with the United Nations. The Kings visit coincided with meetings dedicated to the Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) especially in the Caribbean which face unique social, economic, and environmental vulnerabilities. The Dutch King took the stage as the organizer and exposed the cruel hoax, the rampant reality of the continued colonization of the Dutch Caribbean islands. This inhuman reminiscence of colonialism still lingers unchecked in the Caribbean even though colonialism was declared a Crime Against Humanity by same United Nations. The Dutch King brought with him to the UN world stage his subordinated leaders of Caribbean islands that up to today remain under the colonial dominance of a Hague-based government. The King more or less admitted to the reality of coloniality when he said at this high-level meeting We even represent the Small Island Developing States, because part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands lies in the Caribbean, and comprises Aruba, Curacao and St Maarten (CAS-islands). As well as the islands of Bonaire, Saba, and St Eustatius. (BES islands). What the world and UN do not know is that the Dutch Caribbean islands governments, which the King and Dutch presented there on the UN stage, do not meet the minimum international law and United Nations recognized standards of self-governance. The Dutch government in name of the King possesses many undemocratic instruments and powers to create laws and acts, which unilaterally overrule all the subordinated Caribbean island's governments. On the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles in 2010 the islands Bonaire, Saba, and St Eustatius(BES) were illegally annexed by unilateral undemocratic action by the Dutch government. Then subsequently integrated and incorporated in 2017 the BES islands peoples with the same Dutch Nationality and with the same Dutch Passports in the Dutch Constitution under unequal rights as second-class citizens and against the democratically expressed wishes and decisions of the island peoples. Shouldnt we call this a new form of Apartheid in the Caribbean? 15th March 2023 Island Council Elections and Electoral College Elections on Bonaire BHRO and NKBB called on the people of Bonaire not to vote as a protest as non-voting is the only way to resist a system that is farce, illegitimate, and authoritarian. Despite a full-blown Dutch-led campaign to go vote in different languages and media, almost 50% of the local population did not vote compared to before the illegal annexation of 2010 when the voters turnout was normally consistent above 80%. This no-vote protest action showed once more the Bonaire peoples unhappiness towards this farce democracy and farce election where their elected leaders possess no power as The Hague, Dutch government decides. And these elections were held just prior to the Kings visit to the UN. A question that will never be raised at no level by none of the Dutch-appointed Caribbean leaders brought to speak on behalf of the Dutch at the UN, where is the representative of Sint Eustatius? The Hague removed the locally elected government led by Mr. Clyde van Putten from office in February 2018 by force and appointed a governor and colonial ruler to govern St Eustatius. And up today, after more than 5 years the situation remains the same and nobody, no Dutch Caribbean leader can and is doing anything about this crime against humanity and shame to Caribbean peoples dignity. We again send out an urgent warning to the CARICOM and Caribbean leadership. It indeed is really about the water, as the King and his Caribbean henchmen mentioned on the UN stage. In 2010 with the illegal annexation of the island Bonaire in the Southern Caribbean, the Dutch King and his government took full legal and political control of another 200 nautical miles of the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Caribbean waters. Bonaire also possesses a very deep-water harbor, only fifty miles of the Venezuelan coast, and the Dutch government rapidly expanded the local Bonaire airport beyond international commercial to military standards, making a Caribbean war imminent. Indeed, the kingdoms focus is on water, it is about control of the Caribbean waters and all the natural resources in it. Finally, as the King said; we all need to live a decent life. Yes, we the Bonerian people have inherited and acquired this right, so why then keeping our people subordinated and colonized, not allowing us to exercise our human right to be equally free and equal to all people in the Dutch European part of the kingdom? Please accept the testimony of our highest consideration, Sincerely, Mr. James Finies, President Nos Kier Boneiru Bek Ms. Davika J. Bissessar, President of the Bonaire Human Rights Organization PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- Fire Department personnel on Tuesday, March 28 visited the Sister Borgia Primary School in Philipsburg where they assisted pupils with different assignments during the morning hours. The visit to the school is part of the Fire Departments Fire Fighters Week community activities which have been organized by the St. Maarten Fire Fighters Foundation. Fire Fighters Week is taking place from March 25 to March 31. The Fire Department falls under the Ministry of General Affairs. ~32, onboard, 16 rescued, 3 dead while the search continues for missing.~ Basseterre St Kitts:--- About half the number of people on board a vessel that capsized southeast of St. Kitts were rescued, according to information received from the St. Kitts-Nevis Coast Guard. In a press conference held on 28th March, Lt. Col. Anthony Comrie, Commander of the St. Kitts-Nevis Defense Force Coast Guard Unit provided an update on the situation, including the number of persons rescued and bodies recovered. Sixteen persons were rescued, two were Antiguans, 14 are from Camroon while the identity and nationalities of the dead are not yet known. The vessel was carrying about 32 people, most of them Cameroonians who were living in Antigua. It is now understood that the vessel was heading to the United States Virgin Islands. It is understood that 16 persons were rescued, and three bodies were recovered. The boat originally came from Guadeloupe and stayed for some time in Antigua. The distress call was picked up by the Martinique Maritime Centre which then rebroadcast the distress in English that was picked up by the St. Kitts-Nevis Coast Guards and the Antigua and Barbuda Coast Guard. In the meantime another vessel was found on Wednesday morning in the Baie Nettle in Saint Martin, source say that a pregnant woman was onboard the vessel. The Gendarmerie has not released any information about the mysterious boat discovered on St. Martin as they are busy with their investigation. PHILIPSBURG:--- The NAPB Police Union held an emergency meeting with its lawyer Cor Merx on Wednesday afternoon. The Union gave their lawyer an update on the so call placement letters that had to be sent to all justice workers on March 15, 2023. According to Minister of Justice Ana Richardson earlier this month The Placement Committee of the Ministry of Justice would begin issuing placement offer letters to all justice personnel starting on March 15, Minister Richardson stated that the letters will include information such as the new function and salary amount. According to attorney Cor Merx on Thursday, the minister has failed the justice workers by sticking to the deadline given to her and the Union will meet with its members next week to follow up on what actions to take against the minister for not living up to her promise. Police officers received their letters however Immigration and Border control officers and National Detectives have not. In the Minister's press statement, she stated that the process has been and continues to be a meticulous one, requiring accuracy and diligence with the data of over 700 Justice employees: Prison, Customs, Police, Immigration, MOT [Bureau Unusual Financial Transactions Ed.], National Detectives, Staff Bureau, and Judicial Affairs. Members of the union are disappointed with the minister's inaction and empty promises and refuse to wait any longer on what is due to them. Merx told reporters on Thursday that the minister has not complied with the wishes of officers who have been patient for quite some time and the payment is due now. A number of members of the union who have received their placement letters are not happy with the letters received and are prepared to take the justice ministry to court if need be. Several police officers said that the letter was copied and pasted while not having the correct information on the letters. The NAPB and its lawyer Cor Merx will be releasing a statement on the way forward for its members before Monday coming however the union notes that with the upcoming carnival season, they hope that stakeholders can sympathize with the officers who put their life on the line on a daily for the safety of all residents who attend carnival annually. To mark her 80th birthday, Egyptian ballerina Nadia Abdel-Malek was honoured in Moscow by the Egyptian Academy of Arts and the Higher Institute of Ballet for being an extraordinary ambassador of Egyptian culture in Russia. Abdel-Malek lived in Russia for nearly half a century after travelling with her late husband, cinematographer Ahmed Abdel-Fattah, in the 1970s. There they had their daughters, Hala and Heba and settled in Moscow, where the family achieved success in many areas. On 28 March, the Egyptian Academy of Arts and the Higher Institute of Ballet authorised Sherif Gad, President of the Egyptian Association of Graduates of Russian and Soviet Universities and Director of Cultural Activities at the Russian Cultural Centre in Cairo, to hand over the academy shield and a certificate of appreciation to the ballerina in Moscow. President of the Academy of Arts Ghada Jabara said that "Egypt does not forget its artistic icons and is very keen to communicate with those pioneers and honour them for their contributions to the history of Egyptian culture. Atef Awad, dean of the Higher Institute of Ballet, congratulated Abdel-Malek and her family on her 80th birthday, wishing her health and stressing the institute's pride in the pioneers who contributed to the establishment of ballet in Egypt. Hala Abdel-Fattah expressed her happiness with this honour, which boosted her mothers morale. Abdel-Maleks second daughter, ballerina Heba Abdel-Fattah, confirmed that the family is happy about the recognition. Gad congratulated them, stressing that "the family has always been the best ambassadors for Egypt in Russia, as the late father was a cinematographer who recorded many political and cultural events between Egypt and Russia and the mother, ballerina Nadia Abdel-Malek celebrates her birthday after she succeeded in instilling a love of the art of ballet. "Daughter Hala has become a well-known name in the world of fine art and depicts Egyptian civilisation in most of her paintings. Recently, a book was published about her artistic career. Her younger sister, Heba, was the first Egyptian and Arab woman to join the ballet school at the great Bolshoi Theatre. When the wife of the former President of Egypt, Suzanne Mubarak learned about this, she visited her at the Bolshoi Theatre, Gad added. Heba continued her creativity in the field of performing arts, with most of her performances inspired by the history of Egyptian civilisation. The family receives moral support from the Egyptian embassy in Moscow, where they have become extraordinary ambassadors of Egyptian culture. Search Keywords: Short link: Tourists have returned to Korea's shopping districts after the coronavirus pandemic, driven by the weak Korean won. In August some 335,058 foreigners visited Korea, and although that is still just one-fifth of the number in August 2019, it is up four times from January this year. Duty-free shops have been among the main beneficiaries. Shilla Duty Free saw foreign customer numbers rise from 2,000 in July to 3,000 in August and September thanks to an increase in visitors from Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. Lotte Duty Free said customers from Southeast Asia increased from just 20 in February to 1,220 last month. Hotel occupancy is rising apace. At Lotte Hotel the foreign occupancy rate, which stood at 80 percent before the pandemic, dropped to 20 percent in 2021 but recovered to the 60 percent level this month. At Hotel Shilla occupancy recovered to some 20 percent in August after plunging to just three percent in 2021. Gravitational waves are tiny ripples in the very fabric of spacetime that propagate outwards from some of the most violent and powerful events in the cosmos. Traveling through the vastness of the universe to reach us here on Earth , these waves gradually lose energy becoming even fainter and more imperceptible. The measurement of gravitational waves, also known as "gravitational radiation" at facilities such as the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) operated by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) isn't just significant because it helps to confirm the most accurate theories we have of gravity , one of the universe's fundamental forces , but it offers astronomers an entirely new way to look at the cosmos. Even more excitingly, observations in gravitational waves can be combined with observations in the electromagnetic spectrum to create a powerful new form of astronomy called multi-messenger astronomy, according to NASA. (opens in new tab) Related: Was Einstein wrong? The case against space-time theory Who discovered gravitational waves? Gravitational waves were first predicted in Albert Einstein 's 1915 theory of gravity, known as general relativity . One of the main conclusions of this theory is that gravity emerges as a result of the fact that objects of mass warp the very fabric of spacetime. (opens in new tab) This is analogous to taking a stretched rubber sheet and placing balls of different masses upon it creating "warps" in its fabric. The bigger the mass of the ball the more extreme the warp it causes. Objects sat in spacetime are similar but in three dimensions of space and one dimension of time rather than the two dimensions of a stretched rubber sheet. The greater the mass of an object the more extreme the warping of space it causes, so a star warps spacetime more than a planet, and a black hole warps it more than a star. General relativity goes further than this, however, when describing the effect of mass on spacetime. LIGO explains (opens in new tab) that the mathematics of Einstein's theory predicted that two accelerating objects of great mass should disrupt spacetime causing it to undulate and sending waves propagating outwards from it. These ripples in spacetime, spread out in all directions from their source, traveling at the speed of light , which also happens to be the speed of gravity. Carried by these gravitational waves and encoded within them is information about the events and objects that created them and sent them through the cosmos. Gravitational waves FAQs answered by an expert We asked Elenna Capote, LIGO Scientific Collaboration fellow working at the LIGO Hanford Observatory some questions about gravitational waves. Elenna Capote LIGO Scientific Collaboration fellow Elena Capote is a LIGO Scientific Collaboration fellow working at the LIGO Hanford Observatory. What are gravitational waves? Gravitational waves are ripples in spacetime. These ripples occur when mass accelerates. The larger the mass or the faster the acceleration, the stronger the gravitational wave. What types of events create these waves? All gravitational systems can create gravitational waves. However, gravitational waves are very weak. Even Einstein believed it would be nearly impossible to detect these waves. Therefore, the events we look for are the events that make the strongest gravitational waves in the universe. These events are things like compact binary coalescences, such as merging black holes or neutron stars, exploding stars such as supernovas, fast-spinning neutron stars like pulsars, or the leftover gravitational wave background from the big bang. Even more exciting than these already fascinating events is the possibility of the unexpected. Exotic predictions like cosmic strings, dark matter, or something that we haven't even predicted could create a gravitational wave. How fast do they travel across the universe? Gravitational waves travel at the speed of gravity! It is through the work of LIGO, Virgo, and observations from other astronomers that we learned that the speed of gravity is equal to the speed of light. Einstein predicted this, but our exciting detections teach us that this prediction was correct. How do we detect gravitational waves here on Earth? We detect gravitational waves by using a 2.5 mile (4 kilometer) detector with two "arms". The detector is what we call a Michelson Interferometer (named after the scientist that developed this technology). The Michelson Interferometer uses a laser beam that is split so that the laser light travels down each arm, reflects off mirrors at the end of each arm, and returns to the output where the beams are recombined. The detector arms are set to be the same length, however, if a gravitational wave stretches and squeezes the spacetime in one direction, the two beams will interfere with each other because they will be out of phase. The signal that we see at the output will change based on that interference, telling us the properties of the gravitational wave. What can we learn about distant objects and events using gravitational waves? Gravitational waves encode information about the events that create them. The frequency of the wave will depend on the masses of the objects, and the strength will depend on how far away the event occurs. By fitting the gravitational wave signal, we can determine these parameters and other characteristics of the system, such as the spin of the masses or the eccentricity of the orbits. With gravitational waves, we have learned about the physics that governs matter at the highest densities and that black holes collide much more often than we thought. How does your work relate to gravitational waves? I work on gravitational wave detector commissioning. Detector commissioning is, in essence, making the instrument work. A gravitational wave detector has many components, and commissioning them requires an understanding of how these components interact so that the detector can do its primary job: detect gravitational waves. As a part of my job, I develop control loops for various systems such as mirror suspensions, work with lasers and optical systems, and make precision measurements to define detector sensitivity. Why do gravitational waves reveal things traditional astronomy can't? Some gravitational waves are emitted from events that do not produce light. These events are not witnessed by traditional astronomy because traditional astronomy depends on light signals. With gravitational wave detection, we get a whole new perspective of the universe and the kind of objects that exist in it. Even detecting gravitational waves from events that produce light, such as neutron star mergers, is useful. We get information about the merger before the collision occurs and the light is released. We can make better constraints on the parameters of the merger, and link theoretical ideas about mergers with actual data. What kind of events create gravitational waves? According to LIGO, any object with mass that accelerates (opens in new tab) creates gravitational waves including Earth-based objects like airplanes, cars, and even humans. But the masses associated with these objects and the relatively slow speeds at which they accelerate means the gravitational waves they create are far too weak to ever be detected. To spot gravitational waves, astronomers and physicists need to look toward objects far greater in mass than even the sun . Fortunately, the universe beyond the solar system is filled with massive accelerating objects. Events such as the orbit of two black holes or neutron stars, both types of objects born when massive stars run out of fuel for nuclear fusion and collapse under their own gravity, create gravitational waves that can be measured on Earth. As these objects spiral around each other they send sending gravitational waves propagating outwards carrying away energy, according to LIGO. This causes the black holes or neutron stars or even a combination of the two to collide. These cataclysmic mergers release 50 times more energy than all the stars in the observable universe, but last only for fractions of a second. Neutron star mergers can generate gravitational waves that are sometimes detected on Earth. (Image credit: NASA/Swift/Dana Berry) (opens in new tab) These collisions also create the strongest gravitational waves, so strong that even after traveling billions of light years and losing energy along the way, they can still be detected here on Earth. According to LIGO (opens in new tab) , by the time gravitational waves created by black hole mergers reach Earth, they can be thousands of billions of times smaller than when they first began their journey. Gravitational waves can also be emitted alongside supernovas during the gravitational collapse of massive stars to create neutron stars and black holes. They are also created by the rapid rotation of neutron stars due to the fact their surfaces are not completely even. These different events and objects give rise to different types of gravitational waves. Types of gravitational waves According to LIGO (opens in new tab), there are four different types of gravitational waves that scientists search for in data from the facility. Compact binary inspiral gravitational waves Compact binary inspiral gravitational waves are created by orbiting pairs of dense massive objects like black holes, neutron stars, and even white dwarf stars. The combination of objects in the pairing creates a unique gravitational wave pattern. Despite this, the generation mechanism for this class of gravitational waves is the same no matter the source. Known as "inspiral" this process occurs over millions of years as the dense objects revolve around each other moving closer and closer as energy is carried away by gravitational waves. As this happens the objects revolve around each other faster generating stronger and stronger gravitational waves. As result, they lose energy and are drawn together even more rapidly increasing the frequency and amplitude of the gravitational waves they create until they are within the range frequencies of LIGO and other interferometers can "hear." An illustration of a black hole binary as they spiral together emitting gravitational waves. (Image credit: SXS, the Simulating eXtreme Spacetimes (SXS) project (http://www.black-holes.org)) (opens in new tab) How long compact binaries can give off gravitational waves is dependent on the mass of the objects that make up the binary, according to LIGO. This is because the most massive objects like black holes move through the inspiral binary stage more rapidly. LIGO illustrates this by pointing out that the gravitational wave signal from the first detected inspiral black hole pair lasted just two-tenths of a second long, while the first signal from a neutron star-neutron star binary lasted 100 seconds long. Continuous gravitational waves Continuous gravitational waves are believed to be created by the rotation of massive single objects like neutron stars as a result of bumps and deformations at their surface when the spin rate of the object remains the same. When shown as a wave, continuous gravitational waves from a single object would appear to have stable frequencies and amplitudes. LIGO points out (opens in new tab) that continuous gravitational waves from a single object are yet to be detected as current detectors aren't sensitive enough to do this. Stochastic gravitational waves Stochastic gravitational waves describe small gravitational waves from less massive objects constantly washing over Earth from every direction all over the universe. These weak gravitational waves are randomly mixed together creating a "stochastic signal" a random signal that can be statistically analyzed but not predicted. As the smallest gravitational wave signals, stochastic gravitational waves should also be the most difficult to detect. LIGO predicts that the Big Bang may have left behind "fossil" gravitational waves in the form of stochastic gravitational waves and if we can ever develop instrumentation sensitive enough to detect them these primordial ripples in spacetime could allow us to look further back into the history of the universe than any other form of astronomy. Burst gravitational waves Burst gravitational waves are short in duration and come from unknown sources. Described by LIGO (opens in new tab) as gravitational waves that "go bump in the night" these gravitational waves are expected to come from systems that astronomers haven't yet spotted. (opens in new tab) Current theories suggest that these gravitational waves are created by events that also trigger supernovae or gamma-ray bursts. "Searching for burst gravitational waves requires being utterly open-minded. For these kinds of gravitational waves, scientists must recognize a pattern of signals even when such a pattern has not been modeled (what we think a signal may look like) before," LIGO writes. (opens in new tab) "If you don't know what you're looking for, it's really hard to find it. While this makes searching for burst gravitational waves difficult, detecting them has the greatest potential to reveal revolutionary information about the universe." Who measured gravitational waves first? Arecibo Observatory's cable-suspended science platform, as seen before damage accrued in 2020. (Image credit: UCF) (opens in new tab) Twenty years after the death of Einstein in 1954, (opens in new tab) physicists Russell Hulse and Joseph Taylor (opens in new tab)used the Arecibo Radio Observatory in Puerto Rico to discover a tantalizing hint at gravitational waves in the form of a pair of rapidly spinning neutron stars or pulsars. Knowing a pulsar should emit gravitational waves robbing the binary pulsars of energy and forcing their orbits together, the duo tested Einstein's theory of general relativity by watching the binary pulsars for eight years. This revealed that the orbits of the pulsars tightened by precisely the amount predicted by general relativity if they were emitting gravitational waves. The discovery would earn Hulse and Taylor the 1993 Nobel Prize in Physics. (opens in new tab) The first direct observation of gravitational waves came on September 14, 2015, 100 years after the publication of Einstein's theory of general relativity. The twin LIGO interferometers, located in Livingston, Louisiana, and Hanford, Washington observed gravitational waves from the merger of two black holes, each about 30 times the mass of our sun. The signal from the event designated GW150914, with the "GW" prefix standing for "Gravitational Wave," was detected at 5:51 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (09:51 UTC), according to a statement from LIGO announcing the breakthrough (opens in new tab) issued on Feb. 11, 2016. According to Matthew Evans (opens in new tab), assistant professor of physics at Massachusetts Insitute of Technology, at that time a century earlier even Einstein had predicted gravitational waves would be too faint to ever be detected. "The effect we're measuring on Earth is equivalent to measuring the distance to the closest star, Alpha Centauri , to within a few microns," Evans said in a statement. "It's a very tough measurement to make. Einstein expected this to never have been pulled off." As of November 2021, the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration has detected at least 90 gravitational wave signals from a variety of different events. This included the first detection by LIGO and Virgo of a neutron star-neutron star merger (opens in new tab) on August 17, 2017, designated GW170817. This was followed by the first and second detection of gravitational waves from a so-called "mixed merger" (opens in new tab) consisting of a black hole colliding with and swallowing a neutron star . The events designated GW200105 and GW200115 were picked up just ten days apart on Jan. 5, 2020, and Jan. 15, 2020, respectively. The event that created this first detected gravitational wave signal was designated as GW150914 and according to LIGO the "wobble" in spacetime it created was 1000 times smaller than the nucleus of an atom , demonstrating how incredibly sensitive these detectors actually need to be. How are gravitational waves detected? As the name suggests gravitational wave observatories are responsible for detecting these tiny ripples in spacetime when they reach Earth. Though LIGO is arguably the most famous of these observatories as the home of the first direct observation of gravitational waves, scientists have been working towards gravitational wave detectors since the 1960s. The modern approach of using laser interferometry to detect gravitational waves that form the foundation of LIGO's two detectors, as well as the Virgo detector in Italy, and the Kamioka Gravitational Wave Detector (KAGRA) in Japan, was first pioneered in 1962 (opens in new tab). The first interferometric gravitational wave detector was invented ten years later in 1972 by American physicist Rainer Weiss (opens in new tab) who would go on to help found LIGO. A bird's eye view of the Virgo detector located near Pisa, Italy. (Image credit: The Virgo Collaboration) (opens in new tab) Laser interferometers (opens in new tab) date back much further than the concept of gravitational waves, all the way back to the 1800s in fact, and were famously used in the infamous Michelson-Morley experiment to detect the so-called "luminiferous ether" the medium scientists once believed light travels through. Though taking a wide range of shapes when used in a variety of scientific investigations the interferometers used to detect gravitational waves consist of a beam splitter, two laser "arms," and a photodetector. This latter component measures an interference pattern when the beams of light come back together. This inference pattern (opens in new tab) is caused by the meeting of peaks and troughs in the wavelengths of light. Where two peaks or two troughs meet a larger peak is created which is the sum of the two peaks total constructive interference but where a peak meets a trough the features cancel each other out total destructive interference. The key takeaway is the interference pattern is always the sum of the height of the peaks and the depth of the troughs that meet with partial constructive or destructive interference also possible. Related: The double-slit experiment: Is light a wave or a particle? The laser arms of gravitational wave detectors like LIGO (opens in new tab) are purposefully designed so that when beams of light meet there is total destructive interference. This is only if the beams of light travel exactly the same distance. But, if one of the beams of light for some reason travels a slightly longer distance the light is no longer in sync and there is no longer total destructive interference. As ripples in spacetime cause space itself to stretch if a gravitational wave travels over a beam arm it can cause that beam to travel an infinitesimally small distance more than its partner beam. This results in partial interference and the photodetector picking up a tiny flicker of light. According to LIGO the change in length of a beam arm caused by a gravitational wave can be as small as 1/10,000th the width of a proton (opens in new tab) or 0.0000000000000000001 meters! The tiny flickers of light that indicate a gravitational wave passing also have to be distinguished from the other flickers that a laser interferometer experiences that can be caused by a range of very down-to-Earth phenomena like earthquakes or even passing traffic. The LISA pathfinder mission launched on Dec. 3, 2015, laying the foundation for the full LISA mission. (Image credit: ESA - C.Carreau) (opens in new tab) Earth's main gravitational wave detectors, LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA all use laser interferometers on a massive scale. For instance, the laser arms of LIGO are 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) long and compose the largest laser interferometer ever built. For comparison, the arms of the laser interferometer used in the Michelson-Morley aether hunting experiment were just 4.3 ft (1.3 meters) long. LIGO is sensitive enough to detect the smash-up between massive black holes and neutron stars, but NASA is currently planning (opens in new tab) a more sensitive space-based gravitational wave detector called LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna). This should be sensitive enough to detect ripples in spacetime from much smaller systems like relatively small stellar mass black holes orbiting supermassive black holes . Ringing spacetime: Do gravitational waves make a sound? The way gravitational waves propagate also seems analogous to the sound waves, but in the near vacuum of space where there isn't a medium like air there can't be sound so gravitational waves remain silent. However, when gravitational waves are detected here on Earth their frequencies can be converted into sound thus enabling us to hear the "ringing of spacetime" that is created from the collision and merger of black holes or neutron stars, or a mix of the two. LIGO converted the frequency of the gravitational waves detected on September 14, 2015, from the merger of two black holes, each about 30 times the mass of our sun to sound. This allowed us to "hear" the ringing of spacetime created by two colliding cosmic titans. As the black holes spiral closer together the frequency of the gravitational waves increases creating increasing the frequency of the gravitational waves which when converted to sound resemble a bird's "chirp." Multimessenger astronomy: A new window on the universe As well as being an incredible discovery in itself the detection of gravitational waves has provided astronomers with a way of looking at the universe via gravitational wave astronomy. Astronomers have traditionally used the electromagnetic spectrum and its range of frequencies from low-energy ultraviolet light through visible light to high-energy gamma rays as the basis of astronomy, but objects like black holes and dark matter that do not emit light remain invisible to this form of astronomy. Additionally, while electromagnetic radiation interacts strongly with matter, being absorbed, reflected, refracted, or bent as it travels the cosmos, gravitational waves only interact with matter weakly. LIGO says (opens in new tab) that as a result of weak interaction these ripples in spacetime travel great distances across the universe unimpeded and free of distortions. These gravitational waves, therefore, carry uncorrupted information about the incredibly distant events that created them allowing astronomers to "hear" phenomena in the universe that conventional astronomy can't "see." Some events heard in gravitational waves that do emit light can then be followed up using investigations in the electromagnetic spectrum, forming a powerful new form of astronomy called " multimessenger astronomy (opens in new tab)." This can also include detections of ghost-like particles called neutrinos and high-energy charged particles called cosmic rays , according to NASA. (opens in new tab) The neutron star-neutron star merger GW170817 is an example of the potential of multimessenger astronomy. Following the detection of this event in gravitational waves astronomers observed it using electromagnetic waves . The light from this merger came in the form of gamma rays that followed two seconds after the gravitational waves, then X-ray, ultraviolet, optical, infrared, and radio waves emissions followed for days and weeks after the merger. This allowed scientists to track this event back to its home in the old elliptical galaxy 130 million light-years from Earth. According to Havard and Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (opens in new tab) multimessenger astronomy can be used by scientists to probe the structure of neutron stars and to investigate the powerful collisions between these stellar remnants that are believed to create heavy elements like gold. Additional resources An animation created by LIGO at Caltech shows spiraling black holes heading towards a merger that will create a massive black hole with a mass 21 times that of the sun. The future of gravitational wave astronomy is space-based. Learn more about NASA's proposed space-based laser interferometer and gravitational wave observatory LISA, with these resources from NASA (opens in new tab). Read more about the detection of gravitational waves in this explainer article published on the University of Birmingham's website (opens in new tab). Bibliography M. Maggiore, Gravitational Waves Volume 1: Theory and Experiments, Oxford University Press, 2019, ISBN 978-0-19-857074-5 M. Maggiore, Gravitational Waves Volume 2: Astrophysics and Cosmology, Oxford University Press, 2019, ISBN 978-0-19-857074-9 What are Gravitational Waves, LIGO Caltech, [Accessed 03/17/23], [ https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/page/what-are-gw (opens in new tab)] LIGO- A Gravitational-Wave Interferometer, LIGO Caltech, [Accessed 03/17/23], [ https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/page/ligo-gw-interferometer (opens in new tab)] Gravitational Waves, NASA Hubblesite, [Accessed 03/17/23], [ https://hubblesite.org/contents/articles/gravitational-waves (opens in new tab)] [https://www.ligo.org/detections.php] A. Neronov., Introduction to multimessenger astronomy, arXiv, [2019], [ https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.1907.07392 (opens in new tab)] Multimessenger Astrophysics Science Analysis Group, NASA, [Accessed 03/17/23], [ https://pcos.gsfc.nasa.gov/sags/mmasag.php (opens in new tab)]` LIGO, Britannica, [Acessed 03/17/23], [ https://www.britannica.com/topic/Laser-Interferometer-Gravitational-wave-Observatory (opens in new tab)] Koreans took a big step in their slow return to normal on Monday morning, when the indoor mask mandate ended more than two years after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Most other countries scrapped the mask mandate months ago. Masks no longer have to be worn in schools, community centers, gyms and restaurants but remain mandatory in hospitals and on public transportation to protect high-risk groups on pain of a fine of up to W100,000 (US$1=W1,231). Health authorities are also urging Koreans to keep their masks on voluntarily everywhere else. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate DANBURY A local ceremony held Wednesday morning in honor of National Vietnam Veterans Day also marked the 50th anniversary of the departure of the last U.S. combat troops from South Vietnam. A crowd of about 30 people gathered at the Vietnam Monument in Rogers Park in Danbury for the solemn ceremony, which included the playing of "Taps" by Al Russo, a retired Danbury police sergeant. William Moser, who served in Vietnam in 1969 and is with the Marine Corps League Hat City Detachment, read the names on the monument of the local service members who were killed in action or missing in action in the Vietnam War. The monument honors service members from Bethel, Brookfield, Danbury, New Fairfield, New Milford, Newtown, Redding and Ridgefield, The Danbury Police Department Honor Guard fired a rifle salute. Juan Rivas, commander of VFW Post 149, was master of ceremonies of the event, and Mayor Dean Esposito also spoke. National Vietnam Veterans Day honors all veterans who served on active duty in the U.S. armed forces at any time and in any location from Nov. 1, 1955, to May 15, 1975, as well as their families, according to the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration. The time frame starts with the official designation of Military Assistance Advisory Group-Vietnam and ends with the battle caused by the seizure of the SS Mayaguez, a U.S.-flagged container ship, by Khmer Rouge forces of Cambodia. The Vietnam Memorial in Danbury was designed and sculpted by George Koras as a statement of compassion a monument to humanity to acknowledge the Vietnam veteran in his or her role of protector and liberator of a people under scourge. The statue depicts a soldier holding a child in one hand and an M-16 rifle in the other. Its 6-foot-tall granite base features a bronze plaque honoring Danbury-area veterans who died in combat or were missing in action. The memorial, which was in planning for five years, was dedicated on May 29, 1988. Gov. Ned Lamont attended a Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day ceremony on Wednesday at the campus of the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs in Rocky Hill. On this day 50 years ago, the last of the United States combat troops left South Vietnam," Lamont said in a statement. "Throughout the duration of the war, thousands of men and women from Connecticut served, and every community in our state felt the impact. To this day, we are still grieving for those who are missing in action and those who lost their lives in battles. At the time, the merits of the war were passionately debated here at home, becoming increasingly angry and divisive. To unwarranted and unfair effects, our nations service members returned from Vietnam to a deafening silence. We can never undo the damages that occurred 50 years ago, however we can commit to righting the wrongs. Our Vietnam veterans deserve respect and gratitude for serving our nation during one of Americas longest foreign wars. I strongly encourage everyone in Connecticut to thank these courageous individuals and let them know that future generations will never forget their sacrifice. We are fortunate to walk among men and women so courageous that they will go into battle to protect us and our way of life. On behalf of the State of Connecticut, I thank Vietnam veterans for their service to our nation. National Vietnam Veterans Day was designated by President Donald Trump in 2017. WINDSOR Federal Judge Kevin Washington may not have been born and raised in town, but he made it his mission to give back to his new home once he moved there as an adult. Washington, 57, died unexpectedly on Monday. His cause of death was not immediately known. Washington, who served as a federal judge since he was appointed during former President Bill Clinton's second term, came from Texas and moved about eight years ago to downtown Windsor where he served on numerous town commissions and local volunteer organizations. "His heart was always in the right place," Mayor Donald Trinks said. "He just really was a 24/7 worker for equal rights and equality and inclusion. Not just buzzwords, but words he lives by." In Windsor, Washington served on the Human Relations Commission, Library Advisory Committee, Inland Wetland and Watercourses Commission and the Fair Rent Commission. He was most active on the Human Relations Commission where he served for nine years. "He just took to the town immediately and got himself totally immersed in the Human Relations Commission, all they did and all that they stood for," Trinks said. "I think under his leadership as the chair, really, really took that commission to the next level." The Windsor Human Relations Commission "encourages positive relations among various groups through education and social events," according to its website. Trinks said Washington played a pivotal role in bringing the Bridge Builders of Windsor awards to town to honor residents who were driving equity and inclusion efforts. "He was the most energetic, passionate commissioner and volunteer that we could have ever had," Trinks said. Washington also spearheaded the Phenomental Women of Windsor Awards. "It was about lifting up the community by lifting up people that have been doing great things in the community, but it was like people that have often been overlooked," said Pastor Nicole Yonkman, of First Church in Windsor. Yonkman said Washington was involved in First Church after he invited her to speak at an event related to equity and inclusion. She, in turn, invited him to church. "He joined, and he immediately became very active and a leader," Yonkman said. "I mean, he is a leader. He was the chair of the Outreach Committee. Then that term expired and then he became a deacon. And he's just had many roles. He's on the vision team, our long-range planning team. He's the chair of the personnel team, and he's just been very innovative." She reflected on Washington's inclination toward humanitarian work and said he was returned from a trip to Turkey shortly before his death. "He just came back from several weeks and Turkey and Syria after the earthquake," Yonkman said. "So he's just travels all the time. And so anytime there's a disaster he would be there with the humanitarian group from the federal government to assess the what is needed." Trinks said he never heard anyone say a negative thing about Washington well except for one small thing: He didn't slow down. "Everyone who worked with him was exhausted," Trinks said. Services for Washington have not been announced. He had initially planned to visit France before heading to Germany, but the first leg of his trip was canceled due to massive protests over the French government's efforts to raise the country's retirement age by two years. Charles, 74, who ascended the throne after the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September, is set to be crowned on May 6. As Britain's head of state, the king meets weekly with the prime minister and retains his mother's role as leader of the Commonwealth. Soldiers hoisted the British and German flags as the national anthems were played. Steinmeier and Charles then strolled past the cheering, flag-waving crowd, shaking hands and chatting briefly with people. Journalists and security personnel trailed the royal couple and their German hosts as they made their way back to their motorcade. An hour later, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife, Elke Buedenbender, welcomed them with military honors at the German capital's historic Brandenburg Gate. The royal couple said in a joint statement, released on their official Twitter account, that it was a "great joy" to be able to develop the "longstanding friendship between our two nations." Charles and Camilla, the queen consort, landed at Berlin's government airport in the early afternoon. The king and his wife paused at the top of their plane's stairs to receive a 21-gun salute as two military jets performed a flyover. King Charles III arrived in Berlin on Wednesday for his first foreign trip as Britain's monarch, hoping to improve the U.K.'s relations with the European Union and show he can win hearts and minds abroad, just as his mother did for seven decades. Billed as a multi-day tour of the EU's two biggest countries, the trip was designed to underscore British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's efforts to rebuild relations with the bloc after six years of arguments over Brexit and highlight the countries' shared history as they work together to combat Russian aggression in Ukraine. Highlighting the diplomatic importance of the trip, Charles was accompanied by Britain's Foreign Secretary, James Cleverley. Charles, a former naval officer who is the first British monarch to earn a university degree, is expected to insert heft where his glamorous mother once wielded star power. During an afternoon reception and again at a white tie evening banquet at Palace Bellevue, the German president's official residence, Steinmeier remarked on the significance of Charles's first visit taking him to Berlin, calling it "a wonderful personal gesture and at the same time an important sign for German-British relations." Steinmeier noted that Britain began the tortuous process of leaving the EU on March 29, 2017. "For me personally, this was a sad day," he said. "Today, exactly six years later, we open a new chapter." Steinmeier paid tribute to Charles' mother Elizabeth, stressing how much she had done to foster German-British ties. "Your family stands for continuity, for stability, particularly in times of change," he said, noting that Charles, too, had visited Germany more than 40 times as a prince. It was a subject picked up by Charles, who said the countries' friendship was of great importance to his mother, who enjoyed immense popularity in Germany. "The relationship between Germany and the United Kingdom matters greatly to me too," he said. "I am more convinced than ever of its enduring value to us all." "It means so much to us that my wife and I could come to Germany for this very first overseas tour of my reign," said Charles. "I can only assure you that throughout the time that is granted to me as king, I will do all I can to strengthen the connections between us." Switching from English to near-flawless German, Charles insisted: "Our ties will become even stronger, I'm convinced of that, if we work together for a sustainable future in prosperity and security." The banquet was attended by guests including former Chancellor Angela Merkel and scientist Ozlem Tureci, who co-founded the German company BioNTech that developed the first widely approved coronavirus vaccine. On Thursday, the king is scheduled to give a speech to the Bundestag, Germany's parliament. He will also meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz, talk to Ukrainian refugees and meet with British and Germany military personnel who are working together on joint projects. In the afternoon he will visit an organic farm outside of Berlin. The royal couple plan to go to Hamburg on Friday, where they will visit the Kindertransport memorial for Jewish children who fled from Germany to Britain during the Third Reich, and attend a green energy event before returning to the U.K. The king was urged to make the trip by Sunak, who during his first six months in office negotiated a settlement to the long-running dispute over post-Brexit trading rules for Northern Ireland and reached a deal with France to combat smugglers ferrying migrants across the English Channel in small boats. Sunak hopes goodwill created by a royal visit can help pave the way for progress on other issues, including Britain's return to an EU program that funds scientific research across Europe. STAMFORD The state is reducing one of the charges against an Illinois man accused of stealing more than $100,000 in merchandise from a Greenwich Saks Fifth Avenue store, according to a state prosecutor. During a hearing at the state Superior Court in Stamford Wednesday, Assistant States Attorney Sean McGuinness said that the state will be reducing one charge of first-degree burglary to third-degree burglary against Alton Jackson, after prosecutors reviewed the case file at the behest of Jacksons attorney, public defender Jared Millbrandt. Under state law, first-degree burglary is a Class B felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison, while third-degree burglary is Class D felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine up to $5,000. In light of the reduced charge, Judge John Blawie lowered Jacksons bond from $250,000 to $200,000 during Wednesdays hearing. Despite the reduced charges, Jackson, 34, still faces another Class B felony charge of first-degree larceny, as well as charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny, conspiracy to commit third-degree burglary, conspiracy to commit first-degree criminal mischief, conspiracy to commit second-degree criminal trover, first-degree criminal mischief, second-degree criminal trover, engaging in a police pursuit and misuse of plates in the case. Jackson was arrested alongside 28-year-old Mykuan Smith after the two Chicago men allegedly rammed a 2019 Toyota Camry into Saks Fifth Avenue on Sept. 2 and stole $108,000 merchandise, according to McGuinness. McGuinness said Jackson and Smith, after stealing the merchandise, drove across the New York border where New York police chased them and eventually stopped their vehicle in New Rochelle. Jackson allegedly ran from police on foot, but was eventually detained, McGuinness said. Both men were arrested at the scene, but were charged in Connecticut on Sept. 9 after they were extradited. The case is very strong, McGuinness said on Wednesday. He added that the allegations in the matter were very serious. In addition to the Connecticut charges, Jackson also has pending charges in Illinois and New York. The 34-year-old also has 11 prior convictions in Illinois, a Stamford bail commissioner said during Wednesdays hearing. Both suspects have an extensive and violent criminal history, Greenwich police said at the time of the arrest. Jackson is next scheduled to appear in court on May 10. Smith, who faces the same charges as Jackson minus engaging police in a pursuit and misuse of plates, is scheduled to appear on April 5. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) Floridians will be able to carry concealed guns without a permit under a bill the Legislature sent to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday. The governor said at a suburban Atlanta gun store that he will sign the bill. The Senate passed the bill on a 27-13 vote. It will allow anyone who can legally own a gun in Florida to carry one without a permit. It means training and a background check will not be needed for people to carry concealed guns in public. You dont need a permission slip from the government to be able to exercise your Second Amendment rights, DeSantis said to cheers at the Smyrna, Georgia, gun store that is often a location for GOP campaign events. And as of right now theres 25 states, so half the states, that allow that. Well in Florida, next week, were going to make it 26. The arguments over the legislation were divided on political lines, with Republicans saying law-abiding citizens have a right to carry guns and protect themselves and Democrats saying a state that has seen horrific mass shootings such as the Parkland high school and Pulse nightclub massacres will become even more dangerous. The second amendment of the Constitution gives its people the right to keep and bear arms. It doesn't say if you have a permit; it doesn't say if you've gone through training; it doesn't say if you've done a background check, Republican Sen. Jim Boyd said. "Bad guys are going to get guns one way or the other, and evil people are going to do bad things with guns. Republicans argued that most people will still want to get a permit because it will allow them to carry concealed weapons in states with reciprocal agreements and to be able to purchase guns without a waiting period. But Democrats said not everybody is going to be so responsible. I am, in fact, not worried about mass shootings through passage of this bill. I'm worried about mass idiots, Democratic Sen. Jason Pizzo said. People are going to die because of carelessness. Nearly 3 million Floridians have a concealed weapons permit. While a background check and three-day waiting period will still be required to purchase a gun from a licensed dealer, they are not required for private transactions or exchanges of weapons. DeSantis has said he thinks Florida should go even further and allow people to openly carry guns. While some lawmakers have pushed for open carry, it doesn't appear the Legislature will pass such legislation. The issue was debated five years after then Republican Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill creating gun restrictions after 17 students and faculty were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Under DeSantis, momentum has swung back toward expanding gun rights rather than placing limits on them. ____ Associated Press writer Jeff Amy in Atlanta contributed to this report. S teve Barclay has accused the British Medical Association (BMA) of adopting a political militant stance in the talks to resolve the junior doctors dispute. Junior doctors in England are set to walk out for 96 hours from April 11, after the BMA insisted no credible offer was made. Answering an urgent question on the strikes in the Commons, the Health Secretary said he had checked the minutes of the meeting with junior doctors and spoken to civil servants to confirm that it was a precondition of the talks to commit to a 35% pay increase. He said the Government stands ready to work constructively with the BMA, but added: They have chosen to take a more political militant stance in contrast to the approach that other trade unions have pursued. The BMA in turn accused Mr Barclay of quibbling instead of getting round the table and negotiating with us. Asking an urgent question, shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said senior doctors are worried patients will die as a result of the strikes. He said: Patients are worried sick, consultants have written to me to say they are terrified for patient safety. They fear that patients will die as a result. So when is the Health Secretary going to get junior doctors back in for talks, take them seriously, and stop these catastrophic strikes from wreaking havoc on patient care? Mr Streeting also asked Mr Barclay to clarify whether union calls for a 35% pay rise were a pre-condition as he had claimed, or a starting point for negotiations as stated by the unions. The Health Secretary said junior doctors unions were setting pre-conditions for negotiating, adding: I have checked the minutes, I have spoken this morning with officials to confirm before I made this statement to the House and it was a precondition of the talks that we were told in terms of the pay erosion at 26.1%, and that that needed to be restored at 35% alongside other things. Mr Barclay acknowledged the impact of the upcoming strikes will be far greater than previous industrial action. He said: We know that during the previous walkout by junior doctors earlier this month, 181,000 appointments had to be rescheduled. With this four-day walkout the disruption and the risk will be far greater. Not only because it lasts longer, but because it coincides with extended public holidays and Ramadan, with knock-on effects on services before and after the strike action itself, and because a significant proportion will already be on planned absence due to the holiday period. Mr Barclay later drew a distinction between a militant group which seems to have taken over the junior doctors committee and most junior doctors. In response to Tory former minister Sir Desmond Swayne who suggested the strikes are damaging to the respected junior doctor profession, the Health Secretary said: I would draw an important distinction between what is a militant group that appear to have taken over the junior doctors committee and the vast majority of junior doctors who do a hugely important job within the NHS. And we recognise in Government that they have faced considerable pressures from the pandemic and we stand ready to work constructively with them. There is on the other hand, some within particularly the BMA junior doctors committee, who appear to have a more political agenda and indeed, I refer honourable colleagues to the statements of members of that committee who have said that they want to move the BMA to more traditional trade union activity and pursue a more overt political agenda. Professor Philip Banfield, BMA chair of council, said: It is a great shame that the Secretary of State is spending more time quibbling about how we are calling for pay restoration for junior doctors in England than he is actually getting round the table and negotiating with us. We have been clear in all our communications with his office that our ask is to achieve full pay restoration for junior doctors in order to reverse the real-terms pay cuts we have suffered since 2008. He added: We have not laid down any preconditions to beginning pay negotiations and in particular we have not suggested that a 35% uplift in pay is a precondition to talks with the Health Secretary. We remain committed to beginning talks to engage in meaningful discussions about pay restoration, and will do so in the run up to and during strike action. The ball is firmly in Steve Barclays court. London, declares Saul Klein, one of Europes most successful investors and entrepreneurs who has backed firms including Wise, Nanopore and Zoopla, is still one of the top three places in the world to access the capital, customers, and talent to innovate. Among headlines of tech apocalypse and political gloom, Klein shrugs off talk of the capitals demise. We have the infrastructure and were a place where founders can get advice, funding, and support. But entrepreneurs, Klein asserts, must look beyond the success of their own businesses. We need to acknowledge and address the inequality in our city. In the area around our own office [Kleins Phoenix Court Group is based in Somers Town, next to Euston and St Pancras, an area he has dubbed the new Palo Alto] is one of the most valuable square miles in the world from the perspective of the depth of knowledge, AI, genomics, creativity, plus capital and innovation but it also contains one of the poorest neighbourhoods in London. Kleins firm gives a share of profits towards a charitable foundation for neighbourhood projects but its not just money thats needed. We spend a lot of time working with 30 nearby organisations, including local primary schools, a GP surgery, and a social enterprise which supports refugees, to help them make connections, and do the best work they can. Theres a social contract that we have in the UK and Europe thats qualitatively different to the big tech centres in the US and China this city is more than just an economic powerhouse, it can be a role model for inclusive, equitable innovation. Fellow investor and entrepreneur Sahar Hashemi, who built Coffee Republic into one of Britains biggest chains, agrees that the capitals contrasts help it stand apart from international rivals. Its a community city so wonderfully diverse, with access to an enormous market, including younger consumers who are so willing to try new things, she says. If you cant find an opportunity in London, youre not going to find it anywhere else. Both Hashemi and Kleins passion for Londons entrepreneurial eco-system will be in evidence when they speak at SME XPO, the Evening Standards event for ambitious business founders and decision-makers taking place next month. Hashemi, who is behind campaign group Buy Women Built, wants to help boost the number of women starting their own businesses. The rates of female entrepreneurship in Britain are a third lower than in the United States. Were creating a platform, with peer-to-peer sharing and networking, so entrepreneurs can learn from each other and share contacts. Women here have the business ideas but are missing out because they are not taking the leap but London is the best place to start a business, its a great place to be able to design a prototype, test it out theres always an opportunity in London. Go and make it happen. The key drivers of local scale-up growth, adds Irene Graham, CEO of the ScaleUp Institute, are access to skilled talent, development of clusters, and access to growth capital, alongside a strong collaborative, knowledge sharing community with a strong identity. London has all these ingredients and is also the front door for entrepreneurs to access new markets. It has the highest density of scale-ups more than 82 per 100,000 people. Scale-ups are among like minded entrepreneurs in London the world is at your doorstep. Scale long and prosper. SME XPO is the UKs leading event for ambitious start-ups and scale-ups. Londons top founders and decision-makers will meet at ExCeL London, 25-26 April 2023. Join them for FREE by booking at smexpo.co.uk E mmanuel Macron, if he had been born in another time, would have conquered half of Europe by now. He might even have installed a puppet Prince Harry as his vassal in London, having first raised an army for him in Normandy then dispatched his ageing father with the help of our scheming and embittered grand barons. This is not what history has handed him. Only 39 when he became President, his energy and ambition have come up against the very real constraints of European politics both the French public and those pesky partners vetoes. Its tempting, with the rubbish piling up in Paris and protests against his pension reforms spoiling his international image, to dismiss Macron. To write him off as another politician endorsed by The Economist that didnt quite work. That would be a mistake the Centrists were right because Macron has nevertheless made himself a historical figure. One that has made the EU much more robust than it would have been otherwise. Its not British scepticism to point out that the EU was in a bad shape 10 to 15 years ago. The Franco-German austerity politics of both Angela Merkel and Jean-Claude Trichet, the second head of the European Central Bank, had weakened it. While it was a surprise to Brussels that Britain left the EU, it was not a surprise that a major crisis had come. Polling showed the majority of Italians favoured leaving the euro and the rolling eurozone debt crises meant the possibility of the currency breaking up was discussed in all national capitals. Macrons election as the most pro-EU President in French history was a decisive turning point. He may, thanks to the German Nein, have fallen far short of his ambitions for the bloc but his energy has been crucial in a number of decisive breakthroughs. In 2020, the EU, facing Covid, began borrowing collectively at scale for the first time. In 2021, with vaccines, it took the lead when it comes to health for the first time. And in 2022, with war, the EU decoupled itself from Russian energy, with none of the blackouts or mass unrest Vladimir Putin wanted. Now in 2023, with all its challenges, the EU is not only about to start collective arms purchasing for the first time but launched its first truly serious industrial policy to keep up with Joe Biden and Xi Jinpings huge interventions. This tougher, more statist positioning in Europe is not only more durable, it is also in its policy spirit much more French. Talking to senior French officials in Paris last week, there was noted satisfaction that Europe was turning their way. One by one the Germans have dropped the taboos, from arming Ukraine to abandoning Russian gas to issuing collective European debt. Meanwhile, across Europe, it is clear that two policies Macron championed, EU financial support for countries during Covid and the tough line on Brexit, have turned the tide on others wishes to leave the bloc. Grexit or Italexit are now half-remembered acronyms. The trouble for Macron, though, is France itself. While across the board he has left the country in a moderately better policy position than where he found it, he has not stopped the drift towards the far Right. Millions voted for Macron as a shock third party candidate in the hope of achieving a decisive pushback against Marine Le Pen. Instead shes only climbed higher: her 33.9 per cent of the vote in the 2016 run-off jumped to 41.5 per cent last year. Meanwhile, her party is predicted to make gains in Parliament. The latest poll would have her win 26 per cent of the vote for lAssemblee Nationale, which would become the largest party. A real jump from where she is now, on 19 per cent. When Im President, as she keeps repeating, is no longer a claim that seems extremely far-fetched. Would an Obama to Trump-style victory in 2027 turn into the ultimate historical defeat for Macron? Im not so sure. Le Pen has been forced to scrap key policies to get closer to the Presidency, dropping plans for a Frexit or leaving the single currency. Le Pen in the Elysee would be a dark day for the European Union but most senior French, German and Commission officials I know think she would actually be more like the far Right Prime Minister in Italy, Georgia Meloni, who hasnt rocked the boat or even tried to clash with Brussels. Is this the future of France? Lets hope not. Even if the EU survives something very, very dangerous for Europe will be beginning. Like many marketing stunts, its not all that it seems. Superloop will be a mostly orbital network consisting of seven suburban sections, plus three spokes heading in and out of central London. Superloop map: The wheels on the Superloop buses go round and round outer London / TfL Two outer sections (the X26 and X140) are already operating to and from Heathrow one to West Croydon, the other to Harrow. Ditto for two of the three spokes the 607 from Uxbridge to White City, and the X68 that links Croydon to Russell Square. The third spoke from Grove Park to Canary Wharf has already been consulted upon (as the X239). Now, like the other express routes, it will be rebranded in the Superloops retro colours but wont start running until the Mayors unloved Silvertown tunnel opens in 2025. Consultation on the first genuinely new route between Harrow and North Finchley will start next month. But it will probably take until the end of 2024 until all seven sections of the circular loop have express buses. This is somewhat awkward, as the Ulez is due to expand to the Greater London boundary on August 29 this year. Another embarrassment is that all parts of the route wont, initially at least, feature the latest zero emission electric buses. The X26 section is too long for battery electric vehicles, TfL admits. In total, the Superloop will add five million kilometres to the London bus network less than one per cent. But lets remain economical with the actualite. Londoners are talking about the Superloop. Not just bus nerds but normal people. It was the best-read story on the Standards website by a country (or suburban bus) mile. Facebook and WhatsApp neighbourhood groups were buzzing with excitement: could the Superloop get them to work, or their children to a sought-after school in a neighbouring borough? It will cost the same as any other London bus 1.75 the definition of a bargain these days. It will surely get more Londoners out of their cars, though perhaps only a few. But what its also done is shown the potential for future bus travel. Whisper it, but has the Superloop made buses trendy? Samsung and LG both won the Partner of the Year: Sustained Excellence honor at this year's ENERGY STAR Awards in the U.S. on Wednesday. Hosted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy since 1993, the annual awards recognize businesses and organizations that "have made outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through superior energy achievements." T he Royal Shakespeare Companys stage adaptation of My Neighbour Toroto is set to return to the Barbican in London this autumn. The news is perhaps unsurprising: the plays original run, which opened last autumn, broke the Barbican records for sales in a day, proving more popular than Benedict Cumberbatchs Hamlet. Now it will return to the stage for a five-month run, opening in November. The most extraordinary group of artists have come together from all over the world to adapt this iconic film for the stage, and I am delighted that the production will return to the Barbican in 2023, said Griselda Yorke, RSCs executive producer. With our return to the Barbican, many more audiences will be able to experience the joy of Totoro and we cant wait to welcome them. The sell-out production, which is currently in the running for nine Olivier awards, was widely acclaimed, pulling in five star reviews from both The Guardian and The FT. The Standard was slightly less effusive, giving the adaptation three stars , saying, its easier to admire this Studio Ghibli adaptation than love it, but nevertheless said that the production had ravishing imagery. A reimagining of the 1988 anime, My Neighbour Totoro tells the story of two young sisters, Satsuki and Mei, who move to the country in post-war Japan. Their mother is ill, so they live alone with their doting father who encourages them to play outside and lean into their imaginations, which they do. There is a cat bus and several Totoros of different sizes Totoros are giant and soft owl-bear creatures that have become the motif of Studio Ghibli which made adapting the production a thrilling challenge for the production team. The RSCs adaptation is directed by Phelim McDermott, who spent the last 15 years working on Philip Glass operas, and has a set by Tom Pye, costumes by Kimie Nakano and sound by Tony Gayle. Tom Morton-Smith, who wrote the Royal Shakespeare Companys 2015 play Oppenheimer, adapted the animation, and celebrated puppeteer, Basil Twist, a longtime collaborator of McDermotts, worked alongside puppeteers including Jim Hensons Creature Shop, to make the incredible Totoros and the cat bus. The RSCs My Neighbour Totoro is also a collaboration with Joe Hisaishi, who composed the original films music. It was Hisaishi who initially approached the RSC about adapting one of the Studio Ghibli films, and orchestrator Will Stuart has reimagined his memorable score in the stage adaptation. Studio Ghibli is the Japanese animation studio behind some of the countrys most famous films and exports. Ghibli has become so well known that three of its films are in Japans top six top grossing films worldwide, a remarkable feat for animation films that are now each at least 15 years old. H ugh Grant said its so sad that the presence of telephones on film sets has affected the behaviour of actors. The 62-year-old British actor, who is best known for his roles in romantic comedies Notting Hill and Love Actually, was speaking on the The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on Monday night. During his appearance, Grant said movie sets are so weird compared to what they used to be like before the heavy presence of mobile phones. You know, in the old days, by the end of the second week you were all getting drunk in the evening and having dinner and falling in love with each other and all that, he said. Grant, who stars as Forge Fitzwilliam in the recently released Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves, added: All of that stopped because of telephones. Really, everyone goes home and looks at Twitter. Its so sad. Grants comments prompted host Stephen Colbert to ask: If there werent telephones on set there would be more affairs going on? To which Grant replied: Yeah, I think so You know (Quentin) Tarantino bans telephones from his sets. And quite right, too. And the people there, they do all shag each other So Im told. Bafta winner Grant found fame in the early 1990s after starring in a number of successful period dramas including The Remains Of The Day and Sense And Sensibility. He went on to establish himself as the leading man in a string of popular rom-coms, such as Richard Curtiss Four Weddings And A Funeral, for which he won a Golden Globe and Bafta for best actor, and Bridget Joness Diary. T he trailer for Wes Andersons latest film, Asteroid City, just landed, and its all aliens, stargazers and our favourite actors so, perfect then. It stars Anderson favourites Jason Schwartzman, Adrien Brody, Jeff Goldblum, Willem Dafoe, Edward Norton, Bryan Cranston and Tony Revolori, and some major stars including Steve Carell, Liev Schreiber, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Tilda Swinton, Margot Robbie. Then there are some surprises: Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker will apparently have a cameo as a cowboy in the upcoming film. The plot is as haphazard as ever. A group of students and parents gather in an American desert town in 1955 for a junior stargazing convention when they all celebrate Asteroid Day. But then theres a major disruption and by the looks of the trailer, the world-changing events which rock the convention look likely to be aliens. The parents and kids get cordoned off by the army, and so the fun begins. Steve Carell in Asteroid City / Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/ Asteroid City is being described as a poetic meditation on the meaning of life which makes a lot of sense, given that theres nothing for the new inhabitants of Asteroid City to do other than hang about and ponder over life. The story has been written by Anderson alongside Francis Ford Coppolas son, Roman Coppola, who has been working with Anderson since 2007 when they co-wrote The Darjeeling Limited. The films score has been made by Oscar-winning French composer, and longtime Anderson collaborator, Alexandre Desplat. Asteroid City, which was, perhaps surprisingly, filmed in Spain in 2021, is set to premiere at Cannes in May, before its international release in June. Scarlett Johansson in Asteroid City / Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/ When you work for an auteur like that, it is a big trust exercise... it wasnt easy work, Cranston said to Collider about making the film. Working for Wes is not easy. Its very detailed and very specific, and so you really have to concentrate hard. What offsets that is the congeniality and the togetherness of the experience. Andersons last project was the 2021 film The French Dispatch, which told the story of what happens to a newspaper in the south of France in the Seventies when its editor suddenly died. Anderson is also currently working on The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, a Netflix adaptation of a collection of short stories written by Roald Dahl. The Netflix film will star Benedict Cumberbatch, alongside Ben Kingsley, Rupert Friend, Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel and Richard Ayoade, and is set to be released in autumn. Asteroid City is set to be released on June 23 Review at a glance T his blockbuster family show from the Royal Shakespeare Company is full of dazzling visual magic but short on plot, just like the Studio Ghibli animation classic its based on. Two young Tokyo sisters, relocated by their dad to rural Japan in 1955 while their mother is sick, enter a fantasy realm dominated by Totoro, a giant, furry animal spirit with a benign, molar-baring roar and a tongue the size of a pink duvet. They get sad, they cheer up, thats it. The blimp-like Totoro, his rabbity minions and the enormous 12-legged cat bus that transports people across the sky in its abdomen are powerfully realised through giant puppetry and inflatables in Phelim McDermotts production. But like the delicate, half-whimsical, half-creepy visuals of Hayao Miyazakis 1988 film, this adaptation is easier to admire than to love. Never mind: the Barbican apparently took a bigger advance for this than for Benedict Cumberbatchs 2015 Hamlet. Fronting a huge stage ensemble, all apparently of south-east Asian origin, Ami Okumura Jones plays sensible Satsuki, 10, with Mei Mac as her impulsive younger sibling Mei, four. The tropes of child acting are thoroughly overworked as they hare around the stage, screaming in laughter or terror, or rocking from foot to foot. Local boy Kanta (Nino Furuhata) is a parody of awkwardness while the adults are sketchy, warm figures. No wonder the girls prefer a fantasy friend whos a pop-eyed, grinning mixture of all-powerful and permanently bemused. The Totoro is a weird, oversized mix of bear, cat, rabbit and owl. It can fly but moves and gurgles ponderously. It can make vegetation sprout at will but seems mystified by rain. It has become a pop-culture icon, mystic and cuddly, since 1988 but surely embodies a childs idea of escape from maturity, loss and death. Manuel Harlan In fact, the story could use more jeopardy, more darkness and more of the monsters. The stage adaptation has been guided by the films composer, Joe Hisaishi, whose score here sounds sing-song and inoffensive, and includes lyrics sung in Japanese and English by Ai Ninomiya. Meis disappearance is accompanied by a song called Where Has She Gone?. Adapter Tom Morton-Smith loyally transposes the off-key weirdness of the original and also its deeply conventional take on childhood. Were left with atmosphere, which McDermott and his team provide in spades. Veiled and black garbed performers conjure up forests, cornfields, and an airborne view of Tokyo as well as the wondrous beasts (the huge, inflated cat even has testicles: sorry, but once seen you cant notice anything else). Floppy chickens and urchin-like soot sprites scamper over the pale wooden set. Loading.... The puppetry troupe constantly expose the workings of the illusions in a way that makes them all the more charming. Production designer Tom Pye and puppetry boss Basil Twist play wittily with perspective and switch between 2D and 3D in repeated nods to the film. The big question as it was when the National Theatre reopened in 2021 with an adaptation of the Japanese film After Life is why? If our two great subsidised companies are going to take narratives from another medium and context there has to be a reason beyond mere piggybacking. Here, the RSC is clearly hoping for another commercial success to match the Tim Minchin/Dennis Kelly adaptation of Matilda. For all the ravishing imagery and the collective endeavour involved, this show isnt quirky or adult-friendly enough for that. Barbican Theatre; rsc.org.uk/my-neighbour-totoro Review at a glance H ow do you create a unique police drama nowadays? With the ever-growing choice of streaming platforms come an equal amount of crime shows. Gone are the days where we only had Midsomer Murders, Inspector Morse and the occasional Nordic Noir. But this glut isnt necessarily a bad thing, when the set up is as juicy as the one in Six Four, ITVXs latest offering. Inspired by Hideo Yokoyamas best-selling novel by the same name (which was itself inspired by the writers 12 year stint as a police reporter in Gunma prefecture in Japan) and set in Glasgow, it follows a story of corruption, kidnappings and an uncompromising search for the truth. Police detective Chris ONeill (Kevin McKidd) and his wife Michelles (Vinette Robinson) daughter has gone missing after he has found out that she isnt his biological child, which spurs him to revisit an old case handled by his brother, the Assistant Chief Constable. It concerns the disappearance of another teenager, Julie Mackie and in the process, he spots traces of an internal cover-up, and questions about his brothers involvement arise. Meanwhile Michelle, a former undercover agent, heads down to London, despite Chris desperately trying to stop her, in an attempt to look for clues about their daughters whereabouts. Its clear from the get-go that there is more skullduggery going on beyond one missing teenager. Whats Michelle searching for in her past? What did happen to Julia Mackie and why was her disappearance not investigated further? And before any of these questions are answered, another teenage girl the daughter of the Justice Minister is kidnapped. While it might sound like the plot is a little bit all over the place, the steady pacing (barring the weirdly long opening scene of Michelle running away from Chris to catch a train to London) and the careful focus on a small number of interesting characters (so you can get a grip on them all early on) make it easy to keep track. And the cast delivers excellent performances. Kevin McKidd (you might recognise him from Greys Anatomy) convinces as a frustrated detective, desperate father and worried husband, and Richard Coyle (Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) is perfectly cast as the shady Justice Minister who seems to have his fingers in an awful lot of pies. And Vinette Robinsons performance should not go by unremarked upon. While, at first, we might think shes just a desperate mother looking for her child, we soon realise how much shes willing to risk for the safe return of her daughter, as her own dark past is uravelleing. Its also only four episodes long, perfect for someone who hasnt got the patience (me) to sit through ten of them in order to get to the who-dunnit part. There is something very satisfying about the fact that while the mystery seems unsolvable by episode two, all loose ends will be neatly tied together a couple of hours later. Its tightly plotted too, and filler-free, making for four powerful episodes full of twists and turns. And while Im not going to spoil the ending, Six Four yields much-needed closure in a TV-culture obsessed with cliffhangers. Something I for one am grateful for. Six Four is streaming on ITVX from March 30 M outh closed. Chin down. And think of something smouldery. In a Stoke Newington photo studio, model of the moment Alva Claire is giving me a one-to-one smoulder session. If you know who she is, youll understand that is a bit like getting Sergei Rachmaninov to listen to your best Chopsticks. And if you dont know, just look at the photographs here. Shes undeniably hot stuff, hot property, a pure smokeshow. Thats it. Youve got it! she says sweetly as I squint awkwardly. Hardly, but bless her. Appearance was never the focal point of who I was, it was always about what I had to say Twenty-four hours earlier and Alva is in a less smouldery mode, though still low-key dazzling in a Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra cap, flouncy skirt fashioned from boxer shorts and knee-high DMs (a gift from the designer Matty Bovan). Its a blustery, almost-spring day and we are sitting in the cafe in the middle of Brockwell Park her suggestion drinking builders tea from paper cups. South London born and raised, this is familiar stomping ground for, to use her full name, Alva Claire McKenzie. Youre my first interaction in a while, sorry Im a bit she says, miming being frazzled. Actually, shes excellent company: funny, smart, engaging, warm. Its not difficult to be a kind person. Why would I be any different? Alva Claire by Gwenaelle Trannoy for ES Magazine / ES Magazine Shes just returned from a solo trip to the Azores where she celebrated her 31st birthday nattering away to myself, journaling, hiking. As Ive got older Ive realised the importance of being someone who can enjoy their own company. Its f***ing magic, she says flashing a gem-encrusted grin. It was a moment of required reset after a busy show season for a woman whose star is on the up. She walked, by my count, 14 shows across New York, London, Milan and Paris fashion weeks, including Altuzarra, 16Arlington, Ester Manas and Nina Ricci. She slips into character with the immersive precision of an actor. I loved her fierce and formidable turn at Dilara Findikoglu, I tell her, where she locked eyes with the audience. Im so happy youve seen me in action, she beams. I dont know where it comes from. Its like Im able to connect with who Im portraying or what Im doing. I come out of myself for a minute. Growing up, Alvas hippy parents her Jamaican-born graphic designer father, and her mother from Syracuse, New York, who taught at Camberwell College of Art encouraged her and her older brother to have an opinion on everything. Well, what do you think? Appearance was never the focal point of who we were, it was always about what we had to say. I never thought I was particularly attractive, but I also had such a strong sense of self because of that not being the focus. Alva Claire by Gwenaelle Trannoy for ES Magazine / ES magazine Despite her impressive self-assurance, she didnt see people who reflected how she looked in the media. So when scouts started noticing her, they were intrigued but didnt know where to place her. I obviously didnt fit any of the requirements at that time. The magazines I was saving up my coins to buy were exclusively white skinny models cover to cover at that point. And it wasnt that long ago. Nevertheless, she harboured a deep interest in fashion. On the bus across Waterloo Bridge, shed see Somerset House then HQ of London Fashion Week and dream about being in the thick of it. One day she read an article in the now defunct Look magazine about a curve-model agency and decided to give it a shot. Alongside studies at London College of Fashion, shed book the occasional Asos job, which would help her supplement her work assisting stylists and intern - ing. Im not from a background where I can work for free forever, she says matter-of-factly. It was cool, but not a thing. Now it definitely is a thing. The shift came in her early 20s when, deeply unhappy in her retail job, she got out of the warm bath of home comforts and moved to New York, making the most of her dual citizenship. When I quit my job I did it with such intention. I didnt fall into this, she says. Going into the unknown was really scary. That really transformed me as a person and as a model. Alva Claire by Gwenaelle Trannoy for ES Magazine / ES Magazine Career-defining moments came when she was one of the first curve models to be cast in a Versace show (SS21) and, then, in Rihannas acclaimed Savage Fenty extravaganza at the Barclays Center, which seemed to kill off the homoge - nous Victorias Secret look in one fell swoop. It was a feeling of pure adrenaline that Id never felt before. I grew from that in such a big way. Breaking the mould means Alva has talked about her body a lot. But, understandably, shes bored of discussing it. Why? a) because her work speaks for itself and b) because really, what woman does? If you can get women talking and thinking about their body all the time, then were not thinking about other stuff. People said I couldnt do things. I was like, thats not going to stop me trying Besides, shes more than just a face, or a body, shes a col - laborator. Im interested. When Im on set I want to talk to the stylist, I want to talk to the photographer, I want to get to know people. Ive immersed myself in it. What really motivates her is that love of fashion, the transportive nature of clothes. You can move people, make people cry, make people angry, fashion has so much power. People dont want to think it does. They want to dismiss it, or they think its silly. But you can make people feel with art. Alva Claire by Gwenaelle Trannoy for ES Magazine / ES Magazine As for whats next? The wonderful thing, she says, is that she doesnt feel like any doors are closed and even if they are, she has a proven track record of smashing them wide open. I still get such a kick out of the fact that there were so many things that hadnt been done before and a lot of people said I couldnt do. And I was like, well thats not going to stop me from trying to do it. And each time you do it, its like youve got a little Mario kart and zhooop! she says, miming lift-off. People can say you cant do it, but that doesnt mean you cant. B itcoin - the largest and best-known cryptocurrency - was born from a rising distrust of government and financial institutions after the global financial crisis of 2008. Using Bitcoin, people could send money directly to someone without using intermediaries such as banks or Paypal. In recent years, Bitcoin has been a roller-coaster ride for investors. It hit a record record-high of over 54,000 in November 2021 before plunging to lessthan 14,000 at the end of last year. Now it is trading around the 23,921 mark, although the number can change dramatically from one day to the next. It can also be highly volatile over the short-term, with some intra-day high-low fluctuations of 20-40% over the last few years, according to data from Cointelegraph. Each Bitcoin is mined by the use of high-technology computer hardware to solve complex maths problems. However, Satoshi Nakamoto, often cited as the original creator of Bitcoin, put a cap of 21 million on the total number of Bitcoins to preserve their value by limiting supply. Around 19 million Bitcoins have already been mined, with experts predicting the remaining two million may be mined by 2140. Bitcoin remains the most-popular global crypto-currency and is becoming more widely accepted. El Salvador was the first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender in 2021, followed by ProShares launch of the first Bitcoin-based exchange-traded fund (ticker: BITO). Several major US retailers now accept payment in Bitcoin, including Microsoft, Home Depot and Starbucks, although, to date, few UK retailers have followed suit. Investment giant Fidelity is reportedly planning to enable employees in the United States to include Bitcoin in their pension plans . However, investing in Bitcoin is inherently risky. As with traditional so-called fiat currencies (such as sterling), Bitcoin has no intrinsic value other than the trust of other parties in accepting it as a form of tender. Invest with a crypto brand trusted by millions Buy and sell 70+ cryptoassets on a secure, easy-to-use platform Own Crypto Cryptoassets are highly volatile and unregulated in the UK. No consumer protection. Tax on profits may apply. Bitcoins price is therefore a function of supply and demand and, as such, could plummet if its no longer accepted as a means of payment. As a result, Elon Musks announcement that Tesla would stop accepting Bitcoin as a form of payment for its cars led to a 17% fall in the Bitcoin price in May 2021. Here we look at the process of buying Bitcoin, together with alternative ways of investing in cryptocurrency. Please note that investing in cryptocurrencies is a high-risk proposition and you may lose some or all of your money. There is no guarantee that you will make a profit. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the UKs financial regulator, issues regular warnings about the risk associated with the crypto sector. Crypto assets are unregulated. The FCA says those buying cryptocurrency are very unlikely to have any protection if things go wrong, so people should be prepared to lose all their money if they choose to invest in them. How to buy Bitcoin in 4 steps 1. Find an exchange or broker The first step is to choose a broker or crypto exchange. A cryptocurrency broker provides an online mechanism to facilitate your contact with a cryptocurrency exchange. A cryptocurrency exchange is an online platform that brings together buyers and sellers in order to trade cryptocurrencies. With some exchanges, you can buy crypto using normal currency, such as sterling. Others require you to use one form of crypto to buy another. Here, youd need to find a second exchange to buy coins that your chosen exchange uses, before you could start trading. With brokers, check the rules regarding moving your cryptocurrencies away from a given platform. Some brokers stop customers transferring crypto holdings away from their account. This could become an issue if you decided to lodge your cryptocurrencies in a crypto wallet. The FCA has a UK list of registered crypto asset firms . 2. Decide on a payment option Having chosen an exchange or broker, youll need to add funds to your account before youre able to start trading. Depending on your chosen provider, you can add money from your current account, via an electronic transfer, payment service or from a cryptocurrency wallet. Remember, taking on debt to purchase highly-volatile assets is not recommended. 3. Place an order Once youve transferred money into your account, youre able to buy Bitcoins. You should enter the currencys ticker symbol (BTC), select the appropriate button on your trading menu and enter the amount that you wish to invest. 4. Choose a safe storage option Its important to note that cryptocurrency exchanges are not covered under regulatory protection such as the Financial Services Compensation Scheme in the UK. Despite investment in cyber-security measures, providers remain at risk of theft or hacking. You risk losing your Bitcoin investment if you mislay or forget the access codes to your account. Its also vital to ensure that your Bitcoins are held in a secure storage place. You may have little choice in the storage mechanism if you buy Bitcoins via a broker. However, if youre using a crypto exchange and trading leading currencies, you will probably have access to an integrated wallet (or preferred partner) where you can securely hold your Bitcoins. If you would rather not use the provider that your exchange is partnered with, you could transfer your Bitcoins from an exchange to a separate hot or cold wallet: Hot wallets: crypto wallets stored online that work on internet-connected devices, such as tablets, computers and phones. They are convenient but may have a greater risk of theft due to their internet connection. Cold wallets: external devices such as USBs or hard drives that arent connected to the internet and therefore potentially more secure. However, you will lose access to your Bitcoins if you lose or mislay the codes. Transferring Bitcoins to a hot or cold wallet may incur a fee, depending on the exchange. Alternative ways of buying cryptocurrency If you would rather not buy Bitcoins via an exchange or broker, there are two indirect ways of gaining exposure to Bitcoin assets. 1) Investing in cryptocurrency-connected businesses One option is to buy shares in companies that use, or own, Bitcoins and the blockchain that powers them. These may enable you to have some exposure to Bitcoins via tangible products or services that are subject to regulatory oversight. Here are some indicative examples of companies, although these are not recommendations: Nvidia (NVDA): a technology company that designs and sells processing units specifically for mining currency such as Bitcoin. PayPal (PYPL): the global payments platform has expanded its offering to allow customers to buy and sell certain cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, with their PayPal and Venmo accounts. Square (SQ): the payment services provider for small businesses which has bought millions of dollars of Bitcoin since October 2020. You will need an online investing platform or trading app to purchase shares in publicly-listed companies. Please note that the usual warnings about investments apply and that there is no guarantee that stock market investments will make money. 2) Investing in crypto exchange-traded funds Another option is to invest in funds based on holding cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoins. Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are passive investments that typically track traditional stock market indices such as the FTSE 100 or S&P 500. Crypto ETFs are relatively new products that are currently available only in certain jurisdictions such as the US. They are not yet available in the UK. Invest with a crypto brand trusted by millions Buy and sell 70+ cryptoassets on a secure, easy-to-use platform Own Crypto When the curtain closed on home-grown label TOVEs first London Fashion Week show in February, the rapturous applause and beaming smiles that filled Senate House were testament to a chic and compelling catwalk debut from a brand thats already much loved by the fashion set most of whom were packed onto the benches front row. Deliciously fluid silk jersey maxi dresses in burgundy and ochre, floor-skimming belted wool coats and utilitarian separates in buttery soft leather spoke to the effortless cool thats garnered TOVE a loyal following among women on the hunt for the understatedly expensive aesthetic of The Row, Gabriela Hearst and Toteme, but at prices that dont cost a weeks holiday. Everything was styled with chunky jewellery and black sabah-style slippers: a polished, practical wardrobe for switched-on working women. Katie Holmes and Minnie Driver are already fans. I think a lot of people were quite excited about us showing, says Holly Wright, who co-founded the label in 2019 with Camille Perry, 15 years after they met at Topshop (as head of design and head of buying, respectively). Camille Perry (front left) and Holly Wright (front right) backstage with models at their LFW show / TOVE Those were the glory years, pre-Philip Green, pre-Zara and pre-Boohoo, when H&M only sold basics, ASOS was a niche site called As Seen On Screen and Topshop Oxford Circus was a mecca of London cool. It was an incredible time to be there, says Wright, who first worked with Perry on the sell-out Kate Moss for Topshop line. There was so much innovation. It was like you had your own business within this corporate structure they just let you run with what you thought was the coolest or newest thing. As they outgrew high street fashion, the pair, now in their forties and each with two children, began plotting a brand that would cater to the needs of the millennials who had shopped the ditsy floral ra-ra skirts and sequin boleros they designed in the 2000s, but now have grown-up lives. There was a real disparity appearing between luxury and high street in terms of price, quality and sustainability, says Perry. We could see an opportunity to create a brand that balanced modernity and femininity. Backstage at the AW23 Tove show / TOVE TOVE (the word is Danish and means strength and beauty) launched with its first collection in May 2019, and was immediately snapped up by Net-a-Porter for a year-long exclusive partnership, by the end of which it was crowned one of Nets Faces of the Future a list of 20 brands that it predicts will shape the coming decade. The brand has managed to amass a cult following of women in search of sustainably versatile pieces that can take them from day to night and season to season, says Caroline Rush, British Fashion Council CEO. Theirs is an audience that looks to prioritise functionality and wearability while remaining utterly chic. Tove is not cheap their sell-out Ceres dress is 565, a pair of jeans 260 but the idea is that these well-crafted clothes will live for decades in your wardrobe. Each biannual collection will continue the story, with pieces you can add like chapters of a book, says Perry. Backstage at the AW23 Tove show / TOVE They have worked hard to be planet-friendly. The cloth is from Italy and Portugal, where everything is also manufactured, and the denim, which dropped late last year, is made from organic cotton and recycled polyester. Theres always room for improvement and theres a cost implication [with being more eco] but its a non-negotiable, says Wright. Their business structure is intentionally flexible for an all-female team, half of whom are mothers. Remarkably for a brand that pulled off such a spectacular show, TOVE doesnt have a studio. They work from their respective homes, with occasional meet-ups at Soho House. Its a little crazy! admits Wright. It worked well in Covid but the team is getting bigger now and we do need a space. Tove AW23 London Fashion Week show / Tove Success relies on constant communication if anyone saw our WhatsApps theyd be horrified and an appreciation of each others roles. This year will see them launch footwear, bags and swim, but whats down the line? World domination! exclaims Wright. And the yachts! When can we be like Philip?! Perry chimes in, prompting giggling. No, in all honesty we always say theres no limit to the brand. Its got so much potential and its so untapped, Wright continues. Weve got it to this point by ourselves and we have barely scratched the surface. A man has been jailed for attacking and raping a woman in a west London park almost 19 years ago, after his DNA was linked following another sexual assault investigation. Adrian Satchwell, 60, of Willesden, was sentenced to 10 years and six months behind bars on Wednesday after being found guilty of the 2004 rape in Acton Park following a trial. On July 4 that year Satchwell attacked and raped a woman in the park around 1am. He was with another man who remains unidentified. The woman reported the crime to Metropolitan Police and a DNA profile of the attacker was obtained, but there was no matching identity on the national police data base at the time. A breakthrough came more than a decade later in 2017 when Satchwell was arrested in relation to a sexual assault investigation, and his DNA was taken was taken by the Met. Police officers discovered that his DNA profile matched that of a sample collected at the time of the rape in 2004. Satchwell was charged with two counts of rape in August 2021 following a lengthy investigation process impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. He has been sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court. When reading her victim impact statement in court, the survivor said she is relieved to have the rape validated by the jury. That man is disgusting, he disgusts me that he lied and made up different stories along the way to try and avoid what he did to me, she told the court. To this day, I find that I am still anxious, I suffer from panic attacks, chest pains and shaking. I walk around in a constant state of hypervigilance. Before this happened to me I had a lot of self-confidence. I would go out with friends but since this has happened I have found that I am a lot more restrictive with what I do. At the time I became a lot more withdrawn, not talking to anyone and devoid of emotion. Detective Sergeant Susan Phillips, who led the investigation, said Satchwell is a violent, predatory rapist and it is a relief to know he will spend many years in prison. What he did to the victim had a profound and lasting impact on her life. He has shown no remorse. Ms Phillips said his victim was an incredibly brave woman and she remained stoic over the past 19 years. The Mets Cold Case team identified further tests that could be carried out on exhibits to see if the second suspect could be identified, which was unfortunately negative. Detectives followed several leads including CCTV enquires, e-fit production and circulation, working with Interpol and the examination of other similar offences at the time of the rape, the Met said. Following his imprisonment, Satchwell will be on license for a further two years. T he brother of This Morning host Phillip Schofield wept as he told a court how he phoned his brother and told him he was on the verge of taking his own life. Timothy Schofield, 54, is on trial at Exeter Crown Court charged with 11 sexual offences involving a child between October 2016 and October 2019, including two of sexual activity with a child. Schofield, a civilian police worker from Bath, is said to have told his TV star brother about some of the alleged offending in September 2021. When asked by his barrister Peter Binder whether he had performed sexual acts on the teenager, Schofield replied: Absolutely not. Schofield told the jury he had watched pornography with the boy, who he insisted was aged over 16 at that time, and they had masturbated while sat apart. Giving evidence on Thursday, the defendant told the jury he had been gay his entire life but had kept it completely secret and hidden from everybody. I am not guilty of these charges and that's why I have stuck to my guns the whole way through and pleaded not guilty the whole way through He described this as incredibly difficult and told the court he had struggled with mental health problems for years. The defendant wept as he was asked about phoning his famous brother before driving to his home in London in September 2021. Peter Binder, representing Schofield, asked him: Phillip described you as being in an extreme state of agitation? Schofield replied: Yes. I remember sitting in a field and making the phone call to him. Mr Binder asked: You told him you were on the verge of killing yourself? Schofield wept as he said: Thats correct. I was so alone. On Wednesday, the court heard a written statement by Phillip Schofield, which described the phone call and his brother coming to his home in London. Mr Schofield described how they spent several hours talking, including eating a meal, before he went to do the washing-up. He told how his brother said You are going to hate me for what I am about to say, with him assuring him there was nothing he could say that would do that. Mr Schofield said in the statement: Then he said that he and (the boy) had time together and that last year they had watched porn and (masturbated). I turned and said, What did you just say? He said it was last year and we were alone together. Tim said it was just this once. I told him it should never happen again. He then started to tell me about (the boys) body. I said, F***, stop. I shouted at Tim that he had to stop. I didnt want to know any of the details but he made it sound like a one-off. I said, I dont want you to tell me any more. I said, Youve got to stop, just never do it again. Regardless how that happened, it must never happen again. During cross-examination by Robin Shellard, the defendant told the court the teenager was old enough to choose to watch pornography with him. Schofield told the jury: It was a consensual thing after the age of 16. He never in any way said no at all. He admitted searching for terms on a legal pornography website including young boy teen sex and gay teen torrents but insisted he believed this would return results showing men aged between 18 and their early twenties. The defendant was asked about his arrest in December 2021 and police interviews in which he replied no comment to questions. Schofield told the jury: I was in such an awful place and I just was trying to get my head around what had been said, what I had been accused of. I had just been arrested, I was in a police cell. When asked if he was guilty of the charges, he replied: I am not guilty of these charges and thats why I have stuck to my guns the whole way through and pleaded not guilty the whole way through. Theres no way I am going to plead guilty to something I havent done. The court previously heard that the 54-year-old carried out the alleged attacks while working for Avon and Somerset Police as an IT technician. Schofield, of Bath, denies three counts of causing a child to watch sexual activity, three of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, three of causing a child to engage in sexual activity and two of sexual activity with a child. Phillip Schofield did not appear on ITVs This Morning on Wednesday. The studio said he is taking pre-planned leave this week. The trial continues. Korea is easing entry restrictions for foreign travelers in a bid to boost tourism, which took a hard hit in the coronavirus pandemic. Electronic travel authorization will be suspended until next year for nationals of 22 visa-waiver countries or regions including Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Singapore, Taiwan, the U.K. and the U.S. Travelers had complained of inconveniences like having to put in the address where they will be staying in Korea on the form. P olice are on the hunt for a man after a large wad of cash was stolen from a woman waiting at a bank in west London. The brazen theft, on Wembleys High Road on January 28, left the victim shaken and upset, Metropolitan Police said on Thursday. The woman was waiting to pay in a large quantity of cash when a man approached her, snatched an envelope with the cash inside and fled the bank. Police have released a CCTV image of a man they want to identify following the incident. PC Joss Stott from the North West Command Unit said: We are releasing this image in the hope that someone recognises this person if you do, please contact police immediately. While the victim was not harmed, she is understandably shaken and upset by this brazen theft. I would urge anyone who can help identify this person or can assist the investigation to get in touch. Metropolitan Police There have been no arrests and enquiries continue. Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or tweet @MetCC and quote CAD2837/22Mar. You can also provide information anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. He argued that after nearly 50 years in jail, most of it in solitary confinement, he was safe to be released. But the Parole Board review of one of the UKs longest-serving prisoners decided that he should remain behind bars. In a document detailing the decision published on Thursday, the Parole Board said: After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress that Mr Salvador [Bronsons new name] has made while in custody and the evidence presented at the hearings, the panel was not satisfied that [he] was suitable for release. Nor did the panel recommend to the Secretary of State that he should be transferred to an open prison. Bronson was first jailed in 1968 and has held 11 hostages in nine different sieges. His victims included governors, doctors, staff, and, on one occasion, his own solicitor. Heres what we know about Bronsons life and crimes. Who is Charles Bronson? Charles Bronson was born Michael Gordon Peterson in Luton, in 1952. He was one of three sons of Eira and Joe Peterson. His aunt, Eileen Parry, referred to him as a lovely lad in a 2000 interview with the BBC. He was obviously bright and always good with children. He was gentle and mild-mannered, never a bully; he would defend the weak, she said. Bronson started to get into trouble when his family moved to Ellesmere Port, Cheshire. By the age of 13, he was part of a gang of four robbers and was reprimanded in juvenile court after he was caught stealing. He also used to get into fights from an early age and was often absent from school. His first job was at Tesco, which lasted a fortnight before he was dismissed for attacking his manager. Why did Charles Bronson go to jail? Bronson was first jailed in 1974, at the age of 22, after being convicted of armed robbery. He was sent to HM Prison Liverpool, where he attacked two prisoners. After later attacking fellow prisoner, John Henry Gallagher, with a glass jug, the 69-year-olds seven-year sentence was extended and he was given an extra nine months. He was moved to Broadmoor Hospital, a high-security psychiatric hospital in Crowthorne, Berkshire, because of psychiatric concerns but didnt cope well. He strangled child rapist and murderer John White, and later attempted to strangle another inmate, Gordon Robinson. He then caused 250,000 worth of damage when he staged a three-day protest on a rooftop about conditions at the infamous jail. Bronson was later transferred to several other prisons, and quickly built up a reputation as a violent and highly dangerous inmate. Charles Bronson faced the Parole Board earlier this month (Elizabeth Cook/PA) / PA Wire While at Wandsworth Prison, he even attempted to poison a prisoner in the cell next to him, and strangled the governor of Wormwood Scrubs. Writing in his 2000 book, Bronson, he said: Im a nice guy, but sometimes I lose all my senses and become nasty. That doesnt make me evil, just confused. He is currently in HM Prison Woodhill, Milton Keynes, where he has been since 2018. Bronsons name changes Bronson has changed his name several times, with his different titles defining certain periods in his life. Born Michael Gordon Peterson, he changed his name to Charles Bronson, after the Hollywood actor, during a short stint of freedom in 1987. He used his new persona to launch an illegal bare-knuckle fighting career, but returned to jail in 1988, keeping his new name. The criminal converted briefly to Islam in 2001 and became known as Charles Ali Ahmed. This followed his marriage to Fatema Saira Rehman, a woman who had started to write to him during his time behind bars. In August 2014, Bronson announced he was legally changing his name to Charles Salvador, in tribute to the artist Salvador Dali. He took up art and even started a charity art foundation in that name. His artwork has also been displayed on the Tube but was eventually taken down. More than 100 pieces were sold in 2014, in an attempt to renounce violence that plagued his past. He has been married three times. In February 2022, Gemma Fernandez reportedly built up a friendship with Bronson and spoke about her visit to HMP Woodhill on her YouTube channel. The former model, who is in her 30s, decided to contact Bronson after watching Tom Hardy play him in the 2008 movie, Bronson. N HS consultants fear patients will die during the next junior doctors strike, the Commons was told on Thursday. Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting raised the alarm over the potential impact of the walk-out planned for April 11 to 14, after the Easter weekend. He told the Commons: The strikes planned for next month will be longer than any previous with no derogations planned and coming off the back of the Bank Holiday weekend. Patients are worried sick, consultants have written to me to say they are terrified for patient safety. They fear that patients will die as a result. So when is the Health Secretary going to get junior doctors back in for talks, take them seriously, and stop these catastrophic strikes from wreaking havoc on patient care? Mr Streeting also asked Health Secretary Steve Barclay to clarify whether union calls for a 35 per cent pay rise were a pre-condition as he had claimed, or a starting point for negotiations as stated by the unions. Can he today clarify which side is correct and who was spreading fake news? the Labour frontbencher asked as he urged ministers to get around the negotiating table with junior doctors. More than 300,000 operations and appointments have already been cancelled due to industrial action in the NHS since December, he added. Mr Barclay claimed that junior doctors unions were setting pre-conditions for negotiating. Responding to Labour, he said: He questions whether there were pre-conditions attached to those discussions and I have checked the minutes of the meeting. There was a list of conditions in terms of a pay restoration of 35 per cent, a range of other factors that they put on the table, that were pre-conditions that the Government had to commit to. He also warned that the impact of the upcoming junior doctors strike will be far greater than previous industrial action. He said: I know colleagues and constituents will be concerned about the planned 96-hour walkout organised by unions representing junior doctors. We know that during the previous walkout by junior doctors earlier this month, 181,000 appointments had to be rescheduled. With this four-day walk-out the disruption and the risk will be far greater. Not only because it lasts longer, but because it coincides with extended public holidays and Ramadan, with knock-on effects on services before and after the strike action itself, and because a significant proportion will already be on planned absence due to the holiday period. The British Medical Association, which represents doctors, has accused the Government of failing to make any credible offer to end the pay dispute. Confirming the strike last week, Dr Vivek Trivedi and Dr Robert Laurenson, co-chairs of the BMA junior doctor committee, said: It is with disappointment and great frustration that we must announce this new industrial action. The Government has dragged its feet at every opportunity. It has not presented any credible offer and is refusing to accept that there is any case for pay restoration, describing our central ask as unrealistic and unreasonable. They accused ministers of adding new unacceptable preconditions to talks. The walk-out will take place for shifts starting between 06:59 on Tuesday 11 April and 06:59 on Saturday 15 April 2023. A third of Londons youth clubs will close without new funding, a charity warned on Thursday as it launched a campaign to save them. London Youth said disadvantaged children will be hardest hit by the closure of youth centres because they play a vital role in helping them into the world of work. An open letter from Londons forgotten generation of young people has been painted on a billboard in Shoreditch to draw attention to the campaign, which urges policy makers not to let young peoples ambitions die. The letter states: With consistent cuts in youth sector funding, a pandemic and a cost of living crisis, we are battling to support Londons youth clubs. It highlights that youth clubs are vital spaces where young people can develop skills needed to compete for work. Rosemary Watt-Wyness, CEO of London Youth said: Youth clubs are the place young people choose to go, thus presenting a huge opportunity to reach them with support, opportunities, and consistent and trusted adult relationships which London Youth knows can change lives. London Youth supports 600 youth organisations across the capital. The charity works to make young people more employable by introducing them to mentors and holding job workshops to boost their knowledge of the working world, and runs sports, arts and mental health programmes. The open letter states: Dear London, help us keep our youth clubs open and young peoples ambition alive. Every young person deserves somewhere to go, something to do and someone to trust. Youth work changes lives. It builds confidence, carves careers and shapes us. But youth clubs need your support. T he Metropolitan Police is looking to invest in new psychological tools to help weed out recruits joining the force with malign motives, its chief has said. Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said the force was tightening up its vetting processes for new officers as part of its reform efforts, after a damning report from Baroness Casey branded it institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic. He said: Were commissioning some research to see whether there are any different tools we can use out there, to better psychologically assess officers - is there anything out there that can help us spot people, the small number that might be joining us with malign motives. So were determined to tighten up on that. Sir Mark said the Met would also be taking a fresh look at its existing officers. Were going through a process which Ill be reporting on in the next few days, about re-vetting all our officers against national databases, he said. Deputy Mayor for Policing Sophie Linden, Mayor Sadiq Khan and Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley spoke with participants in the Mets community input training programme this week, where trainee officers hear directly from representatives of Londons minority communities / Noah Vickers/Local Democracy Reporting Service The Commissioner was speaking on the same day as London mayor Sadiq Khan announced the latest phase of his 5.1 million action plan to improve the trust and confidence that black and minority communities have in the Met. The funding is providing recruits at Hendon Police College with community input training, where trainee officers speak directly with representatives of black and minority ethnic, women and LGBTQ+ community groups, to hear about their experiences. Deputy Mayor for Policing Sophie Linden, Mayor Sadiq Khan and Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley spoke with participants in the Mets community input training programme this week, where trainee officers hear directly from representatives of Londons minority communities / Noah Vickers/Local Democracy Reporting Service Money has also been put in place to help boost the recruitment of black officers into the Met and to support them with promotion opportunities, as they are currently underrepresented in senior roles. Mayor Khan said: The findings from Dame Louise Casey of our police service being institutionally racist, institutionally homophobic, and institutionally misogynistic need to be addressed - and that means working with those whove got the least confidence in the police service and putting them at the centre of our reforms. London mayor Sadiq Khan, speaking to reporters at Hendon Police College this week / Noah Vickers/Local Democracy Reporting Service Weve got to make sure that we change the culture in the police service, and this is part of doing that. Around 6,000 police recruits have so far participated in the community input training. Sir Mark said: This sort of training helps change our thinking and attitude, so the way those officers work is more connected and more effective for those communities. Sir Mark Rowley, speaking with reporters at Hendon Police College this week / Noah Vickers/Local Democracy Reporting Service The Commissioner added that he was now seeing a greater willingness among officers to report unacceptable behaviour within the organisation, which was helping him to remove problematic individuals from the force. Clearly we have too many people who are toxic and shouldnt be here, but we have tens of thousands of great men and women, police officers and police staff, he said. D og owners in London are most likely to have their pet stolen, with the capital recording the most thefts in the UK for the eighth year in a row. Metropolitan Police recorded 396 dog thefts in 2022, analysis of police data by Direct Line Pet Insurance has revealed. Thats 219 more than Kent, the region with the second highest thefts. West Yorkshire saw the third largest thefts in 2022 with almost 130 dogs stolen. While London has topped the list since 2015, there were 26 fewer reports of stolen dogs last year compared with 2021. Stolen dog reports across Britain dropped by 22 per cent last year compared to 2021, the data shows. A tightening of average household incomes may have reduced overall demand for dogs, paired with an increase in the number of dogs being rehomed. Between January and October 2022, the Dogs Trust saw a 50 per cent rise in inquiries regarding dog rehoming compared to the same period in 2021. But a significant number of stolen dog cases still go unreported and there has been an uptake in the number of people using dog walkers. We remain a nation of dog lovers. As more than a third of UK households own a dog, the opportunity for thieves is high, with six dogs stolen each day in 2022, Madeline Pike, Veterinary Nurse for Direct Line Pet Insurance said. While there has been a decrease in the number of dogs stolen, animal shelters have seen a sharp rise in the number of pets being rehomed. This is likely to be a sign that households are struggling with the cost of living or that they can no longer give their pet the attention they need due to a change in their working patterns. Ms Pike warns dog owners to avoid leaving their pet tied up outside a shop or in an empty car. Owners are reminded to keep dogs on leads in busy areas and to make sure their pet is microchipped. Around 2,160 dogs were nabbed across Britain in 2022 - the equivalent of six dogs each day - but of those stolen, just one in four were returned. American bulldogs were the most popular breed among British dognappers. Ninety were reported stolen in 2022, compared with just 20 in the previous year. American bulldog puppies can be advertised anywhere between 1,500 to 5,000 each. Staffordshire Bull Terriers were second on the list to be targeted, with 71 nabbed, followed by French bulldogs, Jack Russells and Chihuahuas. English bulldogs, Cocker Spaniels, German Shepherds, Yorkshire Terriers and Huskies were also among the top 10 stolen breeds. In London Staffordshire Bull Terriers are the most stolen breed, with almost 500 nabbed in the past decade. Thirty-seven were stolen in 2022, with hotspots including Croydon, Bromley and Enfield. RSPCA said Staffies are definitely Britains most misunderstood breed. The rescue charity said they are often taken on as status dogs and can be found at the centre of anti-social behaviour due to the way in which theyve been reared and trained. But given the right home and care, Staffies can make absolutely wonderful family pets, RSPCA said. Following Covid lockdowns, it was reported that the number of pet dogs stolen in London increased by more than 75 per cent in four years, with brazen thieves even carrying out daylight burglaries just to snatch pedigree pooches bought in lockdown. Anyone whose dog has been stolen should report it to the police, dog wardens and local council, and report the theft to the microchip database. A woman who almost died after slipping onto Tube tracks last summer has had an emotional reunion with the man who saved her from an oncoming train. Tegan Badham, 21, from North Wales, was planning to get on the Victoria Line at Kings Cross Underground Station on July 10 after spending the day at Wireless music festival with friends. She stumbled from the platform onto a live track around 6pm. While being shocked by 630 volts, the beautician from Cwmbran, Torfaen remained confused and injured on the tracks as a Tube travelled toward her. A man nearby grabbed her hand and pulled her to safety with seconds to spare. As she was being tended to by transport staff and emergency services for her injuries, the man left. The pair had not spoken since. But following an online appeal to find her hero and nine months after the near-death experience, Ms Badham has been reunited with her lifesaver in a meeting she said has brought closure. Tegan Badham suffered burns to her back / Tegan Badham Ms Badham had the chance to thank Anthony Smith, a 31-year-old hotel developer from London, on the BBCs new television show Reunion Hotel, hosted by Alex Jones. I cant go through my days without not thanking him for doing such a heroic thing," said Ms Badham. "If he wasnt there... I would be dead." On the show, the pair hugged and Ms Badham showed him a new lightning bolt tattoo on her lower arm. Its amazing to meet you," she said. I just want to give you a cwtch, [hug]. I dont know what to say but thank you - Im alive." Tegan Badham Mr Smith, originally from Australia, said he wouldnt call himself a hero and described his rescue as instinctive. I just saw you in there and thought person in hole, get person out of hole otherwise train is coming, he said on the show. Im not a strong guy physically, it was just instinctive that I needed to do something - I just crouched down and luckily it worked out. Mr Smith admitted: I regret leaving because it makes no sense from a first aid point of view or a human-to-human point of view - you should stay with someone who has just had an incident like that." Tegan Badham reunited with Anthony Smith / BBC Ms Badham had travelled from south Wales to London to see Nicki Minaj perform at the music festival. As I tried to pull myself up, the electric goes through me," she earlier recalled to the BBC. Think of cramp in your leg when it really hurts, but imagine that in your whole body. I could hear people shouting the train is coming, the train is coming - it was crazy. I saw someone on the platform. When I saw the lights of the train, I just looked at him because I didnt want to see that train." She remembered Mr Smith saying "give me your hands" before pulling her back to the platform. Paramedics then took her to Londons St Thomas Hospital for treatment to her electric burns. Ms Badham said she also owed gratitude to her 40 Pretty Little Thing rubber boots which she said also helped save her life. "Paramedics said if I didnt have rubber boots on I most probably would have died," she said. Reunion Hotel airs Thursday April 6 at 8pm on BBC Two. S adiq Khan has been accused of installing Ulez cameras and road signs by stealth in four Tory boroughs opposed to the expansion of the cleaner air zone. Residents in Bexley, Bromley, Harrow and Hillingdon have reported Ulez signs and numberplate-reading cameras popping up overnight without warning, according to a statement from the councils on Thursday. Council chiefs say they are concerned that the appearance of the cameras has led residents to believe wrongly that they no longer opposed the expansion of the Ulez to the Greater London boundary. They said they wanted to make it abundantly clear that they have not given in to the mayor and Transport for London. It is the first time that TfL has been revealed to have started Ulez expansion work in the four boroughs most opposed to the Ulez widening. They suspect Mr Khan of being willing to ride roughshod over their objections. Previously cameras had only been installed in boroughs which had given TfL approval. The four boroughs, plus Surrey county council, have applied for a judicial review at the High Court into the way the mayor consulted on the expansion last year. A ruling from the court into which parts of the claim if any can proceed to a trial is expected within days. Any trial would probably held this summer. A joint statement from the councils said: The four boroughs remain resolutely opposed to the proposed expansion and will not be doing anything to aid installation of Ulez cameras or signage while their challenge remains unheard in the courts. Ian Edwards, leader of Hillingdon council, said: The installation of these cameras across Hillingdon shows a staggering level of contempt from the Mayor, not just for the feelings of residents who are overwhelmingly against his expansion proposals, but also for the pending legal challenge from the five boroughs. One of our grounds for challenge was that the outcome of last years Ulez consultation was predetermined. The appearance of these cameras is further evidence that for the Mayor this expansion proposal is a fait accompli. About 2,750 Ulez cameras are being erected in the outer London extension area. Hundreds are already in place, mostly on top of existing TfL traffic lights which TfL can do regardless of borough opposition. But some cameras have been vandalised prompting Mr Khan to warn Ulez opponents to remain within the law. Bexley leader Baroness ONeill said: We are furious that Transport for London are pushing ahead with their preparations for the expansion of the Ulez when the legal challenge brought by this coalition of councils is being considered. The Mayor has ignored the wishes of those who contributed to the consultation, to those who voted in our elections last May, hes now ignoring these councils and showing contempt for the legal process that has not yet concluded. We understand that they are planning to install new and replacement signs in some parts of our borough this week. Colin Smith, leader of Bromley council, said: The Mayors desperate rush to install his tax raising cameras whilst legal process is underway is obviously disappointing, but not surprising, given the procurement of the cameras took place prior to TfLs flawed consultation last summer. Our opposition to expanding Ulez will not go away and I applaud our residents and others who continue to make their voices known. Harrow leader Paul Osborn said: We have not given permission for TfL to put up Ulez cameras in Harrow and have refused to cooperate with TfL in their installation. Part of our legal challenge against Ulez expansion is to have the cameras removed. To date, we understand that the cameras have been installed on traffic lights, which are owned by TfL. A TfL spokesperson said: The Mayor has been clear that his decision to expand the ULEZ should be implemented without delay when around 4,000 Londoners are dying prematurely every year due to toxic air, children are growing up with stunted lungs and thousands of people in our city are developing life-changing illnesses attributable to pollution, such as cancer, lung disease, dementia and asthma. We are working closely and collaboratively with the local authorities concerned to install the infrastructure needed. Where cameras and signs have been installed, all the correct permitting processes have been followed. In February, Mr Khan warned Tory boroughs seeking to block the expansion of the ultra low emission zone that they faced defeat at the High Court. The Mayor claimed attempts to seek a judicial review of his decision to expand the Ulez to the Greater London boundary were wholly without merit and misconceived. In a letter to the leaders of Hillingdon, Harrow, Bexley and Bromley councils, he said: Instead of pursuing an expensive legal challenge funded by local residents, I would hope you would work with me to help clean up the dirty air thats blighting our city and the lives of those we represent. T he Attorney General must declare the Illegal Migration Bill unlawful if Rishi Sunak agrees to toughen up the controversial policy, MPs have heard. Victoria Prentis, the Governments top law officer, told the Commons she is very pleased the Bill cleared its committee stage in the Commons without amendment as she sidestepped calls to reveal her legal advice. She added the UK Government will take all steps to defend its proposed immigration reforms from legal challenges. The legislation aims to stop people claiming asylum in the UK if they arrive through unauthorised means, including by crossing the English Channel in small boats. Will she do the honourable thing today and confirm that if the PM concedes on this, she will take a stand and declare the Bill unlawful? But a group of right-wing Tory MPs believe the Bill does not go far enough, with some calling for ministers to take the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to drive through tighter border controls and prevent them being stifled by the courts. Ministers defused a Tory rebellion this week during the Bills committee stage by agreeing to hold talks on their concerns over the Easter recess. Some Government amendments were made to the Bill when it was considered by MPs at committee stage, but Tory MPs did not push their proposals to a vote. SNP MP Angela Crawley (Lanark and Hamilton East) said: It is no secret that the Attorney General has reservations about the Illegal Migration Bill and it is also no secret that the far right of her party is intent on rebellion to push this Bill further into breaking international law. Will she do the honourable thing today and confirm that if the PM concedes on this, she will take a stand and declare the Bill unlawful? Ms Prentis replied: Im very pleased that the Illegal Migration Bill passed the committee stage of this House without amendment. For Labour, shadow solicitor general Andy Slaughter earlier questioned when Ms Prentiss duty to the courts will trump her loyalty to a law-breaking Government. Ms Prentis replied: My first duty is to the court and to the rule of law. I have absolutely no hesitation restating that as often as (Mr Slaughter) wishes me too. The Bill could result in asylum seekers being detained without bail or judicial review for 28 days before being removed to their home country or a safe third country such as Rwanda. The policy has been denounced by the UNs refugee agency as an effective asylum ban. Home Secretary Suella Braverman has conceded it is likely the Bill may be incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) but the Government wishes to proceed with it. Ms Prentis told MPs: By convention, whether the law officers have been asked to provide advice the contents of any such advice is not disclosed outside government. This protects our ability as legal advisers to give the Government full and frank legal advice. SNP MP Stuart McDonald (Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East) criticised the awful Bill and warned sections deny trafficking and slavery victims access to support. He told Ms Prentis: I too have a lot of respect for the Attorney General but she is going to lose support and respect if she continues to allow that Bill to proceed in blatant breach of the trafficking convention. I very much feel that it is perfectly proper for lawyers, and Government lawyers in this case, to test a new, a novel idea before the courts Ms Prentis repeated she has a duty of confidentiality, adding: I am simply not permitted to tell (Mr McDonald) or indeed anybody else what legal advice has been shared between our office and that of the Government. Referring to Ms Bravermans statement on the Bill casting doubt on ECHR compatibility, Ms Prentis said: The use of the section 19(1)(b) statement in the case of this (Bill) does not itself mean the Bill breaches the ECHR. It just means that the Home Secretary cannot state the Bill is more likely than not compatible with convention rights and if legal challenges are made we will take all steps to defend our position in court. She later said such a statement is unusual but not unprecedented and certainly not improper. Conservative MP Sir Bob Neill, chairman of the Justice Committee, said: The testing of the legal position is not any kind of illegality or impropriety at all. Ms Prentis agreed wholeheartedly, adding: I very much feel that it is perfectly proper for lawyers, and Government lawyers in this case, to test a new, a novel idea before the courts. In fact, thats one of the reasons I very much enjoyed my career in the Government legal service, its something we frequently do as Government lawyers. T he Mayor would not be raising his share of Londoners council tax this year under a Labour pledge announced on Thursday. Sir Keir Starmer promised to freeze council tax for everyone as he launched the partys local election campaign in Swindon. Sadiq Khan hiked his share of the bill by the biggest amount since he became Mayor this year, with an almost 10 per cent increase being added to payments from next month. The City Hall levy, used to fund the Met Police and Fire Brigade, will account for 434.14 of the average London bill from April - up 38.55 on last year. It comes as thousands more Londoners were set to see their annual payments increase to more than 2,000 a year with local authorities imposing an average 5 per cent rise across the capital. Residents in bankrupt Croydon will see a 15 per cent increase in their bills added by their town hall as officials desperately try to balance the boroughs finances. But Sir Keir vowed that Labour would use a windfall tax on oil and gas giants to freeze council tax if in his party were in power. A Labour spokesman confirmed it would also apply to City Halls levy. Sir Keir said: There is a choice on tax. A Tory choice taxes up for working people, tax cuts for the 1 per cent. Or a Labour choice. Where we cut business rates to save our high streets and where, if there was a Labour Government, you could take that council tax rise you just got and rip it up. The Labour party published analysis which showed bills for average Band D homes in Labour areas are 72 lower than in Tory ones. But Conservatives hit back with their own figures that show Tory-run town halls facing election in May charge 80 a year less council tax than Labour for the standard home. Cabinet minister Grant Shapps said he would take Labours pledge with a pinch of salt. I cant imagine how they can even go out and claim that theyd cut council tax given that Labour councils always seem to charge more than Conservative ones, the Energy Security Secretary told TalkTV. It comes as Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves indicated Labour does not plan to increase capital gains tax, despite deputy leader Angela Rayner suggesting rates were too low. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last week released a summary of his tax returns, which showed that his tax rate was about 22 per cent because most of his earnings came from capital gains which are taxed at a lower rate than income. Sir Keir paid a far greater proportion of his earnings in tax than Mr Sunak - with an effective tax rate of 33 per cent - despite the PM making 10 times more. It prompted Ms Rayner to hit out at a system in which the Prime Minister pays a far lower tax rate than working people. But on Thursday, Ms Reeves argued against raising the tax. I dont have any plans to increase capital gains tax, she told BBC Radio 4s Today programme. There are people who have built up their own businesses who maybe at retirement want to sell that business. They may not have had huge income through their life if theyve reinvested in their business, but this is their retirement pot of money. And we also have said we want Britain to be the best place to start and grow a business. Southern Province Cement Company has announced that it will soon award the contract for the establishment of a production line at its Jazan factory with a 10,000 tonnes per day capacity. The move comes following the completion of the study of technical and financial offers from bidding companies. Work is underway to draft and review the contract, which will be signed after completing the necessary procedures, stated Southern Province Cement in its filing to the Saudi bourse Tadawul. The new production line is set to replace the existing one, it added.-TradeArabia News Service Apple is set to open another store in Korea this week. The trendy new store located in Seoul's posh southern district of Gangnam "will welcome [our] first customers this Friday" the U.S. tech giant said Tuesday, just a few days ahead of its grand opening. "We're always innovating to provide the best experience for our customers, and we are so excited to open Apple Gangnam and share the best of Apple with even more people in Seoul," it added. R ishi Sunak faces his first big electoral test as prime minister next month, when voters across much of England head to the polls to choose thousands of new councillors. A total of 230 local authorities are holding contests next month. These range from small rural councils to some of the largest towns and cities though no elections are scheduled in London or Birmingham. Polls are also taking place to choose mayors in Bedford, Leicester, Mansfield, and Middlesbrough. Local elections typically reflect voters attitudes about neighbourhood concerns, such as when bins are collected, the state of parks and pavements, or access to libraries and hospitals. But they can also be a verdict on the main political parties and their handling of big issues. In 2023, these are likely to be the cost of living, the NHS, and public services. Heres everything you need to know about this years local elections. When are the 2023 local elections? These will be held on May 4 in England. Local elections for 11 councils in Northern Ireland have been put back two weeks to May 18. This to avoid a clash with the Kings coronation on May 6. No elections are taking place in Scotland and Wales this year. The majority of results are expected to be announced the following day, although some will take a little longer. Where are the 2023 local elections taking place? Overall, more than 8,000 council seats will be up for grabs on May 4, with voters in most parts of England able to take part. As well as London and Birmingham, areas not holding elections include Cornwall, North Yorkshire, and Cumbria. Of the councils holding elections, 152 are district councils, many of which are currently run by the Conservatives. By contrast, almost all of the 32 Metropolitan boroughs holding elections this year are already run by Labour. These include huge authorities such as Leeds, Liverpool, and Manchester, and these are unlikely to change hands. The remaining 46 councils holding elections on May 4 are unitary authorities and include many large towns and built-up areas across England. These include Hartlepool and Redcar & Cleveland in the north-east, to Plymouth and Portsmouth in the south-west and on the south coast respectively. Many are currently run by coalitions of two or more parties, or by one party as a minority administration. Elsewhere, Labour are defending two of the mayoral seats up for grabs Leicester and Mansfield. The Liberal Democrats are defending Bedford and Middlesbrough is currently held by the independent Andy Preston. Will you need to bring ID to vote at the 2023 local elections? For the first time in England, voters will need to show a form of photographic identification at their polling station to cast a ballot. Anyone without an accepted form of ID can apply for a special certificate from their council before the deadline of April 25. What forms of ID are acceptable at the 2023 local elections? Not all types of photo ID will be accepted, which means some people may be unable to vote. Many people will have a driving licence or a passport, which are both acceptable forms of ID. However, there are also a number of other forms of acceptable ID, including a PASS card or Blue Badge. You can still use your ID to vote if it has expired. However, it still needs to look like you, and needs to bear your current legal name. What are the results to watch out for at the 2023 local elections? Contests that will be watched closely include a number councils in traditional Conservative heartlands in the south, and Tory seats in the former Labour Red Wall in the north. Labour will be hoping to gain ground on the Tories in southern England. In Milton Keynes, Labour needs only two councillors to overtake the Conservatives as the largest party. In Bedford, they need only one. There are also opportunities for the party to retake symbolic ground in the north. In Blackpool, Cheshire West and Middlesbrough, the party is only a handful of councillors away from an absolute majority after a poor showing in 2019 and recent defections. The Liberal Dems performed very well in last years local elections, securing their largest proportion of seats in the south since 2010. They will be hoping to cement this success this year. The party will hope to repeat the successes they have seen in places such as St Albans, South Cambridgeshire and Chelmsford, where they have increased councillors by 30 per cent in the past couple of elections. And they will also be hoping to put pressure on Labour, after taking overall control away from them in Hull last year. How to register to vote in the 2023 local elections In England, you had register to vote in person, or by proxy, by midnight on April 17. This had to be done online with a National Insurance number, or by writing to your councils Electoral Registration Office. The deadline to request a postal vote in England is 5pm on April 18. You can find more details about doing that here. In Northern Ireland, the deadline to register to vote, by post or by proxy, is April 26. To vote in person, you must register by April 28. A n MP who took trains between London and Scotland while infected with Covid during the pandemic faces a by-election after a Parliament watchdog recommended she is suspended for 30-days from the House of Commons. The Committee on Standards on Thursday said that Rutherglen and Hamilton West MP Margaret Ferrier should be suspended for breaching Covid-19 rules. Ms Ferrier, the former Scottish National party politician who now sits as an independent, visited a beauty salon and a gift shop in her constituency in September 2020 while awaiting coronavirus test results. On Monday, September 28, she travelled by train to London, took part in a Commons debate and ate in the Members Tearoom in Parliament. The same evening she received a text telling her the test was positive for the virus. Instead of isolating, she travelled back to Scotland by train the following morning, against strict public health rules in place at the time. Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Daniel Greenberg said Ms Ferrier had breached code of conduct for MPs by placing her own personal interest of not wishing to self-isolate immediately or in London over the public interest of avoiding possible risk of harm to health and life. She also breached the code because her actions commencing from when she first took a Covid-19 test to when she finally begins self-isolation have caused significant damage to the reputation and integrity of the House of Commons as a whole, and of its Members generally. The Commons Standards Committee recommended she should face a 30 day suspension, which MPs will be asked to approve. Because the suspension is more than 10 days, she could face a recall petition and a by-election in her constituency. Last year at a hearing at Glasgow sheriff court Ms Ferrier was ordered to undertake 270 hours of unpaid work by a court for breaching Covid rules. She avoided a fine and potential prison sentence for recklessly exposing the public to the risk of infection, illness and death. A number of secondary schools are not informing parents as soon as a child questions their gender identity, a report suggests. Safeguarding principles are being routinely disregarded in many secondary schools when it comes to gender identity, according to a paper by centre-right think tank Policy Exchange. Some schools suggested that informing parents when their child questioned their gender identity, or expressed a wish to change gender, would breach the childs confidentiality, the report says. The research by Policy Exchange, which sent Freedom of Information (FoI) requests to more than 300 secondary schools in England, suggests that some schools do not maintain single-sex toilets or changing rooms. It says: While many schools believe they are acting in a childs best interests, there is no circumstance in which safeguarding norms should be compromised. Nonetheless, this is happening across the country. Safeguarding should always be a prime concern for schools and it is deeply concerning that this Policy Exchange report suggests that this is being undermined in some cases The analysis from the think tank comes as MPs and education leaders have called on the Government to publish safeguarding guidance to schools in relation to transgender issues as soon as possible. The paper, which makes a series of recommendations, says schools should automatically inform parents when a child questions their gender unless there is a compelling reason for them not to be informed. In a foreword to the report, Labour MP Rosie Duffield said: Policy Exchange exposes the reality that this ideology is widespread across secondary schools. This Government has failed children by allowing partisan beliefs to become entrenched within the education system. Meanwhile, the Opposition has failed to pull them up on it. She added: The safeguarding of children is fundamental to a civilised society. Policy Exchange here demonstrates there to be a systemic failure in the school system, caused by an ill-considered embrace of gender ideology. FoI requests were submitted to 304 secondary schools in England in December last year, and 154 schools responded, either fully or in part, to questions asked by the think tank about gender policies. The research suggests that only 28% of the secondary schools, who responded to the FoI, are reliably informing parents as soon as a child questions their gender. According to the report, around 28% of secondary schools are not maintaining single-sex toilets and 19% are not maintaining single-sex changing rooms. The Government has still not produced guidance for schools on supporting pupils who identify as trans or who are questioning their gender identity, despite this having been under discussion for several years The report concludes: Our research reveals there to be a safeguarding blind spot when it comes to the issue of sex and gender. Safeguarding principles are being routinely disregarded in many secondary schools, which are neglecting their safeguarding responsibilities and principles in favour of a set of contested beliefs, in ways that risk jeopardising child wellbeing and safety. In doing so, schools are compromising both the law and statutory safeguarding guidance. Conservative MP Robin Walker, chairman of the Commons Education Committee, said: Safeguarding should always be a prime concern for schools and it is deeply concerning that this Policy Exchange report suggests that this is being undermined in some cases. He added: Parents need the reassurance that they will be properly informed and supported to safeguard the best interests of their children and should never have to worry about contested ideology being imposed or medical decisions being taken without their knowledge. Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: Schools work very hard to be sensitive to the needs of pupils questioning their gender identity, and all their pupils, by providing a supportive and caring environment, and teaching children sensitively about respectful relationships in a diverse society through RSE lessons. Unfortunately, they are endeavouring to do this in the context of a public minefield of strongly held and opposing views, of which this report from a think tank is yet another example. Meanwhile, the Government has still not produced guidance for schools on supporting pupils who identify as trans or who are questioning their gender identity, despite this having been under discussion for several years. This is clearly needed so that schools are able to draw on an established set of guidelines rather than constantly being caught in the crossfire between opposing views and beliefs. A Department for Education (DfE) spokesperson said: Our priority will always be the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. The Education Secretary is working closely with the minister for women and equalities to produce guidance for schools which we will be consulting on shortly. In the meantime, we are clear that schools should make sure they work with parents, pupils and public services to decide what is best for individual children. Parents have a right to view teaching materials and copyright law does not prevent a parent from viewing external resources on school premises. We have brought forward the review of the relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) statutory guidance, which will give us the opportunity to consider the evidence and provide clarity on what is appropriate to be taught in schools, alongside ensuring that schools know they must be transparent with parents. P rime Minister Rishi Sunak is reportedly considering cutting inhertiance tax before the next general election. Bloomberg reports that Mr Sunak is considering the move to boost Tory popularity in the south of England, and may announce the decicion at the October conference. A minister reportedly told Bloomberg that cutting inheritance tax would help the Conservative part reduce the Labour partys poll lead. So when is the next UK general election, what are the rules about calling one, and how does it all work? When is the next UK general election? The maximum term for Parliament is five years. As the current Parliament first met on December 17, 2019, it will be automatically dissolved on December 17, 2024. This means that the next UK general election is not due until January 2025. Polling day would take place 25 days later, which would result in the January 2025 date. However, King Charles could dissolve Parliament before this date. When was the last general election? The last general election was on December 12, 2019. The Conservative Party won a landslide majority of 80 seats after winning 43.6 per cent of the popular vote the highest percentage for any party since 1979. The prime minister at the time, Boris Johnson, called the election after months of parliamentary deadlock that delayed Brexit. There was another general election in 2017, called by then-prime minister Theresa May in the hope of strengthening her hand in the Brexit negotiations. At this time, a general election wasnt due until 2020. When can a general election be held? The Fixed-Term Parliament Act of 2011 created fixed five-year periods between elections and allowed earlier elections only in specific circumstances. These are if two thirds of MPs vote for an early general election; or if the House of Commons votes no confidence in the Government and fails to pass a motion of confidence in any government within 14 calendar days, according to the Institute for Government. The House of Commons chose to hold earlier general elections in 2017 and 2019. On March 24, 2022, the Government repealed the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act. This means that the King can dissolve the Government at the request of the prime minister, which will lead to a general election. When the act was repealed, Minister for the Cabinet Office Michael Ellis said: The Fixed-Term Parliaments Act was not fit for purpose, causing constitutional chaos in 2019 and delaying the Government acting on peoples priorities. At critical moments, we must trust the British publics good judgment. Elections give the public a voice, and its right that we return to a tried-and-tested system that allows them to take place when needed. As a result, the prime minister can request a dissolution from the King which, if granted, would allow them to call a general election at any time. Why are elections held on a Thursday? Every general election since 1931 has been held on a Thursday. It was suggested that this would encourage more people to vote. It has been thought that elections on a Friday would have had lower turnouts given peoples desire to begin their weekends. Saturday and Sunday were believed to have been ruled out given the need to pay extra for polling staff (typically local council employees) to work at the weekend. S cientists say we are in the middle of a period of heightened solar activity that could increase the number of phenomena such as flares, coronal mass ejections and geomagnetic storms. A large hole capable of generating solar winds north of a million miles per hour has appeared on the surface of the sun for the second time in a week. Heres what you need to know about the sun waking up. What is a coronal hole? Coronal holes are a normal occurrence and a relatively common feature of the suns outer atmosphere, called the corona. The large coronal hole on the suns surface spotted this week is 20 times bigger than Earth. Nasas Solar Dynamics Observatory spotted it, and it could send superfast solar winds of 1.8 million miles per hour hurtling towards our planet today (Thursday, March 30). Daniel Verscharen, associate professor of space and climate physics at University College London, told Sky News: This one is special because it is near the suns equator. Since the sun rotates, an equatorial coronal hole can point towards the Earth at some point. This weeks coronal hole is not expected to cause damage. However, scientists say the heightened activity is something we might need to be wary of. Why is there increased solar activity? Professor Verscharen said the sun was waking up. The increased solar activity recently is a sign of a more active sun, and a period known as solar maximums. These occur every 11 years or so, prompting several holes and more significant phenomena such as coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Prof Verscharen said: Equatorial coronal holes, coronal mass ejections, and thus also aurorae are going to be more likely in the coming years. It means the amount of radiation emitted by the sun can be dangerous for astronauts going beyond the protection of Earths ionosphere. This is where the planets atmosphere meets space. The main concern surrounding increased solar activity relates to satellites. Geomagnetic storms can impact satellite communications, which could become more disruptive as humans become ever more reliant on them. A solar storm in January 2021 prompted Atlanta-based airline Delta to alter the course of some flights between Detroit and Asia. The largest such storm on record was the Carrington Event. This hit Earth in 1859 and prompted the telegraph systems across America and Europe to fail. What impact can solar winds have? Solar winds are a flow of plasma launched at super-fast speeds 700 or 800 kilometres (435 or 497 miles) per second. When these winds collide with the Earths charged atmosphere, this can result in magnificently bright auroras, such as the Northern Lights. These are a lot more aesthetically pleasing than coronal holes. The USs National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which monitors space weather, says they appear so dark that they are relatively cool and less dense than surrounding areas of the sun. A French air traffic controller strike is set to plunge British travellers over Easter and school holidays into further chaos as Heathrow security staff walk out. French air traffic controllers are preparing to walk out every day next month, in a move that will disrupt thousands of passengers flying between Britain and Spain, because flights use Frances airspace for transit. Ryanair has already been forced to slash 230 flights last week because of French strikes over the pension age increase, and a further 120 flights this week, according to The Times. Chief executive Michael OLeary said it was a scandal that French strikes are blocking many flights over Frances airspace, disrupting the busy tourist market between Britain and Spain. It is something we have to plan for, and we are doing our best to try to mitigate it, but of course it is very difficult ... sometimes you only get 24 hours notice, Mr OLeary told the Airlines for Europe summit in Brussels on Wednesday. It is very difficult to explain to passengers in the UK, Ireland and Spain that their flights are cancelled because of a few air traffic controllers in France walking out, even though their flight is not landing in France, he said, according to The Times. Airlines have to compensate passengers for long delays or cancellations under European passenger laws but are unable to recover penalties from air traffic authorities when airspace is blocked, he told the A4E Aviation Summit. Mr OLeary said airports were better prepared for delays this summer after widespread chaos last year but that he expected further air traffic control problems in coming months. French air traffic controllers are reportedly striking in solidarity with other sectors opposing French President Emmanuel Macrons deeply unpopular plans to increase the retirement age from 62 to 64. This is despite the fact that air traffic controllers are exempt from the changes and retire at 57 in France. The disruption to flights between Britain and France adds further chaos in April amid a 10-day strike by security guards at Heathrow Airport over a pay dispute. Members of the Unite union will walk out on March 31 in a dispute over pay, with travellers warned to brace for disruption. The strike will continue until April 9 and involves security guards employed at Terminal Five. British Airways has also been told it must cut about 300 flights over Easter because of the strike, The Times reports. A Heathrow spokesman said: We will not let these unnecessary strikes impact the hard-earned holidays of our passengers. We are deploying 1,000 additional colleagues and the entire management team, who will be in the terminals providing assistance to passengers over the busy Easter getaway. They urged passengers to check their flight status with their airline before travelling to the airport and to arrive at the airport at least two hours before departure. N otorious prisoner Charles Bronson has lost a Parole Board bid to be freed from jail. Bronson, now 70, has spent nearly five decades behind bars after first being jailed in 1974 for armed robbery. However, his sentences have been extended many times due to a series of violent attacks on fellow inmates and prison staff. His latest bid for freedom failed it was revealed on Friday and he will remain at a secure unit at HM Prison Woodhill, Milton Keynes. In a document detailing the decision published on Thursday, the Parole Board said: After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress that Mr Salvador has made while in custody and the evidence presented at the hearings, the panel was not satisfied that Mr Salvador was suitable for release. Nor did the panel recommend to the Secretary of State that he should be transferred to an open prison. Bronson, who has taken up painting behind bars even changing his surname to Salvador after his hero Salvador Dali, had insisted he is now a reformed prisoner, has found solace in art and is a man of peace. He also told the hearing how he enjoyed a rumble fighting in prison and won 1,500 last year from betting. Describing one incident, in which the parole review was told he stripped naked and greased up, he said: I took half a tub of Lurpak with me, stripped off and had the rumble of my life. It was f****** brilliant. But the 70-year-old claimed he had changed his ways and said he would be able to handle any conflict on a larger wing. In a voice note sent to Sky News from prison, Bronson claimed that he hates violence, has been a model prisoner for the last decade and that I love the world. Bronson told the broadcaster: Im not a f****** filthy terrorist or a rapist, or a murderer, so who am I dangerous to outside? He added: I want to go home, Im an artist born again. I hate violence, I despise it and thats all Ive done for the last ten years, sit in my cell, a model prisoner, polite, respectful but they still wont let me out. Bronson is the second inmate in UK legal history to have his case heard in public after rules were changed last year in a bid to remove the secrecy around the process. The summary of the Parole Board decision added: The panel noted that Mr Salvador has spent most of the last 48 years in custody and that much of this time has been in conditions of segregation. The panel accepted that Mr Salvador genuinely wants to progress and that he is motivated to work towards his release. It thought that there was evidence of improved self-control and better emotional management. However, the panel was mindful of his history of persistent rule breaking and that Mr Salvador sees little wrong with this. He lives his life rigidly by his own rules and code of conduct and is quick to judge others by his own standards. His positive progress has to be assessed in the context of him being held in a highly restrictive environment. In the panels view, it is unknown exactly what is containing Mr Salvadors risk. It is unclear whether the strong external controls of custody are mainly responsible or whether his attitudes have genuinely changed. Once dubbed one of Britains most violent offenders, Bronson has spent most of the past 48 years behind bars, apart from two brief periods of freedom during which he reoffended, for a string of thefts, firearms and violent offences, including 11 hostage-taking incidents in nine different sieges. Victims included governors, doctors, staff and, on one occasion, his own solicitor. Bronson was handed a discretionary life sentence with a minimum term of four years in 2000 for taking a prison teacher at HMP Hull hostage for 44 hours. He will be eligible for another parole review in due course, the Parole Board said. T he family of a north London cleaner are 45,000 better off after some rare ceramics she was given by her employer sold at auction. Mrs Annie Gaughan cleaned for critically acclaimed ceramicist Lucie Rie for many years at her home in Finchley Road and was given a bowl and some moulds when she retired. On Wednesday they sold for 45,250 at auction with bids coming in from around the world for the sale at Chiswick Auctions. The bowl, made in the 1980s and decorated with a turquoise glaze, sold for 35,000 to a collector in Tokyo while the moulds were bought by a Rie devotee in Switzerland. Rie, a refugee from Nazi Germany, is hailed as one of the greatest potters of the 20th century and her collectors including legendary fashion designer Issey Miyake who organised an exhibition of her work in Japan. Mrs Gaughans son Austin said he had decided to sell the keepsakes to help fund his sons attempt to buy a house. He said: Weve had the items now for 25 years or more. My mum left them to me and my wife and my son. Hes now looking to buy a property and we thought it was a good way of getting him on the ladder. The 45,000 will go some way to a nice deposit. T en days of strikes by security guards at Heathrow Airport will go ahead from Friday after last-ditch talks failed to resolve a pay dispute, Unite has announced. In a statement on Thursday evening, the union said talks broke down because Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) failed to substantially improve its pay offer. The strike will involve around 1,400 Unite members working in Terminal Five. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: Heathrow can afford to pay a decent pay rise to its workers. This is a wealthy company which is about to return to bumper profits. In recent years its approved an astronomical rise in salary for its chief executive and paid out dividends to shareholders worth billions. Yet somehow, Heathrow executives seem to think its acceptable to offer what amounts to a real-terms pay cut to its security guards and ground staff who are already on poverty pay. A Heathrow spokesperson said: We will not let these unnecessary strikes impact the hard-earned holidays of our passengers. Our contingency plans will keep the airport operating as normal throughout. We are deploying 1,000 additional colleagues and the entire management team who will be in the terminals providing assistance to passengers over the busy Easter getaway. We know that the majority of colleagues do not support strike action. Heathrow accused Unite of refusing to take an improved offer to its members despite the PCS union wanting to do so. Colleagues could have an above inflation 10 per cent pay increase back-dated to 1st January and a lump sum payment of 1,150, but instead theyre left empty-handed by Unites actions. The only reason Unite refuse to take the improved offer to members is because they fear theyll back it." Unite regional co-ordinating officer Wayne King said: Heathrow Airport has thrown away the opportunity to avoid strikes. Unite went into todays meeting looking for an offer our members could accept. Unfortunately it seems HAL went in with no intention of avoiding industrial action. The strike action will undoubtedly result in severe delays and disruption to passengers across the airport but this dispute is a direct result of Heathrow Airports stubborn refusal to pay its workers fairly. Heathrow claims that security staff have been offered a 10 per cent pay rise in addition to further enhancements. The strike involves security officers at Terminal Five, which is used exclusively by British Airways, and campus security guards who are responsible for checking all cargo that enters the airport. BA has stopped selling tickets for strike days. It will coincide with separate industrial action by more than 1,000 officials at the Passport Office, with Britons warned of delays to passport renewals. Members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union working in Passport Offices across the UK will walk out for five weeks from April 3 in a dispute over jobs, pay and conditions. Earlier this week, Heathrow announced contingency plans to keep the airport operating during the 10-day strike. A spokesperson said that an additional 1,000 workers would be deployed to help mitigate the effects of the strike, claiming security would be well-managed despite the disruption. British Airways previously said it expects to cancel up to 32 flights a day between March 31 and April 9 as a result of the action. Strikes by ground handlers at Heathrow were called off in December after the airport made an improved pay offer. Some 400 Unite members working for aviation firm Menzies had been due to walk out for 72 hours. Ahead of Fridays strike, Heathrow urged passengers to check their flight status with their airline before travelling to the airport. Travellers are also urged to arrive at the airport no earlier than two hours before short haul flights and 3 hors before long haul flights. T he King burst out laughing as he tried his hand at making traditional German cheese on Thursday. King Charles started giggling during a visit to an organic farm in Brandenburg on the second day of the state visit to Germany. Charles, a pioneer of sustainability, was urged to put on coat and plastic overshoes to join staff in the dairy. He was invited to help spread cheese curd into moulds. Ill do my best, he grinned. But he couldnt help but laugh as the mixture began pouring quicker than he expected out of four metal funnels and he frantically tried to start pushing it into the moulds. I need longer arms, he chortled. He started helplessly pushing the curd as forcefully as he could, laughing as he did. Getty Images Well they do say it hand-made, he smiled. The cheese is a traditional German sliced cheese, coloured naturally with carrot. Earlier the king watched some of the staff also pack butter and looked mischievously as he spotted reporters also wearing full protective gear. The King, who was accompanied by Brodowin owners and managers Ludolf and Katja von Maltzan as well as German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, had planned to see some of the farms baby calves living in special calf igloos that are more hygienic and stop the spread of illness. But unfortunately a storm erupted, with heavy rain, thunder and lightening, and the King had to rush into an open-sided building instead. There he was presented with a magnificent cake in the shape of a crown lying on a purple cushion in honour of his coronation. The white chocolate and Victoria sponge cake took chef Antje Neumann 21 hours to make and weighed ten kilos. The king cut a slice and tasted it. This is brilliant, it must have taken you weeks. This is seriously good cake. Mr Steinmeier turned to the King and said: It might be the model for your crown! King Charles looks at a cake made specially for his visit in Brodowin ecovillage along with Brandenburg state premier Dietmar Woidke, and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier / via REUTERS Afterwards he met with local organic farmers as well as supermarket representatives to talk about their efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of agriculture through organic farming, including their approach to reducing food waste via direct marketing. The King was in his element, chatting animatedly to the fellow organic enthusiastic, including one man whom he has been conversing with for 40 years. Thank you for everything you have done to further organic farming and to protect people and and nature, he was told. His Majesty was also shown a soil sample from a nearby site to learn more about history of the land and its ability to store carbon dioxide and see examples of products such as paper and mugs made out of grass from protected grasslands. During the visit he was accompanied by Prince Bernhard, a hereditary prince of Baden and grandson of Prince Philips sister, Theodora. Like Charles he is a keen organic farmer and the two men have visited each others properties. Okodorf Brodowin organic farm, was established in 1991 from an East German agricultural production cooperative to maintain jobs and help reduce environmental impacts. It is now one of the largest Demeter certified farms, committed to biodynamic agriculture involving systematic crop rotation and targeted green fertilisers to return to the soil what has been taken from it. The 2,300-hectare farm produces vegetables, dairy products, flax and sunflower oil, fresh meat and sausages. Apple's mobile payment and digital wallet Apple Pay was launched in Korea last week and has already racked up over 1 million transactions here. To respond to the threat, market leader Samsung Pay has accelerated its scheduled tie-up with Naver. Apple Pay's biggest merit is speed. It takes less than a minute to register a card on the iPhone, though users have to register the same card on their Apple Watch again if both devices are used. Transaction speed is also very fast, requiring only the press of a button and facial or fingerprint scan. M ore than 400,000 people took part in Lewishams year as London Borough of Culture. An impact report on the events which included music, dance and sculpture found nine out of 10 schools in the south London borough got involved. It said 436,294 took part in person with a digital audience of 474,657 involved in the events, which drew in more than 4 million of inward investment. Mayor of Lewisham, Damien Egan said the year had been unforgettable. He said: More than 400,000 people took part, and together we hosted over 600 brilliant events right across Lewisham, from Deptford to Downham, in our venues, libraries, parks and high streets. More than 8,000 young people were supported with training and careers advice to access jobs in the creative sector. Our businesses benefited as people rediscovered their local area or visited for the first time, and the spotlight was on the culture and creativity that exists in every corner of Lewisham like never before. But most of all, we will remember it for the moments our communities came together and had a great time. 2022 was just the beginning and were looking forward to continuing to make the most of the connections made and lessons learned and our renewed ambition for culture in Lewisham. Croydon is the next borough of culture with one of the composers chosen to celebrate the Kings coronation involved in the programme. Tarik ORegan, who went to school in Croydon, worked on the Oratorio for Hope which will be performed at the opening event. It is inspired by verse written by the boroughs first ever Poet Laureate Shaniqua Benjamin with the music based on a theme by the Grammy-nominated ORegan. He said: I spent the first 18 years of my life in Croydon, so Im absolutely delighted to be reunited with the borough where my family still lives! The Oratorio of Hope is an amazing endeavour, and Im honoured to have contributed the musical theme which ties the whole project together, but allows space for the richness and diversity of the various wonderful participants to be heard in their own unique voices. Croydons turn as Borough of Culture, following in the footsteps of places including Waltham Forest, runs for a year from April. Its programme includes a heritage trail celebrating local musical talent, a play about pioneering black composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and a celebration of half-a-century of hip-hop. J oe Bidens presidential five-day trip to the island of Ireland is set to begin north of the border. Mr Biden is expected to fly into Northern Ireland on April 11 ahead of a day of engagements in Belfast on April 12, the PA news agency understands. The US president is then due to travel south later that day and will spend the remainder of the week in the Republic of Ireland, before leaving on Saturday April 15. As well as official engagements in Dublin, Mr Biden is expected to travel beyond the capital for visits related to his Irish ancestry. The Democratic politician can trace his ancestry to Irelands west and east coasts, specifically Ballina in Co Mayo and the Cooley Peninsula in Co Louth. His great-great-grandfather Owen Finnegan emigrated to the United States from the Cooley peninsula, while another great-great-grandfather, Patrick Blewitt, was born in Ballina, leaving during the Irish famine in 1850 to sail to America. Distant relatives celebrated his election win in November 2020 back in Ireland and gathered again in January 2021 to mark his inauguration. The presidential visit to the island will have a strong focus on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday peace agreement. This week Mr Biden made clear an increase in activity by violent dissident republicans opposed to the peace process in Northern Ireland would not deter him. No. They cant keep me out, he told reporters. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had invited Mr Biden to come to Northern Ireland to mark the agreements anniversary. Earlier this month, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the president that his trip to the island of Ireland would be a visit like no other. I promise you that were going to roll out the red carpet, he pledged to Mr Biden during their St Patricks Day meeting in Washington DC. White House officials and Secret Service personnel have already visited proposed locations as part of planning for the visit. Former US president Bill Clinton and his wife and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton will be in Belfast the week after Mr Biden for more events to commemorate the landmark accord that largely ended the Troubles. Other key figures involved in securing the deal are also due to travel to the city. A man has been found guilty of fatally shooting nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel as he chased a convicted drug dealer into her home in Liverpool. Thomas Cashman, 34, admitted being a high-level cannabis dealer but denied being the gunman in the incident, which also injured Olivias mother Cheryl Korbel, 46, and Joseph Nee, the intended target, in Dovecot on August 22 last year. A jury at Manchester Crown Court found him guilty of the murder of Olivia, the attempted murder of Nee, wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm to Ms Korbel, and two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. Ms Korbel said she was ecstatic as she left court following the conclusion of the trial. There were gasps and tears from Olivias family, including her mother who wore a pink cardigan and clutched a teddy, as the verdicts were returned. Cheryl Korbel, mother of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, holding a teddy bear outside Manchester Crown Court / PA Cashman wiped away tears in the dock and turned to his family in the public gallery behind, shaking his head. One of Cashmans relatives could be heard saying appeal it and they left the courtroom shouting and swearing. His sister claimed others were responsible for Olivias murder, not her brother, as she was ushered out of the court building by police officers and court security. The jury, of 10 men and two women, took nine hours and three minutes to reach their verdicts. During the trial, which lasted more than three weeks, the jury heard the schoolgirl ran downstairs after hearing shots outside, saying Im scared mummy, Im scared. The bullet which killed Olivia was fired through the front door, hitting Ms Korbel in the hand before striking the schoolgirl in the chest. Thomas Cashman wiped away tears in the dock after he was found guilty of murdering the nine-year-old / PA Nee, a 36-year-old with a number of previous convictions, was injured before he ran towards the house after three shots were fired from a self-loading pistol in the street on Kingsheath Avenue. The gunman fired a further two shots from a revolver into the Korbel family home, one which killed Olivia and the other which became lodged in the door. He then fled the scene, running across back gardens. The court heard Nee and his family had their enemies and it was not the first time he had been targeted in a shooting. Cashman, a father-of-two, said around the time of the shooting he had been at a friends house where he counted 10,000 in cash and smoked a spliff. During his evidence, he told the court: Im not a killer, Im a dad. But a woman who had a fling with Cashman told the jury he came to her house after the shooting, where he changed his clothes and she heard him say he had done Joey. Cashman told the court she was a woman scorned and accused her of lying because she wanted to ruin his life. He said: When he found out that he had shot an innocent young girl, he should have had the courage to stand up and come forward. Instead, he chose to lie low despite the fact that he was a dad himself. He is not worthy of walking the streets of Merseyside, and neither are those who think they can bring fear or intimidation to our communities through use of firearms. Cashman is expected to be sentenced on Monday. P aperchase has announced that all its remaining stores will close next week. The stationery retailer has confirmed on its store finder website that the last day of trading will be Monday. Administrators were appointed on January 21 after Paperchase failed to secure any buyers for the business. The message left on the Paperchase website reads: All of our stores will be closed soon, our last day of trade is 3rd April. Heres what you need to know about the brands closure. Who owns Paperchase? Tesco purchased the brand and intellectual property in January but, sadly, the deal did not include any of Paperchases 106 UK shops. At the time, administrators Begbies Traynor said in a statement: On January 21, Mark Fry, Kirstie Provan, and Gary Shankland, of Begbies Traynor, were appointed as joint administrators of Aspen Phoenix Newco Limited, which trades as Paperchase. Unfortunately, despite a comprehensive sales process, no viable offers were received for the company, or its business and assets, on a going-concern basis. However, there has been significant interest in the Paperchase brand and attendant intellectual property. The joint administrators will continue trading the companys operations in the short term, with all stores remaining open and trading as normal. While Jan Marchant, managing director of home and clothing at Tesco, said: Paperchase is a well-loved brand by so many, and were proud to bring it to Tesco stores across the UK. We have been building our plans to bring more brands and inspiration to the ranges we currently offer, and this will help us to take those plans further. We look forward to sharing more with our customers in due course. Which stores will close down by Monday, April 3? Paperchase stores in major cities such as London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Leeds have already closed. The stationery retailers concession stands in other shops, such as Next and Selfridges, have also ceased trading. This is the full list of Paperchase stores which are still open, but are expected to shut by Monday, April 3: T he 12ft (3.7m) puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee called Little Amal is returning to London. The centrepiece of performance art project The Walk, Little Amal has come to symbolise human rights and bring hope, the project says. Since 2021, the puppet has toured 5,600 miles, visiting 13 countries across Europe and the US. She last visited London last year, where she stopped by Tower Bridge, Leadenhall Market, and St Paul's Cathedral. But when is Little Amal visiting the UK next and how can you support her cause? Where has Little Amal visited? Since 2021, the puppet has toured 9,000km (5,600 miles) and visited 13 countries including Turkey, Greece, Ukraine, Italy, France, and the US. Little Amal, a giant puppet depicting a Syrian refugee girl, arrives at Ukraine's Embassy in London, on March 10, 2022 / Justin Tallis / AFP via Getty Images Everywhere Amal goes she is greeted with Events of Welcome, which are community-created events that have been created to be meaningful to the local people she meets. Where is Little Amal visiting next? Amal will be in London and Brighton from March 29 to April 2, 2023, for a festival of welcome, celebration, and friendship. Puppet Little Amal visits the Cop26 summit / Jane Barlow / PA She will lead an interfaith celebration in the London Borough of Camden, work with City of London business leaders to raise money for displaced children throughout the globe, lead a walk of hope across Brighton Beach, and organise a sponsored walk on London's Hampstead Heath. How to support The Walks Amal Fund Children make up half of all refugees, and all refugee children who are of school age have lost their chance to receive a formal education. Tens of thousands of people who have escaped conflict and persecution right now desperately need assistance. The Walk's Amal Fund with Choose Love was launched to aid these children as part of the project. The fund assists grassroots organisations financed by Choose Love that offer academic preparation and education in addition to giving people access to food, housing, and healthcare, wherever their new home is. You can donate here. A ccording to research conducted by Greenpeace, more private planes took off from the UK than any other nation in Europe in 2022, with one taking off every six minutes. An increase in private jet usage of 90,256 flights last year resulted in the emission of 500,000 tonnes of CO2. According to aviation experts, the UK boasts the most flights, emissions, and busiest, most carbon-intensive routes. The study was conducted by Dutch environmental consultants CE Delft using information provided by Cirium, a provider of aviation analytics. In 2020, 2021, and 2022, they examined private-aircraft traffic across Europe and discovered 1,041,640 flights in total, producing 5,377,851 tonnes of CO2 an amount equivalent to Leeds whole yearly emissions. Greenpeace wants private jets to be outlawed. According to the international environmental advocacy group, 39 per cent of flights throughout Europe last year were deemed very short haul, covering less than 500km, making them easily accessible by train. Which route was the most popular? With 3,357 flights last year, the route between London and Paris for which there is also the option of travelling by rail, with Eurostar trains running between 10 and 15 times each day was the most popular. What was the most polluting route? The Hampshire route between Farnborough and Blackbushe airports had the worst pollution levels; it is less than five miles long and can be covered on foot in just over an hour-and-a-half, according to Google Maps. According to the study, 13 flights on this route totalled 23 tonnes of CO2, which is roughly the same as driving 50,000 miles. These trips, according to researchers, were probably conducted for placement, which is when an airplane is transported to another airfield to start its main flight. Until 2022, 1,343 flights were operated between Farnborough, which bills itself as the business gateway to Europe and beyond, and different London airports. C hildren as young as 12 are being targeted by county lines gangs to sell drugs in Kent, police have said. Criminals are recruiting young people from areas including London to deal heroin and crack cocaine in the county, according to the BBC. Kent Police said it has almost halved the number of active county line gangs. Officers said that the numbers operating in the county had reduced from 82 in 2020 to 42 in March this year. Earlier this month, experts warned that children as young as seven are being targeted to work as drugs mules in Merseyside. Some children are reportedly being groomed through online gaming. Kate Wareham, of the non-profit Catch-22, in Merseyside, told ITV News: We recently had a referral for a child of seven years old. So what do county lines mean and why are they so dangerous? What is the meaning of the term county lines gangs? The National Crime Agency says the name county lines refers to moving illegal substances across police and local authority lines, frequently using minors or other vulnerable individuals who have been forced into it by gangs. The county line is the mobile phone line used to take orders for illegal drugs. Why are county lines such a risk? County line gangs have contributed to the proliferation of firearms and drugs in urban areas. Fatal stabbings have increased due to such gangs, contributing to the highest levels since records began. Certain children, young people, and adults are vulnerable and more at risk of being drawn into county lines. These include looked-after children (children in care); children not known to services (lockdown led to an increase of children being taken out of school); missing children; vulnerable adults; and others who may be threatened with violence or exploited through their addiction to drugs. How common is drug trafficking in the UK? According to official statistics from 2022, approximately one in 11 adults aged 16 to 59 years and approximately one in five adults aged 16-24 reported using illegal drugs in the year ending June 2022; there was no change compared with the year ending March 2020. Many forms of illegal drugs originate overseas and are trafficked into the UK via various routes, including: Container shipping Yachts and small boats Light aircraft Vehicle traffic from continental Europe Airline passengers The post and fast parcels The National Crime Agency says profits are high at all stages of drug trafficking, but particularly for those who can access the drugs in their source country. Criminals from the Balkans dominate the cannabis and cocaine market, but British traffickers remain a significant threat. What is being done to stop risks? The Government has a 10-year plan to combat illegal drugs, which includes: 1. Restricting upstream flow preventing drugs from reaching the country. 2. Securing the border a ring of steel to stop drugs entering the UK. 3. Targeting the middle market breaking the ability of gangs to supply drugs wholesale to neighbourhood dealers. 4. Going after the money disrupting drug-gang operations and seizing their cash. 5. Rolling up county lines bringing perpetrators to justice, safeguarding and supporting victims, and reducing violence and homicide. 6. Tackling the retail market so that the police are better able to target local drug gangs and street dealing. 7. Restricting the supply of drugs into prisons technology and skills to improve security and detection The strategy has received almost 900 million of additional funding for the next three years. It is hoping to deliver 54,500 more treatment places, prevent nearly 1,000 deaths, and close more than 2,000 extra county lines. S even California Highway Patrol Officers have been charged in the March 2020 death of a suspect during a traffic stop after they pinned him to the ground while he screamed I cant breathe. The officers along with a registered nurse face counts of involuntary manslaughter and assault in the death of 38-year-old Edward Bronstein in Burbank, California, Los Angeles prosecutors said. Mr Bronstein died of acute methamphetamine intoxication during restraint by law enforcement, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. These officers had a legal duty to Mr Bronstein, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon said on Wednesday during a news conference. We believe they failed their duty and their failure was criminally negligent, causing his death. It was not immediately clear whether the officers or the nurse had legal representation. The district attorneys office could not be reached immediately for comment on Thursday. The death of Mr Bronstein, who was white, came less than two months before the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was pinned to the ground in Minneapolis by police officers as he pleaded, I cant breathe. Mr Floyds agonised words became a rallying cry during anti-racism protests against police brutality across the nation and around the world in the summer of 2020. In the California traffic stop, two of the officers who were charged had pulled Mr Bronstein over on Interstate 5 for suspected driving under the influence. Mr Bronstein was then taken to a Highway Patrol parking lot where he initially refused to allow blood to be drawn from him. He finally complied after officers pushed him to the ground as he was handcuffed, Mr Gascon said in the statement. Several officers are accused of pinning Mr Bronstein down with their knees while his blood was being drawn. While pinned, Mr Bronstein repeatedly screamed I cant breathe, and begged for help before becoming unresponsive, the prosecutor said. Mr Bronstein was kept face down for about six more minutes. More than 13 minutes after his last screams, the officers attempted CPR, but Mr Bronstein never regained consciousness and was later pronounced dead, Mr Gascon said. D onald Trump has been indicted by a grand jury in New York over a hush money payment made to the adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election. No former US president has ever been criminally indicted. The exact nature of the charges was still unclear on Friday because the indictment remained under seal. Prosecutors said they were working to co-ordinate Trump's surrender, which could happen early next week. They did not say whether they intended to seek prison time in the event of a conviction, a development that wouldn't prevent Trump from seeking and assuming the presidency. The news is set to shake the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, in which Trump leads most polls. Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing and has repeatedly assailed the investigation, called the indictment "political persecution" and predicted it would damage Democrats in 2024. In a statement confirming the charges, defense lawyers Susan Necheles and Joseph Tacopina said Trump "did not commit any crime. We will vigorously fight this political prosecution in court." A spokesman for the Manhattan district attorney's office confirmed the indictment and said prosecutors had reached out to Trump's defense team to coordinate a surrender. Tacopina said Trump is "likely" to turn himself in on Tuesday. District Attorney Alvin Bragg left his office Thursday evening without commenting. The case centers on well-chronicled allegations from a period in 2016 when Trump's celebrity past collided with his political ambitions. Prosecutors for months scrutinised money paid to porn actor Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, whom he feared would go public with claims that they had extramarital sexual encounters with him. The timing of the indictment appeared to come as a surprise to Trump campaign officials following news reports that criminal charges were likely weeks away. The former president was at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida estate, on Thursday and filmed an interview with a conservative commentator earlier in the day. The prosecution also means that Trump will have to simultaneously fight for his freedom and political future, while also fending off potentially more perilous legal threats, including investigations into attempts by him and his allies to undo the 2020 presidential election as well as into the hoarding of hundreds of classified documents. T he man who inspired the film Hotel Rwanda, Paul Rusesabagina, arrived in the United States after being released from prison in Rwanda last week. In September 2021 Rusesabagina was sentenced to 25 years over his ties to a group opposed to Rwandan President Paul Kagame that has an armed wing. The 68-year-old, a vocal critic of Kagame, says he was lured to Rwanda in 2019 when he boarded a private plane in Dubai that he believed was bound for Bujumbura, Burundi. The aircraft instead landed in Kigali, where he was arrested. He was released last Friday after Kagame commuted his sentence, following months of negotiations between Washington and Kigali, and arrived in Doha on Monday. He boarded a plane in Qatar bound for Houston, a source familiar with the matter said. Im pleased to welcome Paul Rusesabagina back to the United States, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Twitter, adding that Rusesabagina was reunited with his family. Don Cheadle as Rusesabagina in Hotel Rwanda Im grateful to those we worked closely with in the Rwandan Government to make this possible, Sullivan said. Rusesabagina was feted around the world after being played by actor Don Cheadle in the 2004 film Hotel Rwanda which portrayed him as a hero who risked his life to shelter hundreds of people as manager of a luxury hotel during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Washingtons historically close ties with Rwanda had been strained by Rusesabaginas detention and by U.S. allegations, denied by Kigali, that Rwanda has sent troops into neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo and supports rebels there. Rwanda has said that Rusesabaginas release is the result of a shared desire to reset the US-Rwanda relationship. During his trial Rusesabagina acknowledged having a leadership role in an opposition group but denied responsibility for attacks carried out in Rwanda by its armed wing. The trial judges said the two wings of the group were indistinguishable. The painting is entitled Fuck Abstraction. It depicts a corpulent man forcing a handcuffed victim to perform fellatio on him, next to another kneeling silhouette whom he holds by the head. The work has been on display since February as part of a retrospective dedicated to Swiss artist Miriam Cahn at the Palais de Tokyo, perhaps the most prestigious contemporary art center in Paris. Few had noticed the canvas, surrounded as it was by other disturbing prints of the most atrocious war crimes. That is until Marine Le Pens political far-right wing was made aware of the work and demanded its immediate removal from the public museum. Cahns critics consider the victim in the painting to be a minor. The artist says this is not the case, describing her undeniable difference in complexion as poetic license to distinguish the victim from her tormenter. These two viewpoints have led to the biggest cultural controversy of the year in Paris with the case being taken to court. After Le Pens party, National Rally (RN), called for the work to be taken down, six child protection organizations brought the Swiss artist before the Paris Administrative Court. They demanded that the painting be censored and that the exhibition be closed to under-18s. However, on Tuesday the court ruled in favor of the artist, finding the complaint to be unfounded. In its ruling, the court said the work alludes to the use of sexuality as a weapon of war and that it cannot be interpreted beyond the context of Cahns work. The Swiss artist has been documenting and denouncing battlefield horrors for 40 years. The Miriam Cahn exhibition at the Palais de Tokyo. 'Fuck Abstraction' is second from the right. AURELIEN MOLE The Palais de Tokyo applauded the courts decision and denounced the instrumentalization of the work of art and the contempt for the role of museums shown by the extreme right. Still, the museum elected to provide a team of guides to explain Cahns intentions to visitors. At the artists request, an explanatory text has also been installed next to the work, which makes it clear the painting alludes to the war in Ukraine and the massacre at Bucha. They are not children. The painting is about how sexuality is used as a weapon of war, as a crime against humanity. The contrast between the two bodies shows the bodily power of the oppressor, Cahn stated. Among her other works are paintings denouncing atrocities committed during the Balkan war and in the Persian Gulf. Nearly 45,000 people have already visited the exhibition, which brings together 200 of Cahns works and runs until May 14. However, this is unlikely to be the end of the story. One of the associations that filed the initial complaint, Jurists for Childhood, which branded the work as pedo-pornographic, has said it will appeal the courts decision at the Council of State, Frances highest judicial-administrative body. They are not children. The painting is about how sexuality is used as a weapon of war, as a crime against humanity. The contrast between the two bodies shows the bodily power of the oppressor Miriam Cahn The RN campaign has been led by Caroline Parmentier, one of the most recognizable deputies in Le Pens grouping. It was launched in mid-March via her social networks, after she visited the Palais de Tokyo to see the painting with her own eyes. Nothing justifies this exhibition, not even the denunciation of war. This work is an incitement and a wink to predators and child molesters, Parmentier said in a video recorded inside the museum. Days later, she confronted Minister of Culture Rima Abdul Malak during a plenary session at the National Assembly, during which Le Pen nodded and clapped alongside her deputy. The artists intention is diametrically opposed to your interpretation. Art can offend, provoke discomfort or disgust, but freedom of expression is guaranteed by law, Malak retorted. This is not the first time the French far right has used culture as a battleground. Last year, the RN attempted to prevent an exhibition by cartoonist Bastien Vives, who had been invited to the Angouleme Festival, the most important event in the comic books calendar. A child protection organization denounced Vives, author of acclaimed books such as A Taste of Chlorine and A Sister, but also of three other volumes featuring uncomfortable drawings depicting sexual content involving minors, for dissemination of pedo-pornographic images. Parmentier, who has made the fight for the defense of common values her specialty, was also behind that campaign. Works by Miriam Cahn on display at the 2022 Venice Biennale. Giuseppe Anello / Alamy In reality, these cultural wars have been a favored tool of the French extreme right for decades. The strategy is always the same: denounce the elitism of contemporary art circles in order to reclaim historical heritage and promote the lifelong beauty of classical art. This allows the RN to mobilize their electorate through the defense of traditionalism, seduce the religious wing of the more moderate right and, above all, to generate headlines. In 2014, an inflatable work by American artist Paul McCarthy, which depicted a Christmas tree in the form of a giant sex toy, sparked protests from the ultra-conservative Printemps Francais collective, which was formed during mass demonstrations against same-sex marriage in France. In 2011, the traditionalist Catholic association Civitas staged protests over two plays by Romeo Castellucci and Andres Serrano, terming them blasphemous. In the 1980s, the National Front, which rebranded itself as the RN in 2018, was outraged by the decorative columns that Daniel Buren installed in the Palais Royal in Paris. For the far right, contemporary art is part of the unbearable reality of a society in full decadence, as Le Pen once opined. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition B razils far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro has returned home for the first time since the January riots. He has spent months in the US in self-imposed exile after never conceding defeat to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in last years election. Supporters, claiming fraud at the elections, stormed the Supreme Court, Congress and presidential palace on January 8 in riots that recalled the 2021 riots on the US Capitol. Mr Bolsonaro boarded a plane from Florida to Brazil on Wednesday and downplayed his role of leading his political party to reporters at the airport. Thousands of supporters waited to welcome him at Brasilias airport when he arrived around 7am local time from Orlando. Authorities beefed up security, closing traffic along the capital mall to prevent the risk of violent protests. Jair Bolsonaro supporters welcome him at Brasilias airport / REUTERS Mr Bolsonaro said he will collaborate with his political party, the conservative Liberal Party, in local elections next year, adding that the October vote he lost was a closed chapter. I will not lead any opposition. I will help my party as a person with experience, he said. Mr Bolsonaro added he plans to travel across Brazil in an effort to help his party in local elections next year. I hope that Brazil doesnt become Venezuela, he said. I hope that Brazil is not on the same path. Mr Bolsonaro left for the US two days before he was due to hand over the presidential sash to Lula on January 1. He said he needed rest, but critics say he was avoiding the risks of more than a dozen legal investigations he may face in Brazil. Legal probes have focused on his attacks against Brazils voting system and alleged role in encouraging supporters to storm government buildings. Mr Bolsonaro attended the Conservative Political Action Conference this month in Washington where he questioned the result of the October election and said his mission in Brazil was still not over. Alternating between German and English, the King paid tribute to the deep historical bonds and longstanding ties between the two nations. He said it was a great honour to be addressing the Parliament known as the Bundestag. He added that he was proud to be in Berlin to renew the special bond of friendship between our two countries. The King has been welcomed positively by the German press, appearing on numerous newspaper front pages. A King in Berlin, reads the front page of Munich-based daily newspaper the Suddeutsche Zeitung / Suddeutsche Zeitung A King in Berlin, read the March 30 front page of Munich-based daily newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung, accompanied by a picture of Charles laughing as he greeted crowds in the capital. Another front page from Rheinische Post, a major regional daily newspaper, reads Royal Fever, alongside a picture of the King and Queen Consort, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Budenbender. The German press have lauded the Kings visit / Frankfurter Allgemeine Newspapers such as the Berliner Zeitung and Suddeutsche Zeitung even published helpful guides on royal protocol in case their readers met the King and Queen. The tips included how to curtsy properly and how to correctly pronounce the word Maam, which the papers said should rhyme with jam and lamb. Media outlets have drawn a historical comparison between the late Queen Elizabeth IIs first visit to West Germany in 1965 and her sons this week. HM King Charles III and Queen Consort attend German state banquet at the presidential Bellevue Palace in Berlin 1 / 20 HM King Charles III and Queen Consort attend German state banquet at the presidential Bellevue Palace in Berlin POOL/AFP via Getty Images King Charles III (2nd R) and Britains Camilla, Queen Consort (2nd L) are welcomed by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (R) and his wife Elke Buedenbender AFP via Getty Images German Chancellor Angela Merkel and King Charles III attend a state banquet Getty Images German President Frank-Walter Steinmeiers wife Elke Buedenbender, left, and Camilla, the Queen Consort, talk in front of the Bellevue Palace in Berlin AP Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, center, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier,left, and Camilla, the Queen Consort, right, are pictured during the State Banquet in Berli AP King Charles III gives a speech as he attends a state banquet at the Bellevue Palace Getty Images The Queen Consort, arrives at the State Banquet at Bellevue Palace, Berlin, the official residence of the President of Germany, during the Kings State Visit to German PA King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort attend a state banquet at Schloss Bellevue presidential palace on March 29, 2023 in Berlin, Germany Getty Images First Lady Elke Buedenbender and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive at a state banquet at Schloss Bellevue presidential palace Getty Images German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier gives a speech at a state banque Getty Images Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and his wife Susannah Cleverly pose for a picture at Bellevue Palace via REUTERS King Charles III speaks to guests at a state banquet at the presidential Bellevue Palace in Berlin POOL/AFP via Getty Images King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort greet Evgenij Voznyuk and Motsi Mabuse Getty Images The King and Queen Consort alongside former Chancellor Angela Merkel Getty Images King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort attend a state banquet at the Bellevue Palace hosted by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier Getty Images More than half a century ago, Elizabeth II heralded the beginning of German-British reconciliation, public broadcaster ARD said. When Charles III arrives for his first stay in another state as monarch, then the historical bond between Germany and Britain is once again at the centre of the royal visit, but in a different way as rapprochement after the estrangement that happened during these long years following Brexit. Speaking in Berlin, the King said the friendship between the UK and Germany meant so much to my beloved mother, who spoke often of her visits to the country. He also discussed the war in Ukraine and praised the countries support of Kyiv. Countless lives have been destroyed; freedom and human dignity have been trampled in the most brutal way. The security of Europe has been threatened, together with our democratic values, he said. Even as we abhor the appalling scenes of destruction, we can take heart from our unity in defence of Ukraine, of peace and freedom. In the long and remarkable story of our two countries, there are many chapters yet unwritten. Let us fill these with the restless pursuit of a better tomorrow. The legacy of our past, and the great promise of our future, demand nothing less, he concluded, before receiving a standing ovation which lasted nearly two minutes. The royal couple plan to go to Hamburg on Friday. They will visit the Kindertransport memorial for Jewish children who fled from Germany to Britain during the Third Reich, and attend a green energy event before returning to the UK. The trip has been partly overshadowed by the postponement of the French leg of the European tour. This was shelved by President Emmanuel Macron last Friday after violent nationwide protests against the French leaders retirement age reforms. F ormer Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius is expected to attend a parole hearing to decide if he can be released from prison ten years after shooting dead Reeva Steenkamp. He was convicted of killing his then partner by shooting her multiple times through a toilet door in his home on Valentines Day 2013. Pistorius could leave Atteridgeville Correctional Centre in Pretoria, South Africa if his parole is granted on Friday. Ms Steenkamps parents, Barry and June Steenkamp, are opposed to Pistoriuss release and are allowed to address the parole board at his hearing. A submission by a victims relatives is one of numerous factors taken into account. He is a murderer. He should remain in jail, Mr Steenkamp said in an interview published last month on the 10th anniversary of his daughters killing. Parents of murdered Reeva Steenkamp, June (L) and Barry Steenkamp stand in the court room at Pretoria High Court / AFP via Getty Images Pistoriuss parole lawyer, Julian Knight, previously said the athlete had been a model prisoner". South Africas Department of Corrections declined to give details on Pistoriuss hearing, saying it was an internal matter. The board will consider the offence Pistorius was convicted of, his conduct and disciplinary record in prison, whether he took part in educational or other training courses, his mental and physical state, whether he is likely to relapse into crime" and the risk he poses to the public. Pistorius, 36, was convicted of murder after prosecutors appealed against an initial conviction for culpable homicide. He was eventually sentenced to 13 years and five months in prison in 2017, again after prosecutors appealed against a lighter sentence. Offenders in South Africa convicted of serious crimes must serve at least half their sentence before being considered for parole. Oscar Pistorius pictured with Reeva Steenkamp in 2012 / AFP via Getty Images He could be released on full parole or placed on day parole, where he would be allowed to live and work in the community during the day but have to return to prison at night. He could also be placed under correctional supervision, which means he would be released but have to spend some of his time during the week at a correctional centre. Oscar Pistorius Trial - In pictures 1 / 41 Oscar Pistorius Trial - In pictures Oscar Pistorius arrives outside the court in Pretoria, South Africa on 21 October 2014 AP Oscar Pistorius' prosthetics lie on the floor as he walks on his amputated legs during argument in mitigation of sentence by his defense attorney Barry Roux in the High Court in Pretoria, South Africa AP South African Paralympian athlete Oscar Pistorius holds his sister Aimee Pistorius (3rd R) as he leaves the High Court in Pretoria on 6 July 2016 AFP/Getty Images South African Paralympian athlete Oscar Pistorius leaves the High Court in Pretoria on 6 July 2016 after beeing sentenced to six years in jail for murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp AFP/Getty Images Oscar Pistorius gives his first media interview after the killing of Reeva Steenkamp ITV Oscar Pistorius reaches out to Barry Steenkamp during the third day of Oscar's hearing for a resentence at Pretoria High Court on 15 June 2016 Getty Images South African Olympic and Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius leaves the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on 18 April 2016 Reuters Judge Thokozile Masipa reads her sentence of South African Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius on day six of sentencing procedures at the High Court in Pretoria, South Africa on 21 October 2014 EPA Oscar Pistorius cries in the dock in Pretoria during his trial on 11 September 2014 AP Oscar Pistorius competes in the Men's 200m during the London 2012 Paralympic Games Oscar Pistorius leaves court in Pretoria on 7 July 2014 AP June Steenkamp with her husband Barry, parents of Reevaa Steenkamp, look on as South African Olympic and Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius enters a court in Pretoria on 8 August 2014 Reuters South African Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius sits in the dock during his ongoing murder trial, in Pretoria on 12 May 2014 AFP/Getty Images Oscar Pistorius arrives at the high court in Pretoria, South Africa on 10 April 2014 AP South African Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius leaves court after breaking down in the dock during his ongoing murder trial, Pretoria, South Africa on 08 April 2014 EPA Oscar Pistorius Trial South African Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius speaks with a member of his legal team ahead of his trial for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on 6 March 2014 AFP/Getty Images Oscar Pistorius Trial CCTV footage of Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp flirting and kissing, just days before he killed her Oscar Pistorius Trial Oscar Pistorius covers his head with his hands and a notebook as he listens to forensic evidence during his trial in court on 13 March 2014 AP Oscar Pistorius Trial A policeman demonstrates the effect of hitting a bathroom door with a cricket bat on 12 March 2014 Reuters Oscar Pistorius Trial Oscar Pistorius sits in the dock ahead of the second day of the trial on 4 March 2014 Reuters Oscar Pistorius Trial Shot three times: Reeva Steenkamp Oscar Pistorius Trial Reeva Steenkamp, 29 Oscar Pistorius Trial Oscar Pistorius escorted out of the high court after the first day of his trial in Pretoria, South Africa on 3 March 2014 AP Oscar Pistorius Trial Relatives of Oscar Pistorius wait inside the high court prior to the start of his trial in Pretoria, South Africa on 3 March 2014 AP Oscar Pistorius Trial June Steenkamp, the mother of as Reeva Steenkamp, arrives at the high court for the start of the trial of Oscar Pistorius in Pretoria, South Africa on 3 March 2014 AP Oscar Pistorius Trial South Africa's Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius hides his face in his hands in the court room during his hearing on charge of murdering his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day on 15 February 2013 AFP/Getty Images Oscar Pistorius Trial Oscar Pistorius enters the dock before court proceedings at the in his first formal appearance since his release on bail Reuters Oscar Pistorius Trial Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius leaves the Boschkop police station, east of Pretoria Oscar Pistorius Trial South Africa's Oscar Pistorius gives the thumbs up sign after finishing his men's 400m heats at the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium Reuters Oscar Pistorius Trial South Africa's Oscar Pistorius crosses the line with his arms raised as he wins gold in the Men's 400m T44 Final in the Olympic Stadium Getty Images Oscar Pistorius at his house in Pretoria in February 2012 Pistoriuss parole could be denied, where the board usually asks the offender to reapply at a later stage. Pistorius has been seeking parole since 2021 but a hearing that year was cancelled partly because he had not yet met with Mr and Mrs Steenkamp in a process known as a victim-offender dialogue. He claims he shot 29-year-old Ms Steenkamp by mistake with his licensed pistol because he thought she was a dangerous intruder. P ope Franciss health is gradually improving after he was hospitalised with a respiratory infection, his spokesperson has said. The pontiff, 86, was taken to Gemelli hospital in Rome on Wednesday after having trouble breathing and developing chest pain. In a statement on Thursday afternoon, Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni said Francis had rested well during the night and that he was continuing with planned treatment. This morning after breakfast, he read some newspapers and resumed work. Before lunch he went to the little chapel in the private apartment, where he gathered in prayer and received the Eucharist. Medical tests have ruled out Covid, heart problems and pneumonia. Mr Bruni did not say when Francis might be discharged from hospital, though the Vatican previously said he would spend a few days there. Francis had been scheduled to celebrate Palm Sunday this weekend, but it is not clear how his medical condition will affect the Vaticans Holy Week observances. These include Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil and finally Easter Sunday on April 9. It is the first time the pontiff has been hospitalised since having part of his colon removed at the Gemelli hospital in July 2021. Francis has also used a wheelchair for over a year due to strained ligaments in his right knee and a small knee fracture, though more recently he has been seen walking with a cane. Last year, the pope attended but did not preside at some of the Easter services due to his knee pain. If the same happened again, a cardinal would be appointed to celebrate the services. In a tweet on Wednesday, the pontiff thanked the public for their messages of support. I am touched by the many messages received in these hours and I express my gratitude for the closeness and prayer. Despite his health problems, Francis has indicated he would only resign if he were gravely incapacitated. Asked by Italian Swiss television RSI what condition would lead him to quit, he said: A tiredness that doesn't let you see things clearly. A lack of clarity, of knowing how to evaluate situations. V ladimir Putin may be seeking to recruit 400,000 more troops for his war in Ukraine which has seen heavy Russian casualties, British defence chiefs said on Thursday. Some of the new forces could be coerced into signing up to the army, they believe, because the Russian president would struggle to get enough volunteers. The manpower move comes as Ukraine is set to launch a counter-offensive within weeks after Putins spring offensive failed to make any significant gains, according to military experts. However, latest reports suggested Russian forces were gaining more territory in the eastern town of Bakhmut. In its latest intelligence update, the Ministry of Defence in London said: Russian media reporting suggests that the authorities are preparing to start a major military recruitment campaign with the aim of signing up an additional 400,000 troops. Russia is presenting the campaign as a drive for volunteer, professional personnel, rather than a new, mandatory mobilisation. There is a realistic possibility that in practice this distinction will be blurred, and that regional authorities will try to meet their allocated recruitment targets by coercing men to join up. The briefing added: Russian authorities have likely selected a supposedly volunteer model to meet their personnel shortfall in order to minimise domestic dissent. It is highly unlikely that the campaign will attract 400,000 genuine volunteers. However, rebuilding Russias combat power in Ukraine will require more than just personnel; Russia needs more munitions and military equipment supplies than it currently has available. The West estimates that Putins war, launched in February 2022, has cost up to 200,000 Russian casualties including as many as 60,000 fatalities. Ukrainian forces have also suffered heavy losses, with thousands of civilians also killed in often indiscriminate Russian artillery shelling, as well as missile and drone attacks. Putin launched a partial-mobilisation last autumn for 300,000 more soldiers to support his Ukraine invasion. The US, Britain, Ukraine and its other allies are fighting an information war against Moscow so their briefings need to be treated with caution but are far more believable than propaganda issued by the Kremlin. Russian forces have had some success in the eastern frontline city of Bakhmut, Ukrainian military officials said, adding that their fighters were still holding on in a months-long battle in which both sides have suffered heavy casualties. In southern Ukraine, the United Nations nuclear watchdog chief said there had been a significant build-up in the number of troops in the region of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia power plant and it could no longer be protected. The mining city of Bakhmut and surrounding towns in the eastern industrial region of Donetsk have been the focal point of assault for much of the 13-month-long invasion by Russia of neighbouring Ukraine. Enemy forces had a degree of success in their actions aimed at storming the city of Bakhmut, the General Staff of the Ukrainian armed forces said in a regular report late on Wednesday. Our defenders are holding the city and are repelling numerous enemy attacks. The average number of daily Russian attacks on the front line reported by Ukraines general staff has declined for four straight weeks since the beginning of March, to 69 in the past seven days from 124 in the week of March 1-7. Just 57 attacks were reported on Wednesday. Russian units were also reported to be digging more trenches ahead of a Ukrainian counter-offensive which is expected to be launched soon. Ukrainian troops have been training on Western-supplied tanks, including Challenger IIs from Britain, and other heavy weaponry, and building up brigades for the looming advances on Russian lines. The Zaporizhzhia power station was captured by Russian troops in the opening weeks of the war a year ago and attempts to reduce fighting and shelling around it have failed despite fears of a nuclear disaster. Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), on a repeat visit to the plant on Wednesday, told Russian reporters there had been a significant increase in the number of troops in the region. It is obvious that military activity is increasing in this whole region. So the plant cant be protected, he said. Mr Grossi said he was putting aside plans for a security zone around the plant so he could propose specific protection measures acceptable to both Russia and Ukraine. Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov, who has served in the military, said that while the offensive on Bakhmut remained intense, the conclusion is that Russian troops are beginning to rush about from place to place. It now appears that the enemy has shifted its focus to the city itself - that is where the heaviest fighting is now taking place, Zhdanov said in a YouTube video. Another Ukrainian military analyst, Roman Svitan, who is also a colonel in the Ukrainian reserves, said the situation in Bakhmut has stabilised and the Ukrainians main task there, to destroy Russian forces, was being fulfilled. Ukraines deputy defence minister, Hanna Malyar, said in a social media post that while losses were inevitable the enemys losses are many times greater. The Ukrainian military also said there was renewed shelling of Kherson city in the south, along with other towns on the west bank of the Dnipro River that bisects the country. The Ukrainian air force destroyed a Russian Su-24M bomber, it said. Rocket and artillery in the past 24 hours struck two areas of concentration of Russian forces, an ammunition depot and two fuel depots, it said. F rance continues to see mass protests over President Emmanuel Macrons decision to raise the state pension age from 62 to 64 by 2030. Around 16% of the countrys power supply was blocked amid protests earlier this week, as thousands continued to march through the streets. Ring roads were shut and ports blocked across France earlier this month following protests against President Macron after he used an emergency presidential decree to raise the retirement age. By 9am on Friday, March 17, the Paris ring road, the port of Calais and numerous oil refineries were shut down. This came after unions and protesters sought to bring France to a standstill. Initial reports estimated that more than one million were involved in the rallies. Train and metro services, including the Eurostar, were also cancelled, with many schools closed. Mr Macron forced through legislation to raise the state pension age from 62 to 64 but what are the highest and lowest pension ages around the world? What are the highest and lowest pension ages around the world? In 2019, the latest period for which comparable data is available, the average retirement age in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (Oecd) countries was 64 years. The Oecd is an intergovernmental organisation with 38 member countries, including the US and the UK. Countries with the highest pension ages Greece is among the countries with the highest retirement age in the world: 67 for men and women. Workers can claim full pension benefits only if they have contributed to the pension plan for at least 15 years (equivalent to 4,500 working days). Denmark, Iceland, Israel, and Italy also have retirement ages of 67. For anyone born in 1960 and later, the US Social Security Administration states that the current retirement age in the US is also 67. Americans retirement age is 66 if they were born between 1943 and 1954, and 66-and-a-half if they were born in 1955. Starting in 1955, the retirement age gradually rises by two months a year until 1959. The current retirement age in Ireland is 66. Countries with the lowest pension ages Only four countries have a state retirement age below 60 years old. Sri Lanka has one of the lowest pension ages in the world, with workers able to clock off at 55. Indonesia and Nepal follow closely behind, with retirement ages of 58. In fourth place is Bangladesh, with a pension age of 59. Related Articles 1Why are French people protesting? Riot police clash with crowds in Paris 2Mother of disabled woman wins fresh inquest into her death after benefits cut What is the current retirement age in the UK? The current state pension retirement age in the UK is 66. The state pension age was due to rise due to 68 from 2044. However, Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride told the Commons on March 30 that this change would be delayed until after the next general election. He told MPs: Given the level of uncertainty about the data on life expectancy, labour markets and the public finances, and the significance of these decisions on the lives of millions of people, I am mindful a different decision might be appropriate once these factors are clearer. I therefore plan for a further review to be undertaken within two years of the next Parliament to consider the rise to age 68 again. A previous Government review in 2017 had suggested the the state pension age could rise to 68 by 2039, but campaigners warned that would plunge tens of thousands of older workers into poverty. A phased increase in state pension age from 66 to 67 by 2028, is already planned. You can keep working after you reach the state pension age in the UK. R ussias top security agency has arrested an American reporter for the Wall Street Journal on espionage charges, the first time US correspondent to be put behind bars on spying accusations since the Cold War. The Federal Security Service said Evan Gershkovich was detained in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg while allegedly trying to obtain classified information. The WSJ said in a statement that it is deeply concerned for Mr Gershkovichs safety. It added that it vehemently denies the allegations and is seeking Mr Gershkovichs immediate release, adding: We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family. He is the first American reporter to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since September 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, a Moscow correspondent for US News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB. He was released without charge 20 days later in a swap for an employee of the Soviet Unions United Nations mission who had been arrested by the FBI. The FSB, which is the top successor agency to the Soviet-era KGB, alleged that Mr Gershkovich was acting on the US orders to collect information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military industrial complex that constitutes a state secret. The agency did not say when the arrest took place. Mr Gershkovich could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of espionage. The arrest comes amid bitter tensions between Moscow and Washington over the fighting in Ukraine. Mr Gershkovich speaks fluent Russian and had previously worked for the French agency Agence France-Presse and the New York Times. He covers Russia, Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations as a correspondent in the WSJs Moscow bureau. The FSB noted that he had accreditation from the Russian Foreign Ministry to work as a journalist, but ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Mr Gershkovich was using his journalistic credentials as a cover for activities that have nothing to do with journalism. His last report from Moscow, published earlier this week, focused on the Russian economys slowdown amid western sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine. Mr Gershkovichs arrest follows a swap in December in which US basketball star Brittney Griner was freed after 10 months behind bars in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Another American, corporate security executive Paul Whelan, has been imprisoned in Russia since December 2018 on espionage charges which his family and the US government have said are baseless. Jeanne Cavelier, head of the Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk at the Paris-based press freedom group Reporters Without Borders, said Mr Gershkovich is the first foreign journalist to be arrested in Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine. It looks like a retaliation measure of Russia against the United States, so we are very alarmed because it is probably a way to intimidate all western journalists that are trying to investigate aspects of the war on the ground in Russia, she told the Associated Press. The western powers should immediately ask for clarifications on the charges, because as far as we know he was just doing his job as a journalist. Russian journalist Dmitry Kolezev said he had spoken to Mr Gershkovich before his trip to Yekaterinburg. He was preparing for the usual, albeit rather dangerous in current conditions, journalist work, Mr Kolezev wrote. He added that Mr Gershkovich had asked him for the contacts of local journalists and officials in the area as he prepared to arrange interviews. U kraine has branded the decision to allow Russias foreign minister Sergei Lavrov to chair a UN Security Council meeting as a bad joke. Mr Lavrov was on Thursday confirmed as the chair of a UN Security Council meeting set to take place in New York in April, despite Russias ongoing aggression against Ukraine. Reacting to the decision, Ukraines foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said: Russia has usurped its seat; its waging a colonial war; its leader is a war criminal wanted by the ICC for kidnapping children. The world cant be a safe place with Russia at UNSC. Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for Russias foreign ministry, said the UN debate chaired by Mr Lavrov would focus on effective multilateralism through the defence of the principles of the UN Charter. The UN Security Council presidency rotates every month between the 15 member states. There are five permanent members the US, China, France, Russia and the UK which are known as the P5. Each can individually veto any resolution, a power not afforded to non-permanent members. Russia last chaired the council in February 2022, the same month that Vladimir Putins army invaded Ukraine. Since 2012, Moscow has used its veto 24 times. The presidency would allow Moscow to set the agenda of the Security Council, but would not influence its decisions. Russias invasion of Ukraine has destroyed Ukrainian cities and caused the deaths of over 21,900 civilians, according to data released by the UN. Earlier this month, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against Mr Putin for the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children. The news comes as Kyiv said on Thursday that Russian forces had made some gains inside the eastern city of Bakhmut but at a heavy cost in lives lost. The small mining city has been the site of a bloody infantry battle, with Russian forces seeking their first victory since mid-2022. Enemy forces had a degree of success in their actions aimed at storming the city of Bakhmut, the General Staff of the Ukrainian armed forces said in an overnight report. Our defenders are holding the city and are repelling numerous enemy attacks. The report gave no details of the Russian gains. Serhiy Cherevatyi, a Ukrainian military spokesperson, told national television: Bakhmut remains the epicenter of military activity...It's still constantly hot there. In separate developments, Russias security service on Thursday arrested an American reporter from the Wall Street Journal on espionage charges, the first time a US correspondent has been detained on spying accusations since the Cold War. Evan Gershkovich was detained in the city of Yekaterinburg after allegedly trying to obtain classified information, according to the Federal Security Bureau. The Wall Street Journal vehemently denied the allegations and has called for his immediate release. The Kremlin has intensified a crackdown on opposition activists and independent journalists amid the war in Ukraine. Earlier this week, a Russian court convicted a father over social media posts critical of the war and sentenced him to two years in prison while his 13-year-old daughter was sent to an orphanage. A train carrying ethanol and corn syrup derailed and caught fire in Minnesota - with nearby residents told to evacuate their homes, US authorities have said. The BNSF train derailed in the town of Raymond, about 100 miles west of Minneapolis, at about 1am on Thursday, Kandiyohi County sheriff Eric Tollefson said in a statement. The train had numerous rail cars derail and several caught fire, Mr Tollefson said. Homes in a half-mile area around the site were evacuated, according to Mr Tollefson, with residents taken to a shelter in nearby Prinsburg. Railway safety in the US has been in the spotlight since last months derailment of a Norfolk Southern train near East Palestine, Ohio. Around half of East Palestines 5,000 residents had to be evacuated after officials decided to release and burn toxic chemicals. Federal regulators and members of Congress have proposed reforms to prevent future derailments. Grant Shapps unveiled a 100 million plan on Thursday to boost London and the South-Easts electric car charging network. The details of the new funding allocations for English regions came as the Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary was setting out a sweeping package of measures aimed at slashing energy bills and making households greener. But Labour insisted the announcements were a weak and feeble groundhog day of re-heated policy. In a bid to supercharge the countrys electric vehicle charging infrastructure, the Government announced a total of almost 400 million for local authorities to deliver more charging points. This included nearly 36 million in capital funding for London boroughs and 53 million for councils in the South-East as well as capability funding of nearly 10 million to administer the new charging points. Officials said the money will be used to encourage private investment in new charge points in each local authority. London Councils and Transport for London will also be able to use capability funding to support co-ordination between boroughs. Although London leads the way in the UK with a third of all Electric Vehicle (EV) charging points located in the capital, campaign groups have been calling for ministers and local authorities to step up provision to turbo charge the transition from petrol and diesel vehicles. Mr Shapps himself stressed in a Government response to a consultation on charging points, published this morning, that we need to go faster and further. But he added: I want it to be as easy to charge your EV as it is to fill up at the pump for everyone. Consumers should be able to locate available chargepoints simply, pay for a charge easily, and be assured that the chargepoint they choose is reliable, regardless of where they are in the UK. At the moment there are around 29,000 publicly available charging devices including over 5,100 rapid devices in the country. In London there are so far 11,000. As well as announcing the 381m Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund, the Government said it would provide an additional 15m for the On-Street Residential Charging Scheme (ORCS) to increase EV infrastructure in every area. It said the changes would ensure the UKs charging network can support the increasing number of EV drivers and those considering the switch. The Government has said it will end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2030, with all new cars and vans fully zero emission at the tailpipe from 2035. As part of the Governments plans, car makers will be given targets to sell a proportion of EVs in the coming years. Although the so-called ZEV mandate has been slightly watered down, green transport campaigners still welcomed the plans for 22 per cent of EVs by 2024, 80 per cent by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2035. Quentin Willson, founder of EV campaign group FairCharge, said the group was delighted that Government has listened to our appeals for a strong ZEV mandate and confirmed the trajectory consultation figures. As well as announcing the funding for charging points, the Government also confirmed plans to make them more accessible and reliable. These included a minimum payment method for all new chargepoints of 8kW and over and industry-led payment roaming to support consumers and fleets with ease of payment. A new body to enforce the new regulations will also be set up. Other key points in the strategy are: Harnessing the strengths of the City of London, the UKs green finance expertise and its strong track record on innovative climate finance to help emerging markets and developing economies to unlock green investment. The Great British Insulation Scheme, a rebranded ECO+, will aim to upgrade 300,000 of the nations least energy efficient homes to cut bills. The announcement of three sites, in Teesside, for capturing carbon produced during the burning of fossil fuels like gas and store them under the North Sea. New green hydrogen production projects were confirmed, with 240 million of funding. A fresh push for more onshore wind, with greater flexibility in planning, and a focus on speeding up planning for offshore wind and solar. The Government will extend the 5000 grant scheme to encourage more households to install heat pumps by two years to 2028. Mr Shapps admitted he was no eco warrior and that any measures he was taking to make his home greener were in the interests of reducing his bills. He also said he didnt yet have a heat pump in his house but said he was looking into it. Mr Shapps said: This programme, which is latent, its at the beginning. There are technical issues that people are having to deal with in order to meet the switchover. Im gradually doing things. Im not sort of some eco-warrior in this. I just want to try and save money on my energy bills like everybody else. FILE - A memorial pays tribute to Royal Canadian Mounted Police Constable Heidi Stevenson, a mother of two and a 23-year veteran of the force, along the highway in Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia, on Tuesday, April 21, 2020. A public inquiry has found widespread failures in how Canadas federal police force responded to the countrys worst mass shooting, Thursday, March 30, 2023. It recommends that the government rethink the Royal Canadian Mounted Polices central role in Canadian policing. (Andrew Vaughan/The Canadian Press via AP, File) A public inquiry has found widespread failures in how Canadas federal police force responded to the countrys worst mass shooting and recommends that the government rethink the Royal Canadian Mounted Polices central role in the countrys policing. In a seven-volume report released Thursday, the Mass Casualty Commission also says the RCMP missed red flags in the years leading up to the Nova Scotia rampage that resulted in 22 people being slain April 18-19, 2020 by a denture maker disguised as a RCMP officer and driving a replica police vehicle. The assailant, Gabriel Wortman, was killed by two Mounties at a gas station in Enfield, Nova Scotia, 13 hours into his rampage. Disguised as a police officer, Workman shot people in their homes and set fires in a rampage across the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attended the release of the report in Nova Scotia and said his government will examine it closely. There is no question that there needs to be changes and there will be, Trudeau said. Among other things, the commission says the national police force is badly disorganized. Its review of the RCMPs 5,000 pages of policies and procedures found the forces own members were unclear on proper responses to critical incidents and communication with the public. The report delves deeply into the causes of the mass shooting. These include the killers violence toward his spouse and the failure of police to act on it, and implicit biases that seemed to blind officers and community members to the danger a white, male professional posed. In response, the commissioners call for a future RCMP where the current 26-week model of training is scrapped as its no longer sufficient for the complex demands of policing. The academy would be replaced with a three-year, degree-based model of education, as exists in Finland. The document begins with an account of the police errors in the years before the killings, and the events of April 18 and 19. The reports summary says that soon after the shooting started in Portapique, Nova Scotia, RCMP commanders disregarded witness accounts, and senior Mounties wrongly assumed residents were mistaken when they reported seeing the killer driving a fully marked RCMP cruiser. Important community sources of information were ignored, it says. In addition, the report says police failed to promptly send out alerts to the public with a description of the killer until it was too late for some of his victims. Having laid out a litany of shortcomings, the inquiry calls for a fresh external review of the police force. It says the federal minister of public safety should then establish priorities for the RCMP, retaining the tasks that are suitable to a federal policing agency, and identifying what responsibilities are better reassigned to other agencies. This may entail a reconfiguration of policing in Canada and a new approach to federal financial support for provincial and municipal policing services, the report says. The victims in Canadas worst mass shooting included an RCMP officer, a teacher, health-care workers, retirees, neighbors of the shooter and two correctional officers killed in their home. The rampage started when Wortman attacked his spouse. The report details Wortmans history of domestic violence in his relationships with women, including his spouse Lisa Banfield. In particular, the report notes the experience of Brenda Forbes, a neighbor in Portapique who informed the RCMP of Wortmans violence toward Banfield. He never faced any consequences, but she dealt with years of stalking, harassment and threats from Wortman, prompting her to leave the province. Mass shootings are relatively rare in Canada. The country overhauled its gun-control laws after gunman Marc Lepine killed 14 women and himself at Montreals Ecole Polytechnique college in 1989. Before the Nova Scotia rampage, that had been the countrys worst. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition M Y first act at Rambutan was to witness the restaurant equivalent of a brutal left-swiping on Tinder. Two female friends strode up towards this brand-new spot in Borough Market, cooed excitedly at its mango yellow frontage, approached to peer at the menu of appealing, mid-priced contemporary Sri Lankan dishes in its window, and then, um, abruptly hurried off in the opposite direction. As an image, it stuck with me because of its unexpectedness (let us be generous and presume that they both had acute, rare allergies to affordably-priced mutton rolls and pandan-scented dal) and also because it emphasised the snap judgments that will seal the fate of many hospitality businesses in the coming months. But there is also, I suppose, a more straightforward reason why it stayed with me as a moment. And that, bluntly, is because I now know that watching two diners pass up the chance of eating at this place a long-simmering first restaurant from Sri Lankan-British chef and cookbook author Cynthia Shanmugalingam ranks as one of the most inadvertently terrible decisions Ive witnessed in months. Because, truly, no matter where that pair ended up that lunchtime, they would not have experienced anything quite like the giddying crunch and sweetness of cubed apple and celeriac in a mustard-laced acharu pickling liquor; they will not have swiped buttery roti through an infernal, brow-dampening red curry as Gil Scott-Heron rang out across a buzzy, tropical playground. They will not, I dont think, have experienced anything that had quite the same affecting mix of familiarity and surprise; of likeable, easy charm and pummelling, spice-forward boldness. That name clues you in to the space that Shanmugalingam, a Coventry-born diaspora kid, is hoping to stake out for herself. A rambutan is a hairy lychee used all over south-east Asia though rarely found in India and the restaurant exists as a means to challenge Sri Lankan foods occasional status as merely an inessential addendum to the more famous flavours of the subcontinent. From the introductory little section of drinking snacks and short eats, devilled cashew nuts, strewn with crisped plantain chips and glimmering, fried shreds of curry leaf, were a rambunctious curtain-raiser. Devilled cashew nuts / Adrian Lourie The same was true of those mutton rolls; which, in this instance, were actually sharply crisped, breaded logs of vigorously spiced bone marrow and beef. Gunda dosa, meanwhile, were like balls of tangy, deep-fried crumpet and exactly as NC-17 rated as that sounds. If these dishes felt particularly lucid and fully-formed, then that didnt always apply to every single part of the experience. That dal, faintly flavoured with lemongrass, was deliberately subtle but also not especially memorable. The space a two-level mix of potted palms, dusky pink surfaces and rattan dining chairs arrayed around a thrumming open kitchen could also probably benefit from one or two things on the walls. Still, it is curry that is really at the pulsing heart of what Rambutan is all about. A dry, Dingley Dell pork number brought hunks of yielding meat and a deep bass note of cardamom and toasted coconut; the pineapple red curry a roiling, carmine mass of charred fruit and flung fistfuls of black mustard seed was an absolute ripper. A wholly absorbing tussle of sour, luscious sweetness and fire-breathing burn. Pineapple red curry / Adrian Lourie Puddings arent available yet (soft-serve ice cream is imminent, apparently) so we contented ourselves with sherbety sips of lime and lemongrass soda, and a chat with the older Canadian couple at the next table. That was great, said the husband, happily dabbing the curry sweats at his temple. Even though I kinda feel like I need another shower. It transpired that they had just been wandering the market and, unlike those two friends who walked on by, had decided to take a chance on something unfamiliar. Now, they had to dash to make their flight to Toronto. But, of course, like us, and like anyone else ready to embrace Rambutans cool adventurousness and nuanced cultural expression, they had already been on a pretty unforgettable, palate-rattling trip. Rambutan, 10 Stoney Street, SE1 9AD. Meal for two plus drinks around 110. Open Tuesday from 5pm-11pm and Wednesday to Satuday from 12pm - 11pm. rambutanlondon.com T he chef Tomos Parry, best known for leading the kitchens at Michelin-starred Brat, has announced that he and his team are to open a new restaurant in Soho this summer. Called Mountain, the opening will take over what was once a Byron Burger on Beak Street, and is expected to launch in June. Parry says Londoners can expect a wood grill and wine bar, which will combine a Spanish influence and his Welsh heritage, putting it as so: Mountain draws on the 'mar y montana' (or sea and hillside) cooking of Spain, alongside the seas and mountains within the Welsh landscape. The grill will use the same approach that has made both the original Brat and its sister in Climpson's Arch a success, namely cooking over charcoal grills, though Parry says he has been working on new fire cooking techniques that will debut at Beak Street. Both Brats will be unaffected by the new opening. Dishes will include whole pink bream, lamb chops and lobster in a caldereta braise a Menorcan speciality as well as wood-fired rice and smoked potatoes. Caldereta, amongst others on the menu is the type of food I find hugely transportive and deeply satisfying to eat, Parry explains, adding: the Welsh landscape will meanwhile be present on the menu in a few ways, and Ive enjoyed building relationships with producers, growers and fishermen to bring in more beautiful shellfish and seaweeds directly from west Wales and Anglesey. Ben McMahon There will also two types of the Spanish cured sausage Sobrasada offered as snacks, made for the restaurant by an organic farm in Mallorca, which will come either just with butter or charred and plated with honey. Puddings will include ensaimadas and an almond tart. Parry says the restaurant will offer a relaxed, unwound feel, and will encourage a sense of liveliness. The ground floor is a similar sized dining room to Brat where I would imagine meeting friends in the middle of Soho, drinking vermouth on the bar and eating small market style dishes of Sobrasada and sweetbreads, the chef told the Standard. Ive always loved walking by the windows of Soho restaurant institutions, catching glimpses of tables which began at lunch and are now threatening to roll into dinner. I cant wait for guests to eat these dishes and share in these moments watching the world go past. Ive always loved walking by the windows of Soho institutions, catching glimpses of tables which began at lunch and are now threatening to roll into dinner Downstairs from the ground floor restaurant will be a bar filled with records and serving classic cocktails alongside vermouths, and the same wine available across the restaurant, which are supplied by Keeling and Andrew, best known as the duo behind Noble Rot. Parry says he hopes it will be a thronging spot, saying: Im hoping we can create an exciting and buzzy bar downstairs, where we will be playing vinyl and guests can explore extensive and interesting drinks while seeing dishes coming out. The downstairs will feature a couple of my favourite ways of enjoying a restaurant sitting in small booths or bar seating. Mountain will open at 16-18 Beak Street, W1F 9RD in June. For more information, follow @mountain.restaurant or visit mountainbeakstreet.com D ressing for the uncertain in-between season limbo is never easy - especially when it comes to outerwear. The woolen overcoat is suddenly sweltering, the light jacket is never substantial enough and theres still a chance of perilous winter conditions (Im including a light drizzle in perilous, by the way). The solution? The classic trench coat. Although the styling staple is named after the treacherous channels used by soldiers in World War One, its origins date back to 1879 when its designer, Thomas Burberry, invented gabardine. A revolutionary fabric, it replaced the heavy weatherproof rubberised cotton created by Charles Mackintosh with a lightweight, easy-to-wear alternative. In the early 1900s, the material was used to craft coats and tents for explorers expeditioning to Antarctica, but, in 1912, the British Army asked Burberry to update its existing outerwear to become battlefield-ready - and the trench was born. Fun fact, the signature D-rings were used to carry equipment and the chest flaps acted as extra protection. Ever since, its been a star of the menswear fashion world. Richard Geres cashmere design was almost a character in its own right in American Gigolo. Withnail & I woudnt have been complete without Richard E. Grants checked style. And, who could forget Humphrey Bogarts Burberry trench in Casablanca? From left to right: Autumn/Winter 23 at Alexander McQueen, Acne Studios and Bottega Veneta / Imaxtree Now, luxury fashion houses and high street brands include the wardrobe staple in their collections season after season. The look-of-the-moment is oversized, with enough space for a hoodie or knitwear beneath, which gives off a laid-back, relaxed aesthetic - just look to the autumn/winter 23 runways at Bottega Veneta, Alexander McQueen and Acne Studios if youre looking for inspo. You can dress them up with trousers and loafers or down with Dad jeans and trainers, the good news is that, either way, theyll elevate your outfit - and weatherproof it, too. Our advice would be to keep the colour simple so you can get optimum wear out of your new investment, whether thats a classic camel, a dark khaki or an enduring grey, navy or black. Its time to give your wardrobe the transitional update it needs and invest in one of our carefully selected styles below. Keep scrolling for the best. L ee Child has said he is absolutely delighted after receiving an honorary doctorate from Coventry University in recognition of his experience in broadcasting and achievements as a novelist. The 68-year-old British author, whose real name is James Grant, was born in the Styvechale area of Coventry and became a Doctor of Letters during a university graduation ceremony on Thursday. Dressed in a ceremonial blue and yellow hat and gown, Child went up on stage at Coventry Cathedral to collect his doctorate before sitting to watch the remainder of the ceremony. In a statement to the PA news agency following the event, he paid tribute to the many students becoming the first graduates in their families. He said: I was absolutely delighted to get the honorary doctorate. What it really means is someone has read the books and have enjoyed them. Im very grateful for that but the thing that I got a real big kick out of was the real students getting their degrees that they have worked very hard for. Many of them were the first ever in their families to be at a university I was the second of my family and I know what it means to the student and their family. From my point of view its lovely that someone has read my books and thinks Im worthy of being given something like this Ahead of accepting the honorary doctorate, Child said: As I got older I was still always aware of Coventry being there and had fond memories. I was supporting City of Culture and was scheduled to show up but the pandemic laid waste to that. From my point of view its lovely that someone has read my books and thinks Im worthy of being given something like this. Coventry University didnt exist by that name when I was here and Im happy its doing so well. Child is best known for his popular Jack Reacher novel series, which follows a former American military policeman, Reacher, who travels across the country solving mysteries and attracting trouble. Child, who grew up in Birmingham and later attended university in Sheffield, has lived in the US for much of his life and travelled from his New York home to attend the Coventry University ceremony. Before finding success as an author, Child worked as a presentation director at Granada Television in Manchester. During his time at the network, Child worked on popular TV programmes including Prime Suspect, Brideshead Revisited and Cracker. After being made redundant in 1995, Child began writing novels and found great success with his first Jack Reacher thriller Killing Floor, which was published in 1997. Since then Child has written more than 25 Jack Reacher novels and a number of short stories. I would like to congratulate all those who will be getting this recognition from Coventry University. They are richly deserving of their honour for their incredible achievements in areas such as writing, music, health and social injustice Jack Reacher novels One Shot and Never Go Back were adapted into two films, released in 2012 and 2016 respectively, and starring Tom Cruise as Reacher. Last year Amazon released a Prime Video series, Reacher, based on the novels. Child is currently in the process of retiring and has chosen to hand over the Jack Reacher baton to his younger brother Andrew Grant. Coventry Universitys vice-chancellor, professor John Latham, said: I would like to congratulate all those who will be getting this recognition from Coventry University. They are richly deserving of their honour for their incredible achievements in areas such as writing, music, health and social injustice. Their inspirational life stories and work show what can be achieved and echo what we here at Coventry University hope to inspire within our students as we help them be the very best they can. B roadcaster Roman Kemp will front a new quiz show inspired by the horse-racing fairground game alongside TV presenter Sarah Greene which is set to air on BBC One later this year. The 25-episode series titled The Finish Line will see five contestants battle across a series of qualifiers and head-to-head races for the chance to win a cash prize, the BBC said. Currently being filmed in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the aim of the format is to make it to the finish line ahead of your rivals in a game where knowledge equals speed and the more you know the further you go, the broadcaster added. Roman Kemp and Sarah Greene on set for The Finish Line / PA Capital Breakfast presenter Kemp, 30, said: Im so excited to be hosting The Finish Line, coming to BBC One later this year. Im a huge fan of quiz shows and with this being my first time hosting one, I really cant wait to get stuck in. I love that its a brand-new format but based on an iconic horse-racing fairground game. The show is set to be challenging and unpredictable, we know that viewers will be hooked. Former Blue Peter presenter Greene added: This will be fantastic fun and so I am really looking forward to working with Roman on this new format. Its all about high-energy, high-drama racing and quickfire questions, and Ill be bringing my A-game to ensure that Roman and the contestants are kept on the straight and narrow. N icolas Cage has bit back at claims he was frosty on the set of new vampire film Renfield and blamed the awkward fake fangs he had to wear. Renfield director Chris McKay recently claimed in an interview that whatever scene we did he [Cage] would still be 100 per cent living in that attitude after we stopped shooting. The director added: So if hes a little frosty in the scene hes going to have a little bit of that between takes. But still up for whatever we were doing. When asked about McKays remarks at the New York premiere for the horror-comedy, which is released in UK cinemas on April 14 and also stars Nicholas Hoult, Cage, 59, said he had been surprised by his words. He also suggested a misunderstanding could have arisen due to the restrictions of having to wear fake vampire teeth. I just dont have that recollection, I dont know why Chris said that, he told The Hollywood Reporter. He added: I had a lot of laughs in between takes with both Chris McKay and Nick Hoult, so maybe that was his experience, maybe because I still had the fangs in my mouth that made me speak a certain way, but that wasnt my experience. This is not the first time that the Hollywood star has worn fangs on screen so you would think he would be a dab hand at it. Cage donned them previously in eighties comedy horror Vampires Kiss, where played a literary agent who falls in love with a bloodsucker. S arah Beeny has revealed that her hair has grown back platnium blonde amid her breast cancer battle. The property expert first revealed her cancer diagnosis in August, and previously explained that she shaved her head last year after clumps of hair fell out at the start of chemotherapy. Since publicly sharing her diagnosis, the Channel 4 star has bravely documented her breast cancer journey on social media, often giving followers updates about her chemotherapy and her day-to-day life while battling the disease. And now, the presenter took to Instagram on Thursday to show off her newly regrown bleached blonde crop. Sharing a beaming selfie of herself clad in a black turtle neck, she wrote: Look, my hair has grown back all platinum! Natural blonde! Many of the stars followers shared their delight about her new do in the comments, with one remarking: Wow! Looks absolutely amazing! You rock it! I absolutely love it and you look amazing, another penned. A third wrote: Looking so well, so glad life getting back on track for you, hair looks fab. The TV stars post comes a month after it was revealed that she had was back in hospital getting further treatment for her breast cancer. The property guru underwent another procedure at the Royal Marsden and Yeovil hospitals on February 3. The 51-year-olds sons shared her health update on their Instagram page, The Entitled Sons, alongside a photo of her lying in a hospital bed. They quipped that she had got tattoos on her chest ahead of her latest stint under the knife, which were in fact black markings for her surgery. Captioning the post, her sons wrote: Mum finally got some tattoos! Thank you so much to Royal Marsden and Yeovil hospital for taking such amazingly brilliant care of her. Beeny is best known for her work on UK property programmes including Help! My House Is Falling Down and Sarah Beenys New Life In The Country. She previously said that she almost expected to develop the disease after losing her mum to cancer aged 39, when Sarah was just 10. O nline shoppers buy fewer alcoholic drinks when presented with an increased selection of non-alcoholic options, research suggests. A team from Cambridge University presented study participants with varying proportions of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and asked them to select drinks to purchase for their next online shop. They recruited 737 adults living in England and Wales, all of whom regularly purchased alcohol online. Of these, 607 completed the study and were included in the final analysis 60% were female and the average (mean) age was 38. Participants selected drinks from 64 options in a simulated online supermarket designed to look and function like a real online store. Options included a range of beers, ciders, alcohol-free beer and cider alternatives, and soft drinks. We all know that drinking too much alcohol is bad for us, but were often unaware of how much we are influenced by the environment around us Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups, each of which was presented with a different proportion of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Non-alcoholic drinks formed 25% of the options presented to group one, rising to 50% for group two and 75% for group three. The group exposed to the lowest proportion of non-alcoholic drinks, group one, selected 29.4 units of alcohol. This compared with 17.5 units selected by those exposed to the highest proportion of non-alcoholic drinks, group three, equivalent to a reduction of about 41%. Participants were then asked to actually purchase the same drinks online from Tesco, the largest national supermarket in the UK. Around two-thirds of participants completed this second stage, with 422 going on to purchase drinks. The researchers point out that cart abandonment where people do not purchase items they put in their shopping cart is common in online shopping contexts. The researchers found that among participants exposed to the highest proportion of non-alcoholic drinks, 52% of the drinks purchased were alcoholic, compared to 70% of drinks that were purchased by those exposed to the lowest proportion of non-alcoholic drinks. Lead author Dr Natasha Clarke said: We created our simulated supermarket to be as close as possible to an actual online supermarket and found that increasing the proportion of non-alcoholic drinks that shoppers were exposed to made a meaningful difference to their alcohol selection. Though wed need to confirm these findings using only a real online supermarket, they are very promising. Senior author Dr Gareth Hollands said: Supermarkets typically stock a wider range of alcoholic drinks than non-alcoholic alternatives aimed at adults, but this is slowly changing. Our results suggest that if non-alcoholic options were to become the majority instead, we might expect to see substantial reductions in alcohol purchasing. The overall number of drinks that participants selected and purchased remained similar between groups, according to the research, suggesting that the effects were a result of shifting peoples choices. Professor Dame Theresa Marteau, director of the Behaviour and Health Research Unit and a bye-fellow at Christs College, said: We all know that drinking too much alcohol is bad for us, but were often unaware of how much we are influenced by the environment around us. Making changes to this environment from exposing people to a greater proportion of healthier options through to changing the sizes of the utensils we eat and drink from can help us cut down on potentially unhealthy habits. Even relatively small changes can make a difference both to individuals and at a population level. The research is published in the journal PLOS Medicine. Loading.... Elon Musk and AI experts are calling for a six-month pause on all training of artificial intelligence systems. One thousand people have signed a letter warning of the potential risks to society and humanity by human-competitive AI systems, potentially caused by economic and political disruptions. The UK's Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) has said pupils should do their coursework in front of teachers, so they dont use AI to complete their work. On Wednesday, Director of Education at No More Marking, Daisy Christodoulou told MPs that ChatGPT is capable of producing original, very hard to detect, relatively high quality responses to any kind of question and warned the technology makes uncontrolled assessments very problematic. European Union countries have agreed a landmark law to end sales of new CO2-emitting cars in 2035, after Germany won an exemption for vehicles running on e-fuels. Professor Jim Saker, an automotive management expert at Loughborough University, explains why it makes total sense to set a zero emissions target without proscribing a technology, such as batteries-run EVs. Japanese firm ALE is working on a project to create the worlds first artificial meteor shower. It will form part of the companys project called Sky Canvas which will see satellites sent into space to collect atmospheric data in the mesosphere. And the rest Titanosaur unveiled at Londons Natural History Museum, children living with pet cats or dogs less likely to develop food allergies, and how honey bees could help track microorganisms in cities. Listen above, and find us on your Spotify Daily Drive or wherever you stream your podcasts. The number of people on the brink of food insecurity in Syria is growing the fastest. This is how Benjamin Florez, senior adviser in Damascus for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), explains the situation in Syria. According to the institution, more than 12 million Syrians suffer from food insecurity more than half the population, although this figure could increase by another three million in 2023, especially after the impact of the February earthquakes that affected some of the most vulnerable populations in Syria as well as important agricultural areas. The WFP offers aid to 50% of those more than 12 million people who suffer from hunger, but due to the lack of funding, it has had to reduce the size of the baskets of basic products that it distributes each month to 5.5 million Syrians. We include lentils, which is a vegetable protein, but other proteins have to be bought in the market, where prices have skyrocketed in the past three years. A mother told me that she had not been able to buy meat for five years, says the WFP adviser, noting that such high percentages of child and maternal malnutrition had never been recorded in Syria, reaching 25% in some areas of the country. Such high percentages of child and maternal malnutrition have never been registered in Syria, reaching 25% in some areas of the country The situation is especially worrying in northwestern Syria, where 4.5 million people are concentrated including almost three million internally displaced persons as Daher Zidan, the executive director in Turkey of the Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations (UOSSM), pointed out to this newspaper. Member NGOs operating in opposition-controlled areas have seen an increase in cases of malnutrition among children under five, as well as among pregnant and lactating mothers. We are working to raise awareness among mothers about their nutrition and that of their children, in addition to offering food supplements, energy cookies and other types of treatments, he explains. A bakery supported by the World Food Programme in Deir Ezzor (northwest Syria). Hussam Al Saleh (PMA) Although in the capital, Damascus, the crisis is not as acute, hunger does not distinguish between the areas under the government of Bashar al-Assad and those that still escape his control, according to Florez. The Syrians Ive asked say they are more concerned about the economic crisis, having food on the table every day and making ends meet, than about the conflict. In fact, levels of violence have dropped markedly: last year was the least deadly since March 2011, according to the NGO Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which documented the deaths of some 1,600 civilians, including 23 children and 10 women because of poor health conditions. The consequences of the war in Ukraine The conflict did not generate hunger; when the conflict affected the whole country, people were not so hungry, but it was the main cause, to which one crisis after another has been added, notes the WFP adviser, alluding to the years of civil war, the economic crisis in Lebanon since 2019 which had a great impact on the Syrian economy, dependent on the neighboring country the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Since the Russian invasion of that country, food prices in Syria have doubled and this upward trend is expected to continue, even as the local currency keeps depreciating along with citizens ability to meet their most basic needs. The price of wheat flour has risen by 20% in government areas hit by the earthquake, where WFP supports the network of government-subsidized bakeries. The average salary in Syria only covers a quarter of the purchase of a family of about five members Florez points out that the average salary in Syria only covers a quarter of the necessary purchases for a family of five and, if chicken meat is added to the shopping cart, a teachers entire salary vanishes. There are those who can still afford to eat meat, although fewer and fewer individuals are that privileged, even among Syrians who have remained faithful to the regime out of conviction, coercion or personal interests. In Damascus, Maha boasts that she can still buy chicken, which sells for around 50,000 Syrian pounds (about $20 at the official exchange rate). I still have the chance, four of my daughters live abroad and they send me money, says the 56-year-old former primary school teacher, who prefers not to reveal her last names. She lives in the capital with her other two daughters I have six girls and my husband, she says proudly and she admits that they are lucky. She figures that an average family needs a million Syrian pounds (about $400) to survive, but if they buy meat or fruit, that figure doubles or more. Fresh produce is the most expensive, but cereals have also skyrocketed. Everything has increased, from bulgur [made from wheat] to rice, which has risen from 3,000 to 10,000 Syrian pounds [$1.19 to $3.98], she says, while also blaming this price increase on speculation. Five years ago prices were normal, everyone could afford everything, she recalls, but in the last year the situation has completely changed. Displaced Syrians eat their first dinner to break this year's Ramadan fast at the Samavi refugee camp in Idlib, on March 23, 2023. Anadolu Agency (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) The earthquake will cause more hunger in 2023 The earthquake will only make this dramatic situation worse: the first damage assessments suggest that food production will be seriously affected, as the WFPs Food Security Cluster points out in its latest report: houses and farms have been damaged, including irrigation systems, and agricultural machinery and already very low reserves of fuel have been used for rescue efforts. The chief technical adviser for Syria of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Alfredo Impiglia, stated in an interview with this newspaper that the earthquake will increase the rate of food insecurity, especially in the northwestern provinces, where there are some 50,000 hectares of cultivated fields. There will be an immediate repercussion on the next wheat harvest, because the population is focused on the emergency, on helping relatives and rebuilding their homes, so they wont have money to invest in pesticides or gasoline for tractors. In the affected areas alone, the FAO calculates that some three million farmers need help and the World Bank estimates that this is the sector that has registered the greatest economic losses and will need the greatest investment: 27% of the almost $8 billion that this body considers will be needed for recovery and reconstruction in the next three years. The World Bank estimates that the agricultural sector has registered the greatest losses and will need the greatest investment to recover Impiglia, who has known Syria since the 1990s, says bitterly that the country is destroyed: it has gone from being self-sufficient and exporting part of its agricultural production to being among the six countries with the greatest food insecurity in the world, with a strong dependence on imports. The lands that in ancient times were part of the fertile crescent of the Levant, generated just over a million tons of wheat in 2022, compared to almost four million before the conflict, explains the FAO expert. The increasingly frequent droughts in 2018, 2021 and 2022 have also affected production, as has damage to infrastructure (silos, irrigation systems...) and agricultural machinery, which has often been stopped due to lack of fuel. Seeds and fertilizers have been in short supply or of lesser quality due to the conflict. There are many factors that have contributed to the low productivity, including the depreciation of the local currency and the sanctions [European and American] that have limited the import, not only of pesticides, but even of seeds, he says in disbelief. Scorched earth policy The political factor cannot be ignored in a conflict like the one in Syria, in which President al-Assad has punished the entire population for rebelling against him 12 years ago, says Muhsen al-Mustafa, an analyst associated with the think tank Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP) in Washington. Specifically, the rural and agricultural populations were important propellers of the revolution, unlike the pro-government areas, explains the Syrian expert. To this is added that many citizens have been displaced by the regimes repression and indiscriminate land and air attacks on their towns, including farmland, from which about 50% of the population obtained some kind of livelihood. The fuel shortage in the past decade has also greatly affected agriculture, adds Al-Mustafa, who believes that the Assad government currently does not have the means or the technical staff to relaunch the sector, apart from corruption that affects all government agencies. And he underscores that the most important thing for the regime was to stay in power. For this reason, it has neglected all the areas of development for the country. Wildlife protection agents inspect a fishing vessel working within the protected area of the vaquita and totoaba, in the Sea of Cortez (Baja California), in 2017. SEMAR (Cuartoscuro) The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) sanctioned Mexico on Monday for not doing enough to protect the vaquita marina porpoise, the most endangered marine animal in the world. The new sanctions will block Mexico from exporting wildlife products to the 184 member countries of the convention. It will affect 3,148 species of plants and animals, including orchids, cactii and crocodile skin. The measure the organizations most severe has only been applied to six other countries in the world: Somalia, Djibouti, Liberia, Sao Tome and Principe, Afghanistan and Libya. The Mexican Foreign Ministry sent a delegation to Geneva on Monday to try to negotiate the sanctions. Meanwhile, environmental organizations are warning that the ban will cause dire consequences. The vaquita lives in the Sea of Cortez, which is located between the peninsula of Baja California and the coasts of Sonora and Sinaloa. The species is on the brink of extinction: according to studies, there may be as few as eight vaquitas remaining. Its demise is directly related to the totoaba, the largest fish in the Gulf of California. The totoabas swim bladder has become a luxury product in China, where it is believed to have aphrodisiac powers. With the fish fetching up to $60,000, the lucrative business has attracted hundreds of illegal fishermen and also organized crime. The vaquita and the totoaba live in the same territory, meaning all the illegal fishing is taking place in the protected areas where the vaquita is struggling to survive. The marine animal often gets caught up in the gillnets used by fishermen to catch the totoaba, and once entangled, it drowns. The population decline is alarming: in 1997 there were almost 600 vaquitas in the Gulf of California; in 2016 there were 60; just a year later, numbers had fallen by half and, as of 2019, it is estimated there are fewer than 10 vaquitas remaining in the wild. With the animal on the brink of extinction, international organizations demanded Mexico step up efforts to protect it. But so far these calls have produced little results. Whats more, with criminal organizations involved in illegal fishing, its become dangerous to try to conserve the species, and many environmental activists in Mexico have been forced to flee the country. In February, Mexico submitted a plan to combat the illicit trafficking of totoaba, but it was rejected by CITES as inadequate. In its sanction notice, the international wildlife body stated the plan lacked key elements, such as clear timeframes for implementation and achievement of the different steps in the plan, with corresponding milestones. As a result, CITES issued a recommendation to suspend all commercial trade in specimens of CITES-listed species with Mexico. Mexicos Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it will send a delegation to try to improve its plan for protecting the vaquita. But the Mexican government also issued a statement arguing that the sanctions were unfair as CITES had not taken into account the measures that had been introduced to save the animal. Mexico banned gillnet fishing in the Sea of Cortez in 2017, it set up security to monitor the area and it placed concrete blocks with steel-rod hooks on the sea floor to capture any gillnets. According to official data, between September 2019 and September 2021, Mexico confiscated more than 2,300 totoaba for sale, eliminated 384 illegal nets and issued 337 million pesos ($17 million) in fines. Despite this, illegal fishing continues on a massive scale. Last weekend, in anticipation of the CITES sanction, around 200 boats without registration or permits were seen throwing out nets to capture totoaba. The illegal fishing takes place within the vaquita refuge, an 8,000-square mile area in the Gulf of California. Within the refuge is the so-called Zone of Zero Tolerance an area of about 143 square miles where surveillance is more exhaustive. It is also where the Mexican Secretariat of the Navy placed the concrete blocks with steel-rod hooks to prevent gillnetting. In its plan to CITES, the Mexican government said it planned to crack down on illegal fishing by using radars, placing more concrete blocks and increasing surveillance. But the wildlife organization argued that more measures were needed to prevent illegal fishing from even reaching the vaquita refuge. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it would increase controls at ports and airports to prevent totoaba from being taken out of the country. In a statement, the ministry added that transit and destination countries also have a responsibility to help efforts to stop the illegal trade, and that CITES must fulfill its promise to finance a study in the Upper Gulf of California. The sanction will remain in force until the Mexican government presents a protection plan that is approved by CITES. The ban on exporting wildlife products could cost Mexico millions of dollars. The CITES sanction is an unprecedented embargo of catastrophic proportions, both for trade and for our international image, said Ernesto Zazueta, president of the Mexican Association of Zoos, Farm and Aquariums. The association points out that the ban will affect the candelilla, a plant that only exists in Mexico, which is highly sought after in the cosmetic, ballistics and aeronautical industries. Many communities in the north living in extreme poverty depend on it, it said. According to the association, the leather industry in the state of Guanajuato will also be affected, as well as the music sector as an irreplaceable wood is within the species regulated by CITES. Zazueta also warned that Mexicos Wildlife Conservation Unit, which manages 38.8 million hectares, may collapse as it depends on the resources this area generates. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Elizabeth Williams is this weeks selection for Know Your Neighbor. Former Sundridge restaurant owner Nghe Thanh Tran died unexpectedly on Sunday, March 26. The family-run Has Restaurant had been in Sundridge for 35 years, with Tran and his wife, Roberta, running it since 2007. The family closed the restaurant and moved to Prince Edward Island in 2020 so Tran could work with celebrity chef Micheal Smith at The Inn at Bay Fortune, a five-star country inn located on the east side of Prince Edward Island. When the couple announced the restaurant would be closing, the outpouring of community support affirmed just how much the family meant to the Almaguin region. With the news of Trans death now circulating on social media, many have expressed their sadness. The Almaguin Highlands Photography Project Facebook Group, which was created by Tran, has seen people sharing poems and photographs in memoriam. Chef Michael Smith made a post on Facebook on March 28 also expressing his grief. We lost a warrior, our hearts are broken, we all had a Guy, he fought so hard, were devastated , wrote Smith. Trans family will hold a private visitation at the Hennessey Cutcliffe Charlottetown Funeral Home, according to the obituary, where they will receive condolences from immediate family and close friends from P.E.I. There will be no public visitation or funeral service as per Nghe's personal request. A celebration of life will be held in his hometown of Sundridge in the near future. Details will be announced at a later date. SHARE: A few thousand Beamsville residents will soon have the opportunity to download cat videos instantly and binge watch the last season of "Succession" more easily. The Town of Lincoln and Bell announced internet service infrastructure upgrade in Beamsville as part of a $17 million capital investment in Lincoln by Bell. Expected to be completed by 2024, it will see all-fibre broadband access expanded to about 7,000 new homes and businesses in town. Residents need fast and reliable internet connections more than ever to stay connected at home or at work, said Bruce Furlong, network senior vice president at Bell. Through our own fully-funded investments in world-class broadband networks, Bell continues to deliver on our purpose of advancing how Canadians connect with each other and the world. Fully funded by Bell, the connections will provide download and upload speeds of up to three gigabytes per second, Bell said in a press release. Low internet speeds have plagued parts of Lincoln and West Niagara in recent years. More recently, complaints about poor cell service have also been made. Government at multiple levels have attempted to address the slow internet issue. Lincoln town staff and politicians say the Bell investment is a significant step. Providing greater and improved broadband access to residents and businesses in Lincoln has been a top priority for council and staff over the past several years, said Lincoln Mayor Sandra Easton. Bells investment is most welcome and much needed for our community, and through our partnership with Bell, thousands in Lincoln are expected to benefit from improved internet access, a necessity for residents and businesses alike. Chief administrative officer Michael Kirkopoulos said staff worked closely with Bell to speed up the permitting process that paves the way for the new infrastructure. This investment to bring broadband internet to Lincoln has been an important element of our workplan thank you to Bell for this historic announcement for our community, he said. SHARE: With limited veterinary options around, Jessica DeSimone has had to learn how to treat wounds and serious injuries for her ducks. When Jessica DeSimones duck broke its beak, she was faced with a difficult choice: either take care of it herself or watch the bird bleed to death. It was a really scary situation; you hope that you can stop (the bleeding). So that would have been a situation where I would have gone straight to a vet to help her (the duck), DeSimone said. Without any avian veterinarians available in Smithville, DeSimone has learned how to treat wounds and serious injuries on her own, performing minor surgeries she never thought she would need to. Initially, I did have a veterinarian for my flock of birds, She said. And once she left her clinic, there was nobody to replace her. Since then, DeSimone has been learning from other people in the community, hoping she can deal with her birds health needs. While one bird survived the injury, another two died because DeSimone couldnt get them the care they needed. You don't want to (perform these surgeries), but you do it because there's no other option, right? There's nothing else to do. DeSimone said many animal clinics she's reached out to arent taking on new clients and aren't offering wait-lists. She is not alone in the struggle to find a veterinarian. Kim Cyopeck moved to Smithville a year ago and hasnt been able to find a veterinarian for her dogs and cats. One said if your current vet was within an hours drive, no one would take you, Cyopeck said. We are coming up to checkup time, so I do feel the need to give it some thought again. I also have a fearful dog, so I dont want just any vet; I need one that understands his issues and is willing to work with us. An increase in prices due to the lack of options has affected Nicole Fitzgerald, who said fewer veterinarians in the region are offering emergency services. This means instead of paying the rate you once thought you would get urgent help, you now pay $250 to walk in the door, said Fitzgerald, who also lives in Smithville. More people have animals that suffer through the night because they simply can not afford to pay that big increase in price. Paula Philips was almost too late to save her dog, who needed urgent care due to a urinary infection. The Smithville resident found someone only days later; it was either that or nothing at all. I did end up finding a vet but paid extra to be seen urgently, and I was desperate, Philips said. Fitzgerald said struggling to afford a veterinarian does not mean the pet or farm animal owner is being negligent. According to Terra-Lee Kramer, manager at Village Centre Animal Hospital in Binbrook, the shortages became more noticeable during the COVID pandemic lockdowns and afterwards. We had really busy times back then. Vaccine appointments and regular health checkups were those types of things not allowed to be done during the COVID lockdown because they weren't considered essential, Kramer said. The West Lincoln resident added most veterinarians didnt return due to compassion fatigue, which can result from the stress of exposure to a traumatized individual. My clinic is taking new clients, but we have to be really picky about it because our veterinarian is on his own. We have to keep in mind how many patients he can handle in one day, she said. The cause for the shortage? Dr. Tim Arthur, vice-president of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, said more vets are leaving the business, and the remaining ones cannot keep up with the growing number of new pet owners. We just don't have enough veterinarians in the country to service the needs of our population, said Arthur. Another part of the issue, explained Arthur, is that there arent enough veterinary graduates going into the workforce. According to him, to solve these issues, veterinary schools are increasing their class sizes, but the four-year program means a long wait until more vets start working. There's no trouble finding people who want to get involved in the profession. The problem is getting enough of them educated, Arthur said. We have been in constant contact with the Government of Canada trying to speed up and make the ability to bring foreign trade veterinarians in the country. He also added the major consequence of the shortage is vets stress level, which has gone through the roof. Veterinarians go into the job because they're caring, compassionate people, and they're being pushed to do as much as they possibly can. So, the entire veterinary team is quite stressed, and the public is quite stressed. STORY BEHIND THE STORY: When reporter Beatriz Baleeiro heard about community members having troubles accessing veterinary care, she wanted to explore whether there was a shortage and how this was affecting those who have animals in their care. SHARE: One person was taken away by ambulance after fire broke out in a single-storey home in St. Catharines Wednesday evening. At about 6 p.m. firefighters responded to a working house fire at 1 Doncaster Blvd. with possibly people still in the building. No other information was immediately available from first responders. SHARE: Community Care of St. Catharines and Thorold will be able to collect and distribute more food, both perishable and non-perishable, with a new refrigerated truck. Through a series of grants helping Canadian food banks distribute more food, Loblaw Cos. Ltd. and Food Banks Canada issued $200,000 across five food banks in the country. Community Care received nearly $100,000 of the grant money and used it to purchase the truck. A common misconception is food banks only distribute non-perishable food to people needing assistance quite the opposite, said chief executive officer Betty-Lou Souter. Our goal is to ensure people have (access to) perishable food as well as non-perishable, healthier food choices, she said. At least 40 per cent of it is perishable now and it all depends on the donations that come in and how much more we can do, as we can also make purchases if we have to. She said its partnership with Feed Niagara helps to fill gaps. Souter said several community partners helped financially to complete the purchase of the truck. Loblaws did the chassis and the front (truck cab) through the Food Banks Canada grant, while others helped with the reefer, which was another chunk of change, and Metro Trucks gave us an exceptional deal, for which were very grateful, she said. This is a huge deal more than most people think, especially when it comes to helping Niagarans have access to food, said Larry Antonio, manager of the Fairview Mall Zehrs store. This truck is a big deal, because they need this to move around refrigerated products, he said. Its a big deal for us to give them $100,000 and for the community to give back to families that need it. Antonio said Zehrs helps provide hundreds of dollars worth of food each week to ensure Community Cares refrigerator and shelves stay full. Weve gotten even bigger with the community, we give them produce, meat and deli products, so they need refrigeration to get from Zehrs back to their facility. More people are struggling than ever before to access fresh nutritious foods, not just canned and shelf-stable foods, said St. Patricks Coun. Robin McPherson. You see people having to make those tough decisions ... and when you hear the numbers talked about, the increase in the need, its staggering, things are becoming so unaffordable, she said. Its partnerships like this with Community Care and with Zehrs that give people, hopefully, the food security they need. Souter said without the help of everyone putting in their time and effort, projects such as this would not get done or done as fast. It takes a village, but it takes a village to get something like this going, she said. I just hope this will be a visible sign to everybody that our village incorporates everybody from the little ones all the way up. SHARE: OTTAWA - As some vulnerable Canadians who dont file their taxes miss out on benefits, the Canada Revenue Agency is expected to pilot a new automatic system next year. This weeks federal budget said the agency will also present a plan by 2024 to expand the service, following consultations with stakeholders and community organizations. The move toward automatic tax filing, first promised in the 2020 speech from the throne, is one of several budget measures the Liberals say are meant to help Canadians with the cost of living. Jennifer Robson, an associate professor in political management at Carleton University, said shes cautiously optimistic about the move. This has the potential to be transformative, said Robson, who has published research on people who dont file their taxes. Automatic tax filing is already a reality in many other countries, including the United Kingdom and New Zealand. Robson said that in Canada, it would likely involve the CRA pre-filling a tax return with the information it has on file. Then the agency would give the individual an opportunity to update the return or submit additional information, such as eligible medical expenses. Experts and advocates have called for automatic filing, noting many vulnerable Canadians miss out on benefits to which they are entitled. Canadians are generally not required to file tax returns every year unless they owe money, but the federal government is increasingly relying on the Canada Revenue Agency to deliver income-tested benefits to individuals. That includes Canada Child Benefit, as well as the recent top-up to the Canada Housing Benefit and the temporary doubling of the GST tax credit. Although a move toward automatic filing isnt a shiny new program, its a small change that could have a significant impact on affordability, said a former head of economic strategy and planning for Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government. Sometimes, actually, having a big transformational impact on peoples lives can come through doing some boring stuff, said Tyler Meredith. For many people who might not be receiving some of those benefits today that theyre entitled to, thats potentially thousands of dollars that they could access. A 2020 report co-authored by Robson estimates that 10 to 12 per cent of Canadians dont file their taxes. Although there were non-filers across all income groups, they were most heavily concentrated in lower income brackets. The report estimated the value of benefits lost to working-age non-filers was $1.7 billion in 2015. Beyond getting benefits to people, Meredith said the change might also help the federal government better connect with underserved individuals. As people become aware of the benefits theyre entitled to, they might be encouraged to explore their personal accounts with the CRA or Service Canada to learn about other government programs available to them, he said. A move toward automatic filing would pose a threat to the tax preparation industry, which relies on people needing to proactively file their taxes. But Robson said some people may still want to seek professional help. Theres going to be some continuing need for those services in the sense that there will be people who have complicated tax situations who need the advice of professionals and advisors, Robson said. But how long will it take for automatic filing to be a reality? Robson said itll depend on both the CRAs administrative capacity as well as the federal governments political will. The federal budget also said the Canada Revenue Agency will expand access to a service set up in 2018 that allows some Canadians with lower or fixed incomes to auto-file simple returns over the telephone. The budget says that two million Canadians will be eligible for that service, called File My Return, by 2025, which is nearly three times the number of people who can use it now. This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 30, 2023. Read more about: SHARE: Toronto Star publisher and owner Jordan Bitove made an impassioned plea Thursday to Canadian corporations and governments to step up and support journalism, arguing that it is essential to democracy and that smaller communities are being starved of essential information. Bitove, speaking to a packed audience of business and community leaders at a Canadian Club luncheon in Toronto, said big tech companies including Google and Meta have drained crucial advertising revenue from media companies, endangering journalisms business model and indirectly, democracy itself. The advertising revenue that once funded our newsrooms has been moved ironically to companies that use our content for their benefit The result is that we are seeing local news disappear by increments, said Bitove, who estimated that tech giants control up to 80 per cent of the online advertising market. Lower revenue means less money for newsrooms to spend on the journalists who keep Canadians well-informed, he said. Fact-checked, investigated, accountable truths the stories that inform civil discourse, how we vote, what is happening in schools, hospitals, in the offices of influence, and on our streets this comes from journalists real people putting in a ton of effort to keep citizens informed, said Bitove. Without trusted, accountable journalism how are we going to counter the misinformation and disinformation that has come to dominate discussion and impact on our safety and public discourse? Bitove cited statistics from the News Poverty Map showing that 361 news outlets have closed across Canada since 2008. He also noted the Canadian Media Directors Council says that over 3,000 editorial and noneditorial news jobs have been lost since 2020. In a question-and-answer session with Canadian Club Toronto president Joseph Lo, Bitove also criticized the tech giants for manipulating their algorithms so fewer readers see vital news stories. So were letting people in Silicon Valley and other parts of the world who have no investment in this country dictate what we read, and are taking all the revenue on the other side of it, said Bitove. That kind of behaviour makes Bill C-18 which mandates that tech companies negotiate with media companies to pay them for using their stories even more vital, Bitove said. This is about levelling the playing field, said Bitove. Support for journalism is vital not just for newsrooms, but for society, Lo acknowledged. Youve clearly shown us this is not a journalistic imperative, this is a Canadian imperative, said Lo. In February, Google acknowledged that it had been limiting how news stories showed up in search results as a test ahead of C-18s implementation. Weve been fully transparent about our concern that C-18 is overly broad and, if unchanged, could impact products Canadians use and rely on every day. We remain committed to supporting a sustainable future for news in Canada and offering solutions that fix Bill C-18, a statement from Google said at the time, adding that just four per cent of users were affected by the test. Bitove also called on audience members to find out how much of their own companies advertising spending went to local, Canadian media organizations. Go back to your office and find out what percentage of your media spend goes to supporting Canadian-owned and operated media. If its not 20 per cent, its not enough, said Bitove. In November, Bitove took over sole ownership of Torstar, which publishes seven English language daily newspapers including the Star, more than 70 weekly community papers, and other media properties, including fashion publication The Kit. Torstar also has a stake in Northstar Gaming, an online gaming company. SHARE: Calgary police have identified a 15-year-old girl who was fatally shot this week as investigators try to determine whether she was the intended target or if it was a case of mistaken identity. Officers responded to reports of a shooting in an alley in the Martindale neighbourhood early Tuesday morning. They say the teenager was a passenger in a vehicle when she was shot and that the driver, who was not injured, immediately fled the scene before pulling over to call police. Police say investigators have received several tips from the public. They say evidence from the scene leads police to believe it was targeted, but investigators havent determined whether the occupants of the vehicle were the intended targets. The girl has been identified as Sarah Alexis Jorquera of Calgary. This was a senseless act of violence that took the life of a young girl, Staff Sgt. Martin Schiavetta of the homicide unit said in a statement Wednesday. At this point, we have more questions than answers and are working around the clock to hold those responsible accountable. Losing a 15-year-old is a tragic loss for our community, her school, her friends and, most importantly, her family. Police ask anyone with any information about the shooting to call investigators. This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 29, 2023. Read more about: SHARE: In 1968, British conservative politician Enoch Powell delivered his infamous Rivers of Blood speech in Birmingham, in which he railed against immigration into the U.K. from the Commonwealth countries. Powell was a divisive and controversial figure, even among his Conservative Party peers, but his popularity and widespread public support for his speech highlighted the countrys prevalent attitude toward migration at the time. Little could Powell have imagined that 55 years later, Rishi Sunak, a conservative politician of Indian heritage, would be prime minister and Humza Yousaf, a Muslim of Pakistani descent, would be elected leader of the Scottish National Party and First Minister of Scotland. However, these historically significant have attracted more interest outside the U.K. than within a country that is in equal parts assimilated by its diversity and uncomfortable with the colonial sins it still carries. I think all this is very relevant in showing that racial and ethnic minorities want to participate in the future construction of society as much as white majorities. That they can integrate despite continued racism. And that the long history of British imperialism is very much connected to their present identity. Both Rishi Sunaks and Humza Yousafs family history spans South Asia and Africa in its origins. And [Mayor of London] Sadiq Khans father was part of a generation recruited to travel to the motherland to work in public transportation, Nasar Meer, a sociology professor at the School of Social and Political Science at the University of Edinburgh, tells EL PAIS. However, most leading politicians in the Conservative Party refuse to acknowledge the forms of institutional racism that blight the lives of Black and other ethnic minorities in the U.K., he adds. The new leader of the SNP and First Minister of Scotland, Humza Yousaf, poses with his family at his official residence in Edinburgh. HUMZA YOUSAF VIA TWITTER (Humza Yousaf via REUTERS) A recent independent report on Londons Metropolitan Police highlighted institutional racism, misogyny and homophobia within the force, with multiple instances of female and ethnic minority officers being subjected to bullying and humiliation. Meanwhile, Sunaks conservative government has presented a draft asylum law designed to prevent anyone arriving in the U.K. in small boats via the English Channel or other unauthorized means from ever legally settling in the country, a proposal that has been widely criticized by NGOs and public figures. Both matters fall under the remit of Home Secretary Suella Braverman, a London-born politician whose parents are of Indian origin and who immigrated to the UK from Mauritius and Kenya. The current Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Kemi Badenoch, is the daughter of Nigerian immigrants and former Chancellor under Liz Truss, Kwasi Kwarteng, is of Ghanaian descent. The government of former prime minister Boris Johnson was the most diverse in the history of British politics. I presided over the candidate selection process for both Kwasi Kwarteng and Suella Braverman. In both cases, I do not remember a single face among those present that was not white, says Robert Hayward, a former Conservative MP and now a member of the House of Lords and a leading analyst of polls and political trends in the U.K. And in the case of Kwarteng, who burst into tears when he was informed of his election, there were about 550 members gathered. There are no such prejudices anymore. They do not even come up in the form of private conversations anymore, as they did 10 or 15 years ago, when you would hear phrases like: Im not sure hes representative of this constituency, which was another way of saying that he wasnt white. British Home Secretary Suella Braverman outside Downing Street. DPA via Europa Press (DPA via Europa Press) What these politicians all have in common is a life and education perfectly suited to British cultural traditions. In many cases, such as those of Sunak and Kwarteng, they have passed through the countrys elite academic institutions. I think we are more international than other countries, but clearly, youre not going to move up the ladder if you havent been educated in the U.K., giving you a British accent and thus avoiding that barrier that still puts a lot of people off, says Hayward. Many Britons reject signs of racism in national institutions and while there is still a collective reluctance to fully introspect over the U.K.s colonial history, Britain has historically embraced multiculturalism more readily than many other countries. I would say that we have been more successful in integrating racial minorities than, for example, France, a country I know well, where the policy is to refuse to acknowledge that there can be differences in status and life perspectives between ethnic minorities and the rest of the population. It is therefore difficult for them to do anything about it. Employment discrimination, for example, seems to be a bigger problem there than it is here, says historian Jonathan Sumption, one of Britains most successful lawyers and a former Supreme Court judge who holds a profound understanding of the conservative soul of many British people. Of course, there are prejudices, but I think we have adapted relatively well by international standards. Prejudice is mostly based on membership of a particular social class or type of education received, but not on ethnicity. Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng in the House of Commons on September 23, 2022. HANDOUT (AFP) Even those most critical of the system have few qualms over acknowledging this historic change: Sunak, Khan, Yousaf, Savid Javid, Kwarteng, Badenoch, Nadhim Zahawi the political landscape is replete with names defining a new British identity, but some point out that this opening up has, to date, been very much top-down. Interestingly, neither Yousaf nor Sunak was elected by through the ballot box by British voters. They came to their positions via a closed selection process within their respective parties. We have yet to see if the electorate is comfortable with such diversity in politics. The acid test will come with the next general election, says Parveen Akhtar, deputy head of the Department of Politics, History and International Relations at Aston University in Birmingham. London remains the focal point of a cosmopolitan, progressive, and multicultural United Kingdom, a city in which 55% of residents were not born on British soil. But there is still another Britain, one where 81% of the population is white (74.4% of whom are white British) and there are those more inclined to listen to the Enoch Powell that each era creates: 5.5 million people from Asian ethnic groups have integrated into the U.K., as have 2.4 million people from Black ethnic groups. But in the eyes of some, Iraqi, Syrian, Afghan and Albanian refugees, among many others arriving in the U.K., continue to represent the image of a threat. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition An appeal court has thrown out a sexual-assault conviction against Durham police officer Jack Stelwagen due to a delay mainly caused by the extended vacation of the semi-retired trial judge. Stelwagen, then 43, was convicted in 2020 of sexually assaulting a woman in her mid-20s while he was off duty, and was later sentenced to 12 months in jail. He was granted bail shortly after, pending the outcome of his appeal. Court heard the woman had fallen asleep following a party at a mutual friends house in 2018 and she testified having no memory of the incident. Stelwagen was discovered alone with the woman in a bedroom by the homeowners. Given that Stelwagen was a local police officer, his trial, which began in November 2019, was heard by an out-of-town judge. The case was assigned to Ontario Court Justice Bruce Frazer, a per diem judge jurists who are semi-retired and who preside on a part-time basis. Frazer was allowed to work up to a maximum of 96 days a year. His unavailability in the months following the start of the trial, including due to an extended vacation, would ultimately lead to the case against Stelwagen being tossed due to delay. The judge would also later face criticism after being accused of wanting to conduct Stelwagens sentencing hearing remotely while allegedly on vacation in Barbados at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2021. In his appeal decision released last week, Superior Court Justice Jonathan Dawe found that Stelwagens constitutional right to a trial within a reasonable time had been violated. He quashed Stelwagens conviction and stayed the proceedings against him. The Supreme Court of Canada has said that provincial court cases must be completed within 18 months. Otherwise, they must be tossed unless there were exceptional circumstances for the delay. Dawe ruled that the main source of delay was Frazers unavailability and his extended winter vacation abroad for the first three months of 2020, which prevented the trial from continuing until April of that year. Put simply, the root of the problem in this case was the decision to assign a relatively lengthy, although not overly complex, trial that was scheduled to start in November to a per diem judge who was completely unavailable to sit for most of the next four months, Dawe wrote. The main source of delay in this case was the trial judges extended unavailability because of his per diem status and extended winter vacation schedule. The Ontario Court of Justice confirmed that Frazer is now fully retired, but declined to comment on the outcome of Stelwagens case, given that it could be appealed again. Of course, Stelwagens trial did not recommence in April 2020 at the time, the COVID-19 pandemic had caused a shutdown in criminal court operations. Those only resumed in December of that year, when Frazer dismissed Stelwagens application to stay the charge due to delay and convicted him of sexual assault. In dismissing Stelwagens delay application, Frazer subtracted from his calculation the three months he was away on vacation in 2020, writing that the Crown could not have been aware of this eventuality and it was a matter over which the Crown had no control and no reasonable possibility to remedy. But Dawe wrote in his appeal ruling that the possibility that assigning this trial to a per diem judge might cause scheduling difficulties and create a delay problem was readily foreseeable and should have been foreseen by both the trial coordinators office and the Crown attorney. Stelwagen remains employed with Durham police, his lawyer Leo Kinahan told the Star. He said his client is relieved with Dawes ruling. It is equally disappointing that it has taken this amount of time, expense and use of valuable and stretched judicial resources to reach this point, he wrote in an email, primarily due to an annual vacation schedule, that I would suggest, presented obvious and foreseeable potential difficulties for the trial in the first place to anyone who was aware of it. After subtracting months of delay caused by the pandemic and a few other weeks of delay caused by other factors, Dawe was left with a period of delay of about 19 months, just over the 18-month limit. The net result is that the justice system failed to provide Mr. Stelwagen with a trial within a reasonable time, Dawe wrote. Questions about Frazers whereabouts were raised publicly in February 2021 when Kinahan told court the judge was in Barbados and could potentially sentence his client from there at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when governments were urging people not to travel and airlines were suspending flights. To sentence somebody while youre on vacation is completely and totally offensive to the administration of justice, Kinahan had told a different judge in virtual court. At the time, the Ontario Court of Justice had told its judicial officers not to preside remotely outside the province, reminding them of government advisories against non-essential travel. In 2021, the court refused to say if Frazer had been presiding from the Caribbean. Jacques Gallant is a Toronto-based reporter covering courts, justice and legal affairs for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @JacquesGallant Read more about: SHARE: TALLINN, Estonia (AP) Authorities in Belarus said Thursday they have detained a fugitive single father who escaped house arrest in neighboring Russia shortly before he was convicted of discrediting the army and sentenced to prison following his daughters antiwar sketch at school. Alexei Moskalyov was taken into custody in the Minsk region of Belarus, according to Natalya Sakharchuk, a spokeswoman for the countrys Interior Ministry. Her comments were reported by Russian state news agency RIA-Novosti and the Sputnik Belarus news site, saying he was being held upon request of the Russian police. Moskalyov, 54, drew international attention this week in a case that underscored the scale of the Kremlins crackdown on dissent when he was convicted and sentenced to two years in prison. He wasnt in the courtroom in his hometown of Yefremov for the verdict Tuesday because he had fled his apartment, where he was under house arrest, just the day before. Moskalyov was charged over social media posts criticizing the invasion under a law adopted shortly after the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. During his one-day trial, which concluded Monday, he insisted he had nothing to do with the posts. According to his lawyer and supporters, Moskalyovs troubles began after his daughter Maria, now 13, drew an antiwar picture at Yefremov School No. 9 that depicted missiles flying over a Russian flag at a woman and child and said No to war and Glory to Ukraine. The school called police, the girl was questioned and Moskalyov was fined for critical comments on social media, they said. Months later, his apartment was raided and a criminal case was opened against him. This month, he was placed under house arrest and his daughter was placed into the orphanage. He escaped from under house arrest before the verdict was announced by a court in Yefremov on Tuesday. He has been declared a political prisoner by Memorial, one of Russias oldest and most prominent rights groups that won the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize. A court in Yefremov next week is expected to consider the authorities petition to restrict Moskalyovs parental rights. SHARE: HILLSDALE, Mich. (AP) A Michigan college has ended its partnership with a Florida charter school whose principal was forced to resign after a parent complained sixth graders were exposed to pornography during a lesson on Renaissance art that included Michelangelos David sculpture. A Hillsdale College spokesperson said Tallahassee Classical School no longer is affiliated with the small, Christian classical liberal arts college in southern Michigan, MLive.com reported Thursday. This drama around teaching Michelangelos David sculpture, one of the most important works of art in existence, has become a distraction from, and a parody of, the actual aims of classical education, spokesperson Emily Stack Davis wrote in a statement. Of course, Hillsdales K-12 art curriculum includes Michelangelos David and other works of art that depict the human form. Tallahassee Classical School was licensed to use Hillsdales classical education curriculum, but its license was revoked and will expire at the end of the school year, Davis said. Hillsdale provides K-12 curriculum in partnership with dozens of charter schools across the country. The Florida school's principal Hope Carrasquilla resigned last week following an ultimatum from the school boards chairman. Carrasquilla told the Tallahassee Democrat one parent complained the material was pornographic and two other parents said they wanted to be notified of the lesson before it was given to their children. The instruction also included Michelangelos Creation of Adam painting and Botticellis Birth of Venus. Tallahassee Classical School did not immediately respond to phone messages left Thursday seeking comment. After Carrasquilla resigned, the Florence museum housing the David on Sunday invited parents and students from Tallahassee Classical School to visit the statue in person. Florences mayor also tweeted an invitation to Carrasquilla so he could personally honor her. The David statues nudity has been part of a centuries-old debate about art pushing boundaries and the rules of censorship. In the 1500s, metal fig leaves covered the genitals of statues like the David when the Roman Catholic Church deemed nudity as immodest and obscene. SHARE: NEW YORK Donald Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, prosecutors and defence lawyers said Thursday, making him the first former U.S. president to face a criminal charge and jolting his bid to retake the White House. The charges remained under seal late Thursday, but the investigation centred on payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign to silence claims of an extramarital sexual encounter. Prosecutors said they were working to co-ordinate Trump's surrender, which could happen early next week. They did not say whether they intended to seek prison time in the event of a conviction, a development that wouldn't prevent Trump from assuming the presidency. The indictment, an extraordinary development after years of investigations into Trumps business, political and personal dealings, injects a local district attorneys office into the heart of a national presidential race and ushers in criminal proceedings in a city that the ex-president for decades called home. Arriving at a time of deep political divisions, the charges are likely to reinforce rather than reshape dueling perspectives of those who see accountability as long overdue and those who, like Trump, feel the Republican is being targeted for political purposes by a Democratic prosecutor. Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing and has repeatedly assailed the investigation, called the indictment political persecution and predicted it would damage Democrats in 2024. In a statement confirming the charges, defence lawyers Susan Necheles and Joseph Tacopina said Trump "did not commit any crime. We will vigorously fight this political prosecution in court. A spokesman for the Manhattan district attorney's office confirmed the indictment and said prosecutors had reached out to Trump's defence team to co-ordinate a surrender. Trump was asked to surrender Friday but his lawyers said the Secret Service needed additional time as they made security preparations, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The people, who couldn't publicly discuss security details, said Trump is expected to surrender early next week. District Attorney Alvin Bragg left his office Thursday evening without commenting. The case centres on well-chronicled allegations from a period in 2016 when Trumps celebrity past collided with his political ambitions. Prosecutors for months scrutinized money paid to porn actor Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, whom he feared would go public with claims that they had extramarital sexual encounters with him. The timing of the indictment appeared to come as a surprise to Trump campaign officials following news reports that criminal charges were likely weeks away. The former president was at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida estate, on Thursday and filmed an interview with a conservative commentator earlier in the day. For a man whose presidency was defined by one obliterated norm after another, the indictment sets up yet another never-before-seen spectacle a former president having his fingerprints and mug shot taken, and then facing arraignment. For security reasons, his booking is expected to be carefully choreographed to avoid crowds inside or outside the courthouse. The prosecution also means that Trump will have to simultaneously fight for his freedom and political future, while also fending off potentially more perilous legal threats, including investigations into attempts by him and his allies to undo the 2020 presidential election as well as into the hoarding of hundreds of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. In fact, New York was until recently seen as an unlikely contender to be the first place to prosecute Trump, who continues to face long-running investigations in Atlanta and Washington that could also result in charges. Unlike those inquiries, the Manhattan case includes allegations against Trump that occurred before he became president, had already been examined but not charged by federal prosecutors and is unrelated to much-publicized efforts to overturn the election. The indictment comes as Trump seeks to reassert control of the Republican Party and stave off a slew of one-time allies who may threaten his bid for the presidential nomination. An expected leading rival in the race, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, called the indictment un-American in a statement Thursday night that pointedly did not mention Trump's name. In bringing the charges, Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, is embracing an unusual case that was investigated by two previous sets of prosecutors, both of which declined to take the politically explosive step of seeking Trumps indictment. The case may also turn in part on the testimony of a key witness, Trump's former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty to charges arising from the hush money payments, including making false statements. The probe's fate seemed uncertain until word got out in early March that Bragg had invited Trump to testify before a grand jury, a signal that prosecutors were close to bringing charges. Trumps attorneys declined the invitation, but a lawyer closely allied with the former president briefly testified in an effort to undercut Cohen's credibility. Trump himself raised anticipation that he would be indicted soon, issuing a statement earlier this month in which he predicted an imminent arrest and called for protests. He did not repeat that call in a fresh statement Thursday, but the New York Police Department told its 36,000 officers to be fully mobilized and ready to respond to any potential protests or unrest. Late in the 2016 presidential campaign, Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 to keep her silent about what she says was a sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier after they met at a celebrity golf tournament. Cohen was then reimbursed by Trumps company, the Trump Organization, which also rewarded the lawyer with bonuses and extra payments logged internally as legal expenses. Over several months, Cohen said, the company paid him $420,000. Earlier in 2016, Cohen also arranged for the publisher of the supermarket tabloid the National Enquirer to pay Playboy model Karen McDougal $150,000 to squelch her story of a Trump affair in a journalistically dubious practice known as catch-and-kill. The payments to the women were intended to buy secrecy, but they backfired almost immediately as details of the arrangements leaked to the news media. Federal prosecutors in New York ultimately charged Cohen in 2018 with violating federal campaign finance laws, arguing that the payments amounted to impermissible help to Trumps presidential campaign. Cohen pleaded guilty to those charges and unrelated tax evasion counts and served time in federal prison. Trump obliquely referred to in charging documents as Individual 1 was implicated in court filings as having knowledge of the arrangements, but U.S. prosecutors at the time balked at bringing charges against him. The Justice Department has a longtime policy against prosecuting a sitting president in federal court. Braggs predecessor as district attorney, Cyrus Vance Jr., then took up the investigation in 2019. While that probe initially focused on the hush money payments, Vances prosecutors moved on to other matters, including an examination of Trumps business dealings and tax strategies. Vance ultimately charged the Trump Organization and its chief financial officer with tax fraud related to fringe benefits paid to some of the companys top executives. The hush money matter became known around the D.A.s office as the zombie case, with prosecutors revisiting it periodically but never opting to bring charges. Bragg saw it differently. After the Trump Organization was convicted on the tax fraud charges in December, he brought fresh eyes to the well-worn case, hiring longtime white-collar prosecutor Matthew Colangelo to oversee the probe and convening a new grand jury. Cohen became a key witness, meeting with prosecutors nearly two-dozen times, turning over emails, recordings and other evidence and testifying before the grand jury. Trump has long decried the Manhattan investigation as the greatest witch hunt in history. He has also lashed out at Bragg, calling the prosecutor, who is Black, racist against white people. The criminal charges in New York are the latest salvo in a profound schism between Trump and his hometown a reckoning for a one-time favourite son who grew rich and famous building skyscrapers, hobnobbing with celebrities and gracing the pages of the citys gossip press. Trump, who famously riffed in 2016 that he could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and wouldnt lose voters, now faces a threat to his liberty in a borough where more than 75% of voters many of them potential jurors went against him in the last election. _____ Tucker and Long reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Bobby Caina Calvan, Jill Colvin and Jennifer Peltz contributed to this report. Read more about: SHARE: Has Japan, the country with the third largest global GDP, become a positive player in ending Russian President Vladimir Putins devastating war on Ukraine? The medias recent attention has focused on last weeks two critical leadership meetings: one in Ottawa between President Biden and Prime Minister Trudeau and the other in Moscow between Putin and Chinas Xi Jinping. Too little public attention has been given to an arguably more important meeting in New Delhi between Japans Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Indias counterpart Narendra Modi. The Ottawa and Moscow meetings, as reported, offered no substantial changes in the positions of the participating parties. Biden/Trudeau maintained their collaborative support for Ukraine, with increased equipment supply and training support, as well as their joint condemnation of Putins appalling unprovoked attack. Similarly, the Moscow Putin/Xi meeting, while confirming the solid relationship between Russia and China, Xi repeated the call for a ceasefire with subsequent peace talks. The Wests rejection on the ceasefire peace talks is based on the contention that they would simply be used to give Putin additional time to add to his military equipment as well as to his armed forces. What about the attention and likely effect that have been given to the substance and consequences of the meeting between Japans Kishida and Indias Modi? These talks revealed close co-operation in dealing with a wide range of global challenges, including soaring prices of energy and food supplies that have exacerbated significantly since Russias war in Ukraine. Specifically, Kishida has said, the foundation of order in the international community was shaken by Russias aggression against Ukraine, which refers specifically to its impact on food access and fertilizer prices everywhere, including the Indo-Pacific region. Japan holds the G-7 presidency and Modi accepted Kishidas invitation to participate in the G-7 meeting in Hiroshima this May to which other countries will be invited; seven from the G20 and others from developing nations in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The introduction of Japan into the Ukrainian issue is encouraging, particularly the positive meeting with India, soon to be the country with the largest global population, with over 1.4 billion residents, and currently the worlds 3rd largest yearly GDP growth of 9 per cent. The UN General Assembly approved a resolution in early February calling for Russia to end hostilities in Ukraine and withdraw its forces. However, that resolution is non-binding. Ideally, in view of the massive killings and commercial and residential destruction still occurring in Ukraine, repetitive condemnation of Putin is, in itself, apparently useless. Instead, given the recent condemnation of the Russian invasion by a bulk of Asia and if Kishida is successful, other developing nations in Africa and Latin America, the settlement could well be achieved on commercial grounds alone. The approach? Within the next month, a permanent legally binding ceasefire settlement, removing Russia from Ukraine, leaving Crimea for later diplomatic determination. Tim Armstrong, lawyer, former agent general for the Asia Pacific Region in Tokyo and a deputy minister under Premiers Bill Davis, David Peterson and Bob Rae. Read more about: SHARE: OTTAWA - The Canadian Judicial Council is taking the next step in its review of a complaint against Supreme Court of Canada Justice Russell Brown concerning alleged events at an Arizona resort. Christopher Hinkson, chief justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia and chairperson of the councils judicial conduct committee, has decided to refer the matter to a judicial conduct review panel. In turn, the five-member panel can decide that an inquiry committee should be established if it determines the matter might be serious enough to warrant the removal of the judge. Brown insists he did nothing wrong prior to an alleged altercation at a Scottsdale resort lounge in late January. In a police report, Jon Crump accuses Brown of being intoxicated and hitting on Crumps female companions. Crump told police he punched the judge a few times. Brown, who has described Crumps version of their encounter as demonstrably false, has been on leave from the court since Feb. 1 pending the outcome of the councils investigation. He was taking part in an awards ceremony and banquet at the resort ahead of the encounter, which happened in the hotel lounge later that same night. In a statement Thursday, Brown acknowledged the judicial councils decision to convene a panel. My approach throughout this process has been to respond as expeditiously as possible. I will do so again in relation to this latest step and look forward to resuming my duties at the Court, the statement said. Brown also reiterated comments released by his counsel earlier this month taking issue with Crumps account of the events. This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 30, 2023. Read more about: SHARE: The Vatican has formally denounced a 15th-century doctrine used to legitimize the seizure of Indigenous land, but the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations says the Roman Catholic Church should go further to repair the harm caused by the decrees. A statement from the Vatican on Thursday said the papal bulls used as the basis for the Doctrine of Discovery did not adequately reflect the equal dignity and rights of Indigenous peoples. The papal bulls were connected to the idea that lands being colonized were empty, when in fact Indigenous people had long called them home. The world was told that we were unworthy and that our lands were empty, National Chief RoseAnne Archibald said in a phone interview Thursday. We need the world to know that we are worthy, that we are valuable. Archibald said the Vaticans words are a step in the right direction, but the Catholic Church should introduce a new statement affirming the value of Indigenous Peoples. She also called for the church to return land and sacred items to First Nations. Chief Bobby Cameron of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, which represents 73 First Nations in Saskatchewan, said in a statement the legal doctrines allowed Canada to unilaterally claim sovereignty over our peoples and our lands and further used it as an excuse to commit genocide. Today, the Vatican finally said what our peoples have always known. More than 500 years ago,popes beganissuing a series of edicts, known as papal bulls. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, which investigated residential schools in Canada, said they helped shape the political and legal arguments that became known as the Doctrine of Discovery. The commissions final report included a call to action for all religious denominations to repudiate concepts used to justify European sovereignty over Indigenous lands and peoples, such as the Doctrine of Discovery. Last March, First Nations, Metis and Inuit groups went to Rome to meet with Pope Francis. Francis apologized for the churchs role in residential schools, but delegates also told him the doctrine must be rejected. The pontiff travelled to Canada in July for a six-day tour, during which he apologized again for residential schools and was criticized for not addressing the papal bulls. Throughout his stops in Alberta, Quebec and Nunavut, people held signs and yelled for the Pope to reject the doctrine. The Confederacy of Treaty 6 First Nations said in a statement that rescinding the doctrine was one of the most prominent requests from residential school survivors when Pope Francis was hosted on its territory in central Alberta. They called the move a significant step on the journey to reconciliation. Donald Bolen, the Archbishop of Regina, said Indigenous people made it clear that the Vatican needed to address the issue. The language in those bulls is deeply wounding and problematic, and there was a desire for the Holy See to address it, and they have. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, of which Bolen is a member, said in a statement that its grateful Indigenous organizations urged the move. The conference signed a statement calling for the church to reject principals associated with the doctrine in 2016. Bolen said the Vaticans statement Thursdayshows Francis was listening to Indigenous people during their meetings at the Vatican and throughout his time in Canada. I think theres no doubt that its a response given at the request of Indigenous people in Canada, he said. The statement from the Vatican, however, said the doctrine is not part of the teachings of the church and the documents were written in a specific historical period and linked to political questions. The Vatican said the contents of the documents were manipulated for political purposes to justify immoral acts against Indigenous Peoples. It is only just to recognize these errors, acknowledge the terrible effects of the assimilation policies and the pain experienced by Indigenous peoples, and ask for pardon. Cody Groat, who is Mohawk from Six Nations in Ontario and an Indigenous studies professor at Western University, said implying that the church never advanced the doctrine shifts the blame. Groat, who is also seeking to be the federal NDP candidate in a rural Ontario riding, said the statement suggests the Vatican recognizes it is in a period of global reckoning and had to take this step in order to stay relevant. Archibald agreed that theres a direct connection between governments, sovereign crowns and the church. These papal bulls granted those rights to colonizing sovereigns, the national chief said. Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu said Thursday the federal government will be taking a closer look at the Vaticans statement to see what next steps it might take. For a long time I think Canadians have known and the government of Canada has known that the colonialism that Indigenous Peoples have faced for over 150 years have had devastating consequences. This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 30, 2023. Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said Pope Alexander XI issued the first papal bulls. SHARE: No Bains, no gains. Thats the concern from some Ontario Liberals after former federal cabinet minister Navdeep Bains announced Thursday he will be not be a candidate in the partys nascent leadership contest. I am grateful for the overwhelming outpouring of support and encouragement to seek the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party, Bains wrote in a social media post. As I continue to focus on my family, work and community, I look forward to helping rebuild the party as a member, not as a leadership candidate, he said. Its a setback for a party that had welcomed the Draft Nav campaign in the belief the Brampton-raised Mississauga resident could challenge Progressive Conservative Premier Doug Ford in 2026. Its really too bad he would have been amazing, but the timing is just not right, said one disappointed supporter, speaking confidentially to discuss internal deliberations Bains, 45, was a key architect of the federal Liberals rebuilding before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took power in 2015. He is regarded as an excellent organizer and a top-notch fundraiser who knows the Greater Toronto Area well. A former innovation minister, he left federal politics in 2021 and is now the CIBCs vice-chair of global investment banking. Well-regarded in federal and provincial Liberal circles, Bains is also considered formidable by Fords Progressive Conservatives he worked closely with the premier and Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli to attract manufacturing jobs to Ontario. He would be a game-changer for the (Liberals) because he could put a bunch of seats in play that we hold in Mississauga, in Brampton, in Scarborough, a Conservative insider said recently after the Star revealed his potential interest in the job. Rookie MPPs Stephanie Bowman (Don Valley West), Ted Hsu (Kingston and the Islands) and Adil Shamji (Don Valley East) are exploring leadership bids, as are MPs Nathaniel Erskine-Smith (Beaches-East York) and Yasir Naqvi (Ottawa Centre), a former provincial cabinet minister and party president. Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie who, like Bains, attended the Liberals annual general meeting in Hamilton earlier this month has also been viewed as a possible candidate. Liberal president Kathryn McGarry said earlier this month that the executive needs time to determine when to hold a leadership vote and set the rules of the race, such as entry fees. Read more about: SHARE: President Klaus Iohannis signed on Thursday the decisions appointing Alex-Florin Florenta to Prosecutor General with the Prosecutor's Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice, and Marius-Ionut Voineag to chief prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA). Both are appointed for a 3-year term. On March 23, Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu announced having submitted to President Iohannis his proposals regarding the appointment of Alex-Florin Florenta as Prosecutor General and of Marius Ionut Voineag as DNA chief prosecutor, after they got the greenlight from the Superior Council of the Magistrates (CSM). As regards the candidate for the position of chief prosecutor of the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism Alina Albu, who received a negative opinion from the CSM, the Justice Minister said he is organizing a new interview with her. AGERPRES As many as 73,755 people, including 7,832 Ukrainian citizens, entered Romania on Wednesday, March 29, the General Border Police Inspectorate (IGPF) reported on Thursday. According to IGPF, at the border points nationwide on Wednesday, nearly 154,100, Romanian and foreign citizens, were checked both on the way in and on the way out of Romania, as well as more than 43,600 means of transport, told Agerpres. Starting February 10, 2022 (pre-conflict time) 3,863,482 Ukrainian citizens entered Romania. The border police detected 39 illegal acts (22 crimes and 17 misdemeanors) in the areas under their jurisdiction - the crossing points and the green border - committed by both Romanian and foreign citizens, levying more than RON 56,300 in fines in the process. Assets of an estimated value of RON 916,300 were impounded. Thirty foreign citizens who did not meet the conditions provided by the law were denied entry. Also on Wednesday, 13 Romanian citizens were not allowed to leave for various legal reasons. An aerial view of the Nueva Alausi neighborhood in Ecuador after the landslide. MARCOS PIN (AFP) The earth made a sound as if it was splitting in two. In a matter of seconds, the mountain completely buried Nueva Alausi, a neighborhood in Chimborazo province in central Ecuador. Tons of earth covered more than 60 houses, all inhabited. It was 9 p.m. on Sunday, March 26. Survivors and locals counted who was missing to get an idea of how many people were under the rubble: the Moina, Ruiz, Berrones, Marcatoma, Guaman, Caranqui and Quisatasi families could not be found. According to the Ecuadorian government, 46 people were buried under the rubble. David Pilamungas 12-year-old son is also missing. He had gone that night to help his mother leave her home, as the risk posed by the mountain was becoming more evident. In the morning, the crack on top of the mountain had opened up wider and was making the ground crackle, says David. That sounded the alert to flee, but tragedy struck first. His sister and his four month-old son made it out, but not the 12-year-old. David is searching for him among the rubble, trying to guide rescuers over the mound of earth. Other neighbors and relatives are helping in the search and rescue of survivors, which is becoming more difficult as the hours go by. As of 9 a.m. Tuesday morning 36 hours after the landslide the contingent of rescuers had been reduced to small groups. Most of those searching through the rubble now are the locals themselves. The Ecuadorian governments last assessment report was issued at noon on Monday, when they reduced the death toll from 16 to seven without any explanation. Since then, there have been no more updates. When President Guillermo Lasso visited the disaster area Monday night, he was criticized by the families of the victims for not doing enough to prevent the tragedy. For four months, locals had warned about the crack in the upper part of the mountain and tried to ask the authorities to take action. Sadly, the two women from Nueva Alausi who fought to stop this from happening are not here, one of the survivors told Lasso between sobs. The government recognized the risk and a technical committee was formed to evaluate possible solutions. A yellow alert for a landslide was even declared in the area on February 19. On March 1, the Minister of Housing sent a letter to the mayor of Alausi, warning him of the risks and proposing as a solution to relocate families in this area, said Lasso. The solution was to build a housing complex, but disaster struck before the countrys slow-moving bureaucracy was able to complete the project. We want justice, everyone told us that the mountain was not going to come down, the locals yelled at the president on Monday. To which, Lasso replied: Lets focus on rescuing the missing, and then we will work out whos responsible. Despite the erroneous message that nothing would happen, Maria Marcatoma, 65, and her husband were afraid of a potential landslide and decided to rent a room far from their house, which is now ground zero. But that Sunday, she went back to the neighborhood to check up on her things and sell milk, which was her means of living, says Aida, her daughter-in-law, who came from Quito to look for her after she didnt return. In Alausi, like many other areas of Ecuador, locals build homes on the slopes of the mountain, sometimes on the very edge or in the middle of it. When pieces of earth fall off around the houses, they put down black plastic to stop the rain from wetting the ground and making it more unstable. It is a way of stopping more pieces from falling off if only for a short period. The locals then create roads that open the way to the neighborhoods. Two other communities and four neighborhoods remain under a yellow alert for a possible landslide. It remains to be seen if action will be taken to prevent another tragedy like the one in Nueva Alausi. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition EIG Re and all other reinsurer groups will immediately renew the reinsurance contracts and resume the payments for all current and future claims in lieu of the Guarantee Fund if the Financial Supervisory Authority (ASF) renounces the revocation of the Euroins license, Eurohold Bulgaria representatives say in a press release sent to AGERPRES on Thursday. "Two weeks after the abusive revocation of the Euroins Romania license, the compulsory car insurance market is in total confusion due to decisions without economic reason that have already caused the increase in the value of compulsory car insurance premiums. Much increased reference prices, two attempts at capping of failed prices, criticism from insurance companies and brokers, the blocking of repairs for thousands of customers and the prospect of losing jobs for thousands of employees in the insurance industry are only the most obvious consequences of the abusive decision of the ASF," the press release informs. According to the cited source, the shareholder Eurohold Bulgaria AD does not agree that the Romanians should pay the bill for the ASF decisions and is decided to make every effort to be able to continue supporting Euroins Romania so that things return to normal and the compulsory car insurance market should not be affected further. "The Romanian authorities have not yet explained why the Romanian taxpayer must pay for the ASF's ambition to destroy a strong insurance company that paid in 2022 claims totaling over 1.6 billion RON, of which 1 billion RON came from reinsurers. Euroins Romania is supported by a shareholder with net assets worth 3 billion EUR," said Asen Hristov, president of the Board of Directors of Eurohold Bulgaria AD. National Defence Minister Angel Tilvar is starting, as of Thursday, a visit to the United States of America, alongside the Chief of Defence Staff, General Daniel Petrescu, and other officials, Romania's Embassy to the US informed. According to the same source, the National Defence Ministry's (MApN) delegation will have meetings in Washington D.C. with Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin, General Mark Milley, who serves as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US Army Forces, as well as at the White House - the National Security Council. Moreover, there are meetings scheduled with presidents of the Committee on Armed Services in the US Senate and House of Representatives, as well as with representatives of the US defence industry and from the strategic thinking and expertise area, told Agerpres. On the occasion of this visit, the Romanian delegation will mark the 30th anniversary since the establishment of the Strategic Partnership between the Romanian Armed Forces and the Alabama National Guard. The Romanian officials will travel to Alabama, where, between April 2 and 4, they will meet the governor of the state, the leadership of the Alabama National Guard, as well as the legislature and local environments. Romania's Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu is attending, March 30-31, a summit meeting of the foreign ministers of the Bucharest Format 9 (B9) in Lodz, Poland, co-chairing it with his Polish counterpart Zbigniew Rau. "At the summit, all the foreign ministers of the NATO member states that are also members of the B9 Format will be attending, as well as NATO leaders. The summit will focus on the preparation of a summit of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, April 4-5, and in particular of the NATO summit in Vilnius in July 2023. The ministers of the B9 format will have as their main starting point the need to fully implement the decisions of the 2022 NATO Madrid Summit enhancing the deterrence and defence posture on the eastern flank," according to the Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE). Aurescu is expected to highlight the relevance of the consultations with the allies gathered in the B9 Format and will welcome the summit coming up after a B9 extraordinary summit in Warsaw on February 22, 2023, in the presence of US President J. Biden, told Agerpres. Aurescu will also emphasise the fact that, in the current security context, a united and coherent NATO position must be ensured on the eastern flank that will evolve towards forward defence. "The B9 foreign ministers will analyse the implications that Russia's aggression on Ukraine generates on a regional and Euro-Atlantic level and will discuss ways to continue the robust and multidimensional support for Ukraine to withstand Russia's aggression. Minister Bogdan Aurescu will highlight the multidimensional support granted by Romania to Ukraine and its firm commitment to continue these efforts. At the same time, Minister Bogdan Aurescu will encourage the continuation of support to Ukraine's neighbouring states vulnerable to Russia's aggressive actions such as the Republic of Moldova, also faced with hybrid threats that seek to destabilise the country and hijack it from its European journey, as well as Georgia." Aurescu will also plead for strengthening the strategic resilience of these countries in order to ensure peace and security in the Black Sea region. At the same time, says MAE, Aurescu will emphasise the strategic importance of the Black Sea for Euro-Atlantic security, as recognised in the Strategic Concept adopted at the NATO Summit in Madrid, and for maintaining increased NATO attention and involvement in the region, as well as a solid transatlantic link. The B9 foreign ministers will also discuss initiatives specific to the EU Common Security and Defence Policy and EU-NATO co-operation, including under the EU-NATO joint declaration of January 2023. The head of the Romanian diplomacy will ask the allies on the eastern flank to continue coordination of the efforts of the two organisations to respond to the current regional and international context and to support vulnerable partners states. Romania's Interior Minister Lucian Bode said on Thursday that Romania has been fully prepared to join the Schengen area since 2011, and the various sensitivities that one or another member state cites for their refusal to let Romania in the Scehngen area can no longer be serious arguments, told Agerpres. "Romania has an objective of major importance: acquiring the status of a Schengen member state. The evaluations carried out last autumn reconfirmed the high level at which Romania applies all Schengen standards. Romania has been fully prepared to join the Schengen since 2011. The various domestic sensitivities that one or another member state claim to justify their refusal to accept Romania in the Schengen area can no longer be serious arguments. From our point of view, last year's decision was profoundly unfair, but Romania reaffirms its constructive, extremely important pro-European attitude, especially in the current geopolitical context," Bode said at the end of a meeting with his Spanish counterpart Fernando Grande-Marlaska Gomez. He added that Romania and Spain have a shared objective of securing the external borders of the European Union. "Romania and Spain are two member states that have the same common objective: securing the external borders of the European Union. The specificity of Romanian-Spanish co-operation is also related to the Romanian citizens who live in Spain. I have reconfirmed our availability for co-operation in order to support both the Romanian citizens living in Spain, as well as the Spanish authorities and Spanish citizens who have contributed substantially to the integration of our compatriots. The Romanian community, very active and constantly contributing to the development of the Spanish economy and culture, is an essential pillar of bilateral relations and at the same time an important factor for its further consolidation," said Bode. Grande-Marlaska Gomez reconfirmed Spain's absolute support for Romania's accession to the Schengen area. "The absolute commitment of Spain, a commitment that dates back quite many years, is to Romania acquiring the status of a full member of the Schengen area more quickly. Romania has done an extraordinary, exceptional job in this regard and has been doing so for a long time. All of us who want a solid and strong Schengen area cannot understand this Schengen area without Romania in it as a full member," he said. The average annual job vacancies in Romania was 45,100 in 2022, up 2,400 from 2021, according to data published on Thursday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS). The average annual job vacancy rate was 0.90%, up 0.04 percentage points, y-o-y. According to INS, in 2022, the highest average annual job vacancy rates were recorded in public administration (1.76%), water distribution, sanitation, waste management and decontamination activities (1.59%), as well as performing, cultural and recreational activities (1.50%), told Agerpres. Almost a fourth of the average annual number of job vacancies was in the manufacturing industry (11,100 vacancies), and the rate had an average annual value of 1.02%. The public sector reported 23% of the average annual number of job vacancies, mostly in public administration (4,800 vacancies), followed by healthcare and social work (4,200 vacancies), and education (1,400 vacancies). The lowest values of the average annual job vacancy rate were recorded in other service activities (0.25%), and mining and quarrying (0.27%). The average annual number of job vacancies experienced the lowest values in real estate, other service activities and mining and quarrying (100 job vacancies for each separately). Compared with the previous year, there were increases in the two indicators in most of the activities of the national economy. Thus, the most significant increases in the average annual job vacancy rate were reported in financial intermediation and insurance (+0.47 percentage points), and professional, scientific and technical activities (+0.43 percentage points). Regarding the average annual number of vacancies, the most relevant increases were in the manufacturing industry (+1,800 vacancies), followed by professional, scientific and technical activities, and transport and storage (+700 vacancies for each separately). The most significant decreases, both in terms of the average annual rate and the average annual number of vacancies, were reported in healthcare and social work (-0.50 percentage points and -1,700 vacancies ), and in public administration (-0.26 percentage points and - 800 vacancies). Several museums in Romania, coordinated by the National Museum of Romanian History, will participate with exhibits in the First Kings of Europe international exhibition, which will open at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, USA, MNIR transmits on Thursday in a press release for AGERPRES. The exhibition, which brings together over 700 prehistoric archaeological artifacts of prime importance from the collections of museum institutions in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Hungary, will be open during March 31, 2023 - January 28, 2024, told Agerpres. In this context, the National History Museum of Romania collaborates with five other museum institutions: the National History Museum of Transylvania (Cluj), the National Museum Complex (Piatra Neamt), the Gumelnita Civilization Museum (Oltenita), the Oltenia Museum (Craiova) and the Buzau County Museum. As part of the First Kings of Europe exhibition, a selection of over 90 pre- and proto-historical artifacts dating from the Neolithic period, the Bronze Age and up to the Second Iron Age is presented, together with other exhibits from the museum collections of the mentioned countries - originating from the collections of the Romanian museums mentioned above. A series of archaeological discoveries of prime importance from Romania are exhibited, such as: the Council of the Goddesses from Poduri, the Moigrad treasury (selective), the Brad treasury, the Apa bronze depository, the Sarasau treasury, the treasury from Persinari (selective), the treasury from Hinova (selective), the repository of bronze and iron objects from Tartaria (selective), the inventories of the Getic princely tombs from Agighiol and Peretu (selective). The exhibition is accompanied by an extensive illustrated catalogue, edited by the Field Museum of Natural History (Chicago) and published by the UCLA Cotsen Institute of Archaeology Press. The volume can be purchased online at https://www.ioa.ucla.edu/first-kings-catalog. The Romanian National Railway Company - CFR SA signed on Thursday the first contract for the renewal of the railway superstructure, a contract financed under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), worth 82.13 million lei, Minister of Transport Sorin Grindeanu announced. "The contract signed by the CF Craiova Regional Branch is worth 82.13 million lei (excluding VAT) and covers the renewal of 21 km of track between Calinesti - Golesti - Pitesti stations. Under the contract, the contractor will carry out works to replace railway superstructure elements on the Calinesti - Golesti interval between km 95 and km 107.57, including lines 1a, 1b, 5 and 6 of the Golesti CF station (...)," Grindeanu wrote on Facebook. According to a CFR SA press release, the contract was signed between the Craiova CF Regional Branch and the Strabag - Metabet CF SA association, and the implementation period is 18 months, told Agerpres. "We mention that the purpose of the works on replacing the track superstructure components on the 21 km railway is to bring the line to the designed parameters, increase the maximum speed of passenger trains to 120 km/h, eliminate the costs caused by restrictions, increase the efficiency of the operating activity and maximise the degree of safety," CFR SA says. Also, the works to replace in turn the track superstructure components on the Chitila - Golesti railway interval, over a length of 196.7 km railway, will be carried out within the 2 lots tendered by SRCF Bucuresti, with a total estimated value of 663.6 million lei and which are currently in the evaluation stage of the 4 bids submitted. The Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) on Microelectronics and Communications Technologies (IPCEI ME/CT) was the focus of discussions between prime minister Nicolae Ciuca and representatives of the German-Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, AHK, at a meeting held at the Victoria Palace, informs the government in a press release. The meeting was also a good opportunity to reconfirm Romania's commitment to developing a microelectronics ecosystem. The IPCEI ME/CT project stimulates the competitiveness of the industry, contributes through sustainable economic growth and job creation and can provide solutions or remedies for market failures because it brings together knowledge, expertise, financial resources and economic actors from across the European Union, the release said. "We are obviously also considering the automotive industry and the opportunity to become a desirable destination also for semiconductor production - and not only for assembly - with the help of the four Digital Innovation Hubs that the project envisages," the prime minister said, as quoted in the release. Alongside prime minister Ciuca, the dialogue was attended on behalf of the Government by Economy minister Florin Spataru, minister of Research, Innovation and Digitalisation, Sebastian Burduja, Ciprian Hojda, state adviser in the Prime Minister's Chancellery, representatives of the Ministry of Investment and European Projects. On behalf of AHK Romania participated: Sebastian Metz - General Director, Ruxandra Dumitrescu - Deputy General Director, Olivia Lungulescu - Public Affairs Specialist, Bosch Robert SRL, Bosch Cluj Engineering Centre: Catalin Golban - Engineering Director, Automated Driving Technology Development, Ionut Muntean - Senior Innovation Manager, Continental AG: Vlad Vinatu - Head of Public Private Partnership SE Europe, Continental Automotive Romania: Christian von Albrichsfeld - County Head & General Manager, NXP Semiconductors Romania SRL: Simona Almajan - Country Manager, Bogdan Costinescu - Director Software Engineering, Security and Operating Systems.AGERPRES Prime minister Nicolae Ciuca will be on a working visit to Stockholm on Friday, during which he will have meetings with the Swedish prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, and with the president of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Sweden, Andreas Norlen. In the first part of the visit, the head of the Romanian Government will be received by the prime minister of the government of the Kingdom of Sweden, with whom he will have a face-to-face meeting, followed by a working lunch, offered by the Swedish prime minister. At the end, the two high officials will make joint press statements. Later, prime minister Ciuca will have a meeting with the president of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Sweden, Andreas Norlen. At the end of the visit, the Romanian prime minister will participate in the Public Conference on "Threats and opportunities in the Black Sea area", an event organized at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).AGERPRES President Klaus Iohannis will receive First Vice President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, at the Cotroceni Palace on Friday, the Presidential Administration informed. The meeting will take place at 13:00. The head of state will also meet with the President of the European People's Party (EPP), Manfred Weber, on Friday at 12:00. On Monday, President Klaus Iohannis received the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, at the Cotroceni Palace.AGERPRES Her hair in an unkempt ponytail and wearing a red fleece, a desperate woman clings to the side of an ambulance, her fists pounding the bodywork, screaming, and clawing at the window. Inside is her husband, one of dozens of people seriously injured during a deadly blaze that ripped through an immigration center in Ciudad Juarez overnight on Monday. Her image was on the front pages of newspapers the following day, in Mexico and overseas: she had become the human face of an inhuman tragedy. At least 39 men have died and 27 more were hurt many of them are in serious condition after burning and suffocating inside cells from which nobody managed to release them in time. A few meters from where the fire took place, Viangly Infante says this is no way to gain international fame. Her husband is out of danger, she adds, but she is still asking the same question as dozens of other grieving families: They had the chance to open the cells and they didnt do it. Why didnt they do it? Infante, 31, is from Venezuela. She left La Guaira, in the north of the country, on October 6, 2022, becoming one of the seven million Venezuelans who have left their country. She did so accompanied by her three children two boys aged 12 and 13, and a girl aged one and her partner, Eduard Caraballo, 26. Together they crossed the perilous Darien jungle, in Colombia, and from there the entirety of Central America until they reached Tapachula, the southern staging point for U.S.-bound migrants in Mexico, on November 1. They crossed the border into the United States at Piedras Negras, a town in Coahuila that merges with Eagle Pass on the U.S. side of the frontier. They were deported on December 22 under the controversial Title 42, a health directive that was invoked by Donald Trumps administration during the coronavirus pandemic to allow U.S. authorities to expel undocumented migrants to Mexico. Making the same journey as thousands before them, the family arrived in Ciudad Juarez, found work, obtained residency permits and a gained a second opportunity to enter the United States, this time legally. However, on Monday, immigration authorities in Ciudad Juarez launched a full-scale raid across the border city, netting dozens of migrants in hospitals, on sidewalks, waiting near the border or, as in Caraballos case, simply walking the streets. He had gone out to get medicine for the girl because she has convulsions, says Infante. At around 2 p.m. she received a call from her husband to say he had been detained at the Mexican National Institute (INM) of Migration facility located between the two main bridges that connect Ciudad Juarez and El Paso in Texas. They did not let him open his email, where he had his papers saved, so he told me to go upstairs to get the paper copies to prove that we are a family unit and that we are here legally, she says. I arrived with my three children and they left me waiting there all day and wouldnt let him out. They just kept saying yes, right now. Until 9:30 p.m. when the fire started. A National Guard soldier outside the National Institute of Migration center in Ciudad Juarez. Nayeli Cruz Infante and her children were in the family waiting area, a set of white tents on one side of the detention center. She heard the cries of the 68 men locked inside in cells. They were screaming, banging on the walls. Smoke started coming out. It was everywhere: in the offices, in the bathroom. Everywhere. The smoke panicked the INM agents who were guarding the 15 women and children in the family area. They decided to take them outside. I asked what was going on, why werent the men coming out, why they werent open the fences and the cell doors, and all they could tell me was: They are burning, she says. I became desperate and started yelling at them. They took me out into the street and left me there. I managed to get close to the fence and saw they were taking out the dead bodies, but I couldnt see my husband, she continues, I was in panic. I went over to the other side of the street and looked in an ambulance and saw that he was inside, that they were resuscitating him: thats when I became distressed. I started shouting to see if he could hear me. He reacted and sat up. Then they tried to tie him up and I started screaming again, then they took him away. That same night, Infante went to the hospital to see her husband. He had been asphyxiated and suffered damage to his eyes, nose, mouth and throat. Over the past 48 hours his condition has improved, but his throat is still so sore that he has barely been able to talk about the trauma of what he went through in there. Migrants place flowers at a shrine dedicated to the men who died in Monday night's fire. Nayeli Cruz How was Eduard Caraballo able to escape the inferno alive when so many others did not? Infante does not have the answer. She knows only that was soaked through when he was pulled from the detention center: He says he locked himself in the bathroom to save himself. Caraballo was one of the lucky ones. Among his fellow detainees are 16 who are in critical condition, many with serious burns. They were inside with the fire for 15 minutes until the firefighters arrived and got them out, says Infante. The fire is believed to have started inside the cells. The Mexican authorities have stated that the detainees set mattresses alight in protest because they had learned they were going to be deported. The Attorney Generals Office, which is in charge of the investigation, is working on the hypothesis the migrants were able to set the fire by stripping the cables from a surveillance camera, but this has not been confirmed. What is undeniable is that nobody opened the cells in which they were trapped among the flames. Images taken from a camera inside the facility show at least three INM employees leaving the area where the 68 men were being held while smoke billowed, ignoring the pleas of the migrants and their attempts to kick through the cell doors. Banners outside the facility demanding justice for the 39 migrants who lost their lives during the fire. Nayeli Cruz Mexicos Secretary of Security, Rosa Icela Rodriguez, also corroborated this version of events: When the fire started none of the employees or private police officers took any action to open the doors for the migrants. They were not capable of opening a gate. Rodriguez has also stated that three officials two federal and one state five private security guards and one migrant have been identified over their probable responsibility for the tragedy. Four arrest warrants are expected to be requested on Thursday. Among the crimes being investigated by the Attorney Generals Office are homicide and damage to the property of others. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Romania's accession to the Schengen area was among the topics addressed by president Klaus Iohannis and the minister of Interior of the Spanish government Fernando Grande-Marlaska Gomez, who was on an official visit to Bucharest, the Presidential Administration informs. According to the source, the visit to Romania of the Spanish Interior minister takes place in the context of the "excellent" cooperation relationship between the two countries, with the goal of further developing the dialogue on the line of Internal Affairs and Police Cooperation, as well as in view of the takeover by Spain of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of this year, told Agerpres. President Klaus Iohannis highlighted the positive framework of the bilateral relationship between Romania and Spain, this year celebrating ten years since it was raised to the level of Strategic Partnership, as well as the excellent bilateral, European and NATO cooperation. The head of the state sent thanks to the Spanish authorities for the open support shown to the Romanian community in Spain. As for the holding by Spain of the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of this year, president Iohannis expressed Romania's support for its priorities and reiterated our openness to work closely together to advance the European agenda and successfully overcome the current challenges. "The president of Romania discussed our country's goal to successfully complete the accession to the Schengen area this year, expressing thanks for the constant and unconditional support provided by Spain for Romania's accession. At the same time, president Klaus Iohannis reaffirmed the interest of our country to be actively involved in identifying solutions at European level regarding the management of migration," the Presidential Administration informs. Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska Gomez stressed the excellent cooperation between the two countries in the field of Internal Affairs and expressed appreciation for Romania's openness to support the future Spanish Presidency of the EU Council in advancing important files in the fields of migration and asylum, police cooperation, the fight against trafficking in human beings, security, etc. The Spanish official also pointed out that Romania's accession to the Schengen area is in the interest of the entire European Union, contributing to strengthening the security of the European space, noting that it will continue to actively support this goal including during the exercise of the mandate of the Presidency of the EU Council. Prince Radu has met on Wednesday at the Elisabeta Palace with senior officers of the National Defence Ministry (MApN) and other military structures who are in the Strategic Leadership Course of the Carol I National Defence University, whom he presented to "an outlook of the royal actions aimed at national defence and security." "The trainee officers met with His Royal Highness Prince Radu, who presented before the senior military body an outlook of the royal actions aimed at national defence and security, as well as strengthening democracy: the connection between civilians and servicemen, the humanitarian effort as a result of the armed conflict in Ukraine, the higher military education, the promotion at external level of the Romanian servicemen's performances and projects within NATO and the EU, social and cultural projects of the veterans of theatres of operations. The lecture was followed, as always, by a dialogue between Her Royal Highness and the MApN officers," a Facebook post of the Royal Family of Romania informs on Thursday. Called "Strategic leadership," the post-university professional development course lasts 18 weeks and is annually organized by the Carol I National Defence University, being one of the most advanced courses of the higher military education institution, told Agerpres. The course aims to develop the professional competences specific to the leadership of the armed forces at strategic level in times of peace, crisis and war and provides a complex interdisciplinary training necessary to improve the abilities, characteristics and relevant skills of future leaders of the Romanian Army. State adviser Laszlo Borbely, coordinator of the Department for Sustainable Development within the Government, represented Romania at the Forum on Sustainable Development in the UNECE Region (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe), which took place on March 29 and 30, at the Palace of Nations in Geneva. According to a press release, Laszlo Borbely supported the country's intervention in the high-level plenary session and pointed out that Romania remains a reliable partner open to the partnership for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. "Romania, as a regional hub regarding sustainable development, is one of the states that every time makes significant contributions to international conferences due to the efforts we have made in recent years to implement the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development. We have a robust and functional institutional framework and we have developed important tools. We need to look more closely at the evolution of the indicators, because halfway through the implementation period of the 17 goals for sustainable development, the challenges are immense and most of us would have liked to be much more advanced. For this reason, we must change the approach, in the sense of accelerating progress based on the principles of sustainable development. Romania remains a reliable partner open to the partnership for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals," said Laszlo Borbely, quoted in the press release. The source emphasized that Romania was one of the two states that presented, within the multi-stakeholder panel, high-impact initiatives to boost the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.AGERPRES The traffic through the Giurgiu Border Crossing point (PTF) is blocked on Thursday, in both directions, because of the protests of the Bulgarian farmers who announced that their street actions will be unfolding between 08:00hrs and 16:00hrs, the Giurgiu County Border Police Inspectorate (ITPF) announced. "Taking into account the protest actions of the Bulgarian grain producers in the area adjacent to the Ruse-Giurgiu PTF, the actions that are to be carried out 29-31 March, between 08.00hrs-16.00hrs, we inform you that, at the moment, the traffic through the Giurgiu PTF is suspended in both directions for trucks and for touring vehicles, as a result of the traffic lanes being blocked. We mention that the Traffic online application has been updated according to the development of the protest and how it will affect the traffic," the ITPF representatives mention. Both truck drivers and tourists are advised to use the other crossing points at the border with Bulgaria, as well as to consult the Traffic online application, available on the Border Police website www.politiadefrontiera.ro. This application shows an average of waiting times at the border crossing points for certain time intervals, told Agerpres. The reform of the pension system in Romania must include the elimination of existing discrimination between different professional categories working under the same conditions, otherwise it will continue to create discontent among employees by maintaining the current inequalities, says president of the Meridian National Union of Police and Civil Servants Voinea Negoita. "In the public space, information has appeared that, in this period when the draft law on the reform of special pensions is being debated, customs workers would request that this professional category also benefit from this "privilege." Thus, the deputies would have received a proposal for an amendment to the draft law requiring that the employees of the Romanian Customs Authority be granted, after at least 20 years of activity and 35 years of contributions, a service pension in the amount of 65% of the calculation base represented by the average income achieved in the last 12 months before the retirement date," the union leader is quoted as saying in a press release sent to AGERPRES Thursday. According to the quoted source, customs workers are asking for a right that another professional category benefits from, namely border police officers, who work under the same conditions at border crossing points. Thus, if the pension system in Romania is to be reformed, it would also be necessary to eliminate the existing discrimination between the different categories of employees, Voinea Negoita believes, told Agerpres. In his opinion, it should be mentioned that border crossing points are used to control people, means of transport, freight goods and other goods. "In this context, only travel documents are checked by the border police officer, while the customs officer checks means of transport and goods, as well as goods and valuables belonging to individuals. Although they work under the same conditions and the number of border guards is double or even triple, customs officers currently retire at the age of 65 compared to their colleagues who retire at 50, and the calculation of the pension is based on contributions," says the president of the Meridian Trade Union. Last but not least, discrimination is also found in the granting of salary rights, in that the employees of the Romanian Customs Authority do not benefit from the bonuses for border activities, the rights granted for working with service dogs or the payment for Saturdays and Sundays on duty. Regarding the amendment proposal from the customs workers, it should be noted that it provides for more restrictive conditions for retirement than those of border police officers and that the pension would be cancelled if the beneficiary were convicted in connection with his activity as a public official with special status within the Romanian Customs Authority, the press release says. Deputy of the Save Romania Union (USR) Iulian Bulai said on Thursday that he has been informed by European Commission representatives that no formal request has been decided and sent by the Romanian authorities to change the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) and that there are "great vulnerabilities" in the PNRR regarding investments in the energy and medical areas. "This morning, together with my colleague, Cristian Seidler, I had a meeting, in the joint European Affairs and Budget-Finance Committees, with the European Commission representative who manages the PNRR for Romania and other countries, Celine Gauer. We discussed about where we stand now with the PNRR. There is very important information received within this meeting. First of all, no decision has been taken and no formal request has been sent to change the PNRR, there are big vulnerabilities in the PNRR at the moment with regard to two investment segments: energy and health," Bulai said at the Palace of Parliament. He added that the representative of the European Commission has mentioned that changes can be made to the PNRR in order not to lose funding until 2026, with the note that they must be made now if this is desired, told Agerpres. In his turn, USR deputy Cristian Seidler mentioned that European Commission representatives are aware of the draft law initiated by the Government on special pensions. "They were aware of the bill on the so-called reform of special pensions, but also of the amendments in the Senate and they were very clear - in its current form, this law does not correspond to the PNRR milestone. We also asked how much money would Romania lose if the pension reform milestones were not met (... ) Their response was that Romania risks losing billions of EUR if it misses these reforms. However, they hope that Romania can still meet these milestones and receive the money, because it needs this money for reforms and investments. On 31 March, the deadline for the adoption of the new law on contributory pensions expires, and the Government has not even adopted this draft law in the Government meeting. (...) Romania is also in a major delay with the reform of the contributory pension system, not only with the reform of the special pension system," Seidler explained. He mentioned that for the number 2 payment request of the PNRR, the reform of special pensions is requested and the reform of the contributory pension system is requested for the third payment request. The Violoncellissimo Ensemble will perform on Thursday evening at the Theatre Hall in Ruse, Bulgaria, as part of the final concert of the March Music Days International Festival, according to a press release sent to AGERPRES. "Together with current and former students, my wonderful younger colleagues, we are looking forward to sharing with our friends in Bulgaria a surprising repertoire, full of energy, humour and good music," said cellist Marin Cazacu, leader of the ensemble. Violoncellissimo is one of the best known Romanian chamber ensembles, formed at the initiative of Marin Cazacu, with the mission to open new paths for the promotion of music and young talents in Romania, told Agerpres. The ensemble held its first national tour in 2019, and in the following years it continued its story through similar events with echoes all over the country. In recent years, it has performed at important cultural events in Romania and abroad: at the UNESCO Great Hall in Paris - the 65th anniversary of Romania at UNESCO, October 2021; at Expo 2020 Dubai, December 2021; on the occasion of the 140th anniversary of the birth of Constantin Brancusi, in Brussels; at the UNITER Awards Gala, in Washington, Luxembourg, Istanbul, Prague, etc. The deaths of at least 38 people in a fire that broke out at a migrant detention center in Ciudad Juarez, on the Mexico-U.S. border, is the latest evidence of a migratory crisis presenting huge challenges for a large part of the Americas region and shows the urgent need for a comprehensive response. The immediate priority, however, is to clarify exactly what happened at the immigration center located near the Stanton-Lerdo International Bridge, a few hundred meters from the United States, which is run Mexican National Institute of Migration (INM), nominally dependent on the Secretariat of the Interior. According to the Mexican authorities, the fire was started by migrants being held there as a form of protest after they learned they were to be deported. That may be the case, but it remains scandalous that none of the agents charged with their care were able to respond to the emergency. Moreover, the facilitys security cameras captured horrific images: the detainees were locked in cells and the guards did not open them even when smoke and flames began to engulf the building, condemning them to die of burns and asphyxiation. The majority of the victims were Central American and Venezuelan migrants attempting to reach the United States. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has promised a full and thorough investigation, one that he said will be transparent and exhaustive. The Mexican president has acknowledged that conflicting versions of events have been circulating. A lack of oversight led several government departments to report contradictory death tolls and the investigation has been left in the hands of the Attorney General, Alejandro Gertz, one of Lopez Obradors most trusted officials. Getting to the bottom of what happened in Ciudad Juarez is a matter of the greatest urgency. First and foremost, to offer justice for the relatives of the victims, who arrived in the border city at the end of a journey full of hardship and humiliation. And secondly, to prevent the evidence of what took place from being lost or contaminated. This tragedy is the latest in a trend that is becoming more and more difficult to manage. Migration is not only one of the main gears of coexistence in the Americas, but it also to a great extent determines diplomatic relations between Washington and the rest of the continent. Last week marked three years since the implementation of the controversial Title 42, a legislative measure adopted by Donald Trump at the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic that effectively closed U.S. borders to prevent the spread of the virus. The Supreme Court is scheduled to soon make a ruling on repealing the regulation at the request of the Joe Biden administration. The courts decision will help clarify the situation of a multitude of migrants waiting in limbo at the U.S.-Mexico border, while tens of thousands more are concentrated in southern Mexico waiting to depart on the onward journey toward the United States. In the meantime, the authorities must leave no stone unturned in determining who is responsible for the tragedy in Ciudad Juarez, at whatever cost. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the sudden shift to remote work for many launched a wave of think pieces about whether the trend would keep up once the threat of the coronavirus was less imminent. Now, as the Biden administration plans to end the public health emergency come May, recent federal data has the answer: Sort of. Remote work spiked during the pandemic starting in March 2020, but new data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that boom is winding down. The majority of private establishments 72.5% did not offer partial or full remote work from August to September 2022, compared with 60.1% from July to September 2021, according to a March 22 report by the BLS, based on its 2022 Business Response Survey. This government data suggests that employers that offered remote work earlier in the pandemic are now pulling some workers back into offices. From July to September 2021, the percentage of establishments with some (but not all) employees teleworking was 29.8%; during the period from August to September 2022, that percentage dropped to 16.4%. Remember that most positions cant be done remotely, as evidenced by a November 2020 analysis of 2,000 tasks and 800 jobs in nine countries by McKinsey & Co., a global management consulting firm. This analysis found that more than half the workforce has little or no ability to perform duties remotely. The decline in remote work from earlier in the pandemic is just one piece of the story. From another angle, there are still more remote workers than before the pandemic. BLS data shows that, in February 2020, just 23.3% of private establishments had employees working remotely some or all of the time. From August to September 2022, those establishments had 27.5% of their employees teleworking some or all of the time. Its also worth pointing out that even if companies are pulling back some of their fully remote workers, a slightly higher percentage of private companies offered remote work full time in 2022 compared with 2021. In the period from July to September 2021, 10.3% of companies surveyed by the BLS offered remote work full time. From August to September 2022, about 11.1% companies offered this ability. Which industries still offer remote work? As expected, the companies employing the highest percentage of remote workers were in white-collar industries, the BLS data from August to September 2022 shows: Information: 67.4%. Professional and business sectors: 49%. Educational services: 46%. Wholesale trade: 39%. Where are employees working remotely? The BLS data shows that the states with the highest percentage of employees remotely working all the time during the August to September 2022 period were: Washington, D.C.: 23.6%. Arizona: 17.4%. Colorado: 16.5%. Rhode Island: 15.8%. Idaho: 15.3%. The states with the lowest percentage of employees remote working all the time during the same time period were: Mississippi: 5.3%. North Dakota: 5.4%. Alabama: 6.2%. Kentucky: 7.1%. Alaska: 7.3%. Anna Helhoski writes for NerdWallet. Email: anna@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @AnnaHelhoski. The article Is the Remote Work Boom Busting? originally appeared on NerdWallet. WASHINGTON U.S. Republican Senator Rand Paul on Wednesday blocked a bid to fast-track a ban of popular Chinese-owned social media app TikTok, which more than 150 million Americans use, citing concerns about free speech and uneven treatment of social media companies. "I think we should beware of those who use fear to coax Americans to relinquish our liberties," Paul said on the Senate floor. "Every accusation of data gathering that has been attributed to TikTok could also be attributed to domestic big tech companies." Republican Senator Josh Hawley had sought unanimous consent for a TikTok ban bill. "It protects the American people and it sends a message to Communist China that you cannot buy us," Hawley said, adding the app is spying on Americans. "If Republicans want to continuously lose elections for a generation they should pass this bill to ban TikTok a social media app used by 150 million people, primarily young Americans," Paul said on the Senate floor. "Do we really want to emulate Chinese speech bans?... We're going to be just like China and ban speech we're afraid of?" House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said last week he expects the House will take up a bill to address TikTok but the timing is unclear. It is also not clear what a final bill to address TikTok might look like. A small but growing number of Democrats and Republicans have raised concerns, citing free speech and other issues and have objected to legislation targeting TikTok as overly broad. TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew appeared before Congress last week and faced tough questions about national security concerns over the ByteDance-owned app. Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in a TikTok video on Friday opposed a TikTok ban, calling it "unprecedented" and said Congress has not gotten classified TikTok briefings. "It just doesn't feel right to me," she said. Last week, three Democrats in the House of Representatives opposed a TikTok ban, as do free speech groups like the American Civil Liberties Union. Earlier this month, the Biden administration demanded TikTok's Chinese owners divest their stakes or face a U.S. ban. Then President Donald Trump's attempts in 2020 to ban TikTok were blocked by U.S. courts. TikTok says it has spent more than $1.5 billion on rigorous data security efforts and rejects spying allegations. Many Democrats argue Congress should pass comprehensive privacy legislation covering all social media sites, not just TikTok. Senators Mark Warner, a Democrat, and John Thune, a Republican, have proposed the RESTRICT Act, which now has 22 Senate cosponsors, to give the Commerce Department power to impose restrictions up to and including banning TikTok and other technologies that pose national security risks. It would apply to foreign technologies from China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Venezuela and Cuba. Paul said the bill "would basically be a limitless authority for the president to ban speech." A growing number of conservatives oppose the measure. Former Republican Representative Justin Amash said the "RESTRICT Act isnt about banning TikTok; its about controlling you. It gives broad powers to the executive branch, with few checks, and will be abused in every way you can imagine." A Warner spokesperson said, "To be extremely clear, this legislation is aimed squarely at companies like Kaspersky, Huawei and TikTok that create systemic risks to the United States national security not at individual users." Updated at 6:30 p.m. ST. LOUIS A Cuba, Missouri, man was indicted Thursday in federal court on accusations he fatally shot a man while he slept, then stole and distributed his methamphetamine. Terry W. Winebarger, 51, was also charged in state court in February with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of John H. Stevens. Police said Stevens' roommate discovered him at home Feb. 18 in the 7800 block of Utica Drive in Hanley Hills with multiple gunshot wounds to the head. A witness said they saw Winebarger shoot him. Federal authorities wrote in court documents that Winebarger shot Stevens while he was sleeping, stole his methamphetamine and was later arrested in a vehicle with the murder weapon. He also said "I did this" on a jail call after his arrest and admitted to consuming meth and "mushrooms" before the killing, federal prosecutors wrote. Stevens is now facing federal charges of discharging a firearm during a drug trafficking crime resulting in death, possessing meth with the intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a gun. ST. LOUIS A man accused of shooting and killing a Shaw neighborhood resident behind his home last year pleaded not guilty Thursday by reason of insanity. Kyle A. Stone, 21, is facing charges of murder, armed criminal action in the death of Christopher Brennan, as well as a separate felony stealing case. Tuesday's hearing was the first time in roughly eight months he appeared before the court after multiple continuances while officials completed a mental evaluation. Last week, his attorneys filed notice that he intended to present a defense that he was not guilty by reason of insanity. Stone's family told the Post-Dispatch last year he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and autism when he was 18, but they struggled to get him follow-up care. Stone is charged with taking a Black 2011 GMC Yukon with an attached trailer and a 2012 Buick Lacrosse in the days before May 20, when he struggled with and shot Brennan, 47, in Brennan's backyard in the 4000 block of Flora Place. Within 20 minutes, multiple witnesses and surveillance video led police to Stone, court documents say. The Shaw neighborhood was shaken following Brennan's death. Neighbors hung large green bows on tree trunks and porch columns to show support for his grieving family. A representative for Brennan's family declined comment Tuesday. Another status hearing in Stone's case is set for April 13. ST. CHARLES COUNTY In a surprise move, St. Charles County Prosecutor Tim Lohmar announced Thursday he was resigning, less than five months after he was reelected to another four-year term. Lohmar, in a news release, said he and his family decided several months ago he could no longer give this job the energy and attention it requires and still have time for my family and for my own health and well-being. Inevitably, there will be questions about my decision and about its timing mid-term, said Lohmar, 49. Let me answer them this way: this is not a sudden decision or an easy one. The job of prosecuting attorney is rewarding, challenging, and at times grueling. The news release announcing the resignation said Lohmar, who has been prosecutor since 2012 and an associate circuit judge before that, would not take questions from the news media. The release was issued by the county government at Lohmars request and not by his own office. Under the county charter, County Executive Steve Ehlmann, a fellow Republican, will name a successor who must be approved by the St. Charles County Council. Ehlmann said in an interview that Lohmar had told him a month or so ago about his intention to resign and that he planned to go into private law practice. Ehlmann said he cited no other reasons. If there are other reasons hes resigning, he hasnt shared them with me, Ehlmann said. Ehlmann said he had appointed Jennifer Bartlett, an assistant prosecutor on Lohmars staff and a former Warren County prosecutor, as acting prosecutor. She was to take over when Lohmars resignation took effect at 5 p.m. He said Bartlett is not seeking the permanent position. Lohmar in his statement gave no indication that his decision was related to controversy over his arrest last summer on suspicion of DWI after he was stopped by Lake Ozark, Missouri, police. No charges have ever been filed in the case. A case review hearing is set for Monday in Miller County to discuss whether Lohmar should be allowed to continue to drive until a potential DWI investigation is closed, charges are filed or the case is adjudicated. In 2019, Lohmar faced an investigation by the Missouri Attorney Generals office into allegations he harassed his ex-girlfriend, St. Charles County Associate Circuit Judge Erin Burlison, after the two parted from a lengthy, serious relationship. Lohmar eventually issued a public apology, acknowledging his actions were irresponsible. In his time as prosecutor, Lohmar has been involved in a number of high-profile cases, including that of Pamela Hupp, who was sentenced to life in prison in 2019 for fatally shooting a mentally disabled man. Lohmar also charged 61-year-old Earl W. Cox with first-degree murder in the death of 9-year-old Angie Houseman a case that had gone cold for 25 years. In August 2016, Lohmar was appointed as a special prosecutor in the case of now-state Sen. Steve Roberts of St. Louis, who had been accused of rape by the late Cora Faith Walker, who also was a state legislator at the time. Lohmar declined to press charges, saying that there was not enough evidence to show that the sexual relations between the two people were not consensual. Lohmar in his resignation statement cited the prosecution of Cox as one of his accomplishments. He also pointed to his establishment of a special victims unit to prosecute sexual offenders, child abusers and domestic abusers. He also said he took a zero-tolerance approach to violent crime by seeking high bonds and mandatory prison terms for weapons offenses and gun violence. He also cited his offices work with a police task force working to eradicate vehicle thefts and break-ins. St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell, a Democrat, said his office and Lohmars office had worked very well together and that Lohmar several months ago had told him of his pending decision. From the very beginning, Tim has been nothing but supportive to myself and our office, and I wish him nothing but the best, said Bell, who was first elected in 2018. This is the second time Ehlmann will get to appoint his countys prosecutor. Thats how Lohmar got the job in the first place in 2012 when he was named to succeed Jack Banas after Banas won election as a circuit judge. Lohmar then ran for a full four-year term in 2014 and was reelected in 2018 and last year. No one ran against him in any of those races. Ehlmann said he is accepting applications for the position until 6 p.m. Wednesday and will set up interviews of potential candidates. He said among those expressing interest in succeeding Lohmar has been a female judge but he didnt identify her. Under the charter, whoever is appointed would have to run in elections next year to continue in office for the rest of Lohmars four-year term. Joe Holleman and Katie Kull of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report. Updated at 3:55 p.m. ST. LOUIS New U.S. Census Bureau estimates show St. Louis continuing a decades-long population slide while St. Charles County and other outer suburban areas keep growing. But the gains in outer-rim areas werent enough to keep the overall metro area from losing an estimated 11,000-plus residents from July 2021 to July 2022, the period covered by the report released late Wednesday. According to the new estimates, the citys population dropped 2.38%, to 286,578 from 293,562. St. Louis Countys total went down by 0.78%, to 990,414 from 998,227. Farther west, St. Charles County increased by 0.8%, to 413,803. Jefferson, Franklin, Lincoln and Warren counties also gained, with Lincoln showing the biggest percentage increase, 2.43%. But the total for the overall area, including 14 counties and the city of St. Louis, was down 0.4%, to 2,801,319. Jason Hall, the CEO of Greater St. Louis Inc. the areas main business group said these numbers give a clear indication of the challenge our region faces and underscore why growth and expanded opportunity need to be the major goal. We must do this work now, with a sense of urgency, in order to win this decade and reverse these trends by 2030. Ness Sandoval, a sociologist at St. Louis University, said the estimates came as no surprise, given recent trends. I think its about what we expected, Sandoval said. Theres nothing inconsistent in these estimates and whats happened the past few years. He said he expects further details will show that the number of deaths will again outpace births here, as they did for the first time in the most recent previous population estimates released a year ago. Thats going to tell us the larger story, he said. Jim Wild, executive director of the regional East-West Gateway Council of Governments, said the size of the losses in the city and St. Louis County were larger than he expected but that the area-wide data tracked with previous information. Over the last couple of decades, weve been a slow-growth region, Wild said. Scott Drachnik, president and CEO of the Economic Development Council of St. Charles County, said while the new estimates showed his county doing well, the entire region needs to prosper. As a region, weve got to find a way to turn this around, he said. We welcome anyone who wants to come to St. Charles County but we want to see growth around the region and across the state. The new estimates indicated Missouris population essentially was static, growing by just 8,134 people to about 6.18 million. Going in the other direction was Illinois, which the Census Bureau said had a net loss of more than 104,000 residents last year, to 12.58 million. The two biggest Metro East counties, St. Clair and Madison, both lost population, by 0.92% and 0.39% respectively. 2022 POPULATION ESTIMATES COUNTY 2021 2022 Change Bond County, Ill. 16,633 16,566 -0.40% Calhoun County, Ill. 4,385 4,360 -0.57% Clinton County, Ill. 36,886 36,909 0.06% Franklin County, Mo. 105,328 105,879 0.52% Jefferson County, Mo. 227,934 229,336 0.62% Jersey County, Ill. 21,370 21,246 -0.58% Lincoln County, Mo. 61,654 63,155 2.43% Macoupin County, Ill. 44,545 44,245 -0.67% Madison County, Ill. 264,898 263,864 -0.39% Monroe County, Ill. 34,993 35,033 0.11% St. Charles County, Mo. 410,511 413,803 0.80% St. Clair County, Ill. 255,022 252,671 -0.92% St. Louis City, Mo. 293,562 286,578 -2.38% St. Louis County, Mo. 998,227 990,414 -0.78% Warren County, Mo. 36,529 37,260 2.00% St. Louis MSA 2,812,477 2,801,319 -0.40% JEFFERSON CITY The Missouri Senate on Thursday gave final approval to a measure nullifying local bans on cat declawing, a procedure that many veterinarians advise against. Sen. Justin Brown, R-Rolla, said local jurisdictions shouldnt be allowed to obstruct the practice of veterinary medicine. St. Louis and St. Louis County both have ordinances against cat declawing. The effort is just one moving in the Legislature this year to limit local governments. Other measures range from targeting electric vehicle charging regulations to placing the St. Louis Police Department under state control. Browns measure goes further than only preempting cat declawing ordinances. The legislation would ban local governments from enforcing any policy that prohibits, restricts, limits, regulates, controls, directs, or interferes with the practice of veterinary medicine. Local governments would still be able to regulate zoning and land use, require animal vaccinations and licensing and prohibit animal abuse, among other acts, according to the legislation. The legislation advanced to the House on a 22-11 vote. All 10 Democrats voted against the plan along with Sen. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove. Senators on Thursday also voted to ban local governments from enacting or enforcing moratoriums on eviction proceedings, which gained attention during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. That legislation advanced to the House on a 25-8 vote, with only Democrats voting against. Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo, D-Independence, supported the bill, along with Sen. Karla May, D-St. Louis. The action Thursday followed movement on a House effort to limit local control of pet stores. The bill came in response to rules in Democratic-run jurisdictions against selling dogs, cats and rabbits at stores amid animal welfare concerns. That legislation advanced to the Senate on March 20 on a 102-51 vote. Lawmakers are also considering whether to unplug local rules on electric vehicle charging stations. Efforts to limit local control this year extend to law enforcement. Senators as of this week had yet to take up legislation to place a governor-appointed special prosecutor in charge of several types of violent crime cases in St. Louis, partially sidelining Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner. The House overwhlemingly approved the legislation in February. Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey, a Republican, is moving forward with court proceedings to remove Gardner, a Democrat, from office. Gardner this week said she would run for reelection in 2024. In response, Rep. Brad Christ, R-south St. Louis County, said he would file legislation preventing anyone removed from office through the proceeding Bailey launched from running for that office again. If our legal process confirms an official isnt fit to hold office, we need to honor the finality of that decision and protect the process from being circumvented simply by running for office again, Christ said in a statement. A push to once again place the St. Louis Police Department under state control is also stalled in the Senate, awaiting debate. Lawmakers have six more weeks until Friday, May 12 to finish work for the year. Its not the first year state lawmakers have attempted to chip away at local powers. Last week, the Missouri Supreme Court upheld a 2019 law banning counties from enforcing regulations on concentrated animal feeding operations stricter than state rules. Rockwell Automation, a leading company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, has announced Wael Radwan as country sales director, Gulf cluster. This covers operations in UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Yemen, Egypt & Libya. Radwan will be based in the UAE and report directly to Sebastien Grau, regional sales vice president, Middle East, Turkey, and Africa. Radwan joined Rockwell Automation in 2011, as regional sales manager of the power control business. In his roles, he delivered successful results for Rockwell Automation. In 2018 he took the role of acting country director for Turkey and most recently was regional channel manager, Middle East, Turkey, and Africa since 2015, where he delivered growth across key geographies, industries, and portfolios by developing a winning market access ecosystem strategy for Rockwell Automation. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from University of Manchester Manchester Business School, and a master's degree in electrical power from Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. Growth in the region Grau said: "We are thrilled about this change in our META leadership team and the impact for our organisation, company, and customers in the Gulf cluster. In this role, Wael will be responsible for leading and transforming the company growth in the region, maintaining focus on our core business and will double down in our ARR (annual recurring revenue) through lifecycle services and information solution businesses, which will help strengthen Rockwell presence in the region. Moreover, his previous experience in developing a winning market access eco-system will help to expand the company's reach into new geography."-- TradeArabia News Service Mobile phone theft is a pest that manufacturers try to deal with by means of remote blocking or geolocation systems. Up until now, the devices used to end up being sold in the second-hand market, but a new intention has been detected behind this criminal act: access to the users digital identity, with the greater potential for economic damage it entails. In a recent article, The Wall Street Journal brings attention to this growing trend that is taking place in bars and cafes throughout the United States: the thieves keep an eye on their victims until they see them enter their PIN code (sometimes even getting it on video), and then, in a moment of distraction, they steal the phone. Six digits: A fragile lock, the prelude to the nightmare The operation is quite simple and profitable, and its success lies in a series of combined vulnerabilities. First, human comfort. It is much easier to unlock a phone by entering a few digits than to do it with several characters that include numbers and symbols. The users mind is set at ease by the thought that a biometric system protects their information; however, all mobile phones can be unlocked with a PIN code in case the biometrics fail. This is where the tricky balance between comfort and safety comes into play. A four-digit pin allows you to quickly unlock the screen and is very easy to remember, especially if it is the same sequence that you use for other things, like ATMs. Humans are practical beings and always try to find the shortest route between two points, and regarding passwords, the brain continues to opt for shortcuts even if we are aware of the risks of not using complex combinations. A study carried out by researchers from the University of Zhejiang in China showed that the brain has a particular way of behaving when it comes to remembering (or forgetting) passwords: it retained random sequences with no particular importance better than those that the participants were actually trying to memorize. Say a person was trying to remember a new password, 1564, and while walking home they saw a houses number, 1345; they were more likely to recall the latter. A four-digit numerical pin is not very secure against any attacker who knows about brute force techniques, explains Jose Manuel Avalos, general manager of cybersecurity firm BeDisruptive, which consist of trying different combinations of characters until you find the right one. The expert recommends using an alphanumeric password with special characters, and make it much longer. Make it long and complex, not comfortable Once the PIN to unlock the phone is known, not only is there access to the devices contents, but also to some apps that use this blocking system as an access verification method. Most bank apps, for example, explains Christian Collado, coordinator of Andro4all.com. In this way, the PIN is the last door through which attackers access all the information of the phones owner, including bank accounts (if they are configured on the device). How paradoxical that the same manufacturer that invests in sophisticated biometric unlocking solutions, allows all this security to be broken by just six digits. We trust the entire supply chain, explains cybersecurity expert Adrian Moreno, from the manufacturer to the store that sells it to us; we trust the designers, the company that writes the software and the antivirus program. But it is the user who, ultimately, chooses between convenience and security possibly taking the latter for granted. The best is to use biometric methods (fingerprints or facial recognition) to unlock the phone in public places, recommends Collado. If this is not possible, use a PIN of six or more digits, or an alphanumeric password with a combination of letters, numbers and symbols. The ultimate goal is to prevent someone from spying on the activity on the screen and then stealing the device. When they do get away with it, everything happens very quickly. The criminals access the smartphones control panel in a matter of minutes. Then, they change the password of the Google or iCloud account. With this, they prevent it from being recovered from another device, in addition to deactivating the geolocation. What you can do to protect yourself Joanna Stern the writer of the Wall Street Journal piece interviewed a woman who discovered that her iPhone had been stolen in a New York bar. Three minutes later, she had lost access to her Apple account, and in less than 24 hours $10,000 in investment funds had vanished. Luckily, being such an obvious method, the solution cannot be simpler: just make it as difficult as possible for them to get the password. In this regard, experts emphatically suggest avoiding simple strings of four or six numbers and making the password as complicated as possible. It is best to make it long, to include special characters and to mix upper and lower case. By complicating the password, you clearly lose the swiftness and convenience of entering a few-digit pin, but it is a price we have to pay for the sake of security. The experts go even further in their recommendations, urging users to unlink, as far as possible, the mobile unlock code from the access to certain accounts. In this way, the second vulnerability is minimized, preventing access to sensitive apps. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition UNIVERSITY CITY Health officials with St. Louis County and the city of St. Louis issued a warning Thursday urging residents not to eat anything purchased at Seafood City market in University City. Inspectors with the St. Louis County Department of Public Health visited the Asian market and grocery store located at 8020 Olive Boulevard on Wednesday in response to a complaint. They discovered the store was open and selling food despite being ordered to close in December because of multiple health violations, officials said. Inspectors also found multiple refrigerators storing food at unsafe temperatures, which can create toxins in the food that cannot be destroyed by cooking. The toxins can cause immediate illnesses with symptoms such as itching, blurred vision, headache, stomach pain, numbness and heart palpitations. Health officials urged anyone who has purchased food from Seafood City to discard it. Because restaurants may have purchased food from the market, they also recommend customers check with the staff before consuming any seafood. A county health department spokeswoman said the stores seafood counter was closed after a hearing in October 2021. The retail portion of the store, which sold pre-packaged foods, was allowed to operate until December 2022, when inspectors reported multiple violations, including coolers that were too warm, resulting in a score of 73%. The Dec. 15 report also showed that severe ceiling damage from a damaged roof caused rainwater to leak on food, floors, shelves and coolers. Other violations included no soap at handwashing sinks, oysters and shellfish not properly tagged, rotten produce and a leaking condenser above uncovered fish. On the same day, the owners posted on Google Reviews that Seafood City was closed for renovations with no estimated date to reopen, but they were still offering some pre-packaged fresh seafood, frozen options and delivery service. We have products from all over the world and fresh vegetables and meat, the post read. It was entirely predictable, but still despicable, that right-wing demagogues like Sen. Josh Hawley are trying to spin Mondays Nashville school shooting into an indictment of transgender Americans generally because the assailant happened to identify as trans. That was the obvious thrust of a Fox News discussion between the Missouri Republican and host Laura Ingraham that was initially about the shooting but morphed seamlessly into the utter non sequitur of transgender medicine. Weve got to tell the truth about what happened in Nashville, intoned Hawley, with his usual bigot-dog-whistle subtlety. Yes, by all means, lets tell the truth: Transgender Americans are a statistically microscopic percentage of mass shooters, the overwhelming majority of whom are cisgender white males. Yet weve been unable to find a single quote from Hawley after previous shootings suggesting theres something dangerously wrong with straight white men as a population. This is yet another calculated distraction from the fact that Hawley and his fellow conservatives have paralyzed America from taking any substantive action to impose reasonable restrictions on firearms. The shooter who killed three children and three adults at the Covenant Christian school Monday, identified by police as Audrey Hale, 28, reportedly was born female but had taken to using male pronouns on social media in recent years. There has been no reporting to indicate Hale had undergone gender-related surgery or was on gender-affirming drugs. But that hasnt stopped the chorus of speculation from the likes of Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Donald Trump Jr. among many others. How much hormones like testosterone and medications for mental illness was the transgender Nashville school shooter taking, tweeted Greene, unburdened as usual by any obligation to established facts (or grammatical competence). Everyone can stop blaming guns now. Then how about blaming politicians who, like Greene, have thwarted the passage of red flag laws that might have prevented Hale who was in fact a mental patient from legally obtaining seven guns? Trump Jr., meanwhile, tweeted about an incredible rise of trans/non-binary mass shooters in the last few years by far the largest group committing as a percentage of population. Where the former presidents son dredged up that bit of fanciful disinformation is anyones guess, but its the opposite of true. As The Washington Post concluded in an analysis this week, Americans who identify as transgender make up about 0.6% of the national population, and so would be statistically expected to have committed 16 of the 2,697 U.S. mass shootings of the past five years. Instead, just three of those tragedies, including this one, were committed by transgender assailants. Implicating an entire segment of the population based on a heinous crime committed by one member of that population is the very definition of bigotry. And its especially offensive when the statistical facts point in the opposite direction. Glattpark (Opfikon), 30 March 2023 On 29 March 2023 Implenia signed a contract to acquire 100% of the share capital of Wincasa. The seller is Swiss Prime Site Group. The purchase price of CHF 171.6 million is being paid out of Implenias own liquidity from profitable business activities. Closing of the transaction is planned during the second quarter of 2023, subject to regulatory approvals. With Wincasa, the leading Swiss real estate service provider joins the Implenia Group. Wincasa manages more than 250,000 properties for its clients and holds CHF 81 billion of assets under management. Its approximately 1,350 employees (FTE) work at 33 locations throughout Switzerland. For Implenia, the acquisition is a strategically attractive opportunity to further complete its value chain and to offer its clients comprehensive real estate services. With this acquisition the Group continues to expand its outstanding position as an integrated construction and real estate service provider. Together with the additional real estate services offered by Wincasa, Implenia can deliver a unique, integrated offering for all clients from a single source. Combining capabilities to create a unique service offering with significant synergy and growth potential across the entire Implenia Group From the integration of Wincasa, Implenia expects significant synergy and growth potential for the entire Group. This will be realised by offering services along the entire value chain from consulting and planning, through execution to property management as well as by modernising the existing portfolio of managed properties. Streamnow, the digital service developed to market readiness by Wincasa, will complement Implenias efforts to make the interface with property users as efficient as possible. Last but not least, Implenia and Wincasa both have a long-standing commitment to sustainability in their business activities. Together, they will offer their clients comprehensive expertise in ESG reporting which is increasingly in demand over the entire life cycle of their properties. Existing and new Wincasa and Implenia clients will all benefit from this. Wincasa will be managed as an independent business unit within Division Buildings, and its strong, established brand will be retained. Wincasas operations will continue to be run seamlessly within Implenia by the existing management team. Wincasas integration into Implenia is being carefully planned and implemented by a dedicated team consisting of both Implenia and Wincasa representatives. Additional recurring earnings and higher-margin business are expected to lead to increasing earnings per share (EPS) before synergy potential already from the first full fiscal year onwards Implenia expects additional recurring earnings from the acquisition in future. Mutual revenue synergies, e.g. from consulting, construction and modernization projects as well as from additional management mandates, are planned to be realized within the Group. Wincasas EBIT margin of around 10% should also have a positive impact on Implenias margin profile in future. A positive annual EBIT contribution of around CHF 15 million is expected from 2024 onwards (pre-PPA, before amortisation of intangibles). In addition, Implenia expects initial synergy effects straight away; the Groups full annual synergy potential of around CHF 5 million will be realised from 2024 respectively of around CHF 10 million from 2027 onwards. The acquisition is expected to result in a sustained increase in earnings per share (EPS) before synergy potential from the first full fiscal year onwards. Wincasas real estate services business is in line with Implenias asset-light strategy. The purchase price of CHF 171.6 million is to be paid from cash that Implenia has generated from operating activities (CHF 608.8 million as per 31.12.2022). Andre Wyss, CEO of Implenia: The acquisition of Wincasa fits perfectly with our strategy with a clear focus on stable income from services along our value chain. We will benefit from Wincasas knowledge and client relationships. Based on our extensive expertise in real estate and building construction, we can develop Wincasa further and realise synergy and growth potential. By combining forces, we will be able to offer our clients a unique, integrated portfolio of services and thus further improve the Groups revenue and margin profile. Rene Zahnd, CEO Swiss Prime Site: The sale of Wincasa and the discontinuation of Jelmoli's operations from the end of 2024 create a company that is as lean as possible. We are now focusing on our first-class real estate portfolio and the high-growth asset management business. I am pleased that Implenia, the buyer, is strengthening and expanding its position as an integrated construction and real estate service provider, and that it is taking Wincasa forward with a targeted strategy. Conference call for Analysts and media: A conference call for analysts and media is taking place today from 9.15-10.00 a.m. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions. Link: Livestream (slidesync.com) Presentation for analysts and media: A PDF of the analyst and media presentation for download can be found here: PDF analyst and media presentation VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Falcon Gold Corp. (TSX-V:FG)(GR:3FA)(OTCQB: FGLDF); ("Falcon" or the "Company") is pleased to report the acquisition of 4,000 hectares of exploration claims pertinent to the Area 51 Project located in the Inca Del Oro mining district, Atacama Region, northern Chile. The Inca Del Oro mining district is situated along Chile's Paleocene age mineral belt, known to host multiple porphyry, skarn, and epithermal mineral deposits. Some of the highlights of the Area 51 Project include: 100% owned exploration claims totaling 4,000 hectares, located approximately 80 km northeast of Copiap mining city and airport. The project benefits from road access, proximity to infrastructure, and existing mine operations as well as year-round working conditions. Multiple mining and exploration projects in the vicinity, including the Inca de Oro porphyry Cu-Mo-Au-Ag deposit (460 million tonnes grading 0.40% Cu, PanAust, 2012, S&P Global ) and the Delirio deposit (17.4 million tonnes grading 0.47% Cu, 2021 Santiago Metals, S&P Global). The Area 51 exploration claim group is surrounded by other exploration and mining companies including Freeport McMoran, Newmont, Solaris Resources, and Mirasol Resources (Figure 1). Potential for copper and gold mineralization evidenced by the occurrence of multiple historical mine workings exhibiting mineralization, hydrothermal alteration footprints over volcanic calderas and existence of active mining and exploration projects in the proximity of Area 51 Project. Figure 1: Location of Falcon's Area 51 property. "We are very pleased to have acquired such an impressive land package in Chile, the country with the largest copper reserves in the world and one of Latin America's most stable jurisdictions. The Area 51 project is strategically situated in the same camp as Newmont and Freeport McMoran. This further adds to our new focus of expanding to jurisdictions outside of North America." Stated Karim Rayani Chief Executive Officer. About the Inca Del Oro Mining District The Inca del Oro Mining District lies within the world-class Chilean Paleocene age mineral Belt that hosts multiple porphyry Cu-Mo-Au deposits, epithermal Au-Ag deposits, and skarn Cu-Pb-Zn deposits. Historical exploration data collected by Newmont and Mirasol Resources suggest that prospective targets for copper and gold mineralization within the Inca del Oro Mining District are characterized by a correlation between surficial geochemical anomalies, intersection of northwest and northeast trending regional structures, and a magnetic-low geophysical response. Such features are also present at Area 51 property where aerial magnetic survey indicates a magnetic-low at the center of the Area 51 property where NW and NE structural trends converge (Figure 2a-b). Figure 2. a-Property Geology Map (1:100,00 scale). b- Aeromagnetic survey reduced-to-pole (RTP) (Source: Chilean Geological Survey, SERNAGEOMIN 2014). The figure displays the geophysical features that indicate magnetic-low in NW and NE structural trends convergence. In Area 51 property, three main target areas are recognized: Northern Target, Central Target, and Southern Target (Figure 2a-b). Northern Target lies in the periphery of a caldera structure with NW-oriented fracture-infill of chrysocolla and gypsum with Cu values larger than 5000 ppm (Figure 3a-b). Central Target exhibits a hydrothermally altered porphyritic rhyolite dome hosting sheeted epithermal veinlets veins replacing carbonates (Figure 3d). This zone is at least 125m wide by 400m long and prolongs onto neighboring claims to the west belonging to Mirasol Resources's Inca Gold Project. Mirasol's Sandra prospect/target within the Inca Gold Project reported at least five subparallel trends striking NW within an area of 2.5 kilometers x 4 kilometers, with continuous individual vein trends extending over lengths of up to 1.2 kilometers with wide individual veins (up to 3 meters) and intervening sheeted vein zones (20 meters). Metal grades in rock chip samples are up to 3.74 g/t Au, 172 g/t Ag and 2.24% Cu (Mirasol Resources, PR, Jan 13 2020). Southern Target corresponds to color anomaly 150m x 150m with hydrothermal breccias and carbonate replacement zones with quartz-pyrite and anomalous Pb and Zn content (> 5000 ppm) (Figure 3e). Future soil and rock geochemical sampling together with an Induced Polarization ("IP") geophysical survey over these three main targets will be a priority for the company. Figure 3. a-Local geology map and target location. b-Fracture-infill with chrysocolla mineralization. c-Detail of b. d-Sheeted veins of quartz and sulfides. d-Hydrothermal breccia with Quartz-FeOx-ankerite. Transaction Details Falcon has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the Area-51 property. Consideration for the property and data consists of US$ 10,000 in cash payable within the following 30 days upon closing of the transaction as well as the issue of 200,000 shares and 200,000 warrants. The warrants issuance will be set at a 25% premium to market based on WAP (Weight average price). The property is subject to a 1 % NSR, Falcon has the right to purchase the 1% for Falcon's 100% control and interest in the project for a one-time payment of US$ 1.2 Million. Qualified Person & QA/QC: The scientific and technical data contained in this news release was reviewed and approved by Julian Manco, P.Geo under Engineers & Geoscientists of British Columbia (EGBC), an independent qualified person to Falcon Gold Corp, who is responsible for ensuring that the information provided in this news release is accurate and who acts as a "qualified person" under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. About Falcon Gold Corp. Falcon is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on generating, acquiring, and exploring opportunities in the Americas. Falcon's flagship project, the Central Canada Gold Mine, is approximately 20 km southeast of Agnico Eagle's Hammond Reef Gold Deposit which has currently estimated 3.32 million ounces of gold (123.5 million tonnes grading 0.84 g/t gold) mineral reserves, and 2.3 million ounces of measured and indicated mineral resources (133.4 million tonnes grading 0.54 g/t gold). The Hammond Reef gold property lies on the Hammond shear zone, which is a northeast-trending splay off the Quetico Fault Zone ("QFZ") and may be the control for the gold deposit. The Central Gold property lies on a similar major northeast-trending splay of the QFZ. The Company holds additional projects: The Viernes Gold/Silver/Copper project in Antofagasta Chile, the Springpole West Property in the world-renowned Red Lake mining camp; a 49% interest in the Burton Gold property with Iamgold near Sudbury Ontario; and in B.C., the Spitfire-Sunny Boy, Gaspard Gold claims; The Great Burnt, Hope Brook, and Baie Verte acquisitions adjacent to First Mining, Matador, Benton-Sokoman's JV, and Marvel Discovery in Central Newfoundland; and most recently Battery Metals projects in Ontario and Quebec, The Timmins West and Outarde Property. CONTACT INFORMATION: Falcon Gold Corp. "Karim Rayani" Karim Rayani Chief Executive Officer, Director Telephone: (604) 716-0551 Email: [email protected] Cautionary Language and Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements which reflect the expectations of management. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations, or intentions regarding the future. Forward-looking statements in this press release relate to, among other things: completion of the Spin-Out. Actual future results may differ materially. 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. There is no assurance any of the conditions for closing will be met. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions, and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the respective parties, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these times. Except as required by law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. Neither 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. SOURCE: Falcon Gold Corp View source version on accesswire.com: LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Planet MicroCap, a global multimedia financial news, publishing and events company focusing on news dissemination, providing information, data and analytics for publicly traded MicroCap companies, today announced that the Spring 2023 Issue of the Planet MicroCap Review Magazine is now available in digital format. Click here to read: Planet MicroCap Review Spring 2023 Issue "On behalf of the entire Planet MicroCap Team we are pleased to announce the publishing of our Spring 2023 issue of the Planet MicroCap Review Magazine," said Robert Kraft, Planet MicroCap CEO. "The focus for this issue is reflecting on 2022 and what's ahead/strategizing for 2023. We'd like to thank all of our contributing writers, advertisers and subscribers for their contributions and continued support; please enjoy our Spring 2023 Issue." The Spring 2023 issue of the Planet MicroCap Review also includes profiles on public MicroCap companies, including: Planet MicroCap Review Magazine Spring 2023 Issue includes articles from leading thinkers, experts and influencers in the MicroCap space: FEATURE : Navigating the Biotech Bear Market and Biotech's 4 Hottest Trends for 2023, Q&A with David Sable, Portfolio Manager for the Special Situations Life Sciences Fund & Life Sciences Innovation Venture Capital Funds : Navigating the Biotech Bear Market and Biotech's 4 Hottest Trends for 2023, Q&A with David Sable, Portfolio Manager for the Special Situations Life Sciences Fund & Life Sciences Innovation Venture Capital Funds FEATURE: Your Sustainable Supply Chain: It's Time For MicroCaps to Report on ESG, Seth Forman, Socialsuite Your Sustainable Supply Chain: It's Time For MicroCaps to Report on ESG, Seth Forman, Socialsuite FEATURE: Value Investing in 2023, Q&A with Joe Koster, Sorfis Investments Value Investing in 2023, Q&A with Joe Koster, Sorfis Investments FEATURE: Will Investor Optimism Return to Asia in 2023? Q&A with Michael Fritzell, Asian Century Stocks Will Investor Optimism Return to Asia in 2023? Q&A with Michael Fritzell, Asian Century Stocks Market Maker Corner: "Why is it So Difficult?" by Eric Flesche, Glendale Securities "The Art of Uplisting" by Joseph Lucosky, Esq., Lucosky Brookman "How OTC Companies Can Utilize SPACs to Get Listed on a National Exchange" by Gustave Passanante, Esq., The Basile Law Firm "Never Discount the MicroCap CFO" by Kelly Anderson, Executive Solutions, LLC "Small Business Growth Starts with Right Framework" by Jackie Kibler, Vistage Worldwide Legal Corner: "Pushing Back: Navigating the Rise in SEC Enforcement Actions" by Jon Uretsky, Esq., PULLP "Sponsored Research: Covering the Uncovered" by Claire Aitchison, Independent Investment Research "Public Filing Compliance: Dealing with Late SEC Filings" by Neil Reithinger, Eventus Advisory Group "IPO, De-SPAC or Reverse Merger: Who Wins, and Why?" by Andrea Cataneo, Esq., Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP (MSK) "The Luckiest City State on Earth" by Drew Bernstein, CPA, MarcumAsia Cannabis Corner: "Cannabis Year End 2022" by Seth Yakatan, Katan Associates "How is Carbon Footprinting Transforming Banking?" by Julie Lindenberg, APAC Region at Cogo "Ask Mr. Wallstreet: Play Ball Stock Picking" by Shelly Kraft, SNN Incorporated "MicroCap Investing in 2023" by Roger Pondel, PondelWilkinson "50 Years of Seasoned IR Advice" by Mike Porter, Porter, LeVay & Rose Asia Corner: "End of Pandemic Restrictions Fuel Revival in Hong Kong's IPO Market" by Leslie Richardson, Elite IR "To DTC or Not to DTC, That is the Question?" by Richard Revelins, Peregrine Corporate Limited "Platinum Risk in South Africa" by David Morgan and Ryan Blanchette, The Morgan Report ETF Corner: "There's An ETF for That" by Michael Krause, AltaVista Research Planet MicroCap Review Magazine is available to subscribers Free on ISSUU and MicroCapReview.com To receive the next issue of the Planet MicroCap Review Magazine, please follow the link here: SUBSCRIBE Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: Planet MicroCap Subscribe to Planet MicroCap Podcast: Planet MicroCap Podcast - iTunes Would you like to advertise in the Planet MicroCap Review? 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For more Information, Contact: Robert Kraft, CEO & Host Planet MicroCap [email protected] SOURCE: Planet MicroCap Review Magazine View source version on accesswire.com: NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Usha Resources Ltd. ("USHA" or the "Company") (TSXV:USHA)(OTCQB: USHAF)(FSE:JO0), a North American mineral acquisition and exploration company focused on the development of drill-ready battery and precious metal projects, would like to remind shareholders of the upcoming share distribution record date (the "Record Date") of April 12, 2023, with respect to the plan of arrangement (the "Arrangement") among the Company, Formation Metals Inc. ("Formation Metals" or "FMI") and the shareholders of the Company (the "USHA Shareholders"). Under the terms of the Arrangement and upon completion of the share exchange prescribed by Article 3 of the Arrangement, the USHA Shareholders of record at the close of business on the Record Date will receive one (1) common share of FMI (each a "Formation Metals Share") with respect to every five (5) common shares of USHA ("USHA Share") held on the Record Date, with fractions rounded down to the nearest whole number. For example, upon completion of the Arrangement, for each 10,000 common shares of USHA owned on the Share Distribution Record Date, the USHA Shareholder will own 2,000 common shares of FMI. USHA common shares will be exchanged for new USHA common shares on a one-to-one basis. USHA Shareholders will continue to own the same number of USHA common shares as they did on the Record Date. Formation Metals Shares will be issued to the USHA Shareholders on or around April 17, 2023 (the "Payment Date"). The Arrangement is expected to become effective on the Record Date. USHA Shareholders must hold their USHA common shares on the Record Date in order to receive their pro rata portion of the Formation Metals Shares being distributed pursuant to the Arrangement. By way of this news release, the Company is also providing notice to its warrant holders and option holders with respect to the Record Date. To receive Formation Metals Shares pursuant to the Arrangement, a person must be a holder of USHA Shares as of the Record Date. If an option holder or a warrant holder does not exercise his or her warrants or options on or before the Record Date, he or she will not receive Formation Metals Shares and there will be no changes with respect to the number, terms and conditions of the issued warrants and options of the Company. FMI will then hold the Company's interest in the Nicobat Nickel Project and will focus on the advancement of this project, while USHA will retain and focus on the advancement of exploration projects in the lithium space, including the Jackpot Lake Lithium Brine Project where the Company is presently undertaking is maiden drill program with a goal of defining a 43-101 resource, and its newly acquired White Willow Lithium-Tantalum Project, the first of the Company's planned expansion into the hard-rock pegmatite space (see the Company's news release dated March 28, 2023). For updates on the drill program at Jackpot Lake and its recent land expansion, please see the Company's news release dated February 7, 2023, February 16, 2023, February 21, 2023 and February 28, 2023. USHA Shares will trade on a "due bill" basis until the close of trading on the Payment Date, i.e. the Due Bill Trading Period. The details of the Due Bills Trading will be announced later by a separate news release. Additional information regarding the terms of the Arrangement are set out in the Company's management information circular dated November 15, 2022, and the news releases dated February 9, 2022, November 17, 2022, November 29, 2022, December 21, 2022, January 10, 2023, March 2, and March 15, 2023, all of which are available for viewing on the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. The Nicobat Nickel Property The Nicobat Nickel Property is a nickel-copper-PGE project located in Dobie Township, Northwest Ontario 21 kilometres south of New Gold's Rainy River Mine which hosts the Zone 34 nickel discovery. Historic exploration work between 1952 and 1972 included over 15,000 metres of drilling, 220 drill holes and numerous bulk samples that identified a non-compliant historic resource of 5.3 Mt grading 0.24% Ni that contained a high-grade zone of approximately 225,000 tons grading 0.87% Ni. Recent exploration work includes over 4,000 metres of drilling that has confirmed high-grade nickel-copper shoots do exist and are considerably better than previously recorded in the historical drilling, with drillhole A-04-15 intersecting from surface to approximately 63.75 metres a weighted average of 1.05% nickel and 2.18% copper that included an approximately 9.8-metre interval of 1.92% Ni from 53.95 to 63.75 metres. The targeted feeder conduit measures approximately 305 metres by an average of 60 metres in width to a depth of 245 metres that is potentially open at depth and down-plunge to the north and is composed of cumulate textured olivine gabbro. This magma conduit sits in a larger norite body at the base of the Dobie Gabbro. The historical assessment data records high-grade "ribs", one of which includes the zone described above. Future work will, therefore, focus on making the historic resource compliant current and expanding on the work completed to assess for other high-grade "ribs" and the potential high-grade feeder zone as shown in the model below. Qualified person The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Andrew Tims, P.Geo., a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. About Usha Resources Ltd. Usha Resources Ltd. is a North American mineral acquisition and exploration company focused on the development of quality battery and precious metal properties that are drill-ready with high-upside and expansion potential. Based in Vancouver, BC, Usha's portfolio of strategic properties provides target-rich diversification and consist of Jackpot Lake, a lithium project in Nevada; Nicobat, a nickelcoppercobalt project in Ontario; and Lost Basin, a gold-copper project in Arizona. Usha trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol USHA, the OTCQB Exchange under the symbol USHAF and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol JO0. USHA RESOURCES LTD. "Deepak Varshney" CEO and Director For more information, please call Tyler Muir, Investor Relations, at 1-888-772-2452, email [email protected], or visit www.usharesources.com. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-looking statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and are based on a number of estimates and/or 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 that 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 are neither promises nor guarantees and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, uncertain and volatile equity and capital markets, lack of available capital, actual results of exploration activities, environmental risks, future prices of base and other metals, operating risks, accidents, labour issues, delays in obtaining governmental approvals and permits, and other risks in the mining industry. These statements include proposed terms of the spinout transaction, proposed business plans for each of Usha and FMI, the listing of FMI's Shares, the anticipated benefits of the transaction, and disclosure of additional details concerning the transaction. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. Usha cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by many material factors, many of which are beyond their respective control. Such factors include, among other things: determination of acceptable terms for the proposed spinout transaction, risks and uncertainties relating to the receipt of approvals to proceed with and complete the transaction and the satisfaction of the conditions precedent to the completion of the transaction, unexpected tax consequences, the market valuing Usha and FMI in a manner not anticipated by management of the Company, the benefits of the spinout transaction not being realized or as anticipated, and each of Usha and FMI being unable to add additional properties to their respective portfolios. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not undertake to publicly update or revise forward-looking information. The Company is presently an exploration stage company. Exploration is highly speculative in nature, involves many risks, requires substantial expenditures, and may not result in the discovery of mineral deposits that can be mined profitably. Furthermore, the Company currently has no reserves on any of its properties. As a result, there can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. No Offer or Solicitation to Purchase Securities in the United States This press release does not constitute or form a part of any offer or solicitation to purchase or subscribe for securities in the United States. The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or with any securities regulatory authority of any state or other jurisdiction in the United States, and may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons, as such term is defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act ("Regulation S"), except pursuant to an exemption from or in a transaction not subject to the registration requirements of the Securities Act. SOURCE: Usha Resources Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com: PLANO, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Accelerate Investment Partners and CBRE Investment Management (CBRE IM) have launched Accelerate Infrastructure Opportunities, a new strategy to invest in digital and renewable real property interests across North America. Accelerates infrastructure strategy acquires, owns and manages investments in ground leases and land under critical infrastructure assets that generate long-term, sustainable cash flow, such as cellular infrastructure, billboards and renewable assets, including wind, solar, storage and EV charging projects. We are excited to have a strong, supportive partner in CBRE IM to help fund our companys growth, said Brennan Potts, founder and CEO of Accelerate. Our ability to invest through the development and operations of an infrastructure project, with committed and long-term capital from a partner who shares our values, places us in a leading position within the industry to better serve our customers. Accelerate focuses on developing mutually beneficial, long-term relationships with property owners, tenants, developers, operators and brokers. Accelerate believes its collaborative approach and creative capital solutions can provide value to its partners, while also delivering differentiated risk-adjusted returns for investors. Accelerates long-term partnership focus on acquiring real property interests under renewable and digital infrastructure projects provides an innovative way to deploy capital in the infrastructure 2.0 assets that we believe will thrive in the new digital, green economy, said Robert Shaw, managing director, private infrastructure at CBRE IM. Accelerate has a proven track record of helping property owners, developers and operators maximize the value of their properties or projects with agility, speed and certainty of closing, which makes them an excellent partner. In addition to Mr. Potts, Accelerates management team leading the strategy includes industry veterans Brandon OGara (managing partner and chief financial officer), Graeme Kavanagh (partner and chief revenue officer), Josh Castillo (partner and chief investment officer, infrastructure) and Brenda Hurst (partner and chief operating officer). ### About Accelerate Investment Partners Accelerate acquires, owns and manages real property investments under energy and infrastructure locations that provide long-term, sustainable cash flow. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Plano, Texas, Accelerate manages more than 1,200 real property interests across the United States with $500 million in combined assets and capital commitments. The companys mission is to deliver impactful value for investors, property owners and tenants through a values-based approach to investments that support a secure and sustainable future. About CBRE Investment Management CBRE Investment Management is a leading global real assets investment management firm with $149.3 billion in assets under management* as of December 31, 2022, operating in more than 30 offices and 20 countries around the world. Through its investor-operator culture, the firm seeks to deliver sustainable investment solutions across real assets categories, geographies, risk profiles and execution formats so that its clients, people and communities thrive. CBRE Investment Management is an independently operated affiliate of CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE: CBRE), the worlds largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (based on 2022 revenue). CBRE has approximately 115,000 employees (excluding Turner & Townsend employees) serving clients in more than 100 countries. CBRE Investment Management harnesses CBREs data and market insights, investment sourcing and other resources for the benefit of its clients. For more information, please visit www.cbreim.com. *Assets under management (AUM) refers to the fair market value of real assets-related investments with respect to which CBRE Investment Management provides, on a global basis, oversight, investment management services and other advice and which generally consist of investments in real assets; equity in funds and joint ventures; securities portfolios; operating companies and real assets-related loans. This AUM is intended principally to reflect the extent of CBRE Investment Managements presence in the global real assets market, and its calculation of AUM may differ from the calculations of other asset managers and from its calculation of regulatory assets under management for purposes of certain regulatory filings. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005212/en/ Gayle Goodman, Accelerate Investment Partners 877.440.2001 | [email protected] Pam Barnett, CBRE Investment Management 213.683.4368 | [email protected] Source: Accelerate Investment Partners First European commercial launches of Sibnayal (potassium citrate and potassium hydrogen carbonate) ADV7103 secured Orphan Drug Designationfor distal Renal Tubular Acidosis (dRTA) in the US Optimized management of operational expenses and improved cash allocation toward value-creating operations Closing cash position at 8.3 million and cash runway extended into Q1 2024 PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News: Advicenne (Euronext Growth Paris ALDVI - FR0013296746) (Paris: ALDVI), a specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of innovative treatments for patients suffering from rare renal diseases, today announces its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2022, and provides an update on its activities. The financial statements for the year 2022 were approved by the Board of Directors at its meeting on March 30, 2023. The audit procedures are being finalized and the auditors shall issue their audit report by the end of April 2023. Didier Laurens, Chief Executive Officer of Advicenne, commented: " 2022 has undoubtedly marked a turning point for Advicenne as we shifted to the commercial phase of our main product, Sibnayal. This has been possible thanks to the fully operational Advicenne team which has been instrumental to deliver results in line with our plans and strategy. In particular, we achieved a significant landmark as all major European countries are now commercially covered either directly or with great partners. Together we already achieved significant successes such as the reimbursements granted in Denmark and in Scotland. In the meantime, we are working on the ongoing improvement of our manufacturing processes and a cost of goods reduction roadmap. 2022 has been concluded with ADV7103 being designated Orphan Drug for dRTA in the US. This major milestone is helping us in our discussions with potential partners in the US. In 2023, we are now focused on making Sibnayal a commercial success throughout Europe, combined with an improved manufacturing process while pursuing a strict control of resources allocation. These clear objectives should pave the way to the Companys value creation. In parallel, we will continue to enhance the value of ADV7103 in the US by identifying the most effective regulatory and clinical pathways towards marketing authorization. ( thousands) December 31, 2022 December 31, 2021 Total Gross sales1 3 715 3 261 of which Sibnayal 1 410 981 Total revenue and other income 3 008 3 766 of which Sibnayal revenue 1 053 880 of which other revenue 1 288 1 790 of which other income 667 1 097 Operating expenses 13 067 16 210 of which R&D expenses 7 077 8 964 of which marketing and sales expenses 1 066 1 569 of which structural and general expenses 3 807 4 703 Operating loss -10 059 -12 444 Financial result -1 374 5 of which financial interests -762 -658 Net loss -11 470 -12 427 Basic and Diluted loss per share (/share) -1,16 -1,34 Opening cash 12 685 16 771 Cash flows from/(used in) operations -9 147 -12 525 Cash flows from/(used in) investing activities -2 -451 Cash flows from /(used in) financing activities 4 783 8 909 Closing cash 8 322 12 685 2022 key financial highlights Total Gross sales amounted 3.7 million in 2022 up 14% compared to 2021. Gross sales from Sibnayal were 1.4 million (vs. 1.0 million in 2021) and drove the overall growth of Advicenne. Unit sales of Sibnayal more than doubled (+110%), mainly fueled by the growth in France and the first orders from distributors. The latter impacted the average selling price upfront and will be later compensated by the expected increase in royalties stream. The Company recorded operating losses of 10.1 million (vs. 12.4 million in 2021). This improvement of almost 20% resulted from a significant reduction of Operating expenses, lowered by more than 3 million to 13.1 million (16.2 million in 2021), highlighting the allocation of expenses to value-accretive activities. This strong performance has been partly offset by a reduced Total revenue and other income to 3.0 million which decreased by 0.9 million, due to increased rebates claimed by the French Health Administration including a one-off effect from additional rebates on 2021 Gross sales, and the drop in Research Tax Credit (Credit Impot Recherche) to 0.6 million (vs. 1.1 million in 2021), explained by the end of the clinical development of ADV7103 in Europe. The Cost of Goods Sold (CoGS) in 2022 was flat as a percentage of Product Invoicing compared to 2021. Operating expenses were mainly dedicated to R&D, for which expenses reached 7.1 million, focused on the US clinical development and improvement of the manufacturing processes. Marketing and sales expenses continued to be tightened as the need for promotional efforts are still low and are partially borne by commercial partners. General and administrative expenses were further reduced to 3.8 million, compared with 4.7 million in 2021 and benefited from the reorganization of the Company (single headquarters in Paris and concomitant reduction of sites, management reinforcement, delisting from Brussels), which will have a lasting impact on the cost structure, partly offset by some one-offs. Financial losses reached 1.4 million, impacted by non-cash items. The interest charges related to the EIB loan and the French state-guaranteed loan (EMP / PGE) amounted 0.7 million, up 9% compared to 2021 and include the interest from the drawdown of the second tranche of the EIB loan in December 2022. Applying IFRS standards, the revised valuation of the royalties attached to the EIB debt, generated a non-cash charge of 0.6 million (vs. a gain of 0.7 million in 2021). The Company did not record any corporate income tax expense for fiscal year 2022. Overall, net loss was 11.5 million (compared with -12.4 million in 2021). This loss represents 1.16 per share in 2022 compared to 1.34 per share in 2021. Net cash flow used in operating activities amounted to -9.1 million in 2022, compared to -12.5 million in 2021. It improved significantly thanks to the growth of Product Invoicing and control of expenses. Net cash flow used in investing activities was close to zero as the capital expenditures were almost totally offset by the positive impact of regrouping all activities in a single location. Net cash flow from financing activities amounted to 4.8 million in 2022 from the drawdown of the second tranche of the EIB loan. Finally, Advicenne closed the year 2022 with a net cash position of 8.3 million. In 2022, the Company was profoundly reorganized aiming to reduce its operating cash burn. With the expected revenue growth in 2023 and the full-year impact of the cash preservation measures, the runway has been extended into Q1 2024. The Company is pursuing efforts to partner the development of ADV7103 in the US and worldwide and optimize its value creation model. 2022 operational highlights First commercial launches and deployment of strategic alliances. In 2022, Advicenne signed several exclusive distribution partnerships covering the Benelux, Central and Eastern European countries (CEE), and the Nordic countries, completing its direct presence in France and the United Kingdom. Since then, as expected, the Company completed its European commercial coverage in early 2023. The Company also signed an exclusive distribution agreement covering the MENA region. This extended commercial network has already achieved successes with commercial launches of Sibnayal in the UK and in some Nordic countries, and the implementation of Early Access Program in CEE. In France, Advicenne has started to build up its commercial operations to be fully operational in 2023. To support its expected sales growth, Advicenne has worked with its contracted manufacturer to improve its manufacturing process, which should lead in the mid-term to a significant reduction of manufacturing costs. ADV7103 was granted Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) for dRTA in the US, a major value enhancer. Advicenne has reached a significant milestone in the US following ODD of ADV7103 in dRTA. The ODD status provides a 7-year market exclusivity from the date of the marketing authorization and significantly enhances the potential value of ADV7103. Since Advicenne is looking for a partner in the US, this achievement should facilitate discussions. In the meantime, Advicenne pursued its strategy to further reduce development and regulatory risks and has been able to improve its compliance with the FDAs requirements on the path to marketing authorization. Financial strengthening and management successes. In December 2022, the Company strengthened its financial position with the drawdown of the second tranche of the EIB loan for a total of 5 million. This financing will allow the Company to pursue its commercial development in Europe and further strengthen ADV7103 value in the US. This clear operational roadmap is supported by a seasoned management team which was totally renewed in 2021 and 2022. 2023 outlook In fiscal year 2023, Advicenne expects to accelerate sales growth of its main product, Sibnayal, in Europe directly and through the signed partnerships. The Company also intends to enter new commercial agreements in other geographic areas. In the US, Advicenne will pursue regulatory and clinical works to build up the potential value of ADV7103 in dTRA and in cystinuria. *** About Advicenne Advicenne (Euronext Growth Paris ALDVI - FR0013296746) is a specialty pharmaceutical company founded in 2007, specializing in the development of innovative treatments in Nephrology. Its lead product Sibnayal (ADV7103) has received its Marketing Approval for distal renal tubular acidosis in EU and GB. ADV7103 is currently in late-stage development in North America. Headquartered in Paris, Advicenne, listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange since 2017, has now been listed on Euronext Growth Paris since its transfer on March 30, 2022. For additional information see: https://advicenne.com/ Disclaimer This press release contains certain forward-looking statements concerning Advicenne group and its business, including its prospects and product candidate development. Such forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that Advicenne considers to be reasonable. However, there can be no assurance that the estimates contained in such forward-looking statements will be verified, which estimates are subject to numerous risks including the risks set forth in the 2021 Universal Registration Document filed with the French financial market authority on April 29, 2022 (a copy of which is available on www.advicenne.com) and to the development of economic conditions, financial markets, and the markets in which Advicenne operates. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to risks not yet known to Advicenne or not currently considered material by Advicenne. The occurrence of all or part of such risks could cause actual results, financial conditions, performance, or achievements of Advicenne to be materially different from such forward-looking statements. Advicenne expressly declines any obligation to update such forward-looking statements. Appendices IFRS consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2022 Balance sheet ASSETS (in thousands of euros) December 31, 2022 December 31, 2021 Intangible assets 135 167 Property, Plant and Equipment 1 908 1 836 Other financial assets 133 263 Non-current assets 2 176 2 265 Inventory 982 717 Accounts receivable 1 088 802 Tax credit 602 1 126 Financial asset 2 - Other current assets 1 087 1 286 Cash and cash equivalents 8 322 12 685 Current assets 12 083 16 616 Total assets 14 259 18 881 LIABILITIES and CAPITAL (in thousands of euros) December 31, 2022 December 31, 2021 Capital stock 1 991 1 990 Capital-related premiums 1 490 24 469 Reserves -2 627 -13 723 Net income -11 470 -12 427 Foreign exchange reserve - - - - Total equity capital -10 616 309 - - Provisions 64 96 Long-term debt 17 218 12 371 - - Non-current liabilities 17 282 12 467 - - Financial liabilities 1 536 165 Accounts payable 1 390 2 929 Other current liabilities 4 668 3 012 - - Current liabilities 7 593 6 105 - - Total Liabilities 14 259 18 881 Income statement CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT (in thousands of euros) December 31, 2022 December 31, 2021 Revenues 2 341 2 670 Income from partnerships 56 19 Other operating income 611 1 078 Total revenue and other income 3 008 3 766 Cost of goods sold -1 117 -973 Research and development expenses -7 077 -8 964 Sales and marketing expenses -1 066 -1 569 Overhead and general expenses -3 807 -4 703 Operating Income -10 059 -12 444 Net financing costs -1 373 139 Other financial expenses -3 -148 Other financial income 1 14 Income before taxes -11 434 -12 438 Income taxes -37 11 Consolidated net profit / loss -11 470 -12 427 - Attributable to shareholders of Advicenne SA -11 470 -12 427 - Attributable to non-controlling interests - - Earnings per share (/share) - 1,16 - 1,34 Diluted earnings per share (/share) - 1,16 - 1,34 Cashflow statement CASH FLOW (in thousands of euros) December 31, 2022 December 31, 2021 Net result (loss) -11 470 -12 427 Amortisation, depreciation and provisions 334 426 Share-based payments 480 347 Other calculated income and expenses 24 3 Net financial costs 1 146 -139 Sale of PPE and intangible assets 52 9 Self-financing capacity -9 434 -11 782 Changes in inventory -265 18 Changes in trade and other receivables 435 296 Changes in trade and other payables 118 -1 057 Cash flow from operations -9 147 -12 525 Acquisition of PPE and intangible assets -115 -297 Acquisition of financial assets - - Sale of financial assets 113 -98 Cash flow from investing activities -2 -451 Capital increase (net) 23 9 088 Own shares held in treasury -17 -56 Net borrowings and refundable advances 5 000 45 Repayment of borrowings and refundable advances -222 -225 Cash flow from financing activities 4 783 8 909 Changes in value of local currencies 2 -18 Change in cash -4 363 -4 085 Opening cash position 12 685 16 771 Closing cash position 8 322 12 685 ------------------------- 1 Gross sales correspond to the gross amount invoiced to customers for products that were delivered during the year. For countries where the price has not yet been agreed with Health Administration, the revenue for the year represents the Gross sales less rebates owed to Health Administrations. Such rebates are accrued based on the companys best estimate and/or claims received from the administration. They represented 1 315 thousands in 2022 and 544 thousands in 2021 for total Gross sales of respectively 3 715 thousands and 3 261 thousands and total revenue of respectively 2 341 thousands and 2 670 thousands. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005662/en/ Advicenne Didier Laurens, CEO +33 (0) 1 87 44 40 17 Email: [email protected] Ulysse Communication Media relations Bruno Arabian +33 (0)6 87 88 47 26 Email: [email protected] Source: Advicenne The substance is pink, sometimes smells like strawberries and in Spain goes by different names: tucibi, tusi, pink powder. Most commonly, it is called pink cocaine and considered a luxury drug for affluent people: a single gram costs 80, 90 and even 100 dollars. The same amount of ordinary cocaine costs around 60 dollars, according to a report that the Spanish Observatory on Drugs and Addictions (OEDA in Spanish) published this year. But pink cocaine is neither cocaine nor luxury. Between 2019 and 2022, Energy Control an organization that works to ensure the safe consumption of narcotics analyzed 150 samples of pink cocaine. It found dye in almost all of them and cocaine in only two. Most pink cocaine was a cocktail of several cheaper drugs; 44% of the samples contained ketamine, MDMA (ecstasy) and caffeine. Its important to demystify pink coke. In the end, its a booming business. They are selling it as something very exclusive, but it is a regular triphasic, said Berta de la Vega, the coordinator of Energy Control in Madrid, Spain. A triphasic refers to a mixture of ketamine with stimulants such as ecstasy (in this case) or speed, a type of amphetamine. It functions to counteract ketamines depressant effects, and it is easy and inexpensive to make. A gram of MDMA costs 40 euros ($42), sometimes a little less, ketamine is around 20 to 35 euros (between $21 and $37), and caffeine powder can be purchased online fairly cheaply. You take a little bit of each, mix them, add the pink color, a little strawberry smell and, voila, you sell it for 100 euros. Its cheaper and safer to buy the substances and mix them yourself, de la Vega added. Last summer, Energy Control launched the Tusi: Know What Youre Taking (#TusiSabesLoQueTeMetes) campaign, an initiative to raise awareness about the substances one consumes and the risks of buying one drug while thinking it is something else. That is especially true for mixtures that combine drugs. Some of the samples the organization analyzed even contained crushed acetylsalicylic acid, or common aspirin. De la Vega warned that if someone does not know what they are taking, it is harder to control the desired effects. There are more negative consequences: the lows are exacerbated, and the highs are diminished. In tusis case, the risk depends on the proportion of substances in the mixture as well as the other drugs with which it is taken. For example, if a person snorts pink cocaine that has a high ketamine content and also drinks alcohol, that will enhance the depressant effects of both substances, which can lead to loss of coordination, sedation and blackouts. If ecstasy is the main ingredient, taking it with alcohol causes dehydration and increases the risk of heat stroke. Ignacio, a 25-year-old who lives in Madrid, said that whenever he has taken tusi, his friends have given it to him, so he hasnt had to pay 90 euros per gram. Before trying it, he was not sure what it was; from what he had heard, it was a potpourri of drugs. He asked several acquaintances who regularly did pink cocaine and found out that it was different each time: Who knows what it contains or what it is made of. The only constant is the color, he pointed out. The drug is also always expensive. Ignacio doesnt usually see pink cocaine that often because it is pricey, he said, but he does not consider the drug to be exclusive to affluent environments. Ignacion has seen it a lot in electronic music venues, especially festivals or big clubs, the same places where one sees other drugs. He wouldnt categorize it as a trendy drug, although a few years ago, it was practically never seen, and in the last few months, he has come across it several times at parties. For Ignacios friends, at least, it is easy to acquire. They buy it from ordinary dealers who sell different drugs, including tusi. Given how costly the substance is, Ignacio was surprised that his friends usual dealer gave them a little bit on two occasions. When they contacted the dealer to buy pills, he gave them a bag of the pink stuff for free. Sources at Spains National Police say that, until now, it had been seized mostly in small quantities. Pink cocaine is routinely sold and consumed in individual bags alongside larger stashes of other drugs, such as cocaine, hashish or heroin. At this point, the sources add, trafficking of the drug is not alarming. However, last Wednesday, the police announced that theyd broken up a group that was trafficking pink cocaine, as well as ordinary white cocaine, intended for distribution in Malaga, in southern Spain, and the capital Madrid. The drugs were transported by air and arrived in suitcases at Spains Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport from Latin America, where the network had collaborators to circumvent inspection of the luggage that contained the drugs. The authorities arrested seven people and seized 24 kilos (almost 53 lbs) of cocaine and 120,000 euros (almost $128,000) hidden in a suitcase at Barajas Airport. When they searched the homes of the organizations members, the police confiscated another 26 kilos (57 lbs) of cocaine, along with nearly eight kilos (17 lbs) of pink cocaine, 110,000 euros ($117,320) in cash, nine high-end vehicles and a firearm with 500 cartridges. On October 21, the police also seized pink cocaine and other drugs and arrested 21 people who were distributing it in vehicles configured to store packets of drugs. Tusi can be purchased in different ways. One common method is popularly known as telecoke, a system in which it is delivered to your home: you send a message asking for the drug and quantity you want, it is taken to the address you indicate, you pay and thats it. But there are also people who sell another substance under the name pink cocaine; it has the same color and is sold at similar prices, but it is completely different from the pink powder that results from mixing several drugs. This other pink cocaines scientific name is 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenylethylamine, a substance that belongs to the psychedelic phenethylamine family. Alexander Shulgin first produced it in the United States in 1974, and the drugs effects resemble LSD and ecstasy but are weaker and less stimulating. It is also referred to as nexus or trippy pills. It is very important to distinguish between the two. The media has used the terms tusi and 2-CB interchangeably. They are not [the same]. 2-CB is a different substance, De la Vega explained. The OEDA report notes that it is the third most consumed new psychoactive substance after ketamine and spice, a synthetic cannabinoid. Maria Elena Cogollo, of Spains Civil Police drug analysis group, explained that consumption of the drug hasnt become problematic yet. She noted that its a drug thats mainly consumed in electronic music venues, nightclubs and parties and raves, primarily in Madrid, the Levant and the Balearic Islands. A lack of statistics Currently, there are no reliable statistics on 2-CB confiscations in Spain, because the drug tests they use in preliminary analyses do not have a specific coloration for this particular substance. Cogollo said that the drug is imported from central European countries, where the major producers of synthetic drugs are located, or manufactured in ad hoc laboratories for each order. The latter means that the authorities have not seized massive quantities; theres no large stash of it, and its acquired on demand or intended for specific areas. Another difference between tusi and 2-CB is how the two are processed. You can make the former at home, while the latter is more complicated. It requires know-how, additional materials, waste management, a series of reagents.... Not everyone can do it, De la Vega said. Like the mixture of ketamine, MDMA and caffeine, it is also expensive. The Energy Control coordinator believes that many dealers take advantage of the fact that customers confuse one substance with another and sell everything at high cost, regardless of which type of drug it is: Although it is an unregulated market, capitalist logic is entrenched in it. If something costs less money and they can make a bigger profit, so much the better. DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Apartment Income REIT Corp. (AIR) (NYSE: AIRC) will release First Quarter earnings on Monday, May 1, 2023, after the market closes. A live conference call to discuss these results will be conducted on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time. Live Conference Call Domestic Dial-In Number: +1 833-470-1428 / +1 404-975-4839 International Dial-In Number: Global Dial-In Numbers Access code: 749836 Webcast: investors.aircommunities.com Conference Call Replay Domestic Dial-In Number: +1 866-813-9403 / +1 929-458-6194 International Dial-In Number: +44 204 525 0658 Passcode: 495809 The conference call replay will be available until July 31, 2023. Webcast Replay: investors.aircommunities.com About Apartment Income REIT Corp Apartment Income REIT Corp. (AIR) (NYSE: AIRC) is a real estate investment trust focused on the ownership and management of quality apartment communities located in the largest markets in the United States. AIR is one of the countrys largest owners and operators of apartments, with 75 communities in 10 states and the District of Columbia. AIR common shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol AIRC and are included in the S&P 400. For more information about AIR, please visit our website at www.aircommunities.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005749/en/ Matthew OGrady Senior Vice President, Capital Markets (303) 691-4566 Mary Jensen Head of Investor Relations (303) 691-4349 [email protected] Source: Apartment Income REIT Corp MEXICO CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of B+ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of bbb- (Good) of Acerta Compania de Seguros, S.A. (Acerta) (Panama). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is positive. The ratings reflect Acertas balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strongest, as well as its marginal operating performance, neutral business profile and marginal enterprise risk management (ERM). The positive outlook on the FSR and Long-Term ICR is based on Acertas consistent adjustments in underwriting practices that positively influence its operating performance, while expanding its capital base. Additionally, consistent stability of its ultimate parent, Grupo Prival, S.As, performance could positively contribute to rating assessments. The ratings also recognize Acertas affiliation to its ultimate parent, following managements decision to reduce pressure in the regulatory capital requirement of its main financial institution, Prival Bank S.A., through major shareholder ownership of its insurance operation. Acerta initiated operations in Panama City in 2010, and in 2017, the company acquired ADISA Panama. As of January 2023, the company stood as Panamas 12th largest insurer, with a market share of 1.5%. Its main insurance lines of business are surety, motor and health, which are based on gross written premiums. Acerta operates through a network of agents, brokers and direct distribution channels. The companys capital and surplus has grown at a compound annual growth rate of 6.0% over the last five years, supported by profitability, as reflected by a return on equity of 5.8% in 2022. Acertas capitalization is reinforced by a diversified reinsurance program with highly rated entities. Moreover, its capitalization and liquidity have provided the company with flexibility in order to cover historical deviations in claims. Acertas continuous claims-containment adjustments within its motor, multiple risks and health insurance lines, coupled with its expertise in the surety business, continue to reflect improvements in underwriting performance, as reflected by a combined ratio below 100% at year-end 2022. AM Best expects Acerta to sustain this trend through year-end 2023 supported by renovation of current contracts and an improved performance in its property/casualty business, despite challenges arising from a very competitive market and economic uncertainty. AM Best also expects improvements in Acertas ERM framework in order to mitigate emerging risks that may erode the companys balance sheet strength, operating performance or business profile. Positive changes in the ratings could take place if the company sustains improvements in its operating performance, coupled with a thorough implementation of its ERM framework. Additionally, positive rating actions could take place if the ultimate parents ability and willingness to support the company continue while showing a consistent stability in its performance. Negative rating actions could occur if inconsistencies within its ERM profile, evolving market conditions or strategic opportunities affect the companys risk-adjusted capitalization or business profile. This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Bests website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Bests Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Bests Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Bests Credit Ratings, Bests Performance Assessments, Bests Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Bests Ratings & Assessments. AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com. Copyright 2023 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230329005953/en/ Ricardo Rodriguez Financial Analyst +52 55 11022720, ext. 139 [email protected] Christopher Sharkey Associate Director, Public Relations +1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159 [email protected] Alfonso Novelo Senior Director, Analytics +52 55 11022720, ext. 107 [email protected] Al Slavin Senior Public Relations Specialist +1 908 439 2200, ext. 5098 [email protected] Source: AM Best Massachusetts-based care system that started as a grant-funded pilot to integrate medical, behavioral health, and social services for people with significant care needs celebrates 20 years of innovative care BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Commonwealth Care Alliance (CCA), an integrated care system mission-driven to challenge conventional ways of providing care, especially for individuals with complex care needs, has reached a major milestone its 20th anniversary. Incorporated in March 2003 in Massachusetts, CCA is now a nationally recognized organization serving more than 100,000 individuals in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Michigan, and California. Since its founding, CCA has been at the forefront of innovating complex care delivery and developing programs and services to meet the full array of medical, social, and behavioral health needs of people with complex needs including those with intellectual and physical disabilities. CCA was inspired by the values of human dignity, individual empowerment, and fair access to care, said Chris Palmieri, President and CEO at CCA. We continue to build on those founding principles. They guide our mission along with our unique approach to whole-person care, which supports essentials of life such as housing, food, and transportation in addition to the medical and behavioral health needs of the individuals CCA serves. Were proud of the foundation we created in Massachusetts and are excited for the future as we enhance the care experience of the people we serve in the Commonwealth and scale this experience across the country. CCA traces its history back to a statewide community health movement in the 1970s that fostered a collaboration of provider and consumer advocacy groups with a shared vision for using interdisciplinary teams to deliver and coordinate medical care, behavioral healthcare, and social services that impact overall health. After decades of implementing and refining this care model, the leaders of these organizations founded Commonwealth Care Alliance, securing $2 million in grant funding for initial capitalization. Today, CCA is building on its mission by introducing its proven care model to individuals in Rhode Island, Michigan and California. As a founding participant in the Massachusetts Senior Care Options program for people who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, CCAs uncommon care model is now consistently recognized as one of the best in the country at managing complex care for individuals dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, as well as those who narrowly miss the threshold for Medicaid. Some of the highlights of CCAs innovations and partnerships over the last 20 years include: In 2004, CCA launched one of the Commonwealths first Senior Care Options plans, marking the first dual eligible demonstration in Massachusetts and the fourth in the nation approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). CCA now serves nearly 15,000 members through its CCA Senior Care Options plan, which achieved a 4.5 out of 5 Star Quality Rating from CMS in 2022. In 2008, CCA began serving many of its medically and socially complex members via its specialized primary care program, which was founded over 20 years ago and rebranded as CCA Primary Care (in 2021). In 2013, CCA was a thought leader in the development and implementation of One Care, one of the nations first Medicare-Medicaid Plan (MMP) programs and the only such program in the country exclusively serving dual eligible enrollees who are aged 21 to 64. CCA One Care now serves more than 31,000 members and has been recognized as a top-rated MMP since 2016. In 2015, CCA launched its Community Crisis Stabilization Unit, Maries Place, which provides short-term crisis stabilization for members with acute behavioral health and/or substance use disorder needs as an alternative to hospitalization. In 2020-2022, CCA helped develop and manage the Commonwealths Isolation and Recovery Sites for adults and children that were marginally housed or experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic. This program helped isolate more than 6,500 individuals marginally housed and/or experiencing homelessness with a positive COVID diagnosis. In 2021, CCA partnered with the Commonwealth once again to lead the states COVID vaccination program for homebound individuals. CCA-led teams vaccinated more than 5,500 individuals across the state. Also in 2021, CCA partnered with the Commonwealth and the city of Boston to create and operate a first-of-its-kind temporary housing community on the former Shattuck Hospital campus in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts to address the housing and substance use disorder crisis. Since its creation, 72 residents have been through, or are currently in, the program and 54 residents have transitioned into permanent housing. In the years ahead, we want to apply the experience and knowledge gained throughout our history to support both local and national solutions for improving care that meets individuals medical, social determinant, and behavioral health needs, added Palmieri. This is particularly important as policymakers and regulators consider ways to better integrate Medicare and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. We look forward to this collaboration as we continue to expand our offerings for individuals across the U.S. For more information about CCA, visit www.commonwealthcarealliance.org. About Commonwealth Care Alliance Commonwealth Care Alliance (CCA) is an integrated care system influencing innovative models of complex care nationwide. Mission-based and person-centered, CCA focuses on sustainable and evidence-based healthcare breakthroughs that improve the health and well-being of people with significant needs. The CCA uncommon care model is consistently recognized as one of the best in the country at finding and engaging traditionally hard-to-reach individuals. CCA has been recognized as a Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion by the 2022 Disability Equality Index, the worlds most comprehensive benchmarking tool for companies to measure disability workplace inclusion. In addition, The Boston Globe recognized CCA as a Top Place to Work for 2022. Learn more at www.commonwealthcarealliance.org or follow CCA on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005711/en/ Media: Lindsay Antaya [email protected] (857) 319-8625 Source: Commonwealth Care Alliance FRANKLIN, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Hospitals and healthcare systems affiliated with Community Health Systems, Inc. (NYSE: CYH) spent the month of March putting their care for the community into action. This year, CHS-affiliated hospitals celebrated National Doctors Day with charitable donations to non-profit organizations on behalf of physicians on their medical staffs. The organization also launched its first Jars of Love Peanut Butter Drive, an initiative to address food insecurity, a social determinant of health, in communities where its affiliates operate. Local charities have a significant impact on the lives of area residents and provide much needed support for vulnerable populations. To honor physicians on National Doctors Day on March 30, 2023, CHS-affiliated hospitals donated $216,100 to a wide range of charitable organizations, many of whom work to address social determinants of health across their communities. Commenting on the Doctors' Day donations, Tim L. Hingtgen, Chief Executive Officer of Community Health Systems said, Each day, physicians working across our organization put their skills to work helping people get well and live healthier. Through donations to causes that matter to them, we express our collective respect and gratitude for their work, partnership, and the important role they play in our communities. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), more than 34 million people in the United States, including nine million children, are food insecure. Access to nutritious food can have a significant impact on an individuals overall health and wellbeing. Through the Jars of Love Peanut Butter Drive that took place this month, employees across the organization collected more than 64,000 jars of peanut butter, and other nut butters enough to make more than one million peanut butter sandwiches. Peanut butter is high in nutritional value, has a long shelf life, and enjoys widespread popularity, making it a much needed item for food banks. All of the collected peanut butter will be donated to local food banks in the communities where it was donated. Hingtgen continued, As an organization, we are deeply aware of the opportunity we have to make a positive impact on our patients and communities, which extends beyond the quality healthcare services we provide. We look forward to continuing to support community organizations as we work toward a healthy future for all. About Community Health Systems, Inc. Community Health Systems, Inc. is one of the nations largest healthcare companies. The Company's affiliates are leading providers of healthcare services, developing and operating healthcare delivery systems in 45 distinct markets across 16 states. CHS subsidiaries own or lease 79 affiliated hospitals with approximately 13,000 beds and operate more than 1,000 sites of care, including physician practices, urgent care centers, freestanding emergency departments, occupational medicine clinics, imaging centers, cancer centers and ambulatory surgery centers. Shares in Community Health Systems, Inc. are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CYH. More information about the Company can be found on its website at www.chs.net. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005221/en/ Investor Contacts: Kevin J. Hammons President and Chief Financial Officer 615-465-7000 or Shelly K. Schussele Senior Director, Investor Relations 615-465-2732 or Media Contact: Rebecca Ayer Pitt Vice President, Corporate Communications 615-465-2750 Source: Community Health Systems, Inc. Industry influentials convened for provocative discussions of the leading issues in clinical trial research and to honor significant accomplishments NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Medidata, a Dassault Systemes company, honored life sciences industry innovators and two inspirational leaders during its NEXT conference. A highly anticipated feature at the event, the Medidata NEXT Awards recognize excellence in collaboration, sustainability, digital innovation, and patient leadership. The clients who join us at our NEXT events are leaders in the industry, and we are proud to support them in powering smarter treatments and healthier people, said Michael Pray, Medidata COO. We recognize and honor these companies for their continued innovation and leadership in accelerating clinical trials to benefit patients worldwide. Medidata NEXT Awards include: Collaboration of the Year Award - Accelerating clinical trial execution through collaboration: Moderna has accelerated vaccine development timelines by building studies based on learnings from their collaboration with Medidata during the height of the pandemic. As a result, Moderna has made clinical trials available faster and gained rapid approvals by regulatory authorities. has accelerated vaccine development timelines by building studies based on learnings from their collaboration with Medidata during the height of the pandemic. As a result, Moderna has made clinical trials available faster and gained rapid approvals by regulatory authorities. The ICON Medical Imaging division partnered with Medidata to deliver several successful studies for sponsors, including a large megastudy. The collaboration focused on streamlining workflows, resulting in speed and efficiency gains in delivery. Sustainability Award - Developing new treatments faster, safer, and with less environmental impact: IQVIA instituted a mandate to end physical end-of-study (EOS) media for trials that they support. In order to implement this audacious goal, IQVIA partnered with Medidata to store EOS media in the Medidata Clinical Cloud on studies running on Rave, the industry-leading data management solution. Digital Innovation Award - Leveraging data insights to improve decision making, driving innovation across clinical development: Sanofi worked to predict Cytokine Release Syndrome using Medidatas historical clinical trial data. The project included predictive modeling with specific research objectives in a variety of oncology indications, including CAR-T and TCR indications and ALL, NHL, AML and solid tumors. worked to predict Cytokine Release Syndrome using Medidatas historical clinical trial data. The project included predictive modeling with specific research objectives in a variety of oncology indications, including CAR-T and TCR indications and ALL, NHL, AML and solid tumors. Bayer developed a pre-study database to raise awareness of trial opportunities offering patient friendly options for participation, as a strategy to accelerate enrollment and enhance patient engagement in an upcoming Phase 3 trial. In order to reduce patient burden, participants have the opportunity to select from in-person or remote options and are then matched to investigational sites that align with their preference. Patient Leadership Award - Decreasing the burden to trial participants with a patient-first approach: Jazz Pharmaceuticals implemented patient-centric enhancements to recruit more patients into trials and make it easier for them to participate in those trials from anywhere. They have also relied heavily on patient-reported outcomes collected on easy-to-use patient devices, which has helped more patients stay in these trials. implemented patient-centric enhancements to recruit more patients into trials and make it easier for them to participate in those trials from anywhere. They have also relied heavily on patient-reported outcomes collected on easy-to-use patient devices, which has helped more patients stay in these trials. PPD clinical research business of Thermo Fisher Scientific continued to deploy innovative and adaptive trial activities throughout the pandemic, including decentralized clinical trial (DCT) tools and strategies to enhance direct data capture from and support of patients. Pray added: This year we introduced two special awards to honor true pioneers those who left indelible marks on all who knew them. Glen de Vries and Linnea Olson inspired so many others to create positive change, and their commitment to improving the lives of patients will carry on forever. Glen de Vries Epic Award - Inaugural award commemorating Medidatas co-founder, who inspired others to create transformational change Lazarex Cancer Foundation focuses on improving cancer health outcomes, cancer clinical trial diversity and enrollment, and patient access to care. I love what Glen has created in Medidata and I am so honored to receive this award in his memory, said Dana Dornsife, CEO and Founder of the Lazarex Cancer Foundation. It was clear at NEXT that Medidata and its partners appreciate that patients come first, and so I want to thank Medidata for helping us help them. Linnea Olson Award - Named for a founding member of Medidatas Patient Insights Board Linnea Olson was recognized posthumously with this inaugural award for patient advocacy and her commitment to improving the patient experience Medidata NEXT will be in Boston on April 25. Please see the full schedule of Medidata NEXT Global conferences on the Medidata website. Medidata is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dassault Systemes, which with its 3DEXPERIENCE platform is positioned to lead the digital transformation of life sciences in the age of personalized medicine with the first end-to-end scientific and business platform, from research to commercialization. About Medidata Medidata is leading the digital transformation of life sciences, creating hope for millions of patients. Medidata helps generate the evidence and insights to help pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device and diagnostics companies, and academic researchers accelerate value, minimize risk, and optimize outcomes. More than one million registered users across 2,000+ customers and partners access the world's most trusted platform for clinical development, commercial, and real-world data. Medidata, a Dassault Systemes company (Euronext Paris: FR0014003TT8, DSY.PA), is headquartered in New York City and has offices around the world to meet the needs of its customers. Discover more at www.medidata.com and follow us @Medidata. About Dassault Systemes Dassault Systemes, the 3DEXPERIENCE Company, is a catalyst for human progress. We provide business and people with collaborative 3D virtual environments to imagine sustainable innovations. By creating virtual twin experiences of the real world with our 3DEXPERIENCE platform and applications, our customers push the boundaries of innovation, learning and production to achieve a more sustainable world for patients, citizens, and consumers. Dassault Systemes brings value to more than 300,000 customers of all sizes, in all industries, in more than 140 countries. For more information, visit www.3ds.com. 3DEXPERIENCE, the Compass icon, the 3DS logo, CATIA, BIOVIA, GEOVIA, SOLIDWORKS, 3DVIA, ENOVIA, NETVIBES, MEDIDATA, CENTRIC PLM, 3DEXCITE, SIMULIA, DELMIA, and IFWE are commercial trademarks or registered trademarks of Dassault Systemes, a French societe europeenne (Versailles Commercial Register # B 322 306 440), or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005080/en/ Tom Paolella Senior Director, Corporate Communications & Affairs +1-848-203-7596 [email protected] Paul Oestreicher External Communications Director +1-917-522-4692 [email protected] Source: Medidata Dr. Eric Reiman, nationally recognized Alzheimers researcher, selected as new chair PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Dr. David Gullen, the longest-serving member of the Flinn Foundation board of directors, is stepping down as chair after 21 years of leading the philanthropic grantmaking organization. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230329006005/en/ Dr. David Gullen served as chair of the Flinn Foundation board of directors from 2002 to March 2023. He will retire from the board in 2024. (Photo: Business Wire) He will remain a board member through March 2024 before retiring. Gullen, a physician who practiced internal medicine in the Phoenix area for nearly 35 years before retiring, joined the Flinn board in 1989 and was named chair in 2002. Shortly after his selection as chair, the Phoenix-based Flinn Foundation launched the ambitious Arizonas Bioscience Roadmap and dedicated 10 years of substantial funding and support to advance bioscience research and industry in Arizona. The Roadmap, later extended through 2025, has proven a remarkable success, with the growth of a robust bioscience ecosystem that includes bioscience jobs and companies, university research and spinouts, federal grants, and more. The Flinn Scholars Program was a new initiative when Gullen first joined the board and continues today as the most prestigious college scholarship in Arizona. He also oversaw the foundations continued support of arts and culture and, in 2011, the introduction of the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership. Gullen served as a direct link to Flinn board members who had personally known and worked with Dr. Robert Flinn, a cardiologist, and his wife, Irene, who created the foundation in 1965. He speaks fondly of the generosity and vision of Robert and Irene Flinn and how the foundation, through its grants and programs, is honoring their intent to improve Arizona today and for future generations. The people of Arizona have benefited tremendously from the goodness of the Flinns, and I am honored to have had this opportunity to help sustain their legacy, Gullen said. Over nearly 60 years, the Flinn Foundation has placed Arizona first and will continue to do so with our new leadership. Dr. Eric Reiman, who joined the Flinn board in 1999 and has served as secretary since 2008, has been elected as its new chair. Reiman, a psychiatrist and brain-imaging researcher by background, is nationally recognized for his contributions to the study, unusually early detection, and prevention of Alzheimers disease. He is executive director of Banner Alzheimers Institute, chief executive officer of Banner Research, professor of psychiatry at the University of Arizona, University Professor of neuroscience at Arizona State University, senior scientist at the Translational Genomics Research Institute, and director of the Arizona Alzheimers Consortium. Reiman, who will mark 25 years on the board next year, said he is grateful for the opportunity. It is a privilege and honor to serve the Flinn Foundation in this new role and work with such wonderful people inside and outside this special organization, Reiman said. I will do my best to live up to the high standard set by Dr. Gullen, whose leadership, thoughtfulness, and collaborative spirit have been so important to our community. In other board transitions, Steve Wheeler, retired executive vice president of Arizona Public Service, is stepping down as the foundations vice chair. Wheeler, who joined the board in 1997 and has served as vice chair since 2007, will retire from the board next year. Rose Papp, partner and research director of L. Roy Papp & Associates and a Flinn board member since 1998, will serve as the new vice chair and continue in her role as treasurer, a position she has held since 2005. Heidi Jannenga will be the boards new secretary. Jannenga, co-founder and chief clinical officer of Phoenix-based WebPT, joined the Flinn board in 2021. Gullen worked in private practice with Phoenix Medical Associates and later with Mayo Clinic, from which he retired in 2013. He also served as an assistant professor in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and has been involved extensively in medical leadership roles, including as past chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine at St. Josephs Hospital and Medical Center. On the national level, he served as chairman of the Board of Regents of the American College of Physicians and secretary-treasurer of the American Board of Internal Medicine. Gullen earned his medical degree from the University of Arizona, his Master of Science degree in microbiology at Arizona State University, and his bachelors degree from Princeton University. He spent his internship, residency, chief residency, and fellowship at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New York. Reiman graduated from Duke University, studied at Oxford University, and returned to Duke for his medical degree and the first three years of his psychiatry residency. Before moving to Arizona, he completed his psychiatry residency and research fellowship at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where he was a faculty member and embarked on a research career in the lab that invented positron emission tomography (PET). The 10-member Flinn Foundation board of directors allocates funding for the foundations grants and programs while setting its strategic direction through its expertise in medicine, finance, business, law, research, and entrepreneurship. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230329006005/en/ Brian Powell, Flinn Foundation Communications Manager, (602) 744-6806, [email protected] Brad Halvorsen, Flinn Foundation Executive Vice President, (602) 744-6803, [email protected] Source: Flinn Foundation Physical and mental health, DEI and workplace flexibility revealed as top employee priorities, according to inaugural workforce well-being poll NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), the global authority for driving market transformation through healthy buildings, organizations and communities, released findings today from IWBIs 2023 State of Workforce Well-Being Poll, showing almost everyone (96%) agrees that a healthy work environment is necessary for employee productivity. According to findings, most of the American workforce also say health and well-being is a must have for organizations and something employers should be ethically obligated to support. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005508/en/ IWBIs 2023 State of Workforce Well-Being Poll, conducted by The Harris Poll, sought to better understand how U.S. workers prioritize and experience the investment by their employers to promote health, well-being and equity in their work environments. The Harris Poll surveyed over 1,000 full-time employed U.S. adults 25 years old and older during a two-week period in January 2023, providing an important look into the current state of the workforce, including a timely perspective on many trends initiated and magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic over the past three years. Throughout the findings, employees consistently showed a strong, positive view of health-first practices, an organizations commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and workplace flexibility. The key findings report of the poll can be found here. What these poll findings make clear is that employees deeply value their well-being and they expect their employers to as well, said Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO, IWBI. Employers who invest in the health of their employees have a distinct advantage when it comes to attracting and retaining the talent they need to be successful in todays economy. The poll found that the vast majority of employees place a high value on a healthy work environment and how an organization invests in their health, safety and well-being. Specifically, the poll found: 96% of employees agree that a healthy work environment is necessary for employee productivity. Nearly 9 in 10 (87%) agree that employers should be ethically obligated to create a work environment that enhances the health, safety and well-being of their employees. More than 8 in 10 (84%) employees agree that supporting the health of employees is a must-have for companies. 81% agree that their companys physical work environment has a major impact on their health and well-being. With the current spotlight on issues related to the return to the office, the poll also found that most employees (74%) look forward to going to their physical workplace. However, general health issues top the list of employee concerns about returning to a physical workplace, tied with commuting, among employees who work remotely at least one day per week. Specifically, the poll found: Nearly three-quarters of employees (74%) agree that their company workplace is a place that they look forward to going or would look forward to going. General health concerns, which include health and safety concerns and mental health concerns, top the list of employee concerns about returning to a companys physical work location full-time or part-time (49% tied with commuting), among employees who work remotely at least one day per week. The poll also showed that employees view organizational DEI efforts as a vital part of a companys commitment to health. Further, a companys DEI efforts strongly aligned with employee job satisfaction and comfort in the workplace. Specifically, the poll found: 83% of employees agree that DEI initiatives are an important part of a companys overall commitment to employees health and well-being. 78% of employees say that their companys commitment to DEI is an important part of their job satisfaction. 83% of employees agree that companies that actively promote DEI initiatives facilitate a more comfortable workplace. This poll, both timely and important, gives us nationally representative data on how todays workforce is grappling with a staggering amount of change over the past few years, said Dr. Matthew Trowbridge, Chief Medical Officer, IWBI. We can glean a wealth of information from this poll about the state of our workforce here in the United States. But one message is deafeningly clear: employees want to work for companies that prioritize and invest in their health and well-being, helping support equity, a welcoming culture, flexibility and other health-first strategies. Most of the national workforce agrees that healthy employees are critical to a companys bottom line. In fact, 95% agree (62% strongly agree) that a healthy workforce is essential to a companys financial success. Further, according to the poll, employees view a company commitment to health and well-being as key to other critical company performance factors, including employee engagement, company reputation and employee recruitment and retention. Specifically, the poll found: 95% agree (52% strongly agree) they are more likely to engage with a company that visibly cares about the health and well-being of its employees. More than 9 in 10 employees (92%) agree (43% strongly agree) that a company that is committed to employee health and well-being stands out from the crowd. Nearly 4 in 5 employees (79%) say they would not feel any loyalty to a company that does not prioritize their health. And nearly 3 in 4 employees (73%) say they would not apply to work for a company that does not show it proactively invests in employee health and well-being. Finally, the poll found many workers are taking part in flexible work arrangements, and those that do are worried about potential return-to-office mandates. On average, employees say they work remotely two days per week; and more than two-fifths of employees (45%) work remotely at least one day per week. Nearly 4 in 5 employees who work remotely at least one day per week (78%) say they are concerned about return-to-office mandates (whether their company has actually enacted a mandate or not). About the International WELL Building Institute The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is a public benefit corporation and the worlds leading organization focused on deploying people-first places to advance a global culture of health. IWBI mobilizes its community through the administration of the WELL Building Standard (WELL) and WELL ratings and certifications, management of the WELL AP credential, the pursuit of applicable research, the development of educational resources and advocacy for policies that promote health and well-being everywhere. More information on WELL can be found here. International WELL Building Institute, IWBI, the WELL Building Standard, WELL v2, WELL Certified, WELL AP, WELL Portfolio, WELL Score, The WELL Conference, We Are WELL, the WELL Community Standard, WELL Health-Safety Rating, WELL Health-Safety Rated, WELL Equity, WELL Performance Rated, WELL Performance Rating, Works with WELL, WELL and others, and their related logos are trademarks or certification marks of International WELL Building Institute pbc in the United States and other countries. About The Harris Poll The Harris Poll is a global consulting and market research firm that strives to reveal the authentic values of modern society to inspire leaders to create a better tomorrow. It works with clients in three primary areas: building twenty-first-century corporate reputation, crafting brand strategy and performance tracking, and earning organic media through public relations research. One of the longest running surveys in the U.S., The Harris Poll has tracked public opinion, motivations and social sentiment since 1963, and is now part of Stagwell, the challenger holding company built to transform marketing. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005508/en/ Media: [email protected] Source: International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) Alternative options for part-time and full-time benefit MN students struggling in the classroom MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Enrollment is open for any Minnesota student to attend an online public school tailored to each students needs. Students looking for an alternative to traditional brick-and-mortar benefit from Stride-powered, tuition-free programming provided by licensed Minnesota teachers and based on 20 years of online K-12 teaching experience. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005127/en/ Minnesotas K-12 online public schools provide a quality and personalized education for each student, regardless of individual circumstances. By leveraging Strides resources built on decades of online educational programming, the schools continue improving student experiences. These schools provide a variety of programming options reflecting the diverse student population and variety of student goals and motivations. Programming options include full- or part-time schooling and collaborative partnerships with brick-and-mortar public schools and community groups. Curriculum through the schools meets Minnesota standards. School accommodations include rigorous career training and pathways, credit recovery, flexible scheduling, frequent one-on-one interactions with teachers, and a safe, accessible and inclusive learning environment. In addition to learning, students maintain social lives through student interaction in class, frequent in-person field trips, school clubs, and other local partnerships. We have been helping students succeed in an online environment for decades, and teachers have the benefit of teaching resources based on this experience, said Stride Vice President of Minnesota William Johnston. This is a great option for Minnesota students who are not thriving in the traditional setting and need an alternative, more personalized version of public education. Minnesotas three Stride-powered schools each have different expertise. Minnesota Virtual Academy (MNVA) designs a program for each students needs, including options for college-level courses and career pathways. IQ Minnesota (IQMN) tailors each students experience by making a welcoming and safe environment a priority. Insight Minnesota assists students to find their identity and value in the educational journey, by helping them find their best learning style and through a focus on social justice and inclusivity. Our schools provide individualized support and are inclusive of all types of kids in the state of Minnesota, said Minnesota Virtual Academy Superintendent Mary Morem. There is a place in our schools for every Minnesota student, regardless of their previous educational experiences. We are interested in what is best for each student, and we partner with families to see how we can adapt our programming to meet their students needs. Enrollment is currently open throughout Minnesota for any student looking for alternative learning options. Click here to learn about enrollment at InsightMN, IQ MN and MNVA. About Insight School of Minnesota: Insight School of Minnesota (ISMN) is a tuition-free, full- and part-time online public school program of Brooklyn Center School District that serves students in grades 6 through 12. As a Minnesota public school, ISMN is tuition-free, giving parents and families the choice to access the curriculum provided by K12, a Stride company (NYSE: LRN). Stride offers learners of all ages a more effective way to learn and build their skills for the future. For more information about ISMN, visit mn.insightschools.net. About iQ Academy Minnesota: iQ Academy Minnesota (iQMN) is an accredited, full- and part-time online public school program of Independent School District No. 544 (Fergus Falls), serving students statewide in grades K through 12 throughout the state. As part of the Minnesota public school system, iQ Academy Minnesota is tuition-free and gives parents and families the choice to access the engaging curriculum and tools provided by K12, a Stride Company (NYSE: LRN). Stride offers learners of all ages a more effective way to learn and build their skills for the future. For more information about iQMN, visit mn.iqacademy.com. About Minnesota Virtual Academy: Minnesota Virtual Academy (MNVA) is a tuition-free online public school program of Houston Public Schools that serves students in grades K through 12. A Minnesota Department of Education-approved provider of online education, MNVA gives parents and families the choice to access the curriculum and tools provided by K12, a Stride company (NYSE: LRN). Stride offers learners of all ages a more effective way to learn and build their skills for the future. For more information about MNVA, visit mnva.k12.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005127/en/ Carol Schuler [email protected] 612-281-7030 Source: Stride, Inc. People-Centric Cybersecurity Leader Appoints Eric Johnson, Chief Revenue Officer, and Julie Chapman, Senior Vice President of Customer Experience, to Support the Companys Global Expansion, as Organizations Seek to Build Resilience against Costly Cyber Attacks BRISTOL, England & BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Immersive Labs, the global leader in people-centric cyber resilience, today announced it has appointed Eric Johnson to its executive leadership team as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) and named Julie Chapman, Senior Vice President of Customer Experience. Together, these new hires will accelerate global revenue growth, drive customer acquisition and retention, and expand routes to market as part of the companys mission to give workforces around the world the knowledge, skills, and judgment to effectively confront cyber threats. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230313005087/en/ Eric Johnson, Chief Revenue Officer (Photo: Business Wire) Johnson is a highly-experienced CRO and Board member with over two decades of experience leading high-growth, enterprise-level companies to meet and exceed their revenue goals. He recently served as CRO at Interos Inc.; Chief Sales Officer (CSO) at Marketo; President of Americas at Qlik; and President of Global Sales at Blackberry. Previously, Johnson spent a decade with Sybase (acquired by SAP in 2010) in multiple leadership roles culminating in his running the global database and technology business. He also serves as a Board member for Televerde and The New York Pops. Chapman is a seasoned customer experience executive leading high-performing teams in the technology industry for more than 20 years, from scaling up start-ups to managing expansion for large global brands. She has held leadership roles at IBM, Adobe, Marketo, and Interos. Eric and Julie join Immersive Labs at a pivotal time when organizations are increasingly focused on building cyber resilience across their teams and having the metrics to prove it, said James Hadley, Chief Executive Officer, Immersive Labs. Their extensive experience make them a perfect match for our go-to-market strategy, and they will serve as champions for our customers, helping them achieve their key business outcomes. I am drawn to Immersive Labs unique approach to cybersecurity one that puts people, rather than tech stacks, at the heart of everything, said Johnson. I am excited to bring the value of Immersive Labs to more customers around the world, and help them safeguard their people, revenues, and brand reputations. Cyber leaders face increased pressures to build and prove cyber preparedness across the workforce, and they need more support, said Chapman. I am looking forward to meeting with current and prospective Immersive Labs customers to learn more about their needs and how we can best address them. The companys latest hires add valuable expertise, insights, and experience to the companys leadership team. In October 2022, Immersive Labs announced $66M in new capital and the appointments of Sandra McDevitt as Chief Human Resources Officer, and Lucian Lui as Chief Marketing Officer. Immersive Labs was also recently named Gold Winner for Best Cybersecurity Company - North America and Cyber Skilling Product - North America by the Cyber Excellence Awards. About Immersive Labs Immersive Labs is the leader in people-centric cyber resilience. We help organizations continuously assess, build, and prove their cyber workforce resilience for teams across the entire organization, from front-line cybersecurity and development teams to Board-level executives. We provide realistic simulations and hands-on cybersecurity labs to evaluate individual and team capabilities and decision-making against the latest threats. Organizations can now prove their cyber resilience by measuring their readiness compared to industry benchmarks, building team capabilities, and demonstrating risk reduction and compliance with data-backed evidence. Immersive Labs is trusted by the worlds largest organizations and governments, including Citi, Pfizer, HSBC, the UK Ministry of Defence, and the UK National Health Service. We are backed by Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Summit Partners, Insight Partners, Citi Ventures, Ten Eleven Ventures, and Menlo Ventures. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230313005087/en/ Jen Weber [email protected] Source: Immersive Labs DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- IOG Resources II, LLC (IOGR II) today announced that it has signed definitive documentation to acquire non-operated oil & gas assets (the Assets) in Appalachia. The Assets include 66 producing wellbores and 7,000 net acres primarily located in Carroll County, Ohio and Butler County, Pennsylvania with current net production of approximately 24 mmcfe/d including a substantial liquids component. The acquisition represents the second investment for IOGR II. Following the transaction, the IOG Resources platform will have completed 14 discrete investments across 6 core basins in the US. Kirkland & Ellis LLP acted as legal counsel for IOGR II. The transaction is expected to close during the second quarter of 2023 subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions. About IOG Resources IOG Resources, LLC and IOG Resources II, LLC are Dallas, Texas-based energy investment platforms sponsored by First Reserve. The group was established in 2017 and is focused on onshore producing non-operated oil & gas investments and structured drilling capital in North America. For more information, please visit www.iogresources.com. About First Reserve First Reserve is a private equity firm exclusively focused on investing across diversified energy, infrastructure, and general industrial end-markets. Founded in 1983, First Reserve has 40 years of industry insight, and has cultivated a network of global relationships. First Reserve has raised more than $32 billion of aggregate capital since inception. Its investment and operational experience have been built from over 750 transactions, including platform investments and add-on acquisitions, on six continents. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005681/en/ IOG Resources II, LLC 214-272-2990 George Edwards [email protected] Jay Heath [email protected] Tommy Woolley [email protected] Source: IOG Resources II, LLC The Supreme Court on Wednesday grappled with whether a man serving a life sentence for his role on an international kill team should get a new trial. The justices heard 90 minutes of lively arguments about a situation that sometimes arises in criminal trials with more than one defendant, when one persons confession might also implicate someone else on trial. Adam Samia, who was convicted of a killing of a real estate broker in the Philippines, was tried with two other men who carried out the attack on the orders of Paul LeRoux, a South African who led an international crime organization and cooperated with federal authorities after his arrest in 2012. LeRoux ordered the killing of the broker, Catherine Lee, because he believed Lee had stolen money from him. One of the men confessed to his role and Samias lawyer, Kannon Shanmugam, said the confession unfairly implicated Samia as the trigger man, in violation of his constitutional rights. The co-defendant did not testify in his own defense, so there was no opportunity for Samias trial lawyers to question the co-defendant. The Supreme Court has previously imposed limits on the use of a confession in these circumstances, including that the defendants name has to be removed and cant simply be replaced with the notation redacted. In Samias trial, he was described in the confession as someone and the other person. Not good enough, Shanmugam said. It is likely, indeed inevitable, that the confession here implicated the petitioner, he said. Conservative justices appeared generally skeptical of Shanmugams argument, but they did not seem to entirely embrace the points made by Justice Department lawyer Caroline Flynn, who urged the court to uphold the conviction. Justice Clarence Thomas said it wasnt clear that the portions of the confession that jurors heard pointed unmistakably to Samia. How do you get from someone to the petitioner in the testimony? Thomas asked. The liberal justices seemed more inclined toward Samias arguments. Justice Elena Kagan pressed Flynn about how much prosecutors have to do to alter a confession so that it can be used. Flynn said removing a co-defendants name and replacing it with the woman could be sufficient. Kagan was incredulous. You cant take the law seriously when it says, redacted and I went out and robbed Bill is inadmissible, but the woman and I went out and robbed Bill can be brought in, she said. Pennsylvania led 32 states in urging the court to uphold the use of the confession, noting that thousands of trials in the past 10 years have involved multiple defendants and confessions. A ruling for Samia would lead to retrials and cause prosecutors to try defendants separately. The casualties will, in some cases, be other defendants, and in all cases the victims and witnesses who must run the gamut through trial and retrial, the states wrote in their Supreme Court filing. The states brief attracted Justice Brett Kavanaughs attention. We have an amicus brief from a lot of states, a real cross-section of states, saying this would be a huge problem, Kavanaugh said. But Shanmugam said that at least three of those states apply the sort of test he was calling for, looking at the confession in a broader context to decide if it would be unfair to the defendant. Samia has denied any involvement in the killing, and his lawyers say no physical evidence links him to the crime. The Justice Department said enough other evidence ties Samia to the crime that the court should leave his conviction in place, even if it finds the confession should not have been used. A decision in Samia v. U.S., 22-196, is expected by late June. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Richard J. Adago and Mitchell H. Levitin join the growing boutique from Phillips Nizer NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Matrimonial and family law firm Krauss Shaknes Tallentire & Messeri LLP announced today that Richard J. Adago and Mitchell H. Levitin have joined the firm in New York. Richard will be a partner and Mitchell will serve as of counsel. Joining from Phillips Nizer, Richard and Mitchell each bring decades of experience focusing on matrimonial and family law matters, representing high-net-worth individuals in complex disputes, including divorce proceedings, distribution of assets and property, spousal and child support, custody and parental access, pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements, and paternity suits, as well as other matrimonial matters relating to real estate, tax, and trust and estate planning. Rich and Mitch are the perfect additions to our firm, said KSTM founding partner Caroline Krauss. They are passionate attorneys who are committed to providing the highest level of service and compassionate representation for their clients. Valentina, Heidi, Jordan, and I couldnt be happier to welcome them as our colleagues, and were excited for the additional support that theyll provide to our existing and future clients. Most recently, Richard served as co-chair of Phillips Nizers New York Matrimonial & Family Law practice and Mitchell was counsel in the group. Richard previously worked with KSTMs four founding partners in the Matrimonial & Family Law group at Blank Rome LLP. He is the first partner to join KSTM since the firms launch in November 2019. Earlier this year, the firm elevated Malissa Osei and Justine Stringer to partner. Ive had the privilege of knowing Caroline, Valentina, Heidi, and Jordan for decades, and what theyve built at KSTM is truly something special, said Richard. Im thrilled to be reunited with the team and look forward to this next chapter of our careers together. For over 30 years, Richard has represented high-net-worth individuals on matrimonial and family law-related matters, including actor Al Pacino in a custody dispute covered widely by the media. Richard is a fierce supporter for his clients in court, as well as a strong advocate of mediation and out-of-court settlements; notably, he was selected to serve as a mediator on the New York County Supreme Court Roster of Matrimonial Mediators. Outside of his legal practice, Richard has been an adjunct professor at Fordham Law School since 2012. He served as an assistant district attorney with the Manhattan District Attorneys office for six years earlier in his career. Im excited to join this team of lawyers who bring such a strong commitment to advocating for their clients, said Mitchell. The values of KSTM align perfectly with the dedicated approach that I bring to my own practice, and I cant wait to see what we will accomplish together. Mitchells practice has focused on all areas of matrimonial and family law for more than two decades. He represents high-net-worth individuals before New York State trial and appellate courts on the full spectrum of matrimonial law issues, including pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements and distribution of assets and property. He also advises and represents clients affected by parental kidnapping and international and interstate custody and relocation issues. About Krauss Shaknes Tallentire & Messeri LLP Krauss Shaknes Tallentire & Messeri LLP (kstmlaw.com) provides counsel to clients in the full range of matrimonial and family law matters, including pre- and post-nuptial agreements, divorces, paternity matters, custody, access, and support issues, and other family law matters. We have offices in New York City and Greenwich, Connecticut. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230328005953/en/ Kelsey Dellovo [email protected] 339.223.0961 Source: Krauss Shaknes Tallentire & Messeri LLP Partnership integrates market-leading technologies from both Majesco and EvolutionIQ Builds on proven synergies between the companies respective technology platforms as both share a number of joint customers in the L&AH insurance sector Allows L&AH insurers and TPAs to seamlessly leverage Majescos cloud platform solutions for policy, billing, claims, absence, underwriting, and distribution with EvolutionIQs AI-powered Claims Guidance platform MORRISTOWN, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Majesco, a global leader of cloud insurance platform software for insurance business transformation, today announced a partnership to integrate EvolutionIQs AI-powered Claims Guidance platform with Majescos suite of disability insurance claims technology solutions. These include Majesco Claims for L&AH and Majesco ClaimVantage Claims for L&H. The integration is part of the Majesco EcoExchange, which is a next-generation marketplace of partner technologies designed to help the insurance industry meet the demands of todays digital customer. Closely working with the EvolutionIQ team, the partnership will combine market-leading technologies from both organizations to help insurers transform their claims process, which in turn helps sick and injured claimants recover and return to work faster while reducing claim losses and expenses. Majesco and EvolutionIQ have a number of joint customers using both solutions today. Benefits of the partnership for insurers and TPAs include: Faster technology deployments and a faster return on investment from integrated solutions. A more dynamic and responsive claims solution to cost effectively manage and guide examiners and adjusters to the right claim at the right time and deliver excellent claimant experience. Reduced loss ratios, improved claims processing, reduced claim durations, and more claimants returning to work. The insurance industry is at an inflection point as rapid advances in technology are now fundamentally changing the underlying economics of claims handling, said EvolutionIQ co-founder and Co-CEO Michael Saltzman. Both Majesco and EvolutionIQ are proven, advanced systems that are already delivering dramatic, measurable results for an array of the industrys top carriers and TPAs. With this partnership, industry leaders can know and trust that our respective technology solutions are not only transformative, but they are complementary to each other in any environment. By deploying them together, forward-thinking insurers will help many more sick or injured people recover while simultaneously realizing an impressive ROI. EvolutionIQs AI-powered Claims Guidance is an entirely new category of software invented by EvolutionIQ that actively monitors every open insurance claim to guide frontline operators to those that require more attention, new actions, or complex decision-making. It uses next-generation machine learning and natural language processing to understand complex bodily injury and recovery like a medical expert and guide examiners and adjusters daily to the right actions on the right claims at the right time to maximize impact. The technology has already led to tens of thousands of sick and injured people getting their lives back on track, with the number increasing every day. Carriers report up to a 35 percent increase in sick or injured people returning to work using EvolutionIQ with those returns happening on average 3.5 months sooner when compared to legacy processes. EvolutionIQ with Majesco Claims solutions for the L&AH segment offers our customers and the industry a significant opportunity to transform the claims dynamics for disability and workers compensation, said Adam Elster, CEO at Majesco. This partnership aligns with our relentless innovation focus to deliver intelligent, cutting-edge solutions that help our customers manage claims efficiently, control costs to improve profitability, and deliver exceptional customer experiences. We are thrilled to be working with EvolutionIQ to deliver real business value to our customers. Majesco Claims for L&AH and Majesco ClaimVantage Claims for L&H are industry recognized as market leading solutions by industry analysts, supporting some of the largest insurers and most demanding claims operations. Majesco solutions help insurers manage and resolve claims faster, exceed customer expectations, manage complex integrated disability and absence management and return to work, and ignite innovation that delivers frictionless and transparent claims experiences. While historically claims operations focused on costs and efficiencies, today insurers must take a holistic customer view including management of complex injury claims to help claimants return to work quicker and safer, creating a new customer experience that is a cornerstone of satisfaction, loyalty, and retention. About EvolutionIQ EvolutionIQ is the market leading Claims Guidance platform in Group and Individual Disability, Property & Casualty, and Workers Compensation lines of insurance. EvolutionIQ now counts the majority of the top 20 US Disability and Life carriers as clients. EvolutionIQs proprietary Artificial Intelligence uses the entire claim file contents, historical claims, and external data to guide claim handlers to their most productive task across the entire claim block, every day. The system combines real-time predictive accuracy, clear guidance, and explainable AI to ensure adoption and business impact. As a result, 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 Majesco Majesco is the partner P&C and L&A insurers choose to create and deliver outstanding experiences for customers. We combine our technology and insurance experience to anticipate whats next, without losing sight of whats important now. Over 350 insurers, from greenfields and startups to some of the worlds largest insurers, rely on Majescos SaaS platforms solutions of core, data, analytics, digital, and rich ecosystem of partners to create their next now. As an industry leader, we dont believe in managing risk by avoiding change. We embrace change, even cause it, to get and stay ahead of risk. With 900+ successful implementations we are uniquely qualified to bridge the gap between a traditional insurance industry approach and a pure digital mindset. We give customers the confidence to decide, the products to perform, and the follow-through to execute. For more information, please visit www.majesco.com and follow us on LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005074/en/ Laura Tillotson Vice President, Marketing Communications and Creative Services + 201 230 0752 [email protected] Jason Kapler Vice President of Marketing (917) 740-5608 [email protected] Source: Majesco Premier Health and agilon are committed to accelerating a value-based model of care that improves quality outcomes for senior patients agilons Total Care Model expands to more Ohio communities through new health system partnership DAYTON, Ohio & AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Premier Health today announced it will enter a long-term partnership with agilon health, inc. (NYSE: AGL), the trusted partner empowering physicians to transform health care in our communities, accelerating the health systems transition to a full-risk, value-based care model for its senior patients. Through the partnership, Premier Health aims to enhance outcomes and the experience for patients and providers under this new care model beginning in 2024. At Premier Health, we know that we have a far greater impact when we partner with organizations that share our commitment to providing high quality, cost-competitive health care, said Michael Riordan, president and chief executive officer, Premier Health. I am confident that our partnership with agilon health will support Premier Healths mission to improve the health of our communities and will arm our primary care physicians with a new model of care to better serve senior patients across Southwest Ohio. Premier Health is one of Ohios largest private, nonprofit, comprehensive health care systems, with more than 100 locations across seven counties. Comprised of acute care hospitals and outpatient facilities, physician practices, long-term care, and home health services, the health system offers a coordinated approach to the delivery of regional health care and is driven by the vision to inspire better health. Our newly formed partnership with Premier Health underscores our collective commitment to improving patient outcomes and the health of our communities, said Steve Sell, chief executive officer, agilon health. Through our proven partnership model, agilon looks forward to accelerating Premier Healths transition to a Total Care Model for their Medicare Advantage patients and primary care providers. agilon is accelerating at scale the transition to a value-based, Total Care Model for senior patients that improves outcomes and lowers costs. Today, agilon partners with leading community-based physician groups across Ohio including Central Ohio Primary Care, Community Health Care, Physicians Group of Southeastern Ohio, Pioneer Physicians Inc, PriMed Physicians, The Toledo Clinic, and Wood County Hospital. Premier Health will join agilons 2024 class of new partner organizations, adding to agilons growing network that now includes more than 2,700 primary care physicians committed to the delivery of a value-based, Total Care Model in their communities. About Premier Health Based in Dayton, Ohio, Premier Health (www.premierhealth.com) has a mission to improve the health of the communities it serves. Home to one of the nations 15 largest hospitals, the regions only adult Level I trauma center and the largest locally based clinical laboratory, Premier Health continues to build upon a more than 130-year legacy of providing clinical excellence and compassionate care to friends and neighbors across Southwest Ohio. The health system offers award-winning care at five hospital sites: Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton with additional inpatient sites at Miami Valley Hospital South in Centerville and Miami Valley Hospital North in Englewood; Atrium Medical Center in Middletown; and Upper Valley Medical Center in Miami County. In addition, Premier Health provides a comprehensive range of care choices at its seven emergency departments, eight Urgent Care locations, and more than 130 outpatient locations and affiliated primary care and specialty physician offices, as well as home health, mental health, and substance abuse services. About agilon health agilon health is the trusted partner empowering physicians to transform health care in our communities. Through our partnerships and purpose-built platform, agilon is accelerating at scale how physician groups transition to a value-based Total Care Model for senior patients. agilon provides the technology, people, capital, process, and access to a peer network of 2,700+ PCPs that allow physician groups to maintain their independence and focus on the total health of their most vulnerable patients. Together, agilon and its physician partners are creating the healthcare system we need one built on the value of care, not the volume of fees. The result: healthier communities and empowered doctors. agilon is the trusted partner in 30+ diverse communities and is here to help more of our nation's leading physician groups and health systems have a sustained, thriving future. For more information about agilon health, visit www.agilonhealth.com and connect with us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005072/en/ agilon health Investor Contact Matt Gillmor Vice President, Investor Relations [email protected] Media Contact Megan Strothman Director, Communications & Public Affairs [email protected] Premier Health Ben Sutherly (937) 524-3264 [email protected] Source: agilon health, inc. LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rio Tinto and First Quantum Minerals ("First Quantum") have entered into an agreement to form a joint venture that will work to unlock the development of the La Granja copper project in Peru, one of the largest undeveloped copper deposits in the world. La Granja is a complex orebody located at high altitude in Cajamara, Northern Peru, that has the potential to be a large, long-life operation, with a published Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resource totalling 4.32 billion tonnes at 0.51 percent copper1. The joint venture will bring together the combined knowledge, expertise and resources of Rio Tinto and First Quantum Minerals to progress the project. Under the proposed transaction, First Quantum will acquire a 55% stake in the project for $105 million, and commit to further invest up to $546 million into the joint venture to sole fund capital and operational costs to take the project through a feasibility study and toward development. Upon completion of the sole funding commitment, all subsequent expenditures will be applied on a pro-rata basis according to the share ownership of the project. The transaction is expected to complete by the end of Q3 2023, subject to the satisfaction of regulatory approvals. As majority owner, First Quantum will then operate the La Granja project with initial work focussed on completing the feasibility study. Rio Tinto acquired the La Granja Project from the Government of Peru in 2006 and has since carried out an extensive drilling program that significantly expanded the declared resource and understanding of the orebody, and established partnerships with host communities, local and national governments. Rio Tinto Copper Chief Executive Bold Baatar said: La Granja is an exciting but complex project that has the potential to be a significant new source of the copper that is needed for the energy transition. We are pleased to enter into this agreement with First Quantum, that will bring our combined development capabilities and deep knowledge of La Granja to progress the project. This partnership underscores not only La Granjas potential to be a significant copper producer, but Perus position as one of the worlds most important mining investment destinations. Developing La Granja would also further strengthen Rio Tintos copper portfolio following the acquisition of Turquoise Hill Resources and commencement of underground mining at Oyu Tolgoi in Mongolia. First Quantum Chief Executive Officer Tristan Pascall said: I am very pleased to announce todays partnership with Rio Tinto, a global leader in the mining industry. Rio Tintos work on La Granja has been extensive to date and we share our partners view that the project has the potential to be a Tier 1 copper mine. We look forward to working together to build on this foundation, leveraging First Quantums core strengths in mine design, project development and community engagement to progress La Granja to the next stage. First Quantum is excited about broadening our existing relationships in Peru and we are appreciative of the support provided by the Government of Peru to this important partnership for its future major investment in the country. Rio Tinto and FQM have also entered into a memorandum of understanding for strategic cooperation globally in copper and other base metals exploration and project development, as well as for sharing information and technical know-how around best-in-class mining, processing, and decarbonisation. riotinto.com 1 The Mineral Resources referred to in this release comprise 130 Mt at 0.85% Cu Indicated Mineral Resources and 4,190 Mt at 0.50% Cu Inferred Mineral Resources. These Mineral Resources were reported in Rio Tintos 2022 Annual Report released on 22 February 2023, which is available at Annual Report (riotinto.com). The Competent Person responsible for reporting these Mineral Resources is Joanna Marshall, a Member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (MAusIMM). Rio Tinto is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects these Mineral Resource estimates and confirms that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimates continue to apply and have not materially changed. The company confirms that the form and context in which the Competent Persons findings are presented have not been materially modified. Mineral Resources are quoted in this release on a 100 per cent basis. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005455/en/ Please direct all enquiries to: [email protected] Media Relations, United Kingdom Matthew Klar M +44 7796 630 637 David Outhwaite M +44 7787 597 493 Media Relations, Australia Matt Chambers M +61 433 525 739 Jesse Riseborough M +61 436 653 412 Alyesha Anderson M +61 434 868 118 Media Relations, Americas Simon Letendre M +514 796 4973 Malika Cherry M +1 418 592 7293 Investor Relations, United Kingdom Menno Sanderse M +44 7825 195 178 David Ovington M +44 7920 010 978 Clare Peever M +44 7788 967 877 Investor Relations, Australia Tom Gallop M +61 439 353 948 Amar Jambaa M +61 472 865 948 Rio Tinto plc 6 St Jamess Square London SW1Y 4AD United Kingdom T +44 20 7781 2000 Registered in England No. 719885 Rio Tinto Limited Level 43, 120 Collins Street Melbourne 3000 Australia T +61 3 9283 3333 Registered in Australia ABN 96 004 458 404 Category: General Source: Rio Tinto TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- JAXA accredited space venture Tenchijin has been selected in the Global Sustainability Accelerator'', powered by Creww | Google for Startups: a program designed to help startups accelerate and scale their sustainable solutions. Tenchijin will have access to mentorship from Googles network experts and opportunities to access customers, resources and funding. - What is the Global Sustainability Accelerator powered by Creww and Google for Startups? This program aims to support startups that drive innovations with technologies and ideas to realize a sustainable and prosperous world. This first round focuses on Japanese startups with services and products aiming to solve global issues related to energy, water, and food. - Background of Tenchijins application Global Sustainability Accelerator program and Tenchijin share a strong vision and mission. Tenchijins mission is to optimize human civilization activities using information from space. We aim to solve global social issues, achieve a sustainable world by harnessing space Big Data. Googles advance knowledge and networking opportunities Tenchijin is also expanding business globally. Currently, Tenchijin operates in 6 countries. We hope this program would help us accelerate and scale our Earth-friendly solutions globally. - Entry details Tenchijin was selected among 10 Japanese start-ups. We applied to the program with Tenchijin COMPASS software and the traction gained from two projects: water leakage risk mitigation and renewable energy power plants spots localization. Water Pipe leakage risk management The aging water pipelines and delayed maintenance lead to a sharp increase in large-scale water leakage accidents world-wide. It has become a social issue as it jeopardizes water supply for a growing population. We are working to develop a 100 meter spatial resolution leakage risk management operation system that combines Big Data. Our unique AI technology evaluates and visualizes the leakage risk in water pipes. This enables a 60% and 80% reduction in survey costs and time, respectively. Optimal location for renewal energy plants Firms are developing renewable energy to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and supply energy to a growing population. However, the selection of optimal sites is time consuming as various data sets need to be used simultaneously. The current models are sometimes obsolete, biased, incomplete. Tenchijin COMPASS aggregates Big Data to pinpoint the most suitable area for a renewable energy plant. Thanks to remote sourcing, less onsite surveys are required, which helps developers improve operational efficiency. This reduces risks, generates accurate proposals and accelerates deployment. Tenchijin COMPASS can be used for free by creating an account on the Tenchijin website. URL: https://tenchijin.co.jp/compass/?hl=en Language: English, Japanese Browsers: Google Chrome (recommended), only PC If you are interested in customizing Tenchijin COMPASS or consulting on data analysis, please contact us at [email protected] Access here for the details: https://tenchijin.co.jp/?hl=en View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005071/en/ Tenchijin, Inc. Yasuhito Sakuraba [email protected] Source: Tenchijin, Inc. Heidi Schweingruber, Kenneth Huff, and Dana Wright Honored at NSTAs National Conference in Atlanta on March 24 ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) announced the recipients of its 2023 Distinguished Awards: Distinguished Service to Science Education Award, Distinguished Teaching Award, and Distinguished Informal Science Education Award. NSTA annually recognizes extraordinary K12 teachers, professors, principals, and science educators for their outstanding achievements in science education. The educators received their awards during a special evening celebration at NSTAs National Conference on Science Education in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 24. Congratulations to all of the outstanding NSTA award winners. NSTA Teacher Awards are one of the highest honors any educator can receive. We are extremely proud of the work these incredible educators have accomplished. Each one of them is an exemplary role model for their colleagues and an inspiration for their students, said NSTA President Elizabeth Mulkerrin. NSTA presented its Distinguished Service to Science Education Award to Heidi Schweingruber, Director of the Board on Science Education of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM), in Washington, D.C. This award honors NSTA members who, through active leadership and scholarly endeavor over a significant period of time, have made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of education in the sciences and science teaching. As a study co-director for A Framework for K12 Science Educationwhich served as the blueprint for the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)Schweingruber has been critical in deepening the research base for science teaching, assessment, professional development, three-dimensional standards implementation, instructional materials, and English language learners in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). She has established herself as one of the most influential scholars spanning formal and informal K16 STEM education. In her work at NASEM, she continues to develop collaborations across divisions within the Academies and with outside science education associations, including NSTA, the National Science Education Leadership Association, the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, the Council of State Science Supervisors, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Her vision has influenced federal legislation, provided guidance to federal agencies involved in STEM and science education, and shaped grant proposals from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education. Kenneth Huff, a science teacher at Mill Middle School in Williamsville, New York, received NSTAs Distinguished Teaching Award. This award recognizes NSTA members who are classroom teachers at the elementary, middle school, high school, and undergraduate levels who have made extraordinary contributions to the field of science teaching. Huffs longstanding commitment to the NSTA mission includes authoring the associations publications, chairing NSTA committees, serving as an NSTA/National Council of Teachers of Mathematics STEM Teacher Ambassador and on the NSTA Board of Directors, and presenting at NSTA conferences and at the National Congress on Science Education. As one of only 41 science educators identified from across the country to serve on the NGSS writing team, Huff has extensive experience with teaching the standards with fidelity. Outside his classroom, Huff works to ensure new generations of science teachers feel supported and empowered to implement best practices for equitable STEM student learning. This includes developing resources and professional learning programs to help colleagues nationwide understand how to implement the NGSS with diverse students, including multilingual learners. He has also served as co-chair of the NASEM-Teacher Advisory Council, as president of the Association of Presidential Awardees in Science Teaching, and as president of the Science Teachers Association of New York State. Dana Wright, Informal Educator and Exhibit Specialist at NASAs Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia, received NSTAs Distinguished Informal Science Education Award, which honors extraordinary contributions to the advancement of education in the sciences and science teaching in an informal or nontraditional school setting. Wright nurtures the inherent curiosity of lifelong learners through fun and captivating learning experiences. By engaging with the public, collaborating with peers, and developing programming in informal science settings, Wright builds positive connections between learners and developments in all areas of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics; advocates for the notion that science is for everyone; inspires the next generation of scientists; and encourages youth to become information producers instead of just information consumers. In her work in the Office of Communications at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's Wallops Flight Facility, Wright shares agency-wide NASA stories, goals, and objectives with the public. In a relatively brief amount of time, she has transformed and streamlined NASA informal science program offerings to increase the agencys reach to national and international audiences so that learners of all ages can build positive connections with NASAs people, missions, and research. In recognition of her efforts, she has received two Robert H. Goddard Team Awards for Exceptional Achievement for Outreach. Each of these awardees received a formal citation, two nights hotel accommodations, and $500 toward expenses to attend the conference in Atlanta. NSTA encourages science educators to apply for its 2024 Teacher Awards. Applications and information can be found at https://www.nsta.org/awards-and-recognition-program. About NSTA The National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) is a vibrant community of 40,000 science educators and professionals committed to best practices in teaching science and its impact on student learning. NSTA offers high-quality science resources and continuous learning so that science educators grow professionally and excel in their career. For new and experienced teachers alike, the NSTA community offers the opportunity to network with like-minded peers at the national level, connect with mentors and leading researchers, and learn from the best in the field. For more information, visit www.nsta.org, or follow NSTA on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005073/en/ Kate Falk, NSTA (703) 312-9211 [email protected] Source: National Science Teaching Association Chilco River Holdings, Inc. (OTC: CRVH) announces it has acquired a major stake in Harrisburg, PA basedL. Myers Associates. L. Myers Associates has been in business since 1997 andoperates a 20,000 sq ft facility in Harrisburg, PA and had sales exceeding $5,000 ,000 in 2022. L. Myers Associates has 10-year subcontracting agreements with the states of Maryland and Pennsylvania and is a key printing and fulfillment house provider within these states. In addition to L. Myers Associates government-based business, L. Myers Associates is an established, long-term supplier to the hospitality sector providing apparel, uniforms and other accessories to hotel/lodging customers including a five-star hotelchain based in Pennsylvania . The company is also a Certified Small/Minority Owned business in Maryland and Pennsylvania . The CEO of L. Myers Associates , Larry Myers , stated "We look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship with Chilco River in tandem with executing our aggressive business plans. We're already off to a fast start in 2023 and eager to keep the momentum for a fruitful rest of the year." Will Lovett, Chief Executive Officer of Chilco River Holdingsconcluded, " Larry Myers and his team have a growing business with established, long-term customers which fits perfectly in the Chilco River portfolio. We've been busy with many exciting initiatives and look forward keeping shareholders updated on our progress." About Chilco River Holdings, Inc.: Chilco River Holdings, Inc. is a multifaceted holding company focused on developing, manufacturing, and distributing high-growth products within diverse industries via mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures. About L. Myers Associates : L. Myers Associates has been in business since 1997 and operates a 20,000 sq ft facility in Harrisburg, PA. L. Myers Associates has 10-year subcontracting agreements with the states of Maryland and Pennsylvania and is a key printing and fulfillment house within these states. About Gries and Associates: The accounting firm of Gries and Associates is registered with The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board ("PCAOB"). The PCAOB is a non-profit organization that oversees the audits of public companies to protect investors and further the public interest in the preparation of informative, accurate, and independent audit reports. Forward Looking Statements: This 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 and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Those statements include the intent, belief or current expectations of the company and its management team. Forward-looking statements are projections of events, revenues, income, future economics, research, development, reformulation, product performance or management's plans and objectives for future operations. Some or all the events or results anticipated by these forward-looking statements may not occur. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Accomplishing the strategy described herein is significantly dependent upon numerous factors, many that are not in management's control. Contact: Will Lovett Chief Executive OfficerChilco River Holdings, Inc. [email protected] +1 307-217-6522 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chilco-river-holdings-announces-acquisition-of-l-myers-associates-301785966.html Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: NUS) today announced the resignation of its chief financial officer, Mark Lawrence , effective March 31, 2023 . After six years at the company, Lawrence has elected to pursue an outside opportunity but will remain as a senior advisor through April 2023 to support a smooth transition. Additionally, the company is reiterating first quarter and annual 2023 guidance provided on Feb. 15, 2023 . "On behalf of our board, management and the entire Nu Skin team, we thank Mark for his leadership and significant contributions over the past six years," said Ryan Napierski , president and CEO. "He has been integral in our transformation toward Nu Vision 2025, including the introduction of our first connected beauty device system and expanding our digital-first business model. Mark has been a tremendous leader and has built a highly talented team of proven professionals to accelerate our work moving forward. We wish him and his family well in their future endeavors." Nu Skin's board of directors has appointed James D. Thomas , senior vice president and chief accounting officer, as interim CFO and has initiated a formal process to identify a permanent replacement. Thomas joined Nu Skin in 2010 and has served as chief accounting officer since 2019. He has led several critical, global financial projects across multiple disciplines over the years. Prior to Nu Skin , Thomas worked as an assistant controller of another public, technology-enabled wellness company and served in the assurance practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP . Thomas holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Accounting degrees from Utah State University . Palladium One Mining (OTCQB: NKORF) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a subscription agreement for a C$4,252,050 non-brokered private placement financing (the "Private Placement") with a wholly owned subsidiary of Glencore plc ("Glencore"). Pursuant to the Private Placement, PDM will issue 28,347,000 common shares ("Common Shares") at C$0.15 per Common Share. Upon completion of the Private Placement, Glencore will own approximately 9.99% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on a non-diluted basis. "We welcome Glencore as a shareholder and are pleased that our efforts to build a portfolio of nickel - copper sulphide projects in Tier 1 jurisdictions has been recognized and endorsed by an industry leader. We believe this transaction highlights the deep discount to fundamental value and strategy that PDM's shares represent. "By utilizing its financial resources and expertise Palladium One will continue to execute its strategy of maximizing exposure to critical minerals on a per share basis. "We look forward to working with Glencore's exploration team to advance our common exploration and development goals," commented Derrick Weyrauch, Chief Executive Officer of PDM. "We are very pleased to become a cornerstone investor in Palladium One. The management team has been able to put together a sizeable land package focused on critical minerals. The exploration results to date have been very encouraging and we look forward to working with Palladium One to build on the success the team has had to date," commented Wayne Ashworth, Head of Nickel Assets for Glencore. Net proceeds of the Private Placement are intended to be used for exploration and development activities at the Company's nickel projects, for future exploration and development activities, working capital and general and administrative expenses. In connection with the Private Placement, Palladium One and Glencore will enter into an investor rights agreement (the "Investor Rights Agreement"), pursuant to which Glencore will be entitled to certain customary rights including participation rights on future equity security issuances and a right to nominate an individual to the technical committee of Palladium One (such committee will be formed on execution of this investment). Under the Investor Rights Agreement, Glencore will agree to certain customary transfer and standstill restrictions. The Private Placement is expected to close on or about April 11, 2023, subject to customary conditions, including acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange. The Common Shares issued pursuant to the Private Placement will be subject to a four-month hold period from the date of issuance in accordance with applicable securities laws. No commissions or finder fees are payable in connection with the Private Placement. About Palladium One Palladium One Mining Inc. (TSXV: PDM) is focused on discovering environmentally and socially conscious Metals for Green Transportation. A Canadian mineral exploration and development company, Palladium One is targeting district scale, platinum-group-element (PGE)-copper-nickel deposits in Canada and Finland. The Lantinen Koillismaa (LK) Project in north-central Finland, is a PGE-copper-nickel project that has existing NI43-101 Mineral Resources, while both the Tyko and Canalask high-grade nickel-copper projects are located in Ontario and the Yukon, Canada, respectively. Follow Palladium One on LinkedIn, Twitter, and at www.palladiumoneinc.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Derrick Weyrauch" President & CEO, Director For further information contact: Derrick Weyrauch, President & CEO Email: [email protected] Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release is not an offer or a solicitation of an offer of securities for sale in the United States of America. The common shares of Palladium One Mining Inc. have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration. Information set forth in this press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address a company's expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", and "intend", statements that an action or event "may", "might", "could", "should", or "will" be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the proposed Private Placement; expected future attributes, capitalization and strategy of Palladium One following the completion of the Private Placement; the anticipated benefits of, and rationale for, the Private Placement; plans, strategies and initiatives for Palladium One; terms and conditions of the Separation, including the expected use of proceeds of the Private Placement; the anticipated timing for completion of the Private Placement; the terms and conditions of the Investor Rights Agreement; and other statements that are not historical facts. 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. Such factors include, among others, risks associated with project development; the need for additional financing; operational risks associated with mining and mineral processing; fluctuations in palladium and other commodity prices; title matters; environmental liability claims and insurance; reliance on key personnel; the absence of dividends; competition; dilution; the volatility of our common share price and volume; and tax consequences to Canadian and U.S. Shareholders. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160460 (Updated - March 30, 2023 3:15 PM EDT) VirnetX Holding Corporation (NYSE: VHC) an Internet security software and technology company, announced today that the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued a decision in appeals No. 2020-2271 and 2020-2272 involving certain claims of U.S. Patent Nos. 6,502,135 and 7,490,151. The Federal Circuit affirmed the decisions by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board in two inter partes review proceedings (IPR2015-01046 and IPR2015-01047), which found claims 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, and 12 of the '135 patent and claims 1, 2, 6-8, and 12-14 of the '151 patent to be unpatentable. "We are disappointed and disagree with the Federal Circuit's decisions in light of its past rulings on these same patents," said Kendall Larsen , VirnetX CEO and President. "We are evaluating all of our available options, including potentially seeking rehearing or certiorari review." The VirnetX announcement today of a Special Cash Dividend of $1.00 Per Share remains intact regardless of litigation outcomes. Since 1993, the City of Sacramento, California has recognized Cesar Chavezs birthday as a City Holiday, celebrating the life and work of the american activist. Reno, Nevada has also celebrated it since 2003. In 2014, Cesar Chavez Day was proclaimed a federal commemorative holiday by then-president Barack Obama, who admired the activist and even adapted the United Farm Workers of America motto, Si se puede to the English Yes we can, during his 2004 Illinois elections to the U.S. Senate. Even though Chavez was investigated by the FBI during his life and was attacked by right-wing groups and politicians, he has become an important figure in American history and the labor movement for his tireless efforts to improve the lives of farmworkers and his advocacy for social justice and civil rights. At the start of the presidency of Joe Biden, a bust of Chavez was placed on a table directly behind the Resolute desk in the Oval Office. Cesar Chavez Day has become an important holiday to learn more about workers rights. Who was Cesar Chavez? Cesar Chavez (born Cesario Estrada Chavez) was an American farm worker, labor leader and civil rights activist who, with Dolores Huerta, co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), today known as the United Farm Workers of America (UFW) labor union, which protects farm workers in the United States. Born in Yuma, Arizona to a Mexican-American family, he began his life as a manual laborer, before joining the United States Navy. He had a difficult childhood living near poverty, which later influenced his views. After leaving the Navy, he got involved in the Community Service Organization, a civil rights organization, through which he helped laborers (mostly minorities) register to vote throughout the 1960s. He then co-founded the NFWA and El Malcriado, a newspaper published in both English and Spanish that provided a forum for migrant workers to talk about working conditions, and helped organize the farmworkers, who were predominantly Mexican American and Filipino American. He then began organizing strikes among farm workers who demanded better working conditions. Influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and other revolutionaries, Chavez used nonviolent tactics, such as pickets and boycotts, to pressure farm owners and the government into granting strikers demands. Concerned about his work, the FBI monitored him and opened a file on his activities. What did Cesar Chavez do? Cesar Chavez dedicated his life to fighting for the rights of farm workers and promoting nonviolent social change. He also advocated for better housing and access to education for these workers and their families. His work raised awareness of the struggles faced by farmworkers and migrant families. He received support from different labor and leftist groups. In September 1965, Filipino American farmworkers, organized by the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOK), started the Delano grape strike against table grape growers in Delano, California, to protest for higher wages and fight against the exploitation of farmworkers. Cesar Chavez and his supporters voted to support them. He organized the picketers, called for donations and invited left-wing activists to join them. Chavez launched a formal boycott against Schenley Industries and the DiGiorgio Corporation, the two largest corporations which were involved in the Delano grape industry. On August 30, 1968, the DiGiorgio Corporation held an election among its workers, allowing them to choose the union they wanted to represent them. The grape strike and boycott ended on July 29, 1970, when grape growers signed labor contracts with the UFW, which included timed pay increase, health and other benefits. The strike increased Chavezs and the UFW popularity. Contracts between the UFW and grape growers were the first of their kind in agricultural history, and they included an increase in wages, improved working conditions, with some of them including unemployment insurance, paid vacation days and the creation of a special benefits fund. Chavez organized more strikes in favor of laborers throughout his life. When is Cesar Chavez Day? Cesar Chavez Day is a US federal commemorative holiday proclaimed by president Barack Obama in 2014. The holiday celebrates the birth and legacy of the civil rights and labor movement activist on March 31, the day Chavez was born. Ever since 2008, Obama endorsed the idea of creating a national holiday in Chavezs honor, stating: Chavez left a legacy as an educator, environmentalist, and a civil rights leader. And his cause lives on. As farm workers and laborers across America continue to struggle for fair treatment and fair wages, we find strength in what Cesar Chavez accomplished so many years ago. And we should honor him for what hes taught us about making America a stronger, more just, and more prosperous nation. Thats why I support the call to make Cesar Chavezs birthday a national holiday. Its time to recognize the contributions of this American icon to the ongoing efforts to perfect our union. In 2011, as president, he said: Cesar Chavezs legacy provides lessons from which all Americans can learn. In California, where the holiday has been observed since 1995, state offices and schools are closed on March 31 because of the holiday. States like Arizona, Michigan, Nebraska and New Mexico have celebrations in honor of Chavez. The holiday seeks to highlight the legacy of Cesar Chavez, focusing on Chicano and Mexican Americans efforts in the labor movement. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition FILE PHOTO: The Ford logo is pictured at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt, Germany. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/File Photo By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Ford Motor Co has withdrawn a petition seeking U.S. regulatory approval to deploy up to 2,500 self-driving vehicles annually without required human controls like steering wheels, according to a letter made public Thursday. The automaker told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) it was no longer seeking approval for the petition it filed in July 2021, citing its decision to close its self-driving venture Argo AI last year. "As evidenced by the planned shutdown of our ADS partner Argo AI, we believe the road to fully autonomous vehicles, at scale, with a profitable business model, will be a long one," Ford said in its Feb. 13 letter, adding it was "more prudent" to focus on other technologies that "do not require an exemption." The NHTSA made the letter public on Thursday. The No. 2 U.S. automaker said on Thursday that the strategic decision to focus on partially automated vehicles meant it no longer needed petition approval. Ford, which jointly ran Argo with Volkswagen AG, booked a $2.7 billion non-cash pre-tax impairment on its investment in the unit and laid off some employees. The petition was made public in July 2022 by the NHTSA and opened alongside a similar petition submitted by General Motors that is still pending. Ford had said it intended to deploy a self-driving ride-hailing and package delivery vehicle early in this decade. Ford had sought permission not to include human controls "such as a steering wheel, brake pedal (and) gear state controls." The automaker told the NHTSA in its petition that self-driving vehicles "having active driving controls and communications would introduce an unacceptable risk to safety." The NHTSA has authority to grant petitions to allow a limited number of vehicles to operate on U.S. roads without required human controls. Efforts in Congress to make it easier to deploy vehicles on U.S. roads without human controls have been stymied for years. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Franklin Paul and Leslie Adler) FILE PHOTO: Wells Fargo Bank branch is seen in New York City, U.S., March 17, 2020. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon By Hannah Lang (Reuters) -Wells Fargo & Co will pay fines of about $97.8 million for inadequate oversight of its compliance risks, enabling the apparent violation of U.S. sanctions against Iran, Syria and Sudan, federal authorities said on Thursday. The Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said the bank's deficient oversight enabled it to violate U.S. sanctions by providing a trade finance platform to a foreign bank that used it to process $532 million in prohibited transactions. The Fed fined Wells Fargo $67.8 million, while OFAC fined the bank $30 million for inadequate oversight of its compliance risks from 2010 to 2015. Wells Fargo is pleased to resolve this legacy matter involving conduct that ended in 2015, which we voluntarily self-reported and fully cooperated with OFAC and the Federal Reserve Board to address," a Wells Fargo spokesperson said in a statement. In a release, OFAC said that Wells Fargo and its predecessor, Wachovia Bank, provided a European bank with software beginning in 2008 that allowed the firm to process 124 transactions involving sanctioned individuals or jurisdictions. In December, the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau hit Wells Fargo with the watchdog's largest ever civil penalty as part of a $3.7 billion agreement to settle charges over widespread mismanagement of car loans, mortgages and bank accounts. (Reporting by Hannah Lang in Washington; Editing by Richard Chang) OCALA, Fla., March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AIM ImmunoTech Inc. (NYSE American: AIM) (AIM or the Company), an immuno-pharma company focused on the research and development of therapeutics to treat multiple types of cancers, immune disorders and viral diseases including COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus today announced Nancy K. Bryan as the newest member of its Board of Directors. She has also been named to a number of committees. Bryan is an established leader with more than 25 years of experience in the life sciences industry. She has served on executive leadership teams and played key roles in companies successes, including marketing, sales, business development, financing and communications. Bryan is the current President and CEO of BioFlorida Inc., an association supporting the advancement of life sciences in Florida. William Mitchell, MD, PhD, Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, and Chair of AIMs Board of Directors, commented, I am thrilled to add Ms. Bryan as an independent Director, particularly with the depth and breadth of her product marketing and commercialization expertise. Her addition will provide us with valuable industry connections, financial insights and business acumen as we continue to guide AIM through its next phase of growth. She also advances our goal to promote diversity on our board. I look forward to working closely with Nancy as we move Ampligen toward late-stage development. AIM demonstrates an exciting opportunity in the life sciences sector with its Ampligen asset. I am pleased to join the Board at this pivotal time and play what I believe will be an additive role as the Company progresses. I am encouraged by the potential of Ampligen and look forward to leveraging my experience and expertise to help unlock value in the near and long-term, added Bryan. Prior to joining BioFlorida as its President and CEO in 2013, Bryan began her career with major pharmaceutical companies including Merck, GlaxoSmithKline and Bayer Pharmaceuticals. She then went on to serve in a number of executive leadership positions in specialty pharmaceuticals and smaller, start-up biotech companies, including Indevus Pharmaceuticals and NPS Pharmaceuticals. Throughout her career, Bryan helped develop, launch and commercialize many products including blockbusters (Zantac, Levitra), major biologics (Tysabri) and orphan drugs for rare diseases (Valstar for bladder cancer, Supprelin LA for central precocious puberty), and helped establish franchises in a wide variety of therapeutic areas, including Oncology, Anti-infectives, GI and Autoimmune (MS, CD). She has established a successful track record with introducing strategic and tactical solutions to develop global markets as well as launch, grow and turn around established and underperforming drugs, resulting in greater revenue, market share, profitability and stockholder value. Additionally, Bryan has been recognized for outstanding leadership experience in the specialty, biologics and primary care markets, establishing franchises in a wide variety of therapeutic areas, including Oncology, GI, Urology, Endocrinology, Cardiology, Vaccines, Anti-infectives and Autoimmune (IBD, MS, RA). Bryan holds a BA in Economics from the University of Virginia and an MBA from Columbia University, and her academic honors include Phi Beta Kappa and Beta Gamma Sigma. About AIM ImmunoTech Inc. AIM ImmunoTech Inc. is an immuno-pharma company focused on the research and development of therapeutics to treat multiple types of cancers, immune disorders and viral diseases, including COVID-19. The Companys lead product is a first-in-class investigational drug called Ampligen (rintatolimod), a dsRNA and highly selective TLR3 agonist immuno-modulator with broad spectrum activity in clinical trials for globally important cancers, viral diseases and disorders of the immune system.For more information, please visit aimimmuno.com and connect with the Company on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Cautionary Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the PSLRA). Words such as may, will, expect, plan, anticipate and similar expressions (as well as other words or expressions referencing future events or circumstances) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Many of these forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Among other things, for those statements, the Company claims the protection of safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the PSLRA. The Company does not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date hereof. The information found on our website is not incorporated by reference into this press release and is included for reference purposes only. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7e595dfa-e49b-40b9-bd0b-86c2da4c2cf6 Investor Relations Contact JTC Team, LLC Jenene Thomas 833-475-8247 [email protected] Nancy K. Bryan Nancy K. Bryan Source: AIM ImmunoTech Inc. SAN JOSE, CA, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire BitFrontier Capital Holdings Inc (OTCMKTS: BFCH), a leading provider of crypto mining hardware and hosting centers, announces the release of Quarterly Report for Q1 of 2023. Looking back on the 1st quarter of 2023, we at BFCH have already accomplished many of the goals we have set for ourselves on our multi-pronged path to profitability. In this past quarter we acquired ASIC Miners US. Selling mining equipment is one of our sources of revenue. We now have that asset, knowhow and all the valuable relationships weve established along the way, we are well on our way. Still it has been a very good quarter for us and we hope to release the final numbers in the upcoming days. We have recently hired a new Sales Director to help bring in additional revenue starting in Q2. We signed a cooperative agreement with C&G management to create hosting centers for miners on their land. Hosting centers are our second revenue stream. C&Gs expertise in generating power from their natural gas business is going to give us control over the price of power. Together we have already broken ground on our first location in Louisiana and plan to continue working together at other locations they already own. Since the Louisiana site is ready to go, we are relocating our liquid immersion mining equipment that was staged in North Carolina to Louisiana. We already have 1000 mining bays and have just produced our first web commercial to help fill them. Currently at this location we have started to bring in revenues without our marketing taking place at the time of this article, we have over $100,000 a year in revenue coming from hosting, with a handful of potentially huge opportunities to bring in more hosting. Once we sell out of all slots we estimate that our earning will be over $275,000 per month in revenue. We estimate that it will take us close to 60-90 days to fill up the remaining slots. We are filling around 40-50 slots per week with several larger customers wanting over 100 slots per customer. We feel that this estimate is realistic based on the current information available. Our third, is opportunistically mining ourselves. While Crypto-mining can be very lucrative, we are not going to put all of our eggs in one basket. We feel that mining ourselves will keep us present in the market so that we can continue to act as a resource of information to our customers whether they be purchasing ASIC miners or hosting them at our facility. We will always use mining as an additional source of income as it's a great way to speculate and bring in potentially huge rewards. Also, BFCH has Telesis IT which will also contribute to our bottom line. Telesis IT is a technology solutions provider offering a comprehensive range of services to help small businesses achieve their goals. With over 30 years of enterprise networking experience, Telesis IT is ideally suited to help BFCH configure our mining containers, site security cameras and any IT challenges that pop-up along the way. And since Telesis IT has personnel located across the country, they are going to act as our first line of support, should we require assistance on site. Telesis IT might be the perfect partner to help you with your small business and enterprise IT solutions. Lastly, in this past quarter, I have assumed the role of CEO. While I have a solid plan and lots of energy, I know that I cant do it alone. In the first quarter of this year, I have been building our team with some of the best talent in the industry. Tom Corker, who has taken 4 companies public plus sold another company right before IPO, has accepted the position of Chairman and we are already reaping the benefits of his many years of experience. Tom Elison, our Chief Technical Officer, has also joined and is back helping us since late February and was pivotal in getting Louisiana set up and running. Also, a good friend of Keith has joined us in Asia as our Chief Supply Officer. He is going to act as a liaison to all of the ASIC manufacturers and give us valuable visibility to our supply chain. We have hired marketing people, like Sam Clark & Matthew Tudor, web experts and none of us are currently pulling a salary. We all believe in what we are doing and agreed to work for equity - Now thats commitment. Unlike a young startup looking to go public, we are already public and we are well on our way. Join us and grab a piece of this company as we build our way to profitability. Recap Video from our CEO About BitFrontier Capital Holdings, Inc. BitFrontier Capital Holdings, Inc. is a leading provider of Crypto Mining Hardware and Hosting Centers. Consisting of ASIC Miners US, Inc. and Liquid Immersion Worldwide, Inc., BitFrontier is a one stop shop for purchasing the very latest mining equipment and strategically located hosting centers throughout the US. To keep up with further announcements in between our scheduled press releases, please follow our new twitter account https://twitter.com/bfchco https://www.bfchco.com/ https://asicminersus.com/ https://www.liquidimmersionhosting.com/ Contact- [email protected] Forward-Looking Statements. This press release may contain forward-looking statements. The words "believe," "expect," "should," "intend," "estimate," "projects," variations of such words and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, but their absence does not mean that a statement is not a forward-looking statement. These forward-looking statements are based upon the Company's current expectations and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ significantly from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements are risks that are detailed in the Company's respective filings at www.otcmarkets.com. Source: BitFrontier Capital Holdings, Inc. ATLANTA, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gray Television, Inc. (Gray) (NYSE: GTN) today announced that it has appointed Blanca Esparza Pap and Micheal Smith as Assistant Vice Presidents of Gray Media Group, Inc., effective April 1, 2023. Blanca Esparza Pap has served as the Station Manager for Arizonas Family 3TV (KTVK) and CBS5 (KPHO) in Phoenix, Arizona, since 2019. She first joined 3TV in 2005 as its Community and Public Relations Manager, and she later became the Director of Marketing for both 3TV and KPHO. Blanca is a graduate of Arizona State Universitys Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She graduated from the National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundations Broadcast Leadership Training program in 2021 and its Executive Leadership Seminar in 2018. Among her many honors are a NABEF Service to America award for an adoption program that she created for 3TV and an Emmy for her work on Project 121, a community campaign in collaboration with the Arizona Humane Society. In early 2022, Gray promoted Micheal Smith to serve as the first Station Manager for Grays independent station PeachtreeTV (WPCH) in Atlanta, Georgia. Previously, he spent several years as the Marketing Manager for both CBS 46 (WANF) and PeachtreeTV. Micheal Smith has been in the broadcast arena for more than 25 years in both radio and television at the local and national levels. Prior to joining these stations in 2015, he worked as music director of WHTA Hot 97.5 in Atlanta, Marketing Coordinator for WAGA FOX5 in Atlanta, and Affiliate Marketing and National Radio Promotions Manager for FOX Television Stations Group. His broad experience and expertise, as well as his knowledge of the Atlanta market, are skills that will assist him in building a local station with a unique lineup of local programming that is unmistakably Atlanta. About Gray: Gray Television, Inc. is a multimedia company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Gray is the nations largest owner of top-rated local television stations and digital assets in the United States. Its television stations serve 113 television markets that collectively reach approximately 36 percent of US television households. This portfolio includes 79 markets with the top-rated television station and 101 markets with the first and/or second highest rated television station. It also owns video program companies Raycom Sports, Tupelo Media Group, and PowerNation Studios, as well as the studio production facilities Assembly Atlanta and Third Rail Studios. Gray owns a majority interest in Swirl Films. For more information, please visit www.gray.tv. Gray Contact: Kevin P. Latek, Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and Development Officer, 404-266-8333 # # # 4370 Peachtree Road, NE, Atlanta, GA 30319 | P 404.504.9828 F 404.261.9607 | www.gray.tv WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blue Rhino, Americas #1 propane tank exchange brand, is renewing its partnership with the International Rhino Foundation (IRF). IRF focuses its conservation efforts on saving the five rhinoceros species remaining in the world today: Sumatran, Javan, greater one-horned, black, and white rhinos. Blue Rhino, the tank exchange brand of Ferrellgas Partners, L.P. (OTC: FGPR), is proud to support its efforts. Blue Rhino got its name after its founder witnessed the strength and agility of rhinos in the wild during a trip to Africa. He wanted to build a company with a distinct brand name for the unique service the company provided. Today, Blue Rhino tanks are sold at 60,000 locations across the country. Those tanks are used to fuel grills, griddles, fire pits, patio heaters, and other propane-powered appliances in millions of American backyards. Even as it continues to grow, the company strives to give back through the Ferrellgas Century Project. At Blue Rhino, we love and admire these majestic animals, says Chief Operating Officer Tamria Zertuche. Were proud to support IRFs mission as a part of our ongoing focus on sustainability. IRF could not do our work conserving rhinos without partners like Blue Rhino. Were grateful for their financial support, and more importantly for their reach in educating the public about why rhinos are important and why we should save them, says Nina Fascione, Executive Director of IRF. Blue Rhino takes its commitment to the environment seriously. The company is proud to provide clean, affordable, and reliable outdoor living fuel to its customers while supporting important conservation efforts. Blue Rhino also recycles millions of propane tanks each year so they can continue to be used. The company believes that through strategic partnerships, like the one it has with IRF, it can leave the world a better place than we found it. Blue Rhinos goal is to help educate people about the plight of the rhinos while providing funding to help support IRFs initiatives. About FerrellgasFerrellgas Partners, L.P., through its operating partnership, Ferrellgas, L.P., and subsidiaries, serves propane customers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Its Blue Rhino exchange brand is sold at 60,000 locations nationwide. Ferrellgas employees indirectly own 1.1 million common units of the partnership, through an employee stock ownership plan. Ferrellgas Partners, L.P. filed a Form 10-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 30, 2022. Investors can request a hard copy of this filing free of charge and obtain more information about the partnership online at www.ferrellgas.com. Contact: [email protected] Source: Ferrellgas Partners, L.P. Dayton, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Continuing its participation in Childrens Week Florida, the CareSource Foundation announced recipients of the first phase of the CareSource Foundation Florida Grant Challenge. The CareSource Foundation bestowed awards last night to 10 nonprofit organizations that serve the needs of children and their families in Northwest Florida. The award ceremony took place last night at The Womans Club of Tallahassee, emceed by Tallahassee native and WFLA-TV news reporter Deanne King. The top recipient, The Family Cafe, will apply the award towards its mission of providing individuals with disabilities and their families with an opportunity for collaboration, advocacy, friendship and empowerment by serving as a facilitator of communication, space for dialogue and source of information. As a featured sponsor of Childrens Week Florida, the CareSource Foundation was honored to host a reception for recipients last night at the Womans Club of Tallahassee. In addition to The Family Cafe, the top 10 Florida Northwest Grant Challenge awardees include The Able Trust, Dare to Dream Young Girls Network, Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida, Capital Area Healthy Start Coalition, Childrens Home Society, Wolfson Childrens Specialty Center, Voices for Florida, Gulf Coast Kids House and Autism Pensacola. The CareSource Foundation Florida Grant Challenge will award over $400,000 to community-based organizations and nonprofits in the Sunshine State focused on demonstrating effective, practical solutions to address the needs of children and youth and their families in medically complex care. Announcements of additional award recipients in other regions of Florida will take place on April 26 and May 2 in Jacksonville and Miami, respectively. We recognize Floridians want whats best for the children in their community, said Jenny Michael, senior vice president of advocacy at CareSource. The CareSource Foundation is excited to partner with these organizations in order to create better outcomes for children with medically complex needs in the community. Since 2006, the CareSource Foundation has awarded more than $28.5 million to nonprofits across the country that are working to eliminate poverty, provide much-needed services to low-and moderate-income families, and develop innovative approaches to address critical health issues. Florida is the fourth state where the CareSource Foundation Grant Challenge will take place. CareSource is a nonprofit, nationally recognized managed care organization with over 2.3 million members. Headquartered in Dayton, Ohio since its founding in 1989, CareSource administers one of the largest Medicaid managed care plans in the U.S. The organization offers health insurance, including Medicaid, Health Insurance Marketplace and Medicare products. As a mission-driven organization, CareSource is transforming health care with innovative programs that address the social determinants of health, health equity, prevention and access to care. CareSource Florida Co. was formed to offer programs and products in the state of Florida. Attachment Joseph Kelley CareSource 5135098466 [email protected] Source: CareSource Constellation + Tastemade Studios launches to move the wine & spirits category forward through a modern, video-led marketing approach to engage consumers globally. Street Somm, an original series following a sommeliers travels and meals across the U.S., will premiere on the Tastemade streaming channel this year. SAN FRANCISCO, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE: STZ), a leading beverage alcohol company, announced today that it has formed a multi-year, multi-million dollar partnership with Tastemade, a modern media company, to launch a first-of-its-kind content studio that will create and distribute social and streaming content to drive consumer engagement globally for Constellation Brands Wine & Spirits. Constellation + Tastemade Studios will drive elevated storytelling to introduce a new, highly-engaged generation of LDA consumers to the wine and spirits category, through Constellations leading brands, including Robert Mondavi Winery, The Prisoner Wine Company, High West Whiskey, Kim Crawford, SIMI, Schrader Cellars, Double Diamond, To Kalon Vineyard Company, Ruffino Estates, Lingua Franca and others. The partnership will create a new slate of original and powerful series, inspired by these winning brands, that break through, inspire, and advance global wine and spirits culture with innovative storytelling formats spanning native social video and streaming television, as well as brand experiences. Key components of the deal include: Originals for streamers : the development and sale of original series to streamers. : the development and sale of original series to streamers. Originals for the Tastemade streaming channel : the development and distribution of longform shows, including Street Somm, on Tastemades streaming channel. : the development and distribution of longform shows, including Street Somm, on Tastemades streaming channel. Talent, community, content management, and innovation : the development of a tailored approach to curating key brand storytellers and building an engaged community through content and experiences; the architecture of experiential activations, creator and talent partnerships, and platform innovation. : the development of a tailored approach to curating key brand storytellers and building an engaged community through content and experiences; the architecture of experiential activations, creator and talent partnerships, and platform innovation. Native social video content: branded original social video content to drive awareness and increase sales. The first streaming show resulting from the partnership will be, Street Somm, an on-the-go travel series that sends a curious, outgoing sommelier traveling around the country with one goal in mind: to explore mouthwatering eats, learn the story behind them, and find unexpected wine pairings around every corner. In each episode, the Street Somm journeys to a new U.S. city where they will meet an in-the-know local to eat and pair in creative and surprising ways putting a fun twist on the "right" way to pair wine and challenging any preconceived notions about wine and food. A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on the image or link below: Were excited to launch this bold and innovative partnership with Tastemade, which we believe will bring new and diverse consumers into the category, said Robert Hanson, executive vice president and president, Constellation Brands wine and spirits division. Consumers today are in the drivers seat and choose to engage with brands that not only deliver high quality, great tasting wines and spirits, but exciting and engaging experiences across modern channels. Our collaboration with Tastemade accelerates our consumer-obsessed strategy through rich storytelling, dynamic talent partnerships, native social video content and authentic consumer engagement moments that we anticipate will win with audiences around the world. Constellation has established itself as a true innovator in the premium wine and spirits industry, creating a bold portfolio of distinctive brands that are loved by consumers, says Tastemades Co-Founder & CEO Larry Fitzgibbon. Were thrilled to be expanding our partnership with the Constellation Brands Wine & Spirits team to leverage our expertise to create a content studio that inspires culture, audiences, and impact around wine and spirits. The venture will be nimble and at massive scale due to Constellation Brands Wine & Spirits global portfolio reach and Tastemades existing global platform. Programming will include original content and series for streamers; development of original concepts and series for Tastemades streaming channels; as well as original social content, talent partnerships, media, and experiential partnerships. Constellation Brands Wine & Spirits is building a bold and innovative, high-end wine and spirits company with distinctive brands and products, delivering exceptional consumer experiences. The company has reshaped its wine and spirits portfolio to become a leading global premium, fine wine and craft spirits house of brands that align with consumer preferences. Each of its brands has a rich and distinctive story to tell, and Tastemade is uniquely equipped to not only bring those stories to life, but to also share them with a built-in global audience of more than 300 million monthly viewers on all major digital, mobile, and streaming television platforms. ABOUT CONSTELLATION BRANDS Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ) is a leading international producer and marketer of beer, wine, and spirits with operations in the U.S., Mexico, New Zealand, and Italy. Our mission is to build brands that people love because we believe elevating human connections is Worth Reaching For. Its worth our dedication, hard work, and calculated risks to anticipate market trends and deliver more for our consumers, shareholders, employees, and industry. This dedication is what has driven us to become one of the fastest-growing, large CPG companies in the U.S. at retail, and it drives our pursuit to deliver whats next. Every day, people reach for our high-end, iconic imported beer brands such as those in the Corona brand family like the flagship Corona Extra, Modelo Especial and the flavorful lineup of Modelo Cheladas, Pacifico, and Victoria; our fine wine and craft spirits brands including The Prisoner Wine Company, Robert Mondavi Winery, Casa Noble Tequila, and High West Whiskey; and our premium wine brands such as Kim Crawford and Meiomi. As an agriculture-based company, we have a long history of operating sustainably and responsibly. Our ESG strategy is embedded into our business and our work focuses on serving as good stewards of the environment, enhancing social equity within our industry and communities, and promoting responsible beverage alcohol consumption. These commitments ground our aspirations beyond driving the bottom line as we work to create a future that is truly Worth Reaching For. To learn more, visit www.cbrands.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. ABOUT TASTEMADE Tastemade is a modern media company that engages a global audience of more than 300 million monthly viewers on all major digital, mobile, and streaming television platforms, garnering 700 million minutes watched each month. We create award-winning video content and original programming in the categories of Food, Travel, and Home & Design that we share with an engaged, passionate, and global community. Tastemade has won a host of awards and accolades for its innovation and original programming, including three James Beard Awards, two Emmy Awards, and was most recently recognized as one of Fast Companys Most Innovative Companies in 2021. For more information, visit Tastemade at: www.tastemade.com . Connect with Tastemade on TikTok | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn A downloadable PDF copy of this news release can be found here http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/ac738100-fa04-472e-a59b-1f60153b5d3b On Thursday, 30 March 2023 at 3 pm (CEST), the annual general meeting of Copenhagen Airports A/S was held with the following agenda: 1. The report of the board of directors on the company's activities during the past year. 2. Presentation and adoption of the audited annual report. 3. Resolution to discharge the board of directors and the executive board from liability. 4. Resolution on the appropriation of profit or loss as recorded in the adopted annual report. 5. Election of members of the board of directors, including the chairman and the deputy chairmen. 6. Presentation of and advisory vote on the remuneration report. 7. Approval of remuneration to the board of directors for the current year. 8. Appointment of auditor. 9. Proposal from the board of directors to amend article 11.2 of the company's articles of association. 10. Proposals from shareholders. 11. Authorisation to the chairman of the general meeting. 12. Any other business. Re item 1 The general meeting acknowledged the report of the board of directors. Re item 2 The general meeting adopted the 2022 annual report. Re item 3 The general meeting discharged the board of directors and the executive board from liability. Re item 4 The general meeting approved the proposal not to distribute dividends for 2022 and to carry forward the result of the year as recorded in the adopted annual report to the following financial year. Re item 5 Lars Nrby Johansen was re-elected as chairman of the board of directors, and David Mark Stanton and Niels Konstantin Jensen were re-elected and elected, respectively, as deputy chairmen of the board of directors. Janis Carol Kong, Charles Thomazi and Lars Sandahl Srensen were re-elected as members of the board of directors. The board of directors also consists of the employee representatives Betina Hvolbl Thomsen, Brian Bjrn, and Michael Eriksen, who had been elected for the period until 2027. Re item 6 The general meeting approved the company's remuneration report by advisory vote. Re item 7 The general meeting approved the proposed remuneration of the board of directors for the current financial year. Re item 8 The general meeting re-elected PricewaterhouseCoopers Statsautoriseret Revisionspartnerselskab as the company's auditor. Re item 9 The general meeting approved the proposed amendment of article 11.2 of the company's articles of association as outlined in the notice convening the general meeting. Re item 10 No proposals from shareholders had been submitted. Re item 11 The general meeting authorised the chairman of the general meeting to register the resolutions with the Danish Business Authority. COPENHAGEN AIRPORTS A/S P.O. Box 74 Lufthavnsboulevarden 6 DK-2770 Kastrup Telephone: +45 32313231 www.cph.dk CVR no. 14 70 72 04 MONTREAL and SAN FRANCISCO, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Coveo Solutions Inc. (Coveo or the Company) (TSX: CVO), a leader in AI platforms that transform digital experiences with intelligent search, recommendations, 1:1 personalization and merchandising, today announced that Sumit Pande is stepping down from its board of directors, effective March 31, 2023 after markets close. Mr. Pande also served as a member of the audit and compensation committees of the Company. Mr. Pande served on Coveos board for approximately two years and was involved in the Companys transition to a public company. He was previously Head of TMT at Qatar Investment Authority Advisory USA (QIA). QIA is one of Coveos largest institutional investors. On behalf of the board, the executive team and our shareholders, we thank Sumit for his involvement and the significant impact he has had on Coveo said Louis Tetu, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the board of Coveo. During his tenure, Sumit made many contributions to the success and growth of Coveo, drawing on a wealth of experience gained over a long and very successful business career. It has been a privilege to work with Coveos board and the executive team said Mr. Pande. I must step away from the board to focus on my responsibilities at a new private equity investment firm. However, I remain fully supportive of the Company and its growth strategy, spearheaded by a seasoned management team. About Coveo Solutions Inc. We believe that relevance is critical for businesses to win in the new digital experience economy and to serve people the way they expect while ensuring optimal business performance, and that applied AI is an imperative to achieve these goals. Coveo is a market-leading AI-powered relevance platform that injects search, 1:1 recommendations, personalization, and merchandising intelligence into digital experiences such as commerce, service, website, and workplace applications. Coveo's platform is cloud-native SaaS, multi-tenant, API-first, and headless, and can easily integrate into almost any digital experience. Our solutions are designed to provide tangible value to our customers by helping to drive improvements in conversion, revenue, and margins, reduce customer support costs, increase customer satisfaction and website engagement, and improve employee proficiency and satisfaction. Our AI platform powers digital experience relevance for many of the worlds most innovative brands, serving millions of people and billions of interactions, and is supported by a large network of global systems integrators and implementation partners. Coveo is a Salesforce ISV Partner, a Global SAP CX Partner, and an Adobe Accelerate Exchange Partner. Coveo is a trademark of Coveo Solutions Inc. Stay up to date on the latest Coveo news and content by subscribing to the Coveo blog, and following Coveo on LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube. Forward-Looking Information This press release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, forward-looking information). This forward-looking information is identified by the use of terms and phrases such as may, would, should, could, might, will, achieve, occur, expect, intend, estimate, anticipate, plan, foresee, believe, continue, target, opportunity, strategy, scheduled, outlook, forecast, projection, or prospect, the negative of these terms and similar terminology, including references to assumptions, although not all forward-looking information contains these terms and phrases. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, intentions, projections, or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking information. Statements containing forward-looking information are not historical facts but instead represent managements expectations, estimates, and projections regarding future events or circumstances. Forward-looking information is necessarily based on a number of opinions, estimates, and assumptions that we considered appropriate and reasonable as of the date such statements are made. Although the forward-looking information contained herein is based upon what we believe are reasonable assumptions, actual results may vary from the forward-looking information contained herein. Certain assumptions made in preparing the forward-looking information contained in herein include, without limitation: our ability to capitalize on growth opportunities and implement our growth strategy; our ability to attract new customers, both domestically and internationally; the success of our efforts to expand our product portfolio and market reach; our ability to maintain successful strategic relationships with partners and other third parties; our future capital requirements; the available liquidity under our revolving credit facility; the accuracy of our estimates of market opportunity and growth forecasts; our success in identifying and evaluating, as well as financing and integrating, any acquisitions, partnerships, or joint ventures; our ability to execute on our expansion plans; and the future impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond our control, that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to macro-economic uncertainties and the risk factors described under Risk Factors in the Companys most recently filed Annual Information Form available under our profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, prospective investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information, which speaks only as of the date made. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. Although we have attempted to identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other risk factors not presently known to us or that we presently believe are not material that could also cause actual results or future events to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking information. You should not rely on this forward-looking information, as actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those contemplated by this forward-looking information as a result of such risks and uncertainties. Additional information will also be set forth in other public filings that we make available under our profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com from time to time. The forward-looking information provided in this press release relates only to events or information as of the date hereof, and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Except as required by law, we do not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, 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. Contact Information Paul MoonHead of Investor Relations[email protected] Highwire PRCoveo[email protected]+1 418 263-1111 Source: Coveo Solutions Inc. In a highly sensitive U.S. visit, Taiwans president is delivering a message that keeping her self-ruled island strong will help ensure the worlds safety even as her travel is carefully calibrated to try to contain what furious Chinese officials warn could be a strong response. Taiwan is billing President Tsai Ing-wens visit to New York as simply a transit, but she has kept a full agenda of events Wednesday and Thursday before flying to Central America. Most provocatively in the eyes of Beijing, her trip is expected to include a meeting with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy next week. In a sign of the sensitivity of her visit, little about Tsais full itinerary has been made public, and her events Thursday were closed to the news media. The visit while important for Taiwan in demonstrating its overseas support is fraught for both Taiwan and the U.S. because China views Taiwan as its territory and treats any dealings between U.S. and Taiwanese officials as a challenge to its sovereignty. Even with the precautions, Tsais trip, including any meetings with U.S. lawmakers, raises tensions at a time when both China and the U.S. and its allies are boosting their military preparedness for a possible confrontation in the Indo-Pacific. Chinas often-stated determination to take Taiwan, by force if necessary, stands as one of the regions main flashpoints. Chinese officials are focusing, angrily, on the expected meeting next week between Tsai and McCarthy. It would be one of the highest-level in-person meetings between U.S. and Taiwanese officials on U.S. soil. Tsai, who arrived late Wednesday, tweeted a photo of herself and Taiwans top diplomat in the United States, Bi-khim Hsiao, in a vehicle out on the streets of New York on Thursday. Tsai declined comment when approached by an Associated Press reporter at her hotel. In a speech Wednesday night to a full room of fellow Taiwanese in New York, Tsai thanked the United States for its security assistance and urged Taiwanese unity. The safer Taiwan is, the safer the world will be, she said. She pledged Taiwan would work with its democratic partners to remain on a path of democracy, in unspoken contrast with the communist Chinese government. Small crowds from New Yorks Taiwanese community greeted Tsai in her first hours in the city. Chinese demonstrators opposed to Taiwans government also were on the streets, waving the red and yellow Chinese flag. Tsai Ing-wen big traitor of China, said the slogan on a sign held by one protester. The United States longstanding one-China policy acknowledges that the Chinese claim Taiwan as their territory. However, the U.S. does not endorse that claim and remains Taiwans most important provider of military hardware and other defense assistance. On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning restated Chinas serious objections to any interactions between Tsai and U.S. leaders. China firmly opposes any form of official interaction between the U.S. and Taiwan, Mao told reporters in Beijing. China will continue to closely follow the situation and resolutely safeguard our sovereignty and territorial integrity. A senior Chinese diplomat in Washington, embassy charge daffaires Xu Xueyuan, pointed to the anticipated meeting between Tsai and the U.S. House speaker as one that would have significant repercussions overall and a serious, serious, serious impact on U.S.-China relations. Neither Taiwan nor McCarthy, a California Republican, has publicly confirmed any in-person get-together. Analysts have framed a session between the two outside Washington as possibly less provocative than a trip by McCarthy to Taiwan, which he has said he also intends to make Beijing responded to a visit by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi last August by launching missiles, deploying warships across the median line of the Taiwan Strait and simulating a blockade of the island. China also temporarily suspended dialogue with the U.S. on climate and other major issues and restricted military-to-military communication with the Pentagon. The United States broke off official ties with Taiwan in 1979, when it formally established diplomatic relations with China. U.S. law requires Washington to treat all threats to the island as matters of grave concern but does not explicitly say whether the U.S. would commit troops. Sen. Robert Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he hoped any U.S. officials meeting unofficially with the Taiwanese president emphasize that American support for Taiwan is strong and unequivocal. Tsai has made six previous trips through the U.S. during her presidency, meeting with members of Congress and members of the Taiwanese diaspora. Administration officials are underscoring that her trip is in line with what she and her predecessors have done in the past. Tsais transit is consistent with our longstanding unofficial relationship with Taiwan and is consistent with the United States one-China policy, which remains unchanged, White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters. The Peoples Republic of China should not use this transit as a pretext to step up any aggressive activity around the Taiwan Strait, Kirby said. The United States and China have differences when it comes to Taiwan. But we have managed those differences for more than 40 years. Tsai told reporters before boarding her plane to the United States that external pressure will not obstruct our resolution to engage with the world. Tsai was expected to meet with the American Institute in Taiwan chair, Laura Rosenberger. AIT is the U.S. government-run nonprofit that carries out unofficial relations with Taiwan. Tsais stops in Central America are expected to shore up Taiwans partnerships there, after Honduras this month switched its diplomatic relations from Taiwan to China. Tsai accused China of using dollar diplomacy to lure away Honduras. Worldwide, just 13 countries now officially recognize Taiwan. Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, the chairman of the House Select Committee on China, said the visit is a chance for Tsai to convey to the Congress how important the partnership between the U.S. and Taiwan is and whats necessary to preserve peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Tensions between Washington and Beijing have grown as China under President Xi Jinping seeks to expand its regional and global influence. Passage of what the U.S. said was a Chinese spy balloon across the U.S. this winter heightened Americans sense of challenge from China. China says it was a research balloon that was blown off course. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Tegucigalpa, Honduras, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With more and more women choosing to work at Dinant - the leading agribusiness and consumer products manufacturer in Honduras - the Company is investing in a range of initiatives to create an even safer and healthier environment for its female employees. These include offering professionally-staffed breastfeeding clinics for working mothers and introducing compulsory staff training on protecting the rights of female workers and local community members. Since 2021, Dinant has provided a breastfeeding clinic for working mothers at its snacks factory in San Pedro Sula. A highly-trained, full-time female healthcare provider assists nursing mothers, providing training and advice, and attending to any medical issues the mothers might have. In under two years, the breastfeeding clinic has benefited 75 Dinant employees. As a result, Dinant is building similar breastfeeding clinics at other manufacturing facilities in Honduras, including in the Aguan and Lean Valleys. Sindy Gabriela Zelaya, Occupational Health Manager at Dinant, said, When a mother returns to work after maternity leave, we want her to be able to continue breastfeeding her baby if she so chooses. The purpose-built lactation room at Dinants snacks plant in San Pedro Sula is a safe, private, sanitary space that enables mothers to express milk and store it in refrigerators ready to take home at the end of the workday. Im delighted that we are expanding this facility to other Company locations in Honduras. Dinant has also developed a compulsory training module for all employees on the prevention of violence or harassment based on gender. Working in collaboration with expert legal advice and drawing from global best practices, Dinants training includes practical advice on how those in need or in fear can receive free support. All staff, including new employees, will undertake the new training over the next few months. In partnership with the womens office in Tocoa, Dinants social liaison experts have started training community leaders in Aguan and Lean on this issue, as well as on childrens rights. Roger Pineda Pinel, Dinants Director of Corporate Relations and Sustainability, said, Of course, there remains much work to be done, but I am confident that Dinant is a place where women want to work and where they feel safe, valued, well-remunerated, and able to pursue exactly the same career opportunities as our male employees. I have no doubt that we shall see increasing numbers of women employed throughout Dinant in the months and years ahead. In line with national legislation, Dinant provides expectant mothers with 42 days maternity leave prior to their delivery dates and 42 days leave after the birth for all mothers who choose to return to work. The Company also voluntarily provides three days paid paternity leave for new male parents. Dinant provides equal opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to gender, race, color, religion, national origin, age or disability. The Company employs nearly 6,000 people in Honduras alone, 28% of whom are women. There are 62 employees with disabilities, including 19 females. Dinant is making exceptional progress at hiring women for sales positions that traditionally have attracted only male applicants, and the Companys highly respected security women work alongside their male counterparts at many of its operating sites. About Dinant Dinants products are sold across Central America and the Dominican Republic. Its operations directly employ 7,600 people, who in turn support approximately 22,000 family members, as well as many thousands of contractors, vendors and suppliers. Dinant is a full member of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR), a highly-esteemed international initiative that governs how organizations vet, recruit, and train security men and women, and how they engage peacefully and transparently with local communities. Attachment Roger Pineda Pinel Corporacion Dinant +504 2239-8271 [email protected] Source: Corporacion Dinant (In United States dollars, except where noted otherwise) TORONTO, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Quantum Minerals Ltd. (First Quantum or the Company) (TSX: FM) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Rio Tinto to progress the next phase of the La Granja copper project (the Project) in Peru. The Project is located in the district of Querocoto in the northern region of Cajamarca, Peru, approximately 90 kilometers northeast of Chiclayo, the capital of Lambayeque region, at an altitude of between 2,000 and 2,800 meters. La Granja is one of the largest undeveloped copper resources in the world with a published Inferred mineral resource of 4.32 billion tonnes at 0.51 percent copper and potential for substantial expansion. Rio Tinto has operated the Project since 2006, carrying out an extensive drilling program that has significantly expanded the resource and has managed a world-class community relations program that has ensured strong local support for the Project. First Quantum will acquire a majority stake in the Project and will undertake the feasibility study and possible further development of what has the potential to be a large, long-life operation. I am very pleased to announce todays partnership with Rio Tinto, a global leader in the mining industry. Rio Tintos work on La Granja has been extensive to date and we share our partners view that the Project has the potential to be a Tier 1 copper mine. We look forward to working together to build on this foundation, leveraging First Quantums core strengths in mine design, project development and community engagement. This partnership will provide First Quantum access to an attractive copper project, offering additional future optionality in the Companys project pipeline while we focus on strengthening the balance sheet in the interim, said Tristan Pascall, Chief Executive Officer of First Quantum. First Quantum is excited about broadening our existing relationships in Peru and we are appreciative of the support provided by the Government of Peru to this important partnership for its future investment in the country. La Granja is an exciting but complex project that has the potential to be a significant new source of the copper that is needed for the energy transition. We are pleased to enter into this agreement with First Quantum, that will bring our combined development capabilities and deep knowledge of La Granja to progress the Project, said Bold Baatar, Chief Executive of Rio Tinto Copper. This partnership underscores not only La Granjas potential to be a significant copper producer, but Perus position as one of the worlds most important mining investment destinations. KEY TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT Upon completion, First Quantum will acquire a 55% interest in La Granja for a consideration of $105 million and will become the operator of the Project. Following the acquisition, the Company will be responsible for $546 million of funding (the initial funding). Part of the initial funding will be used to complete a feasibility study after which the remaining majority of the initial funding is expected to be spent on construction of the Project following a positive investment decision. Upon satisfaction of this initial funding amount, all subsequent expenditures will be applied on a pro-rata basis according to the share ownership of the Project. The completion of the transaction is subject to certain conditions, including regulatory approvals by the Government of Peru that are currently underway. The transaction is expected to close before the end of Q3 2023. WORK PLAN AND GUIDANCE Work over the initial years will continue to progress community engagement and the feasibility study. The feasibility study will focus on developing an updated geological resource and reserve model, which will require additional infill drilling to upgrade Inferred resources to Measured and Indicated categories. Additional metallurgical studies to establish optimal processing configurations are expected to be carried out in parallel, together with a high-level project layout and configuration of associated infrastructure requirements and logistical routes. With work on La Granja focused mainly at the studies level, there is no change to the Companys three-year guidance provided in January 2023 on capital expenditures. Further to the agreement on La Granja, First Quantum and Rio Tinto have also entered into a memorandum of understanding to support co-operation in relation to base metals development opportunities and the sharing of technology and know-how on certain mining methods, such as the application of trolley-assist and autonomous mining fleets. For further information, visit our website at www.first-quantum.com or contact: Bonita To, Director, Investor Relations (416) 361-6400 Toll-free: 1 (888) 688-6577E-Mail: [email protected] CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATIONCertain statements and information herein, including all statements that are not historical facts, contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the expected timing for closing of the transaction; the satisfaction of closing conditions in respect of the Acquisition, including regulatory approvals; the work, including feasibility and metallurgical studies, to be completed to progress the Project; the funding of expenditures related to the Project; the impact and expected benefits of the Acquisition and the Companys partnership with Rio Tinto on the Companys business and operations; and expectations regarding the future demand for copper. With respect to forward-looking statements and information contained herein, the Company has made numerous assumptions, including as to the receipt of necessary regulatory approvals required to complete Acquisition; Rio Tinto and the Company maintaining strong local support for the Project; the successful completion of the feasibility and metallurgical studies required to progress the Project; and the ability of the Company to fund the Acquisition, including the first $546 million in study and development work and subsequent expenditures related to the Project. Forward-looking statements and information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. These factors include, but are not limited to, political stability in Peru, joint venture risks, potential social and environmental challenges, and events generally impacting global economic, political and social stability. There may also be other factors that cause actual results, performance, achievements or events not as anticipated, estimated or intended, including the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed in the Companys Annual Information Form. The Company undertakes no obligation to reissue or update forward-looking statements or information as a result of new information or events after the date hereof except as may be required by law. Source: First Quantum Minerals Ltd. Guelph, Ontario, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Grain Farmers of Ontario, the provinces largest commodity organization, representing Ontarios 28,000 barley, corn, oat, soybean and wheat farmers, congratulates Ben Lobb, Member of Parliament for Huron-Bruce, on the successful Third Reading of his Private Member Bill: Bill C-234: An Act to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act. This bill was introduced into parliament in 2022 and would provide relief to farmers feeling the impact of the increased tax on their food production. The bill will move to the Senate for reading and a vote over the coming months. Grain Farmers of Ontario thanks all Members of Parliament that voted in favour of this bill, including the Conservative Party of Canada members, the NDP members, the Bloc Quebecois members, and some Liberal members who voted to provide real relief to farmers something that previous rebates do not do. For the past three years, farmers have incurred the added expense of the carbon tax on grain drying. Bill C-234 exempting on-farm fuel used for grain drying will help farmers continue to produce safe, healthy food and agricultural products for Ontario and beyond, said Brendan Byrne, Chair, Grain Farmers of Ontario. Grain drying is an essential part of the process of harvesting grain. Without it, grain would spoil and could not be used for food, feed, or biofuels. The current carbon tax is a significant increase to the already escalating cost of production faced by grain farmers. The cumulative impact of the carbon tax increases threatens farm sustainability in Ontario. Grain drying is vital in producing grain that is used in food, feed, and other products. Grain Farmers of Ontario has calculated that the carbon tax, which is increasing every year, will cost an average farm an additional $46 per acre in direct drying costs by 2030. On an average 800-acre farm, thats an increased cost to operations of $36,800. GRAIN FARMERS OF ONTARIO Grain Farmers of Ontario is the provinces largest commodity organization, representing Ontarios 28,000 barley, corn, oat, soybean, and wheat farmers. The crops they grow cover over 6 million acres of farm land across the province, generate over $4.1 billion in production value, result in over $18 billion in economic output and are responsible for over 75,000 jobs in the province. Victoria Berry Grain Farmers of Ontario 226-820-6641 [email protected] Source: Grain Farmers of Ontario Charleston, SC, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jeff Cook Real Estate is pleased to announce the outstanding achievements of its top agents in the first quarter of 2023. These agents have demonstrated exceptional performance, dedication, and expertise in the real estate industry, and have exceeded expectations in their sales and customer service efforts. With their exceptional skills and commitment to excellence, these agents have helped countless clients achieve their real estate goals and have contributed significantly to the success of Jeff Cook Real Estate. We are proud to recognize their hard work and dedication and look forward to seeing their continued success in the future. The Hall Group Top Team at Jeff Cook Real Estate Clayton and Whitney, the dynamic duo of the Hall Group at Jeff Cook Real Estate, have not only excelled in their careers but have also created a beautiful life together. Clayton, originally from Vero Beach, FL, attended Florida State University, while Whitney, hailing from Columbia, SC, graduated from the College of Charleston. They joined Jeff Cook Real Estate in Mt Pleasant in 2017 and hit it off immediately. After being friends for a year, they started dating in 2018, got married in 2021, and are now the proud parents of a 6-month-old baby girl, Sawyer, and a 6-year-old dog, Hudson. As agents, Clayton and Whitney have helped over 175 families buy and sell real estate in the past 5 and a half years. They credit their success to the family-like environment at Jeff Cook Real Estate, where everyone is supportive and willing to help at a moment's notice. However, their biggest accomplishment so far is joining together as a husband and wife team and forming the Hall Group, where they have found a system that allows them to better serve their clients while balancing family time. Contact Whitney by calling 843-428-7578 or emailing [email protected]. Contact Clayton by calling 843-396-3773 or by emailing [email protected]. Brandon Garon Top Buyer Agent at Jeff Cook Real Estate Originally from Southern California, Brandon relocated to Lexington, South Carolina in 2015 with his wife Danielle and two young boys, Noah and Wyatt. Prior to his career in real estate, Brandon worked as an EMT for 10 years, gaining valuable experience in customer service and problem-solving. Since joining Jeff Cook Real Estate in 2018, Brandon has served over 75 families and closed over $20 million in volume, finishing 2022 as one of the top 10 agents in the entire company. Brandon credits his success to the family-like culture at Jeff Cook Real Estate, saying, "It is more than just a place to work, it is a family. We go through life together, supporting each other in the job and in life." His biggest accomplishment so far is persevering through the challenges of the industry and becoming a top-producing agent. Brandon's ultimate goal is to help guide others as they embark on their own journeys, and he does so through his YouTube channel where he shares the Midlands of South Carolina through the eyes of a transplant and real estate agent. As Brandon puts it, "I love this career and feel blessed to have been given the opportunity with Jeff Cook Real Estate, who helped get me started and continues to support me as I have grown into a top producing agent." Contact Brandon by calling 803-766-4663 or by emailing [email protected]. Be sure to check out his Youtube channel here http://midlandsofsc.com/. Nancy Walsh Top Seller Agent at Jeff Cook Real Estate Nancy is a successful real estate agent at Jeff Cook Real Estate and has a deep love for family that has been a driving force in her career. Having helped over 170 families build new lives in homes they found together, Nancy's true joy comes from making these connections. She is a mother of four adult children and two stepchildren, as well as a proud grandmother of six grandchildren. Her supportive husband, Kevin, is also her real estate partner. With Jeff Cook Real Estate, Nancy discovered her true entrepreneurial spirit, having been given the tools and confidence she needed to be successful. Every transaction is special to her, and she considers it a huge accomplishment every time she helps match a family with a home. Nancy loves her job and is passionate about continuing to help families find their dream homes. Contact Nancy by calling 843-994-3715 or by emailing [email protected]. Heidi Schaefer Rising Star at Jeff Cook Real Estate Heidi is a native Southern California girl who has lived in 11 states as well as Switzerland. After serving as a flight attendant for almost a decade, she decided to switch careers and became a real estate agent. Since joining Jeff Cook Real Estate in November of 2022, Heidi has already closed three deals in less than 120 days. She loves the supportive and family-oriented culture at Jeff Cook Real Estate and feels motivated to continue her success. Heidi is a mother of four grown children and a grandmother to four little ones ranging in age from 3 months to 7 years old. Despite working another job and taking care of her elderly mother, she has jumped in with both feet and is excited to keep the momentum going. Contact Heidi by calling 843-417-0495 or by emailing [email protected] If youre interested in buying a home or selling your current one, give us a call at 855-HEY-JEFF. To learn more about joining Jeff Cook Real Estate visit, JoinJCRE.com. Attachment Patricia Utsey Jeff Cook Real Estate 8432252002 [email protected] Source: Jeff Cook Real Estate NOTICE TO CONVENE MULTITUDE SES ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS Notice is given to the shareholders of Multitude SE (Company) that the Annual General Meeting of the Company is to be held on 27 April 2023 at 10:00 a.m. (EEST / Finnish time) at the offices of Castren & Snellman Attorneys Ltd, Etelaesplanadi 14, Helsinki, Finland. The reception of persons who have registered for the meeting and the distribution of voting tickets will start at 9:30 a.m. (EEST / Finnish time). Shareholders may also exercise their voting rights by voting in advance. Instructions concerning advance voting are provided in Section 3.4 of this notice. It will not be possible to participate in the meeting or follow the meeting via an online stream or otherwise in real time by the use of telecommunication connections or technical means. The meeting will be held in the English language. 1 MATTERS ON THE AGENDA OF THE GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS At the General Meeting of Shareholders, the following matters will be considered: (1) Opening of the Meeting (2) Calling the Meeting to Order (3) Election of Persons to Scrutinise the Minutes and to Supervise the Counting of Votes (4) Recording the Legality of the Meeting (5) Recording the Attendance at the Meeting and Adoption of the List of Votes (6) Presentation of the Annual Accounts including the Consolidated Annual Accounts, the Report of the Board of Directors and the Auditors Report for the Year 2022 Review by the CEO. The Annual Report, which includes the Companys Annual Accounts and report of the Board of Directors as well as the Auditors Report, is available on the Companys website at https://www.multitude.com/. (7) Adoption of the Annual Accounts (8) Resolution on the Use of the Result Shown on the Balance Sheet and the Distribution of Dividend The result for the financial year 2022 of Multitude SE amounted to -10,019,716. The unrestricted equity of the Company at the end of the financial year stood at 50,124,658. The result for the financial year 2022 of Multitude Group amounted to 11,994,748. The Board of Directors proposes to the Annual General Meeting that, for the financial year that ended on 31 December 2022, a dividend of EUR 0.12 per share be distributed. The dividend is proposed to be paid on 9 May 2023 to shareholders who are registered in the Companys shareholder register on the dividend record date of 2 May 2023. (9) Resolution on Discharging the Members of the Board of Directors and the CEO from Liability (10) Consideration of the Remuneration Report for Governing Bodies The Remuneration Report for Governing Bodies is available on the Companys website at https://www.multitude.com/. (11) Resolution on the Remuneration of the Members of the Board of Directors The Board of Directors proposes on recommendation of the People and Culture Committee that the Chairman of the Board of Directors be paid EUR 8,000 per month, and the other members of the Board of Directors be paid EUR 4,000 per month. Furthermore, it is proposed that no remuneration will be paid to the members who are employees or CEOs of the Company or a subsidiary of the Company. (12) Resolution on the Remuneration of the Auditor The Board of Directors proposes on recommendation of the Audit Committee that the Auditor be paid reasonable remuneration in accordance with the Auditors invoice, which shall be approved by the Company. (13) Resolution on the Number of Members of the Board of Directors The Board of Directors proposes that the number of members of the Board of Directors be six. (14) Election of the Members of the Board of Directors The Board of Directors proposes that Goutam Challagalla, Michael A. Cusumano, Jorma Jokela, Kristiina Leppanen and Lea Liigus be re-elected as members and that Ari Tiukkanen be elected as a new member, each one for a term ending at the end of the next Annual General Meeting. The Chairman and the Vice Chairman will be elected by the Board of Directors from amongst its members. The curricula vitae of the proposed members of the Board of Directors are available on the Companys website at https://www.multitude.com/. (15) Election of the Auditor The Board of Directors proposes on recommendation of the Audit Committee that Authorised Public Accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers Oy be re-elected as the Auditor for a term ending at the end of the next Annual General Meeting. PricewaterhouseCoopers Oy has notified that, should they be re-elected, authorised public accountant (KHT) Jukka Karinen will act as the auditor-in-charge. (16) Authorisation to the Board of Directors to Decide on the Repurchase and Acceptance as Pledge of the Companys Own Shares The Board of Directors proposes that the Annual General Meeting authorises the Board of Directors to decide to repurchase a maximum of 2,172,396 shares in the Company, which corresponds approximately to 10 per cent of all the shares in the Company. By virtue of the authorisation, own shares may be repurchased by using the Companys unrestricted equity. Consequently, any repurchase will reduce the Companys funds available for distribution of profits. The authorisation also includes the right to accept shares in the Company as pledge. Own shares may be repurchased through public trading on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange at the prevailing market price on the date of repurchase. The authorisation entitles the Board of Directors to decide to repurchase shares or accept shares as pledge also otherwise than in proportion to the shareholders holding in the Company by way of a directed repurchase or directed acceptance as pledge subject to the requirements set out in the Finnish Limited Liability Companies Act. The Board can use the authorisation in one or several tranches to all purposes decided by the Board of Directors. The authorisation is proposed to be in force until the earliest of: (i) the end of the next Annual General Meeting, or (ii) until 30 June 2024. (17) Authorisation to the Board of Directors to Decide on the Issuance of Shares and Special Rights Entitling to Shares The Board of Directors proposes that the Annual General Meeting authorises the Board of Directors to decide to issue a maximum of 3,258,594 shares, which corresponds approximately to 15 per cent of the Companys total amount of shares. The Board of Directors may issue either new shares or transfer existing shares held by the Company. The authorisation also includes the right to issue special rights, in the meaning of Chapter 10, Section 1 of the Finnish Limited Liability Companies Act, which entitle to the Companys new shares or the Companys own shares held by the Company against consideration. Shares that may be subscribed for by virtue of the special rights entitling to shares are included in the aforesaid maximum number of shares. The authorisation entitles the Board of Directors to decide on a directed share issue and issue of special rights in deviation from the pre-emptive rights of shareholders subject to the requirements set out in the Finnish Limited Liability Companies Act. The Board of Directors can use the authorisation in one or several tranches, and it may be used to all purposes decided by the Board of Directors, such as developing the Companys capital structure, financing or carrying out acquisitions or other arrangements, or as a part of the Companys incentive schemes. The authorisation is proposed to be in force until the earliest of: (i) the end of the next Annual General Meeting, or (ii) until 30 June 2024. (18) Amendment of the Articles of Association The Board of Directors proposes that the Annual General Meeting resolves to amend Article 7 of the Companys Articles of Association in order to enable that the Companys Shareholders General Meetings can be held completely without a meeting venue as so-called remote meetings. In its amended form, said Article reads as follows (addition underlined): 7 Shareholders General Meeting The notice of a Shareholders General Meeting shall be served on the shareholders by publishing it on the Companys website or in some other documented manner no earlier than three (3) months and no later than three (3) weeks before the general meeting of shareholders, and in any case no later than nine (9) days prior to the record date defined in the Finnish Limited Liability Companies Act. To attend the general meeting of shareholders, a shareholder shall register with the Company for this purpose. Shareholders shall notify the Company of their attendance by the date indicated in the notice of the meeting; such a date may not be earlier than ten (10) days prior to the meeting. The Shareholders General Meeting may be held in Helsinki, Finland, or in Frankfurt am Main, State of Hesse, Germany. The Board of Directors may also decide that the meeting will be organised completely without a meeting venue so that the shareholders will exercise their power of decision during the meeting in full and in real time by the use of telecommunication connections and technical means (remote meeting). In other respects, the Articles of Association are proposed to remain unchanged. (19) Closing of the Meeting 2 MEETING MATERIALS The proposals of the Board of Directors relating to the agenda of the General Meeting of Shareholders as well as this notice and the Remuneration Report for Governing Bodies are available on Multitude SEs website at https://www.multitude.com/. The Annual Report of Multitude SE, the Annual Accounts, the report of the Board of Directors and the Auditors report, are available on the above-mentioned Multitude SEs website. The proposals of the Board of Directors and the other above-mentioned documents will also be available at the meeting. The minutes of the meeting will be made available on the above-mentioned Multitude SEs website no later than on 11 May 2023. 3 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS 3.1 Shareholders Registered in Shareholders Register Each shareholder who is registered in the shareholders register of the Company held by Euroclear Finland Oy on the record date of the General Meeting of Shareholders, i.e., 17 April 2023, has the right to participate in the General Meeting. Shareholders whose shares are registered on their Finnish book-entry account are registered in the shareholders register of the Company. Changes in shareholding after the record date do not affect the right to participate in the meeting or the number of votes. The registration to the General Meeting of Shareholders starts on 3 April 2023 at 10:00 a.m. (EEST / Finnish time). Shareholders, who are registered in the shareholders register of the Company, and who wish to participate in the General Meeting, must register for the meeting by giving prior notice of participation as instructed below. The notice of participation must be received by the Company no later than on 24 April 2023 at 4:00 p.m. (EEST / Finnish time). Such notice can be given: (a) on the Companys website https://www.multitude.com/; (b) by email to [email protected]; or (c) by mail to Multitude SE, AGM 2023, Ratamestarinkatu 11 A, 00520 Helsinki, Finland. In connection with the registration, shareholders must provide the information requested such as their name, personal identification number/business ID, address and telephone number, and the shareholders possible representatives and/or proxy representatives name and personal identification number. Personal data disclosed by shareholders to Multitude SE will only be used in connection with the General Meeting and the processing of the related registrations. A registration and advance voting form is available on the Companys website. The shareholders as well as their authorised representatives or proxy representatives must, as necessary, be able to prove their identity and/or right of representation at the General Meeting. 3.2 Holders of Nominee Registered Shares Holders of nominee registered shares have the right to participate in the General Meeting by virtue of shares, based on which they would be entitled to be registered in the shareholders register of the Company held by Euroclear Finland Oy on the record date of the General Meeting, i.e., 17 April 2023. In addition, the right to participate in the General Meeting requires that the holders of nominee registered shares be temporarily entered into the shareholders register held by Euroclear Finland Oy based on these shares by 24 April 2023 at 10.00 a.m. (EEST / Finnish time), at the latest. This registration constitutes due registration for holders of nominee registered shares wishing to participate in the Annual General Meeting. Changes in shareholding after the record date do not affect the right to participate in the meeting or the number of votes. Holders of nominee registered shares are advised to ask their custodian bank without delay for the necessary instructions regarding the temporary registration in the Companys shareholders register, the issuing of proxy documents and voting instructions as well as registration for the General Meeting of Shareholders and advance voting. The account manager of the custodian bank must temporarily register holders of nominee-registered shares in the Companys shareholders register at the latest by the time stated above. Where necessary, the account manager of the custodian bank shall also arrange advance voting on behalf of the holder of nominee registered shares during the registration period applicable to holders of nominee registered shares. Further information on these matters is also available on the Companys website at https://www.multitude.com/investors/shareholder-information/agm/2023. 3.3 Proxy Representatives and Power of Attorney Shareholders may participate in the General Meeting of Shareholders and exercise their rights at the meeting by way of proxy representation. Proxy representatives must produce a dated proxy document or otherwise reliably demonstrate their right to represent the shareholder. If a shareholder participates in the General Meeting of Shareholders by means of several proxy representatives representing the shareholder with shares in different securities accounts, the shares by which each proxy representative represents the shareholder must be identified in connection with the registration for the General Meeting of Shareholders. A form of proxy is provided on Multitude SEs website at https://www.multitude.com/investors/shareholder-information/agm/2023. The form of proxy is provided for the shareholders convenience, and it is not necessary to use the form provided on the website. Copies of proxy documents are requested to be delivered to the Company either by email to [email protected] or by mail to Multitude SE, AGM 2023, Ratamestarinkatu 11 A, 00520 Helsinki, Finland before the end of registration on 24 April 2023 at 4:00 p.m. (EEST / Finnish time) by which time the proxy documents must be received. Possible proxy documents in originals must be presented at the meeting venue if requested. In addition to the delivery of the proxy documents, shareholders or their proxy representatives must register for the General Meeting as described above in this notice. 3.4 Advance Voting Shareholders may use their voting rights also by voting in advance. Shareholders who are registered in the shareholder register of the Company can vote in advance as instructed below. The advance voting starts on 3 April 2023 at 10:00 a.m. (EEST / Finnish Time) and the advance votes must be received by the Company no later than on 24 April 2023 at 4:00 p.m. (EEST / Finnish time). The advance votes can be given: (a) on the Companys website https://www.multitude.com/; (b) by email to [email protected]; or (c) by mail to Multitude SE, AGM 2023, Ratamestarinkatu 11 A, 00520 Helsinki, Finland. Submitting votes as described above shall be deemed to constitute registration for the General Meeting, provided that the information required for the registration is provided. A registration and advance voting form is available on the Companys website. For the advance votes to be considered in the General Meeting, the shareholder must be registered in the Companys shareholder register maintained by Euroclear Finland Oy on the record date of the General Meeting. A shareholder who has voted in advance cannot exercise their right to request information, make proposals for resolutions, or demand a vote, or vote for an amended or a new proposal for resolution unless they attend the General Meeting in person or by proxy at the meeting venue. Holders of nominee registered shares can vote in advance through their account operators. Account operators can vote in advance on behalf of the holders of nominee registered shares they represent in accordance with the relevant shareholders voting instructions during the registration period applicable to holders of nominee registered shares. Proposals for resolutions that are subject to advance voting are considered to have been presented unchanged in the General Meeting, and the advance votes are taken into account in a possible vote held during the meeting also in circumstances where an alternative proposal for resolution has been made in the relevant matter. 3.5 Other Instructions and Information The meeting will be held in the English language. Pursuant to Chapter 5, Section 25 of the Finnish Limited Liability Companies Act, shareholders who are present at the General Meeting have the right to request information with respect to the matters to be considered at the meeting. On the date of this notice to the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, dated 30 March 2023, the total number of shares in Multitude SE is 21,723,960 and each of these shares carries one vote. Multitude SE holds 146,200 of its own shares as treasury shares. Pursuant to Chapter 5, Section 9 of the Finnish Limited Liability Companies Act, shares held by the Company or a subsidiary do not entitle to participation in the General Meeting. Accordingly, the number of voting rights carried by the outstanding shares is 21,577,760. In Helsinki on 30 March 2023 MULTITUDE SE The Board of Directors Big announcements, including Maryland Governor quadrupling offshore wind goal, underscore momentum and opportunities for U.S. market as Business Network celebrates ten years in its home state Baltimore, March 29, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Exactly two years after President Biden announced a national target to deploy 30 GW of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030, key government and industry leaders joined thousands of stakeholders and supply chain members at the tenth annual International Offshore Wind Partnering Forum (IPF), shining a spotlight on the industrys remarkable growth and issuing a call to action to accelerate progress to capture the vast potential of this renewable energy source. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement Director Kevin Sligh, and U.S. Department of Energy Deputy Secretary David Turk, were among the leading names that took to the stage to announce new actions aimed at advancing collaboration within the offshore wind industry, driving innovation to address unsolved challenges, and scaling up the domestic manufacturing supply chain. We are at an inflection point in our industry and there is no better time or place to bring people together than in the Networks hometown as we celebrate our tenth anniversary, said Liz Burdock, founder and CEO of the Business Network for Offshore Wind. A decade later, we have moved from counting accomplishments one at a time to celebrating our successes a dozen at a time. IPF is a perfect opportunity to supercharge our progress through education, collaboration, and innovation. Its time to think big and charge forward so we can meet the promise of a clean energy future powered by offshore wind. Todays plenary session featured the following industry announcements and commitments: Governor Wes Moore announced that the state of Maryland will set an ambitious goal to quadruple offshore wind energy production from about 2 gigawatts to 8.5 gigawatts of power, enough to power nearly three million homes. Deputy Secretary David Turk announced the release of the U.S. Department of Energys Offshore Wind Energy Strategy to expand and accelerate domestic offshore wind deployment. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) announced the Phase One winners of the FLoating Offshore Wind ReadINess (FLOWIN) Prize which is administered in partnership with the Business Network for Offshore Wind which aims to accelerate the development of U.S. floating offshore wind technology. The largest offshore wind conference in North America, more than 4,000 attendees are convening in Baltimore for IPF from March 28 to March 30, 2023 to debate solutions, develop lasting connections, and hear from experts about the most important issues facing the industry today. Other speakers at Wednesdays IPF included CEOs from U.S. Wind and rsted Offshore North America, Director of the Maryland Energy Administration, as well as panelists from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), Aker Solutions, GE Renewable Energy, RWE, Rise Light and Power, Shell, Burns & McDonnell, and more. Tomorrow at IPF, the Network will welcome Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Director Elizabeth Klein and other key stakeholders to discuss how the industry can adapt to changing economic pressures and public perceptions that naturally come with more success. Video of todays plenary session will be made available to the media upon request. Smart Immune receives 2.5m grant and 15m equity investment commitment from the European Innovation Council (EIC) via the EIC Accelerator PARIS, France, 30 March, 2023 Smart Immune SAS, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing ProTcell, a thymus-empowered T-cell therapy platform to fully and rapidly re-arm the immune system, announced today that it has been selected by the European Innovation Council (EIC) to receive funding of 17.5 million to accelerate the development of ProTcell to treat life-threatening cancers and infection. The EIC investment was made through its Accelerator Fund, designed to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs), in particular start-ups and spin-out companies, to develop and scale game-changing innovations. This last call attracted almost 500 applications across Europe, in all industry sectors. From this pool, 153 were invited to an online interview with the EIC and 32 of them were awarded a grant. Of these, 17 received an equity commitment as well as a grant. Smart Immune was the only French company to receive an equity commitment and a grant. The EIC Accelerator 2.5 million grant will support Smart Immunes ongoing ProTcell Phase I/II clinical trials. The equity investment commitment of up to 15 million will be used for CAR T-cell application development of the ProTcell platform and bioproduction scale-up. Karine Rossignol, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Smart Immune, said: We are thrilled our technology has been recognized by the European Innovation Council as a potential game-changer in the way in which life-threatening cancers and infection are treated. This investment will support the ongoing clinical trials in Europe and the US for our ProTcell therapy platform in acute leukemia and inherited immune diseases. Our goal is to change survival outcomes for patients by fully and rapidly re-arming their immune systems. About Smart Immune Smart Immune is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing ProTcell, a thymus-empowered T-cell therapy platform to fully and rapidly re-arm the immune system, enabling next-generation allogeneic T-cell therapies for all. The company was founded in 2017 to help patients with life-threatening diseases such as high-risk blood cancers and primary immunodeficiencies. Smart Immunes ProTcell platform, which is already in Phase I/II clinical trials, enables the recovery of a complete immune repertoire in patients fighting cancer and infection. ProTcell introduces potent, allogeneic T-cell progenitors which are then differentiated by the thymus into fully functional T-cells an off the shelf T-cell medicine. Smart Immunes partners include Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York and Greater Paris University Hospitals (AP-HP). The company is headquartered at Paris Biotech Sante, 29 rue du Faubourg St Jacques, France. https://www.smart-immune.com/ LinkedIn | Twitter About EIC The European Innovation Council (EIC) was established under the EU Horizon Europe programme. It has a budget of 10.1 billion to support game-changing innovations throughout the lifecycle from early-stage research, to proof of concept, technology transfer, and the financing and scale up of start-ups and SMEs. A unique feature of the EIC is that it provides funding for individual companies (mainly start-ups and SMEs) through both grants and investments. The investments currently take the form of direct equity or quasi-equity investments and are managed by the EIC Fund. The fully-fledged EIC was launched in March 2021. Its unique approach to identifying, developing and scaling up Europes breakthrough technologies and game-changing innovation is already delivering tangible results. Media contact : Consilium Strategic Communications [email protected] Please click here to see the press release in French Cainiao Network Technology, the logistics arm of Alibaba (NYSE: BABA), is reportedly preparing for an IPO in Hong Kong, a Bloomberg report said early Thursday. According to people familiar with the matter, the company has begun talks with investment banks, including China International Capital Corp. and Citigroup, and aims to go public "as soon as the end of this year." Cainiao appears to be in early stages of the process, and is yet to decide on the sizing of the offering as well as its exact timing, with the company's representative reportedly saying it "doesnt have a clear plan and timeline for an IPO." Cainiao, which operates nine overseas sorting centers, has over 500 global logistics partners, and brought in $2.4B in revenue in Q4 2022, is currently valued at over $20B, according to Bloomberg sources. If confirmed, the logistics company is set to become the first of Alibaba's business units to pursue a separate listing - earlier this week, the Chinese e-commerce giant said its intends to split the business into six units, and allow each one to pursue an IPO. Shares of BABA are trading 1% higher in pre-market on Thursday, just above $100 level. By Vlad Schepkov FILE PHOTO: The Apple Inc. logo is seen hanging at the entrance to the Apple store on 5th Avenue in Manhattan, New York, U.S., October 16, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Segar By Blake Brittain (Reuters) -Apple Inc persuaded a U.S. appeals court on Thursday to uphold a patent tribunal's ruling that could imperil a $502 million verdict for patent licensing company VirnetX Inc in the companies' long-running fight over privacy-software technology. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed a decision from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that invalidated the two patents VirnetX had accused Apple of infringing. VirnetX Chief Executive Kendall Larsen said in a statement that the company was disappointed with the decision and considering seeking a rehearing or appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court. VirnetX stock fell more than 14% by Thursday afternoon following the ruling. It had been up 55% in the morning before the decision was published, after the company announced it would pay a special cash dividend to shareholders and anticipated a future potential payout from the Apple case. An Apple representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The two companies have waged a 13-year court battle that has included several trials and appeals. An East Texas jury awarded VirnetX $502 million in 2020 after deciding that Apple infringed the virtual private network (VPN) patents at issue in Thursday's decision. Apple has separately appealed the verdict itself, but the Federal Circuit has yet to rule in that case. The court heard combined arguments in both cases in September, and both sides said upholding the decision to cancel the patents would also likely negate the jury award. "If the court upholds the (USPTO's) decision, we have a big problem," VirnetX attorney Jeff Lamken of MoloLamken said at the September hearing. "I don't think we have an enforceable judgment." The Federal Circuit on Thursday affirmed decisions by the USPTO's Patent Trial and Appeal Board that the patents were invalid in light of earlier publications that described the same inventions. VirnetX separately won a $302 million verdict against Apple in an East Texas court in 2016, which was later increased to $440 million, over related allegations that the tech giant used its internet-security technology in features like FaceTime video calls. (Reporting by Blake Brittain in WashingtonEditing by David Bario, David Gregorio and Jonathan Oatis) Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 30, 2023) - Blue Thunder Mining Inc. (TSXV: BLUE) ("Blue Thunder" or the "Company") provides the following update on the status of its transaction with Analog Gold Inc. ("Analog") announced on January 30, 2023. As announced by the Company in its January 30, 2023 news release, the Company has entered into a binding letter of intent (the "LOI") to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Analog ("Analog Shares") in exchange for common shares of the Company ("Blue Thunder Shares"). The transaction will constitute a Reverse Takeover ("RTO") under the rules of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange"). The RTO is arm's length and there is no finder's fee associated with the transaction. Information on the terms of the LOI and the RTO is contained in the Company's January 30, 2023 news release. One of the conditions of completion of the RTO is that the Company complete a concurrent financing (the "Concurrent Financing") for minimum gross proceeds of C$250,000. Blue Thunder is pleased to announce that it has completed the Concurrent Financing, by issuing a convertible promissory note in the amount of $250,000 which will be converted into common shares of the Company on completion of the RTO at a price of $0.28 per share (the "Concurrent Financing Price") When the LOI was announced on January 30, 2023, it was anticipated that the parties would enter into a definitive agreement replacing the LOI (the "Formal Agreement") on or about March 27, 2023, and that the closing of the RTO would take place on or about March 30, 2023. Due to the requirement that Blue include audited financial statements of Analog in the information circular to be sent to the Company's shareholders and the anticipated timing of various other steps required to complete the RTO, the parties now anticipate that the Formal Agreement will be entered into on or on or about May 17, 2023, and the RTO will close in late June, 2023 following a meeting of Blue Thunder's shareholders which will be held to approve the RTO. Trading in Blue Thunder's common shares will remain halted pending the review of the proposed transaction by the Exchange and satisfaction of conditions of the Exchange for resumption of trading. Further particulars of the RTO, the members of the Board of Directors and management of the Company following the RTO, the financing of Analog being undertaking in conjunction with the RTO, financial information regarding Analog and technical information regarding Analog's mineral properties will be disclosed in future documents which will be filed by the Company. We seek Safe Harbor. 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 (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold within the United States, or to or for the account or benefit of any U.S. persons or any persons in the United States, absent (a) registration under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws, or (b) exemptions from such registration requirements. This news release does not constitute an offer for sale of securities for sale, nor a solicitation for offers to buy any securities. "United States" and "U.S. person" are as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act. The Exchange has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. About Blue Thunder Blue Thunder is a gold exploration company that controls 100% of a large land position near Chibougamau, Qubec. The Muus Gold project covers approximately 51,000 hectares in five separate blocks of prospective ground in the eastern part of the Abitibi Greenstone Belt. The Project is considered particularly prospective for gold mineralization, as a series of prominent ductile and brittle fault-sets transect the Project, including the Guercheville and Fancamp deformation zones, both of which are associated with numerous past and currently producing precious- and base metal mines in the district. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Dorian L. (Dusty) Nicol, CEO & Director For more information, please visit our website www.bluethundermining.com, or contact Mr. Dorian L. (Dusty) Nicol, [email protected], (647) 848-1009. 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 release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements regarding the anticipated content, commencement, anticipated exploration program results, the ability to complete future financings, the ability to complete the required permitting, the ability to complete the exploration program and drilling, and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are 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 statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, the state of the financial markets for the Company's equity securities, the state of the commodity markets generally, variations in the nature, the analytical results from surface trenching and sampling program, including diamond drilling programs, the results of IP surveying, the results of soil and till sampling program. the quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located, variations in the market price of any mineral products the Company may produce or plan to produce, the inability of the Company to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required, including Exchange acceptance, for its planned activities, the inability of the Company to produce minerals from its properties successfully or profitably, to continue its projected growth, to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies, the potential impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) on the Company's exploration program and on the Company's general business, operations and financial condition, and other risks and uncertainties. All of the Company's Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedar.com and readers are urged to review these materials, including the technical reports filed with respect to the Company's mineral properties. This news release contains information with respect to adjacent or similar mineral properties in the Chibougamau District in respect of which the Company has no interest or rights to explore or mine. Readers are cautioned that the Company has no interest in or right to acquire any interest in any such properties, and that mineral deposits, and the results of any mining thereof, on adjacent or similar properties, are not indicative of mineral deposits on the Company's properties or any potential exploitation thereof. This news release is intended for distribution in Canada only and is not intended for distribution to United States newswire services or dissemination in the United States. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160506 KYODO NEWS - Mar 30, 2023 - 22:21 | World, All Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen arrived in New York on Wednesday on a stopover ahead of visits to the self-ruled island's allies in Central America, with eyes on whether she will anger Beijing by meeting with House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy. After visiting Guatemala and Belize, Tsai is scheduled to travel to Los Angeles on Tuesday on her way back home. Taiwanese media has reported that she is expected to meet with McCarthy, a California congressman who is the third-highest-ranking official in the United States after the president and vice president. Tsai last visited the United States in July 2019 as part of a trip to Caribbean countries with diplomatic ties with Taiwan. She arrived at a hotel in Manhattan waving to the crowd, with supporters of both Taipei and Beijing staging rallies nearby. Beijing, which regards Taiwan as its own territory, fiercely reacted to a visit to the island last August by McCarthy's predecessor Nancy Pelosi, conducting large-scale military drills nearby and suspending dialogue with the United States in various areas. Xu Xueyuan, interim Chinese ambassador to the United States, expressed displeasure at Tsai's visit to the United States, telling reporters her real intention behind the trip is to seek Taiwan's independence. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Thursday that Beijing "strongly protests and condemns" the U.S. arrangement of Tsai's transit. She alleged that Washington and Taipei arranged for Tsai to engage in political activities in the United States and "framed it as a 'transit' to upgrade official exchanges and substantive relations" with Taiwan, according to official transcripts from the ministry. The U.S. government has tried to downplay Tsai's presence in the United States, with White House national security spokesman John Kirby telling reporters China "should not use this transit as a pretext to step up any aggressive activity around the Taiwan Strait." Vedant Patel, a State Department spokesman, told a separate press conference, "Transits by high-level Taiwan authorities are not visits. They are private and unofficial, and they are not new." Tsai plans to attend an event at a think tank Thursday before leaving New York the following day, according to Taiwanese media reports. Meanwhile, former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou, who is currently visiting the mainland, met with Song Tao, who heads China's Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, in the central Chinese city of Wuhan and stresses the need for both sides of the strait to maintain exchanges and avoid any conflict. Ma is the first former Taiwan leader to visit the mainland since the two sides split in 1949 due to a civil war. He is a senior member of Taiwan's main opposition Nationalist Party and was born in Hong Kong. On Thursday, Ma visited an exhibition on Wuhan's battle against COVID-19 and paid tribute to medical workers in the city where the virus's outbreak was first detected. Even though Communist-led China has never ruled Taiwan, it regards the island as a renegade province to be united with the mainland by force if necessary. The United States changed its diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979 but has kept up unofficial relations with Taiwan and supplies the island with arms and spare parts to help them maintain a self-defense capability. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 30, 2023) - Global Battery Metals Ltd. (TSXV: GBML) (OTCQB: REZZF) (FSE: REZ) (the "Company" or "GBML"), a critical mineral exploration company focused on growth-oriented lithium and other battery metal projects, announces that the drilling permit application for its Leinster Lithium Project (the "Property" or the "Project") has been submitted. Ten drill holes are planned to test to a depth of approximately 200m. The submission outlines a staged diamond core drilling program and comes on the heels of the recently announced (see March 20, 2023 press release) potential discovery of up to six LCT (lithium-cesium-tantalum) pegmatite dikes extending across a prospective lithium trend at Prospecting Licence Area 1597 ("PLA 1597" or the "Knockeen Prospect"). Significant sampling and mapping across the Knockeen Prospect was conducted throughout the second half of 2022, with the most recent assay results of 66 rock samples released by ALS Laboratories returning Li 2 O% lithium contents ranging up to 3.75 % Li 2 O (see January 18, 2023 press release). In conjunction with this work, a detailed deep overburden (base of till) program was recently completed for a total of 373 samples covering an area of 600m x 450m over the location of an extensive spodumene pegmatite float boulder train and an associated historically reported trenched bedrock occurrence. The interpreted geochemical results (see Figure 1) indicate the potential discovery of up to six LCT (lithium-cesium-tantalum) pegmatite dikes across the Knockeen Prospect shallow depths of between 1m - 7m below ground surface. The area of the exploration is centred on a locality where a forty-year-old historical company report from Irish Base Metals described a trench excavated at Knockeen Townland which uncovered in bedrock, a 1.8m thick spodumene-bearing pegmatite vein. Competent Person All scientific and technical information in this announcement has been prepared under the supervision of and reviewed and approved by EuroGeol Vaughan Williams M.Sc. P.Geo. (Principal of Aurum Exploration Services currently provides exploration services to GBML and to LRH), a "qualified person" within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101.Vaughan Williams is also company secretary of LRH. Please see the Company's Leinster Project Overview for additional program details, in addition to the latest version of the Company's Investor Presentation available for download from the GBML website (www.gbml.ca). Figure 1: Deep Overburden sampling grid showing anomalous lithium (ppm) in linear trends across the Knockeen Prospect. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7080/160487_b7231aff94f61a24_001full.jpg About Global Battery Metals Ltd. GBML is an international mineral exploration and development company with a focus on metals that comprise and support the rapid evolution to battery power. GBML currently maintains economic interests in four battery metal projects: (1) an option to acquire up to a 90% in the North-West Leinster lithium property in Ireland; (2) a 100% interest in the Lithium King property in Utah; (3) an option to acquire up to a 100% interest in the La Poile lithium project in Newfoundland; and (4) a 55% stake in Peru-based Lara copper property, which has over 10,000 metres of drilling. As previously disclosed, Minsur S.A., a Peruvian mining company, entered into an option agreement with GBML and Lara Exploration Ltd. to acquire the Lara copper property for staged payments of USD$5.75 million. GBML will retain a 0.75% net smelter royalty. GBML's common shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV: GBML); Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FSE: REZ); and are quoted on the OTC Markets (OTCQB: REZZF). Global Battery Metals Ltd. Michael Murphy BA, MBA, MSc., ICD President & CEO T: 604-649-2350 E: [email protected] W: www.gbml.ca 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" Information This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, statements relating the future operations and activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to, among other things, the Company's exploration plans at the Leinster Lithium Property. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions, and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation, the ability to complete proposed exploration work given the global COVID-19 pandemic, the results of exploration, continued availability of capital, and changes in general economic, market and business conditions. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these items. Readers are urged to refer to the Company's reports, publicly available through the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects. The Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160487 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 30, 2023) - Golden Independence Mining Corp. (CSE: IGLD) (OTCQB: GIDMF) (FSE: 6NN) (the "Company" or "Golden Independence") is pleased to announce the signing of an option agreement for the Fraser Lake copper property, located proximal to the Quesnel Trough of Central British Columbia (the "Option Agreement"). Pursuant to the terms of the Option Agreement, Valleyview Resources Ltd. ("Valleyview"), a private British Columbia company, has the right to acquire a 100% interest, subject to a 2% Net Smelter Return ("NSR") Royalty, in the three claim blocks comprising the 9,900-hectare project, by making for stage payments of 3 million shares and exploration expenditures of $300,000. The Fraser Lake copper property lies between 40 to 55 kilometres northwest of Fraser Lake, BC. The Company understands that Valleyview intends to complete an initial public offering and concurrent stock exchange listing. "We acquired Fraser Lake one year ago for staking costs and are now unlocking the value of the asset through a significant share position in Valleyview as it explores Fraser Lake as its cornerstone asset for its initial public offering," commented CEO Jeremy Poirier. "The project was identified by management based on the geology and location supported significant copper molybdenum porphyry prospectivity, which has now been validated by the deal with Valleyview and represents a benefit to Golden Independence shareholders." Golden Independence acquired Fraser Lake by staking following up on historic exploration for porphyry copper and molybdenum associated with a series of Endako plutons intruding Cache Creek complex carbonate, clastic and volcanic rocks. The Quest West regional lake sediment geochemistry initially identified areas of anomalous copper and/or molybdenum in the drainage systems from the low ridges hosting the plutons. A 2008 AeroTEM III airborne electromagnetic and magnetometer survey identified magnetic and/or electromagnetic anomalies up drainage from the anomalous geochemistry and make compelling exploration targets. Mr. Warren Robb, PGeo (BC) completed a July 2022 property examination, confirming the three historic anomalous areas, RCI, REI and SEZ as exploration targets and recommended a combined $225,000 program of soil geochemistry over each of them to test the geophysical anomalies for associated copper/molybdenum. Under the terms of the Option Agreement, Valleyview can earn an initial 51% interest through the issuance of 1.0 million shares and incurring $100,000 in exploration expenditures within the first 12 months, and an additional 49% interest through the issuance of 2.0 million shares and incurring $200,000 in exploration expenditures within 18 months of acquiring the initial 51% ownership. Golden Independence will retain a 2% NSR royalty, of which 1% can be repurchased for $2.0 million in cash. Following the acquisition of the initial 51%, if Valleyview elects to not acquire the remaining 49% interest, both companies shall form a standard joint venture based on pro-rata ownership. Figure 1. Fraser Lake Claim Blocks To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7273/160468_3d147d6964af8be0_001full.jpg The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by R. Tim Henneberry, P.Geo. (BC), a Director and President of Golden Independence Mining Corp. and a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. About Golden Independence Mining Corp. Golden Independence Mining Corp. is a development company currently focused on the advanced-stage Independence project located adjacent to Nevada Gold Mine's Phoenix-Fortitude mine in the Battle Mountain-Cortez Trend of Nevada in addition to the wholly-owned Napoleon gold project located in the Kamloops Mining Division of BC. The Independence project hosts an M&I resource of 334,300 ounces of gold and an Inferred resource of 847,000 ounces of gold with a substantial silver credit. A 2021 Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) outlined a low-cost heap leach operation focusing on the near-surface resource with total production of 195,443 ounces of gold at an all-in sustaining cost of US$1,078 per ounce of gold. The Napoleon project is comprised of over 1,000 hectares and prospective for multiple-forms of gold mineralization, with exploration in the area dating back to the 1970's with the discovery of high-grade gold. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Jeremy Poirier, Chief Executive Officer Telephone: 1.604.722.9842 Email: [email protected] This press release contains forward-looking information (within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation) that involves various risks and uncertainties regarding future events. Such forward-looking information includes statements based on current expectations of management made in light of management's experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments. Forward-looking information is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties and, as such, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance of the Company. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, without limitation, statements regarding the exercise of the option to acquire the Fraser Lake property by Valleyview, the proposed initial public offering of Valleyview and the exploration potential of the Fraser Lake property and the benefit of the transaction to the Company's shareholders. There are numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information in this news release, including without limitation, risks related to the ability of Valleyview to complete an initial public offering, inherent risks associated with the mining industry and the results of exploration activities and development of mineral properties, stock market volatility and capital market fluctuations, general market and industry conditions, as well as those risk factors discussed in the Company's most recently filed management's discussion & analysis. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. This forward-looking information is based on estimates and opinions of management on the date hereof and is expressly qualified by this notice. Risks and uncertainties about the Company's business are more fully discussed in the Company's disclosure materials filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada at www.sedar.com. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from such information unless required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160468 Jasper reports 5% quarter over quarter subscription revenue growth in Q2 2023 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 30, 2023) - Jasper Commerce Inc. (TSXV: JPIM) ("Jasper" or "the Company"), a leading provider of Product Information Management ("PIM") solutions, announces its second quarter ("Q2 2023") financial results for the three and six month period ended January 31, 2023. Unless otherwise indicated, all dollar amounts are expressed in Canadian dollars. Jasper reported 5% quarter-over-quarter growth in revenue from software subscriptions, which reached $325,349 in Q2 2023, up from $308,554 in the previous quarter and $291,779 in the same quarter of the previous year. The growth reflects the Company's continued focus on its core software business. Jasper's total revenue for the quarter was $363,489, which is lower than the $379,726 in Q1 2023 and $470,733 in Q2 2022. Lower total revenue in Q2 2023 was due to a reduction in services revenue as the Company focused resources on growing software subscription revenue. The Company reported a net loss of $1,160,010 for the quarter. After quarter end, Jasper closed the first tranche of its debenture unit offering (the "Offering"), issuing 636.5 units for gross proceeds of $636,500. Each unit ("Units") is comprised of: (i) $1,000 principal amount of 12% secured convertible debentures issued by the Company with a maturity date of five years from the date of issuance; and (ii) 20,000 common share purchase warrants of the Company. The Offering initially was subject to a maximum offering size of $750,000, including an over-allotment option of the Company. The Company is pleased to announce the increase to the size of the Offering to $900,000, including over-allotment, subject to any necessary regulatory approvals including the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company is working toward closing a second tranche of the Offering. For more information related to the Offering, please see the Company's press releases dated January 26, 2023 and February 16, 2023 available under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. The Company launched its transformation plan in January ("the Plan"), which aims to reduce its monthly expenses while increasing its software subscription revenue run rate. The Plan targets a significant decline in monthly cash costs (cost of goods plus overhead expenses less non-cash items) to $210,000 through the reduction of headcount and other expenses. These reductions have been largely implemented. The Plan also includes the addition of new software subscription revenue monthly run rate ("MRR") of $5,000 each month going forward, which equates to an MRR quarterly sequential growth rate target of approximately 10%. If the operating goals are achieved, the Company would reach cash flow breakeven by March 2024 at which time MRR would be approximately $180,000 ($2,160,000 Annual Revenue Run Rate and $540,000 quarterly). In summary, Jasper's Q2 2023 financial results show growth in its software subscription revenue and progress towards achieving its transformation plan goals. The Company remains focused on improving its financial position and achieving cash flow breakeven by March 2024. This news release should be read in conjunction with Jasper's unaudited financial statements and the accompanying notes, as at and for the quarter ended January 31, 2023. Those documents have been filed with certain securities regulatory authorities in Canada and are available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and on the Jasper's website at www.jasperpim.com. About Jasper Commerce Inc. Jasper offers a Product Information Management ("PIM") solution that has the objective of empowering eCommerce merchants to manage and merchandise their products from a single source of truth, facilitating them to sell more, sell faster and work smarter. Jasper's PIM is accessible from anywhere via a web-browser and is intended to simplify the process by which online merchants import product data into the PIM. Once uploaded, merchants can add various product data including product attributes, images, videos, marketing information, inventory quantities and price books and efficiently merchandise their products using various features that include, among other things, the ability to adjust product categorization, pricing data and other key metrics. Jasper's PIM also allows for automatic syncing to popular eCommerce storefronts, marketplaces, or other connected channels, whenever new products are added to the PIM. For further information: Gerry Hurlow, Chairman and Interim CEO, [email protected], (647) 402-9646 Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities in the United States or in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to qualification or registration under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. The securities being offered have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and such securities may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons absent registration or an applicable exemption from U.S. registration requirements and applicable U.S. state securities laws. The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the Offering and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains projections and forward-looking information that involve various risks and uncertainties regarding future events. Such forward-looking information can include statements based on current expectations involving several risks and uncertainties without limitation and are not guarantees of the Company's future performance. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. These statements are based upon the current expectations and beliefs of management and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the Company may not receive conditional or final approval of the TSXV for the Offering; the Offering may not close on or around the intended date; the Offering may not proceed as planned; the Company may not use the proceeds of the Offering as intended; the market for product information management systems may not continue to grow as expected; and the uncertainty surrounding the spread of COVID-19 and the impact it will have on the Company's operations and economic activity in general; and the risks and uncertainties discussed in the Company's most recent annual and quarterly reports filed with the Canadian securities regulators and available on the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, which risks and uncertainties are incorporated herein by reference. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company does not intend and undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect, in particular, new information or future events. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION OR DISSEMINATION DIRECTLY, OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160432 Phoenix, Arizona--(Newsfile Corp. - March 30, 2023) - The Stock Day Podcast welcomed Nerds On Site, Inc. (OTCQB: NOSUF) ("the Company"), a leading provider of cyber security and IT services to SME and corporate Clients in North America. CEO of the Company, Charlie Regan, joined Stock Day host Everett Jolly. "How did your last quarter go?", asked Jolly. "We are up over 8% and losses are down about 55%," said Regan. "It is shaping up nicely for the fiscal year for sure," he said, adding that the Company expects to reach $10 million in annual revenues. "Could you tell us about the progress of your M&A project?", asked Jolly. "Our largest M&A project, which we've been working on for some time, is moving along," said Regan. "There are several elements that need to be in alignment for this to come to fruition," he said. "The progress has been good, and we have also just signed an LOI with a much smaller operation out on the West Coast," shared Regan, adding that this partnership would serve as an integration opportunity for the Company. "This operation has a solid and time tested SOHO and residential solution that we will be able to integrate and offer across our entire nerd network. We believe it to be a great marriage opportunity." The conversation then turned to the Company's financial position given the challenges of today's markets. "We are always very careful," said Regan. "We do not have any bank loans with our operation," he added. "We also understand that there will be disruptions of all sorts, but business will continue," said Regan. "Technology is still the most prevalent and pervasive of all of the tools that are used to make SME dreams come true," he continued. "With a singular focus on that space, we do not believe we are going to have any serious disruptions." "Do you have any other projects in the works?", asked Jolly. "Besides the LOI with the California-based operation that I mentioned," said Regan. "We are also very focused on our marketing and packaging for our cybersecurity offerings," he said. "Our solutions are starting to ripple, starting to become better known," said Regan, adding that the Company presently provides their cybersecurity solution to a couple of municipalities, but are looking to showcase at US and CAD state/provincial government conferences this summer and fall. To close the interview, Regan encouraged listeners and shareholders to keep up-to-date on the Company's current and upcoming projects as they continue to serve a rapidly expanding and high demand market. To hear Charlie Regan's entire interview, follow the link to the podcast here: https://audioboom.com/posts/8272707-nerds-on-site-inc-discusses-revenue-growth-and-m-a-strategy-with-the-stock-day-podcast Investors Hangout is a proud sponsor of "Stock Day," and Stock Day Media encourages listeners to visit the company's message board at https://investorshangout.com/ About Nerds on Site Inc. A leading provider of cyber security and IT services to SME and corporate Clients in North America. Established in 1995 and serving Clients across the USA and Canada for decades, Nerds On Site stands out as one of the most highly regarded and reputable IT service organizations of its kind. The NERDs team is a collegial network of cyber security and technology experts and strategic partners across North America. Their ability to liberate Clients with technology solutions that optimize organizations and exceed expectations are the stand-out results Nerds On Site regularly delivers as Client testimonials reflect - (reviews.nerdsonsite.com). Forward-Looking Statements Certain information set forth in this material may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding future financial position, business strategy, use of proceeds, corporate vision, proposed acquisitions, partnerships, joint-ventures and strategic alliances and co-operations, budgets, cost and plans and objectives of or involving the Company. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to management. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. A number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause the actual results or performance to materially differ from any future results or performance expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions and dependence upon regulatory approvals. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by securities laws. 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. About The "Stock Day" Podcast Founded in 2013, Stock Day is the fastest growing media outlet for Nano-Cap and Micro-Cap companies. It educates investors while simultaneously working with penny stock and OTC companies, providing transparency and clarification of under-valued, under-sold Micro-Cap stocks of the market. Stock Day provides companies with customized solutions to their news distribution in both national and international media outlets. The Stock Day Podcast is the number one radio show of its kind in America. Contact: [email protected] SOURCE: Stock Day Media (602) 821-1102 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160552 This Relaunch will support the Company's focus and commitment to leveraging key technologies to diversify revenue and gain a competitive advantage in the market. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 30, 2023) - ParcelPal Logistics Inc. (OTCQB: PTNYF) (CSE: PKG) (FSE: PT0A) (the "Company" or "ParcelPal") is pleased to announce the Company's relaunch of its mobile delivery application on a rolling basis over the coming months, which will enable near-time delivery in localized areas and further diversified revenue streams. Market Readiness and Timing Key to Strategic Tech Relaunch During the Covid-19 pandemic, many businesses were forced to transform their business operations and turn to a mobile and contactless approach. Similarly, logistics and delivery companies such as ParcelPal were also forced to adopt to new mobile-first strategies, and as a result, the market has witnessed an influx in successful mobile offerings. ParcelPal to Explore License and Joint Venture Opportunities in Europe and Asia The ParcelPal Delivery App will now provide the Company with both a B2B and B2C business revenue model, which will deliver new-line revenue to the Company. ParcelPal will also look to leverage its mobile platform by way of white labeling, license and potential joint ventures in the European and Asia-Pacific regions. Rich Wheeless, CEO of ParcelPal, states: "This is a very exciting time for the Company now that we have turned the corner, and are very focused on our growth plan for 2023. We are highly focused on the relaunch of our mobile application as we intend to integrate best-in-class technologies into our product offering. This will not only expand on our revenue model, but we believe it will also provide us with a strong competitive advantage in the market." The Company looks forward to providing additional material updates in the coming days. About ParcelPal Logistics Inc. ParcelPal is a Vancouver, British Columbia based company that specializes in last-mile delivery service and logistics solutions. We are a customer-driven, courier and logistics company connecting people and businesses through our network of couriers in major Canadian cities including Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto, as well as in the western region of the United States. Some of our verticals include pharmacy & health, meal kit deliveries, retail, groceries and more. ParcelPal Website: www.parcelpal.com Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE"), the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any other securities regulatory authority has reviewed and do not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release that has been prepared by management. OTCQB - Symbol: PTNYF CSE - Symbol: PKG FSE - Symbol: PT0A Contact Information Investor Contact [email protected] T: (587) 883-9811 Company Contact Rick Underhill, Director of Investor Relations ParcelPal Logistics Inc. [email protected] T: (587) 883-9811 Forward-Looking Information This release includes certain statements and information that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, including statements regarding future estimates, plans, objectives, timing, assumptions or expectations of future performance. 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" or "would" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on certain material assumptions and analysis made by the Company and the opinions and estimates of management as of the date of this press release. These 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 the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Important factors that may cause actual results to vary, include, without limitation: general business, economic and social uncertainties; litigation, legislative, environmental, and other judicial, regulatory, political, and competitive developments; and other risks outside of the Company's control. 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. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and, unless required by applicable law, the Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160430 The Customer has renewed its subscription for Plurilock's high-margin software offering. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 30, 2023) - Plurilock Security Inc. (TSXV: PLUR) (OTCQB: PLCKF) and related subsidiaries ("Plurilock" or the "Company"), an identity-centric cybersecurity solutions provider for workforces, is pleased to announce that the Company has signed a contract renewal for its flagship software platform, 'Plurilock' with an overseas property management solutions provider (the "Customer"). The Customer provides various cloud-based management solutions for hotels, holiday homes, apartments and more. According to the terms of the contract, the Customer has renewed its subscription for the cloud security functionality of the Plurilock platform, which includes Single Sign-On Access Control and Password Policy. "We are delighted to sign this contract renewal with an overseas property management solutions company," said Ian. L Paterson, CEO of Plurilock. "Ensuring high customer retention for our high-margin software platform remains a key focus of our business and we intend to continue delivering our solutions to existing clients." About Plurilock Plurilock provides identity-centric cybersecurity for today's workforces. The Plurilock family of companies enables organizations to operate safely and securely while reducing cybersecurity friction. Plurilock offers world-class IT and cybersecurity solutions through its Solutions Division, paired with proprietary, AI-driven and cloud-friendly security through its Technology Division. Together, the Plurilock family of companies delivers persistent identity assurance with unmatched ease of use. For more information, visit https://www.plurilock.com or contact: Ian L. Paterson Chief Executive Officer [email protected] 416.800.1566 Roland Sartorius Chief Financial Officer [email protected] Prit Singh Investor Relations [email protected] 905.510.7636 Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") related to future events or Plurilock's future business, operations, and financial performance and condition. Forward-looking statements normally contain words like "will", "intend", "anticipate", "could", "should", "may", "might", "expect", "estimate", "forecast", "plan", "potential", "project", "assume", "contemplate", "believe", "shall", "scheduled", and similar terms. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, actions, or developments and are based on expectations, assumptions, and other factors that management currently believes are relevant, reasonable, and appropriate in the circumstances. Although management believes that the forward-looking statements herein are reasonable, actual results could be substantially different due to the risks and uncertainties associated with and inherent to Plurilock's business. Additional material risks and uncertainties applicable to the forward-looking statements herein include, without limitation, the impact of general economic conditions, the success of the Company in obtaining new or extended contracts or orders; the Company's ability to maintain existing customers or develop new customers; the Company's ability to successfully integrate acquisitions of other businesses and/or companies or to realize on the anticipated benefits thereof; and unforeseen events, developments, or factors causing any of the aforesaid expectations, assumptions, and other factors ultimately being inaccurate or irrelevant. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect the Company's forward-looking statements. Many of these factors are beyond the control of Plurilock. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as at the date hereof, and Plurilock undertakes no obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. Risks and uncertainties about the Company's business are more fully discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in its most recent Annual Information Form. They are otherwise disclosed in its filings with securities regulatory authorities available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160480 Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - March 30, 2023) - The Securities and Exchange Commission today filed insider trading charges against Sean Wygovsky, a former trader at a Canadian asset management firm, and Christopher Matthaei, a former partner at a U.S. broker-dealer, for using nonpublic information in advance of at least seven merger announcements involving Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) to earn illicit profits of more than $3.4 million. The SECs complaint alleges that Wygovsky learned material non-public information about upcoming SPAC mergers from his employers involvement in transactions related to the mergers. The complaint further alleges that, from May 2020 through April 2021, Wygovsky used encrypted messaging to tip his close friend and trading client, Matthaei, about the upcoming mergers. According to the complaint, Matthaei, who ran a trading and research group focused on SPACs during the relevant period, allegedly traded on Wygovskys tips. As alleged in our complaint, the defendants, both industry professionals, abused their positions to repeatedly trade inside information and profit from it in the active SPAC market, said Nicholas P. Grippo, Director of the SECs Philadelphia Regional Office. It is especially disappointing to see a trader and a broker-dealer resort to tactics like using encrypted communications to flaunt the rules designed to protect investors and the markets. The SECs complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, charges Wygovsky and Matthaei with violating the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws and seeks permanent injunctive relief, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, prejudgment interest, and civil penalties against Matthaei and Wygovsky, and an officer and director bar against Matthaei. Wygovsky has consented to a bifurcated settlement, subject to court approval, under which he will be permanently enjoined from violating the federal securities laws. The SEC previously charged Wygovsky with perpetrating a lucrative front running scheme, and Wygovsky consented to a bifurcated settlement in that matter as well. In a parallel action, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of New Jersey today announced criminal charges against Matthaei. The SECs investigation, which is ongoing, was conducted by Kevin E. Levenberg and Brian R. Higgins of the Philadelphia Regional Office, with assistance by John S. Rymas of the Market Abuse Unit. It was supervised by Brendan P. McGlynn, Scott A. Thompson, and Mr. Grippo. The litigation will be led by Karen M. Klotz and Gregory Bockin. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of New Jersey, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. TOKYO , March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund announced today an investment totaling approximately 400 million yen ( US$2.9 million 1) for the research and development of new drugs against mycetoma and onchocerciasis, which are Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), as well as a vaccine against malaria.2 The World Health Organization ( WHO ) recognizes 20 NTDs,3 which are infectious diseases caused by parasites, bacteria, fungi, toxins and viruses prevalent mainly among the poor in tropical regions. NTDs afflict over 1.6 billion people4 in the world and have until now received limited attention in terms of the development of therapeutic interventions, partly due to the lack of market incentives. Since its inception, the GHIT Fund has invested in new product development with the aim of contributing to global health via Japanese technology and innovation to address infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and NTDs, which threaten the health of the world's poor. Approximately 300 Million Yen Investment in a Drug for Mycetoma The GHIT Fund will invest approximately 300 million yen ( US$2.2 million 1) in a project by Eisai Co., Ltd. (Eisai) and Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) for regulatory approval and to prepare for patient access to drugs for eumycetoma. Mycetoma, an NTD, is a progressive disease that destroys subcutaneous and deep tissues infected by bacterial or fungal invasion through a wound. Painless and slow progression delays detection and treatment of the disease, leading to amputation of the affected area or even death.5 Dr. Osamu Kunii , CEO of the GHIT Fund , said "We have continued to invest more than 500 million yen ( US$4 million 1) since 2017 in the development of mycetoma drugs by Eisai and DNDi, including this recent investment, to support their efforts to control NTDs. We hope this treatment will be quickly approved and reach patients as soon as possible, during GHIT's third five-year plan." The GHIT Fund will also invest approximately 70 million yen ( US$0.5 million 1) for the development of an mRNA vaccine against malaria by Ehime University and Mahidol University and 30 million yen ( US$0.22 million 1) in an onchocerciasis6 drug development project by BoZo Research Center , DNDi, University Hospital Bonn, and Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU). As of March 30, 2023 , there are 53 ongoing projects, including 26 discovery, 15 preclinical and 12 clinical trials in GHIT Fund's portfolio. The total amount of investments since 2013 is 29.1 billion yen ( US$213 million ). 1 USD1 = JPY136.34 , the approximate exchange rate on February 28, 2023 . 2 These awarded projects were selected and approved as new investments from among proposals to RFP2022-002 for the Target Research Platform and Product Development Platform, which was open for applications from June 2022 to January 2023 . 3 Reference: World Health Organization ( WHO ) https://www.who.int/health-topics/neglected-tropical-diseases 4 Reference: World Health Organization ( WHO ) https://www.who.int/news/item/30-01-2023-more-countries-eliminate-neglected-tropical-diseases-but-investments-key-to-sustain-progress 5 Reference: World Health Organization ( WHO ) https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mycetoma 6 Onchocerciasis (river blindness) is a parasitic disease caused by Onchocerca volvulus which can lead to blindness. More than 99% of infected people live in 31 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Reference: World Health Organization ( WHO ) https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/onchocerciasis The GHIT Fund is a Japan -based international public-private partnership fund (PPP) between the Government of Japan , multiple pharmaceutical companies, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation , the Wellcome, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The GHIT Fund invests and manages an R&D portfolio of development partnerships aimed at neglected diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis and neglected tropical diseases that afflict the world's vulnerable and underserved populations. The GHIT Fund mobilizes the Japanese industry, academia, and research institutes to create new drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics for malaria, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical diseases, in collaboration with global partners. Appendix 1. Project Details G2022-201 Project Title Preclinical development of DNDI-6166 (or CC1076166) a selective macrofilaricide for the treatment of river blindness Collaboration Partners BoZo Research Center , Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), Universitatsklinikum Bonn (UKB), Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU) Disease Onchocerciasis Intervention Drug Stage Preclinical Awarded Amount 30,000,000 ( US$0 .22 million) Status New project Summary [Project objective] The objective of this project is to develop a safe, efficacious, affordable, and field-adapted macrofilaricidal or long-term sterilizing drug for onchocerciasis. Within the timeframe of this project, DNDi and its partners aim to complete the preclinical development of the molecule DNDI-6166 and make it ready to enter Phase I studies in healthy human volunteers. [Project design] The main objective for this project will be to assemble a data package around DNDI-6166 to support the initiation of first in human (FIH) studies. To reach this objective we propose to conduct four different work packages. Work package 1, Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC): to develop a suitable active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing process for scale-up synthesis, to develop and manufacture an enabling FIH formulation. Work package 2, Preclinical safety: to establish the safety profile of DNDI-6166 through regulatory Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) studies. Work package 3, Mechanism of Action (MoA): elucidation of the MoA of DNDI-6166. Work package 4, Refinement of safety margin, to refine the human efficacious dose, and to establish the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) relationship. Project Detail https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/portfoliodetail/detail/208/en G2022-208 Project Title Fosravuconazole treatment in eumycetoma: corroborating study outcomes, preparing for access Collaboration Partners Eisai Co., Ltd., Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) Disease Mycetoma Intervention Drug Stage Registration Awarded Amount 296,466,665 (US$2.2 million) Status Continued project Summary [Project objective] This project aims to bridge the gap between outcome of the fosravuconazole's randomized clinical trial (RCT), and access to fosravuconazole for treatment of eumycetoma in Sudan . 1. Registration Objective: to make fosravuconazole accessible to patients in Sudan through a registration process. 2. Implementation and preparing for access i. Cohort study Objective: to treat a cohort of 100 patients with fosravuconazole under supervision of the Mycetoma Research Center (MRC), collecting additional data on safety and treatment outcome. ii. Development of a strategic plan Objective: to develop a strategic plan for mycetoma. To understand the needs and opportunities in other endemic areas (e.g. India and Senegal ), field visits and expert meetings will guide and outline the next steps for use of fosravuconazole in severe eumycetoma. [Project design] 1. Registration Based on the results of the clinical trial, preparations for the application for approval will be undertaken. Fosravuconazole is registered in Japan for indication of onychomycosis. 2. Implementation and preparing for access i. Cohort study The cohort study provides early access to treatment with fosravuconazole for patients with eumycetoma in a controlled manner, whilst monitoring treatment outcome and patient safety. Approximately 100 patients enrolled in the cohort study will be treated with weekly doses of fosravuconazole at 200 mg for 12 months in combination with surgery at 6 months. ii. Development of a strategic plan A strategic plan will be developed by the following steps. Post-hoc analyses of the RCT will be performed to evaluate all factors that have influenced outcomes. Expert meetings will be organized to discuss the study data and outcomes, and how to assess new drugs that have been developed in the context of other fungal diseases. Field visits to other important eumycetoma endemic areas such as India and Senegal will be conducted to assess current practice and local needs for treatment while also collecting epidemiological data to assess burden of the disease. Project Detail https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/portfoliodetail/detail/209/en T2022-151 Project Title Development of a potent Pvs230 mRNA vaccine to block transmission of P. vivax Collaboration Partners Ehime University , Mahidol University Disease Malaria Intervention Vaccine Stage Target Research Awarded Amount 69,965,220 ( US$0 .5 million) Status New project Summary [Project objective] This project aims to develop a novel mRNA-based malaria transmission-blocking vaccine of P. vivax. It targets Pvs230, a sexual stage protein of the parasite, that induces potent and long-lasting transmission blocking immunity and is able to interrupt transmission of P. vivax from human to mosquito. [Project design] We will combine the expertise in malaria vaccine development from Mahidol and Ehime Universities to generate new mRNA vaccines that block transmission of P. vivax. The vaccine target is the parasite protein called Pvs230, a well-known vaccine candidate expressed during the sexual-stage development of the parasite. Since Pvs230 is a large protein, we will first screen several Pvs230 fragments to identify the subdomain that induces strongest functional immunity. Then we will employ both the classical linear nucleoside-modified mRNA and our newly developed circular mRNA to devise the best performing vaccine construct. Vaccine efficacy will be determined by the ability of the vaccine to induce antibodies that block transmission of the parasite from humans to mosquitoes. Project Detail https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/portfoliodetail/detail/207/en *All amounts are listed at an exchange rate of USD1 = JPY136.34 , the approximate exchange rate on February 28, 2023 . Appendix 2. Investment Overview (as of March 30, 2023 ) Investments to date Total investments: 29.1 billion yen (US$213 million1) Total invested projects: 118 (53 active projects and 65 completed projects) To learn more about GHIT Fund's investments, please visit Investment Overview: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/overview/en Portfolio: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/portfolio/en Advancing Portfolio: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/advancingportfolio/en Clinical Candidates: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/clinicalcandidates/en For more information, contact: Katy Lenard at +1-301-280-5719 or [email protected] Mina Ohata at +81-36441-2032 or [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/a-total-of-approximately-400-million-yen-investment-in-eisai-ehime-university-dndi-and-others-for-new-drug-and-vaccine-development-for-neglected-tropical-diseases-301785235.html STOCKHOLM , March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ASSA ABLOY has signed an agreement to acquire Mottura Serrature di sicurezza Spa ("Mottura"), an Italian manufacturer of high security residential armored lock cases and security cylinders. "We are committed to growing our presence in the Italian market and the acquisition of Mottura provides a great step in strengthening our position in the residential space. I look forward to welcoming Mottura and their employees into the ASSA ABLOY Group ," says Nico Delvaux , President and CEO of ASSA ABLOY. "Mottura and its great team is a fantastic addition to the ASSA ABLOY EMEIA family. Mottura is a great brand that stands for quality, high security and is recognized and respected in Italy and beyond," says Neil Vann , Executive Vice President of ASSA ABLOY and Head of EMEIA Division. Mottura was established in 1972 and has some 120 employees. The main office is located in Sant'Ambrogio di Torino , close to Torino, Italy . Sales for 2022 amounted to about MEUR 28 (approx. MSEK 300) with a good EBIT margin. The acquisition will be accretive to EPS from the start. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close during the second quarter of 2023. For more information, please contact: Nico Delvaux , President and CEO, tel. no: +46 8 506 485 82 Erik Pieder, CFO and Executive Vice President, tel. no: +46 8 506 485 72 Bjorn Tibell, Head of Investor Relations, tel. no: +46 70 275 67 68, e-mail: [email protected] About ASSA ABLOY The ASSA ABLOY Group is the global leader in access solutions. The Group operates worldwide with 52,000 employees and sales of SEK 121 billion . The Group has leading positions in areas such as efficient door openings, trusted identities and entrance automation. ASSA ABLOY's innovations enable safe, secure and convenient access to physical and digital places. Every day, we help billions of people experience a more open world. The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/7333/3743114/1951843.pdf Press release (PDF) https://news.cision.com/assa-abloy/i/mottura-cylinder-and-keys,c3161726 Mottura Cylinder and keys View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/assa-abloy-acquires-mottura-in-italy-301785532.html SOURCE ASSA ABLOY SAN FRANCISCO , March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Callan , a leading institutional investment consulting firm, announced today that Greg DeForrest , CFA, has been promoted to executive vice president and head of Fund Sponsor Consulting , effective April 1, 2023 . He takes over the role from Millie Viqueira who is retiring after more than three decades at Callan . Mr. DeForrest , who also manages the West Coast consulting team, will report to CEO & Chief Research Officer Greg Allen . "Greg's breadth of knowledge, calm demeanor, and depth of industry experience make him perfect for this role," said Mr. Allen . "He has made significant contributions at Callan , and I can't wait to see what he will accomplish next." During his 25-year career at Callan , Mr. DeForrest has held a number of positions across the firm. He started in Client Report Services in 1998, then joined the Global Manager Research team in 2001, which he went on to manage in 2007. In 2009, he joined the West Coast consulting team as an investment consultant and became the group's manager in 2014. He will continue to manage this team in his new role, as well as remain co-chair of Callan's Manager Search Committee and a member of the firm's Management Committee and Institute Advisory Committee . Mr. DeForrest received a BA from Villanova University , is a holder of the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation, is a member of CFA Institute and CFA Society San Francisco, and is a shareholder of the firm. "I would like to congratulate Millie on her successful career at Callan ," said Mr. DeForrest . "I look forward to continuing Callan's 50-year history of partnering with clients to achieve their goals." Ms. Viqueira , who joined Callan in 1991, took on the position of head of Fund Sponsor Consulting in 2018. Prior to that she managed Callan's New Jersey consulting office, co-chaired Callan's Manager Search Committee, and served as lead consultant for many of Callan's largest clients in the Northeast. "I can't say enough about the difference Millie has made in her long career at Callan ," said Mr. Allen . "Her contributions to the success of our firm and our clients are legion, and she has been a great friend to many of us, providing candid advice, keen insight, and sincere encouragement. She will be greatly missed." About Callan Callan was founded as an employee-owned investment consulting firm in 1973. Ever since, we have empowered institutional clients with creative, customized investment solutions backed by proprietary research, exclusive data, and ongoing education. Today, Callan advises on more than $3 trillion in total fund sponsor assets, which makes it among the largest independently owned investment consulting firms in the U.S. Callan uses a client-focused consulting model to serve pension and defined contribution plan sponsors, endowments, foundations, independent investment advisers, investment managers, and other asset owners. Callan has six offices throughout the U.S. Learn more at callan.com. Media Contact: Elizabeth Anathan [email protected] 415-274-3020 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/callan-promotes-greg-deforrest-cfa-to-executive-vice-president-and-head-of-fund-sponsor-consulting-301785216.html KYODO NEWS - Mar 30, 2023 - 22:50 | All, Japan, Coronavirus Japan is planning to scrap a negative coronavirus test requirement on visitors from China due to a low rate of positive results during sample testing at airports, a government source said Thursday. Under the eased rules, possibly to go into effect from early April, travelers from mainland China will no longer have to show proof of a negative coronavirus test taken 72 hours or less before departure as long as they have had at least three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, the source said. At the end of last year, the Japanese government implemented blanket COVID-19 testing for all arrivals from mainland China, including those who had visited the country within the previous seven days. In early January, it further tightened border controls for visitors from mainland China by requiring proof of a negative test. In March, however, the government switched to testing only passengers on selected flights from China after finding that the number of those testing positive for COVID-19 had dropped. Mechanics Investment Services and UNCLE Wealth Management partnering with Cetera Investment Services LOS ANGELES , March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cetera Financial Group (Cetera), an at-scale wealth hub that offers financial professionals and institutions the latest solutions, support and services, announced today that it has finalized strategic relationships with Mechanics Bank* and UNCLE Credit Union *. Through the partnerships, Cetera Investment Services will provide insurance solutions and investment advisory services and help grow the firms' retail investment programs. Mechanics Investment Services located at Mechanics Bank and UNCLE Wealth Management located at UNCLE Credit Union will leverage Cetera's integrated technology, robust growth and operations support, and advice-focused platform. Mechanics Bank is a full-service community bank in Richland County, Ohio that has been independently managed for over 137 years. As of their affiliation date of 12/17/2022, Mechanics Investment Services oversees $102 million in assets under administration**, and was previously affiliated with Infinex Financial Group . UNCLE Credit Union , based in Northern California , is a full-service financial institution that proudly serves more than 34,000 members. As of their affiliation date of 1/17/2023, UNCLE Wealth Management manages $31 million in assets under administration**, and was previously affiliated with CUSO Financial Services . "We are excited to welcome these two outstanding institutions to the Cetera family and look forward to close collaboration in achieving shared goals," said LeAnn Rummel , President and CEO of Cetera Investment Services . "We aim to provide important financial institutions like Mechanics Bank and UNCLE Credit Union with the exceptional resources and technologies that enable them to accelerate their growth and continue building success for their clients for years to come." "We are thrilled to partner with Cetera to grow and enhance our retail investment program," said Dakota Durbin , Vice President of Private Banking at Mechanics Bank. "Cetera delivers outstanding services and personalized client support, and this partnership will empower us to better serve our customers by providing them with more comprehensive financial services and holistic guidance." "Leveraging Cetera's expertise, extensive resources and industry-leading support will optimize the potential of our retail investment program and UNCLE Wealth Management," said Dree Johnson, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at UNCLE Credit Union . "We look forward to many years of collaboration, support and success with Cetera." For nearly 40 years, Cetera Investment Services has empowered financial institutions to deepen client connections and expand their services with customized support that helps financial professionals meet their clients' full lifecycle needs. Click here to learn more about Cetera's resources and support for financial institutions. About Cetera Financial Group An at-scale wealth hub, Cetera Financial Group (Cetera) offers financial professionals and institutions the latest solutions, support, and services. Breaking away from a commoditized and homogenous IBD model, Cetera instead creatively addresses advisors' and institutions' unique needs, whether they are seeking to grow, scale, or transition with a merger, sale, investment, or succession plan. Cetera proudly serves independent financial advisors, tax professionals, licensed administrators, large enterprises, as well as institutions, such as banks and credit unions, providing an established and repeatable blueprint for scalable growth. Cetera's approach empowers advisors to affiliate in whichever way they deem most appropriate. During the professional life cycle of their practice, the Cetera wealth hub helps to ensure each advisor's affiliation model identifies and ignites growth levers in a way that helps increase the value of their practice, people, and legacy. Cetera delivers holistic, unbiased financial planning and advice to Main Street investors, helping them achieve their version of financial wellbeing at all life stages. For financial professionals, Cetera provides growth and succession resources, an enhanced advisor tech stack and importantly, an experience where financial professionals don't feel like a number, but an integral part of Cetera's rich and thriving ecosystem. Home to more than 8,000 financial professionals and their teams, Cetera oversees approximately $322 billion in assets under administration and $115 billion in assets under management, as of December 31, 2022 . In a recent advisor satisfaction survey of more than 14,000 reviews, Cetera's Voice of Customer (VoC) program vigorously measures advisor experience and satisfaction 24/7. Currently, it's ranked 4.7 out of 5 stars. Visit www.cetera.com, and follow Cetera on LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. " Cetera Financial Group " refers to the network of independent retail firms encompassing, among others, Cetera Advisors LLC , Cetera Advisor Networks LLC , Cetera Investment Services LLC (marketed as Cetera Financial Institutions or Cetera Investors ), and Cetera Financial Specialists LLC . All firms are FINRA / SIPC members. Located at: 655 W. Broadway , 11th Floor, San Diego , CA 92101. Individuals affiliated with Cetera firms are either Registered Representatives who offer only brokerage services and receive transaction-based compensation (commissions), Investment Adviser Representatives who offer only investment advisory services and receive fees based on assets, or both Registered Representatives and Investment Adviser Representatives, who can offer both types of services. *Securities and insurance products offered through Cetera Investment Services LLC (doing insurance business in CA as CFG STC Insurance Agency LLC ), member FINRA / SIPC . Investment advisory services offered through Cetera Investment Advisers LLC . Neither firm is affiliated with the financial institution where investments are offered. *Investments: Are not FDIC /NCUSIF insured May lose value Are not financial institution guaranteed Are not a deposit Are not insured by any federal government agency. **Value approximated based on asset holding details provided to Cetera up to 12/17/2022 and 1/17/2023 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cetera-announces-strategic-relationships-with-two-financial-institution-investment-services-programs-managing-approximately-133-million-in-assets-under-administration-301785340.html TORONTO and GATINEAU, QC , March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Converge Technology Solutions Corp. ("Converge" or "the Company") (TSX: CTS) (FSE: 0ZB) (OTCQX: CTSDF) a services-led, software-enabled, IT & Cloud Solutions provider, is pleased to announce that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company , has honored Converge on its 2023 Tech Elite 250 list. Businesses rely on solution providers to maintain the highest levels of technical prowess across critical products and services to help them meet today's IT challenges and take advantage of the benefits of cutting-edge solutions. To meet these demands, solution providers such as strategic service providers, systems integrators, managed service providers and value-added resellers strive to maintain high levels of training and certification from IT vendors and achieve the highest tiers within those vendors' partner programs. This annual list features solution providers of all sizes across the U.S and Canada that have differentiated themselves by achieving the highest level and largest breadth of certifications and specializations from key technology vendors in the infrastructure, cloud, and security spaces. "CRN's Tech Elite 250 list features the leading solution providers in the IT channel with the most in-depth technical knowledge, expertise, and certifications for providing the highest level of service for their customers," said Blaine Raddon , CEO of The Channel Company . "These solution providers have continued to extend their aptitudes and abilities across various technologies and IT practices, demonstrating their commitment and value to their customers. "Converge is proud to once again be listed on CRN's Tech Elite 250 list," stated Shaun Maine , Group CEO of Converge. "Our team works exceptionally hard at maintaining our strong, ongoing partner relationships and obtaining the necessary certifications to remain at the forefront of our industry. This allows us to offer our clients the most innovative solutions and is something we're committed to continuing as an organization." Coverage of the Tech Elite 250 will be featured in the April issue of CRN Magazine and online at www.CRN.com/techelite250. 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 40 years of unequalled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com 2023. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC . All rights reserved. About Converge Converge Technology Solutions Corp. is a services-led, software-enabled, IT & Cloud Solutions provider focused on delivering industry-leading solutions. Converge's global approach delivers advanced analytics, application modernization, cloud platforms, cybersecurity, digital infrastructure, and digital workplace offerings to clients across various industries. The Company supports these solutions with advisory, implementation, and managed services expertise across all major IT vendors in the marketplace. This multi-faceted approach enables Converge to address the unique business and technology requirements for all clients in the public and private sectors. For more information, visit convergetp.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/converge-technology-solutions-corp-honored-on-the-2023-crn-tech-elite-250-list-301785818.html 22,000-plus net new jobs added in 2022, more growth projected for this year TALLAHASSEE, Fla. , March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Against the backdrop of an eventful year, tech employment in Florida added new jobs and grew in depth and breadth, according to today's release of new research from CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the information technology (IT) industry and workforce. CompTIA's annual "State of the Tech Workforce" reveals that net tech employment1 in Florida grew by 4.8% in 2022, well above the national figure of 3.2%. The number of people employed in technology in Florida increased by an estimated 22,029 workers, the third highest total nationally.2 CompTIA forecasts a 3.5% increase in tech employment for 2023 about 17,000 net new jobs in the state. Nearly 485,000 people work in tech jobs in Florida , spanning both technical and non-technical workers employed by tech companies and tech professionals who work in other industries. That represents 4.9% of the overall state workforce. Florida's tech workforce ranks fourth in size nationally. The estimated median wage for a tech worker in Florida is $81,533 . That's 113% higher than the median wage for all occupations in the state. Florida's tech industry delivers an economic impact of $79.9 billion , or 6.4% of the state economy. There are an estimated 38,796 tech business establishments in the state, including 2,733 that opened in 2022, the highest total in the country. CompTIA's "State of the Tech Workforce" is the most comprehensive source of data on the size and scope of the U.S. technology industry and workforce. The report includes data on employment, wages, business establishments, job postings, workforce diversity, emerging tech metrics and more. Among other highlights from the new report: Occupations poised for growth Positions in software development, programming, web development and quality assurance (5.4%); database, data science and analytics (4.8%); and emerging technologies, IT project management and related areas (4.6%) are projected to see the most growth in Florida this year. Emerging tech employment opportunities 24% of all tech jobs postings in the state last year were for occupations related to emerging technologies or for positions that required emerging tech skills. Workforce diversity Florida is in the first quartile in the report's diversity index, a measurement of the depth and breadth of diversity in the tech workforce for seven primary race and ethnicity groups, as defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics . Women account for 27% of the state's workforce; Hispanic or Latino workers, 17% (the second highest percentage nationally); and African American workers, 11%. Access the full report at https://www.cyberstates.org/. About CompTIA The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is the world's leading information technology (IT) certification and training body. CompTIA is a mission-driven organization committed to unlocking the potential of every student, career changer or professional seeking to begin or advance in a technology career. Each year CompTIA, directly and through its global network of partners, provides millions of people with training, education and certification opportunities designed to help them build career-ready IT skills. To learn more visit https://www.comptia.org/ Media Contact Steven Ostrowski CompTIA [email protected] 630.678.8468 1The tech workforce consists of two primary components technology professionals working in technical positions (IT support, network engineering, software development, data science, etc.) and business professionals employed by technology companies. Combined they are represented by the "net tech employment" designation. 2The 2022 employment estimates and 2023 projections represent the most up-to-date data at the time of publication. As with any labor market data source there is a lag effect, recent developments during late 2022 and early 2023 will likely not be fully reflected in the data. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/florida-tech-workforce-grows-in-depth-and-breadth-comptia-releases-year-in-review-state-of-the-tech-workforce-report-301785930.html SOURCE CompTIA JOHANNESBURG , March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Gold Fields Limited ( Gold Fields ) (JSE, NYSE: GFI) today published its suite of annual reports on its website for the financial year ended 31 December 2022 . Gold Fields' suite of annual reports includes the Integrated Annual Report 2022 (IAR), the statutory Annual Financial Report 2022 (AFR), including the Governance Report, containing the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2022 , the Notice to Shareholders of the Annual General Meeting (AGM), the 2022 Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves Supplement and the 2022 Climate Change Report. The relevant documents will also be posted to shareholders on or about 4 April 2023 . Gold Fields has also filed its annual report on Form 20-F with the US Securities Exchange Commission and published the Form 20-F on its website. Full media release is available on the company website: www.goldfields.com Enquiries Investors Avishkar Nagaser Tel: +27 11 562-9775 Mobile: +27 82 312 8692 Email : [email protected] Thomas Mengel Tel: +27 11 562 9849 Mobile: +27 72 493 5170 Email: [email protected] Media Sven Lunsche Tel: +27 11 562-9763 Mobile: +27 83 260 9279 Email : [email protected] Notes to editors About Gold Fields Gold Fields is a globally diversified gold producer with nine operating mines in Australia , South Africa , Ghana (including the Asanko JV) and Peru and one project in Chile . We have total attributable annual gold-equivalent production of 2.40Moz, proved and probable gold Mineral Reserves of 46.1Moz, measured and indicated gold Mineral Resources of 31.1Moz (excluding Mineral Reserves) and inferred Gold Mineral Resources of 11.2Moz excluding Mineral Reserves). Our shares are listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) and our American depositary shares trade on the New York Exchange (NYSE). Sponsor: J.P. Morgan Equities South Africa (Pty) Ltd View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gold-fields-publishes-its-suite-of-annual-reports-301786213.html New cruises include a spectacular 21-day roundtrip from Boston ; private island Half Moon Cay remains centerpiece of Caribbean sailings SEATTLE , March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Holland America Line's 2024-2025 Caribbean season opens for booking today, and the premium cruise line is continuing its trend of longer, more immersive cruise itineraries with the introduction of three new voyages that are 14 and 21 days. Also new for this season is adding Boston, Massachusetts , as a Caribbean departure port in addition to Fort Lauderdale, Florida and the return of calls at Bermuda . The 2024-2025 season puts the spotlight on longer voyages, offering travelers more time in the Caribbean and the opportunity to visit more islands on one itinerary. " Holland America Line is meeting the desire of our guests who want more immersive experiences, and we're excited to offer new itineraries and a new departure option for this Caribbean season," said Gus Antorcha , Holland America Line's president. "With sailings covering the entire region and combinable itineraries up to 35 days, our Caribbean cruises extend to lesser-visited islands and are among the most diverse in the industry." Holland America Line's Caribbean cruises sail from October 2024 through March 2025 and feature five- to 21-day options to the eastern, western and southern regions, including sailings that spend a day discovering the Panama Canal . Six Holland America Line ships will head to the Caribbean including two Pinnacle Class ships with the majority of itineraries roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale . Two of the new itineraries depart from Boston . Nearly all itineraries feature Half Moon Cay , Holland America Line's award-winning private island in the Bahamas boasting the finest beach in the Caribbean . On select itineraries, evening departures from Puerto Rico , Curacao , St. Maarten and Aruba mean more time in port and the chance to experience the vibrant Caribbean nightlife. Guests can cruise to the Caribbean aboard Eurodam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Nieuw Statendam, Rotterdam, Volendam and Zuiderdam. New and Notable Longer Cruises : New is a unique 21-Day "Perfect Caribbean Escape" cruise roundtrip from Boston aboard Zuiderdam. Departing Oct. 19, 2024 , this extended tropical adventure includes a partial Panama Canal transit and a call at Bermuda . Following Bermuda , the ship makes its way to Half Moon Cay ; Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos; Curacao ; Aruba ; Cartagena, Colombia ; Colon, Panama ; Puerto Limon , Costa Rica; Port Canaveral, Florida ; and Bimini, Bahamas . Following the 21-day roundtrip Boston cruise, Zuiderdam offers a new 14-day " Southern Caribbean " itinerary from Boston to Fort Lauderdale departing Nov. 9 that also includes a call at Bermuda . The ship then heads to St. Thomas , St. Maarten , St. Lucia , Barbados , Curacao and Half Moon Cay . The 21- and 14-day departures can be combined to form a destination-rich 35-Day Collectors' Voyage for the ultimate Caribbean experience. Another new 21-day Caribbean exploration sails roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale aboard Volendam. Departing Jan. 4, 2025 , this in-depth "Ultimate Caribbean " journey deeply explores the area, with calls at Half Moon Cay ; Amber Cove , Dominican Republic ; San Juan, Puerto Rico ; Tortola; St. Maarten ; Antigua ; Dominica ; St. Lucia ; Barbados ; St. Vincent ; Grenada ; Bonaire ; Aruba ; Ocho Rios, Jamaica ; and Grand Cayman . Western Caribbean : Holland America Line's western Caribbean itineraries include six-, seven- and 10-day options. The seven-day cruise calls at Cozumel, Mexico ; Half Moon Cay , Ocho Rios and Grand Cayman . The three 10-day itineraries span the region and are combination of ports that include Montego Bay or Falmouth , Jamaica ; Mahogany Bay , Honduras ; Belize City, Belize ; Grandy Cayman, Cozumel , Half Moon Cay , and Bimini. Eastern Caribbean : The seven-day eastern Caribbean itinerary includes Grand Turk, St. Thomas , San Juan and Half Moon Cay . A longer 11-day "Eastern Caribbean Wayfarer" itinerary calls at St. Maarten , Antigua , St. Lucia , Dominica , St. Kitts , St. Thomas and Half Moon Cay . Southern Caribbean : In addition to the new Boston to Fort Lauderdale cruise, the southern Caribbean itineraries range from nine to 14 days. The nine-day cruise makes way to the ABC Islands of Aruba , Bonaire and Curacao before visiting Half Moon Cay , while the 10-day itinerary also adds Grand Turk and Amber Cove . The 14-day "Southern Caribbean Holiday" cruise departing Dec. 21, 2024 , explores St. Thomas , St. Kitts , St. Lucia , Barbados , Grenada , Guadeloupe , St. Maarten , Puerto Rico and Half Moon Cay . Tropical Caribbean : Guests looking for a shorter getaway can embark on the five-day itinerary that visits Half Moon Cay and Amber Cove . The popular seven-day Tropical Caribbean returns with calls at Grand Turk, Amber Cove and Half Moon Cay . Partial Panama Canal : Guests looking to visit the Panama Canal without a coast-to-coast transit can embark on the 12-day "Panama Canal Sunfarer" itinerary. In addition to venturing around Panama Canal's Gatun Lake and a partial transit, the itinerary includes Curacao , Cartagena , Colon, Puerto Limon, and Half Moon Cay . Combine Back-to-Back Cruises for Longer Collectors' Voyages Many of the cruises can be extended into Collectors' Voyages to create the ultimate Caribbean exploration with more economical fares than booking the cruises individually. Ranging from 14 to 35 days, these longer journeys combine nonrepeating, back-to-back itineraries, enabling guests to span more than one Caribbean region and enjoy the ultimate island-hopping journey. Early Booking Bonus Offers For a limited time, when guests book newly opening 2024-2025 Caribbean cruises with the Have It All premium package, the standard package amenities of shore excursions, specialty dining, a Signature Beverage Package and Surf Wi-Fi are included plus the added perk of free prepaid Crew Appreciation, along with free upgrades to the Elite Beverage Package and Premium Wi-Fi. Guests also can take advantage of Holland America Line's Exclusive Mariner Society Early Booking Bonus. Mariner Society loyalty members can enjoy up to $400 onboard credit per stateroom when select cruises open for sale. Guests must book these cruises by June 27, 2023 , to receive the Exclusive Mariner Society Early Booking Bonus. For more information about Holland America Line , consult a travel advisor, call 1-877-SAIL HAL (877-724-5425) or visit hollandamerica.com. Editors Note: Photos are available at https://www.cruiseimagelibrary.com/c/zuqcdnsf. Find Holland America Line on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the Holland America Blog. You can also access all social media outlets via the home page at hollandamerica.com. About Holland America Line Holland America Line , part of Carnival Corporation and plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL and NYSE: CUK), has been exploring the world for 150 years with expertly crafted itineraries, extraordinary service and genuine connections to each destination. Offering an ideal mid-sized ship experience, its fleet visits nearly 400 ports in 114 countries around the world and has shared the thrill of Alaska for 75 years longer than any other cruise line. Holland America Line's 11 vessels feature a diverse range of enriching activities and amenities focused on destination immersion and personalized travel. The best live music at sea fills each evening at Music Walk, and dining venues feature exclusive selections from a Culinary Council of world-famous chefs. CONTACT: Bill Zucker , Erik Elvejord PHONE: 800-637-5029, 206-626-9890 EMAIL: [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/holland-america-line-adds-boston-bermuda-and-longer-itineraries-for-2024-2025-caribbean-season-301786018.html Supporting 320K+ jobs BELMONT, Mass. , March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Massachusetts (AICU Mass), which represents fifty-nine independent, nonprofit colleges and universities across the Commonwealth, today released an economic impact study that demonstrates the statewide annual impact in Massachusetts of its members at $71.1B. The study was conducted by the national, independent research firm Econsult Solutions, Inc. (ESI). ESI's research also shows that the educational and research activities of the colleges and universities in AICU Mass generate $2.4B in tax revenues to the Commonwealth, as well as an economic impact of $28B from an alumni wage premium, and collectively support 320,800 jobs. "In Massachusetts, we know instinctively that our private colleges and universities are crucial for our economy, with these institutions helping to define what it means to learn, work and live in the Commonwealth," said Rob McCarron , president and CEO of AICU Mass. "This Economic Impact Study puts that into hard numbers that quantify just how crucial. Across this state, these schools are the economic engines for their communities and their regions. Taken together, they are one of the most important anchors of our robust and vibrant knowledge-based economy." The study details the impact of AICU Mass members in four categories: Operations; capital spending; student and visitor (ancillary) spending; and the alumni wage premium. The economic impact in each category, broken down, is: Operations: $35B . Operations are the costs associated of running a campus, such as payroll and purchasing. Oftentimes a local college or university is a community's largest employer and among the largest procurers of goods and services. . Operations are the costs associated of running a campus, such as payroll and purchasing. Oftentimes a local college or university is a community's largest employer and among the largest procurers of goods and services. Capital spending : $4.4B . Capital spending is defined as spending and investments in new construction and on-going maintenance, which supports the construction sector and its related ecosystem. : . Capital spending is defined as spending and investments in new construction and on-going maintenance, which supports the construction sector and its related ecosystem. Ancillary spending : $3.6B . Ancillary spending is student and visitor spending such as campus visits; reunion weekends; commencements, etc. : . Ancillary spending is student and visitor spending such as campus visits; reunion weekends; commencements, etc. Alumni wage: $28B . Alumni wage describes the spending power of the alumni of AICU Mass institutions who live and work in the state. "We know that from one end of the state to the other, our private colleges and universities are producing patents and vital research that drive new products, supporting our current industries and helping create startups," John R. Regan , President and CEO, Associated Industries of Massachusetts . "What the research makes clear in this Economic Impact Study is their enormous daily contribution to our economy in direct spending and jobs, with ripple effects keeping so many small- and mid-sized companies viable." Regional Impacts Eastern Massachusetts has one of the densest concentrations of private higher education in the world and the economic impact reflects it. The region surrounding Boston hosts 42 AICU Mass member schools with a combined economic impact of $64B and supporting 283,000 jobs. While eastern Massachusetts is home to the majority of the private colleges and universities, and to the bulk of the economic dollars and jobs, the presence of private higher education institutions is felt in all regions of the state. In western Massachusetts, 11 AICU Mass schools have an economic impact of $3.3B in the region and support 19,400 job. In central Massachusetts , there are eight AICU Mass members, two with campuses based in Boston , which have an economic impact of $3.8B in the region and support 18,800 jobs. "If you live in Boston or Cambridge or one of the small towns that host so many of our Massachusetts colleges then you know the unique intangible benefits the vibrancy of the students, the access to the arts, to theater and music and classes. What this report shows in hard data are the very tangible impacts of dollars and jobs," said Suffolk University President Marisa J. Kelly and AICU Mass board chair. "The research makes clear the enormous daily contribution of private higher education to our economy in direct spending and jobs." AICU Mass institutions are not only feeding the future workforce for Massachusetts , collectively they educate the majority of Pell Grant recipients* and first-generation students attending a four-year college or university in Massachusetts, while also producing the majority of STEM, nursing and allied healthcare professions earning an Associate's degree or higher in Massachusetts ** that will support the Massachusetts workforce for years to come. "This report should serve as a critical reminder of the tremendous impact of the private colleges and universities in the state, not just those detailed in the report, but those less quantifiable, added McCarron. "Our knowledge-based economy and access to talent is why companies relocate their headquarters to the Commonwealth; it's what helps our state economy better weather recession, and is often cited as an invaluable asset in state bond ratings. Massachusetts and the higher education community can take pride in the work we are doing together to build and sustain a unique educational ecosystem that delivers significant impact to local communities, brings opportunity to people's lives, and creates knowledge that benefits the world." A full copy of the report is available by clicking here . About the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts AICU Mass represents 59 independent colleges and universities throughout the Commonwealth, educating more than 285,000 students each year and employing nearly 100,000. Our members include large nationally renowned research universities, smaller, highly regarded liberal arts colleges, religiously affiliated institutions, and colleges with special missions focused on business or music or allied health services. *National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, Federal Student Aid Summary, January 2023 **Source: The Integrated Postsecondary Data System, 2020-21 Completions, First Majors, Degrees Total, Grand Total, STEM-related CIP classification codes. For more information: [email protected] 617-742-5147 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/impact-of-independent-nonprofit-colleges-and-universities-in-massachusetts-stands-at-71b-annually-301786083.html SOURCE AICU Annual gathering brings together powerhouse travel advisors, key partners NEW YORK , March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Internova Travel Group, one of the world's largest travel services companies, continues to expand its presence in the luxury travel space and strengthen the opportunities it provides to its advisors and partners. The company recently announced the debut of OLTRE, a new consumer magazine produced for affluent clients of its luxury travel advisors. Global Travel Collection, a division of Internova representing the most influential community of luxury travel agencies, added more than 60 luxury travel advisors last year, representing annual sales growth of almost $100 million . Internova will continue to foster close collaboration between its elite travel advisors and luxury supplier partners with the return of Internova PLUS, which will take place from Jan. 16-19, 2024 , at the soon-to-be-opened Pendry Newport Beach in Orange County, California . "We are beyond thrilled to host Internova PLUS at Pendry Newport Beach next year," said Chris Hamaway , Executive Vice President, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of Montage International . "Since our company's founding over 20 years ago, our commitment to the advisor community has been unwavering. We look forward to welcoming our friends from Internova as one of the very first guests at our newest destination for Montage International ." Internova PLUS will include 125 powerhouse advisors from among the 100,000 advisors represented across the company's affiliated brands who collectively represent more than $300 million in luxury travel bookings. Advisors are selected based on their production, growth potential and accomplishments. Next year's event comes on the heels of the inaugural Internova PLUS, held at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar in San Diego this past January and attended by 250 industry innovators and thought leaders. Internova PLUS is designed to push the boundaries of traditional event programming by bringing together participants in a smart, sophisticated and innovative approach. "At Internova, we believe partnership is an elegant equation that perfectly balances advisors, partners and travelers, and that when we work together, we can bring tremendous value for everyone," said Albert Herrera , Internova's Executive Vice President, Partner Relations. "The inaugural PLUS event was true partnership in action. We're excited to build upon that momentum as we continue to provide intimate, targeted and curated experiences for our valued advisors and preferred partners to connect." About Internova Travel Group Internova Travel Group is one of the largest travel services companies in the world with a collection of leading brands delivering high-touch, personal travel expertise to leisure and corporate clients. Internova manages leisure, business and franchise firms through a portfolio of distinctive divisions. Internova represents more than 100,000 travel advisors in over 6,000 company-owned and affiliated locations predominantly in the United States , Canada and the United Kingdom , with a presence in more than 80 countries. CONTACT: Elizabeth Gaerlan [email protected] 212-944-1125 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/internova-plus-will-return-in-january-2024-301786285.html SUZHOU, China , March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kintor Pharmaceutical Limited (Kintor Pharma, HKEX: 9939), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing innovative small molecules and biological therapeutics, today announced business highlights and financial results for the year ended 31 December 2022 . Business Highlights Kintor Pharma has made rapid progress on global clinical development, and achieved positive data read-outs of core products during the reporting period. Kintor Pharma has rolled out the clinical pipeline in dermatology area globally. Kintor Pharma is actively promoting the business development opportunities in China and globally to accelerate the commercialization progress. and globally to accelerate the commercialization progress. Kintor Pharma has raised about $100 million through 2 top-up placements during the reporting period. through 2 top-up placements during the reporting period. The company's stock has been included in MSCI China Index and Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, which increased the stock's liquidity in the capital market. The company's R&D outcome has been accepted by reputable academic conferences including AACR, ASH and AAD of the U.S. , which has demonstrated its R&D capabilities. Dr. Youzhi Tong , founder, Chairman, and CEO of Kintor Pharma, commented, 2022 has been a challenging year for the global biotech industry. Under the difficulty market conditions, Kintor Pharma has made rapid progress in R&D, financing and academic publications. In terms of R&D, the company has made steady progress in its pipeline and achieved positive data read-outs of its core products, including Pyrilutamide (KX-826) for androgenetic alopecia (AGA) indication, GT20029 for AGA and acne vulgaris indications. The Phase II clinical trials of KX-826 for male and female AGA in China have reached the primary endpoints, respectively. Kintor Pharma has rolled out the clinical pipeline in dermatology area globally, and is actively promoting the business development opportunities in China and globally to accelerate the commercialization progress. In capital market, the company has raised net proceeds of $100 million through two top-up placements during the reporting period. In addition, the company's stock has been included in the MSCI China Index and the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, further enhanced the stock's liquidity in the capital market. In academics, the company's research results have been presented at important academic conferences such as AACR, ASH and AAD of the U.S. , proving that the company's innovation ability and its international influence. Looking forward, Kintor Pharma will continue to execute the development of the core products in China and globally, expecting to accelerate its commercialization process. The company strives to bring safe and effective therapeutics to the patients around the globe, and create value for its shareholders and employees. Rapid Progress on Global Clinical Development and Positive Data Read-outs of Core Products As a Biotech company focusing on the R&D and industrialization of potential First-in-Class and Best-in-Class innovative drugs, Kintor Pharma has developed a diversified product pipeline including small-molecule drugs, biologics innovative drugs and combination therapies. At present, the company has seven novel drug candidates with First-in-Class or Best-in-Class potential in Phase I-III clinical stages in China and around the world. Since 2022, the company has released positive clinical results of core products, including the Phase II clinical trials of KX-826 for male and female AGA in China , respectively, and the Phase I clinical trials of GT20029 for the treatment of AGA and ance in both China and the U.S. . Pyrilutamide (KX-826) is a topical androgen receptor (AR) antagonist that is under clinical development for the potential treatment of AGA and acne. KX-826 is the world's first AR antagonist for AGA treatment which entered the Phase III clinical trial stage. On 27 August 2022 , one of the leading principal investigators of the Phase II clinical trial of KX-826 in China for the treatment of male AGA adults, Professor Jianzhong Zhang () from Peking University People's Hospital , released the trial's positive results at the 6th Annual Meeting of Chinese Hair Research Society (). The results showed that after 24 weeks of treatment, the non-vellus target area hair counts (TAHC) in the 5mg (0.5% concentration) twice daily (BID) KX-826 group increased by 15.34/cm2 compared with the placebo group from baseline, with a statistical difference (P=0.024). On 1 December 2022 , the company announced that the primary endpoint of Phase II clinical trial of KX-826 for female AGA adults in China was met. After 24 weeks of treatment, the non-vellus TAHC in the 5mg (0.5% concentration) once daily (QD) KX-826 group increased by 11.39/cm2 compared with the placebo group from baseline, with a statistical difference (P=0.0087). KX-826 has showed a good safety profile in both trials. GT20029 is a topical AR-Proteolysis Targeting Chimera (PROTAC) compound that is under clinical development for the potential treatment of AGA and acne. GT20029 is the world's first topical PROTAC compound which entered the clinical stage. On 24 November 2022 , the company announced the top-line data of the Phase I clinical trial of GT20029 for the treatment of AGA and acne in China . The results showed that GT20029 demonstrated good safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics in healthy subjects. On 10 February 2023 , the company announced the top-line data of the Phase I clinical trial of GT20029 for the treatment of AGA and acne in the U.S. . The results showed that GT20029 demonstrated good safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics following topical single ascending dose (SAD) administration in healthy subjects and multiple ascending dose (MAD) administration in subjects with AGA or acne. In addition, the company's product pipeline includes Pruxelutamide, GT1708F, GT0486, ALK-1 antibody (GT90001) and GT90008 in the clinical stage, and c-Myc inhibitor, compound of other targets out of PROTAC platform and ALK-1/VEGF bispecific antibody in the preclinical stage. The company's Hedgehog/SMO inhibitor GT1708F is being explored for both idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) indication and combination therapy in blood cancer. The company is now preparing for clinical trial application for the IPF indication. The Growing Visibility in the Capital Market Since its listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on 22 May 2020 , the company's development has received long-term support from investors around the world. In 2022, the company successfully completed two top-up placements in the capital market and raised about $100 million . After being included in the Hong Kong Stock Connect program in September 2021 , the company's stock has been included in the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect in March 2023 , further expanding the company's mainland investor pool, improving its liquidity and the market influence. Thus benefits the company's future development prospects. In addition, Kintor Pharma's stock have been included in the MSCI China Index during the reporting period. Increasing Presence in Reputable Academic Seminars and Conferences Since 2022, Kintor Pharma's R&D outcome has been accepted by reputable academic conferences and journals, proving that the company's innovation ability and its international influence, and further demonstrating the First-in-Class and Best-in-Class potential of the company's product pipeline. Kintor Pharma's KX-826 and GT20029 for treatment of AGA and acne presented at AAD 2023 Kintor Pharma's Hedgehog/SMO inhibitor GT1708F for the treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) presented at AACR 2023 Oral Presentation highlighting the data from novel dual c-Myc/GSPT1 degrader GT19715 at ASH 2022 Pruxelutamide for treatment of COVID-19 and a c-Myc degrader for treatment of blood cancer and small cell lung cancers (SCLC) presented at AACR 2022 The study result of GT19715, a novel dual-target degrader of C-Myc/GSPT1, was published in the journal Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma & Leukemia The study result of the Phase Ib clinical trial of Pruxelutamide for treatment of breast Cancer was published in the European Journal of Cancer (EJC) Industry and Capital Market Awards Kintor Pharma's persistent efforts in R&D has been widely recognized in the industry and has won many industry and capital market awards. Top 15 Biotech of the Top 100 Hong Kong Listed Companies Top 10 Innovative Pharmaceutical Companies in 2022 R&D Innovation Outstanding Contribution Award in 2021 Top 20 Biomedical Innovation Potential List in 2022 TOP 30 Innovative Small Molecule Pharmaceutical Companies in China in 2021 in 2021 TOP 20 Most Influential Small Molecule Pharmaceutical Innovation Companies in 2022 Jishi Cup Top 10 Pharmaceutical Innovation Companies in 2021 Most Valuable Pharmaceutical and Medical Companies Other Business Updates In August 2022 , Dr. Lu Qun , our Chief Technology Officer, was elected as a "2022 Gusu Innovation and Entrepreneurship Leading Talent". In May 2022 , the company has received the approval to set up a Doctors workstation in Guangdong Province by the Human Resources and Social Security Department of Guangdong Province . Financial Highlights As of 31 December 2022 , the company's research and development costs increased by RMB828 million , up by 7.8%, from RMB767.9 million for the year ended 31 December 2021 . The increased R&D costs were mainly attributable to the ongoing Phase III clinical trials, including those of Pruxelutamide for the indication of COVID-19 and mCRPC, and KX-826 for the indication of AGA during the reporting period. The company had cash and cash equivalents and time deposits of RMB875.3 million as at 31 December 2022 , including utilised bank facilities of RMB 276.5 million . In addition, the company also had unutilised bank facilities of RMB 120.0 million as at 31 December 2022 . The company has sufficient cash on hand to support the advancement of the clinical trials and R&D. *For more details, please refer to the 2022 annual results announcement. About Kintor Pharmaceutical Limited Kintor Pharmaceutical Limited is developing and commercializing a robust pipeline of innovative small molecule and biological therapeutics for androgen-receptor-related disease areas with unmet medical needs, including COVID-19, prostate, breast and liver cancers, alopecia and acne. For more information, visit www.kintor.com.cn. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kintor-pharma-announces-2022-annual-results-and-recent-business-progress-301786222.html SOURCE Kintor Pharma LG Continues to Lead Future Vehicular Software Development by Acquiring Both Functional Safety and Cybersecurity Certifications SEOUL, South Korea , March 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- LG Electronics (LG) is the first player to meet international testing standards for functional safety and cybersecurity management for vehicles. LG annually updates required certifications for its hardware and software solutions for electric vehicle components through leading global testing organization, TUV Rheinland. A respected player in the rapidly growing EV components industry, LG has consistently complied with international regulations and participated in key certification programs. To lead the field of vehicle safety, LG is committed to securing the technical capabilities both at the employee and the organizational level. Recently, LG research engineer Kim Min -kyu obtained the Automotive Functional Safety Expert qualification, becoming the second individual ever to do so since the qualification program was established in 2011. Also, LG acquired functional safety certification for its ADAS front camera in the '4M' (Material, Method, Machine, Man) categories in 2022. The company's vehicle components also comply with the Cyber Security Management System (CSMS) the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe's (UNECE) regulation No. 155 (UN R155). "With the rising importance of vehicle security and safety regulations in the global auto industry, acquiring certification for our auto components and technologies is key to maintaining competitiveness," said Eun Seok -hyun, President of LG Vehicle component Solutions (VS) Company . "LG will continue to comply with the latest standards and grow its capabilities in safety and security to provide our customers with even more reliable solutions." "We congratulate LG on producing Asia's first Functional Safety Expert, an achievement that reflects the company's outstanding, across-the-board performance in acquiring top industry certifications and qualifications," said Frank Juettner , CEO and director of TUV Rheinland Korea. "Obtaining the latest certifications, including ISO/SAE 21434, demonstrates LG's commitment to providing its customers and partners with the highest level of product, system safety and security." LG has built stellar track records maintaining its innovation at the highest level of quality and reliability. Already in 2018, LG secured technical certification for Functional Safety Management (FSM) in infotainment development, and in 2021, its Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) front camera passed assessments for functional safety (product and processes) based on ISO 26262 an international functional safety standard for the development of electrical and electronic systems for vehicles. LG also plans to lead future trends in autonomous driving, where functional safety will be centered on the fast-growing area of Safety of The Intended Functionality (SOTIF). SOTIF is becoming increasingly important as the entire auto industry seeks to incorporate and expand the use of various advanced technologies in their vehicles, including artificial intelligence (AI), high-definition maps, sensor data interfaces and cybersecurity applications. About LG Electronics Vehicle Component Solutions Company The LG Vehicle component Solutions Company is bringing human-centric innovations to the auto industry. Having secured its position as a trusted and innovative partner, the company continues to provide intelligent and environmentally responsible solutions including in-vehicle infotainment, connectivity, and automotive vision systems. As an 'Innovation Partner for Future Mobility', LG is committed to diversifying its portfolio to further strengthened its capabilities with acquisitions including automotive lighting systems provider, ZKW Group , and vehicle cybersecurity company Cybellum, as well as the joint venture, LG Magna e-Powertrain. For more news on LG, visit www.LG.com/global/mobility. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lg-becomes-worlds-first-auto-component-supplier-to-meet-global-standard-for-functional-safety-and-cybersecurity-301785354.html SOURCE LG Electronics KYODO NEWS - Mar 30, 2023 - 04:40 | All, World Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Wednesday the rule of law is the absolute minimum that the international community needs to maintain for durable peace, as he took part in a virtual summit on democracy led by the United States, by recounting his recent visit to Ukraine. On the opening day of the two-day event involving about 120 countries, civil society groups and technology companies, Kishida vowed to take a leading role in strengthening democracy as this year's chair of the Group of Seven summit and a nonpermanent member of the U.N. Security Council. "I saw with my own eyes evidence of Russia's aggression and heard directly from those who had experienced atrocities," Kishida said. "I renewed my conviction that we humankind must position the rule of law as a norm that our society should follow." The Summit for Democracy, hosted by the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden for the second time, comes as competition intensifies between the United States and what it describes as autocracies such as China and Russia. In the name of defending democracy and human rights against authoritarianism, Biden convened the first such summit in December 2021, which was before Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "We're holding Russia accountable for its unjust and unprovoked war against Ukraine, showing that democracies are strong and resolved," Biden said in his brief opening remarks. Biden later pledged that his administration will plan to spend up to $690 million in new funding to promote democracy and help combat corruption around the world. "This is a turning point for our world toward greater freedom, greater dignity and greater democracy," he said. "Democracy is hard work. The work of democracy is never finished." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended the session hosted by Biden, passionately calling for more support for his country's military and urging the global community to put stronger pressure on Russia. "Democracy needs a victory now, this year, not some other time, not over time," Zelenskyy said. Last week, Kishida made an unannounced visit to Kyiv after a trip to India and held talks with Zelenskyy. The visit gave him a firsthand look at the country that has resisted Russia's aggression since the war started in February last year. In his remarks at the summit, Kishida also criticized North Korea for its abductions of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s, describing the long-standing issue as a universal problem that violated "basic human rights." "People who suffer the most from the absence of the rule of law are those in fragile states or environments," he said. "It is imperative that we all reaffirm and promote the minimum basic principles that the international community should uphold, because only then can we build peace globally." As the first summit met some criticism that the format was too U.S.-centric, the Biden administration this time chose co-hosts from each continent. China and Russia were not invited to both meetings and official media of the two countries have run stories that this kind of summit is meaningless. The co-hosts are Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves Robles, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema. Like many other leaders, Yoon warned that attempts by some countries to change the status quo by force are threatening freedom and the rapid spread of fake news with the advancement of technology is intimidating democracy. He said that South Korea will host the next summit. When Kishida chairs the G-7 summit for three days from May 19 in Hiroshima, he will seek to demonstrate the group of major democratic economies' commitment to supporting Ukraine. Kishida, elected to parliament from a constituency in Hiroshima, has pledged to pitch his vision of a world without nuclear weapons amid fears that Russia could use an atomic device against its western neighbor in the ongoing war. The Japanese city was devastated by a U.S. atomic bomb in August 1945. Related coverage: Japan PM vows continued support for Ukraine in unannounced visit Biden makes surprise visit to Ukraine ahead of Russia war anniv. Countries rally behind democracy in U.S.-led summit amid China's rise CAMBRIDGE, Mass. , March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Produced by MIT Technology Review Insights in association with Kyndryl , Intel , and Iris Ceramica Group , the Green Future Index (GFI) is the third annual comparative ranking of 76 nations and territories on their progress toward developing a sustainable, low-carbon future for their economies and societies. Based on qualitative and quantitative research conducted between June 2022 and January 2023 , the interactive Green Future Index 2023 measures the extent to which countries and territories are moving toward a green future by reducing carbon emissions, developing clean energy, innovating in green sectors, and preserving the environment, as well as the degree to which governments are implementing effective climate policies. The key findings of the Green Future Index 2023 report are as follows: Green Leaders reveal more consistency than progress. All but three countries in the top ranks for 2023Green Leaderswere in the same cohort for 2022. Iceland remains top-ranked, and only one of the top 10 ( South Korea ) was not European. Just one country moved into the Green Leaders group: Luxembourg (to 16th place from 28th in 2022). The United States saw little improvement with a nudge up from 20th to 19th. Roughly half of all Green Leader scores declined during the past year. Although efforts to reduce carbon in economies are increasing and policy work is strengthening, early returns are diminishing. All but three countries in the top ranks for 2023Green Leaderswere in the same cohort for 2022. remains top-ranked, and only one of the top 10 ( ) was not European. Just one country moved into the Green Leaders group: Luxembourg (to 16th place from 28th in 2022). saw little improvement with a nudge up from 20th to 19th. Roughly half of all Green Leader scores declined during the past year. Although efforts to reduce carbon in economies are increasing and policy work is strengthening, early returns are diminishing. Jumping around in the Greening Middle . The 20 countries of the Greening Middle put sustainable policy formulation into action, and many rankings changed substantially. These include emerging economies able to link sustainable policies to economic incentives, including South Africa (in 25th place for 2023, up from 31st) and Uruguay (26th, up from 38th in 2022). As in past years, the highest-ranked emerging economy for the Green Future Index 2023 is Costa Rica , in 24th place. The 20 countries of the put sustainable policy formulation into action, and many rankings changed substantially. These include emerging economies able to link sustainable policies to economic incentives, including (in 25th place for 2023, up from 31st) and (26th, up from 38th in 2022). As in past years, the highest-ranked emerging economy for the Green Future Index 2023 is , in 24th place. Wealth matters. Despite notable efforts to link economic and sustainable development, emerging economies continue to fare poorly in Green Future Index 2023 rankings. Correlating rankings with GDP per capita reveals an uncomfortable truth: wealth contributes significantly to a country's ability to define its low-carbon future. Despite notable efforts to link economic and sustainable development, emerging economies continue to fare poorly in Green Future Index 2023 rankings. Correlating rankings with GDP per capita reveals an uncomfortable truth: wealth contributes significantly to a country's ability to define its low-carbon future. Economics alone does not define the future. Seventeen of the 35 countries that improved scores in 2023 were poorer countries. Argentina and Indonesia saw the biggest increases of all countries for 2023, moving 20 and 21 places respectively, placing them 48th and 49th overall. Significant commitment to improving a single pillar was behind both increases: Argentina's green society score increased, as did Indonesia's carbon emissions score. Seventeen of the 35 countries that improved scores in 2023 were poorer countries. and saw the biggest increases of all countries for 2023, moving 20 and 21 places respectively, placing them 48th and 49th overall. Significant commitment to improving a single pillar was behind both increases: green society score increased, as did carbon emissions score. The unbearable weight of carbon. Economic over-reliance on fossil fuel production or natural resource extraction contributes to lower scores. Most Climate Laggards are weighed down by carbon-intensive industries. Australia is notable for beginning to free itself from a carbon-intensive economy. Its new policy-focused business incentives allowed it to jump 10 places in the 2023 rankings to 42nd place. "As the world faces the critical issue of climate change, the Green Future Index provides a comprehensive analysis of how countries are progressing toward a sustainable, low-carbon future," says Laurel Ruma , global editorial director, MIT Technology Review Insights. She continues, "Although there are clear leaders in this space, the report also reveals some uncomfortable truths about the link between wealth and a country's ability to define its low-carbon future. However, we're encouraged to see that commitment to improving sustainability is not limited to high-income countries, with developing nations such as Argentina and Indonesia making significant progress." "It's clear we all need to do more to combat climate change, and the Green Future Index can be a guide for policymakers and enterprises alike. As we continue to navigate these challenges, we must focus on driving meaningful change through policy work, innovative technologies, and reducing carbon emissions. MIT Technology Review Insights is committed to playing our part in this critical effort and we continue to support the development of a sustainable future for all." explains Ruma. To view the Green Future Index 2023 research findings, visit the interactive page or click here to download the report. For more information please contact: Natasha Conteh Head of communications MIT Technology Review Insights [email protected] For general enquiries: [email protected] About MIT Technology Review Insights MIT Technology Review Insights is the custom publishing division of MIT Technology Review , the world's longest-running technology magazine, backed by the world's foremost technology institutionproducing live events and research on the leading technology and business challenges of the day. Insights conducts qualitative and quantitative research and analysis in the US and abroad and publishes a wide variety of content, including articles, reports, infographics, videos, and podcasts. And through its growing MIT Technology Review Global Insights Panel , Insights has unparalleled access to senior-level executives, innovators, and entrepreneurs worldwide for surveys and in-depth interviews. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mit-technology-review-insights-green-future-index-2023-third-annual-ranking-sees-progress-wavering-as-atmospheric-carbon-levels-soar-301786371.html SOURCE MIT Technology Review Insights Nordnet will leverage Google Cloud technology to deliver more reliable and dynamic services to its customers STOCKHOLM and SUNNYVALE, Calif. , March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nordnet, the leading pan-Nordic digital platform for savings and investments, today announced an expanded, five-year partnership with Google Cloud to drive innovation and accelerate its transition to the cloud. Nordnet will leverage Google Cloud's secure infrastructure and data analytics services to deliver reliable and dynamic experiences to its customers across the Nordics. By 2025, Nordnet expects that the majority of its online offering will be underpinned by cloud technology. Google Cloud has played a key role in Nordnet's digital transformation journey for several years and has helped migrate a significant number of applications to the cloud. Nordnet's 1.7 million customers have already benefited from a more stable investment platform and the addition of new cloud-based services. For example, by leveraging Google Cloud's data and analytics solutions, Nordnet can now provide more detailed and performant trading graphs to customers. Furthermore, data from Nordnet's popular social investment platform Shareville, combined with Google 's leading machine-learning capabilities, has enabled Nordnet to offer customers more personalized user experiences. "We realised that the rapid changes in customer needs, both now and in the future, would be best served by creating a more dynamic IT infrastructure in a cloud environment," said Elias Lindholm , CTO, Nordnet. "The transition to the cloud has made us more agile when handling complex workloads and creating new or improved customer experiences. We are pleased to expand our partnership with Google Cloud, as we share a similar approach to innovation, and we are excited to build the next generation of financial services solutions together." Through its partnership with Google Cloud, Nordnet created a more robust platform with improved performance during busy trading periods, enhanced security capabilities, and additional services to provide investors with better insights into their investment portfolios. In fact, during the pandemic, Nordnet was able to scale up without interruptions, switch to a more data-driven development approach, and build the foundations to further democratize savings and investments for its customers. "Nordnet is part of an industry that is continually transforming and adapting to change, and we're very proud to partner with them on its journey to the cloud. Using Google Cloud technology and machine-learning capabilities, Nordnet can now equip and empower its entire organisation with the tools to create personalized customer experienceswith security at the core," said Eva Fors , Managing Director, Google Cloud, Nordic Region . Google Cloud's secure, scalable, and innovative technology has enabled Nordnet to move away from continuous maintenance and shift its focus toward creating new services that democratise savings and investments for its customers. About Nordnet Nordnet is the leading pan-Nordic digital platform for savings and investments. Through innovation, simplicity and transparency, they challenge traditional structures and give private savers access to the same information, tools and services as professional investors. About Google Cloud Google Cloud accelerates every organization's ability to digitally transform its business. We deliver enterprise-grade solutions that leverage Google 's cutting-edge technology all on the cleanest cloud in the industry. Customers in more than 200 countries and territories turn to Google Cloud as their trusted partner to enable growth and solve their most critical business problems. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nordnet-strengthens-partnership-with-google-cloud-to-develop-a-fully-cloud-based-savings-and-investments-platform-301785471.html Employee resilience, manager support for team mental well-being and psychological safety can protect against incivility, improve productivity and retention BOSTON , March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- One in four employees reported experiencing rude, disrespectful or aggressive behavior in the workplace, according to the new meQuilibrium survey of 5,483 employees released today. Uncivil behaviors such as being ignored (26.1%), having one's judgment questioned (24.2%) and coworkers addressing colleagues in an unprofessional manner (17.3%) were among the most common forms of incivility. While fewer employees experienced severe forms of workplace incivility, the prevalence of extreme events is disturbingly common: about 1 in 20 employees reported being targeted with angry outbursts, being yelled or cursed at, being accused of incompetence or being the butt of jokes from coworkers. "Workplace incivility creates a toxic work environment that undermines team cohesion and collaboration, erodes trust between employees and their managers, and can ultimately damage the organization's reputation," explained Brad Smith , PhD., Chief Science Officer, meQuilibrium . "When employees are subjected to rude, disrespectful, or aggressive behavior in the workplace, it can lead to decreased job satisfaction, increased stress and decreased productivity, which can result in higher rates of absenteeism, turnover, and decreased organizational performance." Employees facing high incivility work environments report an elevated risk of job worries (42.4%), burnout (37%) and low motivation (33.5%). The negative impact of incivility extends to productivity measures and turnover risk as well. Workplace incivility raises the risk of endorsing "quiet quitting" by 87%, almost doubles the rate of self-reported productivity impairment and quintuples the risk that an individual will be seriously considering quitting his or her job. Solutions to Incivility in the Workplace While incivility at work has significant negative impacts on well-being and business outcomes, pro-active manager support for team mental well-being, high employee resilience, and a culture of psychological safety are powerfully protective against the damaging impacts of incivility. Specifically, the perception of positive support from one's manager substantially reduces the risk that employees experience uncivil behavior at work by between 25% to 66%, depending on the type of behavior. Employees on teams characterized by high levels of psychological safety rarely experience uncivil behavior in the workplace. "Effective managers who support team mental well-being dramatically improve retention and speed innovation by ensuring psychologically safe environments," said Jan Bruce , CEO and co-founder, meQuilibrium . "Supportive managers cut also burnout risk, boost productivity and provide an important buffer against incivility." Other survey findings include: Managers who are attentive to team well-being can reduce turnover risk by as much as 78%. Well-supported employees are 25% less likely to struggle with somatic symptoms of stress, 33% less likely to have a hard time getting motivated in the morning, 56% less likely to experience high work stress and have a 58% lower risk of burnout. Well-supported employees are 25% less likely to struggle with somatic symptoms of stress, 33% less likely to have a hard time getting motivated in the morning, 56% less likely to experience high work stress and have a 58% lower risk of burnout. Highly resilient employees always fare better, even when things are difficult. In work environments characterized by incivility, highly resilient employees are 56% less likely to endorse "quiet quitting" and show 52% lower stress-related productivity impairment compared to less resilient employees. In work environments characterized by incivility, highly resilient employees are 56% less likely to endorse "quiet quitting" and show 52% lower stress-related productivity impairment compared to less resilient employees. Self-reported stress-related productivity impairment is up by 33% over pre-pandemic levels. Employees under 30 are 62% more likely to report stress-impaired productivity than employees 60 and older. Younger employees were 2.7 times more likely to endorse the concept of "quiet quitting". The full meQuilibrium study can be found here. Methodology: Approximately 5,483 members participated in meQuilibrium's January 2023 check-in, which examined worker well-being, incivility in the workplace and psychological safety. Of the 5,483 respondents, 2,911 completed both the incivility and well-being portions of the survey. About meQ meQuilibrium (meQ) is the #1 global digital resilience solution to build workforce wellbeing and performance. Our mission is to make any workforce a workforce for growth. meQ's data analytics based approach uses AI to predict workforce risk for burnout, turnover, and behavioral health risks, and prepare employees for growth and propels teams to action. The meQ solution is available in 14 languages, and serves Fortune 1000 global enterprises in 130 countries. meQ product innovation has been recognized by Brandon Hall's Annual Technology Awards and the 2022 WELCOA Well-being Trailblazer Award. Learn more at https://www.meQuilibrium.com. Media contact: Beth Brody , BrodyPR [email protected] 908-295-0600 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/one-in-four-workers-experience-workplace-incivility-fueling-toxic-work-environments-says-new-mequilibrium-study-301785137.html Company set to begin fulfilling iron ore orders for customers in Asia Pacific and the Middle East PASADENA, Calif. , March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ReoStar Energy Corporation ("ReoStar") (OTC: REOS), an emerging growth Mining and Energy company with interests in the production of iron ore, gold, silver, copper and rare earth metals announces it has acquired an interest in Leuffer Mining Group ("Leuffer"). Leuffer Desarrollos S.A. de C.V. , a Mexican mining company with over 7 years of experience, specializes in producing and exporting high-quality Iron Ore lumps with a 62% dry basis. The company has exported over 1.5 million metric tons of Iron Ore to China , Hong Kong , and the USA between 2019 and 2022. Leuffer Desarrollos S.A. de C.V., currently possess Federal registration permits, and a special exportation permit registered with the National tax authority in full force and effect for mining operations. The company has exported Iron Ore to China , as reported in public information available on https://es.panjiva.com/Leuffer-Desarrollos-S-A-De-C-V/39251506. The company owns and operates 11 mining leases, with four of them currently in production in the state of Sonora , with the other leases located in Michoacan and Jalisco in Mexico . All the mines are conveniently located near principal ports for cargo exportation. The Mexican Geological Service (SGM) and other international geological engineering specialists are currently conducting surveys to determine the SK-1300 assay for the Mineral Resources as proven. The surveys are being conducted on two mines in Sonora , which have probable mineral resources (iron ore reserves) of around 50 million metric tons. The survey will also determine the presence of Gold, Silver, Copper, and rare earths (17 elements existent in the Sonora leases). In 2023, Leuffer Desarrollos S.A. de C.V. aims to generate roughly 1 million metric tons of Iron Ore. The company has invested significantly in infrastructure and presently operates four leases. By using advanced machinery, equipment, and expertise, the company is witnessing a monthly rise in production. Starting in 2024, Leuffer Desarrollos S.A. de C.V. plans to boost production by 50% each year and add two more leases to production annually. This would result in an overall production increase of 50% per year. The firm primarily exports through the Guaymas ( Sonora ) port, although it also utilizes alternate port facilities in Lazaro Cardenas ( Michoacan ) and Manzanillo ( Colima ) ports. US-based investment bank company Goldman Sachs has revised up its iron ore forecast by 20% in the second quarter of 2023 due to the predicted iron ore supply shortage. Iron ore prices are expected to rise to $150 /mt in the current quarter. Chief Executive Officer of Leuffer, Ricard Leuffer, stated, "our team at Leuffer are excited on our new phase of expansion for the company." The CEO of ReoStar, Michael Lajtay, concluded, "The acquisition of Leuffer is a monumental moment for ReoStar which puts the company on the global stage for the production of key commodities which are in high demand globally. We look forward to working with Ricardo and his team to fulfill existing orders, expand production and execute our multi-year strategic plan for growth. About ReoStar Energy Corp. : ReoStar Energy Corp. is an emerging growth Mining & Energy company with interests in the production of Iron Ore, Gold, Silver, Copper and other Rare Earth metals. The company recently acquired Leuffer Mining Group which is a large global mining company with Headquarters and operations in Mexico in addition to locations in the U.S. and Spain . About Leuffer Mining Group : Leuffer Mining Group has nearly a decade of experience exporting millions of tons of Iron, with the necessary concessions and infrastructure to meet the iron demands of industries operating along the Mexico and USA borderline, we are able to provide you an extraordinary opportunity to grow your capital by acquiring low-risk and highly demanded stocks of raw materials such as iron ore for iron-producing and steelmaking companies Websites: www.reostarenergycorp.com www.leuffer.com Forward Looking Statements: This 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 and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Those statements include the intent, belief or current expectations of the company and its management team. Forward-looking statements are projections of events, revenues, income, future economics, research, development, reformulation, product performance or management's plans and objectives for future operations. Some or all of the events or results anticipated by these forward-looking statements may not occur. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Accomplishing the strategy described herein is significantly dependent upon numerous factors, many that are not in management's control. Contact: Michael Lajtay Chief Executive Officer ReoStar Energy Corporation [email protected] View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/reostar-energy-corporation-acquires-interest-in-emerging-global-iron-ore-producer-leuffer-mining-group-301786088.html HONG KONG , March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sisram Medical Ltd (the "Company" or "Sisram",: 1696.HK; together with its subsidiaries collectively referred to as the "Group"), a global leading innovator and provider of medical aesthetic devices, has announced that Alma Lasers ("Alma"), a wholly-owned company by Sisram, has entered an agreement to acquire the PRC leading energy-based devices distributor, PhotonMed International Limited ("PhotonMed"). As part of the acquisition, Alma paid 270 million RMB to secure 60% of the business, becoming the major shareholder in the new joint venture. The acquisition will strengthen Alma's distribution channels and increase its profits by enabling direct sales of energy-based devices in the PRC market. PhotonMed, an important long-term strategic partner of Alma and a leader in the PRC market, has been distributing Alma's energy-based devices since 2003. The acquisition represents a major step in Sisram's direct sales expansion and direct-to-consumer strategic layout, aimed at strengthening the group's positioning, brand recognition, and advancing its deep cultivation and penetration in the PRC market. Earlier this month, Sisram released its annual results for 2022, posting record revenue for the second consecutive year in a row. Full-year revenue reached $354.5 million , representing 20.5% year-over-year growth. The profit was US$40.1 million , indicating an increase of 23.2% YoY. Over the past year, the Company has achieved significant expansion in North America , APAC, and the Middle East . "Acquiring PhotonMed is a significant milestone in strengthening our localization efforts in the PRC markets," said Mr. Lior Dayan , CEO of Alma and Sisram. "Today, Sisram is stronger than ever in the PRC market, and we remain committed to developing products that align with the unique needs of our customers. Our marketing strategy involves increasing investment in B2C marketing to drive consumer demand. Additionally, we plan to upgrade our digital integration in post-sales and data analysis to optimize the selling cycle. The integration of PhotonMed's business will further enhance our leading position in the PRC market and reinforce our global leadership." Mr. Liu Yi , Chairman and Executive Director of Sisram, said, "We are excited to enter into this strategic agreement with PhotonMed. As the PRC is a crucial market in the Asia-Pacific region , it is also a strategic market for Sisram. By integrating PhotonMed's business, we will be able to make significant advances in the PRC market while mutually empowering the Company's four business segments. This aligns with Sisram's objectives to expand globally, foster cross-business collaboration, and establish a medical grade wellness ecosystem" About Sisram Medical Ltd Sisram Medical Ltd (1696.HK) is a global consumer wellness group, featuring a first-of-its-kind synergistic ecosystem of business building blocks and consumer-focused branding, ranging from Energy Based Devices, injectables, aesthetics and digital dentistry, personal care and more. The company is majority-owned by Fosun Pharma, one of China's leading healthcare groups. On September 19, 2017 , Sisram Medical went public, becoming the first Israeli company ever to trade on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Exchange . Sisram Medical Enhancing Quality of Life http://www.sisram-medical.com For media inquiries, please contact: Ever Bloom (HK) Communications Consultants Group Limited Orianna Ou / Yinmei He +852 3468 8171 [email protected] For Investor Relations inquiries, please contact: MS-IR LLC Miri Segal 917-607-8654 [email protected] View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sisram-medical-expands-footprint-in-mainland-china-acquires-giant-medical-aesthetic-distributor--photonmed-301786161.html Conference call and webcast scheduled for 9:00 a.m. EDT TORONTO , March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Thomson Reuters (NYSE, TSX: TRI) announced today its first-quarter 2023 earnings will be issued via news release on Tuesday, May 2, 2023 . Steve Hasker , president and chief executive officer, and Mike Eastwood , chief financial officer, will host a conference call and simultaneous webcast that morning at 9:00 a.m. EDT . Discussions may include forward-looking information. You can access the webcast by visiting the " Investor Relations " section of the Thomson Reuters website. Registration for the webcast is now open. Additionally, an archive of the webcast will be available following the presentation. About Thomson Reuters Thomson Reuters (NYSE / TSX: TRI) ("TR") informs the way forward by bringing together the trusted content and technology that people and organizations need to make the right decisions. The company serves professionals across legal, tax, accounting, compliance, government, and media. Its products combine highly specialized software and insights to empower professionals with the data, intelligence, and solutions needed to make informed decisions, and to help institutions in their pursuit of justice, truth and transparency. Reuters, part of Thomson Reuters, is the world's leading provider of trusted journalism and news. Additionally, the company's philanthropic arm, The Thomson Reuters Foundation , advances media freedom, fosters inclusive economies, and promotes human rights. For more information, visit tr.com. CONTACTS MEDIA Andrew Green Senior Director, Corporate Affairs +1 332 219 1511 [email protected] INVESTORS Gary E. Bisbee , CFA Head of Investor Relations +1 646 540 3249 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/thomson-reuters-first-quarter-2023-earnings-announcement-and-webcast-scheduled-for-may-2-2023-301785150.html SOURCE Thomson Reuters CHICAGO , March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ohio native Luke Grimes , known for his role as " Kayce Dutton " on Paramount Network's Yellowstone, and the Jeff Ruby Family, who own and operate seven fine dining steakhouses in the Midwest including four in Ohio , are partnering to bring relief aid to the residents of East Palestine, Ohio in the wake of the toxic train derailment last month. Grimes and members of the Jeff Ruby family will visit East Palestine on the morning of March 31 to distribute 250 water filtration systems from Hydroviv and present Mayor Trent R. These filters were transported by TransLoop, whose Founder and CEO, Nick Reasoner , is also an Ohio native. "We are extremely grateful for this generous donation from Luke Grimes and the Jeff Ruby Family. Their support will help us move forward toward our vision of a thriving and resilient community," said East Palestine Mayor Conaway. "While our water is already safe to drink, the generous donation of water filtration systems will provide an extra layer of protection and peace of mind for our residents while further enhancing the quality of our water supply. We are grateful for everyone's commitment to ensuring our community's health and safety." About TransLoop TransLoop is a battle-tested, technology-driven logistics company built in collaboration with experienced team members from prominent companies all over the country. The team pairs cutting-edge technology, AI systems, and white-glove customer service to provide a one-of-a-kind logistics experience for their shippers and carriers. TransLoop's forward-thinking and modern-tech approach helps provide its partners with a smarter way to transport goods. Visit TransLoop.io Note to media: Free water filtration systems will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis to residents of East Palestine on March 31 , starting at 8 a.m. at The Original Roadhouse, 333 W. Main Street , East Palestine, OH 44413. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/transloop-partners-with-luke-grimes-of-yellowstone-hydroviv-and-the-jeff-ruby-family-to-deliver-and-donate-filtration-systems-to-east-palestine-ohio-301786289.html SOURCE TransLoop Nine Army soldiers were killed when two Black Hawk helicopters crashed late Wednesday during a nighttime training operation in southern Kentucky, military authorities said. The crash occurred at about 10 p.m. in Cadiz, Ky., not far from Fort Campbell, where the helicopters were based. The HH60 Black Hawks went down during a nighttime medical training mission, a service spokesman said. There were no survivors. Fort Campbell is located about 50 miles northwest of downtown Nashville on the Kentucky-Tennessee border, and Cadiz is 25 miles northwest of the base in southwestern Kentucky. The helicopters belonged to the Armys 101st Airborne Division, which is headquartered at the base. Officials at the base said it is typical to have nine people aboard two choppers for such a training mission. Five were aboard one of the helicopters, and four were on the other when the crash occurred. I would like to express our deepest sympathies to the families of our fallen soldiers, Army Brig. Gen. John Lubas, deputy commander of the 101st Airborne Division, said Thursday during a news conference. This is a truly tragic loss. Lubas said an investigation into the crash is underway and declined to say what might have caused the helicopters to crash. The deputy commander did say the medical evacuation helicopters were flying in a multi-ship formation with night-vision goggles when the crash occurred. He also said the helicopters went down in an open field not far from civilian homes, but no civilians were hurt. Last night, we lost nine service members in an accident during a routine training mission in Kentucky, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement. My heart goes out to the families of these service members and to the members of the 101st Airborne Division who bravely and proudly serve our country each and every day. Im saddened by this tragic loss, and I am working with Army leadership to make sure our troops and their families receive the care that they need in the wake of this accident. Today is a tough and tragic day for Kentucky, Fort Campbell and for the 101st, Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday at the base. We are going to wrap our arms around these families [of the victims]. We are going to be there with them not just for the days, but for the weeks and the months and the years to come. Beshear said he spoke to Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Lee expressed similar condolences for the families of the victims. There are no state lines when it comes to taking care of these families, Beshear added. The crash Wednesday was the second one involving a Black Hawk helicopter in a little more than a month. On Feb. 15, two veteran Tennessee Army National Guard pilots were killed when the UH-60 Black Hawk that they were flying crashed during a training flight near Huntsville, Ala. The two pilots, who were assigned to a helicopter battalion at Berry Field Air National Guard Base in Nashville, had collective experience of almost 30 years in the Army. That crash is still under investigation. The Black Hawk has been in service with the Army since 1979 and is one of the services most popular helicopters. About 5,000 of the four-blade, twin-engine utility helicopters named after Native American war leader Black Hawk have been built by Sikorsky. There are several variants and derivatives of the Black Hawk. The UH-60 is the main version, but Sikorsky also produces the HH-60, the SH-60 Seahawk and MH-60 Jayhawk. The Seahawk is a marine utility helicopter used by the Navy, and the Jayhawk is a recovery aircraft used by the Coast Guard. Built in 1941, Fort Campbell covers more than 105,000 acres and is home to a number of Army garrisons, including the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, 5th Special Forces Group, 52nd Ordnance Group and the NCO Academy. Its also home to the 101st Airborne Divisons Screaming Eagles parachute demonstration team. The Army base is named for Union Army Brig. Gen. William Bowen Campbell, who was also the 14th governor of Tennessee and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa Okinawa prefecture is expecting tourists and businesses to cooperate with limits on visitation to one of Japans most popular destinations, the so-called Galapagos of the East. Iriomote Island, an important ecological site in the Nansei chain, is suffering from its popularity, according to an announcement Tuesday by the prefectural Department of Environmental Affairs. The purpose of this plan is to minimize the effects caused by the tourists on nature and the local community, the announcement states. One of the effects on the local community was water supply problems. Starting Saturday, the prefecture will impose a cap of 1,200 tourists per day or 330,000 annually - at the remote island, the prefectures second largest landmass after the main island, Okinawa, according to the statement on the departments website. The department is promoting sustainable tourism in the southern island chain that stretches from Kyushu, the southernmost of Japans four main islands, to within 70 miles of Taiwan. The guidelines are not compulsory, but people are expected to follow them, a Taketomi town spokesman told Stars and Stripes by phone Thursday. Taketomi has administrative control over the island. Some government officials in Japan speak to the media on condition of anonymity. The number of sites on the island open to guided tours and daily visitation will also be limited, according to the announcement. Iriomote, a World Heritage site 120 miles east of Taiwan, is renowned for its untouched forest, stunning vistas and unique species. It hosted 290,000 visitors in 2019, the website said. The island is approximately 10 miles west of Ishigaki Island, in the heart of the Nansei chain, and is home to approximately 2,400 residents. Beaches of warm, silky sand; submerged mangrove forests; and jungle cascades create an alluring wilderness just a 50-minute flight from Naha, Okinawa. Much of the 115-square-mile island is a national park that is home to a critically endangered wild cat called the Iriomote yamaneko, of which only about 100 are known to exist. Plans to promote sustainable tourism on the island trace began in January 2020 after a series of tourism-related incidents, from water shortages and traffic accidents involving wildlife to habitat destruction, according to the department website. The decision this week invoked Japans Ecotourism Promotion Act. Under the new guidelines, only 20 sites on the island will be accessible to tourists, according to the department. Only 200 people per day may visit the Hinai River, 100 the Sangara River, 30 at Mount Komi and Mount Tedou and 50 at the head of the Urauchi River. Prefectural officials used a local ordinance to set policy on local guides, which are now required to access sites on the island, the announcement states. The number of visitors per guided tour is also restricted. The plan brings policy in line with United Nations requirements for World Heritage sites, a designation the island received in July 2021, according to the announcement. Iriomote tourism peaked in 2007 when 406,000 people visited the island, according to the department. Over the past decade, an average of 330,000 people have visited annually. KYODO NEWS - Mar 30, 2023 - 19:12 | All, World, Japan Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada is considering visiting Australia in early May to meet with his counterpart Richard Marles and discuss expanding joint exercises and other areas of cooperation to counter China's rapid military buildup in the Indo-Pacific region, government sources said Thursday. Japan aims to strengthen its quasi-alliance with Australia by enhancing the interoperability between their forces and boosting trilateral defense cooperation with the two countries' common close ally, the United States, the sources said. It will be Hamada's first trip to Australia since he took up his post in August last year. Ahead of the expected entry into force later this year of a reciprocal access agreement between Tokyo and Canberra, Hamada and Marles will likely agree to increase mutual visits by their forces for joint exercises, according to the sources. The RAA would enable smoother and faster deployment of troops for their joint training and disaster relief efforts. Hamada also plans to explain the government's updated defense policy to Marles, including a decision to acquire enemy base strike capabilities and increase the defense budget, the sources said. Japan has pledged to enhance its deterrence by obtaining "counterstrike capabilities" to attack targets in enemy territory while planning to double its defense spending in the next five years. Earlier in December, Japan and Australia held a "two-plus-two" security gathering involving their foreign and defense ministers in Tokyo, vowing to promote "more complex exercises," such as amphibious operations and guided weapon live-fire drills. The four ministers also strongly opposed attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo by force in the East and South China seas, apparently referring to Beijing's maritime assertiveness in the waters. Australia has beefed up its security partnership with the United States and Britain. Collectively dubbed AUKUS, the three nations revealed earlier this month Canberra's plan to purchase U.S. nuclear-powered attack submarines from the early 2030s. CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea The last U.S. Air Force fighter jets from Kunsan Air Base moved this week to Osan Air Base, about 75 miles north, ahead of a scheduled runway overhaul expected to last through the summer. Around 30 F-16 Fighting Falcons of the 8th Fighter Wing will continue flight operations over South Korea from Osan while their 9,000-foot-long home runway receives a makeover, wing spokeswoman Capt. Kaylin P. Hankerson told Stars and Stripes by email Thursday. Kunsan is on the countrys west coast about 115 miles south of Seoul and is home to around 4,200 U.S. troops. Military and commercial flights from Kunsan are suspended starting Saturday through late August when the repairs are expected to be complete, Hankerson said. Roughly 1,500 concrete slabs on the runway are designated for repair or replacement. The U.S. military routinely makes runway repairs due to wear and tear from aircraft use and exposure to weather. The process involves excavating the existing slabs, pouring new concrete and letting it cure, according to Hankerson. In 2019, the 8th Fighter Wing suspended flights at Kunsan for one day to repair a 4-foot-deep sinkhole caused by water erosion. Ultimately, the construction will ensure the safety of both the military pilots and assets that utilize the runway to project combat air power, as well as the safety of all aboard the Gunsan Airport commercial flights the runway facilitates, Hankerson said by email. Gunsan Airport shares a runway with Kunsan and provides flights to Jeju, a small island south of the peninsula. Despite the runways closure, the 8th Fighter Wings readiness will remain unaffected, Hankerson said. As one of the [Air Forces] most strategic positions in the Pacific, Kunsan will continue to contribute toward the protection of a free and open Indo-Pacific region during the closure, she said. Wolf Pack F-16s will continue to fly over the Korean Peninsula and [we] will continue to execute missions here at home station. If you live on or near Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo, youve noticed the many restaurants serving Indian food in the area. Ive sampled nearly all of them and Masala is one of the best. Located on the fifth floor of the Seiyu shopping center, kitty-corner from the Fussa JR Station, Masala offers a quiet place to grab some food above the busy back-and-forth on the street below. The restaurant can comfortably seat 36 people, so its a great place to go with friends and family. The menu offers a wide range of curries, naan, sides and drinks to choose from. Typically, its cheaper to order one of the sets, but not every curry is part of a set and extra side items are not included, either. The standard price of a set ranges from 780 to 1,050 yen or $5.68 to $7.95. The sets are defined by their curries, and you should expect to pay a little more if you want to substitute another type of naan for the variety that comes with the set. The curry can be ordered in one of four spice levels that go from mild to very spicy. If a spice level isnt specified, the default is mild. The staff work quickly, and most days youll be seated immediately upon entering the restaurant, even at the busiest times. After ordering, the food arrives at the table within 10 minutes. The quality of the food has been consistent throughout my multiple visits to the establishment. I highly recommend giving Masala a try if youre in the area. Masala Location: 5-1 Higashicho, Fussa, Tokyo 197-0021, inside Seiyu on the 5th floor Directions: From the Yokota main gate continue west, turn right at the fork, turn right again at the 7/11 and the Seiyu will be just ahead past the intersection on the left. Paid parking is available near the main entrance of the Seiyu or in the attached parking structure. Hours: Open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily Prices: 780 to 1,050 yen, or $5.68 to $7.95 Dress: Casual PARIS The latest French protests have been extra spicy, thanks to a special ingredient: trash. Massive piles of overflowing garbage strewn about the streets of Paris have conveniently served as tinder as between 1 and 3.5 million French citizens take to the streets to denounce the latest power play by French President Emmanuel Macrons government. Trash collectors were among the first to walk off the job when the strike movement began at the beginning of March. It wasnt long until tourists and locals were struck right up the nose by the value that these oft-invisible workers represent. To say that the French are protesting because they simply dont want to work two more years, as the government raises the age of retirement from 62 to 64, is a drastic oversimplification. Imagine if you started your working life paying exorbitant social security taxes about 45% of your gross salary paid by your employer, before another 20% to 23% of your remuneration paid by you with the understanding that youd accept to be left with less cash in your pocket to invest for your own retirement in exchange for the government allowing you to retire a bit earlier than most Westerners. Now the government is moving those goalposts and demanding that you work even longer, not just messing you over retroactively, but also continuing to peel the same amount off your paycheck every month. To add insult to injury, the government rammed through the new law without a democratic vote in the French National Assembly, resorting instead to a constitutional provision reserved for budgetary and social security issues. The general argument put forth by Macron is that the country cant afford to do otherwise even as it routinely shovels cash and prizes out the door to Ukraine and Africa. Then Macron had the audacity to go on TV and compare the protests in France to the Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the Capitol in Washington, D.C., falsely claiming that the matter was decided by democratic vote. The crowd, whatever form it takes, has no legitimacy in the face of the people who express themselves through their elected representatives in parliament, he said, ignoring that the only vote that ever took place was a subsequent non-confidence vote and not one on the law itself. The establishment right voted with Macrons party to prevent the collapse of the government, citing the need to ensure stability and to prevent an opposition coalition of non-establishment right- and left-wingers from taking power. The result in the streets has been the opposite of stability. People here are also fed up with Macrons hypocrisy, routinely encouraging popular protests from Venezuela and Iran to Georgia and Lebanon, while denouncing as illegitimate those doing the same against his own blatant violation of the spirit of democracy. Weve spent the past few years being bullied by the state with COVID mandates and restrictions, confined to our homes for 23 hours a day for two months under threat of fines and imprisonment, subjected to varying afternoon or evening curfews, then to skyrocketing costs of living as Europe has tagged along with the U.S. in Ukraine to the economic detriment of its own people. But the garbage can only pile so high before something has to give. Just like Canadas Freedom Convoy truckers ultimately forced the Canadian government out of its anti-democratic COVID-related mandate and restrictions stupor that stigmatized and marginalized entire segments of the population. Meanwhile, farmers in the Netherlands the worlds second largest food exporter have been standing up to their own governments insistence on following green European Union directives. Dutch lawmakers voted last year to give provincial governments one year to come up with a plan to reduce farm emissions like nitrogen oxide and ammonia, produced by animal waste or fertilizer, by 50% by the year 2030 (and up to 75% in nature reserve areas), and to cut the number of cattle by a third. Frans Timmermans, the Orwellian-sounding Executive Vice President of the European Commission for the European Green Deal, recently declared that the Netherlands can only achieve the targets by buying out farmers and greening agriculture. Then what are people supposed to eat? Bugs? (Dont laugh thats actually now a common proposition floated by the green activist crowd.) After nonstop protests since last year, the Dutch farmers and their party (the BBB, formed in 2019) are now the largest group of representatives in all 12 Dutch provinces in the wake of provincial elections earlier this month. The globalist social engineers in power will have to go through them now. The farmers like the truckers and trash collectors are no longer the quiet, unsung workers thanklessly keeping society afloat. Theyre now the front-line heroes standing tall against a rapidly encroaching and oppressive globalist agenda. Rachel Marsden is a columnist, political strategist and host of independently produced talk shows in French and English. Her website can be found at http://www.rachelmarsden.com . 2023 Tribune Content Agency, LLC (Tribune News Service) Two Indian air force fighter aircraft collided mid-air in central India killing one pilot, a government statement said. An inquiry has been ordered into the incident that took place Saturday near the city of Gwalior, the air force said in the statement, adding that the aircraft were on routine training mission. One of the three pilots involved, sustained fatal injuries, it added. The accident involved a Russian made Sukhoi-30 and a French-made Mirage-2000, an official with knowledge of the matter added, asking not to be identified, because the details were not public. India has a history of fatal military crashes owing to its aging fleet. Indias then Chief of Defense Staff, General Bipin Rawat, was killed in late 2021 when the Russian-made helicopter he was traveling in crashed in Southern India. In 2016, in one of the worst air accidents, a Russian-made medium lift transporter flying to Andaman Nicobar Island from Chennai crashed into the Bay of Bengal, killing all 29 persons on board. And in 2019, another 13 people were killed when another AN-32 craft crashed in Arunachal Pradesh. Eltaf Najafizada contributed to this report. ___ 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. KYODO NEWS - Mar 30, 2023 - 19:22 | All, Japan Japan's antitrust watchdog on Thursday ordered three major utilities to pay a total of 101 billion yen ($763 million) in fines for forming cartels over electricity sales, in a move that goes against the nation's efforts to free up the electric power market. The amount of the penalty, to be collected from electricity companies based in central, western and southwestern regions, is the highest ever imposed by the Japan Fair Trade Commission for a violation of the antimonopoly law. Chugoku Electric Power Co. was slapped with about 70.7 billion yen in surcharges, Chubu Electric Power Co. and its subsidiary with about 27.56 billion yen, and Kyushu Electric Power Co. with about 2.76 billion yen, the commission said. Chubu Electric decided to file a lawsuit seeking to nullify the order. Kansai Electric Power Co., headquartered in Osaka, was found to have formed a cartel with each of the three firms but was exempted from punishment by voluntarily reporting the violation to the watchdog before a probe began. According to the commission, the utilities had agreements that led them to refrain from engaging in activities to acquire new large-lot customers, such as big factories, outside their traditional service areas. Such restrictions on winning new customers were in place from October and November 2018 at the latest and continued until Kansai Electric halted the practice in October 2020, according to the commission. Japan started opening up its electricity market in 2000 in a bid to end the decades-long monopoly of regional power companies and help lower electricity bills by promoting competition. The market was liberalized for large-lot customers such as factories and office buildings the same year, and for households and other small-lot consumers in 2016. Chugoku Electric President Natsuhiko Takimoto said Thursday he will step down after a shareholders' meeting in June to take responsibility for the cartel case. "We lost public trust and take this massive surcharge order seriously," the president told a press conference, adding that he wants the company, headquartered in Hiroshima, to start afresh under new management. Takimoto, however, said the utility may consider filing a lawsuit, citing that there are some portions in the watchdog's order it cannot agree with. The penalty amount for Kyushu Electric, based in Fukuoka, has been cut by 30 percent as it reported the violation to the commission after the probe started. President Biden, propelled by a conviction that the 21st century will be defined by competition between democracy vs. autocracy, convened his second Summit for Democracy this week and invited the leaders of more than 100 countries to discuss human rights, confronting authoritarianism and lessening corruption. The invite list includes over half of the countries recognized by the United Nations, and there are complex differences between the democracies present. I think the Biden administration has taken a big-tent approach, and there is merit to that, said Nicole Bibbins Sedaca, executive vice president of Freedom House, a nonprofit research group that monitors and advocates for democracy around the world. But for me, the bigger question is, can they use this opportunity to galvanize change within all of the countries that are attending and find unity to push for a global community that is more democratic. Freedom Houses March report, Freedom in the World, scores how democratic various countries are based on factors including respect for political pluralism and civil rights, government stability and the independence of the electoral process. When compared alongside the list of nations invited to Bidens summit, provided by the State Department, the report reveals significant diversity and some dispute in what countries constitute a democracy. While democracy has declined globally for 17 years, according to Freedom House, there were significant bright spots last year for expanding global freedoms that nearly offset what many have dubbed a democratic recession. Biden was emphatic in remarks on Wednesday about the state of democracy: I hope what everyone gathered here and everyone watching around the world takes away from this summit: Its working. Here is how some of the countries attending the Biden administrations summit score in Freedom Houses latest index and what that might say about the state of democracy globally. Free countries make up majority of attendees Two-thirds of the attendees are considered free countries, according to Freedom Houses report. This cohort includes many robust open societies and close U.S. allies, like Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom and all members of the European Union except Hungary. The grouping also includes nations that have recently faced challenges. Brazils score, for instance, declined slightly after a bitter and polarizing presidential election in which supporters of outgoing president Jair Bolsonaro stormed the National Congress after he falsely claimed the election was stolen. But other Latin American countries, like Argentina and Colombia, improved their scores, with Columbia joining the fully free category after major improvements to its elections and an increase in civil liberties. Democracy in the United States itself has been strained in recent years amid high political polarization, rising extremist violence and the denial of election results by Donald Trump and his allies. The U.S. score this year did not change in Freedom Houses index after several years of decline. We recognize that every country, including the United States, has challenges and has areas to work on. Whats most important is whether a government and society are recognizing those shortcomings, addressing them and moving towards becoming a freer society, Sedaca said. Partly free invitees include quarter of global population While roughly a third of attending countries are considered only partly free by Freedom Houses index, leaders from the 36 nations represent more than 2 billion people, or a quarter of the worlds population. Citizens in these countries enjoy varying degrees of civil rights but lack key liberties considered necessary for a fully free society in the Freedom House analysis. While many partly free countries are moving forward and moving closer to being a free country, Sedaca said, there are certainly some that are backsliding. That includes India, the worlds most populous democracy, which marked a significant change in the countrys trajectory, she noted. The latest Freedom House index also notes that while India and Pakistan, which are both attending the summit, can be considered challenged democracies overall, people who live in the contested region of Kashmir lack even basic freedoms. Ukraine, whose civil liberties decreased after Russias invasion last year, is also an invitee in this category. Other countries in this range include Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria and Peru. The grouping has several bright spots. The Philippines, Kenya, Malaysia and Zambia all rose considerably in the most recent Freedom House analysis. Zambia, for its part, is co-hosting this years summit alongside the United States, the Netherlands, and South Korea. Not free participants include key strategic partners Just three countries solidly viewed as undemocratic societies by Freedom House made the State Departments guest list for this years summit: Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Iraq. All three countries attended the summit in 2021, as well. Congo has been the site of continuous armed conflict for decades. The violence has destabilized the countrys government and displaced thousands over the years in a situation that the Norwegian Refugee Council called the most overlooked refugee crisis in the world. Neighboring Angola is governed by a repressive government that has curtailed civil liberties in recent years after briefly enacting liberalizing changes in 2017. Iraq, which the United States invaded in 2003, has struggled to establish a functioning democracy since dictator Saddam Hussein was overthrown. The national government is rife with corruption, and civil liberties are not guaranteed in most of the country. Each country represents a place wracked by recent violence where Washington has made commitments to bolstering democracy despite the present circumstances. An August 2022 State Department statement, for instance, notes that the Biden administration expects Congo to follow through on pledges to deliver on long-promised reforms and root out pervasive corruption, which is an underlying driver of instability. Another memo says the United States hopes to promote and strengthen Angolas democratic institutions alongside greater economic ties. I think the more important thing to do is to ask what are the commitments that are being made, how are countries following up and to what extent are countries committing to both domestic reforms as well as engagement in their foreign policy, Sedaca said. COKEDALE, Colo. (Tribune News Service) Jack Van Heesch experimented hard with all sorts of psychedelics back in the day. "It was a party," said the full-bearded, 66-year-old resident of this former Colorado mining town perched in the shadows of the Spanish Peaks in Las Animas County. Van Heesch was one of nearly 1.3 million Coloradans last November to vote for Proposition 122, which decriminalized the growing, use and sharing of psilocybin and psilocin key compounds found in "magic mushrooms" along with ibogaine, mescaline and dimethyltryptamine, or DMT. But his was a rare yes vote in Cokedale, a tiny hamlet of 150 hardscrabble residents seven miles west of Trinidad. The town, with its 350 defunct coke ovens signifying its legacy as a one-time coal mining hub, isn't jazzed about psilocybin healing centers coming in. Residents cite concerns about crime, transients, exposure of psychedelics to children and any funding that might be needed to regulate the industry. "It's a quality of life thing here," Cokedale Mayor Jason Swetky said. Van Heesch agrees, saying the final word on psychedelics should rest with the residents of Cokedale. "Does the town have the right to say 'no' to it? Yeah," he said to murmurs of approval from a dozen or so fellow residents recently gathered inside the town's century-old mercantile building, which houses the post office, town hall and a mining museum. Despite the nod to local control here, city and county governments in Colorado are, in fact, not allowed to banish the psychedelics industry from inside their borders. "Proposition 122 specifically prohibits local bans," said state Sen. Steve Fenberg, a Boulder Democrat and the Senate president. "So a municipality can't ban but it can regulate time, place and manner." The state legislature is expected to start crafting an implementation bill for Prop 122 in the coming weeks, Fenberg said. Psilocybin remains an illegal Schedule I drug under the federal Controlled Substances Act. Colorado's measure only permits use of psychedelics by those 21 and older. Despite the ballot measure's explicit prohibition on local opt-outs on psilocybin healing centers, municipal and county leaders from the Kansas line to the Utah line are intent on inserting as much local control as they can into whatever psychedelics-related legislation emerges at the state House this spring. The refrain at the Colorado Municipal League's annual legislative workshop in Denver in February was clear: regulate mushrooms like marijuana. "Colorado has established a precedent with marijuana that allows Colorado communities to choose whether, and to what degree, they want to allow controlled substances in their communities," league executive director Kevin Bommer said. "That precedent has been working well for state and local governments, but Prop 122 deviates from this model." Cities and towns, Bommer said, should be able to "choose whether the presence of natural medicine and healing centers makes sense for their communities," given that Prop 122 won with less than 54% of the vote and "plenty of communities across Colorado have made it clear they do not support the allowances in Prop 122." More than half of the state's counties 36 of 64 voted down the mushroom measure in November, noted Eric Bergman, policy director for Colorado Counties Inc. "We are not looking to take away personal possession, use and home grows," he said. "We just want to be able to decide locally if we will have commercial psilocybin businesses in our communities." The jostling over the introduction of magic mushrooms is just the latest clash in a long-running dispute over what power and authority belongs to Colorado's cities and counties versus the state. In recent weeks, municipal leaders have vociferously attacked Gov. Jared Polis' sweeping land-use reform bill as a massive overreach by the state. And four years ago, a new state law gave local governments significantly more control over oil and gas operations powers that were once the sole province of the state. Greenwood Village Mayor George Lantz invokes the "home rule" powers that many Colorado municipalities possess to assert that his city, which voted against Prop 122, should be able to curtail the psilocybin sector the way it did cannabis. "We are concerned, as are most municipalities, over the availability and adverse effects of all mind-altering drugs on our citizens and especially our children," Lantz said. "We are facing a drug crisis where the availability of mind-altering drugs of all types is creating a drug culture with increasing homelessness, crime (and) dangerous conditions on our roads" Defense of local control is shared by communities that both embrace and reject retail pot and cannabis cultivation. In the state's southwest corner, Cortez has a thriving marijuana scene, with several dispensaries and a grow facility. But it's that way, said City Manager Drew Sanders, because residents willed it so. "It's not fair we have something imposed on us without any say," he said. "Oftentimes, we feel our voice is not heard on the Front Range." More than 400 miles to the east, Lochbuie said 'no thank you' to recreational or medical pot sales. The rapidly growing Weld County town of 8,500 wants the same discretion on psychedelics. "So little is known about these products that it makes sense that local elected officials get to make the decision on it," Town Administrator Brian McBroom said. Changed my life Allison Wilson, founder of The Hope Project, said much is in fact known about psychedelics and their healing properties. Her Parker-based organization helps female veterans, military spouses and gold star wives with counseling and support via "psychedelic healing journeys." Wilson said she was introduced to hallucinogens when her Navy Seal husband tried ibogaine, an extract from an African shrub, six years ago. Wilson, who had been taking anti-depressants for 16 years, decided to go on a journey of her own. She used MDMA, or ecstasy, along with psilocybin in a controlled setting and under guidance. She has since been on two more journeys, and she microdoses with mushrooms too. "It really changed my life," Wilson said. "Psychedelics are able to break down that armor and get to the problem." She hasn't had to use prescription painkillers since her first psychedelic experience. "I was able to get to exactly where my trauma was," Wilson said. Prop 122 proponents asserted during last fall's campaign that psilocybin has shown promising results in treating depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and nicotine and alcohol addiction. Even though the substance remains illegal under federal law, the Federal Drug Administration designated it a "breakthrough therapy" for depression in 2018. Denver decriminalized magic mushrooms nearly four years ago, becoming the first city in the nation to do so. Because of psychedelics' therapeutic potential, Wilson said it isn't right to deny people medicine as close to where they live as possible. "If we do have a county opt out, what happens to the people there who need that support?" she said. And comparing the mechanics of the cannabis industry to the psychedelics industry is a faulty contrast, Wilson said. Prop 122 doesn't call for magic mushroom retail shops. "It's so different from medical cannabis we're not selling psilocybin in a store, we're providing support before, during and after (its use)," she said. "This isn't us trying to get mushrooms on the streets this is us trying to give help that we know works." Kevin Matthews, a Prop 122 proponent with the Natural Medicine Health Act, said "limiting access to therapeutic services will increase already existing mental health disparities, especially in rural communities where some people cannot afford the additional expense of traveling to other cities or counties where healing centers are allowed." Something as vital as healthcare, he said, shouldn't be balkanized across counties and cities. "Because access to natural medicines is a matter of statewide concern, making it more difficult for people to access these medicines across the state creates additional and unnecessary burdens for those who can likely benefit the most," Matthews said. Oregon, the only other state to have decriminalized psilocybin, took the opposite tack when its voters passed Ballot Measure 109 in 2020. The state included a local opt-out, and so far nearly 150 cities, towns and counties have banned or limited psilocybin cultivation and "service centers." According to a map compiled by Psychedelic Alpha, an advocacy group that tracks progress on psilocybin bills in state legislatures, almost the entire eastern half of Oregon decided against playing host to the industry. The two counties that encompass the southeast corner of the state Harney and Malheur are together larger than Maryland and eight other U.S. states. The nearly 40,000 rural residents that live there will have no easy access to service centers. We cant handle that Cokedale Trustee Bob Holman said there are many specialty healthcare services that are simply not available to residents in rural areas of the state and psychedelics shouldn't get special status. "I know someone who had to drive (92 miles) to Pueblo every day for four weeks for radiation treatment," he said of a neighbor. "We should have some freedom to say we don't want it here." Residents worry about replicating some of the problems in Cokedale that they see down the road in Trinidad, where they say 20 or so pot shops amongst a population of fewer than 9,000 have led to a noticeable transient and homeless population. "I don't want to wake up in the middle of the night with someone on my lawn tripping on mushrooms," said Laurie Johnson, a three-year Cokedale resident. In rural Baca County, which borders Kansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico, Commissioner Rick Butler worries about traffickers moving mushrooms and other psychedelics out of Colorado along U.S. 287/385. "That's a major thoroughfare between Dallas and Denver," he said. "You're talking about a county with four or five deputies. We can't handle that." Baca County, with a population of just 3,500, voted down Prop 122 and allows no marijuana grows or retail stores. On the other side of the state, Montrose County Commissioner Sue Hansen said no one knows the "long-term effects of allowing this in the county." That's why the decision about its spread should remain local, she said. "The diversity between counties is evident and what works in the metro corridor doesn't always work well in the rural and smaller counties," Hansen said. But backers of Prop 122 are adamant that their measure not get watered down. In February, proponents of psychedelic medicine faced off with state lawmakers in a legislative town hall in Boulder to demand that the General Assembly not gut the spirit of what voters passed. Wilson, with The Hope Project, said the voters have spoken and local opt-outs were not part of the ballot measure. "You vote to see who has the higher number of yes votes and we won," she said. 2023 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at denverpost.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. PORTLAND, Oregon (Tribune News Service) Sarah Truax had never been to Montavilla Park, so when she pulled into the parking lot just after 4 p.m. on March 15 with her 6-year-old and 3-year-old sons, she made sure to survey the area. Everything appeared safe as another family enjoyed the early spring weather. As Truax and her children headed to a grassy area in the park, she said she felt someone following her. She turned around and a woman who appeared to be suffering from a delusion that Truaxs boys were her own began yelling obscenities. Truax held her 3-year-old and put her 6-year-old behind her as the woman punched her about a dozen times. When she called for help to the nearby family, they did not intervene and left the area. In the aftermath Truax managed to hustle her boys back to the car, drive away and call 911 Truax has wondered what else she or the other family could have done to stop the attack. Portland police advise people to call 911 first, but as the bureau deals with low staffing, they dont always come to the scene. In the absence of an immediate police response, numerous organizations teach bystanders how they can safely intervene. Thank goodness I was able to get away and I didnt need anyone, but this is a big issue because, what if I had? Truax said. The 5 Ds Portland saw a demand for bystander intervention training in the wake of the 2017 MAX train attack that left two people dead and a third person wounded after they helped two teens who were being harassed by an extremist. While the city has offered free personal safety training in the past, it hasnt partnered with local advocacy groups to provide direct intervention resources since 2021. In early March, another attack on MAX light-rail called attention to bystander intervention when an assailant hit a man in the face with a large rock after the man tried to help a woman who was being yelled at by the assailant. Portland police spokesperson Sgt. Kevin Allen said that the bureau prefers people do not intervene, but if they decide to anyway, they should assess the risks at hand and balance the need for immediate action with their success rate. Are there weapons present and are they accessible to the suspect? Are there other suspects? Allen said in an email. Brittini Long, senior program coordinator with Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services in Montgomery County, Ohio, said to keep direct intervention short and sweet to avoid escalation. It can be as simple as telling someone to leave them alone, Im here to support this person please step away, Long said. We never want to incite violent behavior, but use your voice to show that youre an ally. Long advises people to thoroughly survey the situation before directly intervening, though. Does the person look like they are alone and need someone to intervene? Do I have options to involve other people for support? Long said. She partners with nonprofit Right to Be to offer virtual intervention workshops twice every three months, to help people feel safe on the streets, online and at work. Intervention, even when done right, can be extremely risky. So, Right to Be teaches a variety of safe measures to take before directly intervening. They practice the five Ds to de-escalation: distract, delegate, document, delay and direct. To distract, bystanders can derail the harasser by ignoring them and speaking about something else to the victim. Delegating involves speaking to people around you or people who may hold power in the situation, such as a bus driver or teacher and asking for help. Together, they can come up with a plan to assist the person who is being harassed. If a bystander would like to document harassment either by jotting down notes or recording a video, they should make sure the person being harassed already has help. And after everyone is safe, the bystander should ask the victim what to do with the documentation. Even if a bystander couldnt help someone in the moment, they can practice delay by checking on the person after the harasser is gone. The bystander can ask how they can support the person or if they need company. The last option is to be direct, which should be done with caution and assessment. In this course, the bystander should avoid arguing with the harasser and say something simple like thats inappropriate, or leave them alone. On April 12, the two organizations will host a virtual bystander intervention training geared toward harassment in public places. It aims to teach people what to do when they see someone being physically or verbally attacked on the street. Portlands Office of Community and Civic Life also offers free personal safety workshops by request. In 90 minutes, they discuss de-escalation tactics, what-if scenarios and touch on upstander someone who stands up rather than stands by intervention. Sara Johnson, who hosts the majority of the personal safety workshops, said that just interrupting the harassment can help someone in need. We recommend not connecting with the person who is doing the targeting but the person who is being targeted, Johnson said. Even saying something simple like hey, how is your day going? or pretending you know the person. But when an altercation turns physical, its time to gather help, Johnson said. CLARA The Portland Peace Team, founded by Tom Hastings, also offers training sessions on de-escalation to organizations and the public with a focus on non-violent approaches to reducing violence. They teach CLARA to address de-escalation: Calm and center, listen, affirm, respond and add. When engaging anyone, we try to move from a calm and centered space, said Bodhi Ahlson, president of the board of directors for the Portland Peace Team. Once the bystander is relaxed and ready to help, they should listen and affirm. To employ this tactic, the bystander shouldnt argue, but play a mediator role in any verbal disagreement. If someone seems very passionate about a topic, a bystander can affirm that persons feelings to de-escalate the interaction. Were not out to change anybodys minds, Ahlson said. To respond and add, the bystander can offer help or resources to settle the situation. If a bystander wants to be more direct, they can also distract and voice disapproval to interrupt abusive behavior, Ahlson said. For example, if a bystander sees people arguing in a restaurant, they can spill a drink or ask the victim for directions. Your goal is to remove the victim from the situation, Ahlson said. If a bystander is untrained or afraid to handle harassment, they should still see, report and support. Overall, Ahlson urges bystanders to approach intervention with caution and kindness. If you come with a violent, aggressive, force-based method, its going to evoke fear and more force, he said. So thankful Once her family was safely away from the park, Truax called 911. A dispatcher told her an officer would follow up with her later, when one was available. It was on that call that Truax learned someone else, probably a member of the other family at the park, had already dialed for help. At first, Truax was confused that the bystanders did not intervene, but she later realized the family was probably just afraid and trying to protect their own children. Truax said her attack has completely shifted her perspective on personal safety, and she still hasnt been contacted by a police officer as of Tuesday. Im so thankful that were OK, she said. Physically, were OK, but mentally and emotionally, Im not sure. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit oregonlive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. A day after a gunman killed six people at a Christian elementary school in Nashville, Sen. Josh Hawley took to the Senate floor to denounce the shooting as a hate crime against Christians. "We must also tell the truth about what happened yesterday in Nashville," Hawley said. "This murderous rampage, this taking of innocent life, was a horrific crime, but more specifically, it was a hate crime. A crime that according to Nashville police, specifically targeted, that's their word, targeted, the members of this Christian community, the members of this religious institution." Under federal law, a hate crime is one motivated by race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability. Nashville police have said the shooter "targeted" the Covenant School, which is a private Christian school, according to the Tennessean, and are reviewing a "manifesto." But police have not offered specific details about the reasons the school was targeted. The shooter, who police say was a 28-year-old transgender man, attended the school when he was a child. The Nashville shooter was killed by police, and is therefore unable to face legal charges. Hawley's comments are part of the deadlocked debate over gun laws in America, where the aftermath of a shooting often feels as if it's playing out according to a script. Gun control advocates, and many Democratic members of Congress, renewed their call for more restrictions on guns after reports that the shooter used two assault-style weapons (a pistol and a rifle) and a handgun. There have been 130 mass shootings already this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as one in which four or more people are wounded or killed, not including the shooter. But Republicans have remained steadfast in their opposition to efforts to tighten gun laws, like the assault weapons ban being pushed by President Joe Biden. In 2021, Sen. Bob Casey, a Pennsylvania Democrat, introduced a bill called the Disarm Hate Crimes Act, which would prevent someone who has been convicted of perpetuating a hate crime from owning a firearm. The bill had no Republican co-sponsors. Instead, Hawley appears to be adopting the rhetoric often employed by Democrats after a shooter targets a minority community like shootings at an LGBTQ club, or in a neighborhood with a high population of Asian Americans and placing it in the larger context of the culture war. "I would call on those corporate partners, who are so quick to weigh on social issues," Hawley said. "Now make your voice heard, condemn this crime as the hate crime that it is. This is a time to be heard, this is a time to be clear about what has happened and is unfolding before our very eyes." Along with sponsoring a resolution to denounce the shooting as a hate crime, Hawley wrote a letter to the Department of Homeland Security and FBI, calling on them to investigate the shooting as a hate crime. He said people need more evidence and facts about the motive of the shooter. The FBI pointed to a Monday tweet from its Tennessee field office that it was assisting local law enforcement, but it did not comment directly on Hawley's request. DHS also did not respond to Hawley. In 2021, Hawley was the only senator to oppose legislation intended to combat hate crimes against Asian Americans in the wake of an uptick of racist attacks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hawley said at the time the bill was too broad. Hawley's speech echoes some of the response to the shooting in conservative media, where commentators have latched onto the identity of the shooter, who was transgender, adding fuel to a push by conservatives to restrict transgender rights, a movement often influenced by religion. He did not mention that the shooter was transgender, and instead used female pronouns to describe him. Hawley said the Senate has to condemn "rhetoric about days of vengeance and genocide, rhetoric directed against religious believers of whatever background, whether they're Presbyterians, like the students and teachers and employees targeted yesterday, or some other Christian affiliation, or orthodox Jews, or Catholics or whatever background." 2023 The Kansas City Star. Visit at kansascity.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The winners of Ericsson's Together Apart Hackathon from Saudi Arabia have visited the Ericsson headquarters in Sweden as part of the hackathons grand prize to get inspired, learn and exchange ideas with Ericssons tech experts. The hackathon, conducted last year in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, was inspired by Saudi Vision 2030, and focused on identifying innovative and commercially viable solutions that showcased the power of connectivity and 5G. The winning team, Team Green Intelligence, developed a unique and innovative solution that offers a new way of addressing the challenge of limited land and space to grow plants in urban areas. The team was welcomed at the Ericsson Imagine Studio where the winners visited the experience center and met with Ericsson leaders, innovation experts, and specialists. Multiple demos The experts shared their knowledge on Ericssons vision, innovations across technologies like 4G, 5G, Internet of Things (IoT) and digital twins, Social and Corporate Responsibility and entrepreneurship. The winning team was presented with multiple demos and innovative use cases that showcase products, solutions and visionary scenarios, explore the potential and power of limitless connectivity, and witnessed the potential of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in different sectors and industries. Hakan Cervell, Vice President and Head of Saudi Arabia and Egypt at Ericsson Middle East & Africa, says: "We are thrilled to see the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs from Saudi Arabia develop such a creative and impactful solution. This solution aligns with Saudi Vision 2030's ambitious digital plan to diversify the economy and achieve sustainable development through technological innovation. We are excited to see the impressive impact of their project in creating green spaces, reducing air pollution, and promoting sustainable living in urban areas, and we are committed to supporting them every step of the way."-- TradeArabia News Service KYODO NEWS - Mar 30, 2023 - 19:04 | All, Japan Toyota Motor Corp. said Thursday its global sales for February rose 10.3 percent from a year ago to 773,271 units, a record high for the month, as domestic sales rebounded on the back of easing semiconductor shortages. Sales in Japan, including those for minivehicles, jumped 53.2 percent to 155,840 cars, following a slump the previous year due to a shortage of parts and the effects of coronavirus-related restrictions. Toyota's domestic output also grew 11.2 percent to 281,521 units, helping to lift its global production, which expanded 2.0 percent to 755,839 units for the second straight monthly increase. Overseas sales climbed 3.0 percent to 617,431 units, also a record high for the month. Sales in China increased 0.9 percent, boosted by the introduction of new models. Toyota saw its overseas output decline 2.7 percent to 474,318 vehicles, as production in China dropped 14.1 percent in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, the Japanese automaker said. Despite the record sales, Toyota is still struggling with the slow delivery of cars due to prolonged production constraints caused by semiconductor shortages. Delays in delivery are especially long in Japan, where high-end models featuring advanced functions that rely on a number of semiconductors are produced, according to the company. The automaker in February lowered its global output target for the business year ending March to 9.1 million units from an earlier projected 9.2 million, citing the effect of chip shortages. The revised target is still a record high, with the automaker planning to manufacture record 900,000 vehicles this month. Total worldwide production for February at Japan's eight major automakers, including Toyota, rose 2.8 percent to 2.07 million units, according to their data released Thursday, as constraints from chip shortages eased. Five of the eight companies saw their output rise. Nissan Motor Co. logged a 9.2 percent increase to 300,734 cars, while production at Subaru Corp. and Mazda Motor Corp. soared more than 20 percent, respectively. Global sales at the eight manufacturers rose 3.0 percent to 1.89 million vehicles. An additional sessions court in Islamabad accepted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief and former prime minister Imran Khans request for exemption from appearing before the court in the Toshakhana (gift depository) reference. District and Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal had summoned the former premier in his personal capacity, however, Khan filed a request for exemption from attendance based on an ongoing 3-day strike in the Islamabad bar. Imran Khans lawyer filed a request to exempt him from attending the proceedings today, citing the ongoing strike. On this, prosecutor Amjad Parvez commented that even if Imrans lawyer is involved in the protest, it would be necessary for him to ensure his presence in court during the trial. Khawaja Harris, the lawyer representing the former premier, responded by stating that his client was absent from the court due to security concerns as the government had withdrawn his security amid threats. He then suggested that PTI chairman could attend the hearing via video link, if permitted. Mr. Harris requested that the court accept the plea for exemption. During todays hearing, Mr. Pervez proposed that if the Thursday hearing was not feasible, it should be rescheduled for Saturday, which would be a 10-day delay. The judge asked both parties to assist the court in scheduling the next hearing through mutual consultation. At this, Imrans counsel requested a two-week adjournment of the hearing, while advocate Faisal Chaudhry proposed that the hearing be scheduled after Ramadan. Eventually, Judge Zafar Iqbal granted the exemption plea and postponed the hearing until April 29. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday said Pakistan is facing economic problems, but friendly countries are standing with it in this difficult situation. Addressing an Iftar dinner hosted for the diplomatic corps in Islamabad, the minister said several countries were facing economic problems due to coronavirus pandemic. Pakistan is also facing challenges like other countries, he maintained, adding the needy were being provided relief under the Benazir Income Support Programme. Besides the economic difficulties, the rehabilitation of flood victims is also a big challenge, Bilawal added. He further said the international community needed to work together to overcome the challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, climate catastrophe, difficult economic conditions and heightened geopolitical tensions. Bilawal also said the people of Pakistan were facing incredibly difficult economic times due to the wrong decisions taken by the former government. He went on to say that the BISP was the first social safety net in Pakistan providing support to the poorest of the poor, adding, We have seen time and again how this program has served, for instance during the Covid-19 pandemic when there were no other means to give financial assistance to the poor. Then it was effective during the floods and helped the poor. He said the government had a monumental task of reconstruction and rehabilitation of people affected by floods. The government is making consistent efforts to extend assistance to the least fortunate at the bottom of the social pyramid, he remarked. The minister also said Pakistan was extremely grateful for the support rendered by the international community for meeting economic and other challenges. The lahore High Court ruled in a case against registration of a case under sedition provisions and struck down Section 124A of the Sedition Act. In his judgement Justice Shahid Karim of the Lahore High Court declared Article 124A to be in conflict with the Constitution. Petitions were filed by Abuzar Salman Niazi and others against the registration of case under the provisions of sedition in the Lahore High Court. On this occasion, the petitioner said that the Sedition Act was made in 1860 which is a sign of the British era and is used for slaves. In his request, the position was adopted that the Constitution of Pakistan gives every citizen the right to freedom of expression, still section 124A is imposed in the Sedition Act for making speeches against the rulers, the Sedition Act is still made political through Section 124 and is being used for purposes. It was further held that the imposition of section 124-A of treason on speeches against the government was violative of section 10-A of freedom of expression, the court struck down section 124-A of PPC 1860 as unconstitutional. Reacting on the decision of Lahore High Court member of PTI and former Federal Minister Fawad Chaudhry has said that the decision of Lahore High Court recognized the constitutional right to criticize state institutions. This decision ends dozens of politically motivated cases, including my case. Brian Coulter's body was discovered in a flat in the Sandy Braes area of Magherafelt in October 2021 A 28-year old man appeared in court today where he denied the murder of former policeman Brian Coulter. Mr Coulter's body was discovered in a flat in the Sandy Braes area of Magherafelt in October 2021. Sebastian Adrian Nowak, from Colvil Street in Belfast, has been charged with his murder and attended Belfast Crown Court via a videolink with HMP Maghaberry. Nowak confirmed via a Polish interpreter that he could see and hear the proceedings. He was then charged with murdering 62-year-old Mr Coulter on a date between October 13-18, 2021, and when asked how he pleaded, Nowak replied not guilty. Nowak was also charged with assaulting a woman on October 18, 2021 and both assaulting police and resisting police on the same date. When charged with these offences, he entered not guilty pleas to all three charges. As relatives of Mr Coulter sat in the public gallery, a barrister for Nowak told the court there is no dispute that the defendant was indeed the person at the home of the deceased and there is no dispute about an altercation within the home which appears to have led to the death of Mr Coulter. Gavan Duffy KC added that the two central issues in the case are those of self-defence and criminal intent. Mr Justice O'Hara said: I will list this case for review on Friday June the 2nd when I expect to be informed about what shape the trial is likely to take, when it can start and how long it might take. Dean Boland broke into a downstairs apartment of the property where Ohari Viera lived, stole a rucksack and set fire to the building A Dublin man has been sentenced to eight years in prison for the unlawful killing of a kitchen porter who died after the home he was living in was set on fire. Dean Boland (35) had broken into a downstairs apartment of a Dublin residential property where Ohari Viera was living, stole a rucksack and set fire to the property. Mr Viera had been living in an upstairs apartment with two other men, and all three managed to evacuate the building safely as soon as they became aware of the fire downstairs. The men were waiting outside when Mr Viera went back into the house for an unknown reason. He never returned and others who tried to go into the property after him were prevented in doing as the building became engulfed in smoke and flames. Boland of Northwood, Santry was convicted last December by a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury of the unlawful killing of Ohari Viera, damaging property by arson and burglary at Oaklands Terrace, Terenure, on August 21, 2018. He had pleaded not guilty to the offences. His previous convictions are District Court offences, including an assault and is currently serving a prison sentence for attempted robbery. Passing sentence today, Judge Elma Sheahan said she would sentence Boland on the charge of manslaughter and set a headline sentence of ten years. The judge noted that Boland does not accept the verdict of the jury. Dean Boland Judge Sheahan said the facts of this case are unusual in that Boland set fire to a residential property during the night when several people were staying. The deceased had left the property but re-entered the home after the fire started. The judge said Boland has high moral culpability and said she was taking into consideration the victim impact statement of Mr Vieras daughter. Judge Sheahan noted that Boland had a longstanding drug addiction and was homeless at the time. He was intoxicated when he started the fire but remained at the scene, she also noted before imposed the eight year prison sentence to run from the date of conviction last December. Judge Sheahan acknowledged the dignity of Mr Vieras daughter throughout the trial and thanked both the prosecuting and defence lawyers for the manner in which the trial was conducted. Ms Viera said she has some sympathy for Boland and spoke of how he had no one in court to support him during the trial. She said her father was a brother, an uncle, a father and a grandfather. She spoke of being escorted to the hospital when her father was taken there and said she was traumatised when the machine was switched off the next day. It was the States case that Boland had broken into a downstairs apartment of the house where Mr Viera was living, stole a rucksack and set fire to the property. The investigation never established what started the fire, but a forensic examiner concluded that it was a consequence of a deliberate act. Officers from the Dublin Fire Service found Mr Viera in an upstairs room and he was taken by ambulance to St James' Hospital. A statement from Dr Linda Mulligan, State Pathologist, stated that Mr Viera's cause of death was cardiac arrest following the inhalation of smoke and other fire gases. In her victim impact report Mr Vieras daughter, Tatiana said she came to Ireland with her father, who was originally from Angola, as a child. She said he had a complicated journey which ended sadly with his death. Ms Viera said that as an African national, she grew up with a distrust of the police, but through the trial, she learned the truth of the system and spoke of the kind humanity of the police towards her. She said she asked a lot of questions about the legal system and found it marvellous. She thanked the judge and jury and said that the prosecution barrister and his team greatly supported her. Referring to Boland, she said, you have a life and future. You can go on to get married and have children and grandchildren.my son will never have that with my Dad. Ms Viera said she hoped her experience opens the eyes of the African community to the police system in Ireland, adding, there is no need to be afraid. She concluded her victim impact statement by again giving thanks for the support she received during the trial. I am looking forward to a future. I will never forget all you kind and thoughtful people, Ms Viera said. Seamus Clarke SC, prosecuting, told Judge Elma Sheahan that the Director of Public Prosecutions put this case in the high range of manslaughter offences. He submitted to the court that the fact that Mr Viera went back into the building at the particular time was very unfortunate, as anyone who tried to get back into the building after him could not actually get in because of the extent of the fire.He suggested that this should be taken into account in relation to the assessment of the case. Garret Baker SC, defending, said that his client maintains a lack of criminal liability and disagrees with the jurys verdict. He asked the court to accept that there was no evidence that Boland knew there were occupants upstairs in the property, but counsel accepted that there is an inherent risk in setting a fire in a building. He reminded the court that the fire was set in a downstairs apartment that was totally unoccupied at the time. Mr Baker referred to case law in terms of where to place the offence in the range of seriousness. He asked the court to accept that his client has no relevant previous convictions for arson or manslaughter, that there was no history of violence between Boland and Mr Viera and that there was no confrontation involving a lethal weapon. Counsel said that there had been a successful evacuation of the building, and Mr Viera decided to re-enter the property and very unfortunately succumbed to the fire. Judge Elma Sheahan said she wanted to thank Ms Viera for her victim impact statement and said she has shown a level of kindness, which is unusual in such a case involving the tragic loss of her father. Michael Scott has been found not guilty of murder but guilty of the manslaughter of Chrissie Treacy. Farmer Michael Scott has been found guilty of the manslaughter of his elderly aunt Chrissie Treacy by driving over her with a teleporter. Mr Scott (58) of Gortanumera, Portumna, Co Galway had pleaded not guilty to murdering the 76-year-old woman outside her home in Derryhiney, Portumna, Co Galway on April 27, 2018. But after deliberating for almost 15 hours over four days, the jury of six men and six women reached their verdict of manslaughter shortly after 12pm. Chrissie Treacy (76) In his closing speech, Dean Kelly SC for the Prosecution told the jury Mr Scott had deliberately reversed over Ms Treacy in an act of murder out of a sense of entitlement and for revenge. However, Scotts defence centred on his claim that his aunts death was a tragic accident. He told gardai he was reversing the teleporter across the yard when he felt a "thump" and thought he may have hit a trailer. He said he moved the machine forward to get it on level ground where it would not roll before getting down and finding Ms Treacy on the ground. Scott told gardai in interviews that when he found his 76-year-old aunt lying on the ground after he had run over her in his agricultural teleporter, he did not see any injuries on her body and thought she was going to be okay when he heard her breathing.. Following his arrest on suspicion of murder, Scott said he didn't know he could call 999 for an ambulance, did not know how to take a pulse, and he didn't think his aunt would die. And he said he didn't help her up off the ground because he needed someone with him. In garda interviews, Scott told how after knocking his aunt down in her farm yard, he got down off the JCB and on finding her on the ground said: Are you all right Chrissie? Oh God! What misfortune." He claimed she was "breathing heavy" but wasn't able to talk. Asked if she could recognise him, Mr Scott replied: "I don't know. Shocking, your only aunt. He said he didn't notice any injuries and that he had not tried first aid because: "I wouldn't know anything about that." However, one of the first gardai on the scene told of immediately witnessing catastrophic injuries with the flesh "ripped completely from her left forearm and strewn onto the yard in front of her hand." While Chief State Pathologist, Linda Mulligan said Ms Treacys injuries would have resulted in almost instantaneous death. He called his friend Francis Hardiman because he didn't know who else to call and didn't know the number of any doctors. Scott denied that he murdered his aunt and said he did not want her to die. Meanwhile an independent engineer, Dr Mark Jordan, called by the Defence, told the trial that he disagreed with a garda report suggesting that the 76-year-old Ms Treacy should have been visible as Mr Scott reversed across his yard. Dr Jordan disagreed with a number of points made in reports drawn up by a garda collision investigator and an engineer who previously gave evidence for the prosecution. Dr Jordan said that a suggestion that Ms Treacy was driven over twice appears to be "particularly unsupported". He said that from early on, gardai, had decided that the teleporter went over Ms Treacy twice, but Dr Jordan found there was only one clear imprint over Ms Treacy's trousers. He said that the other marks are "very difficult to interpret" but may have been left when Ms Treacy was in the upright position. However the trial had previously heard that John Hayes, an engineer called by the prosecution, said a "flailing" injury to Ms Treacy's left arm was "not consistent with a vehicle reversing over the deceased, coming to a stop and moving forward." He said the injury was consistent with "a far more aggressive action and could be consistent with the rotation of the wheel while on the limb." He explained that by "aggressive" he was not commenting on the driver's intent but on the "high torque" of the vehicle which allowed it to change from reverse to forward "very quickly". More to follow... "He is a person who has had an opportunity to look back on his past behaviour and readily accepts he made poor choices in the past. Notorious criminal Gerard Mackin, who pleaded guilty to laundering thousands of euro in crime cash in Limerick, accepts he has made poor choices in the past and intends to turn his life around with his family in Spain when he is released from prison, the Special Criminal Court has heard. Mackin, who is originally from west Belfast and has a previous address at Rhebogue Road in Limerick, was once the first person convicted of a Belfast murder by a Dublin court before his conviction was quashed and a retrial collapsed. The 40-year-old who was extradited from Alicante in Spain last December, had pleaded guilty to laundering 4,780 as the proceeds of criminal behaviour at Rhebogue Road in Limerick, on April 17, 2019. Mackin had pleaded guilty before the three-judge court to knowing or believing, or being reckless as to whether property, 4,780, was the proceeds of criminal conduct, did handle, acquire and/or possess the said property contrary to Section 7 of the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act of 2010. Detective Garda Stephen Ahern previously told the court that he arrested Mackin at Dublin Airport on December 5 last in relation to a European Arrest Warrant issued on April 7, 2022. At today's sentencing hearing, Detective Sergeant Padraig O'Dwyer detailed the background to the case. He told prosecution counsel Fiona Murphy SC that two gardai on patrol had observed an Opel Insignia car suspiciously parked outside Mackin's house on April 17, 2019. Gerard Mackin Gardai had a conversation with the driver of the vehicle, who cannot be named as he is currently before the courts, and he was searched. Det Sgt O'Dwyer said the driver was found to be in possession of 4,780 in cash, an Aquaris phone and an iPhone. Elastic bands were holding these items together within bubble wrap. The driver spoke to gardai and said he was self-employed and that the money belonged to him. A cautioned memo was later taken from the driver of the car. On that date, the court heard that Mackin came out of his house and conversed with gardai telling them that the money belonged to him. Mackin informed gardai that the driver of the car was going to Belfast the next day and that the money was to be given to his [Mackin's] fiancee. Mackin produced a receipt from a credit union showing that he had a loan for 10,000. A search was carried out on the driver of the Insignia and Mackin but nothing of evidential value was found. Mackin was later arrested and taken to Henry Street Garda Station, where he was interviewed on a number of occasions and denied the offence of money laundering. During his fourth interview Mackin told officers that from his experience of gardai in the past he had seen them outside his house and "I said put that money up for safekeeping in case you coming for me". When asked about the Aquaris phone, which the court heard is used to communicate privately, Mackin told detectives that it had been left in his house and he had picked it up. Mackin said the 4,780 was made up of a deposit by him to his previous landlord. Ms Murphy said a statement was taken from the landlord, who said the denominations were in 50 notes but that the money seized had been in 20 notes. Mackin was then released and a file was sent to the DPP. It is the prosecutions case, said Ms Murphy, that the money in the package was "not derived from a deposit" but was the proceeds of crime. Counsel said the guilty plea was entered by Mackin in circumstances where he accepts the circumstances of the seizure and his guilt for the offence of money laundering. She said the view of gardai is that Mackin was engaged in criminality at the time of the offence. The court heard that Mackin has one previous conviction for assault causing harm. In March 2016 Mackin was jailed for three years by the Special Criminal Court for a "depraved and barbaric" assault in which a man in his 50s was lured to an address in Limerick where he was "viciously assaulted" and nailed to a kitchen floor with a nail-gun. On the second day of this trial, Mackin admitted to assault causing harm at Larch Court, Kennedy Park, Limerick, on September 14, 2015. Gerard Mackin (left) with gangster Johnny Keogh When directions were issued by the DPP to charge Mackin with money laundering, the accused had moved to Spain and a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) was issued. Mackin, the court heard, consented to his surrender and has been in custody since his arrest in Spain on December 5 2022. Defence counsel Ronan Kennedy SC said there "is little enough to be said for the offence itself" and that obviously any money laundering offence is serious but the sum of money involved in the case fell at the lower end of the scale. Mr Kennedy asked the court to take into account that his client had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity. He said that Mackin was in a long-term relationship with his partner since 2005 and they had two children together. In his submissions, Mr Kennedy said that Mackin and his family decided to move to Spain in September 2021 where the defendant found employment working in a building firm. "Things were going well until his past came back to haunt him and he was then arrested on foot of a EAW," he said. The court heard he went into custody in Spain on December 2, 2022. Counsel asked the court to take into consideration that Mackin has never met his eight-week old son because of his surrender and that he has been incarcerated since then. "That is a source of very significant upset and regret to him that he wasn't present for his son's birth. His absence has also caused particular hardship to his partner in the last number of weeks," he added. In mitigation, Mr Kennedy said actions speak louder than words and that the manner in which his client met the case was instructive. "He came home to Ireland to face the music and wipe the slate clean," he said, adding that Mackin had not made an application for bail. In terms of the future, counsel said that Mackin would be on the first flight back to Spain when he is released from prison as he intended to build a new life there with his family and does not intend to return to this jurisdiction, certainly in the short-term. Furthermore, the lawyer said Mackin intended to turn his life around when he is released from prison. "He is a person who has had an opportunity to look back on his past behaviour and readily accepts he made poor choices in the past and is determined to make a go of it when he serves his sentence," he stated. The barrister said the defendant was born into a family where alcohol was "rife" and had taken positive steps in recent years to deal with this by having an implant inserted in 2020. Ms Murphy, prosecuting, said the court needed to look at three matters namely the amount of money involved, the circumstances in which the money was moved and how it was obviously of relevance that the defendant was found with other items. Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding, with Judge Sarah Berkeley and Judge Alan Mitchell, remanded Mackin in custody until May 19, when he will be sentenced. In January 2011, Mackin's retrial for the murder of Edward Burns, a taxi driver and 36-year-old father-of-five, dramatically collapsed at the Special Criminal Court after the State entered a 'nolle prosequi' [a decision not to prosecute]. Several of Mackin's supporters who were in court applauded and cheered while members of the victim's family openly wept. The chief prosecution witness refused to give evidence at the trial after telling a Belfast High Court judge he was threatened that if he gave any evidence, he would be shot dead. Mackin had pleaded not guilty to the murder at Bog Meadow, Falls Road, Belfast on March 12, 2007. It was the second trial of Mackin after a 2008 conviction - which made Mackin the first person convicted in a Dublin court for an alleged murder in Belfast under a rarely-used cross border anti-terrorism law - was quashed by the Court of Criminal Appeal and a retrial ordered. In July 2013, another nolle prosequi was entered against Mackin at the non-jury court on a charge of IRA membership and demanding money with menaces on behalf of the INLA in Co Monaghan on May 18 and 21, 2012. Adam Murphy (21) said: Im very sorry for what happened, it was an accident Im sorry to the family for the loss A young man has been charged with the manslaughter of a businessman who was fatally injured after he tried to stop the alleged theft of his car in west Dublin. A court heard when Adam Murphy (21) was charged with killing Ian McDonnell, he replied: Im very sorry for what happened, it was an accident Im sorry to the family for the loss. Mr Murphy, of Cherryorchard Crescent, Ballyfermot was remanded in custody after his lawyer said he did not envisage there would ever be an application for bail. Mr McDonnell (50) suffered serious injuries in a road incident last year, after his Volkswagen Passat was allegedly stolen outside his car dealership at Robinhood Road in Clondalkin. The father-of-three was discovered injured on the ground afterwards and died five days later in Tallaght hospital. Mr Murphy is charged with Mr McDonnells manslaughter and unauthorised taking of his car at Robinhood Road on January 23, 2022. He is further charged with taking a Toyota Aqua and a Mazda Demio in Perrystown and Lucan; attempts to take a Toyota Aqua in Blanchardstown and another car at Naas Road, as well as taking a bicycle in Crumlin, and attempting to steal from a Volkswagen Tiguan in Adamstown, all on the same day. Detective Sergeant Aidan Shaughnessy said he arrested the accused for the purpose of charging him at 10.42am this morning. He was charged at 10.55am and in reply to the manslaughter count he said: Im very sorry for what happened, it was an accident. It was never my intent for anything like that to happen. Im sorry to the family for the loss. In reply to one of the other charges, he said: Im very sorry, I shouldnt have done it. He was handed copies of the charge sheets. Judge Deirdre Gearty asked defence solicitor Wayne Kenny if he had any questions for the sergeant. None whatsoever, Mr Kenny replied. The DPP directed all charges to be dealt with in the circuit court, Det Sgt Shaughnessy said. There was consent to Mr Murphy being sent forward for trial, or on a signed plea of guilty if that should arise. The judge asked if there were any garda objections to bail. Theres no application for bail, and I dont envisage that there ever will be an application for bail, Mr Kenny said. He said the court had heard Mr Murphy's reply to the most serious charge and his client wished to further relay that to the McDonnell family, who were present. Judge Gearty said the reply to the charge had been read out, she had noted it and Im sure its appreciated. She granted free legal aid and remanded the accused in custody to appear in Cloverhill District Court on April 4, by video link. Mr McDonnell was originally from Co Roscommon, but lived in the Griffeen Valley area of Lucan with his wife, two daughters and one son. Patrick McCann (23) was jailed for 17 years in 2013 for shooting and seriously injuring his pal Luke Wilson, who lost an eye in the attack A man serving a prison sentence for the attempted gun murder of his lifelong friend has been given an extra six weeks in jail for unlawful possession of a mobile phone. Patrick McCann (23) was jailed for 17 years in 2013 for shooting and seriously injuring his pal Luke Wilson, who lost an eye in the attack in a Dublin park. Blanchardstown District Court heard McCann was caught with a phone while serving time in Wheatfield prison in the west of the city. The accused, formerly of Decies Road, Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty to the offence. Garda Simon Clarke told Judge Maire Conneely that McCann was found in possession of a mobile phone in prison without permission from the governor on December 17, 2022. He had previous convictions and was serving a sentence for attempted murder. Three of his prior convictions were for having a mobile phone in prison, the court heard. The accused was serving a very lengthy sentence, his solicitor Simon Fleming said. He asked the judge to take account of the fact that McCann had dealt with the matter immediately which was helpful to the prosecution and the prison service. Patrick McCann He had already been punished in prison for the offence, Mr Fleming said. The judge made the six weeks consecutive to McCanns existing sentence. In November 2013, McCann pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to the attempted murder of Mr Wilson at Liffey Gaels, GAA club, Memorial Park, Inchicore on January 13 that year. He also admitted possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. The pair were in the park when McCann took out a gun and shot Mr Wilson in the arm, neck and face, running off when the weapon jammed on the fourth shot. Thug who threatened to cut prison officer's throat comes from a terrifying criminal family McCann dropped his mobile phone near where the victim lay and Mr Wilson rang '999' on it, believing it was his own phone. He suffered serious injuries including the loss of his right eye. McCann had said he was asked to carry out the shooting because of his outstanding drug debt and was in fear, the Central Criminal Court heard. He said he was threatened that he would be shot himself if he did not shoot Mr Wilson. The pair, both teenagers at the time, had known each other since they were in nappies, the court heard. Sentencing him in 2013, Mr Justice Paul Carney said the case "might as well have appeared in the Love/Hate script". He handed down a 20-year sentence with the final three suspended. Bronson's ex-wife Irene Dunroe said she was devastated and "shocked. It's disgusting and very, very upsetting The decision comes after one of the UK's longest-serving prisoners - who changed his surname to Salvador in 2014 - took part in one of the country's first public parole hearings earlier this month. In a document detailing the decision published on Thursday, the Parole Board said: "After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress that Mr Salvador has made while in custody and the evidence presented at the hearings, the panel was not satisfied that Mr Salvador was suitable for release. "Nor did the panel recommend to the Secretary of State that he should be transferred to an open prison." Charles Bronson, appearing via video link from HMP Woodhill (Elizabeth Cook/PA) Elizabeth Cook Bronson's ex-wife Irene Dunroe told the PA news agency she was "devastated" and "shocked" by the decision, adding: "It's disgusting and very, very upsetting. I can't believe it", while George Bamby, who claimed to be the inmate's son, said: "I would have loved Charlie to have been released but completely respect the decision of the Parole Board." Mr Bamby later said he was not Bronson's son, but had been pretending to be, during an interview with TalkTV on Thursday. Once dubbed one of Britain's most violent offenders, Bronson has spent most of the past 48 years behind bars, apart from two brief periods of freedom during which he reoffended, for a string of thefts, firearms and violent offences, including 11 hostage-taking incidents in nine different sieges. Victims included governors, doctors, staff and, on one occasion, his own solicitor. He was handed a discretionary life sentence with a minimum term of four years in 2000 for taking a prison teacher at HMP Hull hostage for 44 hours. Since then, the Parole Board has repeatedly refused to direct his release. This was his eighth parole review, meaning he has already spent an additional 20 years behind bars. Supporters of Charles Bronson have called for his release (Aaron Chown/PA) Aaron Chown Three parole judges considered his case during a hearing at HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, while members of the press and public watched part of the proceedings on a live stream from the Royal Courts of Justice in central London. Bronson - whose real name is Michael Peterson and has previously been diagnosed with anti-social personality disorder - told the panel he loved a "rumble" and enjoyed mass brawls in prison, but insisted he is now a reformed prisoner, has found solace in art and is a man of "peace", describing himself as a "retired prison activist". The 70-year-old likened his experience in front of the Parole Board to being on BBC programme The Apprentice. A psychologist told the panel Bronson has post-traumatic stress disorder after facing some "brutal and unacceptable" treatment behind bars. He has been held in solitary confinement in high security jails for much of his time behind bars. During the hearing he was described as holding "anti-authoritarian views" and being "suspicious" of the motives of others, as well as having a "romanticised" view of violent incidents in the past. None of the prison and probation officials who gave evidence at the parole hearing said he was ready to be released. The summary of the Parole Board decision said the panel "accepted that Mr Salvador genuinely wants to progress and that he is motivated to work towards his release. It thought that there was evidence of improved self-control and better emotional management". But the parole judges were "mindful of his history of persistent rule breaking and that Mr Salvador sees little wrong with this. He lives his life rigidly by his own rules and code of conduct and is quick to judge others by his own standards". "His positive progress has to be assessed in the context of him being held in a highly restrictive environment", the document said, adding that it was "unknown exactly what is containing Mr Salvador's risk. It is unclear whether the strong external controls of custody are mainly responsible or whether his attitudes have genuinely changed". The panel said it "could not be satisfied" Bronson had the "skills to manage his risk of future violence until he has been extensively tested outside of his current highly restricted environment". Decisions on moving and categorising prisoners are "entirely a matter for the Secretary of State" and the Parole Board said it would not normally comment on such matters, but added: "However, in the particular circumstances of this case, the panel observed that there is an identified pathway for Salvador in custody and the evidence supported such a move within a closed prison." This is a "pivotal point in Mr Salvador's sentence, when his motivation to desist from violence is at its highest" and both psychologists instructed by Mr Salvador's lawyers were "unequivocal in their view that he no longer requires the secure placement in his current prison", the papers said. At the time of his crimes Bronson was described as someone who had "a need for status", bears grudges and struggles to control "extreme emotions". "The panel noted that Mr Salvador enjoyed the excitement, notoriety and the financial rewards of his violent and criminal lifestyle", the document said. But they found Bronson had since "changed" and there had been a "prolonged period of improved behaviour" in custody in recent years. According to the document, Bronson said he was "terrified of dying in prison". While he has not been involved in any incidents of physical violence since 2018, prison reports suggest there were "veiled threats" in 2020, 2021 and 2022. "Mr Salvador lives by his own rules" and "judges others to his own standards", the document said, adding that he was willing to "flagrantly breach prison rules". Officials currently plan to move Bronson to another prison where he can show how he "manages himself in a more open unit with less restrictions on his behaviour", the parole papers added. Bronson is the second inmate in UK legal history to have his case heard in public after rules were changed last year in a bid to remove the secrecy around the process. He will be eligible for another parole review in about two years. Father of three, Abdul Ahmead El Tayeb (48) escaped jail but is ordered to leave the country An "odd-jobs" man who sparked two security alerts at Dublin Airport within three days has been given a fully suspended prison sentence on the condition he leaves the country. Father of three, Abdul Ahmead El Tayeb (48) who is from Sudan but has lived in England since 2017, was first arrested on Monday evening. He had managed to get past security screening in Terminal 2 and onto an Aer Lingus flight to Bermingham without a ticket, passport or boarding pass. He appeared in court on Tuesday and was fined 700 for trespass and an immigration offence of failing to produce a passport. However, El Tayeb, with an address at Stanton Street, Newcastle, England, was arrested again on Thursday morning. He was charged with the same trespass and immigration offences again and brought back to Dublin District Court . Defence solicitor Paddy McGarry said El Tayeb, who did not need a translator, was pleading guilty immediately. Stock photo Getty Images/EyeEm Garda Kim Fitzpatrick told the court the latest alert happened at arrivals in Terminal 1 this morning at 11.15 when she spotted El Tayeb. She remembered him from Mondays incident. However, he had yet to go through the screening section. I followed this gentleman when he went into a restricted area, that is, staff services, I found him in an office, brought him out and asked what he was doing, and he said he was going back to Birmingham, she said. He made no reply to the charges and did not address the court. Judge John King was informed about El Tayebs earlier airport incident that led to him getting fined. The charges carry a possible 12-month sentence. Pleading for leniency, Mr McGarry said his client lives between Newcastle and Birmingham, working as an odd-jobs man. He had gone to Belfast to visit a friend, but he lost his bag with all his belongings, including his phone and passport. He got the bus to Dublin and drank the whole way, and following the first incident at the airport, he ended up in court on Tuesday and getting fined. The solicitor said afterwards he had provided him with the address of the Sudanese embassy, but it was not clear what happened, and he had been homeless in Dublin for the past two days. Asked by the judge why he had not stayed in Belfast with his friend, Mr McGarry said that was unclear. Judge King said, it doesnt add up but he noted the garda accepted that his identity had now been confirmed, and immigration officers were in court to organise his deportation. The court heard he would be held overnight and then returned to the UK. Basically, he is trying to get back to his family in the UK, Mr McGarry said. The garda agreed with him that the accused was never aggressive. However, she also accepted that he was adamant he wanted to get back to his wife and children. Judge King said there was no reason for El Tayeb to be in this jurisdiction committing these offences. The defence accepted that happening twice was aggravating but submitted that El Tayeb had not been in trouble in this state before. Judge King imposed an eight-week sentence but suspended it on condition that El Tayeb co-operated with the immigration authorities and did not resist his deportation, and not return to Ireland for two years. Legal aid was granted. Sergeant Tony Flanagan said the injured party in the case was the victim of an online phishing scam. A YOUNG woman allowed fraudsters use her bank account to lodge the proceeds of an online phishing scam, a court heard. The scammers transferred more than 4,600 into Abbie Heaneys account before it was frozen. The case against her was adjourned when she appeared at Dublin District Court. Heaney (22), with an address at Radharc An Mhuilinn, Kilcullen, Co Westmeath, pleaded guilty to money laundering between October 7 and 8, 2021. Sergeant Tony Flanagan said the injured party in the case was the victim of an online phishing scam. She had a financial loss of 16,680 and part of the proceeds of that theft 4,654 ended up in the accuseds bank account. Heaney had no previous convictions, the court heard. Defence solicitor Kate McGhee said there was no financial loss to the victim or Bank of Ireland. The accused would never come to garda attention or come before the court again, she said. Judge Bryan Smyth asked if the victim had been reimbursed. Sgt Flanagan said in relation to the sum that was lodged to Heaneys account, a freeze was put on her account and the money never went anywhere and was returned. Judge Smyth said he would need to know the exact position on the reimbursement of the victim before finalising the case. He said the prosecution should also canvass the injured party about victim impact evidence. Young (37) pleaded guilty this month to directing a criminal organisation and is currently behind bars awaiting sentencing Officers from CAB were involved in the operation.Photo: An Garda Siochana This is the moment Spanish police and the gardai raided a home on the Costa Del Sol in an operation targeting a Sligo gang lead by crime boss Barry Young. Officers from the Criminal Assets Bureau were also involved in the searches in Alicante which targeted the organised crime group. The raids were carried out in a joint operation involving Spains Policia Nacional and the Gardas National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau. The Sunday World can reveal the target of the searches was an international drugs gang with ties to crime boss Barry Young. Earlier this month, Young pleaded guilty to directing a criminal organisation and is currently behind bars awaiting sentencing. Mob boss Barry Young In a statement on their social media channels today, An Garda Siochana wrote: As part of an ongoing investigation targeting organised crime in Sligo, we worked with our Spanish colleagues @policia on a number of searches in Alicante. Sligo Gardai are being supported by @criminalassets and our National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau. Young (37), who is currently in custody in Portlaoise Prison, pleaded guilty to directing a criminal organisation at the Special Criminal Court this month after a lengthy career as a significant gangland player. Young admitted to running a crime gang between 2019 and 2022 within and outside the State. The drug dealer had also lived between the north west and Spain. A convicted drug dealer, Young is regarded as one of the biggest players on the drug scene outside Ireland with ties to major gangs including the Mr Big network in Dublin. Officers from CAB were involved in the operation.Photo: An Garda Siochana Young muscled in on the lucrative turf of Sligo, Donegal and Leitrim and his network of dealers took control and even managed to bribe a disgraced garda to leak sensitive information over a five-month period. Former Garda Jimell Henry was jailed for 18 months after she accessed the forces Pulse system from her base in Sligo and passed on details to Youngs crew in Sligo. A court heard she had become compromised by a drug habit. Young was a close associate of Mark Guinea Pig Desmond for years and the West Dublin enforcer moved to Sligo to work as a heavy before his murder in a Lucan park in December 2016. It is understood that Young had worked hard to stay at arms length from the law, rarely staying in the one place for very long and using counter-surveillance techniques. Spanish police and gardai conducted the raids. Photo: An Garda Siochana But like many wealthy criminals before him he got lazy and thought that he was untouchable, resorting to doing business on his ordinary smartphone through WhatsApp. It is understood that the weight of evidence against him sparked him to plead guilty to the heavy charge which can carry up to life imprisonment. He will be sentenced in May. On 10 March, Young, with an address of Geldof Drive, Cranmore, Co Sligo, was charged with directing the activities of a criminal organisation between October 4, 2019 and January 15, 2022, both dates inclusive, both within and outside the state. Fiona Murphy SC, for the State, said the DPP consented to Mr Young being arraigned on section 14 of the indictment without prejudice. The 37-year-old replied "guilty" when the charge was put to him by the registrar. Michael Bowman SC, for the accused, asked for a date of May 9th for the matter to come before the court again. He also requested that legal aid be extended to cover the cost of a report from a counsellor Young had been seeing before going into custody. Mr Justice Tony Hunt acceded to this request. Ms Murphy said a trial date of April 17th had been fixed and this could now be vacated. The accused was remanded in custody to May 9th. Rhona Gracey (36) and Sharon Harland (47), have admitted Daniel Guylers manslaughter and will be sentenced next month A pensioner killed by two women in Derry four years ago was a convicted sex offender, the Sunday World can reveal. Daniel Guyler (75) died 10 months after he suffered a serious head injury when he was robbed in the Termon Street area of the city in July 2018. He never regained consciousness and passed away in Altnagelvin Hospital in May 2019. Two women, Rhona Gracey (36) and Sharon Harland (47), have admitted his manslaughter and will be sentenced next month. The Sunday World can today reveal details of Guylers perverted past, which is not connected in any way to his death. He was found guilty in 2017 of eight charges of indecent assault on three female children. A court heard that the victims were aged between seven and 11-years-old at the time of the abuse. The dates of the abuse are not known but the attacks are believed to have taken place a significant number of years ago. Guyler, who was better known as Don and was originally from the Limavady area of Co Derry, denied the offences but was found guilty after a lengthy trial. He was sentenced to two years and six months in prison and told he must register as a sex offender for a period of 10 years. Guyler is understood to have been released from prison a short time before the 2018 attack and was living at a hostel in the Waterside area of Derry. Following the pensioners death, police launched a murder investigation. Gracey and Harland were subsequently arrested and charged with his murder. They both denied the charge. Termon Street, where Daniel Guyler was killed However, during a hearing at Belfast Crown Court last October, the two women admitted a charge of manslaughter in connection with Guylers death. Gracey and Harland appeared before Laganside court in Belfast on Friday to be sentenced. A prosecution barrister told the court that Guyler was assaulted at Termon Street on July 23, 2018 and his wallet, which contained 400, was stolen. It is understood he had collected his pension earlier that day. The victim suffered a serious head injury during the attack, from which he never regained consciousness and he died in hospital ten months later on May 1, 2019. The barrister said that although no one saw Guyler being robbed, according to witnesses at the scene, Harland and Gracey had been with him shortly before the incident and they were also present when Guyler was found by members of the public. The court was told Gracey tried to dissuade local residents from calling an ambulance. The two women and Guyler were living in a nearby Simon Community hostel at the time and were known to drink in the area where Guyler was attacked. Shortly afterwards, the court was told, Harland and Gracey were seen acting suspiciously and appeared to be panicking and running around frantically. They were seen disposing of a wallet. There was no cash in it at that time but the wallet was later identified as Mr Guylers, said the barrister. They had money after the incident that they didnt have before. The barrister said Harland made comments to witnesses at the scene which could be interpreted as a confession. She told one witness that Mr Guyler had sexually assaulted one of them and when asked if she had assaulted Mr Guyler, she smirked and said he was a paedophile. When confronted by a further witness as to what she had done, Harland said are you going to tout?. As well as witness evidence there was also forensic evidence, the barrister added. Traces of Guylers blood was found on Graceys slipper, sock, T-shirt and jeans and on Harlands shoe and trousers. During interview, the two defendants either made no comment or said they could not remember the incident. However, at one stage during interview, the barrister said, Harland remarked if someone was a paedophile then they deserved what they got. The court was told that Harland has 50 previous convictions, including 14 for assault, while Gracey has 55 previous convictions which included 12 assaults and seven serious assaults. Graceys barrister said there was no suggestion of premeditation in the attack on Guyler and added a very substantial amount of alcohol and prescription drugs had been taken by his client on the night of the attack. The barrister said Gracey, a mother of two teenage children, had shown genuine remorse for her part in the pensioners death. Harlands barrister said her life had been blighted by substance abuse after a wholly dysfunctional and unstable childhood. He said his client, who has six children, had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and described her as a very significantly ill person. Both defence representatives asked the judge to give the two women credit for their early pleas to the manslaughter charge. The judge said he would consider all the submissions and sentence the two women on April 3. The pills were made into shapes that included dominoes, spades, Iron Man and green and yellow silhouettes of the 76-year-old ex president Some of the drugs were shaped like Donald Trump Cops in New York City have busted a gang of nine people including four family members who had been selling drugs shaped like Donald Trump, Mickey Mouse, bitcoin and Lego. The fentanyl, meth, and coke-trafficking ring had been pedalling the drugs in a multi-state drug operation before a two-year joint investigation led to the seizure of thousands of fake Oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl. Some of the pills were made into shapes that included dominoes, spades, Iron Man, bitcoin, Legos and green and yellow silhouettes of the 76-year-old former president. Cops discovered most of the drugs stashed in the boiler room of a Bronx apartment building, where one of the suspects worked, prosecutors said. Edwin and Elvis Cabrera were the initial targets of the joint local, state and federal probe, while their sister Jennifer Duran, and uncle Miguel Castillo, are also named in the indictment. Some of the drugs were shaped like Donald Trump Fentanyl and methamphetamine are being pressed into pills by local dealers like the Cabrera brothers, as well as the cartels in Mexico, DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarantino said in a statement. There is no difference between a pill mill in Mexico and a boiler room in the Bronx because they both produce death, he said. Four other defendants Frankie Rosario, Juan DeJesus, Erick Sanchez and Ruben Burgos were charged with being part of the operation and face second-degree conspiracy and drug possession charges. A second indictment charged another man, Jose Rodriguez, with gun possession. Investigators said the crews operation that reached as far as Rhode Island and Pennsylvania, ran from August 2019 to last month. The gang used mail-order pill-pressing machines shipped to Manhattan and Rhode Island to manufacture the tablets. They used coded language to discuss deals, prosecutors claim. A task force made up of members of the FBI, the DEA, the Manhattan District Attorneys Office and the NYPD, raided two Manhattan apartments and the Bronx building near Yankee Stadium as part of the joint investigation. The haul included 26,000 pills with fentanyl, 50,000 methamphetamine pills weighing more than 40 pounds, two kilogrammes of powdered fentanyl and three kilogrammes of cocaine, prosecutors said. Fake fentanyl pills pose a hidden threat to users who think they know the potency of the drugs they are buying, New York City Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan said. The sellers make a calculated decision to profit off their naivete regardless of the deadly consequences. Sophie Lanigans life changed drastically in December 2022, when she was rushed to Temple Street Childrens Hospital and placed on a ventilator Sophie in hospital on St Patrick's Day following her operations eyJpdiI6IlVJb1pIcEJUa0RIMXpPWHVSRHNlRXc9PSIsInZhbHVlIjoiR3Uwc3hIejQ1OFE5RGVkbTdsaUR0eVE4WXRSRDc5L0Z5KzFKclRXUnU1ejdPR0szVzhRUVd5OXdXT2UrY21TRyIsIm1hYyI6ImNkNjNkZWZiNjhjNjMyZWNjMDc5MGZmYTgzNzAzMWViMTY0MGZmMWNmZGVlNGQ1YWY3ZDk4NGQ5NTE2YTNiZmQiLCJ0YWciOiIifQ== The mother of a brave young girl who had her four limbs amputated after being diagnosed with Strep A has said her daughter is determined to start rehabilitation. Sophie Lanigans life changed drastically on Monday, December 12, 2022, when she was rushed to Temple Street Childrens Hospital and placed on a ventilator. The 12-year-old from Blanchardstown, Co Dublin, developed a temperature on Sunday, December 11, her first and only symptom. In the days before she had been out playing with friends and creating dance videos. Laura Hughes said her daughter, who is due to start first year in secondary school in September, was otherwise perfectly healthy. A GoFundMe has been set up to raise funds in order to help the family make the necessary changes to their home as well as prosthetics and other adaptive equipment. Friends and family have already raised over 35,000 in less than 24 hours. On Monday morning, I rang the doctor and got an appointment and as the day went on, she just got that little bit worse, Ms Hughes told Independent.ie. When she arrived at the doctors office, Sophie was having trouble breathing and was rushed to Temple Street Childrens Hospital by ambulance. Her health deteriorated rapidly, and she was immediately placed on a ventilator in ICU. What started as Strep A soon turned to pneumonia and she then developed sepsis. She was on dialysis and her kidneys failed, Laura said. They couldnt get her temperature down; her blood pressure was all over the place. They were doing their best and then on the Tuesday we were told that she would have to go across to Crumlin to be put on an ECMO. Sophie in August last year eyJpdiI6IjJ6MnhzRzlOZVg2NG4ydjV4d01maVE9PSIsInZhbHVlIjoiVWxobHNKdm9kRktxQkpPSFhaUHV4VXpYb1FlT3BFRFA1dmhteHliNU5ZQzBNZ2toeG1iR0NUTk5ZRlJoNmlYSCIsIm1hYyI6Ijc5MzY0YjRmZGVhZWY3MzJmMGM0YzMwZTFjODZjMzI4NTk0ZWZhZTBkYzNmNTM3ODhiYjRkZGQ3NTYzZDBjNDIiLCJ0YWciOiIifQ== Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) is a form of life support for people with life-threatening illnesses or injury. Ms Hughes added: She was rushed across by garda escort to Crumlin Hospital but when she got there, they had a stronger ventilator and they put her on that instead of the ECMO. Sophie spent over two weeks fighting for her life with her parents Laura and Keith by her side. She was taken off the ventilator on Christmas Day but unfortunately Sophie woke to the devastating news that the damage caused to her hands and feet was untreatable. At the end of January, she had her arms amputated just below the elbow and underwent surgery again in February to have her legs amputated through the knee. Ms Hughes said she is grateful for the care her daughter received but she now faces a tough road ahead. Sophie is waiting to attend The National Rehabilitation Hospital in the coming weeks. Luckily, we brought her to the doctor when we did, and they got her the ambulance thank God because otherwise it could have been a different outcome, she said. She spent four weeks in total in ICU and then she spent ten weeks on St Annes ward in Crumlin. Ms Hughes said in the beginning, the family were told to prepare for the worst. It all happened so quick; the doctors were baffled nobody could believe it. Its amazing that shes still here, she said. I hoped and prayed every day, but I never believed that when we looked at her in there that she would be able to come through it, but she did. We were hearing all the time, prepare for the worst. She does face a long, tough road and shes only just recovering from the surgeries. Shes determined, shes very positive she has her days but shes amazing. She went to school in the hospital and was teaching herself how to write again. Shes very determined, shell give anything a try, so that will stand to her please God. The government's approach has been about punishing ordinary people while the wealthy are exempt to continue living their carbon-intensive lifestyles. A Sinn Fein Senator has called for a private jet tax after it was revealed that 7,000 took off from Irish airports last year. The carbon emissions of the private flights has soared to 67,903 tonnes a number worse than we had estimated, said Senator Lynn Boylan. When she previously called for a 3,000 private jet tax, she claims it was dismissed by the Government claiming a lack of data. "Well, now we have the data and it is worse than we had estimated. In total, 6,671 private jets took off from Irish airports in 2022. The Greenpeace research has revealed the most common flight path was the short journey from Dublin to London. Other flights taken included Kerry to Cork, Dublin to Cork, Dublin to Belfast, Shannon to Cork and Shannon to Kerry. "Its hugely unfair that rich people can wreck the climate this way, said Thomas Gelin, Greenpeaces EU transport campaigner. Pollution for wasteful luxury has to be the first to go. Speaking today, Senator Boylan said: The carbon emissions of private jets in Ireland have soared to 67,903 tonnes, with one average flight emitting roughly the same emissions as a petrol car driving 40,000km. Read more Dublin Airport traffic brought to standstill by anti-migrant protesters over weekend The Irish Government need to take the lead on this issue. Climate justice advocates have long argued that not all carbon emissions are created equal. "To date, the Government's approach has been about punishing ordinary people while the wealthy are exempt to continue living their carbon-intensive lifestyles. Ideally, I would like to see an end to non-essential private jets but as a bare minimum, a levy on private jets would at least demonstrate that the government are in fact committed to a real, just transition. Environmental organisation Greenpeace has called on governments to ban private jets completely. "80pc of the worlds population have never flown, yet theyre the ones most impacted by the climate crisis. In just one hour, a single private jet can emit two tonnes of CO2, they said. "The global average energy-related carbon footprint is around 4.7 tonnes of CO2 per person per year. By Daisuke Tanaka, KYODO NEWS - Mar 30, 2023 - 13:19 | Arts, All, Japan, Feature With Kyoto's traditional Nishijin textiles seeing a sharp drop in domestic demand in recent years, one of the industry's oldest businesses has set up shop in Europe in the hope of developing new markets overseas. Masataka Hosoo, 44, the 12th generation owner of a family business dating back more than 300 years, has opened a showroom in Milan, his first overseas base, after spending several years developing innovative adaptations of traditional textiles for foreign tastes. "I hope to introduce the world to the beauty of Nishijin fabrics," said Hosoo, who has used cloth customarily reserved for high-grade kimono and obi belts to make wallpaper and other interior design furnishings. In early February, at the shop in Milan lined with an array of pieces, Hosoo spoke about the allure of the highly-decorative, finely-woven material, known as "Nishijin-ori" in Japanese. "It has been handed down for 1,200 years from generation to generation, made with techniques unparalleled in the world," Hosoo said. Thomas Lykke, 51, a Danish designer and long-time business associate of Hosoo who came to the showroom in northern Italy, said, "Milan is a hub for design, and also a sophisticated market. It is a place that has a magnet effect as a global stage for designers and architects. It is a smart place to be." Back home in Kyoto's famed Nishijin district, the heart of the city's textile industry, shops are struggling to remain in business. According to the Nishijin Textile Industry Association, domestic shipments of locally produced cloth peaked at over 270 billion yen ($2 billion) in 1990 but have since declined, falling to 18.1 billion yen in 2020. With fewer and fewer people donning kimono these days, diversification is a top priority. Hosoo became involved in the family business in 2008. He started by showcasing obi at overseas exhibitions, but an opportunity emerged the following year. A famous American architect asked to use the fabric as "shop wallpaper." It was his chance to expand Nishijin textiles to interior decoration and other uses, but he faced a major challenge in repurposing the material. Conventional looms can produce fabrics about 30 centimeters wide. Hosoo realized that unless he expanded the width of the materials to use as wallpaper or furnishings, the final product would be covered in stitching. It took about one year to build a loom that could produce textiles of 150 cm in width. Hosoo has increased the number of looms to 14, and the production system is now set. He is currently in talks with several famous overseas brands and hotels. However, as the fabric making relies on a division of labor established over a long history in the Nishijin district, it is a product that can only be made there, said Hosoo. He displays around 200 pieces in the Milan showroom. Visitors can touch the fabric to examine the textures. "With my base in Milan, I will also travel to other countries. I want to do my best to bring Nishijin textiles into the future," said Hosoo. ==Kyodo The winner of last nights Lotto draw is yet to claim their prize of 86,898. The Dublin winner of last nights Lotto draw is yet to claim their prize of 86,898. Players in Rush are being urged to check their tickets today as the National Lottery say they are still waiting to hear from the lucky person. The quick pick ticket was purchased on the day of the draw in the Day Today store in Rush, Co. Dublin. The winning numbers in last nights Lotto draw were: 12, 14, 32, 37, 40, 44 and the bonus was 35. Elsewhere, a Meath man has claimed almost 4 million in Lotto winnings. The man who wishes to remain anonymous said he kept double checking and triple checking the ticket all week when he realised he won the Jackpot of 3,987,540. Ive had over a week to process the win and still cant wrap my head around it! "I kept double checking and triple checking the ticket all week to make sure I hadnt made a mistake, but today, the ticket was confirmed, and I nearly keeled over when I received my cheque and seen all the numbers. It's the most surreal feeling ever. Im determined to share this prize with my nearest and dearest to spread some joy. His winning ticket was bought in Bowes EuroSpar in Duleek village. "Ive already given some of my friends some money to help change their lives a little and Im in the process of dividing the remainder of the prize out amongst my family. "Im cant wait to hop on a plane and take a nice long holiday in the sun over the next couple of months to really let the win really sink in! he said. Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, AKA Posie Parker, will reportedly bring her Let Women Speak event to Ireland in April. A protest against a controversial anti-trans activist is being planned for Dublin just weeks after her presence in Australia and New Zealand sparked chaos. Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, aka Posie Parker, will reportedly bring her Let Women Speak event to Ireland in April. Parker made headlines across globe earlier this month when she was forced to abandon a speaking tour in New Zealand due to protests. The British-born activist was met by thousands of pro-trans rights who booed and heckled her. One protestor was arrested after she doused Parker with tomato juice. A group of neo-Nazis also turned up to support Parker sparking outrage across New Zealand. LGBT organisation Trans and Intersex Pride Dublin have now said they will launch a counter-protest against the activist in two weeks time. "Posie Parker represents everything we stand against, they said on Twitter. At a time when the far right in Ireland are already emboldened, the last thing we need is someone like her coming here to spew her vile lies. The group called Parker a far right bigot in the protest announcement. Read more The British mum-of-four described herself as public enemy no. 1 after tensions ran high in Australia last week. I wont share a photo because they simply dont deserve the attention, the head of the Victorian government Dan Andrews said on Facebook after a heated event. "But yesterday, anti-trans activists gathered to spread hate. And on the steps of our parliament, some of them performed a Nazi salute. He added: They were there to say the trans community dont deserve rights, safety or dignity. Thats what Nazis do. "Their evil ideology is to scapegoat minorities and its got no place here. And those who stand with them dont, either. So to every trans Victorian, I say this: Our government will always support you. And well always respect you. Because your rights are not negotiable. Posie Parker told the Daily Mail that the masked men who turned up and gave Nazi salutes at her Melbourne event were nothing to do with me, they were not invited. She said she feels her life could be in danger sometimes and hired a team of seven security guards to stay with her. 'I do feel like public enemy No 1 out here, genuinely I feel afraid. I am a hate figure, she said. In New Zealand, Parker was escorted away from a rally by police officers after thousands gathered to counter-protest. A woman has since appeared in court after throwing tomato juice on the anti-trans speaker. The immigration minister, Michael Wood, told The Guardian: Like many New Zealanders I would prefer it if Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull never set foot in New Zealand. "I find many of her views repugnant, and am concerned by the way in which she courts some of the most vile people and groups around, including white supremacists. Harry Potter author JK Rowling later defended Parker, claiming a mob assaulted women speaking up for their rights in New Zealand. Parker took to Twitter to call New Zealand the worst place for women and said she genuinely feared for her life. I get to leave the worst place for women Ive ever visited and they live there Im so sorry I couldnt do more. I genuinely thought if I fell to the floor, I would never get up again. My children would lose their mother and my husband would lose his wife. LGBT advocacy group Auckland Pride rejected the baseless rumour that the protest became physical. You want the world to be a safer place, then stop setting it on fire. Extinction Rebellion Ireland, a protest group of environmental activists, stormed a JP Morgan banking event last Thursday to protest over the companys involvement in fossil fuel financing. Last Thursday, JP Morgan held a networking event titled Women in Technology which saw a number of young protestors intervene. There are no women in technology on a dead planet, one activist said. Extinction Rebellion is a global environmental movement with the stated aim of using "non-violent civil disobedience to compel government action to avoid tipping points in the climate system, biodiversity loss and the risk of social and ecological collapse. Extinction Rebellion during a protest regarding oil consumption. The group stated: When the worlds largest fossil fuel investor, JP Morgan, held a women in technology event in Dublin, to demonstrate how inclusive they are, we were on hand to point out the massive hypocrisy of this. This weeks IPCC report warned that there is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all. The choices and actions implemented in this decade will have impacts now and for thousands of years. The protestors point out the banking giant has increased their fossil fuel financing by a staggering ten billion dollars between 2020 2021. So why are fossil fuels still receiving more funding than sustainable alternatives? JP Morgan make great claims about transitioning to a low carbon economy on their website, while increasing fossil fuel financing. They claim to care about diversity and inclusion, but women are disproportionately impacted by climate change. 80 pc of people displaced by climate change are women. This leads to violence, sexual violence and human trafficking. Fossil fuels cause climate change and its endangering the lives of billions of women. Jp Morgan is funding fossil fuels, the group stated. According to Forbes, JPMorgan Chase bank contributed more money towards fossil fuel industries than any other bank, putting a total of 268 billion dollars into coal, oil and gas firms between 2016-2020. In total, the worlds biggest banks have put 2.7 trillion dollars into those industries since the 2015 Paris Agreement, according to a 2020 Banking on Climate Change report. Banks are increasingly being recognized as major drivers of the climate crisisthe 2.7 trillion dollars in financing that 35 major global banks poured into fossil fuels since the Paris Agreement makes that quite clear, said Alison Kirsch, who wrote the report. JPMorgan Chase stands out as the world's worst banker of climate chaos by far, year after year. Given this enormous impact on people and the planet, Chase and its peers must take bold measures to end financing for the expansion of the fossil fuel sector, and commit to exiting the sector entirely soon, she said. Sunday World has contacted the bank for a response to the protest but nothing was forthcoming at the time of publishing. Barry Whelan is being waked at William J Gormley Funeral Home in West Roxbury between midday and 2pm on Thursday and his remains are to be interred in Dublin Dozens of tributes have been left for a tragic Irishman who died in Boston after a one-punch attack. Barry Whelan (46) had told colleagues that he had planned to have a pint of Guinness on St Patricks Day but later died after being assaulted. A murder hunt is now underway after Whelan, who was from Dublin, was knocked unconscious when he was punched once to the head. Mr Whelan was rushed to hospital where he battled for life for seven days before his life-support machine was switched off. A post-mortem has established the cause of death was blunt force trauma and ruled it a homicide. Whelan is being waked at William J Gormley Funeral Home in West Roxbury between midday and 2pm later today and his remains are to be buried in Dublin. In the meantime, people have paid tribute to the carpenter who would give you the shirt off his back. Barry was sweet, and wonderful person who'd give the shirt off his back if you asked, and if you didn't ask he'd offer it, one person has written in the condolences section of his obituary page. We were deeply saddened to hear about the loss of your beloved son and brother, Barry. Please know that we are thinking of you during this incredibly difficult time and sending our heartfelt condolences, another adds. Please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers, and we are here for you if you need anything. One other has written: Very sad to hear the passing of Barry. He was a lovely person and taken to soon. My thoughts are with Valerie and Darren. One other added: Very sad to hear of the sudden passing of Barry. I always remember him as a very gentle person. My thoughts are with Valerie and Darren. May he rest in peace. Love your cousin. Whelan, originally from Dublin, worked as a carpenter with Twin Peaks Construction in the Boston suburb of Foxborough. He had been living in the nearby town of Woburn. John Marsoobian, co-owner of the company Whelan worked for over the past two years, explained how his colleague had said he was going out for a pint for St Patricks Day. Marsoobian said: He talked on Friday afternoon about the fact that it was St Patricks Day and he just wanted to go have a Guinness to celebrate. Marsoobian explained that he had not heard from Whelan all weekend and was alarmed when he arrived at a site the Irishman was over but was not there. He told Boston 25 News: It was highly unlike Barry to not show up for work. Marsoobian later learned of the attack and helped police contact his family in Ireland. Paying tribute to Whelan, he said: He was patient. He was hardworking. He worked six days a week. He paid his taxes and he never complained about anything. He would give you the shirt off his back. Whelans brother Darren has travelled to Boston from Spain where he lives, while their mother Valerie is also understood to be making the trip over from Dublin. Marsoobian said Whelans brother described him as a gentle soul. And Marsoobian added: Thats what Barry was, a gentle soul. We will help the brother and their mom for as much as we need to help them through this and even after. Police have yet to make any arrests but CCTV footage has been recovered which shows the incident in full. Although cops say they are still working to establish a motive, they have not ruled out that it may have been completely random. The Dubliner, who famously dedicated his BAFTA award to the children of the north inner city, will not be able to attend the event due to filming commitments Barry Keoghan is to be honoured by his native city in a Lord Mayors Award ceremony at the Manson House in Dublin tonight. The Oscar nominee and BAFTA winner will be presented with the award alongside two other individuals and three organisations who have helped make Dublin a better place. The Dubliner, who famously dedicated his BAFTA award to the children of the north inner city, will not be able to attend the event due to filming commitments. But he will be honoured by the Lord Mayor, Caroline Conroy, for his efforts in promoting the city alongside the Irish Wildlife Trust; Sandra Dillon, the founder of The Meeting Place Club; Sail Training Ireland; athlete Gerard Prendergast and An Taisce. Lord Mayor Caroline Conroy described the awards ceremony as one of the highlights of my term of office. I have chosen to honour individuals and groups from many different walks of life, she said. They have helped make Dublin a better place through their tireless efforts in the fields of inclusion, health and well-being, the arts, heritage and biodiversity, conservation, and community and family support. I congratulate all the recipients and thank them on behalf of the people of Dublin for their contribution to this great city. Barrys award notes that he is an actor who is known for his roles on screen, appearing in independent films and blockbuster films. Since making his break as the heartless cat killer Wayne on RTEs Love/Hate, Barry has gone onto work with some of the worlds best actors, it reads. For his role in Martin McDonagh's The Banshees of Inisherin he was nominated for an Oscar and won a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor. Alongside Barry is Gerard Prendergast, an endurance triathlete from Dublin who, although suffering from sight loss in one eye at a young age due to an accident, has set some incredible challenges for himself in sport. Gerard has not let this get in the way of achieving success in sport personally and professionally, his award adds. Sandra Dillion who set up the Meeting Place Club, the first integrated group for teens and adults with a wide range of special needs is also being honoured. The club aims to provide individuals in the community with information and support by arranging workshops, day and special events for teenagers with special requirements and their parents, carers and supporters. The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) a non-governmental organisation and charity founded in 1979, has conserved wildlife and habitats throughout Ireland, while Sail Training Ireland funds the development of young people from all backgrounds and all abilities by giving them the opportunity to participate on voyages on sailing vessels. Meanwhile, An Taisce, the National Trust for Ireland is the countrys oldest environmental organisation, and is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2023. It was set up with the intent of protecting Ireland's natural and built heritage and continues to be at the forefront of education and advocacy on climate, environment, heritage, and biodiversity issues. Since 1989, this annual award ceremony is an opportunity for the Lord Mayor to highlight and acknowledge, in a special way, achievements of both individuals and groups. Previous winners of the Award include Ana Liffey Drugs Project, Imelda May, Maeve Binchy, Dave Fanning, Merchants Quay Ireland, Damien Dempsey and Commander Chris Hadfield. "It is different because I am a good bit older now than when I had Colm. Colm is very special to me, as is Daithi Og. Clare GAA legend Davy Fitzgerald says being a dad for the second time at 50 feels good. Davy and his wife Sharon OLoughlin welcomed baby Daithi Og last May, almost 25 years after his son Colm was born in a previous relationship. "It is different because I am a good bit older now than when I had Colm. Colm is very special to me, as is Daithi Og, he told RSVP Magazine. "I am more mature and when you are older you look at things a small bit differently. "Maybe that maturity will help me be an even better dad than I was with Colm. "When you are in your mid-20s, you are rushing here and there and you have so many things to do. Now, I can take a small step back from the busyness of life. "It was something Sharon wanted and we talked about it. "It was a good decision. Seeing him every morning with a smile on his face is great and it is lovely to have a brother for Colm. "Even if there is a good age gap between them. Being a dad again feels good." The GAA legend and RTE star kicked-off the latest season of Davys Toughest Team this week, where 7 young men come together to face gruelling challenges. Im feeling 50. Im overweight, Im absolutely bricking it, he told the recently told the Irish Independent. The motivation for me is these guys who are a small bit lost, guys who just need a hand, he says in the series opener to be broadcast on Wednesday night. If we could get them to do this, it would be massive. Hopefully when they come back from this, theyll see that no track is too difficult and no track is too high. Ahead of this weeks challenge he said: They will feel absolutely fantastic if they can do it. The recruits were tasked with abseiling down a sea cliff in The Burren. Some of these guys hardly stir outside their door. Some of these guys dont like communicating, he said. This is going to be a lot for them to take on. The former reality star said there were plenty of moments we wanted to give up in their house search. Tallafornia star Kelly Donegan is moving on from Tallaght with a new house. The former reality star has announced her move to Drimnagh in Dublin 12 after viewing 150 properties last year. "Just got a life changing email from my solicitor today, we are officially homeowners and the keys are ready to be collected on our return to Ireland. Just got a life changing email from my Solicitor today, we are officially home owners & the keys are ready to be collected on our return to Ireland Moving on from Tallaght to Drimnagh Head ( Hello D12 ) Viewed almost 150 homes between Feb - Dec 22 FINALLY pic.twitter.com/PqNMEPdclm Kelly Donegan (@ItsKellyDonegan) March 29, 2023 "Moving on from Tallaght to Drimnagh Head (hello D12), she tweeted. "Viewed almost 150 homes between Feb Dec 22. FINALLY. Kelly shared a snap of a champagne bottle for the house-warming celebrations. Taking to Instagram, she said: Well its official, were homeowners! "Through all the challenges, its actually happened. Plenty of moments we wanted to give up, viewing almost 150 houses between February and December 2022 spending all evenings and weekends viewing. "Constantly knocked out in the first month of bidding. "The housing market really is a disgrace and Im shocked its actually happened for us. "Toasting here in Hungary with a bottle of Torley and ordering pizza. Kelly (33) got engaged last May after her partner Alex Hermann proposed to her in Central Park in New York. Tomorrow night Daniel O'Donnell, Margo, Nathan Carter, Cliona Hagan, Philomena Begley are among those who will perform The Late Late Late show host Ryan Tubridy will present his final country music special tomorrow night, featuring stars ranging from Daniel ODonnell to Cliona Hagan. It was Ryan Tubridy who first introduced this popular annual event to The Late Late Show after recognising the massive appeal of country music outside of Dublin. Tubs revealed that he spotted posters for the stars and the huge popularity of country music in rural Ireland back in the early days after taking over the Late Late and while doing outside broadcasts on his radio show. It all started out really when I was not long in the job as the presenter of The Late Late Show and when driving around the country, I kept seeing posters of gigs of different country stars and it was a world that I wasnt familiar with. And so, it began, Ryan says. Cliona Hagan I quickly learned that it was a world that brought people together and while I will miss seeing everybody on an annual basis, I have made a lot of friends in the country music world, and that has been my privilege. Tomorrow night Daniel O'Donnell, Margo, Nathan Carter, Cliona Hagan, Philomena Begley, Derek Ryan, Claudia Buckley, TR Dallas, Trudi Lalor, Johnny Brady, Clodagh Lawlor, Niamh Lynne, Olivia Douglas, Chantelle Padden and Toy Shows Cailin Joe lead the stellar line up. A country music legend will walk the line and be inducted into the Irish Country Music Hall of Fame, an accolade previously awarded to Daniel O'Donnell and Philomena Begley. Daniel, Cliona, Philomena, and Nathan have worked 9-5 to unveil an exciting new project exclusively on Friday nights show and they will pay tribute to the man who started it all, Irelands king of country, Big Tom. Described by Ryan as "a huge country star of the future, if not now" the show will welcome back Toy Shows Tyrone Teen Caillin Joe who will perform a Glen Campbell classic. Daniel O'Donnell Some of the leading female artists in the industry will give a country twist to the number one song in the Irish charts at the moment, Miley Cyrus Flowers. Our star-studded line-up will perform the songs that changed their lives including Irish originals and hits from Dolly Parton, The Bellamy Brothers and Garth Brooks. And throughout the night of songs and stories, one member of the audience will get the surprise of their lives! Sideline Sid Sports correspondent & historian www.sunlive.co.nz Cricket history, of two kinds, was made at Blake Park last Saturday. Parking around the cricket wickets at Blake Park was at an absolute premium. The Bay Oval hosted the time-honored BOPCA Williams Cup finale, with the other three cricket pitches at Blake Park, seeing three Western Bay of Plenty Cricket senior grassroots titles contested for the first time. A dramatic increase in senior grassroots numbers saw the former Western Bay of Plenty Cricket B Grade competition, replaced with Division One, Two and Three competitions. The revised format provided all teams with a place in the local cricket environment, that meets their sides aspirations. At the other end of the spectrum, the Bay of Plenty Cricket premier Williams Cup recognised ninety years since the (Rotorua) City Cricket Club won the first Bay of Plenty wide championship. The 2023 Williams Cup title decider matched up the biggest rivalry in Western Bay of Plenty Cricket in the last few decades. Mount Maunganui won the toss and decided to bat against Otumoetai Cadets, in the battle of the bridge fixture. When opener Gagandeep Singh Samra, was dismissed for his sides top score of 52, his side were in a relatively strong position at 82 for the loss of two wickets. Bay of Plenty representative skipper Ben Pomare belted a hard fought 31. As the overs ticked over, the Mount tail fired, with number ten batsman Craig Baldry hitting an unbeaten 24 runs. The encounter was well and truly up for grabs, with the Mount Maunganui representatives finishing their allotted fifty overs, at 202 for the loss of eight wickets. Sitting in the heart of the Mount Maunganui scrum of supporters gave an interesting perspective to the Cadets run chase. Cadets opening pair of Fergus Lellman and Marcel Collett, ran plenty of singles and twos in reaching the 82 run mark, before Collett was dismissed for 42. Fergus Lellman continued on at the crease to compile 44 runs before being adjudged LBW. The game was quickly slipping away from the Mount at three down with 147 runs on the board. However sitting next to the Mount 'Prophet', who closed his eyes and came out with "I can see 170 for seven" produced some mirth from the Mount Maunganui faithful. From disaster waiting in the wings, the Green and Gold team bowlers upped the ante and slowed the pace of the reply, in taking five wickets for just 24 runs. With the match momentum turned on its head, the two younger Collett brothers came together in the middle at the Bay Oval, in an attempt to rescue their teams fortunes. Liam Collet, led the attempt for victory in defying everything that the Mount bowlers could fire at him, with an unbeaten 16 runs. Equally resolute was Dary Collett who compiled a match winning 7 not out. The scorebook will show that Cadets squeezed home with eight balls to spare and just two wickets in hand. All the players left the Bay Oval, knowing that they had produced a game that fully measured up to the finest traditions of Williams Cup hard-fought contests over the last ninety years Delegates of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) meet with representatives of Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) during Supply and Purchase Matchmaking Meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, March 29, 2023. (Xinhua/Zulkarnain) JAKARTA, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and Indonesian businessmen gathered on Wednesday in Jakarta to improve trade relations in the supply and purchase matchmaking meeting held by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Commercial Sub-Council (CCPIT-CSC). "We brought 20 participants from Chinese companies engaged in pet supplies, clothing, jewelry, renewable energy, to cross-border payments," said Xiong Canxin, head of the exhibition department of the CCPIT-CSC. China is Indonesia's primary trading partner, said a representative of the Trade Ministry's Export Cooperation Development Director, Dwinanto Rumpoko, adding that positive trade promotion between the two nations must continue, particularly to strengthen the industrial supply chain network. Representative of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) Kevin Wu said this is the first gathering of businesspeople from the two nations to connect and further their interactions. This gathering is a series of promotions for CCPIT-CSC in Southeast Asia. The group will continue its trade trip to Malaysia and Thailand. Delegates of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) meet with representatives of Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) during Supply and Purchase Matchmaking Meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, March 29, 2023. (Xinhua/Zulkarnain) Jim Bunny Rogers Rabbits www.sunlive.co.nz Hes totally chuckle, fall-about April Fools Day funny that guy, said Mrs Jim Bunny, aka the Doe, over a carrot juice aperitif the other evening. Whos totally chuckle, fall-about April Fools Day funny?, I asked. Chris. Cabbage Patch Chris or Twerpy Chris? Twerpy? Dont you mean Chippy? Okay but hes still twerpy, still annoying. What was so April Fools day funny? Well, hes given adult minimum wage earners a raise. But its just $1.50 extra an hour from $21.20 to $22.70 an hour. Is it an April Fools Day joke? But lets do some sums by saving that extra $1.50 an hour for three hours, minimum wage earners could afford a pie for lunch at Twerpys...I mean Chippys favourite, go-to Upper Hutt bakery. The one where Police Minister Ginny gets free pies. And shes on top dollar. Top? Well, as a Crown Minister she gets $288,900 a year, about $5555 a week, and about $139 an hour if she only did a 40-hour week. And a free pie. But, in a magnanimous show of solidarity with the proletariat, she wouldnt qualify for the extra $1.50 an hour. If minimum wage earners save their $1.50 slice of Chippys new pay pie, it will only take about 9.5 hours work to afford a $14 tub of Cabbage Patch Chris favourite ice cream the high-end label one with chewy marshmallows and gooey caramel in chocolate ice cream. Cabbage Patch Chris doesnt do minimum wage worker hokey pokey or vanilla. But it gets funnier by the April Fools minute. In France... Because, if minimum wage earners continue to save their $1.50 an hour windfall, it would only take 658,591 hours work to accumulate the $987,887 the median house price in New Zealand last year. Thats 316 working years, three-and-a-half average lifespans. Even minimum wage earners would have to see the uproariously funny April Fools side of that. Seems $1.50 doesnt go very far very fast. Anyhow I suspect history has played an April Fools joke on us all because its not exactly clear how all this nonsense came about. But it may have started in France. Mes chers petit lapins, Pope Gregory X111 said to 16th Century France. We are switching from the Julian calendar which begins March with the spring equinox to the internationally accepted civil Gregorian calendar. But at the time French devices were a bit inutile a bit dickey and not everyone got the Vatican email. Some French continued celebrating New Year in March and were the butt of jokes. One prank involved paper fish being stuck on their back because they were called poison davril or April fish. Hilarious. Other French were just as protective of their Julian calendar as some are today of their age 62 pension plans and refused to acknowledge the change. Perhaps 16th Century French also set the streets alight in protest, perhaps they too let the rats and rubbish pile up, says JB. His long ears alert and almost touching the roof of the warren. Historically the French love a bit of a stink, a revolution. They could all yell quon leur coupe la tete off with their heads instead of April fool! Messier but much, much funnier. The April Fool Day prank lingers today. But not as much I sense, said the doe, twitching her cute, furry, bunny nose. There was the April Fools story about the Northland farmer who spent decades getting rid of gorse. Then one morning as he was quietly gorging himself on four rashers of good old fashioned hardwood smoked bacon and three eggs sunny side down as a protest at daylight saving, he sees something that makes his heart drop clean through his Red Bands. Overnight a mature gorse bush had grown right in the middle of the house paddock. He openly wept until his wife yelled: April fool! April fool, April fool! The gorse had been put there overnight by some sick family jokester. Jim Bunny isnt laughing. I would have woken the ghosts of Samuel Marsden and told them to find some 245-T to get rid of it. After all, it was the missionaries who committed a godless act by introducing gorse in the first place. Introduced species Tsk tsk, said the doe. Be careful what you wish for dear. We bunnies are an introduced species too, and a pest. Like gorse, we are not loved. This bunny even thought of floating an April Fools day story which might trigger discussion, alarm, or outrage, or all three. Its the April Fools devil in us all. How about a plan to build a gondola to the summit of Mauao? And a skyline wine bar where we could soak up the sav blanc as well as the vistas? But trickery doesnt serve our readership. You could rightfully wonder what other half-truths and nonsense are being passed off as legitimate news. Email: hunter@thesun.co.nz with your thoughts on April foolery, minimum wage, gondolas etc! Royal New Zealand Air Force helicopter crews have delivered nearly two tonnes of books and school supplies to schools in the Yasawa group of islands in Fiji. The books were delivered on behalf of the Fiji Ministry of Education and came in the middle of the New Zealand Defence Forces Operation Mahi Tahi, where nearly 300 personnel are using the HMNZS Canterbury as a Pacific Ocean lily pad to carry out humanitarian assistance and disaster relief training and other tasks. Flight Lieutenant Glenn Blay was the captain of one of the NH90 helicopters involved in the education drop. We had three aircraft go up to the Yasawa Islands, two NH90s and an A109, dropping off school books. We went to Naviti District School where they were all keen to see us. The boys got out and played some footy and we had some photographs taken, he says. Corporal Janice Bond, left, Leading Aircraftman Jared Fairburn-Smith, Corporal Jarrod Milligan, Sergeant Tom Hanson, and Flight Lieutenant Hamish Park from No. 3 Squadron pose with Nagalevu Ravuama of the Western Commissioners office and teachers at Ratu Filimoni School. Photo credit: Ravuama Nagalevu of Western Commissioners Office. Some members of Royal New Zealand Air Force No. 3 Squadron will now return to New Zealand and be replaced by other crew who will conduct their training during the second half of the operation. To be honest to do that as our last flight was pretty epic, a great way to finish our trip here in Fiji, says Flight Lieutenant Blay. Without NZDF assistance the books and supplies would have to be delivered by small boat, which would have been difficult with recent weather. Fiji Education Ministry Education Officer Naipolione Locoloco says they are grateful the RNZAF could deliver the 70 cartons of text and library books. Major General Jone Kalouniwai Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, second from right, is transported from Suva to visit RFMF forces from 3rd Fijian Infantry Regiment in Kadavu. The schools are scattered across the Yasawa Islands and given the weather over the last few weeks it would have been impossible to take the books across. I was delighted to see the faces of the students when they received these cartons, he says. Over the last week, No 3. Squadron has practised flying in tropical conditions from both ship and shore, No. 230 Squadron has established high-frequency communications sites and New Zealand Army personnel have been practising amphibious landings. No. 3 Squadron detachment commander, Squadron Leader Andrew Scrase, says flying in tropical conditions and engaging with the Fijians and the Republic of Fiji Military Forces has provided a great opportunity to improve their skills and train in different terrain and climates to New Zealand. Over the last week weve been able to complete 37 hours of flying, giving our crews some really useful experience in operating in a tropical environment. We were also able to spend some eight hours flying with HMNZS Canterbury to practise ship operations, which allowed us to qualify two new pilots and maintain skills for another four, he said. An RNZAF NH90 helicopter on the ground at Nadi aerodrome waiting for a thunderstorm to pass. Missing almost an entire year of competition due to long Covid hasn't deterred canoe slalom star Luuka Jones from trying to get to a fifth Olympics. The Rio 2016 silver medalist has returned to training with Olympic qualification through this year's World Championships her main aim. Jones' last major competition was the World Championships in Slovakia in September 2021. She then caught Covid on 22 March, but still decided to head to Europe in May... however she only lasted a couple of weeks before returning home. "I must have done too much those first couple of weeks in France because I essentially fell off a cliff, says the 34-year-old Bay of Plenty kayaker. "I was so fatigued all the time." Jones admits it was a tough call to return home as the World Cup season was about to start and she knew that if she went home should definitely miss the series. It was the first time she had missed an international competition because of injury or illness. The Rotorua-based athlete first competed at the Olympics in Beijing in 2008 where she finished 21st, she improved to 14th in London 2012 and then jumped onto the podium with her silver medal in Rio. In Tokyo she was sixth in the K1 and 13th in the C1. After being laid low for most of 2022, Jones returned to training in November and managed to compete in a couple of races in New Zealand and Australia. However, it hasn't been all plain paddling... she's recently battled neck and back injuries, a kidney infection and Covid for a second time. "It's not hit me as bad as the first time, but it still knocked me back and I haven't been able to train fully, so I'm just easing back into training now. "I don't train like I use to, I'm having to take a work smarter approach. "My body has had a lot of years of training and I guess I'm getting injured more often now so I need to be more careful." Jones realises that if she does get to the Paris Olympics it will be quite an accomplishment after what she's been through over the last year. "Having to sit out last year and the fact that every race is kind of my final race it really makes me appreciate what I do and what I've done in those final years in the sport." Jones will compete in the National Championships in Tekapo over Easter. She will then head to Europe in May to compete on the World Cup circuit with Olympic qualification at the World Championships in London in September. Jones admits that her main aim at the moment is to stay healthy and injury free. Besides the K1 event, Jones will also race the new extreme slalom competition this year. It involves four paddlers racing down the white-water at the same time. -RNZ. Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand and Manatu Hauora Ministry of Health have confirmed New Zealand has had its first case of rabies. Sadly, the overseas traveller died from the disease last week, but this person posed no health risk to any member of the public while in New Zealand. Director of Public Health Dr Nick Jones says person to person transmission of rabies is extremely rare, almost unknown, so there is no risk to members of the public. The disease was contracted overseas and then the person was diagnosed in New Zealand. The person was notified as having suspected rabies when first admitted to hospital in early March so was managed with full infection control measures while at Auckland City Hospital and at Whangarei Hospital where they were first diagnosed. Rabies is usually caught from the saliva of an infected animal when a person is bitten. If the person does not seek treatment between being bitten and the development of symptoms, then rabies is usually fatal. The National Public Health Service will not be releasing any further details of the case to protect their identity. Laboratory results confirmed this is the first case of rabies in New Zealand. New Zealand does not have rabies in its animal or human populations, and this case does not change our rabies-free status. Travellers should be aware, however, that there are thousands of rabies cases reported in humans around the world each year, including a number of countries in our part of the world, Dr Jones says. Rabies vaccination is recommended for New Zealanders travelling to countries where rabies is common, especially if travelling to rural areas, likely to be in contact with animals or if staying for longer than a month. All travellers should avoid contact with animals in countries with rabies, especially dogs. If you are bitten by an animal where there is rabies, you should seek treatment as soon as possible. The Ministry of Healths website has further information People attend the opening ceremony of an exhibition of China's renowned Terracotta Warriors in Alicante, Spain, March 28, 2023. The Archaeological Museum of Alicante opened on Tuesday a unique exhibition of China's renowned Terracotta Warriors, known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World." The exhibition, titled "The Legend of China's Qin and Han Dynasties," and which opens to public between Wednesday and January 28, 2024, showcases more than 120 pieces from nine Chinese museums. (Xinhua/Meng Dingbo) ALICANTE, Spain, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The Archaeological Museum of Alicante opened on Tuesday a unique exhibition of China's renowned Terracotta Warriors, known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World." The exhibition, titled "The Legend of China's Qin and Han Dynasties," and which opens to public between Wednesday and January 28, 2024, showcases more than 120 pieces from nine Chinese museums. The exhibition is divided into three galleries showcasing the history of the unification of China by Emperor Qin Shi Huang, his tomb, and the mysterious Terracotta Warriors. The museum uses advanced technology to create an immersive exhibition space using light, music, and scent. Curator of the exhibition Marcos Martinon-Torres, an archaeologist and professor at the University of Cambridge said the exhibition would provide an "unforgettable experience" for thousands of visitors. The exhibition is part of a series of activities for the China-Spain Year of Culture and Tourism. Apart from the 10 life-size Terracotta Warriors and horses, it also features gold and silver, bronze, pottery, and jade cultural relics. At the opening ceremony on Tuesday, Carlos Mazon, president of Alicante provincial council, called the exhibition "a historic moment." He said his province "will become a cultural center in Europe in the next ten months, because it is the first time that the Chinese Terracotta Warriors have been exhibited abroad since the (COVID-19) pandemic." Local people and visitors from all over the world will have "a unique opportunity to appreciate the beauty of these archaeological achievements in one of the best museums in Europe," he added. People visit an exhibition of China's renowned Terracotta Warriors in Alicante, Spain, March 28, 2023. The Archaeological Museum of Alicante opened on Tuesday a unique exhibition of China's renowned Terracotta Warriors, known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World." The exhibition, titled "The Legend of China's Qin and Han Dynasties," and which opens to public between Wednesday and January 28, 2024, showcases more than 120 pieces from nine Chinese museums. (Xinhua/Meng Dingbo) A visitor touches an exhibit specially for people with visual disabilities during an exhibition of China's renowned Terracotta Warriors in Alicante, Spain, March 28, 2023. The Archaeological Museum of Alicante opened on Tuesday a unique exhibition of China's renowned Terracotta Warriors, known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World." The exhibition, titled "The Legend of China's Qin and Han Dynasties," and which opens to public between Wednesday and January 28, 2024, showcases more than 120 pieces from nine Chinese museums. (Xinhua/Meng Dingbo) The exterior view of the Archaeological Museum of Alicante is seen in Alicante, Spain, March 28, 2023. The Archaeological Museum of Alicante opened on Tuesday a unique exhibition of China's renowned Terracotta Warriors, known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World." The exhibition, titled "The Legend of China's Qin and Han Dynasties," and which opens to public between Wednesday and January 28, 2024, showcases more than 120 pieces from nine Chinese museums. (Xinhua/Meng Dingbo) People visit an exhibition of China's renowned Terracotta Warriors in Alicante, Spain, March 28, 2023. The Archaeological Museum of Alicante opened on Tuesday a unique exhibition of China's renowned Terracotta Warriors, known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World." The exhibition, titled "The Legend of China's Qin and Han Dynasties," and which opens to public between Wednesday and January 28, 2024, showcases more than 120 pieces from nine Chinese museums. (Xinhua/Meng Dingbo) A visitor is seen during an exhibition of China's renowned Terracotta Warriors in Alicante, Spain, March 28, 2023. The Archaeological Museum of Alicante opened on Tuesday a unique exhibition of China's renowned Terracotta Warriors, known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World." The exhibition, titled "The Legend of China's Qin and Han Dynasties," and which opens to public between Wednesday and January 28, 2024, showcases more than 120 pieces from nine Chinese museums. (Xinhua/Meng Dingbo) People visit an exhibition of China's renowned Terracotta Warriors in Alicante, Spain, March 28, 2023. The Archaeological Museum of Alicante opened on Tuesday a unique exhibition of China's renowned Terracotta Warriors, known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World." The exhibition, titled "The Legend of China's Qin and Han Dynasties," and which opens to public between Wednesday and January 28, 2024, showcases more than 120 pieces from nine Chinese museums. (Xinhua/Meng Dingbo) China's Minister of Culture and Tourism Hu Heping speaks during the opening ceremony of an exhibition of China's renowned Terracotta Warriors in Alicante, Spain, March 28, 2023. The Archaeological Museum of Alicante opened on Tuesday a unique exhibition of China's renowned Terracotta Warriors, known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World." The exhibition, titled "The Legend of China's Qin and Han Dynasties," and which opens to public between Wednesday and January 28, 2024, showcases more than 120 pieces from nine Chinese museums. (Xinhua/Meng Dingbo) People visit an exhibition of China's renowned Terracotta Warriors in Alicante, Spain, March 28, 2023. The Archaeological Museum of Alicante opened on Tuesday a unique exhibition of China's renowned Terracotta Warriors, known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World." The exhibition, titled "The Legend of China's Qin and Han Dynasties," and which opens to public between Wednesday and January 28, 2024, showcases more than 120 pieces from nine Chinese museums. (Xinhua/Meng Dingbo) People visit an exhibition of China's renowned Terracotta Warriors in Alicante, Spain, March 28, 2023. The Archaeological Museum of Alicante opened on Tuesday a unique exhibition of China's renowned Terracotta Warriors, known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World." The exhibition, titled "The Legend of China's Qin and Han Dynasties," and which opens to public between Wednesday and January 28, 2024, showcases more than 120 pieces from nine Chinese museums. (Xinhua/Meng Dingbo) People visit an exhibition of China's renowned Terracotta Warriors in Alicante, Spain, March 28, 2023. The Archaeological Museum of Alicante opened on Tuesday a unique exhibition of China's renowned Terracotta Warriors, known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World." The exhibition, titled "The Legend of China's Qin and Han Dynasties," and which opens to public between Wednesday and January 28, 2024, showcases more than 120 pieces from nine Chinese museums. (Xinhua/Meng Dingbo) Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. Town of Onondaga, N.Y. -- The call came in at about 10:30 a.m. Thursday: Seven students were reportedly shot in a bathroom at Westhill High School. Its the last thing any police officer wants to hear. It kicked off a huge response from multiple police agencies whose officers rushed to the school of more than 500 students on Onondaga Boulevard in the town of Onondaga. Students were ordered to stay in place and the school went into a lockout. Was the call real? Was there a shooter? Or was it a hoax? Camillus Police Chief Michael Schreyer said it took officers around 30 minutes to confirm that there was no active threat and everyone was safe. It was a hoax call. The hoax call turned out to be part of a series of calls that hit high schools across New York state on Thursday. There have been similar hoax calls in other states in recent weeks. Scheryer said he jumped in a car with fellow officers and rushed to the scene. Several other cars from four other agencies pulled up to the school at the exact moment he arrived. All that was running through the chiefs head was that there could be a mass casualty incident and the officers only goal was to stop the violence, Schreyer said. You have a job to do, he said. The first on the scene are typically expected to try and go in and investigate immediately, Schreyer said. All officers are trained to expect an active shooter until they can definitively rule there is no threat, he said. As the initial responders investigate, commanders from all the responding agencies started to collaborate and make sure that they are all on the same page, he said. Camillus police were called to assist the Geddes police, who were the first department dispatched to the call. The Onondaga County Sheriffs Office and State Police also responded to the scene. Until they can determine there is no immediate threat, law enforcement does not worry about who has jurisdiction, Schreyer said. They work together to coordinate the response, he said. Once they confirmed the call was a hoax. The investigation is turned over to the agency with immediate jurisdiction. Schreyer said that the Onondaga County Sheriffs Office has taken point on the local investigation. Staff writer Anne Hayes covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at ahayes@syracuse.com. Authorities in 11 states have reported swatting calls, or false 911 calls, of active shooters in schools in the last month. The hoax calls have been reported across the country for months, the Associated Press reported. On Thursday, hoax school shooter calls were called into authorities across New York state including in Central New York. One call sent police rushing to Westhill High School. Utah and Pennsylvania reported fake shooter calls Wednesday, Massachusetts a day earlier and Kansas and Rhode Island on Monday. The FBI is investigating the string of hoax calls around the country, said FBI Public Affairs Specialist Sarah Ruane. The FBI declined to release more information about the calls. On Thursday morning, New York state police announced that swatting calls reported active shooters in schools across the state. They were all confirmed to be unfounded, police said. Schools were hit across the state including districts in these counties: Onondaga, Oneida, St. Lawrence, Albany, Putnam, Westchester and Clinton. In Onondaga County, the hoax call to the 911 center reported seven students had been shot in a bathroom at Westhill High School in the town of Onondaga. The school told students to stay in place and the school went into a lockout. Officers in about 30 minutes confirmed the call was a hoax. Related: How Central NY police responded to hoax call that 7 students were shot An FBI statement from Pittsburgh reported calls were made through Pennsylvania schools Wednesday. The schools received computer-generated calls making claims about active shooters, Pennsylvania State Police reported in a tweet. A day earlier, 28 communities within Massachusetts announced hoax calls reporting school shootings, Massachusetts State Police told reporters. Utah schools also received hoax calls Wednesday. The Utah Department of Public Safety said the calls came from an automated program set up to make the calls simultaneously, Utah DPS told reporters Wednesday. DPS reported the calls came from an IP address out of the country. Swatting is a prank call that involves calling 911 and faking an emergency that draws a response from law enforcementusually a SWAT team, according to the FBI. It is a form of harassment to deceive an emergency service provider. These calls are dangerous to first responders and to the victims. In 2017, a police officer in Wichita, Kansas, shot and killed a man while responding to a hoax emergency call according to CNN. A man was sentenced for the hoax call. A 17-year-old from New Jersey was arrested for allegedly making false calls about threats and shootings at a New Jersey high school in 2022. Brad Parga was arrested and charged on March 6 as an adult for a false report of using a firearm in a violent manner, a felony, and disruption of school function, a misdemeanor, deputies told reporters. Swatting calls were first reported by the FBI as early as 2008. How many occur each year is unknown, but an FBI special agent guessed there were hundreds, according to CNN. The states with reported school swatting calls in 2023 are: New York Rhode Island Nebraska Iowa Delaware Massachusetts Pennsylvania Minnesota Kansas Utah New Jersey Staff writer Darian Stevenson covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at dstevenson@syracuse.com The appeal and influence of the China-proposed Global Security Initiative (GSI) has been growing since it was proposed one year ago at the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference in China's Hainan. That's according to Nong Rong, China's assistant minister of foreign affairs, during an address at a session of the BFA Annual Conference 2023, which is currently underway in Hainan. Nong said that the GSI has gained extensive recognition and positive response from the global community. More than 80 countries and international organizations have expressed appreciation and support for the Initiative. The GSI has also been written in more than 20 bilateral and multilateral documents on China's exchanges with relevant countries and organizations. For the Asia-Pacific, Nong said that the GSI has pointed the way for all parties to maintain security and stability in the region. Produced by Xinhua Global Service Editors note: Staff writer Fernando Alba contributed to this report. Skaneateles, N.Y. Skaneateles police say they have identified three youths they say are responsible for vandalizing school and town property with graffiti and anti-semitic messages almost two weeks ago. On March 18, graffiti was spray painted on school property, sidewalks, roads and street signs, police said. Anti-semitic messages were found on Leitch Avenue, they said. Benjamin Poole, 18, was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief and making graffiti, according to the Onondaga County District Attorneys Office Thursday. He was issued an appearance ticket. Two 17-year-olds were also charged in the vandalism, Skaneateles Police Chief Scott Heggelke said Friday. He did not release their names or say what they were charged with, referring questions the DAs office. Syracuse.com has asked the DAs office for more information. Susan DeMari, security liaison for the Jewish Federation of Central New York who worked with the Skaneateles police, said the incident left her feeling disgusted and in dismay. This is scary to the Jewish community, she said. Bringing awareness to the situation helps to simmer that fear. DeMari said she wanted to make sure people knew the Skaneateles police were investigating and that there was no imminent threat. DeMari said her organization works to educate those who are responsible for incidents such as the one committed overnight on March 18. Editors note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly reported two teens had been charged. Staff writer Darian Stevenson covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at dstevenson@syracuse.com Get your tastebuds ready, the New York City-inspired flavors of Brooklyn Pickle sandwich shops will soon be available in Utica, NY. Customers will be able to enjoy the newest location of the Syracuse-based brand for the first time at 10:30 a.m. Monday, April 17, according to a press release. It will be the fourth location for the company and the first outside of Syracuse. The restaurant had originally planned to open in March, but had to delay due to construction setbacks, News Channel 2 reported. Brooklyn Pickle Utica will have its signature giant sandwiches and pickles alongside the usual array of subs, soups, salads, and desserts. Just like Syracuse, it will offer dine-in, take-out and catering options for customers. However, the Utica location will have one thing Syracuse shops do not: the new location will be the first to sell beer. Brooklyn Pickle owner Craig Kowadla told syracuse.com previously that he has no immediate plans to introduce beer to the three existing restaurants. The restaurant is located at 600 State St. in the former Utica Steam Cotton building. Kowadla said in a statement that the new location will have exposed brick and stone, a neon sign, a Brooklyn Bridge wall-wrap and high-top chess and backgammon tables. Kowadla will continue to expand Brooklyn Pickles footprint with another location to come this summer in North Carolina, in the small town of Pinehurst. Its an area hes spent a lot of time in and thinks it will be a good fit for the sandwich shop. READ MORE Where is Americas best pizza city? Top 10 list includes one Upstate NY metro area You may be paying too much (or not enough) for your Big Mac in Upstate NY A CNY food fest named one of Americas best reveals details for return in April It was not a coincidence that the parents of noted womens rights leader, organizer, and political trailblazer, Harriet May Mills, settled in Syracuse in 1852. Less than a year removed from the Jerry Rescue, the city had become a nationally recognized hub of political radicalism and reform and was set to host the third National Womens Rights Convention in September, just a few weeks before the first commemoration of that polarizing act of civil disobedience on October 1. Having both come from families dedicated to abolitionism and education, Charles and Harriet Smith Mills found a vibrant community of like-minded people and threw themselves headlong into the work being done by the dazzling array of brilliant and talented change-agents coalescing in and around the Salt City. Looking back on their arrival in the bustling city nearly seven decades later, Harriet Smith Mills recalled walking to the Jerry Rescue Celebration with her infant son, William, taking in the speakers that day, which included luminaries like Lucretia Mott, Gerrit Smith, Frederick Douglass, and the Rev. Samuel May. It was, she pointed out, Mr. Mills deep admiration for Rev. May that led to their decision to settle in Syracuse in the first place. Over the ensuing years, May became a dear friend of Charles and Harriet; so much so that when the couple welcomed their second child - a daughter - to the world a few years later, they named her after him. The Mills could not have picked a more suitable namesake, and their daughter devoted her life to living up to the peerless example and reputation of their dear friend by fighting tirelessly to square Americas vaunted ideals with the lived experience of millions of her fellow citizens. - The Mills home, 1072 West Genesee St., Syracuse. Harriet May Mills lived her from 1857 until she died in 1935. Following an article in 2000 written by Sean Kirst calling attention to the potential loss of the house, Preservation Association of Central New York Vice President Beth Crawford worked closely with the homeowner, Jim Taylor, to save and renovate the property. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Onondaga Historical Association Onondaga Historical AssociationOnondaga Historical Association Harriet May Mills was born on August 9, 1857. That same year, her parents built their new home on West Genesee Street. It was in this house, a stop on the Underground Railroad, where Harriet grew up and lived out her years, surrounded by ideas, books, and discussions attended by some of the nations leading thinkers and activists that shaped her mind and her expectations as to what was possible. While in her youth, a veritable whos who of the American abolitionist and suffrage movement visited her parents home including Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, Gerrit Smith, Wendall Phillips, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Bronson Alcott, whose daughter Louisa, was also named after Rev. Samuel May, who was her dear uncle. In addition to these notable men, visionary female leaders like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Abby Kelly, Lucy Stone, Susan B. Anthony, and Matilda Joslyn Gage were frequent visitors and Harriet learned at their feet and grew into a trusted confidant and exceedingly capable colleague of many of them, helping to lead the next generation of American feminists and suffragists through the final decades of the long struggle that culminated with the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920. Mills played a central role in this long-awaited victory. Unsurprisingly, considering her parents skills and her heady upbringing, Mills was gifted writer, speaker, and organizer. After graduating from Cornell University in 1879 with a degree in literature, Harriet returned to Syracuse and taught at the private Keble School. After touring Europe in 1886, she settled in Boston where she taught literature for several years. Eventually, however, she returned to Syracuse. Mills never married (she often referred self-effacingly to herself as an old spinster) and instead devoted herself to the cause of education and womens suffrage and began her long and fruitful career as an organizer and lecturer of national significance. In 1892, Harriet founded a Political Equality Club in her hometown and hosted a very successful conference that helped cement her reputation as major force in the movement. Around this same time, she began her work on behalf of the National Woman Suffrage Association, traveling as far afield as California to rally support for that states ultimately unsuccessful attempt at a constitutional amendment in 1896. From her home on the corner of West Genesee and Liberty Street, that became the headquarters of the New York State Suffrage Association, she wrote articles and speeches, helped organize marches and other events to draw publicity to the cause. In a speech entitled Women Suffrage in the Home that she delivered before the Oneida County Political Equality Club in October, 1901, Harriet skewered the prevailing sentiments of her opponents that women voting would be a disaster to the home. Calling out their detractors ignorance of our aims and methods, which she rightly pointed out had been a common tactic since the 1830s, Mills derided the old wiseacres and conservatives who seemed to think that the home was a frail institution that might be swept away by a breath. We have legal rights today and the home has not disappeared, she continued. Women had also gained the right to work and to get an education, all the while being met with the same criticism, but the home has not disappeared. Despite these gains, Mills pointed out that womens journey to full citizenship was still unfinished. The problems confronting us can never be settled until women are freein the matter of the franchise as well. Turning the rhetoric of her opponents back on themselves, she asked, how can a women protect her home effectively until she has a voice in the conditions under which the home exists? The home, Mills argued, was no longer confined within four walls. It is the city, the state, the nation. The nation is merely a collection of homes. The home will never be protected until woman is free to vote Speeches like this kept Mills at the forefront of the movement and made her a sought-after speaker across the collection of homes. In 1910, she was elected president of the New York State Woman Suffrage Association, which thanks to her leadership and the tireless efforts of her compatriots had become the largest woman suffrage organization in the nation. It was due in large parts to the efforts of the NYSWSA that New York, the site of the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, finally passed a constitutional amendment securing womens right to vote in 1917. But Harriet was not contented with this victory. She wasted no time in continuing her ceaseless struggle to break through the glass ceilings put in front of her and her fellow women. - In July 1920, Harriet May Mills was nominated as the Democratic candidate for Secretary of State of New York, making her the very first female candidate for state-wide office on a major party ticket. Courtesy of the Onondaga Historical AssociationOnondaga Historical Association In 1920, as the country was on the verge of ratifying the 19th Amendment, Mills, in recognition of her contributions and leadership, was elected as an at-large delegate to represent New York State at the Democratic National Convention. That July, she was nominated as the Democratic candidate for Secretary of State, making her the very first female candidate for state-wide office on a major party ticket. In an act too improbable for a Hollywood script, her 94-year-old mother, the Oberlin College graduate and pioneering suffragist, was able to cast her vote for her daughter in what was ultimately an unsuccessful bid. Despite the electoral setback, Mills foray into state and national Democratic Party politics brought her into contact with Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, who remained among her closest friends until her death in 1935. But before she passed of her mortal coil, Mills notched one more historic achievement for her incredible resume. In 1932, she was selected to serve as an elector for New York State in the upcoming presidential election. In that capacity, she cast her vote in the Electoral College for her friend, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Accordingly, she was among the distinguished guests at his inauguration on March 4, 1933. Join NY Cannabis Insider on April 20 in Victor, NY, for an industry meetup. Details and tickets here. Jeremy Unruh is the senior vice president of public and regulatory affairs at PharmaCann, one of New Yorks 10 licensed medical cannabis companies. An accompanying story published today lays out why the company is considering laying off some of its workforce in the near future. Unruh talked to NY Cannabis Insider in a wide-ranging interview about the state of New Yorks medical cannabis program. Weve edited that conversation down slightly for clarity. Can you give a quick overview of PharmaCann and the companys current challenges? We are one of the 10 registered organizations here in New York. And in fact, we are proud to hold the very first regulated license that New York ever issued for cannabis back in 2013. So our our challenge right now is just the notion that its coming up on two years of the enactment of the MRTA. And the only thing that we have to show for it is 1,400 to 1,500 illicit commercial operators in New York, between $700 million to $1.3 billion depending on who you ask dollars worth of product thats rotting in warehouses from the conditional cultivators and conditional processors, no tax revenues and a decaying medical patient population. Sign up for the NY Cannabis Insider newsletter So, given the fact that so much delay has taken place since the enactment of the MRTA, and given the fact that we as a company exist to serve patients, if these resources and assets that we have cannot produce revenue, then we have to pivot our resources away from those assets. And unfortunately, New York is one of those markets in which thats likely to take place. I dont need to explain to you the nature of this down market that were facing. To the extent that there is any capital anywhere, its very, very expensive and very, very difficult to get in the weed business. And a lot of investors and a lot of operators are tired. Theyre flagging right now theyre on fumes, and we are no different. And in fact, if its true for us, I think its probably even more true as you sort of trickle down the food chain, so to speak. And to the extent that we cant have any clarity on our ability to access the adult-use space like the MRTA delineates, then we are going to be in the regrettable position of drawing back on our resources. And that includes hours at dispensaries, and that includes the layoffs of a lot of good, valuable, full-time employees of ours. So are the layoffs more of a hypothetical or is it specific, like, if this doesnt change in 60 days, were going to lay off X amount of people? Id put it somewhere in the middle of that continuum, but closer to the latter than the former. Im trying to be diplomatic about it. Because what I dont want to do is spook our employees. Our employees are valuable to us. These are people that have committed to us, particularly in our production facility, where we have about 200 of them. They live there, and they send their kids down the street to school. These are not what I would call traditional, fungible retail employees that are here for a season and then they go somewhere else. And as we get into early May, if there still really is no end in sight ... I dont mean just sort of the speculative expect regulations in late July and now Ive heard the word August, and we know that thats going to move into September and then October, and its all muddy, right? How long is it going to be before they actually have that application out? Or are willing to undertake review of that application? So putting these sort of late 2023 general hazy notions of when this market will be ready for the registered organizations aside, if we dont have some clarity, then yeah, we will be in the unenviable position of laying off very valuable employees. Now, I cant say with any specificity that on X date were going to lay off X number of employees. But what I can tell you is, May 1 is when were certainly hoping we can get to before we have to make concrete decisions about drawing down our our workforce. May 1 meaning thats when you need to see a concrete timeline, where the OCM actually says, this is what were doing and when? I think thats part of it. I think a concrete timeline thats reliable. For companies like ours, the inclarity is crippling for us. We need to be able to forecast what we can do and when we can do it, and what will be the result of that, so that we can make payroll for that pool of people at that particular point in time. We need to be able to understand when revenues are going to be coming in the door, so that we can ensure that we can pay for the operations that we undertake, and that includes employing people. And that includes developing our four additional dispensary sites, if thats even a thing, as well as running operations in other states. You cant make business decisions based on, well, maybe this, but maybe not that. So thats part of it. But the other part is also knowing when we are, as companies, going to be allowed to participate, as the MRTA delineates for us. Weve been around for nearly a decade. Weve built an infrastructure over the last decade. Weve learned how to deliver, weve learned how to create shipping manifests, weve learned inventory control, weve learned quality assurance when the quality assurance standards in New York were more strict than those used for the US Pharmacopoeia. We cut our teeth building out this medical infrastructure and so theres a lot that we can teach. Theres a lot that we can do to help facilitate getting this industry down the runway and getting it finally up off the ground. There are tremendous opportunities for us to teach these operators a little bit more about some of the regulatory rigors that I think the state will ultimately want to impose. Its about turning this sort of high-minded policy into real commercial trading relationships. Once you do that, there is an immediate ally. How many employees across all different parts growers, retail, etc. does PharmaCann employ in New York? In New York, were pushing about 300 employees. Maybe 200 or so are in the production facility, and then 100 are at the four dispensaries. Have you recently had talks with the employees about this possibility? No, we havent had specific sit-down talks where we meet with them and say, this is going to happen on such and such date, because we are working really hard to belay that because literally the very last thing we want to do is lay people off. But the condition of the New York marketplace is not a surprise to our employees. Nor is it a surprise to the union. Weve been engaging with them over these potentialities, but we havent sat down and said specifically, if this doesnt happen by X particular date then were going to be laying off X number of employees. Were trying to avoid that eventuality. What ways could these layoffs affect patients in New York State? It would not affect the availability of our products other than our dispensaries may start to trim or tighten their hours. Instead of being open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., maybe were open Tuesday and Thursday for those hours and then Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from noon to 6 p.m., or something like that. We would start to trim down the hours, which will help us continue to keep people employed without just simply laying them off. But it wont have any impact on quality assurance or availability of the products that we already make and furnish in our dispensaries. New Yorks patient count has been declining for a while. But to be fair, even if the OCM got everything right over the past year and a half, are there other factors at play here, besides OCM not being open about their timeline, that are affecting the medical market? Patient registrations went up fairly rapidly to about 150,000 patients in maybe 2019 to early 2020-ish. And then, if you look at the patient numbers and the revenues, in July of 2021, which I believe was was roughly when the MRTA was actually signed into law it was passed by both houses on March 31 and then I think it was signed by the governor about a month or two later thats when you saw numbers begin to trail off. And it was because it was so much easier, theres so much less friction for our medical patients, to go down the block to these bodegas and these other illicit operators. So the medical program in New York has never really been fostered or facilitated by the state at any level. Pennsylvania has a medical program with about 450,000 or 500,000 patients in it. And its two years younger than New Yorks. Florida, a state with a similar population, has 750,000 patients in their medical program today. Weve never gotten above 155,000 or 160,000. And thats being generous. I do think that there has been a lot of antipathy towards the registered organizations by the OCM. You know, there are plenty of people who were in the Department of Health who are now in the OCM, who are really great to work with, particularly the technical people. But there really has never been any effort to go out and publicize about the medical marijuana program, or even just make it frictionless. This is a random question but Ill ask it: are the MSOs considering using the fact that medical cannabis is way cheaper than whats currently available at the licensed adult-use stores as a sales pitch to get more registered patients? Were kind of talking about marketing here. There are certain structural limitations that we have, where you have to go see a physician and get that original recommendation, and then you can come in, and we could try to offset some of that cost by giving you discounts for the physician. You have this upfront investment that you have to make. And thats a barrier. Every one of those things I just mentioned is a barrier to entry. PharmaCann is one of the organizations that is part of the coalition thats suing the OCM. Can you talk about the decision to go along with that lawsuit, when half of the states MSOs said no to joining in? Desperate times call for desperate measures. Thats it? We dont like suing our regulators. I want to build bridges and have creative relationships with our regulators, and work with them like we do in Michigan, like we do in Illinois. But its been two years, there is no revenue being generated for the state in this adult-use program. I dont know what choice we had, frankly, than to just escalate this issue and point out the the old weed adage: the emperor doesnt have any clothes on. This program is failing right now. And we dont want to dismantle it or disrupt it. We just want the OCM and the state, the governors office, to do what is laid out in the MRTA and get this thing off the runway and into the air. Once you build that ecosystem and get it going, it takes care of itself. Right now there is no there there. If you notice, we did not go in and ask for injunctive relief to take peoples CAURD licenses from them or dismantle the CAURD program. Were simply pointing out that its not what was in the statute. The thing about not asking for injunctive relief when you go in and allege that something is unconstitutional, and ask a judge to find it unconstitutional, doesnt that therefore infer that it will be taken away? A judge cant see something as unconstitutional, then just let it be? Were asking for a declaration from the court an adjudication, a piece of paper that says the CAURD program is unconstitutional as written. And I think the practical effect of that, if and when such a an order comes down, is that the OCM and the CCB and the state have to look at that and say, Hmm, we need to comport ourselves in a way that is constitutional and so lets make these changes, and lets fix what weve done. As opposed to, Hey, judge, stop the presses, hold everything at the status quo and blow everything up and make them do it all over again from scratch. Theres a difference there. I think what would ultimately happen is a judge issues an order saying that this particular functionality of the statute is unconstitutional and if the state continues to engage in unconstitutional behavior, then I think the state could be subject to sanction. OCMs Axel Bernabe was quoted in an interview last week with Green Market Report saying the agency is going to issue possibly another 100 CAURD licenses at their next meeting. Thoughts? Again, were not trying to take away the opportunity for new retailers in the space. And Ive known Axel since day one. I appreciate what hes saying. And I appreciate the market structure that hes trying to build. And were not trying to dismantle that. Hes trying to set up a market structure that has little independently owned retailers so that those retailers can free of the undue influence that he thinks verticality and ownership conflicts create determine whose products are good and whose products are not good and whose products people want and whose products they dont want. We get that, and we think it makes some sense, based on what the MRTA says. So his comments were not surprising. They were not inflammatory or anything. I think its very consistent with how hes functioned. Frankly, if they want to issue new licenses, thats their prerogative, theyre not under any impediments at this time to do that. I just hope that they dont set people up for failure, for false hope, when they may not have the ability to breathe life into all these retail operators. Last question. There are a lot of folks who plain and simple just dont like MSOs, dont trust them. You will get criticism for this interview from those who will say that youre leveraging your employees to threaten the OCM so that you can get a foothold in this market. Lets get that out in the open. How do you respond to that? Listen, I understand the skepticism. I think that skepticism will happen regardless of whether or not what Im saying has merit. In truth, our company has been investing between $1 and $2 million into New York each month for eight years. And were now at a place after two years since the MRTA was passed where we have, again, a decaying population of medical patients we just, we just cant do that anymore. We cant do that anymore. We cant continue to run a production facility that can serve all of the adult-use retail or any of the adult-use retailers who choose to engage in commerce with us, as the MRTA spells out, if were not allowed to engage with those trading partners. Join NY Cannabis Insider on April 20 in Victor, NY, for an industry meetup. Details and tickets here. New Yorks medical cannabis companies werent exaggerating when they said, in a recent lawsuit against the Office of Cannabis Management, that they are suffering immediate, tangible, and irreparable harm. NY Cannabis Insider has learned that Acreage Holdings, which has four dispensaries across the state, recently laid off at least 12 employees. PharmaCann, which also has four dispensaries and employs roughly 300 people throughout the state, expects layoffs in the very near future if things dont change at the state level. Sign up for the NY Cannabis Insider newsletter Our company has been investing between $1 and $2 million into New York each month for eight years, said Jeremy Unruh, PharmaCanns senior VP of public and regulatory affairs. And were now at a place after two years since the MRTA was passed where we have a decaying population of medical patients we just cant do that anymore. Related: An in-depth discussion with PharmaCanns Jeremy Unruh about the state of NYs medical market Acreage and PharmaCann are part of a coalition that includes Curaleaf, Green Thumb Industries, medical practitioners and dispensary license hopefuls that sued OCM and the Cannabis Control Board in mid-March. Their complaint alleges unconstitutional policymaking and overreach, egregious abdication of duties, and actions that put New Yorkers health and safety at risk. The case, awaiting assignment in Albany County Supreme Court, takes issue with the states Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary program, which is awarding the first retail dispensary licenses to justice-involved individuals and nonprofits. The coalition says the MRTA required regulators to open the initial adult-use retail dispensary license application period for all applicants at the same time, meaning they want in on the marketplace. New Yorks medical cannabis program has seen better days. Patient registrations are down. There arent enough medical dispensaries to service the states population. And though the OCM has taken steps to improve the program by allowing medical home cultivation, adding flower to the list of approved products, and recently launching a patient auto-registration advocates and New Yorks medical cannabis companies allege its not enough. To the extent that we cant have any clarity on our ability to access the adult-use space like the MRTA delineates, then we are going to be in the regrettable position of drawing back on our resources, Unruh said. And that includes hours at dispensaries, and that will include the layoffs of a lot of good, valuable, full-time employees. Unruh said PharmaCann has until roughly May 1 before the company will make concrete decisions about drawing down our workforce. Acreage Holdings Acreage Holdings wouldnt grant an interview for this story, but the companys executive VP, Bryan Murray, provided a statement to NY Cannabis Insider: In anticipation of adult-use for all licensees including ROs in 2023, we invested approximately $13 million dollars in our cultivation and processing facility. We also expected OCM to implement improvements to the medical program. However, with no ability to enter the adult-use market in sight, minimal improvements to the medical program, and competition from a thriving illicit market, we had no recourse but to scale down our facility with a corresponding reduction in the team along with an OCM-approved reduction in the days of operation at two of our dispensaries. Importantly, all reductions were done in concert with the union. Acreage also wouldnt confirm the total number of employees it recently laid off, but a spokesperson for Local 338 the union representing workers at these facilities told NY Cannabis Insider that 12 union employees at Acreage were among those recently let go. Joseph Fontano, Local 338s secretary and treasurer, said the union is incredibly disappointed that we are starting to see layoffs in what should be an emerging industry. Unfortunately, the medical cannabis market just has not been what we all expected it would be, Fontano said. We are hopeful that the Office of Cannabis Management and our states elected leaders will see these layoffs impacting New Yorkers across the state who helped build the industry as an alarm bell. Join NY Cannabis Insider on April 20 for an industry meetup at the Finger Lakes Cannabis Co. in Victor, NY. Tickets available here. Rosie Mattio is the founder and CEO of MATTIO Communications, a leading PR firm in the cannabis industry. She discusses the challenges faced by women leaders, shares valuable resources and tools that have helped her succeed, and pays tribute to the women who have inspired her throughout her journey. Sign up for the NY Cannabis Insider newsletter Women are vastly underrepresented in cannabis, and not just in New York. From 2019 to 2022, executive-level females have seen their industry-wide status drop from 37% to 23%. Yet the MRTA makes things very clear: women-owned businesses are a key component of the states social and economic equity plan. NY Cannabis Insider is seeking to elevate women in cannabis through a hyper focus on female story sourcing, quoting and visual layouts, balanced representation in our People to know and Behind the story series, and prioritized guest column submissions. This series will last for as long as submissions come in. Why did you launch your career in the cannabis industry? Were there any women who inspired you to do so? How did you do it? I launched my career in cannabis in 2014 just as Washington State was turning on adult-use cannabis. I had my own one-woman PR firm for 10 years prior but was focused on the specialty food and tech industries. In 2014, I was approached to launch a crowdfunding campaign for a cookbook because I had food and tech experience. It turned out to be a cannabis cookbook. After that project wrapped, a light bulb went off in my head: I could bring my mainstream approach to PR to this emerging sector. I come from a long line of female entrepreneurs, so I had inspiration from them to pave my own path in this new industry. What do you think is the most significant barrier to women leadership? Are the barriers different in cannabis than any other industry? I would say there are two barriers right now for women: Across all industries, women raise fewer venture dollars than their male counterparts. In cannabis, this makes it even harder for women entrepreneurs to raise the capital they need. There is still a stigma around women and cannabis use, so it is hard for women to feel confident to take that plunge into this space. Whats the most common behavior or trait that you have seen derail women leaders careers, or at least negatively impact them? Number one is imposter syndrome. I see women often lacking the confidence to find their voices and second guess themselves when they are just as smart and capable as anyone else in a room. By not asserting themselves, they can often miss opportunities for which they are qualified. What are the benefits to having women in leadership? What benefits have you received from your leadership experiences? There are numerous benefits to having women in leadership positions. Women bring diverse perspectives to the decision-making process, possess strong communication skills, and the ability to build relationships, and are great multitaskers. In terms of my own leadership experiences, the most rewarding part is being able to mentor and develop a whole squad of communications professionals who will be the next generation of market-makers and leaders. Shout out your other favorite women-owned or women-led businesses in the industry. Some inspiring women-led businesses in the industry include: Jen Drake, CSO, AYR Wellness Emily Paxhia, Managing Director, Poseidon Karson Humiston, Founder and CEO, Vangst Amber Senter, CEO, of MAKR House Sara Stewart, CEO, RITUAL Brett Heyman, CEO of Edie Parker Cynthia Salarizadeh, President, House Of Saka Martine Frances Pierre, Cannalution Jennifer Fisher Briggs, Goodwin Law Debra Borchardt, Green Market Report Who/what are your favorite tools and resources in the industry? As a publicist, my daily resources are really the outlets and reporters that cover our space daily. Each has its unique perspective and helps us get better at our jobs. What advice would you give your 25-year-old self? What advice would you give to the next generation of women leaders? Be adaptable: Be open to new experiences and opportunities. Network: Build relationships with people in your industry or field of interest. Take care of yourself: Prioritize your physical and mental health. Support others: Be a mentor and an advocate for policies that support gender equality and diversity. Continuously learn and grow: Stay relevant and up-to-date on new technologies, trends, and best practices to ensure success. Is there anything we left out that youd like to add? As a born and bred New Yorker (Bronx native), I feel so much pride that the next frontier in cannabis is in my home state and that our agency is headquartered here. If youd like people to connect with you, please share your favorite methods of contact (email, phone, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.). rosie@mattio.com, Twitter @rosiemattio Editors note: Staff writers Darian Stevenson, Rylee Kirk, and Elizabeth Doran contributed to this report. Town of Onondaga, N.Y. -- State troopers said that false reports of school shootings were received Thursday across New York state including in Central New York In a tweet at 10:30 a.m., they announced that swatting calls, or false 911 calls, reported active shooters in schools across the state. They confirmed that all the reports have been unfounded. Around 10:20 a.m., the Onondaga County 911 Center received a report of a shooting in a bathroom at Westhill High School in the town of Onondaga. Officers rushing to the scene were told seven students had been shot. Camillus Police, Geddes Police, State troopers and Onondaga County sheriffs deputies rushed to Westhill High School. Westhill Central School District Superintendant Stephen Dunham confirmed the call was false in a note to parents Thursday morning. Westhill High School went into a hold in place and lockout as a result of the false report, he said. These are hoax calls intended to get a response from law enforcement, Dunham said. They are incredibly scary and troubling situations that are taken seriously by schools and law enforcement. Shortly after the call, Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said he received calls from other district attorneys across the state who were told that the reports were part of a state-wide hoax. Fitzpatrick has heard about confirmed hoax calls in Onondaga, Oneida, St. Lawrence, Albany and Clinton counties. Several schools across Putnam County and Westchester County also received hoax calls, according to a Facebook post from the Town of Putnam Valley. In Utica officers also responded to calls of gunfire at Proctor High School that turned out to be false, according to a Facebook post from the Utica Police Department. Rome Free Academy also received a call and it was determined to be possibly the same caller, according to a Facebook post from the Rome Police Department. In Buffalo police responded to a weapons call at South Park High School and a K9 unit searched the school, according to a Facebook post from the Buffalo Police Department. The call was believed to be fake, similar to false calls reported across the state and nation in the past couple days, Buffalo police said. Albany High School also received a false call, according to a Facebook post from Albany Police. Potsdam also received a false call, according to the Potsdam Police Department Facebook. More false calls are expected to occur throughout the day, said Tom Newton, a spokesperson for the Onondaga County Sheriffs Office. West Genessee High School also triggered a temporary lockout as a result of the reports at Westhill High School, according to a tweet from West Genessee High Schools principal Tracy Klefbeck. The lock-out at West Genesee has been lifted, Klefbeck said. By 10:45 a.m., officers were already beginning to leave Westhill High Shool after it was confirmed the call was a hoax. Troopers are working with local leaders across the state to investigate the threats. FBI Public Affairs Specialist Sarah Ruane said the FBI is aware of the numerous swatting incidents. Ruane said they will continue to work with local, state, and federal law enforcement to gather, share, and act on threat information as it comes to their attention. Swatting is a prank call alleging a fake emergency, according to the FBI. In 2017, a police officer in Wichita, Kansas, shot and killed a man while responding to a hoax emergency call according to CNN. A man was sentenced for the hoax call. A strong police presence in front of the Westhill High School where there was a false call of a shooting .Police agencies from the State police, Geddes, Camillus, and Onondaga answered the call. Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com. March 30, 2023. Staff writer Anne Hayes covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at ahayes@syracuse.com. By Brendan J. Lyons | Times Union, Albany Albany, N.Y. The battle for control of Congress next year is already being waged in a New York appellate court where Democrats are seeking to revive a case challenging the redrawing of state congressional boundaries after 11 New York Republicans won elections last year helping secure their partys narrow majority in the House. The lawsuit seeks to compel the state Independent Redistricting Commission to submit a new map to the Legislature that would reshape New Yorks congressional boundaries after a series of court rulings scrapped the gerrymandered districts that were created by state Democratic lawmakers. The boundaries were subsequently redrawn by a court prior to last years elections, and those maps are set to remain in place for the next decade. The appeal is being waged as Democrats in Congress are hoping to regain control of the House in next years election. The handful of unexpected GOP congressional victories last year in New York have made those seats a top priority for Democrats. If they are able to get new congressional boundaries through a court battle, it could improve their chances if those districts favor their candidates. A state Senate source and an attorney familiar with the case said its being pushed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. The appeal is filed on behalf of 10 New York residents who are being represented by the Elias Law Group in Washington, D.C., which touts itself as the nations largest law firm focused on representing the Democratic Party, Democratic campaigns, nonprofit organizations and individuals committed to securing a progressive future. A spokeswoman for the committee could not be immediately reached for comment on Wednesday. The case, which is scheduled to be argued in May before the Appellate Division of state Supreme Court in Albany, is unfolding in the backdrop of the politically charged effort to pick New Yorks next chief judge. The civil action essentially seeks a redo of the litigation that unfolded last year when the redistricting commission deadlocked along partisan lines, an impasse that allowed the Democrat-led Legislature to step in to finish the job creating boundaries that were later determined to be gerrymandered during a process that was also found to be procedurally unconstitutional. Some political observers have questioned whether progressive Democrats in the state Legislature had waged their recent effort to scuttle Gov. Kathy Hochuls first nominee for chief judge of the Court of Appeals to prevent that appellate justice, Hector D. LaSalle, from leading the states highest court should the redistricting case return there. Last year, the Court of Appeals determined the Legislatures maps were unconstitutional. That decision sent the process back to a state Supreme Court in Steuben County, where new maps for Congress and the state Senate were drawn by a special master. The speculation about keeping LaSalle viewed as a law and order jurist off the states highest court for that reason was fueled in early February when former U.S. Attorney Eric Holder, chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, called state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins to discuss the nomination of LaSalle, which was subsequently rejected by the Senate. But Democratic sources in the Senate have pushed back on that assertion, noting that LaSalle received strong support from New Yorks Democratic congressional delegation, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who called him highly qualified to be the chief judge of the state. Still, if the redistricting case makes it to the Court of Appeals, its possible that Hochuls second nominee for chief judge will be at the helm and that the seven-member courts political makeup could shift from what is now considered a conservative majority. The appeal in the new case is seeking to overturn an Albany judges ruling seven months ago that rejected their petition to compel the Independent Redistricting Commission to revive its work and submit a second congressional map to the Legislature. That outcome would result in the redistricting process thats supposed to be completed every 10 years being redone in time for the next congressional election in 2024. On Sept. 12, state Supreme Court Justice Peter A. Lynch rejected the petition in the ruling that is now being appealed. He said there was no authority for the redistricting commission to issue a second map, noting the 2022 congressional maps had been certified by a court in accord with the Court of Appeals decision and also the state constitution. The constitution clearly states that the redistricting shall take place every 10 years, which means the current maps are in full force and effect, until redistricting takes place again following the 2030 federal census, Lynch wrote. In a brief responding to the appeal, attorneys for 14 Republican New York residents who filed the lawsuit last year that successfully challenged the constitutionality of the Legislatures redistricting process and led to those maps being thrown out argue that the constitutional mandate that redistricting maps remain in place for 10 years is intended to provide stability in the election process. Petitioners sought-after relief runs afoul of that intent, for it would provide a path to an annual redistricting process, wreaking havoc on the electoral process, the brief states. Although the redistricting commission and its members are named as defendants in the case, the 14 GOP residents are intervening respondents in the case due to their part in the lawsuit that unraveled the states political boundaries last year. The plaintiffs attorneys note that New York overhauled its redistricting process in 2014 and had created the commission with the intent to make it a bipartisan undertaking handled by a diverse group of commissioners who would rely heavily on public comment. They argue that process broke down due to partisan differences and that the commission never officially finished its task when they deadlocked along partisan lines on two sets of boundaries during their second, constitutionally required attempt to get the job done. They also contend last years election took place using an interim map that had been drawn by an out-of-state academic and approved by a single elected judge in a process that largely shut out the views of minority voters. The boundaries that had been drawn by the Legislature last year and signed into law by Hochul before they were immediately challenged in court had been estimated to give Democrats an edge in 22 of 26 New York congressional seats. The court-authorized maps reflected boundaries that favored then-President Donald J. Trump in the 2020 election in five districts, and six other districts had boundaries that favored President Joe Biden by fewer than 10 points. In what was viewed as a stinging defeat for Democrats, voters in 11 New York congressional districts voted in favor of Republicans, upending original projections that they might win only four seats. The outcome was not entirely attributed to the political boundaries but it helped the Republicans taking control of the U.S. House of Representatives. The court-authorized maps were designed to promote competition between the two major parties in congressional races, in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans two to one. As the redistricting unfolded, many candidates announced their intention to run for certain districts that would eventually dramatically change including some candidates who ran in districts where they were not authorized to vote. The redistricting shuffle would also pit longtime members of Congress Jerry Nadler and Carolyn Maloney in a bitter Democratic primary that Nadler won. ___ (c)2023 the Times Union (Albany, N.Y.) Visit the Times Union (Albany, N.Y.) at www.timesunion.com By Joshua Solomon | Times Union, Albany Albany, N.Y. Proposed changes to New Yorks criminal justice statutes are continuing to be a focal point in what is supposed to be the final week of negotiations of the states budget. But siloed from the conversation on bail laws and crime statistics is data obtained by the Times Union which show a recent substantial decline in the use of drug or treatment courts for criminal defendants, which are intended to remedy not only their addiction but also prevent recidivism. In response to a recent Times Union story on the decline of drug court participation a drop-off that occurred after the states bail and pre-trial discovery laws were overhauled in 2019 some lawmakers are seeking to find a remedy to revive the role of those courts to provide more ccess to treatment for those accused of a crime, particularly at a time when overdoses are considered an epidemic. But elected officials have different views on the best steps forward. The use of drug court in New York City has declined by over 80 percent since the sweeping changes to the states bail and discovery laws in 2019, according to the court data. Upstate district attorneys also have offered numbers that show a sharp declined of those programs in many counties. For example, in Rensselaer Countys drug court, the decline was about 50 percent. In Schoharie County, it went from 65 participants down to fewer than 10. In Monroe County, home to Rochester where violent crime has continued to rise unlike anywhere else in New York participation in diversion courts is down by two-thirds since 2019. State lawmakers and experts in the field interviewed for this story all agreed that additional funding for access to treatment is a necessity. For many, its also a policy issue: For a diversion program premised as an alternative to incarceration, the lack of a threat of jail or prison time for most drug-related offenses has upended the coercive framework used to encourage people accused of a crime to choose treatment. State Sen. Jessica Ramos, D-Queens, reiterated the need for her legislation, Treatment not Jails, which would remove the need to enter a guilty plea to be accepted into a treatment court. She said that $15 million to expand access to mental health and other treatment courts is vital. If public safety is a priority, Ramos said, its a no-brainer. State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, pointed to concerns with the court system, which is currently without a chief judge. This is reflective of the chaotic holding pattern in which we find the Office of Court Administration, said Hoylman-Sigal, who also said it was incumbent upon judges to use the tools at their discretion and hold a belief that these courts can be effective diversion tools. Prosecutors generally offered skepticism at any policy that lacks a hammer to push someone accused of a crime into treatment. The coercion nature is what it is, said state Sen. Anthony Palumbo, R-Long Island, a former prosecutor who previously helped run a drug court in Suffolk County. Palumbo recalled individuals crying at drug court graduations, elated that they found recovery and a different path in their life. People stub their toe in life and make mistakes, Palumbo said. If they can get to the bottom of their issues and abide by the rules of society, thats a good thing. The dynamic over the last couple of years has played out differently in rural Wyoming County western New York, according to both the areas lead public defender and information from the district attorneys office there. In Wyoming County, relatively very few cases end up dismissed because of speedy trial breakdowns attributed to more strict timelines in the states pre-trial discovery laws. Wyoming County is also one of the lone counties to not have seen substantive drop-offs in participation in treatment courts. We have more of an opportunity to look at the substance of a case, said Leah R. Nowotarski, lead public defender in Wyoming County. And to determine is there a drug or alcohol problem that is sitting behind this conduct, and, if there is, what is the most appropriate way to go about treating it? A judge there is also known to be a proponent of drug court, which prosecutors believe makes it more inviting to recommend a qualified person for the alternative program. When a person enters a guilty plea to go to drug court, it requires them to remain clean and complete the program or face penalties that could include jail or prison terms. The biggest issue in rural Wyoming County is access to inpatient, staffed treatment beds for those struggling with a severe addiction, said Nowotarski, who is the vice chair of criminal justice for the New York State Bar Association. Wyoming Countys relative ability to continue to help individuals accused of crimes seek treatment could signal to state policymakers that if public defenders and prosecutors have sufficient resources to complete their work, it could lead to an increase in participants in drug court, especially in New York City. Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed substantial increases in funding for prosecutors to meet discovery law requirements; Democratic state lawmakers have proposed increases to both prosecutors and public defenders. Assemblyman John McDonald, D-Cohoes, noted the usefulness of Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion, which is known as LEAD. The program is billed as a community-based police diversion approach to addressing those involved in the criminal justice system because of addiction, mental illness and poverty. It is intended to connect individuals accused of certain crimes with a trauma-informed intensive case-management program that could help them with underlying, root causes, and which could prevent them from entering the criminal justice system in the first place. How do we move back to a process that actually worked for many individuals? McDonald said. I know everyone is like, We dont want to roll this back. Were not talking about rolling back, were talking about giving people an option, giving people hope. ___ (c)2023 the Times Union (Albany, N.Y.) Visit the Times Union (Albany, N.Y.) at www.timesunion.com ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) A Vermont lawman who was shot multiple times by police responding to gunfire in the historic center of Saratoga Springs has been indicted on charges including attempted murder and possessing a firearm in a sensitive location. Vito Caselnova, a sheriffs deputy in Rutland County, Vermont, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Tuesday. The charges came more than four months after a chaotic sidewalk brawl and series of gunshots left three people, including the deputy, wounded, and questions about who shot who. Three other men involved in the fight one of whom police initially accused of also firing a gun were charged only with throwing punches. Saratoga County District Attorney Karen Heggen said the decision to levy the most serious charges against Caselnova, who was off-duty at the time of the incident, was made by a grand jury. In a press statement, she criticized the citys public safety commissioner and mayor for their initial account of how the violence unfolded, calling it a narrative based on speculation, not evidence. Caselnovas lawyer, Greg Teresi, maintained his client was innocent. Were still of the opinion that hes a victim of this case. He had the authority under New York State law to use deadly physical force when faced with deadly physical force, Teresi told The Associated Press. Caselnova, who lives in Glen Falls, New York, was with his girlfriend on Nov. 20 when he visited Saratoga Springs, a college town known for its horse racing, restaurants and a vibrant nightlife. He brought his gun with him, authorities said, despite a new state law barring people from bringing firearms into many different types of sensitive places, including establishments where alcohol is served. In their initial account, police said the deputy had gotten into a barroom argument with a group of men that spilled into the street, and that he and another man had pulled out guns and started shooting. One man, Alexander Colon, 28, of Utica, suffered a gunshot wound that prosecutors now say was fired by Caselnova. Saratoga Springs police on the scene said they opened fire when Caselnova, who was in civilian clothing, did not drop his weapon. The deputy was hit several times but survived, as did Colon, local police said. Caselnovas girlfriend was wounded by a stray bullet fired by the responding police officers. After the grand jury investigation, however, Colon was only charged with attempted assault, a misdemeanor. Two other men from Utica were also charged with misdemeanor attempted assault. The grand jury didnt accuse any of those men of having a gun or firing one. Colons attorney, Anthony LaFache, didnt immediately return a phone message Wednesday. Video from a street camera showed people fighting that night on the sidewalk, then scattering. Caselnova, 25, faces an eight-count indictment that in addition to attempted murder includes assault, reckless endangerment, menacing and harassment. The sensitive location charge is a felony under New Yorks gun laws, which were rewritten last summer after a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling and continue to be challenged in federal courts. The new rules that make it illegal to carry a firearm inside a place that serves alcohol are the subject of a court challenge, but are still in effect. Were in the process of doing research on how the decisions that were made with those federal court challenges impact that count of the indictment, Teresi said. Caselnova was released on $50,000 bail, his lawyer said. Phone messages left for the Rutland County Sheriffs Office were not immediately returned. Aerial photo shows a sunset view of Daqing Oilfield in Daqing, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, May 24, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei) HARBIN, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Daqing Oilfield, China's largest onshore oilfield, has produced 300 million tonnes of crude oil via the tertiary oil recovery technology, according to Daqing Oilfield, a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation. So far, the annual crude oil output via tertiary recovery at Daqing Oilfield has exceeded 10 million tonnes for 21 consecutive years. Tertiary recovery, also known as enhanced oil recovery, is the third stage of extracting oil from an oil reserve. Through the injection of chemicals, the method exploits the oil that cannot be collected in the primary and secondary recovery stages. At present, tertiary oil recovery technology is widely used in Class I and Class II reservoirs in the Daqing Oilfield, and the recovery ratio is increased by 14 to 20 percent on the basis of the secondary oil recovery technology. The technology is expected to increase China's recoverable crude oil reserves by more than 1 billion tonnes, said the company. Daqing Oilfield is one of China's largest oil production bases. Located in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang, the oilfield has made a significant contribution to China's modern petroleum industry. It has produced 2.5 billion tonnes of crude oil since it was discovered in 1959. The oilfield accounts for about 40 percent of China's total domestic onshore crude oil production during the same period. Vatican City Pope Francis was hospitalized with a lung infection Wednesday after experiencing difficulty breathing in recent days and will remain in the hospital for several days of treatment, the Vatican said. The 86-year-old pope doesnt have COVID-19, spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement late Wednesday. The hospitalization was the first since Francis spent 10 days at the Gemelli in July 2021 to have 33 centimeters (13 inches) of his colon removed. It immediately raised questions about Francis overall health, and his ability to celebrate the busy Holy Week events that are due to begin this weekend with Palm Sunday. Bruni said Francis had been suffering breathing troubles in recent days and went to the Gemelli hospital for tests. The tests showed a respiratory infection (COVID-19 infection excluded) that will require some days of medical therapy, Brunis statement said. Francis appeared in relatively good form during his regularly scheduled general audience earlier Wednesday, though he grimaced strongly while getting in and out of the popemobile. Francis had part of one lung removed when he was a young man due to a respiratory infection, and he often speaks in a whisper. But he got through the worst phases of the COVID-19 pandemic without at least any public word of ever testing positive. Francis had been due to celebrate Palm Sunday this weekend, kicking off the Vaticans Holy Week observances: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil and finally Easter Sunday on April 9. He has canceled all audiences through Friday, but it wasnt clear whether he could keep the Holy Week plans. Francis has used a wheelchair for over a year due to strained ligaments in his right knee and a small knee fracture. He has said the injury was healing and been walking more with a cane of late. Francis also has said he resisted having surgery for the knee problems because he didnt respond well to general anesthesia during the 2021 intestinal surgery. He said soon after the surgery that he had recovered fully and could eat normally. But in a Jan. 24 interview with The Associated Press, Francis said his diverticulosis, or bulges in the intestinal wall, had returned. Idwal secures growth investment from LDC LDC backs Idwals existing management team to lead new phase of investment in technology-based marine services and global expansion Previous owner Graig enters next chapter as part of its successful strategy in global marine services, shipping investments and the fast-growing global offshore wind and renewables sector Idwal Marine Services (Idwal), a leading provider of inspection services for the global commercial shipping sector, has secured a significant investment from private equity partner LDC to support the development of its proprietary technology platform and expand its global service footprint. Based in Cardiff, Idwal provides vessel condition and integrity inspection services, fleet monitoring and data services for customers across the marine industry. Its services are used by ship owners, brokers, ship operators, flag states, investors and other financial stakeholders when evaluating investments or divestments in marine assets and when assessing the condition of vessels and fleets. The business was originally founded as a division of Graig Shipping PLC (Graig) in 2010. With its investment and support, Idwal has grown quickly under CEO Nick Owens due to increased demand from its global customers and its focus on consistency, integrity and data-led inspections in the global maritime sector. Its Idwal Grade asset condition rating enables sector peer-group benchmarking and has become a recognised standard in the industry. The business, a certified carbon neutral organisation, was the first in the industry to include both decarbonisation metrics and crew welfare and working condition data in their reports. It is also focused on the provision of advanced ESG reporting to ensure that its customers are meeting increasingly stringent sector wide environmental reporting requirements. With LDCs support, Idwals management team will further develop the platform, data and service provision and expand its network of overseas offices, which already includes China, Greece and Japan. Graig, a 100-year-old UK based entrepreneurial global shipping group, specialises in structuring, advising and leading investments in services and shipping assets in the international marine market.? The company said Idwal was a further example of the groups successful track-record of developing best in class marine based business innovations and ventures. Graig is best known for its innovative Diamond dry bulk new building series, which it contracted in the 2000s, placing 86 vessel contracts across six shipyards in Asia. Graig said it was already well-advanced in its next maritime venture to bring to the market high quality, environmentally friendly Service Operation Vessels for the rapidly growing global offshore wind and renewables sector, working with its global partners. LDCs investment was led by Dewi Hughes, Oliver Schofield and James Garland from its Wales & South West team. Dewi Hughes and Oliver Schofield will join the Board. As part of the investment, Gehan Talwatte, an experienced chairman of several high-growth, private equity backed companies in the data services sector - including maritime data, insight and intelligence business Lloyds List Intelligence - has been appointed Non-Executive Chairman of Idwal. Simon Morse, an experienced senior shipping executive with extensive marine services and private equity board expertise, has been appointed Non-Executive Director. He is the former CEO of Inchcape Shipping Services and a Past President of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers. Nick Owens, CEO of Idwal, said: This is the ideal outcome for both Idwal and Graig, as well as our customers and colleagues. As an independent company with the support of LDC, Idwal is strongly positioned to increase investment in its services and its international presence. Commenting on its partnership, he added: The LDC team were exactly what we were looking for. Their local presence and successful track record in helping technology businesses develop and scale made them the ideal partner to support our growth plans. Hugh Williams, CEO of Graig, said: Idwal has grown from a new service to a genuine leader in its field with significant potential. For us, this was an intentional next step for Idwal and is part of Graigs strategy to refocus the business on its core shipping investments and with the fast-growing offshore renewables sector. We look forward to continuing to partner with Idwal in our markets. Dewi Hughes, Partner and Head of LDCs South West & Wales team, said: Nick and the team have successfully built Idwal into a globally respected business with a reputation for sustainable and innovative services in an evolving marketplace. Now, with the opportunity to further develop its technology platform and further penetrate overseas markets, they will be able to fulfil their ambition to make Idwal the global leader and the Idwal Grade the pre-eminent standard in the international commercial shipping market. LDC was advised by KPMG (corporate finance), Blake Morgan (legals), OC&C (commercial due diligence), BDO (financial due diligence) and EY (tax). The management team was advised by Lexington (finance) and Capital Law (legals). Graig was advised by Stout (corporate finance) and Taylor Wessing (legals). Oslo, 28th March 2023 Kongsberg Maritime will supply design, engineering, and equipment for three MGO/Biofuel and methanol-ready tanker ships being built for Danish tanker operator Tarntank. These highly advanced, low emission 15,000dwt tanker vessels will feature wind assist technology plus Tarntanks own battery-powered Hybrid Solution. The new ships will be built at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard, Yangzhou and will be delivered in 2025. As part of a contract valued at NOK 120 million (approx. 10.5 million), Kongsberg will supply steering gear, rudders, controllable pitch propellers, tunnel thrusters and thruster control systems, integrated automation systems including Vessel Insight, propulsion control systems and deck machinery. This is in addition to design and engineering services. This contract marks Kongsberg Maritime as a front runner in designing low emission and sustainable solutions for the shipping industry, said Rune Ekornesvag, Sales Director Ship Design in Kongsberg Maritime. Ekornesvag added that Kongsberg Maritime was excited to work on a project that incorporates so many energy-saving and clean technologies in one vessel. The new vessels will reduce carbon emissions using methanol-powered engines, wind-assisted propulsion, hybrid battery systems, and on-shore power. The wind-assist technology is expected to reduce emissions by up to 19%, in addition to the 40% reduction achieved on Tarntanks six previous vessels. The new vessels are to have an Energy Efficiency Design Index close to 40% below the 2025 Phase 3 requirements. With these methanol and wind assistance-ready vessels, we take a big step forward in our journey as the forerunner in environmentally efficient and safe shipping, said Claes Moller, Chief Executive Officer of Tarntank Ship Management AB. Tarntank officials have said they believe wind assist propulsion to be one of the most promising measures to reducing fuel consumption in the shipping industry. Kongsberg Maritimes cooperation with Tarntank began in 2013, when Kongsberg designed four LNG-powered chemical tanker vessels for the company. These were followed by a contract for two more vessels in 2019. Tarntank is a leading tanker operator in the North Sea and Baltic Sea, with ten ice-strengthened vessels. 27 March 2023 Leading maritime welfare organisations The Mission to Seafarers and Deutsche Seemannsmission have launched a new partnership to improve welfare services for seafarers in Panama. To be known as The Seafarers Mission - Panama, this joint initiative will deliver significantly enhanced welfare services and resources for the benefit of seafarers that are passing through one of the worlds most important waterways and shipping nations. Under the auspices of The Seafarers Mission Panama, The Mission to Seafarers and Deutsche Seemannsmission will jointly coordinate their work in Panama, and work together to support and advocate on behalf of international seafarers calling in Panama. This includes the many thousands of seafarers who sail through the Panama Canal each year. The new partnership was launched at a reception held at the residence of the British Ambassador in Panama, hosted by Ambassador Tim Stew MBE, who is also Patron of Mission to Seafarers, Panama, and attended by Andrew Wright, Secretary General of The Mission to Seafarers, and Matthias Ristau, General Secretary of the Deutsche Seemannsmission. The Mission to Seafarers has been working in Panama since 2018, inspired by Dr John Meredith CBE, a leading industry figure, now resident in Panama and Chairman of the local committee. Under the dynamic leadership of Father Ian Hutchinson Cervantes, it has developed a strong welfare presence across Panamas ports. This is particularly important in such a vital maritime strategic hub, with the Canal and key ports at either end. The importance of the relationship is enhanced, given that Panama is the worlds largest ship registry. The Missions work has also been supported by key partners across government and by maritime authorities. The Mission to Seafarers has now been joined by the Deutsche Seemannsmission, for whom Panama will be its 33rd station around the world. Andrea Meenken has been appointed as chaplain, providing practical support and pastoral care for seafarers. The two organisations will also jointly fund an additional full-time chaplain, as well as continuing to build a strong volunteer base. Both organisations are committed to seamless working together in this new partnership. Andrew Wright, Secretary General of The Mission to Seafarers, commented: I am absolutely delighted about this new partnership. Our strategy commits us to building such partnerships. They ensure a joined-up approach to seafarers welfare and fresh investment of people, skills and financial resource into crew welfare. It has been exciting to be here this week and I thank all involved in this project. I have been amazed to see the speed of progress in Panama since we began this work less than five years ago. This is a key hub and we have shared exciting plans for the way things might develop further into the future. Matthias Ristau, General Secretary of the Deutsche Seemannsmission, said: "We have decided that here at the Panama Canal, one of the most important waterways in the world, we will join forces for the benefit of seafarers. 14,000 ships pass through the canal a year, so it's important that someone keeps an eye on the seafarers. There are an incredible number of ships here in Panama. And seafarers live and work on them, and they need to be looked after. We now want to tackle this together with our British colleagues and achieve the best for them." The Taos News delivered to your Taos County address every week for a full year! We offer our lowest mail rates to zip codes in the county. Click Here to See if you Qualify. Plan includes unlimited website access and e-edition print replica online. Your auto pay plan will be conveniently renewed at the end of the subscription period. You may cancel at anytime. UNITED NATIONS, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Fighting in two provinces of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has disrupted the education of some 750,000 children, a UN spokesman said on Wednesday. New figures released by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) showed that between January 2022 and the present, in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri at least 2,100 schools were forced to close because of a worsening security situation, said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Dujarric said "the scale of the crisis means that the majority of children living in displacement camps are not able to have any educational services, only a minority of these children are able to access some UNICEF-supported child friendly spaces or temporary learning centers." UNICEF is supporting the construction of temporary learning spaces and providing school materials to students, in addition to training teachers on relevant topics, including psychosocial support, he said. Insecurity has been especially damaging for the nearly 240,000 recently displaced children living in the vast camps around Goma, North Kivu's provincial capital, UNICEF said in its report. "Violence by armed groups has forced thousands of families from their homes in search of safety, preventing their children from attending school," it said. The UNICEF report said 119 schools have been attacked, occupied or temporarily used by armed groups. Nearly 1,700 schools closed due to persistent insecurity, mainly because they are in areas controlled by armed groups. However, according to UNICEF, direct conflict or insecurity alone did not close schools. Nearly 300 schools couldn't operate because they are being used as shelter for people displaced by conflict. BEIJING, March 30 (Xinhua) -- "Why is the Western media ignoring the anti-NATO protests happening today in Paris, France?" asked an independent Lebanese geopolitical commentator named Sarah on her Twitter account, referring to the March 18 demonstration in which thousands of French people took part calling for the exit of France from NATO. This rally in the French capital is the latest demonstration of the mistrust towards the military alliance of the Europeans who no longer want it. PROTESTS IN SEVERAL COUNTRIES The demonstration in Paris, dubbed the "March for Peace," began near the site of the French Senate. The demonstrators held banners reading: "Stop the war provoked by the United States and NATO," "Freedom, Truth, Resistance" and "The vote of no confidence is peace in France." Similar protests have recently taken place in several other European countries. In Berlin, around 10,000 demonstrators gathered on Feb. 25 against the supply of arms to Ukraine. "Not our war," read a banner at the rally. The protesters were distributing leaflets calling for an immediate pullout of Germany from NATO. On the same day in London, about 4,000 people joined a march demanding an end to the shipment of additional weapons to Kiev. "No to NATO expansion," read the placards. "The United States is manipulating the world for its own interests," said Talia, a protester who only gave her first name. In recent years, opposition to and mistrust against NATO have intensified in Europe, sparking criticism from European politicians and academics, and triggering more anti-NATO protests. MISTRUST IN POLITICAL CIRCLES European politicians who raised doubts about the bloc condone the protests. France's NATO membership was a heated topic during last year's presidential campaign. Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally party, and Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the party La France Insoumise (Unsubmissive France), are both in favor of France's withdrawal from NATO, including its integrated command. "We must get out of NATO, a useless organization that President (Emmanuel) Macron said was brain dead," Melenchon said. For him, the military alliance founded in 1949 provokes tensions everywhere with its agitation, hoping to benefit here and there from some agencies. Florian Philippot, leader of the Patriots, a French right-wing party and organizer of several rallies in Paris for peace and the dissolution of the Atlantic alliance, took the stage at one of the recent protests and used scissors to cut NATO's blue flag in half. "NATO is war," he said. PUBLIC DISCONTENT This position is also increasingly evident in European public opinion. In an analysis titled "NATO as seen by French presidential candidates" published at the end of March 2022, the Montaigne Institute said that French public support for NATO has declined in recent years. "Positive views of NATO have been steadily declining since 2009, when France joined its integrated military command. Seventy-one percent of French people were in favor of the alliance in 2009, compared to only 50 percent in 2020," the analysis read. The attempt to expand the alliance to include Ukraine is at the root of the current Ukraine crisis, Pierre Conesa, a former senior official in the French Defense Ministry, told Xinhua in an interview. For Antonio Ingroia, one of the founders of the Sovereign and Popular Italy party, "the majority of Italians do not want this war, do not want to be a colony of the United States and NATO." Irish Deep Tech Uses Artificial Intelligence to Monitor Invasive Insect Species in Europe Automated insect monitoring will help prevent huge amounts of crop loss and save both time and money for farmers. Tyndall National Institute, in partnership with Teagasc, is conducting a collaborative European research project named HALY.ID, which aims to monitor and sustainably manage Halyomorpha halys (HH) the brown marmorated stink bug, a highly invasive insect species. The project is using drone technology and Artificial Intelligence to automate the monitoring process, which was traditionally managed manually. Halyomorpha halys (HH), is an invasive shield bug native to East Asia, which has been detected in Europe with sporadic transient identifications in the UK since 2018. This is a worrying development as the insect can cause malformed fruit when feeding, and potentially damage significant amounts of tree fruit crops, as well as some vegetable and arable crops. Brown marmorated stink bugs can also be an annoyance when they migrate into dwellings to hibernate, where they emit a foul odour. The bug was first seen in Italy in 2012, resulting in significant economic losses within just two years. The invasive species has continued to spread northwards, with sightings of two adult male Halyomorpha halys in the UK in 2020. The arrival of this species in Europe is concerning, as huge amounts of crop production are already lost each year due to insect pests. Insect monitoring plays a crucial role in the mitigation of crop damage. Traditionally, farmers use pheromone-loaded sticky traps to monitor insect pest species, with these traps manually checked periodically, to estimate the type and quantity of the insect. This is a time-consuming and labour intensive task, which often requires a high level of entomological expertise. To combat this challenge, the HALY.ID project is automating the insect monitoring process. The automated method involves the use of drone technology, image analysis, and a low-cost and low-power Microcontroller Unit (MCU) device that performs all data processing using Artificial Intelligence. The system uses an algorithm to extract regions that the invasive insect is suspected to be, and then runs a lightweight Deep Learning on them for classification. It is a low-power battery device used during growing seasons. The images are taken at night to control light intensity and minimize other sources of illumination. Brendan OFlynn, Head of Group, Tyndall said: As the worlds population grows, food security is becoming increasingly important. We are proud to collaborate with international partners to develop a smart sensing system, ensuring our European orchards continue to provide high-quality food produce. We are working alongside international experts in agriculture; Teagasc in Ireland, as well as European partners Imec, the Italian Universities in Perugia and Modena and the Technical University of Braunschweig in Germany, to develop impactful technologies. Michael Gaffney, Entomologist and Senior Research Officer, Teagasc said: Monitoring for Pest and Diseases is a fundamental first step in the successful implementation of Integrated Pest Management strategies in commercial horticultural production. Developing technologies that automate the detection of harmful pests, reducing the time and labour input required, while also reducing the gap between monitoring events to a single day, will hopefully assist growers in detecting the pest early in the Spring when the pest numbers are low, where crop protection interventions are most effective. This newly developed automated Insect monitoring tool was deployed in an Italian Orchard in February 2023. Minister Hackett launches Growing Organics Farm Monitor Programme Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Senator Pippa Hackett has launched Growing Organics, a new programme focused on supporting and increasing organic production. Annual funding of 150,000 is being provided by the Ministers Department and Teagasc for the next 5 years to support the programme. Organic demonstration farms have been selected throughout the country to illustrate best practice and monitor key financial and environmental metrics. Providing up to date technical advice to organic farmers is a key objective of the National Organic Strategy 2019-2025 These organic demonstration farms will focus on Grassland management Livestock nutrition Animal health & welfare Financial management Environmental sustainability and Crop management The Growing Organics Programme is a five year programme led by Teagasc, and will promote the adoption of best practice at farm level to increase the future viability and sustainability of the Irish organic sector. The results from the activities on the demonstration farms will be made available to all farmers and researchers to significantly improve the data available on different aspects of organic farming. Minister Hackett said; We had record attendances at our Organic farm walk programme in 2022 including a National Organic Beef Day last September. I would like to thank all those organic farmers who have held farm walks over the past number of years. The organic farm walk programme has been reviewed by Teagasc and ourselves. We are certain the best approach is a Farm Monitoring programme to examine and report how Organic Farms evolve and perform over 5 years, particularly with regard to soil health and profit monitoring. Along with 256mn CAP funding this is a key part of the infrastructure needed to support the record numbers choosing to switch to organic farming. The Minister continued Farmers need to know what are the changes required when they make the switch to organic farming. Like any farming systems there are challenges to be overcome and these will be openly discussed and potential solutions provided to farmers as part of this programme. Director of Teagasc, Professor Frank OMara said; We are delighted to be working with the Department of Agriculture and the organic demonstration farmers on this joint programme. I thank the farmers for participating, because this programme will allow other farmers interested in converting to Organic farming and those already farming organically to learn from these demonstration farmers who are implementing best practice and who are operating organic systems that are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable. This group of demonstration farmers will host farm walks and act as information hubs for other farms to learn from and follow. They will work closely with our Teagasc organic specialist team and our team of specialised organic advisors in the regions. The Growing Organics programme will focus on a number of key objectives:- Increase the adoption of best practices, especially in relation to grassland management and livestock health; The environmental footprint of organic production; Establish a cohort of profitable organic producers; Create greater integration within the organic sector Support the sector reaching 10% of land area farmed organically by 2030 New Farm Monitoring model The Farm Demonstrations will involve 4 regional farm walks per annum between May and November. The walks will be spread across the main farming enterprises of beef, dairy, sheep, tillage and will be geographically dispersed based on participating farms. These demonstrations will be jointly run and will be resourced and staffed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Teagasc and Bord Bia. An information booklet will be provided to attendees and Information Boards will be signposted at the farm and involve presentations from Teagasc on selected topics. In addition, the 6 new organic advisors appointed by Teagasc in the last 12 months will organise approximately 24 farm walks across the country to allow farmers to attend local events. These walks kick off on Tuesday 4th April and full details are available on the Teagasc website. BEIJING, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Medical bills for the treatment of COVID-19 will be reimbursed by China's health insurance fund in the same manner as other Class B infectious diseases, according to a circular released by Chinese authorities on Thursday. The circular was jointly released by the National Healthcare Security Administration, the Ministry of Finance, the National Health Commission (NHC) and the disease prevention and control bureau under the NHC. Should patients still find remaining expenditures unaffordable after part of their medical bills are covered by basic health insurance and major disease insurance, they will be entitled to medical assistance, the circular noted. To ensure the accessibility of COVID-19 medicines, the circular also stipulated that certain drugs used in the treatment of COVID-19 that have not yet been included on the health insurance reimbursement list will be made temporarily reimbursible based on their prices. The updated policies will come into effect on April 1. HWiNFO is an all-in-one solution for hardware analysis and monitoring supporting a broad range of OSes (DOS, Microsoft Windows 95 - Windows 11, WinPE) and platforms (i8086 - Xeon Platinum). Is HWiNFO CPU and GPU temperature accurate? Yes, HWiNFO data is reliable and accurate and will inform you about everything it possibly can about your computer. The information is split in 3 windows: a system summary, a full report, and active sensor readings. Can HWiNFO control fans? Technically, yes, HWiNFO shows you real-time data on hardware components and allows you to manually control fan speeds. However, you must use this feature carefully. HWiNFO was primarily designed to show system information. If you're looking to control CPU and GPU fan speeds you should take a look at SpeedFan or FanControl, which are specialized tools, both are free and have been tested extensively. Is HWiNFO compatible with Windows 7? Yes, HWiNFO is compatible with Windows 7. Depending on your OS, you should choose the corresponding HWiNFO version. HWiNFO32 is compatible with Windows 95 32-bit and later, HWiNFO64 is compatible with Windows XP 64-bit and later. There is also a DOS compatible version. What are good alternatives to HWiNFO? Two solid alternatives are Speccy and Open Hardware Monitor, which are also free and easy to use. You should also check out our feature about apps to analyze and monitor your PC. Features Comprehensive Hardware Information Exhausting information about hardware components displayed in hierarchy unfolding into deep details. Useful for obtaining a detailed hardware inventory report or checking of various hardware-related parameters. System Health Monitoring Real-time monitoring of a variety of system and hardware parameters covering CPUs, GPUs, mainboards, drives, peripherals, etc. Useful for detection of overheating, overload, performance loss or failure prediction. Extensive Reporting Full hardware hierarchy, or quick summary overview. Export into XML, CSV, HTML reports. System monitoring in customizable tables, graphs, tray icons, OSD. Alerting and Extensions Customizable alerts on any parameter monitored with user-defined actions. Interfacing with other applications and 3rd-party extensions. What's New Added reporting of PMIC Validation and DIMM Certification status for XMP 3.0 rev1.3+. Added NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop. Fixed monitoring of some EC sensors on EVGA Z790 series. Enhanced support of AMD Phoenix. Enhanced sensor monitoring on some MSI H510M, H610M and A620M series. Improved reporting of Intel HDA sound drivers. Added limited monitoring of Intel Arc GPUs without drivers installed (oneAPI, IGCL). Added monitoring of Corsair H100i Elite White and H150i Elite White. Added NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop. Added option for creating report files in UTF-8 format. Added monitoring of Corsair Commander CORE, CORE XT, ST. Added preliminary support of Arrow Lake-S. Updated monitoring with AMD Adrenalin 23.3.2. Added fan speed monitoring on MSI Raider GE67HX, Titan GT77 and some others. Added monitoring of GPU SOC clock on AMD Navi3x. Improved sensor monitoring on some ASUS and ASRock mainboards. Added fan speed monitoring on SANTECH G69/Clevo X170KM. Added VRM monitoring on GIGABYTE Z690, Z790 and X670, B650 series. Added NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop and RTX 4060 Laptop. Added NVIDIA RTX 3500, 3000, 2000 Ada Laptop. Enhanced sensor monitoring on ASUS H770 and B760 series. Added AMD Radeon RX 7600M, 7600M XT, 7600S, 7700S. Improved support of next-generation AMD Threadripper. Enhanced sensor monitoring on ASUS Pro WS W790-ACE and Pro WS W790E-SAGE SE. Enhanced sensor monitoring on ASRock W790 WS. Added Moore Threads MTT S30, S50, S60, S70, S80, S3000 GPUs. Added driver information for monitor. Improved reporting of current memory clock for Intel Alder Lake and later CPUs. Previous release notes Google Keep is an app that lets you easily create notes on the go. Since it syncs your notes to Google, you can access them virtually anywhere: on your Android device, through a Chrome app, and on the web. Create: Use text, voice, or photos to create notes quickly and easily, and add multi-purpose checklists. Organize: Drag & drop your notes and lists to rearrange them, and archive them when you no longer need them. Access: Browse and search notes easily - you can even use widgets for quick note-taking and viewing. Features Keep track of your thoughts via notes, lists and photos Have voice notes transcribed automatically Use homescreen widgets to capture thoughts quickly Color-code your notes to help find them later Swipe to archive things you no longer need Turn a note into a checklist by adding checkboxes Use your notes from anywhere - they are safely stored in the cloud and available on the web at https://drive.google.com/keep What's New Chrome version updated to 4.21452.600.1 Added four new note color options Create auto-numbered lists in text notes Bug fixes and performance improvements Important: To use Google Keep, you need to sign in with your Google Account. You can switch accounts or add a new one by going to Settings > Account. Some brief background: Last November, Activision Blizzard abruptly ended its relationship with Chinese gaming firm Netease during talks to renegotiate its 14-year partnership. Netease distributed and managed regional versions of Diablo 3, Overwatch, and World of Warcraft. So players were upset when support for the titles was pulled in January when the contract ended. It was mysterious how such a long relationship could sour so quickly. However, a recent document obtained by The New York Times, and corroborated by anonymous insiders to the negotiations, sheds some light on the situation. It appears the whole thing was a misunderstanding caused by words getting lost in translation. According to the document, the contract renewal talks took place over Zoom with translators present to help with the discussion. New terms were required due to several changes in Chinese gaming regulations, including laws passed limiting how often and when minors could play, among other things. During the talks, Netease CEO William Ding told Activision head Bobby Kotick that he wanted a "licensing" agreement rather than their customary distribution partnership. Netease had already lost about $60 billion in stock valuation thanks to China changing the laws governing minors, so Ding felt pressured to score a more profitable agreement. Kotick was somewhat receptive to the idea but had reservations fearing that a licensing contract would harm Microsoft's negotiations with regulators over its acquisition. He voiced these concerns to Ding, who said via translator that Netease could sway Chinese officials to prevent or allow the Microsoft merger. Activision took the suggestion as a threat that if it didn't enter into a licensing arrangement, it would face negative dealings with China regulators. Despite the perceived threat, Activision said it would agree to a licensing deal, but only if Netease provided an upfront payment of around $500 million instead of payment installments throughout the contract term. It intended the payment to be a safeguard itself against the potential danger of its games being subject to government approval processes or reproduced without its permission. Netease called the $500 million stipulation "commercially illogical," and the deal fell apart. However, the NYT sources say that NetEase executives were not threatening Activision but instead attempted to be conciliatory. Ding meant his words as a warning that Microsoft would encounter similar regulatory obstacles after it acquired Activision if it did not transition to a licensing agreement. By offloading titles under license to Netease, Activision could skip all the bureaucratic red tape involved with distributing games in China. It is unclear if the executives discussed this misunderstanding, but it appears not. The NYT notes that Activision is interested in re-entering the Chinese market but is seeking a partnership with other companies. Both Tencent and ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, have previously expressed interest in collaborating. Activision is also contemplating partnerships with telecommunications companies, such as China Mobile. In context: With all the excitement, headlines, and talk about generative AI, Meta is reminding people that these systems aren't as important as the area it has plowed over $24 billion into over the years: the metaverse. Nick Clegg, the company's head of global affairs, just held a press conference in the virtual world to hail the metaverse as the future of computing. Bloomberg reports that Clegg held a small press conference within Meta's Horizon Workrooms. He was in London and spoke to Washington-based reporters who were wearing borrowed Meta Quest headsets. The publication notes that the group appeared as torsos seated around a large wooden table, and only Clegg's avatar resembled the person wearing the headset. "We're going to stick with it, because we really believe, all the early evidence suggests, that something like this will be the heart of the new computing platform," Clegg said. "But it's going to take a while." It wasn't that long ago when Facebook went all-in on the metaverse, going so far as to change its corporate name to Meta and pour billions into its Reality Labs division. But getting consumers to feel the same level of excitement has always been an uphill battle. Even teens aren't interested in the concept. Things have gotten even worse for Meta in recent times. The global economic slump means expensive VR headsets are pretty low on people's shopping lists - shipments slumped more than 12% year-over-year in 2022. But the biggest blow to Meta's ambitions has been the rise of generative AI over the last few months. Tech firms are rushing to implement the likes of ChatGPT into their services; even Meta said it would be introducing AI-powered chat in WhatsApp and Messenger. It's taken what little focus was on the metaverse away from that area and placed it squarely onto AI - Zuckerberg rarely mentions the virtual world anymore. Big companies seem to have realized that spending a lot of money on the metaverse is becoming a pointless endeavor. Microsoft's round of 10,000 layoffs saw its industrial metaverse project killed off, and Disney laid off its entire metaverse team as part of cost-cutting plans. There are also the cuts Meta has made that impacted the Reality Labs division, and senators demanding the metaverse be a place for adults only. One supporter in Meta's corner is Tim Sweeney. The Epic Games boss recently explained why he thinks the concept still has promise. Clegg believes advertising and commerce will help Meta recoup the billions it has invested in the metaverse - Zuckerberg famously said it could be earning billions or even trillions of dollars in ten years - but then people actually have to be using these virtual worlds to buy things or be served ads. There were plenty of obvious bugs during Clegg's event, including all the avatars' mouths moving when one person spoke. He believes the hardware is another area that will improve in time. "I just really want to stress that we're going to look back on the headware we're wearing now and think, 'Gosh, do you remember the days when you would wear a Quest Pro?'" Clegg said. "We've always been very clear that we're in this for the long haul. This is not going to happen overnight." TechSpot is about to celebrate its 25th anniversary. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust In context: Born as a Windows-specific antimalware program, Microsoft Defender is now a brand encompassing many security services for Windows, the cloud, and Office applications. Which can be a real nuisance, as the AV tends to act weird every now and then. Microsoft Defender is once again turning its "security" protection against legit features. This time, system administrators have been flooded with security warnings regarding legitimate URL links, which were "incorrectly" flagged as malicious by the Defender service. Users and admins complained that links coming from Zoom or even Google services were being flagged as a potential security threat, which triggered a flow of security alerts to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center portal. The portal itself was working intermittently, the users said. Microsoft was soon obliged to acknowledge the issue, stating that they were investigating the incident and the fact that some of the alerts were "not showing content as expected." The incident, which is being tracked as DZ534539, was seemingly affecting hundreds of accounts worldwide. After reviewing diagnostic data such as network telemetry, Microsoft was finally able to identify the root cause for the issue. The company later said that some "recent additions to the SafeLinks feature" resulted in the false alerts experienced by admins around the world. Reverting said additions was enough to fix the issue, Microsoft said. The Safe Links feature is an additional security protection in Defender for Office 365, which is intended for business customers who have Microsoft Defender for Office 365. SafeLinks provides "URL scanning and rewriting" functionality for incoming email messages, searching for potential threats in addition to the regular anti-spam and anti-malware services included in the Exchange Online Protection (EOP) service. As confirmed by third-party reviews and comparatives, Microsoft Defender is essentially a cloud-based security solution that lacks basic offline detection capabilities third-party antivirus programs usually provide. But the cloud is often poisoning Defender's ability to properly recognize security threats, as the AV engine is prone to a significant issue with false positives. Just a couple of months before the URL incidents of these past hours, Defender started to "kill" Start Menu shortcuts, icons, and even executable files from users' PCs. That time, the issue was caused by an ASR rule modified by a recent update for the antivirus. In brief: With so many companies pulling out of E3, it's starting to feel like the pandemic all over again. And, just like those dark days, it's beginning to look like the event will be canceled. Covid-19 isn't to blame this time; it's just a lack of interest in taking part in an event that few publishers view as important anymore. Update: Shortly after this report went live, IGN was informing that E3 2023 has been cancelled. After Nintendo, Xbox, Sony, and Ubisoft all confirmed they wouldn't be attending this year's E3, IGN reports that Sega and Tencent are also skipping the event. "After careful consideration, we have decided not to participate in E3 2023 as an exhibitor. We look forward to sharing more information on announced and unannounced projects in the future," said Sega. Tencent also confirmed that subsidiary Level Infinite would not be at E3, either. With so many big names set to be absent this year, numerous individuals in publishing and PR are concerned that E3 2023 could be canceled. Many said they hadn't heard of anyone else who was planning to attend for sure, and sources say a lack of communication from both the ESA and organizer ReedPop only compounded the uncertainty about what to expect from the event. Even before Ubisoft said it was skipping E3 to hold its own Ubisoft Forward Live event on June 12, a source told IGN that "there's no possible way this show can happen." Another publisher who won't be visible during the event is Devolver Digital. Although it has never officially attended E3, the company sets up its own show in a parking lot opposite the main hall. These surreal and hilarious events are often a highlight of the E3 schedule, but DD has confirmed it won't be hosting any of these satellite shows this year. There was a time when E3 was the most important date on the gaming calendar, but it had started to lose its appeal even before Covid hit. It's possible that more companies will pull out before proceedings start on June 11, which could see the first in-person show for three years canceled before its return - reports claim several publishers have already decided not to attend but have yet to make official announcements. Should the worst happen, there's a strong possibility E3 would disappear permanently - at least in its current format. Can you hear me now? The New Space Economy frontier is getting crowded by the week. Lockheed Martin is offering its remarkable technology expertise for building a new satellite network around the Moon. At the same time, Nokia is almost ready to send the first functional 4G network to support the Artemis program. While NASA is about to reveal the astronaut crew that will return to the Moon aboard the Artemis 2 mission, private companies are already aligning behind the US space agency to turn Earth's only natural satellite into a new business frontier. Reliable communication is the number one requirement for future lunar exploration (and exploitation), so the first commercial efforts will focus on satellite fleets and cellular networks on the lunar surface. As one of the world's largest defense contractors, Lockheed Martin unsurprisingly wants to be the first corporation to turn the Moon into a new revenue source. The Bethesda-based company is offering its services to NASA with Crescent Space, a newly-created subsidiary designed to answer the challenge of establishing "a permanent outpost on the Moon" with proper supporting communication. Crescent Space is an "agile" company that provides "infrastructure-as-a-service for lunar missions." Its first official offering is a "novel cislunar communications network called Parsec." Parsec will employ a fleet of small satellites built by Lockheed Martin, which work in unison to provide a "seamless connection" between Earth, the astronauts, and the assets currently on the lunar surface. The Parsec fleet should behave like a typical Earth-based GPS network, providing astronauts with their exact position and directions to return to their base station. The first nodes of the lunar fleet should start operations by 2025, with additional nodes coming over the following years. But Lockheed Martin might be getting ahead of itself. NASA hasn't asked for a lunar satellite network. On the contrary, NASA did recently select Finnish telecom Nokia to build the "first-ever cellular network on the Moon." As a "pioneer" of wireless communication and networking technologies, Nokia has begun the early planning stages of deploying an LTE/4G communications system on the lunar surface. The system will launch aboard a SpaceX rocket in the coming months, with the same IM-2 mission designed to bring Lonestar's deep space data center to the Moon. The 4G network will be powered by an antenna-equipped base station stored in a Nova-C lunar lander designed by Intuitive Machine. The base will establish a simple LTE communication network between the lander and its solar-powered rover. Nokia said it hardened the 4G/LTE equipment to withstand the extreme environmental conditions of the lunar surface. The company aims to show that traditional terrestrial networks can "meet the communications needs for future space missions." It will provide astronauts with everything they need to communicate with each other, with mission control, remotely manage the rover, and even "stream real-time video" and telemetry data back to Earth. Nvidia is allegedly releasing two affordable graphics cards in the market sometime this year. The GeForce RTX 4060 Ti and GeForce RTX 4050 are expected to be available in May and June, respectively, according to a reputable tipster. While the computer hardware maker is rumored to be launching these variants, the leaker remains uncertain about the arrival of RTX 4060. Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti and RTX 4050 Leak Based on Tom's Hardware's early report, @Zed_Wang, the same leaker who previously unveiled information about the upcoming RTX30 lineup is back with another spicy news for GPU enthusiasts. Release date Desktop 4060Ti - end of May Desktop 4050- June Desktop 4060- not decided yet MEGAsizeGPU (@Zed__Wang) March 29, 2023 The tipster unveils that an Nvidia GPU namely RTX 4060 Ti will be hitting the shelves sometime in late May 2023. Meanwhile, the cheaper graphics card RTX 4050 is allegedly launching in June. Given that the Computex Taipei will be held on May 30 to June 2, there's a chance that the annual tradeshow will showcase these two forthcoming hardware. Aside from those, we could potentially see other desktop products from Nvidia including CPUs, motherboards, and more. Are We Seeing Nvidia RTX 4060 in 2023? As of now, we are not yet sure if the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 will be coming out this year since @Zed_Wang claims that there's not yet a launch date for this graphics card. With the early information that surfaced about RTX 4060 Ti, it's logical to think that Nvidia will release it alongside the regular variant. The rumor indicates that the RTX 4060 might be a toned-down version of the AD106 GPU. In this case, we are yet to see the same setup for this graphics card including the 8GB RAM and 3072 CUDA cores. Meanwhile, the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti will exhibit 4352 CUDA Cores paired with 8GB RAM (128-bit bus). While the alleged specs for the RTX 40-series are also leaked online, the specifications for the GeForce RTX 4050 remain a mystery until now. Related Article: Lenovo Launches Xiaoxin 16 Pro: Specs Include the RTX 4050 Graphics with Prices for the RTX 3050 Variant Around $1,000 Custom Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU Leak On Monday, March 27, Wccftech reported that the custom Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card was leaked in an EEC (Eurasian Economic Commission) listing. The lineup is potentially leaning to feature three variants including Ventus, SUPRIM, and Gaming. RTX 4070 VENTUS 3X 12G RTX 4070 VENTUS 2X 12G OC RTX 4070 VENTUS 3X 12G OC RTX 4070 VENTUS 2X 12G RTX 4070 GAMING X TRIO 12G RTX 4070 GAMING TRIO 12G RTX 4070 SUPRIM X 12G RTX 4070 SUPRIM 12G The RTX 4070 hardware could sport an AD104-250/251 GPU core. Its clock speed will allegedly hit 21 Gbps while its CUDA Cores will sit at 5888. What's more, we could potentially see it with our own eyes next month. The previous reports pointed out that the lineup might be available on April 13. Read Also: Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti AD104 Chip Leaks: Predicted Specs, Release Date, More 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Emirates has boosted operations by 31% (total ASKMs) since the start of its financial year and has further plans to ramp up seat capacity in its latest published northern summer schedule starting March 26. In the past months, the airline has planned and executed the rapid growth of its network operations - reintroducing services to 5 cities; launching flights to 1 new destination (Tel Aviv), adding 251 weekly flights onto existing routes; and continuing the roll-out of service enhancements in the air and on the ground. Adnan Kazim, Emirates Chief Commercial Officer said: "Emirates continues to expand its global network and deploy its capacity to meet travel demand across the world. Our financial year started relatively quietly as we held back our ramp up until the planned northern runway rehabilitation program at Dubai International airport was completed in June. From July 2022 onwards, its been non-stop expansion." He added: "Customer demand has been very strong, and our forward bookings are also robust. Emirates is working hard on several fronts - to bring back operating capacity as quickly as the ecosystem can manage, while also upgrading our fleet and product to ensure our customers always enjoy the best possible Emirates experience. So far, 4 of our A380 aircraft have been completely refurbished with our new cabin interiors and Premium Economy seats, and more will enter service as our US$2 billion cabin and service enhancement program picks up pace." In the coming months, established routes to Europe, Australia and Africa will be served with more Emirates flights, while in East Asia, more cities are seeing route restarts. Upcoming A380 deployments in Northern Summer 2023 season: Emirates continues to scale up its A380 operations with the reintroduction of the iconic double-decker across its network: Glasgow (from 26 March), Casablanca from (15 April), Beijing (from 01 May), Shanghai (from 04 June), Nice (from 1 June), Birmingham (from 1 July), Kuala Lumpur (from 01 August), and Taipei (from 01 August). Upcoming route enhancements by region: Europe Amsterdam: from 14 to 19 weekly flights starting 02 April. Athens: Addition of a daily seasonal service to serve summer demand between 01 June to 30 September. Bologna: from 5 flights a week to a daily service starting 01 May. Budapest: from 5 flights a week to a daily service by 01 June. London: start of 2nd daily service to London Stansted on 01 May. This will take Emirates London operations to 11 daily flights including 6 times daily to London Heathrow and 3 times daily to Gatwick. Venice: from 5 to 6 flights a week from 26 March, increasing to a daily service from 01 June. Africa Cairo: from 25 to 28 weekly flights by 29October. Dar es Salaam: from 5 flights a week to daily flights starting 01 May. Entebbe: from 6 flights a week to daily flights starting 01 July. Australia and New Zealand Emirates non-stop Australia flights will return to pre-pandemic levels to Sydney from 01 May, Melbourne from 26 March, and Brisbane on 01 June. Brisbane: An additional daily service starting 01 June will take Emirates to 14 flights per week to Brisbane. Christchurch: restart of daily service from Dubai via Sydney from 26 March. Melbourne: addition of 3rd daily service to Melbourne from 26 March via Singapore. This adds capacity to Melbourne and re-establishes connectivity between Singapore and Melbourne. The other 2 daily flights from Melbourne fly non-stop to Dubai. Sydney: addition of 3rd daily non-stop service from 01 May. East Asia Bangkok: Addition of 5th daily service from 01 August. Beijing: To commence daily non-stop Boeing 777-300ER service from 15 March, upgrading to an A380 effective 01 May. A second daily service will commence effective 01 September with an A380. Hong Kong: Addition of a daily non-stop flight from 29 March. This increases Emirates operations to 14 weekly flights including its existing daily Dubai-Bangkok-Hong Kong service. Kuala Lumpur: Addition of a third daily service from 01 June. Tokyo: Resumption of services to Tokyo Haneda with daily flights on 02 April. This takes Emirates Japan operations to 21 daily flights including a daily A380 service to Tokyo-Narita and a daily Boeing 777 service to Osaka. TradeArabia News Service Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva, who is attending the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference, in Boao, south China's Hainan Province, March 29, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) BOAO, Hainan, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva on Wednesday in Boao, Hainan Province, pledging to deepen cooperation with the IMF to make global governance more just and equitable. Noting that since the beginning of this year, China's economy has shown a momentum of stabilization and recovery, Li said China has a solid economic foundation, broad prospects for development and a promising future. China will strengthen macro policy regulation, unleash the potential of consumption and investment, unswervingly open up to the outside world, comprehensively improve the business environment, and prudently forestall and defuse risks. "We have the confidence and ability to promote overall economic improvement and achieve the full-year development targets," he said. In the face of complex and severe challenges, the international community needs to work together to address them, Li said, calling on the international community to uphold multilateralism, strengthen macroeconomic policy coordination, and maintain the security, stability and smoothness of global industrial and supply chains. Li said that China has always supported developing countries in developing their economies and improving people's livelihoods within the bounds of its capacity. "We commend the IMF for its active leading role on the debt issue and support the IMF in setting up the Resilience and Sustainability Trust to provide financing for developing countries to address climate change," he said. China attaches great importance to its relationship with the IMF, firmly supports the IMF in playing an important role in global governance, and stands ready to deepen cooperation with the IMF to make global governance more just and equitable and increase the voice and influence of emerging markets and developing countries in international affairs, Li said. The IMF chief is in China attending the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2023. Noting that China is an important partner of the IMF, Georgieva said China's economic development enjoys good momentum and is expected to contribute more than one third of world economic growth this year, which will provide important opportunities for other countries. The IMF appreciates China's commitment to multilateralism and its important contribution to preventing debt crises in developing countries. The IMF is ready to deepen cooperation with China on macroeconomic policy regulation, prevent trade fragmentation, help developing countries better cope with debt crises, and make the world more stable and secure, Georgieva added. Eight countries in central and eastern Europe have joined forces to fight disinformation campaigns that try to make peace and democracy less stable, Reuters reports. In an open letter signed by the respective prime ministers of Ukraine, Moldova, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, the countries called on major tech companies, such as Meta's Facebook, to take action against the spread of disinformation. European Countries Slam Disinformation Campaigns The letter talks about how disinformation campaigns can be used to hurt democracies, stop countries from joining the European Union, and make it harder for people to back Ukraine when Russia is attacking. The prime ministers asked big tech companies to ensure their platforms are not being used to spread propaganda or false information that promotes war, justifies war crimes, crimes against humanity, or other forms of violence through what they called "virtual battlegrounds." One of the main points of the letter was the need for more transparency in the way algorithms are made, clearer rules and ways of enforcing them, and "refraining from accepting payments from individuals who have been sanctioned for their actions against democracy and human rights." The letter also emphasized the growing threat of deep fakes and artificial intelligence-generated disinformation. Reuters reports that Meta has already responded to the call, improved its fact-checking in Eastern Europe, and taken steps to stop the spread of false information about the war in Ukraine. Read Also: Elon Musk's Twitter Verification FYP Deadline Upsets Users! Here's What They're Complaining About Also, the company back in Sept. 2022 said that it had moved down content from Russian state-controlled media, making it harder for people in the EU and Ukraine to get to their sites, PBS tells us in a report. The Role of Big Tech The Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) has members like Meta, Twitter, Amazon, and Google backed steps like Europe's Digital Services Act to fight fake news. As stated in the letter, the work that these eight countries are doing together is a call to action against foreign manipulation and interference with information, which threatens democracy, stability, and national security. Big tech companies have the power to be essential allies in the fight against hostile information attacks targeting democracies and the international rules-based order. The Ukrainian Prime Minister, Denys Shmyhal, stated that the letter was "a call to action because foreign information manipulation and interference, including disinformation campaigns, pose a threat to democracy, stability, and national security." He added, "we urge you to join forces with democratic governments and civil society and work together to protect the integrity of information and ensure the security of our societies." The joint effort by these eight nations comes at a critical time when the world is grappling with the challenges of disinformation and foreign interference. The letter highlights the need for collective action and cooperation among governments, civil society, and tech companies to tackle this growing threat. Stay posted here at Tech Times. Related Article: Top Social Media Image Info That Can Put Your Family in Danger-IP Addresses, Travel Plans & MORE! 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. DeepMind's AlphaFold, program was used to develop a new molecular syringe, which is expected to help in curing cancers and tumors. A team of researchers published their study titled "'Astonishing' molecular syringe ferries proteins into human cells" on Wednesday, Mar. 29, in the Nature journal. Feng Jiang, a microbiologist at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Institute of Pathogen Biology in Beijing, even claimed that their innovation is a huge breakthrough. DeepMind's AlphaFold AI Develops Molecular Syringe According to Live Science's latest report, the molecular syringe is very different from traditional injections. Also Read: Baidu's Ernie Bot Unveiled! Can This New AI-Powered Chatbot Compete With ChatGPT? This is because it is a modified protein found in the bacteria Photorhabdus asymbiotica, which commonly infects insects. The P. asymbiotica has tiny, spring-loaded syringes that can inject toxic proteins. The researchers decided to modify these molecular syringes by loading proteins of their choosing. Using DeepMind's AI program, they predicted the structure of the syringe's landing gear. After that, they altered this structure so that it will only make contact with the surface proteins only on human cells. As of writing, the team only tested their molecular syringes in lab dishes and mice. However, experts believe that medical innovation would soon have health applications. Why AlphaFold's New Syringe is Big Deal The new molecular syringes developed by AlphaFold are expected to be used to inject cancer-killing drugs, as well as gene therapies directly into human cells. If the tiny syringes are successfully tested on humans, they could fight disease-causing bacteria in the body. Joseph Kreitz, the study's first author, and Feng Zhang, the study's senior author, claimed that the syringes could enable more cargo to be delivered per target cell. However, they said that their innovation still needs more tests. "However, we note that this system is still in its infancy; further efforts will be required to characterize the behavior of this system in vivo before it can be applied in clinical or commercial settings," they explained. AlphaFold is just among the AIs developed to make human tasks easier. More artificial intelligence models are expected to be released in the future. These AIs are expected to benefit various industries; health, tech, business, etc. Here are other stories we recently wrote about AIs: Previously, an Australian startup offering AI-powered reforestation drones was able to close a $200 million deal. We also reported about the new AI manga translator, which could prevent pirated translations. For more news updates about AIs and other similar techs, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: AI Tool Speeds Up Process of Diagnosing Chest, Lung Problems Accurately, Study Says 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Microsoft Bing's GPT-4 AI-powered chatbot is now flashing advertisements to some users, providing sponsored responses. The Redmond-based software maker confirms that it has begun slipping a few ads to its AI chatbot tool. But, these promoted results are still in the experimental phase. So nothing is final just yet, at least for now. (Photo : JASON REDMOND/AFP via Getty Images) Microsoft Bing search engine in pictured on a monitor in the Bing Experience Lounge during an event introducing a new AI-powered Microsoft Bing and Edge at Microsoft in Redmond, Washington on February 7, 2023. Microsoft Bing's AI Chatbot Now Has Ads As per a report by The Verge, Microsoft announced that the tech giant is now testing displaying ads on its popular Bing AI chatbot. No less than the Corporate Vice President of Microsoft, Yusuf Mehdi, disclosed the experimentation of ads in a blog post. The tech exec reveals that they are "exploring placing ads in the chat experience." Reuters reports that the renowned tech behemoth started tinkering with the idea with some advertising agencies last February. Microsoft discussed with them how the giant firm is planning to make money from its new AI chatbot tool. The exclusive report further notes that the meeting between ad agencies and Microsoft included a demo of Bing Chat. Furthermore, the tech firm reportedly disclosed its plans to add sponsored links to the replies of the AI-powered tool. More than a month since the meeting was reported, it looks like Microsoft was quick to pursue its plan. (Photo : JASON REDMOND/AFP via Getty Images) Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft Corporate Vice President of Modern Life, Search, and Devices, speaks during a keynote address announcing ChatGPT integration for Bing at Microsoft in Redmond, Washington, on February 7, 2023. The director of communication at Microsoft, Caitlin Roulston, confirmed to The Verge that it has started its rodeo in stuffing sponsored responses on the chatbot. Roulston states that "yes, ads will show in the new Bing, specifically in chat (as they do in the traditional search results)." How Bing AI Chatbot Displays Ads Now that Microsoft has clearly started slipping ads on its GPT-4-powered tool, some are wondering what the sponsored results will actually look like. Given that the giant firm is still testing out the promoted responses, it might only appear to some users. However, a Twitter user, who goes by the name Deedy, gave us a glimpse of what it may look like. The sponsored reply shows up in a small "Ad" box, which provides a link to its users. It looks similar to how Bing or other search engines like Google display ads on the search results. Bing Chat now has Ads! It's going to be fascinating to see how the unit economics of Ads in language models will unfold and affect search advertising. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/o5YjRjikOP Deedy (@debarghya_das) March 29, 2023 Tech Crunch notes in its story that the ads only appear to a select number of users. On their part, the promoted responses were nowhere to be found. Read Also: Microsoft May Cut Off Access to Internet Data From Rival AI Search Tools Bing Chat It is worth noting that the GPT-4 AI-powered chatbot of Microsoft Bing is still in its preview phase. Initially, the chat tool required users to join its waitlist, allowing only select users to get their hands on it. But this time, the tech giant has opened up its access to more folks. Related Article: Microsoft Bing with ChatGPT, GPT-4 No Longer has a Waitlist-Wider Availability? 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A new open letter surfaced online via the Future of Life Institute, and it is a call to all artificial intelligence developers in the world to temporarily pause their development of deep learning technology. This letter claims that there should be a minimum of six months for companies to step away from their development, particularly to training AIs beyond GPT-4. The letter was backed by more than 1,300 signatories already, and there are many familiar names on the list. Open Letter to Pause AI Developments Signed by Tech Moguls (Photo : Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images for Discovery) The open letter found on the Future of Life Institute calls upon AI developers to temporarily pause their experiments on artificial intelligence, with a minimum of six months to start. The letter claims that anything beyond GPT-4, the latest technology from OpenAI, should be set aside for now as there are significant risks or dangers present in this rapidly-growing field. Tech moguls and massive names in technology show their agreement and support by backing or signing this open letter addressed to tech companies developing AI. It includes the likes of Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak; Tesla, Twitter, and SpaceX CEO and billionaire Elon Musk; Stability AI CEO Emad Mostaque; GettyImages CEO Craig Peters; Pinterest co-Founder Evan Sharp, and more. The tech leaders are also joined by academics from renowned schools and institutions in the world. Read Also: Majority of Jobs in US, EU May Be Impacted by AI, New Study Claims Why Does the Tech Industry Want to Halt AI Development? "As stated in the widely-endorsed Asilomar AI Principles, Advanced AI could represent a profound change in the history of life on Earth, and should be planned for and managed with commensurate care and resources. Unfortunately, this level of planning and management is not happening, even though recent months have seen AI labs locked in an out-of-control race to develop and deploy ever more powerful digital minds that no one - not even their creators - can understand, predict, or reliably control," reads the letter. The concern centers on the unprecedented dangers of AI, and if not managed properly, may spiral out of control, take over the world, and harm the public. AI Development and its Massive Growth Now Undoubtedly, AI is one of the fast-emerging and growing fields in the world right now, and this was because of the significance brought by ChatGPT and OpenAI in their latest developments. The company recently brought plug-ins for the chatbot, and it allows users to add their preferred services, with the capability to connect to the internet in real time. Alongside the plug-ins, OpenAI also debuted the next-generation large language model of the company, GPT-4, the update to its previous GPT-3 model released in 2020. The more advanced and capable language model is what powers Bing's AI in the present, alongside Microsoft's Office Copilot, and other experiences which demonstrate its power and capabilities to the public. Companies like Midjourney also released their latest development to generative AI, highlighting the deep learning technology's capabilities to grow to unprecedented heights. With all that being said, AI is a growing industry that experts, academics, and executives consider regulating, especially as there are significant dangers should it be left unmonitored. The latest open letter addresses this, centering on the call to AI-developing companies to temporarily halt their advancements, for better planning and use of the products worldwide. Related Article: Microsoft Security Copilot: GPT-4 Powered Assistant to Help with Safety-What You Need to Know 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. NASA and Boeing delays the Starliner's supposed test flight with its crew to later in July, to bring the astronauts to the International Space Station, as part of its joint mission. This is under the famed NASA Commercial Crew, a program that partners and delegates flights to the ISS via private space companies like SpaceX and Boeing. Reports claim that several glitches need ironing out, including several concerns about its parachutes, which Boeing already tested to be working as intended. NASA, Boeing Delays Starliner's Supposed Test Flight to the ISS (Photo : Boeing/John Grant) In a recent tweet by the NASA Commercial Crew, the team announced that the CST-100 Boeing Starliner sees a delay for its Crew Flight Test (CFT) toward ISS no earlier than July 21. It was supposedly bringing two NASA astronauts to the orbiting space station, Suni Williams and Barry "Butch" Willmore. According to Boeing's Starliner Updates, the team will take this opportunity to check out verification items and give way to the busy schedule of the many spacecraft heading toward the space station. This new Crew Flight Test will ensure the capabilities of the Starliner to bring astronauts toward its destinations like the ISS, and NASA also aims to test ULA's Atlas V launch rocket alongside this. Read Also: NASA Commercial Crew: Boeing to Launch this April for its Starliner Test Flight, 2023 Manifest Updated Taking this Time to Complete Certifications, Ensure All Systems Ars Technica reported that NASA Commercial Crew Program's manager, Steve Stich, claimed on a teleconference with reporters that it is ensuring the certifications of the parachute system on the Starliner. The report claimed that Boeing already tested out its parachutes 20 times in different situations to ensure it is working well, having no issues found with them while testing. NASA and Boeing's Starliner for Commercial Crew Back in May last year, Boeing's Starliner achieved a significant milestone on its mission, and it successfully reached orbit without any problems, also en route to the ISS. This achievement was eight years in the making, and it took a long time for the company to finally push amidst the growing space race against other companies. Before its successful launch last year, the Starliner spacecraft met various problems with its propulsion system, particularly with valves not letting up and refusing to open. These valves have been the problem for a long time, as there were several supposed flights that the Starliner handed over to SpaceX and other companies as part of the Commercial Crew, as it continued its malfunction. Boeing Starliner already achieved a significant milestone for its successful flight in 2022, but this year, it still faced several delays since its supposed launch last February for various reasons. Now, the target date of April to bring astronauts to the ISS via its CFT is yet again seeing a delay, now moving to later this summer season, by July. Related Article: NASA Human Exploration Splits into Two Departments to Better Focus on Future Flights like the Artemis, and MORE 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. In a recent controversy from the renowned social media, Twitter recently obtained a subpoena that aims to catch the perpetrator behind its source code leak on GitHub. With this subpoena, it now has the power to ask GitHub to comply in revealing the identity of the uploader, as it led to significant insider knowledge on how the platform works and runs. The new subpoena will require GitHub to comply with the law, to bring the leaker to light after their actions which is a significant hit against the short-word social media. Twitter Obtains Subpoena to Catch the Source Code Leaker (Photo : CONSTANZA HEVIA/AFP via Getty Images) A court clerk finally signed off Twitter's request for a subpoena, one that would catch the leaker of its source code who first uploaded it via GitHub. This comes after the recent layoffs which Musk undertook in the platform and remains unknown if this was the action of a former employee. The company requested this subpoena from the US District Court for the Northern District of California last Friday, after learning of the leak. According to Ars Technica, the source code was immediately taken down by GitHub as Twitter issued a DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) takedown notice, with the company complying with the social media. However, it did not give the details of the leaker, "FreeSpeechEnthusiast," to Twitter, the principal actor of the incident. Read Also: Twitter Boosts VIPs in the Feed? Reports Claim Elon Musk, MrBeast, POTUS Biden, and MORE Benefits GitHub Forced to Reveal Identity of Leaker to Twitter With the Twitter subpoena on GitHub, the company is now obliged to reveal the identity of the leaker to social media or courts, as part of its investigation behind the actor. GitHub has until April 3 to supply the information to Twitter and give it what it needs, alongside those affiliated with the account. Moreover, social media also asks of the people who downloaded, uploaded, and modified it at the same code repository on GitHub. Twitter and its Recent Issues, Problems While Twitter has plans to go open-sourced in the coming time, the company still centers on a closed development of its platform, with its codes and other information exclusive to its team. However, this plan to go open source is not yet concrete, as further announcements or details are still unavailable from the tech CEO who first revealed it. Going open source will help let its code, API, and development platforms be open to the public, particularly to developers who have plans to integrate their services into Twitter or bring new experiences. Still, this does not change the fact that the recent move of the company is to make its API available under a paid subscription, discontinuing its free API access to third-party developers. It became a serious problem for the third-party apps which the public freely enjoys, with a majority of them pulling out from the social media. The recent leak of Twitter's source code on GitHub was a massive conflict for the company, as it kept it behind closed doors at this time, with no plans yet to go open-source. Now, it aims to catch the leaker and charge them, with the subpoena giving them an upper hand in learning the true identity of the perpetrator. Related Article: Twitter's Source Code Leaks on GitHub, as per Filing 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Ancient Swahili DNA was recently uncovered by researchers, as it became lost through time and has been a significant conflict for modern-day people who identify as Swahilis. The study finally answers a long-asked question that has robbed Swahilis of their identity, with the study testing as many as 80 people from 800 years ago. Swahilis are best known for living in the coastal area of East Africa, with their origins lost through history as they traveled from Kenya to Mozambique, amidst their massive trading practices in the past. Swahili's Ancient DNA Discovered by Researchers for the First Time (Photo : FREDRIK LERNERYD/AFP via Getty Images) In a press release via EurekAlert, researchers have finally uncovered Swahili's ancient DNA after a rigorous study that started as much as 40 years ago. The Swahili civilization is a known prosperous trading state on the coasts of East Africa, with a significant history with many countries dating back to the 7th century. Professor Chapurukha Kusimba from the University of South Florida dedicated 40 years of his like to studying this and helping uncover the mysteries behind the civilization. Swahili civilization was not lost, rather, it had a hard time tracing its origins to who exactly started their culture, but with the recent research published in Nature, the team was able to uncover this with as many as 80 individuals buried in their settlements unearthed to help uncover the DNA. Read Also: Archaeologists Unearth Over 2,000 Mummified Ram Heads in Ancient Egyptian Temple A Life's Work for a Kenya-Native Anthropologist "This research has been my life's work - this journey to recover the past of the Swahili and restore them to rightful citizenship," Kusimba, a Kenyan native, said. "These findings bring out the African contributions, and indeed, the Africanness of the Swahili, without marginalizing the Persian and Indian connection." Kusimba's decade-long study of the Swahili civilization had him living with locals to help earn their trust and allow him to excavate burial sites, which their team needed to study. Ancient Civilizations and People Looking into the past will indeed reveal a lot about a person's heritage, identity, and behavior, as it proves to be a significant influence on who they are now. Still, it is important to note that the past does not define the future, as people may still change or live the way they want to be, only that it is a good-looking glass to know more about a certain culture or quirk. Even before civilizations were formed, humans have proved to be resourceful in their different ways and techniques to use tools and anything found in the environment to help them live. There are still significant claims regarding humans evolving from monkeys, as evidenced by previous research which suggests it via similar tools by mammals. Swahilis long questioned their identities as it was lost through time, but this recent study helps their community and culture regain what is rightfully theirs, as built and established by its ancestors. Kusimba made it his life's work to discover the real Swahili ancient DNA, being a Kenya native himself, to show the world its roots and origins in the past centuries ago. Related Article: Ludwig van Beethoven's Hair Provides Clues to his Death Almost 200 Years Ago 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Microsoft is gearing up to release a new Surface Hub 2S update, which comes with Teams Rooms once it starts rolling out to its users. Given that, the upcoming update should let users further collaborate and communicate with their teams more effectively than before. The collaborative device is set to be better than ever. (Photo : Stephen Brashear/Getty Images) BELLEVUE, WA - NOVEMBER 28: Board members watch a video demo for Microsoft Surface Hub 2 during the Microsoft Annual Shareholders Meeting at the Meydenbauer Center on November 28, 2018 in Bellevue, Washington. Microsoft recently surpassed Apple, Inc. to become the world's most valuable publicly traded company. Microsoft Surface Hub 2S Update Microsoft has announced that it is working on a new update, which should soon dish out to Surface Hub 2S users, according to XDA Developers. One of the most notable additions to the much-awaited Surface Hub 2S update is the arrival of Microsoft Teams Rooms. The news outlet notes that new buyers of Surface Hub 2S later this year will start getting new features right off the bat. It will be out as the second generation of the interactive whiteboard. On the other hand, existing owners of the productivity device will receive an update. So they will have to download and install it once it sees the light of day to get the early anticipated upgrades. As such, both first-generation and second-generation Surface Hub 2S users are in for a treat. Team Rooms on Windows The Verge reports that Teams Rooms is on its way to Surface Hub 2S users. Upon its arrival, it is quite monumental. It will be the first instance when Teams Rooms gets to be available on a touch-enabled board. Exciting times indeed for productivity users. (Photo : FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images) This photograph taken on January 19, 2023 shows the logo of the American corporation Microsoft displayed during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos. The Teams Rooms for the interactive whiteboard reportedly borrows the design of its Android app counterpart. So if you are a mobile user, you might be somewhat familiar with it once it rolls out. Besides the familiar look, it is set to offer nifty collaborative features like chat channel modes and additional video layouts. Not to mention that it also brings management options not only for the admin but for other users as well. Read Also: Microsoft's New AI-Powered Clinical Notes App Relies on GPT-4! Here's How DAX Express Works When is the Release Date of the Second-Generation Surface Hub 2S? As of writing, Microsoft has yet to confirm the release date of the second-generation Surface Hub 2S. On top of that, the Redmond-based tech giant kept mum on its pricing as well. However, the renowned software maker states that it is coming sometime later this year. So it might not take long before we get an official word from the tech behemoth. In other Microsoft-related news, the Redmond-based firm has started slipping ads on its Bing AI Chatbot. Meanwhile, a new leak suggests that Windows 12 is finally getting faster updates. Related Article: Microsoft Rewards Slashes AMEM Model Leaving Players With Fewer Rewards Unless Users Subscribe to Xbox Game Pass 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Twitter takes down "Trans Day of Vengeance" tweets. However, the social media giant didn't check the context of the posts. Because of this, those of criticizes the content were also affected. Now, both supporters and critics of the "Trans Day of Vengeance" are angered by Twitter's activity. Twitter Trust of Safety Head Ella Irwin announced on Wednesday, Mar. 29, that over 5,000 tweets about the "Trans Day of Vengeance" were automatically removed from the platform. Twitter Takes Down 'Trans Day of Vengeance' Tweets According to WSPA News' latest report, Twitter removed "Trans Day of Vengeance" tweets and retweets because they don't promote violence. Also Read: Twitter Boosts VIPs in the Feed? Reports Claim Elon Musk, MrBeast, POTUS Biden, and MORE Benefits "'Vengeance' does not imply peaceful protest. Organizing or support for peaceful protests is ok," said Irwin via AP News. However, there's one problem. Twitter used automated processes to take down a large scale of the tweets related to the content. Because of this, even Twitter posts against the "Trans Day of Vengeance" were affected. Due to this issue, lots of conservative Twitter users were disappointed with the social media company's action. They said that Twitter rules were unfairly applied to them because they were only posting poster flyers so that they can speak out against the "Trans Day of Vengeance." What is 'Trans Day of Vengeance' The "Trans Day of Vengeance" actually has been around Twitter and other social media platforms for the past years. Many trans activists clarified that this content is a meme, saying that it doesn't promote violence. They added that Twitter's removal of "Trans Day of Vengeance" tweets is a misguided decision. However, a recent "Trans Day of Vengeance" post of a woman transgender woman holding a gun went viral. Based on the screenshots, the trans was holding an AR-15-style gun and wearing a Glock-19 pistol. Alana McLaughlin, the trans woman MMA fighter in the video, said that the post was entirely defensive. You can click this link to learn more about McLaughlin's controversial post. In other news, Twitter CEO Elon Musk confirmed that the FYP page will only display tweets of verified users. Meanwhile, rumors claimed that Twitter's algorithm boosts tweets of famous personalities. For more news updates about Twitter and other social media giants, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: Twitter Obtains Subpoena to Catch its Source Code Leaker, Forcing GitHub to Reveal the Perp 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Two US Army Black Hawk helicopters crashed on a routine training mission in Kentucky on Wednesday night, leaving fatalities expected, according to Governor Andy Beshear. The incident occurred in Trigg County, and the crew members' status remains unknown as the US Army's Fort Campbell did not release the number of people on board, The Guardian tells us in a report. Cause of Black Hawk Crash Remains Unknown Fort Campbell's public affairs office reported in a Facebook post that the crew members were flying two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, which belong to the 101st Airborne Division. The cause of the accident is currently under investigation, but the army's command is focused on caring for the service members and their families. The HH-60 Black Hawk variant is a multi-role helicopter that is mainly used for air assaults and medical evacuations. The army expressed its condolences and is committed to investigating the cause of the crash and supporting the affected families. Local authorities and emergency services responded to the scene of the crash immediately. Eyewitnesses reported seeing flames and smoke rising from the crash site. Read Also: Space Force Needs $16 Billion to Continue Development of Hypersonic Missile-Tracking Satellites Authorities from Fort Campbell, Kentucky Emergency Management, and local authorities have been assisting Kentucky State Police at the scene. The area around the crash site now had a roadblock set up. Black Hawk Crash The US Army has a long history of using Black Hawk helicopters for various military operations. The HH-60 variant, introduced in the 1980s, has been used extensively in conflicts in Panama, Iraq, Somalia, the Balkans, Afghanistan, and other areas in the Middle East. According to the US Army Acquisition Support Center, the Black Hawk is a utility tactical transport helicopter that can be modified for various mission requirements, including special operations. Despite its effectiveness, Black Hawk helicopters have been involved in several accidents over the years. One of the most notable was the 1993 crash in Mogadishu, Somalia, which was portrayed in the movie "Black Hawk Down." Nevertheless, the Black Hawk remains a critical asset for the US Army and is essential for a range of military operations. The incident in Kentucky serves as a somber reminder of the risks military personnel face while performing their duties. The US Army and local authorities are working together to investigate the cause of the accident and provide support to the affected families. In a statement on Twitter, Kentucky governor Andy Beshear said: "We've got some tough news out of Fort Campbell, with early reports of a helicopter crash and fatalities are expected. @kystatepolice, @KentuckyEM and local officials are responding. We will share more information as available. Please pray for all those affected." The investigation into the crash is ongoing, and more information will be released as it becomes available. The US Army and local authorities will continue to work together to provide support to the families of the service members affected by this tragedy. Stay posted here at Tech Times for the latest developments. Related Article: Airbus Achieves In-Flight Autonomous Control of Drone Using Tanker Plane 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. BEIJING, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Lab-leak hypothesis of coronavirus is the latest episode of the political games that have again been revived by certain U.S. politicians to attack China under the guise of tracing the origins of COVID-19. The scientific community and scientific evidence related to the matter, which should have been at the center of focus, have been absent or neglected in this repeated farce. The U.S. House of Representatives held a hearing on the origins of COVID-19 on March 8, following a classified intelligence report by the U.S. Department of Energy suggesting that the virus probably came from a lab leak, despite the fact that the department made its updated judgement with "low confidence." "The hearing itself, however, offered a heavy dose of political theatre, giving a preview of sessions to follow in the weeks and months to come," the scientific journal Nature reported. According to the report, three out of four witnesses at the hearing supported the lab-leak hypothesis, but their credibility is doubted by the scientific community. "Not one of those witnesses had any scientific record of investigating and publishing peer-reviewed research on the origins of this virus in quality journals," said Michael Worobey, a biologist at the University of Arizona who has studied genetic evidence since the early days of the pandemic. Science, another major academic publisher, reported on the hearing under the headline "Science takes back seat to politics in first House hearing on origin of COVID-19 pandemic." It is obvious that political motivation has played a decisive role in the lab-leak theory, which has been hyped up by an intelligence report made with "low confidence," despite scientific evidence pointing in the opposite direction. "Low confidence" means the information obtained "is not enough or is too fragmented to make a definitive analytic judgement or that there is not enough information available to draw a more robust conclusion," according to a CNN report. A science-based report published by an expert panel in Science magazine in October 2022 overwhelmingly supported zoonotic hypotheses and concluded that the COVID-19 virus likely spread naturally in a zoonotic jump from an animal to humans, without help from a lab. Fabian Leendertz, a zoonotic disease expert, said that a laboratory leak as the possible origin of the COVID-19 pandemic is a "purely politically motivated" theory, and that political power games are behind it. The expert, who participated in the World Health Organization's (WHO) search for the origins of the coronavirus, recently told the German Press Agency that he is aware of no new data that would strengthen the laboratory hypothesis. "It remains the most unlikely hypothesis of all." Chinese evolutionary biologist Wu Chung-I said claims that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, was made by humans represent a terrible regression in scientific thinking -- a regression to the level of a priest more than 200 years ago. Polish virologist Agnieszka Szuster-Ciesielska recently said in an interview that the COVID-19 lab-leak theory, which has been rehashed by the U.S. Department of Energy and the FBI, is sensation-seeking and has no factual or scientific basis. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning has urged the United States to immediately cease its political manipulation of COVID-19 origins-tracing, and voluntarily share its data on suspected early cases in the United States with the WHO. For some time now, the United States has been politicizing, weaponizing and instrumentalizing COVID-19 origins-tracing, Mao said. It has allowed a matter of science to become dominated by lawmakers and the intelligence community, and it has spread myths such as the lab-leak theory without any evidence in order to discredit and attack China. Should over-the-counter birth control pills be allowed in the United States? This is what FDA will discuss in its upcoming meeting. The French drugmaker HRA Pharma, a pharmaceutical owned by Perrigo, applied to transition its Opill pill to over-the-counter. HRA Pharma applied to switch its birth control pill from prescription-only to OTC back in July 2022. The French drugmaker's ongoing efforts to make Opill an OTC birth control pill aims to make contraceptive more available. Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pills? FDA to Discuss Opill's Transition According to USA Today's latest report, FDA will conduct a meeting this coming May to discuss if HRA Pharma's birth control pill should be made an over-the-counter drug. Also Read: WHO Warns Only Few Drugs Can Overcome Antibiotic Resistance: How Concerning is This? "The meeting will be held virtually on May 9, 2023, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time and May 10, 2023, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time," said FDA via its official document. The Food and Drug Administration said that since the COVID-19 pandemic still affects some parts of the globe, the committee meeting will be conducted online. As of writing, CDC said that hormone-based pills in the U.S. still require prescriptions before they are sold to consumers. If FDA allows HRA Pharma's proposal, it would be the first OTC birth control pill in the United States. Why Birth Control Pills Need Prescriptions FDA explained that before the medicine is allowed to be sold over the counter, it needs to treat conditions that are self-diagnosed. Aside from this, the drug should be safe and patients must be able to consume it effectively without any assistance from healthcare experts. Birth control pills have all these requirements. However, Scientific American explained that OTC pills in the U.S. and the U.K. are commonly for short-term conditions. If you want to learn more details about why the U.S. government doesn't allow birth control pills to be sold over the counter, just click this link. Here are other stories we wrote about public health: Recently, a new medicine is claimed to help terminally ill cancer patients. We also reported about the arrival of a new CT scan, developed by U.K.-based researchers, which can detect hormone-producing nodules in 10 minutes. For more news updates about birth control pills and other drugs, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: FDA Approves Over-The-Counter Version of Life-Saving Opioid Overdose Drug 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Missouri Senator Josh Hawley's push for a Senate vote on legislation that would ban TikTok from the US was blocked by a fellow Republican, according to a report by AP. "Digital Fentanyl" Hawley referred to TikTok as "digital fentanyl" alleging it might provide the Chinese government access to the information of 150 million US users. Hawley's proposal would restrict and forbid US dealings with ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, after 30 days. Kentucky Senator Rand Paul opposed Hawley's proposal, claiming that outlawing an app would be unconstitutional and infuriate the millions of voters who use it. No matter how one feels about it, speech is protected, he said. Shou Zi Chew, the CEO of TikTok, was interrogated by parliamentarians from both parties last week about his company's ties to China's communist government, data security, and many more. Chew made an effort to reassure legislators that the wildly popular video-sharing app emphasizes user safety and should not be prohibited because of its ties to China. Yet, the tense stalemate gave Hawley and other lawmakers new momentum in their argument that it should be banned. Read Also: New Study Claims TikTok FYP Automatically Shows Self-Harm Videos; Suicide Hashtags Receive Billions of Views Bills Supporting Ban on TikTok Hawley recommended that Congress take quick action to directly outlaw TikTok. Although some legislators have thought about more comprehensive strategies, no legislation has gained universal support. However, AP notes that the bipartisan legislation introduced by South Dakota Senator John Thune and Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner has strong support in the Senate. Although TikTok is not mentioned by name in the legislation, it would grant the Commerce Department authority to examine and perhaps limit foreign risks to digital platforms. The White House has supported such legislation, but it is not clear if the Senate will take it up or if House Republicans would give it much of a chance. Another bill introduced by Florida senator and Republican Marco Rubio would prohibit US companies from doing business with TikTok and establish new guidelines for the executive branch's ability to restrict any foreign apps it deems hostile. Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi and Mike Gallagher are cosponsors of his bill as well. The agreement on a bill approved in December that forbade TikTok on most government equipment is cited by those advocating further legislation. But despite having support from both parties, the divergent ideas highlight how challenging it may be to come to a consensus on a historically unprecedented attempt to outlaw or severely restrict the use of an app that millions of people rely on. Related Article: #TechTimesLifeHack: TikTok Tips for Beginners That Will Help You Become an Expert [2023] 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. ByteDance is already attempting to recruit influential members of the social media community to use Lemon8 before its formal release later this year. This comes as the company's other popular app, TikTok, faces further scrutiny in the US on safety concerns. Shift to New App Last week, the owner of the famous and controversial Chinese app TikTok employed marketing firms to reach out to social media creators. One of the messages read, "ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, invites you to become a launching creator on their new Lemon8 platform before it officially rolls out in the United States!" Reviewing the notes and linked materials, The New York Times learned that Lemon8 plans to become a top global social media service and uses "the same recommendation engine that helps TikTok succeed," known as the FYP or For Your Page. The platform has already been quietly introduced in app stores and will initially focus on fashion, healthy food, and wellness. ByteDance's approach shows that the firm is not intimidated by the rising clamor in Washington to ban TikTok or compel the Chinese owners to sell it. ByteDance is keen to follow in the footsteps of TikTok, which has gained 150 million members in the US with its new app Lemon8. From the Political Viewpoint Yet, legislators and regulators may be wary of Lemon8 for the same reasons they are of TikTok, which has become a flashpoint in the ongoing competition between the US and China in technology and economic power. The Chinese government's use of TikTok's content recommendation system to spread propaganda or users' personal information have both been cited as reasons for US authorities to label the app a threat to national security. Lindsay Gorman, director of technology and geopolitics at the German Marshall Fund and a former tech advisor for the Biden administration, believes the same problems will come up. She explained that, like Instagram, Lemon8 is a social networking site collecting user data. Plus, it is owned by the same company that developed TikTok. ByteDance's spokesperson Jennifer Banks did not address inquiries concerning Lemon8 or if the business expected regulatory attention. Also Read: TikTok Labels for Russian State Propaganda Accounts Are Inconsistent, Study Claims Meet 'Lemon8' The app is a bridge between Pinterest and promoted Instagram posts, according to Krishna Subramanian, co-founder of influencer marketing agency Captiv8. Its two columns of information are packed with shopper-friendly advice and product suggestions. Per the briefings shared with marketing firms in January, Lemon8's "ideal creator portrait" is a woman between the ages of 22 and 26 in the New York or Los Angeles region interested in fashion or beauty. To "build the most inspiring and informative platform to discover, share, and bring ideas to life," as that website put it, was Lemon8's stated mission. Lemon8 also claimed that it was first presented in Japan in April 2020. It has since grown to other nations, including the UK, Singapore, and Indonesia, reaching five million monthly active users globally in 2022. While Lemon8 may be downloaded, it has yet to be officially released. According to letters sent to creators, ByteDance plans a worldwide marketing drive in May to entice more users. Also Read: AOC Joins TikTok; Pushes for Stricter Data, Privacy Laws Instead of Ban 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Wastewater surveillance programs have been incredibly valuable in detecting surging infections and new variants of COVID-19 weeks before they are detected in hospitals. But now, the long-term ability of these programs to protect public health is in danger, as funding uncertainty and uneven commitments from state health departments have raised concerns that these programs may shut down in the future, Scientific American reports. Lack of Funding Could End Wastewater Testing Soon The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS), which includes most of the wastewater testing sites in the country, is fully funded through 2025, according to Amy Kirby, director of the program. However, Kirby says that after 2025, new sustainable funding sources are needed, ideally through the CDC's regular budget rather than resources tied to COVID-19. Wastewater surveillance is really useful because it can collect information from thousands of people in just one sample. It does not rely on people going to the hospital to get tested for COVID-19, like the numbers we see in the news. In 2022, when more people started doing at-home tests that health organizations don't track, wastewater surveillance became even more helpful. But some state governments have hesitated to invest in the technology because of questions about funding, logistics, and how to interpret data from this relatively new source. This has led to an uneven national system. Read Also: DeepMind's AlphaFold AI Develops Molecular Syringe That Can Help Cure Cancer, Treat Tumors How Wastewater Helps Prevent Disease Outbreaks Some researchers and health officials are working on expanding their wastewater programs beyond COVID-19 and have found that the technology can track a wide variety of health threats. The WastewaterSCAN project, for instance, is testing for flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), norovirus, human metapneumovirus (HMPV), as well as SARS-CoV-2. Time reported in Sept. 2022 that a new program operated by academics at Stanford University, Emory University, and Verily, an Alphabet Inc. company, is monitoring monkeypox cases by analyzing sewage from 41 communities in 10 states - detecting mpox on 22 of the sites. Meanwhile, the New York State Department of Health recently announced that it would broaden its wastewater program to include new diseases and add at least 90 new monitoring sites. David Larsen, an epidemiologist at Syracuse University who runs the New York State program, says: "Wastewater analysis has the potential to add major improvements to disease surveillance. Expansions to the New York State program, including COVID variant analysis and additional respiratory, gastrointestinal, and hepatitis pathogens, will facilitate their rapid detection across large sections of the population without having to test large numbers of individual patients." Will the Initiative Receive Funding? However, additional funding is needed to continue these projects at the national level, and there are signs that the federal government may be reluctant to provide it. The Biden administration's proposed 2024 budget does not include any mention of the CDC's wastewater surveillance system, and public health funding bills have repeatedly stalled in Congress. The potential loss of funding and the uneven implementation of wastewater surveillance programs across the country could have serious consequences for public health. According to Kirby, "if we lose this, we're going to lose a really important tool in our toolbox." Stay posted here at Tech Times. Related Article: WHO Warns Only Few Drugs Can Overcome Antibiotic Resistance: How Concerning is This? 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The cheapest Netflix plan is already available on the latest Netflix Apple TV app. The add-supported subscription was officially launched back in November 2022. It was first available on Chromecast, iOS, Amazon Fire, consoles, and numerous smart televisions. The Basic with Ads Netflix tier didn't support tvOS before. But, this cheap ad-supported subscription plan is now on Apple TV. However, before trying it via the latest Apple TV app version, you need to know its limitations. Cheapest Netflix Plan is Now Available on Apple TV! According to Apple Insider's latest report, Netflix Basic With Ads commonly shows advertisements every after four minutes per hour. Also Read: Netflix Cloud Gaming is Coming Soon, Available for Any Device via the App Like Stadia, Xbox However, this will still depend on the movie or TV series you are watching. The quality is also limited to 720p, which is quite low compared to other services on the Apple TV, which offers between 1080p to 4k resolutions. This cheap ad-supported Netflix plan also limits one stream per account and prevents users from downloading content for offline viewing. Despite these limitations, many users already shared their positive comments, saying that the $6.99 subscription tier is worthwhile. The popularity of the Netflix Basic with Ads plan is further improving as the streaming giant increases the prices of its other higher-tier services. Netflix Basic With Ads Booms in US The Verge recently reported that the Netflix Basic with Ads plan is already gathering momentum in the United States. This means that the ad-supported service is attracting lots of subscribers. Analytics firm Antenna even claimed that Netflix Basic with Ads already has around one million accounts signed up to it. Numerous enthusiasts believe that this number will still improve in the following months of 2023. You can visit this link to learn more about the growth of the ad-supported Netflix plan. In other news, Netflix's Nike Training Club feature was expected to be released in 2022. We also reported on the issue posed by the Netflix sharing rules for split families. For more news updates about Netflix and other streaming platforms, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: Netflix's Cheaper Plan with Ads Skips Some Movies, Shows - Peaky Blinders, Bullet Train, and MORE 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Apple's vintage Macintosh software and systems have been the highlights for the past decades. At present, we are only getting MacBook Pro and other advanced OS such as Ventura. For classic Mac lovers, there's a special website where you can explore various releases straight from your web browser. It's all thanks to InfiniteMac which compiles all versions of MacOS from the 1980s and 1990s. InfiniteMac Gives You Nostalgic Mac Vibes Once Again For hardcore Mac fans who love to take a trip down memory lane, you can now see the amazing functionalities of the previous software releases on a website. According to XDA Developers, you can go to InfiniteMac.org to test the old versions and builds of Mac products. The news outlet reports that Mihai Parparita is the person behind this website. Since you can no longer access the 1984 MacOS, it's about time to experience a tinge of nostalgia by clicking the system you want to explore from 1984 to 2000. The project allows users to smoothly access the Macintosh software and boot them up in a matter of seconds. You can launch each of them and play games and apps to make you feel the "classic Mac era" vibes you are yearning for. Time Machine For Mac Enthusiasts InfiniteMac also lets you import files that you retrieve from external sources given that they are compatible with a particular system. The website features "drag-and-drop" functionalities which will allow you to perform the usual tasks such as installing software. Other than that, you can export files that you made on a classic Mac. Although InfiniteMac is not perfect since it can crash sometimes, it's a great way for users who want to use the old Macs back in the day. Furthermore, the website also highlights the change log that you can see for every available version. It's worth using especially if you badly miss using their features after many years. Related Article: Apple MacBook Air 15-inch Reportedly Releasing in 2023 Discounted Apple M2 Pro Mac Mini on Amazon Apple's Mac mini is reportedly up for grabs on Amazon, according to Engadget. The product is currently sitting at $1,249 thanks to the $50 discount that you can score when you buy it from the store. If you're looking for a "headless" desktop that you can use at the office or school, this M2-equipped Mac Mini is definitely a steal you can't miss to have. It's designed for multitaskers, as well as editors who want to change and add some improvements to pictures or videos. This machine is suited, as well for hybrid remote workers who are looking for convenience and flexibility. If your aim is high performance, you can opt for its Pro version, but prepare your wallet for a more expensive price ahead of purchase. Read Also: Apple Brings Native Mac Weather App Through Ventura OS: Here's What's New 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Google Cloud, a subsidiary of Alphabet, has accused Microsoft of anti-competitive cloud computing tactics and criticized its impending partnerships with various European cloud suppliers. In a report by Reuters, Google argues that Microsoft does not address larger concerns about its license conditions. Questionable European Ties Amit Zavery, vice president at Google Cloud, told Reuters that the firm has brought up the problem with antitrust authorities and requested European Union (EU) antitrust regulators to take a closer look at Microsoft and its European arrangements. Microsoft replied with a link to a blog post from May of last year in which its president Brad Smith said the company "has a healthy number two position when it comes to cloud services, with just over 20 percent market share of global cloud services revenues." A Microsoft representative said on Thursday, Mar. 20, "We are committed to the European Cloud Community and their success." Google lags behind Amazon and Microsoft in the rapidly expanding multibillion-dollar cloud computing sector, where strong competition exists between the three companies. Due to a small number of corporations' dominance and the industry's growing importance as more and more businesses migrate their services to the cloud, it has lately come under increased regulatory scrutiny in countries like the US and the UK. Antitrust Accusations In a report earlier this week, a source close to the situation confirmed that Microsoft has promised to alter its cloud computing methods in exchange for suspending antitrust accusations from a handful of smaller competitors. This will reportedly prevent a probe by the EU. The EU did not provide a statement. Zavery said in an interview late Wednesday, Mar. 29, "Microsoft definitely has a very anti-competitive posture in [the] cloud. They are leveraging a lot of their dominance in the on-premise business as well as Office 365 and Windows to tie Azure and the rest of cloud services and make it hard for customers to have a choice," Zavery said. He added, "When we talk to a lot of our customers, they find a lot of these bundling practices, as well as the way they create pricing and licensing restrictions, make it difficult for them to choose other providers." See Also: Microsoft May Cut Off Access to Internet Data From Rival AI Search Tools Bigger Problems to Solve Zavery said that Microsoft would only gain from striking separate arrangements with several smaller European cloud suppliers. He said Microsoft is buying out the complainers selectively and not offering the same conditions to everyone. This apparently gives Microsoft an unfair edge and binds the complainers even closer to the company. They have so much sway in the market that they can go and do things on their own time, but whatever they are providing, Zavery said there should be conditions across for everyone, not just for one or two they have selected and picked. The point Zavery wants to make to the regulators is that settling with just one or two providers will not address the bigger problem. "And that's the problem we need to really resolve, not individual vendors' problems," Zavery stated. See Also: Google Violates Court Order to Preserve Records of Employee Chats for Antitrust Litigations 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. On the 50th anniversary of arguably the most groundbreaking device of the century, Martin Cooper, the American engineer known as the "father of the cell phone," is concerned about people's obsession with their mobile phones. While he acknowledges the great potential of mobile phones, Cooper says in an AFP interview that he is worried about the dangers that come with people's addiction to their devices. Mobile Inventor 'Devastated' with Phone Use Nowadays Cooper made the first mobile phone, so he has seen how they have changed over the years, from the first ones to the smartphones that are now everywhere. He recognizes the benefits of smartphones, but he also sees the problems that come with their widespread use. "I am devastated when I see somebody crossing the street and looking at their cell phone. They are out of their minds," Martin Cooper told AFP. He believes it will take a few accidents before people realize the dangers of their phone addiction. While he owns an iPhone and an Apple Watch himself, he admits that the millions of available apps can be overwhelming, and he will never understand how to use the phone the way his grandchildren and great-grandchildren do. Many people share the concerns expressed by the phone's inventor. According to the National Safety Council, mobile phone use causes 1.6 million crashes each year. Not to mention that extreme use of the device can lead to health problems and even expose people to various dangers such as scams and cyberattacks. Outlasting the Phone Obsession Cooper's involvement in developing the mobile phone started in the 1970s when he worked for Motorola. He created the first mobile phone, the DynaTAC, as the leader of a team of designers and engineers in 1973. The DynaTAC weighed more than a kilogram and had a battery life of approximately 25 minutes. It was expensive, but it gave early adopters advantage, such as those in real estate. They could show clients properties while also answering the phone, doubling their productivity. Read Also: Open Letter to Pause AI Developments Beyond GPT-4 Signed by Woz, Elon Musk, and MORE-But Why? Since then, mobile phones have come a long way. Cooper believes they have the potential to completely transform education and healthcare. He envisions a future in which phones are linked to bodily sensors that detect illness before it develops (something Apple is already expanding with its Health app). Cooper believes that, while the mobile phone has already become an extension of the person, we are only now beginning to understand what it is capable of. Despite his concerns about people's phone addiction, Cooper believes that people will eventually adapt to the new technology. He notes that television faced similar criticisms when it first emerged, but people eventually learned to appreciate it. In any case, Cooper is confident that the mobile phone will continue to change the world just as he imagined it would. Stay posted here at Tech Times. Related Article: Apple WWDC 2023 Confirmed: Dates, What to Expect-Is the Mixed-Reality Headset Coming? 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. In New York federal court on Thursday, Mar. 30, Sam Bankman-Fried entered a not-guilty plea to five new accusations stemming from the demise of his former cryptocurrency exchange, FTX, and hedge fund, Alameda Research. Mark Cohen, Bankman-Fried's attorney, has stated his intention to submit a petition requesting that his client not be prosecuted on all counts. He noted that his client is not subject to trial on any accusations filed after his extradition. Criminal Allegations On Tuesday, Mar. 28, a superseding indictment was released by the US attorney's office for the Southern District of New York, detailing a third set of criminal accusations against the disgraced former CEO of FTX. This time, the allegations of bribery against Bankman-Fried concerned a foreign government. Bankman-Fried arrived at the courthouse about an hour before the hearing looking disheveled after an intense press interview, as reported by CNBC. Prosecutors claim that he ordered the payment of no less than $40 million in cryptocurrency to one or more Chinese government officials in an effort to unfreeze trading accounts tethered to his crypto hedge fund, Alameda Research. Allegedly holding about $1 billion in bitcoin, Bankman-Fried and his accomplices explored and attempted various approaches to activate the accounts. After exhausting legal and personal avenues, Bankman-Fried allegedly consented to and orchestrated a multimillion-dollar bribe to get the blocked accounts opened. After unfreezing the funds, the government claims that Bankman-Fried's hedge fund continued to support Alameda's loss-making trades for an additional year, perpetuating what it claims was a fraud against consumers and investors. See Also: Sam Bankman-Fried Faces New Criminal Charge for Bribing Chinese Officials for as much as $40M Not Guilty Plea The former cryptocurrency tycoon did not say a word throughout the whole hearing and pleaded not guilty to allegations of bank fraud, money laundering, running an unregistered money transmission company, and illegally contributing to US political campaigns. According to the indictment's thirteen counts, Bankman-Fried violated federal campaign finance rules by overseeing hundreds of dollars in illegal political contributions. Bankman-Fried has entered no guilty plea on eight additional charges. FTX 2022 Collapse It came as a shock to the industry in late 2022 when FTX, one of the leading cryptocurrency exchange platforms, declared bankruptcy while showing no symptoms of operational breakdown. At the same time, Sam Bankman-Fried handed over the reins as CEO to his successor, who took over while the business crumbled around him. After the company's failure, rumors circulated that the co-founder and former CEO had moved digital assets to the Bahamas. FTX made these allegations publicly. Since then, authorities and Justice Department officials have argued to have Bankman-Fried extradited from the Bahamas to face fraud charges, which he has asserted his innocence of. Alameda Research and FTX spent a fortune on creditors and other parties, even though the firm was having trouble staying afloat. This fact was not made public until recently. DoorDash was on the list of FTX's creditors since the firm had paid them hundreds of dollars to use their meal delivery services. See Also: FTX Case: Sam Bankman-Fried's Lawyer Will Soon Present Revised Bail Package 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots was a game-changer, so much so that within the first few months of its introduction, educational institutions had to draft guidelines to prevent students from misusing the technology to complete their school assignments. The impact of AI was bizarre, with an unexpected surge of robot-generated papers and APIs that could transform drab websites into dynamic ones. As AI became more ubiquitous, experts grappled with ways to prevent people from exploiting AI text generators for nefarious purposes. One solution proposed was AI detectors, which could flag AI-generated text. But a recent mathematical proof shows that it may be nearly impossible to know for sure if ChatGPT or any AI model made a piece of text. Is it possible to detect AI-generated content? This revelation poses a significant challenge in the fight against those who cheat on tests and essays and spread false information using the latest technology. To address these concerns, several people have suggested putting hidden watermarks in AI-generated text or looking for unique patterns. In December 2022, TechCrunch reported that an OpenAI visiting researcher was working on a method to "statistically watermark the outputs of a text [AI system]." Scott Aaronson, a computer science professor, explained that whenever a system generates text, such as ChatGPT, the tool will include an "unnoticeable secret signal" revealing where the content originated. Also in January, OpenAI unveiled its own AI detector but acknowledged that it is "not fully reliable." According to the company's evaluations, the indicator correctly identifies 26% of AI-written text as "likely AI-written," while 9% of the human-written text is incorrectly labeled as AI-written. However, according to Soheil Feizi and his team at the University of Maryland, these techniques may not be as reliable as we thought. NewScientist reports that Feizi's team used AI-based tools to rewrite AI-generated text with and without watermarks and fed it to several text detectors. They found that the accuracy of the majority of the detectors was reduced to around 50%, leading to a significant drop in performance. The Next Best Solution In a study titled "Can AI-Generated Text be Reliably Detected?", Feizi demonstrated the difficulty of detecting AI-generated text as models become more human-like in the distribution of words using a mathematical proof called an impossibility result. This implies that detectors will either generate many false positives or not enough, allowing AI-generated text to slip through the cracks. Read Also: Microsoft Bug Enables Users to Modify Bing Search Results, Expose Outlook Emails, Etc. Feizi believes that even the best detector will not be very effective for all practical purposes, making it nearly impossible to distinguish between AI-generated and human-generated text. As a result, it may be challenging to combat issues related to AI-generated text. Instead of relying on AI detectors, NewScientist reports that Yulan He of King's College London suggests focusing on understanding and weighing the risks and benefits of AI generative models. By doing so, people can mitigate the potential harm posed by AI generative models and capitalize on their benefits. Stay posted here at Tech Times. Related Article: OpenAI May Reportedly Launch GPT-5 in 2023 With "Exceptional" Human-Like Skills 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. People attend the inauguration ceremony of the Luban Construction Workshop College, a Chinese vocational workshop program training talents overseas, in Kandal province, Cambodia on March 29, 2023. (Photo by Van Pov/Xinhua) The Luban Construction Workshop College, named after Lu Ban, an ancient Chinese woodcraft master who represents the Chinese tradition and spirit of craftsmanship, will provide high-end technical skill courses to young talented engineers in Cambodia. KANDAL, Cambodia, March 30 (Xinhua) -- The Luban Construction Workshop College, a Chinese vocational workshop program training talents overseas, was inaugurated in Cambodia's southeastern province of Kandal on Wednesday. The workshop was jointly-established by China's Jiangsu Vocational Institute of Architectural Technology, the China State Construction Engineering Corporation, and the Cambodia Airport Investment Company. Shen Shide, president of Jiangsu Vocational Institute of Architectural Technology, and Heng Vanda, chairman of the Cambodian Higher Education Association and president of the Vanda Institute, attended the inauguration ceremony. Shen said the workshop would train Cambodian talents on architectural design, architectural decoration, engineering technology, and architectural engineering technology, among other architectural specialties. "The Luban Construction Workshop College will provide high-end technical skill courses to young talented engineers in Cambodia," he said. The Luban Construction Workshop College is named after Lu Ban, an ancient Chinese woodcraft master who represents the Chinese tradition and spirit of craftsmanship. Management personnel unveil the plaque of the Luban Construction Workshop College, a Chinese vocational workshop program training talents overseas, in Kandal province, Cambodia on March 29, 2023. (Photo by Van Pov/Xinhua) Hang Amatak, a Cambodian instructor at the Luban Construction Workshop College, said fresh graduates or students at various schools in the Southeast Asian nation would be selected for study at the workshop. "This technical skill training is to help Cambodian students gain a better insight into the field of civil engineering," he told Xinhua. "It's a very good opportunity for Cambodian students to gain an insight into Chinese construction techniques as Chinese instructors will come to teach here," he said. "Outstanding students will be granted scholarships to pursue their studies in China." During the event, an agreement was also signed between the Jiangsu Vocational Institute of Architectural Technology and the Vanda Institute, saying, "Both parties agree to sponsor activities such as student exchange, teacher training, curriculum development and academic communication." The agreement also pledged joint efforts to foster local talents in line with international standards in order to meet demands from the international labor market. The Luban Construction Workshop College operates in the complex of the new Phnom Penh international airport under construction, formally known as the Techo Takhmao International Airport, in Kandal province, about 20 km south of the national capital Phnom Penh. MACAO, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Macao's total merchandise export amounted to 1.03 billion patacas (about 127 million U.S. dollars) in February, up 2.3 percent year-on-year, the special administrative region's (SAR) statistical service said on Thursday. The merchandise import went up 18.6 percent year-on-year to 12.39 billion patacas. The latest report from Macao's Statistics and Census Service showed that merchandise trade deficit totaled 11.36 billion patacas last month. The value of re-exports grew 7.7 percent to 934 million patacas, whereas the value of domestic exports shrank 30.3 percent to 99 million patacas. (1 pataca equals 0.12 U.S. dollars) "SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve": experts on the new variant of the coronavirus "Arcturus" Minors hit on scooters in Paris: three police officers suspended and placed in custody Music and artificial intelligence: "the idea of a substitution of the artist is a fantasy" The most demanded table in the world that works as a pinchos bar on Sundays The most exclusive and anticipated salad of the season returns in Madrid "Screenings do not reveal all problems": RUDN University professor on the maximum reproductive age and late childbirth Disappearance of Chloe in Seine-et-Marne: how did the investigators find the young woman? Rospotrebnadzor: in patients with measles in the first days, the face becomes puffy and the eyelids swell "Who is Elon Musk to determine if a media is independent?": Delphine Ernotte criticizes the boss of Twitter With the emerald story as the carrier, what is so moving about this dance drama? 4 stars, the return of RTVE to the classic series of Daniel Ecija to compete with El Hormiguero: "We return to the TV of the audimeters" The Jin Yong Library will be demolished? Official: It will not be simply dismantled - China News Network Video Lunar exploration training using robots at JAXA facility before landing on the moon on the 26th before the challenge Are there few saury this year? 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Creativity in the conditions of youthful maximalism: the Russian drama "Secret Attraction" was shown at the Moscow International Film Festival Average annual salary of professional baseball players reaches record high, Giants rank first for first time in four years Controversy over the removal of a Spanish flag in the stands of the Camp Nou The former president of the Real, Inaki Badiola, sentenced to 10 years and 8 months for launching insults and slander from the "anonymity" of Twitter Medvedeva's vacation, Zinina's choice and Zagitova's dancing with Shcherbakova: what is being discussed in the world of figure skating He moved 17 points clear of the runners-up. 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Russian Foreign Ministry on the situation in the Lachin corridor: any unilateral steps are unacceptable After a first heavy bill, Fox News faces the complaint of an expert in disinformation Rumors of crisis between Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez skyrocket: "She spends the day stuck in a shopping center" In Guadeloupe, the Under the Pole expedition explores life at the great depths Prigozhin: Zelensky will order the launch of a counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine after the capture of Artyomovsk by Russia A bus driver in Barcelona throws out a traveler for his disrespect: "If you want you start crying and calling the one in the back beautiful" Vittra School is resurrected from the ashes to be reopened in autumn 2024 They update rust protection in the huge cooling water tunnel at the nuclear power plant in Oskarshamn Why do we sleep a lot during holidays and holidays?.. Password in "Debt" Uses that go beyond the military aspect. Drones and effective roles in agriculture and healthcare American Thinker: anti-Russian sanctions turned out to be the largest miscalculation of the West in history No, Los Serrano are not back: this will be 'the reunion' for the 20 years of the mythical series Patricia Rite, from MyHyV, who became an influencer for her fight against skin cancer, dies A US fund declares Spain in "technical default" and asks for the reimbursement of government bonds for 910 million Ex-adviser to Kuchma Soskin: Russia destroyed the elite units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine before the offensive FT: Zelensky fears the failure of the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine A woman dies in the Paris metro after her coat is hooked in the car Communities 2019 - Privacy The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them. A Lebanese political analyst says that the United States has repeatedly tried to export its democracy, only to create instability and chaos worldwide. Produced by Xinhua Global Service France's Macron dismisses unrest, promises drought action plan Savines-le-Lac, France, March 30 (AFP) Mar 30, 2023 President Emmanuel Macron announced new water-saving measures for France on Thursday as he sought to brush aside weeks of political turmoil over a deeply unpopular pensions reform. Dozens of protesters calling for him to resign had gathered in the Alpine village of Savines-le-Lac ahead of his announcement, as he faces the biggest challenge of his second term in office. Two people were arrested before he even arrived on the shores of western Europe's largest fresh-water reservoir. "There is contestation over a reform, but it doesn't mean everything else should grind to a halt... We need to continue working," Macron told reporters against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains. After a devastating heatwave last summer and record low rainfall this winter, Macron said he wanted to reuse 10 percent of all water in France by 2030. "We have decided to launch 1,000 projects in five years to recycle and reuse water," he said. "We want to reuse 300 million cubic metres, or... 3,500 bottles of water per French person per year," he said. France currently reuses less than 1 percent of its water. - Won't 'be calmed down' - Macron said all parts of the economy would be asked to decrease their water consumption by summer -- not just the water-guzzling agricultural sector, but also energy, industry, tourism and leisure. Last summer was Europe's hottest on record. Winter has also been particularly dry in France, with a record dry spell of 32 days without significant rainfall earlier this year. The country's groundwater levels were 80 percent lower than average on March 1. People around France are still outraged over Macron's pensions plan, which includes raising the retirement age from 62 to 64. "Manu, we have a lot to worry about if you're going to manage water like you did pensions," read one protester's poster in Savines-le-Lac on Thursday, addressing the president by his nickname. Helen, a retired nurse, was among the protesters trying to shout down Macron during his speech. "He says he's here to speak about water, to calm us down, but we don't want to be calmed down," said the 68-year-old, who refused to give her surname. Macron's government on March 16 triggered widespread anger when it invoked a controversial executive power to ram through the bill without a parliamentary vote. After two months of largely peaceful mass protests, spontaneous demonstrations erupted on a daily basis, with some angry protesters clashing with security forces. - 'Unacceptable violence' - The authorities have blamed the unrest on violent "troublemakers" bent on damaging public property, but rights groups have criticised the police for disproportionate use of force in dealing with the crowds. The unrest has also trickled into protests not directly related to the pensions reform. Two men are fighting for their lives in hospital after clashes on Saturday at a rally against giant water "basins" in the southwestern village of Sainte-Soline. Campaigners there were trying to stop the construction of the pools to irrigate crops, which they say will distort access to water amid drought conditions. "There have been scenes of unacceptable violence these last few weeks," Macron said. There were peaceful protesters in Sainte-Soline, the president said, but also "you had thousands of people who simply came to wage war". He defended the concept of basins like the one in that village, which pump up groundwater in winter so that farmers can draw from it in the summer. "It's not about privatising water or allowing some to monopolise it," he said. But he did say future basin projects should be more economical with water and ensure farmers use less pesticides. France's highest constitutional authority will rule on the pensions reform on April 14. burs-ah/adp/giv BEIJING, March 30 (Xinhua) -- The United States is co-hosting the second so-called "Summit for Democracy" this week. Experts have said that the summit is sowing division, estrangement and hatred by drawing an ideological line between countries at a time when the world yearns for unity. Produced by Xinhua Global Service Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, speaks at a national teleconference on preventing and containing major forest and grassland fires, in Beijing, capital of China, March 29, 2023. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) BEIJING, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing on Wednesday called for resolutely preventing and containing major forest and grassland fires to better safeguard people's lives and property, as well as national ecological security. As the fire prevention work has entered a crucial period this spring, it is necessary to maintain a high degree of vigilance, Zhang said at a national teleconference. Zhang said fire prevention responsibilities must be fulfilled at all levels and more efforts should be made to improve the quality of fire risk investigation and rectification. Measures should also be taken to build stronger firefighting forces, improve emergency plans, carry out regular exercises, and improve fire prevention equipment and infrastructure, Zhang said. Endiem Kyle Duncan, the Baton Rouge native who has become a darling of right-wing social crusaders, was confirmed by a slim U.S. Senate margin Tuesday to be judge of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. (Image from C-span video) The average cost of a funeral in Liberia is approximately USD 500-1000. The Gross National Income per person in Liberia is $680. This means that the average person in Liberia earns less than $700 per year but the cost of a funeral is around $500-$1000. Funerals in Libera cost around $750 USD while the average yearly wage for Liberians is $680 USD. Funerals are a significant part of Liberian culture, serving as an important opportunity for families and communities to honor and mourn their loved ones. However, the cost of funerals in Liberia is a cause for concern, particularly given the economic challenges faced by many Liberians. According to reports, the average cost of a funeral in Liberia is around $750 USD. This includes expenses such as coffin rental, transportation of the body, burial site fees, and funeral service arrangements. While this may not seem like a significant amount, it is important to consider that the average yearly wage for Liberians is around $680 USD, making funeral expenses a significant financial burden for many families. The high cost of funerals in Liberia is partly due to cultural expectations surrounding death and mourning. In many Liberian communities, it is considered disrespectful not to provide a proper funeral for the deceased, which often involves a lavish display of mourning, including food, drinks, and other offerings to guests. The pressure to keep up with societal expectations of a funeral can often lead families to spend beyond their means. The financial burden of funerals in Liberia is particularly acute for low-income families. Many Liberians live in poverty, with limited access to healthcare and other essential services. When a family member dies, the cost of a funeral can be an overwhelming expense, often requiring families to take out loans or sell assets in order to cover the costs. The high cost of funerals in Liberia is a significant financial burden for many families, particularly those living in poverty. While cultural expectations surrounding funerals are an important part of Liberian tradition, most families go beyond their financial means to provide a funeral for their loved ones which meat the Liberian cultural standard. The millions of people using TikTok dont agree on everything. Take the rift between Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber fans, an online debate so heated it can divide friends quicker than a game of Monopoly. But this week, united by political criticism led by the US Congress one opinion on the platform seemed unanimous: TikTok should not be banned. The pressure on the social media giant ratcheted up last week when its chief executive, Shou Zi Chew, fronted a tidal wave of questions from members of the United States House Committee for Energy and Commerce regarding the platforms safety. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew (right) testified before US Congress last week, facing a barrage of questions from Congressman Earl Carter (left) and others. Credit: AP/Alex Brandon, AP/Jacquelyn Martin The primary concern from congressional representatives is that TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, could pose a threat to national security by sharing sensitive data from US users to Chinese authorities. Throughout the nearly five-hour-long hearing, Congress members also grilled Chew about young peoples access to potentially damaging or inappropriate content on TikTok and concerns around general user privacy. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size When Matthew Buchanan and Karl Von Randow dreamt up a website where movie buffs could share their passions a little over a decade ago, it was very much a side hustle to their main business, Cactuslab, which develops websites and apps for others from a tiny office in the suburbs of Auckland. We had peaks and troughs of work coming through the door, and we started to think, well, weve got this great team, can we put them to work on something thats just for us?, says Buchanan. They had in mind the Google model, in which employees were directed to spend one day a week on pet projects, without mind to profitability. It was, he says, all about just putting a little portion of your focus into something cool to get you away from the day to day. Letterboxd founders Matthew Buchanan and Karl Von Randow. A dozen years after their site went into beta testing, and a decade after it launched to the public, Letterboxd is a bona fide success. The film-focused social network, which allows users to review movies, share watch lists and browse what others are saying, is now in 200 countries, with 8.4 million active members. The company claims more than 103 million movie reviews have been written for the platform, 10.9 million lists created, and 1.25 billion movies marked as watched by its members. It is, by any measure, a roaring success. And as Kiwi model Rachel Hunter might have said, it didnt happen overnight, but it did happen. Advertisement It took us nine years to reach break-even point, says Buchanan. For the first six or seven years, I answered tech support calls. We only hired the first person specifically for the business three years ago. Before that, we were just begging, borrowing and stealing from the other business. That first employee was Gemma Gracewood, editor-in-chief of the site (while the bulk of content is user-generated, its Journal section is commissioned interviews and features). Taking members on a journey of discovery that might lead from Twilight to the more indie films of stars Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart is one of the delights of the platform, says editor-in-chief Gemma Gracewood. Credit:Ian Gavan Gracewood knew Buchanan from their days together at a student radio station; she was the editorial director, and he built their first website. They were chatting at a barbecue one day when Gracewood asked her old friend why the Letterboxd Twitter feed was only ever about what was going wrong. I was like, why is it always tech support? Why dont you talk about movies?, she says. And he was like, well, can you do that? Gracewood was hired, starting just as the pandemic was about to break. And while COVID-19 was terrible for the movie business crippling production and shutting down cinemas worldwide it was a boon for Letterboxd. Three years ago, the platform had just 1.3 million members; the explosion in home viewing, and the desire for virtual social connections, drove growth beyond all expectations. According to Buchanan, between 4 and 5 per cent of active members are paid subscribers. Everyone else sees ads, which generate their own revenue stream. Advertisement Many people who come to the platform never write a thing theyre the lurkers in Letterboxd parlance but others are prolific reviewers (call them the workers). Professional critics, filmmakers, and industry professionals are all on the platform, some openly such as directors Paul Thomas Anderson and Edgar Wright and others on the sly. For proof of the mutual lovefest between the platform and the industry, look no further than the Love Letters From Letterboxd clip created with and for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences in the run-up to this years Oscars. There youll see Tar director Todd Field confessing that he reads, and learns from, peoples contributions on the platform; Ke Huy Quan tearing up at a fans kind words about his performance in Everything Everywhere All At Once; and writer-director Rian Johnson (Knives Out), actor Paul Mescal (Aftersun), director Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front) and others soaking up the affection. Its not just for insiders though, by any means. Anyone can create a list of the films theyve seen and instantly assign a rating (out of five stars), or a list of the films they want to see. Members can follow other people reading their reviews, poring over their lists, expanding their range of interests and knowledge. Ratings are averaged across all users, and determine where a particular title sits in the popularity stakes, which helps with its discoverability. Right now, the most popular film of the week is John Wick: Chapter 4; of the month is Scream; of the year is The Menu; and of all time is Parasite. The end game is driving discoverability, which Gracewood believes contributes to the viability of the movie business as a whole. I see Letterboxd not as an audience, but as many audiences that intersect around shared interests, she says. Its not demographic, not even psychographic, its just who likes this movie. And if you like that movie, you might like this movie, and they might be two completely different movies. Advertisement She takes enormous delight in seeing someone graduate from the mainstream to something more challenging, discovering as they go a world of cinema they might otherwise never have known about. My favourite thing is the Twilight to Personal Shopper [via Kristen Stewart] or Twilight to Good Time [Robert Pattinson] pathway, she says. You know, a young person who has seen an actor they like in a blockbuster they love and they want to watch their other films. Twilight as a gateway film to The Lighthouse thats what we need. As they celebrate 10 years of Letterboxd, the founders Von Randow is still aboard, but concentrates mostly on the other business and Gracewood are keen to shine a little light on what theyve achieved, no matter how at odds that might be with the typical diffidence of New Zealanders. The companys name refers to the cropping that takes place when a wide screen film is shown on a TV. Credit:Letterboxd Even though weve got some respectable numbers, theres still lots of people that have no idea we exist, and have no idea that we could represent for them something useful in their online lives, says Buchanan. Is there any chance that this sudden courting of attention might signal a future IPO, or an invitation to some overly liquid tech firm to snap up this niche operation of a dozen or so staff doing quite amazing things from across the Ditch? No, I think the people that might be interested in that angle probably already know of our existence, he says. And if they dont, they probably need to check their sources. Advertisement Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Save this article for later Remove items from your saved list to add more. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. The second stage of Hotel Downings revamp on Castlereagh Street draws inspiration from Vietnams late-night drinking culture. A collection of the most exciting venues to visit in Sydney this month. See all stories . Chef and restaurateur Cuong Nguyen has made a name for his creative contemporary spin on Vietnamese cooking at Marrickvilles Hello Auntie and its lively city pad at Darling Square. Now hes expanding into the heart of Sydneys CBD with the opening of Hey Chu on Castlereagh Street. Sommelier Patrick Harrowsmith (left) with executive chef Cuong Nguyen and head chef Bremmy Setiyoko. Chad Konik The late-night spot opens on Monday, April 3 as the second stage of publican Jim Kospetas revamp of Hotel Downing in the legal district. (Stage one, a casual Latin American eatery Fugo, opened earlier in March.) The menu takes a new direction, driven by smaller bar snacks and Vietnams after-dark drinking scene. SHIJIAZHUANG, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Yu Luming, former vice chairman of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, stood trial for bribery at the Intermediate People's Court of Zhangjiakou in north China's Hebei Province on Thursday. Yu was accused of taking undue advantage of his various positions in Beijing between 2001 and 2019 to seek profits for others regarding the handling of land-use rights and contracting of hospital projects, among other matters. In return, Yu accepted money and valuables worth 10.5 million yuan (about 1.52 million U.S. dollars), according to prosecutors. During the trial, prosecutors presented their evidence. The defendant and his defense counsel cross-examined the evidence. In his final statement, Yu pleaded guilty and expressed remorse. The sentence will be announced at a later date. Where others might set a sock drawer or desk, Elizabeth Randall chooses snakes. Dozens of them. The juveniles are coiled inside a hatchling rack against the bedroom wall, each tub labelled with parentage and otherworldly genetic particulars: paradox, Chimera or axanthic albino. Elizabeth Randall with Flare the green tree python. Credit: Glenn Campbell Next to them, Flare the adult green tree python is entwined with branches in the terrarium. Crickets, breakfast for the geckos, chirp from somewhere behind Jurassic Park figurines. Its a lively bedroom and was moreso until amenable granddad Terry, unable or unwilling to abate her passion, let her build several new enclosures in their Kallangur dining room. Not since Henry Kissinger's secret mission to China in 1971 has a politician worked so hard to keep the media and voters in the dark about a trip abroad. The Victorian premier may not have feigned illness in Pakistan, allowing him to slip onto a plane to Beijing as Kissinger did but in reality, we will never really know the negotiations and details of Daniel Andrews taxpayer-funded trip to China. Premier Daniel Andrews with Li Xukui, vice president of the Chinese Peoples Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. While this is one of Andrews most flagrant acts of arrogance, the premier has a track record for secrecy when it comes to China. In 2018 he signed Victoria onto Chinas $1.5 trillion global infrastructure initiative, allowing for Chinese investment in the state under the Belt and Road Initiative. It was never approved by Andrews cabinet and Canberra was largely kept in the dark. Unfortunately, Andrews secrecy extends beyond his dealings with China. He has repeatedly refused to answer questions about corruption investigations which have engulfed his government. He uses social media to control his message, and rejects invitations to engage with the public on high-rating radio talkback programs. Requests for one-on-one interviews with print and television journalists are rarely granted. Labors negative gearing and franking credits policies in the 2019 election had the potential to reduce the gap between the housing haves and have-nots. The real tragedy is we are left with a risk-averse Labor lite government unwilling to take the policy initiatives necessary to arrest, let alone reverse, homelessness and other grotesque symptoms of growing inequality in the lucky country. John Carmichael, Hawthorn A system geared to investors It would be lovely if young couples could afford to buy a property in the suburbs near public transport and schools but unless you are pretty cashed up, its not possible. I look at the auctions around this locality, mostly bought by investors. No sooner than the sold sign goes down then up goes a for-lease sign. While you have negative gearing, this wont change. Why should those cashed up be able to outbid most people who genuinely want to buy a home to live in, effectively driving them to the outer fringes? Nola Cormick, Albert Park THE FORUM Sensitive leadership Indigenous elder Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin was invited then uninvited to perform a Welcome to Country ceremony for Barack Obama. Whatever Joy Murphy needed for her ceremony should have been granted. The cost of supporting Aunty Joy pales into insignificance considering the private jet, security and overinflated price of tickets to hear a former US president speak. How dare they say she was too difficult. Its not about ticking boxes to hold a Welcome to Country Ceremony, its so much more. Joy Murphy is a highly respected and much loved Wurundjeri elder. To insult her like this leaves us all so diminished. On their highly polished website Sydney-based Growth Faculty proclaims their visions: to provide a place to access brilliant ideas for inspired leadership. A word of advice, leadership requires cultural awareness and sensitivity, something that can be accessed from people like Joy Murphy. Catherine Buxton, Somers Can Voice adapt? I will vote yes for the Voice because its the right thing to do, but are we ready to open the Pandoras box that may result? Will the widely diverse First Nations communities accept a Western democratic model of decision making to arrive at a Voice as opposed to the traditional Indigenous consensus model? Will the Voice accept democratic decisions made by parliament on behalf of all Australians that dont meet their expectations, without endless argument, with or without recourse to the High Court? Alastair Pritchard, Templestowe Increasing the volume Your correspondent (Letters, 30/1) maintains that our Indigenous brethren have exactly the same voice as all other Australians the federal parliament. That may well be true, however, it overlooks the well-resourced lobby groups (oil, fossil fuels, mining etc) that advocate on behalf of many other sectors of other Australians. So introducing the Voice would hardly be a rush to radical change. Bill Pimm, Mentone Neglectful fathers Your correspondent (Change too radical, 30/3 ) notes that our founding fathers made constitutional change difficult to protect us from radical change when in fact it was no more noble than to protect the so-called rights of the smaller states. In addition, calling upon the spirit of these gentlemen who deliberately deprived Indigenous people of citizenship and counted them among the flora and fauna of the country is hardly a valid justification for rejecting the Indigenous Voice to parliament. Graeme Gardner, Reservoir What they got wrong In raising the motives of the founding fathers of our Constitution, your correspondent got me thinking about another reason to support the Voice. Thomas Mayor (Finding the Heart of the Nation) and others have highlighted that those founding fathers deliberately left the Constitution silent on First Nations people in anticipation (to put it politely) that Aborigines would eventually die out? The fathers got this bit wrong. Today, we live alongside Australians with the oldest, continuing culture on Earth. Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in our nations birth certificate is 122 years overdue. The referendum deserves to succeed. Russell Crellin, Greensborough A simple right The NZ Treaty of Waitangi was signed between the warring British Crown and Maori chiefs in 1840. The NZ agreement provided binding property and equality rights for the Maori people in exchange for allowing the British Crown to rule. Over 180 years following the Waitangi Treaty, the Indigenous Australians who had no say in the imposition of the rule of a foreign Crown, are requesting a simple right to make suggestions to parliament on matters affecting Aborigines. Malcolm McDonald, Burwood A different class The Age reports (More teachers want out over job-load woes, 30/3) that more than a third of teachers intend to leave the profession before retirement. This is not new. Many years ago I was one of 26 young people on Education Department studentships who graduated with a Bachelor of Science and Diploma of Education. Fifteen years after we had qualified, only three remained in high schools. I was not one of them. Certainly workloads and student misbehaviour are factors behind resignations, but school organisation may be even more responsible. Nearly all secondary schools follow a model that has hardly changed for over a century: classes of uniform size (about 30, depending on supply and demand) of adolescents of uniform age, with lessons of uniform length, and a different teacher every 40 minutes or so. Then every new year a changeover to different teachers. This model must hinder teacher and students from getting to know each other well and find out how to work constructively together. Let us hear about schools that operate with more effective models, where teachers and students find enjoyment and fulfilment. Richard White, emeritus professor of education, Monash University Red tape restrictions How much longer do we need to wait for governments to rescue our education system from freefall? The irony is that it is the politicians themselves who have created this crisis. They have no understanding of the complexity of school systems and for years have sought political mileage from education, creating compliance requirements that dominate the daily activities of teacher at the expense of their engagement with children. Bryan Long, Balwyn Speed limits It makes sense that privately owned e-scooters are to be allowed to be used in public, and the big companies will lose their monopoly (More scooters to hit road as trial extends, 30/3. If they are not to be driven at more than 20 km/h, they should be physically restricted so they cannot exceed that speed. George Houlder, Cambrian Hill Popular with some What extra resources will be provided to enforce the rules on use of even more e-scooters by even younger riders? And shared paths such as along Southbank will become even more hazardous with more e-scooter riders riding with vehicles capable of up to 25 km/h. How can an extension of the trial to privately owned, uninsured e-scooters do anything but increase the risks for riders themselves and for pedestrians on Melbournes footpaths? Minister Melissa Horne says, We know e-scooters are popular with many Victorians. But what about the very many Victorians who increasingly fear walking as a mode of transport? Tom McNair, Docklands Limit of education In arguing against a ban on Nazi symbols and salutes, Lydia Khalil identifies a major source of the growth of right-wing extremism (Comment, 30/3). Khalil says that Nazism is appealing as a form of rebellion and subversion for young men in particular. Addressing that is a huge challenge and part of the much deeper issue of contemporary masculinity. Unsurprisingly, Khalil suggests better education about the consequences of fascism. However, like a ban on symbols, some young men might reject such education programs as an attempt to indoctrinate them into the progressive, left-wing values they dislike. They do not want to think the same way as everyone else. Rod Wise, Surrey Hills Banning images While were talking about banning offensive symbols, such as the Nazi salute, there is one extremely offensive symbol that is rife in our community. Im talking about Christian depictions of a man being tortured to death on a cross, which, we are told, is also an example of human sacrifice, of one person being killed to atone for the sins of many other persons. On any objective set of criteria this is quite repugnant to anyone not adhering to the Christian faith. Im not suggesting such depictions should be banned, as they clearly mean a lot to those who accept the Christian mythology. Im simply asking Christians to be more cognisant of how their imagery might affect others and to perhaps keep it to themselves inside their churches. Ian Robinson, Cowes Keep it public Lydia Khalils opinion piece on the futility of banning symbols makes me reconsider my wish to ban the Union Jack, symbolising centuries of colonial exploitation and violence. It would just drive our royalists underground and make them more dangerous. Ralph Bohmer, St Kilda West What to do? Most people know the saying all that is necessary for evil to happen is for good people to do nothing. Im sure that Daniel Andrews, and others who go to China with cap in hand (Beijing lauds Premier over determination to build China ties, 30/3) know it well. Its sad to me then that human rights violations can be so blatantly committed with the perpetrators knowing many good people will do nothing. Russell Brims, Bentleigh East Negotiating tactics Some of your correspondents evince little appreciation of the dilemma facing the Greens a small party trying to bargain from a balance-of-power position when better than nothing or worse than useless bills come before parliament. If the party votes for such bills without at least securing significant improvements, it will be accused of selling out on precisely the urgent issues such as climate change and homelessness that its parliamentarians were elected to address. Furthermore its bluff being called it loses influence. But if it votes against such bills, it will be accused of making the perfect the enemy of the good. Indeed as one gathers from the lecturing of the Greens over their rejection of CPRS in 2009 it will cop this even if it is subsequently rewarded with something vastly better. Colin Smith, Glen Waverley And another thing Credit: Illustration: Matt Golding Whistleblowers As a declaration of their belief in ethical practices, corporations and government agencies could perhaps contribute to an ongoing Nobel-style award for people who bravely expose workplace wrongdoing. David Johnston, Healesville One suspects Mark Dreyfus wont end cases against Richard Boyle and David McBride as the government is afraid of encouraging other whistleblowers from speaking out. Garry Meller, Bentleigh Politics Your correspondent (Letters 30/3) lauds John Pesuttos leadership style because he compromised his position in the Deeming affair. Some would say it evokes the Groucho Marx quip: Those are my principles, and if you dont like them ... well, I have others. Phil Alexander, Eltham The 100 per cent perfect position that the Greens espouse verses the 20 per cent pragmatism that the ALP attempts resulted, last time, in 10 years of nothing. John Kellett, Bundoora We contend with The Reds, The Greens and The Teals. How about The Candystripe Party, the one with a bit in it for everybody? Chris Pollock, Donvale Furthermore If two thirds of prospective home buyers are waiting for inheritance from their parents then we are going to have a lot of 60-year-old first home buyers. Craig Tucker, Newport If Formula 1 racing is a sport with no margin for error, the same is true of the massive logistical operation that transforms Melbournes Albert Park into the site of the worlds premier motor racing event. The Australian Grand Prix opened the doors to its largest track site on Thursday morning, occupying a space 2 times bigger than Flemington Racecourse. Matthew Walton, general manager of design and construction for the Australian Grand Prix. Credit: Jason South A growing motorcade of trucks has shipped thousands of tonnes of track and spectator infrastructure to the park over the past two months, joined in recent days by the 20 all-important F1 cars flown directly from Saudi Arabia. Australian Grand Prix Corporations general manager of design and construction, Matthew Walton, said planning for the event had started almost as soon as the chequered flag waved at last years race, with the site redesigned to accommodate swelling spectator numbers. A former Australian Taxation Office employee who blew the whistle on aggressive debt recovery tactics by his employer could not rely on Commonwealth laws shielding whistleblowers from prosecution when the steps he took to gather evidence were alleged crimes, a court has ruled. Kieran Pender, senior lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre, said the decision was catastrophic for Australian whistleblowers and would make it harder for Australians to speak up about human rights violations, government wrongdoing and corporate misdeeds. ATO whistleblower Richard Boyle. Credit: Joe Armao Richard Boyle worked in the ATOs debt recovery division in Adelaide and made headlines in 2018 when he spoke out against his employers heavy-handed approach to some taxpayers in a joint media investigation by The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and the ABCs Four Corners. He was charged in 2019 with a raft of offences, subsequently reduced to 24 charges, including covertly recording conversations with ATO colleagues and using his mobile phone to photograph taxpayer information. If convicted, he faces a lengthy prison sentence. The Australian Federal Police is withholding evidence used by local investigators to prosecute former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann from an inquiry into the abandoned rape trial. The ACTs Director of Public Prosecutions, Shane Drumgold, who himself has been the target of allegations by Lehrmann, has also foreshadowed holding back documents subpoenaed by inquiry head Walter Sofronoff, KC, due to legal privilege. The ACT government is holding an inquiry into the abandoned rape trial of former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann. Credit: Kate Geraghty A preliminary hearing before the ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday heard the inquiry had sought the brief of evidence against Lehrmann, as well as a large cache of CCTV footage obtained by ACT Policing an arm of the Australian Federal Police but it was yet to be delivered, impeding Sofronoff from doing his job. Sofronoff, a former Queensland Supreme Court judge, grilled the AFPs barrister Katherine Richardson, SC, on his ability to conduct the probe into the high-profile trial after receiving letters from the Australian Government Solicitors office saying certain, undisclosed laws prohibited the force from providing the information. Nine soldiers were killed after two US Army helicopters collided during a training mission near an Army base along the Kentucky-Tennessee state line on Wednesday night, the Army said. The two HH-60 Black Hawk assault helicopters crashed into each other at about 10pm during a routine training mission in Trigg County, Kentucky, Nondice L. Thurman, a spokesperson at the Army base, Fort Campbell, said in a statement. She added that the crash was under investigation. Emergency responders are seen near a site where two military helicopters crashed Wednesday night during a routine training mission in Trigg County, in southwestern Kentucky. Credit: AP The helicopters were from the 101st Airborne Division, which is based at Fort Campbell and is the Armys only air assault division. Brigadier General John Lubas said during a news conference at Fort Campbell on Thursday that the Army did not yet know what had caused the collision, and that there were no radio signals calling for help before it occurred. by Xinhua writer Ma Qian BOAO, China, March 30 (Xinhua) -- China's progressive economic performance since the beginning of 2023 is a welcome development for the world and is positive for global growth, said a senior business professional attending the ongoing Boao Forum for Asia annual conference. "Chinese economic data is definitely looking better over the past two months. We've seen a real ... bounce," said Ben Simpfendorfer, a partner at leading international management consulting firm Oliver Wyman. "Particularly, manufacturing is up strongly, expanding new orders, which suggests that we're gonna see strength in production going forward," he said. "At the same time, retail sales are a little bit stronger: spending on restaurants, spending on gasolines as well as consumer staples are also strong." China's retail sales, a gauge of consumption growth, increased 3.5 percent year on year in the January-February period, reversing declines seen in the previous three months. In the first two months, China's value-added industrial output went up 2.4 percent year on year, while the index gauging the country's service industry output rose 5.5 percent. "China's recovery means that it will play a more important role in driving global growth going forward, particularly in the year when worries about global recession are mounting," said Simpfendorfer, also a board member of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. He pointed out that China is a major importer of products for other economies, especially countries across Asia and the Middle East. "And so, recovery in demand (in China) would be most welcome." "While we're on the right path to recovery, we need to see spending, both consumer spending as well as capital spending, begin to strengthen from here," said the expert, who has been working in Asia and the Middle East for over 20 years. As this year marks the 10th anniversary of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the business expert noted that the growth-oriented initiative has been advancing collaboration in Asia, and its progress is a welcome and profitable development for the wider world. "As the initiative's projects are collaborative and bringing multiple parties, especially local partners, it certainly helps in driving collaboration across the region," he said. "At the same time, the initiative itself is beginning to evolve, which once focused on primarily very large-value infrastructure projects. We're beginning to see spending refocus on supply chains, particularly in Southeast Asia, business parks, ports, roads, anything that supports global manufacturing," he said. "That's a welcome development because these types of investment are more likely to be profitable for investors," Simpfendorfer added. He highlighted Asia's commitment to regional integration and economic globalization, saying the positive benefits of the region's backbone free trade agreements will continue to expand, which will ultimately propel global growth. "Asia is home to two of the world's leading trade agreements, RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) as well as CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership), which really underscores the fact the region's committed to globalization, committed to trade as a driver of growth," he said. As Asia remains the world's largest manufacturing hub and a growing source of demand with around 60 percent of the world's population, its commitment to the free flow of goods and services "will ultimately be positive for global growth," he said. Looking into the future, Simpfendorfer said Asia will emerge as "perhaps the world's largest trade bloc," and Asian integration boosts economic globalization. UNITED NATIONS, March 29 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Wednesday called on armed groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to end all their violent activities and withdraw from occupied areas. Continued attacks by armed groups in the eastern DRC may worsen the security situation in the country despite active efforts made by the DRC government to advance security sector reform, combating armed groups, promoting economic development and preparing for general elections, said Dai Bing, charge d'affaires of China's permanent mission to the United Nations (UN) at a UN Security Council briefing. "Ceasefire and cessation of violence are top priorities," he said. Dai said that with the help of the African Union and regional countries such as Angola, the March 23 Movement armed group agreed to a ceasefire and dialogue in early March. The envoy called on the international community to vigorously support humanitarian responses, pointing to "enormous humanitarian needs" in eastern DRC due to the worsening situation. Relevant UN agencies and the DRC government should work together to maximize the benefit of their humanitarian assessments and ensure the safe and smooth delivery of supplies, he said. While meeting short-term humanitarian needs, the international community should also help the DRC strengthen its capacity for independent development in accordance with its actual needs, said Dai. He said China implements cooperation with the DRC on the basis of mutual respect, mutual benefit and win-win results, adding that the cooperation projects have achieved remarkable results in supporting local industrial development, expanding employment and improving people's livelihood, and have been welcomed by the DRC government and its people. "China would like to work with the international community to make more contributions to the peace and development of the DRC," said Dai. A ship from the Philippine Coast Guard tries to put out the fire of the burning M/V Lady Mary Joy 3 along the coast of Basilan Province, the Philippines, March 30, 2023. A ferry carrying more than 200 people caught fire in the southern Philippines late Wednesday night, killing at least 10 passengers, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Thursday. (Coast Guard Station Basilan/Handout via Xinhua) MANILA, March 30 (Xinhua) -- A ferry carrying more than 200 people caught fire in the southern Philippines late Wednesday night, killing at least 10 passengers, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Thursday. Commodore Marco Antonio Gines, the commander of the PCG District in Southwestern Mindanao, said the M/V Lady Mary Joy 3, a passenger and cargo vessel, was headed to Jolo from Zamboanga City when it caught fire in the waters off Baluk-Baluk Island in Hadji Muhtamad town of Basilan province past 10 p.m. local time on Wednesday. Nixon Alonzo, the chief of disaster reduction and management office in Basilan province, told a local radio that authorities are verifying reports that seven more passengers who jumped into the sea are missing. At least 195 passengers and 35 crew members have been rescued. He said rescuers found four bodies on the vessel, while six were plucked from the sea. "The passengers died from drowning after jumping into the water. Some suffered burns," Alonzo said. Hadji Muhtamad Mayor Arsina Kahing-Nanoh posted pictures of the vessel on the beach of Baluk-Baluk Island and some of the rescued passengers on social media. Authorities are looking into the cause of the fire, which reportedly started in an air-conditioned cabin in the vessel. Most of the passengers were asleep when the fire broke out. The PCG said it deployed personnel and its vessel to help in the search and rescue operation, which continues at the time. Emirates and United have activated their codeshare partnership, allowing Emirates customers to enjoy easier access to an expanded choice of US destinations. Starting today (March 30), Emirates customers will be able to fly to three of the nation's biggest business hubs - Chicago, Houston or San Francisco - and connect easily to an expansive network of domestic US points on flights operated by United. With the launch of the partnership, Emirates customers heading to the US, can now look forward to access to more than 150 US cities in the United network, via the three gateways, a statement said. Similarly, Emirates customers in the US planning trips to Dubai and beyond have a myriad of choices and can utilise Uniteds services to easily connect to Emirates operated flights bound for Dubai, via Chicago, Houston or San Francisco. The world just got bigger for US travelers journeying to Emirates extensive network beyond Dubai, including many unique destinations across the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent, it said. On the flights, passengers can enjoy Emirates award-winning services and a host of convenient travel benefits afforded by the agreement. Travellers with itineraries on Emirates codeshare flights can plan their entire trip on a single-ticket and take advantage of the airlines baggage allowance, in addition to convenient bag check-through to the final destination. Emirates is also enabling its Skywards members to earn and redeem miles on all flights across Uniteds worldwide network. The partnership unlocks a host of popular destinations accessible from Emirates gateways such as Atlanta, Austin, Denver, Minneapolis and Phoenix. Emirates passengers planning trips to destinations such as Detroit, can fly direct from Dubai to Chicago or Houston, and simply connect on a United flight to the final destination, while enjoying the hassle-free flight benefits. The reciprocal benefits extend to passengers flying out of the U.S. using Emirates services to fly to Dubai, with the same easy access from a vast network of domestic cities and connection at one of the three hubs. Adnan Kazim, Emirates Chief Commercial Officer commented: "We are extremely delighted to activate this historic partnership with United and significantly expand our footprint in the U.S. Uniteds vast network across the Americas will help us to offer more choice to our customer base from across the globe, and meet demand from across segments including the leisure, VFR, corporate travellers and students who can now connect seamlessly to and from a broader network of more than 150 domestic points." Emirates and United have an interline arrangement that allows passengers to easily reach a wider choice of destinations in the Americas outside of the US Emirates customers will be able to choose from dozens more destinations in Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America, while also enjoying conveniences such as the simplicity of flight itineraries on a single-ticket and smooth connections via the three hubs (Chicago, Houston and San Francisco). Emirates currently offers services between its hub in Dubai and 12 US cities, as well as five points across Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. -TradeArabia News Service BEIJING, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Snowflakes are usually hexagonal, but under certain conditions, they can look like diamonds. In a new study published on Wednesday in the journal Nature, Chinese scientists described the formation of ice crystallites in real-time at molecular resolution, solving the mystery of how water freezes into a diamond-like, face-centered cubic crystal structure. The cubic ice is believed to be responsible for a particular type of halo around the Sun or Moon called Scheiner's halo. But whether cubic ice exists has long been controversial since detecting it in its pure phase was challenging in experiments. The researchers, led by those from the Institute of Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, used in-situ cryogenic transmission electron microscopy imaging and water vapor deposition on graphene to follow the ice crystals' formation from vapor at minus 170 degrees Celsius. They found that most of the resulting ice was pure-phase cubic ice, demonstrating that the nucleation of cubic ice is preferential on low-temperature substrates. The proportion of ice with a hexagonal lattice structure increases over time. A determining factor that affects its formation is a heterogeneous interface, easily found in snowfall, during which water molecules grow on the surface of tiny dust particles, noted the study. The direct and real-space imaging in this study resolved the controversy concerning cubic ice, and deepened our understanding of ice formation behavior under different conditions, which may have broad applications in materials science, geology, and climate science, said the researchers. BOGOTA, March 29 (Xinhua) -- At least nine soldiers were killed in an alleged rebel attack in northeast Colombia on Wednesday, President Gustavo Petro confirmed. The attack was carried out by alleged members of the National Liberation Army (ELN) on a military base in the department of North Santander. On social media, Petro expressed his "total repudiation for the attack" against seven soldiers and two non-commissioned officers, "murdered by those who today are decidedly distanced from peace and the people." The president immediately called for a consultation with the government delegation participating in peace talks with the rebel group to analyze the incident that could potentially jeopardize the negotiations. "I have summoned the government delegation to the peace talks with the ELN, and the guarantor and accompanying countries for consultation. A peace process must be serious and responsible to the Colombian society," he wrote. Defense Minister Ivan Velasquez also rejected the attack. "We reject the violent attack allegedly perpetrated by the ELN in North Santander," he said on social media. The Colombian Army also condemned the attack that left another eight soldiers wounded, and confirmed it was continuing its military offensive against the guerrillas. Chinese and Indonesian business representatives gathered on Wednesday in Jakarta to improve trade relations. DUBAI, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on Wednesday appointed Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, his brother, as the vice president of the country, the official Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported. The appointment was approved by the UAE Federal Supreme Council, according to the report. The incumbent Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum will remain in the same role. Sheikh Mansour has served as the deputy prime minister of UAE and as the minister of Presidential Court. He has extensive experience in public service and has held a number of important posts since 2004, including the minister of presidential affairs, chairman of the Ministerial Development Council, and member of the Abu Dhabi Supreme Petroleum Council. Additionally, Sheikh Mansour has also chaired organizations such as the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, National Archives, the Abu Dhabi Development Fund, and board of Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority. Born in Abu Dhabi in 1970, Sheikh Mansour completed his higher education in the United States, earning a Bachelor's degree in international relations in 1993. Sheikh Mansour began his career as the chairman of the office of his late father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first president of the UAE, before taking on the role of minister of presidential affairs in 2004. He was appointed as the deputy prime minister in May 2009, and later became the minister of Presidential Court in July 2022. NAIROBI, March 30 (Xinhua) -- The growing crisis of waste pollution should be tackled as a matter of urgency in order to realize a healthier, more prosperous and greener future for humanity, the UN said Thursday as the world marked the first International Day of Zero Waste. Currently, more than 2 billion tons of municipal waste is generated annually across the globe while 45 percent is mismanaged, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) said in a joint statement issued in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital. In the absence of urgent actions, solid waste including plastics, debris from mining and construction sites, electronics and food dumped into the planet could rise to almost 4 billion tons by 2050, with the poor bearing the brunt, said the UN. The International Day of Zero Waste, which is jointly facilitated by UNEP and UN-Habitat, was established through a UN General Assembly resolution. It calls upon key stakeholders like governments, industry, academia and civil society to become proactive in responding to the waste crisis that bodes ill for the health of communities and ecosystems. Inger Andersen, the UNEP's executive director, stressed that harnessing technical expertise, innovation and indigenous knowledge will be key to tackling the waste crisis. In addition, Andersen observed that the inaugural International Day of Zero Waste provided an opportunity to revitalize local, regional and national interventions aimed at promoting ecologically sound waste management. BOAO, China, March 30 (Xinhua) -- China has been playing a leading role in promoting global technological collaboration and the strides it has made in technological innovation in recent years are "impressive," a senior Norwegian scholar has said. "China's green Belt and Road Initiative has made some really important steps forward, such as helping countries develop light train system, helping the Philippines and Thailand develop green energy production," Carl Fey, a professor of strategy at BI Norwegian Business School, told Xinhua on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2023. The scholar mentioned three comparative advantages that make China a standout in technological innovation. "One comparative advantage is a really large home market that gives (China) a chance to try different things that can easily scale up," he said. "The second thing is the Chinese people are willing to work really hard." "The third thing is that I think the Chinese people in general are open to new things. So if a company comes up with a new idea, people are more willing to try it here rather than being stuck in tradition that is more typical (elsewhere)," he added. Fey also mentioned China's enormous innovation potential, quoting the 2022 edition of Global Innovation Index published by the World Intellectual Property Organization, in which China ranks 11th among 132 world economies. He said there are increasingly more opportunities for European countries like Norway to collaborate with China in green technologies. "We need to collaborate together. My home country Norway, where I'm living now, has a lot of advances in green technology. This is a great area where China and Norway can collaborate," he said. Norway has developed strong green technologies in alternative energy, ship building and various industries related to that, Fey said. "So I think there's a lot of good possibility for collaboration." The scholar called on all countries, developing or developed ones, to work together in technological innovation, since whatever happens to the area affects the world as a whole. "Collaboration is important because we often see problems differently because of the environment we are in. For example, China is a very dynamic environment. So maybe in China, companies can develop technologies and strategies that work better in a dynamic context," he said. "We need to do a number of different things to help facilitate more cooperation," he added, noting that all countries should be supported to follow international rules such as those of the World Trade Organization in the process. Duppy Share Rum teams with celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott UK premium rum brand Duppy Share has paired up with celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott to create a series of authentic food recipes paired with the brands cocktails, ahead of a 'Summer of Rum'. Harriott has created a range of inspired Caribbean recipes as part of the Pairing is Sharing campaign launched by Duppy Share. The cocktail recipes provided by the brand can be recreated at home. Commenting on the partnership, Harriott said: Caribbean food always brings you sunshine on a plate and a gorgeous rum cocktail brings you sunshine in a glass - that's why I'm so delighted to team up with my friends at Duppy Share to help create the fantastic Pairing Is Sharing experience. Both rum and Caribbean food are more popular than ever right now and I'm loving the opportunity to work with the Duppy Share team to bring plenty of sunshine, flavour and smiles to the table. The Duppy Share cocktails have been developed by Portobello Road rum bar Trailer Happiness owner Sly Augustin. Jack Orr-Ewing, CEO of Duppy Share Rum, added, Im delighted to partner with Ainsley for this campaign. Having grown up watching him on television, it was clear that his personality and values were the perfect match for Duppy Share. Ainsley has always made food accessible, delicious and fun, just like our rums. Since meeting with Ainsley and his team, its clear that his passion for bringing Caribbean food to a British audience matches our mission to share the Spirit of the Caribbean through every drop of rum we sell. The team at Duppy Share have created a bespoke Ainsley Pairing is Sharing Kit available on their website from this week. The kit will include taster bottles of all rums featured as well as recipe cards. 1 from each of the Kits and 1 from any Duppy Share bottle sold on the Duppy Share website will be donated to the Alpha Boys Music School in Jamaica which Ainsleys Dad attended. Harriotts recipes paired with Augustins cocktails: Starter Jerk King Prawns with Duppy Aged Rum, Crispy Plantain and Avocado paired with Duppy Blitz Main Course Coconut & Duppy Spiced Rum Chicken Skewers with Pineapple Slaw and Coriander Roti paired with The Duppy Colada Dessert Ainsleys Tropical Tiramisu with Duppy XO, Sweet Mango and Creamy Mascarpone paired with The Duppy Old Fashioned 30 March 2023 - Bradley Weir Share this story 29 Dems Join GOP in House Vote to Block Biden Admin From Limiting Access to Gas Stoves U.S. House lawmakers voted in support of an energy bill amendment that would prevent the Department of Energy from introducing energy efficiency standards that could outlaw most gas stoves on the market today. More than a dozen Democrats joined Republicans in supporting the measure, part of a Republican-led pro-fossil-fuel legislative package H.R. 1, also referred to as the Lower Energy Costs Act, which the Biden administration has vowed to veto. Glad the House passed my amendment to H.R. 1 preventing @ENERGY from banning 50% of gas stoves on the market, Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Ala.), who proposed the amendment, wrote on Twitter late Wednesday. This de facto gas stove ban was supported by 181 Democrats who are complicit in Bidens quest to control your kitchen appliances, added Palmer, the chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee. Rep Gary Palmer (R-Ala.) speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference held at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, Texas, on July 9, 2021. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images) It comes after the Department of Energy on Feb. 1 proposed a rule that would be a first-ever efficiency regulation for cooking appliances in the United States, setting new standards for both electric and gas cooking tops. It has received thousands of comments to date. Its comment period ends on April 3. The proposed rule was followed by an updated DOE analysis (pdf) in late February that said about half of gas stove models currently being sold in the country wouldnt be in compliance. Palmers amendment prohibits the Secretary of Energy from implementing DOEs proposed rule on gas stoves, as well as prohibits any other similar rule limiting access to gas stoves. The vote on Palmers amendment Wednesday was 251181 in favor, with 29 Democrats joining Republicans in the GOP-controlled chamber in the vote. According to the Energy Information Administration, about 38 percent of U.S. households use natural gas for cooking. Thats about 40 million gas stoves. The DOE has not been the only Biden administration entity that had been targeting gas stoves. In December 2022, Richard Trumka Jr., chief of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), said the federal government should ban gas stoves due to health concerns. He repeated the sentiment in January when he also said his agency was considering banning gas stoves. A leaked memo showed that Trumka, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, wanted to ban gas stoves as early as October 2022. There is sufficient information available for CPSC to issue [a notice of proposed rulemaking] in [fiscal year] 2023 proposing to ban gas stoves in homes, Trumka said in the memo. Gas-burning stoves are offered for sale at a home improvement store in Chicago, Ill., on Jan. 12, 2023. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) While the CPSC has not proposed a rule banning any gas stoves, in early March, it made a formal request for information about the possible health hazards of the appliances. This RFI does not constitute or propose regulatory action, but rather is intended to inform the Commission and the public, the request states, adding that it is seeking input and proposed solutions from stakeholders such as consumers, manufacturers, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and researchers on chronic chemical hazards associated with the use of gas ranges. Other Republicans previously introduced bills to preemptively block any laws that would restrict gas stovesthe Save our Gas Stoves Act (pdf), introduced by Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.), and the Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act (pdf), introduced by Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.). What is the Biden administration focused on? Controlling the kind of stove Americans use, Armstrong previously said. This is further incompetence from an administration that seems more interested in dictating every aspect of our lives than solving real problems. Our bills make it clear that Americans should decide if a gas stove is right for their families, not the federal government. Actor Guy Pearce Apologises for Sparking Trans Debate Online, but Stands by Comments on Diversity Maggie Grace and Guy Pearce in the science fiction action-thriller 'Lockout,' a film about a wrongly convicted man who is offered freedom if he can save the presidents daughter from an outer-space prison. (Open Road Films) Actor Guy Pearce has spoken out against suggestions that actors should announce their sexual preference, political stance, or personal identity before getting work. On March 27, Pearce posed a question to his Twitter followers: If trans actors are the only ones allowed to play trans roles then are we also suggesting trans actors are therefore only allowed to play trans characters? It was followed by debate, to which the actor wrote, Isnt the point of an actor to be able to play anyone outside your own world? Many people out there with incredible life experiences fall flat when the camera is rolling. Its an art form, he added. Pearce shot to fame in his role as a drag queen in the 1994 Australian film, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. The Australian actor soon deleted the thread and issued an apology while still standing by his views. I see that raising the question of gender identity within the casting process on a platform like Twitter was not a good idea, he wrote in a statement. I acknowledge it has only stirred up and inflamed attitudes and made us all dig our heels in. Pearce said it was an issue better discussed face to face, person to person, rather than online. He said it was clear that many minority communities were underrepresented on screen. But I dont believe artists should have to announce their personal identity, sexual preference, political stance, disability, religious beliefs etc. to attain work, he added. I believe that to suggest acting can only come from our own lived experience annihilates our imagination. I wouldnt want that restriction placed on a minority actor or any actor for that matter, myself included, he said. Pearce said the artistic community should discuss and develop and understanding on these issues, instead of politicians and press barons telling them what to think. I posted a tweet yesterday that I shouldnt have, which to prevent upsetting anyone else I have now deleted. A fuller apology and explanation of the point I was raising is attached xx Guy pic.twitter.com/bu1vLQcPFm Guy Pearce (@TheGuyPearce) March 28, 2023 Trans Debate Engulfs Womens Rights Advocates The transgender debate has engulfed other celebrities, notably Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling who has criticised the movement for eroding womens rightsdrawing the ire of trans activists. Rowling was also sympathetic to recent attempts by womens rights activist, Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull (also known as Posie Parker), to hold rallies across Australia and New Zealand. Parker was met by counter rallies in every city she visited until violent scenes in Auckland, New Zealand, eventually forced her to abandon her tour. I genuinely thought if I fell to the floor, I would never get up again, my children would lose their mother, and my husband would lose his wife, she wrote on Twitter. I genuinely thought if I fell to the floor I would never get up again, my children would lose their mother and my husband would lose his wife. My security saved my life today, no words can express my gratitude. #LetWomenSpeak Kellie-Jay Keen (@ThePosieParker) March 25, 2023 My activism is simple; we #LetWomenSpeak. Why does that make anyone so angry? We showed the world what happens to women when they try to speak, she also wrote. The controversy drew the attention of UN Special Rapporteur for Violence Against Women and Children, Reem Alsalem, who said having different views was not a green light for threats and violence. [Very] concerning that in last few weeks, physical, political + online violence has intensified against #women asserting sex-based needs +spaces in several countries, she wrote on Twitter on March 26. Auckland Chinese Consulate Staff Members Escape to the Free World A view from the Auckland Harbor looking back onto the ports and through to the city skyline. (Sandra Teddy/Getty Images) Dong Luobin, a former back office staff member of the Chinese consulate in Auckland, New Zealand, defected two months after he arrived in Auckland in 2018. The Epoch Times has previously reported on his early life, and he has now shared more details on how he managed to escape the consulates tight security. When Dong was in China, he had long wanted to leave due to his Roman Catholic faith being suppressed under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). After being assigned to the Chinese consulate in New Zealand, the oppressive environment he experienced there, only strengthened his will to escape. Dong said consulate staff members do not receive their paychecks while stationed overseas. Instead, they get a generous lump-sum payment upon their return to China so to guarantee the return of everyone working on diplomatic missions. This was an important reason why most people would not [try to] escape, he said. Dong said Chinese consulate employees do not need to pay for meals, accommodation, transportation, etc., so there were not many opportunities to use money. If you need to buy anything for yourself, you can have some cash advance from the consulate, but you can only take out up to US$600 at a time. So if a staff member escapes, he or she will have a very hard time surviving on such limited cash. Dong, at that time, believed that a lack of official identification would be his main problem if he chose to defect with his passport being confiscated by the consulate right after he arrived in New Zealand. This is done to further deter consulate staff from escaping. He said that all communication devices, such as cell phone SIM cards and internet devices, were provided by the consulate so staffs every move could be monitored. Moreover, no one was allowed to leave the consulate alone. You know very well that outside of the gates is the free world, but you just cannot get out, he said. But for the then 34-year-old, the biggest challenge in any escape attempt was his own determination after years of CCP brainwashing and psychological intimidation filled him with dread and doubt. He also feared if an escape attempt from the consulate failed, his life would be in danger. At that time, he did not know anyone outside the consulate walls, and his English skills were limited. He had no idea how to deal with any situations in the foreign land outside the walls. Internet Freedom Dong bought a local cellphone SIM card through an undisclosed contact, and it opened him to information from the free world. I used data on this SIM card to read news and browse the internet instead of using the wifi arranged by them [the consulate], he said. I came across Voice of America, Voice of Asia, Deutsche Welle, The Epoch Times, BBC, Vatican Chinese Radio, etc. I realized there were so many voices in this world standing up for religious liberty and freedom of expression. This was very encouraging for me after coming to New Zealand. The staff dormitories at the consulate were chain locked from the outside. However, Dong noticed that a side entrance offered him a way out. He was able to reach out through a gap in the entrance to unlock the chain if he pushed hard enough. He also learned through his work as support staff that the CCTV monitoring system at one of the new dormitory properties had not yet been made operational. By taking advantage of such loopholes, Dong was able to sneak out of the consulate to visit a Catholic church near the consulate. He recalled that the priest at the church was Indian and only spoke English, so they had to communicate through Google translate. He did this several times and felt a sense of freedom from the consulates surveillance. Opportunity to Escape Dongs secret church visits carried on until Sunday, May 6, 2018, when he went to Mass during the day. He returned to the consulate and saw seven missed calls on his muted cellphone from his direct supervisor at the consulate. The supervisor found out that Dong had left the facility unauthorized but had no idea where he had gone. The next morning, several newly arrived consulate staff, including Dong, were supposed to replace their Chinese drivers licenses with local drivers licenses, and their passports were temporarily returned to them. This was when Dong saw an opportunity, as he believed that he needed some official identification if he was to escape successfully. At the same time, Dong was issued a disciplinary notice and was scolded by his superior. Unexpectedly, his superior had to leave urgently to meet some diplomatic visitors. Dong suddenly realized that there was no one stopping him from walking out of the consulate with his documents. It was just past noontime, and Dong went back to his dorm, where he quickly packed some clothes and personal items into his bag. As he was about to leave, he could not help but hesitate until he heard a voice saying, go quickly. He saw no one around him in the building and instantly felt that it was the voice of God that told him to grasp the opportunity. When Dong left his dormitory room, he deliberately placed a pair of shoes outside the door so his colleagues would believe that he might still be inside. Dong recalled the moment he walked out: I wore a hat that was pressed down, and I was dragging a large and a small suitcase across the road. I left behind a lot of personal belongings to reduce weight. I even got rid of my work outfits. Saved by Faith Dong went straight to the church but could not find his priest. It was a terrible blow for him, something he never expected. Dong knew there was no way back and feared that he would have nowhere to go. Out of desperation, he sought help from a female schoolteacher who was teaching a group of children at the Catholic school next door to the church. However, it was difficult for him to communicate as he did not speak English. Little did Dong know at the time that the teacher called the police since she had no idea what he wanted. When the local police showed up, Dong was extremely nervous, given his memories from China about the police cracking down on underground Catholics. He feared that the police might just return him to the consulate. The officers signaled for him to remain seated and looked serious when they spoke to the schoolteacher. The escape route map of the Auckland Chinese consulate staff, Dong Luobin. (Google Maps screengrab/Text by Epoch Times) Dong suddenly remembered the crucifix he wore around his neck and immediately took it out to show them. The school staff seemed to immediately understand him and spoke to the police, and the polices attitude also changed and became friendly to him. Dong admitted to the police, I escaped from the Chinese consulate, and if you send me back there, Ill be dead for sure. Wherever you take me, just dont send me back. The police told him: Be rest assured. We are here to protect you. (Not the original words because Dong relied on a translation tool.) Dong was brought to the police station in Auckland, where he was told that he will be safe. He got in touch with a Chinese-Australian pro-democracy activist he had contacted on the internet but never met in person. The activist contacted Chinese dissidents in New Zealand to help Dong and to pick him up from the police station. Later in the day, through the aid of a chain of people willing to help, a meeting was arranged with a lawyer who helped Dong file his claim for asylum. Looking back on this sudden and unplanned escape, Dong said: It all happened so fast. If I had a plan, I wouldve left in the middle of the night. This was totally unplanned. I couldnt even think of it myself. It was God who guided me and gave me the courage to do it. Aftermath Six months after his escape, Dong was granted political asylum in New Zealand, making him the first diplomatic defector in the country since the Cold War. When he escaped, he had only the $600 cash advance from the consulate, but in time, he managed to survive by working part-time, and he was settled in New Zealand. Dongs family in China was repeatedly harassed and intimidated by the CCP. When his wife learned of his escape, she raised their children on her own for four years but never gave up hope and faith in their marriage. They were finally able to join Dong in New Zealand in February 2023. Dong later learned from his former colleagues at the consulate that the shoes he had placed outside the door of his dormitory had bought him 24 hours of time. One colleague told him that everyone thought he was sulking in his room after being disciplined by their superiors. It wasnt until the next day that they realized that he was gone. They also told him that after the Chinese consulate found out about his escape, the staff dormitories were essentially on lockdown for a whole month, and no one was allowed in or out except the chef. Their superiors took a long time trying to figure out whether Dongs escape was planned or was an impromptu decision after being upset with the disciplinary action. Australia to Follow US Lead If China Invades Taiwan: Former Australian Defense Minister Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (L), U.S. President Joe Biden (C), and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (R) hold a press conference after a trilateral meeting during the AUKUS summit in San Diego, Calif., on March 13, 2023. (Leon Neal/Getty Images) Australia will follow the U.S. lead in the event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, according to former Australian Defense Minister Kevin Andrews. Under the arrangements, we have with the United States, were very close to the United States. Im sure if we were called upon by the United States to act, then we would do so, Andrews told China in Focus on NTD, the sister media outlet of The Epoch Times. Its almost unbelievable that we wouldnt if we were called upon to do so, Andrews told China in Focus on NTD, the sister media outlet of the Epoch Times. Australia has really been close to America for well over a century, he said. The beginning of last century, the American Great White fleet was invited to Australia. And then, at the time of the Second World War, there was a call by the then Australian Prime Minister in our need to turn to America, he said. In his New Years message delivered via radio on Dec. 26, 1941, and published in the Melbourne Herald the next day, Labor Prime Minister John Curtin announced that: Without any inhibitions of any kind, I make it quite clear that Australia looks to America, free of any pangs as to our traditional links or kinship with the United Kingdom. A file image of then Australian Defence Minister Kevin Andrews leaving after a guard of honor at Indias Defence Ministry in New Delhi on Sept. 2, 2015. Andrews was on an official three-day visit to India. (Prakash Singh/AFP via Getty Images) Pacific Backyard Andrews pointed out his concerns about Beijings presence in the Pacific, most notably the signing of a security pact with the Solomon Islands last year. The pact would allow the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)with the consent of the Solomon Islandsto dispatch police, troops, weapons, and even naval ships to protect the safety of Chinese personnel and major projects in the Solomon Islands, based on leaked pages from the document. This means that we potentially have an aggressive, hostile military force on our doorstep, he said. If one goes back to the Second World War, it was the great aspiration of the Japanese fleet commander to actually control islands in the South Pacific, such as the Solomons, Samoa, Tonga, etc. If that was able to be achieved, you would effectively cut off supply lines from a very isolated Australia. Now what we have is China seeking to extend its influence into that very same region. Andrews gave examples of Chinese efforts to extend its influence in those mentioned Pacific nations, as well as Palau, Micronesia, and, importantly, Papua New Guinea, where Beijing was wanting to build a port, an effort rejected by the PNG government. This is very much a threat to Australias security, as I see it in our own backyard, he said. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang shows the way to Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, in Beijing, China, on Oct. 9, 2019. (Thomas Peter/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) Beijings efforts included Chinese foreign minister Wang Yis visit to a number of Pacific Island countries in June last year. But Wang was unable to gain consensus from 10 Pacific island nations for a sweeping regional pact on security and trade at the time, Reuters reported. AUKUS Andrews also spoke of the Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) partnership, which will see a deepening of ties between the three nations by codifying several existing military partnerships and creating new ones. Notably, AUKUS will see Australia armed with nuclear-powered submarinesone of the few nations in the world to have such weaponsin a move to reshape the power balance in the region. According to the former minister, joining AUKUS has helped Australia to fill a capability gapthe clearing of hurdles that have bedeviled the replacement of Australias aging submarine fleet for more than a decade. The most important part of arrangements is the deployment of up to four U.S. Virginia-class submarines and one U.K. submarine to Australia from 2027, he said. U.S. President Joe Biden (C) participates in a trilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (R) and Australias Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (L) during the AUKUS summit at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego, Calif., on March 13, 2023. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images) To push back on Beijings aggression in the region, Andrews spoke of the importance of joint efforts among allies. So from my perspective, theres not going to be just one multinational agreement, which relates to how we deal with these problems. Therell be a whole number of agreements, AUKUS being just one of them, the QUAD being another, and then bilateral arrangements with other countries to ensure that were acting in concert, and were all acting in a way in which we will deter any action which would bring about actual conflict, he said. No nation can withstand naked aggression from another. We have to join together to contain that aggression. Andrews served as Australias Minister for Defence from December 2014 to September 2015. As a member of the Liberal Party of Australia, he was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1991 and retired prior to the general elections of 2022. He held numerous ministerial appointments during that time. Additional reporting by Daniel Y. Teng. Biden Notes Influence of Ancient Greece on Americas Founding Fathers at Greek Independence Day Ceremony President Joe Biden, on March 29, continued the White House tradition of hosting a reception to celebrate Greek Independence Day, a tradition started by President Ronald Reagan in 1986. Last Friday, Biden issued a proclamation marking March 25 as Greek Independence DayA national day of celebration of Greek and American Democracy. Hundreds of Greek nationals and Americans attended the event recognizing the people who fought for Greeces independence against the Ottomans, which started in 1821 and continued through 1832. Greek independence was declared in January 1822. At the ceremony, Biden quoted the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates. He is said to have discussed the simple yet profound wisdom. He said, Know thyself. Know thyself, Biden said Well, to truly know America, we have to know the history and our hopesyou have to know a little about Greece to really understand it, Biden added. Ancient Athenian democracy helped inspire the framers of our democracy to forge a new system of self-government, Bidens proclamation said. Just a few decades later, in 1821, when the courageous women and men of Greece rose up to declare their own independence from the Ottoman Empire, young patriots from the newly formed United States crossed the Atlantic to support the Greek fight for freedom, the proclamation continued. During World War II, Greeks and Americans joined together against the forces of fascism, understanding in their cores that democracy is worth the sacrifice. The world owes a great deal of debt to Greece, including the revolutionary idea of democracyand it was revolutionary at the timewhich continues to deliver for the people to this day, Biden said at the March 29 ceremony, noting that he was hosting the second international Summit for Democracy. Greece is woven into the very foundations of our democracy and of our nation, Biden added. We see it across this city, from the columns of the Capitol to the figures that flank the Supreme Court, inspired by Themis, the Greek goddess of law and justice. And more than that, we feel it in our nations soul because we are governed as We the People. So, today and every day, Greek independence is a celebration for Americans and Greeks alike, Biden added. It gives us the chance to honor this history that binds us to the values that unite us: liberty, equality, dignity, and democracy. The State Department hosted a dinner at the White House presidential guest house on March 28 in honor of Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, who delivered an address at the March 29 White House Greek Independence Day ceremony before Biden spoke. Alexandra Papadopoulou, the ambassador of Greece to the United States, Marios Lysiotis, the Cypriot ambassador, and George Tsunis, the United States ambassador to Greece, were among the dignitaries who attended. The United States was founded on the principles and ideals established in Greece, democracy being the most important of them, Tsunis said. Our two countries share a sacred responsibility to protect democracy. The relationship between the U.S. and Greece has never been better and contributes to peace and stability in the region. Greece is clearly an indispensable ally of the United States, and [the two countries] always act with principle and are always on the right side of history, Tsunis added. Elpidophoros represented the Greek-American community at the reception and said that Biden is not just a friend, but a true champion for freedom around the world. Particularly on behalf of our Ukrainian brothers and sisters, who are fighting for their very lives against inhuman and irrational aggression, Elpidoporus remarked. You have stood with Ukraine on every step of this long and difficult path, and for that, we are very grateful. This photo taken on March 30, 2023 shows the venue of a session themed on "Building an Order of Cooperation and Security in the South China Sea" during the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2023 in Boao, south China's Hainan Province. Participants of the ongoing Boao Forum in south China's Hainan Province on Thursday called for dialogue and cooperation in the South China Sea. (Xinhua/Fan Yuqing) BOAO, Hainan, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Participants of the ongoing Boao Forum in south China's Hainan Province on Thursday called for dialogue and cooperation in the South China Sea. More than 100 experts, diplomats and government officials from over 20 countries and regions attended a session concerning the South China Sea. Nong Rong, assistant minister of foreign affairs of China, said in a written statement that the South China Sea is the common home of the countries in the region and, over the years, these countries have developed effective practices and experience in managing disputes, enhancing mutual trust and promoting cooperation. Countries in the region have fully and effectively implemented the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and continued to advance consultations on the text of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, creating a strengthened and upgraded version of the rules governing the maritime region, Nong said. Think tanks in countries in the region could join hands to conduct dialogues and pragmatic cooperation on issues concerning the South China Sea, including marine environmental protection, marine scientific research, and maritime security and rescue work, said Liu Zhenmin, former UN under-secretary-general for economic and social affairs. Wu Shicun, chairman of the council of the China-Southeast Asia Research Center on the South China Sea, said that China and ASEAN countries should accelerate the implementation of pragmatic maritime cooperation under the framework of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and accelerate consultations on the text of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. Li Guoping, an official with the Ministry of Transport, called on all countries bordering the South China Sea to work together to ensure maritime transport security. Wu Shicun, chairman of the council of the China-Southeast Asia Research Center on the South China Sea, speaks at a session themed on "Building an Order of Cooperation and Security in the South China Sea" during the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2023 in Boao, south China's Hainan Province, March 30, 2023. Participants of the ongoing Boao Forum in south China's Hainan Province on Thursday called for dialogue and cooperation in the South China Sea. (Xinhua/Fan Yuqing) This photo taken on March 30, 2023 shows the venue of a session themed on "Building an Order of Cooperation and Security in the South China Sea" during the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2023 in Boao, south China's Hainan Province. Participants of the ongoing Boao Forum in south China's Hainan Province on Thursday called for dialogue and cooperation in the South China Sea. (Xinhua/Fan Yuqing) Former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo speaks at a session themed on "Building an Order of Cooperation and Security in the South China Sea" during the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2023 in Boao, south China's Hainan Province, March 30, 2023. Participants of the ongoing Boao Forum in south China's Hainan Province on Thursday called for dialogue and cooperation in the South China Sea. (Xinhua/Fan Yuqing) Liu Zhenmin, former UN under-secretary-general for economic and social affairs, speaks at a session themed on "Building an Order of Cooperation and Security in the South China Sea" during the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2023 in Boao, south China's Hainan Province, March 30, 2023. Participants of the ongoing Boao Forum in south China's Hainan Province on Thursday called for dialogue and cooperation in the South China Sea. (Xinhua/Fan Yuqing) Li Guoping, an official with the Ministry of Transport, speaks at a session themed on "Building an Order of Cooperation and Security in the South China Sea" during the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2023 in Boao, south China's Hainan Province, March 30, 2023. Participants of the ongoing Boao Forum in south China's Hainan Province on Thursday called for dialogue and cooperation in the South China Sea. (Xinhua/Fan Yuqing) Bill Exempting Farm Fuel and Heating From Federal Carbon Tax Passes the House A farmer drives a wheat planting rig, with the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop, near Cremona, Alta., on May 6, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh) A Conservative private members bill has passed the House of Commons that aims to remove the federal carbon tax from natural gas and propane used on farms for vital activities such as grain drying and the heating of barns. Bill C-234, sponsored by Conservative MP Ben Lobb, passed third reading on March 29 by a vote of 176146. Both the Bloc Quebecois and the NDP voted in favour of sending the bill to the Senate for further consideration. Voting against the bill were 145 Liberal MPs along with Independent MP Han Dong, who recently resigned from the Liberal caucus amid allegations that he had advised a Chinese diplomat in Toronto in 2021 that Beijing should delay releasing detained Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. However, the Liberals did not whip the vote, as three of the partys East Coast MPs voted in favour of the bill. Green Party MPs Elizabeth May and Mike Morrice also voted in favour. Bill C-234 aims to amend the 2018 Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act to expand the definition of eligible farming machinery and extend the exemption for qualifying farming fuel to marketable natural gas and propane. Speaking in the House a year ago after moving that the bill be read a second time and referred to a committee, Lobb said an increase to the carbon tax would hike natural gas and propane price rates, which in turn would affect farmers who use both to dry grain and heat livestock barns where there may be a variety of livestock. The problem is with the current carbon tax on these areas, Lobb said on March 25, 2022. Carbon Tax Lobb added at the time that a pork farmer in his riding of Huron-Bruce, Ontario, had sent him his December 2021 natural gas bill showing that he had to pay nearly $11,400 for usage on his hog barn, with the carbon tax accounting for over $2,900, or 25 percent of the bill. Farmers do not get credit for any of the environmental good that they do, Lobb said, adding, They get no credit for any of the carbon sequestration of their crops. They get no credit for their grasslands or woodlots. There is no credit for that. The federal carbon tax is set to increase by 23 percent on April 1, according to Ottawas current climate plan, bringing the price of fuel up to $65 per tonne. Due to further annual hikes on the tax, the price of fuel is then set to rise by $15 every year until 202930, by which time fuel will cost $170 per tonne, according to government figures. The Conservatives tried to stop the planned carbon tax hike through a motion in the House of Commons in September 2022, but the motion was defeated. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre then introduced another motion to exempt home-heating fuel from the carbon tax increase, but it was defeated by a vote of 116202 in October 2022. Andrew Chen contributed to this report. Bishop Seeks Answers From VA Secretary McDonough on Veterans Prescription Access During the House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on March 29, Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.), a U.S. Army Vietnam War-era veteran, needed answers from Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Denis McDonough regarding veterans access to pharmaceuticals. McDonough was testifying in front of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies subcommittee in support of the Biden administrations $325.1 billion proposed VA budget for 2024, which includes $121 billion in discretionary funding for medical carean increase of $2.3 billion over the enacted amount for 2023. Apparently, the time processing the prescriptions and availability of essential medications for veterans has been a problem and appears to be recurring, said Bishop. As I hear from my case workers, we have issues with the pharmacy network and reimbursement. Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.) (Public Domain) Bishop asked McDonough if the VA had a plan to expand the organizations pharmacy network and provide better access to in-network pharmacies, and what the agency was doing to make the process easier and more efficient for veterans to be reimbursed for medications they purchase from out-of-network pharmacies. The congressman also inquired of McDonough, What is it you can do, what are you doing, to ensure that mail-order pharmacy issues dont negatively impact medication adherence, and health outcomes, particularly with our rural veterans? In responding, the secretary admitted that he was unaware of at least one area about which Bishop voiced concern. In terms of simplifying, making more transparent how the network pharmacists can get more quickly reimbursed, and then making the same process more transparent for out-of-network pharmacists, said McDonough. I confess that this is the first time Ive heard of these issues so what Id like to do is just make sure that we get our team connected with the right person on your team, your caseworker, so we can find out precisely whats happening. McDonough said he had not heard about problems with reimbursement as a system-wide issue so there might be something specific in Georgia that we can address. The secretary vouched for the mail-order prescription service, saying that its pretty efficient, very cost efficient; but it also doesnt require travel or other challenges for many of our rural vets, which we have seen impacts adherence. Bishop jumped in and suggested that the issue could be with the U.S. Postal Service. Well, it can be, but as a general matter we feel pretty good about what weve experienced, said McDonough. But, again Id like to make sure that we get with the same case workers to identify particularly whats going on. Vietnam War Veterans Day The MILCON and VA subcommittee hearing took place on National Vietnam War Veterans Day. President Trump signed the bill into law in 2017 that designated every March 29the anniversary of the day in 1973 that United States combat troops officially left Vietnam and the last recognized American prisoner of war from the conflict was releasedas National Vietnam War Veterans Day. In his opening statement at the hearing, McDonough, a Minnesota native, said: Fifty years ago today, a Minnesotan named Master Sergeant Max Beilke limbed aboard a C-130 and left Vietnam, the last American combat trooper to leave the country. And his service didnt end then. After retiring from the Army, and after having served in both Korea and Vietnam, Master Sergeant Beilke spent the rest of his life serving, advocating for fellow vets and their families. And he died serving vets, serving this country. He died when the plane hit the Pentagon on Sept. 11. The last one to leave war, he was the first one to die in a new war, the longest in American history, in which many of you had a personal role. Not True That David Statue Deemed Porn at Florida School, Says Principal Visitors to the Accademia Gallery in Florence, Italy, pause to admire and take photos of Michelangelo's marble Renaissance masterpiece "David" on April 22, 2016. (Michelle Locke via AP) A viral news story about a Florida principal, reportedly forced to resign over a lesson on Michelangelos nude sculpture of the biblical David, simply isnt true, according to a school trustee and the principal. Despite media reports that have attracted attention around the world, no one associated in the matter called the world-famous, 17-foot statue, or the art lesson featuring it, pornographic, said Barney Bishop III, board chairman of the Tallahassee Classical School. And news stories asserting the principal of the school was forced to resign over the art lessons content are disingenuous, Bishop told The Epoch Times. The schools former principal, Hope Carrasquilla, who resigned during the resulting uproar, also agreed that the news storywhich created a furor of speculation about conservative censorshiphad not been reported correctly by media outlets. The original 16th century statue of David by Italian artist Michelangelo Buonarroti stands in the Galleria dellAccademia in central Florence on January 23, 2015. (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images) And though the school and principal did agree to part ways, it was only partly because of Carrasquillas failure to follow school policy and notify parents in advance of the lesson, Bishop said. Further details of a personnel matter couldnt be discussed, he said. But the art lesson brouhaha has been effective, he said, in getting the Left all up in arms. Indeed, news accounts have sparked worldwide vitriol aimed at Bishop, the board, and the school. And many have painted Carrasquilla as a victim, or even a hero. The controversy attracted the attention of the mayor of Florence, Italy, where the David statue is on display in the Accademia Gallery. Hes invited the ousted principal to visit. And she plans to go, she told The Epoch Times. But, she says, the problem began with a mistake, and was exaggerated by media outlets that got the story wrong. Bad News The art-lesson issue gained attention after a March 23 article in a local publication in Florida. Other news outlets around the world picked up the story about the marble statue that represents King David of the Jewish Torah and Christian Bible. The Guardian ran the headline: Florida principal resigns after parents decry Michelangelos David as pornography. A headline from CBS News online trumpeted, Florida school principal resigns after complaints over pornographic David sculpture. Despite balanced reports from some, such as CNN and Slate, the story provoked rage, especially in liberal circles on social media determined to call out censorship by conservatives. A visitor takes a video with her smartphone of Sandro Botticellis Renaissance masterpiece The Birth of Venus at the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, Italy on Jan. 21, 2021. (Vincenzo Pinto/AFP via Getty Images) Carrasquilla, who resigned from leadership at the school on March 20, said she didnt understand how media outlets got the story so wrong. She never told reporters that a parent called the lesson pornographic, she told The Epoch Times in a telephone interview. I hate people think that somehow Im spreading lies, she said. I never said I was fired because of this art lesson. Reality of Renaissance Lesson The art lesson brouhaha erupted after a 6th-grade class talk on the Renaissance that included discussions on David. It also examined the equally famous Creation of Adam fresco, painted by Michelangelo in the early 1500s. That work shows a naked, reclining Adam reaching out to the outstretched hand of God. Its part of the famed ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. The lesson also featured Sandro Boticellis The Birth of Venus, painted in the 1480s. That masterpiece features partially nude figures, as well. After the lesson at the end of February, three parents complained, Bishop said. One mother fretted because the teacher used the word non-pornographic to describe the works, Bishop said. She was worried her child would start looking up the meaning of the term on the internet and stumble upon inappropriate sexual images. Part of the artwork of Michelangelo that adorns the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, Italy. (FotoPress via Getty Images) Carrasquilla agreed, saying the mother was upset about the term the teacher used. The mother also complained during a virtual board meeting at the school about the nudity in the classic works. Bishop said he couldnt confirm that, because the mother was yelling while he was talking, making it hard to understand what she was saying, he said. The parent emailed him, too, he said, and but he didnt recall nudity being an issue. Nobody suggested [the statue of David] was pornographic, Bishop said. She didnt want her daughter to go out and start Googling What is pornography?' Policy Prompting Problem Two other parents complained that the school didnt send out the customary notification for upcoming lessons with sensitive topics. One voiced concerns that the teacher told the children not to tell anyone about the lesson, Bishop said. The teacher denied that, he added. Indeed, school policy is to notify parents in advance of such lessons, Bishop said. Carrasquilla failed to do that. That was one of the issues leading up to his stance on her resignation, he said. Tallahassee Classical School has been using Hillsdale Colleges K-12 curriculum, Bishop said, but the school isnt officially affiliated with the college. The curriculum is rooted in conservative, traditional principles of moral character and civic virtue, portrayed as part of Western civilization. Studying the Renaissance, including art of the period, is part of the curriculum. After the teacher in charge of the controversial art lesson reminded Carrasquilla about the need to notify parents, the principal discussed doing so with another administrator, she said. Inadvertently, they failed to send the notice, she said. I started seeing some of the articles coming out, and so I kept trying to talk to different news people or reporters, Carrasquilla confirmed. I was forced to resign. But this issue is not about [the statue of ] David, really at all. I mean, this issue was about the lack of notification. Still, in a statement printed March 23 in the Tallahassee Democrat three days after her resignation, Carrasquilla said that Bishop has expressed his displeasure with my leadership when parents became upset about policies or procedures not being followed to the T. He was more concerned about litigation and appeasing a small minority of parents rather than trusting my expertise as an educator for more than 25 years. That same article said the principal quit after a parent complained the art lesson was pornographic. Story Hijacked So in Florida, we believe parental rights are important, Bishop said. Were going to protect those people that are in the minority of the opinion, as much as were going to respect the people that are in the majority of the opinion. Florida is one of several states in which lawmakers have passed legislation strengthening parental rights. The moves come at a time when parents across the country have objected to schools teaching young children about sexual orientation and gender ideology, and have decried lessons urging activism based on critical race theory (CRT). Florida law prohibits such teaching. People opposed to those laws and in favor of promoting left-wing ideology hijacked the story, falsely portraying it as an example of censorship by conservative parents in a red state, Bishop said. Hes received hundreds of profanity-laced emails over the principals resignation, he said. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis reacts to a reporter who referred to the Parental Rights in Education bill as the Dont Say Gay bill in his question during a press conference in Plant City, Fla., on March 7, 2022. (Courtesy of The Florida Channel) Fueling the outrage on social media are posts like those of Florence Mayor Dario Nardella, who erroneously wrote on Twitter, A Florida teacher was forced to quit for showing students photos of Michelangelos David. Mistaking art for pornography is just ridiculous. The Italian elected official said he would personally invite the teacher to Florence to give her recognition on behalf of the city. Art is civilization and whoever teaches it deserves respect. Back to the Books School officials hope the issue quiets soon. They held a board meeting on March 27, the first after the principals resignation, the out-of-control news story and social media reaction. People spoke both in support of and in opposition to Carrasquillas departure. Some called for Bishop to resign, he said. Tallahassee Classical School is a little more than two years old with a diverse student population of almost 500 students, many from poor families, Bishop said. Some parents drive an hour, so their children can attend the school, he said. Though some on social media blamed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida parental rights laws for the issue, the personnel matter was between the charter school and the principal, and had nothing to do with state law or rules, a spokesman for the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) told the Epoch Times in an email. The Statue of David has artistic and historical value, Alex Lanfranconi, FDOE director of communications, wrote. Florida encourages instruction on the classics and classical art and would not prohibit its use in instruction. Brandon Straka Teases New Defamation Lawsuits Against Major Media Figures 'I'm going to keep fighting. I'm going to keep standing my ground.' Conservative activist Brandon Straka recently announced a new defamation lawsuit against Rolling Stone magazine, and he told The Epoch Times he also has plans to sue a big name talk show host and a major news outlet. On March 26, Strakaa conservative journalist, political commentator, activist, and prominent social media influencermade a public Twitter announcement of his plans to take legal action against Rolling Stone. He posted a screenshot from a March 26 piece by Tim Dickinson in Rolling Stone, underlining Dickinsons assertion that on the day of the insurrection, Straka and others were busy storming the halls of Congress. CONGRATULATIONS, @RollingStone and @timdickinson! Straka said. Youre about to join the list of Marxist reporters who I am suing the absolute [expletive] out of. Hope it was worth it! See you in court, cupcake. Rolling Stone then edited the story to say that friends like Straka were busy crossing into the restricted area at the U.S. Capitol Grounds. Brandon Straka, the founder of the Walk Away movement. (Courtesy of Brandon Straka) Straka is also the founder of the #WalkAway Campaign, a grassroots conservative movement that encourages and supports liberals to Walk Away from the divisive woke policies endorsed by the Democrat Party. More recently, Straka launched his own social media platform, WalkAway Social, where liberals share their stories about why they left the Democrat plantation and conservatives offer words of support and encouragement. In an interview with The Epoch Times, Straka described how he is going after a cadre of media outlets and specific individuals that have pushed fake stories as news. Many of the most vicious attacks, he said, come not so coincidentally from the LGBTQ community. In their headlines, they call me a convicted insurrectionist,' Straka said. I was only convicted of a class B misdemeanor for disorderly conduct and I never entered the Capitol. According to the Jan. 20, 2021, criminal complaint (pdf), Straka was on the Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, 2021, shooting a video to document the events. The complaint also states that the video ended with STRAKA still in the area at the top of the steps near the entrance to the U.S. Capitol but not having entered the building. The statement of offense (pdf) acknowledges that Straka was filming between 2:30 and 2:45 p.m. and that he left the U.S. Capitol Grounds at approximately 3:00 p.m. He was subsequently arrested, pleaded guilty (pdf), convicted of one class B misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct, and sentenced to four months of home detention (pdf). While Straka has described his decision to go to Washington on Jan. 6 as one of the stupidest and tragic decisions of his life, he told The Epoch Times that insurrection is a crime he did not commit. So were going after these publications, he vowed. Were either going to make them apologize, settle or were going to sue. Straka then revealed that he will soon be filing yet another lawsuit. He declined to share details and would say only that the forthcoming lawsuits involved a famous and very well-known talk show host and a major news publication. Both have accused him of being an informant and throwing other Jan. 6 prisoners under the bus in exchange for being able to avoid prison himself. Its a lie, Straka asserted. Its a total lie and I will be able to prove its a lie. Take the Shield, Take the Shield This wasnt the first time Straka took legal action against the media. On Dec. 16, 2022, Straka filed a defamation suit (pdf) against MSNBC, Chris Hayes, and Ari Melber. According to the complaint, Hayes showed a video clip of Straka during his prime time show, All in with Chris Hayes. We got a guy who was there, who was involved in the lead up to the insurrection who breaks into the Capitol, he says. Hayes also played a segment of the video Straka captured outside of the Capitol building, falsely attributing a voice in the segment as that of Brandon Straka, misleading his audience to believe that he was the one shouting, Take it away from him! Take the shield! The take the shield, take the shield, Hayes tells his viewers, thats him [Brandon Straka] yelling that. MSNBC then republished Hayes statements to their 5 million YouTube subscribers. The Hayes [sic] statements are completely fabricated, the lawsuit states. According to Strakas Statement of Offense, he was simply repeating the words take it, take it, as it was being shouted by others. Straka was never accused of yelling these words, and his defense noted that throughout the entire video, Straka can be heard repeating what is being said by those around him as he documented the events for his audience. Moreover, Strakas Statement of Offense never indicates that he directed or encouraged any violence or assaults. During a subsequent MSNBC broadcast of The Beat with Ari Melber, host Ari Melber said Straka was found to have been trying to help attack police officers, that he had confessed to being guilty and was found to [have been] helping attack police. Melber later republished his statements to his 358,900 Twitter followers. Strakas lawsuit asserts that he did not confess and was not found by any Court to have helped attack police officers or to have attempted an attack on any police officer. It also says public record demonstrates beyond cavil that Straka did not engage in any acts of violence or encourage anyone to commit violence on January 6, 2021. Rather, he was filming events outside the east side of the Capitol in a journalistic capacity. Straka is seeking $25 million in compensatory damagesplus interest. We Are at War Despite his determination to stand strong, Straka admits hes only human, and some days are harder than others. To be honest with you, the only way I am able to survive this sometimes is just by recognizing that we are at war, Straka explained. People might not want to accept that. It might be too scary for people to process. While acknowledging that the war might not have come directly to every persons doorstep yet, he says the assault against him and his character is proof that the war has begun. I am damaged, Straka confessed. My name is damaged, the name Walk Away is damaged, my finances are damaged, and my donor base is damaged. President Donald Trump and #WalkAway founder Brandon Straka at an event at Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., in December 2019. (Courtesy of Brandon Straka) While those who searched Strakas name before Jan. 6, 2021, would find what Straka describes as the typical, almost laughable left-wing articles, Straka said, things are different now. Where liberal attacks were once confined to accusations such as the idea that Walk Away isnt real, and its all Russian propaganda, rife with bots and disinformation, now there are pages and pages of stories painting him as a violent, crazy anarchist who tried to overthrow the government. Then theres the other source of his grief. While Democrats use his presence at the Capitol on Jan. 6 to make an example of him and to send a warning to others who might think of taking a stand, the very conservatives for whom he has sacrificed his wealth and honor turned their backs on him as the government exacted its revenge upon him, Straka said. When the FBI came and stormed my apartment and took me to jail, I said to my team and everyone around me that I have an obligation to survive this and to show other people that someone can survive this, he recalled. But what I found was that the conservative movement went overwhelmingly silent on me. Straka described how media opportunities evaporated, doors were closed, and contacts among politicians and public figures went quiet. I thought, Oh my God. Im not going to be allowed to come back and survive this,' he remembered, because the allies I need to do that are scared and running away. At the same time, Straka said he considers it mandatory that he survive and keep fighting. They would like to destroy me, Straka acknowledged, adding that they also want to destroy Donald Trump and anyone else who is fighting back against their narrative, their agenda and exposing the truth about who they are. Im on the front lines, Straka attested. Me, Donald Trump, people like that. Theyre coming for us first. All we can do at this point is to continue to fight and stand our ground. Thats what I intend to do. Im going to keep fighting. Im going to keep sanding my ground. The Epoch Times reached out to Rolling Stone and MSNBC for comment. Cabinet Not Disclosing Federal Funds Lost on Failed Vaccine Factory: Federal Records A vial of a plant-derived COVID-19 vaccine candidate, developed by Medicago, is shown in Quebec City on July 13, 2020 as part of the companys Phase 1 clinical trials in this handout photo.(The Canadian Press/HO, Medicago) The Liberal cabinet is not disclosing the total amount of federal funds lost on investments in a Quebec-based COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing factory that was shut down by its parent company in February, according to newly released records. In an Inquiry of Ministry tabled in the House of Commons on March 27 and first reported by Blacklocks Reporter, cabinet said that financial details between the government and Medicago Inc., the company involved, are private and cannot be released publicly. Medicago, the manufacturer of a plant-based COVID vaccine called Covifenz, announced on Feb. 3 that it would be ceasing all operations after its parent company, Mitsubishi Chemical Group, cut all future investments in the company. The federal government previously said in October 2020 that it would invest up to $173 million in Medicago, with part of the funding going toward building the companys Quebec City factory. Total authorized support for this project was $200M, against which $101 million was disbursed in fiscal year 2020-21 and $59 million was disbursed in fiscal year 2021-22, Industry and Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said in the Inquiry document. The document did not note how much of that funding the federal government expects to recover despite Conservative MP Stephen Ellis specifically requesting the figures in an order paper question on Feb. 6, days after Medicago announced it would be shutting down. The agreement with Medicago has legally-binding provisions to protect the taxpayer in the event of a default, sale or other event, Champagne said in the Inquiry document. Parent company Mitsubishi has committed to work with the government to make sure it meets its obligations. Confidential Information Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) said in the Inquiry that it awarded an advance purchase agreement (APA) to Medicago in November 2020 on behalf of the Public Health Agency of Canada to obtain 20 million firm doses and up to 56 million additional optional doses of the companys Covifenz vaccine. However, PSPC said the agreement included strict confidentiality provisions preventing either party involved from releasing financial details and the information pertaining to the relationship. The terms and conditions of the APA are considered confidential information between both parties, said PSPC. The federal department added that the government had already launched discussions with Medicago to terminate the agreement by mutual consent prior to Mitsubishi pulling its funding of the company due to Covifenz delivery delays and changes to Canadas vaccine-supply needs. Regarding Ottawas previous $173-million investment in Medicago, Champagne said in February that recovering the funding was not the federal governments first priority in dealing with the companys shut-down. The first order of business is really to try to find a partner who can help us preserve the jobs, preserve the technology, and the intellectual property, he told reporters on Feb. 3. California Losing High- and Middle-Class Income Households: Study Traffic comes to a standstill on the northbound and the southbound lanes of the Interstate 405 freeway near Los Angeles International Airport on Nov. 23, 2011. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) As the so-called exodus from California continues, the state is now losing both higher-income and middle-income households, according to a study published in March by the nonpartisan research group Public Policy Institute of California. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a decline in higher-earning families relocating to California, the report found. According to the study, there was a significant rise in the number of wealthy households leaving the state to nearly 220,000 by 2021 from about 150,000 in 2019. The report also states that California is losing the demographic historically known for in-migration to California: college graduates. The change in all three demographics is likely due to the ability to work remotely, according to the study. Out of the recent wealthy Californians who left the state, more than half were working from home. The report cites recent data from surveys conducted by the Census Bureauwhich measured how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted households across the United States socially and economically. It found that approximately two-thirds of the nearly 3 million Californians who do full-time remote work for five or more days per week hold a bachelors degree or higher. A man talks on his cell phone while riding on the back of a moving truck in Pacifica, Calif., on Jan. 26, 2016. (Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images) If people arent tied to an office, when they can work from anywhere, many are going to choose to live where their dollars go further than they do in California, Kerry Jackson, a research fellow at the Pacific Research Institutes Center for California Reforma think tank for free-market policiestold The Epoch Times. According to Jackson, California has become simply too expensive for just about everyone. The cost of living here is a burden, even for many who are considered wealthy, he said. It starts with housing. Californias punitive taxes also make moving out appealing. Remote work is an escape hatch. California has one of the highest costs of living in the country, leading the nation with the highest income tax of 13.3 percent. The state also has an 8.84 percent tax rate for businesses, according to the California Franchise Tax Board. Hundreds of businesses since 2020 have already left the state for more business-friendly locations, such as Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina, Arizona, and Florida. Some of these businesses include top names, such as Uber, Airbnb, Oracle, Yelp, and Tesla. If the trend of businesses leaving continues, Jackson said that it will severely hurt both the economy and state tax revenue in the years to come. The upper and middle classes invest and create jobs, and the states income tax system relies heavily on them. They can still do both in California from outside the state, but why would they? he said. Terry Gilliam, founder of the Facebook group Leaving California, which has almost 100,000 members, told The Epoch Times that the policy institutes findings are reflective of what he hears from members in his group who have fled the state. The vast majority of our members are between 35 and 54 years of age, which for most people, is their prime earning years, Gilliam said. Many businesses leaving the state are taking their highly paid executives and workers with them. A worker walks on the roof of a new home under construction in Carlsbad, Calif., on Sept. 22, 2014. (Mike Blake/Reuters) High housing costs are a significant concern for 34 percent of Californians, according to another report by the policy institute published recently. Conservatives are also more likely to consider leaving California than liberals, per another report by the policy institute from October 2022. Housing in California is double the national average, with a typical single-family home priced at $718,687, according to the real estate website Zillow. About half of the people who leave California purchase a new home in their new state, while only one-third of those who move to California buy a new home, the policy institute stated in its March report. California just isnt investable anymore for families or businesses, and the numbers are really showing it, Sheridan Swanson, a researcher studying the states out-migration trends at the California Policy Center, a public policy nonprofit group based in Tustin, California. When we see an increase of out-migration, its probably not that people all of a sudden were spurred to it, she said. Its that they had been thinking about it for a little while and said, All right, this is the time, we have to pull the trigger. Nearly 700,000 Californians left the state between April 2020 and July 2022, according to U.S. Census data. The Senate repeals Iraq War authorizations 20 years after the start of the Iraq War, part of Congresss effort to reassert its war powers over the president. Senators weigh a TikTok ban. One Republican breaks with the party in opposition, as Arkansas files a lawsuit against the platform over mental health concerns. Rep. Lou Correa (D-Calif.) joins us to talk about what he learned from his recent trip to the border and a bill he is working on to help millions of illegal immigrants change their status. New reports are saying D.C.s prosecutor is dismissing most crime cases, including felonies. Meanwhile, a House committee invited city leaders to investigate numbers in rising crime. A retired general joins us to discuss Americas approach to China, Russia, and Iran. He warns that the United States hasnt been doing enough to hold these regimes accountable. A new bill proposes that bank executives would have to give back their pay if their banks fail. China Willing to Strengthen Military Cooperation With Russia, Defense Ministry Says Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin enter a hall during a meeting at the Kremlin on March 21, 2023. (Alexey Maishev/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images) The Chinese military will work jointly with the Russian military to pursue international security objectives and promote a shared vision for a new world order, according to Chinas defense ministry. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is willing to work with Russian President Vladimir Putin to implement global security initiatives, Tan Kefei, a spokesperson for the CCPs Ministry of National Defense, said on March 30. The SinoRussian friendship has grown stronger over time, he said. The Chinese military is willing to work together with the Russian military to fully implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state [and] organize regular joint maritime and air patrols and exercises and training, and to strengthen various exchanges and cooperation between the two militaries. Tans comments follow closely behind a meeting between Putin and CCP leader Xi Jinping in Moscow earlier in the month. There, the two leaders reaffirmed their no-limits partnership and vowed to recreate the international order in their own image. At the time, Putin said China and Russia would create a more just multipolar world order to replace the rules of the current international order. On March 21, the two signed a joint declaration to deepen their nations comprehensive strategic partnership. Tan said the two nations would continue that work by endeavoring to deepen mutual military trust and to transcend the model of Cold War alliances by going beyond mere political or military alignment, suggesting a more whole-of-society partnership between the two states. The partnership also appears to have global ambitions. To that end, Tan said communist China and Russia would join hands to implement global security initiatives in order to continue to make new contributions to maintaining international and regional security and stability, and serving the building of a community of common destiny for mankind. The community of common destiny is a key part of Chinese communist propaganda and has been frequently invoked by Xi since assuming control of the Party in 2012. Its commonly understood that the CCP slogan is intended to presage the eventual displacement of the current international order with a Marxist-Leninist order headed by and dependent on the regime in Beijing. The Chinese Communist Party insists on making the Chinese people and the people of all countries to have the same destiny, Xi said in a 2021 speech to Party leaders. [The CCP] is progressing the development and prosperity of all countries [in the world]. We should take the responsibility of guiding the direction [of human development]. [We should] manage and shape mankinds common future. We should take high responsibility for [directing] humanitys future and fate. Chinas E-Commerce Giant Alibaba to Be Broken Up as Billionaire Co-Founder Ma Returns to China Founder of Alibaba group Jack Ma arrives for the Tech for Good summit in Paris on May 15, 2019. (Thibault Camus/AP Photo) Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba said on March 28 that it will split into six units, as its co-founder, Chinese billionaire Jack Ma, reportedly has returned to China at the Communist Partys request after spending more than a year overseas. China observers believe this shows that Beijings policy toward large, privately owned Chinese tech companies hasnt fundamentally changed. Mas return to China was confirmed on March 27 by the South China Morning Post, a newspaper owned by Alibaba. He visited Yungu School, which was set up in 2017 by Ma and other founders of Alibaba, in Hangzhou City of Zhejiang Province, on that day, the newspaper reported. On March 28, Alibaba Chairman and CEO Zhang Yong announced the 1+6+N organizational restructuring plan of the companythe biggest revamp in 24 years, which breaks Mas empire into six business groups and numerous companies. Each unit will have its own board of directors and CEO. Clampdown on Tech Industry, Private Sectors The Chinese communist regime began clamping down on the tech industry in late 2020. A speech by Ma in early 2020 critical of the Chinese regimes regulatory system is widely seen as what triggered Beijings increased scrutiny of Alibaba, which led to Mas eventual withdrawal from public events. At the end of 2021, Ma left mainland China and made appearances in Japan, Spain, Australia, and Thailand. Stock activity of the Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. is displayed outside the Exchange Square towers in Hong Kong on Nov. 4, 2020. (ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP via Getty Images) In the past few years, because of central government suppression of Chinas private sector across many industries under the policy of the state enterprises advancing, the private sectors retreating, it has become increasingly difficult for private enterprises to survive. While Ma was away, he was stripped of control of many of his companies and lost influence and wealth. In early January, Ma gave up control of Ant Group, Hang Seng Electronics, and others companies. His stay abroad also is seen as a protest against the treatment of Chinese entrepreneurs by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Attempts to Boost Confidence in Chinese Economy Chinas economy has declined sharply in the past three years under the regimes draconian zero-COVID policy and control measures. Recently, CCP head Xi Jinping changed tone and repeatedly emphasized his support for private enterprise, saying that he always treats private enterprises as his own people. The regimes new premier, Li Qiang, also claimed that the CCP will treat all enterprises equally. Jack Ma (R), co-founder and former executive chair of Alibaba Group, speaks next to Steve Forbes (L), chairman and editor-in-chief of Forbes media, during the Forbes Global CEO Conference in Singapore on Oct. 15, 2019. (Roslan Rahman/AFP via Getty Images) A number of international media outlets reported that the CCP authorities have pressured Ma to return to China, hoping to reverse the outside worlds perception of the deterioration of Chinas business environment. Ma was reportedly reluctant to go back to China initially. After Mas return was confirmed, Alibabas shares surged 12 percent on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on March 29, leading technology stocks in the Asia-Pacific region. Its American depositary receipts rose more than 14 percent on March 28. It appears that Alibabas break-up has been orchestrated by Beijing, Brock Silvers, chief investment officer for Kaiyuan Capital, told CNN on March 29. This idea is reinforced by Jack Mas sudden reappearance, which now seems like a planned media event, intended to boost market sentiment at a critical moment. The latest move shows that Chinese regulators still intend to reduce the privately owned tech giants influence and limit their power, even as Beijing, on the other hand, is urging private companies to do their part to create jobs and boost Chinas economy. Qiu Wanjun, a professor of finance at Northeastern University in Boston, told The Epoch Times on March 29 that Mas return to China is likely because he has reached some tacit understanding with those at the top of the CCP or received some promises from them. The CCP may find that Chinas economic future would be even worse without Alibabas push. In the past few years, the CCP has promoted the advancement of the state and the retreat of the private sector, but the contribution of state-owned enterprises to economic development is far less than that of private enterprises. So now, the regime turns to private enterprises for help. The logo of the Ant Group, the financial arm of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, outside the companys offices in Hong Kong on Oct. 30, 2020. (ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP via Getty Images) Hua Chia-Cheng, director of Research Division II of the Taiwan Economic Research Institute, agreed that Ma has likely negotiated certain terms with the CCP authorities for his return to China. But Hua isnt optimistic about Chinas economy. He told The Epoch Times on March 29 that the authorities may want to use Ma as a model for private enterprise owners to support Chinas economic development, but private enterprise owners may not agree with or follow them in their hearts. Northeastern Universitys Qiu said that the CCPs current high-profile promotion of its support to private enterprises may temporarily relieve some pressure for private entrepreneurs. But in the long run, it isnt a real solution to the problems facing the Chinese economy. For business operators, they actually care about whether the business environment is stable and can protect their property rights, and whether the market is stable, he said. A long-term solution to the problem lies in establishing a reasonable and legal system, and implementing it in accordance with the law and procedural justice; it is not an artificially created campaign to temporarily boost the confidence of entrepreneurs. Ning Haizhong, Luo Ya, and Reuters contributed to this report. Chinese Ambassador Accuses the US of Being a Failing Democracy An American flag is displayed on the Huntington Beach pier in Calif., on June 15, 2021. (Mario Tama/Getty Images) The Chinese ambassador to New Zealand, Wang Xiaolong, has sent a letter full of criticism of the U.S.-led democratic world to New Zealand MPs while claiming that China had a different system of democracy. Wang accused the United States of having a sense of superiority and spreading false narratives of democracy versus authoritarianism. He claimed that countries with flaws had little credibility to lecture others and alleged that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) pursued the values of freedom, democracy, and human rights. He said the CCP would be more than happy to share its values and perspectives with anyone interested but hated to be preached to and have others, referring mainly to the United States, impose its values on the CCP. Along with his three-page letter, he attached two reports by the Chinese Foreign Ministry titled The State of Democracy in the United States: 2022 and U.S. Hegemony and Its Perils, both of which accused American democracy of being a failed system and dividing the world. The first report, published on March 20, makes numerous accusations against the United States, including that it is splitting the world into two camps, democracies and non-democracies, and supplying arms to Ukraine for money. Quoting Belarussian, Singaporean, and Russian state media, it said that American democracy was failing and was no longer the gold standard. Belarus and Singapore are closely linked to the Russian and Chinese regimes. It reiterated that the CCP saw former House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan as a major political provocation that was made to supposedly challenge CCP sovereignty. It also dubbed the AUKUS pact as a racist clique where the United States has ganged up with Australia and the United Kingdom. The Quad and Five Eyes are other values-based alliances that were cobbled together by the United States. U.S. President Joe Biden (C) participates in a trilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (R) and Australias Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (L) during the AUKUS summit at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego, Calif., on March 13, 2023. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images) In the second report, published on Feb. 20, it said that the United States put staggering amounts of funds into setting up media in socialist countries to support its ideological infiltration and broadcast inflammatory propaganda for democracy, freedom, and human rights. [The CCP] opposes all forms of hegemonism and power politics and rejects interference in other countries internal affairs, it said. Luke De Pulford, the spokesperson for the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, told The Age that the letter was counter-productive. Between the vitriol of the wolf warriors and the unhinged propagandising of these letters, Beijing is giving us a masterclass in bad diplomacy, he said. CCPs Global Aggression Wangs letter comes ahead of New Zealands general election, scheduled for Oct. 14. Reports by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service have indicated there was a campaign by the CCP to disrupt Canadas 2021 national election and have politicians critical of Beijing defeated. Similarly, during the 2022 Australian federal election, an internal Liberal Party review found that its opponents pushed the perception that its strong criticism of the CCP extended to the general Chinese community, leading to the most significant swings against the Liberals in communities with high Chinese populations. Meanwhile, the CCP has incrementally increased its military presence in the South China Sea over the years, including its militarised artificial islands and claiming its airspace. The United States, Australia, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam have all rejected the CCPs claims regarding sovereignty over waters in the South China Sea. The Chinese regime is also allegedly indoctrinating Australian students with CCP propaganda through Chinese language schools and educational materials. Students from language schools participate in various winter or summer camps [promoted by the CCP] and receive a lot of CCP propaganda during the trip, said Bin Lin, the principal of the Academy of Chinese Culture he founded. Lin previously told The Epoch Times that since most teachers were from China, it was natural that they would educate students in the only way they were familiar withthe CCP way. Democracy Summit The letter was sent just prior to the second Summit for Democracy hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden. Today, we can say, with pride, democracies of the world are getting stronger, not weaker, Biden said at the summit. Autocracies of the world are getting weaker, not stronger. Thats a direct result of all of us. It cited the November midterm elections as a sign of how voters were increasingly rejecting the voices of extremism. Meanwhile, in his opening remarks, Biden said the United States would spend $690 million to strengthen democracy programs. When we gathered here in December of 2021, the sentiment in too many places around the world was that democracies best days were behind us, Biden said. But this year, we can say theres a different story to tell, thanks to the commitment of leaders gathered today and the persistence of people in every region of the world, demanding their rights be respected and voices be heard. South Korea will host the next summit, the White House announced in a statement. Cindy Zhan and Jeff Louderback contributed to this report. This photo taken on April 6, 2022 shows a sculpture and flags at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong) BEIJING, March 30 (Xinhua) -- "Why is the Western media ignoring the anti-NATO protests happening today in Paris, France?" asked an independent Lebanese geopolitical commentator named Sarah on her Twitter account, referring to the March 18 demonstration in which thousands of French people took part calling for the exit of France from NATO. This rally in the French capital is the latest demonstration of the mistrust towards the military alliance of the Europeans who no longer want it. PROTESTS IN SEVERAL COUNTRIES The demonstration in Paris, dubbed the "March for Peace," began near the site of the French Senate. The demonstrators held banners reading: "Stop the war provoked by the United States and NATO," "Freedom, Truth, Resistance" and "The vote of no confidence is peace in France." Similar protests have recently taken place in several other European countries. In Berlin, around 10,000 demonstrators gathered on Feb. 25 against the supply of arms to Ukraine. "Not our war," read a banner at the rally. The protesters were distributing leaflets calling for an immediate pullout of Germany from NATO. On the same day in London, about 4,000 people joined a march demanding an end to the shipment of additional weapons to Kiev. "No to NATO expansion," read the placards. "The United States is manipulating the world for its own interests," said Talia, a protester who only gave her first name. In recent years, opposition to and mistrust against NATO have intensified in Europe, sparking criticism from European politicians and academics, and triggering more anti-NATO protests. A demonstrator holds a slogan during the anti-war rally in Washington, D.C., the United States, Feb. 19, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) MISTRUST IN POLITICAL CIRCLES European politicians who raised doubts about the bloc condone the protests. France's NATO membership was a heated topic during last year's presidential campaign. Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally party, and Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the party La France Insoumise (Unsubmissive France), are both in favor of France's withdrawal from NATO, including its integrated command. "We must get out of NATO, a useless organization that President (Emmanuel) Macron said was brain dead," Melenchon said. For him, the military alliance founded in 1949 provokes tensions everywhere with its agitation, hoping to benefit here and there from some agencies. Florian Philippot, leader of the Patriots, a French right-wing party and organizer of several rallies in Paris for peace and the dissolution of the Atlantic alliance, took the stage at one of the recent protests and used scissors to cut NATO's blue flag in half. "NATO is war," he said. File photo shows a man takes part in a protest against NATO in Madrid, Spain, June 26, 2022. (Photo by Juan Carlos Rojas/Xinhua) PUBLIC DISCONTENT This position is also increasingly evident in European public opinion. In an analysis titled "NATO as seen by French presidential candidates" published at the end of March 2022, the Montaigne Institute said that French public support for NATO has declined in recent years. "Positive views of NATO have been steadily declining since 2009, when France joined its integrated military command. Seventy-one percent of French people were in favor of the alliance in 2009, compared to only 50 percent in 2020," the analysis read. The attempt to expand the alliance to include Ukraine is at the root of the current Ukraine crisis, Pierre Conesa, a former senior official in the French Defense Ministry, told Xinhua in an interview. For Antonio Ingroia, one of the founders of the Sovereign and Popular Italy party, "the majority of Italians do not want this war, do not want to be a colony of the United States and NATO." Chinese State Media Broadcasting in Canada Is Foreign Interference, MPs Hear Chinese leader Xi Jinping is seen on a program from the CGTN archive as it plays on a computer monitor in London, England, on Feb. 4, 2021. (Leon Neal/Getty Images) Chinese state media outlets should not be granted broadcasting licences in Canada because their content is meant to feed misinformation, disinformation, and propaganda to overseas Chinese, an expert witness told a House committee on March 30. The Chinese regime has made it clear it wishes to use overseas Chinese to exert influence abroad, and this becomes interference instead of simple influence, said Katherine Leung, policy advisor for the non-governmental organization Hong Kong Watch. Leung spoke to the Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs on the pending Bill C-281, also known as the International Human Rights Act, which is currently being studied by the committee. Part of that bill would amend the Broadcasting Act to prohibit licensing broadcasting vulnerable to being influenced by a foreign national or entity that has committed serious human rights violations. If passed into law, Leung said the bill would rightly increase the governments powers to ban state propaganda outfits operating in Canada, noting that similar legislative actions have been taken in the United Kingdom, which banned China Global Television Network (CGTN) in 2021. In Canada, it is largely Chinese immigrant communities that are consuming this, Leung said. To allow CGTN to continue operating on public, state-owned Canadian airwaves is to allow Beijings propaganda to misinform, propagandize, and have direct influence on Chinese-speaking Canadians. Being broadcast on Canadian airwaves lends the Chinese Communist Party-run media more credibility, Leung said. It makes the disinformation seem more legitimate. Leungs testimony on the matter comes less than two months after Conservative MP and foreign affairs critic Michael Chong called on the federal government to revoke CGTNs broadcasting licence. Chong questioned Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino about it during a House committee meeting on Canada-China relations on Feb. 6. He said that Ottawa could issue an order-in-council asking for the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to review CGTNs broadcasting licence. The Liberal government made such an order in 2022 for the CRTC to review Russia Todays broadcasting licence shortly after Moscows invasion of Ukraine, which resulted in the CRTC revoking that licence several weeks later. But CGTN, Chinas authoritarian state-controlled broadcaster, is still operating here [in Canada], spreading disinformation and propaganda and violating international human rights laws, Chong said during the committee meeting. I would hope that it doesnt take a war for the government to change its position on state-controlled authoritarian broadcasters on public Crown-owned airwaves, spreading disinformation and violating international human rights law, he said. Andrew Chen contributed to this report. Common Prosperity Fades as Chinas Billionaires and Unemployed Poor Proliferate Simultaneously Economic data show that China leads the pace in the number of global billionaires; meanwhile, non-job and non-earning populations are increasing. A Ferrari and a cyclist share the road in Beijing on Feb. 25, 2011, illustrating the yawning wealth gap between China's rich and poor. (Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images) News Analysis China is running counter to the goal of common prosperity proposed by its communist rulers, as it becomes further polarized between rich and poor, with a rise both in the number of billionaires and in the unemployed or non-earning populations. Common prosperity has been among Chinas top buzzwords since 2021. The slogan was revived by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) policymakers that year and emphasized at the partys 20th national congress in October of 2022 and its Two Sessions meeting this March. In an interview with The Epoch Times on March 24, economist Li Songyun said that the gap between rich and poor in China has widened further, taking the country even further from common prosperity. The term is merely a political slogan, he said. On March 23, the Hurun research institute released its Hurun Global Rich List 2023. The list showed a record drop in the number of billionaires in the past year. Still, China set the pace with 969, 40 percent higher than the second-ranked United States (691) and fivefold more than third-ranked India (187). A visually impaired musician plays an erhu, a traditional Chinese stringed instrument, in a high-end shopping district in Beijing, on March 24, 2022. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) The report finds that Beijing is still home to the worlds greatest number of billionaires. According to Hurun China Wealth Report 2022, published on March 10, the number of ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) households in China with $30 million in investable assets reached 49,000 in 2022. Those 49,000 households account for ten-thousandths of the total households in China, based on the official claim of 1.4118 billion people in 2022, and the average household size of 2.77 people. Describing the lives of Chinese high-net-worth-individuals (HNWI) in the Hurun Chinese Luxury Consumer Survey 2023, Rupert Hoogewerf, chairman and chief researcher of the Hurun Report, said that during the last three years of the pandemic, the habits of Chinas high-end consumers have undergone significant changes, such as an increase in the number of vacations and a marked increase in their passion for travel. Huruns report also said that high-end spending by HNWI is a significant contributor to Chinas economy. The countrys high-end consumption market size in 2022, although down 5 percent from 2021, still reached 1.65 trillion yuan (about $240 billion). The report said the main reason for this decline is the nearly 20 percent shrinkage in the size of the luxury car market. However, in general, overall consumption in China remains weak. High Unemployment and Low Income A job fair in Beijing on Aug. 26, 2022. Chinas slowing economy has left millions of young people fiercely competing for an ever-slimming raft of jobs and facing an increasingly uncertain future. (Jade Gao/AFP via Getty Images) At the end of 2022, the CCP lifted its harsh zero-COVID policies as part of an effort to boost consumption and the economy. However, in the first months of 2023, the economy did not show signs of recovery as hoped. The January-February 2023 Fiscal Revenue Situation, released by Chinas Ministry of Finance on March 17, indicated that in the first months of 2023, Chinese consumption continued to fall, unemployment increased, and state debt swelled. The unemployment rate has risen in the years of the epidemic, said Li, citing zero-COVID policies that led to the closure of many small and medium-sized businesses. In addition, harsh regulations such as those placed on after-school training centers, real estate, and the internet technology sector have frustrated private entrepreneurs and forced them to leave China. The private economy is the backbone of Chinas economy, and if it fails, the future of Chinas economy is likely to be common poverty, Li said. Growing unemployment in China is also reflected in a diminution in personal income tax revenue. Official data showed that Chinas individual income tax growth rate dropped to 6.6 percent year-over-year in 2022 and fell by four percentage points in February 2023, from a month prior. In addition, the deteriorating low-income situation dragged down the overall consumption level of the country, Li said. According to official fiscal balance reports for 2021 and 2022, social security and employment expenditures increased by 3.4 percent in 2021 and 8.1 percent in 2022. The expenditure growth expanded to 9.8 percent in January-February of 2023, reaching an amount of 780.5 billion yuan, or about $117 billion. Compared to the 612 billion yuan (about $92 billion) spent in January-February of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in China, social security and employment expenditures grew by about 28 percent over the three years of the epidemic, indicating that more people are reliant on social welfare for basic living in 2023. Negligible Aid for Poor Chinese In China, welfare support for the poor is minimal. For example, the subsistence allowance averages merely 717 yuan ($108) per month in urban areas, and 581 yuan ($87) per person per month in rural areas. Out of the 238 million who have unemployment insurance, 2.97 million people received unemployment insurance benefits in 2022, 380,000 people more than in 2021, according to Feb. 28 data by the Bureau of Statistics. Further, large numbers of Chinese would not receive unemployment insurance benefits even if they were unemployed, according to a 2020 report by the Peterson Institute for International Economics, which reported that less than half of Chinas urban labor force and less than one-fifth of the countrys huge migrant worker population participate in the unemployment insurance system. A Surge in the Assets of Chinese Billionaires and Millionaires A man walks past portraits of (L to R) late CCP chairman Mao Zedong, former Chinese leaders Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, and Hu Jintao, and current president Xi Jinpingin in Yanan, in Chinas northwest Shaanxi province, on Oct. 15, 2022, one day ahead of the 20th Communist Party Congress. (Jade Gao/AFP via Getty Images) As more people join the flood of unemployed, the assets of wealthy people are proliferating. As evidenced by the Hurun China Wealth Report 2022, the number of ultra-high-net-worth families is growing more than the number of high-net-worth families, and the number of high-net-worth families is growing more than that of affluent families. The report detailed that affluent families with $6 million in assets increased by 2.1 percent, high-net-worth families with $10 million in assets increased by 2.5 percent, and ultra-high-net-worth families with $100 million in assets increased by 3.5 percent year-on-year. The idea of common prosperity may seem to have evolved since it was introduced. However, Li points out that there is no essential difference between Xi Jinpings common prosperity and former leader Deng Xiaopings let some people get rich first. In reality, the CCP has the final say on who can get rich and who cant in China, Li said. Danes Say Object Beside Nord Stream Pipeline a Harmless Buoy Gas emanating from a leak on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea on Sept. 27, 2022. (Swedish Coast Guard via Getty Images) COPENHAGEN, DenmarkA mysterious object found at the bottom of the Baltic Sea, which Danish authorities had hoped could provide clues to the bombings that incapacitated the Nord Stream pipelines, has turned out to be a harmless smoke signal canister. The Danish Energy Agency said Wednesday that the cylindrical object found on the seabed by the Nord Stream 2 pipeline was an empty maritime smoke buoy, which is used for visual marking. An agency statement said the object had been recovered Tuesday. The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in the Baltic, built to carry Russian natural gas to Germany, were damaged by explosions on the night of Sept. 26, 2022. The cause of the blasts remains unknown. The object does not pose a safety risk, the Danish agency said, adding that the buoy was raised from a depth of 73 meters (240 feet) and a representative of the pipeline owner, Nord Stream2 AG, was present during the salvage. Last week, a photo of the object, measuring about 40 centimeters (16 inches) long and 10 centimeters (4 inches) in diameter, was released. Danish authorities found it during an inspection of an intact stretch of pipeline. Danish authorities had said they would salvage the object with a view to further clarifying the nature of the object, hoping it could provide clues as to who was behind the bombings. The pipelines were not operational at the time of the attack due to disputes between Russia and the European Union amid the war in Ukraine. David Krayden: Federal Budget Continues to Impose Reckless Climate Ideology on Canadian Farmers Commentary This weeks federal budget spells further disaster for Canadian farmers and the agriculture. While promising money for Ukrainian farmers, the Trudeau government is continuing to insist Canadian farmers reduce their use of fertilizersonly because it is fanatically committed to a climate change crisis scenario that fraudulently insists the nitrogen in fertilizer is hastening that crisis. But let the federal budget talk for itself. In a section ludicrously titled Supporting Farmers for Diversifying Away from Russian Fertilizers, the government says: Russias illegal invasion of Ukraine has resulted in higher prices for nitrogen fertilizers, which has had a notable impact on Eastern Canadian farmers who rely heavily on imported fertilizer. Budget 2023 proposes to provide $34.1 million over three years, starting in 2023-24, to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canadas On-Farm Climate Action Fund to support adoption of nitrogen management practices by Eastern Canadian farmers, that will help optimize the use and reduce the need for fertilizer. Later in the document, the finance ministry promises $34.1 million over three years for a top-up to the On-Farm Climate Action Fund to support Eastern Canadian farmers adopt nitrogen management practices that reduce fertilizer use and ultimately result in cost savings for these farmers. First the government seems to believeincomprehensiblythat the fertilizer issue only affects Eastern farmers, when so much agriculture production resides in Western Canada. But the climate change crisis navel gazers not only blame nitrogen for promulgating greenhouse gasses but actually seem to believe that fertilizers is some sort of luxury in agriculturewhen it is actually key to the efficacious growing of essential crops that feed not only Canadians but the world. When this kind of distorted thinking is applied to agriculture, the ramifications can be catastrophic because while political policies can be merely unpleasant, we all require food to live and breathe. Former Conservative agriculture minister Gerry Ritz has been sounding the alarm on the Liberal governments menacing agriculture policies for over a year. Ritz told me in a recent interview that Trudeau wont stop at effectively banning fertilizer but will continue with other vital materials farmers need to produce food. Fertilizers will be the beginning on a landslide of chemicals that farmers use, he said. This will be the start of a war on pesticides. He noted that farmers are barred from even using strychnine to control the gopher population on the Prairies. Ritz said the irony is that farmers are among the most environmentally sound contributors to the Canadian economy and are constantly testing soil to make the most effective use of that ground. However, they get no credit for their environmental stewardship. Making war on agriculture is one hallmark of totalitarian regimes that either seek to limit food production or use it in the pursuit of an ideological goal. Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin created an artificial famine in Ukraine while attempting an overnight industrial revolution in Russia. Chinese tyrant Mao Zedong starved peasant farmers while he attempted to create a brave new world of Chinese industry in the Great Leap Forward. Both political experiments not only destroyed their nations agricultural output but exterminated millions of innocents. Even if the federal government is not intentionally planning for famine, its wrongheaded policies can nonetheless produce that unintended consequence. But the Liberal budget has help for Ukrainian farmers. Canada will continue to provide further assistance to the people of Ukraine, it states. Budget 2023 announces that $84.8 million in 2023-24 will be allocated by Global Affairs Canada to provide targeted support to Ukraine for humanitarian assistance, mental health support, demining, agriculture, and other priority areas. All funds would be sourced from existing departmental resources. To support Ukraines ultimate recovery and reconstruction, Canada will also work to assist Ukraine in ensuring its ability to access private capital in the years to come. What Ukrainian farmers require most is peace. No one has suffered more from the ravages of war than they. But Canada continues to pour billions into the Ukrainian war with Russia, even though the conflict is bringing Canada and NATO to the brink of nuclear war. The countryside and the people of Ukraine have been ravaged not only by this war but by a government plagued by corruption that continues to receive international military and civil assistance with no strings attached. Britains decision to supply Ukrainian forces with armour-piercing depleted uranium shells will further contaminate the soil. Canada needs to support peace efforts in Ukraine and stop imposing reckless climate change ideology on Canadian farmers who must continue to feed Canada and the global market. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Education Is Reforming Itself Commentary When I was in 5th grade, I woke one morning to the news that my school burned down. But as a kid, I thought it was a dream come true. No more walking one and a half miles from home to school carrying books (would parents even allow that now?) and no more sitting at desks learning math and science all day. Two days later, however, we were back but this time our classrooms were trailers fitted with desks, dingy and awful. We were stuck there for the rest of the year and outside was nothing but ruins. It turned out to be an awful trauma for all of us. The disruption alone caused learning losses. I think about those days often, as I try to put myself in the mind of the tens of millions of kids around the country (and the world) who faced one or even two years of shutdown, stuck in homes on Zoom and away from peers and dealing full-time with parents who had to pretend to work, while the dog barked and the younger kids screamed for lunch. These are years that will have a permanent impact but already the costs are obvious, not only in terms of being tremendously behind but also being sick with every sort of allergy and respiratory infection. We once understood that kids desperately need not only socialization and routine but also pathogenic exposure to build a healthy immune system. The elites in this country took all that away, out of ignorance and cruelty. The single most bizarre feature of the pandemic response was the school shutdowns. It has proven catastrophic for the kids of course, with years of learning losses and psychological devastation to last a lifetime. It got the kids hooked on digital media in the worst possible way, and undermined parental confidence in institutions built up over 100 years. Even from the point of view of Progressives who mostly built and ran Americas public school system, this was incredibly destructive. Public schooling was their crowning achievement. Due to disease panic, institutional sclerosis, union control, or sheer exhaustion of an inefficient and ideological corrupt system, the apparatus faced an incredible collapse in a seeming instant. Now we get the reports of a drain from the public school, a boom in private and homeschooling, and a quarter of a million students unaccounted for. Where are they? Well, they were pushed out of the school system during chaotic times and parents probably just kept them home or something, not bothering to re-register with the school district. Its very strange to say it but it seems like the left blew up their own pride and joy, and probably did so inadvertently. Maybe they genuinely thought they were keeping kids away from a bad virus but we knew even from February 2020 that kids were of near-zero threat. Even now, we have no record of a healthy kid having died from COVID, which is rather remarkable. There was never a reason to shut the schools, as Sweden and South Dakota proved. This surely constitutes one of the worst decisions made in the history of education policy. Michael Lewis wrote a book called The Premonition, which valorizes a guy named Carter Mecher, a one-time emergency-room physician who went to work for the Veterans Administration with a specialty in biological warfare. He also happened to be an acolyte of Robert Glass, a computer scientist with no medical training, much less knowledge, about viruses. Glass, in turn, was inspired back in 2006 by a science fair project that his 14-year-old daughter was working on. She theorized (like the cooties game from grade school) that if school kids could space themselves out more or even not be at school at all, they would stop making each other sick. Glass ran with the idea and banged out a model of disease control based on stay-at-home orders, travel restrictions, business closures, and forced human separation. When the pandemic hit, Carter Mecher was determined to have the most influence and invoked his past work with Glass to say that the schools absolutely must be shut in order to stop the spread. On March 10, 2020, Mecher sent the following note to nearly every important public-health person in the country, including Fauci. Just watch kids with runny noses and coughing and sneezing and touching one another (especially the younger ones), the memo says. You couldnt design a better system to spread disease. Schools and daycare centers are clearly amplifiers of disease transmission . We can guarantee that if the US does not close schools now, they will eventually close all the schools and universities out of desperation . We dont need to exhaust ourselves searching for perfect solutions to address all these challenges associated with the 2nd and 3rd order consequences of school closure. And so school closures became part of the pandemic response. But of course if the schools close, so too must the offices close and the malls and parks too, anywhere where kids might otherwise hang out had to stop. That even included other homes, and introduced domestic capacity restrictions for the first time in the history of the United States (or even the West!). Homeschool, which had previously grown under a legal cloud, became mandatory. Given the situation and how long it lasted, a revolution in education was guaranteed. It is taking place now. Florida just introduced universal school choice, tying funding to parents regardless of financial need and allowing it to follow parental choice, whether that means public, private, or homeschool. The legislation also introduces some deregulation into the whole sector. Its a first step but it could lead Florida to become one of the freest education sectors in the country. Another very obvious reform is the final and complete abolition of the Department of Education. Anyone opposed to that idea is immediately outed as a shill for deep-state interests. It should be a campaign issue again, just as it was in the 1980s. But this time, Congress needs to be serious about it and do it. That place is a complete mess, as Betsy DeVos found out when she was made the head of it during the Trump years. A woman of extraordinary principle and courage, she left in complete disgust and now argues for razing the place to the ground. Beyond that, all reforms need to take place at the state, county, and city level. The most important point is complete deregulation, even the end of compulsory attendance laws that give the state way too much control. Parents need to be in complete control. This way they can create every manner of hybrid and community schooling systems without state control. This is the only way to gut the problem of a woke curriculum and massive inefficiency. This is coming one way or another, through fits and starts. The Progressives let their mighty achievement die, so it is up to everyone else to pick up the pieces and start something entirely new. Most political reforms are extremely difficult. But when it comes to parents and the education of their kids, you add an existential level of passion and ferocity. We might see dramatic change sooner rather than later. Things will never be the same. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Educators Call for More Fentanyl Prevention in California Schools Education authorities have expressed concern about the lack of fentanyl prevention and awareness programs in California schools. Accidental overdose from synthetic opioids is currently the leading cause of death for people aged 18 to 45, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The opioid called fentanyl is known to make up the vast majority of these overdoses and is often made into rainbow-colored pills that resemble candy. Health classes could educate students about the dangers of fentanyl, but health education remains optional in most California schools. That is our No. 1 complaint, stated Dareen Khatib, co-chair of the California Health Education Community of Practice, according to the Santa Cruz Sentinel. Prevention is not always prioritized. Its not consistent. And its not offered to all children. Ideally, we want every student in California to have access to this. The San Bernardino Police Department recently announced one of the largest fentanyl-related drug busts in California history. On March 23, authorities seized $4.3 million worth of narcotics, including 10,000 fentanyl pills and 23 kilos of powder, which is enough to kill 11.5 million people. Tony Thurmond, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, released a letter on Oct. 27, 2022, titled Addressing the Fentanyl Crisis Among California Youth. He stated: The time to act is now. I encourage all local educational agencies to take immediate steps to educate students, staff, and families so that we can prevent unintended use of this deadly drug. Narcan in Schools In Bakersfield, California, on Sept. 9, 2022, a 13-year-old student was arrested after bringing 150 fentanyl pills to Chipman Junior High School. During a search of the students backpack by a school supervisor due to an altercation, the supervisor was exposed to the bag of fentanyl. A Kern High School police officer arrived and administered the antidote Narcan (also called naloxone), and the supervisor was taken to the hospital. The student was charged with possession of a controlled substance. No specific policy was in effect at the time for fentanyl education, and there was not a Narcan program at the school for teachers and staff to use. Bakersfield City School District Superintendent Mark Luque said in a public statement: I urge parents, please be aware of your childs behavior and what they bring to school each morning. We live in a reality where our students have access to dangerous things. I ask that we continue to work together to ensure our school is a safe space where all students can attend school and learn to their fullest potential. Narcan is a resource available for schools with the adoption of AB1748 by state lawmakers. Narcan is used as a nasal spray (or in hospitals as an injection) as an antidote or reversal agent for narcotics, particularly opiates, including synthetic opiates like fentanyl. Schools that receive Narcan for use are requested to train staff on how to administer the drug and how to store it safely. Schools are also encouraged to develop their own safety policies to implement Narcan use. The Lake County Office of Education wrote an example of such a policy. This policy allows for the superintendent or designee, or any trained district staff member, to administer naloxone during an opioid overdose, which includes language to ensure the superintendent or designee trains and distributes naloxone kits to district staff and replaces any used or expired kits. Educating Students The California Department of Education has offered many resources for teachers to educate themselves about the fentanyl crisis and in turn educate students. On the CDE website, resources include access to webinars, a health education framework, access to counseling and mental health support, and community connections. The website states that the health education framework includes substance use prevention for students of all agesstarting with general lessons for the youngest students about the importance of putting healthy things in ones body and resisting peer pressure, and eventually leading to detailed lessons for older students on the effects of illicit drugs on adolescent brain development. The idea is to connect health with life skills. Examples are a teacher setting up a role-playing activity in which students act out real-life scenarios, such as saying no to being pressured into taking a drug such as fentanyl. Another bill introduced by State Senator Dave Cortese seeks for every county in the state to have a program modeled after that of the Santa Clara County Office of Education, which includes Narcan as well as education for parents and students. Assemblymember Joe Patterson has introduced his own similar bill. According to the Lake County Office of Education naloxone policy, Patterson stated, Seven-hundred seventy Californians under the age of 24 have died of fentanyl overdoses just last year, and thats a 21-fold increase since 2016. Era of Remote Work Ends for Millions of Americans Kirsty Hall, a digital nomad from Scotland who lives in Mexico but works remotely with a start-up in San Francisco, in the U.S., works on her laptop at WeWork, a coworking and office space in Mexico City, on Sept. 13, 2022. (Claudio Cruz/AFP via Getty Images) Millions of Americans stopped working from home in 2022, according to a Labor Department report released on March 22. The agency said that 72.5 percent of establishments, defined as each business location, reported little to no telework among employees between August and September 2022, a 12.4 percent increase from 2021. Before the pandemic upended the workplace, 76.7 percent of companies reported little to no remote work among their employees. The percentage of employers reporting that all of their employees were teleworking did not see significant change in 2022, at about 11 percent compared to about 10 percent in 2021. The percentage of establishments reporting that some of their employees were working from home dropped in 2022. About 16 percent reported that they had some employees working from home, compared to about 30 percent in 2021. Remote work isnt completely ending, as companies in university towns, tech hubs, and government centers, per Bloomberg, have continued to offer remote positions in 2023. In a survey conducted by the employment website ZipRecruiter, job seekers, on average, said they would take a 14 percent pay cut in order to work remotely. Hybrid Work Employers have recently been pushing harder to get staff to work on-site more often, as fears of the economic downturn prompt an increased emphasis on worker productivity. Major companies such as Twitter, Disney, and Meta are expecting employees to come into the office more frequently. Elon Musk ended Twitters work from anywhere policy after acquiring the company last year, saying he would require them to work at least 40 hours a week from the office. Walt Disney Co. has recently pushed for four days a week on-site. This month, Meta Platforms Inc. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg told employees that in-person time helps build relationships and get more done. Our hypothesis is that it is still easier to build trust in person and that those relationships help us work more effectively, Zuckerberg wrote in a letter to employees. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks at an event in New York, on Oct. 25, 2019. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Theres a sense that innovation, creativity, and collaboration can suffer when teams are apart, Mike Steinitz, senior executive director at Robert Half, told The Wall Street Journal. The most common remote work situation is now hybrid work, with employees spending some days in the office and some working remotely, the New York Times reported. Moreover, it has been a challenge to revoke remote work once it has been implemented. Many, many companies in recent months have insisted that people come back to the office five days a week, only to reverse that mandate within about a week after hearing that theyd lose their best and brightest, Julia Pollak, the chief economist ZipRecruiter, told the outlet. In a Robert Half survey last year, 66 percent of managers wanted their teams to work on-site full time, and that 50 percent of workers would quit and find a new job rather than be forced back to the office. Evacuation Order Lifted After Train Carrying Flammable Materials Derails in Minnesota, Catches Fire Firefighters stand near piled up train cars, near Raymond, Minn., on March 30, 2023, the morning after a BNSF freight train derailed. (Kerem Yucel/Minnesota Public Radio via AP) A freight train traveling through Minnesota derailed in a fiery crash near the town of Raymond, prompting an evacuation of area residents. The evacuation order was later lifted. The train, operated by Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF), went off the tracks on the western edge of Raymond at around 1 a.m. local time, according to a statement from the Kandiyohi County Sheriffs Office. Emergency personnel were dispatched and soon located a Burlington Northern Santa Fe train that had numerous rail cars derail, the sheriffs office said. The tankers were carrying a form of ethanol and a corn syrup liquid, according to the sheriffs office, which noted that several of the derailed cars caught on fire. An evacuation zone was established for half a mile around the derailment site and emergency crews helped residents evacuate, per the statement. Residents were told to leave their homes and a collection site was set up at the Central Minnesota Christian School building in nearby Prinsburg was set up for those with nowhere to go. The site remain active as the fire is being contained, the sheriffs office said, adding that travel to Raymond, which has a population of around 800, is not advised. BNSF spokesperson Lena Kent told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement that approximately 22 cars with mixed freight including ethanol and corn syrup had derailed with four cars on fire. There are no other hazardous materials on the train and no injuries as a result of the incident, she said, adding that BNSF field personnel were responding to evaluate the derailment site and would work with local first responders. The main track is blocked and an estimated time for reopening the line is not available. The cause of the incident is under investigation, Kent added. EPA officials said on Twitter that four ethanol cars ruptured and the flammable fuel additive caught fire in the derailment. They continued to burn Thursday hours after the derailment. The evacuation order was lifted around noon. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg took to Twitter to say that the Federal Railroad Administration is on the ground after a BNSF train carrying ethanol derailed early this morning, leading to an evacuation in the area of Raymond, MN. At present no injuries or fatalities have been reported, Buttigieg added. The cause of the derailment remains unclear. We are tracking closely as more details emerge and will be involved in investigation, the Transportation Secretary added. Railroad safety surged into the spotlight when last months fiery derailment of a Norfolk Southern train near East Palestine, Ohio. Roughly half of the towns residents had to be evacuated after officials decided to release and burn toxic chemicals that the Norfolk Southern train was carrying. On Wednesday, Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw visited East Palestine, where he heard from residents concerned about loss of property value, water quality, and long-term health impacts, according to local media outlet Herald-Star. What Ive heard from the citizens is that they are really concerned about water, access to health care, and property evaluation, Shaw told the outlet. The Norfolk Southern CEO said that the company has already committed $27 million to the community and called it just a start. He said that around 12,000 tons of dirt had already been moved from the site of the toxic derailment, along with 9 million gallons of water. We are going to be here. A year from now, five years and ten years from now, he pledged, per the report. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Experts Say Transparency Needed in Drug Pricing Practices Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) questions U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tia during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 31, 2022. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) says its time for Congress to shine a light on a business with extraordinary control over prescription drug pricesPharmacy Benefit Managers (PBM). I believe this is an industry going in the wrong direction, Wyden said during a hearing hosted by the Senate Finance Committee on March 30. The hearing was titled Pharmacy Benefit Managers and the Prescription Drug Supply Chain. Wyden chairs the committee. According to Wyden and several witnesses, PBMs originated in the 1980s to negotiate prices on behalf of consumers. They have evolved into entities that primarily operate in the dark and are focused on maximizing their profits, the witnesses said. Jonathan Levitt is a trial attorney and founding partner of Frier Levitt Attorneys at Law of Pine Brook, New Jersey. He said he had sued many PBMs and found one thing always holds true. Donna Lowery (L) helps pharmacist Dawn Butterfield, owner of West Cocoa Pharmacy and Compounding in Cocoa, Fla., whos using automated pill counter to fill a prescription. (Courtesy of Donna Lowery) PBMs will make money, one way or the other, Levitt said. Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), a committee ranking member, said that PBMs had played a significant role in keeping costs down. He pointed out that PBMs negotiated many good deals for Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and private insurers. As a result of their work, 92 percent of prescriptions filled in the United States carry an out-of-pocket cost of less than $20. Stakeholders across the supply chain deserve credit, he said. He also agreed that the lack of transparency made it difficult for consumers, researchers, and regulators to know what went into determining the price of their medicines and what they should expect to pay. There are many contributing factors [in determining the price of medicine], said law professor Robin Feldman. But PBMs are in the middle of it. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 16, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Feldman is a professor at the University of Californias Hastings College of Law. She said PBMs were originally claims processors working as mediators between drug manufacturers and pharmacies. Over time, they began negotiating prices. This morphed into setting rebate plans, price indexes, and various means of controlling the market. Feldman said it is difficult to determine exactly how prices are set because much of what PBMs do is secret. Over time, the former claims processors grew into major players in the health care industry, with the three largest PBMs controlling most of the industry. Its not a free and fair market, Feldman told the committee. She said PBMs negotiate rebates from manufacturers on some of their most expensive drugs. The PBMs retain a percentage of the rebate. Since the drugs price determines the rebate amount, Feldman said this creates a perverse incentive for the PBM to recommend the more expensive medicine to consumers. She added that PBMs can also influence access to the market. They can create conditions where one drug is recommended while other, perhaps less expensive, medicines are shut out. Lawton Robert Burns is a professor of health care management for the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, with 35 years of teaching experience. He has written textbooks on PBMs and the prescription drug industry. He said the real problem is a need for more competition. Weve been down this road before. I believe theres a lot of smoke but not as much fire as people think, said Burns. Burns told the committee that the PBMs are agents for their customers, not rogue actors. He said more competition would better control prices. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) disagreed. He said the Federal Trade Commission is looking into PBMs and has sponsored several bills to protect consumers from what he considered the PBMs unfair practices. He said the biggest issue is a need for more transparency. One witness said her research indicates that Grassley is correct. Research Reveals Huge Markup Karen Van Nuys is executive director for Value of Life Sciences Innovation, Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, at the University of California. She said her research revealed that PBMs charged Medicare Part D $3,000 for a cancer drug that other plans paid $160 for. She said it could happen because PBMs could keep that information secret. So, Medicare officials didnt know what other plans were paying. I believe a key way that we can solve high prescription drug prices is through transparency, Grassley said. Sapphires discovered hidden in a Derbyshire house have sold for 17,800 pounds at a Lichfield auction house in the UK on Monday, March 27. Yet the vivid blue stones have lain unseen for yearsand may even have ended up in the bin! They were an example of the sparkling treasures found squirreled away at the late Margaret Hoods home in Littleovera surprise cache of jewelry so splendid it has been dubbed The Littleover Hoard. Relatives and carers visiting her home had no idea that each time they crossed the threshold they were entering a kingdom of hidden treasure. Most staggering of all, one precious sapphire ring was tightly wrapped up in a supermarket carrier bag, swathed in socks, and left hanging on a porch hook by the door. A diamond and sapphire ring and a pair of diamond and sapphire earrings sold for a sum of 17,800 pounds at auction on March 27, 2023. (Courtesy of Richard Winterton Auctioneers) The sapphire treasures once owned by the late Margaret Hood fetched 17,800 pounds at auction on March 27, 2023. (Courtesy of Richard Winterton Auctioneers) For Peggyas she preferred to be knownhad squirreled away a lifetime of possessions, including the sapphire and diamond ring left hanging in the porch sporting an unheated certified 4.16-carat Burmese sapphire and a pair of early 20th-century sapphire and diamond earrings. The ring sold for 11,000 pounds after it went under the hammer with Richard Winterton Auctioneers at The Lichfield Auction Centre as Lot 6 on Monday, March 27. The preceding lot in the same auction, the earringsfeaturing unheated certified sapphires totaling 5.60 carats, one Burmese (now Myanmar) and the other from Ceylon (Sri Lanka)sold for 6,800 pounds. The jewels tick all the crucial boxes of origin, no heat treatment, and antique pedigree and caused a stir amongst gemologists and jewelry collectors. But they are just two dazzling examples of the treasures tucked away by Peggy, who had two great-grandchildren. (L to R) Jonathan Hood, Margaret Hood, and Sue Bird. (Courtesy of Richard Winterton Auctioneers) A pearl necklace with an emerald and diamond clasp, which fetched 14,500 pounds. (Courtesy of Richard Winterton Auctioneers) When she died in October 2022, just a month after her 90th birthday, the grandmother of four was affected by the onset of dementia. Coupled with Peggys tendency to collect things and her somewhat secretive nature, it provided a real-life treasure hunt for her children, daughter Sue Bird, 66, from Mickleover, and Jonathan Hood, 56, a company director who lives near Ashbourne. We didnt know mum had got all this jewelryshe never told us and it was only by chance we found it all, said Bird, a former exam paper coordinator in the engineering and technology faculty at the University of Derby. We knew she had inherited some jewelry some decades previously from an old family friend but we had no idea as to the extent. The sapphire ring was in an orange Sainsburys bag wrapped up in a big green rambling sock inside another bag and then wrapped in five pop socks. An Alabaster and Wilson sapphire and diamond brooch that fetched 1,200 pounds. (Courtesy of Richard Winterton Auctioneers) A gold and enamel sweetheart ring reading Hope fetched 900 pounds. (Courtesy of Richard Winterton Auctioneers) It was hanging on the wall by the door and wed all been coming and going, completely oblivious that this stunning ring was literally hidden in plain sight. It was after discovering the ring we had to say right, do not throw anything away. Inside her safe they found an Alabaster and Wilson sapphire and diamond broochselling at auction for 1,200 poundsand a gold and enamel sweetheart ring reading Hope that fetched 900 pounds. Other discoveries included a pearl necklace with an emerald and diamond clasp that sold for 14,500 pounds. Hundreds watched online as bidders on the internet and over the phone battled it out for the treasures, with online bidders eventually winning the sapphires and the pearls. The siblings said they were just delighted with how the sale went and that it was very exciting. We could easily have thrown some of them away and never been any the wiser, Bird said. Its an amazing story, really. 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 BEIJING, March 30 (Xinhua) -- The following is a summary of published science and technology news of China. SATELLITE LAUNCH China launched a Long March-2D carrier rocket on Thursday evening to place new remote-sensing satellites in space. The satellites of the PIESAT-1 constellation were lifted at 6:50 p.m. (Beijing Time) on Thursday from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern China's Shanxi Province, and then entered the preset orbit. They will mainly provide commercial remote-sensing data services. CUBIC ICE In a new study published in the journal Nature, Chinese scientists described the formation of ice crystallites in real-time at molecular resolution, solving the mystery of how water freezes into a diamond-like, face-centered cubic crystal structure. The researchers, led by those from the Institute of Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, used in-situ cryogenic transmission electron microscopy imaging and water vapor deposition on graphene to follow the ice crystals' formation from vapor at minus 170 degrees Celsius. They found that most of the resulting ice was pure-phase cubic ice, demonstrating that the nucleation of cubic ice is preferential on low-temperature substrates. The proportion of ice with a hexagonal lattice structure increases over time. ECO-GLASS Chinese researchers have developed a new type of biodegradable and biorecyclable glass, offering an eco-friendly alternative with a minimal environmental footprint. The researchers from the Institute of Process Engineering under the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed the biodegradable glass using biologically derived amino acids or peptides through the heating-quenching procedure. The glass exhibits excellent glass-forming ability and optical properties, making it ideal for 3D-printing additive manufacturing and mold casting, according to the study published in the journal Science Advances. FEMA Didnt Properly Vet Border Nonprofits That Received Millions in Federal Funds: Inspector General A Border Patrol agent instructs illegal immigrants who crossed the Rio Grande into El Paso, Texas, as seen from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on Dec. 19, 2022. (John Moore/Getty Images) Border relief organizations were not made to provide all required documentation before the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) granted them millions in humanitarian relief funds under a Biden-era program, according to a new report by the DHS Inspector General. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) handles the distribution of federal humanitarian relief funds. One of FEMAs humanitarian relief programs, the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP), specifically provides relief funds in communities impacted by the migrant crisis at the U.S. Southwest border. Under the American Rescue Plan Acta piece of legislation President Joe Biden proposed on his first day in officeFEMA was awarded $110 million in added humanitarian funds, of which the EFSP National Board awarded $80 million to 25 different local recipient organizations (LROs) in California, New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas. The DHS Inspector General reviewed about $12.9 million of the $80 million in EFSP funds granted under the American Rescue Plan. The government watchdog found signs that more than half of the money it reviewed was distributed without sufficient vetting. We questioned $7.4 million, or 58 percent, of the $12.9 million we reviewed because, after several attempts, we were unable to obtain the required supporting documentation, the Inspector Generals report states (pdf). The report specifically faults FEMA with failing to provide sufficient oversight, and instead relying on local boards and fiscal agents to enforce the funding and application guidance. In addition to not always providing full documentation, some LROs also did not provide supporting documentation for the families and individuals to whom they provided services. The inspector general also determined some of the families and individuals that received relief money did not have a DHS encounter record. One LRO in particular, a local government entity, accounted for about $7.3 million in claimed expenses that lacked sufficient supporting documentation. In particular, that LRO paid about $11.7 million for contractor services to handle COVID-19-related testing between May and September 2021, including $8.9 million in labor expenses. Instead of providing supporting documentation for its labor charges, the contractor simply calculated the labor expenses on its invoices by multiplying 24 hours per day for every employee deployed to the testing site by each employees labor rate, the inspector general report states. At our request, the government entity requested the supporting documentation for the reimbursed labor expenses, but the contractor could not provide documentation to prove it actually paid the employees the amount it was reimbursed, the report continues. The contractor did provide records for some employees deployed to the testing site, which amounted to about $1.5 million. However, we questioned the remaining $7.3 million in labor expenses because the contractor did not provide supporting documentation. The Inspector General investigated 15 LROs with regard to how they provided food and shelter to families and individuals. The report found that one LRO did not respond to requests for supporting documentation for the number of families and individuals it served. Two LROs didnt retain supporting documentation for the number of families and individuals served. Two more LROs kept the supporting documentation but did not record the names of the individuals it served, meaning the Inspector General couldnt confirm the eligibility of the people who received federal funds under the American Rescue Plan program. The Inspector General report recommended FEMA work to find documentation to resolve the $7.4 million in questioned costs, and to incorporate controls to ensure expenses are properly documented in the future. The agency concurred with the inspector generals assessments and is reportedly working to address the recommendations. NTD News reached out to FEMA for comment regarding the findings of the inspector generals report, but the agency did not respond before this article was published. From NTD News Florida Sues Far-Left Groups for Attacks on Pregnancy Centers Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody and a pregnancy crisis center are suing members of direct-action group Janes Revenge in federal court for violent attacks against pro-life counseling agencies. The two lawsuits, which were filed March 29 in federal court in Tampa, Florida, came a week after a federal grand jury in Tampa issued a superseding indictment (pdf) against Caleb Hunter Freestone, Amber Marie Smith-Stewart, Annarella Rivera, and Gabriella Victoria Oropesa. The four individuals are charged with conspiring to violate the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act of 1994 which forbids the use of or threat of physical force to interfere with abortion clinics, pro-life pregnancy counseling services, and places of worship. Freestone and Smith-Stewart are members of Janes Revenge and Antifa, according to Moodys lawsuit (pdf). Janes Revenge is a militant abortion-rights group that emerged in May 2022 after the leak of a draft version of the Supreme Court opinion that would later overturn Roe v. Wade. The group has claimed responsibility for physical attacks on pregnancy counseling centers. The groups name was reportedly inspired by the Chicago-based Jane Collective, an underground organization started by labor activist Heather Booth in the 1960s that helped women obtain abortions before the 1973 Roe ruling made them widely available. Antifa is a left-wing terrorist group that, among other things, coordinated with Black Lives Matter to carry out the nationwide riots in 2020 that followed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. Moody, a Republican, described both groups in a statement as criminal organizations that must answer for their crimes in Florida. I am taking action to hold their members accountable for attempting to intimidate and threaten law-abiding citizens in our state, she said. After the leak of the draft opinion in the Supreme Courts June 2022 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, which overturned Roe, Janes Revenge and Antifa reportedly began targeting crisis pregnancy centers nationwide by spray-painting walls, breaking windows, and in some cases, setting fire to buildings. Extremists vandalized crisis pregnancy centers across the country by spray-painting threatening words on the buildings and firebombing facilities. Militants vandalized at least four centers in Minnesota, while others firebombed a center in Colorado. There have been attacks on at least 58 crisis pregnancy centers since the leak took place, according to a statement by Moodys office. Moodys legal complaint states that Freestone and Smith-Stewart took part in coordinated attacks in Florida, vandalizing at least three crisis centers, including the South Broward Pregnancy Help Center, LifeChoice crisis pregnancy center in Winter Haven, and Heartbeat of Miami in Hialeah. The defendants spray-painted on center walls the Janes Revenge slogan: If abortions arent safe, neither are you. These attacks harm clinics offering services free of charge, harm citizens seeking and in need of pregnancy related services, create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation, and destabilize civil society, the complaint says. Moody is also seeking damages of at least $140,000 each from Freestone and Smith-Stewart. At the same time, First Liberty Institute, which is representing Heartbeat of Miami, filed suit against Janes Revenge, Freestone, Smith-Stewart, and Rivera. Heartbeat of Miami is a religious ministry that provides life-affirming reproductive health services to women and couples facing unplanned pregnancies in Hialeah, Florida, according to First Liberty. The legal complaint (pdf) states that Freestone and Smith-Stewart vandalized Heartbeats clinic with spray-painted threats on July 3, 2022. On Sept. 17 that year, Rivera and Freestone allegedly hacked into a guest list, giving them access into Heartbeats annual gala where they shouted obscenities, disparaged Heartbeats staff, volunteers, and supporters, and leafletted the venue with propaganda hoping to dissuade women from using Heartbeats services. Jeremy Dys, senior counsel at First Liberty, said that those who target life-affirming reproductive health facilities must face the legal penalties Congress established for their crimes. No one should suffer violence for simply providing faith-based counseling and baby supplies to women and their babies. Violence is never a lawful response to disagreement, Dys said in a statement. Kelly Shackelford, president of First Liberty, praised Moody for taking legal action. Moody is leading the effort to protect all faith-based pregnancy care centers across the country, he said in a statement. The rule of law compels this lawsuit. If you use violence as a means to advance your disagreement, you will be held accountable by the law. The individuals being sued could not be reached for comment. Foreign Companies in China Face Increasing Obstacles Commentary Twelve years ago, China was one of the fastest-rising economies. Beijing welcomed foreigners, and foreign employees were excited to be working there. Now, the country is losing its appeal. Growth is plateauing. COVID-19 recovery is slowing the economy. And a lot of the foreigners and companies that left because of the lockdowns are not coming back. Those who want to return are finding that visa offices outside of China have only recently gotten back to full capacity, and the system remains overloaded and slow. Every single one of our clients would like to stop manufacturing in China. Theres a million reasons why its just not that easy, said Dan Harris in August 2022. He is a founder of the law firm Harris Bricken, which advises American companies doing business overseas. Nationalism is rising, with suspicion about foreigners and foreign influence. The war in Ukraine is complicating things, as are existing sanctions and the ongoing risk of additional sanctions. Worsening relations with the United States and the looming possibility of war with Taiwan are just a few challenges foreign companies face in China. Despite all of this, analysts are expressing relative optimism for the recovery of Chinas economy. They expect it to grow at a rate of 5 percent or more, but the days of double-digit growth are gone for good. Even with the possibility of a recovered economy, foreign firms are still cautious about their prospects in China. Many are looking for an exit strategy, but it is not simple. Capital flight rules are making it harder for companies to expatriate their money. Additionally, relocating to other countries is an expense fraught with other problems, such as rebuilding supply and distribution chains. According to the American Chamber of Commerce in China, more than half of American firms did not expect to earn a profit in 2022, while 20 percent believed they would net a loss. This year, the outlook is even worse, with about one-third of American companies pessimistic about Chinas economic recovery. Xi Jinping tightening his control is making this bad situation worse. A study by Berlin-based Merics think tank demonstrated that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been exerting increasing pressure on foreign firms to make them adhere to the political agendas of the red lines set by Beijing. However, these red lines are becoming more numerous and more fiercely enforced. They include violating Chinese patriotism, making statements about the origins of COVID-19 or the genocide in Xinjiang, failing to recognize Taiwan as part of China, supporting groups seen as anti-CCP, and supporting the Dalai Lama or the free Tibet movement. Beijing also gets angry when foreigners insinuate that Huawei is spying, IP theft occurs in China, or that foreign firms are treated unfairly. The CCP implicitly or explicitly punishes companies that support Western sanctions. For example, firms that abide by the sanctions preventing the sourcing of products and inputs from Xinjiang because of the Uyghur genocide have been boycotted or attacked online by armies of angry citizens who may or may not have any connection to the CCP. An H&M clothing store at a shopping area in Beijing on March 30, 2021. Chinese state media and social networking platforms called for boycotts of H&M and removed the retailer from online shopping sites and map apps after statements made by the company in the past about Xinjiang cotton resurfaced online. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) Foreign companies in China also face pressure from home. The United States and European Union have strict rules about companies supporting slave labor, child labor, or genocide. Consequently, foreign companies must thoroughly check their supply chain to ensure compliance at all levels. U.S. tech sanctions expanding across industries in China have intensified under President Joe Biden and are now supported by an increasing number of countries. As a result, some foreign companies may be forced to relocate to other countries. If these companies are within the supply chain of companies that remain in China, then the cost of inputs will increase, adding to the rising cost of staying in China. In response to the U.S. sanctions, Beijing has decided to place the technology sector under the CCP, creating a national system for scientific research. This will mean more government oversight for both domestic and foreign companies, and policies intended to achieve security objectives rather than economic goals. Given the difficulty foreign firms face in China, investment in new facilities and general expansion is dropping. Companies are scrambling to decrease their China exposure and shift parts of their production to other countries. The 2023 China Business Climate Survey conducted by the American Chamber of Commerce in China found that only 45 percent of companies said China investment was a priority, while 24 percent said they were moving their supply chain elsewhere or considering moving. And roughly 50 percent said they were planning no new investment in China. Even with this sentiment, it is difficult for firms to walk away entirely. The ever-worsening business environment has driven Samsung and Apple to shift some or most of their production out of China, but firms are not quick to leave. Access to the Chinese market is still lucrative for those who can navigate restrictions and problems. For many companies, manufacturing in China still makes economic sense when compared to Vietnam or Indonesia, where the infrastructure, logistics, qualified staff, and supply chains may not be in place to support manufacturing and shipping. Even if all other problems could be solved by moving to Southeast Asia, companies would still be exposed to the South China Sea region, where a military conflict may occur. For many companies diversifying away from China, India offers the best alternative with a qualified workforce, low labor cost, good supply chains, and a location that is relatively far away from a potential warzone. On the other hand, suppliers and employees in India may be less punctual and reliable than those in China, while many advanced electronic inputs may have to be sourced from outside the country. The geopolitical tensions between the United States and China are expected to worsen. And as tensions grow, the business environment will continue to suffer. According to the American Chamber of Commerce in China, the percentage of American companies that expect U.S.-China relations to worsen has doubled in the past year, now standing at 46 percent. That survey was taken before U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Beijing that there would be dire consequences for Chinese people or entities providing weapons to Russia. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Funding Agreements Put Orange County Beach Sand Project Closer to Reality Surfers and beachgoers take advantage of a gap during local storm systems in Newport Beach, Calif., on March 23, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) The Huntington Beach City Council March 21 approved a proposal, in conjunction with the states Division of Boating and Waterways, to begin a long-overdue sand replenishing project stretching from Anaheim Bay Harbor to Newport Bay in Orange County. The workknown as the Orange County Beach Erosion Control Projectincludes replenishing Surfside-Sunset Beach with 1.75 million cubic yards of sand and 100,000 cubic yards for the city of Newport Beach. Most of the sand will be deposited on Surfside Beach, according to Huntington Beach officials, and waves and currents will disperse it up to 12 miles, stretching down to the southern edge of Newport Beach. The cost of the refurbishment is $23.1 million. The federal government will pay 67 percent of thator $15.5 millionfollowed by nearly $7 million from the Division of Boating and Waterways, which is part of California State Parks. Huntington Beach will pay just over $400,000, followed by Newport Beach at around $200,000, the Surfside Colony Storm Water Protection District at about $50,000, and the county of Orange, a little over $13,000. The Huntington Beach city council conducts a meeting at the Civic Center chambers in Huntington Beach, Calif., on Jan. 17, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) U.S. Congresswoman Michelle Steel took a lead role with the replenishment project legislation, when she represented the district. For more than a decade Ive worked with local stakeholders to ensure our beaches are healthy and our residents are protected, and Im thrilled that this overdue project will finally have the funding to be completed, she said in a statement March 2022 when federal support was secured. The erosion issues at Southern California beaches trace back to federal projects that began in the 1940s, according to Steel. Anaheim Bay was widened to support military development, with breakwaters and jetties constructed to boost the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Flood control operations built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to protect Los Angeles and Long Beach harbors exacerbated the problem by narrowing beaches along the coast. Efforts to mitigate the damage began in 1964 after Congress passed the Rivers and Harbors Act in 1962, but since then replenishment efforts have been inconsistent. They are supposed to occur every five to seven years, but none have been done since 2010 due to a lack of federal funding. Recent storm damages lead to road closures in the Bolsa Chica area of Huntington Beach, Calif., on March 21, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) The city council has been pushing hard for this since 2015, said Huntington Beach Councilman Casey McKeon. He told The Epoch Times that the Army Corps of Engineers recommended prior funding, but it repeatedly failed to pass the congressional infrastructure committee. Storms and pounding waves have taken a toll on Orange County beaches this winter. The California Department of Parks and Recreation said in a release March 27, that recent storms have been one of the most challenging and impactful in the past few decades. A combination of waves and high tides overwhelmed beaches and parking lots at state parks throughout Orange County, and crews are working to assess the damage and begin reconstruction at affected locations. It is expected to take several weeks to repair facilities before the grounds will be reopened to the public, according to a spokesperson with the Bolsa Chica State Park. Bolsa Chica, just north of Huntington Beach, was hammered by storms bringing six inches of rain in February, with the downpour damaging roads and parking lots. The park is approximately 70 percent open to the public, a representative told The Epoch Times March 28. Recent storm damages lead to road closures in the Bolsa Chica area of Huntington Beach, Calif., on March 21, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) The beaches in Crystal Cove in Laguna Beach remain accessible, but the wilderness trails are closed due to standing water and washouts, according to a state park spokesperson. Record-breaking rainfall is 180-200 percent above normal for most of Southern California, and after 12 atmospheric rivers since December, beaches have been impacted by persistent downpours. Huntington Beach also experienced severe flooding in January, as ocean waves crested the Pacific Coast Highway and forced a series of road closures. That sand replenishment has not occurred since 2010 likely played a role in the damage caused by waves taking over the highway, according to Jim Merid, environmental services manager for the city of Huntington Beach Public Works Department. By visual observation, weve probably lost a third to a half of the beach sand since the last re-nourishment, Merid told The Epoch Times March 28. If we had the sand nourishment, it would have mitigated or prevented the [Pacific Coast Highway] damage. Damage to the road will bear substantial cost that could have been saved if the federal government abided by the Rivers and Harbors Act, McKeon said. The sand replenishment is planned to start in the fall of 2024 and be completed by February 2025. There are many ways in which a pet finds its way into a familys home, and each method has its pluses and minuses. The goal is to find which works best for the people and the pet. Before falling in love with a certain dog or breed, its vitally important to do some homework to determine temperaments and behavioral patterns and to consider the home environment. Labradors and other large breeds need a lot more room to run and play than a toy poodle or other small dog that might be a good fit for a compact apartment environment. Its important to ensure a good fit with all members of the household. For example, some breeds are better with young children than others. A big, active dog comes with the responsibility to make sure it gets plenty of exercise, which means the family gets a lot of exercise, too. (Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock) Finding Fido The easiest way to find your ideal pet is to purchase it from a pet store. These retailers most often deal only in puppies, purchasing their fuzzy inventory from breeders directly or from individuals whose dogs recently had a litter. Some stores focus on toy or teacup breeds, while others may have a wide, ever-changing range of puppies to choose from. The process is simple: Choose a puppy, pay for it, then take it home. Many other pets find their way to new homes via friends or family whose pet may have had a litter of puppies that need homes. Bringing a pet into the family brings with it the need to provide it with toys, treats, and nutritional food to keep it healthy and happy. (9dream studio/Shutterstock) Another way to find a furry friend is rehoming someone elses pet when the owner is moving to a place that cant accommodate a dog or is no longer physically able to care for it. While these methods provide instant gratification for someone wanting a pet, they also have the potential for problems. Even pet owners who let their dog sleep in bed with them know its best to get the pooch its own bed for daytime naps. (remenno/Shutterstock) When working with a breeder, shelter, or rescue group, the potential pet owners meet with some form of adviser to discuss their pet ownership experience and expectations, as well as the dogs new home. Important factors include the ages of family members; the pets optimum lifestyle and exercise needs; the home environment, such as whether it includes a fenced-in yard; and the importance of providing veterinary care for the duration of the dogs life. These discussions can make the difference between the perfect puppyowner match and one in which neither side is happy. Also, one benefit of purchasing pups from these facilities is that theyve already received full veterinary examinations and all required shots. The only thing better than one pet might be two; dogs and cats often become best friends, caring for each other like siblings. (Chendongshan/Shutterstock) Committing to Love, for Life Rescuing a dog continues to grow in popularity as potential pet owners become aware of the huge number of dogs ranging in age from puppies to seniors that are in need of forever homes. The American Kennel Club works with rescue groups across the country to find homes for more than 160 breeds, from Akitas to Yorkies and everything in between. Its easy to fall in love with a puppy, but a dog is a lifetime responsibility, so think carefully before you bring it home to make sure you and it are a perfect match. (M_a_y_a/Getty Images) Many communities also have local rescue organizations, such as Paws4You. Based in Miami, the organization was founded in 2007 by Carol Caridad after she went to adopt a dog at a local shelter and ended up rescuing more than 100 seniors, adults, and puppies that were scheduled to be euthanized that week. Caridad and her all-volunteer staff have since cared for and found homes for more than 12,000 dogs. In every instance, prospective pet owners meet with a counselor to ensure the adopted pet is a perfect fit. We want to make sure the new parents recognize this is a lifetime commitment. The pet will be part of the family, so we learn about everyone else in the family. Everybody loves puppies, but they might not be a good choice in some cases, Caridad said. Adopting a pet is not like buying shoes that you can take back if they dont fit. We make sure the family and the pet perfectly suit each other, to ensure a forever happy home. If someone is not ready to commit to adopting, they can volunteer at a rescue or become a foster parent to get a fix of puppy love. Dogs are very social creatures that love being with their humans, making it important to spend quality time with them to form a life-long bond. (New Africa/Shutterstock) Buying, rehoming, or adopting a dog is a life-changing experience for both people and pup, so regardless of how the bundle of furry love arrives, be prepared to receiveand providea lifetime of happiness and unconditional love. The Gateway Arch majestically dominates the skyline of St. Louis, Missouri, and has come to symbolize the great city in the heartland of America. Reflecting St. Louiss role in the nations westward expansion, the monument was constructed to memorialize the few hearty souls that set out to explore a new frontier. Thomas Jefferson sent his close confidantes Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on an epic excursion from the cultivated hills of Virginia to the countrys newly purchased and unchartered Louisiana territory. In the early 19th century, the shores of the Mississippi represented no less than the beginnings of a journey to the ends of the earth. Architect of the Arch Architect Eero Saarinen, circa 1955. Library of Congress. (Public Domain) Eero Saarinen was born in Hvittrask, Finland on Aug. 20, 1910. He was the son of Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen. His father had collaborated in the design of the Finnish Pavilion for the 1900 Paris Exposition and developed a strong specialty in urban planning. His style was a blend of Finnish traditional architecture, romanticism, and art nouveau. In 1921, the Chicago Tribune held a competition for the design of a new skyscraper to house their offices. Eliel Saarinen, who had never designed a skyscraper before, submitted a design for a 29-story tower. It came in second, and Saarinen was paid $20,000 for the concept, although it was never built. The most authentic realization of the Tribune Tower was the 1929 Gulf Building in Houston, Texas. Eliel brought his family to the United States when Eero was 13, settling in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Eeros father was invited to design the campus of the Cranbrook Academy of Art, and later taught there. Eero studied sculpture at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere in Paris, France, and would eventually attend Yale Architecture School. After he graduated, Eero went to work with his father. Eero not only collaborated with his father, but also worked with industrial designers Charles and Ray Eames creating furniture. Commemorating Americas Westward Expansion Lewis and Clark on the Lower Columbia, 1905, Charles M. Russell. Opaque and transparent watercolor over graphite underdrawing on paper, 18 3/4 inches by 23 7/8 inches. Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas. (Public Domain) In 1933, St. Louis, Missouri lawyer and civic booster Luther Ely Smith had a vision for a great memorial to commemorate the western expansion of the United States. This had begun when President Thomas Jefferson signed the Louisiana Purchase Treaty in 1803. The Louisiana Purchase extended the country from the Mississippi River to the Continental Divide in Montana, Colorado, and the western regions of the present-day United States. Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on an 8,000-mile journey to explore the new American frontier. They had begun their trip at St. Louis, which was then a modest trading post. Upon their return, St. Louis soon became the bustling new Gateway to the West. Smiths project was to be the centerpiece of a redeveloped St. Louis waterfront. The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Association was formed with Smith as its chairman. Their mission was to raise funds and make the memorial a reality. In 1945, the JNEMA held a competition for the design of their memorial. Eliel and young Eero both entered designs independently, though Eero was still working for his father at that time. One day, a telegram envelope arrived at the firm from the committee in charge of the competition. It was addressed to E. Saarinen. The letter mistakenly identified the father (and principle of the firm) as the creator of the winning entry. The winning design, however, was clearly that of Eero. It was a simple but elegant arch, rising from a gracefully landscaped plaza. The arch would be the only architectural element visible, for the museum and support buildings would be buried underground. Clad in highly reflective stainless steel, the arch would symbolize the gateway to the west and would be situated to capture the reflection of both sunrise and sunset. A Steel Catenary Arch Architectural drawing of a a section of the Gateway Arch by Eero Saarinen. Library of Congress. (Public Domain) Although the design is modern, the engineering was revolutionary. Eero drew his inspiration from sketches of Roman and Gothic archeseven sketching out a drawing of Constantines Archbefore sculpting the form into a catenary curve. That is the form a chain takes when freely suspended from two points. It is reflected upward in his design to form a symbolic portal from east to west. A photograph from the era shows Eeros design methodology. He created the arch as a gigantic sculpture and created models of varying sizes to study it visually, just as he would to create any monumental sculpture. On the walls behind the model hang the study sketches, which clearly reference the historical precedents. Gateway Arch model with Eero Saarinen, 1947 to 1965. Library of Congress. (Public Domain) Just as James Buchanan Eads had pushed the limits of steel arch construction in 1867 to build a bridge over the Mississippi River connecting St. Louis in Missouri and East St. Louis in Illinois, Eero would push them even farther to build an arch 630 feet tall and 630 feet wide (the catenary shape creates the illusion that it is taller than it is wide). He would build it of 142 sections of varying dimensions, all double-walled equilateral triangles. The outer wall would consist of 886 tons of stainless steel. The inner wall would be made of 2,157 tons of carbon steel plate. Together with interior steel members, stairs, and the system to take visitors to the top, the total weight of the arch, supported by the double steel wall, would be 5,199 tons. The design had to be tested in a wind tunnel, again requiring models. With wind speed of 150 mph the arch would experience an 18-inch deflection. Construction would not begin until Feb. 12, 1963. Unfortunately, Eero would not live to see it being built; he died in 1961. Rising to the Top Close-up view of the Gateway Arch. Library of Congress. (Public Domain) The arch was designed to have an observation deck at the top, much like the Washington Monument, but a standard elevator would not work in the curved arch. Eero and his colleagues called the Montgomery Elevator Company in Moline, Illinois. Dick Bowser was a college dropout whose family was also in the elevator business. A friend of Bowser introduced him to Eero, who discovered the young man was actually a mechanical genius. He asked Bowser to design a passenger system for the arch, needing it in two weeks time. Bowser came back with a brilliant solution that was part elevator and part Ferris wheel. Little self-leveling cars riding in a circular track would propel themselves up the ever-changing angle of the arch leg, arriving at the top where passengers could disembark and enjoy the view. A tramway rode up inside each leg of the arch. There was also a stairway and a lift that went up at an angle for maintenance use only. Bowsers tram cars are still in use today. One Last Brilliant Idea A pair of special cranes had to be designed that rode up the stacked segments on a track. There was a spacer truss placed between the legs as they rose so that the whole structure would be supported as it angled toward the top. Accuracy in the placement of the segments was critical. If they were off by as little as 1/64th of an inch, the final segment would not join to both legs at the top. Engineers knew the metal of the arch expanded when the sun hit it and contracted when it was cold, so they planned to set the last segmentthe keystoneat night by floodlights. The city fathers would have none of that. They wanted an afternoon completion ceremony with dignitaries in attendance. The builders of the arch came up with a wonderful low-tech solution. As the city fire department hosed down the sunlit faces of the legs, cooling them to match the temperature of the surfaces in shade, the last steel keystone segment was placed at the top, joining the two sides of the arch. The Gateway Arch, as it would come to be called, was completed on Oct. 28, 1965. It was officially dedicated on May 25, 1968 by Vice President Hubert Humphrey who called the arch a soaring curve in the sky that links the rich heritage of yesterday with the richer future of tomorrow. Design drawing for the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Competition showing crowd watching fireworks near the Gateway Arch, St. Louis, Missouri. Library of Congress. (Public Domain) GOP Lawmaker Warns Defense Secretary You Will Lose in Court Fight Over Military Abortion Policy Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) speaks during a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, on July 14, 2022. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images) Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) criticized as unlawful a new Department of Defense (DoD) policy that would pay for military service members to travel to get an abortion if they are stationed in a state where access to abortion is restricted. During a Tuesday House Armed Services Committee hearing, Johnson accused the DoD of exceeding its legal authority with the new policy to reimburse pay for abortion-related personal travel for service members. Johnson noted Title 10 Section 1093 of the U.S. Code, which states that funds available to the Department of Defense may not be used to perform abortions except where the life of the mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term or in a case in which the pregnancy is the result of an act of rape or incest. Section 1093 further states no DoD medical facility may be used to perform an abortion except where the life of the mother is endangered or the pregnancy is the result of an act of rape or incest. Last June, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, which overruled portions of the 1973 Roe v. Wade abortion case and ruled that the states have the power to regulate matters pertaining to abortion that are not currently subject to federal law. In October, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin issued a memo ordering the DoD to establish travel and transportation allowances for Service members and their dependents, as appropriate and consistent with applicable federal law and operational requirements, and as necessary amend any applicable travel regulations, to facilitate official travel to access non-covered reproductive health care that is unavailable within the local area of a Service members permanent duty station. The DoD has proceeded with the implementation of that policy in the months since. I get that youre trying to find a crafty workaround, but its a blatant violation, Johnson told Austin during the hearing. Austin said that the DoD came to implement this abortion-related policy based on sound legal advice. Austin further noted that one in five military service members are women and that 80,000 of them now live in places where they dont have access to non-covered reproductive healthcare, referring to abortion restrictions. This is important to our force, Austin continued. Whats more important is adherence to the rule of law, Johnson replied. It is the United States Congress that makes those decisions This is a statute that was created by the peoples elected representatives and the last time I checked, not a single person in this country voted for you. Johnson then called on Austin to repeal the DoDs abortion policy. It will be challenged in court. Im certain you will certainly lose it, but save us all the hassle involved, Johnson said. Politicized Military Throughout his speaking time, Johnson repeatedly tied the abortion issue to a larger concern about the current leadership of the military pulling the force into political debates. In particular, Johnson referenced a November survey (pdf) by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, which found that 48 percent of respondents had a great deal of confidence in the U.S. military compared to 70 percent of respondents four years prior. Sixty-two percent of survey respondents said they are specifically concerned that military leadership are becoming overly politicized. Youre not an elected official. You dont get to make this policy, and this insistence upon diving into issues outside of simply maintaining a lethal and capable fighting force is tearing our military apart, Johnson said. Austin contended that the U.S. military remains the most combat-credible force on the planet. Johnson linked the perceived politicization of the military to recent shortfalls in military recruiting. The U.S. Navy hit its recruiting goal for active-duty enlisted personnel, but missed its goals for recruiting new active and reserve officers and reserve enlisted personnel. The U.S. Air Force also met its active-duty recruiting goals but missed its recruiting goals for the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard. The U.S. Army missed its active-duty recruiting goal by a full 25 percent, falling 15,000 recruits short of its 60,000 recruitment goal for fiscal year 2022. While Johnson and other Republican lawmakers have raised concerns about recruitment, Austin argued back that those already in the military are continuing to reenlist. Reinlistment rates are higher than theyve ever been in 50 years, Austin said. Our troops like what theyre doing. They liked the fact that their leadership cares about them and were going to continue to care. Earlier this month, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) blocked the Senate from approving a batch of 150 nominations for flag officers and civilian DoD officials, requiring the Senate to approve each nomination individually through the Senates regular order procedures. Tuberville explicitly linked the block to the DoDs abortion policy, saying, Three months ago, I informed Secretary Austin that if he tried to turn the DoD into an abortion travel agency, I would place a hold on all civilian, flag, and general officer nominees. From NTD News Honeymoon Over for Labor and Greens as Prime Minister Calls for Reality Check Leader of the Opposition, Anthony Albanese looks on during question time in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on March 30, 2022. (Martin Ollman/Getty Images) The honeymoon may be over for the Greens and the Australian Labor Party after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese launched a stinging attack on the left-wing party during question time in parliament on Thursday. The prime minister and the Greens are currently at loggerheads over the federal governments $10 billion (US$6.7 billion) affordable Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF), which is a key election promise for the federal government. HAFF is billed as being able to finance the construction of 30,000 homes over five years for vulnerable Australians and is seen as a vital step in the process of keeping Australians out of homelessness after federal Housing Minister Julie Collins warned the country needed the policy up and running sooner rather than later. Currently, both the Greens and independent senators David Pocock and Tammy Tyrell are calling for significant amendments to pass the bill, including a freeze to all rents country-wide. Greens Know Rent Freeze Not Possible Albanese said in question time on Wednesday that it was an absurd move to vote for zero rather than vote for progress, and expressed that Greens leader Adam Bandt knew their demand for a rent freeze was pixie dust. I say to the Greens political party: pass our Housing Australia Future Fund. You cant have credibility coming in here and saying: We dont think $10 billion is enough. We want $20 billion. Therefore, well oppose $10 billion. Its just absurd to vote for zero rather than to vote for progress, the prime minister said. He added that HAFF sat on top of a field of other housing policies, including Labors Housing Accord, the commonwealth-state housing agreement, rent assistance and a national homelessness plan, and demanded the Greens look to pass the legislation. All of those measures represent a comprehensive plan, but one of the things we dont have control over, and the members know quite well, that we are not able to do, as a commonwealth government, flick a switch and demand a rent freeze, Albanese said. Referring to Bandt, the prime minister said that the Greens leader knew this was not possible. He knows its not real, and he should do better than come in here and make statements that he knows cant be delivered. We can deliver something. He can talk to his senators across there and say unblock the filibuster and the nonsense thats around the Housing Australia Future Fund, Albanese said. That will make a difference for emergency housing, and that will make a difference for affordable and social housing. The parliamentary scolding comes after the prime minister called out the Greens spokesperson for housing and homelessness, Max Chandler-Mather, for playing politics with the Bill, declaring he was more obsessed with the politics of the issue than actually working with the government to help Australians. Greens Call PM Refusal to Negotiate Bull Dust Meanwhile, the Greens have accused the prime minister of ducking and weaving over the its proposal for the federal government to work with Australian states and territories on a national rent freeze. They argue that during the pandemic, National Cabinet considered tenancy arrangements, and explored providing rental relief. Bandt accused the prime minister of making excuses, and refusing to put the idea of a rent freeze on the National Cabinet agenda. The Prime Ministers claim of pixie dust is bull dust, he said. When electricity prices were rising, he pulled state and territory leaders together and acted, something the Greens supported in the parliament. When I asked why he wont do for rents what he did for power bills, he ducked and weaved and made excuses. During the pandemic, even Scott Morrison put rent relief on the National Cabinet agenda. The federal government has a big role in housing and can drive change. Hong Kongs Press Freedom Getting Worse With Several Court Reporters Being Followed On March 24, Hong Kong English-language online media "Hong Kong Free Press" (HKFP) reported that one of its court reporters was followed by two suspicious persons. When the reporter questioned their identity, they quickly fled. (Courtesy HKFP) On March 24, Hong Kong English-language online media Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP) reported that one of its court reporters was followed by two suspicious persons. The Hong Kong Journalists Association HKJA) issued a statement saying that many court reporters were followed or monitored by unknown persons, and some reporters suspected that the stalkers were plainclothes policemen. Since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) implemented the Hong Kong National Security Law (NSL) in 2020, more than a dozen media outlets in Hong Kong have ceased operations. The two most notable ones, Apple Daily and Stand News were even put under charges of breaching the NSL. It shows that the freedom of the press in Hong Kong has deteriorated significantly, coupled with incidents of stalking, intimidating, and even attacking journalists being evidence the freedom of the press in Hong Kong is getting worse and worse. HKFP reported on March 24 that a female court reporter of the agency was followed by two men from Kwai Chung to Kennedy Town for more than an hour on March 22. The footage shows that one of the men, wearing a long-sleeved white sweater, equipped with a Bluetooth headset, wearing a face mask, and holding a mobile phone, was questioned at the MTR station by the reporter about his identity and his intention of following her. The man refused to respond and chose to flee quickly into the masses. The HKJA issued a statement on March 27 stating that it received reports from different news outlets last week that several reporters were being followed or monitored by unknown persons. After the trial of the Stand News case ended on the afternoon of March 21, two men wandered outside the reporters room of the district court, and they showed their credentials to the court security guard. One of them waited in front of the press room for more than an hour. A reporter said that the man tried to follow them as they left the court. The Journalists Association pointed out that many of the journalists who were followed were responsible for reporting the court hearings and strongly condemned the attempts to harass or intimidate journalists. They believed that the situation was very worrying that some people would try to use threatening means to harm journalists rights to conduct interviews, which would do no good to showcase the freedom of the press in Hong Kong. The Journalists Association asked the police and the judiciary whether the men were law enforcement officers and whether there had been any law enforcement actions against journalists in recent days. The police later denied it, saying that the suspicion was unverified and purely speculative. The Journalists Association urged the police to seriously investigate and follow up and bring the suspects to justice. Incidents of Reporters Pushed by Police While Filming Prosecution Lawyers On March 17, during the 42nd trial day of the Stand News Case, two reporters from Ming Pao attempted to film the representatives of the prosecution, Acting Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecution of the DOJ Laura Ng Shuk-kuen and Acting Senior Prosecutor Jennifer Tsui Sin-chi leaving after the court adjourned in the afternoon. At the time, one police officer from the case management team twice pushed the Ming Pao reporter and insulted the reporter with abusive language: What the f are you filming here! On March 20, after the Stand News case adjourned, at least six to eight police officers set up an orange (cordon) ribbon blockade in the court parking lot to prevent the media from approaching the Acting Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecution Laura Ng Shuk-kuen, claiming they needed space to remove court evidence items. They registered the reporters cards and personal ID numbers of the journalists present one by one, and the uniformed policemen even took pictures of the journalists interviews. In the end, Laura Ng and others boarded a private car about six meters away from the reporters and left. Media Outlets Shut Down, Journalists Targeted Since NSL Implementation In October last year (2022), the International Federation of Journalists published the Report on Freedom of Speech in Hong Kong, criticizing the National Security Law for hollowing out Hong Kongs press freedom. Since the NSL was implemented on June 30, 2020, between 2021 and 2022, at least 12 media outlets have ceased operations, including Apple Daily, Stand News, DB Channel, Post 852, Citizen News, FactWire, Polymer, Mad Dog Daily, among others. A number of the media and their personnel were arrested by the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force and subsequently prosecuted by the government on various charges. Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, the founder of Next Media Group, was convicted in several social movement cases earlier and was also accused together with several former senior executives of Apple Daily of colluding with foreign countries or foreign forces to endanger national security. Lai pleaded not guilty, and the trial is expected to start in September this year (2023). He is currently serving a sentence of five years and nine months in prison for fraud. Chung Pui-kuen, the former editor-in-chief of Stand News, and Patrick Lam Siu-tung, the former acting editor-in-chief, were charged with conspiring to publish seditious publications. The two pleaded not guilty and the case is being tried in the District Court. Stand News blogger and senior media personality Allan Au Ka-lun was arrested by the National Security Department of the Police Force on suspicion of violating conspiracy to publish seditious publications in April last year (2022). The case has not yet entered the prosecution process. Tang Cheuk-yu, former Taiwan Public Television Service special contract director, was arrested during a filming interview with PolyU on Nov. 18, 2019. In December 2022, he was convicted of possessing an offensive weapon in a public place and was sentenced to 15 months in prison. In April 2021, our reporter Liang Zhen was followed by an unknown man a number of times and even had someone knock on the door of her residence. On the morning of May 11, when Liang went out from her home, she was attacked and hit more than ten times with a baton by an unknown man who was waiting downstairs of her residence, resulting in bruises on her legs. Liang later reported the incident to the police. The police replied to her about a week later, saying that at least one assailant suspected of the attack had been arrested in Yuen Long. But half a year later, the police informed Liang that the investigation had been completed, but there was not enough evidence to prosecute anyone. Hong Kong Press Freedom Worsening: International Report In May last year (2022), Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF) published the World Press Freedom Index, and Hong Kong ranked 148th in the world, worse than the Philippines, Libya, and other similar countries. Compared with the 80th place last year, it dropped 68 places, which is the region that recorded the biggest drop, also its record low. RSF pointed out that Hong Kong was a bastion of press freedom in the past, but after the CCP passed the National Security Law, there has been an unprecedented regression. In early March this year, the Varieties of Democracy Institute, Department of Political Science, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, published the Democracy Report 2023. Hong Kong fell to 139th from 123rd the previous year, or 41st from the bottom, and is rated among the 20 to 30 percent of countries and regions regarded as the least democratic. This years report specifically mentions that the governments censorship of the media has deteriorated most severely in Hong Kong, Afghanistan, Poland, Mauritius, and other regions during the past decade. The degree of Government Disinformation in Hong Kong has risen from about 2.5 points in 2012 to 3.5 in 2022. The score is close to that of Myanmar, Cambodia, North Korea, and other similar countries. House China Committee Urges More Support for Taiwan in Face of Increasingly Aggressive Beijing Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen speaks at a ceremony to mark the island's National Day in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei on October 10, 2022. (Sam Yeh / AFP via Getty Images) The parliamentary Canada-China relations committee (CACN) is urging the government to bolster its support for Taiwan in the face of an increasingly aggressive Beijing. Tabled in the House on March 30, CACNs latest report offers 18 recommendations regarding Taiwan, including rejecting the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) attempts to coerce countries like Canada to consider Taiwan as part of its territory. It also urged Canada to join its allies security agreementssuch as the trilateral AUKUS and the Quadrilateral Security Dialoguein order to bolster Canadas presence in the Indo-Pacific region. The report Canada and Taiwan: A Strong Relationship in Turbulent Times, draws attention to the differences between Beijings one China principle, which regards Taiwan as a province that should be reunited with the mainland, and Canadas one China policy, which stays neutral on the issue but doesnt endorse Beijings views. The CCP seeks universal recognition of its one China principle through efforts including opposing visits by foreign government officials to Taiwan, and incorporating language supporting its views into international documents, the report said. The report also recommends that Canadian institutions keep in line with Canadas official stance on Taiwan and be careful to not inadvertently endorse the PRC governments position on the island nation. Such endorsements of Beijing can be found in even the little things, including in dropdown menus on Canadian government websites with the wording TaiwanProvince of China, according to Scott Simon, professor at the University of Ottawa, who testified at CACN on Nov. 1, 2022. When China coerces Canada to marginalize Taiwan, it is also a violation of our sovereignty, he told the committee. Weldon Epp, director general of North East Asia at Global Affairs Canada, also raised concerns related to hostile actions by Beijing, pointing to its economic coercion and stifling of Taiwans international presence. Beijing has ramped up threats against Taiwan over the past few months, particularly following former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to the island last fall. We are deeply concerned with actions being taken by the Chinese side, which are adding both pressure and tension to the region and potentially being seen as a dress rehearsal for future actions, Epp told the Canada-China committee on Feb. 14, 2022, noting that Beijing has never ruled out using military intervention to annex Taiwan by force. Chinese military helicopters fly past Pingtan island, one of mainland Chinas closest points from Taiwan, in Fujian province, ahead of military drills off Taiwan, on Aug. 4, 2022. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images) The report said witnesses to the committee have highlighted the value of parliamentary visits to Taiwan, such as the visit initiated by MPs from the Canada-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group last October. The report encouraged further visits of parliamentary delegations between Canada and Taiwan while urging Ottawa to strongly consider the benefits of diplomatic visits by federal ministers. Among other key priorities, the report recommended the inclusion of Taiwan in multilateral organizations such as prioritizing the assessment of Taiwans application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for TransPacific Partnership. It also pushed for a stronger bilateral trade relationship with Taiwan, urging the government to enter into formal negotiations for a Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement, which Ottawa has been exploring since early 2022. It is important to demonstrate our support for Taiwan during these turbulent times. This interim report outlines ways for Canada to support the peaceful status quo by increasing its engagement with Taiwan under Canadas one China policy, said Ken Hardie, Liberal MP and committee chair, in a March 30 release. UNITED NATIONS, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on Wednesday to seek opinion of the world body's principal judicial organ on countries' obligations to address climate change. The resolution, put forward by Vanuatu and adopted by consensus, requests for non-binding advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the obligations of states in respect of climate change. Questions for the ICJ to clarify include "what are the obligations of states under international law to ensure the protection of the climate system and other parts of the environment from anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases," according to the resolution. The resolution also expresses serious concern that the goal of developed countries to mobilize jointly 100 billion U.S. dollars per year by 2020 "in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation" has not yet been met, and urges developed countries to meet the goal. In remarks to the General Assembly ahead of the vote, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his hope that the ICJ advisory opinions can provide clarification on existing international legal obligations. House GOP: Pentagon Wokeism Hurts Recruitment, Degrades Readiness News Analysis House Republicans insist that the Biden administrations emphasis on woke policies, such as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training, is politicizing the U.S. military and degrading the Pentagons readiness to fight a war. House Democrats say Republicans are beating a woke drum to politicize Army, Navy, and Air Force recruitment shortfalls that the Pentagon, citing statistical surveys, attributes to a strong job market, quality-of-life issues, and a declining propensity to serve among American youth. To engaged observers of committee reviews of President Joe Bidens $863 million defense budget request, which has included a series of hearings before various panels on armed forces wokeism over the past month, the only verifiable aspect of these often belabored discussions is they do reflect a split-screen of partisan politicization. The latest House panel to address wokeism in the military was the Oversight and Accountability Committees National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee, which staged a March 28 hearing titled Ensuring Force Readiness: Examining Progressivisms Impact on an All-Volunteer Military. The hearing featured four witnessesthree West Point graduates and a former 26-year career naval officerand lasted almost 2 1/2 hours, nearly an hour longer than the time another House subcommittee earlier the same day spent reviewing the Pentagons proposed $61 billion nuclear weapons budget request. Gen. Mark Milley (L), chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin testify in Washington on May 11, 2022. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images) Recruiting Woes Only the Marine Corps and the newly created Space Force met their 2022 recruiting goals. The three largest military branches fell short, or marginally attained reconfigured goals in 2022, and they project that slide will continue in 2023. The Army missed its 2022 recruiting goal by 15,000 active-duty soldiers, or 25 percent of its target, leaving the nations largest military force 7 percent smaller than it was two years ago. The Navy fell just shy after lowering its recruiting quota, increasing its oldest enlistment age to 41 from 39, and relaxed other standards, including for those with criminal backgrounds. The Air Force met its 2022 goal, but it anticipates missing its objectives for the first time since 1999, and by as much as 10 percent, in 2023. The Pentagon maintains it faces the most challenging recruiting environment in the 50 years of the all-volunteer force primarily because of a good job market. It also notes that only 23 percent of Americans between the ages of 17 and 24 are eligible to serve, with 77 percent being incapable of doing so due to obesity, low test scores, criminal records, and behavioral health issues. More subtly, surveys show that only 9 percent of the nations military-age population has a propensity to serve in public service, including the armed forces, underscoring a growing civilian and military cultural divide, with more than 80 percent of those now serving in the military coming from families of military veterans. But there was little latitude for subtleties in this hearing. The military is not the institution for social experiments and political correctness, said subcommittee Chair Rep. Glenn Grossman (R-Wis.). The administration seems to be willfully blinded by how its progressive ideals are affecting readiness and recruitment. Untrue, countered Rep. Mike Garcia (D-Calif.), a former naval officer, noting that the military has always been the vanguard of social change in the United States. Was President Truman woke when he desegregated the military in 1947? Garcia asked, pointing to initiatives and programs imposed by the Pentagon in the 1960s and 1970s that, as Republicans often say, made the U.S. armed forces the greatest civil rights organization in the history of the planet. This hearing today is not really focused on how we can do better in recruiting and readiness, Garcia said. It is important that we do not focus on partisan issuesthe issues brought up today by my Republican colleaguesbut instead we should focus on the actual issues related to recruitment and retention, which the data actually say are causing issues. Three of the four witnesses refuted Garcias claim that there is no difference between the equal opportunity initiatives that have shaped the military for a half century and the progressive politicization imposed by the Biden administration since January 2021. This politicization can be best described in terms of priorities and practices. That is, things the Pentagon says are important: priorities, and things the Pentagon does: practices, Jeremy Hunt, chair of Veterans on Duty, Inc., testified. He said the Biden administration has ordered the replacement of longstanding Equal Opportunity programs with a new DEI bureaucracy. Recruits read their Recruit Training Guide for Basic Military Training in a compartment of the USS Hopper at Recruit Training Command, in Illinois. More than 40,000 recruits train annually at the U.S. Navys only boot camp. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Stephane Belcher) DEI: Ugly, Bad, Good The Pentagons DEI program subjects some service members to 11-week resident DEI training classesdespite the militarys history of leading the fight against discrimination, he said. Hunt, a West Point graduate and former Army officer who is black, said his alma mater now lectures cadets about addressing whiteness, while the Air Force Academy has started the bizarre practice of appointing cadet DEI officials. He said the army spent $114 million on DEI in 2022, and in some cases we are paying these DEI bureaucrats $200,000 a year despite there being no data to determine if it actually works, which we know it doesnt. Brent Sadler, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation Center for National Defense and the former naval officer and only non-West Point graduate among the witnesses, said in his testimony that the Pentagon recently completed its annual DEI summit in which it stated diversity is a strategic imperative' but failed to demonstrate how that goal leads to actually winning wars. Sadly, the objective is too often optics or, in the often-heard words, creating a military that looks like America. He said the Department of Defenses weeping embrace of DEI has infused the military with central organizing principles to view all matters through the lens of DEI, which is inessential if not actively harmful to war-fighting capabilities. But Lt. Gen. (Ret.) David Barno, a visiting professor of strategic studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, testified that the Pentagons DEI focus is both valuable and essential. The U.S. military today is more diverse than it has ever beenand that is one of its great strengths, he said, noting more than 17 percent of the military is female and nearly one-third identify as a minority. One of my earliest recollections of my own time in uniform was a session on race relations in my first weeks at West Point in the summer of 1972. The U.S. military at the time was a deeply broken force at the end of the Vietnam War, with widespread drug abuse and indiscipline in the ranks. Race relations were tense, with violent riots between whites and blacks erupting in the barracks and aboard warships at sea. Then-President Richard Nixon and Secretary of Defense Melvin Lairdneither of whom can be described as liberal progressivesimposed the earliest iterations of DEI training in the military, he said. It made him a better officer and combat leader in three wars, Barno said. My long military career convinced me that the effectiveness and success of our strikingly diverse and talented force strongly rely upon it. Our potential adversaries can only marvel at that success. Abandoning this uniquely American advantage will only make our military less cohesive and less capable in the face of our future foes, he said. Conchy Vasquez (R) and Jony Rozon (L), both engineers at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Division Newport, discuss the importance of using correct pronouns in a training video for the U.S. Navy. (Defense Visual Information Distribution Service) No Pride, No Service In the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol breach, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin ordered a 60-day stand down to address extremism in the ranks and create a Department of Defense (DOD) working group to address the issue. Extremism was not an issue in the military, witnesses said. Between 2018 and 2021, the DOD reported 27 incidents of extremist activity across a 2.1 million-person force. Nevertheless, the DOD spent 5.359 million manhours on extremism prevention and over $500,000 on the stand down, not including the cost of compiling the report, Sadler said, noting the Pentagon is seeking $34.2 million for countering extremist activities in its fiscal year 2024 budgetthe same it received in fiscal year 2023for a problem that may not even exist. In December 2022, in its first annual DOD extremism report, there were 211 allegations of prohibited activity, of which 48 led to discipline or a court-martial. Over the span of the two years, fewer than 100 in the military have been disciplined for extremist activity, which constitutes about 0.005 percent of the nations armed forces, he said. Sadler said the DODs anti-extremism training materials are portrayed as benign and reasonable, but evidence has shown that training proceeded to reflect leftist ideology and that its dissuading Americansespecially white youthfrom joining the military. Independent Womens Forum senior fellow Dr. Meaghan Mobbs said in her testimony that children of veterans are more likely to serve in the armed forces. In 2019, a Military Family Advisory Network survey reported that 74.5 percent of veterans recommended the military to family members. In 2021, that percentage was 62.9 percent, she said. Such a precipitous drop in such a short period of time is alarming, she said, attributing that decline to DEI and wokeism. That number is likely to rapidly decrease, as I am not alone in my hesitation to recommend military service to the next generation. Unfortunately, it will be many years before the full effect of such a decrease will be known, and it will take at least a generation to fix. Mobbs said that Republicans, whose pride in being American has consistently outpaced Democrats and independents since 2001, and continues to do so today are, nevertheless, not as proud as they once were and that national pride is a prime motivator in enlisting in the military. Republicans extreme national pride58 percentis now at its lowest point, she said. Likewise, independents extreme pride, at 34 percent, is the lowest on record. After hitting a 22 percent low point in 2019, Democrats extreme pride rose to 31 percent in 2021 at the start of Bidens presidency, but it is down this year to 26 percent. All three major party groups show double-digit declines in pride compared with 2013, with Democrats 30-point decline the largest. Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) said southern states have always been lucrative recruiting grounds for the military, but many who may have considered joining are now turned off by the wokeism permeating the Pentagon. Southern families, conservative families, we are not going to encourage our young men and women to join the military and endure this stuff, he said. In society, woke is a social discussion, but in the military, woke is weakand that is the problem. Yet the Pentagon doesnt seem to see this problem, Higgins said. He waved printouts of two recent articles in The Epoch Times, one discussing recruiting issues related to nearly 80 percent of young Americans being unfit for service with an array of challenges facing the nations military, and another documenting how, according to the Navy and Marine Corps, three of its biggest challenges are climate instability, COVIDs ongoing impact, [and] strengthening a naval culture of inclusiveness and respect. Nothing on readiness and lethality, Higgins said. Whats happening now is families are holding our youngsters back. Families are saying dont join. The nations military leadership is a laughingstock, Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Texas) said. The administrations intent in clear: cleanse the military of conservatives. And the consequences are devastating. House Passes Measure Blocking China From Buying US Farmland A solar farm under construction in Punta Gorda, Fla., on April 22, 2016. (Kerry Sheridan/AFP via Getty Images) A bipartisan House majority has overwhelmingly passed a measure to keep Chinese investment out of U.S. land vital for producing renewable energy. The measure, derived from the Defend Americas Rural Energy Act sponsored by Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa), passed with a vote of 40726 on March 30 as an amendment to a bill earlier on Thursday that seeks to lower energy costs for Americans. It received support from 223 Republicans and 184 Democrats. Food security is national security, Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.), who signed on Feenstras amendment, told The Epoch Times, adding he was proud to cosponsor a measure that keeps farmland in the hands of farmers and out of the hands of the Chinese Communist Party. Rep. Derrick Van Orden asks questions during a meeting of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 7, 2023. (Janice Hisle/The Epoch Times via screenshot of live video) Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) said he believes American policy should deal with China quite decisively, and assert our massive economic leverage in every way possible. Wars are averted through wise economic policy, and freedom has a chance to take root, he told The Epoch Times after the measures passage. My Democrat colleagues who understand these simple truths and voted with Republicans today should be recognized and commended. The entire world is imperiled because of CCP aggression, and America must lead the causes of peace through strength, and individual rights. Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) speaks during a House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on June 8, 2022. (Andrew Harnik-Pool/Getty Images) Rep. Don Bacon, Republican from Nebraska, noted that his state is one of the largest food-producing states in the nation and the world. Agricultural security is national security, he told The Epoch Times. While Chinese investors own just shy of 1 percent of all foreign-held land in the United States as of 2021, land acquisition from China has taken on an accelerating pace. From 2010 to 2021, purchases from the country have leaped from 13,720 acres to 383,935 acres, a nearly 30-fold increase in just over a decade. Such Chinese land ownership has drawn pushback recently in states such as North Dakota, where Chinese agribusiness Fufeng Group purchased 370 acres of farmland to build a corn mill near a sensitive air force base. In January, the U.S. Air Force warned that the project poses a significant threat to national security. The Grand Forks City Council in February unanimously voted to scrap the project. Prior to that, China-based Guanghui Energy had acquired over 130,000 acres of ranch land in Texas to develop a wind farm near the Air Forces largest pilot training facility. The founder of the Chinese firm is a former Chinese military officer. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill, in Washington, on Jan. 10, 2023. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) To Bacon, these Chinese investments near military facilities points to a worrying pattern. This is a grave concern, particularly since tensions with China are at an all-time high, he said. On March 28, Virginia signed into law a bill targeting China and other foreign adversaries in agricultural land acquisition. State lawmakers from Texas and Florida are also making a similar push. House Passes Sweeping Energy Bill; Schumer Says Dead-on-Arrival in Senate The House of Representatives passes a bill, 225204, on March 30 that seeks to lower energy costs for Americans. Four Democrats voted in favor of the measure. The bill, introduced by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), would, among other things, increase U.S. energy production, reduce regulatory burdens, repeal the natural gas tax, increase the production and processing of critical minerals, streamline energy infrastructure and exports, and reform permitting. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has said the measure is a partisan, dead-on-arrival and unserious proposal for addressing Americas energy needs that they have laughingly labeled H.R. 1. In a statement, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) explained the necessity for the bill. The Biden administration has kneecapped American energy production, and endlessly delayed critical infrastructure projects. Democrats misguided policies increased costs for every American and jeopardized our national securityand theyve made the rest of the world more reliant on dirtier energy from Russia and China, he said. To lower costs for Americans and grow our economy, we need to get the federal government out of the way. The Lower Energy Costs Act will fast-track American energy production, and includes comprehensive permitting reforms that will speed construction for everything from pipelines to transmission to water infrastructure. And it ensures that the critical minerals needed for advanced technologies come from Americanot China. Ahead of the vote, Scalise touted that the American energy industry has the best standards in the world, whereas Chinese energy is dirty. He also blasted Biden for canceling the Keystone XL Pipeline, which he did on his first day in office on Jan. 20, 2021, while waiving sanctions on NordStream 2, a pipeline that goes between Russia and Germany. Biden sanctioned the pipeline following Russias invasion of Ukraine. Scalise also slammed Biden for trying to get oil from authoritarian regimes, including Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, while hamstringing U.S. oil. However, Democrats have blasted the bill, going as far as to call it the Polluters Over People Act. The Polluters Over People Act would be disastrous for our national deficit, ballooning it by $2.4 billion over the next ten years, to pad the pockets of corporate polluters, who are, as you have heard, already enjoying record-breaking profits, Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.) said on March 28. H.R. 1 is Republicans flagship legislation, and it blatantly disregards the financial interests, health, and well-being of American families while rewarding polluters with shameless giveaways. The bill comes amid high gas prices. Currently, gas prices nationwide on average are almost $3.49, according to AAA. In 2022, gas prices more than doubled from the previous year, when Biden took office. I Dont Have Any Regrets Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin Says of Deadly Afghanistan Withdrawal Gen. Lloyd Austin III, commander of U.S. Central Command, testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee during a hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Sept. 16, 2015. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has shared that he has no regrets over the way in which the U.S. military withdrew from Afghanistan in August 2021, during which 13 service members and hundreds of civilians were killed in a suicide bombing attack near the Kabul airport. Austin made the admission before lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee on March 29 during a hearing to discuss President Joe Bidens budget request for Fiscal Year 2024. During his testimony, Austin was asked by Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), who has served in Afghanistan, whether he had any regrets about the withdrawal from the country after the leader of the U.S.-backed Afghan government fled and the capital city of Kabul was captured by the Taliban. Banks noted that retired Marine Corps General Kenneth McKenzie, who led U.S. Central Command at the time, said recently that he had many regrets over the manner in which the withdrawal was conducted and the subsequent deaths of the 13 U.S. service members after a suicide bomber detonated himself at Hamid Karzai International Airport, where troops were checking on Afghans trying to evacuate the country. Secretary Austin, last week, General McKenzie repeated that he has many regrets about the botched, deadly, and embarrassing withdrawal from Afghanistan and that he supports investigations into that withdrawal, the Republican lawmaker said. A moment ago, you said you executed the Presidents order, you didnt tell us what you advised the President to do, but do you have regrets about the withdrawal from Afghanistan? Banks asked, to which Austin responded, I support the presidents decision. Taliban forces stand guard at the entrance gate of Hamid Karzai International Airport a day after U.S. troops withdrew in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 31, 2021. (Stringer/Reuters) I Dont Have Any Regrets Banks then asked again whether Austin had specific regrets over the way in which the withdrawal occurred or the death of the service members. I dont have any regrets, Austin, who appeared at the hearing alongside Joint Chiefs of Staff head Gen. Mark A. Milley, replied. Secretary Austin, that is very telling, Banks responded. Earlier this month, McKenzie told reporters during a press briefing that he was proud of the way that American troops evacuated 124,000 people from Kabul but will forever have regrets over the suicide attack that killed U.S. service members and around 170 Afghan civilians. ISIS Khorasan, also known as ISIS-K, claimed responsibility for the attack. The collapse of the Afghan government was not the result we desired when we began our withdrawal, he said. That said, the courage and hard work of several thousand service members under difficult and dangerous conditions, which allow the evacuation of 124,000 U.S. partners and Afghan nationals is something the nation can be very proud of. It came at the terrible costs of 13 U.S. service members and over 100 Afghan civilians killed. And that is a loss that I deeply regret. Ill regret it for the rest of my life. We owe these heroes our gratitude, McKenzie added. Not a day goes by that I dont think about August of last year and the loss of our 11 Marines, one soldier and one sailor there, said McKenzie. McKenzie reiterated his comments in an interview with the Washington Examiner last week where he said he supports the GOP-led probe into Bidens handling of the U.S. withdrawal, saying that oversight is a good and necessary thing. A U.S. Marine passes out water during the evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 21, 2021. (U.S. Marine Corps/Isaiah Campbell/Getty Images) GOP Lawmakers Probe Withdrawal House Republicans are currently investigating Bidens abrupt evacuation from Afghanistan and have sought documents regarding the withdrawal from the administration. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) subpoenaed Secretary of State Antony Blinken earlier this week, asking him to deliver a copy of the July 13, 2021 Dissent Channel cable which reportedly warned that the administration was not properly prepared for the withdrawal of all U.S. troops from the country. So I think its commendable that were doing this. I think that thats the function that the Congress provides. I would hope that as they execute this oversight, they will do several things. First, they will examine the totality of the war, which lasted over 20 years and involved multiple administrations, McKenzie told the Washington Examiner of the probe. They will examine all of the agencies of the executive branch that participated in these operations over this 20-year period. Then, I hope they would also examine their own responsibilities over the 20-year period, he said. Biden has repeatedly defended the turbulent withdrawal from Afghanistan, stating that the cost to the United States would have been higher if soldiers had remained in the country amid the ongoing conflict. Asked on Wednesday if anyone within the Department of Defense has ever been held accountable for the chaotic withdrawal, from Afghanistan, Austin replied, To my knowledge, no. Is the G-7 Ranged Against China? Japan is using the G-7 to manage Chinas trading power Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida addresses a press conference next to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and U.S. President Joe Biden during the G-7 Summit at Elmau Castle, southern Germany, on June 26, 2022. (Jonathan Ernst/AFP via Getty Images) Commentary Japan seems to be planning an end-run around Chinas trading power. As chair of the G-7 meetings scheduled for this May in Hiroshima, Japan, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is leveraging concerns about supply chain reliability to range this group of powerful economiesCanada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United Statesagainst China. Two items stand out on Kishidas agenda: one is semiconductors, and the other is rare earth elements. Computer chips are essential to all computers, communications, utilities, automobiles, household appliances, and just about every product and serviceif not directly, then indirectly. Rare earth elements are essential in the batteries and magnets on which electric vehicles, smartphones, and other such products increasingly depend. In other words, chips and rare earth are essential to the health of the G-7 economies and the global economy. On the chips issue, China is not an immediate threat. It does not have control or even much influence on global supply, though Beijing clearly has ambitions to dominate chip manufacturing. Today, Taiwan dominates chipmaking, controlling some 60 percent of the global supply and 90 percent of advanced chips. The Chinese regime factors into the equation because of its ambitions in semiconductors and, of course, because it also threatens Taiwan. The United States wants to change the chip landscape. It has recently passed legislation to subsidize domestic chip manufacturing. Washington has also moved to thwart Beijings chip ambitions by banning the sale of advanced chip manufacturing equipment to China. Japan clearly would like to see that effort spread through the G-7 economies. It has joined Washingtons effort to ban the sale of chipmaking equipment to China. It also has reason to hope that the G-7 will go along with the effort. The Netherlands has joined the American-Japanese ban. Kishida, noting how Germany has moved closer to China in recent years, wants a general G-7 agreement to stop that flow of technology to China through Europe. Chinas connection to rare earth elements is more direct. Most of the production of these elements is in China. The Middle Kingdom is the major supplier to the world. It is not just Chinese dominance that troubles Kishida and the G-7. It is the aggressive way Beijing has leveraged its trade advantages in the past. A loader shifts soil containing rare earth minerals to be loaded at a port in Lianyungang, in Chinas Jiangsu Province, for export to Japan, on Sept. 5, 2010. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) In 2010, for example, Beijing restricted rare earth sales to Japan to further Beijings dispute with Tokyo over a series of uninhabited islands in the East China Seathe Senkaku chain in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese. Beijing used trade restrictions against Australia not too long ago simply because Canberra questioned the origins of COVID-19. Rare earth was not part of these restrictions, but Beijings behavior showed a willingness to use trade aggressively and in response to relatively little provocation. Several times in the past five years, Beijing has floated the idea of pressuring Washington by withholding rare earth sales in the United States. Rather than live with such threats, Japan would have the G-7 work together to secure alternative sources of these elements in Africa and South America, even to the point of providing infrastructure funds to support mining. Though Kishida is preparing the agenda and staff are drafting the necessary papers, this is not the first time the G-7 has dealt with the matter. The words economic security appeared prominently in last years joint declaration from the groups meetings in Germany. The world will have to wait until May to see if the G-7 will pull together on this issue. These efforts often fall apart once the delegates are confronted with the details. What is clear and will be clear even if the G-7 fails to reach an agreement on Japans agenda is that the trading nations of the world have awakened to Beijings predatory trade practices and its high-handed use of every advantage, and these nations, separately if not together, are taking steps to counter these practices. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Italy Reportedly Activates Anti-Mafia Commission to Investigate Chinese Infiltration Italian Carabinieri and Chinese police on joint patrol with two Chinese tourists in the center of Milan on June 1, 2018. The joint patrols between Italian Carabinieri and Chinese police were mostly carried out in Rome, Milan, Venice, and Prato. (Emanuele Cremaschi/Getty Images) The Italian government has reportedly activated the Anti-Mafia Commission to investigate the infiltration of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the country. In addition to investigating the illegal activities of the Italian mafia, it will intensify efforts to combat the illicit activities of Chinese gangs, under the control of the CCP, infiltrating Italian society and collaborating with corrupt officials. The agency will extend its reach to Prato, a city near Florence that serves as a major textile and accessory manufacturing hub and is also home to a sizable Chinese community. According to Italian law enforcement, Prato has become a center for Chinese organized crime. Chinese Overseas Police Service Stations in Italy On Dec. 5, 2022, human rights group Safeguard Defenders released a report indicating that as of September 2021, the CCP had established 54 police stations in 53 countries worldwide and an additional 48 overseas police service stations that purportedly assist Chinese citizens with administrative affairs. In reality, these stations operate under bilateral security agreements with host countries, functioning as police stations that surveil Chinese expatriates and facilitate the return of dissidents to China. Giuseppe Morabito, director of the NATO Defense College Foundation, told Italian magazine LEspresso on Dec. 19, 2022, that Italy has the highest number of Chinese overseas police bases, with 11 in total. Rome, Milan, Venice, Florence, Sicily, and Prato are all home to these so-called service stations. Italian Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi stated during a question-and-answer session in the Chamber last December that the Department of Public Security does not have any authorization regarding the activity of Chinese centers for handling paperwork in Italy. I assure you that the police forces, in constant liaison with the intelligence sector, are monitoring the issue with the utmost attention. I will personally follow the developments not excluding sanctions in case of illegality, he said. In September 2015, Italy and China signed a memorandum of understanding for joint patrols and launched a pilot project. The first joint patrol occurred in May 2016 when four Chinese police officers joined their Italian counterparts in the streets of Rome and Milan, especially at tourist hotspots. In reciprocity, four Italian police officers and their Chinese counterparts in April 2017 conducted the first joint patrol in popular tourist sites in Beijing and Shanghai. However, on Dec. 19, 2022, Piantedosi stated that the Italian government had decided to terminate joint patrols on Italian territory. He pointed out that the CCP has always used iron-handed policies to suppress dissidents, including violating the human rights of Uyghurs and Tibetans. It is difficult to believe that the so-called Chinese service stations in Italy are only intended to provide administrative services to Chinese citizens, he said. Municipal police captain Flora Leoni (L) approaches Chinese laborers at a garment factory during a raid in Prato, Italy, a town outside Florence with one of the highest concentrations of Chinese immigrants in Europe, on June 18, 2014. Italian police documented dozens of small Chinese-run businessesmany of them garment factories powered by under-paid immigrants working illegallymaking remittances of hundreds of thousands of euros, despite declared earnings in the tens of thousands, or less. (Erika Kinetz/AP Photo) Chinese Nationals Arrested According to a report by Le Formiche on March 16, authorities in Florence arrested two Chinese nationals for their involvement in illegal money laundering, while 13 others have been identified as suspects. The case involves a secret Chinese bank with branches in Rome, Florence, and Prato that has transferred billions of euros to China. Italian authorities have referred to it as the Chinese underground bank. The bank provided covert remittance services and charged a commission of 2.5 percent on the transferred amount. The crime of money laundering run by the Chinese Mafia in Italy has been ongoing for the past few years. Agence France-Presse reported on Dec. 18, 2014, that Rome police had uncovered Chinese business owners and entrepreneurs engaging in smuggling, selling counterfeit products, and evading taxes. To transfer their illegal proceeds to China, they used British financial company Sigue. Sigue has seven branches in Rome and primarily caters to the remittance needs of local Chinese residents. The transfers often use fake names and those of deceased individuals, as well as Sigues unsuspecting customers, the report said. Sigue also splits the transfers into multiple transactions to keep each one below the Italian governments reporting threshold for anti-money laundering regulations. Chinese Banks Involved in Illegal Activities On June 21, 2015, Italian prosecutors filed a lawsuit against 297 people and the Bank of China, as the banks Italian branch was accused of assisting in laundering illicit funds. The individuals indicted included four senior managers of the banks Milan branch. According to Italian investigators, underground banks with connections to China can launder billions of dollars without leaving a trace. Italian police have discovered that within less than four years until 2010, over 4.5 billion euros from counterfeit activities, prostitution, labor exploitation, and tax evasion were transferred to China through remittance services. Among them, 2.2 billion euros were transferred through the Bank of Chinas Milan branch. The prosecutions indictment is based on an investigation called River of Money that began in 2008. The illegal money was sent to China through a remittance intermediary called Money2Money, and the Bank of China received an intermediary fee of 758,000 euros. The prosecution had sought help from Chinese authorities but to no avail. Once the money left Italy, it disappeared into Chinas internet firewall. Local Chinese Nationals Keep Cash at Home A Chinese national living in Rome surnamed Ma told the Chinese-language edition of The Epoch Times that her friends who run a business in Italy usually do not deposit their money in the national bank. They keep large amounts of cash in their home safes because they would have to pay taxes if they deposited the money in a bank, she said. Italys personal income tax is high, with almost half of the income being taxedChinese nationals are very unwilling to accept this, she added. For a long time, the left has been in power, advocating a welfare state under socialism. However, despite being a high-tax state, Italy is far behind the high-welfare countries of northern Europe, and its residents have not enjoyed the services that such a state is supposed to provide, Ma said. When asked where the high taxes went, she replied: They have all been embezzled by high-ranking [Italian] officials. There have been many such reports in the media, and they are no less corrupt than the corrupt officials in the Chinese Communist Party. So, you see, Chinese people naturally dont want to pay taxes to support these corrupt officials. They prefer to keep cash at home, even though they know clearly that such practice is risky. This also sheds light on why some Chinese prefer to use underground banks for remittances, allowing criminals to exploit their situation. James OKeefe Releases First Investigation After Project Veritas Ouster Maryland official announces resignation after investigation released James O'Keefe, founder Project Veritas, at the Values Voter Summit in Washington on Oct. 12, 2019. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) The first investigation by James OKeefes new organization uncovered apparent political donation fraud, and Marylands top election official announced her resignation after the results were released this week. The OKeefe Media Group, launched by OKeefe after he exited Project Veritas, released a video on March 28 showing multiple voters in Maryland and elsewhere saying they had not made all the donations attributed to them in Federal Election Commission records. Cindy Nowe, for instance, was listed as donating nearly $19,000 across 1,009 donations to political candidates through ActBlue, a Democrat fundraising platform, in 2022. But Nowe told OKeefe that she only donated around $5 every once in a while. No, I dont think so, she said when presented with the records. I wish I could have donated $18,000 to [President Joe] Bidens presidency, she added. Absolutely not, Carolyn Lenz, an Arizona resident listed as donating $170,221 since 2017 across more than 18,800 individual donations, told the media group. So thats not you doing that? she was asked. No, its not, she said. Garland Riggs, another Maryland voter, told OKeefe that the $230,000 he was listed as having donated in recent years was erroneous. No, thats not us, he said, adding that his wife has donated using ActBlue but nowhere near that amount. Riggs wife said she believed she donated under $1,000 a year. ActBlue did not respond to a request for comment. Maryland Official Resigns Marylands election administrator Linda Lamone announced her resignation after the OKeefe Media Group video was released. Lamone, who had declined to comment on the probe, said she will step down during a virtual Maryland State Board of Elections meeting on Wednesday. Today Im announcing that I will be stepping down this summer as the administrator of elections for the state of Maryland, Lamone said in prepared remarks. I love this job, she added later. It was not always easy. But through Republican and Democratic administrations, and through COVID, cyberthreats, redistricting, changing election dates, and changes in voting behavior we delivered for the voters of Maryland. I am so very honored that I was entrusted to do something with my life that matters to American democracy. Lamone, who has held the position since July 1997, did not give a reason for her resignation. She did not respond to a query. R.C. Maxwell, a former Project Veritas employee who is now communications director for OKeefe Media Group, got Lamone on the phone to ask for comment on the groups video. Maxwell said he sent the video to Lamone over email and asked whether she had a comment. Lamone declined to comment and hung up. Journalist Says DOJ Targeting Him for His Aggressive Post-Jan. 6 Commentary A munition detonates at protesters' feet on the west front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (Courtesy of Steve Baker) Independent journalist Steve Baker says he was recently warned that his aggressive reporting and commentary about Jan. 6 have created growing ire at the U.S. Department of Justice that could lead to his prosecution for being at the Capitol on that fateful Wednesday in 2021. Since Jan. 6, Baker, 62, of Raleigh, North Carolina, went through two hours of FBI questioning and faced the looming specter of being added to the list of now more than 1,000 Jan. 6 criminal-case defendants. He said his recent coverage of Jan. 6 cases and pointed criticisms of the DOJ have once again painted a target on him. I got a call from another journalist who has a friendly source inside the Department of Justice there in D.C., Baker told The Epoch Times. He called me up and saidthis is a paraphrase, but he saidYour friend in Raleigh, tell him to be careful. He has awakened a couple of peoples attention to his work, and theyre not happy about it at all. The ominous early-morning heads-up got Bakers attention. First of all, when you get a call at 6:30 in the morning from somebody relaying that message, they must have thought that was really important to get a hold of me, he said. So the impact of the timing of the delivery was significant. D.C. Metropolitan Police Department riot officers clash with protesters on the west front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (Courtesy of Steve Baker) The journalist who gave me the information has a very large national audience and would be the kind of person who would have those types of sources, Baker said. So I had to take it seriously. The Epoch Times asked the U.S. Department of Justice for comment on Bakers contention but did not receive a response. Documented Intense Scenes Baker spent much of Jan. 6 in Washington, D.C., capturing video for his news-and-commentary blog, The Pragmatic Constitutionalist. He had a front-row view of some intense scenes, including the initial bombardment of munitions aimed by police at the huge crowd on the Capitols west front. His video work appeared in Jan. 6 films by HBO, The New York Times, and The Epoch Times. It has been syndicated worldwide on Storyful. Baker filmed the debut of a Metropolitan Police Department hard squad and the violence that broke out as the riot-gear-clad officers rolled and rumbled through the dense crowd like a bowling ball through a 10-pin set. He stood in the corner of the Capitols south entrance as officers drew firearms near him and a group of protesters after a radio call about shots fired in the House of Representatives. Bakers outspokenness was on full display. He challenged two officers who drew their service weapons and shouted at unarmed protesters. The building was on high alert after reports that someone had been shot outside the Speakers Lobby. Are you going to use that on us? Baker asked one USCP officer who charged at the group. None of us have a gun. Weve got cameras. As the officer explained why the dozen or so law-enforcement officials in the lobby had weapons ready, Baker intoned dryly, The only shots fired have been fired by you guys. Paramedics from the D.C. Fire and EMS Department perform CPR on protester Ashli Babbitt, who was shot by police near the Speakers Lobby on Jan. 6, 2021. (Courtesy of Steve Baker) That statement turned out to be true. At the entrance to the House Speakers Lobby one floor above, USCP Lt. Michael Byrd shot unarmed Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt, 35. She died about a half-hour later. What was displayed on Jan. 6 became a hallmark of Bakers work covering the aftermath of the protests and violence at the Capitol. His analysis and commentary often cut to the quick. Just Want the Truth On podcasts and social media, Baker says things most other journalists are afraid to say. He does not suffer fools gladly. That has earned him a growing followingand some criticsfrom various sides of his libertarian leanings. He describes his approach to Jan. 6 as a drive for truthpartisanship and politics be damned. Thats a trait he learned from his father, George O. Baker, who spent more than 30 years as a private investigator based in Shreveport, Louisiana. I dont care where the facts lead, Baker said. To Trumps desk, Pelosis desk, darker forces within the government, left- or right-wing antagonists, or simply a grand organic accident. He said his latest focus has been government incompetence that allowed it, or even a sinister plan to initiate the violence. I just want the truth, he said. Now Im focusing on the weaponization of the DOJ against the innocent people whove been caught up in the politicized aftermath. Baker said if he ends up facing DOJ prosecution for being at the Capitol, it will be just the latest example of the government targeting right-of-center journalists to the exclusion of so-called mainstream media. Metropolitan Police Department Sgt. Frank Edwards fires a munition shell toward protesters on the west side of the Capitol on January 6, 2021. (Courtesy of Steve Baker) Looking over a list of hundreds of Jan. 6 journalists compiled by Sedition Hunters, Baker said he could not find an example of a mainstream journalist targeted for criminal charges. Meanwhile, independent and right-leaning journalists such as J.D. Rivera, Sam Montoya, Stephen Horn, Will Pope, and Shawn Witzemann have faced DOJ prosecution. The most obvious characteristic of that list is that none of those that worked for major media, left-wing sources, have been prosecuted, Baker said. But you cant say the same on the other side of the ledger. Taking Aim If Bakers intense focus on Jan. 6 news has created waves, he says to blame the COVID lockdowns for his weaponization. The government-enforced loss of freedoms helped to destroy his business playing trumpet with the Bull City Syndicate, Captain & The Keels, and the American Bowie Experience. He turned the sudden overabundance of time into full-time journalism. Bakers live coverage of the Oath Keepers seditious-conspiracy trial from September through November 2022 was unique because he shared his thoughts from observing the press room and how legacy media covered the trial. Five Oath Keepers defendants, founder Stewart Rhodes, Kelly Meggs, Jessica Watkins, Kenneth Harrelson, and Thomas Caldwellwere prosecuted for allegedly conspiring to attack the Capitol and prevent certification or counting of Electoral College votes from the 2020 election. Rhodes and Meggs were found guilty of seditious conspiracy, while the rest were convicted of various Jan. 6 charges On Oct. 19, Baker posted how many of the reporters laughed at defense attorney Brad Geyer during his cross-examination of Oath Keeper Jason Dolan, who was testifying for the prosecution against Geyers client Harrelson and his co-defendants. Media room journos break out laughing their a**es off when Geyer asks Dolan to let him know when [he] sees something amiss. . . and a reporter exclaims in [the] room: I can tell you whats amiss! the most blatant eruption in the media room thus far in the trial. Baker also described how the legacy media gathered around each others computers during the trial andon many dayshow similar were the headlines on their stories. He called it the single most dark moment of realization that I had. This group of palace guards that Im sitting amongst inside that room, they are protecting the narrative, Baker said. Steve Baker plays trumpet for The Bull City Syndicate in Raleigh, N.C., his full-time job until COVID and Jan. 6. (Courtesy of Steve Baker) After the ninth day of trial, he described the prosecutions introduction of highly personal and graphic texts between Rhodes and former Oath Keepers general counsel Kellye SoRellecontent that FBI agents had promised Rhodes would not be made public. Completely salacious and immaterial to the case, Baker wrote on Twitter. What do you think the MSM headlines were about that day? In addition, to live micro coverage on Twitter, articles on his Locals page, and video updates, Baker made regular radio appearances on Truth News Network (TNN) with Dan Newman. Baker often ridiculed the DOJs theory of the case, commenting early in the trial that he believed the facts were not there to support prosecution for conspiracy. Bakers daily take on the trial was often quite different than that published by corporate media. Commenting on Oct. 25, Baker told the TNN radio audience that defense attorneys got the main FBI agent in the case to admit that Rhodes never ordered any Oath Keepers to go into the Capitol on Jan. 6. Theres been no connection made between the Oath Keepers and anybody who breached the barricades, kicked a door in, busted a window, or attacked a single police officer, Baker said. Gaining Media Reach Baker collaborated on a Jan. 10 report in The Epoch Times featuring former Capitol Police Lt. Tarik Johnson and his description of leadership breakdowns that led to a dangerous delay in the evacuation of Congress on Jan. 6. He followed that with a three-part series on the Capitol Police, putting forth his belief that rank-and-file officers were sacrificial pawns who were not given critical intelligence or posted in sufficient numbers at the Capitol. Producers of Tucker Carlson Tonight at Fox News contacted him when they were researching the more than 40,000 hours of Jan. 6 video using access granted by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). Independent journalist Steve Baker appeared on Tucker Carlson Tonight on March 21, 2023. (Screenshot via The Epoch Times) Baker suggested they interview former Lt. Johnson. On March 7, Carlson aired an extended interview with Johnson, who detailed how he had to evacuate the Senate and House because former Assistant Chief Yogananda Pittman ignored his radio calls for authorization. After Baker was issued the warning about possible DOJ charges, he appeared on Carlsons highly-rated show and described how he first got on the DOJs radar. Baker said his attorney, Brad Geyer, likens his public profile and Jan. 6 appearances to building himself a medieval fortress. One of the things that he has told me for so long is that my aggressive offensive positioning, from the very first day as to my threats from the Department of Justice [on] charges against me, was building a moat around me and keeping them at bay, he said. Its like, Crap, [if] we go after this guy, weve got to deal with the First Amendment issue. And its gonna be a legitimate fight. Its gonna look like were attacking a journalist.' Kentucky Bans Transgender Procedures for Minors After Lawmakers Override Governors Veto Opponents and supporters of transgender bill SB 150 rally at the Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfort, Ky., on March 29, 2023. (Jon Cherry/Getty Images) Lawmakers in Kentuckys legislature on Wednesday passed into law S.B. 150a bill that prevents minors from accessing transgender procedureshaving voted to override Gov. Andy Beshears veto of the measure. The move means that Kentucky is the 11th state in the country to ban transgender procedures for minors. It becomes the eighth state to do so this year. Proposed by state Sen. Max Wise, S.B. 150 (pdf) bars children under 18 from accessing transgender procedures such as puberty blockers, hormone therapies, surgeriessuch as castration, penectomy, and mastectomyand other gender transitioning services. The new state law also bans teachers in public schools through the fifth grade from raising in the classroom topics related to human sexuality, such as those about sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. Under the law, local school districts cannot compel staffers to use a student or teachers preferred pronouns. It also blocks students from using restrooms and locker rooms that dont reflect their biological sex. S.B. 150 had passed the state legislature, where Republicans wield supermajorities, before it was vetoed by Beshear during the General Assembly on March 24. The votes overriding Beshears veto were largely along party lines. The Senate voted 29-8, shortly followed by the House completing the override with a vote of 76-23. The override votes came on the next-to-last day of this years legislative session. Beshear is seeking reelection to a second term. He said in his veto message that S.B. 150 allows too much government interference in personal healthcare issues and rips away the freedom of parents to make medical decisions for their children. Debate Continues Hundreds of protesters for and against the measure gathered outside the state Capitol on Wednesday. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Kentucky reiterated it intends to take this fight to the courts. While we lost the battle in the legislature, our defeat is temporary. We will not lose in court, said Chris Hartman, executive director of the Fairness Campaign, an LGBTQ advocacy organization. In praising the veto override, David Walls, executive director of The Family Foundation, said the bill puts policy in alignment with the truth that every child is created as a male or female and deserves to be loved, treated with dignity and accepted for who they really are. Last month, the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) warned about unknown and unknowable long-term risks it says are inherent to gender transition procedures in minors, adding that the consequences of gender transition surgery are irreversible. The group warned that gender transition procedures are generally irreversible and have a high probability of causing sterilization. The procedures also commit a patient to a lifelong need for medical, surgical, and psychological care. Such procedures in minors also are medically and ethically contraindicated due to a lack of informed consent, the AAPS stated. Separately, the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) have in recent years issued statements in support of gender transition procedures that they call gender-affirming care. Both groups assert that gender transition procedures may improve a gender dysphoric persons mental health and lower rates of suicide in the immediate future, and that forgoing such care puts the patient at higher risk of anxiety, stress, substance abuse, and suicide. But the groups statements dont acknowledge that other approaches to mental health care and suicide prevention are available, and that some gender transition procedures render the individual highly unlikely to be able to reproduce in the future or make other changes that are irreversible and they may come to regret. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan Rail Safety Bill Hours After Another Derailment A black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, as a result of a controlled detonation of a portion of the derailed Norfolk Southern trains, on Feb. 6, 2023. (Gene J. Puskar/AP Photo/File) Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio), co-sponsor Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-Ohio), and other Ohio U.S. representatives introduced the Reducing Accidents in Locomotives (RAIL) Act at a March 30 press conference hours after a BNSF Railway train carrying ethanol derailed and caught fire in Raymond, Minnesota. Residents near the crash site were evacuated. No injuries were reported, and the derailments cause is under investigation, BNSF reported. This is all timely, Johnson said, noting the Minnesota derailment. So what were talking about here today is very, very important. Portions of a Norfolk Southern freight train that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, are on fire at midday on Feb. 4, 2023. (Gene J. Puskar/AP Photo) The RAIL Act was announced in the aftermath of Norfolk Southerns toxic train derailment on Feb. 3 in East Palestine, Ohio, a village of about 4,700 residents a mile from the Pennsylvania border. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported that 11 of the 38 cars that derailed contained hazardous chemicals. Residents in East Palestine and surrounding communities were given an evacuation order by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro before officials executed a burn and release to reduce the chance of an explosion. On Feb. 8, DeWine held a press conference in East Palestine, lifting the order and telling residents it was safe to return to their homes. Since then, though state and federal agencies have said that testing shows the air and water are safe, many residents have reported headaches, nausea, burning eyes, rashes, and other ailments. Piles of contaminated soil have accumulated around the derailment site. Safety Is Crucial The district Johnson represents includes East Palestine. Americans from every corner of the nation are understandably concerned about the safety and the accountability of our nations rail systems, Johnson said. Safety is crucial, and there are several steps Congress can take right now to keep our communities safe and better prevent a disaster like this from ever occurring in another community. The RAIL Act makes important and pragmatic changes to the way our nations rail industry operates, ensuring that our families, friends, and neighbors are kept safe. Six Republicans and five Democrats from Ohios congressional delegation co-sponsored the legislation. Public safety transcends politics and district boundaries. And rail safety is not a partisan issue. It is a human issue, Sykes said at the press conference. Sykes added that the RAIL Act will give Americans peace of mind that trains transporting hazardous materials or any other goods will operate safely. The bill will also hold rail corporations accountable, Sykes said. The legislation would mandate new rail safety measures and charge financial penalties if railroads dont meet the requirements. Among other measures, the bill would direct the Federal Rail Administration to recommend operational changes based on the current NTSB investigation of the derailment. The U.S. Transportation Department would be tasked with adding new rail car restrictions on length, weight, speed, and track standards, among other specifications. The Secretary of Transportation would be required to introduce regulations regarding the detection of rail car defects on trains carrying hazardous materials. Railroads would have to alert state emergency response authorities if their trains are carrying hazardous materials. The legislation would also mandate that rail carriers have two-person teams operating their trains. Increased funding to train responders about how to handle hazardous materials is also included in the bill. Ohio has one of the countrys largest railroad networks and ranks fourth in the nation for serious train accident accidents and hazardous materials spills, according to a statement from Johnson and Sykes when they announced the bill on March 17. From 2019 through November 2022, 281 train accidents happened in Ohio, they said. Multiple Bills Proposed The Houses RAIL Act follows the Senate-led Railway Safety Act of 2023, which was introduced by Sens. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) on March 1. That measure is aimed to prevent future train disasters like the derailment that devastated East Palestine. Along with Vance and Brown, Sens. Bob Casey (D-Penn.), John Fetterman (D-Penn.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) also sponsored the legislation. The bill takes steps to improve rail safety protocols, such as enhancing safety procedures for trains carrying hazardous materials, establishing requirements for wayside defect detectors, creating a permanent requirement for railroads to operate with at least two-person crews, and increasing fines for wrongdoing committed by rail carriers. When the Railway Safety Act was introduced, Vance said: Congress has a real opportunity to ensure that what happened in East Palestine will never happen again. We owe every American the peace of mind that their community is protected from a catastrophe of this kind. Im very glad to see that Congressman Johnson has such a strong, bipartisan group from the Ohio delegation behind [the RAIL Act], Vance said in a statement. This is a huge development for improving railway safety in this country. While Johnson and Sykes introduced their bill on March 30, three Democrats who co-sponsored the Railway Safety Act announced their own legislation to expand rail safety requirements. Fetterman, Casey, and Brown debuted the Railway Accountability Act, which is Fettermans first piece of legislation since taking office in January. He continues to recover from a stroke he suffered last year and is expected to return to the Senate in mid-April after receiving treatment for clinical depression. The bill is designed to build on overhauls included in the Railway Safety Act. Communities like Darlington Township and East Palestine are too often forgotten and overlooked by leaders in Washington and executives at big companies like Norfolk Southern who only care about making their millions, Fetterman said in a statement. As of March 30, the Railway Accountability Act didnt have a Republican sponsor. Its backed by the Transport Workers of America, the National Conference of Firemen and Oilers, and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers-Mechanical Division. This bill will implement commonsense safety reforms, hold the big railway companies accountable, protect the workers who make these trains run, and help prevent future catastrophes that endanger communities near railway infrastructure, Fetterman said. Working Pennsylvanians have more than enough to think about alreadythey should never have been put in this horrible situation. Explora Journeys has announced that its Explora I cruise ship will offer a truly distinctive retail experience called The Journey. Inspired by the Ocean State of Mind and influenced by the destinations the ship will visit, The Journey redefines the shopping experience at sea, it said. More than just a place to browse and buy, it is a journey of discovery, consciousness and craftsmanship with provenance. These qualities are reflected in a stunning collection of more than 30 of the finest artisanal brands. What they all share is a commitment to caring for the planet and its people. Each and every item selected for The Journey is a celebration of creativity, passion and the power of discovery, each with its own magical story to tell. The offering will include items exclusively designed for Explora Journeys and only available onboard Explora I. "Explora Journeys is committed to partnering with brands that mirror its commitment to sustainable practices and environmental consciousness. The Journey is the first retail offer at sea that actively looks for partners with relevant official documentation, such as B Corp Certification or The Butterfly Mark, thereby guaranteeing a sustainable approach to their production practices," it said. Adrian Pittaway, Head of Retail at Explora Journeys, commented: The design of our retail spaces befits the beauty of the items they will offer. Carefully designed for a calm and relaxing shopping experience, the spotlight always shines on the chosen brands, products, their provenances and stories. The knowledgeable service of our Explora Journeys hosts will be complemented by founders and designers who will accompany our guests on their journey to the Ocean State of Mind. A carefully selected collection of sensorial fragrances and skincare, beautifully designed ready-to-wear and timeless accessories, homeware and gifts, and the finest food and drink reflects Explora Journeys focus on small, niche, luxury brands that prioritise sustainability. At the heart of the production process of each of the brands are natural materials many of which are recycled and regenerative. Design and craftmanship are infused with the passion, creativity, local influences and inspirational stories of the artisans and artists who have created these one-of-a-kind products. Born in Geneva, the epicentre of luxury goods, and Switzerland, the birthplace of luxury hospitality, The Journey is true to its European heritage, proudly offering a selection of the best niche Swiss brands. - TradeArabia News Service DAMASCUS, March 30 (Xinhua) -- A fresh Israeli missile attack targeted military sites near Damascus, the Syrian capital, early Thursday, according to the state-run TV. The targets are yet to be known, but the attacks triggered Syria's air defenses, which were clearly heard in Damascus. No further details were immediately available. Los Angeles School Strike Demonstrates Union Focus Is Leftist Politics, Not Education Los Angeles public school support staff, teachers, and supporters rally outside of the school district headquarters on the first day of a three day strike in Los Angeles on March 21, 2023. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images) Commentary In recent years we have seen that leftist ideology has infiltrated all elements of American society. What started in the universities has now spread to corporations, the military, the criminal justice system, the administrative state, many churches, and our grade schools. Last weeks Los Angeles school strike demonstrated that the spread to our schools has been led, not surprisingly, by teachers unions. Los Angeles teachers went on strike just before the pandemic in 2019, shutting down the entire L.A. Unified School District (LAUSD), the second largest in the country, for six school days. The LAUSD educates the citys lower- and middle-income families. They achieved a six percent raise in teacher pay, among many other concessions. The Los Angeles teachers union helped shut schools down for far longer during the pandemic. The district first shut down in March 2020. Thanks to union opposition, they did not fully reopen until a year and a half later. Thus, while healthcare workers, grocery store clerks, and flight attendants worked through the pandemic, teachers refused to return to the classroom. When they finally returned, they insisted that children wear masks. In so doing, at least in L.A., teachers forever lost the hero title we often bestow upon them. The head of the union is Cecily Myart-Cruz, a left-wing radical. When Governor Gavin Newsom offered incentives for schools to reopen, she called it a recipe for propagating structural racism. She told Los Angeles Magazine that our children will be fine: Our kids didnt lose anything. Its OK that our babies may not have learned all their times tables. They learned resilience. They learned survival. They learned critical-thinking skills. They know the difference between a riot and a protest. They know the words insurrection and coup. Last week, the unions shut the schools down again with a three-day strike. This time it was not over teacher pay, but over the pay of the LAUSDs service and staff employees. In most states, teacher strikes are illegal, and for good reason. Just as air traffic controllers cannot legally strike because they would shut down transportation, teachers should not be able to shut down the education of Americas next generation. In California, teacher strikes are permitted, but not over the pay of other employees. If teachers are free to strike over any issue, there is no telling what issue they may choose to jeopardize our childrens education over. Just look at the issues the union has championed under the reign of Myart-Cruz: racial justice, Medicare for all, the millionaire tax, financial support for undocumented families, rental and eviction relief, and the plight of the Palestinians. According to Myart-Cruz, Education is political. People dont want to say that, but it is. The union is seeking funding for a Black Student Achievement Program, building affordable housing for low-income families, environmental justice, and access to ethnic studies. The union calls for equity and revolution on the main page of its website: Excellent, equitable education starts with educators. Together, we will build an educational system that we believe in. Be part of a revolution in education. It makes no sense for teachers to strike over the pay of service and staff employees. If LAUSD gives these other employees more, it may have less to pay the teachers. But when you see it through the political lens of the union, it all makes sense. The union cares more about implementing a progressive agenda than the wellbeing of its own members. For its leftist leaders, this was all about the workers receiving more equitable pay. That means pay that is more equal to that of the teachers. Under socialism, workers are typically supposed to be paid the same regardless of the job. The ability to shut down schools is incredibly powerful. The teacher strike almost immediately resulted in the workers getting a 30 percent raise! The minimum wage for a school employee is now $22.52 per hour, regardless of whether you are a cook, janitor, or staff assistant. The deal included a retroactive pay increase going back two years! It also included a cash appreciation bonus of $1,000 per employee for those who worked during the 20202021 school year. Mayor Karen Bass got credit for serving as a mediator between the union and the school district during the strike. But there was not a lot of mediating to do. The workers had demanded a 30 percent raise, and Bass convinced the school board to give it to them. After all, if you want a political career in L.A., it is best to just give the unions what they want. Unions allow employees to collude with one another to shut down a business, industry, or school system to extract higher wages. It is illegal for businesses to similarly collude. Unions may have served a purpose prior to the numerous labor laws we have in place today. But today they have devolved into a wing of the Democratic Party. They are no longer focused on employees, but rather on implementing a radical leftist ideology, and they will not let children stand in their way. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Man Convicted of Murdering Nine-Year-Old Olivia Pratt-Korbel Undated photo of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, who was shot dead in Liverpool on Aug. 22, 2022. (Family, via Merseyside Police) A drug dealer has been found guilty on Thursday of murdering nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel as he chased another dealer into her home in Liverpool. Thomas Cashman, 34, was also found guilty by a jury of the attempted murder of 36-year-old Joseph Neehis intended target, wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm to Olivias mother Cheryl Korbel, and two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. Cashman has previously denied all charges. Following the verdict, Cheryl told reporters she was feeling ecstatic as she left the Manchester Crown Court. Cashmans relatives left the courtroom shouting, swearing, and protesting his innocence. She claimed others were responsible for Olivias murder, not her brother, as she was ushered out of the court building by police officers and court security. On the evening of Aug. 22, 2022, Cheryl and Olivia were shot by accident after Nee, a convicted drug dealer and burglar, was injured by gunshots and ran into her home. During the trial, which lasted more than three weeks, prosecutor David McLachlan told the court that after gunshots were fired in the street, the girl got out of bed, came downstairs and said, Mum, Im scared. Moments later, as she sat at the bottom of the stairs, a shot was fired through the front door and it passed through her mothers right hand and struck Olivia in the chest, fatally wounding her. McLachlan said of Korbel: She turned round and saw her daughter, Olivia, at the bottom of the stairs. She said, I remember when I turned round and realised the baby was right behind me she went all floppy and her eyes went to the back of her head, and I realised that she mustve been hit. He said Olivias mother said, Stay with me, baby as her daughters life ebbed away. McLachlan said the man then pushed the front door open slightly and fired another shot into the house, which fortunately didnt hit anybody. Cashman, a father-of-two, admitted to being a high-level cannabis dealer but denied shooting the three victims. He claimed that around the time of the shooting he had been at a friends house where he counted 10,000 in cash and smoked marijuana. During his evidence, he told the court: Im not a killer, Im a dad. But a woman who had an affair with Cashman told the jury he came to her house after the shooting, where he changed his clothes and she heard him say he had done Joey, referring to Nee. Cashman told the court she was a woman scorned and accused her of lying because she wanted to ruin his life. The court also heard that Nee and his family had their enemies and it was not the first time he had been targeted in a shooting. Detective Superintendent Mark Baker, the senior investigating officer in the case, said Cashmans actions were abhorrent. When he found out that he had shot an innocent young girl, he should have had the courage to stand up and come forward, he said. Instead, he chose to lie low despite the fact that he was a dad himself. Baker said Cashman is not worthy of walking the streets of Merseyside. Senior crown prosecutor Maria Corr said the case has been one of the most complex that she had to deal with in her 32 years with the Crown Prosecution Service. At the heart of it is a nine-year-old girl who has lost her life. Olivia Pratt-Korbel was in her own home, with her family, where she should have been safe, she said. By contrast, Thomas Cashman is a ruthless criminal who recklessly pursued another man, with no consideration of the consequences. He was intent on violence that night, arming himself with two loaded guns. Corr said Cashman had refused to display any guilt or remorse, denying his involvement throughout and putting Olivias family through the torment of a lengthy trial. A spokesman for Rishi Sunak said the prime ministers thoughts remain with the family and friends of Olivia during what must be an incredibly difficult time. Chris Summers and PA Media contributed to this report. Man Shot to Death in Santa Ana SANTA ANA, Calif.A 35-year-old man was found shot to death March 29 in Santa Ana in what detectives said could be a gang-related shooting. Santa Ana Police Department officers received a call regarding a report of a person shot at approximately 1:36 p.m. and responded to Jetty Drive and Trask Avenue where they found a man with gunshot wounds to the upper torso, according to Maria Lopez of the Santa Ana Police Department. The victim was identified as Johnny Daniel Mercado of Santa Ana. Paramedics from the Orange County Fire Authority rendered aid to Mercado but he was pronounced dead at the scene. Anyone with information about this shooting was asked to call detectives at the police departments Homicide Section at 714- 245-8390 or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS. The case is eligible for the Gang Reward Program, Lopez said. Suspended LA Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas Convicted in Federal Corruption Case LOS ANGELESSuspended Los Angeles City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas was convicted March 30 of federal bribery and conspiracy charges, along with mail and wire fraud, stemming from his time serving on the county Board of Supervisors. Ridley-Thomas showed no reaction as the verdict was read late Thursday morning in a packed downtown Los Angeles courtroom. He was convicted on single counts of bribery and conspiracy, along with one count of honest services mail fraud and four counts of honest services wire fraud. Jurors, who reached their verdict on their fifth day of deliberations, acquitted the Southland political giant of 12 other fraud counts. The charges stemmed from what prosecutors called a quid pro quo arrangement between Ridley-Thomas and a former head of the University of Southern California (USC)s School of Social Work, with the politician accused of steering county contracts toward the university in exchange for benefits provided to Ridley-Thomas son, former Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas. U.S. District Judge Dale Fischer set sentencing for Aug. 14. Ridley-Thomas has been suspended from the city council since the indictment was announced. Ridley-Thomas, 68, of South Los Angeles, has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. He did not testify in his own defense, but his attorneys argued throughout the trial that nothing he did amounted to a crime. Prosecutors alleged that the longtime local politician, while serving as a county supervisor, put his hand out and accepted perks from USC to benefit his son, Sebastian. Federal prosecutors based their case on a long string of emails and letters to bolster allegations that Ridley-Thomas and the former dean of the Social Work school, Marilyn Flynn, had a quid pro quo arrangement during 2017 and 2018 in which the then-dean arranged for Sebastians admission to USCa full-tuition scholarship and a paid professorship in exchange for his fathers support for county proposals that would ostensibly shore up the schools shoddy financial picture and save Flynns job. Defenses Argument However, defense attorney Daralyn Durie countered that nothing Ridley-Thomas did was illegal, and a series of defense witnesses contended that the paper trail was not what it seemed. Although the government argued that Ridley-Thomas accepted help for Sebastian in exchange for his support of USC contracts, including a Telehealth program, that wouldve helped Flynns school financially, Durie said the then-supervisor had already been in support of the proposals, so he could not have been bribed. As for the contention that Ridley-Thomas participated in a secret scheme whereby Flynn funneled $100,000 seed money from the politicians campaign fund through the school to the Policy, Research & Practice Initiative, a nonprofit operated by his son who had recently stepped down from the California Assembly, Durie argued that nothing the politician did was illegal. Ridley-Thomass support of the contracts that prosecutors claim wouldve helped remedy the troubled financial situation at Flynns school, had nothing to do with his sons ambitions at USC, the defense attorney told jurors in her closing argument. Durie also alleged that one of the contracts amounted to less than $500,000 over five yearsan amount so low it would not have helped remedy the financial problems at Flynns school. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Morse told the panel, however, that Ridley-Thomas made the alleged exchange to benefit his son, who had resigned from the Assembly amid an internal sexual harassment probe that was about to go public at the peak of the #MeToo movement. However, defense witnesses maintained that Sebastian suffered from a series of significant health issues that caused him to resign and look for other work. At the conclusion of her two-hour closing argument Thursday, Durie asked the jury to acquit the defendant, and return this man to his home and his work and his community. Background According to the indictment, Sebastian became a professor of social work and public policy at USCdespite lacking a graduate degreethanks to his fathers allegedly unlawful dealings. He was later terminated over questions about his original appointment and concerns by the university over the $100,000 donation. He also obtained a full-tuition scholarship and graduate school admission, court papers show. Flynn, 84, of Los Feliz, pleaded guilty in September to one count of bribery, admitting that she agreed to disguise and funnel $100,000 from the then-supervisor to the university, then to United Ways of California, which ultimately passed the money on to Sebastians nonprofit. The longtime dean of the school, who departed in 2018, is scheduled to be sentenced June 26. Jurors were not told that Flynn pleaded guilty in the case, and her plea agreement did not require her to testify at the Ridley-Thomas trial. Ridley-Thomas is a giant figure in local politics, previously serving on the Los Angeles City Council from 1991-2002, then serving in the state Assembly and state Senate before he was elected to the county Board of Supervisors in 2008, serving until 2020, when he returned to the city council. He has a doctorate in social ethics from USC and spent 10 years as executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Los Angeles, beginning in 1981. He was suspended from the city council following the October 2021 federal indictment that also named Flynn as co-defendant. McKinseys Canada Boss Says Politics Played No Role in Landing Contracts A sign of U.S.-based McKinsey & Company management consulting firm in Geneva on April 12, 2022. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images) The managing partner for McKinsey & Companys Canadian operations told MPs politics played no role in his consulting firm obtaining an increasing number of contracts since the Liberals took power in 2015. McKinsey contracts were awarded based on merit based criteria used by the public service, not as a result of any relationship at any political level, Robert Palter told the House of Commons government operations committee on March 29. Palter also said McKinseys piece of the pie in federal government consulting services contracts is quite small and said the firm only wins 40 percent of what it bids on based on its record-keeping. I think our relationship with the federal government, first of all complies with policies and procedures. Second of all, I think the federal government is getting value, he said. Palter wouldnt comment on the firms revenues in Canada but said contracts with the public sector amount roughly between 5 to 7 percent of its operations in Canada. MsKinsey has been involved in digitizing operations in departments, but also in helping to change the culture. While testifying before the committee on March 20, Department of National Defence officials said McKinsey diversity and inclusion experts were hired to run focus groups and town halls with employees. Conservative MPs asked Minister of Defence Anita Anand whether McKinsey should be helping to overhaul the culture in the military given their track record of scandals and work with Russian and Chinese state-owned entities involved in defence activities. The issue of McKinseys international dealings was brought up again during the March 27 meeting. Palter defended his firm as being committed to meeting the highest ethical standards, and said lessons were learned from past mistakes. Like any large organization, we are not perfect, he said. Over the last several years our firm has made significant changes to our professional standards, client service policies, and risk management. Palter also told the committee that McKinsey will refuse to work with some clients, explaining that every potential client needs to pass through a five-layer screen. If a client doesnt pass through all five screens, we wont take on the work, he said. So far nothing overly controversial about the McKinsey contracts has surfaced during the committee meetings. Former McKinsey boss and former Canadian ambassador to China Dominic Barton denied being a friend of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, though he revealed attending Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freelands residence for dinner. But audits conducted by the departments have recently surfaced irregularities, according to a Treasury Board Secretariat March 24 statement. After the news broke about the increase of contracts awarded to McKinsey since the Liberals took power in 2015, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tasked Treasury Board President Mona Fortier and Minister of Public Services and Procurement Helena Jaczek to conduct a review. TBS says the preliminary audits from the departments reveal no evidence of political interference and broad compliance with values and ethics commitments. However, the department noted there are indications that certain administrative requirements and procedures were not consistently followed. TBS did not provide further details but said its report on the matter will be produced by June 30. Commenting on the TBS statement, Palter said it was not clear who was or was not following the rules. Along with the internal audits, the auditor general and the procurement ombudsmen are also reviewing McKinsey contracts, valued at over $100 million since 2015. Mental Health Bill Is State-Sanctioned Kidnapping, Parental Rights Advocates Say A California bill that would allow school mental health counselors to send children as young as 12 years old to residential mental health facilities without parental consent has outraged parental rights advocates. Erin Friday, an attorney and western U.S. regional co-leader for Our Duty, a parental rights group that opposes transgender ideology, told the Assembly judiciary committee on March 28 that the proposed legislation, Assembly Bill (AB) 665, would violate parental rights under federal and state constitutional law. This bill is state-sanctioned kidnapping, she told legislators at the Assembly Judiciary Committee on March 28. The legislation, authored by Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo (D-L.A.), would remove guardrails in current law that state a minor must be deemed in danger of serious physical or mental harm to themselves or to others or an alleged victim of incest child abuse, before they are allowed to consent to mental health treatment or counseling on an outpatient basis or at a residential shelter without the permission of their parents. California Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo (D-Los Angeles) speaks at a hearing with the Assembly Judiciary Committee in Sacramento on March 28, 2023. (Screenshot via California State Assembly) The committee voted 72 in favor of moving the proposal further along in the legislative process. Assemblyman Bill Essayli (R-Corona) and Kate Sanchez (R-Murrieta) voted against the bill. Rachel Velcoff Hults, an attorney and director of mental health at the National Center for Youth Law and co-sponsor of the bill, told the committee that AB 665 addresses a deeply inequitable policy that creates added barriers for youth on MediCal to access mental health counseling. Removing this barrier is more important than ever, given the mental health crisis that our youth are facing right nowparticularly those youth of color with the fewest resources who rely on MediCal, she said. Hults said increasing youth suicide rates, especially among girls, students of color, and LGBT students make it even more important to open every door to care. Fiona Liu, a high school student in Orange County, testified in support of the bill, contending that current requirements, such as having to present serious danger to ourselves or to others, are an obstacle youth from low-income families who are on MediCal face when in need of mental heath care. As a young person from a more traditional family, I can attest to the mental health stigma that causes youth like me to be afraid to talk to our own parents about our mental health struggles, she said. Pamela Garfield-Jaeger, a licensed clinical social worker, opposed the bill, telling the committee that school counselors are being trained to keep secrets from parents and take on an anti-therapeutic activist role instead of working more closely with families. Counselors are now dividing families, deliberately turning children against loving parents, she said. Separating children from parents is one of the most traumatic things you can do to a child and should only be done as a last resort. The job of a therapist is to repair the family unitnot destroy it. Read More Save the Tomboys: How Decades of Liberal Sexual Ideology Erases Women Jaegar said AB 665 would allow the removal of trans-identified children from the home. In this dystopian nightmare were living in, if a parent doesnt use a childs chosen pronouns or name, theyre labeled dangerous. This is absurd and all based on statisticsthis statistical lie about suicide. Completed suicides for trans identified children are similar to kids with autism, depression, and other serious mental health issues, she said. In her 20 years of experience working with families, Jaeger said she has learned that conducting therapy without parental input is mostly ineffective. It does not work, she said. Counselors are mandated to report genuine neglect and abuse, but this bill will remove this needed threshold requirement and cause more havoc on families. Jaeger also warned that youth residential facilities are usually unlocked, claiming many kids run away into the hands of sex traffickers. People gather to share about detransitioning in front of the California State Capitol building in Sacramento, Calif., on March 10, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Detransitioners and their supporters hold a rally on the steps of the California State Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., on March 10, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Friday, a Democrat, told The Epoch Times the bill wouldnt simply align two sections of code in the law as Democratic lawmakers have been saying, but would allow children as young as 12 to go to residential mental health care facilities without any accusation of abuse, or risk of harm to themselves or others. This is smoke and mirrors, she said. Theyre hiding the true intent of it under the shadow of equity [and] inclusion. Friday is concerned about the impact the proposed legislation could have on gender-confused youth and their families, if residential shelters encourage minors to seek gender-affirming care without parental involvement or oversight. If a child goes to a school counselor and says he or she is transgender and claims their parents wont support their new gender identity such as not using the childs preferred pronouns, for example, the child could be sent for an overnight stay in a residential LGBT community care facility without their parents knowing, she said. How long a child could be separated from their family is not addressed in the bill, she said. Read More California School District Emails Reveal Students Were Secretly Gender Transitioned Erin Friday checks her notes on the steps of the California State Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., on March 10, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Friday, whose daughter once identified as trans but later changed her mind, stressed that AB 665 and other legislation passed by supportive Democratic lawmakers is destroying families, and warned that if the bill is passed it California, it could serve as a model for youth mental health services in other states or nationally. The bill is terrifying to many parents of gender-confused children who fear their children be sent to LGBT community care facilities that push gender ideology and gender-affirming care where their children could be further indoctrinated, she said. The Michigan Branch of FEC United, a faith, education, and commerce movement, and Patriot Approved, an activist group, holds a premier night at 5:30 p.m. ET on March 30 for the movie Exposing the Deep State. A panel discussion features Ron Edwards (host of the American Experience and Edwards Notebook Radio shows); Janice Daniels (former mayor of Troy); Kerry Bentivolio (former United States Representative for Michigans 11th district); Bob Cushman; and Patrick Colbeck follows. National Vietnam War Veterans Day Honored at Nixon Library With Unveiling of New Statue A Vietnam War veteran with the U.S. Marine Corps stands in front of the Vietnam Veterans Monument at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, Calif., on March 29, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) YORBA LINDA, Calif.Over 100 people gathered at the Nixon Library March 29 to celebrate National Vietnam War Veterans Day including the installation of a life-sized bronze statue of a Vietnam War era Marine trudging forward into battle. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Paris Peace Accords, which brought an end to American involvement on the ground in Vietnam under then-President Richard Nixon. We have a United States Marine slogging through one of the numberless rice paddies of Vietnam, but he could just as easily be the young American at Gettysburg, or one of the 41 million Americans who put on the uniform, Robert Wilkie, who served as the U.S. Secretary of Veteran Affairs during the Trump Administration, told the audience of mostly Vietnam War veterans. It is fitting and proper that this magnificent monument is on the grounds of President Nixons birthplace, he added. When Richard Nixon left office, my father was home because [he] deeply believed in building a generation of peace. Ron Pekar, the sculptor of the Vietnam Veterans Monument, speaks at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, Calif., on March 29, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) The sculpture was created by renowned artist Ron Pekar of Long Beach, California, to memorialize all who served in the military during Vietnam. He said he went as far as wearing the uniform depicted in the statue to allow him to get a better feel for the monument for his creation. It was tough, and a difficult sculpture job, but I am so grateful to do this work, Pekar told the audience. He is running through the mud in a rice paddya typical setting during that time. The Vietnam Veterans Monument at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, Calif., on March 29, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Pekar said he underwent significant research for his accurate presentation which included military regulation jungle boots, hanging gear pockets, an assault rifle, and a combat helmet equipped with a rubber band to hold assorted items. The artist said he thought it best to also include bug-repellent held in place by the rubber band in his design due to the experience of the soldiers in the wet, hot, bug-filled battlefield jungles of Vietnam. National Vietnam War Veterans Day was established as an observance under the Trump Administration in 2017 after signing into law the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act, as an opportunity to show appreciation for veterans and United States allies during the Vietnam war. Former Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie speaks at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, Calif., on March 29, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) New Brunswick Residents Urge Province to Allow PHAC Probe Into Mysterious Brain Disease A group of New Brunswick residents are calling on the provincial government to allow the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to investigate the cause of a mysterious neurological disease that has affected over 100 patients. In a joint statement released on March 28, patients suffering from atypical neurological decline and their families, alongside Leader of the New Brunswick Green Party David Coon and MLA Megan Mitton, urged Health Minister Bruce Fitch to clear the way for PHAC to launch an investigation into potential environmental causes of brain disease reportedly affecting a number of New Brunswick residents. Minister Fitch has a responsibility to remove all barriers so the experts at the Public Health Agency of Canada can determine if there is an environmental basis for this increase in neurodegenerative syndromes in New Brunswick, Mitton said in the statement. The panel of neurologists appointed by the province to review the cases did not rule this out. The patients and their families deserve no less, and New Brunswickers deserve to know if there are environmental factors involved or not. The call comes a little over a year after Public Health New Brunswick concluded an investigation into a cluster of 48 patients who suffered from neurological decline accompanied by symptoms including pain, insomnia, hallucinations, and a loss of balance, among others. Those cases, identified between late 2020 and May 2021, raised questions about whether environmental toxins were behind the disease. We are formally demanding that federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos unmuzzle Canadian scientists and direct the Public Health Agency of Canada to uphold the Canada Health Act and reinstate federal experts into the investigation, said Steve Ellis, whose father, Roger Ellis, was among the 48 original patients. In a final report published in February 2022, the provincial government concluded that there is no evidence of a cluster of a neurological syndrome of unknown cause, saying that the patients didnt have symptoms in common or have a shared common illness. Residents said in the March 28 statement that Dr. Alier Marrero, who identified most of the original 48 cases and was once appointed by the provincial government to lead the investigation, reported 147 new cases over the past year, including 57 early-onset cases and 41 young-onset cases. Marrero has sent a letter to Chief Public Health Officer of Canada Dr. Theresa Tam and New Brunswicks Acting Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Yves Leger, the statement said. Fitch said he has received the letter and that the public health department is working on a response, according to a video shared on social media by Mitton showing her raising the issue during question period in the New Brunswick Legislative Assembly on March 28. New Jersey State Lawmaker Calls for Moratorium on Offshore Wind Projects State lawmakers alarmed at volume of marine mammal strandings since December 2022 Waves break out at sea in front of Burbo Bank Offshore Wind Farm near New Brighton, at the mouth of the river Mersey in north-west England on March 13, 2019. (Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images) Two New Jersey state lawmakers want work on offshore wind projects to stop until it can be determined why marine mammals are showing up dead on their states beaches. Were not going to fix blame on any one activity. But clearly, something is out of the norm, New Jersey State Assemblyman Gerry Scharfenberger told The Epoch Times. Scharfenberger and Assemblywoman Vicki Flynn have introduced Assembly Resolution 181 urging the Department of Environmental Protection and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management with the U.S. Department of the Interior to impose an immediate moratorium on sonar testing and wind turbine mapping off the coast of New Jersey, due to the recent unexplained deaths of whales and dolphins off the coast of New Jersey. Like her counterpart, Flynn said this isnt meant to attack offshore wind. She said she has a responsibility to protect the state and its resources. Flynn said they had not been given a clear explanation of the long-term impact of wind turbines on the ocean. Flynn pointed out that many New Jersey citizens, including commercial fishermen, the tourism industry, the military, and others, depend on the ocean for their livelihood. Ive seen projects come to a screeching halt for a lot less, Flynn told The Epoch Times. Protesters at a hearing on offshore wind farms say New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has sold them out on March 16, 2023. (Courtesy of Scottie Barnes) Like Scharfenberger, Flynn said it is undeniable that something odd is happening. Scharfenberger noted that, in his experience, the state had averaged seven or eight whale strandings each year. Since last December 2022, 29 whales have died on the east coast. According to the politicians, 12 were found on New Jersey beaches, including eight humpback whales. And 14 dead dolphins have washed ashore in New Jersey in the past month, including eight on March 21. I think a pausea stopis justified, Flynn said. Do Our Due Diligence Scharfenberger agreed. He stressed that the idea is to gather information before its too late to repair any damage. We want to do our due diligence, he said. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations (NOAA) Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program coordinator Sarah Wilkin, there has been an unusual ongoing mortality event since 2016 that is specific to the humpback whales, and there has been a similar increase in deaths of endangered North Atlantic right whales. Researchers are unsure of the cause of the spike in mortalities. The body of a humpack whale lies on a beach in Brigantine N.J., after it washed ashore on Jan. 13, 2023. (Wayne Parry/AP Photo) NOAA representatives have repeatedly said there is no evidence that wind turbine projects have any impact on the whales. Flynn said thats not good enough. She said these projects would make long-term, even permanent, changes to the waters off New Jersey. So, the people of her state should know what those changes will be. Flynn said the projects were started with practically no public input. They have been sold as the answer to renewable energy prayers. But Flynn said she had yet to see concrete proof they can deliver on their promises. She is concerned that before long, it will be too late to stop any potential damage. That was all done by design, and now were trying to put that genie back in the bottle, Flynn said. Im still unclear how any of this is helping New Jersey. Scottie Barnes contributed to this report. JERUSALEM, March 30 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli Office of the State Attorney charged on Thursday two Israeli settlers with "terror offenses" for attacking Palestinians in the West Bank town of Hawara on March 6. In a statement, Israel's Shin Bet internal security agency identified the two as Hanoch Akiva Rabin, 25, from the illegal Givat Ronen outpost, and Raz Haim Giron, 21, from the hardline settlement of Yitzhar. They have been under police arrest since March 13. According to the indictment, Rabin and Giron arrived at a Palestinian supermarket in Hawara with a group of armed settlers, who carried an axe, a hammer, stones, and pepper spray. Rabin and Giron attacked a Palestinian family who was sitting in their car after shopping at the supermarket. They smashed the car's windows and attacked one of the passengers with an axe, as per the indictment. The two had arrived at Hawara with "the intention of committing an act of terror against Palestinians in Hawara, motivated by nationalism," according to their indictment. Their charges include committing terrorist offenses, aggravated malicious damage, and racially motivated vehicle damage. According to the Shin Bet, the two are part of "a violent group" that seeks to harm Palestinians and "disrupt public peace in the area." The Shin Bet also stated that frequent violent attacks by settlers often "result in incitement and tensions." About a week before the incident, approximately 400 Israeli settlers carried out a rampage in Hawara and the nearby town of Zaatra. The settlers set fire to the towns, leaving one fatality and at least 100 injuries, according to figures released by the Palestinian Health Ministry, in one of the most severe incidents of settler violence in decades. The settlements are located in the West Bank, a territory that Israel captured during the 1967 Middle East war and controlled ever since, despite facing international criticism. Illegal Immigration Surged at Northern US Border With Help of Americans A quiet crisis is unfolding on the northern border as tens of thousands cross illegally U.S. Border Patrol agents of the Swanton Sector on the U.S.-Canada border detain illegal migrants. (U.S. Border Patrol photo) PLATTSBURGH, N.Y.One night this past winter, Lynne Lamon of Plattsburgh, New York, was driving up the U.S. 9 northbound by Canadas border when she noticed three young men walking on the side of the road. The men were dressed poorly for the subzero temperatures and wind chill from Lake Champlain. Their down vests were tattered and leaking feathers. Lamon pulled over, rolled down the window, and told the men to get in and warm up. Through broken English, they told her they came from Ecuador and were on their way to the Canadian province of Quebec. She realized they were illegal immigrants. Clinton County, N.Y., Sheriff David Favro sits at his desk on March 23, 2023. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times) They were happy to get a ride. I wasnt afraid at all, Lamon said. They were young men that had wives and mothers at home. They were so thankful. I turned on an EnglishSpanish app on my phone so that we could talk. They were happy about that. Lamon drove the men to a local restaurant, bought them breakfast, and gave them water for the trip north. The men said they wanted to go to the nearest U.S. port of entry, but Lamon said, No. You will be taken in [by federal border officers] and brought back to Plattsburgh. Illegal migrants are caught walking through the snow in the Swanton Sector in this recent U.S. Border Patrol photograph. (U.S. Border Patrol photo) Why are they going to Canada? I dont know, Lamon said of the three men. They didnt have any relatives there. They walked forever, like three months. They had sneakers on that were frozen [to their] feet. Like many U.S. citizens, Lamon believes its a moral imperative to lend aid to illegal immigrants, despite the legal consequences. Im an old hippie at heart, she told The Epoch Times. However, Federal Statute 8 U.S. Code Section 1324 makes it a crime to transport illegal immigrants in the United States. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection vehicle waits outside the port of entry at the U.S.-Canada border in New York on March 22, 2023. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times) What this means is that if you give a ride to someone who is in the United States illegally, then you could be charged with transporting illegal aliens. Such a federal violation could lead to fines and up to five years imprisonment, according to the law office of Abdel Jimenez, based in Florida. Regardless, theres money to be made in transporting illegal immigrants. Some American citizens will offer rides for hundreds of dollars, fueling a quiet passage along Canadas 3,500-mile land border with the United States. Some, like Lamon, do it out of a sense of kindness. In Derby, Vermont, hotel employees Matt and George, who asked not to use their last names, said theyd seen people charge illegal immigrants as much as $500 for rides to metropolitan areas. Sometimes, the families are so large that several vehicles are needed. One local man told The Epoch Times that he made $400 driving an individual from Derby to Boston. Matt and George said illegal immigrants are a nuisance when they crowd into the small hotel lobby after being dropped off by Border Patrol. Hotel manager Bob Lemieux goes over paperwork at Maurices Motel near the U.S.-Canada border on March 23, 2023. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times) Since Border Patrol has to drop them off somewhere, they drop them off hereor at gas stations, George said. They bring their luggagegarbage bags. They have little kids; they dont have car seats. They dont have anything. They dont want a room. Theyre looking for rides to Boston, New York, or Miami. Those are the biggest places they want to go, Matt said. While some do spend money on a hotel room, most illegal immigrants will loiter in the warm lobby for hours for a private ride. Few choose to stay in Derby, Matt said. Most go to White River Junction [in Vermont] to the Greyhound station, he said. We have no taxis here. So many locals will make a fortune off it because they will take them to places they want to go. Matt said he doesnt see giving rides to illegal immigrants as aiding and abetting illegal immigration. Not anymore. Theyre here legally now [whereas] Border Patrol before would arrest them, George said. They privately find a person and pay them to get to Greyhound or Amtrakwhatever. In fiscal year 2020, Border Patrol agents arrested 32,376 illegal immigrants along the U.S.Canada border, according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data. During the pandemic, border encounters plummeted to about 27,180, but they surged again to 109,535 in fiscal 2022. The two countries recently enacted an agreement to turn away asylum-seekers caught in illegal points of entry. A preexisting agreement required that asylum-seekers must apply in the first country they arrive in, but was only applicable at official border-crossings, creating a loophole for migrants to cross at illegal points of entry from the United States into Canada to make asylum claims. Illegal Crossings Both Ways Along the northeast border with Canada, the Swanton Sector incorporates some 24,000 square miles, including all of Vermont, six New York counties, and three New Hampshire counties. In Clinton County, New York, population 79,596, Sheriff David Favro said theres been a rising tide of illegal immigration throughout the county in recent months. It is going both ways. Whats happening is some local groups are working to assist the families trying to get up into Canada with legitimate cause. Then theres traffic being kicked back from Canada into the United States, Favro said. Favro has remained outspoken about illegal border crossings since his department and Border Patrol agents apprehended 39 illegal immigrants in one weekend. He believes its a humanitarian crisis in the making. The problem isespecially this time of year[the weather] can be so unpredictable, Favro said. We have had a couple of weekends where it was minus 50 degrees [Fahrenheit]. Theyre not properly clothed. Theyre cutting through woods, walking through swamps. Their clothes are freezing to their bodies. Theyre getting hypothermic. Some have had frostbite and issues with extremities. Theyre bringing young children. It creates a bad environment; theyre not prepared for it. Dangerous Weather and Open Borders Favro described efforts by law enforcement as humanitarian, giving aid to illegal immigrants entering the United States through essentially open borders. He said too often they arrive ill-prepared for the long journey through New York. Were not advising them what the condition is, the terrain, and where theyre headed. Its the opposite of a humanitarian effort, Favro said. In February, Border Patrol recorded 367 field encounters in the Swanton Sector in January during minus 4-degree temperatures. The January total had surpassed the preceding January apprehensions for the past 12 consecutive years combined, according to CBP. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Port of Entry in Derby, Vt., on March 23, 2023. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times) Before January, the Swanton Sector experienced an uninterrupted seven-month streak of sustained encounter increasespart of an upward trend dating back to the beginning of FY22. Many encounters involved families with young children, including infants, illegally crossing from Canada into the U.S. The CBP added, As we progress deeper into winter and continue to address the ongoing pace of illicit cross-border traffic, the level of concern for the lives and welfare of our Border Patrol agents, and those we are encounteringparticularly vulnerable populationscontinues to climb. Frozen to Death Favro said law enforcement recently found an illegal immigrant who had frozen to death in the wilderness. We may find a body or two after the snow melts stuck under the snow. We fly with helicopters and drones to watch the wooded areas. Still, you miss some, Favro told The Epoch Times. Weve had a family that got lost in a swamp. They called 911. It was coldin the teens. They were knee-deep in water. They wore polyester clothing that didnt hold up well in cold temperatures and water. The clothing freezes to their body. Theyre in peril. Canadas emergency line picked up the call and kicked it back over here to the U.S., Favro said. The local fire department responded with a search and rescue team. He said that any deaths are likely to occur due to exposure to the extreme cold and elements. Rejected From Canada In 2021, Canadas immigrant population exceeded 8 million, directly resulting from the governments Immigration Levels Plan, which seeks to add 460,000 new immigrants annually. Immigrants now make up nearly 25 percent of Canadas population of 38.25 million citizens. Favro said many illegal immigrants end up being rejected by the Canadian government and will try to make their way back to the United States across the northern border. Were getting those heading southbound rejected by Canada for various reasons, Favro said. Woodstock, Vt., Police Chief Robbie Blish stands outside a local business on March 24, 2023. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times) For some, it may be a criminal history. Some may have illegally entered Canada before. They are trying to sneak back into the United States and go through the woods, the swamps, the wateranyway they can. It poses a complication. Usually, if they take off in a dead run in the middle of the night, they know theyre doing something wrong. Favro said Swanton Sector is the most active illegal crossing area along the northern border. Clinton County encompasses nearly 30 miles of the sector. Every encounter with an illegal migrant is an unknown quantity, he said. Uncertain Journey Favro said many nonprofits and advocacy groups will provide travel funding and ticketing for illegal migrants, but then they are on their own. What complicates our lives more than anything is you have this mix of migrantsnorth- and southbound. Were stuck right in the middle of it, Favro said. One Plattsburgh hotel employee told The Epoch Times that shes a former resident of Roxham Road in Champlain, where illegal immigrant crossings are now common. I didnt see many [illegal migrants] coming back this way at the time, the concierge said. I see a lot of them going to Canada. Theyre dressed wrong for the winter in this area. The concierge said when shed go out to her shed, migrants would often be huddled inside. Theyd be sleeping in my shed. At least it was warm, the concierge said. They get dropped off here in Plattsburgh. Theyll stay here at one of the hotels. Theyll group up and take a cab to Roxham Road. Theyll get dropped off and walk across the border into Canada. Ive seen them come from Guatemala, Guamall those areas. Its just people trying to make a better life for themselves. Further up the rural backroad, an elderly woman named Wanda stood on the front porch of her daughters farmhouse as an icy rain began to fall. Wanda said she often sees illegal migrants walking the length of Roxham Road, carrying suitcases or pushing baby strollers. Its scary for me because I have grandkids and horses and cows in these barns. Theyre out here all hours, she said. Just Want It to Stop In the town of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, 49 miles drive from Derby, Police Chief Tim Page said illegal immigrants have been slowly showing up in the community after crossing from Canada. The towns Welcome Center recently helped four illegal migrant families by purchasing tickets and arranging transportation to New York City and Plattsburgh. I didnt know how they were getting here. I learned it was the Border Patrol that was dropping them off here. So I called the Border Patrol to find out why they were doing that, Page said. The town of Canaan, Vermont, remained steeped in early 20th century history on March 23, 2023. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times) The agent told Page he didnt have a choice. He needs to get these people to areas where they can get transportation. The communities [along the border] are inundated. Theyre asking to spread [the responsibility] around. So far, people have been seeking travel information and arrangements. I havent had anyone who wants to stay in this area yet. It still poses a problem for us finding transportation for themfood, housing if they need to spend the night here. Page said Border Patrol informed him that the situation would continue to happen and probably more so because they had an unexpected surge at the northern border. What are the marching orders? I dont know. This particular individual [said] theyre overwhelmed. They only have so many resources, so I asked if he could bring them to larger cities that could handle them. He said he doesnt have the resources to get them to other places. Hes bringing them wherever he can. Were one of the closest places. While several local social service agencies have offered to help, their resources are limited, and local law enforcement is spread thin, Page told The Epoch Times. Frustrated, Page called Vermonts Republican governor, Phil Scott, on the phone, saying the situation was beyond the communitys ability to handle on its own. Fortunately, he put something in motion. Things are in the works. Im not sure where they are at this point, Page said. Not a CrisisYet In the meantime, Page views the situation as a potential crisis. If it becomes untenable, then were in trouble. We need to handle it before it gets to that problem. Smarter people than me are going to solve it. I hope they do it soon. Thats all. The Vermont highway leading into New Hampshire passed a road with a poignant name on March 23, 2023. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times) He said most illegal immigrants so far are Haitian or Mexican nationals bound for Canada and a new life. Theres a concernand theres empathy. We can use a little of both. In the end, [the migrants] are human beings, Page said. Im worried about my community right now. I have people to protect. Thats my focus right now. He has his own political beliefs, too, on how to handle the problem, but keeps them separate from his daily tasks. I have a job to do here. And thats what Im going to do, Page said. With 13 full-time police officers on staff, the St. Johnsbury police department concentrates on two square miles of the downtown. At the moment, the officers are crazy busy with calls, Page said. Page said the illegal immigration problem adds another layer of responsibility and the potential for a public backlash, Thats the part Im worried about and trying to get ready for, he said. Ideally, Page said he just wants the problem to stop. That would be the best thing. Canada Responds In Quebec, Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Corporal Tasha Adams said the agency regularly faces sporadic upticks of people attempting to cross the border southbound. On many occasions when our officers are patrolling the border, they encounter individuals or are dispatched to find people suffering from hypothermia and frostbite. Many times these people are in Canada legally (on visitor status or otherwise) and attempting to get into the U.S. illegally between designated ports of entry, Adams said. To get to Plattsburgh, N.Y., you had to take the ferry from Vermont on March 22, 2023. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times) With every encounter, Adams said RCMP officers are at risk conducting rescues as the terrain is unsafe and mountainous, with many ravines. Additionally, the climate is such that there are often large amounts of snow to trek through. Once rescued, because they are legally in Canada, these individuals are placed in the care of medical personnel since no criminal offense was committed, Adams said. She said the migrants are often ill-equipped for the harsh weather in Canada and the northeastern United States. Although I cannot explain why this is the case, these people are clearly misguided or misinformed when it comes [to] the factors they should consider, Adams told The Epoch Times. The trend has put a strain on resources. RCMP officers are also concerned about safety as often there are children with their families. Adams said several factors influence immigration trends, adding that the situation is constantly changing. We have intelligence on global illegal migration trends to help us better prepare for these possible scenarios. The RCMP takes a multi-layered approach to monitoring and responding to activity along our borders using the resources, technology, intelligence, and partnerships at our disposal, Adams said. This model of border security means that we deploy our border enforcement resources to the areas of greatest risk between the ports of entry. The RCMP continually reviews its operational priorities to ensure that sectors are adequately resourced. Sudden Influx At the St. Johnsbury Welcome Center, associate Mary Foster said the sudden influx of illegal immigrants started last week with a family of five Haitians. All of a sudden, theyre here. Its like, OK. Its all brand new to us in St. Johnsbury. We help as much as we can. I know they were supposed to take a bus early this morning to go somewhere, Foster said. The St. Johnsbury, Vt., Police Department on March 23, 2023. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times) They had money, I know, to pay for the hotel room. Yes, they had warm clothing. So far, its been people with children passing through. We dont have that many resources here to help them. Discover St. Johnsbury Director Gillian Sewake said the new arrivals all had specific destinations in mind. So, were navigating bus schedules. We do have the RCT bus that stops here and we just make sure theyre getting to their final destination from there, Sewake told The Epoch Times. Weve had a bunch of community partners whove been able to provide translation services, and its been great. Folks have indicated its going to continue. We are mobilizing the resources so that were more connected. It caught us off guard, but we have great services here and are happy to support this. Were a bus stop, so we deal with folks in all life circumstances. Bad for Business Matt and George said illegal immigrants showing up at the Derby Hotel has been bad for business. I get so frustrated. Its awful, Matt said. St. Johnsbury, Vt., Police Chief Timothy Page talks about the impact of illegal immigration in the community on March 23, 2023. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times) And while the migrants dont appear hostile, they just keep coming at you with their phones and translators, trying to communicate with you. And they put it right up to your face. Its more of an inconvenience and a bother than anything else. Were babysitting [illegal immigrants]. Our goal is to get them out of here. The majority of them are not guests, Matt said. After three hours, we tell them they have to leave. Sometimes, well send them to the Newport [Vermont] police station, George said. Newport Police Chief Travis Bingham declined a request for comment from The Epoch Times. Matt said every illegal migrant who enters the lobby is a problem for the employees. And they never know what to expect. One migrant wore a GPS bracelet; Matt said he had no idea why. What were finding is its a pain in the butt and looks bad for business, he said. They could be a threat. They could be the nicest people in the world, but you dont know. With Trump, you didnt see it as much. Matt said. For some reason, theres been an uptick, and theyre moving now. Thered be months wed have nothing. Now, its picking up like mad. Something is going on and making them move. The increase in numbers has been shocking to Vermonters, known for their tolerance toward newcomers, he said. Even so, its never been this bad, Matt said of illegal migration. Matt said when the illegal migrants begin to congregate in the lobby, its going to be a hell of a day now because you have to deal with them. Theyre so demanding. They need so much attention. They feel entitled. Worse, he fears hotel employees will quit if things dont improve. There is so much pressure on us because they always come at us saying they need help. Youre pretty much focusing only on them, Matt said. In the rustic town of Canaan, Vermont, about two miles from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility, Maurices Motel manager Bob Lemieux said all has been quiet on the northern border so far. I dont notice anything. All I hear is whats on the news, Lemieux said. Ive heard over in Plattsburgh, New York, theyve had issues with people crossing the border. Ive heard of an issue from Derby, which isnt very far. I dont hear anything around here. It doesnt concern me much at all. I wouldnt know anything if it werent for what I heard on the news. Its a small town, and not much happens here. In Plattsburgh, Favro said its been a community tradition to welcome newcomers. But even that is coming under strain with the influx of illegal immigrants. Some locals now fear an increase in associated crime. We have familiesrural north country New York up here that are very trusting, open arms, nice, caring people that now are potential victims, Favro said. Were getting migrants that are cold up hereeven right now, its 40 degrees in the daytime. But at night, its 21 or 22 degrees. Its cold. Theyre breaking into barns, storage sheds, and campers in storage until summertime. Theyre walking into homes at night. Our concern is an innocent family person will try to protect their familythere will be harm at some point. And thats going to be life-changing. Favro said illegal immigrants usually carry a cellphone courtesy of the federal government. Weve got a garbage can full of cellphones. They think theyre tracking devices and dont want them to know where they are, Favro said. While the financial cost of illegal migration is insignificant at the local level, as a country, it is exorbitant, he said. Were all paying a significant price for this. These people have to be taken care of with medical, housing, food, and transportation, with law enforcement reasons on all sides of the border and in between. So theres a much higher cost than the average American knows about. Impossible Odds At the end of the day, its about people. Youve got to help everybody until you can figure out the threats. And then you have to mitigate the threats. Were up against impossible odds. It takes only one person to slip into the crowd and create harm to the community of the United States as a whole. In the tourist town of Woodstock, Vermont, 117 miles south of Plattsburgh, Police Chief Robbie Blish said illegal immigration remains a distant problem for the community for now. I dont see how it cant [change]. When you start hearing about the numbers coming across the northern border, communities up there will have to shift those numbers down to us. I think its only a matter of time, said Blish, a 12-year member of the Woodstock police force. White River Junction is a major hub. On the other side, you have Rutland. So, well see it flowing one way or another on Route 4. Woodstock is not far from that either. Blish said illegal migration is a serious problem that requires a decisive solution. Asylum seekers arrive at the Canada-U.S. border near Champlain, N.Y., on Aug, 6, 2017. In recent days the number of people illegally crossing the border has grown into the hundreds. (Geoff Robins/AFP/Getty Images) The federal government should at least establish facilities on the northern borders, Blish told The Epoch Times. Then, there are national security risks. You dont know who theyre letting loose. You assume the Border Patrol has vetted them if they will release them into the community. Again, you dont know what their history or criminal history might have been where they came from. So, again, resourceswhere do we house them? Where do we feed them? What do we do with them? Its not like we continue to house them forever. As a law enforcement officer of 32 years, Blish said hes never seen an increase in illegal crossings as he has in the past two years. Its unprecedented, he said. Its the first time weve had such a surge at the border. But when the current administration opens the door and says come on in, theyre going to come on in. Orange County Health Care Agency Director Resigns Orange County Health Care Agency Director Dr. Clayton Chau speaks during a press conference at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, Calif., on March 31, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Dr. Clayon Chau, Orange Countys Health Care Agency director, submitted a letter of resignation March 28, and is expected to leave the post June 1, 2023. Although I feel sad about leaving, the time is right. It is time for me to take a break, Chau said March 29 in an emailed statement to The Epoch Times. Im leaving the OC Health Care Agency with a strong leadership team and in very capable hands. I have no doubt leadership will continue with the vision weve set out for the [agency]. Chau became the agencys director in May of 2020 but also assumed the role as its public health officer a month later, replacing Dr. Nichole Quick who resigned that same month after her directive for a countywide mask mandate spurred backlash from some local residents, who disclosed her home address during a board meeting and protested outside her residence. Chau faced similar criticism from some over mask mandates and stay-at-home orders after he replaced Quick in the role, which he held until March of 2022 when Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong took over. Previously, Chau worked for the countys Behavioral Health Services from 1999 to 2012. More recently, he was employed with Mind OC, a nonprofit associated with the mental health center Be Well OC. He also taught at the University of California-Irvine and UCLA, and worked for Providence Health System and the L.A. Care Health Plan, the nations largest nonprofit health care plan. Chau said the Health Care Agency has a concrete plan, moving forward as the COVID State of Emergency is ending. The HCA staff and public health workers stepped up and worked very hard during the pandemic resulting in a solid infrastructure that includes community partners, providers, leadership from academic institutions/Faith based institutions/businesses, and collaborators coming together from across Orange County, he said. A successor for Chau has not been named, as yet, according to health care agency officials. EUGENE, Ore.In one performance, Shen Yun Performing Arts covers Chinas 5,000 years of civilization. Although it is easy to enjoy, words are not enough to convey what is expressed. Each part has its own message: not just one message but a lot of little messages that all come together. Thats what makes it really neat. Its hard to describe, said Cecelia Cook, a nurse manager. We would just say youd have to come and experience it for yourself. Its beautiful and its worth coming to. Shen Yun is based in New York and using classical Chinese dance, the artists are able to portray the beauty of China before communism. I dont think theres anything that can compare to it, really. Its just beyond any dance that Ive ever seen in my life. And the music, the choreography, the video, all togetherits just an experience that you cant find elsewhere. Nothing quite like it, husband Wayne Cook said. China before communism was a place infused with belief in the divine. The miracles that originated from there are largely shared in the modern day as tales and legends. But Shen Yun is recreating some of these miraculous moments in history on stage. Mr. Cook, who is retired, said his favourite story in the performance was the opening scene, where God came down to save the world maybe just because it was so incredible to start like that. Theres a certain religious aspect to it, a spiritual aspect to it that you wouldnt find in other theater. Its, to me, quite an opening. It creates a statement that follows throughout the story, he said. The dances in Shen Yun originate from Chinese history and literature. Classical Chinese dance is one of the most versatile dance forms in its forms of expression. Its almost impossible to describe. Its just a form of dance that is beyond anything weve ever seen before. The music, the choreography, all together creates a mindset that is unique and never before experienced. This is a very unique and beautiful experience. It is a bit of a spiritual experience, Mr. Cook added. One of the dances tells the story of Falun Gong practitioners being persecuted for their faith. Falun Gong teaches people to follow the principles, Truth, Compassion, and Tolerance. I thought it was interesting about the crime and the persecution of those poor people. That was really touching and sad. I think it was great that they made that so everyone could be aware of whats going on in China, Mrs. Cook said. With a history of 5,000 years, modern Chinese history under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party represents only two percent of Chinas entire story. But within the last hundred years, the Chinese Communist Party has managed to twist Chinas image into some unidentifiable. The CCP tries to project a world image of goodness, but in fact they are lying and deceitful, Mr. Cook said. Theyre creating an awful atmosphere in China. I dont doubt that the Chinese are conflicted internally whether they want to follow their government leadership or whether they want to try to break away. Due to Shen Yun being truthful about the Chinese Communist Partys treatment of the Chinese people, Shen Yun is not allowed to perform in China. Its sad to think that this has been taken away from the Chinese public, that they dont have this, Mr. Cook said. Shen Yun is sharing the beauty of China with the world so that more and more people can understand that China and the Chinese government are not one and the same. Its good that theyre bringing awareness to all of that. Its wonderful that you guys are going around to the different states, Mrs. Cook said. Shen Yuns 2023 tour is performing for audiences around the world into May. I think theyre creating a bit of a social revolution in some respects. This is a way of informing the public. I feel sorry for the Chinese people, Mr. Cook added. Reporting by Frank Zhang 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. Paris Sanitation Union Ends Strike; Workers Begin to Clear Tons of Garbage People walk past not collected garbage cans next to the Senate in Paris on March 12, 2023. (Michel Euler/AP Photo) Sanitation workers in Paris who have been on a garbage collection strike for 23 days amid a wave of protests across France began returning to work on March 29, union leaders announced. The union representing sanitation workers, CGT-FTDNEEA, stated that the three-week-long strike would be suspended, according to a statement translated by local media. The strikes, which began on March 6 in opposition to French President Emmanuel Macrons plan to boost the retirement age by two years, resulted in mountains of trash piling up along the streets of the French capital, some of which have reached up to 10,000 tons. Some members of the sanitation union protested the measure by blocking three major garbage incinerators that serve the city, as well as garbage truck depots. Many of the sanitation workers returning to work will largely be helping with the cleanup efforts. We have almost no more strikers. This is why we are suspending our strike and blockade movement, the union stated. We need to discuss again with the agents of the waste and sanitation sector of the City of Paris in order to go back to the strike stronger because we have almost no more strikers. While employees are returning to work, the union noted that the fight is not over and that Macron and Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne must withdraw this reform and come to the negotiating table. See you soon to the employees still on strike and in struggle, [because] we are going to reappear, the union stated. Widespread protests have broken out across France in recent months amid the governments plan to raise the retirement age to 64 from 62. The demonstrations turned increasingly violent in March after Macrons government invoked special constitutional power that allowed him to push through the controversial pension reforms. Macron Government Survives No Confidence Vote The triggering of Article 49.3which allows the government to enact a bill without a vote by lawmakerswas done because of concerns regarding the outcome of a vote on the matter in the National Assembly. Macron has said that the changes to the retirement age are necessary to make the French economy more competitive and financially stable amid an aging population. The aim is to balance the accounts without raising taxes or cutting pensions. Various options are on the table, but all include raising the retirement age, government spokesman Olivier Veran told journalists in January. The presidents plan would raise the minimum age by two years gradually, increasing by three months every year, beginning in September until it reaches 64 in 2030. The plan also would require 43 years of work to earn a full pension at 64, otherwise, workers would still have to wait until they turn 67. Most sanitation workers in France retire earlier than most people at the age of 57 because of the laborious nature of their work, although many work longer to increase their pension. Under Macrons new plan, their retirement age would be pushed to 59. However, the plan, as well as the use of constitutional power, has sparked backlash across the country, while opposition lawmakers have demanded the government step down. Despite the outrage, Macrons government managed to narrowly survive a no-confidence vote in the French parliament on March 20, garnering 278 of the 287 votes needed to pass. Macrons pension reform bill will still need to be reviewed by the Constitutional Council before it can be signed into law and is likely to face more opposition as further strikes are planned by unions on April 6. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Pentagon press secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder briefs the media at 1:30 p.m. ET on March 30. A wildlife photographer has shared a series of incredible pictures of the interaction he captured between a peregrine falcon and a bald eagle on his trip to a Maryland dam. North Carolina-based Maynard K Knapp and his wife, Alison, were at Conowingo Damwhich is famous for eagles fishing in the river just below the damon the Susquehanna River for their first visit when they noticed something. A peregrine falcon was chasing a hawk away from its territory. Maynard was then on the lookout to see what it was going to chase next. [W]hile I was photographing a nice, juvenile bald eagle, Alison saw the peregrine starting to chase a bald eagle, Maynard said. It was in the same general direction that I was looking, so I found it right away, but they immediately flew behind some trees on the edge of the river. Knowing it would be an interesting shot to capture, Maynard kept his camera ready. He said that he was hoping they would be able to get away from the trees and fly above the parking lot. Luckily for the photographer, not only did the birds move away from the trees, but they also changed their direction and headed toward them. The series of pictures that followed showed the peregrine falcon bullying the bald eagle. The peregrine falcon swooped at the bird of prey before grabbing talons full of feathers. You can see from the photos that the falcon was determined to keep that eagle away from its nest forever, Maynard said. I think part of my luck in getting the photos is that I do not use a tripod, even when I use my largest lens, so I am always ready to get the shot. One of the pictures selected from the series taken on April 27, 2021, was submitted to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources photo contest in 2022 with the title Do not mess with the peregrine falcon. Epoch Inspired Staff contributed to this report. 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 The artist has also crafted a special birthday gift for the President of Taiwan A Taiwanese military veteran is now a renowned needle felting expert who handcrafts her signature art pieces, replicas of the popular breakfast breadthe polo bun or pineapple bunand much more, bringing art to our daily lives. Lei Hsiao-Chen, a native of Taoyuan County, Taiwan, developed an interest in art at an early age. Her love for handicrafts continued during her 16 years of military life working as a Petty Officer 1st Class in the Taiwanese Navy. In 2017, she decided to start her own business in needle felting, a step that, she says, was not taken on impulse. The renowned artist, who also had the chance to craft a special birthday gift for the President of Taiwan in 2019, has won several awards over the years. Lei sells these irresistible handmade wool felt products and some selected DIY items through her website, BaoBaoHandmade.com. Lei Hsiao-Chen with her wool-felting artworks at a pop-up stall. (Courtesy of Lei Hsiao-Chen) During the pandemic caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, Lei created a thought-provoking artwork titled I want to say something Lei says the person with her face covered by a mask symbolizes that the world is not able to speak up. I wanted to appeal to everyone that although our mouths have been covered, we still have eyes and ears opened; amid all the chaos, we can try listen to the real voice that can help us discern the truth, Lei told The Epoch Times. I feel that this is the best medicine to help us to walk safely out of this predicament: Open your ears, pay attention to the world. Find out what is that thing that we can protect or counter. I want to say something, a wool-felting artwork created by Lei Hsiao-Chen. (Courtesy of Lei Hsiao-Chen) Love for Needle Felting I came across the needle felting handicraft three years before I retired from the military, Lei said. At that time, I felt it was like love is around the corner. Prior to needle felting, Lei tried her hand at carpentry, leather, and fabric but none of them kept her interest for long. Lei, who is known in the industry as Xiao Bao or Teacher Bao, explained that needle felting is not only good for practical items, such as woolen hats, socks, and yurts, but also has an artistic side and can be used to create delicate artworks. Moreover, unlike many other crafts, needle felting is easy to get into as only a needle, a lump of wool, and a small workspace are required. Almost six years ago, it was not an easy decision for Lei to bid goodbye to her military career as she was due to receive a lifelong pension if she would stay on for four more years. But after she met two successful entrepreneurs, she made up her mind. Lei, who studied graphic design in university, recalled one of the entrepreneurs saying, Now its not only just a time of financial crisis, its also a time of character crisis. A file photo of Lei from the time when she was in the Taiwanese Navy. (Courtesy of Lei Hsiao-Chen) Artwork created by Lei Hsiao-Chen. (Courtesy of Lei Hsiao-Chen) A Bread With a Purpose Though Lei makes several kinds of needle felting artworks, she chose polo buns as her main product, focusing on making bread-shaped keychains, earrings, bags, and pouches in different sizes. She stresses that the Taiwanese polo bun is different from those made in Hong Kong or Japan and explained that the legacy of the bread is tied to a common memory shared by Taiwanese people who lived in the 1970s. As a child, Lei resided in a military-dependent village as her father served in the military. Every day when the food van arrived carrying bread, all the children would rush toward it, making it a memorable scene with everyone in the village gathering there. Lei says the symbolic bread is representative of a long traditionliving together in harmony. At that time, there was no chaotic things between people, Lei said. I feel that was very simple and happy. She aspires to express this life lesson through her art, using traditional bread as a medium to interact with people and bring them closer. The bread keychains by Lei Hsiao-Chen. (Courtesy of Lei Hsiao-Chen) Hoping to restore a humanistic spirit and the declining traditional values of benevolence, righteousness, trustworthiness, and proper conduct; Lei endeavors to inspire a subtle inner meaningthe soul of the artworkin each of her creations. She says this makes her work different from a lot of contemporary art, which seems to be lacking in a deeper meaning. When you talk about your artwork or creation, you should be enjoying it and never tired of it. That is the origin of art, its creation, she said, adding that an artists positive inner world is crucial to lending an uplifting meaning to each piece. Leis artwork caught the attention of the deputy director of a museum of contemporary art in Taiwan who invited her to hold an exhibition. They were exploring what contemporary art is, and he explained the reason for inviting me. He said that I connected life with my artworks, and the way we can live together. He hoped that everyone would think about what art is and what should you care about while living in this world, Lei said. A wide range of products made by Lei Hsiao-Chen. (Courtesy of Lei Hsiao-Chen) Lei Hsiao-Chen with her book. (Courtesy of Lei Hsiao-Chen) The breads that Lei makes are so vivid and lifelikeeven their surface appears truly oilythat people who see them for the first time are blown away. They usually have three reactions, Lei said. The first is feeling wowed and exclaiming in joy. The second is that they will touch the artwork. And the sensation they get after touching it will move their hearts, and they will exclaim again the second time. The feel of the oily surface makes them think that their hands are really oily after the touch, making them rub their hands on their clothestheir usual third reaction. Their three usual reactions make me feel that they have entered the world of the bread. The surface of these breads appear to be truly oily. (Courtesy of Lei Hsiao-Chen) A Difficult Journey Despite all the praise and fame, Lei says it was God who gave her the creative ability to use her artworks to help people realize a very important concept: cherish kindness and simplicity between people. However, entrepreneurship is not easy, much less running an art business. Everything was not as idealized and dreamy as I had thought, Lei said, adding that she tried her best to overcome the hurdles with her determination and upright thoughts. Chicken drumstick made by Lei Hsiao-Chen. (Courtesy of Lei Hsiao-Chen) In the beginning, Lei learned how to set up a stall in a market to sell her handmade products and also did artistic visual planning for her brand. Later, she had a chance to work with Esliteone of the largest bookstore chains in Taiwanand learned a lot from them including branding and packaging. But she soon encountered another problem: she was unable to produce the artworks as fast as they were being sold. So Lei did what her peers in the art industry dare not dosetting up her own team and sharing all the insider tricks of her art. Lei said that usually artists are afraid staff would leave the team after acquiring the skills and then imitate their artwork, but for her, it was never a big concern. She said that running a business isnt easy or a one-man show. As our team was being trained, everyone understood that one person cant handle everything. Thats why no one wants to leave, she said. Everyone needs to rely on one another. Thats when you realize that many things are not what outsiders imagined them to be. A Dorayaki (Japanese Red Bean pancake) bag made by Lei Hsiao-Chen. (Courtesy of Lei Hsiao-Chen) Ang ku kueh, or red tortoise cake, is a Chinese pastry made from glutinous rice flour. (Courtesy of Lei Hsiao-Chen) Lei says the process of leading a team wasnt an easy journey either as it requires exceptional-level skills in understanding others. She initially faced tough times getting along with young people who often worked with a challenging attitude and couldnt accept an apprenticeship work style. Close associates also suggested Lei take a stricter stance and show her employees who the real boss is. However, her teams problems were finally resolved when she decided to invest time during the pandemic in self-development and reconnecting with her faith. Lei started practicing Falun Gong, an ancient spiritual discipline based on the tenets of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance, at the age of 20 with her family. Despite practicing it for more than a decade, Lei said she didnt internalize the principles of upright and thoughtful living in her daily life. However, during the pandemic, when she lost 90 percent of her revenue due to canceled classes, she had more time to think about her situation. At that time, I went from the peak to rock bottom, Lei said. I started to think, humans are very insignificant and helpless. No matter how hard-working you are, if there is a big change in the external environment, you wont be able to do anything. Lei Hsiao Chen doing the second Falun Gong exercise. (Courtesy of Lei Hsiao-Chen) She began to read more of the Falun Gong main text, Zhuan Falun, which gradually helped her to navigate through her business challenges and find balance in her life, including guiding her in how to be a better mother to her young child. I started to empathize with their needs, Lei said. When they cant meet [the requirements], I can use another method to get along with people. Lei also opened up her heart to the young employees who gave her a tough time. She says they now all share a healthy relationship and one of them was also interested in learning for herself how one book could change a person so much. The practice not only made Lei more considerate of others but also helped her to overcome her feelings of inferiority when meeting high-profile customers. Earlier, I was going after things like reputation, status, and wealth. But when I no longer cared about these things, I suddenly felt that I am no different from those peoplethere is no gap between us, she said. Though the pandemic cut off her income, she managed to switch things around by offering online classes. Her business started to pick up again and she also invented a felting machine and received several invitations for art lectures. A person feels compelled to think of solutions when in a desperate situation, Lei said of the pandemic. But whats most important is that your wisdom will only appear when your heart is calmgaining wisdom by remaining calm. A Gift to Taiwan President Lei has won many awards since she started her brand. She won second place at the Taoyuan Cultural Affairs Bureau Foundation Artist-in-Village in 2017 and also took second place at the 2022 Fiber Creation Award. However, what made her proudest was receiving the Cultural and Creative Excellence Award from the Taiwan Ministry of Culture in 2019. The ministry ordered 35 coin purses in the polo bun shape as gifts for overseas guests and dignitaries. I think it also reflects that the entire Ministry of Culture actually sees the connection between our regional handicraft industry and ethnic culture as a bright spot that can be promoted internationally, she said, adding that it is really important to constantly discover and explore local culture. Her artwork also caught the eye of the presidents office in Taiwan. Lei Hsiao-Chen presented her gift to the Taiwan President in 2019. (Courtesy of Lei Hsiao-Chen) In 2019, Lei was tasked with a 48-hour missioncreating a birthday gift for the President of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen. It was a rare opportunity for Lei to speak to the president. Her final artwork was a figurine of the president standing and holding Taiwan in her hands, protecting it. This means that Taiwan is her most precious gift, Lei said. The President also has many dogs. I depicted one of her guard dogs defending the interests of the people of Taiwan [from external threats]. Lei had a chance to personally present the gift to the president with many other business owners and entrepreneurs present at the event, and she took this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to share her hope of having a free and democratic environment, which she says is also the shared dream of all business owners in Taiwan. Apart from crafting award-winning breads and other food items, Lei is also aiming to excel in creating expressive characters to add purposeful meaning to each artworksticking firmly to her mission of preserving the traditional belief in kindness and goodness. I feel that everyone in this era has a mission, Lei said. We have to pay attention to this world and try to see what it is lacking in, and what can we do to rectify it. I think this kind of life is the brightest. 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 Pope Francis Hospitalized With Respiratory Infection, Undergoing Treatment: Officials Pope Francis attends the funeral mass for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at St. Peter's square in Vatican City, Vatican, on Jan. 5, 2023. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) Pope Francis will spend several days in hospital for treatment for a respiratory infection that has caused breathing difficulties, the Vatican said in a statement on March 29. The Vatican said the 86-year-old pope, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, had complained of breathing difficulties in recent days and was taken to Policlinico A. Gemelli, a general hospital in Rome, Italy, following his weekly general audience in St. Peters Square. Testing has ruled out COVID-19, the statement said. In recent days Pope Francis complained of some respiratory difficulties and this afternoon he went to Policlinico A. Gemelli for some medical checks, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement. The outcome of these [tests] showed a respiratory infection (excluding Covid-19 infection) that will require a few days of appropriate hospital medical therapy. Pope Francis is touched by the many messages received and expresses his gratitude for the closeness and prayer, Bruni added. The Pope is more prone to respiratory problems due to part of one of his lungs being removed when he was in his early 20s following a respiratory infection, and he often speaks in a whisper. Health Issues Pope Francis has also been using a wheelchair for more than a year due to strained ligaments in his right knee and a small knee fracture. He has said the injury was healing and has been seen walking more with a cane in recent months. Despite his ongoing health issues, the Pope has maintained an active schedule, visiting the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan in February. He also appeared in relatively good spirits during his regularly scheduled general audience in St. Peters Square earlier Wednesday, although he could be seen grimacing and appeared to struggle while getting in and out of his vehicle. Wednesdays hospitalization of the Pope marks the first time he has had to undergo medical treatment since he spent 10 days at the Gemelli hospital in July 2021 to have 13 inches (33 centimeters) of his colon removed. In January, he said the condition, known as diverticulosisa digestive condition that affects the large intestine had returned. There are now concerns regarding his overall health ahead of what is set to be a busy few weeks for the pontiff, beginning this weekend with Palm Sunday ahead of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday on April 9. He is also scheduled to visit Hungary at the end of April for a trip that is widely expected to focus on migration to Europe and Russias ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Pope Francis has canceled all audiences through Friday but there has not yet been any comment regarding the Holy Week plans. Pope Shares Condolences After Nashville Shooting Speaking during a press conference on Wednesday, President Joe Biden asked people to make an extra prayer for the Popes recovery, describing the pontiff as one of the most Christ-like figures Ive ever met. Earlier on Wednesday, the Vatican said that Pope had sent a message to the Bishop of Nashville to convey his heartfelt condolences and the assurance of his prayers to all affected by this senseless act of violence, following the shooting of six people at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee. Police identified the shooter as 28-year-old Audrey Elizabeth Hale who they said had attended the school years prior. Read More Nashville School Shooter Identified by Officials as 28-Year-Old Former Student She allegedly killed three children and three adults at the school after planning the massacre by drawing out a detailed map of the building, which included potential entry points, and conducting surveillance of the building, police said. Pope Francis said he joins the entire community in mourning the children and adults who died and commends them to the loving embrace of the Lord Jesus. The Associated Press contributed to this report. When Henry Knox (1750 1806) was a child, his father left for the West Indies in search of financial stability. His career as shipbuilder and family provider would come to an end with his untimely death. His wife and ten children would be left without a father and would have to toil on their own to make ends meet when his father abandoned the family in the West Indies, including nine-year-old Henry. Knox dropped out of grammar school to become a clerk for a Boston bookbinding company. The bright young boy consumed as much literary knowledge as possible. He quickly fell in love with the works of history and warfare, notably studying Sharpes Military Guide and Julius Caesars Commentaries. His love of military knowledge became so great that he taught himself to read and speak French in order to read military works that had yet to be translated. By the time he was 12 years old, the French and Indian War had come to a close, but one of the wars most prominent figures, George Washington, would eventually become one of his closest friends. As the English Crown created new taxes for the colonists, the tensions in the colonies increased. Knox was the right manalready a military genius and practitionerin the right place: Boston. His love of history and military books led to two careers. After saving his money, he opened up his own bookstore called The London Book Shop, which was frequented by soldiers for its military selections. When the British took over Boston, Knox, already a militiaman, abandoned his store to the whims of looters and eventually joined the Continental Army during the Siege of Boston. Knoxs lifelong study of military strategy, artillery, and engineering, led to one of the most brilliant moments of the American Revolution. Knox formulated a plan to drive out the British from Boston by putting the Royal Navy within firing range from a mass of cannons. The only issue was the new Continental Army had very little in terms of cannons. Knox decided to take hundreds of men, horses and oxen with him to the recently captured Fort Ticonderoga, and requisition all 59 cannons, artillery, and mortars, totaling nearly 120,000 pounds. The massive expedition covered 300 miles across New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and back to Boston in the dead of winter. Under Knoxs leadership and steady hand, not one cannon was lost or damaged. In 1776, Colonel Henry Knox, Washingtons chief of artillery, brought guns and mortars from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston. Engraving by Van Ingen. (MPI/Getty Images) This military feat of engineering earned Knox the title of chief artillery officer. His rank within artillery matters would never be succeeded. By the end of the war, he would earn the ranking of major general; and, upon Washingtons resignation, he would become the armys senior military officer. After Washington finished his resignation speech, it was Knox who was tearfully the first to embrace the future first president. The military relationship continued as Knox would become President Washingtons Secretary of War from 1789 to 1794. At the end of his presidency, Washington told John Adams, regarding Knox, that there is no man in the United States with whom I have been in habits of greater intimacy; no one whom I have loved more sincerely, nor any for whom I have had a greater friendship. QAnon Shaman Jacob Chansley Released Early From Prison After Newly Disclosed Jan. 6 Footage Jacob Chansley outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (Brent Stirton/Getty Images) The man known as the QAnon Shaman, who pleaded guilty to breaching the U.S. Capitol, has been released from prison early after Fox News aired footage of him being escorted by police officers inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Jacob Chansley, 35, was moved to a halfway house in Phoenix on March 28, a U.S. Bureau of Prisons spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email. He had been serving a 41-month sentence, handed down in November 2021, in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of obstructing an official proceeding. The release comes after Fox News Tucker Carlson broadcast never-before-seen footage that showed U.S. Capitol Police officers walking around inside the Capitol with Chansley. Chansleys current and former lawyers are offering different views as to whether the footage played a role in his early release. Jake is out on schedule. I told him 16 months ago in our first conversation, it would be Feb. or Mar. 2023, William Shipley, Chansleys current lawyer, wrote on social media on March 30. While Chansley was expecting to serve nearly his full sentence in prison, Shipley noted that federal inmates can get early release for good behavior and participation in various programs. I didnt do anything extraordinarythis was always the schedule, I just understood it and could explain it to him, Shipley said. Albert Watkins, Chansleys former lawyer, said he couldnt comment about the reason for the early release. After serving eleven months in solitary prior to his sentence being imposed, and only 16 months of his sentence thereafter, it is appropriate this gentle and intelligent young man be permitted to move forward with the next stage of what undoubtedly will be a law abiding and enriching life, Watkins said in a statement to news outlets. I applaud the decision of the U.S. Bureau of Prison [sic] in this regard. The bureau said it couldnt discuss a specific inmates release, but confirmed that inmates can earn time for good conduct. Before the First Step Act, enacted by former President Donald Trump, federal inmates could earn up to 54 days of good conduct time for each year of their sentence served. Under the law, inmates can now earn up to 54 days of good conduct time for each year of their imposed sentence. Shipley said in another post that the videos played on Fox DID NOT play a role in Chansleys release. The final months of the sentence were always going to be served at a halfway house, Shipley said. He also reiterated that his client received time off for completing bureau programs, in addition to the credit for being on good behavior. We have known the release date for a period of time, but kept it quiet so as to not have a crowd show up at either the BOP facility or the Halfway House, Shipley said. Jacob Chansley (C) and Nicholas Rodean, wearing a red hat, inside the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (Win McNamee/Getty Images) Motion to Vacate Chansley was charged with multiple offenses after being photographed and videotaped inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. He pleaded guilty to a felony obstruction charge, in exchange for the other charges being dropped. Watkins was replaced after the sentencing and Shipley recently told The Epoch Times that he intends to file a motion to vacate Chansleys conviction. The motion involves federal code that states a prisoner in custody under sentence of a court established by Act of Congress claiming the right to be released upon the ground that the sentence was imposed in violation of the Constitution or laws of the United States. Shipley said in a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice that the newly disclosed video footage appears to be materially exculpatory to Chansley, whose lawyers have said he wasnt given the footage. Prosecutors were obligated to produce potentially exculpatory material to Chansley under the Brady v. Maryland U.S. Supreme Court decision, Shipley noted. Had the videos been properly disclosed as required by law, he wrote, they would certainly have been used as a counterpoint to the one-sided and factually inaccurate portrait of Mr. Chansley painted by the Government in its Sentencing Statement and arguments at the sentencing hearing. The Department of Justice didnt respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment. Gary Bai contributed to this report. WUHAN, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Song Tao, head of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, on Thursday met with Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. Song conveyed the greetings from Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, to Ma, and gave full recognition to the significant contribution made by Ma to the development of cross-Strait relations. Song said the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are of one family. He stressed adhering to the 1992 Consensus, boosting the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, and resolutely opposing "Taiwan independence" separatist activities and foreign interference. Song also called for joint efforts to safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and to realize national rejuvenation. Noting that he appreciated Xi's greetings, Ma said compatriots on both sides belong to the same Chinese nation, and should work together to promote everlasting peace and prosperity across the Strait, improve the well-being of Chinese people on both sides and revitalize China based on the political foundation of upholding the 1992 Consensus. Song Tao (R), head of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, and Ma Ying-jeou (L) take a high-speed train from Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, to Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, March 31, 2023. (Xinhua/Cai Yang) Red State Residents Have Lighter Tax Burdens Compared to Americans in Blue States The top of a form 1040 individual income tax return for 2005 is seen atop a stack on the same at the Des Plaines Public Library in Des Plaines, Ill., on March 23, 2006. (Tim Boyle/Getty Images) Red states maintain their lead when it comes to lower tax burdens compared with blue states. Tax-filing day is coming up on April 18, leaving many taxpayers worried about how it will affect their finances, as many are still struggling as a result of the pandemic and higher prices. WalletHub, a credit score site, released a report on March 28 titled, 2023s Tax Burden by State, which showed a clear disparity between tax burdens in different states. Researchers found that blue states, which generally are Democrat-leaning, faced more tax burdens than red states, which typically run Republican. The tax burden for residents of red states stands at an average rank of 31.32, while blue states have a rank of 19.68. The smaller the number, the higher the number is in that state. Tax burdens, unlike tax rates, vary widely based on an individuals circumstances, according to WalletHub. Many Americans are aware of what they pay in federal, state, and local taxes, but the complication of the tax code makes it hard for the average citizen to know how much they will be impacted. The tax burden calculations measures the proportion of total personal income that residents pay toward their state and local taxes, which all have variously different demands. Red State Residents Financially Better After Taxes Compared to Blue States WalletHub compares all 50 states by reviewing three primary types of state tax burdensproperty taxes, individual income taxes, and sales and excise taxesas a share of total personal income in the state to determine which states have the biggest tax burdens. The U.S. state with the worst overall tax burden is New York, with a rating of 12.47 percent, followed by Hawaii (12.31 percent), Maine (11.14 percent), Vermont (10.28 percent), and Connecticut (9.83 percent). When it came to property taxes as a percentage of personal income, Maine scored the highest, while Alabama scored the lowest. Regarding the amount of individual income tax as percentage of personal income, New York was at the top, while Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming all tied at the bottom. New York also ranked near the top in two of the three categories, with the highest individual income tax burden of any state at 4.72 percent and the fifth-highest property tax burden at 4.36 percent. Residents in Hawaii saw the largest amount paid on sales and excise taxes as a percentage of personal income, while New Hampshire saw the least. Hawaiians paid six time the amount in retail taxes than shoppers in New Hampshire. Blue State Companies and Residents Are Migrating to Low-Tax Red States In addition to the financial burden on individuals and families that state taxes present, higher taxes can also have an inhibiting effect on economic growth. The less state tax burden will drive the state economy, Joseph Krupka, the accounting program coordinator at Florida State University, Panama City, told WalletHub. Florida, for example, has financially benefited from businesses and residents from high-tax states, like New York, who have fled to the Sunshine State. Corporations seek state tax incentives when developing long-term strategies for where to locate new facilities such as plants and offices. Reduced corporation and real estate tax burdens along with a favorable personal income tax for their employees are the two keys, said Krupka. The exodus from high tax-burden states have left a negative impact on their economic growth since the pandemic, which are beginning to outweigh many of the public investments existing in those states. Reports of Incapacitated Airline Pilots Stoke Concerns, Calls for Investigations A United Airlines Boeing 737 takes off from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in Los Angeles on June 16, 2022. (Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images) Considering that airline pilots are a very healthy segment of the population, its disturbing to see a recent cluster of pilots becoming incapacitated, according to Josh Yoder, president of U.S. Freedom Flyers, an aviation advocacy group. During the past month, seven airline pilots have suffered sudden medical problems, according to U.S. Freedom Flyers and Dr. William Makis, a Canadian doctor who has been documenting the trend worldwide. Two of the incidents happened in the United States; both flights had to be diverted so the pilots could receive medical care. The other five incidents occurred in other countries. The latest incident, on March 25 in Romania, involved a pilot who is just 30 years old, Makis said, citing a news report. Based on private conversations with other pilots, Yoder and Makis said that they believe that many more medical emergencies are likely escaping public notice. Josh Yoder, president of U.S. Freedom Flyers. (Josh Yoder) Ive been doing speaking events about COVID-19 vaccine injuries, and Ive had pilots meet with me directly after the events, and they relayed to me stories about close calls and cardiac incidents that never make it into the news, Makis told The Epoch Times. Although the COVID-19 vaccination status of the seven pilots in the March incidents was unknown, Makis and Yoder are both concerned about the implications for aviation safety. Sudden medical crises have occasionally struck pilots over the years. But its never happened with the frequency that weve seen over the past year and a half, said Yoder, 37, a pilot for 14 years, told The Epoch Times. Pilots must comply with strict medical standards and undergo regular tests to ensure they are healthy enough to fly safely. Yet many pilots complied with jab-or-job ultimatums and got the COVID-19 shots, Yoder said, increasing concerns that side effects from the shots could be manifesting in these recent incidents. But that possibility is politically charged; investigators seem reluctant to delve into it, Yoder and Makis agreed. Yoder said medical privacy considerations further enshroud these incidents. He said information is kept under wraps unless the pilots themselves or their families are willing to speak out, which they usually arent. Airlines Confirm 2 US Incidents Few details have emerged about the two recent incidents involving U.S. pilots. In an email to The Epoch Times, Southwest Airlines said the term incapacitated may not be accurate in describing the March 22 incident involving one of its pilots. However, that word was repeatedly used during air-traffic control radio transmissions about the incident, which The Epoch Times obtained from LiveATC.net. Southwest Flight 6013 was heading to Columbus, Ohio, from Las Vegas and had to return to the Las Vegas airport when one of [the] pilots needed medical attention, the airline stated. A person speaking on the LiveATC.net recording says that the captain of that flight, a 47-year-old male, initially complained he was suffering stomach pain. About five minutes later, the pilot fainted, or became incapacitated of some sort, then regained consciousness about a minute later, the reporting person says. An airplane in flight at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Aug. 10, 2015. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo) Sometimes, stomach discomfort is referred pain from another area of the body, Makis said, noting its hard to tell what happened to the Southwest pilot without additional information. When the Southwest pilot fell ill, a credentialed pilot from another airline happened to be on board, Southwest said. That pilot entered the flight deck and assisted with radio communication while [the] Southwest pilot flew the aircraft, the airline stated. We greatly appreciate their support and assistance. As the plane was preparing to land, a person on the recording said the Southwest pilot who took ill was in the back of the aircraft with a flight attendant and needed to get on an ambulance immediately. After the plane landed safely in Las Vegas, another crew was assigned to fly the aircraft to its destination. We commend the crew for their professionalism and appreciate our customers patience and understanding regarding the situation, Southwest said. Southwest Airlines declined to answer further questions about the pilots condition. The other recent known incident in the United States involved a United Airlines flight on March 11. In an email to The Epoch Times, the airline stated: United flight 2007 from Guatemala City to Chicago landed safely in Houston at 5:39 p.m. to address a medical situation. New crew members were assigned, and the flight subsequently departed Houston for Chicago at 8:00 p.m. (local time). The Epoch Times provided United Airlines with a link to a report from an independent media outlet, CDM.Press. The airline didnt dispute the report, which asserted that an internal United Airlines document showed that the left-seat captain suffered chest pains, and the right-seat pilot took over flying the aircraft. Yoder said he spoke with sources close to the incident who confirmed a pilot was removed from the flight after experiencing significant cardiac symptoms. Further Investigation Urged Regardless of whether the COVID-19 shots played any role in these cases or other recent incidents, Yoder faults the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for failing to investigate. When asked to comment on such cases, the FAA has repeatedly stated that it has seen no credible evidence of aircraft accidents or incapacitations caused by pilots suffering medical complications associated with COVID-19 vaccines. Yoder acknowledged that its difficult to prove whether sudden health issues are related to aftereffects of the COVID-19 shots. But this isnt just about the vaccine, he said. Were seeing a safety signal, and that safety signal is not being adequately addressed. While people will say thats anecdotal information, it needs further investigation. He and U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) have accused the FAA of turning a blind eye to the possibility that COVID-19 shots adversely affect the health of some pilots. In a March 15 Twitter post, Yoder shared an image of an FAA document sent to a pilot. The letter reminded the pilot that he was required to report any change in his health because of his history of possible vaccine-induced myocarditis, which is heart inflammation. Despite such situations, Yoder is troubled that the FAA continues to allow COVID-19 injections for pilots. Additional Concerns Every day, about 45,000 flights traverse the United States skies, according to the FAA. Fourteen years have passed with no fatal commercial airline crashes, so no one is saying that the skies are unsafe. But recent computer failures, near-collisions, and the apparent increase in pilot incapacitations are all concerns that need to be addressed, Yoder said. Makis cited three additional factors that have heightened his concerns. Some people in aviation circles have been pressing to allow airlines to switch to single-pilot operations instead of requiring two pilots in the cockpit. If that happens, an incapacitated pilot would have no backup. In addition, Makis is aware of some pilots who have been allowed to undergo virtual health examinations instead of in-person screenings. He wonders whether key health indicators could be missed during the online visits. A doctor with Anne Arundel County Fire Department reads an electrocardiogram result in Glen Burnie, Md., on October 28, 2020. (Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images) And in the United States, Makis notes, the FAA recently widened the acceptable range of a heart test for pilots. This raises concerns that pilots will now be cleared to fly when they formerly would have been referred for additional health tests. Makis isnt a pilot and has no special knowledge of aviation. But he blogs about patterns he sees in health; thats why reports of pilot incapacitation caught his attention. Hes working with others to gather data about emergencies in the air. Makis describes himself as an independent physician who is concerned about whats going on. Regardless of whether the COVID-19 shots have anything to do with these pilot incidents, I think that there should absolutely be, you know, proper scientific medical investigation of this phenomenon, Makis said. Im seeing a definite increase in the frequency of these incidents, and we need to get to the bottom of it. Rising Bank Impersonation Scams Pose New Threat for Australians A teenage child looks at the screen of a mobile phone in London, on Jan. 17, 2023. (Leon Neal/Getty Images) Authorities have warned Australians to take precautions against fake text messages pretending to be from banks as more victims report losing their life savings due to sophisticated scams. According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commissions (ACCC) Scamwatch, there were 14,603 reports of bank impersonation in 2022, resulting in a loss of $20 million (US$13.34 million). If counting all the losses caused by phone and text scams, the figure soars to over $169 million, a significant increase compared to the $111 million loss in 2021. However, the real loss was likely to be many times higher, with Scamwatch pointing out that only a small portion of scam victims report to the agency. The ACCC said criminals were employing new technology to make their calls appear to come from a banks legitimate phone number or make their text messages look similar to genuine conversation threads used by banks to deceive Australian consumers. We are incredibly concerned about bank impersonation scams because they can be so convincing, they are very hard to detect, ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe said. Lowe explained that the recent mass data breaches in Australia had caused many people to respond to these fake calls and text messages out of fear that their private information had been exposed, thus falling victim to the scams. Whats equally worrying about this particular scam is that it is emptying every last cent out of victims savings accounts. This causes both financial and emotional devastation, she said. Devastating Losses Suffered by Victims The deputy chair said the average loss from those scams was around $22,000, with 90 cases ranging from $40,000 to $800,000. In one report, scammers robbed a man of $500,000 after they pretended to be a major banks security department staff and deceived him about an unauthorised payment. In another case, a man lost $38,000 after receiving a scam text message about a suspicious transaction. The scam text appeared in the same conversation thread as legitimate messages from his bank, Lowe said. He called the number in the text and was put through to a member of the banks fraud team. Unfortunately, it was an elaborate scam, and he lost everything. This photo shows a scam message impersonating the National Australia Bank in Melbourne, Australia, on March 11, 2023. (The Epoch Times) The ACCC also warned that scammers could impersonate the big four banks and other financial institutions. In addition, their text messages and calls have content with a sense of urgency that prompt the victims to take action, such as detecting suspicious activity or a bank account getting frozen. It is critical to remember that no matter how legitimate the call or message seems, a bank wont ask you to urgently transfer funds, Lowe said. If you receive an SMS with a telephone number to call, do not use it. Likewise, hang up if you receive a call from someone claiming to be from your bank requesting you to transfer money to keep it safe. The ACCC also advised people never to provide online banking passwords, one-time security codes, pins or tokens to anyone over the phone and contact their financial institutions immediately if they think they have been scammed. Australia Government Outlines Policy for Tackling Scams and Online Fraud During the Australian Financial Review Banking summit on March 28, Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones revealed the governments strategies for tackling rising scams in the country. Specifically, the plan targets four main areas of work across government departments: limiting the information flow at the source, rapidly identifying and responding to scams and frauds as they emerge, ensuring the safety of transactions, and rectifying damage when incidents occur. At the same time, the assistant treasurer said establishing a national anti-scam centre would be crucial to the governments goal of making scammers avoid Australia. Systemically, we want to make Australia the least favoured destination for international scammers and the hardest place in the world for domestic scammers to ply their trade, he said. The centre was introduced in November 2022 as the first step in the governments plan to combat scams and online fraud. The government has announced funding for the centre as part of a $12.6 million package and is in the process of setting it up. The ACCCs warnings come as Latitude Finance, a major financial services firm based in Melbourne, is struggling with the aftermath of a huge security breach that has compromised the personal data of 14 million Australian and New Zealand customers. The stolen data includes 7.9 million drivers licence numbers, 53,000 passport numbers and an additional 6.1 million records, including names, addresses, telephone numbers and dates of birth. Russias Security Service Arrests Wall Street Journal Reporter on Espionage Charges The headquarters (aka Lubianka) of the Federal Security Service (FSB), the former KGB in Moscow. (MAXIM MARMUR/AFP/Getty Images) Russias Federal Security Service (FSB) has detained a Wall Street Journal reporter, accusing him of espionage on behalf of the United States. The FSB, the top domestic security and counterintelligence agency that succeeded the Soviet-era KGB, said on March 29 that it had detained Evan Gershkovich, a Moscow-based correspondent, in the city of Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains, roughly 900 miles east of Moscow. Gershkovich, 31, is accredited to work as a journalist in Russia by the countrys foreign ministry, the FSB said. The security service said that it had thwarted the illegal activities of Evan Gershkovich, a US citizen born in 1991, a correspondent of the Moscow bureau of the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal, who is suspected of spying in the interests of the American government, in a statement translated by the state-run news agency TASS. It was established that Evan Gershkovich, acting at the request of the American side, collected information constituting a state secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex, the statement continues. The foreigner was detained in Yekaterinburg while attempting to obtain classified information. Officials didnt say exactly when Gershkovich was arrested. He faces up to 20 years behind bars if convicted of espionage. Reporter Covers Russia, Ukraine According to The Wall Street Journals official website, Gershkovich is a reporter covering Russia, Ukraine, and the former Soviet Union. He was previously a reporter for Agence France-Presse and the Moscow Times and a news assistant at The New York Times. His most recent article was published on March 28 and co-bylined by fellow Wall Street Journal reporter Georgi Kantchev. It was titled Russias Economy Is Starting to Come Undone and detailed how Russias economy is reportedly entering a long-term regression. Local media reports that Gershkovich also was covering the Wagner mercenary group. Activist Yaroslav Shirshikov said in a post on Telegram on March 30 that he received an overnight phone call from a WSJ employee who had been unable to reach Gershkovich. [Gershkovich] was online yesterday at about 15:00 for the last time. He arranged to do an interview with me, Shirshikov was quoted by The Moscow Times as saying. He added that Gershkovich may have been detained on March 29, when security officers reportedly entered a local restaurant and took an unknown man with a sweater over his head into a minibus, according to the Moscow Times. Al Jazeera reports that Gershkovich speaks Russian. According to the publication, the journalists parents live in the United States but are originally from the Soviet Union. Tensions Over Nuclear Treaty Gershkovich is the first reporter for a U.S. news outlet to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since the Cold War. The Wall Street Journal is deeply concerned for the safety of Mr. Gershkovich, the Journal said in a statement. Gershkovichs arrest comes amid heightened tensions between Moscow and Washington over President Vladimir Putins ongoing invasion of neighboring Ukraine. On March 29, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Russian news agencies that Moscow will no longer give the Biden administration advance notice about its missile tests under the New START treaty, after suspending its participation in the treaty last month. There will be no notifications at all, Ryabkov said in remarks reported by Russian news agencies. All notifications, all kinds of notifications, all activities within the framework of the treaty will be suspended and will not be conducted regardless of what position the U.S. may take. In response, State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters that the United States will no longer continue providing biannual nuclear weapons data to Russia. Because of Russias noncompliance with these obligations under the treaty, the United States will not provide its biannual data exchange to Russia either, in order to encourage Russia to return to compliance with the treaty. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Scottish MP Faces 30-day Suspension Over Deliberate COVID-19 Rule Breach Scottish National Party (SNP) MP Margaret Ferrier speaks in the House of Commons, London, on Oct. 28, 2020. (Parliament TV) Scottish MP Margaret Ferrier should be suspended from Parliament for 30 days for breaking COVID-19 rules, the House of Commons standards watchdog said on Thursday. The Committee on Standards found that the 62-year-old MP has acted selfishly in her personal interest and in defiance of the public interest and caused significant damage to the reputation of Parliament by failing to isolate after contracting COVID-19 in 2020. The Rutherglen and Hamilton West MP has previously been sentenced to 270 hours of community service for the breach. If MPs approve her suspension, it may trigger a by-election for her seat. On Sept. 26, 2020, Ferrier, then a Scottish National Party (SNP) MP, took a COVID-19 test after having developed symptoms. Guidance at the time said those who developed COVID-19-like symptoms or tested positive for the disease should self-isolate for 10 days, but Ferrier went to a church the next day and went out for lunch with a family member. Ferriers prosecutor previously alleged that she had also visited a beauty salon and a gift shop after booking the tests. On Sept. 28, 2020, which was a Monday, Ferrier took a taxi and a train to London, spoke in the House of Commons about COVID-19 financial support for furloughed workers, and ate in the Members Tearoom, despite the parliamentary guidance that said MPs who had COVID-19 symptoms or were waiting for test results should stay away from the House. After receiving a positive test result that evening, Ferrier told the SNPs chief whip that she would be returning to Scotland the next day because a family member was unwell. Ferrier took a train back to Scotland on the morning of Sept. 29, 2020. She ignored four calls from the NHS Scotland Test and Protect team during the journey and answered a call upon arriving home. According to the Committee on Standards, Ferrier told Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Daniel Greenberg that she didnt think the train was a suitable and secure environment to be answering a series of sensitive, confidential questions. On Sept. 30, she contacted the parliamentary test and trace team and the SNP chief whip about her positive test. Ferrier didnt give the chief whip a timeline of events until he asked for it on the next day when a senior member of the SNP leadership team asked her to report herself to Police Scotland. She also referred herself to the Committee on Standards on Oct. 1, 2020, and issued a public apology. Shock and Anxiety Her party whip has since been withdrawn. Former SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has pressured Ferrier to resign as an MP, but she has resisted the pressure and is sitting as an independent. In her written evidence submitted to the committee, Ferrier said she accepted that she had caused significant damage to the reputation of the House, but denied having put her own interests above that of the public. My decision to make the journey home once I had discovered I had tested positive for COVID-19 was made whilst in a state of shock and anxiety, even panic, she wrote. I did not at any time believe that I was acting in my own self-interest but believed I was taking the safest step in the unfortunate set of circumstances that I had myself created when I made the decision to travel to London, a poor decision which I now bitterly regret, she wrote. But the committee concluded that she should have realised that there was a conflict between her personal interest and the public interest. Recommending Ferriers suspension, the commissioner said her rule-breaching was not a single misjudgment, but a series of deliberate actions over several days. Greenberg also said Ferriers actions have demonstrated, in particular, a lack of honesty, one of the Seven Principles of Public Life. Reckless Ferrier now faces losing her seat in a by-election if the proposed suspension is backed by MPs, as anything longer than a 10-sitting day punishment can trigger a recall petition. If 10 percent of her constituents back it, a by-election will be called. The minutes of the Ferrier decision show Tory MPs Alberto Costa, Sir Bernard Jenkin, Sir Charles Walker, and SNP MP Allan Dorans tried to reduce her recommended sentence to 9 sitting days. All four men also sit on the cross-party Privileges Committee, which is considering whether former Prime Minister Boris Johnson committed contempt of Parliament by misleading MPs about rule-breaching parties during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Labours shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray said there should be a by-election in the seat. Margaret Ferriers reckless actions put people at risk and rode roughshod over the rules everyone else followed, he said. It is right that Parliament has thrown the book at her for this unacceptable behaviour. There are still serious questions for the SNP to answer on what they knew and what they did at the time. Ferrier should do the right thing and stand down as an MP. Even Nicola Sturgeon called for her to resignnow (Scottish First Minister) Humza Yousaf must do the same. If Margaret Ferrier doesnt resign, the people of Rutherglen and Hamilton West can exercise their right to boot her from office. Her constituents deserve better and that means a by-election, he said. PA Media contributed to this report. Sen. Hawleys Efforts to Fast-Track TikTok Ban Blocked by Sen. Paul Efforts from Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) to ban Chinese-owned TikTok on U.S. soil suffered a setback on March 29 when fellow Republican Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.) opposed the move, arguing the ban would limit free speech. On the Senate floor, Paul objected to Hawleys request for unanimous consent to fast-track his No TikTok on United States Devices Act to ban the viral app in the United States over national security concerns, telling his fellow colleagues he sees the ban as a First Amendment issue. Before banning TikTok, these censors might want to discover that Chinas government already bans TikTok. Hmmm do we really want to emulate Chinas speech bans? he said. While TikTok does not operate in China, Douyin, the apps heavily-censored sister platform run by TikToks Chinese parent company ByteDance, is allowed to operate in the country. Have faith that our Americans are smart enough to hear bad ideas and reject those ideas, have faith that our desire for freedom is strong enough to survive a few dance videos. The Chinese-owned platform, used by some 150 million Americans, has drawn alarm from experts and a growing number of lawmakers over its data security practices and link to the Chinese Communist Party. Responding to Paul, Hawley said that the First Amendment doesnt contain the right to espionage. Im astounded to learn that Americans have the right to be spied upon, he said in a speech. So not only does China apparently get the right to spy in the First Amendment, Americans have the inalienable right to be spied upon and have all of their data taken from them. Thats not democracy. Thats an abuse of our laws, the abuse of our economy, the abuse of our people by a foreign government for its purposes, he said, suggesting that TikTok has been showering money to lobby politicians. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) speaks during a Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight on Capitol Hill in Washington on Aug. 3, 2022. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Make no mistake, its Americans who are being bought and sold here by TikTok. They are being sold to the Chinese Communist Party for influence and money. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who has been calling for a ban on the app since 2019, said that TikToks addictiveness lies in its algorithm owned by ByteDance. I dont care who owns ByteDance. I dont care if its owned 100 percent by Americans. ByteDance operates out of China. And this is what we need to understand, he said on the Senate floor. There are no such things as private companies in China. They do not exist under Chinese law. If the Communist Party goes to ByteDance and says, We want you to use that algorithm to push these videos on Americans to convince them of whatever, they have to do it. They dont have an option. He noted that the Chinese authorities have come out to publicly object to a forced TikTok sale, a move that he said reveals its control over the company. How can the Chinese government block the sale of a company they dont control? How can the Chinese company block the sale of a company thats not theirs? he said. The answer is, because under Chinese law, ByteDance cannot do anything that theyre not allowed to do. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) on Capitol Hill in Washington on Feb. 23, 2021. (Drew Angerer/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) Beijing made its position clear on TikTok the same day lawmakers grilled the apps CEO Shou Zi Chew over TikToks data handling policies and ties with the Chinese regime. During the hearing, Chew, a former senior executive at ByteDance, repeatedly sidestepped questions about whether the platform is beholden to the Chinese Communist Party and sought to play down ByteDances link to China. He also carefully avoided making any criticism of the regime, refusing to say whether Beijing has persecuted Uyghurs. The truth of the matter is this: theres this powerful amount of data, a powerful algorithm, entirely controlled at any time they want by the Chinese government operating in our country. And there is no other way to handle this. Not the sale of the company, not the storage of the data, Rubio said. If there was a lesser way to deal with this, I would be for it. But there isnt. A few Democrat lawmakers, such as Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Seth Moulton, both of Massachusetts, expressed similar views to Paul, saying that they want to see a broad policy to address the issuenot just targeting TikTok but other Big Tech firms as well. But Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said he is all for banning Tiktok although not the measure proposed by Hawley. The one that makes all the sense in the world is a bipartisan one, he said, pointing to a legislation recently introduced by Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) that would increase the Commerce Departments power to take action against tech companies from six adversarial foreign nations. It does the job and itll pass the test of the courts, he told NTD, a sister outlet of The Epoch Times. NTDs Melina Wisecup contributed to this report. Sen. Lankford Introduces Bill to Stop China From Buying US Farmland Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) introduced the bipartisan Charity Act to enhance donors' tax deduction on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 1, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times) U.S. Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to increase oversight and transparency of agricultural land purchases in the United States that threaten national security. The bill, dubbed the Security and Oversight of International Landholdings (SOIL) Act, introduced on Wednesday, would close a gap in federal law on foreign entities ability to purchase agricultural land, Lankford told his colleagues in the Senate. (pdf) The proposed legislation would deter criminal investments in U.S. agriculture by requiring the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to review land purchases by certain foreign entities, banning federal assistance for such land purchases, and broadening disclosure agreements on land purchases by foreign entities, according to a press release on Thursday. Our state overwhelmingly rejected legalizing recreational marijuana earlier this month because we have seen firsthand how foreign criminal organizations exploit vulnerabilities in our law to destroy our families and communities for their profit, Lankford said in a statement. Every region of Oklahoma is concerned about foreign nationals buying up farmland. Our loose oversight has allowed transnational criminal organizations to partner with Chinese nationals to buy land and businesses throughout Oklahoma. This is a national security issue and a human rights issue. We need to know who is buying our land, how they are using it and if any criminal activity is occurring. The SOIL Act was first introduced in 2022. Sens. Jim Risch (R-Ind.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) are co-sponsors of the proposed legislation. According to Lankford, more than a million acres of Oklahoma farmland are owned by foreign entities, including China, and the land is used for farming illegal drugs. Just in the last year, China has doubled the number of acres that has in the United States, Lankford said on Wednesday during an appearance on Fox Businesss Mornings with Maria. Theyre buying up hundreds of thousands of acres across the country, and theyre moving in criminal operations into the country. Sounding the Alarms Similar warnings have been issued by GOP lawmakers across the country in recent months, but previous attempts to put stops in place have failed. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) said in February that Democrats squashed her proposal to ban Chinese acquisitions of U.S. land. China should not be allowed to purchase farmland next to military installations, Blackburn wrote in a tweet on Feb. 15 that drew nearly 2 million views. I introduced legislation banning just that. Can you guess who voted against it? All my Democrat colleagues. In Texas, state Sen. Lois Kolhorst (R) introduced Senate Bill 147 to ban citizens and entities from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea from buying real property in Texas. The bill drew backlash from those who feared the law would affect those who fled these regimes to live the American dream and seek a home in Texas. In March, a substitute version of the bill was introduced that made crystal clear that prohibitions do not apply to United States citizens and lawful permanent residents, including dual citizens, according to Kolkhorst. Senate Bill 147 includes an enforcement mechanism for removing prohibited entities ownership of real estate titles. The bill (pdf) was left pending in committee earlier this month. Late last year, Ross Kennedy, founder of Fortis Analysis, a U.S.-based logistics and supply chain advisory, warned of Chinas efforts to sabotage U.S. national security by buying up farmland nationwide. Theyre going to exploit every loophole every means with their arsenal of tactics and tricks and strategies, to undermine the national security of the United States, Kennedy said, The Epoch Times reported. Senate Votes to End COVID National Emergency, Sending Bill to Bidens Desk The U.S. Capitol in Washington on Dec. 23, 2022. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) The Senate passed a resolution, 68-23, on March 29 to end the COVID-19 national emergency sooner than scheduled. The measure, which was introduced by Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) and passed the House on Feb. 1, now heads to President Joe Biden, who is expected to sign it, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told Democrats, according to media reports. The White House planned to end both the COVID national emergencywhich then-President Donald Trump enacted on March 13, 2020on May 11. However, this bill will terminate the national emergency a month earlier than scheduled. The administration is also set to end the COVID public health emergencywhich Trumps Department of Health and Human Services enacted on Jan. 31, 2020on May 11. A separate measure to end that, called the Pandemic is Over Act, passed the House on Jan. 31. The Senate has yet to take it up. Bidens reported about-face on the resolution comes after the White House initially objected to the GOP-led resolution. At present, the Administrations plan is to extend the emergency declarations to May 11, and then end both emergencies on that date. This wind-down would align with the Administrations previous commitments to give at least 60 days notice prior to termination of the PHE, said the Office of Management and Budget in a Jan. 30 statement. To be clear, continuation of these emergency declarations until May 11 does not impose any restriction at all on individual conduct with regard to COVID-19, continued OMB. They do not impose mask mandates or vaccine mandates. They do not restrict school or business operations. They do not require the use of any medicines or tests in response to cases of COVID-19. OMB expressed alarm that ending the COVID emergency earlier than scheduled could have an adverse effect on the U.S. healthcare system and tens of millions of Americans. Nonetheless, ahead of the vote, Senate Democrats told Axios that they planned to vote for the resolution to end the national emergency. Were going to be voting to end the COVID emergency, Sen. Jackie Rosen (D-Nev.) said. However, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) told Axios he would vote against the resolution. They have given us a plan, he said. When you say to the world and everybody, Okay, this is going to end May 11, and heres why, then people are taking reasonable steps to do what they can before May 11. Read More Oakland Landlord Goes on Hunger Strike to Protest COVID Eviction Moratorium The senator remarked there is not so much difference between now and May 11 that I think we need to shortcut that. In fact, its going to help people. They got some advanced notice and theyve been planning around May 11 as the date. Should America Divorce? Commentary With the Civil War, the United States was split by region, north and south. Today, its worsethe country is divided not just politically, but also by class, race, and sex. Left and right, blue and red, have different values and thus dream differently for themselves and their families and hold competing ideals for the country they share. It hardly comes as a surprise then that so many are asking whether we should part ways before the divide gets even worse. We are very much a divided country, F.H. Buckley, author of American Secession: The Looming Threat of a National Breakup, said. We dont agree about basic things. In the past, I think we all agreed about ends, about what we wanted of America, and we disagreed about how to get there. But now we disagree about ends; we disagree about the basic nobility of the American Revolution, about the founders of a country, about a lot of basic beliefs that formerly all were held in common, the idea that marriage is a good thing, and so on. And so, unsurprisingly, thats led to people saying, Do we really belong together in one country? Buckley is a foundation professor at George Mason Universitys Scalia School of law, and I spoke with him in a recent episode of Over the Target. He said he doesnt necessarily support secession but also said: There is nothing per se wrong or objectionable about the idea of secession. If you think secession is always and everywhere a bad thing, then I guess what youre saying is that the American Revolution was a bad thing. Usually, however, the secession debate leads back not to the declaration of independence from the British crown, but rather to the southern states departure from the union a little less than a century later. The crisis came to a head under the presidency of James Buchanan, usually reckoned for some reasons as the worst American president, or one of the worst, Buckley said. He said his book is partly an effort to rehabilitate Buchanan. Faced with South Carolinas decision to secede from the union, Buchanan believed it was a mistake and illegal but that finally there wasnt much he could do about it. As Buckley characterized the thinking of the 15th U.S. president: What am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to call up the troops and invade you? I dont think I should do that. Im not even sure if Congress has the right to do that. But Abraham Lincoln didnt have those kinds of misgivings. What Lincoln objected to, according to Buckley, was not slavery, but disunion. He said: Slavery as a cause came along later, after Antietam. But it wasnt there in the spring of 1861. Lincoln himself said, I have no desire to interfere with slavery. And moreover, he said, I would approve a constitutional amendment which guarantees the right of slavery in the states forever. Lincolns decision to invade the south was based on a very wrongheaded view of the Constitution, Buckley said. But I also think his decision was retroactively ratified by events, by the way in which the war turned out to be the cause for the abolition of slavery. According to Buckley, one big question today is whether secession would lead to another civil war. Would the president be more like Lincoln or more like Buchanan? Buckley believes that if secession were on the table, it would be done not by the assertion of unilateral right of independence, but as a prelude to a set of negotiations over the division of things, like the assets of federal government or the division of the national debt. Then I think that what wed end up with would be something like an Article V convention of the states, which is perfectly constitutional, he said. Buckley, who holds dual Canadian and U.S. citizenship, said his understanding of secession is drawn from the recent history of our northern neighbors. I lived through a secession crisis in Quebec, where the separatists came within one percentage point of winning, Buckley said. It didnt win, but the result was a series of discussions between the feds and the provinces about the allocation of powers. And in the end, the provinces ended up with more responsibility. One example would be the power of immigration. So right now, Canada admits immigrants, its a federal government, but Quebec has the right to veto immigrants who say they want to settle in Quebec. Immigration is one of the crucial issues driving red state voters into the national divorce camp. By throwing open the borders, the federal government has exposed communities to felons and trafficking cartels. Between staying in a potentially deadly relationship and divorce, the latter is the rational choice. And with issues such as election integrity, Second Amendment rights, school choice, and radical race and gender ideology taught in public schools, conservatives want to be liberated from the whims and self-serving dictates of Washington bureaucrats. Although state legislatures and governors are racking up wins on all these issues, its still an uphill battle. By virtue of the expansion of the federal government, particularly the spending power, many of the rules by which we live are really dictated by the feds, Buckley said. Most of the Founding Fathers understood that, as Buckleys book claims, bigger is worse and smaller is better. The framers thought that people are happier in small states, theyre better governed, Buckley said. Theres a closer connection between the representatives and the represented in small states; you can better reflect what people ordinarily want. Nonetheless, he said, one of the things that bothers even some proponents of national divorce is the idea that wed end up with walls between states. So if California seceded, thered be this enormous wall between it and Nevada or Oregon. But thats not what would happen, he said. Wed like to keep free trade between the states. Wed like to keep free movement of goods and people. We wouldnt want to have a passport to go to Oklahoma. According to Buckley, wed likely come up with something similar to what the Quebec government sought: sovereignty association. What that would mean is that Quebec would be sovereign with respect to some things and would share responsibility with the feds as to other things, he said. In other words, it would be modeled after the U.S. Constitution, or rather how Americans thought about our constitution for at least 150 years. And thats where Buckley said the discussion over secession ought to leadto a reconsideration of what federalism meant, and a return to something close to what the Founders, in fact wanted, which is a kind of divided sovereignty. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Smith Responds to Latest Media Leak of Call With Pastor Arrested on COVID Violations EDMONTONAlberta Premier Danielle Smith has responded to a leaked telephone conversation she had with Calgary pastor Artur Pawlowski in January 2022, reiterating that she has never spoken to anyone with the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service. Smith issued a news release before the recording was made public, stating, Later today, in an effort to continue their campaign of defamatory attacks against me and my office staff, the CBC intends to release an article about a conversation I had with an individual named Artur Pawlowski. Pawlowski faced multiple charges during COVID lockdowns, and has a charge outstanding for criminal mischief in relation to a speech he gave at the Coutts border protest in January 2022. The premiers statement said she previously mentioned, during a live press conference on Feb. 9, that she had in the past had a conversation with Pawlowski. She told the news conference the pastor had expressed his frustration to me with pandemic-related public health orders. Smith said on March 29 that the conversation was no surprise, as she spent time before and during her leadership campaign talking to hundreds of Albertans about COVID public health orders and violations. At issue is whether the premier talked to prosecutors about COVID violation cases, and whether that amounts to interfere with prosecution proceedings. At no time have I spoken with the anyone from the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service, nor to my knowledge have any of my offices staff, she said. During Smiths conversation with Pawlowski, he asks the premier about her campaign promise of seeking to drop COVID violation charges. Smith says that she has since learned that unlike the United States, premiers dont have the power of clemency. Once the process is under way, I can ask our prosecutors, Is there a reasonable likelihood of conviction and if it is in the public interest? And I assure you, I have asked them that almost weekly ever since I got started here, Smith said. The premier had stated previously that she misspoke in saying she spoke with prosecutors about COVID cases, clarifying that she was referring to the attorney general and justice minister, and deputy minister of justice. While my language may have been imprecise in these instances, I was referring to the process and discussions above and the advice I received from the attorney general and the deputy attorney general, Smith said in a Jan. 13 statement. The premier also reiterated she regularly talked to the Ministry of Justice, and was advised amnesty could not be pursued because several matters were already before the courts. Recording In the recording, Pawlowski can be heard telling the premier he is on house arrest, facing a more than 10-year imprisonment for his speech. He said, I thank you so much for taking this time and listening to what is happening. Smith said that while she was sympathetic, once a court case is underway prosecutors have to be independent, and that she can only ask two questionsif there is a reasonable likelihood of conviction, and if the charges are in the public interest. Smith said that she had discovered the Canadian justice system is not like the U.S. system, where a U.S. president or governor has the power of clemency. She said, I didnt understand the limitations. I thought wed probably have the same power of clemency as the U.S. Pawlowski accused Tyler Shandro, the minister of justice, of playing a game here trying to cause us more harm and more grief and suggested the crown prosecutor is following his directions. He said his lawyers were dumped with over a thousand pages of documents and hundreds of hours of testimony. Smith responded, Let me check on that because I dont think it would be from the minister. She said once the ball is rollingthe case is in courtcrown prosecutors are very independent. So I dont think this is being driven by the minister, said Smith. But I have also raised it with the deputy minister and let him know my dissatisfaction with the tactics. So can you just leave this with me and I will make that request one more time. The premier said she relied on her principal policy adviser, lawyer Rob Anderson, to work with the justice department, and she wanted to consult him on any legal matters. Smith said that she had just been told about a large case where it was abandoned one day before trial. Im watching to see evidence that theyre going to come to the judgment that many of these cases are unwinnable and not in the public interest. She stated it was frustrating to be dealing with a bunch of charges while everyone had moved on from COVID. The thing I find very frustrating is that they were opposed to the political decision that initiated this. But it cant be a political decision to end it, Smith told Pawlowski. The premier noted that a number of cases had been abandoned at the last minute, but that there was not a mechanism for me to order them to drop cases. Thats just the way our legal system works, Im afraid, she said. In January, the CBC alleged staff in the premiers office sent emails to the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service to try and get them to drop cases. However, CBC later said it had not personally viewed the emails. A subsequent investigation was carried out, which found no such emails in government records. NDP Leader Rachel Notley, running for premier in the upcoming May election, said on social media on March 29, I am shocked at the lack of judgment demonstrated by Danielle Smith in engaging directly with a criminal case before the courts. The video shown today is clear evidence of a Premier inappropriately interfering with the system of justice. JERUSALEM, March 30 (Xinhua) -- An international team of astronomers found the second-closest known black hole to Earth, the European Space Agency (ESA) and Israel's Tel Aviv University (TAU) said in separate statements on Thursday. The newly discovered black hole "Gaia BH2" is located about 3,800 light-years from Earth and about ten times more massive than the Sun. The closest known black hole Gaia BH1, which was also discovered recently, is about 1,560 light-years from Earth. The team, which included researchers from the United States, Israel, Germany, and Denmark, studied the orbits of stars tracked by ESA's Gaia space telescope, which was launched into space in 2013. The team noticed that some of the stars wobbled in the sky, indicating that they are gravitationally influenced by massive objects. Several telescopes looked for the objects, but no light could be found, which left only the possibility of a black hole. A black hole is a celestial object with such a strong gravitational field that no object or radiation close to it can escape but be swallowed into it. The ESA noted that until recently, all the black holes astronomers knew of were discovered by emission of light produced by materials falling in. The new black holes, on the other hand, are truly black and could only be detected by their gravitational effects on their companion stars, said the ESA. Suspect in Fatal Stabbing of Quebec Police Officer Was on Parole Deemed threat to public safety five times by mental health review board The man who allegedly fatally stabbed a Quebec police officer was on probation and had a history of mental health issues. Isaac Brouillard Lessard, age 35, had been previously accused of crimes on at least five instances and was later found not criminally responsible, due to reasons of mental illness. Brouillard Lessard fatally stabbed Maureen Breau, a sergeant with Surete du Quebec and mother of two. The man also wounded her partner on March 17, while the officers were arresting him at his home in Louiseville, Quebec, on accusations of uttering threats. He was killed by police officers who arrived as backup on the scene. He was scheduled to appear in May before Quebecs mental health board, Commission dexamen des troubles mentaux du Quebec, according to the lawyer who represented him at the last hearing in 2022. Yanick Peloquin was the alleged killers legal counsel when the review board ruled, in March 2022, that Brouillard Lessard posed a significant risk to public safety. The board made the same determination each of the five times the man was reviewed by the board, but decided that the risk could be controlled if the man was under appropriate monitoring. Brouillard Lessards history with the mental health board began in 2014, which is when he was found not criminally responsible following accusations he harassed and threatened relatives. Not Criminally Responsible Brouillard Lessard was found not criminally responsible by the mental health review board a total of five times, for charges including assault, assault with a weapon, and uttering threats against a doctor and other health workers. Despite being institutionalized in hospital from 2018 to 2019 and then detained at a residential centre, the mental health board allowed him to be released in November 2020 if he remained under proper supervision. The review board said at the time, The accused continues to represent, due to his mental state, a significant risk to public safety. The board decided again in 2022 to allow him to be free, despite the fact that he had schizoaffective disorder, a condition that presents symptoms like hallucinations or delusions. The review noted the man was in remission from amphetamine use disorder and partial remission from cannabis use disorder. At the 2022 hearing, the mental health board stated, Over the long term, the accused has a long history of psychotic illness which resulted in delusions that remained present for long periods and a history of violent acts in psychosis involving even members of the treatment team and the defendants psychiatrist. The board noted that the man would not admit to having any mental illness and displayed a blatant lack of self-criticism. Even with the statement that he was not likely to obtain treatment without supervision, he was still released from care. At the time the Quebec police officer was killed, Brouillard Lessard was under probation after entering a guilty plea to a 2021 assault. He was sentenced to 200 years of community service and two years of probation, and given a conditional discharge for the crime in April 2022. Police have said the sergeant was stabbed while Brouillard Lessard was being read his rights. The officer killed was scheduled for a promotion in four days, and her husband was also a serving police officer with Surete du Quebec, the provincial police force, which has jurisdiction over all of Quebec. Repeat Offenders A spate of recent violent attacks have been at the hands of suspects who are either out on bail or on parole. Rookie Ontario Provincial Police Constable Grzegorz Pierzchala was shot and killed on Dec. 27, 2022, while responding to a routine call about a vehicle in a ditch near Hagersville, Ontario. Randall McKenzie, the suspect charged with first-degree murder in the death of the constable, is a repeat, violent offender convicted of violent weapons-related offenses, according to police. McKenzie was on bail while awaiting trial for additional violent weapons-related charges, including assaulting three victims, one of which was a peace officer. He had a warrant out for his arrest at the time of Pierzchalas murder and was being pursued by two different police jurisdictions. In September 2022 in Saskatchewan, two men stabbed and killed 11 people, injuring 18 more, in the James Smith Cree Nation and the town of Weldon, Saskatchewan. One of the two suspects, Myles Sanderson, who later died possibly due to self-inflicted stab wounds, was on parole after being jailed almost five years for assault, robbery, mischief, and uttering threats. Police had been looking for him since May 2022, when he violated parole by not showing up to a meeting with his parole officer. On March 29, the federal Conservatives introduced a bill to reform the Canadian Criminal Code and create new offences for criminals who violate parole conditions. Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre referenced a number of violent crimes that have recently been reported across the country, many of which he said were perpetrated by repeat offenders out on bail or parole. Poilievre said the increase in violent crime is the direct result of Justin Trudeau and the NDP allowing repeat violent offenders onto the street again. Its time to bring some common sense back to our justice system, he said, adding, Weve already proposed an end to the catch-and-release bail system, and today we propose an end to the catch-and-release parole system. The Canadian Press and Peter Wilson contributed to this report. Swarming Attack on Coastal GasLink Pipeline Worker, Protesters Suspected: RCMP The terminus for the Coastal GasLink natural gas pipeline is seen at the LNG Canada export terminal under construction in Kitimat, B.C., on Sept. 28, 2022. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press) RCMP have reported a swarming attack on a worker at the Coastal GasLink site in Houston, B.C.the same site where about 20 armed attackers caused millions in damages last year amid pipeline protests. A Coastal GasLink (CGL) worker was allegedly swarmed by people wearing masks and camouflage on the Morice West Forest Service Road, Houston RCMP said in a March 29 release. The worker fled, uninjured. The group allegedly fired flares, entered the workers vehicle, and stole a chainsaw. These persons allegedly poured liquid onto the vehicle, RCMP said, but did not give further details. The incident happened on March 26, and police issued a search warrant on March 29 for two locations: the Lamprey Provincial campground and a campsite along the Morice West road. At the latter location, RCMP arrested five people for obstruction of a peace officer. Four refused to cooperate, and one tried to stop police from searching, the RCMP said. The RCMP fully supports peaceful, safe and lawful protest. Criminal acts by persons under the guise of protesting, particularly the violence exhibited by the suspects in this instance, will not be tolerated, the RCMP said in a release. The investigation is ongoing. Past Protests, Attacks CGL is building a 670 km pipeline that cuts across Wetsuweten First Nation traditional territory in northwestern B.C. Twenty indigenous groups along the pipelines route have officially endorsed it, but some Wetsuweten hereditary chiefs and environmentalists oppose it. When protesters were arrested for blocking the project in 2020, support protests sprang up across the nation. Some protesters blocked railway lines and set fires under trains. Conservative MP Erin OToole at the time called it domestic terrorism. On Feb. 17, 2022, axe-wielding attackers ravaged the site, and police are still searching for those responsible. It was reported approximately 20 people, some armed with axes, were attacking security guards and smashing their vehicle windows. It was initially reported that some CGL employees were trapped, but all had managed to safely leave the area, the police said in a statement at the time. No one was hurt, but many were frightened. In a CGL news release from Feb. 22, 2022, a security employee identified only as Trevor said, This was not a peaceful interaction. This was violence. He continued, To have somebody come at you with an axe is, you know, a whole other level of fear. In December 2022, RCMP announced a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. The reward was being offered by the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association. The RCMP said it had conducted interviews and followed up on several leads, but were unable to positively identify the people responsible. Andrew Chen contributed to this report. Taiwans president is in the United States, as China threatens to retaliate. The islands president is not expected to meet with President Joe Biden, instead scheduled to see House Speaker Kevin McCarthy as the United States doesnt have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan. All this, while Taiwans former president makes a stop in China, saying to Communist Party officials: we are all Chinese. Topics in this episode: Texas Senators Hear Witness Testimonies on Forced Organ Harvesting in China Falun Gong practitioners walk in a parade highlighting the Chinese regime's persecution of their faith, in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Feb. 26, 2023. (Larry Dye/The Epoch Times) The Texas Senate Health and Human Services Committee on Wednesday heard from witnesses who favor proposed legislation that would prohibit health benefit plans from paying for vital organs originating in China, where forced organ harvesting occurs. Senate Bill 1040 is intended to combat the horrific practice of forced organ harvesting, said Republican state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, who authored the bill (pdf). In the United States, the organ donation system has high ethical standards. In Texas, we celebrate those who voluntarily give the gift of life through organ donation. Unfortunately, some countries do not respect life in a similar manner. An identical House version of the bill, authored by Republican State Rep. Tom Oliverson (pdf), has been referred to the Public Health Committee. Several guests shared their testimony about Chinas ruling communist party (CCP) forcibly taking organs from prisoners of conscience. Falun Gong Adherent Shares Her Experience Crystal Chen, a Falun Gong practitioner, takes part in a candlelight vigil in front of the Chinese Consulate in New York on July 20, 2016. (Benjamin Chasteen/Epoch Times) Crystal Chen of Houston told the committee that in 1999, when she was in her late 20s, the CCP began persecuting those who followed the spiritual discipline of Falun Gong. Chen, a Falun Gong adherent, was arrested and sentenced to more than four years of forced labor without trial for refusing to give up her spiritual beliefs that teach following the values of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. My mother, also a Falun Gong practitioner, was arrested and then tortured to death, Chen said. She described the physical and mental abuse she suffered at various detention centers in China. I was pinned to the concrete floor and force-fed an all-salt mixture that nearly killed me, Chen said. At another detention center, she said she was handcuffed to a radiator pipe and left there for three days, where a police chief groped her body. Chen said she and other Falun Gong believers were subjected to medical tests, including blood tests and EKGs (electrocardiograms). These tests were not done for our well-being because we were also severely tortured, she explained, adding that only followers of Falun Gong were tested. I learned that blood testing was [for] organ transplant matching. Had my blood type and type been a match for an organ recipient, I would not be able to be here today. Chen said this was how the CCP established its massive organ-matching database and can promise those with the financial means short waiting times for vital organ transplants. A large pool of Falun Gong practitioners could be killed on demand, which enables China to promise short waiting times, attracting a lot of organ tourism, Chen told the committee members. I shiver when I reflect on how I nearly became a victim. A Texas Doctors Story Dr. Howard P. Monsour, chief of Hepatology at Houston Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas, outside of Londons Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre where the 2014 Joint International Congress on Organ Transplants was held on June 4-7, 2014. (Coutesy of Minghui) Dr. Howard Monsour, previous medical director of the liver transplant program at the University of Texas Houston and former chief of hepatology at Methodist Hospital, also testified before the committee. Monsour said he first got involved with liver transplants in the 1980s when he ran the liver cancer program at Methodist Hospital. About eight years ago, I had a patient with liver cancer and presented to our program, Monsour said. He had been denied a transplant because his cancer was too large and his prognosis was too poor. The patient met with Monsour to ask his opinion on going to China for a liver transplant. He said, I have a doctoral student from China who told me if I give him $80,000, I can go to China and get a liver transplant, Monsour said. It was the first time I heard something like this, and I asked him to give me a little more information. Monsour said the patient told him that he could get a liver in China within weeks. The doctor said he had no idea at that time what was happening in China, but he discouraged the patient because of his advanced disease. In the United States, the wait list for a liver can be lengthy, and only those with the highest survival capabilities are added to the list. The patient was desperate and went to China for a liver. He ultimately died because his cancer was too advanced, according to Monsour. Later, Monsour learned that China was taking these prisoners and doing blood tests to find out what their matches are. The American Transplant Journal recently published an article looking at heart transplants and reviewed what was going on in China, he continued. They found there was no way these people were on ventilators and pronounced dead for their transplants, Monsour said. These doctors are actually killing the patients to harvest their organs. I think this needs to stop, and I think this bill can do that to prevent Texans from inadvertently going and participating in this horrific crime thats going on in China and other countries. Congressional Action On Monday, the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday overwhelmingly passed the nations first non-symbolic measure to punish the CCP for its atrocities against the people of China. House Resolution 1154, known as the Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act of 2023, was approved 413-2. The law would sanction anyone involved in the act of organ harvesting and would require the government to report annually on such activities taking place in foreign companies, as reported by The Epoch Times. Violators would be subject to a civil penalty of up to $250,000 and a criminal penalty of up to $1 million and 20 years in prison. Falun Dafa practitioners raise awareness about forced organ harvesting atrocities in China, as they march through Manhattan celebrating World Falun Dafa Day, on May 16, 2019. (Edward Dye/The Epoch Times) Its got real teeth. Were not kidding, Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) told The Epoch Times. This is an atrocity, this is a crime against humanity, and its a war crime on innocent people in China; Xi Jinping is directly responsible. Those who willingly engage in this will be held responsible. More than a dozen lawmakers have sponsored the measures companion bill in the U.S. Senate. Next Steps The next step for Senate Bill 1040 is for the Health and Human Services Committee to hear public testimony before voting on the bill. Senate Bill 1040 will not stop this practice, but it will make a very strong statement from Texas that the monies can be controlled will not go to pay for and proliferate this practice, Kolkhorst said. The Banal Evil of Bureaucrats and Censorship Commentary How do we recognize truth? In some ways, we know truth by comparing it to what isnt truth. But what happens if the public square is suddenly void of truth, with all potential solutions carefully filtered out so that the only information you interact with is highly curated but far from honest? The result of such purification is stagnation, and stagnation brings with it death: death of ideas, curiosity, comedy, and truth. Thats the cost of censorship and the price to be paid within a totalitarian regime. The First Amendment prohibits the government from suppressing or restricting expression because of its message, ideas, subject matter, or content. The U.S. Supreme Court also firmly rejected the idea of judging speech by balancing relative social costs and benefits. Yet in our lawsuit, Missouri and Louisiana v. Biden et al., weve uncovered a censorship enterprise so vast and entrenched that it spans almost every government institution, all working to control, manipulate, and deceive millions of social media users across the country. Our citizens, scientists, and press have been shadow banned, suspended, deplatformed, and silencednot because they used false speech but precisely because they spoke the truth at a time when the federal government found such speech inconvenient. As a result, major federal agencies, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institutes of Health to the FBI and Department of Homeland Security, knowingly coerced, threatened, and colluded with social media companies in silencing American speech. While such actions are shocking all on their own, its even more disturbing that federal employees actively engaged in these practices through a warped worldview with little concern for the consequences. Through their unquestioning devotion to political ideology, many bureaucrats censored disfavored views with the same regard as a logistical problem, showcasing the often banal evil seen in totalitarian power structures. In order to remedy this unlawful conduct, the individuals who actively violated the freedom of speech and First Amendment rights of their fellow citizens must be held accountable for their actions. Thats why Ive called upon Congress to do just that: create a legal framework through carefully crafted legislation that will achieve two ends. First, we must make it clear that any federal employee or contractor who violates constitutional rights, as set forth in our lawsuit, will lose both their livelihood and their pension. Second, Congress must pave the way for civil liability against such actors, as well as expanded criminal penalties. These egregious constitutional violations must not go unpunished, nor should they be allowed to continue. By suppressing speech in the name of guarding against misinformation and disinformation, the government and its agents actually made it more difficult to recognize truth, resulting in even greater confusion, distrust, and falsehood. Thats why we must respond in the only way a bureaucrat understands: end their career and stop their rewards. If we dont, such censorship activities wont stop. Thats why, in the spirit of the First Amendment, were sharing our satirical pamphlet Censorship Enterprise: The Future is Now, (pdf) so that every American can read highlights from our lawsuit and experience our findings for themselvesthrough the lens of those who seek to censor your voice. By sharing this, we hope to shine a light on the activities of those who wish to deceive and finally tilt the scales back toward the truth. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. The Largest Censorship Operation in Recent American History: Sen. Schmitt on Big TechGovernment Collusion Freshman Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) on March 30 accused President Joe Bidens administration of running the largest censorship operation in recent American history by its dealings with social media platforms. The Biden administration has led the largest speech censorship operation in recent American history, Schmitt said in testimony to the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. Since taking office, President Biden and his team have labored to suppress viewpoints with which they disagree. And in so doing, they have infringed upon the individual freedoms of millions of Americans. After taking control of Twitter, billionaire Elon Musk released several files, dubbed the Twitter files, which proved past collusion between the federal government and Big Tech. As the former attorney general of Missouri, Schmitt led the effort in Missouri v. Biden, which sought to demonstrate that top officials in the federal government colluded with Big Tech social media companies to violate Americans First Amendment rights. During discovery for the case, which Schmitt called the most important free speech lawsuit of this generation, Schmitt and his colleaguesLouisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry and D. John Sauer, former Missouri deputy attorney general for special litigationdiscovered further evidence of collusion between the Biden administration and Big Tech. The Biden administration has threatened and attacked social media companies so that those social media companies will censor speech the Biden administration dislikes, Schmitt said in his testimony to the panel (pdf). Censorship on a Scale Never Before Seen Speaking to the panel about Missouri v. Biden, he said the administration had engaged in censorship of truthful information on a scale never before seen. Discovery obtained by Missouri and Louisiana demonstrated that the Biden administrations coordination with social media companies and collusion with nongovernmental organizations to censor speech was far more pervasive and destructive than ever known, Schmitt said. Findings in the case proved that Biden sought to suppress stories that later turned out to be true, including the Hunter Biden laptop story, the COVID-19 lab leak theory, and the efficacy of masks. President Joe Biden delivers remarks during an event on the South Lawn of the White House on Aug. 5, 2021, in Washington. (Win McNamee/Getty Images) Schmitt cited several communications from the White House to social media platforms. Please remove this account immediately, one said. We are gravely concerned that your service is one of the top drivers of vaccine hesitancyperiod. We want to know that youre trying, we want to know how we can help, and we want to know that youre not playing a shell game with us when we ask you what is going on. This would all be a lot easier if you would just be straight with us, said another. To recap we remain concerned that YouTube is funneling people into hesitance and intensifying peoples hesitancy. We want to be sure that you have a handle on vaccine hesitancy generally and are working toward making the problem better. This is a concern that is shared at the highest (and I mean highest) levels of the WH, so wed like to continue a good-faith dialogue about what is going on under the hood here. Another said, Would you mind looking at this video and helping us with next steps to put a label or remove it? In his testimony, Schmitt said, The social media companies are not innocent actors; they collude with the federal government to censor posts and block truthful information, and they advance censorship at the federal governments direction, through rigged fact-checking ruses, and under pressure from radical external and internal forces. Schmitt said that to enforce his demands, Biden has often threatened social media companies with legal action for noncompliance. On multiple occasions, Biden and his team have threatened to punish social media companies that did not sufficiently censor Bidens political opposition by revoking Section 230, Schmitt said. Section 230 is a controversial section of the Internet Communications Decency Act of 1996, a 30-year-old bill crafted long before social medias advent. The section provides social media platforms and forums protection from legal liability for the content posted on their site by users. Republicans have called for a carve-out of the section on the basis of political bias against conservatives. In contrast, Democrats have called for a carve-out on the basis of social media platforms not doing enough to combat misinformation. The Rainmaker from 1956: Drought and Atmospheric Rivers Commentary The Rainmaker is a fanciful title for a film. Just from the title, it could be about a native witch doctor or perhaps a reference to symbolic precipitation. Nevertheless, this 1956 film starring Katharine Hepburn and Burt Lancaster is set in the United States of America and based on a real person who claimed he could relieve drought by bringing rain. It was adapted from the 1954 play of the same name by N. Richard Nash; since the playwright himself wrote the story for the screen, the film was probably very similar to the play. Although the plot was Nashs invention, it featured a character inspired by a man who made a name for himself in Southern California a hundred years ago, Charles M. Hatfield. I added this film to our watchlist several months ago when looking for movies with Katharine Hepburn. I didnt immediately want to watch it, though, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, having been released in 1956, its a few years after my preferred era of filmmaking. Secondly, the pairing of Hepburn and Lancaster seemed a little unlikely to me. I scrolled past it for months, saving it for perhaps a later date. I gave this film some serious consideration for the first time when I was doing research on the history of different areas in my new home of San Diego County. When looking at the Valley Center Historical Societys website, I learned that famous rainmaker Charles Hatfield lived in Valley Center in a small house at 29326 Valley Center Road for many years in the early 20th century. From this historic site, which was demolished in 2013, he is said to have brought many historic rains to the area. I was fascinated to learn his life had inspired the 1956 movie. Nevertheless, I didnt decide to watch the movie until a few days ago. Weeks of historic rain and successive atmospheric rivers in Southern California recently have made me think about this movie and San Diegos history of pluviculture, the science of rainmaking. A lobby card for the 1956 film The Rainmaker. (MovieStillsDB) A Dry Story This story takes place in the early 1930s, in a small midwestern town called Three Point. It centers around the Curry family, a family of cattle ranchers consisting of a widowed father (Cameron PrudHomme) and his three grown children. He has two sons, cynical Noah (Lloyd Bridges) and naive Jim (Earl Holliman), and a no-nonsense daughter named Lizzie (Hepburn) who takes care of them all. H. C. Curry and his sons, especially the elder Noah, are concerned Lizzie is doomed to be a spinster, since she is plain and refuses to flirt or employ other girlish tricks to get a husband. Mr. Curry enjoys having Lizzie around the house, since he adores his daughter, but he knows she feels like her life is incomplete because she doesnt have a man who loves her. Meanwhile, their cattle are dying in the sweltering summer heat as a drought stretches on, with no chance of rain in sight. After a trip to secure a husband for Lizzie is a complete failure, Lizzies marital prospects seem just as dry. The one man in town whom Lizzie fancies is J. S. File (Wendell Corey), the stoic deputy sheriff. Her father and brothers go into town to casually invite him to dinner, but he knows exactly what they have in mind. He bluntly tells them he has no intention of marrying Lizzie or anyone else. As the argument escalates into a fist fight with Jim, the family goes home, losing hope of her ever getting married. Before H. C. leaves, however, he tells File everyone knows he isnt a widower but a bitter divorce whose wife left him years ago. Actress Katharine Hepburn during the filming of The Rainmaker, circa 1956. (Archive Photos/Getty Images) The evening is a huge disappointment when Lizzie, who made an elaborate dinner and put on a fancy dress, realizes File isnt coming. However, the evening takes a strange turn when a mysterious stranger bursts into the Curry home, uninvited. His name is Bill Starbuck (Lancaster), and he calls himself a rainmaker. He claims that for a hundred dollars, he can use the strange contraptions on his wagon to bring rain within 24 hours. Lizzie and Noah immediately renounce him as a charlatan, but their father and Jim are entranced by his flashy presentation and persuasive speech. Eventually, Mr. Curry decides to take a chance, so he pays him to bring rain and invites him to join them for dinner. Starbuck flirts with Lizzie as soon as he sees her, but she rebuffs his flattery. Nevertheless, she cant understand why she hates him so much. Could it be her heart is as thirsty for love as the land is for rain, but shes given up hope of both? A Soggy History Bill Starbuck is a classic flimflam man. When the movie begins, we see him pedaling tornado rods to a crowd of curious onlookers in a Kansas town, calling himself Tornado Johnson. When the sheriff chases him out of town, we realize he is a charlatan. Any doubts on this point are dispelled when he introduces himself to the Currys as Starbuck, a rainmaker. Although he sounds very convincing when selling his drought-banishing abilities to the ranchers, he is basically a medicine showman, selling a bill of goods about his mystical powers to bring rain. Thats how he differs from Charles Hatfield. Hatfield didnt ride around in a Gypsy-like wagon, telling his customers to beat on a bass drum to summon the thunder and paint white arrows on the ground. He called himself a moisture accelerator and claimed to use scientific methods, saying, I do not make rain. That would be an absurd claim. I simply attract clouds, and they do the rest. A photo of Charles Hatfield. (Courtesy of the Valley Center Historical Society) When the Currys first question Starbuck about how he summons rain, he answers that he uses sodium chloride, explaining, Pitch it up high, right up to the clouds. When Lizzie responds that this is bunk, he agrees, saying thats what fakes would do, but not him. Nevertheless, the described method is similar to what Charles Hatfield claimed to use in real life. Using the smell-makers method of producing rain, he would make a concoction of 23 chemicals and place them in cauldrons atop a 20-foot tower. Within days, rain would be pouring from the sky after months of drought. However, he often attracted more trouble than fortune for himself, since the rain he seemed to summon for parched lands frequently came in torrential proportions. He gained fame and notoriety but not without lawsuits and millions of dollars in liabilities. Hatfields history in Southern California is fascinating and amazingly local for those who are familiar with North San Diego County. Born in Kansas, Hatfield moved with his family to a small farm in Gopher Valley (near Escondido) in 1888, where he experimented with chemicals and a teakettles steam in the kitchen. In December 1915, the city of San Diego hired him to bring rain to the city, having heard of his success in bringing rain to other parts of the state. He agreed to fill the new Morena Reservoir within a year for $10,000, so he and his brother constructed towers for his chemical formula in the fields outside of the city. In January, the rains came in massive proportions. It rained so heavily, the reservoir overflowed and the Lower Otay Dam broke. In the flooding, many people died, although the exact number varies from one report to the next. Because of the extensive damage to roads, bridges, railroad tracks, and telephone lines, San Diego County was cut off from the outside world for months. Hatfield never collected his fee, since the local authorities decided that, if he accepted the credit, he would also have to accept responsibility for all the damage. A photo of the Morena Reservoir in 1918 from the San Diego Historical Society. (Public Domain) A Seedy Explanation Katharine Hepburn was nearing fifty when she played Lizzie, who is obviously supposed to be much younger than the actress really was. Nevertheless, she was excellent in the part, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. Although Miss Hepburn doesnt really look like a woman who has recently reached marrying age, she is a perfect choice for the character. Her maturity and aversion to makeup and other flirty frills make her more convincingly plain, as her brother Noah frequently describes her. Burt Lancaster is extremely charismatic as Starbuck, the exciting weather manipulator who makes people dare to believe with his fast talk and winning smile. Lancaster wasnt the first choice for this role, since William Holden was originally cast in the part. After he left the production, Lancaster himself asked producer Hal B. Wallis for the part. Holden would have been great, but I think Lancaster was ideal as the rainmaker. I think he even bears a resemblance to Hatfield in some pictures. As California experiences one atmospheric river and bomb cyclone after another this winter going into spring, its interesting to think about Charles Hatfield and his possible powers as a rainmaker. Was he a really lucky charlatan? That seems unlikely, since, unlike Starbuck in the movie, he only accepted money after it rained. If he never produced rain, where would the profit be? Besides, we know that it actually did rain on multiple occasions after he was hired, over 500 times, according to Hatfield himself. Today, many people believe he was not a rainmaker but a well-versed meteorologist who could predict rain with great accuracy and then earn money by saying he brought it! However, there is no established proof that his scientific formula either worked or didnt work. What if Charles Hatfield actually could summon rain? Is it possible he possessed such powerful knowledge yet took his secret to the grave with him, as commonly asserted? There are many mysterious details about Mr. Hatfield. During the Great Depression, he went back to selling sewing machines and living an uneventful life. His last connection with rainmaking was when he accepted an invitation to attend the premiere of the 1956 film, which was one of his last public outings before dying at age 84 in 1958. However, he had stated earlier in his life that, while he wouldnt sell his secret formula to an individual, he would sell it to the government. With Californias long-sought rains bringing enough water damage to make the city of Oceanside declare a state of emergency, maybe someone knows Hatfields secret! House Votes to End Debate on Bill C-11 as Tories Object The logos for streaming services Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, and Sling TV are pictured on a remote control in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 13, 2020. (Jenny Kane/AP) MPs voted on March 30 to close debate on the Senates proposed amendments for Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act. The closure motion was moved by Government House Leader Mark Holland and passed by a vote of 173145, with both the Liberals and NDP voting in favour and the Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois voting against it. According to House rules, a motion for closure can be used by the government to prevent further debate on any matterregardless of whether all members are finished speaking on itso long as a majority of the House votes in favour of doing so. Bill C-11 would give the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) authority to regulate digital streaming platforms such as Netflix and YouTube, requiring them to contribute to the creation and promotion of Canadian content. The bill passed the House in June 2022 and the Senate in early February. Senators conducted a lengthy assessment of the bill and proposed a number of amendments to itmany of which the Liberal government rejected. The House began debating the Senates amendments to Bill C-11 on March 29 and continued on March 30 before the Liberal government moved the motion for closure on debate. Liberal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said that debate on the matter was dragging out the bills passage. Its either we do nothing or we move forward, he said in the House. And doing nothing would be unacceptable in the context of the 21st century. Why are you shutting down debate and not allowing this to go to committee so that you can hear from Canadians? asked Conservative MP Tracy Gray. Duclos replied, We have spent and are spending enormous amounts of time with this bill. He said talk on Bill C-11 has taken 66 hours in the House and 83 hours in the Senate. He said Conservative MPs have given 60 different speeches on the matter. After the motion for closure passed, Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre took to Twitter to voice his disagreement. Trudeaus team moments ago moved to shut down debate and ram through his online censorship bill, he wrote, adding that his party is still fighting against the bills passage. Conservative MP Rachael Thomas introduced a separate motion on March 27 to scrap Bill C-11 entirely, which the House began debating after the vote on closure. Matthew Horwood contributed to this report. Twitter Restricts Conservative Accounts Over Trans Day of Vengeance Posts Twitter logo and Elon Musk silhouette in an illustration taken on Dec. 19, 2022. (Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters) Twitter has restricted multiple accounts belonging to prominent conservatives in recent days after they posted about an upcoming rally called the Trans Day of Vengeance. On Tuesday, the Elon Musk-owned company restricted Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greenes (R-Ga.) congressional account for seven days after she repeatedly posted an image of a poster about the rally. In the same post, Greene alleged that Antifa was organizing the event, which is being hosted by the Trans Radical Activist Network. After her congressional account was restored by Twitter, Greene issued another post from the account that read, My Congressional Twitter account was suspended today. @elonmusk, how is it violent speech to expose the Trans Day of Vengence [sic] a day after a mass murder committed by a transgender shooter? And to call on the DOJ to investigate it? I condemned the incitement to violence & demanded a federal law enforcement investigation in the Tweet. Her account was then promptly suspended for seven days. My Congressional account was suspended for 7 days for exposing Antifa, who are organizing a call for violence called Trans Day of Vengeance, Greene said in a post on her personal Twitter account on Tuesday. The day after the mass murder of children by a trans shooter. Following the ban, Ella Irwin, Twitters head of trust and safety, said on Twitter that the platform is removing images of the poster due to concerns that it could incite violence. We had to automatically sweep our platform and remove >5000 tweets /retweets of this [Trans Day of Vengeance] poster, Irwin wrote. We do not support tweets that incite violence irrespective of who posts them. Vengeance does not imply peaceful protest. Organizing or support for peaceful protests is ok. Officials have identified the suspect in Mondays Nashville Christian school shooting incident as 28-year-old Audrey Hale as Nashville Police released surveillance footage, seen above, on March 28, 2023. (Nashville Police Department) More Accounts Restricted Elsewhere, The Federalist CEO and co-founder Sean Davis was reportedly locked out of his account for allegedly violating Twitters rules regarding violent speech. Prior to the account block, Davis had posted: The cold-blooded mass murder at a Christian school in Nashville by an apparent transgender person came just days before a planned Trans Day of Vengeance organized by the Trans Radical Activist Network. According to the publication, Twitter has already taken down the tweet but informed Davis his account will remain locked until he manually deletes himself. Davis reportedly filed an appeal with Twitter to reinstate his account but the platform rejected it, meaning he is permanently banned from accessing his account until he removes the tweet in question. This is deliberate censorship and gaslighting designed to memory-hole the FACT that the Nashville shooter targeted and murdered Christian children and teachers just days ahead of a scheduled Trans Day of Vengeance, Davis said in a statement. Twitter is lying about the facts and defaming those of us who reported on them. Daily Wire journalist Luke Rosiak was also suspended from Twitter on Tuesday after he posted a link about the event, according to the publication. Twitter removed a post from Rosiak linking to an article he wrote earlier this month about the activists organizing the event. The shooting of a Christian school by a transgender comes the same week that activists scheduled a Trans Day of Vengeance, with the group also raising money for firearms training, the post read. Twitter told Rosiak that the post violated rules against violent speech. People pay their respects at a makeshift memorial for victims at the Covenant School building at the Covenant Presbyterian Church following a shooting, in Nashville, Tenn., on March 28, 2023. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images) Police Say Nashville Shooter Was Transgender He was told that he must delete the original post to regain access to his account; he appealed the decision, observing that he was not advocating for violence but rather stating a fact and noting disapprovingly that others had been calling for violence, the Daily Wire reported. Elsewhere, Journalist and author Andy Ngo was reportedly locked out of his Twitter account for reporting on the upcoming event. Trans Radical Activist Network still retains its account on Twitter, although its tweets are protected, meaning only approved followers can see content posted on the account. According to its official website, the Trans Radical Activist Network is a nationwide network of activists and community organizers for transgender/non-binary rights. The Trans/Non-Binary/Gender Non-Conforming/Intersex communities are facing astronomical amounts of hate from the world. At least a 100 Gender Affirming care ban bills have been proposed, the website states. So far in 2023, 12 lives have been lost, [sic] 2022 we lost over 60 people. Our community has a stigma attached and significantly impacts marginalized communities at a higher intensity. There are members of our own communities that have turned against the true meaning of Pride, it adds. The Trans Day of Vengeance is scheduled for April 1, according to the website, just days after 28-year-old Audrey Elizabeth Hale, who police say identified as transgender, opened fire at Covenant Christian Academy, shooting dead three children and three adults. However, the organizers note that the protest is about unity, not inciting violence and adds that it does not encourage violence and it is not welcome at this event. Trans activists have also noted that the trans day of vengeance is a meme that has been around in the trans community for years and is not a call to violence, The Associated Press reports. The Epoch Times has contacted Twitter for comment. 2 US Army Helicopters Crash in Kentucky, Killing 9 Emergency responders are seen near a site where two military helicopters crashed Wednesday night during a routine training mission in Trigg County, Ky., on March 30, 2023. (Brandon Smith/WSMV-TV via AP) Two U.S. Army HH-60 Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopters crashed late on March 29 during a routine training mission in Kentucky, killing nine soldiers, according to military officials. All of the crew membersfour soldiers in one helicopter and five in the otherdied in the crash, Brig. Gen. John Lubas, the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) deputy commander, told reporters. I would like to express our deepest sympathies to the families of our fallen soldiers, he said. The helicopters from the 101st Airborne Division, the Armys only air assault division, crashed at about 10 p.m. in Trigg County, Kentucky, according to the Fort Campbell Public Affairs Office. The crash took place about 25 miles northwest of Fort Campbell, a military base on the border between Kentucky and Tennessee. We know a lot about loss in Kentucky, especially these last few years, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said during a March 30 news conference. Were going to do what we always do. Were going to wrap our arms around these families. We are blessed to live in the freest country in the history of planet Earth, he added. But we must remember that that freedom relies on those who are willing to serve, some of which pay the ultimate price. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement hes saddened by the tragic loss. The HH-60 is a variant of the Black Hawk helicopter that is designed to provide support for a range of military operations, including medical evacuations and air assault. The Fort Campbell Public Affairs Office said more information about the incident would be released as it becomes available. This is a developing story. This article was updated to reflect incoming information about the casualty count and additional comments by Beshear. JUBA, March 30 (Xinhua) -- South Sudanese President Salva Kiir on Wednesday night appointed Chol Thon Balok as the new defense minister, replacing Angelina Teny from the Sudan People's Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM/IO). Kiir made the announcement in a presidential decree broadcast on state-owned television, the South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation. Prior to his appointment, Thon was the deputy defense minister. On March 3, Kiir sacked Teny as the minister of defense and veteran affairs, a move that has been protested by the SPLM-IO under First Vice President Riek Machar. Teny is Machar's wife. Kiir also fired Interior Minister Mahmoud Solomon. No reason was given for either dismissal. The South Sudanese leader is yet to appoint an interior minister. Under the 2018 revitalized peace deal, Kiir's SPLM-In Government (SPLM-IG) controls the Ministry of Interior while SPLM-IO is in charge of the Ministry of Defense and Veterans Affairs, but this has been reversed, meaning the SPLM-IG is now in control of the Defense Ministry while SPLM-IO is in charge of the Interior Ministry. Machar's acting Press Secretary Puok Both Baluang said the decision to appoint a defense minister from Kiir's party is a violation of the 2018 peace deal. "No breakthrough was reached at all meetings between Kiir and Machar in order to overcome the current deadlock. Consequently, today's (Wednesday) appointment of Thon as minister of defense and veteran affairs is unilateral and a blatant new violation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan," Baluang said. Both Kiir and Machar as well as other political leaders signed a peace agreement in 2018 that ended five years of civil war. UK Government Lost 21 Billion to Fraud Since Start of COVID-19 Pandemic: Watchdog Models of a man and woman stand on a pile of British coins and bank notes, in this file photo dated Sept. 11, 2018. (Joe Giddens/PA Media) The UK government has lost around 21 billion ($26 billion) due to fraud since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and is very unlikely to recover the losses, according to the National Audit Office (NAO). In its latest report published on March 30, the spending watchdog revealed that the amount of fraud in UK government expenditure rose from a total of 5.5 billion in the two years before the pandemic to 21 billion in total in the following two years. Of the 21 billion, 7.3 billion relates to the governments temporary COVID-19 schemes for individuals and businesses, including the 70 billion Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, commonly known as furlough, which supported 11.6 million UK workers over 18 months. Rishi Sunak, then chancellor of the Exchequer, speaks during a virtual press conference after announcing a new three-tier COVID-19 alert system, inside 10 Downing Street, in central London, on Oct. 12, 2020. (Toby Melville/Pool/ AFP via Getty Images) The NAO warned that it is very unlikely that most of the taxpayers money will be recovered. These estimates are in addition to an estimated 10 billion of tax revenue lost to evasion and crime every year. The report also said that the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) generated fraud and error savings of 500 million through its retrospective review of Universal Credit claims made over the height of the pandemic, but at least 1.5 billion of fraudulent claims that started during that period were still being paid in 202122. The DWP is now planning targeted case reviews to detect and recover as much of the rest as it can, the NAO said. The watchdog said that the creation of the Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA)which was established last year in response to concerns about fraud during the pandemicrepresents a chance for a renewed focus on fraud and corruption. But the report warned the authority needs to be influential across government if it is to achieve the required changes in culture, preventive approach, and robust assessment of risks. Vulnerability to Fraud According to the NAO, the governments vulnerability to fraud increased due to its response to the pandemic. It said that many public bodies are unaware of the amount of fraud and corruption they face and cannot show that they are tackling it effectively. The watchdog found that public bodies could have better managed the fraud risk without impairing their emergency response. These include faster transparency, better management of conflicts of interest, addressing known vulnerabilities more quickly, and timely financial reporting. The report found that most departments have only limited counter-fraud and corruption capability and cannot demonstrate that it is proportionate to their risk. The NAO called on government departments and public bodies to act as one government when tackling fraud. Gareth Davies, the head of the NAO, said: There has been a substantial increase in the level of fraud reported in the annual reports and accounts we audit. In addition to the loss of taxpayer money, it creates the risk that people come to perceive fraud and corruption across government as normal and tolerated. If not tackled, this could affect public confidence in the integrity of public services. Government has more to do to understand the scale of the problem it faces and cannot yet demonstrate that it is tackling fraud effectively. The creation of the Public Sector Fraud Authority creates a real opportunity to address this. Dereliction of Duty The main opposition Labour Party criticised the Conservative government for failing to tackle fraud and corruption. Labours deputy leader Angela Rayner said: Fraud and corruption have run rife on the Tories watch but they are utterly failing to tackle it. This government have completely abdicated their responsibility to crack down on this criminality, leaving public bodies without the resources to combat it effectively and protect the publics money. It is a total dereliction of duty. While fraud spreads like wildfire with billions of taxpayers money going missing, ministers are incapable of getting a grip and undermining public confidence further still. While taxpayers are left counting the cost of the Conservatives, Labour has a plan to prevent fraud, punish the criminals, and protect our communities. In response to the reports findings, a government spokesperson said: We are overhauling how we tackle public sector fraud to ensure we chase down every pound stolen from British taxpayers. Since 2021, we have invested more than 900 million in taking action on fraud and, as the report acknowledges, we have made progress by establishing the Public Sector Fraud Authority, which is stepping up the governments efforts to protect taxpayers money. The government has recovered more than 3.1 billion of fraud losses in the last two years, including within COVID-19 schemes, but we know there is more we can do. That is why we are expanding the governments Counter Fraud Profession, developing new technologies, and boosting skills and training to further protect the public purse. PA Media contributed to this report. UK Hong Kong Summit Urges to Demolish CCPs Legitimacy The British Hong Kong People's Summit invited the last Governor of Hong Kong to speak at the event on March 27, 2023 (The Epoch Times) Over 150 Hongkongers from sixty organizations attended the UK-Hong Kong Summit 2023, from March 25 to March 27, to discuss the future of Hongkongers in the United Kingdom. The summit invited British parliamentarians, politicians, Tibetans, and Ukrainian representatives to exchange ideas on British politics, international initiatives, press freedom, and any concerns Hongkongers in England might have, such as the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) increasing threats to Hongkongers. Participants in the meeting agreed on what actions would be necessary for the future. The groups discussed increasing Hongkongers political participation and reinforcing initiatives directly related to the United Kingdom. Finn Lau, the summits steering committee chairperson, said it was necessary to accelerate the dismantling of the CCPs legitimacy. Unite, Strategize, Empower was the theme of the 2023 summit. The UK-HK Summit 2023 organizer committee revealed that the 62 summit attendees included Hong Kong organizations, independent advocates, students, and political asylum applicants. They came from 28 cities in the United Kingdom, including London, Manchester, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The 3-day summit is Britains and Hongkongers first largest civil society conference in the UK. It is most pressing to demolish the CCPs legitimacy. Hong Kong activist and summit chairman, Finn Lau, told The Epoch Times that the 3-day meeting displayed Hongkongers unity and potential. When asked about the challenges that might arise in the future, Lau conveyed his utmost concern about Hongkongers becoming increasingly hazy with what has happened since the 2019 Hong Kong Protests and their civil roles. He emphasized there should be a balance between integrating into local British society and retaining their identity. Otherwise, Lau feared Hong Kongs identity might eventually die out. Most attendees agree to promote Hongkongers political participation in the United Kingdom, such as registering as voters, organizing voter briefings. There would be further discussion of implementing the plans with fellow groups. At the summits closing, Lau mentioned time was limited for Hongkongers. It would be necessary to speed up the dismantling of the legitimacy of the Chinese Communist Party. Lau said that overseas Hongkongers vowed to seek justice for Hong Kong. Tibetans shared their experience of becoming exiled for more than 60 years. I hope everyone can learn from their persistent spirit and realize that many people are still persevering in liberating their home. Lau worried that Hongkongers might soon forget the mission of liberating Hong Kong. He believed that there should be a consensus to redefine its definition. To Lau, liberating Hong Kong symbolized the ability to live and work in the land of Hong Kong safely and freely, inheriting the unique language, culture, and identity as a Hongkonger in a society of justice. Lau also reminded everyone that Standing With Hong Kong means supporting others toostanding with the British, Ukrainian, and Tibetans and encouraging them to strive with other ethnic minority communities. He brought up the fears overseas Hongkongers had when engaging in civil activities. The Hong Kong National Security Law has the public fearful of going out. As everyones fear is different. All I can do is lead by example and move forward as much as possible as a front person. Like many groups established in less than two years, the summit organizer also faced shortages of resources and staffing. Another issue the groups also experienced was initiatives. After many discussions, over 90 percent of the event participants agreed to several measures, including moving forward with the first national British Hong Kong Citizens Organization Conference plan. Meanwhile, holding regional, cross-organization meetings would strengthen communication and cooperation among the groups. In addition, they would build a platform to allocate information and resources to alleviate overlapping supplies and understaffing. The other influential agenda was to increase the political participation of Hongkongers in the United Kingdom: registering as voters and growing support for other related international and advocacy subjects. The summit also addressed measures to bolster initiatives related to the United Kingdom, such as closing all Confucius Institutes and separating the sister relationship of British cities from the CCP. Many attendees gave speeches and presented informational lectures and seminars at the 3-day summit, including the last Governor of Hong Kong, Lord Chris Patten, Rahima Mahmut, a British representative of the World Uyghur Congress, Sonam Tsering Frasi, a British representative of Tibets Central Administration. Other speakers also debated topics on British politics, international initiatives, and press freedom. Other speakers such as Benedict Rogers, co-founder of Hong Kong Watch, Former RTHK Program Host Steve Vines, Director of Reporters Without Borders UK Fiona OBrien, and former Ukrainian Congress member Aliona Hlivco were also in attendance. The summits representatives also visited the British Parliament. They met with several parliament members, including Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific Affairs at the Shadow Cabinet of the Labour Party, Catherine West, and Conservative Party member Tim Loughton. The groups raised several issues in the meetup: The Chinese Communist Partys illegal overseas police stations infiltrating the United Kingdom, Hong Kong children born under BNO holders having to renew their passports, political prosecutions in Hong Kong, the 47 Democrats Case, and Jimmy Lai Chee-yings trial. Children born to Hongkongers with BNO visas cannot directly obtain British citizenship. They can only apply for a Hong Kong passport via Hong Kong/China, which brought severe safety concerns to those needing passport renewal. In British MP Stephen Hammons opening speech, he stated, Hong Kong should be an alarming warning to people who care about freedom, democracy, and human rights worldwide. A U.S. judge on March 30 struck down a provision in the Affordable Care Act that required insurers to cover some preventative services such as cancer screenings. U.S. District Judge Reed OConnor ruled that recommendations on preventative care by an unelected task force were unlawful, and forbade President Joe Bidens administration from enforcing the recommendations. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Forces recommended preventative services must be covered by insurers under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), colloquially known as ObamaCare. It has recommended anxiety screening for some children and breast cancer screening for some women, among other recommendations. Plaintiffs in a legal case in Texas argued that the mandated coverage violated their constitutional rights and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act because it forced them to purchase insurance that covered aspects that clash with their religion, including coverage of preexposure prophylaxis drugs for people deemed at high risk of getting HIV. The ACA forces these plaintiffs to choose between purchasing health insurance that violates their religious beliefs and foregoing conventional health insurance altogether. It is undisputed that putting individuals to this choice imposes a substantial burden on religious exercise, OConnor, a George W. Bush appointee, wrote in a 28-page opinion. Under the religious freedom act, the government can substantially burden a persons exercise of religion if it shows that the burden is in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest and is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest. Government officials have failed on both fronts, the judge ruled. While officials said theres a compelling government interest in inhibiting the spread of diseases like HIV, the question is actually whether the government has a compelling interest in requiring insurers to cover the preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) drugs, he said. But neither Congress nor [the task force] expressed that compelling interest and the ACAs several exemptions for grandfathered plans and small businesses undermine Defendants argument that all insurers must provide plans with PrEP drug coverage, the ruling stated. Nor have Defendants offered any meaningful argument as to how the PrEP mandate satisfies the exceptionally demanding least-restrictive-means test. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Justice did not immediately respond to requests for comment. OConnor applied his ruling nationwide because the ACA provision and the task forces recommendations are constitutionally invalid, the judge ruled. He ordered Biden administration officials not to enforce the compulsory coverage requirements for the task forces recommendations. OConnor previously ruled that ObamaCare was unconstitutional, but the Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of the Biden administration, finding states lacked standing to challenge the law. The ruling leaves intact mandated coverage of recommendations from the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which are both affiliated with HHS and subject to the supervision and direction of the departments secretary. The task force is a volunteer body. About 100 million people have received preventative care that is required to be covered since 2018, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. If the ruling stands after an expected appeal, many insurers will likely revert to charging copays for the affected preventative services, Lindsay Wiley, a law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, predicted. In many cases, insurance contracts are in place for the calendar year, so people may not immediately have to pay for preventive services, Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy for the foundation, said. But over time, tens of millions of people could be affected by this court ruling. Bipartisan Passage of Organ Harvesting Bill in House Moves US Closer to Holding CCP Officials Accountable Falun Gong practitioners march down Constitution Avenue to commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party's persecution of the spiritual practice in China, in Washington on July 21, 2022.(Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Murderous, grotesque, immoral, barbaric. The Chinese Communist Partys (CCPs) practice of forced organ harvesting has appalled Washington and united lawmakers from both sides of the aisle. As a bill seeking to end the atrocity continued to advancepassing the House by a vote of 4132members of Congress cheered the development and reaffirmed their determination to hold the Chinese regime accountable. Forced organ harvesting is cruel and immoral, often targeting ethnic and religious minorities and some of the most vulnerable groups in the world, said Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), who co-leads the Senate version of the Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act. As a co-chair of the Senate Human Rights Caucus, he expressed pride in seeing the bill pass the House and getting closer to empowering the Biden administration to take action against those who practice this despicable crime. Mass Murder of Innocents As early as 2006, witnesses had been raising the alarm on Beijings state-sanctioned killing of detained practitioners of Falun Gong, a faith that the regime has waged an all-out campaign to eradicate for nearly 24 years. After rising in popularity in the 1990s, the spiritual practice, which features meditative exercises and moral teachings centered on truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, became a target of a brutal persecution campaign, resulting in millions of adherents being detained for their belief. A 2019 investigation by the London-based China Tribunal found detained Falun Gong practitioners to be the primary victim group of forced organ harvesting. Other prisoners of conscience, including Uyghurs in Xinjiang concentration camps, Tibetans, and House Christians, are also targets, the tribunal said. Passing the House on March 27, the bill is the first of its kind in the United States to combat the bloody act through legislative tools, a feat lauded by human rights groups. The Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act of 2023 is one of the most significant international responses to the China Tribunals Judgment to date, said Susie Hughes, executive director of the International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China. She expressed hope that more governments will be inspired to follow the United States footsteps to ensure their own citizens are not caught up in the mass murder of innocents for their organs in China. Falun Dafa practitioners hold placards in a parade to bring awareness to the Chinese regimes brutal practice of forced organ harvesting in China, in Manhattan, New York, on May 16, 2019. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Washington-based advocacy group Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation echoed this sentiment. The passage of this legislation sends a clear message to not only China, but the rest of the world that the United States will not turn a blind eye to this atrocity, one that has been shamefully ignored by institutions and governments influenced by China for far too long, said the foundations president, Andrew Bremberg, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. He urged the Senate to quickly take up this bill, pass it, and send it to President [Joe] Biden so it can become law. A Moral Issue That Transcends Politics Rep. Greg Murphy (R-N.C.), a former transplant surgeon, found the idea of forced organ harvesting both horrifying and repulsive. This is a moral issue that transcends politics, he told The Epoch Times. It is a matter of good versus evil, and it is the responsibility of the United States to take the lead against this murderous practice, especially as it relates to the CCP. A man jogs past Falun Gong practitioners using a mock organ harvesting display as part of their protest against the CCP and its persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada, on May 2, 2008. (Tom Hanson/The Canadian Press) The House Democratic Caucus agreed that calling out the CCPs human rights abuses is one issue that crosses party lines. We seek outas we always doto work with Republicans to find common ground on issues that help our communities, help our country, and send the right message on human rights, and this was one of those bills, Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), chair of the caucus, told reporters in a press conference on March 28. Rep. Andre Carson (D-Ind.), a member of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, similarly committed to working across the aisle to examine the very real human rights abuses committed by the Chinese government. Among the most disturbing is the tolerance and active support of illegal harvesting of organs from nonconsenting individualsincluding as a way to perpetuate the genocide of the Uyghur people, which our committee held a hearing on last week. HR 1154 is a step forward in ensuring U.S. government resources are not taken advantage of to support this heinous practice, he told The Epoch Times. Holding Perpetrators Accountable Under the repressive environment in communist China, the targeted groups have largely been left feeling helpless under the persecution, in which authorities have tortured their loved ones to death and taken their organs without their consent. Many, despite having escaped to the United States, continue to fear for their family in China, who face an ever-present threat of harassment and arrest. Falun Gong practitioners take part in a candlelight vigil commemorating the 20th anniversary of the persecution of Falun Gong in China, on the West Lawn of Capitol Hill on July 18, 2019. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Chinas genocidal regime has subjected groups Beijing deems a threat, including Uyghurs and Falun Gong practitioners, to unimaginable human rights violationsincluding credible allegations of forced organ harvesting, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a co-signer of the Senate bill, told The Epoch Times. The United States must hold the CCP accountable for these savage crimes. What the regime has done in its suppression of ethnic and religious groups is beyond comprehension, said Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.), who co-sponsored the House measure. The CCP is trampling on the rights of its own citizens in the most grotesque way imaginableforced organ harvesting of political prisoners. This is beyond the pale, he told The Epoch Times. Aumua Amata Radewagen, a Republican representing American Samoa, said she has met with Uyghur refugees whose devastating experiences and ongoing suffering saddened her. They describe unthinkable, heartbreaking, horrifying crimes, and Congress must continue to do its part to ensure that these victims are not forgotten and have a strong voice in America, she told The Epoch Times. In April 2022, a peer-reviewed research paper published in the American Journal of Transplantation (AJT) flagged 72 Chinese papers containing data from cases where the cause of death appears to be the transplant surgery itself, prompting the authors of the AJT paper to call these Chinese doctors executioners. Chinas medical ethics should not come as a surprise as the world fully knows about the Chinese Communist Partys genocide against the Uyghurs, Rep. French Hill (R-Ark.) told The Epoch Times, going on to describe the forced organ harvesting as a repugnant practice carried out against minority groups in China, including the Uyghurs and Falun Gong practitioners. The bills imposition of fines and imprisonment on the offenders, as well as sanctions for those who fund, sponsor, or facilitate the abuse, are critical actions to deter those engaged with this disgusting practice, Hill said. We must continue to act in Congress to combat this barbaric practice. While the abuse has been an issue around the globe, China is one of the worst countries where forced organ harvesting runs rampant, Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) said. Our hope is that this important legislation will help deter this abhorrent practice and ensure that those who engage in this type of conduct cannot seek safe haven in the United States, he told The Epoch Times. US Munitions Stockpiles Low, Army at Absolute Edge of Industrial Capacity: Army Secretary Ukrainian servicemen fire an M777 howitzer at Russian positions near Bakhmut, eastern Ukraine, on March 17, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Aris Messinis/AFP via Getty Images) The U.S. Armys stockpiles are vanishing at an alarming rate as the nation struggles to arm Ukraine and provide for its own defense at the same time, according to the Armys most senior civilian leader. More than 60 percent of the security assistance provided to Ukraine by the United States has come from the U.S. Army, Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth said during a March 30 hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee. To assist Ukraine in fighting Russia, the Army has provided over $20 billion of lethal assistance, including a wide range of munitions, radars, combat vehicles, and other things, Wormuth said. The United States has contributed more than $32 billion in lethal aid to Ukraine since Russia began its attempted conquest last year, much of that aid coming from the Armys munitions stockpiles. To that end, Wormuth said that the United States own stockpiles of munitions, including the 155 mm rounds used by many artillery systems, are running low and that the Army is in overdrive trying to increase production. One of the most important things we have learned from Ukraine is the need for a more robust defense industrial base, she said. We are buying at the absolute edge of defense industrial capacity right now. Wormuth said the Army is spending $1.5 billion on new munitions production and depots and is working with industry partners to simultaneously replenish the nations stocks and support Ukraine. US Munitions Stockpiles Running Low Hurdles remain toward creating an organic supply base for such munitions despite the investment. Most notable among them is the United States reliance on high-end munitions that require specialized equipment and supply chains to produce. Many such systems, Wormuth said, will take years to build up. Some of the machining tools that are needed to open up new production lines are just very large, complex machines themselves that take time to fabricate and time to install, she said. Wormuths testimony echoes remarks made early in March by Douglas Bush, the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, who said the Army is ramping up munitions production but must contend with the fact that the nations most advanced munitions are actually built by private companies. We are creating this production capacity, trying to create options for future decisions in terms of how much well need. But if we dont do the production ramp-ups, we wont have those choices to make in the first place, Bush said during a March 3 talk at the security-focused think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The long-term challenge will be how much of that capacity can we sustain over time, post-conflict, he added. We dont know how long the conflict will last. We dont know how low our stocks will be. Bushs comments correlate to an increased concern over the U.S. militarys readiness as demonstrated by the publication of a CSIS report that found the United States could run out of critical munitions within the first week of a conflict with China. Thousands of US Soldiers Deployed to Assist Ukraine Thousands of U.S. troops are currently deployed to provide assistance to the Ukrainian military, according to Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Many of those troops are engaged in comprehensive oversight efforts to keep track of U.S. security assistance to Ukraine, and others are engaged in training Ukrainian military personnel. Thousands of U.S. soldiers are deployed to provide logistics to supply Ukraines military, Wicker said during the hearing. Thousands more are training Ukrainian military personnel. He said that the troops are providing critical on the ground support to Ukrainian forces, which have significantly degraded Russias military capabilities. Though U.S. boots are on the ground around the world, Wicker clarified, no U.S. soldiers are engaged in fighting against the Russian military. No U.S. soldiers are fighting against Russia in its brutal invasion of Ukraine, Wicker said. This is Ukraines fight, and it is fighting well and valiantly. The Pentagon likewise said that only a small number of U.S. troops are on the ground in Ukraine. There are only a small number of [Defense Department] personnel currently in Ukraine supporting normal embassy operations, consistent with the activities performed at embassies around the world, a Pentagon spokesperson said in an email to the Epoch Times. To support the historic level of security of assistance support for Ukraine, the [Department of Defense] established a dedicated headquarters element at European Command in Germany, the Security Assistance Group-Ukraine (SAG-U). SAG-Us mission is to support security assistance activities, coordinate training efforts, oversee efforts to supply and equip the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and enhance Ukraines situational awareness as part of our long-term commitment to Ukraine alongside our Allies and partners. US to Prioritize Regional Partners in Asia Over Communication with China: WH Official U.S. President Joe Biden (R) sits next to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) during a trilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit during the 40th and 41st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summits in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Nov. 13, 2022. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) The Biden administration is seeking to defend the rules-based international order in Asia by working closely with regional allies and partners rather than prioritizing communication with China, an administration official said. The United States will work with partners to shape the operating environment of the Indo-Pacific, according to National Security Council Coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell. We recognize now that the most important steps that we can take have to do with the operating system, and how we work with allies and partners, Campbell said during a March 30 discussion with the Center for a New American Security think tank. The idea here is not to in any way challenge China, or surround China, but to protect our interests and to make sure that through common effort we are able to stabilize and strengthen the elements of this system which we think have benefited all. US-China Guardrails Not Working Campbell said that a long predominant theory in foreign policy regarding China held that the United States should communicate directly with the regime in Beijing to create change through Asia. That theory, Campbell said, had been demonstrated to be wrong, and the United States would instead seek to shape the regimes decision-making by shaping the environment around it. [The new theory] believes that the more effective framework was to work with allies and partners to create a larger context for then engaging China more directly, Campbell said. Thats what President Biden has sought to do. To work on it with our existing bilateral engagements but also with new partners Campbell added that U.S. efforts to directly convince China to adopt more amicable or liberal policies and practices had failed. As such, he said, the United States would now seek to work around the regime rather than overestimate its own ability to convince China to abandon its authoritarian ways. What weve tried to underscore is we, in many respects, accept China as it exists, Campbell said. Theres also a recognition that, in many respects, our efforts to build a foundation or floor under the relationship and guardrails, have yet to be successful. To that end, Campbell said that the communist regime in Beijing had largely rebuffed U.S. efforts to maintain open lines of communication, and had opted instead to exacerbate tensions by refusing to communicate during moments of crisis. The Chinese have been reluctant to engage in discussions around confidence building or crisis communications or hotlines, Campbell said. It is very much the American intention to keep those lines of communication open. We believe that is the responsible thing to do. We dont do that as a favor. We do that because it is in our strategic interests. Vance Introduces Bill to Make English Official Language of the US New US citizens recite the Pledge of Allegiance during their naturalization ceremony at George Washington's residence in Mount Vernon, Va., on July 4, 2022. (Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images) Following similar legislation that was proposed in the House of Representatives last week, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) introduced a measure on March 30 that would establish English as the official language of the United States and mandate that all government correspondence is printed in English. The English Language Unity Act, which is co-sponsored by Sen. Kevin Cramer (R -N.D.), would also adjust guidelines for naturalization by establishing a universal English language-testing standard and requiring that all naturalization ceremonies be conducted in English. In May 2022, as Vances office pointed out, a Rasmussen poll determined that 78 percent of American adults believe that English should be the countrys official language. English is already the official language in 31 states and all U.S. territories. Republican U.S. Senate candidate J.D. Vance arrives onstage after winning the primary, at an election night event at Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, on May 3, 2022. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) This commonsense legislation recognizes an inherent truth: English is the language of this country, Vance said. That is why the overwhelming majority of the American people support this proposal. The English language has been a cornerstone of American culture for over 250 years, Vance added. It is far past time for Congress to codify its place into law, which is exactly what this bill does. On March 24, Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) introduced the English Language Unity Act of 2023. If passed and signed into law, the legislation would declare English as the official language of the United States, require all functions and proceedings of the U.S. government to be conducted in English, and incorporate uniform testing of English language ability as part of the naturalization process for legal immigrants. Government officials would also be obligated to preserve and enhance the status of English as the official language, including promoting opportunities for individuals to learn it, according to the bills language. In the melting pot of the United States of America, our common English language promotes unity and fosters cultural integration, Good said in a statement. Over the years, efforts to establish English as the official national language have arisen and have been met with resistance from critics who believe the move is unnecessary and even discriminatory. Some proposed legislation in recent years has pushed to increase the governments role in ensuring access to multilingual services. The Mental Health Workforce and Language Access Act, which was introduced by Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) in 2021, sought to provide federal grants to community health centers to recruit and hire mental health professionals fluent in languages other than English. Goods bill acknowledges the benefits of Americas rich diversity, but it also notes that the English language has been the common thread binding individuals of differing backgrounds throughout history. It is also in the best interests of our legal immigrants, as proficiency in English helps them assimilate into our culture, succeed in the workplace, and reach their greatest potential, Good added. In 2021, Cramer joined then-senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) in introducing the English Language Unity Act of 2021, a measure that was also designed to make English as the official language of the United States. An overwhelming majority of Americans support making English the official language of the United States, Cramer said after the announcement in 2021. Our bill recognizes this desire and provides clarity to those who wish to emigrate to our country. The bill was referred to a House Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship, but did not gain traction. West Virginia Bans Transgender Procedures for Minors, With Exceptions On Wednesday, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice signed a bill banning transgender procedures for minors into law in the state. However, it comes with exceptions that sometimes allow for treatments to be administered. The law, which goes into effect in January 2024, lets doctors prescribe puberty (hormone) blockers or hormone therapy if the minor is considered at risk of self-harm or suicide. Specifically, the minor needs to be diagnosed as suffering from severe gender dysphoria by two medical doctors with relevant training in the field. One of the clinicians must be a mental health provider or adolescent medicine specialist. The two clinicians would also need to document in writing the medical necessity of treating the minor with either puberty blockers or hormones to limit self-harm or the possibility of self-harm. Furthermore, the minors parents must agree to the treatment in writing. Hormonal treatments, however, are not allowed if the minor has not gone through puberty. Furthermore, according to the bill: Any use of gender altering medication is for purposes of pubertal modulating and hormonal therapy and is limited to the lowest titratable dosage necessary to treat the psychiatric condition and not for purposes of gender transition. The exception was added at the urging of Senate Majority Leader Tom Takubo, a physician. These kids struggle. They have incredible difficulties, the Republican said on the Senate floor earlier this month. He cited more than a dozen peer-reviewed studies showing a decrease in rates of suicide ideation and attempts among youth with severe gender dysphoria who had access to medication therapy. Medical professionals define gender dysphoria as psychological distress experienced by those whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth. Besides the exception, doctors in West Virginia are now generally banned from providing any transgender procedures, including prescribing various drugs or carrying out surgeries to those under 18. The new West Virginia law has other exemptions that let doctors provide treatment to minors who are born intersex and those who suffer from an infection, injury, disease, or disorder that was caused by or exacerbated by the performance of gender transition procedures. Doctors can also perform any surgery to help a minor at risk of imminent danger of death, or impairment of a major bodily function. A 2017 study by UCLA Laws The Williams Institute estimated West Virginia had the highest per capita rate of transgender youth in the country. The rate of suicidal thoughts or ideas for transgender youth in West Virginia is three times higher than the rate for all youth in the state, according to West Virginia Youth Risk Behavior Survey data. West Virginia joins Kentucky and nine other U.S. states that have put in place laws restricting or banning transgender procedures: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Mississippi, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Utah. Federal judges have blocked the enforcement of laws in Alabama and Arkansas. The American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) have signaled support for gender transition procedures, or what they call gender-affirming care, for minors. The medical organizations assert that gender transition procedures may improve a gender dysphoric persons mental health and lower rates of suicide in the immediate future and that forgoing such care puts the patient at higher risk of anxiety, stress, substance abuse, and suicide. But the groups do not point out that some gender transition procedures render the minor highly unlikely to be able to reproduce in the future or make other irreversible changes. Last month, the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) warned about unknown and unknowable long-term risks it says are inherent in gender transition procedures in minors, adding that the consequences of gender transition surgery are irreversible. The group warned that gender transition procedures are generally irreversible and have a high probability of causing sterilization. The procedures also commit a patient to a lifelong need for medical, surgical, and psychological care. The AAPS stated that such procedures in minors are also medically and ethically contraindicated due to a lack of informed consent. Separately, an advocacy group for people with gender dysphoria in February issued an open letter directed at more than 30 medical organizations, asking them to ensure health care thats free of influence from politics and activists who shut down those who seek to research gender dysphoria. For the safety and well-being of all trans and gender dysphoric people, we need our health care, especially our mental health care, disentangled from a well-meaning yet misappropriated academic philosophy, the Gender Dysphoria Alliance (GDA) said in its letter. As people living with Gender Dysphoria, we want competent, evidence-based care. This includes mental health care and thorough psychosocial assessment prior to any medicalization, at any age, the group said in their letter. Read More What Parents Must Know About Gender Transition The Associated Press contributed to this report. White House Hopeful Nikki Haley Gets a Big Welcome in New Hampshire Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks during a campaign event at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, Saint Anselm College, in Manchester, N.H., on Feb. 17, 2023. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Replacing newly hired Internal Revenue Service agents with border patrol agents and setting term limits not just for elected officials but government bureaucrats, along with a call for national school choice policy, were among a number of proposals made by presidential candidate Nikki Haley that won a heavy round of applause at a town hall meeting she held in New Hampshire last night. The 51-year-old former South Carolina governor, who pepped up the crowd before she spoke with her own playlist of music, struck obvious chords with the audience in also talking about a need to reign in spending American tax dollars on illegal immigrants, welfare, and special interests. Seven and a half million for horse racing in Arizona. Thirty million for an honors college in Vermont. Ten million for a courthouse in Colorado. Think about that. Is that how you want your money spent? she asked the crowd. In what is becoming a thematic narrative for other member of the GOP eyeing the White House to spotlight the mistakes of conservative lawmakers, Haley also placed blame on Republicans for not being a more unified, stronger party in stopping Democratic spending. You look at that $2.2 trillion COVID stimulusthat socialist bill that went out with no accountability, she said. To bolster what she characterized as a deterioration of Americas morale, Haley called for an end to what she called defeatism and self-loathing nationalism, in the context of criticizing the Biden administration for his weak responses to Chinas spying on the United States and transparent support of Russians war against Ukraine while catering more to the needs of illegal immigrants than to poor and working-class U.S. citizens. She also zeroed in on what she called Bidens embarrassing debacle in Afghanistan when he ordered the evacuation of troops in 2021 from the enemy country, leaving behind billions of dollars worth in military tanks and other equipment for the Taliban to seize. The idea that we left Bagram Air Force Base in the middle of the night without telling our allies who stood shoulder to shoulder with us for decades because we asked them to be there, she said Think about what that told our friends. More importantly, think about what that told our enemies. Time for a Change Haley called for a need for a new generational leader, and echoed her campaign call for competency tests for politicians, inspired by an aging Congress and elderly president. Have you seen D.C.? she asked. These are people making decisions about our national security and our economic stability. She also proposed setting a five-year limit for administration heads of government agencies. Domestically, Haley also touched on a need to keep men out of womens sports, to protect parents rights to raise their children based on their own beliefs and morals, and to establish a nationwide school choice policy across the United States so that parents can choose a school outside their district. When I was in school, we didnt have sex ed until seventh grade. And even then, our parents had to sign a permission slip and my dad wouldnt sign it. So I was the uncool kid in the classroom next door, she said. Thats not the role of school bureaucrats. Theyre not supposed to talk to our kids about that. Parents are supposed to be able to handle that. I want schoolteachers to be teaching science and math and history and reading. All that other stuff is to be taught in the home and discussed in the home. That seemed to especially resonate with the audience as did Haleys response to a question from an audience member who asked how she proposed beating former president Donald Trump. Haley called it a good question, but laid claim that Trump loyalists currently account for only 25 percent of Republican voters, or what she called Trump or no one else supporters. Its a hard 25 percent, she said. But that means, she added, there are 75 percent other Republicans that are looking for a place to be. Haley altogether avoided any politicking against Trump or anyone else in the growing pool of potential Republicans vying for the GOP nomination and instead focused on her underdog accomplishments, having been laughed at she said when she first entered the gubernatorial race in South Carolina Haley pointed out that she started out with only a 3 percent showing in polls before going on to beat one of the states longest-serving legislators, a lieutenant governor, and an attorney general for the governorship, a post she held for eight years. In order to do, this its going to take a lot of courage, courage for me to run and courage from every single one of you to understand that you cant complain about who you get in a general [election] if you dont play in this primary, she said. The liberal media has been especially brutal to Haley, with The New York Times even assembling a jury of political pundits to assassinate her credibility as a candidate, leaving to speculation that maybe the mother of two and wife of a combat veteran does pose a threat to the Democrats. In repeating what has become her campaign battle cry, Haley concluded, To understand that if you want to see America back at her best, you need to send a badass Republican woman to the White House. People lined up in droves for a chance to shake Haleys hand, with some even asking her to sign campaign signs they held up at times during the mini-rally at the Elks Lodge. It was one of two back-to-back appearances she made this week in the purple state of New Hampshire, a battleground state that is proving its still recognized as the first in the nation primary state by drawing White House contenders like Haley to capture support from voters. Haley vowed she would be making many more returns to New Hampshire. White House Warns Americans Not to Travel to Russia After Arrest of WSJ Reporter The headquarters (Lubyanka) of the Federal Security Service (FSB), the former KGB in Moscow. (MAXIM MARMUR/AFP/Getty Images) The Biden administration has condemned the detention of a Wall Street Journal reporter by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB). National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on March 30 that the targeting of American citizens by the Russian government is unacceptable and that the United States strongly condemns the detention of reporter Evan Gershkovich. Kirby went on to say that President Joe Biden has been briefed on the situation and has spoken with Gershkovichs family and employer. He also told reporters that the U.S. embassy in Moscow is seeking consular access to the detainee. The FSB, the main internal security and counterintelligence organization that succeeded the Soviet-era KGB, said on March 29 that it had detained the journalist stationed in Moscow, in the city of Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains, around 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) east of Moscow. Kirby also said the United States government continues to condemn the Russian governments targeting and repression of journalists and American citizens: As weve said before, the targeting of American citizens by the Russian government is absolutely completely unacceptable Americans should please heed the U.S. governments warning not to travel to Russia. U.S. citizens residing or traveling in Russia should depart right away as the State Department continues to advise. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre released a statement to the media echoing much of Kirbys statement, saying the White House is deeply concerned by the troubling reports surrounding Gershkovichs detention, adding that the State Department has been in contact with the Russian government on the issue. The targeting of American citizens by the Russian government is unacceptable. We condemn the detention of Mr. Gershkovich in the strongest terms. State Department Spokesperson Vedant Patel said during a March 30 press briefing that the U.S. Embassy has requested notification of arrest. He said it will likely be several days before they receive access to the journalist to offer consular services, but they will not speculate about or preview actions their department might take. The spokesperson declined to speculate about whether they believe the journalist will be used in a prisoner swap but said the department is working around the clock, to try to gain access to and offer consular services to Gershkovich. Russias security service announced the journalists apprehension, saying in a statement translated by state-run TASS that it had thwarted the illegal activities of Evan Gershkovich, a U.S. citizen born in 1991, a correspondent of the Moscow bureau of the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal, who is suspected of spying in the interests of the American government. It was established that Evan Gershkovich, acting at the request of the American side, collected information constituting a state secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex, the statement continued. The foreigner was detained in Yekaterinburg while attempting to obtain classified information. Gershkovich, 31, is accredited to work as a journalist in Russia by the countrys foreign ministry, according to the FSB. Katabella Roberts contributed to this report. HARARE, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean police have arrested more than 4,300 suspected drug dealers since they launched an operation against drugs and substance abuse early this year. In one of the biggest busts, the police on Monday arrested a 27-year-old man at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport while he allegedly attempted to smuggle 21 kg of crystal meth and one kg of cocaine, all worth about 320,000 U.S. dollars, to Manila, the Philippines. The man appeared in court on Wednesday and was remanded in custody until April 27, pending further investigations. Several people have been arrested at the country's biggest international airport while attempting to smuggle drugs and other contraband into or out of the country. Various stakeholders have teamed up to deal with the growing problem of drug abuse, which has seen many youths engaging in delinquent behavior and at times committing serious crimes. In their latest update on the fight against drugs and substance abuse, the police said they arrested 34 more suspects on Tuesday. "On March 28, 2023, police arrested 34 people on the operation 'No to dangerous drugs and illicit substances', bringing the cumulative arrests to 4,378," the police said on their Twitter handle. White House Wont Say Whether Biden Supports Gun Confiscation In a press briefing on March 29, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre would neither confirm nor deny that President Joe Bidens proposed assault weapons ban could involve gun confiscation. The comments came two days after a 28-year-old woman shot and killed three children and three adults at The Covenant School, a private Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee, before being shot and killed by police. Jean-Pierre avoided directly answering a question about whether Biden supported the mandatory confiscation of millions of Americans firearms if Congress passes a bill calling for a ban on semiautomatic rifles. Does the president support not just banning the sale and the manufacture of semiautomatic weapons, but further than that, confiscation? a reporter asked. Let me just be very clear, what were talking about. AR-15s, this assault weapons ban, they are weapons of war, she said. The AR-15 sporting rifle is the semiautomatic version of the M-16 and M-4 rifles used by the U.S. military and is one of the most widely owned civilian firearms in America. As you know, we all know how government works, the press secretary added. Theres only so much that he can do, and so now its time for Congress to do the work. And hes happy to signonce that happens, hes happy to sign that legislation that says, OK, were going to remove assault weapons. Were going have an assault weapons ban.' The same reporter then reminded her about the concerns of Republican lawmakers who said that there were tens of millions of semiautomatic rifles in homes throughout the United States, making them almost impossible to ban. Its unacceptable that Republicans are saying there is nothing that we can do, she said, and added that Republicans in Congress need to look in the mirror. White House Blames Republicans In a March 28 appearance on MSNBCs Morning Joe, Jean-Pierre made similar statements and accused Republicans of hindering Democrats attempts to pass an assault weapons ban, despite the fact that Democrats controlled the White House and both houses of Congress for two years. What I will say to Republicans in Congress is, what are you going to say to these parents? What are you going to say to these family members? We cannot sit around to allow this anymore, she said. Jean-Pierre then said Biden has taken more executive action on gun laws than any president before him. But guess what? As were seeing, we need to do more, she said. In a March 28 speech in Durham, North Carolina, Biden renewed his calls for Congress to ban so-called assault weapons. Im a Second Amendment guy. Everybody thinks somehow the Second Amendment is absolute! Youre not allowed to go out and own an automatic weapon. Youre not allowed to own a machine gun. Youre not allowed to own a flamethrower! Biden said. Republicans have pushed back on the press secretarys attacks. A woman holding a pro-Trump sign allegedly pulled a knife on a family with two small children after an argument broke out outside a Lower Manhattan courthouse. The lone woman was seen on March 28 protesting Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs attempt to charge former president Donald Trump, outside of Manhattan Criminal Court, reported Politico. A courthouse official said a couple with two small children in strollers accidentally bumped into the individual while crossing the intersection of Hogan Place and Centre Street shortly after 4 p.m. The female suspect, who held a sign reading I support Trump, do you? was allegedly arguing with two women, as described in some reports, and a man and woman in other reports, before pulling out a 6-inch blade and waving it at the family, eyewitnesses reportedly said. Police and court officials did not initially release the protesters name, age, or other personal information, but the suspect has since been identified as Angelica Rucker. Angelica Rucker pulled a knife from her right side belt hip area and began menacing one of the complainants with the knife as the verbal confrontation pursued, a court spokesperson said, Politico reported. Business units operating from residential buildings Staff Reporter A large number of residential buildings under the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) are being let out for commercial purposes, which is denting the revenue generation of the civic body. There are more than one lakh properties in the State capital where commercial activities are being conducted after taking permission for residential building. There has been no change in their land use. The reason for this is tax evasion by the property owners. Due to no physical verification, the civic body is losing crores of rupees every year. If accurate calculation of the use and construction area of the building is done, then the revenue collection of the municipal corporation will increase. Property tax is levied in the city on the basis of the construction of the building and its use. But people give wrong information of total construction to evade property tax. On the other hand, if commercial establishments are running in the residential buildings, then their information is also hidden. Even if the ward staff comes for physical verification, they do not take action. Because the property owner has given all the information to the ward staff while depositing the property tax. There are a total of five lakh properties in the State capital, out of which more than 3.50 lakh property owners have constructed 30 to 80 percent more than the permission. But their property tax is being collected only on the basis of the permission given by the building permission branch. In the current financial year, the municipal corporation has set a target of collecting Rs 346 crore as revenue from property tax. If property tax is verified in different areas of the city by the municipal corporation, then an additional income of Rs 100 crore will increase every year. Ekta Agarwal, Deputy Commissioner (BMC), said that complaints have been received earlier also about wrong information in the calculation of property tax. Physical verification of properties will be done at the zone level. After this, additional tax will be imposed after revising the property tax. Catastrophe Lifeline By Gwynne Dyer ON SATURDAY Asteroid 2023 DZ2 flew by our planet at 27,000 km per hour, closer to us than it was to the Moon. It was less than one-hundredth of the diameter of the gigantic asteroid that took down the dinosaurs and most other animals 66 million years ago (75% of land species extinct), but it would still have killed a large city with a direct hit. While close approaches are a regular occurrence, one by an asteroid of this size (50-100 metres in diameter) happens only about once per decade, providing a unique opportunity for science, said officials with NASAs Planetary Defence Coordination Office. But even the scientists would not welcome an asteroid ten times as big as 2023 DZ2. Most scientists used to believe that such big rocks hit Earth on average only once every 6,00,000-7,00,000 years. That figure has to be based on studies of how big and how fresh craters are on the Moon and Mars, however, because wind and water quickly erode the evidence of most asteroid strikes on Earth. Now theres a new study out that suggests strikes in the one-km. range happen much more often. James Garvin, chief scientist of NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center, recently led a research team that says the big hits may happen up to a dozen times per million years. Bad news, he explained: It would be in the range of serious crap happening. News: A one-km-wide asteroid would boost megatonnes of vapourised rock into the stratosphere, where it would stay for years and block some of the incoming sunlight. It wouldnt be complete darkness at noon like the dinosaur-killer of 66 million years ago (10-15 km.), but it would be dark and cold enough to kill most plants which would cause mass die-backs in the animals that eat them, too. Not enough to cause mass extinctions, probably, but really hard times for most living things, including people. The one-km-range strikes dont usually leave any record in the rocks, because enough breeding pairs survive to build populations back up to normal levels in a few centuries. We certainly wouldnt want such a strike to happen on our watch, but even an average of once every 80,000 years gives us a decent chance of avoiding it. Some of the biggest volcanoes, alas, cause much the same problem, and they explode much more often. Mount Pinatubo in 1991 drove immense amounts of gas and pulverised rock into the stratosphere, including 17 million tonnes of sulfur dioxide, and gave us a half a degree Celsius of global cooling for two years. The Year Without a Summer of 1816, after Mount Tambora in Indonesia exploded, saw average global temperature drop temporarily by 3C, crops fail everywhere, food prices soar, and millions starve. Lord Byron wrote the poem Darkness, which begins, I had a dream, which was not all a dream. The bright sun was extinguishd. There are about a dozen known supervolcanoes in the world, mostly around the Pacific ring of fire or in the Mediterranean region. They can produce worldwide climatic effects similar to a major asteroid strike, but possibly much longer-lasting. Such eruptions are unpredictable, but tend to happen at intervals of tens or hundreds of thousands of years. And finally, the likeliest kind of darkness at noon: simultaneous firestorms that push smoke and soot up into the stratosphere in a hundred cities struck by nuclear weapons. Its called a nuclear winter, and even a relatively small nuclear war like India vs. Pakistan could cause global famine for a number of years, depending on how many cities burned. The common denominator, the kill mechanism in all of these catastrophes, is the loss of sunlight, killing crops and causing mass starvation. The new technology that could protect the human race, or at least most of it, from death by starvation and related horrors is precision fermentation: food that can be mass-produced without land or even sunshine. Its bacteria that contain the right kinds of nutrition, fed on hydrogen produced by electrolysis of water, fermented in bioreactors and needing only light (which could be artificial) to double in volume every few hours. If necessary, the food they provide could feed the world. The first pilot plants are being built right now, and in a few years food from the sky will be cheaper than soya and the various grains that are currently grown to feed the worlds domesticated animals. Indeed, within a decade much of the land that animal fodder used to be grown on may be returned to nature. Farm-free food for people will come later, but the basic elements can be combined to suit human tastes too. In the future, if one of these catastrophes should strike, we can just switch from feeding the animals to feeding ourselves. We werent even looking for it, and were getting free survival insurance. Congress nationwide Jai Bharat Satyagrah Abhiyan from April 15 Staff Reporter Senior leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party are freaking out and afraid of Rahul Gandhi and his queries in the Parliament. BJP-led Central Government made a conspiracy of suspending membership of Rahul Gandhi in the Parliament and trying to hush-up the scam of Rs 20,000 crore by Gautam Adani. In order to expose the brutal fact of BJP Government amongst public, Congress Party will stage nationwide Jai Bharat Satyagrah Abhiyan, from April 15, informed Dolly Sharma, National Spokesperson, All India Congress Committee while addressing a press conference, on Wednesday. AICC, Spokesperson added that Jai Bharat Satyagrah Abhiyan will start from district level from April 15 to 20 and state wide campaign from April 20 to 30. Dolly Sharma charged he Prime Minister, Narendra Modi who is trying to suppress the voice of democracy in the Parliament just for protecting his ally Adani. The Government has failed in replying the query of Rahul Gandhi and suspended his membership under a conspiracy. HSP to celebrate foundation day, Ram Navami with grand Gada Yatra on 31st Staff Reporter Hindu Sewa Parishad will celebrate its foundation day and pious Ram Navami festival by taking out a grand religious procession Gada Yatra on March 31. The programme will symbolize the rich culture and tradition of Hindu religion and encourage the youngsters and community persons to come forward for protection of their culture from western influence, informed by Atul Jeswani, State President, Hindu Sewa Parishad while addressing a press conference, on Wednesday. Jeswani informed that the grand religious event will be organised in special presence of Rajudas Maharaj arriving from Hanumangarhi, Ayodhya, Gurusharan Maharaj from Pandokhar Sarkar Dham, Datia, Delhi, Kapil Mishra, founder of Hindu Eco System and Hindu Janjagruti Pracharak, Hanumant Ramesh Shinde. Gada Yatra will inaugurate with worship of lord Hanuman at Hanuman Mandir, Naudara Bridge, at 11 am on March 31. Procession will pass through Karamchand Chowk, Tularam Chowk, Andherdeo, Khajanchi Chowk, Kamania Gate, Fuhara, Lordganj, Super Market, Malviya Chowk, Teen Patti Chowk. The religious procession will culminate at Naudara Bridge with a grand Mahaarti. Along with Jabalpur, Gada Yatra will be simultaneously taken out in Mandla and Seoni districts. During the procession, more than 11,000 devotees will be the part of religious event. Saurabh Jain informed that main attraction of Gada Yatra will be 2-feet long silver Gada which will be showcased during the procession for general public. Silver Gada will be presented at Ram Mandir Ayodhya. Attractive tableaus, brass band group and live performance of Shiv Tandav will be the part of religious procession. Staff Reporter Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that the holy festival of Navratri is the festival of worship of Shakti. Madhya Pradesh and Bhopal are fortunate that we have got the opportunity to worship Shakti through the Fauji Mela and arms exhibition during Navratri. He said, I am thankful to the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and the Union Government for organising the Fauji Mela in Bhopal. The Chief Minister said that India has a known history of thousands of years. Our valour has also been established for thousands of years. Indias thoughts, values and culture have given guidance and shown direction to the world. If we are powerless then no one listens to us. The Indian Army is one of the most capable forces in the world. Our jawans are protecting Bharat Mata by living in the most difficult conditions. As a result of the sacrifice and penance of the army, we are able to celebrate festivals. I salute the bravery, courage and valour of our wonderful Army. Chief Minister Chouhan was addressing after inaugurating the military fair and arms exhibition in the grounds of Motilal Vigyan Mahavidyalaya, Bhopal. Commanding in Chief Northern Army Command Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi and senior officers of the three services were present. Chief Minister Chouhan inaugurated the military fair by cutting the ribbon and releasing balloons. Chief Minister Chouhan was presented a memento of Fauji Mela-2023. Bhopals Shaurya Smarak has been built in the memory of 30,000 soldiers who were martyred after independence. Chief Minister Chouhan said that it is a matter of good fortune that the Commanders Conference of all the three forces is going to be held in Bhopal from March 30 to April 1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and senior most officers of the three services will participate in it. He said that our Army is dedicated to the victory of religion. Prime Minister Modi has a clear message that we will not tease anyone from our side, if someone teases us, we will not spare him. When Pakistan dared in 1965 and 1971, our forces taught them a befitting lesson. Even in the Kargil war and the surgical strike, our soldiers destroyed the intentions of the enemy. The Indian Army has also made it clear to China that India is not less than anyone. Even after independence, 30,000 soldiers have given martyrdom. In his memory, we have built the Shaurya Smarak in Bhopal. India is becoming self-sufficient in arms under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. There are many such weapons in the military fair too, which have been made indigenously. State Government dedicated to the honour of martyrs: Chief Minister Chouhan said that our soldiers have protected the country by making the supreme sacrifice. Not only war, our Army has also been sensitively active in providing assistance to disaster affected areas. In the disaster in Turkey, the Indian Army was the first to reach and start the relief work. Indian Army is one of the most capable forces in world: CM Chouhan Staff Reporter Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that the holy festival of Navratri is the festival of worship of Shakti. Madhya Pradesh and Bhopal are fortunate that we have got the opportunity to worship Shakti through the Fauji Mela and arms exhibition during Navratri. He said, I am thankful to the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and the Union Government for organising the Fauji Mela in Bhopal. The Chief Minister said that India has a known history of thousands of years. Our valour has also been established for thousands of years. Indias thoughts, values and culture have given guidance and shown direction to the world. If we are powerless then no one listens to us. The Indian Army is one of the most capable forces in the world. Our jawans are protecting Bharat Mata by living in the most difficult conditions. As a result of the sacrifice and penance of the army, we are able to celebrate festivals. I salute the bravery, courage and valour of our wonderful Army. Chief Minister Chouhan was addressing after inaugurating the military fair and arms exhibition in the grounds of Motilal Vigyan Mahavidyalaya, Bhopal. Commanding in Chief Northern Army Command Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi and senior officers of the three services were present. Chief Minister Chouhan inaugurated the military fair by cutting the ribbon and releasing balloons. Chief Minister Chouhan was presented a memento of Fauji Mela-2023. Bhopals Shaurya Smarak has been built in the memory of 30,000 soldiers who were martyred after independence. Chief Minister Chouhan said that it is a matter of good fortune that the Commanders Conference of all the three forces is going to be held in Bhopal from March 30 to April 1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and senior most officers of the three services will participate in it. He said that our Army is dedicated to the victory of religion. Prime Minister Modi has a clear message that we will not tease anyone from our side, if someone teases us, we will not spare him. When Pakistan dared in 1965 and 1971, our forces taught them a befitting lesson. Our responsibility to convince political parties on EVMs, says CEC Kumar NEW DELHI, DAYS after a group of opposition parties raised concerns over the efficacy of EVMs, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Wednesday said it was the poll panels responsibility to convince political parties on the voting machines. He also said over the years, electronic voting machines have given results in favour of all those who have raised concerns over its reliability. Several Opposition parties had last week flagged concerns over the reliability of EVMs and had urged the Election Commission to address their doubts. This question has been answered on several occasions. I dont want to answer it again except the point that in a democratic system, political parties have a major role. They are very important stakeholders, Kumar said responding to a question on opposition parties concerns. We have read about it (concerns), but yet to receive anything. As and when we receive it, we will try our best to convince them. We have done it, well do it again. It is our responsibility, he said. He said the issue of efficacy of the EVMs never came up in the past five assembly elections. People lost by less than 100 votes and candidates accepted it happily, he said. He said besides technology, the process from the time an EVM is deployed till it is stored back in a warehouse is stringent and transparent. Representatives of parties are involved at each step, he said. Since political parties are saying, it must be well thought move. EVMs over the years have given results in favour of those who are raising it (issue), he said. To another question on remote voting machine, the CEC said the poll panel has received suggestions on it, but from a very limited number of parties. We wrote to close to 60 parties. Terrorism in any form a threat to global peace: Doval NEW DELHI, IN A veiled attack on Pakistan and China, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Wednesday said terrorism in any form is a threat to international peace and security, and that the SCO members should not seek unilateral military superiority. Addressing the 18th SCO meeting of NSAs here, Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and its financing are amongst the most serious threats to international peace and security. Any act of terrorism, regardless of its motivation, is unjustifiable. He said this in the presence of representatives from both Pakistan and China, who attended the event virtually. The meeting was being chaired by India. In an oblique reference to China, Doval invoked the SCO Charter that could show the member states the path forward. The Charter calls upon member states to have mutual respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity of states, non use of force or threat of its use in international relations, and seeking no unilateral military superiority in areas, added Doval. The global security landscape is faced with several challenges on account of development in recent years. The SCO region is also affected by the impact of these challenges. The charter calls upon the member states to have mutual respect for sovereignty, and territorial integrity of states, he added further. UNITED NATIONS, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Wednesday adopted a presidential statement, demanding the end of any further advances, and withdrawal from all occupied areas by the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The council strongly condemns the increase in attacks by the M23 in the country's North Kivu province in recent months and the advances of M23, which are worsening security and stability in the region and further exacerbating an extreme humanitarian situation, said the statement. The Security Council demands the immediate and full implementation of commitments on the cessation of hostilities, the end of any further advances by the M23, and its withdrawal from all occupied areas as agreed through the African Union-endorsed Luanda Process, it said. "The Security Council further demands that all external parties immediately cease their support to Security Council-sanctioned M23 and withdraw from the DRC," it added. The council also strongly condemns increased attacks by certain other armed groups against civilians in Ituri and North Kivu, demanding that all members of armed groups immediately and permanently disband, lay down their arms, end and prevent violations perpetrated against women and children, and release children from their ranks. Further, the Security Council underlined the importance of a political resolution of the current crisis, urging all Congolese armed groups to participate unconditionally in the Eastern African Community-led Nairobi process. "The Security Council reiterates its support to regional efforts through the East African Community-led Nairobi Process and the Luanda Process to rebuild trust, resolve differences through dialogue and to continue to make use of existing subregional organisations and mechanisms," the statement said. The worth of water IT IS common knowledge that a person can live without food for many days but would die within three days if he doesnt drink water. The importance of water can be guessed from the fact that God, according to the Bible, created water on the very first day he started building the world. The availability of water has always been a concern of people searching for accommodation. One of the steps taken by the present Central Government was making piped water available in numerous villages.In the past, women trudging long distances, balancing pots on their heads to fetch water from wells, was a common sight. Even small girls used to accompany them with vessels. If the well had only a small quantity of water left, women would even go down to fill the vessels with water. They also used to wash the clothes of the entire family near the well itself. Water was always a burning problem for governments. When it was not available in sufficient quantity locally, they sent water tankers to every locality. In movies, long queues of men and women with vessels waiting for the arrival of tankers were often shown. The hero would help the heroine standing in line by giving her his pot of water to be in her good books. Quarrels among the waiting mob were also common occurrences. During my childhood, people drew water from canals and rivers for drinking. They never thought of boiling or disinfecting it, as no one fell ill after drinking it. That practice ended when factories started dumping polluted water into them, and farmers began using chemical fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides. Those with wells near their house would spread nets over them to prevent birds from dirtying them with their droppings. They used the water for cooking and other purposes. They also did not bother to boil it for drinking. Those were the days when philanthropists erected water huts on roadsides, offering free, cool drinking water stored in large earthen pots to wayfarers. Bottled drinking water was unheard of. Plastic cans or small earthen pots that would keep the water cool would be essential items of the luggage, usually steel trunks. When trains halted at main stations for long, passengers would run to drinking water outlets. Those standing in line behind you would ask you to move without filling the cans, as others would be deprived of the precious liquid. Vendors would move on the platform, selling glasses of water. When we moved to the staff quarters of my university in Gujarat, there was no problem with drinking water. There was an overhead storage tank near the quarters with water pumped from underground, treated with disinfectants, and supplied to quarters through pipelines. Most residents used to boil the water for drinking. Being near the Arabian Sea, the groundwater has become saline, making it unfit for consumption, forcing the authorities to start a plant to purify the water and supplying it to the residents in large bottles. Water, whether for drinking, agriculture, transport and similar uses, has been a cause for conflict between states and even between countries. STAMFORD The prosecution of a former state judicial marshal accused of stealing money from a developmentally challenged client will continue after a Superior Court judge denied her entry into a pretrial probationary program. Judge John Blawie denied Tammy Lynn DiIorio, 42, entry into the accelerated rehabilitation program, a pretrial probationary program that, if successfully completed, could have resulted in the charges against her being dropped. Blawie found that DiIorio, who is charged with multiple felonies, did not demonstrate good cause for the court to allow her into the pretrial program during a disposition hearing at the state Superior Court in Stamford on Wednesday. DiIorio, 39, of Stratford, was arrested by Connecticut State Police on charges of first-degree larceny, third-degree larceny and second-degree forgery in November 2018 on allegations she stole directly from a 55-year-old Norwalk woman with the intellectual level of a 12-year-old, according to an arrest affidavit. Detective John Kimball wrote in the affidavit that DiIorio allegedly stole money earmarked for the woman by the state Department of Developmental Services and signed state documents on her behalf. Police said the alleged thefts occurred during 2014 and 2015, when Dilorio worked as an aide for the client and as a state judicial marshal in the Norwalk Court House. The victim lived alone and had fallen behind on rent by $4,870, according to police. The Western District Major Crime Squad and the Department of Developmental Services began investigating the case in April 2016 after receiving a complaint. Over the next two years, authorities conducted interviews and examined financial documents, cell phone data and more. The investigation revealed DiIorio had allegedly used her clients debit card for a number of unauthorized expenditures, including purchases at a Brooklyn Nets game at the Barclays Center in New York, Mohegan Sun and a Norwalk shoe store, the affidavit said. The womans brother also told investigators that his sisters home was kept in deplorable and dirty conditions with bugs, dirty, spoiled food, excessive dirty laundry, dirty dishes everywhere, according to the affidavit. He said it appeared that no one had been helpingkeep her apartment clean, although DiIorio regularly documented activities such as laundry and clean up on her time sheet, police wrote in the affidavit. In total, state police determined that a minimum amount of $5,665 was stolen from the state and $4,7870 from the woman, the affidavit said. I believe they should be punished by the full extent of the law. It is despicable to take advantage of someone so vulnerable, a STAR Inc. employee who worked with the victim told police, the affidavit said. In her interviews with police, DiIorio denied stealing from her client, who she claimed was family. I would never, ever steal from anybody OK let alone someone with developmental disabilities that, like, I took into my home, that I love, DiIorio told police, according to the affidavit. After being denied pretrial probation, DiIorios case was placed on the trial list. She is next expected to appear in court on May 9. Contributed/Norwalk Fire Department NORWALK A fire displaced 10 residents from their home in the Spring Hill neighborhood Thursday morning, an official said. There were no injuries reported among any of the residents or firefighters who responded to the blaze. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate EDWARDSVILLE A Collinsville man allegedly was impaired when his pickup truck crashed into the rear end of a stationary police car on Illinois Route 157 two weeks ago, injuring an Edwardsville officer and a citizen. Matthew Bell, 29, is charged in Madison County court with aggravated driving while under the influence and two counts of improper passing of an emergency vehicle, all Class 4 felonies. The case was presented this week by the Illinois State Police. Bail was set at $50,000. The incident occurred at 9:13 p.m. on March 17, St. Patrick's Day. Two police patrol vehicles were assisting a motorist with a broken down vehicle in the lane of traffic southbound on Route 157, just north of Center Grove Road in Edwardsville. A 1993 black Ford Ranger traveling southbound struck the rear of one of the squad cars, a 2017 black Ford Explorer, fully marked Edwardsville police vehicle with emergency lights activated. The patrol vehicle was stopped in the roadway to block traffic while assisting a motorist, state police reported. The impact of the crash caused significant damage to the rear of the squad car and front of the pickup. The injured officer is Jacob Lively of the Edwardsville Police Department. The identity of the citizen who was hurt has not been released, although state police listed him as a 21-year-old. He had accompanied Lively on a ride along. Both sustained non-life-threatening injuries, Fillback said. Edwardsville Fire Department personnel transported each to area hospitals; both were released by the next morning. Bell was not injured in the crash, according to police. ISP handled the investigation because there was a police officer from the local department involved. State police initially cited Bell for aggravated use of a wireless device while operating a vehicle, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and operation of an uninsured motor vehicle, in addition to the charges posed against him this week in court. In the days around the St. Patrick's Day holiday, from March 10-18, the Edwardsville Police Department partnered with the Illinois Department of Transportation and law enforcement across the state for the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement campaign. Edwardsville police arrested eight people for DUI during that holiday period. The local department added 11 hours of patrol dedicated to curbing impaired driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations Fatality Analysis Reporting System, in 2020, found a total of 11,654 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver. On average, more than 10,000 people were killed each year from 2016 to 2020, with one person killed in an alcohol-related crash every 45 minutes in 2020. EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been corrected on March 31, 2023, to reflect that EPD Officer Jacob Lively was the law enforcement officer injured in the crash. Illinois State Police Trooper Brennan Vahle handled the incident for the ISP. The Intelligencer regrets the error. JUBA, March 29 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan on Wednesday vowed to enhance security for aid workers following recent attacks which have led to the loss of innocent lives and the looting of food and other items meant to help the vulnerable people. "The ministry takes this opportunity to apologize for these very unfortunate and senseless incidents and for the loss of lives of innocent people, who were providing humanitarian services," Albino Akol Atak, minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, told journalists in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. Early this month, a humanitarian convoy was attacked in South Sudan's Jonglei State, leaving two people dead and several others injured. There were more than 20 violent incidents against humanitarian staff and assets in January alone, more than double what it was in January 2022, according to the UN. Akol assured that the government is determined to provide adequate security for the safe delivery of humanitarian deliveries and assets to various destinations in the country. He revealed plans by South Sudan to conduct a forum between humanitarian actors and armed groups to address the challenge of insecurity faced by aid workers working to deliver aid to the vulnerable people in the country. Peter Van der Auweraert, acting humanitarian coordinator for South Sudan, said humanitarian agencies operating in the country are optimistic about new coordination and collaboration between the government and aid agencies, stressing that it is more important going forward in saving the lives of the vulnerable people. South Sudan is one of the most dangerous places for aid workers, with nine humanitarian workers killed in the line of duty and 418 incidents reported in 2022, according to the UN. An estimated 9.4 million people in South Sudan are projected to need humanitarian assistance or protection services in 2023, the UN said. EDWARDSVILLE A Granite City man has been deemed a "sexually dangerous person" and sentenced to a special unit of the Illinois Department of Corrections. Madison County State's Attorney Tom Haine had sought the designation for David F. Brown, 58, of Granite City. Following a bench trial, Associate Judge Neil Schroeder granted the Sexually Dangerous Person Act petition filed by Haine. Schroeder ruled that Brown has a mental illness and has demonstrated a propensity toward offenses of sexual assault. Schroeder added that there is a substantial probability that, if not confined, Brown would commit sex offenses in the future. Brown will be a ward of the Illinois Department of Corrections and held indefinitely in a special unit inside a state prison. A Sexually Dangerous Person petition is a proceeding that is reserved for the most persistent offenders, Haine said. They are sex offenders who have demonstrated a propensity toward acts of sexual violence. "David Brown is precisely the type of dangerous offender who needs to be removed from society under this law, Haine added. At the trial two psychologists who evaluated Brown testified he fits the definition of a Sexually Dangerous Person. Haine's petition outlined sexual assaults committed by Brown against six different victims. All of the assaults involved weapons or force. In 1996-97, Brown was charged with assaulting an acquaintance in a car, and later with assaulting two other acquaintances in the basement of his home. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, then released in 2019. In 2019 and 2020, three more women who were acquainted with Brown reported they also were sexually assaulted by him in separate cases, resulting in additional charges filed against him. After the filing of those new charges, Haines office filed the petition against Brown under the Sexually Dangerous Person Act. Haine commended the work of Assistant Madison County States Attorneys Ali Foley and Cara Tegel, along with the Madison County Sheriffs Office, the Granite City Police Department and other police agencies who assisted in investigations involving Brown. GLEN CARBON While he has comfy digs in Maryville presently, Dr. Ryan Diederich has plans to move his Mid-America Surgery Center north, to the other side of Interstate 270. The only item of new business on Tuesday's Glen Carbon building and development committee agenda was to discuss Diederich's plans to move to a current four-lot site at Troy Road and Edwards Drive. The panel approved the plan 2-0. Trustee Walter Harris was absent. Justin Venvertloh, a project manager with Thouvenot, Wade and Moerchen (TWM), is working on this effort and introduced the preliminary site plan for the project along with Arianna Kampwerth, a project engineer with Plocher Construction. Currently, the site is four individual parcels where two homes stand. Diederich has the four parcels under contract and the site plan development process is under way. At least two parcels will need to be annexed and rezoning all four lots will be combined to general commercial. Venvertloh said the site would comprise 40,000 square feet, including a 16,000-square-foot basement, a matching size first floor with an 8,000-square-foot second floor. There would be a covered patient drop-off/pick-up area in the back. Village Administrator Jamie Bowden said Edwards Drive will need to be upgraded to accommodate traffic and runoff. Site runoff will be handled by an underground control and drainage system. The village owns 40 to 50 feet of right-of-way on Edwards Drive. There should be at least one entrance for the new center off of Edwards Drive. Public Works Director Scott Slemer asked Venvertloh if the Illinois Department of Transportation would place a traffic light at this location if the property across Illinois Route 159 to the east were to develop. The answer is yes, Venvertloh said, as it was first planned several years ago. Businesses to the north of this site on the west side of Troy Road include Gateway Medical, Great Beginnings Learning Center and Enterprise Rent-a-Car. Trustee Ben Maliszewski asked if it would be possible to put a pass-through access easement between Mid-America and Gateway Medical. Venvertloh said topographically, there is a major difference between the two properties near 159 that would make it impossible but it might be doable at the properties' rear section. Venvertloh belives the site is overparked as it is designed and does not want developers to start off by requesting variances. Maliszewski asked if a right-in/right-out turn lane would be the best way to go for traffic control on 159. Venvertloh noted there is a bi-directional left turn lane on 159 and customers of other businesses to the north have access to and make use of it. Kampwerth noted that IDOT allows two entrances off of 159 but they opted for just one; Venvertloh said IDOT, however, wants the 159 entrance as far from Edwards Drive as possible. The plan for the surgery center now will go before Glen Carbon's planning and zoning commission. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Reparations for Black residents in California will move to the state Legislature once a first-in-the-nation task force submits its recommendations and findings by July 1. But the task force will not propose a cash restitution amount for individuals, opting instead to leave it to lawmakers to figure out how much descendants of U.S. chattel slavery are owed. The panel on Wednesday endorsed calculation methodologies showing that California could owe African American residents more than $800 billion just for discrimination in policing and housing loans. Californias annual budget is nearly $300 billion. WHAT WILL LAWMAKERS DO NEXT? Two task force members are also state lawmakers and will spearhead efforts to turn the panel's recommendations into legislation that can pass the Assembly and Senate and get the support of Gov. Gavin Newsom. State Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer said they aim to introduce reparations legislation in January. Legislation usually takes months before passing both chambers and reaching the governor's desk. State. Sen Steven Bradford introduced a bill to keep the panel going for another year so members can assist lawmakers as they consider the groups recommendations. WHERE WILL CALIFORNIA GET MONEY TO FUND REPARATIONS? Bradford has suggested setting aside 0.5% of the states annual budget or $1.5 billion every year for a reparations fund that could pay for ongoing programs for free health care, education and homebuying assistance, among other things. Democratic Assemblymember Lori Wilson, who chairs the Legislative Black Caucus, said its too early to know where money for reparations plans would ultimately come from, but she looks forward to that robust discussion." California Senate Pro-Tem Toni Atkins said in a statement it's too early to comment on any possible reparations legislation. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon looks forward to studying the task force's final report, spokesperson John Casey said in an email. WHAT ARE OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REPAIR? The task force recommends lawmakers establish a California American Freedmen Affairs Agency to help people with reparations claims, among other duties. Other policy proposals include paying incarcerated inmates market value for their labor, establishing free wellness centers in Black communities and adopting a K-12 Black studies curriculum. CALIFORNIA WAS NEVER A SLAVE STATE. WHY IS IT CONSIDERING REPARATIONS? A groundbreaking report issued by the task force last year lays out how California and local governments used racist laws and policies to discriminate against African American residents in a host of areas, including housing, labor, education and the criminal justice system. Black people are overrepresented in state prisons and county jails. They also make up about 6% of the state's population but 30% of its homeless population. WHAT ARE THE ARGUMENTS AGAINST REPARATIONS IN CALIFORNIA? In general, critics of reparations say current taxpayers who never owned slaves should not have to compensate the descendants of slavery. Some people say the federal government should be responsible for paying descendants. Bob Woodson, a prominent Black conservative, calls reparations impractical, controversial and counterproductive. No amount of money could ever make right the evil of slavery, and it is insulting to suggest that it could, he said. HOW DID THE TASK FORCE START? Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed legislation in 2020 creating the nine-member task force. The panel began meeting in 2021. Its charge was to document slavery and its effects on descendants today, recommend ways to educate the public on the task forces findings, and propose how the state can repair the harm, including an apology, policy changes and financial compensation. WHATS THE STATUS OF OTHER REPARATIONS EFFORTS? Similar attempts are moving along in other parts of the country although reparations proposals have stalled at the federal level. In New York, lawmakers reintroduced legislation this year to create a commission to study reparations. In San Francisco, the Board of Supervisors expressed general support of a reparations plan drafted by an advisory committee but stopped short of endorsing specific proposals. - Har reported from San Francisco. Man airlifted from dirt bike crash A man reportedly suffered serious injuries Friday when his motorcycle collided with another... Father McGivney remains undefeated with win at Busch Stadium Ranked seventh in the state by Prep Baseball Report, the Griffins remain undefeated at 23-0.... EHS girls send seven runners to Distance Night in Palatine The Edwardsville girls track and field program was well represented at the Distance Night in... Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Aditya Hadi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, March 30, 2023 12:25 25 5fceed71997e5776a1634d25dc393d98 1 Markets fertilizer,inflation,agriculture Free Fertilizer prices have declined in recent months after a gradual hike since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Rahmad Pribadi, the president director of state-owned fertilizer firm PT Pupuk Kalimantan Timur (Pupuk Kaltim). However, the downward trend was "still slow, he said in a press conference on Wednesday, while noting the gradual decline followed a prolonged increased in fertilizer prices that began back in March 2020. "Since the pandemic ended, the price has been declining. We see an increase in raw-material exports from China," Rahmad stated on Wednesday, as quoted by Tempo. Unfortunately, the war between Russia and Ukraine had pushed up natural gas prices, which were closely related to fertilizer production, he said. The highest price increase happened in nitrogen-based fertilizers, especially Urea. Wijaya Laksana, senior vice president and corporate secretary at Pupuk Indonesia, the parent company of Pupuk Kaltim, said fertilizer prices had jumped significantly because 30 percent of phosphorus and potassium came from Russia and Belarus. "Can you imagine that a third of global [fertilizer raw material] supply is gone due to war? That's why the price is going crazy," Wijaya said on March 13. He cited figures saying the price of NPK fertilizer at one point hit Rp 18.1 million (US$1,202) per tonne, three times its normal price at around Rp 6 million. As a countermeasure, Wijaya explained, the company had made agreements with Russian companies to provide potassium and was searching for other raw materials as well. "We need to remember fertilizer was excluded from the sanctions [against Russia], so we can still buy this raw material from Russia," Wijaya stated. Now, global fertilizer production has improved, and that eases prices. One of the reasons, according to Pupuk Kaltims Rahmad, is a subsidy from the United States government to accelerate the local production of Urea fertilizer. Fertilizer deficit President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo drew attention to the fertilizer deficit in the country when he explained earlier this month local producers had failed to meet domestic demand amounting to 13 million tonnes. "In Indonesia, we can only produce 3.5 million tonnes," the President said during an event in Central Java on March 10, as quoted by the State Secretariat. Read also: Govt to build fertilizer plant in West Papua with 2027 operation target Similar to Pupuk Kaltim executives comment, the President also named the war between Russia and Ukraine as the main cause of the issue. In June last year, he also discussed the fertilizer issue during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. "It's not only Indonesia that lacks fertilizer. Other countries that don't have fertilizer factories even got nothing," Jokowi said. That is why, according to the President, Indonesia imported around 6.3 million tonnes of fertilizer, but even that was not enough to meet demand. In February, the government decided to revive PT Pupuk Iskandar Muda, which could produce 570 thousand tonnes per year. Pupuk Kaltim also planned to build a factory in Papua Barat that is to have a production capacity of 2 million tonnes. Topics : fertilizer inflation agriculture Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tunggul Wirajuda (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, March 30, 2023 An exhibition of contemporary Irish women artists in Jakarta showcases their distinct, yet universal take on the arts and todays world, as told from Irelands standing as a crossroads between Europe and America The visual installation continuously dissolved into pixelated fragments, leaving one to wonder if there are issues with the LED TV used for the work. Traditional wooden tools and boat parts showed up between the apparent malfunctions, baffling yet piquing ones interest. Yet there is a method to this seeming madness in the video art piece by Irish contemporary artist Orla Comerford. Titled Oidhreacht (Legacy) and referred to by her as glitch art, the work highlighted the National College of Art and Design alumnus background as well as her visually impaired condition, and how these factors influenced her view of the world. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Anindito Ariwandono (The Jakarta Post) Bandung Thu, March 30, 2023 09:11 25 91bd6e1d1220161ebde1a4c1fa3a1797 1 Lifestyle spoof-merchandise,bootleg,knock-offs,copyright,copyright-issues Free When Adidas announced earlier this year that they were appointing a co-CEO who was described to be a former factory worker and union leader in Cambodia, along with them doing an eerily-dystopic launch for a new product range dubbed as reality wear, the fashion world went into a full-on frenzy. Bloggers and websites were covering the spoof fashion show in Berlin (most of the posts are now deleted), writing in response to the press release that circulated through a fake Adidas email address. The release, and everything it has to do with, turned out to be written and planned by culture-jamming activists duo The Yes Men. While the said incident was particularly of the fashion world and, even more, built on grounds of distressing social narratives, the said trickster-like conduct in which The Yes Men brought together a fever-dreamish take of a brand while treading playfully, and also dangerously, on what is considered legal, somewhat made one think about Indonesias own world of spoofs, albeit belonging to a lighter nature of critiques and a whole different set of contexts. Well, that, and the fact that luxury brand GUCCI lost its trademark battle in Japan against a parody brand CUGGL (pronounced kyuguru). The Lizards and the Jester Late December 2022, Jakarta-based multidisciplinary brand Kamengski, run by artist-slash-avid mash-up practitioner Sulaiman Said, announced a release of a 12-inch vinyl picture disc of Australian psych rockers King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. The announcement came across as quite monumental for people in the local independent music industry, as the band, at that point in time, was pretty much a big thing; it still is. Some people were gobbling the news of Kamengskis release in awe, failing to notice the gag that was being delivered by the renowned jester; it is a bootleg release. Its a bootleg, but its official, Sulaiman cryptically mentioned to The Jakarta Post back in January. Fresh out of a meeting that extended well into the night, Sulaiman explained about the release in a generally-uninterested mannerism. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard actually allowed people to bootleg their releases in return for a number of copies, of the bootlegs, to be sold officially on their online store. Spoofery: Kamengski's mashup of local expedition company JNE's logo with South Korean girl band BLACKPINK's Jennie Kim. (Courtesy of Kamengski) (Personal collection/Courtesy of Kamengski) How many copies, you ask? Whatever you feel is fair trade is cool with us, wrote the band on their website, which is quite reminiscent of the egalitarian ways of DIY punk bands/labels in which they usually trade releases with each other. There are certain ones [that are allowed], continued Sulaiman. But these are the songs that we selected ourselves from the releases that are allowed [to be bootlegged]. Hence the Best of the Best tagline. Its our version of the best. I cracked a little laugh at the term Best of the Best. It is so blatant and gaudy that it is nonchalantly very on-brand. Kamengski has been a purveyor of the uncouth and deliberate-tackiness since 2008 and is currently running at the forefront of the spoof wave. Sulaimans gags and products are so well-known, they sometimes precede the brand itself. It did not take long before other real bootleggers started picking up on his designs and gags. Spoofers, spoofed Well, its a parody, so I think thats a given, said Sulaiman. Gag shirts are pretty much common abroad, no? Not sure about whether they got in trouble for it though. Its pretty much hit-or-miss. Kamengski and other players in the field of parody/spoof merchandise are pretty much meddling in making pastiches of known/renowned-works and pop culture references, be it from local or abroad. They are essentially playing inside the gray area, taking bits and pieces from copyrighted materials and appropriating them into different works that still, up until a certain point, remind you of the originals. Sulaimans mashups can sometimes feel like very fertile ground for lawsuits, such as his mashup of local expedition JNEs corporate logo with South Korean girl band BLACKPINKs Jennie Kim (a trip down memory lane to that 2015s DHL X Vetement collaboration?). Yet, instead of lawsuits, Sulaiman has been getting requests from brands and corporations, approaching him for potential collaborations. Never, he said. No lawsuits. His latest one was with British condom brand Durex in late 2022. Sulaiman does not seem to show any care for bootleggers that are bootlegging his, strictly speaking, bootleg merchandise, nor does he care about any possible future lawsuits, if any, as he is doing it just for fun. Other lampoonists, however, have taken a more aggressive approach in handling their intellectual property. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, another lampoonist/parodist, Jakarta-based illustrator Michelle Sherrina, who releases her work under the moniker Sherchle, was gunning down a local brand that stole her illustrations for selling T-shirts. While Sulaimans works are more outright and almost-blatant in showing references (hence his indifference to being bootlegged in turn), Michelles works, instead, are more subtle and imbued due to the nature of her medium: illustrations. Anindito Ariwandono (Personal collection/Courtesy of Susah Waras) Together with the fact that most of her work that was being pirated were original characters, it was only logical that she went after her offender. Toying around The risk of being spoofed, however, is not the only threat. In 2016, Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) was hot on the trail of GoodGuysNeverWin (GGNW), an independent toy-making company based in Jakarta founded in 2005 and run by artist Cipta Croft Cusworth. The KPAI was enraged over a series of action figures that were made by GGNW based on Indonesian serial killers, Indo Psychos. It dubbed the series as dangerous for childrens psychological development" in a 2016 interview with Detik. It was a pointless persecution, in my opinion. To begin with, the action figure was not meant for children in the first place, with 17+ clearly written on the packaging. The series was meant to be a collectible item that is not being catered to masses, moreover to children. These days, GGNW runs its operations in Melbourne, Australia, aside from Jakarta. Their current most-notable work might be the series of Indonesian ghosts/specters action figures. Along with Susah Waras, GGNW might be the two top of minds when it comes to bootleg toys, said fellow toymaker and visual artist Mirfak Prabowo. He referred to Bandung, West Java-based toymaker Susah Waras, who was responsible for the viral brick and mortar cookies. They faced a lot of plagiarism as well. Mirfak also runs a toy-making outfit named Ffu Space/Mirffu from his studio in Tangerang, Banten. Compared with GGNW or Kamengskis somewhat stark approach, Mirfak shares a similar DNA with Michelle in the way that their work is more imbued or diffused in terms of references. Although he was reluctant in embracing the label parodist, Mirfaks approach is definitely of one. His figure series Yo Face takes reference from the famous Ghibli character No Face/Kaonashi from Spirited Away. The similarity ends there, however, and he always sets up a backstory for his characters, effortlessly infused with anything local. Mal-K, the stone-faced character wearing a varsity jacket and a hat, took the story of local legend Malin Kundang, but given todays twist (a traveling musician in Mal-Ks case). Im not that full-on parody, though. Im just garing (dry humor)! Mirfak said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Front Row (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, March 30, 2023 14:04 25 d5259e4d93052b0e76bee70b0538339f 4 Front Row Alila-Villas-Uluwatu Free In April and May 2023, chefs and mixologists from Alila Villas Uluwatu and Park Hyatt Jakarta will be trading places in four kitchen and bar takeovers, two in Bali and two in Jakarta. The unique gastronomic experiences of the sister Hyatt hotels share a philosophy of thoughtfully crafted food and drinks made from the finest and freshest seasonal, local and organic ingredients. From Park Hyatt Jakartas summit to the cliffs of Uluwatu, KITA Restaurants Japanese executive sous chef Takeumi Hiraoka will bring the best of Japan to Bali from April 10 to 13, taking over the kitchen at CIRE Restaurant to craft an exclusive menu that showcases a selection of his signature dishes, such as lobster tempura with a sweet and spicy sauce, salted seafood soba noodles and nigiri sushi. Born in Tokyo, Chef Takeumi is a master of the delicate knife techniques that are essential for the preparation of authentic Japanese cuisine, having honed his skills in establishments around the world. He served as head sushi chef at a popular Tokyo restaurant, became executive chef at a restaurant in Baku, Azerbaijan, and developed an award-winning restaurant in Qatar. He also opened the SORA Japanese restaurant at Park Hyatt Doha, whose discerning diners include Qatari royalty, before bringing his expertise to Park Hyatt Jakarta in 2022. KITA Bar, one of Jakartas highest rooftop bars in Jakarta, is set to wow guests at Sunset Cabana Bar at Alila Villas Uluwatu on May 11 as master of mixology Agustin Da Sambiagio will bring to Bali a curation of craft cocktails that have made KITA Bar one of the citys favourite drink and unwind hangouts. While soaking in the panoramic Indian Ocean views from the Uluwatu clifftop, guests can sip on sophisticated creations such as Mimika Treasure, a refreshing concoction of bunga pala and kemukus infused vodka, dark rum, jasmine cordial and orange juice swizzled in a Tiki mug, and Snake Martini a fun twist on the classic Martini, made with salak sous-vide vodka, sake and white vermouth. Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Agustin started his hospitality career at an early age, finding his passion behind the bar. Acclaimed for his innovative creations and expertise, he has worked his magic at some of the worlds top bars, from South America to Southeast Asia, following his love of discovering new products, techniques and places. Meanwhile from May 18 to 21 at Park Hyatt Jakartas Dining Room, Chef Harley from The Warung at Alila Villas Uluwatu will bring flavours from different regions of Bali together in a menu celebrating the traditional cuisine of the Island of the Gods. Jakartas gourmands can look forward to indulging in a selection of distinctive dishes, including entrees, mains and desserts that showcase the culinary diversity of Bali, from charred slow-braised pork ribs, to grilled marinated duck, and Balinese rice cakes, all perfectly complemented by The Warungs signature assorted Balinese sambals. I Putu Agus Harley Wijaya, also known as Chef Harley, has been a fixture in the kitchens at Alila Villas Uluwatu since 2009, and for the past decade has served as Chef de Partie at The Warung, where vibrant Indonesian and Balinese flavours take centre stage. He credits the passion he brings to his profession to cooking at home with his mother as a young boy, learning how to prepare authentic Balinese food for family and friends. Today, his greatest joy is bringing the heart and soul of Balinese food to the plate to create special dining moments. And on May 5 at KITA Bar, Alila Villas Uluwatus passionate mixologist I Putu Wirawan will be creating a series of unique cocktails that each have a story to tell, inspired by famous myths and legends from around the world such as the Arabic tale of Aladdin and his magic lamp, the beauty of the Holy Grail, and enchants with an elixir from the ocean served seductively in a sea shell intriguing accompaniments to a memorable night out on the town. As head of mixology at Alila Villas Uluwatu since 2011, Putu has proven himself a talented liquid artist with innovative creations that combine the latest mixology trends and techniques with the best quality ingredients. At the resorts iconic cliff-hanging Sunset Cabana Bar, his imaginatively crafted signature cocktails have elevated the art of drinking into an award-winning multi-sensory experience. Alila Villas Uluwatu General Manager Hemal Jain said that the hotel is always looking to create authentic and awe-inspiring experiences for guests. We are excited to partner with Park Hyatt Jakarta to present the finest of our hotels culinary and mixology experiences and immerse guests in new journeys of discovery, he said. Meanwhile, Park Hyatt Jakarta General Manager Fredrik Harfors said that the collaboration with Alila Villas Uluwatu is a wonderful opportunity to delight our guests and patrons with fresh, innovative luxury experiences, as well as for our masters of their craft to share their creativity and expertise with a new appreciative audience. For further information and reservations at Alila Villas Uluwatu, contact the Communication Host team at DPSAV-ComHost@alilahotels.com, and for events at Park Hyatt Jakarta, please email at dineatthepark.jakarta@hyatt.com. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ni Komang Erviani (The Jakarta Post) Denpasar Thu, March 30, 2023 The Bali immigration office has deported at least 76 foreigners this year, most for overstaying their visas, a provincial government official has said. The head of the Bali Law and Human Rights Agency, Anggiat Napitupulu, said the foreigners had been deported for various violations of immigration law from the beginning of January to March 25. Mostly overstayed [their visas]. Some others misused the visa for work and committed crimes, he said. Foreigners who serve prison time for crimes in Bali are deported once they are released from prison. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Or let Google manage your subscription Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dio Suhenda (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, March 30, 2023 13:36 25 91bd6e1d1220161ebde1a4c1fa3de7e2 1 Society acute-kidney-injury,death,children,health,medicine Free The government has reiterated that it would make good on its promise of giving the families of acute kidney injury (AKI) victims monetary compensation, as the process has dragged on for months since the affliction swept the country and killed over 200 children last year. Speaking to lawmakers on Tuesday, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that he would not hesitate to alert President Joko Jokowi Widodo should the compensation rollout, now under the supervision of the Coordinating Human Development and Culture Ministry, continue to be sluggish. The issue has already been raised to the coordinating minister, and if it continues to be unresolved at that level [] I will bring it to someone above the coordinating minister, since I have promised I will see to [resolving the AKI cases] thoroughly, Budi said when quizzed by lawmakers on how the government planned to hold itself accountable for the string of AKI cases, as reported by Kompas. According to Health Ministry data from Dec. 26, Indonesia reported a total of 325 AKI cases in 2022, with 203 of those resulting in deaths. The injuries are thought to be caused by toxic cough syrups produced by a handful of pharmaceutical companies looking to cut production costs raising the alarm about the weak supervision of drugs sold in the country. Read also: BPOM: Cost-cutting by pharma firms to blame for AKI spike Much of the sticking point surrounding the compensation rollout stemmed from the statement by the Social Affairs Ministry that it did not have the budget to pay for the compensation for AKI victims. I have [told] the Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister [Muhadjir Effendy] that [we] dont have the money, Social Affairs Minister Tri Risma Rismaharini said last week. If we give [the victims compensation] once, but they need it for multiple rounds of hemodialysis, where would all that money come from?, she said, referring to the medical process that sees a patients blood processed through a filter to have the poisons removed. Legal representative for the families of victims, Tegar Putuhena, also criticized Rismas unwillingness to visit children still hospitalized from AKI, as he accused Risma and her fellow ministers to be lacking in empathy. [Risma] is now saying that [her ministry] does not have the budget, but she has not even once visited the children who have been crippled [due to AKI], Tegar said, as quoted by Kompas on Tuesday. All the victims we are representing have never received any polite gesture from the ministers, let alone compensation." Trials for a class action lawsuit filed by 25 families of AKI victims against the health and finance ministries, drug regulator the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) and at least eight drug companies are currently ongoing at the Central Jakarta District Court. Read also: Jakarta court hears class-action suit for tainted cough syrup JOHANNESBURG, March 30 (Xinhua) -- South Africa continues to look to BRICS for promoting industrialization, increasing trade and investment, growing the economy and reducing unemployment, said a senior government official Thursday. "South Africa's trade with other BRICS countries is significant; this is particularly the case with China," said Ebrahim Patel, minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, at the virtual BRICS Economic Indaba. "We need to change the composition of our trade with BRICS since most of the exports are in raw materials, and there are greater opportunities for quantities of fruits and meat to BRICS countries." There are also opportunities for South African alcoholic beverages and fertilizer to be exported to other BRICS countries and import mining machinery from them, said Patel, adding that the country would like to work with BRICS partners in building industrial capacity, technology transfer, putting more energy on the grid, electric vehicle production, pharmaceuticals and green economy. South Africa's exports to other BRICS countries were 677 billion U.S. dollars in 2021, with China accounting for 72 percent of the total, while its imports from them in 2021 were 424 billion U.S. dollars, according to the minister. BRICS is the acronym for an emerging-market bloc that groups Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. South Africa assumed the BRICS presidency on Jan. 1, 2023, taking over from China. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, March 30, 2023 National Police chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo has appointed the head of the Corruption Eradication Commission's (KPK) enforcement division, Insp. Gen. Karyoto, as the Jakarta Police chief, replacing Insp. Gen. Fadil Imran. Karyoto's appointment, announced in an internal police cable on Monday, was part of a major reshuffle initiated by Listyo involving the replacement of seven provincial police chiefs from West Java to Central Sulawesi. KPK chair Firli Bahuri, a former police general himself, applauded the decision, saying it was consistent with the antigraft body's plans to improve its employee's career paths. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ramesh Subramaniam and James Villafuerte (The Jakarta Post) Manila Thu, March 30 2023 ASEAN has again proven itself to be among the worlds most resilient economic groupings. Relying on strong exports, sound macroeconomic policies and effective buffers, the economies of ASEAN recovered rapidly from the devastating impacts of COVID-19, recording growth of 5.6 percent in 2022 after falling to 3.2 percent in 2020. But we cannot view ASEANs relative strength in the past three years as reason for complacency. The pandemic and other shocks like the Russian invasion of Ukraine, geopolitical tensions and climate change exposed weaknesses in ASEANs global value chains (GVCs). Ignoring these risks could reduce the immense benefits ASEAN has gained from global trade and the resilience it continues to build. Historically, ASEAN has always rode out crises with an appropriate mix of good policy and market reforms, increasing external trade and foreign direct investment. GVC linkages, the multicountry cross-border production networks that bring a product or service from conception to market, expanded and deepened as multinational corporations and offshore suppliers flocked to the regions manufacturing and assembly base, with its young and vibrant workers and better access to technology, knowledge and innovation. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Cameron Sumpter (The Jakarta Post) Singapore Thu, March 30 2023 When a former prisoner tragically detonated his suicide vest in a Bandung, West Java, police station last December, attention once again returned to programs aimed at reforming violent extremist inmates. Despite sporadic attacks, Southeast Asian nations have done remarkably well in suppressing the threat of terrorism since an Islamic State (IS)-inspired resurgence in the mid-2010s. But as more and more detained suspects were successfully prosecuted, questions remained over their possible rehabilitation. Experts have calculated violent extremist recidivism in Indonesia at just over 10 percent, which is very low compared with other crimes, but still concerning given the implications of terrorism. Following each attack by a reoffender, observers rightly ask whether so-called de-radicalization programs actually work. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Reuters (The Jakarta Post) - Thu, March 30 2023 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has extended an invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday. We are ready to see him here, Zelensky told the news agency in an interview. Xi has not talked to Zelensky since Russias invasion of Ukraine in February last year, but China published a 12-point plan for a political resolution of the Ukraine crisis last month. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (AFP) New York and Taipei Thu, March 30, 2023 12:07 25 d5259e4d93052b0e76bee70b05380393 2 Asia and Pacific Taiwan,China-Taiwan-tension,US,China,Tsai-Ing-wen,honduras,Guatemala,Belize Free Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen arrived in New York Wednesday for a visit that has triggered threats of reprisal by China if she meets with House speaker Kevin McCarthy -- and US warnings for Beijing not to overreact. Tsai is stopping over in the United States en route to Central America, where she will meet with the leaders of Guatemala and Belize to shore up ties with those diplomatic allies. On her way back to Taiwan she will stop in California, where McCarthy had said he would meet her. China claims the democratic island as part of its territory to be retaken one day and, under its "One China" principle, no country may maintain official ties with both Beijing and Taipei. Beijing warned Wednesday that it was "resolutely opposed" to any meeting between Tsai and McCarthy and vowed to take "resolute measures to fight back" if it goes ahead. "If [Tsai] engages with US House Speaker McCarthy, it will be another provocation that seriously violates the One China principle, undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian said. The United States responded by saying China should not use Tsai's stopover "as a pretext to step up any aggressive activity around the Taiwan Strait." "There's no reason for them to react harshly," White House National Security spokesman John Kirby told reporters. "This transit is consistent with our longstanding unofficial relationship with Taiwan and it is consistent with the United States One China policy, which remains unchanged," Kirby said. Outside her hotel in New York, dozens of pro-Beijing demonstrators waving China's red flag gathered boisterously while nearby a similarly sized group of pro-Taiwan people cheered and waved their banner and the US stars and stripes. Tsai's trip follows Honduras's decision this month to open diplomatic relations with Beijing, leaving Belize and Guatemala among just 13 countries that have official ties with Taipei. "External pressure will not hinder our determination to go global," Tsai told reporters at the airport before leaving. "We are calm and confident. We will not succumb and we will not provoke [others]." US call for calm After first visiting New York, Tsai will meet her Guatemalan counterpart Alejandro Giammattei and Belize Prime Minister John Briceno in their respective countries, her office said. She will then stop in Los Angeles on her way home. McCarthy has said he will meet Tsai in California, although the talks are yet to be confirmed by Taiwanese authorities. A visit by McCarthy's predecessor Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan last year sparked an angry response from Beijing, with the Chinese military conducting drills at an unprecedented scale around the island. Beijing's foreign ministry said Washington "blindly connives with and supports Taiwan independence and secessionist forces". Official vs unofficial ties Analysts say the US stopover comes at a key time, with Beijing having ramped up military, economic and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan since Tsai came to power in 2016, poaching nine of its diplomatic allies. "Beijing's attempts to poach Taiwan's diplomatic partners will lead to Taiwan developing closer ties with the United States," said James Lee, a researcher on US-Taiwan relations at Academia Sinica. The United States remains Taiwan's most important ally -- and its biggest arms supplier -- despite switching its diplomatic recognition to Beijing in 1979. "The loss of official relations with third countries will be offset by a deepening of Taiwan's unofficial relations," Lee said. Recent visits by a Czech delegation and a German minister met rebukes from Beijing. One of Tsai's most prominent domestic opponents, ex-president Ma Ying-jeou, was in China on Wednesday, the first such trip by a former Taiwanese leader. Diplomatic battleground China has increased investment in Latin America, a key diplomatic battleground between Taipei and Beijing since the two sides split in 1949 after a civil war. Taiwan accused China on Sunday of using "coercion and intimidation" to lure away its allies after Honduran Foreign Minister Enrique Reina and his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang officially launched relations in Beijing. Honduras, one of the poorest countries in the region, made the switch due to economic necessity, Reina had said earlier. The move continued a trend in Latin America, with Nicaragua, El Salvador, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica all switching diplomatic recognition to Beijing in recent years. In addition to Guatemala and Belize, Taiwan still has official ties with a handful of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Paraguay and Haiti. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Reuters Taipei, Taiwan Thu, March 30, 2023 18:35 25 5fceed71997e5776a1634d25dc39b325 2 Asia and Pacific China,US,Taiwan,geopolitics,Kevin-Mccarthy,visit Free Taiwan expects a less severe reaction from China to an expected meeting between President Tsai Ing-wen and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and has not seen any unusual Chinese military movements, a senior Taiwan security official said on Thursday. Tsai arrived in New York on Wednesday on her way to Central America, and will stop off in Los Angeles next week on her way back to Taipei. While in California she is expected to meet McCarthy. China has threatened unspecified retaliation if she meets him. Speaking in parliament, Taiwan National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen said the government expected a less severe reaction to that meeting than when then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi came to Taipei and China staged war games aroundTaiwan after she left. "We believe that the actions the Chinese communists might take are unlikely to go as far as being as large as when Pelosi visited last August," said Tsai, who shares a common family name with the president but is not related. "She will be meeting in the United States, so the political complexity is not as high as the speaker coming to Taiwan." Taiwan's defence ministry, in its daily update on China's military activities, said that from Wednesday to Thursday morning it had not spotted any Chinese aircraft enteringTaiwan's air defence zone or crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait, which serves as an unofficial barrier. China's air force flies almost daily into the air defence zone, or across the median line, in which Taiwan calls "grey zone" warfare designed to test and wear out its forces. Tsai said they had been conducting dry runs for what to do to respond to a rise in tensions while the president is away, including when she is flying, and that she can be reached at any time to meet her top security officials. Speaking to the Taiwanese community in New York on Wednesday, the president reiterated that Taiwan has shown, when faced with difficulties, it neither provokes nor gives in to pressure, the official Central News Agency reported. "Taiwan has the ability to maintain regional peace and stability, and moreover is determined to protect the values we adhere to and the way we live," she said. The White House urged China on Wednesday not to use Tsai's "normal" stopover in the United States as a pretext to increase aggressive activity against Taiwan. Connable Office Inc. reduced its position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (NYSEARCA:EFA Get Rating) by 6.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 312,252 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 21,189 shares during the period. iShares MSCI EAFE ETF comprises approximately 2.9% of Connable Office Inc.s holdings, making the stock its 8th largest holding. Connable Office Inc.s holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE ETF were worth $20,496,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Connecticut Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE ETF by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Connecticut Wealth Management LLC now owns 11,047 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $725,000 after acquiring an additional 143 shares during the period. Burke & Herbert Bank & Trust Co. lifted its position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE ETF by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Burke & Herbert Bank & Trust Co. now owns 15,605 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $1,025,000 after buying an additional 151 shares during the period. Keudell Morrison Wealth Management lifted its position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE ETF by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Keudell Morrison Wealth Management now owns 8,328 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $547,000 after buying an additional 163 shares during the period. DHK Financial Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE ETF by 2.4% during the 2nd quarter. DHK Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 6,954 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $435,000 after buying an additional 165 shares during the period. Finally, Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC raised its position in iShares MSCI EAFE ETF by 8.6% in the 3rd quarter. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC now owns 2,126 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $119,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares during the last quarter. 80.78% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get iShares MSCI EAFE ETF alerts: iShares MSCI EAFE ETF Trading Up 1.1 % EFA traded up $0.78 during trading on Thursday, hitting $71.12. The companys stock had a trading volume of 10,310,477 shares, compared to its average volume of 20,921,934. The firms 50 day moving average price is $70.18 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $65.47. iShares MSCI EAFE ETF has a 12 month low of $54.61 and a 12 month high of $75.38. About iShares MSCI EAFE ETF iShares MSCI EAFE ETF, formerly iShares MSCI EAFE Index Fund (the Fund), is an exchange-traded fund. The Funds investment objective is to seek investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance of its underlying index, MSCI EAFE Index (the Index). The Index has been developed by MSCI Inc as an equity benchmark for its international stock performance. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EFA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (NYSEARCA:EFA Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI EAFE ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI EAFE ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. First Resource Bancorp (OTCMKTS:FRSB Get Rating) is one of 168 public companies in the National commercial banks industry, but how does it compare to its rivals? We will compare First Resource Bancorp to similar businesses based on the strength of its institutional ownership, earnings, analyst recommendations, valuation, profitability, risk and dividends. Analyst Recommendations This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for First Resource Bancorp and its rivals, as reported by MarketBeat.com. Get First Resource Bancorp alerts: Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score First Resource Bancorp 0 0 0 0 N/A First Resource Bancorp Competitors 1012 6711 6405 263 2.41 As a group, National commercial banks companies have a potential upside of 32.62%. Given First Resource Bancorps rivals higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe First Resource Bancorp has less favorable growth aspects than its rivals. Profitability Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets First Resource Bancorp 25.81% N/A N/A First Resource Bancorp Competitors 24.56% 12.39% 1.15% Valuation and Earnings This table compares First Resource Bancorp and its rivals net margins, return on equity and return on assets. This table compares First Resource Bancorp and its rivals top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio First Resource Bancorp $21.79 million $5.63 million 6.70 First Resource Bancorp Competitors $7.80 billion $1.63 billion 8.92 First Resource Bancorps rivals have higher revenue and earnings than First Resource Bancorp. First Resource Bancorp is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its rivals, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry. Insider & Institutional Ownership 51.9% of shares of all National commercial banks companies are owned by institutional investors. 8.7% of shares of all National commercial banks companies are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth. Risk & Volatility First Resource Bancorp has a beta of 0.62, suggesting that its share price is 38% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, First Resource Bancorps rivals have a beta of 0.81, suggesting that their average share price is 19% less volatile than the S&P 500. Summary First Resource Bancorp rivals beat First Resource Bancorp on 9 of the 10 factors compared. First Resource Bancorp Company Profile (Get Rating) First Resource Bancorp, Inc. is a holding company that engages in the provision of community banking services through its subsidiary, First Resource Bank. Its subsidiary offers lending and depository services for businesses, professionals, and individuals in the Delaware Valley. The company is headquartered in Exton, PA. Receive News & Ratings for First Resource Bancorp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for First Resource Bancorp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hengan International Group Company Limited (OTCMKTS:HEGIY Get Rating) saw a large decline in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,400 shares, a decline of 91.5% from the February 28th total of 16,500 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 9,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.1 days. Hengan International Group Trading Up 2.1 % Shares of OTCMKTS:HEGIY traded up $0.47 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $23.25. 3,528 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,699. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 1.33 and a quick ratio of 1.18. Hengan International Group has a 12 month low of $19.20 and a 12 month high of $27.75. The company has a 50 day moving average of $23.64 and a 200-day moving average of $23.16. Get Hengan International Group alerts: About Hengan International Group (Get Rating) See Also Hengan International Group Company Limited, an investment holding company, manufactures, distributes, and sells personal hygiene products in the People's Republic of China and internationally. The company offers pocket handkerchiefs, box and soft tissue papers, kitchen towels/papers, toilet rolls, first-aid products, enema, garbage and food bags, preservation papers, table cloths and swabbers, sanitary napkins, pantiliners, overnight pants, wet tissues, maternal and child care products, adult and baby diapers, and cleansing products. Receive News & Ratings for Hengan International Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hengan International Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. NAIROBI, March 30 (Xinhua) -- The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is striving for the usage of local currencies in trade among countries in the continent, an official said Thursday. Cross-border trading among countries in the Economic Community of West African States is already happening through the use of local currencies instead of the use of U.S. dollars, said Wamkele Mene, secretary general of the AfCFTA Secretariat, on the sidelines of a trade forum in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. "We now want to expand to other regional blocs including the East African Community which is in talks with the African Export-Import Bank," Mene said. He said that the cost of currency convertibility due to the use of U.S. dollars in trade among African countries is close to 5 billion dollars annually. "That is expensive and so we have rolled out the pan Africa payment and settlement system that enables trading in local currencies." Itau Corpbanca (NYSE:ITCB Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 10,300 shares, an increase of 312.0% from the February 28th total of 2,500 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 15,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.7 days. Itau Corpbanca Stock Up 1.7 % NYSE ITCB traded up $0.06 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $3.63. The companys stock had a trading volume of 21,753 shares, compared to its average volume of 16,418. The firm has a market cap of $1.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.78 and a beta of 0.96. Itau Corpbanca has a 52 week low of $2.50 and a 52 week high of $3.94. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $3.40 and a 200 day moving average price of $3.22. Get Itau Corpbanca alerts: Institutional Trading of Itau Corpbanca Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in Itau Corpbanca by 4.3% in the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 86,256 shares of the banks stock valued at $247,000 after buying an additional 3,585 shares in the last quarter. Veriti Management LLC boosted its stake in Itau Corpbanca by 196.5% in the third quarter. Veriti Management LLC now owns 265,668 shares of the banks stock worth $763,000 after purchasing an additional 176,076 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp acquired a new position in Itau Corpbanca in the first quarter worth $40,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 0.20% of the companys stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets Itau Corpbanca Company Profile Separately, StockNews.com started coverage on Itau Corpbanca in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. (Get Rating) Itau Corpbanca engages in the provision of banking and financial services. It specializes in banking products such as financing, leasing, loans, insurance and credit cards. It operates through the following geographical segments: Chile and Colombia. The Chile segment consists of commercial and corporate banking, real estate and construction, large companies, retail banking, personal banking, small business, retail companies, Banco Condell consumer banking, international and treasury and other financial services. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Itau Corpbanca Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Itau Corpbanca and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. UBS Group upgraded shares of Pinterest (NYSE:PINS Get Rating) from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Monday morning, The Fly reports. The brokerage currently has $35.00 price objective on the stock, up from their prior price objective of $27.00. Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on PINS. Credit Suisse Group upped their price target on Pinterest from $25.00 to $26.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 7th. Roth Capital reaffirmed a neutral rating on shares of Pinterest in a research report on Tuesday, February 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Pinterest from $28.00 to $27.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 7th. Piper Sandler increased their target price on Pinterest from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 7th. Finally, DA Davidson increased their target price on Pinterest from $21.00 to $24.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Pinterest currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $28.10. Get Pinterest alerts: Pinterest Trading Down 1.3 % PINS stock opened at $26.50 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $18.12 billion, a P/E ratio of -176.67 and a beta of 0.99. Pinterest has a 12-month low of $16.14 and a 12-month high of $29.27. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $25.97 and its 200 day simple moving average is $24.77. Insider Buying and Selling Pinterest ( NYSE:PINS Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 6th. The company reported $0.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.28 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $877.21 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $886.78 million. Pinterest had a negative return on equity of 2.25% and a negative net margin of 3.43%. The businesss revenue was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.29 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Pinterest will post -0.03 EPS for the current fiscal year. In related news, CFO Todd R. Morgenfeld sold 60,537 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.32, for a total value of $1,714,407.84. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 512,820 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,523,062.40. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, CFO Todd R. Morgenfeld sold 60,537 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.32, for a total value of $1,714,407.84. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 512,820 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,523,062.40. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Evan Sharp sold 54,884 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.30, for a total transaction of $1,443,449.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 301,390 shares of company stock worth $8,063,883 in the last ninety days. 7.58% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pinterest A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in PINS. Acadian Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Pinterest by 21.9% during the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 13,589 shares of the companys stock valued at $334,000 after acquiring an additional 2,437 shares during the period. MetLife Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Pinterest during the first quarter valued at approximately $906,000. Raymond James Trust N.A. grew its position in Pinterest by 29.0% during the first quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 11,342 shares of the companys stock valued at $279,000 after purchasing an additional 2,550 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in Pinterest by 11.6% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 492,299 shares of the companys stock valued at $12,118,000 after purchasing an additional 51,318 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sei Investments Co. grew its position in Pinterest by 261.5% during the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 273,925 shares of the companys stock valued at $6,691,000 after purchasing an additional 198,153 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.95% of the companys stock. About Pinterest (Get Rating) Pinterest, Inc engages in the operation of a pinboard-style photo-sharing website. It allows users to create and manage theme-based image collections such as events, interests, and hobbies. The company was founded by Benjamin Silbermann, Paul C. Sciarra, and Evan Sharp in October 2008 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Pinterest Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pinterest and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Accenture (NYSE:ACN Get Rating) had its price objective raised by Piper Jaffray Companies from $245.00 to $250.00 in a research report sent to investors on Monday, Stock Target Advisor reports. They currently have an underweight rating on the information technology services providers stock. Other analysts have also issued reports about the company. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on Accenture from $335.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, March 24th. Cowen upped their price target on Accenture from $295.00 to $300.00 in a research report on Monday, December 19th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Accenture from $289.00 to $294.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, March 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Accenture from $311.00 to $314.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, March 24th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Accenture from $310.00 to $327.00 in a research report on Friday, March 24th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $314.00. Get Accenture alerts: Accenture Stock Performance Shares of Accenture stock opened at $279.94 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $176.43 billion, a PE ratio of 25.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 1.25. Accenture has a 52 week low of $242.80 and a 52 week high of $345.30. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $271.60 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $273.93. Accenture Announces Dividend Accenture ( NYSE:ACN Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, March 23rd. The information technology services provider reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.49 by $0.20. Accenture had a return on equity of 30.73% and a net margin of 11.00%. The company had revenue of $15.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $15.59 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.54 earnings per share. Accentures quarterly revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that Accenture will post 11.55 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 13th will be given a $1.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 12th. This represents a $4.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.60%. Accentures payout ratio is 41.25%. Insider Buying and Selling In other news, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 556 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $280.53, for a total transaction of $155,974.68. Following the transaction, the general counsel now owns 42,991 shares of the companys stock, valued at $12,060,265.23. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other Accenture news, insider Ellyn Shook sold 5,250 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, January 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $276.08, for a total transaction of $1,449,420.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 34,444 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $9,509,299.52. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 556 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.53, for a total value of $155,974.68. Following the sale, the general counsel now directly owns 42,991 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,060,265.23. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 36,475 shares of company stock worth $10,225,149. Corporate insiders own 0.08% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Accenture Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. United Bank grew its position in shares of Accenture by 6.3% during the 1st quarter. United Bank now owns 2,969 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $1,001,000 after acquiring an additional 176 shares during the period. Weitz Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Accenture by 1.3% in the 1st quarter. Weitz Investment Management Inc. now owns 89,400 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $30,148,000 after buying an additional 1,168 shares during the last quarter. Fund Management at Engine No. 1 LLC purchased a new position in Accenture in the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,805,000. Guardian Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in Accenture by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. Guardian Wealth Management Inc. now owns 7,292 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $2,459,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clearbridge Investments LLC lifted its stake in Accenture by 104.8% in the 1st quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 441,451 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $148,871,000 after purchasing an additional 225,943 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.97% of the companys stock. Accenture Company Profile (Get Rating) Accenture Plc engages in the provision of management consulting, technology, and outsourcing services. It operates through the following geographical segments: North America, Europe and Growth Markets. The company was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Accenture Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Accenture and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Portland General Electric (NYSE:POR Get Rating) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest in the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 6,510,000 shares, a decrease of 33.6% from the February 28th total of 9,800,000 shares. Approximately 7.3% of the companys shares are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 788,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 8.3 days. Portland General Electric Price Performance Portland General Electric stock traded up $0.41 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $48.08. 468,110 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 795,008. Portland General Electric has a one year low of $41.58 and a one year high of $57.03. The stock has a market cap of $4.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a current ratio of 0.81. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $47.55 and a 200-day moving average price of $47.31. Get Portland General Electric alerts: Portland General Electric Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 27th will be given a dividend of $0.4525 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 24th. This is a positive change from Portland General Electrics previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. This represents a $1.81 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.76%. Portland General Electrics payout ratio is presently 69.62%. Insider Buying and Selling at Portland General Electric Institutional Investors Weigh In On Portland General Electric In other news, VP Brett Michael Sims sold 2,050 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.00, for a total transaction of $96,350.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 10,978 shares in the company, valued at $515,966. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link . Corporate insiders own 0.51% of the companys stock. A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp boosted its position in Portland General Electric by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 5,300 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $260,000 after buying an additional 219 shares during the period. Park Avenue Securities LLC increased its stake in Portland General Electric by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 9,790 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $480,000 after purchasing an additional 223 shares in the last quarter. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. increased its stake in Portland General Electric by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. now owns 12,248 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $600,000 after purchasing an additional 224 shares in the last quarter. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co NY increased its stake in Portland General Electric by 4.4% during the 4th quarter. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co NY now owns 5,617 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $275,000 after purchasing an additional 237 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors boosted its holdings in shares of Portland General Electric by 6.4% during the 1st quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 4,394 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $244,000 after acquiring an additional 264 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.03% of the companys stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research firms recently weighed in on POR. Bank of America raised shares of Portland General Electric from a neutral rating to a buy rating and raised their price target for the company from $47.00 to $52.00 in a research report on Tuesday, March 14th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Portland General Electric from $52.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, February 17th. Credit Suisse Group lifted their target price on shares of Portland General Electric from $48.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 21st. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Portland General Electric in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Portland General Electric currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $50.00. About Portland General Electric (Get Rating) Portland General Electric Co engages in the generation, wholesale purchase, transmission, distribution, and retail sale of electricity in the state of Oregon. The firm also sells electricity and natural gas in the wholesale market to utilities, brokers, and power marketers. It also serves residential, commercial and non-residential customers. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Portland General Electric Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Portland General Electric and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Toyota Industries Co. (OTCMKTS:TYIDY Get Rating) was the target of a significant decline in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,000 shares, a decline of 28.6% from the February 28th total of 2,800 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 55,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.0 days. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of analysts have commented on TYIDY shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut shares of Toyota Industries from an overweight rating to a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, March 23rd. Citigroup cut shares of Toyota Industries from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, March 23rd. Get Toyota Industries alerts: Toyota Industries Stock Up 3.2 % Shares of TYIDY traded up $1.62 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $51.80. 10,732 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 12,559. Toyota Industries has a 12-month low of $46.83 and a 12-month high of $72.62. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $58.22 and its 200 day moving average price is $55.03. About Toyota Industries Toyota Industries Corp. engages in the manufacture and sale of automobiles and industrial machines. It operates through the following segments: Automobile, Materials Handling Equipment, Textile Machinery, and Others. The Automobile segment includes vehicles, engines, car air-conditioning compressors, and car electronics. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Toyota Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Toyota Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hotelschool The Hague has announced the launch of the 2023 Sustainable Hospitality Challenge (SHC), an initiative that aims to enhance the evolution of sustainable hospitality. The Hotelschool The Hague initiative also aims to foster innovation driven by the leaders of tomorrow, and nurture talent on a global scale by bringing them close to industry organisations who want to reimagine the future of hospitality. This years edition will include for the first time, leading international architecture, technology and design universities who will be joining the participating top-tier hospitality institutions to form multidisciplinary student teams. Over 40+ universities from around the globe, including returning champions, Cornell University, Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne (EHL), Toronto Metropolitan University, Hotel Institute Montreux, CY Cergy Paris Universite, and Hotelschool The Hague, will be competing in this years challenge. The Finals will be hosted again at the Future Hospitality Summit, taking place from 25-27 September 2023 in Abu Dhabi. Paul Griep, founder of the SHC said: When looking at Cornell Universitys winning 2022 concept, it is a perfect example of added value thanks to multi-disciplinary synergy. By seeking the support from aero-space engineers, architects and financial advisors, they were able to lift their winning project to the next level. Working with other disciplines in the 2023 SHC will allow innovation to be well integrated, complete and feasible. I am already seeing how bringing together students from different disciplines in this years challenge benefits the sustainable future of our industry and the planet. It will empower them to create the best, most innovative, and complete concepts. I welcome all multi-disciplinary teams to this years challenge and cannot wait to see what great concepts they have created. The challenge, founded in 2014 as the Genio Worldwide Innovation Summit, has re-established itself to make sustainability its central theme, given the urgent relevance of the climate crisis to the hospitality industry. Presented by Hotelschool The Hague, The Sustainable Hospitality Challenge, together with their partners The Bench, The Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, and its main sponsor NEOM, is committed to building a more sustainable future. Chris Newman, the Executive Director for Hotel Development at NEOM, said: We are delighted to support the Sustainable Hospitality Challenge once more in its mission to inspire and challenge the next generation of hoteliers to create innovative and sustainable concepts. We are looking forward to witnessing the inventive projects and creative solutions that the students will come up with." Last year's edition of the Sustainable Hospitality Challenge had 'REMOTE' as its central theme. The winning team from Cornell University presented their concept Nimbus, an eco-resort in remote areas. By means of hot air balloons, Nimbus would bring economic opportunities to local communities while promoting sustainable tourism. - TradeArabia News Service NAIROBI, March 30 (Xinhua) -- African countries should enact policy and legislative instruments that facilitate seamless cross-border movement of the skilled labor force in order to realize economic growth, stability and cohesion, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) officials said Thursday. Mohammed Abdiker, the director of the IOM's Regional Office for East and Horn of Africa, said the continent should leverage organized labor mobility in its quest for integration and shared prosperity. "We need to ensure labor migration across the continent's borders is safe and orderly in order to unleash economic prosperity," Abdiker said at a regional media forum convened by the IOM in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital. Abdiker said removing barriers to the seamless intra-African movement of skilled labor should inform future efforts to realize the fruits of the ongoing efforts to integrate the continent and tackle poverty and a host of social ills. While suggesting that countries should hasten the implementation of regional protocols on promoting orderly labor mobility to help tackle the growing threat of smuggling and human trafficking, he urged African governments to foster bilateral discussions on promoting a safe, legal and seamless cross-border movement of skilled labor as part of efforts to boost foreign exchange earnings in terms of diaspora remittances. Abdiker added that other incentives like abolishing visa requirements, and rolling out medical insurance and pension schemes will spur intra-African migration of skilled labor force. He observed that enacting friendly immigration laws will also help African states tap into the economic and social benefits of the free movement of skilled labor across borders. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement recognizes seamless cross-border labor mobility as key to the realization of full integration, economic prosperity, peace and long-term stability. Tatiana Hadjiemmanuel, senior regional specialist for Labor Mobility and Social Inclusion at the IOM Regional Office for East and Horn of Africa, said that facilitating free movement of the continent's skilled youthful workforce should be at the heart of efforts to foster equitable growth. According to Hadjiemmanuel, African nations should also prioritize sharing of best practices on enhancing orderly labor mobility besides spotlighting opportunities that skilled workforce can tap into across borders. She added that legal protection for Africa's migrant workers is key to ensuring their rights are not violated. The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has disassociated itself from the recent sit-at-home order issued to the Igbo community in Lagos State by Simon Ekpa, an alleged Finland-based supporter of Nnamdi Kanu. Ekpa, on Tuesday, after some shops at the Balogun market in Lagos was razed, announced that there would soon be a sit-at-home for Igbo traders in the state. Reacting to the development, IPOB, through its media and publicity secretary, Emma Powerful, on Thursday, said it has nothing to do with the planned sit-at-home. The statement also said Ekpa does not belong to the group, and warned that the media organisations will be dragged to court if they link him to the self-determination group. We dont have Biafran currency, govt IPOB The attention of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) under the leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu Kanu has been drawn to the laughable and disgraceful statement making rounds that IPOB issued a sit-at-home order in Lagos State, the statement said. The statement is false, laughable, and coming from the quarters of blackmailers to disparage IPOB and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. IPOB has never issued any sit-at-home order outside Biafra Land. Anyone issuing any sit-at-home orders in Biafra or in Lagos is on his or her own and not doing so on behalf of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu or of IPOB. Therefore, IPOB publicly disassociate ourselves from any purported sit-at-home call in Lagos or anywhere in Nigeria, including Biafra Land at this time. It said further, IPOB has no faction, let alone have a factional leader. The chief infiltrator in Finland has been ignored by Biafrans in his mindless sit at homes in the East; perhaps he thinks Ndigbo in Lagos will be so daft to obey his sit-at-home order in Lagos. We know our people are wise. From today onwards any media outfit in Nigeria whether print media, online news, or others anywhere in the world, that makes the mistake of tagging Simon Ekpa and autopilot as IPOB members or Mazi Nnamdi Kanus disciple again must be ready to meet us in the law courts; Enough is enough! Simon Ekpa or autopilot group are on their own. We are not the same people. We are a peaceful movement seeking the freedom of Biafra through an UN-supervised referendum, IPOB added. COLOMBO, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Ministry of Justice has tabled a new anti-corruption bill, drafted as per a recommendation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), to be gazetted, a minister said on Thursday. Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe told reporters that the new bill will allow the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption to investigate suspected corruption charges with or without a complaint. Once it is gazetted, the parliament will discuss the bill and approve it, he said. Sri Lanka has been advised to improve its governance as a part of an IMF bailout package. TOKYO, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will lead a panel of experts to reverse the country's critical decline in birthrate, which dropped to its lowest level ever in 2022, local media said on Thursday. Along with Kishida, the expert panel will comprise Masanobu Ogura, Japan's minister in charge of policies for children, groups working with children, and labor union representatives. Later this week, a policy to provide more support for parents, including raising child-rearing allocations and easing outlays on higher education borne by parents, will be compiled, public broadcaster NHK said. The draft policy will set the parameters of the budget and how it will be financed, with the plan to inform a subsequent comprehensive policy package. According to recent statistics from the health ministry, the birthrate in Japan in 2022 plummeted to a record low since 1889, with the number of newborns dropping 5.1 percent from the previous year to 799,728. The falling birthrate and rapidly aging population are simultaneously hollowing out Japan's taxpaying labor force, leading to Kishida vowing to double budget outlay for child-related programs. Money allocated to help with child-rearing, coupled with ever-increasing massive outlays for social security costs related to the increasing population of seniors, who comprise a higher proportion of the population than in any country globally, is adding to the country's fiscal woes. Japan's public debt stands at double the size of the country's gross domestic product and is the worst among developed countries. Pete and Christine Dooher (middle back& front left), Cory Dooher (front centre) and her kids Jeremy, Hannah and Spencer. A love of baking and a desire to continue her family legacy is what gets Cory Dooher up every morning around 3 a.m. Shes off to run the family business Doohers Bakery at 61 Bridge St. E. in Campbellford. Doohers Bakery is one of the finest from-scratch bakeries in southern Ontario and winner of the Sweetest Bakery in Canada contest two consecutive years (2018 and 2019). Doohers is now a fourth-generation bakery, and next year theyll celebrate their 75th anniversary. In 1949, Corys grandparents Harry and Muriel Dooher opened a small bakery in Madoc, Ont., with a small wood-fired oven, and they pumped their own water from a tank. The bakery relocated to Campbellford in 1956. Harry and Muriels son Peter Dooher and his wife Christine began operating the bakery in the mid 70s. The Dooher family became renowned for their delicious breads, pies, cakes, doughnuts and other treats. They were also known for their generosity, as they donated baked goods to the local food bank and helped several local causes. Giving back to the community is a tradition the Dooher family continues today. Since 2013, Peters daughter Cory Dooher has taken over operations. Carrying on the family legacy, Corys three children, Jeremy, Hannah and Spencer, have all worked at the bakeshop, while Corys eldest son is involved in the operation full time, making this a fourth-generation family business. I started at the bakery when I was 12, when my dad took over and my grandpa was still there occasionally, recalls Cory Dooher. Many things have changed, while some things remain the same. Certainly, volume-wise in offerings weve grown, and staff-wise we have grown to 30 people, whereas my grandparents ran it on their own. The ovens and pans my dad purchased back in the day are still in use, and we use many of the original recipes handed down from my grandparents. As the only family-owned bakeshop in Campbellford, Doohers Bakery is unique: Weve been here a long time and produce all our baked goods from scratch, without preservatives. Everything is handmade. The top three biggest sellers are the doughnuts (17 varieties, with Cream-Filled being the number 1 seller), Oatmeal Jams cookies and the European Sourdough bread. Adds Cory, On a typical Saturday in the summer (pre-COVID), we would sell about 7,000 doughnuts in a day! The family-run bakeshop also makes 10 different varieties of bread each day, 12 kinds of bagels, plus muffins, cookies, squares, brownies, pastries, pies, tarts and more. Seasonal favourites include Hot Cross Buns at Easter; Rhubarb Pie from May to June; Strawberry Pie in mid-June; and from Thanksgiving to Christmas, customers can enjoy Doohers Shortbread Cookies, Plum Pudding, Christmas Cake and Tourtiere. A milestone for the Dooher family came in 2018 when Doohers Bakery won the Sweetest Bakery in Canada contest, sponsored by bakery ingredient supplier Dawn Foods. People voted across Canada, and even from other countries. When we won the first time in 2018, it was pretty special, says Cory. They announced the winner on the radio, and my brother called me, quite emotional, and said, Cory, you did it you won! I said, Thats Grandpa watching over us and celebrating our win. We also won in 2019. Winning two years in a row was exciting, and it meant so much to us that people from near and far had voted for us. Winning awards is not new to Doohers Bakery. In 2016, they were presented with a Customer Experience Award at the Trent Hills Celebration of Business Excellence Awards Gala. We appreciate all the support the community and the surrounding communities have shown us, and it is because of them we have been successful, adds Cory. What I love most is that we have been around so long, and when I think about how it all started it makes me proud. I am hoping my son will take over the business one day and we can make the 100-year mark. Not a lot of business can say that. Doohers Bakery is located at 61 Bridge St. E. in Campbellford. Visit them online at doohers.com. SHARE: Theres a group of vocal citizens in Peterborough who might be looking north with a little photo radar envy right now. Just last month, city council in Sudbury voted in favour of leasing up to six automated speed enforcement cameras during its 2023 budget deliberations. Collisions were up 25 per cent in that city last year and police there said speeding is the most common cause of serious accidents in Sudbury. While Peterborough police have yet to determine the cause of a crash that killed a three-year-old girl on Woodglade Boulevard last week, the incident did prompt a slew of comments online suggesting photo radar could increase safety in the Peterborough neighbourhood where the girl was killed. Speed cameras are honestly the best way of controlling speed in all community areas, Charlotte Collins posted to Facebook in one of several comments that referenced the need for photo radar as a traffic calming measure in Peterboroughs west end. Similar calls for speed enforcement cameras followed an accident in the citys east end this past December when two young boys were seriously hurt in a crash. So, should Peterborough follow Sudburys road map to safer streets? Here are four points to consider: WHAT WOULD PHOTO RADAR LOOK LIKE ON PETERBOROUGHS STREETS? Four years ago, the Ford government gave the green light to Ontario municipalities seeking photo radar as means to slow traffic, but they are permitted only in school zones and community safety zones. The Sudbury plan involves leasing portable speed cameras that can be placed in hot spots. After the City of Ottawa took the photo radar plunge, it conducted a year-long study measuring the impact in eight neighbourhoods where the cameras were placed. From July 2020 to July 2021, data collected in these locations showed a 200 per cent increase in compliance with the speed limit, an 11 per cent decrease in 85th percentile speeds, and a 72 per cent decrease in drivers travelling at or more than 15 km/h over the speed limit. HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST THE CITY AND WHAT REVENUES WOULD THEY BRING IN? It wouldnt be cheap. In a report filed to Sudbury city council, city staff initially looked at the costs of acquiring 12 photo radar units. The report, filed just over a year ago, suggested approximately $190,000 in one-time costs and $1,705,000 per year in operating costs. These costs include leasing the photo radar units and processing of offences. Revenues would be dependent on compliance, but the report stated that it is anticipated that a significant percentage of this total cost would be offset through fines administered for speeding through this program. In the citys 2023 budget, it estimates two mobile photo radar units could generate more than $1.1 million in annual gross revenue. The estimated annual expenditure, from 2024 through 2027, is between $650,000 and $688,000. WHAT IMPACT WOULD IT HAVE ON POLICE OPERATIONS IN PETERBOROUGH? Peterborough This Week requested an interview with Police Chief Stuart Betts, asking how long he thought it might take to enact the program if Peterborough were to follow Sudburys example, and if he thought there would be much pushback from the public. An emailed response was returned through police spokesperson Sandra Dueck, who said the decision to authorize and fund such a program lies with the City of Peterborough and council. She included a statement from the chief that read, The Peterborough Police Service will continue to enforce the Highway Traffic Act in our policing areas (City of Peterborough, Village of Lakefield, Township of Cavan-Monaghan). We will also support whatever direction the city may wish to take, as we are committed to ensuring our roads and highways are safe for all users, be that motorists, cyclists or pedestrians and encourage everyone to drive safely on our roads and throughout the community. WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO PUT THE ISSUE ON PETERBOROUGH CITY COUNCILS RADAR? Just this week, as part of the City of Peterboroughs Enforcement Services Review Project Update, a recommendation went before council that the City undertake the School Zone Safety Zone study proposal to include: the use of automated speed enforcement systems (e.g., photo radar, speed cameras); setting consistent rules for all school zones; designating specific areas for drop-off and pickup locations; introducing educational tools and increasing parking/traffic enforcement. Its anyones guess how long it would take if approved to see cameras on the streets, but consider that Sudburys process began with discussions in 2017 and the first units arent expected to be operational until the fall of this year. SHARE: The third annual Trent Day takes place on Tuesday, celebrating the 1963 signing of the Trent University Act on the 60th anniversary of Trent officially becoming a degree granting university. Students and faculty will be volunteering at a number of organizations in the community for Trent Day. To celebrate everything Trent, Trent Day has three pillars, said Sherry Booth, Trents associate vice-president of philanthropy and alumni engagement. They are support for the university, service to your community, and sharing the Trent spirit. We want to engage the campus communities, the alumni communities, the communities in which Trent exists. For the second pillar, Trent alumni will be volunteering with organizations in the Peterborough and Oshawa area, including Kawartha Food Share, Feed the Need in Durham, Cuddles for Cancer, Peterborough Museum and Archives and even Casey House in Toronto. Theres a lot of different areas people can get involved, Booth said. Even if they have their own areas of service, or perhaps they cant get to our locations, we encourage them to provide their own independent service to their communities. There is also the Trent Day food drive, with donation booths stationed at both campuses from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. We have beautiful food bags that we encourage people to fill, and bring over to our food tents on our various campuses, so that we can help out our communities with food sustainability, she said. Last year, we had over 1,000 pounds of food that was provided. So, one of our goals will be to surpass that this year. Trent Day was limited to only the food drive in 2022 as a result of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. We werent able to do the service sites that we have available, so were really excited to have all those back, Booth said. And for students to be able to celebrate Trent Day by showing their school colours on campus and around our communities. Students who are wearing their Trent gear can take advantage of various barbecues around the campuses, noted Booth. The university turning 60 is quite a milestone for us, and participating in Trent Day is a great way to celebrate that, she said. Trent Day has its own web page at trentu.ca/trentday. Trent is also looking for 50 new monthly donors. Gifts to the Trent Fund will be used toward new and evolving student needs, such as housing and mental health initiatives. aschummer@peterboroughdaily.com SHARE: North Kawartha Township launched a new brand for the municipality last week with a new logo and tagline aimed at attracting businesses, residents and tourists to its communities. Im excited, Mayor Carolyn Ayotte said at a recent township council meeting where the new brand was presented. The new logo features a proud deer, reflecting over water while the sun rises overhead the iconic imagery of our region, according to the township. The chosen colours of greens, blues and orange are meant to reflect the landscape and the four distinct seasons in North Kawartha. The new tagline is Connecting Community, Nature and Spirit. The new branding was added to the townships website and social media accounts on March 24 and will be rolled out elsewhere in the coming weeks. The need for a new brand was identified in the townships strategic economic development plan in late 2021. Habit Creative was selected to create it. Over the years, the township has unofficially used several different ad hoc logos which will be replaced by the new unified brand. Funding for the new visual identity system was provided through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontarios Tourism Relief Grant. Staff have begun a phased approach to rolling out the new brand to spread costs over several years, according to a report presented to council by Chris Challenger, the townships economic development officer. Large capital items such as signage have been incorporated into a second phase. The township will continue to pursue grant opportunities to have the costs covered. The new branding will be included on roadway signs welcoming people to the township and signage in parks and beaches. Im sure wed all love to start and have everything ready from day one, but its not necessarily realistic. So thats kind of why were taking a phased approach for now, said Challenger at the council meeting. The new branding will also improve the communication, reputation and the municipalitys competitive position in the market, he said. Council also approved its 2023-26 strategic plan with its priorities being investments in infrastructure, economic growth for a sustainable community, maintenance of a strong, accountable municipal government and protection and enhancement of the environment. A requested amendment from Coun. Jim OShea on the inclusion of an action on shoreline preservation was added to the plan. BB Brendan Burke is a staff reporter at the Examiner, based in Peterborough. His reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. SHARE: TORONTO - CBC and APTN are partnering with Netflix to produce a Nunavut-shot comedy series. The streamer says the untitled comedy will centre on a young Inuk mother living in a small Arctic town where everyone knows your business. Co-creators Stacey Aglok MacDonald and Alethea Arnaquq-Baril say in a release they drew from their experiences as Inuit women living, laughing and crying while Native. The duo will also executive produce with Miranda de Pencier, who described the show as a hilarious, unexpected and essential series. The trio previously worked together on the Inuit lacrosse drama The Grizzlies. APTNs director of TV content touted the project as a heartfelt gem. A very short time ago, it would have been impossible to imagine an Indigenous comedy shot in the Arctic, with massive national and international reach, Adam Garnet Jones said in the announcement made Thursday. This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 30, 2023. Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said Netflix issued the release Wednesday. In fact, Netflix made the announcement Thursday. SHARE: Several large, urban counties across the United States gained residents or stemmed population declines in the year ending last July after losing residents in the previous 12-month period amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the U.S. Census Bureaus population estimates released Thursday. Population change is driven by migration, both within the U.S. as people move around inside the country, and from international trends as people arrive from abroad. It also depends on whether births outpace deaths, or vice versa. Heres a look at what drove population change in the 10 largest U.S. counties from July 1, 2021 to July 1, 2022. LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CALIFORNIA The most populous county in the nation lost more than 90,000 residents last year and now has a population of 9.7 million people. Los Angeles County gained almost 34,000 residents from abroad and another 18,000 people from births outpacing deaths. But it wasnt enough to offset the almost 143,000 residents who left for another county. The loss from Angelenos moving elsewhere was 20% smaller than a year earlier. COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS Home to Chicago, the nations second-largest county lost more than 68,000 residents last year. Residents of the Windy City and neighboring communities moved away to the tune of 94,000 residents. Unlike other major urban counties, Cook Countys population loss from people moving away wasnt much smaller than the previous year. It was the fifth-most popular destination for people arriving from other countries. The county had 5.1 million residents last July. HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS The county of 4.7 million residents which encompasses Houston had the nations second-largest population gain at 45,000 new residents, although 20,000 residents left for elsewhere. The gain was powered by one of the nations highest levels of migration from abroad and natural increases. MARICOPA COUNTY, ARIZONA The biggest domestic migration boom was in the county thats home to Phoenix. Coupled with strong international migration and natural increase, Maricopa County grew by almost 57,000 new residents and now has a population of 4.5 million people. SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Even though San Diego County gained only 1,254 new residents, it was a reversal from the 11,000-person decline a year earlier. The drop in the number of residents leaving, combined with robust international migration as well as births outpacing deaths, brought the county to around 3.2 million residents. ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA The coastal county south of Los Angeles thats home to Anaheim and Disneyland lost almost 10,000 residents, but it was a smaller decline than the previous 12-month period due to a jump in international migration. It had a population of 3.1 million residents. MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA The county gained only 3,416 new residents last year, but it was an about-face from the nearly 30,000-person drop a year earlier. Miami-Dade continued to hemorrhage residents but that loss was overcome by the nations biggest influx of international migration. It had almost 2.7 million residents. DALLAS COUNTY, TEXAS The county of 2.6 million people gained almost 13,000 new residents after losing almost twice that amount in the previous period. Robust international migration and births outpacing deaths helped it overcome the departure of 20,000 residents. KINGS COUNTY, NEW YORK The county which encompasses Brooklyn lost almost 47,000 people but the decline was almost half the size of the previous period. The county of 2.5 million residents had robust natural increase and a respectable amount of international migration, but more than 77,000 residents left. RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA The Southern California county thats part of the Inland Empire gained more than 20,000 residents last year and now has 2.4 million people. Most of the growth came from domestic migration. ___ Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at @MikeSchneiderAP SHARE: Taste wines for a living and you quickly learn that the LCBO stocks a lot of overpriced bottles. No surprise there. But you also discover some underpriced bottles worth writing about especially in the current economy where everything seems to cost an arm and a leg. So here are some of the best values on shelf at the LCBO and why theyre such bargains. 2021 Cap Royal Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc (Vintages $18.95) The 2021 Cap Royal Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc from France (Vintages $18.95) is a dream of a wine for the money. It tastes like the perfect combination of French classicism, easy elegance and crisp-cool refreshment. It gleams a beautiful pale straw hue and wafts with a fresh, vivid perfume that suggests rolling meadows, a twist of grapefruit and crushed stone. The fragrance is clean and fetching but not at all forward. Then, the wine slides in with poise, purity and a linear liveliness that lights up the palate before receding toward a wet stone finish. Dignified, bone-dry expression of Sauvignon Blanc with a mere 12.5 per cent alcohol. Score: 92 Cap Royal is owned Compagnie Medocaine Des Grands Crus, which also owns Chateau Pichon Baron, the Second Grand Cru Classe that sells for more than $300 per bottle upon release, if you can get your hands on it. Of course, Cap Royal is a branded wine rather than a classed growth. But being under the same umbrella as Chateau Pichon Baron means its long-standing technical director, Jean-Rene Matignon, oversaw the winemaking of Cap Royal. And that talent shows. Theres a saying in the wine world: Buy from a trusted producer and the wine wont let you down. Thats certainly true here. Grab a few bottles while you can. Then, enjoy them all spring and summer long with fish and seafood. 2019 Tessellae Old Vines Grenache Syrah Mourvedre (Vintages Essential $19.95) Also from France is the 2019 Tessellae Old Vines Grenache Syrah Mourvedre from the Cotes du Roussillon, France (Vintages Essential $19.95). Its an unpretentious bistro-style wine from the South of France, made from the hand-harvested fruit of 70-year-old vines. In the glass, each swirl releases cherry-fruited goodness laced with a certain beefy appeal. The entry is seamless, supple and juicy a sweep of red and black fruit that turns slightly more serious as earthy underbrush, graphite, pink peppercorn and a touch of salinity come to the fore. This dry, full-bodied red with 14.5 per cent alcohol is well-balanced and versatile at the table. Excellent with cheese fondue or steak frites from the air fryer. Score: 90 This wine takes you straight to the South of France for less than $20. 2018 Zaha Toko Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Vintages $27.95) If your preferred style of wine is Cabernet Sauvignon, pick up the 2018 Zaha Toko Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Argentina (Vintages $27.95). This special wine hails from the cool region of Paraje Altamira in the Uco Valley. The Toko Vineyard rests at about 1,200 metres above sea level, where the fruit retains mouth-watering acidity thanks to cool nights that balance the hot days. And the berries develop thick skins to withstand the intense UV rays. The result is deep, dark and delicious. Each glassful of this inky red exudes the fragrance of muddled blackberries, dried shrubs and cassis as well as the unmistakable whiff of mountain air. That nose leads to brawny flavours of black forest fruit, black earth and a touch of toasted tobacco, along with crushed hazelnut and a fluttery note of violet somewhere. A long velvety finish leaves the palate seasoned. Serve this bold red with grilled Portobello mushrooms. Score: 93 2018 Terra dAligi Montepulciano dAbruzzo DOC (Vintages $16.95) For a bottle of red closer to the $15 mark, reach for the 2018 Terra dAligi Montepulciano dAbruzzo DOC from Italy (Vintages $16.95). Rich, ripe and full of fruit, each mouthful drenches the palate with open-handed flavour. Bold black cherry and blueberry flavours nuanced with spearmint, black peppercorn and bitter chocolate take hold, anchored with firm tannins. That grip hems in the fruit and lends structure and length. Pour this red with meat-lovers pizza or Nonnas lasagna. Score: 90 Despite prices rising at Ontarios liquor store and elsewhere who ever thought wed be paying about $5 for a head of iceberg lettuce at grocery stores its nice to know you can still find wine thats priced below what its worth. Dont tell the LCBO, but the wines noted could all sell for a bit more than they currently cost. Carolyn Evans Hammond is a Toronto-based wine writer and a freelance contributing columnist for the Star. Wineries occasionally sponsor segments on her YouTube series yet they have no role in the selection of the wines she chooses to review or her opinions of those wines. All prices are subject to change. Please drink responsibly. Reach her via email: carolyn@carolynevanshammond.com SHARE: NEW DELHI, March 30 (Xinhua) -- An Indian appeals court National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has upheld a penalty of 162 million U.S. dollars imposed on Google by the country's antitrust regulator Competition Commission of India (CCI) in a case related to Android's market dominance. The NCLAT said the CCI order did not violate the principles of natural justice and Google was liable to pay the fine. Google defended itself saying "we believe it (the CCI decision) presents a major setback for our Indian users and businesses who trust Android's security features, and potentially raising the cost of mobile devices." "We upheld this penalty," NCLAT said on Wednesday, adding that "the appellant (Google) is allowed to deposit the penalty." The order is seen as a major setback to Google in India. The NCLAT has held that Google asking the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to pre-install the entire suite of Google applications amounts to imposition of unfair conditions. Over 95 percent of smartphones in India use the Android system. Last year in October, the CCI imposed a fine on Google for anti-competitive practices in relation to Android mobile devices. Google had challenged the ruling before the NCLAT. Meanwhile, the search giant has been given 30 days to pay the penalty and implement the order. Google now has the option to challenge the order in India's Supreme Court. Q My sister married a nice guy but we all know her reasons behind the choice. Money. We grew up not poor, but we never had extras or any luxuries. The public school we attended was in a wealthier part of town, but was somehow our catchment. Unknowingly, our friendships as children were all with very upper middle-class families. We never went on vacation as a family, unless it was car camping, or a road trip to stay with extended family. But every once in a while, my sister or I would get invited to join a friends family in Florida, or Barbados or once even on a cruise. We saw how our friends lived and we would whisper at night how we were going to have all those things when we grew up. The desire for more spurred us both on to great well-paying careers and by our mid-20s, I knew we both had achieved the possibility of living better than how we were raised. I married a man with a good career and, as a double income family, we have been able to give our children lots of perks and a nice life. But my sister wanted more. When this guy came knocking, she took one look at his bank balance and said yes. They live a very nice life, own several homes, travel extensively, send their children to private school etc. My sister still works, but only part-time. Her husband uses his family money to run with ideas. Some work, most dont. As I said, hes nice, but. My problem is two-fold: she acts like she worked her butt off for all their trappings and deserves everything she has; and he is boring, not the brightest bulb, and also acts as though he did it all single-handedly. Theyre both becoming hard to take. Subpar Sister A You didnt really ask a question but Im going to surmise that your issue is that you are having trouble being in their presence. To be honest, theyre not doing anything wrong other than boasting, which is ugly. The two of them sound like theyre living in a privileged bubble and have convinced themselves perhaps for self-esteem that they have done it all on their own. You know thats not true and thats whats bothering you. The lie. Shes your sister, not your appendage. You dont have to spend that much time with her if you dont want. But as your sister, you could say something to her quietly. Start by telling her how proud you are of her accomplishments, how much you love her children etc. And then add how fortunate she is to have found a great guy who can provide all the things she could ever want. If she argues her false narrative, tell her she doesnt have to prove anything to you. And let it go. Shes not going to change, but she may tamper her dialogue around you. Readers Commentary: Regarding the feedback (Feb. 15) on the column about the married woman debating whether or not to tell her husband about her same-sex relationship before marriage (Jan.18): I side with the readers response to not share the information with her husband, but to work with a therapist on lingering issues that she has. There are three possible outcomes of opening up to her husband: positive, negative and neutral. Therefore, there is a 33 per cent chance of a negative outcome. That seems like a significant risk to her marriage. FEEDBACK: Regarding your reply to the middle school student who doesnt think LGBTQ+ education is necessary (Feb. 11): I just wanted to thank you because it makes the case even stronger to yank my child out of the public school system and home school instead. Theres no way I want him learning about this crap at school. What happened to the 3Rs (reading, riting, and rithmatic) and other subjects vital to the education of our children? Sad to see you support this kind of schooling. Lisi: Whoa! Please do not thank me for your closed-minded way of thinking. Teaching children about sexuality, including everything from heterosexuality through the LGBTQ+ spectrum, is definitely an integral part of our childrens education. Thats what school is all about teaching children everything. One can argue that not everything taught in schools is useful on a day-to-day basis, but that topic sure is! I hope you leave your children in the school system, so they can broaden their worlds, and perhaps teach you about tolerance and inclusivity. Ellie Tesher and Lisi Tesher are advice columnists for the Star and based in Toronto. Send your relationship questions via email: ellie@thestar.ca or lisi@thestar.ca SHARE: Disorganized, dysfunctional and dangerous. This is the assessment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police when its members responded to the worst mass killing in the countrys history on the night of April 18 and the morning of April 19, 2020, in Portapique, N.S. And with the countrys top police already facing criticism over issues of racism and sexual harassment, and other jurisdictions looking to take back policing operations from those in the red serge tunics and Stetson hats, the Mass Casualty Commission has newly called for the countrys top police force to be scrubbed from its head to its toes. Its certainly not the first time that an inquiry, commission or publicly funded examination has recommended an overhaul of the Mounties. Three years after killer Gabriel Wortmans actions claimed 22 victims lives and with the government once again in search of a new RCMP commissioner following Brenda Luckis February retirement the new report says the force shows persistent signs that it is unable or unwilling to examine its mistakes and make meaningful changes. More than two years after the event, RCMP leadership had done very little to systematically evaluate its critical incident response to the deadliest mass shooting in Canadas history, the report notes. And it urges the force to adopt a policy of admitting its mistakes, accepting responsibility for them and ensuring that accountability mechanisms are in place for addressing its errors. The recommendations for the Mounties are moth micro and macro from ensuring police commanders overseeing such mass-casualty responses have a ready-to-go bag with critical equipment on hand at all times, to conducting a comprehensive external review of the RCMP and then restructuring to focus on what it does well and give up those tasks it is ill-equipped to perform. Testifying before the commission last year, Lucki apologized for the performance of her force, which was exposed in testimony as being understaffed and resourced, and poorly organized in the remote area of northeastern Nova Scotia where the killings occurred. We werent what you expected us to be, she told the commission. And I dont think we were what you wanted us to be or what you needed us to be. But if the hopes of change are once again high, the history of the RCMP suggests that expectations should stay low. Past recommendations have not been fully implemented, and problems identified in past processes persist today, the commission report notes. Among the most concrete operational recommendations for the RCMP is to improve communication and transparency both internally and with the public. On the night when Wortmans killings began, RCMP kept the public in the dark for hours about the extent of the operation that was unfolding. While there were discussions underway about sending out an emergency alert or an order for the public to stay in the safety of their homes, the force ultimately opted for a message posted to Twitter at 11:32 p.m. on April 18, 2020, saying that officers were responding to a firearms complaint. Not until the following morning, at 8:02 a.m., did the RCMP update that information with another message on Twitter that there was an active shooter situation underway. To the extent that the 11:32 p.m. tweet underplayed the seriousness of the threat to the public, the RCMP had ample opportunity to correct the public record. It took far too long to do so, the commission report said. Even RCMP officers responding for duty on the morning of April 19, 2020, had limited information about the suspect they were searching for or the nature of the RCMP replica vehicle in which he was reported to be travelling. As the morning shift change occurred at 7 a.m., officers coming onto duty were calling other members for additional information or trying to glean what they could from radio reports. As one officer testified: We werent getting a whole lot. Police obtained a photo of Wortmans vehicle at 8:54 a.m. on April 19, but only drafted a public message containing a photo of the cruiser at 9:49 a.m. The message was not posted to Twitter until 10:17 a.m. The commission recommends that future critical incident response teams responding to such situations should include officers specializing in public communications as priority members rather than as an afterthought. And it said that special consideration should be given to which social media platforms are most appropriate, particularly in rural areas where there may be limited internet access and cell service. The commission report is also critical of the way the RCMP has handled its contract policing duties, in which Mounties carry out local law enforcement. It found that the Bible Hill RCMP detachment, which served Portapique, was chronically short-staffed. It also had no emergency plan in place for an active-threat situation such as the one the force faced. Such a plan would have identified all major transportation routes in order to effectively lock down the area. The lack of such a plan proved fatal, given that Wortman is believed to have escaped Portapique using a dirt road that runs alongside a blueberry field to the highway a route that was unknown to the responding officers and thus unguarded on the night of April 18. While criticizing the force as an institution, the report singled out individual RCMP officers for their courage and heroism, as well as the traumas that surely haunt them to this day. Among them was Const. Chad Morrison, who was shot by Wortman but drove himself to a nearby ambulance station and had the presence of mind to remove the magazine from his carbine and hide it in the grass while awaiting medical assistance. And it honoured Acting Cpl. Heidi Stevenson, who was rammed by Wortmans replica cruiser but managed to wound him in a shootout before being killed herself. It was Wortmans head wound that ultimately allowed the officer who finally shot him dead at a gas station, Const. Craig Hubley, to identify him as the mass killer. The commission also noted the actions of Sgt. Darren Bernard, a Mikmaq RCMP member, who stayed with Stevensons lifeless body so she would not be alone in death. We just kind of sat down in the dirt and stayed with Heidi, he testified. In my culture, you know, when theres a deceased person you have to stay with them. So, I kind of stayed with her and just sat in the dirt for I dont know how long. In its broader recommendations directed at the RCMPs senior management, the commissioners suggest that an external review be followed by a restructuring of the force that could end up with the Mounties retaining the tasks that are suitable to a federal policing agency while passing off to other agencies those duties they are better suited to carry out. The commission recommended instituting stronger and stricter separation between the offices of the minister of public safety and the RCMP commissioner, to avoid the appearance of political interference. This recommendation arises from a telephone call between Commissioner Lucki and senior RCMP leaders in Nova Scotia in the days following the killings. The call was recorded and Lucki was heard voicing her frustrations about the difficulty getting timely answers to questions being asked of her by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and then Public Safety Minister Bill Blair. She also said she was disappointed that the force has failed to release details about the killers firearms to the public, noting that the government was sponsoring legislation to restrict firearms that would ultimately help police. It was a request that I got from the ministers office, Lucki said in the call. And I shared with the minister that in fact it was going to be in the news release, and it wasnt. From this, the commission report recommends that there be changes to the RCMP Act, the law governing the force, to ensure that any ministerial directions made to the head of the RCMP be made public and presented to Parliament a measure that would increase transparency and in theory prevent any inappropriate government intervention in the forces activities. The unanswered question after wading through the mammoth report is whether anything good will come of the commissions work. In some areas, such as emergency communications, the RCMP says that policy changes are already in place and have proven effective, such as during the September 2022 manhunt after 11 people were killed and 18 injured in a stabbing rampage that began in Saskatchewans James Cree First Nation. Other recommendations will fall to a special team tasked with analyzing and implementing changes, said Interim Commissioner Michael Duheme. The public should rightly be skeptical of such promises. In the past, the RCMPs senior leadership has made public apologies in the face of damning reports into its actions, or inaction, only to continue leading the force more or less along its problematic course. The blame has fallen to funding shortfalls, staff shortages, resistance from within the force or scandals, tragedies and wavering political priorities shift the forces attention elsewhere. Its hard to say how or why things would be different this time around. On the one hand, the Trudeau governments selection of a replacement commissioner is a perfect opportunity for a fresh start. On the other hand, its difficult to imagine that the Liberal government, which has been in power since 2015, would now be the one to revolutionize the force. Remember that the first major report to identify the need for a change of governance and culture within the RCMP was published in 2007, a year after Stephen Harpers Conservative government came to power. Read more about: SHARE: DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (AP) Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday encouraged Tanzanias fragile progress toward a more inclusive government, stepping onto the front lines of Americas push to strengthen democracy in Africa as part of her weeklong trip to the continent. Standing alongside Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzanias first female president, Harris cited recent decisions from Tanzania such as lifting a ban on opposition rallies and encouraging more press freedom as important and meaningful steps toward democratic reforms. Hassan has undone some of Tanzanias more oppressive policies even though she came to power as a member of the ruling party. You have been a champion in the sense of democratic reforms in this country, and in that way have expanded our partnership, Harris said. Hassan noted Tanzanias participation in a virtual summit on democracy hosted by the White House this week, saying it sends a clear message that the fathers of democracy recognize our efforts in building a democratic nation. The Tanzanian leader is finishing out the term of President John Magufuli, who earned a reputation for stamping out dissent, arresting critics and forcing them into exile, before he died in office. Hard-liners have been uncomfortable with some of Hassans changes, however, which could cost her in the next election two years from now. The meeting between Hassan and Harris, the first woman to be America's vice president, was a noteworthy show of support from the United States as it deepens its outreach to Africa. Harris announced $560 million in U.S. assistance for Tanzania, some of which will require congressional approval. The money is intended to expand the countries trade relationship, as well as encourage democratic governance. Hassan also pushed for the U.S. to make long duration visas available for Tanzanian citizens, something she said would improve ties between the countries. Issues with U.S. visas, from availability to processing delays, have generated frustration around Africa. Theres so much excitement here, and people are saying its like madam presidents efforts in changing the country are being rewarded with recognition from an economic and political superpower that is the U.S., said Tanzania-based analyst Mohamed Issa Hemed. Americas push on democracy is a delicate issue here. Washington has backed African dictators when it believes doing so serves U.S. interests and that has led to accusations of hypocrisy. In addition, the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol raised questions over whether democracy remains secure even in the worlds most powerful country. When the U.S. promotes democracy, it risks a backlash from Africans who sense paternalism in the approach. Some African leaders also see the issue as a backdoor effort to meddle in their internal affairs and strengthen opposition politicians. They note that China asks no such questions about democracy when its looking to cut lucrative deals in Africa. Harris has emphasized the issue during her trip, particularly during her previous stop in Ghana, one of Africas most stable democracies. During a news conference with Ghanas Nana Akufo-Addo this week, Harris quoted the presidents words in a recent speech that it is important we never forget that democracy is not a static achievement, but a promise that needs continuous nurturing. Harris agreed, saying there is a duality when it comes to democracies because they are an exhibition of strength and they are fragile. The time with Tanzanias Hassan provided Harris with another opportunity to highlight womens issues in Africa, something shes done repeatedly over the course of her trip. During her previous stop in Ghana, Harris met with female entrepreneurs and said women need leadership opportunities. The future, Harris said, should be a place where women are not just treated equally but are able to thrive. These conversations are very important, she said at the Mix Design Hub, a modern building that features a restaurant, an art gallery and a co-working space. Because the well-being of women will be a reflection of the well-being of all of society. Hassan described her meeting with Harris was another milestone and would be an inspiration and a testimony to Tanzanian young girls. After her meeting with Hassan, Harris visited a memorial to the U.S. Embassy bombing in Tanzania on Aug. 7, 1998 the day a simultaneous bombing took place in Kenya. At the memorial, called Hope Out of Sorrow, Harris shook hands with staff who were present during the attack in Dar es Salaam, as well as the U.S. ambassador to Tanzania from that time, Charles Stith. Harris paused in front of the memorial, where there was a wreath adorned with white flowers, to pay her respects. Thank you all for a continued life of service, Harris told embassy staff. The bombing in Tanzania killed 12 people and wounded 77. Harris arrived in Tanzania late Wednesday, and she will conclude her weeklong trip with a stop in Zambia, another country that is striving to strengthen its democracy. She plans to return to Washington on Sunday. Idayat Hassan, director of the Centre for Democracy and Development in Abuja, Nigeria, said Harris visit can help galvanize enthusiasm when there are concerns over backsliding into authoritarianism in Africa and around the world. Many people will want the U.S. to speak to the issue of democracy, which they feel is beginning to decline and is not what it used to be, she said. There are more that need to be assured that democracy is here to stay. Like Tanzania, Zambia has made uneven steps toward democracy since its independence. But there has been a burst of hope after the country elected Hakainde Hichilema, a former opposition leader who once faced charges of treason. Zambia has since decriminalized defamation of the president, a law that was used to stifle opposition. Its also serving as a co-host of President Joe Bidens democracy summit. Hichilema warned this week that economic progress is necessary to sustain open societies. You cant eat democracy, he wrote in The Washington Post. Human rights may sustain the spirit but not the body. ___ Musambi reported from Nairobi, Kenya. Associated Press writer Seung Min Kim in Washington contributed to this report. SHARE: Turns out the pandemic hasnt permanently dissuaded people especially immigrants from seeking their fortunes amid Manhattans bustling streets. The county that encompasses Manhattan added more than 17,000 residents in the year ending last July after losing almost 111,000 people in the previous 12-month period, according to population estimates released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. The earlier decline was among the worst urban population losses from the COVID-19 outbreak. New York County was among several large, urban U.S. counties that either gained residents or stemmed the rate of declines between July 2021 and July 2022 compared with a year earlier. The reversal in population losses was particularly notable in King County, Washington, home to Seattle; as well as in large Sunbelt counties such as Dallas County, Texas; and two South Florida counties, Miami-Dade and Broward. The locations all had something in common: international immigration led the gains. I wasnt expecting this quick of a bounce back for some cities and urban areas. Its not a full recovery from before the pandemic but moving in the right direction, demographer William Frey, of the Brookings Institutions metropolitan policy program, Brookings Metro, said Thursday. Population change is driven by migration, both within U.S. borders as people move around, and international trends as people arrive from abroad. It also depends on whether births outpace deaths, or vice versa. Maricopa County, Arizona, home to Phoenix, had the biggest gain of any U.S. county, with almost 57,000 new residents last year. Domestic migration was primarily responsible. Harris County, Texas, home to Houston, followed with more than 45,000 new residents and international arrivals and natural increases propelling that growth; 20,000 residents left. Collin County, a northern suburb of Dallas, ranked third in rising population, with more than 44,000 new residents who primarily came from other U.S. counties. Los Angeles County, the most populous in the U.S. with 9.7 million people, lost the most residents last year, more than 90,000, as Angelenos moved elsewhere. One bright spot: The loss from domestic migration was 20% less than the previous year. The next biggest population loss was in Cook County, Illinois, home to Chicago, and the nations second most populous county. That change was also driven by people leaving. Several San Francisco and San Jose-area counties that saw populations dramatically wane from July 2020 to July 2021 primarily due to tech workers working remotely had significantly smaller declines in 2022. The counties with the biggest influx of international immigration last year were Miami-Dade County, Florida; Harris County, Texas; and Los Angeles County. Harris County, Los Angeles County and Dallas County had the biggest natural increases. Three Florida counties Pinellas, Sarasota and Volusia led the U.S. in natural decreases attributed to deaths outpacing births. Floridas median age of 42.7 is one of the highest in the nation. The growth in Manhattans New York County was propelled by international migration, and to a lesser extent by domestic migration and births outpacing deaths. It came despite rising Manhattan rents and coincided with many businesses partial return to their offices, which ended some opportunities for remote work. There was a flood of people coming back into the city once the pandemic started easing up and that pushed rents up, said Daniel Akerman, a New York real estate agent. People always want to live in Manhattan. All the population estimates rely on birth, death and migration data. Despite the most recent gains, New York County was still running a population deficit of almost 98,000 residents as of last July when compared with April 2020, when COVID-19 spread quickly across the U.S. and the metropolitan area became an epicenter of the virus, spurring tens of thousands of residents to flee. Surrounding counties continued losing population last year. The three counties encompassing the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens recorded among the biggest population declines in the U.S., with losses ranging from 40,000 to 50,000 residents. This is still not really a COVID recovery year. Its only sort of a recovery, City University of New York sociology professor emeritus Andrew Beveridge said Thursday. They havent recouped. Several New Jersey counties near New York also experienced outflows last year. They included Hudson County, where the COVID-19 omicron variant closed preschools around Christmas 2021 and drove David Polonsky and his family to move temporarily to South Florida, near his parents. The move became permanent in 2022, as the family acclimated to being near relatives and because Polonsky and his wife could work their tech jobs remotely. They sold their home in Jersey City and purchased one in Palm Beach County, Florida. Polonsky said he misses some things about the New York area, such as being able to walk places instead of driving, and getting a decent slice of pizza instead of mahi mahi, the fish ubiquitous on Florida menus. I love mahi mahi as much as the next person, he said. But theres only so much mahi mahi you can eat. ___ Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at @MikeSchneiderAP SHARE: WASHINGTON (AP) The White House on Thursday said it has new evidence that Russia is looking again to North Korea for weapons to fuel the war in Ukraine, this time in a deal that would provide Pyongyang with needed food and other commodities in return. Its the latest accusation that Russia, desperate for weaponry and restricted by sanctions and export controls, is turning to rogue nations to help it continue to prosecute the 13-month-old war. As part of this proposed deal, Russia would receive over two dozen kinds of weapons and munitions from Pyongyang, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said. We also understand that Russia is seeking to send a delegation to North Korea and that Russia is offering North Korea food in exchange for munitions. The administration has previously declassified intelligence to present evidence that Iran sold hundreds of attack drones to Russia over the summer and that the Wagner Group, a private Russian military company, has taken delivery of arms from North Korea to help bolster its forces as they fight side-by-side with Russian troops in Ukraine. Experts believe the food situation in North Korea is the worst it has been under Kim Jong Uns 11-year rule, but they still say they see no signs of imminent famine or mass deaths. Kim vowed to strengthen state control over agriculture and take a spate of other steps to increase grain production, North Korean state media reported earlier this month. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last month that U.S. intelligence suggested China was considering providing arms and ammunition to Russia, though White House officials have said they have yet to see evidence of Beijing following through with weapons delivery. The publicizing of Russias efforts to get weapons from North Korea is just the latest example of the Biden administration loosening restrictions on intelligence findings and making them public over the course of the grinding war in Ukraine. The administration has said it has sought to disseminate the intelligence findings so allies and the public remain clear-eyed about Moscows intent and Russian President Vladimir Putin thinks twice about his actions. Earlier Thursday, the Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control announced sanctions against a Slovakian national, Ashot Mkrtychev, alleging he attempted to facilitate arms deals between Russia and North Korea. Kirby said Mkrtychev is at the center of the new North Korea-Russia deal, which has yet to be consummated. He added that the U.S. does not have evidence that Mkrtychev was involved in the earlier transfer of weapons to Russias Wagner Group, whose mercenaries have been in the center of a monthslong battle for the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. Between the end of 2022 and early 2023, Treasury said Mkrtychev worked with North Korean officials to obtain over two dozen kinds of weapons and munitions for Russia in exchange for commercial aircraft, raw materials and commodities to be sent to North Korea. Mkrtychev worked with a Russian citizen to find commercial aircraft to delivers goods to North Korea in the exchange. Russia has lost over 9,000 pieces of heavy military equipment since the start of the war, and thanks in part to multilateral sanctions and export controls, Putin has become increasingly desperate to replace them, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement. Schemes like the arms deal pursued by this individual show that Putin is turning to suppliers of last resort like Iran and the DPRK. North Korea, an outlier on the global stage, has sought to enhance relations with Russia since its invasion of Ukraine brought an avalanche of sanctions from the West and broad international condemnation. Any arms deal with Russia would be a violation of U.N. resolutions that ban North Korea from exporting to or importing weapons from other countries. North Korea is the only nation aside from Russia and Syria to recognize the independence of Russia-backed separatist territories, Donetsk and Luhansk, in eastern Ukraine. Read more about: SHARE: Phuket Food Festival underway PHUKET: The Phuket Food Festival is underway at Saphan Hin, with more than 200 food vendors serving up a host of treats, ranging from Thai staples such as pad Thai and pad krapao to culinary signature dishes by renowned restaurants. Culture By The Phuket News Thursday 30 March 2023, 04:58PM The festival began quietly on Tuesday night (Mar 28), with the grand opening ceremony led by Phuket Town Mayor Saroj Angkhanapilas and Phuket Vice Governor Anupap Rodkwan Yodrabambam held at the event site at 7pm last night. The annual event, this year marking the 25th edition of the food festival, is held each year to stimulate the local economy and distribute income among food vendors in town, and to promote tourism to the area, Phuket Town Deputy Mayor Prasit Sinsaowapak explained in the run-up to the festival last week. Panachai Wasanarungruangsuk, President of Phuket City Municipality Food Traders Club, confirmed that this year the festival is hosting more food outlets than ever before. A large variety of dishes is available at the festival, including sweet, savoury, beverages and seafood, Mr Panachai said. The highlight of this years event is that restaurants joining in the event will be serving new creative dishes that are unique to Phuket in order to strengthen Phukets reputation as a City of Gastronomy, he said. We would like to invite all foodies and tourists, both Thai and foreign, to join the 25th Phuket Food Festival 2023, he said. Nattaya Prepas, secretary of the club, added that vendors at the festival, like all members of the club, will use environmentally friendly containers to serve food. Plastic and Styrofoam boxes will be banned in order to preserve the environment and reduce pollution, she said. The Phuket Food Festival continues through to Monday night (Apr 3). The festival is open to visitors from 4pm to 11pm each day. SOFT POWER GOES ON SHOW The grand opening of the 25th Phuket Food Festival 2023 last night coincided with the launch of a campaign yesterday led by Chanthana Sitthiphan, Director of the Phuket Provincial Cultural Office, under the Ministry of Culture, to promote Phukets Soft Power. In line with the Phuket Food Festival underway, Ms Chanthana and the Phuket Culture Office is supporting a campaign to promote tourism, the local culture and way of life, and promoting local Phuket food as Roy Phuket, whereby Roy is the Southern Thai truncation of the Central Thai word aroy, meaning tasty or delicious. The campaign launch was held in front of the Phuket Provincial Cultural Office in Phuket Town, and joined by Phuket Vice Governor Amnuay Pinsuwan and a host of other senior officials. Ms Chanthana explained that the Phuket Cultural Office, under guidelines set out by the Ministry of Culture, is focussing on building international competitiveness and creating a new BCG (Bio-Circular-Green) economic model through promoting the soft power of Thainess to be known internationally This will increase the value of the 5F creative economy, namely food (Food), movies (Film), Thai fabrics and designs (Fashion), Muay Thai (Fighting), and the preservation of festivals while presenting them to the world (Festival), she said. Ms Chanthana highlighted Phuket Town being recognised as a City of Gastronomy by UNESCO in 2015, at the time becoming the first city in Thailand, and Asean, to join 18 cities in the world recognised with the distinction. Phuket is renowned for its food, and unique and beautiful traditional costumes, Ms Chanthana said. In terms of culture, we can publish and exchange knowledge about our customs, which helps to instill a sense of pride in our valuable cultural heritage, which in turn attracts both Thai and foreign tourists, she added. To help spread the word about Phukets iconic culture, a host of representatives from the media are being taken on a familiarisation tour of the island today (Mar 30), Ms Chanthana said. PM punts Phuket Expo bid PHUKET: Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has raised the idea of creating a new road from Bangkok to Southern Thailand as an additional route to support road transportation to the Andaman coast provinces and southern provinces on the Gulf of Thailand. tourismeconomics By The Phuket News Thursday 30 March 2023, 11:43AM The route would make road transportation to the South more convenient, and would help support tourism in the South of Thailand, both on the Andaman coast and the Gulf of Thailand, to be a seaside tourist area in the style of the Riviera, PM Prayut said at press conference held at Government House yesterday (Mar 29). The Prime Minister led the press conference as part of the continuing drive for support in Thailands bid for Phuket to host the World Specialsed Expo as Phuket Expo 2028. The press conference was held after a high profile meeting of key figures involved in the bid, including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul, Deputy Minister of Commerce Sinit Lertkrai, Deputy Minister of Interior Songsak Thongsri, Assistant Minister attached to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Wichawat Isaraphakdee and Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew. Also present for the meeting were Chattan Kunchorn Na Ayudhya, Deputy Governor for Marketing Communications at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayutthaya, Director of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and Sanan Angubolkul, Chairman of the Board of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and Board of Trade of Thailand. The Prime Minister thanked all agencies for their joint support, fully pushing for the bid to host Expo 2028 Phuket Thailand, Anucha Burapachaisri, Deputy Secretary-General to the Prime Minister for Political Affairs Acting as spokesman for the Office of the Prime Minister, explained after the meeting. Thank you for raising awareness, and we ask all sectors to work together for the success of the country, he said. Thailand is confident that this event will be used as a platform to drive action to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals under the main idea Future of Life : Living in Harmony, Sharing Prosperity [the theme of the Phuket Expo bid], Mr Anucha continued. Each of the more than 30 representatives from government agencies and the countrys leading private business organizations at the meeting all reported good progress in developing support for the bid Phuket Governor Narong emphasised the readiness of all sectors in the province, Mr Anucha noted. Campaigns to raise awareness of the Expo bid had been successful, and preparations were underway to prepare the island to host the event, he said. Mr Anucha marked the key support among the private sector in Thailands bid, with the official report of the meeting specifically naming Krung Thai Bank, Kasikornbank, Bank of Ayudhya, PTT, Siam Co. Piwat Co Ltd, King Power International Group, Thai Beverage PCL, Airports of Thailand, Siam Cement PCL, and hotel groups such as Minor International. I know this is not an easy task, but I believe that with the cooperation of all sectors, the state, the private sector and the public, it can be achieved. All sectors are requested to follow the movements of member countries closely as information for adjusting Thailands strategy in bidding to host the event, PM Prayut said. I invite everyone to join hands in making changes, see progress order and presenting the readiness to be a good host with Yim Siam [Thai smile], he said. Thailands bid aims to see Phuket host the Specialised Expo 2027/2028 from March 20 to June 17, 2028. Phuket is competing against four other cities to host the event: Minnesota, in the United States; Belgrade, in Serbia; Malaga, in Spain; and San Carlos de Bariloche, in Argentina. The host country will be elected by representatives of the 170 Member States of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) on the principle of one country, one vote at the BIE General Assembly to be held in June. If Thailands bid is successful, the event is hoped to attract at least more than 5 million visitors, generate more than B49 billion for the economy and provide about 100,000 jobs during the runup and duration of the expo. The bid to host the event has already received B5.11bn from the government budget. Thai Watsadu opens new store in Chalong PHUKET: It was revealed yesterday (Mar 29) that a new Thai Watsadu x BNB Home store is opening in Chalong. constructiontourism By The Phuket News Thursday 30 March 2023, 02:37PM The Thai Watsadu x BNB Home store is the third to open in Phuket and will complement existing stores in Thalang and Mueang districts. It is the chains 69th store in Thailand overall. Both of the exisitng branches in Phuket, which sell a complete range of construction and home-related materials and are serviced by a team of experts, have been well received by consumers, explained Sutthisan Chirathivat, Chief Executive Officer of CRC Thai Watsadu Co., Ltd., under the Central Retail Group. The Thai Watsadu x BNB Home store in Chalong has a total floor size of 24,000 square metres and is located at 10 52 Soi Chalong, an area with over 170,000 existing households nearby. The store is a hybrid between Thai Watsadu and BNB Home and offers a full range of products and services over two floors, with over 37,000 construction-related products available. The cost of the stores construction was B340 million and the 2023 profit margin is set at 15%, Mr Sutthisan confirmed, adding the group is confident it can further cement their position as the leader in providing retail goods, construction materials and home supplies. Mr Sutthisan was joined at a ceremony to mark the opening of the Chalong site yesterday by Rear Admiral Natthaphong Yanothaikhachit, Deputy Director of Phuket Provincial Ministerial Administration. Mr Sutthisan explained how the recovery of the construction sector, witnessed by several new projects across the island, aligned with an increase in property purchases and rentals in the past 12 months, has led to further demand and therefore the justification to open a new branch. Phuket is beginning to see signs of a good recovery, both in the renovation of existing facilities and the construction of new projects that have expanded into areas beyond the city and are worth billions of baht, Mr Sutthisan explained. With an increase in tourism, there are also many hotels and accommodation venues that require renovation work and upgrades after having been inoperable during the COVID-19 pandemic, he added. The opening of the new branch in Chalong will also create many new jobs which can help the local community and boost the broader economy, he said. The Thai Watsadu group also engages the local community in areas close to their stores via many social projects, Mr Sutthisan explained, such as contributing to hospitals and schools to help procure quality medical supplies and educational resources respectively. Mr Sutthisan further explained that the new Chalong store was one of four new stores opening nationally, with additional new sites in Rangsit Khlong 4 Pathum Thani, Kamphaeng Phet and Korat in Nakhon Ratchasima. On Demand We have a new story every day on the front page of thephuketnews.com. Also like us on our Facebook page (facebook.com/thephuketnews) and be the first to watch all the new stories. Finally you can watch any segment, any time by going to thephuketnews.com/tv where all the stories are listed for you to enjoy. All our programs can be enjoyed in High Definition when watching on the internet. In-Room VDO Urgent meeting fails to resolve ongoing taxi disputes PHUKET: An urgent meeting was called at Provincial Hall earlier today (Mar 30) to discuss ways to resolve the ongoing issue of territory disputes among the islands taxi drivers. transporttourism By The Phuket News Thursday 30 March 2023, 04:17PM However, it appeared that despite the intervention of Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew, very little positive outcome emanated from the discussions. Governor Narong chaired the 10am meeting and was joined by Rear Admiral Nattapong Yanothai Khachit, Deputy Director of Phuket Military Internal Security, Pol. Col. Jirasak Siemsak, Deputy Commander of the Phuket Provincial Police, and Adcha Buachan, head of the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO). Also present at the meeting were representatives on behalf of the director of Phuket Airport and representatives from Central Phuket Shopping Center. The meeting came after two incidents at Central Festival Phuket that occurred in the past week, one last Friday (Mar 24) and the other on Monday (Mar 27). Both involved locally-based taxi drivers from the Andaman Phuket Car Taxi Service Cooperative Limited approaching and berating fellow taxi drivers who they argued were not legally allowed to operate in Phuket. Both incidents attracted significant interest and reponses after they were aired on social media channels, something authorities are concerned will tarnish the image of Phuket as a desirable tourist destination. In both situations the disputed taxi providers had been booked by customers via apps that are not legal in Thailand. Only on Monday (Mar 27), did Phuket officials inform local residents that Bolt and InDriver were both still considered illegal in Thailand, as they have not yet been approved by the Department of Land Transport. The same post, issued by the Phuket Info Center, operating under the Phuket office of the Ministry of Interior, gave a reminder of ride-sharing apps approved by the Department of Land Transport, which included Hello Phuket, Grab, Robinhood, bonku, CABB and the AirAsia Super App. However, the Public Relations Office of Phuket reports that at todays meeting Mr Adcha listed only Hello Phuket and Grab as the legal app providers, highlighting that the former provides a total of 228 cars and the latter 111. Stickers from the PLTO would be clearly displayed in taxi windows to confirm to customers that they are legally permitted to operate, which Mr Aducha said he hopes will minimise any future confusion and conflict. Any apps currently deemed illegal can apply for certification from the Department of Land Transport, which can be filed at the Phuket Provincial Transport Office, he added. Mr Adcha made no mention of what is needed to contain green plate taxi driver behaviour or of refusing to register new taxis in the province, despite green plate drivers from Bangkok and other provinces challenging the PLTOs right to ban them from working on the island, seemingly prefering to just blame the illegal taxis for all the recent problems. Todays meeting concluded by stating that ongoing discussions and cooperation between relevant agencies will continue in the hopes of a solution being found, adding that anyone who experiences any similar situations with taxi disputes can contact the relevant local authorities directly, call hotline 1584 or make an official complaint via the Traffy Fondue app. KABUL, March 30 (Xinhua) -- A total of 4,327 Afghan refugees have returned to their homeland from neighboring Iran over the past two days, said a statement of the Ministry for Refugees and Repatriation Affairs on Thursday. The process of returning the refugees to their homeland continues, according to the statement. Around 300,000 Afghan refugees have returned to their homeland from Iran over the past six months. More than 2.5 million registered Afghan refugees have reportedly been living in Iran and about the same number are living in Pakistan. Royal Paan's storefront at Saginaw Parkway. This article is part of the New in Town series in Cambridge, which will be regularly updated as we learn of new businesses and restaurants opening (within one year of opening) or closing in Cambridge. We also write about businesses growing, including founding anniversaries. Spot a new business or know of a longtime business closing its doors? Share it with our newsroom at newsroom@cambridgetimes.com and mrosalesgerpe@metroland.com with the subject line: New in Town. NEW IN TOWN Businesses opened within the last year: ROYAL PAAN BRINGS INDIAN DELIGHTS TO CAMBRIDGE A Royal Paan location has arrived in Cambridge. Founded in 2001, the Royal Paan franchise offers authentic Mumbai, India street sweets like milkshakes, falooda kulfi (eggless, no churn Indian ice cream served on a bed of falooda cornstarch or tapioca-based noodles, and topped with rose syrup, nuts and dry fruit), and many other delicacies. WHERE: 95 Saginaw Pkwy., Unit 2 WHEN: Monday to Thursday 11:30 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to midnight CONTACT: 519-267-7226 WEBSITE: https://royalpaan.com/ SOCIALS: https://www.facebook.com/royalpaancambridge/ and https://www.instagram.com/royalpaan_cambridge/?hl=en FOUNDRY TAVERN LIGHTS UP THE GASLIGHT DISTRICT The Foundry Tavern opened in November of 2022, and recently began offering brunch. Located in the Gaslight District in downtown Galt, Cambridge, the restaurant is an upscale tavern serving craft beer, delicious cocktails, wine and culinary favourites, according to the eaterys Google business description. The description also notes the location is outfitted in timeless decor with a nod to Galts Scottish heritage. WHERE: 64 Grand Ave. S. WHEN: Monday, Sunday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to midnight CONTACT: 519-624-9253 WEBSITE: https://foundrytavern.ca/ SOCIALS: https://www.instagram.com/foundrytavern/ and https://www.facebook.com/foundrytavern/ LADY GLAZE DOUGHNUTS OPENS NEW LOCATION According to its Instagram page, the location features gourmet doughnuts made from scratch daily. The doughnut shop was previously located in downtown Cambridge, but now has moved to a bigger location on Franklin Boulevard. Loyal customers happily commented on social media upon learning about their reopening. An excited Facebook user said, with emojis, I was very sad to see you guys closed (your location) near my work, but now youre near my house! I dont know if this is an improvement to my health or not. WHERE: 1111 Franklin Blvd., Unit 2 WHEN: Wednesday to Sunday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Closed on Monday and Tuesday CONTACT: 289-246-0973 WEBSITE: https://www.ladyglazedoughnuts.com/ SOCIALS: https://www.instagram.com/lady_glaze_doughnuts/ JOLIE RELOCATES TO BIGGER SPACE Saturday, March 25 was the last day that the award-winning bra experts and lingerie shop was open at its original location at 69 Dickson St. The store is closed from Sunday, March 26 until Monday, April 3 to get the new store ready, according to a Facebook announcement by the business. The business is set for a soft reopening on Tuesday, April 4. Well keep you updated, reads the same social media announcement. WHERE: 35 Main St. WHEN: To be announced. CONTACT: 519-714-0021 WEBSITE: https://joliebrasandlingerie.com/ SOCIALS: https://www.instagram.com/joliebrasandlingerie/?hl=en and https://www.facebook.com/Jolie-Bra-and-Lingerie-Boutique-2248122862121500/ WAVE MAKER CRAFT BREWERY TURNS FOUR The Cambridge brewery is celebrating its fourth anniversary. We cant believe it has been four years since we opened the doors of Wave Maker to brew a wide range of delicious beers for everyone to enjoy, reads a celebratory post on Facebook by Wave Maker Craft Brewery. The brewery is experimental in nature. Offering a couple of core brands, and many one-offs, according to their website, Wave Maker aims to marry its creativity with customers tastebuds by brewing many one-of-a-kind concoctions. Wave Maker also offers brewery tours so beer aficionados can dive into how award-winning brewmaster and owner Scott Pautler, blends science and art, according to the Wave Maker website. Currently, the brewery is offering Blood Orange, and Grapefruit IPAs and a Strawberry Marshmallow Stout, if you love taking your tastebuds for an adventure. WHERE: 639 Laurel St. WHEN: Thursday 3 to 9 p.m. Friday 3 to 10 p.m. Saturday noon to 10 p.m. Sunday noon to 6 p.m. Closed on Tuesday and Wednesday CONTACT: 519-653-2332 WEBSITE: http://www.wavemakerbrewery.com/ SOCIALS: https://www.instagram.com/wavemakerbrew/, https://twitter.com/wavemakerbrew, https://www.facebook.com/wavemakerbrew PRESTONS DAIRY QUEEN OPEN THIS WEEK FOR SUMMER SEASON Springtime is here, which means ice cream season will soon be around the corner. The Dairy Queen at Preston is gearing up to welcome its familiar line up of crowds rounding onto its adjacent parking lot. The popular location is open as of March 29. WHERE: 328 King St. E WHEN: Monday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. CONTACT: 519-653-7402 WEBSITE: https://www.dairyqueen.com SOCIALS: https://www.facebook.com/DQ11908/ Spot a new business or know of a longtime business closing its doors? Share it with our newsroom at newsroom@cambridgetimes.com and mrosalesgerpe@metroland.com with the subject line: NEW IN TOWN. SHARE: Developers ran out of luck for their build on Clover Avenue. In what could be called a belated St. Patricks Day victory for residents in the neighbourhood, Cambridge council voted 5-4 on March 28 against the staff recommendation of adopting an Official Plan amendment to increase the maximum allowable density on the land at 15 Clover Ave., as well as defeating the rezoning of the land. That effectively sinks the proposed development on the property, calling for 30 townhouse units 24 stacked townhomes and six street-facing townhomes. Mayor Jan Liggett and councillors Corey Kimpson, Mike Devine, Adam Cooper and Nicholas Ermeta voted to defeat the recommendation. While staff assured council the build was compatible with the area according to the citys Official Plan, and would be considered low density, what rankled some brows around the horseshoe was the fact the property currently permits a maximum density of 40 units per hectare. The development would call for 56 hectares per unit. Allan Ramsay, of Ramsay Planning Inc., who was hired by residents, said the development is too large for the street and doesnt fit the neighbourhood, despite what the city and the developer claimed. Its my opinion whats being proposed here is essentially shoehorning a lot of development onto the site, Ramsay said. Devine said there is also a wetland on the property the city claims wont be touched, which means even less room for the homes. He said he had no problem voting against the recommendation. As this runs rampant across Cambridge and various places, what are we going to end up with? Devine said. What are these infills going to look like? There are spots where this can be done. I dont believe this is one of these spots. If we end up in front of the (Ontario) land tribunal (OLT), so be it. While Devine was fired up, Coun. Scott Hamilton made a speech to his constituents that left him emotional. He said he was being pulled in two directions on the issue and if the development went against the Official Plan, he would have had a smoking gun to vote against it. Turning to residents in the audience, Hamilton explained his need to wear his "councillor hat." I have the emotional component that understands your feeling of love for the street, and you dont want it to change because its beautiful; on the other hand, you have the provincial policy, the regional policy and the city policy, and Im afraid if this goes to another level we could be looking at more. Hamiltons comments came on the heels of delegate Kolby Thomson-Latimer, who lives across the road from the property. She said neighbours banded together to hire Ramsay because they felt disorganized after having had only Zoom meetings about the project due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She added they were willing to work with the developer to come up with something that fit the short, dead-end street off Myers Road. The build had already been knocked down by the developer from 44 units originally to 36 and then 30. We as a neighbourhood, now with proper representation and knowledge, came to the table with a variety of reasonable recommendations, none of which were logical options to consider or look into to by the developer, as they, quote, have spent seven years on this and hundreds of thousands of dollars and are moving forward, as is," Thomson-Latimer said. It looked at one point like the recommendation would be deferred, as it had been in January, as Ermeta called for developers to stick with something that stayed within the Official Plan of 40 hectares per unit. But after council voted for the 30-day deferral 5-4, they realized there was no direction given to a staff that had already made the recommendation. Council voted to reconsider the deferral and then, once that passed, voted the deferral down. There was some confusion after Ermeta said he wanted the deferral off the table before the second vote on it. Liggett said she hoped the developer would come back to council once again with an adjusted project, since appealing to the land tribunal takes time and money. She did reiterate to residents that if the developer came back to council, the property still wont ended up resembling how it currently sits and change is inevitable. Hamilton said the threat of the OLT is why he had to vote for the recommendation. If the developer decides to go that route, it doesnt have to go with the last development proposal. My fear is if this application comes back in three years, you could be looking at an apartment complex. It could be bigger, Hamilton said. SHARE: A 44-year-old Toronto man may think twice about travelling to Cambridge. Waterloo regional police said the driver of a red Dodge was stopped by officers on March 28 at approximately 6:30 p.m., in the area of Hespeler Road and Eagle Street North. During the investigation, the driver was allegedly found to have a large amount of stolen electronics and food products from local businesses. He has been charged with impersonation, obstructing a peace officer, theft over $5,000, theft under $5,000, possession of stolen property over $5,000, possession of stolen property under $5,000, two counts of failure to comply with a release order, driving while under suspension, operating an unsafe vehicle, and owner operate motor vehicle no insurance. He was held in police custody for a bail hearing. Anyone with information can call police at 519-570-9777. To provide anonymous information, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit online at www.waterloocrimestoppers.com. SHARE: The New Hamburg Art Tour is calling for artists living in the Waterloo Region until April 30. Here are six things to know about it. The art tour dates are Sept. 23 and 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The New Hamburg Art Tour is open to artists of all genres. Artists are to submit four to six digital images of paintings/sculptures indicative of the works they would bring to the tour to newhamburgarttour@gmail.com and a brief artists bio. Entries must not be copies of other artists' work or based on other published paintings or copyrighted photographs. If selected, the exhibition fee is $100, to be paid via cash, cheque or e-transfer. Applicants will be notified by email in mid-May and the application fee and all contact info will be due by May 31. For more information, email newhamburgarttour@gmail.com visit http://tiny.cc/NHAT2023-Call SHARE: CAMBRIDGE Cambridge Fire is working to improve equity, diversity and inclusion among its 150 staff to change the culture of the department. At a Cambridge council meeting March 28, fire Chief Brian Arnold said the goal is to create a psychologically and physically safe work space for all. An outside trainer is providing awareness education to all staff about equity, diversity and inclusion, Arnold said. He said the training is ongoing. Just last year the service named its first female platoon chief. At Cambridge Fire, 25 per cent of chief officers are female and 16 of 131 firefighters are female about 12 per cent. All six administration, communications and emergency management personnel are female and 33 per cent of community risk reduction staff two of six are female. In total 25 per cent of all Cambridge Fire staff are female. And while there are members of the service who identify as LGBTQ and as Black, Indigenous or people of colour, the service doesnt collect that information, said Julie Kalbfleisch, director of communications with the City of Cambridge. Since 2022, the service holds formalized training sessions twice a year, Arnold said. The fire department and the Cambridge Professional Firefighters Association Local 499 are working together on the initiatives, which also include mental health supports and breaking down the stigma associated with mental health challenges. Working groups have revised and created policies, updated plans, researched and acquired training and investigated and partnered with other agencies and organizations to provide greater mental health awareness, resources and support options to staff, a report to council says. Working groups look at opportunities to create a welcoming culture on an ongoing basis, the report says. That includes raising awareness through training and supporting employees in their career progression from recruitment through to retirement. Any initiatives are supported by management but driven by front-line staff, Arnold told council. We have leadership hierarchically speaking from the top, but it is driven from the ground level, from the front-line staff, because they want to see the change themselves, he said. Paige Desmond is a Waterloo Region-based reporter focusing on municipal issues for The Record. Reach her via email: pdesmond@therecord.com SHARE: KITCHENER A Kitchener minor was a victim in what the U.S. Department of Justice describes as a child sextortion scheme in Minneapolis. A 24-year-old man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison and 12 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to four charges in late June 2022. Glen Anderson, from Coon Rapids, a Minneapolis suburb, had worked in a middle school in special education. The Star Tribune, Minnesotas largest newspaper, reported that he was a substitute teacher at Anoka High School. Anderson used internet apps and social media such as Snapchat and dating app Grindr to email, file share and chat with minors. Anderson also owned and ran online gaming forums called The Republic and The Public Community, where he was in contact with boys, the Star Tribune reported. Users had to apply to participate in the forums, and provide information such as their age. As Anderson knew, many of the users were minors, a Department of Justice release said. Between April 1, 2016 when Anderson was still a teen and Aug. 20, 2021, he gave minors game perks, privileges and other gifts to force them to make child pornography and engage in sexual activity with him. Waterloo Regional Police confirmed that one victim is from Kitchener, but did not release any other details. One 13-year-old victim was coerced to engage in sexual acts that were videotaped and photographed. Anderson then threatened to release those sexually explicit images if the minor did not respond to demands. Another victim, aged 14 to 15, met Anderson on Grindr and continued communicating with him over Snapchat, the Star Tribune reported. Anderson offered to build the victim a computer in exchange for sexual acts. The FBI searched Andersons home on Mar. 10, 2022, the day after Anderson was seen with a 14-year-old whom he dropped off before going to work, The Star Tribune reported. On June 28, 2022, Anderson pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography, one count of enticement of a minor and one count of interstate communications with intent to extort. He was sentenced on March 15, 2023. The Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Anoka County Sheriffs Office and the Erie County (Ohio) Sheriffs Office investigated. Waterloo Regional Police and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension helped in the investigation. SHARE: KITCHENER The final witness at the Beau Baker inquest his mother testified on Wednesday. Jackie Baker was asked what he was like as a child. In my opinion, Beau was a cutie, she said. He was creative. He was the little version of the 20-year-old version. He thought of others. Beau Baker was fatally shot by a Waterloo Regional Police officer in 2015 outside Bakers Kitchener apartment building. The Special Investigations Unit cleared the officer of any criminal wrongdoing. Baker had experienced post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts. He had a learning disability as a child, but the exact problem wasnt diagnosed, his mother said. Further testing would cost money that she didnt have. Baker spent time in foster care as his mother struggled with her own issues. When Baker returned to her custody, the Childrens Aid Society of London and Middlesex offered no support to ease transition from a group home, she said. (He had lived in London, Ont., and remained under the auspices of the London Childrens Aid when he lived in Kitchener.) He had a close relationship with his grandmother. When she died in 2011, he became sad and angry, his mother said. He developed an alcohol problem. Beau Baker didnt have enough access to mental-health support, his mother said. We had each other, she said. We talked, we cried. We were very close. He had been living at an apartment building at 77 Brybeck Cres. in Kitchener when he was shot. His mother, who lives in Kitchener, was asked what recommendations the inquest jury should table to try to prevent deaths in similar circumstances. The funding is an issue, she said, referring to money for mental-health services. I think some de-escalation training (for police) needs more work. But I trust that the jury will make the wise choice there. The jury will hear submissions from lawyers on Thursday and Dr. David Eden, the presiding officer at the inquest, will provide legal instructions. Then, the jury of three women and two men will begin crafting recommendations. The inquest began on March 20; Bakers mother has been there every day. I want to acknowledge how hard its been for you here these past two weeks and how brave youve been just sticking with us all this time, inquest counsel Julian Roy told her, and Im not just talking about the last two weeks, but the last eight years as youve waited for answers for what happened. I just want to extend my condolences again to you and your family on behalf of the people of Ontario for your loss. A statement from police Chief Mark Crowell was read aloud. On behalf of the Waterloo Regional Police Service, we extend sincere condolences to the Baker family for the loss of Beau Baker, Crowell wrote. This tragedy is felt by those who knew him, as well as our entire service and the community as a whole. As an organization, as a profession, we are committed to learning from the recommendations presented at this inquest to help ensure such tragedies are prevented in the future. Baker was armed with a small kitchen knife when he was shot by officer Eric Boynton on the night of April 2, 2015, outside Bakers apartment building. Boynton said he feared for his life and the lives of others when Baker stepped toward him. The officer fired his pistol seven times, but the first shots missed. At least one bullet struck Baker between the stomach and chest, the inquest was told. In a 911 call, Baker had threatened to stab police, paramedics and others and harm himself. Two police officers responded. If 911 took a similar call today, police would respond in similar fashion, the inquest was told Wednesday. A mobile crisis team with mental-health workers would not be sent, Waterloo Regional Police Staff Supt. John Goodman testified. This call had a mental-health component, but this was an actual criminal call, he said. We had an individual with a weapon who was threatening to stab EMS workers, was threatening to stab innocent bystanders walking down the street. We have to deal with the criminal nature of the call, and then the mental-health piece will come in secondary. We would never bring a crisis worker into that situation until we had it under control. Read more about: SHARE: Rescuers work at the site of a floor cave-in inside a temple in Indore, Madhya Pradesh state, India, on March 30, 2023. At least 13 people died and several others were injured in a floor cave-in at a temple in India's central state of Madhya Pradesh on Thursday, the state's Home Minister Narottam Mishra said. (Str/Xinhua) NEW DELHI, March 30 (Xinhua) -- At least 13 people died and several others were injured in a floor cave-in at a temple in India's central state of Madhya Pradesh on Thursday, the state's Home Minister Narottam Mishra said. The mishap occurred in the state's Indore city when the cover of a stepwell suddenly collapsed as more than 30 people were standing on it. A total of 19 people were rescued from the site and admitted to a local hospital. Ten women were among the dead. A couple of people, including a child, were still missing and efforts were made to rescue them. An inquiry into the mishap has been ordered, said the minister. "Extremely pained by the mishap in Indore. Spoke to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and took an update on the situation. The state government is spearheading rescue and relief work at a quick pace. My prayers with all those affected and their families," Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted. Rescuers work at the site of a floor cave-in inside a temple in Indore, Madhya Pradesh state, India, on March 30, 2023. At least 13 people died and several others were injured in a floor cave-in at a temple in India's central state of Madhya Pradesh on Thursday, the state's Home Minister Narottam Mishra said. (Str/Xinhua) Rescuers work at the site of a floor cave-in inside a temple in Indore, Madhya Pradesh state, India, on March 30, 2023. At least 13 people died and several others were injured in a floor cave-in at a temple in India's central state of Madhya Pradesh on Thursday, the state's Home Minister Narottam Mishra said. (Str/Xinhua) People gather outside the site of a floor cave-in at a temple in Indore, Madhya Pradesh state, India, on March 30, 2023. At least 13 people died and several others were injured in a floor cave-in at a temple in India's central state of Madhya Pradesh on Thursday, the state's Home Minister Narottam Mishra said. (Str/Xinhua) KITCHENER A job fair Wednesday evening for Indigenous, Black and people of colour, encouraging them to work for the Waterloo Region District School Board, attracted 31 visitors, the board said. We are excited about how the event went, school board spokesperson Estefania Brandenstein said in an email. We had great interest in a wide range of jobs within the organization. News media were not permitted to attend the event, held over the supper hour at the school board main office on Ardelt Avenue. But several people leaving the event said they were pleased. They were incredibly welcoming, said Butch Weiler, who brought his 17-year-old Black son, Justin Lochead-Weiler, to the event. Lochead-Weiler said hed like to be a physical education teacher or counsellor. Weiler said the fair is valuable, because it helps people in our society, who feel marginalized, (to) have opportunities. The board was criticized by some on social media when it took the controversial step of inviting racialized and Indigenous people to the meeting to provide information in hopes they might apply for future jobs. The board has said that all applicants for jobs will be considered equally, and they will not be advantaged or disadvantaged because of race. An event like this is intended to increase the number of Indigenous and racialized people in the pool of applicants. Currently, board employees are overwhelmingly white. Only one per cent of its employees are Black, compared to six per cent of students. Between the Waterloo Catholic and Waterloo public boards, just nine per cent of employees are racialized, compared to 37 per cent of students, according to data collected between 2019 and 2021 at the Waterloo Region and Waterloo Catholic boards. SHARE: KITCHENER The jury at the Beau Baker inquest should conclude he died by homicide, says the lawyer for Bakers family. Lawyers for Waterloo Regional Police say Bakers death should be deemed a suicide. Baker, 20, was armed with a small kitchen knife when he was fatally shot by officer Eric Boynton in 2015 outside Bakers apartment building at 77 Brybeck Cres. in Kitchener. In a 911 call shortly before the shooting, Baker threatened to stab police officers, paramedics and others. He also said he would kill himself. The Special Investigations Unit cleared Boynton of any criminal wrongdoing. The inquest jury has four options on Bakers death: suicide, homicide, accident or undetermined. A finding of homicide carries no criminal liability. This difficult decision is yours to make, Dr. David Eden, the presiding officer at the inquest, told the jury on Thursday after providing legal instructions. At 2 p.m., the jury began deliberations. The inquest will reconvene when the jury reaches a verdict. I can tell you that Beaus family, for them, the manner of death that we are advocating in this inquest is homicide, Asha James, the lawyer representing Bakers family, told the jury of three women and two men. Staff Sgt. Boynton testified that he was well aware that when he pointed his firearm at Beau on April 2, 2015, that Beaus life was at risk and that he was aware that by discharging his firearm at Beau that his death was a likely consequence of that action. Boynton, a constable with regional police when he shot Baker but now a staff sergeant, testified he feared for his life and the lives of others when Baker moved toward him while holding the knife. He fired his pistol seven times. The first shots missed. Lawyers representing Boynton, the police chief and the police board asked the jury to find Bakers death was a suicide. The evidence demonstrates Mr. Baker undertook a series of calculated and intentional actions knowing or reasonably expecting that it would result in a potentially fatal response from a police officer, said Lucas OHara. He represents Boynton and Harman Sandhu, a patrol officer who drew his firearm but did not shoot. Sandhu no longer works in policing. Baker had experienced post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression, the inquest was told. He had previously tried to kill himself. But he never told Boynton to shoot him or kill him, James said. It is a real stretch of the evidence, she said, to get to a suicide verdict. Baker made a video shortly before he died. Mr. Baker states, Well see where this goes in the next 15, meaning the next 15 minutes, OHara said. Mr. Baker then outlines three possibilities of what he believes will happen: that he goes to jail, that he gets killed or that he goes to the psych ward because I am going to stab a cop. Fourteen minutes later, OHara said, Baker told 911, I dont want to live and I need somebody with a gun because I have a knife. Outside Bakers apartment, Boynton said he asked Baker what he had in his hand. A really sharp knife, Baker said, according to Boynton. Baker knew the comment would prompt the officer to draw his firearm, OHara said. Boynton said Baker threatened to stab him in the face. It was obvious to me with no degree of uncertainty that he had the intent, the means and the ability to carry out the threats that he had made to me ... Boynton testified. Baker had a troubled life, including stints in foster care group homes. At the time of his death, Baker was under the auspices of the Childrens Aid Society of London and Middlesex. He lived in London, Ont., before moving to Kitchener. The jury will craft recommendations to try to prevent deaths in similar circumstances. Lawyers for the Baker family, police, doctors and the Childrens Aid Society agree on 21 recommendations, including: Set up at least one youth wellness hub in Waterloo Region. These are one-stop shops for people 12 to 25 offering help with mental health, substance use issues, primary care, education, employment, training and housing. The Ontario government should adequately fund community mental health and addiction services. Childrens Aid Societies should ensure youth are connected with a worker in the community where they live. The Ontario government should move away from licensing group homes and instead fund smaller settings. The government should ensure community-based nonpolice crisis response teams are available around the clock. The jury does not have to agree to any of these recommendations. Read more about: SHARE: For someone who blends arts and activism with such singular panache, Naila Keleta-Mae has a surprisingly blunt assessment of the major obstacle facing any diversity, equity and inclusion initiative. It always come down to resources, points out the University of Waterloo communications arts prof, who won a prestigious Dorothy Killam Research Fellowship prize of $80,000, given to the university over two years, to free her up for research projects delving into Black expressive culture and Black feminism. Whats the budget? Often things are under-resourced, she says. The cynic in me will say its strategically under-resourced. When we want to talk about where the change is going to be, its budgets. Reports are interesting. Recommendations are interesting. I want to see what the budget lines are. Whats on the table? As someone who worked for years, pre-academia, fighting an uphill battle for funding in arts and equity, the Canada Research Chair in Race, Gender and Performance also an award-winning poet, recording artist and playwright knows what shes talking about. I couldnt access the resources I wanted, she says of her years as an artist educator in the private sector, running her own cultural production company and working for Canada Councils equity office. I knew they were out there and thought they could be mobilized more effectively. A high school valedictorian and high-achieving daughter of Jamaican immigrants, who instilled the values of hard work and education, Keleta-Mae learned to cheerfully push the equity boulder from one level to the next, despite the obstacles. Days before the opening of her Black and Free: Art Exhibition at the Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum through Sunday shes surprisingly laid-back as she oversees its setup, supports her tech crew, poses for photos and thoughtfully answers questions about the principles that drive her. Ive been preoccupied with the idea of freedom for as long as I can remember, she says. In part I was trying to understand what it meant to be Black, to be one of few Black children in a space, to understand that what I was learning in school did not reflect the experiences of Black people I knew in the community. Her Black and Free research creation project, of which the art exhibition is but one small part, will encompass all these issues, and more. I cant think about Blackness and freedom without thinking about detention centres, jails and prisons, and all the Black people on boats capsizing, trying to leave one place thats violent to get to another place where people violently dont want them to be. She pauses, letting that thought sink in. Being a scholar in this field feels like what it would have felt like for scholars in this field 100 years ago, in the sense that Black studies has always been activist, she notes. Im not doing it just to study something of interest to me abstractly Im part of that tradition of scholars connected to community, sharing the expertise weve been able to amass through all this expensive schooling and research. Call it the weight of history, which Keleta-Mae seems abundantly aware of as she brings together artists, academics and the public to engage with the topic of Blackness and freedom. It feels like an environment thats centuries old, she says. Thats the challenge, if we think about the violent ways Black people have long been treated that were disposable, incarcerated at disproportionally high rates, housed in food deserts and educated in public schools that dont have relevant information about Black people. And were expected to thrive. The saving grace for her: her familys dogged work ethic. Im focused, she notes. Im ambitious in my dreams and what I think is possible, super focused in the execution, and Im hard-working. People often say, How do you do it?, and in some ways they interpret ambition coming from a Black woman as impossible, so theres a degree of proving, which I tend to just do by doing what Im doing. And folks are like, Oh, youre getting this ambitious thing done! and then they start to see the vision. The Black Lives Matter movement of 2020 was a turning point, she notes, but as with most groundbreaking moments of social change, there has been pushback . I was quite critical of my university and publicly so in mid-2020 in the midst of the protests, she says of official responses she considered tone-deaf. I felt like my institution and others were being performative about anti-Blackness. They were issuing statements without consulting with Black people on campus. Still, she remains optimistic, crediting her partners at the Ken Seiling Museum, National Research Council and others for allowing her to pursue her work, which she believes will result in positive change. We do make different choices, she notes. We organize with one another, and collectively change and move the needle, so I think in terms of not being discouraged, part of that is thinking about it generationally. This is work thats ongoing. It took hundreds of years to get here. Its going to take time to imagine something new. Black and Free: Art Exhibition runs through Sunday at the Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum SHARE: The Sangh and SwarajRole of RSS in freedom struggle | Dr Sagolsem Kulachandra Singh (Kendra Pramukh, Vishwa Samvad Kendra, Manipur) Kindly recall the article Where were Sangh leaders during freedom struggle.-MPCC Vice President and Spokesperson Mr Hareshwar Goswami published on the Sangai Express dated 20 Sept. 2022. I feel very pity that by holding such high post of an All India Political Party who has no basic idea of Indias freedom struggle. It appears that political compulsion have made Left and so called secular parties run malicious propaganda about its role in independence struggle and its sterling records of public service in the field including wars, to create doubts in the mind of the people. There is a consensus that the Congress party of that time, an umbrella organisation for all political shades for a common cause-that is to attain freedom. There were leaders who led other organisations and other political groups also even as they remained leaders of Congress. Three major non-violent movements for freedom were launched under Gandhijis leadership in 1921, 1930 and 1942. There is no doubt that Gandhijis biggest contribution was to involve common men and women in the freedom struggle in a simple and easily understandable form. Millions got involved in this struggle because of this innovative approach. Dr Hedgewar, RSS founder took part in each of these movements when he was a Congress leader and even later after he had founded RSS. He died in 1940. A large number of RSS swayamsevaks and leaders took an active part in 1942 Quit India movement too. They participated as common citizens, as per the guidelines laid down by Dr Hedgewar. Another important aspect of the Indian Independence struggle that was fought over a long period was the armed revolt by many patriots. Beginning from 1857, followed by Chapheka brothers, Birsa Munda, Rani Gaidinlu, Allwis Sitaraman Raju, Savarkar, Chandrashekher Azad, Bhagat Singh, Madanlal Dhingra, Rasahbehari Bose to Shubas Chandra Bose and his Indian National Army (INA), we have a virtual roll of honour of hundreds of such dare devil freedom fighters. It was an ironical face saving excuse since Congress itself did not have a written Constitution for 15 years after its foundation. Various reference to this period established that the ban was more out of jealousy for a highly popular organisation. This fear of the rise of a popular political alternative was sign of irrational thinking because Shri Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar, aka Shri Guruji, the second RSS Sarsanghachalak, had time and again reiterated that RSS had no interest in becoming a political party. Persecution of RSS by the Congress party had begun months before Gandhiji assassination at the peak of relief work being done by RSS for the unfortunate citizens of Bharat who were supported very poorly by the Government in the wake of partition. RSS cadre had not been too keen about proper documentation since the beginning. However, lot of attention is being paid now to this important aspect. Reason for this lack of documentation could be that Dr Hedgewar and his successor Shri Guruji were strictly adverse to publicising RSS worker projecting themselves. They said We should be prasidhi paraangmukh, that is keep away from publicity; and work silently for the society and motherland. Dr HedgewarA Patriot and a Freedom FighterHis agitation while he was in Matric (SSC of today) in Neil City school is noteworthy. In 1906 he organised students of his school secretly to raise the slogan of Vande Mataram when the school Inspector came to the school. (To be contd) Tanker catches fire | MOREH, Mar 30: A diesel tanker truck which was heading towards Moreh from Imphal caught fire about 2 Kms away from Sibong Khudengthabi at around 3.30 pm today. The fire started from the engine portion of the truck. On seeing the fire, water tankers of SKV&SPG Company which is currently working on Imphal-Moreh highway rushed to the spot and made all efforts to douse the fire. A team of Moreh Fire Service too reached the spot soon. With the collective efforts of the fire tenders, SKV &SPG Company and the local people, the fire was finally brought under control before the diesel oil caught fire. SYDNEY, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Police in the Australian state of Victoria have arrested nine people and seized over 1 million Australian dollars (about 0.7 million U.S. dollars) worth of drugs and firearms, after executing 12 search warrants across Melbourne. The arrests came after extensive investigations into drug manufacturing in Melbourne, with search warrants conducted across several Melbourne suburbs, including Airport West, Essendon, Keilor Downs, South Melbourne and Sunshine, Victoria Police said on Thursday. The warrants resulted in seven alleged stolen firearms, a commercial quantity of methylamphetamine, items used in the manufacturing of methylamphetamine, 141 cannabis plants and a large quantity of stolen and fraudulent identification cards. To date, five people have been charged and three more are expected to be charged on summons. Another person has been released pending further inquiries. "The community can be assured that our work does not stop here. We will continue to work around the clock to gather intelligence, arrest offenders and put them before the courts," said Fawkner Divisional Response Unit Acting Detective Sergeant Brad Hobbs. Lorraine Bergstrand scored three firsts during her political career. Bergstrand who died March 9 at age 70 of cancer was the first female mayor of Dunnville since it was founded in 1860. She was elected in 1997 by decisively defeating two-term mayor Bob Blake. She also happened to be the last mayor of Dunnville when the two-tier Haldimand-Norfolk region was disbanded in 2001 and the town was rolled into the new single-tier Haldimand County with the former Town of Haldimand and parts of the former City of Nanticoke. Subsequently, she became the first mayor of the new municipality when she won a close election in November 2000 against Haldimand mayor Marie Trainer 8,250 votes for Bergstrand and 7,621 for Trainer. She lost a rematch against Trainer three years later. Bergstrand had a reputation for telling it like it is. A 2003 Spectator story on the Haldimand mayor's race said she was known as a no-holds-barred political straight-shooter. In 2002, she was upset that some Dunnville residents opposed to a large hog operation proposed for just outside town were "fear-mongering and I don't care for that." A year earlier, she let Tory MPP Toby Barrett have it for his criticism that the new counties of Haldimand and Norfolk had budget increases instead of tax cuts in the wake of de-amalgamation. "Mr. Barrett is always blaming the municipalities (for tax increases)," she told The Spectator. "If Mr. Barrett wants us to cut taxes, I want to know what services he wants us to lop off. It shows a clear lack of understanding of the municipality and the needs and wants of our residents." Bergstrand told The Spec in 2000, "When it comes to being tenacious and vocal, I'm there. I'm not intimidated by any level of government." Lorraine Bergstrand who died March 9 at age 70 of cancer was the first female mayor of Dunnville since it was founded in 1860. She was elected in 1997 by decisively defeating two-term mayor Bob Blake. Barry Gray/The Hamilton Spectator file photo Bergstrand also did not take herself too seriously. In June 2002, she parachuted from 10,500 feet in an unusual ribbon-cutting ceremony to welcome the Niagara Skydive Centre to the Dunnville Airport. "I've had a smile on my face since I've jumped out of that plane," she said. In a statement, Haldimand County Mayor Shelley Ann Bentley said Bergstrand was instrumental in setting a "solid foundation" for the county to build upon for years to come. "Lorraine was a strong advocate for women in politics and administration, an inspiring and tenacious leader to many," she said. Bergstrand was born Feb. 19, 1953, in Canada to Irish-born parents Jack and Elizabeth Teer. Her family moved to Belfast when she was two and returned to Canada in 1966 when she was 13. The family settled in east Hamilton. She married her husband Randy in 1974. In 1977, they moved from Hamilton to a parcel of land along the Grand River, between Byng and Port Maitland. Bergstrand ran a dog-grooming business from her home and got the political bug in 1988. She ran successfully for Ward 1, which comprised the former township of Dunn. She was elected to Haldimand-Norfolk regional council in 1991 as a Dunnville representative, and served in the post until she became mayor. She served as vice-chair of finance and administration and also as vice-chair of the Grand River Conservation Authority and chair of its planning and operations committee. In 2006, Bergstrand faced Trainer again for the mayor's job, but was unsuccessful. She ran for the Liberals against Barrett in the 2007 provincial election, but he was re-elected. After her mayoral career, Bergstrand worked as general manager for Toronto Motorsports Park, a drag strip in Kohler, just south of Cayuga. She also served as executive director of the Haldimand-Norfolk Literacy Council and on the board of Haldimand County Hydro. Bergstrand is survived by her husband Randy, son Nathan, daughter Randi and four grandchildren. She is also survived by her brother Gary and sister Donna. She was predeceased by her father in 2020 at age 91 and her mother in 2022 at age 94. SHARE: CALGARYA member of Calgary's South Sudanese community says 10 victims of a home explosion were blown into the air before falling into a fiery basement below. The Monday blast also damaged several other homes and sent part of the roof of the house that blew up into a yard across the street. The injured were all adults and six had life-threatening injuries. Neighbours rushed to help as many of the injured struggled to climb out of the basement to safety. Deng Deng Tiordit, chairman of the Twic Community Association of Canada, told The Canadian Press that he has spoken to some of the victims, their families and medical officials. "The doctor told me one man will be there for a minimum of six months ... he's the one who has a lot of burns and is sedated because he has a lot of pain. He will take longer than anyone," Tiordit said. "The rest, they are thinking about three or four weeks." Although the fire department hasn't released a cause of the explosion, it has said it could have been natural gas. Tiordit said one of the victims was visiting from Brooks, Alta., because his son was in hospital awaiting surgery. Now the father is also in hospital. "He has a broken back and a broken rib and a broken shoulder because he was up on the main floor. When the explosion happened, it threw him up in the air and he fell into the basement," Tiordit said. "The explosion happened in the basement and the people on the main floor it threw them into the air. That's why one of them was hanging out the window and then he fell down again." Aleer Deng, a relative and a friend to many of the victims, said three are in critical condition and the others are stable.He said they are all expected to survive. "The doctors are doing their best to try and treat them." The South Sudanese community has started a GoFundMe page and hopes to raise $50,000 to help the victims. It had fundraised $3,500 as of Thursday afternoon. Gar Gar, a community advocate who set up the fundraising campaign, said community members are also hosting a clothing donation drive on Saturday at the Forest Lawn Community Association. Most of the victims lost everything in the blast and have no clothes, he said. "Any time one of (the victims) or two get discharged, we are hoping to have some funds where we can help them get back to their feet. But the reality is the other ones who are still in critical condition to see how we can help them with different expenses," said Gar Gar. "They're probably not going to go back to work right away, so we are hoping to help them with those expenses." Read more about: SHARE: TRURO, N.S.In the end, when the final report was presented, when findings were outlined and recommendations highlighted, when the public inquirys commissioners left the podium, there was silence in the packed hotel ballroom. For almost a full minute that silence lasted, not a word spoken, nor the scraping of a chair until, almost reluctantly, the first person rose to take their leave. It was a testament to how emotional, how draining the process had been two and a half years and more than $20 million to conduct the Mass Casualty Commission inquiry into the worst mass shooting in Canadian history. Turning the Tide Together was the culmination of all that, a 3,000-page, seven-volume report cataloguing a litany of RCMP failures and inadequacies surrounding the massacre that left 22 victims dead in Nova Scotia three years ago. The report is sprawling. It envisions if implemented a full overhaul of Canadas national police force, a strengthening of gun control laws, an assertion of the separation between policing and politics, and more attention to preventing gender-based and domestic violence, among many other calls in its 130 recommendations. Seventy-five are directed at the RCMP. With the reports release, the commissions work came to an end. For the survivors, though, for the families of the victims, there is no end they will forever have to deal with the loss of loved ones. But the nature of the report, and many of the recommendations therein, gave some cause for cautious optimism. That lasted about as long as it took the RCMP interim commissioner to sit down in front of a microphone. Its going to make changes, said Scott McLeod, the brother of victim Sean McLeod. Nothing will bring my brother back or any of the other people that we lost in this horrible ordeal. (But if) we can get the positive side of this and move things forward, youll know that these people didnt lose their lives for nothing. Several minutes after McLeod spoke, RCMP interim commissioner Michael Duheme sat down in the same seat and admitted that despite the RCMP receiving the report the previous morning, more than 30 hours earlier he hadnt read it. I havent reviewed it, he said. It was limited distribution. But as I said from the beginning, I havent seen the recommendations. It doesnt minimize the impact of what took place. I just havent had time to go through the recommendations. The picture painted by the commission did not cover the national police force in glory. In fact, in the 317-page executive summary of that report, there are 65 versions of the word failure and 33 of the word inadequate, most in close proximity to a reference to the RCMP. Duheme said hes committed to reviewing all the recommendations and to repairing public trust. But he refused to commit to any specifics. Where the commission recommended that the RCMP adopt a policy of admitting its mistakes, accepting responsibility for them, and ensuring that accountability mechanisms are in place for addressing its errors, Duheme refused to admit mistakes were made in Portapique. Officers did the best they could with the equipment and training they had, he said repeatedly. Chief Supt. Darren Campbell, at the time of the shooting a senior RCMP officer in Nova Scotia, apologized emotionally for the response in Portapique. I apologize for failing, he said in July at the end of his testimony to the inquiry. I havent cried in two and a half years. Im truly sorry that we failed you. I promise that well do better. Duheme, given the same opportunity to apologize for the RCMP failures, demurred: I am terribly sorry for the pain and suffering that families went through. It was unprecedented circumstances. Asked about the recommendation to replace Depot, the RCMPs 26-week training program, in favour of a three-year training period, Duheme balked. I think just saying shutting down Depot without having a proper analysis from the RCMP and other people we have to have a deeper dive. Despite those answers, McLeod said afterward hed met with the commissioner and retained his cautious optimism that change would come to the RCMP as a result of the report. The night of April 18 Over 13 hours on April 18 and 19, Gabriel Wortman killed 22 people and torched several houses in northern Nova Scotia, beginning in Portapique with an assault on his common-law spouse, Lisa Banfield, and ending nearly 100 kilometres away when police shot him at a gas station. In its volume on policing, the report delves into specific failures on the night of April 18. The report highlights the Mounties discounting of the fact that multiple witnesses told them in the early hours of the shooting that the gunman was driving a replica police car, and failed to alert the public about that until almost 12 hours later, and then by social media. This information should have shaped the command decisions from that time forward, wrote the commission. The failure to recognize that the perpetrator had disguised himself in this way was a product of deficiencies in the RCMPs process for capturing, sharing, and analyzing information received during a critical incident response. Although it lauded the first three officers on scene who went into Portapique hunting for the gunman, the report castigated their supervisors for a fragmented chain of command, which sowed confusion as the team searched Portapique in the night amid explosions and fires. Reinforcements were told to hold fast at the entrance to Portapique, for fear of officers shooting each other. This despite the GPS tracking system built into the Mounties hand-held radios a system that had never been activated and which the team searching Portapique did not even know existed. The RCMP failed to implement a previous recommendation in the review of the 2014 shooting incident in Moncton in which three RCMP officers were killed to be able to geo-track its members in emergencies, the commission said. The fact that there were only three officers in Portapique for the first 90 minutes of the RCMPs response, combined with fragmented leadership and a lack of knowledge of the area they were policing, was a factor in the killers escape from Portapique that night, the report concluded. 19 hours before a door-to-door search The commission also took the RCMP to task for the amount of time it took that first night to find many of the victims. A systematic door-to-door search was not conducted until 19 hours after the first 911 call from the Portapique community. This is an unacceptable delay. It went further, criticizing, among other things, the RCMPs failure to co-operate with other agencies, poor communication within the force and with both the public and victims families during and after the mass shooting. Despite its recommendations, the final report acknowledges that change in the RCMP is hard to come by. The report mentions at several points recommendations from previous inquiries and reviews that have been ignored. The MCC also recommended having the force having a long, hard look at what it calls unhealthy aspects of the RCMPs management culture. A further three recommendations deal with ensuring the next public inquiry has an easier time getting requested evidence in a timely fashion from the RCMP, something the commission said was a problem during this inquiry. Though the report had plenty to say about the RCMP, it also spent a significant chunk of time addressing both gender-based and domestic violence. The revictimization of Lisa Banfield The report made several findings and recommendations relating to gender bias and domestic violence. Notable was the finding that the way the RCMP treated Lisa Banfield in its investigation was an example of the kind of revictimization that would make it less likely that female survivors of gender-based violence would seek help from police. The victim blaming and hyper-responsibilization (holding of an individual to higher standards than what would typically be expected of the average person) to which Ms. Banfield was subjected by community members reflect myths about triggers in a mass casualty and that a woman is responsible for her partners actions, it said. This reaction also has a chilling effect on other survivors of gender-based violence. The report recommended that federal and provincial governments develop programs to counter victim blaming and hyper-responsibilization of women survivors and also that they create safe space for women to report violence against them. It also recommended that police and prosecutors be handed extra discretion to lay criminal charges in case of intimate partner violence. Future acts of violence are preventable When all was said and done, the once-packed ballroom in Truro was deserted, save for a handful of workers breaking down tables and stacking chairs. The banners were down. The podium was gone. Nothing remained to mark the fact that the Mass Casualty Commission had completed its task there, had delivered on its promise. That it had laid out a pathway for some meaningful change. But the real work, said Commissioner Michael MacDonald just before he left, was just getting started. This is a blueprint that, when implemented, will establish that those wonderful, dear lives that were taken on April 18th and 19th would not have been taken in vain, he said.Those lives cannot have been taken in vain. That cannot happen. Future acts of violence are preventable if we have the will to do what is necessary. The Mass Casualty Commission releases its final report into the Nova Scotia 2020 mass shooting. Commissioners Michael MacDonald, Leanne Fitch, and Kim Stanton speak at the event in Truro. A gunman killed 22 victims during the April 18-19th rampage in the worst mass shooting in Canadian history. Read more about: SHARE: The shocking stabbing death of 16-year-old Gabriel Magalhaes at Keele subway station the latest in a wave of serious and apparently random violence on the TTC has parents wondering how to keep their commuting kids safe. Experts in self-defence, psychology and public transit emphasize talking to your children about how they feel and what steps they can take when they feel unsafe. Parents and caregivers should ask their kids if they know about high-profile incidents like Magalhaess killing, and whether they have any questions or feelings, said Mary Elizabeth Picher, a registered psychotherapist and clinical director at The Giving Tree Centre. Thats one way into discussing with your child some simple steps like travelling with a group, ensuring their family knows where theyre going and not travelling alone at more unsafe times of day. The difficult thing about this situation, though, is that this happened on a Saturday and it was unprovoked, Picher said. Parents cant shield or sugarcoat reality, she said, explaining its important kids understand that there are risks involved when taking public transit and there are also things they can do to be safer. Talking is also important because its not healthy to avoid something that could cause anxiety. Anxiety is contagious, so if parents are anxious themselves, kids will pick up on that when you avoid things the anxiety gets worse. And if, for example, youth are shutting down over the news or refusing to go out or take public transit, Picher advised they may need professional help. Toronto police have a webpage dedicated to safety tips while waiting for and riding transit. They include staying alert and looking up, moving to an area with more people or near an escape route if you feel uncomfortable, or close to the driver. If someone demands your belongings, like an electronic device, and imply they have a weapon, police say to not resist since it increases the chance of getting hurt. If someone tries to assault you, police advise attracting attention by pulling the emergency alarm, screaming and running away. In the long term, having a reliable service will bring people back to public transit, which in turn makes it safer, said Ron Buliung, graduate chair of geography and planning at the University of Toronto, who has been working on active school transportation since 2008. Having more people on transit makes transit safe, he said, acknowledging how difficult it can be to convince people to get on a system they may perceive as risky or even dangerous. Im going to be a hypocrite and Im going to say we need to not be walking away from transit. But Im not letting my 15-year-old take it at the moment, Buliung said. Although his teen isnt comfortable taking the subway, he noted that not every family can make a similar choice based on their income and flexibility. Buliung said hes talked to his teen about transit safety like where to stand, to not wear earbuds or headphones so that theyre aware of their surroundings, and to stay near friends. Thats all stuff that we can do, he said. But to solve the issues behind the recent violence on the TTC, Buliung said solutions require addressing underlying social issues that have little to do with the transit system itself, such as the crises in homelessness, health care and mental health. Deb Chard, a trainer with Wen-Do Womens Self Defence organization, said its important to avoid victim-blaming and questions about what a young person could have done to keep themselves out of harms way. Its never a kids fault that they get hurt, she said. Instead, advised Chard, focus on teaching kids that they are worth fighting for and worth being treated with respect. In Magalhaes case, Chard said its not about what he should have done or could have done ... whatever happened to him, he did his best. Theres no looking back at what someone who has been hurt or killed should have done. The conversations to have with your children are about the future, she said, emphasizing, what we want for the kids in our lives to know is that they are actually entitled to make a scene. Parents should teach their kids to be loud and get other adults involved, and teach them that its OK not to be polite with strangers. SHARE: More than 4,700 community pharmacies in Ontario are now required to install time-delayed safes for narcotics and high-risk drugs in response to a rise in robberies. The Ontario College of Pharmacists (OCP), which regulates the provinces community and hospital pharmacies, announced the decision at a board meeting last Tuesday. The changes went into effect immediately after the meeting, although there is a grace period for pharmacies to order and install the safes which will store narcotics. Pharmacies must also display visible signage to alert people about the safes. Time-delayed safes prevent access for a pre-programmed amount of time once a combination is entered. The use of time-delay safes has proven to be an effective deterrent to pharmacy robberies in other jurisdictions, OCP board chair James Morrison said in a written statement. Shoppers Drug Mart installed time-delay safes in its Ontario locations last November to deter the thefts, the company said. According to data provided by the Toronto Police Service, the number of pharmacy robberies in the city more than doubled from 49 in 2021 to 123 thefts in 2022. In February, Toronto police arrested 10 people including six minors in relation to 26 armed pharmacy robberies, as part of its Project Mayhem investigation which resulted in similar arrests by Peel Regional Police. In an emailed statement, Toronto police said there have been 54 pharmacy robberies in the city so far this year. The TPS Hold Up Squad is encouraging the use of time-delayed safes as they have proven very successful at deterring robberies ... We anticipate that time-delayed safes will have the same impact in Toronto, the statement reads. The success of time-delayed safes in Western Canada offers a hopeful outlook for Ontario pharmacies. According to a report from the Alberta College of Pharmacy, the province saw a significant reduction in robberies after it made time-delay safes mandatory last year. In 2022, there were 10 pharmacy robberies in Edmonton, Alta. from January to April. There were zero robberies from April to January 2023, the college said. Moatasem Samara, co-owner of five pharmacies in the Edmonton area, said the months following the requirement of time-delayed safes was like waking from a nightmare. In 2021, Samaras pharmacies were robbed twice. Part of my job (was) getting robbed, he said. This needed to happen a long time ago, he added about the mandate. The Ontario Pharmacists Association, a pharmacist advocacy group, said it supports the OCPs mandate. CEO Justin Bates said Ontario pharmacists are welcoming the safes, although some expressed concern that thieves might escalate to violence if they dont have quick access to narcotics. I think as people see the effectiveness ... and just the dramatic drop in robberies, that it will gain more support, he said. Samara said that while some Alberta pharmacists had similar concerns, safety hasnt been an issue. He noted that while time-delayed safes provide relief for many pharmacists, they are one of several options to prevent theft. The main thing that would actually reduce robbery is ... actually treating addictions in the first place, he said. MB Marissa Birnie is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Stars radio room in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @marissabirnie SHARE: A man is in hospital with serious injuries after a stabbing at York University in North York on Wednesday night. In a tweet posted at 7 p.m., Toronto police said officers attended the school after reports of a group of people fighting on the campus grounds. Police said they located a man with injuries and that the suspects fled. The mans condition is considered to be non-life-threatening, according to paramedics. In a screenshot of a campus email alert shared with the York University subreddit, the school said people in the group knew each other and that one of the people involved is a student. The suspects injured a non-community member bystander before fleeing the scene, according to the email. York University said it will increase campus security patrols in the area. An Instagram account which features York University news but is not associated with the school posted three videos that it claimed shows part of the alleged attack and its aftermath. The first video appears to show an indoor altercation, while the second and third videos contain footage of a person being transported by paramedics and images of emergency workers at the scene. MB Marissa Birnie is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Stars radio room in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @marissabirnie Read more about: SHARE: Anne Marie Aikins, the former head of communications for Metrolinx, is speaking out about the lack of cellphone service that TTC commuters have when theyre in the subway system. Her exasperation over Rogers, Bell and Telus customers unable to get a cell signal while underground comes in the wake of the fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Gabriel Magalhaes at Keele station last Saturday and after her own troubling experience on the subway that same night. A few hours before Magalhaes was killed, Aikins noticed a man in her subway car screaming at someone while on his phone. When the mans phone signal suddenly dropped, his rage intensified, she said. He started pacing back and forth, becoming more and more threatening, but she was on the moving train and couldnt get away. He tripped over a stroller, shouting racial expletives at the mother pushing it. A man yelled at him to shut up and be quiet. People were visibly on edge, Aikins said. I thought, What good is it going to do if I pull the yellow strip? she said about the emergency alarm strip that runs above windows, along accessibility areas and near the doors of subway cars. I was afraid (the train) would stop, and I didnt want to be stopped in a tunnel with this man. She couldnt send a text message to the TTCs incident reporting number since shes a customer of the big three telecoms. She couldnt text her family members, either. Her only option was to leave the train and catch the next, but said she was too afraid to get back on and instead opted to walk home. Unless subway-users are customers of Freedom Mobile, theyre cut off from the outside world while underground. And parents, teens and city officials want to know why the big three Canadian telecommunication providers wont commit to providing subway cell service which they called a critical public safety measure even after a year of rising and deadly violence on the TTC. The solutions (to violence in the city) are complex, complicated, long-term and require huge investments, said Aikins. Adding cell service to transit? Not so much, she said. (It) may seem like a Band-Aid, but Band-Aids are sometimes necessary when things are really urgent. And for the mother and grandmother who has experienced her share of close encounters in the citys transit system, including the evacuation at Union Station last summer after a fatal shooting nearby, it would make Aikins and others like her feel more at ease when riding the TTC. Why dont Torontonians have cell service on the TTC? The service infrastructure built and exclusively owned for 20 years by BAI Communications Inc. has been in place for about a decade to provide underground access to cell service at least in all the stations and all tunnels in the downtown U (the stretch of Line 1 subway between Spadina and Bloor-Yonge), the Stars Alyshah Hasham and Jennifer Pagliaro reported this week. Freedom Mobile customers can use their cellphones underground, since the company has signed a deal with the BAI. But if you use Rogers, Bell or Telus, you cant. Bell has recently said theyd prefer to build their own 5G infrastructure instead of using the existing, outdated one in the TTC. The Star reached out to Rogers, Bell and Telus for comment about why they havent signed onto BAIs infrastructure. Only Rogers responded. Rider safety is a key concern for Torontonians, an emailed statement from a Rogers spokesperson reads. We recognize that connectivity plays an important role in public safety and we are committed to being part of the solution. Toronto Coun. Chris Moise, who sits on the TTC board, said Tuesday its appalling that the big three dont offer commuters service while underground, adding they should be embarrassed and they should be shamed into providing this service. Violence on the TTC is rising as ridership remains lower A TTC spokesperson said Tuesday it welcomes all major telcoms to sign onto our infrastructure, noting there is free Wi-Fi in subway stations. The TTC notes customers can text 647-496-1940 to report immediate safety concerns to TTC Transit Control, which requires cell service, or use the SafeTTC app, which requires internet access. But for some transit users, thats not enough, especially as TTC violence is on the rise as ridership remains lower tham pre-pandemic levels. In what police said was a random, unprovoked attack, Magalhaes, 16, was stabbed while sitting on a bench on the subway platform at Keele station last Saturday. Jordan OBrien-Tobin, 22, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the teens murder. Magalhaes death was the fourth homicide on or near TTC property in under a year, and follows a string of violent incidents on the TTC from shootings to people being pushed on the tracks. Its every parents worst nightmare, Aikins said. Clarification March 30, 2023: Ridership on the TTC remains lower than pre-pandemic levels. A previous version of this article said ridership is plummeting. With files from Alyshah Hasham and Jennifer Pagliaro Read more about: SHARE: Anthony Chatzimanolakis was hoping to be released on bail a few weeks from now. The 30-year-old, who needed abdominal surgery for injuries from a car crash that nearly killed him years ago, had all kinds of plans for his future including marrying his fiancee. Instead, his devastated family and fiancee are planning his funeral. Chatzimanolakis died at the Toronto South Detention Centre on Saturday. His family has been told it was a suspected overdose, but are waiting for an investigation to be completed on his sudden death. We are angry, upset, confused how did Anthony lose his life in a facility that is meant to rehabilitate? To keep him safe and protect him? said his aunt Sandra Mariani, speaking on behalf of Chatzimanolakiss family. Especially at the pretrial stage when he is presumed to be innocent. In a statement, a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Solicitor General said paramedics were called Saturday after staff found an inmate unresponsive and in medical distress in his cell. No further details could be provided due to ongoing investigations, the statement said. The ministry does not proactively release information when an inmate dies in custody, unlike their federal counterpart. This practice has been criticized by academics and advocates for obscuring safety issues in provincial jails in real-time, and effectively evading public accountability. As a result, a group of prominent legal and prisoner rights groups have been calling for an independent provincial body dedicated to overseeing jails and quickly raising alarms, similar to the federal correctional investigator The statistics that are available are alarming. Between 2020 and 2021, researchers found that deaths in Ontario jails had doubled. A landmark coroners report released earlier this year found that 192 people had died in jails over eight years. Forty per cent were drug overdoses a reflection of the known problem of a toxic drug supply smuggled into jails amid the ongoing opioid crisis. With very rare exception, almost every life lost in our sample could be deemed a preventable death, the report concluded. The report cited low staffing levels as a key factor in many of the deaths, affecting access to health care. It is not uncommon for persons-in-custody to experience longer wait times to see health care providers, delays in prescription medication access while awaiting assessment, and an overall level of deteriorating care for people in custody due to large staff caseloads. Chatzimanolakis was arrested on Sept. 15, 2022, on charges including car theft and possession of a loaded gun. His case was still before the courts and, like more than two-thirds of inmates in provincial jails, he was legally innocent and awaiting trial. While he was in custody, a long incision in his torso had begun to open and his intestinal tract was bulging out in two places a problem that stemmed from his injuries in a serious car crash in 2019, according to information that was about to be presented by his lawyer at a bail review hearing set for April 14. He needed corrective surgery and the jail had scheduled it at Sunnybrook Hospital for Nov. 2, 2022 but then it was cancelled and he was told the jail could not facilitate the procedure, according to his lawyer Carmelo Truscello. The surgery had not been rescheduled, to his knowledge, despite his repeated requests, Truscello said. Mariani said it was a miracle that Chatzimanolakis survived the 2019 crash he was in pieces and the doctors had to sew him back together, she said. When the incision opened, he told his family he was in a significant amount of pain that continued throughout his time in custody she said. They still dont know why his surgery cancelled and why it wasnt rescheduled. Where are his human rights? Mariani said, almost at a loss for words. Mariani says the family also does not understand how an overdose if that is what happened could have occurred. How are the drugs getting into the facilities to begin with? she said, adding that if it is a known problem, how it is being allowed to continue? When tragedies like this occur, it speaks to a larger systemic issue that is rooted in poor staffing among other things which dilute the institutions ability to provide the level of care required to prevent these types of foreseeable harms, Truscello said. It has been widely reported that drugs are an epidemic in our correctional facilities. More should be done in a proactive effort to ensure our institutions do not fail our citizens. Mariani said her nephew had the biggest heart, full of love. She added: He was a joker, jovial, happy. It is still hard for her to accept he will not be coming home. I want people to know these things are happening, she said, of why the family wanted to speak publicly. It should not be the case that a person going into jail could come out worse, or not at all, she said. Whats the point of it all? Alyshah Hasham is a Toronto-based reporter covering city hall and municipal politics for the Star. Reach her via email: ahasham@thestar.ca or follow her on Twitter: @alysanmati SHARE: An Ontario coroner has rejected a former Toronto cops 11th-hour move to have the fatal shooting of Sammy Yatim considered a possible suicide by cop at an upcoming coroners inquest. James Forcillo the ex-cop convicted of attempted murder in the killing of 18-year-old Yatim on a streetcar in 2013 cannot introduce evidence to jurors at the coroners inquest that the teen may have intentionally provoked a fatal police response, the coroner said. There is no direct evidence that suggests that Mr. Yatim wished to end his life by way of a confrontation with police, wrote Ontario coroner Dr. David Cameron in a 21-page decision released Thursday. Exploring the phenomenon of suicide-by-cop is unnecessary and, as such, expert evidence will not be tendered in relation to this issue. A coroners inquest is a non-criminal proceeding to expose the details of someones death and produce recommendations to prevent future fatalities. Inquests are mandatory in Ontario for certain deaths, including when someone is killed by police, and they are overseen by a coroner and heard by a jury of five citizens. Last November, just hours before the inquest into Yatims death was set to begin, a lawyer for Forcillo filed a motion asking that he be allowed to explore the possibility Yatim had intended to die by suicide through provoking a fatal police shooting. The ex-cops lawyer, Bryan Badali, wanted to file evidence including text messages and Google searches by Yatim including one made seven months before his death to help jurors understand the teens state of mind. Badali argued this would aid them in determining the manner of Yatims death, namely, whether it was a homicide, suicide, natural or accidental death, or undetermined. Excluding evidence of the teens state of mind would artificially tip the scales in favour of a homicide finding, Badali said. Cameron disagreed, taking the side of the Yatim family and a succession of inquest parties, including the Toronto Police Service, that blasted Forcillos motion as outrageous and without merit during a hearing last November. The coroner called the cellphone evidence unreliable and unhelpful due to how dated some of the searches were. He also expressed skepticism about any link between suicide and the topics Yatim wrote or searched, including about needing money and looking for work these may be commonplace topics for teenagers to talk about with their friends, he wrote. Ultimately, Cameron found admitting the evidence would be unhelpful for a jury and would unduly divert them from their purpose. Cameron also ruled against Forcillos request to admit expert evidence on the suicide by cop phenomenon at the inquest. A new date for the inquest has not yet been set. Yatim died on July 27, 2013, after he was shot eight times by Forcillo inside a streetcar. Police had been called after Yatim pulled out a knife and exposed himself; by the time Forcillo fired his weapon Yatim was alone on the streetcar. A jury convicted Forcillo of attempted murder a result of the decision by Crown prosecutors to split his nine shots into two distinct volleys and separate criminal charges. He was sentenced to six years in prison, granted full parole in 2020, and resigned from Toronto police in 2018. Wendy Gillis is a Toronto-based reporter covering crime and policing for the Star. Reach her by email at wgillis@thestar.ca or follow her on Twitter: @wendygillis SHARE: Mitzie Hunter is running for city halls top job, and is pledging not to use the strong-mayor powers granted to the office if shes elected. In an interview Wednesday, the Liberal MPP for Scarborough-Guildwood became the latest high-profile candidate to confirm she will contest the June 26 byelection to replace John Tory. I am running for mayor to make certain that Toronto is a city that works for everyone, Hunter said, citing housing affordability and public safety on transit and elsewhere among the most pressing issues of the campaign. The former chief administrative officer of Toronto Community Housing Corporation plans to sign up for the mayors race when nominations open on Monday. But as a sitting MPP, provincial legislation dictates that in order to stay in the campaign until voting day, she will have to resign her seat in the legislature before nominations close on May 12. Hunter, who was first elected to Queens Park in 2013 and served as education minister in Kathleen Wynnes government, gave no date for when she plans to relinquish her seat. But she said she has no intention of dropping out of the mayors race and staying on at Queens Park if the early stages of whats expected to be a hotly contested campaign dont go her way. Mitzies in it to win it, she said. If shes successful, Hunter pledged to never employ the powers Premier Doug Fords government bestowed on Torontos mayor last year. The enhanced authorities include the ability to veto council decisions and pass measures with the support of just one-third of members, and have been called anti-democratic by critics. Hunter said the strong-mayor powers shut councillors out of decision making. Its important, in fact, that the mayor builds consensus amongst colleagues on council. Those locally elected councillors are representing the voice of Etobicoke, the voice of North York, the voice of East York, Scarborough, and the core of our city, she said. Hunter also vowed push the province to allow Toronto to use ranked ballots in municipal elections. The system allows voters to list multiple candidates in order of preference on their ballots, which supporters say results in more democratic results than the current first-past-the-post method. Hunter is a longtime advocate of the idea, which would require provincial approval. RELATED STORIES City Hall Stay up to date with the Stars candidate tracker To address the series of violent attacks on the TTC, Hunter said she would introduce a multi-pronged plan to improve safety that would include increasing police patrols and deploying social workers on the network, performing safety audits of stations, and eventually installing subway platform doors. We need to make sure we address all forms of violence, particularly on our transit system. That has to remain safe, she said. Other candidates who have declared they will run for mayor include sitting councillors Josh Matlow and Brad Bradford, who wont have to resign their seats to contest the election. Former councillor Ana Bailao, former police chief Mark Saunders, urbanist Gil Penalosa, and policy analyst Chloe Brown have all also said theyre running, while Etobicoke councillor Stephen Holyday and former NDP MP Olivia Chow have said theyre considering it. Ben Spurr is a Toronto-based reporter covering city hall and municipal politics for the Star. Reach him by email at bspurr@thestar.ca or follow him on Twitter: @BenSpurr SHARE: SAN MARTIN JILOTEPEQUE, Guatemala (AP) The last Ana Marina Lopez heard of her husband, the 51-year-old Guatemalan migrant told his family that he was being detained by Mexican immigration agents at the U.S.-Mexico border. That was two days before a fire in an immigration detention center in Ciudad Juarez claimed the lives of at least 39 migrants and left more than two dozen injured. Then his name appeared on a government list of the fire victims, but not specifying whether he was among the dead or the hospitalized. That has left Lopez and her daughter back in their small western Guatemalan town clinging to hope that he may be alive. And they arent the only ones. As images of the devastating blaze consume news broadcasts and social media, families scattered across the Americas are reeling in agony as they await news of their loved ones. The pain and uncertainty felt by families underscores how the effects of migration ripple far beyond the individuals who embark on the perilous journey north, touching the lives of people across the region. In Juarez, Mexico, a sister waits for news of her Venezuelan brother whos been sedated and intubated in a hospital. In Honduras, families sit stunned after watching video of guards hurrying away from a growing cloud of flames and smoke in the immigration detention center. And in Guatemala, Lopez cradles a photograph of her husband in a cowboy hat unsure if he is alive or dead. This shouldnt be able to happen. (Migrants) are people, they are humans, Lopez said, her voice shaking. What I ask for is justice. They arent animals and cant be treated as such. Little is known about the cause of Monday nights fire, and authorities are investigating eight people, including a migrant, who may have started it. When Lopezs husband, Bacilio Sutuj Saravia, departed on his journey north in mid-March, he told her he was going to Mexico for tourism. Sutuj, who ran a small transport business with two pickup trucks, waited until he was in Mexico to tell her that his intention was to cross to the U.S. to see their daughter and two sons. However, he never had the chance. Getting off a bus in Juarezs station on Saturday, immigration agents detained him. Lopez learned of the fire from television news reports. Their children had been unable to reach Sutuj since a brief call he made Saturday saying he had been caught. The authorities should be there watching them and taking care of them, not fleeing and leaving them locked up and burned. That pains me, Lopez said. In the rolling coffee-dotted mountains of western Honduras, the three families horrified by the surveillance video are awaiting confirmation of the fates of their sons. The three friends had set out together for the United States from their small town of Proteccion. Like many in the rural area, the men planned to work and send money back to support their families. They met a smuggler in San Pedro Sula, a major point of departure in northern Honduras, who took them to Mexico. On Tuesday the three mens names Dikson Aron Cordova, Edin Josue Umana and Jesus Adony Alvarado were among those to appear on the governments list of victims without any details of whether they were alive. You want to be strong, but these are hard blows. Theyre unbearable, said Jose Cordova Ramos, father of 30-year-old Cordova. Were waiting for real news that would be the first and the last, as they say, if they are alive or dead. Their concern is matched by anger from watching guards run away from growing flames and thickening smoke rapidly encapsulating migrants. Another father rambles off questions: Who started the fire? How did they get fire in there? Did a guard give a lighter to someone inside? They didnt want to do anything, Jose Cordova said of the guards. In Ciudad Juarez at the U.S.-Mexico border, 25-year-old Venezuelan nursing student Stefany Arango Morillo has been left with the same pit in her stomach. She and her brother Stefan Arango Morillo, both single parents, migrated from their northern Venezuelan city of Maracaibo in February, leaving behind three young children between them with their mother in hopes of claiming asylum in the U.S. Joining a rising wave of Venezuelans heading to the U.S. border, the siblings traversed seven countries in a months time to reach Ciudad Juarez. Together, they attempted unsuccessfully each day to register through a smart-phone app for an appointment to apply for asylum in the U.S. But their quest came to an abrupt halt Monday, when Stefan was detained by Mexican immigration authorities and placed behind bars in the detention center that hours later would turn into an inferno. Stefany, searched desperately for her 32-year-old brother, fearing the worst when she received a text from his phone inside a private hospital. He was alive, but his injuries from smoke inhalation made it nearly impossible for him to talk. In the hospital, Stefans health deteriorated, and the aspiring physical education teacher was transferred to the hospital emergency room in a coughing fit. Hours later, his sister pushed into the bustling hospital and planted a kiss on her brothers forehead shortly before he was sedated and intubated. Hes playful, but also has a strong will, she said. In the hospital waiting room she cries as she calls relatives in Venezuela, delivering the news. But as she waits, she clings to hope that she can bring him back home. This is a like a life lesson, Stefany said. And believe me that I know and have faith that my brother, that hell get out of there and also keep fighting for our dream. ___ Lee reported from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and Escalon from Proteccion, Honduras. Associated Press writer Megan Janetsky contributed to this report from Mexico City. SHARE: BANGKOK (AP) Air strikes by Myanmars military on a village in the countrys northwest on Thursday killed at least eight civilians, including two children, according to members of a rebel ethnic minority group and independent media reports. The attack on Khuafo village, just north of Thantlang, a major town in Chin state near the Indian border, also wounded 20 people, they said. It came three days after Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the head of Myanmars ruling military council, said in a speech for Armed Forces Day that the military needs to take decisive action against the forces challenging its control. The countrys independent online media reported the aerial bombardment, but there were no immediate reports about it in the state-controlled media. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military overthrew the elected government of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, triggering widespread popular opposition. After peaceful demonstrations were put down with lethal force, many opponents of military rule took up arms, and large parts of the country are now embroiled in conflict. The pro-democracy resistance that arose allied itself with several ethnic minorities, including the Chin, that have been carrying out an armed struggle for decades seeking greater autonomy. The military has sought to suppress such opposition with air and artillery strikes, with civilians often the victims. More than 1 million people have been displaced by the armys offensives since the takeover. Salai Htet Ni, a spokesperson for the Chin National Front, an ethnic rebel group closely linked to the pro-democracy movement, said two jet fighters dropped four bombs on Khuafo village, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) north of Thantlang, killing a group of civilians, including two children. Many of the more than 60 houses in the village were destroyed by fire, he said. Another member of the group who is staying at its camp in Thantlang said a Mi-35 helicopter fired a machine gun at the village as the jet fighters were dropping bombs. According to a list of the dead he received, five were female and three male, and they ranged in age from 6 to 40. He spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he feared reprisals from the military. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an exile group that monitors human rights in Myanmar, at least 3,182 civilians have been killed by the security forces since the army seized power. In January, military planes bombed the headquarters of the Chin National Front in Thantlang, killing five members of its armed wing, the Chin National Army, and damaging a clinic and other buildings. There is currently no active fighting near Thantlang between the resistance forces and the army. More than 10,000 residents of Thantlang fled the town when intense fighting took place in late 2021, some staying temporarily in nearby villages including Khuafo and others seeking shelter across the border in Mizoram, India. The resistance forces in Myanmar have been able to prevent the military from taking firm control of large areas of the country, but have a great disadvantage in weapons, particularly in countering air attacks. Supporters of the resistance advocate banning or limiting the sale of aviation fuel to Myanmar to cripple the militarys advantage in air power. Many Western nations already have imposed arms embargoes on the military government, and in the past week the United States and Britain have enacted new sanctions targeting individuals and companies involved in supplying jet fuel to Myanmar. On Wednesday, the military government took another major step in its ongoing campaign to cripple its political opponents, dissolving dozens of opposition parties including that of ousted leader Suu Kyi for not meeting a registration deadline ahead of a promised election. Suu Kyis National League for Democracy, one of 40 parties ordered dissolved by the military-appointed election commission, had already announced that it would not register, denouncing the polls as a sham. On Thursday, a spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was deeply concerned by reports of the dissolution of the parties. Any attempts to undermine democratic institutions and processes will only deepen the crisis and delay the return to a fully democratic and inclusive Myanmar, spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said. The U.N. chief renews his call on neighboring countries and other member states to urge the military leadership to adhere to inclusive political processes and reiterates his call for the immediate release of all arbitrarily detained prisoners including Suu Kyi, Dujarric said. ___ Associated Press writer Edith Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report. Read more about: SHARE: PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) Militants in Pakistan targeted the countrys police force in two attacks in a volatile northwestern province on Thursday, killing four officers and wounding six, officials said. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for both attacks. In one attack, police say a roadside bomb struck a vehicle carrying officers, killing four of them. The officers were reinforcements responding to an attack earlier in the day on a police station in Lakki Marwat, a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan. Six officers were wounded in the attack on the station. Local police officer Ashfaq Khan said a search was underway for the attackers. Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif condemned the attack, saying he was saddened by the martyrdom of the targeted officers. The sacrifices of our police officers in the war against terrorism are unforgettable, he said. The Pakistani Taliban said in a statement that one of the slain officers, Iqbal Mohmand, was targeted because he was behind the arrest and killing of some of their fighters. The militant group is known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, and is separate but allied with Afghanistans Taliban. There has been an increase in attacks by the Pakistani Taliban since they unilaterally ended a cease-fire with the government. TTP has been emboldened since the Afghan Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021 when U.S. and NATO troops were leaving the country after 20 years of war. Many TTP leaders and fighters have found sanctuaries in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover there. The latest violence comes days after Pakistans elections oversight body delayed legislative elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces due to a spike in militant attacks and the governments refusal to provide the necessary funds, security forces and polling staff. The government cited financial constraints as the reason. The elections, which were to be held on April 30, have been postponed to Oct. 8. Read more about: SHARE: LONDON (AP) A drug dealer was convicted Thursday of killing a 9-year-old girl in the English city of Liverpool when he fired at a man who was trying to push his way into her house to escape the gunman. Thomas Cashman, 34, was found guilty by a jury at Manchester Crown Court in the fatal shooting of Olivia Pratt-Korbel on Aug. 22, 2022, as her mother tried to prevent the intended victim from barging into their home. He will be sentenced on Monday. Cashman admitted to being a high-level cannabis dealer but denied being the gunman. Olivias mother, Cheryl Korbel, and the target of the attack, Joseph Nee, were also injured in the shooting. Thomas Cashman is a ruthless criminal who recklessly pursued another man, with no consideration of the consequences, prosecutor Maria Corr said after the verdict. He refused to display any guilt or remorse, denying his involvement throughout and putting Olivias family through the torment of a lengthy trial. The case has shaken the city of Liverpool, a city of almost 500,000 people in northwestern England, amid concerns about increasing violence linked to drug trafficking. Police put out repeated appeals for anyone with information about the shooting to come forward anonymously as authorities sought to shield witnesses from possible retribution. Hundreds attended Olivias funeral, with mourners pairing black outfits with pink jackets, ties and ribbons to honor the girl with her favorite color. Authorities said the tragedy began when Cashman tried to kill Nee over a drug debt. As Nee tried to escape by forcing his way into the Korbel home, Cheryl Korbel barred the door but the gunman fired indiscriminately, with one bullet passing through the mothers hand and killing Olivia. SHARE: VATICAN CITY (AP) The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the Doctrine of Discovery, the theories backed by 15th-century papal bulls that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property law today. A Vatican statement said the 15th-century papal bulls, or decrees, did not adequately reflect the equal dignity and rights of Indigenous Peoples and have never been considered expressions of the Catholic faith. It said the documents had been manipulated for political purposes by colonial powers to justify immoral acts against Indigenous Peoples that were carried out, at times, without opposition from ecclesial authorities. The statement, from the Vaticans development and education offices, said it was right to recognize these errors, acknowledge the terrible effects of colonial-era assimilation policies on Indigenous Peoples and ask for their forgiveness. The statement was a response to decades of Indigenous demands for the Vatican to formally rescind the papal bulls that provided the Portuguese and Spanish kingdoms the religious backing to expand their territories in Africa and the Americas for the sake of spreading Christianity. Those decrees underpin the Doctrine of Discovery, a legal concept coined in a 1823 U.S. Supreme Court decision that has come to be understood as meaning that ownership and sovereignty over land passed to Europeans because they discovered it. It was cited as recently as a 2005 Supreme Court decision involving the Oneida Indian Nation written by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. During Pope Francis 2022 visit to Canada, during which he apologized to Indigenous Peoples for the residential school system that forcibly removed Native children from their homes, he was met with demands for a formal repudiation of the papal bulls. Two Indigenous women unfurled a banner at the altar of the National Shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre on July 29 that read: Rescind the Doctrine in bright red and black letters. The protesters were escorted away and the Mass proceeded without incident, though the women later marched the banner out of the basilica and draped it on the railing. In the statement, the Vatican said: In no uncertain terms, the Churchs magisterium upholds the respect due to every human being. The Catholic Church therefore repudiates those concepts that fail to recognize the inherent human rights of Indigenous Peoples, including what has become known as the legal and political doctrine of discovery. The Vatican offered no evidence that the three 15th-century papal bulls (Dum Diversas in 1452, Romanus Pontifex in 1455 and Inter Caetera in 1493) had themselves been formally abrogated, rescinded or rejected, as Vatican officials have often said. But it cited a subsequent bull, Sublimis Deus in 1537, that reaffirmed that Indigenous Peoples shouldn't be deprived of their liberty or the possession of their property, and were not to be enslaved. It was significant that the repudiation of the "Doctrine of Discovery" came during the pontificate of history's first Latin American pope. The Argentine Francis, who even before the Canadian trip, had apologized to Native peoples in Bolivia in 2015 for the crimes of the colonial-era conquest of the Americas. It was issued while he was in the hospital Thursday with a respiratory infection. Cardinal Jose Tolentino de Mendonca, prefect of the Vatican's culture office, said the statement was a reflection of the Vatican's dialogue with Indigenous Peoples. "This Note is part of what we might call the architecture of reconciliation and also the product of the art of reconciliation, the process whereby people commit to listening to each other, to speaking to each other and to growth in mutual understanding," he said in a statement. SHARE: BEIRUT (AP) Israel staged airstrikes on suburbs of the Syrian capital of Damascus early Friday for the second day in a row, the state news agency reported. It gave no word on any casualties. Loud explosions were heard over the Syrian capital shortly after midnight Thursday, according to residents in the capital and the state news agency SANA. The airstrikes came after similar attacks early Thursday. The agency said Syrian air defenses were confronting hostile targets. SANA said some of Israeli missiles were shot down by the air defenses. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said the strikes targeted an arms depots for government forces and Iran-backed groups just south of Damascus. Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets inside government-controlled parts of Syria in recent years, including attacks on the Damascus and Aleppo airports, but it rarely acknowledges specific operations. Israel says it targets bases of Iran-allied militant groups, such as Lebanons Hezbollah, which has sent thousands of fighters to support Syrian President Bashar Assads forces. An Israeli airstrike last week targeting the airport at the northern city of Aleppo put it out of commission for two days. Along with airports, Israel has also struck at seaports in government-held areas in an apparent attempt to prevent Iranian arms shipments to militant groups backed by Tehran, including Hezbollah. SHARE: ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) Maryland voters will decide next year whether to enshrine the right to abortion in the Maryland Constitution, after the House of Delegates voted Thursday to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot. The House voted 98-38 for a bill that already has cleared the state Senate by the three-fifths margin needed to bring the question before voters in 2024. A simple majority would be needed by voters to approve it. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, giving control over abortion to the states. Since then, states have been working to either restrict or strengthen abortion access. Since November, three states have affirmed abortion protections in their constitutions, including California, Vermont and Michigan. Kentucky voters rejected a ballot measure aimed at denying any constitutional protections for abortion. Missouri voters could decide on whether to restore abortion rights, if constitutional amendments make it to the 2024 ballot. The proposals would amend the states constitution to protect abortion rights and pregnant patients, as well as access to birth control. Now, most abortions are outlawed in the state. There are exceptions for medical emergencies, but not for cases of rape or incest. In Ohio, supporters of a proposal to enshrine abortion rights in the Ohio Constitution are in the signature-collecting phase to get more than 413,000 voters to put the issue on the fall ballot. The right to abortion already is protected in Maryland law. The state approved legislation in 1991 to protect abortion rights if the Supreme Court allowed abortion to be restricted. That law was petitioned to the ballot and voters approved the right in 1992 with 62% of the vote. Advocates argue that adding the protection to the state constitution would make it even harder for opponents to try to strip away abortion rights in the future. Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1 in Maryland. A constitutional amendment in Maryland doesnt require approval by the states governor, though Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, has expressed support for it, as well as other bills the General Assembly is advancing to protect abortion rights this year. Another Maryland measure is designed to protect patients and providers from criminal, civil and administrative penalties relating to abortion bans or restrictions in other states. A separate data-privacy bill aims to protect medical and insurance records on reproductive health in electronic health information exchanges that can be shared quickly and widely across state lines. Another measure would ensure public colleges and universities in Maryland have a plan for student access near campuses to birth control, including emergency contraception and abortion pills. Maryland lawmakers have said the state already is seeing an increase in patients from other states. A new abortion provider is opening this year in western Maryland just across from deeply conservative West Virginia, where state lawmakers recently passed a near-total abortion ban. The Womens Health Center of Maryland in Cumberland, roughly 5 miles (8 kilometers) from West Virginia, will open its doors in June to provide abortions to patients across central Appalachia, a region clinic operators say is an abortion desert. Last year, Maryland lawmakers enacted a law over then-Gov. Larry Hogans veto to expand abortion access by ending a restriction that only physicians could provide abortions and requiring most insurance plans to cover abortion care without cost. The law enabled nurse practitioners, nurse midwives and physician assistants to provide abortions with training. Moore, in one of his first acts as governor, announced in January he was releasing $3.5 million to expand abortion training in the state. Hogan, a Republican, had declined to release the money while he was in office. SHARE: LAS VEGAS (AP) The high-stakes gambler who carried out the deadliest mass shooting in modern America, killing 60 and injuring hundreds more in Las Vegas, was apparently angry over how the casinos were treating him despite his high-roller status, according to a fellow gambler. An FBI interview with the gunmans fellow gambler is detailed in hundreds of pages of documents made public this week. The gambler, whose name is redacted in the documents, said he believed the stress could have easily caused gunman Stephen Paddock to snap. Paddock, 64, was a video poker player who relied on gambling as his main source of income. The revelation comes years after the FBI in Las Vegas and the local police department concluded their investigations without a definitive motive, although both agencies said Paddock burned through more than $1.5 million, became obsessed with guns, and distanced himself from his girlfriend and family in the months leading up to the massacre. In a statement Thursday, Las Vegas police defended their inconclusive findings and dismissed the importance of the documents released this week in response to an open-records request from the Wall Street Journal. We were unable to determine a motive for the shooter, the statement said. Speculating on a motive causes more harm to the hundreds of people who were victims that night. Still, the cache of documents offer a new view into the gunmans mindset through interviews with neighbors, acquaintances and employees of the Las Vegas casinos he frequented. Those interviewed by the FBI described Paddock as a strange introvert who never made eye contact and only wanted to talk about gambling, while the gunmans fellow gambler told the FBI that Paddock was very upset that the red-carpet treatment for high rollers seemed to be fading. According to the gambler, casinos had previously treated high rollers like Paddock to free cruises, flights, penthouse suites, rides in nice cars and wine country tours. But in the years before the Oct. 1, 2017, mass shooting in Las Vegas, the gambler said casinos had begun banning some high rollers for playing well and winning large quantities of money. Paddock himself had been banned from three Reno casinos, according to the documents. Kelly McMahill, a former Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department official who headed the agencys criminal investigation into the shooting, said there was no strong indication that Paddocks actions were driven by resentment toward the casino industry. Theres no way that LVMPD would have hidden any potential motive from our victims and survivors for five years, McMahill said. The 10-minute massacre unfolded on the final night of the three-day Route 91 Harvest Music Festival across the street from the Mandalay Bay resort, where Paddock was staying on the 32nd floor. Authorities have said Paddock unleashed a barrage of bullets into the crowd of 22,000 people from his corner suite with a commanding view of the Strip and the concert grounds. His gambling habits made him a sought-after casino patron. Mandalay Bay employees gave him the $590-per-night suite for free and let him use a private service elevator to take up his multiple suitcases. Hidden inside those suitcases were the guns hed use for the massacre. A dozen of Paddocks weapons were modified with rapid-fire bump stocks, attachments that effectively convert semi-automatic rifles into fully automated weapons. Some had bipod braces and scopes. Authorities said his guns had been legally purchased. But before setting up his perch in the Mandalay Bay, Paddock also researched other large venues. He booked rooms overlooking Chicagos Lollapalooza festival in August 2017 and the Life is Beautiful festival in downtown Las Vegas near the Strip. What we know from (Paddocks internet) search history is that he was looking for a large crowd of people, which, of course, he ended up finding, said McMahill, the former Las Vegas police official. A spokesperson for the FBI in Las Vegas declined to comment. In the agencys final report released in 2019, it said Paddock had sought notoriety in the attack and maybe wanted to follow in his fathers criminal footsteps. The report also said his physical and mental health was declining as his wealth diminished. Paddock acted alone, killed himself as SWAT officers closed in and left no note about his motive for the rampage. If we ever discover a motive, whether its 10 years from now, 20 years from now, I have faith that LVMPD would contact victims first before making something public, McMahill said. Its the right thing to do. SHARE: SAN DIEGO (AP) A powerful San Diego County supervisor said he will resign amid accusations that he sexually assaulted a government employee, completing a swift and shocking fall for a decorated Marine combat veteran whose star rose with his Democratic Partys ascendancy in the nations eighth-largest city. Nathan Fletcher, who defected from the Republican Party in 2012, was elected to a second term on the county board of supervisors with 65% of the vote in November, two years after Democrats won a board majority that eluded their grasp for decades. Fletcher, 46, was the face of the San Diego regions muscular response to COVID-19 at daily news conferences. He became half of San Diegos most powerful political couple after his 2017 marriage to Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, a well-known liberal Democratic state assemblywoman who became a top California labor leader last year. Fletchers progressive positions and telegenic presence made him a solid favorite to succeed another prominent California politician, Toni Atkins, in the state Senate. But he announced late Sunday that he was dropping his bid after less than two months to seek treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol abuse. Days later, Fletcher resigned as chair of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System after a government staffer alleged sexual harassment and assault in a lawsuit that included screenshots of lurid messages from Fletcher. Hours after that, Fletcher said he would resign from the county board of supervisors, calling the pressure on his family over the last week immense and unbearable. A combination of my personal mistakes plus false accusations has created a burden that my family shouldnt have to bear, he said. He will leave office May 15. Fletchers fall jolted the city a week after officials made a critical turn in a saga that has captivated the city and threatened other top politicians. A 2017 lease-to-own deal for employees to occupy a 19-story downtown office building turned disastrous after asbestos and other deficiencies were discovered and rendered the space uninhabitable. Jason Hughes, an unpaid adviser to the city on the deal, pleaded guilty last week to a misdemeanor and agreed to repay $9.4 million that he collected in a dual role as adviser to the buildings seller, Cisterra LLC. The deal was bungled under Mayor Kevin Faulconer, one of Californias most promising Republican leaders until a resounding defeat in a failed 2020 recall effort against Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat. Brian Adams, a political science professor at San Diego State University, likened Fletcher to other fallen leaders, including Andrew Cuomo and Eliot Spitzer, both former governors of New York, and former U.S. Sen. John Edwards. They were all seen having promising futures collapse over sexual harassment claims, said Adams. Fletchers name entered conversations about who San Diego might elect to be mayor or a member of Congress, Adams said. His troubles may open the way for new faces if Todd Gloria, the Democratic mayor, faces questions over how he handled fallout from the real estate debacle. San Diegos political drama doesnt appear to have gripped residents like earlier scandal, including the resignation in 2013 of Bob Filner, the first Democratic mayor in 20 years, after weeks of near-daily allegations of harassing women, including city employees. A Republican mayor, Dick Murphy, resigned in 2004 after a pension crisis made San Diego a poster child for financial mismanagement. In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in San Diego Superior Court, the government staffer says she began exchanging messages with Fletcher in 2021 when he started visiting her social media accounts. He once wrote, Home alone no wife and kids. He urged her to delete his texts and be discreet. The staffer says Fletcher kissed her in the stairway of a hotel where he was staying in May 2022. Weeks later, he allegedly texted her during a meeting that he had for five minutes and asked her to go to an adjoining conference room, where he kissed and grabbed her. The worker was fired Feb. 6 after she attempted to engage in meaningful, pre-litigation discussions with Fletcher to resolve her claims quietly and amicably, her lawsuit says. On Sunday, just before Fletcher ended his Senate run, Fletchers attorney threatened to sue the worker for extortion, she said. Fletcher acknowledged consensual interactions with someone outside his marriage. I havent done the things that are alleged but I did violate the basic trust of my marriage and set a terrible example for our children, he said in a statement. San Diego County Democratic Party Chair Becca Taylor said Thursday that Fletchers decision to resign was appropriate, echoing other political leaders. Gonzalez Fletcher, executive secretary-treasurer of the California Labor Federation, said she loves her husband and believes his name will be cleared but that she urged him to resign. ___ This story was first published on March 30, 2023. It was updated on March 30, 2023 to remove the name of the government worker making accusations of sexual assault, per Associated Press policy. SHARE: KIEV, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine aims to increase the share of renewable energy in its power generation to 50 percent to boost energy security, the country's Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko said on Wednesday. "We must strengthen the development of renewable energy sources and accelerate the energy transition. This is a matter of national security and the safety of electricity transmission," Galushchenko was quoted as saying by the energy ministry's press service. Shifting to green energy will allow decentralizing electricity generation, reducing the vulnerability of the power system, and increasing the security of energy supplies, Galushchenko said. From 2011 to 2021, the share of renewable energy sources in Ukraine's power generation increased from 4 percent to almost 14 percent. Ukraine's Energy Strategy set the target to increase the share of renewables in the energy mix to 25 percent by 2035. MIAMI (AP) The government of the eastern Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago has won a multimillion-dollar verdict in a sprawling corruption lawsuit that began nearly 20 years ago and involves former high-ranking officials. A jury in Miami awarded the government more than $100 million in compensatory damages in a verdict late Wednesday. The civil case began in 2004 when the Trinidadian government sued a former finance minister, various businessmen and several companies in countries including Florida, Panama and Portugal. We got everything that we asked for, Faris Al-Rawi, a former attorney general in Trinidad who represented the government in the case, told The Associated Press. This represents restitution to the people of Trinidad and Tobago. He added that the money can be used to build schools or provide healthcare. The lawsuit alleged that the defendants participated in a scheme beginning in August 1996 to illegally obtain consulting and construction contracts at hyper-inflated prices via bribes, bid rigging and money laundering linked to an expansion of the Piarco International Airport in the Trinidadian capital of Port-of-Spain. The complaint initially targeted 56 defendants, among them 11 individuals and 12 corporate entities, but some secured deals over the years, so only three remained when the trial began earlier this month: former finance minister Brian Kuei Tung and two businessmen. Tungs attorney, Michael Garcia, said he plans to appeal, adding that the government lacked standing to sue and that he believes the plaintiff should have been Trinidads Airport Authority. These defendants were not responsible for any losses Trinidad & Tobago contends it sustained, he told the AP in an email. Al-Rawi said the government will go after those with the deepest pockets, noting that one of the businessmen who was sued owns a large insurance company in Trinidad and Tobago that recently placed a $1 billion bid to buy another local company. The verdict came 19 years after the civil case was filed in the Florida 11th Circuit Court and represents a victory for the governments anti-corruption efforts. It went to trial on March 6. Related criminal cases in Trinidad, in which top former officials were charged, have stalled or withered as key witnesses died and prosecutors dropped charges. Nearly two dozen people were originally charged in Trinidad, including a former prime minister, his wife and an ex Cabinet minister accused of receiving kickbacks from a local businessman. Among those named in the lawsuit that the government won was a former finance minister, Brian Kuei Tung. An attorney for him could not immediately be reached for comment. In 2005, the U.S. government filed several criminal charges against some of the same defendants, including bank fraud and money laundering. Although some charges were discarded, some defendants were convicted and sentenced to six-year prison terms. Others, including two Trinidadian businessmen, have appealed, and their cases are still pending in the U.S. justice system. ___ Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico. SHARE: NEW YORKThe Trump Organization swapped out the lawyer for its jailed septuagenarian finance chief Allen Weisselberg because it was scared he would protect his interests over Donald Trumps, sources told the New York Daily News on Thursday. Weisselberg, currently serving a five-month jail sentence on Rikers Island for tax fraud while head of the Trump Organizations coffers, is no longer represented by Nicholas Gravante, a New York City defense lawyer Trumps company was paying to defend him, two sources told the Daily News. After sentencing, prosecutors at the Manhattan DAs office, who have been presenting evidence to a grand jury about Trump since January, told Weisselbergs lawyers that he risked being indicted again for lying to Zurich Insurance Group about appraisals that were never carried out by real estate firm Cushman and Wakefield, a source close to Weisselbergs criminal case told the Daily News, which was confirmed by a second source. The allegations about the lies to Zurich are included in the New York attorney generals large-scale financial fraud lawsuit against Trump, Weisselberg and various other company executives. Gravante told Weisselberg it would be worthwhile to talk to prosecutors and listen to what they had to say. That advice made its way to Trumps side about six weeks ago, which then became dead set on having Gravante removed and convinced Trumps son, Eric, to have him swapped out immediately, the source said, adding that Weisselberg made the final decision. Weisselberg, who spent nearly 50 years working for Trumps family, absolutely wanted to keep Gravante as his lawyer but was pressured intensely by Trumps side and didnt want to have to foot his legal bills by having to pay Gravante out of his pocket. He also feared not getting his severance agreement from the Trump Organization, which hes receiving in installments over two years. The split began before the Trump Organizations winter trial in Manhattan Supreme Court when Gravante arranged for Weisselberg to prepare testimony for several days with DA prosecutor Susan Hoffinger. Per Weisselbergs plea deal, the CFO was required to truthfully testify against the Trump Organization or risk years in prison instead of the 100 days hes expected to serve. The deal didnt require him to prepare with the prosecution, but his legal team believed the risk of him being surprised by their questions on the stand wasnt worth it. It might have been suicidal not to prepare with her, the source said. Allen could have died in jail. Weisselbergs lawyer made him equally available to Trumps side ahead of the trial, having him sit down and prepare for cross-examination for several days with Trump Organization lawyer Alan Futrerfas. But Trumps side hit the roof upon learning of the sit-down with Hoffinger, the source said, feeling Gravante had given prosecutors an advantage they didnt need, leading to a war in the middle of the first trial. The Daily Beast first reported that Gravante no longer represents Weisselberg and that the Trump Organization is paying his new lawyer Seth Rosenberg. The Manhattan DA has been presenting evidence to a grand jury against Trump since January and is believed to be on the cusp of nearing a charging decision. In recent weeks, the office has invited Trump to testify, which he declined, and summoned several current and former Trump associates to the downtown offices, including Michael Cohen, Hope Hicks and Kellyanne Conway. Sources connected to the probe believe DA Alvin Bragg is considering charging Trump with felony-level crimes concerning hush money deals paid out in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election to women with whom he allegedly had sexual encounters. The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that prosecutors arent only interested in porn star Stormy Daniels but also Playboy model Karen McDougal, who claims she had a 10-month affair with Trump from 2006 through 2007. Cohen went to federal prison for paying Daniels $130,000 on Trumps behalf to better his prospects of winning the presidency. In the same case, David Pecker, the ex-CEO of the National Enquirers publisher, American Media Inc., received immunity, with the feds detailing how he arranged with Trump to buy and kill negative stories. Pecker, who testified before the grand jury on Monday, bought the rights to McDougals story for $150,000. Rosenberg did not return calls from the Daily News. Gravante and Mary Mulligan, who also represented Weisselberg in his criminal case, declined to comment. Lawyers and spokespeople for Trump did not respond to the Daily News inquiries. The Manhattan DA has declined to comment on or confirm any details of the offices long-running Trump investigation. Read more about: SHARE: Between 2023 and 2025, Canada will welcome nearly 1.5 million new permanent residents, the majority through economic pathways that reward international work experience, education attainment, and proficiency in at least one official language. Lets make sure these skilled immigrants and potential future Canadians do not remain stuck in survival jobs. A survival job is a common, perhaps infamous, term among newcomers. Its a job that pays the bills, but does not relate to your career trajectory. It meets basic requirements to self-sustain financially, but has limited, if any, potential to self-actualize professionally. In announcing the record-high immigration targets, and referring specifically to skilled newcomers, Minister of Immigration Sean Fraser stated the plan to help businesses find the workers they need, citing critical labour market shortages. Alas, newcomers rewarded for their work experience and education pre-arrival find that those same credentials diminish in value the moment they land on Canadian soil. Or rather, the moment their resume lands in the inbox of a hiring manager. Why make so many people jump through the hoops of the immigration process, only to cap their potential on arrival? In addition to sluggish reaccreditation processes for certain professionals, newcomers must overcome extreme cognitive dissonance among employers who, despite protestations that they cant find workers, demand Canadian experience among candidates, even if they have the necessary accreditation, skills, experience, and approval to work in Canada. Does Canada have a labour shortage, or more of an HR crisis? Hiring managers in Canada have a flawed obsession with local experience. Instead of engaging skilled newcomers, roles remain unfilled. Meanwhile, employers wait for the perfect local candidate who rarely appears, hence the need for record high economic immigration in the first place. The solution lies within. It is driving our cabs and delivering our take out worthy endeavours, but not what economic newcomers came to do and not what Canada brought them here to do. Once an international professional gains approval to work in Canada, their biggest obstacle often becomes finding employment. If employers engage with international talent early, they can leapfrog competitors a win-win-win for the employer, the newcomer, and Canada. The days of asking newcomers to come by our office when you arrive in Canada should be over. To win the battle for talent, employers need to engage early with prospective newcomers when the job hunt is most important to them, building a pipeline of talent and creating a relationship that may bear fruit when an appropriate role opens up. Reactive hiring is not aligned with the pipeline of ambitious, skilled professionals provided by Canadas economic immigration pathways. Make no mistake, Canada is in a battle for global talent that will choose other locations if they are sold the Canadian dream but the reality on the ground does not match the brochure. Most of all, Canada misses out. Tax take is lower than it should be and newcomers do not settle. In turn, the Canadian brand suffers as international talent advocates for alternative destinations. Winning this battle is key to ongoing economic prosperity, with all the upside that flows accordingly. What is needed is a Team Canada effort whereby public policy and infrastructure is in place to support immigration, the private sector is engaged and educated on how newcomers can improve the bottom line, and, in turn, newcomers advocate for Canada to upcoming generations abroad. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is delivering on the first of these items, but opaque transparency and unpredictable processing times remain a challenge. The greatest potential, however, lies with employers who have the means to engage with hundreds of thousands of skilled professionals but lack the confidence, foresight, or knowledge to do so effectively. Until this changes, Canadas immigration system will continue to deliver talent, but our labour market will continue to underutilize that talent. Ruairi Spillane is founder and CEO at Moving2Canada and Outpost Recruitment. SHARE: As this weeks three-day city council meeting kicked off Wednesday, a lot of the attention and action was focused on what wasnt there. There was no mayor, for starters, thanks to John Torys sudden resignation last month. Three wannabe mayors who are planning to run were there, lined up next to each other, seated across the centre of the council floor, where each took opportunities to posture for the top job (two other likely candidates watched from the gallery). A good chunk of the meetings energy came from a quickly passed item officially declaring that highest office vacant and confirming the launch and timing of the byelection campaign. But there was another massive absence that set the theme of the council meeting, too, one that will hover over the mayoral campaign when it kicks off in earnest on Monday. Its something that has clarified just how unappetizing a crap sandwich that job of mayor of Toronto has become: the absence of money available from other levels of government. There was much to chew on in Justin Trudeaus budget on Tuesday, but at city hall it was received like a swift kick in the crotch. Not only was the city banking on nine-digit support from the feds to keep the already-passed 2023 budget balanced, but it is preparing to close the books on the already-spent 2022 budget where it was also still counting on a similar number of dollars. As Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie said before the council meeting began Im paraphrasing this opens the citys government and residents to a potential world of hurt. Especially since the provincial budget unveiled last week also leaves the city high and dry on the same type of anticipated support for 2023. This was additional context for McKelvies key agenda item a report on the financial outlook for the city that notes a $46.5-billion gap over the next 10 years. It also notes that if you apply the provisional reserves the city has set aside in case the province and feds dont provide the COVID-19 bailout which their recent budgets show they are not the city is down to only $290 million total in emergency reserve dollars available. Thats very close to disaster territory. A little less than a decade ago, when the city was going through one of its periodic moments of civic swagger, a popular T-shirt read Toronto vs. Everybody. Right now, it certainly feels like an accurate slogan, and a dynamic the next mayor is going to have to deal with. Though the premier and the federal finance minister both live in Toronto, they can count on their governments constituencies across the rest of the province and the country to overwhelmingly hate Toronto and cheer on anything that will cause whining at Bay and Queen. Those detractors can, with some justification, point out that Toronto has not always maximized its own revenue potential (through sources like property taxes), and has not always been parsimonious in its spending choices (on things like the Gardiner rebuild). But come on: the city operates the TTC with a lack of funding from upper levels of government that is an international joke and source of shame; it shoulders huge and disproportionate costs related to federal immigration and refugee policy; it pays $1.1 billion per year (according to that report at the council meeting) on extensions of federal and provincial responsibilities, such as housing, social services and health services. Its the only city of its size in Canada and the U.S. that doesnt have the ability to implement things like city sales taxes or municipal income taxes (Chicago and New York, for instance, each have both and Los Angeles has a municipal sales tax.) Toronto is tasked with a lot of responsibility, and has limited revenue authority to meet it. And now, after the pandemic budget crisis, evermore limited direct help meeting it, too. The reliability of funding from other governments is kind of a core issue, even beyond COVID shortfalls. Transit construction and affordable housing are the two issues that have dominated city debates in recent years, and the province is paying for almost all of the former and federal commitments are slated to pay for most of the latter. If each new budget season (or change of government) might change the math of the citys dependency, it leaves Toronto in a constant state of instability. Federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and Trudeau really have stuck a shiv in the citys government regarding the 2022 budget McKelvie insists the Liberals had promised that support specifically in their last election campaign, and with the books for last year closing, the citys reserves are going to be drawn down to cover that broken promise. When it comes to 2023 and beyond, part of me suspects that both Premier Doug Ford and Freeland are waiting for the new mayor to be elected, so they can either ride in with dollars to show their productive partnership with the new person and allow that new person to portray it as a sign of their get-er-done powers. Or they can short-change the new mayor as proof Toronto has made a terrible choice. This is all politics, so you have to consider that political considerations are often at work. But its also possible the city is just being left high and dry no matter what happens in the election. Which, whether anyone likes it or not, is kind of a big election issue. The candidates for mayor dont just have to answer how they are going to close the immediate budget gaps and suggest a new long-term funding solution. They also have to figure out how to manage up with other orders of government. There are a lot of potential ways to stabilize the citys finances, but most of those ways I can see depend on the co-operation or at least acquiescence of federal and/or provincial officials. Its not obvious how to approach that challenge. Which is why, maybe, itll be interesting to hear the approaches from those who want the job. Read more about: SHARE: Trinamul Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said there could not be two laws, one for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the other for the opposition parties in India. He was addressing a mammoth rally organised jointly by the Trinamul Chhatra Parishad and Trinamul Youth Congress at Shahid Minar this afternoon. The meeting was organised to protest against the step-motherly attitude of Centre in clearing West Bengals dues, highhandedness and vindictive attitude of the investigating agencies. I do not support what Rahul Gandhi had said but if his membership as an MP is cancelled for making a statement against Narendra Modi, then why Prime Minister Narendra Modis MP membership should not be cancelled for insulting the women folk when he said Didi O Didi before the 2021 Assembly election. By the same standards Suvendu Adhikaris MLA-ship should be scrapped as well for his statement against minister Birbaha Hansda that she should live below his feet, he said. He asked the legal cell members of Trinamul Congress to use the judgement of Surat Court and get Suvendu arrested. I request Baisanor da (Chatterjee) to move the court citing the judgement of Surat Court to arrest Suvendu Adhikari for his statement, he said, adding, If I criticise a judgement of Calcutta High Court, a judge said I should have issued a ruling against Banerjee but when the Union law minister said commented against Supreme Court judges for criticizing the Centre (joined the anti-India gang) then no one said anything against the Union law minister, he maintained. Mr Banerjee said after the landslide defeat in the 2021 Assembly election, the sole target of BJP was West Bengal and to ensure that the Central funds were not released to defame Mamata Banerjee and her government. They have actually insulted and deprived the people of Bengal who will give a befitting reply to the BJP at the right moment, he remarked. Mr Banerjee said in 2019 the BJP got 18 Lok Sabha MPs. What have they done for Bengal? They have conspired with the Centre to stop the dues, he said, adding, before 2014 Lok Sabha election Narendra Modi had held a meeting in the Brigade Parade ground where he said if Bengal had voted for him he would give two laddus to the people of the state. He has given that. He has stopped the dues for 100 days work and Aawas Yojana. The national general secretary said a meeting would be held in New Delhi to voice the demands. He said Trinamul was the only party that had removed or suspended the leaders against whom allegations had been levelled. He said in 2021-22 and 2022-23, the Centre had stopped 106 projects and the dues had amounted to a staggering Rs 1.15 lakh crore. He urged the party workers to gear up for bigger movements in near future. BEIRUT, March 30 (Xinhua) -- European commissioner for crisis management Janez Lenarcic on Thursday announced 60 million euros (65.4 million U.S. dollars) in humanitarian aid for the most vulnerable people in Lebanon, including the Syrian refugees. "The new EU humanitarian package announced today will provide life-saving humanitarian aid such as food assistance, cash support, education, and health services for those who need it the most. It will also help prepare for disasters and provide emergency response," said a statement released by the Delegation of the European Union to Lebanon. The new package comes on the occasion of Lenarcic's visit to Lebanon to follow up on EU-funded humanitarian projects and meet humanitarian partners on the ground and the Lebanese authorities. The statement added that the funding comes as Lebanon's population faces increasing poverty levels, food insecurity, and disease outbreaks. "Lebanon is facing multiple crises, putting more and more people at risk. In addition, the country hosts some 1.5 million Syrian refugees, the world's highest number of refugees per capita," said Lenarcic. He added that the roots of Lebanon's political and economic crises must be addressed as soon as possible. "Humanitarian aid is essential for the victims of Lebanon's multiple crises. Still, it is not a solution to the underlying challenges," he said. Calcutta High Court today yet again pulled up the CBI for its slip-shod probe and also came down heavily on former primary board president Manik Bhattacharya, a prime accused, for his alleged false statements. The CBI claimed the former board president had offered the contract to a firm for evaluation of OMR sheets without floating any tender. Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay said that Bhattacharya had often recorded false statements and the CBI was found wanting in posing desired questions. Life in the city came to a standstill, thanks to a spate of political rallies that flooded the streets of Kolkata on a busy working day. While the common citizens preferred to stay indoors unwillingly, city streets were jammed with supporters of different political parties. Those, who started early in the day managed to reach their workplaces at 9 am. Others faced a harrowing time while commuting during the later parts of the day. With every progressing hour, major roads towards the heart of the city were chocka-block with flag bearers of different parties. From Howrah Bridge to AJC Bose Road, Moulali Crossing, Esplanade, CR Avenue, Girish Park and Shyambazar, it was a nightmare for commuters depending on the public transport to travel during the day time. Nasima Khatun, who had an appointment with doctor had to get it rescheduled to Friday while Sritama Roy of Dum Dum postponed the visit to her ailing mother in Behala following the traffic snarls that took the citys traffic to a standstill. The worst sufferers were the officegoers who faced extreme difficulties while returning home. According to the representatives of various private bus unions, only 60 per cent of the buses plied on the city roads today. From the remaining 30 per cent, some were hired for the rallies while others were not rolled out by the operators due to the anticipated traffic snarls. The buses that hit the roads, moved at snails pace following the traffic logjam. As the epoch-making Vaikom satyagraha enters its centenary year, celebrations to commemorate the movement that breached rigid walls of orthodoxy and opened a new chapter in the fight against untouchability and the caste system in India began at Vaikom in Kerala on Thursday. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge inaugurated the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committees (KPCC) year-long Vaikom Satyagraha centenary celebrations at Vaikom in Kottayam. Sivagiri Mutts centenary celebrations of Vaikom Satyagraha started with a procession from the Mutt on Wednesday. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his Tamil Nadu counterpart M K Stalin will jointly inaugurate the year-long state-level centenary celebrations of Vaikom Satyagraha at Vaikom on 1 April. The Vaikom Satyagraha was launched on 30 March 1924 against a ban imposed on the so-called lower castes on the four streets surrounding the Vaikom Mahadevar Temple. Those days only people belonging to the upper caste were allowed to enter major temples while those of the lower castes were not even allowed to take roads leading to the shrines due to untouchability. Those who violated the rules were beaten up and jailed indiscriminately. Vaikom Satyagraha is considered the first-ever organised struggle to ensure the basic rights of the socially oppressed in the country. It was a nonviolent protest that took place from 30 March 1924 to 23 November 1925 in the erstwhile Kingdom of Travancore. The movement got the support of Gandhiji, who sent his disciple Vinoba Bhave to Vaikom in 1924 to help the agitation and in 1925, Gandhiji himself came to Vaikom to participate in the satyagraha The Vaikyom satyagrahis are fighting a battle of no less consequence than that of Swaraj, Gandhiji wrote in Young India in February 1925. Dr. BR Ambedkar described the satyagraha as a significant movement for the untouchables. It was one of the most important movements for the countrys untouchables, he said. On 30 March 1924, two persons from a backward community Kunjappi from the Pulaya caste and Bahulyan from the Ezhava caste along with Govinda Panikkar, a member of an upper caste, walked towards a board where it was written Theendal jaathikkarkk praveshanam nirodhichirikkunnu (Entry banned for untouchable caste members). Though they were prevented from doing so and were arrested by the police before reaching their destination, these three men had taken the first step towards the nations historic walk to a great objective equality for all. After the beginning of the satygraha, the small temple town of Vaikom became a nerve centre of a socio-religious movement that questioned the upper caste hegemony over Hindu shrines. Peoples from all castes and communities participated in the movement. The satyagraha was also led by several upper caste leaders such as K P Kesava Menon and Mannath Padmanabhan, who later founded the Nair Service Society. Social reformer Sree Narayana Guru also played a key role in the movement. Despite several requests, the then ruler of Travancore was not ready to do away with the age-old caste system. The Congress party then extended its support to the movement after its leader T K Madhavan narrated the injustice being meted out to lower caste people during the Kakinada Congress session in 1923 The movement also catapulted then Tamil Nadu Congress leader E V Ramaswamy Naicker aka Thanthai Periyar to the centre stage in his lifelong fight for the downtrodden. In 1925, when Gandhiji came to the temple site and joined the movement, he met Maharani of Travancore Sethu Lakshmibai. He succeeded in getting some concessions for lower caste communities. Roads around the temple with the exception of two lanes leading to the eastern entrance were opened to all castes. The satyagraha later led to the historic temple entry proclamation in 1936 that eventually opened the doors of all temples in Travancore to Hindus, irrespective of caste barriers. Amid a sudden rise in Covid-19 cases in the National Capital, the AAP government has decided to step up testing for the virus and it has also issued an advisory that people with flu-like symptoms,and those visiting hospitals should wear masks, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj informed on Thursday. Bhardwaj said the Delhi government has decided to step up its daily testing of samples for the Covid-19. Speaking to reporters after chairing an emergency meeting on Thursday to take stock of the prevailing Covid-19 situation in the National Capital and draw up a plan to deal with the rising cases, Bhardwaj advised hospitals to test any patient showing symptoms of Covid-19. We will step up testing as and when the situation demands, the Delhi Health Minister told reporters. He convened the emergency meeting after the daly Covid count in the city climbed to 300 on Wednesday, for the first time since September, last year. Addressing the press briefing after the meeting, the Delhi Health Minister said, The positivity rate is currently higher than 10 per cent, but the number of tests is low. However, there is no need to panic. Informing about other decisions taken at the meeting, he said, An advisory has been issued that people with flu-like symptoms, and those visiting hospitals should wear masks. We are on alert and the prevailing Covid situation in Delhi is being closely monitored, he said. However, the Delhi Health Minister was quick to add that though the prevailing situation warrants caution, it wasnt worrisome. Samples have also been sent for genome sequencing and nothing of concern has been found so far. We have stepped up surveillance and are checking for new strains, if any, he said. Bhardwaj further informed that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will chair a review meeting on the prevailing Covid situation on Friday. Delhi recorded 300 fresh Covid-19 cases and two deaths on Wednesday, marking a sharp uptick in infections over the last 24 hours. According to a bulletin issued by the Delhi Health department on Wednesday, the capital also registered two deaths from Covid-19 over the last 24 hours. The overall active cases are currently at 806, with the infection rate at 13.89 per cent, the bulletin stated. Further, according to the bulletin, as many as 2,160 swab samples were tested over the last 24 hours, of which 300 tested positive for Covid-19. The release further informed that a total of 4,07,85,433 Covid tests have been conducted so far. It stated further that a total of 163 Covid patients recovered from the virus in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of recoveries to 19,82,029. Earlier, on Tuesday, the national capital recorded 214 new Covid infections. The total number of active cases was recorded at 671 while the positivity rate jumped to 11.88 per cent. According to the bulletin issued by the Health department on Tuesday, 81 Covid patients recovered from the virus in the city, taking the total number of recoveries to 19,81,866. Indias active caseload currently stands at 11,903 with a rate of 0.03 per cent per day and with a recovery rate currently standing at 98.78 per cent. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday accused the Congress of inviting foreign powers to interfere in the countrys internal affairs. The development followed Germanys reaction to the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from the membership of the Lok Sabha after a Surat court convicted him in a 2019 defamation case and sentenced him to two years imprisonment. While commenting on Rahul Gandhis case, Germany has said that it is keeping an eye on the matter. Thanking Germany on behalf of the Congress for its response, senior party leader Digvijaya Singh tweeted, Thank you Germany Foreign Affairs Ministry and Richard Walker @rbsw for taking note of how the Democracy is being compromised in India through persecution of Rahul Gandhi. Sharing the screenshot of Singhs message, the Finance Minister tweeted, Apparent that @INCIndia wants foreign interference in our affairs. Sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Communist Party of China with opaque contents. During interactions abroad, plead for help to change government. Thank them when help forthcoming. Any more proof needed? Photograph of Nathuram Godse emerged during a procession taken out on the occasion of Ram Navami in Hyderabad as suspended BJPs MLA T Raja Singh joined it with his followers while passing through Mangalhat. Godse, the assassin of Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi, is considered by some rightwing outfits an icon. A procession was organised by Bhagyanagar Sri RamaNavami Utsav Samithi set off from Sitarambagh temple in Asifnagar to commemorate Ram Navami. Raja Singh, wearing a saffron turban, joined the procession along with his followers from Shri Ram Yuva Sena while the procession was on its way to Hanuman Vyayamshala in Ramkoti. At that juncture a portrait of Nathuram Godse emerged in the rally. Singh has already announced that they will take a pledge to establish Hindu Rashtra at Begum Bazar on the occasion of Ram Navami. Apart from waving saffron flags, songs were played on DJs with arrangements for special lights as a huge statue of Lord Rama was kept on the platform. At one point Singh was even seen belting out foot tapping songs. Thousands of people joined the Ram Navami procession today. The suspended BJP MLA has almost 100 cases against him including those related to making hate speech. Singh who was imprisoned last year under Preventive Detention Act after uploading a video containing derogatory comments against the Prophet and later released under bail by Telangana High Court has so far refrained from making any hate speech though he has been attending numerous rallies in neighbouring Maharashtra and making hate speeches. He has been booked by Shrirampur city police in Ahmednagar and also in Mumbai for making hate speech against Muslims recently. While granting bail to Singh the court had imposed certain conditions against him including ban on making speeches and posting any hateful content on social media platforms. He has already received notice from the local police station twice for violating the bail conditions. Singh has approached the police claiming there are terror threats against him. In an obvious reference to Pakistan, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said countries, which use terrorism as a tool, are now well aware of the fact that India never harms anyone unnecessarily nor does it spare anyone who tries to hurt this countrys unity, integrity and sovereignty. Talking about the surgical strikes conducted by India in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir in 2016, he said the move broke the back of terrorists and sent a strong message to the world that India would eliminate terrorism on its own soil, and if need be, on foreign land as well. Whether it was the (military) stand-off with China or ill intentions from Pakistan, our forces have been giving a befitting reply, whenever required, Rajnath said while addressing the Rising India Conclave organised by a private media house. He said India has led the world on issues like terrorism and has been successful in garnering support to eliminate the menace. From secure borders and self-reliance to a strong economy and a transformed global image, India was rising as one of the strongest countries under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He pointed out that all sectors, especially defence, have been witnessing a transformative change in the last few years, which has guided India to a respectable position on the world map. The minister credited the bold approach and unwavering resolve of the government, which has ensured secured borders and battle-ready armed forces backed by a self-reliant defence industry. Terming national security as the governments top priority and self-reliance as the only medium to achieve it, he asserted that relentless efforts were being made to attain Aatmanirbharta in defence. In this regard, he listed some of the steps taken by the Ministry of Defence, including notification of positive indigenisation lists; earmarking of a record 75 per cent of defence capital procurement budget for the domestic industry in 2023-24 and efforts to provide local companies access to the international market. On the success achieved due to these decisions, Rajnath stated that domestic defence production has witnessed a significant increase in the last few years. We are not only catering our own needs but are also exporting weapons and equipment to other countries. From Rs 900 crores 7-8 years ago, defence exports have skyrocketed and are nearing Rs 14,000 crores in the current Financial Year. Our target is to export defence equipment worth Rs 40,000 crores by 2026, he said. Rajnath described Indias diplomacy as another facet of Rising India. The presidency of G-20 and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) this year was proof that Indias stature was continuously growing on the world stage, he said. Days after Rahul Gandhis disqualification from the Lok Sabha following his conviction in a 2019 criminal defamation case, Lalit Modi, the former chief of the Indian Premier League (IPL), took a dig at him by saying that unlike the Congress leader, he has not been convicted in any case. In a series of tweets, Lalit Modi, who lives in London since 2010 after facing allegations of financial irregularities in the IPL, said, I see just about every Tom dick and gandhi associates again and again saying i am a fugitive of justice. Why? How? And when was i to date ever convicted of same. unlike #Papu aka @RahulGandhi now an ordinary citizen saying it and it seems one and all oposition leaders have nothing else to do so they too are either ill informed or just vendetta prone. He added: I have decided to take @RahulGandhi to court in UK right away. I am sure he will have to come-up with some solid evidence. I look forward to seeing him make a complete #fool of himself. #rkdhawan #sitaramkesri #motilalvohra #satishsharna all bag men of #gandhi family. Not to forget #naraindutttewari. How do u all have overseas assets. Ask #mrkamalnath. Lalit Modi also said that he can send addresses and photos to support his claims. #Gandhifamily who have made it as if they are the entitled ones to rule our country. Yes, i will return as soon as u pass stringent liable laws, he said. Lalit Modi also said that nothing has been proven against him, adding that What is clearly proven is I created the greatest #sporting event in this world that has generated close to 100 billion dollars. Last week, a court in Surat had found Rahul Gandhi guilty and sentenced him to two years in prison in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his remarks about Prime Minister Modis surname. The Congress leader, however, was granted bail and his sentence was suspended for 30 days to allow him to appeal the Surat court verdict. The case was filed against Rahul Gandhi by BJP MLA and ex-Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi for saying how come all thieves have the common surname Modi while campaigning in Karnataka ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. A day later, Rahul Gandhi was suspended from the Lok Sabha following his conviction in the criminal defamation case. The Lok Sabha Secretariat also declared his constituency in Keralas Wayanad as vacant. According to the Representation of the People Act, a lawmaker sentenced to imprisonment for two years or more shall be disqualified from the date of such conviction and remain disqualified for another six years after serving prison time. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the Combined Commanders Conference-2023 at the Kushabhau Thakre Hall in Bhopal on 1st April. The three-day Military Commanders conference opened today with the theme of Ready, Resurgent, Relevant. The conference is deliberating on a varied spectrum of issues pertaining to national security, including jointness and theaterisation in the Armed Forces. Preparation of the Armed Forces and progress in defence ecosystem towards attaining Aatmanirbharta will also be reviewed. The conference will witness participation of commanders from the three armed forces and senior officers from the Ministry of Defence. Inclusive and informal interaction will be held with soldiers, sailors and airmen from Army, Navy and Air Force who will contribute to the deliberations. After addressing the military commanders conference, the Prime Minister will flag off the Vande Bharat Express train between Bhopal and New Delhi at Rani Kamlapati Railway Station in the State capital. The Vande Bharat Express has redefined passenger travel experience in the country. The new train being introduced between Rani Kamlapati Railway station, Bhopal and New Delhi railway station will be the 11th Vande Bharat train in the country. The indigenously designed train-set of Vande Bharat Express is equipped with state-of-the-art passenger amenities. It will provide faster, comfortable and convenient travel experience to rail users, boost tourism and promote economic development in the region. Profile of civil administration in the country has changed in recent years and become socially more inclusive, while power corridors have been sanitised of power brokers, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has said. Delivering the 2nd Dr Rajendra Prasad Memorial Lecture at the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) here last night, he said the power corridors have been sanitized of the people who could leverage governance through extra legal means, and this is a great achievement that is having impactful reflection in governance now. The Vice President said young talent from remote villages, from humble families, from marginalised communities is joining the Civil services. I have had the occasion to interact with trainees and I can tell you being myself from a village having seen what education means and how difficult it is to get it, he said. These young people have closely seen the positive role that public administration plays in eradicating poverty and improving chances of realizing their full potential, he said. Gone are the days when a young person could not translate an idea into reality because of the lack of financial support or government policy coming in the way. Today, India is on rise as never before. It is inspired by the surge of aspirations and innovations and validated by the achievements of our citizens, the Vice President said. The next 25 years are going to be crucial for the country, he said, particularly because of the last nine years. In the last nine years, we have laid a foundation, a series of affirmative steps, that in 2047 when the country will be celebrating the centenary of Independence, we have to be at number one and my young friends will be there and warriors of 2047, he said. Some of us may not be around but we all are very confident about the kind of ecosystem that has come to be evolved and the kind of stability that has come to be afforded, there is no doubt India will be number one in the world at that point of time, the Vice President said. Look at it from a global perspective, he said. We are the favorite global destination of opportunity, innovation and investment. Our ninety thousand innovators Start Ups are the partners in this astounding phenomenal success. In this scenario, expectations of the people are going to go up and they must go up. Dhankhar said, Today, the mantra of new India is Less Government, More Governance. The Executive is facilitating Ease of Doing Business with the larger objective of Ease of Living. I have seen it myself. As the governor of the state of West Bengal, I was heading a group of 10 Governors on ease of doing business and we engaged into serious deliberative sessions and this is happening in every walk of life. But these are subterranean, silent developments that impact us hugely and that help us optimize our working capacity, the Vice President who is also the president of the IIPA said. Governance is a dynamic concept and Public administrators have to remain in tune with the changing expectations and requirements of citizens, Mr Dhankhar said. While all this is happening, friends, I need to share and I cannot help myself but to share it with you all, worrying trend before this august audience. An intense assault on Indias values, integrity and its institutions is emanating from a well maintained incubator out to defame us, he said. An ecosystem is being shaped and nurtured to combat Indias emergence as Global power, he said. It is the favorite theme of some outside institutions to attack Indias legitimacy as a nation state and its Constitution. I have a wise regard for our industrialists, they are contributing to the growth of the nation. But even the best of minds, sometimes need to be cautioned, he said. Some of Indias Billionaires and intellectuals, unmindful of consequence have fallen prey to such pernicious designs by funding these institutions. Their benevolence can be more fruitfully utilized if they make financial contributions to our institutions of excellence IITs and IIMs rather than going outside. There is a need to reflect seriously on it. Why do they do it?. I firmly believe as an individual whatever CSR fund is, it must be utilized within the country, he said. I dont want to give figures but when I come to know that 200 crores have been given by a billionaire to an institute in the US or in 2008 the government of India itself gave 20 crores to another institution, we need to revisit our thought process, we do not need certification from anyone. The Best Collaboration has to be within the country by our own people, he said. Elites in industry and intelligentsia, I make a fervent appeal to be thoughtful. This is not in an accusatory sense but merely caution because their intent is certainly not against India, the Vice President said. Appealing to the political spectrum of this country, the Vice President said Never underestimate the intellect of the people. They know all that is happening, they are very discerning. Nothing can be more concerning for them than when Parliament, which is maintained by the public exchequer at huge cost and it doesnt function day after day, is very painful. They want to hold us accountable. How paradoxical it is to send representatives to the Parliament to hold the government accountable and they are entertaining a different thought at the moment, the Vice President who is the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha said. ANKARA, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Turkiye is ready to supply natural gas to Hungary through the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline Project (TANAP), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday. "As of now, we are ready to provide all kinds of support with Azerbaijan regarding the delivery of natural gas to Hungary through TANAP," Erdogan said at a joint press conference with visiting Hungarian President Katalin Novak. TANAP was commissioned in 2018 as the central part of the Europe-proposed Southern Gas Corridor that connects a major gas field in Azerbaijan with European markets. The trade volume between Turkiye and Hungary hit 3.5 billion U.S. dollars last year, with the goal of reaching 6 billion dollars in the future, according to Erdogan. For her part, Novak said energy was one of the topics of her meeting with Erdogan in the Turkish capital of Ankara. "We talked about cooperation on energy. Turkiye has vital importance in Hungary's energy security," she said, stressing that her country attaches importance to the Turkish Stream, a natural gas pipeline running from Russia to Turkey via the Black seabed. The second G20 Sherpas meeting under Indias G20 Presidency is set to take place in the picturesque village of Keralas Kumarakom from March 30 to April 2. The meeting will be chaired by Indias G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant. The four-day gathering of over 120 delegates from G20 Members, 9 invitee countries, and various international and regional organizations will hold multilateral discussions on G20s economic and developmental priorities as well as on addressing contemporary global challenges. The deliberations will focus both on policy approaches and concrete implementation. The 2nd Sherpas Meeting will work on a range of cross-cutting issues of global concern, and will encompass the work being done under the 13WorkingGroups within the Sherpa track, a release said. The deliberations of the Sherpa meetings will take forward the outcomes of various Sherpa Track and Finance Track Meetings and will form the basis of the Leaders Declaration, slated to be adopted at the New Delhi Summit in September. India has selected its G20 priorities keeping in view the diverse global challenges of the day, the concerns of developing countries as well as the need for greater momentum for collective action to take forward the shared international agenda, especially the development and environment agenda. In this context, Indias G20 theme Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam One Earth. One Family. One Future aptly encapsulates the shared vision of the G20 for galvanising wide support and arriving at decisive, ambitious, inclusive, and action-oriented outcomes. Such outcomes require the G20 to come together and act as one family to instil hope. The meeting will kick start on March 30 with two high-level side events on digital public infrastructure and green development. Ongoing deliberations during Indias G20 Presidency include Green Development, Climate Finance and Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE); Accelerated, Inclusive and Resilient Growth; Accelerating progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); Technological Transformation and Digital Public Infrastructure; Multilateral Institutions for the 21st century; and Women-led development. These priorities reflect the needs of the Global South, articulated by 125 participating countries, at the first-ever Voice of Global South summit, hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January 2023. Indias G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant will also lead discussions with the G20 Troika comprising India, Indonesia and Brazil. He will meet with G20 Sherpas and heads of Delegations of G20 members, invitees and international organizations including from the Emerging Market Economies (EMEs) to deliberate on issues pertinent to the Global South, as well as from the Advanced Economies (AEs) on shared priorities and mutually beneficial ways forward, an official statement said. The Tamil Nadu Police arrested seven persons including a juvenile for allegedly forcing a woman to remove her hijab at the Vellore Fort Complex in Tamil Nadu. S. Rajesh Kannan, Superintendent of Police, Vellore told IANS that the seven people are arrested for intentional insult and wanton vilification. He said that the arrested persons acted against individual freedom. The arrested are, K. Santosh (23), Imran Pasha (24), Mohammed Faisal (21), Ibrahim Basha (24), Mohammed Faisal (23) and C. Prasanth (23). The arrested juvenile is sent to child care home. Police said that most of those arrested are local auto-rickshaw drivers. According to police, the incident happened on March 27 at noon when the woman wearing a hijab reached the fort along with a friend. The arrested men also reached there and asked her to remove the hijab. One of them shot the incident on the phone and uploaded it in social media platforms which went viral. A case was filed by the North Police of Vellore on a complaint given by the Village Administrative Officer (VAO) on Wednesday. Police constituted five special teams and nabbed the culprits on Thursday. The seven were arrested on charges of endangering public safety, threat to personal freedom, intention to create enmity between two section of people and also acting against the modesty of women. Police have directed people not to share the video clipping on social media platforms. Those indulging in the same would be charged under the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Woman Act and Information Technology (IT) Act. Vellore Superintendent of Police said that further investigations are on. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Law Minister Kiren Rijiju today reacted sharply after senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh thanked Germany for its reaction to Rahul Gandhis disqualification from the Lok Sabha. Apparent that @INCIndia wants foreign interference in our affairs. Sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Communist Party of China with opaque contents. During interactions abroad, plead for help to change government. Thank them when help forthcoming. Any more proof needed? Sitharaman tweeted. Apparent that @INCIndia wants foreign interference in our affairs. Sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Communist Party of China with opaque contents. During interactions abroad, plead for help to change government. Thank them when help forthcoming. Any more proof needed? https://t.co/aZ4rNuJhxN Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) March 30, 2023 Thank you Rahul Gandhi for inviting foreign powers for interference into Indias internal matters. Remember, Indian Judiciary cant be influenced by foreign interference. India wont tolerate foreign influence anymore because our Prime Minister is:- Shri @narendramodi Ji, Rijiju tweeted in response to Digvijaya Singhs tweet. Thank you Rahul Gandhi for inviting foreign powers for interference into Indias internal matters. Remember, Indian Judiciary can't be influenced by foreign interference. India won't tolerate 'foreign influence' anymore because our Prime Minister is:- Shri @narendramodi Ji pic.twitter.com/xHzGRzOYTz Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) March 30, 2023 Earlier, Congress MP Digvijaya Singh thanked the German Foreign Affairs Ministry for taking note of how democracy is being compromised in India through the persecution of Rahul Gandhi. Germany said that fundamental democratic principles should apply in the case of Rahul, who has been disqualified from the Lok Sabha following his conviction in a defamation case. We have taken note of the verdict of the first instance against the Indian opposition politician Rahul Gandhi as well as the suspension of his parliamentary mandate. To our knowledge, Mr Gandhi is in a position to appeal the verdict, Germanys foreign ministry spokesperson said during a press briefing. It will then become clear whether this verdict will stand and whether the suspension of his mandate has any basis, she added. The spokesperson said that Germany expected that standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles would apply in the case. Stepping up precautionary measures in view of a partial rise in Covid-19 cases, the Yogi Adityanath Government in Uttar Pradesh has put all the frontline workers and government as well as private hospitals on alert mode. Instructions have been given by the government to take necessary action immediately in the districts where confirmed cases are found. Instructions have also been given to strictly monitor the cases of Respiratory Tract Infection, Influenza Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) in all the districts, officials here on Thursday said. As of March 28, the number of active patients of Covid-19 in Uttar Pradesh was 340. In view of this, the Yogi government has issued instructions to make necessary arrangements for Covid-19 management. Instructions to health workers have been issued in a presentation regarding Communicable Disease Control and Dastak Abhiyan before the Chief Secretary. Accordingly, officials have been directed to inform immediately about the increase in RTI, ILI, SARI cases. Besides, there are also orders for intensive sampling of Covid-19 at places where Covid-19 cases are reported. The samples will then be sent for genome sequencing to KGMU Lucknow. The government has also asked officials to take special care and precautions for elderly patients. Apart from this, instructions have been given to ensure availability of logistics, medicines, PPE kits, gloves, masks and equipment, oxygen plant and concentrator in hospitals. The district administration has been asked to ensure that dedicated hospitals and wards are activated immediately. However, as of March 28, the districts most affected by Covid-19 are Gautam Budh Nagar (57), Ghaziabad (55), Lakhimpur Kheri (44), Lucknow (27), Bijnor (12), Lalitpur (9) and Saharanpur (8). Officials have been directed to carefully monitor the present situation in these districts. Directions have also been issued for increasing testing and treatment in the affected districts and taking special precautions in districts that were most affected in the previous Covid-19 waves. It is noteworthy that a communicable disease control campaign will be launched in the state from April 1 to April 30. The Dastak campaign will run from April 17 to 30. Under this, arrangements will be made for cleanliness and water logging disposal in rural and urban areas. Along with this, intensive vector, mosquito control activities will be carried out in high risk areas with inter-departmental cooperation. Awareness activities will be organized in schools for prevention of diseases. During the Dastak campaign, screening and treatment of symptomatic persons identified by the frontline workers will be ensured. Google has denied the reports that it is copying Microsoft-owned OpenAIs ChatGPT to train its AI chatbot called Bard. A report in The Information claimed that OpenAIs success has forced the two AI research teams within Googles parent, Alphabet, to overcome years of intense rivalry to work together. According to the report, citing sources, software engineers at Googles Brain AI group are working with employees at DeepMind, which is a sibling company within Alphabet to develop software to compete with OpenAI. Known internally as Gemini, the joint effort began in recent weeks, after Google stumbled with Bard, its first attempt to compete with OpenAIs chatbot, the report claimed. However, a Google spokesperson told The Verge that Bard is not trained on any data from ShareGPT or ChatGPT. Meanwhile, Google has announced it is opening up access to its ChatGPT competitor Bard as an early experiment for users to collaborate with generative AI. Early access to Bard has rolled out in the US and the UK, and the company said it will expand the access over time to more countries and languages. Bard, like OpenAIs ChatGPT and Microsofts Bing chatbot, is based on a large language model (LLM), specifically a lightweight and optimised version of LaMDA, which the tech giant said will be updated with newer, more capable models in the future. Users can interact with Bard by asking questions and refining their responses with follow-up questions. PC and printer major HP Inc on Wednesday introduced a robust lineup of 150 products, services and solutions for hybrid work under its FutureReady portfolio. The next generation of HP EliteBook and ProBook devices are equipped for premium collaboration with HP Presence (for an enriched video conferencing experience on the PC) with and next-level productivity. The enterprise-ready HP EliteBook 800 and 805 G10 Series PC lineup is equipped with a 13th Gen Intel Core processor or next-generation AMD Ryzen processor and offers up to 64GB LPDDR5 memory. HP EliteBook 600 and 605 G10 Series PCs have a 13th Gen Intel Core processor or next-generation AMD Ryzen processor. HP ProBook 400 and 405 G10 Series PCs come with a 13th Gen Intel Core processor or next-generation AMD Ryzen processor. As the worlds most advanced business convertible for collaboration, the HP Elite x360 830 G10 empowers hybrid workers to unlock creation and collaboration from anywhere. The HP EliteBook 645 G10 provides hybrid workers with the connectivity options and configurable ports they need to stay productive in the office, at home, and on the go. Most companies want to move past the aforced return to the office era of hybrid work, said Alex Cho, President of Personal Systems, HP Inc. The challenge is, theyre not sure how to. We believe the future is hybrid flexibility, which delivers the best of the home and the office to workers everywhere, Cho added. According to HPs Future of Work study, 80 percent of workers want to be in the office some of the time, but many companies continue to struggle to get workers back in the office. The most significant barrier to a return to office is a sub-optimal technology experience. Hybrid work does not equate to remote work. True hybrid work creates a great culture that connects people, raises productivity, and builds engagement. Technology is the biggest factor in doing that, said Guayente Sanmartin, Global Head of Commercial Systems and Displays Solutions, HP Inc. Since 2021, HP Presence has enriched video conferencing experiences on the PC with intuitive collaboration innovations for people to truly feel connected while working together at home or in the office. The company said that HP Presence will be available across all HP commercial notebooks from ProBook and Dragonfly series to Z by HP mobile workstations. While HP Elite x360 830 G10 is available for $1,639, the HP EliteBook 830 G10, HP EliteBook 840 G10, and HP EliteBook 860 G10 are available, starting at $1,569. The HP EliteBook 835 G10, HP EliteBook 845 G10, and HP EliteBook 865 G10 are expected to be available in May. The company said HP EliteBook 630 G10, HP EliteBook 640 G10, and HP EliteBook 650 G10 are available, starting at $999. The Poly Video OS 4.0 is now available across the Poly Studio X Series of video bars and the Poly G7500 modular video conferencing system. Saint-Laurent, CA (H4T1V6) Today Cloudy skies with periods of light rain this afternoon. High 47F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Steady light rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Low 39F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. President Alberto Fernandez of Argentina has used a White House meeting to spotlight the economic strain his country faces as he looks for President Joe Biden to back Argentinas effort to renegotiate with the International Monetary Fund on terms of $44 billion debt FILE - A sign at Twitter headquarters is shown in San Francisco, Dec. 8, 2022. Twitter says it has removed thousands of tweets showing a poster promoting a trans day of vengeance protest in support of transgender rights in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, March 25, 2023. ANKARA, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said late Wednesday that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin may travel to Turkiye on April 27 to attend the inauguration ceremony of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant. Erdogan told news channel ATV-A Haber in an interview that Putin may either travel to Mersin in person or attend the ceremony via teleconference. The project, located in the southeastern Turkish province of Mersin, is Turkiye's first nuclear plant. It is expected to produce 35 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually and will meet about 10 percent of domestic electricity needs. It is the world's first nuclear power plant project implemented through a build-own-operate model. Under a contract, Russia's Rosatom firm has agreed to provide the power plant's design, construction, maintenance, operation and decommissioning. Hundreds of people have gathered at a candlelight vigil to mourn the three children and three adults slain in a school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee FILE - Paul Rusesabagina, who inspired the film "Hotel Rwanda" and is credited with saving more than 1,000 people by sheltering them at the hotel he managed during the genocide, attends a court hearing in Kigali, Rwanda, Friday Feb. 26, 2021. Rwanda's government has commuted the sentence of Paul Rusesabagina was convicted of terrorism offenses years later in a widely criticized trial. Government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo told The Associated Press on Friday, March 24, 2023, that the 25-year sentence was commuted by presidential order after a request for clemency. Douglas Sacha/Getty Images Abraham Lincoln said, "Whatever you are, be a good one." That is sound advice that two teen carjackers could've used before they took a man's car only to realize its manual drive and neither one knew how to drive it. A decision that didn't exactly come through in the "clutch." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate PRINSBURG, Minn. (AP) Hundreds of people had to evacuate their Minnesota town after a train hauling ethanol and corn syrup derailed and caught fire early Thursday, but authorities were hopeful that the quick response and cold weather would help limit the impact of this latest crash. Still, those pushing to improve rail safety said the derailment only added urgency to the debate over reforms that Congress and regulators are considering, even as officials seemed to apply some of the lessons learned after last month's fiery derailment near East Palestine, Ohio. Minnesota officials said the BNSF train derailed around 1 a.m. in Raymond, roughly 100 miles (161 kilometers) west of Minneapolis. That prompted the evacuation of essentially all of the town's 250 homes because they were within 1/2 mile (0.8 kilometers) of the derailment. The evacuation order was lifted around noon. The nation has been increasingly focused on railroad safety since the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern derailment that prompted several thousand evacuations in and around East Palestine near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. Residents in that town of about 5,000 remain concerned about lingering health impacts after officials decided to release and burn toxic chemicals to prevent a tank car explosion. State and federal officials maintain that no harmful levels of toxic chemicals have been found in the air or water, but residents remain uneasy. The major freight railroads have said they plan to add about 1,000 more trackside detectors nationwide to help spot equipment problems, but federal regulators and members of Congress have proposed additional reforms they want the railroads to make. A group of Ohio Representatives said at a news conference Thursday about their rail safety legislation that the Minnesota derailment reinforces the need for reform. While state and federal agencies were quick to respond to the Ohio derailment, Norfolk Southern's CEO and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg were slow to visit the town, and President Joe Biden has yet to survey the damage himself. The railroad even skipped one of the first community meetings because of fears about the safety of its employees. Contrast that with Thursday's response when BNSF CEO Katie Farmer showed up on day one to apologize and promise a thorough cleanup, and Buttigieg jumped on CNN within hours. We will have our team here until this is cleaned up, Farmer said at a news conference with Gov. Tim Walz and other Minnesota officials. Walz said the response from Burlington Northern was "unprecedented, in my opinion with the railroad getting in touch with state and local officials before 6 a.m. BNSF officials said 22 cars derailed, including about 10 carrying ethanol, and the track remained blocked, but no injuries were reported. The cause hasn't been determined, but EPA officials said on Twitter that four ethanol cars ruptured and the flammable fuel additive caught fire. ADM confirmed that the ethanol came from its corn processing facility in Marshall, Minnesota. Evacuees went to nearby Prinsburg first to a school and a church where volunteers prepared food and distributed donated bottled water. Emergency responders retrieved three dogs from homes in Raymond in the morning and brought them to the church shelter. Darwin and Sharon Heida, both 81, said they received an evacuation alert on Darwins cell phone around 2:30 a.m. at their home about three blocks away from the train tracks. Darwin, who is a former volunteer firefighter for over 20 years, said the evacuation was very orderly and emergency personnel went door-to-door to relay the message. But it was unnerving to see flames above the tree line as they left home. It happens in other places but not in our backyard, Sharon said. Lawmakers pushing for railroad safety improvements say statistics show too many communities are dealing with these issues. Three derailments per day on average. Thats way too many," Republican U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson of Ohio said. "When is the next one going to occur, and what is the next village or township or community in American that is going to have to be evacuated? Walz and railroad officials said they aren't especially concerned about groundwater contamination from the latest derailment because much of the ethanol will burn off and the ground remains frozen. Plus, the U.S. Energy Information Administration says pure ethanol is biodegradable and breaks down into harmless substances if spilled. Environmental Protection Agency officials from the same regional office that responded to the Ohio derailment arrived on site and started monitoring the air for toxic chemicals by 6:30 a.m. Thursday. The Federal Railroad Administration, the Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board also responded to the derailment, and the NTSB said a team would conduct a safety investigation. It doesn't appear likely that this BNSF train would have been covered by the additional safety regulations for high-hazardous flammable trains, because those rules only apply when a train has either a block of 20 flammable liquid cars or more than 35 total. Those rules, which also require notice to states, were developed after a string of fiery oil and ethanol derailments a decade ago. Officials said the tank cars in Thursday's derailment were the upgraded triple-hulled DOT-117 cars required by those 2015 rules, designed to better contain the chemicals in an accident. The railroad said ethanol was the only hazardous material aboard. Since 2015 nearly 48,000 such cars have been built and some 41,000 older ones have been upgraded to meet the new standards ahead of a 2029 deadline set by Congress. But another 35,000 older tank cars still need to be replaced or upgraded. Buttigieg suggested speeding up those upgrades to complete them by 2025 after the Ohio derailment, but the Railway Supply Institute, which represents all the big tank car manufacturers that actually own most of the nation's tank cars, says that's not technically possible because of current labor and supply chain limits. Earlier this month another BNSF train derailed in Washington and spilled 3,100 gallons (about 11,700 liters) of diesel near the Swinomish Channel on that tribes reservation after a safety device meant to keep a train from crossing onto an open swinging bridge malfunctioned. The Association of American Railroads trade group likes to tout that 99.9% of all hazardous materials shipments that railroads haul reach their destinations safely and only 11 train accidents the Federal Railroad Administration recorded last year involved hazardous chemicals being released. The government data shows that derailments have declined in recent years and most don't cause significant damage, but there were still 1,049 last year. This Minnesota and Ohio derailments demonstrate how even a single crash involving hazardous materials can be disastrous. Hazardous materials, including about two-thirds of all the ethanol produced nationwide, account for about 7% to 8% of the 30 million shipments that railroads deliver across the country every year. Railroad unions believe the industry is getting riskier after the major railroads eliminated nearly one-third of jobs in recent years, because employees are spread thin, inspections are rushed and preventative maintenance may be neglected. BNSF, which is based in Fort Worth, Texas, is owned by Warren Buffett's Omaha, Nebraska-based Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate. ___ Funk reported from Omaha, Nebraska. Steve Karnowski contributed from Minneapolis, and Heather Hollingsworth contributed from Mission, Kansas. EDWARDSVILLE A Madison man was charged with armed violence by Madison County officials on Wednesday. Isaiah Z. Lawrence, 33, was charged with armed violence, a Class X felony; possession of weapons by a felon, a Class 2 felony; and possession of cannabis with intent to deliver, a Class 3 felony. According to court documents, on March 28, Lawrence allegedly had 30-500 grams of cannabis with the intent to deliver while armed with a Glock 43 9mm firearm. Lawrence was convicted of robbery in 2010. Bail was set at $150,000. In an unrelated case, Matthew Bell, 29, of Collinsville, was charged with aggravated driving while under the influence, and two counts of improper passing of an emergency vehicle, all Class 4 felonies. The case was presented by the Illinois State Police. On March 17, Bell allegedly failed to proceed with caution upon approaching a stationary emergency vehicle. In the process, Bell struck an officer with the Edwardsville Police Department and caused great bodily harm. Bail was set at $50,000. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON (AP) The Senate voted Wednesday to repeal the resolution that gave a green light for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, a bipartisan effort to return a basic war power to Congress 20 years after an authorization many now view as a mistake. Iraqi deaths are estimated in the hundreds of thousands, and nearly 5,000 U.S. troops were killed in the war after President George W. Bushs administration falsely claimed that Saddam Hussein was stockpiling weapons of mass destruction. This body rushed into a war" that had massive consequences, said Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat who has pushed for years to repeal the powers. Senators voted 66-30 to repeal the 2002 measure and also the 1991 authorization that sanctioned the U.S.-led Gulf War. If passed by the House, the repeal would not be expected to affect any current military deployments. But lawmakers in both parties are increasingly seeking to claw back congressional powers they have given the White House over U.S. military strikes and deployments, and some lawmakers who voted for the Iraq War two decades ago now say that was a mistake. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., noted it would be the first time in more than 50 years that Congress would repeal a war powers vote, since the Gulf of Tonkin resolution that authorized military force in Vietnam was repealed in the early 1970s. Americans want to see an end to endless Middle East wars, said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, adding that passing the repeal is a necessary step to putting these bitter conflicts squarely behind us. Supporters, including 18 Republican senators, say the repeal is crucial to prevent future abuses and to reinforce that Iraq is now a strategic partner of the United States. Opponents say the repeal could project weakness as the U.S. still faces conflict in the Middle East. Our terrorist enemies arent sunsetting their war against us, said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who is at home recovering from a fall earlier this month and missed the vote. When we deploy our servicemembers in harms way, we need to supply them with all the support and legal authorities that we can. The repeals future is less certain in the House, where 49 Republicans joined with Democrats in supporting a similar bill two years ago. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has suggested he is open to supporting a repeal even though he previously opposed it, but Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has indicated he would like to instead replace it with something else. But it is unclear what that would be. Kaine and Todd Young, R-Ind., who led the effort together, have said they believe a strong bipartisan vote sends a powerful message to Americans who believe their voices should be heard on matters of war and peace. President Donald Trumps administration cited the 2002 Iraq war resolution as part of its legal justification for a 2020 U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassim Soleimani, but the two war powers resolutions have otherwise rarely been used as the basis for any presidential action. About 2,500 U.S. troops remain in Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi government and assist and advise local forces. A separate 2001 authorization for the global war on terror would remain in place under the bill, which President Joe Biden has said he will support. The October 2002 votes to give Bush broad authority for the Iraq invasion were a defining moment for many members of Congress as the country debated whether a military strike was warranted. The U.S. was already at war then in Afghanistan, the country that hosted the al-Qaida plotters responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, something Iraq played no part in. The Bush administration had drummed up support among members of Congress and the American public for invading Iraq by promoting what turned out to be false intelligence alleging Saddam had weapons of mass destruction. After the initial March 2003 invasion, American ground forces quickly discovered that the allegations of nuclear or chemical weapons programs were baseless. The U.S. overthrow of Iraqs security forces precipitated a brutal sectarian fight and violent campaigns by Islamic extremist groups in Iraq. Car bombings, assassinations, torture and kidnapping became a part of daily life for years. Some GOP senators opposing the repeal, including McConnell, have raised concerns about recent attacks against U.S. troops in Syria. A drone strike last week killed an American contractor and wounded five troops and another contractor, then a rocket attack wounded another service member. Iranian-backed militants are believed responsible for the attacks. Biden and his administration have argued that the repeal would not affect any response to Iran. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, both said at a Senate hearing last week that American troops are authorized to protect themselves and respond to attacks, including under Article 2 of the Constitution, which gives the president the authority to protect troops. Sen. Menendez, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said just ahead of the vote that the repeal in no way diminishes the U.S. ability to deter Iranian aggression. This is not about Iran, Menendez said. This is about Iraq. Saddam Hussein is gone. The pushback from McConnell comes amid a growing rift in the Republican Party on the U.S. role in the Middle East, with some echoing Trumps America First message to argue against military intervention abroad. Other Republicans are concerned Congress is giving too much leeway to the president in matters of war. Its time we take back our constitutional authority to declare war, said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., after voting for the repeal. Cramer said every authorization on the books should relate to current threats. Young said that a lot of lessons have been learned over the last 20 years. He said supporting the legislation want to ensure that the American people can hold us accountable, rather than delegating those important authorities to an executive branch and then lamenting the unwitting wisdom of the executive branch if things dont go well." ___ Associated Press writer Lolita C. Baldor contributed to this report. MOSCOW, March 30 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said Thursday it had arrested a Wall Street Journal reporter on espionage charges. The FSB said U.S. citizen Evan Gershkovich, a reporter at the Wall Street Journal's Moscow bureau, is suspected of "spying in the interests of the American government." It added that Gershkovich "gathered information classified as state secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of Russia's military-industrial complex," acting on instructions from the U.S. government. The FSB said the U.S. citizen was detained in Yekaterinburg while trying to obtain the secret information, adding that a criminal espionage case has been launched. Scranton, PA (18503) Today A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 54F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 38F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Communal clashes erupted during Ram Navami procession in central Gujarat city of Vadodara on Thursday following which the police had to lob teargas shells and resort to lathi-charge. More than three incidents of stone pelting were reported from sensitive areas of Fatehpura and Yakutpura. A couple of people got injured and arrests have also been made in the case. Deputy Commissioner of Police (zone III) Yashpal Jaganiya told a section of media that two groups were involved in verbal altercation after the procession crossed Panjrigar Mohalla. He claimed that there was no incident of stone pelting or lathi-charge in the area. Sources said that the first incident of stone pelting happened around 1pm in one procession. In the second procession that was taken out in late afternoon, stone pelting was reported at more than two places. Top police officers, including Police Commissioner Shamsher Singh, were in the field to get the situation under control. Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi directed police to arrest the troublemakers before midnight. Situation is being monitored from the command centre located in Gandhinagar. Police said that they were monitoring social media and anyone spreading rumours as well. Former home minister Rajendra Trivedi, who also resides in the eastern part of the city where these areas are located, told a section of the media that the incident seems to be done in a planned manner. He added he was sure that stringent action would be taken in such a manner that it would be a lesson for those indulging in such activities. Sources said the minority community got agitated after someone in the procession fired small saffron papers from party pops near a mazaar. In the second procession, those in the procession chanted Jai Shree Ram, especially near a mosque, apparently as an instigation. Even as senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh's tweet thanking the German foreign ministry for taking note of the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi has elicited sharp reactions from the BJP, the grand old party appears to have distanced itself from the controversy as it said any threat to India's democracy has to be handled internally. "Congress firmly believes that India's democratic processes themselves have to deal with the threats posed to our democracy by Mr Modi's assault on our institutions and his politics of vendetta, intimidation, threats and harassment. Congress and opposition parties will take him on fearlessly," party leader Jairam Ramesh said in a tweet. Rahul Gandhi, who represented Wayanad in Lok Sabha, was disqualified as an MP on March 23, two days after a court in Gujarat's Surat convicted him and sentenced him to two years imprisonment in a 2019 defamation case. The disqualification had stirred up a political storm with several opposition parties, including the Trinamool Congress, joining hands to protest against the Narendra Modi government. On Wednesday, a German foreign ministry spokesperson had said at a press briefing, "We have taken note of the verdict of first instance against Indian opposition politician Rahul Gandhi as well as the suspension of his parliamentary mandate." She said Germany expected that the standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles would equally apply to the proceedings against Rahul Gandhi. Earlier this week, a US state department official had said the United States is watching the court case of Rahul Gandhi. The official had observed that the US continues to engage with India on the shared commitment towards democratic principles and the protection of human rights, including freedom of expression. Digvijay Singh took to Twitter on Thursday to thank the German foreign ministry and journalist Richard Walker for "taking note of how Democracy is being compromised in India through the persecution of Rahul Gandhi". Walker is the Chief International Editor of Deutsche Welle which aired the German diplomat's comments. Singh's tweet invited flak from the BJP with senior party leaders including Union ministers accusing the Congress of inviting foreign interference into India's internal matters. The ruling party also asserted that India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership will not tolerate any foreign intervention. Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said, "Thank you Rahul Gandhi for inviting foreign powers for interference into India's internal matters." He asserted that India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership will not tolerate any foreign intervention. Information and Broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur said the Congress and Rahul Gandhi do not believe in fighting the democratic, political and legal battle within country. "Disgrace to nation, @INCIndia & @RahulGandhi don't believe to fight India's democratic, political and legal battle within country, hence, invite foreign powers to interfere in our internal matter. But New India headed by @narendramodi Ji will not tolerate any foreign intervention," he tweeted. Finance Minister Niramala Sitharaman tweeted: "Apparent that @INCIndia wants foreign interference in our affairs. Sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Communist Party of China with opaque contents. During interactions abroad, plead for help to change government. Thank them when help forthcoming. Any more proof needed?" "Shameful that Congress continues to lean on foreign agencies and seek their intervention in India's internal affairs. Rahul Gandhi had recently sought Europe and US intervention and now it is Digvijay Singh. But Law is the Law Unless somebody thinks Law is not the Law for them," tweeted BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya. Earlier, too, referring to Rahul Gandhi's speeches in London, the BJP had accused the Congress of seeking foreign intervention in India's internal affairs. The Congress, however, had rubbished the claims challenging the BJP to produce evidence of Rahul Gandhi requesting such an intervention. The BJP on Thursday accused the Congress of inviting foreign interference into India's internal matters after senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh thanked Germany for taking note of Rahul Gandhi's conviction and disqualification from parliament. The BJP asserted that India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership will not tolerate any foreign intervention. At a press briefing on Wednesday, Germany's foreign ministry spokesperson had said, "We have taken note of the verdict of first instance against Indian opposition politician Rahul Gandhi as well as the suspension of his parliamentary mandate." Germany expects that "standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles" will equally apply to the proceedings against Rahul Gandhi, he had said. Congress leader Digvijay Singh took to Twitter to thank the German foreign ministry and Richard Walker, Chief International Editor of Deutsche Welle, for "taking note of how Democracy is being compromised in India through the persecution of Rahul Gandhi". Singh's tweet elicited sharp reaction from the BJP with several party leaders, including Union ministers, termed him and the Congress a disgrace to nation. Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said, "Thank you Rahul Gandhi for inviting foreign powers for interference into India's internal matters." He asserted that India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership will not tolerate any foreign intervention. Information and Broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur said, "disgrace to nation, @INCIndia & @RahulGandhi don't believe to fight India's democratic, political and legal battle within country, hence, invite foreign powers to interfere in our internal matter. But New India headed by @narendramodi Ji will not tolerate any foreign intervention." Finance Minister Niramala Sitharaman tweeted: "Apparent that @INCIndia wants foreign interference in our affairs. Sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Communist Party of China with opaque contents. During interactions abroad, plead for help to change government. Thank them when help forthcoming. Any more proof needed?" "Shameful that Congress continues to lean on foreign agencies and seek their intervention in India's internal affairs. Rahul Gandhi had recently sought Europe and US intervention and now it is Digvijay Singh. But Law is the Law Unless somebody thinks Law is not the Law for them," tweeted BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya. The Congress, meanwhile, has distanced itself from Singh's tweet and said the threats to India's democracy have to be handled by ourselves. "Congress firmly believes that India's democratic processes themselves have to deal with the threats posed to our democracy by Mr Modi's assault on our institutions and his politics of vendetta, intimidation, threats and harassment. Congress and opposition parties will take him on fearlessly,"party leader Jairam Ramesh said in a tweet. Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from Lok Sabha on March 23 days after a court in Surat convicted him and sentenced him two two years imprisonment in 2019 defamation case. LONDON, March 30 (Xinhua) -- The British government has been widely criticized for its plans to accommodate asylum seekers who enter the United Kingdom (UK) illegally on disused military sites. Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick told the House of Commons on Wednesday that surplus military sites in Essex and Lincolnshire will be "scaled up over the coming months" and will provide accommodation to thousands of asylum seekers. The possibility of accommodating migrants on boats is also under consideration. "Accommodation for migrants should meet their essential living needs and nothing more because we cannot risk becoming a magnet for the millions of people who are displaced and seeking better economic prospects," Jenrick said. This move is a follow-up on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's commitment to reduce the pressure on the country's asylum system and the cost to taxpayers caused by illegal crossings. However, the plan has been dismissed as counterproductive by some MPs and representatives of civil organizations. "(This) won't end hotel use. Instead, these sites are additional," said Yvette Cooper, shadow home secretary of the main opposition Labour Party. The UK spent around 3.5 billion pounds (4.31 billion U.S. dollars) in 2022 on helping refugees and asylum seekers arriving in the country, amounting to roughly one third of its total aid spending that year, according to a report by the Independent Commission for Aid Impact, the UK's aid spending watchdog. The BBC has recently reported that some private companies are making hefty profits as the UK government spends large sums every day on accommodating more than 51,000 asylum seekers in nearly 400 hotels. Rather than focusing on the financial aspects, the Refugee Council, a UK charity organization, emphasized the human side of the problem. "These (plans) do not provide any serious, workable solutions," the organization said on social media. "Instead, we should be providing accommodation that treats people with humanity, dignity and compassion." Meanwhile, Edward Leigh, the Conservative MP for Gainsborough, said the local authority will issue an immediate judicial review against the government's "thoroughly bad decision." Gainsborough is a town in Lincolnshire, a county home to one of the military sites mentioned by the immigration minister. The issue of how to treat asylum seekers has divided UK politicians and the British public for some time now, with several protests and counter-protests marking the seriousness of the problem in February. Last year, 16,649 people were given refugee status in the UK, after authorities processed a record high number of asylum applications, probably the highest in 20 years, the Home Office said. Entrepreneur and IPL founder Lalit Modi has hit out at Rahul Gandhi over his controversial 'Modi surname' remark, adding that he will sue the Congress leader and his associates for claiming he was a "fugitive of justice." In a scathing post on Twitter, the embattled entrepreneur asked "how and when was he ever convicted." Addressing Rahul as 'Pappu,' Modi said "the opposition leaders had nothing else to do" and were "ill-informed or just vendetta prone." "I have decided to take Rahul Gandhi, at least him, to court in the UK right away. I am sure he will have to come up with some solid evidence. I look forward to seeing him make a complete #fool of himself," Modi said in his post. Modi also tagged Congress leaders who he alleged had properties overseas. "I can send addresses and photos etc. Let's not fool the people of India who the real crooks are. Gandhi family has made it as if they are the entitled ones to rule our country. Yes, I will return as soon as you pass stringent liable laws," Modi's tweet read. He added that there was no proof that he has taken even a penny in the last 15 years. ".. but what has been clearly proven is I created the greatest sporting event in the world which has generated close to 100 billion dollars." Modi said that he and the Modi family have done more for Congress and the country than they could ever imagine. "I too have done more than can ever dream of doing. So keep barking scam tainted looters of India, like the very own Gandhi family Jai Hind," his tweet read. i see just about every Tom dick and gandhi associates again and again saying i ama fugitive of justice. why ?How?and when was i to date ever convicted of same. unlike #Papu aka @RahulGandhi now an ordinary citizen saying it and it seems one and all oposition leaders have nothing Lalit Kumar Modi (@LalitKModi) March 30, 2023 Lalit Modi's response comes days after Rahul Gandhi was convicted in a criminal defamation case over his "why all thieves have Modi surname" comment. Lalit Modi had in 2019 too threatened to sue Rahul Gandhi for the remark. He also accused the Gandhi family of "daylight looting" of India for five decades. India has recorded a single-day rise of 3,016 fresh Covid-19 cases, the highest in nearly six months. According to the Union Health Ministry data on Thursday, the active cases increased to 13,509. Meanwhile, amid the spike in Covid-19 cases in the last few days, the Delhi government has called for an emergency meeting on Thursday. On Wednesday, Delhi recorded 300 Covid-19 cases. On October 2 last year, a total of 3,375 cases were recorded in India. In the last 24 hours, fatalities were reported by Maharashtra, two from Delhi and one from Himachal Pradesh. The country's COVID-19 death toll has increased to 5,30,862 with 14 latest fatalities. According to the ministry data updated at 8 am, the daily positivity was recorded at 2.73 percent, while the weekly positivity was pegged at 1.71 per cent. The infection tally stands at 4.47 crore (4,47,12,692). According to the health ministry website, active cases now comprise 0.03 percent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 98.78 percent. The number of people who have recovered from the disease surged to 4,41,68,321. The case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 percent. Meanwhile, 220.65 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive. Emergency Covid meet Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj has called the meeting in which health department officials and authorities of state-run hospitals are likely to take part. It was on August 31 last year that Delhi recorded over 300 cases. On Wednesday, the number of active cases in the state stood at 806 with two deaths. The city has been witnessing an increase in the number of daily Covid cases over the last few days amid a sharp rise in H3N2 influenza cases in the country. (With PTI inputs) It will be a VVIP weekend in Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the Combined Commanders Conference (CCC) a premier military brainstorming session in Bhopal on April 1. The PM will address the commanders-in-chief of the three defence forces in India on the final day of the three-day CCC that commenced on March 30. During his over 6.30 hours stay in Bhopal, the prime minister will hold a brief road show and also flag-off the first Vande Bharat express of the state from Rani Kamlapati Railway Station in Bhopal. This is PM Modis fourth visit to the poll-bound state in the past six months. He had visited Sheopur to release Cheetahs in Kuno National Park in September, Ujjain to inaugurate Mahakal Lok in October and Indore to inaugurate the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in January. Also, Home Minister Amit Shah has visited the state repeatedly during the past few months, the latest being a poll meeting in Chhindwara just five days ago (March 25). Strong security measures will be in place for the visit. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan took stock of the arrangements and preparation at Rani Kamlapati Railway Station and at 6 number stop, Shivaji Nagar where citizens and social workers are expected to felicitate the PM during his brief road show. The roadshow will be from the Kushabhau Thakre Hall to the railway station and will be completed in just 10 minutes. The PM will arrive in Bhopal at 9.25 am and leave at 4.10 pm, according to the official schedule. Defence minister Rajnath Singh reached Bhopal on Thursday evening and will be attending the CCC on the next two days. CM Chouhan and his cabinet colleagues welcomed the Union minister on his arrival in Bhopal. Before leaving for Bhopal, Singh tweeted Today, I shall be reaching Bhopal to attend the Combined Commanders Conference-2023. The three-day conference of the Military Commanders will be held from 30th March to 1st April 2023 on the theme Ready, Resurgent, Relevant. Look forward to it. One lakh attendance expected at Sindhi convention Meanwhile, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat will be in Bhopal on Friday, March 31, to participate in a mega convention of Sindhi community to mark the conclusion of the birth centenary celebrations of revolutionary freedom fighter Hemu Kalani. This convention, being organised by Bharatiya Sindhu Sabha and Sindhu panchayats from across India is expected to see a congregation of about 1 lakh community members from across India and abroad including Pakistan, US, UK, Dubai and others. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will also attend the programme along with prominent religious figures of the community. A large group of people on Thursday took out a march in northwest Delhi's Jahangirpuri on the occasion of Ram Navami in contravention of rules following which riot control force was deployed to prevent any untoward incident, police said. The Delhi Police had denied permission to the group for holding the 'Shree Ram Bhagwan Pratima Yatra' as part of the Ramnavami Mahotsav in the area where violence broke out last year during a Hanuman Jayanti procession. Despite denying permission, the group gathered at Jahangirpuri and performed a puja at a park, a senior police officer said. "We have deployed the local police, riot control force along with four companies of outside forces to ensure law and order is maintained and no untoward incident takes place. The situation is under control and people are also cooperating," he said. A police officer said permission for praying at a park during Ramzan was also denied. On April 16, 2021, clashes broke out between two communities during the Hanuman Jayanti procession at Jahangirpuri in which eight police personnel and a local resident were injured. In a major accident, the roof of an ancient large well situated in a temple collapsed on Thursday during the Ram Navami festival. At least 25 people are feared to have fallen inside. The incident took place during the Ram Navami celebrations at the Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal Temple in the Patel Nagar area According to officials, rescue operations have been launched to save those trapped. #WATCH | Madhya Pradesh: Many feared being trapped after a stepwell at a temple collapsed in Patel Nagar area in Indore. Details awaited. pic.twitter.com/qfs69VrGa9 ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) March 30, 2023 An eyewitness said that a large number of people had gathered on the roof of the ancient bavdi and it caved in as it was unable to bear the load. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that Extremely pained by the mishap in Indore. Spoke to CM @ChouhanShivraj Ji and took an update on the situation. The State Government is spearheading rescue and relief work at a quick pace. My prayers with all those affected and their families. Extremely pained by the mishap in Indore. Spoke to CM @ChouhanShivraj Ji and took an update on the situation. The State Government is spearheading rescue and relief work at a quick pace. My prayers with all those affected and their families. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 30, 2023 "It's an unfortunate incident. A rescue operation is underway. 10 people were rescued safely while nine are still trapped and will be rescued. Efforts are underway to rescue other people," said the statement released by CMO, reported ANI. The incident took place around 12 pm noon when the devotees were offering prayers during a hawan at the temple. To be updated. Ram Navami was celebrated with religious fervour across the country on Thursday even as sporadic violence and stone pelting marred the celebrations in some states. In Maharashtra, at least 12 persons, including 10 policemen, were injured after a mob of around 500 people went berserk and hurled stones and petrol-filled bottles when the cops tried to control the situation following a clash between two groups near a Ram temple in Aurangabad city. The incident, in which 13 vehicles were torched by the miscreants, occurred during the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday in the city's Kiradpura locality. The police used tear gas and fired some plastic bullets as well as live rounds to control the mob. "It started after two groups, each comprising around five persons, clashed near the Ram temple. After some time, one group left the place and the police soon came to the site. After an hour, a mob gathered there, bringing stones and petrol-filled bottles along, which they threw at the police personnel," Aurangabad Police Commissioner Nikhil Gupta told a TV channel. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Shilwant Nandedkar told PTI that an offence has been registered at Jinsi police station against 400 to 500 people. In Gujarat, stones were hurled at two Ram Navami processions in Vadodara city. While the first incident took place near Panjrigar mohalla in Fatehpura area in the afternoon, the second took place in nearby Kumbharwada in the evening. According to police, no one was injured in the Fatehpura incident, while some persons including women were wounded in the stone pelting by a mob in Kumbharwada. "The situation is under control. The incident took place when the procession reached near a mosque and people started gathering at the spot. This is not a communal riot. We dispersed the crowd and the procession also went ahead on its route. All such processions in the city were already given police protection," DCP Jaganiya told reporters. Vadodara Bajrang Dal president Ketan Trivedi claimed that the stone-pelting was part of a conspiracy. "This procession is targeted almost every year. Despite knowing that, there was no police deployment in this area. Stones were pelted as part of a pre-planned conspiracy," he said. In West Bengal's Howrah, violence broke out between two groups when the procession was passing through the Kazipara locality. Several vehicles were torched and shops were ransacked. The police used force to disperse the mob. A large contingent of police was deployed in the locality where the situation is stated to be under control. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee slammed the BJP for allegedly trying to stoke communal tension during the Ram Navami procession in Howrah and said those involved in the incident will not be spared. With PTI inputs Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen arrived in New York on Wednesday on a stopover, her first since 2019, amid China's warnings against her meeting US House speaker Kevin McCarthy. Tsai is on a 10-day visit to Central American countries of Guatemala and Belize, two of the 13 nations to diplomatically recognise Taiwan. She will be in New York till Saturday and is also likely visit Los Angeles on her return journey. Taiwan's de facto embassy in the U.S. confirmed her arrival, but added that none of her events were open to press. However, videos showed her being greeted in the city by flag-waving supporters. Though there are speculations that Tsai would meet McCarthy, there is no official confirmation yet, reported Reuters. However, McCarthy has said he would meet with Tsai when she is in the US and has not ruled out the possibility of traveling to Taiwan in a show of support. This comes as Beijing threatened resolute countermeasures if the meeting is ever to happen. Hours before Tsai embarking on the trip, Chinas Taiwan Affairs Office warned that the violation of the one-China principle would have repurcursions. "If she contacts US House speaker McCarthy, it will be another provocation that seriously violates the one-China principle, harms Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity, and destroys peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," Zhu Fenglian, the offices spokesperson, told reporters. "We firmly oppose this and will definitely take measures to resolutely fight back." However, Tsai hinted that the trip reflected her island's commitment to democratic values on the world stage. "I want to tell the whole world democratic Taiwan will resolutely safeguard the values of freedom and democracy, and will continue to be a force for good in the world, continuing a cycle of goodness, strengthening the resilience of democracy in the world, " Tsai added. The President told reporters that external pressure will not obstruct our resolution to engage with the world. Meanwhile, the US has reacted to Chinese threats, stating that it "sees no reason for China to overreact" to Taiwanese President's stopover. It said the visit was consistent with long-standing practice and the U.S. one-China policy that recognizes Beijing diplomatically, not Taipei. Under the One China policy, the US acknowledges Beijing's view that it has sovereignty over Taiwan, but considers Taiwan's status as unsettled. Taipei is an important partner for Washington in the Indo-Pacific. Last August, the then US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, irking China. Beijing reacted furiously by launching missiles over the area, deployed warships across the median line of the Taiwan Strait and carried out military exercises in a simulated blockade of the island. Beijing also suspended climate talks with the US and restricted military-to-military communication with the Pentagon. Can a country survive as a serious international player if its leaders are not held accountable for blatant corruption? Brazils Jair Bolsonaro, the former president who relished branding his election opponent Inacio Lula da Silva as a thief and an ex-con, visited Saudi Arabia in 2021 and returned with gifts worth millions of dollars, which he did not report to the patrimony of the country as per law. It was disclosed that jewels worth R$16 million ($ 3.1 million), which by law would belong to the patrimony of the Brazilian state, were attempted to pass customs as gifts meant for his wife. At the end of an official visit to Saudia Arabia in October 2021, an "envoy" from the Saudi government gave two packages to Brazil's then mines and energy minister Bento Albuquerque. Upon his return to Brazil, customs inspectors found an undeclared box of diamonds carried in the backpack of an aide of Albuquerque. The diamonds were seized for failure to pay the required import duty. Officials of the Bolsonaro administration triedat least eight timesto persuade customs inspectors to release a stash of jewels. An attempt was made to pull rank on the customs official at the Sao Paulo airport and force an immediate handover of the jewels, which the agent refused. These attempts continued until the last days of Bolsonaro's term. Later, reports unearthed a second package of valuable jewels that went undetected and kept by Bolsonaro. A third set of jewels, given directly to Bolsonaro as gift was to be properly reported into the presidents collection, but it was kept, along with other boxes of gifts, at a supporters house months after Bolsonaro left office, according to O Estado de S. Paulo newspaper. Bolsonaro administration officials made some 150 trips to Saudi Arabia. Questions have been raised if these trips were official or for personal business. At the heart of this scandal, however, is the question if international relations can truly function in the best interest of constituents if those in government can use foreign trips to conduct personal business, with no transparency or accountability regarding what is being exchanged. It also raises concerns about the role of corruption and abuse of power in Brazilian politics, and what reforms are needed to address these issues. The impact of this scandal goes beyond the behavior of Bolsonaro during his trip to Saudi Arabia. It raises questions about the broader culture of corruption in Brazilian politics and the extent to which citizens can trust their elected representatives to act with integrity and in the public interest. Moreover, this scandal has implications for Brazil's relationships with other countries and international organisations. Corrupt behavior during foreign trips can undermine diplomatic relations and economic cooperation and can make it difficult for governments to effectively represent the interests of their citizens in international forums. For a country like Brazil, the issue is whether these disclosures mark a transformational moment or just another twist and turn in the annals of corruption. The possibility of gifts given to a president being used for personal gain should raise concerns about the integrity of those in government and the countrys overall commitment to transparency and accountability. At a minimum, the scandal highlights the potential for corruption and abuse of power. The fundamental matter for Brazil is whether such practices reflect a broader culture of corruption and unethical behavior in society and whether the country is willing to trade political enthusiasm for good governance. Considering the fact that Bolsonaros political party is ignoring the festering scandal, their actions vis-a-vis planning to welcome the former president in a grand manner, inviting thousands of supporters, and positioning him as the leader of the opposition, raise questions about the partys values and priorities, and whether there is a willingness to tolerate or condone behavior that is not in the country's interest. Besides, it raises concerns about the role of money and power in shaping political decisions and if this undermines democratic governance. There are questions as to whether the jewels received are tied to the sale of a refinery in the state of Goias to Saudi Arabia. For Brazil as a whole, it is a moment of reckoning as to whether its society is committed to the principles of transparency, accountability and whether a powerful politician can use his popularity to get away with such actions. Can Brazilian society, or any society for that matter, function effectively and be taken seriously in the international forums if its leaders are not held accountable for blatant acts of corruption and personal gains? For all the analogies that have been made between Bolsonaro and Trump, Brazils aspirations in the world stage demand that its leaders demonstrate that their decisions are in the best interests of the people. The improper appropriation of jewels that belong to the state could seriously undermine the effort to build trust in the institutions of a serious government. The actions of Bolsonaros Partido Liberal do threaten a breakdown of democracy and a further loss of Brazilian credibility on the international stage. Other questions that remain are: Do these actions show that Bolsonaro compromised the integrity of the government and undermined its ability to serve the best interests of the Brazilian public? How do incidents such as this affect Brazil's reputation in the international community, and what can be done to restore trust and credibility? What measures should be taken to show Brazilians and the world that future governmental delegations are under strict vigil, so they always act with transparency and accountability abroad? How does corruption in the political system affect Brazil's economic development, and what reforms can be implemented? Brazil has a Code of Conduct for Public Officials, which sets ethical standards for their behavior and requires disclosure of financial interests and conflicts. How strong are its institutions in charge of enforcing these? The country has several anti-corruption laws in its books such as the Clean Company Act, and the Anti-Corruption Law as well as an independent Office of the Comptroller General. Can they act to protect Brazils international standing? Or will Bolsonaro be able brush these aside to reunify the right and make a political comeback? European Union Chief Ursula von der Leyen said China, as a partner of Russia, bores responsibility for promoting peace with Ukraine and ending the ongoing war. Reuters quoted Leyen as saying, China, whose President Xi Jinping pledged closer ties with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin last week, bore responsibility for advancing a 'just peace' to end the Ukraine war. She added, China was becoming more repressive at home and more assertive abroad. The European Union must be prepared to develop measures to protect trade and investment that China might exploit for its own security and military purposes, Leyen warned. Speaking before a trip to China planned for next week, von der Leyen said that it's important to stop sensitive technologies that could be used in security crackdowns or to restrict human rights from falling into Beijing's hands. China's changing policies may require us to develop new defensive tools for some critical sectors, she said. Where dual-use purposes cannot be excluded or human rights might be implicated, there will need to be a clear line on whether investments or exports are in our own security interests. The commission, the EU's executive branch, manages international trade on behalf of the 27 member countries and defends their interests at the World Trade Organisation. Von der Leyen said that the EU should focus its defences on sensitive high-tech areas like microelectronics, quantum computing, robotics, artificial intelligence and the biotech sector. We need to ensure that our companies' capital, expertise, and knowledge are not used to enhance the military and intelligence capabilities of those who are also systemic rivals, she told academics at an event run by the European Policy Centre think tank and the Mercator Institute for China Studies. We have to look at where there are gaps in our toolbox which allow the leakage of emerging and sensitive technologies through investments in other countries, von der Leyen said. The focus should be on tech that can lead to the development of military capabilities that pose risks to national security, she said. The commission president's speech comes as the EU reconsiders its frequently testy relations with China, notably in light of Beijing's support for Russia's war on Ukraine. Von der Leyen said, though, that it's important not to cut political, economic or scientific ties with such a vital trading partner. French President Emmanuel Macron is also due to travel to China next week and will take part in some events involving von der Leyen. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was set to visit Beijing on Thursday and Friday at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. (With PTI inputs.) Hours after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar claimed on Wednesday that no foreign diplomat has raised with him the issue of Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from the Lok Sabha, Germany has responded to the issue. During a press briefing, the German foreign ministry spokesperson said the country has taken note of the verdict of the first instance against Rahul Gandhi as well as the suspension of his parliamentary mandate. "To our knowledge, Gandhi is in a position to appeal the verdict. It will then become clear whether the verdict will stand and whether the suspension of his mandate has any basis. We expect that the standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles will equally apply to the proceedings against Rahul Gandhi," the spokesperson said. The comments in Germany were aired by public broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) and shared on Twitter by Richard Walker who is the chief international editor of DW. NEW: Rahul Gandhi case German Foreign Ministry spokesperson comments for first time: - Takes note of verdict, suspension from parliament - Appeal will show whether verdict stands & suspension has basis - Expects standards of judicial independence & democratic principles to apply pic.twitter.com/dNZB6vflG2 Richard Walker (@rbsw) March 29, 2023 This was the first response by Germany or any other European country in the case of Gandhi. Interestingly, Germany's response came immediately Jaishankar replied in the negative to a question about whether any of his diplomatic counterparts had raised the issue with him. "Gandhi's disqualification as a member of Lok Sabha happened as he refused to express regret about the disparaging remarks he made against a community at a public meeting four years ago. The law is the law, unless somebody thinks that the law is not for them," Jaishankar said during a summit of Network18 on Wednesday. On how he would explain the issue to his counterparts abroad, Jaishankar said: "Four years ago Rahul Gandhi was disparaging of a community in a public meeting. It is on public record. A member of that community took offence and began legal proceedings," Jaishankar said, on how he would explain the issue to his counterparts abroad. Two days ago, the US reacted to Rahul's disqualification, stating that they were watching the case. US Department of State Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said the US engages with the Indian government on a shared commitment to democratic values, including freedom of expression. "Respect for the rule of law and judicial independence is a cornerstone of any democracy, and we're watching Mr Gandhi's (Rahul Gandhi) case in Indian courts," Patel said on Monday. * By convening the second so-called "Summit for Democracy" Tuesday through Thursday, U.S. President Joe Biden's administration could further split the world into opposing camps, fanning the flame of ideological confrontation that will only bring more tumult. * Transparency and accountability are exactly what is missing now in U.S. political institutions. WASHINGTON, March 30 (Xinhua) -- By convening the second so-called "Summit for Democracy" Tuesday through Thursday, U.S. President Joe Biden's administration could further split the world into opposing camps, fanning the flame of ideological confrontation that will only bring more tumult. Unlike the inaugural summit two years ago where Washington was the lone organizer, four more co-hosts, namely Costa Rica, the Netherlands, South Korea and Zambia were handpicked by Washington for the second gathering, which -- according to the summit's schedule -- weaves the rhetoric of democracy into matters of politics, the economy, social equity and technology. This photo taken on March 29, 2023 shows the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) CONFUSING STANDARD While the fact that the world's four major continents have each been allocated a co-host is a deliberate arrangement designed to showcase U.S. efforts to convince nations worldwide of the merits of "democratic value" as well as the viability and reliability of "democratic institutions," the world at large may hardly buy into the ostentation, and the pageantry may well prove useless. The announced substance of the summit put aside, the list of invitees alone has drawn a considerable amount of criticism from experts, who point to some U.S. allies being excluded while countries where democracy is "backsliding" are included. "One problem is that the hosts may end up paying a political price for excluding some states from what is little more than a glorified talking shop," wrote Daniel Larison in an article carried by Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. Larison and other experts have noticed that as members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization -- hence allies of the United States, Turkiye and Hungary have for the second consecutive time been left off the list of invitees, signaling Washington's hypocritical recognition of them as allies. Asked to explain why Ankara and Budapest were excluded, John Kirby, the coordinator for strategic communication at the U.S. National Security Council, failed to provide a reason, only telling reporters at a virtual press briefing Tuesday that the United States is "very committed to furthering and strengthening our relationships with Turkiye and Hungary." "If the hosts refuse to draw any lines about which states can participate, they open themselves up to criticism that the summit has no substance," Larison said in his article, adding that the United States and its fellow host countries making arbitrary decisions on the selection of participants will open them up to "charges of hypocrisy and favoritism." A man participates in a protest against police brutality in Washington, D.C., the United States, Jan. 27, 2023. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua) FORCED TO TAKE SIDES Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said that the ongoing summit, just like the preceding one in 2021, will yield no results of democratic advancement for the participants. The Russian envoy told U.S. magazine Newsweek in an interview in the days leading up to the summit that Moscow established three flaws in the first summit based on conversations with those who participated. "It turned out that many of them, firstly, had no idea of what the essence of Washington's undertaking was," Antonov was quoted as saying. "Secondly, they were driven the importance of being in a group of 'leading democracies' of the world. Thirdly, as some diplomats put it, the path of least resistance was taken." "Nothing was requested, and the establishment of another forum for discussions on democratic transformations entailed no consequences for their countries," he said. "The situation with the second 'Summit' is actually the same." William Jones, Washington bureau chief of U.S. publication Executive Intelligence Review, in an article echoed the Russian ambassador's view that participants were forced to side with the United States. "When the United States extends an invitation, it behooves one to accept, since a refusal would result in retribution from a country that has proven it can be quite harsh in dealing with recalcitrants," Jones said. A screen image captured on March 27, 2023 in Arlington, the United States, shows the site of a shooting at an elementary school in Nashville, the U.S. state of Tennessee. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) FAILING MODEL TO FOLLOW As regards the substance of the summit, Kirby at a press call on Monday briefed reporters on a number of deliverables that will be announced at the summit. "The whole idea of a summit for democracy is to stand up for this very idea of democracy, to acknowledge that maintaining democratic institutions requires a whole heck of a lot of work and effort, honesty, transparency and accountability," he said. However, transparency and accountability are exactly what is missing now in U.S. political institutions. "We need a government that is more transparent and accountable to the people," Larison said. "Our leaders preach democracy to the rest of the world while neglecting or weakening it at home." For Antonov, the U.S. democracy is deeply flawed. Questions arose "in principle, about the ability and largely the moral right of Washington -- dealing with many political and socio-economic controversies at home -- to impose its canons and way of life on others," he has said. "Doesn't America have problems with racism, gun violence, corruption and social inequality? Why are approximately 40 million people living below the poverty line in the richest country in the world? Yet, the 50 wealthiest Americans are richer than half the U.S. population," the Russian envoy said. "There is also a clear problem with the freedom of speech, evidenced eloquently by the 'cancel culture' -- cutting out people from the public sphere for dissenting views," he said. "The idea that we are going to spread democracy is just silly, because we don't have democracy to spread," Daniel Kovalik, an American lawyer who teaches international human rights at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, told Xinhua in a recent interview. "The people in America don't think that they're being represented by their government, and they're not," he said. "We neglect our infrastructure. We neglect our people's health. Our banking system is falling apart... We have the most prisoners in the world of any country in absolute numbers and proportion of the population." (Video reporters: You Zhixin, Sun Qing, Wang Huan, Jiang Chao, Ali Jaswal, Li Cheng, James Asande, Zhu Yubo, Kang Wenjun; Video editors: Wu Yuzhan, Wei Yin, Zhang Yuhong, Yu Jiaming) Walking the tightrope could well become the brand name of Indian diplomacy if recent developments are taken into account. And the ongoing Shanghai Cooperation (SCO) deliberations are proving to be no exception. On Wednesday, a highlight of the 18th meeting of secretaries of security councils of the SCO member states in New Delhi was the mention of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) in the address by Indias National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval. Doval said, India is also committed to fulfilling our obligations under the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and for the inclusion of the Chabahar port within the framework of INSTC. The NSA added that Indias approach is in sync with the Charter of the SCO for comprehensive and balanced economic growth for integration into the global economy and improvement of transit capabilities. Indias latest assertion in the backdrop of refusing to toe the US-led Western blocs position on the Ukraine conflict despite being part of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (or Quad) along with the US, Japan and Australia and being at the forefront of the US Indo-Pacific strategy is akin to a very fine balancing act. While key military foundational pacts have been signed with the US, India is partnering with Japan and Australia in developing military ties. Significantly, the 7,200-km-long INSTC, for which key ministerial visits have already been exchanged with Iran, connects the Russian hub of St Petersburg with the Mumbai port. The multimodal INSTC using a network of sea, road, and rail routes, will cut down the time taken for the movement of goods between the two countries from the existing 40 days to about 20 days bringing down carriage costs between India and Russia by about 30 per cent. But what is very significant is that the route can skirt around the western-imposed economic sanctions on Russia as it is an alternative to the traditional India-Russia trade route via the Suez Canal. Incidentally, China state councillor Wang Xiaohang and Pakistan NSA Amir Hassan attended Wednesdays SCO meeting in online mode. On the other hand, besides Doval, Gizat Nurdauletov (secretary, state council, Kazakhstan), Lt Gen Marat Mukanivich Imankulov (secretary, security council, Kyrgyzstan), Nikolai Patrushev (secretary, state security council, Russia), Nasrullo Rahmatjon Mahmudzoda (secretary, security council, Tajikistan) and Viktor Makhmudov (secretary, security council, Uzbekistan) attended the conference in person. The India NSAs address was peppered with oblique references to China and Pakistan without directly naming them. In an obvious reference to China, Doval said that the SCO Charter calls upon member states to have mutual respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity of states and inviolability of State borders, non-use of force or threat of its use in international relations and seeking no unilateral military superiority in adjacent areas. India and China are engaged in an ongoing border stand-off since 2020 that has seen huge and unprecedented military mobilization and deployment by both countries. In an apparent reference to Pakistan, the NSA said: Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and its financing are among the most serious threats to international peace and security. Any act of terrorism, regardless of its motivation, is unjustifiable. It is important therefore for all countries to fulfil the obligations enshrined in relevant counter-terrorism cooperation protocols, including UNSC Resolutions 1267, 1373 and successor Resolutions, for the purpose of identifying and implementing sanctions against global terrorist entities. India accuses Pakistan of fomenting and encouraging terrorism in India. Pakistan's ex-army chief Gen (retd.) Qamar Javed Bajwa has said that his predecessor tried to exploit a political row triggered by a news report against then-premier Nawaz Sharif to seek another three-year extension for himself, a media report said on Thursday. According to the report, General (retd.) Raheel Sharif as Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff from 2013 to 2016 was keen to get an extension like his predecessor Ashfaq Parvaiz Kayani and successor Bajwa. Towards the end of his career, a story was published in the Dawn newspaper, claiming that the government, in a meeting with the army top brass, asked them to act against militants or the country would have to face international isolation. The story created a furore in the media and anger in the armed forces as it alleged that there was a link between the militant groups and the military. Then opposition leader Imran Khan demanded action against the government. According to an Urdu article based on the interview of Bajwa with journalist Shahid Maitla and published on Wednesday by the news website Pakistan24.tv, Bajwa rejected the impression that the Dawn leaks' posed any threat to national security. In fact, there was nothing in the Dawn leaks, Maitla quoted the former army chief as saying in response to a question, the report said. But wherever I would meet them, junior officers would ask me about [the issue]. I then talked to Chaudary Nisar [then-interior minister] and Ishaq Dar [then-finance minister] and suggested that they refer the cases of journalists [allegedly involved in the Dawn leaks affair] to CPNE (Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors) because I didn't want to stir that hornet's nest. And then administrative action was decided against others, Bajwa reportedly said. Bajwa, 62, also referred to his conversation with Nawaz Sharif, when the former prime minister told him about his predecessor Gen Raheel, who he said was insisting on a three-year extension, along with former chief of ISI Rizwan Akhtar. When I talked to Nawaz Sharif about the Dawn leaks, he told me that whenever Gen Raheel Sharif and Gen Rizwan Akhtar came to see him, they insisted on a three-year extension of Gen. Raheel, Bajwa was quoted as saying in the interview. He also talked about the difference between Raheel and Bajwa over the extension period. In front of Gen Raheel, Gen Rizwan always insisted on a three-year extension for the army chief. But in private, he only asked for a one-year extension because he saw himself as the next army chief after Gen. Raheel, he said. The report also noted that ex-general Bajwa claimed that he had convinced Nawaz Sharif to resign in the wake of the Panama Paper saga and the PML-N supremo had agreed, but his daughter Maryam Nawaz prevailed on him to drop the idea. Bajwa claimed that Sharif should have avoided ouster from politics due to disqualification in the same case. He distanced himself from the disqualification of Sharif, saying it was the judgment of the court. Sharif, 73, was disqualified by the apex court in the Panama Papers case in 2017 for failing to declare a receivable salary as an asset. General Bajwa retired in November last year after getting a three-year extension in 2019 by then-Prime Minister Imran Khan, who turned out to be the biggest critic of the Pakistan Army. Bajwa has been lately meeting journalists after facing a barrage of criticism from Khan. Khan, 70, has been at loggerheads with Bajwa ever since his ouster from power in April by a no-confidence motion. He has previously alleged that the former army chief wanted to have him murdered and impose a state of emergency in the country. In January, Khan accused Bajwa of playing a "double game" against his government and said that he committed a "big mistake" by extending the tenure of then military chief in 2019. Pope Francis rested well overnight and was progressively improving Thursday, the Vatican said, after he was hospitalised with a respiratory infection that has called into question his participation in Palm Sunday and upcoming Holy Week events. The 86-year-old pontiff, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, ate breakfast, read the newspapers and was working from his hospital room at Rome's Gemelli hospital, according to a statement from Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni. Before lunch, he went to the little chapel in the private apartment, where he gathered in prayer and received the Eucharist, the statement said. Francis was hospitalised Wednesday after having trouble breathing in recent days and was diagnosed with a respiratory infection that wasn't COVID-19. The Vatican said he would remain for a few days of treatment; his audiences were cancelled through Friday. Despite his absence, the Vatican was abuzz with activity Thursday: Two Vatican offices issued a historic statement repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery," the legal theory backed by 15th-century papal bulls that legitimised the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property law today. And there was continued fallout over the sudden resignation of a founding member of the pope's sex abuse prevention board, with Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley pushing back against Rev. Hans Zollner's critiques in his remarkable resignation statement issued the previous day. Francis is scheduled to celebrate Palm Sunday this weekend, and it wasn't clear how his medical condition would affect the Vatican's Holy Week observances, which include Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil and finally Easter Sunday on April 9. His hospitalisation was the first since Francis had 33 centimetres (13 inches) of his colon removed and spent 10 days at the Gemelli hospital in July 2021. He said soon after the surgery that he had recovered fully and could eat normally. But in a January 24 interview with The Associated Press, Francis said his diverticulosis, or bulges in the intestinal wall, had returned. Before he was admitted to the hospital Wednesday, the pope had appeared in relatively good form during his regularly scheduled general audience, though he grimaced strongly while getting in and out of the popemobile. Francis has used a wheelchair for over a year due to strained ligaments in his right knee and a small knee fracture, though he had been walking more with a cane of late. Francis has said he resisted having surgery for the knee problems because he didn't respond well to general anaesthesia during the 2021 intestinal surgery. Ukrainian military officials, on Wednesday, said that Russian troops have made progress on the frontlines of Bakhmut. But, maintained that they were still holding on in the battle that has lasted several months. Ukraine, on Monday, received delivery of the much-waited Leopard 2 tanks from Germany. Besides this, the US has promised delivery of 31 American-made M1A2 Abrams tanks. While Portugal will be contributing three tanks, Sweden would send 10. The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog visited Ukraine's embattled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and said there had been a significant increase in the number of troops in the region of the plant and it could no longer be protected, Reuters reported. Enemy forces had a degree of success in their actions aimed at storming the city of Bakhmut, the General Staff of the Ukrainian armed forces told The Guardian. The mining city of Bakhmut, since the beginning of the war, and the surrounding towns in the eastern industrial region of Donetsk have been the focal point of assault. The Ukrainian city of Melitopol, on Wednesday, lost power after shelling by Ukrainian forces. The city is currently being held by Russian forces. According to Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russias mercenary Wagner group, the battle for the eastern city of Bakhmut had practically destroyed the Ukrainian army but, equally destroyed Wagner troops too. Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, on Wednesday, said that about 6,000 Wagner mercenaries are fighting in Bakhmut, Donetsk region. They're (Wagner mercenaries) conducting combat operations right now in Bakhmut primarily. It's probably about 6,000 or so actual mercenaries and maybe another 20 or 30,000 recruits that they get, many of whom come from prisons, Milley told CNN. He added that Russians are suffering enormous casualties in the region. The Ukrainians are doing a very effective area defence that is proven to be very costly to the Russians. For about the last 20, 21 days, the Russians have not made any progress whatsoever in and around Bakhmut. So it's a slaughter-fest for the Russians. They're getting hammered in the vicinity of Bakhmut and the Ukrainians have fought very, very well, he added. Taliban terrorists opened fire at a vehicle ferrying security forces in northwest Pakistan on Thursday, killing at least four policemen, including an officer, and wounding six others. The terrorists attacked the police mobile van in Lakki Marwat district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. The vehicle was on its way to the Saddar police station when it came under the attack, police said. Four policemen, including a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), were killed and six others were injured in the attack, they said, adding that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa police chief Akhtar Hayat Khan has ordered an inquiry into the incident. Lakki Marwat police spokesperson said the attack was launched in the early hours of Thursday, resulting in an exchange of fire between the police and the terrorists. During the gunfight, six policemen were injured, he said. A police statement said that the militants were equipped with advanced and heavy weaponry, the Dawn newspaper reported. The police were on alert and the attackers had to flee when the police returned fire, it said. The terrorists fled while taking advantage of the darkness, it added. The outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed the attack in a statement, the report said. Condemning the incident, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the sacrifices of police officers in the war against terrorism were unforgettable and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured persons. "Police are performing magnificent duties against the terrorist as the first line of defence. Elimination of terrorism is a must for Pakistan's survival and development, Shehbaz said in a statement. The latest attack comes as terrorism-related incidents are surging in Pakistan. Over the past few months, the law and order situation in the country especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan has worsened with terrorist groups conducting attacks with near impunity across the country. Since the talks with the Taliban group broke down in November, the TTP has intensified its attacks, particularly targeting the police. In January, a powerful suicide blast in a mosque in Peshawar Police Lines killed 84 people and injured many others. According to statistics released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, an Islamabad-based think-tank, January 2023 remained one of the deadliest months since July 2018, as 134 people lost their lives a 139 per cent spike and 254 received injuries in at least 44 militant attacks across the country, the report said. After the cheetahs from Namibia, it is now the turn of Colombia's hippopotamuses to be relocated to India. Known as 'cocaine hippos', these animals have a story of their ownthey once belonged to deceased cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar. According to reports, there are now over 130 hippos; 60 of which are set to be relocated to a facility in India. A report by Livemint stated that these will be brought to the Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Kingdom in Gujarat. Ten of them are headed to a new home in Ostok sanctuary in Mexico. Colombia's hippo menace Colombia has been struggling to tackle the invasion of the country's main river basin by this group of hippos, with scientists calling it an 'ecological time-bomb'. In the 1980s, drug lord Escobar brought a few exotic animals, including four hippopotamuses to his luxury ranch in Colombia. After his death in 1993, most of the animals were moved to the zoos. But not the hippos, due to the difficulty in transportation. An adult hippo can weigh between 1 4.5 tonnes. However, the animals escaped from the ranch and started roaming freely in the marshy area near the Magdalena river basin. As these animals made the marsh their new home, there was a population boom due to absence of any natural predators in the region. The numbers are now estimated to be around 130-160the largest population of hippopotamuses outside Africa. A study in the journal Nature had warned their numbers could balloon to 1,500 by 2034. Over the years, these semi-aquatic giants have wreaked havoc in the areas surrounding the basinjeopardising the river ecosystem and also attacking the local people. The large number of hippos concentrated in the area also means a huge quantity of excrement which poisons the river water, leading to the death of aquatic organisms. A CNN reported also highlighted that hippo waste also affects the oxygen levels in the water bodiesthereby affecting fishes and the local fishing communities too. While Colombia attempted sterilisation measures in the 2000s, the programme was not entirely successful owing to the size of the animals and their aggressive nature. With time running out, the environment ministry declared hippos as 'invasive species' and proposed cullinga decision that led to public outcry and divided opinion even among the scientific community. The hippo transfer plan may seem like a feasible idea, but it comes at a hefty cost of about $3.5 million. Reports stated that the giants will be lured in with food into large, iron containers and then transferred by truck to the international airport, from where they will be flown to India and Mexico. Kolkata, Mar 30 (PTI) Twenty people from India and its three neighbouring countries on Thursday joined a three-day workshop in Kolkata to build entrepreneurial capacities. Five startup owners each from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and India took part in the programme, Regional Startup Network, organised by the US consulate in Kolkata in collaboration with KIIT Technology Busines Incubator. Inaugurating the workshop, US Consul General Melinda Pavek said, "The programme provides a nurturing entrepreneurship ecosystem, helping startups gain valuable insights, expand their network, and showcase their ideas to a global audience." By increasing cross-border collaborations between startups, accelerating market linkages and providing investor access, the programme aims at ensuring a sustained growth trajectory for startups in the region, said Pavek, whose parents were also entrepreneurs. The startups that took part in the programme work in the fields such as manufacturing machines that combat climate pollutants like carbon dioxide, making bio-degradable batteries, online platform for providing recruitment solutions and building a marketplace for local and international fabric. These 20 startups were selected from among 300 entries from the four countries. From them, five startups will be chosen by experts at the Kolkata event for another programme in New Delhi. MUMBAI, India, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ECOVACS Group, the leading manufacturer of service robotics and smart household appliances, recently announced completion of 25 glorious years in the market. Looking back at the illustrious journey over the decades, launching contemporary products and being responsive to customer needs speaks volumes about the revolutionary inclination of the brand. Founded in 1998, ECOVACS Group is committed to offering people-focused products designed to make life easier for people around the world. With a sustained focus on reinvention, research and development endeavors, the brand introduced a path-breaking range of intelligent vacuum cleaners and devices that put an end to the complexity of home cleaning. The relentless innovation of the brand has left a mark on different segments with its ingenious products and services. Over the years, the brand has expanded its footprint across the globe and brought about three noteworthy transformations in business: from manufacturing traditional vacuum cleaners to existing as an independent brand of intelligent robotics vacuum cleaners; from creating a single product to building an entire portfolio of home service robotics comprising robotic vacuum cleaners, robotic window cleaners, and air purification robots; and developing a multi-brand strategy with the launch of products to suit distinct demographic preferences. While investing in innovation on an ongoing basis, ECOVACS also takes sustainability seriously when it comes to both production and people. For production, the brand is committed to saving energy and reducing emissions throughout the lifecycle of its products while encouraging upstream and downstream partners to do the same. For its people, the brand aims to provide employees with constant training and skill upgradation at frequent intervals. In India, the DEEBOT range of intelligent vacuum cleaners has gained much prominence within a short period of time. The feature-laden, affordable, and intuitive robotic vacuum cleaners accelerate the process of cleaning and are the ultimate solution for all people demanding deep, effortless cleaning. Commenting on the joyous occasion of the 25th anniversary of the brand, Johnny Zhu, Vice President of Overseas Business and Global Brand, ECOVACS Robotics, shared, "We are extremely proud to be marking our 25th anniversary. We would like to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt gratitude to our customers who play an indispensable role in our journey and who motivate us to deliver superior value each day. Staying true to our goal of enriching lives with progressive technology, we look forward to advancing and expanding our competence in delighting customers with exceptional services and avant-garde products." Bollywood actress Yami Gautam was named the brand ambassador of the brand in the Indian subcontinent. Having obtained a fair share of success rapidly, with an overwhelming customer response, ECOVACS plans to introduce new products in the Indian market that are not only technologically advanced but also sustainable. About ECOVACS ROBOTICS: Innovating Since Day One Creating the Intelligent Home. At ECOVACS ROBOTICS, our mission is to deliver 'Robotics for All'. We are committed to advancing robotic technologies to serve the world, to create a holistic ecosystem between human and robotics in lifestyle and production. With over 25 years of design and industry-leading research, and five years of leadership in driving the category forward across the globe, we have led the market as homes become more intelligent and responsive. We are building a world where your home asks less of your attention, becomes more seamless and powerful, and frees you to spend more time doing what you love. For more information, please visit: http://www.ecovacs.com/in Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2044000/ECOVACScelebrates25_Years.jpg (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR JAIPUR, India, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Upgrading skills in general is essential to find new opportunities and new interests and make the work profile more attractive. This is especially effective in the medical sector as treatments and medicines are seeing new changes and ameliorations every day. Mediflick is here with its operative and functional medical courses for physicians and radiographers so that they can stay updated in this journey of improving themselves. Whether the medical sector professionals are looking for a change in their career, or looking for ways to make their skills better, the Medical Courses Online by Mediflick will serve all purposes. Mediflick is an online platform for physicians and radiographers and believes in the motto that states there is always room for up-gradation in medical skills. There are several courses available on the website, with a wide range of variety on different topics related to the core medical sector. Starring from live courses to video learning courses, Mediflick is here to satisfy the learners' thirst for knowledge. As it is an online platform, it can be accessed from anywhere in the world and at any time, so medical professionals can easily access these courses at their convenience. Be it from the comfort at home or a time that they are free, the learners do not have to wait or join any team to learn and complete the course, it will be completely dependent on their selection of time and place. The range of topics that Mediflick presents is huge, and appealing to everyone engaged in the medical sector, be it a physician or even a radiographer. The website is categorized with different sections pointing out the list of courses related to different topics. Learners will be able to complete courses on topics like Anaesthesia, Body Imaging, Chest Imaging, Head & Neck Imaging, Musculoskeletal Imaging, and Musculoskeletal Interventions, etc. There are also courses on vast topics like Neuroradiology, Oncoimaging, Pain Management, Pediatric Imaging, Spotter Session, USG and Women Imaging. Apart from these, there are also a few free sessions available on the website, perfect for people who want to upgrade their knowledge of subjects like Interventional Radiology, Spinal Tumours, Non-Neoplastic Masses and cysts, Perfusion Imaging In Brain Lesions, etc. There is also a completely separate section for IRIA-Kerala, the Indian Radiological and Imaging Association where learners can visit and learn directly from the institute's courses. All of the courses are available on the website for a reasonable price range, which is both affordable and value for money. The amount of knowledge and comprehension that learners will gain from these courses will not only advance their skills but also advance their careers. Mediflick.com offers top-tier faculty where the learners will learn directly from accomplished teachers who ensure giving the students an in-depth understanding of the subject matter. The curriculum of the courses is also crafted by experts and delivers top-notch and relevant study materials. Both online and offline video lectures are available, so students can also learn even when they are offline or facing trouble with their internet connection, through the website's in-app video lectures. The students will get the opportunity to attend live classes on Mediflick where they can learn concepts, and clear doubts instantly. In addition to that, to test knowledge and learning there are also practice questions available along with quizzes and assignments. Here learners can practice quizzes and solve assignments chapter-wise to revise their learnings. The video lectures are of high quality and easily understandable to learners who can quickly grab onto the subject matter. Mediflick offers certifications as well in a PDF format once the course is completed. The content that this online video learning platform offers is trusted in quality and quantity and comes directly from accomplished working professionals in the field. Missing out on any course update has no place in the online platform as the alerts and notifications make the learners know whenever the course content is updated. It's an easy-to-navigate website that helps learners gather knowledge and complete the course at their own pace from anywhere around the world in exchange for a very affordable fee. The affordable payment plan allows the learners to learn from the best in the industry at their own convenience. One of the best features that Mediflick offers its students is the student discussion forum. These discussion forums are live 24*7 with other batch mates and faculties where clearing doubts or getting any problems solved has become easier than ever. Mediflick is one such platform that is easily accessible, and easily affordable. Graduates often have to attend several conferences and events to update and improve their skills, where most of the time the knowledge is not thorough. This is extremely time-consuming and bears other challenges such as specific time-frame. This also causes fresh graduates not to have a well-paid job when they are trying to upgrade their skills. To solve these issues and give people proper education that can help upgrade their skills and at the same time upgrade their resumes for better opportunities, Mediflick was created. The online educational website brings senior specialist educators to one place to provide learning materials and instructions for doctors of all backgrounds, regardless of any constraints. Society is standing at a time where technologies are becoming the leading power in providing healthcare IT products and services and Mediflick Technologies aspires to become the top provider of it. The website is committed to helping medical professionals build and improve their skills at the same time, especially when it is impossible for them to attend classes physically. The team at Mediflick works tirelessly to design and craft outstanding and effective educational material backed by reputed national and international professionals and experts. This online website is also available as a mobile application that can be accessed from anywhere at any time. In its short and memorable journey, the website has seen rapid growth and success, training over 10,000 physicians from countries all around the world. For SONOCON 2023, Mediflick aspires to continue the great work and enhance the experience of worldwide sonologists. Know more about the courses and start the educational journey at: https://www.mediflick.com/. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2042121/Mediflick_Logo.jpg (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR The partnership is a part of the Atma Nirbhar program that ensures the creation of a talent pool that will run the country for decades to come through e-learning modules Mumbai, Maharashtra, India (NewsVoir) The Indian Institute of Freight Forwarders (IIFF), the training arm of the Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations of India (FFFAI) has announced a major initiative to help upskill the employees of its member companies across India, as well as to skill and onboard prospective employees for the industry. FFFAI has partnered with 21CC Education to develop and host e-learning modules that will explain the fundamentals of logistics and transportation, as well as the many tasks freight forwarders perform as the linchpins in the industry. 21CC Education is driven by the mission to make learning fast, fun, gamified, and to the point with Learn anywhere, anytime" being their motto. The transportation and logistics industry in India has been witnessing constant growth at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5% between 2019 to 2021. This growth is leading to a very strong demand for new employees to enter the industry. Additionally, factors like growing digitization, changing consumer preferences, and the expansion of e-commerce, as well as enabling government policies like the National Asset Monetization Pipeline and PM Gati Shakti Yojana are steering the transformation, modernization, and development of the logistics industry in India. As the guardian of the broader interests of the freight forwarding community in India, the FFFAI plays a critical role in ensuring the long-term health of the industry through a robust skilling and upskilling program. Mr Shankar Shinde, Chairman of FFFAI and Managing Director of Global Express Multilogistics Pvt. Ltd., said, "The transportation and logistics industry is a great industry in which to make a career. The diversity of work is only increasing year upon year, with ample opportunities in India and abroad. In order to make sure that our member companies can attract the right talent, it is critical that we proactively skill and train that talent for our industry." Mr Sanjay Tiwari, CEO of 21CC Education, who has first-hand experience working at companies such as Maersk and KLM Cargo, expressed his pleasure at being selected to partner with IIFF in this significant endeavour and remarked, Indian Institute of Freight Forwarding (IIFF) and 21CC hope to create a learning program that can help to upskill the approximately 45,000 employees of FFFAI members across India and skill graduates from colleges as prospective entrants into the industry. Acquiring skills in freight forwarding and logistics will help employees to better manage their career growth while also ensuring that companies have a constant inflow of well-qualified talent. Indias logistics sector is projected to expand at a CAGR of more than 10 per cent, from $200 billion in early 2020 to at least $320 billion in 2025. It is well known that logistics is the backbone of any industry. With future growth and opportunity in mind, one must leverage technology effectively to support business growth and drive operational efficiency and productivity and this is where skilling plays the most crucial role. Mr Shinde said in closing, A large part of making India Atma Nirbhar is to ensure that we create the talent pool that will populate and run our industry for decades to come. This joint initiative with 21CC Education represents a first and vital step in that direction. The 21CC Skilled app, available on Android and iOS, not only offers online training but also matches qualified candidates with the right employers. Image: FFFAI & 21CC Education's collaboration is a vital boost towards making India Atmanirbhar in freight forwarding (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with Newsvoir and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR A screen image captured on March 30, 2023 in Arlington, the United States shows the site of a derailed freight train near Raymond, the U.S. state of Minnesota. A freight train came off the tracks near Raymond, the U.S. state of Minnesota, early Thursday morning. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) WASHINGTON, March 30 (Xinhua) -- A freight train came off the tracks near Raymond, the U.S. state of Minnesota, early Thursday morning. The Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Office said in a news release that the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) train had numerous rail cars derail on the western edge of Raymond but within the city limits. Several of the derailed tankers started on fire and were determined to be carrying "a form of ethanol and others with a corn syrup liquid," according to the statement. The site remains active as the fire is being contained. No travel is advised to Raymond, a small town in southwest Kandiyohi County, Minnesota, of about 800 residents. An evacuation area of half a mile (roughly 804 meters) was established around the crash site and law enforcement and emergency crew assisted with that evacuation, the sheriff's office said. Residents were instructed to leave their homes and an emergency collection site for those with nowhere to go was established at a school building in Prinsburg, Minnesota. BNSF Railway, which operates one of the largest freight railroad networks in North America, tweeted on Thursday morning that it can confirm that a train derailed at 1:02 a.m. local time on Thursday near Raymond. Approximately 22 cars carrying mixed freight including ethanol and corn syrup are reported to be derailed with four cars on fire, according to the railroad. There are no other hazardous materials on the train and no injuries as a result of the incident. BNSF field personnel are onsite to assess the derailment site and are working closely with local first responders. The main track is blocked and an estimated time for reopening the line is not available. The cause of the incident is under investigation. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said on Thursday morning that it is launching a team to conduct a safety investigation into the Raymond train derailment. Governor of Minnesota Tim Walz tweeted that he has been briefed on the situation unfolding in Raymond and is on his way to the site of the derailment. "The state stands ready to protect the health and safety of the community," Walz said. Train derailments are common in the United States and have attracted more media and public attention after an early February incident in East Palestine, Ohio, which involved a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous materials. According to U.S. Department of Transportation data, there were an average of 1,475 train derailments per year between 2005 and 2021. A screen image captured on March 30, 2023 in Arlington, the United States shows the site of a derailed freight train near Raymond, the U.S. state of Minnesota. A freight train came off the tracks near Raymond, the U.S. state of Minnesota, early Thursday morning. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) New Delhi, Mar 30 (PTI) In a boost to the Centre's 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' initiative, the Ministry of Defence on Thursday inked a Rs 1,700 crore contract with BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited (BAPL) for procurement of next generation maritime mobile coastal batteries and BrahMos missiles. The delivery of these batteries is scheduled to commence from 2027, the ministry said in a statement. The ministry inked the contract with BAPL for procurement of next generation maritime mobile coastal batteries (long range) and BrahMos missiles at an approximate cost of over Rs 1,700 crore under Buy (Indian) category, it said. "These systems will be equipped with supersonic BrahMos missiles and will significantly enhance multi-directional maritime strike capability of the Indian Navy," the statement said. BAPL is a joint venture between India and Russia making crucial contribution to augment the new generation surface-to-surface missile with enhanced ranges. "This contract is going to give further boost to indigenous production of critical weapon system and ammunition with active participation of indigenous industries. This project will generate an employment of more than 90,000 man-days over a period of four years. With the majority of the equipment and sub-system sourced from indigenous manufacturers, these systems will be a proud flag bearer of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'," the statement said. Chandigarh, Mar 30 (PTI) Union Minister Som Parkash Thursday said discussions at the second Agriculture Deputies Meeting (ADM) of the agriculture working group will steer towards developing a consensus on the way forward for the growth of the sector. The three-day meeting of the G20 agricultural working group commenced on Wednesday where participants were discussing various issues including sustainable agriculture, food security and nutrition with a climate smart approach. Delegates from 19 member countries, 10 invited countries and 10 international organizations are participating in the meeting. During the inaugural session on Thursday, Parkash welcomed all the delegates for their participation. The Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry highlighted the importance of fruitful discussions on the draft communique, said an official statement here. "The discussions in the meeting will steer towards developing consensus on the way forward for growth of the agriculture sector, and I am confident that we will achieve it. "We need to work together in the spirit of 'One Earth, One Family, and One Future' to tackle the challenges of the global agriculture scenario and ensure the sustainable growth of the sector," he said. The member countries at the second ADM will focus on drafting the communique, addressing four thematic areas -- food security and nutrition, sustainable agriculture with a climate smart approach, inclusive agricultural value chains and food systems, and digitalization for agricultural transformation. The second ADM is expected to lay the groundwork for a consensus on the way forward for the growth of the agriculture sector, with the communique serving as a roadmap for addressing the challenges and opportunities of the global agriculture scenario. India assumed the G20 presidency for one year on December 1, 2022. The G20 or Group of 20 is an intergovernmental forum of the world's major developed and developing economies. It comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkiye, the UK, the US and the European Union (EU). Washington, Mar 30 (PTI) Indian-American business leader Ajay Banga is poised to become the next President of the World Bank after the nomination period closed and no country proposed an alternate candidate for the prestigious post. In February, President Joe Biden announced that the US would be nominating Banga to lead the World Bank because he is "well equipped" to lead the global institution at "this critical moment in history." The World Bank on Wednesday closed a month-long window for nominations for its next president, with no alternatives announced to 63-year-old Banga. The former Mastercard Inc. chief, Banga currently serves as Vice Chairman at General Atlantic. The bank's board is expected to announce the next steps in its selection process on Thursday, with a view to confirming a new leader by early May. Over the next few months, you will see the World Bank undergo an important transition. We expect that Ajay Banga President Bidens nominee will be elected President of the World Bank, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told lawmakers at a Congressional hearing on Wednesday. He will be charged with accelerating our progress to evolve the institution to better address 21st century challenges. This evolution will help the Bank deliver on its vital poverty alleviation and development goals, Yellen said. If confirmed, Banga would become the first-ever Indian-American and Sikh-American to head either of the two top international financial institutions: the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Banga is expected to replace the current World Bank president David Malpass, who will step down in June, nearly a year before his term is scheduled to expire. Malpass faced strong criticism over the banks commitment to climate action and over his personal views on climate change. Last week, reports emerged that China sounded doubtful about backing Banga, saying it is "open" to supporting "other potential candidates" based on merit. Banga, however, received overwhelming support from major countries across the world, including India. Following Banga's nomination, he has travelled to several countries for support. A coalition of 55 advocates, academics, executives, luminaries, and former government officials -- including four Nobel Laureates -- wrote an open letter to welcome and support Banga's nomination as the next President of the World Bank. Raised in India, Banga has a unique perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing developing countries and how the World Bank can deliver on its ambitious agenda to reduce poverty and expand prosperity, President Biden had said. He has also worked closely with Vice President Harris as the Co-Chair of the Partnership for Central America. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2016. Banga is expected to take over the reins of the anti-poverty lender at a crucial time, with the US and Western nations pitching for reforms to focus on addressing a slew of wide-ranging global issues like climate change. Colombo, Mar 30 (PTI) President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday said Sri Lankas progress was hindered by the decades-long ethnic conflict involving the Tamil minority and underlined that the debt-trapped country should not miss its "last chance" to make a "decisive choice" and achieve prosperity. Sri Lanka has been hit hard by a catastrophic economic and humanitarian crisis, sparked by years of mismanagement and the raging pandemic. In a keynote address "Economic Dialogue - IMF and Beyond," Wickremesinghe said it is essential to look beyond the IMF programme and focus on creating a prosperous society for the next generation. Our task is not merely to stabilise the economy but to ensure growth, to grow in this new global economy, and to go ahead. These are facts that we can't get away from," Wickremesinghe said. The Sri Lankan President said the countrys progress was hindered by ethnic issues, and added that if the country is to prosper, this issue must be resolved. "Sri Lanka has missed an opportunity to regain its footing due to the ethnic crisis. This is the last chance for Sri Lanka to make a decisive choice and move forward, or risk falling back again," he asserted. Wickremesinghe, also the finance minister, said the country's economic growth was hampered since the 1970s due to the ethnic conflict involving the Tamil minority. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) waged a war for more than two decades with the Sri Lankan government to carve out a separate Tamil homeland with the conflict ending in 2009 when the government forces killed its chief Velupillai Prabhakaran. According to the Lankan government figures, over 20,000 people are missing due to various conflicts including the three-decade brutal war with Lankan Tamils in the north and east, which claimed at least 100,000 lives. President Wickremesinghe has previously ruled out that there will be no division of the country, contrary to fears expressed by sections of the Buddhist clergy. Sinhalese, mostly Buddhist, make up nearly 75 per cent of Sri Lankas 22 million population, while Tamils are 15 per cent. The majority hardline Buddhist clergy has been thwarting attempts for reconciliation with the Tamil minority since 1948 when the country gained its independence from Britain. Earlier this month, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a USD 3 billion bailout programme to help Sri Lanka overcome its economic crisis and catalyse financial support from other development partners, a move welcomed by Colombo as a "historic milestone" in the critical period. Last week, Sri Lanka received USD 330 million as the first tranche of the IMF bailout programme, which will pave the way for the country to achieve better "fiscal discipline" and "improved governance," according to President Wickremesinghe. In April 2022, Sri Lanka declared its first-ever debt default in its history. Sri Lanka was hit by an unprecedented financial crisis in 2022, the worst since its independence from Britain in 1948, due to a severe paucity of foreign exchange reserves, sparking political turmoil in the country that led to the ouster of the all-powerful Rajapaksa family. Mumbai, Mar 30 (PTI) The daily lives of stars may appear rosy on social media but they too go through moments of vulnerability and under-confidence, says actor Mrunal Thakur. The 30-year-old actor recently gave a glimpse of a bad day in her life when she posted a teary-eyed photo of hers on Instagram Stories and stressed about taking one day at a time. Thakur, known for movies such as "Love, Sonia", "Super 30" and "Sita Ramam", said she felt at ease after she vented out her emotions. "Sometimes you want to hear good things, you want that push from someone and after putting that post out, I felt so relaxed. Most people have stopped being vulnerable. There are days when we feel low, sad, we feel under confident but that does not mean that a big word (depression) is to be used. "There is a thin line between feeling low and seeking help. I am just saying don't be afraid of being vulnerable, just own it," she told PTI in an interview. The Jersey actor said the intention behind sharing the post was not to grab headlines. "In today's world, especially with social media, everything looks nice, pretty and aspirational but trust me there is a lot of hard work that goes behind that. There are a lot of problems that the actor or the personality faces. So, that post was just to normalise feeling vulnerable, she added. Thakur said she is glad to have listened to her "inner voice" and shared her feelings with the world. "Today, I feel like I have heard my inner voice in a world where there are so many voices around me. I choose to listen to my inner voice. So I am really happy, she added. On the work front, Thakur will next be seen in crime-thriller Gumrah, drama Pooja Meri Jaan with Huma Qureshi, war drama Pippa, R Balkis Lust Stories 2, and Telugu family drama Nani 30. The actor is playing a cop Gumraah, a character that she says is "a passionate and tough woman" and gave her the opportunity to explore something new. One of the reasons I did this movie is because I have seen actresses, who I really dream of working with, play such strong roles and their journey. For the first time, I didn't have to play a sister, a wife and lover, I was just doing my job in this movie so it was interesting, Thakur said. The Hindi-language crime thriller film, which is directed by debutante director Vardhan Ketkar, is a remake of the 2019 Tamil film Thadam. Gumraah, also starring Aditya Roy Kapur in dual roles, follows a murder investigation. Thakur has now set her eyes on an international project and she teased that "there is something" in the pipeline. There are a lot of work opportunities coming to me after Love Sonia and I dont know I was really scared to move my base because shifting to America is a huge deal. I am big time 'desi'. But yes, there is something, the announcements are going to be happening soon, the actor added. On her Hollywood wishlist is a "Marvel movie", she said. Gumraah, produced by T-Series Films and Murad Khetani's Cine1 Studios, is scheduled to be released in theatres on April 7. Mumbai, Mar 30 (PTI) Popular TV star Mahhi Vij on Thursday said she has tested positive for COVID-19. In a video posted on Instagram, the actor said she was diagnosed with coronavirus four days ago when she took a test after developing fever. "Hi guys, I am Covid positive. It's been four days since I got the result. I got a fever and other symptoms, so I got the test done as soon as possible. A lot of people advised me against it and said it's the flu or it's in the air. "But I just wanted to be safe because I have a kid at home. So I got the test done and the result showed that I am Covid positive," Vij, who is married to TV actor Jay Bhanushali, said. The 40-year-old actor further said she is experiencing a lot of body pain, especially in her bones. "I was feeling breathless for quite some days. This covid is worse than the previous one. I want everyone to stay safe. Dont take it easy because we dont want our parents or kids to get infected by us. "I am staying away from kids. I saw Tara on video call and I was crying as she called for me. Its heartbreaking. Just take care of yourself, everyone," Vij said, who shares three children with Bhanushali. According to the Union health ministry data updated on Thursday, India saw a single-day rise of 3,016 fresh coronavirus cases, the highest in nearly six months, while the active cases increased to 13,509. Mumbai, Mar 30 (PTI) Actor Vikrant Massey says he wants to create an identity for himself by essaying unconventional roles. The actor, who has delivered critically-acclaimed performances in movies Dil Dhadakne Do, A Death In The Gunj, Lipstick Under My Burkha and Chhapaak, said he will continue to try his hand at unusual characters. "The idea has always been and still continues to remain that way, which is to do unconventional stuff, which are closer to me or not closer to me, or be an alternate voice, Massey told PTI. It is natural for the actor to be drawn towards "things which are unconventional", he added. "Probably I was naturally drawn towards these things, whether it was cinema, or like my favourite sports, or reading books, the actors I admire or the kind of cinema I grew up watching, he said. As an actor, Massey said he is aware that not many filmmakers are willing to bet on him for solo theatrical releases as yet. "My films are not in the cinema (theatres) and I am pretty much aware of that. And I also know why they are not in the cinema, especially when I am leading a cast, is because I still havent arrived in the business. There is a long way but I am happy with the way I am doing and the kind of stories I am telling, the 35-year-old actor said. His next release is Gaslight, also starring Sara Ali Khan and Chitrangada Singh. The mystery-thriller is directed by Pavan Kirpalani and is produced by Ramesh Taurani and Akshai Puri. In the movie, Massey plays Kapil, a subservient manager-assistant. This is a classic whodunit so there are certain tropes, there are certain limitations with the genre. I am playing a character like the rest of us, who are seen as the culprit. Kapil has his own grey areas, like all of us, and there is a lot of human element to him as well, like the rest of the cast, he said. "Gaslight" will be released on streaming service Disney+ Hotstar on Friday. New York, Mar 30 (PTI) Two Indian-origin men were arrested for allegedly stealing over USD 100,000 from a 78-year-old woman in the US state of Massachusetts by employing a computer virus scam, police said. Nikit S Yadav, 22, and Raj Vipul Patel, 21, of Parsippany in New Jersey were running a computer virus scheme, the Yarmouth Police said in a statement on Wednesday. The suspects demanded funds from the victim to remove unwanted items from their computer, police said. The victim called a tech support number to assist with an issue with her computer last week. The suspects were arrested after they returned to the victims residence on Monday evening to collect the money from her, according to the Yarmouth Police. They were charged with conspiracy and larceny over USD 1200 under false pretences, police said. An increasing number of seniors in the US are falling prey to cybercrimes. Cybercrimes cost Americans over 50 nearly USD 3 billion last year, a whopping 62 per cent surge from 2020, according to the FBIs 2021 Elder Fraud Report. Kathmandu, Mar 30 (PTI) Nepal's President Ramchandra Paudel on Thursday called for appropriate management of the Pashupatinath Temple area, which is visited by thousands of Hindu pilgrims and tourists both from Nepal and India, to promote tourism. Inaugurating the Bankali Park constructed and managed by Shree Radha Madhav Committee in memory of Jagatguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj at Pashupatinath area, President Paudel said the Pashupatinath Temple is Nepal's significant religious tourism destination. He urged the Pashupati Area Development Trust, the authority responsible for managing the affairs of the temple, to make the park more systematic so that people visiting the area could enjoy the pleasant environment there and feel relaxed. "Bankali Park has special significance for people visiting there for spiritual purpose or just for experiencing the pleasant natural environment, he said The Pashupatinath Temple situated on the bank of Bagmati river is one of the historical monuments of Kathmandu enlisted by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. The President also advised the Trust to develop the Pashupatinath area by formulating an extensive master plan. "It is necessary to pay attention to make basic and essential services such as clean drinking water, toilets, vehicle parking, wi-fi, information board and security arrangements more systematic and effective," he added. Peshawar, Mar 30 (PTI) Taliban terrorists opened fire at a vehicle ferrying security forces in northwest Pakistan on Thursday, killing at least four policemen, including an officer, and wounding six others. The terrorists attacked the police mobile van in Lakki Marwat district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. The vehicle was on its way to the Saddar police station when it came under the attack, police said. Four policemen, including a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), were killed and six others were injured in the attack, they said, adding that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa police chief Akhtar Hayat Khan has ordered an inquiry into the incident. Lakki Marwat police spokesperson said the attack was launched in the early hours of Thursday, resulting in an exchange of fire between the police and the terrorists. During the gunfight, six policemen were injured, he said. A police statement said that the militants were equipped with advanced and heavy weaponry, the Dawn newspaper reported. The police were on alert and the attackers had to flee when the police returned fire, it said. The terrorists fled while taking advantage of the darkness, it added. The outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed the attack in a statement, the report said. Condemning the incident, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the sacrifices of police officers in the war against terrorism were unforgettable and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured persons. "Police are performing magnificent duties against the terrorist as the first line of defence. Elimination of terrorism is a must for Pakistans survival and development, Shehbaz said in a statement. The latest attack comes as terrorism-related incidents are surging in Pakistan. Over the past few months, the law and order situation in the country especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan has worsened with terrorist groups conducting attacks with near impunity across the country. Since the talks with the Taliban group broke down in November, the TTP has intensified its attacks, particularly targeting the police. In January, a powerful suicide blast in a mosque in Peshawar Police Lines killed 84 people and injured many others. According to statistics released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, an Islamabad-based think-tank, January 2023 remained one of the deadliest months since July 2018, as 134 people lost their lives a 139 per cent spike and 254 received injuries in at least 44 militant attacks across the country, the report said. Erdogan says Putin may come to Turkey in late April 30 March, 11:35 AM Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Photo:Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERS) Russian dictator Vladimir Putin may pay a visit to Turkey on April 27 for a nuclear power plants reactor inauguration, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on March 29, according to ATV. The first Turkish nuclear power plant in the Mediterranean town of Akkuyu was built and mostly funded by Russia's state nuclear energy company Rosatom. Upon completion, it is said that it will cover about 10% of the country's power needs. "Maybe there is a possibility that Mr Putin will come on April 27, or we may connect to the inauguration ceremony online and we will take the first step in Akkuyu," Erdogan said. Video of day General elections are scheduled to take place in Turkey on May 14 this year alongside presidential elections. The International Criminal Court (ICC) on March 17 issued an arrest warrant for dictator Putin over charges that he oversaw the illegal abduction of children from Ukraine. However, Turkey has not ratified the Rome Statute, so it is not obliged to arrest the dictator. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News Berlin, Mar 30 (AP) Britain's King Charles III met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and is preparing to become the first monarch to speak before Germany's parliament, the Bundestag, on Thursday as part of a high-profile visit aimed at bolstering ties between the two European powers. Charles, 74, is on his first foreign trip since becoming king. He and Camilla, the queen consort, arrived in Berlin on Wednesday. Crowds of wellwishers and Germany's head of state, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, greeted the couple at the capital's iconic Brandenburg Gate. They later attended a banquet in their honour at the presidential palace. Pomp and royal glamour aside, the three-day visit has a decidedly political purpose. The British government is trying to mend frayed ties with its continental partners following the painful process that preceded and followed the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union. The fallout from Brexit has been considerable: Britain's departure from the EU's common market has resulted in trade barriers and labour shortages, and locked the country out of key European science programs. By devoting special attention to the EU's two biggest powers France and Germany Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hopes to normalise relations with the 27-nation bloc. Charles originally planned to stop in France first, but anti-government protests there delayed that part of his trip. That put the focus on Germany, where the British royal family has long enjoyed curiosity and admiration. Not all were enamored by the visit, however. Jan Korte, a lawmaker with the opposition Left party, said it wasn't in keeping with Germany's democratic tradition to have Charles address the country's highest political body, the Bundestag. A king isn't elected, Korte told public broadcaster ZDF. He can obviously speak everywhere and is very welcome, including by me, but I think that particularly in the Bundestag, which is about representing the people, it's not really appropriate to have a monarch speak. After his speech, Charles and Camilla are scheduled to meet with refugees and British and German military personnel before visiting an organic farm outside of Berlin. They plan to be in Hamburg on Friday. (AP) FZH London, Mar 30 (PTI) Former IPL chief Lalit Modi, accused of financial irregularities in India, launched a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi on Thursday and threatened to take the senior Congress leader to court in the UK over his 'Modi surname' remark. Lalit Modi, 59, also hit out at the Congress party for referring to him as a fugitive of justice even though he had never been convicted of any charges. In a series of tweets, which lacks punctuation and grammar, Lalit Modi also hailed himself as the man behind the "greatest sporting event in this world," claiming that it has generated close to USD 100 billion. He also posted images of his grandparents to say that his family has done more for India than the Gandhi family. I see just about every Tom, Dick and Gandhi associates again and again saying I am a fugitive of justice. why? How? and when was I to date ever convicted of same, reads the tweet. Unlike #Papu aka @RahulGandhi now an ordinary citizen saying it and it seems one and all opposition leaders have nothing else to do so they too are either ill- informed or just vendetta prone. I have decided to take the @RahulGandhi at least him to court in UK right away. I am sure he will have to come up with some solid evidence. I look forward to seeing him make a complete #fool of himself, it adds. Lalit Modi's attack on Rahul Gandhi came nearly a week after the former Congress chief was convicted in criminal defamation case and was sentenced to a two-year jail term by a Surat court for his 'Modi surname' comment. The conviction has since led to Gandhi's disqualification as a Member of Parliament. In his Twitter thread, Lalit Modi accused several Congress leaders, alleging them to be as bag men of the Gandhi family and of having overseas assets. He also claimed that he can provide the details. Not even a penny to date has been proven I took in last 15 years. But what is clearly proven I created the greatest sporting event in this world that has generated close to 100 billion dollars," he tweeted. "Let not 1 Congress leader forget that from early 1950's the Modi family has done more for them and our country then they can ever imagine. "I too have done more than they can ever dream of doing. So keep barking scam- tainted looters of India like the very own Gandhi family, he added. The businessman, who has been based in the UK since 2010, said he will return to India as soon as stringent libel laws are passed in the country. Washington, Mar 30 (AP) A year ago, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, TikTok started labelling accounts operated by Russian state propaganda agencies as a way to tell users they were being exposed to Kremlin disinformation. An analysis a year later shows the policy has been applied inconsistently. It ignores dozens of accounts with millions of followers. Even when used, labels have little impact on Russia's ability to exploit TikTok's powerful algorithms as part of its effort to shape public opinion about the war. Researchers at the Alliance for Securing Democracy, a bipartisan, transatlantic nonprofit operated by the German Marshall Fund that studies authoritarian disinformation, identified nearly 80 TikTok accounts operated by Russian state outlets like RT or Sputnik, or by individuals linked to them, including RT's editor-in-chief. More than a third of the accounts were unlabelled, despite a labelling policy announced by TikTok a year ago. The labels, which appear in bold immediately below an account's name, read Russia state-controlled media. Clicking on the label brings up more information, including a description that the government has control over the account's editorial content. The accounts have spread pro-Russian propaganda about the invasion of Ukraine as well as false and misleading claims about the US and the international coalition that stands against Russia's war. US to hold biggest satanic gathering in history, claims one of the videos on Sputnik.Brasil, a Russian media account currently unlabelled on TikTok. Other videos posted by the account blame the US for the war in Ukraine, claim the US will start a nuclear war, and suggest the US is working to make Brazil invade Iran. RT Mexico, one of the most popular unlabelled accounts, has posted multiple videos playing up tension between the US and Mexico over immigration and drugs. This is a huge win for Russian propaganda that they're able to reach such large audiences on TikTok, said Joe Bodnar, a research analyst at Alliance for Securing Democracy. TikTok is not taking it as seriously as other platforms. That charge comes as the video sharing platform, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, faces questions in Washington about its ties to the government as well as concerns about privacy, surveillance and harmful content. Britain, Canada, the US federal government and a growing number of American states are among the governments that have already banned TikTok on government-issued devices. Some lawmakers in the US have floated the idea of a complete ban on the app unless ByteDance agreed to sell its US assets to another company. TikTok has labelled more than 120 accounts, a spokesperson for the platform told The Associated Press on Tuesday. The platform's policy covers outlets and organisations, not individuals, a loophole that allows RT's editor-in-chief to remain unlabelled. The platform said it would label many of the other accounts identified by researchers after being contacted by the AP. This is an ongoing process and we'll continue to review new accounts and add labels as and when they join the platform, the company said in an emailed statement. Other tech companies have taken a more aggressive approach to Russian disinformation. Last year, Google blocked YouTube channels operated by Russian state media within Europe. The company also has initiated pre-bunking programmes designed to blunt the effect of disinformation. Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, also labels foreign state media and has exposed and eliminated sprawling disinformation networks tied to Russia. Once known largely for its popularity among teens, TikTok has emerged as a leading source of information and misinformation. More than two-thirds of American teens are on the platform, which is among the world's most popular websites. Labels have become a common way for social media platforms to designate content from state-controlled media and alert users without removing the content. TikTok announced its labelling effort in March 2022, saying that in response to the war in Ukraine, we're expediting the rollout of our state media policy to bring viewers context to evaluate the content they consume on our platform. While the labels may provide more information about an account, they aren't doing much to reduce overall engagement with Russian propaganda on TikTok, suggesting users either don't see or don't care about the labels. RT, one of Russia's top state-controlled outlets, has more followers on TikTok than The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal, despite a label classifying RT as "Russia state-controlled media. Another labelled TikTok account, RT en Espanol, has received more likes than other Spanish-language news outlets including Telemundo, Univision or El Pais. TikTok's use of labelling came up during a recent congressional hearing in which TikTok's CEO was questioned about the platform's ties to China and its record on safety and privacy. In his testimony, Shou Zi Chew said TikTok's labelling policy would also extend to Chinese state media outlets. Lawmakers were sceptical of his explanations. I worry that TikTok is the world's most powerful and extensive propaganda machine, US Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Texas, said during last week's hearing. (AP) GRS Washington, Mar 30 (AP) Taiwan's president addressed members of New York's Taiwanese community in a US stopover on her way to Central America as she seeks to rally allies of the self-ruled island amid tensions with China. Pro-China demonstrators waving the Chinese flag rallied against President Tsai Ing-wen's events in New York. One protester held a sign whose slogan declared the Taiwanese leader a big traitor of China. In a speech Wednesday night to fellow Taiwanese in New York, Tsai thanked the United States for its security assistance and urged Taiwanese unity. The safer Taiwan is, the safer the world will be, she said, and pledged Taiwan would work with its democratic partners to remain on the path of democracy. Tsai arrived in New York on Wednesday and was expected to spend Thursday in closed events in the city. Taiwan is carefully calibrating Tsai's stops in the United States and forgoing official meetings with senior US leaders in Washington in an effort to limit the scale of China's response. On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning restated China's furious objections to any interactions between Tsai and US officials. China firmly opposes any form of official interaction between the US and Taiwan, Mao told reporters at a daily briefing in Beijing. China will continue to closely follow the situation and resolutely safeguard our sovereignty and territorial integrity. A senior Chinese diplomat in Washington, embassy charge d'affaires Xu Xueyuan, pointed to an expected meeting between Tsai and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, likely next week. The meeting would have significant repercussions overall and a serious, serious, serious impact on US-China relations, she said in a virtual session with reporters on Wednesday. While the US terms relations with Taiwan as unofficial, it remains the island's chief source of military hardware and cooperation. US law requires Washington to treat all threats to the island as matters of grave concern, but does not explicitly say whether the US would commit troops. Sen. Robert Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he hopes any US officials meeting unofficially with the president convey that American support for Taiwan is "strong and unequivocal. Last August, Beijing responded to the visit of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan by launching missiles, deploying warships across the median line of the Taiwan Strait and simulating a blockade of the island. China also temporarily suspended dialogue with the US on climate and other major issues and restricted military-to-military communication with the Pentagon. Tsai has made six trips through the US during her presidency, meeting with members of Congress and members of the Taiwanese diaspora. Administration officials are underscoring that her coming trip, which Taiwan calls a transit, is in line with what she and her predecessors have done in the past. Tsai's "transit is consistent with our longstanding unofficial relationship with Taiwan and is consistent with the United States' one-China policy, which remains unchanged, White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters. The People's Republic of China should not use this transit as a pretext to step up any aggressive activity around the Taiwan Strait," Kirby said. The United States and China have differences when it comes to Taiwan. But we have managed those differences for more than 40 years. Tsai told reporters before boarding her plane to the United States that Taiwan will resolutely safeguard the values of freedom and democracy." External pressure will not obstruct our resolution to engage with the world, she said. Tsai is expected to meet with the American Institute in Taiwan chair, Laura Rosenberger. AIT is the US government-run nonprofit that carries out unofficial relations with Taiwan. Her stops in Central America are expected to shore up Taiwan's partnerships there, after Honduras this month switched its diplomatic relations from Taiwan to China. Tsai accused China of using dollar diplomacy to lure away Honduras. Just 13 countries now officially recognise Taiwan. Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, the chairman of the House Select Committee on China, said the visit is a chance for Tsai to convey to the Congress how important the partnership between the US and Taiwan is, and what's necessary to preserve peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Xu, the Chinese diplomat in Washington, accused Taiwan and the US of harbouring other aims for her trip. It should be clear to all that the so-called transit is merely a disguise to her true intention of seeking breakthrough and advocating Taiwan independence," she said. Tensions between Washington and Beijing have grown as China under President Xi Jinping seeks to expand its regional and global influence. Passage of what the US said was a Chinese spy balloon across the US this winter heightened Americans' sense of challenge from China. China says it was a research balloon that was blown off course. (AP) GRS Washington, Mar 30 (PTI) Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana, sought for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, has approached a US court for a status conference after waiting for an order on his extradition to India for more than 20 months. Rana, 62, a childhood friend of David Coleman Headley, was re-arrested on June 10 in Los Angeles on an extradition request by India for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack in which 166 people, including six Americans, were killed. He is a declared fugitive in India. US District Court Judge in Los Angeles Jacqueline Chooljian held the last hearing on the extradition issue in June 2021 and the last set of papers was filed in July 2021. The court is yet to give a verdict on the US government's request to extradite Rana to India. In a motion moved through his lawyer, Rana has asked for a status conference. The last pleading in the case was filed on July 21, 2021. Given the passage of time and Rana's continued incarceration, it appears appropriate for the court and counsel to discuss the current status of the matter, his lawyer said. The US government has not opposed the motion for a status conference. Ranas lawyers have suggested that the status conference be held on April 25. During court hearings, federal prosecutors argued that Rana was aware that his childhood friend Headley was involved with the Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and that by assisting Headley and affording him cover for his activities, he was supporting the terrorist organisation and its associates. Rana knew of Headley's meetings, what was discussed, and the planning of the attacks, including some of the targets. The US government asserted that Rana was part of the conspiracy and there is probable cause that he committed the substantive crime of commissioning a terrorist act. Ranas attorney, on the other hand, opposed the extradition. As many as 166 people, including six Americans, were killed during the attacks by the LeT members. Because members of the conspiracy committed acts resulting in death with the intention of causing death, or at a minimum committed those acts knowing its imminent dangers, there is sufficient evidence that the elements for murder would be satisfied, federal prosecutors said. "Under Indian law, other members of the conspiracy also would be liable for murder, even if they were not physically present," it said, adding that in this case, death resulting from the attacks was foreseeable. Rana knew that Headley was working with terrorists and that LeT and other co-conspirators were planning attacks in Mumbai. He also was aware of some of the potential targets, such as the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and its second floor, because he and Headley had discussed those locations. "Thus, Rana understood that by helping Headley and allowing him to use his immigration office in Mumbai as a cover, LeT and the other terrorists would be able to carry out their attacks. "Further, because Headley had a co-conspirator meet Rana in Dubai, UAE, and warn him of the upcoming attacks, Rana was in no doubt of what was going to happen," according to the federal prosecutors. Pakistani-American LeT terrorist Headley was involved in plotting the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. He was made an approver in the case and is currently serving a 35-year prison term in the US for his role in the attack. India seeks his arrest on a number of offences, including the conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit forgery for the purpose of cheating, and murder under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He is sought for his role in the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. The 2008 Mumbai attack was one of India's most horrific terrorist attacks. Pakistani national Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist captured alive, was hanged to death on November 21, 2012. Kathmandu, Mar 30 (PTI) Nepal's 10-party ruling alliance on Thursday failed to reach a consensus on the power-sharing deal, causing yet another delay in the expansion of the Cabinet led by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda". Top leaders held meetings at the Prime Minister's official residence here at Baluwatar to reach an agreement on the distribution of ministries among various political parties. Power sharing and the distribution of ministerial portfolios were the major bottlenecks among the members of the ruling alliance as the demand for Cabinet posts was exceeding the number of ministries available, officials said. Prachanda is now likely to expand his Cabinet on Friday, said Surya Kiran Sharma, Press Coordinator of the Prime Minister. Among the 10 parties in the ruling alliance, nine are likely to join the council of ministers. At present, there are only six Cabinet ministers, including the Prime Minister and one minister of state in the Prachanda-led government, as ministers from CPN-UML, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, and Rashtriya Swotantra Party had resigned from the posts following the break up of the seven-party coalition. Currently, Prachanda is overburdened with about 16 ministerial portfolios, including the ministries of Home, Finance, Foreign, Industry and Commerce, Science and Technology, and Agriculture. Prachanda was sworn in as Nepal's Prime Minister on December 26 last year. The Hague, Mar 30 (AP) The United Nations' top court has rejected Tehran's legal bid to free up some USD 2 billion in Iranian central bank assets frozen by US authorities to be paid in compensation to victims of a 1983 bombing in Lebanon and other attacks linked to Iran. In a 10-5 majority ruling, the International Court of Justice said Thursday it did not have jurisdiction to rule on the Iranian claim linked to the central Markazi Bank. In a complex, 67-page judgment, the world court found that some other US moves to seize assets of Iran and Iranians in the United States breached a 1955 treaty between the countries and said they should negotiate compensation. If they fail to reach a number, they will have to return to the Hague-based court for a ruling. But the largest part of the case focused on Bank Markazi, and its frozen assets of USD 1.75 billion in bonds, plus accumulated interest, that are held in a Citibank account in New York. The court said that it did not have jurisdiction based on the 1955 Treaty of Amity. (AP) GRS London, Mar 30 (PTI) A small group of protesters carrying pro-Khalistan placards and banners in support of Kashmiri separatist leaders gathered for a low-key demonstration outside the Indian High Commission here on Thursday, amid a strong security presence. The protests, which are being coordinated across the UK and US, are planned over a course of a few days as part of a #PunjabUnderSiege social media campaign. The Metropolitan Police said it is aware of the planned protests and has a robust policing plan in place to prevent any disorder. The Met is aware of planned protests outside the Indian High Commission this week and has a robust policing plan in place to respond to any crime or disorder, a Met Police spokesperson said. We are working with organisers to minimise disruption and delays in the area, the spokesperson added. Several police officers could be seen patrolling the area and a police van was stationed outside India House, as the protesters were once again confined to a barricaded enclosure opposite the mission. Downing Street said British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is aware of the issue and the UK Foreign Office is leading discussions around the security review for the Indian High Commission in London, confirmed by the British government earlier. Asked if the issue is likely to impact the ongoing India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations, a Downing Street spokesperson said: The two issues are unconnected and the trade talks with India continue. Both sides want to see an enhanced relationship between our two countries. On security, we expressed our concerns about the scenes we saw outside the High Commission and a review is underway. While the latest protests outside India House in London are expected over three days until Saturday, there is a demonstration planned outside the Indian Consulate in Birmingham on Sunday. On Friday, the same groups called a protest at the LA Federal Building in Los Angeles in the US to raise awareness for #PunjabUnderSiege. Banners for such demonstrations have been circulating on social media to coincide with the Punjab Polices manhunt for Waris Punjab De leader Amritpal Singh. Last weekend saw groups gathering at Parliament Square in London along with similar protests called in the cities of Toronto, Vancouver, Indianapolis and Fresno. During a planned demonstration outside the Indian High Commission in London last Wednesday, protesters hurled coloured flares and water bottles towards the mission. They have since taken to social media to allege that the objects were hurled by the Indian mission instead, allegations which have been countered by India House. It comes in the wake of violent disorder at the Indian mission earlier this month, when pro-Khalistan extremists smashed windows and also attempted to pull down the Tricolour from its flagpole at the mission. India registered a strong protest with the UK government and the issue was also raised in the House of Commons. It followed UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverlys statement to condemn the unacceptable acts of violence and an assurance to conduct a security review at the Indian mission in London. We will always take the security of the High Commission, and all foreign missions in the UK, extremely seriously, and prevent and robustly respond to incidents such as this, said Cleverly. Meanwhile, government ministers have also been holding talks with Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami to reiterate plans to review the security measures at India House. London, Mar 30 (PTI) British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is aware of Indias security concerns following violent clashes at its mission in London and a security review is underway, Downing Street said on Thursday. The security review was announced by UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly in a statement last week following windows being smashed and the tricolour being attacked by pro-Khalistan flag-waving protesters at India House. The UK Foreign Office has since been leading on this review of the security at the diplomatic mission, along with the Metropolitan Police. Discussions are being led by the Foreign Office with our police in the UK and our Indian counterparts. The Prime Minister hasnt been involved directly but he is aware of them [discussions], Prime Minister Sunaks spokesperson told PTI at a Downing Street briefing. Asked if the issue is likely to impact the ongoing India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations, which are now in their eighth round of talks, the spokesperson added: The two issues are unconnected and the trade talks with India continue. Both sides want to see an enhanced relationship between our two countries. On security, we expressed our concerns about the scenes we saw outside the High Commission and a review is underway. It came as the latest set of protests outside India House in London are expected over three days until Saturday, with a demonstration also planned outside the Indian Consulate in Birmingham on Sunday. There has been a very visible Met Police presence around the Indian High Commission in London since the violent disorder on March 19, with protesters now confined behind barricades across the street from the mission premises. During a planned demonstration there last Wednesday, protesters hurled coloured flares and water bottles towards the mission. They have since taken to social media to allege that the objects were hurled by the Indian mission instead, allegations which have been countered by India House. India had registered a strong protest with the UK government and the issue was also raised in the House of Commons. It followed UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverlys statement to condemn the unacceptable acts of violence and an assurance to conduct a security review. We will always take the security of the High Commission, and all foreign missions in the UK, extremely seriously, and prevent and robustly respond to incidents such as this, said Cleverly. Meanwhile, government ministers have also been holding talks with Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami to reiterate plans to review the security measures at India House. Lahore, Mar 30 (PTI) A high court in Pakistan on Thursday struck down a colonial-era sedition law that criminalised criticism of the federal and provincial governments, terming it inconsistent with the Constitution. Justice Shahid Karim of the Lahore High Court (LHC) annulled Section 124-A of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) dealing with sedition, the Dawn newspaper reported. Justice Karim pronounced the verdict in response to identical petitions seeking to annul the sedition law, the paper said. One of the petitions, filed by a citizen named Haroon Farooq, which was identical to all other pleas urged the court to declare Section 124-A of the PPC as ultra-vires in terms of Article 8 of the Constitution being inconsistent with and in derogation of fundamental rights provided under Article 9, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 19, 19A of the Constitution. The law states: Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards, the Federal or Provincial Government established by law shall be punished with imprisonment for life to which fine may be added, or with imprisonment which may extend to three years, to which fine may be added, or with fine. It was argued in the petition that the sedition act was enacted in 1860 which is a sign of British colonial rule, Geo News reported. The petition added that this law was used for slaves under which a case can be registered at anyone's request. It was stated in the petition that the Constitution of Pakistan gives every citizen the right to freedom of expression but still, Section 124-A is imposed for making speeches against the rulers. According to the petition, the law has been recklessly used in Pakistan as a tool of exploitation to curb the right to free speech and expression guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution. The petition said the law was serving as a notorious tool for the suppression of dissent, free speech and criticism in free and independent Pakistan. Over the past few years, the petition argued, various politicians, journalists and activists had been booked under Section 124-A. North Macedonia signs off on giving Ukraine Mi-24 helicopters 30 March, 11:17 PM Mi-24 helicopter (Photo:FOX 52 / pixabay) The government of North Macedonia has decided to transfer an unspecified number of Mi-24 helicopter gunships to Ukraine, Macedonian news outlet Fokus reported on March 30. The government considered and approved the information on the need to adopt a Protocol on the gratuitous transfer of aircraft (helicopters) between the Ministry of Defense of North Macedonia and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, and made a decision on the gratuitous transfer of aircraft (helicopters) to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the report quotes an official government source. Video of day Fokus notes that Mi-24 helicopters were purchased from Ukraine in 2001, and have been out of service for eight years, mostly due to a lack of spare parts for their maintenance. Two of them were modernized, but this modernization was adapted under conditions which absolutely dont correspond to what is needed now, said Minister of Defense of North Macedonia, Slavjanka Petrovska. On March 20, North Macedonia confirmed the transfer of four Soviet-era Su-25 close air support aircraft to Ukraine. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI) Washington, Mar 29 (AP) The Biden administration is offering support for the creation of an international court to prosecute alleged crimes of aggression by Russia against Ukraine. In comments this week, senior U.S. officials said the administration believes that would be the best way to hold Russia accountable for its year-old invasion. However, they also acknowledge that the prospects for a court to actually take custody of any Russian official for trial are slim. The United States supports the development of a special tribunal on the crime of aggression against Ukraine in the form of an internationalized court that is rooted in Ukraine's judicial system, with international elements, the State Department said in comments emailed to reporters. The officials said they envision a hybrid tribunal based on the Ukrainian justice system but with international components similar to previous ad hoc war crimes courts set up for Cambodia, Chad, the Central African Republic and Bosnia and likely based in The Hague, Netherlands. This kind of model an internationalized national court will facilitate broader international support and demonstrate Ukraine's leadership in ensuring accountability for the crime of aggression, the State Department said. It also builds upon the example of other successful justice mechanisms. The Hague will be home to the International Center for Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression, a Ukraine-focused investigations unit that is expected to be fully operational this summer. The center's offices and staff could be incorporated into whatever tribunal is eventually created, the U.S. officials said. The Hague also hosts the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice. The ICC prosecutor issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and an aide earlier this month for the abductions of Ukrainian children. But the U.S. is not a member of the ICC, which complicates its ability to support the court with evidence or other information that could be used in its prosecutions. (AP) NSA London, Mar 30 (PTI) A UK court on Thursday cleared the extradition of Jaysukh Ranpariya, wanted in India to stand trial for four linked conspiracies to murder, and sent the case to Home Secretary Suella Braverman to sign off on the ruling. District Judge Sarah-Jane Griffiths handed down her judgment at Westminster Magistrates Court in London at the end of a series of hearings in the case, which concluded in December last year. She described the case, dating back two years, as extremely challenging with the evolving evidence and issues. I am satisfied to the necessary standard that the extradition request contains sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case, Judge Griffiths notes. I find that the Defendants extradition to India to face a criminal prosecution complies with his Convention Rights within the meaning of the Human Rights Act 1998. I am satisfied to the necessary standard that there are no bars to this extradition request, as provided for by the 2003 Act, nor does extradition amount to an abuse of process in this case," her judgment reads. "In accordance with the provision of section 87(3) of the [Extradition] 2003 Act I am sending this case to the Secretary of State for a decision as to whether the Defendant is to be extradited, she concludes. As per Indias extradition request Ranpariya, also known as Jayesh Patel, is wanted for four linked conspiracies and each conspiracy to murder is linked to attempting to extort money or property from individuals linked to the sale and development of plots of land in Jamnagar, Gujarat. In each case the killing was to be by way of a contract killing. One of his victims died; three survived. The individual who was murdered was an advocate, Kirit Joshi, reads the extradition request. According to the court documents, Ranpariya sought to take control of land owned by others, by the production of false documentation, or would attempt to block or dissuade would-be purchasers from acquiring land being sold by his rivals. Individuals who were targeted or who took steps to support victims of his extortion were subjected to threats and intimidation. The extradition proceedings are focused upon the allegations of murder and conspiracy, or attempt to murder, alleged to have occurred between 2018 and 2021. In each case, the Defendant (Ranpariya) is alleged to have commissioned others (by contract) to kill specific persons, the judgment notes. The judge said she found sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case against the accused with respect to each set of allegations. On Ranpariyas defence on mental health grounds, the judge referenced the case of diamond merchant Nirav Modi and concluded that: As in Modi, I find that I cannot quantify the risk of suicide in this case other than to say it is an elevated risk. I accept for the purposes of this judgment that it may well reach a high or substantial risk should his extradition be ordered. That said, as submitted by [Crown Prosecution Service barrister] Miss Dobbin KC, the Defendant is not suffering from an enduring and severe mental illness like schizophrenia or a psychotic illness (as set referred to in Modi). Meanwhile, Ranpariya remains behind bars at HMP Belmarsh Prison in south-east London and had been following the court proceedings with the help of a Gujarati interpreter. He can appeal against the judgment in the High Court, which can be heard after the Home Secretary has signed off on the extradition in the next few months. Ranpariya was subject to an Interpol Red Notice and arrested on March 17, 2021, in London. Washington, Mar 30 (AP) The White House on Thursday said it has new evidence that Russia is looking again to North Korea for weapons to fuel the war in Ukraine, this time in a deal that would provide Pyongyang with needed food and other commodities in return. It's the latest accusation that Russia, desperate for weaponry and restricted by sanctions and export controls, is turning to rogue nations to help it continue to prosecute the 13-month-old war. As part of this proposed deal, Russia would receive over two dozen kinds of weapons and munitions from Pyongyang, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said. We also understand that Russia is seeking to send a delegation to North Korea and that Russia is offering North Korea food in exchange for munitions. The administration has previously declassified intelligence to present evidence that Iran sold hundreds of attack drones to Russia over the summer and that the Wagner Group, a private Russian military company, has taken delivery of arms from North Korea to help bolster its forces as they fight side-by-side with Russian troops in Ukraine. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last month that U.S. intelligence suggested China was considering providing arms and ammunition to Russia, though White House officials have said they have yet to see evidence of Beijing following through with weapons delivery. The publicizing of Russia's efforts to get weapons from North Korea is just the latest example of the Biden administration loosening restrictions on intelligence findings and making them public over the course of the grinding war in Ukraine. The administration has said it has sought to disseminate the intelligence findings so allies and the public remain clear-eyed about Moscow's intent and Russia thinks twice about its actions. (AP) NSA Panaji, Mar 29 (PTI) Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday told the Legislative Assembly that his government was exploring the possibility of putting to use the water from Mhadei river for the benefit of people in the state. At present, Goa does not have any significant project on the Mhadei river that utilises its water for purposes like agriculture and power generation. Presenting the state Budget in the House, Sawant said his government was closely monitoring the activities of Karnataka and issues pending before the central government authorities. "In the meanwhile, we are also exploring and coming out with appropriate plans for utilisation of waters from Mhadei basin for the benefit of the people," the chief minister told the House. Sawant said the sate government has projects which are planned and will be taken up upon following the legal procedure. "Our projects will be in accordance with the provisions of the environmental laws. Such projects will be taken up in consonance with our case relating to Mhadei dispute," he said. Sawant said that when his government took over, one of the major issues was the Mhadei Water Dispute. "We were faced with the award of the Tribunal, permitting diversion of 3.9 TMC water outside the basin. I took immediate steps to challenge the award in the supreme Court. As of today, we have favourable orders from the Supreme Court, stopping Karnataka from carrying out any further work/diversion," he said. The chief minister said that Goa government has effectively stopped any further construction/diversion of the Mhadei waters. "My government is closely monitoring the activities of Karnataka and issues pending before the various central government authorities," he said. Sawant said that his government has made a strong case before the Regionally Empowered Committee (Forest) at Bangalore and in New Delhi to not grant any forest clearance. All the departments of the government are acting in a synchronised manner, he said, adding that the government is confident that it will take all steps to ensure that no damage/diversion takes place. "We are committed to the cause of Mhadei and shall not leave any stone unturned in our Mission Mhadei, he said. Mumbai, Mar 30 (PTI) A 73-year-old financial consultant here lost Rs 1.38 lakh to cyber fraud while purchasing a bottle of wine through online search, police said on Thursday. As per the complainant, a city resident, he came upon a contact number while looking to buy a bottle of 'Creme De Cassis' online on March 21. He called the person and ordered the bottle for Rs 1,650, he said. The person asked for his credit card number, expiry date and CVV which the complainant provided, the First Information Report registered at Colaba police station said. Soon, he received messages notifying that his credit card had been charged Rs 1,650, Rs 91,449 and Rs 45,725. He called the `seller' again. The man told him that it was a mistake and the extra money charged will be returned. The complainant then informed his bank and blocked the card. Sometime later he received a message that another payment on his card had been declined, which meant someone was trying to withdraw money again. He then approached Colaba Police who registered an FIR under Indian Penal Code sections 420 (cheating) and relevant sections of the Information Technology Act. Probe was on, officials said. Thane, Mar 30 (PTI) Police have arrested a Nigerian national and seized drugs worth more than Rs 14 lakh from his possession in Maharashtra's Thane city, an official said on Thursday. Inspector Vikas Ghodke of the Crime Unit V said acting on a tip, a police team laid a trap near a hotel on the Ghodbunder Road on Tuesday evening and caught the Nigerian when he arrived with with the narcotics. The foreigner, Paul Chukvu (48), currently residing in Nalla Sopara in adjoining Palghar district, was found in possession of 32 grams of cocaine and 0.22 grams of LSD (an illegal street drug), with their combined valued pegged at Rs 14,01,940, he said. An offence under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS Act) was registered at the Kasarwadavali police station, the official added. Thane, Mar 30 (PTI) A man has been arrested for allegedly sodomising a 17-year-old boy in Kalyan area of Maharashtra's Thane district, a police official said on Thursday. The boy was trying to hail a rickshaw in the early hours of Wednesday when the accused offered him a lift on his scooter, the Kolsewadi police station official said. "However, the man took him to a lodge, spiked his drink and sodomised him. A case was registered for unnatural sex and other offences under Indian Penal Code and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act," he said. Mumbai, Mar 30 (PTI) Following are the top stories from the Western Region at 1700 HRS. BOM17 MH-WELL ROOF-LD COLLAPSE * MP: 8 killed as roof of well collapses at Indore temple Indore: Eight persons died after the roof of a bawdi (well) collapsed during a havan, a fire ritual, on the occasion of Ram Navami at a temple in Madhya Pradeshs Indore city on Thursday, a senior official said. * BOM1 MH-MOB-POLICE-ATTACK * Maha: Mob attacks cops in Aurangabad area with renowned Ram Temple Aurangabad: A mob of more than 500 persons allegedly attacked policemen in Aurangabad in Maharashtra after some youth clashed among themselves, a senior official said on Thursday. * BOM10 MH-MOB-POLICE ATTACK-LD FADNAVIS * Mob attack on cops in Aurangabad unfortunate, says Fadnavis Nagpur: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said the incident of a mob allegedly attacking police personnel in Aurangabad city, now named Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, was unfortunate and appealed to leaders to avoid making provocative statements and giving political colour to it. * BOM14 MH-MOB-POLICE ATTACK-MVA LEADERS * Aurangabad violence plan of BJP, AIMIM to disturb rally: Sena (UBT) Aurangabad: Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the All India Majalis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) of orchestrating violence in Maharashtra's Aurangabad, where a mob attacked police personnel, and alleged that it was aimed at disturbing the Maha Vikas Aghadi's (MVA) upcoming rally in the city. * BOM16 GJ-PROCESSION-STONE PELTING * Gujarat: Stones pelted at Ram Navami procession in Vadodara Vadodara: Stones were hurled at a Ram Navami procession in Fatehpura area of Gujarat's Vadodara city on Thursday, police said. * BOM5 MH-HC-SALMAN * HC quashes scribe's 2019 complaint against actor Salman Khan, bodyguard Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Thursday quashed a 2019 complaint lodged against actor Salman Khan by a journalist alleging misbehaviour. * BOM11 MH-HATE SPEECH-BJP MLA * Mumbai rally: Suspended Telangana BJP MLA booked for hate speech Mumbai: Suspended Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Telangana T Raja Singh has been booked for allegedly delivering a hate speech at a rally in Mumbai on January 29, a police official said on Thursday. * LGB2 MH-HC-ANUSHKA-TAX * No relief for actor Anushka; HC disposes of pleas against sales tax demand Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Thursday refused relief to actor Anushka Sharma and disposed of her petitions challenging orders passed by the state Sales Tax department demanding tax for assessment years between 2012 to 2016 under the Maharashtra Value Added Tax Act. * BOM9 CG-JAWAN-IED-INJURED * Chhattisgarh: CRPF trooper injured while trying to defuse IED in Bijapur Raipur: A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan was injured on Thursday while trying to defuse an improvised explosive device (IED) in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, a police official said. * LGB1 MH-HC-NAWAZUDDIN * HC asks actor Nawazuddin, his ex-wife, their kids to appear before it Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Thursday asked actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui and his ex-wife Zainab Siddiqui to appear before it along with their two minor children on April 3 to explore the possibility of settling their issues amicably for the sake of the children. * Bhubaneswar, Mar 30 (PTI) The Odisha government on Thursday announced it will soon offer free molecular test for cancer treatment, an official said. The samples will be collected from select state-run hospitals, tested at the private laboratory of inDNA and reports returned to the medical establishments. The facility in the institutions will begin shortly, he said. "The entire cost will be borne by the state government under the Nidan scheme. The laboratory was selected through an open tender floated by Odisha State Medical Corporation Limited (OSMCL)," he said. A molecular test of a tumour helps understand its biology and plan treatment more precisely. OSMCL has signed an agreement with inDNA for several medical colleges and hospitals in the state. Russia puts Hungary on unfriendly countries list, says envoy 30 March, 03:35 PM Viktor Orban and dictator Putin (Photo:Kremlin) Russia has included Hungary on its list of unfriendly countries as Budapest has imposed EU sanctions against the country, Russian Ambassador to Hungary Evgeny Stanislavov said in an interview to Russian propaganda news agency RIA Novosti on March 30. The diplomat said, Hungary has signed up to all the anti-Russian sanctions packages of Brussels and is forced to comply with them. Therefore, it has been classified the Kremlin as an unfriendly country, he said. However, Stanislavov said that Hungary adheres to a pragmatic position which it is not going to abandon yet even under the pressure of its allies in the European Union and NATO. Video of day On July 22, 2022, Russia included Greece, Denmark, Slovenia, Croatia, and Slovakia on the list of unfriendly countries. Earlier in March 2022, Russia expanded the list at the behest of the countrys dictator, Vladimir Putin, by adding all EU countries, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and about 20 other countries. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has repeatedly made pro-Russian statements regarding Russias war against Ukraine. In particular, he has recently said that his country borders the Russians in the east. In fact, Hungary does not border any Russian territory. Orban also supported Chinas controversial peace plan, which has been criticized by Ukraine, the United States and the European Union. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News Dhanbad (Jharkhand), Mar 30 (PTI) The police on Thursday rescued a youth, a resident of Jharkhands Dhanbad district, from a rampaging mob which claimed that beef was found in his house. Six people including three police personnel were injured and the force used batons to disperse the attackers who also ransacked police vehicles and set on fire some goods kept in front of the house of the accused. Slaughter of bovine animals and selling their meat are banned in Jharkhand. The situation is under control now, Nirsa Sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Pitamber Singh Kherwar said. The incident occurred at Bhurkunda locality under Nirsa police station, around 190 km from the state capital Ranchi, where some villagers reportedly found a slaughtered cow and its meat in the house of a person identified as Nasruddin Ansari. Soon, a mob assembled there and started throwing stones at the house. Some household goods kept in front of it were torched. Ansari and his family members manage to flee but his son Sahabuddin was caught by the mob and he was tied to a tree, police said. The situation came under control after Superintendent of Police (rural) Reeshma Rameshan reached the spot and assured the villagers to take action against the culprit. Nirsa MLA Aparna Sengupta also reached the village and tried to pacify the villagers. Later, The MLA, administrative officials and the police held a meeting with villagers to ensure peace in the village. Patna, Mar 30 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to arrive at the Bihar capital on Saturday, a day before his scheduled programmes in two districts, state BJP president Samrat Choudhary said here on Thursday. Choudhary said Shah, who will be addressing public meetings at Sasaram and Hisua, in Rohtas and Nawada districts respectively, on Sunday, will spend the preceding night in Patna. "As per the information we have received, the Union Home Minister will arrive here on April 1. He will spend the night in Patna and leave for his scheduled programmes the next morning," said Chaudhary. The newly appointed BJP chief, however, said in reply to queries from journalists that it was not yet known whether Shah will be visiting the party's Bihar unit headquarters or hold a meeting with office-bearers at some other place. Widely regarded as the BJP's principal strategist, Shah has been touring Bihar more frequently than before ever since Chief Minister Nitish Kumar dumped the BJP, robbing it of power in the state. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP-led NDA had swept Bihar, bagging all but one of 40 seats of the state. However, with the exit of Kumar's JD(U), which had won 16 seats, just one less than the BJP, the saffron party faces an uphill task in the state where it is pitted against the Mahagathbandhan, the multi-party coalition which the chief minister has joined. Kolkata, Mar 30 (PTI) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday launched a poster campaign against Prime Minister Narendra Modi "Modi Hatao, Desh Bachao" in West Bengal, party spokesperson in the state Arnab Maitra said. The AAP leader stressing his party planned to "go it alone" in national elections to be held next year, said that it would not join hands with any political party in organising the campaign. The poster campaign is being launched on Thursday across the country and has already been dismissed by the BJP which feels Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity will see him through any such campaign. "Going by the situation in the country, we must do something to remove Modi to save democracy. From today, we will start a poster campaigning on "Modi Hatao, Desh Bachao" all over the state. Slowly we will go to the districts and then the blocks and display the posters everywhere. We will continue this till Modi is removed from the chair," Maitra told reporters here. "Today, the constitution of the country is being torn apart, and efforts are being made to suppress the voices of the opposition by framing false cases. This campaign will continue till next year's general elections," he added. AAP has a token presence in the state as of now. mostly localised in Kolkata city, say analysts. However, the party has been trying to enter the politica; space in Bengal for the last few years. Kolkata, Mar 30 (PTI) Senior leaders of the CPI(M) and the BJP on Thursday separately turned up at the venue where West Bengal government employees are holding a sit-in here seeking a hike in dearness allowance, and cautioned the Mamata Banerjee administration not to sit over their 'genuine' demand. CPI(M) state secretary Md Salim, central committee member Sujan Chakraborty, Rajya Sabha MP Bikash Bhattacharya, and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP went to the venue at Sahid Minar ground, where the protesters are on a sit-in which entered the 63rd day. The place is close to the place on Red Road where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was on a two-day dharna since Wednesday to protest against the Centres discriminatory attitude towards the state. TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, considered number two in the party, also addressed a public meeting near it on March 29. Salim asserted that as one after another case of graft committed by Trinamool Congress leaders is coming to the fore and its heavyweight leaders are facing imprisonment, people have started branding the ruling party as a 'band of thieves'. "All the busloads of TMC activists, who came to attend the dharna by Mamata Banerjee and meeting by the TMC national general secretary, were called thieves by common people," Salim claimed. He said that the TMC regime's intimidatory tactics against the state government employees to force them to withdraw from the stir will not succeed. CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty challenged the chief minister to bring out a white paper on her claim that government jobs were given to family members of Left leaders by producing handwritten chits during the Left Front rule. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said the agitating state employees have proved they don't have lost spine despite facing threats and intimidation. On the claims by the TMC government that it does not have the monetary resource to meet the demand of employees demand for a DA at par with that of the Centre, Adhikari said it is up to the state administration to mobilise the fund for that. He claimed while the TMC government is spending largesse in organising fairs and festivals, it has incurred a huge debt. A spokesperson of the Joint Forum of State Government Employees, which is spearheading the agitation, vowed to intensify the stir in the coming days till the government meets the demand. Kolkata, Mar 30 (PTI) Following are the top stories from the eastern region at 5 pm. 30CAL8 OD-PRADHAN-KILLING-LAWLESS Lawless Odisha a reality: Pradhan on killing of minor, minister Bhubaneswar: Senior BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday said lawless Odisha is a reality, slamming the BJD government in the state over the killing of a 15-year-old boy and a minister. 30CAL7 WB-RAM NAVAMI BJP, RSS celebrate Ram Navami in West Bengal Kolkata: Ram Navami was celebrated on Thursday with leaders of the BJP and RSS leading processions in different parts of the state. 30CAL6 AS-IPL MATCHES IPL beckons for Northeast as Guwahati gears up for 2 matches Guwahati: The Northeast is all set to debut as an Indian Premier League (IPL) host for the first time since the marquee tournament started, with two Rajasthan Royals' 'home' games scheduled in Assams Guwahati next month. 30CAL5 BH-MINES Bihar discovers deposits of critical minerals, preps for auctioning mining rights Patna: The Bihar government is preparing to auction mining rights for minerals such as limestone, vanadium-bearing magnetite ilmenite, magnetite and glauconite that have been discovered in various non-forest areas of the state, a senior official said on Thursday. 30CAL4 WB-MAMATA-LD SIT-IN Mamata sits overnight in 'dharna' against Centre, raises political temperature Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sat overnight in front of Dalit icon Dr B R Ambedkar's statue on Red Road in the heart of the metropolis, surrounded by a cohort of TMC leaders and workers under television camera arclights. 30CES2 AS-ASSEMBLY-ANGANWADI Ruling, opposition members spar in Assam Assembly on allotment of Anganwadi Centres Guwahati: The Assam Assembly on Thursday witnessed noisy scenes and brief adjournment with members of the Opposition alleging discrimination in allotment of Anganwadi Centres by the State government. Kolkata, Mar 30 (PTI) Eastern India's first Bharat Gaurav special tourist train will embark on a journey from Kolkata on May 20 touring five Jyotirlingas, a senior railway official said here on Thursday. Eastern Railway General Manager Arun Arora said that IRCTC is offering 700 seats for the journey in a new LHB rake. Commencing its journey from Kolkata station, the pilgrimage will cover Omkareshwar, Mahakaleshwar, Somnath, Nageswar and Trimbakeshwar over 11 nights and 12 days, he said. Noting that the tourist train will provide all facilities including on-board medical assistance, Arora told reporters, "I am sure it will be very popular in West Bengal." Boarding and deboarding of tourists will be at various stations covering the states of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Throwing open the booking for the travel package, he said 33 per cent concession is being given in all categories. The package has been classified into three categories -- economy (sleeper class) with 315 seats, standard (3AC) with 297 seats and comfort (2AC) with 44 seats, IRCTC (eastern zone) group General Manager Zafar Azam said. The fares for each passenger are Rs 20,060 for sleeper, Rs 31,800 for 3AC and Rs 41,600 for 2AC, Azam said. This will include accommodation in hotels, vegetarian food and road transportation apart from the other facilities, he added. Chandigarh, Mar 30 (PTI) The Punjab government has informed the Akal Takht that 348 of the 360 people taken into preventive custody during a police crackdown against radical preacher Amritpal Singh have now been freed. The Akal Takht Jathedar's personal secretary Jaspal Singh on Thursday said a message was received from the state government that the rest would also be released soon. Earlier this week, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh had given an ultimatum to the state government to release all Sikh youths held during the police crackdown against Amritpal Singh and his aides. The Jathedar had also condemned the state government for invoking the National Security Act against a few people during the police crackdown. A few days prior to the Jathedar's ultimatum, the Punjab Police had said that out of those detained, nearly 30 were hardcore criminals. The rest would be released after verification, a senior police official had said. Meanwhile, police have stepped up security in and around Amritsar and Bathinda amid reports that Amritpal Singh may surrender after entering any of the two Sikh shrines the Golden Temple in Amritsar or the Takht Sri Damdama Sahib in Bathinda. Vehicles are being checked at several places in other districts, including Hoshiarpur, in search of the head of 'Waris Punjab De'. Amritpal, who has been on the run since March 18 when the police crackdown was launched, appeared in a video on Wednesday. In the undated clip, he urged the Akal Takht to summon a "sarbat khalsa" a congregation of Sikhs to discuss issues concerning the community. The Punjab Police on Tuesday night launched a massive search operation in a Hoshiarpur village and many adjoining areas following inputs that radical preacher Amritpal Singh and his aides could be in the area. New Delhi, Mar 30 (PTI) The Congress on Thursday used embattled IPL founder Lalit Modi's tweets threatening to take Rahul Gandhi to court, to attack the BJP and said that "global scamsters" were now coming to the defence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Former IPL chief Lalit Modi, accused of financial irregularities in India, launched a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi on Thursday, and also hit out at the Congress party for referring to him as a "fugitive of justice" even though he had never been convicted of any charges. Reacting to his remarks, Congress general secretary in-charge organisation K C Venugopal said,"Lalit Modi is a fugitive in multi-million dollar frauds whose cowardice made him run away. He now enjoys a plush life abroad thanks to BJPs inaction. It's laughable if he thinks anyone takes him seriously." "A new low for PM Modi, that global scamsters are coming to his defence," Venugopal said. Taking a dig at the BJP, Congress' media and publicity department chief Pawan Khera said,"Is now Saheb taking help from abroad to threaten Rahul ji with legal action?" "Will pressure be put on Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, Vijay Mallya etc. to file a case against Rahul Gandhi?" Khera said. The Opposition party has been relently attacking the BJP for allegedly allowing economic offenders such as Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi and Mehul Choksi get away and flee abroad with people's money. In a series of tweets, Lalit Modi said, "I see just about every Tom, Dick and Gandhi associates again and again saying I am a fugitive of justice. why? How? and when was I...convicted of same." "Unlike #Papu aka @RahulGandhi now an ordinary citizen saying it and it seems one and all opposition leaders have nothing else to do so they too are either ill- informed or just vendetta prone. I have decided to take the @RahulGandhi...to court in UK right away. I am sure he will have to come up with some solid evidence. I look forward to seeing him make a complete fool of himself," he tweeted. The Lok Sabha Secretariat on Friday disqualified Rahul Gandhi as MP from Wayanad in Kerala after the Surat court convicted him in the 2019 criminal defamation case for his 'Modi surname' remark. Jammu, Mar 30 (PTI) Two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives, including a Pakistan-based handler, have been chargesheeted in connection with the blasts in two buses in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district in September last year, an official said on Thursday. The chargesheet against Mohammad Amin Bhat alias 'Abu Khubaib', a resident of Doda district, who is currently operating from Pakistan and trying to revive terror activities in the Jammu region, and Mohd Aslam Sheikh alias 'Adil' was filed in a special court on Tuesday, a National Investigation Agency (NIA) spokesperson said. Bhat and Sheikh were charged under the Indian Penal Code, the Explosive Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act following thorough investigation into the explosions inside two parked buses in Udhampur district on September 28 and 29, the official said. The spokesperson said the two LeT operatives have also been charged for their efforts towards revival of terrorist activities in Jammu by carrying out recruitment from the pool of Overground Workers and surrendered terrorists as well as activating and motivating them to carry out terrorist acts. After taking over the investigation into the blast cases on November 15 last year from the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the NIA said its probe revealed that Sheikh was in touch with Bhat, also known as 'Pinna'. Bhat has been listed as an "individual terrorist" of the LeT by the government and is operating from Pakistan, the agency said. "Pinna recruited Adil to carry out the two IED blasts on buses parked in the public areas of Udhampur district which had inflicted injuries to two persons," the spokesperson said. In 1997, Bhat joined the terrorist ranks of the Hizbul Mujahideen and was involved in the execution of various terrorist acts in Jammu and Kashmir before escaping to Pakistan in 2009, the official said. He is currently an active LeT handler who is playing a vital role to revive and accelerate terrorist activities in the Jammu region, the NIA spokesperson said. The NIA said the explosives used in the blasts was delivered by Bhat using drones from across the international border and was collected by Sheikh in Kathua district. "Bhat trained Adil in cyberspace on how to prime the IEDs. On September 28, Sheikh planted two IEDs in two different buses, which were plying between Basnatgarh and Udhampur. One blast took place around midnight on September 28 and the other in the early hours of September 29," the spokesperson said. After his arrest, the official said Sheikh made disclosures about hoarding of explosives for future attacks. Two more IEDs, three sticky bombs, three detonators and two PTD timers part of the consignment delivered from Pakistan - were recovered from his residence, the official said. Chandigarh, Mar 30 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Haryana on Thursday on the completion of 100 per cent electrification of railway network in the state, saying many benefits will come with this accomplishment. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw earlier informed in a tweet about it. Lauding the achievement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a tweet, "Congrats Haryana! Many benefits will come with this accomplishment." The Haryana government said in a statement that the state has "attained new heights" with the successful completion of 100 per cent electrification of the railway network in the state. On behalf of the people of Haryana, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar expressed gratitude to the prime minister and the railway minister. He said Haryana is consistently moving on the path of development under the visionary leadership and inspiration of Prime Minister Modi. He said 100 per cent railway electrification in the state would greatly benefit the citizens. Along with this, this step will also prove to be significant for the protection of the environment, he added. According to an official statement, the existing broad gauge network of Haryana is 1,701 route kilometre, which is now 100 per cent electrified. Haryana falls under Northern, North Central and North Western Railway's jurisdiction. Some of the major railway stations in Haryana are: Ambala, Panipat, Gurugram, Kurukshetra, Hisar Junction, Rewari Junction, Rohtak Junction, and Bhiwani. Some of the popular trains passing through Haryana are Kalka Shatabdi Express, Himalayan Queen, Kalka Mail, Paschim Express, Golden Temple Mail and Kalinga Utkal Express. These trains provide connectivity to various parts of the state and major cities in India. Shutterstock.com What do you know about tax deductions? In GOBankingRates 2023 taxes survey polling 1,002 Americans, 30% of overall respondents said the number of deductions, or tax allowances they could claim, was the aspect they least understood about their taxes. Find Out: 5 Presidents Who Raised Taxes the Most, and 5 Who Lowered Them See: 3 Signs Youre Serious About Raising Your Credit Score Percentage-wise, understanding the amount of tax deductions remained consistent among almost all age groups. This is especially true of those ages 25 to 34 (34%), 35 to 44 (35%) and 65 and over (33%). Rather than remain in the dark about expenses you can deduct, lets help simplify the tax process. Here are the biggest tax deductions Americans arent expecting this year. Medical Expenses Taxpayers may claim medical expenses among their itemized deductions, but only the amount over 7.5% of their adjusted gross income (AGI). What medical expenses are taxpayers missing most? Portia Rose, managing director at Mazars, said some of the medical expenses she sees people miss include long-term care insurance costs and transportation costs to and from the doctor. Take Our Poll: What Do You Plan To Use Your Tax Refund For? Mortgage Interest and Real Estate Taxes We see some people miss the real estate taxes they pay on their second home, inherited property or that piece of land they own in the Midwest, Rose said. Even though the deduction is limited on the federal level, some states allow the full deduction New York State included. Charitable Contributions This includes cash and non-cash contributions. Taxpayers who clean out their closets and donate items to the local Salvation Army are recommended by Rose to get a donation receipt afterward. Non-cash contributions are deductible as charitable contributions, Rose said. If the value is more than $5,000, an appraisal is needed. College Savings Plan Contributions While this is not a federal deduction, Rose said some states allow the contribution as a reduction for taxable income. Story continues Interest on College Education Costs If a parent pays off a childs student loan and the child is not claimed as a dependent on the parents return, the child can deduct up to $2,500 of student loan interest paid by the parent each year, said Lei Han Ph.D., CPA and associate professor, department of accounting at Niagara University. There isnt a need to itemize to claim this deduction. Self-Employment Tax Deduction If you are self-employed and pay Social Security and Medicare taxes yourself, you can write off half of what you pay, Han said. IRA Contributions Rose said taxpayers may be able to deduct contributions to a traditional IRA. However, the amount of the deduction depends on your income and if you are covered by a retirement plan at work. Planning for this deduction, Rose said, should take into consideration long-term goals and whether a non-deductible Roth contribution would fit into your long-term goals. Child Care Credit If both spouses work or are looking for work, a credit can be claimed for the expenses paid for child care, so you could work, Rose said. This includes child care, after school care and summer camp (but not sleepaway camp). Educator Expense Deduction Eligible educators or schoolteachers may be able to deduct up to $300 spent on classroom supplies in 2022. Small-Business Expenses Those who started a small business or turned a hobby into a profitable enterprise may deduct many types of expenses relating to the business. Grant Freeman, chief customer officer at Thryv, recommends these most frequently overlooked small-business tax deductions: Business Meals Business meals are deductible, now at a 50% deduction to small-business owners. Freeman said to partake in these savings, the meal must be with a customer or employee and have a reasonable price point. Holiday Party Expenses Can you deduct holiday party expenses? The answer for small businesses is yes. Freeman said holiday parties in 2022 are 100% deductible. You can also deduct up to $25 of each gift you give customers annually. Overall, gifts under $100 are considered de minimis by the IRS and arent taxed. Retirement Plan Deductions Small businesses that offer employees retirement plans may be able to lower their taxes with these deductions. A few types of retirement plans available to small businesses include Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) plans, SIMPLE IRA, one-participant 401(k) and defined benefit plans. Business owners can defer up 25% of an employees compensation to retirement savings through an SEP, Freeman said. Equipment and Property Depreciation If you own property or equipment used for your small business, you may be eligible for a larger depreciation deduction due to the Tax Cuts and Job Act (TCJA). Freeman said the TCJA included a provision that allows business owners to take 100% bonus depreciation. This means they can deduct the full price of the asset in the first year. Kids on the Payroll If your children are under 18 years old and work for your business, Freeman said owners can deduct their salaries from the business income as a business expense. Am I Missing Any Other Deductions? Do you worry you might be missing out on other big tax deductions? Rose recommends taxpayers meet with a tax professional before the end of the tax year, or the April 18, 2023, tax deadline, to make sure they have the documentation necessary to claim the deductions to which they are entitled. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 10 Biggest Tax Deductions Americans Arent Expecting This Year Gopeshwar, Mar 30 (PTI) Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday suggested creating a market for caterpillar fungus, known as 'Keeda Jadi', found in the upper Himalayan region as an experiment. He made the suggestion during his visit to the border village of Malari in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand where he talked to locals and district officials to review the progress of development works in the hill state under the Vibrant Village Programme. The programme is a centrally-sponsored scheme, to ensure the comprehensive development of villages along the northern border areas. Also known as 'yarsa gombu', 'Keeda Jadi' is found at a height of over 3,500 metres in the Himalayas. Known for its aphrodisiac qualities, it is also nicknamed the 'Himalayan Viagra'. The Union Minister also gave his consent to name the government hospital in Joshimath after Gaura Devi one of the pioneers of the Chipko movement. He also called for increased mobile connectivity in the border villages and a push to tourist-related activities. Talking to reporters, Mandaviya said roads, mobile networks, power and water connectivity and health facilities have improved in border areas in recent years. Residents of border villages can consult doctors through tele-consultancy, he said, adding that people are benefiting from the Ayushman Yojana a national public health insurance scheme. Besides building them houses under PM Awas Yojana, the Union Minister said, more employment opportunities are being created in the border regions to stop migration. New Delhi, Mar 30 (PTI) West Bengal's top child right body snubbed a request of the NCPCR to visit the state saying it was "not necessary", documents have revealed. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) wanted to visit the state in connection with the rape and murder of two minor girls in the different districts. But the visit met with a cold response by the West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights, or WBPCR, allegedly over NCPCR's failure to intimate it about the visit. Documents available with PTI showed that when NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo's itinerary to the state was sent, the WBPCR said that his visit was "not necessary." The NCPCR had earlier on Thursday shared a detailed itinerary of their visit to West Bengal police, chief secretary, and home department, but not the WBCPR, drawing a sharp response from the state commission. "As per the Supreme Court judgement, the SCPCRs and NCPCR are expected to work together as siblings. Therefore, it pains us when instead of informing us or taking us into confidence, you take cognizance on your own in cases where we have already intervened. We expect at least a letter from you regarding your plans of visiting the State," the WBPCR said. "Your concern is, however, appreciable, but your visit is not really necessary on these issues, as the State Commission has already taken cognizance," WBPCR chairperson Sudeshna Roy said. Reacting sharply, Kanoongo told PTI, "What do these people want to hide? They were never happy with our West Bengal visits, but this time they are blocking us! This is the pathetic condition of the children in the state. We will definitely come." Kanoongo, along with a member of NCPCR, was planning to visit the state to look into the incident of murder of a seven-year-old minor girl in Kolkata's Tiljala area. It has also taken notice of an incident of gang rape of a Class 6 girl by outsiders during school hours which allegedly occurred inside a government school in West Bengal's Malda. NCPCR in its letter had said NCPCR Chairperson is equivalent to the rank of Secretary to the government and Rupali Banerjee Singh, Member Secretary, NCPCR is equivalent to the rank of Joint Secretary. "It is therefore requested that the above officers may kindly be declared as State Guest and all arrangements be made accordingly," the NCPCR had instructed. New Delhi, Mar 30 (PTI) It is not possible for her to observe 'roza' as she is not keeping well in jail, said activist Gulfisha Fatima's mother who met for iftaar with families of others arrested under a stringent anti-terror law during the 2020 protests against the CAA. Communal clashes broke out in northeast Delhi on February 24, 2020, after violence between the supporters of the citizenship law and those opposed to it spiralled out of control, leaving at least 53 people dead and around 200 injured. Speaking at the gathering, student activist Gulfisha Fatima's mother claimed that her daughter has spent three years behind bars. She got bail around two months ago, but is yet to be released. It has been three years since my daughter was arrested and around two months since she got bail. I have no idea what is taking so long to release my daughter from jail. I've been running to courts over and over again. I can only hope she walks free as soon as possible. It is the government that insists us to educate our children. Is this the result of educating my child? she asked. Some activists were arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in connection with a case of an alleged larger conspiracy in connection with the riots. Fatima's mother said that her daughter is not in a good condition and as a result, she could not observe roza this year. It is not possible for my daughter to fast for roza because her health is already in a bad condition in the jail. Hope she is released soon, she said. Fatima had sought bail from the Delhi High Court in the case, asserting no role was ascribed to her for encouraging the violence. My father never talked about the difficulties he faced in prison, said Saima Khan, daughter of Mohammad Saleem Khan who was also charged under the same act. My father's bail plea order has been reserved by the high court for now. Life for both of us has been tough ever since he got arrested. My father never shared about the difficulties he faced inside the jail, Saima said. Khan was named as an accused in 2021 and three FIRs were lodged against him by the Delhi Police in connection with the riots. In one of the cases, he has been charged under the UAPA and continues to be in jail, while he has secured bail in two other cases. My son was studying BBA when he was arrested. Three cases were registered against my son, including one under UAPA. He got bail in other two cases around one-and-a-half years ago but the UAPA case is still pending. His case is going on in the High Court now, mother of activist Athar Khan, Noor Jahan said. Gurugram, Mar 29 (PTI) The Gurugram police have arrested a plot owner and his servant on the charge of murder after one of the two people they suspected to be thieves died after being thrashed and locked in a room. The incident took place on Tuesday night and one of the suspects was found dead on Wednesday morning, police said. According to the police the arrested accused were identified as Ankit, resident of village Ghata and his servant, a native of Sagar in Madhya Pradesh. Ankit told police that goods were frequently being stolen from his plot for the past several days due to which he and his servant started guarding in the night. It was late Tuesday night when two people whom they suspected to be thieves reached the plot. They caught them and locked them in a room after thrashing them. One of them was found dead on Wednesday morning. A police team reached the plot in Ghata village where they found a man dead and another injured. According to police, the deceased was identified as Rafigul (40), who hailed from West Bengal, and the injured was identified as Isruddin. A case of murder was registered on Wednesday night and police have arrested both the accused, said Virender Vij, DCP (East). After this police registered an FIR of murder and arrested both the accused on Wednesday night. "We have arrested the accused and are questioning them. Both will be produced in a city court on Thursday," the DCP said. New Delhi, Mar 30 (PTI) A candlelight march was organised by some doctors at the Centre-run Safdarjung Hospital to express solidarity with private doctors agitating against the Right to Health Bill in Rajasthan. Resident doctors from various hospitals like Ram Manohar Lohia (RML), Lady Hardinge Medical College and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) participated in the march organised outside the Safdarjung OPD. The march was organised by a doctors' body Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA). In Rajasthan, private doctors are demanding the withdrawal of the Bill passed in the state assembly last Tuesday. According to the Bill, every resident of the state will have the right to emergency treatment and care "without prepayment" at any "public health institution, health care establishment and designated health care centres". LAUREL MCINTOSH, Chariho Girls Lacrosse, Senior; McIntosh scored six goals and assisted on another in a Chariho win against Toll Gate. Chariho is 5-0 this season. DYLAN CIMINI, Stonington, Baseball, Junior; Cimini allowed just one hit and struck out 10 in a win against Ledyard. Cimini did not give up the hit until the sixth inning. ALLYSON FAUBERT, Westerly, Girls Lacrosse, Sophomore; Faubert scored the winning goal with 49.6 seconds left in a win against Cranston East. Faubert finished with two goals in the game. REESE MAIN, Wheeler, Softball, Junior; Main pitched a one-hitter and struck out 10 in a win against Bacon Academy. Main walked just two batters and also drove in three runs at the plate. Vote View Results According to a recent national survey conducted by Fox News, former President Donald Trump has increased his lead in the Republican primary race while President Joe Biden continues to face uncertainty among Democratic primary voters. The survey asked Republican primary voters to choose from a list of 15 potential candidates for the 2024 nomination. The results showed that Trump has doubled his lead since February and is currently up by 30 points over Ron DeSantis. Last month, Trump was up by 15 points. Mike Pence comes in third with 6%, Liz Cheney and Nikki Haley receive 3% each, and Greg Abbott comes in at 2%. All others receive 1% support or less, and just 3% are unsure. Trump made gains among almost every key demographic except for White men with a college degree, where DeSantis is up by 12 points. The survey also revealed that 60% of the subgroup of voters who backed Trump in the 2020 general election support him in the GOP primary, while 25% go for DeSantis and 5% for Pence. Trump primary voters would back DeSantis as their second choice, and the Florida governors primary voters would do the same for Trump. Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts Fox News surveys with Democrat Chris Anderson, said that the rumor of Trump being indicted by the district attorney in Manhattan has helped him gain support among Republican primary voters. They view the case as politically motivated and believe that it reanimates feelings that Trump is still fighting forces they see as corrupt and out of control. Trump currently faces a lawsuit in New York regarding potential violations of federal campaign finance laws. On the other hand, the survey showed that 52% of Democratic primary voters would prefer someone other than Biden as their partys presidential nominee. This is about the same as last month when 53% of Democratic primary voters felt this way. However, 44% want Biden to be the nominee, up from 37% in February. This 7-point bump comes from the president solidifying support among women, white voters, voters aged 45 and above, and white voters with no degree. Bidens current support does not compare to what Trump received in February 2019 when 72% of GOP registered voters wanted to keep him as their nominee or support for former President Barack Obama in 2012 when 81% of Democratic primary voters wanted him to stay. Additionally, Bidens job rating is underwater by 12 points among registered voters, and his approval among Democrats is near a record low. Moreover, 44% of those Democrats who approve of him want someone else to run, while 50% would keep him. Despite chatter about electability, both Democratic and Republican primary voters are more concerned about their candidates views on the issues than if their nominee can win the general election. 73% of primary voters are more concerned about their candidates views on the issues, while only 18% care about their candidates ability to win the general election. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Ukraines president invited his powerful Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, to visit his nation, saying they havent been in contact since the war began and he is ready to see him here. I want to speak with him, Volodymyr Zelenskyy told The Associated Press on Tuesday, the week after Xi visited Russian President Vladimir Putin last week. China had no immediate response about whether a Xi visit to Ukraine would happen. China has been economically aligned and politically favorable toward neighboring Russia across many decades, and Beijing has provided Putin diplomatic cover by staking out an official position of neutrality in the war. Xi, a powerful leader who commands the resources of the worlds most populous nation, is an important player in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and even Chinas lack of involvement is a potent statement. Zelenskyy spoke to the AP aboard a train shuttling him across Ukraine, to cities near some of the fiercest fighting and others where his countrys forces have successfully repelled Russias invasion. Zelenskyy rarely travels with journalists, and the presidents office said APs two night train trip with him was the most extensive since the war began. Zelenskyy has extended invitations to Xi before in recent months, but this explicit call to visit comes days after the Chinese leader visited Putin in Russia last week. But the Ukrainian leader said he hasnt communicated with Xi for the duration of the conflict. We are ready to see him here, Zelenskyy said. I had contact with him before full-scale war. But during all this year, more than one year, I didnt have. In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning was asked whether Xi would accept an invitation from Zelenskyy or whether one had been officially extended. She told reporters she had no information to give. She did say that Beijing maintains communication with all parties concerned, including Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, asked whether a meeting between Xi and Zelenskyy would be useful to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, said Russian authorities highly appreciate Chinas balanced position on the issue and have no right to come up with any advice on whether the two should meet. The Chinese leader himself decides the appropriateness of certain contacts, Peskov said during his daily conference call with reporters Wednesday. In Washington, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the United States supports talks between Xi and Zelenskyy, and my goodness, weve been saying that for weeks. Xis Russia visit last week raised the prospect that Beijing might be ready to provide Moscow with the weapons and ammunition it needs to refill its depleted stockpile. But Xis trip ended without any such announcement. Days later, Putin announced that he would be deploying tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, which neighbors Russia and pushes the Kremlins nuclear stockpile closer to NATO territory. Zelenskyy suggested Putins move was intended to distract from the lack of guarantees he received from China. What does it mean? It means that the visit was not good for Russia, Zelenskyy speculated. (AP) A Massachusetts man whose SUV crashed through the glass storefront of an Apple store, killing one man and injuring nearly two dozen other people, has been charged with murder, prosecutors said. Bradley Rein, 53, was indicted by a grand jury on Tuesday on charges of second-degree murder, motor vehicle homicide by reckless operation and 22 counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in connection with the Nov. 21 crash at a shopping plaza in the Boston suburb of Hingham, Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruzs office said in a statement. Rein was behind the wheel of his 2019 Toyota 4Runner when it crashed through the store, killing Kevin Bradley, 65, of Wayne, New Jersey, who was doing construction at the site, and injuring 22 others. First responders found workers and bystanders administering first aid to the victims, several of whom were badly injured, authorities said. Bradley was pronounced dead at the scene. Rein was previously arraigned in district court on charges related to the crash, which his lawyer at the time called an accident. Not guilty pleas were entered on his behalf and he was released on $100,000 bail. The new murder charge moves the case to Brockton Superior Court, where he will be arraigned at a later date, prosecutors said. The district attorneys office did not explain why Rein was charged with murder. I was astounded by the charge, Reins attorney, Joan Fund, said Wednesday. My client has fully cooperated with the investigation and I look forward to answering all other questions about this case in court. Rein told police he was looking for an eyeglasses store at the shopping center when his right foot became stuck on the accelerator, according to court documents. He said he used his left foot to try to brake but couldnt stop. Rein told police he had no medical issues that would impair his ability to drive and had not consumed alcohol or drugs. A breath test showed he had no alcohol in his system, authorities said. Several victims have filed lawsuits against the owner of the property, the developer, the management of the property, Apple and Rein, alleging negligence. (AP) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Tuesday that unless his nation wins a drawn-out battle in a key eastern city, Russia could begin building international support for a deal that could require Ukraine to make unacceptable compromises. He also invited the leader of China, long aligned with Russia, to visit. If Bakhmut fell to Russian forces, their president, Vladimir Putin, would sell this victory to the West, to his society, to China, to Iran, Zelenskyy said in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press. If he will feel some blood smell that we are weak he will push, push, push, Zelenskyy said in English, which he used for virtually all of the interview. The leader spoke to the AP aboard a train shuttling him across Ukraine, to cities near some of the fiercest fighting and others where his countrys forces have successfully repelled Russias invasion. Zelenskyy rarely travels with journalists, and the presidents office said APs two-night train trip with him was the most extensive since the war began. Since then, Ukraine backed by much of the West has surprised the world with the strength of its resistance against the larger, better-equipped Russian military. Ukrainian forces have held their capital, Kyiv, and pushed Russia back from other strategically important areas. But as the war enters its second year, Zelenskyy finds himself focused on keeping motivation high in both his military and the general Ukrainian population particularly the millions who have fled abroad and those living in relative comfort and security far from the front lines. Zelenskyy is also well aware that his countrys success has been in great part due to waves of international military support, particularly from the United States and Western Europe. But some in the United States including Republican Donald Trump, the former American president and current 2024 candidate have questioned whether Washington should continue to supply Ukraine with billions of dollars in military aid. Trumps likely Republican rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, also suggested that defending Ukraine in a territorial dispute with Russia was not a significant U.S. national security priority. He later walked that statement back after facing criticism from other corners of the GOP. Zelenskyy didnt mention the names of Trump or any other Republican politicians figures he might have to deal with if they prevailed in 2024 elections. But he did say that he worries the war could be impacted by shifting political forces in Washington. The United States really understands that if they stop helping us, we will not win, he said in the interview. He sipped tea as he sat on a narrow bed in the cramped, unadorned sleeper cabin on a state railway train. The presidents carefully calibrated railroad trip was a remarkable journey across land through a country at war. Zelenskyy, who has become a recognizable face across the world as he doggedly tells his side of the story to nation after nation, used the morale-building journey to carry his considerable clout to regions close to the front lines. He traveled with a small cadre of advisers and a large group of heavily armed security officials dressed in battlefield fatigues. His destinations included ceremonies marking the one-year anniversary of the liberation of towns in the Sumy region and visits with troops stationed at front-line positions near Zaporizhzhia. Each visit was kept under wraps until after he departed. Zelenskyy recently made a similar visit near Bakhmut, where Ukrainian and Russian forces have been locked for months in a grinding and bloody battle. While some Western military analysts have suggested that the city is not of significant strategic importance, Zelenskyy warned that a loss anywhere at this stage in the war could put Ukraines hard-fought momentum at risk. We cant lose the steps because the war is a pie pieces of victories. Small victories, small steps, he said. Zelenskys comments were an acknowledgement that losing the 7-month-long battle for Bakhmut the longest of the war thus far would be more of a costly political defeat than a tactical one. He predicted that the pressure from a defeat in Bakhmut would come quickly both from the international community and within his own country. Our society will feel tired, he said. Our society will push me to have compromise with them. So far, Zelenskyy says he hasnt felt that pressure. The international community has largely rallied around Ukraine following Russias Feb. 24, 2022, invasion. In recent months, a parade of world leaders have visited Zelenskyy in Ukraine, most traveling in on trains similar to the ones the president uses to crisscross the country. In his AP interview, Zelenskyy extended an invitation to Ukraine to one notable and strategically important leader who has not made the journey Chinese President Xi Jinping. We are ready to see him here, he said. I want to speak with him. I had contact with him before full-scale war. But during all this year, more than one year, I didnt have. China, economically aligned and politically favorable toward Russia across many decades, has provided Putin diplomatic cover by staking out an official position of neutrality in the war. Asked whether Xi would accept an invitation from Zelenskyy or whether one had been officially extended Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters she had no information to give. She did say that Beijing maintains communication with all parties concerned, including Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, asked whether a meeting between Xi and Zelenskyy would be useful to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, said Russian authorities highly appreciate Chinas balanced position on the issue and have no right to come up with any advice on whether the two should meet. The Chinese leader himself decides the appropriateness of certain contacts, Peskov said during his daily conference call with reporters Wednesday. Xi visited Putin in Russia last week, raising the prospect that Beijing might be ready to provide Moscow with the weapons and ammunition it needs to refill its depleted stockpile. But Xis trip ended without any such announcement. Days later, Putin announced that he would be deploying tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, which neighbors Russia and pushes the Kremlins nuclear stockpile closer to NATO territory. Zelenskyy suggested Putins move was intended to distract from the lack of guarantees he received from China. What does it mean? It means that the visit was not good for Russia, Zelenskyy speculated. He was unsparing in his assessment of Putin, calling him an informationally isolated person who had lost everything over the last year of war. He doesnt have allies, Zelenskyy said. The Ukrainian president makes few predictions about the biggest question hanging over the war: how it will end. He expressed confidence, however, that his nation will prevail through a series of small victories and small steps against a very big country, big enemy, big army but an army, he said, with small hearts. And Ukraine itself? While Zelenskyy acknowledged that the war has changed us, he said that in the end, it has made his society stronger. It couldve gone one way, to divide the country, or another way to unite us, he said. Im so thankful. Im thankful to everybody every single partner, our people, thank God, everybody that we found this way in this critical moment for the nation. Finding this way was the thing that saved our nation, and we saved our land. We are together. (AP) KORAGOT KAEWMAHAKHUN / Shutterstock.com Many Americans are choosing to live their golden years abroad, whether for the change of scenery, the weather, the search for new experiences or for better costs of living. Indeed, more than 440,000 Americans are now drawing Social Security retirement benefits outside the country, according to Next Avenue. See: 7 Ways Baby Boomers Are Wasting Money in Retirement and How To Stop It More: 3 Ways To Recession-Proof Your Retirement While reasons for retiring abroad and the location choice might mostly be based on living costs, for retirees for whom money is not an issue, the only criteria remaining are mainly the safety of the country and the standard of living. And Americans moving overseas are on the rise, as a Henley & Partners report notes it received the most enquiries from U.S. citizens on record in 2022 a 447% increase from 2019. Moreover, Henley & Partners USA Wealth Report projects that 2023 will be a record-breaking year, with 125,000 millionaires migrating internationally practically doubling from the 64,000 high-net-worth individuals who migrated in 2015. Here are some top destinations for 2023. Portugal According to International Livings 2023 Annual Global Retirement Index, Portugal takes the No. 1 spot thanks to several assets. From bustling Lisbon and its trams to Porto and its centuries-old architecture, the country can be enchanting to many. Another asset is that the country ranks among the safest in the world, placing sixth in the Global Peace Index (GPI). Its also ranked at the 36th place by livingcost.orgs index of best places to live. In 2022, there was a net inflow of approximately 1,300 millionaires in Portugal, as the Portugal Golden Residence Permit Program, which gave wealthy individuals residency in exchange for real estate investment, remained the most popular program, according to investment migration consultancy firm Henley & Partners research. As of March 2023, however, the country suspended its golden visa program as the government said it wanted to fight against price speculation in real estate, according to the Financial Times. Story continues Take Our Poll: Do You Think the US Should Raise the Medicare Tax on High Earners To Help Save the Program? Greece The country is ranked the seventh best one to retire in, according to International Living. Greece, the birthplace of democracy, is rich in history and archeology. Foreigners are also attracted to its myriad of islands many of which are known for their iconic blue and white architecture. If you plan on retiring there, you can apply for a golden visa; that is, if you have $250,000 to spare which is the minimum real estate investment to make in order to be granted a five-year residency permit. And you should act fast, because as of May 2023, the real estate requirement is set to increase to 500,000 euros ($540,000) in certain Municipalities of Greece, such as Athens, Thessaloniki, Glyfada, Mykonos and Santorini, according to La Vida Golden Visa. CNBC reported that issuances of the countrys golden visa almost doubled last year, with Chinese citizens being the top applicants. However, a new cohort of investors is emerging: wealthy Americans, according to CNBC. Indeed, applications from high-net-worth U.S. citizens increased 740% in 2021, according to investment immigration firm Astons, making Greece Americans third-preferred residency by investment destination after Portugal and the U.K. Bahamas The Bahamas are appealing for several reasons namely, endless beaches and crystal blue waters. Another one is its proximity to the U.S. In addition, the Bahamas allows foreign investors to apply for permanent residency in exchange for investments in the country, also known as a golden visa program. Buying a property valued at least $500,000 will enable you to apply for such a visa. However, as the Golden Capitalist notes, while this is the minimum investment requirement, the authorities give real estate investments of at least $1,500,000 priority. While the cost of living is higher than in the U.S., one advantage is that the country is considered a tax haven as it has no income tax, capital gains tax, wealth tax, gift tax, inheritance tax or sales tax, according to Retireinthecarribean.com. In addition, there is no corporate tax or business tax. Thailand The Robb Report notes that Thailand is a much sought-after destination in Southeast Asia as it offers an affordable and high standard of living. The country boasts several assets, including ancient ruins, scuba-diving sites, tropical islands, palaces, Buddhist temples and several UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Henley & Partners note. Thailand has been a popular destination for retirees as it provides long-term visas for people over 50, according to International Living. The nonimmigrant long stay visa, for example, is available to people over 50 who meet certain financial requirements, including having a bank account with at least 800,000 baht ($24,900) and a monthly income or pension of at least 65,000 baht ($1,900), according to SmartAsset. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 4 Countries Where the Wealthy Are Moving To Spend Their Retirement Years The Webb Space Telescope has found no evidence of an atmosphere at one of the seven rocky, Earth-sized planets orbiting another star. Scientists said Monday that doesnt bode well for the rest of the planets in this solar system, some of which are in the sweet spot for harboring water and potentially life. This is not necessarily a bust for the other planets, Massachusetts Institute of Technology astrophysicist Sara Seager, who wasnt part of the study, said in an email. But we will have to wait and see. The Trappist solar system a rarity with seven planets about the size of our own has enticed astronomers ever since they spotted it just 40 light-years away. Thats close by cosmic standards; a light-year is about 5.8 trillion miles. Three of the seven planets are in their stars habitable zone, making this star system even more alluring. The NASA-led team reported little if any atmosphere exists at the innermost planet. Results were published Monday in the journal Nature. The lack of an atmosphere would mean no water and no protection from cosmic rays, said lead researcher Thomas Greene of NASAs Ames Research Center. As for the other planets orbiting the small, feeble Trappist star, I would have been more optimistic about the others having atmospheres if this one had, Greene said in an email. If rocky planets orbiting ultracool red dwarf stars like this one do turn out to be a bust, we will have to wait for Earths around sun-like stars, which could be a long wait, said MITs Seager. Because the Trappist systems innermost planet is bombarded by solar radiation four times as much as Earth gets from our sun its possible that extra energy is why theres no atmosphere, Greene noted. His team found temperatures there hitting 450 degrees Fahrenheit (230 degrees Celsius) on the side of the planet constantly facing its star. By using Webb the largest and most powerful telescope ever sent into space the U.S. and French scientists were able to measure the change in brightness as the innermost planet moved behind its star and estimate how much infrared light was emitted from the planet. The change in brightness was miniscule since the Trappist star is more than 1,000 times brighter than this planet, and so Webbs detection of it is itself a major milestone, the European Space Agency said. More observations are planned not only of this planet, but the others in the Trappist system. Looking at this particular planet in another wavelength could uncover an atmosphere much thinner than our own, although it seems unlikely it could survive, said Taylor Bell of the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute, who was part of the study. Further research could still uncover an atmosphere of sorts, even if its not exactly like whats seen on Earth, said Michael Gillon of the University of Liege in Belgium who was part of the team that discovered the first three Trappist planets in 2016. He did not take part in the latest study. With rocky exoplanets, we are in uncharted territory since scientists understanding is based on the four rocky planets of our solar system, Gillon said in an email. Launched in late 2021 to an observation post 1 million miles (1.6 million kilometers) away, Webb is considered the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, orbiting Earth for more than three decades. In the past, Hubble and the Spitzer Space Telescope scoured the Trappist system for atmospheres, but without definitive results. It is just the beginning, and what we can learn with the inner planets is going to be different from what we can learn from the other ones, MITs Julien de Wit, who was not involved in the study, said in an email. (AP) Supposedly socialist Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders blew his stack when Republican Markwayne Mullins accused him of making millions of dollars in the free market and very not socialist US economy. Well, let me respond, Sanders said after the attack from Mullins. The senator did mention my name, I think. And I think youve got an all-time record here. You made more misstatements in a shorter period of time than I have ever heard. Please correct me, Mullins fired back. Well, if Im worth $8 million. Thats good news to me. Im not aware of it. Thats a lie. All right, Sanders said. Part of public records, Mullin replied. Youre probably looking at some phony right-wing internet stuff. It aint true, Sanders said. You should read beyond that. It is not true. Its part of public record, Mullin repeated. No, it is not public record, Sanders insisted. Ok. Well, you made $1.7 million on your book, Mullin said. It is not public record, Sanders shot back as Mullin repeated himself. Excuse me! Ive got the mic now. Number two Mullin interjected again. You had your time. You had your time. All right. Youre not telling the truth. Second of all, you got no evidence that I have ever said that all CEOs are corrupt. I have never, ever said that, Sanders continued. Probably not all, Mullin fired back. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) The leaders of the struggle against judicial reform announced that despite the suspension of the legislation, the weekly Motzei Shabbos protest at the Kaplan intersection in Tel Aviv will take place as usual. The organizers said that the protest on Motzei Shabbos will be against the Chareidim and against National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvirs plan to establish a National Guard to improve security for Israeli citizens, an idea suggested by then-prime minister Naftali Bennett during the previous government. They issued a statement, saying: Our struggle has brought all the issues of the security, economic and social burden of the State of Israel to the streets. We will no longer be silent about our becoming second-class citizens who carry the entire Israeli society on their backs. That is why we will not give up! We demand legislation for equal burden, in all areas of life we wont finance Ben Gvirs militias and unreasonable budgets to those who dont enlist in the army or volunteer for national service. They continued by saying that: Netanyahu, as part of the coup detat, intends to establish state-funded private militias for Ben-Gvir- La Familia and Huwara militias under the auspices of the state. If the militias are established, it will be the actual beginning of the regime coup. It will be disastrous for each of us and de facto, the end of Israeli democracy. Our struggle is uncompromising and seeks justice justice for all the bearers of the burden who are not willing to remain silent any longer. Therefore, we will gather this Shabbos on Kaplan and throughout the country for demonstrations to preserve Israeli democracy. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) Russias top security agency arrested an American reporter for the Wall Street Journal on espionage charges, the first time a U.S. correspondent was put behind bars on spying accusations since the Cold War. The newspaper denied the allegations against Evan Gershkovich. The Federal Security Service said Thursday that Gershkovich was detained in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg while allegedly trying to obtain classified information. The FSB, which is the top successor agency to the Soviet-era KGB, alleged that Gershkovich was acting on the U.S. orders to collect information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military industrial complex that constitutes a state secret. The Wall Street Journal said it vehemently denies the allegations and is seeking Gershkovichs immediate release. We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family, the paper said. The arrest comes amid bitter tensions between the West and Moscow over its war in Ukraine. Gershkovich is the first American reporter to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since September 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, a Moscow correspondent for U.S. News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB. He was released without charges 20 days later in a swap for an employee of the Soviet Unions United Nations mission who was arrested by the FBI. The FSB didnt say when the arrest took place. Gershkovich, who covers Russia, Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations as a correspondent in the Wall Street Journals Moscow bureau, could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of espionage. The FSB noted that he had accreditation from the Russian Foreign Ministry to work as a journalist, but ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Gershkovich was using his journalistic credentials as a cover for activities that have nothing to do with journalism. His last report from Moscow, published earlier this week, focused on the Russian economys slowdown amid Western sanctions imposed when Russian troops invaded Ukraine last year. Gershkovichs arrest follows a swap in December, in which WNBA star Brittney Griner was freed after 10 months behind bars in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Another American, Paul Whelan, a Michigan corporate security executive, has been imprisoned in Russia since December 2018 on espionage charges that his family and the U.S. government have said are baseless. (AP) Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on Thursday sent a letter of dismissal to Israels Consul General in New York Asaf Zamir, who announced his resignation after Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu dismissed Defense Minister Yoav Gallant from his position. Zamir, who was appointed by then-Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, had apparently changed his mind and wanted to continue in his position. Cohen tweeted on Thursday: Asaf Zamir announced his resignation on Twitter but wanted to continue in his position for an unspecified amount of time. I decided to dismiss him immediately. A diplomat who takes a political stance cannot represent the State of Israel for even one day. Good luck in the future. Zamir quickly responded to Cohen, tweeting: Im already in Israel! accompanied by a photo of himself standing on the porch of his Tel Aviv apartment. However, Zamirs tweet didnt disprove Cohens statement as Zamir was summoned to a hearing in Jerusalem the week before he quit after he spoke out against the governments plan for judicial reform to hundreds of Jewish donors. The day after he stated: I quit! on Twitter, Zamir participated in a protest in New York against the legal reform and said. I never believed that a group comprised of the sane, liberal, productive and Zionistic heart would get up and be so loud and ready to fight for the country. This is an encouraging awakening and the only and last chance to ensure that Israel will be the country we want to continue living in. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) Turns out the pandemic hasnt permanently dissuaded people especially immigrants from seeking their fortunes amid Manhattans gritty streets and neon lights. The county that encompasses Manhattan added more than 17,000 residents in the year ending last July after losing almost 111,000 people in the previous 12-month period, according to population estimates released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. The earlier decline was among the worst urban population losses from the COVID-19 outbreak. New York County was among several large, urban U.S. counties that either gained residents or stemmed the rate of declines between July 2021 and July 2022 compared with a year earlier. The reversal in population losses was particularly notable in King County, Washington, home to Seattle; as well as in large Sunbelt counties such as Dallas County, Texas; and two South Florida counties, Miami-Dade and Broward. The locations all had something in common: international immigration led the gains. I wasnt expecting this quick of a bounce back for some cities and urban areas. Its not a full recovery from before the pandemic but moving in the right direction, said demographer William Frey, of the Brookings Institutions metropolitan policy program, Brookings Metro, on Thursday. Population change is driven by migration, both within U.S. borders as people move around, and international trends, as people arrive from abroad. It also depends on whether births outpace deaths, or vice versa. Maricopa County, Arizona, home to Phoenix, had the biggest gain of any U.S. county, with almost 57,000 new residents last year. Domestic migration was primarily responsible. Harris County, Texas, home to Houston, followed, with more than 45,000 new residents and international arrivals and natural increases propelling that growth; 20,000 residents left. Collin County, Texas, a northern suburb of Dallas, ranked third in rising population, with more than 44,000 new residents who primarily came from other U.S. counties. Los Angeles County, the most populous one in the U.S. with 9.7 million people, lost the most residents last year, more than 90,000, as Angelenos moved elsewhere. One bright spot: The loss from domestic migration was 20% less than the previous year. The next biggest population loss was in Cook County, Illinois, home to Chicago, and the nations second most populous county. That change was also was driven by people leaving. Several San Francisco and San Jose area counties that saw populations dramatically wane from July 2020 to July 2021 primarily due to tech workers working remotely had significantly smaller declines in 2022. The counties with the biggest influx of international immigration last year were Miami-Dade County, Florida; Harris County; and Los Angeles County. Harris County, Los Angeles County and Dallas County had the biggest natural increases. Three Florida counties Pinellas, Sarasota and Volusia led the U.S. in natural decreases attributed to deaths outpacing births. Floridas median age of 42.7 is one of the highest in the nation. The growth in Manhattans New York County was propelled by international migration, and to a lesser extent by domestic migration and births outpacing deaths. All the population estimates rely on birth, death and migration data. Despite the most recent gains, New York County was still running a population deficit of almost 98,000 residents as of last July when compared with April 2020, when COVID-19 spread quickly across the U.S. and the metropolitan area became an epicenter of the virus, spurring tens of thousands of residents to flee. Surrounding counties continued losing population last year. The three counties encompassing the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens recorded among the biggest population declines in the U.S., with losses ranging from 40,000 to 50,000 residents. This is still not really a COVID recovery year. Its only sort of a recovery. City University of New York sociology professor emeritus Andrew Beveridge said Thursday. They havent recouped. Several New Jersey counties near New York also experienced outflows last year. They included Hudson County, where the COVID-19 omicron variant closed preschools around Christmas 2021 and drove David Polonsky and his family to move temporarily to South Florida, near his parents. The move became permanent in 2022, as the family acclimated to being near relatives and because Polonsky and his wife could work their tech jobs remotely. They sold their home in Jersey City and purchased one in Palm Beach County, Florida. Polonsky said he misses some things about the New York area, such as being able to walk places instead of driving, and getting a decent slice of pizza instead of mahi mahi, the fish ubiquitous on Florida menus. I love mahi mahi as much as the next person, he said. But theres only so much mahi mahi you can eat. (AP) A grand jury in Manhattan has voted to indict former President Donald Trump over hush money payments he made during his 2016 presidential campaign to two women who were threatening to go public about his encounters with them. The indictment has not officially been made public yet, but its full details will likely be announced by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg in the coming days. Preparations will also be made for Trump to surrender himself to authorities in New York for arraignment, during which he will be photographed and fingerprinted like a common criminal. Trumps indictment is historic as it makes him the first former president to ever face criminal charges, and also sets up a fascinating scenario in which prosecutors must now coordinate with the Secret Service to have a supremely important person under their protection give himself up. Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing and has attacked the investigation, is expected to surrender to authorities next week. It will also be interesting to see how Trumps prosecution will affect his popularity among Republicans as he campaigns to become president again in 2024. Michael Cohen, a former attorney for Donald Trump, released a statement after a grand jury voted to indict Trump Thursday: For the first time in our Countrys history, a President (current or former) of the United States has been indicted. I take no pride in issuing this statement and wish to also remind everyone of the presumption of innocence; as provided by the due process clause. However, I do take solace in validating the adage that no one is above the law; not even a former President. Todays indictment is not the end of this chapter; but rather, just the beginning. Now that the charges have been filed, it is better for the case to let the indictment speak for itself. The two things I wish to say at this time is that accountability matters and I stand by my testimony and the evidence I have provided to DANY (District Attorney of New York). (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Sponsored Content Axon 2023, a first-of-its-kind networking opportunity for the healthcare and rehabilitation space, took place on March 23rd at Bell Works in Holmdel, New Jersey. Several hundred industry leaders and decision makers including nursing home operators, business owners and representatives from leading non-profits, hospitals and insurance carriers packed the beautifully decorated hall for a highly enjoyable evening of delicious food, elegant decor and great music, produced by YK Events. The crowd lingered long past the closing time to continue meeting and chatting with old and new friends and take every advantage of the invaluable networking opportunities. The positive feedback was overwhelming Top-notch networking and impeccable hosting made it a night to remember. So nice meeting up with such wonderful people in the industry! Looking forward to growing the relationships I made. Thank you Axonfor the opportunity to connect with others in the healthcare sector and show support to a truly inspiring organization. Night of networking for a great cause. The event provided an excellent opportunity to connect with new owner-operators and strengthen our network.- No words can describe the energy, the positive feelings for this (inaugural!) event hosted by BINA- Click Here for the full Event gallery Axon benefited the critical work of BINA, the only Jewish organization providing guidance, assistance and support to stroke, brain injury and spinal injury survivors of all ages and their families. For more information please visit www.binausa.org . In healthcare, its all about meeting the right people. Look out for an even bigger and better Axon 2024 next year! Will you be there? WATCH: Moving money abroad or bringing funds home can be an expensive process, thanks to high bank fees and volatile exchange rates. This is a dilemma faced by many Britons every year; particularly those needing to transfer large sums, when extra costs can really stack up. The need to do this might include paying for a wedding abroad, buying and selling property, or receiving and distributing an inheritance. When it comes to transferring cash abroad, it can typically either be achieved by an international bank transfer or via a money transfer company. Don't just use your bank to transfer money At a time when people's budgets are being squeezed by rising living costs, it is all the more important to save where possible and avoid any unnecessary fees. Securing the cheapest foreign exchange rates when transferring money overseas is perhaps one form of saving that people will be less familiar with. This is because many people don't realise that rates and costs associated with transferring money abroad can vary wildly from one provider to the next. When it comes to transferring cash abroad, it can typically either be achieved by an international bank transfer or via a money transfer company. Approaching their High Street bank is likely where most people will begin, however, this is unlikely to be shrewdest starting point. When making large overseas payments it's all the more important to ensure there are no unnecessary costs involved. Adam Jordan, head of private dealing at Moneycorp says: 'The problem is, there is often a lack of transparency, particularly around exchange rate charges. 'If you use a bank for your foreign exchange, you can end up paying a fixed transfer fee each time you want to transfer or receive funds. 'There is also a lot of variance in the market. Exchange rates differ hugely between service providers, and banks are often bound by their own rates. 'The advantage of using a foreign exchange specialist is that you won't be hit by the additional charges banks levy when dealing with foreign currency, and they can source the most competitive rate from a number of liquidity providers. 'They can also help individuals take control of their currency risk, understand their exposure and give guidance on the most appropriate currency tools to save money on exchange transactions.' How much are bank transfer fees? High Street banks typically have high currency transfer charges of up to 30 per transaction. For someone sending money overseas once a month, that would amount to 360 a year. These fees are also charged regardless of how small the transaction is, which means a single 100 transfer could end up costing someone 130 in total. However, it's worth pointing out that these fees won't apply when transferring to countries which are members of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA). High-street banks typically have high currency transfer charges of up to 30 per transaction. This includes the 27 EU member states, plus the UK, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Monaco. Under European payment regulations which came into force at the end of 2019 and still apply after Brexit, banks are no longer allowed to charge more for overseas payments than domestic ones to SEPA countries. Unlike banks, money transfer companies, like Moneycorp, tend to charge much lower transaction fees, regardless of where in the world the money is being sent to or received from. Uncertain times: Foreign exchange rates are constantly fluctuating, which adds an extra layer of complexity when preparing for a large overseas payment. How to secure a good exchange rate When exchanging large amounts of money, a small difference in rate can make a big impact. A poor rate could end up costing someone thousands of pounds. Many banks and building societies make a profit margin on top of the exchange rate they offer customers. The margin is the difference between the bank's exchange rate and the rate at which it buys and sells currency in the wholesale foreign exchange markets. Although the margin varies depending on the bank and the amount being transferred, they typically range between 1 and 4 per cent. These firms can help to offer customers competitive exchange rates and lower transfer fees that can often work out cheaper than what the banks are offering. While many banks are bound by a single rate, some foreign exchange services source rates through multiple liquidity providers. Moneycorp, for example, has a panel of 18 liquidity providers, all competing to offer it the best price on various currencies. Money transfer firms can also typically get customers an exchange rate closer to the interbank rate than they'd be able to get by going it alone. The interbank rate is the rate at which banks and other top-tier financial institutions trade at. This rate is accessible only to a relatively select few, and individual consumers need to buy their currency via a currency broker or a bank. The money transfer company you choose will likely depend on how much you are looking to transfer abroad, where you are looking to send the money and what exchange rate you can achieve. All the specialist money transfer companies buy and sell large amounts of foreign currency meaning they can offer very competitive rates, which quite often are within 1 per cent of the interbank rate. Keep your money safe The FSCS protects your money up to 85,000 in each bank, building society and credit union authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This amount doubles to 170,000 for those with joint accounts. But the FSCS will not necessarily cover you if a currency exchange firm goes bust. However, most transfer companies are FCA authorised - meaning they keep client money ring-fenced separately from their own accounts. This means you are likely to get it back if the company does fold. But always best to be safe than sorry, so check whichever firm you choose is authorised by the FCA and what measures they have in place to secure your cash. Lock in currency rates in advance to guarantee costs When making a major financial commitment, the one thing most people want, is certainty about what they are going to pay. Currency markets are unpredictable, and foreign exchange rates are constantly fluctuating, which adds an extra layer of complexity when preparing for a large overseas payment. The real-terms cost of any purchase or sale can change dramatically depending on the exchange rate. In 2022, the GBP/EUR rate fluctuated between 1.2188 and 1.0843. The difference in price at these rates on a 250,000 property would be more than 25,000. Some money transfer companies allow customers to lock in an exchange rate at any time, but pay later, meaning they can lock in a rate without needing cash upfront in order to do so. This means they can take advantage of a favourable rate and won't have to worry about it moving before they need to make their payment. Moneycorp, for example, enables its customers to lock in the exchange rate for up to two years in advance, shielding them from any upturns or downturns in the market. Another way to do this is to set up an FX order which allows customers to target a specific rate and put in place an automated payment that will be conditional on that rate becoming available. Some money transfer companies also enable customers to set up a currency exchange rate alert meaning they'll be notified when a currency reaches a certain desired level. The British family-owned business behind Marshall amplifiers, used by everyone from Jimi Hendrix to Slash, has been sold to a Swedish maker of Bluetooth speakers in a deal valuing the combined group at 325million. Under the agreement, all Marshall brands will be acquired by Stockholm-based Zound Industries for an undisclosed amount, made up of cash and shares. The pair will form a new company, Marshall Group. Marshall Amplification, based in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, was founded by The Father of Loud Jim Marshall in 1962. Turn it up: The business behind Marshall amplifiers, used by guitar legends like Jimi Hendrix (pictured), has been sold to a Swedish maker of Bluetooth speakers in a deal worth 325m Its products have been used by some of the worlds most famous musicians, from The Who to Jay-Z to Oasis. Jim Marshalls children, who have been running the firm since he died in 2012, will own 24 per cent of the group, making them the largest shareholders with an 80million stake. The family will play a key role, with Marshalls son and daughter, Terry and Victoria, joining the board. Since my father and I created the original Marshall amp in 1962, we have always sought ways to deliver the pioneering Marshall sound to music lovers of all backgrounds and musical tastes, Terry said. Im confident that Marshall Group will elevate this mission and spur the love for the Marshall brand. Marshalls turnover increased 4pc to 36.4million in 2021, with pre-tax profits hitting 5.7million. Alice Enders, music expert at Enders Analysis, said: The inheritors were stuck in a position where they had to sell it in order to grow it. The marriage of an iconic British brand and a smart, savvy, Swedish one makes a lot of sense to the family. Marshall has been working with Zound since 2010, when it agreed a licensing deal. Zound, a rival to Sony and Bose, produces headphones and Bluetooth speakers. In 2022, Zound net sales rose 44 per cent to 243million, with profits of 24million. Marshall employs 200 people in Milton Keynes and 300 in Vietnam. Zound said it had no plans for job cuts at Marshall in the UK. Key Insights Significantly high institutional ownership implies James Fisher and Sons' stock price is sensitive to their trading actions 51% of the business is held by the top 5 shareholders Ownership research along with analyst forecasts data help provide a good understanding of opportunities in a stock If you want to know who really controls James Fisher and Sons plc (LON:FSJ), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. With 89% stake, institutions possess the maximum shares in the company. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk). Given the vast amount of money and research capacities at their disposal, institutional ownership tends to carry a lot of weight, especially with individual investors. Hence, having a considerable amount of institutional money invested in a company is often regarded as a desirable trait. Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of James Fisher and Sons, beginning with the chart below. View our latest analysis for James Fisher and Sons What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About James Fisher and Sons? 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. As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in James Fisher and Sons. 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. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at James Fisher and Sons' earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters. Institutional investors own over 50% of the company, so together than can probably strongly influence board decisions. We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in James Fisher and Sons. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is The Sir John Fisher Foundation, Endowment Arm with 25% of shares outstanding. Schroder Investment Management Limited is the second largest shareholder owning 9.6% of common stock, and Aberforth Partners LLP holds about 5.9% of the company stock. Story continues To make our study more interesting, we found that the top 5 shareholders control more than half of the company which implies that this group has considerable sway over the company's decision-making. 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 plenty of analysts covering the stock, so it might be worth seeing what they are forecasting, too. Insider Ownership Of James Fisher and Sons While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. The company management answer to the board and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board themselves. 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 James Fisher and Sons plc insiders own under 1% of the company. It appears that the board holds about UK39k worth of stock. This compares to a market capitalization of UK147m. Many investors in smaller companies prefer to see the board more heavily invested. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling. General Public Ownership The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 11% stake in James Fisher and Sons. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies. Next Steps: While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for James Fisher and Sons you should know about. 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Cutting forecasts: Ithaca Energy has seven oil fields in the North Sea A UK oil and gas firm has cut its production forecasts after the Governments windfall tax left it with less to spend. Ithaca Energy, which has seven oil fields in the North Sea and holds stakes in others, said it would produce 68,000 to 74,000 barrels per day on average this year, down from previous estimates of 72,000 to 80,000. The FTSE 250 firm blamed the downgrade on the impact of the energy profit levy as well as lower volumes. Gilad Myerson, the executive chairman, said the windfall tax, which slaps an effective rate of 75 per cent on the profits of North Sea producers, has created fiscal uncertainty. Ithaca shares dropped 4.3 per cent, or 6.6p, to 148p. Its warning came as it posted a 2022 profit of 1.8billion, nearly tripling the previous years 617million as it cashed in on a boom in energy prices sparked by war in Ukraine. Production rose to 71,403 barrels per day from 56,486 in 2021. Fuel duty may have to rise sharply next year to help balance the books, the Chancellor warned yesterday. Jeremy Hunt said the state of the UKs finances meant a freeze in fuel duty since 2011 could not be extended indefinitely. Mr Hunt cancelled a planned 7p rise in this months Budget, and extended a temporary 5p cut for another 12 months. Harriet Baldwin, Tory chairman of the Commons Treasury committee, said she was very sceptical that any increase would be imposed in the run-up to a general election. But Mr Hunt said it did not look possible to freeze duty again. Jeremy Hunt (pictured today) said the state of the UKs finances meant a freeze in fuel duty since 2011 could not be extended indefinitely Harriet Baldwin, Tory chairman of the Commons Treasury committee (pictured today), said she was very sceptical that any increase would be imposed in the run-up to a general election He said: We cannot afford to make that change permanent. It has just not been an option. Howard Cox, of Fair Fuel UK, warned that raising fuel duty before an election would play badly at the polls. Mr Cox said: It is staggering that the Chancellor still does not get it. Hiking tax on an essential resource that is also the commercial heartbeat of the economy will be political suicide in the year of a general election. Salzgitter (ETR:SZG Get Rating) received a 38.00 ($40.86) price objective from Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft in a report issued on Tuesday, Borsen Zeitung reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschafts price objective suggests a potential upside of 6.74% from the companys previous close. Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. set a 21.20 ($22.80) target price on shares of Salzgitter in a research report on Monday. UBS Group set a 34.00 ($36.56) target price on shares of Salzgitter in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Baader Bank set a 45.00 ($48.39) target price on shares of Salzgitter in a research report on Monday. Get Salzgitter alerts: Salzgitter Stock Performance SZG opened at 35.60 ($38.28) on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $1.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 1.78, a PEG ratio of -0.09 and a beta of 2.22. Salzgitter has a 1-year low of 18.99 ($20.42) and a 1-year high of 48.76 ($52.43). The company has a 50 day simple moving average of 37.29 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of 30.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 34.47, a current ratio of 1.81 and a quick ratio of 0.89. Salzgitter Company Profile Salzgitter AG, together with its subsidiaries, engages in steel and technology businesses worldwide. It operates through five segments: Strip Steel, Plate/Section Steel, Mannesmann, Trading, and Technology. The Strip Steel segment manufactures branded and special steels, such as hot-rolled strip steel and steel sheets, sections, tailored blanks, and components for the construction industry. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Salzgitter Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Salzgitter and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Zealand Pharma A/S (OTCMKTS:ZLDPF Get Rating) was the target of a large growth in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 866,900 shares, a growth of 36.0% from the February 28th total of 637,500 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 100 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 8,669.0 days. Zealand Pharma A/S Stock Performance Shares of ZLDPF stock opened at $32.01 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $30.76 and a 200 day moving average price of $27.19. Zealand Pharma A/S has a twelve month low of $11.14 and a twelve month high of $34.88. The company has a market capitalization of $1.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -8.45 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a current ratio of 3.69, a quick ratio of 3.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01. Get Zealand Pharma A/S alerts: Zealand Pharma A/S Company Profile (Get Rating) Featured Stories Zealand Pharma A/S, a biotechnology company, engages in the discovery, development, and commercialization of peptide-based medicines in Denmark. It has a portfolio of medicines focusing on gastrointestinal and metabolic diseases, and other specialty disease areas with unmet medical needs. The company markets lixisenatide under the brand names of Adlyxin and Lyxumia; Dasiglucagon, a single use syringe or autoinjector for the treatment of severe hypoglycemia, congenital hyperinsulinism, and post bariatric surgery hypoglycemia; and Dasiglucagon dual-hormone artificial pancreas for automated diabetes management. Receive News & Ratings for Zealand Pharma A/S Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Zealand Pharma A/S and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Xinyi Solar Holdings Limited (OTCMKTS:XNYIF Get Rating) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,616,900 shares, a growth of 31.2% from the February 28th total of 1,993,900 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2,907.7 days. Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered Xinyi Solar from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 17th. Get Xinyi Solar alerts: Xinyi Solar Stock Performance Shares of OTCMKTS:XNYIF opened at $1.06 on Thursday. Xinyi Solar has a 52-week low of $0.94 and a 52-week high of $1.86. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $1.19 and its 200-day simple moving average is $1.14. About Xinyi Solar Xinyi Solar Holdings Limited, an investment holding company, produces and sells solar glass products in the People's Republic of China, rest of Asia, North America, Europe, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Sales of Solar Glass and Solar Farm Business. The company offers photovoltaic power station, ultraclear patterned glasses, back glasses, and AR photovoltaic glasses. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Xinyi Solar Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Xinyi Solar and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ormat Technologies (NYSE:ORA Get Rating) had its price target reduced by Citigroup from $91.00 to $88.00 in a research note released on Monday, Benzinga reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the energy companys stock. Several other equities analysts also recently commented on the stock. Roth Mkm decreased their price objective on shares of Ormat Technologies from $104.00 to $93.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 27th. Oppenheimer cut their price objective on shares of Ormat Technologies from $106.00 to $96.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 24th. UBS Group raised shares of Ormat Technologies from a neutral rating to a buy rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $103.00 to $105.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 1st. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Ormat Technologies from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ormat Technologies currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $92.33. Get Ormat Technologies alerts: Ormat Technologies Stock Up 1.0 % Shares of NYSE:ORA opened at $84.47 on Monday. Ormat Technologies has a one year low of $67.28 and a one year high of $101.81. The company has a 50 day moving average of $88.02 and a 200-day moving average of $89.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 1.33 and a quick ratio of 1.26. The stock has a market cap of $4.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 72.20, a P/E/G ratio of 4.51 and a beta of 0.48. Ormat Technologies Announces Dividend Ormat Technologies ( NYSE:ORA Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 22nd. The energy company reported $0.73 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.48 by $0.25. The firm had revenue of $205.50 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $199.33 million. Ormat Technologies had a net margin of 8.97% and a return on equity of 4.60%. The businesss revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.41 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Ormat Technologies will post 1.8 earnings per share for the current year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 22nd. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 8th were issued a $0.12 dividend. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.57%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 7th. Ormat Technologiess dividend payout ratio is currently 41.03%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ormat Technologies Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of ORA. IFP Advisors Inc raised its stake in shares of Ormat Technologies by 30.0% during the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 533 shares of the energy companys stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares during the period. Ruedi Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Ormat Technologies during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Ormat Technologies during the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Belpointe Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ormat Technologies during the 4th quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Wipfli Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Ormat Technologies in the 3rd quarter worth about $37,000. 81.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. About Ormat Technologies (Get Rating) Ormat Technologies, Inc operates as a holding company. The firm engages in the geothermal and recovered energy power businesses. It operates through the following segments: Electricity, Product and Energy Storage. The Electricity segment focuses on the sale of electricity from the companys power plants pursuant to power purchase agreements. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Ormat Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ormat Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hartford Investment Management Co. reduced its holdings in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL Get Rating) by 21.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 20,417 shares of the basic materials companys stock after selling 5,713 shares during the period. Hartford Investment Management Co.s holdings in Ecolab were worth $2,972,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in ECL. United Bank boosted its position in shares of Ecolab by 2.7% during the 1st quarter. United Bank now owns 4,149 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $733,000 after acquiring an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. boosted its position in shares of Ecolab by 7.6% during the 1st quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 6,172 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $1,090,000 after acquiring an additional 434 shares in the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Ecolab by 23.0% during the 1st quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,893 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $334,000 after purchasing an additional 354 shares during the last quarter. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in Ecolab by 6.7% during the 1st quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,707 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $301,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. lifted its holdings in Ecolab by 17.1% during the 1st quarter. Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. now owns 73,182 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $12,920,000 after purchasing an additional 10,676 shares during the last quarter. 86.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Ecolab alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades ECL has been the subject of several analyst reports. Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $158.00 to $163.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, January 12th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $164.00 to $172.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, March 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $168.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, February 15th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised shares of Ecolab from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $155.00 to $185.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 15th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $173.63. Ecolab Trading Up 1.3 % ECL opened at $162.23 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 0.88. The company has a market cap of $46.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.98. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $156.73 and a 200 day simple moving average of $151.52. Ecolab Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $131.04 and a fifty-two week high of $185.50. Ecolab (NYSE:ECL Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 14th. The basic materials company reported $1.27 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $3.67 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.69 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 7.69% and a return on equity of 18.02%. Ecolabs revenue for the quarter was up 9.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.28 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 4.96 earnings per share for the current year. Ecolab Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.31%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 20th. Ecolabs dividend payout ratio is currently 55.50%. Insider Activity at Ecolab In related news, EVP Larry L. Berger sold 4,404 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.95, for a total transaction of $717,631.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 12,442 shares in the company, valued at $2,027,423.90. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.04% of the companys stock. Ecolab Profile (Get Rating) Ecolab, Inc engages in the provision of products and services in the field of water, hygiene, and energy. It operates through the following segments: Global Industrial, Global Institutional & Specialty, Global Energy & Life Science, and Other. The Global Industrial segment consists of the water, food and beverage, paper, and downstream operating segments. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ECL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Ecolab Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ecolab and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Keudell Morrison Wealth Management lowered its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK Get Rating) by 8.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 14,746 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,438 shares during the period. Keudell Morrison Wealth Managements holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $1,636,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. ICA Group Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. ICA Group Wealth Management LLC now owns 14,251 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,227,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares during the period. O Keefe Stevens Advisory Inc. lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.7% during the 4th quarter. O Keefe Stevens Advisory Inc. now owns 3,856 shares of the companys stock valued at $428,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Chemistry Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Chemistry Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,036 shares of the companys stock valued at $670,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Chicago Capital LLC lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Chicago Capital LLC now owns 21,307 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,364,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Finally, Cortland Associates Inc. MO lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter. Cortland Associates Inc. MO now owns 6,730 shares of the companys stock valued at $580,000 after acquiring an additional 101 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 72.89% of the companys stock. Get Merck & Co. Inc. alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes MRK has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $106.00 to $118.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday, February 3rd. Bank of America raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a neutral rating to a buy rating and lifted their price target for the company from $110.00 to $130.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 4th. Credit Suisse Group lifted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $126.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, March 7th. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $120.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Monday, December 19th. Finally, Mizuho reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a $130.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Friday, March 17th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $119.35. Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc. Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.6 % In other news, insider Sanat Chattopadhyay sold 83,994 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction on Monday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $112.29, for a total transaction of $9,431,686.26. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 29,500 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,312,555. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink . In other news, EVP Steven Mizell sold 1,815 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.10, for a total transaction of $198,016.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 33,085 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,609,573.50. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website . Also, insider Sanat Chattopadhyay sold 83,994 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $112.29, for a total transaction of $9,431,686.26. Following the sale, the insider now owns 29,500 shares in the company, valued at $3,312,555. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold 100,245 shares of company stock worth $11,168,256 in the last 90 days. 0.29% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. MRK opened at $104.92 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $107.28 and a 200-day moving average price of $103.30. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $80.74 and a twelve month high of $115.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $266.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.37, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.34. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 2nd. The company reported $1.62 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.56 by $0.06. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 24.49% and a return on equity of 43.47%. The firm had revenue of $13.83 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $13.66 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.80 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 6.87 earnings per share for the current year. Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.78%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 14th. Merck & Co., Inc.s dividend payout ratio is presently 51.14%. Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile (Get Rating) Merck & Co, Inc is a health care company, which engages in the provision of health solutions through its prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, animal health, and consumer care products. It operates through the following segments: Pharmaceutical, Animal Health, and Other. The Pharmaceutical segment includes human health pharmaceutical and vaccine products. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MRK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Merck & Co. Inc. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Merck & Co. Inc. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Veriti Management LLC lifted its stake in American Express (NYSE:AXP Get Rating) by 2.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 8,237 shares of the payment services companys stock after purchasing an additional 170 shares during the quarter. Veriti Management LLCs holdings in American Express were worth $1,217,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of AXP. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its position in American Express by 79.6% in the 3rd quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 2,713,458 shares of the payment services companys stock worth $366,073,000 after buying an additional 1,202,912 shares during the last quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main raised its position in American Express by 16.4% in the 2nd quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main now owns 4,807,168 shares of the payment services companys stock worth $666,377,000 after buying an additional 675,971 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. raised its position in American Express by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 44,553,661 shares of the payment services companys stock worth $6,010,732,000 after buying an additional 665,857 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC increased its position in shares of American Express by 42.5% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 2,110,826 shares of the payment services companys stock valued at $284,769,000 after purchasing an additional 629,960 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nuveen Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of American Express by 10.2% during the 3rd quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 6,525,852 shares of the payment services companys stock valued at $880,402,000 after purchasing an additional 602,762 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.30% of the companys stock. Get American Express alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at American Express In other American Express news, insider Denise Pickett sold 28,688 shares of American Express stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.78, for a total value of $5,186,216.64. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 12,557 shares in the company, valued at $2,270,054.46. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, insider Denise Pickett sold 28,688 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.78, for a total transaction of $5,186,216.64. Following the sale, the insider now owns 12,557 shares in the company, valued at $2,270,054.46. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Monique Herena sold 15,217 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $173.18, for a total value of $2,635,280.06. Following the sale, the insider now owns 13,712 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,374,644.16. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 49,361 shares of company stock worth $8,773,678 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.11% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth American Express Trading Up 2.8 % AXP has been the subject of several research reports. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of American Express from $167.00 to $197.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research report on Monday, January 30th. Stephens lowered shares of American Express from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating and set a $134.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Thursday, January 5th. Morgan Stanley upgraded American Express from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and set a $186.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on American Express from $175.00 to $186.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research note on Monday, January 30th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on American Express from $158.00 to $178.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Monday, January 30th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, American Express presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $175.44. AXP stock opened at $163.59 on Thursday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $169.39 and a 200 day moving average price of $155.85. American Express has a fifty-two week low of $130.65 and a fifty-two week high of $194.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.72, a quick ratio of 1.62 and a current ratio of 1.62. The firm has a market cap of $121.72 billion, a PE ratio of 16.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 1.20. American Express (NYSE:AXP Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 27th. The payment services company reported $2.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.18 by ($0.11). American Express had a return on equity of 31.76% and a net margin of 14.16%. The company had revenue of $14.18 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.25 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.18 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 16.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that American Express will post 11.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. American Express announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback program on Wednesday, March 8th that allows the company to buyback 120,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the payment services company to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically a sign that the companys board believes its shares are undervalued. American Express Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 10th. Investors of record on Friday, April 7th will be issued a $0.60 dividend. This is an increase from American Expresss previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.47%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 5th. American Expresss payout ratio is presently 24.39%. About American Express (Get Rating) American Express Co engages in the provision of charge and credit card products and travel-related services. It operates through the following segments: U.S Consumer Services (USCS), Commercial Services (CS), International Card Services (ICS), Global Merchant and Network Services (GMNS), and Corporate and Other. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for American Express Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American Express and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. TD SYNNEX (NYSE:SNX Get Rating) updated its second quarter earnings guidance on Tuesday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $2.25-2.75 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.82. The company issued revenue guidance of $14.0-15.0 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $15.68 billion. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Raymond James decreased their target price on TD SYNNEX from $140.00 to $130.00 and set a strong-buy rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on TD SYNNEX from $120.00 to $110.00 in a research report on Tuesday. Barclays reduced their price target on TD SYNNEX from $109.00 to $103.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Credit Suisse Group boosted their price target on TD SYNNEX from $103.00 to $109.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 11th. Finally, StockNews.com raised TD SYNNEX from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Monday. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $115.78. Get TD SYNNEX alerts: TD SYNNEX Stock Performance Shares of TD SYNNEX stock opened at $93.41 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.78, a PEG ratio of 0.85 and a beta of 1.65. TD SYNNEX has a 52 week low of $78.86 and a 52 week high of $111.57. The company has a quick ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $98.52 and a 200 day moving average price of $95.82. TD SYNNEX Dividend Announcement TD SYNNEX ( NYSE:SNX Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 10th. The business services provider reported $3.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.85 by $0.45. The business had revenue of $16.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $15.78 billion. TD SYNNEX had a net margin of 1.04% and a return on equity of 14.08%. Sell-side analysts expect that TD SYNNEX will post 11.67 EPS for the current year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 14th will be issued a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 13th. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.50%. TD SYNNEXs dividend payout ratio is currently 20.65%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other TD SYNNEX news, CFO Marshall Witt sold 603 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.81, for a total value of $55,964.43. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 53,304 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,947,144.24. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other news, CFO Marshall Witt sold 603 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.81, for a total value of $55,964.43. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 53,304 shares in the company, valued at $4,947,144.24. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Dennis Polk sold 8,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.92, for a total transaction of $839,360.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 132,402 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,891,617.84. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 5,193,767 shares of company stock valued at $503,877,398. Insiders own 1.70% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of SNX. Advisors Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in TD SYNNEX in the 1st quarter worth approximately $51,000. Covestor Ltd grew its stake in shares of TD SYNNEX by 91.5% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 697 shares of the business services providers stock worth $72,000 after purchasing an additional 333 shares during the period. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC acquired a new stake in shares of TD SYNNEX during the 4th quarter worth approximately $208,000. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of TD SYNNEX by 114,550.0% during the 2nd quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC now owns 2,293 shares of the business services providers stock worth $209,000 after purchasing an additional 2,291 shares during the period. Finally, Delphia USA Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of TD SYNNEX during the 4th quarter worth approximately $213,000. 84.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About TD SYNNEX (Get Rating) TD SYNNEX Corp. engages in the distribution and aggregation of solutions in the information technology ecosystem. It operates through the following geographical segments: Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific and Japan. The firm offers IT hardware, software, and systems including personal computing devices and peripherals, mobile phones and accessories, printers, server and datacenter infrastructure, hybrid cloud, security, networking, communications and storage solutions, and system components. Read More Receive News & Ratings for TD SYNNEX Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TD SYNNEX and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. RALEIGH, NC / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / ACCESSWIRE , a newswire service standout that provides regional, national and global news to thousands of clients worldwide is set to exhibit at the Pharma PR & Communications Summit (Pharma PR West) from Monday, April 3 through Tuesday, April 4. ACCESSWIRE, Wednesday, March 29, 2023, Press release picture This event will take place at the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego, CA and as an exhibitor, ACCESSWIRE will share its expertise and experience in helping pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies communicate their news to stakeholders, investors, media outlets and the public. "With so much pivotal news to share in the healthcare industry, consistent and strategic press release distribution is key for companies to unlock their potential and ensure their stories reach a vast audience," said Jennifer Hammers, Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Issuer Direct. "We're excited to attend Pharma PR West to meet with attendees and share with them how our industry-leading press release distribution services can help them achieve maximum distribution and global views." ACCESSWIRE , an Issuer Direct company, is one of the top newswires in the industry and offers global distribution, predictable flat-fee pricing, and top-tier customer service that's been recognized by numerous G2 badges including, "Easiest To Do Business With," "Best Relationship," "Most Implementable" and more. If you'd like to set up a private meeting with our team during Pharma PR West, click here . ### About ACCESSWIRE/Issuer Direct Corporation Issuer Direct is a leading communications company, providing solutions for both Public Relations and Investor Relations Professionals for over 16 years. Our comprehensive solutions are used by thousands of customers from emerging startups to multi-billion-dollar global brands, ensuring their most important moments are reaching the right audiences, via our industry-leading newswire, IR website solutions, events technology, and compliance solutions. For more information, please visit www.issuerdirect.com . Story continues Issuer Direct Corporation Media Contacts: Brian R. Balbirnie +1 919-481-4000 brian.balbirnie@issuerdirect.com James Carbonara 1+ (646)-755-7412 james@haydenir.com SOURCE: ACCESSWIRE View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/746427/ACCESSWIRE-to-Exhibit-at-the-Pharma-PR-Communications-Summit Veriti Management LLC decreased its position in Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM Get Rating) by 8.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 8,974 shares of the business services providers stock after selling 837 shares during the period. Veriti Management LLCs holdings in Waste Management were worth $1,408,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in WM. Community Bank & Trust Waco Texas lifted its stake in Waste Management by 2.9% in the third quarter. Community Bank & Trust Waco Texas now owns 2,262 shares of the business services providers stock worth $362,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares during the period. Marcum Wealth LLC lifted its stake in Waste Management by 3.5% in the third quarter. Marcum Wealth LLC now owns 1,934 shares of the business services providers stock worth $310,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP lifted its stake in Waste Management by 0.7% in the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 9,952 shares of the business services providers stock worth $1,594,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the period. LWM Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in Waste Management by 3.5% in the third quarter. LWM Advisory Services LLC now owns 1,966 shares of the business services providers stock worth $315,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the period. Finally, Revolve Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in Waste Management by 5.0% in the third quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,398 shares of the business services providers stock worth $224,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 78.48% of the companys stock. Get Waste Management alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets WM has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Waste Management from $177.00 to $179.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Thursday, February 2nd. UBS Group lowered Waste Management from a buy rating to a neutral rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $190.00 to $165.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 10th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Waste Management in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating for the company. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on Waste Management from $167.00 to $158.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 2nd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lowered Waste Management from a buy rating to a hold rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $185.00 to $171.00 in a research report on Monday, December 19th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $169.50. Waste Management Price Performance WM opened at $157.04 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $152.33 and a 200-day moving average price of $158.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.12, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.77. The firm has a market cap of $64.10 billion, a PE ratio of 29.14, a P/E/G ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.72. Waste Management, Inc. has a 1 year low of $138.89 and a 1 year high of $175.98. Waste Management (NYSE:WM Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 1st. The business services provider reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.39 by ($0.09). Waste Management had a return on equity of 32.91% and a net margin of 11.36%. The business had revenue of $4.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.97 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.26 earnings per share. Waste Managements quarterly revenue was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Waste Management, Inc. will post 6.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Waste Management Increases Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 24th. Investors of record on Friday, March 10th were issued a $0.70 dividend. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.78%. This is an increase from Waste Managements previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 9th. Waste Managements dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 51.95%. Waste Management announced that its board has initiated a share buyback plan on Thursday, December 8th that permits the company to buyback $1.50 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the business services provider to repurchase up to 2.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often an indication that the companys leadership believes its stock is undervalued. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, EVP John J. Morris sold 15,204 shares of Waste Management stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.03, for a total value of $2,357,076.12. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 95,461 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,799,318.83. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other Waste Management news, EVP John J. Morris sold 15,204 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.03, for a total transaction of $2,357,076.12. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 95,461 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,799,318.83. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CAO Leslie K. Nagy sold 800 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.11, for a total value of $120,888.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,210 shares of the companys stock, valued at $787,283.10. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 31,027 shares of company stock worth $4,806,619. 0.18% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Waste Management Company Profile (Get Rating) Waste Management, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of waste management environmental services. It operates through the following segments: East Tier, West Tier, and Other. The East Tier segment consists of Eastern U.S., the Great Lakes Region, and Canada. The West Tier segment includes the upper Midwest region and British Columbia, Canada. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Waste Management Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Waste Management and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Secure Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 2,200 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $223,000. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Mark Sheptoff Financial Planning LLC bought a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. My Personal CFO LLC purchased a new position in shares of Philip Morris International in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Philip Morris International by 300.0% in the 4th quarter. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC now owns 400 shares of the companys stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the period. Asset Dedication LLC purchased a new position in shares of Philip Morris International in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, Affiance Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Philip Morris International in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $48,000. 75.85% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Philip Morris International alerts: Insider Transactions at Philip Morris International In other news, insider Stacey Kennedy sold 20,308 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.30, for a total value of $2,036,892.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 22,418 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,248,525.40. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, insider Stacey Kennedy sold 20,308 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.30, for a total transaction of $2,036,892.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 22,418 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,248,525.40. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Chairman Andre Calantzopoulos sold 80,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.35, for a total value of $8,028,000.00. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 1,007,048 shares of the companys stock, valued at $101,057,266.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 117,064 shares of company stock valued at $11,738,763 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Philip Morris International Trading Up 0.5 % A number of research analysts have recently commented on PM shares. Citigroup restated a neutral rating and issued a $109.00 target price on shares of Philip Morris International in a research note on Tuesday, December 13th. UBS Group upgraded Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to a buy rating and raised their target price for the company from $106.00 to $116.00 in a research note on Wednesday, March 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Philip Morris International from $95.00 to $109.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, February 13th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Philip Morris International from a hold rating to a buy rating and raised their target price for the company from $86.00 to $118.00 in a research note on Thursday, January 19th. Finally, Societe Generale initiated coverage on Philip Morris International in a research note on Monday, January 23rd. They issued a sell rating and a $90.00 target price for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $109.73. Shares of NYSE:PM opened at $94.72 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $99.39 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $96.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $147.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.30, a PEG ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 0.69. Philip Morris International Inc. has a 12-month low of $82.85 and a 12-month high of $109.81. Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 9th. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.29 by $0.10. Philip Morris International had a negative return on equity of 127.24% and a net margin of 11.22%. The business had revenue of $8.15 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.54 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.35 earnings per share. Philip Morris Internationals revenue for the quarter was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.29 EPS for the current year. Philip Morris International Dividend Announcement The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 23rd will be paid a $1.27 dividend. This represents a $5.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.36%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 22nd. Philip Morris Internationals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 87.44%. Philip Morris International Company Profile (Get Rating) Philip Morris International, Inc is a holding company engaged in the manufacturing and sale of cigarettes, tobacco, and nicotine-containing products. Its products include cigarettes and reduced-risk products, including heat-not-burn, vapor, and oral nicotine products. The firm operates through the following geographical segments: European Union, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, South and Southeast Asia, East Asia and Australia, and Americas. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Philip Morris International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Philip Morris International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The company achieved five times growth in top line revenue, serving over 3,000+ large brands and developed 1,200 digital talents across 11 countries SINGAPORE, March 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Integrated growth agency ADA celebrated its momentous 5-year anniversary today. Formed in 2018, ADA has grown multi-fold in its solutions, capabilities, markets and people. Over the past five years, ADA has supported over 3,000 enterprises in their digital transformation journeys to better understand fast-evolving consumer behaviours and successfully engage with new-age consumers. Srinivas Gattamneni, CEO of ADA (2nd from left) flanked by Guest of Honour His Excellency Katsuhiko TAKAHASHI, Ambassador of Japan to Malaysia (3rd from left); and shareholders Tomoyuki Shionoya, GM, Sumitomo Corporation (1st from left) and Daichi Nozaki, VP, Softbank Corporation (1st from right); at ADAs 5th Anniversary Digital Awesomeness Continued event, celebrating ADAs record-breaking 5 years. Some of ADA Asia's key achievements over the past five years include: Launched the first of its kind integrated media, creative, tech, ecommerce, customer engagement services, which has gained significant traction. Won over 220 APAC industry awards for our clients' outstanding work. Solid triple digit year-on-year (YoY) business growth since 2018, culminating in top line revenue of approximately USD300 million. Operating profit crossed USD20 million, and company remained profitable in 4 of the 5 years since inception. Achieved a diverse and equitable workplace with 50:50 gender ratio across metrics. Developed the largest Southeast Asia talent pool of 1,200 specialists in ecommerce and digital marketing. Attracted founding investors, Axiata, Softbank Corp & Sumitomo Corporation to support ADA's growth. "In our five years of operation, pride of the achievement goes to our amazing 1,200 ada-ians across 11 countries in APAC, who through their vision, creativity, grit and determination built a company from ground up. ADA is pioneering outcome-based solutions that is powered by data, technology, and content, which proved successful for our clients during their transition to digital. As a result, we were able to record five times business growth and transformed many brands," said Srinivas Gattamneni, Chief Executive Officer at ADA. Since its inception in 2018, ADA has been at the forefront of driving digital transformation in the region. With offices in 11 markets across Asia and a team of about 1,200 digital experts, ADA has supported some of the largest and most respected brands in the region including Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Etiqa Insurance, Petronas, DBS Bank, Laneige, Nestle, Watsons, Burger King, and Toyota. Story continues Looking ahead, ADA plans to continue innovating with a number of exciting initiatives on the horizon focusing on connected analytics, marketing, commerce and customer experience solutions to grow clients' top line. The company will be investing in new technologies such as conversational chatbots, Customer Data Platforms, and AI-powered technologies, while expanding its footprint in existing markets and exploring new ones. ADA also aims to deepen its partnerships with leading companies in the data and AI space, to bring more value to its clients. "While the historic growth has been satisfying, we remain focused to develop into a broader APAC champion as an integrated growth partner for enterprises. In future, we will be expanding into India, South Korea and Japan to leverage the capabilities we have built to serve large markets. We will continue to broaden and deepen our offerings across the marketing, commerce and customer engagement solutions to provide our clients with tangible solutions and insights for them to succeed in an increasingly competitive and complex business landscape," said Gattamneni. About ADA ADA provides services that enable enterprises and brands to drive topline growth through digital marketing and sales transformation across Asia. It operates three data-driven service segments: i. Marketing Solutions: provides performance marketing, which enables clients to reach consumers efficiently on social media, native ads, display ads and search marketing; creative solutions to drive user engagement and conversation rates; and marketing technology transformation involves consultation on the implementation of managed services that enable brands to achieve superior customer experiences with technology platforms. ii. Ecommerce Solutions: provide brands with end-to-end store management to fulfil enablement on marketplaces, social channels, third party messaging channels and owned websites. iii. Customer Engagement Solutions: used by enterprises to enhance customer support and communicate with consumers in real-time through SMS, WhatsApp and other messaging applications. ADA, which operates 11 offices across Asia with approximately 1,200 employees, was formed in 2018 and is headquartered in Singapore and Malaysia. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/ada-celebrates-record-breaking-five-years-301785342.html SOURCE ADA The rise of generative AI tools like ChatGPT is creating a hot market for "prompt engineers" who test and improve chatbot answers. Getty Images The rise in generative AI tools like ChatGPT has created a hot market for "prompt engineers." "Prompt engineers" train AI chatbots to improve their responses. The gigs pay up to $335,000 a year and don't always require a tech degree. Tech is known for high-paying jobs and for one new hot job in the industry, you don't even need a degree in STEM. The rise of generative AI tools like ChatGPT is creating a need for "prompt engineers," people who write questions and prose for AI chatbots to test and improve their answers. Some of these roles have salaries as high as $335,000 and don't require degrees in tech. Anthropic, an artificial intelligence safety and research company, currently has an open role for a "prompt engineer and librarian" with a salary range between $175,000 and $335,000, as first reported by Bloomberg. The post says the role involves building "a library of high quality prompts or prompt chains to accomplish a variety of tasks, with an easy guide to help users search for the one that meets their needs," and building "a set of tutorials and interactive tools that teach the art of prompt engineering to our customers." Applicants who have basic programming skills and "a high level" of familiarity with large language models would make a good fit, per the posting, but Anthropic says it wants people to apply "even if you do not believe you meet every single qualification." Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, has spoken about the need for prompt engineers. In February, he tweeted that "writing a really great prompt for a chatbot persona is an amazingly high-leverage skill." Anna Bernstein, a prompt engineer at Copy.ai, was a freelance writer and historical research assistant before she started working with AI tools. "I love the 'mad scientist' part of the job where I'm able to come up with a dumb idea for a prompt and see it actually work," Bernstein told Insider. "As a poet, the role also feeds into my obsessive nature with approaching language. It's a really strange intersection of my literary background and analytical thinking." Story continues The market for prompt engineers is growing. PromptBase, a prompt marketplace that launched last June, allows people to hire prompt engineers or sell their prompts. Despite the opportunities in prompt engineering for people without tech backgrounds, most high-paying roles do require people with more experience and higher levels of education in tech-focused areas, recruiters told Bloomberg. "Salaries start at 40,000, but we've got candidates on our database looking for 200,000 to 300,000 a year," Mark Standen, who works at Hays, a recruitment agency in the UK and Ireland, told Bloomberg. "Expert prompt engineers can name their price." While the market for prompt engineers is growing quickly, some are warning that it might not necessarily be the hottest role in the long run. "I have a strong suspicion that 'prompt engineering' is not going to be a big deal in the long-term & prompt engineer is not the job of the future," Ethan Mollick, a professor at the Wharton School, tweeted in February. While being able to interact with generative AI tools through prompts "is of high value," Adrian Weller, a director of research in machine learning at the University of Cambridge, told Bloomberg that, "I wouldn't be so sure that it will continue for a long time. Don't dwell too much on the current state of prompt engineering. It's starting to evolve quite quickly." Correction: March 30, 2023 An earlier version of this story misstated the number of job listings on LinkedIn for prompt engineers. A LinkedIn spokesperson earlier told Insider there were 708, but corrected that number to 15. The sentence has been removed from the story. Read the original article on Business Insider At least 28 people have died including a 6-month old baby after a fire broke out on an inter-island passenger ferry in the southern Philippine, the coast guard said on Thursday. Authorities have yet to identify the cause of the fire that started close to 11 p.m. (1500 GMT) on Wednesday off the island of Basilan, when many of the passengers were asleep in air-conditioned cabins on the ferrys lower deck. Initially there were 10 we recovered, they died of drowning. And then we discovered another 18 on board the vessel, at the cabin. They were totally burnt, Commodore Rejard Marfe, coast guard chief in the southern Mindanao region, told Reuters. There were conflicting figures on the number of passengers on the ferry, which was not overloaded, but the coast guard said 230 people including 35 crew were rescued. Marfe earlier said most were sleeping at that time of the fire, adding there was chaos. Firefighters brought the blaze under control early on Thursday. Photos shared by the Coast Guard showed the MV Lady Mary Joy 3 ship was gutted by fire. I thought I was dreaming but when I opened my eyes, it was dark and we were surrounded by smoke, Mina Nani, 46, told DZRH. She said she survived by jumping off the vessel and shared a floater with another passenger before they were rescued. The Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,600 islands, has a poor record for maritime safety, with vessels often overcrowded and many ageing ships still in use. In May, at least seven people died after a fire in a high-speed Philippine ferry carrying 134 people. In 1987, around 5,000 people died in the worlds worst peacetime shipping disaster, when an overloaded passenger ferry Dona Paz collided with an oil tanker off Mindoro island south of the capital, Manila. SOURCE: REUTERS This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ALBANY Like many of us, Mark Haworth was upset by the fire that destroyed the old Kenwood convent. Unlike most of us, he once was involved in a plan to rescue the building. In 2015, Haworth and Saratoga Springs developer Sonny Bonacio floated a $30.2 million plan to turn the former school and convent into nearly 150 high-end apartments and its gorgeous (but rarely seen) chapel into a performance space. The deal fizzled when the city and the development team couldn't agree on tax breaks. From Haworth's perspective, the deal fell apart because Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan was unreasonable in her demands and unrealistic in her approach. As he watched coverage of the massive and dramatic fire, he felt ... "Sick," he told me Wednesday by telephone. Haworth grew more upset, he said, when he heard Sheehan speaking passionately in a news conference held in front of the ruins of a building that dated to the 1840s. She noted the fits and starts of redevelopment efforts since the Society of the Sacred Heart, a Catholic order, put the 73-acre campus tucked between South Pearl Street and Southern Boulevard on the market in 2009. "We've all gotten emotional about this because this was a beautiful building," the mayor said. "We lost a treasure here." Anyone fortunate enough to have seen the Kenwood chapel firsthand knows that was true. Haworth, though, felt an important part of the story was going unmentioned, leading the Saratoga Springs-based investor to contact me expressing frustration over the scuttled deal and what he perceived as a lack of support from Albany officials. "What happened at Kenwood was a tragedy, but one that was completely avoidable and one almost wholly of Mayor Sheehan's making," Haworth said. "The current mayor owns this." That might be harsh. Even if the city and developers had come to terms, there was no guarantee Haworth and Bonacio would have succeeded with a project that included significant risk and complexity. Meanwhile, Sheehan was tasked with ensuring that tax breaks for the project weren't excessively generous. Still, it is hard not to see the 2015 plan as a missed opportunity. What Haworth and Bonacio hoped to do, after all, was the most realistic and promising redevelopment scenario proposed in recent years for the Kenwood property, in no small part because they were a development team with regional roots and a demonstrated track record. At last week's press conference, Sheehan was asked by Michael DeMasi of the Albany Business Review whether, in hindsight, it would have been better to go ahead with the scuttled Bonacio proposal, which asked for an 88 percent property tax break over two decades. "I can't operate in hindsight," the mayor said. "It was a long time ago, a different time, and again, this was a tragedy that nobody wanted to see." On Wednesday, Sheehan responded to Haworth's criticisms by mentioning that she shares his emotion over the loss and by noting that the proposed payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement would have been exceedingly generous, potentially setting a precedent for other developers. In a phone call, Sheehan added that it's unfair to draw a direct line from the scuttled Bonacio and Haworth deal to the fire that ultimately consumed the building, partly because it's impossible to say what would have happened even if the agreement had been reached. "This is an example of how difficult it is to balance the demands of developers with the demands of taxpayers who are heavily burdened," Sheehan said. "This was a difficult property and a challenging property." On that last point, Sheehan and Haworth agree. Yet the latter told me his experience with Albany officials convinced him never to work or invest in the city. The money that would have gone to Kenwood, he added, was instead put into other projects. Albany's loss, in other words one compounded by last week's fire. Former Times Union reporter Jordan Carleo-Evangelist and I toured the Kenwood property 14 years ago, when the Society of the Sacred Heart initially put it up for sale. The chapel, as I remember it, was a place of remarkable beauty, but I wondered how many developers would be willing to remake it. In the end, it is another piece of our cultural and religious history erased. It's a diminution that highlights the need to save other Albany gems, like the former St. Joseph's Church, before they disappear, too. cchurchill@timesunion.com 518-454-5442 @chris_churchill SULLIVAN COUNTY A pilot program at SUNY Sullivan could bring asylum seekers from New York City to a rural town in the Catskills for housing and workforce training. On March 7, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced The Road Forward, a set of proposals to address the citys refugee crisis. One of the proposals would resettle up to 100 asylum seekers in dorms at SUNY Sullivan, a two-year community college in the Sullivan County town of Fallsburg, giving them the opportunity to earn a postsecondary credential or degree. Participants could also receive workforce training from the Center for Discovery, a research and care center for people with complex conditions located nearby in the town of Rockland. Since last year, thousands of asylum seekers have been bused from the southern border of the U.S. to New York City. As of March, 79,937 people were in shelters in New York City, including humanitarian relief centers a 77 percent increase since the start of 2022, in large part due to asylum seekers, which account for 39 percent of the total population of the shelter system, according to the mayors office. As part of The Road Forward, Adams has requested state and federal funding and plans to create an Office of Asylum Seeker Operations to guide the citys response to migrants. Were going to move toward long-term housing and resettlement, including resettlement to pre-vetted cities and municipalities that welcome asylum seekers, Adams said during his announcement. There are many cities within the state and across the country that are saying they want to help. We want to create the pathway to do that. A news release from Sullivan County noted that only single adults will be involved in the program at the college and that preference will be given to those who have completed postsecondary courses or worked in health care. Many details about the program remain unclear, despite Adams public announcement, which apparently preempted local plans. The news on the program came out prematurely, Michael Rosen, executive vice president of marketing and communications with the Center for Discovery, told the Times Union. We havent yet signed a contract with NYC on the program. The Sullivan County Legislature was also caught off guard. The countys refugee program was initially envisioned for refugees from Ukraine, Rob Doherty, chairman of the Legislature, told his fellow legislators on March 9. Obviously we welcome those folks here, and there are two communities here in Warsaw in Ulster County and in Lumberland (in Sullivan County) where they could have integrated into the communities pretty simply. But now, in typical fashion, thats not the deal were getting. A member of SUNY Sullivans administration, who was not authorized to speak to the press while details of the program were being finalized, confirmed to the Times Union that conversations about the proposed program began with plans to bring in Ukrainian refugees. Those plans were placed on hold pending resolution of legal questions, and then the citys announcement of the program made it public, the administrator said. Some of the asylum seekers will be Ukrainian refugees, according to a news release from Sullivan County, and others will be escaping potentially life-threatening conditions in their home countries. But messaging from New York Citys administration has focused on asylum seekers from the southern border and has not specifically mentioned those from Ukraine. If the program comes to fruition, it would be funded by New York City; while specific numbers have not been released, Doherty told legislators that New York Citys funding would amount to $7 million. The program could help bolster enrollment at SUNY Sullivan. Between fall 2019 and fall 2021, full-time enrollment declined 25 percent, from 779 students to 583 students, according to a self-study report submitted to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. (Part-time student enrollment increased 19 percent over that same period.) SUNY Sullivan listed factors including a decrease in the number of high school graduates and a SUNY system-wide vaccine requirement for on-campus students as reasons for the decline. John Liddle, commissioner of the Sullivan County Division of Health and Human Services, said that asylum seekers could help SUNY Sullivan fill its dorms when he spoke with county legislators on March 9 about the refugee program. It could also identify people with health care experience and provide workforce support for the Center for Discovery, Liddle said. The Center for Discovery is one of Sullivan Countys largest employers, with more than 1,700 employees including approximately 150 nursing staff and 150 clinical staff. Original discussions about the program focused on people who were credentialed health care workers in their home countries, according to the member of SUNY Sullivans administration; the training from SUNY Sullivan would give participants the credentials they need to practice in New York. Workforce support is one of New York Citys priorities, Adams said during his announcement. The goal is to assist (asylum seekers) in filling out the paperwork and to get to the point that they can apply for the necessary work permit that they deserve, he said. Dr. Terry Hamlin, president of the Center for Discovery and a SUNY Sullivan board member, and Jay Quaintance, president of SUNY Sullivan, issued a joint statement about the program that was included in the Adams announcement earlier this month. We are proud to have collaborated with the mayor on this visionary pilot program, the statement reads. The Center for Discovery will offer the chance for migrants to learn about health care in a groundbreaking program in a beautiful setting. It will offer the opportunity to study on the campus of the renowned SUNY Sullivan, as community colleges are the gateway to affordable higher education in this country. The statement continued: This program represents the very best of what New Yorkers and Americans are about: learning, opportunity and empathy. ANGOLA, Ind. (AP) A semitrailer collided with an SUV Wednesday in northeastern Indiana, killing one person and leaving three others critically injured, authorities said. One person, a female, was declared dead at the scene of the accident about 5:30 p.m. at the intersection of State Route 327 and a country road, Chief Deputy Mike Meeks of the Steuben County Sheriffs Department said. (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) A.D. Carson, University of Virginia (THE CONVERSATION) After I finished my Ph.D. in 2017, several newspaper reporters wrote about the job Id accepted at the University of Virginia as an assistant professor of hip-hop. A.D. Carson just scored, arguably, the dopest job ever, one journalist wrote. The writer may not have meant it the way I read it, but the terminology was significant to me. Hip-hops early luminaries transformed the words original meanings, using it as a synonym for cool. In the 50 years since, it endures as an expression of respect and praise and illegal substances. In that context, dope has everything to do with my work. In the year I graduated from college, one of my best friends was sent to federal prison for possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute. He served nearly a decade and has been back in prison several times since. But before he went to prison, he helped me finish school by paying off my tuition. In a very real way, dope has as much to do with me finishing my studies and becoming a professor as it does with him serving time in a federal prison. Academic dope For my Ph.D. dissertation in Rhetorics, Communications, and Information Design, I wrote a rap album titled Owning My Masters: The Rhetorics of Rhymes & Revolutions. A peer-reviewed, mastered version of the album is due out this summer from University of Michigan Press. Part of my reasoning for writing it that way involved my ideas about dope. I want to question who gets to determine who and what are dope and whether any university can produce expertise on the people who created hip-hop. While I was initially met with considerable resistance for my work at Clemson, the university eventually became supportive and touted a dissertation with a beat. Clemson is not the only school to recognize hip-hop as dope. In the 50 years since its start at a back-to-school party in the South Bronx, hip-hop, the culture and its art forms have come a long way to a place of relative prominence in educational institutions. Since 2013, Harvard University has housed the Hiphop Archive & Research Institute and the Nasir Jones Hiphop Fellowship that funds scholars and artists who demonstrate exceptional scholarship and creativity in the arts in connection with Hiphop. UCLA announced an ambitious Hip Hop Initiative to kick off the golden anniversary. The initiative includes artist residencies, community engagement programs, a book series and a digital archive project. Perhaps my receiving tenure and promotion at the University of Virginia is part of the schools attempt to help codify the existence of hip-hop scholarship. When I write about dope, Im thinking of Black people like drugs to which the U.S. is addicted. Dope is a frame to help clarify the attempts, throughout American history, at outlawing and legalizing the presence of Black people and Black culture. As dope, Black people are Americas constant ailment and cure. To me, dope is an aspiration and a methodology to acknowledge and resist Americas steady surveillance, scrutiny and criminalization of Blackness. By this definition, dope is not only what we are, its also who we want to be and how we demonstrate our being. Dope is about what we can make with what we are given. Dope is a product of conditions created by America. It is also a product that helped create America. Whenever Blackness has been seen as lucrative, businesses like record companies and institutions like colleges and universities have sought to capitalize. To remove the negative stigmas associated with dope, these institutions cast themselves in roles similar to a pharmacy. Even though I dont believe academia has the power or authority to bestow hip-hop credibility, a question remains does having a Ph.D and producing rap music as peer-reviewed publications change my dopeness in some way? Legalizing dope Though I earned a Ph.D by rapping, my own relationship to hip-hop in academic institutions remains fraught. Part of the problem was noted in 2014 by Michelle Alexander, a legal scholar and author of The New Jim Crow, when she talked about her concerns about the legalization of marijuana in different U.S. states. In many ways the imagery doesnt sit right, she said. Here are white men poised to run big marijuana businesses after 40 years of impoverished black kids getting prison time for selling weed, and their families and futures destroyed. Now, white men are planning to get rich doing precisely the same thing? I feel the same way about dopeness in academia. Since hip-hop has emerged as a global phenomenon largely embraced by many of the academically trained music scholars who initially rejected it, how will those scholars and their schools now make way for the people they have historically excluded? Given the economic realities faced by people after leaving prison, we both know there are limitations to his opportunities if we choose to see our successes as shared accomplishments. Depending on how dope is interpreted, prisons and universities serve as probable destinations for people who make their living with it. It has kept him in prison roughly the same amount of time as it has kept me in graduate school and in my profession. This present reality has historical significance for how I think of dope, and what it means for people to have their existence authorized or legalized, and Americas relationship to Black people. Many of the buildings at Clemson were built in the late 1880s using laborers convicted of mostly petty crimes that the state of South Carolina leased to the university. Similarly, the University of Virginia was built by renting enslaved laborers. The University also is required by state law to purchase office furniture from a state-owned company that depends on imprisoned people for labor. The people who make the furniture are paid very little to do so. The people in the federal prison where my friend who helped me pay for college is now housed work for paltry wages making towels and shirts for the U.S. Army. Even with all of the time and distance between our pasts and present, our paths are still inextricably intertwined along with all those others on or near the seemingly transient line that divides legal and illegal dope. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/as-the-global-musical-phenomenon-turns-50-a-hip-hop-professor-explains-what-the-word-dope-means-to-him-200872. CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: AKBA), a biopharmaceutical company with the purpose to better the lives of people impacted by kidney disease, today announced that the company met with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of New Drugs (OND) deciding authority to discuss Akebia's Formal Dispute Resolution regarding the Complete Response Letter for vadadustat received in March 2022. Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: AKBA), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of therapeutics for people living with kidney disease (PRNewsfoto/Akebia Therapeutics, Inc.) In February 2023, Akebia received notification from OND that Peter Stein, M.D., Director, OND, assumed responsibility as the deciding authority for the appeal. At the recent meeting, Akebia had a productive discussion with Dr. Stein, who indicated he is continuing internal consultation with experts in OND to complete the review and render a decision. Akebia expects to be notified of a response to the appeal within thirty days of Dr. Stein completing his internal discussions, potentially within the second quarter of 2023. About Akebia Therapeutics Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. is a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company with the purpose to better the lives of people impacted by kidney disease. The Company was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit our website at www.akebia.com, which does not form a part of this release. About Vadadustat Vadadustat is an oral hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor designed to mimic the physiologic effect of altitude on oxygen availability. At higher altitudes, the body responds to lower oxygen availability with stabilization of hypoxia-inducible factor, which can lead to increased red blood cell production and improved oxygen delivery to tissues. Vadadustat is an investigational new drug and is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). On March 29, 2022, the FDA issued a complete response letter to Akebia's New Drug Application for vadadustat for the treatment of anemia due to chronic kidney disease (CKD). In November 2022, Akebia submitted a Formal Dispute Resolution Request focused on the favorable balance of the benefits and risks of vadadustat for the treatment of anemia due to CKD in adult patients on dialysis. Vadadustat is currently under review by the European Medicines Agency for the treatment of anemia due to CKD in adults. In Japan, vadadustat is approved as a treatment for anemia due to CKD in both dialysis-dependent and non-dialysis dependent adult patients and in Korea, vadadustat is approved as a treatment for anemia in hemodialysis CKD patients. Story continues Forward Looking Statement Statements in this press release regarding Akebia Therapeutics, Inc.'s ("Akebia's") strategy, plans, prospects, expectations, beliefs, intentions and goals are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: Akebia's expectations on the timing of a response from the FDA with respect to its appeal. The terms "expect," "intend," "believe," "plan," "goal," "potential," "will," "continue," derivatives of these words, and similar references are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Actual results, performance or experience may differ materially from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statement as a result of various risks, uncertainties and other factors, including, but not limited to, risks associated with: decisions made by health authorities, such as the FDA and the European Medicines Agency, with respect to regulatory filings, including the New Drug Application for vadadustat and the Formal Dispute Resolution Request for vadadustat; the potential therapeutic benefits, safety profile, and effectiveness of vadadustat; the direct or indirect impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on regulators and Akebia's business, operations, and the markets and communities in which Akebia and its partners, collaborators, vendors and customers operate; manufacturing, supply chain and quality matters and any recalls, write-downs, impairments or other related consequences or potential consequences; early termination of any of Akebia's collaborations; and the competitive landscape for vadadustat, if approved. Other risks and uncertainties include those identified under the heading "Risk Factors" in Akebia's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, and other filings that Akebia may make with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in the future. These forward-looking statements (except as otherwise noted) speak only as of the date of this press release, and, except as required by law, Akebia does not undertake, and specifically disclaims, any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Akebia Therapeutics is a registered trademark of Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. Akebia Therapeutics Contact Mercedes Carrasco mcarrasco@akebia.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/akebia-therapeutics-provides-update-on-regulatory-process-for-vadadustat-301785315.html SOURCE Akebia Therapeutics This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate COHOES City leaders gave their preliminary approval Monday to stick with Ambulnz to provide emergency medical services at a cost of $50,000 per month. The city Board of Managers, which oversees the opening of contract bids, voted unanimously to accept Ambulnzs proposal over more expensive ones submitted by the Albany County Sheriffs Office and Mohawk Ambulance. Ambulnzs total proposal for annual service was $630,000, but $30,000 will be offset by its renting the Hill Fire Station at 59 Pleasant St. from the city. Were providing a subsidy they werent getting before, Mayor Bill Keeler said about the new contract. Before Feb. 1, ambulance coverage for the city came from Empire Ambulance. This privately operated service was purchased by Ambulnz, which is based in New York City, and the new company began operations in place of Empire. Thats when the city began paying the $50,000 monthly service fee. Were happy with the service, Fire Chief Joseph Fahd said. The number of mutual aid calls when another ambulance service had to come to Cohoes dropped from 16 in January to three since Feb. 1, Fahd said. The Cohoes Fire Department provided ambulance coverage in the 1970s but the city decided to find another provider due to costs. The Uniformed Fire Fighters of Cohoes, the union representing the citys firefighters, has argued that letting the fire department operate ambulance service could provide a source of revenue and reduce response times. Ambulnz will continue to seek reimbursement from health insurance companies for the people it transports, Keeler said. The difference, he added, is that the city is now paying a monthly fee. While the city doesnt have money budgeted to pay for ambulance service, the mayor said it will be able to draw from reserves it built up for a tax stabilization fund of about $3 million. In addition, the Common Council approved spending $150,000 from the citys American Rescue Plan Act funds to cover up to three months of ambulance service. The Ambulnz proposal was substantially lower than those made by the sheriffs office and Mohawk Ambulance. The sheriffs office bid was $20,000 per month higher than that of Ambulnz, while that submitted by Mohawk Ambulance was $70,000 per month higher, city officials said. The contract with Ambulnz goes to the Common Council for final approval Tuesday night. SARATOGA SPRINGS The attorney for the Utica man involved in the citys early morning shootout on Nov. 20 said that his client Alexander Colon was shot five times by an off-duty Vermont sheriffs deputy who now faces an attempted murder charge. Anthony LaFache said Colon was with friends from Utica to celebrate a birthday, but the festivities ended with Colon gravely injured in Albany Medical Center and unable to work as a barber for three months. They were not a gang from Utica, LaFache said. What troubles me is it seems there is a consistent portrayal that these Utica people came to Saratoga Springs to raise hell. That is not the case. Greg Teresi, a Glens Falls attorney who is defending the Vermont deputy, has alleged that Colon instigated the shoot out. LaFache, who is based in Utica, acknowledged he has not seen much of the evidence collected by police and Saratoga County District Attorney Karen Heggen but believes his client did not fire the first shot. The grand jury indicted Colon and two other men from Utica on misdemeanor assault charges that accused them of beating Caselnova. None face weapons charges. The men are expected to be arraigned on April 25. "Can I tell you my client did not fire first? Absolutely," LaFache said. "He was a victim here. There were so many people involved so Im not sure exactly what happened. But we all know my client got shot five times and was lying in the roadway." Vito Caselnova, a deputy who works for the Rutland County, Vt., sheriff's office, was arraigned Tuesday in an eight-count indictment that accuses him of attempted murder, assault, menacing and reckless endangerment. He was also charged with possession of a firearm in a sensitive location, two counts of possession of a large-capacity ammunition feeding device and harassment. Saratoga County Judge James A. Murphy III also issued an order of protection, telling Caselnova he must stay away from Colon for a year. We didnt even ask for that, LaFache said. That says something. Caselnovas attorney, Greg Teresi, asked for an order of protection for his client, but the judge rejected the request. Teresi said he was "disappointed" with the indictment. He has not yet responded to LaFache's comments. LaFache said he doesnt know what prompted the dispute. He said Colon and the others were celebrating a friends birthday on a night that started with a dinner in Clifton Park before the group headed to Saratoga Springs for a drink. LaFache said Colon has a concealed carry license but did not have a weapon with him in the bar. He said he doesnt know where the altercation started, if it was in a bar or on Caroline Street, the hub of the city's nightlife. The 3 a.m. altercation spilled onto Broadway, where Caselnova was shot by city police investigating the sound of the earlier gunshots. Caselnova, city officials alleged, had his gun leveled at police. In police body camera video released to the public, police can be heard repeatedly ordering Caselnova to drop his gun. When Caselnova didnt, police shot him. The deputys girlfriend, Cali Brown, was also shot in the arm when police opened fire. She plans to sue the city. LaFache applauded Heggen and First Assistant District Attorney Al Poremba. They took their time. There was no rush to judgment," he said. "They took months, looked at multiple videos and I think they heard from several witnesses and then the grand jury came to a proper decision. Thats what our system is all about. The shootout, he said has taken its toll on Colon, who suffered injuries to his knee, shoulder, arm and leg. Bullet fragments remain in Colons shoulder and he will need surgery. Colon's dream of opening his own barbershop have been put on hold, his attorney said. Hes been out of work for three months, LaFache said. There has been a lot of trauma. Thank God no one died. It was unclear if the other two men had attorneys. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ALBANY Safety-net health care providers in the Capital Region are desperate to thwart a change in the way Medicaid recipients in New York receive drug coverage set to go into effect Saturday. A little-known federal program called 340B has for decades steered federal dollars directly into the pockets of health clinics, homeless shelters and hospitals that serve New York's neediest communities. The initiative is poised to become part of budget talks that coincide with the implementation of the Medicaid change, which aims to reduce drug costs but also cuts off organizations' access to 340B funds. Advocates are especially concerned about the sustainability of the state's 19 Ryan White organizations, which provide services to individuals and families affected by HIV. "We're days away from Armageddon," said Perry Junjulas, executive director of the Damien Center in Albany. The Damien Center provides life-saving drugs, housing, meals and mental health counseling to hundreds of Capital Region residents affected by HIV and 340B funds make up 25 percent of the center's $3.5 million operating budget. All of those services will be in jeopardy when the 340B funding runs out, according to Junjulas. One of the program's beneficiaries is Frank Travis, who found a safe haven at the Damien Center in 2021 after years on the streets. He said he initially wasnt used to the quiet life and bolted. The center tracked him down and brought him back. In this place, they take care of their own. I never had family members that were concerned about me like that ... it kind of blew my mind," Travis said. Another Damien Center resident, Monica Cozzolino, said a years-long battle with addiction and homelessness cost her one of her legs and landed her in an assisted living facility. The Damien Center enables her to live independently with the support she needs to stay sober and healthy. "If you have any kind of dilemma, the staff is here, Johnny-on-the-spot," Cozzolino said. "I can't imagine the funding getting cut. I would have nowhere to go." The elimination of 340B funding would also be felt in Schenectady County, where Hometown Health is one of the only providers of primary care, dental care and behavioral health services for people with Medicaid. We have over 20,000 patients, we do over 60,000 visits a year," Hometown Health CEO Joe Gambino said. "If we are not seeing those people, theres only one organization that will see the brunt of that and its going to be Ellis Hospital. And Ellis Hospital cannot handle that volume." Hometown Health, which receives $2 million annually from the federal program, recently built a parking lot for staff and a $7-million dental clinic with the help of 340B funds. That money is used directly for patient care, Gambino said. By carving out managed care, they are basically taking all the money. How it works The 340B drug pricing program was created by Congress in 1992 to fill revenue gaps experienced by health care providers that operate on low, or negative, margins by providing significant discounts on prescription drugs. The program also facilitates a system in which the community health providers are able to collaborate with doctors and pharmacists to coordinate care for patients with complex needs. Providers purchase the drugs and distribute them at select pharmacies they are contracted with. The organizations are then reimbursed at standard network rates, and the federal money is reinvested in staff, caring for the uninsured and providing related services like housing and transportation. Currently, Medicaid recipients receive taxpayer-funded health coverage through private insurance plans, known as managed care organizations, which contracted with the state. Each of those companies negotiate their own rates with drug manufacturers. Organizations also work with pharmacy benefit managers that take a share of the profits. Recently, the 340B program has drawn scrutiny as some large nonprofit hospitals and for-profit pharmacy benefit managers were found to have diverted millions of dollars that should have gone to patient care. In 2021, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's administration set in motion a plan to "carve out" the pharmacy benefit from those plans, enabling the state to pay pharmacies directly. All Medicaid recipients will be moved to a new state-run pharmacy benefit plan called NYRx, modeled after a similar program in California, by the end of the month. State health officials say that the plan will streamline Medicaid drug pricing, eliminate costly middlemen and boost the state's bargaining power with pharmaceutical companies. The new program is also expected to make it easier for patients to obtain medication and reduce administrative costs for practitioners. Turning up the heat But the change also removes an income opportunity that many community health organizations have come to rely on. The federal 340B program still requires drug companies to sell their products to certain providers at low cost and those with many patients on Medicare or commercial insurance plans could still benefit but for organizations that exclusively service the poor and uninsured, the savings would effectively be shifted to the state Department of Health. The state's budget office projects that the NYRx transition will save the state $410 million in its first year and $547.8 million in its second. Gov. Kathy Hochul's 2023-2024 executive budget invests $700 million directly to 340B providers, which the state claims would make them whole. But providers say they have yet to see details on how the money would be distributed and the plan does not guarantee future state investment levels. The legislative houses support a compromise bill that would repeal the 340B carve out and establish regulations around 340B that they say addresses many of the state's concerns. A coalition of providers that includes Albany Medical Center, Albany's Whitney Young and Hometown Health have asked the governor to take up the legislation. "Moving the pharmacy benefit from managed care to fee-for-service will harm Medicaid members. It will lead to massive confusion, gaps in medication access and adherence, and fewer services and supports from the community-based safety net providers that serve them," the coalition wrote. "For people with HIV enrolled in Medicaid, the repercussions could be catastrophic and result in loss of access to life-saving HIV treatment." In a last-ditch effort to block implementation of the carve out, two large community health centers one in Buffalo, one in Harlem have filed a lawsuit against the state Department of Health that asks a judge to stall the NYRx program. Activists held a "die-in" this week at the Capitol to protest the carve out and bring attention to impacted communities. ALBANY Several school districts went into lockdown Thursday morning in response to unfounded reports of active shooters. It's a scenario that has plagued schools around the U.S., injecting an added layer of stress at a time when students, parents and educators are on edge about mass shootings. Albany school officials sent an email to teachers just minutes into the lockdown, saying there had been a report of a shooting at a school, but that "no evidence to substantiate this report has been discovered at this time." But the 911 calls were frightening. Schenectady officials said, in a message to parents, that such calls involved a person saying they were at a school and there is a shooter, while playing gunshot sounds in the background. In East Greenbush, the lockdown began as elementary school children were arriving for school. "We recognize that the timing of the lockdown occurring, as elementary students were being dropped off by school buses and parents, created some hardships and worries for students and families," wrote Superintendent Jeffrey Simons in a letter to parents, adding that "we felt students were safer on the buses and in their vehicles in the event that the threat was credible. ... I also want you to know that I understand that many of you were scared by the circumstances we faced this morning." Some parents reacted to the news of active shooter lockdowns by rushing to their children's schools, to the point that Rensselaer City School District officials sent a message to parents urging them not to come pick up their children early in response to the hoax. Troy, Saratoga Springs, Schodack, East Greenbush and others districts reported that they had been the subject of the hoax. But even some districts that had not been the target of the calls also went into lockdown as law enforcement advised them of the situation. Troy police said they investigated unfounded reports at the city's high school and middle school, but did a full search of the schools while students remained in their classrooms. In Albany, police also emphasized that the calls were a hoax. "Reports of an active shooter at Albany High School are completely unfounded," Officer Steve Smith, a spokesman for the Albany Police Department, said in a tweet. "All students and staff at the school are safe. There have been several swatting phone calls made across the Capital Region and state and were investigating." State Police spokesperson Beau Duffy said swatting calls Thursday have been statewide, reaching as far west Lockport and Rochester, as far north as Plattsburgh and Potsdam and as far south as the Hudson Valley and Long Island. The Associated Press reported a spate of threats and false reports of shooters have been pouring in to schools and colleges across the country for months, raising concerns among law enforcement and elected leaders. Schools in Pennsylvania and Utah were the latest targeted by so-called swatting on Wednesday. One day earlier, nearly 30 Massachusetts schools received fake threats. The Wednesday calls were described by law enforcement as computer-generated calls that made claims about active shooters, but it was all a hoax. Utah law enforcement said they traced the calls in their state to one IP address, located outside the country. It is not clear whether that IP address was also used for calls in New York. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Turns out the pandemic hasn't permanently dissuaded people especially immigrants from seeking their fortunes amid Manhattan's bustling streets. The county that encompasses Manhattan added more than 17,000 residents in the year ending last July after losing almost 111,000 people in the previous 12-month period, according to population estimates released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. The earlier decline was among the worst urban population losses from the COVID-19 outbreak. New York County was among several large, urban U.S. counties that either gained residents or stemmed the rate of declines between July 2021 and July 2022 compared with a year earlier. The reversal in population losses was particularly notable in King County, Washington, home to Seattle; as well as in large Sunbelt counties such as Dallas County, Texas; and two South Florida counties, Miami-Dade and Broward. The locations all had something in common: international immigration led the gains. I wasnt expecting this quick of a bounce back for some cities and urban areas. Its not a full recovery from before the pandemic but moving in the right direction, demographer William Frey, of the Brookings Institutions metropolitan policy program, Brookings Metro, said Thursday. Population change is driven by migration, both within U.S. borders as people move around, and international trends as people arrive from abroad. It also depends on whether births outpace deaths, or vice versa. Maricopa County, Arizona, home to Phoenix, had the biggest gain of any U.S. county, with almost 57,000 new residents last year. Domestic migration was primarily responsible. Harris County, Texas, home to Houston, followed with more than 45,000 new residents and international arrivals and natural increases propelling that growth; 20,000 residents left. Collin County, a northern suburb of Dallas, ranked third in rising population, with more than 44,000 new residents who primarily came from other U.S. counties. Los Angeles County, the most populous in the U.S. with 9.7 million people, lost the most residents last year, more than 90,000, as Angelenos moved elsewhere. One bright spot: The loss from domestic migration was 20% less than the previous year. The next biggest population loss was in Cook County, Illinois, home to Chicago, and the nation's second most populous county. That change was also driven by people leaving. Several San Francisco and San Jose-area counties that saw populations dramatically wane from July 2020 to July 2021 primarily due to tech workers working remotely had significantly smaller declines in 2022. The counties with the biggest influx of international immigration last year were Miami-Dade County, Florida; Harris County, Texas; and Los Angeles County. Harris County, Los Angeles County and Dallas County had the biggest natural increases. Three Florida counties Pinellas, Sarasota and Volusia led the U.S. in natural decreases attributed to deaths outpacing births. Florida's median age of 42.7 is one of the highest in the nation. The growth in Manhattan's New York County was propelled by international migration, and to a lesser extent by domestic migration and births outpacing deaths. It came despite rising Manhattan rents and coincided with many businesses' partial return to their offices, which ended some opportunities for remote work. There was a flood of people coming back into the city once the pandemic started easing up and that pushed rents up, said Daniel Akerman, a New York real estate agent. People always want to live in Manhattan." All the population estimates rely on birth, death and migration data. Despite the most recent gains, New York County was still running a population deficit of almost 98,000 residents as of last July when compared with April 2020, when COVID-19 spread quickly across the U.S. and the metropolitan area became an epicenter of the virus, spurring tens of thousands of residents to flee. Surrounding counties continued losing population last year. The three counties encompassing the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens recorded among the biggest population declines in the U.S., with losses ranging from 40,000 to 50,000 residents. This is still not really a COVID recovery year. Its only sort of a recovery, City University of New York sociology professor emeritus Andrew Beveridge said Thursday. They havent recouped. Several New Jersey counties near New York also experienced outflows last year. They included Hudson County, where the COVID-19 omicron variant closed preschools around Christmas 2021 and drove David Polonsky and his family to move temporarily to South Florida, near his parents. The move became permanent in 2022, as the family acclimated to being near relatives and because Polonsky and his wife could work their tech jobs remotely. They sold their home in Jersey City and purchased one in Palm Beach County, Florida. Polonsky said he misses some things about the New York area, such as being able to walk places instead of driving, and getting a decent slice of pizza instead of mahi mahi, the fish ubiquitous on Florida menus. I love mahi mahi as much as the next person, he said. But theres only so much mahi mahi you can eat. ___ Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at @MikeSchneiderAP ALBANY The battle for control of Congress next year is already being waged in a New York appellate court where Democrats are seeking to revive a case challenging the redrawing of state congressional boundaries after 11 New York Republicans won elections last year helping secure their party's narrow majority in the House. The lawsuit seeks to compel the state Independent Redistricting Commission to submit a new map to the Legislature that would reshape New York's congressional boundaries after a series of court rulings scrapped the gerrymandered districts that were created by state Democratic lawmakers. The boundaries were subsequently redrawn by a court prior to last year's elections, and those maps are set to remain in place for the next decade. The appeal is being waged as Democrats in Congress are hoping to regain control of the House in next year's election. The handful of unexpected GOP congressional victories last year in New York have made those seats a top priority for Democrats. If they are able to get new congressional boundaries through a court battle, it could improve their chances if those districts favor their candidates. A state Senate source and an attorney familiar with the case said it's being pushed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. The appeal is filed on behalf of 10 New York residents who are being represented by the Elias Law Group in Washington, D.C., which touts itself as "the nations largest law firm focused on representing the Democratic Party, Democratic campaigns, nonprofit organizations and individuals committed to securing a progressive future." A spokeswoman for the committee could not be immediately reached for comment on Wednesday. The case, which is scheduled to be argued in May before the Appellate Division of state Supreme Court in Albany, is unfolding in the backdrop of the politically charged effort to pick New York's next chief judge. The civil action essentially seeks a redo of the litigation that unfolded last year when the redistricting commission deadlocked along partisan lines, an impasse that allowed the Democrat-led Legislature to step in to finish the job creating boundaries that were later determined to be gerrymandered during a process that was also found to be procedurally unconstitutional. Some political observers have questioned whether progressive Democrats in the state Legislature had waged their recent effort to scuttle Gov. Kathy Hochul's first nominee for chief judge of the Court of Appeals to prevent that appellate justice, Hector D. LaSalle, from leading the state's highest court should the redistricting case return there. Last year, the Court of Appeals determined the Legislature's maps were unconstitutional. That decision sent the process back to a state Supreme Court in Steuben County, where new maps for Congress and the state Senate were drawn by a "special master." The speculation about keeping LaSalle viewed as a "law and order" jurist off the state's highest court for that reason was fueled in early February when former U.S. Attorney Eric Holder, chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, called state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins to discuss the nomination of LaSalle, which was subsequently rejected by the Senate. But Democratic sources in the Senate have pushed back on that assertion, noting that LaSalle received strong support from New York's Democratic congressional delegation, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who called him "highly qualified to be the chief judge of the state." Still, if the redistricting case makes it to the Court of Appeals, it's possible that Hochul's second nominee for chief judge will be at the helm and that the seven-member court's political makeup could shift from what is now considered a conservative majority. The appeal in the new case is seeking to overturn an Albany judge's ruling seven months ago that rejected their petition to compel the Independent Redistricting Commission to revive its work and submit a second congressional map to the Legislature. That outcome would result in the redistricting process that's supposed to be completed every 10 years being redone in time for the next congressional election in 2024. On Sept. 12, state Supreme Court Justice Peter A. Lynch rejected the petition in the ruling that is now being appealed. He said there was no authority for the redistricting commission to issue a second map, noting the 2022 congressional maps had been certified by a court "in accord with" the Court of Appeals' decision and also the state constitution. "The constitution clearly states that the redistricting shall take place 'every 10 years,'" which means the current maps "are in full force and effect, until redistricting takes place again following the 2030 federal census," Lynch wrote. In a brief responding to the appeal, attorneys for 14 Republican New York residents who filed the lawsuit last year that successfully challenged the constitutionality of the Legislature's redistricting process and led to those maps being thrown out argue that the constitutional mandate that redistricting maps remain in place for 10 years is intended "to provide stability in the election process." "Petitioners sought-after relief runs afoul of that intent, for it would provide a path to an annual redistricting process, wreaking havoc on the electoral process," the brief states. Although the redistricting commission and its members are named as defendants in the case, the 14 GOP residents are intervening respondents in the case due to their part in the lawsuit that unraveled the state's political boundaries last year. The plaintiffs' attorneys note that New York overhauled its redistricting process in 2014 and had created the commission with the intent to make it a bipartisan undertaking handled by a diverse group of commissioners who would rely heavily on public comment. They argue that process broke down due to partisan differences and that the commission never officially finished its task when they deadlocked along partisan lines on two sets of boundaries during their second, constitutionally required attempt to get the job done. They also contend last year's election took place using an "interim" map that had been "drawn by an out-of-state academic and approved by a single elected judge in a process that largely shut out the views of minority voters." Truestone will provide logistics and engineering technician support across all facets of electronics, communications, and security equipment maintenance HERNDON, Va., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Akima today announced that its subsidiary, Truestone, has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Army to provide logistics and engineering technician support at the Tobyhanna Army Depot, the largest full-service electronics maintenance facility in the Department of Defense (DoD). The contract has a value of $194 million over five years if all options are exercised. Tobyhanna is a recognized leader in providing world-class logistics support for command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C5ISR) systems across the Department of Defense. Tobyhanna's capabilities include full-spectrum support for sustainment, overhaul and repair, fabrication and manufacturing, engineering design and development, systems integration, technology insertion, modification, and global field support to our warfighters. Located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania, the Tobyhanna Army Depot is part of the U.S. Army Communications Electronics Command. "Supporting warfighter readiness has been a long-standing focus for Akima," said Duncan Greene, President of Akima's Mission Systems, Engineering & Technology Group. "We are proud to continue our support to the U.S. Army delivering quality services to Tobyhanna in support of the DoD's mission to empower the soldier with winning C5ISR capabilities." The contract was awarded under the Responsive Strategic Sourcing for Services (RS3) contract. Truestone will support the Tobyhanna maintenance mission of total sustainment, including fabrication, repair and overhaul of hundreds of electronic systems and support equipment. About Truestone, an Akima Company An Alaska Native Corporation (ANC), Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) and a wholly owned subsidiary of Akima, Truestone enables customers to achieve superior project outcomes and long-term business success. A systems Integrator and an end-to-end technology services and solutions provider, Truestone can support you across every critical point of your project's lifecyclefrom strategy, development and integration through operations, management, and maintenance. Proven at some of today's most complex, demanding, visible and secure operationsand quickly scalable to any size project Truestone is your partner of choice when quality, performance and value matter most. To learn more visit www.truestonefed.com. Story continues About Akima Akima is a global enterprise with over 9,000 employees, delivering agile solutions to the federal government in the core areas of facilities & ground logistics; information technology; aerospace solutions; protective services; systems engineering; mission support; furniture, fixtures & equipment (FF&E); and construction. As a subsidiary of NANA, an Alaska Native Corporation owned by more than 15,000 Inupiat shareholders, Akima's core mission is to enable superior outcomes for our customers' missions while simultaneously creating a long-lived asset for NANA consistent with our Inupiat values. In 2022, Akima ranked #29 on Washington Technology's Top 100 List and #56 on Bloomberg Government's BGOV200 List of top federal contractors. To learn more about Akima, visit www.akima.com. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/akima-subsidiary-awarded-194m-to-support-tobyhanna-army-depot-maintenance-contract-301786251.html SOURCE Akima Supporters of Clonmel man Bernard Phelan, who is imprisoned in Iran since last October, will hold a vigil outside the Iranian Embassy in Dublin this afternoon, as part of their campaign to secure his release. The vigil for the 64-year-old travel consultant, who is in poor health takes place outside the embassy at Mount Merrion Avenue in Blackrock from 3pm to 4pm. The vigil will be attended by Mr Phelan's 97-year-old father Vincent and sister Caroline along with extended family and friends. All taking part in the vigil are asked to bring a flower. Mr Phelan's family stress the vigil is not a protest but an opportunity to unite Bernard's friends, family and supporters and highlight what they describe as his hostage situation to the public and media. Mr Phelan has to date spent 178 days in prison in Iran. He was arrested on October 3 while travelling through the city of Mashhad, in the north-east of the country. He has dual Irish and French nationality, having lived in France for over 30 years. His family outline that in the latest development in his case, he was brought before a judge in shackles and found guilty of providing information to an enemy country, a charge he denies. He was not permitted to have his lawyer with him and was appointed a court lawyer for the process. A prison doctor and nurse accompanied him. In an initial hearing on February 20, the judge sentenced him to 3.5 years but said he would receive a pardon from the court on humanitarian grounds because of his age and his ill health. But on February 26, Bernard was again brought to the court, with 20 minutes notice and without his own lawyer. He was told he would not be pardoned and that his sentence had been increased to 6.5 years. Documentation from the legal proceedings has not been released. Mr Phelan denies all charges. His worried family point out that since being detained, Bernards health has deteriorated significantly. He was briefly admitted to hospital and placed on an IV drip. He requires daily medication for a number of health conditions and fears his supplies will run out. Bernards doctor is concerned about the decline in his health. He has significant cardiovascular issues, cervical atherosclerosis, abnormal hypertension, high risk of stroke and kidney failure, a bone problem that generates significant chronic pain. His eyesight is also deteriorating. He had an operation on both of his eyes prior to his trip to Iran and has not had the necessary postoperative follow-up. Bernard Phelan was born in Clonmel and went to primary school in the town. His father Vincent ran a furniture factory in Clonmel and the family lived at Kilgainey and later Killaloan before moving to Dublin. After moving to Dublin, Bernard and his family regularly returned to Clonmel to visit family and friends and Bernard loved to hike in the Comeragh Mountains. The family kept their house in Killaloan until eight years ago. Almost 17million in funding has been announced by the government to support projects at regional airports across Ireland. Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Jack Chambers TD, made the announcement today (March 30) during a visit to Shannon Airport. A recent Economic Impact Assessment calculated that the airport generates close to 1billion annually for the economy and supports approximately 13,695 jobs. Four and a half million euro has been allocated to Shannon, with almost 600,000 for Donegal, just over 5million for Ireland West (Knock), 400,000 for Kerry and 6million for Cork, marking a total of 16,630,619. Speaking today, Minister Chambers said, "I am pleased to be back in Shannon Airport today. Shannon Airport is the States third busiest airport, welcoming over 1.5 million passengers last year, which represents an 88% recovery on 2019 passenger traffic. I am delighted to hear that the airport is well on track for another busy year in 2023. "Already this year, the number of passengers travelling through Shannon Airport during January and February were up by 21% and 17% respectively compared to the same periods in 2019. This demonstrates the effective delivery of services, by the dedicated staff and management team who deliver for passengers on a daily basis, in meeting the extremely strong demand for international travel. He continued: "I am delighted to announce this funding today, which will support significant airfield rehabilitation works at Shannon Airport this year, as well as three new passenger airbridges. This will bring the number of new airbridges supported by way of Exchequer funding at Shannon Airport to six since 2021. Security screening equipment upgrades are also being supported, along with the continued support for water supply system upgrade works. "Continuing to assist Shannon Airport in transitioning to a low carbon economy, support for the replacement of four airport operational vehicles with electric vehicles is being provided. This builds on the seven safety, security and operational vehicles already replaced at the airport by way of Exchequer funding in the past two years." According to the Department of Transport, funding allocated to Cork Airport will allow for the commencement of a significant CAT 3 security screening project this year. To date, the government has provided funding to support projects employing this CAT 3 security screening technologies at Shannon, Donegal, and Kerry airports, with Knock receiving approval today for the technology as part of their funding allocation under the Regional Airports Programme. This security screening technology allows both electronic devices and liquids to be left in hand luggage for screening, expediting the whole security screening process and enhancing the overall passenger experience at airports. Almost 1,000 lives a year could be saved across the island of Ireland if authorities adopt international guidelines on air pollution, a new report claims. The major cross-border assessment reveals that around 2,600 premature deaths can be attributed to air pollution 1,700 in the Republic and 900 in Northern Ireland - annually. The study, Air Pollution and Mortality on the Island of Ireland, launched by Environment Minister Eamon Ryan today (March 30), was commissioned by the Irish Heart Foundation and British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland and compiled by experts from Queens University Belfast and Technological University Dublin. Ella, left, Janica and Elena, students from Presentation Secondary School Warrenmount in Dublin 8, speaking with Minister Eamon Ryan The World Health Organisation recommends air quality guideline levels for harmful particulate matter, largely caused by the burning of solid fuels, of 5 micrograms per cubic metre. But the data states that many people, North and South, are exposed to air pollution well in excess of this. Some of the blackspots with the highest pollution levels are in the Republic - with Limerick, Dublin and Waterford cities experiencing some of the worst air quality. Tim Collins, left, Chief Executive, Irish Heart Foundation, with Minister Eamon Ryan and Head of British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland, Fearghal McKinney, at the launch of the report The heart charities are calling on both governments to collaborate to improve air quality across the island. We know that across the island of Ireland, poor air quality is continuing to have a detrimental impact on public health, said Irish Heart Foundation CEO, Tim Collins. This report estimates that there could be almost 1,000 fewer premature deaths per year attributable to air pollution on the island if we are to achieve fine particulate matter pollution levels in line with the updated 2021 WHO guideline level. The findings make for stark reading and serve to shed some light on the size of the problem of air pollution. He called for an all-island strategy to make the WHO guidelines enforceable on both sides of the Border - and help for households experiencing fuel poverty to lessen their reliance on solid fuels to heat their homes. Particulate matter or PM2.5 can damage blood vessels, causing them to become narrower and harder, and can also cause abnormal heart rhythms and increase blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart attacks and stroke. The report found the biggest risk to life from air pollution is heart disease, with 680 heart disease and stroke deaths in the Republic and 300 in Northern Ireland linked to the inhalation of PM2.5. Environment, Climate and Communications Minister, Eamon Ryan, welcomed the valuable report, which he said shines a spotlight on the impact of residential heating and transport on air quality. The report reaffirms what I and this Government have always acknowledged that there are no safe levels of air pollution, and taking into account all its negative effects, the onus is on us to move towards the new WHO guidelines, he said. Head of British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland, Fearghal McKinney, said too many deaths across the island are attributable to air pollution. A video was shown at today's launch, produced by students and teachers from Presentation Secondary School Warrenmount in Dublin 8 and backing additional efforts for cleaner air across the island. March 30, 2023 Shared hosting is a type of web hosting service that hosts multiple websites on a single server, each with its own domain name. This arrangement allows for all of the websites on that server to share the maintenance expenses. Every website on the server has access to the same resources and features, such as databases, disk space, and monthly traffic. Shared hosting is an ideal solution for many small businesses due to its low cost and wide range of available features and applications. Key Characteristics to Consider When it comes to shared web hosting, there are a few key characteristics to consider. They are as follows: 1.Storage When hosting a website, its important to have enough space to store your files, databases, and media. With shared web hosting, this storage space is limited, which means you have to assess your needs and ensure the allocated space is sufficient for your website to function properly. If you're not sure how much space you'll need, talk to your hosting provider about upgrading to a higher plan to avoid website downtime caused by storage limitations. 2.Bandwidth (News - Alert) When choosing a web hosting provider, you should not forget about bandwidth. While some service providers may offer unlimited bandwidth, they may also limit traffic speed, which can have a negative impact on website performance. Therefore, when looking for a shared hosting plan, make an effort to secure as much bandwidth as possible. 3.Security It is critical to ensure the security of your website. With WordPress powering 35% of websites globally, skipping security precautions is not an option. You have to choose a dependable hosting provider that uses top-notch security protocols. However, it is important to note that shared web hosting options may provide less security than managed web hosting solutions. While shared hosting is adequate, it cannot compete with the level of security provided by managed hosting. 4.Uptime Website uptime is the amount of time that a site is operational and accessible to its visitors without interruption. In the case of shared web hosting, which is typical for smaller websites, 98% uptime is still considered excellent because 99.9% uptime is not always required. Keep in mind that some downtime is expected for server maintenance, software updates, and other processes. 5.Customer Support A dependable support team can be of huge help, especially if you're new to web hosting. As a result, you have to choose a provider that offers quick and responsive support that can address all of your concerns. Select a hosting company that offers multiple channels of communication with its support staff. Check online reviews to determine the level of support provided by your potential web host candidates. Advantages of Shared Web Hosting Here are some of the most significant advantages of using shared web hosting: 1.Affordability With shared hosting, multiple websites share storage space, bandwidth, and other resources, so the costs of the server and its maintenance are divided among its users. As a result, users can create high-quality websites for a reasonable price. Furthermore, the shared web hosting plan includes several supplementary features such as a domain name, user-friendly website-building software, and marketing tools. 2.Upkeep In the case of shared web hosting, the hosting provider is in charge of maintaining the server, hardware, and other critical components. This results in less website downtime due to quick response times. Because the server is used by multiple users, a problem with one website can affect all the others. For that reason, web hosting companies prioritize quick and effective solutions to technical problems and security concerns. This allows you to focus on other aspects of your business while all server-related issues are left with the web hosting company. 3.User-friendly Whether you build your website yourself or hire a professional designer to do it, you'll have access to simple and efficient tools to help you configure, set up, and personalize your website. Furthermore, the user-friendly control panel makes it easier to update files, upload photos, and use other supplementary features. Conclusion Recognizing the importance of a strong online presence for the growth and success of your company is crucial. As a business owner, particularly if you own a small business, you should consider the significance of shared web hosting and the features it offers. There is a high chance that shared hosting may be ideal for your website. [March 29, 2023] EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure Announces Expansion in Preeminent Northern Virginia Data Center Market Acquisition of land in Sterling, Virginia completed in partnership with Penzance DENVER, March 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure, a wholesale data center developer, owner and operator, today announced the expansion of its presence in Northern Virginia through the establishment of a partnership with Penzance, a Washington, D.C. based real estate developer, to co-develop 7.6 acres centrally located in the heart of the largest data center market in the world. The site supports customers seeking high-performance capacity with low-latency access to leading cloud hubs and supporting network access across Northern Virginia. "With the acquisition of additional land in Northern Virginia, EdgeCore adds another key data center location to our portfolio and continues to advance our focus on rapid growth and development in key data center markets," said Lee Kestler, CEO, EdgeCore. "We are pleased to have partnered with Penzance on this project and are grateful for the acceleration they are bringing to the process through their deep regional expertise and connections." This newly acquired parcel is planned to accommodate a 285,000 square foot, three-story data center, capable of supporting 36 MW of critical load. The site plan approval process is expected to be completed by the end of 2023. A dozen local and national long-haul fiber providers are located adjacent to the site, making EdgeCore's newest data center location in Northern Virginia an attractive option for leading cloud and internet companies. "The Penzance team has prepared this site for data center development and is excited that our partner, EdgeCore, shares our vision and will apply its expertise to advance the project to is next phase," said Cristopher White, Managing Director of Investments, Penzance. "We continue to invest in and grow our Virginia portfolio across multiple product types, including data center, industrial and multifamily through our discretionary value add funds." EdgeCore's existing site in Northern Virginia, comprised of 348,000 square feet and capable of supporting 54 MW of critical load, is located just two miles from this newly acquired land. Combined, both EdgeCore data center sites provide 633,000 square feet of space and 90 MW of critical load to customers seeking space in the world's most vital data center market. In November 2022,https://www.edgecore.com/post/edgecore-press-release-recap-11-9 EdgeCore was acquired by Partners Group, a leading global private markets firm, acting on behalf of its clients. Partners Group will invest up to USD $1.2 billion to fund the acquisition and buildout of existing and future data center sites. Today's expansion announcement in Northern Virginia is the latest development project announced by EdgeCore in 2023, the first of which was announced in January for Silicon Valley, California. About EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure serves the world's largest cloud, internet, and technology companies with both ready-for-occupancy and build-to-suit data center capacity supported by best-in-class service-delivery capabilities. Privately held and supported by committed equity to fund an initial aggregate amount of over USD $4 billion in development, EdgeCore supports customer requirements by proactively investing in land, power, and vertical development in key data center locations, with building designs that meet key performance specifications and sustainability objectives. EdgeCore has four markets with power and shovel ready campuses, operational data center buildings, and the ability to expand investment into new markets. For more information, please visit edgecore.com. About Penzance The Penzance goal is to leave things better than when we found them. It is a philosophy that enables Penzance to create extraordinary value for investors, partners, and communities alike. Founded in 1996, Penzance is a fully-integrated real estate investment company with deep roots in the Mid-Atlantic region. Penzance is woman-owned and over 50% diverse. Penzance has built a strong investment track record over the last 26 years by investing in value-add real estate, currently through two discretionary fund vehicles and partnerships with leading institutions. During this period, Penzance has committed over $3.5 billion of capital through several market cycles. Penzance currently targets investments and development opportunities primarily in the multifamily, industrial, and data center sectors. For more information, please visit pzre.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/edgecore-digital-infrastructure-announces-expansion-in-preeminent-northern-virginia-data-center-market-301783768.html SOURCE EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 29, 2023] Accelecom Joins Georgia Broadband Advisory Committee Georgia's largest middle mile network provider helps state bridge the broadband digital divide LOUISVILLE, Ky. , March 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Accelecom, a fast-growing Southeastern regional wholesale and business fiber provider, today announced it has been selected to join the Georgia Broadband Advisory Committee. As the state's largest middle mile network provider with a predominantly rural footprint, Accelecom is uniquely positioned to deliver essential broadband services to rural communities. "Through continued investment in the former Georgia Public Web (GPW), Accelecom is bringing secure, reliable and scalable high-speed internet services to underserved and unserved areas of the state," said Brad Kilbey, CEO for Accelecom. "We look forward to working with Georgia Technology Authority (GTA) and partners to pave a modern broadband path to more connected healthcare, education, and ag-tech services that spur innovation and economic development." GTA and the Department of Community Affairs are leading the Georgia Broadband Initiative, whose goal is to promote and deploy broadband services in unserved areas of the state. Broadband has become essential to business, education, healthcare, agriculture, and overall quality of life, but many rural communities lack high-speed access to the internet. The initiative also involves the Department of Economic Development, the State Properties Commission, and the Department of Transportation. Louisville, Ky. , completed its acquisition of Georgia Public Web in October of 2022. The acquisition enables Accelecom to provide fiber-based next-generation network solutions to enterprise and carrier customers region-wide, while improving the quality of broadband connectivity in urban and rural areas. Since closing its acquisition in October, the company has expanded its network engineering, operations, sales, and customer support staff in Georgia with the goal of delivering a superior customer experience and creating long-term value for Georgia communities, businesses, and consumers alike. About GTA The Georgia Technology Authority (GTA) coordinates the establishment and administration of programs to increase economic, educational, and social opportunities for citizens and businesses through broadband services. GTA currently manages the delivery of IT infrastructure services to 89 Executive Branch agencies and managed network services to more than 1,200 state and local government entities. IT infrastructure services encompass mainframes, servers, service desk, end user computing, disaster recovery and security. Managed network services include the state's wide and local area networks, voice, cable and wiring, and conferencing services. Both categories of services are provided as shared services through a public-private partnership called the Georgia Enterprise Technology Services (GETS) program. A Multi-sourcing Service Integrator is responsible for coordinating and overseeing the delivery of services by multiple providers. GTA is responsible for service provider oversight and management as well as governance. About Accelecom Accelecom is a fast-growing broadband provider based in Louisville, Kentucky. The company provides fiber-based services over a state-of-the-art optical network to support the ever-growing capacity demands of its customers. The company's solutions meet the modern business requirements of enterprise customers migrating to the cloud and internet service providers (ISP) partners helping rural communities fuel economic development and bridge the digital divide. For more information, visit the Accelecom website and follow the company on LinkedIn and Twitter. Media Contact Debbie Lewis [email protected] 610-772-5103 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/accelecom-joins-georgia-broadband-advisory-committee-301784144.html SOURCE Accelecom [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 29, 2023] Budget 2023 is a start but significant low-carbon competitiveness gap remains Renewable Industries Canada says the federal government's efforts in Budget 23 are a step in the right direction but is too slow on biofuels OTTAWA, ON, March 29, 2023 /CNW/ - Renewable Industries Canada (RICanada) thanks the Hon. Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, and her team at Finance Canada, for their work to make Canada a more competitive place to invest in clean energy. Budget 2023 A Made-in-Canada Plan: Strong Middle Class, Affordable Economy, Healthy Future's Clean Hydrogen investment tax credit and other measures will ensure that Canadian developers of low-carbon hydrogen projects will be better positioned in global markets. The new Clean Hydrogen Ivestment Tax Credit is a welcome and important start to help attract capital and spur domestic production in Canada. However, not extending the same investment tools to domestic low carbon liquid biofuels production is concerning. As other countries aggressively incentivize low carbon liquid biofuels, hearing news of further consultations in Canada is disappointing. Biofuels are a permanent and growing feature of net-zero ambitions in the United States and across Europe. Canadian policy announcements to date continue to lag these jurisdictions in amplitude and impact. RICanada is urging the federal government to work closely with the biofuels industry in Canada to accelerate its growth. Specifically, RICanada is asking the government to prioritize recommendations made by the biofuel industry and its partners in the agriculture sector in recent years, in relation to the Clean Fuel Regulations announced in 2016. These recommendations include accurate carbon accounting, incenting capacity building investments, carbon border adjustments and avoiding administrative pitfalls and delays that could prevent true carbon reductions, like biofuels, from being implemented effectively and remaining competitive in light of the incentives offered in the US. QUOTES "Renewable Industries Canada has long advocated for practical policy measures to improve Canada's production and use of low carbon fuel. Budget 2023 is a step in the right direction that will help level the playing field for hydrogen production in Canada. However, Canada needs an entire suite of low-carbon fuels, in addition to hydrogen, to keep our economy moving and our environment clean. We look forward to continuing to work with the government to swiftly implement additional measures to grow domestic biofuel production and the economic benefits that come with that." Andrea Kent, Board Member, RICanada About RICanada Founded in 1984, Renewable Industries Canada (RICanada) is a business coalition representing Canada's first and foremost biofuel producers. With a mission to promote the use of value-added products made from renewable resources, our members work to raise consumer awareness, offer expertise on low-carbon policies and markets, and are helping build a sustainable future powered by clean technology and fuels. Twitter: @renewcan SOURCE Renewable Industries Canada [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 29, 2023] Edgewater Wireless Announces Third Quarter 2023 Financial Results Edgewater Wireless Systems Inc. (TSXV: YFI) (OTC: KPIFF), the industry leader in Wi-Fi Spectrum Slicing technology for residential and enterprise markets, is pleased to announce its financial and operational results for the Second Quarter ending January 31, 2023, which are available on SEDAR (www.SEDAR.com). "We're delighted by the interest and feedback from our recent webinar with our Tier 1 partner Liberty Global. Sharing the results of arguably one of the most extensive studies into home Wi-Fi performance captured the attention and interest of hundreds of attendees - from service providers to vendors to regulators and even competitors. And further validated the global opportunity for Spectrum Slicing in the home," said Andrew Skafel, President and CEO of Edgewater Wireless. "We have captured the attention of the global Wi-Fi industry - a market forecasted to reach $51.81 billion by 20301. Spectrum Slicing offers a viable, proven, real-world solution to better home Wi-Fi for ALL end devices - existing and new." For more information on the benefits of increasing channel/link density with Spectrum Slicing, watch our recent Light Reading webinar, "Unlocking real-world performance in Home Wi-Fi" with our guest, Liberty Global, here: https://www.lightreading.com/webinar.asp?webinar_id=2209 Q3 FY 2023 Operating Results: Net loss for Q3 FY 2023 was $288,140 compared to a net loss of $279,987 for Q3 FY 2022 Q3 FY 2023 Activities and Accomplishments: The Annual General Meeting took place on November 22, 2022, and shareholders approved all matters unanimously. Subsequent Event: On March 7, 2023, a major Tier 1 Service Provider joined Edgewater Wireless on a Light Reading hosted webinar titled "Unlocking Real-World Performance in Home i-Fi". A significant milestone for the Company, the webinar has generated commercial momentum from additional major Tier 1 Service Providers facing identical Wi-Fi challenges. www.SEDAR.com. About Edgewater Wireless We make Wi-Fi. Better. Edgewater Wireless is the industry leader in innovative Spectrum Slicing technology for residential and commercial markets. We develop advanced Wi-Fi silicon solutions, Access Points, and IP licensing designed to meet the real-world needs of service providers and their customers. With over 26 granted patents, Edgewater's in-band multi-channel/link technology revolutionizes Wi-Fi, delivering next-generation Wi-Fi today. Edgewater's physical layer Spectrum Slicing allows a frequency band to be divided, or sliced, to enable more radios to operate in a given area. Think of Spectrum Slicing like moving from a single-lane road to a multi-lane highway - regardless of Wi-Fi technology. The recently completed Proof of Concept (PoC) with a major Tier 1 Service Provider showed 7 to 18 times performance gains in 75% of homes surveyed. Interestingly, homes with the most devices saw the greatest improvements. For more information, visit www.edgewaterwireless.com. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. The use of any of the words "expect", "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "objective", "ongoing", "may", "will", "project", "should", "believe", "plans", "intends" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking information or statements. Although Edgewater Wireless believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements and information are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements and information because Edgewater Wireless can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. By its nature, such forward-looking information is subject to various risks and uncertainties, which could cause Edgewater Wireless' actual results and experience to differ materially from the anticipated results or expectations expressed. These risks and uncertainties, include, but are not limited to access to capital markets, market forces, competition from new and existing companies and regulatory conditions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is given as of the date it is expressed in this news release or otherwise, and to not use future-oriented information or financial outlooks for anything other than their intended purpose. Edgewater Wireless undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. ____________________________ 1 Source: Research and Markets Wi-Fi Chipset Market Research Report (https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/5336316/wi-fi-chipset-market-research-report-by-mimo#product--methodology) View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230329005989/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 29, 2023] Education Foundation for California Schools Announces Grant Recipients for 2022 Applicants The Education Foundation for California Schools, a non-profit organization created by SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union and the Orange County Department of Education, today announced that it awarded 119 grants to teachers throughout the state to help fund programs designed to encourage students to learn and excel in the core subjects of language arts, science and mathematics, foreign language, and social studies. The grants - awarded in $1,000 and $5,000 funding levels - total more than $285,000. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230329005982/en/ A total of 119 Foundation grants were distributed to teachers in 10 counties throughout Northern and Southern California. "Along with the Orange County Department of Education, SchoolsFirst FCU is proud and honored to provide this support to California teachers and the important role they play in shaping the future of our students," said Bill Cheney, chief executive officer of SchoolsFirst FCU. "At SchoolsFirst FCU, our purpose is to help build a brighter future for school employees, and the Education Foundation grants provide these funds to help our next generation of leaders reach their potential in innovative and inspiring ways." Every year, the Education Foundation for California Schools awards grants to California teachers from kindergarten to community college. Grants can be used for materials or equipment to support the development of new programs in core subjects. Since the program was launched in 2003, more than 590 teachers have received grants totaling nearly $1.5 million, directly impacting more than 50,000 California students. Applications for grants are open during the month of October, and teachers are encouraged to apply on the Foundation's website. SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union is the largest credit union serving school employees and their families. For more information, visit schoolsfirstfcu.org. About SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union is the fifth largest credit union in the country. Serving school employees and their families, the organization is dedicated to providing World-Class Personal Service and improving the financial lives of its Members. Today they serve more than 1.2 million Members with a full range of financial products and services - from savings and loans to investment, retirement and insurance products. SchoolsFirst FCU was founded in 1934, when 126 school employees pooled $1,200 and established a Member-owned cooperative to help improve each other's lives. In 2022, the Credit Union reported nearly $28 billion in assets and remains the largest credit union in California. For more information about SchoolsFirst FCU, visit schoolsfirstfcu.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230329005982/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] (Bloomberg) -- Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. will consider gradually giving up control of some of its main businesses, after completing a major overhaul to create six new companies that may debut on public markets. Most Read from Bloomberg Chinas online commerce leader unveiled plans this week to split its $250 billion empire six ways, a historic restructuring that frees up divisions from e-commerce and media to the cloud to operate more autonomously and seek initial public offerings. Chief Executive Officer Daniel Zhang hosted a conference call on Thursday to explain the changes, but declined to specify a timeline for any IPOs except to say they will evaluate market conditions. Alibaba has gained more than $30 billion of market value since Tuesdays announcement, which also fired up a rally in fellow Chinese technology shares. It gained another 2.8% in Hong Kong Thursday. The biggest overhaul in Alibabas history could serve as a model for a shake-up of the broader technology sector, achieving Beijings aim of curtailing increasingly powerful private firms while unlocking shareholder value. That shuffle is regarded as addressing two imperatives: appeasing a government distrustful of Big Tech while assuaging investors traumatized by a years-long regulatory crackdown. Even Alibaba Will Have a Favorite Child or Two: Tim Culpan This may mark the end of the two-year period where the regulators were really scrutinizing these big tech platforms in China. So this may be a signal that its time to move on, said George Sun, head of global markets for Greater China at BNP Paribas. The real test is whether these individual companies, these six companies, are going to be competitive on their own. Story continues For a liveblog of the call, click here. Alibabas board will initially remain in control of each of the six but intends to reduce its role over time. The idea is to become more of an asset or capital backer than to intervene in their businesses, Zhang told analysts on the conference call. Of course the governance structures will be changing, but there will be business continuity across our range of different businesses, he said. The overhaul plan is also spurring hopes for Hong Kongs IPO market. Initial public offerings by Chinese firms have slumped in Hong Kong and abroad since since mid-2021 as Beijing expanded a crackdown over several large companies and industry groups ranging from technology to education. The financial hubs advantages include easy access for foreign investors, while Beijings proximity can ease its policymakers concerns about oversight, according to analysts. While other Chinese conglomerates may follow Alibabas overhaul, mainland bourses could also attract some potential listings, they said. The shift to a holding company structure is rare for major Chinese tech firms and could present a template for peers such as WeChat operator Tencent Holdings Ltd. Xi Jinpings administration had long criticized the influence of online platforms, worried that concentrating power and data among a few tech companies suppresses innovation and threatens the Partys grip on power. Alibaba and Tencent invested in hundreds of startups over the years, often helping shape entire segments of the consumer internet from ride-hailing to grocery delivery. Alibabas restructuring also marks a departure from the internet companys traditional preference for keeping most of its operations under one roof, running everything from supermarkets to datacenters under the main Alibaba umbrella. Decentralizing the companys business lines and decision-making power addresses one of Beijings primary goals during its sweeping crackdown. Another key priority is jumpstarting growth after years of Covid Zero restrictions depressed activity across the worlds No. 2 economy. --With assistance from Sarah Zheng, Zheping Huang and Vlad Savov. (Updates with share action and comments from the second paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. [March 29, 2023] Blue Ocean Smart System Unveils Chiplet-Based Products Powered by VeriSilicon's High-Performance Processors VeriSilicon (688521.SH) today announced Blue Ocean Smart System, an AI chiplet and SoC design company, has deployed high-performance AI chips with scalable chiplet architecture powered by multiple processors from VeriSilicon, including the CC8400 General-Purpose Graphics Processor Unit (GPGPU), VIP9400 Neural Network Processor (NPU), and VC8000D Video Processor Unit (VPU). Blue Ocean's chiplet-based products are aimed at addressing the needs of data center, high-performance computing, and automotive applications. VeriSilicon's highly scalable CC8400 GPGPU offers exceptional versatility and performance, and supports half-precision 16-bit floating-point and full-precision 32-bit floating-point, as well as 8-bit, 16-bit, and 32-bit fixed-point data precision. It delivers robust computing capabilities with optimized area and power consumption. With support for transformer models, VeriSilicon's VIP9400 NPU delivers powerful and efficient AI capabilities for data center and automotive applications. Additionally, VeriSilicon's high-throughput, multi-format VC8000D VPU can be used for video analytics. Blue Ocean's targeted HPC, AI, and computing platforms serve more industries and customers with an expandable set of chiplet ICs that are universally programmable to support products for use from edge to cloud. Leveraging Blue Ocean's leading architecture and patented BxLink technologies, the company integrates its innovative microarchitecture, hardware, and software development environment to provide fully scalable solutions that greatly enhance the competitiveness of customer products, reduce product development costs, and shorten development cycles for the markets focused on AI training, inferencing, high-precision computing, large-scale image processing, fluid dynamics, climate science, autonomous driving, advanced robotics, and biomedicine. With the chiplet architecture, Blue Ocean's products can cover a wide range of market segments from low-power AI Edge applications with Bx100 solutions, to high-performance computing (HPC) cloud systems with Bx400 and Bx800 solutions. John Rowland, President of Blue Ocean, says: "The demand for high-performance computing in data center and automotive applications is increasing rapidly. VeriSilicon's extensive portfolio of high-performance processors and their expertise i chip implementation makes them an excellent partner for our chiplet products' deployments. The recent advancements in AI applications, such as ChatGPT, have further fueled the demand for more GPGPU and NPU computing. With the innovative chiplet-based system architecture, we can provide quite a number of unique features and competitive solutions to our customers. The success of shipments of Blue Ocean's Bx series of chipsets to the market last year has proven this point." Wei-Jin Dai, Executive VP and GM of IP Division at VeriSilicon, says: "We are honored to partner with industry leader Blue Ocean to realize the chiplet concept in silicon, catering to the data center and automotive market segments. Blue Ocean stands at the forefront of delivering chiplet silicon solutions, and we are proud to join forces with them. VeriSilicon's chiplet IP series is developed based on our high-performance processors, including GPGPU, NPU, and VPU technologies that have been deployed across multiple generations of data center products. Our VPU is already being used in 12 of the top 20 cloud platforms worldwide. Development of maturing UCIe and BOW die-to-die interfaces and decreasing chiplet packaging costs will accelerate the use of chiplets for complex functions." About Blue Ocean Blue Ocean Smart System is an industry-leading artificial intelligence (AI) SoC semiconductor start-up company. Blue Ocean is well-positioned to capture the massive growth in demand for AI processing chips across the world and differentiates itself with a highly scalable chiplet architecture to produce a single architecture that can span all four use cases (cloud, edge, training, inference). Blue Ocean is the first company in the world to design and tape out two types of AI chips, a GPGPU and an NPU, at the same time with a universal and scalable chiplet architecture. Blue Ocean has a developed key technology with chiplet architecture, leads in design capabilities and is committed to the development of cloud and edge chips that can solve practical problems in the industry. At present, the first-generation 12nm Chiplet GPGPU chip, BlueFin, and NPU chip, BlueDanio, are available for customers at the same time. For more information: http://www.blueoceansmart.com About VeriSilicon VeriSilicon Microelectronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (VeriSilicon, 688521.SH) is committed to providing customers with platform-based, all-around, one-stop custom silicon services and semiconductor IP licensing services leveraging its in-house semiconductor IP. Under the unique "Silicon Platform as a Service" (SiPaaS) business model, depending on the comprehensive IP portfolio, VeriSilicon can create silicon products from definition to testing and packaging in a short time, and provides high-performance and cost-efficient semiconductor alternative products for fabless, IDM, system vendors (OEM/ODM), large internet companies and cloud service providers, etc. VeriSilicon's business covers consumer electronics, automotive electronics, computer and peripheral, industry, data processing, Internet of Things (IoT) and other applications. VeriSilicon presents a variety of customized silicon solutions, including high-definition video, high-definition audio and voice, in-vehicle infotainment, video surveillance, IoT connectivity, smart wearable, high-end application processor, video transcoding acceleration and intelligent pixel processing, etc. In addition, VeriSilicon has six categories of in-house processor IPs, namely GPU IP, NPU IP, VPU IP, DSP IP, ISP IP and Display Processor IP, as well as more than 1,500 analog and mixed signal IPs and RF IPs. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Shanghai, China, VeriSilicon has 7 design and R&D centers in China and the United States, as well as 11 sales and customer service offices worldwide. VeriSilicon currently has more than 1,300 employees. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230329005473/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 29, 2023] ADA CELEBRATES RECORD-BREAKING FIVE YEARS The company achieved five times growth in top line revenue, serving over 3,000+ large brands and developed 1,200 digital talents across 11 countries SINGAPORE, March 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Integrated growth agency ADA celebrated its momentous 5-year anniversary today. Formed in 2018, ADA has grown multi-fold in its solutions, capabilities, markets and people. Over the past five years, ADA has supported over 3,000 enterprises in their digital transformation journeys to better understand fast-evolving consumer behaviours and successfully engage with new-age consumers. Some of ADA Asia's key achievements over the past five years include: Launched the first of its kind integrated media, creative, tech, ecommerce, customer engagement services, which has gained significant traction. Won over 220 APAC industry awards for our clients' outstanding work. Solid triple digit year-on-year (YoY ) business growth since 2018, culminating in top line revenue of approximately USD300 million . Operating profit crossed USD20 million , and company remained profitable in 4 of the 5 years since nception. , and company remained profitable in 4 of the 5 years since nception. Achieved a diverse and equitable workplace with 50:50 gender ratio across metrics. Developed the largest Southeast Asia talent pool of 1,200 specialists in ecommerce and digital marketing. talent pool of 1,200 specialists in ecommerce and digital marketing. Attracted founding investors, Axiata , Softbank Corp & Sumitomo Corporation to support ADA's growth. ada-ians across 11 countries in APAC, who through their vision, creativity, grit and determination built a company from ground up. ADA is pioneering outcome-based solutions that is powered by data, technology, and content, which proved successful for our clients during their transition to digital. As a result, we were able to record five times business growth and transformed many brands ," said Srinivas Gattamneni, Chief Executive Officer at ADA. Since its inception in 2018, ADA has been at the forefront of driving digital transformation in the region. With offices in 11 markets across Asia and a team of about 1,200 digital experts, ADA has supported some of the largest and most respected brands in the region including Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Etiqa Insurance, Petronas, DBS Bank, Laneige, Nestle, Watsons, Burger King, and Toyota. Looking ahead, ADA plans to continue innovating with a number of exciting initiatives on the horizon - focusing on connected analytics, marketing, commerce and customer experience solutions to grow clients' top line. The company will be investing in new technologies such as conversational chatbots, Customer Data Platforms, and AI-powered technologies, while expanding its footprint in existing markets and exploring new ones. ADA also aims to deepen its partnerships with leading companies in the data and AI space, to bring more value to its clients. "While the historic growth has been satisfying, we remain focused to develop into a broader APAC champion as an integrated growth partner for enterprises. In future, we will be expanding into India, South Korea and Japan to leverage the capabilities we have built to serve large markets. We will continue to broaden and deepen our offerings across the marketing, commerce and customer engagement solutions to provide our clients with tangible solutions and insights for them to succeed in an increasingly competitive and complex business landscape," said Gattamneni. About ADA ADA provides services that enable enterprises and brands to drive topline growth through digital marketing and sales transformation across Asia. It operates three data-driven service segments: i. Marketing Solutions: provides performance marketing, which enables clients to reach consumers efficiently on social media, native ads, display ads and search marketing; creative solutions to drive user engagement and conversation rates; and marketing technology transformation involves consultation on the implementation of managed services that enable brands to achieve superior customer experiences with technology platforms. ii. Ecommerce Solutions: provide brands with end-to-end store management to fulfil enablement on marketplaces, social channels, third party messaging channels and owned websites. iii. Customer Engagement Solutions: used by enterprises to enhance customer support and communicate with consumers in real-time through SMS, WhatsApp and other messaging applications. ADA, which operates 11 offices across Asia with approximately 1,200 employees, was formed in 2018 and is headquartered in Singapore and Malaysia. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/ada-celebrates-record-breaking-five-years-301785342.html SOURCE ADA [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 29, 2023] Digital Video Recorder Market size to grow by USD 6.76 billion from 2021 to 2026, The advent of smart AI-based video surveillance to be a major trend influencing the market growth - Technavio NEW YORK, March 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The global digital video recorder market size is estimated to grow by USD 6.76 billion from 2021 to 2026, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 7.31% during the forecast period. The advent of smart AI-based video surveillance is one of the primary digital video recorder market trends that is expected to impact the digital video recorder market positively in the forecast period. AI makes use of smart automation to analyze large volumes of surveillance data to derive intelligent insights. For instance, Intel Movidius leverages AI and deep learning to make surveillance proactive by detecting unattended objects and behavior monitoring. Smart AI-based video surveillance systems include intrusion detection; motion; speed detection, object classification, behavioral analysis, GPS mapping, and vehicle tagging and tracking. IC Realtime is working on facial recognition. It offers Ella, which runs on Google Cloud, deploys AI to conduct video feed analysis across CCTV systems, and makes videos instantly searchable. Moreover, developing countries such as China encourage the use of AI. Hence, trends such as smart AI-based video surveillance are expected to drive the DVR market growth during the forecast period. For more insights on the forecast market size (2021 to 2026) - Request a sample report What's New? Why buy? Add credibility to strategy Analyzes competitor's offerings Get a holistic view of the market Grow your profit margin with Technavio - buy the report! Digital Video Recorder Market - Segmentation Assessment Segment Overview Technavio has segmented the market based on deployment (in-home DVR and cloud DVR) and geography (North America, APAC, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa). The market share growth by the in-home DVRs segment will be significant for the growth of the global digital video recorder market during the forecast period. In-home DVRs make use of local hard drives to store video files in digital formats. The use of new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), deep learning, and facial recognition in CCTV cameras will also boost the demand for in-home DVRs, which is expected to enhance the growth of the segment during the forecast period. Geography Overview The report provides actionable insights and estimates the contribution of all regions to the growth of the global digital video recorder market. North America is estimated to account for 35% of the global market growth during the forecast period. The US is the key market for digital video recorders in the region. However, market growth in this region is estimated to be slower than the growth of the market in APAC. The need to prevent terrorism and rapid urbanization and industrialization in countries in the region will facilitate the digital video recorder market growth in North America over the forecast period. Insights on the market contribution of various segments, including country- and region- wise data and forecast market size (2021 to 2026) - Download a Sample Report Digital Video Recorder Market Market Dynamics Key factor driving market growth A key factor fueling the global digital video recorder market growth is the increasing penetration of mobile computing devices. The growth can be attributed to factors such as growing digital literacy, rising per capita income, the availability of low-cost smartphones, investments in communication network infrastructure, and increasing Internet penetration. All vendors in the market offer subscription video-on-demand (SVOD), advertisement-based video-on-demand, and TVOD formats, such as Netflix, Amazon.com, and AT&T. The rapid penetration of mobile devices has encouraged market vendors to develop mobile apps for streaming. The apps also record the personal information of users, helping vendors retain customers through target advertising. Hence, the rising penetration of mobile computing devices will positively impact the growth of the global DVR market during the forecast period. Major challenges hindering the market growth A key challenge that may impede the global digital video recorder market growth is the slow internet speed that leads to disruptions in video surveillance and the high cost of transmitting videos. Most broadband or high-speed Internet service providers provide asymmetric connections. Furthermore, Internet speed has been low in developing countries such as India and China. This is because of the low spending on infrastructure. In most countries in Europe and MEA, the generated network traffic is routed through servers located in Europe. This is the main reason for the low speed of the Internet. As for video surveillance, a high upload speed is required for transmitting video feeds. This may hinder the growth of the DVR market during the forecast period. Insights on market drivers, trends, & challenges, and forecast period (2021 to 2026) - Request a sample report! What are the key data covered in this Digital Video Recorder Market report? CAGR of the market during the forecast period Detailed information on factors that will drive the growth of the digital video recorder market between 2022 and 2026 Precise estimation of the size of the digital video recorder market and its contribution to the parent market Accurate predictions about upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior Growth of the digital video recorder market across North America , APAC, Europe , South America , and Middle East and Africa , APAC, , , and and A thorough analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information about vendors Comprehensive analysis of factors that will challenge the growth of digital video recorder market vendors Gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Related Reports: The volumetric video market size is expected to increase to USD 3.05 billion from 2021 to 2026. A key factor driving growth in the volumetric video market is the rising demand for the enhanced match-viewing experience. The automotive event data recorder market size is expected to increase to USD 1.32 billion from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 5.86%. A key factor driving the global automotive event data recorder (EDR) industry growth is the rising number of road accidents across the world. Digital Video Recorder Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 7.31% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 6.76 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2021-2022 (%) 6.52 Regional analysis North America, APAC, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution North America at 35% Key countries US, China, Japan, Germany, and UK, Canada, Mexico, Italy,Spain, India, Japan, Australia, and South Korea Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled ALE International, AT&T Inc., Canon Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., Comcast Corp., CommScope Holding Co. Inc., Dell Technologies Inc., DISH Network Corp., EchoStar Corp., Honeywell International Inc., Johnson Controls International Plc, Panasonic Holdings Corp., Renesas Electronics Corp., Robert Bosch GmbH, Sony Group Corp., Technicolor SA, Teledyne Technologies Inc., Xperi Holding Corp., Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co. Ltd., and Zoom Corp. Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, Market condition analysis for the forecast period Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized. Browse for Technavio Consumer Discretionary?market reports???????????? 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 Deployment Exhibit 06: Executive Summary Chart on Incremental Growth Exhibit 07: Executive Summary Data Table on Incremental Growth Exhibit 08: Executive Summary Chart on Vendor Market Positioning 2 Market Landscape 2.1 Market ecosystem Exhibit 09: Parent market Exhibit 10: Market Characteristics 3 Market Sizing 3.1 Market definition Exhibit 11: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition 3.2 Market segment analysis Exhibit 12: Market segments 3.3 Market size 2021 3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026 Exhibit 13: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 14: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 15: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 16: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 4 Five Forces Analysis 4.1 Five forces summary Exhibit 17: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2021 and 2026 4.2 Bargaining power of buyers Exhibit 18: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers Impact of key factors 2021 and 2026 4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers Exhibit 19: Bargaining power of suppliers Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.4 Threat of new entrants Exhibit 20: Threat of new entrants Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.5 Threat of substitutes Exhibit 21: Threat of substitutes Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.6 Threat of rivalry Exhibit 22: Threat of rivalry Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.7 Market condition Exhibit 23: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2021 and 2026 5 Market Segmentation by Deployment 5.1 Market segments Exhibit 24: Chart on Deployment - Market share 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 25: Data Table on Deployment - Market share 2021-2026 (%) 5.2 Comparison by Deployment Exhibit 26: Chart on Comparison by Deployment Exhibit 27: Data Table on Comparison by Deployment 5.3 In-home DVR - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 28: Chart on In-home DVR - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 29: Data Table on In-home DVR - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 30: Chart on In-home DVR - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 31: Data Table on In-home DVR - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.4 Cloud DVR - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 32: Chart on Cloud DVR - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 33: Data Table on Cloud DVR - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 34: Chart on Cloud DVR - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 35: Data Table on Cloud DVR - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.5 Market opportunity by Deployment Exhibit 36: Market opportunity by Deployment ($ million) 6 Customer Landscape 6.1 Customer landscape overview Exhibit 37: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria 7 Geographic Landscape 7.1 Geographic segmentation Exhibit 38: Chart on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 39: Data Table on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%) 7.2 Geographic comparison Exhibit 40: Chart on Geographic comparison Exhibit 41: Data Table on Geographic comparison 7.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 42: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 43: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 44: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 45: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.4 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 46: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 47: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 48: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 49: Data Table on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.5 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 50: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 51: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 52: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 53: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.6 South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 54: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 55: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 56: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 57: Data Table on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.7 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 58: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 59: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 60: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) and - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 61: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.8 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 62: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 63: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 64: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 65: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.9 China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 66: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 67: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 68: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 69: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.10 Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 70: Chart on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 71: Data Table on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 72: Chart on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 73: Data Table on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.11 Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 74: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 75: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 76: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 77: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.12 UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 78: Chart on UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 79: Data Table on UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 80: Chart on UK - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 81: Data Table on UK - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.13 Market opportunity by geography Exhibit 82: Market opportunity by geography ($ million) 8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 8.1 Market drivers 8.2 Market challenges 8.3 Impact of drivers and challenges Exhibit 83: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026 8.4 Market trends 9 Vendor Landscape 9.1 Overview 9.2 Vendor landscape Exhibit 84: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation 9.3 Landscape disruption Exhibit 85: Overview on factors of disruption 9.4 Industry risks Exhibit 86: Impact of key risks on business 10 Vendor Analysis 10.1 Vendors covered Exhibit 87: Vendors covered 10.2 Market positioning of vendors Exhibit 88: Matrix on vendor position and classification 10.3 ALE International Exhibit 89: ALE International - Overview Exhibit 90: ALE International - Product / Service Exhibit 91: ALE International - Key offerings 10.4 AT&T Inc. Exhibit 92: AT&T Inc. - Overview Exhibit 93: AT&T Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 94: AT&T Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 95: AT&T Inc. - Segment focus 10.5 Cisco Systems Inc. Exhibit 96: Cisco Systems Inc. - Overview Exhibit 97: Cisco Systems Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 98: Cisco Systems Inc. - Key news Exhibit 99: Cisco Systems Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 100: Cisco Systems Inc. - Segment focus 10.6 Comcast Corp. Exhibit 101: Comcast Corp. - Overview Exhibit 102: Comcast Corp. - Business segments Exhibit 103: Comcast Corp. - Key news Exhibit 104: Comcast Corp. - Key offerings Exhibit 105: Comcast Corp. - Segment focus 10.7 CommScope Holding Co. Inc. Exhibit 106: CommScope Holding Co. Inc. - Overview Exhibit 107: CommScope Holding Co. Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 108: CommScope Holding Co. Inc. - Key news Exhibit 109: CommScope Holding Co. Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 110: CommScope Holding Co. Inc. - Segment focus 10.8 DISH Network Corp. Exhibit 111: DISH Network Corp. - Overview Exhibit 112: DISH Network Corp. - Business segments Exhibit 113: DISH Network Corp. - Key offerings Exhibit 114: DISH Network Corp. - Segment focus 10.9 EchoStar Corp. Exhibit 115: EchoStar Corp. - Overview Exhibit 116: EchoStar Corp. - Business segments Exhibit 117: EchoStar Corp. - Key news Exhibit 118: EchoStar Corp. - Key offerings Exhibit 119: EchoStar Corp. - Segment focus 10.10 Technicolor SA Exhibit 120: Technicolor SA - Overview Exhibit 121: Technicolor SA - Business segments Exhibit 122: Technicolor SA - Key offerings Exhibit 123: Technicolor SA - Segment focus 10.11 Xperi Holding Corp. Exhibit 124: Xperi Holding Corp. - Overview Exhibit 125: Xperi Holding Corp. - Business segments Exhibit 126: Xperi Holding Corp. - Key offerings Exhibit 127: Xperi Holding Corp. - Segment focus 10.12 Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co. Ltd. Exhibit 128: Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co. Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 129: Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co. Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 130: Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co. Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 131: Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co. Ltd. - Segment focus 11 Appendix 11.1 Scope of the report 11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist Exhibit 132: Inclusions checklist Exhibit 133: Exclusions checklist 11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ Exhibit 134: Currency conversion rates for US$ 11.4 Research methodology Exhibit 135: Research methodology Exhibit 136: Validation techniques employed for market sizing Exhibit 137: Information sources 11.5 List of abbreviations Exhibit 138: List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/digital-video-recorder-market-size-to-grow-by-usd-6-76-billion-from-2021-to-2026--the-advent-of-smart-ai-based-video-surveillance-to-be-a-major-trend-influencing-the-market-growth---technavio-301782102.html SOURCE Technavio [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 30, 2023] CGI is Great Place to Work-certified in India CGI is also recognized among the country's Best Workplaces in Health and Wellness BANGALORE, India, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CGI (NYSE: GIB) (TSX: GIB.A) is Great Place to Work-certified in India by the Great Place to Work Institute for the second consecutive year. The Institute recognized CGI for its positive workplace culture that builds trust amongst its professionals, treats them with respect and provides fair access to growth opportunities. This recognition is based on feedback from CGI's employees through an anonymous assessment which gathered feedback on the company's culture, including the aspects of credibility, respect, and fairness. In addition, the Institute named CGI one of India's Best Workplaces in Health and Wellness for 2022 based on the company's employee-focused health and wellbeing practices and feedback from its professionals. "As part of the ownership culture at CGI, our professionals are empowered to have a voice in shaping our future workplace and we continue to evolve our programs and resources to support them. We are proud to receive thi 'Employer of Choice' recognition based on our professionals' feedback," said George Mattackal, President of CGI's Asia Pacific Global Delivery Centers of Excellence. "The recognition of our health and well-being practices also reflects our efforts to equip our professionals to focus on their holistic health and well-being," he added. In India, CGI employs more than 18,000 consultants in Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Pune who collectively serve as a global delivery center of excellence, providing deep industry and technology expertise and innovative solutions to clients around the globe. Great Place to Work is the global authority on workplace culture. The Institute serves businesses, non-profits and government agencies in more than 60 countries and has conducted pioneering research on the characteristics of great workplaces for over three decades. In India, the institute partners with more than 1100 organizations annually across over 22 industries to help them build High-Trust, High-Performance Cultures designed to deliver sustained business results. About CGI Founded in 1976, CGI is among the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world. With 90,250 consultants and professionals globally, CGI delivers an end-to-end portfolio of capabilities, from strategic IT and business consulting to systems integration, managed IT and business process services and intellectual property solutions. CGI works with clients through a local relationship model complemented by a global delivery network that helps clients digitally transform their organizations and accelerate results. CGI Fiscal 2022 reported revenue is $12.87 billion, and CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB). Learn more at cgi.com. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1748164/CGI_Logo.jpg Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2043079/CGI.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/cgi-is-great-place-to-work-certified-in-india-301784663.html [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 30, 2023] Matrixport Partners DeFi Yield Automation & Strategy Platform CIAN Protocol to Enhance Institutional DeFi Offerings Support of CIAN's infrastructure and dApp enables investors to participate in yield-bearing recursive vault strategies SINGAPORE, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CIAN, a leading DeFi yield automation and strategy platform, and Matrixport, one of the world's largest digital assets financial services ecosystem, have partnered to accelerate scalable and expandable institutional adoption of decentralized finance (DeFi). With the partnership, Matrixport will support CIAN's infrastructure and dApp, enabling institutional and accredited investors to seamlessly participate in CIAN's one-stop recursive strategy vault, which taps into top-tier lending protocols such as AAVE and Compound. Cynthia Wu, Chief Operating Officer and Founding Partner, Matrixport, said, "We are thrilled to welcome CIAN to our partner network. CIAN's cutting-edge and robust algorithmic products allow for frictionless access to innovative and secure yield strategies in the DeFi ecosystem. This is part of our ongoing commitment towards providing greater transparency and choices for our clients." Executed by smart contracts, CIAN offers tailored yield strategies and position management. Investors will have acess to a fully decentralized architecture targeting optimal transaction routes for specified yield strategies while ensuring transparent fund operations and protection against liquidation risks. Luffy He, CEO and Founder of CIAN, said, "DeFi, albeit growing its own foundation and unique yield opportunities, has yet to find its way to the majority of crypto holders. It is our great honor to collaborate with Matrixport on exploring an efficient way of exposing high quality DeFi yield opportunities to crypto holders. CIAN should also benefit from an enhanced brand awareness from both Centralized Finance (CeFi) and DeFi population." About CIAN CIAN protocol is a liquid staking derivatives ("LSD") focused yield strategy platform, where users could earn either through joining algorithmic strategy vaults or through building their own DeFi strategies using CIAN's advanced automation tools. CIAN enables LSD holders to benefit from DeFi yield in addition to their staking yield. To the holders of other tokens (eg. BTC, stables etc.), CIAN makes high quality liquid staking yield accessible. Website | Whitepapers | Twitter | Discord | Telegram | YouTube About Matrixport Matrixport is one of the world's largest and most trusted digital assets financial services ecosystem. The company's services include prime brokerage, Cactus Custody, spot OTC, fixed income, structured products, lending as well as asset management. Matrixport serves individuals as well as over 800 institutions across Asia and Europe. For more information, please visit www.matrixport.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/matrixport-partners-defi-yield-automation--strategy-platform-cian-protocol-to-enhance-institutional-defi-offerings-301785323.html SOURCE Matrixport [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 30, 2023] Two GE-Led Consortiums in Agreement with TenneT for the Award of Contracts Totaling Approx. 10 Bln Euros to Build State-of-the-Art HVDC Systems for TenneT's 2GW Program in the Netherlands and Germany GE Renewable Energy's Grid Solutions business (NYSE: GE) announced today that it has been awarded three High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) contracts for a total of approximately 6 billion euros as part of a specially formed consortium with Sembcorp Marine for TenneT's innovative 2GW Program in the Netherlands. The contracts have been awarded as part of a five-year Framework Cooperation Agreement with the possibility to extend for another three years. Furthermore, TenneT and a consortium formed by GE and McDermott have entered into an agreement based on which TenneT plans to award two further HVDC contracts in Germany for a total of approximately 4 billion euros to thi consortium in April 2023. The five contracts for the GE consortia are among 11 two-gigawatt (GW) contracts awarded to HVDC suppliers by the Dutch-German Transmission Systems Operator (TSO) as part of its goal to connect 40 GW of offshore wind farms to the high voltage grids in the Netherlands and Germany. TenneT's large-scale project resulted from the Esbjerg Declaration in May 2022 at the North Sea Energy Summit, where Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Belgium agreed to jointly install at least 65 GW of offshore wind energy by 2030 - up from 20 GW today - to accelerate Europe's energy security following recent geopolitical developments. TenneT plans to install 20 GW each in the Dutch and German North Sea. The GE consortia projects cover the offshore converter platforms and the onshore converter stations for the two-way conversion between alternating and direct current. The converter stations are based on bipolar Voltage-Sourced Converter (VSC) technology - the most advanced HVDC technology - and will have double the capacity compared to previous monopole grid connection systems, resulting in fewer cables and platforms. Tim Meyerjurgens, TenneT COO, said: "We are delighted to be working with GE and their consortium partners as part of our task to connect 40 GW offshore wind in the North Sea, one of the most important infrastructure projects of the century. TenneT has the technical know-how, scale, and geographical position to connect wind energy from the North Sea, while GE and its consortium partners have the HVDC expertise. Together, with the GE consortia and other HVDC partners we will accelerate the development of the offshore grid, thereby strengthening Europe's energy security and putting Europe on track to become the world's first climate-neutral continent by 2050." Philippe Piron, CEO of GE Grid Solutions, said: "Together with our consortium partners Sembcorp Marine and McDermott, we are honored and pleased to play a key role in this critical infrastructure project for European energy security and decarbonization. These awards confirm that GE's Voltage-Sourced Converter HVDC technology is now recognized as one of the most advanced in the world." Read the full news release here. Notes to the Editor: Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements - that is, statements related to future events that by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. For details on the uncertainties that may cause our actual future results to be materially different than those expressed in our forward-looking statements, see https://www.ge.com/investor-relations/important-forward-looking-statement-information, as well as our annual report on Form 10-K and our most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230329005599/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 30, 2023] ASSA ABLOY acquires Mottura in Italy STOCKHOLM, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ASSA ABLOY has signed an agreement to acquire Mottura Serrature di sicurezza Spa ("Mottura"), an Italian manufacturer of high security residential armored lock cases and security cylinders. "We are committed to growing our presence in the Italian market and the acquisition of Mottura provides a great step in strengthening our position in the residential space. I look forward to welcoming Mottura and their employees into the ASSA ABLOY Group," says Nico Delvaux, President and CEO of ASSA ABLOY. "Mottura and its great team is a fantastic addition to the ASSA ABLOY EMEIA family. Mottura is a great brand that stands for quality, high security and is recognized and respected in Italy and beyond," says Neil Vann, Executive Vice President of ASSA ABLOY and Head of EMEIA Division. Mottura was established in 1972 and has some 120 employees. The main office is located in Sant'Ambrogio di Torino, close to Torino, Italy. Sales for 2022 amounted to about MEUR 28 (approx. MSEK 300) with a good EBIT margin. The acquisition will be accretive to EPS from the start. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close during the second quarter of 2023. For more information, please contact: Nico Delvaux, President and CEO, tel. no: +46 8 506 485 82 Erik Pieder, CFO and Executive Vice President, tel. no: +46 8 506 485 72 Bjorn Tibell, Head of Investor Relations, tel. no: +46 70 275 67 68, e-mail: [email protected] About ASSA ABLOY The ASSA ABLOY Group is the global leader in access solutions. The Group operates worldwide with 52,000 employees and sales of SEK 121 billion. The Group has leading positions in areas such as efficient door openings, trusted identities and entrance automation. ASSA ABLOY's innovations enable safe, secure and convenient access to physical and digital places. Every day, we help billions of people experience a more open world. The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/7333/3743114/1951843.pdf Press release (PDF) https://news.cision.com/assa-abloy/i/mottura-cylinder-and-keys,c3161726 Mottura Cylinder and keys View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/assa-abloy-acquires-mottura-in-italy-301785532.html SOURCE ASSA ABLOY [March 30, 2023] ID Tech partners with MCD to Provide Complete Traceability, Transparency and Visibility for Solid Waste Management and remediation of waste dumps in Delhi NEW DELHI, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ID Tech Solutions, a leading provider of advanced technology solutions, has been awarded a contract by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to provide complete traceability, transparency, and visibility for solid waste management in the city. Under the contract, ID Tech will implement two solutions at various sites across the city. The first wave of installation is for three sites in Okhla, Balaswa, and Ghazipur, for monitoring the remediation of dumps by bio-mining of legacy waste from landfills. Bio-mining separates various components of legacy waste such as Inert, RDF, C&D and other domestic and commercial waste by passing them through a trammel screening machine. ID Tech's integrated solution will provide real-time monitoring of the biomining process, ensuring transparency and traceability of the waste that has been segregated and moved out of dumping sites on a daily basis. The second wave of the solution will be installed at 16 sites across the city, including C&D plants, Waste to Energy plants, and SLFs. ID Tech Solutions will install an RFID Weighment System for various weigh bridges installed at these sites. The RFID Weighment System will provide real-time monitoring and weighing of eeryday waste brought to these dumping sites. The system will be integrated with a customized, smart, unmanned and secured, automated weighing system consisting of RFID Readers, Boom Barriers, a Weighbridge Centering System and a licensed software solution. The software will auto-detect the truck having pre-defined details for vehicle weighment, capturing the rear, front and top view images of the vehicle being weighed to have material visualization along with the positioning of the vehicle on the weighbridge through sensors installed at the entry, exit, and middle of the platform to avoid the problem of duplicating or artificial weighing. The weighment shall be integrated with all three systems, i.e., vehicle identification through RFID sensor, vehicle position through IR/laser beam, and image capturing by CCTV surveillance system at the time of weight taking. The weight has to be taken by activation of the vehicle positioning system with 3 pairs of sensors in a synchronized manner. The picture as well as recording for each weighment will be saved in records and also printed on the weighment slips. The software will have a simple user interface so that any operator can use the software with ease. The Solution has features like user authentication, multilevel roles and privileges, generate and export reports with predefines and user defined filters, notifications and alerts, multiple level of MIS and Dashboard, video surveillance, underweight and overweight compliances, vehicle authentications and many more. "We are thrilled to be awarded this contract by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi," said Mr. Saurav Khemani, CEO of ID Tech Solutions. "Our solution will enable complete traceability, transparency, and visibility of the waste management process, providing the MCD and citizens of Delhi with a reliable and efficient solid waste management system." About ID Tech: ID Tech is a leading provider of advanced technology solutions that enable businesses to achieve greater efficiency, productivity, and profitability. With a focus on innovation and quality, ID Tech provides customized solutions that meet the unique needs of its customers. For more information, visit https://www.idsolutionsindia.com/ CONTACT: Aman Bhati E: [email protected] Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2042914/ID_Tech_MCD.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2042915/ID_TECH_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/id-tech-partners-with-mcd-to-provide-complete-traceability-transparency-and-visibility-for-solid-waste-management-and-remediation-of-waste-dumps-in-delhi-301785543.html [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 30, 2023] Molecure Announces Full Year Financial 2022 Results - A Year of Significant Progress Molecure Announces Full Year Financial 2022 Results A Year of Significant Progress Entering 2023 with strong momentum and a robust pipeline of proprietary, first-in-class compounds First patient dosed in Phase I trial with OATD-02, a novel, first in class dual arginase inhibitor for the treatment of cancer Lead proprietary candidate, OATD-01, a novel chitinase inhibitor in sarcoidosis, expected to advance into a Phase II study with first patient dosed in second half of 2023 Chief Medical Officer Samson Fung, MD, appointed to the Molecure Management Board to lead global clinical development, translational science and regulatory strategies Dr. Zbigniew Zaslona, Director of Biology, promoted to Chief Scientific Officer Warsaw, Poland 30 March 2023 Molecure S.A. (Molecure: WSE: MOC) a clinical stage biotechnology company that uses its world leading medicinal chemistry and biology capabilities to discover and develop first-in-class small molecule drug candidates that directly modulate unexplored protein and RNA targets to treat multiple incurable diseases, announces full year results for the period ended 31 December 2022. The full report in Polish can be found here . Molecure has made significant progress over 2022, becoming a clinical stage biotechnology company preparing our two most advanced assets to start multi-center phase I and phase II studies respectively said Marcin Szumowski, CEO and President of the Management Board of Molecure. The decision to change our name to Molecure reflects our mission, vision and confidence in the clinical and market potential of our pipeline which we believe could make an important difference to patients with cancer and interstitial lung diseases. In recent weeks, we achieved an important milestone dosing the first cancer patient in a Phase I study with OATD-02, the first and only dual arginase inhibitor. This novel small molecule has been designed to treat a broad range of solid tumors as well as leukemia, particularly in combination with other anti-cancer therapeutics, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors." OATD-01, a novel chitotriosidase 1 (CHIT1) inhibitor with disease modifying potential in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis, is nearing the start of Phase II, with the first patient expected to be dosed in the second half of 2023. Positive results of this clinical proof-of-concept study in sarcoidosis may open doors to treatment of other Interstitial Lung Diseases (ILDs), including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) as well as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) which represent significantly larger global patient populations. I am looking forward to data from this study which we hope will confirm the key role of CHIT1 inhibition as a new treatment pathway for diseases where chronic inflammation leads to tissue remodeling and fibrosis." "We believe that a successful outcome to this study may mark an important value inflection milestone that will further enhance Molecures profile with both potential pharma partners and investors. Investor Presentation The Company's full year presentation to investors will be held on April 5, 2023 at 2:00 PM (CET) in an online meeting. Link here . The meeting will be conducted in Polish and English with simultaneous translation. It is expected to last approximately 90 minutes. Selection of the meeting language will be available after joining the event. Commercial & Operational Highlights In 2022, Molecure announced a new name and brand identity. This change reflects the Companys DNA as well as its growth and maturity, with ongoing commitment to discover and develop novel small molecule therapies for millions of people suffering from serious and incurable diseases worldwide. Molecure regained all rights to its novel, chitinase inhibitor OATD-01 Data generated to date demonstrate an attractive pharmacological profile for OATD-01 and scientific advice received from EMA and FDA is highly supportive of progressing OATD-01 into Phase II clinical development. The first patient in the planned Phase II trial is expected to be dosed in the second half of 2023 Multiple discussions with leading pulmonologists & KOLs in interstitial lung diseases have taken place throughout 2022 to help shape the planned clinical development program of this novel drug canddate OATD-01 could be the first drug targeting sarcoidosis that is disease modifying and moreover it has potential in several other respiratory indications including IPF as well as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH),which addresses a much larger patient population The President of the Polish Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices and Biocidal Products granted permission to conduct the first clinical trial of OATD-02 in November 2022 Following the CTA approval, Molecure has recently initiated a Phase I clinical trial with the first patient dosed in March 2023. The study will assess safety, tolerability and preliminary efficacy of OATD-02 in patients with advanced and/or metastatic solid tumors OATD-02 is an oral, potent and selective first-in-class, dual arginase inhibitor (ARG1 and ARG2) with the potential to treat a broad range of cancers in combination with other anti-cancer agents A Publication* entitled OATD-02 Validates the Benefits of Pharmacological Inhibition of Arginase 1 and 2 in Cancer was published in August 2022 This paper covered the first study validating the potential benefits of pharmacological inhibition of ARG2 in cancer and demonstrates that OATD-02 is a potent dual ARG1/ARG2 inhibitor with intracellular activity (necessary for targeting ARG2) and exhibiting immunomodulatory and direct antitumor efficacy in pre-clinical models here . Significant progress in deubiquitinase inhibitor programs USP7 inhibitor program is progressing to the advanced lead optimization stage The lead molecule OATD4828 has shown encouraging dose-dependent inhibition of tumor growth in preclinical models of various cancer types A promising selective and potent compound has recently been discovered with high affinity for USP21, a novel and biologically validated therapeutic target for cancer treatment Further development and expansion of the mRNA targeting small molecule discovery platform Continued development of this novel platform, with a broad range of analytical techniques being applied to confirm the secondary structure of 6 most promising target regions Expansion of both cellular and molecular screening capabilities Ongoing collaborations with leading international RNA centers to expand and leverage the companys expertise and alternative approach to identify compounds interacting with selected mRNA regions A profit-sharing based service offering is being developed to provide potential industry partners interested in discovery and development of small molecules that interact with mRNA an option to pursue targets and any NCE leads discovered under the collaboration in exchange for revenue sharing with Molecure in the form of development milestones & royalties Key organizational changes to drive the Company through its next phase of growth and clinical development Appointment of Samson Fung, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer to lead global clinical development, translational science and regulatory strategies. Dr Fung will lead the advancement of 0ATD-01 and OATD-02 into Phase II and Phase I clinical trials respectively Dr. Zbigniew Zaslona, former VP research biology promoted to Chief Scientific Officer Supervisory board expanded to include Dr. Paul van der Horst, Dr. Nancy Van Osselaer and Pawel Trawkowski as its new members Important Post-period Highlights Significant progress made on OATD-02, an oral, potent and selective first-in-class, dual arginase inhibitor (ARG1 and ARG2) for the treatment of cancer First patient dosed in March 2023 in Phase I clinical trial to assess safety, tolerability and preliminary efficacy of OATD-02 in patients with advanced and/or metastatic solid tumors lnitial clinical data expected at the end of 2023 Publication in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, a journal of the American Association of Cancer Research, entitled Arginase 1/2 inhibitor OATD-02: from discovery to first-in-man setup in cancer immunotherapy. Link here . . Dr. Samson Fung, Chief Medical Officer appointed to the Companys Management Board to support the successful clinical development of OATD-01 and OATD-02 Dr. Zbigniew Zaslona, promoted to Chief Scientific Officer from his former position as VP Research Biology. Dr. Zaslona, remains on Molecures Management Board Partnering events and investor conferences Post period end, CEO, Marcin Szumowski and business development director, Nicolas Beuzen attended partnering conference Bio-Europe in Basel Switzerland in March. The event brought together thousands of outstanding biopharma companies enabling meaningful partner discussions The company will also attend and present pipeline progress at the LSX Congress in London, 3-4th May. The LSX Congress is one of the largest healthcare conferences and partnering events held in Europe. Full Year Financial Highlights Operating income of PLN1.64 million, a slight increase from 2021 due to grants received during the year Operating expenses totaled PLN18.63 million, an increase of PLN3.41 million. This was mainly due to higher wages as the companys pipeline advances together with increasing costs of external services Net loss for the year ended 31 December 2022 totaled PLN15.26 million vs net loss of PLN13.64 million in 2021 due to higher costs As of December 31, 2022, Molecure had cash of PLN66 million (US$15 million) Current cash balances are expected to fund the companys operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements for at least another 12 months. US$/PLN exchange rate 4.38 as of 31 December 2022 ENDS For further information, please contact: Molecure S.A. (PR & IR) Marta Borkowska Email: [email protected] +(48) 728 728 143 MEDiSTRAVA Consulting (Financial PR) Frazer Hall, David Dible, Sandi Greenwood, Eleanor Perkin [email protected] +44 (0)203 928 6900 About Molecure Molecure is a clinical stage biotechnology company that uses its world leading medicinal chemistry and biology capabilities to discover and develop first-in-class small molecule drug candidates that directly modulate the function of underexplored protein and RNA targets to treat multiple incurable diseases. Molecure has generated a diverse pipeline of seven distinct programs with the support of leading academic life science institutions globally, including Yale University, Rutgers University, the Flemish Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) in Ghent, the University of Michigan and the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw (IIMCB). Molecures most advanced in-house drug candidate is OATD-01, a first-in-class inhibitor of CHIT1 for the treatment of interstitial lung diseases, such as sarcoidosis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, that is Phase II ready. A Phase II trial in patients with sarcoidosis is expected to start in the second half of 2023. Our second proprietary candidate is OATD-02, an oral, potent and selective first-in-class, dual arginase inhibitor (ARG1 and ARG2) for the treatment of cancer, which has advanced to Phase I clinical development in March 2023. Molecures headquarters and laboratories are located in Warsaw, Poland with an additional laboratory facility in Lodz. The company is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (ticker: MOC). For more information, please visit https://molecure.com LinkedIn: Molecure | Twitter: @molecure_sa | YouTube: Molecure SA [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 30, 2023] HL Mando Awarded "2022 Supplier of the Year" by General Motors Company (GM) "It is a great honor that we have received the Supplier of the Year Award from GM for three consecutive years," said Senior President and CEO Steve (Seong-hyeon) Cho of HL Mando. SEOUL, South Korea, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- HL Mando, a company specializing in autonomous driving solutions for electric vehicles, was named a "2022 Supplier of the Year (SOY)" by General Motors Company (GM). The company has been given this honor three years in a row, starting with winning the "Launch Excellence Award" in 2020. The 31st ceremony of the 2022 SOY took place on March 23, 2023 (local time) in San Antonio, Texas, where 107 suppliers from 10 countries, including HL Mando America, attended and received the SOY Award. The SOY award is given to outstanding partner companies within the top 1% of all GM suppliers that are selected annually from among over 20,000 suppliers worldwide. Senior President and CEO Steve (Seong-hyeon) Cho of HL Mando, Vice President Yun Lee (Head of HL Mando Americas Region), Executive Director Jason (Jae-hyuk) Kim (President of HL Mando America Novi), and Director Jeff Pontius (Engineering Director of HL Mando America Brake R&D) were all present at this year's ceremony. HL Mando has won the SOY Award nine times in total since 2003. In spite of the extremely challenging COVID-19 pandemic and semiconductor supply shortage in 2020, HL Mando has persevered to win the SOY Award for three straight years. HL Mando received top marks both in terms of Business Performance (defect-free product launching, product supply, and quality maintenance) and Cultural Priorities (safety and communication and transparency) in 2022. "We are thrilled to recognize these outstanding suppliers after yet another challenging year in the automotive industry," said Jeff Morrison, GM vice president of Global Purchasing and Supply Chain. "They overcame countless obstacles and exemplified what it means to be resilient, resourceful and determined. Beyond that, these suppliers demonstrated their commitment to sustainable innovation and to driving advanced solutions in collaboration with the GM team." CEO Steve Cho also expressed his gratitude during the ceremony: "It is a great honor that we have received the SOY Award from GM in such difficult times. I would like to send my gratitude to all members of our labor union and branches and subsidiaries across the world who have been working together to make us who we are today." About HL Mando HL Mando Corporation (KS 204320) is a leading global automotive parts supplier, specialized in xEV and autonomous driving solutions with an A grade in the MSCI (2021) ESG ratings. The company was founded in 1962 and is headquartered in the Republic of Korea. HL Mando offers state of the art driving systems (Brake, Steering, Suspension, Propulsion, Power solutions) along with Software solutions for vehicle manufacturers and newly emerging mobility service providers in three technology domains of vehicle integrated safety, autonomous driving and electric mobility that allows vehicles to intuitively sense, deliberate and move cleverly. HL Mando serves over sixty (60) customers from over 50 locations worldwide, which encompasses local and global automakers in every major region of the world. HL Mando is pursuing a vision of creating a world where mobility can bring true freedom. For more information, visit [www.hlmando.com] SOURCE HL Mando [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Alibaba considers yielding control of some businesses in overhaul Traders work on the floor of the NYSE in New York By Josh Horwitz, Kane Wu and Julie Zhu SHANGHAI/HONG KONG (Reuters) - Alibaba Group said on Thursday it will look to monetise non-core assets and consider giving up control of some businesses, as the Chinese tech conglomerate reinvents itself after a regulatory crackdown that wiped 70% off its shares. Group CEO Daniel Zhang said the company's breakup into separate businesses will allow its units to become more agile and eventually launch their own initial public offerings (IPO). His comments come two days after Alibaba announced the largest restructuring in the company's history, which will see it change into a holding company structure with six business units, each with their own boards and CEOs. "Alibaba will be more of the nature of an asset and capital operator than a business operator, in relation to the business group companies," Zhang told investors on a conference call on Thursday. On the same call, Alibaba CFO Toby Xu said the group would "continue to evaluate the strategic importance of these companies" and "decide whether or not to continue to retain control". Alibaba's indication that it could divest from assets and sell control of business units after they go public comes more than two years after Beijing launched a sweeping crackdown on its tech giants, targeting monopolistic practices, data security protection and other issues. While the new business units will have their own CEOs and boards, Alibaba will retain seats on those boards in the short-term, Zhang added. The group's Hong Kong-listed shares opened 2.7% higher after the investor call and following a 12% jump on Wednesday. Gains narrowed to 2.0% by afternoon trade. MATTER OF SURVIVAL Alibaba began laying the groundwork for the restructuring a few years ago, Zhang said. As a result of the restructuring, each business unit can pursue independent fundraisings and IPOs when they're ready, Xu said, when asked about the timeline for the listings. The changes will come into effect immediately. Story continues "We believe the market is the litmus test so each company can pursue financing and IPO as and when they are ready," said Xu. Alibaba, however, will decide whether the group wants to keep strategic control of each unit after they go public. Meanwhile, the group is also planning to continue to monetise non-strategic assets in its portfolio to optimise its capital structure, said Xu. Alibaba's major rival Tencent has in the past year divested from a number of portfolio companies including selling a $3 billion stake in SEA, transferring $16.4 billion worth of JD.COM shares and $20 billion worth of Meituan shares to shareholders. For its part, Alibaba has made or announced 18 divestments since 2020, Refinitiv data showed. Alibaba's reorganisation will not change its share repurchase plan, Xu added on the call. Alibaba implemented a $6 billion share buyback programme in 2018, which had expanded to $40 billion by late 2022. Qi Wang, CEO of China-focused asset manager MegaTrust Investment, said the sector's strategic move to reorganise was about survival. "These internet firms are not going to just sit there and let regulation erode away their growth and profits," Wang said. "Companies including Tencent, Alibaba, JD, Didi and ByteDance have been making bottom-up changes to mitigate the regulatory risk, cost cutting (layoffs), improving operating efficiency, divesting non-core businesses." Alibaba, once valued at more than $800 billion, has seen its market valuation decline to $260 billion since Beijing started the crackdown on its sprawling tech sector in late 2020. Some analysts say Alibaba is currently undervalued as a standalone conglomerate and that a breakup would allow investors to value each business division independently. The restructuring could also better protect Alibaba shareholders from regulatory pressures, as penalties levied on one division in theory would not affect the operations of another. Ratings agencies S&P and Moody's said this week Alibaba's restructuring was credit positive. However, S&P said it was not yet known how existing resources would be divvied up or how the group would support businesses with significant cash needs. (Reporting by Josh Horwitz in Shanghai, Julie Zhu and Kane Wu in Hong Kong; Writing by Sumeet Chatterjee; Editing by Sam Holmes) [March 30, 2023] Sftimo Exchange: Prevent investors from being deceived and start from themselves SINGAPORE, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Euler Finance blockchain project team has recently been communicating with hackers who stole assets to retrieve nearly $200 million in cryptocurrency assets. However, on March 21, 2023, Eastern Time, another group of hackers attempted to defraud the hackers who stole Euler Finance assets through phishing messages. This attack by hackers has caused widespread discussion in the blockchain industry. Phishing message fraud is a common attack behavior in the blockchain world, aimed at stealing the wallet private key of the victim's wallet by sending a decoding request message and ultimately transferring all assets of the victim's wallet. The digital asset market is fraught with different risks and challenges, including various phishing scams. Even professional hackers can be defrauded, let alone ordinary investors. Many investors have become the target of fraudsters due to their lack of corresponding knowledge and experience, resulting in their loss of a large amount of assets. In order to help investors avoid these risks, Sftimo Exchange has taken multiple measures from its own perspective to protect the safety of investors' assets. First, Sftimo Exchange implements strict KYC (Know Your Customer) and AML (Anti Money Laundering) policies. This means that before users conduct transactions, they need to go through an authentication process to ensure that they are legitimate users. In addition, the Sftimo exchange also monitors trading activity to detect any suspicious transactions. Since its establishment in the United States in 2018, Sftimo has been committed to aggregating global high-quality blockchain blockchain assets, providing digital solutions based on cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and big data, promoting the development and upgrading of the overall digital industry, and improving capital efficiency and customer experince. Sftimo is also known for its most reliable and extensive technical architecture, high-quality services, and better operational strategy services for blockchain asset trading. Sftimo Exchange also provides a variety of security features to prevent investors from being deceived. For example, the Sftimo Exchange will strictly review listed cryptocurrencies to ensure they are legitimate projects. In addition, the Sftimo Exchange will also conduct background checks on the project team to ensure they are credible. These measures can help investors avoid investment fraud projects. Sftimo will select more new or pending tokens, as well as projects explored and incubated by Sftimo, to allow users to participate for the first time in safe, reliable, and stable new currency subscriptions selected by the platform. Users can use their Sftimo account on the platform to subscribe for shares of newly listed currencies. It should be noted that users who have obtained trust in the pipeline can give priority to applying for subscriptions in order to obtain more benefits. In addition, Sftimo Exchange also provides educational resources to help investors better understand cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. These resources include market analysis, expert reviews, investment strategies, risk management, and more. These resources allow investors to better understand the market and make wise investment decisions. Sftimo is also adept at providing feedback and summary from big data, medium data, and refined data, providing investors with data-driven solutions through multidimensional and in-depth analysis of customers with authentic and reliable information. Finally, Sftimo Exchange also provides 24/7 customer support to help investors resolve any issues. If investors discover any suspicious activity, they can always contact the customer support team for assistance. This can help investors deal with problems in time and avoid losses. In order to ensure the security of customer assets, the core team of the Sftimo platform has gathered senior technical engineers, world-class risk control experts, and other industry leaders, as well as hundreds of senior security personnel. Using the world's leading encryption technology, they have studied the latest hacker attack methods, continuously optimized and upgraded their technology, and are committed to providing global users safer and more stable digital asset investment transactions. Sftimo places security and privacy at the core of the system to provide assistance and utilizes a unique wallet system and standardized operations. It also cooperates with regulatory agencies and law enforcement departments around the world to provide a reliable and stable ecological environment, allowing users' assets to circulate safely in the market. If you want a secure and reliable cryptocurrency exchange, Sftimo exchange is a trustworthy choice. Company: Sftimo Blockchain Markets Limited Contact Person: jeremy lau Email: [email protected] Website: https://www.sftimoinv.com City: Singapore View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/sftimo-exchange-prevent-investors-from-being-deceived-and-start-from-themselves-301785675.html SOURCE Sftimo Blockchain Markets Limited [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 30, 2023] Industry players call for a 'non-stop' approach to Africa's banking digitisation CAPE TOWN, South Africa, March 30, 2023 /CNW/ -- If banks want to remain competitive in the face of neo-bank and fintech upstarts, they'll have to fundamentally change the way they do business to be digital first. And if they're going to achieve that goal, then working with technology partners to ensure that they have the right infrastructure in place will be crucial. That was the overriding message from the speakers at a media roundtable event hosted during the Huawei Intelligent Finance Summit for Africa 2023, recently held in Cape Town, South Africa. According to Jason Cao, CEO of Huawei Global Digital Finance, African banks have an opportunity to tak advantage of the continent's mobile penetration rates and increasing financial needs. "Mobile is the core of everything," he said, adding that there are similarities between mobile payments in China and in Africa. Futurist and author Brett King agrees that this mobile focus will be important, not just in Africa but around the globe. Someone who has firsthand experience of how taking a digital-first approach can help improve customer experience is Eric Muriuki Njagi, Group Director, Digital Business, at the NCBA Group, one of Africa's largest financial services companies. He pointed out that, for banks, making the choice to lead with technology is about deploying "money at the speed of trust." As Njagi pointed out, "We now have payments being made instantly or in a matter of seconds," he said, adding that the same now applies to credit. "We're now initiating and completing about 6 million loans a day, with an average of two seconds required to complete each one." But, the NCBA director noted, that kind of speed means very little without trust. In a world where just five percent of fiat currency is made up of hard cash and the rest is essentially algorithmic, that's especially critical. "How do we trust the algorithm?" he asked. The answer lies in a concept that Huawei calls "non-stop banking." Leo Chen, President of Huawei Sub-Saharan Africa Region, unveiled 'Non Stop Banking' initiative at the Huawei Intelligent Finance Summit for Africa 2023, the initiative calls for hand-in-hand collaboration between the ICT and banking industries and facilitate a digital future of 'non-stop' services, 'non-stop' development, and 'non-stop' innovation. A good place to start on that front is with stability. As Zhentao Chen, CTO, of Digital Finance, Huawei Sub-Saharan Africa pointed out, that's not something African banks have always been able to take for granted.Here, moving back-end systems to the cloud can be incredibly important. "Cloud can help banks bring about zero-downtime financial services," said Cao. Ultimately, however, if traditional banks are to compete with fintechs, they can't just bolt on these technologies. Instead, they must integrate them into a new approach which is entirely digital-first. Echoing that sentiment, Cao concluded by saying that Huawei is, "committed to working with our African customers to focus on the challenges and accelerate digital transformation." View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/industry-players-call-for-a-non-stop-approach-to-africas-banking-digitisation-301785683.html SOURCE Huawei [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] ElectrifAi and Vizzia Technologies Partner to Optimize Healthcare Data with ML ElectrifAi, a global leader in machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, has collaborated with Vizzia Technologies, a renowned provider of real-time location systems (RTLS) for healthcare organizations, to deliver ML-powered Inventory Optimization for advanced asset management predictive analytics. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005088/en/ This collaboration aims to reduce costs, streamline processes, and enhance patient care at leading hospitals by analyzing critical medical equipment utilization levels. An extensive pilot was conducted at one of Vizzia's customer sites. A state-of-the-art, 500-bed acute care hospital, which is one of the busiest trauma centers in California. The pilot yielded substantal operational improvements across several inventory KPIs to include: up to a 52% improvement in key out-of-stock metrics; and reducing overstock rates by up to 20%. Edward Scott, ElectrifAi's CEO remarked, "We are very pleased to partner with Vizzia and contribute to their mission of transforming healthcare asset management. Our ML-powered Inventory Optimization solution provides an advanced approach to equipment utilization, which helps hospitals to reduce costs and improve patient care." The ElectrifAi Inventory Optimization solution leverages IoT input data, time-series analysis, and category-specific trend analysis to generate accurate PAR level predictions, preventing overstocking or understocking. "Our collaboration with ElectrifAi has significantly enhanced our ability to deliver cutting-edge inventory management efficiencies to our clients," said Andrew Halasz, CEO of Vizzia Technologies. "We greatly appreciate the deep AI & ML insights that the ElectrifAi team of data scientists provided to our InVIEW platform." About Vizzia Technologies: Vizzia Technologies is a recognized leader in advanced real-time location systems (RTLS) and data analytics for healthcare organizations. Its award-winning InVIEW? software platform provides real-time, actionable data and process visibility to improve enterprise efficiencies and patient care. Vizzia serves several of the largest hospitals and health systems in America. https://vizziatech.com/ About ElectrifAi: ElectrifAi is one of the U.S.' leading ML solutions providers serving large and mid-sized enterprises with an extensive library of prebuilt solutions enabling our clients to capture tangible benefits quickly. We work with the C-suite to understand and solve business problems through data and machine learning, delivering business outcomes starting in 8 weeks. ElectrifAi is headquartered in Jersey City, with offices in Shanghai and New Delhi. https://www.electrifai.com/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005088/en/ [March 30, 2023] FarmAi Data-driven Digital AI Shepherd Powers Livestock Management ElectrifAi, a global leader in prebuilt Machine Learning and Computer Vision solutions, is taking giant strides toward harnessing cutting-edge technologies such as Computer Vision to make livestock farming more efficient, ensure livestock health and well-being, optimize operations, drive productivity, and enhance environmental sustainability. FarmAi, our latest cutting-edge solution, is bringing that vision to reality. As the world's population proliferates, the demand for dairy and livestock products is rising. Farmers and producers must meet this demand responsibly, but labor shortages make it more challenging. FarmAi's advanced computer vision technology for dairy farmers offers a plug-and-play, cost-effective, and scalable solution to monitor livestock, ensure their safety and care, and improve farm operations. FarmAi can monitor 30+ cameras 24 hours a day, seven days a week in near real-time, and never miss a frame compared to the inherent limitations associated with professionally trained human video watchers. Today, a dairy farm needs to employ full-time human resources to watch the recorded video footage from the previous day and manually create incident reports. A manager then reviews the reports, aggregates and categorizes all incidents and creates an action plan for the dairy owner to review. With FarmAi, the farm owner can receive near real-time categorized incident reporting without the need for human watchers or management review. Here's how ElectrifAi leveraged FarmAi to help a leading livestock operator derive deep, meaningful insights to make critical decisions regarding animal behavior, welfare, safety, and farm operations while minimizing costs: The client wanted o monitor all human and animal interactions to ensure proper farm protocol was followed across various interactions such as feeding, milking, birthing, and everyday veterinary procedures to ensure animal welfare. Additionally, they wanted to develop a tool to detect abnormal behavior that can help promptly identify protocol drift to help employees that may need additional training, or retraining, to fully understand the expectations of their role on the farm. ElectrifAi developed proprietary animal detection, tracking, interaction models, and abuse and anomalous behavior models to detect and record improper human-animal interaction, animal-to-animal, and abnormal lone animal behavior 24x7. With FarmAi, the client is also better equipped to detect protocol drift and intervene early, thus preventing potential future abuse by allowing the farm owner to take corrective action early with near real-time information. The solution was able to monitor all active cameras 24/7 and summarize over 700 hours into approximately one hour of daily review clips for the dairy owner to review. During daily review the dairy owner is solicited for feedback on the clips received and therefore contributes to the continuous improvement, and improve accuracy, of the system over time. "With the help of FarmAi, we have now been able to demonstrate that the software meets and exceeds the ability of our human watchers to monitor human and animal interactions across our operation. Through this we further ensure that our animal husbandry standards are being met daily" - Caleb Herrema, one of the nation's leading mid-west, family-owned farm operators. "FarmAi will continue to tackle other hard problems in farming and impact the farm business positively and quickly with data," added Edward Scott, CEO, ElectrifAi. "FarmAi is consequential to long-term food security and sustainability by cutting costs while ensuring high-quality animal agriculture. Our software ensures that the farms operate with the highest level of animal welfare and safety across the entire operation. We look forward to onboarding other farms that take animal welfare seriously." With such demonstrated successes, ElectrifAi continues to raise the bars of innovation to drive superior business outcomes for our clients with the power of data. The launch of FarmAi has further cemented our position as one of the most trusted partners to move the needle with prebuilt ML solutions toward consequential growth and profitability. About ElectrifAi ElectrifAi is one of the U.S.' leading ML solutions providers serving large and mid-sized enterprises with an extensive library of prebuilt solutions enabling our clients to capture tangible benefits quickly. We work with the C-suite to understand and solve business problems through data and machine learning, delivering business outcomes starting in 8 weeks. ElectrifAi is headquartered in Jersey City, with offices in Shanghai and New Delhi. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005090/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 30, 2023] Wishpond Launches New AI-Powered Website Builder Wishpond's new Website Builder is powered by generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, making it easy for small businesses and entrepreneurs to create high quality, professional, and marketing optimized websites within minutes. The AI-powered Website Builder is now available for customers using Wishpond's next generation Propel IQ platform, and is available to the public free of charge on a limited basis. VANCOUVER, BC, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Wishpond Technologies Ltd. (TSXV: WISH) (OTCQX: WPNDF) (the "Company" or "Wishpond"), a provider of marketing-focused online business solutions, is pleased to announce the launch of its new Website Builder, powered by generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. With the Website Builder, small-to-medium sized businesses ("SMBs") can launch a website within minutes using AI technologies; positioning Wishpond to disrupt the website building process. By using Wishpond's Website Builder, users can cut down on significant development time and save thousands of dollars on programming, design, and copywriting services. The Website Builder leverages the latest generative AI technology to analyze user inputs and automatically generate website designs that are tailored to the user's specific needs. To create a website using the Website Builder, entrepreneurs and business owners simply enter a few details about their business and the system's AI algorithms will generate high-quality content and imagery using the information provided. The Website Builder further allows users with the ability to edit and refine their website using AI technologies, including the ability to translate the website into multiple languages. This means that users can create fully functional websites with much less effort than before, without the need for a high level of technical expertise, saving them time and effort. Ali Tajskandar, CEO of Wishpond comments, "The use of AI technologies is rapidly changing the digital marketing landscape and Wishpond is at the forefront of utilizing these new innovations to provide SMBs with new advantages against larger competitors. We're excited to launch this revolutionary tool that will empower SMBs and allow individuals to take control of their website design needs. Other website builders can be quite expensive and require users to spend a lot of time and effort, but Wishpond's AI-powered Website Builder is incredibly easy to use and lets anyone create a website by simply entering in a few details about their business. Furthermore, we are very excited that the AI-powered Website Builder marks the first introduction of generative AI technologies on Wishpond's next generation marketing technology platform, Propel IQ." Built on an intuitive and user friendly platform, the AI-powered Website Builder also comes with a range of advanced features that allows users to customize their websites to suit their specific needs. These features include a wide range of templates, including, drag-and-drop design tools, form builder, appointments feature, popups tool, social sharing functionality, and more. The AI-powered Website Builder will be offered as part of Wishpond's new Propel IQ marketing platform. The AI Website Builder is just one of the innovative products offered on the Propel IQ platform, giving SMBs an end-to-end foundation to scale their business and drive growth. The Website Builder integrates with Wishpond's complete software suite to give businesses the tools they need to enhance their online marketing resence through a single platform. Wishpond's AI-powered Website Builder is now available to customers using Wishpond's next generation Propel IQ platform, a limited version of which will be released to the public free of charge. In order to sign up for a free version of the Propel IQ platform, or to learn more about Wishpond's Website Builder, visit: Wishpond.com/AI There will also be a demonstration of Wishpond's new AI-powered Website Builder during Wishpond's inaugural Virtual Investor Day 2023 event taking place on April 4, 2023. Go to https://investor.wishpond.com/investor-day-march-2023/ to register in order to attend the Virtual Investor Day. Wishpond Technologies Ltd. "Ali Tajskandar" Chairman and Chief Executive Officer About Wishpond Technologies Ltd. Based out of Vancouver, British Columbia, Wishpond is a provider of marketing-focused online business solutions. Wishpond's vision is to become the leading provider of digital marketing solutions that empower entrepreneurs to achieve success online. The Company offers an "all-in-one" marketing suite that provides companies with marketing, promotion, lead generation, and sales conversion capabilities on one integrated platform. Wishpond replaces disparate marketing solutions with an easy-to-use product, for a fraction of the cost. Wishpond serves over 4,000 customers who are primarily small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in a wide variety of industries. The Company has developed cutting-edge marketing technology solutions and continues to add new features and applications with great velocity. The Company employs a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) business model where substantially all the Company's revenue is subscription-based recurring revenue which provides excellent revenue predictability and cash flow visibility. Wishpond is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker "WISH", and on the OTCQX Best Market under the ticker "WPNDF". For further information, visit: www.wishpond.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain certain forward-looking information and statements ("forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, that are not based on historical fact, including without limitation, statements relating to the success, functionality and results of and from the Company's Propel IQ platform and Website Builder, and statements related to the functionality and any benefits, cost savings or time savings that may be derived from users of the Propel IQ platform and Website Builder as well as statements containing the words "believes", "anticipates", "plans", "intends", "will", "should", "expects", "continue", "estimate", "forecasts" and other similar expressions. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to comment analyses, expectations or statements made by third-parties in respect of the Company, its securities, or financial or operating results (as applicable). Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking information in this press release, including, without limitations, expectations that the Propel IQ platform and Website Builder will be adopted by a substantial number of customers, new customers will be attracted to use the Propel IQ platform and Website Builder, and the maturity, functionality and usability of the Propel IQ platform and Website Builder, are reasonable, such forward-looking information has been based on expectations, factors and assumptions concerning future events which may prove to be inaccurate and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the Company's control, including, but not limited to, market acceptance and adoption of the Propel IQ platform and Website Builder, services offered under and the success of integration of various parts under the Propel IQ platform and Website Builder, risks related to data breaches, privacy and data security, competitive conditions, risks that the Propel IQ platform and Website Builder may be subject to bugs and errors or may not function as intended (and the associated market and user response that may result) and the risk factors discussed in the public disclosure documents of the Company which such risk factors are incorporated herein by reference and are available through SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking information contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and are made as of the date hereof. The Company disclaims any intention and has no obligation or responsibility, except as required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. 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. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wishpond-launches-new-ai-powered-website-builder-301785729.html SOURCE Wishpond Technologies Ltd. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 30, 2023] GroupBy Inc. Welcomes Jennifer Tasev as Vice President of Sales GroupBy Inc., a SaaS-based B2C and B2B eCommerce product discovery technology leader, announced the appointment of Jennifer Tasev as the company's new Vice President of Sales. As a sales industry veteran, Tasev brings more than 25 years of experience and a deep passion for building an inclusive, results-driven and collaborative culture. She joins GroupBy from the global consulting firm Korn Ferry, where she served as a Senior Client Partner & VP of Sales. In this position, Tasev led the North American sales organization for Korn Ferry's Sales Effectiveness (former Miller Heiman) solutions. Prior experience includes sales leadership positions with HumanaCare, ADP, Aramark, American Express and Aon. "The eCommerce industry is in a unique and exciting point of growth. GroupBy has a solid foundation enabling retailers to build the modern eCommerce experience. GroupBy has world-class sales professionals, industry leading client services teams and, above all, a brilliant company culture that attracts and retains diverse talent," says Tasev. "I'm thriled to join GroupBy and look forward to working with this amazing team to accelerate revenue growth, foster our next-level client experience and drive scalable growth." Tasev graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a B.A. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. "We're excited to welcome Jennifer to the team," adds GroupBy's CEO Roland Gossage. "Her rich background in sales effectiveness and excellence will help us to ensure our client and sales teams are working in lock-step with one another to continue to serve our clients well, and grow the white-glove service we're known for." GroupBy's Product Discovery Platform, powered by Google Cloud Discovery AI, helps B2B and B2C eCommerce retailers create the highest converting site experiences possible. By leveraging AI and machine learning, brands can optimize their search and recommendations for revenue while providing a Google-quality search experience. These extraordinary digital customer experiences boost key sitewide metrics like conversion and click through rate, revenue per search, and average order value. GroupBy's platform includes everything from Data Enrichment to Search and Recommendations, Merchandising capabilities, and Analytics and Reporting, allowing retailers to easily craft highly personalized campaigns, reduce manual interventions such as search tuning and access all of their vital product discovery functions in a single place while lowering their overall technology costs. About GroupBy Inc. GroupBy's cloud-native SaaS technology powers the world's most relevant and highly converting eCommerce websites. Our composable Product Discovery Platform powered by Google Cloud Discovery AI, provides industry-leading features for data enrichment, search, recommendations, navigation, personalization, merchandising and search analytics. GroupBy's next-generation search and recommendations platform creates seamless eCommerce experiences optimized for your business outcomes, including revenue, margin, and profit. We excel with complex, large-scale B2B configurations and in dynamic, high volume B2C scenarios. Founded in 2013, GroupBy is headquartered in Toronto, Canada and has offices in Austin, Texas. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005197/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 30, 2023] Dremio and Domo Announce New Integration to Expand Data Lakehouse Access Dremio, the open and easy data lakehouse company, and Domo, a data experience platform innovator, announced a new partnership to expand access to critical data for better decision-making. Through a native data integration with Domo Cloud Amplifier, joint customers can easily connect to Domo to analyze data directly on the data lakehouse. Cloud Amplifier extends the capabilities of the data lakehouse and gives more data users access to critical data to gain insights and make better data-driven decisions. "We are thrilled to work with Domo to bring our joint customers the best of both worlds," said Roger Frey, vice president of Alliances at Dremio. "With this new integration, Domo users can take full advantage of Dremio's data lakehouse capabilities, including fast and efficient querying, powerful data transformation and more." The new Domo integration with Dremio will provide joint users with faster and more efficient data analysis capabilities. Customers can now query Dremio data sources and combine them with other data sources from across the organization, gaining a holistic view of their business performance. "Domo's mission is to put data to work for everyone so they can multiply their impact on the business. With our new native integration with Dremio, we're providing our joint customers with access to even more data sources and capabilities, with the speed, scale and security needed to drive business forward," said Matthew Payne, vice president of Engineering at Domo. About Dremio Dremio is the easy and open data lakehouse, providing self-service analytics with data warehouse functionalit and data lake flexibility across all of your data. Use Dremio's lightning-fast SQL query service and any other processing engine on the same data. Dremio increases agility with a revolutionary data-as-code approach that enables Git-like data experimentation, version control, and governance. In addition, Dremio eliminates data silos by enabling queries across data lakes, databases, and data warehouses, and by simplifying ingestion into the lakehouse. Dremio's fully managed service helps organizations get started with analytics in minutes, and automatically optimizes data for every workload. As the original creator of Apache Arrow and committed to Arrow and Iceberg's community-driven standards, Dremio is on a mission to reinvent SQL for data lakes and meet customers where they are on their lakehouse journey. Hundreds of global enterprises like JPMorgan Chase, Microsoft, Regeneron, and Allianz Global Investors use Dremio to deliver self-service analytics on the data lakehouse. Founded in 2015, Dremio is headquartered in Santa Clara. CNBC recognized Dremio as a Top Startup for the Enterprise and Deloitte named Dremio to its 2022 Technology Fast 500. To learn more, follow the company on GitHub, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook, or visit www.dremio.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005454/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 30, 2023] Techstars Equitech Accelerator Announces 'Demo Day' Featuring Ten Tech Startups; Governor Wes Moore to Deliver Keynote Early-stage startup founders to present tech solutions to investors, stakeholders and community partners BALTIMORE, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Techstars Equitech Accelerator announces a live Demo Day to be hosted on Tuesday, April 4, 2023 - 4:30 - 8:30pm EDT at M&T Bank Stadium (1101 Russell St. Baltimore, MD 21230 South East Club Lounge). The capstone event will introduce ten high-growth early-stage startup companies pioneering emerging tech solutions while celebrating the completion of a thirteen-week intensive program. Hailing from Baltimore and cities across the U.S., the founders will showcase their company progress and pitch tech solutions to investors, stakeholders and community partners. The event will culminate with a keynote address delivered by Maryland Governor Wes Moore. The first-of-its-kind Techstars program was designed for startups from any sector that are grounded in the values of diversity, led by founders from underestimated communities, or developing technologies that increase access and equity. The cohort marks the second Equitech startup class spanning industries in Cyber, Health, Beauty, Edtech, Fintech, AI, Govtech and more. The program provides an immersion in the Baltimore ecosystem while accelerating each company's growth through mentorship from corporate partners, investors, and alumni along with access to capital. The Demo Day wil provide an opportunity for startups to sell their story to investors and potential partners, with the aim of raising money or gaining traction through partnerships and relationships. The culminating event will champion and further expose underestimated startup founders delivering industry-disrupting solutions that improve the innovation economy of cities across the globe. Techstars Equitech Managing Director and Demo Day host Adam Phillips states, "Being a founder is ultimately about being aggressively humble. You have to be an aggressive person who sees big things and essentially dreams a dream that is completely unrealized while being humble enough to know what needs to be done in order to get there. You have to be willing to do the work and I couldn't be more proud of the way each of our founders have shown up." The accelerator is a collaboration between Techstars, the worldwide network that helps entrepreneurs succeed, and UpSurge Baltimore, an organization that is propelling Baltimore into the top tier of U.S. innovation cities. Their partnership and jointly held vision delivers on the mission to building a diverse, equitable and inclusive tech-for-all ecosystem while cultivating an Equitech city that recognizes diversity in tech as a force multiplier. For onsite event press coverage, credentialed media must confirm via RSVP HERE. For press inquiries reach Hope Allen - Living Hope Co. - 646-504-1191 [email protected] For more info on Techstars Equitech Accelerator, visit https://www.techstars.com/accelerators/equitech View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/techstars-equitech-accelerator-announces-demo-day-featuring-ten-tech-startups-governor-wes-moore-to-deliver-keynote-301785865.html SOURCE Techstars Equitech Accelerator [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 30, 2023] AITX and Robotic Assistance Devices CEO Steve Reinharz Appointed to Security Industry Association Board of Directors Detroit, Michigan, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Artificial Intelligence Technology Solutions, Inc., (the Company) ( OTCPK:AITX ), a global leader in AI-driven security and productivity solutions along with its wholly owned subsidiary, Robotic Assistance Devices, Inc. (RAD), today announced that Steve Reinharz has been appointed to the board of directors for the Security Industry Association (SIA). Reinharz will join six other security industry professionals while serving a two-year term in support of the associations mission to be a catalyst for success within the global security industry through information, insight and influence. Its an honor to have been nominated and appointed to the SIA board of directors, Reinharz said. I commend SIA for embracing RADs vision of an inevitable AI-powered security industry. I look forward to working with this distinguished team of security leaders to help shape and define the future of our industry. SIA is an industry trade association for global security solution providers, with more than 1,300 member companies representing thousands of security leaders and experts who shape the future of the security industry. SIA congratulates Steve Reinharz on joining the SIA Board of Directors, said SIA CEO Don Erickson. As a recognized innovator in the security industry, SIA appreciates Steves willingness to share his vision and expertise to benefit SIA. AITX, through its subsidiary, Robotic Assistance Devices , Inc. (RAD), is redefining the $25 billion (US) security and guarding services industry through its broad lineup of innovative, AI-driven Solutions-as-a-Service business model. RAD solutions are specifically designed to provide a cost savings to businesses of between 35%-80% when compared to the industrys existing and costly manned security guarding and monitoring model. RAD deivers this tremendous costs savings via a suite of stationary and mobile robotic solutions that complement, and at times, directly replace the need for human personnel in environments better suited for machines. All RAD technologies, AI-based analytics and software platforms are developed in-house. RAD has a prospective sales pipeline of over 35 Fortune 500 companies and numerous other client opportunities. RAD expects to continue to attract new business as it converts its existing sales opportunities into deployed clients generating a recurring revenue stream. Each Fortune 500 client has the potential of making numerous reorders over time. CAUTIONARY DISCLOSURE ABOUT FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS The information contained in this publication does not constitute an offer to sell or solicit an offer to buy securities of Artificial Intelligence Technology Solutions, Inc. (the "Company"). This publication contains forward-looking statements, which are not guarantees of future performance and may involve subjective judgment and analysis. The information provided herein is believed to be accurate and reliable, however the Company makes no representations or warranties, expressed or implied, as to its accuracy or completeness. The Company has no obligation to provide the recipient with additional updated information. No information in this publication should be interpreted as any indication whatsoever of the Company's future revenues, results of operations, or stock price. About Artificial Intelligence Technology Solutions (AITX) AITX is an innovator in the delivery of artificial intelligence-based solutions that empower organizations to gain new insight, solve complex challenges and fuel new business ideas. Through its next-generation robotic product offerings, AITXs RAD, RAD-M and RAD-G companies help organizations streamline operations, increase ROI, and strengthen business. AITX technology improves the simplicity and economics of patrolling and guard services and allows experienced personnel to focus on more strategic tasks. Customers augment the capabilities of existing staffs and gain higher levels of situational awareness, all at drastically reduced cost. AITX solutions are well suited for use in multiple industries such as enterprises, government, transportation, critical infrastructure, education, and healthcare. To learn more, visit www.aitx.ai , www.stevereinharz.com , www.radsecurity.com , www.radgroup.ai , and www.radlightmyway.com , or follow Steve Reinharz on Twitter @SteveReinharz . ### Steve Reinharz 949-636-7060 @SteveReinharz Attachment Artificial Intelligence Technology Solutions, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] CUPE education workers demand TDSB trustees stand up to Doug Ford and stop the cuts Frontline education workers, members of CUPE Local 4400, will attend a special meeting of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) on Thursday afternoon to urge trustees not to cut already low, unsafe staffing levels. What: TDSB special board meeting When: Thursday, March 30, 4:30 p.m. Where: online and at 5050 Yonge St., Toronto, ON The committee is expected to discuss planned cuts to: special education supports for students; swimming pools instructors; and food services for kids. These would be on top of approximately 500 education worker cuts already announced earlier this month (caretakers, special education staff, designated early childhood educators, elementary secretaries, lunchroom supervisors, and more). "We agree the Ontario government should reimburse $70 million to the TDSB that the Ministry of Education urged our board to spend from its own reserves earlier in the pandemic," said John Weatherup, president of Toronto Education Workers/CUPE Local 4400. "We're also saying 'enough is enough,'" added Weatherup. "It's time for TDSB trustees to stand up with us and with parents to demand better funding from the Ford government, and to pass a no-cuts budget." Toronto Education Workers/Local 4400 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees is the union of 17,000 education workers at the Toronto District School Board, childcare workers at childcare centres throughout the Toronto, and caretakers at Viamonde French school board. CUPE Local 4400 members proudly serve their communities in over 400 job classifications at more than 1,000 worksites. :kw/cope491 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005525/en/ CLOVER INFOTECH PRIVATE LIMITED Amit Agrawal Appointed as CEO of Clover Infotech, Americas Inc Amit Agrawal Clover Infotech is a leading Oracle partner providing technology consulting and services across the Oracle stack Amit will drive Clover Infotechs expansion in the North America and plans to create more than 100 jobs within the next six months NEW YORK, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clover Infotech, a leading Oracle partner and technology services firm, announced the appointment of Amit Agrawal as the new Chief Executive Officer for Clover Infotech Americas Inc. Amit brings a wealth of experience in technology and leadership roles. He will lead Clover Infotech's expansion into the American market, leveraging the company's extensive experience as an Oracle partner and its deep talent pool of over 4,000 consultants. With a successful track record of leadership and innovation, Amit has held executive positions at HCLTech and SaaSFocus America Inc, where he led teams in developing cutting-edge solutions and driving revenue growth. Amit is excited to take on this new challenge and to work with Clover Infotech's talented team to deliver exceptional service and value to clients. Clover Infotech is a true leader in the Oracle technology services space, and I am thrilled to join the company, said Amit Agrawal. I am excited to bring Clover Infotech's expertise to the American market and to create new opportunities for growth and innovation. As part of our commitment to the American market, we plan to create more than 100 jobs in the North America within the next 6 months. We are pleased to welcome Amit. With his extensive experience in technology and leadership roles, Amit is ideally suited to lead Clover Infotech in its next phase of growth and to deliver outstanding results for our clients and stakeholders, said Javed Tapia, Chairman, Clover Infotech. Amit will be based in the New York City metropolitan area and will assume his new role effective immediately. Story continues About Clover Infotech: Clover Infotech is an IT services, solutions, and consulting company founded in 1994. It has empowered its customer across India, Middle East, Europe, and the US to digitally transform themselves across areas such as enterprise application management, data and analytics, legacy modernization, automation, cybersecurity, and cloud services. Contact: Vimal Pillai Clover Infotech vimal.pillai@cloverinfotech.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d7bda095-e08f-4640-8319-636bb035f1ba [March 30, 2023] Finalytics.ai Congratulates Visions FCU on Celent Model Bank Award for Member Engagement Win Finalytics.ai powers segment-of-one digital experiences for community financial institutions. Finalytics.ai announced today that its client, $5.6 billion-asset Visions Federal Credit Union, has been awarded the 2023 Celent Model Bank Award for its innovations in member engagement. Celent's annual Model Bank Awards recognize the best practices of technology usage in different areas critical to success in banking. Nominations are submitted by financial institutions and undergo a rigorous evaluation process by Celent analysts. Celent judges submissions on three core criteria: demonstrable business benefits of live initiatives; the degree of innovation relative to the industry; and the technology or implementation excellence. According to Michael Bernard, Senior Analyst at Celent: "The Model Bank Awards recognize how financial institutions are using technology to change the face of banking. The recipients of this award should serve as an inspiration to others looking for strong examples of best practice implementation that will have a truly meaningful impact on business results and the industry overall. The entry from Visions clearly demonstrated this." Thomas P. Novak, Vice President and Chief Digital Officer at Visions, states, "Humanizing the digital experience is a strategic objective of ours, but to do that we must have the tools and know-how to act. Finalytics.ai has the expertise, technology and understanding we needed to move from a transactional experience to a thoughtful, personal approach on digital channels. It's an integral part of how we can keep our long-standing reputation for service while supporting our goal to become a digital-first institution." Craig McLaughlin, CEO and Co-founder of Finalyticsai, says that "Visions is differentiating itself with a banking environment that is more relational than even the largest institutions. For them, digital transformation is about delivering the distinctiveness of the credit union mission to the digital channel. To do this, they needed to be able to offer segment-of-one interactions that translated their culture and brand value to digital channels. We are proud to collaborate with such an innovative and forward-thinking credit union that focuses on empowering communities towards financial independence." The printed version of the Visions FCU case study Digital Is Personal: How Visions Federal Credit Union Is "Humanizing" Customer Connections is available for downloading here. A video of the case study can be viewed here. About Finalytics.ai Silicon Valley-based Finalytics.ai is the first credit union platform to apply real-time big data and machine learning in a way that creates a segment of one experience that addresses the unique needs of prospective and new members and customers of community financial institutions. The Finalytics.ai platform dynamically segments incoming information from multiple sources concerning an individual then presents curated content unique to that person. This allows institutions to compete more effectively, drive member and customer acquisition and improve retention. Visit https://finalytics.ai/ to learn more. About Visions Federal Credit Union Visions Federal Credit Union is a not-for-profit financial institution completely owned by its members. Established in 1966, Visions proudly serves over 245,000 members in communities throughout New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Services include banking as well as auto, home, personal, and business loans. Visit https://visionsfcu.org/ for more information. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005433/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 30, 2023] Virtru Announces First Ever FIPS 140-2 Validated JavaScript Cryptographic Module WASHINGTON, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Virtru, the recognized leader in data-centric security and privacy, today announced it achieved FIPS 140-2 validation for its JavaScript cryptographic library , the first to be certified by NIST. The newly validated module makes it faster and easier to build and maintain web-native, FIPS 140-2 validated JavaScript solutions. This critical milestone further demonstrates Virtrus long-standing innovation in serving both government and commercial customers, including those operating in the Defense Industrial Base who must comply with stringent data privacy regulations inherent in CMMC 2.0, ITAR, and CJIS. International guidance for regulations like GDPR also recommends implementing encryption in accordance with FIPS 140-2. We will integrate the Virtru JavaScript Cryptographic Module into our JavaScript SDK, which is leveraged by all of our browser-based products, including Virtru for Gmail, Outlook 365, Secure Reader, and Secure Share, said Dana Morris, Virtrus Senior Vice President of Engineering. Integration of the module brings opportunity for new innovations, reduces the attack vector for our cryptographic implementations, and increases control across all of our solutions. Beyond Virtru, software developers in every industry are building secure web apps and, increasingly, Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) that deliver a seamless, cross-platform user experience without requiring users to download and install native applications. For web apps and PWAs with strict data security requirements, their developers will soon have the opportunity to use the FIPS 140-2 validated cryptography library in the Virtru platform. Cyber leaders and software developers everywhere, and especially those operating in the Federal market, are seeking solutions that make it easy to comply with data-centric regulations and align with FIPS 140-2 security requirements, said Will Ackerly, Co-founder, and CTO at Virtru. Our end-to-end encryption products have long been aligned with FIPS 140-2 security requirements, and now we are integrating this native library into our platform, which means that anyone building on top of the Virtru stack can benefit. For organizations interested in licensing Virtrus FIPS 140-2 validated JavaScript cryptography module, please visit Virtrus website . The evaluation was conducted by EWA Canada, an independent cryptographic module testing laboratory accredited by the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP) under the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP). The CMVP is a joint effort between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) under the Department of Commerce and the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, a branch of the Communications Security Establishment. For more information, see Virtrus FIPS 140-2 validation certificate (#4440) on the NIST website . About Virtru: At Virtru, we empower organizations to easily unlock the power of data while maintaining control everywhere its stored and shared. More than 8,000 global customers trust Virtru to power their data-centric, Zero Trust strategies and safeguard their most sensitive data in accordance with the worlds strictest security standards. Creators of TDF (Trusted Data Format), the open industry standard for persistent data protection, Virtru provides encryption technology for data shared through email, collaboration tools, cloud environments, and enterprise SaaS applications. For more information, visit https://www.virtru.com or follow us on Twitter at @virtruprivacy . Contact: Emily Brown REQ on behalf of Virtru [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 30, 2023] Pet Parents Across Canada Can Now Shop PetSmart on Instacart PetSmart is the first dedicated pet retailer available on the Instacart App in Canada BURLINGTON, ON, March 30, 2023 /CNW/ -- PetSmart and Instacart today announced a partnership to offer same-day delivery of pet food, toys, accessories and items across more than 150 PetSmart stores in Canada. PetSmart is the first pet retailer in Canada to join the Instacart App, giving pet parents even more ways to shop for all their pet solutions, needs and wants. Pet parents of all species can shop PetSmart through Instacart for all essentials and must-have products like food, treats, litter, toys, apparel and accessories. Through Instacart, more than 7,000 PetSmart items are available for same-day and scheduled delivery in as fast as an hour. This includes large items such as dog crates, cat towers and aquariums as PetSmart will leverage Instacart's Big & Bulky fulfillment solution. "Pet parents continue to seek convenience and more digital shopping options, and we look to meet them with a seamless and enjoyable experience," said Cherise Ordlock, senior vice president of digital at PetSmart. "Our partnership with Instacart is a testament to our commitment to meeting our customers where they are and givng them more ways to shop with us." "As the pet industry continues to surge in growth, customers are increasingly seeking efficient and seamless solutions to meet their beloved pets' needs," said Blake Wallace, senior director of retail partnerships at Instacart. "That's why we're thrilled to partner with PetSmart and offer their vast selection of pet essentials for delivery across Canada. Their customers can now conveniently access the products they need to care for their pets, with just a few clicks, making pet companionship an even more rewarding experience." Offering delivery of items in as fast as one hour, Instacart is available to over 90% of Canadian households. Instacart delivers from more than 4,000 stores across all 10 Canadian provinces, including all PetSmart Canada locations. To shop PetSmart Canada on Instacart visit Instacart.ca or search for PetSmart in the Instacart App. About PetSmart Canada PetSmart Canada is the largest specialty pet retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. At PetSmart Canada, we will do anything for pets! Every day with every connection, PetSmart Canada's passionate associates help bring pet parents closer to their pets so they, together, can live more fulfilled lives. This vision impacts everything we do for our customers, the way we support our associates and how we give back to our communities. PetSmart Canada provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and products, as well as services such as dog training, pet grooming, pet boarding, PetSmart Doggie Day Camp and pet adoption. To learn more, visit PetSmart.ca. About Instacart Instacart, the leading grocery technology company in North America, works with grocers and retailers to transform how people shop. The company partners with more than 1,100 national, regional, and local retail banners to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from more than 80,000 stores across North America on the Instacart Marketplace. Instacart makes it possible for millions of people to get the groceries they need from the retailers they love, and for approximately 600,000 Instacart shoppers to earn by picking, packing and delivering orders on their own flexible schedule. The Instacart Platform offers retailers a suite of enterprise-grade technology products and services to power their e-commerce experiences, fulfill orders, digitize brick-and-mortar stores, provide advertising services, and glean insights. With Instacart Ads, thousands of CPG brands from category leaders to emerging brands partner with the company to connect directly with consumers online, right at the point of purchase. With Instacart Health, the company is providing tools to increase nutrition security, make healthy choices easier for consumers, and expand the role that food can play in improving health outcomes. For more information, visit www.instacart.com/company, and to start shopping, visit www.instacart.com. SOURCE PetSmart Canada [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 30, 2023] Sunport Power attends the Solar Solutions International 2023 AMSTERDAM, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sunport Power Corp., Ltd attended the Solar Solutions International 2023 held at Expo Haarlemmermeer Amsterdam (Netherlands) from 14th to 17th March. Solar Solutions International is the largest trade fair for solar energy in Northwestern Europe. To stand out from hundreds of exhibitors, Sunport Power showed up several competitive products at booth G23 and attracted a lot of customers. The S-Flex series flexible modules are developed based on MWT back contact technology. The busbar-free design increases the cell conversion efficiency and meets the European clients' requirement for beauty. It has the feature of 2.98kg/? weight, 2.5mm thickness and 0.3m minimum bending radius. The futures of lightweight, hin, soft, flexible and high efficiency make it the best choice for various residential, commercial and industrial rooftops. It also wins European client's praise with its lead-free manufacturing process. To be fit to different curved roofs and outdoor mobile charge scenarios, Sunport Power also brought its customized small dimension module and foldable solar panel. The newly developed foldable solar panel provides an integrated professional solution for special application scenarios of outdoor activities especially for camping, boating, travel. Driven by technology innovation, Sunport Power persists to develop and manufacture products based on MWT back contact technology and will lead the next generation MWT technology and TOPCon cell technology to bring clients more efficient and more qualified products and solutions. Contact Yuxin Ma [email protected] View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/sunport-power-attends-the-solar-solutions-international-2023-301785990.html SOURCE Sunport Power [March 30, 2023] RECUR and Tafi Partner to Bring Innovative Web3 IP Experiences to Market MIAMI, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- RECURthe premier web3 platform driving enterprise-level NFT adoptionannounced a partnership with web3 creative powerhouse, Tafi. Tafi will now harness the power of RECUR Builder to create and evolve select innovative IP experiences Powered by RECUR. Tafi's experience developing metaverse-ready IP content, combined with the streamlined nature of RECUR Builder raises the bar of possibilities and represents a strategic partnership focused on ushering IP from the largest enterprises into the burgeoning world of web3. RECURa web3 platform driving enterprise-level NFT adoptionannounced a partnership with web3 creative powerhouse Tafi. Tafi is a leader in web3 that empowers brands to tell their stories. They give fans access to beloved IP and unforgettable experiences, including Warner Brothers, Coca-Cola, and more. Tafi will now utilize RECUR Builder to elevate iconic web3 IP experiences Powered by RECUR. RECUR Builder is a suite of software tools built on top of RECUR's robust platform. With this offering, RECUR provides a state-of-the-art web3 platform so businesses can integrate with web3 in a frictionless, scalable, and secure environment. "We're delighted to have Tafi as a creative partner leveraging the power of RECUR Builder to push fan engagement to a new level across IP experiences Powered by RECUR," said Zach Bruch, RECUR CEO and Co-Founder. "RECUR's mission is to make web3 simple and accessible for all and our goal is to bring our communities together to enjoy iconic characters in innovative realms across experiences Powered by RECUR. It's made possible with RECUR Builder and we couldn't be more excited to work with Tafi." "We're thrilled to partner with RECUR and build these iconic fan experiences," said Preston Woo, Tafi CFO and Head of Strategy. "At Tafi, we're passionate about making branded digital content available to everyone who wants to level-up their digital personality. Now, we're bringing content to life for the world-class IP experiences Powered by RECUR with the help of RECUR Builder." About Tafi Tafi is a leader in web3 strategy, marketing, and full-stack development. The company has partnered with iconic brands such as Nike, Warner Brothers, Atari, Champion, Estee Lauder, Coinbase, and more. About RECUR RECUR is the premier web3 software platform offering all of the tools a business needs to integrate web3. RECUR empowers customers with the widest range of web3 distribution and utility. RECUR offers a global, flexible, and intuitive institutional-grade software suite that enables everything needed to enter web3. Press Contacts [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/recur-and-tafi-partner-to-bring-innovative-web3-ip-experiences-to-market-301785395.html SOURCE RECUR [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 30, 2023] Michigan tech workforce grows in depth and breadth: CompTIA releases year in review State of the Tech Workforce report 5,200-plus net new jobs added in 2022, more growth projected for this year LANSING, Mich., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Against the backdrop of an eventful year tech employment in Michigan added new jobs and grew in depth and breadth, according to today's release of new research from CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the information technology (IT) industry and workforce. CompTIA's annual "State of the Tech Workforce" reveals that net tech employment1 in Michigan increased by 5,288 net new jobs in 2022, a 2.7% growth rate.2 CompTIA forecasts a 2.2% increase in tech employment for Michigan this year an estimated 4,500 net new jobs. Positions in database, data science and analytics and software development, programming, web development and quality assurance are projected to see the most growth. "In a year of even more uncertainty than usual, the tech labor market routinely defied expectations," said Tim Herbert, chief research officer for CompTIA. "The data continues to confirm the degree to which technology underpins so many facets of business activity across the economy and the breadth of employers reiant on technical and digital skills." More than 202,000 Michigan residents work in tech jobs, spanning both technical and non-technical workers employed by tech companies and tech professionals who work in other industries. That represents 4.5% of the state workforce. The estimated median wage of $85,010 for a tech worker in Michigan is 103% higher than median wage for all occupations in the state. Michigan is in the third quartile in the report's diversity index, a measurement of the depth and breadth of diversity in the tech workforce for seven primary race and ethnicity groups, as defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Women account for 27% of the state's tech workforce; Black or African American workers, 8%; and Hispanic or Latino workers, 3%. Michigan's tech industry has an economic impact of $25.4 billion 4.5% of the state economy. There are nearly 14,000 tech business establishments in the state, including 1,306 that opened in 2022 the 10th highest total in the country. CompTIA's "State of the Tech Workforce" is the most comprehensive source of data on the size and scope of the U.S. technology industry and workforce. The report includes data on employment, wages, business establishments, job postings, workforce diversity, emerging tech metrics and more. Access the full report at https://www.cyberstates.org/. About CompTIA The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is the world's leading information technology (IT) certification and training body. CompTIA is a mission-driven organization committed to unlocking the potential of every student, career changer or professional seeking to begin or advance in a technology career. Each year CompTIA, directly and through its global network of partners, provides millions of people with training, education and certification opportunities designed to help them build career-ready IT skills. To learn more visit https://www.comptia.org/ Media Contact Steven Ostrowski CompTIA [email protected] 630.678.8468 1 The tech workforce consists of two primary components technology professionals working in technical positions (IT support, network engineering, software development, data science, etc.) and business professionals employed by technology companies. Combined they are represented by the "net tech employment" designation. 2 The 2022 employment estimates and 2023 projections represent the most up-to-date data at the time of publication. As with any labor market data source there is a lag effect, recent developments during late 2022 and early 2023 will likely not be fully reflected in the data. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/michigan-tech-workforce-grows-in-depth-and-breadth-comptia-releases-year-in-review-state-of-the-tech-workforce-report-301785937.html SOURCE CompTIA [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 30, 2023] Employees Deeply Value Health and Well-Being, Finds IWBI's 2023 State of Workforce Well-Being Poll The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), the global authority for driving market transformation through healthy buildings, organizations and communities, released findings today from IWBI's 2023 State of Workforce Well-Being Poll, showing almost everyone (96%) agrees that a healthy work environment is necessary for employee productivity. According to findings, most of the American workforce also say health and well-being is a "must have" for organizations and something employers should be "ethically obligated" to support. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005508/en/ IWBI's 2023 State of Workforce Well-Being Poll, conducted by The Harris Poll, sought to better understand how U.S. workers prioritize and experience the investment by their employers to promote health, well-being and equity in their work environments. The Harris Poll surveyed over 1,000 full-time employed U.S. adults 25 years old and older during a two-week period in January 2023, providing an important look into the current state of the workforce, including a timely perspective on many trends initiated and magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic over the past three years. Throughout the findings, employees consistently showed a strong, positive view of health-first practices, an organization's commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and workplace flexibility. The key findings report of the poll can be found here. "What these poll findings make clear is that employees deeply value their well-being and they expect their employers to as well," said Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO, IWBI. "Employers who invest in the health of their employees have a distinct advantage when it comes to attracting and retaining the talent they need to be successful in today's economy." The poll found that the vast majority of employees place a high value on a healthy work environment and how an organization invests in their health, safety and well-being. Specifically, the poll found: 96% of employees agree that a healthy work environment is necessary for employee productivity. Nearly 9 in 10 (87%) agree that employers should be "ethically obligated" to create a work environment that enhances the health, safety and well-being of their employees. More than 8 in 10 (84%) employees agree that supporting the health of employees is a "must-have" for companes. 81% agree that their company's physical work environment has a major impact on their health and well-being. most employees (74%) look forward to going to their physical workplace. However, general health issues top the list of employee concerns about returning to a physical workplace, tied with commuting, among employees who work remotely at least one day per week. Specifically, the poll found: Nearly three-quarters of employees (74%) agree that their company workplace is a place that they look forward to going or would look forward to going. General health concerns, which include health and safety concerns and mental health concerns, top the list of employee concerns about returning to a company's physical work location full-time or part-time (49% tied with commuting), among employees who work remotely at least one day per week. The poll also showed that employees view organizational DEI efforts as a vital part of a company's commitment to health. Further, a company's DEI efforts strongly aligned with employee job satisfaction and comfort in the workplace. Specifically, the poll found: 83% of employees agree that DEI initiatives are an important part of a company's overall commitment to employees' health and well-being. 78% of employees say that their company's commitment to DEI is an important part of their job satisfaction. 83% of employees agree that companies that actively promote DEI initiatives facilitate a more comfortable workplace. "This poll, both timely and important, gives us nationally representative data on how today's workforce is grappling with a staggering amount of change over the past few years," said Dr. Matthew Trowbridge, Chief Medical Officer, IWBI. "We can glean a wealth of information from this poll about the state of our workforce here in the United States. But one message is deafeningly clear: employees want to work for companies that prioritize and invest in their health and well-being, helping support equity, a welcoming culture, flexibility and other health-first strategies." Most of the national workforce agrees that healthy employees are critical to a company's bottom line. In fact, 95% agree (62% strongly agree) that a healthy workforce is essential to a company's financial success. Further, according to the poll, employees view a company commitment to health and well-being as key to other critical company performance factors, including employee engagement, company reputation and employee recruitment and retention. Specifically, the poll found: 95% agree (52% strongly agree) they are more likely to engage with a company that visibly cares about the health and well-being of its employees. More than 9 in 10 employees (92%) agree (43% strongly agree) that a company that is committed to employee health and well-being stands out from the crowd. Nearly 4 in 5 employees (79%) say they would not feel any loyalty to a company that does not prioritize their health. And nearly 3 in 4 employees (73%) say they would not apply to work for a company that does not show it proactively invests in employee health and well-being. Finally, the poll found many workers are taking part in flexible work arrangements, and those that do are worried about potential return-to-office mandates. On average, employees say they work remotely two days per week; and more than two-fifths of employees (45%) work remotely at least one day per week. Nearly 4 in 5 employees who work remotely at least one day per week (78%) say they are concerned about return-to-office mandates (whether their company has actually enacted a mandate or not). About the International WELL Building Institute The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is a public benefit corporation and the world's leading organization focused on deploying people-first places to advance a global culture of health. IWBI mobilizes its community through the administration of the WELL Building Standard (WELL) and WELL ratings and certifications, management of the WELL AP credential, the pursuit of applicable research, the development of educational resources and advocacy for policies that promote health and well-being everywhere. More information on WELL can be found here. International WELL Building Institute, IWBI, the WELL Building Standard, WELL v2, WELL Certified, WELL AP, WELL Portfolio, WELL Score, The WELL Conference, We Are WELL, the WELL Community Standard, WELL Health-Safety Rating, WELL Health-Safety Rated, WELL Equity, WELL Performance Rated, WELL Performance Rating, Works with WELL, WELL and others, and their related logos are trademarks or certification marks of International WELL Building Institute pbc in the United States and other countries. About The Harris Poll The Harris Poll is a global consulting and market research firm that strives to reveal the authentic values of modern society to inspire leaders to create a better tomorrow. It works with clients in three primary areas: building twenty-first-century corporate reputation, crafting brand strategy and performance tracking, and earning organic media through public relations research. One of the longest running surveys in the U.S., The Harris Poll has tracked public opinion, motivations and social sentiment since 1963, and is now part of Stagwell, the challenger holding company built to transform marketing. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005508/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 30, 2023] Arizona adds new tech jobs, tech businesses in 2022, according to CompTIA's year in review State of the Tech Workforce Technology industry contributes $33.4 billion to state's economy PHOENIX, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Arizona added more than 5,000 new tech jobs to its growing ranks of tech workers in 2022, according to a new report released today by CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the information technology (IT) industry and workforce. CompTIA's annual "State of the Tech Workforce" shows that net tech employment1 in Arizona grew by 2.6% in 2022, with the number of people employed in technology increasing by a net new 5,077 workers. 2 CompTIA forecasts a 3.3% increase or about 6,677 new jobs in tech employment for 2023 in Arizona. Positions in software and web development, database, data science, cybersecurity, systems engineering, and IT project management are expected to see the most hiring activity. There are currently an estimated 201,183 people who work in technology in Arizona, the 17th highest total nationally. tech jobs in the state. These jobs include both technical and non-technical workers employed by tech cmpanies and tech professionals who work in other industries. The estimated median wage for a tech worker in Arizona is $88,355, which is 115% higher than the median wage for all occupations in the state. Arizona is in the second quartile in the report's diversity index, a measurement of the depth and breadth of diversity in the tech workforce for seven primary race and ethnicity groups, as defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Women account for 26% of the state's workforce; Hispanic or Latino workers, 15% (the fourth highest percentage nationally); and African American workers, 4%. There are 13,483 tech businesses in the state, with the tech industry delivering an economic impact of $33.4 billion, or 8.2% of Arizona's economy. Arizona employers listed 105,107 job postings for IT occupations in 2022. More than 27% of postings were for positions in emerging technologies artificial intelligence, blockchain, the internet of things, robotics and other areas or for jobs requiring emerging tech skills. CompTIA's "State of the Tech Workforce" is the most comprehensive source of data on the size and scope of the U.S. technology industry and workforce. The report includes data on employment, wages, business establishments, job postings, workforce diversity, emerging tech metrics and more. For more from CompTIA's State of the Tech Workforce visit https://www.cyberstates.org/. About CompTIA The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is the world's leading information technology (IT) certification and training body. CompTIA is a mission-driven organization committed to unlocking the potential of every student, career changer or professional seeking to begin or advance in a technology career. Each year CompTIA, directly and through its global network of partners, provides millions of people with training, education and certification opportunities designed to help them build career-ready IT skills. To learn more visit https://www.comptia.org/ Media Contact Roger Hughlett CompTIA [email protected] 202.503.3644 1 The tech workforce consists of two primary components tech sector employment which encompasses workers employed by tech companies and technology professionals working across every sector of the economy. 2 CompTIA reports the most up-to-date data at the time of publication. As with any labor market data there is a lag effect and recent developments during late 2022 and early 2023 will likely not be fully reflected in the data. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/arizona-adds-new-tech-jobs-tech-businesses-in-2022-according-to-comptias-year-in-review-state-of-the-tech-workforce-301785942.html SOURCE CompTIA [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 30, 2023] Perimeter 81 Named a Top Partner Program in CRN's 2023 Guide Perimeter 81, the rapidly-growing converged network security, Zero Trust Networking Access (ZTNA) and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) leader, has been recognized by CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, in its 2023 Partner Program Guide. This annual guide offers essential information to members of the IT channel ecosystem as they explore technology manufacturers' partner programs to find the vendors that will best support their business needs. For managed service providers (MSPs), value-added resellers (VARs), systems integrators, and strategic service providers, a critical factor when assessing which IT manufacturers and distributors to team with is the breadth and depth of the partner programs those companies offer. In the 2023 Partner Program Guide, vendors were evaluated based on requirements and offerings that set them apart and boost a partner's long-term growth, including partner training and education, sales and marketing resources, technical support, and communication. Perimeter 81's partner program launched last year and has quickly drawn praise from MSPs and VARs for its simplicity and quick time to value. Partners are equipped up-front with all the tools they need to be successful, including certifications, free NFRs, training, technical and sales support, and marketing collateral. This allows partners to quickly understand the technology and simplifies the deployment and management of services to customers in any industry, giving them more time in the day to onboard new customers and unlock revenue opportunities. MSPs and VARs that can provide an entire security stack are well-positioned to grow their clientele - the wider an organization's attack surface is, the more risk it faces. Perimeter 81's robust, scalable security platform takes just minutes to implement, giving partners the ability to manage and improve a customer's security posture at a moment's notice. Perimetr 81 plans to continue its investments in product development, with ideas that specifically have its partners in mind. It also plans to attend several conferences tailored to MSPs in the coming months, including Channel Partners Summit, IT Nation Evolve, and Robin's Big Seminar to sharpen its knowledge base and ensure that every future decision continues to best benefit its partners. "The increasingly dangerous cyber landscape has made MSPs and VARs valuable assets. When we developed our partner program, we wanted to make sure those parties have a comprehensive security platform easily at their disposal that improves their customers' reliability and resilience," said Rich Farbman, Vice President of Channel Sales at Perimeter 81. "Being recognized in CRN's 2023 Partner Program Guide is a testament to the hard work we have done, in such a short amount of time, to make all that happen. We are honored to make this list, and remain committed to developing new tools that not only will push the limits of security innovation, but will continue to best serve our partners in the years to come." "In today's world, the need for innovation is greater than ever," said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. "Solution providers seek vendors that can keep pace with their developing business and evolving client needs. CRN's 2023 Partner Program Guide delivers deep insight into the strengths of each program, spotlighting the vendors dedicated to supporting their partner community and pushing positive change throughout the IT channel." The 2023 Partner Program Guide is available online and will be featured in CRN's April 2023 issue. About Perimeter 81 Perimeter 81 delivers a robust, yet easy to use, converged network and network security platform which connects all users, in the office or remote, to all corporate resources, located on-prem or in the cloud. It is delivered as an easy to use cloud-native service, and managed from a unified console. It enables any business to build a secure corporate network over a private global backbone, without any hardware and within minutes. Perimeter 81's solution is used by more than 3,000 customers worldwide, across a wide range of industries. Our partners are among the world's leading integrators, managed service providers, and channel resellers. The company has offices in NY, LA, UK and TLV. www.perimeter81.com 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 nearly 40 years of unequalled 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. 2023 The Channel Company LLC. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005625/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 30, 2023] Libro Secures Significant Funding Investment and Concludes 2022 With Unprecedented Growth Libro, a leading online reservation management platform, has secured a significant financing investment from Fondaction, a labor-sponsored fund that is a pioneer in sustainable finance in Quebec, and BDC Capital, the investment division of Business Development Bank of Canada. The funds will be used to propel Libro's ambitious growth plans and support the company's ongoing mission to deliver an affordable, easy-to-use reservation platform that empowers restaurants of all sizes to focus on the guest experience, and increase sales. The investment comes on the heels of Libro's unprecedented year-over-year growth and record-making fourth-quarter sales. The company secured 664 new locations concluding FY2022 with a 74% increase in recurring revenue. In addition, Libro celebrated a 45% uptick in new business growth. Libro quickly capitalized on its year-end momentum and kicked-off 2023 by signing 67 additional customers in January alone, including Boston Pizza, Les Enfants Terribles, Lawrence Restaurant, and Foiegwa. "I'm extremely proud of the team at Libro and what we've been able to accomplish together," says Lorne Schwartz, President of Libro. "We clearly resonate with those restaurateurs who have a need for a strong, yet simple reservation management tool that is packed with essential features and at a very reasonable price. This year, we're adding some incredibly powerful new features that will not only help restaurants manage their reservations, but increase revenues by driving customer engagement." "This investment fuels the digital transition of the restaurant industry. This sector has been particularly affected by the pandemic and must now incorporate all the means at itsdisposal to improve its agility and performance. Fondaction is pleased to support a competent and ambitious team that is helping to strengthen the economic and social synergy of this industry," said Claire Brisson, Deputy Chief Investment Officer and Head of Impact Investing at Fondaction. "Supporting the growth and success of Canada's innovative companies is our mandate at BDC and Libro is the perfect example. Reservation management software is indispensable to successful restaurateurs, and the transparency and data-driven approach of Libro's platform gives them a key differentiating factor. Their incredible year-over-year growth is a testament to the skill and experience of the management team, and an indicator of what we can continue to expect from this company," said Alexandre Leclerc, Director, Growth & Transition Capital at BDC Capital. About Libro Libro is one of North America's leading online reservation management solutions providing restaurants with an affordable, fully branded solution to fill tables, manage reservations, reduce no-shows, engage customers, and elevate the overall guest experience. The company's Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform empowers restaurateurs to control the entire online reservation experience, retain all customer information, and eliminate pricey commission models that often come with third party reservation sites. Headquartered in Montreal, the Libro reservation platform is utilized at over 2,500 locations across Canada, the United States, and Europe. For more information, visit www.librorez.com. About Fondaction As a labor-sponsored fund, Fondaction represents tens of thousands of savers and hundreds of companies committed to advancing Quebec. Fondaction manages net assets totaling more than $3.25 billion invested in hundreds of companies and in the financial markets, favoring investments that generate positive economic, social, and environmental impacts in addition to a financial return. Fondaction participates in maintaining and creating jobs, reducing inequalities, and fighting climate change. For more information, visit www.fondaction.com. About BDC Capital BDC Capital is the investment division of BDC, the Business Development Bank of Canada. With more than $6 billion under management, BDC Capital is a strategic partner for the most innovative companies in the country. It offers a full range of capital for companies in the start-up phase and those looking for growth investment. BDC Capital supports Canadian entrepreneurs with the ambition to stand out on the world stage. For more information, visit www.bdc.ca/capital. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005564/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] TORONTO, March 30, 2023 /CNW/ - Angel Wing Metals Inc. (TSXV: AWM) ("Angel Wing Metals" or the "Company") is pleased to announce Mr. Marc Prefontaine as the Company's new President and CEO, effective April 15, 2023. Mr. Prefontaine succeeds Mr. Bryan Wilson, who will be retiring from his role as President, CEO, effective April 15, 2023. Mr. Prefontaine has also been appointed to the Board of Directors effective immediately. Mr. Wilson has stepped down as Director, effective immediately, but will continue as an active and engaged advisor to the Board of Directors, upon the transition of Mr. Prefontaine in the President and CEO role. Mr. Cal Everett has been appointed to the Board and will assume the role of Chairman of the Board of directors, effectively immediately. Angel Wing Metals Inc. logo (CNW Group/Angel Wing Metals Inc.) Marc has been a professional geologist for over 30 years, having started his career working for both majors and juniors. In 2003, he became President and CEO of Grayd Resources where he put together the La India land package in Sonora, Mexico. He, and a tight-knit team, discovered the La India deposit, advancing it to a stage where Agnico-Eagle Mines purchased Grayd Resources for C$275 million in 2011. Agnico-Eagle Mines completed the build in one year of the acquisition and the La India mine has been in commercial production for the past 9 years. Marc then co-founded Orla Mining Ltd. in 2014 and worked as its President and CEO for 4 years. During that time Orla Mining Ltd. purchased and advanced the Cerro Quema deposit in Panama as well as the Camino Rojo deposit in Mexico. Camino Rojo has now been in commercial production for one year. Marc is also a director of Prime Mining Corp. which is also focused on Mexico. "The personal attraction to returning to Mexico after successes directing Grayd and Orla followed by a directorship of Prime Mining lies in the quality and precious metal discovery potential of this Country. Angel Wing Metals dedicated a year successfully acquiring over 650 square kilometres of an undrilled gold rich district, with associated silver and copper occurrences," stated Mr. Prefontaine. He continued, "I am excited to join Angel Wing Metals because of Cal and the corporate team and am especially excited about the talented exploration team led by Gillian Kearvell. The El Grande project is district sized with exciting exploration potential." Story continues Cal is a geologist with more than 14 years of surface and underground exploration experience with senior mining companies. He moved to the financial sector in 1990 and spent 12 years with BMO Nesbitt Burns focused on resource equities, and seven years with PI Financial Corp. in senior resource institutional sales and capital markets. From 2008 to 2015, he was President and CEO of Axemen Resource Capital. Mr. Everett recently retired as President and CEO of Liberty Gold Corp., a position he held from 2016 to 2023 and remains a director and the largest private shareholder of that company. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economic Geology from the University New Brunswick. Mr. Everett said, "I look forward to working with Marc in directing Angel Wing Metals. Linking our backgrounds together again, after joint success in the past and creating opportunity to build value for another resource company, backed by our business acumen and deep experience in capital markets makes us well-suited to take on these roles. Under Marc's leadership we will begin a concerted effort to drill the La Reyna portion of the El Grande project area as well as initiating regional surface exploration programs. I would like to thank Mr. Bryan Wilson for successfully negotiating the multiple land acquisitions that now make up the El Grande project area. Bryan will continue to advise the Company on land title, agreements, and district due diligence." Mr. Frank Busch will be stepping down from the Board of Directors effective immediately. The Company would like to thank Mr. Busch for his insight and guidance throughout the Company's formative years. Concurrent C$2.2M to $2.6M Private Placement (pre proposed 2 for 1 rollback) Angel Wing Metals is also pleased to announce a private placement financing with a lead order from Mr. Prefontaine and select close associates. The financing will be on a non-brokered private-placement basis of between 20,000,000 and 23,636,363 common share units of the Company ("Units") at a price of C$0.11 per Unit, for total gross proceeds between C$2,200,000 and $2,600,000. Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company and one-half warrant. Each full warrant will be exercisable for a period of two years from issuance at a price per common share of C$0.25. Proceeds from the private placement will be used by the Company for exploration at its Mexico properties and for general and corporate purposes. The private placement is subject to a statutory 4-month hold from the date of issuance. The private placement is subject to the receipt of all necessary approvals including the approval of the TSXV and applicable securities regulatory authorities. No fees are payable on this financing. Such participation in the private placement by certain insiders represents a related-party transaction under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"), but the transaction is exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as neither the fair market value of the subject matter of the transaction, nor the consideration paid, exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization. Subsequent to closing the private placement, Angel Wing Metals will be taking under consideration a potential rollback of the Company common shares at approximately 2 for 1. If determined appropriate, Angel Wing Metals will bring the proposal to a vote of the shareholders. Any potential rollback is subject to market conditions and TSXV approvals. ABOUT ANGEL WING METALS Angel Wing Metals (TSXV: AWM) is focused on the exploration and development of its portfolio of precious metals properties in Mexico and Canada. The Company's flagship El Grande Project covers 655km2 in the southern extension of the prolific Sierra Madre Occidental gold-silver belt in the state of Nayarit, Mexico and demonstrates significant gold and silver mineralization. Angel Wing Metals is committed to sustainable and responsible exploration and business activities in line with industry best practices, supportive of all stakeholders, including the local communities in which the Company operates. For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.angelwingmetals.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF ANGEL WING METALS INC. Bryan Wilson President & CEO Email: bwilson@angelwingmetals.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Information: This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking information. Generally, forward-looking information may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", " expects" or "does not expect", "proposed", "is expected", "budgets", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases, or by the use of words or phrases which state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, or might occur or be achieved. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information regarding: the outlook on the properties and projects of Angel Wing Metals, including the potential drilling on La Reyna and exploration across the El Grande claim, the proposed private financing including the requisite approvals by the TSXV and subsequent completion of the private financing, and the proposed roll-back of the Corporation's shares, including the requirement for shareholder approval. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. This forward-looking information reflects Angel Wing Metals' current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Angel Wing Metals and on assumptions Angel Wing Metals believes are reasonable. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements of Angel Wing Metals to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; general capital market conditions and market prices for securities; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; the actual results of future operations; competition; changes in legislation, including environmental legislation, affecting Angel Wing Metals; the timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; and lack of qualified, skilled labor or loss of key individuals. A description of additional assumptions used to develop such forward-looking information and a description of additional risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward- looking information can be found in Angel Wing Metals' disclosure documents on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Although Angel Wing Metals has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions, or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of Angel Wing Metals as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. However, Angel Wing Metals 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 expressly required by applicable securities law. SOURCE Angel Wing Metals Inc. Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2023/30/c2459.html [March 30, 2023] Berkeley SkyDeck Hosts 15th Demo Day, Featuring 18 Startups Berkeley SkyDeck, the global hub for entrepreneurship and a leading accelerator, today announced that Demo Day for Batch 15 will take place on April 4, 2023. Investors from major Silicon Valley venture capitalist firms will hear from 18 startups, including 15 new companies and three alumni startups, hailing from eight countries and four continents (North America, Europe, Australia and Asia). These startups will present innovative solutions in chips and hardware, robotics, enterprise, generative AI, B2B products and health tech. During Demo Day, each startup will offer a five-minute presentation to investors representing some of the largest and most active VCs across Silicon Valley. The full list of participating startups is available on Berkeley SkyDeck's website. Applications for Batch 15 were up 120% compared to the previous fall application period, and Berkeley SkyDeck's acceptance rate remains at just over 1.5%. Each selected cohort company receives $200,000 in funding, free and discounted resources worth $750,000 and access to the Berkeley SkyDeck network of UC Berkeley alumni, faculty and advisors. Alumni of Berkeley SkyDeck, which include Deepscribe, MindsDB, Chemix, and Xendit, have enjoyed great success in their respective industries, collectively raising more than $1.7 billion in funding, with nearly 20 exits through acquisition or publicoffering. The program has also launched Berkeley SkyDeck Europe to expand its global footprint, with its first cohort presenting at a Demo Day this past fall. "Batch 15 is a formidable group of impressive startups. Berkeley SkyDeck selects cohort companies that push the boundaries of their industries while following fundamentally sound business models, and both qualities are essential in the current economic climate," said Caroline Winnett, Executive Director at Berkeley SkyDeck. "From new ways to access and deliver healthcare, to sustainability in logistics, better management of alternative assets and more, these startups bring lots of interesting investment opportunities. We are confident that Batch 15 will shine bright at Demo Day." Berkeley SkyDeck recently closed applications for Batch 16, with the cohort term expected to start in early May 2023. Now in its fourth year and investing from its $60 million Fund II, SkyDeck Fund has invested in 180 companies, representing a wide range of businesses and industries from 30 countries around the world. A new generation venture fund, SkyDeck Fund shares half of its profits with UC Berkeley, thereby continuing the university's mission of delivering excellence in education. "Berkeley SkyDeck's global focus offers Demo Day attendees the opportunity to look outside Silicon Valley for their next investments, broadening their portfolios and giving more companies around the world the chances they need to succeed," said Chon Tang, Founding Partner, Berkeley SkyDeck Fund. "We continue to be astounded by the response to each Demo Day and look forward to Batch 15 making a similarly-strong impression." The Berkeley SkyDeck Demo Day will be hosted from 3:00 - 6:30 pm at Zellerbach Auditorium in Berkeley, California. Accredited investors interested in receiving an invite to the exclusive demo day can apply via this link. About Berkeley SkyDeck Berkeley SkyDeck is a leading accelerator and the global hub for entrepreneurship. As UC Berkeley's largest and most prominent accelerator, SkyDeck combines hands-on mentorship with the vast resources of its research university. SkyDeck is the only accelerator of its kind that offers the value of a dedicated investment fund alongside the resources and network of a top university. To date, SkyDeck startups have raised more than $1.7 billion in aggregate. Participating startups have access to SkyDeck's 500 advisors, 70 industry partners, and a network of more than 510,000 UC Berkeley alumni. For more information, see skydeck.berkeley.edu. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005203/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 30, 2023] Weave Named a Leader in Five Different Categories in G2's 2023 Spring Report Weave (NYSE: WEAV), the all-in-one customer communication and engagement platform for small- and medium-sized businesses, has been named a leader in five different categories in G2's 2023 Spring Report. Recognition in the list is based on over 200 real customer reviews and highlights the best software products for small healthcare businesses. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005659/en/ Weave was named a leader in the following categories: Patient Engagement Software Patient Relationship Management Optometry Software Veterinary Software HIPAA Compliant Messaging "We are thrilled to be recognized as the leader across our vertical markets and overall for our patient engagement solutions," said Brett White, CEO of Weave. "Our loyal and dedicated custmers champion Weave and recommend us to other businesses constantly, and we're so grateful for their support and feedback." In addition to being named a leader in multiple categories, Weave also was recognized for its return on investment, being named Best Results in Patient Engagement software among small businesses. This comes on the heels of Weave being named a Best Software for Small Business earlier this year. Weave has a long track record of recognition within its core specialty healthcare markets. Last year alone, Weave won a Dentaltown Townie Choice Award for Best Patient Communication System, an EyeVote Readers' Choice Award for Patient Engagement Systems, a Vetty Award for Marketing Excellence, and was named a Best Healthcare Technology Solution Finalist for SIIA CODiE Awards. To learn more about Weave's culture and career opportunities, visit getweave.com/newsroom. About Weave Weave is the all-in-one customer communication and engagement platform for small- and medium-sized businesses. From the first phone call to the final invoice and every touchpoint in between, Weave connects the entire customer journey. Weave's software solutions transform how local businesses attract, communicate with and engage customers to grow their business. Weave has set the bar for Utah startup achievement & work culture. In the past year, Weave has been named a G2 leader in Patient Engagement, Optometry, Dental Practice Management and Patient Relationship Management software. To learn more, visit getweave.com/newsroom/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005659/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 30, 2023] PenFed Credit Union Renews Commitment to 'uRise,' a Local Resource for Learning, Community and Care with $125,000 Donation 'uRise Powered by PenFed' Engages, Lifts and Inspires Communities in New Jersey HIGHTSTOWN, N.J. and TYSONS, Va., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- PenFed Credit Union, the nation's second-largest federal credit union, furthered its partnership with Rise, a nonprofit providing services in the Hightstown/East Windsor area, with a $125,000 donation in support of "uRise Powered by PenFed." uRise is an online hub for local creators to share their passions and skills to uplift others as they connect with community, manage well-being and mindfulness, and acquire new skills and knowledge. uRise celebrates both content creators and content users and has partnered with a variety of content providers, from local corporations to small businesses and individuals, who are sharing their services and unique skill sets with the community in the form of online classes, events, videos and one-on-one connections with users. While many of the portal's virtual programs step-stone to in-person programming, much of the online content is continually refreshed to remain relevant. PenFed's initial $100,000 investment in uRise in 2021 and ongoing support helped to create a vital and vibrant connection to learning, community and care. Classes are available for children and families, teens, seniors and English language learners. "PenFed is proud to continue our support for the Hightstown and East Windsor communities," said PenFed President/CEO and PenFed Foundation CEO James Schenck. "PenFed was founded on the credit union mission of 'people helping people' and Rise shares in our mission. Together we are providing meaningful support to uplift our communities." The uRise online portal is free and accessible for all, includes content for users of all ages and abilities, and can be translated into either English or Spanish to help serve a broad audience. "I am thrilled to announce that uRise powered by PenFed has received a generous donation to support our mission of providing accessible education and resources to underserved communities," said Executive Director of Rise Leslie Koppel. "Increased funding by PenFed will help uRise expand and improve its offerings, both online and in-person. This will enable uRise to inspire more creators, engage more users, and establish a consistent and sustainable in-person offering through the uRise Campus. We are incredibly grateful for PenFed's commitment to education and their partnership in this important work." To learn more about uRise, or to become a member, click here. About PenFed Credit Union Established in 1935, Pentagon Federal Credit Union (PenFed) is America's second-largest federal credit union, serving 2.8 million members worldwide with $35.5 billion in assets. PenFed Credit Union offers market-leading certificates, checking, credit cards, personal loans, mortgages, auto loans, student loans, and a wide range of other financial services. Our mission is to empower members of our communty to achieve their financial well-being. PenFed Credit Union is federally insured by the NCUA and is an Equal Housing Lender. To learn more about PenFed Credit Union, visit PenFed.org, like us on Facebook and follow us @PenFed on Twitter. Interested in working for PenFed? Check us out on LinkedIn. We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. About Rise Rise has been a cornerstone of the Mercer County community for more than five decades, providing social services to underserved populations and serving as a vital hub for local residents. As the demographics of the community have changed, Rise has adapted to better meet the needs of its clients while remaining committed to helping its neighbors achieve personal and professional success, health, and happiness. Looking forward, Rise will continue to be a central gathering place for the community, offering support to families in need while working to create a more equitable and healthy community for all. With expanded facilities and resources, Rise will be able to serve even more community members who are going through transitions and seeking greater connection, support, and empowerment. For more information about Rise, please visit our website at njrise.org, connect with us on Facebook, and check out our LinkedIn page. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/penfed-credit-union-renews-commitment-to-urise-a-local-resource-for-learning-community-and-care-with-125-000-donation-301786226.html SOURCE PenFed Credit Union [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 30, 2023] Akima Subsidiary Awarded $194M to Support Tobyhanna Army Depot Maintenance Contract Truestone will provide logistics and engineering technician support across all facets of electronics, communications, and security equipment maintenance HERNDON, Va., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Akima today announced that its subsidiary, Truestone, has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Army to provide logistics and engineering technician support at the Tobyhanna Army Depot, the largest full-service electronics maintenance facility in the Department of Defense (DoD). The contract has a value of $194 million over five years if all options are exercised. Tobyhanna is a recognized leader in providing world-class logistics support for command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C5ISR) systems across the Department of Defense. Tobyhanna's capabilities include full-spectrum support for sustainment, overhaul and repair, fabrication and manufacturing, engineering design and development, systems integration, technology insertion, modification, and global field support to our warfighters. Located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania, the Tobyhanna Army Depot is part of the U.S. Army Communications Electronics Command. "Supporting warfighter readiness has been a long-standing focus for kima," said Duncan Greene, President of Akima's Mission Systems, Engineering & Technology Group. "We are proud to continue our support to the U.S. Army delivering quality services to Tobyhanna in support of the DoD's mission to empower the soldier with winning C5ISR capabilities." The contract was awarded under the Responsive Strategic Sourcing for Services (RS3) contract. Truestone will support the Tobyhanna maintenance mission of total sustainment, including fabrication, repair and overhaul of hundreds of electronic systems and support equipment. About Truestone, an Akima Company An Alaska Native Corporation (ANC), Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) and a wholly owned subsidiary of Akima, Truestone enables customers to achieve superior project outcomes and long-term business success. A systems Integrator and an end-to-end technology services and solutions provider, Truestone can support you across every critical point of your project's lifecyclefrom strategy, development and integration through operations, management, and maintenance. Proven at some of today's most complex, demanding, visible and secure operationsand quickly scalable to any size project Truestone is your partner of choice when quality, performance and value matter most. To learn more visit www.truestonefed.com. About Akima Akima is a global enterprise with over 9,000 employees, delivering agile solutions to the federal government in the core areas of facilities & ground logistics; information technology; aerospace solutions; protective services; systems engineering; mission support; furniture, fixtures & equipment (FF&E); and construction. As a subsidiary of NANA, an Alaska Native Corporation owned by more than 15,000 Inupiat shareholders, Akima's core mission is to enable superior outcomes for our customers' missions while simultaneously creating a long-lived asset for NANA consistent with our Inupiat values. In 2022, Akima ranked #29 on Washington Technology's Top 100 List and #56 on Bloomberg Government's BGOV200 List of top federal contractors. To learn more about Akima, visit www.akima.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/akima-subsidiary-awarded-194m-to-support-tobyhanna-army-depot-maintenance-contract-301786251.html SOURCE Akima [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 30, 2023] AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings to Tokio Marine Canada Ltd. AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of "a-" (Excellent) of Tokio Marine Canada Ltd. (TMC) (Toronto, ON). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. The ratings reflect TMC's balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM). The very strong balance sheet assessment reflects TMC's strongest level of risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Best's Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), with a capitalization of CAD 75 million provided by Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co., Ltd. in 2022, as well as ongoing support, as needed. Risk-adjusted capitalization is expected to remain in the strongest category for the next several years, with additional positive rating factors that include financial flexibility, high-quality assets, a conservative investment portfolio and reinsurance programs that are placed with highly rated reinsurers. Conversely, AM Best views the execution risks associated with startup companies as a negative factor. AM Best assesses the company's operating performance as adequate based on TMC's projection. AM Best views the company's business profile as limited given that TMC is a startup entity. TMC's ERM capabilities benefit from the overall framework developed at the ultimate parent's level. This pres release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best's website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best's Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best's Credit Ratings, Best's Performance Assessments, Best's Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best's Ratings & Assessments. AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com. Copyright 2023 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005680/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 30, 2023] TransLoop partners with Luke Grimes of Yellowstone, Hydroviv, and the Jeff Ruby family to deliver and donate filtration systems to East Palestine, Ohio CHICAGO, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ohio native Luke Grimes, known for his role as "Kayce Dutton" on Paramount Network's Yellowstone, and the Jeff Ruby Family, who own and operate seven fine dining steakhouses in the Midwest including four in Ohio, are partnering to bring relief aid to the residents of East Palestine, Ohio in the wake of the toxic train derailment last month. Grimes and members of the Jeff Ruby family will visit East Palestine on the morning of March 31 to distribute 250 water filtration systems from Hydroviv and present Mayor Trent R. These filters were transported by TransLoop, whose Founderand CEO, Nick Reasoner, is also an Ohio native. "We are extremely grateful for this generous donation from Luke Grimes and the Jeff Ruby Family. Their support will help us move forward toward our vision of a thriving and resilient community," said East Palestine Mayor Conaway. "While our water is already safe to drink, the generous donation of water filtration systems will provide an extra layer of protection and peace of mind for our residents while further enhancing the quality of our water supply. We are grateful for everyone's commitment to ensuring our community's health and safety." About TransLoop TransLoop is a battle-tested, technology-driven logistics company built in collaboration with experienced team members from prominent companies all over the country. The team pairs cutting-edge technology, AI systems, and white-glove customer service to provide a one-of-a-kind logistics experience for their shippers and carriers. TransLoop's forward-thinking and modern-tech approach helps provide its partners with a smarter way to transport goods. Visit TransLoop.io Note to media: Free water filtration systems will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis to residents of East Palestine on March 31, starting at 8 a.m. at The Original Roadhouse, 333 W. Main Street, East Palestine, OH 44413. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/transloop-partners-with-luke-grimes-of-yellowstone-hydroviv-and-the-jeff-ruby-family-to-deliver-and-donate-filtration-systems-to-east-palestine-ohio-301786289.html SOURCE TransLoop [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 30, 2023] NADclinic Group, BioStarks and Do Not Age Announce Exclusive Partnership to Revolutionise Personalised Longevity LONDON, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- NADclinic Group, BioStarks and Do Not Age have joined forces in an exclusive partnership to provide their audience with innovative solutions, combining cutting edge diagnostics, therapeutics and best in class longevity focused supplements and nutraceuticals. Top Longevity Companies Join Forces to Promote Healthy Aging With a focus on optimising health, performance, and longevity, the tri-party alliance will invest dedicated resources into the science of longevity with the key objective to increase average lifespans and enhance overall health spans for their customers. The Longevity Alliance mission, is to lead the world in optimising human performance, with consistent accurate testing at the core of their programs and business philosophy. NADclinic Group is a revolutionary health and wellness organisation, specialising in the provision of evidence based NAD+ IV therapy protocols and therapeutics. NADclinic have a fast growing global footprint & partner base, with over 20 locations in key international cities and a holistic philosophy towards marrying social wellness, hospitality and integrative medical excellence. The company's CEO, Iain de Havilland comments: "As the world's population continues to age, the alliance recognises the urgency of addressing the associated health challenges that come with senescence. Our consolidated partnership will leverage the latest therapies, technology, and social strategies to help individuals lead optimal, healthier lives. With diagnostics and hyper-personalisation at the forefront of our collective strategy. The alliance's combined expertise and shared philosophy will enable them to introduce cutting-edge, technology-driven, personalised and preventive products solutions for their clients. BioStarks is a distinguished Geneva-based biotechnology firm committed to creating personalised, preventive health solutions using advanced at-home diagnostics. Their mission is to empower individuals to take control of their health, ultimately enhancing quality of life and increasing longeity. "This unique collaboration marks a significant step towards transforming the way people approach ageing and health, ensuring a higher quality of life for future generations," adds Francois Marland, CEO of BioStarks. DoNotAge.org is a Health Research Organisation on a mission to extend healthy lifespan for as many people as possible, they partner with world renowned scientists with a focus on developing innovative products that promote healthy ageing. DoNotAge.org has established itself as a leader in the field of longevity science. "As we forge ahead with this exclusive partnership between NADclinic Group, DoNotAge.org, and BioStarks, we are confident that our combined efforts will lead to remarkable advancements in the field of longevity science. Our shared vision and dedication to empowering individuals to take control of their health will ultimately redefine the way we perceive and manage the ageing process," adds Alan Graves, CEO of DoNotAge.org. FURTHER INFORMATION About NADclinic Group NADclinic Group is a pioneering health and wellness organisation that specialises in providing advanced, evidence-based NAD+ therapies to optimise human performance. NADclinic's NAD+ IV is available globally in over 30 countries and used by many of the world's leading longevity practitioners and clinics. https://nadclinic.com/ About DoNotAge.org DoNotAge.org is a Health Research Organisation focused on the development of innovative products and solutions to promote healthy ageing and extend human lifespan. Through rigorous scientific research, DoNotAge.org has become the world's most popular place to get life extending products. https://donotage.org/ About BioStarks Biostarks, a preventive digital healthcare company, was founded in Switzerland in 2019. The company initially used IP2 technology, which led to the development of the first Athletes Biological Passport. This passport was subsequently adopted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the exclusive method of biomarker testing for all competing Olympic athletes. Today, Biostarks offers affordable and comprehensive at-home test kits that analyse over 35 biomarkers, including minerals, fatty acids, amino acids, and hormones. These biomarkers are directly related to critical functions such as sleep quality, endurance, mood, energy, strength, recovery, and nutrition. https://www.biostarks.com/ View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nadclinic-group-biostarks-and-do-not-age-announce-exclusive-partnership-to-revolutionise-personalised-longevity-301786306.html SOURCE Biostarks Labs US Inc; DoNotAge; NADclinic [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Finalists Vie in the 2023 Global Scaling Challenge Competition During April 14th & 15th Webinar The University of New Mexico has announced the finals of the 2023 Global Scaling Challenge (GSC) with 36 qualifying university student teams competing for $35,000 in cash prizes. This year's firm theme is "Aerospace", a critical technology sector. The finals follow two Regional Qualifier Competitions. Participants and sponsors are cordially invited to participate in this complimentary webinar to take place (virtually) on April 14-15, 2023. Before competing in the finals, the 36 student teams competed in one of two regional qualifiers: the Western Hemisphere Scaling Challenge, co-sponsored by Rowan University (US) and Stevens Institute of Technology (US) and the Eastern Hemisphere Scaling Challenge co-sponsored by Johannes Kepler University (Austria) and Grenoble Ecole de Management (France). The regional challenges winners were Boston University, Grenoble Ecole de Management, and the University of Denver. They and 18 others have moved on to compete at the GSC Finals. Judges for the global events include entrepreneurs, company executives, economic development professionals, venture capitalists and industry experts. Anderson Business School Professor and Challenge founder and chairperson Steve Walsh said, "The Global Scaling Challenge is an exceptional learning experience and all about getting students out of the classroom and into the field for some truly pragmatic and actionable learning opportunities with the outcome being the providing of new ideas and direction to the organizations involved. It is NOT a business plan competition for a fictitious idea but rather a competition that challenges students to create real growth strategies for three real, U.S. technology-based companies. They are tasked to 'make a difference.' The GSC aims to provide a viable strategy to rapidly grow each company from x to 1,000 x in sales in five years. They can Make a Difference. The challenge is real, it is live, and it is virtual." The regional scaling qualifiers focused on a single company, Albuquerque New Mexico-based "RS 21". The teams that compete at the UNM GSC finals will focus on two additional promising U.S. small, technology companies. Both GSC regional qualifiers and finals are held synchronously via Zoom and are complimentary for students/universities to enter and compete for $35,000 in cash prizes. FOR MORE INFORMATION Please visit https://gsc.mgt.unm.edu to learn about the conference, sponsorship opportunities and obtain a zoom link to view the challenge. ABOUT THE GLOBAL SCALING CHALLENGE (UNM GSC) The UNM Anderson School of Business Global Scaling Challenge (GSC) was initiated in 2021. It has quickly found widespread favor internationally in assisting high-tech firms engaged in critical technology industry segments to the US and the world resulting in scaling-up and becoming sustainable. UNM GSC is a real, live, and virtual where this year 36 university teams of more than 160 students and mentors from around the world, compete for $35,000 in prizes, and assist projects or minority founded firms or women- led efforts in firms in the Aerospace Sector. It leverages the research of the highly ranked Management of Technology and Technology Entrepreneurship researchers from the Anderson School of Management. To date the firms have used the mentored students and judges' inputs to great advantage. ABOUT THE ANDERSON SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO The University of New Mexico (UNM) was founded in 1889 by the New Mexico Territorial Legislature, it is the state's oldest university, flagship academic institution, and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 students in 2021. It is a R1 top tier university by the Carnegie classification of Institutions, a top 100 public university by the US News and World Report, a Hispanic-serving institution by the US Department of Education, and holder of a gold rating as a military- friendly institution. The Anderson School of Management (Anderson), founded in 1947, is the business school of the University of New Mexico (UNM). Anderson was the first professional school of management established in the state of New Mexico and has an alumni base of over 24,000 graduates. It has been accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) since 1975. UNM was the third university to gain professional AACSB accreditation for both their bachelor's and master's degree programs. In 1974, the school was named for Robert Orville Anderson, a New Mexico oilman and longtime CEO of the Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO). Please click on our SPONSORS' links below to learn more about them. New Space New Mexico in partnership with Air Force Research Laboratory, Real Time Solutions, Bernalillo County Commission District 4 Commissioner Walt Benson, New Mexico Economic Development Department, New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnerships, Cooper & Company, Cottonwood Technology Fund, ESPALIER, EZJ Online, Grenoble Ecole de Management, IAMOT, Johannes Kepler University, KOB Channel 4, MANCEF, Richard P. Feynman Center for Innovation at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Roger Grace Associates, Rowan University, Sandia National Laboratories, Stevens Institute of Technology, UNM Anderson School of Management, and UNM COSMIAC. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230329005944/en/ [March 30, 2023] MESMERIZE ADDS LEWIS DRUG TO ITS POINT OF CARE NETWORK NEW YORK, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mesmerize (www.mesmerize.com), a prominent out-of-home media company specializing in patient education at the point of care, announced the expansion of its pharmacy network to include Lewis Drug. Since 1942, shoppers have trusted family-owned Lewis as their neighborhood store and pharmacy. Based in Sioux Falls, SD, Lewis Drug has 60 stores conveniently located throughout South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota and offers quality prescription and non-prescription drugs, and a wide selection of everyday basics, plus name brands and specialty itemsalways at affordable prices. Mesmerize will be installing digital displays in the waiting and pick-up/drop-off areas of Lewis Drug locations presenting a valuable opportunity for patient education and sponsor messaging. Mesmerize's digital displays feature best-in-class editorial and educational content speaking to general health and wellness, symptoms, disease states, treatment options, and more. Bob Meyer, Senior Vice President, General Merchandise and Mareting Manager at Lewis Drug said, "Lewis has been a trusted neighborhood pharmacy and market leader for 81 years. From expert advice and quick refills to longer hours and more convenient locations, we do everything possible to make our customers experience fast, easy, and friendly. Adding the Mesmerize patient education screens to our pharmacies will enhance the customer experience and provide a valuable messaging platform for us to feature our clinical services, adherence messaging, and help create better health outcomes for our customers." Ian Stone, Senior Vice President at Mesmerize added, "we look forward to working closely with the Lewis Drug team to create meaningful health and wellness content for each of their stores across their chain. As a leader in the markets that they serve, Lewis Drug provides important pharmacy services to patients in the communities that they serve and our content will help increase awareness about important health topics for their patients. " ABOUT MESMERIZE Mesmerize specializes in patient education at the point of care. Mesmerize provides targeted educational materials including digital and static wallboards, literature distribution, and branded medical essentials to patients and caregivers in waiting rooms, exam rooms, and other high traffic areas of doctors' offices, pharmacies and community-based organizations. For more information, please visit www.mesmerize.com. ABOUT LEWIS DRUG Since 1942, shoppers have trusted family-owned Lewis as their neighborhood store and pharmacy. With 60 stores conveniently located throughout South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota, Lewis Drug provides quality prescription and non-prescription drugs, and has a huge selection of everyday basics, plus name brands and specialty itemsalways at affordable prices. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mesmerize-adds-lewis-drug-to-its-point-of-care-network-301786330.html SOURCE Mesmerize [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 30, 2023] Sealy & Company's "Source Deals, Serve Others" Initiative Raises $20,000 for Fort Myers Collaboratory Sealy & Company, a fully-integrated commercial real estate investment and operating company, is proud to announce a contribution of $20,125 to the Fort Myers Collaboratory as a result of a special initiative called "Source Deals, Serve Others" and involving brokers from JLL. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005813/en/ Sealy & Company's "Source Deals, Serve Others" Initiative Raises $20,000 for Fort Myers Collaboratory (Photo: Business Wire) The donation was made on behalf of Brad Berzins, SIOR - Managing Director for JLL and John Dunphy, CCIM, SIOR - Senior Managing Director for JLL. "Source Deals, Serve Others" creates a way for Sealy & Company's cooperating brokers to make a meaningful difference for causes they embrace. When a broker brings a qualified off-market deal to Sealy & Company and it is closed, Sealy delivers a preidentified contribution amount to the charity or cause of the broker's choice, preferably to market in which the property was acquired. "We are incredibly appreciative of the very generous donation by Sealy & Company and JLL," said Sarah Owen, President and CEO of Collaboratory. "Companies and leadership like this will help us continue to support relief and recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Ian. Sealy & Company and JLL clearly exemplify an inherent responsibility to drive sustainability, technology, and corporate social responsibility efforts." Berzins and Dunphy brought the Westgate Industrial Park deal in Fort Myers, Fla., to John Nida, Sealy & Company's Investment Services Southeast Regional Director. After successfully closing the trnsaction, Berzins and Dunphy selected Collaboratory as their charity of choice. Collaboratory continues to take a lead role in regional philanthropic support with an immediate focus on relief and recovery in the wake of Hurricane Ian. The massive scope of the recovery and resilience planning has created opportunities for innovative solutions to the issues facing residents in Lee County and throughout the region. Through philanthropic investments, such as the Source Deals, Serve Others donation, Collaboratory can utilize the flexible capital to seize emergent opportunities beyond those addressed with public funding. "It is truly my honor to partner with Brad and John to support the Collaboratory and the rebuilding of a better, stronger Fort Myers and surrounding areas," said John Nida, Investment Services Southeast Regional Director for Sealy & Company. "In 2022, Sealy & Company acquired properties in Lakeland and Fort Myers, heralding our re-entry into Florida's industrial real estate market. We look forward to bringing our institutional quality management and operations, coupled with our community-driven approach to key Florida markets as we continue to seek opportunities in Fort Myers, Lakeland, Tampa, and Orlando. I am proud to be a part of Sealy & Company, which is living up to its commitment to making a positive impact." Added Berzins: "Working with Sealy & Company and John Nida on this transaction was a true pleasure. The deal was a 'win-win' for both the buyer and seller. The charitable contribution is an added benefit and shows the commitment of both Sealy and JLL to Southwest Florida and all communities they serve." For more news and information regarding Sealy & Company, please visit www.Sealynet.com. About Sealy & Company Sealy & Company, a fully integrated commercial real estate investment and operating firm, is a recognized leader in acquiring, developing, and redeveloping regional distribution warehouses, industrial/flex, and other commercial properties. Sealy provides a full-service platform for high-net-worth individuals and institutional investors through our development, management, and brokerage divisions. Sealy & Company has an exceptional team of over 100 employees, with corporate offices in Dallas, TX and Shreveport, LA. About JLL JLL is a leading professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management. JLL shapes the future of real estate for a better world by using the most advanced technology to create rewarding opportunities, amazing spaces, and sustainable real estate solutions for our clients, our people, and our communities. JLL is a Fortune 500 company with annual revenue of $19.4 billion, operations in over 80 countries, and a global workforce of more than 102,000 as of June 30, 2022. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit jll.com. About Collaboratory Collaboratory is committed to coordinating the solving of all of Southwest Florida's social problems on an 18-year deadline, including homelessness, poverty, mental illness, racism, illiteracy, and more. Collaboratory was founded in 1976 as the Southwest Florida Community Foundation. It has made over $100 million in grants since then and is home to more than 650 philanthropic funds. It is upon that legacy of a commitment to the community we plan to fulfill that mission at the level of its greatest expression. As a Collaboratory, we will finish what we started. To learn more and get involved, call 239-274-5900 or visit www.collaboratory.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230330005813/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Argentum 47, Inc. James Backhouse joins Argentum 47 to provide leadership for the company's sales and growth strategies WINDSOR, BERKSHIRE, United Kingdom, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire Argentum 47, Inc. ( www.argq.io ) (OTC PINK: ARGQ), a leading provider of comprehensive artificial intelligence enhanced digital marketing services, today announced the appointment Mr. James Backhouse to the newly created position of Chief Sales Officer. Mr. Backhouse brings over 8 years experience developing and implementing sales and corporate growth strategies for emerging companies. We are thrilled to welcome James Backhouse as Argentums first Chief Sales Officer. We are confident that Mr. Backhouse's expertise in sales and corporate finance will significantly strengthen the management team and contribute to Argentums growth in the years to come, stated Robert Stephenson, Chairman and CEO of Argentum 47. Mr. Backhouses wealth of experience lends itself not only to spearheading our overall sales efforts, but will also provide leadership in corporate planning, expansion and addressing our capital markets needs as we continue to execute on our mission of becoming a premiere provider of digital marketing solutions, globally. Before joining Argentum as Chief Sales Officer, Mr. James Backhouse brought with him an extensive professional background in various industries. He served as the CEO at LLB Management Consultants Ltd. for two years, focusing on high-net-worth clientele and business development. Prior to that, James spent over seven years at Liberty Williams Ltd, where he held positions as an Accountant and Business Development Manager, contributing to that company's growth through networking, account management, and brand equity improvement. "I am honored to join the talented team at Argentum 47 and to be a part of the company's exciting journey," said Backhouse, the new CSO of Argentum 47. "Argentum presents an exciting opportunity to serve both B2B and B2C clients more productively and efficiently by utilizing artificial intelligence to achieve their lead generation and marketing goals. I look forward to leading the company's sales strategies and contributing to fulfilling Argentums growth potential for years to come." Story continues About Argentum 47 Argentum 47 Inc., (OTC PINK: ARGQ), is a diversified holding company located in Nevada, United States with market positions in the United Kingdom, United States, and Europe. The Company is engaged in three primary business industries: Technology, Web Based Services, and Marketing Solutions. Its technology offering includes its proprietary AI (artificial intelligence) solutions and automation. Its web-based services include data management, storage and blockchain. Its Marketing Solutions include advanced B2B and B2C lead generation marketing solutions. The Company's principal activity is utilizing disruptive marketing solutions with proprietary AI and automation technologies to support customers in their marketing journeys. Safe Harbor Statement This press release may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements related to anticipated revenues, expenses, earnings, operating cash flows, the outlook for markets and the demand for products. Forward-looking statements are no guarantees of future performance and are inherently subject to uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Such statements are based upon, among other things, assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management, including managements own knowledge and assessment of the Companys industry and competition. The Company refers interested persons to its most recent Annual Disclosure and other disclosure documents uploaded to OTC Markets for a description of additional uncertainties and factors, which may affect forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no duty to update its forward-looking statements. IR Contact Details: PCG Advisory 150 East 58th Street 16th Floor New York, NY 10155 U.S. Telephone U.S: (646) 863-6341 Website: www.pcgadvisory.com Email: info@pcgadvisory.com Company Contact Details: Mr. Daniel Triana (CMO) 27 Sheet Street, Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 1BN United Kingdom Telephone U.S.: (833) 568-8228 Telephone U.K.: +(44) 121 615 4720 Website: www.argq.io Email: ir@argq.io [March 30, 2023] Minister Wilkinson Marks Progress in Supplying Germany With Clean, Reliable Energy BERLIN, March 30, 2023 /CNW/ - The world is moving toward a global, net-zero economy in order to address the existential threat of climate change. This transition is generating a significant increase in demand for clean energy and technologies, and the raw materials that enable them. Concurrent geopolitical dynamics, including Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, demonstrate the need for like-minded countries to have stable and secure supplies of these technologies and resources produced in a way that is compatible with climate and nature goals and in meaningful consultation and partnership with Indigenous Peoples. This need presents a generational economic opportunity for Canada and the Government of Canada is working to seize this opportunity to make Canada a clean energy and technology supplier of choice in a net-zero world. To that end, this week the Government of Canada announced historic investments through Budget 2023 in clean energy, including incentives and tax measures to support clean electricity, clean hydrogen and critical minerals. The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, brought this message to the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue (BETD) this week in Berlin, Germany. Minister Wilkinson was joined by a Canadian trade mission featuring more than 15 Canadian companies, organizations, Indigenous communities and representatives seeking to pursue commercial opportunities in clean energy. During the three-day mission, Minister Wilkinson pursued three objectives in pursuit of this generational economic opportunity for Canada. They were: Getting Canadian clean energy to Europe . To this end, the Minister: together with Vice Chancellor of Germany Robert Habeck, announced that Canada and Germany are taking the next steps in the Canada-Germany Joint Declaration on Hydrogen to advance four strategic areas of mutual interest under an Action Plan, namely: i. working toward global standards for carbon intensity certification and social ecological sustainability, recognizing existing legislation and regulations as well as progress under multilateral fora; ii. exploring port-to-port collaboration; iii. identifying Canadian and German measures to accelerate investments in hydrogen projects including to manage project risk; and iv. establishing platforms to raise and address issues related to hydrogen development, trade and industrial transition. advanced multilateral discussions on clean hydrogen trade with key allies such as Germany and France to: i. accelerate production and export of clean hydrogen; and ii. develop global carbon intensity and sustainability standards to facilitate trade in clean hydrogen between Canada and all its international partners. 2. Accelerating energy transition policies and bolstering energy security in Europe. To this end, the Minister: profiled the work being advanced under Mr. Wilkinson's chairmanship of the International Energy Agency's Ministerial Task Force on Gas and Clean Fuels Market Monitoring and Supply Security; highlighted Canada's donation of seven electrical transformers to help repair Ukraine's power grid, enabling Ukrainians to power their homes and use the most basic appliances; this donation will follow the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's donation of 12 large generators and 12 smaller ones to support the Ukraine media, delivered in March 2023 . donation of seven electrical transformers to help repair power grid, enabling Ukrainians to power their homes and use the most basic appliances; this donation will follow the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's donation of 12 large generators and 12 smaller ones to support the media, delivered in . met with European counterparts to discuss the importance of taking action to advance energy transition and security and of ensuring secure and sustainable critical minerals supply chains; and met with German Galushchenko, Ukraine's Energy Minister, to discuss Canada's ongoing support to strengthen Ukraine's natural resource supply chains and ensure energy security, including nuclear. This discussion builds upon work between Canada and Ukraine , including Minister Wilkinson's membership in the High-Level Energy Advisory Council (IEAC). 3. Strengthening business-to-business ties between Canada and Germany in the area of energy and resources. To this end, the Minister: together with Vice Chancellor Habeck, convened industry leaders to strengthen clean energy and sustainable critical minerals trade and investment ties between our countries; and profiled the important role Indigenous communities are playing in the development of clean energy and sustainable critical minerals projects. Minister Wilkinson's efforts in Berlin build on recent productive visits from key European leaders to Canada, including: Canada Germany Berlin Canada Canada Canada Germany Next month, Minister Wilkinson will travel with the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, to Sapporo, Japan, for the G7 Ministers' Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment. There, Minister Wilkinson will continue to work with all partners to establish Canada as the global supplier of choice for clean energy in a net-zero world ensuring a prosperous and clean future for Canadians from coast to coast to coast. Quotes "Canada and Germany are allies in the support of Ukraine, in NATO and in energy and climate. This week, we made tangible progress on building secure and clean energy systems between our two countries, and I look forward to continuing to work with our German friends in this space." The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson Minister of Natural Resources "We are eager to accelerate our Hydrogen Alliance initiatives with a joint action plan focused on key areas of interest. With Canada as a reliable partner, we are working toward receiving the first shipments of green hydrogen derivatives in just a few years." Robert Habeck Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Quick Facts Follow us on Twitter: @NRCan ( http://twitter.com/nrcan ) SOURCE Natural Resources Canada No shortage of violent news to report today but thankfully there hasn't been another homicide yet. And so we take a quick moment to take a glimpse at police action, local court cases, alleged misdeeds and just a bit of local law enforcement news. Check TKC news gathering . . . As manhunt continues, video shows Ray County inmate stab officer, escape HENRIETTA, Mo. - Other Ray County inmates aren't surprised there was an escape early Tuesday at the county jail. "Only tin is stopping us from getting in the attic. But, I mean, I'm kind of surprised it happened the way it did," inmate Earl Stackhouse told FOX4. FBI takes suspect into custody after standoff at Kansas City hotel KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The FBI has taken one person into custody following a standoff in Kansas City Wednesday morning. Just before 6:45 a.m., FBI agents responded to a hotel in the 3200 block of Broadway Boulevard to serve an arrest warrant for a person wanted for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Man wanted on 'unlawful flight to avoid prosecution' warrant in custody after FBI standoff in Kansas City Officials with the Kansas City division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation said FBI agents were involved in a standoff in a busy area of downtown Kansas City Wednesday morning.Agents closed off Broadway Boulevard near 32nd Street while they worked to apprehend a man believed to have been barricaded inside a hotel room in the area.Officials said agents had a warrant to arrest the man for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.Authorities said the individual was taken into custody around 8:30 a.m. Jackson County prosecutors enhance charges in case of racist threats against Black judge Jackson County prosecutors on Wednesday enhanced criminal charges brought against an Independence man who allegedly left a series of racist, profane voicemails for a judge that contained racial slurs and other threats. Michael A. Deblois, 42, was arrested and charged Tuesday with tampering with a judicial officer and harassment, both felonies. Former Johnson County nurse sentenced for stealing fentanyl from hospitals KANSAS CITY, Kan. - A former nurse is heading to prison after she admitted to stealing fentanyl from two Johnson County hospitals where she worked. Faith Naccarato, 42, of Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty to two counts of tampering with a consumer product and two counts of possession of fentanyl by deception. Investigation continues into 'swatting calls' in North Kansas City Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Missouri State Highway Patrol, are now investigating three different false reports or swatting calls claiming there were active shooters at three different schools.Investigators believe the same caller with a thick, hard to understand, foreign accent made all three calls.The false reports were made about Lawrence man charged for trying to throw woman off bridge enters plea LAWRENCE, Kan. - A Lawrence man pleaded no contest to trying to throw a woman off a bridge and into the Kansas River. With the plea, 38-year-old Adam B. Amyx avoids a trial and does not contest the details of the case against him. The Douglas County District Attorney's Office charged Amyx with attempted second-degree murder. Clinton County deputy runs into burning home, saves family dog's life CLINTON COUNTY, Mo. (KCTV) - A family dog is doing well and recovered after a sheriff's deputy saved his life. The Clinton County Sheriff's Office reported a house in Lake Arrowhead caught fire Friday morning. Deputy Child with the sheriff's office arrived to the scene and found a family had made it out safely, but their dog had not. Independence police looking for woman last seen in 2020, just reported missing KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - The Independence Police Department is looking for a woman who has not been seen since November of 2020, but was just reported missing on Tuesday. The police say 26-year-old Krystal A. Pinell's family last saw her walking away from an address in the 2600 block of S. Kansas City police officer James Muhlbauer's name added to police memorial Kansas City police officer James Muhlbauer's name was recently added to the Kansas City Police Department's Memorial. Muhlbauer and his K9 companion, Champ, were killed when investigators say a speeding vehicle crashed into his patrol car on Feb. 15, 2023. Developing . . . The Archbishop will represent the Greek-American community at the official reception organized by the White House to celebrate the anniversary of Greek independence His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros is expected to request Washingtons support for the key issues concerning the course of Hellenism during the meeting he will have on Wednesday with US President Joe Biden, ANA reports. The Archbishop will represent the Greek-American community at the official reception organized by the White House to celebrate the anniversary of Greek independence. Shortly before the joint statements, Elpidophoros will, as usual, have a one-on-one meeting with Joe Biden, where he will ask for support on a number of issues, which will cover the Aegean, Cyprus, the Eastern Mediterranean, and the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Read more at thenationalherald.com RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC-BY-SA Copyright: AgnosticPreachersKid The White House held its customary annual reception on Wednesday afternoon, March 29 to mark the anniversary of the start of the Greek War of Independence In the presence of prominent Greek-Americans and philhellenes from the political, business, and art worlds, the White House held its customary annual reception on Wednesday afternoon, March 29 to mark the anniversary of the start of the Greek War of Independence. U.S. President Joe Biden welcomed the guests and explained that his wife Jill could not attend because she was in Tennessee, where she has gone to support the families of the victims of the recent deadly elementary school massacre. The first to speak was Archbishop Elpidophoros, who, addressing the U.S. President, praised his long-standing relationship with the Greek-American community, focusing on his close relationship with Greece and the Greek-American community. Mr. President, you have long been a close and trusted friend of the Omogeneia, a cause for deep appreciation and affection. You started this long friendship with the Greeks of Wilmington, Delaware, and you have reached out across the Nation and the oceans itself to give your wise counsel, your solidarity, and your reciprocal love through the decades. To be with you here at the White House, celebrating the resurrection of the Greek Nation, is an extraordinary honor for all of us, and on behalf of all, I thank you from the bottom of our hearts, Elpidophoros said. The Archbishop went on to praise Joe Bidens stance on the Ukraine issue, as well as the support he provides to the Ecumenical Patriarchate and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, declaring that, as children of the Mother Church of Constantinople, whose unparalleled leader, His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, counts you, Mr. President, as a true friend we have cause for even more thankfulness. We thank you both for your strong support of the purely spiritual mission of our Ecumenical Patriarchate, a mission of love, peace, and hope that is needed now more than ever. Elpidophoros also noted that Hellenes of America support the President. For his part, Joe Biden, in his own speech, focused on the strong ties between the United States and Greece, as well as the common struggles of the two countries to ensure freedom and democracy. Read more at thenationalherald.com RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC-BY-SA Copyright: Rennett Stowe Andrew Palamarchuk is a reporter with Metroland Media Toronto and toronto.com. He has been covering the crime beat since 2002 and has a passion for giving a voice to those affected by tragedy and looking at societal issues that may have contributed to it. Humber College has joined forces with four other Ontario colleges to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to improve local access to programs for military-connected learners. AudioEye's unique combination of automation technology, including artificial intelligence, coupled with industry experts in accessibility compliance facilitates dismissal of the lawsuit TUCSON, Ariz., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- AudioEye, Inc. (NASDAQ: AEYE), the industry-leading digital accessibility platform, today announced it has successfully defended its customer, Babylon Marine, in a website accessibility case filed in New York federal court. The complaint alleged the AudioEye customer's website contained multiple accessibility issues in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). AudioEye defended its customer through its legal support, the use of cutting-edge technology combined with accessibility and legal expert services, resulting in the case dismissal for no monetary settlement or other relief. "When we received the ADA complaint, which came with a large settlement demand and potentially significant legal costs, we were confident there was no merit in the claim because of AudioEye," said Andrew Mirra of Babylon Marine in New York. "Before AudioEye, we really didn't know which accessibility vendor was right as there are confusing options out there, including ones that make false promises. We were confident that AudioEye could not only solve our accessibility issues, but be there as our partner if any issues came up. The AudioEye team determined there were no digital accessibility barriers, and provided documentation which proved that the claims were false. We appreciate how AudioEye stepped in to stand by their solution and customer; and how effective they were in resolving the claim. AudioEye was an invaluable partner throughout the entire process." In 2022 alone there were 3,255 website accessibility lawsuits filed in federal court alleging ADA violations. That's a 12% increase from the previous record of 2,895 lawsuits set in 2021. The majority of businesses want to do the right thing, have issues that can be addressed by the combination of automation and accessibility experts, yet struggle to meet digital accessibility standards and navigate the legal landscape. Story continues The dismissal of the case against Babylon Marine for no settlement is significant. In most website accessibility lawsuits or demand letters, the party receiving the lawsuit will spend money on legal fees, pay a settlement, and fix the digital property later. That's why it is so critical to find an accessibility partner like AudioEye, that does not rely purely on automation or just on services independent of one another. Many out there use automated only approaches which just don't work effectively, keeping companies vulnerable to future legal action and delivering subpar customer experiences. AudioEye utilizes a unique combination of automation technology, including artificial intelligence, coupled with industry experts in accessibility compliance and law to help businesses become and stay compliant. "We were able to successfully defend Babylon Marine helping them avoid an unnecessary and costly lawsuit that could have damaged their reputation through our unique approach of technology and accessibility and legal experts," said AudioEye CEO David Moradi. "Being compliant today has never been easier nor more important. We know businesses want to do the right thing and just need the right partner. In this first of its kind case, we were able to stand behind our solution and successfully defend our customer." Tony Coehlo, former Congressman, chief architect and co-author of the ADA, and AudioEye Board Member said, "As AudioEye delivers on its mission to remove every barrier to digital access and create inclusive experiences, they are upholding the original intent of the Americans with Disabilities Act enacted over 30 years ago and ensuring its relevance in our digital world." AudioEye is well positioned to help businesses meet and exceed accessibility standards, to ensure the disability community has viable options when it comes to accessing websites and apps, and stands by its customers if and when issues arise. About AudioEye AudioEye is an industry-leading digital accessibility platform delivering ADA and WCAG compliance at scale. By combining cutting-edge technology and subject matter expertise, AudioEye helps companies solve every aspect of digital accessibilityfrom finding and removing barriers to navigating legal compliance, to ongoing training, monitoring and upkeep. Trusted by the FCC, ADP, Samsung, Tommy Hilfiger, and others, AudioEye delivers remediations and continuous monitoring for accessibility issues without making fundamental changes to website architecture, source code, or browser-based tools. Join us at AudioEye on our mission to eradicate barriers to digital access. Press Contact: AudioEye Inc. 5210 E. Williams Circle Tucson, AZ 85711 US press@audioeye.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/audioeye-successfully-defends-customer-in-precedent-ada-case-for-website-accessibility-301785612.html SOURCE AudioEye, Inc. on March 30, 2023 by Juan Antonio (Oso) Oseguera on March 30, 2023 The 2023 Tianguis Turistico sign (Photo Credit: Juan Oseguera) The 47th edition of the Tianguis Turistico, held in Mexico City, exceeded the sales volume registered in last year's edition in Acapulco by 87 percent. By the close of the event, sales of almost $70 million had been recorded. Tianguis Turistico 2023 nearly doubled sales concerning the previous year. The head of the Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR), Miguel Torruco, announced that 88,432 business appointments were made, 36 percent more than in the 46th edition, and more than half (53 percent) resulted in sales. The number of buyers also increased, by 34 percent annually, to close the event with 2,338. With these figures, the head of SECTUR reaffirmed that the Tianguis Turistico de la Ciudad de Mexico broke all records in the event's history. There were 90 participating countries, two more than the highest number previously recorded in Acapulco in 2017. The six most offered products were cultural, nature, adventure, sun and beach, gastronomic, and meetings tourism which returned to the top spots after disappearing because of the pandemic. "The benefits of this Tianguis Turistico will be reflected by the end of 2023, especially in foreign exchange and per capita spending, as we expect a historical figure of more than $31 billion," concluded the official. Among the most requested products are cultural tourism, with 51 percent; nature tourism, with 42 percent; adventure tourism, with 35 percent; sun and beach tourism, with 35 percent; gastronomic tourism, with 32 percent and business tourism, with 31 percent. Tianguis Turistico 2023 received an investment of almost $4 million dollars, $500,000 more than the amount allocated to the 46th edition held last year in Acapulco, Guerrero. The head of SECTUR added that Mexico City's pavilion was the most extensive destination in the event's history. Thus, Mexico City demonstrates that it should always have been considered the venue for Tianguis Turistico, as the significant tourism powers did, which was sought between 2012 and 2013. World Trade Center Mexico City. (photo via Zaharov/iStock/Getty Images Plus) "This 47th edition will be remembered forever and will mark a milestone in the history of national tourism, ratifying our country as a world tourism power and a destination full of success and exponential growth," Torruco said. He added that for this year it is estimated that the country will capture $31.2 billion in foreign exchange from tourism activity, a figure 26.8 percent higher than that recorded in 2019, prior to the pandemic. The federal official recalled that a nation's tourism potential is not measured by the number of tourists received but by the foreign currency captured, an area in which Mexico advanced from 17th to ninth position in the global ranking of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). He emphasized that thanks to the federal policy of not closing the country to international tourism, Mexico made significant progress in attracting foreign travelers, spending, and investment. Foreign direct tourism investment (FDIT) amounted to $3.45 billion last year, a historical figure that exceeded 2019 by 216 percent. The person in charge of national tourism pointed out that the measures taken during the health crisis were successful and prevented the tourism sector, whose economy supports more than 10 million jobs, from suffering significant damage, unlike what happened in the international arena. At the event, Torruco celebrated, highlighted, and cheered the decision of the sector's businesspeople to continue investing in the country. Among other people in business was the president of the Business Coordinating Council (CCE), Francisco Cervantes; the head of the Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce, Services and Tourism (Concanaco), Hector Tejeda; and the representative of the National Tourism Business Council (CNET), Braulio Arsuaga. Huatulco had a separate stand. The sun and beach destination has everything to stand out as a vacation spot. Huatulco receives family tourism, quiet and respectful of the environment. (Photo: via CharlieRamos/iStock/Getty Images Plus). Through the halls of the Tianguis Huatulco had a separate stand. The sun and beach destination has everything to stand out as a vacation spot. Huatulco receives family tourism, quiet and respectful of the environment. Foreigners are mainly Canadians who have arrived and spent long periods in the destination. They participate in community life and are very adaptable and involved. Yucatan continues to bet on tourism in its traditional localities. Espita, a town in the state, has a 99% chance of being declared one of the new Magical Towns of Yucatan, according to information revealed by the municipal authorities, according to the progress they have been informed of. If Espita is declared one of the new Pueblos Magicos of Yucatan, it would be the fifth town to obtain the title. It would join Valladolid, Izamal, Mani, and the port of Sisal, a precinct of Hunucma. Morelia is a city with a great tourist offer, and it is easily connected to several of the most relevant attractions in the Central Zone of Mexico. The city is considered a World Heritage Site due to the beauty and cultural heritage of the colonial architecture of its buildings and monuments; the Cathedral, Aqueduct, the Portales, and many other points of the Historic Center are enough incentives to visit the city, but also a cultural legacy for the people of Morelia. In addition to this, the gastronomy of Morelia and the dishes are prepared by traditional cooks, who gather the most delicious recipes from the region and practically every corner of Michoacan. In addition, in each of the 14 areas, specific activities make them shine with their light, whether it is the pottery of Capula, the molcajetes of San Nicolas Obispo, or the mole of Santa Maria. Avis Mexico, the car rental company, introduced a new free service called QuickPass, where thanks to the use of biometrics, now the face of each person becomes the key to your car. More agile, faster, and safer are the attributes of Avis Mexico's new service: Avis QuickPass, a free service that, using biometrics, offers a unique experience that will transform the way to rent a car in Mexico and where now, the face of each person becomes the key to your vehicle. Twenty "brands," including companies, foundations, associations, and institutions promoted the inclusion of people with disabilities. (photo via iStock/Getty Images Plus) (iStock / Getty Images Plus / SolStock) Inclusive Tourism Twenty "brands," including companies, foundations, associations, and institutions that promote the inclusion of people with disabilities, participated in the 47th edition of the Tianguis Turistico at the "Tourism for All" stand. Deverdun, Kalimori, El espacio de Michelle, World Meeting Forum, Cambiando Miradas, Icaro Movilidad Integral, Consultoria en TIC y discapacidad, Aprendiendo a Vivir sin Ti and Viendotentiendo were represented at the largest tourism fair in Latin America. Those interested received advice from a specialist from the Ministry of Labor and Employment Promotion, which has a representative in each of the 16 municipalities of Mexico City and where priority groups, including people with disabilities, are linked with companies to find work. "I have already worked quite a bit here at different events, either in the registration area, giving information or scanning tickets," says Karla Velez, a wheelchair user, "but I like to find out now about places especially for us, such as beaches and hotels." The hotel occupancy rate in the CDMX was almost 70 percent with the arrival of more than 150,000 tourists in the previous five days. (photo via diegograndi / iStock / Getty Images Plus) The Numbers of Tianguis Turistico 2023 These are some of the outstanding numbers of the meeting in CDMX: -88,432 business appointments registered (historical record), 36 percent more than in 2022 -53 percent of these appointments resulted in sales -2,338 buyers, 34 percent more than in 2022 -1,383 companies registered, 32 percent more than the previous year -90 nations participated in the fair (historical record) -5,111 delegates from 1,429 companies (a record) -34,000 square meters of exhibition space, with 802 booths (38 percent more than in 2022) -Preliminary sales volume reported voluntarily by 23 percent of participating companies amounted to almost $70 million, 87 percent more than the previous year Cancun beach with hotels. (photo viapawel.gaul / iStock / Getty Images Plus) The most popular destinations for buyers were: 1. Cancun 2. CDMX 3. Mayan Riviera 4. Los Cabos 5. Puerto Vallarta 6. Merida 7. Nayarit Riviera 8. Guadalajara 9. Oaxaca 10. Pueblos Magicos The hotel occupancy rate in the CDMX was almost 70 percent with the arrival of more than 150,000 tourists in the previous five days and the generation of almost $95 million in revenue. Congratulations to the winners of the First Edition of the "Magical Towns for Excellence" Awards: Cultural Category: Mexcaltitan, Nayarit Enology Category: Tequisquiapan, Queretaro Gastronomy Category: Tlaquepaque, Jalisco Nature Category: Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo Paleontology Category: Melchor Muzquiz, Coahuila Heritage Category: Valladolid, Yucatan For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter. Topics From This Article to Explore Search News Archive : Fast Travel News Promotion Via Search, Social Media + Email Follow Us On : A GOLDEN EASTER ESCAPE AT NOVA MALDIVES Industry: Destinations (TRAVPR.COM) Maldives. March 30th, 2023 - The brand-new star resort Nova Maldives is gearing up for its very first Easter celebration. Shining in the heart of the Maldives' renowned South Ari Atoll, the modern all-inclusive community concept welcomes all guests to an ethereal realm. With its natural laidback ambience and a soul that sparks joy, Nova invites guests to immerse themselves in the magical wonders of a golden Easter escape. Nova has crafted an egg-ceptional Easter program taking place 7 - 9 April, 2023. With a fabulous extravaganza of fun-filled activities including themed holistic spa treatments, an exhilarating treasure Easter egg hunt at sea and a dance festival at Solis Beach, Nova presents the perfect golden escape to create cherished Easter memories. Guests will enjoy unrivalled celebrations with animated adventures, culinary journeys, and Easter-themed parties. Whether guests want to get creative with Easter tattoos and coconut painting or unleash their culinary skills in an event designed to ignite their imagination with the chocolate-making classes and cupcake competition, there are countless festivities to enjoy at the soul place Nova. Those looking for sun, sand and laughter can unwind and enjoy the Easter pool party with the coolest beats and good vibes, surrounded by the mesmerising views and the sparkling turquoise blues of the Indian Ocean. Nova invites guests to a magical evening with an Easter movie played under the stars. Topping off the golden evenings, a sumptuous gastronomical experience is presented where everyone will feel spoiled with delicacies. The Easter brunch buffet will tantalise every tastebud, featuring a decadent array of traditional delicacies, from Eggs Benedict with Salmon to countless mouth-watering Easter treats all in a joyful atmosphere with music by a local live band. The celebration's highlight comes with the arrival of the Easter bunny, making it a memory to last a lifetime. Guests can pamper their souls with the offerings of Eskape Spa, including a themed holistic treatment as well as a Choco Easter treatment including a chocolate scrub that indulges the body in smooth and luxurious sensations. They can also submerge themselves in a psammotherapy treatment, where the hot sand bath provides a therapeutic journey that enhances their immune system and takes the body, mind and soul to another level of relaxation. For those looking to learn more about wellness, Eskape Spa has designed an Easter facial workshop with luxurious organic products. Guests can embark on a skincare journey and discover the key steps of a facial routine and all the secrets of a highly relaxing massage. Book your good soul days and stay informed https://nova-maldives.com/ or get in touch with us at hello@nova-maldives.com More Information - https://nova-maldives.com/ ### Please contact the person or company listed above for information regarding the content of this press release. TravPR.com are not the issuers of this press release and are not responsible for the accuracy of the content. Share Release : CONTACT INFORMATION Name: Aziza Essebbar Company: Nova Maldives Phone: +960 733 00 85 Email: hello@nova-maldives.com Web: PRESS RELEASE TAGS Search News Archive : Fast Travel News Promotion Via Search, Social Media + Email Follow Us On : THE NAUTILUS MALDIVES LAUNCHES THE SLUMBER RITUAL ON WORLD SLEEP DAY Industry: Destinations The Nautilus is your luxury bohemian hideaway in the Maldives. A highly personalised, immensely private ultra-luxury island resort with only 26 beach and ocean houses and residences, where every experience is tailored to you. Where nothing is fixed and anything is possible. Where you are free to set your own beat; free to do and to be as you please. (TRAVPR.COM) MALDIVES - March 29th, 2023 - On 17th March 2023, the world celebrates World Sleep Day with a global call to action to organize sleep health awareness activities. This years theme, Sleep is Essential for Health, aims to promote the global message of how vital sleep is to overall health. Without good sleep, ones mental and physical health, as well as social well-being affects daily tasks. Alongside World Sleep Day, The Nautilus introduces the slumber ritual to aid guests with better sleep at night. Sleep tourism, a relatively new concept in the world of travel, has been on the rise over the last couple of years. With the stress we encounter throughout the day in our lives, we find it difficult to fall asleep at night. The number of people with sleep deprivation increased at an alarming rate during the years of the pandemic due to the amplification of multiple mental health issues, as we spent weeks and months cooped up in a small space without the freedom of a peaceful mind. At an ultra-luxury bohemian hideaway where time stands still, sleep becomes an activity you can be free to do any time you please. Guests are encouraged to rest easy, disconnect with the stresses of their daily lives, and participate in any activities leisurely, whether night or day. The Nautilus Slumber Ritual is a complimentary turndown service being performed by The Nautiluss house masters (private butler service) on the evening of World Sleep Day. The evening turndown service begins with a hot bath filled with Omorovicza bath salts to help soothe tired muscles and promote blood circulation. A warm pot of herbal floral tea with a cup of mixed nuts is waiting at your bedside. Sleep inducing lavender scent infused the bedroom, and light, calm music is playing in the background awaiting your return from dinner. A sleeping ritual to get you into the mood for a good nights sleep. For guests who would like to take the slumber experience to the next level, Solasta Spa recommends a 2-day slumber ritual, priced at USD 455++ per guest per day, including a collection of treatments such as body polis, restorative yoga and a body massage, a journey to better quality sleep. Guests can opt for this customisable 2-day slumber ritual in the comforts of their house or residences at the island resort. Known for its homey interior and ambience, The Nautilus prides itself in offering guests 26 ultra-private beach and overwater houses or residences with the comforts of home, one of the five brand hallmarks. Complementing the sense of space, the comforts of home describes the most elusive desire for total privacy, where you can be whoever you are right where you are. Steps from azure seas, these bohemian, suite-style sanctuaries each come with a personal house master. Journey to a world of your own making, where endless activities and experiences can be tailored to your every whim. A night in an ultra-private beach or ocean house starts from USD 2990 ++ per night. Get in touch to begin creating your bohemian dream holiday via hello@thenautilusmaldives.com. More Information - https://www.thenautilusmaldives.com/ ### Please contact the person or company listed above for information regarding the content of this press release. TravPR.com are not the issuers of this press release and are not responsible for the accuracy of the content. Share Release : CONTACT INFORMATION Name: Tammy Gan Company: The Nautilus Maldives Phone: +960 730 9802 Email: tammy@thenautilusmaldives.com Web: PRESS RELEASE TAGS A road leads to an open-cut mine in the area known as the Pilbara region located in the north-west of Western Australia By Melanie Burton MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australia is at risk of losing its head start in critical minerals processing because it has not yet laid down a national strategy, even as other governments are splashing out incentives to grab market share and bolster security. Supplier of nearly half of the world's lithium, Australia is also the world's third-largest cobalt exporter and a significant producer of rare earths, copper, graphite, manganese and other minerals key to the global energy transition. However those minerals are largely processed in China, including into materials essential in batteries and magnets for products from electric vehicles to missiles. Western nations want to ease its grip after supply was disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Consultants say Australia should at least move to producing the chemicals and battery active materials needed for cell manufacturing. "There's lots of discussion and talk on various domiciles wanting to move forward, but ultimately it's all about actions," Pilbara Minerals CEO Dale Henderson told Reuters. The Grattan Institute, a think tank, estimates the critical minerals industry could add more than $400 billion to the economy by 2050, a bigger contribution than the coal industry, Australia's no.2 export, today. Industry executives are calling for a national strategy to speed that development by fast-tracking permitting, offering preferential access to industrial land and subsidies, among other measures. They want rapid action in light of new competition from the U.S., Canada and the European Union, which have laid out critical minerals strategies including billions of dollars in incentives. Top global miner BHP Group's CEO Mike Henry told media last month Australia was at risk of other countries moving to "eat our lunch". AID NEEDED With Canberra's help, Australia needs to play to its strengths, which include having abundant renewable energy sources and being a reliable supplier to its global partners, consultants say. Story continues The government has provided more than A$250 million ($167 million) in support to Pilbara Minerals, the country's biggest independent lithium miner, which approved a lithium expansion in Western Australia on Tuesday. CEO Henderson said he was encouraged by federal and state efforts, but added: "Of course, the government could always do more." In the first ministerial round table on critical minerals strategy in three years, state and federal ministers last week agreed development of the sector was a national priority, discussed how to support growth, and committed to hold regular round tables, Resources Minister Madeleine King said. King said on Wednesday a critical minerals strategy would be released "soon". However the government has not said when it would deliver its national battery strategy. "There is a window of opportunity to become a key player in battery manufacturing here in Australia," Industry Minister Ed Husic said last week. "We cannot let it close." FUNDING HURDLES Australia has battled to overcome its reputation as a supplier of raw materials that fails at manufacturing, partly because its distance from major markets means it struggles to build scale to overcome high labour costs. While major players, including BHP, Tianqi Lithium Corp and Albemarle Corp, are building up operations that will turn ore into battery chemicals, for smaller players the key obstacle is funding. Making the right product grades consistently is also a challenge. Bankers are wary of lending to a capital-hungry sector developing new technologies, especially to companies with small balance sheets, typical of the sector, executives said. Cobalt Blue Holdings Ltd, with a market value of A$140 million, won a small grant and fast-track permitting status but still faces a funding shortfall and wants government assistance to secure a refinery site for its A$560 million project, investor relations manager Joel Crane said. "One of the largest issues we face is project funding," Crane said. Arafura Rare Earths, capitalised at A$1.1 billion, is counting on loans from the Australian and German governments to fund more than half its A$1.8 billion Nolans mine and processing plants. "The elements for an effective critical minerals strategy are in place. The challenge is to stitch them together and deliver. This is a once-in-a-century opportunity," the Grattan Institute said in a report last month. ($1 = 1.4984 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Melanie Burton; Editing by Sonali Paul) DERMs and VPP pioneer AutoGrid brings 10+ years of successful VPP delivery with 50+ customers in 17 countries. REDWOOD CITY, Calif., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Industry-leading Virtual Power Plant (VPP) and Distributed Energy Resource Management Solution (DERMS) provider AutoGrid announced today that it has joined Rocky Mountain Institute's (RMI) Virtual Power Plant Partnership (VP3) initiative to accelerate the scaling of virtual power plants in order to enable a cleaner, more reliable, and cost-effective grid. AutoGrid Joins RMIs VP3 Initiative With more than 7GW of flexible capacity and an annual average of 1,800 dispatch events, AutoGrid joins other industry champions including Ford, General Motors, and Google Nest to advance this critical technology in accelerating the energy transition. "VP3's objectives are closely aligned with AutoGrid's mission to leverage AI and technological innovation to combat the climate crisis," said AutoGrid CEO Ruben Llanes. "As a company that has been at the forefront of VPP development, we are excited to collaborate with RMI and other industry leaders to establish a common set of standards and performance metrics for VPPs that will support customers around the world in adopting VPPs and in reaching their decarbonization goals." RMI is a devoted advocate for decarbonizing buildings, electricity, heavy industry, and mobility both domestically and around the world through market-driven and business-led solutions. Launched in January, the VP3 initiative works to overcome barriers to VPP market growth by catalyzing the industry and transforming policy to support scaling VPPs in ways that help advance affordable, reliable electric sector decarbonization. Virtual power plants are portfolios comprised of hundreds or thousands of households and businesses that offer the latent potential of their electric vehicles (EVs), smart thermostats, appliances, batteries, solar arrays, and utility-scale energy assets to support the grid. Story continues An early and outspoken voice for enabling utilities to adopt VPPs to eliminate inefficient, expensive, heavy-polluting peaker power plants, AutoGrid has a track record of standing up for environmental justice. Acquired by Schneider Electric in 2022, AutoGrid also brings Schneider's global prosumer to grid strategy to VP3. "VPPs can unlock the full potential of DERs to bring clean energy onto the grid and provide key reliability services in a world of increasingly extreme climate events," said Mark Dyson, Managing Director of RMI's Carbon-Free Electricity Program. "VP3 looks forward to working together with AutoGrid and other industry leaders to scale the market for VPPs." About AutoGrid AutoGrid is committed to accelerating access to sustainable energy in order to combat the climate crisis. AutoGrid's AI-driven software makes electric vehicles, batteries, roof-top solar, utility-scale wind and other distributed energy resources (DERs) smarter. By enabling prediction, optimization, and real-time control of millions of energy assets at an unprecedented scale, AutoGrid is making the vision of a decentralized, decarbonized, and democratized new energy world a reality. With over a decade of pioneering experience across the globe, AutoGrid offers fleet owners, energy-as-a-service companies, renewable project developers, utilities, and electricity retailers the ability to build, own, operate, and participate in intelligent and scalable Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) enabling them to disrupt the dependency on fossil-fuel based energy. The AutoGrid Flex platform is managing over 6,000 MW of VPPs in 17 countries. Media Contact: John Perry VP of Marketing & Communications, AutoGrid media@auto-grid.com About RMI: RMI, founded as Rocky Mountain Institute, is an independent nonprofit founded in 1982 that transforms global energy systems through market-driven solutions to align with a 1.5C future and secure a clean, prosperous, zero-carbon future for all. We work in the world's most critical geographies and engage businesses, policymakers, communities, and NGOs to identify and scale energy system interventions that will cut greenhouse gas emissions at least 50 percent by 2030. RMI has offices in Basalt and Boulder, Colorado; New York City; Oakland, California; Washington, D.C.; and Beijing. More information on RMI can be found at www.rmi.org or follow us on Twitter @RockyMtnInst . Media Contact: Adam Beitman Strategic Communications Manager, Carbon-Free Electricity, RMI abeitman@rmi.org AutoGrid logo (PRNewsfoto/AutoGrid) Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/autogrid-joins-rmis-vp3-initiative-301785480.html SOURCE AutoGrid Croatia, which has experience in eliminating the consequences of war on its own territory, can help with the humanitarian demining of Ukrainian lands. Croatian Defense Minister Mario Banozic said this at a briefing with his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksii Reznikov at the Ukraine Odesa Media Center, according to Ukrinform. "We understand your suffering very well. Our experience of the defensive 'Homeland War' from the 1990s is the reason that we know what you are going through. We also talked about veteran care and post-war efforts like demining," he said. He also added that Croatia would support Ukraine for as long as it takes. "All of Europe must be aware that the Russian missiles which fell on Ukraine are not so far away from our own homes. Russian aggression and Russia's influence have effects on security and the economic situation in Europe. [] [Ukraine] can count on the Croatian government," Banozic said. Reznikov, in turn, noted that Croatia had been helping Ukraine since the first days of the full-scale invasion and had been supporting its position at all meetings of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. "Croatia has a fantastic experience in demining because this country has been engaged in humanitarian demining for more than 25 years - it is a legacy of the war that took place on their territory. Croatia has a very powerful National Mine Action Center, so we talked about the possibility of training our instructors for the humanitarian demining of Ukrainian lands. We agreed on further cooperation," Reznikov said. Deputy speaker of the Ukrainian parliament, Olena Kondratiuk, thanked Slovakia for the comprehensive military, humanitarian and political support provided since the first days of Russias full-scale invasion. "I am glad to meet with Speaker of the National Council of the Slovak Republic, Boris Kollar. The best help is the help provided on time! Ukraine is grateful to Slovakia for comprehensive military, humanitarian and political support, which has been provided since the first days of Russias full-scale invasion," Kondratiuk posted on Facebook. She noted that Slovakia provided military assistance to Ukraine for 10% of its defense budget and is among the top ten countries in terms of this indicator. "We are grateful for the first ones provided: air defense systems, MiG-29 aircraft, armored personnel carriers, self-propelled guns," added Kondratiuk. Kondratiuk and the Speaker of the National Council of Slovakia discussed the issue of Ukraine's accession to the European Union. The Ukrainian deputy speaker thanked Slovakia for supporting Ukraine's application and accelerated membership. According to her, Kollar emphasized that the Slovak Council will welcome Ukraine as a full member of the European Union if all accession conditions are met. "On behalf of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, I thanked the National Council of Slovakia for the decisive political support of the Ukrainian people. The Parliament of Slovakia took a clear stance by passing resolutions condemning Russia's aggression and recognizing the Russian regime as a terrorist one, and the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism," Kondratiuk said. She added that the Slovak parliament supports the creation of a special international tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine and condemns Russia's nuclear blackmail. In addition, Kondratiuk expressed gratitude for the resolution adopted on March 28 to protect Ukrainian children abducted by Russia and forcibly deported, demanding their immediate return home. As Ukrinform reported, Slovakia handed over the first four MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine in March. The United States has exposed Russias plans to obtain weapons from North Korea, including Moscow's offer to supply food to Pyongyang in exchange for munitions. This was stated by the White House National Security Council Coordinator, John Kirby, during an online briefing on Thursday, Ukrinform's own correspondent reports. We remain concerned that North Korea will provide further support and Russias military operations against Ukraine and we have new information that Russia is actively seeking to acquire additional munitions from North Korea, White House official said. In this regard, he recalled the previously exposed scheme of cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang through the mediation of Slovakian national Ashot Mkrtichev. With the support of the Russian authorities, Mkrtichev attempted to strike a secret deal on the transfer of more than two dozen types of weapons to the Russian Federation from North Korea, Kirby noted. He also told the press about the exposed intentions on the part of the Kremlin to send a delegation to North Korea DPRK, and that Russia is offering North Korea food in exchange for munitions. The official stressed that any agreement on the transfer of weapons between North Korea and Russia would violate a number of resolutions of the UN Security Council. The U.S. has taken note of North Korea's recent statements that they will neither supply nor sell weapons to Russia, Kirby said, noting that Washington will continue to closely monitor the situation and take further action against those involved in such attempts. As Ukrinform reported, on Thursday, the U.S. government slammed sanctions on a Slovak citizen who coordinated the supply of weapons and related equipment to Russia from North Korea. Ukraine and Switzerland will jointly implement the project "Ukraines Cohesion and Regional Development" (UCORD), which is aimed at establishing effective cooperation between central and local authorities, business and the public in the issues of Ukraines recovery and regional development. The relevant memorandum was signed by the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Ukrinform reports, referring to the Ukrainian ministrys press service. "Using the potential and expert skills of Regional Development Agencies is one of the basic conditions in this context. The agencies are an inclusive platform where all parties can work together on the development of recovery plans, updating regional development strategies, etc.," said Oleksandr Kubrakov, Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine - Minister for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development. According to the memorandum, the central government and local self-government bodies will cooperate with business on the issue of providing quality services in the sectors of water supply, sewerage and waste management. The document also provides for the creation of a joint supervisory board to monitor the implementation of the project. This will contribute to the transparency and accountability of the use of funds aimed at carrying out the initiative. As reported, Regional Development Agencies are non-governmental, non-profit institutions, the creation of which is envisaged by the Law of Ukraine "On the Basics of State Regional Policy." Such agencies were established in all regions across Ukraine, except Kharkiv and Mykolaiv region. Work is currently underway to open agencies in these two regions. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his visit to Brussels, Belgium, on April 3-5, where he will attend the NATO Foreign Ministerial and the tenth U.S.-EU Energy Council meeting, will also hold a number of bilateral meetings, including with Ukraines Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. Thats according to the official press release by the Department of State, seen by Ukrinform. During the NATO Foreign Ministerial, Secretary Blinken will emphasize continued U.S. support for Ukraine and our commitment to transatlantic security and the rules-based international order, the release reads. Blinken will have bilateral meetings with European Union High Representative and Vice President Josep Borrell, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, according to the report. Apart from that, Secretary Blinken will also discuss ensuring energy security while accelerating the clean energy transition during the U.S.-EU Energy Council meeting. The expulsion of Russian spies and visa restrictions for Russian nationals have significantly weakened Moscow's intelligence operations in Finland over the past year. This was reported by AP, Ukrinform reports. Finland's intelligence service, known as SUPO, has said that Russian intelligence is in a much worse position because of Finnish intelligence's ability to compromise Russian espionage operations in 2022. A reduction in the number of intelligence operatives and restrictions on crossing the Russian-Finnish border against the backdrop of Russia's war in Ukraine significantly worsened the operating conditions of Russian spies in Finland, SUPO said. "Russian intelligence station (in Finland) shrank to about half of its former size last year, SUPO Director Antti Pelttari said, noting that the main reason behind this was a series of expulsions of suspected spies and visa refusals on his agencys advice. SUPO noted that covert operations under diplomatic cover have traditionally been the main tool of Russian intelligence on foreign soil, and Moscow has tried to use cyber-espionage, among other tools, to compensate for the lack of human resources. As reported earlier, the head of UKs defense intelligence, Ken McCallum, called on the population to treat the threat of Russian and Chinese espionage as vigilantly as terrorism. Contrive Datum Insights Pvt Ltd According to a market research study published by Contrive Datum Insights, The European region dominated the market in 2021, accounting for over 31% revenue share. Besides, the European regional market is expected to remain the dominant regional market over the forecast period. Farmington, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Automated Guided Vehicles Market Is Projected To Grow From USD 2.17 Billion In 2022 To USD 4.11 Billion By 2030, Exhibiting A CAGR Of 9.6% During The Forecast Period. Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) systems help move and transport items in factories, warehouses, and distribution centers without permanent conveying systems or human help. Premium AGVs follow a configurable guided path to optimize storage, picking, and transport in places where premium AGVs are becoming more popular because of their many benefits, such as lower labor costs, less product damage, higher productivity, and the ability to grow to support automated processes. Because of these important benefits, transportation and logistics companies are more likely to use AGVs to improve operational efficiency. For instance, in May 2021, AUDI AG said that its manufacturing centers use AGVs. This helps plan the production process by letting them know which parts are out of stock and when they should be back in stock. It also makes it easier to carry the supply cart, which keeps you safe. Request Sample Copy of Report Automated Guided Vehicles Market Size, Share & Trends Estimation Report By Type (Tow Vehicles, Automated Forklift Trucks, Underride/Tunneling Vehicles, Assembly Line Vehicles, Others), By Navigation Technology (Laser Guided, Magnetic Guided, Vision Guided, Others), By Application (Transportation & Distribution, Storage & Assembly, Packaging), By Industry (Automotive, Food & Beverage, E-commerce, Others), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030 , published by Contrive Datum Insights. Strategic Developments: In March 2021 , Toyota Industries partnered with All Nippon Airways (ANA) to test Japan's first autonomous tow tractor at Saga Airport. The tow tractor uses 2D/3D LiDAR sensors to automatically detect objects in its path and allow the vehicle to automatically adjust its path. In February 2021 , Daifuku partnered with AFT Industries, a German-based automation and conveyor technology company, to leverage the latter's expertise to improve material handling systems for the automotive industry. The partnership will focus on opening new channels to meet the global demand for material handling systems from automakers. In April 2020, EK Robotics launched the VARIO MOVE transport vehicle. It consists of a drive unit that can be flexibly equipped with various load handling attachments via a universal interface. Story continues Regional Outlook: In 2021, more than 31% of the market's revenue came from the European region. Also, the European market is expected to remain the largest market in the world over the next few years. The growth of the regional market is mostly due to the fact that manufacturers are buying more and more material handling equipment. Also, the growth of the market in this region was helped by automation in all fields. For example, in January 2022, PUMA SE said that it would add more automated robots with AI, cameras, and grippers. By adding more robots, the distribution center will save money on labor, be more productive, and be better able to put together orders for shoes and clothes. During the time frame of the forecast, Asia Pacific is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 11.2%. In emerging economies in the Asia-Pacific region, like China and India, the e-commerce business is growing quickly. For example, in October 2021, Shenzhen Casun Intelligent Robot Co., Ltd., a company that makes automation machinery, released the CASUN intelligent robot "Little Giant." AGVs can load and unload in and out of warehouses and in different industries with the help of CASUN's self-placement intelligent control. Several e-commerce companies are thinking about going into these regional markets because e-commerce is growing. Buy this Premium Research Report@ https://www.contrivedatuminsights.com/buy/128578 Scope of Report: Report Attributes Details Growth Rate CAGR of 9.6% from 2023 to 2030. Revenue Forecast by 2030 USD 4.11 Billion By Type Tow Vehicles, Automated Forklift Trucks, Underride/Tunneling Vehicles, Assembly Line Vehicles, Others By Navigation Technology Laser Guided, Magnetic Guided, Vision Guided, Others By Application Transportation & Distribution, Storage & Assembly, Packaging, Others By Industry Automotive, Food & Beverage, E-commerce, Others By Companies Oceaneering International Inc. (U.S.), Toyota Advanced Logistics (Japan), Daifuku Co., Ltd. (Japan), KION GROUP AG (Germany), Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, Inc. (U.S.), JBT (U.S.), Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America Inc. (U.S.), Crown Equipment Corporation (U.S.), Seegrid Corporation (U.S.), E&K Automation GmbH (Germany), HIT Robot Group (China), Swisslog Holding AG (Switzerland), Bastian Solutions, Inc., (U.S.), Dematic (U.S.), BALYO (France), KMH Fleet Solutions (U.S.) Regions and Countries Covered North America: (US, Canada, Mexico, Rest of North America) Europe(Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Nordic Countries, Benelux Union, Rest of Europe) Asia-Pacific (Japan, China, India, Australia, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific) The Middle East & Africa(Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East & Africa) Latin America(Brazil, Argentina, Rest of Latin America) Rest Of the World Base Year 2022 Historical Year 2017 to 2022 Forecast Year 2023 to 2030 Market Dynamics: Drivers: Employee safety is a big deal in many industries, such as logistics and warehousing, manufacturing, metal and heavy machinery, and the auto industry, because workers do things that could be dangerous and have to work in dangerous environments. Many of these jobs put workers in danger because they have to do things by hand, like load, unload, store, and move goods. AGVs make workers safer and cut down on accidents. Industry focuses on making workplaces safer so that accidents don't happen, downtime is cut down, and productivity goes up. More and more companies are putting AGVs in their warehouses as more people learn about them. These vehicles can move materials quickly and lift heavier weights. Intelligent driverless cars are less likely to make mistakes and can help businesses cut down on accidents and keep workers safe on the job. Restraint: Logistics is a big part of how well the e-commerce and retail industries work. Companies in the e-commerce and retail industries are choosing automated material handling equipment to improve operational efficiency. Companies in the e-commerce business use mobile robots to automate warehouse tasks. In the e-commerce and retail industries, mobile robots are used as self-driving logistics vehicles for tasks that take place inside. A new way to automate a warehouse uses things like mobile shelves, robotic drives, complex control software, and workstations that automate the picking, packing, and shipping processes. Unlike conveyors, AGVs, carousels, and traditional ASRS, these portable solutions can adapt to changing product types and speeds, order priorities, and other operating realities. Mobile robots are also easier to set up and cost less to install and start up than AGVs. Because of these things, mobile robots may not be used as much in retail and online shopping. Opportunities: The first cost of an AGV solution is high because it depends on the type of battery and navigation technology that are built in. Due to high start-up costs, it is hard for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to use logistics automation technology. Most of these technologies can be used in large-scale industries. SMEs have trouble growing and making money because of things like rising labor costs (in developed countries like the US), quality problems, and a lack of skilled workers. So, even though the initial investment is high, SMEs are moving toward automated warehouse operations. This is because automation allows them to compete with larger market players around the world. AGVs help small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) become more competitive and improve their productivity, efficiency, and profits in a big way. Many SMEs have started to invest in AGVs to make them more competitive on the global market. In the same way, AGVs are likely to be used by SMEs in the e-commerce, automotive, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries in the next few years. Key Segments Covered: Top Market Players: Oceaneering International Inc. (U.S.), Toyota Advanced Logistics (Japan), Daifuku Co., Ltd. (Japan), KION GROUP AG (Germany), Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, Inc. (U.S.), JBT (U.S.), Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America Inc. (U.S.), Crown Equipment Corporation (U.S.), Seegrid Corporation (U.S.), E&K Automation GmbH (Germany), HIT Robot Group (China), Swisslog Holding AG (Switzerland), Bastian Solutions, Inc., (U.S.), Dematic (U.S.), BALYO (France), KMH Fleet Solutions (U.S.), and others. By Type: Tow Vehicles Automated Forklift Trucks Underride/Tunneling Vehicles Assembly Line Vehicles Others (Unit Load Carriers) By Navigation Technology: Laser Guided Magnetic Guided Vision Guided Others (Wire Guided) By Application: Transportation & Distribution Storage & Assembly Packaging By Industry: Automotive Food & Beverage E-commerce Others Regions and Countries Covered North America: (US, Canada, Mexico, Rest of North America) Europe: (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Nordic Countries, Benelux Union, Rest of Europe) Asia-Pacific: (Japan, China, India, Australia, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific) The Middle East & Africa: (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East & Africa) Latin America: (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of Latin America) Rest Of the World Check out more related studies published by Contrive Datum Insights: Biosensors Market - The global biosensors market is a rapidly growing industry was valued at USD 28.60 Billion in 2022 and is projected to reach a value of USD 33.5 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 7.9% during the forecast period. Drone Market - The global drone market was valued at US$ 29.86 Billion in 2022, and is projected to reach US$ 55.8 Billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 38.6% from 2023 to 2030. Electronics Market - The electronics industry is a significant contributor to the global economy, was valued at $3454.94 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach $4986.91 billion in 2030 with a growing CAGR of 7.5%. Customization of the Report: The report can be customized as per client needs or requirements.For any queries, you can contact us on anna@contrivedatuminsights.com or +1 215-297-4078. Our sales executives will be happy to understand your needs and provide you with the most suitable reports. About Us: Contrive Datum Insights (CDI) is a global delivery partner of market intelligence and consulting services to officials at various sectors such as investment, information technology, telecommunication, consumer technology, and manufacturing markets. CDI assists investment communities, business executives, and IT professionals to undertake statistics-based accurate decisions on technology purchases and advance strong growth tactics to sustain market competitiveness. Comprising of a team size of more than 100 analysts and cumulative market experience of more than 200 years, Contrive Datum Insights guarantees the delivery of industry knowledge combined with global and country-level expertise. Social: Facebook / LinkedIn / Twitter Contact Us: Anna B. | Head Of Sales Contrive Datum Insights Phone: +91 9834816757 | +1 2152974078 Email: anna@contrivedatuminsights.com Website: https://www.contrivedatuminsights.com Contrive Datum Insights Press Releases Latest Contrive Datum Insights Latest Reports The OSCE has initiated the Moscow Mechanism as a response to the forced transfer and deportation of Ukrainian children to the Russian Federation in the wake of rights violations and humanitarian implications of Russias war of aggression against Ukraine. German Ambassador to the OSCE, Gesa Brautigam, delivered the relevant statement on behalf of 45 OSCE participating states, Ukrinforms own correspondent reports. Gravely concerned by the continuing impacts of Russias ongoing aggression against Ukraine, in particular on the civilian population, including children, the delegations of Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Republic of Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America), following bilateral consultations with Ukraine under the Vienna Mechanism, invoke the Moscow (Human Dimension) Mechanism under Paragraph 8 of that document, the statement said. The signatories request that ODIHR inquire of Ukraine whether it would invite a mission of experts to build upon previous findings and establish the facts and circumstances surrounding possible contraventions of relevant OSCE commitments, violations and abuses of human rights, and violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, as well as possible cases of war crimes and crimes against humanity, associated with or resulting from the forcible transfer of children within parts of Ukraines territory temporarily controlled or occupied by Russia and/or their deportation to the Russian Federation. The mission will be tasked to collect, consolidate, and analyze this information with a view to offer recommendations, as well as provide the information to relevant accountability mechanisms, as well as national, regional, or international courts or tribunals that have, or may in future have, jurisdiction. We also invite ODIHR to provide any relevant information or documentation derived from any new expert mission to other appropriate accountability mechanisms, as well as national, regional, or international courts or tribunals that have, or may in future have, jurisdiction, the statement says. As Ukrinform reported earlier, the Moscow Mechanism is a procedure laid down in the Moscow Document of the OSCE Conference on the Human Dimension of the OSCE, held in Moscow in 1991. The mechanism enables a group of 10 or more OSCE participating states to create a mission of independent experts to study a particularly serious threat to the fulfillment of human rights obligations in one of the participating states. In coordination with the OSCE's permanent body in the human dimension, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), such a mission should establish relevant facts, draft a report, and may also provide recommendations on possible solutions. Previously, on March 16, a comprehensive report of the Independent International Commission to Investigate Violations in Ukraine, established by a resolution of the UN Human Rights Council, was made public. The report says Russian authorities have committed numerous violations of international law, human rights, and international humanitarian law in various regions of Ukraine and in the Russian Federation itself. Many of these violations amount to war crimes and include intentional killings, attacks on civilians, illegal detention, torture, rape, and forced displacement and deportation of children. On March 17, the Pretrial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court issued warrants for the arrest of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Childrens Ombudsperson Maria Lvova-Belova. They are suspected of war crimes illegal deportation and transfer of the population, including children, from the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine. As the crisis triggered by Russias invasion of Ukraine transforms from an acute emergency characterised by sudden, massive displacement, into a long-term refugee situation, host countries in Europe are stepping up to meet the social and financial commitment of hosting millions of Ukrainian refugees. In the immediate aftermath of the invasion, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and partners stepped in to fill the gap, to ensure refugees from Ukraine received the initial support they needed, including cash, shelter, and information. But as the war moves into its second year, host countries are now incorporating Ukrainian refugees into their existing national social support systems, ensuring sustainable assistance for the long term. When Darya, a 36-year-old mother of two, arrived in Poland from the bombed city of Zaporizhzhia last March she was one of some 300,000 Ukrainian refugees who received cash assistance of up to 700 Polish zloty (US $157) per person each month from UNHCR, to meet their immediate needs for a period of three months. I used it to cover our everyday expenses. I could buy things my children needed, like food, clothes, or toys. Everything they needed, Darya says. See also: Cash offers a lifeline to refugees from Ukraine arriving in Poland Today, the family lives in an apartment in the southern city of Krakow where Daryas son Artyom, 4, and daughter Anastasiia, 6, attend a local government school, while Darya has found work at a car parts factory. Despite missing their home and their father who stayed behind in Ukraine the children have settled into their new lives. Anastasiia even speaks Polish very well already, Darya says. I did the right thing coming to Poland, because here you can find work, make friends and acquaintances that will help you in all they can, and there are volunteers who will help you too, says Darya. Its all good, she says, but adds: We hope well be able to return home one day. Albina, a 77-year-old retired factory worker from the industrial city of Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine, fled to Slovakia last March with her daughter Viktoria, son-in-law Viktor, and grandson Yevhen. They are some of the 100,000 who have been granted temporary protection by the government, in line with an EU-wide directive that gives those fleeing the war in Ukraine access to social services and the labour market without having to go through lengthy asylum procedures. We are very grateful to Slovakia for receiving us, she says. We have a place to live, we have food. What is most important is that here we live in peace and safety. Darya plays with Artyom and Anastasiia in their apartment in the southern Polish city of Krakow. UNHCR/Rafal Kostrzynski Artyom and his sister Anastasiia attend a local government school in Krakow, while Darya works in a factory that assembles car parts. UNHCR/Rafal Kostrzynski Darya says her children have settled well in Poland, despite missing home and their father. UNHCR/Rafal Kostrzynski Albina crochets a garment at the Humenne reception centre in east Slovakia, where she now lives after fleeing her home in Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast, with her family. UNHCR/Yelena Sim Albina found long-term stability in Slovakia after moving to the eastern town of Humenne and being enrolled in the country's social support programme. UNHCR/Yelena Sim Previous Next Soon after arriving, Albina and her family were among 30,000 of the most vulnerable people in Slovakia who received cash assistance from UNHCR and other humanitarian organisations, as well as being provided emergency accommodation. They have since been integrated into Slovakias national social support programme, and moved to Humenne, in the east of the country, where they have long-term stability and safety. The transition from emergency to long-term assistance is an important step towards sustainable support for the 5 million Ukrainian refugees across Europe registered in national protection schemes. It also allows UNHCR to focus additional support on the most vulnerable refugees and to address specific needs such as preventing and responding to gender-based violence. In Poland, Slovakia and elsewhere across Europe, we have shifted from an emergency response to supporting governments to foster the inclusion of refugees in national systems, with a focus on helping the most vulnerable, said Pascale Moreau, UNHCR Regional Director for Europe. UNHCR is partnering with national and local actors, including ministries, municipal authorities, NGOs and refugee-led organizations, to expand access to education, employment, housing, social welfare and medical or other assistance. Just to give a practical example, barriers to inclusion in labour markets can be addressed with language training or childcare support. Albina is still processing the upheaval of being forced to flee her home, but she tries to be optimistic. Slovakia is not home, but it will do for now, she says. I love life, I want to live. The morning will come, a new day will come, everything will be good. donate Future Market Insights Global and Consulting Pvt. Ltd. Increasing Government regulations for Road Safety & Growing Popularity of Autonomous Cars to Boost Automotive HD/Imaging radar Sales; Analysts Anticipate Market Valuation to Reach US$ 84.11 Billion by 2033. The Automotive HD Radar market is expected to have a CAGR of 23.61% by 2033 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, March 29, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global automotive HD/imaging radar market is predicted to exhibit astonishing growth, exhibiting a CAGR of 23.61% from 2023 to 2033. According to the recent report published by FMI, the market valuation is likely to hit US$ 10.1 billion in 2023 and US$ 84.11 billion by 2033. Automotive HD radar is a crucial component of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). Its high precision for range and speed detection plays a critical role in vehicle safety. The sensors alert the driver to steer clear of any collision, pedestrian, vehicle, and others. The automotive industry has been consistently expanding, owing to improving per capita income levels, and digitalization. The demand for safety features such as electronic stability control, traction control, lane departure warnings, collision avoidance systems, and others has astronomically risen in recent years. Automakers are innovating product offerings to launch vehicles that comply with government regulations for vehicle safety. Drivers and challenges have an impact on market dynamics, which can impact businesses. Find more insights in a sample report: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-16854 The automotive HD radar market is expanding due to its adoption of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems. The automotive imaging market is experiencing a demand upsurge due to the development of autonomous cars. Autonomous cars use several sensors and cameras to operate. Thus, high-quality imaging is necessary for accurate maneuvering. Additionally, the digitalization of existing and new vehicles has catapulted the demand for HD imaging, thereby boosting the global automotive HD imaging markets growth prospects. Story continues The growing investments in research and development activities by key market players are expected to augment market development. Key Takeaways from Automotive HD/Imaging Radar Market: Asia Pacific is likely to dominate the global market sales due to rising disposable income levels and surging automotive sales. India and China are likely to be the key regions accumulating growth in the Asia Pacific. North America market is expected to exhibit modest growth due to the rising popularity of autonomous cars such as Tesla and others. The United States is likely to remain at the forefront due to the presence of key market players. The European market is predicted to witness strong growth. The early adoption of ADAS technologies in the United Kingdom and Germany is expected to be the factor promoting the regional market growth. The medium-range radar segment is anticipated to hold the lions share in the global market during the forecast period. Expand operations in the future - To get requisite details, ask for a custom report: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-gb-16854 Recent Developments Observed by FMI: In January 2022, NXP launched new imaging radar chips for automated driving and ADAS. The new chips are S32R41 and S32R45. The S32R41 chip is optimized for hands-free partially automated ADAS applications. The S32R45 chip is targeted at L4 and above ADAS applications. Renesas launched a portfolio of automotive radar transceivers in November 2022. The new transceivers are designed to cater to the demands of level 3 and higher autonomous driving applications. Sabic launched new compounds for automotive radar sensors in December 2020. The two new radar-absorbing compounds were developed to aid manufacturers to eliminate false trigger alarms or actions. Key Players are: Robert Bosch GmbH, Hella KgaA, Continental AG, Denso Corporation, Delphi Automotive, Autoiv Inc, Valeo S.A. Automotive HD/Imaging Radar Market: Segmentation By Range (Long Range Radar, Short Range Radar, Mid-Range Radar) By Application (RADAR Based Adaptive Cruise Control, RADAR Based on Autonomous Emergency Breaking (AEB), RADAR Based Blid Spot Detection (BSD), RADAR Based Forward Collision Warning System, RADAR Based Intelligent Park Assist, RADAR Based Other ADAS Application) By Frequency (7X-GHz Systems, 2X-Ghz Systems) By Vehicle Type (Commercial Vehicle, Economic Passenger Vehicle, Luxury Passenger Vehicle, Mid-Price Passenger Vehicle) Key Regions Covered (North America, UNITED STATES, Canada, Latin America, Brazil, Mexico, Rest of Latin America, Europe, Germany, The United Kingdom, France, Spain, Russia, Rest of Europe, Japan, APEJ, China, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Rest of APEJ, MEA, GCC Countries, Israel, South Africa, Rest of MEA) Ask the Analyst: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-question/rep-gb-16854 Table of Content 1. Executive Summary | Automotive HD/Imaging Radar Market 1.1. Global Market Outlook 1.2. Demand-side Trends 1.3. Supply-side Trends 1.4. Technology Roadmap Analysis 1.5. Analysis and Recommendations 2. Market Overview 2.1. Market Coverage / Taxonomy 2.2. Market Definition / Scope / Limitations 3. Market Background 3.1. Market Dynamics 3.1.1. Drivers 3.1.2. Restraints 3.1.3. Opportunity 3.1.4. Trends For more Insights: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/automotive-hd-imaging-radar-market Explore Wide-ranging Coverage of FMIs Automotive Landscape Automotive Radar Market Share: are projected to grow at a robust CAGR of 13.20% between 2022 and 2032, totalling around US$ 15,803.3 Million by the end of 2032. Automotive ECU Market Size: expand from US$ 14.4 Billion in 2023 to US$ 22.8 Billion by 2033. Automotive ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) Market Demand: is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.6% during the forecast period and is anticipated to reach a valuation of US$ 131 billion by 2032. Autonomous Vehicles Market Growth: is projected to grow at a CAGR of 10.9% between 2022 and 2032, totalling around 99,451 million by 2032. Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Automotive Market Outlook: is set to record a robust CAGR of 55% during the forecast period. The market holds a share of US$ 9.3 billion in 2023 while it is anticipated to cross a value of US$ 744.39 billion by 2033. About Future Market Insights, Inc. Future Market Insights, Inc. is an ESOMAR-certified business consulting & market research firm, a member of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce and is headquartered in Delaware, USA. A recipient of Clutch Leaders Award 2022 on account of high client score (4.9/5), we have been collaborating with global enterprises in their business transformation journey and helping them deliver on their business ambitions. 80% of the largest Forbes 1000 enterprises are our clients. We serve global clients across all leading & niche market segments across all major industries. Contact Us: Future Market Insights, Inc. 1602-6 Jumeirah Bay X2 Tower, Plot No: JLT-PH2-X2A, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates LinkedIn| Twitter| Blogs | YouTube For Sales Enquiries: sales@futuremarketinsights.com AutoZone, Inc. MEMPHIS, Tenn., March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE: AZO), today announced that Jenna Bedsole will join the Company as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, Customer Satisfaction. Jenna will come to AutoZone from Baker Donelson where she served as managing shareholder of the law firms Birmingham office. With over 25 years of legal experience, she has successfully represented large employers and public companies in a broad range of employment, policy, and regulatory matters. Jenna has earned several professional honors and distinctions throughout her legal career and is an AV Preeminent Peer Rated attorney. Jenna will be a member of the Companys Executive Committee and report to Bill Rhodes, Chairman, President and CEO, Customer Satisfaction. Jenna is a proven leader, accomplished professional, and an exceptional attorney. Her highly skilled legal expertise, solution-oriented approach, and past experiences will serve our customers, AutoZoners, and company well for many years to come. It is a pleasure to welcome Jenna to our Executive Committee, said Rhodes. About AutoZone: As of February 13, 2023, the Company had 6,226 stores in the U.S., 707 in Mexico and 81 in Brazil for a total store count of 7,014. AutoZone is the leading retailer and distributor of automotive replacement parts and accessories in the Americas. Each store carries an extensive product line for cars, sport utility vehicles, vans and light trucks, including new and remanufactured automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories, and non-automotive products. Many stores also have a commercial sales program that provides commercial credit and prompt delivery of parts and other products to local, regional and national repair garages, dealers, service stations and public sector accounts. We also have commercial programs in the majority of our stores in Mexico and Brazil. AutoZone also sells the ALLDATA brand automotive diagnostic, repair and shop management software through www.alldata.com . Additionally, we sell automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories and non-automotive products through www.autozone.com , and our commercial customers can make purchases through www.autozonepro.com . We also provide product information on our Duralast branded products through www.duralastparts.com . AutoZone does not derive revenue from automotive repair or installation. Story continues Contact Information: Financial: Brian Campbell at (901) 495-7005, brian.campbell@autozone.com Media: David McKinney at (901) 495-7951, david.mckinney@autozone.com UNODC enhances the knowledge and skills of CFT practitioners and specialists across Kazakhstan Terrorists use different methods to finance their activities and conceal the sources of their funds, so financial regulators and law enforcement must use a variety of techniques to bring these criminals to justice. To strengthen the capacity of Member States to understand the risks of terrorism and its financing, identify illicit financial flows and to investigate terrorism-related crimes, UNODCs Global Programme against Money Laundering (GPML) with the financial support from the Bureau of Counter Terrorism of the US Department of State conducted a national workshop on preventing the financing of terrorism through effective implementation of the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions (UNSCRs) 1267, 1988 and 1773: Financial Disruption on 14-17 February 2023. Counter-Terrorist Financing (CTF) is a set of government laws, regulations, and other practices that are intended to restrict access to funding and financial services for those whom the government designates as terrorists. By tracking down the source of the funds that support terrorist activities, law enforcement may be able to prevent some of those activities from occurring. According to Mr. Maralbek Yeshimov, Dean of the Law enforcement Academy under the General Prosecutors Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the financing of terrorism and the legalization of criminal proceeds are recognized by the world community as global problems of transnational nature and capable of undermining the existence of the state system. He believes that the acts of terrorism can cause large-scale conflicts of political, territorial and national character. A stable AML/CFT system has been formed in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Noting the importance of strengthening the capacity of law enforcement officers in this matter, the Academy, together with UNODC, continues to work within the framework of the implementation of the national program to combat the financing of terrorism, Mr. Yeshimov said. Some 15 participants, including 12 men and 3 women, representing relevant agencies and financial intelligence units specialists of Kazakhstan attended the training. They all are responsible for implementing effective procedures or mechanisms to identify and initiate designations of persons and entities pursuant to the UN Security Council resolutions such as the National Security Committee, Financial Monitoring Agency, Prosecutor Generals Office and Agency for Regulation and Development of Financial Market. The main approaches in disruption of illicit financial flows, critical information requirements, vulnerability analysis and risk assessment and other issues were covered during the training. Along with theory, the training also included practical exercises on conducting analysis and nomination of initial targets, noted UNODC Regional AML/CFT Advisor Mr. Aliaksandr Vadziany. The training is a part of the UNODC-implemented multi-year Programme on Countering the Financing of Terrorism which is based on the implementation of UNSCRs 1267, 1373, 2462 and other related resolutions, as well as the standards of the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF). A strong team of international experts from the United Kingdom and Belarus delivered the workshop. The workshop also highlighted the role of inter-agency cooperation to disrupt financial networks and strengthen compliance with international standards. Story in russian language *** For more information contact Vasilina Brazhko Communication and PR Specialist at UNODC in Central Asia at + 996775876716 WhatsApp and Cell phone vasilina.brazhko[at]un.org Coordination of asset recovery efforts in South-Eastern Europe 15 March, Podgorica, Montenegro; 17, March, Belgrade, Serbia; 24 March, Skopje, North Macedonia 2023: The asset recovery process is a complex, resource-intensive and time-consuming process. It requires permanent cooperation and coordination among the relevant national authorities (e.g., intelligence agencies, law enforcement authorities and prosecutors), as well as with their foreign counterparts. Efforts are often inhibited by, among others, the challenge of identifying the proceeds and instrumentalities of crime, overcoming inconsistent or cumbersome legal requirements that may exist nationally or across borders, and the lack of coordination and cooperation locally and internationally. Many of these challenges can be mitigated with a consistent and harmonized approach at the national level with existing legislation and regulations. To support the jurisdictions from South-Eastern Europe in mitigating these challenges, UNODC has initiated discussions with the authorities of Montenegro, Serbia and North Macedonia towards the development of Fast Action Response Guides (FARGs) on asset recovery processes. FARGs are intended to provide the relevant national authorities with a simple tool enabling them to quickly have an overview of the legal and operational elements that need to be considered to conduct criminal and parallel financial investigations. This concept goes beyond that of a simple checklist - FARGs should enable the relevant authorities to identify more efficiently the practical options available to them upon detection of an offence and to determine the appropriate actions, resources and tools needed to conduct the investigations. The discussions took the form of meetings aimed to begin the development process and to support, at the operational level, continuous capacity building on the various elements of the asset recovery process. The meetings were organized in the framework of the Regional Anti-Corruption and Illicit Finance Roadmap under the UNODC Regional Programme for South-Eastern Europe and with the generous support of the UK Government. Austrian Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) has made the decision to sell its Russian subsidiary or spin it off from the group after its general shareholders meeting on Thursday, RBI CEO Johann Strobl said in the press release VIENNA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 30th March, 2023) Austrian Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) has made the decision to sell its Russian subsidiary or spin it off from the group after its general shareholders meeting on Thursday, RBI CEO Johann Strobl said in the press release. "The RBI Group will continue to progress potential transactions which would result in the sale or spin-off of Raiffeisenbank Russia and deconsolidation of Raiffeisenbank Russia from the RBI Group, in full compliance with local and international laws and regulation and in consultation with the relevant competent authorities," the press release of the bank reads. No dates or time frames have been yet mentioned. The bank would have to obtain the Russian authorities' permission to sell its subsidiary, and in the case of a potential spin-off, the shares would have to be separated as well, resulting in the bank's shareholders owning both Raiffeisenbank International and Raiffeisenbank Russia shares. The latter would then have to be listed on one of the European stock exchange markets. Raiffeisenbank Russia has been active in Russia since 1996 as a subsidiary of the RBI Group, one of the largest banking groups in Austria. Earlier this March, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said that the bank had to make an independent decision on the continuation of its activities in Russia under the Western sanctions. He noted that Raiffeisenbank Russia is used by many Western countries and companies for the financing of their ongoing operations in Russia. (Bloomberg) -- CVC Capital Partners and I Squared Capital are among bidders shortlisted for a stake in Edotco Group Sdn., the wireless tower business of Malaysian telecommunications group Axiata Group Bhd., according to people familiar with the matter. Most Read from Bloomberg Stonepeak Partners and a consortium led by Japanese trading house Mitsui & Co. were also picked to proceed to the next round of bidding, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the information is private. The Mitsui-led group includes Japanese telecom operator KDDI Corp. and Jtower Inc., the people said. Edotco is looking to raise as much as $750 million in the stake sale, according to the people. Existing shareholders, including Axiata, may tag along and sell down some of their stakes, potentially boosting the total share sale size to more than $1 billion, the people said. The shortlisted bidders are conducting due diligence following a management presentation recently, the people said. The deadline for binding bids is around mid-May, one of them said. Deliberations are ongoing and the bidders could decide to drop out, the people said. Representatives for Axiata, CVC, edotco, KDDI and Mitsui declined to comment, while representatives for I Squared, Jtower and Stonepeak didnt immediately respond to requests for comment. Founded in 2012, Edotco operates and manages a portfolio of more than 54,000 towers across nine Asian nations including Malaysia, Thailand, Pakistan and Myanmar, according to its website. Axiata is the controlling shareholder of Edotco, while other minority holders include Malaysian sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd., Innovation Network Corp. of Japan and Malaysian pension fund Kumpulan Wang Persaraan Diperbadankan. Story continues The companys services range from tower leasing and co-location to operations and maintenance. It has expanded both organically and via mergers and acquisitions, including the purchase of around 3,000 towers in the Philippines from PLDT Inc. last year. --With assistance from Grace Huang, Min Jeong Lee and Takahiko Hyuga. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. (@Abdulla99267510) Leader of the House and Minister for Finance, Ishaq Dar told the House during Question Hour that there had been improvement in foreign exchange reserves over the last five weeks. ISLAMABAD: ( UrduPoint /UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-March 30th, 2023) The Senate was informed today that the foreign exchange reserves stand at about ten billion Dollars and the target is to take them to thirteen billion dollars by June this year. Leader of the House and Minister for Finance, Ishaq Dar told the House during Question Hour that there had been improvement in foreign exchange reserves over the last five weeks. He said the government has not deferred any international obligation ever since coming to power and is making timely payments. He said our external debt has actually gone down. Regarding the agreement with IMF, Ishaq Dar said technical discussions with the lender have been completed. In his remarks, Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar told the House that the process of 7th Population and Housing Census was in progress and had to be completed before 30th of next month. He said it is the first time that digital census is being carried out for which 35 billion rupees were earmarked in the budget 2022-23. He said if the results of the census get confirmed, the delimitations and next elections should be held under it. Taking the floor, Minister for Commerce Naveed Qamar told the House that the country had sufficient stocks of all staple items. He said our thrust in future will be enhancing agriculture exports. Senate holds discussion on Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Bill, 2023 The Senate also held discussion on the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Bill, 2023. Sharing main features of the Bill, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said it proposes constituting the benches and allocation of cases by a committee comprising Chief Justice and two senior most judges. He said right of appeal has been given under the bill. The Minister said such a law was the longstanding demand of the Bar Councils and Bar Associations. (@FahadShabbir) Trkiye is ready to supply natural gas to Hungary through the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline Project (TANAP), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday ANKARA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Mar, 2023 ):Trkiye is ready to supply natural gas to Hungary through the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline Project (TANAP), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday. "As of now, we are ready to provide all kinds of support with Azerbaijan regarding the delivery of natural gas to Hungary through TANAP," Erdogan said at a joint press conference with visiting Hungarian President Katalin Novak. TANAP was commissioned in 2018 as the central part of the Europe-proposed Southern Gas Corridor that connects a major gas field in Azerbaijan with European markets. The trade volume between Trkiye and Hungary hit 3.5 billion U.S. dollars last year, with the goal of reaching 6 billion dollars in the future, according to Erdogan. For her part, Novak said energy was one of the topics of her meeting with Erdogan in the Turkish capital of Ankara. "We talked about cooperation on energy. Trkiye has vital importance in Hungary's energy security," she said, stressing that her country attaches importance to the Turkish Stream, a natural gas pipeline running from Russia to Turkey via the Black seabed. New Delhi, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Mar, 2023 ) :At least eight devotees were killed and around a dozen rescued on Thursday after about 25 people fell into a well at a Hindu temple in India, police said. The worshippers plunged into the stepwell -- a stair-lined communal water source -- after the floor covering it collapsed in the central city of Indore. "We have recovered eight bodies and rescued nearly a dozen," police official Manish Kapooriya told AFP, adding that rescue efforts were still ongoing. Television footage showed emergency workers using ropes and ladders to reach those trapped in the well in Madhya Pradesh state. Other videos showed the caved-in floor and mangled steel bars, and policemen using ropes to seal the area. Temples across India were brimming with devotees on the occasion of Ram Navami, the birthday of the Hindu deity Lord Ram. Damascus, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Mar, 2023 ) :Israel carried out missile strikes near Damascus early Thursday that wounded two soldiers, Syria's defence ministry said. During more than a decade of war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on Syrian territory. Explosions were heard in the Syrian capital early Thursday morning, an AFP correspondent reported. "At around 01:20 am, the Israeli enemy carried out an aerial aggression from the direction of the occupied Golan Heights targeting several positions in the vicinity of Damascus," Syria's defence ministry said. It did not provide any details on the targets but said the strikes wounded two soldiers and caused material damage. Syria's air defences intercepted several missiles, the ministry added. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said a building south of the capital was destroyed. Syria's foreign ministry condemned the strikes, accusing Israel in a statement of trying to "escape internal divisions", as the country faces a severe domestic crisis over controversial judicial reforms. (@FahadShabbir) Manila, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Mar, 2023 ) :At least 31 people died and 230 were rescued after a fire engulfed a ferry in the southern Philippines, authorities said Thursday. The Lady Mary Joy 3 was travelling from Zamboanga City on Mindanao Island to Jolo Island in Sulu province when the fire broke out late Wednesday, prompting passengers to jump overboard, disaster officer Nixon Alonzo said. Rescuers, including the Philippine Coast Guard and fishermen, saved 195 passengers and 35 crew as the blaze ripped through the ferry off Baluk-Baluk Island in Basilan province. Photos released by the coast guard showed one of its vessels spraying water on the burning ferry as personnel in smaller boats plucked people from the dark waters. An earlier death toll more than doubled after the discovery of 18 bodies on the charred vessel, Basilan Governor Jim Salliman told AFP. The bodies were found inside an air-conditioned cabin during a search of the ferry. "People panicked because they were asleep when the fire happened," said Commodore Rejard Marfe from the Philippine Coast Guard, citing witness accounts. The captain ran the vessel aground as the fire spread "so many more could survive since it would be easier to swim to shore", Marfe told AFP. Salliman said at least three children, including a six-month-old baby, were among the dead. Authorities said 14 people were injured and seven were missing. (@FahadShabbir) The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) Thursday after a detailed discussion approved the draft Transaction Advisory Agreement (TASA), reached with the IFC by PCCA for the outsourcing of three airports ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Mar, 2023 ):The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) Thursday after a detailed discussion approved the draft Transaction Advisory Agreement (TASA), reached with the IFC by PCCA for the outsourcing of three airports. Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar presided over the meeting of the ECC, said a press release issued here. The ECC considered a summary of the Ministry of Aviation on the engagement of the International Finance Corporation as transaction advisor for the outsourcing of three airports. It was informed that the outsourcing of three airports has been initiated within the scope of Public-Private Partnership Act-2017 to engage private investor/airport operator through a competitive and transparent process to run the airports, develop appertaining land assets and enhance avenues for commercial activities and to garner full revenue potential. In this regard, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a part of the World Bank Group, has been qualified as a transaction advisor. The ECC also considered and approved the following summaries submitted by the Ministry of Energy (Petroleum Division); Approved Declaration of Commerciality and Field Development Plan over Hilal and Iqbal discoveries in favour of M/s Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MPCL). Committee also granted second two years' renewal over Kirthar exploration license block in favour of Polish Oil & Gas Company Limited (POGC) w.e.f 28-08-2022. The ECC granted permission for Extended Well Testing (EWT) over the Ghazi-1 discovery to M/s Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MPCL). Additionally, ECC also decided to provide the following Technical Supplementary grants for the current fiscal year: Rs. 607.6 Million in favour of Ministry of Energy (Power Division) for the execution of development schemes in Sindh province. The ECC also approved Rs.1689.5 million in favour of the Ministry of Housing and Works for the execution of development schemes under the SDGs Achievement Programme (SAP) in KPK and Sindh provinces. Rs 5000 Million in favour of the Ministry of Housing and Works for the execution of development schemes in erstwhile FATA. The ECC deferred a summary submitted by the Ministry of Energy ( Power Division) on the implementation agreement signed between the Government of Pakistan and K-Electric (Erstwhile KESC) on pending issue of payment of duties and taxes. Federal Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir Khan, Federal Minister for Industries and Production Syed Murtaza Mahmud, Federal Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar, Federal Minister for Aviation Khawaja Saad Rafique, Minister for Board of Investment Chaudhry Salik Hussain, Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Dr Aisha Ghous Pasha, Minister of State for Petroleum Musadik Masood Malik, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi MNA/Ex-PM, SAPM on Finance Tariq Bajwa, SAPM on Revenue Tariq Mehmood Pasha, Coordinator to the PM on Economy Bilal Azhar Kayani, Coordinator to PM on Commerce & Industry Rana Ihsan Afzal, Federal Secretaries and other senior officers attended the meeting. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Mar, 2023 ) :The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday reserved its judgment on maintainability of a disqualification case against PTI chairman Imran Khan for not disclosing his alleged daughter Tyrian White in his nomination papers. A larger bench headed by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and comprising Justice Mohsin Akhter Kayani and Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir heard the case filed by a citizen Muhammad Sajid. Petitioner's lawyer Hamid Shah Advocate argued that Imran Khan had not disclosed his alleged daughter in an affidavit submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). He said that Imran Khan was also not entitled to remain party chairman anymore as all facts had been mentioned in the petition about his disqualification. He said that the PTI chairman had no answers to the facts raised in the petition. Chief Justice Aamer Farooq remarked that so far Imran Khan had neither admitted nor denied the allegations. The lawyer said that Imran Khan had mentioned his wife Bushra Bibi, and sons Qasim Khan and Salman Khan in his affidavit. He had also stated that the two sons were living with their mother and they were not financially dependent on him, he said. The lawyer further said that Tyrian White was still unmarried and as per Islamic law, she would be considered his dependent. The lawyer said that one submitting a false affidavit has to be disqualified under Article 629(1)(f) of the constitution. Justice Mohsin Akhter Kayani said that the alleged father had not accepted her as his daughter. The ECP's counsel said that such petitions had been terminated in the past due to the lack of proof. He prayed the court to grant permission to submit some documents in this regard. Expressing annoyance, the court observed why the ECP had realized now to file documents. Why a heavy fine shouldn't be imposed on it, it said. The court said that so far it was hearing this case to the extent of only maintainability, adding that the case would proceed if it was considered admissible. After this, the bench reserved the verdict on the admissibility of the case. (@FahadShabbir) KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Mar, 2023 ) :In an impressive Live Weapon Firing event, Pakistan Navy Ground Based Air Defence units demonstrated combat readiness and war fighting potential through successful firing of Surface to Air Missiles during night hours. Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi witnessed the missile firing at the forward posts. During the missile firing sequence, PN Air Defence units successfully engaged the intended targets and demonstrated real-time professionalism. The missile firing through newly acquired Short Range Air Defence System reassured PN formidable defence against any incoming air threat, a Pakistan Navy news release here received on Thursday said. Speaking at the occasion, Chief of the Naval Staff expressed complete satisfaction on operational readiness of PN Air Defence setup and commended officers and men for their tireless commitment and professionalism. Naval Chief retreated that Pakistan Navy is fully prepared and capable to generate optimum response against any misadventure by the enemy. (@FahadShabbir) ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Mar, 2023 ) :The Senate has passed the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023 aimed at restructuring the suo motu powers of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, despite fierce opposition from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) legislators. The bill received 60 votes in favour and 19 against, amid a chaotic scene in the Senate as PTI senators protested the decision. The Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar moved the bill which was passed with majority votes. The bill proposed that an appeal shall lie within thirty days from an order of a bench of the Supreme Court who exercised jurisdiction under clause (3) of the Article 184 of the Constitution to a larger bench of the Supreme Court and such appeal shall, for hearing, be fixed within a period not exceeding fourteen days. According to the bill, the right of appeal under sub-section (1) shall also be available to an aggrieved person against whom an order has been made under clause (3) of Article 184 of the Constitution, prior to the commencement of this Act provided that the appeal under this subsection shall be filed within thirty days of the commencement of this Act. According to the statement of objects and reasons of the bill, the bill would also ensure the right of the free trail and due process of Law as enshrined under Article 10A of the Constitution. Earlier, moving the bill in the House, Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar said that it was the demand of the bar associations and councils to introduce the bill and they have supported the bill. "This bill was an old demand of the Bar Council which said that indiscriminate use of 184(3) should be stopped," he added. He said it was prerogative of the Parliament to do legislation under Article 191 of the Constitution. The Supreme Court's rules were framed under Article 191 of the constitution and were promulgated in 1980. He went on to say that Article 184 was excessively used in the past and some cases even executives were also pushed into the dock. The country has to bear hefty billions of Dollars in loss in cases like Reko Diq and Pakistan Steel Mills etc, he added. He said the bill aims to have transparent proceedings in the apex court and it also includes the right to appeal. He said that all institutions have to follow the laws passed by the Parliament. The minister quoted the Article 191 of the Constitution which says that subject to the constitution and law, the Supreme Court may make rules regulating the practice and procedure of the Court. Tarar said that the bill includes the right to appeal, adding that it was time for the Parliament to legislate on it now. (@FahadShabbir) ISTANBUL (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 30th March, 2023) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that he will not allow the West to drag his country into a war against Russia. "If not for our efforts over the past two years, the West would have dragged Turkey into a war against Russia. While we are here (in power), we will not have this happen," Erdogan told A Haber tv channel. The president added that Turkey intends to play the role of a mediator between Russia and Ukraine. TORONTO, March 30, 2023 /CNW/ - This year, B Hemmings & Co. is elated to be celebrating 45 years of business in Toronto's Yorkville shopping district. Founded as Betty Hemmings Leathergoods in 1978 by Betty & Bill Hemmings, the store opened its doors on Toronto's Mink Mile in The Colonnade at 131 Bloor Street West. (CNW Group/B Hemmings & Co.) Offering a selection of premium luggage, handbags, briefcases, and leather goods, Betty Hemmings quickly built a reputation for quality selection and unparalleled service: a loyal following was established and many of those customers still shop with the brand today. In 2007, the reins were passed to husband-and-wife duo Michael & Alexandra Warwick, who had ambitions to elevate the brand and become the destination for premium travel solutions, leather goods, and the finest brands in quiet luxury. Coveted names like Moreau Paris, Globe-Trotter, Mark Cross, Serapian, Smythson, and Ettinger were introduced - many of whom were entering the Canadian market for the very first time. In 2018, their luxury flagship boutique opened its doors at 162 Cumberland St. with a striking new look inspired by the Golden Age of Train Travel and the Orient Express. Re-branded as B Hemmings & Co. to honour both original founders, this Canadian destination was ready for the next chapter. In 2023, B Hemmings & Co. curates over 1400 years of craftsmanship from some of the most sought-after quiet luxury and premium luggage brands in the world. Valextra, often called the Hermes of Italy, is the latest to join their impressive roster. BH & CO. also stands proud as the longest standing TUMI retailer in North America, having brought the iconic brand north of the border in 1980. Over the course of this celebratory year, B Hemmings & Co. will be sharing the histories of these remarkable brands and will feature antique and archival pieces in-store and on social media each month to highlight their evolutions. All are welcome to experience this unique showcase. Story continues "From all of us at B Hemmings & Co. - thank you for your continued loyalty and being a part of our journey. We wouldn't be here without you." - Michael Warwick, Partner B HEMMINGS & CO. 162 Cumberland Street Yorkville Lane Toronto | Ontario Canada | M5R 3N5 Follow us on Instagram & Facebook Michael J. Warwick | Partner Direct: 416.728.4321 Email: m.warwick@bhemmings.com Alexandra Warwick | Partner Direct: 416.908.2148 Email: a.warwick@bhemmings.com Matthew D. Stokes | Marketing Direct: 647.402.9397 Email: m.stokes@bhemmings.com B Hemmings & Co. - Celebrating 45 years as the leading retailer of premium business, travel goods and quiet luxury brands. (CNW Group/B Hemmings & Co.) SOURCE B Hemmings & Co. Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/February2023/30/c9935.html PARIS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 30th March, 2023) French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne will meet with representatives of trade union organizations to discuss the controversial pension reform on April 5, the deputy secretary general of the French Democratic Confederation of Labour (CFDT), Marylise Leon, said on Wednesday. Earlier on Wednesday, the general secretary of the CFDT, Laurent Berger, said that trade unions had received an official invitation from the head of the French government to discuss the pension reform. "I think the date is clearly set for Wednesday. We are expected to participate in an inter-union meeting to talk with the prime minister ... Almost all organizations responded positively," Leon told French broadcaster BFMTV. The report noted that the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) had not yet confirmed the date. The pension reform, proposed by the French government in January and adopted in March, provides for an increase in the retirement age from 62 to 64. Since the beginning of the year, people all across France have been taking to the streets to protest against the measure. (@FahadShabbir) International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said on Thursday that he may visit Russia again soon to discuss the situation around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP) VIENNA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 30th March, 2023) International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said on Thursday that he may visit Russia again soon to discuss the situation around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP). "He discussed the issue (nuclear safety and security situation) when he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the city of Zaporizhzhya on Monday and indicated he may soon travel to Russia again for further talks," IAEA said in a statement. (@FahadShabbir) UN rights chief decried Thursday surging violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, with more than 1,300 people, including over 100 children, killed since October Geneva, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Mar, 2023 ) :The UN rights chief decried Thursday surging violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, with more than 1,300 people, including over 100 children, killed since October. Rebel militias have plagued the DR Congo for decades, and Volker Turk warned the United Nations Human Rights Council that "armed violence has intensified in eastern provinces, notably in Ituri and North Kivu". The Allied Democratic Forces, a notorious militia called CODECO, and M23 insurgents, along with the Zaire and Nyatura armed groups, were continuing to "perpetrate despicable attacks against the civilian population with complete impunity", he said. "Since October 2022, at least 1,334 people, including 107 children, have been killed in these eastern provinces," the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said. Turk lamented that the violence had displaced some six million people inside the DRC, marking the highest number of internally displaced people in Africa. He warned that areas that until now have generally been spared, including the western provinces of Mai-Ndombe and Kwilu, had begun seeing outbreaks of violence. Human Rights Watch warned Thursday that intercommunal violence in western DRC had left at least 300 people dead since last June. Just last Friday, 14 people were killed in Kwilu, all but two of them hacked to death with machetes, according to a local official. Turk on Thursday also condemned continued widespread "vicious sexual violence," which he pointed out had historically been "used in the DRC as a deliberate weapon of war and strategy of terror". In 2022 alone, he said the UN had "documented and verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence against 701 victims, including 503 women, 11 men and 187 girls". Turk warned that such violence was "fuelled by impunity and corruption". At the same time he hailed the authorities taking "significant steps" in the fight against impunity, with at least 91 members of the defence and security forces and at least 143 members of armed groups convicted of offences related to rights violations last year. "These are important achievements, both for the victims and in terms of their deterrent effect," he said, underlining that, "The scale of violations and abuses that have been suffered demands much more action to stem widespread perceptions of impunity." - 'Hate speech' - Turk also decried heightened tensions between the DRC and neighbouring Rwanda, which he warned had "generated disinformation and hate speech". Kinshasa and several Western governments say the M23 rebels are backed by Rwanda eyeing the natural resources across the border, a claim denied by Kigali. Turk warned of severe hate speech and incitement to hostility in eastern DRC, targeting among others people presumed to be of Rwandan origin. The UN rights chief also said he remained "deeply concerned by persistent restrictions on the Congolese people's fundamental freedoms and civic space."This was particularly concerning in light of presidential, legislative and local elections scheduled for December, he said. Turk noted what appeared to be "systematic efforts to prevent journalists and civil society actors from investigating allegations involving the security forces, particularly in conflict areas". (@ChaudhryMAli88) Pope Francis felt well enough to work from his hospital room Thursday, though it was not clear how long he would stay after he was admitted with a respiratory infection Vatican City, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Mar, 2023 ) :Pope Francis felt well enough to work from his hospital room Thursday, though it was not clear how long he would stay after he was admitted with a respiratory infection. The 86-year-old pope "rested well during the night. His clinical picture is gradually improving and he is continuing his planned treatment", spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement. "This morning after breakfast, he read some newspapers and resumed work. Before lunch, he went to the little chapel of the private (hospital) apartment where he prayed and he received the Eucharist." Pope Francis was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on Wednesday for what the Vatican said were pre-planned checks. It later revealed he had complained of breathing difficulties and was diagnosed with a respiratory infection, but not Covid, and required "a few days" of hospital treatment. The Argentine pontiff, who earlier this month marked 10 years as head of the Catholic Church, has suffered a number of health issues throughout his life, including having part of one of his lungs removed at age 21. While keeping a busy schedule and travelling widely, he has for the past year used a wheelchair due to knee pain, and admitted last summer he had to slow down. His admission to hospital sparked widespread concern, particularly after unconfirmed reports that he arrived in an ambulance. "I am touched by the many messages received in these hours and I express my gratitude for the closeness and prayer," the pope said in a message posted on Twitter. Francis was forced to cancel Thursday's engagements, and there are now questions over his presence at services for the upcoming Holy Week and Easter, the most important period in the Christian Calendar. Preparations are already underway at the Vatican for this weekend's Palm Sunday celebrations. - 'Always the fear' - At his weekly audience on Wednesday morning, just hours before his admission to hospital, the pope appeared in good spirits, smiling as he greeted the faithful from his "popemobile". But he was pictured grimacing as he was helped getting onto the vehicle -- a photo that made all the major front pages of Italy's newspapers on Thursday. News of the pope's hospitalisation made global headlines and sparked prayers among many of the estimated 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide -- including US President Joe Biden. Biden, only the second Catholic president in US history, urged attendees at a White House reception to "say an extra prayer" for the pontiff. His health was also on the minds of visitors to the Vatican on Thursday. "There is always the fear, and yet it seems that everything is calm for now," said Tina Montalbano, a 60-year-old tourist guide. "I hope he recovers very soon and can celebrate the Easter period here in St Peter's." Francis was admitted in July 2021 to the same Rome hospital for 10 days for an operation on his colon after suffering from a type of diverticulitis, an inflammation of pockets that develop in the lining of the intestine. In an interview in January, the pope said the diverticulitis had returned. In 1957, at age 21, Francis had part of one of his lungs removed, but he has said he made a full recovery. - Resignation rumours - Francis has repeatedly said he would consider stepping down if his health required it, following the example of his predecessor Benedict XVI. The German theologian, who died on December 31, shocked the world in 2013 by becoming the first pope since the middle Ages to resign. Francis has cautioned, however, that papal resignations should not be the norm, and said in an interview in February that the idea was currently not "on my agenda". Despite his health issues and advancing age, Francis -- a Jesuit who seems most happy being among his flock -- continues to travel internationally. Earlier this year, he visited South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, drawing huge crowds. Next month, he is due to visit Hungary and meet Prime Minister Viktor Orban. In the past decade, Francis has sought to forge an image of a more open, compassionate Church, although has faced internal opposition, particularly from conservatives. WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 30th March, 2023) The US Senate approved House-passed legislation to immediately end the COVID-19 national emergency. The Senate on Wednesday passed the measure with a 68-23 vote, sending it to the White House. US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in earlier remarks that President Joe Biden would not veto the resolution. Biden previously planned to end the national emergency by May 11. Former US President Donald Trump declared a national emergency over the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020. (@FahadShabbir) MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 30th March, 2023) Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen has arrived in New York for the first time in more than three years on a stopover ahead of visits to Central American self-governed islands of Guatemala and Belize, the Wall Street Journal reported reported on Thursday. The Taiwanese leader is on a 10-day diplomatic trip to South and Central America that includes transit through the United States. Earlier in March, US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said that he would meet Tsai during her stop in Los Angeles on her way back home on April 5. Taiwan has not yet confirmed such a meeting. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Wednesday that Tsai's transit through the United States was private, unofficial, and consistent with the One China policy. Later the same day, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said that China firmly opposed any official interactions between the US and Taiwan as well as any visits by Tsai to the US under whatever pretext, calling Tsai's plans to stop in the US just for a transit "a lie." Tensions flared around Taiwan after then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island in early August 2022. China condemned the visit, perceiving it as an act of support for local separatist forces, and conducted major military exercises near the island, which China considers part of its territory. The Chinese administration has repeatedly stated that Beijing is willing to reunite with Taiwan peacefully; however, it would never renounce the use of military force if the need arises. The United States is concerned by the detention of a Wall Street Journal reporter and US citizen in Russia on suspicion of espionage and is in contact with the media outlet, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 30th March, 2023) The United States is concerned by the detention of a Wall Street Journal reporter and US citizen in Russia on suspicion of espionage and is in contact with the media outlet, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday. "We are deeply concerned over Russia's widely-reported detention of a US citizen journalist. We are in contact with the Wall Street Journal on this situation," Blinken said in a statement. Earlier in the day, the Lefortovo District Court of Moscow told Sputnik that it decided to arrest Wall Street Journal Moscow bureau correspondent Evan Gershkovich on suspicion of espionage. The Wall Street Journal denies the allegations. The Biden administration continues to urge US citizens in Russia to depart immediately, Blinken added. The US Federal Reserve announced on Thursday that its board fined Wells Fargo bank $67.8 million for inadequate oversight of sanctions compliance risks that resulted in more than $530 million worth of prohibited transactions between 2010 and 2015 WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 30th March, 2023) The US Federal Reserve announced on Thursday that its board fined Wells Fargo bank $67.8 million for inadequate oversight of sanctions compliance risks that resulted in more than $530 million worth of prohibited transactions between 2010 and 2015. "The Federal Reserve Board on Thursday announced that it has fined Wells Fargo & Co., of San Francisco, California, $67.8 million for the firm's unsafe or unsound practices relating to historical inadequate oversight of sanctions compliance risks at its subsidiary bank, Wells Fargo Bank, N. A. Wells Fargo & Co.'s deficient oversight enabled the bank to violate U.S. sanctions regulations by providing a trade finance platform to a foreign bank that used the platform to process approximately $532 million in prohibited transactions between 2010 and 2015," the Federal Reserve said in a press release. Separately, the US Department of the Treasury said on Thursday that Wells Fargo agreed to pay $30 million to settle its potential civil liability for violations of sanctions against Iran, Syria, and Sudan. WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st March, 2023) The United States calls on Russia to conduct itself in a professional manner during its upcoming presidency of the United Nations Security Council, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said on Thursday. "We urge Russia to conduct itself professionally during its scheduled presidency in April," Jean-Pierre told reporters. Russia's presidency of the UN Security Council starts on April 1. Jean-Pierre noted that the council does important work on peace and security around the world but said the US expects Russia will use its seat for "spreading disinformation. " "A country that flagrantly violates the UN Charter and invades its neighbor has no place on the UN Security Council. Unfortunately Russia is a permanent member of the Security Council, and no feasible international legal pathway exists to change this reality," she said. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov plans to chair a high-level open debate of the United Nations Security Council in April. (@FahadShabbir) US Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled Thursday an initiative to expand trade with Tanzania as she hailed the leader of the East African nation as a "champion" of democracy Dar es Salaam, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Mar, 2023 ):US Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled Thursday an initiative to expand trade with Tanzania as she hailed the leader of the East African nation as a "champion" of democracy. On the second leg of her trip to Africa, Harris said EXIM Bank, the US government credit agency, would sign a memorandum of understanding to facilitate up to $500 million in exports to Tanzania covering transport, infrastructure, digital technology and clean energy projects. "On the subject of economic growth, good governance delivers predictability, stability and rules which businesses need to invest," Harris said at a press briefing alongside President Samia Suluhu Hassan. "Working together it is our shared goal to increase investment in Tanzania and strengthen our economic ties," she said, also announcing plans to partner with Tanzania in 5G technology and cyber security. Harris described Hassan, Tanzania's first female president who has been rolling back the authoritarian policies of her late predecessor John Magufuli, as a "champion" of democracy. Hassan described their meeting as a "historic milestone" and referred to Harris -- the first Black person and first woman to be elected US vice president -- as a "sister". Harris is on a three-nation trip to Africa, the latest push by the United States to deepen its engagement with the continent to counter the growing influence of China and Russia. Tanzania has remained neutral over Russia's war in Ukraine, abstaining in UN votes against Moscow and calling for the conflict to be resolved through diplomatic means. And in November, Hassan visited Beijing and held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. - Political reforms - Hassan, who marked her second year in office on March 19, has sought to turn the page on Magufuli's hardline rule, which had tarnished Tanzania's reputation as a stable country in a troubled region. Earlier this month, she vowed to restore competitive politics and jumpstart a stalled process to review the constitution, a long-held opposition demand. In January, Hassan announced the lifting of a ban on political rallies, paving the way for the return that month of opposition stalwart Tundu Lissu who had spent most of the past five years in exile. On Thursday, Harris also laid a wreath at a memorial commemorating the August 1998 bombing of the US embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's economic hub. The almost simultaneous attacks by Al-Qaeda in Tanzania and the US embassy in Kenya's capital Nairobi left more than 200 people dead and more than 5,000 wounded. Harris commended the government for its "transparent response" to an outbreak of the Marburg haemorrhagic fever which has killed five people in Tanzania, noting that USAID is providing $1.3 million to help. As she wrapped up the first leg of her trip in Ghana on Wednesday, Harris announced an initiative of more than $1 billion to improve women's empowerment in Africa. In a speech in Ghana's capital Accra on Tuesday, she noted three areas of focus Washington believes could benefit from more investments: women's empowerment, the digital economy and good governance and democracy. "We are 'all in' on Africa," she added, repeating US President Joe Biden's declaration at a US-Africa leaders' summit last year. From Tanzania, Harris heads to Zambia on Friday. Trade visitors walk past an advertisement for BAE Systems at Farnborough International Airshow in Farnborough, Britain LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's BAE Systems said on Thursday it would collaborate with Sweden's Heart Aerospace in developing a battery system for Heart's ES-30 regional electric airplane. The ES-30 will be powered by four electric motors, with an all-electric range of 200 kilometers, an extended reserve hybrid range of 400 kilometers with 30 passengers and an ability to fly up to 800 kilometers with 25 passengers, BAE Systems said. Heart Aerospace has a total of 230 orders and 100 options for the ES-30, along with letter of intent for an additional 108 airplanes. (Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by William Schomberg and Sarah Young) MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 30th March, 2023) Evan Gershkovich, a correspondent with the Wall Street Journal Moscow bureau accredited to the Russian Foreign Ministry, have been detained in Yekaterinburg on a suspicion of espionage, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Thursday. "Illegal activities of UA citizen Evan Gershkovich, born in 1991, accredited to the Russian Foreign Ministry, correspondent of the Moscow bureau of US newspaper The Wall Street Journal, suspected of spying for the US government, have been stopped," the FSB said in a statement. On instructions from the United States, Gershkovich collected classified information "about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex." He was detained in Yekaterinburg while trying to obtain secret information. Ron Peterson Selected as 2023 UW College of Business Distinguished Alumnus Ronald Ron Peterson Ronald Ron Peterson has been selected as the University of Wyoming College of Business 61st Distinguished Alumnus. He was nominated for embracing the spirit of hard work, leadership and integrity. Peterson will be honored at the 72nd annual College of Business Recognition Dinner later in April. After his 1958 graduation from Big Springs Rural High School in Big Springs, Neb., Peterson attended UW and earned a Bachelor of Science in accounting in May 1962. While in college, he served as the Associated Students of UW business manager and president of the Interfraternity Council, ultimately being recognized in Whos Who in American Colleges and Universities. Following graduation, Peterson began his accounting career with Ernst & Ernst, now known as Ernst & Young. He later joined E.W. Gustafson, a certified public accountant (CPA) company in Scottsbluff, Neb., where he completed his CPA exam. Later, he associated with Gauger & Diehl, a CPA firm in Peoria, Ill., becoming a member of the companys manufacturing client audit team. The firm had a large hospital audit clientele before Medicare was signed into law in 1965. Auditing and consulting opportunities in the health care sector required a larger staff, and Peterson was part of that team that soon left to form its own consulting group. Opportunities to assist hospitals in maximizing eligible Medicare reimbursement and a related need to develop and implement good financial management systems opened new doors for Peterson. He later became a hospital chief financial officer, which led to several opportunities to serve in that capacity over the next 20 years. Peterson led teams to successfully transition to self-funded and self-administered workers compensation and group health plans. Peterson later returned to public accounting, and he has been practicing the last 10 years in a small north Georgia town. Ron is a passionate UW alumnus who has annually advocated for prospective high school students to attend UW. He shares an inspiring UW story that has motivated many of them to enroll in his alma mater, says Keener Fry, the former UW Alumni Association (UWAA) executive director. Ron also has been an enthusiastic alumnus to bring UW graduates together in support of the UWAA Affinity Network Program. Peterson and his wife, Elaine, have been married for nearly 58 years, and they have a daughter and two grandchildren. They also had a son, who died six years ago. To view a complete list of previous UW College of Business Distinguished Alumni Award winners, visit www.uwyo.edu/business/alumni/distinguished-alumni.html. New petrol and diesel cars face the scrapheap by 2030 under net zero rules It was the moment that the entire car industry and the large majority of drivers had been dreading: confirmation that a proposed ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030 would go ahead as planned. Last Octobers announcement, from the then transport secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan, is a central plank of the Governments ambitions of hitting net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Less than six months later, however, and the policy is in danger of coming apart at the seams after Brussels heavily watered down its restrictions amid growing opposition from Germanys big carmakers. With the European Union left fiercely backpedaling, there is little hope of the UKs position holding. It probably wont be this Government that bites the bullet, but ultimately the deadline will have to be moved, probably back to 2035 so it is in line with other Western countries. This is something that should be welcomed, and not because electrification is a terrible idea. On the contrary, the shift to electric cars has to happen, and indeed is already occurring at pace. Broadly speaking, that is a good thing. Despite legitimate concerns about the carbon intensity of manufacturing an electric car, multiple studies show that they are considerably cleaner than a petrol or diesel equivalent over the typical lifetime of the car. In countries such as Norway, which generates almost all its electricity from renewable hydropower, the break-even point would come after just 8,400 miles, according to a Reuters study from 2021. But even where the power comes from a coal-fired grid as with China or Poland, an electric car still trumps the more traditional alternatives it just takes considerably longer. Electric cars are also much quieter and often better to drive. Yet the simple truth is that the UK is not even close to being ready to switch over in the desperately short time it has been given because not enough has been done to prepare. It is pure fantasy to think that in just seven years, Britain will have phased out new petrol and diesel models and be in a position to support a largely electrified fleet. As senior car figures have pointed out, seven years is nothing in carmaking terms it takes roughly that long to bring a new model to market. Story continues Ministers have completely under-estimated the scale of the challenge facing society and the car industry, imposing a strict target without any thought to whether it can realistically be met. As a consequence, on every single key measure whether it is charging points, battery factories or the energy grid itself we are way behind. The site in Blyth, Northumberland where Britishvolt had plans to build a gigafactory to make batteries - Owen Humphreys/PA Wire On chargers, the Governments favourite retort is that a driver on a UK A-road or motorway is never more than 25 miles from a rapid charging point. But what use is that if theres a queue of cars snaking out of the car park when you get there, or worse, it is broken? The ratio of chargers to cars has worsened from one per 16 cars in 2020 to one per 30 cars in 2022, while faster chargers account for just a fifth of the network and are being rolled out more slowly. Meanwhile, in some major cities, a third of all chargers are broken. The network simply hasnt kept pace with sales growth. The same can be said for batteries. Last month the boss of Vauxhall parent Stellantis, which has major manufacturing sites in Ellesmere Port and Luton, warned that unless the UK urgently builds the battery factories required to feed the major car plants, the market will be in trouble. His comments echoed that of a top Nissan executive, who said: The UK is becoming more challenging as a manufacturing footprint. While Britain has just one operational gigafactory, China has built more than 100. Besides, the energy grid is so decrepit that it isnt even capable of handling more electricity. There are parts of London where it is impossible to build new homes because there simply isnt the capacity to support them. The grid needs new connections, more pylons, underground copper cables, and interconnectors, or the threat of outages will become a reality once it is overloaded with electric cars. Unless all of this catches up, then the cost to the economy doesnt bear thinking about. The UK risks being left with a vast fleet of electric cars rusting on driveways and residential streets up and down the country thats if anyone can afford them in the first place of course. For all the hype around electric cars, they remain unaffordable for the majority of people. There are other costs in failing to narrow the gap too. Manufacturers can hardly escape blame they were desperately late to the party and are now scrambling to catch up with regulation, but unless the infrastructure and supply chains are put in place, the big carmakers will decide it is more economical to be elsewhere, undermining the quest for electrification even further. This is already happening BMW-owned Mini has already chosen to produce electric models in China, where batteries are easier to come by, rather than at its Oxford factory, and there are fears that Tata Motors, which owns Jaguar Land Rover, will choose Spain over the UK as a base for its first European battery plant. The year 2030 was always an arbitrary deadline anyway dreamt up with seemingly little thought for the consequences by Boris Johnson in a bid to burnish his green credentials. But it will soon be at odds with the EU and others. As a result, Britain risks being left at an increasing disadvantage to the rest of the developed world. Ministers need to rethink this needless act of self-sabotage before it is too late. 2023 WSIC Transforms Taiwan into an Exporter of Smart Applications TAIPEI, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2023 World System Integrator Conference (WSIC) was hosted by the Administration for Digital Industries (adi), Ministry of Digital Affairs (moda), at the Nangang Exhibition Center, Hall 2, on March 29 (Wednesday). The Deputy Director-General of the Administration for Digital Industries (adi), Jiunn-Shiow Lin, and Brian Shen, Chairman of the Asian-Oceanian Computing Industry Organization ( ASOCIO), delivered opening speeches. More than 150 executives from digital applications firms, directors of industry associations, and members of delegations from around the world attended the event. This year's event, themed "Digital Transformations Make Technology Symphony" and with a focus on two key topics, Digital Technology and Applications to Promote Global Sustainable Development and Digital Transformations to Strengthen International Partnerships and Collaborations, aims to explore the opportunities presented by the export of digital solutions for smart cities in a move to keep up with the emerging trends in the global digital sector. Industry representatives from Thailand and Vietnam were invited to witness the signing of six memoranda of understanding (MOUs), among them: JGB Smart Property who will provide advisory services to Philippines-based Meta Capital and Thailand-based SIC Property Services, both of whom will build efficiency-optimized smart property management systems, Eupfin Technology who will collaborate with Philippines-based Sky Movement to develop and implement logistics fleet management systems in the country's industrial zones, Mayo who will install cloud-based human resources systems in the offices and factories of several of Vietnam's high-end electronics makers, Pakingtek and Singapore's Ochlos System who will join hands to build a smart parking and electric charging system, and Shaku Technology who will partner with Philippines-based Klikit Pte Ltd. to create an IPaaS integration platform. Story continues In his speech at the conference, Mr. Lin noted that in the digital era, digital technology will continue to play a crucial role as a catalyst for innovation across all industries and as a key component in accomplishing sustainable development goals. Digital integration can connect various technologies and sectors to form a new ecosystem that has a greater positive impact on society and the economy. By assisting with media relations and business negotiations, launching international marketing initiatives, hosting thematic industry forums, and becoming involved in overseas demonstration projects, the Administration will facilitate local digital solution providers' efforts in making their digitalization capabilities available in overseas markets and in growing their business footprint internationally. The signing of six MOUs serves as yet another example of the island's success in exporting digital solutions to global markets and emphasizes the significance of the Administration's role in fostering digital applications. The conference welcomed ASOCIO members, as well as manufacturers located in Taiwan and the UK, to examine and elaborate on smart living, smart mobility, and data applications. Experts from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) were also invited to share their perspectives on the design and planning of digital resources for regional development, while meetings were arranged between leading local providers of digital solutions and Thai and Vietnamese industry organizations during which they discussed the intelligence needs and solutions of their respective nations. WSIC serves as a forum for collaboration on the export of digital technology applications from Taiwan. Now in its fifth year, the forum will continue to support the promotion of Taiwan's smart system integration solutions worldwide, establishing the island as a reliable source of digital solutions for all. The forum will also become the place where cross-domain services with Taiwan values are developed, where Taiwan's brand value will establish an international footprint, and from where the digital industry gains new momentum. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/to-become-the-smart-application-exporting-country--2023-world-system-integrator-conference-opens-a-new-era-301785316.html SOURCE Institute For Information Industry (III) Supporters of Nigeria's ruling party are calling on the Department of State Services, often referred to as Nigerias secret police, to name the politicians the agency says are plotting to set up an interim government to prevent the handover of power to president-elect Bola Tinubu. Opposition parties continue to reject the outcome of the February presidential election in which Bola Ahmed Tinubu was declared the winner. Felix Muoka, national publicity secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress, told VOA Thursday that the APC has yet to officially react to reports of a threat to the nations democracy. The secret police, in a statement late Wednesday, said some Nigerian politicians were plotting to institute an interim government ahead of May 29 when President Muhammadu Buhari is due to hand over power to president-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The Department of State Services said the politicians are trying to "sponsor endless violent mass protests in major cities to warrant a declaration of State of Emergency and obtain frivolous court injunctions to forestall the inauguration of new executive administrations." The DSS did not name politicians involved in the interim government plot but pledged to take legal measures against them. The declaration of Tinubu as president-elect last month was rejected by the opposition People's Democratic Party and Labour Party. Both parties have challenged the outcome in court and have been speaking to local television stations, calling Tinubu's election illegal. Muoka voiced support for the DSS. "There's been quite a lot of incendiary statements made by leaders of the opposition, in particular, leaders of the Labour Party, Muoka said. I think it is absolutely wrong and unpatriotic and in fact almost teetering on the edge of treasonable felony to instigate civil disobedience that may bring the country into severe crisis. Muoka added that the DSS is within its statutory authority to make arrests if it decides threats are sufficient. I am certain that the DSS will do everything within its authority to keep the peace in Nigeria, he said. Observers say the February elections lacked transparency. There were numerous reports of violence, voter intimidation and technical problems that caused delays. But the DSS said in its statement the election was peaceful and that it is the alleged plot by politicians that could plunge Nigeria into crisis. A civil society group, the Free Nigeria Movement, has been holding daily demonstrations in the capital to pressure the Independent National Electoral Commission, or INEC, and Nigerian authorities to review the February and March elections. Tochukwu Ezeoke is a Labour Party presidential campaign member who took part in the protest. He said the protests are not politically motivated and that the DSS is applying a double standard. "We're a group of Nigerians who have come together and are demanding that the right things be done, Ezeoke said. To be honest with you I'd say it smacks of hypocrisy that when something is coming from the ruling party they all feign ignorance. But on the other side when the citizens march the streets, then we get strokes. We are law-abiding citizens, if they want to arrest us, so be it." Paul James, elections program officer at YIAGA Africa, a nonprofit promoting democracy, said the timing of the DSS statement is suspicious. He said people are demanding what they said didnt represent their wishes and aspirations and is worried about the timing of the DSS statement. To the best that I know they have not constituted any nuisance, he said about protesters. Last week, the ruling party's presidential campaign spokesman and labor minister Festus Keyamo filed a complaint with the DSS about the opposition party's commentaries on local television stations. The petition came after the Labour Party's vice presidential candidate, Yusuf Datti-Ahmed, told a station that Tinubu's election was a sham and said he must not be sworn in. Azerbaijan on Thursday denounced what it called "slanderous" comments by a senior Iranian military commander, the latest sign of fractious relations between the oil-rich Caspian Sea neighbors. Baku made the remarks a day after Azeri security services said they were investigating an attack in which a lawmaker with strong anti-Iranian views was shot and wounded at his home. The Azeri defense ministry said Kiumars Heydari, the head of Iran's regular army ground forces, had said that members of the Islamic State militant group had fought for Azerbaijan and were still based in the country. "(This) is groundless and totally unacceptable. Generally speaking, there are no foreign elements on the territory of Azerbaijan," the ministry said in a statement. It called the reported comments "vile, defamatory and slanderous." Relations between Azerbaijan and Iran, which has a large population of ethnic Azeris in its northwest, have been strained in recent months. In January, Azerbaijan closed its embassy in Tehran following what it called a terrorist attack that killed the embassy's head of security. Baku is also unhappy about signs of improving relations between Iran and Armenia, which lost a 2020 war against Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. The defense ministry statement complained that Tehran had taken Armenia's side. "Today it is no secret to anyone that if Armenia has two main allies in the world, France is one of them, and Iran is the other," it said. Brazil's far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro returned from the United States on Thursday, greeted by hundreds of supporters at capital Brasilia's airport to welcome him back after three months. Bolsonaro, who never conceded defeat in last year's election, is expected to lead the opposition to leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, officials in his PL party said. Before boarding a plane in Orlando, Bolsonaro played down his leadership role and said he will use his experience to help his party, the Liberal Party, campaign in local elections, adding that the October vote he lost was a closed chapter. "We have turned a page, and now we will prepare for next year's election," he told CNN Brasil. Bolsonaro left for the United States two days before he was due to hand over the presidential sash to Lula on Jan. 1. He said he needed rest, but critics say he was avoiding the risks of over a dozen legal investigations he may face in Brazil. Legal probes have focused on his attacks against Brazil's voting system and alleged role in encouraging supporters to storm government buildings in Jan. 8 riots that recalled the 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol. Bolsonaro, who holds former U.S. President Donald Trump as his political idol, attended the Conservative Political Action Conference this month in Washington where he questioned the result of the October election narrowly won by Lula and said his mission in Brazil was "still not over." The 68-year-old populist will head from the airport to the headquarters of the conservative Liberal Party (PL), which became the largest in Brazil's Congress riding Bolsonaro's coattails in the last election. UNION, N.J., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (Nasdaq: BBBY) (the "Company") announced today that it filed a prospectus supplement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") under which it may offer and sell up to $300 million of shares of its common stock from time to time through an "at-the-market" offering program ("ATM Program") with a maximum aggregate offering amount of up to $300 million. The timing and amount of any sales will be determined by a variety of factors considered by the Company. (PRNewsfoto/Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.) Common Stock will be offered through B. Riley Securities Inc. ("B. Riley"), which is serving as the sales agent. B. Riley may sell Common Stock by any lawful method deemed to be an "at-the-market offering" defined by Rule 415(a)(4) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, including without limitation, sales on any existing trading market. Sales may be made at market prices prevailing at the time of a sale or at prices related to prevailing market prices. As a result, sales prices may vary. The Company's prospectus supplement filed today supplements information contained in the accompanying prospectus contained in the shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-267173) for the offering of Common Stock. Potential investors should review the prospectus, the prospectus supplement and all other related documents that the Company has filed with the SEC for complete corporate information, including information pertaining to the ATM Program and the risks associated with investing in the Company. Investors can obtain copies of the prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus by visiting the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, potential investors may contact B. Riley, who will arrange to provide them these documents, by telephone at (703)-312-9580 or by email at prospectuses@brileyfin.com. Please note that this press release is for informational purposes only and it does not represent an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any of the Company's Common Stock. In no event will the Company sell more than $300 million of shares of Common Stock under the ATM Program. There will be no sale of Common Stock in any jurisdiction in which one would be unlawful. Story continues About the Company Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. and subsidiaries (the "Company") is an omnichannel retailer that makes it easy for our customers to feel at home. The Company sells a wide assortment of merchandise primarily in the Home and Baby markets. Additionally, the Company is a partner in a joint venture which operates retail stores in Mexico under the name Bed Bath & Beyond. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains a number of forward-looking statements. Words such as "expect," "will," "working," "plan" and variations of such words and similar future or conditional expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to, among other things, future events. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and beyond the Company's control. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, ATM Offering and the use of proceeds therefrom; the price of our Common Stock at any given time; risks related to the failure to receive the full amount of gross proceeds from the Company's financing transactions; the Company's ability to maintain access to its credit agreement; the Company's ability to deliver and execute on its turnaround plans; the Company's potential need to seek additional strategic alternatives, including restructuring or refinancing of its debt, seeking additional debt or equity capital, reducing or delaying its business activities and strategic initiatives, or selling assets, other strategic transactions and/or other measures, including obtaining relief under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, and the terms, value and timing of any transaction resulting from that process; the Company's ability to finalize or fully execute actions and steps that would be probable of mitigating the existence of "substantial doubt" regarding the Company's ability to continue as a going concern; and the Company's ability to increase cash flow to support the Company's operating activities and fund its obligations and working capital needs, and the other risk factors described in the Company's filings with the SEC, including the factors set forth under the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended February 26, 2022, the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended August 27, 2022, the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended November 26, 2022, Exhibit 99.3 to the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K filed on February 6, 2023 and the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K filed on February 7, 2023. The Company disclaims and does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement in this press release, except as required by applicable law or regulation. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bed-bath--beyond-inc-launches-new-300-million-at-the-market-offering-program-301785952.html SOURCE Bed Bath & Beyond Ecuadors Constitutional Court ruled Wednesday the opposition-dominated National Assembly can take up the question of whether to impeach President Guillermo Lasso over allegations of crimes against state security and corruption. The ruling was only a first step. The congress still must follow a formal process that requires the presentation of evidence and arguments before legislators may vote on impeachment. The court, which is the interpreter and guarantor of Ecuadors constitution, gave the go-ahead for impeachment proceedings on a 6-3 vote by the justices. The issue was put before the court by the unicameral legislature, a body of 137 legislators in which a majority is held by opposition parties led by the Union for Hope party, which has ties to former President Rafael Correa, who governed in 2007-17. Lasso, a conservative former banker, began his four-year term in May 2021. Allegations have been raised that the presidents brother-in-law, Danilo Carrera, has links with public officials involved in corruption and drug trafficking. In urging the court to reject the matter, Lasso said there was no evidence to justify the accusations. The National Assembly now has up to 45 days to complete the impeachment process against Lasso. Removing the president will require the votes of at least 92 of the 137 legislators. There is constitutional provision that would allow Lasso to dissolve the legislature and then govern by decree for six months while running for reelection. But analysts think that unlikely due to his low popularity among Ecuadorians. The U.S. Congress discusses aid to Ukraine while the world discusses ways to strengthen democracies. An American journalist is detained in Russia and a conversation with the Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs. Plus, a very special airplane in Ukraine is being rebuilt, but is it a good idea? The man who inspired the film "Hotel Rwanda" and was freed by Rwanda last week from a terrorism sentence returned Wednesday to the United States, where he will reunite with his family after being held for more than two years. Paul Rusesabagina's arrival back in the United States was announced Wednesday by White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, who wrote in a tweet that "we're glad to have him back on U.S. soil." White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told journalists on Monday that Rusesabagina was in Doha, Qatar, and would be returning to the U.S. Rusesabagina's plane touched down in Houston in the afternoon and the 68-year-old was to travel next to a military hospital in San Antonio, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning. The person said Rusesabagina was on the ground and in a car heading to reunite with his family. "We're glad to have him back on U.S. soil & reunited with his family & friends who've long waited for this day to come," Sullivan wrote. "I'm grateful to those we worked closely with in the Rwandan Government to make this possible." Rusesabagina, a U.S. legal resident and Belgian citizen, was credited with sheltering more than 1,000 ethnic Tutsis at the hotel he managed during Rwanda's 1994 genocide, in which over 800,000 Tutsis and Hutus who tried to protect them were killed. He received the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom for his efforts. Vanished in Dubai Rusesabagina disappeared in 2020 during a visit to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and appeared days later in Rwanda in handcuffs. His family alleged he was kidnapped and taken to Rwanda against his will to stand trial. In 2021, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison after being convicted in Rwanda on eight charges, including membership in a terrorist group, murder and abduction, following the widely criticized trial. Last week, Rwanda's government commuted his sentence after diplomatic intervention on his behalf by the United States. Rusesabagina had been accused of supporting the armed wing of his opposition political platform, the Rwandan Movement for Democratic Change. The armed group claimed some responsibility for attacks in 2018 and 2019 in southern Rwanda in which nine Rwandans died. Rusesabagina testified at trial that he helped to form the armed group to assist refugees but said he never supported violence and sought to distance himself from its deadly attacks. Rusesabagina has asserted that his arrest was in response to his criticism of longtime President Paul Kagame over alleged human rights abuses. Kagame's government has repeatedly denied targeting dissenting voices with arrests and extrajudicial killings. Rusesabagina became a public critic of Kagame and left Rwanda in 1996, first living in Belgium and then the U.S. His arrest was a source of friction with the U.S. and others at a time when Rwanda's government has also been under pressure over tensions with neighboring Congo and Britain's plan to deport asylum-seekers to the small east African nation. Rights activists and others had been urging Rwandan authorities to free him, saying his health was failing. In October, the ailing Rusesabagina signed a letter to Kagame that was posted on the justice ministry's website, saying that if he was granted pardon and released to live in the U.S., he would hold no personal or political ambitions and "I will leave questions regarding Rwandan politics behind me." Last year, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Kagame in Rwanda and discussed the case. Kirby, the White House National Security Council spokesman, had said Sullivan personally engaged in the case, "really doing the final heavy lifting to get Paul released and to get him on his way home." More than a thousand people fleeing militant attacks in Burkina Faso have sought refuge in Ghana in recent months and are waiting for their status to be determined. To help, villagers in northern Ghana are donating land to a refugee camp. Senanu Tord reports from Sapelliga. Camera: Senanu Tord. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday pledged continuing cooperation with Tanzania as she met with the countrys president, the only female head of state in Africa, in the middle of her first official visit to the continent. Tanzanias president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, took office when former President John Magafuli died in 2021. She is credited for rolling back some of his unpopular policies, such as his resistance to COVID-19 vaccinations, his ban on pregnant schoolgirls and his limits on freedoms of expression. The United States will provide $560 million in bilateral assistance to Tanzania next fiscal year. And on Thursday, Harris said Washington would expand U.S.-Tanzania commercial engagement; work toward the delivery of battery-grade nickel from Tanzania to the U.S. and the global market as soon as 2026; expand affordable broadband; and cooperate in areas such as democratic development, biodiversity, womens empowerment and health projects. Thanks to the progress of your administration, you have made a champion you have been a champion of democratic reforms in this country and in that way have expanded our partnership, Harris said. So, today, then, is part of the strengthening relationship between our countries and, under your leadership, I have full confidence that we will be able to do just that. "Today Tanzania has had another historic milestone, with two female leaders, the vice president and the president, meeting here today, said Hassan, who is known by Tanzanians as Mama Samia. She added, What an inspiration and a testimony to Tanzanian young girls. I truly thank you, Madam Vice President, for honoring my invitation and coming to visit me. The president made several requests of Harris, including an expansion of the long-term visa program for Tanzanians in the U.S., a 10-year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, and a future presidential visit. Tanzanians are now anxiously waiting for President Joe Bidens visit in Tanzania, she said. And please kindly convey our greetings and our invitation that Tanzania is waiting to host him. Several hundred college students waited for hours at the airport and at the statehouse to see whom many described as the most powerful woman in America. She motivates us and she gives us many opportunities, so we are proud of her, said Emliia John, 26, a student of diplomacy. Im expecting a lot of changes, in education, in politics, also in finance, economics, said student Faith Moses, also a student of diplomacy. "We really need to be like America, at least to reach America in economics. Harris also paid her respects to victims of a deadly 1998 U.S. Embassy bombing. She heads next to Zambia, her final stop on this weeklong trip. Officials in Malawi say hope has all but disappeared for finding some 500 people who are still missing two weeks after Cyclone Freddy hit the country. Disaster management officials said Wednesday that the country will now focus on rebuilding infrastructure destroyed by the cyclone. Charles Kalemba, commissioner for the Department of Disaster Management Affairs, told reporters that the search and rescue team has ended operations in some districts, including Chiradzulu, where the government used excavators to sift through the muddy rubble. However, Kalemba said the search team comprising police and military is still working in two other mudslide-hit districts, Phalombe and Mulanje. At this point the work that they have done, even using the sniffing dogs, the chances of them being found are very slim, Kalemba said. But we have a process that would be followed where we would declare the missing [people] to have been passed on. The storm killed at least 676 people and displaced more than 650,000 others in southern Malawi. The cyclone, which also hit Mozambique and Madagascar, destroyed many bridges and roads in Malawi, making many areas only reachable by boats and aircraft. Kalemba said the country has started working on road reconstruction, using military engineers from Malawi and Tanzania. Major General Saiford Kalisha, chief of military operations and training for the Malawi defense force, told reporters that areas that are cut off are expected to be accessible by road in about four weeks. The cyclone has also raised fears of an imminent food shortage in affected areas. The Department of Disaster Management Affairs said about 2.3 million people in southern Malawi have lost their crops and livestock. Speaking during a televised prayer organized by the Evangelical Association of Malawi on Wednesday, President Lazarus Chakwera said Malawians should not lose hope but instead turn to God. Because there can be no hope if you know that there is no one to call up and too many of us are losing it because our hearts are failing us, because of fear, Chakwera said. But we need to understand that there is a higher power who loves each one of us and loves this nation and who gives hope where there seems to be no hope at all. In the meantime, the Malawi government has made significant changes to its 2023-2024 national budget to deal with the cyclones devastation. For instance, the government has allocated money for the purchase of two aircraft to help in search and rescue operations in time of disasters. More than 700 delegates and 300 companies participated in the third edition of the American Chamber of Commerce summit in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, organizers said. U.S. government and private sector delegations met with counterparts from Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya. Kenya President William Ruto said Thursday that Kenya was open for business, highlighting a deal his government had struck with U.S. biotech company Moderna. It is with pleasure that I announced the finalized deal between Moderna and the government of Kenya to build a $500 million dollar MRNA vaccine facility in Nairobi, he said. The two-day AmCham business summit, which ended Thursday, gave business leaders a chance to exchange market intelligence and explore areas of opportunity, especially for commercial engagement, said Maxwell Okello, CEO of AmCham Kenya. He noted that it followed the recent U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit hosted by the White House. AmCham "does two things: One: its a perfect demonstration of some of the commitments we had from the U.S. Two: we are very keen in seeing how we can actually advance commercial engagement," Okello said. "We thought this would be a good platform to create partnerships, bring local companies that could be counterparts to those American companies that are interested in coming into Kenya. Scott Eisner, president of the U.S. Chambers Africa Business Center, brought a group of over 30 executives. He told VOA they hoped to forge concrete private sector opportunities and joint ventures. We have plenty of tech companies with us, but we also have pharmaceuticals, medical devices, technology, satellite companies that are doing mapping of the world, infrastructure developers around Caterpillar, the GEs of the world," he said. "So we really have arranged for a very strong delegation representing the complexities of the American business community. Nzonzi Katana is a process engineer for the Kenyan-based startup Semiconductor Technologies Limited, which had a booth at the exhibition hall. The company manufactures microprocessors, memory chips and sensors. We have been able to meet many representatives from many American companies," Katana said. "I believe theres one person who might be a potential supplier of our raw material. Effects of protests Kenya is experiencing protests organized by opposition leader Raila Odinga over the high cost of living, and three people have died in clashes with police. How might this affect possible investors? Whitney Baird, an official in the State Departments Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, said Washington keeps U.S. companies informed about each countrys political and security situation. The U.S. government produces publications every year like the investment climate statement, country commercial guide, so there is information available to any businesses about what weve observed over a year," Baird said. She said Kenya has a strong democratic tradition, and "we were very pleased with the elections," but she urged any incoming U.S. business to "engage with our commercial and economic sections at the embassy and get the most up to date information about opportunities and the ongoing situation. At the summit, seven African companies in the agriculture sector were awarded grants totaling $5.1 million by the U.S. Agency for International Development through its Prosper Africa and Feed the Future programs. New developments: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says Finland will formally join NATO in the coming days. Spain to send six Leopard tanks to Ukraine in April. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called the rotating U.N. Security Council presidency to be held by Russia on April 1 a bad joke. Kuleba tweeted that the world cant be a safe place with Russia at UNSC. Russias Federal Security Service said Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich had been arrested on espionage charges. The British Defense Ministry said in its intelligence update Friday that Ukraine recently released footage of a Russian counterbattery radar being destroyed in the Donetsk area. These systems can quickly detect and strike enemy artillery, the report said, and they are also vulnerable to being detected and destroyed. While both Russia and Ukraine would like to increase their stock of these systems, according to the ministry, Russia will likely struggle because the systems rely on supplies of high-tech electronics which have been disrupted by sanctions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his daily address Thursday, Today, on the 400th day of resistance, full-scale resistance, I want to thank everyone in the world who stands with Ukraine ... who has the same strong conviction that we, Ukrainians, have ... the conviction that the world should be based on rules, on civilized rules -- on the rules of humanity, respect and peace. ... We will not leave a single trace of Russia on our land. Turkeys parliament on Thursday ratified Finlands bid to join NATO, lifting the last hurdle of the Nordic countrys accession into the Western military alliance. "All 30 NATO allies have now ratified the accession protocol," Stoltenberg said Friday. "Finland will formally join our alliance in the coming days." In a tweet following Turkeys vote Thursday, Stoltenberg said Finlands inclusion in the alliance will make the whole NATO family stronger & safer. Finland and neighboring Sweden each dropped decades of nonalignment with their applications to join the military alliance after Russia invaded Ukraine last year. Since their accession bids were ratified at a NATO summit in July, NATO member states have gone through their own processes of giving final approval for Finland and Sweden. Hungary gave its approval to Finland on Monday, leaving only Turkey remaining in a process that must be unanimous among current NATO members. Both Finland and Sweden saw their bids slowed as Turkey expressed concern that the countries were too lenient toward groups that Turkey considers terror organizations. Representatives from the three countries met this month to resolve their outstanding issues, but Turkey has yet to indicate it will ultimately support Swedens bid, nor has Hungary. There is an ample amount of grievances that need to be addressed before Swedens bid to join NATO is ratified by Hungary, government spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs said Wednesday. Sweden and NATO leaders have said Sweden has carried out a series of reforms to overcome Turkeys concerns. Stoltenberg has repeatedly said he expects both Finland and Sweden will eventually become NATO members. Some material in this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. Global leaders gathered Thursday in The Hague to discuss the state of global media freedom, including challenges from disinformation, attacks from authoritarian governments and the economy. Hosted by the Netherlands, a series of panels featured officials, journalists and newsroom leaders from around the world. The event took place as news came that Russia had detained an American journalist for The Wall Street Journal. Among the speakers Thursday was Amanda Bennett, the head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees Congress-funded independent news networks including VOA. Bennett told the panel that the best way to preserve free expression and combat disinformation is to flood the zone with good journalism, good information. Ricardo Gutierrez, the general secretary of the European Federation of Journalists, agreed. The best antidote to disinformation is quality information, is ethical journalism, he said at the event. The panels are part of the second Summit for Democracy, a virtual summit that the United States first hosted in 2021 to advance rights around the world. In 2022, global freedoms declined for the 17th consecutive year, according to a March report by Freedom House. Attacks on free expression have been a leading driver of democratic decline over the period, the report said, with media freedoms under pressure in more than 150 countries in 2022. A global trend of democratic backsliding is what makes the promotion of press freedom especially important, several leaders said at the event. "Media freedom is really a prerequisite, if you like, for a flourishing democracy, said Nisha Pillai, a former BBC World News reporter and the events moderator. USAID Administrator Samantha Power appeared virtually to speak at the event. "Autocrats target independent media because information empowers us. This is not, as they say, a bug. This is a design feature of repressive rule, Power said. Independent media is facing existential challenges at the moment. "One way to think about the importance of independent media is to reflect on moments where people are forced to live without it, Power said. Russia has moved to block access to several news websites, including parts of VOA and the BBC, since the war in Ukraine began. Other governments also seek to cut access to the internet at times of unrest, digital rights groups say. With authoritarian governments focusing on restricting access to independent media, USAGMs Bennett said its crucial to find ways to circumvent bans. What we have to do is find new ways of getting this information out, she said, adding that providing access to virtual private networks, or VPNs, is one way to do that. Surveillance was another issue raised at the summit. "One issue that we are seeing is that the target which is the media and other human rights defenders do not have tools to counter Pegasus, Catherine Anite, a member of the High Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom, said on Thursday. Developed by the Israeli company NSO Group, Pegasus is a powerful piece of spyware that has been used to target reporters. President Joe Biden issued an executive order Monday restricting the U.S. governments use of commercial spyware tools that have been used to surveil journalists and activists around the world. Press freedom groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ, applauded the move. Ahead of the U.S. Summit on Democracy, the High Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom an independent body that advises governments on press freedom hosted an event Tuesday at Georgetown Universitys law school in Washington. The role surveillance plays in threats against media was among the issues discussed. Journalists are increasingly at risk, not simply from killings, but all the threats that precede killings, CPJ President Jodie Ginsberg said at the Georgetown event. Fatal violence, she said, is generally preceded by all sorts of other threats, including legal action and surveillance. Others warned of the risk from disinformation. While media freedom has been declining, misinformation, disinformation, hate speech, online abuse are all being allowed to spread, virus-like, amplified by social media. No democracy is free from this threat, Can Yeginsu, a British barrister and deputy chair of the High Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom, added. At Thursdays democracy summit event, Wopke Hoekstra, minister of foreign affairs in the Netherlands, said that some journalists had expressed skepticism about what the summit could actually solve. But, he said, having press freedom on the agenda is a step toward getting governments to do more. Attention, focus, making sure that people know that this is a problem is actually at the heart of the solution, Hoekstra said. Authorities in Montenegro say the United States and South Korea have asked the Balkan nation to extradite South Korean Terraform Lab founder Do Kwon, who is suspected in those countries of cryptocurrency fraud amounting to more than $40 billion. "Two Koreans wanted by South Korea, Do Kwon and the companys chief financial officer, Han Chang-joon, were detained when they attempted to cross the state border with passports that are reasonably suspected of being forged," said Montenegrin Justice Minister Marko Kovac at a news conference Wednesday, stating that the United States also requested the extradition of Do Kwon from Montenegro. Through diplomatic channels Kovac said that "a meeting was held with the diplomatic representatives of the Republic of Korea at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice of Montenegro, after which a petition for the extradition of these two persons was handed over by the Republic of Korea, while the extradition of Do Kwon was also requested by the U.S." "The U.S. requested the extradition of Do Kwon through diplomatic channels, in the same way that a temporary arrest was requested," said Kovac, adding that both countries also requested the equipment found with the detained. After their detention at the Podgorica airport, the District Prosecutors Office launched an investigation of the criminal offense of falsification of documents, after which they were detained for 72 hours, and ordered to spend 30 days in custody. Montenegro to decide extradition hearing date "The High Court in Podgorica will decide when these persons will have a hearing in the extradition proceedings," Kovac said. He added that in the event of multiple requests for extradition from several different countries, the seriousness of the crime, the locality where the crime was committed, the order of receiving the requests for extradition as well as other circumstances will be considered. Kovac said that if the suspects are convicted of falsifying identification documents, it is expected that only after they have served their prison sentence will they be extradited. According to Montenegros criminal code, falsifying personal documents is punishable by up to five years in prison. This story originated in the VOA Serbian service. Innovative American knife manufacturer celebrates permanent injunction that protects Benchmade's intellectual property and prevents future patent infringement. PORTLAND, Ore., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Benchmade Knife Company (Benchmade), the American manufacturer with more than 30 years of experience designing and manufacturing knives and edge tools, announces that it has secured a permanent injunction against Hogue, Inc. and Hogue Tool and Machine, Inc. (Hogue), prohibiting them from infringing one of Benchmade's patents. Benchmade Knife Company is a premier knife manufacturing company headquartered in Oregon City, Oregon. With a focus on innovation and customer needs, Benchmade takes pride in combining skilled craftsmanship with precision manufacturing to produce knives for the worlds elite. www.benchmade.com "This resolution honors Benchmade's commitment to protecting IP and supports our drive for innovation," says Benchmade CEO Jon deAsis. "Our brand has defined itself through industry leading, forward-looking designs and the court's permanent injunction against Hogue is a win for the makers, and designers everywhere who look to the law to protect their work." In its final order in the case, the Court enjoined Hogue "from manufacturing, using, selling, offering to sell, or importing into the United States" any of Hogue's accused knife designs or any other "products that practice" Benchmade's patent. The Court also permanently enjoined Hogue and its representatives from inducing or contributing to anyone else infringing Benchmade's patent in the United States. With a focus on innovation and customer needs, Benchmade takes pride in combining skilled design with precision manufacturing to produce knives for customers all over the world. From active military, law enforcement, and first responders to hunters, everyday carry fans, and chefs, Benchmade knives are built to deliver the highest quality products on the market, a trait that fans have come to expect from the brand. "Entrepreneurs and businesses must protect their intellectual property," said Kristine Gittins, Benchmade's Executive Vice President. "Benchmade will not allow its patented ideas to be pirated or misused and will continue to celebrate and honor the designs that other builders conceive and produce in the marketplace. This legal win is a loud, clear statement that we will vigilantly fight to protect Benchmade's intellectual property rights." Story continues For more information about Benchmade Knife Company, please visit www.benchmade.com. Please direct media inquiries to Greg Fitzsimmons at greg@chair6collective.com. About Benchmade: Benchmade Knife Company is a premier knife manufacturing company headquartered in Oregon City, Oregon. With a focus on innovation and customer needs, Benchmade takes pride in combining skilled craftsmanship with precision manufacturing to produce knives for the world's elite. www.benchmade.com Contact: Greg Fitzsimmons greg@chair6collective.com 970-925-6025 Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/benchmade-knife-company-prevails-in-patent-infringement-lawsuit-301786538.html SOURCE Benchmade Knife Company The head of the board of directors at Namibias national oil company has appeared in court to face charges of dealing drugs. Jennifer Comalie was arrested at the companys offices on Monday when intelligence officers acting on a tipoff allegedly found a consignment of drugs in her official vehicle. On Tuesday she appeared in the Windhoek Magistrate Court on charges of dealing in dangerous dependence-producing substances. A spokesperson for the Namibian police in the Khomas region, Silas Shipandeni, confirmed the arrest to VOA. The contraband [was] discovered in her vehicle of which, amongst, others there was a discovery of 995 grams of cannabis of which one can call skunk, 10 grams of cocaine powder and 90 units of crack cocaine, Shipandeni said. He estimated that the total street value was 50,000 Namibian dollars. A group of about 50 supporters gathered at the magistrate court on Tuesday to offer support to Comalie, whom many believe was set up as a result of a power struggle between her and the managing director of the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia. NAMCOR, in partnership with Dutch oil giant Shell and Qatar Energy, recently announced a major oil discovery off the coast of Namibia. NAMCOR owns a 10 percent stake in the joint venture, which may provide huge revenues for Namibia if drilling and production proceed. A Namibian corporate leader and a friend to the accused, Twapewa Kadhikwa, was among those showing support for Comalie in court. She told VOA she believes Comalies arrest is politically motivated by those with an interest in Namibias touted oil sector. Its obvious, it is not something you can put aside, said Kadhikwa. So, to me as a corporate leader first, I know Jenny. Jenny does not use drugs. You understand the volume of drugs that was found in her car are for, like, a trader, you know? Not for a consumer. Kadhikwa said the arrest seems like a plot to discredit Comalie. Responding to questions regarding Namibias emerging oil and gas industry, local political analyst Rakkel Andreas said the country should ensure it has the necessary governing structures in place to ensure that those in power do not line their pockets with money that could benefit the general public. We are coming to learn that systemic corruption is a reality for the African continent, and a lot of times, this corruption is under the umbrella of legal frameworks, Andreas said. So, I think in terms of making sure that we have infrastructure in place in making sure we dont have loopholes that can be exploited to enable systemic corruption. I think that is the larger conversation. Comalie was released on bail on Tuesday. The inspector general of the Namibian police, Joseph Shikongo, has called for an investigation into the circumstances that led to her arrest and who tipped off police about the drugs allegedly found in her car. Authorities in northwestern Pakistan said Thursday that a predawn militant assault on a police outpost and subsequent roadside bomb blast had killed four police officers and wounded six others. The deadly violence occurred in Lakki Marwat district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan. A provincial police statement said that militants raided a security outpost in the area, injuring six security forces. It added that a nearby police station had quickly dispatched reinforcements to respond to the attack when their vehicle was blown up on the way by an "improvised explosive device." The ensuing blast killed four officers. The Pakistani Taliban took responsibility for what it claimed was a coordinated gun and bomb assault. The outlawed group, known as Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, has intensified attacks, killing hundreds of people in recent months, mostly security forces. The insurgent violence has resurged since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, as all U.S. and NATO troops withdrew from the country after two decades of involvement in the Afghan war. Pakistan has maintained fugitive TTP leaders operate out of their Afghan bases. Officials say the militants have enjoyed "greater operational freedom" since the Taliban took control of the war-torn country. The Pakistani Taliban, an offshoot and a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, is also designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and Britain. Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif claimed last week that some of the weaponry the withdrawing U.S.-led coalition troops left behind in Afghanistan had surfaced in his country, further arming TTP and other insurgents. "They have sophisticated weapons. There is no doubt about it. They have night vision devices," Asif told a small group of reporters last Friday without elaborating. Pakistani security forces have lately reported coming under increased nighttime raids by TTP insurgents and suffering heavy casualties eventually. A recent counterterrorism department assessment of new TTP propaganda videos has found insurgents carrying U.S.-made weapons, such as M4 carbines with Trijicon ACOG scopes, M16A4 assault rifles with Pulsar Apex XD50 thermal scopes, and M82 semi-automatic anti-material sniper rifles with a range of up to 1.8 kilometers. "These weapons were not secured and ended up in Afghanistan's weapons black market, according to a copy of the assessment seen by VOA. The weapons "allow TTP militants to target Pakistani security forces at night over long distances, it noted. More than $7.1 billion in U.S.-funded military equipment was in the inventory of the former Afghan government when it collapsed in the face of then-insurgent Taliban nationwide attacks amid the foreign troop exit 19 months ago, the U.S. Department of Defense estimated in a report released in August. "The U.S. military removed or destroyed nearly all major equipment used by U.S. troops in Afghanistan throughout the drawdown period in 2021," the report said. Islamabad has been demanding the new rulers in Kabul evict or rein in TTP activities. Instead, the de facto Afghan authorities brokered and hosted peace talks between Pakistani government officials and the TTP, but the process collapsed in November. The recent spike in violence prompted Asif to travel to Kabul last month at the head of a high-profile security delegation where they shared information about the TTP's activities on Afghan soil, sources privy to the meeting told VOA. Taliban hosts in the discussions agreed to disarm the insurgents and relocate them to northern Afghanistan from areas bordering Pakistan only if Islamabad bears the financial cost, sources said. Officials in both countries said no such discussions took place. "They [the Taliban] have given us some suggestions to counter whatever TTP is doing in Pakistan," Asif said while speaking on Friday. He did not share further details, saying the two sides are in close contact to deal with the terrorism threat. The International Crisis Group noted in a new report released this week that the TTP's central command is based in Afghanistan and linked the rise in violence in Pakistan to the Taliban takeover of Kabul. "With their ideological allies ensconced in power in Afghanistan, and U.S. and NATO forces gone, the Pakistani Taliban have been more capable of conducting operations across the porous mountain frontier between the two countries," the ICG said. An association of American Jews on Thursday hailed what it said was the first shipment from Pakistan of food products offloaded in Israel. The transaction this week involved Pakistani-Jewish businessman Fishel BenKhald and three Israeli businesspeople, the American Jewish Congress said in a statement from its New York headquarters. "Trade exhibits hosted by the UAE helped Pakistani and Israeli businessmen conclude a deal that enabled this week's Pakistani shipment to Israel," the American Jewish Congress noted. "We welcome this small step that can have wider implications for Israeli and Pakistani economies and for the region at large." BenKhald lives in Karachi, the largest city in the Muslim-majority nation, where he runs a Jewish kosher certification business for food manufacturers exporting products to destinations worldwide. He disclosed the rare bilateral trade via Twitter on Tuesday. The businessman posted a video clip of his items, including dates, dry fruit and spices, on display in a Jerusalem market. The clip has since garnered more than 640,000 views. "I was not expecting it to be taken that big of a deal," BenKhald said in written comments to VOA, adding that this was not the first export of Pakistani products to Israel. "The Israeli government and buyers have no problem accepting the direct shipment from Pakistan, he said, adding that Israel does not have a problem sending payments to Pakistani banks. BenKhald's initiative was mainly praised by his Pakistani Twitter followers, including journalists, politicians and businesspeople, some of whom asked for his advice on how to sell their products to Israel. He attempted to reply to every message. "Congrats brother, you are doing excellent service that diplomats and politicians couldn't do," wrote Syed Wiqas Shah, a prime-time television news show host. "Time for both the countries to initiate dialogue and for this citizens-to-citizens contact could play a vital role in bringing both the countries close to each other," wrote Zameer Ahmed Malik. Pakistani officials did not immediately comment on the rare trade. Islamabad does not have diplomatic ties with Israel and refuses to recognize it as a sovereign state until the state of Palestine is established a long-running policy of many Muslim-majority countries. But the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain forged relations with Israel in 2020 under the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords. Sudan and Morocco followed suit. Pakistan is an acknowledged nuclear power and Israel is widely understood to have nuclear weapons. The two countries have held secret meetings on security-related issues since their foreign ministers met publicly in 2005. Pakistani Islamic groups and right-wing parties vehemently oppose forging bilateral ties with Israel over the Palestinian issue. Pakistani citizens are barred from visiting Israel because the country's passport clearly says it is valid for all countries of the world except Israel. BenKhald was among a group of Pakistanis who undertook a rare trip to Israel last year and visited the Jewish prayer site in Jerusalem known as the Western Wall. The 15-member group of primarily Pakistani Americans, who traveled on their U.S. passports, was organized by the American Muslim and Multifaith Womens Empowerment Council, an activist group, in collaboration with Sharaka, an Israeli organization promoting ties with Muslim countries. The visit drew a rebuke from Pakistani opposition politicians warning the government against ending Islamabad's official boycott of Israel. The reaction intensified after Israeli President Isaac Herzog told an audience at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, about his private meeting with the delegation at his Jerusalem residence in early May 2022. "I must say, this was an amazing experience because we haven't had a group of Pakistani leaders in Israel ever in such scope, and that all stemmed from the Abraham Accords," Herzog said. Russia is reportedly ramping up its virtual war against Ukraine, even as some of its real-world efforts to capture key territory have begun to wane. The acting deputy head of the Security Service of Ukraines (SSU) Cybersecurity Department said Wednesday that Moscow was responsible for almost 1,200 cyberattacks and other critical cyber incidents through the first three months of 2023. At that pace, Russia is set to launch 4,800 attacks for the year, about 300 more than those that Ukraine attributed to Russian cyber actors for 2022. "We are facing every day a great number of cyberattacks or critical cybersecurity incidents, the SSUs Ivan Kalabashkin told a webinar hosted by The Cipher Briefs Cyber Initiatives Group, cautioning the cyberattacks were just part of Russias online assault. We are also dealing with the Russian special psychological operations, he said. One thousand per month. Kalabashkins comments came as Western officials reported that Russias military efforts have stalled. Britains Defense Ministry on Wednesday said Russian assaults on Bakhmut, the scene of intense fighting, were at a reduced level compared to recent weeks. And during testimony in Washington, U.S. General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, described Bakhmut as a slaughterfest for Russian troops. "For about the last 20, 21 days, the Russians have not made any progress whatsoever in and around Bakhmut, he said. Still, few U.S. or Western officials are predicting Russias leadership is ready to concede defeat, warning instead that President Vladimir Putin will likely aim to prolong the war with Ukraine, calculating that support for Ukraine will eventually waver. U.S. cyber and intelligence agencies have likewise warned that Ukraines success in fending off or mitigating many of Russias cyberattacks is unlikely to dampen the Kremlins enthusiasm for cyberwarfare. The weight of this conflict remains significant, a spokesperson for U.S. Cyber Command told VOA this month, sharing information on the condition of anonymity because of the nature of the fight. We anticipate their cyber activities may become bolder and look at broader targets. Kalabashkin on Wednesday said there were signs that Russias cyber tactics had begun to evolve. It all started as mostly opportunistic attacks trying to destroy as many of our critical infrastructure as possible, he said. Now we do understand that they have moved a little bit to another approach. It is an intelligence-based, intelligence target approach. They are trying to collect intelligence about our political leadership how decisions are made and suchlike things, Kalabashkin said, adding that Russia was also trying to get the information about international cooperation and assistance. Other, older tactics have also intensified, he said, noting Russias use of cyberattacks in combination with missile strikes. Kalabashkin said that in one incident near Kyiv this month, Russia launched a cyberattack against a power plant and followed up with a missile strike shortly after the Ukrainian cyber response team arrived. The debris fell just 300 feet [from] that power plant, so you can understand how difficult it is, he said. Yet there may be some indications that Russias abilities in cyberspace, like its capabilities on the ground, are hurting as its effort to capture more territory drags on. They still have their proxy actors that are out there. But like anything, right, if a proxy actor is being called to the front line, they're not in front of the keyboard, Colonel Candice Frost, commander of U.S. Cyber Commands Joint Intelligence Operations Center, told the Cyber Initiatives Group. But at the end of the day, never discount Russia, Frost cautioned. History has absolutely taught us: When you think that this country has reached its limits, it absolutely hasn't. The disruption of Ukrainian agriculture caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine is creating a shortage of commodities in African countries, like Kenya, that heavily rely on imported grain and products like fertilizer and irrigation equipment. To help meet the challenge, the U.S. government is working with Kenyan agricultural sector companies to strengthen the industry. Development agency USAID says it is critically important to invest in agriculture to reduce shocks that arise from external events. David Gosney, the agency's mission director in Kenya, said: "There will be more work, they will be able to capitalize new technologies in terms of seed and other productivity means and we already talked about solar agriculture irrigation and others which basically are critical factors which we are highlighting here.'' Kenyan fertilizer producers like David Auerback told VOA that his firm, Sanergy, would double organic fertilizer production. He was awarded $1.2 million to produce fertilizer for Kenyan farmers this year. ''Being able to produce locally is very valuable," he said. "Our organic fertilizer is increasing farmers' crop yield by 30%. We are working with about 10,000 farmers and 1,000 agrovets in just about every county in Kenya and this support from USAID helps us accelerate our production so that we can reach all these farmers even faster.'' The United States announced grants worth around $5.1 million to agricultural sector companies Monday at an American Chamber of Commerce summit in Nairobi. Moses Kuria, Kenya's minister for trade and investment, told the forum that the two nations' principles have been key to such collaborations. ''It is a joint initiative because we are negotiating on the basis of shared values, the values we share on diversity, the value we share on climate change sustainability, the value we share on digital trade,'' he said. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris has been on a weeklong visit to Africa. She has said America will increase investment in Africa and help spur economic growth in the region. Harris is the fifth top U.S. official to visit the continent this year. Dozens of people in Senegal's capital of Dakar were arrested Thursday as protesters hurled rocks at police and blocked roads with burning tires, while police fired tear gas. Tensions in the West African country have mounted as opposition supporters say their leader, Ousmane Sonko, is on trial over false accusations meant to keep him from running for president in next year's elections. On Thursday Sonko was found guilty of accusing the minister of tourism of embezzlement. He was handed a two-month suspended prison sentence but will remain eligible to run for the presidency. He's also facing separate rape charges. His rape arrest ignited a violent string of protests in March 2021 that led to the deaths of 14 people. His supporters say both allegations were fabricated to prevent his presidential bid. We came here to liberate our democracy. Were fed up, said protester Mafall Sall, 20, as he flushed his eyes of tear gas. Weve decided to fight back. Because, as weve seen, Macky Sall does not negotiate or respect elections, all he knows is power. The latest round of protests began March 14 and have become increasingly riotous. More than 130 demonstrators were arrested between March 14 and 16, and three were killed, according to rights group Amnesty International. We are witnessing an unprecedented number of arrests of citizens because they have either participated in demonstrations or they have expressed views or criticism against President Macky Sall on social media, said Hawa Ba, Senegal officer at the Open Society Initiative for West Africa. But also because they have used their rights in terms of expression and in terms of demonstration. This is unprecedented. Macky Sall's refusal to state whether he'll run for a controversial third term in next year's elections has incensed many Senegalese. While in office, Sall altered constitutionally allowed term limits, which many fear will be used to justify a third run for the presidency. Other leaders in the region have used similar tactics to cling to power. I came here today to fight against the injustices reigning over Senegal, to fight against Macky Salls dictatorship, said protester Abdul Diop, 38. Senegal is being subjected to a dictatorial regime, to a tyranny. Thats why were here. Were ready, ready to give our lives. More protests are planned for next Monday. Experts on nuclear security policy and weapons proliferation were contacted by suspected North Korean hackers posing as Voice of America journalists, according to a threat intelligence group, which says this is part of a recent pattern of impersonating reporters from major news organizations. The online spies were attempting to gather intelligence about the stance of international officials toward the Pyongyang government of Kim Jong Un, according to a report issued by Mandiant, an American cybersecurity firm and subsidiary of Google. It is the latest known attempt in recent months by the cyber-espionage group known as APT43, also referred to as Kimsuky or Thallium, posing as journalists and targeting government organizations in the United States and South Korea, as well as academics and think tank analysts. At least seven journalists from five news organizations were impersonated by someone with APT43, Mandiant Senior Analyst Gary Freas told VOA on Wednesday. We have seen success in gathering sensitive information related to Korean Peninsula affairs, such as targeted individuals answering questions about Western sentiment about North Korean activity, including nuclear proliferation and missile launches, Freas said. In one email from Oct. 14, 2022, obtained by Mandiant, the sender, impersonating a VOA reporter, posed several questions related to North Koreas missile and nuclear weapons testing programs, including: Would Japan increase the defense budget and a more proactive defense policy? The recipient was asked to send me your answers within 5 days. VOA is aware that malevolent actors have attempted to impersonate our journalists in attempts to obtain information from third parties, including on nuclear proliferation issues, said Nigel Gibbs, a VOA spokesperson. It is something we are mindful of, and we take extra care to verify our identity and educate sources about potential impersonators. Mandiant said that in recent months it had been in contact with USAGM about the suspected North Korean operation impersonating VOA reporters. Trust between our journalists and their sources is imperative, USAGM Public Affairs Director Laurie Moy said. USAGM goes to great lengths to protect the security and integrity of our network journalists communications tools. We employ a number of reputation management services, including identifying impersonations and fake social media accounts and ensuring that public-facing images are verified and associated with agency resources. Moy continued: We also provide robust IT system security to support safety concerns for our journalists. USAGM provides encrypted equipment, ensures multifactor authentication for systems access, and routinely monitors for vulnerabilities and external threats. Fake emails, claiming to be from reporters of VOAs Korean Service, have been frequently sent to academics, officials and others requesting comment. In some cases, recipients of those emails have contacted VOAs Seoul bureau and were informed the queries were not authentic. Our team has been a target of various aggressive phishing attempts, including impersonation, over the past few years, said Dong Hyuk Lee, VOAs Korean Service chief. A dozen reporters on my team, including me, were targeted. As far as I can remember, we notified the agency's IT office or (USAGM) security, if needed, about every case. Earlier this month, Mandiant also revealed that the same hacking group distributed an attachment to an email that appeared to be from a recruiter for The New York Times. There has been similar activity linked to Pyongyang in recent years, including a phishing scam targeting journalists in South Korea in which the sender posed as a scriptwriter for the Korean Broadcasting System seeking information about North Korea. "State-sponsored hackers regularly target or pose as journalists, Joseph Bodnar, a research analyst for the Alliance for Securing Democracy, told VOA. Reporters have information and access that most people dont have. Masquerading as a journalist can be an easy way for hackers to gain and exploit a targets trust. Proofpoint, a cybersecurity firm, issued a report last year detailing efforts by state-sponsored hackers in North Korea, as well as China, Iran and Turkey, to spy on or impersonate mostly U.S.-based journalists. These hackers can be sloppy, sending messages with incorrect grammar or misspelled words, Bodnar said. Google searches could reveal that the reporter theyre posing as doesnt exist or uses a different email address. There are basic cybersecurity practices that can help people defend against this threat." At the State Department on Wednesday, principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said that while he couldnt address the specific events involving the impersonation of New York Times and VOA personnel, of course the DPRK is known for taking a number of destabilizing and malign steps. This is something we are being vigilant about. DPRK refers to the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, the official name of North Korea. North Korea often leverages nation-state malicious cyber actors to generate revenue for the regime while evading sanctions, the U.S. Cyber National Mission Forces Major Katrina Cheesman told VOA. The DPRK cyber actors do this through a range of illicit means, such as cryptocurrency theft, money-laundering, ransomware and fraudulent activities of DPRK IT workers abroad. The Kimsuky APT group has most likely been operating since 2012, according to the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. It is primarily focused on carrying out financially motivated cybercrime to support the North Korean government, according to intelligence analysts. During the coronavirus pandemic, attention shifted to pharmaceutical and other health-related companies. Other related activities APT43 is alleged to be involved with include registering web domains meant to look like legitimate websites, including one for Cornell University, an Ivy League school. The group has also used malicious apps to steal usernames and passwords and to generate cryptocurrency. APT43 is exceptionally good at convincing its targets, Freas, the Mandiant analyst, said. We've seen APT43 create email addresses that look similar to news reporters, or analysts at think tanks, and simultaneously spin up fake domains that also look similar to the real news outlet they are spoofing. They'll add these to their email signatures so even if the victim grows suspicious and visits APT43's hosted domain, it has the look and feel of a real news site. Human rights defenders have alleged that Taliban authorities in Afghanistan are increasingly targeting civil society activists and media workers critical of their curbs on women's access to education and most areas of public life. Afghan civil society sources, who did not want to be named due to safety concerns, said this week's arrest of Matiullah Wesa, a well-known education activist and founder of the PenPath community-based education support network, is part of a larger crackdown in the country. The de facto Taliban authorities have detained "many lesser-known non-governmental organization workers on trumped up charges" in recent months, the civil society sources and former detainees told VOA. The Taliban spy agency, the General Directorate of Intelligence, or GDI, is leading the clampdown, the sources said. Since returning to power in Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban have closed secondary schools for girls beyond grade six and recently suspended female students from attending universities and other higher education institutions. Rasul Abdi Parsi, a former Herat University professor, was detained several weeks ago, reportedly over his Facebook posts critical of the hardline rulers. "With the Taliban's tight restrictions on local media, many other arrests of activists likely go unreported, especially in Afghanistan's more remote provinces," Human Rights Watch said in a statement Thursday, expressing concerns over the crackdown. The watchdog group lamented that Taliban authorities rarely provide information about reasons for those arrests or when those arrested will be put on trial, if ever. "Those in custody lack access to lawyers and, in most cases, family members are not even allowed to visit them," the statement said. Wesas relatives said he was picked up on Monday evening outside a mosque after prayers in the capital, Kabul, because he was campaigning against the ban on girls' education. Taliban chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, confirming Wesa's arrest for the first time on Wednesday, told VOA that the GDI had "some suspicious information" about him that was "a cause of concern" for the government. Mujahid did not elaborate and defended the official action. "The government must detain and investigate suspicious people to ensure public order," he said. On Wednesday, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights office said that a "concerning number of civil society activists" have been detained since early 2023 without clear information about their whereabouts. The statement identified some Afghan detainees, including Nargis Sadat, Zakaria Osuli, Sultan Ali Ziaee, Khairullah Parhar and Mortaza Behboudi. Jeremy Laurence, the UNHCR spokesperson, was quoted as describing the ongoing "arbitrary arrests" and detentions as alarming. "We call for the immediate release of all those arbitrarily detained. Arrest or detention as punishment for the legitimate exercise of fundamental rights, such as the rights to freedom of opinion and expression, is arbitrary under international human rights law," said Laurence in a statement. "The Taliban seem to believe that crushing all criticism is the path to political legitimacy. These arbitrary arrests and detentions are only imperiling Afghanistan's future," said Human Rights Watch. The international community has refused to formally recognize the Taliban government, citing the treatment of Afghan women, among other human rights concerns. The radical leaders have rejected calls for removing the bans and instead defend their governance, saying it aligns with their interpretation of Islamic law and Afghan culture. In an apparent attempt to convey to the world that the Taliban are not ready to reverse their rules for women, they re-issued this week a recent speech of their reclusive chief Hibatullah Akhundzada with English subtitles. "What do you have to do with what I do, my government, my country, or my principles? Why do you interfere?" the Taliban chief asked. "I will not move even one step with you or interact with you, nor will I engage in a transaction with you at the cost of this Sharia [Islamic law]." Transcript: The Inside Story: Giving Voice to A.I. Episode 85 March 30, 2023 Show Open: Unidentified Narrator: This week on the Inside Story: Giving Voice to A.I. From writing school papers to diagnosing mental health issues, artificial intelligence has come a long way. But the growing list of technology companies eager to profit has some experts fearing what comes next. Plus, invasive species in Florida wreak havoc on local ecosystems. Does Americas sunshine state stand a chance? Now on The Inside Story: Giving Voice to A.I. The Inside Story: TINA TRINH, VOA Technology Reporter: Hi Im Tina Trinh in New York. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are a part of our lives whether were comfortable with it or not. Its not just Chat G-P-T writing your kids school papers, its the voice recognition in Siri, the giant robots in manufacturing plants, and the annoying chatbots that pop up on our screens and try to talk to us. These technologies are supposed to make our lives simpler and increasingly, they're having more of a say in our day-to-day reality. As well see in the next half hour, A-I can give voice to the voiceless and diagnose illness. But it also has the potential to be misused by individuals, corporations, even nations. Every persons voice is as unique as a fingerprint. But what if you no longer sounded like you? Or couldnt talk at all? Using text-to-speech technology, artificial intelligence can help, but so far, the results have been mixed - with those whove lost their voices sounding more like robots than humans. But emerging technologies are increasingly showing promise -- letting those whove lost their voices sound more like themselves. Bradley Heaven, Assistive Technology Enthusiast: Its amazing, I love it. TINA TRINH: When Bradley Heaven talks, it sounds like this, Bradley Heaven, Assistive Technology Enthusiast: Kind of, ha ha. TINA TRINH: Heaven has cerebral palsy and is nonverbal. He uses an eye-tracking device to communicate his thoughts. But until recently, the digital voice that spoke for him sounded pretty digital. But a company called Acapela Group has come up with a way to turn his voice from this Bradley Heaven, Assistive Technology Enthusiast: Its really cool and unique. TINA TRINH: into this Bradley Heaven, Assistive Technology Enthusiast: Its really cool. TINA TRINH: The Belgium-based company creates personalized digital voices for those experiencing speech impairment or voice loss. For those affected, its a more human way to express themselves. Remy Cadic, Acapela Group CEO: The key point here is the identity of the person. We want to help the person to be himself or herself in daily life. TINA TRINH: Acapela Groups My Own Voice is a voice-banking service that allows a customer to bank or save their voice for future use. Users record themselves reading 50 different sentences or, if they cant speak, enlist a friend or family member to be their voice. The technology uses algorithms and artificial intelligence Remy Cadic, Acapela Group CEO: So that just based on 50 sentences, then we can create a new synthetic voice. TINA TRINH: The resulting synthetic voice is more personalized and can be used with various assistive devices. Daniel OConnor, Heavens aide, friend and business partner, recorded his voice for Heaven to use. He says the process was easy. Daniel OConnor, Assistive Technology Enthusiast: The first thing Brad said to me is, Hey, lets order some coffee' and 'Dont worry, its my treat. And he used my voice to say that. TINA TRINH: Experts say using this technology could be meaningful for users. John Costello, Speech Language Pathologist: There are individuals whose speech is beginning to change, and by their own admission, it may not be the way they used to sound, but to them, it is who they are. TINA TRINH: Banking a voice to strengthen one's sense of identity. Some groundbreaking research is being developed in the medical field connecting your voice to your health. A U.S. government-funded project is collecting thousands of voice samples and using artificial intelligence to diagnose mental and physical illness. VOAs Julie Taboh has this report from Washington, D.C. JULIE TABOH, VOA Correspondent: Dr. Yael Bensoussan examines the vocal cords of a patient. At the University of South Florida Health Voice Center, she treats patients with a range of voice disorders, such as upper airway, voice and swallowing disorders. And lately, shes been helping to lead a new project to build a database of 30,000 human voice recordings and train computers to detect diseases through changes in the human voice. Dr. Yael Bensoussan, Voice Specialist: Not only to build that data, but also to develop the guidelines on how to share that data, how to collect that data, and also how to use that data for future AI [artificial intelligence] research. JULIE TABOH: She works with a team of 45 investigators across 12 different universities in North America as well as a startup in Europe. They study voice samples to help them detect illnesses like Parkinsons disease Audio of Glottic cancer voice demo: Glottic cancer. JULIE TABOH: cancer Audio from Vocal fold paralysis demo: Vocal Fold Paralysis. JULIE TABOH: And voice disorders such as vocal fold paralysis. The team also studies mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. Dr. Yael Bensoussan, Voice Specialist: So when somebody is depressed, sad, has anxiety, of course their speech changes. JULIE TABOH: The study is one of four data-generation projects funded by the National Institutes of Health's Bridge to Artificial Intelligence program, designed to use AI to tackle complex biomedical challenges. Dr. Yael Bensoussan, Voice Specialist: They realized that there was such a big gap between the technology that we had available, and the clinical knowledge, and what we use in clinical care in our hospitals. JULIE TABOH: And doing it while maintaining participants privacy. Grace Peng, National Institutes of Health: We want to think about the ethics associated with collecting people's voices. And how do we keep it private? JULIE TABOH: The study will start enrolling participants in the coming year. Julie Taboh, VOA News, Washington. TINA TRINH: There are a growing number of startups trying to capitalize on the newest artificial intelligence technology that can replicate human voices. Well Said Labs, based in Seattle, Washington is one group that's creating synthetic voices for companies to use for advertising, marketing, and training. VOAs Phil Dierking has the story on the pros and cons of "Generative AI". Audio of synthetic voice: With AI voices delivering increasingly more human performances, content creators . PHILIP DIERKING, Reporting for VOA: This voice is synthetic, the product of a human actors voice and technology. Matt Hocking, WellSaid Labs CEO: We can take a smaller dataset and train on the pitch, pausing, intonation, emphasis and more of the stylistic qualities of the voice to really capture that authentic voice. PHILIP DIERKING: Matt Hocking is the CEO of WellSaid Labs, a Seattle technology firm that spun out of the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, a research nonprofit. He is working to create computerized voices to sound more human. Customers use these voices in advertising, marketing and training courses without having to hire voice actors. A voice actor records at WellSaid Labs. From that recording, the firm uses artificial intelligence to teach software subtle things. How long a voice actor pauses, when they take a breath, what words are emphasized. A customer picks among voices and enters text they want the voice to say. Audio of synthetic voice: Im Wade, and Ive been told that my good natured and honest voice is great for all types of e-learning and training content. PHILIP DIERKING: With A.I. moving into many fields, creative professionals are asking how they will be affected. Gabby Fernandes, WellSaid Labs Voice Actor: As long as there's still like a human at the center of it and we're building off of that, I feel more comfortable doing something that might be a little bit more computer generated. PHILIP DIERKING: Another concern: Will jobs be eliminated? Maybe, say observers, but generative AI like WellSaid Labs' might also increase creative output and improve performance. Vu Ha, AI2 Incubator: Its going to be a kind of collaboration between humans and AI to really streamline and speed up the process of creation. PHILIP DIERKING: It may be too early to know the consequences of generative AI like WellSaid Labs', but its likely here to stay. Phil Dierking, for VOA News, Seattle, Washington. TINA TRINH: Now, weve talked about some of the new worlds made possible by artificial intelligence and voice synthesis. But for even casual fans of science-fiction, A-I can conjure images of a bleak reality where machines outsmart humans, and no technology is to be trusted. I spoke with Nithya Thadani, CEO of Rain, an agency that works with companies to create voice and conversational AI experiences. Heres what she had to say about the responsible way forward with this powerful technology. Is there a way to moderate this type of content thats gonna be generated? Especially when you think about how easy it is-- how difficult rather, it is to tell the difference between what's real and something that's actually authentic? Nithya Thadani, CEO of Rain: Absolutely. That regulation, this type of thinking has to come really quickly because of the pace with which this AI is accelerating. So if you think about this in the context of open AIs ChatGPT, which is a very similar concept, that AI is generating content based on what it is reading and training on from the internet. And if any of that content is biased or fake, it's going to pull that and potentially kind of ingrain that in the next generation of content. Now, imagine that happening over again, you can see how it would become very hard to detect where the original content came from, and kind of what is real versus computer generated. Voice has an even lower barrier, and so it's really important that we think about how we can get ahead of that has to come in the form of government regulation. TINA TRINH: Maybe thats what needs to happen, some type of system for flagging this type of content. Your company mentioned this idea of verified voices. Can you explain that? Nithya Thadani, CEO of Rain: You know, when we think about labeling and regulation, there are three concepts that are very important here. One is consent. So, do we have the consent of the celebrity or politician or even patient to use their voice in the way that we're talking about? Even when we do have that consent, how do we make sure that the voice is used within the barriers of consent? So within the context that they and that is potentially going to require some type of legal involvement right like that's going to go into the space of what does legal consent to use your voice look like? Another bucket here is disclosure and that is the big one, right. So this is how do you make somebody aware that the contents are putting forth is computer generated. This is going to come in the form of tagging and flagging that content, and really thinking about how you can tag meta data. You know, it's gonna require a new vocabulary entirely about how you think about disclaimers and labels on technology. The last bucket, here is really detection. So once VAI is really actually out there, how to test what is computer generated and what is not. The tech companies are gonna have to play a big role in this as well. But once you do detect false or misinformation, how do you then put a system in place to be able to remove that content? And who owns the content that youre removing? So a lot of these are really frameworks for how you think about this challenge. TINA TRINH: And then on the flip side of that, we have creators who are making artistic choices, willful artistic choices to use synthetic voices. You know a couple of years ago, this documentary called Roadrunner, Anthony Bourdain life, made headlines because it was determined that the director used a synthesized voice to pass for the late chef. It read a few lines that Bourdain never actually spoke when he was alive. Lets take a look. Audio from Anthony Bourdain documentary clip: He was definitely searching for something. You were successful. And I am successful. And Im wondering: are you happy? (End of clip) TINA TRINH: So Nithya, a lot of critique and discussion coming out of that, once people found out that that wasn't actually Bourdain talking and the directors never disclosed this to the viewers. Nithya Thadani, CEO of Rain: Whats so interesting here is just is this ethical? Is it ethical to use his voice in the way the director did? He took his own creative liberties to bring Anthony Bourdains voice to life. Would Anthony Bourdain, who is such an authentic and creative person, would he have consented to this? And would he have agreed that what was written what was said out loud? You really hit the nail on the head though with the disclosure piece that is actually what caused so much controversy around because it wasn't made aware to viewers that Anthony Bourdain did not say these words. So it felt very deceptive. There is something very authentic and intimate about our voices that are ours. And people really have a visceral reaction. When it seems like you are using someone's voice in a way that is not genuine and authentic. TINA TRINH: What advice do you have for your clients who are considering exploring this new territory? Nithya Thadani, CEO of Rain: When we're advising any company or brands on how to think about voice content, it is very similar to any way you would think about branding. Companies spend a lot of time just thinking about the colors of their brand about the jingle or the sounds of their brand. The voices that represent the brand are no different. So whether that is a celebrity that is aligned to brand values or a voice that you're generating from scratch that really needs to be thoughtful and take into account the audience that you're trying to serve. And actually this is a really interesting place where the topic of bias and inclusivity comes into play. And that's another place where we're always advising our clients, which is, you know, voice in any AI is only as smart as the data so if we are going to create voices that are supposed to be representative of an audience, we need to make sure that that training data is representative of all voices, of minorities of women. If you have training data, and voice training data that is primarily Caucasian male, that's the type of payment you're gonna get. And so it's really important that companies are just eyes wide open to the fact that there needs to be there and one of the ways to do that to make sure that we have more diversity and equity in the people who are creating that data, right, that they can make sure that data sets are equitable to all. TINA TRINH: As we've seen, filmmakers are finding ways to use artificial intelligence to resuscitate long gone voices, but the technology can also make motion pictures more accessible to wider audiences. MATT DIBBLE, VOA Correspondent: How to make a movie work in another language? For decades there have been only two options: subtitles or dubbing. Many viewers resist watching films with subtitles, which can distract from the action. And dubbing, which replaces a films dialogue, Audio from the film: Hercules and the Tyrants of Babylon: This is the first time Ive ever heard the word coward applied to the valiant warrior Bomia. MATT DIBBLE: usually results in mouths out of sync with the words they are supposedly speaking. When director Scott Mann first saw a foreign language dub of a film he made... Scott Mann, Flawless: I was kind of appalled and devastated because I saw how different it was. MATT DIBBLE: This got him thinking that there might be a technological solution. He co-founded Flawless, a company that uses a kind of visual artificial intelligence to digitally modify the faces in a film to match the new words. Scott Mann, Flawless: The system is taking a very detailed look and an understanding, of how a certain character talks. The system is able to kind of re-time those mouth movements like subtly alter them so they fit the new dialogue. Audio from film: A Few Good Men: Cest amusant monsieur? MATT DIBBLE: Flawless uses voice actors who are fluent speakers of the new language. Another company, Deepdub, uses AI to simulate the original actors voice in the translation. Audio from film: Every Time I Die: Its not something that happens to me. Oz Krakowski, Deepdub: We need only a sample of 2 to 5 minutes of the actors voices in order to create what we call a voice model. MATT DIBBLE: The new technologies promise to accelerate a growing appetite for content across language borders. But in the process, the line between humans and machines continues to blur. Matt Dibble for VOA News, San Francisco. TINA TRINH: Its not just humans who can use new tech to find their own voice. "Fluent Pet is a tool that offers an innovative way for pet owners to communicate and connect with their furry loved ones. By using a recordable push button, pets can now express their wants, needs, and desires - effectively "speaking" to their humans. [[FS MAP ]] This time VOAs Julie Taboh Travels to Glen Allen, in the State of Virginia. Morgan Krug, Dog Trainer: Go! Lets go play! Lets go play! Go girl! JULIE TABOH, VOA Correspondent: Morgan Krug knows how to communicate with her pets... Morgan Krug, Dog Trainer: Drop, good job, beep! Catch! JULIE TABOH: And like most animal owners, usually knows when they want something Morgan Krug, Dog Trainer: More pets! JULIE TABOH: But now her daily interactions are even stronger, she says, thanks to a set of buttons with pre-recorded words that her pets can push to express themselves. Synthetic Audio: Wet food! Morgan Krug, Dog Trainer: I started off as skeptic. I knew that they could request outside, or specific toys. Synthetic Audio: Frisbee play! Morgan Krug, Dog Trainer: But this allows them to be specific about what they want. JULIE TABOH: A dog trainer by trade, Krug is using a system called FluentPet, where she can use her own voice to record words... Synthetic Audio: Ball! JULIE TABOH: This has been especially helpful for her cat Jasper, who is blind. Synthetic Audio: Kibble. Morgan Krug, Dog Trainer: Having the buttons and a voice when she doesn't have her eyesight to navigate by has really enriched her life in ways that I could have never anticipated. Leo Trottier, FluentPet Founder: So thanks to buttons, we're seeing people report behaviors and interactions with their dog or their cat that to me as someone who has a background in cognitive science, I find totally astonishing. JULIE TABOH: The company has also developed a FluentPet app that owners can use to collect data on their pets and keep track of what their dog or their cat has learned over time. Synthetic Audio: Pet. Kibble. Training. JULIE TABOH: One thing is clear: Systems like this hold a lot of promise for future advancements in human-animal interactions. Synthetic Audio: What does Adora want? Outside. Okay lets go! JULIE TABOH: Julie Taboh, VOA News, Glen Allen, Virginia. TINA TRINH: Millions flock to Florida for its warm weather and sunshine. But its not just people who have found a new home in this warm, Southern U.S., state. VOAs Dora Mekour has this story from Orlando. Kylie Reynolds, Amazing Animals Deputy Director: This is an African Spurred also known as a Sulcata. DORA MEKOUAR, VOA Correspondent: This African spurred tortoise looks harmless, but its not. It competes for resources with the native gopher tortoise, which is critical to Floridas ecosystem. Kylie Reynolds, Amazing Animals Deputy Director: They dig these big burrows underground, and a lot of other animals are going to use those for shelter as well. If gopher tortoises are declining, and they're providing homes for hundreds of other animals, then what's going to happen to all these other animals? DORA MEKOUAR: There are hundreds of non-native animal species in Florida. Some take over their new habitat, threatening the environment. Kurt Foote, National Park Service: Nature relies on variety, and when you don't have variety, it's just more susceptible to collapse. DORA MEKOUAR: Florida spends more than 500-million-dollars a year trying to contain invasive species. But is it a losing battle? Mike Hileman, Gatorland Park Director: Once a species starts reproducing in the wild, and they have a system that works for them, it's almost next to impossible to eradicate them. DORA MEKOUAR: Like the Burmese python. Thirty years ago, many escaped a local breeding facility destroyed by a hurricane. Today, there are tens of thousands of pythons in Florida. Mike Hileman, Gatorland Park Director: It can take out one of our apex predators, which are alligators and crocodiles, and then it'll take down some of the other native animals that are small mammals, some of the rats, the mice, the marsh bunnies, things that are supposed to be food for other things. So they compete with our native animals and, because they're a more dominant species, they win that battle. Kylie Reynolds, Amazing Animals Deputy Director: What does the rooster say? Parrott: Cock-a-doodle-do. Kylie Reynolds, Amazing Animals Deputy Director: Ohhh that was a good one! DORA MEKOUAR Many invasives were once someones pet. Kylie Reynolds, Amazing Animals Deputy Director: Animals can be a lot of work. You know, the parrots are loud, they live almost 80 years. Tortoises can get really big and live 100 years. So it's a big commitment to have a lot of these animals. People sometimes just go, You know, it's nice in Florida. We'll just let it loose. DORA MEKOUAR: Feral hogs introduced by Spanish explorers centuries ago are everywhere in Florida. They dig up the soil, sometimes destroying restored native plants. Ben Gugliotti, Lake Apopka North Shore Land Manager: And then also they actually create a secondary opening for invasive plant species then to move into those disturbed soil areas. So, not only are they destroying what we're doing, but also creating an opening for additional invasive species. DORA MEKOUAR: The Tiger Creek Preserve is home to one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world, says preserve manager Cheryl Millet. Cheryl Millett, The Nature Conservancy: It's a biodiversity hotspot. And yeah, we have a lot of things that don't exist anywhere else. And if we lost them here, we wouldn't have them anymore on Earth. DORA MEKOUAR: Its easy to spot the damage done by wild hog but Millett is most concerned about encroaching non-native lizards. Cheryl Millett, The Nature Conservancy: They've been found using gopher tortoise burrows in South Florida. They found baby gopher tortoises in the guts of Tegu lizards. I'm really worried about their potential impact here. DORA MEKOUAR: Florida officials use hunts, monitoring, exotic pet amnesty programs and other methods to combat invasive species. But its a battle with no end in sight. ((end courtesy)) Dora Mekouar, VOA News, Orlando, Florida. TINA TRINH: Thats all for now. Stay up to date with all the news at VOANews.com. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook at VOA News. You can find me on Twitter at Tina Trinh NYC. And catch up on past episodes at our free streaming service, VOA Plus. For all of those behind the scenes who brought you todays show, Im Tina Trinh. Well see you next week for The Inside Story. ### The International Court of Justice is due to rule Thursday in a dispute between Iran and the United States about nearly $2 billion in frozen assets. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2016 that the assets seized by U.S. courts should be turned over to victims of a 1983 bombing at a U.S. Marine Corps barracks in Beirut and other attacks linked to Iran. Iran has denied any involvement in the attacks and says the United States illegally froze the assets, which include $1.75 billion in bonds belonging to Irans central bank. The 1983 attack killed 241 U.S. service members. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. President Biden is asking federal banking regulators to tighten some of the rules loosened at the end of last decade for regional banks, forcing institutions the size of the failed Silicon Valley Bank to hold more liquid assets while undergoing more frequent stress tests. The steps outlined by the White House Thursday don't require new legislation and can be imposed by regulators that currently oversee the nations banks, including the Federal Reserve. The Fed is currently reviewing what changes it can make on its own; its bank regulation chief, Michael Barr, told lawmakers Tuesday he does see a "need" for stronger liquidity and capital requirements. One Republican lawmaker said the Fed already has the power to hold banks like Silicon Valley Bank accountable and it failed to do so. Instead of giving more authority to regulators who were asleep at the wheel before these bank failures, we should hold them accountable for their inability to utilize their existing supervisory tools, said Patrick McHenry, chair of the House Financial Services Committee. The oversight of regional banks was first loosened in 2018 during the Trump administration with a bipartisan bill that re-defined which banks were deemed "systemically important" to those holding at least $250 billion in assets instead of $50 billion, undoing some of the strictest requirements imposed by Congress following the 2008 financial crisis. That legislation also gave the Fed the power to tailor those rules, which it did along with other regulators in 2019. Current Fed Chair Jerome Powell was in charge of the Fed at the time. Some federal officials, including current Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Chair Martin Gruenberg, objected to the revisions. One key 2019 measure now receiving a lot of attention was the Feds decision to exempt banks with $100-$250 billion in assets from maintaining a standardized liquidity coverage ratio. The ratio is designed to show whether a lender has enough high-quality liquid assets to survive a crisis. A lack of liquidity turned out to be a major problem for Silicon Valley Bank as deposits left the bank and the value of its assets declined as interest rates rose. The $209 billion institution was seized by regulators on March 10. Story continues The White House said Thursday that bank regulators "are encouraged" to reinstate liquidity requirements for banks with between $100-$250 billion in assets and use "rigorous liquidity stress tests that factor in the risks of faster withdrawals in an always-on online environment." Silicon Valley Bank lost $42 billion in one day as many depositors withdrew funds using online platforms. The Biden administration also asked regulators to require that banks of this size undergo a comprehensive stress test each year, instead of every other year, and reduce a stress test transition period currently in place for banks that cross over the $100 billion threshold. Regulators allowed Silicon Valley Bank to avoid a supervisory stress test for three years after it cleared the $100 billion mark. And when it failed on March 10, the bank had yet to undergo any such test. Federal Reserve Board Vice Chair for Supervision Michael Barr (L) and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Chairman Martin Gruenberg testified this week in Washington. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque Another change the administration highlighted Thursday was for regulators to consider "strong capital requirements" for banks "at an appropriate time after a considerable transition period." It was not specific on what those levels should look like for banks of various sizes. Capital is what allows a bank to absorb losses on its assets. Silicon Valley Bank was hobbled by large "unrealized" bond losses that technically exceeded the capital available to absorb those losses. Rules currently in place allow a bank of that size to keep those losses out of their regulatory capital ratios. Other changes called for Thursday by the White House included a call for bank holding companies between $100-$250 billion in assets to supply resolution plans showing how they could be wound down in the event of a failure. Bank holding companies of that size were exempted from such a requirement as part of the rules set in 2019. The administration also argued that smaller community banks should not have to pay for the failures of Silicon Valley Bank or New Yorks Signature Bank, which also was seized this month, in the form of a new assessment from the FDIC that would bolster the regulators Deposit Insurance Fund. The FDIC has pledged to pay for all depositors at both failed banks via this fund. A White House official said Thursday "it's important that they not be subjected to this special assessment. It's also the case that they were not to blame for the actions that resulted in the interventions that the administration had to take." Gruenberg, the FDIC chair, told a House committee Wednesday that he does have "discretion" on that assessment and would have more to say on the subject in May. "We're going to be keenly sensitive to the impact on community banks." Another administration official, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, also called out the regulatory changes made last decade during the Trump administration. "Regulatory requirements have been loosened in recent years," she said in a speech Thursday. "I believe it is appropriate to assess the impact of these deregulatory decisions and take any necessary actions in response." Click here for the latest stock market news and in-depth analysis, including events that move stocks Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Twice impeached though not convicted, Donald Trump has become the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges. In a move without precedent in U.S. history, a grand jury in New York voted Thursday to indict Trump on charges related to paying off a porn star during his 2016 presidential campaign. The highly anticipated charges come as Trump seeks a return to the White House after losing a reelection bid in 2020, making him both the only president, current or former, and the only presidential candidate to be indicted. The indictment remains under seal and it is not clear what crimes and how many criminal counts Trump has been charged with. CNN reported that the former president has been charged with more than 30 counts. VOA could not confirm the report. In a statement, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs office said it has contacted Trump's attorney "to coordinate his surrender to the Manhattan D.A.'s Office for arraignment on a Supreme Court indictment." Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina said the former president will likely be arraigned early next week. The arraignment could come as soon as Tuesday, several news outlets reported, citing unnamed sources. To turn himself in, Trump, who lives in Florida, would have to travel to New York, along with his Secret Service detail. Once in custody, he would be fingerprinted and photographed before being arraigned before a judge and released on his personal recognizance. In a statement, Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing in the case, cast the indictment as part of a long running Democratic-led witch hunt to destroy his Make America Great Again movement. This is Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history, the former president wrote. "The Democrats have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to 'Get Trump,' but now they've done the unthinkable indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant election interference. Rather than hurt his candidacy, Trump said the indictment will backfire massively on [President] Joe Biden. Last week, writing on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump warned of potential death and destruction if he were indicted, a statement some critics viewed as an incitement to violence. The indictment, though widely expected, set off a firestorm around Washington. "Outrageous," tweeted Republican congressman and staunch Trump loyalist Jim Jordan. Republican House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy, accusing Bragg of weaponizing the justice system against Trump, vowed that the House would hold the prosecutor and his unprecedented abuse of power to account. Other Republicans who are not particularly close to Trump similarly viewed the prosecution as politically motivated. The reaction from Democrats, on the other hand, was predictably favorable. In a statement, former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, wrote that the grand jury has acted upon the facts and the law. No one is above the law, and everyone has the right to a trial to prove innocence, she wrote. Hopefully, the former President will peacefully respect the system, which grants him that right. The indictment grew out of a federal investigation of hush money payments that Trump's then-lawyer Michael Cohen made to porn star Stormy Daniels in the final days of the 2016 presidential campaign. The secret payment came to light in early 2018. Flipping on his former boss, Cohen testified in August 2018 that at Trumps direction, he paid Daniels $130,000 to keep her quiet about an alleged sexual encounter with the real estate mogul-turned Republican candidate. The Trump Organization later reimbursed Cohen for "legal" services. While paying hush money is not illegal, federal prosecutors charged that classifying the payment as a "legal fee violated federal campaign finance laws. In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to multiple federal criminal charges, including campaign finance violations, and later served more than a year in prison. While federal prosecutors did not charge Trump at the time, the Manhattan district attorney's office subsequently picked up the case and began receiving grand jury testimony in January. Cohen, the prosecutors star witness, testified before the panel multiple times. In a statement issued Thursday, Cohen said he stood by his testimony and the evidence he has provided prosecutors. While the indictment remains under seal, legal experts say the charges against Trump likely center on New Yorks false business records law. Under the law, falsifying business records is normally a misdemeanor. When it is done with the intent to commit or hide a second crime, it rises to the level of a felony punishable by up to four years in prison. What additional offenses, if any, Trump has been charged with remains unclear. Although prosecutors typically bring charges against a defendant only when they believe they can get a conviction, convicting Trump is far from certain, according to legal experts. While Trump has admitted to reimbursing Cohen for the hush money payment, he has said it "had nothing to do with the campaign." His lawyers have placed the responsibility on Cohen. "The payments were made to a lawyer, not to Stormy Daniels," Tacopina said on MSNBC recently. "The payments were made to Donald Trump's lawyer, which would be considered legal fees," he said. Cohen was "his lawyer at the time and advised him that this was the proper way to do this, to protect himself and his family from embarrassment. It's as simple as that," Tacopina said. But other legal experts argue that prosecutors should be guided by a long-standing principle: treating like cases alike. In a recent piece on the website Just Security, co-editor-in-chief and New York University law professor Ryan Goodman highlighted cases that he said show how prosecutors in New York "have thrown the book at individuals for falsifying business records some cases involving actions far less egregious than Trump's alleged conduct." In 2021, a mental health therapy aide was indicted under the statute for defrauding more than $35,000 in workers compensation benefits. Last year, an insurance broker was indicted for allegedly creating and filing fraudulent certificates of liability insurance to further scheme to defraud. The hush money indictment is not the only criminal case the former president faces. In Georgia, prosecutors are considering bringing criminal charges in connection with Trumps effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election result in the state. Trump narrowly lost Georgia to Democrat Joe Biden. Meanwhile, U.S. Justice Department-appointed special counsel Jack Smith has been investigating Trumps role in trying to upend Biden's victory as well as his handling of classified documents after he left office. Poland's agriculture minister promised financial support from the government and the European Union and easier rules for constructing grain storage as he met Wednesday with farmers angered by falling grain prices. Farmers in Poland blame the drop in prices on an inflow of huge amounts of Ukrainian grain that was supposed to go to Africa and the Middle East. Bulgarian farmers also staged a border protest Wednesday over the issue. Poland and other countries in the region have offered to help transit Ukraine grain to third-country markets after Russia blocked traditional routes when it invaded Ukraine 13 months ago. The European Union, which borders Ukraine, has waived customs duties and import quotas to facilitate the transport also through Romania and Bulgaria to markets that had counted on the deliveries. But farmers in transit countries say the promised out-channels are not working as planned. As a result, they argue, the grain stays, flooding their markets and bringing prices down to their great loss while fertilizer and energy costs are skyrocketing. After a round of talks with farmer organizations, Poland's Agriculture Minister Henryk Kowalczyk said they agreed on more than $277 million in compensation to farmers and traders who suffered financial losses and subsidies for companies transporting the grain to ports, to be shipped out of Poland. The ministry also agreed to waive permission requirements for building small-sized grain storage facilities. But the farmers are expecting more talks and more support. In Bulgaria, hundreds of farmers on Wednesday began a three-day blockade of the main checkpoints on the border with Romania to protest tariff-free imports of Ukrainian grain. They say about 40% of their crop from last year remains unsold amid huge supply, and there is no storage room just a few months ahead of the coming harvest. They displayed banners reading: "Stop the genocide of agriculture" and "We want to be competitive farmers." Last week, Brussels offered a total of $61 million in compensation to affected farmers, of which Bulgaria would receive about $18 million and Poland about $32.5 million euros amounts that protesters and some governments say are insufficient. Daniela Dimitrova, regional leader of Bulgaria's grain producers' union, said Ukrainian imports make Bulgarian farmers noncompetitive. "We stand in solidarity with Europe and its support for Ukraine, but the European Commission should look at each individual member state and make farmers competitive," she said. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said grain from Ukraine was "destabilizing our market" and steps should be taken to urgently export it while reducing imports from Ukraine. He said the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, had regulations at its disposal to get the situation under control, as it was having negative effects also on other countries in the region. "We do not agree for this grain to come to Poland's and Romania's markets in huge amounts and destabilize our markets," Morawiecki told a news conference, while stressing that "transit is most welcome." At the start of the talks with farmers and grain exporters, Kowalczyk, the agriculture minister, blamed falling grain prices on a world-wide trend. He said that while more compensation funds could be expected from Brussels the main goal was to increase grain export and free space in silos ahead of this summer's Polish harvest. He admitted that the original plan to transit grain through Poland did not go exactly as expected. Since Russia invaded Ukraine more than a year ago, the United States has earmarked about $113 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine making it one of the largest ever assistance packages approved by the US government. Investigators assured lawmakers Wednesday the money is being strictly monitored to ensure it is being used as Congress intended. VOAs congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson spoke with members of Congress about their concerns. Camera: Saqib Ui Islam and Kateryna Lisunova The United States and South Korea are holding some of their biggest and most visible military exercises in years. They are in response to North Koreas dramatic increase in provocative missile tests. VOAs Bill Gallo attended some of the U.S.-South Korean drills and explains what they mean for North Korea tensions moving forward. VOA footage by Kim Hyungjin and Bill Gallo. Lee Juhyun contributed. On the eve of her meeting with Africas only female head of state, Vice President Kamala Harris said Wednesday that having more women in power is a key ingredient for a healthy democracy. Her meeting comes as the White House hosts its second-ever Summit for Democracy in Washington. Harris said that in a vibrant democracy, women winning positions of power should be a common occurrence, not a rare and newsworthy one, as her ascension was. As she prepared to meet Thursday with Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, she spoke Wednesday with female entrepreneurs and leaders in Ghanas capital, and announced more than $1 billion in private-sector-led funding to advance women's economic participation in Africa. Afterward, in response to a question from VOA, Harris said womens leadership is fundamental to a healthy democracy, and that its a topic she often raises in high-level meetings. In every bilateral conversation I have with almost any world leader, that is a topic that we raise because we do believe it is in the best interest of prosperity and security for the globe, she said. And, she says, its not about pushing women into power in a healthy democracy, more citizens will feel empowered, and more women will gravitate toward higher office. When it comes specifically to this continent and the correlation between that and women's empowerment, there's no question when you have transparency in systems, when you have accountability in systems, when you create a system where rule of law is important, equal rights are defended and protected, you will see greater empowerment of all people including women especially if they have been behind or you see extreme disparities, she said. So, there's a correlation there, and we're going to continue to work on it knowing that they're interconnected. Thats one of the aims of the largely virtual summit in Washington, which is co-hosted by Costa Rica, the Netherlands, South Korea and Zambia. In Zambia, the Carter Center, founded by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, will host a summit-related program this week. David Carroll is director of the democracy program there, and told VOA that inclusivity is key. Healthy democracies are ones that are inclusive, he told VOA on Zoom. They are ones that have transparency, that respect core fundamental freedoms and rights. And hopefully, they're also showing that they're able to deliver for their people in ways that really meet the needs of their populations. Carroll added, Another central element of the problem is democracies need to be respectful of core rights. They need to be inclusive as possible. They need to ensure that broad respect, but they also need to deliver for their populations. That is an uphill battle, especially amid what President Joe Biden has described as a global tug-of-war between democracies and autocracies in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine. And data recently released by civil society group CIVICUS shows that 43 of the 120 nations invited to the summit severely and routinely restrict civic rights. According to their data, six countries have seen backsliding this year, including Ghana, the United Kingdom and Greece. In too many countries that have been invited to the Summit for Democracy, governments are stifling civil society and going to extreme lengths to silence their critics," said Marianna Belalba Barreto, civic space research lead at CIVICUS. Without freedom of speech and the right to peacefully protest, democracy cannot function effectively, as people lose their most important tools to hold governments accountable and promote change. U.S. officials on Thursday said they are "deeply concerned" by reports that Russia has detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. Russia announced on Thursday that it had detained the 31-year-old American in the eastern city of Yekaterinburg on suspicion of espionage. Gershkovich is part of the Journal's Moscow bureau and had official Russian press accreditation, the paper reported. He has worked in Russia since 2017. Russias security service, the FSB, released a statement saying it has halted the illegal activities of Gershkovich, saying he was "suspected of spying in the interests of the American government. The Journal denied those claims and called for Gershkovichs immediate release. We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family, the Journal said in a statement. The U.S. State Department has been in direct contact with the Russian government over the arrest, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. "The targeting of American citizens by the Russian government is unacceptable," she said, adding that White House and State Department officials have been in touch with the Journal and Gershkovich's family. Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement saying, "Whenever a U.S. citizen is detained abroad, we immediately seek consular access, and seek to provide all appropriate support. "In the strongest possible terms, we condemn the Kremlin's continued attempts to intimidate, repress, and punish journalists and civil society voices." Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders said that Gershkovich had been investigating a story on the mercenary Wagner Group at the time of his arrest. In January, the United States announced sanctions on Wagner, which has been supporting Russia in Moscows war in Ukraine. The White House in late 2022 said Wagner had deployed around 50,000 fighters to Ukraine, many of them recruited from Russian prisons. The FSB has accused Gershkovich of gathering information on a "military-industrial complex. The accusation was repeated by Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova and Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, who both alleged Gershkovich was "caught in the act. The Washington-based National Press Club on Thursday called for Gershkovichs immediate release in a joint statement from its president, Eileen OReilly, and Gil Klein, head of the National Press Club Journalism Institute. Evan Gershkovich is a journalist. He should be released immediately and unharmed and allowed to return to his important work, the clubs statement read. We consider this an unjust detention and call on the State Department to designate his detention in that manner at once. Mike Quigley, co-chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, described Gershkovich's arrest as "an escalation not seen between our two countries since the days of the Soviet Union and the Cold War." "I am deeply concerned that this detention is the latest salvo in [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's efforts to use Americans as leverage in his conflict with Ukraine," Quigley, a Democratic Representative from Illinois, said in a statement. Several U.S. citizens are in detention in Russia, and both Washington and Moscow have accused the other of carrying out politically motivated arrests, Agence France-Presse reported. In February of last year, U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia for carrying a small quantity of cannabis oil in an electronic cigarette cartridge. She received a nine-year sentence and was transferred to a prison labor camp. Griner was released in December in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Russia opened a criminal case in January against an unnamed U.S. citizen whom it said is suspected of espionage. Former Marine Paul Whelan is serving a 16-year sentence on espionage charges in a penal colony outside Moscow. Russia has become an increasingly difficult place for journalists in recent years, with authorities using its foreign agent law and other regulations to pressure media, according to rights organizations. When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, it issued new directives and laws regarding how media can report on or refer to the war, which carry heavy penalties. Foreign correspondents have previously reported being followed while on assignment in Russia, especially when reporting outside the main cities. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, also known as the CPJ, said that the arrest of Gershkovich marks a turning point for Russia. The arrest sends "a clear message to foreign correspondents that they will not be spared from the ongoing purge of the independent media in the country," CPJ Europe and Central Asia coordinator, Gulnoza Said, said in a statement. CPJ data shows at least 19 journalists detained for their work in Russia as of late 2022. Gershkovich has been working for the Journal for just over a year, covering Russia and Ukraine. His recent stories include coverage of economic problems in Russia, Chinese leader Xi Jinpings visit to Moscow, and the Russian jets that collided with a U.S. drone over the Black Sea. Before joining the Journal, Gershkovich worked in Moscow for AFP and spent three years as a reporter for The Moscow Times. He also was a news assistant at The New York Times. AFP reported that Gershkovichs family immigrated to the United States from Russia when he was a child. Some information for this story is from Agence France-Presse. Rob Garver contributed to this report. The first Western tanks began arriving in Ukraine this week, prompting speculation that Ukraine may soon launch a counteroffensive against invading Russian forces and whether the more advanced weapons will turn the tide of the war in Kyivs favor. Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov posted a video on Twitter this week showing him on board a British Challenger 2 main battle tank, or MBT at an unidentified location in Ukraine. It was a pleasure to take the first Ukrainian Challenger 2 MBT for a spin, Reznikov wrote in his March 28 Twitter post. Such tanks, supplied by the United Kingdom, have recently arrived in our country. These fantastic machines will soon begin their combat missions. A total of 14 Challenger 2 tanks are being sent to Ukraine. British Defense Minister Ben Wallace said Wednesday he could not speculate on any upcoming Ukrainian offensive. But I think it is no secret Ukraine is keen to start the process of rolling back Russian forces in the conflict. Obviously, the Russian forces are making almost no progress whatsoever, Wallace told reporters. German Leopards Chancellor Olaf Scholz confirmed Monday that Germany had already delivered 18 of its advanced Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, among the most highly regarded MBTs in the world. Canada and Norway have also dispatched several of their Leopard 2 tanks. Poland, Spain, Finland and the Netherlands have also pledged to send Leopard tanks, although the total numbers have not been confirmed European commanders say it could tip the balance in favor of the Ukrainian forces. Now, [the Ukrainian forces] are in a kind of defensive position against more than 300,000 Russian combatants. Maybe not the best trained or best equipped combatants, but they are facing this kind of tsunami of soldiers, so they are holding the front line, Vice Admiral Herve Blejean, commander of the European Union training mission for Ukrainian forces, told the Reuters news agency earlier in March. When they will be able to involve better tanks like the Leopard, they will be able to breach through and to look at counterattacking. At the present time, they are fighting for Bakhmut. They are doing a fine job, but the balance of forces is not in their favor, Blejean added. Counteroffensive Its unlikely Ukraine has enough Western tanks to launch a major counteroffensive imminently, said Patrick Bury, a military analyst at Britains University of Bath. How many are there now? Maybe between 30 or 40, given the numbers that were pledged. At the moment, its probably not enough, would be my hunch. But it's still fairly significant, Bury told VOA in an interview March 30. A battalion or two can form a spearhead. If theyre all used together, you wouldnt want to be an infantry solider in a foxhole facing 40 of these tanks if theyre used correctly, Bury said. In an interview with the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his forces need more Western weapons before launching any counteroffensive. We are waiting for ammunition to arrive from our partners," Zelenskyy said. We cant start yet. We cant send our brave soldiers to the front line without tanks, artillery and long-range rockets. Coordination Bury said its crucial that the new weapons are deployed in a coordinated way. The question is, can Ukraine protect, use and concentrate the Western weapons to such an effect that they can break through better-prepared Russian lines? Its not just about tanks. Its about the armored infantry fighting vehicles. They accompany the tanks. It's also about the artillery pieces the rounds that they need for their own guns, and the new artillery pieces that are coming in, as well. So, its how you put the whole package together to achieve the combined arms breakthrough if that's what you're going to do, Bury said. Spring thaw Ground conditions are changing rapidly along the front line. The spring thaw will turn frozen fields into quagmires. It just makes movements and maneuver more difficult. And therefore, that favors a sort of stagnation or a lack of offensive action in the open big maneuvers around cities. The urban fights, of course, can go on, Bury said. Western nations have pledged dozens more tanks and other heavy weapons in the coming months. The United States is sending 31 Abrams MBTs, though these arent expected to arrive in Ukraine until the end of the year. Slovakia this week sent Ukraine four Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets, with nine more to follow. Poland also plans to send several MiG-29s. Ukrainian demands for U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets remain unanswered. Morale British intelligence reported Thursday that Moscow is poised to launch another recruitment drive to sign up an additional 400,000 troops. With both sides preparing for a long war, any breakthroughs on the battlefield will likely be limited, Bury said. How prepared are [the Russians] going to be? They're going to be much more prepared than they were in Kharkiv last year, when the Ukrainians had a massive breakthrough, he said. One thing to look for, though, is morale and cohesion, because you still have to have the will to fight if you're going to get bombarded in your lines. And that is something where there is a question mark over the Russians. There definitely isn't that question mark over the Ukrainians. And that could prove decisive, Bury said. Jack Ma, one of Chinas most prominent entrepreneurs, returned to China this week after traveling overseas for more than a year, in what is being interpreted as evidence of an improved climate for the nations private sector. He paid a visit Monday to the Yungu School, a private academy in Hangzhou funded by Mas Alibaba Group, which includes one of the worlds biggest online commerce companies. There, he talked about the future of education with the campus directors and the challenges and opportunities that new technological change brings to education, according to the schools WeChat account. Earlier this month, Chinese leader Xi Jinping said the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) "has always treated private entrepreneurs as its own people," marking an about-face from suppressing the private economy during the pandemic with tactics that included stopping what was expected to be the $37 billion IPO of Mas Ant Group. China's economy trended down after COVID-19 was first identified in humans in Wuhan in December 2019. Xi led the crackdown on some of Chinas most successful entrepreneurs as he pushed for common prosperity -- long a CCP catchphrase -- as an alternative to increasing inequality. Some see Mas return as a signal of a fundamental change of China policies in the private sector. An article from Ejam Finance, a Guangzhou-based new media company focusing on financial information, said, Today, Jack Ma returned to China again! I believe this is also a day when the confidence of private entrepreneurs across the country soars. Alibabas U.S.-listed shares rose by more than 10% after news broke of Mas return. Alibaba Group is planning to split into six units, it said Tuesday, as Beijing said it would ease a regulatory crackdown on private enterprises. Zongyuan Zoe Liu, fellow for international political economy at the Council on Foreign Relations, told VOA Mandarin, Ma Yun (Jack Ma) has been the token of Chinese entrepreneurship. His rise and fall (and seemingly rise again) have been closely associated with the Chinese government and government-led investment. According to Reuters, Chinas new premier, Li Qiang, has been asking Ma to return since late last year, hoping it would boost business confidence among entrepreneurs, which enhanced the theory of Mas return being a prophecy of a policy change. Fraser Howie, a longtime Asia analyst, is not optimistic that Mas return will change much. He told Reuters, "I can see how this sort of signals a relaxation but none of the laws and institutions set up to control the private sector have changed. Liu said the most important aspect of Mas return is whether it can boost investors confidence in Chinas economy. As long as confidence in the Chinese economy and confidence in the Chinese government's support for the private sector can be quickly restored, it helps to quell rumors and reduce uncertainties. After all, economic growth is a confidence game, she said. She emphasized that confidence in the Chinese economy and expressing support for Ma's return are two different things. Hu Ping, a onetime district councilor in Beijing who later edited China Spring and Beijing Spring, both U.S.-based journals focused on Chinese politics, told VOA Mandarin that the loss of Chinese private entrepreneurs' confidence in the government is caused by Xi's suppression policy." As long as Xi is in the office and his policies remain unchanged, peoples trust cant be regained, Hu said. Yao Wang, a Chinese investment expert who has been engaged in asset management in New York for nearly 30 years, believes that instead of using Mas return to boost confidence in private enterprise, Beijing should take some practical actions. The best way to show the stability, continuity, predictability, and transparency of policies is to fix it in the form of law, he said. New developments: Explosions early Wednesday shook the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol in southern Ukraine, a pro-Russian official said. Ukraine did not comment on the attack, but Kyiv has identified the city as one it wants to retake. Sweden summons Russian ambassador after he said Sweden and Finland would become legitimate targets by joining NATO. U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi visited the Russia-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine Wednesday. Grossi has expressed alarm about the potential for a nuclear disaster amid fighting in the area. Russia begins exercises with its Yars intercontinental ballistic missile system with 3,000 personnel and 300 pieces of equipment, the countrys defense ministry said. IOC backs return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to competition as individuals but offers no timeline for Paris Olympics. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is emphasizing the importance of the fight for the eastern city of Bakhmut, saying a Ukrainian defeat there would bring pressure from the international community and some in Ukraine to make unacceptable compromises with Russia. Zelenskyy has said Ukraine will not engage in peace talks with Moscow until Russian forces have withdrawn from all of Ukraines territory, including the Crimean Peninsula it illegally annexed in 2014. Since launching its full-scale invasion last year, Russia claims to have annexed four areas in Ukraine in a move overwhelmingly condemned as illegal by the U.N. General Assembly. Western allies have downplayed the significance of Bakhmut, saying a Ukrainian loss there would not have large implications on the overall conflict. Zelenskyy told the Associated Press on Tuesday that every piece of the fight is important. We cant lose the steps because the war is a pie pieces of victories. Small victories, small steps, he said. Zelenskyy added that a Russian victory would give Russian President Vladimir Putin a political weapon to sell this victory to the West, to his society, to China, to Iran. If he will feel some blood smell that we are weak he will push, push, push, Zelenskyy said. The Ukrainian leader also said that the loss of Bakhmut would demoralize the Ukrainian public. Our society will feel tired, Zelenskyy said. Our society will push me to have compromise with them. Zelenskyy spoke to the AP as he traveled on a train to several parts along the front line, including the Sumy region in the northeast of Ukraine. The region is next to the enemy. The threat is constant. The shelling of our border is constant. But life, our people are obviously stronger than any fears, Zelenskyy said in his regular nightly video address. Zelenskyy spoke with city officials and residents in Okhtyrka and Trostyanets, towns that have seen fierce fighting. Trostyanets was under Russian control shortly after the invasion but freed by Ukrainian troops on March 26, 2022, The Associated Press reported. He also traveled to an undisclosed location near the Russian border and spoke with border guards. I also had a special conversation with the Head of the Border Guard Service. We talked about the defense of Sumy and our other regions, about strengthening the border guards who, together with all the defense forces, are fighting on the frontline, Zelenskyy said. A deal to secure the safety of Europes largest nuclear power plant in Ukraine could be close, although final details have yet to be agreed upon by Russian and Ukrainian officials, Rafael Mariano Grossi, chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Tuesday. Grossi told reporters he would "most probably" head to Russia in the coming days to try to finalize an agreement to protect the nuclear plant at Zaporizhzhia. Fierce fighting for months near the facility has worried international officials about a nuclear disaster, with the potential for radiation spreading far beyond the immediate war zone. "There is an increased level of combat, active combat" near the power plant, Grossi said. "My teams there report daily about the attacks, the sound of heavy weaponry. This is practically constant." Grossi has long called for a protection zone to be created around the plant, which is very near the front line of the war. But no agreement has been reached. "It is a zone of extreme volatility. So, the negotiations are, of course, affected by the ongoing military operations," Grossi said. "I would not characterize the process for the last few months as one that has not led to any progress." SEE ALSO: Grossi said he has maintained a professional dialogue with both Russian and Ukrainian officials as he seeks a deal "to ensure ... that there is no radiological accident, major catastrophic accident, in Europe." "I think it's close," he said of the possibility of a deal. "Obviously, obviously, I need a political commitment, political decision. And in this case, what I want to stress is that what they would be agreeing is on the protection of the plant. They are not agreeing with each other. They are agreeing with the IAEA. They are agreeing with nuclear safety and security. This is a very important element which I believe should be taken into consideration." He said any such agreement would be limited to protection of the nuclear plant, not aimed at securing a broader cease-fire. "What we are doing, the way we are presenting things is as a series of principles or commitments that the IAEA presents and everybody would be able to support," he said. "So, in my opinion this should make an agreement possible, not impossible, not utopian, not something for which we should be waiting for months and months on end." Because of the fighting, he said, "I think the principle here is to avoid an accident, and the possibility of having it is increasing. This is a matter of fact." Some material in this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. WASHINGTON - Al Jazeera has released the second edition of its five-part documentary series in which it has uncovered massive gold smuggling by a syndicate allegedly linked to President Emerson Mnangagwa, Ambassador at Large, Eubert Angel and several people, including hardcore black market traders. In this episode titled Smoke and Mirrors, Angel is quoted as telling an alleged gold smuggler, Ricky Doolan, and undercover Al Jazeera reporters that he would fix an appointment with Mnangagwa to the tune of US$200,000. Angel, who is said to be also a profit and referred to as a leader of the diplomatic mafia in the documentary, made his demands clean to Doolan. He said Mr. Stanelys money can do more than buying gold. Building a hotel would please Mnangagwa, according to Angel. Gold is easy, but there is nowhere to cut a ribbon. They didnt get it! Lets talk about gold. Number two, we talk about hotels. Why I want to talk about hotels? Its simple. A politician wants something. So if you go there and say Ive got a physical thing I want to do also (he wants a legacy) Thats what Im saying. Im trying to say it without saying it. You are going to get more attention the moment you say we want land for a hotel. Angel already had a location in mind. The town of Victoria Falls is maybe 30 meters the main street, the main street. If you think of that and we have the Seventh Wonder of the World in there and weve got visitors, there. When you get to Victoria Falls, what you might need is land. And that land the day we meet the president, is provided on the spot. He said he struck a deal for the royal family of Sharjah (United Arab Emirates. They needed 30,000 hectares. And I got it on the spot. The president said let them fly in right now. I already have land for them. Doolan called the investigative team to arrange a meeting with Mnangagwa. He is quoted as saying, right now the president is completely busy. But it can be made to happen because his time is so valuable you guys are going to have to pay a facilitation fee so that we can facilitate the meeting. Its the only way that it can work. The facilitation fee will be $200,000. The reporter then asked if the facilitation fee is a donation. Ricky Doolan said, Yes, its a facilitation fee With the Number One, the president. Its uncertain if they managed to meet with Mnangagwa. Apart from Angel, some of the Zimbabweans featured in the second edition of the five-part Al Jazeera documentary series is Henrieta Rushwaya, president of the Miners Federation of Zimbabwe, Civil Aviation Authority officer Cleopa Chidodo, who claims that he has cleared many illegal deals at the southern African nations Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport where he works with several runners, and one of Chidodos team members, Alec Yasini. Simon Rudland, Ewan MacMillan, Mohamed Kahn, Mehluleli Dube, Fraderick Kunaka and several others also feature prominently in the second episode. VOA Zimbabwe Service was unable to reach Angel, Mnangagwas spokesperson, George Charamba, and others linked to the gold scandal mentioned in the documentary. Charamba has threatened that Zimbabwe will jail journalists who will cover the Al Jazeera series. Rushwaya recently said she will comment when the documentary series is aired in full. A BlackRock building is seen in New York By Tommy Wilkes LONDON (Reuters) - BlackRock's liability-driven investment business is urging some smaller UK pension fund clients to stop splitting assets across multiple managers, as it tries to cut the complexity and risks of a strategy that imploded last year. Asset managers worry new rules to make LDI investing more robust could render the strategy unviable for some schemes, but consultants warn BlackRock's push could repel pension clients who want to minimise concentration risk. LDI, a hedging strategy used by thousands of schemes to ensure their assets generate enough cash to meet liabilities, almost blew up the UK pension industry in September when the then-British Prime Minister Liz Truss' disastrous 'mini-budget' sent government bond yields soaring. Pension funds were forced to top up collateral to keep hedges in place but some schemes in so-called 'pooled funds' couldn't raise cash fast enough and LDI managers cut their hedges, exposing them to losses. BlackRock is now telling some clients in pooled vehicles that they should shift more non-LDI assets to one manager to limit the size of buffers needed to withstand future market shocks because it would mean easier access to cash. On Wednesday the Bank of England said LDI funds would, in practice, need to increase liquidity buffers to withstand a 300-400 basis points surge in bond yields. That's three-to-five times the typical amount held before the September 2022 crisis. "We believe there will be a trend to put more overall assets with one manager, which will help increase collateral management optionality," Alex Claringbull, BlackRock's Global Head of Indexed Fixed Income & LDI, told Reuters, referring to the ability to raise cash for collateral through different sources. BlackRock is also encouraging schemes to shift to a new, smaller range of LDI funds which are less complex to operate, and moving bigger schemes into segregated accounts, which fared better in the crisis, Claringbull said. Story continues But pension consultants warn that asking schemes to hold more of their assets with a single manager is at odds with the investment principle of diversification across firms. "There can be certain situations where it does make sense to have all of your investments with one manager," said Simeon Willis from consultancy XPS. "But where clients feel they are being compromised they will look to move assets," he added. BlackRock, the world's biggest asset manager, competes with Legal & General Investment Management and Insight Investment as the three big providers of LDI, which is low-margin but integral to Britain's defined benefit pensions industry. Despite the crisis fallout BlackRock has told clients it remains committed to LDI. Rich Kushel, BlackRock's head of the Portfolio Management Group, said in a note sent to clients this month and seen by Reuters it wanted to create "more robust LDI solutions". (Reporting by Tommy Reggiori Wilkes; Editing by Sinead Cruise and Emelia Sithole-Matarise) DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday encouraged Tanzania's fragile progress toward a more inclusive government as she stepped onto the front lines of America's push to strengthen democracy in Africa. Standing alongside Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzanias first female president, Harris cited recent decisions from Tanzania such as lifting a ban on opposition rallies and encouraging more press freedom as important and meaningful steps toward democratic reforms in the country. Hassan has undone some of Tanzania's more oppressive policies even though she came to power as a member of the ruling party. The United States will continue to work alongside democratic governments in support of democratic aspiration and the democratic aspirations in particular of the people of this continent, Harris said. The two leaders planned to discuss matters of good government, long-term economic growth in Tanzania and the climate crisis. Hassan noted Tanzania's participation in a virtual summit on democracy hosted by the White House this week, saying it sends a clear message that the fathers of democracy recognize our efforts in building a democratic nation. She added that the meeting between the two female leaders was another milestone, saying that it would be an inspiration and a testimony to Tanzanian young girls. Hassan is finishing out the term of President John Magufuli, who earned a reputation for stamping out dissent, arresting critics and forcing them into exile, before he died in office. Hard-liners have been uncomfortable with some of Hassans changes, however, which could cost her in the next election two years from now. Yet the meeting between Hassan and Harris, the first woman to serve as U.S. vice president, was a noteworthy show of support from Washington as the United States deepens its outreach to Africa. Harris announced $560 million in U.S. assistance for Tanzania, some of which will require congressional approval. The money is intended to expand the two countries trade relationship, as well as encourage democratic governance. Theres so much excitement here, and people are saying its like Madam Presidents efforts in changing the country are being rewarded with recognition from an economic and political superpower that is the U.S., said Tanzania-based analyst Mohamed Issa Hemed. During a previous meeting in Washington, Harris told Hassan that we welcome the progress that you have made during the course of your leadership and, in particular, the work you have done to empower women leaders in Tanzania and the work you have done to support human rights. The encounter with Hassan will provide Harris with another opportunity to highlight womens issues in Africa, something shes done repeatedly over the course of her trip. During her previous stop in Ghana, Harris met with female entrepreneurs and said women need leadership opportunities. The future, Harris said, should be a place where women are not just treated equally but are able to thrive. These conversations are very important, she said at the Mix Design Hub, a modern building that features a restaurant, an art gallery and a co-working space. Because the well-being of women will be a reflection of the well-being of all of society. After her meeting with Hassan on Thursday, Harris plans to visit a memorial to the U.S. embassy bombings that occurred in Tanzania and in neighboring Kenya in 1998. Her office said she will meet with staff who still work at the embassy in Dar es Salaam, a quarter-century after the attack that killed 12 people there and wounded 77. Harris arrived in Tanzania late Wednesday after spending three nights in Ghana. Much like at her first stop, she was greeted with music and dancing as she walked down a red carpet that was rolled out to Air Force 2. Some of the welcoming party wore shirts with Harris' face and skirts featuring Hassan. Harris is scheduled to spend two nights in Tanzania, then conclude her weeklong trip with a stop in Zambia, another country that is striving to strengthen its democracy. She plans to return to Washington on Sunday. Idayat Hassan, director of the Centre for Democracy and Development in Abuja, Nigeria, said Harris visit can help galvanize enthusiasm when there are concerns over backsliding into authoritarianism in Africa and around the world. Many people will want the U.S. to speak to the issue of democracy, which they feel is beginning to decline and is not what it used to be, she said. There are more that need to be assured that democracy is here to stay. Like Tanzania, Zambia has made uneven steps toward democracy since its independence. However, theres been a burst of hope after the country elected Hakainde Hichilema, a former opposition leader who once faced charges of treason. Zambia has since decriminalized defamation of the president, a law that was used to stifle opposition. Its also serving as a co-host of President Joe Bidens second Summit for Democracy this week. However, Hichilema warned this week that economic progress is necessary to sustain open societies. You cant eat democracy, he wrote in The Washington Post. Human rights may sustain the spirit but not the body. Since Russias invasion in February 2022, tens of thousands of women have voluntarily joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. As of the end of last year, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense says almost 60,000 women were serving. Myroslava Gongadze met with two female former journalists Vice President Kamala Harris's visit to Zambia is raising excitement in the country and some nostalgia. Harris has a personal connection to Zambia, where she spent time with her Indian grandfather, who sparked her interest in public service. Kathy Short reports for VOA from Lusaka, Zambia. Funeral Announcements A daily list of current funeral annoucements as heard on KXRA 1490 AM/100.3 FM News Updates The daily news, sports, and events delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Sports Update This current sports headlines delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Upcoming Events This email is the events of the area delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Breaking News The big news. Sent only as it happens. MAXIMIZE MARKET RESEARCH PRIVATE LIMITED Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market size to grow because of increasing awareness of bleeding disorders and high investments by key market players in R&D. Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market analysis was conducted by dividing it into three main segments: Drug Type, Disease Type and End-User Pune, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A global Healthcare business-consulting firm, Maximize Market research, has published a market intelligence and competitive landscape report on the Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market , which is a combination of primary data and secondary data. The total market opportunity for Bleeding Disorders Treatment was USD 15.5 Bn in 2022 and is expected to grow at 8.5 percent CAGR through the forecast period by reaching USD 29.8 Bn by 2029. Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market Report Scope and Research Methodology Market Size in 2022 USD 15.5 Bn. Market Size in 2029 USD 29.8 Bn. CAGR 8.5 percent (2022-2029) Forecast Period 2023-2029 Base Year 2021 Number of Pages 285 No. of Tables 119 No. of Charts and Figures 111 Segment Covered Drug Type, Disease Type and End User Regional Scope North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, South America Report Coverage Market Share, Size & Forecast by Revenue | 20222029, Market Dynamics, Growth Drivers, Restraints, Investment Opportunities, and Key Trends, Competitive Landscape, Key Players Benchmarking, Competitive Analysis, MMR Competition Matrix, Competitive Leadership Mapping, Global Key Players Market Ranking Analysis. Request For Free Sample Report: https://www.maximizemarketresearch.com/request-sample/65796 The Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market report includes development trends, a competitive landscape, regional insights and an industry overview. The report includes a detailed analysis of the market dynamics including growth drivers, investment opportunities, upcoming challenges and major restraints in each region. For easy understanding, the research was conducted by dividing the Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market into four major segments, which were further divided into various sub-segments. For the competitive landscape, the report includes key players with their Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market share based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors. Story continues The bottom-up approach was used to estimate the global and regional Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market size. To collect the data, primary and secondary research methods were employed and data was collected through both methods were combined to make the report authentic. In primary research, interviews were conducted with selected respondents to validate the data gathered through exhaustive research. The secondary research includes the data collected from selected sources such as official databases of various organizations and governmen t sites, industry journals, white papers, annual reports and suppliers in the Bleeding Disorders Treatment industry along with free and paid databases. SWOT analysis was employed to provide the strengths and weaknesses of the Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market while PESTLE was used to understand the potential impact of the micro-economic and macro-economic factors affecting the Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market. Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market Overview The disruption in the bodys natural blood clotting process is called a bleeding disorder. The majority of bleeding disorders are inherited while some also take place because of drug interactions, low red blood cell counts, liver conditions and vitamin K deficiencies. Get a Sample Copy of the Report: https://www.maximizemarketresearch.com/request-sampl e/65796 Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market Dynamics The increasing incidence of anemia, liver illnesses and other blood coagulation problems are resulting in the rising need for treating bleeding disorders, which driving the Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market growth. The increasing research and development projects for the treatment of blood disorders are expected to create various growth opportunities for the Bleeding Disorders Treatment industry. The increasing funds by the governments to increase the adoption of bleeding disorders treatments is also majorly contributing to the Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market growth. The advancements in the healthcare infrastructure and the rising healthcare expenditure are the factors positively affecting the Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market. The inadequate reimbursement policies and medication costs are the factors that are expected to hinder the market growth. Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market Regional Insights The Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market in the North America region held the largest market share in 2021 and is expected to continue its dominance during the forecast period. The major reason behind this growth of the regional market is the widespread use of prophylaxis treatment, particularly in countries such as Canada and the United States. The Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market in the Asia Pacific region is expected to grow at a high rate during the forecast period. This growth of the regional market is due to the rising expenditure for the improvement of healthcare infrastructure. Get Customization on this Report for Specific Research Solutions: https://www.maximizemarketresearch.com/request-customization/65796 Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market Segmentation By Drug Type Plasma-derived coagulation factor concentrates Recombinant coagulation factor concentrates Desmopressin Antifibrinolytics Fibrin sealants Others Based on Drug Type, the Plasma-derived coagulation factor concentrates segment and the Recombinant coagulation factor concentrates segment are expected to grow at a high CAGR during the forecast period. This growth of the segments is attributed to the increasing R&D activities and focus of pharmaceutical companies on recombinant products. By Disease Type Hemophilia A Hemophilia B Von willebrand disease Liver disease Others Based on Disease Type, the Hemophilia A segment is expected to grow at a high CAGR during the forecast period due to the rising number of patients suffering from hemophilia A and increasing R&D investments for hemophilia product. By End User Hospitals Academic and research institutes Clinics Based on End-User, the Hospitals segment is expected to grow at a high CAGR during the forecast period due to the significance of providing quality treatment plans and their increased efficiency. Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market Key Competitors include: Biogen Inc. (US) CSL Behring (US) Pfizer Inc. (US) Baxter International Inc. (US) Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (US) Xenetic Biosciences, Inc. (US) Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (US) Amgen, Inc. (US) Janssen Global Services, LLC (US) BDI Pharma (US) Akorn Operating Company LLC (US) Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc. (US) AbbVie Inc. (US) Prestige Consumer Healthcare Inc. (US) OASIS Medical (US) Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (India) Wellona Pharma (India) Zydus Group (India) Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC (India) Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Japan) Ferring Pharmaceuticals (Switzerland) Alcon (Switzerland) Octapharma AG (Switzerland) Novartis AG (Switzerland) Bayer AG (Germany) Grifols International SA (Spain) Novo Nordisk A/S (Denmark) Bausch & Lomb Incorporated (Canada) Thea Laboratories (France) Sanofi (France) Get the Sample PDF of the Report: https://www.maximizemarketresearch.com/request-sample/65796 Key questions answered in the Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market are: What is Bleeding Disorders Treatment? What are the global trends in the Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market? What are the upcoming industry applications and trends for the Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market? What are the factors contributing to the final price of Bleeding Disorders Treatment? What is the expected demand for different types of products in the Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market during the forecast period? What are the recent industry trends that can be implemented to generate additional revenue streams for Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market? What growth strategies are the players considering to increase their presence in Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market? Who are the leading companies and what are their portfolios in Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market? What are the major challenges that the Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market could face in the future? Who held the largest market share in Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market? Key Offerings: Past Market Size and Competitive Landscape (2018 to 2021) Past Pricing and price curve by region (2018 to 2021) Market Size, Share, Size & Forecast by different segment | 20222029 Market Dynamics Growth Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities, and Key Trends by region Market Segmentation A detailed analysis by Drug Type, Disease Type, End User and Region Competitive Landscape Profiles of selected key players by region from a strategic perspective Competitive landscape Market Leaders, Market Followers, Regional player Competitive benchmarking of key players by region PESTLE Analysis PORTERs analysis Value chain and supply chain analysis Legal Aspects of business by region Lucrative business opportunities with SWOT analysis Recommendations Maximize Market Research is leading Healthcare research firm, has also published the following reports: Gastrointestinal Bleeding Treatment Market - The market size is expected to reach USD 1058.61 million by 2029 at a CAGR of 4.6 percent during the forecast period. The market is expected to be driven by the increasing demand for endoscopic hemostasis and the growing geriatric population. Autologous Cell Therapy Market - The market size is expected to reach USD 26.1 billion by 2029 at a CAGR of 21.5 percent during the forecast period. The market is expected to be driven by the increasing number of people suffering from chronic diseases such as cancer, blood disorders, autoimmune diseases and others. Adenomyosis Treatment Market - The market size is expected to reach USD 370.97 million by 2029 at a CAGR of 4.1 percent during the forecast period. The market is expected to be driven by advancements in the healthcare industry, especially in inventions and research studies. Hemostasis Diagnostics Market - The market size is expected to reach USD 3.77 billion by 2029 at a CAGR of 8.27 percent during the forecast period. The market is expected to be driven by the increasing incidences of blood clotting diagnoses for patients, especially those who are more vulnerable to losing excess blood from their bodies. Coagulation Testing Market - The market size is expected to reach USD 4.22 billion by 2029 at a CAGR of 5.9 percent during the forecast period. The market is expected to be driven by the high demand for blood coagulation testing due to the increasing prevalence of haemostatic diseases. About Maximize Market Research: Maximize Market Research is a multifaceted market research and consulting company with professionals from several industries. Some of the industries we cover include medical devices, pharmaceutical manufacturers, science and engineering, electronic components, industrial equipment, technology and communication, cars and automobiles, chemical products and substances, general merchandise, beverages, personal care, and automated systems. To mention a few, we provide market-verified industry estimations, technical trend analysis, crucial market research, strategic advice, competition analysis, production and demand analysis, and client impact studies. CONTACT: Contact Maximize Market Research: 3rd Floor, Navale IT Park, Phase 2 Pune Banglore Highway, Narhe, Pune, Maharashtra 411041, India sales@maximizemarketresearch.com +91 96071 95908, +91 9607365656 What a marvel. Photo: Rich Fury/Getty Images for PRADA Phase Five is looking mighty fine. Nope star Steven Yeun is set to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe next summer as part of the cast of Thunderbolts, the Phase Five movie currently scheduled to release on July 26, 2024, per Deadline. The movie will be helmed by Paper Towns director Jake Schreier, with Kevin Feige to produce. The creator of Beef (which also stars Yeun), Lee Sung Jin, has replaced Black Widow writer Eric Pearson on the project. Im rewriting it, Lee told Variety. Its the whole squad again. Jake asked me if I would come on board. I probably should have taken a break, but theres a lot of themes and exciting things about the movie that I couldnt help but sign on. Yeun will reportedly play a significant role in not only the movie, but also the future of the MCU. While the official plot hasnt been revealed, we know from the comics that the Thunderbolts are a superpowered team of antiheroes and villains. Marvel announced last year that the cast will include Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan as Winter Soldier, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Wyatt Russell as U.S. Agent, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, and Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster. Deadline reported this January that The Bears Ayo Edebiri is also cooking up a yet-unnamed role, perhaps in hopes of pleasing critics as much as Sydneys risotto did. This post has been updated throughout. (Reuters) -Block Inc said on Thursday 44 million of its more 51 million monthly active customers on Cash App were verified through its identity program as of Dec. 31. The payments firm also estimated that the verified accounts constituted roughly 97% of Cash App inflows. The disclosure follows Hindenburg Research's report last week that former Block employees estimated 40% to 75% of accounts they reviewed were fake, involved in fraud or were additional accounts tied to a single individual. After taking a short position in Block, the report alleged that the payments firm led by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey overstated its Cash App user numbers and understated its customer acquisition costs. Block has denied the allegations, saying it would explore legal action against the short seller for its "factually inaccurate and misleading report" that was "designed to deceive and confuse investors". Hindenburg, which was also behind a market rout of more than $100 billion in India's Adani Group in late January, had said Block "obfuscates" how many individuals are on the platform by reporting "misleading transacting active metrics filled with fake and duplicate accounts". However, Wall Street's analysts were sanguine about the outlook for Block and said most of the issues raised by Hindenburg are known and the accuracy of the company's reported financials has not been questioned. "It is difficult to both refute or confirm any of allegations being made, but these allegations certainly will get regulators attention," Piper Sandler analysts had told its clients on March 23. The short seller's move is seen as a challenge to Dorsey, who co-founded Block in 2009 in his San Francisco apartment with the goal to shake up the credit card industry. Block's shares were up more than 2% in afternoon trading. (Reporting by Manya Saini in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja Desai and Arun Koyyur) Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Getty Images Cinematic universes make up the lifeblood of the modern film industry. At a time when everything feels like part of a sequel or a franchise, Cinematic Universes like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Wes Anderson Cinematic Universe provide the stability that audiences are looking for. Is the WesCU technically a franchise? No! But both the MCU and the WesCU have clearly defined comedic styles (MCU is all Its right behind me, isnt it? while the WesCUs jokes are mostly off-kilter statements), aesthetics (bombastic and adorkable, respectively), and a penchant for stacking the cast with a roster of returning A-listers who know how to handle the material. But do they share the same ones? Sometimes! (That means some times.) With the trailer for Andersons upcoming film Asteroid City out on March 29, showing off a cavalcade of notable stars both new and returning to the WesCu, we decided to put the two houses head to head. Below, a slew of actors who have either starred in the MCU, the WesCU, or both. Take the quiz to see if you can call yourself a true Film Bro (non-gendered, non-derogatory) before Asteroid City comes out on June 16. Is this actor in the MCU, the WesCU, or both? Decide if each of these actors plays a character in the MCU, has been in a Wes Anderson project, or both. Important to note projects that haven't come out yet are still fair game because we're tricky like that. Tilda Swinton MCU WesCU Both Yes, correct! Tilda Swinton plays the Ancient One ( yikes! ) in the MCU and has been in Wes Anderson films like Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and The French Dispatch. I love you, but you don't know what you're talking about. Tilda Swinton plays the Ancient One ( yikes! ) in the MCU and has been in Wes Anderson films like Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and The French Dispatch. Chris Evans MCU WesCU Both Yes, correct! Chris Evans plays Captain America in the MCU and has yet to be in a Wes Anderson film (though we'd like to see it). I love you, but you don't know what you're talking about. Chris Evans plays Captain America in the MCU and has yet to be in a Wes Anderson film (though we'd like to see it). Gwyneth Paltrow MCU WesCU Both Yes, correct! Paltrow starred as Pepper Potts in many MCU movies and as Margot Tenenbaum in The Royal Tenenbaums. No word on if she remembers either. I love you, but you don't know what you're talking about. Paltrow starred as Pepper Potts in many MCU movies and as Margot Tenenbaum in The Royal Tenenbaums. No word on if she remembers either. Ralph Fiennes MCU WesCU Both Yes, correct! Ralph Fiennes notably stars in The Grand Budapest Hotel and will also star in Anderson's upcoming The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar. I love you, but you don't know what you're talking about. Ralph Fiennes has never been MCU-ed but does star in Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel and will also star in the upcoming The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar. Edward Norton MCU WesCU Both Yes, correct! Norton has starred in multiple Anderson projects, including the upcoming Asteroid City, and also starred as the original MCU Hulk, though Marvel would prefer it if you forgot that. I love you, but you don't know what you're talking about. Norton has starred in multiple Anderson projects, including the upcoming Asteroid City, and also starred as the original MCU Hulk, though Marvel would have you forget it. Jeffrey Wright MCU WesCu Both Yes, correct! Wright is both the right person for an Anderson project (The French Dispatch, Asteroid City) and for voicing the Watcher in the upcoming Disney+ animated series What If ...?, which is technically part of the MCU. I love you, but you don't know what you're talking about. Wright is both the right person for an Anderson project (The French Dispatch, Asteroid City) and for voicing the Watcher in the upcoming Disney+ animated series What If...? which is technically part of the MCU. Bradley Cooper MCU WesCU Both Yes, correct! B Coops voices Rocket Raccoon over in the MCU, which makes him far too busy to star in a Wes Anderson project. I love you, but you don't know what you're talking about. B Coops voices Rocket Raccoon over in the MCU, which makes him far too busy to star in a Wes Anderson project. Scarlett Johansson MCU WesCU Both Yes correct! ScarJo famously portrayed Black Widow in the MCU, but she still has time for a quirked up white boy (I mean, she's married to Colin Jost), and she both voiced a dog in Isle of Dogs and will soon star in Asteroid City. I love you, but you don't know what you're talking about. ScarJo famously portrayed Black Widow in the MCU, but she still has time for a quirked up white boy (I mean, she's married to Colin Jost), and she both voiced a dog in Isle of Dogs and will soon star in Asteroid City. Jeff Goldblum MCU WesCU Both Yes, correct! This quirkster is a perfect fit for both the Anderson-vers (The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, Asteroid City, etc.) and for the funny queer-straight-guy vibes required of an MCU villain, so he plays Grandmaster in multiple MCU films. I love you, but you don't know what you're talking about. This quirkster is a perfect fit for both the Anderson-vers (The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, Asteroid City, etc.) and for the funny queer-straight-guy vibes required of an MCU villain, so he plays Grandmaster in multiple MCU films. Elizabeth Olsen MCU WesCU Both Yes correct! Olsen is the Scarlett Witch over in the MCU, but has yet to take on the WesCU. If there was a button for "Should star in a WesCU" film, however, that would be right. I love you, but you don't know what you're talking about. Olsen is the Scarlett Witch over in the MCU, but has yet to take on the WesCU. If there was a button for "Should Star in a WesCU" film, however, that would be right. Dev Patel MCU WesCU Both Yes, correct! That was a tricky one. Patel's Wes Anderson project, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, won't be released until later this year, but he's never starred in the MCU. I love you, but you don't know what you're talking about. That was a tricky one. Patel's Wes Anderson project, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, won't be released until later this year, but he's never starred in the MCU. Like an unscented fart coming out of the bum of an uncorrupted saint, we didnt have even a whiff of #Scandoval this episode, and I think were the better for it. We can now turn away from Sandoval and Raquel for a bit to focus on the real villain of this show: James Kennedy. That visit from his father, Andros, who is essentially PK if things went bad, was essentially his villain origin story. James was so clearly fucked up by his early life that he is trying to become his father and date his mother. Its like hes trying to correct the sins of the past by redoing them the right way. The problem is that he hasnt learned from the past, so like a one-hit wonder playing a state fair, he is bound to repeat it repeatedly. Just look at the little visit from his father at the top of the episode. James says he wants to be in the music business like his father. And what sort of advice does Andros have for his alcoholic son? Binge drinking is just a rite of passage, he says. Then he tells him that he cant imagine being a DJ without having a drink. Congratulations, you just guaranteed that your son will never be able to hold down a job because alcohol will ruin it all. I hope hes happy about that. Speaking of James, Ariana, Scheana, and Lala invite his newest mother imposter, Ally, out for lunch to get her to be part of the group. When they sit down, Lala is still mad that Raquel, Jamess ex, called her a mistress bimbo while shes in a pink sarong and high heels at a pool party in Valley Village. Lala calls her a baby prostitute, forgetting that we have seasons, may I repeat seasons, of her wearing skanky outfits on this very show, including the dress that Lisa forces all of her hostesses to wear. Also, hasnt she been kicked out of her Hollywood home that was paid for by the married man she was sleeping with? Sorry, Lala, but we are considering the source and disregarding the remark. Lala next goes out to dinner with Scheana and Brock, and its really her apology tour for what she said last year, including that someone compared Brock and Randall, and she called her ex-fiance a stand-up guy. Um, do stand-up guys get exposes in the Los Angeles Times? Yeah, I didnt think so. Lala apologizes for bringing up Brocks issues with child support and his babys mama, but then he says he forgives her because that forced him to do the right thing and get all paid up on his child support. Yeah, I will need to see those receipts from Sheila back in Australia, who supposedly cashed all those checks, before I believe it. Scheana then has to go to her surprise shower at Villa Rosa, a Sephora that real humans live in, and when she enters, they all sing Good As Gold. Yes, her single is a certified bop, but Scheana needs to drop at least one more hit, because if she doesnt, theyre going to be singing this nine-year-old song at her funeral. Actually, thats not such a bad way to go. Know who is not at the party? Katie Maloney Schwartz Maloney and her bob of sadness were either in Kristina Kellys (always both names!) backyard planting flowers or at home making Cup O Noodles for herself and Butters, the dog who you know eats food off of Katies fork and she just lets him. Not much happens at the reception other than James dropping the bomb that he should marry Ally and put a bunch of babies in her, and everyone tries to convince him that is a bad idea. Everyone except, you guessed it, his father, who, in the opening scene, told him he should just go for it. If this man were a fortune cookie, you would open him up and it would say, Man who does not do hookers and blow ends up hooked into blowing it. Also, at the shower and the impromptu after-party at Schwartz & Sandys (okay, honestly, points to James for asking, How many soft openings are we gonna have?), Schwartz and Raquel were getting their flirt on a bit. But, know what, it seemed like honest fun. He tells Raquel that he has an LVP tattoo on his ass. Ill show you in Mexico, he says. Thats the cheeky thing you say with friends youre attracted to. As long as it is consensual, flirting never hurts anyone. We all have a friend or two that we find attractive that we talk to like this and we know that nothing is ever going to happen, but doesnt it feel good to feel hot and let someone hot make you feel that way? Usually, this is a sensation I only get from Tenga devices, but I guess you can feel like this from humans too. At the after-party, James asks Scheana and Brock if Ally can attend the actual wedding, and they give him a hard maybe, which is what most guys at the bathhouse consider me. Then, in his confessional, James says that if they said no, he wouldnt attend anyway because James Kennedy enjoys nothing more than blowing up a perfectly good friendship for no reason. Next thing you know, we are at the Dreamz resort and (possibly?) casino in Playa Del Carmen, who I believe was one of Jaxs two girlfriends somewhere around season three. My favorite, favorite, favorite thing about this whole episode is what Katie finds out when she checks into the room she refused to give up for Scheanas wedding. Sche-Sche had her moved into the tower on the opposite side of the resort and had her access to the wedding areas cut off. At this point, Scheana has spent a whole decade learning about pettiness from Katie, Kristen, Stassi, and the rest of their clique, and she was paying attention. Its so great to see the Witches of WeHos spells finally turned against them. (P.S. Scheana admits she doesnt talk about it often, but shes half Mexican. It took us longer to hear about this than it did about what happened to Katie and that skylight.) In the lobby, before they can even swill down their welcome drink, James is bothering Ally for tongue kisses in public, and she turns him down. Ugh, poor Ally. Does she not realize that all of this (gestures around wildly) really has nothing to do with her? She was just in the wrong place (a Tom Sandoval concert) at the wrong time (when is the right time to be there?), and she ended up being the tool James is using to try to get back at Raquel. Ally could be anyone. She could be a blow-up doll with Teresa Giudices last remaining brain cell and James would have taken her to this wedding, lavished a swim-up room on her, and tried to get in some heavy petting in the shared lobby. Sure, things were awkward all around. Ariana says, Tom is my prisoner; I have him all to myself, while hes sneaking out in the middle of the night to get it on with Raquel in a room with a galaxy projector. But things were even frostier with James and Ally. As theyre in the room, he brings up Raquel once again, and Ally says, while physically recoiling from his touch, We all know Raquel is here. Can we stop talking about her for like five seconds? But that is against the point of Ally. She is not there to be her own person. She is there to be the anti-Raquel. Everything James is doing with Ally is revenge on the Raquel voodoo doll he holds in his mind. Then we get to the big, fat bust-up at the rehearsal dinner. Well, do you even need to rehearse for a resort wedding? I feel like they have this all mapped out and down to a science. Its less of a wedding ceremony and more like making Swedish meatballs at Ikea. Anyway, James comes in, and we hear from everyone involved that there was an incident off-camera. Apparently, one of Brocks friends was super-drunk. I assume it is an Australian, because were happy if those people leave the house wearing shoes, and even if they do, we know theyre not sober. This guy tried to put his arm around James, and James responded by body-checking him and almost starting a fight. Ariana witnessed the whole thing and wasnt happy about James almost starting a fight, nonetheless at Scheanas wedding. But James is yelling about it, how drunk the guy was, what a jerk he was, and how they should all be lucky that he didnt punch the guy in the face. Its the usual White Kanye behavior, any excuse other than taking accountability for his own actions. Finally, Ariana says that James is berating her, which he denies. But then its Ally, yes Ally, who chimes in and says, Yes, you are. Ally says in a confessional that sitting next to James makes her question everything about why shes in Mexico and dating him. Yes, I think it is making her question everything, but I think it is making her question if being on this here show is worth putting up with James. We know Raquels answer. Five years of this kind of torture was all she could bear, but she got her reward, a low level of fame, and a TMZ scandal that would probably ruin her mental health for good. So, yeah, I feel a little bad for Ally that James is using her, but shes using James just as hard. The problem is, she made this Nicole KidmanTom Cruise contract with James, and shes being her sweet, lovable, attractive self, and hes being something that you scrape off your shoe on the way home from a music festival. Finally, even Ariana, who is usually cooler than a plastic surgeons office full of witches titties, loses her cool. I dont like him doing it, and I dont like you doing it either, she shouts about James and the surely Australian drunkard. He tells her to stop yelling, but she says, When I talk to you at a normal volume you dont listen. Shes right; no one can make James listen. No one can make him stop. He just keeps on trucking, reliving the same (almost boring) script that his parents wrote for him as a baby. Yes, Ally gets up and leaves, but James is stuck, at that table, on this show, with himself. As Ally got up and left the table, so did Tom Sandoval. He walked back to his room to put on another coat of white nail polish when he saw something blue, green, purple, and starry, like the northern lights if they came in a bag, coming out of the cracked guest-room door. He knew who was staying there. He quickly took off his shirt and pants no undies after hes been swimming; its an old Sandoval superstition and worked himself up into a state. Im here! he said as he walked toward the lump under the comforter. As he pulled it back, he had a bit of a shock. Tom! Duh, man. Of course, Schwartz said back to him. Who else would have a room with a galaxy light? Who else would want a little bit of this? Schwartz took Sandovals member first in his hand and then in his mouth, showing him that, just like the lighting, his skills were out of this world. Sandoval leaned his head back and moaned. This was not who he expected to see in the room with the galaxy light, but this will do. This will do. One of Cathlamet artist Tom Robert's paddleboards on display and for sale at a surf shop in Seaside. Courtesy photo. It's become home, but Cathlamet was only supposed to be a last stop on Tom Robert's pikeminnow fishing tour. "I was traveling all around the northwest in my RV," Roberts said. "I wasn't catching many fish, so I thought, one more stop and then I'm going to stop this fishing." He'd been in Cathlamet only once before, about 25 years earlier, returning from adventures on his oceangoing sailboat. The town and it's people made an impression even then, but this time he warmed to the community even more as he found like-minded people who were willing to take him under their wing and show him how to actually catch pikeminnow. He no longer resides in his RV and has settled into a home not too far from the Elochoman Slough Marina. The Portland native spent his career working for Japanese tire corporations before he retired. Needing to stay busy, and with a recent condition that keeps him out of boats these days, he's found another outlet in art. His sister, who lives in Hawaii, sent him a Japanese gyotaku process fish print, which Roberts described as an old system of printing fish. "You take the fish itself after you catch it," he said, "you put some ink on it and press rice paper to it and it makes a print." He was living on the Oregon coast at the time, salmon and steelhead fishing, and thought it was something he could try. He got hooked after he sold some of his work in a local gallery. "I thought, I am an artist," Roberts said. He took a class in the process at the Portland Art Museum, and sold his work in Made in Oregon stores until they instituted a policy on prices. One of his prints is in the Spar Tavern, he said, but these days he's more focused on making retro paddle boards, to which he's added his own take on Northwest Native art, and which are strictly for display. "I don't know why I started doing this," Roberts said. "It just seemed to be a unique thing that would appeal to the type of person that I want to sell this board to. I want someone to buy this board as a piece of art. And sit down with their glass of wine or beer and look at the board and love it." Portland native Tom Roberts moved to Cathlamet seven years ago. He was just awarded a $4,850 Washington State Arts Commission grant. Courtesy photo. "It's been fun making them," he added. "It takes awhile. There is a surf shop in Seaside I've been doing business with for years. There is a market for them." While he did take some art classes in high school and clearly appreciates art, having collected during his travels for years, this is all relatively new, and he hopes to make the most of it. "This art is a career, even now," Roberts said. "I'm pretty lucky to be making money at this. People like what I'm doing. This is something you can enjoy doing for the rest of my life." Roberts is certain that there are artists with a lot more talent, but they don't know how to market themselves. He is willing to do so, which is why he recently applied for a grant and was awarded $4,850 from the Washington State Arts Commission. He will use some of the funds to create a more permanent space on his property that will allow him to continue his art work at home. To The Eagle: As you're reading this, four students at Wahkiakum High School are on their way to Germany, where they'll be spending their Spring Break exploring northern Bavaria and the castles along the Rhine River. That they're able to experience this once-in-a-lifetime adventure is in no small part a credit to the members of our community who have supported the German Club's fundraising efforts over the last 18 months. I'm the club's advisor, and this is my seventh time taking this trip with a group of high school students. It's my first time, however, where none of the students have had to incur any out-of-pocket expenses; they've succeeded in raising every dollar - whether for airfare, lodging, transportation, meals, or events - completely on their own through rummage sales, game nights, pen sales, and concessions. My sincere thanks to all the wonderful people of Wahkiakum who have supported them in their efforts. Danke schoen! Don Cox German Club Advisor Scanning and analyzing a blockchain can be challenging, particularly when sorting through tens of thousands of blockchain addresses and millions of transactions. It's tedious and time-consuming and the story being told is often elusive. The Austin-based startup Blocktrace hopes that artificial intelligence can make the blockchain analysis process faster, and uncovering trends and anomolies easier. Launched in 2018 by software engineer Shaun MaGruder, whose background includes work as the head of training at blockchain forensics firm, Chainalysis, Blocktrace is an AI-fortified blockchain forensic and analytical service provider. Using a chatbot they named Robby the Robotafter the iconic character from the sci-fi film "Forbidden Planet"Blocktrace developed their AI to interact with data on the Bitcoin blockchain. Blocktrace CEO MaGruder told Decrypt in an interview that the company decided to start the Robby project with Bitcoin because of its large sample size and history. ChatGPT + Bitcoin, please meet Robby the Robot. As a language model equipped with advanced natural language processing technology, Robby can effectively interpret complex user questions and provide insightful answers. pic.twitter.com/W2OHChBoIc BLOCKTRACE (@blocktrace) March 28, 2023 "Bitcoin is a great project to start with and will likely always be around, just like Ethereum," MaGruder said. "It's considered the OG because it was the first and has a large pool of user base addresses with a lot of activity." According to MaGruder, a copy of the Bitcoin blockchain data is stored in Blocktrace's databasealready a significant technical feat. Enhanced with an AI layer, their application allows users to ask natural language questions like a virtual assistant. Story continues A natural language model is a type of artificial intelligence designed to understand and process human language, similar to how humans do. "Users can quickly ask for specific information, such as transactions between dates and amounts," MaGruder said. "This saves time compared to the manual process, which could take one to two hours using a blockchain explorer." MaGruder explains that Blocktrace aims to enable investigators and users to use the technology developed by OpenAI to quickly find Bitcoin addresses and identify transactions that occurred on the network with greater accuracy and detail. "Instead of requiring a data engineer or data scientist to translate natural language questions into SQL queries, Robbie has already been trained on the data model and can quickly fetch results for the user," MaGruder said, calling the process more efficient and one that does not require continuous training for new data scientists. While still in beta, Robby is expected to be made available for the public to use later this year. Before rolling Robby out to the public, however, MaGruder said the chatbot would first be given to a closed group to test. "We want to make sure that Robbie is stable and that we don't fall on our faces when we release it to the public," MaGruder said. "We want to make sure that the questions that the public is going to ask are questions we've already asked Robbie." "As expected, people will compare Robbie to a traditional blockchain explorer and determine whether Robbie is correct or incorrect," MaGruder said. "To gather feedback, we will implement a thumbs up and thumbs down button. A thumbs up will serve as positive reinforcement, while a thumbs down will indicate areas needing improvement." Blocktrace is just the latest Web3 company looking to leverage the power of artificial intelligence for blockchain analysis. Others using the technology include Elliptic, Chainalysis, CipherTrace, and Nansen. "It's something we're looking at very deeply," Andrew Thurman, a Nansen engineer, told Decrypt at ETH Denver. "You can use things like AI analysis on the blockchain to see if [wallets] are doing the same things at the same time." Thurman added that even if there are no explicit connections, you can infer within a good level of certainty that all of those wallets are tied to the same entity. "Algorithmic labeling, and AI labeling, I think, have a pretty significant future in blockchain analysis," Thurman said. Benito Almanza announces retirement after 45 years at Bank of America and more than two decades as Phoenix and Arizona President PHOENIX, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of America has named Scott Vanderpool president of Bank of America Phoenix. The company also announced that widely known business leader Benito Almanza plans to retire April 6 after 45 years of service with the company and 22 years as Phoenix and Arizona president. Bank of America Benito Almanza and Scott Vanderpool As Phoenix president, Vanderpool assumes the responsibilities for connecting Bank of America's banking and investment resources offered through the company's eight lines of business to people and companies in the region. He also leads the effort to deploy the company's resources to help advance economic mobility and build strong communities. Vanderpool joined Bank of America in 2007 and retains his role as Phoenix market executive, leading operations for Phoenix and working in partnership with the company's Phoenix leadership team to drive market share growth, employee engagement and the bank's brand locally. Vanderpool previously held a leadership role as a Business Banking market executive with the company in Colorado. He holds a bachelor's degree from Arizona State University and received an MBA from the University of California at Riverside. Vanderpool also attended the Pacific Coast Banking School, a graduate school within the University of Washington, where he serves as a faculty member teaching their capstone leadership course. Having deep ties to the Phoenix community, Vanderpool is engaged in local nonprofit organizations and serves as the board chair of the Arizona Banker's Association and is a board member of ICAN: Improving Chandler Area Neighborhoods and Education Forward Arizona. Vanderpool lives in Phoenix with his wife and two children. During his distinguished career, Almanza delivered Bank of America's resources to clients and communities in Phoenix and across Arizona, helping direct close to $125 million in philanthropic investments that have led to better outcomes for tens of thousands of individuals and families. Story continues Civically active, Almanza holds membership in the California State Bar Association and the U.S. District Court Northern District Association and serves on the board of Arizona Community Foundation and the Arizona Bankers Association. He also is a member of Greater Phoenix Leadership and Greater Phoenix Economic Council. Almanza has received numerous accolades for his contributions, most recently including the award of Emeritus Status with Teach for America and last fall he was named the inaugural recipient of Education Forward Arizona's Luminary Award. "Benito has led with distinction and made a lasting impact on our employees, clients and nonprofit organizations," said Brian Moynihan, chief executive officer, Bank of America. "We thank him for breaking barriers and serving as a role model for so many and look forward to continued growth with Scott becoming the next Phoenix president." In addition to his Phoenix president roles, Almanza held leadership positions in a variety of areas within Global Commercial Banking and Business Banking. As Business Banking vice chair, he deepened connections with the Hispanic-Latino community and business owners through his leadership of the Hispanic-Latino Business Councils and by driving key initiatives. Born in the farming community of Hanford, CA, Almanza's parents, who themselves only had grade-school educations, encouraged their children to pursue their education. Almanza excelled in school, earning degrees from Stanford and Santa Clara University. For the past 10 years, Almanza served on Stanford's Graduate School of Business Alumni Interview team. "The honor of representing Bank of America and creating meaningful change across so many sectors has been one of the privileges of my lifetime," said Almanza. "With the bank's resources, we have created positive, generational impacts, particularly in low- and moderate-income communities across Arizona. Having worked alongside Scott for many years now, our leadership team is in a great position to continue delivering what Phoenix's economy needs from us. None of this would have been possible without my family, so I wish to acknowledge my wife, Rosa, and our children and grandchildren for their unwavering support." "I am looking forward to helping deliver on our continued commitment of Responsible Growth across Phoenix, a community I care deeply about," said Vanderpool. "We have much to be proud of here in the Valley of the Sun, but we also have more work to do to build a more inclusive economy. Together with our Bank of America team, I know we can continue improving people's financial lives." Bank of America Bank of America is one of the world's leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 67 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 3,900 retail financial centers, approximately 16,000 ATM and award-winning digital banking with approximately 56 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and approximately 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, register for email news alerts. Reporters may contact: Britney Sheehan, Bank of America Phone: 1.425.467.9744 britney.w.sheehan@bofa.com (PRNewsfoto/Bank of America Corporation) Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bofa-names-scott-vanderpool-president-of-phoenix-301785325.html SOURCE Bank of America Corporation Pontiff faces several days in hospital. Pope Francis has a respiratory infection and will need to spend "a few days" in hospital, the Vatican confirmed on Wednesday evening. The pontiff was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital, where he underwent colon surgery two years ago, following his weekly general audience in St Peter's Square on Wednesday morning. Pope Francis, 86, underwent a CT scan on his chest and abdomen to rule out bronchial complications, the results of which were negative, reports news agency ANSA, citing medical sources. "In recent days Pope Francis has complained of some respiratory difficulties and this afternoon he went to the Gemelli Hospital to undergo some medical tests," the Vatican said in a statement, ruling out a covid infection. The Vatican said that the pope, who had part of one lung removed in his 20s, was "touched by the many messages he's received and expresses his gratitude for the closeness and prayer." All of the pontiff's appointments for the next couple of days have been cleared and his illness comes ahead of a busy Holy Week schedule leading up to Easter next weekend. Francis is being treated in a section of the Gemelli reserved exclusively for popes, in the same ward that hosted Pope John Paul II after he was shot in 1981. The pope, who has used a wheelchair since last year due to mobility problems, was seen grimacing as he was helped getting into his vehicle during the audience on Wednesday morning. In January Francis led the funeral of his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI, who stunned the world 10 years ago by standing down, citing health reasons. Francis has indicated on several occasions that he may also wish to resign should he become impaired for medical reasons. Photo credit: giulio napolitano / Shutterstock.com Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share Former Starbucks Corp. CEO Howard Schultz kept his cool and stayed on message on Wednesday amid pointed questioning during a Senate committee hearing about the coffee giants alleged labor law violations. Even as Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, described Starbucks as waging the most aggressive and illegal union busting campaign in the modern history of our country, Schultz continued to project an image of confident self-made entrepreneur. That is, except for one exchange a heated back and forth with Senator Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, that seemed to hit a nerve with Schultz. Countless times during the hearing, including in his prepared testimony, Schultz recalled his father, who after injuring himself in 1960, when he slipped on a sheet of ice, was fired from his job as a delivery driver. Schultz said the experience fractured our family and it deeply scarred me. That Schultz has tried to build Starbucks into the kind of company that his father never got the chance to work for has become one of his standard lines and part of the companys lore. Advertisement Its a poignant story, one that evokes the American Dream, and earned Schultz kudos from the Republican committee members. But in the end, it backfired on him. Markey used his time to make the point that Schultzs father would have in fact benefited from union membership. Without it, he had no rights when he got injured, and Schultzs family paid the price which is how Starbucks workers feel right now, Markey said. Through a union, something Schultz has vehemently opposed, Starbucks employees want to be able to protect themselves in a way that Schultzs father could not, he added. I would just hope that you would understand that, Markey said. But Im afraid you dont. Schultz clearly did not like that line of rhetoric. You dont understand, sir, he repeated as he and Markey spoke over one another. But Markey may be onto something. During the hearing, Schultzs reasoning for opposing the union could come off as confusing, at times contradictory, and even out of touch something the Democratic senators called him out on. Advertisement Shareholders also seem to be questioning Starbucks and Schultzs stance on the union. The hearing came the same day that the company reported its investors voted last week in favor of a proposal seeking a third-party assessment of worker-rights commitments. The close vote came against the companys recommendation. About 300 of Starbucks some 9,000 company-owned US stores have voted to unionize over the last year and a half, calling not only for better wages, benefits and stability but for the company to live up to its reputation as a progressive employer. But the pace of unionizing has been slowing from November through January, only about 20 locations voted to unionize, compared with roughly 180 in the April-through-June period. Labor organizers have blamed the companys alleged retaliation, though a strategy thats included raising wages and benefits has also undercut support for a union. The US National Labor Relations Board has issued more than 80 complaints against Starbucks, accusing the company of anti-union activity. During the hearing, Schultz repeatedly made the case that he is the good kind of CEO who runs the good kind of company, and therefore its one that doesnt need a union. He has implemented best-in-class benefits not because anyone told him to or made him, but because he believed it was the right thing to do. His argument: A union would interfere with the companys ability to have a direct relationship with its employees, which allows management to best anticipate their needs. Advertisement Senator Tammy Baldwin, a Wisconsin Democrat, questioned how its possible for the company to have a direct relationship with more than 200,000 employees. If the company really does care about listening to employees, wouldnt a union give workers the chance to give more direct and honest feedback without fear of retaliation, she posited. Baldwin told Schultz that she found it particularly ironic, given his own personal story, that he does not see this power dynamic at play. While you call them partners, your workers are limited in their ability to engage with you directly because theres a power differential, she said. And you have power over them and the benefits that they cherish a power you have shown your willingness to wield, involving employees attempting to organize. She was alluding to accusations that Starbucks has withheld benefits, like pay increases, from stores that have voted to unionize. Schultz repeatedly said that the company has not broken the law. And Republicans repeatedly rose to Starbucks defense. The fact that Schultz has long painted himself as the benevolent CEO and the companys savior is now undermining his case. Schultz has said many times that the union showed up because the company lost its way, which precipitated his return for a third stint as CEO to get the company back on track. While he remains on the board, Schultz officially handed over the reins to Laxman Narasimhan earlier this month and has unequivocally said he will not return for a fourth time. Without Schultz as CEO, Markey questioned what would happen if the company lost its way again. Workers should not be dependent on you, he said, and your sense of right and wrong. They should be able to have laws, protections, unions that stand up for them every single day. Advertisement Schultz has readily admitted that he takes employees labor organizing as a personal affront, that somehow it means Starbucks has fallen into that category of bad company. It seems that to Schultz, victory over the union is necessary to affirm his legacy. But for the workers who want to unionize, its not personal. Its just business. One would think that would be something a self-made entrepreneur would understand.More From Bloomberg Opinion: Schultz Falls From Grace in Starbucks Union Fight: Beth Kowitt Robots Help Retailers But Undercut Pay Raises: Leticia Miranda Tip Generously, But Make Sure the Worker Gets It: Tyler Cowen This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Beth Kowitt is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering corporate America. She was previously a senior writer and editor at Fortune Magazine. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2023 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article For years, doctors and patients thought there was little to do when dementia was diagnosed, even at an early stage. Now, potentially sweeping changes loom. FanDuel is fastest growing brand from the US, up 259% to US$3.4 billion Bite taken out of Apple as it falls to be second most valuable American brand Alphabet owns USA's strongest and second-strongest brands in Google and YouTube Amazon has highest Sustainability Perceptions Value of any US brand at US$19.9 billion, followed by Tesla DALLAS, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Amazon has retaken top spot as the USA's most valuable brand despite its brand value falling 15% this year from US$350.3 billion to US$299.3 billion. Amazon was previously the world's most valuable brand from 2018 to 2020. Top 10 Most Valuable American Brands 2023 (PRNewsfoto/Brand Finance) Every year, leading brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance puts 5,000 of the biggest brands to the test, and publishes over 100 reports, ranking brands across all sectors and countries. The United States' most valuable and strongest brands are included in the annual Brand Finance US 50 2023 ranking at brandirectory.com/usa Amazon's brand has fallen by over US$50 billion this year, substantially in connection with its fall in brand strength, with its brand rating falling from AAA+ to AAA as consumers evaluate it more harshly in the post-pandemic world. Despite its fall in value this year, Amazon's brand is still up 36% in value since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. David Haigh, Chairman & CEO, Brand Finance committed: "Our research has found that Amazon's brand value comes from its strong position in both B2C and B2B sectors of the economy, as it is a key global market leader in the massive markets of both online retail and online cloud computing services." FanDuel is fastest growing brand from the US, up 259% to US$3.4 billion New entrant FanDuel is the fastest growing brand in the ranking, more than tripling in brand value to US$3.4 billion. FanDuel is leading the expansion of the US online gambling market, which has flourished since 2018 when restrictive US gambling restrictions were repealed in some States. Bite taken out of Apple as it falls to be second most valuable American brand Apple has fallen to be the United States' second most valuable brand. Its brand value is down 16% from US$355.1 billion to US$297.5 billion, to move from slightly above Amazon's brand value to now be slightly below Amazon's brand value. Story continues Laurence Newell, Managing Director Brand Finance, North America, commented: "Despite challenges faced by Apple this year, the brand continues to innovate, invest in long-term growth plans. Apple's high level of customer loyalty and continued strong customer response to new products saw the installed base of active Apple devices hit an all-time high in 2022." Alphabet owns USA's strongest and second-strongest brands in Google and YouTube In addition to calculating brand value, Brand Finance also determines the relative strength of brands. Compliant with ISO20671, Brand Finance's assessment of stakeholder equity incorporates original market research data from over 100,000 respondents in 38 countries and across 31 sectors. Alphabet Inc, the parent company of both Google (brand value up 7% to US$281.4 billion) and YouTube (brand value up 24% to US$29.7 billion) achieved a rare one-two ranking as the United States' two strongest brands. Both brands have overtaken last year's strongest brand, Coca-Cola, which is now the US' sixth strongest brand, after a 4-point Brand Strength Index score reduction. Amazon has highest Sustainability Perceptions Value of any US brand at US$19.9 billion, followed by Tesla As part of its analysis, Brand Finance assesses the role that specific brand attributes play in driving overall brand value. One such attribute is sustainability. Brand Finance assesses how sustainable specific brands are perceived to be, represented by a 'Sustainability Perceptions Score'. The value that is linked to sustainability perceptions, the 'Sustainability Perceptions Value', is then calculated for each brand. Amazon has the highest sustainability perceptions value of any US brand at US$19.9 billion. Like many of the world's top brands, Amazon has a huge scope for impact due to the sheer scale of its operations. It is important to note that Amazon's position at the top of the table is not an assessment of its overall sustainability performance. Instead, it highlights the value that Amazon has tied up in the sustainability perception of stakeholders. Note to Editors Brand value is understood as the net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market. Brand strength is the efficacy of a brand's performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors. The full ranking, additional insights, charts, more information about the methodology , and definitions of key terms are available in the Brand Finance US 500 2023 ranking at brandirectory.com/usa Media Contacts Laurence Newell Managing Director, Brand Finance North America T: +1(214)803-3424 l.newell@brandfinance.com Disclaimer Brand Finance has produced this study with an independent and unbiased analysis. The values derived and opinions presented in this study are based on publicly available information and certain assumptions that Brand Finance used where such data was deficient or unclear. Brand Finance accepts no responsibility and will not be liable in the event that the publicly available information relied upon is subsequently found to be inaccurate. The opinions and financial analysis expressed in the study are not to be construed as providing investment or business advice. Brand Finance does not intend the study to be relied upon for any reason and excludes all liability to any body, government, or organization. The data presented in this study form part of Brand Finance's proprietary database, are provided for the benefit of the media, and are not to be used in part or in full for any commercial or technical purpose without written permission from Brand Finance. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2044623/Brand_Finance.jpg Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-brand-finance-report-sees-amazon-reclaims-title-as-usas-most-valuable-brand-despite-losing-brand-value-301786385.html SOURCE Brand Finance Straight from a classroom to trading securities while just a teenager, Sergio Ermotti has had a career which tracked the Wall Street boom that started in the 1980s, and culminated with him fixing Switzerlands biggest bank after it fell victim to the last financial crash. Now he is being asked to do it all over again. Sergio Ermotti is back in charge of UBS. Credit: Bloomberg Ermotti was originally propelled into the role of chief executive at UBS Group AG in 2011 by a rogue trader scandal. He helped rehabilitate the bank before leaving nine years later. The 62-year-old banker now retakes the helm as UBS grapples with potentially an even bigger problem - absorbing the countrys second-largest bank into one giant wealth manager, without unsettling either investors, the global elite who entrust it with their billions or the Swiss public. All of a sudden, everyone is very concerned about TikTok and not just because of the goofy dances and an algorithm more addictive than crack cocaine. Revelations about user data being accessible in China, and of Beijing-aligned officials installed to senior positions at TikToks parent company ByteDance, have turned the app into a national security concern in several Western nations. Loading In the United States, where TikTok chief executive Shou Zi Chew faced a bipartisan roasting from lawmakers, theres talk of banning the app entirely, a move its Zoomer users will no doubt view as yet another act of intergenerational warfare. In Australia, a ban from government devices is imminent, and should the Biden administration get even tougher, Canberra would face pressure to make some hard choices about the apps future. This series explores the plight of the National Gallery of Australia, an institution in a state of disrepair and in desperate need of funding. Australias leading artists have rallied around the National Gallery of Australia, warning a permanent fix is needed to the financial troubles besetting the institution responsible for the countrys $6.9 billion art collection. Arts Minister Tony Burke described the funding crisis confronting national cultural institutions as horrific after this masthead published images taken inside the National Gallery showing buckets and towels arranged to mop up leaks that have plagued the gallery since the late 1990s. Cressida Campbell: The structure of the NGA building needs constant upkeep because mostly the objects held within can never be replaced. Credit: Louise Kennerley Burke said it was a challenge to find the money needed to rectify the NGAs leaky roof amid an operational funding squeeze that is also affecting the National Museum, the National Portrait Gallery and the Museum of Australian Democracy, as well as other parts of the budget. The situation of the gallery and most of the collecting institutions actually is horrific, he told ABC Radio. Being shortlisted is brilliant, says the Melbourne-based writer and musician: those many knockbacks were demoralising. You sort of think, the more rejections you get, the more armour-clad you become, but I didnt, I became more and more sensitised to the rejections. Thankfully her agent, Jenny Darling, was sending out the book. I was a bit shielded in that sense, I dont know if I would have sent it out 25 times off my own bat. But having that support behind me, I cant tell you how important that was. It felt very lonely, and I felt very much like I was a bit deluded about myself and my work, but she believed in it. Author of Not Just A Suburban Boy, a biography of artist Howard Arkley, and the novel The Inheritance of Ivorie Hammer, Preston also works at the Australian Education Union. Her partner would cook dinner, so when she got home from her day job, she would pour a glass of wine and disappear to write for an hour and a half. Having started the novel a long time ago, once she got serious, it took her between a year and 18 months to complete the first draft. Loading Ive been writing all my life and wanting to be a writer and slowly getting my work out, but for me, at this point, its really lovely to get some recognition and to feel like people like the book. Xevant, Inc. Xevant CEO Brandon Newman honored among top executives in Utah for exceptional company leadership Brandon Newman Xevant CEO LEHI, Utah, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Xevant, the leader and creator of automated data analytics for organizations managing pharmacy benefits, today announced that CEO Brandon Newman has been named a Utah Business 2023 CEO of the Year Honoree. BN_MANICPROJECT-12 Each year, Utah Business celebrates the states most accomplished professionals through a highly selective program that recognizes CEOs who have led their organizations with strength, courage, and endurance. These executives have made an incredible impact on their companies and communities with a mission to change the way business is done in Utah. I am humbled to be recognized alongside incredible leaders who are driving innovation and growth in our community, said Newman. As a CEO, I believe that people are the most important aspect of any business. This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire Xevant team. They inspire me daily to push the boundaries of whats possible in our industry. Newman and his team of experts founded Xevant in 2017 after realizing the pharmacy benefits industry was constantly playing catch-up with new trends due to a lack of access to timely data. Xevants game-changing platform eliminates the need to spend countless hours analyzing vast reports by providing real-time insights and solutions while delivering immediate savings and improved patient outcomes. Newmans leadership has been a critical driver of the companys vision, market strategy, revenue growth, technology development, and partner alliances. Brandon leads with vision, authenticity and vulnerability, said Jeff Lininger, Xevant President. His commitment to empowering our team and fostering a culture of trust enables us to pursue our mission to positively impact over 100 million lives. By empowering healthcare stakeholders to solve access, quality, and cost issues in the US, we are able to make a real difference in the lives of patients and providers alike. Story continues CEO of the Year Honorees are featured in the 2023 March issue of Utah Business and will also be honored at an awards luncheon at The Grand America Hotel later today, March 30. To view the full honoree list, visit: https://www.utahbusiness.com/utah-business-ceo-of-the-year-2023/. About Xevant: Xevants revolutionary pharmacy benefits platform infuses real-time automation and alerts throughout the data analysis process accelerating and simplifying the painstaking task of report building for PBMs, TPAs, Health Plans, Brokers, and Consultants. With Xevant, critical pharmacy analysis that took weeks, months or more can now be done instantly. The results are optimized business processes, reduced operating costs, and improved patient outcomes. Xevant is recognized as one of Modern Healthcares Best Places to Work and Americas No. 1 Fastest Growing Private Software Company on the 2022 Inc. 5000 list. Visit www.xevant.com and follow Xevant on LinkedIn for more information about how it helps its customers deliver faster, more accurate results. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d6d9ee55-2b18-4db6-9679-68fc7cbda11c CONTACT: Media Contact: Kayley Green kayley.green@xevant.com Ding! Another message lands in my inbox: could I please evaluate my recent delivery from Australia Post? How was the experience? Would I recommend it to a friend? No wonder Australia Post is struggling when theyre spending valuable resources trying to find out whether the postman put the box down well or not. Perhaps I should comment on his gait as he entered our property: strong and striding. Excellent placement of the parcel with bent knees: exemplary workplace and safety practices. He dilly-dallied a bit at the gate, so maybe take a few points off for that, and he could have smiled more, but all in all, it was an exceptional delivery. Five stars. I will tell all my friends about it. Do we need to rate our postman? Credit: Graham Tidy I get these messages all the time. How was my recent experience at Kmart? How would you evaluate the customer service at Liquorland? What score would you give the library after your visit today? How was your experience with the automated phone bot at Centrelink? How was your visit to the toilet? Not to mention every single app popping up like a needy kid with, do you like us? trying to compel us to the app store to leave a review. Recently, after doing a simple money transfer on a banking app, I was prompted to rate the experience out of 10. I stared at the scale, which had a series of emojis ranging from angry to sad to starry-eyed and joyful. When is a bank transfer ever joyful, unless youre receiving an unexpectedly large sum? By my third trip back in 2004, I had witnessed from metres away explosions in the Iraqi city of Karbala that killed 271 pilgrims. I had an argument with an old friend who was bureau chief for a major news service. He told his guys they had to start carrying weapons to avoid the increasing kidnappings that had become big news. Videos of victims being beheaded were in wide distribution. Some of my friends subordinates were like, hell yeah Ill get a goddamn hand cannon. Others, were like no way. By carrying a weapon, they argued, they were going to lose the neutrality that was their only protection. Then it just got ridiculous with some suggesting pistols werent enough, they needed AK47s. To which someone else replied what if they have rocket propelled grenades. It went on until my friend slammed his beer on the table and said we need a tank, we will get a tank. We all laughed. British troops secure the scene of a roadside bomb attack on a British patrol in 2006. Credit: AP The last day I was working in Iraq I was followed from my hotel. You notice these things, but I didnt realise I was to be kidnapped. After 24 hours my translator and I convinced the kidnappers that I didnt work for the Americans and I wasnt a threat. The fact I was unarmed proved my case as did my translators excellent memory of those we had interviewed and how they were senior to these guys in the insurgency. No money was paid and no military operation necessary. The simple fact I had tried to report on the torture of one of the insurgents fathers at the prison in Abu Ghraib was enough to stop us being beheaded. Doug Mulray, one of Australias most loved radio hosts who was known for his larrikin charisma, has died, aged 71. Mulray, who hosted Sydneys Triple M breakfast slot in the early 1980s, was one of the most recognised figures in Australian radio. His death was confirmed by Triple M and 2GB on Friday. Doug Mulray, best known for his radio programs, has died aged 71. Credit: Fairfax Photographic Mulray, during the peak of his career, played a crucial role for Triple M in 1982, two years after it launched. Mulray used his wit to bring popularity to the fledgling radio station. A man who was seen on a Sydney street with what appeared to be an AK-47 assault rifle sparked alarm in Sydneys north-west on Wednesday evening, causing multiple witnesses to phone triple zero. But police who swarmed Windsor Road in Rouse Hill, and even sent up a helicopter to try to track down the reported gunman, soon discovered the weapon was in fact a bong shaped like a gun. Police allegedly recovered this bong, shaped like an AK-47 assault rifle, from a car in Rouse Hill. Credit: NSW Police Police said officers began searching the street about 5.30pm and reviewed CCTV footage from surrounding businesses, which led them to an unlocked and unattended car in a nearby church car park. Police searched the car and allegedly found an imitation AK-47 assault rifle inside. It will be alleged in court that the seized item was a bong, a water device commonly used to smoke marijuana. It could not fire any bullets. Park City, Utah: Gwyneth Paltrow has won her court battle over a 2016 ski collision at a posh Utah ski resort after a jury decided that the movie star wasnt at fault for the crash. A jury dismissed the complaint of Terry Sanderson, a retired optometrist, who sued Paltrow over injuries he sustained when the two crashed on a beginner run at Deer Valley ski resort, siding with Paltrow after eight days of live-streamed courtroom testimony that made the case a pop culture fixation. I felt that acquiescing to a false claim compromised my integrity, Paltrow said in a statement released by her representatives. She also thanked the judge and jury for their work. As Paltrow left court she touched Sandersons shoulder and said, I wish you well, he told reporters outside the courthouse. He responded, Thank you, dear. Washington: A year ago, following Russias invasion of Ukraine, TikTok started labelling accounts operated by Russian state propaganda agencies as a way to tell users they were being exposed to Kremlin disinformation. An analysis a year later shows the policy has been applied inconsistently. It ignores dozens of accounts with millions of followers. Even when used, labels have little impact on Russias ability to exploit TikToks powerful algorithms as part of its effort to shape public opinion about the war. Researchers at the Alliance for Securing Democracy, a bipartisan, transatlantic nonprofit operated by the German Marshall Fund that studies authoritarian disinformation, on Thursday published a report that identified nearly 80 TikTok accounts operated by Russian state outlets like RT or Sputnik or by individuals linked to them, including RTs editor-in-chief. Supporting Canadian ventures building toward $20 million in revenue TORONTO, March 30, 2023 /CNW/ - MaRS today announced the launch of the Growth Acceleration Program, a multi-sector initiative designed to support executives of scaling, high-growth companies on their way to reaching $20 million in revenue. MaRS Logo (CNW Group/MaRs Discovery District) "Given the state of today's economic environment, supporting Canadian ventures has never been more crucial. We need to help companies look beyond capital markets, to economic opportunities, to really be able identify the threats and risks to their business models," says Krista Jones, chief delivery officer, ventures and ecosystems group at MaRS. "This program will equip companies with the necessary tools of business fundamentals to optimize their growth inside whatever market conditions come their way." The Growth Acceleration Program, which is funded by FedDev Ontario, is ideal for ventures with total funding $10 to $20 million and/or annual recurring revenue of $5 to $20 million that have a core product in the market with traction beyond early customers. According to participating member Louis Brun, co-founder, president and CEO of Sollum Technologies, "I feel even more confident that we're going to succeed because whether it's engineering, supply, logistics, sales or marketing, we will have access to knowledgeable people that can help us do what we've been very good at, but we can be even better at. The Growth Acceleration program will help the whole team get aligned even more and get us even closer to success." The program supports ventures within the Canadian ecosystem on their sales and marketing, revenue growth and talent development through expert advisory, data tools and community building opportunities. "By guiding founders and their teams and ensuring their systems and processes are engineered to drive their desired outcomes and valuation milestones, these companies will have the capability to become world class category dominators," says Dennis Ensing, chief venture advisor and vice president of venture growth at MaRS. Story continues About MaRS MaRS is North America's largest urban innovation hub. A registered non-profit, MaRS supports high-growth startups and scale-ups tackling key issues in the health, cleantech, fintech and other sectors. In addition, MaRS convenes all members of the tech ecosystem to drive breakthrough discoveries, grow the economy and make an impact by solving real problems for real people in Canada and around the world. To learn more, visit the Growth Acceleration Program's page on the MaRS website or email us at growthacceleration@marsdd.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bridging-the-gap-mars-launches-new-growth-acceleration-program-301785343.html SOURCE MaRs Discovery District Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2023/30/c5253.html At the invitation of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO), Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, spoke about WCO initiatives on data and technology at the ICC Future Trade Forum held in Singapore on 30 March 2023. After being introduced by the Secretary General of the ICC, Mr. John Denton, Dr. Mikuriya presented WCO standards that ensure transparency and predictability of trade, and described how technology could be used to support the sound development of a digitalized trading system. While welcoming and encouraging private sector initiatives to standardize trade data, including the Digital Standards Initiative supported by the ICC, he suggested considering the use of the WCO Data Model as a basis for such initiatives. This would facilitate the development of business standards offering interoperability with business-government standards. Dr. Mikuriya also took this opportunity to meet with the Director General of Singapore Customs, Mr. Tan Hung Hooi, to discuss issues related to Singapore Customs and to Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) integration. In addition, he participated in a roundtable meeting with Singapore International Chamber of Commerce to exchange views on the way forward for Customs-Business partnerships. Secretary General Mikuriya also met with the Executive Director of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat, Dr. Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria, and her team to explore further avenues for cooperation. The World Customs Organization (WCO), under EU-WCO Origin Africa Programme funded by the European Union (EU), and in partnership with the Southern African Development Community (SADC), conducted a validation workshop on the alignment of the SADC Rules of Origin to the 2022 edition of the Harmonized System (HS). The workshop, which took place from 20 to 23 March 2023, in Johannesburg, South Africa, follows a request by SADC to align its rules of origin. The EU-WCO RoO Africa Programme has provided two preceding technical assistance workshops to update the SADC rules of Origin from the 2002 to the 2022 version of the HS. This process is considered a significant and important step towards the implementation of the SADC Protocol on Trade. During the workshop, SADC experts, together with the EU-WCO RoO Africa Programme team, presented the initial draft of the technical updates on Appendix I of the SADC Rules of Origin to the HS 2022 edition. Participants, including Customs Administrations and Ministry of Trade representatives from SADC member states, considered and took note of the draft technical alignments from Chapter 1 to 97 of the HS and from regional Chapter 98. In his opening remarks, Mr. Alcides Monteiro, Senior Programme Officer, Customs, and Task Manager of the EU-SADC Trade Facilitation Programme at the SADC Secretariat, highlighted the importance of the SADC Protocol on Trade and informed that the non-alignment of SADC list of rules to the latest HS version has caused implementation problems for economic operators and customs authorities. Goods had to be classified twice for purposes of customs clearance, collection of import duties, and origin determination. The technical support from the WCO through the EU-WCO Rules of Origin Africa Programme was of high relevance and required to align the rules of origin to the HS 2022 edition. The validation workshop was a success from Customs and Trade perspectives, and the final draft document will be submitted to the Sub-Committees on Trade Facilitation and Customs Cooperation, the Trade Negotiation Forum, and ultimately to the Committee of Ministers of Trade for consideration. The SADC Secretariat expressed gratitude to the WCO for its technical support and the EU for its commitment to supporting the SADC region through various programs. For more information, please contact EU-WCORoOAfrica.Program@wcoomd.org Key Insights Given the large stake in the stock by institutions, Bristol-Myers Squibb's stock price might be vulnerable to their trading decisions A total of 25 investors have a majority stake in the company with 48% ownership Recent sales by insiders Every investor in Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. And the group that holds the biggest piece of the pie are institutions with 77% ownership. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company. Since institutional have access to huge amounts of capital, their market moves tend to receive a lot of scrutiny by retail or individual investors. As a result, a sizeable amount of institutional money invested in a firm is generally viewed as a positive attribute. In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of Bristol-Myers Squibb. View our latest analysis for Bristol-Myers Squibb What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Bristol-Myers Squibb? Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index. As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb. 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 Bristol-Myers Squibb, (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. We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Bristol-Myers Squibb. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is The Vanguard Group, Inc. with 9.6% of shares outstanding. For context, the second largest shareholder holds about 8.2% of the shares outstanding, followed by an ownership of 4.4% by the third-largest shareholder. Story continues On studying our ownership data, we found that 25 of the top shareholders collectively own less than 50% of the share register, implying that no single individual has a majority interest. While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. Quite a few analysts cover the stock, so you could look into forecast growth quite easily. Insider Ownership Of Bristol-Myers Squibb While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. 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. Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group. Our most recent data indicates that insiders own less than 1% of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. It is a very large company, so it would be surprising to see insiders own a large proportion of the company. Though their holding amounts to less than 1%, we can see that board members collectively own US$96m worth of shares (at current prices). It is always good to see at least some insider ownership, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been selling. General Public Ownership With a 22% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Bristol-Myers Squibb. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies. Next Steps: It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Bristol-Myers Squibb better, we need to consider many other factors. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for Bristol-Myers Squibb you should know about. But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Weber State student challenges college material myth March 30, 2023 OGDEN, Utah Looking back, its hard to believe Brodee Kendrick ever considered himself not college material. A sophomore at Weber State University, Kendrick is active in student leadership, works on campus, and is about to earn his associates degree. Its a stark contrast from his childhood, when Kendrick struggled in school due to anxiety, dyslexia and ADHD. I always associated school with hard things and uncomfortable feelings, so I was fine with the idea that high school would be my highest degree, he said. Kendrick waited several years before reluctantly signing up for his first college course, an online psychology class, because he was really, really bored during the COVID-19 pandemic. In that class, they talked about people who experience ADHD and dyslexia, which gave Kendrick a boost of confidence to take more classes. His professor encouraged him to visit Disability Services to find out how they could help him be more successful in class. The staff there introduced him to various accommodations for students with disabilities, including dedicated testing rooms, extra time on exams, and access to programs that read textbooks aloud, much like an audiobook. That really empowered me, knowing I had a support system and people who actually cared about me, Kendrick said. Only taking one class per semester at the time, Kendrick connected with the WSU Student Association, where he learned about scholarship opportunities. But there was a catch: He had to become a full-time student. Thats when I really went gung-ho and signed up full time, Kendrick said. He became a director in WSUSA, managing a marketing and social media team. The new relationships he formed with both students and academic advisors made Kendrick rethink his outlook on higher education. It was way different than I thought it would be, he said. College was more than the classroom, it opened doors to friendships and experiences. Kendrick is now an ambassador for the Office of Admissions, giving daily tours of campus and sharing his story as a WSU student. He also visits local high schools, talking with youth who are uncertain about college, like he once was. My favorite thing to tell those kids is that you can have anything you want, everything is possible at Weber State if you just use your voice and talk to the right people. When it comes to his own degree, Kendrick is open-minded about what hell pursue after earning his associates in April. Hes already considered an array of studies: social work, marketing, business administration, education and counseling. College opens your mind to what interests you, he said. Sometimes it just takes time to see what kind of careers are out there. Whatever he does, it will involve helping others, he said. In a society that gives so much air time to bad news, hes happy to spread some positivity. I love working with people and being a voice for people, he said. I really like watching others succeed and overcome challenges. Its just a euphoric feeling. Fort Erie councillors heard about a number of concerns facing the community, including updates to the Safe Third Country Agreement, and a regional declaration of emergency on Monday, March 27. FORT ERIE MULTICULTURAL CENTRE PRESENTATION Martha Mason and Monica Witvoet, co-directors of Fort Erie Multicultural Centre, spoke to council members about the myths and facts surrounding asylum claims in Canada, as well as the work their organization does with immigrants. The two updated council on a change regarding the Safe Third Country Agreement, which was updated on March 24 to include all land border crossings into Canada, not just official border crossings like the one in Fort Erie. This means that any asylum seeker to Canada who does not meet one of four exception categories and has not first applied for refugee status in the United States (U.S.) will be returned to the U.S. The group expects these changes may lead to a large increase to claimants further stretching their organization as they attempt to serve both clients at the border and those who are staying in hotels at Niagara Falls while awaiting interviews. In terms of resources we are limited, but we do our best, explained Mason. We have been working at the hotels as well, so there is a capacity issue and we sometimes have to just focus on what is most important on that specific day or for that specific person. Mayor Wayne Redekop says he is appreciative of the work the organization does, and hopes they will continue to reach out for support from the local government when they need it. SUPPORT FOR REGIONAL DECLARATION OF EMERGENCY Council supported a declaration of emergency for homelessness, mental health and opioid addiction from the Niagara Region, listing several steps the region is hoping to address some concerns residents have. Fort Erie councillors say theyre hoping to take steps locally similarly to some of those proposed in the letter from the region. We are looking at the town to pilot programs around safe sharps disposal, training to our staff, information out to the public, how to handle stray needles, there is some prospect of a Naloxone kit rollout, explained chief administrative officer Chris McQueen. Coun. Tom Lewis reminded residents if they do find a needle in a park or other area in Fort Erie, that needle should be reported to public health so they can create a more accurate understanding of areas that are more frequently being used as injection sites. Coun. Ann Marie Noyes chose not to support the motion as it stood, citing a need for more information about why the Niagara Region would request the federal government decriminalize personal use and possession of substances. Redekop noted he had been told this line had been added in an effort to encourage people to seek help for addiction without fear of facing criminal charges. HARBOURTOWN VILLAGE DRAFT PLAN Council agreed to allow pre-servicing of land at 3642 Dominion Rd. for the Harbourtown Village. This agreement allows for the construction of infrastructure like roads, storm sewer installation and the improvement of existing roads near the site. Concerns were raised about trees that had been removed from the property, but director of planning Alex Herlovitch explained those removals were allowed as part of necessary work done on the site. One of the ways in which they do the archeological assessment is to scrape the soil to see whether there is any evidence of disturbance or archeological elements, so in order to do that the trees had to be removed, explained Herlovitch. Other councillors said they had concerns before Redekop asked his many questions, but they felt secure in passing the motion having heard the answers from staff. My big thing is that the agreements the community voices had in their appeal were being met, and it looks like they have been, said Coun. George McDermott. The motion was carried, allowing pre-servicing work to begin on the site in the near future while waiting for a subdivision agreement to be brought forward for approval. SHARE: A Niagara father says his life was forever changed after a motorist chose to get behind the wheel with a dangerous concoction of narcotics in his system. You killed me that night, the 31-year-old man said at a sentencing hearing for Jason Febbo. The guy you see before you is a husk of what I once was. Your sh----y decisions led me to being messed up for the rest of my life. Court was told the 48-year-old defendant had traces of four narcotics in his system, including fentanyl and methadone, on Feb. 1, 2020, when he struck a parked car then raced down Bunting Road in St. Catharines at more than twice the posted speed limit. In that condition, Mr. Febbo should be nowhere near the drivers seat of a motor vehicle, Judge Fergus ODonnell said in Ontario Court of Justice in Welland on Thursday. He was a clear and present danger to anyone who is out and about at the time. Febbo was sentenced to 33 months behind bars and banned from driving for three years on charges of impaired driving causing bodily harm and failing to remain at the scene of a collision. Court was told Febbo crossed the centre line to pass another vehicle and collided head-on with the victims car. The impact propelled the victims vehicle into the path of a third vehicle. The young father sustained life-threatening injuries and was rushed to an out-of-town hospital where he underwent multiple surgeries. Three years later, he still struggles with physical limitations, memory and speech issues, and vertigo. The judge noted that impaired driving is the leading criminal cause of death in Canada, while countless other victims sustain debilitating and life-altering injuries. These are lives cut short and life potentials compromised, ODonnell said. The message is not complicated. It is not open to debate. Every impaired driver is a potential killer. He said every case of impaired driving is nothing less callous than a game of Russian roulette with the lives of pedestrians of cyclists, of other motorists and their passengers and of ones own passengers and oneself. Impaired driving offences, he added, are often committed by people, such as Febbo, who are pro-social members of the community who have no prior run ins with the law. People who are killing and maiming their fellow Canadians day in and day out are not typically inherently awful human beings. But, every year, they kill far more than gun-toting bandits whose crimes capture the headlines. Court was told the offender, who has 15 previous convictions for speeding, was driving at more than 120 km/h at the time of the crash. The posted speed limit was 50 km/h. SHARE: Mayor Rory Rowland joins more than 100 local seniors and civic leaders to welcome Dedicated Senior Medical Center's affordable, VIP, primary care for region's most vulnerable adults. INDEPENDENCE, Mo., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ChenMed, a leading provider of concierge-style primary care for older adults and operator of more than 125 centers in underserved neighborhoods across 15 states, is now welcoming patients at its second Dedicated Senior Medical Center in greater Kansas City. Thousands of local seniors can now benefit from what hometown hero President Harry S. Truman would herald as preventive, affordable, VIP care from Dedicated doctors in Independence (1010 West U.S. Highway 24), as well as neighboring Kansas City's Seven Oaks neighborhood (4400 East 39th Street). ChenMed, one of the nations leading primary care practices, officially opened its new Dedicated Senior Medical Center in Independence, Missouri, the second center for greater K.C.. Pictured (left to right) are: Brandon Milne, Center Operations Manager; Joel Meyer, M.D., Regional Chief Medical Officer; Sandra W., Patient Champion; Mayor Rory Rowland, City of Independence; Michael Bruggeman, Regional VP; Tisha Anyanike, M.D. and Melissa Blake, FNP, APRN-C, Med,, Primary Care Clinicians. Independence Mayor Rory Rowland helped cut the ribbon at today's official grand opening. Doctors at both new Dedicated centers in Kansas City area are now seeing new patients and ushering in a new era of high-touch, transformative care for the neediest populations across the region. Dedicated is rapidly expanding across the Midwest and is already seeing patients in Wichita, Kansas as well. "President Truman said 'America was built on courage, on imagination and on an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand' and the area's Medicare-eligible older adults will find that courage and determination, along with compassionate, personalized care, drive Dedicated Senior Medical Centers to improve a patient's life and health," says Joel Meyer, M.D., Regional Chief Medical Officer for Dedicated Missouri and Kansas. "Our doctors look forward to offering Independence seniors independence from inferior healthcare, by providing the love, dignity and respect they deserve as we transform their health in ways that are proven to reduce emergency room visits and hospitalizations by 33 percent." Dedicated locates centers in communities where a lack of access to high-quality primary care and other social determinants of health have negatively impacted longevity for many years. These barriers have shortened average life spans by as much as 20 years when compared to others living in nearby more affluent zip codes. So, the innovative medical practice is working to address what Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. heralded more than 50 years ago: "Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and the most inhumane." Story continues In addition to Mayor Rowland, the festive, ribbon-cutting ceremony also included the participation of Independence Chief of Police Adam Dustman, area faith leaders, dignitaries, and dozens of area seniors. The event featured music, food, photo opportunities, a Harry Truman look-alike personality, and facility tours. "This is an opportunity to get wrap-around services for seniors at one location, and it is so important to make it simple for people to get medical care," said Mayor Rory Rowland, City of Independence, Missouri. "You've got everything here for those initial visits. And, I just think it's a great opportunity for our seniors and our community to have a place they can go to receive those services." Dedicated doctors used the event to explain how their medical practice fulfills its purpose by being accountable for helping their patients achieve better health. An April 2022 survey (N=185) of Kansas City area residents ages 65 or older and responsible for their healthcare decisions found that among respondents self-identifying as likely to be switching their doctor: 42% report, "It is too difficult to get an appointment when I need one." 33% say, "I do not believe I am getting the care I deserve." 25% declare, "My doctor does not treat me with love, respect and kindness." 25% note, "The staff is unfriendly or difficult to work with." The Dedicated staff provides personalized, friendly care and ensures its patients can get the care they need when they need it. Dedicated doctors give patients their cell phone numbers and respond quickly to patient calls or texts. Dedicated also offers same-day telehealth or in-person appointments, whenever needed. Additionally, Dedicated centers help reduce barriers to healthy living, and help seniors benefit from community services. "Our doctors and care teams are champions for vulnerable seniors," explains Shalaunda Gray, M.D., Dedicated Independence's Center Medical Director. "We honor patients like members of our family, delivering affordable VIP care that includes patients getting more frequent visits with the doctor who knows them best. Plus, Dedicated doctors give 100 percent of patients their cell phone numbers, encouraging patients to call or text anytime. And, we welcome same-day and walk-in appointments by patients in need." The highly personalized care at Dedicated leads to happier and healthier patients, as noted by a 2022 third-party survey of more than 76,500 ChenMed patients: 94.8% report provider satisfaction. 95.3% agree their doctor listens to them. 97.0% feel their doctor shows respect. About Dedicated Senior Medical Center: Dedicated is part of ChenMed, which today operates more than 125 centers in 15 states. The hyper-growth company employs outstanding primary care physicians and specialist doctors who are empowered to do whatever it takes to deliver VIP service; to detect and effectively manage high-risk diseases; and to reduce hospital sick days for Medicare-eligible seniors, many of whom are living with multiple and major chronic conditions. ChenMed is a privately owned medical, management and technology company that delivers the high-touch and personalized primary care Medicare-eligible seniors need to enjoy better health. Named one of Fortune 2020 "Change the World" companies, twice a "Most Loved Workplace" by Newsweek Magazine, and a certified Great Place to Work by the Great Place to Work Institute, ChenMed brings concierge-style medicine and better health outcomes to the neediest populations. See ChenMed's 2022 Impact Report. Dedicated Senior Medical Center logo (PRNewsfoto/ChenMed) Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-buck-stops-here-as-transformative-care-and-better-health-arrive-for-independence-seniors-301786511.html SOURCE ChenMed A motorist has been fined $1,000 for her role in 2021 highway crash that injured multiple people, including a Niagara man who remains hospitalized with life-altering injuries. In Provincial Offences Court in Welland on Tuesday, Brittney Hebbourn was fined $1,000 and placed on probation for 12 months after previously pleading guilty to making an unsafe lane change, an offence under the Ontario Highway Traffic Act. Court was told Hebbourn was driving on the Queen Elizabeth Way in Lincoln on Aug. 3, 2021, when her vehicle struck a minivan that had slowed due to traffic congestion. The van was carrying six people from Niagara who were carpooling home after their shift at the Ford plant in Oakville, including a rear passenger who had to be airlifted to a Toronto hospital in critical condition as a result of the collision. He sustained significant abdominal trauma that resulted in multiple rib fractures, and led to massive internal bleeding, as well as a traumatic brain injury. He has undergone multiple surgeries, including a craniectomy. Court was told the victim continues to have reduced consciousness and severe physical impairments because of the injury to his brain. After about eight months at a Toronto hospital, he was moved to a rehabilitation hospital where he remains today. Court was told his family relocated to Toronto to help with his care and rehabilitation. Hebbourn told police she had been travelling on the QEW that day when a transport truck made a bounce motion and moved into her lane. She believed the trailer was going to hit her car, and moved to the left lane to avoid a collision. Her car then crashed into the back of the van at a speed in excess of 100 km/h. While all six occupants of the van were injured, four sustained serious injuries. Another rear passenger suffered fractures to vertebrae in his lumbar spine and contusions to his lungs. Due to a history of congenital cardiac disease that required replacement of his aortic valve, he was taking an anticoagulant medication. The combination of his injuries and the medication resulted in the development of a massive hematoma on his back, which extended from his lower thoracic spine in the area of his ribs, nearly to his tailbone. He was hospitalized for 10 days and required multiple blood transfusions. Court was told the man continues to suffer from both physical and psychological impairments and has not been able to return to work. Read more about: SHARE: Well believe it when we see it. Thats the message from passengers rights advocates and airline industry experts after the federal government vowed in this weeks budget to beef up protections for airline passengers and to speed up a backlogged complaints process. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland announced that the government would introduce legislation to improve compensation for flight delays and cancellations to bring Canada in line with leading international approaches. While that suggests the government is aiming to lift Canadas Air Passenger Protection Regulations up to the gold standard seen in the European Union, passenger rights advocate Gabor Lukacs worries lobbying from airlines and airports could get in the way. The government should be trying to match the EU gold standard, said Lukacs, founder of Air Passenger Rights, a consumer group. But the airlines dont want this. Theyre lobbying hard against it. Theres currently a backlog of 42,000 passenger complaints with the Canadian Transportation Agency, which is responsible for enforcing the APPR. With that kind of backlog, the government had no choice but to act, Lukacs said. Theres a lot of public anger, said Lukacs. The thing that gives me hope is that even airline industry people would agree privately that theres a problem. The complaints backlog is partly the result of a lengthy, cumbersome and expensive process, Lukacs said. It shouldnt take $1,800 worth of resources to decide a dispute over a couple of hundred dollars. About 95 per cent of cases should take about 15 minutes to decide. John Gradek, a former Air Canada executive and head of McGill Universitys Global Aviation Leadership Program, is also taking a wait-and-see approach about the governments budget commitments. Hes got a distinct sense of deja vu, and points out that the government made similar commitments in 2016 and 2017, before unveiling the APPR in 2018. The EU model was already there back then, said Gradek, and the carriers and the airports basically lobbied very strongly with Transport Canada and the Canadian Transporation Agency saying we dont need to go to that level. We need some outs. And, he added, thats just what they got. While the size of compensation for delayed and cancelled flights under the APPR is broadly similar to that given under the EUs Regulation 261, Gradek says there are far more ways for airlines to avoid paying that compensation in Canada. The size of the compensation is very comparable, said Gradek. What you have in Canada is the wiggle room to get out of it. Airlines, meanwhile, are already slamming the budget as a missed opportunity. In a press release, National Airlines Council of Canada president Jeff Morrison blasted the budgets commitment to give federal transport minister Omar Alghabra the right to charge airlines a regulatory fee to cover the cost of the CTA complaints process. Morrison also criticized the government for proposing to boost the air travellers security charge (ATSC) paid by all airline passengers. The fee is set to go up by $5 to $19.87 for domestic round-trips, while an international round-trip will rise by almost $9 to $34.42. The government is signalling that air travel may become less affordable for middle-class Canadians, said Morrison. The ATSC is in addition to airport improvement fees charged by Canadian airports, which have also risen repeatedly in the wake of the COVID pandemic. Travellers departing from Torontos Pearson International Airport now pay a $35 AIF, up from $30 last year. Aeronautical fees paid by airlines, which already amounted to thousands of dollars per flight, also went up by four per cent this year. Still, charging the airlines to fund the complaints process is something already done in other industries, and makes perfect sense, said Gradek. Let the airlines and the industry pick up the tab for this complaint review process. Take it out of the taxpayers hands, completely. If the problem is caused by the industry, let the industry fund the resolution of that problem. SHARE: Jeremy Renner remembers all of the pain he experienced after being critically injured by his snowplow three months ago, he said in an emotional first interview since the accident. The Avengers actor suffered a collapsed lung, a broken clavicle and shoulder, eight broken ribs and multiple broken bones in his face and legs when his 14,000-pound snowplow ran over him on Jan. 1. ABC released a preview clip Wednesday of Renners conversation with Diane Sawyer about the incident. I was awake through every moment, Renner, 52, says in the interview, which is set to air April 6 at 10 p.m. ET. Renner was injured near his Reno, Nevada-area home when he attempted to stop the moving snowplow from hitting his nephew, the Washoe County Sheriffs Office in Nevada said in a January report. Id do it again, because it was going right at my nephew, Renner told Sawyer. The interview marks the most detailed account of the accident by Renner, who has chronicled his recovery on social media. In January, Renner tweeted that he broke at least 30 bones. On Sunday, he posted a video showing him on an antigravity treadmill the first look at him walking since his injuries. Renner made his Marvel film debut as the arrow-shooting superhero Hawkeye more than a decade ago. His character is the focus of the 2021 Disney Plus series Hawkeye. Renner, a two-time Oscar nominee, also leads the crime drama series Mayor of Kingstown. The actor choked back tears when Sawyer asked him about using sign language to tell his family Im sorry after the accident. Ive lost a lot of flesh and bone in this experience, Renner said, but Ive been refuelled and refilled with love and titanium. SHARE: The final report has been issued by the Nova Scotia Mass Casualty Commission into the shooting rampage that shocked the country three years ago. The massive report released Thurday outlines a litany of failures by the RCMP in their response to the shootings that left 22 victims dead in northern Nova Scotia, and offers more than 130 recommendations. Reaction was quick to emerge to the report and its findings. Here is whats being said. The National Police Federation, the union that represents the RCMPs membership: RCMP members who responded to this unprecedented and rapidly evolving incident showed courage and professionalism in the face of a horrific and unprecedented situation based on the information, equipment, and resources they had at the time As weve seen far too often lately, our members and all police put their lives and safety on the line every day to protect their neighbours and they deserve our respect and gratitude, as do their families. They do exceptional work each and every day in the communities they serve. Kristina Fifield, trauma therapist at Avalon Sexual Assault Centre: Victim blaming is far too common, and deeply harmful We need to support survivors and enable them to access the help and resources they need. Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston: As I listened to the information, my thoughts were with these families who have already been through so much. I am deeply moved by the strength and courage they have shown while coping with heartbreak and sorrow All Nova Scotians expect the provincial and federal governments and relevant agencies to learn from these devastating events and make changes so we can prevent something like this from happening again. We must continue to do what we can to help build safer communities. Nathalie Provost, survivor and spokesperson of PolySeSouvient, the group representing survivors and family of victims associated with the 1989 mass shooting at the Ecole Polytechnique: We hope this extraordinarily comprehensive report and its specific recommendations on gun control will convince Canadian legislators to multiply their efforts to reintroduce amendments to Bill C-21 in order to permanently ban all assault weapons. Jessica Zita, lawyer for Lisa Banfield, the killers spouse: The way she was treated in the aftermath of this massacre, which began as an assault against her, is disgraceful. But this report is the first step in preventing that from ever happening again. Harry Critchley, co-chair of the East Coast Prison Justice Society: We share the commissioners conclusion that responding to gender-based violence requires non-police alternatives to public safety and that enhanced police governance is required to address the many policing failures identified in the final report. Meghan McDermott, policy director for the BC Civil Liberties Association: Given the final reports finding that police systematically fail to properly respond to gender-based violence, its concerning that the commissioners did not recommend more robust improvements to existing civilian oversight bodies. Read more about: SHARE: MONTREAL - A proposed class-action lawsuit over infamous brainwashing experiments at a Montreal psychiatric hospital was before Quebecs highest court Thursday, as victims attempted to remove immunity granted to the United States government. The U.S. government successfully argued in Quebec Superior Court last August that the country couldnt be sued for the project known as MK-ULTRA allegedly funded by the Canadian government and the CIA. U.S. lawyers argued that foreign states had absolute immunity from lawsuits in Canada between the 1940s and 1960s, when the program took place. But survivors, and their families, of the experiments at Montreals Allan Memorial Institute which included experimental drugs, rounds of electroshocks and sleep deprivation appealed that decision. On Thursday, a lawyer representing the United States government told the Quebec Court of Appeal that the country should be immune from prosecution and that any lawsuit against the U.S. government should be filed in that country. The court case stems from a class-action lawsuit filed against McGill University which was affiliated to the psychiatric hospital Montreals Royal Victoria Hospital and the Canadian and U.S. governments after Montrealers allegedly had their memories erased and were reduced to childlike states. Class-action lawyer Jeff Orenstein said Thursday he believes Canadas 1982 State Immunity Act, which outlines how foreign states can be sued in the country, is retroactive and can apply in this case. He said the 1982 act allows foreign states to be sued in cases of bodily injury. But this took place in the 1950s and 60s, Orenstein told reporters, regarding the psychological experiments. And so the exception had not been in effect during that period so (the U.S.) argued that the old law would prevail and the old law was absolute immunity. What were claiming is the law is retrospective, that you can look back even before the act was passed and apply it today, Orenstein said. He noted there were also exemptions during the 1950s and 1960s for commercial-activity lawsuits, adding that the Montreal experiments involved a funding arrangement between private parties. Even under the old law, you would be able to pursue in Canadian courts, Orenstein said. He also said the case could be heard in Quebec. We dont think that Canadian citizens who are injured on Canadian soil are required to go to the United States to sue. The Court of Appeal will render a decision at a later date. The class-action request, filed in January 2019, alleges that the government of Canada funded psychiatric treatments by Dr. Ewen Cameron at the Allan Memorial Institute between 1948 and 1964 that were allegedly part of the CIAs MK-ULTRA program of covert mind-control. It has not been authorized yet by a judge. Julie Tanny, the lead plaintiff in the case, was among several dozen who protested Thursday outside the Court of Appeal building and attended the hearing. She said as many as 300 families could be affected by the class action and many lives were left in disarray due to the experimental treatments. She said her father had been sent to the Allan in 1957 for facial pain and was put in Camerons program, spending two 30-day stints of chemically induced sleep in the hospital, allegedly with a tape recorder under his pillow. At the end of this time there, his medical records noted, this is as far as we can take him, Tanny said. Where they wanted him to go, I dont exactly know, but I do know when visiting him, he was like a child, in diapers, giggling like a three-year-old, she said, adding he didnt recognize his own children. Most of his life vanished; he was never the same man he started off as, Tanny said. He died in 1992. She hopes for accountability at the end of the legal process and to shed light on a dark chapter for many families. Its sad to think about what could have been, Tanny said. It was a waste of a life for my father, terrible for my mother and a giant loss and a void for the kids. This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 30, 2023. Read more about: SHARE: Melissa Joan Hart struggled to contain her emotions as she opened up about how she helped kindergartners escape a shooting inside their Christian school. The Sabrina the Teenage Witch actress lives in Nashville, Tennessee, not far from the Covenant School, where six people were killed during a mass shooting on Monday. Her children also go to school right next to the site of the massacre, she said. In an emotional Instagram video, Hart revealed that she and her husband, Mark Wilkerson, were driving to parent-teacher conferences at her childrens nearby school when they spotted terrified kids fleeing the Covenant School. We helped a class of kindergartners across a busy highway. They were climbing out of the woods. They were trying to escape the shooter situation at their school, the actor said, through tears. So we helped all these tiny little kids cross the road and get (to) their teachers, she continued. We helped a mom reunite with her children. Police identified the shooter in the attack as Audrey Hale, a 28-year-old from Nashville who once attended the Covenant School. Hale entered the building after 10 a.m. on Monday and opened fire on students and teachers alike. The shooter killed six people before being shot to death by responding police officers. Three 9-year-old students identified by authorities as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney and three adults, Cynthia Peak, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and Mike Hill, were killed in the shooting. Hart also revealed this is not the first time she and her family have lived near the site of a tragedy. She said her family moved to Tennessee from Connecticut, where they lived near Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. A gunman shot and killed 26 people at the school in 2012. The victims included children as young as 6 and 7 years old. I dont just dont know what to say anymore, she added. Enough is enough. And just pray. Prayers for the families. SHARE: NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Authorities released 911 recordings on Thursday that capture the terror inside a Nashville elementary school during a mass shooting this week, as callers pleaded for help in hushed voices while sirens, crying and gunfire could be heard in the background. Police released recordings of about two-dozen emergency calls made during Mondays attack at The Covenant School, in which three children and three adults were killed. They include the voices of teachers and school officials, some whispering while hiding in classrooms, closets, bathrooms and offices, as alarms rang loudly. One teacher tells an operator she is with 17 children in a classroom and hearing so many shots. In another call, 76-year-old retired church member Tom Pulliam tells the dispatcher he is with a group, including several children, walking away from the Christian school. Although Pulliam remains calm, the tension and confusion of the situation are clear, with several adults speaking over each other and childrens voices in the background. When the dispatcher requests a description of the shooter, Pulliam asks a second man to get on the line. All I saw was a man holding an assault rifle shooting through the door. It was hes currently in the second grade hallway, upstairs the man says, noting that the assailant was dressed in camouflage. Asked about how many shots were fired, a woman responds, I heard about 10, and I left the building. Pulliam, who was driving with his wife near the church when the attack happened, told The Associated Press on Thursday that he is struggling to make sense of it. He said he mostly recalls the children and how calm they seemed, not yelling and screaming or anything. Up there for a normal day of school, these young children, he said. Now, theres difficult days to go through. In another call that started just before 10:13 a.m., a woman tells a dispatcher that she can hear a pause in the gunshots from her hiding spot in an art room closet. Asked if it is a safe spot, the woman answers, I think so, as children can be heard in the background. The teacher then says she can hear more gunshots, begging the dispatcher, Please hurry. In another call, lead pastor Chad Scruggs, whose daughter was killed in the attack, identifies himself and tells the operator hes outside the building and heading toward the gunshots. Im getting calls from the inside, he says. One woman, who hid under a desk in a nursery, tells a dispatcher the school, which is attached to the Covenant Presbyterian Church, sometimes has some staff members carry firearms but does not have dedicated security guards. We do have a school person, or two, Im not sure, who would be packing whose job it is for security, she says. We dont have security guards, but we have a staff. A spokesman for the police department did not immediately respond to a message asking who from the school might have been armed for security. A school spokesperson said the school didnt immediately have comment on the question. Authorities say the attack ended when police shot and killed the assailant, a former student they identified as 28-year-old Audrey Hale. The release of the recordings came as protesters gathered at the Tennessee Capitol to demand the Republican-led Legislature tighten gun controls. Chants of Save our children! echoed in the hallways between the Senate and House chambers, with protesters setting up inside and outside the building. Some silently filled the Senate chambers gallery, including children who held signs reading Im nine a reference to the age of the kids who died. Most protesters were removed from the gallery after some began yelling down at the lawmakers, Children are dead! The three students who were killed were Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney. The three adults were Katherine Koonce, 60, the head of the school, substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61, and Mike Hill, a 61-year-old custodian. Funeral plans for the six victims were announced, with the first service scheduled on Friday, for Evelyn. Evelyns obituary urged mourners to wear joyful colors as a tribute to her light and love of color. The protests followed a Wednesday night candlelight vigil in Nashville where Republican lawmakers stood alongside first lady Jill Biden, Democratic lawmakers and musicians including Sheryl Crow. The speakers read the victims names and offered condolences but refrained from political statements. Absent from the vigil was Tennessees Republican governor, Bill Lee, who has avoided public appearances this week and has not proposed any steps his administration might take in response to the shooting. Lee has been an advocate for less restrictive gun laws along with greater school security. As with similar responses to gun violence, the states Republican leaders have avoided calling for tighter gun restrictions and instead have thrown their support behind bolstering school security. In a letter to Lee, Republican Lt. Gov. Randy McNally called for securing windows and glass in school buildings, adding magnetic locks on doors, modernizing camera systems, and increasing armed guards. McNally said later that he also is in favor of red flag laws like one in Florida. Meanwhile, Tennessees U.S. senators, Republicans Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, were pushing for legislation that would create a $900 million grant program to harden schools and hire safety officers. Police have said Hale drove up to the school on Monday morning, shot out the glass doors, entered and began firing indiscriminately. Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake has not said what investigators think the shooters motive was, only noting that the assailant didnt target specific victims and had some resentment for having to go to that school. Drake said the shooter had drawn a detailed map of the school, including potential entry points, and conducted surveillance before carrying out the attack. Police have said Hale was under a doctors care for an undisclosed emotional disorder. However, authorities havent disclosed a link between that care and the shooting. Police also said Hale was not on their radar before the attack. Social media accounts and other sources indicate that the shooter identified as a man and might have recently begun using the first name Aiden. Police have said Hale was assigned female at birth but used masculine pronouns on a social media profile. However, police have continued to use female pronouns and the name Audrey to describe Hale. ___ Sainz reported from Memphis. Associated Press writer Kristin M. Hall in Nashville contributed. SHARE: Key Insights Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, MMIS Berhad fair value estimate is RM0.37 With RM0.38 share price, MMIS Berhad appears to be trading close to its estimated fair value Industry average of 474% suggests MMIS Berhad's peers are currently trading at a higher premium to fair value In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of MMIS Berhad (KLSE:MMIS) by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward. We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model. Check out our latest analysis for MMIS Berhad The Model We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Seeing as no analyst estimates of free cash flow are available to us, we have extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the company's last reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF (MYR, Millions) RM8.08m RM12.2m RM16.7m RM21.3m RM25.5m RM29.3m RM32.7m RM35.7m RM38.4m RM40.9m Growth Rate Estimate Source Est @ 71.76% Est @ 51.30% Est @ 36.98% Est @ 26.96% Est @ 19.94% Est @ 15.03% Est @ 11.59% Est @ 9.19% Est @ 7.50% Est @ 6.32% Present Value (MYR, Millions) Discounted @ 14% RM7.1 RM9.4 RM11.2 RM12.5 RM13.1 RM13.2 RM12.9 RM12.3 RM11.6 RM10.8 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = RM114m Story continues We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 3.6%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 14%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032 (1 + g) (r g) = RM41m (1 + 3.6%) (14% 3.6%) = RM397m Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= RM397m ( 1 + 14%)10= RM105m The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is RM219m. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of RM0.4, the company appears around fair value at the time of writing. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind. dcf Important Assumptions We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at MMIS Berhad as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 14%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.331. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. Looking Ahead: Whilst important, the DCF calculation shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. For MMIS Berhad, there are three further factors you should look at: Risks: For example, we've discovered 3 warning signs for MMIS Berhad (2 are concerning!) that you should be aware of before investing here. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! Other Top Analyst Picks: Interested to see what the analysts are thinking? Take a look at our interactive list of analysts' top stock picks to find out what they feel might have an attractive future outlook! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Malaysian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here A small item from the new federal budget offers a hint at how the government plans to carry out its buyback of prohibited firearms. Over five years, the federal government intends to spend $29 million to help Public Safety Canada and the RCMP implement an IT solution to compensate firearms owners and businesses and safely remove assault-style firearms from Canadian communities. According to the ministry of public safety, the funding will be used to create an online management system to facilitate the acquisition, destruction or disposal of more than 100,000 prohibited assault-style weapons, such as the AR-15. The military-grade firearms were banned through an order-in-council in May 2020 on the grounds they have no place in hunting or sport shooting. The government still expects to spend more on the buyback program. In 2021, the parliamentary budget officer estimated it could cost anywhere between $47 million and $756 million depending on the number of guns affected, the take-up rate and pricing structure. The regulatory ban in May 2020 came less than two weeks after 22 people were killed in Nova Scotia in what remains Canadas deadliest mass shooting. According to an Ipsos poll at the time, four in five Canadians support the governments move to outlaw military-style assault weapons. This is a first step toward the buyback program and lays the groundwork for it, spokesperson Audrey Champoux told the Star in an emailed statement. It has no connection to any registry. This IT system will be used to facilitate the buyback, not maintain and track guns. Champoux later stressed that the program will absolutely not involve a registry. She added that the ministry had no further operational details to share. The mandatory buyback program, which has drawn the ire of Conservatives and gun rights advocates, would require owners of banned guns to either sell them to the government, have them rendered inoperable at federal expense or lawfully disposed of. Currently, an amnesty is in place until Oct. 30, 2023 to protect lawful owners of the now-prohibited firearms from criminal liability while they take steps to comply with the law. Its unclear whether that deadline will be extended for a second time as the government continues to design the system. Though British, Australian and New Zealand governments have done so, this is the first time a Canadian government has tried to purchase recently-prohibited guns from their owners, said Blake Brown, a history professor at Saint Marys University. They seem to be struggling a bit in figuring it out, said Brown, author of Arming and Disarming: A History of Gun Control in Canada. However, he understands the rationale. If the governments really serious about getting these guns out of circulation, he continued, it makes sense to offer compensation for them as it will boost compliance. Last month, the government suffered a blow to its gun control efforts when backlash among opposition MPs, gun owners and Indigenous groups forced the government to pull two controversial amendments to Bill C-21, legislation that would freeze the sale of hand guns. The withdrawn revisions would have banned hundreds of other makes and models of assault-style weapons, and entrenched an evergreen definition of what kinds of guns should be prohibited. In an interview with the Star last week, Mendicino was tight-lipped about whether the government planned to introduce new but similar amendments, emphasizing the role of the House of Commons public safety committee in revising Bill C-21. We are currently working with our parliamentary colleagues to craft a clear solution that will keep assault-style weapons off our streets, Champoux said. With files from The Canadian Press and Tonda MacCharles SHARE: OTTAWA Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus ethical track record is under renewed attack after a cabinet ministers sister-in-law was appointed as the governments ethical watchdog for the next six months. Martine Richard is the sister-in-law of Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc. Prior to her interim appointment earlier this week, Richard had worked in the number-two spot in the ethics commissioners office since 2015. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and several of his MPs pummelled the Liberals over the choice during question period on Thursday, accusing them of appointing family and friends to posts responsible for government oversight. Poilievre also cited the naming of former governor general David Johnston to oversee a probe into the governments handling of allegations of foreign interference in Canadian elections; Johnston and Trudeau have known each other for years, although it was a Conservative prime minister who appointed him as governor general. The problem is pretty soon they are going to run out of family and friends and after they do, how are they going to avoid their next conviction for breaking the law? Poilievre said. Richards appointment followed last months resignation of commissioner Mario Dion, who stepped down due to ill health. It was announced on Tuesday, the same day the federal government tabled its 2023 budget. She joined the office more than a decade ago as general counsel. As Liberal House Leader Mark Holland noted, that was during the Conservative government of Stephen Harper. Since then, Holland said she has taken a lot of difficult positions against the government. Those have been well received, he said during question period, in the sense that the ethics commissioners job is to hold us to the highest possible standard. In a statement, Richards office noted the appointment was a temporary six-month one as laid out by the Parliament of Canada Act. Spokesperson Melanie Rushworth also said the office itself had no say in the decision, which was made through a governor in council appointment that is, by the federal cabinet. LeBlancs office directed questions to the Privy Council, the bureaucratic arm of the Prime Ministers Office. It did not immediately answer a question about whether LeBlanc recused himself from the decision, saying only that Richard was the right fit for the job, being the senior-most official in the office. Her appointment will provide the necessary organizational stability while a selection process is run, Stephane Shank said in an email. Richards office said she has always had a conflict of interest screen in place for any matters related to her brother-in-law. Unlike a recusal, a screen is a preventative measure to shield the person from becoming aware of a situation that would place them in a potential conflict, Rushworth said. In 2018, LeBlanc was found by the office to be in breach of the Conflict of Interest Act when, as fisheries minister, he approved a fishing licence for a company that employed one of his relatives. Rushworth said Richard recused herself once out of an abundance of caution during the investigation into whether Trudeau broke the Conflict of Interest Act in the SNC-Lavalin affair. In 2019, the ethics commissioner concluded that Trudeau did break the law by using his position of authority over then-attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould to attempt to influence her decision about whether to intervene in a criminal case against the construction giant. That was the second time Trudeau had been found in breach of the law; the first was over a vacation he took to the Aga Khans private island in 2017. Last December, the office found that International Trade Minister Mary Ng broke the law by awarding a contract to a company owned by a friend. Former Liberal finance minister Bill Morneau was also found to have twice been in breach of ethics laws. As he left office, Dion raised concerns that ethical breaches were becoming all too common and urged formal training for elected officials. Conservative ethics critic Michael Barrett accused the Liberals Thursday of ignoring that advice. Instead of that, at Sunday brunch, the Liberal cabinet minister turned to his sister-in-law and said, How about we make you the new ethics commissioner instead? Barrett charged. When are these Liberals going to take their responsibilities seriously and appoint someone who is independent and can restore accountability to this place for all Canadians? Read more about: SHARE: Ever since it came into existence, Israel has faced existential crises. Now, by opening a new front against its founding democratic ideals, Benjamin Netanyahu has brought Israel to the brink. A country so often fighting external enemies is now at war with itself. Bowing to protests that paralyzed the country and destabilized its army the prime minister backed away from a full confrontation this week. But this is merely a tactical retreat, not a defeat. It is the pause before the putsch. Thats how Yuval Noah Harari, perhaps Israels best-known historian, described the governing coalitions attempt to remake Israels governing system. By undermining the Supreme Court, Netanyahus far-right cabinet tried to free itself from judicial restraint. It is not a judicial reform but more akin to an antidemocratic coup, wrote Harari, author of the bestselling Sapiens. By empowering itself to overrule judgments, and to choose preferred judges, the coalition would place itself above the law rewriting laws it didnt like. For the embattled Netanyahu, who faces long-standing corruption charges, it seemed a made-to-measure escape hatch from justice. But by trampling on the foundations of Israeli democracy, the prime minister overstepped. Netanyahu triggered massive demonstrations on the streets and a nationwide strike that extended to Israels diplomatic missions abroad (including in Toronto and Ottawa). The protests also reverberated in Washington, where Israels protector has had enough. U.S. President Joe Biden is hosting his second democracy summit this week and, with Netanyahu scheduled to provide pre-recorded video comments on how his country remains a model for the Middle East, the timing could not have been more inauspicious. The problem with Netanyahus majoritarian rule is that it ignores minority rights. Liberal democracy is not merely about elections but checks and balances that constrain untrammeled power. Netanyahus margin of victory was razor thin, and followed several indecisive elections in recent years when power alternated back and forth. In such a polarized and deeply split country, he lacks a strong popular mandate to weaken the judiciary. For Canadians accustomed to premiers who override the Charter of Rights not our finest hour there is an important contrast with Netanyahus attempt to circumscribe the high court. Canada has a clear separation of powers, a written constitution, an upper chamber of Parliament and federal-provincial power sharing all of which limit the powers of a prime minister. In Israels system of proportional representation, parliamentarians owe their positions to the parties that put them there, not the people who elected them. Coalitions give rise to smaller fringe parties who can hold the country hostage to their demands ruling over a domestic population that includes a large minority of Israeli Arab citizens, while also occupying millions of Palestinians in the West Bank and controlling the borders of Gaza. After losing power in the previous election, Netanyahu orchestrated his comeback by making common cause with the most extreme voices in the Jewish settler movement, anti-Arab racists and anti-Palestinian nihilists. The prime ministers ambition is to secure a get-out-of-jail card, but his coalition partners agenda is to reconfigure the justice system to suit their own idea of majority rule. This is not merely a nation of right versus left, or hawks versus doves. The demographic shifts extend to religious fault lines (ultra-Orthodox versus secular), ethnic divisions (Ashkenazi versus Sephardi) and outspoken immigrant communities (notably from the old Soviet Union). The demographics and the politics have long favoured Netanyahus career. A population explosion among ultra-Orthodox families has fuelled the religious right; a failed peace process (in which he played a hand) has extinguished the old peace camp of the left. I watched Netanyahu early in his political arc, when peace broke out with the Palestinians and Israeli society faced another existential crisis. As the Stars Middle East correspondent, I saw him promote and profit from incitement against the peace process, which culminated in the assassination of then-prime minister Yitzhak Rabin. During the late 1990s, that office belonged to Netanyahu. When he held forth in two interviews with me, the prime minister didnt hold back on his contempt for the Palestinians while paying lip service to peace. All these years later, he is back in that office again, contemptuous not only of the Palestinians but many of his own people. He will not change his ways now. This week, after supposedly declaring a truce in Israels civil war, his government laid the groundwork for creation of a new paramilitary national guard under the control of Itamar Ben Gvir, the national security minister. Ben Gvir is the far-right coalition partner and radical settler leader convicted of racist incitement against Arabs. Yes, it is reassuring that so many Israelis walked off their jobs and took to the streets to stop the slow dismantling of democracy. But the reality is that Netanyahu keeps winning elections despite his worst depredations. It is a dispiriting time for Israel and Israelis. This column began with a quote from Harari but the last word also goes to him, as a prescient historian who writes about the evolution of society and democracy: I have never seriously considered leaving Israel I always thought it was more important to stay and try to change things here than to leave for somewhere calmer and safer. But I doubt whether I could go on working in a place lacking any meaningful protection for minority rights and for the freedom of expression. Read more about: SHARE: CallTower Honored for their Exceptional Innovation and Commitment to Improving the Customer Experience with Microsoft Teams Direct Routing for GCC High Organizations CallTower Receives 2023 CUSTOMER Magazine Voice Technology Excellence Award for Fifth Year Running CallTower Honored for their Exceptional Innovation and Commitment to Improving the Customer Experience with Microsoft Teams Direct Routing for GCC High Organizations SALT LAKE CITY, UT, ROCHESTER, NY, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CallTower, a leading channel provider of global, cloud-based voice services for Microsoft Teams, Webex Calling and Zoom with key business integrations, announced today that TMC, a global, integrated media company, has named CallTowers Microsoft Teams Direct Routing solution for Government Commercial Cloud High (GCC High) as a 2023 CUSTOMER magazine Voice Technology Excellence Award winner for the fifth year in a row (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023). Organizations leveraging Microsoft 365 GCC High environments can add voice and audio conferencing to their systems with CallTowers Microsoft Teams Direct Routing for GCC High solution. Microsoft 365 GCC High meets the unique and evolving requirements of contractors holding or processing DoD controlled unclassified information (CUI), Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), or subject to International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). The CUSTOMER Voice Technology Excellence Awards recognize vendors that are emerging as the true leaders in this evolving Voice Technology trend. The winning solutions provide speech and analytics engines, IVR and self-service solutions including chatbots, headphones, and voice-activated applications and services that maximize on NLP, NLU, NLG and AI and more. On behalf of both TMC and CUSTOMER magazine, it is my pleasure to honor CallTower with a Voice Technology Excellence Award, said Rich Tehrani, CEO, TMC. Its Microsoft Teams Direct Routing solution for GCC High has proven deserving of this elite status and I look forward to continued innovation from CallTower in 2023 and beyond. We are honored to receive this coveted award from TMC for our Microsoft Teams solution for GCC High, added CallTower Chief Revenue Officer William Rubio. With CallTower, government agencies and contractors can experience voice and audio conferencing empowered by a world-class client services team ensuring a personalized implementation, adoption, training and support strategy. Story continues About CallTower Since its inception in 2002, CallTower has evolved into a global cloud-based, enterprise-class Unified Communications, Contact Center and Collaboration solutions provider for growing organizations worldwide. CallTower provides, integrates and supports industry-leading solutions, including Operator Connect for Microsoft Teams, Teams Direct Routing, GCC High Teams Direct Routing, Office 365, Cisco Webex Calling / UCM, Cisco CCPP, Zoom (BYOC), CT Cloud UCaaS and four contact center options, including Five9 for business customers. TMCs CUSTOMER Magazine TMCs CUSTOMER magazine premiered in September 2012 and is the industrys definitive source for news, product information, and strategies for communications that engage customers and potential customers. Each issue of CUSTOMER includes news and insights on the latest developments in agent training, analytics, ERP, IVR, social CRM solutions, mobile apps, workforce management and more. Please visit http://customer.tmcnet.com for more information. About TMC Through education, industry news, live events and social influence, global buyers rely on TMCs content-driven marketplaces to make purchase decisions and navigate markets. As a result, leading technology vendors turn to TMC for unparalleled branding, thought leadership and lead generation opportunities. Our in-person and online events deliver unmatched visibility and sales prospects for all percipients. Through our custom lead generation programs, we provide clients with an ongoing stream of leads that turn into sales opportunities and build databases. Additionally, we bolster brand reputations with the millions of impressions from display advertising on our news sites and newsletters. Making TMC a 360 degree marketing solution, we offer comprehensive event and road show management services and custom content creation with expertly ghost-crafted blogs, press releases, articles and marketing collateral to help with SEO, branding, and overall marketing efforts. For more information about TMC and to learn how we can help you reach your marketing goals, please visit www.tmcnet.com and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, @tmcnet. For more information about TMC, visit www.tmcnet.com. Attachment CONTACT: Kade Herbert CallTower, Inc. 8003475444 marketing@calltower.com KUZTOWN, Pa. - The Kutztown Police Department announced they have a limited number of free steering wheel locks available to borough residents. The department said this is in response to a number of recent thefts of Kia and Hyundai vehicles. Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry issued a warning earlier this month about a social media-fueled trend that resulted in numerous thefts of these vehicle makes. A recent TikTok challenge encouraged viewers to steal Kia and Hyundai vehicles using household items. The affected vehicles are missing software that would prevent them from being started without a key. Hyundai and Kia have been working on software updates to resolve this issue. The update should be available for many of the vehicles by June of 2023. There are a limited number of locks available. Kutztown Borough residents are asked to bring their vehicle and a photo I.D. to the police station to receive their free wheel lock. The locks are available from Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eligible models are: Reading, PA (19601) Today Sunshine mixing with clouds and rather cool. There might be a stray afternoon shower primarily north and west.. Tonight Turning out mainly clear or partly cloudy and chilly. Allentown, PA (18103) Today Sunshine mixing with clouds and rather cool. There might be a stray afternoon shower primarily north and west.. Tonight Turning out mainly clear or partly cloudy and chilly. It's a terrifying call that schools, parents, and officials all dread getting: news of an active shooter. Multiple schools across the region on Wednesday dealt with "swatting" calls, or fake threats, disrupting class and frightening students and parents. 69 News confirmed that those threats happened to at least five schools in Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Officials spoke with 69 News about the investigation, and about learning the calls were all a hoax. Trooper Nathan Branosky with the Pennsylvania State Police, Troop M, says his troop responded to Catasauqua High School Wednesday morning. Police received what turned out to be just one of multiple calls made that day to multiple schools across the state. The PSP says it's investigating a series of phone calls made to 911 centers about schools across the state, with threats of an active shooter or bomb. So how do officials determine whether a threat is real? Trooper Branosky says due to the high level of investigation, with many entities involved, he can't disclose that. But Warren County Prosecutor Jim Pfeiffer says at Philipsburg High School, officials rushed to the site of where the incident was reported to have happened. "So we knew immediately from that perspective, most likely this was a hoax," he said. "After investigating the specific area that was brought into question." At Lehighton Area High School, a public information report says police received a call from a man with a thick accent. It notes the call was made through a WiFi computer, and upon further investigation that same man contacted eight other school districts in Eastern Pennsylvania and in New Jersey. When asked to give more information, the man hung up. "Everybody's working together to determine where this call originated from," Branosky said. But according to Pfeiffer, that may not be so easy. He believes the caller used an app to make the call to the 911 centers. "Which makes it difficult to identify the actual area or the phone number from which the call came," Pfeiffer said. But officials say their initial response will always be to take the event seriously. "And we're trained in active shooting," Branosky said. "We practice it a lot. We talk about it a lot. And we're prepared to respond when we get that call." Branosky adds schools in the affected areas can expect an increased police presence in coming days. "During pickup times, drop off times and irregularly during the school day," Branosky said. "So don't be alarmed if you see troopers at schools. We're here for protection and for the safety of everybody involved in the school." PHILLIPSBURG, N.J. - Schools across our region dealt with fake threats Wednesday morning, disrupting class and frightening students and parents. We confirmed that those threats happened to at least five school districts across eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Those were Catasaqua, Lehighton, Nazareth, Allentown, and Phillipsburg, New Jersey. All of those threats had very similar details: A call from a man to 911 about an active shooter, and five students shot in a bathroom. All the calls came in shortly after 8 a.m. At Phillipsburg High School, students went on lockdown and police searched the building. We talked to students as their parents came to pick them up early. "While it was happening, it was just, like, your heart was racing. Just, you really didn't know what could happen next," said freshman Nick Burger. "Everyone was crying in our class. I mean, most of the people were, and it was just like, the teacher was like shocked, too," said freshman Joey Firetto. At Phillipsburg, students aren't allowed to have cell phones in class, so many of them didn't know what was going on as they were put on lockdown and officers searched the halls. "We couldn't notify our parents and say we love them in case we were killed, you know?" said freshman Michaela Cabales. The parents were just as worried, like Raquel Lau, who rushed to school to pick up her child. "We panicked at home thinking something happened because of all the news that's going around the country," said Lau. Phillipsburg High was cleared in under a half hour, with police learning the threat had been fake, but Warren County Prosecutor Jim Pfeiffer said he's worried about how threats like this affect students' mental health. "Our children should not be under that stress. Unfortunately, we do have that situation right now in our country," said Pfeiffer. It's a situation he's hoping to put a stop to. Pfeiffer said his office will be working with other agencies to track down the person behind the threats, but it may not be easy. "It's our understanding that there was an app used, which makes it difficult to identify the actual area or phone number from which the call came," said Pfeiffer. At this time, we are still working to get an accurate total number of the schools that received a threat Wednesday morning. POHATCONG TWP., N.J. - A man who works as a corrections officer in Hunterdon County, New Jersey is being accused of sexually assaulting a child over a seven-year period. Jared Green, 35, of Pohatcong Township, Warren County, is charged with five counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, three counts of second-degree sexual assault, four counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and two counts of third-degree criminal sexual contact, according to a news release from the Hunterdon County Prosecutors Office. The prosecutor's office says the crimes occurred in Raritan Township, East Amwell Township, Alexandria Township, and Glen Gardner Township from 2011 to 2018. Green, a Hunterdon County Corrections Officer, is currently suspended without pay, according to the news release. The Hunterdon County Sheriffs Office continues to cooperate fully with the investigation. The prosecutor's office says the allegations did not arise in connection with Greens employment. Green is in the Morris County Jail pending his first court appearance. First-degree charges may result in criminal penalties including, but not limited to, a term of imprisonment between 10 and 20 years and a fine of up to $200,000. Second-degree charges may result in criminal penalties including, but not limited to, a term of imprisonment between five and 10 years and a fine of up to $150,000. BEIJING (AP) China threatened retaliation on Wednesday if U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy meets with Taiwan's president during her upcoming trip through Los Angeles. President Tsai Ing-wen left Taiwan Wednesday afternoon on a tour of the island's diplomatic allies in the Americas, which she framed as a chance to demonstrate Taiwans commitment to democratic values on the world stage. Tsai arrived in New York later in the day and was scheduled to spend Thursday in the city before heading to Guatemala and Belize. She is expected to stop in Los Angeles on her way back to Taiwan on April 5, when a meeting with McCarthy is tentatively scheduled. The planned meeting has triggered fears of a heavy-handed Chinese reaction amid heightened friction between Beijing and Washington over U.S. support for Taiwan and trade and human rights issues. The spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, Zhu Fenglian, denounced Tsai's stopovers and demanded that no U.S. officials meet with her. We firmly oppose this and will take resolute countermeasures, Zhu said at a news conference. The U.S. should refrain from arranging Tsai Ing-wens transit visits and even contact with American officials and take concrete actions to fulfill its solemn commitment not to support Taiwan independence, she said. Beijing claims self-governing Taiwan is part of its territory and threatens to bring the island under its control by force if necessary. Speaking later Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said China will closely follow the development of the situation and resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Mao said the United States was conducting dangerous activities that undermine the political foundation of bilateral ties. McCarthy, a Republican from California, has said he will meet with Tsai when she is in the U.S. and has not ruled out the possibility of traveling to Taiwan in a show of support. White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters Wednesday that Tsai's brief stops in the U.S. will be consistent with our longstanding unofficial relationship with Taiwan and is consistent with the United States one China policy, which remains unchanged. Every Taiwan president has transited the United States. President Tsai Ing-wen herself has transited the US six times since taking office in 2016, each time without incident," Kirby said. The Peoples Republic of China should not use this transit as a pretext to step up any aggressive activity around the Taiwan Strait. United States and China have differences when it comes to Taiwan. But we have managed those differences for more than 40 years. Following a visit by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan in 2022, Beijing launched missiles over the area, deployed warships across the median line of the Taiwan Strait and carried out military exercises in a simulated blockade of the island. Beijing also suspended climate talks with the U.S. and restricted military-to-military communication with the Pentagon. Tsai told reporters before boarding her plane that I want to tell the whole world democratic Taiwan will resolutely safeguard the values of freedom and democracy and will continue to be a force for good in the world, continuing a cycle of goodness, strengthening the resilience of democracy in the world. External pressure will not obstruct our resolution to engage with the world, she said. Beijing has recently ramped up diplomatic pressure against Taiwan by poaching its dwindling number of diplomatic allies while also sending military fighter jets flying toward the island on a near-daily basis. Earlier this month, Honduras established diplomatic relations with China, leaving Taiwan with only 13 countries that recognize it as a sovereign state. U.S. administration officials in a call with reporters ahead of Tsais arrival said her previous stopovers in the U.S. have included meetings with members of Congress and members of the Taiwanese diaspora. The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive visit, said Tsai is also expected to meet with American Institute in Taiwan chair Laura Rosenberger. AIT is the U.S. government-run nonprofit that carries out unofficial relations with Taiwan. One official added that there is absolutely no reason for Beijing to use Tsais stopover as an excuse or a pretext to carry out aggressive or coercive activities aimed at Taiwan. Beijing sees official American contact with Taiwan as encouragement to make the islands decades-old de facto independence permanent, a step U.S. leaders say they dont support. Pelosi was the highest-ranking elected American official to visit the island since then-Speaker Newt Gingrich in 1997. Under its one China policy, the U.S. acknowledges Beijings view that it has sovereignty over Taiwan, but considers Taiwans status as unsettled. Taiwan is an important partner for Washington in the Indo-Pacific. U.S. officials are increasingly worried about China attempting to make good on its long-stated goal of bringing Taiwan under its control. The sides split at the end of a civil war in 1949 and Beijing sees U.S. politicians visits as conspiring with Tsais pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party to make the separation permanent and stymy Chinas rise as a global power. The 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, which has governed U.S. relations with the island, does not require Washington to step in militarily if China invades but makes it American policy to ensure Taiwan has the resources to defend itself and to prevent any unilateral change of status by Beijing. Tensions spiked earlier this year when U.S. President Joe Biden ordered a Chinese spy balloon shot down after it traversed the continental United States. The Biden administration has also said U.S. intelligence findings show that China is weighing sending arms to Russia for its war in Ukraine, but has no evidence Beijing has done so yet. China, however, has provided Russia with an economic lifeline and political support, and President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met in Moscow earlier this month. That was the first face-to-face meeting between the allies since before Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine more than a year ago. The Biden administration postponed a planned visit to Beijing by Secretary of State Antony Blinken following the balloon controversy but has signaled it would like to get such a visit back on track. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao said the blame for tensions lies squarely with Washington for boosting relations with Tsai. Beijing has frozen almost all contacts with Tsais administration since shortly after she was elected to the first of her two terms in 2016. It is not that China overreacts. It is that the U.S. kept emboldening Taiwan independence forces, which is egregious in nature, Mao said at a daily briefing. Tsais state visits coincide with a 12-day trip to China by her predecessor, Ma Ying-jeou, of the pro-unification Nationalist Party, in an appeal to voters whose descendants arrived with Chiang Kai-sheks defeated forces in 1949. Ma has been visiting sites in the former Nationalist capital of Nanjing and emphasizing historical and cultural links between the sides, while avoiding the politically sensitive topics of Chinas determination to eliminate Taiwans international presence and refusal to recognize its government. Tsai is barred from seeking a third term and her party is widely expected to nominate Vice President Lai Ching-te to run for the presidency in January. Associated Press writers Huizhong Wu in Taipei, Taiwan, and Aamer Madhani in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report. SENECA FALLS, N.Y. (AP) A new group of National Women's Hall of Fame inductees includes social justice pioneers, groundbreaking physicians and women who have championed Jewish feminist theology and the financial well-being of Native Americans, the institute announced Wednesday. When I was a young girl, I wanted above all to be popular. By the time I was 35, I decided I would rather be useful than popular," inductee Peggy McIntosh, an activist known for her explorations of privilege, said by email after the honorees were announced. She and the other living inductees Kimberle Crenshaw, Judith Plaskow, Loretta Ross and Allucquere Rosanne Sandy Stone have helped drive issues of white privilege, systemic racism, reproductive justice, transgender studies and feminist theology into the public discourse. Three women will be inducted posthumously: Dr. Patricia Bath (1942-2019), an early pioneer of laser cataract surgery and the first Black woman physician to receive a medical patent; Dr. Anna Wessels Williams (1863-1954), who isolated a strain of diphtheria that helped in its treatment; and Elouise Pepion Cobell, known as Yellow Bird Woman (1945-2011), who started the first bank established by a tribe on a reservation in Browning, Montana. Located in Seneca Falls, New York, the site of the first Woman's Rights Convention in 1848, the National Women's Hall of Fame inducts a new class every other year to recognize women's contributions in fields like the arts, sports, education and government. In the five decades since its first Induction Ceremony in 1973, the Hall has continued to lift the voices and stories of exceptional women who changed the world, Jennifer Gabriel, executive director of the National Womens Hall of Fame, said in a news release. McIntosh, 88, has written widely about privilege, including in her 1989 essay, White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, in which she described an invisible package of unearned assets that white people, but not necessarily Black people, can count on in everyday life. I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed. ... I can be sure that my children will be given curricular materials that testify to the existence of their race, she wrote. Crenshaw, 63, helped develop the academic concept of critical race theory, the idea that racism is systemic in the nations institutions. The academic framework dates back to the 1970s, but the phrase has become a political flashpoint in recent years as parents and politicians debate how race and American history should be taught in public schools. Plaskow, 76, is regarded as the first Jewish feminist theologian for calling out an absence of female perspectives in Jewish history. We must render visible the presence, experience and deeds of women erased in our traditional sources, she wrote in her groundbreaking 1990 book, Standing Again at Sinai: Judaism from a Feminist Perspective. Ross, 69, founded the National Center for Human Rights Education in Atlanta. The Smith College professor and 2022 MacArthur Fellowship recipient has drawn on her experiences as a survivor of rape and nonconsensual sterilization to advocate for reproductive justice a theory she helped to create especially among women of color. Stone, a transgender woman born in 1936, is considered a founder of the academic discipline of transgender studies and is founding director of the Advanced Communication Technologies Lab at the University of Texas at Austin. She came to academics after a career as a sound engineer for Jimi Hendrix, the Grateful Dead and other musicians in the 1960s and 1970s. She is the station engineer for radio station KSQD in Santa Cruz. Inductees are nominated by the public and judged by a panel of experts across the nominees' fields, according to the National Womens Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony is scheduled for Sept. 30. This wonderful recognition by the National Womens Hall of Fame honors what the Hall sees as lasting usefulness, McIntosh wrote. I admire the values of the Hall in this years inductees. Each of us eight women tried to be of use, starting from where we were. CALGARY, AB / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / CannaPharmaRx, Inc. (OTC PINK:CPMD), a future leader in ultramodern, highly efficient cannabis production facilities announced today that it has signed a Supply Agreement with Israeli company Y.S.A Holdings ("YSA"). The business arrangement sets forth a supply agreement between the two companies. Under the terms of the agreement, CannaPharmaRx will cultivate commercial cannabis at its Facility in Canada and supply YSA Group material for the sole purpose of selling finished product in Israel and Morocco. The agreement shall initially be for 24 months and automatically renews for periods of 24 months each. YSA will buy from CannaPharmaRX a minimum of 400kg of Material per annum per each country comprising the Territory during the Term. It is anticipated that purchase orders will be between 400kg and 1000kg and occur as often as four times annually. Deliveries are anticipated to begin in Q3 quarter. Anticipated Revenues can be between $6 - $15 million on a yearly basis depending on quantity and timing. "In accordance with the company's model, we are building an international brand for our product. For this agreement, the brand will contain up to fifteen strains from the large pool of CannapharmaRX's exclusive inventory. This is an important agreement for us as YSA's CEO has significant experience in this industry and specifically in the international marketplace. Until recently he was the CEO of Teva Adir, one of the original and leading cannabis companies in Israel and currently advises the Moroccan government on the regulation issues required to market cannabis in the field. We continue to grow our customers and distribution across the globe," stated Nick Colvin, CEO of CannaPharmaRx. About CannapharmaRx, Inc. CannapharmaRx is focused on the acquisition and development of state-of-the-art cannabis grow facilities in Canada. CPMD is in discussion with other companies regarding potential acquisitions. CannapharmaRx's business strategy is to become a leader in high quality and low-cost production of cannabis through the development, acquisition, and enhancement of existing facilities. CannapharmaRx is committed to operating high-quality facilities utilizing the latest technology in combined heat and power generation to ensure being a low-cost producer of cannabis. Story continues Safe Harbor Statement Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information or Statements This press release contains forward-looking information or statements. All statements that are or information which is not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations, or beliefs of future performance, are 'forward-looking information or statements.' Forward-looking information or statements can be identified by the use of words such as 'plans,' 'expects,' or 'does not expect,' 'is expected,' 'estimates,' 'intends,' 'anticipates,' or 'does not anticipate,' or 'believes,' or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results 'may,' 'could,' 'would,' 'might' or 'will' be taken, occur or be achieved. With respect to forward-looking information and statements contained herein, Management of CannapharmaRx has made numerous assumptions, including, among other things, assumptions about general business and economic conditions. Such forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results, events, or developments to be materially different from any future results, events, or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking information or statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking information or statements. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking information or statements. CannapharmaRx assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information or statements, even if new information becomes available as a result of future events, new information, or for any other reason except as required by law. Contact Information: Brokers and Analysts: Chesapeake Group (410) 825-3930 SOURCE: CannaPharmaRx View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/746599/CannaPharmaRx-Signs-Supply-Agreement-with-YSA-Holdings-for-up-to-15-Million-Annually-of-Commercial-Cannabis SkyQuest Technology Consulting Pvt. Ltd. SkyQuest's Functional Coatings market report is an excellent insight for individuals interested in gaining insight into the valuable data, trends, and opportunities in a rapidly growing industry. Additionally, the report is written clearly and concisely, making it accessible to various audiences, from industry experts to market readers. Finally, one can gain an in-depth understanding of the primary and secondary market drivers, providing them with a comprehensive outlook of the current market situation and future projections. Westford, USA, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- North America and Asia Pacific are expected to witness significant growth in the Functional Coatings market due to increasing demand from end-use industries, including automotive, construction, and healthcare. The market is fueled by rising demand for high-performance coatings and the development of advanced technologies, producing more efficient and durable coatings. According to SkyQuest reports, the global Functional coatings market is anticipated to reach USD 33.4 billion by 2030, driven by the rising need for smart coatings. The market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5% from 2020 to 2030. SkyQuest's latest global research reveals that the automotive sector is witnessing a surge in demand for functional coatings. The automotive coatings market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.6% from 2020 to 2027, reaching USD 35.82 billion by 2027. This growth in the automotive industry is driving the demand for functional coatings that protect against corrosion, wear, and tear. Browse in-depth TOC on "Functional Coatings Market. Pages - 242 Tables - 69 Figures - 80 Get a sample copy of this report: https://www.skyquestt.com/sample-request/functional-coatings-market Functional coatings are coatings that are specifically formulated to enhance the surface properties of substrates. These coatings offer numerous benefits, including wear resistance, thermal insulation, and chemical and corrosion resistance. They are widely used in various industries, including automotive, aerospace, construction, and electronics. The significance of functional coatings lies in their ability to improve product performance, durability, and sustainability, reduce maintenance costs, and improve overall process efficiency in modern industrial applications. Story continues Prominent Players in Functional Coatings Market AkzoNobel Axalta Coating Systems BASF SE Berger Paints India Limited Chemours Company Diamond Vogel Paints DowDuPont Inc. Hempel A/S Jotun A/S Kansai Paint Co. Ltd. Nippon Paint Holdings Co. Ltd. PPG Industries Inc. RPM International Inc. Sika AG Sherwin-Williams Company Teknos Group Tikkurila Oyj Wacker Chemie AG Whitford Corporation Yung Chi Paint & Varnish Mfg. Co. Ltd. Browse summary of the report and Complete Table of Contents (ToC): https://www.skyquestt.com/report/functional-coatings-market Automotive Application Segment to Drive Higher Sales as There is a need to Protect Vehicles Against Corrosion and Wear, and Provide Thermal Insulation A recent analysis reveals that the Main Landing Gear segment is a significant contributor to the rapid development of the Functional Coatings market in 2021. This trend is expected to continue from 2022 to 2030, driven by increasing demand for functional coatings in the automotive industry. The demand is attributed to the need to improve vehicles' aesthetic appearance, protect against corrosion and wear, and provide thermal insulation. According to SkyQuest reports, the engine components segment is expected to dominate the functional coatings market in the automotive industry, projecting a CAGR of 5.2% in the forecasted period. This growth in the engine segment is attributed to the increasing demand for high-performance and fuel-efficient engines, which require coatings that provide corrosion resistance, wear resistance, and thermal insulation to enhance the performance and durability of engine components., Research analysis indicates that North America is poised to become a dominant player in the Functional Coatings market from 2022 to 2030, with a projected CAGR of 5.95% during the forecast period, according to SkyQuest. This growth is attributed to the increasing demand for eco-friendly coatings and the rising use of functional coatings in the aerospace and defense industries in the region. Recent developments demonstrate the market's growth, such as PPG Industries, a leading coatings and specialty materials company, introducing a new series of high-performance coatings for the aerospace industry. Anti-Corrosion Type Component Segment to Exhibit Strong Growth due to the Growing Need for Protection Against Corrosion in Various End-Use Industries The Wheels and Brakes Component segment emerged as the dominant method in the Functional Coatings market in 2021 and is expected to retain its lead from 2022 to 2030. The increasing demand for anti-corrosion coatings can be attributed to the growing need for protection against corrosion in various end-use industries, including automotive, marine, and oil & gas. The development of advanced and eco-friendly anti-corrosion coatings is also driving the growth of this segment. According to SkyQuest research analysis, the global anti-corrosion coatings market size is projected to reach USD 37.6 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 5.0% in the forecasted period. The Asia Pacific region has emerged as a significant force in the Functional Coatings market and is poised to retain its leading position by 2030. SkyQuest forecasts significant growth in the Functional Coatings market for the Asia Pacific region, with a projected CAGR of 6.1% during the forecast period. The analysis also reveals that the government of India has launched the Make in India program to encourage domestic manufacturing across various sectors, including automotive, aerospace, and construction. This initiative is expected to increase the demand for functional coatings in the country. Similarly, the Chinese government has implemented several policies to promote eco-friendly coatings in the automotive industry and has introduced regulations to limit VOC emissions from coating products. These initiatives are expected to drive the demand for functional coatings in the region. Additionally, several other countries in the region, such as Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, have introduced various initiatives to promote sustainable and eco-friendly coatings in different industries. A comprehensive analysis of the major players in the Functional Coatings market has been recently conducted in a report. The report encompasses various aspects, including collaborations, mergers, innovative business policies, and strategies, providing valuable insights into key trends and breakthroughs in the market. Furthermore, the report scrutinizes the market share of the top segments and presents a detailed geographic analysis. Lastly, the report highlights the major players in the industry and their endeavors to develop innovative solutions to cater to the growing demand. Speak to Analyst for your custom requirements: https://www.skyquestt.com/speak-with-analyst/functional-coatings-market Key Developments in the Functional Coatings Market Ferro Corporation, a provider of functional coatings and color solutions, has confirmed the completion of its acquisition by Prince International Corporation. The transaction was made at $22.00 per share of Ferro common stock owned by shareholders without interest and applicable withholding taxes. AkzoNobel announced an agreement to acquire Kansai Paint's paints and coatings business in Africa, expanding its market presence. The deal, expected to be completed in 2023, is subject to regulatory approval. Kansai Paint's regional revenue is around 280 million, and it operates in 12 African countries. The acquisition includes the Plascon brand, a paint brand with more than a century of history in South Africa. Additionally, it encompasses automotive and protective coatings, as well as coatings for wood and coil. Key Questions Answered in Functional Coatings Market Report What specific growth drivers are projected to impact the market during the forecast period? Can you list the top companies in the market and explain how they have achieved their positions of influence? In what ways do regional trends and patterns differ within the global market, and how might these differences shape the market's future growth? Related Reports in SkyQuests Library: Global Polyurethane Elastomers Market Global Traffic Road Marking Coatings Market Global Zeolite Molecular Sieve Market Global Water and Wastewater Treatment Chemical Market Global Aroma Chemicals Market About Us: SkyQuest Technology is leading growth consulting firm providing market intelligence, commercialization and technology services. It has 450+ happy clients globally. Address: 1 Apache Way, Westford, Massachusetts 01886 Phone: USA (+1) 617-230-0741 Email: sales@skyquestt.com LinkedIn Facebook Twitter New housing developments are coming to Baraboo, and the city approved the bonding needed for necessary improvements at those sites. On March 28, the citys common council unanimously approved a bonding measure of $4.6 million for various upgrades and other maintenance in two tax increment financing (TIF or TID) districts. The bonds will be covered by the area developers and will have no tax impact on the city as a whole. This allows us to go bond for public infrastructure and then their development pays for it, said city administrator Casey Bradley. New roads, water, and sewer will go in and its guaranteed. Spirit Lake is an upcoming apartment and townhouse complex which will be located at the south end of County Highway W on the west side of U.S. Highway 12, in TID No. 11. Bradley said the developers, Spirit Lake LLC and Pewits Landing LLC, are guaranteeing $20 million in new increments to the district for its first phase. The complex, which also features a hotel, was not approved without a battle at the city level. Mayor Rob Nelson vetoed the projects unanimous approval by the city council in January, saying he thought development west of Highway 12 was a mistake due to community detachment and environmental concerns. However, the city council overrode his veto in a 6-3 vote during its meeting on Feb. 14, allowing the projects development. Weve got personal guarantees on the developers, so if they dont hit that ($20 million) value, weve got claw-backs to where they still have to make those ($4.6 million bonds) up, said Bradley. The Teel Plastics facility and Menards on the southwest corner of the city are also part of TID No. 11. Funding from the passed measure on March 28 will also go toward TID No. 12 on the east side of the city. The main project in the district is Greenfield Estates, another housing development that is currently in progress. As of the end of 2022, the project had 64 apartments and a duplex completed and has five single-family homes under construction. Greenfield Estates and Devils Lake Townhomes, an upcoming development that began construction in 2022 near Devils Lake State Park, are part of an economic development plan the city put together early in 2023. Other portions of the plan include ideas for downtown commercial space, the Carnegie-Schadde Memorial Public Library project that is currently underway, and the citys Riverfront redevelopment. Low-Mow May Another unanimously passed measure by the city on March 28 was to limit lawn manicuring and allow vegetation growth during May. The measure was brought to the city by local energy nonprofit Powered Up Baraboo. One of the organizations board members, Lena Nissley, spoke prior to the measures passage. This year, again, we are planning to support Low-Mow May as a way to support pollinators and educate the community on the reasons why its important, said Nissley. The approved resolution indicated that city staff and residents be encouraged to reduce lawn-mowing and will suspend enforcement of vegetative height restrictions throughout May. In 2022, the initiative was known as No Mow May, but Nissley said the change to Low-Mow is due to studies by Powered Up Baraboo showing that mowing once every two weeks may actually be more beneficial to bees and other pollinators than not mowing at all throughout the month. She said mowing infrequently instead of letting vegetation grow can reduce emissions and wear and tear on lawn maintenance equipment. Feedback from those who participated in Baraboo last year included comments that not mowing throughout the entire month of May was tough, said Nissley. Tribute to U.S. Veterans and First Responders at the 2023 Southernmost Air Spectacular Air Show MARATHON, Fla., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Chapters Health Hospice invites attendees of the 2023 Southernmost Air Spectacular to experience the American Veterans Traveling Tribute (AVTT), presented by the Chapters Health Valor Program. The tribute will be available at the air show on Boca Chica Field at Naval Air Station Key West, Florida on Saturday, April 15 and Sunday, April 16, 2023. Gates open at 10 a.m. with free admission and parking. Chapters Health Foundation (PRNewsfoto/Chapters Health Foundation) AVTT is a veteran-owned organization operated by the non-profit, The Texas Freedom Tribute. The AVTT includes an 80-percent scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. and tributes for every U.S. involved conflict since World War I, as well as a special 9/11 memorial. The AVTT travels the United States to honor American military Veterans and First Responders and educate communities about U.S. history. The 2023 Southernmost Air Spectacular features aircraft displays and aerial performances from various military flight squadrons, such as the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, VFC-111 "Sun Downers" Adversary Squadron, F-35 Lightning Demonstration Team, VFA-106 "Gladiators" Strike Squadron, and many more military and civilian acts. For more information, visit www.airshowkeywest.com. "We're thrilled to once again work with the American Veterans Traveling Tribute to pay respects to our Veterans and First Responders," said Adam Stanfield, vice president of development and executive director, Chapters Health Foundation. "Their understanding of our country's history and the sacrifice our Veterans and First Responders have made is what makes this tribute such a humbling and profound experience. And I'm so happy we get to share it with all the attendees of the air show. It will be a great weekend for all to enjoy." "AVTT is once again proud to be joining the Air Show event in Key West Florida," said Don Allen, founder and CEO, American Veterans Traveling Tribute. "Being able to display our tributes to the entire community is humbling to us. Our mission is to Honor Respect and Remember all who served our country and to recognize the sacrifices of their families. If your name is on display and viewed you can never be forgotten. Join us and say welcome home to the many who gave all over the years." Story continues About Chapters Health Hospice Formed in 2020, Chapters Health Hospice, an affiliate of Chapters Health System, is a community-based, not-for-profit organization supporting patients in Monroe County as they face the challenges of advancing age and illness. About Chapters Health Valor Program The Chapters Health Valor Program, operated and funded by the Chapters Health Foundation, provides special support, recognition, and services to veterans, first responders, and their families. The Valor Program, offered year-round, provides services including but not limited to honor pinning ceremonies, peer-to-peer activities, honor walks for deceased service members, counseling services, and trips through the Honor Flight Network. All services and programs through the Valor Program are provided at no cost to patients and families. About Chapters Health Foundation Chapters Health Foundation is a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization committed to supporting Chapters Health System, a progressive leader in home health, palliative care, hospice, and grief support. Chapters Health Foundation provides more than $7.4 million annually to help offset the accumulated costs of unfunded and underfunded programming including but not limited to charity care, helping to meet the needs of patients and families who cannot afford hospice services. Chapters Health Foundation also provides $1.3 million in funding for the provision of grief support across Chapters Health and in 2020, provided more than $1 million to assist with underfunded pediatric and adult palliative care services. About Chapters Health System As a progressive leader and premier healthcare organization, Chapters Health System is dedicated to delivering innovative care throughout chronic illness progression and beyond. Since 1983 as a community-based, not-for-profit organization, Chapters Health has provided choices, education and guidance through its managed affiliates. All offerings are provided to improve the patient/family experience well in advance of end-of-life needs. In 2023, Chapters Health was named a Top Workplaces USA award-winner; in 2022, earned certified status for information security from HITRUST and for the fifth consecutive year was recognized as a great workplace in the Aging Services category by the independent analysts at the Great Place to Work Institute. To learn more, visit www.chaptershealth.org, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chapters-health-foundation-presents-american-veterans-traveling-tribute-301786417.html SOURCE Chapters Health Foundation The YMCA of Dodge Countys bike-a-thon returned on Wednesday to help raise money for the organizations annual fund. The bike-a-thon participants raise funds by themselves and people can leave a donation as they pass by the riders while checking in and out of the facility. The people rode the stationary bicycles for an hour and recorded the miles traveled, which could be used with their fundraising efforts. In 2022, we raised over $188,000, said Ellie Moore, the associate executive director at the YMCA of Dodge County. In 2022, we provided more than $202,000 in financial assistance and program subsidies to members of our service area. Over 2,350 children, families, and adults in Dodge County benefited from the generosity of their friends and neighbors through the Annual Gifts Change Lives Campaign. Dues operate the facility, but gifts will change lives. The annual campaign raises funds that go toward swim lessons, childcare and use of the facility, Perkins said. Income-qualified qualified people can get 5% to 85% off the membership dues because of the money raised through the annual campaign. The bike-a-thon donations from Wednesday will be added to the annual campaign fund. Those wanting to donate to the annual campaign fund can go online or stop at the YMCA, 220 Corporate Drive. All of the money raised remains with the YMCA of Dodge County and is used locally. PHOTOS: Easter Eggstravaganza held at YMCA of Dodge County 041122-ctzn-news-easter-hunt-2.JPG EASTER EGGSTRAVAGANZA 041122-ctzn-news-easter-hunt-5.JPG EASTER EGGSTRAVAGANZA 041122-ctzn-news-easter-hunt-7.JPG 041122-ctzn-news-easter-hunt-8.JPG 041122-ctzn-news-easter-hunt-9.JPG 041122-ctzn-news-easter-hunt-10.JPG 041122-ctzn-news-easter-hunt-11.JPG 041122-ctzn-news-easter-hunt-12.JPG 041122-ctzn-news-easter-hunt-13.JPG 041122-ctzn-news-easter-hunt-14.JPG 041122-ctzn-news-easter-hunt-15.JPG EASTER EGGSTRAVAGANZA A Catholic church in Cottage Grove engaged in potentially illegal political campaigning when its pastor posted a bulletin urging parishioners not to vote for her in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, an atheist group told the Internal Revenue Service. The church flyer posted by St. Patricks Catholic Church doesnt refer to the candidates liberal Janet Protasiewicz and conservative Dan Kelly by name. But the pastors choice of pronouns in the context of the letter make clear hes seeking to bolster support for Kelly, the Freedom From Religion Foundation said. You cannot publicly support abortion or abortion advocates and remain a Catholic in good standing, the bulletin said. The fact that this is a Supreme Court race does not exempt us from our duty to protect life .... As a Catholic, I urge you, for the salvation of your soul; do not vote for her in the Supreme Court race on April 4. Churches and charities, which are exempt from paying taxes, have been banned from engaging in political activity since 1954. In 1987, Congress revised the bans language to clarify that opposing candidates also constitutes political activity. We write to respectfully request that the IRS immediately investigate St. Patricks Catholic Church and ensure that it no longer receives the benefits of 501(c)(3) status and that donations made to the church are no longer treated as tax deductible, Freedom From Religion Foundation staff attorney Christopher Line wrote in a letter to the IRS. A statement from the group called the pamphlet blatant electioneering. When the Wisconsin State Journal attempted to contact the church, the person who answered the phone declined to comment. Reached separately, church Pastor Brian Dulli, who wrote the letter, initially said he had nothing to say. Dulli later issued a statement saying his comments were coming from a place of love, adding that he didnt want anyone of any faith to suffer for supporting abortion rights. The letter circulated as a physical flyer and online bulletin. The bulletin was posted in a section entitled, From the pastors desk, which also noted that Dulli was leaving the church in April. The pamphlet circulated widely on social media after conservative talk show host Vicki McKenna posted a screenshot of it on Twitter, saying Every Catholic pastor in WI should have done what my pastor did. Every Catholic pastor in WI should have done what my pastor didand put a message in the bulletin about our Supreme Court race. THANK YOU, Fr. Brian! #VoteLikeThereIsAHeaven pic.twitter.com/HOkkyymwUx Vicki McKenna (@VickiMcKenna) March 26, 2023 Any church that decides to be this overtly political is making a case against their tax-exempt status, U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Black Earth, said about the pamphlet. Political organizations are not tax-exempt. This organization has to decide what it is, religious or political. The pamphlet heavily focuses on abortion, an issue that Protasiewicz has put at the center of her campaign. As Democrats seek to nullify Wisconsins near-complete abortion ban in court, Protasiewicz has all but pledged to restore the rights the law currently blocks. While Kelly has been less vocal about the issue in this race, he has asserted that abortion involves taking the life of a human being. Calling abortion murder, Dulli tells parishioners, Its a mortal sin to render aid to the cause of abortion. That aid includes voting. There can be no mistake that Pastor Dulli is trying to intervene in the Wisconsin Supreme Court election, Line wrote to the IRS. Several brokerages have updated their recommendations and price targets on shares of Smartsheet (NYSE: SMAR) in the last few weeks: 3/24/2023 Smartsheet had its price target raised by analysts at Guggenheim from $54.00 to $57.00. They now have a buy rating on the stock. 3/15/2023 Smartsheet had its price target raised by analysts at Royal Bank of Canada from $36.00 to $43.00. They now have a sector perform rating on the stock. 3/15/2023 Smartsheet had its price target raised by analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $45.00 to $50.00. They now have an overweight rating on the stock. 3/15/2023 Smartsheet had its price target raised by analysts at KeyCorp from $48.00 to $53.00. They now have an overweight rating on the stock. 3/15/2023 Smartsheet had its price target raised by analysts at Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. from $50.00 to $55.00. They now have an outperform rating on the stock. 3/15/2023 Smartsheet had its neutral rating reaffirmed by analysts at Credit Suisse Group AG. They now have a $40.00 price target on the stock. 3/15/2023 Smartsheet had its price target raised by analysts at Guggenheim from $48.00 to $54.00. They now have a buy rating on the stock. 3/15/2023 Smartsheet had its buy rating reaffirmed by analysts at Needham & Company LLC. They now have a $57.00 price target on the stock. 3/15/2023 Smartsheet had its price target raised by analysts at DA Davidson from $54.00 to $57.00. 3/15/2023 Smartsheet had its price target raised by analysts at BMO Capital Markets from $41.00 to $50.00. 3/1/2023 Smartsheet had its price target raised by analysts at KeyCorp from $46.00 to $48.00. They now have an overweight rating on the stock. Smartsheet Trading Up 1.4 % Shares of NYSE SMAR traded up $0.63 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $46.90. The company had a trading volume of 772,108 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,423,678. Smartsheet Inc has a twelve month low of $25.09 and a twelve month high of $58.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.16 billion, a PE ratio of -28.08 and a beta of 1.07. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $44.17 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $38.20. Get Smartsheet Inc alerts: Insider Activity In other news, insider Jolene Lau Marshall sold 2,221 shares of Smartsheet stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.47, for a total value of $98,767.87. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 9,535 shares of the companys stock, valued at $424,021.45. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other Smartsheet news, insider Jolene Lau Marshall sold 2,221 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.47, for a total transaction of $98,767.87. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 9,535 shares of the companys stock, valued at $424,021.45. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CRO Michael Arntz sold 10,418 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.68, for a total value of $496,730.24. Following the sale, the executive now directly owns 18,483 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $881,269.44. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 16,639 shares of company stock valued at $787,658 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 4.58% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of SMAR. Raymond James & Associates lifted its stake in shares of Smartsheet by 4.5% in the first quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 19,514 shares of the companys stock worth $1,069,000 after acquiring an additional 845 shares in the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Smartsheet by 10.2% in the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 16,949 shares of the companys stock worth $928,000 after acquiring an additional 1,567 shares in the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Smartsheet by 7.0% in the first quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 25,608 shares of the companys stock worth $1,403,000 after acquiring an additional 1,677 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Smartsheet by 8.1% in the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 10,683 shares of the companys stock worth $585,000 after acquiring an additional 803 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Smartsheet in the first quarter worth about $431,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.50% of the companys stock. Smartsheet, Inc engages in managing and automating collaborative work. Its platform provides solutions that eliminate the obstacles to capturing information, including a familiar and intuitive spreadsheet interface as well as easily customizable forms. The company was founded by W. Eric Browne, Maria Colacurcio, John D. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Smartsheet Inc Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Smartsheet Inc and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cyrela Brazil Realty S.A. Empreendimentos e Participacoes (OTCMKTS:CYRBY Get Rating) saw a significant growth in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 500 shares, a growth of 400.0% from the February 28th total of 100 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 10,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.0 days. Cyrela Brazil Realty S.A. Empreendimentos e Participacoes Price Performance Shares of Cyrela Brazil Realty S.A. Empreendimentos e Participacoes stock traded down $0.02 on Wednesday, hitting $2.55. 623 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,016. Cyrela Brazil Realty S.A. Empreendimentos e Participacoes has a one year low of $2.19 and a one year high of $4.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $980.48 million, a PE ratio of 6.35 and a beta of 0.67. The firms 50-day moving average price is $2.87 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $2.92. Get Cyrela Brazil Realty S.A. Empreendimentos e Participacoes alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes Separately, Morgan Stanley cut shares of Cyrela Brazil Realty S.A. Empreendimentos e Participacoes to an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, December 16th. Cyrela Brazil Realty S.A. Empreendimentos e Participacoes Company Profile Cyrela Brazil Realty SA Empreendimentos e Participacoes engages in the development and construction of residential properties. It operates through the Merger Activity and Service Fee Income segments. The company was founded in 1961 and is headquartered in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Cyrela Brazil Realty S.A. Empreendimentos e Participacoes Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cyrela Brazil Realty S.A. Empreendimentos e Participacoes and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Aspiriant LLC lessened its stake in shares of iShares MSCI ACWI Low Carbon Target ETF (NYSEARCA:CRBN Get Rating) by 1.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 63,425 shares of the companys stock after selling 866 shares during the quarter. Aspiriant LLC owned 1.06% of iShares MSCI ACWI Low Carbon Target ETF worth $8,762,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of CRBN. Flow Traders U.S. LLC bought a new position in shares of iShares MSCI ACWI Low Carbon Target ETF during the 1st quarter worth approximately $60,983,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its holdings in iShares MSCI ACWI Low Carbon Target ETF by 1,924.6% during the 2nd quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 240,278 shares of the companys stock valued at $32,873,000 after purchasing an additional 228,410 shares in the last quarter. Albion Financial Group UT increased its holdings in iShares MSCI ACWI Low Carbon Target ETF by 202.3% during the 3rd quarter. Albion Financial Group UT now owns 46,485 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,887,000 after purchasing an additional 31,108 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC increased its holdings in iShares MSCI ACWI Low Carbon Target ETF by 131.2% during the 3rd quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 52,161 shares of the companys stock valued at $6,606,000 after purchasing an additional 29,599 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased its holdings in iShares MSCI ACWI Low Carbon Target ETF by 121.5% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 41,280 shares of the companys stock valued at $6,739,000 after purchasing an additional 22,644 shares in the last quarter. Get iShares MSCI ACWI Low Carbon Target ETF alerts: iShares MSCI ACWI Low Carbon Target ETF Stock Up 0.9 % CRBN stock traded up $1.32 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $146.67. 1,756 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 11,543. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $145.63 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $140.29. iShares MSCI ACWI Low Carbon Target ETF has a 1-year low of $123.39 and a 1-year high of $167.14. The company has a market cap of $880.02 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.43 and a beta of 0.94. iShares MSCI ACWI Low Carbon Target ETF Profile The iShares MSCI ACWI Low Carbon Target ETF (CRBN) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI ACWI Low Carbon Target index. The fund tracks an index of stocks from global firms selected for a bias toward lower carbon emissions. CRBN was launched on Dec 9, 2014 and is managed by BlackRock. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI ACWI Low Carbon Target ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI ACWI Low Carbon Target ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BlackRock Future Innovators ETF (NYSEARCA:BFTR Get Rating)s share price traded up 1.8% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $26.55 and last traded at $26.55. 996 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 39% from the average session volume of 1,645 shares. The stock had previously closed at $26.07. BlackRock Future Innovators ETF Stock Performance The stock has a market capitalization of $7.17 million, a P/E ratio of 31.31 and a beta of 1.27. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $27.00 and a 200-day simple moving average of $25.49. Get BlackRock Future Innovators ETF alerts: Hedge Funds Weigh In On BlackRock Future Innovators ETF A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of BFTR. OLD Mission Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of BlackRock Future Innovators ETF in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV lifted its holdings in shares of BlackRock Future Innovators ETF by 1,515.6% in the 4th quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 1,551 shares of the companys stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 1,455 shares in the last quarter. UBS Group AG lifted its holdings in shares of BlackRock Future Innovators ETF by 45.5% in the 1st quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 3,122 shares of the companys stock worth $105,000 after purchasing an additional 977 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC bought a new position in shares of BlackRock Future Innovators ETF in the 4th quarter worth $224,000. Finally, Flow Traders U.S. LLC bought a new position in shares of BlackRock Future Innovators ETF in the 4th quarter worth $318,000. About BlackRock Future Innovators ETF The BlackRock Future Innovators ETF (BFTR) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the Russell 2500 Growth index. The fund actively selects small- and mid-cap global growth companies that are considered to be innovators within their respective marketplace. BFTR was launched on Sep 29, 2020 and is managed by BlackRock. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for BlackRock Future Innovators ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BlackRock Future Innovators ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund, Inc. (NYSE:MUC Get Rating) saw a large growth in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 46,000 shares, a growth of 329.9% from the February 28th total of 10,700 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 288,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.2 days. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Morgan Stanley raised its holdings in shares of BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund by 19.3% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 4,718,035 shares of the companys stock worth $50,672,000 after acquiring an additional 762,169 shares during the period. Guggenheim Capital LLC raised its holdings in BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund by 3.9% in the 1st quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 1,178,881 shares of the companys stock valued at $15,420,000 after buying an additional 44,371 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company MN raised its holdings in BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund by 107.9% in the 2nd quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 848,960 shares of the companys stock valued at $10,163,000 after buying an additional 440,672 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE raised its holdings in BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund by 4.7% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 722,890 shares of the companys stock valued at $9,455,000 after buying an additional 32,508 shares during the period. Finally, Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. now owns 717,404 shares of the companys stock valued at $7,705,000 after buying an additional 8,429 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 44.65% of the companys stock. Get BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund alerts: BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund Stock Performance MUC stock remained flat at $10.86 during midday trading on Wednesday. The companys stock had a trading volume of 203,561 shares, compared to its average volume of 217,676. BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund has a 12 month low of $9.95 and a 12 month high of $13.21. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $11.09 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $10.90. BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund Cuts Dividend BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund Company Profile The business also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 3rd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.0335 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 14th. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.70%. (Get Rating) BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund, Inc operates as a closed-end investment fund. The companys investment objective is to provide shareholders and investing primarily in municipal obligations exempt from federal income taxes and California income taxes. The company was founded on February 27, 1998 and is headquartered in Wilmington, DE. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. CAPROCK Group Inc. boosted its position in Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY Get Rating) by 1.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 33,775 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after buying an additional 409 shares during the quarter. CAPROCK Group Inc.s holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb were worth $2,430,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Boston Financial Mangement LLC boosted its position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 0.9% during the third quarter. Boston Financial Mangement LLC now owns 15,468 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $1,100,000 after buying an additional 133 shares during the period. Accredited Investors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 0.9% during the third quarter. Accredited Investors Inc. now owns 15,461 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $1,099,000 after buying an additional 134 shares during the period. Lincoln National Corp boosted its position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 0.4% during the third quarter. Lincoln National Corp now owns 36,282 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $2,579,000 after buying an additional 140 shares during the period. CWA Asset Management Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 1.4% during the third quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 10,053 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $715,000 after buying an additional 140 shares during the period. Finally, Elmwood Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 1.0% during the third quarter. Elmwood Wealth Management Inc. now owns 13,686 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $973,000 after buying an additional 140 shares during the period. 75.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Bristol-Myers Squibb alerts: Bristol-Myers Squibb Price Performance Shares of BMY traded down $0.15 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $68.03. 2,088,632 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 8,131,926. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a one year low of $65.28 and a one year high of $81.43. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13. The business has a 50-day moving average of $70.27 and a 200 day moving average of $72.85. The stock has a market capitalization of $143.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.11, a PEG ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 0.46. Bristol-Myers Squibb Dividend Announcement Bristol-Myers Squibb ( NYSE:BMY Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 2nd. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.71 by $0.11. Bristol-Myers Squibb had a net margin of 13.71% and a return on equity of 51.60%. The firm had revenue of $11.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $11.20 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.83 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 10th will be given a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 6th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.35%. Bristol-Myers Squibbs dividend payout ratio is 77.29%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on BMY shares. Atlantic Securities upped their target price on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $88.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, February 3rd. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $60.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research report on Friday, February 3rd. StockNews.com started coverage on Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a strong-buy rating for the company. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $70.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 3rd. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on Bristol-Myers Squibb in a report on Tuesday, January 17th. They issued an overweight rating and a $95.00 price target on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $79.69. Insider Transactions at Bristol-Myers Squibb In related news, EVP Ann Powell sold 11,183 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.69, for a total value of $835,258.27. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 23,043 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,721,081.67. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Bristol-Myers Squibb news, EVP Ann Powell sold 11,183 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.69, for a total transaction of $835,258.27. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 23,043 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,721,081.67. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Giovanni Caforio sold 240,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.65, for a total transaction of $17,916,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 236,104 shares in the company, valued at $17,625,163.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.09% of the companys stock. Bristol-Myers Squibb Profile (Get Rating) Bristol Myers Squibb Co engages in the discovery, development, licensing, manufacture, marketing, distribution, and sale of biopharmaceutical products. It offers chemically-synthesized drugs or small molecules and products produced from biological processes called biologics. The company was founded in August 1933 and is headquartered in New York, NY. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BMY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Bristol-Myers Squibb Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bristol-Myers Squibb and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of PAR Technology Co. (NYSE:PAR Get Rating) have been assigned a consensus rating of Hold from the six ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have assigned a hold recommendation and three have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $40.20. A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of PAR Technology from $27.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, March 2nd. Craig Hallum lifted their target price on shares of PAR Technology from $35.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, March 2nd. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a $43.00 price target on shares of PAR Technology in a research note on Thursday, March 2nd. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on PAR Technology in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a sell rating for the company. Get PAR Technology alerts: PAR Technology Stock Up 2.7 % PAR stock opened at $32.00 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $34.40 and a two-hundred day moving average of $29.63. PAR Technology has a one year low of $20.37 and a one year high of $47.03. The company has a quick ratio of 2.75, a current ratio of 3.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. Institutional Investors Weigh In On PAR Technology About PAR Technology Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. MFN Partners Management LP raised its holdings in PAR Technology by 991.4% during the first quarter. MFN Partners Management LP now owns 1,091,404 shares of the software makers stock valued at $44,027,000 after buying an additional 991,404 shares in the last quarter. Cannell & Co. increased its holdings in shares of PAR Technology by 169.3% during the 4th quarter. Cannell & Co. now owns 782,476 shares of the software makers stock valued at $20,399,000 after acquiring an additional 491,885 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can raised its stake in shares of PAR Technology by 208.2% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 507,000 shares of the software makers stock valued at $15,591,000 after acquiring an additional 342,480 shares in the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL acquired a new stake in PAR Technology in the 1st quarter worth approximately $10,649,000. Finally, Reinhart Partners Inc. lifted its holdings in PAR Technology by 39.6% in the 4th quarter. Reinhart Partners Inc. now owns 818,901 shares of the software makers stock worth $21,349,000 after purchasing an additional 232,267 shares during the last quarter. (Get Rating) PAR Technology Corp. engages in the provision of software and hardware support services for the hospitality industry. It operates through the Restaurant/Retail and Government segments. The Restaurant/Retail segment offers point-of-sale (POS) software, hardware, back-office software, systems, services, and integrated technical solutions to the restaurant and retail industries. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for PAR Technology Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PAR Technology and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Buzzi Unicem S.p.A. (OTCMKTS:BZZUF Get Rating)s share price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $24.11 and last traded at $24.11, with a volume of 162 shares. The stock had previously closed at $22.40. Buzzi Unicem Stock Performance The stock has a fifty day moving average of $22.08 and a 200 day moving average of $18.46. About Buzzi Unicem (Get Rating) Buzzi Unicem SpA engages in the production and sale of cement, ready-mix concrete and natural aggregates. The firms geographical segment Central Europe consists of Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands; Eastern Europe covers Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine and Russia. The company was founded in September 1999 and is headquartered in Casale Monferrato, Italy. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Buzzi Unicem Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Buzzi Unicem and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. In this photo released by the Taiwan Presidential Office, Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen speaks before departing on an overseas trip at Taoyuan International Airport in Taipei, Taiwan, Wednesday, March 29, 2023. China has threatened resolute countermeasures over a planned meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy during an upcoming visit in Los Angeles by the head of the self-governing island democracy. | Taiwan Presidential Office via Associated Press China threatened that it would take resolute countermeasures if U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy meets with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen as planned next week. The House Speaker and Taiwanese president are scheduled to meet in Los Angeles next week as the last stop in Tsais 10-day trip to the Americas, The Associated Press reported. The Taiwanese presidents first stop will be in New York on Wednesday, after which she will visit Guatemala and Belize. She will then return to the U.S. for a final stop in Los Angeles, where she plans on meeting with McCarthy. Tsai spoke with reporters before leaving Taiwan Wednesday, explaining the purpose behind her trip: I want to tell the whole world democratic Taiwan will resolutely safeguard the values of freedom and democracy, and will continue to be a force for good in the world, continuing a cycle of goodness, strengthening the resilience of democracy in the world, Tsai stated, per the AP. External pressure will not obstruct our resolution to engage with the world. Why China threatened retaliation if McCarthy meets with Taiwans president Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for Chinas Taiwan Affairs Office, spoke out against the planned meeting in a press briefing on Wednesday, according to NBC News: If she makes contact with U.S. House Speaker McCarthy, it will be another provocation that seriously violates the one-China principle, undermines Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity and undermines peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. We firmly oppose this and will take resolute countermeasures, Zhu said. U.S. reaction to Chinas threat Meanwhile, the United States emphasized that Tsais visit is a routine transit. Related A senior administration official anonymously told reporters that theres absolutely no reason for Beijing to use this upcoming transit as an excuse or a pretext to carry out aggressive or coercive activities aimed at Taiwan, The Washington Post reported. Canvas Wealth Advisors LLC cut its position in Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO Get Rating) by 9.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,771 shares of the companys stock after selling 186 shares during the quarter. Canvas Wealth Advisors LLCs holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S were worth $248,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Tsfg LLC bought a new position in Novo Nordisk A/S in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Financial Management Professionals Inc. increased its position in Novo Nordisk A/S by 95.0% in the 3rd quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. now owns 312 shares of the companys stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 152 shares during the period. Worth Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S during the first quarter valued at $32,000. Penserra Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in the third quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Laffer Tengler Investments bought a new position in Novo Nordisk A/S during the 3rd quarter worth $37,000. 6.09% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Novo Nordisk A/S alerts: Novo Nordisk A/S Stock Performance Shares of NVO stock traded up $0.84 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $157.42. 544,861 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,416,945. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $142.33 and a 200 day moving average price of $126.15. The company has a market cap of $356.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.12, a P/E/G ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 0.47. Novo Nordisk A/S has a 12-month low of $95.02 and a 12-month high of $158.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.69. Novo Nordisk A/S Increases Dividend Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades The business also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 4th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 27th will be issued a $1.1887 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 24th. This is an increase from Novo Nordisk A/Ss previous semi-annual dividend of $0.58. Novo Nordisk A/Ss payout ratio is 48.70%. NVO has been the subject of several analyst reports. Cowen increased their price objective on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from $130.00 to $145.00 in a research note on Monday, December 12th. Cowen upped their price target on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from $130.00 to $145.00 in a research report on Monday, December 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from 925.00 to 1,100.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, January 3rd. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a strong-buy rating for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $697.78. About Novo Nordisk A/S (Get Rating) Novo Nordisk A/S is a global healthcare company, which engages in the the discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceutical products. It operates through the Diabetes and Obesity Care, and Biopharm segments. The Diabetes and Obesity Care segment includes insulin, GLP-1 and related delivery systems, oral antidiabetic products (OAD), obesity, and other serious chronic diseases. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Novo Nordisk A/S Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Novo Nordisk A/S and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Old Mutual (OTCMKTS:ODMUF Get Rating) and Great-West Lifeco (OTCMKTS:GWLIF Get Rating) are both finance companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, analyst recommendations, earnings, institutional ownership, profitability, risk and dividends. Profitability This table compares Old Mutual and Great-West Lifecos net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Get Old Mutual alerts: Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Old Mutual N/A N/A N/A Great-West Lifeco N/A N/A N/A Analyst Ratings This is a breakdown of recent ratings and price targets for Old Mutual and Great-West Lifeco, as reported by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Old Mutual 0 2 0 0 2.00 Great-West Lifeco 0 1 1 0 2.50 Dividends Great-West Lifeco has a consensus target price of $35.78, indicating a potential upside of 36.30%. Given Great-West Lifecos stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Great-West Lifeco is more favorable than Old Mutual. Old Mutual pays an annual dividend of $0.08 per share and has a dividend yield of 14.7%. Great-West Lifeco pays an annual dividend of $1.23 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.7%. Old Mutual pays out 76.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Great-West Lifeco pays out 47.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Earnings and Valuation This table compares Old Mutual and Great-West Lifecos gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Old Mutual N/A N/A N/A $0.11 5.17 Great-West Lifeco N/A N/A N/A $2.60 10.08 Old Mutual is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Great-West Lifeco, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Institutional & Insider Ownership 28.5% of Old Mutual shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 11.8% of Great-West Lifeco shares are owned by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term. Summary Great-West Lifeco beats Old Mutual on 6 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks. About Old Mutual (Get Rating) Old Mutual Limited, through its subsidiaries, provides financial services primarily in South Africa and rest of Africa. The company operates through Mass and Foundation Cluster, Personal Finance and Wealth Management, Old Mutual Investments, Old Mutual Corporate, Old Mutual Insure, and Rest of Africa segments. It offers risk products, including group risk and funeral covers; long-term savings; lending products comprising micro-lending; and transactional products. It also provides financial advice, investment, and income products, as well as asset management services. In addition, the company offers investments, annuities, and consulting services to employee-sponsored retirement and benefit funds; and health, property, and casualty insurance products. It serves low-income and lower-middle income markets; high income and high net worth individuals; and employee-sponsored retirement and benefit funds. The company was founded in 1845 and is based in Cape Town, South Africa. About Great-West Lifeco (Get Rating) Great-West Lifeco, Inc. is a financial services holding company, which engages in the provision of life insurance, health insurance, retirement services, investment management and reinsurance services. It operates through the following segments: Canada, United States, Europe, and Lifeco Corporate. The Canada segment provides individual & group life insurance through the Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life. The United States segment offers asset management and financial services through the Great-West Financial, Putnam and insurance businesses in the branches of Great-West Life and Canada Life located in the U.S. The Europe segment consists of insurance, annuities and reinsurance business units. The Lifeco Corporate segment includes operating results for activities of Lifeco that are not associated with the major business units of the firm. The company was founded on November 8, 1979 and is headquartered in Winnipeg, Canada. Receive News & Ratings for Old Mutual Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Old Mutual and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Copper Mountain Mining (OTCMKTS:CPPMF Get Rating) had its price objective cut by research analysts at BMO Capital Markets from C$2.50 to C$2.25 in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, The Fly reports. Several other research firms have also recently commented on CPPMF. Desjardins began coverage on Copper Mountain Mining in a report on Tuesday, November 29th. They issued a buy rating for the company. National Bank Financial raised their target price on Copper Mountain Mining from C$2.25 to C$2.50 in a research report on Monday, February 13th. Finally, Scotiabank lowered their price target on shares of Copper Mountain Mining from C$3.00 to C$2.75 in a report on Tuesday, February 7th. Get Copper Mountain Mining alerts: Copper Mountain Mining Price Performance OTCMKTS:CPPMF opened at $1.53 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 1.72 and a quick ratio of 1.34. Copper Mountain Mining has a one year low of $0.92 and a one year high of $3.14. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $1.54 and a 200 day moving average price of $1.38. The stock has a market cap of $327.18 million, a P/E ratio of 13.91 and a beta of 2.05. Copper Mountain Mining Company Profile Copper Mountain Mining ( OTCMKTS:CPPMF Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, March 27th. The company reported ($0.07) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Copper Mountain Mining had a negative return on equity of 0.97% and a negative net margin of 2.87%. The company had revenue of $66.50 million for the quarter. (Get Rating) Copper Mountain Mining Corp. engages in the exploration, development and operation of mineral deposits. It holds interest in copper mountain mine, Eva Copper, New Ingerbelle and Cameron copper projects. The company was founded on April 20, 2006 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Copper Mountain Mining Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Copper Mountain Mining and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Defined Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (BATS:USMV Get Rating) by 34.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 52,244 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 13,527 shares during the quarter. iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF accounts for about 3.5% of Defined Wealth Management LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 7th largest position. Defined Wealth Management LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF were worth $3,767,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Milestone Advisory Partners lifted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Milestone Advisory Partners now owns 43,345 shares of the companys stock worth $2,865,000 after acquiring an additional 163 shares during the last quarter. Strategic Investment Advisors MI lifted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Strategic Investment Advisors MI now owns 15,106 shares of the companys stock worth $1,089,000 after acquiring an additional 163 shares during the last quarter. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 4,991 shares of the companys stock worth $330,000 after acquiring an additional 171 shares during the last quarter. S.C. Financial Services Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 6.0% in the 3rd quarter. S.C. Financial Services Inc. now owns 3,040 shares of the companys stock worth $201,000 after acquiring an additional 173 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Heartland Consultants Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. First Heartland Consultants Inc. now owns 56,700 shares of the companys stock worth $3,747,000 after acquiring an additional 174 shares during the last quarter. Get iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF alerts: iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF Price Performance Shares of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF stock traded up $0.68 during trading on Thursday, hitting $71.61. The stock had a trading volume of 2,894,948 shares. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $71.63 and its 200-day simple moving average is $71.33. The stock has a market cap of $29.90 billion, a PE ratio of 20.17 and a beta of 0.76. iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF has a 12 month low of $47.44 and a 12 month high of $55.45. iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF Profile The iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (USMV) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI USA Minimum Volatility (USD) index. The fund tracks an index of US-listed firms selected and weighted to create a low-volatility portfolio subject to various constraints. USMV was launched on Oct 18, 2011 and is managed by BlackRock. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding USMV? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (BATS:USMV Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BP PLC 9 Percent Preferred Shares (LON:BP.B Get Rating) has been assigned a GBX 551 ($6.77) price objective by equities research analysts at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, Borsen Zeitung reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschafts price objective would indicate a potential upside of 216.67% from the companys current price. Other analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Royal Bank of Canada set a GBX 650 ($7.99) price objective on shares of BP PLC 9 Percent Preferred Shares in a report on Monday, February 27th. UBS Group set a GBX 630 ($7.74) price objective on BP PLC 9 Percent Preferred Shares in a report on Friday, March 10th. Jefferies Financial Group set a GBX 550 ($6.76) target price on BP PLC 9 Percent Preferred Shares in a report on Thursday, February 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a GBX 740 ($9.09) price target on BP PLC 9 Percent Preferred Shares in a research report on Monday, February 27th. Finally, Berenberg Bank set a GBX 590 ($7.25) price objective on BP PLC 9 Percent Preferred Shares in a report on Thursday, February 23rd. Get BP PLC 9 Percent Preferred Shares alerts: BP PLC 9 Percent Preferred Shares Stock Down 0.9 % Shares of LON:BP.B traded down GBX 1.50 ($0.02) during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching GBX 174 ($2.14). 869 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,303. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is GBX 174.85 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 170.24. BP PLC 9 Percent Preferred Shares has a one year low of GBX 160 ($1.97) and a one year high of GBX 187 ($2.30). The company has a market cap of 34.82 billion, a P/E ratio of -2.43 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 66.87. About BP PLC 9 Percent Preferred Shares BP p.l.c. engages in energy business worldwide. It operates through three segments: Upstream, Downstream, and Rosneft. The Upstream segment is involved in the oil and natural gas exploration, field development, and production; midstream transportation, storage, and processing; and marketing and trading of liquefied natural gas (LNG), biogas, power and natural gas liquids (NGLs). Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for BP PLC 9 Percent Preferred Shares Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BP PLC 9 Percent Preferred Shares and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Galp Energia, SGPS, S.A. (OTCMKTS:GLPEY Get Rating) were up 1.1% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $5.56 and last traded at $5.56. Approximately 24,839 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 46% from the average daily volume of 45,887 shares. The stock had previously closed at $5.50. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of analysts have commented on GLPEY shares. UBS Group lowered shares of Galp Energia, SGPS from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered shares of Galp Energia, SGPS from an overweight rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, March 3rd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lowered shares of Galp Energia, SGPS from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $13.23. Get Galp Energia SGPS alerts: Galp Energia, SGPS Stock Up 1.1 % The business has a fifty day moving average of $6.06 and a 200 day moving average of $5.82. The stock has a market cap of $8.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -556.00 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 1.33 and a quick ratio of 1.05. About Galp Energia, SGPS Galp Energia SGPS SA engages in the exploration and production of oil and gas. It operates through the following segments: Upstream; Refining and Midstream; Commercial; and Renewables and New Businesses. The Upstream segment includes exploration, development, and production of hydrocarbons, mainly focused on Brazil, Mozambique, and Angola. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Galp Energia SGPS Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Galp Energia SGPS and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. G&S Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 1,411 shares of the specialty retailers stock, valued at approximately $394,000. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Quadrant Capital Group LLC boosted its holdings in Murphy USA by 28.1% in the third quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 155 shares of the specialty retailers stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Zacks Investment Management raised its position in shares of Murphy USA by 0.6% during the third quarter. Zacks Investment Management now owns 6,953 shares of the specialty retailers stock valued at $1,912,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. First Republic Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Murphy USA by 0.7% during the first quarter. First Republic Investment Management Inc. now owns 6,221 shares of the specialty retailers stock valued at $1,244,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Invst LLC raised its position in Murphy USA by 2.6% in the third quarter. Invst LLC now owns 2,843 shares of the specialty retailers stock worth $770,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sawtooth Solutions LLC raised its position in Murphy USA by 10.0% in the third quarter. Sawtooth Solutions LLC now owns 1,058 shares of the specialty retailers stock worth $291,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. 85.30% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Murphy USA alerts: Murphy USA Stock Up 0.0 % MUSA stock traded up $0.05 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $251.00. 9,892 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 308,434. The firms 50-day moving average is $259.12 and its 200-day moving average is $275.91. The company has a market cap of $5.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.93 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.80, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.48. Murphy USA Inc. has a 12 month low of $198.52 and a 12 month high of $323.00. Murphy USA Increases Dividend Murphy USA ( NYSE:MUSA Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 1st. The specialty retailer reported $5.21 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $6.16 by ($0.95). The company had revenue of $5.37 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.40 billion. Murphy USA had a net margin of 2.87% and a return on equity of 90.90%. Murphy USAs revenue was up 12.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $4.23 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Murphy USA Inc. will post 18.4 earnings per share for the current year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 1st. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 21st were paid a $0.37 dividend. This is an increase from Murphy USAs previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.59%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 17th. Murphy USAs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 5.27%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities research analysts recently commented on MUSA shares. StockNews.com started coverage on Murphy USA in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Raymond James decreased their price target on Murphy USA from $335.00 to $305.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Murphy USA from $350.00 to $325.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 3rd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada started coverage on Murphy USA in a research report on Wednesday, December 14th. They set a sector perform rating and a $360.00 price target on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Murphy USA presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $314.60. Murphy USA Profile (Get Rating) Murphy USA, Inc engages in marketing motor fuel products and convenience merchandise through retail stores, namely Murphy USA and Murphy Express. It collaborates with Walmart to offer customers discounted and free items based on purchases of qualifying fuel and merchandise. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in El Dorado, AR. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Murphy USA Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Murphy USA and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hudson Pacific Properties, Inc. (NYSE:HPP Get Rating) EVP Arthur X. Suazo bought 10,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 28th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $5.86 per share, for a total transaction of $58,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 87,102 shares of the companys stock, valued at $510,417.72. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Hudson Pacific Properties Stock Up 1.6 % Shares of NYSE:HPP traded up $0.10 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $6.44. The stock had a trading volume of 2,927,808 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,059,767. The companys 50 day moving average is $9.14 and its 200-day moving average is $10.20. Hudson Pacific Properties, Inc. has a 12-month low of $5.27 and a 12-month high of $28.66. The company has a quick ratio of 2.21, a current ratio of 2.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40. Get Hudson Pacific Properties alerts: Hudson Pacific Properties Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 20th will be issued a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 17th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 15.53%. Hudson Pacific Propertiess payout ratio is currently -256.40%. Institutional Trading of Hudson Pacific Properties Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Group One Trading L.P. purchased a new position in Hudson Pacific Properties during the first quarter valued at approximately $149,000. HighTower Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Hudson Pacific Properties by 3.4% during the 1st quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 18,542 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $514,000 after purchasing an additional 612 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can raised its stake in shares of Hudson Pacific Properties by 76.5% during the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 36,550 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,034,000 after purchasing an additional 15,845 shares in the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Hudson Pacific Properties by 33.3% during the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 98,525 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $2,734,000 after buying an additional 24,633 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS grew its stake in shares of Hudson Pacific Properties by 10.5% in the 1st quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 55,882 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,551,000 after buying an additional 5,328 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.57% of the companys stock. A number of analysts recently weighed in on HPP shares. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Hudson Pacific Properties from $10.00 to $6.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 22nd. Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of Hudson Pacific Properties from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $13.00 to $12.00 in a report on Thursday, January 5th. StockNews.com began coverage on Hudson Pacific Properties in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Hudson Pacific Properties from $10.00 to $7.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 16th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Hudson Pacific Properties in a research note on Tuesday, March 21st. They issued a sell rating and a $5.50 price objective on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $11.32. Hudson Pacific Properties Company Profile (Get Rating) Hudson Pacific Properties, Inc is a real estate company, which acquires, repositions, develops, and operates sustainable office and state of-the-art studio properties in high-barrier-to-entry submarkets in California, the Pacific Northwest, Western Canada, and Greater London, United Kingdom. It operates through the Office Properties and Studio Properties segments. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Hudson Pacific Properties Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hudson Pacific Properties and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Safestore Holdings plc (LON:SAFE Get Rating) insider Frederic Vecchioli sold 63,679 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 899 ($11.05), for a total value of 572,474.21 ($703,371.68). Safestore Trading Up 2.2 % LON SAFE opened at GBX 915.50 ($11.25) on Thursday. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is GBX 994.31 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is GBX 944.39. Safestore Holdings plc has a twelve month low of GBX 744.50 ($9.15) and a twelve month high of GBX 1,423 ($17.48). The company has a quick ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 0.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 40.10. The company has a market capitalization of 1.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 438.04, a PEG ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.71. Get Safestore alerts: Safestore Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 7th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 2nd will be paid a GBX 20.40 ($0.25) dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 2.04%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 2nd. This is a positive change from Safestores previous dividend of $9.40. Safestores payout ratio is 1,435.41%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Safestore Company Profile Several equities analysts have weighed in on SAFE shares. Barclays increased their price objective on Safestore from GBX 1,000 ($12.29) to GBX 1,100 ($13.52) and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, February 9th. Peel Hunt reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a GBX 1,065 ($13.09) price target on shares of Safestore in a report on Tuesday, February 21st. (Get Rating) Safestore is the UK's largest self-storage group with 163 stores, comprising 125 wholly owned stores in the UK (including over 70 in London and the South East with the remainder in key metropolitan areas such as Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Liverpool and Bristol), 28 wholly owned stores in the Paris region, 6 stores in the Netherlands and 4 stores within Barcelona, Spain. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Safestore Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Safestore and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited (NYSE:HMY Get Rating) was the recipient of some unusual options trading on Tuesday. Traders acquired 2,972 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 530% compared to the average volume of 472 call options. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Quadrant Capital Group LLC lifted its holdings in Harmony Gold Mining by 41.2% in the 2nd quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 11,182 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 3,264 shares in the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC increased its holdings in Harmony Gold Mining by 30.1% in the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 16,677 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $57,000 after purchasing an additional 3,861 shares in the last quarter. Profund Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Harmony Gold Mining by 12.5% in the third quarter. Profund Advisors LLC now owns 39,807 shares of the mining companys stock worth $97,000 after buying an additional 4,433 shares during the period. U S Global Investors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Harmony Gold Mining by 0.3% in the third quarter. U S Global Investors Inc. now owns 1,342,538 shares of the mining companys stock worth $3,262,000 after buying an additional 4,456 shares during the period. Finally, Guggenheim Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Harmony Gold Mining by 1.2% in the first quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 415,938 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $2,092,000 after buying an additional 4,789 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 36.50% of the companys stock. Get Harmony Gold Mining alerts: Harmony Gold Mining Price Performance NYSE HMY traded up $0.09 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $4.10. The stock had a trading volume of 869,639 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,034,654. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.52. Harmony Gold Mining has a 52-week low of $1.93 and a 52-week high of $5.25. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $3.47 and a 200 day simple moving average of $3.23. Analysts Set New Price Targets About Harmony Gold Mining A number of equities research analysts have commented on HMY shares. HSBC downgraded Harmony Gold Mining from a hold rating to a reduce rating in a report on Monday, January 30th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Harmony Gold Mining in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. (Get Rating) Harmony Gold Mining Co Ltd. engages in mining and exploration of gold. It involves building mines, open-pit operation, sales and financial management, land rehabilitation and mine closure. It operates through the following segments: Tshepong Operations, Moab Khotsong, Mponeng, Bambanani, Doornkop, Joel, Target 1, Kusasalethu, Masimong, South African Surface Operations, Mine Waste Solutions, Kalgold, and Hidden Valley. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Harmony Gold Mining Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Harmony Gold Mining and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang has called on his Malaysian and Vietnamese counterparts to help strengthen regional coordination in the face of geopolitical challenges, as Beijing steps up its diplomatic charm offensive in Southeast Asia. Welcoming Malaysian Foreign Minister Zambry Abd Kadir to Beijing on Tuesday, Qin highlighted the role of China and Malaysia as "important emerging economies and progressive forces in the international arena". The two sides need to "deepen cooperation and consolidate solidarity ... so as to address risks and challenges", Qin added, according to a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. Qin also urged further efforts to broaden "high quality" cooperation, particularly in "new energy vehicles", digital economy, semiconductor manufacturing and agriculture. "We should strengthen strategic collaboration ... safeguard international fairness and justice, and work together to safeguard the long-term interests of the majority of developing countries and emerging economies," he told Zambry in what was their first in-person meeting. The same day, Qin held a phone call with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, when both sides agreed to push bilateral ties to a new level on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of their "comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership". The two ministers pledged to "strengthen strategic communication, consolidate political mutual trust and intensify interactions at all levels and in all fields", the Chinese ministry readout said. The two sides will work together to keep up the momentum for further cooperation following the meeting in October between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Vietnamese Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong in Beijing, Qin said. Story continues "China and Vietnam are 'comrades plus brothers'," Qin told Son, in a throwback to a comment from late Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh during a high point in relations between the two socialist nations. "The two sides should continue to support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns, Qin added. Son said the bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership was "a top priority in Vietnam's foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification", according to the official Vietnam News Agency. Qin echoed the sentiment, saying that ties with Vietnam were "an important priority in China's neighbourhood diplomacy". In the Vietnamese readout, Son also told Qin that practical measures were needed to maintain balanced and sustainable bilateral trade, and "to address obstacles to some projects [as well as] promote links via road, rail, sea and air". Their phone call came as bilateral tensions spiked again over territorial disputes in the South China Sea, following a reportedly tense encounter between a Chinese coastguard ship and a Vietnamese fisheries patrol boat on Saturday. The two vessels were reported to be very close one point, as the Chinese ship sailed through energy exploration blocks operated or owned by Russian firms, near waters claimed by both China and Vietnam. The Chinese statement stopped short of mentioning the maritime disputes in the South China Sea, but the Vietnamese agency said the two sides agreed to jointly maintain a peaceful and stable environment in the region. China has engaged in a flurry of neighbourhood diplomacy as competition with the US intensifies, with Southeast Asia viewed as strategically crucial to countering the containment drive led by the US and its regional allies. Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son (second from right) is seen in a meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam, on March 21. Photo: EPA-EFE alt=Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son (second from right) is seen in a meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam, on March 21. Photo: EPA-EFE> One of Qin's deputies, foreign vice-minister Sun Weidong visited Manila last week for two days of meetings, including talks with Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo. The discussions covered everything from South China Sea territorial disputes to a planned expansion of US military presence in the Philippines, which Beijing has strongly opposed. Beijing's claims to most of the resource-rich South China Sea under what it calls its historical "nine-dash line" are contested by Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Taiwan. On Saturday, Sun flew to Brunei where he met Erywan Yusof, the country's second foreign minister. Beijing said the two sides discussed maritime cooperation, with Sun calling for joint efforts to "exclude external interference and take ownership of our own development and regional affairs firmly into our own hands". This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2023 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Ironwood Wealth Management Inc. reduced its position in iShares S&P 500 Value ETF (NYSEARCA:IVE Get Rating) by 0.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 74,889 shares of the companys stock after selling 299 shares during the quarter. iShares S&P 500 Value ETF comprises about 6.7% of Ironwood Wealth Management Inc.s portfolio, making the stock its 8th largest position. Ironwood Wealth Management Inc.s holdings in iShares S&P 500 Value ETF were worth $11,448,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of IVE. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of iShares S&P 500 Value ETF by 69.3% during the 4th quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 18,520 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,687,000 after purchasing an additional 7,583 shares during the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of iShares S&P 500 Value ETF by 108.4% during the 3rd quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 7,011 shares of the companys stock valued at $901,000 after purchasing an additional 3,647 shares during the last quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of iShares S&P 500 Value ETF by 18.9% during the 3rd quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,548 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,227,000 after purchasing an additional 1,519 shares during the last quarter. FSM Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of iShares S&P 500 Value ETF by 62.5% during the 3rd quarter. FSM Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,440 shares of the companys stock valued at $571,000 after purchasing an additional 1,708 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Summit Financial LLC grew its holdings in shares of iShares S&P 500 Value ETF by 33.5% during the 3rd quarter. Summit Financial LLC now owns 7,159 shares of the companys stock valued at $920,000 after purchasing an additional 1,798 shares during the last quarter. Get iShares S&P 500 Value ETF alerts: iShares S&P 500 Value ETF Stock Performance Shares of iShares S&P 500 Value ETF stock traded up $1.13 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $150.02. 27,523 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 972,996. The stock has a market cap of $25.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.85 and a beta of 0.94. The firms fifty day moving average price is $151.46 and its 200-day moving average price is $145.84. iShares S&P 500 Value ETF has a 12 month low of $127.33 and a 12 month high of $160.30. About iShares S&P 500 Value ETF iShares S&P 500 Value ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares S&P 500 Value Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P 500 Value Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the large-capitalization value sector of the United States equity market and consists of those stocks in the S&P 500 exhibiting the strongest value characteristics. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for iShares S&P 500 Value ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares S&P 500 Value ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Quattro Financial Advisors LLC lessened its stake in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:AGG Get Rating) by 19.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 255,662 shares of the companys stock after selling 63,317 shares during the period. iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF accounts for about 9.9% of Quattro Financial Advisors LLCs portfolio, making the stock its largest position. Quattro Financial Advisors LLCs holdings in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF were worth $24,797,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management grew its holdings in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 145.5% during the 1st quarter. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management now owns 6,590 shares of the companys stock worth $705,000 after acquiring an additional 3,906 shares in the last quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 36.2% during the 1st quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 52,003 shares of the companys stock worth $5,570,000 after acquiring an additional 13,829 shares in the last quarter. Worth Asset Management LLC bought a new position in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF during the 1st quarter worth about $44,000. Baltimore Washington Financial Advisors Inc. bought a new position in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF during the 1st quarter worth about $241,000. Finally, West Michigan Advisors LLC grew its holdings in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 2.0% during the 1st quarter. West Michigan Advisors LLC now owns 14,640 shares of the companys stock worth $1,568,000 after acquiring an additional 292 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.07% of the companys stock. Get iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF alerts: iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF Trading Up 0.1 % Shares of iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF stock opened at $99.05 on Thursday. iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF has a 1 year low of $93.20 and a 1 year high of $107.38. The firms 50-day moving average is $98.71 and its two-hundred day moving average is $97.76. iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF Company Profile IShares are index funds that are bought and sold like common stocks on national securities exchanges as well as certain foreign exchanges. iShares are attractive because of their relatively low cost, tax efficiency and trading flexibility. Investors can purchase and sell shares through any brokerage firm, financial advisor, or online broker, and hold the funds in any type of brokerage account. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE:HEQ Get Rating) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 5,400 shares, a growth of 260.0% from the February 28th total of 1,500 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 29,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.2 days. Hedge Funds Weigh In On John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in HEQ. Wolverine Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund in the 4th quarter worth approximately $118,000. Sigma Planning Corp purchased a new stake in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $120,000. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $128,000. Silverlake Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund in the 4th quarter worth approximately $141,000. Finally, Csenge Advisory Group purchased a new stake in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $153,000. Get John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund alerts: John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Stock Up 2.1 % Shares of NYSE:HEQ traded up $0.23 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $11.39. The companys stock had a trading volume of 21,925 shares, compared to its average volume of 27,344. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $11.74 and a 200-day moving average of $11.77. John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund has a 12-month low of $10.71 and a 12-month high of $14.30. John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Announces Dividend John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Company Profile The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 13th will be paid a $0.29 dividend. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 10.18%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 10th. (Get Rating) John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by John Hancock Investment Management LLC. The fund is co-managed by Wellington Management Company LLP. It invests in the public equity markets of the United States. The fund seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Kingfisher plc (LON:KGF Get Rating) have been given an average rating of Hold by the seven research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is GBX 271.67 ($3.34). Several brokerages recently issued reports on KGF. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a hold rating and issued a GBX 260 ($3.19) target price on shares of Kingfisher in a research note on Wednesday, March 22nd. Numis Securities reissued a sell rating and issued a GBX 165 ($2.03) price target on shares of Kingfisher in a report on Monday, February 20th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a buy rating and issued a GBX 330 ($4.05) price target on shares of Kingfisher in a report on Wednesday, March 22nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued an underweight rating and issued a GBX 230 ($2.83) price target on shares of Kingfisher in a report on Monday. Get Kingfisher alerts: Kingfisher Stock Up 2.5 % Kingfisher stock opened at GBX 261.70 ($3.22) on Friday. Kingfisher has a fifty-two week low of GBX 198.60 ($2.44) and a fifty-two week high of GBX 294.80 ($3.62). The firm has a market capitalization of 5.08 billion, a PE ratio of 823.23, a P/E/G ratio of -6.04 and a beta of 1.04. The companys 50-day moving average is GBX 275.02 and its 200-day moving average is GBX 248.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 34.50, a current ratio of 1.25 and a quick ratio of 0.27. Kingfisher Increases Dividend Kingfisher Company Profile The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, May 25th will be paid a GBX 8.60 ($0.11) dividend. This represents a yield of 3.15%. This is a boost from Kingfishers previous dividend of $3.80. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 25th. Kingfishers dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 3,870.97%. (Get Rating) Kingfisher plc, together with its subsidiaries, supplies home improvement products and services primarily in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, and internationally. The company also offers property investment, finance, digital, sourcing and franchising, and IT services. It operates approximately 1,470 stores in eight countries across Europe under the B&Q, Castorama, Brico Depot, Screwfix, TradePoint, and Koctas brands. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Kingfisher Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kingfisher and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Kuehne + Nagel International AG (OTCMKTS:KHNGY Get Rating)s stock price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $59.43 and last traded at $59.43, with a volume of 2939 shares. The stock had previously closed at $58.17. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of brokerages have recently commented on KHNGY. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Kuehne + Nagel International from a neutral rating to an overweight rating in a report on Friday, February 17th. HSBC lowered shares of Kuehne + Nagel International from a hold rating to a reduce rating in a report on Monday, February 27th. BNP Paribas lowered shares of Kuehne + Nagel International from an outperform rating to a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, January 19th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of Kuehne + Nagel International from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, February 8th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus cut shares of Kuehne + Nagel International from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, February 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $280.00. Get Kuehne + Nagel International alerts: Kuehne + Nagel International Stock Performance The companys 50-day moving average price is $52.40 and its 200 day moving average price is $47.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a current ratio of 1.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $35.88 billion, a PE ratio of 12.37 and a beta of 0.90. About Kuehne + Nagel International Kuhne + Nagel International AG engages in the provision of logistic services. It operates through the following segments: Sea Logistics, Air Logistics, Road Logistics, and Contract Logistics. The company was founded by August Kuehne and Friedrich Nagel in 1890 and is headquartered in Schindellegi, Switzerland. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Kuehne + Nagel International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kuehne + Nagel International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Meridian Mining UK Societas (CVE:MNO Get Rating)s share price shot up 9.6% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as C$1.07 and last traded at C$1.03. 247,282 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 12% from the average session volume of 220,803 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.94. Meridian Mining UK Societas Trading Up 9.6 % The company has a market capitalization of C$152.09 million and a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.30. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is C$1.03 and its 200-day simple moving average is C$1.03. Meridian Mining UK Societas Company Profile (Get Rating) Meridian Mining UK Societas, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Brazil. The company explores for manganese, gold, copper, and tin deposits. It holds interest in the EspigAo polymetallic project and the Ariquemes tin project located in RondAnia. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Meridian Mining UK Societas Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Meridian Mining UK Societas and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Metro AG (ETR:B4B3 Get Rating) traded down 1.4% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as 7.10 ($7.63) and last traded at 7.10 ($7.63). 300 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 89% from the average session volume of 2,620 shares. The stock had previously closed at 7.20 ($7.74). Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Baader Bank set a 8.75 ($9.41) price target on shares of Metro in a research note on Thursday, February 9th. Morgan Stanley set a 8.83 ($9.49) price objective on shares of Metro in a research note on Friday, December 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group set a 5.00 ($5.38) price objective on shares of Metro in a research note on Thursday, February 9th. Bank Of America (Bofa) set a 8.10 ($8.71) price objective on shares of Metro in a research note on Friday, January 6th. Finally, Warburg Research set a 8.50 ($9.14) price objective on shares of Metro in a research note on Thursday, December 15th. Get Metro alerts: Metro Stock Down 1.4 % The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 166.72, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.85. The stock has a market cap of $21.16 million, a P/E ratio of -355.00 and a beta of 0.66. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is 8.17 and its 200-day simple moving average is 7.90. About Metro Metro AG engages in the food wholesale business. It operates 748 wholesale stores and supply depots under the METRO, MAKRO, Aviludo, Classic Fine Foods, Davigel Spain, Pro a Pro, and Rungis Express brand names serving hotels, restaurants, bars, cafes, catering companies, small grocery stores, kiosks, independent retailers, service providers, and authorities in Europe, Russia, and Asia, as well as online marketplace METRO MARKETS. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Metro Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Metro and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Suncor Energy (TSE:SU Get Rating) (NYSE:SU) had its price objective decreased by Morgan Stanley from C$61.00 to C$58.00 in a report released on Monday morning, The Fly reports. Several other brokerages also recently weighed in on SU. TD Securities boosted their price objective on shares of Suncor Energy from C$52.00 to C$53.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 15th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on Suncor Energy from C$55.00 to C$54.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Suncor Energy from C$52.00 to C$53.00 in a report on Thursday, February 16th. Raymond James dropped their price target on Suncor Energy from C$53.00 to C$50.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 16th. Finally, Eight Capital upgraded Suncor Energy from a sell rating to a neutral rating and boosted their price objective for the company from C$43.00 to C$50.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 22nd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of C$54.08. Get Suncor Energy alerts: Suncor Energy Stock Performance TSE:SU opened at C$41.62 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of C$55.35 billion, a PE ratio of 6.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.15 and a beta of 1.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 39.67, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 0.83. The businesss fifty day moving average price is C$44.44 and its 200 day moving average price is C$43.88. Suncor Energy has a 12 month low of C$36.38 and a 12 month high of C$53.62. Suncor Energy Announces Dividend Suncor Energy Company Profile The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 24th. Investors of record on Friday, March 24th were issued a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.00%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 2nd. Suncor Energys dividend payout ratio is presently 31.85%. (Get Rating) Suncor Energy Inc operates as an integrated energy company. The company primarily focuses on developing petroleum resource basins in Canada's Athabasca oil sands; explores, acquires, develops, produces, transports, refines, and markets crude oil in Canada and internationally; markets petroleum and petrochemical products under the Petro-Canada name primarily in Canada. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Suncor Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Suncor Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Citigroup upgraded shares of M&T Bank (NYSE:MTB Get Rating) from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Monday morning, The Fly reports. Citigroup currently has $155.00 target price on the financial services providers stock, down from their prior target price of $178.00. MTB has been the subject of a number of other reports. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on M&T Bank from $225.00 to $212.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their target price on M&T Bank from $255.00 to $175.00 in a report on Friday, January 6th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered M&T Bank from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $215.00 to $180.00 in a report on Tuesday, December 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on M&T Bank from $153.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, January 23rd. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on M&T Bank in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, M&T Bank has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $180.80. Get M&T Bank alerts: M&T Bank Stock Performance MTB opened at $122.40 on Monday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $145.83 and a 200 day simple moving average of $158.23. The company has a market capitalization of $20.57 billion, a PE ratio of 10.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.70 and a beta of 0.82. M&T Bank has a 1 year low of $110.00 and a 1 year high of $193.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.96. M&T Bank Increases Dividend M&T Bank ( NYSE:MTB Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 19th. The financial services provider reported $4.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $4.47 by $0.10. M&T Bank had a return on equity of 11.41% and a net margin of 23.15%. The business had revenue of $2.51 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.37 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.37 EPS. Research analysts expect that M&T Bank will post 18.05 EPS for the current year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 6th will be issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. This is an increase from M&T Banks previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.25%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 3rd. M&T Banks dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.14%. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MTB. First Hawaiian Bank grew its stake in shares of M&T Bank by 1.1% in the third quarter. First Hawaiian Bank now owns 8,193 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,444,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. Ossiam grew its holdings in M&T Bank by 12.1% in the 2nd quarter. Ossiam now owns 4,430 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $706,000 after buying an additional 477 shares during the last quarter. Prudential PLC lifted its position in shares of M&T Bank by 12.8% in the 3rd quarter. Prudential PLC now owns 5,192 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $915,000 after acquiring an additional 590 shares during the period. Raymond James & Associates lifted its position in shares of M&T Bank by 3.9% during the 3rd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 245,119 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $43,221,000 after buying an additional 9,266 shares during the period. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc grew its stake in shares of M&T Bank by 42.2% during the third quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 31,086 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $5,481,000 after purchasing an additional 9,220 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.10% of the companys stock. About M&T Bank (Get Rating) M&T Bank Corp. operates as a bank holding company, which engages in the provision of retail and commercial banking, trust, wealth management and investment services. It operates through the following segments: Business Banking, Commercial Banking, Commercial Real Estate, Discretionary Portfolio, Residential Mortgage Banking, and Retail Banking. Read More Receive News & Ratings for M&T Bank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for M&T Bank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Murphy Oil (NYSE:MUR Get Rating) had its price target lowered by Morgan Stanley from $45.00 to $44.00 in a research note issued to investors on Monday, The Fly reports. The firm currently has an equal weight rating on the oil and gas producers stock. Other equities research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Murphy Oil from $44.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, January 27th. Roth Capital restated a buy rating on shares of Murphy Oil in a report on Wednesday, March 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Murphy Oil from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and set a $56.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Monday, December 5th. Mizuho reduced their price objective on shares of Murphy Oil from $51.00 to $50.00 in a report on Friday, March 10th. Finally, Piper Sandler reduced their price target on shares of Murphy Oil from $66.00 to $61.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 7th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $49.00. Get Murphy Oil alerts: Murphy Oil Price Performance Murphy Oil stock opened at $36.77 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $5.73 billion, a PE ratio of 6.01 and a beta of 2.38. Murphy Oil has a 52-week low of $25.97 and a 52-week high of $51.28. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The companys 50 day moving average is $39.71 and its two-hundred day moving average is $42.07. Murphy Oil Increases Dividend Murphy Oil ( NYSE:MUR Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 26th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.18 by ($0.08). Murphy Oil had a return on equity of 18.82% and a net margin of 24.54%. The business had revenue of $975.20 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $835.62 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.40 earnings per share. Murphy Oils quarterly revenue was up 32.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Murphy Oil will post 6.16 EPS for the current fiscal year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 13th were given a dividend of $0.275 per share. This represents a $1.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.99%. This is a boost from Murphy Oils previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 10th. Murphy Oils dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 17.97%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Murphy Oil news, VP Louis W. Utsch sold 10,902 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.50, for a total transaction of $474,237.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 9,504 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $413,424. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, VP Louis W. Utsch sold 10,902 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.50, for a total transaction of $474,237.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 9,504 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $413,424. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Paul D. Vaughan sold 9,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.30, for a total value of $392,350.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 4,716 shares of the companys stock, valued at $194,770.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 6.20% of the stock is owned by insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Murphy Oil A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. ETF Managers Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Murphy Oil during the 4th quarter worth approximately $252,000. Natixis purchased a new position in Murphy Oil in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $6,365,000. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky increased its stake in Murphy Oil by 6.8% in the 4th quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 23,401 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $1,007,000 after purchasing an additional 1,500 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. increased its stake in Murphy Oil by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 336,731 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $14,483,000 after purchasing an additional 1,077 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CI Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Murphy Oil in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $2,190,000. 77.55% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Murphy Oil (Get Rating) Murphy Oil Corp. is a holding company, which engages in the exploration and production of oil and natural gas. It operates through the Exploration and Production and Corporate and Other segment. The Exploration and Production segment includes the United States, Canada, and all other countries. The Corporate and Other segment focuses on interest income, other gains and losses, interest expense, and unallocated overhead. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Murphy Oil Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Murphy Oil and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. (PA) (PA Wire) Few would dispute that the City of London has enjoyed a remarkable golden era since the Big Bang reforms of the Eighties triggered a revolution that made the capital the undisputed number one international financial centre. But is that reign coming to an end? A new survey today from the Square Miles own governing body and local authority the City of London Corporation shows New York drawing level in the global rankings. Perhaps more worrying, other major rival cities, such as Singapore, Frankfurst and Paris, are gaining ground on London. London continued to perform strongly in areas such as resilience and business infrastructure, talent and skills, and regulation. But todays report comes after the Citys collective pride was severely dented by a number of big companies choosing to list on US exchanges. This is a major canary in the mine indicator of Londons competitiveness that does not bode well for the future. Jeremy Hunt has promised to come back with proposals in the Autumn Statement. You cant help feeling that more urgency is required. The Corporation does not explicitly mention Brexit in its report but does flag up serious concerns about attracting the top talent it needs about 40% of its workforce is from overseas. Few doubt Brexit is part of that story. The Corporations leadership under Chris Hayward has understandably concentrated much of its energy on revitalising the City after the trauma of two years of lockdown. But it cannot lose sight of the worrying threat to Londons status as a global financial centre. As Hayward himself warns today our competitive advantage is at risk. Newton One Investments LLC reduced its stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO Get Rating) by 28.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 847 shares of the companys stock after selling 330 shares during the quarter. Newton One Investments LLCs holdings in Altria Group were worth $39,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Pacer Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in Altria Group by 815.1% during the 3rd quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 3,723,060 shares of the companys stock valued at $150,337,000 after acquiring an additional 3,316,195 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its position in Altria Group by 191.5% in the 3rd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 3,535,662 shares of the companys stock valued at $142,770,000 after purchasing an additional 2,322,738 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in Altria Group by 6.4% in the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 36,302,349 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,896,798,000 after purchasing an additional 2,178,596 shares in the last quarter. United Services Automobile Association raised its position in Altria Group by 227.3% in the 3rd quarter. United Services Automobile Association now owns 3,031,991 shares of the companys stock valued at $37,536,000 after purchasing an additional 2,105,711 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Barclays PLC raised its position in Altria Group by 178.8% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 2,502,436 shares of the companys stock valued at $101,046,000 after purchasing an additional 1,604,742 shares in the last quarter. 58.68% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Altria Group alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research analysts have commented on MO shares. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Altria Group from $43.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Monday, January 23rd. StockNews.com started coverage on Altria Group in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Finally, Citigroup increased their price target on Altria Group from $46.50 to $49.50 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 7th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $45.55. Altria Group Price Performance Altria Group stock opened at $44.63 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $46.17 and a 200-day moving average of $45.31. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $40.35 and a one year high of $57.05. The company has a market cap of $79.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.96, a P/E/G ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 0.59. Altria Group (NYSE:MO Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 1st. The company reported $1.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.18. Altria Group had a net margin of 22.97% and a negative return on equity of 284.29%. The firm had revenue of $5.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.15 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.09 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 18.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.05 earnings per share for the current year. Altria Group Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 24th will be issued a dividend of $0.94 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 23rd. This represents a $3.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.42%. Altria Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 117.87%. About Altria Group (Get Rating) Altria Group, Inc operates as a holding company, which engages in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes in the United States. It operates through the following segments: Smokeable Products, Oral tobacco products, and Wine. The Smokeable Products segment consists of cigarettes manufactured and sold by PM USA and machine-made large cigars and pipe tobacco manufactured and sold by Middleton. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Altria Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Altria Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Graybill Bartz & Assoc Ltd. lifted its position in shares of NexPoint Residential Trust, Inc. (NYSE:NXRT Get Rating) by 1.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 60,414 shares of the financial services providers stock after acquiring an additional 860 shares during the period. Graybill Bartz & Assoc Ltd. owned about 0.24% of NexPoint Residential Trust worth $2,629,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its position in shares of NexPoint Residential Trust by 8.8% during the 2nd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 422,313 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $26,399,000 after acquiring an additional 34,100 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in NexPoint Residential Trust by 6.4% during the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 29,161 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,348,000 after buying an additional 1,756 shares during the last quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC grew its stake in NexPoint Residential Trust by 8.2% during the 3rd quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 516,202 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $23,854,000 after buying an additional 39,140 shares during the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG grew its stake in NexPoint Residential Trust by 148.7% during the 2nd quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 72,933 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $4,559,000 after buying an additional 43,607 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Endeavour Capital Advisors Inc. grew its stake in NexPoint Residential Trust by 142.3% during the 3rd quarter. Endeavour Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 109,259 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $5,049,000 after buying an additional 64,167 shares during the last quarter. 77.28% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get NexPoint Residential Trust alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes NXRT has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. TheStreet downgraded NexPoint Residential Trust from a c rating to a d+ rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 21st. StockNews.com raised NexPoint Residential Trust from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, March 24th. Credit Suisse Group cut NexPoint Residential Trust from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and set a $47.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Monday, January 9th. Finally, Truist Financial increased their price target on NexPoint Residential Trust from $46.00 to $49.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $60.20. NexPoint Residential Trust Trading Up 0.9 % NexPoint Residential Trust Announces Dividend Shares of NexPoint Residential Trust stock traded up $0.39 during trading on Thursday, hitting $41.61. The stock had a trading volume of 34,070 shares, compared to its average volume of 131,397. The company has a current ratio of 2.51, a quick ratio of 2.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.21. The business has a fifty day moving average of $46.85 and a two-hundred day moving average of $45.85. NexPoint Residential Trust, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $38.67 and a fifty-two week high of $95.04. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th will be issued a $0.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 14th. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.04%. NexPoint Residential Trusts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -479.99%. NexPoint Residential Trust Profile (Get Rating) NexPoint Residential Trust, Inc engages in the acquisition, management, and disposition of multifamily assets. It also focuses on providing lifestyle amenities and upgraded living spaces to low and moderate income renters in the Southeastern United States and Texas. The company was founded on September 19, 2014 and is headquartered in Dallas, TX. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NXRT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for NexPoint Residential Trust, Inc. (NYSE:NXRT Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for NexPoint Residential Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NexPoint Residential Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE:NUS Get Rating) Director Andrew D. Lipman sold 2,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.29, for a total transaction of $78,580.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 62,393 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,451,420.97. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Nu Skin Enterprises Stock Down 0.4 % Shares of NYSE:NUS opened at $39.50 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 2.12, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. has a 12 month low of $29.95 and a 12 month high of $51.79. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $41.48 and a 200 day moving average price of $39.72. The company has a market cap of $1.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.08 and a beta of 1.19. Get Nu Skin Enterprises alerts: Nu Skin Enterprises (NYSE:NUS Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 15th. The company reported $0.89 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.53 by $0.36. Nu Skin Enterprises had a net margin of 4.71% and a return on equity of 16.20%. The firm had revenue of $522.34 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $542.32 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.11 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 22.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. will post 2.57 earnings per share for the current year. Nu Skin Enterprises Increases Dividend Institutional Inflows and Outflows The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 8th. Investors of record on Monday, February 27th were issued a $0.39 dividend. This is an increase from Nu Skin Enterprisess previous quarterly dividend of $0.39. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 24th. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.95%. Nu Skin Enterprisess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 75.36%. Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Nu Skin Enterprises by 2,120.0% in the 4th quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 888 shares of the companys stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 848 shares during the last quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC raised its position in Nu Skin Enterprises by 37.1% in the 2nd quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 809 shares of the companys stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 219 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada raised its position in Nu Skin Enterprises by 118.2% in the 3rd quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,150 shares of the companys stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 623 shares during the period. Quadrant Capital Group LLC raised its position in Nu Skin Enterprises by 135.8% in the 4th quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 1,646 shares of the companys stock worth $69,000 after purchasing an additional 948 shares during the period. Finally, Wipfli Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Nu Skin Enterprises in the 3rd quarter worth about $77,000. Institutional investors own 93.67% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In NUS has been the subject of several research reports. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded shares of Nu Skin Enterprises from a buy rating to a hold rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $43.00 to $39.00 in a report on Monday, January 30th. DA Davidson dropped their price objective on shares of Nu Skin Enterprises from $40.00 to $38.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 16th. TheStreet downgraded shares of Nu Skin Enterprises from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a report on Wednesday, March 15th. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Nu Skin Enterprises from $35.00 to $41.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Nu Skin Enterprises from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $39.33. Nu Skin Enterprises Company Profile (Get Rating) Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the development and distribution of beauty and wellness solutions. It operates through the following segments: Mainland China, Americas, South Korea, Southeast Asia/Pacific, EMEA, Japan, Hong Kong/Taiwan, Nu Skin Other, Manufacturing, and Rhyz Other. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Nu Skin Enterprises Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nu Skin Enterprises and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered shares of Pernod Ricard (OTCMKTS:PDRDY Get Rating) from an overweight rating to a neutral rating in a research note published on Monday, Briefing.com reports. PDRDY has been the subject of a number of other reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their target price on Pernod Ricard from 198.00 ($212.90) to 191.00 ($205.38) and set a hold rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 4th. Credit Suisse Group raised shares of Pernod Ricard from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, December 15th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Pernod Ricard from 265.00 ($284.95) to 264.00 ($283.87) and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 5th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $208.80. Get Pernod Ricard alerts: Pernod Ricard Price Performance Shares of Pernod Ricard stock opened at $47.12 on Monday. Pernod Ricard has a fifty-two week low of $34.68 and a fifty-two week high of $47.39. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $47.12 and a 200 day moving average price of $47.12. Pernod Ricard Company Profile Pernod Ricard SA engages in the manufacture of wines, spirits, and non-alcoholic beverages. The firm offers products under the brands Absolut Vodka, Chivas Regal, Ballantines, Beefeater, Jameson, Kahlua, Malibu, Ricard, Havana Club, Martell, Cognac, The Glenlivet, G.H. Mumm, Perrier-Jouet, Royal Salute, Brancott Estate, Graffigna, Campo Viejo, Jacobs Creek, Kenwood, Pastis 51, 100 Pipers, ArArAt, Becherovka, Blenders Pride, Clan Campbell, Imperial, Seagrams Imperial Blue, Olmeca, Passport Scotch, Amaro Ramazzotti, Ruavieja, Royal Stag, Seagrams Gin, Something Special, Suze, Wisers, and Wyborowa. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Pernod Ricard Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pernod Ricard and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Petra Diamonds Limited (LON:PDL Get Rating)s stock price crossed below its two hundred day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of GBX 95.02 ($1.17) and traded as low as GBX 71.50 ($0.88). Petra Diamonds shares last traded at GBX 75 ($0.92), with a volume of 21,455 shares trading hands. Analysts Set New Price Targets PDL has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Berenberg Bank reissued a buy rating on shares of Petra Diamonds in a research note on Thursday, December 1st. Peel Hunt reiterated a buy rating on shares of Petra Diamonds in a report on Tuesday, February 21st. Get Petra Diamonds alerts: Petra Diamonds Stock Down 2.0 % The stock has a market cap of 142.74 million, a PE ratio of 7,500.00, a P/E/G ratio of 0.17 and a beta of 1.22. The business has a 50 day moving average price of GBX 78.28 and a 200 day moving average price of GBX 94.88. The company has a quick ratio of 3.52, a current ratio of 2.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 60.57. Insider Activity Petra Diamonds Company Profile In related news, insider Varda Shine purchased 24,755 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 24th. The stock was purchased at an average price of GBX 81 ($1.00) per share, with a total value of 20,051.55 ($24,636.38). Company insiders own 7.80% of the companys stock. (Get Rating) Petra Diamonds Limited engages in the mining, processing, sorting, and sale of rough diamonds in South Africa and Tanzania. It holds interests in three underground producing mines, including the Cullinan, Finsch, and Koffiefontein mines located in South Africa; and the Williamson mine located in Tanzania. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Petra Diamonds Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Petra Diamonds and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. PIMCO Municipal Income Fund (NYSE:PMF Get Rating) saw a significant drop in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 9,200 shares, a drop of 61.7% from the February 28th total of 24,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 79,400 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.1 days. PIMCO Municipal Income Fund Trading Up 1.1 % PMF stock traded up $0.11 on Thursday, hitting $9.79. The company had a trading volume of 52,082 shares, compared to its average volume of 69,788. PIMCO Municipal Income Fund has a 12-month low of $9.30 and a 12-month high of $12.33. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $10.18 and its 200 day simple moving average is $10.29. Get PIMCO Municipal Income Fund alerts: PIMCO Municipal Income Fund Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.042 per share. This represents a $0.50 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.15%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 10th. Institutional Inflows and Outflows About PIMCO Municipal Income Fund Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Whittier Trust Co. purchased a new position in shares of PIMCO Municipal Income Fund during the 3rd quarter valued at $78,000. Focused Wealth Management Inc purchased a new position in shares of PIMCO Municipal Income Fund during the 4th quarter valued at $83,000. Summit X LLC purchased a new position in shares of PIMCO Municipal Income Fund during the 3rd quarter valued at $98,000. GHE LLC purchased a new position in shares of PIMCO Municipal Income Fund during the 3rd quarter valued at $116,000. Finally, Capital Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of PIMCO Municipal Income Fund during the 3rd quarter valued at $116,000. (Get Rating) PIMCO Municipal Income Fund operates as a mutual fund-closed end investment. Its portfolio includes investment in municipal bonds. The company was founded on May 10, 2001 and is headquartered in New York, NY. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for PIMCO Municipal Income Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PIMCO Municipal Income Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Porto Energy Corp. (OTCMKTS:PNRXF Get Rating)s stock price crossed above its 50-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of $0.00 and traded as high as $0.00. Porto Energy shares last traded at $0.00, with a volume of 0 shares traded. Porto Energy Price Performance Porto Energy Company Profile (Get Rating) Porto Energy Corp. engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas. It focuses on the Aljubarrota-3, Torres Vedras-3, Sao Pedro de Muel-2, Cabo Mondego-2, Rio Maior-2, Zambujal and Peniche oil and gas concessions in Portugal. The company was founded by Patric Monteleone in 1993 and is headquartered in The Woodlands, TX. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Porto Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Porto Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. (NYSE:ASR Get Rating) saw a large increase in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 132,500 shares, an increase of 95.7% from the February 28th total of 67,700 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 58,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.3 days. Approximately 0.5% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in ASR. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. in the 4th quarter valued at about $383,000. Triasima Portfolio Management inc. purchased a new stake in Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. in the 4th quarter valued at about $3,728,000. Jane Street Group LLC purchased a new stake in Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,563,000. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC boosted its position in Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. by 40.5% in the 4th quarter. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC now owns 5,841 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $1,361,000 after buying an additional 1,683 shares during the period. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp boosted its position in Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. by 7.4% in the 4th quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 60,044 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $13,990,000 after buying an additional 4,161 shares during the period. 15.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste S. A. B. de C. V. alerts: Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. Trading Down 0.6 % Shares of ASR stock traded down $1.96 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $310.96. 51,594 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 58,331. Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. has a 12-month low of $179.01 and a 12-month high of $313.77. The company has a current ratio of 3.25, a quick ratio of 3.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The companys 50-day moving average price is $285.15 and its 200-day moving average price is $251.10. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.03 and a beta of 1.08. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. Company Profile A number of brokerages have issued reports on ASR. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded shares of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. from an overweight rating to a neutral rating in a report on Thursday. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. from $215.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, March 3rd. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, UBS Group cut shares of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. from a neutral rating to a sell rating in a research note on Thursday, December 15th. (Get Rating) Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste SA de CV is a holding company, which engages in the operation, maintenance, and development of airports It operates through the following segments: Cancun, Aerostar, Airplan, Villahermosa, Merida, Holding and Services, and Other. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Mexico City, Mexico. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste S. A. B. de C. V. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste S. A. B. de C. V. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shiseido Company, Limited (OTCMKTS:SSDOY Get Rating) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 14,900 shares, an increase of 21.1% from the February 28th total of 12,300 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 39,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.4 days. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Separately, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Shiseido from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Thursday, February 23rd. Get Shiseido alerts: Shiseido Trading Up 1.1 % Shares of SSDOY traded up $0.52 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $46.40. The company had a trading volume of 36,708 shares, compared to its average volume of 21,711. Shiseido has a 52-week low of $32.70 and a 52-week high of $52.51. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $47.30 and a two-hundred day moving average of $43.08. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. About Shiseido Shiseido ( OTCMKTS:SSDOY Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 10th. The company reported $0.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of $0.09. The company had revenue of $2.16 billion for the quarter. Shiseido had a return on equity of 5.39% and a net margin of 3.18%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Shiseido will post 0.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. (Get Rating) Shiseido Co, Ltd. engages in the production and sale of cosmetics for men and women. It operates through the following segments: Japan, China, Asia Pacific, Americas, Europe, Travel Retail, Professional, and Others. The Japan, China, Asia Pacific, Americas, and Europe segments sell cosmetics, fragrance, and personal care products with core brands such as Shiseido, cle de peau BEAUTE, ELIXIR, MAQUILLAGE, AUPRES, urara, TSUBAKI, Za, and narciso rodriguez in each corresponding region. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Shiseido Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Shiseido and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The Berkeley Group Holdings plc (OTCMKTS:BKGFY Get Rating) saw a large increase in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 7,000 shares, an increase of 100.0% from the February 28th total of 3,500 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 14,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.5 days. The Berkeley Group Price Performance Shares of BKGFY stock traded up $0.20 during trading on Thursday, hitting $10.50. The companys stock had a trading volume of 14,078 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,219. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a current ratio of 3.36. The business has a fifty day moving average of $10.17 and a 200-day moving average of $9.23. The Berkeley Group has a 52 week low of $6.92 and a 52 week high of $11.28. Get The Berkeley Group alerts: The Berkeley Group Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 6th will be issued a $0.1474 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 3rd. This is a positive change from The Berkeley Groups previous dividend of $0.05. This represents a dividend yield of 1.9%. Analyst Ratings Changes The Berkeley Group Company Profile Several brokerages recently commented on BKGFY. Jefferies Financial Group lowered The Berkeley Group from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, January 23rd. Morgan Stanley lowered The Berkeley Group from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 31st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on The Berkeley Group from GBX 3,807 ($46.77) to GBX 3,992 ($49.05) in a research report on Monday, February 13th. (Get Rating) Berkeley Group Holdings Plc engages in the development of residential and mixed-use properties. It operates through the following brands: Berkeley, St. James, St. George, St. Edward, St. Joseph, and St. William. The company was founded by Anthony William Pidgley and Jim Farrer in 1976 and is headquartered in Cobham, the United Kingdom. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for The Berkeley Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for The Berkeley Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. HONG KONG, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Few places capture the imagination quite like China. With its borders now reopened to foreign visitors, CNN highlights China's Hidden Treasures in a special 30-minute travel program, exploring remote tea plantations, surfing the waves off the country's southern coast, and strolling through age-old markets where artisans keep ancient traditions alive today. CNNs Hidden Treasures explores Chinas unparalleled culture and history Jingdezhen, located in the northeast part of Jiangxi Province, is one of China's most famous historic cities. CNN travels to Jingdezhen, also known as China's "porcelain capital". The city is home to a unique market for antique pottery. CNN follows artist Hao Zhenhan to discover how ceramics are still made by hand. Jingdezhen's porcelain artistry dates back at least a thousand years, after Emperor Zhaoheng decreed the production of porcelain there to be used by the Royal Court during the Song Dynasty. Today, the artistry has evolved; beyond painting on pottery like teapots, some now paint on tea itself. CNN speaks to Han Zheming, a traditional tea painter who creates patterns on liquid tea that are inspired by paintings of the Song Dynasty. CNN then takes to the heart of China's tea country Shaxi. This historic market town, located in Yunnan Province, was once a main trading center for tea leaves and horses on the country's "Southern Silk Road". CNN explores the town's vibrant Friday Market with tea expert Zhu Liyuan, who curates her own unique tea experiences by exploring southern China in search of the country's finest varieties of tea. In Fujian Province, CNN meets up with restaurant owner Adam Chen to explore the coast just north of Xiamen. Chen takes us to a historic fishing village market to enjoy a traditional Hokkien dish made with oysters - and visit several old houses made of the shells of discarded oysters. CNN then visits Tulou, a UNESCO world heritage site that holds 46 distinctively shaped dwellings built between the 15th and 20th century. Story continues CNN also travels to Shuangyue Bay, a port town in Guangdong Province famous for its stunning sea views and two crescent moon-shaped bays. Photographer and yoga practitioner Tina Tang is an avid surfer, who left the big-city life to explore China's lesser-known beaches. The region is popular among Chinese tourists looking for sun, sand, and surf. CNN follows Tina to check out the local food scene and hit the waves, exploring more of the laid-back lifestyle she has found in this hidden treasure. Hidden Treasures trailer: https://bit.ly/3LUWUvE Hidden Treasures images: https://bit.ly/3nbPmKU Airtimes for 30-minute special: Saturday, 1st April at 6pm HKT Sunday, 2nd April at 12:30pm HKT Monday, 3rd April at 1am and 11am HKT About CNN International CNN's portfolio of news and information services is available in seven different languages across all major TV, digital and mobile platforms, reaching more than 475 million households around the globe. CNN International is the number one international TV news channel according to all major media surveys across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Asia Pacific region, and Latin America and has a US presence that includes CNNgo. CNN Digital is a leading network for online news, mobile news and social media. CNN is at the forefront of digital innovation and continues to invest heavily in expanding its digital global footprint, with a suite of award-winning digital properties and a range of strategic content partnerships, commercialised through a strong data-driven understanding of audience behaviours. CNN has won multiple prestigious awards around the world for its journalism. Around 1,000 hours of long-form series, documentaries and specials are produced every year by CNNI's non-news programming division. CNN has 36 editorial offices and more than 1,100 affiliates worldwide through CNN Newsource. CNN International is a Warner Bros. Discovery company. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/cnns-hidden-treasures-explores-chinas-unparalleled-culture-and-history-301785562.html SOURCE CNN International Silvant Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Mettler-Toledo International Inc. (NYSE:MTD Get Rating) by 87.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,205 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock after purchasing an additional 1,964 shares during the period. Silvant Capital Management LLCs holdings in Mettler-Toledo International were worth $6,078,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of MTD. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 8.0% in the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 176 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $242,000 after purchasing an additional 13 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. increased its holdings in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 19.7% in the first quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 176 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $242,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 48.9% in the first quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 834 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $1,172,000 after purchasing an additional 274 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. increased its holdings in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 4.2% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 16,305 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $21,817,000 after purchasing an additional 662 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Prudential PLC acquired a new position in shares of Mettler-Toledo International in the first quarter valued at $626,000. 91.94% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Mettler-Toledo International alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. TheStreet upgraded shares of Mettler-Toledo International from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research note on Thursday, February 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Mettler-Toledo International from an underweight rating to a neutral rating and upped their price target for the company from $1,100.00 to $1,350.00 in a research note on Monday, December 19th. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on shares of Mettler-Toledo International from $1,284.00 to $1,513.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Mettler-Toledo International from $1,650.00 to $1,675.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, February 13th. Finally, Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Mettler-Toledo International from $1,350.00 to $1,525.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, February 13th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $1,450.71. Mettler-Toledo International Price Performance MTD traded up $6.47 on Thursday, hitting $1,502.78. 5,276 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 89,727. Mettler-Toledo International Inc. has a 12 month low of $1,065.55 and a 12 month high of $1,609.25. The business has a 50-day moving average of $1,500.32 and a two-hundred day moving average of $1,394.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 76.98, a current ratio of 1.20 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $33.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.91, a PEG ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 1.18. Mettler-Toledo International (NYSE:MTD Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Friday, February 10th. The medical instruments supplier reported $12.10 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $11.63 by $0.47. The firm had revenue of $1.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.03 billion. Mettler-Toledo International had a net margin of 22.26% and a return on equity of 10,609.85%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $10.53 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that Mettler-Toledo International Inc. will post 44 EPS for the current fiscal year. Insider Transactions at Mettler-Toledo International In other news, Director Robert F. Spoerry sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,565.00, for a total value of $1,565,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 6,548 shares of the companys stock, valued at $10,247,620. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, Director Robert F. Spoerry sold 1,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,565.00, for a total value of $1,565,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 6,548 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,247,620. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Wah-Hui Chu sold 300 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,450.00, for a total transaction of $435,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 4,290 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,220,500. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 18,022 shares of company stock valued at $26,391,416. 2.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Mettler-Toledo International Profile (Get Rating) Mettler-Toledo International, Inc engages in the provision of precision instruments and services. The firm manufactures weighing instruments for use in laboratory, industrial, packaging, logistics, and food retailing applications. It also manufactures several related analytical instruments and provides automated chemistry solutions used in drug and chemical compound discovery and development, metal detection and other end-of-line inspection systems used in production and packaging and provides solutions for use in certain process analytics applications. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MTD? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Mettler-Toledo International Inc. (NYSE:MTD Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Mettler-Toledo International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mettler-Toledo International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Silvant Capital Management LLC decreased its position in AmerisourceBergen Co. (NYSE:ABC Get Rating) by 1.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 59,892 shares of the companys stock after selling 621 shares during the period. AmerisourceBergen comprises 0.7% of Silvant Capital Management LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest position. Silvant Capital Management LLCs holdings in AmerisourceBergen were worth $9,925,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Veriti Management LLC lifted its stake in AmerisourceBergen by 9.1% in the 4th quarter. Veriti Management LLC now owns 7,524 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,247,000 after acquiring an additional 626 shares in the last quarter. Global Strategic Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of AmerisourceBergen during the 4th quarter worth approximately $200,000. V Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of AmerisourceBergen during the 4th quarter worth approximately $228,000. Hartford Investment Management Co. raised its stake in shares of AmerisourceBergen by 2.7% during the 4th quarter. Hartford Investment Management Co. now owns 15,114 shares of the companys stock worth $2,505,000 after purchasing an additional 404 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Chesley Taft & Associates LLC raised its stake in shares of AmerisourceBergen by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Chesley Taft & Associates LLC now owns 68,545 shares of the companys stock worth $11,359,000 after purchasing an additional 917 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 84.79% of the companys stock. Get AmerisourceBergen alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at AmerisourceBergen In other AmerisourceBergen news, CEO Steven H. Collis sold 10,499 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.28, for a total value of $1,724,775.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 257,967 shares in the company, valued at $42,378,818.76. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, CEO Steven H. Collis sold 10,499 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.28, for a total transaction of $1,724,775.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 257,967 shares in the company, valued at $42,378,818.76. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Lazarus Krikorian sold 5,711 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.82, for a total value of $889,888.02. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 18,732 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,918,820.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 28,633 shares of company stock worth $4,490,081. 20.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. AmerisourceBergen Price Performance Shares of ABC stock traded down $0.02 on Thursday, hitting $158.95. 61,827 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,316,869. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 63.30, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.53. AmerisourceBergen Co. has a 12 month low of $135.14 and a 12 month high of $174.63. The stock has a market cap of $32.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 0.54. The company has a 50 day moving average of $157.37 and a 200 day moving average of $156.52. AmerisourceBergen (NYSE:ABC Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 1st. The company reported $2.71 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.62 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $62.85 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $62.77 billion. AmerisourceBergen had a return on equity of 597.57% and a net margin of 0.72%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.58 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that AmerisourceBergen Co. will post 11.61 EPS for the current year. AmerisourceBergen Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 10th were given a $0.485 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 9th. This represents a $1.94 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.22%. AmerisourceBergens dividend payout ratio is presently 23.54%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. TheStreet cut AmerisourceBergen from a b- rating to a c rating in a research note on Monday, March 6th. UBS Group upped their price objective on AmerisourceBergen from $184.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, January 31st. StockNews.com initiated coverage on AmerisourceBergen in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a strong-buy rating on the stock. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on AmerisourceBergen from $199.00 to $201.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, February 2nd. Finally, Argus increased their target price on AmerisourceBergen from $170.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, January 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $180.08. About AmerisourceBergen (Get Rating) AmerisourceBergen Corp. engages in the provision of pharmaceutical products and business solutions that improve access to care. It operates through the Pharmaceutical Distribution Services and Other segments. The Pharmaceutical Distribution Services segment distributes an offering of brand-name, specialty brand-name and generic pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter healthcare products, home healthcare supplies and equipment, and related services to healthcare providers, including acute care hospitals and health systems, independent and chain retail pharmacies, mail order pharmacies, medical clinics, and long-term care and alternate site pharmacies. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for AmerisourceBergen Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AmerisourceBergen and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Standard AVB Financial Corp. (OTCMKTS:STND Get Rating)s share price crossed below its two hundred day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $33.00 and traded as low as $32.99. Standard AVB Financial shares last traded at $33.00, with a volume of 18,900 shares. Standard AVB Financial Stock Up 0.1 % The companys fifty day moving average is $33.00 and its 200-day moving average is $33.00. Standard AVB Financial Company Profile (Get Rating) Standard AVB Financial Corp. operates as a bank holding company for Standard Bank PaSB that provides financial services to individuals, families, and businesses. It offers various deposit accounts, including savings accounts, certificates of deposit, money market accounts, commercial and regular checking accounts, and individual retirement accounts. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Standard AVB Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Standard AVB Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. TAP Consulting LLC lessened its stake in shares of ETFMG Prime Cyber Security ETF (NYSEARCA:HACK Get Rating) by 40.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 27,321 shares of the companys stock after selling 18,443 shares during the quarter. TAP Consulting LLC owned approximately 0.09% of ETFMG Prime Cyber Security ETF worth $1,203,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its position in ETFMG Prime Cyber Security ETF by 3.8% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 461,421 shares of the companys stock valued at $27,094,000 after acquiring an additional 17,066 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of ETFMG Prime Cyber Security ETF by 219.7% during the 3rd quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 380,211 shares of the companys stock valued at $16,490,000 after purchasing an additional 261,295 shares during the last quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of ETFMG Prime Cyber Security ETF by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 137,516 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,964,000 after purchasing an additional 1,598 shares during the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of ETFMG Prime Cyber Security ETF by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 110,960 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,812,000 after purchasing an additional 2,281 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Eaton Vance Management lifted its holdings in shares of ETFMG Prime Cyber Security ETF by 9.3% during the 3rd quarter. Eaton Vance Management now owns 103,381 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,483,000 after purchasing an additional 8,839 shares during the last quarter. Get ETFMG Prime Cyber Security ETF alerts: ETFMG Prime Cyber Security ETF Trading Up 0.9 % Shares of HACK traded up $0.43 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $46.93. 17,648 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 100,189. ETFMG Prime Cyber Security ETF has a 1 year low of $40.65 and a 1 year high of $59.83. The firms fifty day moving average is $46.17 and its 200-day moving average is $45.23. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.57 and a beta of 0.92. About ETFMG Prime Cyber Security ETF The ETFMG Prime Cyber Security ETF (HACK) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the Prime Cyber Defense index. The fund tracks a tiered, equal-weighted index that targets companies actively involved in providing cybersecurity technology and services. HACK was launched on Nov 11, 2014 and is managed by ETF Managers Group. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding HACK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for ETFMG Prime Cyber Security ETF (NYSEARCA:HACK Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for ETFMG Prime Cyber Security ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ETFMG Prime Cyber Security ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Teranga Gold Co. (OTCMKTS:TGCDF Get Rating)s share price traded up 0.5% on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $9.90 and last traded at $9.75. 17,000 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 26% from the average session volume of 22,890 shares. The stock had previously closed at $9.70. Teranga Gold Trading Up 0.5 % The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $9.75 and a 200 day moving average price of $9.75. Teranga Gold Company Profile (Get Rating) Teranga Gold Corporation engages in the exploration, development, production, and sale of gold in West Africa. The company's flagship project is the Sabodala gold mine covering an area of 291 square kilometers mine license and 629 square kilometers exploration land package located in the Republic of Senegal. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Teranga Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Teranga Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The Gabelli Equity Trust Inc. (NYSE:GAB Get Rating) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 440,200 shares, a growth of 323.7% from the February 28th total of 103,900 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 445,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.0 days. Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Gabelli Equity Trust Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Gabelli Equity Trust by 15.7% during the second quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 849,857 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $5,201,000 after acquiring an additional 115,140 shares during the period. Accurate Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Gabelli Equity Trust in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $69,000. Capital Advisory Group Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Gabelli Equity Trust in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $75,000. TCG Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Gabelli Equity Trust in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $57,000. Finally, LPL Financial LLC lifted its stake in The Gabelli Equity Trust by 10.2% in the 2nd quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 2,141,232 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $13,062,000 after acquiring an additional 199,049 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 7.58% of the companys stock. Get The Gabelli Equity Trust alerts: The Gabelli Equity Trust Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:GAB traded up $0.06 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $5.69. 319,206 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 453,920. The Gabelli Equity Trust has a 52 week low of $4.84 and a 52 week high of $7.09. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $5.76 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $5.67. The Gabelli Equity Trust Announces Dividend The Gabelli Equity Trust Company Profile The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 24th. Investors of record on Friday, March 17th were given a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 10.54%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 16th. (Get Rating) The Gabelli Equity Trust Inc is a closed ended equity mutual fund launched by GAMCO Investors, Inc The fund is managed by Gabelli Funds, LLC. It invests in public equity markets of the United States. The fund seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. It invests in preferred stock, convertible or exchangeable securities, and warrants and rights. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for The Gabelli Equity Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for The Gabelli Equity Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Thunder Mountain Gold, Inc. (OTCMKTS:THMG Get Rating)s stock price crossed above its 50-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of $0.11 and traded as high as $0.11. Thunder Mountain Gold shares last traded at $0.09, with a volume of 160,858 shares traded. Thunder Mountain Gold Stock Performance The company has a 50 day moving average price of $0.11 and a 200 day moving average price of $0.09. The firm has a market cap of $5.72 million, a PE ratio of -4.70 and a beta of 0.95. About Thunder Mountain Gold (Get Rating) Thunder Mountain Gold, Inc operates as a mineral exploration company, which engages in acquisition, exploration, and development of premier precious and base metal properties. Its projects include South Mountain located in southwest of Boise, Idaho and Trout Creek located in Nevada. The company was founded on November 9, 1935 and is headquartered in Boise, ID. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Thunder Mountain Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Thunder Mountain Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tsingtao Brewery Company Limited (OTCMKTS:TSGTF Get Rating) was the target of a significant drop in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 65,800 shares, a drop of 41.3% from the February 28th total of 112,100 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 5,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 12.0 days. Tsingtao Brewery Price Performance Shares of TSGTF traded up $0.02 during trading on Thursday, reaching $10.52. 6,518 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,024. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $9.98 and a 200-day simple moving average of $9.39. Tsingtao Brewery has a twelve month low of $6.78 and a twelve month high of $10.52. Get Tsingtao Brewery alerts: About Tsingtao Brewery (Get Rating) Featured Stories Tsingtao Brewery Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production, distribution, wholesale, and retail sale of beer products worldwide. It operates through seven segments: Shandong Region; South China Region; North China Region; East China Region; Southeast China Region; Hong Kong, Macau and Other Overseas Region; and Finance Company. Receive News & Ratings for Tsingtao Brewery Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tsingtao Brewery and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of VAALCO Energy, Inc. (LON:EGY Get Rating) were up 2.9% on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as GBX 360 ($4.42) and last traded at GBX 360 ($4.42). Approximately 277 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 61% from the average daily volume of 712 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 350 ($4.30). VAALCO Energy Trading Up 2.9 % The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89. The firm has a market capitalization of 388.55 million, a P/E ratio of 404.49 and a beta of 1.60. The firm has a 50-day moving average of GBX 382.07 and a two-hundred day moving average of GBX 410.87. Get VAALCO Energy alerts: VAALCO Energy Increases Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, March 23rd will be given a dividend of $0.06 per share. This is an increase from VAALCO Energys previous dividend of $0.03. This represents a dividend yield of 1.36%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 23rd. VAALCO Energys dividend payout ratio is currently 2,359.55%. About VAALCO Energy VAALCO Energy, Inc, an independent energy company, acquires, explores for, develops, and produces crude oil and natural gas. The company holds Etame production sharing contract related to the Etame Marin block located offshore in the Republic of Gabon in West Africa. It also owns interests in an undeveloped block offshore Equatorial Guinea, West Africa. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for VAALCO Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for VAALCO Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Aspiriant LLC increased its stake in shares of Vanguard Information Technology ETF (NYSEARCA:VGT Get Rating) by 3.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 22,467 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after purchasing an additional 793 shares during the quarter. Aspiriant LLCs holdings in Vanguard Information Technology ETF were worth $7,176,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. First Personal Financial Services boosted its position in shares of Vanguard Information Technology ETF by 226.9% during the 3rd quarter. First Personal Financial Services now owns 85 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. Glassy Mountain Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Vanguard Information Technology ETF during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Psagot Value Holdings Ltd. Israel acquired a new position in shares of Vanguard Information Technology ETF during the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC acquired a new position in shares of Vanguard Information Technology ETF during the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, American National Bank boosted its position in shares of Vanguard Information Technology ETF by 390.9% during the 3rd quarter. American National Bank now owns 108 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. Get Vanguard Information Technology ETF alerts: Vanguard Information Technology ETF Stock Performance Shares of NYSEARCA:VGT traded up $3.67 on Thursday, hitting $379.19. 142,782 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 668,612. The firms 50-day moving average is $358.69 and its 200 day moving average is $338.00. The company has a market capitalization of $46.79 billion, a PE ratio of 24.70 and a beta of 1.14. Vanguard Information Technology ETF has a 1-year low of $291.61 and a 1-year high of $429.56. Vanguard Information Technology ETF Profile Vanguard Information Technology ETF seeks to track the investment performance of the MSCI US Investable Market Information Technology 25/50 Index, a benchmark of large-, mid-, and small-cap United States stocks in the information technology sector, as classified under the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS). Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Vanguard Information Technology ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vanguard Information Technology ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Future Market Insights Global and Consulting Pvt. Ltd. Increasing defense budget and rising safety measures and standards across defense sector are key trends shaping coated fabrics sales. The United States coated fabrics for defense market create an absolute $ opportunity of US$ 436.7 million by 2033. NEWARK, Del, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global coated fabrics for defense market are likely to create stable growth opportunities over the evaluation period by registering a CAGR of 3.7% from 2023 to 2033. The global market size is likely to reach a valuation of around US$ 4,541.4 million in 2023 and is set to cross a valuation of US$ 6,530.9 million by 2033. According to the historical analysis conducted by Future Market Insights, the global market registered a CAGR of 2.9% from 2018 to 2022. The global coated fabric sales in defense sector will create an absolute dollar opportunity of US$ 1,989.6 million. Fabrics that have gone through a coating procedure for modification of functionalities are known as coated fabrics. They are created from both woven and non-woven textiles by laminating or coating fabric with polymer, rubber, or various other materials. Get a Holistic Overview of the Market from Industry Experts to Evaluate and Develop Growth Strategies. Download the Sample@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-6762 The addition of coatings makes the fabric surface more impervious to damage. Furthermore, coated fabrics hold additional properties including waterproofing, durability, chemical resistance, abrasion resistance, flame resistance, and thermal resistance. Thanks to these features, coated fabrics are gaining immense traction across defense & military sectors. Fabrics made of polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, Teflon, and neoprene find numerous applications in the defense sector. These fabrics are useful in several environmental challenges such as fire, UV radiation, scratches and abrasions, chemicals and oils, and more. Moreover, fabrics such as PVC-coated fabrics and polymer-coated fabrics are gaining wider popularity. Coated fabrics find application in personal protective equipment in defense industry. This is due to their ability to protect the wearer from various hazards. These fabrics are used in helmets, gloves, face shields, etc. Story continues Report Highlights Coated fabrics are now considered an integral part of defense and military sectors. This is attributed to their ability to offer invaluable properties to military forces and equipment. The rising usage of coated fabrics in several military & defense applications will boost the global market. Furthermore, increasing safety measures and standards in defense sector are anticipated to propel coated fabrics demand. The rising demand for high-performance fabrics is anticipated to deliver longevity, strength, and superior wear resistance in challenging environments will elevate sales. Moreover, the burgeoning demand for coated fabrics from military aircraft will bolster coated fabric sales worldwide. Coated fabrics such as polyester, Teflon, and aramid are widely used in parachute release bags, flight suits, ejector seat covers, anti-gravity pants, and suits, troop seating, aircraft flotation bags, and several other applications. Constantly changing warfare strategies, attributed to the rising border conflicts in several countries are expected to drive these countries to procure highly advanced next-generation aircraft & ships. This increasing demand for aircraft is expected to stimulate the use of coated fabrics in numerous aircraft components. Driven by this, coated fabric sales in defense sector will rise at a significant pace. Browse Full Market Report@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/coated-fabrics-defense-market Recent Developments Augmenting usage of coated fabrics in various applications across the military & defense sectors is driving the global market. Coated fabrics find applications in railways, automobiles, aviation, and various other personnel-oriented objects across the military & defense industry. Surging popularity of coated fabrics made from high-performance fibers throughout defense sector is anticipated to boost sales. Furthermore, coated fabrics are lightweight, waterproof, chemical resistant, and flexible. They also possess better mechanical properties to improve soldier workability. Thanks to these features, coated fabrics are increasingly used in defense and military industry. The worldwide military and defense sector is predicted to witness a significant increase in expenditure. Multiple governments are spending huge amounts to strengthen their defense sector. This rising expenditure in the military and defense sector, particularly in emerging economies, will lead to a surge in the production of several military artillery and protective equipment. This in turn will propel the use of coated fabrics such as neoprene, Teflon, and polyester over the next ten years. Expand Operations in the Future - To Get Requisite Details, Ask for a Custom Report@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-gb-6762 Key Companies Profiled DuPont de Nemours, Inc. Saint-Gobain S.A. Trelleborg Group Continental AG Fothergill Group Zenith Industrial Rubber Products Pvt. Ltd. SRF Limited Sioen Industries NV Paragon Textile Mills Pvt. Ltd. Colmant Coated Fabrics Seaman Corporation Magna Fabrics Inc. Worthen Industries Inc. Haren Textiles Pvt Ltd. Serge Ferrari Competitive Landscape The global coated fabrics for defense industry is fiercely competitive. Owing to the presence of several key coated fabric manufacturers across the globe. Additionally, tailored solutions offered by market leaders that comply with strict regulations and requirements is creating hindrance for new entrants in the market. This has shifted bargaining power toward the supplier side, resulting in higher profit margins for leading manufacturers. Coated Fabrics for Defense Industry Segmentation By Fabrics: Polyamide/Nylon PVC Teflon Aramid Polyester By Material: Thermoplastic Rubber By Application: Personnel Oriented Object Oriented CF for Military Other Equipment Grow your Profit Margin with Future Market Insights Buy the Report! https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/6762 More insights into the Coated Fabrics for Defense Market The North American region is anticipated to dominate the global coated fabrics for defense market over the evaluation period. The USA and India are prominent countries nearly accounting for 30% share of the global market. These countries are estimated to provide an evaluation of US$ 703.2 million at the end of 2033. Table of Content 1. Executive Summary | Coated Fabrics for Defense Market 1.1. Global Market Outlook 1.2. Demand Side Trends 1.3. Supply Side Trends 1.4. Technology Roadmap 1.5. Analysis and Recommendations 2. Market Overview 2.1. Market Coverage / Taxonomy 2.2. Market Definition / Scope / Limitations 3. Key Market Trends 3.1. Key Trends Impacting the Market 3.2. Product Innovation / Development Trends 4. Key Success Factors 4.1. Product Adoption / Usage Analysis 4.2. Product USPs / Features 4.3. Strategic Promotional Strategies Complete TOC of this Report@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-6762 Explore FMIs Extensive Ongoing Coverage in the Chemicals & Materials Domain Coated Fabrics Market Demand: Coated fabrics market to grow at 5.1 % CAGR through 2031. Coated fabrics are woven or non-woven cloth with a specialized coating that's applied to the surface of the material, or saturated into the material's bulk. FKM Elastomers Market Value: As per Future Market Insights, the FKM elastomers market is anticipated to attain a value pool of US$ 1.6 billion by 2023-end. Global demand for FKM elastomers is expected to rise at a CAGR of 4.6% to US$ 2.5 billion in 2033. Nonwoven Polyester Fabric Market Size: According to Future Market Insights, the global nonwoven polyester fabric market is projected to increase at a CAGR of 6.84% in the forecast period from 2023 to 2033. Cable Material Market Growth: According to Future Market Insights, the global cable material market is projected to increase at a CAGR of 6.5% in the forecast period from 2023 to 2033, will reach by US$ 18.3 billion. Anti Soiling Coating Market Trends: The global anti-soiling coating market is likely to witness significant growth at a CAGR of 6.01% during the forecast period from 2023 to 2033. The global market is projected to reach US$ 1,576 million in 2032. About Future Market Insights, Inc. Future Market Insights, Inc. is an ESOMAR-certified business consulting & market research firm, a member of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce, headquartered in Delaware, USA. As a recipient of the Clutch Leaders Award 2022 for a high client score (4.9/5), we have been collaborating with global enterprises in their business transformation journey and helping them deliver on their business ambitions. 80% of the largest Forbes 1000 enterprises are our clients. We serve global clients across all leading & niche market segments across all major industries. Contact Us: Future Market Insights Inc. Christiana Corporate, 200 Continental Drive, Suite 401, Newark, Delaware - 19713, USA T: +1-845-579-5705 LinkedIn| Twitter| Blogs | YouTube For Sales Enquiries: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Victoria Gold Corp. (OTCMKTS:VITFF Get Rating) saw a large drop in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 219,000 shares, a drop of 45.6% from the February 28th total of 402,300 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 76,200 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.9 days. Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, HC Wainwright reduced their target price on Victoria Gold from C$22.00 to C$21.00 in a report on Friday, February 24th. Get Victoria Gold alerts: Victoria Gold Stock Up 1.9 % OTCMKTS:VITFF opened at $6.89 on Thursday. The businesss 50 day moving average is $6.74 and its two-hundred day moving average is $6.04. Victoria Gold has a 52 week low of $4.77 and a 52 week high of $13.45. About Victoria Gold Victoria Gold Corp. engages in the acquisition, evaluation, and development of mineral properties. It project portfolio includes the Eagle Gold, Dublin Gulch, Eagle Extension, and Canalask. The company was founded on September 21, 1981 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Victoria Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Victoria Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. WoodTrust Financial Corp raised its holdings in Bank of Montreal (NYSE:BMO Get Rating) (TSE:BMO) by 0.5% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 27,145 shares of the banks stock after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the period. WoodTrust Financial Corps holdings in Bank of Montreal were worth $2,459,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Evergreen Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Bank of Montreal by 3.7% in the 3rd quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC now owns 3,167 shares of the banks stock valued at $278,000 after buying an additional 114 shares during the period. Vident Investment Advisory LLC increased its holdings in Bank of Montreal by 1.7% in the 1st quarter. Vident Investment Advisory LLC now owns 7,472 shares of the banks stock valued at $877,000 after buying an additional 122 shares during the period. Pacifica Partners Inc. increased its holdings in Bank of Montreal by 16.0% in the 3rd quarter. Pacifica Partners Inc. now owns 893 shares of the banks stock valued at $79,000 after buying an additional 123 shares during the period. Archford Capital Strategies LLC increased its holdings in Bank of Montreal by 3.4% in the 3rd quarter. Archford Capital Strategies LLC now owns 3,938 shares of the banks stock valued at $345,000 after buying an additional 129 shares during the period. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Bank of Montreal by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 30,963 shares of the banks stock valued at $2,714,000 after purchasing an additional 131 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 42.78% of the companys stock. Get Bank of Montreal alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In BMO has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Bank of Montreal in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a sell rating for the company. Credit Suisse Group initiated coverage on shares of Bank of Montreal in a research report on Monday, December 19th. They set an outperform rating for the company. Bank Of America (Bofa) cut shares of Bank of Montreal from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, December 12th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their target price on shares of Bank of Montreal from C$151.00 to C$147.50 in a research report on Thursday, January 19th. Finally, Bank of America lowered shares of Bank of Montreal from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a report on Monday, December 12th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $155.75. Bank of Montreal Price Performance NYSE:BMO traded up $0.96 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $88.74. 96,096 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 576,364. Bank of Montreal has a 12 month low of $81.57 and a 12 month high of $120.44. The company has a fifty day moving average of $95.10 and a 200 day moving average of $93.75. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12. The stock has a market cap of $63.27 billion, a PE ratio of 7.16, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.15. Bank of Montreal (NYSE:BMO Get Rating) (TSE:BMO) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 28th. The bank reported $2.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.33 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $4.80 billion for the quarter. Bank of Montreal had a net margin of 22.13% and a return on equity of 13.65%. On average, research analysts anticipate that Bank of Montreal will post 9.81 EPS for the current fiscal year. Bank of Montreal Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 28th will be paid a $1.075 dividend. This represents a $4.30 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.85%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 27th. This is a positive change from Bank of Montreals previous quarterly dividend of $1.05. Bank of Montreals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 34.34%. About Bank of Montreal (Get Rating) Bank of Montreal engages in the provision of banking and financial services to individuals and institutions. It operates through the following segments: Canadian Personal and Commercial Banking (Canadian P&C) and United States Personal and Commercial Banking (U.S. P&C). The Canadian P&C segment refers to retail banking and financial operations in Canada. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BMO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Bank of Montreal (NYSE:BMO Get Rating) (TSE:BMO). Receive News & Ratings for Bank of Montreal Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of Montreal and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Yamana Gold (LON:AUY Get Rating) had its price target cut by equities researchers at Berenberg Bank from GBX 500 ($6.14) to GBX 480 ($5.90) in a report released on Thursday, The Fly reports. Berenberg Banks price objective suggests a potential upside of 1.05% from the stocks previous close. Yamana Gold Stock Performance Shares of AUY remained flat at GBX 475 ($5.84) during mid-day trading on Thursday. 8,750 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,096. The company has a current ratio of 1.98, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 14.85. Yamana Gold has a 52-week low of GBX 360.10 ($4.42) and a 52-week high of GBX 548.40 ($6.74). The stock has a market cap of 4.56 billion, a PE ratio of 2,159.09 and a beta of 1.29. The firms fifty day simple moving average is GBX 459.36 and its 200 day simple moving average is GBX 439.30. Get Yamana Gold alerts: About Yamana Gold (Get Rating) See Also Yamana Gold Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a precious metal producer. It has gold and silver production, development-stage properties, exploration properties, and land positions throughout the Americas, including Canada, Brazil, Chile, and Argentina. The company was formerly known as Yamana Resources Inc and changed its name to Yamana Gold Inc in August 2003. Receive News & Ratings for Yamana Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Yamana Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Assay results for APC-39, which continued to step out to the east from Pad 6 as part of a fan pattern of drilling at the Apollo porphyry system, intersected continuous high-grade copper-silver-gold mineralization from surface as follows: 276.30 metres @ 2.95 g/t gold equivalent (consisting of 2.12 g/t gold, 36 g/t silver and 0.22% copper) in drill hole APC-39 including: The intersection in drill hole APC-39 was terminated short of target depth due to a technical issue while in high-grade copper and silver mineralization, with the final 7.6 metres returning 0.73% copper, 152 g/t silver and 0.46 g/t gold. APC-39 is the easternmost completed hole with assay results from Pad 6 to date and has extended the strike length of the high-grade mineralization at depth from previously announced APC-35 to 125 metres. This subzone of high-grade remains open to the east and west along strike at depth and subsequent completed holes awaiting assay results (APC-41, APC-42 and APC-44) have visually further extended the mineralization. APC-36 and APC-38 are the initial drill holes completed from Pad 7 and confirm for the first time that the mineralization begins directly at surface in this area of the Apollo system. Both holes added new volume of shallow mineralization to the block model and demonstrated excellent continuity of mineralization with higher grade oxide mineralization encountered in the shallowest portions of the holes. Additionally, the holes were beneficial in working out the geometry of the system in this location confirming a steeper dip than modelled with assay results as follows: 169.95 metres @ 2.15 g/t gold equivalent (consisting of 1.36 g/t gold, 19 g/t silver and 0.32% copper) in drill hole APC-38 including: 110.40 metres @ 2.08 g/t gold equivalent (consisting of 1.73 g/t gold, 9 g/t silver and 0.14% copper) in drill hole APC-36 including: Five additional drill holes have been completed from drill Pads 6 and 7 and all appear to have extended the area of outcropping mineralization from bedrock to downhole lengths of up to 400 metres. Assay results are pending. Deep drilling has recently commenced from Pad 6 with a northwesterly hole designed to test for mineralization from surface down to a vertical depth of over 1,000 metres. Story continues Ari Sussman, Executive Chairman commented: "The discovery of the Apollo system within the Guayabales project continues to deliver broad intervals of high-grade copper-silver-gold mineralization. Assay results from fan drilling completed to date from Pads 6 and 7 have added important tonnes of high-grade mineralization to the block model beginning directly from surface. With the fan pattern of shallow drilling from Pad 6 now complete, we are excited to have initiated our first deep hole to test the potential of the system over 1,000 metres vertical. I recently returned from visiting the Guayabales project and came away impressed by both the sheer quantity and quality of mineralization observed in outstanding holes awaiting assaying and the strong support for the Company by our stakeholders. Our team is excited to advance the project swiftly and responsibly and is confident that the Company will be an important contributor to Colombia's bold decarbonization plans." TORONTO, March 30, 2023 /CNW/ - Collective Mining Ltd. (TSXV: CNL) (OTCQX: CNLMF) ("Collective" or the "Company") is pleased to announce assay results from an additional three drill holes completed from Pad 6 and 7 which form part of the Phase II Apollo program within the Guayabales project located in Caldas, Colombia. The aim of the Phase II program is to test and define through drilling the shallow portion of the Apollo porphyry system as well as continue expanding the system through step-out and deep drilling. The Apollo porphyry deposit is a high-grade, bulk tonnage copper-silver-gold system, which owes its excellent metal endowment to an older copper-silver and gold porphyry system being overprinted by younger precious metal rich, carbonate base metal vein systems (intermediate sulphidation porphyry veins) within a magmatic, hydrothermal inter-mineral breccia body currently measuring 395 metres x 385 metres x 915 metres and open for expansion. Details (See Table 1 and Figures 1-6) The Phase II drilling program of 2023 is advancing on schedule with nine holes completed and a further five awaiting assay results from the lab. The aim of this program is to define the high-grade mineralization and dimensions of the Apollo porphyry system near surface while continuing to expand the size of the system through step-out drilling. To date, a total of 40 drill holes (approximately 17,540 metres) have been completed and assayed at the Apollo target with most of the holes testing the Apollo porphyry system. Assay results for the first three drill holes (APC-31, APC-33 and APC-35) from the 2023 Phase II program were previously announced on February 23, 2023 and March 15, 2023, respectively. Highlights include 384.7 Metres at 2.46 g/t gold equivalent in APC-31 and 359.15 metres @ 3.32 g/t gold equivalent in APC-35, with mineralization in both holes commencing from surface. Both holes intercepted high-grade oxide mineralization from surface with APC-31 cutting 42.35 metres @ 5.08 g/t gold equivalent and APC-35 cutting 35.30 metres @ 8.06 g/t gold equivalent. (see February 23, 2023 and March 15, 2023 for gold equivalent calculations) A further three holes, APC-36, APC-38 and APC-39 have now been completed from Pads 6 and 7 with assay results and geological observations summarized below. APC-36 was drilled steeply in an easterly direction from Pad 7 to a maximum depth of 154.1 metres (90 metres vertical). The hole was designed to test the potential for shallow mineralization located on the eastern side of the southern outcrop area and to better define the geometry of the system in this area. The hole intersected continuous mineralization from surface down to 110.4 metres with assay results as follows: 110.40 metres @ 2.08 g/t gold equivalent (consisting of 1.73 g/t gold, 9 g/t silver and 0.14% copper) in drill hole APC-36 including: The mineralized interval starts directly below overburden at 2.8 metres in saprolite and saprock material with oxidized sulphides until 19.55 metres before transitioning into fresh mineralized angular breccia rock consisting of chalcopyrite (0.2% to 0.8%), pyrite (up to 2.5%) and pyrrhotite (~1%). As expected, gold grades are significantly higher in the oxidized portion of the intercept. APC-38 was drilled northwards from Pad 7 to a maximum depth of 183.7 metres (165 metres vertical) and was designed to test the potential for shallow, high-grade mineralization located on the northern side of the southern outcrop area. The hole intersected continuous mineralization from surface down to 169.95 metres before expectingly passing into a post mineral dyke with assay results as follows: 169.95 metres @ 2.15 g/t gold equivalent (consisting of 1.36 g/t gold, 19 g/t silver and 0.32% copper) in drill hole APC-38 including: The mineralized interval starts from surface within saprolite material followed by an additional 15.25 metres of saprock with iron oxides and sulphides to 20.95 metres before transitioning into fresh rock with a sulphide composition of 0.5% to 1.5% chalcopyrite, 1.5% pyrite and lesser pyrrhotite. Magnetite is also present in the matrix enveloped by chalcopyrite. APC-39 was drilled steeply to the northeast from Pad 6 to a maximum depth of 284.3 metres (285 metres vertical). The hole was designed to expand upon the continuity of high-grade mineralization from surface in a northeast direction within the main Apollo porphyry system. The hole intersected continuous mineralization from surface down to its final depth of 284.3 metres with assay results as follows: 276.3 metres @ 2.95 g/t gold equivalent (consisting of 2.12 g/t gold, 36 g/t silver and 0.22% copper) in drill hole APC-39 including: The mineralized interval starts directly below overburden at 8 metres depth with saprolite material followed by oxidized saprock for an additional 33.5 metres to a depth of 41 metres. The intercept then passes into fresh rock with a sulphide composition of chalcopyrite that ranges between 0.5% and 1.5%, pyrite values up to 2.5% and lesser pyrrhotite. Overprinting carbonate base metal vein material is also present with sphalerite and galena specifically from 75.8 metres down hole and again at 185.8 metres down hole. The downhole intersection stopped in high grade copper and silver mineralization, due to technical issues with the rig, with the final 7.6 metres returning 0.73% copper, 152 g/t silver and 0.46 g/t gold. Further drilling will be undertaken in this area. Drill hole APC-37, which was the first hole of 2023 from Pad 4, was unfortunately lost short of target depth due to a complicated fault. A new hole from Pad 4 is advancing well and is expected to be completed in the coming days. Outcrop mapping and sampling in the south and central portions of the system has outlined a 130 metre-by-100 metre area of known surface mineralization, which is open in all directions. Pads 6 and 7 have been designed with the objective of understanding the styles and tenor of the shallow, high-grade mineralization from surface down to depths of up to 400 metres and Pad 6 is ideally situated for further step out holes to understand grade continuity at depth. Deep drilling has recently commenced from Pad 6 with a northwesterly hole designed to test mineralization from surface down to a vertical depth of over 1,000 metres. Visual observations from another five completed holes indicate continuous mineralization from surface over core lengths ranging from more than 80 metres to more than 400 metres. The Company presently has three diamond drill rigs operating at the Apollo project and additional assay results are expected in the near term. Two new drill pads, numbered 9 and 10, will be completed shortly and once operational will provide more drilling options to test this expanding area of surface and shallow mineralization down to 400 metres vertical. The Apollo target area, as defined to date by surface mapping, rock sampling and copper and molybdenum soil geochemistry, covers a 1,000 metres X 1,200 metres area and represents a large and unusually high-grade Cu-Ag-Au porphyry system. Mineralization styles include early-stage porphyry veins, inter-mineral breccia mineralization and multiple zones of porphyry related late stage, sheeted, carbonate-base metal veins with high gold and silver grades. The Apollo target area is still expanding as the Company's geologists have found multiple additional outcrop areas with porphyry veining, breccia, and late stage, sheeted, carbonate base metal veins. Table 1: Assays Results for APC-36, APC-38, and APC-39 Hole # From (m) To (m) Intercept Interval (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) Cu % Mo % AuEq (g/t)* CuEq (%)* APC-36 2.80 113.20 110.40 1.73 9 0.14 0.004 2.08 1.11 Incl** 2.80 22.35 19.55 2.57 11 0.11 0.002 2.86 102.05 113.20 11.15 6.84 14 0.28 0.006 7.36 APC-38 - 169.95 169.95 1.36 19 0.32 0.002 2.15 1.15 Incl** - 20.95 20.95 3.12 2 0.10 0.002 3.24 156.60 169.95 13.35 2.28 32 0.63 0.002 3.74 APC-39 8.00 284.30 276.30 2.12 36 0.22 0.001 2.95 1.57 Incl** 8.00 41.00 33.00 4.44 26 0.11 0.001 4.87 75.80 93.55 17.75 2.84 36 0.40 0.001 3.94 185.80 196.95 11.15 3.55 18 0.04 0.001 3.78 *AuEq (g/t) is calculated as follows: (Au (g/t) x 0.97) + (Ag g/t x 0.016 x 0.88) + (Cu (%) x 1.87 x 0.90)+ (Mo (%)*11.43 x 0.85) and CuEq (%) is calculated as follows: (Cu (%) x 0.90) + (Au (g/t) x 0.51 x 0.97) + (Ag (g/t) x 0.009 x 0.88)+ (Mo(%)x 6.10 x 0.85) utilizing metal prices of Cu US$4.10/lb, Ag $24/oz Mo - US$25.00/lb and Au US$1,500/oz and recovery rates of 97% for Au, 88% for Ag, 85% for Mo, and 90% for Cu. Recovery rate assumptions are speculative as limited metallurgical work has been completed to date. A 0.2 g/t AuEq cut-off grade was employed with no more than 15% internal dilution. True widths are unknown, and grades are uncut. (**) Zone of Oxidation Figure 1: Plan View of the Apollo Porphyry System Highlighting Drill Holes APC-36, APC-38 and APC-39 (CNW Group/Collective Mining Ltd.) Figure 2: Plan View of the Guayabales Project Highlighting the Apollo Target Area (CNW Group/Collective Mining Ltd.) Figure 3: Core Photo Highlights from Drill Hole APC-36 (CNW Group/Collective Mining Ltd.) Figure 4: Core Photo Highlights from Drill Hole APC-38 (CNW Group/Collective Mining Ltd.) Figure 5: Core Photo Highlights from Drill Hole APC-39 (CNW Group/Collective Mining Ltd.) Figure 6: Brecciated porphyry mineralization. Note the mineralized quartz porphyry B veins being overprinted by mineralized angular breccia. (CNW Group/Collective Mining Ltd.) About Collective Mining Ltd. To see our latest corporate presentation and related information, please visit www.collectivemining.com. Founded by the team that developed and sold Continental Gold Inc. to Zijin Mining for approximately $2 billion in enterprise value, Collective Mining is a copper, silver, and gold exploration company with projects in Caldas, Colombia. The Company has options to acquire 100% interests in two projects located directly within an established mining camp with ten fully permitted and operating mines. The Company's flagship project, Guayabales, is anchored by the Apollo target, which hosts the large-scale, bulk-tonnage and high-grade copper-silver-gold Apollo porphyry system. The Company's near-term objective is to drill the shallow portion of the porphyry system while continuing to expansion the overall dimensions of the system, which remains open in all directions. Management, insiders and close family and friends own nearly 45% of the outstanding shares of the Company and as a result, are fully aligned with shareholders. The Company is listed on the TSXV under the trading symbol "CNL" and on the OTCQX under the trading symbol "CNLMF". Qualified Person (QP) and NI43-101 Disclosure David J Reading is the designated Qualified Person for this news release within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") and has reviewed and verified that the technical information contained herein is accurate and approves of the written disclosure of same. Mr. Reading has an MSc in Economic Geology and is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and of the Society of Economic Geology (SEG). Technical Information Rock and core samples have been prepared and analyzed at SGS laboratory facilities in Medellin, Colombia and Lima, Peru. Blanks, duplicates, and certified reference standards are inserted into the sample stream to monitor laboratory performance. Crush rejects and pulps are kept and stored in a secured storage facility for future assay verification. No capping has been applied to sample composites. The Company utilizes a rigorous, industry-standard QA/QC program. Information Contact: Follow Executive Chairman Ari Sussman (@Ariski) and Collective Mining (@CollectiveMini1) on Twitter FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements about the drill programs, including timing of results, and Collective's future and intentions. Wherever possible, words such as "may", "will", "should", "could", "expect", "plan", "intend", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "predict" or "potential" or the negative or other variations of these words, or similar words or phrases, have been used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management as at the date hereof. Forward-looking statements involve significant risk, uncertainties, and assumptions. Many factors could cause actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from the results discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, Collective cannot assure readers that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and Collective assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law. 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. SOURCE Collective Mining Ltd. Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2023/30/c6791.html FILE PHOTO: The White House as seen from the Washington Monument By Douglas Gillison and Pete Schroeder (Reuters) - The White House on Thursday moved to reassure the nation's community banks that they would not have to foot a $23 billion bill for replenishing the fund that insures deposits following the second- and third-largest bank failures in U.S. history. In unveiling new measures to strengthen mid-size banks, White House officials told reporters that banks serving local communities "were not to blame" and should not have to pay for the 18% chunk knocked out of a deposit insurance fund by failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. The FDIC's insurance fund lost roughly $23 billion as the agency sold off the banks' portfolios to other firms, requiring it to impose a new "special assessment" fee on banks to refill it. While the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is independent, there were some indications its leadership was already leaning in this direction. In congressional testimony on Wednesday, FDIC Chair Martin Gruenberg told lawmakers his agency would show "particular attention and sensitivity" to any burden placed on community banks, and noted the FDIC has leeway in deciding who should pay any assessment. "I expect the FDIC is going to pay very close attention to what the White House is saying," said Todd Phillips, a former senior FDIC attorney, now a fellow at the Roosevelt Institute. While the White House's signal was encouraging, the FDIC still has significant leeway, according to Anne Balcer, head of government relations for the industry group Independent Community Bankers of America. "The good news obviously from seeing what the White House said is... an awareness that the banks that aren't the ones that are causing this loss and aren't the ones that are going to create the next crisis shouldn't be the ones shouldering the cost," said Balcer. "It'll be just, what is the threshold? What is the cutoff for how they define a community bank?" Story continues An FDIC spokesman said the agency had no comment beyond Gruenberg's testimony. The fund held $128.2 billion at the end of last year. An FDIC proposal for administering the "special assessment" is due to be released in May. (Reporting by Douglas Gillison and Pete Schroder; Editing by David Gregorio) Weather Alert ...FROST ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CDT /10 AM EDT/ THIS MORNING... * WHAT...Temperatures as low as 32 to 36 degrees will result in frost formation. * WHERE...Southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky and southeast Missouri. * WHEN...Now through early Monday morning. * IMPACTS...Frost could damage or kill sensitive outdoor vegetation if left uncovered. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Some sheltered locations may see temperatures fall slightly below 32 degrees, which would result in a light freeze. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold. && Selection Reinforces Company's Long-Standing Commitment to Electrical Industry and NAED VANCOUVER, BC, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Conexiom, a leader in AI-enhanced automation for sales orders, invoices and vendor order acknowledgements, today announced that it has been selected to join the NAED's Preferred Provider Program. This selection reinforces the company's commitment to the industry, NAED's members and associates. Conexiom has been a NAED Allied Partner and service provider for over 10 years and serves more than 60 of the Association's member organizations. NAED's Preferred Provider Program is designed to give NAED distributor members and manufacturer associates quick and easy access to the broad range of technology products and services they need in order to stay relevant and surpass competition in today's highly digitized market. "NAED is committed to helping our distributor and manufacturer members find the technology products and services they need to succeed now and in the future of our data-driven marketplace. When companies like Conexiom join the Preferred Provider Program, we know it will help our members build a connected business for the future," Tom Naber, President and CEO of NAED said. "We are humbled and honored to be chosen to join this esteemed Program," said John McNeill, Conexiom's CEO. "The electrical industry and NAED's members are key priorities for our company and supporting the success of their digital transformation initiatives is of paramount importance to us. Conexiom looks forward to continuing to support NAED's initiatives in helping its members building connected businesses." The Conexiom platform serves the electrical industry by employing AI, advanced algorithms, and automated validation to deliver industry-leading automation for processing sales orders, invoices, and vendor order acknowledgments. The Conexiom Platform frees up the time that skilled talent spends on manual data entry and alleviates the high cost of correcting errors. The platform handles emailed documents with ease, extracts clear text information for 100% accuracy, and delivers information seamlessly to leading ERP and CRM systems. Manufacturers and distributors worldwide typically achieve 80% or greater touchless automation rates to increase profitability, speed, and accuracy, while elevating customer service for sales orders and greater control over cash management for invoices. Story continues About Conexiom The Conexiom platform employs AI, advanced algorithms, and automated validation to deliver industry-leading automation rates for processing Sales Orders, Invoices and Vendor Order Acknowledgments. Conexiom streamlines the processing of emailed purchase orders, invoices, and vendor order acknowledgements. Manufacturers and distributors across the globe, such as Graybar, Crescent Electric, Revere Electric, and Werner Electric, trust Conexiom to create resilient operations that scale, drive growth, reduce costs, and build frictionless relationships with their customers and suppliers. Conexiom is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, and has offices in Kitchener, Ontario; London, England; Munich, Germany; and Chicago, Illinois. Visit us online at conexiom.com Media Contact: media@conexiom.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/conexiom-selected-to-join-naeds-preferred-provider-program-301785445.html SOURCE Conexiom Inc DENVER, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The COPIC Medical Foundation supports organizations and initiatives that improve health care outcomes, patient safety and quality of care. The 2023 funding cycle once again focused on initiatives designed to reduce fragmentation across care settings. A top concern in patient safety, breakdowns in care from a fragmented health care system can lead to readmissions, missed diagnoses, medication errors, delayed treatment, duplicative testing and procedures, and reduction in quality of care leading to general patient and provider dissatisfaction. The COPIC Medical Foundation is a nonprofit organization affiliated with COPIC, a leading medical liability insurance provider. COPIC Medical Foundation (PRNewsfoto/COPIC Medical Foundation) The 2023 cohort of COPIC Medical Foundation grantees include four remarkable organizations of varied size and scope that impact health care in communities across the country. This year, the COPIC Medical Foundation granted a total of $511,000 in grants focused on reducing fragmentation across care settings. 2023 Grants support the following projects: AirNYC (New York)- a project reducing Fragmentation in Prenatal and Postpartum Clinical and Social Care for High-Risk Black and Latinx Pregnant Persons: AIRnyc, in partnership with Mount Sinai Health Partners, will aim to improve birth outcomes by convening and co-leading an interdisciplinary, multi-stakeholder co-design process that will identify and address points of fragmentation. This will include developing, testing, and implementing a Community Health Worker-Doula model that will help high-risk patients navigate and address clinical and social care needs, from the prenatal through ninety-day postpartum periods in New York City. Black Doulas for Black Mamas (Texas)- work that increases access to perinatal community health workers to fill gaps in maternal health, improve birth outcomes and lower morbidity and mortality in rural Texas. Kansas Healthcare Collaborative (Kansas)- supporting an approach to improving care transitions for patients dismissed from a hospital emergency room visit or inpatient stay through use of health information exchange technology and data across the state of Kansas. Metropolitan State University of Denver (Colorado)- funding EMT and Nursing Interprofessional Education Pilot and Launch focusing on Interprofessional Education to reduce fragmentation and improve patient outcomes. Story continues "The COPIC Medical Foundation is honored to support those in health care who are making a difference and pushing innovative ideas forward," said Meredith Hintze, Executive Director of the COPIC Medical Foundation. "Each year, our grant funding continues to support solutions that can improve patient safety in ways that can be replicated across health care and/or create additional opportunities for expanded applications." About the COPIC Medical Foundation The COPIC Medical Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is part of the COPIC family of companies and is guided by its mission "to be a catalyst in improving the quality of health care delivery by reducing adverse outcomes and supporting innovation." Since it was formed in 1991, the Foundation has provided more than $11 million to improving patient care and medical outcomes through grant funding and other initiatives. Our efforts have made a difference in communities by offering support to people, programs, and ideas that address health care issues and make a difference. www.copicfoundation.org Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/copic-medical-foundation-announces-recipients-of-2023-grants-301779073.html SOURCE COPIC Medical Foundation Do you work at Norfolk Southern or another Class I railway? Do you live in East Palestine or a neighboring community? Tell us what you know about the Norfolk Southern disaster by filling out the form at the bottom of this article. All submissions will be kept anonymous. Last Thursday, environmental activist Erin Brockovich held her second town hall meeting in East Palestine, Ohio. The meeting was organized with several law firms involved in preparing a class-action lawsuit against Norfolk Southern (NS) over the catastrophic derailment and release of toxic chemicals into the atmosphere and water supply in the eastern Ohio town. Brockovichs meeting was held the afternoon before a second meeting in town, where residents confronted officials from NS and the Environmental Protection Agency. Anger and frustration over the disaster and ongoing cover-up were evident at both meetings. Stephanie Malik and Belinda Puchajda [Photo: WSWS] Theres a lot of things that theyre not telling us, so thats concerning, Stephanie Malik and Belinda Puchadaja, from nearby Lisbon, told the WSWS. Theyre keeping a lot of other information that people need. Its all about the money. Theyre gonna try to get off as cheap as they can and theyre gonna hurt a lot of people. As if to drive the point home, a second massive derailment of a NS train occurred in the state on Saturday, in Springfield. Residents were told to shelter in place while emergency crews assessed the situation. Springfield has a population of more than 58,000, roughly 10 times that of East Palestine, and is the center of a metropolitan area with more than 130,000. About 20 cars in a 212-car train derailed, including four tanker cars. Officials claim there was no leakage from those cars, two of which contained diesel exhaust fluid and the other two residual amounts of polyacrylamide water solution. The dangerous length of the train, at around two miles long and more than 50 cars longer than the train which derailed in East Palestine, underscores that nothing is being done to address any of the underlying safety issues which led to the disaster, and that Norfolk Southern and the other railroads are being allowed by the government to carry on as they had before. Government counter-terror office brands opposition as special interest extremism Brockovichs second town hall was addressed by numerous lawyers and experts who presented extensive information on the science of the chemicals released, the naked profiteering by the railroads and neglect of basic safety measures. The World Socialist Web Site will report on these details soon. The presentations included 150 slides from attorney Mikal Watts on the role of Norfolk Southern in the accident. He pointed to the railroads push for increased profits, which jumped 62 percent in just two years, from $2 billion in 2020 to $3.2 billion last year, based on forcing workers to work longer hours and cuts in maintenance and safety. Watts revealed that Norfolk Southern alone had 3,397 train derailments in a 20-year period, approximately 170 derailments a year. This amounts to nearly one derailment every two days, at only one of the seven major Class I railroads. Nearly a month following the February 3 derailment, the EPA finally announced Thursday that it would require NS to begin testing for dioxins, a class of highly toxic chemicals that were almost certainly released into the atmosphere by the controlled release and burn of a derailed tanker car following the accident. Meanwhile, government counter-terrorism experts have been far more closely following the activities of Brockovich in the region. Late last month, before her first town hall in East Palestine, a joint federal and state counter-terror fusion center issued a bulletin warning that her placing blame solely on Norfolk Southern would lead to [increased] tensions within the community and a rise in special interest extremism. The potential activities branded by the report as extremist consisted entirely of legally-protected activities such as protests in/around East Palestine and/or at the Statehouse in Columbus which called for for changes in governmental policy. Weve got no answers, no support Residents from East Palestine and neighboring communities spoke with the World Socialist Web Site on their way into the Brockovich meeting. Dean and Hannah Leisure live in East Liverpool, about 13 miles from East Palestine, where Beaver Creek flows into the Ohio River. They explained that their dogs and cats are losing their hair and their chickens have died. Dean and Hannah Leisure [Photo: WSWS] Both he and his wife have been to the hospital several times since the accident. Dean is wearing a patch behind his ear for vertigo and his wife has to walk with a cane. They could see the cloud of smoke from the burn which drifted over their home. They are most worried about their 5-year-old son who already suffers from a compromised immune system. If you took a tongue depressor and look back in his throat, theres a little tiny hole that he breathes through, explained Dean. Everything else is all swollen up red and white. He is especially exposed to this. Kirk Kennety came because he is worried about his brother and the future generation. Im worried about the future generation drinking this water, living here and eating the vegetables. Kirk Kenney [Photo: WSWS] Kirk didnt like the fact that the EPA allowed Norfolk Southern to do whatever they wanna do thats what they did and now you feel people are paying the price for that. What I saw going on down there at the scene, its like whatever the railroad decided, thats what were all just gonna fall in line and do. Linda Crooks and her son Rhys [Photo: WSWS] Linda Crooks said, Were concerned for the long-term well-being and also the local agriculture and of wildlife. She pointed out that the chemicals will be entering the water table and wants to know how they are going to move through the ground. I have no doubt that it had an impact. Im more concerned with long term effects on us. She called the response of Norfolk Southern, willful negligence. I think they were not performing the necessary safety measures, preventative measures. My assumption is that it probably has been what they need to do to have the least financial impact on their stockholders, not the citizens of this little town. Zsuzsa Gyenes and her nine-year-old son live about a mile from the derailment site. We have been in a hotel for going on a month now, Zsuzsa says. We left the night that it happened, Friday the 3rd, and we still cant go back. I smelled our house yesterday, its horrible. Feels like a chemical bath. Theyve tested our air as being safe. But I get violently sick. Ive not brought my 9-year-old son back because he got sick the same night that we left. Weve got no answers, no support. The assistance center for Norfolk not reimbursing anything anymore since our air was tested OK. Tested, Zsuzsa pointed out, by [Norfolk Southerns] contracted air quality team. She says the assistance center is also not calling me back. Its very hard. Were kind of left in the dark right now trying to fight for answers. Screaming into the void. The air quality people who are going door to door testing homes, they are contracted by Norfolk. Once they test your air is OK you are cut off from support. Brian Crossman and Zsuzsa Gyenes [Photo: WSWS] Zsuzsa describes the testing process. They cover everything, Theyre not very sensitive devices. Theyre not giving even numerical values, its just kind of like yes or no. I dont think theyre sensitive enough. People are getting sick with the same CDC symptoms for chemical exposures and theyre telling everyone theyre safe based on these readings. [Norfork Southern] have spent 20 years lobbying against safety features, cutting workers. They knew exactly what they were in for. The railroads workers when theyre talking about strike, this is exactly what they were warning about, something like this happening. We see the campaign donations to people like DeWine, so why would we trust him? Why would we trust anybody from Norfolk? Why did they leave Norfolk in charge of this at all? Thats what I wanna know. I wanna know why theyre not being penalized for their violations and why wasnt the train marked hazardous? Its gonna keep happening all over America and it has happened all over America. Do you work at Norfolk Southern or another Class I railway? Do you live in East Palestine or a neighboring community? Tell us what you know about the Norfork Southern disaster by filling out the form at the bottom of this article. All submissions will be kept anonymous. Norfolk Southern freight train that derailed Friday night in East Palestine, Ohio are still on fire at mid-day Saturday, February 4, 2023. [AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar] In the aftermath of the East Palestine, Ohio derailment and toxic spill, Norfolk Southern has offered to relocate some of the residents who live within a mile of the wreckage for at most two months while they clean the site. The move is a fig leaf which will do nothing to alleviate the long-term effects of the disaster on residents, the health effects of which will linger for years. In a statement and email sent to residents, Norfolk Southern says that they would pay for people to live in hotels or rented homes during the one to one-and-a-half months that they say it will take them to clean up the site of the derailment. Residents of East Palestine and surrounding areas have developed symptoms of severe headaches, burning eyes, lips and throat, dizziness and other symptoms that are all in line with chemical poisoning. The statement did not say that the $55 billion company would reimburse the many residents who were unable to return to their homes over the past month because of their poisoning by Norfolk Southern. The company will also not pay for housing for those who happen to live more than one mile from the site, even though the toxins released on the community have traveled miles by air, water and through the ground. Many people, some as far away as East Liverpool, where Beaver Creek flows into the Ohio River, have suffered the same symptoms. A one mile radius for relocation doesn't reflect the facts on the ground that this chemical disaster has had a far reaching impact. We need to stop letting Norfolk Southern put their profits ahead of the people of our community, East Palestine resident and River Valley Organizing organizer Jami Cozza told WFMJ news. A Carnegie Mellon University study found that Acrolein levels ranged from 5x lower to 3x higher in East Palestine on February 20, 2023 than those in downtown Pittsburgh. Acrolein is a product of the burning of vinyl chloride. Some of the highest levels were detected several miles east of the derailment, as far east as the CMU study went. Hazmat data sheets for Acrolein warn that exposure to Acrolein can cause dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea, headache, and passing out. Norfolk Southern and the EPA are also not making plans to evacuate the East Palestine School campus which sits well within the one mile radius. Many students have become violently ill while in school and forced to leave because of the reaction to the chemicals. The WSWS spoke with East Palestine resident Eric Coza, whose son attends the high school. My kids came home from school the other day with red eyes, my wife has skin irritation. When they went to the hospital, they said that this was from chemicals. Is this school here safe? My son called me personally because the school said that nobody could go to the nurse's office 10 minutes before [or] after class. They [Norfolk Southern] dont even want to pay for air purifiers to put in the school, or in peoples homes. Norfolk Southern and the EPA announced a plan last Thursday to clean the ground near the wreckage, with no provisions to guard against the release of vinyl chloride into the air. Vinyl chloride boils at just 8 degrees Fahrenheit (-13 C), but will remain in ground and water for a long time if undisturbed. When the ground is shifted and exposed to air, or if water is sprayed from hoses or used in households, the gas can escape into the air very easily. Capturing the gas can be done by tenting the site and vacuuming off the gas as it is released. Instead, the gas has been allowed to escape into the atmosphere, thereby continuing to sicken residents. The EPA and Norfolk Southern plan also calls for the incineration of the soil at the nearby incinerator in East Liverpool, Ohio. Experts say incineration of this waste is especially dangerous because dioxins and PFAS, which have not yet been tested for, either do not incinerate easily or cannot be incinerated. This could have the effect of releasing these chemicals from the ground into the air. Dioxins are highly cancerous and dangerous to humans at just one part per billion. PFAS are also highly toxic, and are often referred to as forever chemicals because they don't break down very easily if at all. Norfolk Southern also started cleaning Leslie Run and other area waterways in a process known as aeration. This is done by disturbing the creek bed, which releases vinyl chloride from within the sediment, and then spraying the water through fire hoses into the air, allowing the vinyl chloride to evaporate. Standing in the city park near where the aeration was taking place, hydrology expert Bob Bowcock said, I would say the remediation response from the state and the federal government has been less than expected and less than standard. Referring to the claim by Norfolk Southern and the EPA that they were vacuuming off the gas from the water, he said You know, I dont know how [theyre] vacuuming it off, because the aeration I can see the water right there. Bowcock said that instead of spraying the water into the air, it is standard practice to do the spaying inside tank cars, where the gas accumulates on the top and can be captured and vacuumed off. The cleanup is not being done properly, Eric Coza said. The creeks are grossly contaminated but they they don't want to block anything off. They dont have red tape [at the site] or anything. My son is 15 years old, and I can't stop them from playing in the park. But they shouldnt be opened with all the chemical spraying over there in the creeks or how they're agitating the sediment in the bottom of the creeks. This is just putting the vinyl chloride into the air. Do you work at Norfolk Southern or another Class I railway? Do you live in East Palestine or a neighboring community? Tell us what you know about the Norfolk Southern disaster by filling out the form at the bottom of this article. All submissions will be kept anonymous. A fatal accident involving a Norfolk Southern train occurred Tuesday morning at a steel mill in Cleveland, Ohio. According to press reports, 46-year-old Louis Shuster, a Norfolk Southern conductor, was killed when a locomotive collided with a dump truck at a crossing on the premises of Cleveland-Cliffs Cleveland Works. According to reports, Shuster, who was also the local president of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Division 607, was positioned outside of the locomotive when the collision with the dump truck occurred. A derailed Norfolk Southern train in Springfield, Ohio, March 3, 2023. [Photo: @Breaking_4_News] This is the second serious accident in only four days involving Norfolk Southern in the state of Ohio. On Saturday, a massive 212-car, two-mile-long train derailed in Springfield, in the southwestern portion of the state. Twenty cars were involved in the derailment. These events have taken place barely a month after the catastrophic derailment and toxic chemical release in East Palestine, Ohio, showing that, in spite of empty pledges by railroad management and government officials of accountability, the dangerous conditions on the railroads, which make accidents a daily occurrence in the US, are continuing exactly as before. An official cover-up of the scale of the disaster and threat to public health has been underway in East Palestine. For nearly one month, the Environmental Protection Agency refused to test for dioxins, a highly toxic group of chemicals almost certainly released in the controlled burn of chemical tankers after the derailment. Instead, the EPA has ordered Norfolk Southern to test for dioxins itself. Leaving the fox in charge of the henhouse has already produced flawed tests of the water supply, which Republican Governor Mike DeWine used to falsely claim the drinking water was safe. The Springfield derailment could have been much worse. While it appears that it did not result in a significant release of toxic chemicalsand nothing said by officials can be taken at face value, given the coverup in East Palestinefour tanker cars were among those to have derailed. Officials claimed they were empty at the time. Nevertheless, a shelter-in-place order within a 1,000 foot radius was in effect for 10 hours after the accident, and 1,500 people lost power in the area. What happened in Ohio in recent days follows other serious accidents involving chemical cars in the weeks following the East Palestine disaster. Late last month, 30 cars derailed from a Norfolk Southern train in Van Buren Township, Michigan, just 30 miles from Detroit. The train included a car carrying liquid chlorine, which did not derail. Last week, a train in Florida operated by the Seminole Gulf Railway derailed near the Sarasota-Brandenton airport. Two cars carrying tens of thousands of pounds of propane were derailed, one of which flipped over on its side. The accident caused serious damage to the tracks and will take days to repair and clean up, according to local officials. The Cleveland collision highlights the danger of such accidents at industrial sites, where rail crossings often are unmarked and have no barriers. Typical operation at the mills, one former steelworker at the plant said on social media. They killed on average one person every year in their rail operations when I was with the previous owner before Cleveland Cliffs. The accident also recalls a fatal collision in Detroit at Stellantis Jefferson North Assembly Plant in 2021, when an autoworker leaving her shift was struck and killed while driving over a crossing located immediately next to the employee parking lot. At a town hall last week in East Palestine, attorney Mikal Watts revealed that Norfolk Southern had 3,397 derailments in the past 20 years, or approximately once every two days. But the railroad is far from unique. Across all railroads, there were 1,743 train accidents last year, including 1,164 derailments, according to the Federal Railroad Administration. In these accidents, 978 people were killed, including 11 rail workers. Norfolk Southern ranked third out of seven class I railroads in total accidents (243), behind BNSF (331) and Union Pacific (516). California had by far the highest number of railroad deaths last year (219), with Ohio ranked 11 with 19 deaths. After downplaying and ignoring the scale of the disaster in East Palestine, which poisoned the atmosphere, the soil and the water with more than a million pounds of highly toxic chemicals such as vinyl chloride, government and railroad officials have introduced various fig leaf measures to appease public anger. On March 1, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who only weeks earlier downplayed the disaster in an interview by citing the fact that more than 1,000 derailments occur every year, announced new safety initiatives involving inspections of tracks and aging tanker cars. A bill along similar lines has been introduced in the Senate by Ohio senators J. D. Vance (R) and Sherrod Brown (D). The major railroads also announced that they would back a federal close call voluntary reporting program, after years of opposition, and internal documents indicated that Norfolk Southern, the day after the Springfield derailment, discussed limiting trains to 10,000 feet (3 kilometers) long. In the past, even trains that were 5,000 feet long would have been considered to be on the upper threshold of acceptable size. None of these measures, if implemented, would address the underlying issues, well known to railroad workers, which include tens of thousand of job cuts and corner-cutting to maintenance that have seriously undermined safety on the railroads. The railroadswhich enjoy the highest profit margins of any industry in Americahave used these profits not to improve the safety of railroad workers and the public but to finance billions of dollars a year in share buybacks. Many of these half-measures have been walked back almost as soon as they were introduced. NS later updated its safety guidance to require that trains only over 10,000 feet in length would be operated with distributive power (DP), remote-controlled engines placed at different points of long trains to reduce strain on the cars in front of and behind them. The Senate bill has already encountered predictable resistance from Republicans. They are playing their assigned role within the two-party system by pushing for the most nakedly pro-business policies, to either stymie any and all industry regulations or set the stage for a reactionary compromise with Democrats. Meanwhile, railroads are expanding other unsafe practices. According to a union announcement, CSX plans to shut down audible alarms for defect detectors in locomotive cabs, ostensibly to test crews to ensure that they respond correctly. This was a major factor in the lead-up to the East Palestine derailment, which was caused by a wheel bearing failure in a train car. Eyewitness footage captured the bearing visible in flames 20 miles before the train reached East Palestine, but an audible alarm sounded in the cab only shortly before the accident, when a defect detector recorded the temperature of the bearing at more than 200 degrees above ambient temperature. The railroads have no reason to change anything because they are backed to the hilt by both parties. Only three months ago, Congress passed on bipartisan lines a law banning railroaders from carrying out a national strike, in which safety and staffing would have been the key issues, and imposing a contract sponsored by the Biden administration that workers already rejected. They were aided by the corrupt union bureaucracy, which worked with Biden to keep workers on the job for months after the expiration of onerous legal restrictions on their right to strike. This basic fact is all but ignored in the reporting on East Palestine by the corporate press, which had openly called for an anti-strike law at the time. This photo taken with a drone shows the continuing cleanup of portions of a Norfolk Southern freight train that derailed Friday night in East Palestine, Ohio, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. [AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar] On Monday, Norfolk Southern unveiled a bogus six point safety program which will do little to nothing to prevent derailments such as the one which released toxic chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio. The announcement came as the railroad announced it would offer to pay the housing costs of residents forced to relocate, but only for one and a half months and only for those living within one mile of the accident. The railroad also reportedly considered limiting trains to less than 10,000 feet (3 km), only to backtrack and merely require distributive power on trains over that threshold. Today, Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw is set to appear before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, where Ohio senators JD Vance (R) and Sherrod Brown (D) in particular will attempt to grandstand, expressing shock and anger at the railroads. Brown was one of 80 senators to vote in favor of banning strike action last December; Vance, a right-wing Trump supporter, is a freshman senator who took office this January. The six point plan is likely meant in part to give Shaw talking points at the hearing. The six point plan does not actually commit the company to do anything. They are couched in vague, non-specific language such as evaluating, and developing plans. For example, point six commits the railroad to support a strong safety culture, without explaining what this even means. Given the role which the industrys rampant profiteering and exploitation has played in the creation of unsafe conditions, this pledge is not worth the paper it is written on. Norfolk Southern managements safety culture was on display over the past five days, which saw two accidents in the state of Ohio alone. One was a fatal collision with a dump truck on the grounds of a steel mill in Cleveland, which killed a conductor. The other was a derailment of a 212-car train in Springfield, 50 cars longer than the one which derailed in East Palestine. Dumb luck appears to have played a major role in the fact that a similar disaster did not take place in Springfield. Four of the cars which derailed were chemical tankers, but were reportedly empty at the time. Point five the six points deal with proposals to conduct research, share information and develop best practices. Three of these refer to proposed changes to the use of hot bearing detectors (HBDs), which are track-based sensors which measure wheel temperatures and send reading to the locomotive cab. Because of arbitrarily high temperature thresholds set by the railroad to require the train to be stopped and inspected, an audible alarm only sounded on the East Palestine train after the wheel bearing temperature on one car had already shot up to over 200 degrees above the ambient temperature. Eyewitness footage showed the wheel already in flames 20 miles outside of East Palestine. The first point says that the company will develop a plan to increase the number and reduce the spacing of hot bearing detectors' that are placed along its tracks. The company anticipates adding approximately 200 hot bearing detectors to its network, with the first installed on the western approach to East Palestine, the statement declares. Norfolk Southern is one of only two Class I railroads operating in the eastern United States, with a network 19,300 miles (31,060 km) long. Adding 200 more HBDs on the network would amount to only one new detector for every 96 miles of track. According to the statement, the average current spacing spacing for NSs network is one every 13.9 miles (22.4 km). Extrapolating from this, this would increase the number of HBDs from approximately 1,400 to 1,600, a mere 14 percent increase. Point three pledges to work with [the] industry on practices for hot bearing detectors, including on temperature thresholds for alarms. But given the fact that these peers are management at other railroads where similar conditions exist, there is no reason to expect anything to come out of this. The fifth points pledge to accelerate our Digital Train Inspection program is particularly ominous. As with other automated technology such as Positive Train Control, The Automated Track Inspection Program (ATIP) is being used by the railroads to try and reduce the size of the workforce, in this case by replacing manual inspections. Norfolk Southern already attempted to trade support for a pilot ATIP program for four paid sick days for maintenance workers in the weeks after the East Palestine derailment. The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes (BMWED) backed out of these talks at the last minute. But the reference to it in the six point plan suggests that NS is attempting to use the catastrophe as a cover to implement even more job losses. The so-called safety plan makes no mention of upgrading the braking system on the trains, which still use the system developed over 150 years ago that uses air pressure to activate the brakes one car at a time. A typical freight train will travel two miles before all the brakes on the train are applied, let alone before the train comes to a complete stop. Norfolk Southern, along with the other Class I railroads, have lobbied Congress to not be required to install electronic braking systems which are able to apply brakes to all the cars simultaneously. Electronic braking is proven to both help prevent derailments and to substantially reduce the damage done when a derailment occurs. The railroads also lobbied to have the hazardous classification of vinyl chloride reduced, allowing it to be carried on trains, like the one that derailed in East Palestine. The six point plan is the latest in a series of public relations damage control measures from both railroad management and the government. A similarly toothless plan was unveiled last week by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. A bill in the Senate to implement marginal safety improvements and increase fines for safety violations has stalled in the Senate over opposition from a majority of Republicans (though one of the bills co-sponsors, Vance of Ohio, is a right-wing Republican Trump supporter). In reality, Congress and the White House made more such disasters inevitable by banning a national strike last December by railroaders, in which rail safety and staffing would have been central issues. Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw testifies before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing to examine protecting public health and the environment in the wake of the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, Thursday, March 9, 2023, in Washington. ( [AP Photo/Kevin Wolf] Do you work at Norfolk Southern or another Class I railway? Do you live in East Palestine or a neighboring community? Tell us what you know about the Norfork Southern disaster by filling out the form at the bottom of this article. All submissions will be kept anonymous. Political theater was on display at a Senate hearing Thursday on the East Palestine, Ohio derailment. Senators feigned outrage to cover up for their own culpability in the derailment of toxic chemical cars that poisoned an entire community. Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw was the highest-profile witness called to testify to the Senate Environment and Public Works committee. Only hours before the hearing, another massive derailment of a Norfolk Southern train took place, this time in central Alabama. Thirty cars were involved in the wreck. There is no risk at all to the public, a railroad spokesperson claimed in a press conference later that afternoon. He then deflected when asked by a reporter about the frequency of accidents on the companys network, declaring: Derailments are a very loose term. Derailment could mean as little as one wheel off the track. So as far as an increase, decrease, I cant really get into that. This is at least the fourth accident at Norfolk Southern alone over the previous six days, including two in Ohio, one of which killed a railroad conductor and another that involved four tanker cars (which were reportedly empty at the time). On Tuesday, a derailment of a Norfolk Southern tanker car in Verdigris, Oklahoma was caught on eyewitness video. Sparks can clearly be seen coming off the wheels of the car as it leaps the tracks. In the early morning hours on Wednesday, a CSX train caught fire and derailed after hitting a rock slide in West Virginia. Three people were injured, and the accident spilled diesel fuel into the adjacent New River. Like the creeks in East Palestine, where vinyl chloride and other chemicals were spilled in the derailment and controlled release and burn last month, the New River is a tributary of the Ohio River, from which five million Americans get their drinking water. This endless series of disasters on the railroads formed the backdrop for the hearing and exposed the fraudulent character of the proceeding, including blustering by various Senators and empty pledges by corporate executives to do better in the future. Meanwhile, the rampant cost-cutting and negligence which contributed to the disaster in East Palestine is continuing just as before. The hearing was designed primarily to bolster the reputations of various senators while covering up the responsibility of Congress and the government for the disaster. The 16 members of the Committee who were members of the Senate last December voted 13 to 3 in favor of banning a national strike by 120,000 railroad workers, in which safety and understaffing would have been the key issues, and to impose a contract, brokered by the Biden administration that workers already rejected. Sanders cast a meaningless no vote after he played a key role in the maneuvering by Democrats to use Republican opposition to adding a few sick days in order to cover for their own support. The expedited procedures used to pass the anti-strike law required, and received, unanimous support from the whole Senate. In the House, three members of the Democratic Socialists of America, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, voted for the bill. Last month, Sanders also lept to the defense of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg over questions about his departments responsibility for the disaster, while also implying that the rail crew was to blame. The first panel consisted of Ohio Senators Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, and J.D. Vance, a Republican, as well as Democrat Bob Casey of Pennsylvania. Various residents were invited to attend the hearing, but none of them were interviewed as witnesses. The senators instead left it to themselves to speak on their behalf. Brown and Vance have co-sponsored a bill in the Senate containing only minor safety improvements, which appear to be dead on arrival due to predictable opposition from a majority of Republicans. In the House, Republicans have refused to even hold a hearing on East Palestine. While Casey and Brown both voted in favor of the anti-strike law, Vance did not vote only because he took office in January. He is one of a handful of extreme-right Republicans attempting to capitalize on the disaster from a right-wing populist standpoint, blaming the manifest indifference by the Biden administration on the fact that area residents were white and voted for Trump. This is absurd: both parties have long backed large corporations responsible for environmental disasters, regardless of the political leanings or race of those affected. The most remarkable portion of the hearing was the testimony of Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw. In a vague, evasive opening statement, which was also published in the Washington Post, Shaw boasted about the progress weve made cleaning the derailment site, providing financial assistance to residents whose lives have been disrupted, and investing in the future of the community. In fact, residents have been largely left out to dry, with NS offering only to cover rental costs for one-and-a-half months for those forced to relocate, and even then only for those living within a mile of the accident site. As for cleanup, the company, with the full support of the federal and state government, has been engaged in a cover-up, including an initial water sampling with serious methodological issues that was then used by the governor to claim that the towns drinking water was safe. Earlier in the week, Norfolk Southern released a six point safety program, intended in part to give Shaw some talking points at the Senate hearing, which committed the company to hardly anything concrete. The most prominent element in Shaws testimony was his provocative levels of evasiveness in response to direct questioning from senators about what the railroad planned to do. He gave no specifics on how much Norfolk Southern would spend to clean up the site or reimburse families for what they have lost. Asked by Sanders if Norfolk Southern would commit to the long term medical needs of East Palestine, Shaw refused to make any definite commitment, declaring blandly that everything is on the table. Asked by Sanders if Shaw would support paid sick leave for all of his employees, he responded that I share your focus on our employees. I will commit to continuing to discuss with them important quality-of-life issues. Sanders then asked Shaw about the railroads practice of Precision Scheduled Railroading or PSR, which creates dangerous conditions by keeping train crews on call 24/7. Again, Shaw sidestepped the question. Shaw was asked by Democrat Jeff Merkley from Oregon if he would pledge to stop stock buybacks until a raft of safety measures have been completed to reduce the risk of derailments and crashes in the future. Shaw refused to make any such a pledge and only stated that he will commit to continuing to invest in safety. He even refused to endorse, at least without heavy qualifications, the rail safety bill co-sponsored by Brown and Vance. While these responses evoked grumbling from the senators, meant for public consumption, Shaw was clearly calling the Senates bluff. He knew full well that, in spite of the hearing, Congress is fully committed to defending the bottom line of Norfolk Southern and the other railroads and helping to cover up the scale of the disaster. This further underscores the fact that appeals to Washington and to either party will fall on deaf ears. Making whole the residents of East Palestine and other areas affected by derailments, and stopping the reckless profiteering that leads to accidents instead must be based on the independent mobilization of the working class. In an attempt to deflect blame for a recent spate of high-profile derailments, American railroad Norfolk Southern has alleged that possible manufacturing defects with some of its railcars could be the fault. A derailed Norfolk Southern train in Springfield, Ohio, March 3, 2023. [Photo: @Breaking_4_News] The railroad infamously poisoned the working class town of East Palestine, Ohio, in early February. After a derailment of railcars carrying toxic substances, the contents were deliberately burned, releasing harmful substances into the local areas waterways, soil and air. Since then, derailments have continued on a regular basis across the US, while both big business parties, the Democrats and Republicans, as well as the mainstream media, work to cover up this massive social crime. Norfolk Southern released a press statement on March 9 about an urgent safety issue related to a derailment of a 212-car train in Springfield, Ohio, that occurred on March 4. According to the statement, the company discovered while cleaning up the site that a specific model and series of railcars had loose wheels, which could cause a derailment. The railcars in question are manufactured by National Steel Car (NSC), a company located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Norfolk Southerns aim with the press release is to imply that these alleged defects could be the same reason for the massive derailment in East Palestine. In response to the press release, the Association of American Railroads issued a continental advisory on the same day urging its members to idle railcars that used wheelsets mounted by NSC. Transport Canada, the federal ministry overseeing railroads in the country, directed Canadian railroad companies to immediately take similar action. According to a worker at National Steel Car who spoke to the World Socialist Web Site, Canadian National, which owns the tracks running out of the NSC plant, temporarily halted the passage of railcars during the week of March 6, causing them to pile up in the yard. The backlog has since been removed. Around 675 railcars manufactured by NSC between August 2022 and March of this year have been identified as potentially having this issue, although no conclusive evidence exists that manufacturing defects were the cause of one or more derailments. An official NSC statement noted that no conclusions have been reached at this time as to any cause in the Springfield derailment. Norfolk Southern certainly has ample grounds for desiring a scapegoat on which to pin the blame for the recent East Palestine disaster. As the World Socialist Web Site noted in a perspective shortly after the derailment, the source of the endless series of so-called accidents in the rail industry is the profit motive of the railroad corporations and the capitalist system as a whole: The reasons for this high rate of accidents are well-known to 120,000 railroaders in the US. The locomotives, railroads and workforce have been driven into the ground by years of cost-cutting by management. Trains have been lengthened to up to three miles long, controlled by only two people. Because of Precision Scheduled Railroading and similar attendance policies, workers are often forced to operate these massive machines with only a couple of hours of sleep. National Steel Car is no less ruthless in its pursuit of profit than its railroad customers. The company operates a brutal workplace regime at its Hamilton plant, which has earned the nickname National Death Car and National Coffin among employees for the high number of deaths on the job. Its owner, the convicted fraudster and multi-millionaire Greg Aziz, utilizes a highly exploitative piecework system to squeeze as much profit as possible out of the companys 1,500 employees. Last June, 51-year-old welder Quoc Le was brutally killed on the job after a 2,000 pound bulkhead fell on him. In an interview with a fellow NSC worker, it was revealed that Le, despite being an experienced welder, was inadequately trained for the particular job he was assigned to, and was brought in at the last minute as a substitute because of the companys notoriously high turnover rate. The previous few years have witnessed a series of preventable deaths. Since Les death, little has been done to improve safety at the plant. Just weeks ago, the company was cited by the Ontario Ministry of Labour for excessive manganese fumes, a byproduct of welding specific metals. A ventilation system that management called state-of-the-art was shown to be completely useless. Presented with the options of overhauling it or providing personal protective equipment to workers, the company decided to go with the cheaper alternative of giving half face respirators with disposable cartridges to employees on the production line. A semi-permanent regiment of ministry investigators is present at the plant as a concession to the massive outrage among the workers that erupted last summer following Les death. Workers walked out en masse after their colleague was killed and were joined by other workers and supporters in the city. Along with the spate of violent deaths, COVID-19 ran rampant with no safeguards in the plant and injuries like crushed limbs and strains in every part of the body are a common daily experience for workers. The Ministry of Labour has carried out investigations after every death at NSC, and each time issued fines or warnings that constitute nothing but a slap on the wrist. For Aziz and company shareholders, who are acutely aware of the dangers of working at NSC, this is the price of doing business, and a trifling one at that. Like their counterparts in the railroad unions, who sold out their 100,000 members last winter and prevented them from going out on strike, the United Steelworkers (USW), who represent NSC employees, have done nothing to improve safety, working conditions or pay for their members. In fact, their pro-capitalist perspective is the reason for the rampant exploitation and risk that continues at the company. After Les death, USW officials, including USW District 6 Director Myles Sullivan and Local 7135 President Frank Crowder, made bombastic speeches at a brief demonstration outside the plant, but limited their calls to appeals to the governmentthe same one that for years has turned a blind eye to the slaughterhouse conditions at NSC, no matter which political party was in power. Like every other union, the USW tells its members that conditions can only be improved by appealing to company shareholders to keep jobs in Canada, thereby demonizing workers class brothers and sisters in the US, Mexico and around the world. They tell their members to vote for the big business Liberals or New Democratic Party at the polls, even though these parties have imposed ruthless austerity measures on the working class and criminalized every strike that threatened to escape union control. In one contract struggle after another at NSC, the USW bureaucracy has ensured sellout contracts that have whittled down workers pay, benefits and pensions. This includes a 2012 sellout contract in which two-tier wages were introduced for the first time and pensions were split. As NSC workers prepare for the upcoming contract negotiations this spring, they must follow the example of their class brothers and sisters on the American and Canadian railroads, who have formed rank-and-file committees to seize control of their struggle from a set of privileged union bureaucrats. Nothing is won without a fight, and the task is not to appeal to the bosses or politicians, but to wage a struggle against capitalism and for the international political unity of the working class. We encourage NSC workers to contact us today to learn how to build a rank-and-file committee at your workplace. Police descend on protesters at the Concorde square after a demonstration near the National Assembly in Paris, Thursday, March 16, 2023. [AP Photo/Thomas Padilla] In the famous cemetery of Pere Lachaise in Paris, there is located what is known as the Communards Wall. There, on May 28, 1871, 147 members of the Commune were executed by the French Army and buried in a mass grave. The executions were the culmination of a massacre of unimaginable brutality, the Bloody Week, during which the French ruling class suppressed the Paris Commune, killing as many as 20,000 workers. The history and lessons of the Commune are of immense contemporary relevance, as French President Emmanuel Macron, backed by the state apparatus, moves to impose pension cuts in defiance of overwhelming popular opposition, without even a vote in parliament. With his dictatorial actions, Macron is once again tearing off the democratic mask from the capitalist state, exposing it as a naked instrument of class rule. Macron said a vote was an intolerable threat to the stability of the financial markets, which would not tolerate a no outcome. He said: My political interest and my political will were to go to a vote (in the National Assembly on the cuts)... But I consider that in the current situation, the financial and economic risks were too great. Macron thrust aside the opposition of three-quarters of the French people to his cuts, and of millions of workers on strike against them. Using arcane provisions of the French constitution, he is imposing them by decree unless parliament votes to bring down his government. And he is sending tens of thousands of heavily armed riot police to assault protests erupting across France. A decisive confrontation between the working class and the capitalist state is emerging, as negotiations break down and the room for democratic rule disappears. The calculations of the banks are not hard to explain. There is overwhelming opposition among working people to slashing living standards in order to spend hundreds of billions of euros on bank bailouts and the NATO war on Russia. Since the people oppose the policies demanded by the banks, the capitalist state will dispense with the trappings of democracy and forcibly impose its will on the people. Paris has been turned into a virtual armed camp, with heavily armed paramilitary police deployed to smother any sign of protest. Macron is taking these actions on the anniversary of the establishment of the Paris Commune, which took power in Paris 152 years ago this weekend, amid the bloodshed of the Franco-Prussian war, on March 18, 1871. It was the first time in history that the working class had built its own state. The achievements of the Commune but also its horrific massacre are great experiences of the international class struggle. Karl Marx and his great co-thinker Friedrich Engels, and later Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky and the Bolsheviks drew imperishable lessons from the Commune on the state. In his 1891 introduction to Marxs classic work on the Commune, The Civil War in France, Engels wrote: What had been the characteristic attribute of the former state [overthrown by the Commune]? Society had created its own organs to look after its common interests, originally through simple division of labor. But these organs, at whose head was the state power, had in the course of time, in pursuance of their own special interests, transformed themselves from the servants of society into the masters of society, as can be seen, for example, not only in the hereditary monarchy, but equally also in the democratic republic. Amid the imperialist carnage of World War I, as Lenin worked to elaborate the basis for the October 1917 Revolution in Russia, he studied the works of Marx and Engels on the Commune. At the center of Lenins perspective was Engels definition of the state as the product of the irreconcilability of class antagonisms, and a tool of the ruling class to impose its diktat over society. Lenin called for the transfer of state power to the soviets (councils) built by the workers, which would suppress the counterrevolutionary violence of the ruling class, and, by implementing socialist policies to create social equality, overcome the division of society into classes from which the state emerges. He wrote: Engels elucidates the concept of the power which is called the state, a power which arose from society but places itself above it and alienates itself more and more from it. What does this power mainly consist of? It consists of special bodies of armed men having prisons, etc., at their command. A state arises, a special power is created, special bodies of armed men, and every revolution, by destroying the state apparatus, shows us the naked class struggle, clearly shows us how the ruling class strives to restore the special bodies of armed men which serve it, and how the oppressed class strives to create a new organization of this kind, capable of serving the exploited instead of the exploiters. The developments in France confirm what the great Marxists explained: The state, even in parliamentary-democratic form, is a mechanism for the dictatorship of a ruling class. The way forward for the working class against the capitalist state is a struggle to build its own organs of workers power, and transfer state power to these bodies in a socialist revolution. Macron is responding to an escalating series of crises, including the expanding US-NATO war against Russia, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, a deepening economic and financial crisis of the world capitalist system and, above all, the resurgence of the class struggle. Strikes and social anger over war and social inequality are reaching unprecedented intensity. In response, Macron is turning to rule by decree. The critical question facing the working class is to draw the political and strategic conclusions imposed by this historic crisis. It testifies to one essential political reality: Socialist revolution remains on the agenda. There is no parliamentary way forward to defend social and democratic rights. Workers can give no credibility to the French union bureaucracies or to pseudo-left politicians such as Jean-Luc Melenchon. They all peddle illusions that protest strikes will change Macrons mind or convince parliament to vote French Prime Minister Elisabeth Bornes government out of office. But Macron has no intention of backing down. And even if a new capitalist government were installed tomorrow in France, it would still try to plunder the workers to fund NATOs war and the EU bank bailouts, which have the support of all the establishment parties. It would soon find itself again in frontal opposition to the working class. Those who deny that the situation is revolutionary, or who say that workers first need more experiences with bourgeois democracy, are reactionaries trying to derail the movement. Workers do not need more experience with bourgeois democracy; they are having the experience of bourgeois dictatorship. They are experiencing the fact that genuine democracy is not compatible with the bourgeoisie. This is not peculiar to France, but is unfolding internationally. Capitalist states the world over, facing mounting anger in the working class, grant themselves ever more dictatorial powers. In Sri Lanka, where a mass uprising of the working class brought down President Gotabhaya Rajapakse last year, the capitalist state is taking on the form of an emergency regime claiming special powers to ban strikes, outlaw protests, and imprison political oppositionists. Last year, the Democrats and Republicans in the US joined forces to outlaw a strike by railroad workers and impose a contract that had been rejected. Throughout the developing struggle in France, the International Committee of the Fourth International and its French section, the Parti de legalite socialiste (PES), have called for the building of rank-and-file committees, independent of the union bureaucracies, to organize and coordinate the struggle against Macron. Only such bodies can unify strikes and protests, defend workers and youth from police attack, and break the diktat over the class struggle of organizations committed to social dialog, that is, subordinating the masses to the capitalist state. At the same time, the development of workers organizations in every factory, workplace and neighborhood is the foundation for establishing the basis for a new form of powernot the capitalist state and its bodies of armed men, but a workers state. To play this role, however, the working class must be saturated with consciousness that its task is not to find a parliamentary road, but to take power and build a socialist society. It must go into the class struggle conscious of the fact that it is continuing the historical and international struggle initiated, over 150 years ago, by the heroic fighters of the Commune. When the UK government first announced plans for its Illegal Migration Bill earlier this month, the World Socialist Web Site wrote, If enacted, the law would deprive tens of thousands of people of their democratic rights every year and lead to the huge expansion of internment camps in Britain. This has very rapidly come to pass. Over the weekend and early this week, newspapers reported plans to place migrants in ferries or barges and on military sites which would hold 1,500-2,000 people each. 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] This was confirmed by Conservative government Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick in a statement to Parliament Wednesday. Telling MPs accommodation for migrants should meet their essential needs and nothing more, because we cannot risk becoming a magnet for the millions of people who are displaced, he announced old military sites would be repurposed initially in Essex, Lincolnshire and East Sussex to collectively provide accommodation to several thousand asylum seekers through repurposed barrack blocks and Portacabins. Jenrick added that the government was continuing to explore the possibility of accommodating migrants in vessels.Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab told Sky News nothing is off the table and that Barges would be one possible option. These camps and prison ships will initially be used for new arrivals but will doubtless be expanded to take the over 50,000 asylum seekers currently accommodated in nearly 400 private hotels around the country. Tens of thousands are projected to enter the UK via a small boat crossing of the Channel in the next year. Under the Illegal Migration Bill, almost all of them will be immediately placed in a detention camp for 28 days without access to a lawyer or the opportunity to apply for bail. This is formally pending removal to a safe third country. But since the UK government only has a removal agreement in place with Rwandawith deportation flights there currently held up in the courts and which cannot take the numbers the government wishes to deport anywaymost will find themselves in a state of permanent semi-imprisonment in Britain, deprived of access to basic social services. According to research by the Refugee Council, up to 200,000 people, including more than 40,000 children, could be locked up or forced into destitution, in the Guardians reporting. The newspaper continued, Even if Home Office does remove 30,000 people to Rwanda, the Refugee Council estimates that between 161,147 and 192,670 people could be left in limbo. Defending the policy of detaining children, to be deported once they turn 18, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said it was important that we dont inadvertently create a policy that incentivises people to bring children who wouldnt otherwise come here. Earlier this month Sunak visited France to agree a 478 million scheme to establish a detention centre in that country which would hold migrants for up to 90 days before deporting them, and a doubling to 800 of French border officers patrolling the Channel coast. Conditions in military sites already used to hold migrants in the UK are abysmal. The Penally (now closed), Napier and Manston sites have been condemned by inspectors, parliamentary committees and NGOs as overcrowded, lacking facilities like heating, lighting and running water, dangerous and generally inhumane. Detained migrants have suffered fires and mass outbreaks of disease. Occupants have staged repeated protests, dealt with brutally by security. In expanding these camps and railing against the use of hotelsmade necessary by the fact that successive governments have not provided enough housing for workers born in the UK, let alone migrantsthe Tories are acting arm-in-arm with the far right, who have staged several small protests outside locations housing asylum seekers. At a rally of 200 in Skegness last month, organised by the fascist group Patriotic Alternative, participants held banners reading, Stop the invasion, we will not be replaced and We are being invaded, one including the Tory campaign slogan Stop the Boats. Rosie Carter of Hope Not Hate commented at the time that the organisation has seen a 102 percent increase in far-right, anti-migrant activity in the last year, adding, This huge increase in far-right, anti-migrant activity doesnt exist in a vacuum, and pointing to the governments inflammatory use of language that feeds and enables the far right. Her point was confirmed by Tory MP Sir John Hayes on Monday, who spoke in Parliament to defend Bravermans earlier widely condemned references to an invasion of our Southern coast. Hayes said, And I do use the words tide, wave... I think the home secretary described it as a swarm... of people coming here who know they are arriving illegally, who know they are breaking the law. Moves are also underway in the Tory Party to make the Illegal Migration Bill even more draconian. Between 50-60 Tory MPs on the right of the party planned a rebellion in debates and votes on the legislation this Monday-Tuesday, tabling a series of amendments. Several reports noted that this was encouraged by Braverman herself. On Monday morning, MPs Danny Kruger, Simon Clarke, and Jonathan Gullis published an article on the Conservative Home website setting out their challenges: Does the Bill preclude Strasbourg [the European Court of Human Rights] from blocking Rwanda flights?, Does the Bill address those sections of the Human Rights Act that could tie up the Government in months of litigation?, Does the Bill appropriately limit challenges against removal? and Does the Bill ensure that those removed from the UK will not be returned to the UK? Their main amendment was aimed at ordering UK courts to ignore rulings of the European Court. But it and others were withdrawn, the three explained, after the Tory right had been encouraged by assurances that the government will give proper consideration to our concerns and on the expectation of receiving this commitment from ministers in parliament. This was delivered by Jenrick, who closed Mondays debate by promising to engage closely with colleagues and attacking the kind of egregious and vexatious [legal] challenges that we have seen in the past. The Times reports that the concession sought by the rebels were an immediate ban on rule 39 ordersunder which the European Court can make directions to any state party to the European Convention of Human Rightsa ban on migrants returning from Rwanda even if they successfully appeal their deportation; a time limit for appealing deportations of just seven days; and the invalidation of more sections of the Human Rights Act, closing down routes by which removals could be challenged. The third and final reading of the Bill is likely scheduled for the last week of May. While the Tory government works out the details of its anti-migrant, police statelegislation, the Labour Party is chivvying from the sidelines, desperate to prove that it would far more competently handle the denial of asylum rights and deportation of migrants. Shadow Immigration Minister Stephen Kinnock said in the debate Monday that in order for a deterrent to be effective, it has to be credible. And this bill fails the credibility test because there is nowhere near enough capacity to detain asylum seekers in the UK, there is no returns agreement with the EU, and the Rwandan government is only agreeing to take thousands at some unspecified future date. So the boats will keep on coming, the backlog will keep on growing and the hotels will keep on filling. Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting, a leading Labour spokesperson, said likewise on Wednesday, The government would rather give the appearance about doing something than stopping small boats. Speeding up claims, deporting people when their claims are unsuccessful, thats the way to tackle the problem with the immigration system instead of spending millions housing people in hotels. The Tories repeated references to the millions of refugees in the world point to the motivations behind these dictatorial policies. Capitalism is producing disaster after disaster, from the Ukraine war to economic and climate catastrophes, uprooting vast numbers of people around the globe. The ruling class in every country, committed to austerity to fund war and bailouts for the rich, is meeting this social crisis and the enormous anger it generates with ever more brutal repression. Georgia authorities are escalating their attack on opponents of the Cop City mega-project, a $90 million dollar military-style police training center that the Atlanta city government wants to build to train police forces to enforce law and order in urban environments. "Stop Cop City" protesters demonstrate in Atlanta, Georgia on Saturday following the police killing of Manuel Esteban Paez Teran on January 18, 2023 [AP Photo/R.J. Rico] So far, the police have killed a 26-year old environmental activist, Manuel Esteban Paez Teran, and slapped 23 randomly arrested music-festival attendees with draconian domestic terrorism charges. The police have refused to release any information to Terans family on his killing. The sprawling public-safety training center, if built, will spread across 85 acres in the midst of about 381 acres of forested land. The land is owned by the Atlanta City Government but is located outside the city limits in the neighboring Dekalb County. It will have a mockup of a city with bars and high-rise buildings to train police in urban warfare and will be the largest police training facility in the country. Despite popular opposition to the project, Georgia taxpayers will be made to finance $30 million of the project while $60 million is being raised by the non-profit Atlanta Police Foundation (APF), the largest of the 150 such foundations raising funds for police forces across the country. The APF whose governing board and trustees are stuffed full of corporate executives, is obtaining funds from giant corporations with major operations in the Atlanta area such as Norfolk Southern railroad, Delta Airlines, UPS and JPMorgan Chase. The latest salvo in the series of brutal response by the authorities against opponents of Cop City has now come from the Dekalb County administration. On Friday, March 24, the Dekalb County Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Michael Thurmond, issued an executive order i.e., a dictatorial style decree, restricting public access to the [Intrenchment Creek Park] and other adjacent county-owned properties. While acknowledging that this is place where people walk and enjoy nature, he justified this decision by citing the supposed discovery of life-threatening nail-studded boards, booby traps which makes the place dangerous to adults, children and pets. This move, far from being taken for the well-being of residents as Thurmond cynically claimed, is directed at further enlarging restricted areas where protests against Cop City will not be tolerated. He then directed the Dekalb County police to lead a multi-jurisdictional task force comprising of a number of police forces to sweep the area and direct unauthorized persons, i.e. anyone using the park, to leave immediately and if they do not, they will be subject to prosecution for criminal trespass and any other violation of law to the fullest extent of Georgia Law. Thurmond who heads a county which is riddled with extraordinary corruption, closely consorts with the Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens on this project. Both are Democrats and are united along with Republican Governor Brian Kemp to use all of the powers at their disposal to intimidate and terrorize any and all opposition to the police training center. This new move comes on the heels of the arrest of 23 people who were arbitrarily swept up by police on Sunday, March 5 at a protest music festival being held one mile away from the construction site. They were subsequently charged with domestic terrorism. This is in addition to 19 others who were similarly charged previously over the past six months. This criminal charge is a felony and carries a prison sentence of up to 35 years. These protesters were subsequently thrown in jail. During the first bond hearing two days later, on March 7, the Dekalb County Magistrate A. W. Davis, who was the presiding judge, denied bail to 22 of the 23 arrested. She claimed the bail-denial was based upon the seriousness of the charges, ignoring the fact that those who had been arrested were attending a music festival. Moreover the evidence upon which the arrests were made includes mud on their shoes and legal-support phone numbers scribbled on their hands or forearm. It has been revealed that Davis husband is the principal tax attorney for the transnational accounting firm KPMG, which has four members on the APF governing board. In the second bond hearing on March 23, 12 of the 22 remaining in jail were released on consent bonds, which did not require any payment, revealing the absurdity of denial of bail in the first bond hearing. Two more activists were released on $25,000 bonds and eight others continue to be denied bond, left to languish in jail in horrible conditions. Micah Herskind, a community organizer in Atlanta, explained in interview with Democracy Now, The folks who were denied bond were not denied bond for any specific evidence other than, as you said, having mud on their clothes and their shoes, you know, having wet pants. Three protesters charged with domestic terrorism on January 21 have been held in jail without bond for over two months. The killing of Teran on January 18 while peacefully encamped in the forest where the facility is to be built demonstrates the murderous length to which the authorities are willing to go to construct the police facility. Soon after the killing, the police claimed that Teran shot at them first and in support of that narrative, they released a picture of a soiled and scratched gun lying on the forest floor covered by pine leaves and cigarette butts. Glaringly, the gun is not shown as lying beside the tent where Teran was shot dead, giving rise to the suspicion that the police may have planted this evidence themselves. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), which is in charge of the investigation, has been deliberately withholding information of the circumstances surrounding Terans killing. In fact, the subsequent body-camera footage released by the Atlanta police indicates that the state trooper was injured by shots fired by a fellow policeman. A second independent autopsy conducted by Terans family, the first being the official autopsy conducted by the Dekalb County, clearly revealed that the Teran was sitting cross-legged with hands raised when the police unleashed their deadly hail of bullets. The local corporate daily, the Atlanta Journal and Constitution (AJC), a newspaper owned by Cox Enterprises, which is a major donor to the APF, revealed on March 24 that a Georgia state trooper had first fired numerous rounds of pepper balls into Terans tent. This crucial information, which has been deliberately hidden from the family and the public by the GBI, clearly shows that the officers were the first to fire shots, in this case pepper balls, into the tent. The report also shows that the troopers spoke to Teran for some time before they used their firearms. All of these developments demonstrate that the authorities will go to any lengths to steamroll public opposition to the Cop City project. The police and various government authorities even routinely use the word terrorists to describe the protesters. The day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he was pausing his plans to overhaul Israels judicial systemthe only arm of the state that his far-right coalition does not controlto prevent civil war, opposition leaders Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz entered talks with his government. While the media portray Lapid, Gantz and the host of former generals, intelligence and security chiefs, the Histadrut labour federation and heads of Israels tech sector as leading the movement against Netanyahus dictatorial legislation, they are acting swiftly to betray it. Their aim is to agree some cosmetic changes to the planned legislation that will demobilise the largest protest movement in Israels 75-year history and prop up the rule of Israels oligarchs against the people. Likud Party leader Benjamin Netanyahu (left) far-right Israeli lawmaker Bezalel Smotrich (right) and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid (centre) and leaders of all Israel's political parties pose for a group photo after the swearing-in ceremony for lawmakers at the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem, Tuesday, November 15, 2022. [AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov] These leaders, many of whom have served in previous governments headed by Netanyahu, do not represent a progressive alternative. They have few fundamental policy differences with him. Equally committed to the Zionist project, Jewish supremacy and the suppression of the Palestinians within a system of apartheid rulealong with the enrichment of Israels corporate elitethey fear his measures will destroy Israels democratic fig leaf and endanger its relationship with the United States that is crucial for the countrys economic and military security. To this end, these forces will readily swallow their dislike of Netanyahu and form a government of national unity, displacing his fascistic partners. For three months, hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets in protest against Netanyahus plans to give his coalition of fascists, racists and religious zealots dictatorial powers by neutering the judiciary. According to a survey carried out before Netanyahu fired his Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for calling on him to abandon plans that threatened to destabilise the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), a majority of Israeli Jews are opposed to the plans, with 53 percent defining themselves as 'opposed to the reform.' All opinion polls show that the government would lose its majority in the Knesset if fresh elections were held. As news of Gallants sacking was announced Sunday, up to 600,000 turned out to protest and mass strikes broke out, closing universities, schools, workplaces and government operations and grounding flights and shutting ports. The Histadrut, dedicated to the defence of the Jewish state, had repeatedly refused to call a general strike over the governments plans. It only did so when it became clear that workers had begun to act independently of the unions. As soon as Netanyahu announced Monday evening that he was pausing the legislation till May, Histadrut chief Arnon Bar-David called off the strike. But Netanyahu, having come under enormous pressure from US President Joe Biden, who had sent several officials to Tel Aviv to urge him to make some concessions to the opposition movement, had to buy off his fascistic coalition partners to remain in power. In return for a short delay, he pledged to establish and fund a new National Guard under the control of the Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, head of Jewish Power and a leader of fascist settlers in the occupied West Bank. The paramilitary force will be allowed to carry guns that will be used not just against Israels Palestinian citizens but also against Israeli workers and youth. Netanyahu insisted he was not abandoning the judicial overhaul and that if no compromise is found by the summer, he would go ahead with it anyway. Speaking Tuesday, Biden said, Like many strong supporters of Israel, Im very concerned. And Im concerned that they get this straight. They cannot continue down this road. And Ive sort of made that clear. I hopeful hopefully, the prime minister will act in a way that he is going to try to work out some genuine compromise. But that remains to be seen. Netanyahu rejected this mealy mouthed appeal, declaring Wednesday, Israel is a sovereign country which makes its decisions by the will of its people and not based on pressures from abroad, including from the best of friends.' The day after Netanyahu announced his pause, delegations from Lapids Yesh Atid and Gantzs National Unity met representatives from Netanyahus Likud party for talks chaired by Isaac Herzog, Israels largely ceremonial president. The 90-minute discussions were conducted in a positive atmosphere focusing on the mechanisms for negotiations and were aimed at what TV Channel 12 described as fostering a friendly atmosphere. On Wednesday, Herzog met with representatives from Israels Arab parties, Ra'am and Hadash-Ta'al and the Labor Party. While Labor had refused to attend the previous day, it declared that 'precisely because it did not trust Netanyahu,' it would take part in the negotiations. Gallant, Washingtons favourite interlocutor within the Netanyahu government, is reportedly willing to apologise to Netanyahu over his speech on TV Saturday, when he called for the suspension of the government's planned judicial overhaul citing growing dissent among army reservists. With Netanyahu still to send him a formal letter dismissing him from office, Gantz urged him to keep Gallant in post for the sake of Israels security. But the protesters have vowed to continue their fight and weekly demonstrations until the government abandons its plans to overhaul the judiciary. Some gathered outside the talks. The Black Flags movement said, There is no talking to a lying son of a liar, and We are not ready to talk with the destroyers of democracy until the dictatorial legislation is completely abolished. A group of 34 protest organisations wrote to Lapid and Gantz, urging them to pull out of the talks they said were a deception and condemned their agreement to hold talks as shocking and outrageous. Netanyahu was using the pause as a ruse to diffuse the massive protest movement and when the next Knesset session began in May, he would immediately resume his dictatorship laws. They insisted, We will not fall for this deception and will continue to fight with all our strength. Ben-Gvir has encouraged his supporters, notorious for their attacks on Palestinians, to harass and intimidate the governments opponents, leading to a series of violent incidents. Haaretz reported right-wing activists blocking vehicles amid cheering, deriding drivers as leftists, using homophobic slurs and mocking drivers. To defeat Netanyahu and the self-proclaimed leaders of the protest movement, all of whom are working to shore up the Zionist state as it faces a political explosion, Israeli workers and youth must build their own independent political leadership and adopt a socialist strategy and the methods of the class struggle. They must appeal to Israels Palestinian citizens, the Palestinians in the occupied territories and workers in neighbouring countries. There exists a powerful objective basis for such a movement. As well as the mass movement in Israel, teachers in the occupied West Bank have been on strike since the beginning of February, demanding the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority (PA) implement an agreement signed 18 months ago that agreed a pay rise, back pay and union elections. As striking teachers attempt to form their own union, independent of Fatah, the PA has threatened mass firings and arrests. Earlier this month, Palestinian security forces set up checkpoints and roadblocks on the way to Ramallah where a protest rally was to be held. In Lebanon, there have been repeated strikes and protests over the spiralling economic crisis and plummeting national currency plunging 80 percent of the 6.7 million population into poverty. On Thursday, hundreds of protesters, mainly army retirees, again marched on Beiruts central bank demanding increased pensions. Conditions are even worse in Syria. It is for this reason that the Arab media have barely reported the mass protests that threaten Israels political system. It is impossible for Jewish workers to defend their democratic rights while Palestinian workers live under a military dictatorship and under the ever-present threat of settler and vigilante violence carried out under the protection of the Israeli army. The defence of democratic rights means taking up the struggle to unite Jewish and Arab workers in a common struggle to overthrow the Zionist state and the Arab bourgeois regimes through the building of a United Socialist States of the Middle East. A federal judge in Pasadena, California, earlier this week denied a series of motions attempting to excuse members of the bZx DAO from liability in a novel class action lawsuit filed against the decentralized autonomous organization. The ruling means a court has found that simply owning a token could create legal liability for holders, sending shockwaves throughout the crypto community as traders, investors, and other enthusiasts grapple with the potential implications. While the ruling did not definitively find members of the bZx DAO liable for any wrongdoing (a judgment is still forthcoming), some industry experts framed the move as an unexpected escalation of hostility against DAOs, which aim to leverage blockchain networks to create a decentralized alternative to traditional company structuring. "It means that they feel there is some grounds for the case that a DeFi app with a DAO structure could extend legal liability to anyone who simply holds the token in certain circumstancesand that argument merits more discussion in court," prominent crypto investor Adam Cochran tweeted of the ruling on Monday. 2/4 Dismissing the motion does not mean the court decided that owning the token makes you 100% liable - yet. It just means they refused to take it off the table. Which is honestly surprising. Adam Cochran (adamscochran.eth) (@adamscochran) March 28, 2023 Random degens voting in a DAO can be considered liable for what a DAO does, tweeted Nick Almond, founder of FactoryDAO, a DAO that helps create tooling for other DAOs. Yes this defines a DAO as a general partnership and makes everyone, including token holders jointly and severally liable for the what happened in the DAO. This is the main bad news. Random degens voting in a DAO can be considered liable for what a DAO does. drnick (@DrNickA) March 28, 2023 But is there a reason to panic? Are DAOs now dead-on-arrival as an organizational structure? Can anyone holding a governance token now be held legally liable if the token's corresponding DAO is ever sued? The answer, like most things in crypto, is not quite so simplebut not so optimistic either. Story continues I mean, it's not good for DAOs, attorney Jeremy S. Goldman, who specializes in blockchain technology-related litigation, succinctly put it to Decrypt. The decision crystallizes the fact that we don't live in a decentralized world. DAOs challenge [traditional business] structures, and our [legal] system. That's what you're seeing, potentiallyan inherent incompatibility of those two ideas. In terms of the specifics of the class action, the court has ruled that the suit's plaintiffs, victims of a 2021 hack that drained bZxa DeFi lending protocolfor $55 million, will be allowed to proceed in suing not just bZx's leadership but also the myriad token-holding members of the bZx DAO. The bZx DAO began running operations for the bZx DeFi protocol in late 2021. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission similarly found that membership in the bZx DAO, defined by ownserhip of tokens and participation in governance votes, could expose individuals to legal liability when it fined the DAO's founders $250,000 for allegedly illegally offering "retail commodity transactions" in September. CFTC Sues a DAO, Raising Legal Questions for DeFi Founders and Users Thats not to say, though, that this weeks ruling was a red-hot legal curveball lobbed to destroy a cornerstone of Web3 tooling, and at a time when the American government may appear to crypto proponents as hellbent on stopping crypto development in its tracks. This didn't come as a surprise to anyone who understands what a DAO is, or how partnership law works in the United States, Goldman said. Why? As U.S. District Judge Larry Alan Burns repeatedly highlighted in his ruling, bZx cofounder Kyle Kistner explicitly stated on public calls that the benefit of transitioning bZx from a company to a DAO would be insulating the organization from government oversight and securities-related legal actions. When regulators ask us to comply, we [will] have nothing we can really do, because weve given it all to the community, Kistner said at the time, according to court documents. Judge Burns therefore found bZx, even in DAO form, to constitute a valid general partnership meaning its token-holding membership is personally liable for lawsuits against the organization under U.S. law. BZx appeared to him as a company in DAOs clothing. They traded a securities problem for a partnership problem, Goldman said. The SEC didn't go after them. The CFTC did. As an organization attempting to offer financial products in the United States, bZx has found it cant have its cake and eat it too. Refusing to register as an LLCthe oldest trick in the book for avoiding personal liability in American businesswhile also engaging in profit-based digital commodity transactions, inevitably led to a situation where DAO members were exposed to an unnecessary amount of legal liability, according to Goldman. CFTC, SEC, DOJ, IRS: These Are the Ongoing Investigations Into Binance While that may be devastating news to DAO purists, it doesnt necessarily hinder the ability of DAOs to do what they purport to do best: enable the decentralized operation of a business or organization. A DAO could still token-gate its membership, distribute voting power via tokens, and take blockchain-verified votes on governance proposals while also registering with federal authorities in a manner that would prevent potential legal liability if ever sued. Legal scholars have previously outlined numerous ways in which a DAO could safely navigate the American legal system. So what if there's an entity? So what if there's some element of centralization? Why is that so bad? Goldman said. In that sense, this weeks ruling underscores the broader reality check currently facing crypto, as the novel industry is absorbed by existing state structures. Decentralized tools like DAOs may well find a path forward in the United States and beyondbut likely not without making some concessions to the reality of existing in a centralized world. Last weekend Socialist Equality Party (SEP) members and supporters campaigned in Kolonnawa, a Colombo outer suburb, for the partys scheduled April 3 public meeting. The open-air event is titled Oppose Sri Lankan presidents suppression of local elections! Mobilise the working class to defend democratic and social rights! SEP election campaigners speaking with resident during previous campaign at Salamulla, Kolonnawao district. [Photo: WSWS] The SEP has fielded 53 candidates in three local government bodiesthe Kolonnawa Urban Council in Colombo, Maskeliya Pradeshiya Sabha in Nuwaraeliya and the Karainagar Pradeshiya Sabha in Jaffna. Sri Lankas previously scheduled March 9 local government elections were cancelled by President Wickremesinghe. They have been postponed until April 25. Campaigners spoke with residents at Sanhida Sevana, an 11-storey apartment block housing about 200 families. They also discussed with workers at the Kolonnawa Junction. Many of the apartment residents work at small private companies and hotels, others are daily wage workers at the nearby vegetable and fish market, and some women are employed as domestic servants. Many of the youth at the apartments were unemployed. Most of those spoken with denounced the Wickremesinghe governments social attacks and how they had devastated their lives. The government has imposed a series of International Monetary Fund (IMF) austerity measures as a pre-condition for a $2.9 billion bailout loan. Many said that they didnt trust any of the parliamentary political parties. Campaigners widely distributed party statements, including, Oppose presidents suppression of local elections! Mobilise the working class to defend democratic and social rights!, and For a Democratic and Socialist Congress of Workers and Rural Masses in Sri Lanka! A mother of three children said she does housework for a monthly income of just 30,000 rupees ($US91). This amount is not enough for expenses, such as food and school fees. Our house rent is 5,600 rupees and the monthly electricity bill has increased to 3,750 rupees up from 1,800 rupees. The water bill has gone from 700 to 1,200 rupees, she said. Last year March, I was able to survive on 30,000 rupees a month but now we cannot even live on 60,000 rupees. Im struggling with three school-going children because the school [facilities and service] fees were increased on March 27 to 4,500 rupees, up from 2,536 rupees last year. This means I have to spend 13,500 rupees for the three of them. Ive not yet been able to buy [stationery] books for my children. For the smallest son alone, it will cost 6,000 rupees and the new school session is beginning tomorrow [Monday], she added. Several families in the apartment block, she continued, had to stop sending their children to school. There are some children here who have left school because their parents cannot afford to buy the books. I know of three families who face this situation. Condemning all Sri Lankas parliamentary parties, she said: It doesnt matter which party comes to power, they will say we have taken out loans and so we must pay back these loans. The IMF loan does not benefit the poor, it will only benefit them [the politicians] and they will sell [privatise] whatever is possible and belongs to the people. Campaigners explained the SEPs call for workers and rural poor to form action committees at every factory, workplace, plantation, neighbourhood and in the rural areas, independent of the unions and the bourgeois parties. They also discussed the partys campaign to build a Democratic and Socialist Congress of Workers and Rural Masses, to mobilise workers and rally the rural poor to fight for a government of workers and peasants committed to socialist policies. Responding to this explanation, the mother of three said: If we, as workers, can unite, then this program can be achieved. Otherwise, if the situation continues as it is, there will be no future for our children. Ive not heard any other party explain what you have done today. SEP campaigners spoke with a young worker who is married with one child. He works six days a week for a delivery service company but only earns about 60,000 rupees per month. He denounced the government, saying: What I earn is not enough now. Our electricity bill has tripled, and people are starving. The IMF loan has not benefited uswe will have to pay itbut the politicians use it to solve their own problems. We are ultimately indebted, but every politician has enriched themselves. Referring to last years mass uprising that ousted former President Gotabhaya Rajapakse and his government, he denounced the Wickremesinghe government and its repression of those involved in the mass movement. Those who have robbed the country live comfortably, he said, but the youth who took up the struggle last year are being witch-hunted. What they did was right, they fought for us. Wickremesinghe came to power without any mandate, and those in parliament who were against us, elected him. All the politicians are friends. Sameera, a young single man spoke with campaigners. Having previously worked as a construction worker, he lost his job after the building industry went into crisis. He now sells vegetables for a living. There is a big competition in this trade, and sometimes I have to bear losses, he said. The existing political system should change, otherwise none of us will have a future. A young worker employed as a cook at a five-star hotel in Colombo said: Though the government boasts that the tourism industry has recovered, this industry can be swept away any time in the next crisis. Previously there were big job losses in the hotel trade, and so we were in a continuous struggle to survive. Im totally opposed to the existing political system. SEP campaigners spoke to a young unmarried man who earns 1,500 rupees per day at a company that produces school bags. He explained that he had no faith in any political party. Commenting on the governments cancellation of the March 9 local elections, he said: People dont vote for the government and even though the election is going to be held nothing will change. A young student and her mother criticised government cuts to education and health while funds for defense were being increased. The rulers are concerned with their own protection, the student said, because they fear the people who know how politicians work. When struggles develop, the politicians are only concerned about their own protection, not the protection of the people. UAW Regional Directors, standing left to right, Mike Miller, and UAWD-backed candidates Daniel Vincente and Brandon Mancilla [Photo: UAW] The United Auto Workers 2023 Special Bargaining Convention in Detroit concluded Wednesday with calls for unity and solidarity by the contending cliques inside the UAW apparatus. After the bitter fight for control of the unions positions and assets, newly elected UAW President Shawn Fain and several of his former opponents declared it was necessary to close ranks. While they suggested this was because they needed a united front to fight the auto companies, the common enemy they all fear is an increasingly militant and self-assertive rank and file. New information continues to emerge underscoring the anti-democratic character of the national union elections which brought Fain and the current UAW leadership into office. Also on Wednesday, Will Lehman, a Mack Trucks worker and candidate for president in the 2022 UAW elections, filed a complaint with the Department of Labor demanding a re-run of the elections. The document details how hundreds of thousands of UAW members did not receive notice of the UAW elections. Significantly, the complaint also provides evidence of the close ties between the auto companies and the law firms which comprise the UAW Monitor, which was tasked with overseeing the elections. The final day of the bargaining convention featured the remarks of UAW Vice President Chuck Browning, who ran on the slate of Fains opponent, former UAW President Ray Curry. Chuck Browning [Photo: UAW] 'I hear worries we're going to be a divided house going into negotiations, but that's not true, Browning said. Let's support our President and International Executive Board.' He continued demagogically, let the world hear, were united when it comes to our enemies and our bargaining. Were sticking together and taking on the boss. Browning, the head of the unions agricultural implement and Ford departments, then gave a lying account of the 2021 John Deere strike, claiming that the UAW ran the negotiations in the most democratic manner possible. In reality, the UAW apparatus brought back one pro-company agreement after another at Deere, repeatedly trampling workers democratic rights. Browning was unable to explain Wednesday how he and the bureaucracy negotiated an initial tentative agreement in October 2021 which was so overwhelmingly hated by workers that it was voted down by a 90 percent margin. Browning, then-President Ray Curry, and other top UAW officials had championed the deal, with Browning himself claiming it contained substantial hard-fought gains and protections. Feeling it had no choice but to call a walkout given the level of opposition among workers, the UAW bureaucracy proceeded to starve workers throughout the six-week strike on just $275 a week from the UAWs strike fund. During this time, Browning continued to receive his full $207,000 annual pay package. Throughout the strike, the Deere Workers Rank-and-File Committee was the only organized force among workers fighting to defend the rights of the rank and file against the apparatus. In statements that were read by thousands of workers, the rank-and-file committee called for workers oversight over contract talks, the payment of workers full income out of the unions gigantic strike fund, and the expansion of the walkout to other sections of workers in the US and internationally. The UAW apparatus continued to bring back tentative agreements that were far from workers demands for massive wage increases, health coverage for retirees, and the restoration of previous concessions. A second UAW-backed deal, little changed from the first, was again voted down by workers a few weeks later. Determined to prevent the Deere strike from spreading, the UAW launched an all-out campaign to ram through the companys last, best and final offer, which Solidarity House admitted contained only modest modifications from the contract workers had just voted to reject. UAW officials bullied and threatened workers, saying Deere would hire replacements and unilaterally impose its terms if the contract was again voted down. In the most brazen example of the efforts to coerce a yes vote, the elections chair at UAW Local 281 in Davenport, Iowa, declared on Facebook that he would use his position in the plant as an inspector to make life difficult for those advocating against the contract. UAW Local 281 Elections Chair Phil Gonterman threatening Deere workers with retaliation for opposing the contract during the 2021 strike [Photo: WSWS] Lets just say that they were not behind us, a veteran Deere worker at the Milan Parts Distribution Center told the World Socialist Web Site after watching Brownings speech. They wanted us to approve the first contract. He sits up there and gets emotional, for what? Hes a liar. Did he mean to say autocratic? added a Deere retiree in Ottumwa, Iowa, scoffing at Brownings claims about the democratic negotiating process. His leadership was full of misinformation and lies meant to lessen the workers demands. In a less-guarded moment, Browning let loose what he and the rest of the UAW bureaucracy thought of the rebellion by the Deere workers. When that membership knocked that first agreement down, there was a choice: We could take the same agreement back or say we tried out best. But we collectively decided we were going to ride that serpent and see where it took us. Brownings choice of words is revealing. In the eyes of the UAW bureaucracy, the rank and file are indeed a massive monster whose fight for decent wages and working conditions threatens to bring down the entire corrupt edifice of the UAW apparatus. Workers strike outside of a John Deere plant, Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, in Ankeny, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) Fain welcomed brother Browning to the podium and has never said a word about the sellout of the Deere workers, or Brownings subsequent betrayal of the eight-month CNH strike and the concessions contract just imposed on Caterpillar workers. On the contrary, Browning will now lead the Ford negotiations under Fains new UAW. Over the first two days of the convention, every resolution put forward by Unite All Workers for Democracy (UAWD)the faction backed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) that backed Fains Members United slatewas defeated or blocked from coming up for a vote. These included proposals to go on record supporting COLA (Cost of Living Adjustments) and to reject management efforts to establish separate, inferior wage and benefit tiers for workers at Big Three or joint venture electric vehicle assembly and battery plants. As a sop to the UAWD, however, on Wednesday the delegates approved a resolution which urged the UAW to include language in its contracts allowing members to respect picket lines and not be required to enter buildings to work when other workers in those buildings are engaged in a strike or a lockout. According to the UAWD, however, At the advice of legal counsel, an amendment was made to the resolution to remove the following language from the amendment: and not be required to handle parts from facilities that are engaged in a strike or a lockout. The repeated defeats of their resolutions did not stop the UAWD from issuing a groveling leaflet Wednesday, thanking the assembled bureaucrats for the spirited debate and renewal of democratic participation in the union. It continued, Now we return home to the true fight: taking on our employers and especially the Big Three this fall through a robust contract campaign. The election of Fain has brought members of the DSA and other pseudo-left organizations into leadership positions in the UAW bureaucracy. Fains transition team is being led by Chris Brooks, a long-time staff writer for Labor Notes and the current communications director of the Communications Workers of America (CWA)-aligned NewsGuild in New York City. A leaked document from the transition team says that Fain will have to contend with the unreasonable expectations of the 150,000 GM, Ford and Stellantis workers whose contracts expire this summer. To divert opposition into safe channels, Fains camp is preparing to conduct a contract campaign, including rallies with Bernie Sanders, Teamsters President Sean OBrien and DSA leader and Association of Flight Attendants President Sara Nelson, with the aim of providing a left cover while he prepares another sellout. The UAW bureaucracy has its plans, but rank-and-file workers have theirs. On the eve of the convention, the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) held a meeting attended in Detroit and online by delegates from rank-and-file committees in the auto and heavy equipment industries, as well as teachers and other sections of the working class. Workers from committees at GM, Stellantis, auto parts makers Dana and Forvia (formerly Faurecia), Mack Trucks and Caterpillar resolved to affiliate with the IWA-RFC and to establish a steering committee to guide the development of a network of autoworkers rank-and-file committees in advance of the major battles workers will confront this year. On Wednesday, socialist candidate for United Auto Workers president, Will Lehman, filed a complaint with the Department of Labors Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) demanding the UAW election be re-run with the names of all candidates on the ballot. The complaint also demands that the two law firms that make up the monitorCrowell & Moring and Jenner & Blockbe removed from the case due to conflicts of interest. Both firms have longstanding relationships with the auto corporations, including General Motors and other auto corporations with UAW contracts expiring this year. Will Lehman and attorney discuss complaint demanding Biden admin overturn illegitimate UAW election On March 19, the Monitor officially denied Lehmans original protest of the first round of the UAW elections. That protest contained evidence that hundreds of thousands of UAW members did not receive notice of the UAW elections and therefore were unable to vote. The Monitors response was submitted three months after the protest was filed and after voting in the second round was already completed. Turnout in the first round was only nine percent, which Lehmans complaint notes is the lowest turnout in a union election for national officers in the history of the US. In its decision, the Monitor stated that it is not clear that turnout was low, although a federal judge previously called turnout in the first round was anemic and remarkably low. Lehmans original protest includes evidence showing the UAW deliberately failed to update its mailing listcalled the Local Union Information System (LUIS)in order to disenfranchise masses of rank-and-file workers. It also documents the fact that UAW locals throughout the country did nothing to inform members that an election was taking place. The Monitor admitted that it did nothing to check whether specific locals with minuscule turnoutincluding those located on the West Coastwere updating the LUIS. Thats not my responsibility, said Crowell & Morings Glen McGorty, who signed the denial of the protest. In the complaint to the OLMS, Lehman states that the Monitors response fails to dispute the key facts of my protest and evinces total contempt for the democratic rights of rank-and-file workers. The response relies almost entirely on an unsigned and self-serving document submitted by the union leadership, but the credibility of that document is fatally undermined by the admission by outgoing UAW president Ray Curry that there was rampant disenfranchisement of UAW voters in the election. It also notes that the Monitor makes almost no reference to the massive corruption scandal that has engulfed the UAW apparatus, even though this is what forced the apparatus to hold direct elections in the first place. The Monitor accepts entirely the self-serving claim of the UAW itself that any reference to the corruption scandal consists of backward looks that have no relevance to the current election. Lehmans complaint also contains new and damning information on the close relationship between the Monitor and the auto companies, requiring the Monitors removal from a re-vote. It cites a 2014 article in the New York Times stating that Jenner & Block has done high-profile securities work for GM as well as product liability cases. It notes that the firms website says it has represented GM in product liability cases involving vehicle incompatibility/aggressivity; crashworthiness; air bags; rollover/roof crush and seatbelts. It adds, The relationship between GM and Jenner & Block is so close that in 2006 [GM] hired the head of corporate practice at Jenner & Block, Robert Osborne, as its general counsel. Jenner & Block represented GM when the company was accused of covering up ignition defaults that led to the death of over 100 people. The case was ultimately settled by the Obama administration, with no GM executives being held criminally responsible. Lehmans complaint notes: It is worth recalling that in 1937, during the sit-down strike against GM in Flint, Michigan, the judge who issued an injunction against the strikers (Edward S. Black) was removed from the case after it was revealed that he owned 3,000 shares in GM. Here, the conflict of interest is even worse: my internal union protest against rampant voter suppression in the election was denied by a law firm which consists of lawyers that represent GM. Crowell & Moring, the other law firm employed by the Monitor, also has deep ties to the auto companies. Its clients include Caterpillar, General Motors, Mazda, Bosch, Dana Inc., BMW, Daimler, Bridgestone, and other companies. Its own website states that the firm regularly represents employers in collective bargaining negotiations and grievance arbitration matters, and advises clients in developing and implementing strategies to prevent (or, if necessary, minimize the business impact of) strikes, lockouts or other work stoppages. The relationships of the Monitor to the auto companies is particularly significant given its role in facilitating the UAW apparatus disenfranchisement of rank-and-file workers in the elections. The Department of Labor complaint is the latest in a series of efforts by Lehman to defend the voting rights of rank-and-file UAW members. In November, Lehman filed a lawsuit in federal court against the UAW and monitor demanding the UAW leadership be made to provide actual notice to members of the election, but the lawsuit was dismissed. The UAW, the Monitor and the Biden administration all opposed Lehmans lawsuit. Lehmans complaint to the OLMS was filed as the UAW was holding its Bargaining Convention and days after the Monitor announced the victory of Shawn Fain in the second round of the elections. Fain, who can be called president 3 percent due to the fact that only 3 percent of rank-and-file members voted for him, has no legitimacy and was elected as a result of mass disenfranchisement. The elevation of Fain, a longtime leading member of the UAW bureaucracy who has postured as a reformer, will not resolve the deep-going crisis within the apparatus as a whole, which is rooted in the growing anger of the rank-and-file over decades of concessions and extreme levels of exploitation. The leadership that has emerged from the UAW is illegitimate and does not reflect the will of the rank-and-file. The Bargaining Convention itself confirmed that the change in the guard at the top will not alter the pro-corporate character of the apparatus. Delegates rejected a series of toothless proposals, including one that would commit the UAW to go on official record in supporting cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) in all contracts. This is in line with Fains own statements that it is necessary to beat back the unreasonable expectations of rank-and-file workers in contracts this year. The election was intended to provide the UAW bureaucracy with an aura of legitimacy as it prepares to impose a new round of concessions. However, it has done the opposite, while exposing the role of the Monitor, the courts and the Biden administration in upholding and defending the apparatus. The Indian state of West Bengal has been struggling with a severe outbreak of adenovirus that began in December of last year. By January 2023, more than 30 percent of all respiratory samples sent to the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (ICMR-NICED) in Kolkata tested positive for adenovirus. Currently, more than 12,000 people, predominately children, have had confirmed infections with the virus, a figure known to be grossly undercounted. More than 3,000 children have been hospitalized with severe flu-like symptoms that include air hunger and laboured breathing. Although official figures indicate that only 19 have died from acute respiratory failure, local media reports place the real number at nearly 150 fatalities. Dr. Manas Gumta, general secretary of the Association of Health Service Doctors, an organization of government doctors in West Bengal, has criticized the government for doing little to stop the spread of infection and underreporting the number of deaths caused by the virus. He told the ANI news agency, This we had seen earlier also during the time of COVID. The government is not fully transparent in reporting the number of deaths due to adenovirus. Gumta added that infections with adenoviruses are notifiable to the World Health Organization (WHO), indicating that authorities had not done even this much. Gumta continued, The preparations by the West Bengal government are inadequate. Earlier, due to the governments lack of preparedness in times of COVID, many people died. There was an oxygen crisis, ambulances fell short, and medicines and critical care unit wardeverything ran short. Now, adenovirus has come after COVID, and the government has still not apprised us regarding preparations which are leading to children getting infected and scores of deaths. He called for the implementation of mitigation measures similar to those used against COVID, such as mask wearing, hand washing and social distancing. Adenovirus is a common respiratory virus, which can cause a range of symptoms from coughs, fevers and sore throats to pink eyes. Gastrointestinal symptoms can also manifest, leading to nausea and vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Those with compromised immune systems may suffer a more severe and protracted illness. Recent serotyping done at the ICMR-NICED has found recombination of adenovirus type 7 (HAdV-7) and 3 (HAdV-3) in most samples. Recent studies have indicated that infection with HAdV-7 can replicate more actively than HAdV-3 and promote a more robust cytokine response, which leads to more severe disease. This is consistent with the higher number of infections and the greater severity of many of these infections witnessed in West Bengal. An important part of the background to the current wave of adenovirus infections is the COVID-19 pandemic. India is currently experiencing another surge in coronavirus infections, with more than 1,000 new cases now being reported daily, despite the extremely low number of tests being conducted. Like capitalist governments the world over, the West Bengal state and Indian Union governments are suppressing statistical collection on COVID-19 and related respiratory public health threats so they can declare the pandemic over and avoid being compelled to take any countermeasures that could impede commerce. As such, the policy directing Indias COVID-19 response has become the de facto policy for handling the adenovirus outbreak in West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee, who is both the chief minister and health minister of the states Trinamool Congress (TMC) government, has slammed the media for reporting child deaths and the overflowing of Kolkata pediatric health by anxious parents and their desperately ill infant children. On March 2, attempting to normalize the preventable deaths of these children, she cynically said, Any childs death is sad. Common cold and flu cases are registered every year during this time of seasonal transition. There is nothing to panic about. Such deaths are happening in every state, not just in Bengal. Banerjee even had the audacity to blame the deaths of these children on their parents, who had brought them to Kolkata from remote and poorly resourced regions for urgent medical attention. She suggested that the often long and arduous journey to West Bengals metropolis had led to their childs deteriorated condition. She also maliciously downplayed the official death toll (12 at the time of her comments) by stating, Of the 12 recent cases, two resulted from adenovirus infections. The rest were due to comorbidities. Some had pulmonary hemorrhages, some suffered from weight loss. There is nothing to be afraid of. Malnutrition and the absence of proper ambulance services and highways are not something for which parents of adenovirus-stricken children are responsible. Rather they are an indictment of the three-quarters of a century of independent capitalist rule in India, including the policies of the current Narendra Modi-led Union governmentwhich spends an abysmal 1.5 percent of GDP on public health care annuallyand Banerjees state government. The virus outbreak and resultant child deaths reveal many aspects of poor public health care in West Bengal. Had even a small portion of the wealth of Indias billionaires been allocated to health care, these deaths could have been avoided. Many children admitted to Kolkata Medical College and the Dr. BC Roy Post-Graduate Institute of Pediatric Sciences were suffering from malnourishment. If an affected child is malnourished, the condition rapidly worsens, a doctor told Telegraph India. Many also had premature births or low weight at birth, conditions that are themselves bound up with poor maternal health and nutrition. According to the National Family Health Survey 20192020, a government survey, West Bengal had a stunting rate of 33.8 percent among children under the age of six. In recent months, a common sight has been parents of infected children protesting medical negligence in front of Kolkata Medical College and the BC Roy hospital. As reported by ABP Ananda, a Bengali news outlet based in Kolkata, due to bed and personnel shortages, parents have been made to sign a letter to gain hospital admittance consenting that their children might not be given ICU care even if medically needed. In some cases, children have waited long hours without even an initial medical examination after admittance. The lack of pediatric intensive care units has been a major problem, and patients with afflictions other than adenovirus infections who have needed such acute, specialized care have also been left without any help. On Monday, February 27, a nine-month-old girl died of the virus, which causes severe respiratory distress, at a government hospital in Kolkata. She had been transferred two times before arriving at Kolkata. Doctors at those two facilities said they had been overwhelmed by patients in a critical state requiring immediate intensive intervention. According to a March 8 ABP Ananda report, the X-ray machines at BC Roy hospital had to be switched off for a long time because they were overheated. X-ray examinations are used to diagnose patients with respiratory illness. On March 24, the Times of India reported that despite a slowdown in new acute respiratory infection cases, pediatric intensive care units are still occupied largely by adenovirus infected children. However, even when adenovirus patients survive acute respiratory difficulties and are discharged from health care facilities, their struggles may be far from over. Like COVID-19, severe adenovirus infection has serious health aftereffects. On February 23, Times of India reported that this strain of adenovirus has post-infection complications like COVID-19. Many kids have returned to hospitals with persistent cough, wheezing, shortness of breath and fatigue which are the symptoms of post-infectious bronchiolitis obliterans (PIBO/popcorn lungs). This is caused by the obstruction of the smallest airways of the lungs due to inflammation and this condition can continue till adulthood. It can develop after weeks of recovery from the virus. There is a higher possibility of developing this condition for children who received oxygen support or mechanical ventilation. Mihir Sarkar, professor of pediatrics at the Medical College Hospital, Kolkata told Times of India: Children who were on prolonged oxygen support or mechanical ventilation are at higher risk of developing PIBO. This condition affects the pulmonary and bronchial parenchyma where the structure gets narrower or dilated causing a surge in cough. This condition can also be caused by other respiratory viruses, like COVID-19. There is widespread anger at the governments indifference to the childrens deaths and infections. On March 20, the Youth Wing of the West Bengal unit of the Congress Party held a candlelight vigil march to exploit the social anger. However, this health care crisis is very much the outcome of the decades-long starving of public health care of funds by Congress Party-led Union governments and by West Bengal state governments, including during the 34 years (19772011) that they were led by the Stalinist CPM. In the name of fighting the far-right Hindu supremacist BJP, the Stalinists are close allies of the Congress Party, the big business party that pioneered the pro-market, pro-investor policies all Indian governments have pursued since 1991. For over two months, millions of workers in France have been protesting against President Emmanuel Macrons pension cuts, which are opposed by three-quarters of the French people. Anger erupted after Macron imposed the cuts without a vote in parliament, claiming the cuts were necessary to preserve the countrys credibility on the financial markets. The state stands exposed as a dictatorship of the banks, and Macron as a president ruling against the people, and who must be brought down. Demonstrators sit on a statue on Place de la Nation after a mass protest Tuesday, March 28, 2023 in Paris. [AP Photo/Thibault Camus] Anger is continuing to mount, and strikes are underway in refineries, airports and train stations across France. However, the movement in the working class and youth now faces a major political obstacle: the very same union federations that, for two months, have authorized and announced strikes against Macron. On March 26, just before the last national protest strike, French Democratic Labor Confederation (CFDT) leader Laurent Berger called for a stand-down of the strike movement. I am concerned by this situation, Berger said. Echoing the rhetoric of the police agencies, he warned of a political climate that is dangerous and insanity that could take over this country and demanded: We have to turn the temperature down, not stoke things up. According to the capitalist media, the union bureaucracies are leading this movement. In reality, they are actually moving to betray it, working in this explosive political situation to prop up Macrons rule against the people. Berger argued in favor of cooling down workers anger and demobilizing the strikes, based on accepting Macrons illegitimate cuts as the starting point of the discussion. Yesterday on France Info, Berger said he would go next week to Matignon Palace, the official residence of Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, who led the promotion of Macrons pension cuts. He said: Its a space we must grab hold of. But we are not naive. We know that the purpose of this meeting is surely not to announce the withdrawal of the reform. Berger said he would go see Borne to get back around the table on jobs and work and give social compromise a chance, while organizing a pause in public references to the pension cuts. He warned that if Macron continues to force ahead, it could fatally discredit not only the government but also the union bureaucracies. He said, If we simply bank on opposition rotting away, there will be more serious consequences: lasting resentment for which we will all pay dearly. Other unions including the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), Frances Solidarity union and the French Managers Confederation (CFE) are all publicly discussing Bergers proposal now. Workers and youth must draw far-reaching conclusions from this unabashed betrayal of the struggle against Macrons cuts. Control over strikes and protests against Macron must be taken out of the hands of the union bureaucracies, which support Macron even when he tramples underfoot the will of the people. Indeed, the union bureaucrats are concerned about the danger that a struggle against Macron will undermine their own privileges and positions, not that Macrons cuts will undermine the living standards and social and democratic rights of their members. No less than Macron, in fact, the CFDT bureaucracy and its political allies are violating the will of the French people. Only a few days ago, an Ifop poll confirmed that 62 percent of the population wanted the movement against Macron to take on harder forms after he tried to impose his cuts without even a vote in parliament. Yet the union bureaucracies, not seeking but fearing a social explosion, are moving in the diametrically opposite direction. The alternative, as the Parti de legalite socialiste (PES) has explained throughout this struggle, is to build committees of the rank and file in workplaces, schools and working class neighborhoods. These committees must reject ties with the union bureaucracies, who are betraying the struggle against Macron. They can organize and coordinate strikes, defend strikers from police attack and wage a political campaign mobilizing workers and youth to bring down Macron. The union bureaucracies overt turn against the mass movement opposing Macron also vindicates the PES opposition to all the middle class political groups that, in recent months, appealed to the union bureaucracies to formulate a winning strategy against Macron. The bureaucracies refuse to formulate such a strategy because they support Macron against the rising tide of workers struggles, not the other way around. If they call strikes, it is because they fear that if they do not, the workers would go out on strike anyway and, having escaped the union bureaucracies control, would provoke an uncontrollable social explosion. The need for an irreconcilable break with the union bureaucracies and their political allies is rooted in this: The treachery of Berger and other officials is not the result of a tactical error or personal failings of one or another individual bureaucrat. Workers cannot prevent such acts of treachery by replacing Berger with someone else. Rather, it is rooted in the material interests of the union bureaucracies, as nationally based organizations deeply integrated into the capitalist state. Workers in France and internationally broadly recognize that over the last historical epoch, the unions have ceased to wage militant struggles. These national organizations cannot coordinate strikes against transnational corporations in the era of capitalist globalization. After countless sellouts over the last 50 years, their working class base has collapsed. Only around 7 percent of French workers are unionized, and the resulting collapse of the unions dues base means that their multibillion-euro budgets are now 90 percent financed by state and corporate subsidies. Therefore, Berger instinctively identifies with Macron, fears a radicalization of the working class and readily agrees to pension cuts for workers to prevent them from bringing down Macron. Against the treachery of the union bureaucracies, the best allies of workers in France are their class brothers and sisters across Europe and around the world. Already, a massive upsurge of the class struggle and a growth of rank-and-file committees are underway internationally. Last month alone has seen strike actions in Britain and warning strikes in Germany by millions of workers engaged in wage disputes, as well as nationwide teachers, rail workers or public sector strikes in many countries, including Belgium, Italy and Portugal. This upsurge of social anger and class struggle and the growth of independent workers organizations will lay the basis for workers to take control of their own strikes and build a powerful movement, defying the opposition of the union bureaucracies, to bring down Macron. Contrive Datum Insights Pvt Ltd According to a market research study published by Contrive Datum Insights, North America has been a dominant market for data analysis tools due to the presence of major players and the high adoption of technology. Farmington, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Data Analysis Market Was Valued At US$ 41.39 Billion In 2022, And Is Projected To Reach US$ 346.33 Billion By 2030, Growing at a CAGR Of 30.41% From 2023 To 2030. The global market for data analysis is made up of businesses and technologies that offer ways to process and analyse large amounts of data. In the past few years, this market has grown a lot. This is because more industries are making decisions based on data, big data and the Internet of Things (IoT) are becoming more popular, and more advanced analytical tools are now available. Request Sample Copy of Report Data Analysis Market Size, Share & Trends Estimation Report By Type Outlook (Big Data Analytics. Business Analytics, Customer Analytics, Risk Analytics & Statistical Analysis) By Deployment Outlook (On-premise & Cloud) By End Use Outlook (Medical Use, Cancer & Chronic Pain) By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030 , published by Contrive Datum Insights. Segmentation Overview: Deployment Insights: On-premises deployment means installing data analysis software on the servers and infrastructure of a company. This method of deployment gives organizations full control over their data and infrastructure, which is important for businesses that deal with sensitive information. At the moment, deployment in the cloud is growing faster than deployment on-premises. This is because organizations in all fields are using cloud technology more and more. This has led to a rise in demand for cloud-based data analysis solutions. Also, cloud-based deployment makes things easier to get to and lets people work and work together from a distance, which has become an important need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Story continues End User Insights: Since a long time ago, the BFSI sector has used data analysis tools in a big way. With more competition and the need to improve customer experiences, BFSI companies are relying more on data analysis to get insights from customer data, find fraud, analyse risk, and make investment decisions. The government is using data analysis tools more and more to improve public services and make better policies. These tools are used to look at crime, get people involved, and measure the effectiveness of policies. Other industries, like telecommunications, energy, transportation, and the media, are also using data analysis tools to improve their operations and decision-making. Regional Outlook: North America has been the largest market for data analysis tools because it has a lot of big companies and a lot of people who use technology. Cloud-based data analysis tools are being used by more and more people in the region, especially in the United States. Europe is another big market for data analysis tools because people there use technology a lot and there are a lot of key players there. In areas like healthcare, retail, and manufacturing, there is a big rise in demand for data analysis tools in the region. Asia-Pacific is the fastest-growing market for data analysis tools. This is because more people are using computers, more people want advanced analytics, and more people are using cloud-based solutions. Countries like China, India, Japan, and Australia are growing very quickly in the area. Buy this Premium Research Report@ https://www.contrivedatuminsights.com/buy/248602 Scope of Report: Report Attributes Details Growth Rate CAGR of 30.41% from 2023 to 2030. Revenue Forecast by 2030 USD 346.33 Billion By Type Big Data Analytics, Business Analytics, Customer Analytics, Risk Analytics, Statistical Analysis, Other By Deployment On-premise, Cloud, Other By Enterprise Size Large Enterprises, Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Other By End-use BFSI, Government, Healthcare, IT & Telecom, Military & Defense, Other By Companies Altair Engineering, Inc., Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO), International Business Machines Corporation, KNIME, Microsoft Corporation, Oracle Corporation, RapidMiner, Inc., SAP SE, SAS Institute Inc., Trianz Regions and Countries Covered North America: (US, Canada, Mexico, Rest of North America) Europe(Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Nordic Countries, Benelux Union, Rest of Europe) Asia-Pacific (Japan, China, India, Australia, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific) The Middle East & Africa(Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East & Africa) Latin America(Brazil, Argentina, Rest of Latin America) Rest Of the World Base Year 2022 Historical Year 2017 to 2022 Forecast Year 2023 to 2030 Market Dynamics: Driving Factors: Growing adoption of cloud computing: With cloud computing, businesses can get to their data and analyze it from anywhere, at any time. Compared to traditional on-premises tools, cloud-based data analysis tools are also more cost-effective and scalable. Emergence of artificial intelligence and machine learning: Artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms are being used more and more, which is driving the need for advanced data analysis tools that can use these technologies to get insights from data. Need for better customer engagement: Companies are using tools for data analysis to learn more about how customers act, what they like, and what they need. This helps them give customers more personalized experiences and keep them more interested. Restraining Factors: High cost of implementation: For small and medium-sized businesses, especially, the cost of putting in place advanced data analysis tools can be high. This can make it hard for some businesses to make the necessary investments. Integration challenges: It can be hard and take a long time to connect data analysis tools to existing systems and workflows. This can cause delays and make the whole process more expensive. Lack of standardization: The market for data analysis is not standardized, so there are many different tools and technologies to choose from. This can make it hard for businesses to figure out which solution is best for them. Opportunity Factors: Development of cloud-based solutions: Cloud computing is becoming more popular, and there is a growing need for cloud-based data analysis tools. This gives data analysis companies a chance to make cloud-based solutions that are easier to use and less expensive than traditional solutions that are installed on-site. Need for real-time analytics: Businesses are looking for more and more ways to get insights from data as it is being created. This gives data analysis companies a chance to come up with real-time analytics solutions that can give insights right away. Challenges Factors: Personalization of customer interactions: As the need for personalized interactions with customers grows, businesses have a chance to set themselves apart from their competitors. Contact centers can use data analytics and AI technologies to give customers personalized help, which makes customers happier and more loyal. Outsourcing of contact center operations: Businesses can give their contact center operations to third-party service providers so they can focus on their core business operations. Outsourcing can also save money, give access to specialized knowledge, and allow operations to grow or shrink as needed. Key Segments Covered: Top Market Players: Altair Engineering, Inc., Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO), International Business Machines Corporation, KNIME, Microsoft Corporation, Oracle Corporation, RapidMiner, Inc., SAP SE, SAS Institute Inc., Trianz, and others. By Type Big Data Analytics Business Analytics Customer Analytics Risk Analytics Statistical Analysis Others (Predictive Analytics, Text Analytics, and Prescriptive Analytics) By Deployment On-premise Cloud By Enterprise Size Large Enterprises Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) By End-use BFSI Government Healthcare IT & Telecom Military & Defense Others Regions and Countries Covered North America: (US, Canada, Mexico, Rest of North America) Europe: (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Nordic Countries, Benelux Union, Rest of Europe) Asia-Pacific: (Japan, China, India, Australia, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific) The Middle East & Africa: (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East & Africa) Latin America: (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of Latin America) Rest Of the World Check out more related studies published by Contrive Datum Insights: CCTV Camera Market - The Global CCTV Camera Market Size Was Valued At USD 31.88 Billion In 2021. The Market Is Projected To Grow From USD 35.47 Billion In 2022 To USD 105.20 Billion By 2030, Exhibiting A CAGR Of 16.8% During The Forecast Period. Drone Market - The global drone market was valued at US$ 29.86 Billion in 2022, and is projected to reach US$ 55.8 Billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 38.6% from 2023 to 2030. Electronics Market - The electronics industry is a significant contributor to the global economy, was valued at $3454.94 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach $4986.91 billion in 2030 with a growing CAGR of 7.5%. Customization of the Report: The report can be customized as per client needs or requirements.For any queries, you can contact us on anna@contrivedatuminsights.com or +1 215-297-4078. Our sales executives will be happy to understand your needs and provide you with the most suitable reports. About Us: Contrive Datum Insights (CDI) is a global delivery partner of market intelligence and consulting services to officials at various sectors such as investment, information technology, telecommunication, consumer technology, and manufacturing markets. CDI assists investment communities, business executives, and IT professionals to undertake statistics-based accurate decisions on technology purchases and advance strong growth tactics to sustain market competitiveness. Comprising of a team size of more than 100 analysts and cumulative market experience of more than 200 years, Contrive Datum Insights guarantees the delivery of industry knowledge combined with global and country-level expertise. Social: Facebook / LinkedIn / Twitter Contact Us: Anna B. | Head Of Sales Contrive Datum Insights Phone: +91 9834816757 | +1 2152974078 Email: anna@contrivedatuminsights.com Website: https://www.contrivedatuminsights.com Contrive Datum Insights Press Releases Latest Contrive Datum Insights Latest Reports Market Research Future Dental CAD/CAM Market Trends and Insights By Type (In-lab, and In-office), By Component (Milling machines, Dental printers, Scanners, Software), By End-user (Dental clinics, Dental laboratories, Milling centers), and By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, And Rest Of The World), Competitive Market Growth, Size, Outlook and Forecast to 2030 New York, USA, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dental CAD/CAM Market Overview According to a Comprehensive Research Report by Market Research Future (MRFR), Dental CAD/CAM Market Information by Type, Component, by End User, and by RegionForecast till 2030, the market size was valued at USD 1.2 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow from USD 1.33 Billion in 2023 to USD 2.88 billion by 2030, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.57% during the forecast period (2023 - 2030). Market Scope Dental CAD/CAM, often known as computer-aided design and manufacture, is a type of automation that supports dental restoration. By accelerating the pace of design and manufacture, as well as the applicability and simplicity of design, construction, and insertion methods, CAD/CAM technology complements earlier dental resolution technologies. Restorations that otherwise would not have been possible were made possible by technology. Goals also include lowering unit prices and making repairs inexpensive. Get Free Sample PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1410 Competitive Landscape The notable players of the market are Danaher (US), Hexagon (Sweden), PLANMECA OY (Finland), 3Shape (Denmark), Dental Wings (Canada), Zimmer Biomet (US), Roland DGA Corporation (US), Dentsply Sirona (US), Align Technology Inc (US), Institut Strauman AG (Switzerland), EG Solutions (England). Report Scope: Report Attribute Details Market Size in 2030 USD 2.88 Billion CAGR 11.57% Base Year 2022 Forecast Period 2023-2030 Historical Data 2021 Forecast Units Value (USD Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered By Type, Component and End User Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW) Key Market Drivers The growth of the dental industry is being fueled by the rising incidence of dental disorders increasing number of advanced CAD/CAM products Dental CAD/CAM Market Trends Drivers Factors like increased dental disease prevalence and a rise in dental procedures are fueling the growth of the worldwide dental CAD/CAM market. The proliferation of sophisticated CAD products also opens up a sizable market. One of the main causes fueling the expansion of the dental sector is the rising prevalence of dental problems. Future prospects should be generated by the rising demand for dental procedures on a global scale and improvements in dental technology in developing nations. Thus, it is anticipated that the dental CAD/CAM market will expand significantly in each of its segments, both in terms of volume and value. Story continues Therefore, the demand for accurate intraoral scanners to shorten scanning times is increasing due to the notable increase in the patient pool choosing a variety of aesthetic dentistry procedures. Because of this, the vast majority of healthcare professionals choose cutting-edge CAD/CAM scanners and related equipment. The aforementioned factors, together with the launch of sophisticated intraoral scanners by key market players, are leading to a greater adoption rate for these devices and are further anticipated to spur market expansion throughout the projection period. Restraints Gray markets for the distribution of dental equipment are anticipated to limit the market's expansion. Equipment for dentists is getting more and more expensive. Users are therefore more open to purchasing things at lower prices. Due to issues including items that have passed their expiration date and don't follow industry standards, dental CAD/CAM products offered on the gray market are ineffective and unsafe for usage, endangering the patient's health. Browse In-depth Market Research Report (135 Pages) on Dental CAD/CAM: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/dental-cad-cam-market-1410 COVID-19 Analysis The dental business has been greatly impacted by COVID-19 as seen by the sharp decline in patient visits for dental operations. The market for dental CAD/CAM has been impacted by a number of government regulations designed to stop the spread of the virus and prevent infection. A decrease in demand has also been attributed to the close contact nature of dental operations, government limitations including social isolation, and the risk of getting the virus. The market for dental CAD/CAM has suffered as a result. The introduction of a fully digital prosthetic workflow that uses CAD/CAM technology, on the other hand, has increased demand for telemedicine and decreased infection concerns. However, the removal of lockdown restrictions and stay-at-home orders in many nations, the implementation of several safety measures for dental treatments, and advancements in CAD/CAM technology, have all contributed to the market's significant growth during 2021 and are expected to continue this trend throughout the rest of the forecast period. This is also demonstrated by the income that top players generated in 2021 from the sale of dental equipment, such as CAD/CAM equipment. Segmentation By Type The market is segmented into In lab and In office by type By Component The market is segmented into Milling machines, Dental printers, Scanners, Software by component By End-User In terms of end users, dental clinics dominated the global CAD/CAM market for dental products. A CAD/CAM system is currently used by many clinicians in order to create restoratives with accuracy and precision. An rise in dental patient arrivals is beneficial to dental clinics. Regional Insights In the upcoming years, the dental CAD/CAM industry is anticipated to be dominated by the Americas. The region is anticipated to experience market expansion due to the existence of significant market players, strategic acquisitions to extend product portfolios, an increase in the frequency of oral illnesses, and the accessibility of cutting-edge technologies like CAD/CAM and digital scanners. The dental CAD/CAM market in North America is dominated by the United States. The rising prevalence of oral problems in the population is responsible for this sizeable part. The factors causing the market expansion in the area include the rising level of digitization in the dentistry industry, the substantial presence of key market participants, and the advantageous reimbursement policies. Buy Now: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=1410 Due to the increased adoption of cutting-edge treatments and the rising number of dental procedures, Europe is the second-largest market for dental CAD/CAM. The bulk of treatments involved tooth extractions, then osteotomy-assisted tooth extraction. Furthermore, Europe is a pioneer in the use of cutting-edge technologies. Intraoral scanners are among the pieces of technology that many European nations are modernizing. This can be attributed to elements like the steadily increasing senior population, which is susceptible to dental conditions, and the excellent insurance coverage for dental restoration that is available in a few European nations like Germany, France, and others. Due to the ongoing expansion of emerging economies like China and India, Asia-Pacific is thought to be the fastest expanding market in the area. The Asia-Pacific dental CAD/CAM market is expanding as a result of factors such as the rising elderly population, the development of improved technologies, and the availability of multiple prospects for market expansion. This is likely to accelerate the adoption of technologically cutting-edge digital dentistry solutions, including CAD/ CAM equipment, throughout the area, along with the growth and consolidation of dental clinics in nations like China, India, and Japan. The Middle East and Africa make up the two main segments of the dental CAD/CAM market in these two continents. The dental CAD/CAM market is dominated by developed Middle Eastern nations like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The developed infrastructure of these nations, rising healthcare costs, and rising per capita disposable incomes are all factors in the substantial market share of their region. Discover More Research Reports on Healthcare Industry by Market Research Future: Dental Industry Market Information By Discipline (Endodontics, Restorative Dentistry, Prosthodontics, Periodontics, Orthodontics, Cosmetic Dentistry, and Oral Surgery), By Consumables (Resin Composites, Dental Biomaterial, Dental Aesthetic, Endodontic Supplies, Gingival Retraction Material, and Whitening Material), By End-User (Hospitals & Clinics Specialty Dental Centers, and Dental Academic & Research Institutes), and Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World)Forecast till 2030 Dental Equipment Market Research Report: Information by Product (Dental Radiology Equipment, Dental Lasers, Systems & Parts, Laboratory Machines, Hygiene Maintenance Devices and others), Treatment (Orthodontic, Endodontic, Periodontics and Prosthodontic), End User (Hospitals & Clinics, Dental Laboratories and others) - Forecast till 2030 Dental Implants Market : Information By Type of Material (Titanium and Zirconium), By Procedure (Root-Form Dental Implants and Plate-Form Dental Implants), By End User (Hospitals & Clinics and Dental Research Laboratories) - Forecast till 2030 About Market Research Future: Market Research Future (MRFR) is a global market research company that takes pride in its services, offering a complete and accurate analysis with regard to diverse markets and consumers worldwide. Market Research Future has the distinguished objective of providing the optimal quality research and granular research to clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help answer your most important questions. Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter CONTACT: Market Research Future (Part of Wantstats Research and Media Private Limited) 99 Hudson Street, 5Th Floor New York, NY 10013 United States of America +1 628 258 0071 (US) +44 2035 002 764 (UK) Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Website: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com FACT.MR Growing awareness about the advantages of detox drinks, increased demand for healthy & organic food products, and rising incidence of chronic diseases are significant factors propelling the consumption of detox drinks. Rockville, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As per this new study by Fact.MR, a provider of market research and competitive intelligence, the global detox drinks market is expected to hit a valuation of US$ 10 billion by the end of 2033, increasing at 7.1% CAGR from 2023 to 2033. Detox drinks aid in the elimination of harmful toxins that can have a negative impact on the human body's cells and organs. Such beverages are made by combining various vegetables, fruits, and herbs, which naturally detoxify the body from within and aid in weight loss. A wide range of detox drinks are available on the market, including juices, smoothies, water, tea, and coffee, all of which provide numerous nutrients and boost the body's metabolism. Get A FREE Sample Report ( Includes - Market Shares, Size, Trends, 10 Yrs Forecast & Regional Analysis ) https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=8459 Detox Drinks Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2023 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 7.1% Market growth 2023-2033 USD 10 billion Market structure Fragmented Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa Key countries US, Canada, UK, France, and Germany Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled Suja Life LLC, Pukka Herbs, Raw Generation, Dr Stuart's, Detox Juices, Yogi Juice Bar, Cooler Cleanse LLC, PUR Cold Pressed Juice 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, and market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized. An increasing number of people are choosing a healthy lifestyle, which is a major factor driving the global market for detox drinks. People's growing emphasis on detox and healthy living, in general, has resulted in the increasing consumption of detox beverages. A comprehensive detox drink aids the body's cleansing and regeneration processes and replenishes it with new nutrients. Popular detox drinks include beet ginger detox juices, freshly squeezed lemonade, fruit-infused turmeric tea, and ginger shots. Story continues Rising incidence of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and others is propelling the global detox drinks market growth. For example, lung cancer was responsible for 1.8 million fatalities worldwide in 2020, accounting for the most cancer deaths. Furthermore, it is anticipated that 700 million individuals worldwide will have diabetes by 2045. Another factor fueling the growth of the global detox drinks market is consumers' growing interest in losing weight. Detoxification is a reliable and efficient means of detoxifying the body from within. Detox drinks are becoming increasingly popular around the world due to their potential to enhance the body's metabolism and provide other nutritional benefits. Moreover, detox beverages are gaining acceptance among fitness enthusiasts since they are high in fresh vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Additionally, the rising expense of healthcare operations and an increase in the senior population are important factors pushing the global expansion of the detox drinks market. Key Takeaways from Market Study The global detox drinks market stands at US$ 5 billion in 2023. Worldwide demand for detox drinks is predicted to swell at a CAGR of 7.1% from 2023 to 2033 (forecast period). The market for detox drinks is anticipated to touch US$ 10 billion by 2033-end. North America leads the global detox drinks market. Request Methodology & Get a Glimpse of Our Expertise https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=RM&rep_id=8459 Competitive Landscape Key players in the detox drinks market are working on expanding their market position by developing new products or collaborating with other players. These players are heavily investing in R&D to provide new types of body-cleansing drinks. Moreover, many start-ups in the global market are launching new products to compete with established players. Drunken Monkey, a start-up based in India, launched unique detox smoothie drinks made from avocado, mint, apple, and other ingredients in March 2022. Tipco, a Thai beverage manufacturer, launched a new line of vegetable and herb-infused drinks in Thailand in July 2022, including finger root-infused and curcumin-infused drinks. Both products are high in vitamin C, which helps customers meet their daily needs. Britvic absorbed Plenish, a plant-based drinks company based in the United Kingdom, in May 2021. Plenish provides a variety of plant-based milk, functional shots, cold-pressed juices, and cleansing programs. Regional Analysis North America is ruling the global detox drinks market due to the strong presence of well-known companies in the region. Organic and natural detox beverages are in high demand throughout the region, particularly in the United States, as people become more conscious of the hazardous consequences of artificial ingredients. Companies are expanding R&D spending to extend their product portfolio and reach a broader number of consumers, recognizing the immense potential in the region. The market in Europe and Asia Pacific is witnessing substantial growth due to growing demand for healthy beverages, changing lifestyles, and increasing prevalence of chronic diseases. Key Segments of Detox Drinks Industry Research By Product Type: Water Juices Smoothies Tea & Coffee Others By Category: Conventional Organic By Packaging Type: Bottles Pouches & Sachets Others By Distribution Channel: Supermarkets & Hypermarkets Specialty Stores Online Channels Others By Region: North America Latin America Europe Asia Pacific & China Middle East & Africa Quick Buy & Expand Your Horizons: Detox Drinks Market Report https://www.factmr.com/checkout/8459 Key Questions Covered in the Detox Drinks Market Report What will be the estimated size of the Market in 2023? At what rate will the global Detox Drinks sales grow until 2033? Which are the factors hampering the Detox Drinks demand? Which region will spearhead the growth in the global industry during 2023-2033? Which are the factors driving sales in the Detox Drinks Market during the forecast period? More Valuable Insights on Offer Fact.MR, in its new offering, presents an unbiased analysis of the global detox drinks market, presenting historical demand data (2018 to 2022) and forecast statistics for the period (2023 to 2033). The study divulges essential insights on the market based on product type (water, juices, smoothies, tea & coffee, others), category (conventional, organic), packaging type (bottles, pouches & sachets, others), and distribution channel (supermarkets & hypermarkets, specialty stores, online channels, others), across five major regions of the world (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and MEA). Check out more related studies published by Fact.MR Research: Energy Drinks Market Demand: The global demand for energy drinks will increase positively in 2022, surpassing US$ 37.80 Billion. Driven by the rise in health consciousness, as well as changes in consumer lifestyle and increased awareness of health wellness goods. Cannabis Infused Drinks Market Sales: The global cannabis infused drinks market sales has reached a valuation of US$ 400 million in the year 2022 and is predicted to race ahead and end up at US$ 8.7 billion by 2032-end. Botanical Infused Drinks Market Share: The global botanical infused drinks market share is set to enjoy a valuation of US$ 328 Million in 2023 and further expand at a CAGR of 6.4% to reach US$ 608 Million by the end of 2033. Whole Grain Drinks Market Size: Whole Grain Drinks Market size to witness steady growth by 2028. Increasing preference for natural & organic ingredients is driving the demand for Whole Grain Drinks About Fact.MR We are a trusted research partner of 80% of fortune 1000 companies across the globe. We are consistently growing in the field of market research with more than 1000 reports published every year. The dedicated team of 400-plus analysts and consultants is committed to achieving the utmost level of our clients satisfaction. Contact: US Sales Office 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United States Tel: +1 (628) 251-1583, +353-1-4434-232 (D) Connect to Author: Mr. Shambhu Nath Jha Email : shambhu@factmr.com Sales Team : sales@factmr.com Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter | YouTube Company Logo Dublin, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Differential Diagnostics Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2018-2028F Segmented by Treatment Type (Chest Pain, Headache, Fever, Pneumonia, Hypertension, Fatigue, Sleep Problems), By Usability, By End Use, By Region and Competition" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Global Differential Diagnostics Market is anticipated to witness a growth of steady CAGR in the forecast period, 2024-2028. This can be ascribed to the increasing prevalence of various types of diseases such as influenza, COVID diseases, cardiac diseases, and infectious diseases across the globe. Also, the growing accessibility of point-of-care testing products through online platforms will drive the growth of the market in the forecast period. Similarly, growing healthcare decentralization and high investments and funding for project development are expected to enhance the growth of the differential diagnostic market in the coming years. The availability of affordable diagnostic tests for chronic illness in the developing region is anticipated to propel the growth of the market. In January 2022, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) granted provisional approval for Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine branded as Nuvaxovid for use in Australia. Rising Diagnostic Tests Due to the growing number of diagnostic tests, people are demanding the best diagnostic test which will easily detect diseases and is anticipated to boost the growth of the market during the forecasted period. Diagnostic tests are performed in a private or public laboratory with appropriate equipment and sometimes expensive instrumentation and staffed with trained and qualified personnel. Growing demand for point-of-care testing which occurs at the nearest site of patient care is sought in the field of infectious bacterial diagnostics to allow the care team to receive more results quickly and make immediate and informed management decisions. For molecular diagnosis, different types of diseases can be detected by using challenging differential diagnosis. Story continues Governments and different organizations are investing for research and development purposes in the healthcare sector which is a major factor in driving the growth of the differential diagnostics market during the forecasted period. In 2021, according to the National Aids Control Organization (NACO), approximately 2.40 million people in India were infected with HIV. Of the total HIV-infected population 45% were women and 2% were below 12. Also, a growing number of clinics will enhance the demand for differential diagnostic tests market over the years. According to the Non-communicable Diseases Key Facts published by the World Health Organization (WHO) in April 2021, chronic diseases kill around 41 million people each year, which is equivalent to 71% of all deaths worldwide. Growing Technological Advancements Growing advancements in diagnostic technology helped physicians to evaluate processes and events in real time. The clinical application of advances in physics and mathematics resulted in the development of diagnostic tools. These developments help physicians to get more accurate, less invasive, and less expensive which will boost the market growth during the forecasted years. Also, the growing demand for diagnostic kits for at-home usage has resulted in technical developments which are expected to create significant growth in the forecast period. Leica Microsystems, a Danaher subsidiary, declared the debut of STELLARIS, the company's flagship platform for its revolutionary confocal microscope, in April 2020. This platform allows the viewing of live tissues and cells in three dimensions. Report Scope: In this report, Global Differential Diagnostics market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below: Differential Diagnostics Market, By Treatment Type: Chest Pain Headache Fever Pneumonia Hypertension Fatigue Sleep Problems Differential Diagnostics Market, By Usability: Physical Health Disorders Mental Health Disorders Differential Diagnostics Market, By End Use: Hospitals Diagnostic Centers Others Differential Diagnostics Market, By Region: North America United States Mexico Canada Europe France Germany United Kingdom Italy Spain Asia Pacific China India South Korea Japan Australia South America Brazil Argentina Colombia Middle East & Africa South Africa Saudi Arabia UAE Egypt Turkey Key Topics Covered: 1. Product Overview 2. Research Methodology 3. Executive Summary 4. Voice of Customer 5. Global Differential Diagnostics Market Outlook 6. North America Differential Diagnostics Market Outlook 7. Europe Differential Diagnostics Market Outlook 8. Asia-Pacific Differential Diagnostics Market Outlook 9. South America Differential Diagnostics Market Outlook 10. Middle East and Africa Differential Diagnostics Market Outlook 11. Market Dynamics 12. Market Trends & Developments 13. Global Differential Diagnostics Market: SWOT Analysis 14. Porter's Five Forces Analysis 15. Competitive Landscape 16. Strategic Recommendations A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Hologic, Inc. Quidel Corporation. F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. Abbott Laboratories, Inc. Danaher Corporation Meridian Bioscience Inc. GenMark Diagnostics, Inc. Sekisui Diagnostics Co., Ltd. Luminex Corporation. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/kwe56k About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood,Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 Contrive Datum Insights Pvt Ltd According to a market research study published by Contrive Datum Insights, North America is expected to dominate the global digital transformation market due to the presence of several large technology companies, high IT spending, and strong internet infrastructure. Farmington, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Digital Transformation Market Size Was Valued At USD 731.13 Billion In 2022 And Is Anticipated To Witness USD 4,617.78 billion By 2030 at a CAGR Of 26.7% From 2023 To 2030. The global digital transformation market is the market for technologies and services that help organizations modernize their operations, processes, and customer experiences in response to the growing use of digital technologies. This market has a wide range of products and services, such as cloud computing, big data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchain. The COVID-19 pandemic is also driving the digital transformation market. This is because the pandemic has sped up the shift to digital technologies, as more businesses try to digitize their operations and processes to stay competitive in a world after the pandemic. Request Sample Copy of Report Digital Transformation Market Size, Share & Trends Estimation Report By Solution Outlook (Analytics, Cloud Computing, Mobility, Social Media & Others), Service Outlook (Professional Services, Implementation & Integration, Hosted & On-premise), Enterprise Size Outlook (Large Enterprise, Small & Medium Enterprise) By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030 , published by Contrive Datum Insights. Segmentation Overview: Security Type Insights: Infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and software as a service (SaaS) are all parts of cloud computing (SaaS). Cloud computing lets businesses scale their IT infrastructure and cut costs by only paying for the resources they use. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) segment includes solutions for developing and deploying AI applications like natural language processing (NLP), machine learning (ML), and computer vision. AI solutions are used in a wide range of areas, such as customer service, catching fraud, and figuring out when repairs need to be made. Story continues The cloud computing segment is expected to be the biggest part of the digital transformation market, since more and more people are using the cloud to meet their needs for scalability and low costs. The big data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) markets are also expected to grow quickly as companies try to learn more from large amounts of data and make better decisions. Also, the Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain are expected to grow a lot as these technologies are used more and more in different industries. The COVID-19 pandemic has also sped up the adoption of digital technologies in a number of industries, which is expected to drive the growth of the digital transformation market in the coming years. Enterprise Size Insights: In the next few years, the global digital transformation market is expected to grow by a lot. Businesses of all sizes and in many different industries are looking to adopt digital technologies to improve their operations, make them more efficient, and make the customer experience better. The digital transformation market is split into small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large enterprises based on the size of the business. The SME segment is expected to grow quickly because digital technologies like cloud computing, AI, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices are becoming more widely available and more affordable. SMEs are also realizing more and more that they need to use digital technologies to stay competitive and meet customers' changing needs. The large enterprise segment is expected to remain a major driver of the digital transformation market. This is because many large organizations are already putting a lot of money into digital technologies to improve their operations and customers' experiences. Large businesses have the money to invest in more advanced technologies like big data analytics, machine learning, and blockchain, and they are likely to continue to be the first to use these cutting-edge solutions. Overall, the global digital transformation market is expected to continue to grow quickly as businesses of all sizes and in all fields use digital technologies more and more. This is because businesses need to stay competitive in a world that is becoming more digital, and more and more advanced technologies and services are becoming available to help them do this. Regional Outlook: The global digital transformation market is studied in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, and others. North America is expected to lead the world market for digital transformation because it has a lot of big tech companies, spends a lot on IT, and has a strong internet infrastructure. The United States is the biggest market in the area, and a big chunk of the digital transformation market is made up of sales there. Europe is likely to be a big market for digital transformation because more and more people are using digital technologies and the government is taking steps to encourage digitalization. Some of the biggest markets in the area are the UK, Germany, and France. Buy this Premium Research Report@ https://www.contrivedatuminsights.com/buy/248587 Scope of Report: Report Attributes Details Growth Rate CAGR of 26.7% from 2023 to 2030. Revenue Forecast by 2030 USD 4,617.78 Billion By Solution Analytics, Cloud Computing, Mobility, Social Media, Other By Service Professional Services, Implementation & Integration, Other By Deployment Hosted, On-premise, Other By Enterprise Size Large Enterprises, Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Other By End-use BFSI, Government, Healthcare, IT & Telecom, Manufacturing, Retail, Other By Companies Cisco Systems, Inc., Palo Alto Networks, McAfee, Inc., Broadcom, Trend Micro Incorporated, CrowdStrike, Check Point Software Technology Ltd. Regions and Countries Covered North America: (US, Canada, Mexico, Rest of North America) Europe(Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Nordic Countries, Benelux Union, Rest of Europe) Asia-Pacific (Japan, China, India, Australia, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific) The Middle East & Africa(Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East & Africa) Latin America(Brazil, Argentina, Rest of Latin America) Rest Of the World Base Year 2022 Historical Year 2017 to 2022 Forecast Year 2023 to 2030 Market Dynamics: Driving Factors: Advancements in technology: The speed at which technology is changing has made it easier and cheaper for businesses to adopt digital technologies. New technologies like cloud computing, big data analytics, AI, and the Internet of Things (IoT) have made it possible for businesses to change how they run and how their customers feel about them. Changing customer expectations: Customers want digital experiences that are more and more personalized, easy to use, and available anytime, anywhere. Because of this, businesses are putting money into digital technologies to meet the changing needs of their customers. Need for cost and operational efficiency: Digital technologies like automation, machine learning, and AI can help organizations streamline their operations and cut costs. By automating tasks that used to be done by hand, companies can save time and reduce the chance of mistakes. Restraining Factors: High cost of implementation: The cost of implementing digital transformation technologies and solutions can be high, which could be a barrier for some organizations, especially small and medium-sized businesses.. Security and privacy concerns: As the use of digital technologies has grown, so has the risk of cyberattacks and data breaches, which can be a big problem for businesses. This could make businesses less likely to use new digital technologies. Resistance to change: For digital transformation to happen, an organization's culture, processes, and structure often need to change a lot. This can make people not want to change, which can slow or stop digital transformation efforts from working. Opportunity Factors: Development of cloud-based solutions: Cloud computing is becoming more popular, and there is a growing need for cloud-based Digital Transformation tools. This gives Digital Transformation companies a chance to make cloud-based solutions that are easier to use and less expensive than traditional solutions that are installed on-site. Need for real-time analytics: Businesses are looking for more and more ways to get insights from data as it is being created. This gives Digital Transformation companies a chance to come up with real-time analytics solutions that can give insights right away. Challenges Factors: Personalization of customer interactions: As the need for personalized interactions with customers grows, businesses have a chance to set themselves apart from their competitors. Contact centers can use data analytics and AI technologies to give customers personalized help, which makes customers happier and more loyal. Outsourcing of contact center operations: Businesses can give their contact center operations to third-party service providers so they can focus on their core business operations. Outsourcing can also save money, give access to specialized knowledge, and allow operations to grow or shrink as needed. Key Segments Covered: Top Market Players: Cisco Systems, Inc., Palo Alto Networks, McAfee, Inc., Broadcom, Trend Micro Incorporated, CrowdStrike, Check Point Software Technology Ltd., and others. By Solution Analytics Cloud Computing Mobility Social Media Others By Service Professional Services Implementation & Integration By Deployment Hosted On-premise By Enterprise Size Large Enterprise Small & Medium Enterprise By End-use BFSI Government Healthcare IT & Telecom Manufacturing Retail Others Regions and Countries Covered North America: (US, Canada, Mexico, Rest of North America) Europe: (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Nordic Countries, Benelux Union, Rest of Europe) Asia-Pacific: (Japan, China, India, Australia, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific) The Middle East & Africa: (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East & Africa) Latin America: (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of Latin America) Rest Of the World Check out more related studies published by Contrive Datum Insights: Microduct Market - The Global Microduct Market Size Was Valued At USD 4.06 Billion In 2021. The Market Is Projected To Grow From USD 4.41 Billion In 2022 To USD 9.08 Billion By 2030, Exhibiting A CAGR Of 10.8% During The Forecast Period. Air Conditioning System Market - The Global Air Conditioning System Market Is Estimated At USD 123 Billion In 2023 And Is Forecast To Surpass USD 198 Billion By 2031, Growing At A CAGR Of 4.8% During 2023-2031. Magnet Wire Market - The Global Magnet Wire Market Is Expected To Reach USD 52.94 Billion By 2030, Which Is USD 34.49 Billion In 2022, Registering A CAGR Of 5.50% During The Forecast Period Of 2023 To 2030. Customization of the Report: The report can be customized as per client needs or requirements.For any queries, you can contact us on anna@contrivedatuminsights.com or +1 215-297-4078. Our sales executives will be happy to understand your needs and provide you with the most suitable reports. About Us: Contrive Datum Insights (CDI) is a global delivery partner of market intelligence and consulting services to officials at various sectors such as investment, information technology, telecommunication, consumer technology, and manufacturing markets. CDI assists investment communities, business executives, and IT professionals to undertake statistics-based accurate decisions on technology purchases and advance strong growth tactics to sustain market competitiveness. Comprising of a team size of more than 100 analysts and cumulative market experience of more than 200 years, Contrive Datum Insights guarantees the delivery of industry knowledge combined with global and country-level expertise. Social: Facebook / LinkedIn / Twitter Contact Us: Anna B. | Head Of Sales Contrive Datum Insights Phone: +91 9834816757 | +1 2152974078 Email: anna@contrivedatuminsights.com Website: https://www.contrivedatuminsights.com Contrive Datum Insights Press Releases Latest Contrive Datum Insights Latest Reports Dimensions Health Centres Anne Philippi Appointed to Dimensions Board of Advisors TORONTO, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dimensions, a Canadian company offering safe and legal plant medicine-assisted experiences for personal growth and well-being, has announced a partnership with the New Health Club, a global psychedelic community and media platform. As Dimensions explores opportunities to expand their retreat offerings in Europe, the partnership will be instrumental in building a strong network there, and in connecting and educating audiences on Dimensions program offerings and ethos of healing. Dimensions pioneering retreat programs unite neuroscientific research with psychedelic plant ceremony, community, healing modalities, and luxury-focused accommodations in nature. While on retreat, guests open themselves up to new ways of being and explore expanded states of consciousness through psychotherapy, psychedelic plant medicine ceremony, music, personal healing work, and integrative mindbody practices such as massage, acupuncture, yoga, and reiki, in a safe and private environment. The New Health Club is a Berlin-based, online and offline community focused on mental wellness and legal psychedelics, featuring interviews with leaders, innovators, and disruptors across the space. Dimensions Co-Founders Chris Dawson and Andrew Galloway are featured in a new podcast episode discussing both this new partnership and the future of international psychedelic retreats. The New Health Club is the ideal partner to explore opportunities to offer our established retreat model in Europe. We have taken great care to develop protocols, integrative practices, and modalities that can offer profound personal growth, and we are thrilled to be introducing Dimensions to this market. Anne has demonstrated a deep commitment to educating the public on the research around the use of safe and legal psychedelic-assisted therapies, and she will be an asset to our leadership as a member of our Advisory Board, said Chris Dawson, Co-Founder and CEO of Dimensions. Story continues Anne Philippi, Founder of the New Health Club, added, We are excited to collaborate with Dimensions as a partner for Europe. Their medically informed retreat vision is very valuable. I think it is a great time to create a trauma-informed, legal and vetted retreat landscape in Europe, and we will do this together with Dimensions. We put a great team together and are ready to go. This will be an important step to reintroduce psychedelics to society. Dimensions and the New Health Club will collaborate on several psychedelic retreats in the Netherlands, starting in autumn of 2023. In Canada, Dimensions facilitates the legal and safe use of cannabis as a psychedelic plant medicine. Dimensions International retreats will feature an expanded repertoire of psychedelic healing modalities (truffles) within their range of psychedelic assisted therapy programs, where permitted by local authorities. The partnership will also explore cannabis retreats in Europe over the next two years. Retreat enquiries are now being placed on a wait list at: dimensions@thenewhealthclub.de Guests interested in a Canadian preview of the cannabis retreat program taking place July 1923, 2023 can book through this Dimensions Algonquin Highlands website, also linked here. About Dimensions Dimensions focuses on restorative well-being and transformational growth by combining neuroscientific research with Plant Ceremony, therapeutic healing modalities, and luxurious hospitality. Dimensions Algonquin Highlands is the first in a growing collection of international retreats in spectacular, natural settings. In Canada, Dimensions facilitates the legal and safe use of cannabis as a psychedelic plant medicine. Dimensions International retreats will feature an expanded repertoire of psychedelic modalities (truffles) within their range of psychedelic-assisted therapy programs, where permitted by local authorities. www.dimensionsretreats.com For reservations, contact: reservations@dimensionsretreats.com About The New Health Club The New Health Club (TNHC) engages with thought leaders, innovators and disruptors from the new world of psychedelics. TNHC helps its community learn about everything from microdosing to psychedelic retreats. The organisation believes in the benefits of psychedelic therapies for health, lifestyle, and wellness optimizationwhen done right. The TNHC mission is to re-introduce psychedelics into society. Inquiries: Melanie Coates, Director, Marketing + Communications mcoates@dimensionsretreats.com Two suspects are still at large after a shooting at a North Carolina community college which plunged students and staff into lockdown just days after six victims were killed in a mass shooting at a Nashville elementary school. Winston-Salem Police said that officers responded to reports of shots fired on the main campus of Forsyth Tech Community College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, at 10.10am on Thursday morning. Forsyth Tech sent an active shooter alert urging all students, staff and faculty members to shelter in place. We are experiencing an active shooter situation. Law enforcement is on site. The campus is on lockdown with shelter in place for all students, faculty and staff, the alert said. At around 11.50am, police and the college gave updates saying that there was no active shooter on the campus. We can confirm there is no active shooter on the campus of Forsyth Tech. There is still an active investigation on the campus. There are no other threats to any other schools in the area, police said. A shelter in place is still in place. It is currently unclear if there are any injuries or fatalities from the incident. While officials have now confirmed there is no active shooting, the situation remains fluid and two male suspects remain at large. The suspects are described as armed and dressed in grey and black hoodies, reported WXII12. Multiple law enforcement teams are on the scene, drones have been sent up into the air and a helicopter is circling above the school in the search for the armed suspects. Nearby schools are also sheltering in place while parents have arrived on the scene to find their children. Law enforcement on the scene of the shooting at the community college (News2) Darius Taylor, a student at Forsyth Tech, told Fox8 that he was in a studio on the first floor of the Strickland Center when shots were fired somewhere in the vicinity of the campus building. He said that he received an alert from the school and officials quickly arrived to escort students to a safe location outside of the police perimeter. Story continues Its just something you dont expect said Mr Taylor. The look of sheer terror on my professors face when he told us there was an active shooter alert is something I cant erase from my mind. The shooting unfolded at a time when students from Stokes County Schools were on a field trip at the college campus. The school superintendent released a statement confirming that all Stokes County students are unharmed. While I do not have all of the details, I can confirm there were Stokes County Schools students on Forsyth Techs campus at the time of the shooting. All Students have been accounted for and are safe, the superintendent said. Stokes County district administration and school staff are on site and have confirmed sixteen students from West Stokes, 14 students from South Stokes, and one student from North Stokes were on campus and are being held there by law enforcement. The main bus from North Stokes had not arrived yet and that bus was re-routed back to North Stokes. As soon as our students are released, they will come directly back to their school campuses. This is still an ongoing investigation, and more information will be made available in the coming hours. Again, there were students from Stokes County Schools on a field trip to Forsyth Tech during the shooting; however, all students and staff who were on these field trips have been accounted for and are safe. We do not anticipate there is a threat to any of our schools in Stokes County at this time; however, we have been in contact with our local law enforcement and will be providing extra security to our schools this afternoon. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call 911 or WSPD non emergency at 336-773-7700 The man charged with shooting two men at an Ames hotel in January has pleaded guilty. Ames police responded at about 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 14 to a report of a shooting at the Quality Inn & Suites at 2601 E 13th St. Officers found two victims who were treated at area hospitals. Anthony G. Garner Jr., 27, of Pine Hill, Alabama, had called 911 to report he had shot someone, according to court documents. Garner was taken to the Ames Police Department, where he gave a statement to officers. He said he had gotten into an argument with his ex over property. Garner said he then got a text from the woman's brother who said to give his sister's property back. Garner declined but went out with a handgun in his pocket to meet his ex's brother when he said he had arrived at the hotel. Another man accompanying Garner's ex's brother approached him in the hall and Garner fired three shots, striking the man and breaking his femur. Garner pleaded guilty on Monday to three counts and the court accepted his plea on Tuesday: assault causing serious injury, a felony; assault causing bodily injury, a serious misdemeanor; and carrying a dangerous weapon while under the influence, a serious misdemeanor. He had originally faced other felony charges including attempted murder, going armed with intent, and intimidation with a dangerous weapon. The maximum sentences for the charges Garner pleaded guilty to are five years in prison and a fine of $10,425 for assault causing serious injury and one year in prison and a fine of $2,560 each for assault causing bodily injury and carrying a dangerous weapon while under the influence. Garner's bond is set at $500,000, but there is a hearing scheduled for next week to review the amount. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 4. This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Alabama man charged in January shooting at Ames hotel pleads guilty U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) WASHINGTON, D.C. Here's a look at how area members of Congress voted March 17-23: House House Vote 1:RELATIONS WITH AUSTRALIA AND UNITED KINGDOM: The House has passed a bill (H.R. 1093), sponsored by Rep. Michael T. McCaul, R-Texas, to have the State Department report to Congress on State's implementation of a trilateral U.S. security partnership with Australia and the United Kingdom that includes cooperation for developing advanced military technologies. The vote, on March 22, was 393 yeas to 4 nays.NAYS: Marcy Kaptur, D-OH (9th) House Vote 2:RELATIONS WITH TAIWAN: The House has passed a bill (H.R. 1159), sponsored by Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Mo., to require the State Department to periodically update its guidance to Congress regarding U.S. policy toward Taiwan. Wagner said changed guidance was needed given China's threats against Taiwanese independence, and the bill would "ensure the United States engages Taiwan in a way that deepens our relationship with this important partner." The vote, on March 22, was 404 yeas to 7 nays.YEAS: Kaptur, D-OH (9th) U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo. House Vote 3:SOUTHEAST ASIA: The House has passed the Providing Appropriate Recognition and Treatment Needed to Enhance Relations with ASEAN Act (H.R. 406), sponsored by Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, to provide various legal immunities and privileges to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The vote, on March 23, was 388 yeas to 33 nays.Not voting: Kaptur, D-OH (9th) House Vote 4:OVERRIDING PRESIDENTIAL VETO: The House failed to override President Biden's veto of a resolution (H.J. Res. 30), sponsored by Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., to disapprove of and void a Labor Department rule issued in December that authorized fiduciaries of retirement plans to consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues in their management of the plans. The vote, on March 23, was 219 yeas to 200 nays, with a two-thirds majority required to override the veto. NAYS: Kaptur, D-OH (9th) Senate Senate Vote 1:COLORADO DISTRICT JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Gordan P. Gallagher to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for Colorado. A federal magistrate judge in the district since 2012, Gallagher had previously been a practitioner at his own law firm and a prosecutor for Colorado's government. The vote, on March 22, was 53 yeas to 43 nays.YEAS: Sherrod Brown D-OHNAYS: J.D. Vance R-OH Story continues Senate Vote 2:IRAN AND MILITIAS IN IRAQ: The Senate has rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., to a bill (S. 316) that would have repealed the 2002 authorization of use of military force against Iraq and replaced it with an authorization to use military force against militias in Iraq that are supported by Iran. The vote, on March 22, was 36 yeas to 60 nays.NAYS: Brown D-OH, Vance R-OH Senate Vote 3:OVERSIGHT OF MILITARY FORCE: The Senate rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, to a bill (S. 316) that would have stipulated no future authorization of use of military force could extend beyond two years. The vote, on March 23, was 19 yeas to 76 nays.NAYS: Brown D-OHYEAS: Vance R-OH Senate Vote 4:AUTHORIZATION OF IRAQ WAR: The House has rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. James E. Risch, R-Idaho, to a bill (S. 316) that would have conditioned repeal of the 2002 authorization to use military force against Iraq on assurances that repeal would not harm U.S. ability to detain terrorists. The vote, on March 23, was 41 yeas to 52 nays.NAYS: Brown D-OH, Vance R-OH This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: How area members of Congress voted Amazon Studios has released a brand new Citadel trailer for the upcoming global spy thriller drama starring Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra. The series will be available for streaming on April 28, exclusively on Prime Video. The video features Madden and Chopra as top spies who have been betrayed by someone within their organization, which leads them to live separate lives with no memory of their past together. However, destiny has other plans as their lives have once again intertwined with each other. They must work together in order to find the ones who betrayed them. Citadel is executive produced by Anthony and Joe Russo through their AGBO banner, with David Weil set as the showrunner. It is a global spy thriller that will be told through multiple shows taking place in the United States, Italy, India, and Mexico with each version told in the countries local language. The series stars Richard Madden, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Lesley Manville as Dahlia Archer, Osy Ikhile as Carter Spence, Ashleigh Cummings as Abby Conroy, Roland Mller as Anders Silje and Davik Silje, Caoilinn Springall as Hendrix Conroy, and more. Eight years ago, Citadel fell. The independent global spy agency tasked to uphold the safety and security of all people was destroyed by operatives of Manticore, a powerful syndicate manipulating the world from the shadows, reads the synopsis. With Citadels fall, elite agents Mason Kane (Madden) and Nadia Sinh (Jonas) had their memories wiped as they narrowly escaped with their lives. Theyve remained hidden ever since, building new lives under new identities, unaware of their pasts. Until one night, when Mason is tracked down by his former Citadel colleague, Bernard Orlick (Tucci), who desperately needs his help to prevent Manticore from establishing a new world order. Mason seeks out his former partner, Nadia, and the two spies embark on a mission that takes them around the world in an effort to stop Manticore, all while contending with a relationship built on secrets, lies, and a dangerous-yet-undying love. The global event series is written and executive produced by Midnight Radios Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec, Jeff Pinkner, and Scott Rosenberg. Executive producers are Weil, Mike Larocca, Angela Russo-Otstot, and Scott Nemes. Each Citadel show is locally created, produced, and filmed in-region, and stars top talent, forming a distinct global franchise. Series are already underway in Italy and India, respectively, starring Matilda De Angelis, Varun Dhawan, and Samantha Ruth Prabhu. The post Citadel Trailer: Richard Madden & Priyanka Chopra Lead Spy Drama appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. Training on Prevention of Gender-Based Violence Part of Companywide Investment to Create Healthier Environment for Female Employees Dinant to Build More Breastfeeding Clinics in Honduras Dinants popular breastfeeding clinic in San Pedro Sula is to be replicated at other Company facilities. Tegucigalpa, Honduras, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With more and more women choosing to work at Dinant - the leading agribusiness and consumer products manufacturer in Honduras - the Company is investing in a range of initiatives to create an even safer and healthier environment for its female employees. These include offering professionally-staffed breastfeeding clinics for working mothers and introducing compulsory staff training on protecting the rights of female workers and local community members. Since 2021, Dinant has provided a breastfeeding clinic for working mothers at its snacks factory in San Pedro Sula. A highly-trained, full-time female healthcare provider assists nursing mothers, providing training and advice, and attending to any medical issues the mothers might have. In under two years, the breastfeeding clinic has benefited 75 Dinant employees. As a result, Dinant is building similar breastfeeding clinics at other manufacturing facilities in Honduras, including in the Aguan and Lean Valleys. Sindy Gabriela Zelaya, Occupational Health Manager at Dinant, said, When a mother returns to work after maternity leave, we want her to be able to continue breastfeeding her baby if she so chooses. The purpose-built lactation room at Dinants snacks plant in San Pedro Sula is a safe, private, sanitary space that enables mothers to express milk and store it in refrigerators ready to take home at the end of the workday. Im delighted that we are expanding this facility to other Company locations in Honduras. Dinant has also developed a compulsory training module for all employees on the prevention of violence or harassment based on gender. Working in collaboration with expert legal advice and drawing from global best practices, Dinants training includes practical advice on how those in need or in fear can receive free support. All staff, including new employees, will undertake the new training over the next few months. In partnership with the womens office in Tocoa, Dinants social liaison experts have started training community leaders in Aguan and Lean on this issue, as well as on childrens rights. Story continues Roger Pineda Pinel, Dinants Director of Corporate Relations and Sustainability, said, Of course, there remains much work to be done, but I am confident that Dinant is a place where women want to work and where they feel safe, valued, well-remunerated, and able to pursue exactly the same career opportunities as our male employees. I have no doubt that we shall see increasing numbers of women employed throughout Dinant in the months and years ahead. In line with national legislation, Dinant provides expectant mothers with 42 days maternity leave prior to their delivery dates and 42 days leave after the birth for all mothers who choose to return to work. The Company also voluntarily provides three days paid paternity leave for new male parents. Dinant provides equal opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to gender, race, color, religion, national origin, age or disability. The Company employs nearly 6,000 people in Honduras alone, 28% of whom are women. There are 62 employees with disabilities, including 19 females. Dinant is making exceptional progress at hiring women for sales positions that traditionally have attracted only male applicants, and the Companys highly respected security women work alongside their male counterparts at many of its operating sites. About Dinant Dinants products are sold across Central America and the Dominican Republic. Its operations directly employ 7,600 people, who in turn support approximately 22,000 family members, as well as many thousands of contractors, vendors and suppliers. Dinant is a full member of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR), a highly-esteemed international initiative that governs how organizations vet, recruit, and train security men and women, and how they engage peacefully and transparently with local communities. Attachment CONTACT: Roger Pineda Pinel Corporacion Dinant +504 2239-8271 roger.pineda@dinant.com A proposal that would see North Carolina high school students required to take a computer science course to graduate appears close to passing the N.C. General Assembly, although the move would no longer come at the cost of a traditional science course. In the end, the earth science course in North Carolina public schools didn't end up on the chopping block. But for several weeks, it certainly appeared to be on life support after legislation under consideration by the Republican-controlled N.C. General Assembly would have made computer science one of the three science credits students needed to graduate likely at the expense of earth science learning. Why no one disputes the need for tomorrow's workers to be computer literate, here's why the idea of dropping a traditional science course alarmed many Democrats, educators and environmentalists. The proposal The legislation, House Bill 8, would make computer science one of the science credits students need for graduation. State Rep. Erin Pare, a Wake County Republican and the bill's primary sponsor, has said the bill is designed to make students entering the workforce more prepared to compete for the growing numbers of jobs in North Carolina and nationally that require computer literacy. Business leaders have repeatedly said there's a skills gap when it comes to computer science knowledge and what the state's workforce can provide. The bill proposed to fit the computer science requirement in by removing one of the three science courses high school students have to take biology, physical science and earth or environmental science. The controversy While later editions of the bill didn't state which science course should be dropped, an earlier version would have eliminated the earth science class requirement. That a science class requirement could be sacrificed sent alarm bells through much of the state's educational community. That it could be earth sciences, where students learn about climate change and other environmental perils scientists say the planet is facing due to man's actions, drew in environmentalists and others already worried about the limited science curriculum students are taught. Oceanfront erosion, like this house falling into the Atlantic on the Outer Banks earlier this month, is one of the impacts that scientists say is being amplified due to sea-level rise changes tied to climate change. "Shock. Just shock," said Dr. Sarah Carrier, a professor of science education at N.C. State University, when asked what the reaction was from her and other educators to the proposal. "Many of us, including me, see science as being everywhere, so by not teaching it or ignoring it is hurting the very people we need to be productive future contributors to our society." Story continues According to a 2021 Pew Research Center survey, young Americans are more engaged with climate change than older generations. They tend to see more climate change content on social media platforms, talk more about the need for action, and actively do more by volunteering and attending events. CLIMATE WARRIORSThe kids are all fight: How millennials, Gen Z are driving change on climate The reaction of the state's top educator didn't help soothe worries, either. Of all the things that keep me up at night, eliminating earth science isnt necessarily one of them if it means we could replace it with computer science, Republican State Superintendent Catherine Truitt told the House K-12 Education Committee in early February. Also underlying the concerns of many was how the bill was proposed during a time when there's perceived to be an increased push by conservative politicians to impose their views and ideals on others. Those issues include limiting abortion rights, heightened book-banning efforts, moves to limit the discussion of non-traditional lifestyles in schools, and the rash of bills across the county including in North Carolina to ban critical race theory from schools. Conservatives say the moves are a natural response to an intensifying liberal agenda that has moved the societal pendulum well to the left in recent years, leaving many people uncomfortable and questioning the country's future. ENERGY SHIFTNorth Carolina's future energy roadmap rolled out amid criticisms, Christmas blackouts Did climate change get caught up in these "culture wars"? While North Carolina has a mixed history when it comes to climate change, including at one point last decade deciding to ignore worrying sea-level rise projections that saw the state skewered on late-night comedy shows, it has more recently been seen as aggressively moving to address the problems a changing climate promises to bring. That includes bipartisan legislation passed two years ago to reduce North Carolina's carbon emissions by 70% from 2005 levels by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Where things stand now After several weeks of intense debate and discussions, legislators said late last month that they had cobbled together a deal. While the computer science requirement for students would remain, it would take the place of an elective rather than an existing science course. North Carolina high school students currently need to take at least three science courses to graduate. While stating that she wasn't too familiar with the compromise bill, Carrier said education is too important, too tied together across disciplines to be seen as promoting one angle or goal at the expense of something else. Our world is not separated by subjects, although thats how its often played out in our policies," she said. According to the N.C. General Assembly website, the bill passed the house 115-2 on March 8 and is now in the N.C. Senate's Rules Committee, which is headed by Sen. Bill Rabon, R-Brunswick. Assuming the GOP-backed bill passes the Republican-controlled Senate, it will then head to Gov. Roy Cooper's desk. Reporter Gareth McGrath can be reached at GMcGrath@Gannett.com or @GarethMcGrathSN on Twitter. This story was produced with financial support from 1Earth Fund and the Prentice Foundation. The USA TODAY Network maintains full editorial control of the work. Earth science This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Why science teaching got controversial in NC this year A Senate panel scrutinized Starbucks' business practices during a hearing with the company's former CEO. The Food and Drug Administration approved the sale of an overdose-reversal drug without a prescription. And legislation repealing decades-old military authorizations was passed by the Senate. Hi, Julius here. And it's Wednesday. Let's get into today's news, shall we? But first: Get familiar with new MLB rules. Some of the biggest Major League Baseball rule changes in history roll out when the season begins tomorrow, including a 15-second pitch clock. The Short List is a snappy USA TODAY news roundup. Subscribe to the newsletter here. What's the weather up to in your neck of the woods? Check your local forecast here. Ex-Starbucks CEO defends company in face of labor complaints Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz told senators Wednesday that his company did not break labor laws, despite the company facing more than 80 complaints from the National Labor Relations Board for doing just that. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee targeted Schultz and Starbucks to examine the corporation's treatment of employees working to unionize. Schultz's testimony comes after Starbucks employees walked out of more than 100 stores last week to protest the company's anti-union efforts. Here's what else was said during Wednesday's hearing. Howard Schultz, former CEO of Starbucks, testifies in front of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions about Starbucks' alleged union-busting activities. After Nashville, little hope for gun reform on Capitol Hill Lawmakers from both parties said the prospects for major gun control legislation advancing in Congress are slim even as President Joe Biden said he's exhausted what he can do to address gun violence through executive action. It appears the nation's latest mass shooting a massacre at a Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee could turn into a familiar story: Calls for sweeping gun reform, followed by inaction. A ban on assault weapons lacks the votes in the Republican-led House and even faces an uphill fight in the Democratic-led Senate. Here's why major gun law changes are unlikely. Story continues A man sits on the curb near a makeshift memorial by the entrance of the Covenant School on Wednesday in Nashville, Tenn. What everyone's talking about The Short List is free, but several stories we link to are subscriber-only. Consider supporting our journalism and become a USA TODAY digital subscriber today. FDA approves over-the-counter sale of Narcan The FDA on Wednesday approved selling the overdose-reversal drug Narcan without a prescription, a move long sought by advocates to improve access to the lifesaving drug. The approval would make the nasal spray used to counteract fentanyl and opioid overdoses more available to consumers who could buy the medication at stores without a prescription or pharmacist's recommendation. FDA Commissioner Robert Califf urged the drug's manufacturer to make Narcan widely available at an affordable price. Here's what the FDA's approval means. Senate votes to repeal military authorizations for Iraq, Gulf wars The Senate passed legislation Wednesday repealing decades-old military authorizations and formally ending the Iraq and Gulf wars. The bipartisan legislation would prevent future presidents from misusing military force without congressional authorization. It also gives Congress more power in determining when to send troops into combat. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Wednesday the odds are high it will be signed into law before the end of the year because there's a lot of support in the House and from Biden. A break from the news This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Want this news roundup in your inbox every night? Subscribe to the newsletter here. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Former Starbucks CEO, AUMF repeal, Narcan: Wednesday's news Exhale the Family Caregiver Initiative which funds innovative collaborative projects that reimagines and boosts respite opportunities for family caregivers of older adults recently announced that a dozen nonprofit groups in Western New York and Michigan will split nearly $2.6 million in related grants. Nearly 60 partner organizations also have stepped up to offer related help, said Amber Slichta, vice president and programs and learning for the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation. The foundation provides financial support to Exhale, as does the Health Foundation for Western & Central New York, Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation. Awards in Western New York totaled nearly $1.8 million; in Washtenaw County, Michigan, they totaled nearly $800,000, the foundations announced. More:Working class, people of color face greatest challenges in caregiving Care in Crisis:Caregivers are reaching a breaking point Grantees will work with partners on initiatives that include neighborhood respite centers, a mystery trip program, care support to improve healthy living with chore support, home modifications, and mobile respite care, starting early next year. Grantees in Western New York include Catholic Health Continuing Care Foundation, YMCA Buffalo Niagara, Cradle Beach Inc., Healthy Alternatives Through Healing Arts (HAHA), the Buffalo Federation of Neighborhood Centers, the American Cancer Society, St. Johns Home Foundation, Lifespan of Greater Rochester Inc., and United Way of Orleans County. In Washtenaw County, they include Regents of the University of Michigan Silver Club, Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels and the Chelsea Senior Center. For more information, visit exhaleforcaregivers.org. Scott Scanlon This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Exhale family caregiver initiative supports solutions-driven programs Get ready for an awe-inspiring vacation. Courtesy of Hotel and Igloo Village Kakslauttanen Seeing the northern lights in person is a major goal for many travelers. The show put on by Mother Nature (or, more accurately, by the sun experiencing a coronal mass ejection and sending charged particles hurtling toward Earth that appear as gorgeous green, pink, and purple lights) is truly a sight to behold. If you're ready to chase the northern lights, its time to plan a trip to Finland. Finland has become a major destination for northern lights seekers because the aurora borealis is visible there some 200 nights a year, and there are plentiful hotels and resorts ready to host you with accommodations designed so you can see the lights from your bed. Heres everything you need to plan an epic northern lights trip to Finland, including the best glass igloos, snow huts, and luxe villas to book. Where to See the Northern Lights in Finland The key to a good northern lights viewing experience is to get as far away from city lights as possible. The darker the area, the brighter the lights will appear. Thats why its a good idea to head to northern Finnish destinations at or above the Arctic Circle, like Lapland. As Visit Finland notes, you can see the lights in the southern portion of the country, but they only shine here about 10-20 nights per year. Courtesy of Octala When to See the Northern Lights in Finland Give yourself the best chance at seeing the lights by booking a visit between late August and early April. Visit Finland says this is when the skies are darkest and the nights are likely to be clear enough to view the lights. During this time, the northern lights are usually present at least every other night. That means, even if you plan for just a long winter weekend, there's a solid chance you may get to see the northern lights for yourself. You can even keep an eye on northern lights activities via the Finnish Meteorological Associations space weather website. What to Pack Prepare for chilly weather when you go northern lights hunting in Finland. For example, in Kiruna, Finland's northernmost city, the average winter temperature barely cracks 25F, according to WeatherSpark. January is the coldest month, with an average low of 2F and a high of 17F. Story continues That said, you'll want to pack more than a few extra layers, especially if you expect to head out into the wilderness to view the lights. Visit Finland notes that the lights can be fickle, appearing or disappearing at any time throughout the night (usually between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m.), meaning would-be viewers should expect to stay out for several hours. So yes, pack the extra socks. And gloves. And do not we repeat, do not forget to pack your camera and tripod, as you'll undoubtedly want to document this unforgettable experience. Courtesy of Arctic Treehouse The Best Glass Igloos and Hotels for Northern Lights Viewing in Finland Arctic Treehouse Hotel Perhaps the most famous igloo accommodation in Finland is the Arctic Treehouse Hotel, located in Rovaniemi. With just 37 rooms, it's a place where guests can expect ultra-personalized service. Each room comes with all-glass walls and calming neutral-toned interiors which place all the focus on the view outside. All you need to do is cozy up in bed and wait for the show to begin. Octola Seeking some luxury on your northern lights getaway? Book a stay at Octola. The high-end accommodation has just 12 rooms and two chalets spread across nearly 1,000 acres of private land that is home to wild reindeer and plenty of dark places to see the lights at night. Want to bring some friends along? Whole resort buyouts are available. Kemi Seaside Glass Villas Kemi Seaside Glass Villas For a minimalist stay, book a few nights at Kemi Seaside Glass Villas. Located near SnowCastle, the all-glass villas (which include a glass roof) make it feel as though there's nothing between you and the natural landscape all around. Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort East Village The Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort East Village is another rather popular location for northern lights seekers and Instagrammers. The resort boasts more than 200,000 Instagram followers who flock to the page to see the gorgeous images of both the northern lights and the resort itself. Made up of glass igloos, the resort allows every guest to view the lights from the comfort of their own little hub. The resort also has log cabins available for those looking for added privacy. Lucky Ranch For a unique Finnish experience, book a stay at Lucky Ranch. The low-key accommodation has traditional rooms available, but you're not here for traditional. Instead, book one of its snow huts. Yes, they are made entirely out of snow, so you can't get the same viewing experience from bed, but you may be willing to trade that for bragging rights. And, Lucky Ranch happens to be in a prime northern lights location above the Arctic Circle, so you can always just step outside the hut, look up, and see the lights. For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Travel & Leisure. American Cruise Lines' new itinerary will take guests across the U.S. If you have a U.S. travel bucket list, a new sailing from American Cruise Lines is sure to check at least a few items off. The line will sail a new 61-day itinerary exploring 20 states across four time zones, the company announced this week. The Great United States sailing, which debuts next fall, will start at the Pacific coast and head east, including visits to several national parks. The Great United States cruise is a fantastic showcase of our country and of the breadth of American Cruise Lines," Charles B. Robertson, president and CEO of American Cruise Lines, said in a news release. "A river cruise of this magnitude has never been done before in the U.S., and only American Cruise Lines is capable of delivering it successfully." What should I wear at sea?: Here's what to know about cruise line dress codes Small island, big opportunities: This idyllic Caribbean hideaway isn't just for the rich and famous When is the Great United States sailing? The first Great United States itinerary will sail from Portland, Oregon, on Aug. 14, 2024, through Oct. 14, 2024, on the line's American Jazz, American Symphony and American Independence vessels. Where will the Great United States itinerary visit? The sailing will begin on American Jazz in Portland, Oregon, and head to Clarkston, Washington, along the Columbia and Snake Rivers. Guests can then explore Hells Canyon. That will be followed by a land package that allows guests to tour Glacier National Park, Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park, ending in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. After traveling to New Orleans, guests will sail along the Mississippi River on American Symphony on the itinerary's second cruise segment, featuring iconic American wildlife such as bald eagles and a visit to Mark Twain's childhood home, according to the release. The rest of the journey will take guests to Portland, Maine; Boston; Newport, Rhode Island; Mystic, Connecticut; and more on American Independence. Passengers can take in views of fall foliage in the Hudson River Valley, Gilded Age mansions, and the Statue of Liberty as they sail into New York City. Story continues How much will the Great United States itinerary cost? The itinerary costs between $51,060 and $77,945 per person based on double occupancy depending on the stateroom, according to the release, and passengers must pay a $5,000 deposit for each guest when they make their reservation. Should you buy travel insurance through a cruise line?: Maybe not, experts say Happiest place in the Caribbean?: Disney Cruise Line to open Lighthouse Point island destination The fare includes a hotel stay before the cruise, food and drinks, flights and hotels between cruise segments, gratuities, Wi-Fi and more. Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: This American Cruise Lines itinerary will take guests to 20 states Nine people died after two U.S. Army helicopters crashed during a training operation in Kentucky on Wednesday night, the military said Thursday morning. The crash involved two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters that are part of the 101st Airborne Division and occurred around 10 p.m. on Wednesday over Trigg County, located in the southwestern part of the state on its border with Tennessee. The 101st Airborne said in a release posted on its Twitter account that crewmembers were flying a routine training mission when the crash occurred. The crash is under investigation. The command is currently focused on caring for the servicemembers and their families, the release said. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) tweeted that the state police and Division of Emergency Management along with local officials were responding to the crash. He said he is traveling to Fort Campbell, which is about 60 miles northwest of Nashville, on Thursday morning to support the troops and their families. Kentucky State Police Trooper Sarah Burgess said at a news conference that the crash occurred in a wooded area in a field. She said no reports of damage to residences had been made. Brig. Gen. John Lucas, the deputy commander for the 101st Airborne, said at a separate press conference on Thursday that officials are in the process of notifying the victims families. He said the Army has deployed an aircraft safety team from Fort Rucker in Alabama that was scheduled to arrive later Thursday to initiate an investigation. This is a truly tragic loss for our families, our division and Fort Campbell, and our No. 1 priority is caring for the families and the soldiers within our combat aviation brigade, Lucas said. He said four people were in one helicopter and five were in another, and officials are not sure if the helicopters collided. Reuters reported that the HH-60 is a variant of the Black Hawk helicopter that is designed to provide support for military operations like air assaults and medical evacuations. Story continues A Black Hawk helicopter crashed along an Alabama highway during a training exercise last month, killing two Tennessee National Guard pilots. The Hills Brad Dress and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Updated: 10:41 a.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Robert Ingram, a former pharmaceutical executive who steered North Carolinas life science industry, died late last week in Durham at the age of 80. Ingram, who went by Bob, led the British firm GlaxoWellcome through its merger to become GlaxoSmithKline. He joined Glaxo in 1990 and rose to head its U.S. operations, which were based in Research Triangle Park. In 1997, Ingram was promoted to Glaxo CEO and was permitted to run the global company from the Triangle. The News & Observer called Ingrams promotion and his ability to remain local a sign that the region is being recognized as one of the worlds most important pharmaceutical centers. In 2000, Ingram helped lead the Glaxo merger with SmithKline Beecham. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) maintains an RTP campus today. Ingram retired from the company two years later and would go on to help fund early-stage life science companies as a general partner at the Durham fund Hatteras Venture Partners. He was a great leader and mentor to so many people on our Board, said Research Triangle Foundation spokesperson Jan Mactal in an email Wednesday. In 2014, Ingram received the North Carolina Award, the highest civilian honor bestowed by the state. Cancer awareness and Porsche collection Ingram was an advocate for cancer awareness, forming the CEO Roundtable on Cancer in 2001 at the behest of former President George H.W. Bush. A few years later, President George W. Bush appointed Ingram to serve on the National Institutes of Health Cancer Advisory Board. Born in 1942, Ingram grew up in central Illinois and graduated from Eastern Illinois University. He died on March 24, and his family says a private ceremony will be held near the Western North Carolina town of Highlands. Outside his work in life sciences and cancer awareness, Ingram was known for his extensive Porsche collection. The Ingram Collection of Porches is considered one of the best in the country, wrote the Porsche Southpoint dealership in Durham. As of 2021, he had 80 models, despite a few being damaged in a 2019 fatal gas explosion in downtown Durham. Story continues I first became enamored with Porsche in 1971, Ingram told Porsche Southpoint. In recent years, he and his family would use the cars as a backdrop for charity events. This story was produced with financial support from a coalition of partners led by Innovate Raleigh as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. The N&O maintains full editorial control of the work. Open Source Do you enjoy Triangle tech news? Subscribe to Open Source, The News & Observer's weekly technology newsletter and look for it in your inbox every Friday morning. Sign up here. A Titusville, Pennsylvania, pipe manufacturer thats part of a company based in Fort Worth is being cited for violating child labor and overtime wage laws, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The manufacturing company had to pay $10,000 in back wages for employee damages. The Department of Labor discovered WL Plastics Manufacturing LLC allowed a young employee to illegally operate a forklift in an investigation of how the 17-year-old employee suffered a minor injury at the company. Illegally operating a forklift is a hazardous occupation under federal child labor law, which prohibits workers under 18 from operating hazardous equipment, according to the Department of Labor. The Labor Departments Wage and Hour Division assessed a $6,399 civil money penalty against WL Plastics Manufacturing as a result of the child labor violation, which the employer paid. During its review, the division also determined that WL Plastics Manufacturing failed to pay proper overtime wages to 60 employees by not including safety bonuses in their wage calculations. The employers action led to a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The division recovered a total of $10,361 back in wages and liquidated damages for the affected workers. Minors should never be employed to do unsafe work. It is the employers responsibility to not only protect young people from being hurt in the workplace, but to also ensure all employees are paid fairly, said John DuMont, Wage and Hour Division district director in Pittsburgh. The Wage and Hour Division will hold employers accountable when they fail to comply with federal law. Founded in 2000, WL Plastics Manufacturing LLC is one of North Americas largest manufacturers of solid wall polyethylene pipe products with nine industrial locations in Georgia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Wyoming. The company is based in Fort Worth. German media giant Bertelsmann closed out 2022 on a high, with overall revenue hitting $21.9 billion (20.2 billion euro), the highest in the companys history. But the group, which controls European TV conglomerate RTL Group and production subsidiary Fremantle, music division BMG and leading publisher Penguin Random House, saw its profits more than cut in half to $1.14 billion (1.05 billion euro) compared to 2021 as Bertelsmann invests heavily to juice the creative and streaming sides of its businesses. That M&A strategy is most evident at Fremantle, where revenue jumped 22 percent year-on-year to $2.49 billion (2.3 billion euro), helped by the acquisitions of a 70 percent stake in leading Italian TV producer Lux Vide (Devils, Medici) and 51 percent of the Irish group Element Pictures (Normal People, The Favourite). Bertelsmann chairman and CEO Thomas Rabe has set Fremantle a revenue target of $3.25 billion (3 billion euro) by 2025. More from The Hollywood Reporter BMG, which acquired the German music label Telamo last year, continues to gobble up music rights, in 2022 picking up the back catalogs of Scottish rockers Simple Minds and French electronic music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre, as well as re-upping contracts with such artists as Rita Ora, Elvis Costello and Julian Lennon. Bertelsmann has been less successful in its efforts to bulk up its broadcast operations in France, where a proposed merger between RTL-controlled M6 and leading French commercial broadcaster TF1 was called out because of regulatory concerns, and the Netherlands, where anti-trust authorities told RTL earlier this year it would not approve its planned fusion of RTL Nederland with the Dutch Talpa Network. Story continues Rabe, however, is sticking to his game plan, noting Thursday that the group invested $1.73 billion (1.6 billion euro) in its so-called Boost investment strategy and that Bertelsmann will plow a further five to seven billion euros [$5.4 billion to $7.6 billion] into strategic investments through 2026. The Groups restructuring and the strategy of the past decade are clearly having an impact. We are growing and are highly profitable, he said. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Click here to read the full article. In an op-ed for Elle, Gisele opened up about the increasingly "vicious" attacks she's seen since her husband began openly seeking treatment for depression Matt Rourke/AP/Shutterstock From left: John Fetterman and Gisele Fetterman Gisele Barreto Fetterman is opening up about the "vicious attacks" she's received in the weeks since her husband, Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, checked himself into Walter Reed to seek treatment for clinical depression. In an exclusive op-ed for Elle, 41-year-old Gisele says she's received "10 times" the amount of hate mail as her husband, who won the Pennsylvania Senate race in November over Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz. During the heated campaign, John was hospitalized after having a stroke. But it was in February, when the now-senator announced he was seeking professional help for clinical depression, that the couple and their children's world "exploded," Gisele writes. Related:John Fetterman Checks Himself into Hospital for Clinical Depression: 'Getting the Care He Needs' "Media trucks circled our front yard," she writes in Elle. "Our kids were home from school, hurting. So I did the first thing I could think to do: Packed them in the car and drove." It was on the banks of Niagara Falls, Gisele writes, that she and her kids "had that time together to process this difficult moment as a family." Even amidst the chaos, the attacks didn't stop, however. "John suffered a stroke during his Senate campaign, so I already knew how cruel people could be about judging someone's health and using it as a weapon," she writes. "But I'll admit, I was surprised to find that this time the vast majority of the harassment wasn't directed toward Johnbut at me." She continues: "On social media, people accused me of kidnapping the kids and running away to Canada. They promoted conspiracy theories claiming I was an ambitious, power hungry wife, secretly plotting to fill his Senate seat. It was all so wildly preposterous." Related:John and Gisele Fetterman Open Up About His 'Public' Stroke, Raising Kids on the Campaign Trail: 'No Regrets' Story continues The threats quickly escalated, Gisele writes, after members of the right-wing media began to publicly attack her. "Candace Owens called me an 'absolute monster' on Fox News. A Washington Examiner column claimed I was failing my husband. Threats against me and my family multiplied in frequency, volume, and severity, including active threats of harm." Elsewhere in the op-ed, Gisele details the vitriol she has received since even before her husband was a national figure, going all the way back to his time as mayor of Braddock, Pa. In the intervening years, Gisele writes that she has been falsely labeled as a "mail-order bride," and criticized for her looks and her immigration journey (she is from Brazil and officially became a U.S. citizen in 2009). The attacks increased when her husband was elected senator. "As soon as John's political profile began to grow, I started receiving hate mailten times more than John ever got himself," she writes. Related:'I Was Shaking': Gisele Barreto Fetterman Films Woman Calling Her Racial Slur Outside Grocery Store Writing that the attacks mirror those on other public women, like Meghan Markle and Hillary Clinton, she calls them "exhausting." But she isn't interested in growing a "thicker skin," or "fighting fire with fire" (an apt metaphor, consider Gisele recently became a volunteer firefighter). "I like my big feelings; the ability to feel so deeply is beautiful. My empathy drives my career and provides me with purpose and hope," she writes. She continues: "What we can do is continue to live with love every day. To show gentleness and compassion to everyone, including ourselves. To reject their venom wholesale, and be wholly, independently who we're meant to and want to be." Related:Gisele Barreto Fetterman, Wife of Sen. John Fetterman, Spotted Fighting Apartment Fire in East Pittsburgh Gisele married John in 2008 and they share three kids together: Karl, Gracie and August. The two first connected after Gisele wrote him a letter inquiring about Braddock, Pa., where he was mayor at the time, and the efforts to revitalize the community. Originally from Brazil, Gisele received her green card in 2004, four years before her marriage, and became a U.S. citizen in 2009. She has devoted her life to helping others, with a focus on nutrition, food equity and meeting Pennsylvanians' basic needs. As she sees it: "Try as we may, we can't fight fire with fire. We can't out-hate a force set on denying our essential humanity. And even if I could, I wouldn't want to carry that torch. What we can do is continue to live with love every day. To show gentleness and compassion to everyone, including ourselves. To reject their venom wholesale, and be wholly, independently who we're meant to and want to be. Because we are enoughexactly as we are." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Market Research Future Display Packaging Market By Type (Cellulose Fibers, Corrugated Pallets, Corrugated Paper Board Sheeting, Others, by end-use (Retail and Pharmacy) and Region - Forecast 2030 New York, US, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Display Packaging Market Overview According to a Comprehensive Research Report by Market Research Future (MRFR), Display Packaging Market By Type, by end-use and Region - Forecast Till 2030 The global display packaging market were valued at USD 11 billion by 2028, The market is anticipated to experience a global CAGR of 5.6% from 2022 to 2028.. Although the availability of billboards is one of the market's beneficial characteristics, it is rarely acknowledged as the immediate factor that successfully turns prospective customers into purchases. 70% of purchases made in the retail sector are made in stores. As a result, the shopping experience is greatly influenced by the shop atmosphere. So, during the projected period that ends in 2028, the brand and store owners should be concentrating on product displays as one of their important needs. By the end of the forecast period in 2028, mass retailers and club shops, as well as the widespread introduction of smaller-format sites, are anticipated to act as important driving forces towards the market's global growth. Retail establishments that deal in display packaging materials demonstrate that these establishments have a smaller inventory of products than their more established rivals. Also, the RRPs' capacity to expedite the stocking of shelves and thereby aid in boosting shelf-space efficiency can be advantageous to these stores. The market for retail-ready packaging not only aids in reducing packaging waste but also aids in lowering operating expenses by reducing the need of labour. RRPs are preferred more than other pricing structures because they facilitate efficient customer shopping and encourage impulsive buying. Nonetheless, the growing display packaging market value is well aware of any potential barriers to expansion in the current worldwide market environment. Over the forecast period, which ends in 2028, the market will likely face challenges linked to standardisation and the increase in supply chain management expenses. Story continues Get a Free Sample PDF Brochure: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/4881 Market Competitive Landscape: The market includes the activities of the following significant market participants for the same: International Paper DS Smith WestRock Company Menasha Packaging Company, LLC Georgia-Pacific LLC Smurfit Kappa Display Felbro, Inc. FFR Merchandising Sonoco Products Company Among others. Report Attribute Details Market Size in 2027 USD 11 billion CAGR 5.6% (2022-2030) Base Year 2020 Forecast Period 20222030 Historical Data 2020 Forecast Units Value (USD Million) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered by Type & End-User Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW) Key Market Drivers Regulations and stringent government legislations Browse In-depth Market Research Report (110 Pages) on Display Packaging: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/display-packaging-market-4881 The emergence of the display packaging market size in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) markets and its rising popularity in the potent marketing and consumer environment are the results of the fragmentation of traditional media channels like radios, TVs, and digital cinemas as well as increased awareness regarding the impact of point-of-sale propositions coupled with multiple retailers and brand owner requirements. Also, during the forecast period, which ends in 2028, it is anticipated that the demand for ornamental corrugate cases will increase by a factor of two globally. The prominent governments around the world that contribute to the operation of the display packaging market are aware of the necessity for a return to normalcy in the market. As a result, constraints are being relaxed and investments have increased significantly, making it easier for market consumers to choose between the unique and creative products presented. Also, market participants are choosing to form joint ventures, collaborate, and merge in order to better position themselves to meet the target audience's expanding needs over the forecast period, which ends in 2028. Segmentation Overview According to market trends for display packaging, the market has been divided into the following categories: based on the type of display packing Blisters, display boxes, brochure displays, transparent containers, shelf and counter display, as well as additional products like floor display, are all examples of the market's display packaging type sector. Considering market end consumers The publishing industry, electronics, the food and beverage industry, personal care and home care products, as well as other industries including pharmaceuticals and healthcare facilities and clinics, are among the market's end-users. Share Your Queries: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/4881 Regional Evaluation Because of the expanding trends in market operations throughout numerous international locations, the display packaging industry's revenue is expected to increase. As part of the market's historical prediction period starting in 2018, the US government started a significant change in trade policy. In doing so, the trade deficit was to be reduced. In addition to imposing tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from the European Union, Canada, and Mexico, the US withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Over the present forecast period, which ends in 2028, similar leadership is projected to prevail, and as a result, the North American market will dominate the growth of the global market. The point of purchase packaging is driving the US market, which is a part of the North American region. One of the main causes of this fantastic expansion is the abundance of retail establishments. Roughly 31% of the top 250 retail establishments in the US are in charge of making up the estimated 46% of the overall sales volume. The US market experienced a significant CAGR increase of 6% over the historical projection period, which ended in 2019, and reached a market value of more than USD 2.50 billion. The organised retail sector is expanding at an enormously rapid rate in emerging market nations including China, India, South Africa, and Australia. The target audience can choose from a variety of convenient products thanks to the shops' availability at various locations, and it also creates a simple way to access products and brands from across the world under one roof. For instance, Tesco is one of the key companies and a well-known chain of hypermarkets in the UK. More than 150 convenience stores have been successfully established by this company in various European regions, which will increase customer traffic in these stores during the forecast period. Check Discount: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/4881 Discover more research Reports on Packaging & Transport Industry , by Market Research Future: Plastic Caps and Closures Market , By Type (Screw Caps, Dispensing Caps, and Closures), By Material (Polypropylene, Polyethylene and Polystyrene), By End-User (Food & beverages, Pharmaceutical and Personal Care), By Region Forecast to 2030 Ambient Food Packaging Market Report by Packaging Type (Rigid Packaging and Flexible Packaging), By Material Type (Metal, Glass and Plastic) and By Region - Global Forecast to 2030 Rigid Plastic Packaging Market Information Report by Material (Bio plastics, Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), Polyethylene (PE), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and others), by Product (Bottles & jars, Trays, Tubs, Cups and others), by Manufacturing Process (Extrusion, Injection Molding, and others), by Application (Food & Beverages, Healthcare, Personal Care, Industrial Packaging and Others) and By Region - Global Forecast To 2030 About Market Research Future: Market Research Future (MRFR) is a global market research company that takes pride in its services, offering a complete and accurate analysis with regard to diverse markets and consumers worldwide. Market Research Future has the distinguished objective of providing the optimal quality research and granular research to clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help answer your most important questions. Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter CONTACT: Market Research Future (Part of Wantstats Research and Media Private Limited) 99 Hudson Street, 5Th Floor New York, NY 10013 United States of America +1 628 258 0071 (US) +44 2035 002 764 (UK) Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Website: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com British number one Cameron Norrie (left) is again likely to lead Leon Smiths side in Manchester (Robert Perry/PA) (PA Archive) Great Britain have been handed a tough draw in the group stage of the Davis Cup Finals, where they will take on last years runners-up Australia along with France and Switzerland at Manchesters AO Arena in September. Leon Smiths side qualified for the group stage by defeating Colombia 3-1 away in February. The 2015 champions will look to perform better on home soil than last September in Glasgow when defeats against the USA and the Netherlands saw Great Britain fail to reach the Final 8 knockout competition, which was won by Canada. 2023 @DavisCup Finals group stage draw announced Our team will face Australia, France & Switzerland in Group B in Manchester this September #BackTheBrits pic.twitter.com/vEosv2d4p4 LTA (@the_LTA) March 29, 2023 Britains top three singles players, Cameron Norrie, Dan Evans and Jack Draper, were all called up for the Colombia tie which was on clay at altitude with pressureless balls alongside doubles specialists Neal Skupski and Joe Salisbury. It remains to be seen whether Smith will recall Andy Murray to the squad for the Group B encounter back in Manchester or hand another chance to 21-year-old Draper, who recently beat the veteran Scot in the last 32 at Indian Wells. Australias challenge is likely to be led by world number 18 Alex de Minaur and Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios. Three-time Grand Slam champion and 2014 Davis Cup winner Stan Wawrinka will bring his experience to the Swiss team having helped them upset Germany in the qualifiers. Story continues France who last won the Davis Cup in 2017 and were runners-up the following year will have veteran Richard Gasquet as their top-ranked singles player. Elsewhere in the draw, holders Canada are top seeds in Group A and will play in Bologna against hosts Italy, Sweden and Chile. Group C will be played in Valencia, Spain Spain Serbia Czechia Korea, Rep. #DavisCup pic.twitter.com/h10EJqvgvx Davis Cup (@DavisCup) March 29, 2023 Group C will be in Valencia, where the worlds current top two Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic are set to meet when Spain take on Serbia, with the Czech Republic and South Korea completing the line-up. Croatia will host Group D at a venue still to be confirmed, against the Netherlands, USA and Finland. The winners and runners-up from each group will advance to a six-day shoot-out for the trophy in Malaga during late November. Each year since 2009, top outdoor photographers from across the United States have submitted their best photos of Montanas wild places and wildlife to the Picture Wild Montana photo contest. On Wednesday, photo contest organizers Wild Montana and Wild Montana Action Fund announced the winners of this years contest. This year 440 people from across the country submitted more than 1,700 photos to the 14th Annual Picture Wild Montana photo contest, a news release from the contest organizers revealed. Of those, judges selected three that best capture the beauty of Montanas wild public lands and waters. Photos were judged anonymously by Wild Montana Creative Services Manager Chris Sawicki and by Luke Duran, art director at Montana Outdoors magazine. The judges based their decision on composition, technique, and subject matter. It was a pleasure reviewing the photo submissions with Christian Sawicki, Duran said of this years contest. We discussed the merits of our selections, why we chose them, and ultimately, landed upon our top three finalists. We agreed that they truly represent the spirit of Montanas wild places, the opportunities we enjoy, and the solid technical aspects of great photography. This years top prize went to Great Falls photographer Megan Niklasen, who won the first-place cash prize for her photo of Iceberg Lake in Glacier National Park. This years top prize in the Picture Wild Montana photo contest went to Great Falls photographer Megan Niklasen, who won the first-place cash prize for her photo of Iceberg Lake in Glacier National Park. Niklasen said her winning photo was taken during a quiet solo hike to Iceberg Lake on the first day of October. It was actually my favorite day of the whole year, let alone one the best moments I think Ive ever had, Niklasen said. I got up at 3:30 in the morning on a Saturday and drove up to Many Glacier by myself before the sun came up. I knew the fall colors would be beautiful, so I just made a lot of noise (to alert bears) and I didnt see a single person. I was the only person at the lake. It was just so quiet, and the weather was perfect. I had the whole place to myself. Story continues In explaining the selection of Niklasens photo as the First Place submission, Duran identified the strong compositional elements of the image. Strong leading lines permit the viewer to step into this wondrous, dreamy scene, Duran wrote. Water flow, reflections, clouds and mountain slopes create a visual swirl that enchants the viewers gaze. As my eye moves around this scene, I imagine myself standing on the trail, enjoying an immersive sensory experience: cool, crisp autumn air with a hint of organic decay; quiet solitude interrupted only by an occasional wind breeze or distant raptor call; a vibrant, colorful palette of glacial blue and green hues, earthy mountainous tans and browns, with accents of autumn leaf tones. Its a fantastic photoin perfect focus, excellent exposure, and masterful composition. This photo is alive and alert. Taking second place in this years contest is Kevin League of Helena for his photo Cave exploration in the Big Belt Mountains. Taking second place in this years Picture Montana Wild photo contest is Kevin League of Helena for his photo Cave exploration in the Big Belt Mountains. My daughter and I recently did some cave exploration in the Big Belt Mountains of southwest Montana and we found a really cool one with an awesome view that made us both smile, League said of his photograph. I love the Big Belts for all of their geologic wonder. Duran described Leagues photo as perfectly framed within solid walls of Madison limestone. This scene accentuates all things vertical: tall spires and ridges, rock shelves to step higher above the trail, upthrust vertical stratification from eons of geologic life, and slender evergreens reaching from canyon shadows to touch the sun, Duran added. Chris and I were both attracted to this clever, vertical interpretation of wild Montana. Often, we view wild places under Montanas vast skies and wide panoramas, but this scene reminds us that we can also view the wild almost from within - enrobed in mountains with only the trail before us. Kevins photo brilliantly captures light as it illuminates rock walls and tree bark, creating great depth with visual elements to give the viewer an almost overwhelming sense of scale. This years third place submission comes from Tim Egan of Dillon, Montana, for his photo of Miner Lake in the Beaverhead/Deerlodge National Forest. I like to get up early when backpacking to watch the sunlight bathe the mountains and surrounding landscapes with warm light as it comes up, Egan explained of his photo. On this particular morning, the mountains surrounding Miner Lake were lit up, and the mountains were reflected in the calm water of the lake. It was a gorgeous sight, and I spent several minutes trying to capture it before the wind came up and ruined the reflection which it did. This is the scene we all hope to find at the end of a high mountain trail, Duran observed of Egans photo, sunny skies highlighting steep rocky peaks that reflect on the surface of a pristine mountain lake. I can just imagine the flash of golden trout lurking beneath the smooth lake surface. I love the composition of this image, anchored by the spruce trees on the left edge. Its a gorgeous photo with an inviting color palette of blues, greens, and browns, all in perfect balance that expresses the spirit and signature features of Montanas wild places. The top 20 photos of the 2023 Picture Wild Montana photo competition will be featured in the halls of Benifis Health System in Great Falls, along with the photos of previous Picture Wild Montana contest finalists. If you would like to view all the top 20 photographs from this year's contest just log onto Wild Montana's web site at www.wildmontana.org. We send a big thanks to everyone who submitted a photo this year to the Picture Wild Montana photo contest, says Ben Gabriel, executive director of Wild Montana and Wild Montana Action Fund. The sheer number of submissions we received is a testament to how much people across the country love wild public lands in Montana and how vital our work is to protect those places. This article originally appeared on Great Falls Tribune: Great Falls photographer Megan Niklasen takes top prize in contest The veterans cemetery in Netherlands. Four thousand miles from Hendersonville, citizens of the small Dutch village of Margraten in the Netherlands are honoring a World War II P-47 pilot who died in the liberation of their country from Nazi tyranny. That pilot, 1st Lieutenant William M. Heaton of Hendersonville, had joined the Allies fight for freedom, serving with the 61st Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group. He died on Sept. 5, 1944, shot down by German anti-aircraft fire. Earlier that same day, he had strafed a German train at Niedermeisen, Germany. His destination that day was Merzhausen/Kuneburg, Germany. He never made it. Hendersonville World War II pilot William Heaton. This is the Missing Aircrew Report by 1st Lt Gordon J. Blake: "I was flying Whippet Red Three in Lt Heaton's flight. We were in the area northeast of Coblens, when an airdrome was sighted. White Flight made a pass to strafe, but discovered they were dummy airplanes. Shortly after this Lt Heaton sighted a train south of this airdrome, about fifteen miles away. The [plane] dropped down to strafe and received heavy and accurate light flak. I called Red One and told him about the flak, as he missed the train on his first pass and was pulling up to make a second.Red One severely damaged the locomotive on his second pass and turned right, coming over the edge of the airdrome. We had pulled up and was climbing with about a thousand to fifteen hundred feet of altitude, with the flak very heavy. I looked at Red One and observed a large flash that appeared to be directly in the canopy. The plane continued to fly normally for 15 or 20 seconds and then rolled over, dived into the ground and exploded. No contact with Lt. Heaton was made after he was hit, and no chute was seen." - www.fieldsofhonorfoundation.com Heaton was credited by Col Francis S. Gobreshie, an American ace, with saving his life in an encounter with German ME-109s. 1st Lieutenant Heaton received the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with Three Oak Leaf Clusters and Purple Heart. Story continues Killed in action at age 24, Heaton was born in Pelzer, South Carolina on April 15, 1920, and was living in Hendersonville when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force. He had worked for Ecusta Paper Corp. in Pisgah Forest. Heaton came from a large family. He had two sisters and two brothers, and left his wife, Diana, behind. The young pilot is buried in the American War Cemetery in Margraten, where almost 8,300 graves keep these heroes who died for the freedom of the people of the Netherlands. Since 1945, local families have adopted the graves of soldiers. The adopters treat the soldiers like their own family, bringing flowers regularly. Family members of the deceased soldiers say its comforting to know their loved ones graves are being looked after so respectfully. Long-lasting friendships between Dutch and American families have developed through these gravesite adoptions. On the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands (2020), a ceremony speaker said, They came to a place they didnt know, to be in a war they didnt want to be in, to do a job very few were willing to do. Volunteers from the town of Margraten created the book, "The Faces of Margraten: They Will Remain Forever Young," as a lasting monument to those who sacrificed their lives. The book by Jori Videc, Sebastiaan Vonk and Arie-Jan van Hees is available at online bookstores. More information about The Faces of Margraten project can be found at www.fieldsofhonorfoundation.com, where names of the fallen are listed according to their country of burial. P-47 Pilot Ed Cottrell visited the grave of his best friend, 2nd LT Art Sommers, 77 years after Sommers' death. Another Hendersonville WWII P-47 pilot, Ed Cottrell, is today very much alive and well. Flying 65 missions in the Battle of the Bulge, Cottrell survived being shot up on one mission when oil coated his windshield and he couldnt see. He landed the plane. His crew chief later told him eight of his engines 18 cylinders had been shot out. Cottrell said, I kissed the ground. Cottrell, age 101, stays busy speaking to groups such as Jr. ROTC Cadets and traveling back to European battlefields where he flew. There he meets grateful people whose grandparents have told them stories of living under Nazi occupation. In 2020, Cottrell visited the grave of his roommate, P-47 pilot 2nd Lieutenant Art Somers, killed in action. Cottrell kneeled at Somers grave in the Netherlands, completing the circle of honoring Americas heroes from 1944. This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Hendersonville veteran's story now in a new book about Netherlands cemetery What are charter schools? Charter schools are public schools that are granted freedom from most state regulations. They may experiment with different curriculum, schedules and ways of learning, with the idea that traditional public schools can adopt methods that are found successful. As public schools, they must be nonreligious and not charge tuition. They must be open to all students and use a lottery system if they cap enrollment, with preference in some cases for neighborhood students, siblings of current students, and children of the founders, leaders or staff of the school. They are required to serve students with disabilities. Who runs charter schools? Charter schools may be run by school districts, nonprofit corporations or for-profit corporations. To launch and receive public funds, charter schools must secure a contract, or charter, from a school board or other designated authorizer, such as the Milwaukee Common Council, UW Chancellors or technical college boards. Those authorizers set expectations in the contract, monitor the schools performance and can end contracts if schools fall short. School districts can authorize charter schools as "instrumentality" or "non-instrumentality" schools. Instrumentality charter schools are run by school district employees while non-instrumentality charter schools are run by independent corporate boards of directors. Other authorizers cannot operate instrumentality charter schools. Escuela Verde School students T Anderson and Jadmary Flores, and their science teacher Ediquelson Camara, listen to instructions before a canoe ride at Lakeshore State Park in August 2022. Escuela Verde is an independent charter school in Milwaukee that offers project-based learning. What exactly can charter schools do differently than other public schools? Charter schools are exempt from most state requirements for other public schools (Wisconsin state statute chapters 115 through 121), from what they teach to how they teach it. Those requirements are far-ranging and include: teaching certain subjects in certain grade levels, providing a minimum number of teaching hours, starting the school year after Sept. 1, teaching about Indigenous tribes, ensuring reading materials reflect cultural diversity, providing supplies for students who can't afford them, adopting and sharing bullying policies, informing staff of resources for suicide prevention, and ensuring an opt-out for families who don't want to follow uniform dress codes. Story continues Additionally, if charter schools have trouble filling jobs with licensed teachers, they can have applicants get a special charter school license if they have a bachelors degree and pass an exam related to the content they will teach. At charter schools not run by school districts, the teachers are not unionized with the district staff and generally are not unionized at all. The schools dont have to publish salary minimums for teachers or share salary data with the state. With more flexibility, charter schools may focus more on project-based learning, bilingual immersion, online classes, Montessori methods, arts or other specialties. Where did charter schools come from? The concept is traced to Ray Budde, an education professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, who suggested in the 1970s that school districts could grant contracts to groups of teachers who wanted to operate with more curriculum flexibility. Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota were the first to write charter schools into law in 1991, with a twist. While Budde imagined charter schools operating as part of public school districts, the state law opened the door for teacher-led nonprofits to operate charter schools with approval from school districts. They were funded directly by the state. Wisconsin was one of seven states to follow close behind, welcoming charter schools in 1993 under Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson without the requirement that teachers lead them. Wisconsin started with a cap of 20 schools statewide and required authorization from local school boards and the state superintendent. Since then, the cap has lifted and charter schools can receive authorization from other entities instead. The graphic shows the number of charter schools in Wisconsin since 1994. Are charter schools growing? The number of charter schools in Wisconsin increased every year until hitting 231 in 2007, and has since stabilized around that number. Total enrollment in charter schools continued growing, hitting a new peak in the 2020-21 school year with about 51,000 students about 6% of all Wisconsin students attending charter schools, according to a report from the state Department of Public Instruction. Nationwide, the number of charter schools has grown every year, with the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools reporting a total 7,821 charter schools in the 2020-21 school year with 3.7 million students. How are charter schools funded and how do they affect school districts? For a charter school authorized by an entity other than a school board, the school receives funding directly from the state, at a per-student amount set by the state budget. The school can also tap into additional state and federal funding streams for certain purposes like special education, and the authorizer can collect a fee for oversight costs. For a charter school authorized by a school district, all funds flow through that district, which then provides the funding to the charter school. In the case of Milwaukee Public Schools, the district has funded its internal ("instrumentality") charter schools in the same way it funds any other district school. For independently run ("non-instrumentality") charter schools, the district first provides a per-student amount equal to what non-district-authorized schools get directly from the state. But when it comes to ferrying out funding from other special revenue streams, like special education, the district may hang onto some funds by arguing it provides those services itself to the schools. That can lead to some disagreement, as highlighted in a 2018 Wisconsin Policy Forum report. As the forum's report also explores, the overall financial impact of non-instrumentality charter schools on school districts is complicated. On one hand, MPS gets to collect some funds for charter school students which the district might be without if those students were instead in private or other non-district schools. On the other hand, the students could otherwise be in MPS-run schools, and the district would have discretion over more funds. What are the arguments for and against charter schools? The push for charter schools in the early 90s was intertwined with advocacy for state-funded vouchers for private schools, under an umbrella idea of giving parents more choices. Black leaders like Democratic lawmaker Polly Williams and former MPS superintendent Howard Fuller were instrumental in this movement, which came as integration measures for traditional public schools had largely failed; white students moved to suburbs, private schools and specialty schools, taking wealth with them. If white and higher-income students had so many choices, these leaders argued, so should all students. Decades later, with segregation and inequities still extreme in Milwaukee, 2022 polling suggested Black Democrats in Milwaukee County were somewhat more likely to support charter schools than not, though movements for charter school expansion are largely funded and driven by conservatives. Proponents argue that charter schools bring competition for traditional public schools, encourage innovation and produce higher test scores or college enrollment rates. Some accuse public school districts and their teachers of pushing leftist messaging in curriculum. Those who oppose independently operated charter schools argue the schools pull resources away from school districts, as state funding largely follows the student. They point out that charter schools tend to serve fewer students with disabilities, leaving other public schools with comparatively higher special education costs. Teachers unions have also opposed independently operated charter schools as the staff are cut off from the union for district staff. Some who oppose independently operated charter schools say all charter schools should be district-run, which would mean keeping funding in the district, staff under district unions, and more direct accountability to elected officials. Milwaukee Public Schools operates five charter schools under that model. In 2022, Republicans in the state Legislature passed bills that would have created a new state board that could authorize charter schools as well as required all authorizers to allow charter school operators to open more schools if they received high marks from the DPI. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers vetoed the bills, arguing they would usurp the local authority of elected school board members. How do I learn more if Im interested in a charter school? The Wisconsin Resource Center for Charter Schools operates a directory of charter schools and a guide for enrollment. You can explore data about schools, like test scores and graduation rates on the state Department of Public Instructions WISEdash portal. For schools chartered by school districts, filter for the district and then the school name. For independent charters, the school name will be the district name. Similar information is available on the DPI's report cards. Contact Rory Linnane at rory.linnane@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @RoryLinnane. Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal. DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What are charter schools, how to find charter schools in Wisconsin PROVIDENCE Gov. Dan McKee announced Wednesday the dates for the primary and special elections to fill the 1st Congressional District seat that U.S. Rep. David Cicilline is relinquishing on June 1 to take a new job with the Rhode Island Foundation. Primary day will be Tuesday, September 5 and the general election on Tuesday, November 7. With no declared candidate yet, it remains unclear if the state GOP will have a primary. But state Democrats are facing a potentially crowded election, with more and more Rhode Island politicians declaring their candidacies, or their potential candidacies, from past and current legislators, to mayors and even the current lieutenant governor. More: With Cicilline stepping down, who might run for RI's 1st Congressional District seat? Voting is the hallmark of our democracy, and our goal is to make it as understandable as possible for both candidates and voters to ensure the highest turnout possible, said Gov. Dan McKee. The final decision ended the simmering debate over when to hold the primary, with some urging a pre-Labor Day voting, when schools were still out and potential voters on vacation. Together with the Secretary of States Office and the Board of Elections, my team is committed to ensuring that Rhode Islanders are aware of this special election and engaged in the process. Members of Congress play key roles in ensuring that Rhode Island is represented in Washington, D.C. and we want to ensure Rhode Islanders are participating in selecting their next representative," McKee said Wednesday. As is dictated by law, the governor will sign the formal Writ of Election when the seat is officially vacant on June 1, 2023. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Date set for election to replace Cicilline in CD1 PROVIDENCE Two years after lawmakers prohibited cities and towns from banning short-term rentals offered through online platforms such as Airbnb, the hotel lobby is asking them to repeal the law. The legislation sponsored at the behest of the Rhode Island Hospitality Association is just part of a bevy of proposed bills in the General Assembly this session that would allow cities and towns to increases taxes, regulations, or to ban the booming industry. Rep. Lauren Carson, D-Newport, said she introduced the bills to roll back the provision that prevents cities and towns from banning short-term rentals, and to levy a 10% impact fee, at the hotel lobbying group's behest. Carson said she wants to get the legislature out of the "business of regulating" short-term rentals and put the onus back on municipalities. Cities and towns still can, and do, regulate short-term rentals, while a 2021 law prevents them from banning them and also requires owners to register with the state. Interested what the short-term rental rules are in your town? We looked at all 39 cities and towns to get the lowdown. Short-term rental owners complain of poor access to legislators Among the biggest complaints from short-term rental owners was the access the national hotel lobby had to legislators, getting to testify first, and without a time limit, in a meeting that lasted seven hours. "You're only getting information from one source, and their job is to protect hotels," said Bill Gagnier, who owns three short-term rentals in Pawtuxet Village. "We don't have enough time to testify and we want to be a part of the process." Bill Gagnier, who owns three short-term rentals in Pawtuxet Village, says the hotel lobby wants to "eliminate or regulate" short-term rentals out of existence. More: Short-term rentals are booming with online bookings. Is your town regulating them? Gagnier said the hotel lobby wants to "eliminate or regulate" short-term rentals out of existence. The American Hotel and Lodging Association's national policy counsel, Sarah Bratko, who is based in Rhode Island, said her organization doesn't want to ban the competition but rather "level the playing field." Story continues New business or old business with a new look? Short-term rental owner Shawna Rihani, who is a member of Narragansett 2100, a landlord group, said the number of short-term rentals in her town has stayed relatively steady over the last decade, although it has increased since 2007, the earliest data the group got from the city. In 2012, there were 2,739 rental units owned by 2,108 people. In 2021, there were 2,734 rental units owned by 2,192 people. Narragansett tracks and bills short-term rental owners. More: Warwick moves one step closer to rules on short-term rentals. Here's what's changed. Rihani said the reasoning that platforms like Airbnb and VRBO have "changed everything" isn't borne out by the data in coastal vacation towns, but efforts by local officials to artificially restrict housing, like preventing more than three college students from living together, is driving up housing demand. William Walsh, who said he was representing the Rhode Island Hospitality Association, said short-term rentals may be playing a role in the housing crises, but the primary driver is a barrier to production. What would the bills do? In all, eight bills have been introduced across the House and Senate. Four were introduced in the House and Senate and four just in the House. Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Providence Journal subscription. Here's our latest offer. Reach reporter Wheeler Cowperthwaite at wcowperthwaite@providencejournal.com or follow him on Twitter @WheelerReporter. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Hotel lobby backs bill to let RI cities, towns ban short-term rentals Ian Machado Garry vows to bring the UFC back to Ireland, and he wants one of the sports biggest stars as his dance partner. Unbeaten Garry (11-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is on the rise after four octagon wins, most recently a knockout of Song Kenan at UFC 285. The Future already has his next assignment set when he takes on Daniel Rodriguez on May 13. Garry has mapped out a plan to bring the UFC back to Dublin and would love to throw down with Jorge Masvidal (35-16 MMA, 12-9 UFC), who faces his training partner Gilbert Burns at UFC 287 on April 8. I know whats happening, Garry said in an interview on The Craic with Peter Carroll. You heard me say it to Dana (White) in the UK, right, when I was there. I said we need to get them back to Dublin. The Irish have been starved of a UFC return and Im going to bring the UFC back, Im going to make it happen. Im going to be the headline fight. I promise you, its coming. And itll be against someone huge. Ill fight on the Conor (McGregor) card, and Ill fight a guy just outside that top 15 thats exciting, and then Ill fight one of the guys. Like, if Burns beats Masvidal, give me Masvidal in Dublin. Give me him. Why not? Bring him to Ireland and see if he does it against me (what he did to Darren Till). Im far too fast for him. Related Ian Garry not stressed about first-round knockdown he had to work through against Song Kenan Gilbert Burns eyes 'spectacular finish' of Jorge Masvidal at UFC 287, hoping to secure title shot Ian Garry says he'll be 'one of the best fighters MMA has ever seen' Garry acknowledges that Rodriguez (17-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) is a big step up in competition on paper, but the confident 25-year-old painted the exact scenario he plans on delivering. This is the first fight in a while where I get to study, like genuinely allow my brain to do what it f*cking does, which is just be so intelligent, Garry said. This is why my fight IQ is so much greater than everybody else. My brain will just tick and Ive already got the map in my head. I can tell you how Im going to knock him out. Right high kick and anything else, I didnt mean. If I knock him out with anything else, I didnt mean it. Thats the only shot I want. Thats the knockout I want, right high kick. I want him stiff on his back. Story originally appeared on MMA Junkie Ahead of President Biden's visit to the Island of Ireland this week, a scenic town on the Republic of Ireland's rugged Atlantic coast has been preparing to roll out the red carpet for its most famous descendant. In Ballina, a small market town known for salmon fishing, the American leader is considered a native son albeit one who's five generations removed. Mr. Biden's great-great-great grandfather Edward Blewitt was born in Ballina. He emigrated to Scranton, Pennsylvania, to escape the Irish famine in the 1840s. Nearly 200 years later, Ballina residents are preparing a spectacular homecoming. Pub landlord Derek Leonard poses with a glass and a photograph of himself with then-U.S. President-elect Joe Biden, in Mr. Biden's ancestral hometown of Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland, in a November 8, 2020 file photo. / Credit: PAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Mr. Biden's trip across the Atlantic comes on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. The agreement, of which Mr. Biden is a vocal proponent, largely ended decades of sectarian violence on the island known as The Troubles, between republican forces determined to make Northern Ireland part of the republic, and unionists who want it to remain part of the U.K. The peace established by the Good Friday Agreement has been strained in recent years, however, due largely to the U.K.'s "Brexit" divorce from the European Union, of which Ireland is a member. Last month, Britain's domestic intelligence agency MI5 raised the terror threat level in Northern Ireland from substantial to severe, indicating an attack in Northern Ireland was considered "highly likely." The move comes amid an increase in dissident republican activity, including a recent shooting attack on a high ranking police officer. Security concerns aside, Joe Blewitt, one of Mr. Biden's distant cousins, has been among the Ballina residents looking forward to a visit by the U.S. leader. Blewitt was in Washington with Mr. Biden, along with Irish leader Leo Varadkar, for this year's St. Patrick's Day celebrations at the White House. He's met his high-profile relative on multiple occasions. The Blewitt family, from left, Deirdre, Emily, Joe, Laurita, Brendan, Darragh and Lauren, watch the inauguration ceremony of their cousin Joe Biden on TV from their living room in Knockmore, near the town of Ballina, Ireland, in a Jan. 20, 2021 file photo. / Credit: Peter Morrison/AP "He's [Biden] a really down to earth guy," Blewitt told CBS News. "My dad always knew we were related, but things really came to the surface when he was running for vice-president with Obama." Story continues On a visit to Ballina in 2016, Mr. Biden met Blewitt and his sister Laurita, and the Blewitts had a private dinner with the then-vice president. Jarlath Munnely, whose organization "Ballina 2023" extended Mr. Biden a formal invite to the town last year, said Ballina would welcome the U.S. president and he's hoping for more than a few handshakes. "We know that we could certainly put out a really good public event," he told CBS News. "We are getting an impression that the president does want to do some sort of address to the public, and there is no better place for that [than Ballina]." The seaside town's ties to Mr. Biden go beyond familial bonds. The city has been linked with the president's own birthplace of Scranton for decades. "Our sister city relationship is remarkable, because so many Scranton residents trace their lineage back to County Mayo, many to Ballina specifically," Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti told CBS News in an emailed statement. "It is truly special to have this deep connection between our cities and be able to celebrate and share our pride in having a U.S. president call our cities home." Locals told CBS News that Mr. Biden made a good impression on the people he met during his previous stops in Ballina. "It was really nice," Miriam Caffrey told CBS News. "You know, he was very relaxed and engaging with everybody. He had time for everybody It's amazing to think that the President of the United States of America has forefathers from Ballina." Annie May Reape, a local politician, recalled chatting with Mr. Biden about their parallel careers in public service. "I was introduced as the local councilor, and he just said, 'Does everybody know you? Do they know your car? When I started in politics, everybody knew where I lived and everyone knew my car.' He was so particularly happy because of his connection to Ballina," Reape said. A visit by the U.S. leader carries particular significance for the town this year as Ballina is celebrating the 300th anniversary of its establishment. Locals have already seen the potential benefits for their economy that the relationship with Mr. Biden can bring. Irish artist Padraig Mitchell's mural of Joe Biden is hoisted into place in the main square of Ballina, Ireland, in 2020. / Credit: Courtesy of Joe Blewitt Artist Padraig Mitchell painted a mural of Mr. Biden in the town's main square during the campaign for the presidency in 2020. The image went viral and has drawn tourists from all over the country. "It was the most sought-after selfie in Ireland in 2020," Mitchell boasted. Pub owner Derek Leonard helped paint the mural and remembered welcoming Mr. Biden into his pub, Harrisons, on his second visit to the town in 2017. "He came in and he spent a few minutes here after a walk around the town," Leonard told CBS News. "He had a great interest in his family history." Pub landlord Derek Leonard has his photo taken with Joe Biden during a visit by the U.S. politician to his ancestral home in Ballina, Ireland, in 2017. / Credit: Courtesy of Derek Leonard According to Leonard, Mr. Biden was aware of the mural as he campaigned for the White House and pledged to visit Ballina as president to see it in person. For Annie May Reape, a visit by President Biden will add to a long history of Irish Americans tracing their roots back to the republic. "The visit is going to be unbelievable," she said. "We have a lovely tradition where people like to come and see where their ancestors came from, and now everyone will be anxious to see one of the most important people in the world has a family background in Ballina." This is an updated version of a story first published on March 29, 2023. Chicago chosen to host 2024 Democratic National Convention How drag queens got dragged into politics Doctor gives update on Louisville shooting victims Typically, people wear footwear with socks. But footwear made from socks? Not as typical. In 2018, Italy-based design and manufacturing company Trere Innovation which specializes in sustainable technical apparel and footwear launched the brand UYN, which is an acronym for Unleash Your Nature and pronounced win. Among its many products, UYN has ventured into creating footwear out of socks without seams. More from Footwear News After introducing UYN to 27 countries, the brand has made its U.S. debut. UYN makes footwear in mens and womens sizing for several categories, such as Biking, Active, Urban Outdoor and several others, with prices ranging from $149 to $319. Creating socks has been in the DNA of our company for over 60 years. In recent years, the global market has seen a reduction in the demand for technical stockings, and this has prompted us to devise a new method of harnessing our expertise, said EJ Riordan, CEO of TRE U.S., a subsidiary of Trere Innovation. After a long process of research and development, we have the technology and expertise to transform the sock into a shoe with all the features we wanted: extraordinary lightness and breathability, absolute comfort, no pressure points, and best in class stability for a wide range of activities. In addition to using socks without seams, UYN footwear is made from natural materials, including paper cotton, merino and yak wool, as well as bio-based materials such as odor-minimizing Natex made from castor oil seeds and Ecolypt, a natural fiber collected from eucalyptus trees that offers both strength and elasticity. UYNs target consumer, Riordan explained, isnt a particular demographic. Instead, the common denominator is a love of the outdoors. Story continues Our consumers range from young and active to older generations that love to enjoy the outdoors, Riordan said. Our true target consumers are those looking for comfort and style, who want their feet not to sweat or smell and to be able to wear natural materials, even without socks. The footwear is available online now via UYNsports.com and at select retailers. The UYN Nature Tune shoes. - Credit: Courtesy of UYN Courtesy of UYN In terms of its brick-and-mortar footprint, UYN has 10 stores in Italy and one store in Germany. Abroad, the brand plans to open two stores in the U.K. and 20 throughout Europe. Stateside, UYN is scheduled to open its first store in Boston the fall, which is also where its U.S. headquarters will be located. We chose the Boston area for our U.S. HQ because of the industry infrastructure that the city offers and, historically, it was the leading place for shoe production, Riordan said. This will be our first U.S. store and it will be a benchmark for our retail expansion. Boston is innovative, with a focus on being green. We believe our brand will be well perceived by Bostonians and tourists, alike. The mayors office has been very helpful in our efforts to find the right store location. Riordan also shared further insights on UYNs retail strategy for the U.S. Our retail strategy is omnichannel, partnering with retailers that will tell our story and explain our brand to the consumer, speaking about the technical features and our green production. Our strategy is to open one owned retail store in key U.S. cities starting in Boston and then expanding throughout the U.S. The retail space will allow the customer to experience the UYN offering at 360 degrees. Our online presence will increase in the next few months with a dedicated U.S. page on our website, UYNsports.com, with the availability of the U.S. made product. With greenwashing so prevalent in the industry today, Riordan said UYN has a plan to educate consumers on its materials and process. In addition to the traditional channels of communication media, official website, social networks we have designed a special communications and display concept that accompanies the shoes in our shops. Our concept is called Bio-Lab, an area where the consumer can see and touch the natural ingredients that go into our shoes and also our exclusive production method. All of the proprietary materials and processes are clearly explained on our website to ensure transparency with our consumers. The team leading UYN in the U.S. consists of Riordan; head of sales John Phaneuf a 25-year industry veteran who has worked with Adidas Terrex, Helly Hansen and Lacrosse Footwear; Sherry Davis, who will handle tactical sales; and executive manager Elia Redini. Our strategy here is to plan for long term activity and growth in the U.S. market with a focus on digital marketing, experiential events and relevant partnerships, Riordan said. Every person on our team spends time in Italy getting to know our culture and our commitment to the best in class technology and sustainability. This includes our interns who will join us in Italy before joining the team in the U.S. Understanding our culture is very important to understanding our mission. Best of Footwear News Sign up for FN's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. The kids today cant hang at Central Perk, Jennifer Aniston kinda-sorta implied in a recent interview with Agence France-Press, the French newswire agency. The 54-year-old star of the upcoming Netflix release Murder Mystery 2 (much of which was shot on location in Paris) was discussing the changing attitudes toward comedy. Its a little tricky because you have to be very careful, which makes it really hard for comedians, because the beauty of comedy is that we make fun of ourselves, make fun of life, she said. More from GoldDerby Reflecting on the past, she said, You could joke about a bigot and have a laughthat was hysterical. And it was about educating people on how ridiculous people were. And now were not allowed to do that. She continued, Theres a whole generation of people, kids, who are now going back to episodes of Friends and find them offensive. There were things that were never intentional and others well, we should have thought it throughbut I dont think there was a sensitivity like there is now. She ultimately reflected, Everybody needs funny! The world needs humor! We cant take ourselves too seriously. Especially in the United States. Everyone is far too divided. Friends, the wildly popular 1990s sitcom in which she starred, remains a top draw on streaming services. In 2019 both Vulture and The Guardian wrote about its success with 20-year-olds of the time. But a lot has changed between 2019 and 2023. There is no shortage of articles like this one published recently listing the ways that the daffy 90s sitcom was either problematic or cringe. When Anistons interview was published, she became a trending topic on Twitter, during which time she received what is commonly known as a dunking. Indeed, some might suggest that she was owned. Story continues Friends was nominated for 62 Primetime Emmys during its 10-season run from 1994 to 2004. It won the Best Comedy Series award for Season 8. Aniston won Best Comedy Actress the same year. She won the Golden Globe the following year. Upon its release in 2019, the Aniston and Adam Sandler-led comedy Murder Mystery broke viewing records for Netflix. It remains the 17th most-watched original film on the Big Red Streamers platform, with the sequel poised to knock it down a few notches this weekend. PREDICT the 2023 Emmy nominees through July 12 Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Dont miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why? SIGN UP for Gold Derbys free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby Sign up for Gold Derby's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Rays recognize lineworkers' response to Hurricane Ian Duke Energy pledges to donate $1,000 to Share the Light Fund for every winning game ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Baseball season kicked off at Tropicana Field today, with nearly 100 Duke Energy lineworkers participating in a flag ceremony before the game. The lineworkers and their families were recognized for their dedication and hard work following the destruction of last year's Hurricane Ian. Hundreds of Duke Energy Florida lineworkers and contractors were staged at Tropicana Field during Hurricane Ian and helped restore power to approximately 1 million customers, just three days after Ian left the state. Today's recognition is part of the long-term relationship between the Tampa Bay Rays and Duke Energy Florida. Tampa Bay Rays fans will have an additional reason to cheer on their favorite team this season. As fans celebrate a winning Rays game, they'll also know the win will have an impact off the field. Duke Energy will donate $1,000 to its Share the Light Fund to help families in need for every Rays regular season game won. The Share the Light Fund helps Florida residents in need pay for utility expenses such as electric, natural gas, oil or wood. Donations are matched dollar for dollar, up to $500,000, by the Duke Energy Foundation. "I'm really proud of the way our Florida team responded during last year's back-to-back storms," said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. "We're grateful for not only the recognition by the Rays today, but our ongoing relationship working together with the team to care for the communities we serve." For more information, visit our Share the Light Fund website. Duke Energy Florida Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 10,500 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 1.9 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida. Story continues Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 27,600 people. Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company has interim carbon emission targets of at least 50% reduction from electric generation by 2030, 50% for Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 upstream and downstream emissions by 2035, and 80% from electric generation by 2040. In addition, the company is investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy storage, and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear. Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2023 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' "World's Best Employers" list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Contact: Mariana O'Leary 24-Hour: 800.559.3853 Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/duke-energy-florida-lineworkers-honored-at-tampa-bay-rays-opening-day-company-pledges-1-000-for-every-rays-victory-301786508.html SOURCE Duke Energy John Fetterman plans mid-April return to Senate after 2 months of intensive treatment Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania emerges from a closed-door, classified briefing at the US Capitol on February 14, 2023 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Sen. John Fetterman, who suffered a stroke last year, is expected to return to the Senate in about two weeks. The Pennsylvania Democrat has been seeking treatment for clinical depression since mid-February. Fetterman's return will nudge Senate Democrats back towards their delicate 51-seat majority. Sen. John Fetterman is planning to return to the US Capitol after the upcoming spring recess, a person close to the Pennsylvania Democrat told Insider. The confirmation corroborates a Politico report saying that two other people in Fetterman's inner circle expect him to be back at work starting the week of April 17. Fetterman checked himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on February 15 to seek help for clinical depression. The 53-year-old Capitol Hill newcomer, who is still recovering from a stroke he suffered in early 2022, worked to hit the ground running his first month. Colleagues like fellow Pennsylvania Democrat Bob Casey and freshman Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont have helped out Fetterman's staff in the interim, pitching in on legislative projects and committee hearings as needed. Having Fetterman back will restore a critical vote for Senate Democrats. Their narrow 51-seat majority hasn't been intact for months as lawmakers like Fetterman, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, who's been out for weeks after contracting shingles, and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, who recently tested positive for COVID-19, wrestle with their respective health issues. Read the original article on Business Insider A federal judge has ruled an Iowa crisis advocacy service does not have to turn over confidential records about former clients sought in litigation. Spencer-based Centers Against Abuse and Sexual Assault had asked the court to quash a subpoena from Western Iowa Tech Community College seeking records about former students who received services there and are now suing the college. The plaintiffs are Chilean and Brazilian students who allege they were encouraged to enroll at the school with promises of internships in culinary arts and robotics, only to be ordered to work on the production lines at pet food and turkey processing factories. Previously:Western Iowa Tech responds to allegations that it took advantage of international students A federal magistrate judge previously ruled CAASA, as it is known, had to comply with the subpoena because state law only protects the confidentiality of clients who report being victims of "violent" crime. The decision sparked alarm from victim advocates around the state, who warned that broad legal confidentiality is essential for their work earning victims' trust and supporting them in their healing. CAASA appealed the ruling to Chief U.S. District Judge Leonard Strand, who on Friday overruled the magistrate's decision. The applicable Iowa law defines "violent crime" to include "actual or threatened infliction of physical or emotional injury," which would include labor trafficking, he wrote. For subscribers:Iowa woman feared her abuser would jeopardize her professional license. Her Polk County crisis advocate did it instead Strand further ruled that, because the information sought is protected by victim-counselor privilege, Western Iowa Tech is required to follow a specific procedure, including making a showing that the value of disclosing the information "outweighs the harmful effect, if any, of disclosure on the victim." Because the school did not go through those steps, he ruled, the subpoena should be quashed. Story continues The decision leaves open the possibility that Western Iowa Tech could still seek the students' records through the appropriate legal procedure. Strand also denied CAASA's request for attorney fees, writing that, while the records sought are legally privileged, the lack of prior caselaw on the question made it "a fair point of debate" and there were no signs the college had sought the records in bad faith. An attorney for CAASA had no comment on the decision. Western Iowa Tech, which previously told the Des Moines Register it is only seeking records needed to investigate the students' claims against it, did not respond to a message seeking comment on Strand's ruling. William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com, 715-573-8166 or on Twitter at @DMRMorris. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa victim confidentiality shields crisis advocates, judge rules Kansas City Public Schools is expressing regret for turmoil that led to the closure of an African-centered educational program. The school board plans to adopt a resolution at its meeting Wednesday recognizing the contributions of the Afrikan Centered Education Collegium Campus, which served pre-K through 12th-grade students. The program had three graduating high school classes which saw a 100% graduation rate and seniors received more than $1 million in college scholarships, the resolution said. The campus closed in 2012 after years of strife between the Afrikan Centered Education Task Force, Inc., and KCPS. The resolution reads in part, To build bridges to the future for the benefit of our kids, our families and our community, we express regret for past disagreement and apologize for not seeking a restoration of our relationship prior to now. The African Centered program started in 1990 at J.S. Chick Elementary and gradually expanded to middle and high school. It emphasized African culture and perspectives. Linwood Tauheed served on the task force and said an educational system that recognizes the cultural context of African American students leads them to be energized by the educational process. The results of that process, as in the African Center School, was to have improved student achievement to not only close the achievement gap between Black and white students, but actually produce students who were excelling in terms of academics, he said. In 2007, the Afrikan Centered Education Collegium Campus became a contract school with KCPS with the program retaining control of its staffing and curriculum. Contract negotiations between the two entities broke down in late 2011 and former superintendent Steven Green announced the contract would not be renewed. The program took the district to court claiming it had not met a $1 million obligation for per-pupil payments, special education and food service. A Jackson County jury ruled in favor of the district in March 2012. Story continues That month, the district announced it would take over the program, saying the arrangement had become financially and operationally unfeasible, according to The Stars archives. The takeover angered parents and school leaders fought the decision. Many believed the move was an attack on African-centered education. Ultimately, the program shuttered and the African-Centered College Preparatory Academy opened under KCPS. Tauheed said Tuesdays apology was an acknowledgment that the program was producing high achievers. Its a recognition of the injustice that was done to the students, to their parents, to faculty and staff, to supporters and the community, he said. Because this school was closed, therefore, depriving future generations of students of the opportunity for excellence in education. Its a redemption in the value of this type of education. The resolution says the school board and the task force have met in an effort of reestablishing ties and fostering a collaborative working relationship moving forward and that they seek a renewed partnership. Tauheed said they are in the process of working with the district to reestablish the program. Kansas senators approved a bill Wednesday allowing Kansas businesses to countersue some plaintiffs that allege they violated the Americans with Disabilities Act arguing the suit is abusive. The state Senate passed the bill 35 to 5 after negotiations with disability rights advocates who worried the original version of the legislation would essentially eliminate ADA rights in Kansas. The bill now heads to the House. The bill aimed to stem a growing tide of lawsuits filed against small businesses nationwide by out-of-state plaintiffs that appear to be aiming to gain quick settlements and high payouts. According to the Washington Post, lawsuits under the Americans with Disabilities Act quadrupled between 2013 and 2021 with a high proportion being filed in New York and California courts. Cases, the post reported, often target websites that lack accessibility features or gas stations that fail to include closed captioning with videos. The Kansas Chamber of Commerce said their members had been affected by these suits since 2017. The high cost of the litigation is the primary factor that causes businesses to settle, making these cases very profitable for out-of-state attorneys, chamber lobbyist Eric Stafford said in a statement. The exponential increase of this type of abusive litigation demonstrates that existing avenues are insufficient. The attorney involved in the case against one Kansas small business has filed more than 800 cases across the country since 2020 alone. This cannot be described as anything but predatory and extortion. Earlier versions of the bill would have allowed any business sued under the ADA for access issues on their website to countersue by claiming the lawsuit was abusive. It allowed businesses sued for ADA violations to earn triple the amount of attorneys fees as punitive damage if they win the suit. A coalition of 32 Kansas-based disability rights advocates and organizations sent a letter to lawmakers urging a no vote with scathing language arguing the bill ships ADA rights off to the deep freeze of Siberia. Story continues In response to the concerns, senators unanimously approved amendments to the bill narrowing the bills scope to website lawsuits only, removing language that said there would be a presumption of abuse if a lawsuit remained in place after reasonable efforts were taken to comply with the ADA, and sunsetting the bill once the U.S. Department of Justice issues standards for accessibility of websites. Under the current version of the legislation, businesses can still countersue if they believe a lawsuit is abusive. The suit would not be presumed to be abusive if within 90 days the alleged violation has not yet been resolved. Im hopeful that the changes that were made will better ensure that this will not have a chilling effect, said Rocky Nichols, executive director of the Disability Rights Center of Kansas. He added that it was clear the bill would pass whether the changes were made or not so the disability rights community chose to work to improve the bill despite their opposition. The Americans with Disabilities Act was a marquee bipartisan accomplishment for the former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole, a figure revered by Kansas Republicans who passed away in 2021. The act has long been viewed as a major step forward for guaranteed accommodations to individuals with disabilities across the country. Sen. Kellie Warren, a Leawood Republican, quoted Dole while speaking in favor of the bill. She said Dole had called the ADA a balance between the needs of disabled Americans and businesses. Unfortunately that careful balance has been put out of balance by litigation like the one I told you about, Warren said, referencing an abusive lawsuit filed against a small business in McPherson, Kansas. Joseph Mastrosimone, a Washburn University law professor who specializes in employment and labor law, said the narrowing of the bill was a good thing but that the state still runs the risk of violating federal law and allowing access violations affecting deaf and blind Kansans to go unchecked. The bill, he said, could violate the federal preemption clause that bars states from taking action that impedes a federal law. It is putting up barriers and roadblocks and penalties when people bring lawsuits under federal law, he said. Though the amendments to the bill narrow the impact, Mastrosimone said ADA lawsuits based on websites will only become more common as more information is stored online and more workplaces allow remote work. Rep. Fred Patton, a Topeka Republican who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, said existing Kansas law isnt sufficient to handle the issue because Kansas law doesnt apply to out-of-state litigation. The potential bill would create a cause of action within Kansas. But he said legitimate claims needed to be preserved. Clearly there is a problem, Patton said. Thats not good for small businesses, its not good for those who rely upon the ADA for protection. So we need to figure out how to come up with something that addresses that. So on Wednesday, the Kansas House of Representatives passed the Womens Bill of Rights. You might think that would mean that women in this state could look forward to, I dont know, maybe a guarantee of equal pay for equal work, greater security from domestic violence, paid time off for pregnancy leave, the right to make their own reproductive decisions and/or equitable representation in government. Dream on. This is the Kansas Legislature were talking about here. The Womens Bill of Rights establishes no rights for women at all. Its just another attempt to enshrine discrimination against transgender individuals in state law. It could be credibly argued that its an attempt to legislate them out of existence altogether. Lets face facts. The majority of lawmakers of this state absolutely hate transgender people and everything to do with them. Theyve tried over the years to limit their opportunity to live their lives in peace in just about every way imaginable. This time, it looks like its going to happen. While both the House and Senate passed it with just shy of a veto-proof majority, legislators who were absent or didnt vote are probably enough to put it over the two-thirds threshold. The bill is about as ignorant as they come. According to the legislative summary: A female would mean an individual whose biological reproductive system is developed to produce ova. A male would mean an individual whose biological reproductive system is developed to fertilize the ova of a female. Woman and girl would refer to human females, and man and boy would refer to human males. Those rare individuals who have characteristics of both genders are defined as disabled, which is insulting. And I dont know what theyd do about women or men who are born sterile. Gender would be fixed by the state at birth and there would be nothing you could ever do to change it, not even undergoing sex-change surgery. The states designation would affect the most intimate aspects of life what bathroom you use, where youd be housed if incarcerated, how your case would be handled if youre raped, what shelter youd be barred from if youre a victim of domestic violence. Story continues George Orwell would have been proud of the gyrations in the press release where Speaker of the House Dan Hawkins, Majority Leader Chris Croft, and Speaker ProTem Blake Carpenter took a mansplaining victory lap. This legislation is essential in ensuring that decades of progress made by the Womens Rights Movement is not hijacked and in order to protect the rights, safety, dignity and equal opportunity of biological women in our state, the he/him trio said. Somebody heres hijacking the Womens Rights Movement. And its not the transgender woman safely peeing in a locked stall in the womens room. The Legislatures previous efforts to ban transgender athletes from school sports, wisely vetoed by Gov. Laura Kelly, were discriminatory, but at least not actively dangerous. The Womens Bill of Rights is going to get people hurt, and all-too-probably killed. We all know what happens when transgender women are forced to use mens restrooms or housed in the general population of mens prisons. Trans people are positioned in relation to a normative culture that is both fascinated and repelled by us, explains Eric Stanley, an associate professor in gender and womens studies at University of California at Berkeley. Its not usually, I hate you, get away. Its more often, I hate you. Come really close so I can terrorize you. . . . The culture war has landed on trans communities, and that violence is specifically brutal. Thats what Senate Bill 180 is designed to enable. Its not a glitch, its a feature. And its the ugly reality behind this so-called Womens Bill of Rights, with its promisingly progressive, but cynically false title. Republican lawmakers in Kentucky have overridden the governors veto of sweeping legislation to ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth, restrict which bathrooms and locker rooms students can use, and prohibit students from using pronouns and names other than those assigned at birth. The legislation, denounced by LGBT+ advocates as one of the most extreme and dangerous state-level bills targeting trans people amid an explosion of similar proposals, was struck down by Democratic Governor Andy Beshear last week. But the states GOP-dominated state legislature, with veto-proof Republican supermajorities that can obstruct the governors actions, voted to override the governors veto on 29 March. Trans children exist and trans children deserve to be allowed to exist. Today, Kentuckys legislators have chosen to promote hate and disinformation instead of standing up to it, Democratic Kentucky state Senator Karen Berg said in a statement shared with The Independent. Ms Berg is the mother of Henry Berg-Brousseau, a transgender employee of the Human Rights Campaign who died by suicide last year. The organisation is among LGBT+ advocacy groups leading legal and legislative campaigns against a historic wave of state-level bills targeting LGBT+ Americans. This hate building across the country weighed on him, Ms Berg said in a statement announcing his death in December. During legislative debate over Senate Bill 150, she denounced the absolute willful, intentional hate for a small group of people who are the weakest and the most vulnerable among us. You need to come back to these people and you need to ask them: Why did you get elected? What are you doing here? What was your purpose in choosing to serve? Because if it was to help the least among us, you are failing miserably, she said. Kentucky state Senator Karen Berg, whose transgender son died by suicide in 2022, addresses a crowd protesting a sweeping bill targeting LGBT+ people on 29 March. (AP) Kentuckys omnibus law targeting trans youth effectively outlaws gender-affirming care, rejects requirements in schools to refer to children by their preferred pronouns, and prohibits discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools, adopting elements of what critics have called Dont Say Gay language introduced in similar bills across the US. Story continues Lessons at any grade level about gender identity or sexual orientation will be prohibited, and schools will be required to notify parents and caregivers before introducing any programmes that discuss sexuality. The Human Rights Campaign has warned that the legislation would force teachers to disclose confidential conversations they have had with their students about their sexual orientation or gender identity to the students parents, even if that would put the student in danger at home. Kentuckys legislators show no shame, Cathryn Oakley, the state legislative director and senior counsel for the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement shared with The Independent. The bill is nothing but a desperate and cruel effort by extremist politicians in Kentucky to stigmatize, marginalize and erase the LGBTQ+ community, particularly transgender youth, she added. The ACLU of Kentucky suggested that the organization will challenge the legislation in court. Trans Kentuckians, medical and mental health professionals, and accredited professional associations pleaded with lawmakers to listen to the experts, not harmful rhetoric based in fear and hate. Their pleas fell on deaf ears as the general assembly passed the bill in a matter of hours, ACLU Kentuckys executive director Amber Duke said in a statement shared with The Independent. Protesters outside Kentuckys state capitol in Frankfort demonstrate against a bill targeting trans children as Republican lawmakers voted to override Governor Andy Beshears veto on 29 March (Getty Images) LGBT+ advocacy groups have identified more than 470 bills this year considered harmful to LGBT+ Americans. At least 190 of those measures would specifically target trans people. There are nearly 2 million people living in the US who identify as transgender, representing fewer than 1 per cent of all Americans. Yet states are increasingly engaged in legislation and policies to restrict or eliminate access to gender-affirming medical care and other support systems. Eight states have enacted laws or policies banning gender-affirming care for young trans people, and at least 10 states are considering similar measures. Anti-trans legislation and rhetoric have also consumed right-wing media, this years Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, and, increasingly, in Congress, where lawmakers in Washington DC are mulling national bills that mirror the proposals dominating state capitols. More than half of all trans youth in the US between the ages of 13 and 17 are at risk of losing access to age-appropriate and medically necessary gender-affirming healthcare in their home state, according to the Human Rights Campaign. The onslaught of legislation and volatile political debate surrounding the bills has also negatively impacted the mental health of an overwhelming majority of young trans and nonbinary people, according to recent polling from The Trevor Project and Morning Consult. A separate survey from The Trevor Project found that 45 per cent of trans and nonbinary youth have seriously considered attempting suicide over the last year. The results of a wide-ranging survey from The Washington Post and KFF found that a vast majority of trans Americans are satisfied with their lives after transitioning. If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you. If you are based in the US and seek LGBT+ affirming mental health support, resources are available from Trans Lifeline (877-565-8860) and the LGBT Hotline (888-843-4564), as well as The Trevor Project (866-488-7386 or text START to 678-678). As Sunnies Studios gears up to celebrate its 10th anniversary, the Filipino eyewear brand tapped it-girl Kiko Mizuhara as its newest face. Fronting the brand's new Spring/Summer 2023 campaign, Mizuhara radiates Sunnies' positive energy, depicting the fashionista in her natural element, recreating the ideal holiday escape. Lensed by friend and collaborator, Monika Mogi, the campaign was shot in Okinawa, Japan. "Kiko has been a part of every Sunnies Studios mood board since we started a decade ago. She embodies that girl-at-heart energy that is effortless, effervescent, and relatable all at the same time. From mood board to real life, Kiko will forever be a Sunnies girl," explains Sunnies Studios co-founder Martine Ho in a press release. Spotlighting the brand's signature silhouettes, the campaign spotlights chunky sunglasses shapes and tinted optical frames. Each piece is crafted with biodegradable acetate and recycled polyester, staying true to the brand's responsible design and sustainable ethos. "Kiko can mix and match the biggest trends alongside the most enduring classics. This quality represents something we deeply value: boldness and creativity. Similarly, our creative process finds the perfect balance between capturing the spirit of the times and making timeless pieces that will never go out of style. The more we grow as a brand the more committed we are in supporting this vision, and Kiko is someone who reminds us to always imbibe this energy," adds co-founder Bea Soriano-Dee. Take a look at the dreamy campaign above, and head to the Sunnies Studios website to shop the new collection. In other fashion news, check out our roundup of the best Spring sneakers. The death of at least 39 asylum seekers at a Mexican detention facility is outrageous and a direct result of both countries ineffective immigration policies. Mexico has a lot of explaining to do about the fire that killed migrants seeking refuge in the United States but so does President Joe Biden, considering he has practically shut the border to these people fleeing persecution and other calamities. The deadly fire in Juarez should never have happened. Title 42 and other Trump-era holdovers are forcing migrants into dangerous, overcrowded conditions in Mexico, Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Texas Democrat, tweeted. The Biden admin needs to withdraw its asylum ban and work w/Mexico to protect migrants on both sides of the border. Dont bet on it. Opinions in your inbox: Get exclusive access to our columnists and the best of our columns Biden, Mexican president will shrug off this tragedy Biden and Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador lament the deaths but will quickly shrug off the tragedy as collateral damage in their fight to maintain power. Because thats what they do best: Cater to their political base no matter the cost. In this case, the lives of at least 39 migrants reportedly mostly Central and South American migrants who had made the trek through Mexicos hostile territory to reach the U.S. border. Instead of getting the chance to ask for asylum, they found a horrific death at a crowded federal detention facility in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, just across from El Paso, Texas. A fire broke out in the facility where the migrants reportedly were held awaiting deportation as part of Mexicos deal with the United States. What is Title 42?: Biden's new immigration policy has something for everyone to hate What's the endgame?: White House is fine with the chaos it created at the border Did guards walk away from screaming migrant detainees? Lopez Obrador said the migrants had set mattresses on fire to protest the deportation. But what happened next is inexcusable if not criminal. Story continues Surveillance video appears to show two guardsmen walking away from the screaming detainees as flames and smoke enveloped everything. Later, at least 38 bodies were recovered. They never imagined that this would cause this terrible misfortune, Lopez Obrador told reporters. Migrants take part in a vigil on March 28, 2023, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, for migrants who died in a fire at an immigration detention center. The fire broke out when migrants fearing deportation set mattresses ablaze, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said. Misfortune? This is a tragedy directly caused because of Bidens immigration policies and the Mexican president doing his bidding. Biden who, by the way, promised humane immigration reform has turned out to be a border hawk. He kept Title 42, a Trump-era health-related rule to expel migrants without due process. Humanitarian and security crisis: Biden wants you to believe America's border crisis is getting better. Here's why it's not. Will GOP leaders listen?: Evangelical voters want broken immigration system fixed So much for Biden's humane immigration reform In January, the White House announced a deal with Mexico to send back 30,000 migrants per month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela if they crossed into the United States illegally. Throngs of asylum seekers have been congregating in Ciudad Juarez, many of whom tried earlier this month to cross the international bridge into El Paso. Its unclear whether those who died at the detention center had tried to cross. Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store. Tensions between the migrants and Mexican authorities had been boiling for weeks, per news reports. Its an unsustainable situation, and Mondays deadly fire proves it. Its unclear what AMLO, as the Mexican president is known, is getting in exchange for doing the United States' job of deporting migrants and keeping them away from U.S. soil. Elvia Diaz is the editorial page editor for The Arizona Republic and azcentral Whatever it is, Biden has found an ally in the deportation business whos willing to let asylum seekers die as collateral damage in their war against unwelcome migrants. Elvia Diaz is the editorial page editor for The Arizona Republic and azcentral, where this column first published. Follow her on Twitter, @elviadiaz1 You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Looking for answers in US-Mexico border fire? Blame immigration policy The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) distilled six landmark reports totalling 10,000 pages prepared by more than 1,000 scientists over the last six years. Climate change is a physical fact Senate Bill 83 seeks to ban university courses focused on 'politically controversial' topics, such as climate change. The political majority can declare any topic to be "controversial," and therefore they would be able to ban the teaching of any course. YWCA: Ohio's chilling new pro-ignorance bill a threat that will drive off students The example of climate change is most striking, since climate change is a physical fact. State Sen. Jerry Cirino Furthermore, virtually every climate scientist on the planet has determined that (unless we decarbonize our economies with incredible speed) climate change will soon cause mind-boggling levels of damage to nature, to our built environments, to agriculture, to our water supplies, to the U.S. and the global economies, and to our national security. Apparently, extremists in the Ohio GOP are prepared to destroy the very broad U.S. economy in order to serve the short-term interests of the fossil fuel industry. This is in no meaningful sense 'pro-business' or 'conservative.' It seems to me that it is manifestly corrupt. Anyone can deny the laws of physics, but no one can change them. Including the state legislature. Michael Bevis, Professor of Geodesy and Geodynamics, The Ohio State University Frank LaRose and his hypocrisy The Dispatch has been carefully tracking the Republican Party's latest attempt to manipulate and control the election process. In the March 29 Dispatch.com article "Ohio secretary of state defends possible August election after pushing to limit them," the hypocrisy of Frank LaRose, Ohios Secretary of State, screams out at the electorate as if he is trying to fool someone. More: Ohio secretary of state defends possible August election after pushing to limit them His attempt is a thinly veiled exercise to try to get in front of a potential November ballot initiative regarding abortion rights. Republicans in the Statehouse support legislation that would require a 60% positive vote to amend the Ohio Constitution and make it that much more difficult for voters to pass any legislation amending the Ohio Constitution. Story continues It seems reasonable to me then that if his idea is such a good one, the legislation he wants to put on the ballot in August should carry its own self implementing rule that it would require 60% of the voters approval for his amendment to the Constitution to pass.Richard S. Donahey, Columbus Get ready for real electrical shortages I can easily understand if you are dismayed because of the pending price increase in your electric bill. However, if you were surprised, you havent been paying attention. When you take dependable, economical coal generators offline, and reduce the fuel supply for natural gas generators you are driving up the cost of producing electricity, as well as reducing the stability of the electrical grid. Letters: We didn't fight for slap in the face Ohio Republicans doling out with power grab It wont take much more of this action to force shortages and rolling blackouts. All the wind and solar that you can produce will be woefully insufficient to supply any significant amount of electricity, compared to total demand. If you insist on reducing your dependence on coal and natural gas for power generation, we will soon experience real electrical shortages, at which point a price increase in our electric bill will be among the least of our worries. Darryl Hiestand, Lancaster Buckeyes will lose When I taught Human Biology to non-science majors, I encouraged the students to identify specific human biology topics/questions of interest. As my Ohio State University colleague Steve Rissing pointed out in the March 26 Dispatch "Bill would result in more boring classes," this helped avoid boredom while providing factual information of interest and relevant to classes of predominantly young adults. Professor: Higher ed bill might as well be called 'Make College Courses Boring Act.' However, if the Ohio Higher Education Enhancement Act Senate Bill 83 is passed that would require faculty to allow and encourage students to reach their own conclusions about all controversial issues it seems some questions I was asked would now have to be ignored. There is a factual explanation for: Why does the world spin when youre drunk? There are scientific data that address: Does genetics determine intelligence? But only limited data for: Is there a benefit from circumcision, elective surgery/mutilation performed without the patients consent? and no definitive answer to: Is the morning after pill abortion or contraception? Maybe Im wrong, but wont OSU students lose if such controversial issues must be avoided? Professor: 'We cant take this lying down.' Draconian bill aimed at OSU, other colleges John Reeve, Ohio State University Emeritus Professor of Microbiology, Powell Climate change is a physical fact Senate Bill 83 seeks to ban university courses focused on 'politically controversial' topics, such as climate change. The political majority can declare any topic to be "controversial," and therefore they would be able to ban the teaching of any course. YWCA: Ohio's chilling new pro-ignorance bill a threat that will drive off students The example of climate change is most striking, since climate change is a physical fact. Furthermore, virtually every climate scientist on the planet has determined that (unless we decarbonize our economies with incredible speed) climate change will soon cause mind-boggling levels of damage to nature, to our built environments, to agriculture, to our water supplies, to the U.S. and the global economies, and to our national security. Apparently, extremists in the Ohio GOP are prepared to destroy the very broad U.S. economy in order to serve the short-term interests of the fossil fuel industry. This is in no meaningful sense 'pro-business' or 'conservative.' It seems to me that it is manifestly corrupt. Anyone can deny the laws of physics, but no one can change them. Including the state legislature. Michael Bevis, Professor of Geodesy and Geodynamics, The Ohio State University Ideas are scary Republican-dominated legislatures around the country, and here in Ohio, continue to raise culture war issues rather than work to solve actual problems (like Ohios shameful maternal death rate). A current thrust is Anti-woke legislation. The term woke, "of course, means being awake to, and aware of the reality around us. The reality that human-caused global warming has created a climate crisis that threatens human civilization. The reality of unequal access to health care between urban and rural communities. The reality that banning books is what the Nazis did in the run-up to World War II. Ideas scared them. The reality that U.S. history is more complex than most of us ever learned in school. The reality that the legacy of slavery is still with us in our economic and governmental systems. The reality that gender is not binary and never has been. The list goes on. By saying they are anti-woke, what these legislators are really saying is that they are opposed to reality not a good position to be in to move the country forward. Tom Baillieul, Columbus Letters to the Editor More: How to submit a letter to the editor for The Columbus Dispatch Require a 'radon-resistant requirement With environmental health concerns making headlines related to the recent disastrous train derailment in East Palestine, we should also be paying attention to an environmental health issue impacting residents right here in central Ohio. Radon, a naturally occurring colorless, odorless gas released from the ground, seeps into buildings and causes lung cancer. In fact, according to the Ohio Department of Health, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and the second leading cause among individuals who smoke. Ohio Department of Health data shows that Columbus has an average radon concentration greater than the EPA action level. In Ohio, radon testing is encouraged but not required. Opinion: Trust eroded by East Palestine disaster. Independent investigation needed. Schools are not even required to be tested. This means that tens of thousands of central Ohioans are being exposed to radon in their homes and businesses every day. While the EPA recommends testing and mitigation to reduce exposure, a best practice is to use radon-resistant techniques when building new construction. These techniques use common materials and do not require special skills to add radon-resistant features to new homes and buildings. With an unknown number of residents at risk for radon exposure and booming construction in Columbus, now is the time for policymakers to mandate these common sense, affordable construction techniques. By adding radon-resistant requirements to city building codes, radon exposure would be reduced, and lives would be saved. Elizabeth Fries, Dublin I am ashamed to live in this pigsty I get around a bit. Nowhere in the United States, Canada or elsewhere, have I seen a city that was even close to as trashed out with so much utter waste debris, auto bumpers and litter as is Columbus and the surrounding areas. It is appalling that any government could allow this. Columbus has absolutely no pride in its appearance. The fences around our freeways are covered with yards of billowing plastic, there are couches, mattresses and just plain trash everywhere. There must be 1,000 abandoned orange and white barrels and cones on roadsides around our city. And at every exit and intersection are hundreds of cigarette butts, plastic bottles and cans. I see trucks hauling construction debris, dumpsters hauling trash, and their loads are never covered with tarps as required by law. Plastic and papers fly out like confetti. When visitors land at John Glenn International Airport for a visit, on their ride downtown on I-670 they must wonder what on Earth such a filthy, trashy city could have to offer. Great for economic development. Once a year clean-ups obviously don't cut it. We need daily trash patrols everywhere. And, since the police are no longer enforcing traffic laws, namely running red lights and speeding, they should have time to hand out littering citations. Mayor Andrew Ginther: in the last year, how many citations for littering or illegal dumping were issued in Columbus? It looks like the answer is zero. Maybe we could pay the homeless panhandlers at every exit and intersection to pick up the trash. I am ashamed to live in this pigsty. The city administration, Ohio Department of Transportation and Franklin County commissioners should be ashamed of themselves. Hundreds of thousands of us work our butts off to make Columbus a great city and this is what we have to show for it. Jerome N. Smith, Columbus This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Letters: Senate Bill 83 labels climate change a politically controversial topic EXCLUSIVE: British visual effects outfit Union is launching its first international studio in Montreal, Canada, as it looks to expand the services it offers its clients in feature film and high-end television. The new studio, which comes as Union enters its 15th year, is based in a refurbished industrial building called Le Nordelec between Griffintown and Pointe-Saint-Charles. Union is in the process of recruiting technical, creative and production roles across all levels for its Canadian team. More from Deadline Founded by Adam Gascoyne and Tim Caplan in 2008, Union has grown from strength to strength and has fast become a top player in the London VFX scene. The fully independent studio has worked across a raft of projects from top talents such as Sam Mendes, Martin McDonagh, Danny Boyle and Stephen Frears. In the last three years, Union has invested heavily in expanding its CG team, delivering VFX on projects including Apple TV+s For All Mankind, Netflix series The Irregulars, John Maddens Operation Mincemeat, Prime Videos Wheel of Time, Disney+s Moon Knight, HBO Maxs Pennyworth and Oscar-nominated title The Banshees of Inisherin. The company has also just completed work on Amazons nine-part sci-fi series The Power, starring Toni Collette, which launches tomorrow (March 31). Adam and I have backgrounds at bigger VFX studios and our plan with Union was to build a VFX company that had all the best bits from our experiences with the benefits and personability of an independent studio, said Caplan of the groups expansion to Montreal. Over the last 15 years we have definitely achieved this in London and, with the ongoing upturn in film and TV projects globally, the time is right to do the same in another region. Story continues We decided on Montreal pre-pandemic. Its the perfect place ideally positioned for us to work with clients across multiple time zones with an incredible pool of local VFX talent and a generous tax relief system. All of this, plus finding a brilliant studio space made it a no-brainer. We are all hugely excited about this next chapter for Union. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Minister Troubled and Concerned the Biden Administration has Refused to Condemn the Covenant School Shooting as a 'Religious Hate Crime' Against Christians NEWS PROVIDED BY Christian Defense Coalition March 30, 2023 WASHINGTON, March 30, 2023 /Christian Newswire/ -- Rev. Patrick Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition and a Presbyterian minister, says "violence against people of faith and places of worship is a hateful act that always must be condemned by our national leaders. This certainly includes Christians." Six people, including three young children, were brutally murdered in America for simply being Christians and attending a church-based school. President Biden and his Administration's shocking silence on refusing to address these shootings as a religious hate crime against Christians will only pave the way for more violence against the Christian community in the future. Rev. Patrick Mahoney, Director of the Washington, D.C. based Christian Defense Coalition and a Presbyterian minister, states; "The failure of President Biden and his Administration to condemn the Covenant shooting as a religious hate crime against Christians is deeply troubling and concerning. "In America violence against people of faith and places of worship is a hateful act that always must be condemned by our national leaders. This certainly includes Christians. "It is hard to believe six people, including three children, were murdered in America because of their Christian faith and President Biden has refused to address this troubling reality. The Biden Administration's shocking silence on refusing to confront these shootings as a religious hate crime will only pave the way for more violence against the Christian community in the future. "Compare this with President Biden's powerful comments regarding gun violence against America's Jewish community, when he said, 'I will not allow our fellow Americans to be intimidated or attacked because of who they are or the faith they practice.' We call upon President Biden to show that same commitment toward protecting the Christian community and ensuring religious freedom for all." For more information or interviews call Rev. Patrick Mahoney at 540.538.4741 SOURCE Christian Defense Coalition CONTACT: Rev. Patrick Mahoney, 540-538-4741 Share Tweet Dundee Precious Metals, Inc. Figure 1: Plan view of the Chelopech mining concession and Sveta Petka and Brevene exploration licences, indicating target zones for DPMs 2023 in-mine and brownfield exploration program. Figure 1: Plan view of the Chelopech mining concession and Sveta Petka and Brevene exploration licences, indicating target zones for DPMs 2023 in-mine and brownfield exploration program. (All monetary figures in this news release are expressed in U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated) TORONTO, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dundee Precious Metals Inc. (TSX: DPM) (DPM or the Company) is pleased to provide an updated Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimate for the Chelopech mine in Bulgaria. Highlights Mine life extended to 2031: Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves of 1.6 million ounces (Moz.) of gold and 312 million pounds (Mlbs.) of copper supports a mine life that now extends to 2031. In 2022, DPM successfully added approximately 1.1 million tonnes (Mt) to Mineral Reserves, replacing about half of its 2022 production depletion of 2.1 Mt. Growth of Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource base: Total Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources, exclusive of Mineral Reserves, of 1.3 Moz. of gold and 281 Mlbs. of copper add further potential to extend mine life. Additional potential with in-mine and brownfield exploration: Significant drilling program planned for 2023, including 44,000 metres of in-mine drilling for Mineral Resource development, and 50,000 metres of brownfield drilling, focused on infill drilling at the Sharlo Dere prospect and conceptual targets on the mine concession and Brevene exploration licence. The updated Mineral Reserve estimate demonstrates our consistent track record of replacing Mineral Reserves at Chelopech, said David Rae, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dundee Precious Metals. With mining now expected to extend into 2031, a strong Mineral Resource base and increased in-mine and brownfield exploration drilling, we believe there is strong potential for this trend to continue at Chelopech. Updated Mineral Reserve and Resource Estimate The 2022 Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimate is based on a net smelter return (NSR) equation that informs a profitability indicator that considers, among other things, metal price, metallurgical recoveries, treatment charges and market forecasts. Story continues The updated Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves at Chelopech of 1.55 Moz. of gold and 311.5 Mlbs. of copper support a nine-year mine life that extends to 2031, excluding expected further conversions of existing Mineral Resources and potential additional exploration success. The updated Mineral Reserves estimate is shown below and is effective as of December 31, 2022: Chelopech Proven and Probable Mineral Reserve Estimate (As at December 31, 2022) Ore Type Reserve Classification Tonnes (Mt) Grades Metal Content Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) Cu (%) Au (Moz.) Ag (Moz.) Cu (Mlbs.) General Proven 8.1 2.47 6.8 0.78 0.65 1.77 140.1 Probable 9.5 2.70 8.1 0.81 0.82 2.48 168.8 Block 700 Probable 0.1 4.13 113.1 0.03 0.02 0.47 0.1 Block 152 Probable 0.5 4.04 4.3 0.23 0.06 0.07 2.5 All Proven 8.1 2.47 6.8 0.78 0.65 1.77 140.1 Probable 10.1 2.78 9.3 0.77 0.90 3.01 171.4 Total 18.2 2.64 8.2 0.77 1.55 4.78 311.5 Footnotes: The Mineral Reserves disclosed herein have been estimated in accordance with the CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (the CIM Definition Standards, adopted by CIM Council on May 10, 2014). Mineral Reserves have been depleted for mining as of December 31, 2022. The Inferred Mineral Resources do not contribute to the financial performance of the project and are treated in the same way as waste. The reference point at which the Mineral Reserves are defined is where the ore is delivered to the crusher. Long term metal prices assumed for the evaluation of the Mineral Reserves are $1,500/oz. for gold, $17.00/oz. for silver, and $3.25/lb. for copper. Mineral Reserves are based on a net smelter return-less-costs cut-off value of $0/t. The total cost applied was $55/t which is a sum of operational costs of approximately $50/t and sustaining capital of $5/t. All blocks include a complex NSR formula that differs for the three ore types within the Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource. The NSR formula utilizes long-term metal prices, metallurgical recoveries, payability terms, treatment charges, refining charges, penalty charges (deleterious arsenic), concentrate transport costs, and royalties. For clarity of understanding of ore value, a simplified formula is presented here that correlates to the complex formula for the average head grade. The simplified formula for general ore which comprises 97% of the Mineral Reserve is NSR $/t = 26.091 x Cu% + 0.196 x Ag_g//t + 30.773 x Au_g/t. Mineral Reserves account for unplanned mining dilution and ore loss that varies by orebody dimension and experience per mining block area, which on average were 8.1% for unplanned ore loss and 7.3% for unplanned dilution. Mineral Reserves account for planned mining dilution and mining recovery through stope optimization and stope design. The stopes are optimized to maximize net cash flow within the constraints of dilution and orebody extractable geometry. The planned dilution and recovery depend on geotechnical, mineralization continuity controls and ore zone dimensions. All stopes have been verified that they are profitable after considering the cost of capital development. There is no known likely value of mining, metallurgical, infrastructure, permitting or other relevant factors that could materially affect the estimate. The final one and a half years of operation occurs after the expiry of the mining concession contract. It is the opinion of DPM that the mining permit will be extended. The Proven Mineral Reserve includes broken stocks of 58 kt at 2.54 g/t Au, 5.4 g/t Ag and 0.64% Cu as well as stockpiles of 5 kt at 3.74 g/t Au, 5.0 g/t Ag and 0.75% Cu. Sum of individual table values may not equal due to rounding. A three-dimensional block model using 10 metres (E) x 10 metres (N) x 10 metres (RL) cell dimensions was created. This model honours wireframe volumes and was based on geological interpretations of the mineralization. Grade estimation of economic elements of interest, namely copper, gold and silver were completed, with the addition of potentially deleterious elements (sulphur and arsenic) using ordinary kriging. Block tonnage was estimated from the material in-situ dry bulk density values by using ordinary kriging where adequate density samples were available, and from the positive relationship to sulphur grade where density sampling was limited. The Mineral Resource estimate has been depleted by all mining and development work completed as of December 31, 2022 and is reported using a NSR calculation based on assumed long-term metal prices, current operating costs and metal revenue to meet the reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction criteria. Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources, exclusive of Mineral Reserves, increased by 2.7Mt compared with 2021, as a result of changes to NSR parameters, grade estimation and interpretation, partly offset by conversion to Mineral Reserves. The Mineral Resource estimate is shown below and is effective as at December 31, 2022: Chelopech Mineral Resource Estimate, exclusive of Mineral Reserves (As at December 31, 2022) Classification Tonnes Gold Silver Copper (Mt) Grade (g/t) Moz. Grade (g/t) Moz. Grade (%) Mlbs. Measured 8.5 2.54 0.695 8.57 2.344 0.83 156 Indicated 7.9 2.39 0.609 10.06 2.566 0.71 125 Total Measured & Indicated 16.4 2.47 1.303 9.29 4.909 0.78 281 Inferred 4.4 1.93 0.276 8.57 1.225 0.70 69 Footnotes: The Mineral Resources disclosed herein have been estimated in accordance with the CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (CIM, 2014). Tonnages are rounded to the nearest 0.1 million tonnes to reflect that this is an estimate. Metal content is rounded to the nearest 1 thousand ounces or 1 million pounds to reflect that this is an estimate. The Mineral Resources are reported exclusive of Mineral Reserves. Metal prices assumed for the evaluation of the Mineral Resources are $1,700/oz. for gold, $17.00/oz. for silver, and $3.75/lb. for copper. Mineral Resources are based on a NSR less costs cut-off value of US$0/t in support of reasonable prospects of eventual economic extraction. The total cost applied was approximately $55/t which is a sum of operational costs of approximately $50/t and sustaining capital of approximately $5/t. All blocks include a complex NSR (Net Smelter Return) formula that differs for the three ore types. The NSR formula utilises long term metal price, metallurgical recoveries, payability terms. treatment charges, refining charges, penalty charges, concentrate transport costs, and royalties. For clarity of understanding of ore value, a simplified formula is presented here for the Measured and Indicated Resource where NSR US$/t = 33.870 x Cu % + 0.171 x Ag g/t + 37.937 x Au g/t. Life of Mine Plan The table below shows the updated LOM plan, reflecting the updated Mineral Reserve estimate. The updated LOM plan adds approximately 24,000 oz. of gold production and 9 Mlbs. of copper production between 2023 and 2031, relative to the previous mine plan outlined in the news release Dundee Precious Metals Provides Updated Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve Estimates for the Chelopech Mine in Bulgaria dated March 31, 2022. The tables below show the current LOM plan compared to the previous 2022 LOM plan. Current 2023 Life of Mine Plan Unit Total / Average 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 Total Ore Processed Mt 18.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 0.6 Grade Au g/t 2.64 2.84 2.93 2.99 2.76 2.52 2.27 2.89 2.16 1.91 Cu % 0.77 0.84 0.72 0.80 0.69 0.84 0.75 0.82 0.74 0.75 Recoveries Copper Concentrate Au % 52.6 55.8 56.2 55.6 54.4 41.5 55.5 49.6 52.2 48.2 Cu % 84.4 83.5 83.4 83.6 85.3 84.2 86.0 84.2 86.6 78.2 Recoveries Pyrite concentrate Au % 24.9 24.1 24.2 24.4 24.8 25.8 25.8 24.7 26.1 24.8 Total Au Production K oz. 1,202 160 167 169 155 120 131 152 120 28 Total Cu Production Mlbs. 289 37 32 36 32 38 34 37 34 9 Previous 2022 Life of Mine Plan Unit Total / Average 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 Total Ore Processed Mt 17.1 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 1.71 Grade Au g/t 2.69 2.73 2.94 2.94 2.63 2.71 2.56 2.53 2.47 Cu % 0.80 0.90 0.82 0.78 0.76 0.74 0.81 0.91 0.62 Recoveries Copper Concentrate Au % 54.4 55.8 57.8 58.3 55.6 56.5 50.9 55.3 40.4 Cu % 84.9 84.0 84.3 85.5 84.7 84.8 85.3 87.2 82.6 Recoveries Pyrite concentrate Au % 25.0 25.3 25.0 24.8 25.1 24.1 25.6 25.9 24.2 Total Au Production K oz. 1,177 157 172 173 150 155 138 145 88 Total Cu Production Mlbs. 280 37 33 32 31 30 34 39 19 Three-Year Outlook The updated Mineral Reserve estimate is in-line with the Companys previously issued 2023 guidance and three-year outlook for Chelopech, as shown below. 2022 Results 2023 Guidance 2024 Outlook 2025 Outlook Metals contained in concentrate produced Gold (K oz.) 179 150 170 160 180 160 185 Copper (Mlbs.) 31 30 35 29 34 29 34 Cost of sales per tonne of ore processed(1) ($/t) 63 N/A N/A N/A Cash cost per tonne of ore processed(1) ($/t) 50 53 58 N/A N/A Sustaining capital expenditures ($ millions) $24 20 24 14 18 12 15 Cost of sales per tonne of ore processed represents Chelopech cost of sales divided by the volume of ore processed. Cash cost per tonne of ore processed is a non-GAAP ratio and has no standardized meaning under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Refer to the Non-GAAP Financial Measures section contained in the Companys Managements Discussion and Analysis (the MD&A) for the year ended December 31, 2022 commencing at page 44, which is available on the Companys website at www.dundeeprecious.com and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, for a detailed description and reconciliation of this measure to the most directly comparable measure under IFRS. For more information regarding the Companys 2023 guidance and three-year outlook, including key assumptions, qualifications and risks associated thereto, refer to the MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2022, issued on February 16, 2023, available on the Companys website at www.dundeeprecious.com and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . Further extending mine life through additional in-mine and brownfield exploration DPM continues to aggressively focus on extending Chelopechs mine life through its successful in-mine exploration program and a growing brownfield exploration program, which for 2023 includes: Approximately 44,000 metres of in-mine drilling for Mineral Resource development with particular focus on the upper levels of Blocks 103, 150, 151 and 153, Target 11 and Target 147 zones (see Figure 1). Approximately 50,000 metres of brownfield exploration, aiming to test conceptual targets on the Brevene exploration licence, which surrounds the Sveta Petka exploration licence, as well as in the Chelopech mine concession (see Figure 1). The brownfield exploration program is designed to follow-up on conceptual targets on the mine concession, including testing for deeper and lateral extensions of the Chelopech deposit, as well as targets on the Brevene exploration licence. A focused infill drilling program is planned at Sharlo Dere, which is located on the east flank of the mine. The planned drilling will be used to potentially support the inclusion of this prospect within subsequent Mineral Resource estimates for the Chelopech mine. Additionally, extensional drilling will test the Target 11 and Sharlo Dere Deeps targets, both of which are under-explored and demonstrate strong potential to host additional mineral resources. In March 2023, the Company filed a Commercial Discovery application with the Bulgarian authorities for the Sveta Petka exploration licence, which includes the Wedge, West Shaft, Krasta and Petrovden prospects. The Sveta Petka exploration licence is expected to be registered as a Commercial Discovery by the end of 2023 and subsequent to that, the Company intends to apply for concession rights in 2024. In line with DPMs 2023 guidance, the Company has budgeted between $5 million to $6 million on in-mine exploration activities at Chelopech, and $5 million to $6 million for brownfields exploration activities. Figure 1: Plan view of the Chelopech mining concession and Sveta Petka and Brevene exploration licences, indicating target zones for DPMs 2023 in-mine and brownfield exploration program is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cbfc42ee-214e-456c-9775-a224cf0f1603. Figure 1: Plan view of the Chelopech mining concession and Sveta Petka and Brevene exploration licences, indicating target zones for DPMs 2023 in-mine and brownfield exploration program. Technical Information The Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimates for the Chelopech mine and other scientific and technical information which supports this news release was prepared by DPM with review and guidance at various stages provided by CSA Global (UK) Ltd. (CSA Global). The Qualified Persons (QP) are satisfied as to the appropriateness and quality of the technical work completed and accept responsibility for the disclosure, in accordance with Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101). The QP for the Mineral Resource estimate is Galen White, BSc, FAusIMM, Partner and Principal Consultant of CSA Global (UK) Limited, and the QP for the Mineral Reserve estimate is Andrew Sharp, B.Eng. (Mining), P.Eng. (BC), FAusIMM, Associate Principal Mining Engineer of CSA Global. Both Galen White and Andrew Sharp are Qualified Persons as defined under NI 43-101, and are independent of the Company. Ross Overall, Corporate Mineral Resource Manager, of the Company, who is a QP, as defined under NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release. About Dundee Precious Metals Inc. Dundee Precious Metals Inc. is a Canadian-based international gold mining company with operations and projects located in Bulgaria, Namibia, Ecuador and Serbia. The Companys purpose is to unlock resources and generate value to thrive and growth together. This overall purpose is supported by a foundation of core values, which guides how the Company conducts its business and informs a set of complementary strategic pillars and objectives related to ESG, innovation, optimizing our existing portfolio, and growth. The Companys resources are allocated in-line with its strategy to ensure that DPM delivers value for all of its stakeholders. DPMs shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (symbol: DPM). For further information please contact: David Rae President and Chief Executive Officer Tel: (416) 365-5092 drae@dundeeprecious.com Jennifer Cameron Director, Investor Relations Tel: (416) 219-6177 jcameron@dundeeprecious.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward looking statements or forward looking information (collectively, Forward Looking Statements) that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Forward Looking Statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the use of forward looking terminology such as plans, expects, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, outlook, intends, anticipates, believes, or variations of such words and phrases or that state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms or similar expressions. The Forward Looking Statements in this news release relate to, among other things; the estimation of Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources and the realization of such mineral estimates; the LOM; production, processing and recoveries forecasts; financial metrics, including those set out in the three-year outlook provided by the Company; success of exploration activities, the price of gold, copper, and silver, and other commodities; and successful registration of the Sveta Petka exploration licence as a Commercial Discovery. Forward Looking Statements are based on certain key assumptions and the opinions and estimates of management and the QPs, as of the date such statements are made, and they 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 other future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the Forward Looking Statements. In addition to factors already discussed in this news release, such factors include, among others, risks relating to the Companys business, including possible variations in ore grade and recovery rates; uncertainties inherent to the conclusions of economic evaluations and economic studies; changes in project parameters, including schedule and budget, as plans continue to be refined; uncertainties with respect to actual results of current exploration activities; uncertainties and risks inherent to developing and commissioning new mines into production, which may be subject to unforeseen delays; uncertainties inherent to the estimation of Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources, which may not be fully realized; uncertainties inherent with conducting business in foreign jurisdictions where corruption, civil unrest, political instability and uncertainties with the rule of law may impact the Companys activities; the impact of the conflict in the Ukraine and COVID-19, including resulting changes to the Companys supply chain and costs of supplies; product shortages; delivery and shipping issues; closures and/or failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; employees and contractors become infected with COVID-19 or being affected by the war; lost work hours; labour force shortages; fluctuations in metal and acid prices, toll rates and foreign exchange rates; limitation on insurance coverage; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities; actual results of current and planned reclamation activities; opposition by social and non-government organizations to mining projects and smelting operations; unanticipated title disputes; claims or litigation; cyber attacks and other cybersecurity risks; as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in any other documents (including without limitation the Chelopech Technical Report and the Companys most recent Annual Information Form) filed from time to time with the securities regulatory authorities in all provinces and territories of Canada and available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . The reader has been cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive of all factors which may have been used. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in Forward Looking Statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that Forward Looking Statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Companys Forward Looking Statements reflect current expectations regarding future events and speak only as of the date hereof. Unless required by securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update Forward Looking Statements if circumstances or managements estimates or opinions should change. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on Forward Looking Statements. Cautionary Note to United States Investors Concerning Estimates of Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources The Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource estimates presented in this news release have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of Canadian securities laws, which differ from the requirements of United States securities laws. Canadian reporting requirements for disclosure of mineral properties are governed by NI 43-101. The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted amendments to its disclosure rules to modernize the mineral property disclosure requirements for issuers whose securities are registered with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These amendments became effective February 25, 2019 (the SEC Modernization Rules) with compliance required for the first fiscal year beginning on or after January 1, 2021. The SEC Modernization Rules replace the historical disclosure requirements for mining issuers that were included in SEC Industry Guide 7. As a result of the adoption of the SEC Modernization Rules, the SEC now recognizes estimates of measured mineral resources, indicated mineral resources and inferred mineral resources. In addition, the SEC has amended its definitions of proven mineral reserves and probable mineral reserves to be substantially similar to the corresponding Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) Definition Standards adopted by CIM Council on May 10, 2014 (the CIM Definition Standards), incorporated by reference in NI 43-101. Readers are cautioned that while the above terms are substantially similar to the corresponding CIM Definition Standards, there are differences in the definitions under the SEC Modernization Rules and the CIM Definition Standards. Accordingly, there is no assurance any Mineral Reserves or Mineral Resources that the Company may report as proven mineral reserves, probable mineral reserves, measured mineral resources, indicated mineral resources and inferred mineral resources under NI 43-101 would be the same had the Company prepared the reserve or resource estimates under the standards adopted under the SEC Modernization Rules. Readers are also cautioned that while the SEC will now recognize measured mineral resources, indicated mineral resources and inferred mineral resources, it should not be assumed that any part or all of the mineralization in these categories will ever be converted into a higher category of Mineral Resources or into Mineral Reserves. Mineralization described using these terms has a greater amount of uncertainty as to their existence and feasibility than mineralization that has been characterized as reserves. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to assume that any measured mineral resources, indicated mineral resources or inferred mineral resources that the Company reports are or will be economically or legally mineable. Further, inferred mineral resources have a greater amount of uncertainty as to their existence and as to whether they can be mined legally or economically. Therefore, readers are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of the inferred mineral resources exist. In accordance with Canadian securities laws, estimates of inferred mineral resources cannot form the basis of feasibility or other economic studies, except in limited circumstances where permitted under NI 43-101. For the above reasons, information contained in this news release containing descriptions of the Companys mineral deposits may not be comparable to similar information made public by United States companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements under the United States federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. Montana Brown has revealed she recently had a pregnancy scare (Instagram) Montana Brown has revealed she recently had to go to hospital after suffering a pregnancy scare. The former Love Island star, 27, is currently pregnant with her first child with boyfriend Mark OConnor. She confirmed earlier this month that the gender of their baby is a boy. Taking to Instagram on Monday, the Hertfordshire native said she had experienced every expectant mums worst nightmare when she became concered over her babys reduced movements. Uploading a series of pictures of her and her partner at a hospital, she explained: Recently.. feeling grateful that everything is all healthy and looking ok definitely so emotional when you overthink whats going on in your body and movements differ between days. I had reduced movements which were all explainable but its so nerve wracking when its your first time going through it all. So thankful for the wonderful NHS and really glad we decided to go with a local hospital rather than in London. Going on to praise her other half for being by her side throughout the ordeal, she continued: Also so grateful for my wonderful partner too, has been a bit of a stressful few days but so beyond thankful for my good health, good people around me and phenomenal professionals in our hospital. Expanding further on what led her to seek medical help in a clip shared to Instagram Stories, she said: If you guys havent been pregnant before... when you start getting movements, youre supposed to track those movements, and if you see any changes then you should go the day centre or the triage. Explaining that her babys kicks are all day every day, especially in the evening, she said she could see limbs flying out of my stomach but that alarm bells rang when she couldnt feel anything for two nights. Brown confirmed that her hospital trip took place last week and that the doctors did plenty of checks before telling her that everything was okay. Liz in No Good Nick As many are well aware, this week has been marred by the latest mass shooting to occur at a U.S. school, the 19th so far in 2023 where at least one person was wounded. The tragic incident, which occurred at The Covenant School in Nashville, left three 9-year-old students dead, along with a custodian, substitute teacher, and the head of the institution. Understandably, the topic has been at the forefront of news coverage, with many taking to social media to share all manner of reactions, but Sabrina the Teenage Witch vet Melissa Joan Hart had a different experience than most others, as she shared a starring story about her and her husband helping a group of kids running away from the shooting. Melissa Joan Hart was justifiably teary-eyed when taking to Instagram to share her story, reflecting on the fact that this isnt even the first school shooting that she and her family have been adjacent to. Heres how she put it: For those of you that know I live in Nashville, and what's been going on here today: my kids go to school right next to a school where there was a shooting today. And we moved here from Connecticut, where we were in a school a little ways down from Sandy Hook, so this is our second experience with a school shooting with our kids being in close proximity. Luckily, we are all okay. But my husband and I were on our way to school for conferences - luckily our kids weren't in today - and we helped a class of kindergarteners across a busy highway. They were climbing out of the woods; they were trying to escape the shooter situation at their school. So we helped all these tiny little kids cross the road and get their teachers over there, and we helped a mom reunite with her children. And I don't know what to say anymore. It is just...enough is enough, and just pray. Pray for the families. Thankfully, the former Netflix star and her husband were out of harms way during the time of the shooting, as well as their children, and they were able to hopefully deliver not only assistance, but a bit of comfort and distraction from the horrifying chaos while helping the group of kindergarteners. Its often in times of unexpected tragedies when people band together instinctively, and Hart and husband Mark Wilkersons parental instincts likely took over in a big way, with thoughts about their own sons safety no doubt taking over. Its impossible to know what one will do in an unpredictable moment like that, but we should all hope to react in such a selfless way. Story continues Melissa Joan Hart has spoken in the past about her sons having attended school very near to Sandy Hook Elementary, where the second deadliest school shooting in U.S. history took place in 2012. The fam moved to their vacation home in Lake Tahoe in 2019, and then transitioned to Nashville in 2020. Below is the previous post that Hart shared about the tragedy, where she first noted some of the details mentioned in the video above. A post shared by Melissa Joan Hart (@melissajoanhart) A photo posted by on It was just over a week prior to the deadly shooting when Melissa Joan Hart was sharing the stage with Sabrina co-stars Caroline Rhea, Beth Broderick and Nate Richert at 90s Con in Hartford, CT. The actress, who'd recently recalled almost being fired from the TGIF sitcom, talked about not having ever watched the bewitching comedy with any regularity, and about having worked with Ryan Reynolds (both professionally and personally) during those early years. The cast as a whole reflected on both joyous and stressful times working on the show for seven seasons. Sadly, our world is not one where supernatural magic is a fingertip away, and tragedies such as this happen far too often. CinemaBlend sends our thoughts and condolences to everyone who's been affected by the Covenant School shooting. liposuction A woman has died after attempting to perform a liposuction procedure on herself. The victim, who was identified only as Carina, was a 30-year-old nurse at a south-central facility in Mexico called Clinica Amper. In an article published yesterday (March 29) by the New York Post, the outlet revealed that Carina never had permission to undergo surgery and did so when her employer was not present. Dr. Rolando Samper Mendoza, who owns the clinic, said the woman performed the operation without my authorization or permission. He continued, One of my nurses named Carina decided on her own to perform abdominal liposuction with local anesthetic The result of this incomprehensible action was that she died as a result of the massive absorption of anesthetic that she administered herself. After being found unconscious by a fellow employee, Carinas official cause of death was listed as cardiorespiratory arrest when a person suddenly stops breathing and their heart fails. Shed been trying to perform liposuction on her stomach when the situation went awry. Paramedics were called to the scene and did all they could to revive the nurse; however, they were unsuccessful in their attempts. The outlet noted that the woman was not professionally trained to deal with administering anesthesia. Mexico has long been a country where people flock in order to undergo various cosmetic surgeries due to lower costs associated with procedures. According to Patients Beyond Borders, over 1 million United States citizens travel to Mexico each year to find inexpensive weight-loss solutions such as liposuction, buttock augmentation and abdominoplasties. The discussion recently made headlines when four Americans were violently kidnapped by Mexican cartel members earlier this month as one member of the group was reportedly being escorted by friends to a cosmetic procedure appointment. Unfortunately, two of the four were killed during the trip. Trending Stories the night sky is lit in a strange glow of purples, pinks, and reds A bizarre, aurora-like phenomenon known as STEVE made several appearances across the United States and parts of the United Kingdom last week, after a powerful solar storm slammed into Earth without warning. STEVE, also known as a "strong thermal emission velocity enhancement," is a rare phenomenon that was officially discovered in 2016. During STEVE, a long, thick ribbon of light usually white, purple or green in color appears to hang in the sky for up to an hour. Although it looks very similar to auroras, or northern lights, and often appears at the same time, STEVE is not an aurora. On March 23, a surprise coronal mass ejection (CME) a gargantuan, fast-moving blob of plasma and magnetic field released from the sun erupted from a massive hole in the sun that was wider than 20 Earths. Astronomers did not see the stealthy storm coming because it traveled much slower than normal CMEs and was therefore almost impossible to track. The resulting geomagnetic storm on Earth was the most powerful for six years and triggered spectacular auroras across the globe. Related: That Weird, Aurora-Like Phenomenon Called STEVE Finally Has an Explanation The sneaky solar storm also triggered unusually widespread sightings of STEVE. The phenomenon was photographed in South Dakota, Washington state, Idaho, Montana (twice) and in Scotland in the U.K., and it may have been visible in other places as well, according to Spaceweather.com. During auroras, highly energetic particles from solar storms and solar wind break through the planet's magnetic field, or magnetosphere, and excite molecules of gas in the upper atmosphere. This creates swirling lights that ebb and flow over time. But STEVE is not triggered by high-energy particles and can occur much further away from Earth's poles than auroras tend to appear although scientists are still unsure why. Image 1 of 3 wispy streaks of oranges, reds, and greens stretch across the night sky Image 2 of 3 wispy streaks of oranges, reds, and greens stretch across the night sky Image 3 of 3 wispy streaks of oranges, reds, and greens stretch across the night sky Instead, STEVE is caused by a river of hot plasma, or ionized gas, that breaks through Earth's magnetosphere and into the ionosphere thanks to magnetic disturbances during solar storms. This plasma travels at around 13,300 mph (21,400 km/h), which creates friction with the surrounding air and excites molecules to glow in the same way as an aurora. But the constant flow of plasma causes an unmoving visual phenomenon for an observer compared with the dancing lights of auroras. Story continues streaks of white and green stretch across the night sky RELATED STORIES: Odd aurora-like STEVE phenomenon captured in stunning night sky photo Meet 'Steve,' the Aurora-Like Mystery Scientists Are Beginning to Unravel That Weird, Aurora-Like Phenomenon Called STEVE Finally Has an Explanation STEVE can also be accompanied by streaking green lights, or "picket fences," that flash in the sky for around 30 seconds before disappearing. Experts believe these picket fences form in a similar way to auroras, but the streaking lights are not fully understood. This is not the first time STEVE has made an appearance above North America. In August 2022, STEVE was spectacularly photographed after it emerged in the skies above southern Canada after another surprise solar storm hit Earth. Originally published on LiveScience.com. As a history teacher at High Point Central High School, Bruce Blackwell teaches about the past, but now the present has come barging in. Ninety miles from his classroom, Republican state lawmakers in Raleigh are pushing House Bill 187, legislation that would limit how racism and sexism can be taught in the schools. It states, in part, that no teacher should present history in a way that, Any individual, solely by virtue of his or her race or sex, should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress. This bill does not change what history standards can and cannot be taught, said Rep. John Torbett, a Gaston County Republican and the bills primary sponsor. It simply prohibits schools from endorsing discriminatory concepts. Blackwell disagrees. For him, a Black, 35-year-old North Carolina native, the bill is an intrusion that aims to distort history. If you look at history, theres always one group that felt they were superior over another, whether it was to force a group out of their homes or force a group into enslavement, he said. He noted that women in the United States didnt get the right to vote until 1920 and that it wasnt until the voting rights law ended barriers to Black people voting that the nation became a real democracy. Blackwell doesnt want any of his students to feel ashamed by history. He just wants them to know the truth about it. When he teaches about the Founding Fathers, his class discusses the fact that some were slaveholders. People like Washington or Thomas Jefferson, were they people of their times or could they have done more? he told me. Its having that conversation and letting the kids draw their own opinions. Its not me pressing. Blackwell doesnt think teachers are imposing their views by discussing the reality of the past. The people who are pushing this agenda, Im wondering where they get it from., he said. Are they going into a classroom and actually seeing this type of rhetoric being taught to students? I really believe thats not happening. Story continues What is happening in schools, he said, is a shortage of teachers as well as infrastructure problems. Sometimes the heat doesnt work and theres no air conditioning. There are also cases where students go hungry because they cant afford a school lunch. There are more important things to worry about than what theyre assuming about what teachers are communicating to students, Blackwell said. The proposed legislation addresses a nonexistent problem, he said, but if it passes it will create real problems. For one, he said, it will set back efforts to diversify the ranks of teachers. We want more Black males and people of color in general in teaching, but theyll look at this and fear they are going to be scrutinized, especially if they are at a school that is predominately white, he said. They are going to be intimidated into not teaching certain things or theres going to be blowback from a parent. Blackwell, who teaches at a school that includes a mix of whites, Blacks and Latinos, said he hasnt heard complaints about his taking a forthright approach to teaching history. Im thankful that Ive never had any blowback from my students. Theres never been a parent who has questioned anything, said Blackwell, who has been a full-time teacher since 2015. Its always, My child loves your class, they love learning about things. If House Bill 187 passes, he said he doesnt plan to change how he teaches. Its sad, he said of the legislation, but Im somebody who is willing to fight for what is right regardless of the outcome. If you look at the people who have gone before, you have got to take a stand at some point. While Republican lawmakers want to tell him how to teach, Blackwell wants them to learn. Theyre not here with us to really see what is going on. Theyre not coming into our classroom, he said. Truly, they should visit a classroom and see whats going on. They might learn something. Associate opinion editor Ned Barnett can be reached at 919-829-4512, or nbarnett@ newsobserver.com In a rare case of a nomination failing on the chamber floor, the nominee for Mississippi Superintendent of Education, who was named by the state's education board late last year, was not confirmed by the Mississippi Senate on Wednesday in a 21-31 vote. Robert Taylor, a native Mississippian who last served as deputy state superintendent for North Carolina and began work in January, will no longer be the chief administrator of the state's education system, with those voting no voicing concerns about his selection process and record on underperforming schools. This whole confirmation was a political process, and I knew that coming in, Taylor told The Associated Press on Wednesday evening after the Senate vote. He said senators in the past have confirmed all previous nominees for state superintendent, and he is disappointed this group of senators did not confirm him. The fact that they didn't, that is what I have to live with, Taylor said. I will always respect the process. In a news conference after the vote, Senate Democrats suggested a different reason Taylor was voted down. Sen. David Jordan, D-Greenwood, is a former longtime schoolteacher who said Taylor's qualifications were more than adequate. "The person that we're talking about, Dr. Taylor, is a native son," Jordan said. "He's a Mississippian, who went to North Carolina and worked in their system, that system rated is higher than Mississippi, and he came home to serve. He's a great and impressive son of Mississippi, and we rejected him for no reason other than the fact that God made him Black." The Mississippi State Board of Education selected Robert Taylor to serve as Mississippis new state superintendent of education, but he was voted down by the state Senate on Wednesday. Despite some bipartisan support five Republicans voted yes Taylor's nomination ultimately failed. Some who voted no said the legislature had not been adequately involved in the selection process. Sen. Daniel Sparks, R-Belmont, said that played a role in his opposition, but added that there were other factors too. Mississippi, Sparks said, needs a superintendent with a strong record of turning around underperforming schools. Taylor's answers on that topic in the confirmation hearings left Sparks unconvinced, according to the senator. Sparks also looked to Taylor's record on that subject in North Carolina. Story continues "There were not things that were said that gave me encouragement about the underperforming schools in our state," Sparks said. "The data that I have before me says that while someone may be constitutionally qualified, they may not be the right person for the job." Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann released a statement after the vote, saying he agreed with the no-vote. "The Board sent over an appointment but there were legitimate concerns about whether he was the right person for the job. With a position as important as the person overseeing the education of our children, Senators should vote their conscience and confirmation should not be taken lightly. I defer to the body and believe they made the right decision today," Hosemann said. During floor debate Sen. Hob Bryan, D-Amory, urged his colleagues to support the nominee, and said the process that led to Taylor's selection was far from abnormal. "I'm aware that among some senators there is opposition to this nomination. I don't know of any reason that has been articulated that is compelling that we should reject this nominee. The state constitution vests in the state school board the authority to operate or choose the state superintendent," Bryan said. In the news conference, Sen. John Horhn, D-Jackson, said rejecting Taylor so late in the session sets the state's education system back until the Senate can have a chance to vote on the next nominee. "Those who voted against the nomination of Dr. Taylor did the state of Mississippi a great disservice," Horhn said. "They have set our education efforts and progress that we've made with regard to education back at least a year because we are rudderless right now. We've got to start all over again and find leadership for our state department of public education. Anytime we put politics and partisanship and race ahead of the progress that we need to be making in the state of Mississippi we're doing our citizens a great disservice, and we did that today." Mississippi state Sen. Juan Barnett, D-Heidelberg, left, speaks at a news conference Wednesday, March 29, 2023, at the state Capitol in Jackson, Miss., while surrounded by other members of the Legislative Black Caucus. Several caucus members denounced a vote by the Republican-led Senate to reject the nomination of Robert P. Taylor as Mississippi superintendent of education. Taylor would have been the second Black person to hold the job. When Taylor was first named by the board, he publicly celebrated the opportunity to return home. The opportunity to return home to Mississippi and work hand in hand with all stakeholders to improve education is perhaps the pinnacle of ones career, Taylor said in a statement. This opportunity has been afforded to my family and I and we look forward to our homecoming. In November, Taylor was appointed by the Mississippi State Board of Education, which is made up of appointees from the governor, lieutenant governor and speaker of the house. That came at the end of a months-long search to replace State Superintendent Carey Wright. Taylor started on the job in January, as it is not uncommon for board-appointments to begin work before their confirmation has been made official. Now, it seems, a new search will need to begin. Between Wright and Taylor, Kim Benton served on an interim basis. Nominations require the advice and consent of the Senate. While the speaker of the house has a role in who sits on the state board of education, the House does not vote on nominations. Sen. Juan Barnett, D-Heidelberg, filed a motion to reconsider the vote, which the Senate voted to table Thursday. The 2023 session is scheduled to end by Sunday. The Associated Press contributed to this story. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: MS Senate votes against state superintendent of education nominee Its like Voltaire never said: I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. Its a quotation that is often attributed to the French philosopher Francois-Marie Arouet, who wrote under the pen name Voltaire. If thats not confusing enough, the words actually appear to have originated with a Voltaire historian, Evelyn Beatrice Hall, who wrote under the pseudonym S. G. Tallentyre. So, Voltaires most famous quotation was, apparently, not a quote at all, but another pen-named writers paraphrase of his attitude toward another philosophers work. All of which goes to show that truth is complicated. I was reminded of that this past weekend, when I was put on blast on social media by Trust Women, an abortion provider and advocacy organization that operates in the space once occupied by the clinic of George Tiller, the Wichita abortion doctor who was assassinated by an anti-abortion fanatic in 2009. What got Trust Women bent out of shape was my decision to allow space in the Opinion sections of The Wichita Eagle and Kansas.com for a guest column titled In defense of state support for pro-life pregnancy resource centers. Trust Womens post was seen by others and I spent the weekend arguing on Facebook against the contention that I should have suppressed the column by Nelly Roach, president of the Columbia, Mo.-based Choose Life Coalition. The column supported proposed legislation currently being debated at the Kansas Statehouse that would give a 70% tax credit for donations to pregnancy resource centers, also known as crisis pregnancy centers, or by their opponents, as anti-abortion centers. Trust Womens objection was primarily that I didnt fact check the column before publication. I did. Let me take a few of their specific objections in order (Trust Womens objections in italic): Contrary to this articles claims, the overwhelming majority of AACs are not licensed medical facilities and do not offer a full range of services because they do not refer for abortions. In fact, in Kansas, not a single AAC is licensed by the KDHE (Kansas Department of Health and Environment). Story continues The article didnt claim PRCs, or AACs if you prefer, to be licensed medical facilities. If it did, Id have changed it. I agree with Trust Women as far as that some of these organizations stretch the definition of clinic, but clinic is a broad term with multiple meanings ranging from cancer treatment to advice on how to play the flugelhorn. Licensure isnt required for what they do, even including basic medical services such as pregnancy tests and non-diagnostic ultrasound. Another objection dealt with a study that showed PRCs offered pregnancy testing more quickly than abortion clinics. The study found that AACs were in fact more likely to offer same-day appointments than abortion clinics, but Roachs editorial omitted the cause of this disparity. In 23 states, there are mandatory waiting periods of at least 24 hours, making it illegal for many abortion clinics to offer same-day appointments. The original study goes on to conclude that more financial resources should be provided to medical facilities including abortion clinics in order to increase access to pregnancy confirmation services. Trust Women is correct about the studys recommendation, and also pointed out correctly that the study came out in January, instead of this month as the column stated. However, the 24-hour waiting period applies to the performance of an abortion and doesnt preclude Trust Women from offering same-day pregnancy confirmation services. There was more, but these were specific factual challenges. It shows how two sides on an issue can draw different conclusions, even when presented with the same facts. Thats why we have an Opinion page, so those differences of opinion can be aired. My own opinion is that PRCs, or AACs, should not be granted the special favors being considered by the Legislature. I dont think the services they provide justify tax breaks for their donors. The counseling they give is obviously biased and in many cases, misinforms women of the risks of abortion compared to carrying a pregnancy to term. Some of that misinformation is actually written into state law, and must be provided by abortion providers to their patients, which is wrong. Also, the operators and supporters of PRCs tend to be very politically active, and its never good policy for state government to use tax money to fund one side of a political debate. But there is a debate, and Im not going to squelch either side of it by excluding guest columns from one side or the other. Ill do my best as an opinion editor to filter out the blatantly false and preserve the differences of interpretation. If Trust Women wants to write a rebuttal to the original column, or anything Ive written here, Id be happy to entertain that for publication as well. When it comes to PRCs, I often disagree with what they say, but I will defend their right to say it. To say to the death seems a little over-dramatic, because I dont expect to be fighting any duels over this. I guess Im just not an Evelyn Beatrice Hall. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said he plans to block a move by fellow Republican Sen. Josh Hawley (Mo.) to pass a bill that would ban TikTok in the U.S., arguing the bill would limit free speech and emulate censorship from the Chinese government. If you dont like TikTok or Facebook or YouTube, dont use them, Paul said in an op-ed for the Courier Journal on Wednesday. But dont think any interpretation of the Constitution gives you the right to ban them. Pauls office said he planned to object to Hawleys move to pass his No TikTok on United States Devices Act bill when the Missouri Senator tries to get the legislation passed by unanimous consent this week. TikTok CEO Shou Chew answers a question during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on Thursday, March 23, 2023 to discuss privacy concerns and safeguarding children on TikTok. The push by Hawley to ban TikTok is the latest chapter in a debate about the future of the platform in Congress. Officials have flagged concerns about the security of user data on the platform because TikToks parent company, ByteDance, is owned in part by a Chinese investor. Lawmakers have sounded the alarm that the potential relationship between TikTok and the Chinese government could pose security risks. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew was grilled by lawmakers last week about the platforms data security practices, with a growing number of legislators seemingly coming out in favor of a ban of the app. But Hawleys bill to ban TikTok has been countered by a bipartisan bill, led by Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and John Thune (R-S.D.), that would give the Commerce Department the ability to regulate and ultimately ban foreign technologies such as TikTok. Warner said earlier this week that the White House was in favor of he and Thunes bill. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Things arent so peachy for The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Drew Sidora and her husband Ralph Pittman in the just-released Season 15 trailer, which debuted on LoveBScott Thursday morning. Sidora and Pittman, who both filed for divorce earlier this month, are seen struggling before a montage of headlines clipped from various blogs about their divorce fills the screen. Are you ready to talk about Ralph? a producer asks Sidora in her confessional. Yes, she replies tearfully. In her amended divorce filing, Sidora accused Pittman of adultery and abuse, so the conversation will surely be a heavy one. Also Read: Real Housewives Who Have Filed for Divorce (Photos) Meanwhile, the cast brings up the shooting at Kandi Burruss restaurant Blaze that occurred last September that involved her cousin Melvin Jones. Burruss told TheWrap last month that the women come for her most of the first half of Season 15. It looks like new romances are in the air for Kenya Moore and Marlo Hampton, while Sheree Whitfield takes hers to a freaky new level. Sanya Richards-Ross returns for her sophomore season with some family drama. The cast remains the same as it was in Season 14. Longtime fans of the show will enjoy guest appearances from OG Atlanta housewives Kim Zolciak Biermann, Lisa Wu and DeShawn Snow. Noticeably absent is NeNe Leakes, who sued and later dismissed a discrimination lawsuit against Bravo after leaving the series. Former Atlanta housewife Cynthia Bailey will also appear this season. Also Read: Porsha Williams Says Her Next Reality TV Venture Needs to Be Authentic': I Dont Want Anything Made Up Around Me As usual, there is a lavish group vacation. This seasons destination is Portugal (which former Miss USA Moore incorrectly calls Spain). Check out the trailer for Season 15 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta below: Season 15 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta premieres Sunday, May 7, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo. The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip - Season 3 - Credit: Mark Rogers/PEACOCK What are you bringing to this trip that none of the other ladies have? asks a producer on Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip. Porsha Williams sits in the confessional chair of the Peacock show, which brings together cast members from Bravos Real Housewives franchise on an all-star vacation. Its the type of question producers often use to prompt the women to say something shady. Her response? I have survived the Real Housewives of Atlanta. More from Rolling Stone Williams starred on RHOA which, as she infers, is known to be one of the most brutal Housewives shows, where nothing is off-limits for nine seasons, from 2012 to 2020. Arriving in Phuket, Thailand, with Housewives stars from Potomac, New York, Miami and Salt Lake City, she became the unofficial narrator of UGTs third season. With more years of Housewives under her belt than her travel companions, Williams has something they desperately want: longevity. When The Real Housewives of Orange County premiered on Bravo in 2006, the show sought to give viewers a glimpse into the real lives of women in Californias most exclusive gated communities. Capitalizing off the popularity of scripted dramas like Desperate Housewives and The O.C., most of the friendships existed before the show and the cast didnt know what they were getting themselves into. These days, the franchise is very different: its no longer a fly-on-the-wall view of the lives of elite women, but a conflict-packed spectacle and a route to celebrity. Now, the Real Housewives franchise has become a survivor show in all but name. Across these shows, making it from one season to the next is the primary goal of the cast, which can influence their behavior and create a power imbalance between longer-serving cast members and newer faces. Peacocks Ultimate Girls Trip is a microcosm of these tensions, with the relatively new format adding another level to the Survivor-style contest. Story continues The pursuit of survival and reverence for longevity have been key themes of the Ultimate Girls Trips third season so far. While packing for the trip, Salt Lake Citys Whitney Rose and Heather Gay who star in the most recent U.S.-based Housewives show expressed nerves at being in the big leagues with the stars of longer-running shows. And sure enough, it seems that other Housewives thought of them as newbies too. When quizzed on some alleged beef with Rose, RHOPs resident pot-stirrer Gizelle Bryant quickly dismissed her, saying, Whitney, youve only been a Housewife for two seasons. Ouch! Gay was visibly star-struck by Williams who, at the first group dinner, referred to her as a fan. Double ouch! Gizelle Bryant, Whitney Rose, Heather Gay, Porsha Williams, Marysol Patton in The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip. With the fourth wall completely down on Ultimate Girls Trip, the conversations often revolve around the main thing the group has in common: the highs and lows of being a reality star. In this context, a show being on hiatus can make the women appear vulnerable. An exasperated Leah McSweeney threw her hands in the air as she told the group she didnt know whether RHONY was coming back amid cancellation rumors. Are you still a Housewife? asked Bryant, to which McSweeney responded: I have no idea! On the flip side was RHOMs Alexia Nepola. We made history! she proclaimed, speaking about the shows revival after an eight-year hiatus as if it were the civil rights movement. Original and long-serving cast members have a special status in the Housewives world. In 2021, I asked a selection of these Housewives who their ultimate Real Housewife was, and pretty much all of them picked original cast members like Kyle Richards and Nene Leakes, or women like Sonja Morgan who have been on TV so long they feel like OGs. (Former) Countess Luann De Lesseps picked RHOBHs Lisa Rinna. When youre a Real Housewife, one season you could have a great season, and the next season somehow everyone hates you, she said. The ultimate Housewife can endure whatever comes her way, dust off her knees, stand up, and keep on moving. To De Lesseps, Rinnas ability to navigate multiple scandals and bad seasons has made her a figure of admiration. In other words: she is a survivor. Now, though, Rinna is no longer on RHOBH. After getting on the wrong side of a feud with Kathy Hilton, Rinna was booed at BravoCon and, in January, it was announced she was departing the show after an eight-season run. And De Lesseps isnt on RHONY anymore, either: last year, it was announced that the scandal-plagued show was to be entirely re-cast. Negotiations for a legacy show, featuring De Lesseps alongside Housewives from the earlier seasons, like Jill Zarin and Dorinda Medley, have reportedly stalled. With Bravo wielding the ax on some of its longest-serving talent, the surviving OG Housewives are even more precious to fans. This has created a disparity where newer wives know their status on the show is precarious, while others know that they are practically unfireable. Its unlikely that RHOBHs Kyle Richards or RHONJs Teresa Giudice, for example, would ever be let go without a major scandal. In Giudices own words, she is a survivor: she has gotten married, divorced, been to prison, and buried her parents on the show over 13 years. Others, like her co-star Jackie Goldschneider who was demoted from Housewife to friend of this season know their status on the show is less secure. Anyone who goes up against a figure like Giudice even her co-star and sister-in-law Melissa Gorga runs the risk of being fired if Bravo is pressured to choose between them. And across the board, newer wives are more vulnerable to short-term fan backlash. The need to survive can mean that, sometimes, Housewives stars care more about staying on TV than making good TV. When contracts are renewed, its common to see reports that some of the cast have been told by producers to bring it or else theyll end up on the chopping block. Ive previously written about the authenticity crisis that has gripped some of the Housewives shows, which is partly driven by the cast feeling pressured to deliver dramatic storylines, or end-of-season cliffhangers, to incentivize Bravo to keep them around. But often these storylines like Heather Gays bizarre black eye in Salt Lake City end up flopping and leaving viewers frustrated. Ultimate Girls Trip shows us that the suspicion that some Housewives are storylining for survival purposes isnt just a fan conspiracy theory. In the first episode, Gay accused Rose of sacrificing their relationship for a TV moment to secure her place on the show. Gay said that Roses husband lost his job, making her the breadwinner of her family, which she claims made Roses continued employment by Bravo a matter of survival. Its an allegation that is pretty dark, particularly considering the pair are cousins. But whether or not its true, most Housewives shows now feature feuds that have an undercurrent of: Shes only doing this to stay on the show! The survival-style nature of Housewives can impact on quality, but its also what some people like about it. As the franchise has aged, Ive often wondered whether these women surviving to fight another day on Bravo is partly what drives the gay Housewives fandom. Queer cultural history points to a distinctly gay adoration for women who have survived decades in the spotlight and overcome struggles, like Liza Minnelli and Cher. (Two women who, not uncoincidentally, would have made amazing Real Housewives in another life). Bravos notoriously fickle social media fandom has helped transform the franchise into a blockbuster-style spectacle. RHONY legend Bethenny Frankel has previously described the Housewives experience as survival of the fittest and, posing alongside Jennifer Lawrence, compared it to The Hunger Games. On Twitter and Instagram, the most devoted stans campaign to keep their favorite Housewives on TV, fighting it out with their rivals. Just this week, RHOBH fan accounts celebrated when Camille Grammar, Denise Richards, and Kim Richards were all seen filming guest appearances, like Marvel superheroes returning to battle. There is the sense in the Bravo fandom that, if Housewives fans post enough, they can influence the casting on these shows. And they might not be entirely wrong: according to Brian Moylan, author of The Housewives: The Real Story Behind the Real Housewives, Bravo is increasingly influenced by fan opinion. Housewives executive producer and reunion host Andy Cohen has said he suggested reviving The Real Housewives of Miami on Peacock after seeing how vocal its fans were on social media. With the power of fan approval at stake, Ultimate Girls Trip now has a pivotal role in the Housewives survival canon. The Ex Wives Club iterations, which feature former Housewives, have been proven to be a vehicle for redemption and re-employment: Tamra Judge and Taylor Armstrong were reintroduced back into The Real Housewives of Orange County following their participation. And the format with current Housewives is an opportunity for the women to solidify themselves as an asset to Bravo, or show a different side to themselves. As the only former Housewife on the third UGT season, perhaps Porsha Williamss most enviable quality is that she is no longer at the mercy of Bravo from one year to the next. The appeal of longevity is obvious: the longer these women are on the show, the more they get paid. But the show also gives them a platform to promote podcasts, businesses and other projects, plus some things that are priceless: fame and cultural relevance. Williams making a fleeting return to the Housewives franchise suggests she still benefits from the platform. But crucially, she doesnt feel dependent on it. Whether or not she is considering making a full-time return, she seems relatively unaffected by the pressure to deliver mega-drama that is clearly stalking her co-stars around their palatial Thai villa. As Williams said herself, she has already survived the Housewives Hunger Games. Bravos flagship franchise is now a survival game and she is one of the winners. Best of Rolling Stone Click here to read the full article. Meticulous Market Research Pvt. Ltd. E-commerce Market by Business Model, Browsing Medium, Payment Mode (Card Payments, Digital Wallets, Bank Transfer), Operational Channel, Offering (Beauty & Fashion, Food & Beverage, Electronic, Household) - Global Forecast to 2030 Redding, California, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to a new market research report titled, E-commerce Market by Business Model, Browsing Medium, Payment Mode (Card Payments, Digital Wallets, Bank Transfer), Operational Channel, Offering (Beauty & Fashion, Food & Beverage, Electronic, Household) - Global Forecast to 2030, the E-commerce market is projected to reach $21,168.6 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 16.9% during the forecast period 20232030. Download Free Sample Report Now @ https://www.meticulousresearch.com/download-sample-report/cp_id=4644 E-commerce is not a new term for consumers across the world. E-commerce enables businesses to reach a wider customer base, including customers in different geographical locations, which can lead to increased sales and revenue. Shopping from home, discounts and offers extended by brands and E-commerce platforms, and multiple payment options have helped the E-commerce market. E-commerce provides numerous benefits to businesses, including increased reach, lower operating costs, 24/7 availability, personalization, faster transactions, data analytics, and increased efficiency. These benefits can result in increased sales and revenue, improved customer satisfaction and loyalty, and a competitive advantage in the marketplace. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many market players were not ready to deliver under such tremendous pressure, affecting the overall market growth. In this research, all recent dynamics associated with E-commerce were thoroughly analyzed to precisely estimate the future of the E-commerce market. This study also includes profiling key E-commerce stakeholders and segmenting them based on their market standing. Story continues Based on business model, in 2023, the horizontal E-commerce segment is expected to account for the larger share of the E-commerce market. The horizontal E-commerce model caters to a diverse product category and hence enjoys a large section of consumers and high sales, contributing to the high share of the segment. Horizontal e-commerce platforms often use a marketplace model, where third-party sellers can also list and sell their products on the platform. This allows for even greater product variety and selection, as well as increased competition and potentially lower prices for customers. Speak to our Analysts to Understand the Impact of COVID-19 on Your Business: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/speak-to-analyst/cp_id=4644 However, the vertical E-commerce model is projected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The vertical E-commerce model allows businesses to offer customers a specialized and tailored shopping experience within a specific product category or industry. By focusing on a specific niche, businesses can differentiate themselves from larger, more generalized e-commerce platforms and establish a strong brand identity. Based on browsing medium, in 2023, the desktop/laptop segment is expected to account for the larger share of the E-commerce market. However, the mobile/tablet segment is expected to grow with the fastest growth rate over the forecast period. Mobile devices are becoming increasingly popular for E-commerce, and businesses need to optimize their websites for desktop and mobile platforms to ensure a seamless customer experience. Mobile and tablet devices have significantly impacted E-commerce, providing customers with greater accessibility and convenience, improving user experience, enabling new payment options, location-based services, social media integration, and driving business sales growth. Based on payment mode, in 2023, the card payments segment is expected to account for the largest share of the E-commerce market. However, the digital wallets segment is projected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Digital wallets have significantly impacted E-commerce, providing a convenient, secure, and fast payment method, enabling mobile payments, loyalty programs, and improving the overall user experience for customers. As a result, more and more E-commerce businesses are integrating digital wallet payment options to provide their customers with greater convenience and security. Based on operational channel, in 2023, the omni-channel E-commerce segment is expected to account for the larger share of the E-commerce market. The large market share of this segment is attributed to the increased customer experience, increased sales and consumer traffic, boosting customer loyalty, and better data collection for optimum customer and resource management. Also, this segment is projected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Quick Buy E-commerce Market Research Report: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/Checkout/41090544 Based on offering, in 2023, the beauty & fashion products segment is expected to account for the largest share of the E-commerce market. The large market share of this segment is attributed to the rapidly changing customer behavior and preference towards online shopping, the high demand for cosmetics and clothing, and the rising popularity of mobile wallets. Besides, the increasing use of smartphones, incorporation of advanced technologies in online platforms, and various beauty & fashion goods available for comparison on E-commerce platforms further augment this segment's growth. Also, this segment is projected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. E-commerce has significantly impacted the beauty and fashion industry, providing brands with a global reach, offering a personalized and convenient shopping experience, driving innovation and competition, and providing customers with access to valuable reviews and feedback. Based on geography, in 2023, Asia-Pacific is expected to account for the largest share of the global E-commerce market. Large consumer groups, growing penetration of smartphones and the Internet, and rising disposable income have helped the region emerge as the largest E-commerce market. Also, this region is projected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Some of the key players operating in the E-commerce market are Amazon.com, Inc. (U.S.), Alibaba Group Holding Limited (China), eBay Inc. (U.S.), JD.com, Inc. (Jingdong) (China), Rakuten, Inc. (Japan), The Home Depot, Inc. (U.S.), Zalando SE (Germany), Otto GmbH & Co KG (Germany), Priceline.com (U.S.), B2W Digital Company (Brazil), Groupon, Inc. (U.S.), Walmart Inc. (U.S.), Inter IKEA Systems B.V. (Netherlands), Costco Wholesale Corporation (U.S.), Shopify Inc. (Canada), Wayfair Inc. (U.S.), Suning.com Co., Ltd. (Suning Commerce Group Co., Ltd.) (China), Best Buy Co., Inc. (U.S.), and Tesco plc (U.K.). To gain more insights into the market with a detailed table of content and figures, click here: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/e-commerce-market-4644 Scope of the Report: E-commerce Market Assessment, by Business Model Horizontal E-commerce Vertical E-commerce E-commerce Market Assessment, by Browsing Medium Desktop/Laptop Mobile/Tablet Application-based Browser-based E-commerce Market Assessment, by Payment Mode Card Payments Digital Wallets Bank Transfers Cash Payments Other Payment Modes E-commerce Market Assessment, by Operational Channel Pure Play E-commerce Omni-channel E-commerce E-commerce Market Assessment, by Offering Beauty & Fashion Products Travel & Tourism Electronic Products Household Products Pharmaceutical Products Food & Beverage Other Offerings E-commerce Market Assessment, by Geography North America U.S. Canada Europe Germany U.K. France Italy Spain Netherlands Russia Sweden Poland Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific Japan China India South Korea Australia & New Zealand Indonesia Thailand Vietnam Singapore Malaysia Rest of Asia-Pacific Latin America Mexico Brazil Argentina Rest of Latin America Middle East & Africa UAE Israel Saudi Arabia South Africa Rest of Middle East Download Free Sample Report Now @ https://www.meticulousresearch.com/download-sample-report/cp_id=4644 Related Reports Smart Retail Market by Offering (Hardware, software, and Services), Technology, Application (Customer Experience Management, Supply Chain Management), End User (Supermarkets, Department Stores, Specialty Stores) and Geography - Global Forecast to 2030 https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/smart-retail-market-5428 Payment Security Market by Offering (Solution, Services), Platform (Web, PoS), Payment Mode (Cards, Digi Wallets, Internet Banking, PoS), Vertical (Retail, Travel, Healthcare, BFSI, IT & Telecom, Media), Organization Size, and Geography - Global Forecast to 2028 https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/payment-security-market-5237 About Meticulous Research Meticulous Research was founded in 2010 and incorporated as Meticulous Market Research Pvt. Ltd. in 2013 as a private limited company under the Companies Act, 1956. Since its incorporation, the company has become the leading provider of premium market intelligence in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. The name of our company defines our services, strengths, and values. Since the inception, we have only thrived to research, analyze, and present the critical market data with great attention to details. With the meticulous primary and secondary research techniques, we have built strong capabilities in data collection, interpretation, and analysis of data including qualitative and quantitative research with the finest team of analysts. We design our meticulously analyzed intelligent and value-driven syndicate market research reports, custom studies, quick turnaround research, and consulting solutions to address business challenges of sustainable growth. Contact: Mr. Khushal Bombe Meticulous Market Research Inc. 1267 Willis St, Ste 200 Redding, California, 96001, U.S. USA: +1-646-781-8004 Europe : +44-203-868-8738 APAC: +91 744-7780008 Email- sales@meticulousresearch.com Visit Our Website: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/ Connect with us on LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/company/meticulous-research Content Source: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/pressrelease/200/e-commerce-market-2030 CONTACT: Mr. Khushal Bombe Meticulous Research Direct Lines: +1-646-781-8004 (North America) +44-203-868-8738 (Europe) +91 744-7780008 (Asia-Pacific) Email- sales@meticulousresearch.com Visit Our Website: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/ Meticulous Research Blog: https://meticulousblog.org/ Connect with us on LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/company/meticulous-research Cynthia Bailey is also back in the mix, but her good vibes don't carry over to the other Housewives, with drama popping all the way off and Kenya Moore joking "some bulls--- got stuck in my throat" Astrid Stawiarz/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty; Cindy Ord/Bravo via Getty; Prince Williams/ Getty The Real Housewives of Atlanta are back with familiar faces and all-new drama. A first trailer for the 15th season of the Bravo series shows Kim Zolciak-Biermann's return after she stepped away from the series during season 5. "Kim, your tits look smaller," the ladies joke at a dinner with the comeback queen. Most of the clip focuses on the longstanding Atlanta women, though, as they forge and test friendships at home and in Portugal. Related:Kim Zolciak Biermann Shows Off Over-the-Top Game Room at Georgia Mansion After Foreclosure Auction Canceled The clip shows a peaceful start as the women take part in a spiritual meditation. However, the mindful moment dims quickly as clips of cast-wide arguments play through the "heads" of the meditative. "You're not allowed to come near my f---ing child," Kenya Moore yells at one point in the trailer. "The only reason why I'm crying right now is because I can't choke your ass, bitch," Kandi Burruss says after. Through it all, Cynthia Bailey tries to keep her cool. "I choose to let go of that which is not being successful for me," she tells a friend. However, the calm and collected look doesn't extend to the rest of the trailer. When news of hookup between some of the women bubbles up, Moore jokes that there's "some bulls-- that got stuck in my throat," Astrid Stawiarz/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty; Cindy Ord/Bravo via Getty; Prince Williams/ Getty Related:Kandi Burruss Says She Was 'Very Surprised' RHOA Costar Drew Sidora Filed for Divorce from Ralph Pittman Attention will also pivot to Drew Sidora's divorce from Ralph Pittman after he filed in early March (in a sign of discord between the couple to come, she also filed within an hour of his petition). In the trailer, a therapy session between Sidora and Pittman sees them gearing up for a potential split, with Drew revealing Ralph "moved out of the bedroom" and him darkly jokimg, "Who hasn't filed for divorce?" Story continues Later in the clip, as news of the divorce reaches the other women, Drew tearfully confirms she's ready to tell her side of the story. 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. The Real Housewives of Atlanta season 15 will premiere May 7 at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. LAS CRUCES Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed Senate Bill 188 Tuesday, March 28, making the smell of roasting green chile the official New Mexico state aroma. Lujan Grisham traveled to southern New Mexico Tuesday to attend several events and sign the latest bill. She met with Sen. William Soules (D-Las Cruces), the sponsor of the bill, at Monte Vista Elementary School. She entered the building to find students waiting for her in the library and lining the halls. The schools fifth grade class was instrumental in getting the bill passed during the recent legislative session. Soules explained that he was invited to an enrichment day for the students last year to talk about government. He started by asking the kids about other state symbols such as the state bird, the state flower and the state question. Soules is a retired teacher. The idea behind roasting green chile as the aroma came directly from the students. Three students in particular, Jase Snoddy, Brinley Atkinson and Samuel Williams from Kristina Campbells class acted as the senators expert witnesses during committee meetings and on the senate floor. Students from the entire class took part in reaching out to lawmakers and advocating for the bill. We talked some more about what is this going to take. So we talked about how to lobby, how bills get passed, what the process is, Soules said. Lujan Grisham called the state aroma bill the highlight of any bill signing in her career. She commended the students for identifying agriculture, tourism and state pride by standing behind this bill. Students wait for Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to sign Bill 188, establishing the smell of green chile roasting as the state aroma, on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, at Monte Vista Elementary. The elementary students came up with the idea for the bill. All of us love the smell of roasting green chile. We know what season it is, we know where its happening. We can smell it at the grocery store, in our neighborhood. Its in the air everywhere, Lujan Grisham said. Its really important for us to care about our state, be proud of the things that we do better than anybody else, and uniquely different than anybody else. So what you accomplished was something that makes a difference in all of the areas that we work in all day, every day to build a better state for our families. Story continues The signing of Bill 188 is also historic because it establishes New Mexico as the first state in the country to have an official aroma. The bill was important to me because every single thing about New Mexico is green chile, Snoddy said. Atkinson said she was fortunate to be part of creating the law because it is an experience some people may never take part in. I think that this is a great opportunity and green chile honestly means a lot to me because whenever you smell green chile you think about having fun during the fall in the cool weather, Williams said. Its really great for the state and its just really good for everyone, I think. The three students sat next to Lujan Grisham and Soules as the governor signed the bill into law. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signs Bill 188, establishing the smell of green chile roasting as the state aroma, on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, at Monte Vista Elementary. The elementary students came up with the idea for the bill. Deanna Balderrama, principal at Monte Vista, said there are about 100 students in the fifth grade at the school and about 23 in Campbells class. She explained that the school holds different enrichment classes for students each month. Soules was invited for the civic engagement day in the fall. Campbell said she enjoyed taking on this project with her students this semester. She said her biggest takeaway was seeing her students expand their knowledge even beyond the state aroma bill to think about how they might further help New Mexicans. Creative Media Technology groundbreaking at Dona Ana Community College Following her time at Monte Vista Elementary, Lujan Grisham traveled to Arrowhead Park near New Mexico State University for the groundbreaking of Dona Ana Community Colleges Creative Media Technology building. The building will be located along Triviz Drive, south of Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine. Multiple legislators, cabinet representatives, congressional representatives, members of local chambers of commerce and local leaders were in attendance for the event. The CMT building is the first step toward the community colleges Creative Campus which will also be home to the New Mexico Media Academys satellite location. According to a news release, the CMT building will be a 14,000 square foot facility which will include classrooms, common areas and a 4,000 square foot soundstage. The building is projected to cost $11.2 million and to be completed in May 2024. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (middle) joins state lawmakers and local film representatives for the groundbreaking of Dona Ana Community College's Creative Media Technology building Tuesday, March 28, 2023 in Las Cruces. The Las Cruces satellite campus of the New Mexico Media Academy exemplifies the collaboration that continues to grow the film and television industry in communities all across the state, Lujan Grisham said. The partnership between the booming industry and New Mexicos tuition-free higher education will foster that growth and support the impressive field of top-notch production companies and media programs right here in Las Cruces. The goal is to establish a population of trained local talent to support the work of film and other media productions as they come to the southern New Mexico. Las Cruces has already proven itself as a film production hotspot, and with todays groundbreaking, this very special southern city will also become a hotspot for forward-thinking film workforce training, said Amber Dodson, director of the New Mexico Film Office. According to the news release, direct spending from film and TV productions reached $855 million in the previous fiscal year a record high and a 36% increase from fiscal year 2021. Others are reading: Leah Romero is the trending reporter at the Las Cruces Sun-News and can be reached at 575-418-3442, LRomero@lcsun-news.com or @rromero_leah on Twitter. This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Roasting green chile the official New Mexico state aroma ROLLING FORK As residents of Rolling Fork begin picking up the pieces and gathering what is left of their community after a tornado ripped through the town Friday night, messages of hope are springing up amidst the debris along Walnut Street. Inspiring messages of hope contained in heart-shaped paintings on scraps of wind-blown debris include "RF Strong," "Heroes serve here" and "Y'all b Strong." Apparently family, friends, neighbors and survivors found painting the messages was an inspiring way to spread hope despite unfortunate circumstances. Broken hearts and words of encouragement line Walnut Street in Rolling Fork, Miss., Wednesday, March 29, 2023. Just days ago, an F4 tornado slammed the small Delta town. Storms Friday night killed over 20 people as they moved through the state. Many people who have seen the messages said they found encouragement in the words contained in the red heart-shaped paintings, even though no one seems to know who painted them. The paintings seem to have just sprung up out of the debris with the encouraging messages as survivors search through the town, trying to find their belongings buried under tons of debris. The Sharkey County town is home to around 2,000 residents that were hit by the EF-4 tornado nearly a mile wide, which devastated the community in the southern part of the Mississippi Delta. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Signs of hope still stands in Rolling Fork, MS Two people dig for crystals at the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge near Jet. JET Authorities at Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge in northern Oklahoma announced that crystal digging season will open next month. Visitors can explore the 11,200-acre salt flats and collect the selenite crystals for free from sunrise to sunset between April 1 to October 15. Crystals are typically found just below the salt-crusted surface of the digging area at 66003 Garvin Road in Alfalfa County. "Crystal digging is a great, free activity for people of all ages to walk on the salt flats, collect unique hourglass crystals and see wildlife," Melissa Robell, visitor services specialist at Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge, said in a statement last year to KOCO 5. "The dig area is closed the rest of the year to protect endangered Whooping Cranes migrating through." More: Whooping cranes are truly a rare bird. Now they're migrating through Oklahoma. Staff recommend people bring shovels, sunglasses, sunscreen, hats, and water to help them stay hydrated, rinse crystals and clean up after digging. Visitors will be allowed to collect up to 10 pounds and one large cluster for their personal use. The digging area will shut back down after Oct. 15 out of concern for thousands of nesting shorebirds and other bird species. But visitors can still view the salt flats with the observation deck during the rest of the year. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Great Salt Plains crystal digging season begins April 1. What to know Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, speak to reporters, Wednesday, March 29, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. | Manuel Balce Ceneta, Associated Press On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate voted in favor of legislation that revokes the legal authority of presidents to use force in Iraq, returning the power back to Congress. The bipartisan bill, which passed 66-30, would repeal the authorization for the use of military force, or AUMF, that Congress passed in 1991, in the lead-up to the Gulf War that same year under President George H.W. Bush, and another that passed in 2002, before the invasion of Iraq in 2003 under President George W. Bush. Twenty years after the start of the Iraq War, the Senate finally, finally, finally declares today the time has come to repeal the legal authorities that began that war in the first place, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said, ahead of the vote Wednesday, per MSNBC News. Democrats and Republicans join to say it has been long enough, the Iraq War has long been over, these authorizations for use of force against Iraq are no longer necessary for our security. Related Reintroduced by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.,, this bill does not repeal a third military force authorization, enacted in 2001 after the 9/11 attack and prior to the invasion of Iraq. According to a research paper from Brown University, this military force authorization resolution has been used to justify counterterrorism activities in 22 countries, including Libya, Pakistan, Cuba and Turkey Sen. Lee offered an amendment to reign in this abuse Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Rand Paul of Kentucky offered amendments to the initial bill to include the 2001 AUMF, but the amendment votes failed. Lees amendment sought to implement a two-year sunset for future military use authorizations and an expedited process for Congress to review and reevaluate these measures, according to information provided by Lees office. When introducing his amendment, the Utah senator said these existing AUMFs have been broadly applied and interpreted, leading to endless war. Story continues It would be a way for Congress to rein in this abuse without hindering our ability to adequately respond to present-day national security threats, Lee said. Related Now some have argued that we dont enter into wars to withdraw, (and) when we must fight, we must win but this argument has it exactly backward, he said. What could be stronger than a Senate resolution reaffirming our commitment to a given conflict, arguing in favor of Congress revisiting military authorizations every two years. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., supported Lees amendment, saying that Congress has over the course of the last several decades completely outsourced that responsibility to set the national security of this policy to the executive branch, and a national security apparatus inside the executive branch, that has become bigger than the Founding Fathers wildest dreams. President Joe Biden, who voted in favor of the military force authorizations while serving on the Senate Foreign Relates Committee, said he supports the repeal of the 1991 and 2002 military authorizations. Repeal of these authorizations would have no impact on current U.S. military operations and would support this administrations commitment to a strong and comprehensive relationship with our Iraqi partners, Bidens office said in a statement. Romney, other GOP senators oppose repeal As The Hill noted, many of the GOP senators who oppose the repeal of authorizations did so because of concerns about Iran, like Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah and Sen. Dan Sullivan of Alaska, alongside 29 other Republicans. Romney told reporters that he voted no on the legislation largely from a messaging standpoint which is Iran is messing around in Iraq and Syria and other places, and I dont want to give any miscommunication that somehow we are backing off of our commitment to oppose their aggressions. Related Meanwhile, Sullivan, who also voted no, had offered an amendment that addressed the issues with Iran. He stated that one of the biggest harms to American service men and women over the past 20 years has actually been from Shia militia groups supported by Iranian terrorist organizations, misunderstood for an Iraqi force. The Iranian terrorist group, Quds Force, led by Qasem Soleimani, killed more than 600 deployed American soldiers during the Iraq War. When Soleimani was traced to Iraq again in January 2020, the Trump administration ordered a deadly drone strike. The legal authorization for that very justified killing was the 2002 AUMF that we are debating right now. OK. That was only three years ago that that happened, Sullivan said. So it is very relevant to the issue of deterrence and very relevant to the issue of Iran. Now, the bill will face the divided U.S. House. Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy so far has said that he thinks it has a good chance of one, getting through the (House Foreign Affairs Committee) and getting to the floor. His only condition the 2001 military use authorization, passed post 9/11, stays in place, as Roll Call reported. Contributing: Suzanne Bates The Starbucks store at 228 S. Clinton Street in Iowa City, where workers are seeking to hold the first Starbucks union election in Iowa. Employees at a Starbucks store in downtown Iowa City are the first at the chain in Iowa to signal their intent to hold a unionization vote. The employees at the 228 S. Clinton St. store announced Monday in a video posted to Twitter and TikTok that they had petitioned National Labor Relations Board to conduct the election. Starbucks Workers United, the main union representing Starbucks workers nationally, posted the video. The unionization process starts when at least 30% of eligible workers at a workplace sign cards or a petition requesting to join a union. At that point the NLRB conducts an election. If a majority vote to form a union, the NLRB certifies it as the representative to collectively bargain on behalf of workers. Employers also may voluntarily recognize unions. Under federal law, once a union is certified or recognized, an employer is required to bargain with it over terms and conditions of employment. The NLRB filing said full-time and part-time baristas and shift supervisors will be included in the Iowa City union if its certified. Excluded would be other supervisors and the store managers. In Mondays video, employees from the Iowa City store said they are seeking a union to ensure consistent scheduling and ensure a better and safer work environment. The March Madness wins for Iowa continue off the court! Burlington & Clinton in Iowa City is the first store in the state to file for a union election!! pic.twitter.com/tO1qjWrXIu Starbucks Workers United (@SBWorkersUnited) March 27, 2023 Evie Roberts, an employee at the store, told The Daily Iowan that safety incidents have been an issue at the store. We know whats best for our health and safety and our customers health and safety so were trying to secure that, Roberts was quoted as saying. Story continues At least 293 of Starbucks 9,000 company-owned U.S. Starbucks stores have voted to unionize since late 2021. Starbucks Workers United has yet to reach a contract with the company for workers at any of those stores. Starbucks contends that it already provides some of the best pay and benefits in the industry and that stores work better when the company works directly with employees. In a statement, a Starbucks spokesperson noted that workers, called "partners," in the company's parlance, have petitioned to start unions at less than 3% of Starbucks' U.S. stores. At stores where workers petition for union representation, Starbucks' "focus is to ensure that they can trust the process is fair and their voice is heard," the statement said. "We believe our direct relationship as partners is core to the culture and experiences we create in our stores," the statement said. "Should partners at our Clinton Street store vote in favor of union representation, we look forward to meeting Workers United in-person to begin the single-store collective bargaining process." Workers United representatives did not respond to requests for comment. Iowa Restaurant Association head calls union push 'surprising' Jessica Dunker, Iowa Restaurant Association president and CEO, said the Starbucks employees push to unionize is unexpected because the company has traditionally been seen as a company with good wages and benefits. Im a little surprised thats where the energy is coming from," Dunker said. "Obviously workers have the right to organize. Its not something that were seeing widespread in the industry." Half of U.S. residents get their first jobs in the restaurant industry, Dunker said. The industry also hires scores of people re-entering the workforce. Given the transient nature of the workforce outside management levels in restaurants, unions are not one of the top issues for restaurant employees, she said. "So there isn't necessarily in most restaurants a big pool of people where this would be something that is top of mind," Dunker said. She also said the issues employees at Starbucks want resolved are not problems at other food and beverage outlets in Iowa, where staff members are stretched thin because there are not enough people working, Dunker said. Because of that restaurants are focusing hard on trying to take care of their staff, Dunker said. Youre seeing people take tables out of their restaurants. Theyre closing an extra day because the people that they have, they need to keep fresh and happy and not burnt out. Former Starbucks CEO testifies before Sanders committee On Wednesday, Howard Schultz, who has served as Starbucks CEO three times since 1986, testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, denying allegations that the company has illegally tried to subvert unionization. Schultz stepped down as interim CEO March 20 but remains on the Starbucks board of directors. Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, testifies in front of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions about Starbucks' alleged union busting activities in Washington. A report from staff members for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent who chairs the committee, said that in the 18 months Schultz was interim CEO in 2022 and 2023, Starbucks waged an aggressive and illegal union-busting campaign. Earlier this month an NLRB judge ruled the company had committed "hundreds of unfair labor practices," including illegally disciplining and firing employees during unionization efforts at stores in the Buffalo, New York, area. Schultz in his testimony to the committee said Starbucks respects the right of its employees to unionize. However, he said, the company already provides good wages and benefits and does not need unions. We've done everything that we possibly can to respect the right under the law of our partners' ability to join a union, Schultz said. But conversely, we have consistently laid out our preference, without breaking any law, of communicating to our people what we believe is our vision for the company. A statement from Starbucks noted that over the past year the company raised its average wage to $17.50 per hour and allowed tipping on credit and debit card transactions. But Sen. Tina Smith, a Minnesota Democrat, noted that the company refused to add those and other benefits at stores that have unionized. Schultz countered that they are subject to bargaining. Smith said labor organizers are seeking to address an imbalance of power within the company. Workers say Starbucks cuts their schedules with little notice, for example, pushing them below the minimum number of hours to qualify for benefits. You're a billionaire and they are your employees. The imbalance is extreme, Smith said. Sanders, a vocal supporter of Starbucks labor organizers, accused the company of trying to stall the union drive. The fundamental issue we are confronting today is whether we have a system of justice that applies to all, or whether billionaires and large corporations can break the law with impunity, Sanders said. USA Today and the Associated Press contributed to this article. Philip Joens covers retail, real estate and RAGBRAI for the Des Moines Register. He can be reached at 515-284-8184, pjoens@registermedia.com or on Twitter @Philip_Joens. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: In an Iowa first, Iowa City Starbucks workers seek union vote Helixx UK-based Helixx plans range of four inexpensive commercial EVs on a common platform, aimed at small businesses and ride-hailing operators. The startup plans to offer manufacturing facilities for its EVs as well, aimed at developing countries. Helixx envisions local manufacturing of its four affordable EV models, all based on a single platform. While it's easy to get the impression that EVs are suddenly everywhere, this largely holds true for just a handful of countries in western Europe in addition to China, South Korea, Australia, Canada, and a few US states. The EV revolution is largely passing by countries of the global south, not to mention central Asia and eastern Europe, as electric cars remain a luxury item in most parts of the world. A new startup aims to change this status quo not only with a range of affordable commercial EVs, but also the factories to produce them. UK-based Helixx has designed a range of four affordable mini commercial electric vehicles with a shared platform and components, aimed at densely populated developing cities. Designed by Jakub Jodlowski and Jodyn Wong, the EV range is composed of models called simply CARGO, TRUK, RIDE, and TUK, with the first two aimed at last-mile delivery and construction businesses, respectively, while the latter duo is aimed at ride-hailing operators offering closed and open cabins. Helixx The EVs themselves will rely on swappable lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, allowing them to be used 24 hours a day if needed. Each EV would feature up to six battery packs, offering 2 kWh each, giving each a top range of 124 miles. But pricing information remains unannounced for the moment. "For the past four years, we have researched the market to ensure the creation of sustainable zero-emission vehicles that meet the demands and needs of the worlds developing economies," said Steve Pegg, Helixx CEO and co-founder. "But arguably more importantly, we tasked ourselves to find a solution to how such vehicles could be deployed wherever they are needed in the world with maximum speed and energy efficiency and minimum cost and complexity." Story continues In a way, Helixx is picking up where Arrival left off when it comes to the mix of EVs. But its target pricing is in a different category altogether. Before it significantly reduced its lineup, Arrival also planned a range of commercial EVs, as different in size as a large passenger bus to an EV meant just for ride-hailing drivers, in addition to delivery vans of two sizes. Helixx has adopted a similar recipe albeit with a single, shared platform and bodystyles adapted to particular uses. The TUK ride-hailing model, for instance, does not offer doors and is aimed at extra-urban areas in warm climates, while the RIDE model features doors. The minimalist approach extends to the exterior design, which should remind our readers of yet another Arrival model. The similarities don't end there. The startup's plans extend to manufacturing as well, with a microfactory-style approach open to localized manufacturing. The company plans to install equipment and train staff, in addition to sourcing raw materials and parts for EV production, in what it calls an Industry 5.0 digital platform that prizes supply-chain flexibility and local sourcing of components. Helixx Helixx plans to built a test production hub in the UK with help from Siemens, prior to launching more pilot hubs in the UK as well as in Singapore. The startup's aim is to allow regional businesses to manufacture and operate fleets of commercial EVs based on its adaptable design for a range of uses, all operating within what Helixx calls a circular manufacturing ecosystem. "Helixx was born to meet the challenge of transforming the quality and standard of mobility for citizens in heavily congested cities," Pegg adds. "The vehicles offered by Helixx are the key to replacing the heavily polluting combustion-powered vehicles relied upon in developing nations today." Is this EV manufacturing model suitable for producing EVs, or are larger, traditional car manufacturers better able to produce large numbers of inexpensive electric models? Let us know in the comments below. A report issued Wednesday, last day for the 2023 session of the Georgia General Assembly, on the state budget keeps some, but not all, cuts to the University System of Georgia teaching budget made in the Senate version. This version of the budget passed the Senate 54-1 and the House 170-3 before heading to Gov. Brian Kemp for final approval. Last week the state Senate Appropriations Committee issued a version of the of the budget which had several changes resulting in a $105 million cut from the USG budget; a number the USG system put at roughly $113 million after including reductions to other budget lines. The total cuts in the revised version of the budget, approved by a joint House and Senate committee, reduces the cuts to $66 million. More: Georgia Senate approves budget with $105 million cut to university system The initial cuts included eliminating more than $17 million for the employer share of health benefits that was introduced by Gov. Brian Kemp and approved by the state House. It also included an $87 million cut to the teaching budget, a block of funding for student instruction, to be replaced with unspent funds carried forward from the past year. The new version of the budget restored the full amount for the health benefits, and reduces the amount of money to be carried forward from $87 million to $66 million. Georgia state Senator Blake Tillery Senate Appropriation Committee chair Sen. Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia, said that the carry forward funding is attached to each institution individually, with each having its own amount of carry forward funding available. The total amount of carry forward funding available was about $504 million. Tillery said that USG is funded through a block grant and can distribute the funds they receive however they want. If they want to apply it across the board, Im sure schools that are smaller with less carry forward funds are going to be impacted more. But if they want to apply it differently, they are not only allowed to they are constitutionally empowered to," he said. Story continues Tillery also highlighted that the total state funds allocated for teaching at USG institutions is $2.8 billion. At the end of his presentation, other senators gave him a standing ovation. More: Enrollment drops could mean cuts at some Georgia colleges; UGA and AU see growth Late Wednesday, Kemp came spoke to lawmakers and suggested that work on the budget was not over. First of all, while both chambers have passed the fiscal year budget or soon will, I think its important for me to say tonight that the recent news from the Federal Reserve and others suggests there may be storm clouds on the horizon," he told the Senate. "At this point there are significant holes in this years final budget that my office will need to work closely with you all, the House and the Office of Planning and Budget to address in the coming months. "We are funding higher education ... at an extremely strong level. The Senate's proposed cut of $105 million matched the amount approved by the state Legislature earlier in a separate bill for a new medical record system for AU Health and the Medical College of Georgia. That comes as AU Health is exploring a partnership with the Atlanta-based hospital system Wellstar, which would benefit from the new record system. Wellstar opposed proposed changes in the Senate to Georgia's Certificate of Need legislation that would have allowed the construction of new hospitals in some counties without a state permit. This cut to teaching combined with the $2,000 raise for USG employees sends a confusing message to faculty and staff," Georgia American Association of University Professors President Matthew Boedy, an associate professor of rhetoric and composition at the University of North Georgia, wrote in an email. "It's illogical to punish students to send a message to a hospital system. What possible justification can there be for this cut? It will hit many schools who already faced millions in cuts and damage their ability to fulfill their mission to educate the state. Georgia state Sen. Max Burns State Sen. Max Burns, R-Sylvania, said that the cuts were a recognition of declining enrollment at USG facilities. He also highlighted that the the HOPE Scholarship was fully funded. "That wasnt targeted at AU. That wasnt targeted at AU Health (or) the Wellstar agreement. I think it was just a realization that we have to begin to work with the Regents and the university system to begin to control overall expenditures," Burns said. "Could we have done a better job? Perhaps. But on the other hand, we are funding higher education in Georgia at an extremely strong level. State Sen. Harold Jones II, D-Augusta, was less happy about the cuts, and said he hoped it was not related to AU Health and Wellstar. "The cuts werent as big as they were, of course, so we have to move on from there," he said. Burns was particularly positive about the possibility of a merger between AU Health and Wellstar. At the end of the day, AU Health, Wellstar AU, whatever it becomes, we have to have that facility in order to complete the mission of preparing physicians for Georgia," Burns said. The budget also reduces cuts in state funding to the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center in Augusta to $3.2 million. The original Senate plan made a $5.1 million trim to the Cyber Center, out of $5.5 million in direct state funds, to be made up from rental income. This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: USG funding cuts are smaller in Georgia House-Senate conference budget Local college students' documentaries hit the big screen during Freep Film Festivals Real Fresh University Showcase and Competition. The Real Fresh program spotlights some of the best documentary work being done by students at area colleges and universities. This year's collection of 12 short films includes a wide variety of filmmaking approaches and an even wider range of topics, with collegiate filmmakers exploring everything from Michigan surfing to pandemic-era anxiety to the liberating joys of dance. "Real Fresh not only provides our students the opportunity to screen their work in front of Freep Film Festivals phenomenal audiences, it provides emerging filmmakers from across our region the opportunity to connect with each other and, hopefully, form lasting networks as they move forward with their creative careers," said Juanita Anderson, filmmaker and Area Head of Media Arts and Studies at Wayne State University. "I cant think of a more valuable introduction to the public presentation of their work for our student documentary filmmakers." Faculty at the participating schools made initial picks from the best student work over roughly the past year and a half. Then those submissions were further narrowed down by festival staff. Students come from six area schools including Calvin University, Michigan State University, Oakland University, University of Michigan, University of Windsor and Wayne State University. More:Tickets on sale for 2023 Freep Film Fest: See lineup of documentaries More:Freep Film Festival to feature 'Coldwater Kitchen' on life-changing culinary program The selected films are: "The Art of Adaptation" A previously anti-sports person with cerebral palsy confronts his body image issues when he challenges himself to participate in wheelchair basketball and tennis. Directed by Kieran Michael. (University of Michigan) Directed by University of Michigan student Keiran Michael, The Art of Adaptation short film features a previously anti-sports person with cerebral palsy as he confronts his body image issues when he challenges himself to participate in wheelchair basketball and tennis "Reaching Out" This film is a stark, contemplative piece on how we interact with the world around us, as well as the ways in which the world interacts with us. Directed by Vincent Renard. (Wayne State University) Story continues "From Napoli, With Love" Luca aims to create an international film about Neapolitan and Windsor pizza just as a global pandemic hits. Luca and his twin sister, Gemma, try to save the film by talking with the best Neapolitan cuisine expert they know: their Nonna. Directed by Luca Cunial. (University of Windsor) "Enough" An experimental film that explores young adults points of view on what it feels like trying to conform to masculine and feminine norms in society. Directed by Kiera Brough. (Oakland University) "The West Church" During an archaeological dig of 2,000-year-old ruins in the Jordanian town of Umm el-Jimal, local experts, American archaeologists and university students work to secure the community's future by discovering its past. Directed by Abi VanDoorne and Andrew Deters. (Calvin University) "Linda Miller: Overwhelmingly Overwhelmed" Artist, actress, and filmmaker Linda Miller explores her isolation, anxiety and the worlds expectations. She reflects on the movement of time, and takes inspiration from her home, water and some neighborhood cats. Directed by Linda Miller. (Wayne State University) Finding My Groove Follow the journey of a young woman who rediscovers her passion for dance and life, as she forms emotional connections within the Latin dance community. Directed by Leah Greenspan. (University of Michigan) "One Team One Family" Elizabeth finds a safe and accepting community amongst roller skaters in Michigan. Welcoming of women and LGBTQ+ community, roller derby and feminist quad skating clubs carve out spaces for belonging, self-expression and the challenging of societal norms. Directed by Audra Skuodaite. (Michigan State University) Directed by Michigan State University student Audra Skuodaite, "One Team One Family" looks at the safe and accepting community amongst roller skaters in Michigan. Welcoming of women and LGBTQ+ community, roller derby and feminist quad skating clubs carve out spaces for belonging, self-expression and the challenging of societal norms. "Dear Anne" Channeling grief through the art of cinema, Dear Anne is an essay film, an open letter written to a friend who has passed away, with visuals composed entirely of archival footage from various points in film history. The works of Len Lye, Jean Epstein, Georges Melies, Nevil Maskelyne, Chuck Jones and many others are re-shaped and given new context in order to express difficult emotions. Directed by Ben Garza. (Wayne State University) "The Search" The Search follows Great Lakes surfer Hunter Lohman on his journey to chase waves and his idea of true happiness. With the mystery and inconsistency that comes with lake surfing, Hunter will persevere through unpredictability to find solidarity and serenity. Directed by Daniel Bremmer. (Calvin University) To the Soul This story reveals the heart of an expressive percussionist, Tristan Wriley. Here he reflects on what music means to him, the ins and outs of improving his craft, the people whove inspired his pursuit of performing percussion instruments, and the future he envisions with this passion. Directed by Jaleah Taylor. (University of Windsor) "Say Yes to the Mess" Take a look into the story of Petals and Bubbles Sandcastle, artists and co-founders of the only queer-owned venue for marginalized groups in Ann Arbor. Directed by Hannah Hur. (University of Michigan) Real Fresh University Showcase and Competition When: 3:30 p.m., Friday, April 28 Where: Michigan Science Center (Planetarium), 5020 John R St., Detroit. Tickets: Purchase tickets for either in-person screening ($15) or at-home virtual viewing ($12) by going to https://www.goelevent.com/Freep/e/RealFreshUniversityShowcase Several of the student filmmakers are expected to attend for the post-program Q&A. Freep Film Festival When: April 26-30 Where: A variety of metro Detroit venues The full lineup and updates can be found at www. freepfilmfestival.com. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: College filmmakers explore a variety of topics in university showcase Fifty years after Brad Smith and 590 other Americans were released from North Vietnam prisoner of war camps, the retired Navy commander and fighter pilot shared how he survived the horror of seven years of captivity. Smith, 83, was the keynote speaker Wednesday at a Manatee County commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Paris Peace Accords, which ended Americas combat role in the Vietnam War. Smith began flying combat missions in the A-4 Skyhawk in November 1965 and was shot down on his 77th combat mission while on a bombing run against a bridge near Vinh, North Vietnam. This wasnt a highly defended target at least I didnt think so, Smith told a crowd that gathered at Veterans Park, adjacent to Manatee Memorial Hospital. I rolled in from 10,000 feet and the tail on my aircraft was shot off, he said. As the plane plunged spinning and on fire toward the ground at 600 mph, Smith tried to release his 500-pound bombs, and remembers reaching for the the ejection handle. I dont remember pulling the handle or anything else about the ejection, he said. When he regained consciousness, he was about 10 feet under water. As he rose to the surface, he saw that he was in the middle of a river. People in what looked like black pajamas, armed with AK 47 rifles, were approaching in boats from both sides of the river. With his arms wired behind his back, his captors marched him to a prison camp over several nights, while villagers pelted him with rocks, and he endured frequent beatings. They were not a happy bunch, he said. By the time he arrived at Hoa Lo prison in Hanoi, later dubbed the Hanoi Hilton by American POWs, he had been in captivity for four days. Thats when he began setting goals for himself: the first was to survive another four days. His second day at Hoa Lo, Smith heard an American voice calling him from another cell, and telling him to look at an engraving scratched into the wall. The engraving was the code the POWs used to tap messages to each other through the stone walls. The prisoners would use the tap-tap code when no other communication was possible. Story continues Over the next seven years, Smith would be held at several other North Vietnamese prisons with names like the zoo and the briar patch. Smith endured daily beatings and survived on whatever he could find to eat, including chicken heads, rats and bugs. When captured, Smith weighed 170 pounds. At the end of the first year, he estimates he had lost 60 pounds. How do you survive? All you have is the rags on your back and your brain. You are going to eat anything in front of you, no matter how disgusting. You exercise, even if you can only lift an arm or a leg, and you walk, he said. You set goals. You get tougher than rawhide, Smith said. Guest speaker Commander Bradley E. Smith, U.S. Navy (retired) and former Vietnam POW during the ceremony honoring the 50 year anniversary of the peace treaty that ended the Vietnam War at the Veterans Monument in Bradenton Wednesday, March 29, 2023. You draw on every ounce of courage to say no to interrogators who want you to give up military information or denounce your country. And something else: compassion for your fellow POWs, some of them in worse shape than you, to help them survive the ordeal, Smith said. Toward the end of his seven years of imprisonment, conditions began to get better for the POWs as the North Vietnamese realized the political value of their captives. You can live on hate, but I was able to leave it there. Its chapter of my life, but its not my life, he said. Smith was one of the rare POWs who was able to return to active duty, flying missions off the coast of Lebanon and in the Indian Ocean. Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge speaks during a ceremony honoring the 50 year anniversary of the peace treaty that ended the Vietnam War at the Veterans Monument in Bradenton Wednesday, March 29, 2023. Later he served as an aircraft maintenance officer and as a weapons system test pilot until his retirement in 1985. After that, he worked as a defense contractor before starting a stained glass business in Bradenton. There may not have been a more fitting speaker anywhere in the United States than Brad Smith for the 50th anniversary of the Paris Peace Accords, master of ceremonies Kevin Van Ostenbridge said. Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown took note of Smiths service and that of other Vietnam War veterans. There are Americans who walk among us who sacrificed so much for freedom, Brown said. March 29 is also National Vietnam War Veterans Day. More than 58,000 American service members died during the war. Acting Manatee County Administrator Lee Washington during a ceremony honoring the 50 year anniversary of the peace treaty that ended the Vietnam War at the Veterans Monument in Bradenton Wednesday, March 29, 2023. Speakers sit during a ceremony honoring the 50 year anniversary of the peace treaty that ended the Vietnam War at the Veterans Monument in Bradenton Wednesday, March 29, 2023. Veterans were a large percentage of those attending a ceremony honoring the 50 year anniversary of the peace treaty that ended the Vietnam War at the Veterans Monument in Bradenton Wednesday, March 29, 2023. A color guard from the Palma Sola VFW Post 10141 begins a ceremony honoring the 50 year anniversary of the peace treaty that ended the Vietnam War at the Veterans Monument in Bradenton Wednesday, March 29, 2023. (Bloomberg) -- Ecuadors bonds are sliding as President Guillermo Lasso stares down an impeachment trial, with Wall Street bracing to lose one of Latin Americas few remaining market-friendly leaders. Most Read from Bloomberg Investors are already betting that Lasso will be removed from office less than halfway into his four-year term, accelerating a pivot toward a left-leaning administration. The latest collapse in market confidence came after the Constitutional Court said it will allow congress to seek Lassos ousting. Impeachment was one of the scenarios investors were fearing, said Sergey Goncharov, a money manager at Vontobel Asset Management in Miami. The latest move by the Constitutional Court is certainly pointing toward its likelihood increasing. An opposition coalition of left-wing supporters of former President Rafael Correa, the conservative Social Christian Party and dissidents of center-left parties accuse Lasso of having negligently allowed corruption in the public administration. Judges voted 6-3 to clear the way for the National Assembly to move ahead with an impeachment trial, the court said in a late Wednesday statement. Lasso has called the accusations unfounded and says they fail to meet legal grounds to impeach him. His administration said it respected the court, but disagreed with the ruling. This decision in no way validates the arguments made by the legislature against the president, according to an overnight statement, which cited errors and changes in the impeachment documents. The first attempt to remove Lasso last June amid a violent Indigenous uprising obtained 80 votes. The legislature needs the votes of 92 of 137 lawmakers to replace him with Vice President Alfredo Borrero. Story continues It is likely the 92 votes threshold needed to remove President Lasso could be reached, Citigroup Inc. strategists led by Dirk Willer wrote in a Thursday note to clients. The impeachment drive gained traction after voters unexpectedly spurned Lassos proposed constitutional changes in February and voted to bolster the socialist opposition. While Barclays Plc. economist Alejandro Arreaza downplayed the risk of imminent default in Ecuador even if Lasso is impeached, the countrys inability to build political consensus and weak investor sentiment could make default a self-fulfilling prophesy as major payments come due after 2025. The nations dollar notes maturing in 2030 were the worst-performing in emerging markets on Thursday, according to data compiled from a Bloomberg index. The debt slumped by as much as 4 cents to 44 cents, the lowest in almost six months. Investors demand an extra 20 percentage points in yield over comparable US Treasuries to hold the sovereign notes, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co. data far past the threshold for debt to be considered in distress. Still, Lasso has options. The 67-year-old president can step in at any moment to dissolve the National Assembly, triggering early legislative and executive elections. Juan Fernando Flores, the leader of the presidents CREO party in congress, said Tuesday that Lassos priority would be to defend himself from the accusations rather than shutting congress. The whole impeachment process will take at least 45 days, he added. If Lasso were to dissolve the National Assembly, he would be allowed to govern by executive decree, subject to review by the Constitutional Court. The hostile opposition has blocked most of his initiatives, including his attempts to attract more foreign investment through legal reforms. The impeachment vote will not happen if President Lasso thinks he will lose, said Siobhan Morden, managing director of Latin America fixed income strategy at Santander, via email. The ability for Lasso to govern via decree would afford him more flexibility in his policymaking, she said. Indigenous leaders have warned they could take to the streets again if Lasso were to close congress. A March opinion survey by pollster Click Report said most voters rejected prominent politicians including Lasso, Correa, PSC leader Jaime Nebot and Leonidas Iza, president of CONAIE, Ecuadors biggest Indigenous organization, by wide majorities. For EMFI Group Limited analyst Melissa Evaristo, dissolving congress and early elections would be a nuclear option. Its within the realm of possibilities, even though most political actors still have incentives to try to avoid such a scenario, she wrote in a note. --With assistance from Robert Jameson. (Adds bond pricing, investor and analyst commentary throughout.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. A Mission animal rescue has challenged a Kansas order to revoke its license to operate. Unleashed Pet Rescue received an order of revocation earlier this month from the Kansas Department of Agriculture, stating the pet rescue had to give up its license following numerous complaints and health code violations. Officials representing Unleashed, which describes itself as a nonprofit that finds homes for animals in high-kill shelters, requested a hearing to challenge the order. A date hasnt been set for the hearing, which will be conducted by the Kansas Office of Administrative Hearings. The pet rescue may continue operating at least until the hearing is held, but because of an emergency order, Unleashed is not allowed to bring in any new animals. Between 2017 and 2022, officials inspected the facility 26 times, according to documents obtained by The Star. Facilities in good compliance with health standards are typically inspected every 18 months, according to Heather Lansdowne, a spokeswoman with the agriculture department. Inspection reports show issues at Unleashed with overcrowded facilities, construction problems that could lead to animal injuries, bug infestations and leaking walls and ceilings, among other issues. In March, the department also fined Unleashed Pet Rescue $15,000 for 18 violations of the Kansas Pet Animal Act between October and March. Inspectors in October 2022 noted roaches throughout the facility, cramped dog cages with floors completely covered with water, inadequate ventilation and airflow throughout the building, a wall for kennel housing smeared with feces, and flooding from the roof and doors among other violations. In the months after, investigators returned to the facility to check on several complaints made regarding the care of specific dogs. While an investigator who returned in January found no evidence of a roach infestation, he learned from the pet rescues owner that one dog, Dexter, was treated in a hospital for around nine days after a worker put a shirt on him for several days to reduce anxiety, which rubbed against his neck until his skin was raw and lacerations and pus were visible. The shirts are meant to be taken off at least twice a day if worn for long periods. Story continues One dog, Morgan, had an unnecessarily bad case of mastitis in February in which the mass on her breast ruptured and bled the day after she was released to a foster family, leading to emergency surgery and the removal of two infected glands. Workers at Unleashed had previously told the foster family that the mass was not a concern. The department received another complaint in February for Duke, a Pitbull mix puppy who had been with the shelter since December, claiming his adoption family noticed abnormalities in his feet that affected his walking and an issue with his neuter incision after bringing him home. A veterinarian later said the issues with Dukes front paws would require lifelong costly treatment for his legs and the neuter site appeared to be herniated. Officials determined that his issues were caused by poor nutrition and living on floors that were too hard. In every case, inspectors said Unleashed workers should have worked faster to ensure the dogs had adequate veterinary care. Animal control officers in Lenexa discovered later that month that dogs that couldnt fit in the main facility were also being kept in owner Danielle Renos former T-shirt business, an unlicensed property to care for animals. An attorney representing Unleashed could not be reached for comment. On social media, the pet rescue has continued to post photos of adoptable animals and merchandise sales without mentioning the controversy. In a March 15 post, the day the pet rescue was issued an order of revocation, officials posted a call for donations saying Times are tough. Unleashed wrote that, like other animal rescues, they were seeing reduced fundraising proceeds and had to take in fewer animals and begin the process of layoffs. Since our organization was founded, over 40,000 animals have come through our doors and found loving homes through our adoption programs, the shelter wrote. Chances are, many of you have your own story of an adoption from our little shelter. If theres one thing we know for sure, its that the Osefo brood loves a beach vacation, and Dr. Wendy Osefo sartorially slays wherever they go. Back in January, the family rang in the New Year in the Dominican Republic and The Real Housewives of Potomac cast member rocked several stunning looks for their days in the sun, including a bold orange two-piece, a pink-and-orange cutout one-piece, and a cream-colored one-shoulder netted midi dress. The fashionista again popped up on our radar on March 26, this time rocking a sexy bright yellow two-piece bikini on Instagram while vacationing in Jamaica (glamour shots courtesy of Eddie Osefo). PRADA YOU, the professor captioned a jaw-dropping set of photos of herself wearing a canary yellow twist bikini top ($92) and matching bottoms ($84) by Bromelia while taking a dip in the pool and posing on the beach. Per her quippy caption, Wendy coordinated the sunny style with a nylon yellow bucket hat by Prada ($695). The mom of three aptly accessorized her look with multiple bracelets, a gold name-plate necklace (of her daughter Kamrynns name), and bright white nails perfect for the tropical locale. In addition to her sexy beachside style, Wendy has been serving gowns as of late with some truly head-turning pieces. Earlier in March, the home goods entrepreneur rocked a gold strapless sheath from Elarose Sweet Weddings for a friends luxurious wedding. The gown was covered in sparkly silver beaded embellishments, and similar to her reunion dress, it had a sculptural ribbon-like piece on the left side. Wendys hip-hugging frock also featured a fishtail train, ideal for making a head-turning entrance. Wendy Osefo photographed during an interview Just a few months prior, Wendy attended the dramatic RHOP Season 7 reunion in dazzling fashion, donning a beaded strapless gown by Rian Fernandez with a high leg slit and a turquoise and cobalt blue ombre effect cascading down one side. The look also featured a peacock-like sculptural embellishment across the bustier top, bringing the perfect pop to an already jaw-dropping style. Story continues Another stunning detail? Wendys nails, which she showed off in an Instagram Story shortly after the affair. My reunion nails [...] every gem placed individually! the mom of three wrote over a video of the impressive work, which included long, pointed acrylic pink nails with silver, blue, purple, and yellow gems around the tips. Thank you [Nail Designs by Nancy]. Watch The Real Housewives of Potomac on Peacock and the Bravo app. WINONA Residents remained without power Monday in Winona, and many were without water three days after an EF-3 tornado touched down. Water, food, clothing and cleaning supplies were distributed at areas around the city. Sgt. Shyan Hicks with the Salvation Army of Greenwood said the organization has been in Winona since Saturday to serve hot meals to residents there. Other Salvation Army units were deployed from Louisiana and Alabama. Hicks said she and her husband served 300 to 400 meals a day over the weekend. "Today we served probably close to a thousand meals," Hicks said. "The numbers increase each day." Linemen with Chain Electric of Hattiesburg work Monday, March 27, 2023, to restore power in Winona, Miss., after an EF3 tornado hit the area Friday, March 24, 2023. The Salvation Army team will stay for as long as needed, she said. "Normally, the day after it strikes or even before it strikes we're driving in to ride out the storm," Hicks said. Linemen with Hattiesburg's Chain Electric were in Winona's storm-damaged areas, working to restore power as quickly as possible. Winona had been under scrutiny just days before when an animal control officer euthanized several dogs by gunshot, drawing local and regional ire. The officer and the police chief were later suspended, The Salvation Army of Greenwood brought hot meals to serve in Winona on Monday, after an EF-3 tornado hit the area Friday. In the Summerfield area, three members of one family were killed when their mobile home was picked up and torn apart by the tornado's powerful winds. A fourth was seriously injured. The victims were identified as 54-year-old schoolteacher Helen Munford, her husband, 51-year-old Danny Munford, and 14-year-old son JaDarrion Murphy. JaDarrion's twin brother, LaDarrion Murphy was the family's lone survivor. "She was a member of my church," Winona Ward 3 Alderwoman Sylvia Clark said. Live updates on the tornado:Obituaries released for 5 tornado victims in Rolling Fork, Silver City Suspensions in Winona:Police chief, animal officer suspended; community wants them fired after shooting dogs The Winona tornado was at its strongest near the Black Hawk community in nearby Carroll County, with an intensity of around 155 mph. Black Hawk Independent Church, the historic Blackhawk School and parsonage were completely destroyed, according to a damage survey by the National Weather Service in Jackson. Story continues Both the school and church had stood for nearly 100 years, the report said. She said the Board of Aldermen held a special-called meeting to allow the city to seek federal and state assistance to help with recovery efforts. The tornado cut a path nearly 30 miles long and was seven-tenths of mile wide near Winona. Clarion Ledger reporter Joshua Williams contributed to this story. Do you have a story to share? Contact Lici Beveridge at lbeveridge@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @licibev or Facebook at facebook.com/licibeveridge. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Winona MS residents begin recovery after EF-3 tornado Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday criticized Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., for blocking more than 150 military officer nominations in protest of a Defense Department policy supporting abortion care. During a Senate Armed Services hearing Tuesday about the annual budget, Austin was asked about Tubervilles hold on nominations. Austin said the promotions, which are being delayed, are absolutely critical. The blocked nominations come at a time of global tension with China and Iran, and Russias ongoing invasion of Ukraine. There are a number of things happening globally that indicate that we could be in a contest on any one given day, Austin said. Not approving the recommendations for promotions actually creates a ripple effect through the force that makes us far less ready than we need to be. The policy, which went into effect March 18, supports service members and dependents traveling out of state for abortion care, including paid travel expenses and up to three weeks of administrative leave. Women make up about one-fifth of the military's active-duty force, according to the Defense Department. Tuberville has said he will hold up all civilian and general flag officer nominations until the policy is reversed. On Tuesday, he said his actions are about not forcing the taxpayers of this country to fund abortion. Chuck Schumer: Holding up nominations is 'reckless' Tuberville holding up military nominees is reckless and couldnt come at a worse time, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday on the Senate floor. Right now, 160 military promotions these are not political are on hold because the senior senator from Alabama is holding them up because he cant get his way on blocking 160,000 women within the military from receiving healthcare, Schumer said. Tuberville is holding up nominations for commanders of U.S. Naval Forces in the Pacific and Middle East, as well as the U.S. representative to a NATO committee, according to Schumer. Story continues Blocking military choices is unprecedented and it could weaken our national security, Schumer said. Dig deeper: Contributing: Candy Woodall This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lloyd Austin warns Sen. Tommy Tuberville amid abortion policy fight On February 28, there was an open house for residents to see plans for Interstate 95 at the LPGA Boulevard interchange in Daytona Beach. More than 250 members of the public showed up for the preview. Some who attended recognized the need for updating current roadways. Others noted that the project could not come fast enough and urged that the implementation be sped up. This is exactly the nature of participation we need from every community. Road work ahead:5 FDOT projects in Volusia bound to have an impact on traffic Daytona projects:Much-anticipated overhaul of Daytona's East International Speedway Boulevard to begin Storm recovery:FDOT recommends $100 million buried walls to shore up erosion-plagued sections of S.R. A1A A highway from Maine to Miami I-95 is an integral part of our social fabric. As one of the countrys busiest highways, this 1,900-mile corridor connects 110 million people from Maine to Miami. It traverses 15 states and serves as a major freight route, serving 40% of the United States' gross domestic product. Additionally, I95 is also a major hurricane evacuation route on the east coast, providing critical emergency access to millions. Locally, it is the backbone of regional transportation in East Central Florida. Much of the portion we use daily in Volusia County, a total of 46 miles and 8 interchanges, was designed during the Eisenhower administration and built in the 1960s. In Volusia County, we have enjoyed momentous growth over the past few decades. In the last decade alone, we have experienced 14% growth in our county population, which is expected to reach nearly 675,000 by the year 2045 based on Bureau of Economic and Business Research projections. Steven Buck, a project development administrator with the Florida Department of Transportation, stands in front of a rendering of a proposed new interchange to replace the existing one at Interstate 95 and LPGA Boulevard at an open house at the clubhouse at LPGA International in Daytona Beach recently. Past projects Over the years, federal, state, and local governments have worked together to implement improvements along I95. These include the construction of new interchanges and major modifications to existing interchanges. For example, a $206 million project completed in 2020 made improvements to the I4/I95/US 92 interchange along with widening I95 from four lanes to six lanes from north of State Road 44 to north of US 92. Additionally, there have been operational improvements at the SR 442 and SR 44 interchanges, and a complete resurfacing of I-95. Story continues Ongoing projects Currently, four interchange projects are underway in Volusia County. I-95 at US 1 interchange: A Project Development and Environment Study and Design is concurrently underway for the existing interchange at I-95 and US 1 in Ormond beach. This interchange was constructed as part of the original interstate system and needs modernization to improve its safety and overall operation. The PD&E Study is evaluating improvements to the I-95 interchange as well as the approximately one-mile segment of US 1 between Plantation Oaks Boulevard, Broadway Avenue and Destination Daytona Lane. The purpose of this study is to improve safety, accommodate future travel demand, and enhance pedestrian connectivity. On January 30, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the Moving Florida Forward initiative to expedite transportation projects over the next four years, which includes $340 million in construction funding for this project. Residents are urged to attend the upcoming public hearing scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on March 30 at The Chapel, 1805 US 1, Ormond Beach. More information on the project is available online at https://www.cflroads.com/project/419772-2. I-95 at LPGA Boulevard interchange: The interchange at I-95 at LPGA Boulevard provides the northern gateway to Daytona Beach. The area has experienced unprecedented growth in recent years. What used to be a rural area back in the 1980s, is now home to several major residential and commercial developments. In addition, a number of new major developments have been approved in the area and many more are coming. This project will improve the interchange as well as widen LPGA Boulevard from US 92 to Williamson Boulevard, including the Tomoka River Bridge,a in coordination with Volusia County and Daytona Beach. The right-of-way is partially funded for fiscal year 2027, while construction is currently unfunded. More information on the project, including alternatives, can be found online at https://www.cflroads.com/project/448456-1. I-95 at Pioneer Trail interchange: Construction of this project could begin as early as this fall, and would add access/exit to I-95 between SR 421 and SR 44. Without the proposed interchange, the existing interchanges will experience severe congestion given the future development that is already approved and/or underway in the area. The Pioneer Trail interchange will reduce congestion at adjacent interchanges by diverting traffic and providing more travel options. A reduction of up to 70% in travel delays is expected at the SR 421 interchange and 75% at the SR 44 interchange. The construction cost is expected to be around $100 million and the project is currently funded. More information on the project is available online at https://www.cflroads.com/project/436292-1. I-95 at Maytown Road interchange: This interchange is being coordinated with Volusia County and is planned to be funded by the Miami Corporation to help accommodate their development in the area. The project is included in the Connect 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan and the 2022 Volusia County Comprehensive Plan. However, the project has not gone through state and federal planning, project development or environmental approval processes. Future plans Looking ahead, the Florida Department of Transportation is embarking on a strategic plan for I95 to develop a long-term, shared vision with the members of the communities and local stakeholders along the corridor. The plan will include all applicable modes of transportation and will address various goals with respect to mobility, safety, resiliency/environment, and technology. Community engagement will be a key aspect of the project, and everyone is invited to share ideas and feedback in an open, inclusive, and respectful setting. Despite how much has changed since it was built in the 1960s, I-95 continues to be vital to the communities around it. Maryam Ghyabi-White is the CEO & President of Ghyabi Consulting & Management, LLC and serves as an adjunct professor at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. She is also a consultant to FDOT and local governments on complex infrastructure projects throughout the State of Florida. She serves as Vice Chair of the St. Johns Water Management District. She is also an avid supporter of Pace Center for Girls and serves on the National Board of Directors. This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Major projects coming for I-95 corridor in Volusia County Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testifies to a House Committee on Appropriations subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies hearing, about the budget request for the National Institutes of Health, May 11, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert who became a household name, and the subject of partisan attacks, left the federal government after more than five decades of service. He is scheduled to speak at MSU's graduation in May. LANSING Dr. Anthony Fauci, the man who steered the nation through the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, is scheduled to headline a list of national leaders scheduled to speak during Michigan State University's spring graduation ceremonies. Fauci is the former chief medical adviser to the president and past director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. He will join Jill Hruby, undersecretary for nuclear security for the U.S. Department of Energy and administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration, and Lisa Cook, the first Black woman to sit on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors and an MSU faculty member in address graduates during the spring commencement ceremonies on May 5. Fauci will receive an honorary doctorate in humanities. Hruby will receive an honorary doctorate of science and Cook will be awarded an honorary doctorate of humanities, according to a press release. "In awarding honorary degrees, these notable leaders join the class of 2023 as beacons of excellence in our Spartans' futures," said MSU Interim President Teresa Woodruff in the press release. "Their stories from their college careers and early commitment to creating a better tomorrow will resonate and inspire graduating Spartans as they take this next step in their journey to change Michigan and the world." Hruby is scheduled to address master's and educational specialist degree graduates at 9 a.m. The undergraduate graduation ceremonies will feature Cook as the keynote speaker at 1 p.m. and Fauci will address doctoral students at 3:30 p.m. Fauci advised President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump on COVID-19 response. He became a household name after speaking about the coronavirus and the government response in public interviews and countless White House press briefings. Fauci sparred with Trump and some Republican legislators over the COVID-19 vaccines, COVID-19 treatments and the overall severity of the virus. Story continues He publicly advocated for social distancing and masks in public settings before COVID-19 vaccines became available. Fauci also was the subject of political attacks and death threats and was given a security detail for his protection. U.S. House Republicans have been questioning all aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the origin. House Republicans claim officials worked to conceal the fact that it leaked from a lab in Wuhan. Fauci has called the Republican criticism nonsense. The U.S. Energy Department has joined the FBI in saying with "low confidence" that COVID-19 likely spread from a Chinese lab. Fauci stepped down in December. All of the main graduation ceremonies will be held in the Breslin Center in East Lansing. Other ceremonies will be held in the Wharton Center. The ceremonies will also be live-streamed through MSU's commencement website commencement.msu.edu. Those who attend the graduation ceremonies are prohibited from bringing in bags or purses. Cameras and camcorders are allowed, but camera bags and cases are banned. Food and drinks, including bottled water, also is banned, though there will be limited concessions offered at both the Breslin Center and Wharton Center. Additional items that are banned include noisemakers, selfie sticks, pets, signs and weapons of any kind. Those attending must also pass through a metal detector when entering the facilities. Jill Hruby, under secretary of energy for nuclear security and administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration, speaks during an event on Thursday, Jan. 26 celebrating a new fire station and Emergency Operations Center built at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge. She is scheduled to speak to MSU graduates in May. USA Today and The Associated Press contributed. Contact Mark Johnson at majohnson2@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ByMarkJohnson. This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Anthony Fauci to headline Michigan State's spring 2023 commencement Red marks and bruises scattered across his face and body, the 6-year-old boy couldnt tell Port Royal police what happened. Adopted from Hungary just two months prior, Ollie spoke fluent Hungarian but knew little English. With the help of Google Translate, ER doctors at Beaufort Memorial Hospital asked Ollie how he was hurt. Papa went boom boom, the boy replied, according to his mother, making a pushing motion and pointing to a picture of the stairs in his home. Ollies adoptive father, Ian Futrell, 38, of Beaufort, was arrested on charges of felony child abuse on June 9, 2022. From Ollies injuries and translated testimony, police accused Futrell of choking the boy, pushing him down the stairs and throwing him into the side of a metal dog kennel. Futrell, a Marine, was indicted by a grand jury on Nov. 11 and pleaded not guilty at his arraignment hearing, according to Capt. John Griffith of the Port Royal Police Department. Futrell currently serves at the Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) in Beaufort as a gunnery sergeant, an officer rank specialized in firepower and unit training. He arrived at the Beaufort station in January 2020, and has held his leadership position since 2019. As a history of alleged abuse comes to light, MCAS officials are prepping a board to decide whether Futrell will be removed from the Marine Corps. Planned for the end of April on Parris Island, the hearing will address allegations of Futrells child abuse, steroid abuse and extramarital sexual conduct, according to emails sent from the Marines legal team. The April proceedings are merely administrative and will not determine Futrells guilt or innocence. A criminal trial for the nearly year-old charges has not yet been scheduled, according to Jeff Kidd, a spokesperson for the 14th Circuit Solicitors Office. Still, Suzanne Turner, Futrells ex-wife and Ollies adoptive mother, says her sons story has been swept under the rug by the Marine Corps. Even after being informed of Futrells history of reported abuse including allegations from another ex-wife leaders at the Beaufort station silenced her requests for accountability and stood behind her ex-husband, she told the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette. Story continues When it became clear to the (Commanding Officer) that I was not backing down ... he cut off all communication with me, Turner said. She then received an email from another official telling her to let the civilian courts handle it. Turner and her attorney are advocating for Futrells removal from the Marine Corps under the other than honorable label, an administrative discharge that disqualifies service members from veterans benefits and prevents them from reenlisting. How is the Marine Corps standing by his side? How is he not receiving consequences for what he did? said Turner, the proud daughter of a retired U.S. Army veteran. Its deplorable. Futrell has garnered over 45,000 followers on TikTok, where he shares short videos about the Marines and military life. His followers know him as Gunny. MCAS GySgt. Robert Dea said the station is aware of the accusations and takes all allegations of misconduct very seriously, but would not comment further on details of the hearing. Christopher J. Geier, Futrells defense attorney, declined to comment on the case. It was like something snapped Turner and Futrell adopted Ollie and his younger brother, Kazmer, in April 2022, just two months before Futrell was arrested. Like many other international adoptions, the process wasnt easy, lasting 20 months and costing nearly $60,000, Turner said. In the weeks leading up to the incident, Turner says her ex-husband seemed like dad of the year carrying the boys on his shoulders, buying them toys, and teaching them how to ride a bike. But those behaviors soon came to a sudden stop, she said. It was like something snapped, Turner said. He just kind of withdrew. He wasnt really helpful with the boys anymore. He was losing patience with them. Turner added that Ollie is a special needs child, having been diagnosed with a handful of neuropsychiatric disorders prior to his adoption. Before doctors in Charleston found the right mix of medication, Ollie was prone to emotional outbursts. These were things that we knew we were getting into, Turner said of her sons diagnoses. Ollie was also badly abused during his time in Hungarys foster care system, which contributed to his condition, she said. One of Ollies outbursts came on June 9, 2022. Futrell was watching the boys at the couples Beaufort home while Turner was away at an appointment, she said. Heading back home, Turner received a text from her husband, saying he could not deal with Ollie. According to the police report, when she arrived and asked her husband what happened, Futrell responded, Ollie was crying and wouldnt listen, so I smacked the [expletive] out of him. Thats when Turner noticed Ollies injuries. Immediately afraid for her sons safety, she took them upstairs and locked the door behind them, taking pictures of Ollies marks and bruises for documentation, she said. I told the boys, Its a race: Who can get their shoes on and get to my car the fastest? Turner said. Standing between Futrell and her sons, she led them out of the house and drove straight to Beaufort Memorial Hospital. The June 2022 incident only revealed further allegations against Futrell, Turner said. While in the hospital, she connected with another one of his ex-wives, with whom Futrell lived in North Carolina until their divorce in 2018. After hearing Turners story, the woman shared her own. According to court documents, the woman alleged that Futrell had slapped and grabbed the throat of their daughter, who was only 13 at the time of the couples divorce. The interaction spurred that woman to take action, using the allegations to win sole custody of her children in a North Carolina court. According to court documents, the woman claimed her two children were fearful of Futrell who often had fits of rage in the home and had to see a therapist to cope with their visitation time with their father. Ollie also attends trauma therapy, Turner said, helping him to cope with a history of abuse that spanned multiple years and two countries. He and his younger brother are in kindergarten at a Port Royal charter school, where both boys are thriving, she says. Turner now has full custody of the boys, and the three of them recently moved to Port Royal. Its an older house, Turner admits, but shes grateful the boys have a safe home. They view (Futrell) as the Boogeyman, she said. Theyre afraid of him. They dont want him around. But Turner still encourages the boys to talk about what happened and they do. She recounted a common back-and-forth she has with her son: After she tells him Im sorry that happened, Ollie will respond, Its okay, its not your fault. A culture of violence As a fifth-grade teacher at Bolden Elementary Middle School, located on base, Turner says she witnesses firsthand the pervasive presence of child mistreatment in the Marine Corps. Child abuse is so prevalent in our schools, she said of the Department of Defenses education system. Drill instructors are sometimes very abusive to their children because theyre in that mindset of being a drill instructor all day ... that mindset of, You have to act right or you get killed. Experts agree that military families may be especially vulnerable to child maltreatment, tying increased domestic violence to stressors like deployment and unstable living situations. At the beginning of every school year, Turners classroom is visited by a representative from the Family Advocacy Program (FAP) which handles child abuse and domestic violence in the military for a talk about the warning signs of mistreatment. Its sometimes very obvious, Turner said. Some parents you just dont contact. Their kids are acting out at school, but if you let the parents know, the next day theyll come to school with bruises. Its a fine line to walk, and its definitely changed the way I view todays military. Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corporation Long-time community leader, Dave Molmen, was presented the 2023 Klaus Thiessen Impact Award at the Grand Forks Region EDC Annual Meeting on March 30 GRAND FORKS, N.D., March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corporation (EDC) board of directors announces Dave Molmen as the 2023 Klaus Thiessen Impact Award recipient. The award was presented to Molmen at the EDC annual meeting held at the Alerus Center on Thursday, March 30. Annually, the board recognizes an outstanding business or individual that has made a positive impact on economic growth, vitality, and prosperity in the Grand Forks region. I have had the good fortune of working with Dave during our time together at Altru. He is an extremely dedicated and passionate leader. It is an honor to be able to present him with the 2023 Klaus Thiessen Impact Award, said Meghan Compton, EDC Board Secretary, and Treasurer. Daves impact in the Grand Forks region is unsurmountable, especially through his 40-year career within the health system. Among Molmens accomplishments, the largest includes serving as a leader of the Altru Health System and its predecessor organizations for more than 40 years. In the beginning, Molmen was one of the principal architects in the merger of United Hospital and the Grand Forks Clinic in 1997 which led to the creation of the Altru Health System. Soon after the merger, he served as the first Chief Operations Officer and was quickly put to the test as he directed hospital operations through the historic flood fight of 1997 and the massive recovery that followed. When it comes to being honored with the award, the first word that comes to mind is unworthy because the accomplishments in my career have always been completed with a group of people, Molmen stated, Working together is the hallmark of the Grand Forks community we put differences aside and make the community better for the common good. Throughout his career, Molmen has always placed a high value on public service, community development, and helping people to achieve their highest potential. For more than a decade, he served as CEO of Altru Health System, with a staff of 4,000 healthcare professionals throughout Northeast North Dakota and Northwest Minnesota. Other notable career highlights include co-chairing the team that studied and negotiated a merger of the Grand Forks and East Grand Forks Chambers of Commerce, as well as working with leaders of the Mayo Clinic to forge a historic alliance pioneering a care model that brought Mayo Clinic expertise to the bedside of every patient at Altru, leading the way for the worldwide Mayo Clinic Care Network comprised of nearly 50 elite healthcare organizations. Story continues One of the important aspects of having a comprehensive healthcare system in the region is its impact on workforce attraction and retention, said Keith Lund, President, and CEO of the EDC. When people are looking at a community, one of the first questions they ask is about healthcare. Having Altru in our community is a tremendous asset that contributes to growing the region. Were grateful to Dave and his impact on this region over his 40-year career. The EDCs board of directors chooses an individual or business to honor with the Klaus Thiessen Impact award annually. The board felt that the impact Molmen has made on the Grand Forks community is insurmountable. Most recently, when Altru Health System faced unprecedented challenges due to the pandemic and changes in the healthcare industry, he came out of retirement without pay to help the health system navigate its recovery and resume the construction of its new hospital. Thanks to his great work and leadership, the recovery was very successful, and the new hospital construction is underway, ensuring Grand Forks will remain the healthcare and economic hub of our region for generations to come. This along with Molmens several other community contributions were among the many reasons why he was selected for the award. See previous award recipients and more information about the award at https://grandforks.org/inside-the-edc/klaus-thiessen-impact-award/ Mark Maliskey Marketing & Communications Manager MarkM@grandforks.org 701.738.0238 Guests will be able to experience the glamorous Spa Tower redesign starting in July. Champalimaud Design Looking to take a trip to Italy without digging up your passport? Just head to Las Vegas and book a suite at the Bellagio instead. The long-beloved Sin City institution just revealed renderings of the $110-million renovation of all the rooms and suites in its Spa Tower. According to a statement provided to Travel + Leisure, the hotel is set to deliver an updated look inspired by the beauty of Lake Como. Bellagios commitment to delivering unparalleled accommodations, experiences, and guest service for our discerning guests from around the world is the hallmark of our brand promise, Ann Hoff, president and COO of Bellagio, said. The Spa Towers beautiful and luxurious new suites and guest rooms will reinforce our position as one of the hospitality industrys premier destinations. Champalimaud Design The Spa Tower redesign, which includes its 819 guest rooms and 104 suites, is slated for completion in October, but the first collection of renovated rooms will be available for stays starting this July. The updated suites were designed in partnership with New York City-based Champalimaud Design. The new suites come decked out in calming, neutral, and earth tones, meant to mimic what the hotel calls the natural vibrancy of Lake Como and the Alps. And the design team really took this literally. Champalimaud Design It chose the color garnet to symbolize the pomegranate found in the Mediterranean, an azure blue inspired by the lakes, a dusty rose and jade hue to pull in the colors of the flora and fauna in the region, and the pale beige on the walls to feel just like youre walking through the tiny villages in northern Italy. Meanwhile, the hallways outside the rooms provide a rich contrast, thanks to the deep midnight blue doors, highlighted by handmade Italian light fixtures. MGM Resorts In each suite, guests can relax on the plush sofas and chairs in the living areas, sprawl out on the soft beds, or just spend as much time as they want in the ultra-luxe bathrooms, which come complete with white marble surfaces and motion-sensor lights, so they wont find themselves tripping into the bathroom in the middle of the night. Story continues We wanted to create a residential aesthetic with the timeless sense of luxury that is uniquely Bellagio, Winston Kong, a partner at Champalimaud Design, said in a statement. The updated Spa Tower guest rooms, created in partnership with the Chicago-based interior design firm The Gettys Group, offer similar soft touches, including pastel furnishings set off by those same neutral undertones found in the suites. Both the suites and rooms, the hotel shared, are meant to be a soothing respite from the noise found outside on the Strip though guests can always catch a glimpse of the glittering Vegas lights just by pulling back their window curtains. Check for availability at bellagio.mgmresorts.com For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Travel & Leisure. Tom Shafer, of Springfield, front left, leads a crowd of marchers from the Bank of Springfield Center to the state Capital during Illinois Gun Owner Lobby Day Wednesday, March, 29, 2023. In its first lobby day since the passage of the assault-style weapons ban, Illinois gun rights advocates marched the streets of Springfield on Wednesday. The Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day is sponsored by the Illinois State Riffle Association, who is behind one of several lawsuits filed against the Protect Illinois Communities Act. Passed under House Bill 5471, the act bans the sale and manufacturing of hundreds of firearms defined as assault weapons, assault weapon attachments, .50-caliber rifles and .50-caliber cartridges, as well as large-capacity magazines. National: Daily Briefing: Will the Nashville shooting prompt an assault weapons ban? The hundreds in town for IGOLD marched from the Bank of Springfield Center to the Lincoln statue on the Capitol grounds a little after 1 p.m. on Wednesday. Among those visiting was Roger Probst, visiting from Aurora. This was his first time attending the lobby day for gun owners, although previously coming to the Capitol to lobby for firefighters. Probst, an ISRA and National Rifle Association member, recounted several recent shootings in his northeastern Illinois community, where he feels laws passed by the General Assembly have emboldened criminals and granting them more rights than law-abiding citizens. If you dont stand up, make yourself known, your rights will go away, he said. Speakers at the BOS Center included ISRA leadership Richard Pearson, executive director, and Doug Mayhall, president among several others. Both expressed confidence in its lawsuit, set to be heard in East St. Louis next month as well as others. ISRA's lawsuit is federal while the others have been filed at the county level, naming Gov. JB Pritzker, Senate President Don Harmon and House Leader Emanuel "Chris" Welch as defendants. The Illinois Supreme Court recently agreed to fast-track the state's appeal from a Macon County judge ruling where he found portions of new law unconstitutional. "We're going to fight them every inch of the way," Pearson said. "But, I actually believe that what's coming up in the next few months will turn the tide of firearms legislation in the United States." Story continues House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, joined other speakers in airing their grievances against Democrats, who have passed bills they feel are counter to constitutional gun rights. Her predecessor, former Minority Leader Jim Durkin was the only the House Republican to vote in favor of the assault-style weapons ban during a lame duck session in January. McCombie and ISRA lobbyists railed against the process in which gun bills, and many other more controversial bills are passed - adding amendments to shell bills and then being advanced to a vote before legislators and the public have a complete understanding of the legislation. Jerry Ambrose, of Palmyra, right, carries a NRA Don't Tread on Me flag as he marches to the state Capitol during Illinois Gun Owner Lobby Day Wednesday, March, 29, 2023. "Every day, our caucus fights bad legislation like gun registries, gun bans and cumbersome regulations," she said. "Our colleagues on the other side of the aisle do not solicit or consider stakeholders opinions." The key difference in the gun control debate, ISRA lobbyist Ed Sullivan said, is how rural and urban communities view guns in general. He recalled how members of Mothers Demand Action, a gun control advocacy group, were appalled when he said his middle school son knew how to dissemble and clean an AR-15. "What's the difference between us and them? We're cheering," he said. State Rep. Bob Morgan D- Deerfield, answers question about House Bill 5471 on the House floor during debate Tuesday Jan. 10, 2023. In the wake of the recent Nashville shooting, resulting in the deaths of six people including three third graders, Illinois House of Representatives held a moment of silence on the House floor Tuesday. More: 'A family's worst nightmare': Biden reacts to Nashville shooting, urges assault weapons ban State Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, chief architect of the assault-style weapons ban, reflected on the latest shooting. He marched in the Fourth of July parade in Highland Park last year where a shooter killed seven and injured more than 30. Morgan, countering recent comments made by U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-TN, where he said Congress is "not going to fix it" in regards to gun violence, said more legislative action was needed in Springfield and Washington. Democrats in the 103rd Illinois General Assembly have introduced several gun bills so far, but none have made much progress so far. "We have to keep our young children from fearing am assault weapon firing on them in their classroom," he said. "Instead, they need to be focused on reading Dr. Seuss or just learning about math and science - just being children." Contact Patrick Keck: 312-549-9340, pkeck@gannett.com, twitter.com/pkeckreporter. This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: ISRA hosts first lobby day since assault-style weapons ban The two lone wolves of the Republican Senate conference faced off against each other Wednesday, as Sen. Josh Hawley attempted to fast track his bill to ban TikTok and was blocked by Sen. Rand Paul. There is growing bipartisan support for banning TikTok, a popular social media app used by more than 150 million Americans, amid concerns that the app, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, could be used to spy on Americans. As the Biden administration remains in negotiations with TikTok about security measures, a process that has taken years, Congress has become impatient. There has been growing momentum on Capitol Hill to address the issue as FBI Director Christopher Wray has warned about the potential the app has for spying on Americans. The Biden administration, like the Trump administration before it, has called on ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a potential ban. But Hawley, a Missouri Republican, has spurned a bipartisan bill in the Senate that would give the Biden administration the ability to ban the app and has remained steadfast in saying Congress should just ban it outright. On Wednesday, he attempted a legislative move typically used for non-controversial bills that would allow the bill to pass the Senate so long as no member objected. Its a tactic that allows a senator to largely bypass the grueling legislative process of building a coalition of support and bypasses the traditional path a bill takes through committee. Hawleys used this method before last year, he was able to use the method to pass a bill banning TikTok from federal devices. That bill was later added to a larger, end-of-year spending bill that passed. He said he had to try it because TikTok is lobbying Congress to slow down efforts to ban it. This time it didnt work. Paul, a Kentucky Republican, stood up to object. Paul, whose politics have a libertian bent, said if the U.S. banned TikTok, it would be censoring Americans. He said there were two clear reasons for him not to support the bill it would limit the speech of Americans, and that it would run afoul of rules that prevent a piece of legislation that declares a company guilty of a crime. Story continues We should beware of people who peddle fear, Paul said. We should beware of people who peddle half truths. Much of Pauls argument centered around the freedom of Americans to watch dance videos, which later prompted Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, to say no one was attempting to ban booty videos. But Paul also pointed out that many American social media companies are collecting similar data to TikTok. He said the Republican Party would lose a generation of voters in banning the app an argument that has also been used by Democrats who have opposed a TikTok ban, given the apps young audience. You dont like TikTok? Quit using them, Paul said. But dont disenfranchise 150 million Americans who are using a social media app. But Hawley portrayed the company as a national security threat, using language that has become common around the Capitol, that the app can be used by the Chinese Communist Party to gather information on Americans, because the company is subject to Chinese laws that can be used to force it to turn over data. The problem with TikTok is not the videos on the app, Hawley said. The problem with TikTok is that its a backdoor for the Chinese Communist Party. At times, the debate was reminiscent of arguments from the 1950s, with Paul saying several times that he opposes Communism, but that he doesnt support the tactic of banning a social media company, or handing the government more power over social media companies. Hawleys inability to pass his bill on Wednesday doesnt mean the end of the effort to ban TikTok. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified in front of a House committee last week in an effort to combat the growing calls to ban the app. But both Republicans and Democrats offered blistering rebukes of the app, expressing concerns about the amount of data it collects. While TikTok is known for its algorithm that keeps users glued to their phones and has launched the careers of social media influencers, its not the only app that collects user data. Some members of Congress, like Sen. Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican, have worked for years on a data privacy law in attempt to limit how much information the social media giants can collect. But while data privacy legislation may be stalled, theres increasing attention on TikTok. Last week, influencers came to the Capitol to push back against calls to ban the app, saying it helped them grow their business in a press conference sponsored by three progressive House Democrats. This is important, Rubio said. It deserves the attention that its starting to get. A 41-year-old elephant living alone in a Puerto Rico zoo has a happy ending, thanks to a five-year effort from a rescue organization in Georgia. Mundi, an African elephant from Zimbabwe, has been living by herself in the Dr. Juan A. Rivero Zoo in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, for 35 years, according to Elephant Aid International. Mundi was first taken from Zimbabwe by American millionaire Arthur Jones in 1984 after the local government culled a large herd and left her orphaned, according to EAI. Jones took Mundi back to his property in Ocala, Florida, and sold the elephants he owned, including Mundi, to various zoos and circuses after keeping them for two years. Mundi was injured during a brutal fight with another elephant, according to the rescue organization, which left her blind in one eye and with a permanently damaged tusk. She was then sold to the Dr. Juan A. Rivero Zoo, EAI said. The zoo kept her for the next three and a half decades, during which she spent her time isolated in an enclosure and chained during the night, according to EAI. Dr. Juan A. Rivero Zoo closed to the public in the fall of 2017 and lost its USDA license for failing to employ a veterinarian and providing substandard care for its animals, many of whom have died, the EAI said in its news release. The EAI made a deal with the zoo that Mundi would be transported to the Elephant Refuge North America, run by the EAI, in 2018, but the contract fell through after the local government collapsed, the release said. Early this year, though, the EAI got good news about Mundi the U.S. Department of Justice ordered the Puerto Rico zoo to close, and the Georgia sanctuary was asked to accept Mundi, an effort that had taken five years. The organization ensured that with the support of the rescue, (Mundis) life, from this day forward, is all about Mundi. It added it was excited to witness Mundis transition into a world of freedom and friendship. The EAI is based in Attapulgus, which is close to Georgias southern border with Florida. Attapulgus is about 30 miles northwest of Tallahassee. Story continues Missing tigers recaptured after escaping tornado-damaged zoo, Georgia officials say Zoos romantic dinner for unusual couple features a bug-filled pinata, TikTok shows Aggressive owl keeps terrorizing people and stealing their hats at Washington park Komodo dragon babies hatch at zoo in Spain for first time in a decade. Take a look Families share the healing traditions they rely on in times of sickness. (Image: Getty; illustration by Pamela Guest) When Souleymane Ouedraogo and Morgan Triska were parenting their first child now in middle school they were at an impasse when their baby struggled with a bad cold. Ouedraogo wanted to boil eucalyptus leaves with some other plants to create a healing steam cloud for his son. Triska wanted to use Vicks VapoRub. Each parents instinct was to lean into healing remedies that worked during their own respective childhoods, in Burkina-Faso and Pennsylvania. The new parents quickly realized they were actually both seeking the same remedy: the soothing scent of eucalyptus and other botanicals found in nature. Ouedraogo says Triska was opposed at first, but when the couple realized their childhood remedies were somewhat similar, they were able to have a laugh. Theyve since incorporated sickness remedies and traditions from both of their childhoods into their household. With our kids, we blend the cultures," Ouedraogo says. "For example, even though the kids hate ginger, they take it. Two days after, they feel better. They do not like it but they know it works. Triska and Ouedraogo, like all people raising kids, are trying to figure this parenting thing out as they go integrating traditions they grew up with alongside new information. This is particularly true when it comes to caring for a sick child. If your mother made a particular soup every time you had a cold, why not do the same for your own child? It turns out, most people do. "When people are sick in Africa, we make light food," Ouedraogo says. "It can be broth, it can be fish soup, chicken soup or beef soup. They will boil but leave the bones to get the nutrients and they add spice. Ginger can go in too, depending on who is making it. Soup is clearly a timeworn comforting tradition across cultures. Bethany Kandel, in New York City, says that in her household it was matzo ball soup that did the trick. It still does. Your kids are always your kids," she says. "When my grown son was sick not long ago, I made him a batch of Jewish penicillin and took the subway an hour to his apartment in Brooklyn to deliver it. In Connecticut, Jamie Kenney echoes a similar sentiment. I always keep emergency pastina in the house in case someone gets sick. Its Italian penicillin. Lucy Bentons mother also recently took a long journey to deliver soup for comfort. I am British Nigerian and my mum traveled three hours to drop off some Nigerian pepper soup for me post-surgery on Sunday. We basically feed our kids to show love. Story continues Masha Rumer's childhood in the former Soviet Union combined both the steaming bucket method and the comfort food tradition. A common remedy for colds used to be leaning over a pot of hot boiled potatoes, covering your head with a towel and inhaling the steam," Rumer shares. "It opens up the nasal passages, plus you get a meal out of the potatoes later a win-win. She says her family often relied on DIY methods since there was a shortage of most things in the USSR. Some she uses with her kids today, like the potato method. Others, like using mustard or hot-water-soaked strips of paper applied to the skin, she has chosen to keep as only a memory. For many families, a specific puke receptacle is one of the comfort items woven into the fabric of family culture. The puke bowl topic has broken the internet a few times, but controversy aside, it turns out most households do have a designated vomit-catcher. Cristie Gabuzda says her four kids know it's serious when the bathroom wastebasket is placed near them.That thing can't leave your side until you're free of vomit for 24 hours," she says. Other go-to sickness staples: "You'll definitely get some applesauce with activated charcoal stirred in when you're hungry. It's the only time I'm fine with toast crumbs everywhere, and you can get white grape juice whenever you want it. Meanwhile, Nickie Kuhns family has a designated bowl with a long and storied past. Our puke bowl goes back to the early '80s. Yellow Tupperware, baby! Other families have different comfort items that seem to possess healing powers. Olivia Burella Hinden says her son Owen needs a specific blanket when hes under the weather. We have the sick blanket which is a lovely old quilt made with feed sack fabric. I picked it up to make it into something else since it was already pretty worn out. But somehow it was used once when Owen was sick and now he has to have it anytime he doesnt feel well." she explains. While Elizabeth Pagel-Hogans family did not have a specific blanket, they always reached for one item when sick. My parents gave me a bell to ring when I lost my voice," she shares. "Now we have a sick bell. The bell now has a place of honor in her home for when her own kids arent feeling well. What do medical experts think about these timeworn traditions? Hannah Kroll, a registered nurse and mom of two in New York City, says there is so much value to these family traditions, which she calls comfort care. Some comfort care methods and remedies are backed up with scientific evidence, such as broth or chicken soup for colds, ginger for nausea, honey for coughs in children over a year old and even making sure you have your special blanket and stuffy," Kroll says. The last one, she says, is more of a placebo effect but psychological comfort is crucial when kids are sick. Of course, medical experts want to make sure parents know there is a point when comfort care and home remedies might not be enough, says Kroll. Most kids weather most infections at home without outside intervention, but its always best to keep an eye on the situation. If a child develops a sudden fever and sore throat, fever with stomach pain or a fever that is not responding to treatment for more than two days, check in with the nurses line. You should call your pediatrician, but also take your child to the emergency room if they are not urinating at least twice in a 24-hour period, are unable to keep clear liquids down for 24 hours, have any trouble breathing or appear short of breath while at rest, or if your child is extremely lethargic or unresponsive," she advises. Familiar routines help, she adds. We do loads of extra cuddles and spend the day resting and watching TV in Mommy and Daddys bed," the nurse says. "We watch shows that are less educational and more fun, like Paw Patrol, Lion Guard and Disney movies. Basically, anything that will put a small smile on my sick child's face. Wellness, parenting, body image and more: Get to know the who behind the hoo with Yahoo Life's newsletter. Sign up here. Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman is expected to return to the Senate the week of April 17, according to a source close to him. The Democrat's return will follow the Senate's two-week recess in early April. Fetterman has been undergoing treatment for clinical depression at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland since mid-February. He checked himself into Walter Reed for inpatient care at the recommendation of the attending physician of the U.S. Congress. His chief of staff said in early March that Fetterman would be back "soon," adding that he was "well on his way to recovery." Fetterman was sidelined for two months during the 2022 campaign after suffering a stroke and had surgery to implant a pacemaker. Before he was admitted for inpatient care, he was hospitalized after feeling light-headed while at a Senate Democratic retreat in Washington. He was discharged two days later after tests ruled out a new stroke and he showed no evidence of seizures, according to his office. Storm to bring severe weather to much of the U.S. First lady Jill Biden attends vigil for Nashville school shooting victims Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz testifies before Senate about union-busting allegations Before my first visit to Saint Lucia, there were a few things I had knew about the island: the Piton peaks, the verdant coastline, the blissful beaches. Like many visitors, I didnt associate the island with Indian cuisinebut on a balmy evening, I found myself devouring a multi-course meal of chicken tandoori, prawn tilwala, and savory alu gobi. I tore apart cheesy naan, smothered biryani rice with spicy dal tadka, and nibbled on galub jumansumptuous balls of fried dough soaked in syrup. The feast was presented by Vikram Singh, head chef at the Windjammer Landings new beachside restaurant, Masala at Embers. The inclusion of Indian cuisine at the luxurious beach resort comes as more travelers are hungry for ways to learn about local cultures and historyespecially this one, with lesser-known historic ties to the island. Many people are surprised to find out there's good, authentic Indian food in Saint Lucia, Singh says. And I often use the opportunity to tell them the story behind each dish. How Indian Chinese Food Became India's Favorite Cuisine The cuisine, which originated in Kolkata, is an Indian interpretation of Chinese food. Chef Singh grew up 15,000 miles from Saint Lucia in Indias northern state of Rishikesh and trained at hotels including the Taj Resort in Goa and Sayaji Hotel in Vijay Nagar, Madhya Pradesh. Eventually, he was encouraged by a fellow chef to move to Saint Lucia where hes spent the last 10 years, first joining the staff at Spice of India restaurant in Rodney Bay. Before I came here, I knew almost nothing about the Caribbean, he says. But as I spent more time here, I started learning more about the connection between Saint Lucia and India. The connection Singh refers to is the transportation of over four thousand Indian indentured servants to Saint Lucia when both countries were under British rule. Slavery was abolished in Saint Lucia in 1834, but by 1859, Indians had arrived in Saint Lucia to work sugar cane plantationsand those who completed their indentured periods but could not travel back home ended up staying. This created the islands Indo-Saint Lucian population, which today makes up less than three percent of the islands population of 180,000. Story continues All listings featured on Conde Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you book something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Courtesy Spice of India We had a population of roughly two million Indians that came to the Caribbean, says Keith Compton, President of the Indian Heritage Association of St. Lucia. Saint Lucia was just one of the islands where Indians settled, and other countries include Guyana, Trinidad, Martinique, Guadalupe, Saint Vincent, and Grenada. Many Indo-Saint Lucians were originally from the area of Bihar in Northern India, Compton says, and they came with their native seeds and spices along with recipes which many still use in their homes today. Indian food, like the giant country itself, is vast and varied; each state has its own culinary traditions, many of which survived the passage from India to the Caribbean. Compton is a third-generation Saint Lucian with Indian heritage via Mumbai, and recalls recipes that his mom made that he eventually traced back to his ancestral country. My mother made a dish using banana flowers that I had never seen anyone else in Saint Lucia make, he explains. When I returned to India, I went to one of the markets in Mumbai and someone was selling the same banana flowers in the market. Today, Saint Lucias Indian population has mostly assimilated into Saint Lucian culture, but the Indian expat community continues to celebrate traditional Indian holidays. The Indian community here keeps up the traditions of Diwali and Eid and observes the holy days, says chef Shalil DSilva, who moved to the island from Panaji, Goa, five years ago and works as an executive sous chef at a wellness resort, StolenTime by Rendezvous in Castries. For these special festivals, families prepare traditional dishes such as burfi (sweet nutty fudge), petha (sweet winter melon candy), spiced vegetable fritters, lamb biryani, and mutton kebabs to enjoy with friends and celebrate. Bombay Club at Sandals Grande St Lucian Though some Indian dishes have stayed true to the traditional recipes, others have been adapted to whats available on the island. What makes Indian cuisine in the Caribbean a bit different from typical East Indian cuisine is the ingredients available to us here on the islands, especially the spices, says Subhradeep Ghosh, sous chef at the Bombay Club at the couples-only Sandals Grande St. Lucian. Garam Masala typically includes up to 25 whole spices like shahi jeera, shah morich, and javitri, which are not always available on the island, so theres a difference in flavor. Preparations are a bit different on the island, too: In Saint Lucia, roti is wrapped around food that is baked into it, whereas in India roti is usually a piece of the the same unleavened bread on the side. Ancient Parsi Recipes Come to Life in This New Cookbook From Chef Farokh Talati Oliver Chanarin Oliver Chanarin; Sam A. Harris Oliver Chanarin Sam A. Harris; Oliver Chanarin Oliver Chanarin Oliver Chanarin Oliver Chanarin Oliver Chanarin Chef Ghosh grew up in Kolkata before moving to Saint Lucia in 2018 and says the island has also adopted some of Indias popular street foodlike doubles, a fried flatbread filled with curried chickpeas and potatoes. He says dahl (a fried, split-pea bread) and aloo pie (fried dumplings filled with potatoes) are also popular among locals, and can be found at the local food stalls throughout the island and at the Friday Night Street Party in Gros Islet, which has been happening weekly for the last fifty years. While Indian food has always had a presence on the island, travelers have more options to choose from these daysand a lot more than just street food. From the Indian restaurants at Saint Lucias beachfront resorts to standalone restaurants like Spice of India in Rodney Bay to the food vendors in Gros Islet, Saint Lucias Indian cuisine is an indelible part of the islands rich heritage. Indian food in St. Lucia is growing in [popularity] as different Indian ingredients become more readily available and accessible, chef DSilva says. Its exciting to see Indian tastes and cooking methods infused into local cuisine here in Saint Lucia, adding a different depth of flavor profile to dishes. Indian cuisine is a part of Saint Lucias melting pot of culture, and its part of what makes the island special. Originally Appeared on Conde Nast Traveler Its a weird duo, but it works for them. Wake County Animal Center The Wake County Animal Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, isnt in the habit of accepting farm animals, but when a goat named Cinnamon and a dog named Felix showed up together earlier this month, they made a rare exception. Jennifer Federico, director of animal services, told The Washington Post that she was struck by how affectionate they were towards each other. That was a first, she said. Most of our dogs arent hanging out with goats. Shelter staff initially put Cinnamon and Felix in separate enclosures, but it quickly became apparent that that was a mistake. "Cinnamon was very upsetshe was bleating and calling out to the dog. She was so stressed and frantic that we realized this pair had to be kept together, Federico told the Post. Cinnamon follows Felix everywhere and it was clear they were raised together. You dont even need to put a leash on the goatshell simply go where Felix goes. When she became upset, we knew they had to stay in the same holding pen. Cinnamon and Felix were a bonded pair, and Wake County Animal Center would keep them together. Wake County Animal Center Its a weird duo, but it works for them, Federico told the newspaper. Who are we to judge? They obviously love each other. However, when 10 days passed and their owner still hadnt come to claim them, the shelter was faced with a problem. Somehow, they needed to find a home for a dog and a goat. On March 25, they issued a plea, which was picked up and shared by Friends of Wake County Animal Center on Facebook. We have a VERY unique situation and we need your help to find a RESCUE who can take this bonded pair and find them the perfect home, the post reads. They are best buds and are truly bonded; they even sleep together and have been kept together 24/7 except when they eat. The post quickly went viral, and thousands chimed in to voice their support for the dynamic duo. Yesterday, the update everyone had been hoping for finally came. Story continues The story of the heartwarming and once-homeless odd couple, Cinnamon and Felix, now has a happy ending, Wake County Animal Center announced on Facebook. The inseparable goat and dog will soon be living out their years together in the grasses of a local Johnston County farm. According to a Wake County news release, Chris and Mariesa Hughes of the Mr. Mo Project helped coordinate a forever foster arrangement with a local family with a small herd of goats that would be ideal for Cinnamon. The Hughes also agreed to pay for Cinnamon and Felixs health care for the rest of their lives. We are so blessed to be able to foster Felix and Cinnamon! Jacqui Bankes said in a statement. As their forever foster, we are excited to keep them together and also integrate them with our other goats and dogs, after appropriate testing and quarantine. Thank you to Wake County and Mr. Mo Project for making this possible for us! Heres to a happily ever after for Cinnamon and Felix! For more Southern Living news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Southern Living. Rep. Robert Garcia flanked by Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Sara Jacobs Earlier this week, California Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia and Massachusetts Sen. Edward Markey introduced the International Human Rights Defense Act to reaffirm the U.S. commitment to protecting and promoting LGBTQ+ rights. The bill is Garcias first piece of legislation focused on LGBTQ+ rights. He is the first out immigrant elected to Congress. With this act, the State Department would be directed to document and respond to bias-motivated violence against LGBTQ+ people abroad and create a national strategy to prevent and address criminalization, discrimination, and violence against LGBTQ+ communities in the future. Markey joined Garcia and California Rep. Sara Jacobs, vice chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, outside the Capitol to announce the bills introduction. As representatives from more than a hundred nations gather for this years Summit for Democracy, the United States must make clear to its partners that LGBTQI+ rights are human rights, and human rights are the foundation of a strong and healthy democracy, Markey said. We have a moral obligation to safeguard the freedom and fundamental rights of LGBTQI+ communities around the world stage and ensure the U.S. is unwavering in its commitment to upholding human rights for all people. Jacobs echoed the urgency of defending the rights of marginalized people worldwide. The rise of anti-LGBTQI+ rhetoric and violence isnt just happening in the United States; its happening all around the world, said Jacobs. Thats why we need to make it clear that the United States doesnt tolerate this hatred and discrimination. Our bicameral legislation takes a clear position declaring that we are in solidarity with the LGBTQI+ community in the United States and around the world and that well continue to push for human rights, equality, and justice for all people no matter who they are or who they love. LGBTQ+ communities face growing threats as 69 countries criminalize homosexuality, underscoring the need for U.S. leadership, Garcia told The Advocate. Story continues Being an LGBTQ immigrant and the first elected to Congress, issues around global human rights are really important, he said. I obviously am very aware that I had not immigrated to the U.S., I would be in a much different position as it relates to my civil rights and my ability to be openly gay and be a fully-fledged member of our community. Garcia noted that LGBTQ+ rights around the world are still not guaranteed. Republicans in America want to take the communitys rights away rather than expand them, he argued. As we know that folks in our country are trying to roll back rights for us here, the situation for much of the rest of the world is in a much more difficult position if you look at the particularly 67 countries around the world that have the criminalization of same-sex relationships and if you look at the countries and theres about a dozen that you can actually be killed or face certain deaths because of same-sex relationships, he says. Citing Uganda as an example, Garcia explained that governments worldwide continue to criminalize LGBTQ+ peoples existence. He warns that some of this anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment is reflected in the American right. So weve got to be engaged, not just fighting the fight here at home and also across the world, he says. Last week, Uganda passed one of the worlds most extreme antigay laws, imposing a 20-year sentence for those convicted of identifying as LGBTQ+ and sentencing some people to death. In our march for equality and justice, we have to fight here and abroad. We also have to understand that what happens here at home impacts our global initiatives and vice versa, Garcia says. So when were seeing the bill, its happening in Uganda, some of the conversations happening in Ghana and other places across the world, either rolling back rights, that should be very concerning to us. Government affairs director for the Human Rights Campaign, David Stacy, explained the importance of engaging diplomatically to ensure the rights of LGBTQ+ people globally. The State Departments Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Peoples has been essential in advancing the work of protecting LGBTQI+ people all over the world. At a time when LGBTQI+ people are facing violence, persecution, and even outright bans on existence in some countries, the position of the Special Envoy is indispensable to combat these trends on the international stage, Stacy said. The International Human Rights Defense Act, which would ensure that LGBTQI+ rights are a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy and make this position a permanent part of the State Department, would signal to the world that the U.S. has an ongoing commitment to working on these issues, even as administrations come and go. Garcia said that on the first day of introducing the bill, it had 65 co-sponsors. He says he hopes his Democratic colleagues and Republicans will support the measure. I encourage Republicans to get on board as well and were going to talk to some of them but at the end of the day, I think that this is a continued commitment by the Democratic caucus to support LGBTQ+ rights globally, Garcia said. He added, So folks attacking trans folks here, or folks trying to roll back education support on issues about the community, trying to ban certain books, all of that will impact what happens internationally. For that reason, its critical to codify into law a consistent office that focuses on global rights for LGBTQ+ people, he explained. It exists right now because President Biden opted to support a special envoy to do that work, but its not codified into law, Garcia said. Obviously, [former] President Trump chose not to appoint anyone or have that office operational, so its imperative that we have something consistent promoting global human rights. Over 458,300 Dozen Eggs to Be Given to Local Food Banks Nationwide During Easter and Passover Season CHICAGO, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Egg farmers across America are donating more than 5.5 million eggs to local food banks in the three weeks leading up to Easter and Passover as part of the "Fighting Hunger by the Dozens" initiativeone of the largest egg donation drives in history. High-quality, nutritious food matters to everyone, and egg farmers nationwide are mobilizing to ensure people have eggs on their tables this spring holiday season. (PRNewsfoto/American Egg Board) "From dyeing and decorating to their prominent position on the seder plate, eggs are such an important part of Easter, Passover and other springtime holidays and traditions. That's why our farmers are committed to ensuring that all who hold their traditions dear can celebrate with eggs this season," said Emily Metz, president and CEO of the American Egg Board. "We also know that year-round, high-quality protein is something that many foodbanks struggle to obtain. Every year in their local communities our egg farmers work to ensure that eggs are available and I know this effort will continue the remaining months of this year, too." More than 20 egg farms from Washington state to Washington, D.C. have signed on to participate in the Fighting Hunger by the Dozens initiative, which also includes donations in Arizona, Indiana, Iowa, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon and Pennsylvania. "America's egg farmers are proud to join together in a nationwide effort to provide nutritious eggs to our neighbors in need," said Alex Simpson, American Egg Board chairman and president of Simpson's Eggs in Monroe, N.C. "It is our responsibility as farmers, as food providers and as members of our local communities to do what we can to help address hunger, and to give all the support we can to help those who are on the front lines at hunger relief organizations." Story continues Simpson, a fourth-generation egg farmer, is donating 43,000 eggsequal to 3,583 dozento the Food Bank of Metrolina in Charlotte, N.C. on March 31, and Simpson's Eggs has donated 559,000 eggs so far to that food bank in 2023. America's egg farmers have donated more than 15.3 million eggs to date in 2023 to hunger relief causes and organizations and will continue to contribute eggs year-round. Egg farmers are committed to supporting the communities where they live and work, and they donate tens of millions of eggs every year to help feed those in need. A full list of participating egg farmers and donation locations follows. Braswell Family Farms (North Carolina) Cal-Maine (Mississippi) Centurion Poultry, Inc. (Georgia) Cooper Farms (Ohio) Creighton Brothers LLC (Indiana) Deb El Food Products (New Jersey) Forsman Farms (Minnesota) Fremont Farms (Iowa) Herbruck's (Michigan) Hertzfeld Poultry (Ohio) Hickman's Family Farms (Arizona) Hillandale Farms (Pennsylvania) Hudson Egg Farms (New York) Kreher's Family Farms (New York) MPS Egg Farms (Indiana) Nature Pure (Ohio) Opal Foods (Missouri) Puglisi Egg Farms (New Jersey) Rose Acre (Indiana) Sauder's Eggs (Pennsylvania) Simpson's Eggs (North Carolina) Stiebrs Farms (Washington) Versova (Iowa) Wabash Valley Produce (Indiana) Weaver Eggs (Ohio) About the American Egg Board (AEB) Home of The Incredible Egg, the American Egg Board (AEB) is the national marketing organization of America's egg farmers. AEB's mission is to increase demand for eggs and egg products through research, education and promotion. AEB is located in Chicago. For more, visit IncredibleEgg.org . Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/egg-farmers-across-america-to-donate-more-than-5-5-million-eggs-over-next-two-weeks-in-fighting-hunger-by-the-dozens-campaign-301785326.html SOURCE American Egg Board Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban looks on ahead of a meeting of the North Atlantic Council during the NATO summit at the Ifema congress center in Madrid, on June 30, 2022. Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images Hungary is one of two countries yet to approve Sweden's bid to join NATO. A government spokesperson published a blog Wednesday detailing why there's still a delay. The official claimed Sweden undermines the two countries' relationship and has a "hostile" attitude. Sweden's pending admission to the NATO alliance is being held up by Hungary until a number of "grievances" are addressed, a government spokesperson said this week. Among them are complaints that Swedish officials routinely "bash" Budapest in the diplomatic space. Zoltan Kovacs, Hungary's secretary of state for international communication and relations, published a blog on Wednesday that details three reasons why he says the country's parliament is "right" to delay signing off on Sweden's bid to join the military alliance. Sweden alongside neighboring Finland requested to join NATO after Russia invaded Ukraine over a year ago, but it still needs Hungary's approval to do so. The central European country approved Finland's bid this week, but Sweden's is still being delayed. "With Finland's admission into NATO now secure, Sweden must face the music regarding its daunting attitude and former derogatory comments toward Hungary," Kovacs wrote. "In the case of Sweden, there is an ample amount of grievances that need to be addressed before the country's admission is ratified." Kovacs described several issues that Hungary takes with Sweden, including accusations that Sweden regularly "undermines" the relationship between the two countries through a "declared and open hostile attitude." "Swedish representatives have been repeatedly keen to bash Hungary through diplomatic means, using their political influence to harm Hungarian interests," Kovacs said. He cited instances where Swedish politicians in recent years have been critical of Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government, which has undergone democratic backsliding. Orban has taken a hardline stance on Hungary's judicial system, academic institutions, press, and immigration, leading European Union lawmakers to vote last year to revoke the country's status as a democracy, instead calling it "a hybrid regime of electoral autocracy." Story continues Sweden's foreign affairs ministry did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson addresses a joint press conference with the NATO Secretary General in Stockholm on March 7, 2023, following a meeting with all Swedish party leaders who are in favor of a Swedish NATO membership. Photo by JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images Kovacs wrote that another reason for the hold up on Sweden's NATO bid is Stockholm's "crumbling throne of moral superiority" and a "lack of care and respect." He said relations between the two countries have deteriorated in recent years, which makes it harder for them to mend ties now. "Adding Ankara's woes and grievances to the mix does not leave much room to maneuver, at least not until the Swedes start changing their tune and help these lingering wounds heal," Kovacs said in reference to Turkey, which has joined Hungary is delaying Sweden's bid to join NATO. Sweden and Finland both of which have historically been militarily nonaligned applied to join NATO in May 2022 and were invited to join the military alliance the following month. But parliaments in each of the 30 member countries need to approve a new member's bid since NATO requires unanimous consent to expand. These two Nordic countries would give NATO a meaningful boost to its military capabilities as the alliance faces an ongoing threat from Russia. Both Turkey and Hungary previously signaled that they would hold out on signing off on Sweden's request to join the NATO alliance, with the former accusing Stockholm of supporting militant groups that it considers to be terrorists. A former Hungarian ambassador to NATO and the US previously told Insider that he believes Hungary's timeline in approving Sweden's bid will follow in the footsteps of Turkey's ratification. Read the original article on Business Insider Idaho prosecutors have revealed an internal affairs investigation into an officer in the Bryan Kohberger case. In a Monday filing, authorities investigating the University of Idaho quadruple murders disclosed the existence of a Giglio/Brady list that could potentially affect the ongoing criminal proceedings against Mr Kohberger, the only suspect in the case. Mr Kohberger was arrested on 30 December at his family home in Pennsylvania. He is accused of murdering Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle at an off-campus rental home in Moscow on 13 November. ...the State has become aware of potential Brady/Giglio material related to one of the officers involved in the above-referenced case, the filing stated. Under Brady law, investigators are responsible for disclosing exculpatory information to defence counsel. Meanwhile, Giglio material conveys information that could potentially indicate that a witness is not credible, according to the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement. The scope of the list and the role of the officer in the murder investigation were not immediately clear. The evidence mentioned in the recent filing was submitted in camera to the court on 24 March, but its content remains sealed at the request of prosecutors. The former criminology PhD student was linked to the crime thanks to DNA found at the scene, cellphone data and surveillance video of what prosecutors believe to be his white Hyundai Elantra leaving the scene after the slayings, according to the affidavit for his arrest. One of the victims surviving roommates was also able to partially describe the killer to investigators after she came face to face with him in the aftermath of the murders. The murder weapon a fixed-blade knife was not recovered during the searches and it is still unclear where it may be. Mr Kohberger is set to appear in court on 26 June for a preliminary hearing. He has not entered a plea but said earlier this year through a public defender that he was eager to be exonerated. Story continues Two warrants made public last month and obtained by The Independent show that investigators collected a Glock .40 calibre gun, empty gun magazines, a knife, a pocket knife, black face masks, black gloves, electronic devices, and more clothing items from the home of Mr Kohbergers parents in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested. Mr Kohbergers family home was raided on the same day as another search at his apartment in Pullman, Washington, which was a 15-minute drive from the crime scene in Moscow. The warrant from the Washington search was made public in January, revealing investigators seized a collection of dark red spotting and a pillow with a reddish/brown stain at Mr Kohbergers Pullman apartment. A Fire TV stick and possible animal hair strands were also taken by law enforcement. Iowa has abruptly ended part of a $50 million contract with the financial-management system Workday, citing the software's inability to meet the state's needs. The governor's office said Tuesday evening that Iowa spent $15.7 million on Workday's system before deciding to contract with a different vendor. "Despite the time, effort, and money invested, this decision is the responsible and prudent course of action to ensure the state has the right tools to support our operations, save money over the long term, and improve service to Iowans," Gov. Kim Reynolds said in a Friday news release. According to the release, the Department of Management and the Office of the Chief Information Officer delayed the Workday implementation last summer to review potential issues with the system. Ultimately, the state determined that Workday could not "meet some of the states unique needs." Instead, Iowa will upgrade its financial services operation with the state's current vendor, CGI. The governor's office said CGI did not offer cloud-based services when Iowa contracted with Workday in 2019. Reynolds spokesperson Kollin Crompton said Iowa's contract with CGI will cost $39.8 million over the next 10 years. But he said it will be an overall cost savings of $8.6 million, even including the $15.7 million loss from the Workday contract. The state will continue to manage human resources processes with Workday products. Iowa's contract with Workday has been unconventional from its onset in 2019. A 2020 Gazette investigation found Reynolds selected Workday for a $50 million contract without going through the traditional bidding process. The investigation also found Workday's lobbyist was a former Reynolds chief of staff, but Reynolds' office said he did not play a role in securing the contract. Reynolds allocated $21 million of federal COVID-19 aid funds to help pay for the project. However, Iowa had to return the money, and the Iowa Legislature in 2021 approved a $21 million allocation of state funds to make up for it. Story continues Ian Richardson contributed reporting. Katie Akin is a politics reporter for the Register. Reach her atkakin@registermedia.com or at 410-340-3440. Follow her on Twitter at @katie_akin. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa ends Workday agreement before start, costing the state $15.7M The judge who presided over Alex Murdaughs double murder trial has spoken out publicly about the case for the first time, saying he has no doubt that Murdaugh loved his family despite committing an unforgivable, unimaginable crime. In my mind, no doubt he loved his family. I dont believe that he hated his wife, and certainly, I do not believe that he did not love his son, but he committed an unforgivable, unimaginable crime, and theres no way hell be able to sleep peacefully given those facts, Judge Clifton Newman told a panel at Cleveland State University College of Law on Tuesday. Murdaugh, 54, was sentenced to life in prison earlier this month for murdering his wife, Maggie, 52, and son, Paul, 22. The six-week trial in South Carolina captured nationwide attention and was the subject of numerous podcasts and TV documentaries due to the Murdaugh familys legal power in the region. Judge Clifton Newman presides over Alex Murdaugh's double murder trial at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina, on Jan. 26, 2023. Judge Clifton Newman presides over Alex Murdaugh's double murder trial at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina, on Jan. 26, 2023. All judges, all judges in the state, either knew him or knew of him, Newman said of Murdaugh, who was a fourth-generation attorney before his disbarment. It did not affect me as far as rendering the sentence that I did. Newman, who was lightheartedly introduced at his former law school as the best-known judge in the world right now, said he was surprised by the amount of attention the trial had received. Ive received letters from all over the world about this case. Its really been, truly been amazing, he said. Though Newman said he was still unable to speak freely about the case, and particularly about his opinion of it, he pointed to some interviews that several jurors have given in the days afterward. Some jurors said that they didnt see genuine tears from Murdaugh, who dramatically wept on the stand while pleading innocence, and that his testimony showed that he couldnt be trusted with anything that he said, or did, said Newman. Story continues Genuine remorse is typically impactful, the judge later said when asked about defendants taking the stand in their own defense. Alex Murdaugh appears at his sentencing hearing on March 3. The former attorney was sentenced to life in prison after his double murder conviction. Alex Murdaugh appears at his sentencing hearing on March 3. The former attorney was sentenced to life in prison after his double murder conviction. Murdaughs attorneys had advised him not to testify, but Murdaugh felt like he needed to try to explain some questions that arose during the trial, Newman said. One major bombshell that emerged during Murdaughs testimony was his admission on the stand that he had lied to investigators about his whereabouts when his wife and son were shot to death in 2021. Murdaugh had previously claimed he was never at the dog kennels where the two were killed, but later said he had lied about this because he was on drugs and paranoid. Newman said that one thing from the trial that has continued to resonate with him is how unpredictable people are. Its hard to predict what a human might do, particularly when theyre involved in drugs. Thats just a reality we all have to deal with, he said. Thank you to Judge Clifton Newman 76 for returning to your alma mater to speak to @CSULAWSchool and attendees about your inspiring law career. And a special thank you to Judge Brendan Sheehan for guiding todays conversation. #weareclestatepic.twitter.com/W60QTF1fbs Dr. Laura Bloomberg (@CSU_President) March 28, 2023 As for how the case concluded, Newman, who has presided over hundreds of trials, said he wasnt surprised that the jury reached a verdict in just three hours, saying thats about normal, as far as Im concerned. The 12 jurors whittled down from an initial pool of 750 potential jurors in just three days had been presented with more than 800 pieces of evidence and more than 75 witnesses, Newman explained. After weeks at trial, the judge said, he believes they wouldnt want or need to review all of the evidence again. What Newman was surprised by, he said, was how quickly Murdaugh was sentenced, with attorneys for the defense and prosecution saying theyd be ready to go the morning after his conviction. The attorneys also didnt request to make any statements or present anything before Newman announced his sentence. All of the lawyers in the case lived elsewhere and had to travel to the trial, so I think they were all ready to kind of get the case over with, he said. With the attorneys not wishing to make statements, Newman said he asked Murdaugh if he had something to say. Hes standing before me to be sentenced, having been convicted of a double murder, and basically, he told me he had nothing to say, either, other than, It wasnt me, Newman said. Murdaugh was sentenced to two consecutive life terms for the murders. His lawyers have filed a notice of appeal. Related... Looks like Napoleon Bonaparte now has his very own cruise. Hot spots from the life of the cocky Corsican who almost conquered Europe (the Duke of Wellington sends his regards) are on the manifest on the new Napoleon Bonaparte: History and Heritage trip with French cruise company Ponant. The 20-night voyage aboard the ship Le Lyrial starts in the former French colony of Dakar, Senegal, and sails on to St. Helena, the British Overseas Territory in the middle of the Atlantic. More from Robb Report Life wasnt a beach for Napoleon, but it will be for you aboard Le Lyrial. Of course, St. Helena was never on Napoleons bucket list. He was banished there in 1815 after being captured in Belgium. The cruise, which departs in October, follows the route taken by HMS Northumberland, the Royal Navy warship that escorted Napoleon, and the ride-or-dies who volunteered to join him in exile, to his new home. Two days at sea after leaving Dakar, youll get to kiss the ground at Georgetown on Ascension Island, the island where nothing makes sense, according to the BBC. Its where a garrison was established in 1815 to prevent Napoleons escape from St. Helena. Then its back on Le Lyrial, your floating five-star hotel, for a few more days before you see St. Helena on the horizon. In the islands hub of Jamestown, youll discover conserved evidence of the emperors exile. All the amenities that Napoleon lacked on St. Helena will be at your command while aboard. While the emperor-in-exile had a rather hellish time dying from what was likely stomach cancer in St. Helena, Ponant promises youll love this natural fortress that offers a very diverse landscape, from steep cliffs to fertile lands covered with lush nature. Youll get to tour the Briars and Longwood House pavilions, where Napoleon was forced to live, and pay your respects at the Valley of the Tomb where his body lay for 19 years before being exhumed and sent back to France. His remains now reside at Les Invalides in Paris. Story continues Two more days at sea and its time to say goodbye to the ghost of Napoleon and hello to Christ the Redeemer. Despite the fact the Frenchman never made it to the Americas, your cruise ends in Brazil where youll have a few days of free time to explore. If anyone asks what youre going to do with it, you can quote from another famous figure who happens to share a name with the emperor: Napoleon Dynamite, who says Whatever I feel like I wanna do. Gosh! Educate yourself in comfort in the spacious staterooms. Whatever you do, youll be smarter when youre done. While at sea, live music is provided by Peter Hicks, a musician meets historian who specializes in songs that would have been on the Billboard Hot 100 during Napoleons reign. While Ponant has yet to reveal whether there will be a Napoleon impersonator on board, youll also have plenty of opportunities to rub elbows with experts well-versed in the whos who of the Battle of Waterloo (dont worry, you arent sailing there). Youll learn about the war of 1812 (not to be confused with our War of 1812) where Napoleon tried, and failed, to invade Russia (never fear, you arent going there, either). Youll travel from Dakar all the way to Rio. Some of the itinerarys conferences and lectures will even be hosted by Thierry Lentz, director of the Napoleon Foundation. There will also be screenings of films and documentaries about the Napoleonic era. There is also plenty of luxury to be found in the ships 144 staterooms and suites; the vessel is outfitted with a spa, a fitness center and two restaurants. Youll also enjoy dinners inspired by the dishes and wines that were served to the emperor during his exile. Rates for the Napoleon Bonaparte: History and Heritage trip start at $13,080 for a Superior Stateroom and go all the way up to $58,280 for the Owners Suite. Best of Robb Report Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Former three-term U.S. Rep. Nick Galifianakis, once a rising star in the North Carolina Democratic Party, died at age 94 this week. Galifianakis died in his sleep at his home at The Cardinal at North Hills, a Raleigh retirement community, according a family spokesman. He had been suffering from Parkinsons disease for several years. Funeral arrangements were incomplete Wednesday. At one time, Galifianakis was regarded as the hope of the moderate-to-progressive wing of the Democratic Party a big strapping ex-Marine who could barely contain his exuberance for life or politics. The Durham native had such a large personality and long name that his 1972 Senate campaign distributed matching buttons: One read GALIFI and a second read ANAKIS. On the stump, Galifianakis was earthier, telling voters that his name begins with a gal and ends with a kiss. But his once promising political career derailed and was never quite able to get back on track after losing to Republican Jesse Helms in 1972. Because he had been largely out of the public eye for decades, Galifianakis was nearly a forgotten figure by the time he died. A Google search of Galifianakis today is more likely to turn up information on two of his nephews comedic actor Zach Galifianakis and Nick Galifianakis, a cartoonist with the Washington Post. But in the late 1960s and early 70s, he was a figure to be reckoned with Life magazine photographed him on the campaign trail, and a Doonesbury cartoon strip lampooned him when he became entangled in a scandal. Galifianakiss rise in politics The son of Greek immigrants who operated the Lincoln Cafe on South Mangum Street in downtown Durham, Galifianakis was a scholarship student at Duke University where he earned both his undergraduate and law degrees. He served in the Marines after college, retiring with the rank of colonel in the reserves. Nick Galifianakis Practicing law and teaching at Duke, Galifanakis was encouraged by colleagues to run for the state House in 1960 with 36 Duke colleagues each putting up 50 cents to pay his $18 filing fee. Although pushed into running, his biographer, historian John Semonche, noted that Galifianakis seemed born to be a political animal. Story continues He served three terms in the legislature, an ally of progressive Democratic Gov. Terry Sanford. He supported the creation of the community college system, and opposed the Speaker Ban law, which prohibited Communists and others from speaking on state-supported campuses. As House Judiciary Committee chairman, he oversaw the modernization of North Carolinas court system essentially the system that exists today eliminating justices of the peace, and creating district court judges and an administrative office of the courts. There was always a sense of fun about Galifianakis. Sponsoring a bill to abolish the death penalty for dueling, he brought two swords to the House floor and pretended to engage in combat with a colleague. He also understood the power of publicity. Lobbying for the federal government to complete Interstate 85 from Henderson to Durham, he walked 19 miles along the proposed route in 1963. In 1966, Galifianakis was elected to the 5th district seat in Congress, in a district that stretched from Durham to Winston-Salem. He defeated tobacco heir Smith Bagley in the Democratic primary. He was viewed as a moderate nationally, but his record put him on the liberal end of the spectrum in North Carolina. He supported the Equal Rights Amendment for women and became the first member of the North Carolina congressional delegation to oppose the Vietnam War. He also supported President Lyndon Johnsons Great Society anti-poverty programs. Galifianakis would later represent the 4th district after the legislature changed district lines. When the legislature drew a less favorable district in 1971 removing liberal-leaning Orange County Galifianakis decided to challenge U.S. Sen. B. Everett Jordan in the Democratic primary. Jordan, a former textile mill owner from Saxapahaw, was also a Democratic moderate. But Jordan, a gray and ailing figure, seemed like a figure out of the past. The 76-year old Jordan was fighting cancer and would die a little more than a year after leaving office. Galifianakis won the Democratic primary by a 49% to 44% margin. But it turned out to be a prize of dubious value. A 1974 photo shows Nick Galifianakis who was running for one of N.C.s Senate seats against Jesse Helms. Jesse Helms and the 1972 campaign His Republican opponent was Jesse Helms, a TV commentator for WRAL-TV in Raleigh, who was known for his sharply conservative take on school integration, the civil rights movement, and the liberal media. North Carolina voters had never elected a Republican senator (although several were appointed by the legislature in the 1800s.) But Tar Heel politics were highly polarized, with the courts ordering school integration, campuses exploding with anti-Vietnam War protests and building takeovers, and the growth of the counterculture movement. During one six-month stretch in 1969, Gov. Bob Scott deployed the National Guard nine times to deal with civil unrest. Galifianakis held a commanding lead early in the race. But a Helms media blitz tied him to the unpopular Democratic presidential nominee, George McGovern, and declared that Republican President Richard Nixon needed him in the Senate. The Helms campaign purchased newspaper ads criticizing McGovernGalifianakis welfare giveaways and McGovernGalifianakis cut and run policies in Vietnam. Galifianakis recalled one Helms campaign sign that read: This is not Greece, according to historian William Link. Helms campaign slogan, Jesse Helms: Hes one of us, touched on Helms ideological conservatism, but also the ethnicity of the Galifianakis name in an era before North Carolinas Sunbelt growth would diversify the population. The heritage of the white majority targeted by that message was largely English, Celtic or German, wrote political scientist Tom Eamon. But the name Galifianakis sounded alien. Helms was a safe North Carolina name going back for generations. Galifianakis was also hurt by a divided Democratic Party, including angry Jordan supporters. Helms won so many conservative Democratic votes, that they were dubbed Jessecrats. Nixon carried the state by a 69% to 29% margin, winning all but two of North Carolinas 100 counties. With Nixon campaigning at Helms side, Helms won by a 54% to 46% margin. Only a few elections truly represent major turning points in the history of a state or a nation, Eamon wrote. For North Carolina, the 1972 election was such an election Since then, Tar Heel Republicans have dominated senatorial politics, winning 14 of 18 races. Scandal, retirement and the Peterson owl theory The loss didnt quite end Galifianakis career, but his star was now setting. He ran for the Senate again in 1974, this time losing in the primary to Attorney General Robert Morgan. If there was any political life left in Galifianakis political career, the so-called Koreagate scandal tarnished it. The controversy involved a South Korean businessman and socialite named Tongsun Park, whose activities prompted a U.S. Justice Department investigation into whether Park was giving illegal campaign contributions and other benefits to members of Congress in order to influence American policy toward South Korea. U.S. officials suspected that Park was operating on behalf of a South Korean intelligence agency. Galifianakis acknowledged receiving a $500 contribution, which he said he returned. But Park said a Galifianakis campaign aide visited his house to pick up $10,000 in cash an assertion confirmed by the campaign aide. She said the money was mainly used to pay last-minute campaign expenses. Galifianakis was indicted for allegedly perjuring himself before the House Ethics Committee, but a judge later dismissed the charges, saying the committee had failed to authorize the deposition in which Galifianakis had allegedly lied. After the 1974 campaign, Galifianakis retired from politics and devoted his attention to his Durham law practice, which he kept open well into his 80s. His only political venture was to serve on the steering committee in 1988 of Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, a fellow Greek-American. He attended the Democratic convention in Atlanta that year. In later years, Galifianakis became a supporter sometimes attending court hearings of novelist and former Durham mayoral candidate Michael Peterson, who was accused of murdering his wife in a case that drew national attention. Peterson was convicted but later accepted an Alford plea, in which he did not admit guilt, for time served. Galifianakis, like some other supporters, was interested in the theory that an owl had caused Kathleen Peterson to fall down the stairs. Michael Peterson (at left) speaks with friend and supporter Nick Galifianakis Monday July 28,2003 as Petersons murder trial started its fifth week. Peterson is on trial in connection with the death of his wife Kathleen Peterson. Galifianakis is survived by his wife, Louise, and two children, Jon Mark of Raleigh and Katherine of Washington, D.C. Rob Christensen wrote about North Carolina politics for 45 years. He is the author of two award-winning history books and is completing work on a history of The News & Observer and the Daniels family. He can be reached at robchristensen1920@gmail.com. This is a MedPage Today story. Two physicians with close ties to the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, where Monday's shooting took place are expressing their frustrations and calling for more action on gun violence. Dr. Britney Grayson, a pediatric surgeon, said she had left the school less than 20 minutes before shots rang out, and Dr. Ryan Mire, president of the American College of Physicians (ACP), said he practices primary care about 10 minutes away from the school where six people were killed, including three children. Grayson said in a Facebook post written four hours after the shooting that she had been asked by a friend to speak to students about her work in Kenya. She left the school at 10:12 a.m. ET, she wrote in her post, "and less than 20 minutes later, at least 3 children were shot right there on the campus." MORE: Nashville school shooting: What to know about the 6 victims "There are no words for this feeling. I think the normal feeling is supposed to be relief -- relief that we were already gone and our lives are safe. But to do what I do makes me literally one of the most qualified people on the planet to help in that situation. Why had we driven away just minutes before? Could I have helped those children if we were still there? I feel guilty for being safe," she wrote. She added, "But furthermore, why are our children being massacred in their schools?! I have no idea when this country will have had enough and I'm utterly, completely, totally shocked that, as a nation, we aren't there yet." PHOTO: Balloons, flowers and other items left at a makeshift memorial for school shooting victims by the Covenant School building at the Covenant Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tenn., March 29, 2023. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images) Mire echoed those sentiments, lamenting that there is "no place right now in the United States that is considered safe." "We've had mass shootings in every setting, from places of worship to schools to grocery stores to medical office buildings and hospitals to movie theaters," Mire said. "There's just no place that's deemed to be safe." Mire was in clinic at the Nashville independent group practice where he's been working for 21 years when he learned about the shooting. He said a lot of his patients have ties to the school, whether they were parents or grandparents of children who attended school there, or were employees at the school. Story continues "My heart sank," Mire told MedPage Today. "It's hard to hear that it happened at any school, but when it's so close to home, in your own community, it's just devastating." Mire had two patients cancel appointments on Tuesday because their children went to schools near Covenant School, and they were afraid to send their own kids to school. MORE: Nashville school shooting: What to know about the 6 victims "They canceled their appointments to stay home with their kids," he said, emphasizing that gun violence has ripple effects on communities. Children who experienced the shooting and survived "will have to carry this experience in memory and in post-traumatic stress for the rest of their lives." Grayson went to medical school and did a surgical residency at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, then completed a fellowship in pediatric general and thoracic surgery at Indiana University. She has been working at AIC Kijabe Hospital in Kenya as a consultant pediatric surgeon and educator, according to her Indiana University profile, and she went to Covenant School to share those experiences with the children. "I have personally operated on a school shooting victim," she wrote in her Facebook post. "I have told too many parents and family members that their loved ones are dead as a result of gun violence. Enough is enough." Mire said ACP plans to continue advocating for firearm reform legislation, including initiatives to close loopholes and ban assault-style weapons. "This is definitely in our lane as physicians because firearm injury and death is a public health crisis," he said, "but our legislators have to step up and make a difference for the sake of society...We can improve our safety if we had tighter, more restrictive, and stronger laws on firearms." PHOTO: People embrace at a makeshift memorial for victims of a shooting at the Covenant School campus, in Nashville, Tenn., March 28, 2023. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images) Mire said that even though ACP has been advocating for firearm reform "for nearly 30 years now, we have not really seen it take place." "Last year, we had a glimmer of hope with the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act that was passed in June 2022," Mire said. "It was a start but it has not gone far enough because we continue to have mass shootings." In 2020, gun violence surpassed car crashes as the leading cause of death among children and adolescents in the U.S., according to a recent report in the New England Journal of Medicine. "As president of the American College of Physicians, I have spent too much time with press releases on mass shootings, and we have so many bigger issues in healthcare that we need to fight," Mire said. "But we've had to divert our efforts to deal with something that can be preventable, and that is very frustrating." Grayson subsequently updated her Facebook post: "3 children are confirmed dead. 3 children who learned the word 'Jambo' this morning from us in chapel. 3 children who were learning all the verses of Amazing Grace to sing for grandparents day next week. 3 children who didn't have to die. Lord be with us. Lord, be with us." 'No safe place': Shooting hits home for Nashville doctors originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Johannesburg Former Olympic runner and Paralympic gold medalist Oscar Pistorius was again denied parole on Friday. South Africa's parole board issued the ruling, keeping Pistorius jailed more than 10 years after he shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. The board considered his conduct and disciplinary record in prison, his participation in educational or other training courses during the last decade of incarceration, and his mental and physical state to assess whether Pistorius, now 36, would still pose a threat to public safety. He will be able to reapply for parole in another year. As Steenkamp's mother June arrived Friday at the parole hearing, she was asked if she believed Pistorius was remorseful. "No. Never," she said. "It's very hard to be in the same room as him." The mother of Reeva Steenkamp, June Steenkamp smiles as she arrives at the Atteridgeville Correctional Centre in Pretoria, South Africa, March 31, 2023, ahead of Oscar Pistorius' parole hearing. / Credit: PHILL MAGAKOE/AFP/Getty Steenkamp's parents were expected to address the parole board, which met behind closed doors, to voice their opposition to Pistorius being granted early parole. "We don't believe his story," June Steenkamp told reporters as her car pulled into the Atteridgeville Correctional Centre in Pretoria on Friday. The 2014 murder trial kept viewers around the world glued to the live courtroom broadcast as prosecutors argued that the elite athlete had deliberately shot his girlfriend through a locked bathroom door in the middle of the night. A picture taken on January 26, 2013 shows Olympian sprinter Oscar Pistorius posing next to his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at Melrose Arch in Johannesburg. / Credit: WALDO SWIEGERS/AFP/Getty Pistorius maintained throughout that it was a terrible accident and that he had mistaken Steenkamp for an intruder. He was ultimately convicted of murder after prosecutors successfully appealed an initial conviction for culpable homicide, which is comparable to manslaughter. He was sentenced to 13 years and five months in prison in 2017, which took into account just over a year he had already served during the appeal process. Social workers had inspected his uncle Arno Pistorius' property in Pretoria, which is where he would have served out the remainder of his sentence if parole had been granted. Police escort Oscar Pistorius before his sentencing at the Northern Gauteng High Court, in Pretoria, South Africa, July 6, 2016, for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. / Credit: Foto24/Getty Pistorius was last up for parole in 2021, but that request was denied on technical grounds as he had not met with Steenkamp's family as required under South Africa's parole rules. That meeting has since taken place, but Steenkamp's parents remain unconvinced that Pistorius has taken responsibility for his actions. Story continues Steenkamp's mother had indicated before Friday that, along with her husband, she would oppose Pistorius' early release, arguing that unless he admits he deliberately killed their daughter, he can't be deemed to have shown remorse. The year before the murder, Pistorius was a star at the London Olympics, achieving global recognition for becoming the first double amputee to compete against able-bodied sprinters. His prowess on twin carbon-fiber prosthetics earned him the nickname "Blade Runner." New York grand jury indicts former President Donald Trump Parents receive gift that makes them scream Co-workers throw expecting grandfather a "grandpa shower" Hi there, OnPolitics readers. President Joe Biden could visit Nashville in the aftermath of the latest deadly mass shooting that killed three students and three adults Monday. Biden condemned the shooting at The Covenant School, a small Christian school in Tennessee, and renewed his push for Congress to pass legislation banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. "Those children should all be with us still," the president said during remarks Tuesday. "As a nation, we owe these families more than our prayers. We owe them action." First lady Jill Biden is set to attend a candlelight vigil in Nashville tonight to honor and mourn the victims, according to the White House. Keep Reading: President Biden planning potential visit to Nashville after deadly mass shooting 'Congress has to act': Biden says there's nothing more he can do on his own to address guns What stands in the way: Why lawmakers see no chance of major gun law changes after Nashville Get this newsletter in your inbox: Don't miss our politics coverage. Sign up for OnPolitics. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will Biden visit Nashville after shooting? Plans 'underway now' Jonathan Ernst/Reuters A person suspected of being Do Kwon, creator of the now-collapsed TerraUSD stablecoin, has been arrested in Montenegro, a country official said Thursday. The country's interior minister said the suspect was arrested at the airport with falsified documents. Authorities in the US and South Korea have charged Kwon for legal violations. A person suspected of being Do Kwon, the creator of the TerraUSD stablecoin which imploded in early 2022, has been arrested in Montenegro, a country official said Thursday. Authorities have been looking for months for Kwon since the failure of his Singapore-based Terraform Labs ecosystem and the collapse of the TerraUSD stablecoin wreaked havoc in the crypto market. The fall of Terra and its affiliated crypto Luna sparked a brutal downturn for crypto assets, and took down players including digital asset hedge fund Three Arrows Capital. Police in Montenegro detained a person suspected to be Do Kwon at the Podgorica airport, Montenegro Interior Minister Filip Adzic said on Twitter. The suspect was caught with falsified documents, he wrote. The US Securities and Exchange Commission charged Kwon and Terraform Labs with alleged fraud in February. South Korea, where Kwon is from, issued an arrest warrant for Kwon in September for for alleged capital markets law violations. Read the original article on Business Insider CHICAGO, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Electric Scooter and Motorcycle Market by value, is estimated to be USD 4.9 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 14.7 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 24.8% from 2023 to 2028, according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The market for electric scooters and motorcycles is expected to rise as a result of reasons including rising fuel prices, the adoption of emissions-free transportation, and advantageous government policies including subsidies and tax refunds. MarketsandMarkets_Logo Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=142827777 Browse in-depth TOC on "Electric Scooter and Motorcycle Market" 120 - Tables 90 - Figures 320 - Pages Electric Scooter and Motorcycle Market Scope: Report Coverage Details Market Size USD 14.7 billion by 2028 Growth Rate 24.8% of CAGR Largest Market Asia Pacific Market Dynamics Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities & Challenges Forecast Period 2023-2028 Forecast Units Value (USD Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered Vehicle Type, Battery, Distance Covered, Voltage, Technology, Vehicle Class Usage, and Region Geographies Covered Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Americas Report Highlights Updated financial information/Company Evaluation Quadrant Key Market Opportunities Use of IoT and Smart Infrastructure in Electric Two Wheelers Charging Station for Load Management Key Market Drivers Implementation of Battery Swapping Technology Government agencies from several nations are creating lucrative incentives and programmes to entice people to purchase electric two-wheelers, including significant discounts, initially free electricity, and free public charging stations. In addition, governments are collaborating with producers to construct charging and production facilities, exempting them from taxes. These elements are anticipated to fuel the demand for electric scooters and motorcycles in the future. Story continues The potential of electric mobility, which can prevent environmental damage, reduce global warming, as well as reduce dependence on oil-producing nations, has been recognised by governments around the world. This can result in significant savings on import costs and help manage foreign exchange risks. These government incentives will be essential in influencing the market. Europe is expected to be the second-largest market during the forecast Europe is home to many electric two-wheeler manufacturing companies such as Energica Motor Company (Italy), GOVECS (Germany), and Piaggio (Italy). The automotive industry is one of the key contributors to Europe's economy. The European region is segmented into Germany, France, Spain, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Denmark, Italy, and UK. The increasing concerns over carbon emissions by conventional ICE two-wheelers and efficiency in this mode of travel have led the European two-wheeler manufacturers to develop electric scooters and motorcycles, which has propelled the growth of the electric scooter and motorcycle market. Government initiatives have encouraged the key players in the market to develop advanced electric two-wheelers as well as the infrastructure for charging facilities. The demand for electric two-wheelers has allowed new players to increase their presence in the region. Governments of various European countries are subsidizing electric infrastructure, and the focus will continue to be on electric vehicles in the long run. Hence, the electric scooters and motorcycles market will grow in the future in Europe. In December 2022, Astara has signed a strategic partnership with Silence Urban Ecomobility to distribute their electric scooters and vehicles for micro mobility in Belgium and Luxembourg. The below 75 miles segment is expected to be the largest segment in the forecast The below 75 miles segment is estimated to lead the global electric scooter and motorcycle market, as most electric scooters/mopeds have a range of up to 75 miles. The below 75 miles range market will be the largest and fastest growing over the forecast period. Many models within this range are popular in the Asia Pacific region, which will play a vital role in driving the market growth. Yadea G5, Xinri Shiny, Hero Optima HX (single battery), Okinawa R30 (Lithium Ion) and Flash LX (lead-acid battery) are some of the popular electric scooters and motorycles. Manufacturers have created battery technology with a higher range due to ongoing advancements in battery R&D. Thus, the above 100 miles segment is anticipated to grow at a higher CAGR than other segments. In 2022, iVOOMi Energy launched iVOOMi S1, vehicle is equipped with the 4.2 Kwh twin removable battery setup on the iVOOMi S1 provides a range of 240 km/charge under Indian Driving Conditions (IDC). In addition to this, Revolt RV 400, Ola S1, ZERO SR, Johammer J1, Zero Motorcycle DSR/X, Energica Experia etc., offer a range of over 100 miles. The market is therefore expected to expand in the future as OEMs prepare to introduce vehicle models for electric two-wheelers in the higher range. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=142827777 Key Market Players: The major players in global electric scooter and motorcycle market include Yadea Technology Group Co.,Ltd. (China), Jiangsu Xinri E-Vehicle Co., Ltd (China), NIU International (China), Hero Electric (India), and Okinawa Autotech Internationall Private Limited (India). These companies offer extensive products and solutions for the electric two-wheeler industry; have strong distribution networks at the global level, and invest heavily in R&D to develop new products. Recent Developments In January 2023 Yadea Group (China) launched Yadea Keeness VFD atConsumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada. Keeness VFD model is equipped with a 10KW mid-mounted high-performance motor and features a maximum speed of 100km/h, and an acceleration from 0-50km/h in just 4 seconds. In January 2023 Yadea Group (China) launched new model Volrguard. The scooter is powered by an ATL lithium battery pack (72V27Ah*2), featured with ultra-high density, which outputs higher power at the same time. January 2023, hero electric has entered into a long-term partnership with maxwell energy systems for the supply of advanced battery management systems. Under the partnership, maxwell will supply more than 10 lakh units of its battery management systems (bms) over the next three years to hero electric. October 2022, NIU International announced to launch of their newest kick scooter, the KQi3 Max. With a top speed of 20 MPH, and a 40.4-mile range, the KQi3 Max kick scooter offers maximum performance, comfort, and stability. April 2022, Init Esports, the Esports Powerhouse that specializes in sim racing events & motorcycle tournaments, announced its partnership with NIU Technologies, the world's leading provider of smart urban mobility solutions. July 2022, The Silence Urban Ecomobility launched new model S01+. Scooter is equipped with 7.5 kWh of battery with vehicle range of 137 km/charge. The scooter has a top speed of 109 kmph. December 2022, Astara has signed a strategic partnership with Silence Urban Ecomobility to distribute their electric scooters and vehicles for micro mobility in Belgium and Luxembourg. Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=142827777 Browse Adjacent Market: Automotive and Transportation Market Research Reports & Consulting Related Reports: E-bike Market - Global Forecasts to 2027 Light Electric Vehicles (LEVs) Market - Global Forecasts to 2027 EV Battery Market - Global Forecasts to 2027 EV Charging Station Market - Global Forecasts to 2027 About MarketsandMarkets: MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/electric-scooter-motorcycle-market.asp Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/electric-scooter-motorcycle.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/electric-scooter-and-motorcycle-market-worth-14-7-billion-by-2028---exclusive-report-by-marketsandmarkets-301785589.html SOURCE MarketsandMarkets MILAN Prada Group is setting the foundations for future growth by extending its investments in human resources and in its industrial strategy. On Thursday, the luxury company revealed it is planning to hire more than 400 people by the end of the year to strengthen its production capacity and craftsmanship expertise in Italy. More from WWD Prada Group continues to invest in its supply chain, consistent with what was announced during our Capital Markets Day at the end of 2021. We have an ongoing commitment to strengthen the industrial backbone of the group, while being respectful of our longtime suppliers, said industrial director Massimo Vian. The investment will guarantee greater agility and a reduction of time-to-market. The group already carries out all quality checks on raw materials and finished products, and manages all logistics internally. As of Dec. 31, 2022, the group owned 24 factories. Out of the 13,700 employees globally, 3,700 are employed in industrial chains around the world. Of these, 3,200 work in Italy. In the country, the group has a total of 5,300 employees. A considerable proportion of the new positions will be filled by students of the Prada Group Academy, where new entrants will learn manual and craft skills. The academy, which was founded in the early 2000s, will become increasingly crucial for the future preservation of our know-how and the one of the sector, said Vian, a former Luxottica executive who joined Prada in 2020. We feel a responsibility to invest in young talent who will become the next generation of expert craftspeople. More than 200 new professionals will be trained over the next year across leather goods, footwear and ready-to-wear. The group will also establish a new permanent branch of the Prada Group Academy at its Scandicci plant, near Florence, dedicated to leather craftsmanship. Around 30 students will be part of the first program there. Story continues The new positions will be opened across some of Prada Groups main manufacturing facilities in Italy, including around 100 new hires in Scandicci, representing a 50 percent increase in the current workforce. Following the construction of an expanded factory designed by Guido Canali at its leather goods facility in Piancastagnaio, near Siena, Prada plans to hire 50 new employees, representing a 50 percent increase in the current workforce. By November, the goal is to add 85 new hires in Torgiano, near Perugia, at the groups knitwear facility. Also, more than 200 additional jobs will be created at over 10 additional leather goods, footwear and ready-to-wear sites, mainly across the Tuscany, Umbria and Marche regions. Propelled by a strong growth of its Prada and Miu Miu brands across all product categories, the group is on an upward trajectory. As reported earlier this month, the companys full-year results beat analysts expectations and achieved margin targets ahead of schedule. In 2022, net profit soared 58 percent to 465 million euros on the back of a 25 percent gain in revenues to 4.2 billion euros. In his first conference call with analysts to comment those results, former Luxottica and LVMH executive Andrea Guerra, who joined Prada this year as group chief executive officer, pointed to the expansion of its manufacturing capabilities. In 2023, we expect revenue growth to remain solid and above the market average, he said. In 2022, sales of leather goods rose 18 percent to 1.86 billion euros; ready-to-wear was up 27 percent to 1.08 billion euros, and footwear revenues grew 29 percent to 691 million euros. Prada is part of the Fashion Pact and in 2021 further committed to corporate social responsibility, reaffirming its objectives and starting a process to measure its carbon footprint after years of investing in the construction, refurbishment and efficiency of the industrial facilities, as well as in photovoltaics and renewable energy. Best of WWD Click here to read the full article. Queen Camillas favorite tiara as she attends a State Banquet at Bellevue Palace Queen Camillas favorite tiara is magnificent with her shimmering embroidered gown in Berlin as she wears it for the first time as Queen. Queen Camilla wore one of her favorite ever tiaras to a State Banquet in Germany paired with a beautiful black and silver Bruce Oldfield gown. The Queen Consort has previously worn this tiara a lot and it once belonged to the Queen Mother. This royal news comes as we revealed the big difference between King Charles and his late mother Queen Elizabeth when it comes to coronation planning. On March 29 the King and Queen Consort made their first State Visit to Germany since taking on their new titles last year and Queen Camilla pulled out all the style stops. The royal couple attended a State Banquet at the Bellevue Palace in Berlin that evening. For this important occasion, Queen Camillas favorite tiara was showcased as she brought back the late Queen Mothers magnificent Boucheron Tiara for the first time since she became Queen. Also known as the Greville Tiara or the Boucheron Tiara, it was once owned by Dame Margaret Greville. She reportedly left it to the late Queen Mother in her will - just as she did with the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara which Princess Eugenie wore on her wedding day. Camilla, Queen Consort poses at the Bellevue Palace Its understood that the design was altered over the years and it was supposedly the Queen Mothers idea to add in the iconic raised sections. When she passed away in 2002, this passed to her daughter and became one of Queen Elizabeths tiaras though it became Queen Camillas favorite tiara of choice during her time as Duchess of Cornwall. She wore it to everything from a diplomatic reception at Buckingham Palace in 2017 to a dinner during the Commonwealth Heads of Government 2013 Opening Ceremony in 2013. For the State Banquet in Berlin Queen Camilla paired this amazing piece with the late Queen Elizabeths Diamond Fringe Necklace and a black and silver Bruce Oldfield gown with silver embroidery which brought out the shine of the diamonds. Story continues Camilla, Queen Consort attends a State Banquet at Schloss Bellevue Bruce Oldfield designs are another of the Queens favorite style items and earlier that day Queen Camilla looked chic in a bold head-to-toe blue outfit which was also one of his. For the banquet her gown was floor-length and black with a daring dropped-waist bodice design and silver detailing in a vine-like pattern. She paired it with a simple black clutch bag and also appeared to be holding black gloves. As well as the necklace, Queen Camilla also wore another nod to Queen Elizabeth in the form of a Queens Family Order brooch, which was the sovereigns highest order of merit. King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort attend a State Banquet She also wore the Grand Cross of the Federal Order of Merit given to her by the German President and The Garter Star of Queen Victorias Family Order. Its only at very formal occasions such as State Banquets that fans ever get a glimpse of the Royal Family wearing gorgeous tiaras with their long gowns. Unless there is another State occasion before King Charles coronation day the next time we see Her Majesty wearing one could be when Queen Camillas coronation crown is worn. The recent banquet was hosted by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and King Charles made a powerful speech celebrating the friendship between Germany and the UK. President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier and First Lady Elke Budenbender welcome King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort to Bellevue Palace The relationship between Germany and the United Kingdom matters greatly to me, too, Mr President, and I am more convinced than ever of its enduring value to us all. It means so much to us that my wife and I could come to Germany for this very first overseas tour of my reign, he declared. They're currently being cared for in Romania. Wartime heroes aren't just first responders and military service members. People from all walks of life are capable of making a difference in their communities and beyond, whether they're offering aid or changing the world. War Paws is an animal rescue that aims to help 'the forgotten animals of war' through rescue, donations, and education. In a recent video on their TikTok account, @war_paws_iraq, their Romanian heroes introduce the 76 Ukrainian rescue dogs who are currently in their care. View the original article to see embedded media. Wow, we can't imagine what the last year or so has been like for these animals. It breaks our hearts to see them in need of loving homes, but we're also so grateful they've been rescued. War Paws' volunteers are heroes for getting these dogs all the way to Romania! "You really did take care of those babies while their parents are gone," wrote commenter @nicolegpimentel. "They all look so happy and healthy." We couldn't agree more! It makes us smile to see these pups running around the yard together and getting affection from their human companions. These animals are safe, healthy, and happy-- and that's what's most important. @Cassiemogford added, "those Akitas look so special!!" Those two caught our eye too, so it's nice to see them getting the attention they deserve. Even so, we had no idea just how special they truly are! "Their names are Rada and Hoshi," War Paws replied. "Rada was born blind and really relies on her sister Hoshi. They are gentle giants." That's beyond precious! Dogs are oh-so-special, and we know these Ukrainian canines are going to find the forever homes they deserve. Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips. READ THE COMMENTS Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Monday threw his support behind the mass demonstrations in Israel against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus push to overhaul the judiciary in the country. I applaud the hundreds of thousands of Israeli citizens peacefully protesting against their extreme governments actions, Sanders, who spent time living in Israel in his youth, tweeted. Israel deserves a fully democratic government that protects the rights of all and works to assure peace and dignity for Palestinians and Israelis alike. Tens of thousands of Israelis protested on Monday, with many workers striking to take part. Sanderss tweet came shortly after reports emerged that Netanyahu and his allies are expected to delay the judicial changes. Itamer Ben Gvir, Netanyahus national security minister, announced late on Monday that the effort would be shelved until the summer session in parliament that kicks off on April 30. That would allow for a compromise resolution to be reached. According to The Associated Press, Ben Gvir said Netanyahu agreed to bring the proposal up for a vote when parliament reconvenes if no agreements are reached during the recess. The demonstrations have paralyzed much of the country in recent days. Flights out of Tel Avivs Ben Gurion Airport have been grounded while the nations largest trade union of 800,000 workers went on strike against the governments blueprint. Adding to the fury among protesters, Netanyahu fired Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant after the latter called for the prime minister to pause the judicial changes. The proposed overhaul would hand parliament the ability to overturn decisions by the Israeli Supreme Court and give the governing coalition power over judicial appointments. Detractors of the plan say it would turn the idea of checks and balances on its head and hand Netanyahu more power while he is facing three separate corruption charges. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Alec Baldwin has pleaded not guilty (Santa Fe County Sheriffs Office/PA) (PA Media) The Santa Fe District Attorney has announced she will step aside from Alec Baldwins US lawsuit in order to focus on broader public safety needs in the state of New Mexico. Mary Carmack-Altwies announced the appointment of attorneys Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis to serve as new special prosecutors in the case on Wednesday. The Hollywood actor faces two counts of involuntary manslaughter over the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the Rust movie set in October 2021. (Ms) Carmack-Altwies will step aside from personally prosecuting the Rust case, allowing her to focus on the broader public safety needs in New Mexicos First Judicial District Santa Fe District Attorney's Office He has pleaded not guilty to both charges. Morrisseys and Lewiss extensive experience and trial expertise will allow the state to pursue justice for Halyna Hutchins and ensure that in New Mexico everyone is held accountable under the law, a statement from the Santa Fe District Attorneys Office read. With the appointment of new special prosecutors, Carmack-Altwies will step aside from personally prosecuting the Rust case, allowing her to focus on the broader public safety needs in New Mexicos First Judicial District. It comes after the previous special prosecutor in the case, Andrea Reeb, also stepped down, following objections to her involvement from Baldwins legal team. At the time Ms Reeb said she did not want her involvement in the case to cloud the real issue at hand and that the decision was the best way I can ensure justice is served in this case. Baldwins lawyers argued that Ms Reebs involvement in the case was unconstitutional due to her elected position in the New Mexico House of Representatives. They said that her position was a violation of the state constitutions separation of powers provision and that she could make prosecutorial decisions that serve her legislative interests. Following the announcement about Ms Carmack-Altwies on Wednesday, it was decided that a hearing concerning state legal representation in the matter, due to take place on Friday, would no longer go ahead. A filing from the DAs office described the issue as moot. Baldwin is next set to appear in court on May 3 for a two-week preliminary hearing, during which it will be decided whether there is enough evidence for the case to proceed to trial. STARKVILLE Like most great ideas, this one sparked on a patio outside Two Brothers Smoked Meats. Alden Thornhill, a 2015 graduate of Mississippi State, was enjoying a meal with his wife while glancing over the Cotton District. A perfect setup for a race, Thornhill thought. Not for NASCAR. Not for IndyCar. Not for Formula 1. This was a perfect racing ground for wiener dogs. So, the planning started. He got in touch with Paige Watson at the Greater Starkville Development Partnership. He went in front of the citys development board to pitch the idea. Once he received approval, it became official. The Starkville Derby: Dachshund Dash is coming to town May 6 the weekend Mississippi State baseball hosts Arkansas. Its a free event in the Cotton District with proceeds from sponsors and donations, after expenses, going to the Oktibbeha County Humane Society. College towns revolve around these eclectic events, Thornhill said. There were 76 dogs signed up as of last week. Were the sausage dog mecca, Ive realized, Thornhill joked. DOG TALK:Mississippi State announces new Bully mascot named after Bulldogs legend Dak Prescott BULLDOG FOOTBALL:How Zach Arnett leans on experience of Mississippi State football staff he has assembled To accommodate the growing number, the racers will be divided into four categories: Seniors, adults, puppies and pretenders. The first three are self-explanatory. The final category will allow any dog to run, but they must be dressed in a hot dog costume. The races will be divided into heats. If theres a category with 50 dogs, Thornhill estimates theyll have 10 races with five dogs each. Winners will advance toward a final race. An Olympic-style podium will await the winners along with rose wreaths at the wieners circle VIP area. Its going to be a very unique atmosphere, Thornhill said. The Starkville Derby: Dachshund Dash is bringing a wiener dog race to Starkville's Cotton District on May 6, 2023. Of course, Thornhill is a proud dachshund owner. King Memphis will be among the racers looking to make a splash in a race running down University Drive. The race will begin outside Two Brothers and Bin 612 and go down to Bulldog Burger about 50-60 yards, Thornhill estimates. Story continues Safety netting will be put up along the sides while the street will be closed to foot and paw traffic only. Fans are welcome to watch from the surrounding streets, restaurants, bars and balconies. QR codes will be available for those looking to donate during the race. To be able to help out the pets and the great volunteers and people at Oktibbeha Humane is just really special, said Thornhill, whose first non-family dog was a shelter dog he got in college. Thornhill hopes the race becomes an annual event, but he isnt done compiling intrigue for this years contest. Hes working to get the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile in attendance. Hes also looking for Barstool Sports Brandon Walker to serve as the grand marshal. Its going to be ridiculously fun, Thornhill said. I cant wait. Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @skrajisnik3. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: What is the Starkville Derby? It's Mississippi's wiener dog race This story is being provided free as a public service. Check back for updates on this developing story. A community is still grieving after nine soldiers died Wednesday when two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the 101st Airborne Division crashed around 10 p.m. Wednesday in Trigg County, Kentucky. Fort Campbell spokesperson Nondice Thurman confirmed nine soldiers died in the crash. The 101st Airborne Division, nicknamed the "Screaming Eagles," is the only air assault division of the U.S. Army. Names of victims of Black Hawk helicopter crashes released The nine service men and women have been identified, following one of the deadliest training crashes at Fort Campbell, home to the 101st Airborne Division. Those lost in the crash include: Warrant Officer 1 Jeffery Barnes, 33, of Milton, Florida Cpl. Emilie Marie Eve Bolanos, 23, of Austin, Texas Chief Warrant Officer 2 Zachary Esparza, 36, of Jackson, Missouri Sgt. Isaacjohn Gayo, 27, of Los Angeles, California Staff Sgt. Joshua C. Gore, 25, of Morehead City, North Carolina Warrant Officer 1 Aaron Healy, 32, of Cape Coral, Florida Staff Sgt. Taylor Mitchell, 30, of Mountain Brook, Alabama Chief Warrant Officer 2 Rusten Smith, 32, of Rolla, Missouri Sgt. David Solinas Jr, 23, of Oradell, New Jersey An Army aviation safety team from Fort Rucker, Ala. is on site and currently conducting a thorough investigation into the accident. Staff Sgt. Caleb Gore identified by family as Black Hawk crash victim Staff Sgt. Caleb Gore with wife Haleigh. Staff Sgt. Caleb Gore died along with eight other soldiers Wednesday when two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the 101st Airborne Division crashed. Gore was an Airborne medic and was working toward becoming a registered nurse. He was married to his high school sweetheart Haleigh, who is three months pregnant with a boy, according to his father. Tim Gore, of Fremont, North Carolina, said his sons life should renew belief in a unified country and life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Story continues Caleb personified what is good about our nation and why we must still hope in what he (they) died for, Gore wrote in a testimony. He was the light of my world and I have no words to express my grief right now. Names of the Black Hawk crash victims to be released this evening The military installation plans to release the names of the victims no later than 5:37 p.m. evening, according Fort Campbell's media relations officer Dawn Grimes. Grimes said a safety team from Fort Rucker, Alabama has arrived in Fort Campbell to investigate the crash. She does not have a timeline for how long the investigation will take. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear speaks about Black Hawk helicopter crash Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear spoke about the crash during a Thursday press conference. "Today is a tough and tragic day for Kentucky, for the Fort Campbell and for the 101st," Beshear said. "The nine individuals we lost are children of God. They will be mourned and missed by their families, by their communities." Air Force official: 'We take safety very seriously' Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder briefed reporters at the Pentagon Thursday morning regarding the crash. In the United States military, we take safety very seriously, Ryder said. Each unit has a safety branch whos primary role is exactly that to maintain constant situational awareness of their safety. That is baked into our culture and something we continue to do. Ryder said he's not aware" of a department of defense-wide review of helicopter safety. Every time theres an accident its something thats incredibly unfortunate and something we take very seriously," Ryder said. Unfortunately a lot of what we do is inherently dangerous, so this is something were always working at." Ryder said a team is already headed to Kentucky to start an investigation. He said if the investigation revealed "something systemic" then other helicopters could be grounded. TN representative, veteran reacts State Rep. Ronnie Glynn, D-Clarksville, said he was "saddened" when he woke up to the news of the soldiers' death. "The 101st Airborne at Ft. Campbell is close to my heart," Glynn said. "It was my final duty station in the Army before retiring in Clarksville. I know all of Montgomery County, and Tennessee feels the pain of this loss and will join me in praying for their families. Road closures Maple Grove Road near Lloyd Sumner Road is blocked off, though, Fort Campbell will not say the exact location of the crash site. Two military vehicles are blocking the street with other personnel blocking off the area as a team of investigators is expected to assess the wreckage. Local pastor heard crash Nicholas Clark, Pastor Oak Grove Baptist Church, heard a loud crash Wednesday evening that ended up being the fatal helicopter crash near Maple Grove Road. "It reverberated," he said. Hearing helicopters isn't new for Clark and his family, as Fort Campbell does routine training exercises. Clark lives around a mile from the crash site. Although Clark could feel the explosive crash, he said his children were asleep and they remained asleep. "Its a tragedy for not only his community but also their neighbors at Fort Campbell," Clark said. Tennessee National Guard 'extremely saddened' by crash "We at the Tennessee National Guard are extremely saddened to hear about the helicopter crash involving members of the 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the Soldiers and their families and friends." On Feb. 13, another Black Hawk helicopter crashed in Alabama. Chief Warrant Officer 3 Daniel Wadham of Joelton and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Danny Randolph of Murfreesboro of the Tennessee National Guard died when their UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter crashed along Highway 53. Clarksville community heartbroken by tragic news Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts released a statement on Fort Campbell helicopter crash: "The hearts of our city are broken today at the tragic news of nine soldiers lost in the helicopter crash at Fort Campbell. "Cynthia and I are praying for the families and leadership impacted by this news. The city has communicated with the leadership at Fort Campbell that we are ready to help in any way that is needed. "We are also grateful for the service and sacrifice of the soldiers and their families who nobly serve and protect our freedom." Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky released a statement: "Please join me in praying for everyone involved in the Fort Campbell helicopter accident, especially our service members and their families. My staff and I are monitoring the situation as we continue to receive more information." U.S. Rep. Mark Green, who represents Clarksville, said: Camie and I are heartbroken by the loss of nine 101st Airborne soldiers during an overnight training accident. Fort Campbell is one of the closest-knit communities weve ever been a part of, and we know this loss is being felt heavily. Our prayers are with the families of those we lost. The loved ones left behind need all of our support. These moments serve as a stark reminder that freedom is never without sacrifice. America is grateful for their willingness to serve, and our hearts are broken that it came with such a high cost. We also want to thank all first responders from Trigg, Christian, and Marshall Counties for their swift response. Our hearts ache for these families. What type of Black Hawk was it? The two Black Hawk helicopters were HH-60. Brig. Gen. John Lubas said the utility aircraft was used for medical evacuation capable of holding two pilots and two crew members. It has a top speed of 114 mph and was first contracted for use in 2019, according to military records. Black Hawk crash: What to know about this military helicopter About Fort Campbell Straddling the state line between Kentucky and Tennessee, Fort Campbell is in many ways a self-contained city with chain restaurants, schools and a military community of thousands living right on the installation that spans 105,000 acres. The installation conducts daily training, and has events for the public to watch obstacle course races and demonstrations. Loving the community Beshear, the Kentucky Governor, said he loves Fort Campbell and the community will wrap its arms around the military. "They're a part of our community of who we are. They're lost today is our loss," Beshear said. "We're going to stand with both those that are here today and again, we're going to make sure that these families know that they are loved. They are not alone." A soldier's love for his country Jimmie Garland knows the impact of Fort Campbell. The current school board member and leader of the local NAACP office is a 29-year military veteran. He's heartbroken by Wednesday's crash. "They are a representation of the community, they go out there with the understanding that have to give the ultimate sacrifice," Garland said. What Fort Campbell means to Clarksville The military installation means a lot to Clarksville, with more than 11% of the citys population being retired veterans. The military population, both retired and active duty contribute millions to the city in housing and sales tax. Many veterans own businesses in the city. Here are the most recent helicopter crashes at Fort Campbell The last reported helicopter crash at Fort Campbell was in 2018 when two soldiers were killed during a training while flying an AH-64E Apache helicopter. Prior to that, there was a reported crash in 2017 that killed two soldiers. Black Hawk helicopter investigation An investigation is underway to determine what caused two Black Hawk helicopters to crash Wednesday night in Trigg County, Kentucky, killing nine soldiers from Fort Campbell. A safety team from Fort Rucker, Ala. will examine the crash scene and determine the cause of the crash, said Lubas. Nine soldiers confirmed dead in Kentucky helicopter crash Nine soldiers died Wednesday after two HH60 Black Hawk helicopters from the 101st Airborne Division crashed Wednesday night in Kentucky. Officials said the crash occurred around 10 p.m. during a routine training mission in Trigg County, Kentucky approximately 80 miles northwest of Nashville. A news release from the U.S. Army was posted on Twitter just after 2 a.m. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear spoke during a Thursday press conference discussing the crash. "Today is a tough and tragic day for Kentucky, for the Fort Campbell and for the 101st," Beshear said. "The nine individuals we lost are children of God. They will be mourned and missed by their families, by their communities." One Black Hawk was carrying five, another four, according to Lubas. The names of the nine who died in the crash were not released as investigators notify next of kin. "This a tragic loss for our families and Fort Campbell," Lubas said. "Our number one priority is caring for the families and soldiers in our combat aviation brigade." They dont have a response time, but Lubas said Trigg County and Christian County emergency responded quickly to the scene. Despite our losses we were lucky they were able to land in an open field and there were no other casualties. Lubas said. The two helicopters were medical evacuation variant of Black Hawks, Lubas said. "Wrap our arms around these families," Beshear said. While the body is mortal, the soul is eternal." Beshear said there are no state lines and said he spoke to Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, who expressed his grief for the loss of nine soldiers. Weve got some tough news out of Fort Campbell, with early reports of a helicopter crash and fatalities are expected. @kystatepolice, @KentuckyEM and local officials are responding. We will share more information as available. Please pray for all those affected. Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) March 30, 2023 The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), based at Fort Campbell, is a light infantry division that specializes in air assault operations. The installation sits on the Kentucky-Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville. "The status of the crewmembers are unknown at this time," the Twitter post said. "The command is currently focused on caring for the servicemembers and their families. More information will be released as it becomes available." Heightened awareness Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, several thousand soldiers have been deployed to Eastern Europe to train with NATO allies. Training at Fort Campbell has continued as the installation prepares for potential military conflict. Nicknamed the Screaming Eagles, the 101st Division was first constituted as an airborne unit in 1942 World War II. The unit gained renown for its role in D-Day landings on June 6, 1944, in Normandy, France. During the Vietnam War, the 101st Airborne Division fought in 45 operations, spanning nearly seven years, including the Battle of Hamburger Hill in May 1969 as the division shifted from airplanes to helicopters as its primary method of delivering troops into combat. We can confirm two aircraft from the 101st were involved in an accident last night resulting in serveral casualties. Right now the focus is on the Soldiers and their families who were involved. pic.twitter.com/eG5ndWVvbT 101st Airborne Div. (@101stAASLTDIV) March 30, 2023 Last month, another Black Hawk helicopter crashed in Alabama, killing both people on board. Chief Warrant Officer 3 Daniel Wadham of Joelton and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Danny Randolph of Murfreesboro of the Tennessee National Guard were killed on Feb. 15 when their UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter crashed along Highway 53. Among deadliest US military training incidents Wednesday's crash that killed nine is among the deadliest training exercises in the U.S. Military and the deadliest at Fort Campbell in 2018 when two soldiers were killed during a training while flying an AH-64E Apache helicopter. The deadliest came in September 1960 when artillery fire during a 3rd Armored Division training killed 16. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Fort Campbell helicopter crash news: 9 victims identified in Black Hawk helicopter crash Police maintain a presence after responding to false threats of shots fired at Ogden High School in Ogden on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. Police agencies along the Wasatch Front and northern Utah responded to similar reports of school violence on Wednesday morning. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News The calls alleging shootings at more than a dozen Utah schools Wednesday, prompting swift police responses as a result, originated from an individual and a number with an internet address outside of the country, according to Utah public safety officials. All of the reported threats were determined to be unfounded. Utah Department of Public Safety officials confirmed that phony emergency calls were placed about at least 13 different schools across Utah, beginning around 9:30 a.m. They did not immediately disclose which country the calls came from; however, they are working with both local and federal police as they investigate the case. The rash of calls follows similar trends in other parts of the country that began this week. I want to say how sad I am that there are individuals in this world that would report a hoax like this on our high school students, the staff, our police officers, our fire officers how sad I am that our country has gotten to this point where this kind of thing is OK, said Ogden chief administrative officer Mark Johnson, as he addressed one of the calls made to Ogden High School. Its not. The chaos all unfolded around the same time, as police agencies across the state began responding to similar reports of school violence Wednesday morning. Schools that were in session at the time were locked down. Officers and other emergency responders descended on Ogden High School shortly after 9:30, when police dispatchers received a report of an active shooter at the school, according to Ogden Police Capt. Tim Scott. That caller reported that there were shots fired and several students were down and injured by gunfire, he explained. An officer trained in active shooter responses was already at the school and helped place the school on lockdown right away while police responded to the report, as part of the citys and districts precautionary safety protocols. Scott said the initial responders started hunting for a potential shooter with long guns. Police only learned that the call was a hoax while in the middle of clearing out the school. Story continues Similar incidents popped up elsewhere in the state as this was happening. Salt Lake police officials said they also received a call of a possible active shooter at West High School on Wednesday. They called the report unfounded, noting that Salt Lake City School District schools are on spring break this week, though a tactical search of the building was conducted just in case. Police respond to a potential threat at Spanish Fork High School Wednesday morning. Officials said it was one of several Utah schools included in a hoax sweeping the U.S. | Madison Swenson, KSL-TV Provo police said they received a report of an active violent event at Provo High School, as well, which turned out to be nothing. As they responded, they learned that a similar threat had been made to at least four other schools in Utah County, including Spanish Fork High School. Spanish Fork police said they responded to the school, resulting in a lockdown there but the school was found to be safe. Multiple agencies in Box Elder County also responded to the threat of an active shooter at Box Elder High School in Brigham City on Wednesday morning among other cases in the state. The Grand County School District confirmed it received multiple calls about threats happening to schools within its district, also resulting in lockdowns, too. The Utah Department of Public Safety officials said that every report is taken very seriously and immediately looked into as a precaution. Its why local enforcement agencies responded to all of the claims Wednesday. We ask the public to please stay very calm as our local law enforcement partners have not verified the validity of these accusations, they wrote in a statement Wednesday morning. We are currently looking into the origin of these calls. Local officials like Johnson suspected that the calls were coming from out of the state because the person responsible was seemingly unaware that a school like West High was on spring break. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, who was on vacation this week, issued a statement thanking local and state police for how theyve responded to the threats. We remind all Utahns to stay vigilant and be aware of updates from your local officials, he added. Utah isnt alone in dealing with the problem. The threats began not long after three adults and three children were killed at a Christian elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee on Monday. KTVI in St. Louis reported that multiple schools in Missouri received prank calls on Monday. Similar threats were reported across Ohio on Tuesday, according to the Dayton Daily News. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette added that a series of phony reports were also made across Pennsylvania on Wednesday morning before the incidents in Utah. While police investigate the claims, both Ogden city and school district officials said they will dissect the incident so they can make adjustments to response time in case the next report isnt a prank. However, they hope that will never happen. We have received calls from tearful parents who are having a lot of trauma today because of the fears that theyve been through as a result of this incident, Johnson said. We know other high schools in the state have experienced the very same thing. ... We will learn from this experience. Contributing: Andrew Adams He has spent nearly 30 years espousing all things Vermont music. Starting this week, he will do so from 2,600 miles away. James Lockridge co-founded the nonprofit organization Big Heavy World in Burlington in 1996 and serves as its executive director and public face. The organization archives and promotes original Vermont-made music, and provides learning opportunities for Vermont youth. Lockridge was due to head out on the road March 20 to move to Tucson, Arizona, where his daughter, Sophia St. John-Lockridge, attends the University of Arizona and has a pet-clothing business, Peanuts Clawset. Lockridges wife, Victoria St. John, has already settled in Tucson. Ive been painting and packing the house, and selling cars, Lockridge said over tea March 16 at Muddy Waters in Burlington. Lockridge, 54, wants to spend more time with family. His parents live out West, and his mother is moving to Tucson. The time with my parents will mean a lot to me, said Lockridge, an avid motorcyclist who expects to explore the numerous National Parks in the western United States. Its a big world and I value the opportunity to experience it. A 1991 University of Vermont graduate, Lockridge isnt fazed about leaving his legacy behind in Burlington. If I had an ego or investment in the idea of career, it might be an issue, he said. But my values are a little bit more core than that. James Lockridge of the Burlington-based music organization Big Heavy World stands March 16, 2023 on Main Street in Burlington. Staying in charge from Tucson Lockridges legacy includes developing the organization that has placed thousands of pieces of Vermont music online and helped to get it played for visitors to the states rest areas and tourist-information stops. Big Heavy World also runs The Radiator, which Lockridge calls a hyper-local FM radio station, and builds skills for young people who make up the organizations all-volunteer work force. Big Heavy World recently started a small museum of Vermont-music artifacts at its offices on Howard Street, near Pine Street in the South End of Burlington. The organization oversees Make Music Vermont, which arranges for free performances in dozens of towns each June. Lockridge has also advanced Vermont music from home, hosting youth-oriented concerts in Jims Basement at his house on King Street. Story continues Vermont's 2022 year in music:Catch up on last year's releases from folk to hip-hop Though hell be far from Vermont, Lockridge said hell continue to oversee business operations at Big Heavy World, including by video conferencing for the organizations weekly meetings. He believes his move could help rather than hinder his leadership of Big Heavy World. His exposure in Arizona to how other people think and other organizations function could allow him to make improvements to the Vermont nonprofit. Honestly, I think that as I explore wider realms of what I do, my understanding will be expanded, Lockridge said, and Ill become a more effective advocate for Vermont. A gentle pit bull Much of Lockridges public persona has been visible through often-tense interactions with Burlington city government. His main issues include fighting to preserve the teen music venue 242 Main and Memorial Auditorium, the aging building that housed the club; and calling attention to what he considers a disparity between city funding for visual and performing arts. Memorial Auditorium and 242 Main closed in 2016, awaiting millions of dollars in repairs. He said the city has had the opportunity to lead with those repairs but he feels hes been witness to stumbling idiocy with nothing being done to the building that dates to 1927. Lockridge cited what he sees as a dereliction of duty from the city regarding funding for performing arts. He pointed to the citys Great Streets BTV program that is commissioning up to $500,000 for public art on Main Street but isnt offering similar funding for the performing arts in Vermont. Lockridge isnt disappointed at a lack of progress on the issues he espouses. I accept life as it comes, he said. I dont sit here being grumpy. I sit here for a decade wondering why people dont do their job. He said he wont disappear from discourse in Burlington. A documentary film in the works about 242 Main will serve as a reflection of cultural legacy in the city while advancing discussion regarding the venue, according to Lockridge. He said he will persist on the issue of funding for performing arts, calling himself a gentle pit bull who will remain cognizant and proactive on the topic. This is a stick I dont intend to let go of, Lockridge said. Contact Brent Hallenbeck at bhallenbeck@freepressmedia.com. Follow Brent on Twitter at www.twitter.com/BrentHallenbeck. This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Burlington music-scene stalwart leaving Vermont, moving to Arizona GoLogiq Inc. and Emerging Markets Consulting, LLC. An Emerging Markets Sponsored Commentary ORLANDO, Fla., March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Recently, we reported that GoLogiq, Inc. (GoLogiq) (OTC: GOLQ), a global provider of mobile fintech solutions for digital transformation and consumer data analytics, teamed up with GammaRey, a privately-held fintech ecosystem for the New World Digital Economy, in a merger valued at $320 million based on per share pricing of $3.00, and that the company was moving fast and already focusing on what is next. Well, we will tell you what is next: A proposed agreement to acquire the Institutional Investment Advisory Firm, CPG Research & Advisory in a $15 million merger. Here is what CPG Research & Advisory would bring to GoLogiq if there is a successful merger: 30 years of investment research and advisory experience for major institutions. Advising on over $8 billion in client portfolios. Well-established global client base of sovereign funds, family offices and government institutions. Advanced research and advice capabilities powered by sophisticated research technology that is complementary to GoLogiqs expanding Fintech platform. CPG Research & Advisory provides investment advisory services while offering comprehensive customized solutions to a broad range of institutional investors, including superannuation funds, insurers, local authorities, government agencies, universities, foundations, not-for-profit organizations, and firms that service the wealth management sector. CPG is headquartered in Sydney but services clients across Australia as well as in Bahrain and New Zealand. According to Brent Suen, interim CEO of GoLogiq, this merger with CPG represents the companys first entrance into research advisory and asset consulting for large institutional investors. CPG has a growing international presence and advanced research technology that will level up GoLogiqs comprehensive Fintech products and services, he said. CPG CEO, Andrew Vallner, sees just as much potential with this merger stating, As part of a global-oriented public company, we see greater opportunities to accelerate our growth and attract a larger client base of major institutions across the Middle East, New Zealand and Australia, as well as enter new markets in S.E. Asia and North America. He added, In addition to more favorable access to growth capital, we believe the prestige and transparency of a U.S. publicly traded company will open doors and provide a competitive advantage, as well as help us attract top talent from our industry. Story continues The terms of the proposed agreement will grant GoLogiq 51% of CPG in an all-stock transaction. GoLogiq would issue common shares to CPG shareholders valued at $15 million. Although a definitive agreement has yet to be signed, both parties anticipate the acquisition to close in the second quarter of 2023. This upcoming possible merger with CPG along with the previously reported $30 million merger agreement with Nest Egg and $320 million merger with GammaRey has proved that GoLogiq is committed to seeking opportunities to expand its business, operations and potential value. For more on GoLogiq Inc. visit: https://gologiq.com/ About GoLogiq, Inc.: GoLogiq, Inc. provides mobile solutions for digital transformation and financial inclusion in Southeast Asia and emerging markets. Its software platforms include CreateApp, a mobile app development and publishing platform for small business; AtozGo, a hyper-local app-based delivery system for ordering and fulfillment needs of residential and office towers; and AtozPay, an eWallet for mobile top-up, e-commerce purchases, bill payment, and microfinance in Indonesia. About The Emerging Markets Report: The Emerging Markets Report is owned and operated by Emerging Markets Consulting (EMC), a syndicate of investor relations consultants representing decades of experience. Our network consists of stockbrokers, investment bankers, fund managers, and institutions that actively seek opportunities in the micro and small-cap equity markets. For more informative reports such as this, please sign up at: https://emergingmarketsconsulting.com/ Must Read OTC Markets/SEC policy on stock promotion and investor protection Section 17(b) of the Securities Act of 1933 requires that any person that uses the mails to publish, give publicity to, or circulate any publication or communication that describes a security in return for consideration received or to be received directly or indirectly from an issuer, underwriter, or dealer, must fully disclose the type of consideration (i.e. cash, free trading stock, restricted stock, stock options, stock warrants) and the specific amount of the consideration. In connection therewith, EMC has received the following compensation and/or has an agreement to receive in the future certain compensation, as described below. EMC has been paid $75,000 and 300,000 restricted common stock shares by GoLogiq, Inc. and has been paid an additional $25,000 by Lynette Hannahs on behalf of GoLogiq, Inc. EMC does not independently verify any of the content linked-to from this editorial. https://emergingmarketsconsulting.com/disclaimer/ Emerging Markets Consulting, LLC Florida Office 390 N Orange Ave. Suite 2300 Orlando, FL 32801 E-mail: jamespainter@emergingmarketsllc.com Web: https://emergingmarketsconsulting.com/ A substitute teacher at a private elementary school in Tennessee who was one of six people shot dead there on Monday had studied education in the early 1980s at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. Cynthia Peak, 61, was in the class of 1983, TCU Chancellor Victor Boschini wrote in a statement. Our prayers for peace and comfort are with her family and loved ones, as well as the entire Nashville community, Boschini wrote. One of the three children who were killed in the shooting at The Covenant School was the 9-year-old daughter of a former Dallas pastor. Park Cities Presbyterian Church wrote in a statement that Chad Scruggs, current lead pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Nashville, was for several years an associate pastor at the Dallas church. His daughter Hallie Scruggs was with two other 9-year-olds, Evelyn Dieckhaus and William Kinney, among the shooting victims. Peak and two other adults head of school Katherine Koonce, 60, and custodian Mike Hill, 61 also were killed. Police fatally shot the suspect, Audrey Hale, a 28-year-old former student at the school. won't see Kate Middleton and Prince William Kate Middleton and Prince William have had a busy few weeks, but the royal couple are set to take some time out for a very good reason. The Prince and Princess of Wales are thought to be set to spend some time with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. William and Kate are believed to have taken their three children out of Windsor for some down-time during their Easter break from Lambrook school. In other royal news, we can't stop thinking about Kate Middleton's blue and gold enamel earrings. From the Commonwealth Day Service to St. Patrick's Day, Kate Middleton and Prince William have had a hectic few weeks. But now, the Prince and Princess of Wales are thought to be taking some well earned time off to spend with their three children while they're off school. Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are now on their Easter holidays from Lambrook school, where they started in September 2022 after the family moved to Adelaide Cottage. The Wales family often school holidays at their Norfolk home, Anmer Hall. Although last year, they were reportedly spotted enjoying a ski break in Courchevel, France. won't see Kate Middleton and Prince William Kate has previously spoken about how important it is to spend time as a family, so it's no wonder we won't be seeing much of her and Prince William over the next week. She has said, "Spending quality time together is such an important aspect of family life and for me, as a mother, it is the simple family moments like playing outside together that I cherish." The royal family usually celebrate Easter by attending a church service at St George's Chapel in Windsor, which is exactly what they did for Easter last year. Their plans for Easter Sunday 2023, which falls on Sunday April 9, are yet to be announced by Buckingham Palace, but it's likely they will follow tradition. So while we likely won't see the Prince and Princess of Wales stepping out for engagements over the next few days, we can probably look forward to a Wales family appearance over the Easter period. Story continues Last year, only Prince George and Princess Charlotte attended the Easter service. But with four-year-old Prince Louis attending more royal events recently, including his first Christmas Day walkabout - and his role at the coronation having been revealed - it's likely the youngest Wales family member might attend this year. won't see Kate Middleton and Prince William This Easter will mark King Charles' first as monarch, after Queen Elizabeth passed away in September 2022. The event comes just four weeks before his highly anticipated Coronation ceremony, which takes place on May 6 and will be broadcasted worldwide. In the lead up to Easter, King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla will attend the Royal Maundy Service at York Minster on Thursday April 6, where His Majesty will distribute the Maundy Money. During the Maundy Thursday event, Charles will present 74 men and 74 women signifying the age of the monarch with specially-minted silver coins to the value of 74p to thank them for their service in local communities. As tech fan favorite TikTok continues to face harsh criticism from the U.S. government over security concerns due to its Chinese ownership, its also facing increasing pressure to completely divest from its Chinese-based parent company ByteDance. Earlier this month, the Biden administration threatened to ban the app in the U.S. if ByteDance did not sell TikTok to an American company, a move experts see as legally feasible but that could come with its own challenges. The US government has regulatory and legal tools at its disposal that could force ByteDance to sell TikTok if deemed necessary for national security reasons, said Joe Gagliese, CEO of Viral Nation, a social media talent management and brand marketing agency based in Canada. The basics: How could a TikTok ban be enforced? That said, it remains a complicated and dynamic situation for which few, if any of us, have enough information to anticipate specific outcomes, he added. TikTok CEO Shou Chew answers a question during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on Thursday, March 23, 2023 to discuss privacy concerns and safeguarding children on TikTok. Does the U.S. have legal power to force ByteDance to sell TikTok? Under the Exon-Florio amendment, a law established in 1988 to review foreign investment in the U.S., the president has the legal authority to block or unwind acquisitions conducted by foreign entities if the transaction poses a national security concern to the U.S., said Bryan Cunningham, an advisor at Theon Technology and a former White House lawyer. In this case, the president, advised by CFIUS, likely has the power to reverse and nullify ByteDances purchase of Musical.ly. [now known as TikTok], he said. Related info: How could the US ban TikTok? President Donald Trump ordered such a divestment in 2020 but although the order was blocked by federal courts, they did not find that the president lacked the power to order the unwinding, only that the process was insufficient, Cunningham explained. Although its not certain, I believe our courts ultimately would uphold a more thorough and well-reasoned order to ByteDance, but the process likely would be tied up in the courts for years, he added. Story continues China already pushing back on any TikTok sale Hannah Kelley, a research assistant in the technology and national security program at the Center for a New American Security, said that ByteDance is unlikely to divest and succumb to Bidens request. Bidens recent ultimatum shows that no proposed mitigation strategies under the CFIUS review process have proven sufficient in satisfying U.S. government concerns, including the long-awaited Project Texas, Kelley said. Project Texas is a plan devised by TikTok to address some of the security concerns raised by the U.S. government. Under the project, American data would be routed and stored with Oracle, a Texas-based software company. TikToks CEO Shou Zi Chew, who testified before Congress last week, said that the issue isnt about who owns the app but more about how the company can protect U.S. user data from unauthorized foreign access. The Chinese government has also pushed back on Bidens demands, saying that it would resolutely oppose the forced sale of the social media platform. If the news is true, China will resolutely oppose it, said Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson Shu Jueting in a statement last week. Shu added that a potential forced sale of TikTok would seriously damage investors from multiple countries including China and hurt the countrys confidence to invest in the United States. The government could use other means to restrict TikTok from operating in the US If a forced sale proves difficult to carry out, experts said the government could find other ways to make it difficult for TikTok to operate within the U.S. Kelley said the bipartisan RESTRICT Act could do just that. The legislation, introduced by Senate lawmakers earlier this month, would give the federal government more power to regulate or ban technology tied to foreign adversaries such as TikTok. Under the bill, the Commerce Department would identify and mitigate risks posed by technology linked to foreign adversaries, including China, North Korea, Iran, Russia, Cuba and Venezuela. More to the story: US faces questions over potential TikTok ban Kelley said that the legislation offers a clean legal authority to address problematic products and services like TikTok from a range of countries of concern. It provides both the framework to address TikTok directly and a broader authority to look beyond this one issue and actor, she added. Gagliese said the U.S. could also put pressure on tech giants like Apple and Google to restrict or ban the application from their marketplace. A forced TikTok sale could lead to some challenges Cunningham reiterated that a forced sale of TikTok will probably be challenged once again by U.S. federal courts and would likely be tied up in litigation for months, if not years. He also said that China could potentially retaliate against the U.S. economically and diplomatically. Banning the app nationwide could also bring its own challenges. Gagliese said that if the U.S. government follows through with a nationwide ban, it could cause direct economic challenges for its own citizens and U.S.-based businesses. Social media has enabled individuals and businesses of all sizes to reach their customers at scale, to build brand loyalty and launch products, he added. Small-to-medium product and service businesses can go a long way without a website these days by leveraging social media to promote and drive commerce directly on these platforms. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The White House continued to send a pointed message Wednesday on Israels proposed judicial overhaul after a rare public disagreement between President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Biden and Netanyahu traded words Tuesday about Netanyahus controversial plan to implement reforms to the court system, with Biden going so far as to say the prime minister wouldn't be invited to the White House any time soon. "They cannot continue on this road, and I've sort of made that clear," Biden said. MORE: Here's why Israelis are protesting Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plan Netanyahu shot back that while the alliance between the U.S. and Israel is strong, "Israel is an independent country that makes its decisions according to the will of its citizens and not based on external pressures, including our best friends." John Kirby, the White House spokesperson, elaborated Wednesday that the U.S. wants to see any decision in Israel made in "keeping with a consensus" and based on the "broadest possible base of public support." "The good thing about a deep friendship is that you can be that candid with one another," Kirby told reporters about the close allies. PHOTO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speak to the media on March 16, 2023, in Berlin. | President Joe Biden speaks at an event in the White House on March 23, 2023, in Washington, DC. (Ulrigh Baumgarten via Getty Images | Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Netanyahu's proposals, which opponents say amount to a power grab to give his government more oversight of the court system, prompted mass protests that brought Israel to a standstill. The prime minister announced Monday a pause to the legislation to allow parties to negotiate, and to avoid a "civil war," he said, but he vowed to implement the changes one way or another. Netanyahu's plan has sparked unease among Biden and other top U.S. officials. Vice President Kamala Harris, asked about Israel while traveling in Ghana on Wednesday, said "we are all watching it." Biden told reporters on Tuesday that he was "very concerned" about the situation and said it was his hope Netanyahu "walks away" from his proposal. The tensions between the two leaders coincided with the White House's second Summit for Democracy happening this week with 120 countries. Story continues MORE: Inside Biden's 'summit for democracy' amid pressure to make virtual meetings meaningful Biden asserted democracies were becoming stronger, not weaker, as he spoke at the summit on Wednesday. "The work of democracy is never finished, it's never laid down," the president said. "We have to continually renew our commitment, continually strengthen our institutions, root out corruption where we find it, seek to build consensus and redirect political violence." PHOTO: Demonstrators attend a protest against the Israeli government's controversial judicial reform bill in Tel Aviv on March 29, 2023. (Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images) Netanyahu also addressed the summit in video remarks, in which he said the debate over his judicial proposal is an example of how to "ensure a proper democracy." "We have to move from protest to agreement, and that's where I want to get," Netanyahu said, adding that he believed a "balance can be achieved." The prime minister also took a moment to address the U.S.-Israel relationship, describing it as "unshakeable." Kirby said Wednesday there was "a lot to like" about Netanyahu's remarks. "He talked about searching for compromise, he talked about working towards building consensus here with respect to these these potential judicial reforms, he talked about how unshakable he knows the relationship is between the United States and Israel and he talked about his great respect for President Biden and that's a respect President Biden shares as well," Kirby said. -ABC News' Ben Gittleson, Molly Nagle and William Gretsky contributed to this report. Biden, Netanyahu have rare public spat over Israel's proposed judicial overhaul originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Utah's governor Spencer Cox introduced a bill requiring social media companies to have a curfew for minors. Matt Cardy/Getty Images Utah's governor Spencer Cox passed legislation restricting teenagers' access to social media. The new bill requires social media firms to obtain parental consent before children can open accounts. It also requires social media companies to establish a curfew for teens from 10:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. The governor of Utah signed a bill on Thursday that seriously restricts teenagers' access to social media platforms. Republican Governor Spencer Cox passed the Social Media Regulation Act, which aims to force social media companies to verify the age of all Utah residents before they can sign up for or maintain a social media account. The bill requires companies to obtain parental approval before minors can open a social media account, and establish a curfew for those under-18 to restrict access between 10:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. The law, which is set to come into effect in March 2024, will ban social media firms from targeting or displaying advertisements to minors; suggesting content or accounts; and collecting, sharing, or using personal information from a minor's account. The proposal first introduced by Republican Senator Michael McKell. When contacted about the bill, Governor Cox's office referred Insider to a press conference he hosted on Thursday. "We want teens to be safe online," a Meta spokesperson said. "We've developed more than 30 tools to support teens and families, including tools that let parents and teens work together to limit the amount of time teens spend on Instagram, and age verification technology that helps teens have age-appropriate experiences. "We automatically set teens' accounts to private when they join Instagram, and we send notifications encouraging them to take regular breaks. We don't allow content that promotes suicide, self-harm or eating disorders, and of the content we remove or take action on, we identify over 99% of it before it's reported to us." TikTok did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider, while Twitter sent an automatic response of a single poop emoji, as it does to all messages sent to its press email address. Story continues The Associated Press reported that social media companies will likely sue to stop the law going into effect. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a non-profit organization protecting civil liberties online, published an opposition letter to McKell's initial proposal on March 6 arguing that young people have a "First Amendment Right to Information," and many use online platforms for educational purposes. It wrote: "Under S.B. 152. before any minor can access the content on many of the most popular of these sites, they would have to get permission from a parent. This may make sense for a seven-year-old, but requiring the same restrictions for a seventeen-year-old greatly interferes both with the child's rights and the parent's." It added that young people's privacy will become vulnerable, for example, those trying to obtain information about sexual health, reproductive rights, and gender identity won't be able to in certain households. Alongside Utah, states like Connecticut and Ohio have also tried to introduce similar legislation. Lawmakers have been trying to protect children on social media for years, marking back to a 1998 bill, The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which prevented platforms from collecting the personal data of kids under the age of 13. But it's been argued that the bill needs amending in recent years. "Big Tech has a voracious appetite for kids' attention and data, and these companies have no problem prioritizing their own profits over children and teens' right to privacy," Democratic Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts, an original author of the law, wrote in a press release in 2021, per Insider. Read the original article on Business Insider Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in Accra, Ghana, on Sunday, kicking off a weeklong trip on the continent that will also take her to Tanzania and Zambia. Harris, the first Black woman U.S. vice president, is making her first trip to Africa while in office. She arrived Sunday in Air Force Two with the second gentleman, Doug Emhoff, and was greeted by Ghanas Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia. The welcome ceremony included a gift of flowers, dancers and drummers as she walked down a red carpet and a large group of children gathered to the side of the stage where she made brief remarks. What an honor it is to be here in Ghana and on the continent of Africa," she said on the tarmac of Kotoka International Airport. "Im very excited about the impact of Africa on the rest of the world," she said, pointing to a future in the coming decades in which the population -- with a current median age of 19 -- would help put African nations at the center of international relations. While on her trip, Harris said she wants to promote "increasing investments," the "economic empowerment" of women, girls and young businesspeople, "digital inclusion" and food security in light of mounting challenges from climate change. PHOTO: Vice President Kamala Harris delivers a speech at the Kotoka International Airport, March 26, 2023 in Accra, Ghana. (Ernest Ankomah/Getty Images) She said she will also be discussing democracy and government as she meets with various leaders and will be observing just some of the innovation and creativity that is "inspiring the world." "We have a lot of work ahead of us, and again I'm so very excited to be here," she said. The vice president will meet with Ghana's president Nana Akufo-Addo on Monday and hold a news conference following their meeting. She travels to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Wednesday afternoon, and then departs Tanzania for Lusaka, the Zambian capital, on Friday, where she will meet with President Hakainde Hichilema. She returns to Washington on April 2. Harris continues the Biden administration's outreach to African countries amid competition from China and their growing influence on the continent, where countries have forged trade and other ties with Beijing. Story continues Previewing the vice president's agenda on a call with reporters on Thursday evening, senior administration officials said Harris will be asking the leaders not to "choose" between the U.S. and China but to "expand" their options. PHOTO: Vice President Kamala Harris arrives at the Kotoka International Airport to begin her trip to Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia, in Accra, Ghana, March 26, 2023. (Francis Kokoroko/Reuters) "We can't ignore the current geopolitical moment. It's no secret that we are engaged in competition with China. And we've said very clearly we intend to out-compete China in the long term," the officials said. In a show of how much Tanzania values their relationship with China, President Samia Suluhu Hassan's first state visit outside of Africa last November was to meet President Xi Jinping in Beijing where their meeting focused on areas of cooperation such as agriculture trade and infrastructure. Two notable moments to watch for during Harris' trip will be in Ghana and Zambia. The administration officials said that on Monday, Harris will tour Cape Coast Castle, a former slave-trade outpost and location of the so-called "Door of No Return," and deliver remarks on the "brutality of slavery and the African diaspora." And Harris' time in Zambia will be notable as it marks her return to the country for the first time since she was a young girl. In the 1960s, she traveled there to visit her maternal grandfather, who was a civil servant in India and worked for several years in the Zambian government on refugee resettlement issues. Vice President Harris arrives for historic Africa trip, focused on investment and empowerment originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Audrey in hat near helicopter in Murder Mystery 2 Currently boasting A-lister status on both the big and small screen, Jennifer Aniston has been one of Hollywoods most sought-after talents for going on three decades, and theres no end in sight to projects that fans would love to see her taking part in. The Friends vet is next set to take over streaming charts opposite Adam Sandler in Netflixs Murder Mystery 2 , which has already sparked talks about the duo collaborating with Drew Barrymore on a comedy project of some kind. Now that HBOs The White Lotus has cemented its central filming location for Season 3 , Aniston has reacted to a dream-casting idea that took over the fan community surrounding the events of Season 2. Where Will The White Lotus Season 3 Be Filmed? While Season 1 of the satire-soaked drama was set in Maui, Hawaii, with the production shifting to Sicily, Italy for Season 2, the third season will indeed be firmly entrenched in Asian culture. Creator Mike White hinted at that being a possible goal for the hit series future, with the general idea that the narrative could tap into how death is viewed in that region, both religiously and secularly, as compared to elsewhere. According to Deadline , White and the White Lotus crew are making the trip to Thailand for Season 3. Among other things, that means fans can likely get ready to see some magnificent food on display throughout, regardless of where in the country theyll be filming. To that end, The White Lotus utilized Four Seasons hotels for its first two seasons, and its logical to think the creative team will opt to go the same route for the next seasonal installment. Thailand boasts four Four Seasons properties that could feasibly serve as the next filming location, with facilities in Bangkok, Koh Samui, Chiang Mai, and in the Golden Triangle border region. However, it doesnt appear as if White has made any final decisions on where in Thailand the production will be centered.No matter where it happens, though, I think we can agree Jennifer Aniston would look classy AF in whatever this shows Thai-centric wardrobe ends up looking like. Story continues How Jennifer Aniston Reacted To White Lotus Casting Idea After only one season The White Lotus became an instant magnet for fan-casting ideas, given its anthology nature, with Jennifer Aniston as a name that bounced around at the time. But then Season 2s plotline, which included the return of Jennifer Coolidges Tanya, provided viewers a more direct way to hope for the Morning Show star to make her mark in the HBO shows universe: she could play Tanyas sister or friend, hellbent on avenging the characters fate in the bonkers Season 2 finale . When promoting the upcoming premiere of Murder Mystery 2, Aniston was asked by E! what she thinks about that particular casting idea, and she immediately wanted to know if the creator himself was listening. Did you hear it, Mike White? We did The Good Girl together! Hard as it may be to believe, it's been 21 years since The Good Girl hit theaters, which is as good a reason as any for a reunion to happen in Thailand for The White Lotus' next season. And hell, if Mike White can also bring in Jake Gyllenhaal and John C. Reilly to make it a proper reunion, that's even better. It's not likely in the slightest, but it's an awesome idea to think about. Jennifer Aniston did confirm that she's a big fan of the HBO show, with Adam Sandler readily confirming that to be the case. And while there's a brief moment where she seems as if she'd be hesitant about letting a potential role be an obstacle for her fandom, Aniston pivoted to amusingly address an inconsistency from one of White's awards speeches. I am obsessed with it. Obsessed with it. . . . By the way, remember when Mike said at the Golden Globes, he was like, 'I know you all passed on it.' Remember when he said that? [Raises hand] I didn't. I didn't even get a call. Obviously there are more ways to bring her into The White Lotus without necessarily needing to connect her to Tanya's story. But wouldn't it be awesome to see some flashback scenes between Aniston and Jennifer Coolidge? Would it be too weird if those flashbacks took place in a set that looked remarkably like Rachel and Monica's apartment in Friends? Probably, but the good kind of weird. While waiting to see if Mike White brings Aniston into his high-society murder mysteries, everyone with a Netflix subscription can watch her and Adam Sandler in the comedy sequel Murder Mystery 2 for its streaming debut on Friday, March 31. All episodes of The White Lotusan be streamed with an HBO Max subscription. Dan Kitwood - Getty Images Though business has taken Prince Harry to London for a brief visit, he won't have a chance to meet up with his family while he's in town. The Duke of Sussex is currently attending a days-long pretrial hearing against Associated Newspapers at London's High Court, of which he is one of the claimants bringing legal action against the publisher for illegal information gathering. BAZAAR.com understands that Harry notified his father, King Charles III, of his surprise visit before flying from California to London this past weekend, but was told that the monarch would be "too busy," a source says. (The king was originally slated to be in France at this time, but that visit was postponed due to anti-pension reform protests.) King Charles and Queen Camilla departed today for a royal tour of Germany, but Buckingham Palace confirms to BAZAAR that the monarch was not in Windsor or London before his departure. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, tells BAZAAR that the family is "not in Windsor" due to Easter holidays. Getty - Getty Images Amid the hearing, Harry is staying at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, the Sussexes' official United Kingdom residence, which earlier this month Charles requested they vacate. The Duke of Sussex intends to stay in London all week for the hearing against Associated Newspapers, which officially concludes tomorrow. In a witness statement released yesterday, Harry alleged that the royal institution did not fully disclose all the details concerning a phone hacking incident by the British publisher. "The Institution was without a doubt withholding information from me for a long time about NGN's phone hacking and that has only become clear in recent years as I have pursued my own claim with different legal advice and representation," he said. "It is not an exaggeration to say that the bubble burst in terms of what I knew in 2020 when I moved out of the United Kingdom." You Might Also Like Foster parents in Ohio have been criminally charged nearly two months after their 2-year-old foster daughter suffered severe injuries while in their care, according to police and media reports The Columbus Division of Police said the toddler arrived at Nationwide Childrens Hospital on Feb. 4 in cardiac arrest. She was initially not expected to recover from her injuries, but police said March 30 they believe she will survive with long-term complications. She had abusive head trauma, brain bleeds, cuts and bruises, WSYX reported. At the time, police referred to her injuries as suspicious. Police issued arrest warrants Wednesday for Angel Foster-Burks, 30, and Clayton Burks, 34. The couple, who WBNS reported are the foster parents of the toddler, are charged with endangering children. Evidence suggested Mr. Burks caused the abuse while Ms. Foster-Burks was a passive participant, The Columbus Dispatch reported, citing court records. The 2-year-olds siblings have been removed from the home, according to WBNS and the Dispatch. Foster-Burks was booked into the Franklin County Jail on Wednesday, and jail records show she also faces animal cruelty charges. Burks has not been arrested as of Thursday afternoon. Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact Columbus police at 614-645-4730. 9-year-old girl sexually assaulted in childrens area of library, California cops say Boy finds 5-year-old sister with sock in mouth, MO cops say. Two face murder charge 4-year-old dies after dad punches him, Georgia deputies say. Dads charged with murder Pinball, retro video games, card-based contests and more are part of the Midwest Gaming Classic this weekend at the Wisconsin Center. 1. Midwest Gaming Classic The Midwest Gaming Classic returns to the Wisconsin Center this weekend, filling three floors of the convention center at 400 W. Wisconsin Ave. with pinball, arcade, console and tabletop games and the people who love them and can play them for the price of admission. Also on hand: scores of artists, game creators, performers, players, vendors and more. Hours for the Gaming Classic are 6 p.m. to midnight March 31, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. April 1 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 2. Admission is $45 March 31, $50 on April 1 and $25 April 2. (Multi-day passes run from $60 to $175.) Kids 9 and younger get in free. Info: midwestgamingclassic.com. 2. Tiki Takedown at Turner Hall Ballroom So what if winter refuses to let go? You can get all tropical on April 2 starting at 1 p.m. at Turner Hall Ballroom, at the third annual Tiki Takedown. Local beverage purveyors will show off their craft-cocktail savvy creating original tiki drinks for sampling (and for judging a winner). There'll be live DJ sets, prizes and more. Admission is $20, $40 for a VIP ticket that includes early entry, food and more. Info: pabsttheatergroup.com. 3. 'Hop to the Movies' at Marcus Theatres Marcus Theatres' long-running Easter season tradition a screening of the 2011 live-action/computer-animated movie "Hop" and a clutch of family-friendly activities including egg hunts, craft stations and more returns April 1. The activities start at 9:30 a.m., with the movie starting at 10:30. Participating Marcus theaters including Bistroplex Southridge, Hillside, Majestic, Menomonee Falls, Ridge, Saukville and South Shore cinemas. Tickets are $9.50. Info: marcustheatres.com. 4. Milwaukee Blues Festival at Miller High Life Theatre The 10th annual Milwaukee Blues Festival sets up shop at the Miller High Life Theatre at 8 p.m. March 31. Acts include Calvin Richardson, Pokey Bear, Ronnie Bell, King George and Chick Rodgers. Tickets are $59 to $125. Info: millerhighlifetheatre.com. EARTH DAY ACTIVITIES:Milwaukee River Spring Cleanup and more ways to volunteer This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 4 things to do in Milwaukee this weekend, like Midwest Gaming Classic EMGS Electromagnetic Geoservices ASA ("EMGS" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has entered into late sales licencing agreements related to its existing EM multi-client library, with a total combined revenue to the Company of approx. USD 3.1 million. The revenue is expected to be recognised in the first quarter of 2023. Contact Anders Eimstad, CFO, +47 948 25 836 This information is published in accordance with the Norwegian Securities Trading Act 5-12. About EMGS EMGS, the marine EM market leader, uses its proprietary electromagnetic (EM) technology to support oil and gas companies in their search for offshore hydrocarbons. EMGS supports each stage in the workflow, from survey design and data acquisition to processing and interpretation. The Company's services enable the integration of EM data with seismic and other geophysical and geological information to give explorationists a clearer and more complete understanding of the subsurface. This improves exploration efficiency and reduces risks and the finding costs per barrel. CSEM technology can also be used to detect the presence of marine mineral deposits (primarily Seabed Massive Sulphides) and EMGS believes that the technology can also be used to estimate the mineral content of such deposits. The Company is undertaking early-stage initiatives to position itself in this future market. CONCORD The New Hampshire attorney general on Wednesday announced an expanding investigation into real estate agent and broker Daniel Twombly. He is also facing an investigation in Massachusetts. Twombly, a Hampton resident, is accused of failing to make approximately $250,000 in agent commission payments for transactions in recent months and misappropriating his firm's escrow account after his suspension. New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella said Wednesday his office's Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau, the Real Estate Commission, and the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification are all "actively investigating" the complaints against Twombly as well as his real estate businesses: NE Coast to Country Realty Investments (Coast to Country) LLC, RE/MAX Insight and RE/MAX On the Move. Local real estate agent Daniel K. Twombly was suspended by the New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification. Now the state attorney general and courts are getting involved. Previous story: Seacoast real estate agent suspended. RE/MAX closing Dover, Exeter, Hampton franchises. Twombly has not responded to previous requests for comment. RE/MAX On the Move had offices in Hampton, Dover and Exeter. RE/MAX Insights offices were in Manchester and Salem, as well as in Dracut, Methuen, and Tewksbury, Massachusetts. Marshall Hook, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, said Wednesday the agency has "an open matter pending for Mr. Twombly," adding we are "unable to comment further." He said Twombly's license is no longer active in Massachusetts. New Hampshire petitioned for a receiver to take over, operate, or close the real estate businesses "after it was found, upon inspection of its books and records, to be operating in violation of the provisions of the law," according to Formella. Twombly's principal broker license had been suspended by the state Real Estate Commission on March 11 "after receiving complaints that he had misappropriated funds held in an escrow account," according to Formella. The commission also sought the immediate establishment of a receivership and the appointment of a receiver over Coast to Country. Story continues New Hampshire investigators found Coast to Coast failed to pay more than $250,000 in commissions between Oct. 1, 2022 and Feb. 28. In addition, Twombly "had exclusive access to the escrow account and authorized transactions after the time of his suspension, and prevented the Real Estate Commission from auditing the escrow accounts of Coast to Country," all in violation of state laws, according to Formella. Receiver available to people affected by alleged wrongdoing The Merrimack County Superior Court on Tuesday appointed a receiver, Jason Mills of principal of BCM Advisory Group LLC, to operate Coast to Country "to preserve the assets and minimize the financial hardship to employees and consumers," according to Formella. Members of the public who are affected can reach Mills at (207) 807-9516 or jmills@bcmadvisorygroup.com, according to Formella. BCM Advisory Group is located at 22 Monument Square, Suite 401 in Portland, Maine. The commission and court orders are preliminary orders and subject to further hearings. New Hampshire Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau investigators can be reached at 1-888-468-4454 or DOJ-CPB@doj.nh.gov. Investigators with the Real Estate Commission and the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification can be reached at (603) 271-6985. Reporting by Ian Lenahan is included in this story. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: AG: Seacoast NH RE/MAX real estate agent broke law after suspension Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson told Iowans Wednesday that if he decides to run for president, he would work to be the type of candidate who brings out the best in his fellow Americans not focus on "the grievance factor." He hinted that he could make that decision in April. "I think the best for the future is who on our side can bring out the best of America and not bring out an appeal to the worst of our instincts. And to me that is important and that's worth fighting for," he told a group of Polk County Republicans Wednesday morning at Jethro's BBQ 'n Bacon Bacon in West Des Moines. It's a nod to the tumultuous nature of American politics in recent election cycles, but in a sitdown interview with the Des Moines Register after Wednesday's event, Hutchinson said he hopes his potential campaign would focus less on the dark aspects of that history and more on the country's future. More: 'Stay tuned.' Former GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson aiming to make 2024 decision in first half of the year "It's the anger factor. It's the grievance factor. It is that we're looking at the past versus looking at the future. And to me, that's not bringing out our best," he said, citing Americans' focus on the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and a general increase in feelings of "resentment." Former Gov. of Arkansas Asa Hutchinson talks to a reporter at Jethro's BBQ 'n Bacon in West Des Moines on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. Hutchinson 'serious' about potential presidential campaign The former governor spoke to a variety of central Iowans this week during his three-day trip to the first-in-the-nation caucus state ahead of his expected bid for the White House in 2024. He told potential voters on Wednesday that he is "serious about looking at running for president," but he stopped himself before revealing anything more about his future plans. "I've said all along that March is for messaging and April is for announcing. So we're going to follow that pattern, and April is right around the corner, so stay tuned," he said with a coy smile Wednesday. As the dozen or so attendees laughed, he added, "I didn't say what I was going to announce." Story continues Hutchinson came to Iowa this week already speaking as if he were a candidate on the campaign trail. He told Iowans about his track record as governor of Arkansas, touting his ability to grow the state's economy while lowering taxes and promoting his success at increasing access to computer-science education in Arkansas. He also pulled from his experience working in federal government, where he served as a Congressman and as the administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the undersecretary of Homeland Security for Border Protection under President George W. Bush. More: Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson: Trump should quit 2024 presidential race if indicted "I talk about some of my federal service, and to think about going from the farm to the Situation Room in the White House with the president of the United States " he said. "What a privilege it was to be able to address some of the biggest concerns of our country during that challenging time that we had." Hutchinson told the Register he believes those credentials are what make him "unique" among other Republican candidates. Former Gov. of Arkansas Asa Hutchinson speaks at Jethro's BBQ 'n Bacon in West Des Moines on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. "I understand deeply, whether you're talking about the border crisis, or whether you're talking about the drug issues national security issues. These are the problems that people are talking about, and I think my credentials and ideas stand out," he said. Hutchinson brands himself as a traditional conservative Hutchinson painted a picture of American leadership focused on traditional conservative values, such as limiting government spending, promoting American manufacturing and lowering taxes. Like his fellow Republicans already on the campaign trail, Hutchinson also denounced what he called a "progressive, leftist social agenda" which he said is being promoted in states across the country. Addressing Ukraine, one of the more polarizing issues for Republicans today, Hutchinson said he believes continuing U.S. aid is important in upholding America's role as a global leader who "support[s] the oppressed versus the oppressor." Hutchinson's emphasis on a more traditional view of conservatism appealed to potential voters like 62-year-old Waukee resident Doug Stout, who said even though he thinks Hutchinson is unlikely to snatch the Republican nomination, he's excited to see him become a candidate. Stout said he thinks Hutchinson is "a really level-headed, solid, good old-style school conservative" who has proven his skills in "balancing budgets and making sure we get the most of our money." He went on to say he appreciates Hutchinson's willingness to find common ground with those with whom he disagrees, comparing him to former President Ronald Reagan. Former Gov. of Arkansas Asa Hutchinson, right, talks with Kim Schmett at Jethro's BBQ 'n Bacon in West Des Moines on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. "Is it likely? No. Is it possible? Yes," Stout said of Hutchinson's chances in the increasingly crowded Republican field already descending upon Iowa. "But even if he doesn't do it, I think he adds a great perspective to the debate, which helps to keep everybody honest and talking about policies." Francesca Block is a breaking news reporter at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at FBlock@registermedia.com or on Twitter at @francescablock3. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Asa Hutchinson nods to future presidential run in visit to Iowa Can buzzing sounds effectively keep elephants away from African farms? | Adobe.com A new device that generates the sound of buzzing bees is being used to keep elephants away from African communities. And its working, as evidenced by footage captured in Liberia on March 3 by the organization Elephant Research and Conservation. The device is called a BuzzBox and was developed by Martyn Griffiths, Wild Survivors board chairman, according to The New York Times. It provides a way to keep elephants away from African communities without physically harming the animal or endangering any humans. That has potential to reduce elephant-human conflict. The article said research on the relationship of bees and elephants started in 2002, when Maasai honey hunters told researchers that trees inhabited by beehives were never damaged by elephants. Save The Elephants, a charity dedicated to conserving elephants, reports on its website that the three-month audio study was the result of a unique cross-border collaboration between Elephant Research and Conservation in Liberia, Kenya-based Save the Elephants and Wild Survivors in Tanzania. Related The website said BuzzBoxes have a remote sensor with a five-meter radar and can be attached to objects like trees and posts. The New York Times reported the BuzzBox can be programmed to two high-frequency strobe lights and six different soundtracks, including barking dogs. BuzzBox inspiration Lucy King, head of Save the Elephants human-elephant coexistence program, started studying elephants fear of bees in 2006 and applied what she learned to create specialized wire fences upon which beehives hang like pendulums. In 2017, researchers found beehive fences successfully keep elephants away 80% of the time, per The New York Times. Save The Elephants said the beehive fence was good at keeping crop-raiding elephants out of farms, leading to adoption by 23 countries across Africa and Asia. Inspired by the beehive fence project, Griffiths designed the BoxBuzz. Quoting Elephant Research and Conservation, Save the Elephants reported that five years later, the design has evolved from a costly concept design using off-the-shelf sound modules to a low-cost proprietary design adaptable to many different use cases, including deep in the forests of West Africa. Story continues Related King called the BuzzBoxes such a wonderful story of collaboration, partners linking up and working together to research peaceful and effective ways to keep elephants away from communities and reduce human-elephant conflict. Save the Elephants provided the initial research and funding, Wild Survivors provided the Buzz Box technology and Elephant Research and Conservation provided evidence that the elephants responded, King said. President Joe Biden takes part in the Summit for Democracy Virtual Plenary on Democracy Delivering on Global Challenges at the South Court Auditorium of the White House in Washington, March 29, 2023. (Samuel Corum/The New York Times) WASHINGTON When President Joe Biden bluntly warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he cannot continue down this road of overhauling his countrys judiciary, he touched off the kind of response usually expressed by Americas adversaries rather than its allies. Israel is a sovereign country which makes its decisions by the will of its people and not based on pressures from abroad, including from the best of friends, Netanyahu said Wednesday, accusing the U.S. president of meddling in another countrys politics which is exactly what Biden was intending to do. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times It was a remarkably public outbreak of the kind of disagreement that usually takes place in private. But there were other factors at work that had been brewing for many years. There is no love lost between the two leaders, despite their polite facade when it comes to their decadeslong relationship and their common commitment to Israels defense. Netanyahu made no particular effort to hide his backing for President Donald Trump in the 2020 election, making clear his preference for an incumbent who gave him everything he asked for, including moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and paying little attention to the Palestinians while siding with Israel on its claims over Palestinian territory in the West Bank. In Bidens eyes, Netanyahu engaged in what was perhaps the boldest interference in the U.S. legislative process in modern history, when he arrived in Washington in 2015 and addressed Congress, denouncing a then-pending nuclear deal with Iran as a nightmare that will all but guarantee that Iran will get those nuclear weapons, lots of them. At the time, Netanyahu denied that he was interfering in American politics instead, he insisted, he was making the case against a deal that he believed would weaken Israels own security. Still, former officials who have helped to shape U.S.-Israel policy in past administrations called the current crisis extraordinary. Story continues This is unlike any other crisis in the U.S.-Israel relationship, said Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and former State Department Middle East peace negotiator. Ive never seen any administration react to a new Israel movement with the intensity, frequency and at as senior a level as this one. Miller and others said that recent weeks had dramatically changed U.S. perceptions of Netanyahu, leaving Biden administration officials with much less confidence that disputes with the Israeli leader and his right-wing government could be contained. What strikes me is that the Biden administration is dealing with a Bibi whos very different from anything that anybody had dealt with previously, said Daniel Kurtzer, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Israel during the George W. Bush administration, using a nickname for the prime minister. The conflict escalated after suggestions Tuesday by the U.S. ambassador to Israel that Netanyahu would be welcome in Washington sometime soon. But Biden made it clear that such an invitation was not in the cards. When asked whether Netanyahu would be invited to the White House, the president replied: No. Not in the near term. Netanyahu has recently faced a corruption trial and was unseated in 2021, only to be reelected as prime minister the next year. He has since thrown his lot in with ultraconservative political forces, assembling a far-right coalition that has privately caused Biden administration officials to question how much control Netanyahu has over the factions that have made him powerful. The back-and-forth with Netanyahu put Biden in an awkward position this week as his White House hosted a summit devoted to promoting democratic ideals, even as allied governments continued to test them. Netanyahus critics say his plan to change the makeup of Israels judiciary branch is an existential threat to the countrys 75-year democratic tradition. Netanyahus announcement that he would pause the plan to give the government greater control over the Supreme Court which could allow his administration to end the continuing corruption trial against him has left Biden administration officials hopeful that he will pursue a permanent compromise. So, as quickly as the tension rose, Netanyahu and the Biden administration sought to smooth over any rift, with John Kirby, a White House spokesperson, telling reporters that there was a lot to like about Netanyahus statement. He talked about searching for a compromise, Kirby said. He talked about working towards building a consensus here with respect to these potential judicial reforms. He talked about how unshakable he knows the relationship is between the United States and Israel. He added: And the great thing about friends, and Im sure you all have friends, you dont always agree with everything your friend does or says. And the great thing about a deep friendship is you can be that candid with one another. Speaking virtually at the White House democracy summit Wednesday, Netanyahu said that Israel and the United States have had their occasional differences, but I want to assure you that the alliance between the worlds greatest democracy and the strong, proud and independent democracy Israel in the heart of the Middle East, is unshakable. Nothing can change that. He added that his country will always remain a proud, strong and vibrant democracy as a beacon of liberty and shared prosperity in the heart of the Middle East. Biden is also facing brewing domestic concern over settlements. On March 9, 92 House Democratic members sent a letter urging Biden to use all diplomatic tools available to prevent Israels government from further damaging the nations democratic institutions and undermining a potential two-state solution for the Palestinians. The settlement matter, while largely overshadowed by the judicial reform, has the potential to further rock relations between the two countries. The Biden administration has been pressuring Netanyahus coalition for months to rein in settlement activity in the occupied West Bank, with little success. Just last week, the State Department pointedly rebuked Netanyahus government for approving a measure that would allow settlers to return to areas of the West Bank evacuated in 2005, in what, if acted upon, would be a potentially explosive provocation for to the Palestinians. The United States was extremely troubled by the new law, State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said, calling it particularly provocative and counterproductive amid a surge of Israeli-Palestinian violence that many experts warn could burst into another mass Palestinian uprising, or intifada. Kurtzer warned that even if Netanyahu backed down on the judicial reform plan, in part to placate Biden, he could feel resulting pressure to take more aggressive steps on settlements and other policies to appease his fragile right-wing coalition. The reality is that part of the payoff to his coalition may be a big settlements push, Kurtzer said. What comes next for Biden depends heavily on how events play out within Israel, analysts said. Netanyahu could yet agree to some compromise approach to the proposed judicial measures, as Biden has recommended, and quell the massive demonstrations within his own country. That would move the matter from the political front burner and allow Biden to return to more private forms of cajoling. If Netanyahu goes ahead and the demonstrations continue, Biden may be forced to take an even tougher stand especially if disquiet grows among Democrats in Congress, who are growing increasingly outspoken about their concerns. In the meantime, the president has been criticized by Republicans who say he has been unnecessarily hard on Netanyahu compared with other leaders he has invited to the White House. Utterly disgraceful, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, wrote on Twitter about Bidens invitation snub. Biden gleefully hosts anti-American radicals like Lula, while shunning close American allies like Netanyahu, Cruz said, referring to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the president of Brazil who has long accused U.S. officials of trying to undercut him politically. And Ron DeSantis, the Republican governor of Florida, announced plans to visit Israel in late April. On Wednesday, a White House spokesperson stressed that officials within the administration and the Israeli government were in regular contact despite the flap. The official then reiterated Bidens hope that the Israelis find a compromise to judicial reform, while adding that the United States would not interfere in Israels domestic politics. c.2023 The New York Times Company ISRAEL-US-DIPLOMACY Then-Vice President Joe Biden, left, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu address reporters in the prime minister's office in Jerusalem on March 9, 2016. Credit - Debbie HillAFP via Getty Images It was an unusually pointed exchange of comments between an American President and an Israeli prime minister. Joe Biden told reporters Wednesday afternoon that Benjamin Netanyahu wouldnt be coming to the White House in the near term and that he hopes Netanyahu walks away from the divisive judiciary overhaul effort that had brought Israel to a standstill. Within hours, Netanyahu brushed Biden back. He took to Twitter with a retort that Israel is a sovereign country that makes its decisions by the will of its people and not based on pressures from abroad, including from the best of friends. It was the most visible sign of how the relationship between Biden and Netanyahu has turned markedly icy, a development that could have widespread implications for the role of both countries, particularly in the Middle East. Its been three months since Netanyahu was named Prime Minister for the third time. He has yet to visit Washington since his swearing in in December, a rare absence for a newly elected Israeli leader. Any Israeli Prime Minister wants to have an early visit to Washington to coordinate with the President, says Daniel Shapiro, a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council and the US ambassador to Israel from 2011 to 2017, who noted that both leaders would want to work to get on the same page on a long list of pressing issues, including the threat Iran poses and how to address it. Netanyahus latest return to power has been overshadowed by the deal he had to make with Israels extreme-right parties to get there, including a promise to push for increasing executive control of the judicial branch. That move raised alarm bells throughout Israel that it would undermine the checks and balances among the countrys branches of government. Story continues It also rattled Bidens inner circle. Biden has long considered himself a close friend of Israel, from his years on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to his time as Vice President, when he was tapped to smooth over the tensions between President Obama and Netanyahu, who was in the midst of a previous stint as prime minister, over the U.S. effort to advance a nuclear deal with Iran. Netanyahus plan to weaken Israels Supreme Court sparked weeks of massive protests and debilitating work stoppages. On Monday, Netanyahu announced he was backing off the overhaul for now, yet signaled he still intended to move forward with the plan at a later date. That leaves Netanyahus bid to hold on to power on a collision course not only with much of the Israeli public, but also with Biden. The face-off threatens to strain US-Israel relations. Read more: What the Protests in Israel Ignore Like many strong supporters of Israel, Im very concerned. And Im concerned that they get this straight. They cannot continue down this road, Biden told reporters Wednesday afternoon under the wing of Air Force One, as the President finished up a visit to a semiconductor maker in North Carolina. The split comes at a critical time in the Middle East. Israel and the US have close security ties, sharing information on terrorist threats, as well as Irans destabilizing actions in the region and its pursuit of nuclear weapons. Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Congress last week that Iran could generate a nuclear weapon in several months, if it decided to produce the fissile material. US forces have recently exchanged strikes with militants in Syria affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. During a phone call on March 19, Biden told Netanyahu that democratic values are a hallmark of the US-Israel relationship, and that democratic societies are strengthened by genuine checks and balances, according to a White House description of the call. The two havent spoken since. One sign of the amount of work and coordination thats still going on between the two governments is the number of senior Biden Administration officials who have visited the country in recent months. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan visited Israel in January, weeks after Netanyahu took office, as did CIA director Bill Burns and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Milley was in Israel in early March. Ron Dermer, Netanyahus close advisor and Minister of Strategic Affairs, has also made multiple trips to Washington since the start of the year. But Netanyahu hasnt visited the Oval Office since Donald Trump was President and theres no plans at this point for him to do so. Had it not been for some of Netanyahus policies, I suspect you would have had an early invitation for Netanyahu to visit the White House, says Aaron David Miller is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a former State Department senior advisor for Arab-Israeli negotiations. Joe Biden is in love with the idea of Israel. He is not in love with Benjamin Netanyahu. Its unclear if Netanyahu will change course on his efforts to weaken Israels judiciary or if he intends to press forward, hoping his pause will deflate the energy behind the protests. Along with concerns that the overhaul would weaken the countrys democracy, the changes could also benefit Netanyahu personally. He is facing a corruption trial in Israel, and giving the executive branch more authority over the countrys judiciary would give him more power to seat judges that could rule on cases involving him. Netanyahu in recent years has tended to steer toward conflict, not away from it. In 2019, I interviewed him for a TIME cover story on the cusp of his becoming Israels longest-serving prime minister. Sitting on couches inside the prime ministers residence in Jerusalem, Netanyahu admitted he had few hobbies, aside from smoking a cigar at the end of the day, and reading history books in his spare time. He noted he had recently read The Lessons of History, by Will and Ariel Durant and recommended it. The No. 1 lesson he took away from the book was that turning the other cheek may not be a winning strategy in the annals of time. History does not favor Christ over Genghis Khan, he told TIME. WASHINGTON Donald Trump became the first former U.S. president to be charged criminally on Thursday, but other democracies have shown no reservations about hauling their leaders into court during the last 20 years. Perhaps the most prominent is Israel, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been on trial for years on corruption charges he denies. Two of his predecessors have been imprisoned. South Korea is even more rough and tumble, with four recent presidents investigated and two imprisoned. In contrast in the U.S., former President Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon for crimes associated with the Watergate investigation rather than put the country through the trauma of a trial, though Nixon was never charged. Investigations of Trump, who denied wrongdoing, have roiled the country as a Justice Department special counsel, Jack Smith, scrutinizes his role in the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021, and having classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. Alvin Bragg v. Donald Trump: Inside Manhattan DA's latest legal tangle with former president Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg secured an indictment against Trump. While the details weren't released immediately, Bragg was investigating the payment of $130,000 to porn actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Trump has denied wrongdoing and said he would fight the charges. Sentences can run long for convicted leaders. Former leaders of Taiwan and Malaysia were sentenced to 20 years and 12 years, respectively. Pardons are also possible, with a former South Korean president sentenced to 22 years and pardoned after five. Not every case leads to conviction. Italys former prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, has been acquitted at trials related to sexually charged bunga bunga parties he held while in office. But he was convicted of tax fraud and served a year of community service. Here's why some world leaders faced charges: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands at the Knesset, Israel's parliament in Jerusalem, on Monday. Israel Story continues Israelis protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plan outside the parliament in Jerusalem, Monday, March 27, 2023. South Korea France Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2016. Nicolas Sarkozy, who was president from 2007 to 2012, was convicted in 2021 and sentenced to a year of house arrest for illegal campaign financing. He has appealed. Jacques Chirac, who was president from 1995 to 2007, was convicted in 2011 of misuse of public money, breach of trust and illegal conflict of interest from when he was previously mayor of Paris. He was given a two-year suspended sentence. Pakistan Imran Khan, who was prime minister from 2018 to 2022, was ousted in a no-confidence vote, according to the BBC. He was charged in August under an anti-terrorism law, accused of making threats against state officials. His arrest came after he accused police and the judiciary of torturing a close aide. Taiwan Taiwan's jailed former President Chen Shui-bian in 2012. Chen Shui-bian, who was president from 2000 to 2008, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for corruption offenses during his tenure, according to the BBC. He was convicted in 2009 of embezzling state funds, committing forgery and money laundering. Malaysia Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in 2018. Najib Razak, who was prime minister from 2009 to 2018, was acquitted March 23 in a trial for tampering with an audit in the multibillion-dollar looting of the 1Malaysian Development Berhad state fund. But he was imprisoned in August on a 12-year term after losing the final appeal for other corruption charges related to the fund. Italy Former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi waves to reporters in Rome in 2021. Silvio Berlusconi, who was prime minister off and on for nine years from 1994 to 2011, was acquitted in February of witness tampering in a trial related to the sexually charged bunga bunga parties he held while in office. The trial was the third in a scandal that included 2010 charges when he was a sitting premier of having paid for sex with an underage girl. He was acquitted. But Berlusconi was convicted in 2013 of tax fraud at his Mediaset television company and the Senate expelled him from Parliament, according to Reuters. Contributing: The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump indictment is a US first. Other nations routinely charge leaders A conservative free speech group that targets mainstream media brought billboard-sized digital screens into a residential neighborhood in Englewood Cliffs this week, plastered with the name of a Stanford University law school student who lives there, after members of his campus organization heckled a conservative federal judge at a speaking event. The group's truck, with bright blue digital billboards, stood parked outside the purported residence of law student Mohit Mookim on Tuesday and Wednesday during the universitys spring break, showing text messages in white and yellow letters that said, A member of Mohit Mookims group shouted 'I hope your daughters get raped.' The comment was allegedly made when members of the progressive Stanford chapter of the National Lawyers Guild heckled Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan at a March 9 event on the Stanford Law School campus. After a few attempts at reasoning with the shouting law students, the judge argued back, and according to some reports, called one of them an idiot. Duncan was appointed in 2017 by President Donald Trump to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which covers Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Duncan is known for his opposition to same-sex marriage and reproductive rights, and refused on one occasion to grant a transgender litigants request to be addressed as she. He was invited to speak on campus by students in Stanfords conservative Federalist Society. A conservative free speech group that targets mainstream media brought billboard-sized digital screens into a residential neighborhood in Englewood Cliffs this week, plastered with the name of a Stanford University law school student who lives there, after members of his campus organization heckled a conservative federal judge at a speaking event. Mookim, who did not respond to an email seeking comment, is a JD candidate at Stanford Law and former researcher at the Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, with an interest in social justice and transferring power to poor and BIPOC communities, according to the website of the National Center for Family Philanthropy. It is not known if Mookim personally participated in disrupting Duncan's speech. Mobile billboard truck The mobile billboard truck is a favorite tactic of Accuracy In Media, a conservative, self-described free speech watchdog outfit that targets the news media. Earlier this year the group sent billboard trucks to the homes of two Berkeley Law School students who belong to campus groups that had signed a bylaw banning speakers who support Zionism, the apartheid state of Israel, and the occupation of Palestine, according to AIM. Story continues Accuracy in Media's website also lists instances of public schools tricking parents into teaching kids about controversial issues like critical race theory, a focus of right wing groups. The group also sent billboard trucks to three other Stanford students' homes in New York, Virginia and Maryland this week who belong to the Stanford chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, said Adam Guillette, Accuracy in Media's president. Exposing the students to their friends and neighbors was his goal, said Guillette, but the trucks showed up also because they doubled down rather than apologizing for their actions. Accuracy in Media has a history of supporting anti-LGBTQ positions and conspiracy theories, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center and Media Matters, two progressive watchdog groups. A former director, Cliff Kincaid, was blatant about his dislike for gays and lesbians and dismissed global warming, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Law school students at Duncan's March 9 speech began hooting, interrupting, and questioning the judge about his positions on trans people and morality almost as soon as he began to speak. The judge, continuing with his prepared comments, appeared to ignore their questions. The rest of the time, he was mostly drowned out. He left the event without completing his remarks, escorted, according to reports, by federal marshals. Associate Dean Tirien Steinbach tried to intervene at one point, but told Duncan that his court decisions have caused harm and she was uncomfortable addressing the crowd over issues that tear at the fabric of the student community. Stanford sent a formal letter of apology to Duncan and placed Steinbach, who heads the law school's diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, on paid leave. The actions resulted in further campus protests. Last week, the dean of the law school, Jenny Martinez, sent students a widely-praised 10-page letter calling on students to respect civil discourse as future lawyers. She stood by her decisions to apologize to Duncan and put Dean Steinbach on leave. She also reminded students that the hecklers broke Stanford policy, which allows protests but not disruption of peaceful assembly. I want to set expectations clearly going forward: our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is not going to take the form of having the school administration announce institutional positions on a wide range of current social and political issues, make frequent institutional statements about current news events, or exclude or condemn speakers who hold views on social and political issues with whom some or even many in our community disagree, Martinez said in her letter. This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Billboard parked at North Jersey home after law students heckle judge When the Hurricane Committee for the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) meets on Wednesday in Costa Rica, one agenda item should capture the attention of everyone living in Southwest Florida who experienced the wrath of Hurricane Ian on Sept. 28, 2022. The committee of meteorologists is expected to retire the name 'Ian' forever from the list of hurricane names for Atlantic Basin storms. A Sept. 28 1:30 p.m. radar image shows the large eye of an almost Category 5 Hurricane Ian. In an email from WMO headquarters in Geneva, Clare Nullis, media officer in the Cabinet Office of the Secretary-General for the WMO, confirmed "the hurricane names will be considered Wednesday." More:Will Ian be retired from the hurricane names list and when will it happen? Ian would become the 95th Atlantic Basin name to be retired. According to the WMO website, a storm name is retired if it is considered "so deadly or costly that the future use of its name on a different storm would be inappropriate for obvious reasons of sensitivity." Hurricane Ian, a powerful Category 4 storm, was the third-costliest weather disaster on record, and the deadliest hurricane to strike the state of Florida since the 1935 Labor Day hurricane. It resulted in more than 160 deaths and caused $113 billion in damages. In a story published on news-press.com on Oct. 26, 2022, Nullis said the Hurricane Committee covers the entire region (North Atlantic, Caribbean and Latin America) and is chaired by the head of the U.S. National Hurricane Center. "The decision to retire names is by a vote but usually there is a high degree of consensus or unanimity, and so it is a quick procedure," Nullis said. Once the vote is made and there is approval of retiring a name, the committee will select a replacement name starting with the same letter, Nullis said. Hurricane names are recycled every six years. If the committee decides not to retire a name, it remains on the list. If, for some reason, Ian wasn't retired on Wednesday, it would be back on the hurricane names list for the 2028 season. Story continues "There is usually a vote to decide on a replacement name," Nullis said in October. "We have to ensure that it hasn't been used before, that it isn't used in any other tropical cyclone basin, and that it is easily understandable in a region where English, French and Spanish (and Creole) is spoken, and that it is culturally appropriate." The annual meeting is being held in San Jose, Costa Rica, from Monday to Friday. Q&A: Did you know? If Ian is retired from the list Wednesday, it should be a day of celebration for Southwest Floridians. The last hurricane to hit this part of the state Irma in 2017 has been retired. In fact, storm names starting with the letter 'I' are the most retired names. Which hurricane names are retired? There are too many to list here. You can check out the retired names HERE, at wunderground.com/hurricane/articles/retired-hurricane-names. Which hurricane names starting with I are retired? Iona, Inez, Iris, Isidore, Isabel, Ivan, Ike, Igor, Irene, Ingrid, Irma, Iota, Ida. Were hurricanes named Ian before 2022? Yes. The name Ian has been used for eight tropical cyclones worldwide two in the Atlantic Ocean, two in the Western Pacific Ocean and four in the Southwestern Pacific Ocean. The most recent before last year was Tropical Storm Ian in 2016. It didn't pose any threat to land. What is the I name for the 2023 hurricane season? Idalia. What hurricane name will replace Ian if it is retired? We won't know until the World Meteorlogical Organization Hurricane Committee meets on Wednesday. This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Hurricane names: Will Ian be retired from atlantic basin list by WMO Part of the shipwreck Emerline, a 19th-century logging schooner in the water off Baileys Harbor that recently was placed on the State Register of Historic Places in Wisconsin. BAILEYS HARBOR - Add another shipwreck off the shores of Door County to those listed on the Wisconsin State Register of Historic Places. The remains of the wreck of the Emeline, a late 19th-century lumber-carrying schooner that lies in Lake Michigan off Anclam Park in Baileys Harbor, was added to the state register by the Wisconsin Historical Society, which announced the designation Monday. Here are a few things to know, past and present, about the Emeline. What is the ship's history? Originally built in Michigan in 1862, according to the Wisconsin Shipwrecks website, the Emeline was converted two years later into a three-masted, double-centerboard schooner and lengthened from 83 to 111.4 feet. It spent most of its career carrying lumber throughout the Great Lakes region. On Aug. 8, 1896, the Emeline was bringing a load of tamarack bark from Charlevoix, Michigan, to a tannery in Kenosha when it was struck by a squall about 20 miles southeast of Baileys Harbor, the website says. The storm knocked the vessel over onto her starboard side, then her deck load of bark rolled off, "after which she righted herself only to capsize to her port side," the Wisconsin Shipwrecks site says. The Emeline's crew Capt. Adam Abrahamson, who had bought the ship just five months earlier, and three crew members were able to launch their rescue boat and row themselves to Baileys Harbor, so no lives were lost in the wreck. Attempts were made over the next couple of days to right the Emeline and bring her to harbor, but none were successful. The tug Sydney Smith from Sturgeon Bay tried towing it by one of the Emeline's three masts but ended up breaking the mast instead, and the schooner Nancy Dell was used to right the vessel only to have her roll back over later. The Emeline eventually sank in 18 feet of water Aug. 22, 1896, two weeks after she initially capsized, with her gunwales, two remaining masts and spars protruding from the surface of the lake. By January of 1897, the wreckage had broken into pieces. By 1903, her masts were no longer visible, and she was declared a hazard to navigation and dynamited in September of that year. Story continues A diagram showing an overhead view of the remains of the Emerline, a 19th-century logging schooner in the water off Baileys Harbor that recently was placed on the State Register of Historic Places in Wisconsin. How many Door County shipwrecks are historic places? Tamara Thomsen, maritime archaeologist with the Wisconsin Historical Society, said in an email to the Advocate that the Emeline is now the 27th Door County shipwreck on the state's historic register, out of a total of about 275 wrecks around the Peninsula. Seventeen of the historic wrecks are listed as their own individual site the Emeline is its own historic place, for example while the other 10 wrecks are part of a larger historic place. Four are part of the Jacksonport Wharf Archaeological District site, three are in the Bullhead Point Historical and Archaeological District off of Sturgeon Bay, and three are part of the Pilot Island NW site. The Emeline is not yet on the National Register of Historic Places, like the other Door County shipwrecks on the state register, but Thomsen said it has been nominated for review. She added that three more wrecks in the waters off the Peninsula are nominated for the state register, with consideration of the Boaz and the Sunshine, both in North Bay, expected at the end of May, and the Peoria off Baileys Harbor in November. Why is the Emeline historic? Thomsen said one of the main reasons the Emeline was placed on the state register is because of its double-centerboard construction, of which few examples from its time remain. "A full archaeological survey of the wreck was conducted by (the historical society's) Maritime Preservation and Archaeology program archaeologists in 1996, but because of staff changes, the nomination was not completed," Thomsen said. "In 2022 our office received a grant from Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute to examine double-centerboard schooner wrecks sites in our state, of which there are six (in Wisconsin), and only seven are known in all the Great Lakes, making the Emeline a rare example of unique ship construction not known through blueprints, but only through the archaeological record." Divers take measurements on the remains of the Emerline, a 19th-century logging schooner in the water off Baileys Harbor that recently was placed on the State Register of Historic Places in Wisconsin. She also noted that the Sea Grant funding enabled the historical society to confirm that the hull was the Emeline. Previously, it was called the Anclam Pier Wreck. Kay Dragan, curator and exhibits manager of the Door County Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay, said the wreck is important to preserve because of the Emeline's history as a logging vessel, with both the logging and shipping industries being a huge part of the economic history of the county. "The wreck of the Emeline is a prime example of the importance of logging and water in Wisconsin's history," Dragan said. "While it was already protected by law, having the designation on the Register of Historic Places ensures that it will be preserved and remembered for the coming generations." Wait a sec. If it was dynamited, what's left to see? Divers who are interested in checking out the wreck shouldn't be deterred by the fact it was dynamited almost 120 years ago. Thomsen said that was done just to flatten the hull and collapse its upright sides. Wisconsin Shipwrecks says the remains sit upright on their sandy bed with many of the hull components still intact and more beneath the sand. Thomsen said the wreck can be reached with a short swim from Anclam Park, but visiting divers must bring a dive flag to signal their whereabouts to nearby boaters. Of course, the wreck is protected by state and federal laws, and removing, defacing, displacing or destroying artifacts from the site is a crime. "There is quite a bit to see on the site," Thomsen said. "Understand that dynamiting didn't obliterate the ship, it only dropped the upright sides so the wreck was no longer a hazard to navigation. Everything is still there." Contact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or cclough@doorcountyadvocate.com. MORE: Want pasta made from organic produce and ingredients? It's at a new shop in Sturgeon Bay MORE: Shipyard Tour is the only chance to go behind the scenes at this Sturgeon Bay shipyard FOR MORE DOOR COUNTY NEWS: Check out our website This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Door County shipwreck added to the State Register of Historic Places The New Hampshire attorney general's office and the Dover Police Department are investigating a potential murder-suicide after two adults were found dead inside a home at 4 Dowaliby Court in Dover Tuesday, March 28, 2023. DOVER A man smothered his wife to death inside their home at 4 Dowaliby Court before killing himself, also by asphyxiation, according to authorities. Christine Navish, 58, and Sean Navish, 56, were found dead inside the home Tuesday, according to the New Hampshire attorney general's office. At 3:14 p.m. Tuesday, Dover police officers responded to the home after receiving a call from a home care service asking for a welfare check on the residents, where the couple lived alone, according to authorities. Autopsies conducted Thursday by New Hampshire Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Jennie Duval found Sean Navish, 56, killed his wife by asphyxiation, then died by suicide in the same manner. Previous story: Murder-suicide suspected in Dover home. AG, police investigating. The two were found dead Tuesday afternoon after police made entry. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident remains active and ongoing, the attorney general's press release states. Dover property records list the Navishes as owners of the single-story, Cape-style residence since the fall of 2018. The short residential roadway is off of Whittier Street, located near Sixth Street. This story may be updated. Never miss a story: Follow local news on the Seacoastonline mobile app or the Fosters.com mobile app This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Dover NH murder-suicide: Man smothered wife, killed himself Newly Hired Recruiting Agent in Mexico and Summer 2023 English Program for Mexican Students Expected to Spur Enrollment MIDDLETOWN, Ohio, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- EpicQuest Education Group International Limited (NASDAQ: EEIQ), ("EpicQuest Education" or the "Company"), a provider of comprehensive education solutions for domestic and international students interested in college and university programs in the US, Canada and the UK, today announced that Davis College hired a recruiting agent in Mexico during the first calendar quarter of 2023 to initiate Latin American (LATAM) recruitment activities as part of its international expansion strategy. This would be the Company's first entry into the LATAM markets, augmenting its numerous ASEAN country initiatives, and an integral part of its international expansion strategy. EpicQuest Education Group International Limited (PRNewsfoto/EpicQuest Education Group International Limited) "We are pleased to announce this recruiting initiative to enter the Latin American market which is a key part of our international expansion strategy," commented Jianbo Zhang, Chairman and CEO. "This effort adds to our many expected educational collaborations with institutions of higher education around the world. By entering international educational markets, we are expanding our student body, broadening our academic programming and leveraging our unique culture of learning and student advancement. We believe that we occupy a distinct niche in the education field and believe that our strategy of internationalization brings out the very best in academia and student achievement." The Company's LATAM recruiting plan includes identifying international institutions such as high schools that have international interests and goals for their students; making connections with LATAM educational institutions such as colleges and universities for partnership opportunities; developing programs that allow for a range of activities such as student and faculty exchanges; collaborating on scholarly curriculum development, summer school programs and online workshops; and working with the appropriate LATAM educational agents with the right perspective and resources for effective recruitment. Story continues EpicQuest Education is committed to executing upon its strategic growth plan of international expansion. The Company is seeking to expand its educational ecosystem through potential international collaborations to provide an enriched intercultural education for its students. Through memoranda of understanding between Davis College and numerous institutions of higher learning, including ICBT Campus of Sri Lanka, Isabela State University of the Philippines, PSB Academy of Singapore, Infrastructure University of Malaysia, Anhui Business College of China, Chongqing Technology and Business Institute of China and Davao College of the Philippines, the Company is seeking to further realize its goals of diversity, inclusion and internationalization. In addition, as part of its LATAM recruitment initiative, EpicQuest Education has created an English as a Second Language (ESL) summer program for July 16-30, 2023 offered by Davis College for high school students from Mexico. The students will be taking English language classes as well as attending a variety of activities to gain an experience of collegiate life. The Company plans to ultimately expand its summer program to include EduGlobal College, and believes that its summer program will lead to significant recruitment opportunities. EpicQuest Education is committed to its strategic growth plan of offering globalized learning to its student body as well as pathway programs to achieve advanced university degrees. A vital component of the Company's plan is to internationalize its operations by building cross-border collaborative relationships with institutions of higher learning, developing recruiting relationships in selected international markets, and making strategic acquisitions around the globe. About EpicQuest Education Group International Limited EpicQuest Education Group International Limited ("EpicQuest Education" or the "Company"), through its subsidiaries Quest Holding International LLC and Highrim Holding International Limited, provides comprehensive education solutions for domestic and international students interested in university and college degree programs in the US, Canada and the UK. Through its wholly-owned subsidiary in Canada Highrim Holding International Limited, the Company owns 80% of the equity of EduGlobal College, based in British Columbia, Canada, which focuses on English proficiency educational programming for students pursuing academic degrees. The Company owns 70% of the equity of Ameri-Can Education Group Corporation, the holding company of Davis College, a career training college located in Toledo, Ohio. In addition, the Company has a recruiting relationship with the Miami University Regional Campuses, where it maintains residential facilities, a full-service cafeteria, recreational facilities, shuttle buses and an office for the regional campuses that provides study abroad and post-study services for its students; these facilities are not owned, maintained, operated or are a part of Miami University. The Company also acts as a recruiting agent for the University of the West of Scotland (through The Education Group (London) Ltd) and Coventry University, both of which are located in the UK. For more information, please visit https://www.epicquesteducation.com/ . Safe Harbor Statement Certain of the statements made in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning and protections 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 in this press release include, without limitation, the Company's ability to implement its international strategy as described. Forward-looking statements include statements with respect to our beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, expectations, anticipations, assumptions, estimates, intentions, and future performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control, and which may cause the actual results, performance, capital, ownership or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be forward-looking statements. You can identify these forward-looking statements through our use of words such as "may," "will," "anticipate," "assume," "should," "indicate," "would," "believe," "contemplate," "expect," "estimate," "continue," "plan," "point to," "project," "could," "intend," "target" and other similar words and expressions of the future. All written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary notice, including, without limitation, those risks and uncertainties described in our most recent Form 20-F and otherwise in our SEC reports and filings. Such reports are available upon request from the Company, or from the Securities and Exchange Commission, including through the SEC's Internet website at http://www.sec.gov. We have no obligation and do not undertake to update, revise or correct any of the forward-looking statements after the date hereof, or after the respective dates on which any such statements otherwise are made. Contacts: EpicQuest Education Group International Limited +1 513-649-8350 ir@eei-global.net Investor Relations: Precept Investor Relations LLC David Rudnick +1 646-694-8538 david.rudnick@preceptir.com Source: EpicQuest Education Group International Limited Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/epicquest-education-launches-latin-american-recruitment-initiative-as-an-integral-part-of-its-international-expansion-strategy-301785260.html SOURCE EpicQuest Education Group International Limited In 2013, a small group of Eagle residents, made up of avid walkers and bikers, began urging the Idaho Transportation Department to make one of its highway bridges over the Boise River safer for pedestrians. Ten years and $2 million later, the city of Eagle is preparing to open its Eagle Road pedestrian and bike bridge over the Boise River. The bridge aims to provide walkers and cyclists easier access across the Boise River along Eagle Road. For years cyclists and walkers have had to traverse the bridge, shoulder to shoulder, with cars traveling 55 mph across the state highway. Those experiences are what led Rick Tholen to start an advocacy group, Walk and Ride Eagle, for the bridge 10 years ago. Tholen has lived across the river from downtown Eagle for a decade and has spent that time making the treacherous journey on a bicycle across the bridge. When people think about their youth, they remember how liberating it is to be able to get out on their bike and do stuff to go get an ice cream without Mom or Dad having to drive them, Tholen told the Idaho Statesman in 2019. No parent is going to let their kid make that crossing alone. Its been four years since the Statesmans initial story on Tholens effort to make a safer river crossing. With only weeks before the bridge opens for public use, Tholen recalled the projects origin story and its changes. The bridge, which was completed earlier this month, runs adjacent to Eagle Road and is attached to the Eagle Greenbelt along the Boise River. Tholen said he thought a simple and cheap fix could make Eagle Road safer. What started as a push for a barrier between cars and pedestrians on Eagle Road turned into a $3.2 million project for the city. This started from humble beginnings, when all we wanted was a safe place on the highway bridge to walk, and came to a $3.2 million bridge, Tholen told the Statesman in an interview at the Alchemist Coffee Shop in downtown Eagle. How does it evolve to something like that? Story continues Rick Tholen, a 71-year-old bike activist and director of the nonprofit Walk and Ride Eagle, worked to get the city of Eagle to build a pedestrian/bike bridge across the Boise River on Eagle Road. The bridge is scheduled to be open to the public in mid-April. ITD slow to help pedestrians The Eagle Road bridge connects many of the large subdivisions south of the city to the hub of downtown Eagle. Tholen thought the solution to the issue could be simple. He first asked the department if they could put barriers between the lanes of cars and the shoulder so pedestrians are barricaded from traffic. The jersey barriers take up 3 or 4 feet, Tholen said. So then maybe wed have a 5-foot path to walk behind these, and that would be fine. But in a phone call, Tholen said a department official told him that option would put the barriers too close to traffic. In an email, Aubrie Latimore, spokesperson for ITD, told the Statesman that the department had concerns with adding pedestrian access to a busy highway road. While we do not prohibit pedestrians or bicycles from using the existing 8- to 10-foot shoulder on the highway, we do have concerns with reducing the current paved travel way and promoting additional recreational use of the roadside that could impact the safety of other users, she said. Then, Tholen said he suggested reducing the speed limit from 55 to 35 mph over the bridge. But the answer was also no, he said. ITD officials said they couldnt reduce the speed because it would impact traffic movement. Tholens last suggestion was to build a new bridge for pedestrians and bikers that would attach to the existing Eagle Road bridge. The idea gained some traction from the city and the Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho, which conducted a feasibility study on the project. The city, Walk and Ride Eagle, the Two Rivers Community, a subdivision south of the river, and ITD proposed a bicycle pedestrian bridge adjacent to the west side of Eagle Road, the Statesman reported in 2019. The $1.3 million project would connect the bridge to the shoulder of the Idaho 55 bridge, spanning 240 feet. But months later, the department pulled out of the plan. The Statesman reported that a department spokesperson said the Eagle Road bridge could not accommodate the additional load of an attached bridge. Building a detached bridge added $1 million to the original estimate. It wasnt necessarily what I wanted or what it could have been, Tholen said. Tholen said he thinks if ITD had been more open to a speed limit decrease or concrete barriers, it would have been a cheaper fix for the safety issue. He worries that because of a multi-million-dollar bridge, the city will have less money for any future bike and pedestrian or park projects. The Eagle Road pedestrian bridge will connect downtown Eagle to its residential subdivisions north of State Street. Eagle bridge is a legacy project for city, staff Despite the financial challenges and some setbacks, Nichoel Baird Spencer, long-range planner for the city of Eagle, is excited to finally open the bridge to the public I spend a lot of time talking about the future, Baird Spencer said by phone. So its really rewarding to see a project be completed. Its very rare that you get a legacy project, something my grandson will be able to say that his grandma helped make that happen. Those are exciting things for me. Baird Spencer agreed that roadway projects in Ada County can be difficult to navigate, since cities do not have authority over the roadways. They are either managed by the Ada County Highway District or ITD. It was a different philosophy that ITD had, she said. ITD policy does not advocate for pathways and trails or sidewalks in their right-of-ways. That is up to the city where the highway is located, she said. We had to work through that, Baird Spencer said. We had a mid-course correction where we went all the way through initial study of an attached bridge, and then it wasnt an attached bridge. We then had to go into a whole new engineering study of how that bridge would function. In its statement, ITD said officials spoke to the city and Tholens citizen group about pedestrian safety on Eagle Road and offered options. Ultimately those options were not pursued over concerns with operations and maintenance, Latimore said in the email. Funding was another hurdle the city had to jump. Baird Spencer said it took five years to plan the bridge and another five years to find funding sources. Eventually the city got nearly the whole project funded through Federal Transportation Alternative Program and Surface Transportation Block grants. The city allocated $200,000 toward construction. The bridge is an important connection for the city of Eagle, Baird Spencer said, but also the entire valley. The city is planning a ribbon cutting for the bridge on Friday, April 21, Baird Spencer said. Dozens of Eagle, Avimor residents testify at hearing. Heres what happened 6 hours later He was thrown from wheelchair on Eagle Senior Center bus and died. Fallout has been swift The Kentucky Senate has unanimously convicted a disgraced former prosecutor, barring him from holding future office. Ronnie Goldy, the ex-commonwealths attorney for Bath, Menifee, Montgomery and Rowan counties, resigned effective Feb. 28 after articles of impeachment against him were drafted in the House of Representatives. It was the first impeachment hearing and trial conducted in the Senate in 135 years. Goldy did not appear to defend himself during any of the Senate proceedings, and the trial Thursday concluded in less than 30 minutes with no debate. The push to remove Goldy from office followed reports that he traded legal favors in exchange for nude photos. Screen shots of Facebook messages provided to the Lexington Herald-Leader showed Goldy sent the woman gas money at one point; searched whether she had outstanding arrest warrants; said he would try to move court dates for her; and advised her on getting back her car, which had been impounded after an arrest. There were three articles of impeachment: The first is based on the Kentucky Supreme Courts suspension of Goldys license, rendering him unable to perform the obligations of his office. The second is based on his inappropriate communications with a defendant without her attorney attorney present. The third is related to his receiving something as quid pro quo for actions as Commonwealths Attorney. The last impeachment trial took place in 1888 after Treasurer Honest Dick Tate fled to Brazil and abandoned his office with about $200,000 in state money. Impeachment hearings were held in 1916 and 1991, but never went to trial. A former Kentucky State Police officer died in a house fire in McCreary County, state police said in a news release Thursday. Police were called to assist at a fire at a house in Pine Knot Wednesday, according to a new release. Once the fire was extinguished, the remains of a man were found inside. Medical examiners identified the victim as Phillip A. Hays, 57. Hays had retired from state police in 2013, according to the release. McCreary County Coroner Tim Corder said Hays was alone at the house. A former general counsel of Venezuelas state-owned oil company has pleaded guilty to a money-laundering scheme stretching from his homeland to South Florida to Europe that enabled him to pocket $11.5 million in bribes from an alleged government racket. Alvaro Ledo Nass, a lawyer who also served as secretary of PDVSAs board of directors, faces up to 10 years in prison at his sentencing in early June in Miami federal court after admitting Wednesday that he played a key role in the $1.2 billion money-laundering conspiracy. But according to his plea agreement, Nass is not likely to receive the maximum punishment because of his extensive assistance to federal prosecutors in the corruption case dating to 2018. He must also turn over millions of dollars in assets from bank accounts in Switzerland, Portugal and Malta to the U.S. government. He has cooperated and done what is expected of him, Nass defense attorney, Oscar Rodriguez, said Thursday. So far, a dozen foreign and local defendants have been charged in the sprawling foreign corruption case, and five have pleaded guilty in Miami federal court. Nass came to Miami last year, surrendered to authorities in February and was released on a $1 million bond. Hes the latest senior Venezuelan official at PDVSA to admit giving access to a ring of political insiders accused of providing massive loans to the national oil company in exchange for inflated payments washed through the governments lucrative currency exchanges. A factual statement, signed by Nass, his lawyer and prosecutors, says that between 2012 and 2017 the defendant and others engaged in various foreign exchange schemes using loan contracts with PDVSA that were unlawfully obtained via bribes and kickbacks. The cases main money-laundering scheme unfolded in late 2014 with a sham loan to PDVSA that was repaid through the governments bolivar-dollar exchange system, siphoning $600 million from the state-owned oil companys coffers, according to an indictment and other court documents. That money was moved offshore to bank accounts in Switzerland and Malta, though the network of co-conspirators used an associate based in Miami to launder a portion of the PDVSA funds in the United States, according to federal prosecutors Kurt Lunkenheimer and Paul Hayden. Story continues By 2015, the conspiracy had doubled to $1.2 billion embezzled from Venezuelas national oil company, the indictment says. Meanwhile, the associate became a key cooperating source for Homeland Security Investigations, including recording conversations in undercover meetings with some of the co-conspirators. The HSI informant has not been charged in the Miami case. The accused ringleader is Venezuelan Francisco Convit Guruceaga, who allegedly collaborated with other influential business people to exploit the oil-rich administrations of the late President Hugo Chavez and current President Nicolas Maduro. Convits defense attorney, Adam Kaufmann in New York, has declined to comment while his client remains in Venezuela. Since 2018, federal prosecutors and Homeland Security Investigations have frozen hundreds of millions of dollars in bank and real estate assets belonging to the dozen defendants named in the main money-laundering indictment and related cases. The first to plead guilty was Venezuelan banker Matthias Krull, who was enlisted to transfer some of the PDVSA money secreted away in European bank accounts to the United States. Krull paid $600,000 to satisfy a forfeiture judgment and served only one year and three months in prison because of his substantial assistance in the governments case. In 2021, Abraham Edgardo Ortega, a former executive director of financial planning at PDVSA, was sentenced to two years and four months after he admitted accepting more than $12 million in bribes that were secretly wired to U.S. and other financial institutions. Ortega also cooperated with prosecutors. Ortega, who served as PDVSAs top financial officer from 2014 to 2016, admitted that he conspired with the alleged leader of the money-laundering ring, Convit. Ortega also said he collaborated with a Miami-based investment broker, Gustavo Adolfo Hernandez Frieri. Hernandez pleaded guilty to accepting $12 million from Ortega to invest in fake mutual funds in the United States so that the transactions looked legitimate, prosecutors said. Hernandez was sentenced to nearly four years. Last year, a top lawyer of Venezuelas oil ministry who also played a central role in the $1.2 billion money-laundering scheme was sentenced to more than four years in prison. Carmelo Urdaneta Aqui, the former legal counsel for Venezuelas Ministry of Oil and Mining, was convicted in 2021 of accepting tens of millions of dollars in bribes and investing some of his illicit payments in a Sunny Isles Beach high-rise condo and other real estate in the Miami area. Crystal Cavalier-Keck A group of advocates for Native American heritage dramatically shut down the auction of a human skull just moments before it was about to go under the hammer in North Carolina over the weekend. On Friday, Crystal Cavalier-Keck, an Indigenous advocate of the Occaneechi band of the Saponi tribe, uploaded a TikTok video about the Mebane Antique Auction Gallery in North Carolina listing a 600-year-old Indigenous skull for sale. Theres nothing that we can do about it in the state of North Carolina, she said. The bid is already up to $1,700. According to local outlet WRAL, the skull reached a bid of up to $1,900 online before the auction even began on Saturday. I think its disgusting that this owner of this art auction house is selling off bones of a Native American person, Cavalier-Keck continued. She said she wasnt sure of the exact origins of the skull, but said it appeared to be that of a little girl and was part of an estate sale. A spokesperson for the local sheriffs office in Orange County told The News & Observer that they looked into the matter before Saturday after being contacted by state officials who had got wind of the sale, but they determined that the skull was too old to have violated recent laws barring the extraction, sale, or purchase of Native American remains. (Some experts disputed that interpretation of the laws.) On Saturday, Cavalier-Keck uploaded more videos detailing her urgent mission to stop the sale of the skull. I just dont know where the humanity of this person is that owns this business to be selling bones of people. Like, would you want somebody selling your ancestors bones? she said in a video during an early morning drive to the auction house. Protests rained down on the auction house before the event even began. The North Carolina Office of State Archaeology was contacted with concerns days beforehand, The News & Observer reported, and Indigenous tribes and advocacy groups piled into the gallery on the day of the auction. The attorney for a local tribe also contacted the auction house urging them to stop the sale. Story continues Then, in the midst of the auctioneer shooting off other bids, the owner of the auction house suddenly announced to the room that the skull was no longer for sale, The News & Observer reported. In an interview with The Daily Beast, Cavalier-Keck said the item, which was sitting in a glass case without any cover to shield it from the public, was promptly removed and given to her so she could return it to tribal members in Canada, where the skull possibly originated. People could just stare at it. And so we wanted the remains to be covered to just show respect and dignity Even though this is another nation, this is our relatives, Cavalier-Keck said of Indigenous Canadians. She said she spoke to a representative for Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act to assist on what to do with the skull and how to get it back to its proper owners. According to The News & Observer, the owner of the skull, who now lives in North Carolina, purchased it in Canada during the 1960s. Cavalier-Keck told The Daily Beast the owner contacted the auction house because they were trying to downsize their estate, but they were open to returning the skull to its original owners after learning activists were at the sale. The original owner, to my understanding, wants to do whats right with the remains and give them to the tribe it belongs to, she said. Other items up for auction. Crystal Cavalier-Keck The skull was not the only controversial item up for sale. Cavalier-Keck said there was artwork of an enslaved man, a Jim Crow-caricature figurine of a Black woman, Indigenous childrens moccasins, and alleged photos of Native American code-talkers. Though Cavalier-Kecks mission was to stop the sale of the skull, she ended up winning the bid$220on Lakota Nation Ghost Dance regalia to prevent it from being culturally appropriated. (Cavalier-Kecks husband, Jason Keck of Creole Choctaw Louisiana descent, told The Daily Beast that the regalia was worn in spiritual celebrations during a time when many Native Americans in the West were forced into assimilation. Sometimes, during the celebrations, the person wearing the attire would faint and die, and the regalia would usually be buried with the person or passed to other family members.) I just cannot imagine someone having that spiritual item in their house or then even trying to wear it, Cavalier-Keck said. That is a very sacred item and no one should be touching it and definitely not wearing it. The Mebane Antique Auction Gallery did not immediately respond to The Daily Beasts request for comment Wednesday. However, in a comment to The News & Observer, gallery owner Jon Lambert claimed protesters were trying to get attention. The only reason I took it out of the sale yesterday is to satisfy these crazies, he said, adding that he wasnt even sure of the skulls authenticity. Cavalier-Keck said she only found out about the auction because a friend whos an archaeologist in Mebane, Danny Gregory, alerted her. She compared people purchasing human bones to people aspiring to be like Indiana Jones or the Tomb Raider. People want to grab a piece of the past. You see people grabbing, like, Egyptian artifacts or African artifacts. I guess they wanted to grab some Native American artifacts, she said. I dont know, but I think its pretty creepy. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Kentucky's Republican-majority legislature voted to override Gov. Andy Beshear's veto of Senate Bill 150 Wednesday, making the ban on youth gender-affirming care law. The bill, which initially allowed teachers to misgender students, was expanded after a surprise House Education Committee meeting March 16. SB 150 bans gender-affirming medical care for transgender children, requires doctors to detransition kids already undergoing treatment and places other restrictions on schools. The ban on gender-affirming care goes into effect in late June. Barring any court injunctions, the rest of the bill goes into effect immediately. Here's what officials and organizations in Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati have said about the legislation. More: Kentucky legislature overrides veto of anti-trans bill despite LGBTQ+ youths' pleas SB 150: What to know about the controversial anti-trans bill just passed in Kentucky Covington mayor: Bill will harm Kentucky economy and reputation Covington Mayor Joe Meyer spoke to The Enquirer Wednesday, hours before Kentucky legislature voted to override the veto. "The Senate Bill 150 is just cruel and hateful," he said. "It interferes with parental rights, it disrespects the medical community ... I think it sends just a terrible message about Kentuckians." The mayor said SB 150 will have a negative impact on Kentucky's economy and "reputation across the nation." Covington's government has put its "flag in the ground," Meyer said on LGBTQ+ issues. The city passed its Human Rights Ordinance in 2003 and banned conversion therapy two years ago. Meyer said Kentucky residents who have moved to Covington told him they did so because of the city's inclusiveness. "It's OK to be you when you're in Covington." Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear vetoed Senate Bill 150 Friday, saying it would "endanger the children of Kentucky." State legislature voted to override that veto Wednesday. Gov. Andy Beshear: SB 150 'will cause an increase in suicide' In his official veto message, Gov. Beshear said Friday Senate Bill 150 "will endanger the children of Kentucky." The governor referenced a 2022 national survey conducted by the Trevor Project that found 45% of LGBTQ+ youth seriously considered suicided in the past year. Nearly one in five transgender and nonbinary kids attempted suicide, according to the survey. Story continues "Improving access to gender-affirming care is an important means of improving health outcomes for the transgender population," Beshear wrote. "Senate Bill 150 will cause an increase in suicide among Kentucky's youth." The governor shared a similar message with reporters before vetoing the bill: "I will never be able to support a bill that will lead to an increase in suicides." NKY: 'What the hell is going on with our party?' Campbell Party GOP faces schism Politics: Northern Kentucky Republican party leaders say they face 'coup' tonight Cincinnati City Council member Reggie Harris called Kentucky Senate Bill 150 "heartless" and "fundamentally un-American." Cincinnati official: SB 150 will have a 'profoundly negative impact' on Kentucky youth SB 150 will have "a profoundly negative impact on children in Kentucky," Cincinnati City Council member Reggie Harris said, adding that it worries him about the future of access to transgender care in Ohio. "I think it's heartless and it's fundamentally un-American," he said. "It is an American value to protect privacy and to protect choice, and for legislatures to take away the ability for parents and families to make decisions about their lives and their children's lives is absolutely outrageous." Chris Seelbach, a former council member who championed a series of gay rights initiatives, said kids' medical decisions should be made between their parents and doctors, "not Republican politicians." "While kids are dying daily from gun violence, Republicans continue to do absolutely nothing, while at the same time spending a lot of effort taking away guaranteed freedoms and liberties from parents, against the expertise of every single major medical association in our country," Seelbach added. The bogeyman doesnt exist. That is a lesson this body needs to learn. I dont want to sit here, wasting our time on political point bogeymen for your re-election campaign while we harm real constituents, Roberts said. pic.twitter.com/RUcUsQb3AT Representative Rachel Roberts (@Rachel4KY) March 17, 2023 NKY lawmaker: 'This is Floridas Don't Say Gay bill' House Minority Whip Rep. Rachel Roberts attended Wednesday's LGBTQ+ rally at Kentuckys state Capitol opposing SB 150. When state legislature first passed the bill March 16, Roberts apologized to LGBTQ+ Kentuckians. "If you are queer, if you are trans, if you just feel slighted by this body, I hope you hear my voice," Roberts, whose district includes parts of Campbell County, said at the time. "... You are needed. You are necessary and you are loved unconditionally by at least me, and I know many others. I am sorry of the shameful acts of this body on this day." On Twitter, Roberts also compared language in the bill that prohibits teachers from discussing gender identity and sexual orientation to Florida's House Bill 1557. "This is Floridas DONT SAY GAY bill, all the way through high school!" she wrote. On SB150: Banning any child regardless of grade level from receiving presentation or instruction studying or exploring gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation. This is Floridas DONT SAY GAY bill, all the way through high school! https://t.co/7w03wZjYuJ Representative Rachel Roberts (@Rachel4KY) March 18, 2023 Kentucky Rep. Kim Banta, a Republican and former teacher, spoke out against the bill in a Forward Kentucky article earlier this month. "Banning topics unnecessarily muzzles teachers from engaging in discussions and answering student questions," the article, which she co-wrote, read. Banta, whose district includes parts of Boone and Kenton counties, also referred to language in the bill that allows teachers to misgender students. "Using students preferred nicknames and pronouns is a simple way to build mutual respect, trust, and cooperation," it read. On Wednesday, Sen. Max Wise, who co-sponsored SB 150, said it supports teachers' freedom of speech. "The bill passed the Senate and the House with both bipartisan support and reinforces a positive atmosphere in the classroom and removes unnecessary distractions and mandating the use of specific pronouns in our schools," he said. Sen. Max Wise begins by introducing and defending SB 150, of which he is the primary sponsor. I stopped recording before he decried newspaper activists. pic.twitter.com/6SiSIYBNjC Tessa Duvall (@TessaDuvall) March 29, 2023 Three Northern Kentucky lawmakers, Sens. Shelley Funke Frommeyer, Gex Williams and John Schickel, co-sponsored the bill. Williams, whose district includes parts of Boone and Kenton counties, previously argued that the bill would address rising suicide rates that he believes are related to receiving gender-affirming care, Link NKY reported. When you introduce drugs and you try to fight 30 or 40 trillion cells in your body, using drugs, the outcome is not going to be good, Williams said when the legislation first passed in the Senate. Kentucky Sen. Gex Williams, whose district includes parts of Boone and Kenton counties, was a co-sponsor of SB 150. Marijuana, vaccines and more: Here's what laws Northern Kentucky lawmakers want to pass Cincinnati Children's evaluating SB 150's potential impact Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center has a transgender health clinic that provides "medical and psychosocial support" to patients ages 5 through 24, according to its website. At Cincinnati Childrens, we believe that trained medical professionals are best positioned to diagnose and treat patients," hospital spokesperson Jennifer Tan said in an emailed statement to The Enquirer. "Cincinnati Childrens will evaluate SB 150 and its possible impact on how care can be delivered to Kentucky patients under 18, including seeking to understand all the clinical and legal ramifications of the legislation. Planned Parenthood blames drag show cancelation on 'hateful' legislation Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates released a statement after a drag show in Prestonsburg, Kentucky, was canceled and blamed "hateful and stigmatizing" legislation for an increase in threats of anti-LGBTQ+ violence. For the first time, Pikeville Pride announced the cancellation of a drag show due to extreme threats of violence unlike ever before seen in the community. This increase in extremist behavior is a direct response to anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and legislation being pushed by our elected leaders," Tamarra Wieder, director of Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates Kentucky, said in an email. "... Planned Parenthood honors the resilience of LGBTQ+ communities that continue to face these unconscionable attacks on their bodily autonomy, access to health care, and humanity," Wieder added. "We are with you. We love you. We will never stop fighting for you." Tristan Vaught, co-founder of Transform Cincy, served as grand marshal for Cincinnati's Pride Parade in 2022. They shared their thoughts on Kentucky's Senate Bill 150 and its impact on Northern Kentucky youth. Cincinnati trans support group: Access to care is 'matter of life and death' Jeff Martin, president of the Queen City Freedom Band, said Senate Bill 150 is "reminiscent of a society 60 years in the past." "It's too late for lawmakers to try to legislate 'don't say gay' because it's already been said," Martin said. "We are here. We aren't going anywhere. The strength of the LGBTQIA+ community can be seen in the very youth being targeted." "Gender-affirming care is a matter of life and death for not only Kentucky, but all trans youth," Cathy Allison, secretary of the Transgender Advocacy Council, an umbrella group that supports local transgender support groups, said. "Without it, youth stand to lose care that validates them as humans worthy of the same rights as everyone else. This is an issue of equality. Trans youth deserve the right to work with their families and doctors to get the care they need." Transform Cincy is a nonprofit that provides free wardrobes, and other services, to transgender kids who are transitioning. "Evidence-based research and mental health experts have shown that gender-affirming care is what's best," co-founder Tristan Vaught said. "These are private matters between parents, children and their doctors." This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Kentucky bans care for trans kids: NKY, Cincinnati leaders react The Florida Senate Thursday approved doing away with licensing requirements to carry a gun into most public places but not into the Senate chamber where the bill was approved. SB 150/HB 543 by Sen. Jay Collins, R-Tampa, passed on a mostly party line vote of 27 - 13 with Sen. Illeana Garcia, R-Miami, joining with Democrats to vote no. The proposal had cleared the House a week earlier on a 7732 vote, with one Republican voting no. The bill now heads to the desk of Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has promised to sign the proposal, although it does not include an open carry provision, which he has also endorsed. The measure allows individuals eligible for a concealed weapons license to carry a firearm without a CWL. The Department of Agriculture has issued more than 2.6 million CWLs. The license, requiring a background check, training, and fees, will still exists as an option for Floridians who wish to carry weapons in states that have a concealed carry reciprocity agreement with Florida. A selection of handguns at Dunkelberger's Sports Outfitter in Brodheadsville. While most guns come with basic safety features like locking mechanisms, experts often recommend that owners should invest in a safe or cabinet for extra protection. Can I pack a pistol in Publix? The Florida legislature has OKed permitless concealed carry From USA TODAY: 2024 campaign: Ron DeSantis hits the road again to bolster his case against Donald Trump DeSantis makes appearance at 'World's Largest Gun Store' While Republicans and Democrats in Tallahassee argued whether the proposal was as Collins called it a robust public safety measure or what Democrats described as a recipe for more deaths, DeSantis boosted his pro-gun reputation by greeting fans at a gun store outside Atlanta in what many see as part of a build-up to a run for the Republican presidential nomination. The store bills itself as the World's Largest Gun Store, and had been used as campaign stops in 2020 by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, and then-U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler and GOP candidate Herschel Walker. Conservatives have protested a recent inspection of the shop by federal authorities. The permitless carry bill loosens gun regulations in the wake of a mass shooting at a Tennessee elementary school March 28, the 128th incident in which a gun was used to either injure or kill four or more individuals or one every 16.7 hours since January 1, according to a Washington Post analysis of data from the Gun Violence Archive. Story continues Dozens gathered outside the Florida Capitol for the March for Our Lives Rally as the crowd demanded stricter gun control laws Thursday, March 23, 2023. Collins, however, stood his ground to invalidate licensing requirements, while opponents railed that gun violence is the No. 1 killer of children. "There is a constitutional right to keep and bear arms. And that is what we're fighting for, said Collins as he escorted the bill through committees and Thursday in debate. He also argued the proposal is about public safety, highlighting a provision to spend $42 million to improve the physical security of schools, and another $18 million for other safety-related programs. Collins crafted a measure that forced lawmakers either to vote against school safety or vote to enhance Second Amendment rights. Democrat amendments shot down Citizens should not be limited in their constitutional right to carry by government, said Collins Wednesday evening when he persuaded Senate Republicans to kill a flurry of Democratic amendments. Democrats and pro-regulation groups argued at each committee stop and in House and Senate floor debates the measure lacks any awareness of the common good, and prioritizes political ambitions and corporate profits over peoples lives. Permitless v. Constitutional Carry: Taking fire from both sides of gun debate, Florida permitless carry bill locked and loaded Student finds lawmaker at home: In own driveway, GOP lawmaker confronts FSU gun activist critical of permitless carry bill Democrats offered nine amendments that would have tightened regulations on firearm transactions, who is allowed to carry a gun, and the safe storage of weapons including a tax exemption. They all failed. Sen. Jason Pizzo, D-Miami, challenged Collins and his supporters to amend the bill to allow citizens to carry guns into legislative meetings where he and other lawmakers debate issues and make policy. House debates guns 'A God-given right': Florida House loads permitless gun carry bill into the Senate chamber Collins spoke against the proposal. He explained Pizzos proposal was not relevant because the measure does not address exclusion or gun-free zones. Good enough for thee, but not for me, replied Pizzo. It is incredibly hypocritical that you will objectively proliferate firearms in the State of Florida but not in the room where we sit." A former homicide prosecutor, Pizzo explained gun violence is so prevalent in Florida major cities that he guaranteed his colleagues a teenager would be gunned down that night in Tampa, Miami, or Orlando. Pizzo said it was ironic that most Floridians have to worry about gun violence and their wives at the grocery store, and their children in school, but Pizzo and his colleagues are safe in the Thunderdome of Freedom, where law-abiding citizens are not allowed to carry guns into the Florida Senate chambers. A vote against the amendment, said Pizzo, "means you dont believe what youre selling." Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, joined the floor debate to endorse the school safety provisions and to thank Collins for carrying the bill. Members of Moms Demand Action and allies rallied together in Tallahassee, Florida to make their voices were heard as they called for stricter gun regulations Thursday, March 9, 2023. Sen. Bobby Powell, D-West Palm Beach, then addressed the bill's supporters' assertion it affirms a God-given right to self-defense enshrined in the Constitution. Powell said he studied the Bible but could not find any references to guns. "I looked. There's no scripture that talks about guns in the Bible. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Gun is not in there. Maybe, somebody can help me find it," said Powell. He then told his colleagues as a Black man there was nothing he could do about the color of his skin and wondered in the midst of an epidemic of gun violence if an equal application of Second Amendment rights is possible. "Is my skin weaponized?" said Powell. "Can I be a good guy with a gun?" The measure now heads to DeSantis' desk. Florida gun rights advocates want more While the Senate was gathering for Thursday's vote, Young Americans for Liberty warned DeSantis the bill is only halfway acceptable to the gun community. The group and others have called for an open carry bill to allow gun owners to openly display firearms in public. Twice they have recorded DeSantis saying he would sign an open carry bill if lawmakers would send him one. Ted Patterson, the group's vice president of policy, in a prepared statement said they expect DeSantis to keep the promise he made to gun rights activists and he needs to do more if he wants their support in the future. Protesters said they can't understand why if lawmakers have time to debate a state desert they don't have time to debate a gun proposal Caught on tape DeSantis says 'absolutely' as gun rights advocates pressure Legislature for 'open carry' What does 'constitutional carry' mean? And how would it change gun laws in Florida? Governor Ron DeSantis cant expect to be praised as a conservative hero if hes going to retreat back to the establishment line every time a major vote has to be made. Floridians deserve the full constitutional carry that DeSantis promised last year, especially if he wants their support in the 2024 election," said Patterson. James Call is a member of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jcall@tallahassee.com. Follow on him Twitter: @CallTallahasse This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida lawmakers give gun owners right to carry without permit On March 17, the International Criminal Court in The Hague condemned Putin and Maria Alekseyevna Lvona-Belova (the commissioner for children's rights in the office of the President of the Russian Federation) as war criminals and put out warrants for their arrests for war crimes and crimes against humanity here specifically the forced deportation of over 16,000 children from Ukraine to Russia. The children probably will never see their parents again, if they are still alive. These children are being raised by force to be Russians, speak Russian, learn only Russian history, and they are being adopted by Russian families. Putin believes Ukraine is not an independent country but part of Russia, which is why he started his war. Henry Idema We in the religious community, both lay people and clergy, must also condemn these people as war criminals. Putin, if he leaves Russia, does so at his peril, and any leader who shakes his hand is shaking the hand of a war criminal, responsible for tens of thousands of deaths and the destruction of cities and the rape and murder of women and children. He is EVIL incarnate. All religions condemn evil and must do so here. Yet we have political leaders running for president of the United States who are siding with Putin and condemning America's support for Ukraine. Donald Trump said if he were president, he would have let Putin take all or parts of Ukraine. Ron DeSantis agrees with the words of Putin that this war is a territory dispute! Didn't these men learn from history when Neville Chamberlain, the Prime Minister of England, appeased Hitler and let him swallow up parts of Czechoslovakia. This appeasement in 1939 led Hitler to believe the Western allies were weak, so he then swallowed up the whole country. Nothing happened. So then Hitler attacked Poland, which was the spark that started World War II. Don't Trump and DeSantis have any appreciation or knowledge of the history of what appeasement and compromise with evil men leads to? And yet some Republican members of Congress agree with these men and want to withdraw our support for Ukraine or weaken it. Appeasers all! Story continues Putin can laugh off these warrants for his arrest, but The Hague in time caught up with war criminals from the war in Bosnia when President Clinton was in office. It took years to round up some of these men, but it did happen. So Putin should not feel confident he won't face justice as a war criminal. The warrant for Putin's arrest makes it very clear to nations like India, China and South Africa that if they do business with Putin they are doing business with a condemned war criminal. They are supporting evil, and the rest of the world will take notice. In fact, I wish all American industry in China would move their operations back to America and build new factories in cities hollowed out by NAFTA, because it is clear that China is helping Russia right now economically and perhaps is already secretly giving weapons to Putin. Will the Church and other religious bodies take a stand on Putin and condemn him and his war as evil? Will they side with the people of an invaded country? It is the task of religion to combat evil, not to appease it like Trump and DeSantis are doing it. These two men are modern Neville Chamberlains. Do these two appeasers think Putin will stop at the borders of Ukraine? Putin has said in public that he wants the borders of Russia to be those of the old Soviet Empire. Poland has just announced that it is sending jets to Ukraine. The Poles know what it feels like to be invaded by Russia. About 80 percent of white Christian evangelicals supported Trump in 2016, the margin of victory, in spite of Trump being caught on tape bragging about sexually abusing women Trump did not lose their support in 2022, in spite of the fact he committed adultery while being married to each of his three wives. What will these Christians do in this election cycle? Will they support one of these two appeasers? Will another Republican dare take on both Trump and DeSantis and run against them for president, and then condemn them as appeasers? I have the flag of Ukraine on my front lawn (get one yourself, they are cheap on Amazon) and I support our aid to Ukraine. In fact, I support giving Ukraine F-16 jets. Where do you stand? Where do your religious leaders stand? Are you silent or vocal in your views? The war in Ukraine is a war of evil against good, and God help us if we or our elected leaders side with evil and forget the lessons of history. The ghost of Neville Chamberlain is haunting us today. Henry Idema lives in Grand Haven. He can be reached at henryidema3@yahoo.com. This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Henry Idema: Why all religious people must condemn Putin Four years after they first linked arms forging an unlikely alliance to claw back war powers in Iraq Democrats' ex-vice presidential nominee and Republicans' former Senate campaigns chief are closing in on victory. It was hardly a given that Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) would finally notch the votes and time they needed for the Senate to formally repeal Congress' 1991 and 2002 authorizations for military action in Iraq. After all, Washington is still adjusting to divided government, and the majority of the Senate GOP leadership team continues to oppose repealing the war powers approval. But senators in both parties credited Kaine and Young's relentless, member-by-member lobbying push as critical to the 66-30 repeal vote on Wednesday. The slow start to Senate legislating under a divided Congress, as well as a war-weary U.S. public, also helped pave the way for a repeal vote that persuaded Republican supporters across the party's ideological spectrum to break from party leaders. My preference when dealing with an issue like this which doesn't strike me as particularly ideological is to address members on a one-on-one basis and figure out what anxieties or concerns they might have," Young said in a joint interview conducted with Kaine. Kaine said hes brought the topic up regularly in Democratic caucus meetings for a decade now, describing himself as a Johnny one-note on an issue he first took notice of in 2002 while serving as lieutenant governor of Virginia. Congress needs to own these responsibilities. Having a good bipartisan colleague on this just makes the difference, Kaine said. Since introducing their first joint war powers repeal bill in 2019, Kaine and Young have taken different tacks with their respective parties on the matter. Kaine said that his challenge hasn't been winning support from fellow Democrats so much as grabbing the focus of the caucus amid a host of competing national security issues. Story continues Its been a long crusade of Sen. Kaines," said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), who recalled his colleague standing up in our caucus and bringing it up every couple of months. On Young's side of the aisle, pro-repeal Republicans said the passage of time and the growing opposition to prolonged war within their partys base made it easier to sell axing the authorizations. In addition, only a handful of senators who initially voted for war in Iraq remain in the chamber. Each decade we get beyond the end of the war, I think most people are finally figuring out the war's over, said Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), describing Young as very, very good at rounding up GOP support for the effort. Other Republican allies said Youngs experience as a former Marine lent credibility to his arguments for repealing the war powers. When it comes from Todd, who's spent years there as an officer, I think it just means a little bit even more. It's not like he's a dove, said Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), a repeal backer. Wednesday's repeal vote won over the entire Senate Democratic majority, in addition to 18 Republicans who ranged from centrist Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) to non-interventionist conservative Paul. Should the Senate war powers repeal pass the House, the Biden administration has indicated the president would support it. But getting it to Biden's desk requires House passage and that won't be easy. Foreign Affairs Chair Michael McCaul (R-Texas) wants to repeal and replace both the 2002 military force authorization and a broad one passed in 2001 after the Sept. 11 attacks, the latter of which still serves as the basis for counterterrorism activities around the world. McCaul said this week he wants a counterterrorism-focused AUMF without geographical boundaries that would end after five years so it's not forever war stuff. But McCaul also has made clear that the ultimate decision rests with Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and the California Republican is already facing trouble navigating an issue thats split his conference. And the strategy Young employed to win over Senate Republicans might not work in the House: The Hoosier said he tailored his arguments depending on the member as he built a sufficient Republican bloc to deliver repeal. Democrats took notice especially Young's colleagues on the Foreign Relations Committee, which remains a rare occasionally bipartisan bastion on a bitterly divided Hill. Kaine described the Hoosier as "a natural partner, while Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said "hes one of the folks who acts as a glue in the Senate." On his own side of the aisle, Young downplayed the idea that his work on war powers repeal created awkwardness with Senate GOP leaders, all of whom except National Republican Senatorial Chair Steve Daines (R-Mont.) ultimately opposed the legislation. (Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, still away from the chamber recuperating after a concussion, condemned the repeal vote on Tuesday.) In this job, we do what we believe is right and in the best interest of our constituents and the country, said Young, who easily won a second term last fall. Not every senior Senate Republican, however, took the approach of Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) who observed of the repeal vote that "sometimes you just have to accept reality. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, top Republican on the Intelligence Committee, spoke for GOP colleagues who fear the repeal of the war powers may only embolden U.S. enemies abroad. I'm also worried about how our adversaries will read this, said Rubio, who opposed repeal. Will this be used against us? Meanwhile, many of Kaine and Young's colleagues might welcome them rejoining hands to go further still by revamping or even outright repealing the 2001 war powers authorization that McCaul is eyeing, which teed up the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan. The duo said in this week's interview that they're open to such discussions, but acknowledge that needle will be a difficult one to thread. It'll take some heavy lifting to get there," Kaine said, suggesting that Wednesday's vote might create "a little bit of momentum toward exploring how to make sure we have the right authorities." Young said he'd want to ensure any revisions to the 2001 war powers measure clarify there will be no gap in existing legal authorities to conduct necessary operations overseas, which he said many members view as a point of vulnerability. For the moment, pro-repeal senators appear openly grateful to complete work on a substantive bill after the Democratic majority considered more than 10 GOP amendments. As Murphy put it, people have been hungry for some meaty, bipartisan bills." The country is war-weary and there's an instinct, which is the correct one, that we can't be at war forever, said Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii). And there is a beautiful left-right coalition that understands that. Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) wasn't alone in openly praising the architects of that coalition. Give Tim Kaine and Sen. Young credit," he said. Anti-government protestors burn tires near Beit Yanai, Israel, Monday, March 27, 2023. AP Photo/Ariel Schalit A judicial overhaul plan pushed by Netanyahu's government sparked a major crisis in Israel. Netanyahu paused the overhaul amid mass protests, but Israel's troubles are far from over. "The crisis was deferred, but definitely not resolved," a former US ambassador to Israel told Insider. A serious crisis has been brewing in Israel, and this week, it boiled over as outraged spiked and people flooded the streets in protest. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was forced to hit pause on a deeply controversial plan to overhaul the country's judiciary, but Israel's problems are far from over. "The crisis was deferred, but definitely not resolved," Daniel Shapiro, a former US Ambassador to Israel and distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council, told Insider. Netanyahu announced on Monday that he was delaying his proposed plan which threw his country into chaos and saw numerous people speak out against the government until after parliament's upcoming Passover recess in April to carve out time for debate and prevent what he said was a path to "civil war." The move came after he fired the country's defense minister, a decision that was met with widespread backlash among officials and civilians. Experts and former officials told Insider that Netanyahu's push to overhaul the judiciary represents a "major threat" to the people of Israel and that the prime minister sent a "really bad message" by axing his defense chief. They said the crisis raised both economic and security concerns. The divisive judicial plan, which Netanyahu's far-right, nationalist government pushed for as he contends with an ongoing trial over corruption charges, would give the government more power in choosing judges and grant parliament the ability to overturn Supreme Court decisions. One piece of the plan has already been passed into law, narrowing the circumstances under which a prime minister can be deemed unfit for office. An aerial view of thousands of Israelis taking to the streets in response to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's surprise sacking of his defense minister Yoav Gallant in Tel Aviv, Israel on March 26, 2023. Photo by Amir Goldstein/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Critics of the judicial reforms have slammed the plan as anti-democratic warning that it would undermine important checks on the government's power and have accused Netanyahu of advocating for changes that would weaken the judiciary as he faces a corruption trial. Story continues Netanyahu "wants power more than any other Israeli politician and will do just about anything in order to get it." Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and former State Department official, told Insider. "The trial has created an existential problem for him." 'A perfect storm that was gathering' Netanyahu's plan to overhaul Israel's judiciary has prompted months of sweeping protests across the country and even led Israeli President Isaac Herzog in mid-March to gravely warn that the country was in a "profound crisis" and at risk of "civil war." Police have used aggressive tactics to disperse demonstrators, such as stun grenades and water cannons. "This was a perfect storm that was gathering," Miller said of the government's plan. "It represented, to hundreds of thousands of Israelis, a major threat not only to the independence of the judiciary, but to the type of country that they envisioned for themselves, which was pro-western, pluralistic, democratic, humanist, and the region's only democracy, however imperfect and flawed it is." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a voting session in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, in Jerusalem, Israel on March 27, 2023. Photo by Israeli Parliament (Knesset)/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images The unrest escalated this past weekend after Netanyahu sacked Defense Minister Yoav Gallant who had called for the Israeli leader to halt the judicial overhaul a day before he was abruptly fired. Gallant, the first member of cabinet to call for a pause to the overhaul plan, had warned that the proposal was undermining the country's national security. His move came after military reservists refused to report for duty, signaling their opposition to the right-wing government's planned reforms. "That was a really bad message," Nimrod Goren, a senior fellow for Israeli affairs at the Middle East Institute, told Insider, citing the immediate fallout that came as a result of Gallant's firing. Universities shut their doors, air traffic came to a standstill at Ben Gurion International Airport, and embassies around the world halted operations. "Nobody got it it didn't make any sense," Goren added. "It's not the way Israel is governed." 'You don't need militias running around' Though Netanyahu has since agreed to suspend the plan, that doesn't mean Israel's troubles are over or that he's necessarily abandoning the reforms altogether. "I believe many protestors are not letting their guard down," Shapiro said, underscoring that the situation has raised both security and economic concerns for Israel. "There's a lot at risk. It's definitely not settled, and they're definitely not out of the woods." Netanyahu announced that the planned overhaul was being postponed after National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of the far-right Jewish Power party, agreed to the delay, the Times of Israel reported. But as part of this agreement, a much-sought-after national guard will reportedly be established under Ben-Gvir's ministry. Thousands of Israelis take the streets as they block Ayalon highway in response to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's surprise sacking of his defense minister Yoav Gallant in Tel Aviv, Israel on March 27, 2023. Photo by Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Ben-Gvir, an ultra-nationalist, has been convicted of supporting a terrorist organization and incitement to racism. Goren said granting Ben-Gvir this power would be "very dangerous" because of his past provocations of Palestinians, Arabs, and people on the left. "We need to make sure that it doesn't happen, because if such a National Guard which is independent from the other official institutions being set up under Ben-Gvir's supervision that's not something we want to have in the current climate for sure," Goren said. "You don't need militias running around the streets in Israel." But it remains to be seen whether the National Guard plan actually comes into play, as Netanyahu has historically been cautious when it comes to the country's security and military affairs. A tricky situation for US leadership The recent turmoil in Israel has also led to concern in Washington. "Like many strong supporters of Israel I'm very concerned. I'm concerned that they get this straight. They cannot continue down this road," President Joe Biden said to reporters on Tuesday. Biden also said that Netanyahu would not be invited to the White House "in the near term." Israeli protesters run as police officers use water canon after clashes erupted during a demonstration against the government's judicial overhaul on March 27, 2023 in Tel Aviv, Israel. Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images The US-Israel relationship has faced strains in recent years, but both countries remain close and in January launched their largest joint military exercise ever. That said, the present situation could place Biden in an awkward position as he emphasizes the need to uphold democracy around the world amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine and historic tensions with China. Biden is hosting a virtual Summit for Democracy this week, and Netanyahu was invited to speak on Wednesday despite Israel's recent troubles. Biden has emphasized that part of what makes the US-Israel relationship "special" and "what makes it function" is that they are "bound by the common values of two democracies," Shapiro said. "That's fundamental." But, Shapiro added, if a situation arose where many Israelis including senior officials and others in important positions in Israeli society said the country was moving away from "democratic governance and if many other countries in the family of democratic nations started to ask that same question obviously it would be a strain on the US-Israel partnership." Read the original article on Business Insider Investors are often guided by the idea of discovering 'the next big thing', even if that means buying 'story stocks' without any revenue, let alone profit. Unfortunately, these high risk investments often have little probability of ever paying off, and many investors pay a price to learn their lesson. Loss making companies can act like a sponge for capital - so investors should be cautious that they're not throwing good money after bad. Despite being in the age of tech-stock blue-sky investing, many investors still adopt a more traditional strategy; buying shares in profitable companies like Journeo (LON:JNEO). While this doesn't necessarily speak to whether it's undervalued, the profitability of the business is enough to warrant some appreciation - especially if its growing. See our latest analysis for Journeo Journeo's Improving Profits Even modest earnings per share growth (EPS) can create meaningful value, when it is sustained reliably from year to year. So it's easy to see why many investors focus in on EPS growth. Impressively, Journeo's EPS catapulted from UK0.03 to UK0.056, over the last year. Year on year growth of 88% is certainly a sight to behold. The best case scenario? That the business has hit a true inflection point. 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. While we note Journeo achieved similar EBIT margins to last year, revenue grew by a solid 35% to UK21m. That's encouraging news for the company! In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings and revenue, over time. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart. Since Journeo is no giant, with a market capitalisation of UK27m, you should definitely check its cash and debt before getting too excited about its prospects. Are Journeo Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders? Investors are always searching for a vote of confidence in the companies they hold and insider buying is one of the key indicators for optimism on the market. Because often, the purchase of stock is a sign that the buyer views it as undervalued. Of course, we can never be sure what insiders are thinking, we can only judge their actions. Story continues Shareholders in Journeo will be more than happy to see insiders committing themselves to the company, spending UK171k on shares in just twelve months. When you contrast that with the complete lack of sales, it's easy for shareholders to be brimming with joyful expectancy. We also note that it was the CEO & Executive Director, Russell Singleton, who made the biggest single acquisition, paying UK105k for shares at about UK1.05 each. It's commendable to see that insiders have been buying shares in Journeo, but there is more evidence of shareholder friendly management. Namely, Journeo has a very reasonable level of CEO pay. For companies with market capitalisations under UK162m, like Journeo, the median CEO pay is around UK283k. Journeo offered total compensation worth UK216k to its CEO in the year to December 2021. That comes in below the average for similar sized companies and seems pretty reasonable. While the level of CEO compensation shouldn't be the biggest factor in how the company is viewed, modest remuneration is a positive, because it suggests that the board keeps shareholder interests in mind. It can also be a sign of a culture of integrity, in a broader sense. Should You Add Journeo To Your Watchlist? Journeo's earnings per share growth have been climbing higher at an appreciable rate. Better yet, we can observe insider buying and the chief executive pay looks reasonable. The strong EPS growth suggests Journeo may be at an inflection point. If these have piqued your interest, then this stock surely warrants a spot on your watchlist. We should say that we've discovered 4 warning signs for Journeo (3 are concerning!) that you should be aware of before investing here. The good news is that Journeo is not the only growth stock with insider buying. Here's a list of them... with insider buying in the last three months! 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here This article originally appeared on Velo News GHENT, Belgium (VN) -- Jumbo-Vismas mens team could be bringing an adjustable tire pressure system to the gruesome pave of Paris-Roubaix. The team renowned for its pioneering approach to nutrition, training, and tech put Edoardo Affini atop the Gravaa KAPS system Wednesday at Dwars door Vlaanderen in a test run for possible use at The Hell of the North. The KAPS (kinetic air pressure system) technology is a hub-based system that allows tire pressure to be adjusted on the move with a wireless unit on the handlebar. Also read: Tire pressure management system to be used by Team DSM at Paris-Roubaix? In theory, it could allow racers like Wout van Aert and Dylan van Baarle to benefit from both the tarmac speed of harder tires and the cobblestone comfort of softer rubber as Jumbo-Visma hunts elusive victory in Roubaix next month. Considering the complete Paris-Roubaix course, our KAPS technology can give a power advantage of about 20W overall, and a peak power advantage of about 60W, by simply adjusting the tire pressure to the surface while riding, Gravaa recently claimed after it completed a batch of testing. Italian powerhouse Affini was seen racing a Cervelo rocking the distinctive KAPS pressure hose and valve laced to some Reserve carbon wheel rims in Wednesdays Tour of Flanders appetizer race. Affinis feedback could determine if the tire-regulating tech is rolled onto the whole of Jumbo-Vismas bikes for Paris-Roubaix on April 9. Looks like Affini is testing the KAPS adjustable air pressure system. #DDV23 #DDV pic.twitter.com/myK3cltMrF -- Janus (@JVerlaeckt) March 29, 2023 "Today we tested with Affini whether it makes sense to use this system in the race," team boss Richard Plugge told VeloNews after the race Wednesday. It's an interesting test case. I haven't talked with him yet. He pulled out of the race after the Trieu and rode on to Ghent to finish his training ride. Story continues Jumbo-Visma already got its latest new gain approved by the UCI in anticipation of it making a mass monument debut in the coming weeks. "We provided all the information and received the go. They can look at it again if they want to. Maybe other teams asked them to do so, Plugge said. That's alright. They can see everything," Affini (right) tested the KAPS system Wednesday. Van Aert (center) could be using it at Paris-Roubaix next weekend. Tire pressure has long been a tricky topic for any Paris-Roubaix racer. Endless recon rides and data analysis sees teams tinkering with their tires to find the optimal balance of speed over the first 100km of tarmac and pliability for the infamous stones of the Arenberg, Mons-en-Pevele, and Carrefour de lArbre. Most opt for pressures as low and slow as 4 bar in anticipation of the bruising 55km of cobblestones that determine Roubaix racers fate. Team DSM caused a stir when it revealed it would use a system similar to KAPS at Paris-Roubaix last year, only to eventually revert back to a traditional setup. Will adjustable tire pressures finally shake Paris-Roubaix next Sunday? Jumbo-Visma representatives told VeloNews that additional information will be available this weekend after testing and feedback. For exclusive access to all of our fitness, gear, adventure, and travel stories, plus discounts on trips, events, and gear, sign up for Outside+ today. When asked about gun-control legislation on Wednesday in the wake of the Nashville school shooting that left six victims dead, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he must see all the facts first. Apparently, three dead children and three dead adults are not enough facts for the Republican speaker. The tragedy in Nashville occurred Monday at a private Christian school. The shooter was a 28-year-old former student named Audrey Hale, who was killed by police responding to the emergency. Those shot to death were three students Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, who were all 9 years old and three adults Cynthia Peak, 61; Katherine Koonce, 60; and Mike Hill, 61. Nashville police said Hale used two assault-type weapons and a handgun in carrying out the attack. Those are facts. Here is another one: The Monday incident was the latest in 130 mass shootings in America so far this year. That is more to this point in the year than any year since 2013. The Gun Violence Archive, which compiles such data, considers an event to be a mass shooting if at least four people are shot. Heres another fact: The Kaiser Family Foundation says guns are the leading cause of death in American children ages 1 to 19. Ponder that for a moment. Guns kill more kids than car crashes, medical emergencies, accidents, or illnesses. A CNN reporter pressed McCarthy to explain what additional facts he needed to consider gun control legislation. The House Speaker refused to answer, and left through an exit. So much for courageous leadership. Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) speaks during a press conference on the House passing the Parents Bill of Rights on Friday, March 24, 2023. Republican challenge Republicans get twisted into philosophical knots when mass shootings occur. GOP House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana, a shooting victim himself, also refused to discuss gun-control measures on Wednesday. CNN reported Scalise repeated GOP talking points about improving mental health and securing schools as possibilities. I really get angry when I see people try to politicize it for their own personal agenda, especially when we dont even know the facts, Scalise said. Story continues Actually, the facts could not be more obvious. The issue is assault weapons As if any more proof was needed about where many Republicans stand on the issue of controlling weapons, the GOP-led Legislature in North Carolina on Wednesday voted to allow handgun purchases in the state without first requiring a sheriffs permit. Associated Press reported that the North Carolina bill eliminates a longstanding permit system requiring sheriffs to perform character evaluations and criminal history checks of pistol applicants. The repeal of the previous law took effect immediately. McCarthy, Scalise and the Republican leadership have enough facts to review if average Americans should be able to legally possess assault weapons. Tired references to the Second Amendment are not a good enough justification. Even Second Amendment supporters, like the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, believed gun rights came with some caveats. Like most rights, the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited, Scalia wrote in the landmark 2008 decision in District of Columbia v. Heller. The right was not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose. Getting rid of guns entirely is not the issue. It is assault weapons. That should be reviewed by elected leaders. Until then, Americans have proven adept at killing each other with military-grade weapons that have no reasonable application in everyday life. That is a fact even McCarthy cannot ignore. Now that the Louisiana governor's race field appears set, the pressure will build among the Republicans to see if any of them can catch and then pass Republican front-running Attorney General Jeff Landry. That's what it will take to join Democrat Shawn Wilson, Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards' former transportation secretary, in advancing to a two-person runoff election. With Wilson having galvanized the Democratic support, veteran pollster John Couvillon said he is a virtual lock to emerge from the Oct. 14 primary election and into the runoff. Louisiana Capitol, spring 2022. Landry leads the Republicans with a devoted base and deep pockets, but Sen. Sharon Hewitt, Rep. Richard Nelson, Treasurer John Schroder and former Louisiana Association of Business and Industry President Stephen Waguespack all believe Landry is polarizing with a ceiling of support they can surpass. They'll have to prove it with polls and money or their shelf life will expire even before qualifying begins Aug. 8-10, LaPolitics Weekly Publisher Jeremy Alford said. More:In Louisiana, women represent less than 20 percent of seats in Legislature "Up until now the question has been who else is getting in," Alford said. "The real question and intrigue now is what Republicans will get out. You've got a lot of Republicans and if they stay at the table some of them are going to starve." Conservative Christian trial attorney Hunter Lundy of Lake Charles could be a wildcard after signaling he's willing to spend millions of his own money. "The field may be settle, but it's not peaceful," Alford said. Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1. This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: 60-second read: Explaining Louisiana governor's race field The Carnival Miracle cast off from Cozumel, a picturesque island off the coast of Mexico, slowly making its way across the Caribbean Sea back to Tampa, Florida. It was the first Saturday of December 2018, and clouds dotted the sky, but the day was still bright and warm perfect conditions for a winter break. A 21-year-old woman was traveling with her friend and up to 2,000 other passengers on the Carnival cruise ship, a 960-foot-long, 12-story-tall ocean liner teeming with spas, bars, restaurants, and deckside pools. The eight-day trip was the young womans first-ever cruise.She had enjoyed herself, spotting sea turtles off the Cayman Islands, visiting Mayan ruins in Belize, and swimming with dolphins off Cozumel but everything would soon change. The woman, referred to as Jane Doe in court documents, spent that Saturday tanning by the pool, drinking, and hanging out with her friend and some acquaintances they had met on the cruise.In the evening, the group went to dinner and attended a comedy show at the ships theater. By midnight, the party was in full flow. Doe decided to run around the cruise decks. As she ran up a stairwell, a Carnival crew member was waiting for her. According to a complaint filed in 2019, which BuzzFeed News reviewed, she claimed he then lured her into a closet and locked the door. I remember being scared seeing him holding the lock, so I started asking him where he was from to, like, calm the situation down, and he just kept saying that I looked like his girlfriend, Doe recalled during her deposition. She said the crew member then raped her and ejaculated on her. When the assailant finally unlocked the closet door, Doe immediately rushed to her room. According to her deposition, she was pursued by the employee, who caught up with her and asked to be let into her cabin. She declined and closed the door behind her. If you have more information or a tip regarding allegations of abuse or sexual assault on cruise ships, contact us at cruises@buzzfeed.com, or reach us securely at tips.buzzfeed.com. Once inside, Doe burst into tears and told her friend what had happened, she recalled in her deposition. She began having a panic attack and hyperventilating. She and her friend immediately reported the alleged crime to Carnival guest services. Story continues Doe was placed in a wheelchair and taken to the ships medical facility. When she told the doctor what had occurred, Doe said the medic apologized and told her, Unfortunately, this happens all the time. The closet on the Carnival Miracle where Jane Doe's alleged assault took place Southern District of Florida Court In dozens of court documents reviewed by BuzzFeed News, cruise ship passengers say they have been dragged into cabins and raped, pushed into janitors closets and assaulted, and even attacked in the public corridors of ships. Likewise, parents and guardians have alleged that their children were molested by other passengers or crew members, plied with alcohol, and in some instances, abused by daycare staffers at onboard activity centers. As recently as two weeks ago, the parents of a 17-year-old passenger filed a civil suit alleging she was raped by a fitness instructor onboard a Carnival cruise ship. In fact, sexual assaults are the most prevalent reported crime on cruise ships, according to the FBI. Since 2015, there have been 454 reported allegations of sex crimes on cruise ships. Experts believe that the actual numbers are far higher, as many sexual assaults often go unreported. (For reference, more than two-thirds of all sexual assaults in the US are not reported to law enforcement, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network.) And many of the major cruise lines have been told even by their own security staffers that more could be done to protect passengers, such as installing more surveillance cameras and hiring additional security personnel. But according to court records, including a deposition from this February in a lawsuit alleging the gang rape of a minor on a Carnival Cruise ship, senior executives have opted not to implement the changes, claiming they're too expensive.Troublingly, in many instances, the alleged assailants are the very crew members who are supposed to protect passengers since 2015 nearly 1 in 4 of all reported sexual assaults on cruise lines have been committed by a crew member, according to a BuzzFeed News analysis of FBI data. For this story, BuzzFeed News spoke with industry experts, former cruise ship employees, victims attorneys, and passengers who say they were sexually assaulted including a now-21-year-old woman who was allegedly molested by a crew member when she was 11 and a woman who claimed that she contracted HIV after allegedly being raped by a cruise employee. Both are speaking publicly here for the first time. All the cruise lines named in this story were also contacted for comment. BuzzFeed News also reviewed hundreds of pages of court records, showing that major US cruise companies and their subsidiaries, including Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Disney, and Norwegian, have settled at least 68 civil cases in the last two decades. Attorneys told BuzzFeed News that many cases are settled confidentially before reaching court. (While these settlements exist, they do not imply that the companies have admitted wrongdoing.) At least 30 of these court settlements involved minors. Documents show that in two of those cases, the families of children allegedly abused a decade ago were paid around half a million dollars to settle their cases in confidential agreements where all parties expressly deny liability. Over the course of BuzzFeed News investigation, some key themes emerged: The cruise vessels where the alleged crimes occurred appear to lack proper coverage from security cameras, while security staffers are inadequately trained in investigating sexual assaults and are too few in number to serve as an effective deterrent for predators. It is much more profitable and financially beneficial for them to just settle each claim or lawsuit on a case-by-case basis. The cruise lines dont need to increase security and safety standards because they can continue to simply and legally avoid them, said Jamie Barnett, president of the advocacy group International Cruise Victims. Barnetts daughter died of a drug overdose on a Carnival cruise, an incident she believes was not properly investigated. It is much more profitable and financially beneficial for them to just settle each claim or lawsuit on a case-by-case basis, she said. For alleged victims, facing the cruise lines in civil court can often be a draining process that is drawn out for years. They have to recount their harrowing experiences during depositions, and key evidence in their case, such as surveillance footage, often does not exist or has been deleted. Most major cruise lines also only give passengers one year after an alleged incident to file a civil case, and the cruise operator chooses the state and the court where the complaint must be filed, meaning alleged victims may have to travel cross-country to pursue their case. Thats something people dont realize, is that the rights and protection that we all as Americans have do not go with you when you get on a cruise ship, Barnett said. You have no idea where to turn. Its a stark realization, given how lucrative the industry is and how many vacationers cruise ships service. In 2018, the same year Doe embarked on Carnivals Miracle, the cruise industry had one of its most financially successful years, with Carnival Corporation the largest cruise company in the US generating just under $19 billion in revenue. Royal Caribbean, the second-largest US cruise line, reported around $9.5 billion in revenue. Both delivered billions in profits to their shareholders. But the industry struggled during the pandemic, with its ships berthed during the lockdowns. When tourism opened up again, the cruise sector launched vibrant marketing campaigns to bring passengers back. The strategy appears to have worked business is rebounding. But as passengers returned to the seas after COVID, the number of sexual assault allegations reported to the FBI shot up again, too. In 2022, 87 alleged sexual assaults were reported on cruise ships the second-highest number of such incidents recorded since the US Department of Transportation began publishing crime data in 2010. The issue of sexual assaults on cruise ships was brought to light in 1998 when the New York Times published an expose about onboard sex crimes and found a pattern of cover-ups by the industry. A former chief of security for Carnival told the paper, Even when I knew there was a crime, I was supposed to go in there and do everything in the world to get Carnival to look innocent. In the wake of the New York Times coverage, the industry promised to improve. In 1999, Royal Caribbean commissioned an outside task force to look into the issue of sexual assaults on its ships. The consultants suggested multiple ways in which Royal Caribbean could improve passenger safety and prevent sexual assaults. Several of the suggestions involved increasing security measures, according to the task force reports obtained by BuzzFeed News. They didnt implement a single change, James Walker, a Miami-based maritime attorney who received the task forces internal reports from 1999 via a court order against Royal Caribbean, told BuzzFeed News. Walker said that after taking several depositions of Royal Caribbean employees, he learned that none of the proposed changes were implemented by the company and that the cruise line decided to run a zero tolerance marketing concept instead. Royal Caribbean did not respond to multiple requests for comment from BuzzFeed News. Safety advocates and politicians have long called for the industry to take more action to reduce sex crimes on its ships. But Congress hasnt passed an expansive cruise safety bill since the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010, which, among other things, required cruise lines to report alleged onboard crimes to the FBI for investigation. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, holds a news conference at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on May 10, 2022. Stefani Reynolds / AFP via Getty Images Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal has worked on cruise ship safety legislation for over a decade. Onboard crime, including sexual assault and physical violence, interferes with the celebratory mood of the cruise, Blumenthal told BuzzFeed News in an interview. So their goal is to minimize it and even sweep it under the rug without other passengers becoming alarmed or even aware of it. In a statement emailed to BuzzFeed News, CLIA, the Cruise Lines International Association, insisted that cruise ships are one of the safest vacation options in the world, adding that their rates of serious crimes are exceedingly lower than those on land due to multiple layers of security and the nature of cruising. Cruise lines have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to criminal behavior, and allegations of major crimes on cruise ships are extremely rare, CLIA said in the statement. The organization pointed to a 2019 study it commissioned on cruise ship crimes, including sexual assaults, by James Alan Fox, a criminology professor at Northeastern University who has served as a defense expert on cruise sexual assault cases. Foxs report, based on a review of FBI data, suggests that the rates of sexual assault between 2015 and 2018 were far lower on cruises than in cities of comparable populations. No place is totally safe you have to obviously take a certain degree of precautions, Fox told BuzzFeed News in an interview. Overall, the risk is very low. But not zero. I dont think the industry would say its zero. I think they would say its a safe way to take a vacation. And it is a safe vacation. I think the cruise industry does a fabulous job, with all the billions of dollars they have, making the public feel like a cruise is the safest thing you could do. Meanwhile, the industry spends millions lobbying Congress figures from Open Secrets, a nonprofit that tracks lobbying and political donations, show that the cruise industry has spent $21.6 million on lobbying members of Congress over the last five years and enlists celebrities for slick commercials to encourage people to spend their vacations on voyages. We go to Congress holding pictures of our family members, and afterwards the lobbyists just waltz right in, and nothing ever changes, International Cruise Victims Barnett said of her advocacy work. I think the cruise industry does a fabulous job, with all the billions of dollars they have, making the public feel like a cruise is the safest thing you could do. Nothing will go wrong. Its paradise. But while there are more incidents of reported crimes on land than at sea, maritime attorney Michael Winkleman pointed out one big difference: At sea, there is no independent law enforcement to immediately investigate these alleged crimes. Instead, victims often must rely on onboard security to maintain the crime scene and preserve evidence. Experts and victims attorneys say that poorly trained security staff sometimes fail to collect critical evidence and testimony, leaving alleged sex crime victims unable to find justice in either criminal or civil trials. BuzzFeed News has found, in some cases, critical evidence such as surveillance footage (when it exists) and, in one instance, a rape kit has gone missing or been mishandled by cruise operators. In my experience, the vast majority of people who commit crimes at sea are not charged, never arrested, not prosecuted, and walking free right now, Winkleman said. The FBI does have jurisdiction to investigate a lot of these crimes namely when a ship is US-owned or departing or arriving at a US port, or if the alleged crime involves a US citizen but the bureau oftentimes doesnt have immediate access to the ship or crime scene because the boat is at sea. Documents BuzzFeed News reviewed from a settled 2011 lawsuit, in which a 15-year-old girl alleged that she was forced to perform oral sex on a crew member, show an FBI agent emailing a senior investigator at Royal Caribbean about the suspected assailant. To ask law enforcement officers to pull themselves off an active case to interview a guy on a hunch??? the FBI agent wrote. We cant go interviewing people just because. A guy off the street is one thing but this would require a ship board[ing], identification to upper management, and a potential can of worms. Instead, the agent suggested that the Royal Caribbean investigator conduct an interview and share the findings with him. Our best bet would have been the CCTV footage at the particular time and place along with any key card logs. But you did not have that. It is what it is. The cruise employee reported back that the accused attacker denied the allegations. Thats it, the FBI agent responded. No further investigation on my part we had very little, to begin with, and far too much time has gone by our best bet would have been the CCTV footage at the particular time and place along with any key card logs. But you did not have that. It is what it is. The FBI declined to comment to BuzzFeed News on this specific incident. But the bureau said in a statement that it remains committed to investigating these crimes and bringing justice for the victims and their families. The statement continued, The FBI works closely and tirelessly with our partners in law enforcement and in the cruising industry to collect the evidence and facts of cases. The Carnival Miracle docked in Juneau, Alaska, on May 2, 2013 BuzzFeed News; Becky Bohrer / AP Photo After Jane Doe reported the alleged rape to the Carnival Miracle staff and was taken to the medical facility on the ship, the boat docked back in Tampa. FBI agents boarded the vessel to investigate the incident and interview her and the alleged assailant. He claimed that they had consensual sex. For two weeks after the incident, Doe bled from her genitals, she said in a civil suit she filed around 11 months after the trip. According to the court records from her case, after she was taken to the ships medical facility that morning after the alleged rape occurred, the medical personnel administered a rape kit and removed her clothes and underwear. Her lawyer, Daniel Courtney, told BuzzFeed News that during the trial it was revealed that Carnival did not preserve the rape kit, and thus it could not be used as evidence during litigation. The best answer that Carnival gave Courtney, he said, was, At some point, someone would have thrown it out. Doe was also never given her underwear or clothes back by Carnival, according to Courtney. During the trial, Carnival also didnt provide surveillance footage of the alleged incident, as he said the company claimed that, too, was not retained. Courtney added that Carnival said during the trial that it didn't have the alleged assailants employment file. Its really frustrating not having the information, because you feel powerless, Courtney said. In addition, the lawyer said, during the discovery period, he and his client learned that she had allegedly signed a form retracting the rape allegation. During their depositions, both Doe and her friend said they couldnt remember signing a retraction. They were giving me a lot of papers to sign, Doe testified. I just was signing what they were telling me to sign. When asked by her lawyer whether there was ever a moment she wanted to retract the allegation, Doe said, Absolutely no. Her signature and her roommates signature are on this form, Courtney said. Everything else is in the doctors handwriting. The clinical rules are that everything should be in the persons handwriting. Carnival Corporation said it would not comment on any of the specific cases laid out in this article but did say in an emailed statement to BuzzFeed News that it is committed to the health and safety of its guests and has effective onboard security measures and also use[s] screening tools to promote a safe and secure environment for all on board. The company added, In the rare instances of an incident, our ships are equipped with security, medical staff, and facilities to handle and investigate alleged sexual assaults and provide immediate victim care services. A Carnival Corporation spokesperson stressed that since 2018, out of the almost 25 million guests who sailed on board our ships, we reported 145 allegations of assault. The spokesperson added, As with all areas of our operation, we constantly examine and adjust our safety and security processes and protocols to adopt industry best practices and address the needs of our business. Last year, Carnival confirmed in a statement to the Washington Post that the alleged assailant in Does case was fired from the cruise line after the incident was reported. He was never charged. If the cruise line allows them off the ship at the next port, which often happens, then they take a plane back to their home country, they get into the wind. Perpetrators are rarely convicted, Miami-based maritime lawyer Jack Hickey told BuzzFeed News, referring to crew members who have been accused of sexual assault. Theyre convicted, generally speaking, only if they confess and if they are taken into custody by the cruise line or on US soil. If the cruise line allows them off the ship at the next port, which often happens, then they take a plane back to their home country, they get into the wind. Indeed, Winkleman added, Finding them is like finding the proverbial needle in the haystack. Going against a major cruise company in civil court can take years to litigate. In July 2022, three years after Doe first filed the lawsuit and almost four years after the alleged incident occurred, a jury in a Miami federal court ruled that Carnival Cruise Line owed her more than $10.2 million in damages. It was Courtneys understanding that this was the largest sum ever awarded in a sexual assault case against a major cruise line, he told the Washington Post at the time. While the jury did not find that Carnival was negligent, it said that the cruise line was liable for the acts of its crew members. It was a significant verdict and likely served as a wake-up call to the industry on how juries view these crimes at sea, said Winkleman, who was not involved in the case. Im confident the eight-figure verdict will force all cruise lines to take another look at how they work to prevent these crimes at sea and protect their passengers. However, he added, he had yet to see any changes in the industry as a result of the judgment. While she may have won in court, Doe spoke about how the experience on the Carnival cruise ship changed her life, saying in a written statement during the discovery period that she now has depressive episodes and anxiety. It has affected how intimate I am with a person, she said, adding that at her lowest point, she seriously considered killing herself. I had a plan, she said in the statement she wrote during litigation, which was subsequently sent to BuzzFeed News by Courtney. I went around to visit my friends and created memories for them to remember me. I also wrote everyone notes. Carnival has denied any wrongdoing and is appealing the multimillion-dollar judgment. Zoe van Dijk for BuzzFeed News In two separate lawsuits reviewed by BuzzFeed News filed seven years apart and involving alleged sexual assaults on Carnival ships the issue of security took center stage. In the civil cases, filed in 2015 and 2022 by Miami-based attorney Nicholas Gerson, Carnivals own security staff admitted in depositions that they had been warning management about security staffing issues for years.In the first case, a woman passenger alleged that in September 2014, she had been raped by two male passengers aboard the Carnival Sensation. According to her deposition, she didnt realize that she was being followed through the ship by the alleged assailants. As she reached the door of her cabin, they forced their way into her room and raped her. According to civil court documents, a passenger staying in the cabin next door heard banging noises and was so worried about what was happening that she called security twice. It took cruise security officials 20 minutes to arrive. Once they did, a security officer who, according to deposition records, had only been given nine hours of online training after he was hired interviewed the woman and decided that what occurred wasnt sexual assault. He didnt tell the ships chief security officer about the incident for two and a half hours. And when the woman wanted to see the onboard doctor, she claimed she was told by one of the cruise employees that it would cost her $100. In her deposition, she recounted that a Carnival employee she spoke with after reporting the incident told her to keep quiet and not disturb other guests and that sometimes things are better left unsaid.Per court records, the cruise company took an immediate, aggressive stance, arguing that she should refile the case under her real name rather than the pseudonym Jane Doe, as she voluntarily brought the case in the pursuit of money and should publicly stand behind her allegations. She recounted that a Carnival employee she spoke with after reporting the incident told her to keep quiet and not disturb other guests and that sometimes things are better left unsaid. During the depositions, Carnival Cruise Lines thensecurity director Michael Panariello told the court that he had flagged security shortcomings to management for years. Panariello said that he would love to have more security officers patrolling cabin areas as a deterrent and that his teams were understaffed but he said that the company had ruled out hiring more staffers due to budget constraints. When asked whether he was aware of any adjustments relating to physical security aboard Carnival ships as a result of past sexual assaults, Panariello replied, No. Were always requesting more [security] on Carnival vessels, Panariello said in his deposition in 2015. When queried about how long he had been asking for more security officers, the director responded, Probably since Ive been there in 2007. What have you been told in response? the plaintiffs attorney asked. No cabin space, the security director responded, adding that the changes did not fit the budget. (Panariello died in 2018.) Panariellos boss, Dominick Froio Jr., the thenvice president of security, also testified. He admitted that his team had requested increased staffing, but in his view, they didnt need it, as the vessels were safe. Froio said that they had asked for more resources to make their life easier, and so they have to work less. Froio did not respond to BuzzFeed News questions about his 2015 deposition. While there were 135 cameras on the vessel in 2014 and 2015 and according to Robert Williams, the senior manager of investigations in Carnival Cruises security department, only 70 or 80 of those could record video court documents show there were no cameras installed in passenger corridors, the nightclub, elevators, stairways, or one of the restaurants. In the deposition, Williams acknowledged that security officers had requested more CCTV cameras in passenger hallways. Theyve also requested more pay, Williams said, and theyve requested several other things. Williams said that around 2013 or 2014, he conducted a security assessment of all Carnival ships regarding the need for more cameras on its vessels. In the report, he concluded that the boats were deficient in the number and placement of CCTV cameras and that more needed to be installed in areas where our guests go. Carnival had a duty of care to protect passengers like Doe, and by failing to remedy conditions, it knew to be deficient, breached their duty to provide reasonable security protection, maritime security expert Kim Petersen, a former special forces officer and founding security officer of Princess Cruises, a Carnival Corporation subsidiary, from 1996 to 1999, wrote in an expert report for the plaintiff. Carnival Corporation settled the case in 2016 for an undisclosed amount of money; the settlement is under yet another confidentiality agreement. It doesnt seem like anything has changed. They seem to be conducting business the exact same way that they were since that case was resolved. The case should have opened up Carnivals eyes to make significant changes to the way that they were conducting their security operations, as far as staffing and manning levels, Gerson, the attorney, told BuzzFeed News. So far, it doesnt seem like anything has changed. They seem to be conducting business the exact same way that they were since that case was resolved. Carnival did not respond to BuzzFeed News questions about whether any steps have been taken to increase security staffing or video surveillance on its ships. Gerson pointed BuzzFeed News to a still-ongoing case stemming from an August 2019 incident on the Carnival Horizon involving a Canadian citizen, J.F., then 15 years old. In the ships teen lounge, she met two male teens and an 18-year-old man, who should not have been there. When the club closed at 1 a.m., the plaintiff and the three males decided to get some pizza, then stopped at one of their rooms to get a phone charger. According to the complaint, when J.F. entered the room, the males locked the door and all three forcibly restrained her on the bed and raped her. In a February 2023 deposition in the case, Froio, who retired from Carnival in 2020, was deposed once more. He admitted that there had been more requests made by members of the Carnival security team to add security personnel on the ships since 2015 the year Panariello testified about security issues. Froio testified that in the years before 2019, there were semiannual meetings in which security team members would convene to address concerns with Carnivals senior executives. When asked by an attorney whether, in those meetings, there had been concerns raised by not just Panariello but also the security officers and the assistant chief security officers about needing more staffing on the ships, Frorio assented. They voiced their opinions, he said. Froio said that though he had asked for more security officers multiple times over his 25 years at the company, the requests were rejected by upper management due to budgetary issues, echoing what Panariello said almost eight years before. Sometimes things go on deaf ears, Froio said. They have other priorities. He did, however, acknowledge that the company had added guards to a couple of ships when it had particular security concerns, but he did not specify how many guards, which ships, or what the security concerns were. When approached for comment, Froio pointed to the parts of the deposition in which he explained the positive efforts that he said Carnival had made, such as increasing security on a number of ships and training non-security crew members to assist in any safety and security measure they could see. When asked about this case, Carnival Corporation reiterated that it doesnt discuss individual cases but said that every ship has a dedicated security department staffed by highly trained law-enforcement, maritime and military personnel. All security personnel participate in monthly, quarterly and yearly training, drills and exercises, including annual FBI special agent-led instruction on preventing and responding to serious crimes, including acts of sexual violence, it added. Since Froio retired in mid-2020, there have been 44 reports of sexual assaults on Carnival Corporation ships and its subsidiaries, such as Holland America and Princess. BuzzFeed News has also identified at least six civil lawsuits filed against the company since 2020, all alleging failures by the company to provide adequate security on its ships. The general belief amongst the cruise lines is just that, Crimes happen, what can we do? What are we supposed to do? Gerson said. And the truth is, they could be doing a lot more. BuzzFeed News; Paul Hennessy / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images Its seemingly rare for people whove worked for cruise lines to talk directly to the press about the industrys failings, but Dawn Taplin needed the world to know about what she experienced working for Disney Cruise Line. She first shared her story with Orlandos News 6 in 2014, but she recently spoke with BuzzFeed News to provide more detail about her experiences. Taplin said she had worked in law enforcement in Florida for over 16 years when she joined Disney Cruise Line as a security officer in 2011. She was just the kind of recruit Disney was after: a decorated detective whod investigated serious crimes, including homicides, and taught other officers how to capture violent criminals. Taplins recruitment was part of Disneys drive to get more security experience on board after a public relations disaster earlier that year, she said. In March 2011, a 24-year-old English woman named Rebecca Coriam was working as a youth activity employee on the Disney Wonder when she was lost overboard. At the time, Disney said that she died by suicide or was swept away by a wave, but her family believes she was sexually assaulted before she disappeared. Her body was never recovered, but a pair of her shorts , which were ripped, were returned to the family. The investigators the family hired said the clothing indicated a violent struggle had taken place. Dawn Taplin Courtesy Dawn Taplin Because of her investigative expertise, Taplin said, she was asked to read Disneys report of Coriams death. The situation, she said, was tightly controlled, and she was not allowed to make copies of the report. Instead, Taplin said, she had to read it in her bosss presence. I said, What kind of case is this? You know, this is not a suicide. You know that, right? Taplin told BuzzFeed News. I said that theres a lot wrong with this. Wheres the CCTV? she recalled asking her supervisor. He goes, What do you mean? I said, Well, the fall happened in front of the bridge, so there should be six or seven cameras going along the full length of the bridge. According to the Hollywood Reporter , Disney settled with Coriams family in 2015. Her parents are still investigating the circumstances of their daughters disappearance. Roy Ramm, a former commander of specialist operations at the Metropolitan Police in the UK, was hired by the Coriams to investigate Rebeccas death. I am not surprised that Disney had concerns about the adequacy of the investigation into the circumstances of Rebeccas death. In my view, the original investigation was totally inadequate and badly flawed, he told BuzzFeed News, adding that the Coriam family had been encouraged to sign a nondisclosure agreement while in a state of distress. Disney has been totally opaque. Disney Cruise Line did not respond to multiple requests for comment from BuzzFeed News. Another case that has haunted Taplin for years came around nine months after she first joined Disney Cruise Line. At around 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 5, 2012, Taplin received a call that a crew member had allegedly molested a preteen girl in an elevator, kissing and groping her in full view of a camera while the ship was still docked in Florida. Two-thirds of the alleged sexual assaults on Disney ships since 2010 were allegedly committed by Disney crew members, according to government statistics . I said, What kind of case is this? You know, this is not a suicide. You know that, right? Now 21 years old, the alleged victim has spoken out about her experience for the first time. (BuzzFeed News is referring to her as G. to protect her identity.) Then just 11 years old, G. was on the cruise with her grandmother and little sister and was excited about the vacation. Automatically, as a child, you think its going to be amazing, she said. Before the ship had even cast off for the Caribbean, G. went downstairs to get the Wi-Fi password, she told BuzzFeed News. I asked the person that was outside of the restaurant for directions to the lobby, she recalled. And when he guided me, he immediately grabbed on my boobs. G. ran to the lobby in search of someone who could tell her the Wi-Fi password. She said she was scared to go through the same direction on the way back because she might cross paths with the man who had touched her. But she needed to return to her room and feared getting lost on the giant ship. As G. walked past the restaurant, she got into an elevator. She said the same employee followed her in, blocking the doors. He said, Can I have a kiss? she recalled. I gave him a kiss on the cheek, and he said, No, not there. She then alleged that the employee leaned down, kissed her on the mouth. After he let her go, G. ran to her room in tears. I didnt know what to do, she said. She said she told her grandmother why she was so distraught, and they went to the lobby to report what happened to guest services. G. said they asked her about the incident and what the employee looked like and promised it would be investigated. Taplin, who was on board at the time, said she watched the elevator surveillance footage, which confirmed the childs version of events. Later, G. said she was asked to identify the assailant by looking at photographs of four employees. According to both Taplin and G., the girl identified the assailant as a waiter at one of the ships restaurants. Taplin said she did her best to investigate the case but claimed she was obstructed throughout the process. She claimed she told one of the ships senior officers to call the FBI while the boat was still docked in Port Canaveral, Florida. But the officer decided to cast off at around 5 p.m. and did not inform the FBI until the ship was in international waters. Afterward, Taplin said, the senior officer interviewed the accused crew member while she was present. The official report of the meeting, obtained by BuzzFeed News, states that the crew member hesitated, but eventually denied kissing the girl and only gave her a high five and hug. Taplin said that what wasnt included in the report was that during the meeting, the officer had threatened the crew member, saying, Im going to cut off your dick right now and that he would remove the crew members testicles and put his balls in his mouth. When the ship docked in the Bahamas the next day, local police officers arrived. According to Taplin, the police berated and threatened the alleged attacker, pressuring him to confess. It was just so wrong, Taplin said. I mean, you got him red-handed with what hed done, right? In the end, he signed a statement that Taplin alleged was written by the Bahamian police. I touched her right breast with my left hand, the signed confession reads. However, Taplin noted that the alleged suspect was not arrested. Instead, he was repatriated to the state of Goa, in India. G. said she was so scared for the rest of the vacation that she didnt want to leave her grandmothers side and never felt safe on board again. She said she could only relax during a stop at Castaway Cay, a private Caribbean island that Disney owns, because she knew her assailant wouldnt be there. After G. reported the attack, she said that Disney instructed the employee who was cleaning her room to demonstrate how they create little animals out of the towels and they put a princess bedspread on her bed. But that was basically it, she said. After she got home from her cruise, G. said that her family only heard from Disney once to tell them that the accused crew member had been deported. G. said she was so scared for the rest of the vacation that she didnt want to leave her grandmothers side and never felt safe on board again. According to G., the company never offered her counseling or any other support. How was I? They didnt really care, G. said. Disney really did not follow up with us. They said they would give us a free trip, but that never actually happened. Taplins contract with Disney expired a few weeks after the incident with G., she told BuzzFeed News, and she had no interest in renewing it. She was finished with the cruise industry and Disney; she said she didnt think the company matched her standard of ethics. Today she works as a community college professor and police academy instructor in Florida. And while the crew member was fired and deported, he appears to be working for another cruise line. On two Facebook profiles linked to the former crew member that BuzzFeed News found, his profile states that he currently works for Norwegian Cruise Line. To verify his employment, BuzzFeed News contacted Norwegian Cruise Line multiple times for comment but did not receive a response. If true, this wouldnt be the first time an alleged perpetrator has gone on to work for another cruise line. In one case, first reported by the Miami New Times in 2019, a Carnival employee was fired and sent back to his home country after it was alleged that he sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl. A civil lawsuit ensued, and he was never charged. Nonetheless, he went to work for another operator, Celebrity Cruises, where he was accused of assaulting a 19-year-old, resulting in another lawsuit. The companies settled both cases. Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises parent company, did not respond to multiple requests for comment on these cases from BuzzFeed News. Winkleman, the maritime lawyer, said that in his experience, sexual predators are drawn to cruise ships as they feel they can get away with their crimes there. He pointed to a recent case in which an assistant cruise director from a Princess Cruises ship was arrested in 2022 after grooming a 16-year-old who had been on the ship with her family. After the cruise ended, the criminal complaint said, he coerced the minor into performing sexual acts with him and produced child sexual abuse images and videos. The man was charged with enticement of a minor and production of child sexual abuse materials last year, and after pleading guilty to both counts, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison. During the investigation, it emerged he had been sharing child sexual abuse materials with another Princess employee.The former assistant cruise director is now appealing the sentence. His victim, who is no longer a minor, last month filed a civil lawsuit against Princess Cruises for negligence. As of the time of publication, Princess Cruises has yet to respond in court to the initial complaint. The assistant cruise director is supposed to be the one that interacts most with the passengers, said Winkleman, who is representing the victim in her civil case. And hes doing this to an underage passenger? Its terrifying. Princess Cruises Sky Princess seen off the coast of Cyprus' southern city of Limassol on March 30, 2021 BuzzFeed News; Amir Makar / AFP via Getty Images Earlier this year, a sexual assault case on Princess Cruises made headlines when a now-27-year-old woman claimed that she contracted HIV after being raped by a crew member in 2021. The woman, who was listed in court documents as Jane Doe and who is referred to as B.U. in this article, gave her first interview to BuzzFeed News. As B.U., who was traveling with her best friend, wandered around the Sky Princess vessel on the first day of the trip, she passed an art gallery. A gallery employee introduced himself, B.U. said, and invited her to participate in a raffle to win some artwork that the gallery was running a few days later. She attended the raffle and didnt win a prize, so she left, despite the gallery manager asking her to stay. It was a day at sea and B.U. spent the remainder of it with her best friend at the bars on the vessel. A photo of B.U. from the cruise Courtesy Michael Winkleman Later in the day, B.U. said, she became visibly drunk and ran into the art gallery employee on her way back to her cabin. She expressed disappointment that there were no fun activities for people her age. (Princess appeals to an older demographic than other cruise lines such as Carnival.) The employee asked for her cabin number, which B.U. said she assumed he would use to keep her updated on activities that might interest her. At around 10 or 11 p.m., according to B.U., the employee called her cabin and told her to meet him at the art gallery. Once there, she said, he gave her more to drink, even though she was already intoxicated. B.U. alleged that he led her into a storage room where the artworks were kept and raped her. That feeling of being trapped within myself just grew, she told BuzzFeed News. I said no, but I mean, he was strong, so I just waited until it was over. She didnt tell anyone, even her best friend, what had happened for the remaining five nights of the cruise. She said she went through the rest of that time in a daze. I just hid it within myself just to get through the rest of the cruise. Because I was still trapped there with him, I couldnt go anywhere, B.U. said. He knew where my room was. So I dont know if this is just him. I dont know if other employees are like this. So I was just afraid. Within a few days of returning home, B.U. said, she began to feel nauseous and started experiencing what she thought was gastroenteritis. When the symptoms persisted, B.U. went to the emergency room. After undergoing several tests, she was diagnosed with HIV in February 2022. That feeling of being trapped within myself just grew. I said no, but I mean, he was strong, so I just waited until it was over. This is something that I have to worry about now, every day, B.U. said. If I miss my medication, is the virus going to overcome? Am I going to start to get sick? Are people going to find out? Are they going to reject me? She still has not told her family or friends about the alleged rape or her subsequent diagnosis. This fear that I have in myself, how can I give that to anybody else? How can I make the people that love me afraid for my life? she said. Since the incident, B.U. said she has been diagnosed with PTSD and has started therapy. I was diagnosed with severe anxiety. I have terrible depression, she said. I have night terrors. I feel like Im living everybodys nightmare, B.U. said. In January 2023, she filed a civil lawsuit against Princess Cruise Lines. The litigation is ongoing. Carnival Corporation, Princesss parent company, declined to comment on this case when reached for comment by BuzzFeed News, but the company has filed a motion to dismiss the case on procedural grounds. A Princess Cruise ship seen off the coast of San Francisco on March 8, 2020 BuzzFeed News; Noah Berger / AP Photo Having been involved in numerous negligence cases against cruise lines involving sexual assault, including B.U.s, Winkleman wishes it all would just stop. Few things would make me happier than for this practice area to go away and cruisers to be more safe, and no one gets raped and sexually assaulted at sea, he said. But for the time being, it seems as though its an unfortunate element of cruising. Sen. Blumenthal, whos personally never been on a cruise, indicated that things wont change in the cruise industry without legislation. He has sponsored the Cruise Passenger Protection Act , which has been introduced in Congress each year since 2013 without success. The bill would extend the statute of limitations for filing a civil lawsuit against a cruise line from one to three years, increase security requirements, establish a hotline for people who report crimes while on a cruise, and make it compulsory for cruise ships to notify the FBI within four hours of an alleged incident. It would also ensure that if a boat is docked in a US port when a crime occurs, the FBI would be notified before the boat leaves, something that would have prevented the Disney vessel in G.s incident from casting off without intervention from US law enforcement. Over the years, Blumenthal has been able to pass a few elements of the bill. For example, in 2020, he added several provisions to the national defense bill. They were enacted into law, marking the first cruise industry regulations in a decade. One of the provisions mandates that each cruise line and vessel have a qualified physician on board. The defense bill also includes language from the Cruise Passenger Protection Act ordering the installation of more cameras in common areas and the retention of video records for 20 days. As for the rest of the bill, Blumenthal said, none of its provisions imposes a significant burden on the cruise industry. They simply dont want anyone to tell them what to do. He added that the lobby for the cruise industry devotes a lot of resources and money to Congress, which allows it to have tremendous sway. I wish anyone who takes a cruise a safe and happy time. But I would urge them to lock their doors and take precautions. He told BuzzFeed News that he hopes there will be a congressional hearing soon to examine the issues surrounding sexual assault and the cruise industry. He said he plans to reintroduce his cruise safety legislation in this new Congress. I wish anyone who takes a cruise a safe and happy time, he said. But I would urge them to lock their doors and take precautions. At the time of publication, chief executives from the cruise industry were in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for a key part of their annual calendar: the Seatrade Cruise Global conference. This years theme is Forward Momentum. The conference features talks from top executives across the industry, evening cocktail parties, and puppy yoga for attendees who want to take a break. There was one panel called Navigating Rough Waters: Marine Casualty Prevention and Information, devoted to identifying and preventing the most frequent marine casualties and near-misses. There were none listed that address sexual assault or crime prevention. Business is back, cruising expectations have changed, and customer confidence has skyrocketed, the conferences website reads. One thing is certain, cruising is on an upward trajectory. If you have more information or a tip regarding allegations of abuse or sexual assault on cruise ships, contact us at cruises@buzzfeed.com, or reach us securely at tips.buzzfeed.com. Nothing will go wrong. Its paradise. Zoe van Dijk for BuzzFeed News BRANDON, Miss. Several deputies from a Mississippi sheriffs department being investigated by the Justice Department for possible civil rights violations have been involved in at least four violent encounters with Black men since 2019 that left two dead and another with lasting injuries, an Associated Press investigation found. Two of the men allege that Rankin County sheriff's deputies shoved guns into their mouths during separate encounters. In one case, the deputy pulled the trigger, leaving the man with wounds that required parts of his tongue to be sewn back together. In one of the two fatal confrontations, the man's mother said a deputy kneeled on her son's neck while he told them he couldn't breathe. Police and court records obtained by the AP show that several deputies who were accepted to the sheriff's office's Special Response Team a tactical unit whose members receive advanced training were involved in each of the four encounters. In three of them, the heavily redacted documents don't indicate if they were serving in their normal capacity as deputies or as members of the unit. Such units have drawn scrutiny since the January killing of Tyre Nichols, a Black father who died days after being severely beaten by Black members of a special police team in Memphis, Tennessee. Nichols' death led to a Justice Department probe of similar squads around the country that comes amid the broader public reckoning over race and policing sparked by the 2020 police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. In Mississippi, the police shooting of Michael Corey Jenkins led the Justice Department to open a civil rights investigation into the Rankin County Sheriffs Department. Jenkins said six white deputies burst into a home where he was visiting a friend, and one put a gun in his mouth and fired. Jenkins hospital records, parts of which he shared with AP, show he had a lacerated tongue and broken jaw. Story continues Deputies said Jenkins was shot after he pointed a gun at them; department officials have not answered multiple inquiries from the AP asking whether a weapon was found at the scene. Jenkins attorney, Malik Shabazz, said his client didnt have a gun. They had complete control of him the entire time. Six officers had full and complete control of Michael the entire time, Shabazz said. So thats just a fabrication. Rankin County, which has about 120 sheriff's deputies serving its roughly 160,000 people, is predominantly white and just east of the state capital, Jackson, home to one of the highest percentages of Black residents of any major U.S. city. In the county seat of Brandon, a towering granite-and-marble monument topped by a statue of a Confederate soldier stands across the street from the sheriff's office. In a notice of an upcoming lawsuit, attorneys for Jenkins and his friend Eddie Terrell Parker said on the night of Jan. 24 the deputies suddenly came into the home and proceeded to handcuff and beat them. They said the deputies stunned them with Tasers repeatedly over roughly 90 minutes and, at one point, forced them to lie on their backs as the deputies poured milk over their faces. The men restated the allegations in separate interviews with the AP. When a Taser is used, its automatically logged into the devices memory. The AP obtained the automated Taser records from the evening of Jan. 24. They show that deputies first fired one of the stun guns at 10:04 p.m. and fired one at least three more times over the next 65 minutes. However, those unredacted records might not paint a complete picture, as redacted records show that Tasers were turned on, turned off or used dozens more times during that period. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation was brought in to investigate the encounter. Its summary says a deputy shot Jenkins at approximately 11:45 p.m., or about 90 minutes after a Taser was first used, which matches the timeframe given by Parker and Jenkins. The deputys name was not disclosed by the bureau. Police say the raid was prompted by a report of drug activity at the home. Jenkins was charged with possessing between 2 and 10 grams of methamphetamine and aggravated assault on a police officer. Parker was charged with two misdemeanors possession of paraphernalia and disorderly conduct. Jenkins and Parker say the raid came to a head when the deputy shot Jenkins through the mouth. He still has difficulty speaking and eating. Another Black man, Carvis Johnson, alleged in a federal lawsuit filed in 2020 that a Rankin County deputy placed a gun into his mouth during a 2019 drug bust. Johnson was not shot. A Rankin County Sheriff's Deputy SUV drives through downtown Brandon, Miss., Friday, March 3, 2023. There is no reason for an officer to place a gun in a suspects mouth, and to have allegations of two such incidents is telling, said Samuel Walker, emeritus professor of criminal justice at the University of Nebraska. If there are incidents with the same kind of pattern of behavior, they have their own set of rules, he said. So these are not just chance experiences. It looks like a very clear pattern. Jenkins doesn't know the name of the deputy who shot him. In the heavily redacted incident report, an unidentified deputy wrote, I noticed a gun. The unredacted sections don't say who shot Jenkins, only that he was taken to a hospital. Deputy Hunter Elward swore in a separate court document that Jenkins pointed the gun at him. Elward's name also appears in police reports and court records from the two incidents in which suspects were killed. The sheriff's department refused repeated interview requests and denied access to any of the deputies who were involved in the violent confrontations. The department has not said whether deputies presented a search warrant, and it's unclear if any have been disciplined or are still members of the special unit. The news outlet Insider has been investigating the sheriffs department and persuaded a county judge to order the sheriff to turn over documents related to the deaths of four men in 2021. Chancery Judge Troy Farrell Odom expressed bewilderment that the department had refused to make the documents public. (The) day that our law enforcement officers start shielding this information from the public, all the while repeating, Trust us. Were from the government, is the day that should startle all Americans, Odom wrote. The AP requested body camera or dashcam footage from the night of the Jenkins raid. Jason Dare, an attorney for the sheriffs department, said there was no record of either. Mississippi doesnt require police officers to wear body cameras. Incident reports and court records tie deputies from the raid to three other violent encounters with Black men. During a 2019 standoff, Elward said Pierre Woods pointed a gun at him while running at deputies. Deputies then shot and killed him. In a statement to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation obtained by the AP, Elward said he fired at Woods eight times. Police say they recovered a handgun at the scene of the Woods shooting. Court records place Christian Dedmon, another deputy who shot at Woods, at the Jenkins raid. Dedmon was also among deputies involved in a 2019 arrest of Johnson, according to the lawsuit Johnson filed alleging that one of the deputies put a gun in his mouth as they searched him for drugs. Johnson is currently imprisoned for selling methamphetamine. This photo provided by Monica Lee shows her son, Damien Cameron, in Braxton, Miss., in 2021. Cameron, 29, who had a history of mental illness, died in July 2021 after being arrested by two Rankin County sheriff's deputies. An Associated Press investigation found that deputies from a special unit of the Rankin County Sheriff's Department that's being investigated by the U.S. Justice Department for possible civil rights violations have been involved in at least four violent encounters with Black men since 2019 that left two dead and another seriously disfigured. Other documents obtained by the AP detail another violent confrontation between Elward and Damien Cameron, a 29-year-old man with a history of mental illness. He died in July 2021 after being arrested by Elward and Deputy Luke Stickman, who also opened fire on Woods during the 2019 standoff. A grand jury declined to bring charges in the case last October. In an incident report, Elward wrote that while responding to a vandalism call, he repeatedly shocked Cameron with a Taser, punched and grappled with Cameron at the home of his mother, Monica Lee. He said after getting Cameron to his squad car, he again stunned him to get him to pull his legs into the vehicle. After going back inside to retrieve his Taser, deputies returned to find Cameron unresponsive. Elward wrote that he pulled Cameron from the car and performed CPR, but Cameron was later declared dead at a hospital. Lee, who witnessed the confrontation, told the AP that after subduing her son, Elward kneeled on his back for several minutes. She said when Stickman arrived, he kneeled on her sons neck while handcuffing him, and that her son complained he couldn't breathe. Lee said she later went outside, hoping to talk to her son before the deputies drove him away. Monica Lee stands outside her eldest son's house in Braxton, Miss., Tuesday, March 21, 2023, as she talks about her youngest son, Damien Cameron. The 29-year-old Black man, with a history of mental illness, died in July 2021 after being arrested by two Rankin County sheriff's deputies. An Associated Press investigation found that deputies from a special unit of that sheriff's department are being investigated by the U.S. Justice Department for their role in another incident where they may have committed civil rights violations. I walked outside to tell him goodbye and that I loved him, and that I would try to see him the next day. Thats when I noticed they were on the drivers side of the car doing CPR on him, Lee said. I fell to the ground screaming and hollering. ___ Michael Goldberg is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/mikergoldberg. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi deputies accused of shoving guns in mouths of 2 Black men American children are growing up under a cloud of fear as a result of the near-daily occurrence of mass shootings and gun violence and this weeks event in Nashville brought violence to a school once again. A mass shooting is defined as an event in which four or more people are killed or injured by guns. According to this definition, more than 130 mass shooting incidents in the U.S. have taken place this year. Some 404 children and adolescents had been killed by guns as of March 28, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Last year, 647 mass shootings took place in the U.S. thats almost two per day. The extraordinary frequency of these horrific events means that all of us, including our children, have come to experience mass shootings as an expected part of our world. The unthinkable has become normal. Our job as parents is to help our children feel safe. Children and adolescents need to feel secure and protected in order to thrive. How should we talk with young people about these events in a way that acknowledges reality and also helps our children to feel safe? A child weeps while on the bus leaving, The Covenant School, following a mass shooting a the school Monday morning in Nashville , Tenn., Monday, March 27, 2023. Three students and three adults were killed. The shooter was killed by police on the scene. Students were transported from Covenant School to a reunification center at Woodmont Baptist Church. States in the Northeast have some of the strictest firearm laws in the country and one of the lowest rates of gun violence of any state, but mass shootings have occurred here as well. And in the context of broad media coverage, mass shootings that occur in East Lansing, Michigan or Uvalde, Texas feel very present to all of us. These tragedies impact our sense of the safety of our families, and children and adolescents are very aware of this feeling of danger. As parents, we need to be prepared to discuss these issues with our children. When a child comes to you with concerns about a mass shooting, parents can begin to respond by asking what they know and what they are feeling, reassuring the child that they are safe and listening to their questions. Ask your child what they have heard about the incident so far. What are other students saying? How are teachers explaining this? Get a baseline understanding of what your child knows so you can explain further and address any misconceptions. You dont need to share specific details right away asking and listening is the important part. Help your child understand that their feelings are real and valid, and that its OK to feel scared, anxious or sad. Remind them that you, their teachers and school administrators have taken concrete steps to keep them safe. For kids, everything can feel like it will happen to them thats normal for their age. If you help explain how active shooter drills and metal detectors are similar to fire drills or the safety briefing on an airplane, theyll understand how this information is important, but most likely, something theyll never need to use. Finally, allow your child to ask any questions they want, and come back with more in the future. Dont promise that a shooting will never happen to them, but explain how the real risk is extremely low. You dont need to think of the perfect thing to say either you can adjust and update what you say over time. Story continues More perspective: Four hours at Michigan State: Terror, trauma and the power of community Three approaches for different ages A fathers comforts his daughter as they visit the makeshift memorial at the entrance to the Covenant School Tuesday, March 28, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. Three children and three school staff members were killed by a former student in Mondays mass shooting. As children grow, their improving maturity will allow them to understand more specifics and think about bigger questions. Every parent will know their child best, but these general guidelines will fit different stages of life. For kids under 6, parents should focus on creating a safe place to help children understand that their feelings are valid and know its OK to talk about feelings. Kids need to know they can talk about scary topics with their parents in a calm and safe manner. For young children, simple and factual explanations work best, without going into details. Once children reach 11 or so, they are still identifying and learning about their feelings, but may also be getting exposure to graphic details from social media or nonstop TV coverage. Following 9/11, children would sometimes ask days later if there were still more planes crashing into buildings, because they saw the same images played over and over. Theres no need to expose kids to a constant drumbeat of scary information. Parents may want to get information from online or print news sources so they can stay informed, without their child having to see the same upsetting TV images over and over. For high schoolers 16 or older, you can talk about more specific details because they can discern the difference between a personal threat and a societal issue. While they can handle more complex emotions at this age, their fears may still be a concern and should be validated. Teens may also want to do something about the issue. This opens up the opportunity for a more sophisticated discussion about gun safety vs. gun control, the impact of mental health pressures, or even a chance to discuss socio-economic issues like why gun violence can be a bigger problem in underserved communities. When to seek help Demonstrators protest against gun violence in front of the Cordell Hull Building Tuesday, March 28, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn., after mass shooting Monday at Covenant School. Parents often ask how to know when their childrens level of anxiety is bad enough to seek help from a school counselor, pediatrician or therapist. In this case, look at how these feelings are impacting their ability to live a full, healthy life. If a childs fears have reached the point where their schoolwork is suffering, theyre having problems sleeping or their behavior has changed dramatically, its time to seek professional help. Most parents discuss mental health concerns with their childs pediatrician at first. However, 65% of pediatricians report difficulties finding referrals for their patients. Fortunately, telehealth providers such as Fort Health have begun to fill these gaps and have become excellent partners in providing these services, as they work closely with many pediatric practices and major health plans across the state to increase access to quality of care. More perspective: How many more students and teachers must die before lawmakers act to stop gun violence? Stay calm and keep listening A girl holds her mothers hand as they walk to the makeshift memorial at the entrance to the Covenant School Tuesday, March 28, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. Three children and three school staff members were killed by a former student in Mondays mass shooting. Theres one more piece of advice Id like to share with parents. Please remember that teaching your children to stay calm starts with you. Children pay attention to how you react and model that behavior. If a parent can stay open while listening to their concerns, this will give kids the space they need to manage their feelings. This isnt easy. If parents and caregivers need a resource on how to strengthen these skills, they can look at free educational information like resources from the Child Mind Institute. The best way to support our children's physical and mental health in the long term will be to create an America where they feel safe and cared for in any situation, without worrying about mass shootings. There are important steps you can take to help your child build resilience and manage these feelings. But we need to consider this as a public health issue and work together to fix the problems at the source. We need to find solutions to the rising mental health issues impacting our teens and young adults and to implement commonsense measures to ensure that gun ownership is as safe as possible. We can do this as a society if we work together and remember that our first priority should be to create a better world for our children. Bert Mandelbaum, M.D. FAAP, is chair of the Department of Pediatrics for Penn Medicine Princeton Health and chairs the New Jersey Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Task Force on Adolescent Sleep and School Start Time. Bert Mandelbaum, MD This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Nashville shooting: How to talk to your kids Former US vice president Mike Pence speaks during a panel discussion about Americas strength and leadership abroad and its importance organized by The Bastion Institute at The River Center on Saturday, March 18, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. Former Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday that he "has nothing to hide" from a Justice Department investigation into former President Donald Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election. A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Pence must testify to a federal grand jury as part of a special counsel investigation into Trump's actions to overturn the result of the 2020 election, including the events of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. "We're currently talking to our counsel about the balance of that decision and determining the way forward, but I have nothing to hide," Pence told reporters in Urbandale. "I've written and spoken extensively about that day and the days leading up to it." Pence's lawyers tried to limit his testimony in the special counsel's investigation, citing constitutional protections on the separation of powers. Because Pence was serving a ceremonial role as president of the Senate on Jan. 6, his lawyers argued, the constitution's "speech and debate" clause should shield him. More: Former VP Pence must testify about conversations with Trump before Jan. 6, federal judge says A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Pence has some protections under the "speech and debate" clause. However, Pence will be compelled to testify about any potentially illegal acts Trump may have committed. Pence said Wednesday he plans to meet with his legal team later this week to decide whether to appeal the decision. "The reason to challenge a subpoena of a vice president in their role as president of the Senate was an important constitutional argument to have. Now, for the first time ever, a federal court has recognized that those protections extend to a vice president," Pence told reporters. "As I said today here in Iowa, it's all about keeping faith with the Constitution." Pence spoke at the Westside Conservative Club in Urbandale on Wednesday morning. Gingham-clad waiters, bearing coffee and eggs, struggled to weave through the packed crowd at the Machine Shed restaurant. Story continues Pence is expected to run for president in 2024. His speech to the conservative club focused on the country's economic woes, his critiques of the Biden administration, and his commitment to Christian and constitutional values. Pence also spoke about his support for "common sense reforms" to Social Security and Medicare, suggesting that the federal government gradually limit the benefits in the coming decades. That's a controversial stance among Republicans, as party leaders in the U.S. House and Senate have pledged not to make cuts to the programs. Pence said the grand jury subpoena will not influence his decision about whether to run for president. He said Americans "long for leadership that will take us back to the policies of the Trump-Pence administration." "But, they want to see us return to a threshold of civility and respect that will make it possible for us to solve these problems facing future generations," he said. USA Today contributed reporting. Katie Akin is a politics reporter for the Register. Reach her atkakin@registermedia.com or at 410-340-3440. Follow her on Twitter at @katie_akin. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Mike Pence to testify in investigation, says he has 'nothing to hide' Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) on Tuesday defended TikTok as an incredible organizing tactic, throwing her support behind the platform amid a bipartisan effort by lawmakers to crack down on the popular video sharing app because of national security and data privacy concerns. We can think about privacy and security and make sure that were doing everything to ensure that, but also, banning TikTok is not, you know, the answer right now, Lee told The Hill when asked about her stance on banning the app. It is an incredible organizing tactic too, so we want to make sure that were protecting it keeping it safe but protecting it, she added. Lee a freshman lawmaker who is part of the Congressional Progressive Caucus joins a small but growing group of Democratic lawmakers opposed to banning TikTok, which includes Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) and Robert Garcia (D-Calif.). Lee noted the popularity of TikTok among young people. A 2022 Pew Research survey found that 67 percent of teens use the video sharing app. She also underscored the role the platform has played in connecting politicians to the American people. This is an app that has connected people, especially across the younger generations, Lee said. I know for certain that it has been able to allow us to, you know, reach folks where they are, particularly as, you know, candidates, as politicians, obviously not just TikTok but so many of these social media apps. So I think its really funny, right, that we see, you know, the attempts to ban it now when we recognize the power that it holds for those of different generations to finally be able to connect and to organize and to mobilizing, she added. A growing number of lawmakers in recent weeks have expressed skepticism about TikTok, which is owned by China-based company ByteDance. Members from both parties have raised concerns about national security, data privacy, the spread of misinformation and safety for minors who utilize the app. Those worries were highlighted during a blockbuster hearing with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew last week. Story continues Lawmakers in both parties and chambers have introduced legislation to place a check on TikTok. A bill sponsored by Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) would give the president the ability to ban TikTok, while a proposal from Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) would give the Commerce Department the ability to review, prevent and mitigate risks presented by technology linked to foreign adversaries, such as China. The White House has backed the legislation sponsored by Warner and Thune. It remains unclear, however, if any of the proposals will receive a vote in the House. House Republicans did advance a third TikTok-bill titled the Deterring Americas Technology Adversaries Act (DATA Act) in March, but it has not been brought before the full chamber. The measure, introduced by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas), calls for amending an existing exemption under the Berman Amendments which restrict the president from regulating informational materials to encourage the exchange of ideas across country so it does not pertain to sensitive personal data. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime is making it difficult for companies to break up with the country. Getty Images One year after Russia invaded Ukraine, just 520 firms have fully exited Russia, per a Yale study. Foreign firms can't quit Russia that quickly due to operational, ethical, and policy challenges. They are also trying to exit the market in an orderly fashion. It's hard to break up with Russia. More than a year after Russia invaded Ukraine, just 520 companies have made a clean break with the country, according to an ongoing study from Yale University. That's despite 1,000 companies announcing they were voluntarily cutting back on operations just two months after the Ukraine war started. And it's not for lack of trying: More than 2,000 companies are seeking approval to exit the Russian market, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday, citing a person involved in an exit negotiation. But the Russian authority handling the applications meets only three times a month and considers up to seven applications each time, thus prolonging the exit process, per the FT. Others who have varying degrees of active operations in Russia cannot simply pack up and go for a variety of business and non-business-related reasons. Quite simply, it's just not that straightforward for a company to get out of Russia right now and there are three main reasons why. 1. Companies have been trying to exit Russia in an orderly fashion Many companies were quick to announce their intent to leave the Russian market after it invaded Ukraine. While some big brands such as McDonald's, Starbucks have fully exited the country, others may be taking a slow and orderly approach to their exit strategy or various reasons. As Hassan Malik, a senior sovereign analyst at the Boston-based investment management consultancy Loomis Sayles, told Insider in June last year, "Translating boardroom decisions into on-the-ground action takes time." Some companies also cited obligations to their local employees while deciding to leave or stay. "Our colleagues in Russia have, through no fault of their own, endured months of stress and uncertainty," Arvind Krishna, the CEO of IBM one of the earliest companies to exit the market said in a statement in June. Story continues "We do not think it is right to abandon our people in Russia," UK consumer giant Unilever said on February 13. The conglomerate, which currently employs 3,000 people in Russia, stopped all imports and exports of its products and capital flows into and out of the country last year but continues to supply made-in-Russia products domestically. There are also concerns about what would happen to businesses if they simply shut their operations in Russia. "It is clear that were we to abandon our business and brands in the country, they would be appropriated and then operated by the Russian state," Unilever said. Selling the business isn't a good option, either. "To date we have not been able to find a solution which avoids the Russian state potentially gaining further benefit," the company added. 2. The Kremlin has devised programs to keep the economy going The Russian government made it challenging for companies to leave right after countries started imposing sanctions on the Kremlin over its war in Ukraine. Investors who want to sell their businesses and are from "unfriendly countries" those that have imposed sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine must donate at least 10% of the sale proceeds to the Russian budget, according to a document posted on Monday by the country's finance ministry. This donation is on top of a previously announced 50% cut on the sale of their assets, which has to be borne by these investors. These hurdles are in addition to obtaining state approvals before they can leave Russia and an implicit pressure on employers to preserve jobs a tactic Putin's regime has been using through the years, Loomis Sayles' Malik told Insider in June. Thus, companies that want to exit Russia are pressed to find buyers for their Russian operations who would continue running the business under a different brand. The pool of buyers is also limited due to international sanctions against Russia. McDonald's, for example, sold its business in the country to a local licensee in May. Under the deal, the buyer was required to continue employing and paying all of the fast-food giant's staff in Russia for two years after the takeover, according to a McDonald's statement in May. These moves alongside a labor crunch due to Putin's widescale mobilization of men have kept the unemployment rate low and Russia's economy is appearing resilient over one year into the war. But its time may be up soon. As aluminum oligarch Oleg Deripaska told the Krasnoyarsk Economic Forum in Siberia on March 2, Russia "will need foreign investors" as its funds are running low, Bloomberg reported on March 2. "There will be no money already next year," Deripaska said, per the media outlet. 3. Multinational companies face operation challenges in their exits Because many foreign companies operating in Russia are multinationals, shutting operations in the country can have a domino effect on their businesses elsewhere. Because such companies are integrated globally, their worldwide operations could be impacted if a subsidiary in one place is closed, Saul Estrin, a professor at the London School of Economics, and Klaus E. Meyer, a professor at Ivey Business School, explained in a blog post on Wednesday. "This interdependence may be small when the subsidiary solely has a sales and service role," they wrote, citing food and US beverage giants McDonald's and Starbucks as examples. "However, the interdependence is high and disruptive for the parent organization when the subsidiary is procuring critical raw materials or intermediate products for the parent that cannot easily be obtained elsewhere." Complex global supply chains mean that companies such as those in the automotive and machine tool industries would have to change their procurement processes if they close an operation, they added. Read the original article on Business Insider If you're one of those people who thought there was something fishy a year ago about a tanker ship anchored in Narragansett Bay with a "Z" on it and thought it might have been supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine, you were half right. In the early days of the Russian occupation, supporters of the war began painting large Zs on vehicles and buildings, leading to speculation that the petroleum tanker the Galissas was somehow backing the invasion. But the big "Z" on ship's smokestack had nothing to do with Russia it's the initial of the company that owns the ship. No, the Galissas dwelled in the Bay for weeks because it was a crime scene. The Galissas, just north of the Newport Pell bridge in Narragansett Bay on March 15, 2022. More on the Galissas: What's the Z? Is the ship in Narragansett Bay supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine? Ship's owner, chief engineer face fines And now the U.S. Attorney's office has reached plea deals with the ship's owner, captain and chief engineer that call for $2.25 million in fines, including half a million that will go to environmental projects in Rhode Island. The deals are detailed in paperwork filed last week describing two felony charges in the case. One charge says the Galissas did not have a key safety system in place when it sailed from Holland to Rhode Island in February last year. Lack of a functioning system to pump inert gas into the ship's cargo tanks allowed oxygen levels to rise to the point where the ship could have exploded. The other charge says the ship's crew did not maintain accurate records on the system designed to prevent discharge of oil into the ocean. Seawater and oil from machinery collect in the lowest levels of a ship, called the bilges. The oil is supposed to be separated before the seawater is pumped overboard. But, the filing says, the Galissas pumped the oily water directly into the ocean, and then pumped clean seawater into the bilges to hide the violation. Fishy case: Why the scales of justice tipped toward Stop & Shop in lawsuit over RI customer's fishy cod order Story continues Charges could carry prison time for ship's captain, engineer Zeus Lines Management, the Greek company that owns the Panamanian-flagged ship, has agreed to plead guilty to both charges and pay the fines a $1.7-million criminal fine plus a $562,500 "community service" fine to the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation to be spent on Rhode Island projects. According to the plea agreement, those projects can include restoration of salt marshes, beaches and dunes and freshwater wetlands, as well as removal of dams and other structures that impede the movement of fish, plus converting "hardened" coastline structures to "green infrastructure" that will reduce flooding, erosion and polluted runoff. Jose Ervin Mahinge Porquez, a Filipino citizen and the ship's captain, known in legal parlance as its "master," agreed to plead guilty to the safety-system charge and be sentenced in accordance with federal sentencing guidelines, with credit for accepting responsibility by pleading guilty. Roberto Cayabyab Penaflor, the ship's engineer and also a Filipino citizen, agreed to plead guilty to the oil records charge and be sentenced in accordance with the guidelines, with credit for accepting responsibility by pleading guilty. The charges against both men carry a statutory maximum of six years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years' probation. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: The true story and crime behind mystery 'Z' ship in Bay last year I have an escape door: Younger workers say they need more than a good salary to give their loyalty, flexibility and service and its already costing the US economy billions Siobhan Neela-Stock learned a painful lesson about the need for mental health support in the workplace when she found herself in an acute breakdown one morning in August of 2021. By the time she decided to take a six-week mental health leave from her media job, she was finding it difficult to sleep or even string a sentence together. Don't miss My brain just quit on me, she says. I think I was in [fight-or-flight] mode. The Vermont-based writer and journalist endured months of prolonged stress from her work environment. Eventually, she reached a point where it was hard to get out of bed. She eventually decided to hand in her notice that October, joining a growing trend of young employees who are rethinking their relationship with mental health and work. A recent study from financial services company Securian Financial reports that 65% of Gen Z and 60% of millennial workers say its very important for their employers to provide mental wellness benefits. In comparison, fewer than half of Gen X and baby boomer employees say the same. But if employers hope to retain talented workers and employees want to avoid burning themselves out, both groups may need to rethink the value they place on providing or having access to mental health benefits in the workplace. Younger generations value mental health support Neela-Stock is far from alone in her experience. The American Institute of Stress, a non-profit organization, reports that 4 in 5 American employees suffer from work-related stress. A quarter said their jobs were the number-one stressor in their lives. But even considering how widespread the issue is, for employees who are struggling, workplace mental health coverage tends to be quite limited. The most common benefit is an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which provides focused, short-term counseling to help employees cope with a specific issue affecting their work. Story continues According to a survey of 1,000 full-time workers from the workplace mental health provider Lyra, only 25% of workers had dedicated mental health benefits in 2021, while 54% had access to an EAP. However, the report also found access to workplace mental health benefits has improved since 2020, and more workers have benefits that are fully covered. Everyone benefits from enhanced benefits While many may assume any resources offered in this area would be considered an extra perk, the data shows that if employers dont prioritize their employees mental well-being, they run the risk of losing them. A 2021 study from management consulting firm McKinsey discovered that not only do most Gen Z employees take mental health resources into consideration when choosing an employer, 57% say theyre important when deciding whether to stay at an employer as well. While nearly three-quarters of Gen Z and millennial workers told Securian they made use of mental health benefits offered by their employers, only 58% of Gen Xers and 49% of baby boomers said the same. Denise Rousseau, professor of organizational behavior at Carnegie Mellon University, says older workers arent less in need of mental health support, adding that aging out of the workforce and shifting into retirement can be challenging for many. She suspects older workers are more reluctant to seek help even when they could use it. It's not been part of their normal life and the way they thought about themselves, Rousseau explains, adding theres now less stigma and more resources for mental health than back when Gen Xers and boomers first joined the workforce. Read more: Here's how much the average American 60-year-old holds in retirement savings how does your nest egg compare? There are benefits for employers too Rousseau points out that helping employees gain access and coverage for mental health care can help enhance their productivity and performance. Around 1 million workers miss work each day due to stress, and more than half arent engaged on the job because of it, according to The American Institute of Stress. And the organizations estimates of the total economic impact of stress to U.S. employers including factors like absenteeism, turnover, diminished productivity and medical and legal costs come in at a whopping $300 billion a year. Workers are also less likely to quit their jobs if they have a good relationship with their employer. This is particularly relevant right now, as the U.S. continues to grapple with a tight labor market. Simply offering good salaries isnt enough to get loyalty, flexibility and service, from employees, Rousseau emphasizes. And she adds the benefits that support an employees mental well-being are likely to vary from person to person. For some, providing competitive compensation and opportunities for professional development and growth supports mental wellness. While for parents, offering child care support can be incredibly useful. Why just having mental health benefits isnt enough Since Neela-Stock left her job, she has opted to freelance and is hesitant to commit to a steady 9-to-5 again. Her current situation allows her to vet clients to make sure they prioritize supporting workers mental health. I have an escape door. If they treat me badly, I can leave, she says. And while she could afford to leave her job, not everyone can make that choice especially if they need to work in order to keep their health insurance coverage. Getting in front of that, there needs to be a foundation of psychological safety in the workplace, says Neela-Stock. If you don't have that, then all these other benefits, in my opinion, are just going to be Band-Aids. What to read next This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. A picture taken on December 30, 2018, shows a line of US military vehicles in Syria's northern city of Manbij. - President Donald Trump announced last week that US troops would depart from Syria, leaving Manbij residents dreading a long-threatened attack by Turkey. (Photo by Delil SOULEIMAN / AFP) (Photo credit should read DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP/Getty Images) There are roughly 2,000 US troops currently stationed in Syria. Credit - DELIL SOULEIMANAFP/Getty Images After years of debate, the Senate passed a bill Wednesday to repeal the decades-old authorizations for military force dating back to the Iraq and Persian Gulf Wars that granted U.S. Presidents broad parameters in their powers to wage war. The bill passed on a 66-30 vote with bipartisan support, sending the bill to the GOP-led House where leaders have yet to decide to put it to a vote on the floor. The legislation, which President Joe Biden supports, would dismantle the so-called authorizations of military force (AUMF) for the 1991 Gulf War and the 2002 Iraq War, each of which handed the White House wide-ranging authority in moving troops and launching combat operations without congressional approval. The AUMFs set relatively few hard limits on the actions a sitting president could pursue, effectively leaving the U.S. in a permanent state of war. Read more: Republicans Scrutinize Ukraine Military Aid If the bill becomes law, it will force lawmakers to assume more responsibility in sending troops into harms wayjust as the Constitution calls for. And yet Congress has not used its constitutional right to declare war since World War II in 1942, instead relying on AUMFs at the request of presidents. The open-ended legal authorizations have drawn increasing scrutiny from Congress over the years, as successive presidents have sent waves of U.S. forces to fight terror groups throughout the Middle East. The White House says the bill would not have any impact on ongoing U.S. military or counter-terrorism missions. We urge the House to move quickly as well, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Wednesday. Repealing the 2002 and 1991 AUMF would support the Presidents commitments to continuing a strong relationship with our Iraqi partners and to working with Congress to ensure outdated authorizations for the use of military force are repealed. Story continues The bill was introduced by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia and Republican Senator Todd Young of Indiana, both of whom say the AUMFs are outdated and problematic. For example, the government of Iraq is now a partner, rather than the adversarial nation that the U.S. invaded and occupied in 2003. The entire world has changed dramatically since 2002, and its time the laws on the books catch up with those changes, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in floor remarks Wednesday. These AUMFs have outlived their use. War powers belong in the hands of Congress, and so we have an obligation to prevent future presidents from exploiting these AUMFs to bumble us into a new Middle East conflict. Read more: U.S. Skeptical of Putins Pledge to Put Nukes in Belarus House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has said he supports repealing the 1991 and 2002 authorizations, but not a third sweeping 2001 authorization that allowed troops to pursue Al-Qaeda and its affiliates after the Sept. 11 attacks. The broad language in the 2001 authorization sets no geographic boundaries and has enabled four presidents to fight a global war and send American forces throughout the Middle East and Africa. An amendment to the bill that would have repealed the 2001 authorization was voted down in the Senate last week in an 86-9 vote. Asked on Tuesday whether the House would vote on the bill that just passed the Senate, McCarthy was noncommittal. Just because a bill passes in the Senate, doesnt mean it comes directly to the floor, he said, according to a Politico report. With reporting by Brian Bennett/Washington. When Fermi and GRBAlpha detected the burst, the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory was on the other side of the Earth and localized the burst an hour later thanks to its afterglow. The brightest gamma-ray burst in 10,000 years that swept over Earth last year blinded all of NASA's flagship gamma-ray missions. A tiny Eastern European cubesat, however, rose to the occasion, taking an accurate measurement of the monster burst's peak intensity. When Czech astronomer Jakub Ripa received a call from a colleague at NASA on Oct. 9, 2022 inquiring about data from his team's tiny cubesat GRBAlpha, he was skeptical of the request. NASA's satellites had just detected what appeared like the brightest gamma-ray burst ever seen , which was so bright that it completely dazzled the NASA spacecraft's detectors. Ripa's colleague wanted to know whether GRBAlpha had been luckier, as the NASA data didn't allow scientists to calculate the historical event's peak intensity. Gamma-ray bursts are the most powerful explosions known to happen in the universe that arise when giant stars collapse into black holes at the end of their lives. Within mere seconds or minutes, these bursts unleash an amount of energy greater than the output of our sun over its entire life-time. The shorter gamma-ray bursts are usually produced in collisions of super-dense stellar remnants known as neutron stars . Until recently, there were only a handful of space missions capable of detecting gamma-ray bursts, all of them costly and complex machines built by the world's leading space agencies. Related: Brightest gamma-ray burst ever seen a 1-in-10,000-years event that's 'absolutely monstrous,' scientists say Ripa didn't think that GRBAlpha, an experimental cubesat built on a tiny budget by a team of Hungarian, Slovak and Czech astronomers, could have done any better than those missions. The satellite, launched in March 2021, had, in fact, only recently been enabled to gather data 24/7. "Our satellite was traversing the radiation belts around the north pole at the time of the burst," Ripa told Space.com in an email. "When I looked at the data, at first I did not realize that the big bump in the light curve was the gamma-ray burst." Story continues Since it reached orbit two years ago, GRBAlpha has detected over 27 gamma-ray bursts, Ripa's colleague Norbert Werner, an astrophysics professor at the Masaryk University in Brno, the Czech Republic, told Space.com in an interview. These gamma-ray bursts generated on average 400 photons per second on GRBAlpha's innovative detector. The "bump in the light curve" at which Ripa was staring in October counted 22,000 photons per second. "Given how strong this feature was in the data, I thought it was part of the radiation belt," Ripa said. "When I realized it was a gamma-ray burst, I was shocked, I did not expect to see anything this bright." Gamma-ray bursts are not rare. Everyday, one flashes at our planet from somewhere in the universe. Many more are believed to light up the cosmos without us being able to detect them. Astronomers believe that these bursts are produced when a black hole just being born from a collapsing giant star gets overwhelmed by the material falling into it and ejects it in the form of powerful jets. The jets are narrow, like a beam of a flashlight, and have to be pointed directly at Earth to be detected by our satellites. The tiny 1U cubesat GRBALpha is the world's first cubesat capable of detecting gamma-ray bursts. The gamma-ray burst of Oct.9, officially named GRB 221009A , was so bright because the energy of the jet was focused into a very narrow angle, a recent analysis revealed. Having since gained the nickname BOAT, for the "brightest of all time," GRB 221009A may have been the brightest gamma-ray burst to have hit Earth in 10,000 years. Werner thinks that BOAT didn't dazzle GRBAlpha because the detector on the 1U cubesat (a cube 4 by 4 by 4 inches, or 10 by 10 by 10 centimeters in size) is by design much smaller than those on NASA's flagship gamma-ray burst spotters Fermi and Swift , or the European Space Agency's (ESA) Integral . "The detectors on the main gamma-ray burst detecting satellites were overwhelmed by [GRB 221009A's] enormous brightness," said Werner. "Our data is unsaturated, meaning that we were able to measure the peak brightness of this extraordinary burst and provide information that the main gamma-ray burst observing spacecraft couldn't." An instrument for measuring solar X-rays on ESA's Solar Orbiter mission also got the peak brightness, as did a Chinese experimental satellite SATech-01 and Russia's Spektr-RG . For Werner, however, the GRBAlpha result is a huge victory. The astronomer dreamed up the satellite in 2016 together with his Hungarian colleague Andras Pal of Hungary's Konkoly Observatory, which provided funding for the mission. The first gamma-ray burst-detecting cubesat ever launched, GRBAlpha has paved the way for a more ambitious international endeavor that plans to develop an entire constellation of gamma-ray burst detecting cubesats . Such a constellation, Werner says, would be able to make up for the shortcomings of the current fleet of large monolithic missions. Although GRBAlpha demonstrated its strength with BOAT, the original motivation for the cubesat constellation came from the limited ability of the current fleet to locate sources of these explosions. The only spacecraft in orbit capable of immediately identifying where these bursts come from is NASA's Swift . This spacecraft, however, sees only about one ninth of the sky at any given time, which means it misses a large fraction of the gamma-ray bursts that reach Earth. "It misses 8 out of 9 gamma-ray bursts," said Werner. "We don't have a mission that would cover the full sky and also provide localization." Related stories: A fleet of gamma-ray burst detecting cubesats could help crack mystery of neutron star mergers Here's what the sky would look like if humans could see gamma rays (video) Astronomers discover ancient, very distant gamma-ray burst It was a lucky coincidence that SWIFT was looking in the right direction at the time when the BOAT lit up the sky. And it was also a lucky coincidence that GRBAlpha was in the right place to see it. The cubesat constellation envisioned by Werner and his colleagues would see the whole sky at all times and would enable astronomers to calculate the locations of the gamma-ray burst sources from the tiny differences in the times of their arrivals at the different satellites. The method, known as triangulation, is commonly used with GPS satellites for navigation on Earth. A paper detailing GRBAlpha's measurements of GRB 221009A was published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics on March 28. The team's paper detailing the mission's operations has also recently been accepted for publication in the same journal. Nine people were killed after two Army helicopters from Fort Campbell crashed late Wednesday night in southwestern Kentucky during training. The two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, part of the 101st Airborne Division, crashed around 10 p.m. in Trigg County, according to a statement from Fort Campbell. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear addressed the incident in a press conference Thursday morning. We're going to wrap our arms around these families, he said. "Were going to let them know they are loved ... If theyll allow us to carry some of their grief, well do that as long as we can." All nine of the people who were killed were based at Fort Campbell, said Brigadier Gen. John Lubas, deputy commander of the 101st Airborne Division. "The Army has deployed an aircraft safety team" that will arrive Thursday afternoon from Fort Rucker in Alabama, Lubas said. That team will begin an investigation to help officials "understand what caused this crash in order to prevent accidents like this from happening again." Despite the losses, Lubas said, no other casualties or injuries have been reported. The aircraft landed "in an open field across from a residential area." More headlines: Kentucky legislature overrides veto of anti-trans bill despite LGBTQ+ youths' pleas Thursday news: Louisville police officer dies weeks after motorcycle crash The Army said that it is doing what it can to notify family members quickly and has been in contact with some local families but that others are located across the U.S. and abroad, making the process more difficult. The people who were killed have not yet been identified, and Lubas said more details about them will be released once all of their families have been notified. "This is a truly tragic loss for our families, our division and Fort Campbell, and our No. 1 priority is caring for the soldiers and families within our combat aviation brigade," Lubas said. "Our entire Fort Campbell community is surging resources and support, and our thoughts and prayers are with these families and these soldiers during this difficult time." Story continues Local reactions Several community members spoke out after incident. "Please join me in praying for everyone involved in the Fort Campbell helicopter accident, especially our service members and their families. My staff and I are monitoring the situation as we continue to receive more information," Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said. Rep. Mark Green, who represents Clarksville in Congress, said he and his family were "heartbroken." "Fort Campbell is one of the closest-knit communities weve ever been a part of, and we know this loss is being felt heavily," he said in a statement. Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts also gave his condolences to affected families. "Cynthia and I are praying for the families and leadership impacted by this news," he said. "The city has communicated with the leadership at Fort Campbell that we are ready to help in any way that is needed. "We are also grateful for the service and sacrifice of the soldiers and their families who nobly serve and protect our freedom." Weve got some tough news out of Fort Campbell, with early reports of a helicopter crash and fatalities are expected. @kystatepolice, @KentuckyEM and local officials are responding. We will share more information as available. Please pray for all those affected. Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) March 30, 2023 We can confirm two aircraft from the 101st were involved in an accident last night resulting in serveral casualties. Right now the focus is on the Soldiers and their families who were involved. pic.twitter.com/eG5ndWVvbT 101st Airborne Div. (@101stAASLTDIV) March 30, 2023 What kind of helicopter crashed in Fort Campbell? Two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the 101st Airborne crashed. "The Black Hawk UH/HH-60 is the Armys utility tactical transport helicopter. It provides air assault, general support, aeromedical evacuation, command and control, and special operations support to combat, stability and support operations," according to the Army. It weighs more than 20,000 pounds and can transport 11-person infantry squads. Where is Fort Campbell? Fort Campbell is about 60 miles northwest of Nashville, Tennessee. It is located across parts of four counties Christian and Trigg counties in Kentucky and Montgomery and Stewart counties in Tennessee, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. Most of its 105,000 acres are in Tennessee, but its post office is in Kentucky. What is Fort Campbell? Brigadier General John Lubas address the press in regards to the Black Hawk crash that occurred early in the morning outside of Fort Campbell in Christian County, KY on Mar. 30, 2023. Soldiers were conducting a training mission when they crashed leaving nine dead. Fort Campbell is an Army post with the mission to "support expeditionary forces by providing equitable & efficient services that sustain Fort Campbell and enhance the well-being of the military community," according to the Defense website. It's the second-largest post in the country, behind Fort Bragg in North Carolina. It houses several major units, including the 101st Airborne the only air assault division in the Army, according to the Defense Department. The 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) and 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) are also at the post. It has "supported the training and deployment of front-line Army units involved in the nations wars" including World War II and the Vietnam War, the website said. When was the last military crash? Two Tennessee National Guard pilots died last month after a Black Hawk helicopter crashed near a highway in Alabama during a training session. A police helicopter also crashed Sunday in a Louisiana sugar cane field and killed two officers. USA TODAY contributed to this report. This story will be updated. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: 9 soldiers killed after 2 Kentucky helicopter crash during training Graduate student employees at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor are on strike, saying they won't return to their jobs until they are paid what they call a livable wage of $38,500 a year. Joined by hundreds of undergraduate students, instructors and community members, the Graduate Employee Organization at U-M left classrooms at 10:24 a.m. Wednesday, demanding a better contract. In addition to higher wages, the union's demands include "an affordable and accessible childcare subsidy, access to gender affirming care, an emergency fund for international students and transitional funding for survivors of sexual harassment," said GEO Contract Committee Chair Amir Fleischmann. A group marches along South State Street through downtown Ann Arbor as University of Michigan graduate workers along with members of the Graduate Employees Organization and allies march in protest after a rally at The Diag on the campus in Ann Arbor on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, after going on strike. Kicking off with a rally at the Diag, protestors marched around campus, chanting, "No contract, no grades," and carried signs that said, "We earn less than a living wage," and "Neither sticks, nor stones, nor injunctions can settle our strike." "By walking out of your classes this morning, you all just gave the University of Michigan the best explanation it could ask for about why it should listen to its own workers," GEO President Jared Eno told the crowd. "We make this university run and it's time to remind them of that." After marching and a press conference at the Hatcher Library on campus, protesters took to the picket line back at the Diag. More: U-M graduate workers to go on strike Wednesday morning More: Michigan State to reopen Student Union, keep Berkey Hall closed University: Classes will continue as scheduled According to a news release from U-M, substitute instructors, alternative assignments and other means for delivering instruction will keep classes going despite graduate workers striking. "A strike violates GEOs own agreement with the university," according to the release. "The current contract includes language specifying that the union agrees not to strike while the contract is in effect." The current 3-year contract expires on May 1 and the next scheduled negotiation date is March 31. Story continues U-M Ann Arbor Provost and Executive VP for Academic Affairs Laurie McCauley said the university will continue to negotiate an agreement with GEO, yet the administration is "disappointed that GEO believes this step is necessary." Bargaining updates are posted online here. Graduate students struggle to live in Ann Arbor Bargaining between the university and GEO has been ongoing since November 2022. So far, agreements have only been made relating to "things like job postings and felony disclosure," Fleischmann said. "Things that, I would note, don't cost the university a thing." The GEO at U-M represents approximately 2,300 graduate students who teach and assist in research projects on campus. Last week, union members voted to authorize a strike; it passed with 95% approval. Due to the wages that U-M Ann Arbor currently offers graduate workers, they are struggling to pay rent and are selling plasma, skipping meals and rationing medication to make ends meet, Eno said. "We need to be able to pay the basic necessities to get by and do our jobs to teach the undergrads, who we care so much about. The university has told us that paying grad workers a living wage is exorbitant and infeasible. ... We're just asking for what we need to get by. That's $38,500 for each grad student. We make ($14,500) less than that every year." According to U-M Ann Arbor, full-time graduate student staff assistants and graduate student instructors make $24,055 per term. Eliza Steinberg, a biopsychology undergraduate student at U-M Ann Arbor, said she attended the march to support graduate student instructors "because they work very hard to lead our discussions and grade our papers. They do a lot of the work that the professors don't do, and they deserve a livable wage as well as many of their other demands." Future protests and marches At 1 p.m. Thursday, student employees at U-M Ann Arbor's north campus plan to gather at the Bell Tower to demand better pay and assistance as well, Eno said. A faculty solidarity march is also being organized for Monday. Contact Nour Rahal: nrahal@freepress.com This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: University of Michigan Graduate Employee Organization on strike Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a joint statement with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres following their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine 08 March 2023, STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has invited China's Xi Jinping to Ukraine. It comes after cracks emerged in Xi's alliance with Russia's Vladimir Putin. Xi has proposed a plan to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has invited Xi Jinping to Ukraine to discuss a peace plan that the Chinese president has proposed to end the war with Russia. Speaking to the Associated Press Tuesday, Zelenskyy said he'd be willing to open discussions with China's leader - a move that could help Ukraine capitalize on the cracks that have appeared in the China-Russia alliance. "We are ready to see him here," Zelenskyy said. "I want to speak with him. I had contact with him before full-scale war. But during all this year, more than one year, I didn't have." Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters that she didn't know if an invitation had been officially extended to Xi, or if Xi would accept an invitation if one were received. Zelenskyy's comments come after Xi visited Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow last week, where the two strongmen leaders renewed their "no limits" pact of cooperation, and signed sweeping new economic deals. But there are signs of tension in the relationship between Russia and China, analysts say, with Xi having secured lucrative trade deals for China at the Moscow summit in return for no additional support for Russia in Ukraine. Putin last weekend said he planned to station nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus, breaking an agreement Russia had signed only days before at the summit with China. "What does it mean? It means that the visit was not good for Russia," Zelenskyy told AP, saying that Putin had likely made the move to distract from the fact that China provided no extra support to Russia after the summit. China, which is officially neutral, has been Russia's most important international backers after it invaded Ukraine, offering diplomatic support and lucrative trade deals that have been a lifeline to the Kremlin amid punishing western sanctions. Story continues Xi has sought to position himself in recent weeks as a mediator in the conflict, proposing a 12-point peace plan to end the war. The plan has received a cold response from Ukraine's allies in the West, with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in an interview with NBC News saying it was heavily biased in Russia's favor. The US has warned that China may be preparing to arm Russia, a claim China has denied. Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday praised China's "balanced" position in the conflict, and said it wasn't Russia's role to comment on who Xi should visit, TASS reported. Zelenskyy has previously said that Russia must withdraw from Ukrainian territory for peace to be possible, which isn't included in China's plan, but has also said he is willing to discuss the issue with China. Read the original article on Business Insider Amelia Sherman, 19, isnt the first in her family to fall in love with creating music; however, she is the first to keep her "pitch perfect" in an a cappella group. I started getting into music when I was in elementary school and ever since I was younger I joined the choir and played the piano music has been a big part of my life for a while, Sherman said. Now a freshman at the University of Delaware, Shermans musical talent was discovered by Vocal Point, a gender-inclusive a cappella group with a focus on '80s music. The group has a storied history and tradition that stretches back more than 20 years to the groups founding in 1998. It is UD's oldest a cappella group, according to the colleges website. On Saturday, Sherman competed as part of the a cappella group in the 2023 Mid Atlantic International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella Semifinals a premier a cappella competition that showcases some of the best art of singing from high school and colleges across the nation. Throughout the groups history, Vocal Point has produced an album and three EPs and performed nationally. This year, the group celebrated its 25 years with a schedule of competitions and concerts, the website states. Sherman said the a cappella group caught her attention at the universitys Fall 2022 Involvement Fair an event held each year for students to connect with organizations on campus. In September, the freshmen auditioned for six a cappella groups at the college, she said. I got into all of the groups, but I chose to be in Vocal Point because I thought I would blend well with them and I do it was a good choice on my part, Sherman said. Ive never competed with an a cappella group before, so this is a new experience for me. Amelia Sherman solos with Vocal Point of the University of Delaware during the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella Mid-Atlantic semifinal competition at the Playhouse on Rodney Square, Saturday, March 25, 2023. Sherman is one of Vocal Points 15 members, all led by President Nick Quintana. Vocal Point did not place in Saturday's competition, but the group won a separate award for outstanding choreography. Their setlist featured Dai Freyrs tune Think About Things, Michael Jacksons Thriller and Christina Aguileras Fall in Line. Quintana said the group intends to create a story through their musical selections. Story continues We can sing something perfectly or execute a dance move perfectly, but if it doesnt make the audience feel something, then were really missing out on an opportunity to perform, said Quintana, adding that each person in Vocal Point collaborates on song selection and choreography. The University of Delaware's MelUDees, including Cole Walker (in tie) and Sydney Levine (front), performs during the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella Mid-Atlantic semifinal competition at the Playhouse on Rodney Square in Wilmington on Saturday, March 25, 2023. More:NBA YoungBoy, Eminem, Post Malone and Straight No Chaser have ties to Delaware TikTok star Vocal Point competed against a fellow UD a cappella group, MelUDees, and other groups from Rutgers, Temple, Villanova, James Madison, George Mason, Johns Hopkins and West Chester universities. This year marked Vocal Point's eighth time in the competition. Each group was given 10 minutes to impress the judges and was judged on vocal and visual performance. A University of Maryland a cappella group, DaCadence, placed first in the semifinals and will go on to represent the Mid-Atlantic region in the national tournament. Quintana credited his team on their award and said he is looking forward to next year's ICCAs. "We went into semifinals knowing that every competitor was going to be really good, so we went in with the mindset of whatever the outcome was, that we were going to put it all out on the stage and thats what we did. ... We have to keep that momentum going," Quintana said. Members of University of Delaware's Vocal Point receive the award for "Outstanding Choreography" during the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella Mid-Atlantic semifinal competition at the Playhouse on Rodney Square, Saturday, March 25, 2023. Vocal Point will return to the stage on Saturday, April 1, in Washington, D.C ., for Sing Out for Shelter 2023, an annual benefit concert to raise money to fight homelessness. Those interested in tickets or more information can visit augmented8.org. Have a tip or story idea? Contact local reporter Cameron Goodnight at cgoodnight@delawareonline.com, or by calling or texting 302-324-2208. Follow him on Twitter at @CamGoodnight. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Vocal Point, a UD a cappella group, competes to go to national contest A partially-eaten burrito and an Instagram post led to the arrest Tuesday of a man suspected of fire-bombing a Wisconsin anti-abortion lobbying groups office in May 2022. Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury, 29, of Madison, Wisconsin, was charged Monday in federal court with one count of attempting to cause damage by means of fire or an explosive "to terrorize and intimidate a private organization, assistant U.S. attorney general Matthew Olsen said in a statement Tuesday from the U.S. attorney's office for the western district of Wisconsin. Authorities had been searching for nearly a year for Roychowdhury, who is accused of setting fire to the offices of Wisconsin Family Action on May 8, 2022. At the scene of that incident, investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives found evidence of two Molotov cocktails, one of which failed to ignite. Also found spray-painted on the outside of the building was, If abortions arent safe then you arent either." No one was in the office at the time of the incident, which took place a week after a leaked draft of U.S. Supreme Court decision showing a majority of justices planned to vote to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established a constitutional right to abortion. (In June 2022, the Supreme Court ruled that Americans no longer have that constitutional right.) House passes 'born-alive' abortion bill: Abortion-rights advocates denounce measure 'There's more work to be done': Abortion clinics regroup, rebuild after violent attacks A threat is spray painted on the building wall near Wisconsin Family Action's offices in Madison. DNA collected at Wisc. firebombing eventually matched, authorities say Investigators collected DNA at the scene but did not get an immediate match. Subsequently, police monitoring surveillance video from a protest at the state Capitol in Madison on Jan. 21, 2023 saw a suspect spray painting, "We will get revenge" in a style resembling the graffiti from the May 2022 incident, according to the complaint filed with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin. Story continues That protest came in the wake of the police shooting and killing of a 26-year-old man in Atlanta. Using additional surveillance video, investigators identified a white Toyota pickup leaving that scene. Its license plate led to Roychowdhurys residence in Madison, according to the complaint. Investigators also found an Instagram post about the Jan. 21, 2023 "Stop Cop City" event with a "like" from what looked to be Roychowdhury's Instagram profile, the complaint says. Police began following him and on March 1 collected from a trash can a bag of fast food including a partially-eaten burrito he had thrown away, according to the complaint. A forensic biologist with the ATF found the DNA sample from the burrito and DNA from the scene of the firebombing "matched and likely were the same individual," the U.S. Attorney's office said. Officers arrested Roychowdhury at Boston Logan International Airport on Tuesday. He had traveled from Madison, Wisc., to Portland, Maine, and had purchased a one-way ticket for Tuesday flying from Boston to Guatemala City, the U.S. attorney's said. Roychowdhury made an initial appearance in federal court in Boston on Tuesday and has a detention hearing for Thursday. Roychowdhurys attorney, Brendan O. Kelley, who is listed in online court records as a federal public defender, declined comment when reached by phone by the Associated Press after Tuesdays hearing. A date for his appearance in federal court in Madison has not been set. If convicted, Roychowdhury faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison. More coverage from USA TODAY Contributing: Drake Bentley of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Associated Press. Follow Mike Snider on Twitter: @mikesnider. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wisconsin man arrested in firebombing of anti-abortion group's office FILE PHOTO: The logo of German carmaker Volkswagen is seen on a rim cap in a showroom of a Volkswagen car dealer in Brussels By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) - An Italian antitrust fine levied on Volkswagen over its defeat devices may have infringed the German carmaker's right not to be penalised twice for the same offence, an adviser to Europe's top court said on Thursday. The case came before the EU Court of Justice (CJEU) after Volkswagen challenged a 5 million euro ($5.4 million) Italian antitrust fine levied in 2016 for its misleading advertising about its cars fitted with illegal defeat devices. Volkswagen separately paid a 1 billion euro German fine in 2018, with the scandal costing it more than 32 billion euros in refits, fines and legal costs so far. The Italian court in its 2019 ruling rejected Volkswagen's appeal, saying there was no double jeopardy involved as the Italian fine derived from a different legal basis. Volkswagen took its case to the Italian Council of State which then sought advice from the CJEU. Advocate General Manuel Campos Sanchez-Bordona said in a non-binding opinion it could be a case of double jeopardy, which means that people cannot be charged twice for the same offence and which ensures legal certainty and equality. "The two proceedings relate to the same legal person (Volkswagen), and that the facts penalised are identical in substance and time," he wrote. He said there appeared to be no coordination between the Italian and German authorities to avoid double jeopardy. "Volkswagen cannot be penalised in Italy for 'Dieselgate', after having been penalised in Germany, if there has not been sufficient coordination between the penalty proceedings of both States," Campos Sanchez-Bordona said. The CJEU, which usually follows four out of five recommendations, will rule in the coming months. The case is Opinion in Case C-27/22 Volkswagen Group Italia and Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft. ($1 = 0.9210 euros) (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Alexander Smith) Education Reporter Vanessa Ontiveros is the education reporter at the Yakima Herald-Republic. She grew up near Los Angeles but has happily made Yakima her new home. She is passionate about reporting stories that serve the community and highlight various aspects of the educational system.She also hosts a podcast that discusses local arts education, Yakima Arts Talk, available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. The daughter of two longtime public school teachers, she is always looking to include community voices in her work. Business Reporter Joel Donofrio is the business reporter for the Yakima Herald. He was born and raised in the Chicago area, but he and his wife, Cathy, fell in love with the beauty (and low humidity) of the West and moved here in 2009, eventually relocating to Yakima in September 2021. They have two young adult children, Anthony and Joanna, and a dog, Molly. When he is not taking photos of construction sites, tracking down new and relocating businesses or catching up on agricultural trends, Joel enjoys playing guitar, singing, listening to music and playing and watching sports. RFA/Health Care Access Reporter Santiago Ochoa is a bilingual journalist covering health care access at the Yakima Herald-Republic in Yakima, Washington. Before joining the Herald, Ochoa reported for Flint Beat in Flint, Michigan, covering the citys Latino populationhealth care, education, community building and more, and winning top honors in the Michigan Press Associations feature category. He served as photographer and later editor for his college newspaper, The Michigan Times. When hes not working, Ochoa enjoys cross-country trips on his motorcycle, going to the movies, reading and skiing. Andreas Kluth is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering European politics. A former editor in chief of Handelsblatt Global and a writer for the Economist, he is author of Hannibal and Me. If you are sending a Letter To the Editor, please be sure to follow these rules: Letters have a firm 200-word limit and will be edited for grammar, clarity and accuracy. The person who signs the letter must be the author. Anonymous letters will not be considered. Letters must address the editor, not a third party. We will not print form letters, libelous letters, business promotions or personal disputes, poetry, open letters, letters espousing religious views without reference to a current issue, or letters considered in poor taste. Letters reflect the opinion of the writer. The Yakima Herald-Republic cannot verify the accuracy of all statements made in letters. Writers are limited to one published letter per calendar month. By Dave Graham MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Canada's ATCO Ltd has agreed to transfer ownership to Mexico of an unfinished pipeline bogged down in a dispute with the Mexican state power company, two officials told Reuters, marking a rare breakthrough in ongoing tensions over energy. Reuters in October reported that Mexican power utility Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE) in 2021 had to pay ATCO about $100 million in damages, interest and legal fees over the Ramal Tula natural gas pipeline in the central state of Hidalgo. The deal to hand over the pipeline will free ATCO from attendant liabilities and gives Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador the chance to finish the stalled project which was designed to supply natural gas to a power station north of Mexico City, the sources said. Three people familiar with the matter said agreement to hand over the project was reached after Lopez Obrador met in January with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who used their talks to raise Canadian energy firms' concerns in Mexico. Lopez Obrador afterward met representatives from Canadian energy companies, including ATCO, and details of the transfer were concluded in late February, one of the sources said. No fee was involved in the transfer, two of the sources said. The mutually beneficial agreement contrasts with unresolved dispute settlement talks centering on Lopez Obrador's energy policies that have pitted the U.S. and Canada against Mexico. ATCO said it was not disclosing the terms of the agreement. "Together with the CFE, we agreed that this was the best path to see the project completed," the company said in a statement. "ATCO continues to be committed to Mexico and its communities and will continue to own and operate its current power generation assets and modular structures business." Neither CFE, the Canadian government or Lopez Obrador's office replied to requests for comment. Arguing that past governments skewed Mexico's energy market in favor of private capital, Lopez Obrador has taken a series of steps to bolster state control of the sector. Story continues However, U.S. and Canadian companies argue his measures put them at a disadvantage, and are in breach of a North American trade deal. Last July the U.S. and Canadian governments launched formal dispute resolution talks with Mexico over energy. ATCO went to arbitration because after Lopez Obrador took power in 2018, CFE canceled a contract the Calgary-based company made with the last administration to build the pipeline, on the grounds that the work was incomplete, Reuters reported. By then, ATCO had already finished most of the 17 kilometer (11 mile) pipeline. But the company said it could not complete the final stretch due to resistance by local communities, and therefore invoked force majeure. The company argued Mexico had not done enough to enable the pipeline's completion, and the London Court of International Arbitration agreed, Reuters reported. Mexico paid up in December 2021, according to people familiar with the matter. Mexico's prior government initially valued the Ramal Tula project at $66 million when the contract was awarded in 2014. (Reporting by Dave GrahamAdditional reporting by Stefanie Eschenbacher in Mexico City and Nia Williams in Toronto and Steve Scherer in Ottawa; Editing by Christian Plumb and Richard Chang) ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Online instruction has paved the way for so many students to make time for a degree while working and caring for their families. St. Petersburg College (SPC) has been offering online courses for almost 30 years and has consistently been recognized for its online programs by U.S. News and World Report. Most recently, SPC was ranked first in the Tampa Bay region in three categories: Best Online Bachelor's, Best Online Bachelor's Programs for Veterans and Best Online Bachelor's in Business Programs. St. Petersburg College (PRNewsfoto/St. Petersburg College) SPC is offering an opportunity for those interested in pursuing an online degree to learn about the programs the college offers, find ways to pay for college, and navigate the application and registration process. From April 18-20, the Explore SPC event will cover those topics, one on each day, in a virtual setting. Anyone who attends one or more of the events can apply and have the $40 college application fee waived. Since SPC offered its first online degree program in the 1990s, its virtual offerings have grown to more than 80 programs and 800+ courses offered completely online. Vicki Westergard, SPC's Executive Director of Instructional Design and Development, said that the longevity of the program has provided the time to dial in these programs and perfect the platform. "We've figured out what works and have had so much support and encouragement to get tools and software and other things that make classes engaging," she said. "We're even working with augmented and virtual reality now, to help students be immersed in a topic." Westergard credits SPC's instructors for cultivating the college's online programs and courses, refining them to ensure that they are effective and relevant. "They give a lot of support and communication," she said. "They make sure that there are plenty of real-life applications to accompany what students are learning online. Our faculty are so creative in finding ways for students to engage in their work, outside of reading and quizzes. They're about making it fun." Story continues Ultimately, the proof of SPC's online programs' success lies in its graduates. "It's high-quality instruction and it shows, because our students are successful and go off and find great jobs," Westergard said. Learn more at spc.edu/exploreSPC2023. SOURCE St. Petersburg College Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/explore-online-programs-at-st-petersburg-college-301786502.html SOURCE St. Petersburg College Persistence Market Research Increasing Focus on Self-care and Personal Appearance Fueling Demand for Facial Wrinkle Treatment Options: Persistence Market Research New York, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As per Persistence Market Research, the global facial wrinkle treatment market was valued at US$ 77.2 billion in 2022 and is projected to surge ahead at a CAGR of 17.9% between 2023 and 2033. Facial Wrinkle Treatment Market is expected to reach US$ 472.2 billion by the end of 2033 Demand for minimally invasive cosmetic treatment procedures is increasing significantly. Dermatologists prefer to treat skin diseases with topical applications or less invasive procedures rather than surgical methods. The most frequently used procedure involving the application of botulinum toxin and dermal filler leads to wrinkle reduction with volume restoration. Social media and mainstream media are the main channels used to reach and influence customers, encouraging them to start early in their efforts to delay the onset of aging. Growing demand for non-invasive facial wrinkle treatments, easier product approvals, and advancements in technology are boosting strategic activities like distribution and collaboration agreements among manufacturers. The growth of the facial wrinkle treatment market has been driven by the contribution of dermatology laser equipment and advanced skincare technologies, which have led to various applications of cosmetic treatments. Additionally, the growing demand for skin resurfacing and rejuvenation has prompted the development of some highly innovative solutions. Click Here to Get Free Sample Copy of this Report@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/17239 Developments include several product launches every year. For instance, PicoSure Pro was recently introduced by Cynosure, Nd: YAG LASER: Capsulo was launched by Lumibird Medical, and Alma HybridTM was launched by Alma Lasers. Companies operating in the facial wrinkle treatment market are focusing on adopting effective strategies to develop new products and expand their distribution network. They focus on product distribution and collaboration agreements with other market players to enhance their position in the facial wrinkle treatment market. Story continues For instance: In April 2022, Cutera collaborated with Synchrony to provide financing options to dermatology patients for innovative new acne treatments. In December 2021, Allergan Aesthetics completed the acquisition of Soliton. In January 2021, Quantel Medical acquired Alex to enhance its sales. Key Takeaways from Market Study In 2022, the medication segment accounted for 83.8% share of the facial wrinkle treatment market owing to an increase in the number of anti-aging and anti-wrinkle treatments. Treatment procedures for dynamic wrinkles have been gaining popularity due to sedentary lifestyles and an increase in alcohol consumption, which have a negative effect on the skin. This segment occupied a 60% market share. Dermatology clinics led the end-user category with a market share of 29.1% in 2022. North America accounted for a 38.6% share of the global market in 2022, mainly due to an increase in U.S. FDA approvals. Due to the rising number of minimally invasive procedures and skin treatments being performed worldwide, the facial wrinkle treatment market is expected to exhibit significant growth over the coming years, according to a researcher at Persistence Market Research. Get Full Access of this Report@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/checkout/17239 Market Competition Key market participants such as Unilever, Givaudan SA, and LOreal who are manufacturing and bringing new products into their portfolios are prioritizing product development technologies, partnerships, collaborations, mergers, and acquisitions. In May 2022 , Givaudan Active Beauty introduced Centella CAST, an active cosmetic ingredient that unobtrusively lessens the appearance of stretch marks. In February 2022 , Unilever announced that it had agreed to sell its direct selling business in Thailand, Unilever Life, to RS Group. In January 2021, Dermaclara announced the release of its improved Silicone Fusion stretch mark patches & kits. Because of progressions in size, viscosity, - usability, and breathability, the new patches are 40% more effective than the original design. What Does the Report Cover? Persistence Market Research offers a unique perspective and actionable insights into the facial wrinkle treatment market in its latest study, presenting a historical demand assessment for 2017 to 2022 and projections for 2023 to 2033. The research study is based on Product [medication (creams, gels, oils & serums), procedural treatment (radiofrequency therapy, non-ablative laser fractional resurfacing, ablative laser resurfacing, chemical peel {glycolic acid peels, deeper peels}, dermal abrasion {dermabrasion, microdermabrasion}, neuromodulators, soft tissue fillers, facelifts)], Wrinkle type (dynamic wrinkles, static wrinkles, wrinkle folds), End user (hospitals, dermatology clinics, wellness and spa centers, aesthetic clinics, home-care settings), across seven key regions of the world. You Can Customize this Report As per Your Requirement Click Here@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/request-customization/17239 For additional insights on how the growth of the facial wrinkle treatment market will unfold over the decade, write to the analyst at media@persistencemarketresearch.com Persistence Market Researchs Expertise in Life Sciences and Transformational Health Our expert team of industry analysts comprising management graduates, medical professionals, engineers, and project managers provides insights on emerging therapy areas, diagnostic tools, medical devices and components, reimbursement and market access, biotechnology, and life sciences research products and services to equip decision-makers with sound inputs and strategic recommendations. Other Trending Reports: About Persistence Market Research: Business intelligence is the foundation of every business model employed by Persistence Market Research. Multi-dimensional sources are being put to work, which include big data, customer experience analytics, and real-time data collection. Thus, working on micros by Persistence Market Research helps companies overcome their macro business challenges. Persistence Market Research is always way ahead of its time. In other words, it tables market solutions by stepping into the companies/clients shoes much before they themselves have a sneak pick into the market. The pro-active approach followed by experts at Persistence Market Research helps companies/clients lay their hands on techno-commercial insights beforehand, so that the subsequent course of action could be simplified on their part. Contact Rajendra Singh Persistence Market Research U.S. Sales Office: 305 Broadway, 7th Floor New York City, NY 10007 +1-646-568-7751 United States USA - Canada Toll-Free: 800-961-0353 Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. Stiri pe aceeasi tema - President Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday that the Presidential Administration will fall within the budget provisions that have been approved by the budget law.Klaus Iohannis was asked what measures the Presidential Administration will take to reduce spending, told Agerpres. Fii la curent - President Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday that as long as he has a say there will be no public pay cuts.He was asked if the economic situation in Romania requires pay cuts and layoffs in the public sector, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro - Alex-Florin Florenta, the Justice Minister's proposal for the Prosecutor General (PG) office of the Prosecutor's Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ) will be interviewed on Monday by the Prosecutors' Section of the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM).The Prosecutors' Section - Former Social-Democrat senator Dan Sova was definitively sentenced on Wednesday by the High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ) to three years in prison with suspension for influence peddling in the CET Govora case. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe - Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu proposed Alex Florin Florenta for Romania's Prosecutor General office, the Justice Ministry announced on Monday, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro Help your friends - The National Integrity Agency (ANI) on Thursday informs that it has notified the Public Prosecutor's Office next to the High Court of Cassation and Justice regarding the commission of abuse of office by the general mayor of the capital city, Nicusor Dan, and using his position to favour some people, - President Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday that the Ministry of Finance must clarify whether OMV Petrom will pay the solidarity tax in Romania, stating that it is the initiator of the piece of legislation on which the Ministry of Energy has not been informed. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. - The High Court of Cassation and Justice rejected on Wednesday as unfounded an appeal in cassation filed as an extraordinary relief by former Bucharest Mayor Sorin Oprescu who sought a retrial in the case in which he was sentenced to 10 years and 8 months in prison for corruption, told Agerpres. Proiecte de 20 de milioane de euro in comuna Balauseri Ultimul contract incheiat in urma licitatiei efectuate este cu un constructor de Targu Mures pentru proiectarea si constructia unei crese, prima unitate de acest fel din comuna. Acest proiect, in valoare de circa 1,5 milioane de euro, va trebui finalizat pana in vara anului viitor. Cresa [citeste mai departe] Stiri pe aceeasi tema - The exchange rate of the national leu currency resulting from the quotations announced on Wednesday by the banks authorized to operate on the currency market is as follows: Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro Help - Rector of the Bucharest School of Economics (ASE) Nicolae Istudor said on Wednesday that a bill on higher education currently under consideration is "much better" than the Education Law of 2011, as it solves many of the problems that universities have faced in recent years. Fii la curent cu - The exchange rate of the national leu currency resulting from the quotations announced on Wednesday by the banks authorised to operate on the currency market is as follows: Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro Help - A number of 14 earthquakes, with magnitudes between 2 and 3.3 occurred on Wednesday, until 8:26 am, in Oltenia and Gorj counties, according to data published by the National Institute for Research and Development for Earth Physics (INCDFP) on Wednesday. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. - As many as 59,023 people entered Romania through the border crossing points, including 7,968 Ukrainian citizens, the General Border Police Inspectorate (IGPF) informs on Wednesday, February 8. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro - The total amount of European funds that entered this year in the accounts of the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry (MADR) stands at over 1.5 billion EUR, the institution announced on Wednesday. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro - Nine people were detained and more than a tonne of tobacco was impounded following searches carried out in Bucharest and four counties in a case file on economic crimes, the Bucharest Police informed on Wednesday, in a release sent to AGERPRES. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste - Romania pays 0.85% of the GDP for special pensions, and in two to three years we may reach up to 1.5% of the GDP, Eugen Radulescu, head of the Financial Stability Directorate of the National Bank of Romania (BNR) stated on Wednesday, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Stiri pe aceeasi tema - The secretary of state for Strategic Affairs with the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Iulian Fota, on a visit to Italy between April 19-21, held talks with Maria Tripodi, secretary of state at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Italy, about the deterioration of the regional situation - Romania constantly and consistently contributes to the efforts of the United Nations Organization to maintain peace, the Minister of National Defence, Angel Tilvar, said on Wednesday, on the occasion of his meeting with the UN Deputy Secretary General for peacekeeping operations, Jean Pierre Lacroix. - The Republic of Moldova is fulfilling its role of ensuring peace and security in the region, and "Chisinau is not alone", Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean said on Wednesday in a joint press statement with his Romanian counterpart Nicolae Ciuca, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai - The Romanian government on Wednesday approved 200,000 euros being contributed toward co-funding projects of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) designed to support Ukraine, and 200,000 euros toward a similar end for OSCE projects for Moldova, told Agerpres. Fii - President Klaus Iohannis stated, on Wednesday, that the leaders of the Eastern Flank of NATO have the duty to show firmness in the defense of peace and emphasized that the increased American military presence must continue, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste - Another 10 Romanian nationals were flown on Wednesday to Romania from the Turkish cities of Adana and Malatya by National Defence Ministry aircraft, taking the total number of repatriated persons to 31, the Foreign Affairs Ministry informs. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste - Academician Razvan Theodorescu, who died on Monday at the age of 83, was buried on Wednesday with military honors in the Academicians' Section at the Bellu Orthodox Cemetery, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro - The minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, had, on Wednesday, a telephone conversation with his counterpart from the Republic of North Macedonia, Bujar Osmani, the two officials talking about the regional security situation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) informs. Fii la curent Seminar focuses on examining the current uncertainty under Virginia law surrounding the exact duties owed by a listing or seller's broker to the purchaser in residential real estate transactions, including the scope of Article of Chapter 21 of Title 54.1 of the Virginia Code FAIRFAX, VA / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Attorneys Terry Fox and Faisal Moghul at the Fairfax-based law firm of Fox & Moghul - Attorneys at Law deliver cutting-edge continuing legal education seminar titled "EXAMINING A REAL ESTATE BROKER'S LIABILITY TO THE PURCHASER IN RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS IN VIRGINIA" with the Virginia CLE, the leading provider of continuing education to the Virginia legal community Fox & Moghul Founded in 1960, the Virginia CLE is the educational arm of the Virginia Law Foundation, which has been repeatedly voted the #1 continuing legal education provider by readers of Virginia Lawyers Weekly. Fox & Moghul is a Fairfax-based boutique law firm focusing on complex real estate disputes, including matters governing a real estate broker's liability and regulation under Virginia law. The firm's partners are regularly invited to speak at leading industry events on complex real estate topics that include, among other things, issues such as purchase and sale of commercial property, ownership structures for real estate, curing real property title defects, commercial leasing, and residential purchase and sale contract disputes. Faisal Fox and Terry Moghul are also widely published authors with many leading publications and journals such as Lexis Nexis and the American Law Institute. Recently, they co-authored a publication with LexisNexis on "Choice of Ownership Structure of Real Property" (June 9, 2022), which compares and contrasts the various ownership structures for owning real estate, including LLC, C corporations, S corporations, Limited Partnerships and joint ventures. "This CLE was designed to provide some degree of clarity to the post-1995 case law interpreting the scope of Article 3 of Chapter 21 of Title 54.1 of the Virginia Code," said Faisal Moghul, who was selected as a speaker for the event. "My hope is that this seminar simplifies the complexities in this area of the law for other lawyers who regularly advise brokers," added Moghul, "and perhaps it will assist Virginia judges in their decision-making on such cases as well." Story continues "I would like to thank my partner, Faisal Moghul, for his invaluable insights in helping us prepare for this seminar," said Terry Fox, senior partner at Fox & Moghul who regularly advises real estate brokers on a variety of legal compliance issues. The full seminar materials can be accessed at Fox & Moghul's website here. For more information on this CLE, please contact Taylor Erney, public relations manager, at Fox & Moghul at 703-652-5506 or [admin]ATmoghul[law].com. Contact Information Taylor Erney Press Contact info@moghullaw.com 7036525506 SOURCE: Fox & Moghul . View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/746716/Faisal-Moghul-and-Terry-Fox-Deliver-CLE-Seminar-Examining-a-Real-Estate-Brokers-Liability-in-Residential-Real-Estate-Transactions-With-Virginia-CLE-Foundation Stiri pe aceeasi tema - The National Meteorological Administration has issued a new Code Orange advisory for blizzards and snow build-up, effective throughout Thursday for the north-eastern counties of Botosani, Suceava, Neamt, Iasi and the mountain areas of the counties of Maramures, Bistrita-Nasaud and Mures.These regions - The General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPR) informs that on Wednesday, 81,986 people entered Romania through the border points, including 7,950 Ukrainian citizens.According to a press release sent to Agerpres on Thursday, approximately 157,500 people, Romanian and foreign citizens, with - Societatea Nationala de Gaze Naturale Romgaz anunta pentru 2023 un program ambitios de investitii, de 2,3 miliarde lei, din care mai putin de jumatate merg in proiectul Neptun Deep. In anul 2022, odata cu achizitia perimetrului Neptun Deep, Romgaz a avut cel mai mare program de investitii, de peste - President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday voiced appreciation for the support of the civil society for Romania's goal of joining Schengen, noting that Austria opposes the enlargement of the free movement area for domestic electoral reasons."These initiatives are healthy, because it is good to know that - The General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPF) informs that, on Thursday, a number of 69,634 people entered Romania through border points, of whom 7,608 were Ukrainian citizens.According to a release sent to AGERPRES on Friday, approximately 144,800 people, Romanian and foreign citizens, with - Italys biggest utility Enel Spa on Thursday said it will sell its Romanian operations to Greeces Public Power Corp (PPC) for 1.26 billion euros as part of efforts to cut debt and focus on cleaner energy, according to Reuters. Including debt, the deal is valued at 1.9 billion euros, Enel said in a - The General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPF) informs that on Thursday, a number of 62,006 people entered Romania through border points, of whom 7,928 were Ukrainian citizens, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro - The final investment decision regarding the Neptun Deep project will be made in the middle of 2023 and we are closer than ever to the start of this project, said, on Thursday, in a press conference, the managing director of OMV Petrom, Cristina Verchere, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele Earlier this year, James Ijames (pronounced Imes) cemented his status as a defining playwright in American theater when he received the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his most recent play Fat Hama modern take on Shakespeares Hamlet. He joins the ranks of legends like Eugene ONeill, Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, Neil Simon, Wendy Wasserstein and Lin-Manuel Miranda in attaining this coveted distinction, the highest national honor in literary achievement. It was a watershed moment for the prolific playwright, director and educator, whose works have been produced nationally to critical acclaim. Writing plays since age 14, Professor Ijames first rose to prominence in the Philadelphia performing arts scene in 2011 when he was named the recipient of the F. Otto Haas Award, given to an emerging theater artist. Since that time, the list of distinctions and prizes has been long and extensive, including four Barrymore Awards, two each for acting and directing; a 2019 Kesselring Prize for his play Kill Move Paradise the 2015 Pew Fellowship for Playwriting; and the 2015 Terrence McNally New Play Award for his witty and provocative White. Professor Ijames plays take on big, complicated issues dissecting race, gender and class differences in American society with humor that keeps audiences engaged. Im interested in disturbing the canon, explains Professor Ijames. Im often looking at things from the past, whether its a play like Hamlet or an event from history, and saying What about this is useful now? With the Pulitzer Prize comes an even wider interest in Professor Ijames past plays, several of which are being staged in major cities like Philadelphia, Chicago and New York. He has also had a number of new works commissioned and is excited to bring those to audiences, along with continuing to teach the next generation of theatre professionals at Villanova. Its just in my DNA to want to educate people and try to pull out their untapped potential, says Professor Ijames. I come from a family of educators and teaching will always be a major part of my life. Villanova, Pa Permutations are ways to describe symmetries and arrangements of objects. They have applications in many fields, including computer science, where they are used in sorting algorithms; physics, where they are utilized to describe states of quantum particles; and biology, where they are employed to describe ribonucleic acid sequences. Alexander Diaz-Lopez, PhD, associate professor, Mathematics and Statistics in Villanova Universitys College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, has been named principal investigator on a two-year, $249,937 National Sciences Foundation Launching Early-Career Academic Pathways in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences grant. The grant will support Dr. Diaz-Lopezs project, Combinatorics from an Algebraic and Geometric Lens, which will study permutations from a combinatorial and geometric point of view. Dr. Diaz-Lopezs research interests are in algebra and combinatorics. This project seeks to describe the composition of permutations that share a given collection of properties and their spatial distribution when plotting these permutations in a Cartesian space. The second focus of the project is the study of arithmetical structures of graphs. Finally, the project will serve to create the Villanova-Puerto Rico Research Retreat, a collaboration research summer program between students at Villanova University and the University of Puerto Rico. The grant will not only support my research, but also the research of Villanova students during the academic year, and students from both Villanova and the University of Puerto Ricomy undergraduate alma materduring the summer, says Dr. Diaz-Lopez, who is a native of Puerto Rico. It will also help expand a student research symposium for our Mathematics and Statistics students and fund students travel to national conferences. In 2021, Dr. Diaz-Lopez received a Henry L. Alder Award for Distinguished Teaching from the Mathematical Association of America. This national award recognizes faculty whose teaching has been extraordinarily successful and whose effectiveness in teaching mathematics is shown to have influence beyond their own classrooms. In addition, Dr. Diaz-Lopez is active in graduate teaching and mentoring at the University and has been instrumental in developing programs that prepare underrepresented students for graduate school. Dr. Diaz-Lopez received his doctorate from the University of Notre Dame. About Villanova Universitys College of Liberal Arts and Sciences: Since its founding in 1842, Villanova Universitys College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has cultivated knowledge, understanding and intellectual courage for a purposeful life in a challenging and changing world. With more than 40 majors across the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, it is the oldest and largest of Villanovas colleges, serving more than 4,500 undergraduate and graduate students each year. The College is committed to a teacher-scholar model, offering outstanding undergraduate and graduate research opportunities and a rigorous core curriculum that prepares students to become critical thinkers, strong communicators and ethical leaders with a truly global perspective. The City Assembly approved a proposal to ban taxi drivers who flout the rules from Budapests Castle District for six months. Scavenger taxi drivers have been a persistent nuisance in the Castle for years, parking in prohibited areas and preying on and price-gouging foreign tourists, the districts mayor, Marta V Naszalyi, told a press conference before a meeting of the assembly. The opposition Parbeszed politician said a meeting of taxi company representatives, the Budapest metropolitan council and the Budapest transport company BKK resulted in a proposal to amend parking regulations. Taxi drivers who flout the rules can be banned from the Castle District for six months under the proposal. MTI Photo: Zsolt Szigetvary YORK The American Gold Star Mothers of York are making sure loved ones who have bravely served the country are not forgotten. On Saturday, 11 Gold Star Mothers gathered to make Quilts of Valor for veterans and one of those recipients was 43- year-old Jessie Russel from Curtis, Nebraska. While many Quilts of Valor are tangible gifts made with love and appreciation for veterans touched by war, Russels story is unique. Shes not only a veteran herself, but she lost her 23- year-old son to service in 2021. Russels father, Robert Russel, and her grandfather, Gene Russel, both served in the army. She also pursued the Army after high school and served as a combat medic. It was an easy decision for her son, Garrett Grubbs, to make the decision to follow in his familys footsteps. Grubbs entered the service in November 2014 while still in high school. He began his basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina prior to his senior year. In 2016, he was sent to Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at Joint Base San Antonio-Sam Houston in Texas. Grubbs military occupational specialty was combat medic. He continued to serve in the Nebraska Army National Guard and then transferred to United States Army Active Duty. I was so proud of him, said Russel. He was becoming a great young man. Russel joined the American Gold Star Mothers in December. She heard about the organization through casualty officers after Grubbs passed. Russel said, Its really nice to be recognized by the American Gold Star Mothers. I am very humbled by all of the support. I know that many hours of hard work were put into that quilt, so this is a special moment for me and would be a special moment for my son. Barb Yllescas Vorthmann, president of the eastern and western Nebraska Gold Star Mothers, said the goal of American Gold Star Mothers is to be a listening ear and a light during the dark times for veterans. Its also a sisterhood of mothers who can share the love and understanding they are not alone. Vorthmann said, Most of us lost our children in service. By being involved, it helps us heal and eases some of the anxiety and depression after having lost our loved ones. Vorthmann said the Nebraska Gold Star Mothers have presented 70 Quilts of Valor over the last couple of years. They have served 5,146 volunteer hours from shipping care packages to deployed service members and delivering meals to veterans homes and military bases to making veteran holiday cards. This is all non-paid, said Vorthmann. Every donation we receive goes back into our main projects for veterans and their families. The Faith Lutheran Church was the perfect spot to present Russel a Quilt of Valor, said Vorthmann. Two quilters from York, Alice Fritz and Anita Wochner, are York American Gold Star Mothers along with JoAnn Kuester. Kuesters son had a heart attack aboard the USS Eisenhower while supporting operations in Iraq. She now serves as vice-president of the eastern and western Nebraska Gold Star Mothers. Russel joined the sisterhood in December. She said being involved with Gold Star Mothers will allow her to support those who are going through the grieving process of their lost loved one. I am excited to volunteer and help other veterans, said Russel. They need the help, they need the support, they need to see a friendly face who understands and has gone through what theyve gone through. Because my mind has been a bit more pre-occupied the last few weeks, I have found myself attempting to get into more cars that were not mine, than usual. It used to be just a couple times a year, but of late, its been on average of a couple times a week and some of them dont even look like mine! Theres no set make or model, but I do seem to have good taste. There have been SUVs, Jeeps, mini-vans and crossovers, Chevys, Dodges and Hyundais, two-doors and four-doors. I am not choosy! Most of you know my little denim-blue KIA Soul with the OOH BOY plates . . . the one with the bad case of acne from last Junes hail storm . . . so if you see me trying to enter a different vehicle without the OOH BOY plates, please do me a favor and yell at me! Wrong car, again! Regarding the position of Traveler Counselor/Vacation Guide at the York Westbound Information Center by the Nebraska Tourism Commission, I will go ahead and list the information again. In the meantime, I have had several interested parties contact me so far. This position involves promoting Nebraska-area attractions, history, events and businesses, as well as answering the many questions of travelers. It is a fun, seasonal job that involves meeting and helping the many interesting travelers from all over the world to appreciate The Good Life in our great state. These folks are truly the front-line staff who make the best first impressions on the traveling public in Nebraska. The position begins in mid-May and continues until after Labor Day. Hours are 8-4 p.m., seven days a week. Salary is $12.24 per hour and maintenance staff are present at the rest area during hours the kiosk is open. There are two other counselors and the schedule is flexible with each person working about 10 days a month. Knowledge of Nebraska, especially western Nebraska is an important part of this job. If interested, please contact Micheal Collins at micheal.collins@nebraska.gov. If you have any additional questions, call 402.362.1827. This Years Leadership York Class of 2023 will hold its annual Flavors of York County on Thursday, April 6, at the Holthus Convention Center. Doors will open at 4:30 p.m., and the fun continues until 7 p.m. There will be a cash bar and raffle prizes to benefit a local non-profit organization. The York Public Schools Foundation will host their annual The Luck of the Draw tonight, Friday, March 31. This event is great fun, with a chance to win $5,000! The evening begins at 6 p.m., with social time and a table of hot hors doeuvres available all evening. Then the reverse drawing takes place, with the last remaining ticket taking home the prize! MCs for the evening will be the popular duo of Chris Holder and Greg Adams. Tickets are $50 each and available from any York Public Schools Foundation Board member (Sally Ruben, Tony North, Jean Vincent, Julie Adams, Lori Suddarth, Derek Dauel, Pat Hotovy, Amie Kopcho, Gayla Knight, Audrey Sautter and Barb Skaden) or the York Public Schools District Office and North Printing. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari announced the construction of the Mumbai-Goa highway would be finished by December of this year. The new highway is expected to significantly accelerate growth in the Konkan region of Maharashtra. Furthermore, the Union Minister inspected the construction of the highway via a flight of a helicopter. The Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways said several works in the state's Konkan region were held up due to issues like land acquisition, permissions, and contractor problems. Also read: Toll Tax Revised From April 1: Driving On Mumbai-Pune Expressway To Become Expensive, Check New Rates Here He also announced the construction of the Rs 13,000 crore Morbe-Karanjade road, which will go through Jawaharlal Nehru Port and reduce the time needed to cover the distance between Mumbai and Delhi to 12 hours. Work on the Rs 1,200 crore Kalamboli junction and Rs 1,200 crore rpt Rs 1,200 crore Pagode junction too will begin soon, he said. He said the much-delayed Mumbai-Goa national highway work will be completed by December this year, which will hugely boost the development prospects of the Konkan area. "The Mumbai-Goa highway touches 66 tourism spots in Maharashtra's Konkan. It will give the development a high boost. It will also ensure quick transportation of fruits and other produce the region is famous for," Gadkari said. He blamed the contractors who were given two stretches for construction in 2011 for the delay. The highway is being built and widened in 11 phases. "However, all matters are resolved now and the highway, which also connects JNPT and Dighi port, will help in the progress of the country," Gadkari said. He also asked state governments to go in for roads with 6-8 inch topping so that they have a life of 50 years, as well as periodic updating of black spots for proactive rectification. "India sees 5 lakh road accidents a year, of which 1.5 lakh are fatal, with many of those dead in the 18-34 age group. This is distressing. All efforts must be taken to curb accidents," he said. Gadkari also said his ministry was in the process of introducing satellite-based fare collection on highways instead of having toll nakas that obstruct the free flow of traffic. Maharashtra must study the feasibility of seaplane, hovercraft, and water taxi systems for the Konkan region, which is blessed with a long coastline, for tourism and transport purposes, the Union minister said. With PTI Inputs Two United States army helicopters crashed after a collision while on a training mission over Kentucky. As per a New York Times report, the incident occurred on Wednesday. As per reports, the helicopter crash has claimed lives of 9 officials. Earlier, governor Andy Beshear's fatalities in the accident are expected. Giving confirmation on the same, US military officials informed of the fatalities calling it a "truly tragic loss". In his tweet earlier, the governor of Kentucky said, "Weve got some tough news out of Fort Campbell, with early reports of a helicopter crash and fatalities are expected." He further added, "Please pray for all those affected." Presently, an investigation has been launched to look into the details of the crash. Also read: 'Disgusting...': Drunk IndiGo Passenger Vomits, Defecates On Aisle Of Delhi-Bound Flight The two helicopters involved in the crash are HH-60 Black Hawk in US Military's fleet. As per reports, the assault helicopters were from the 101 Airborne Division (army's only assault division) based in Fort Campbell. The HH-60 helicopters are versatile flying machines used by the military for various purposes including air assaults and medical evacuation. Weve got some tough news out of Fort Campbell, with early reports of a helicopter crash and fatalities are expected. @kystatepolice, @KentuckyEM and local officials are responding. We will share more information as available. Please pray for all those affected. Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) March 30, 2023 As per reports, early on Thursday morning, there were calm winds, 10 miles of visibility, and fair weather in the Fort Campbell region. The temperature was 39 degrees. Fort Campbell is located on 105,000 acres that span sections of Montgomery and Stewart Counties in Tennessee, Trigg and Christian Counties in Kentucky. Air India Express flight to Kuwait departed three hours before the scheduled departure time, leaving seventeen passengers stranded at the Vijayawada international airport. The passengers were astonished to learn that the flight had taken off at 9.55 a.m. when they arrived at the airport at 11 a.m. According to the tickets they purchased two days previously, the IX695 flight departed at 1.10 p.m. The passengers expressed their displeasure that they were not told in advance of the change in departure time, noting that they had been instructed to report at 11 a.m. but had not received any other information. When the passengers approached the airline staff at the airport, they were told the change in timing was intimated on various websites where tickets were sold. ANI quotes Air India official saying, "All the passengers were informed about the rescheduled flight one day in advance." Also read: Kentucky Helicopter Crash: Two US Military Choppers Collide Near Fort Campbell, Deaths Feared "How can they expect us to check with the websites for changes in the departure timing," asked Paul, one of the passengers who missed the flight. Only those passengers who booked after the rescheduling boarded the flight. The flight reached Vijayawada from Trichy at 9 a.m. and left for Kuwait at 9.55 a.m. It was earlier announced that the flight will reach Vijayawada from Trichy at 12.15 p.m. and take off for Kuwait at 1.10 p.m. Airport officials said the airline had rescheduled the departure due to some issues that are not uncommon in international operations. They also claimed that the airline provided an alternative to some of the passengers. There have been previous such incidents in the past. Earlier, a GoFirst flight left behind 55 passengers at Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport. Later on, the Indian aviation watchdog, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) took action against the airline and imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 10 lakh. With IANS Inputs VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Falcon Gold Corp. (TSX-V:FG)(GR:3FA)(OTCQB:FGLDF); ("Falcon" or the "Company") is pleased to report the acquisition of 4,000 hectares of exploration claims pertinent to the Area 51 Project located in the Inca Del Oro mining district, Atacama Region, northern Chile. The Inca Del Oro mining district is situated along Chile's Paleocene age mineral belt, known to host multiple porphyry, skarn, and epithermal mineral deposits. Some of the highlights of the Area 51 Project include: 100% owned exploration claims totaling 4,000 hectares, located approximately 80 km northeast of Copiapo mining city and airport. The project benefits from road access, proximity to infrastructure, and existing mine operations as well as year-round working conditions. Multiple mining and exploration projects in the vicinity, including the Inca de Oro porphyry Cu-Mo-Au-Ag deposit (460 million tonnes grading 0.40% Cu, PanAust, 2012, S&P Global ) and the Delirio deposit (17.4 million tonnes grading 0.47% Cu, 2021 Santiago Metals, S&P Global). The Area 51 exploration claim group is surrounded by other exploration and mining companies including Freeport McMoran, Newmont, Solaris Resources, and Mirasol Resources (Figure 1). Potential for copper and gold mineralization evidenced by the occurrence of multiple historical mine workings exhibiting mineralization, hydrothermal alteration footprints over volcanic calderas and existence of active mining and exploration projects in the proximity of Area 51 Project. Figure 1: Location of Falcon's Area 51 property. "We are very pleased to have acquired such an impressive land package in Chile, the country with the largest copper reserves in the world and one of Latin America's most stable jurisdictions. The Area 51 project is strategically situated in the same camp as Newmont and Freeport McMoran. This further adds to our new focus of expanding to jurisdictions outside of North America." Stated Karim Rayani Chief Executive Officer. Story continues About the Inca Del Oro Mining District The Inca del Oro Mining District lies within the world-class Chilean Paleocene age mineral Belt that hosts multiple porphyry Cu-Mo-Au deposits, epithermal Au-Ag deposits, and skarn Cu-Pb-Zn deposits. Historical exploration data collected by Newmont and Mirasol Resources suggest that prospective targets for copper and gold mineralization within the Inca del Oro Mining District are characterized by a correlation between surficial geochemical anomalies, intersection of northwest and northeast trending regional structures, and a magnetic-low geophysical response. Such features are also present at Area 51 property where aerial magnetic survey indicates a magnetic-low at the center of the Area 51 property where NW and NE structural trends converge (Figure 2a-b). Figure 2. a-Property Geology Map (1:100,00 scale). b- Aeromagnetic survey reduced-to-pole (RTP) (Source: Chilean Geological Survey, SERNAGEOMIN 2014). The figure displays the geophysical features that indicate magnetic-low in NW and NE structural trends convergence. In Area 51 property, three main target areas are recognized: Northern Target, Central Target, and Southern Target (Figure 2a-b). Northern Target lies in the periphery of a caldera structure with NW-oriented fracture-infill of chrysocolla and gypsum with Cu values larger than 5000 ppm (Figure 3a-b). Central Target exhibits a hydrothermally altered porphyritic rhyolite dome hosting sheeted epithermal veinlets veins replacing carbonates (Figure 3d). This zone is at least 125m wide by 400m long and prolongs onto neighboring claims to the west belonging to Mirasol Resources's Inca Gold Project. Mirasol's Sandra prospect/target within the Inca Gold Project reported at least five subparallel trends striking NW within an area of 2.5 kilometers x 4 kilometers, with continuous individual vein trends extending over lengths of up to 1.2 kilometers with wide individual veins (up to 3 meters) and intervening sheeted vein zones (20 meters). Metal grades in rock chip samples are up to 3.74 g/t Au, 172 g/t Ag and 2.24% Cu (Mirasol Resources, PR, Jan 13 2020). Southern Target corresponds to color anomaly 150m x 150m with hydrothermal breccias and carbonate replacement zones with quartz-pyrite and anomalous Pb and Zn content (> 5000 ppm) (Figure 3e). Future soil and rock geochemical sampling together with an Induced Polarization ("IP") geophysical survey over these three main targets will be a priority for the company. Figure 3. a-Local geology map and target location. b-Fracture-infill with chrysocolla mineralization. c-Detail of b. d-Sheeted veins of quartz and sulfides. d-Hydrothermal breccia with Quartz-FeOx-ankerite. Transaction Details Falcon has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the Area-51 property. Consideration for the property and data consists of US$ 10,000 in cash payable within the following 30 days upon closing of the transaction as well as the issue of 200,000 shares and 200,000 warrants. The warrants issuance will be set at a 25% premium to market based on WAP (Weight average price). The property is subject to a 1 % NSR, Falcon has the right to purchase the 1% for Falcon's 100% control and interest in the project for a one-time payment of US$ 1.2 Million. Qualified Person & QA/QC: The scientific and technical data contained in this news release was reviewed and approved by Julian Manco, P.Geo under Engineers & Geoscientists of British Columbia (EGBC), an independent qualified person to Falcon Gold Corp, who is responsible for ensuring that the information provided in this news release is accurate and who acts as a "qualified person" under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. About Falcon Gold Corp. Falcon is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on generating, acquiring, and exploring opportunities in the Americas. Falcon's flagship project, the Central Canada Gold Mine, is approximately 20 km southeast of Agnico Eagle's Hammond Reef Gold Deposit which has currently estimated 3.32 million ounces of gold (123.5 million tonnes grading 0.84 g/t gold) mineral reserves, and 2.3 million ounces of measured and indicated mineral resources (133.4 million tonnes grading 0.54 g/t gold). The Hammond Reef gold property lies on the Hammond shear zone, which is a northeast-trending splay off the Quetico Fault Zone ("QFZ") and may be the control for the gold deposit. The Central Gold property lies on a similar major northeast-trending splay of the QFZ. The Company holds additional projects: The Viernes Gold/Silver/Copper project in Antofagasta Chile, the Springpole West Property in the world-renowned Red Lake mining camp; a 49% interest in the Burton Gold property with Iamgold near Sudbury Ontario; and in B.C., the Spitfire-Sunny Boy, Gaspard Gold claims; The Great Burnt, Hope Brook, and Baie Verte acquisitions adjacent to First Mining, Matador, Benton-Sokoman's JV, and Marvel Discovery in Central Newfoundland; and most recently Battery Metals projects in Ontario and Quebec, The Timmins West and Outarde Property. CONTACT INFORMATION: Falcon Gold Corp. "Karim Rayani" Karim Rayani Chief Executive Officer, Director Telephone: (604) 716-0551 Email: k@r7.capital Cautionary Language and Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements which reflect the expectations of management. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations, or intentions regarding the future. Forward-looking statements in this press release relate to, among other things: completion of the Spin-Out. Actual future results may differ materially. 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. There is no assurance any of the conditions for closing will be met. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions, and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the respective parties, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these times. Except as required by law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. Neither 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. SOURCE: Falcon Gold Corp View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/746787/Falcon-Acquires-Area-51-Copper-Gold-Project-Adjacent-to-Newmont-Inca-Del-Oro-District--Atacama-Region-Chile Bihar Board (BSEB) 10th Result 2023: The Bihar School Education Board (BSEB) is likely to announce the Bihar Board Class 10th Result 2023 soon. As per the latest updates, the Bihar Board 10th Result is expected to be released this week. There, however, has been no official regarding the BSEB 10th Result. Once declared, Bihar Board Class X result 2023 will be available on Bihar School Education Board's official website at biharboardonline.bihar.gov.in. The BSEB 10th result is also expected to be announced at http://secondary.biharboardonline.com. BSEB 10th result 2023: Over 16 lakh students registered for Bihar Board Matric Exams Over 16 lakh students had registered for BSEB Matric Annual Examination, 2023. The Bihar Board Class 10th exams were conducted between February 14 and February 22. Bihar Board 10th Result: Here's How To Download BSEB Class X Result New Delhi: Multinational Finnish telecommunication company Nokia is planning to launch 4G Internet on the Moon by the end of this decade. The company has announced in the blog that it is being selected by NASA to built first ever cellular network on the Moon. As a part of project, it will deploy the first LTE/4G communications system in space and helping pave the way towards sustainable human presence on the lunar surface. ALSO READ | This Japanese Official Fined Rs 12 Lakh For Taking Frequent Smoking Breaks It is working with American space agency NASA to lay down the network of 4G Internet on the Earths satellite as the latter aims to establish sustainable exploration on the Moon. According to the company, High bandwidth, reliable connectivity and communications are a crucial component in making this ambition a reality, Marcus Weldon, Chief Technology Officer at Nokia and Nokia Bell Labs President, said: "Leveraging our rich and successful history in space technologies, from pioneering satellite communication to discovering the cosmic microwave background radiation produced by the Big Bang, we are now building the first ever cellular communications network on the Moon. Reliable, resilient and high-capacity communications networks will be key to supporting sustainable human presence on the lunar surface. By building the first high performance wireless network solution on the Moon, Nokia Bell Labs is once again planting the flag for pioneering innovation beyond the conventional limits. Nokia said this is a challenge and they relished to deploy a network that will operate under the most extreme conditions imaginable. The company plans to launch the network on a SpaceX rocket later this year, according the media report. NASA is planning to leverage these innovations for its Artemis program sending humans onto the Moon the first time since Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin created the history in 1969 by becoming first humans to land on the Earths satellite. Nokia innovations will help to establish sustainable operations on the Moon by the end of the decade in prepartation for an expedition to Mars. New Delhi: Smoking breaks during the office hours are often seen as a non-productive activity and can be used by workers to delay the important works and hamper the workflow in the organisation. But can you still believe a worker was fined of $14,500 or 12 lakh for taking smoking breaks more than 4,500 times at work in the span of 14 years? Japan has a stringent and time-bound working culture, where minutes of late at workplace can attract stringent punishment and exorbitant fines. Many cases came in the past where workers had been penalised for getting late in the work for a few minutes. The case is related to Osaka prefecuture in Japan. The Osaka authorities put a fine of $14,500 fine on 61-year-old civil officer at the director level post, according to the Straits Times. The Osaka prefectural government said the man smoked on the job for 355 hours and 19 minutes. His two coworkers were also fined for breaking the law. The civil servant was also asked by the authorities to repay a significant portion of his income in addition to his disciplinary pay cut. He was found to have broken the Local Public Service Act's "duty of devotion." The smoking regulations in Osaka are among the toughest in the world with provisions of punishments and exorbitant fines. A complete bank on smoking in all offices and public areas owned by the government was announced in 2008 by the Osaka prefecture government. 2019 saw the end of the smoking ban for government workers. New Delhi: The auspicious occasion of Ram Navami is being celebrated with much gusto and fervour across the nation on March 30, this year. After the 9 days of Chaitra Navratri festival, Lord Rama's birthday concludes the festivity. Lord Rama's birthday, also known as Ram Navami is revered across the globe and massively celebrated in different parts of the country with preparations taking place days in advance. The day holds utmost significance in the temple town of Shirdi, Maharashtra. RAM NAVAMI IN SHIRDI SAI BABA TEMPLE It is believed that Shird Sai Baba took Mahasamadhi on the day of Vijayadashami or Dussehra. Therefore, during the Chaitra Navratri which falls in March-April, the Ram Navami day is celebrated as Sai Baba's Birthday as well. The Sharad Navratri culminating on Dussehra is the day when Baba went Antardhyan. Both days are massively observed in Shirdi Sai Baba Temple temple where devotees make long queues just to get a glimpse and blessings of the lord. SAI BABA OF SHIRDI The name Sai was given to him by Mhalsapati upon his arrival in the temple town of Shirdi as not much is known about Sai's birth. According to Sai Satcharita, Baba came to Shirdi when he was only 16-year-old. It is believed that he came along with a man who was coming for a wedding to the place. Many believe that Baba's date of birth happens to be September 28, 1835. There is still no definitive date that can claim Baba's birthday. THE LEGEND OF RAM NAVAMI CELEBRATIONS: Baba's ardent follower named Gopalrao Gund was childless for a long time and finally was blessed with a son. To offer his thanks to Baba, seeking blessings for the newborn baby too, he took Baba's permission to organise a thanksgiving fair which coincided with Urus, a festival of Muslims in honour of a Sufi saint. As per Sai Charitra's book, the day for the Urus was fixed on Ram Navami, after having a consultation with Sai Baba. It seems he had some purpose behind this, viz. the unification of the two festivals, the Urus and the Ram Navami and the unification of the two communities the Hindus and the Mohammedens. As future events showed, this end or object was duly achieved. Gopalrao Gund had a friend by the name Damu Anna Kasar of Ahmednagar. He also was similarly unhappy in the matter of progeny, though he had two wives. He too was blessed by Sai Baba with sons and Mr. Gund prevailed upon his friend to prepare and supply one flag for the procession of the fair. He also succeeded in inducing Mr Nanasaheb Nimonkar to supply another flag. Both these flags were taken in procession through the village and finally, fixed at the two corners of the Masjid, which is called by Sai Baba as Dwarkamai. This is being done even now. Sai Baba of Shirdi is a spiritual figure worshipped across the globe. The saint or fakir of Shirdi has an ocean of devotees scattered in every corner of the world. Baba's teachings and learnings have travelled over the years and people irrespective of their religion have shown utmost faith in the Satguru. SANDAL PROCESSION IN SHIRDI An excerpt from Sai Charitra mentions: There was another procession which was started in this fair. The idea of Sandal procession originated with one Mr. Amir Shakkar Dalal, a Mohammeden Bhakta from Korhla. This procession is held in honour of great Muslim Saints. Sandal i.e. Chandan paste and scrappings are put in the Thali (flat dishes) with incense burning before them and carried in procession to the accompaniment of band and music through the village and then, after returning to the Masjid, the contents of the dishes are thrown on the Nimbar (niche) and walls of the Masjid. This work was managed by Mr. Amir Shakkar for the first three years and then afterwards, by his wife. So, on the same day the two processions, the Flags by the Hindus and Sandal by the Muslims, went on side by side and are still going on without any problem. Sai Baba made Dwarkamai masjid his abode and on Ram Navami day, flags are changed there. With many more legends and events which unfolded post this, according to Sai Charitra, from 1912, the Ram Navami festival was thus going on, the procession of the two flags by day and that of the Sandal by night, went off with the usual pomp and show. From this time onwards, the Urus of Baba was transformed into the Ram Navami festival. Therefore, to date on Ram Navami and Urus, Shirdi sees huge celebrations in place. God Is One' was his motto and 'Sabka Malik Ek', Allah Malik favourite epigrams associated with Sai Baba of Shirdi. Here's wishing everyone a very Happy Ram Navami and Sai Baba's Birthday! New Delhi: At least 13 people died after a stepwell collapsed in the premises of Baleshwar Mahadev temple in Madhya Pradesh's Indore on Thursday (March 30, 2023). According to the latest updates, 17 people have been rescued so far and a rescue operation is currently underway to save some other people stuck in the well. The space where the well is located was narrow, and therefore, hindrances are being faced during the rescue operation, the officials said. As per reports, the well that collapsed was at least 50-60 feet deep and was full of water. Madhya Pradesh | Ten people rescued so far after a stepwell collapsed at Indore temple. Rescue operation is underway. pic.twitter.com/0AW1dZpsUK ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) March 30, 2023 #WATCH | Stepwell collapse at Indore temple | "As per the latest info, 11 bodies have been recovered. Of the 19 people who were rescued, two died. So, a total of 13 have died. Order has been given to probe into the incident," says Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra. pic.twitter.com/4HgzkSGUlI ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) March 30, 2023 The incident occurred when scores of people gathered at the temple to offer their prayers on the occasion of Ram Navami. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he is "extremely pained" by the mishap. In a tweet, Modi said that he has spoken to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan to take an update on the situation. "Extremely pained by the mishap in Indore. Spoke to CM Shivraj Chouhan Ji and took an update on the situation. The state government is spearheading rescue and relief work at a quick pace. My prayers with all those affected and their families," he tweeted. Extremely pained by the mishap in Indore. Spoke to CM @ChouhanShivraj Ji and took an update on the situation. The State Government is spearheading rescue and relief work at a quick pace. My prayers with all those affected and their families. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 30, 2023 The Prime Minister also announced an ex-gratia from Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for Indore mishap victims. While an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased in the unfortunate tragedy, the injured will be given Rs 50,000. CM Chouhan also announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 5 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured persons. NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said the CBI was "putting pressure" on him to "frame" Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an alleged fake encounter case in Gujarat when he was being questioned by the probe agency during the Congress-led UPA government. The CBI "was putting pressure" on me to "frame Modi ji" (when he was Gujarat CM) in an alleged fake encounter case during the Congress government," he said, adding that the BJP never raised a ruckus despite this. Shah said this at the 'News 18 Rising India' programme here in response to a question on Opposition's charge that the Narendra Modi government is "misusing' central agencies to target them. On Rahul Gandhi's conviction in a criminal defamation case by a court in Surat, the home minister said the Congress leader was not the only politician who was convicted by a court and lost membership of the legislature. Instead of moving to a higher court, Rahul has been trying to create hue and cry and blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his fate, he said. Shah said Rahul Gandhi should go to a higher court to fight his case, instead of trying to put the blame on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said the Congress is spreading misconception; conviction can't be stayed. "The sentence can be stayed if the court decides," he said. "He has not appealed to take stay on his conviction. What kind of arrogance is this? You want a favour. You want to continue to be MP and will also not go before the Court," Shah said. Where does such arrogance gets generated, he said. Shah said 17 prominent leaders, including Lalu Prasad, J Jayalalitha and Raashid Alvi, had lost their membership because of a 2013 Supreme Court order during the UPA government, which said an elected representative would lose his seat immediately after conviction. Still, no one protested wearing black clothes because it is the "law of the land", he said. "Listen to the full speech of Rahul Gandhi, he has not only spoken abusive words for Modi ji. He has spoken abusive words for the entire Modi community and OBC society," he said. "The law of the land is clear. There is no question of vendetta politics. It is the judgment of the Supreme Court of India, which had come during their government," Shah said. Asked about the notice to vacate his bungalow, Shah asked why should there be "special favour" when the Supreme Court had said to act as soon as the conviction comes into effect. "It was a deliberate statement by Rahul Gandhi. If Rahul Gandhi did not want to apologise, then he should not have applied for bail. Let him not apologise," Shah said. "This gentleman is not the first one. Politicians who held much bigger positions and with much more experience have lost their membership because of this provision," the Home minister said. He said India's democracy wasn't threatened when Lalu ji was disqualified but it is endangered only when a person from the Gandhi family is disqualified. "Now it has come on him, so they are saying make a separate law for the Gandhi family. I want to ask the people of this country whether there should be a separate law for a single family. What kind of mentality is this? Whatever happens, they start blaming Modi ji and the Lok Sabha Speaker," Shah said. He said senior lawyers who are Congress MPs in Rajya Sabha should tell their colleagues that Lok Sabha Speaker has no role in the disqualification. "It is the law of the country that all his speeches in Parliament would have to be erased from the records from the moment of his conviction. Even if his disqualification notice were served a few days later, it would have no purpose," he said. Shah said BJP did not want changes in the Supreme Court order. The Manmohan Singh government brought an Ordinance to blunt the apex court order, but Rahul Gandhi tore it apart, calling it "nonsense". "Once he tore it apart, who in his government would have dared to turn it into law? It was vetoed. Had that ordinance become a law, he could have been saved," Shah said. Asked about Rahul's comment on Savarkar, the Home Minister said Veer Savarkar was the only freedom fighter who was sentenced to two life terms in Andaman prison. "Such language for such a freedom fighter should not have been used," he said. He (Rahul) should read his grandmother's speech on Veer Savarkar. His own party people are advising him to not speak against Savarkar, he said. In the general election of 2024, Shah said Modi would again be PM with a larger majority. BJP will get more seats in the 2024 elections than 2019 elections, he said, adding that there is no unity among the opposition, he said. On the upcoming Karnataka elections, Shah said BJP would comfortably cross the halfway mark and form a government with a clear majority in the state. Ruling out any alliance in Karnataka, Shah said, "The BJP will definitely cross the halfway mark and form the government with an absolute majority in Karnataka. We will win record mandate." Referring to recent Karnataka government's decision to end quota on the basis of religion, he said reservation based on religion is unconstitutional. "Karnataka's Congress government did it due to polarisation, and we have just rectified it. It should have done earlier," he said. The Home minister rejected the allegations on the misuse of investigative agencies against the opposition leaders. Shah said we never blamed the opposition for anything, innocent police officers were put behind bars during Congress government. Shah said the BJP had won the 2014 and 2019 elections on the plank of anti-corruption. He said Enforcement Directorate had seized 1.10 lakh crore of assets, of which not even five per cent are of political leaders. "Shall we stop the fight against corruption? Should we not act if the accused is a politician," Shah asked. The Home minister asked who had filed cases against Lalu Prasad Yadav and who had sent a plane full of officials from Delhi to arrest Shaikh Abdullah. Citing the misuse of agencies, Shah said thousands of innocent persons were imprisoned for 19 months of Emergency and questioned whose doing it was. It was his grandmother Indira Gandhi, he said. On the Maharashtra question, Shah said people wanted Shiv Sena and BJP government and now the real Shiv Sena is with BJP. "I also accept that BJP on its own could have formed the government in Maharashtra. There is no question of the merger of Shiv Sena," he said. He said the Congress should introspect about its contribution to corruption. There is a strong resentment against Congress governments in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. We will definitely win elections in Madhya Pradesh, he said. Shah said we have not taken any decision on the face in Rajasthan elections. People want to change the CM of Rajasthan, he said. On Amritpal Singh, Shah said he meets Punjab Chief Minister every three months, irrespective of the government and stand with the party when it comes to the security of the country. "Many people have been arrested in connection with Amritpal case, police and intelligence agencies are working on the case," he said. On attacks on Indian missions abroad, Shah said it was an attack on India. "We will take action against those involved in the attack, FIR already lodged in Delhi," he said. Shah said the contribution of Sikhs to India's freedom has been immense; every Sikh wants to be with India. The Home minister ruled out any confrontation between the judiciary and the government. "Both are working within their limits," he said. The government's duty to make law now and the Parliament will think over it, he said. New Delhi: Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh on Thursday thanked Germany for "taking note" of Rahul Gandhi`s disqualification from Parliament as the Lok Sabha MP. Taking to Twitter, Singh said, "Thank you German Foreign Affairs Ministry and Richard Walker for taking note of how the Democracy is being compromised in India through the persecution of Rahul Gandhi. "During a press briefing that was aired on German state-owned international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW), a German ministry spokesperson stated that her country "expects that the standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles will apply in the case. "We have taken note of the verdict of the first instance against the Indian opposition politician Rahul Gandhi as well as the suspension of his parliamentary mandate. To our knowledge, Mr. Gandhi is in a position to appeal the verdict," she is heard saying in the clip of the briefing shared on Twitter by Richard Walker the Chief International Editor of DW. The German ministry spokesperson added, "It will then become clear whether this verdict will stand and whether the suspension of his mandate has any basis."Earlier this week US Department of State Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said that the US is watching Rahul Gandhi`s case in Indian courts. Patel, responding to a question on Rahul Gandhi`s disqualification said that the US engages with the Indian government on a shared commitment to democratic values, including freedom of expression. On March 23, Rahul Gandhi was convicted by a Surat district court and sentenced to two years imprisonment in the 2019 defamation case over his `Modi surname` remark made in 2019 during an election rally in Karnataka. The criminal defamation case against Rahul Gandhi was filed by BJP MLA from Surat West Purnesh Modi. After being convicted by the court, Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from the Lok Sabha. The sentence of two-year imprisonment has been suspended for 30 days before which Rahul Gandhi has to appeal against the conviction. Rahul Gandhi`s disqualification from the Lower House of Parliament triggered a massive political row with the BJP stating that the Congress leader was "a habitual loose cannon" and the Congress alleging that he was got "deliberately disqualified". Chennai: The state-run Aavin in Tamil Nadu has said it will not use the Hindi term 'Dahi' in its printed sachets, as directed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and that it would only stick to the Tamil word 'tayir' to denote the product. While Chief Minister M K Stalin has decried the move as an attempt to "impose Hindi", Dairy Development Minister SM Nasar admitted the government had received a letter asking it to implement the directive before August. The BJP's state unit also wanted the FSSAI to withdraw the notification. The notification released by FSSAI for the use of Dhahi in curd sachets produced by state-run cooperative societies is not in tandem with the policy of our Hon PM Thiru @narendramodi avl to promote regional languages. We want an immediate rollback of the notification. pic.twitter.com/SKK18O59li K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) March 29, 2023 There is no place for Hindi in the State, Nasar said. The Tamil Nadu Cooperative Milk Producers Federation, familiarly known as Aavin by its brand name, will stick to the Tamil word 'tayir' for its curd preferred by a majority of consumers in the State, a senior official said. The same has been communicated to FSSAI, the official added. BJP state unit chief K Annamalai said the notification was not in tandem with the Centre's policy of promoting regional languages. "The notification released by FSSAI for the use of (the word) Dhahi in curd sachets produced by state-run cooperative societies is not in tandem with the policy of our Hon PM Thiru @narendramodi avl to promote regional languages. We want an immediate rollback of the notification," he said in a tweet. Meanwhile, DMK functionaries trended the Twitter hashtag "DahiNahipoda" (No to Dahi, go on) to oppose "Hindi imposition." The party's IT Wing Secretary TRB Rajaa was among those who tweeted so. On Wednesday, Stalin had condemned imposition of Hindi even in labelling curd and said those responsible for it would be "banished" from the southern parts of the country. On his Twitter handle, Stalin posted a news report on FSSAI directing Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) to label curd as "dahi" prominently. The Bengaluru datelined report had said the FSSAI directed the KMF to use the Kannada equivalent for curd "mosaru" in brackets. "The FSSAI clarification on labeling curd has come recently after Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka milk federations sought usage of local names on the curd sachets," the report said. Also, Tamil Nadu Cooperative Milk Producers Federation has been told by FSSAI that Tamil words "tair" or "tayir" could be used in brackets. Citing the report, Stalin had said, "the unabashed insistence of #HindiImposition have come to the extent of directing us to label even a curd packet in Hindi, relegating Tamil & Kannada in our own states. Such brazen disregard to our mother tongues will make sure those responsible are banished from South forever." Gurugram: Gurugram Police on Thursday arrested an employee of a private firm for shooting at his colleague following an argument over a chair in the office, officials said. The incident took place on Wednesday and the victim was a resident of Firoz Gandhi colony in sector 9 here. He was critically injured and is being treated at a private hospital, police said. Assistant Commissioner of Police (east) Kavita said the accused, a resident of Hisar, is being questioned and will be produced in a court on Friday. Based on the complaint of the victim's brother, a case was lodged under section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code and sections 25-54-59 of the Arms Act on Wednesday, police said. In his statement, the victim said he had an argument with the accused over sitting on a chair in the office on Tuesday. On Wednesday, they again had an argument over the same issue following which he walked out of the office, police said. The victim alleged that the accused then came from behind and shot at him near the Ramada hotel, police said. The Kashmiri Pandit community in Srinagar took out a religious procession ''Shoba Yatra'' to celebrate the Hindu festival Ram Navami. The procession was taken out from the Old city of Srinagar's Habba Kadal area. Habba Kadal was majorly dominated by the Kashmir Pandit community before the start of the insurgency. The Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF provided tight security cover for the Shobha Yatra which started from Zaindar Mohalla in the old city of Srinagar and after passing through the city's commercial hub Lal Chowk, Habbakadal, Barbarshah, Hari Singh High Street and Jehangir Chowk, the Yatra culminated at Tankipora area of Srinagar. ''I wish and greet you all Happy Ram Navami. For the past 16 years, we have been taking out this yatra and 'Jhanki'. Earlier, it was stopped due to turmoil in the valley but now we make sure to hold this Yatra every year in Srinagar. We pray for peace and brotherhood. The locals always support us a lot while taking out the yatra. The decorations are done by Muslims. We pray for peace in Kashmir and hope there will be no target killings and people live peacefully,'' said Abhimanyu Das, the organiser of the Shobha Yatra. The Organiser's expressed happiness and gratitude to both Kashmiri Pandits and Muslims for their support in carrying out the procession in Srinagar. Kashmiri Pandit living abroad also had come to be a part of the procession. ''I have been living in the US for the past 30 years and I have been watching this on YouTube, this celebration, and this year I thought of coming here and I wanted to see if it's true that people come on the streets, and they are happy and celebrate irrespective of caste, religion and creed. We bring the message of peace and solidarity,'' said Raj Pandita, a Kashmiri Pandit. Massive paramilitary and police forces guarded the Yatra from beginning to end. During the Yatra, Muslim brothers and sisters who are observing Ramadan hailed the Hindu Community, notably Kashmiri Pandits for Ram Navami and Shoba Yatra. (Bloomberg) -- The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., facing almost $23 billion in costs from recent bank failures, is considering steering a larger-than-usual portion of that burden to the nations biggest banks, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Most Read from Bloomberg The agency has said it plans to propose a so-called special assessment on the industry in May to shore up a $128 billion deposit insurance fund thats set to take hits after the recent collapses of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. The regulator under political pressure to spare small banks has noted it has latitude in how it sets those fees. Behind the scenes, officials are looking to limit the strain on community lenders by shifting an outsize portion of the expense toward much larger institutions, according to people with knowledge of the discussions. That would add to what already may be multibillion-dollar tabs, apiece, for the likes of JPMorgan Chase & Co., Bank of America Corp. and Wells Fargo & Co. The KBW Regional Banking Index of 50 lenders reversed losses and rose 0.6% on Wednesday in New York after Bloomberg reported the FDICs internal deliberations. Shares of large banks pared gains but recovered by the close of trading amid a broader market rally. Talks for setting the size and timing of the assessment are in early stages. Leaning heavily on big banks is seen as the most politically palatable solution, some of the people said, asking not to be named describing private deliberations. Representatives for the FDIC, JPMorgan, Bank of America and Wells Fargo declined to comment. The question of how to spread the cost of SVBs and Signatures failures is already a hot topic in Washington, where lawmakers have pressed FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell over who will shoulder the burden especially after an unusual decision to backstop all of those banks deposits. The extraordinary measure saved legions of tech startups and wealthy customers whose balances far exceeded the FDICs typical $250,000 limit on coverage. Story continues Keenly Sensitive Im concerned that Arkansans will have to subsidize Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Banks deposits, and maybe others that come forward, Republican Senator John Boozman told Yellen at a hearing last week. Will the community banks get charged that special assessment? She assured him the FDIC has leeway in deciding which banks will pay. Were going to be keenly sensitive to the impact, Gruenberg added at a hearing on Wednesday, when asked about the strain on community banks. We have the discretion to tailor that assessment to the institutions that most directly benefited. The mess that toppled SVB and Signature Bank was, in at least one way, a boon to the nations largest banks. Both of those lenders had soaked up billions in uninsured deposits that proved fickle, forcing the firms to incur losses in hasty asset sales. In the fallout, customers at small banks across the country moved cash to giant banks, showering those lenders with cheap funding. Banks pay into the FDICs insurance fund every quarter as they soak up deposits qualifying for the agencys protection. As long as the banks find ways to earn even more by lending out or investing the cash, they earn a profit. The FDICs fees vary widely. The 2010 Dodd-Frank regulatory overhaul required the agency to consider a banks size when setting individual rates. A firms complexity and confidential regulatory ratings can play roles too. That means a big bank not only pays more because it houses more deposits, but also because its rate is steeper. When the FDICs main fund suffers a blow, the agency can impose a special assessment to speed up the process of refilling its coffers and it can tailor how it sets those rates. In addition to looking at which firms may have benefited, officials may consider economic conditions, the effects on the industry, and such other factors as the FDIC deems appropriate and relevant, Gruenberg told the Senate in written testimony this week. Once the agency is ready to propose a formula in May, it will seek input from all stakeholders, he said. Political Pressure On Capitol Hill, lawmakers have been publicly demanding regulators spare small banks from having to shell out for the extraordinary intervention at SVB rescuing what Senator Patty Murray called its very wealthy depositors. Youre creating the need for a special assessment thats going to be imposed on those well-managed community banks that didnt take those risks, the Washington Democrat told Yellen at a hearing. Many small banks, Murray noted, cater to people with much less money. Leaning on big banks can add up fast. When the FDIC set out to raise $5.5 billion with a special assessment in 2009, JPMorgan said the surcharge extracted $675 million from its second-quarter earnings. The impact from SVB and Signature could easily go far beyond that. The agency estimated Sunday that SVBs failure will cost $20 billion, on top of the $2.5 billion bite it expects from Signature. Unclear is how quickly the FDIC wants to collect the assessment. Recently, some large banks have also faced pressure to shore up the balance sheet of another troubled lender, First Republic Bank. For now, regulators are giving that bank more time to reach a deal to bolster its balance sheet, people with knowledge of the situation said late last week. But after conversations with government officials, some Wall Street executives have surmised that even if their firms dont inject more equity into First Republic, they could still be left on the hook another way: Paying into a special FDIC assessment if the agency intervenes. --With assistance from Steven T. Dennis. (Updates stock reaction in fourth paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Indias leading mobile payments company Paytm has empowered small merchants, fostered financial inclusion and brought millions into the fold of the mainstream economy by pioneering QR payments. It has become an essential part of India's digital transformation story. A recent tweet showcased the extent to which Paytm has penetrated the Indian market, making digital payments accessible to people from all walks of life. A user shared an image of an elderly lady selling cow dung with a Paytm QR code prominently displayed. The caption read, "Digital India at its best." https://twitter.com/aligarh_nishant/status/1633002872307875842 Another Twitter user, Vaibhav, shared a photo of a woman in Bengaluru selling corn and peanuts with a Paytm All-in-One QR code visible on her cart. Vaibhav wrote, "Paytm is now so deeply rooted in India. It's the first rain in Bangalore and the lady doesn't have to worry much about wet notes now." https://twitter.com/agrawal1vaibhav/status/1636780455155634177 Paytm Founder and CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma responded, "Feels truly privileged to see trust of such champions in Paytm. My respect for her and every street vendor who supports Digital India mission." https://twitter.com/vijayshekhar/status/1636799200838193152 Paytm's innovative solutions like All-in-One QR and Soundbox have made it possible for small merchants and street vendors to accept digital payments conveniently and avoid the issues that come with handling cash. This has also played a significant role in promoting financial inclusion in India. By adopting digital payments, these merchants have become a part of the growing digital economy. Paytm UPI Lite, the companys latest offering, is set to make UPI payments even more accessible. It allows for lightning-fast small-value payments of up to 200 that never fail. Paytm UPI Lite will help merchants further, as they will be able to accept digital payments more reliably and quickly, leading to increased customer satisfaction. Paytm's rapid pace of innovation reflects the significant progress it has made in transforming the digital payments landscape in India. With the introduction of Paytm UPI Lite, the company is furthering the mission of Digital India. Disclaimer - Consumer Connect Initiative New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday remarked that there cannot be a separate rule for a lawmaker and common people on the issue related to the suspension of conviction and sentence in a criminal case while hearing a matter pertaining to Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal plea. A bench of justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna made this remark while it was hearing petitions related to the case against Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal."If prima facie opinion based on materials before the court reflects that it is a case of acquittal then suspension of conviction can be argued," the court said."There cannot be a different rule for a Member of Parliament and Member of Legislative Assembly for suspension of conviction and sentences," the court said. The court remark came after it noted the Kerala High Court while suspending his conviction and sentence observed that Faizal was an elected representative and that if his conviction has not stayed, the seat will be vacant and polls would cost the exchequer. The court has asked the UT to furnish the deposition of all the relevant witnesses and listed the matter in April. Meanwhile, the court has apprised of the fact that Faizal Lok Sabha`s membership has been restored. The court was hearing the Union Territory of Lakshadweep`s plea challenging the interim impugned order dated January 25, 2023, passed by the High Court of Kerala at Ernakulam. Earlier, Kerala High Court suspended the conviction and sentence of Lakshadweep MP and Nationalist Congress leader (NCP) leader PP Mohammed Faizal and three others in a case of an attempt to murder. Kerala HC passed the order on a plea of Faizal and others challenging a trial court`s order at Lakshadweep in an attempt to murder case. Faizal filed the application seeking to suspend the 10-year imprisonment. Earlier, the Kavaratti Sessions Court had convicted four persons, including Faizal. Thereafter, The UT Administration of Lakshadweep moved the Supreme Court challenging the Kerala High Court order, which suspended the conviction of Lakshadweep MP Faizal in the attempt to murder case. In the plea, the Union Territory of Lakshadweep challenged the interim impugned order dated January 25, 2023, passed by the High Court of Kerala at Ernakulam. Through the interim impugned order, the High Court has suspended the conviction and sentence imposed on Mohammed Faizal by the Sessions Court, Kavarthi, Union Territory of Lakshadweep, till the disposal of the criminal appeal. The High Court has also suspended the sentence of imprisonment of other accused till disposal of the appeal. Earlier, the Kavaratti Sessions Court had convicted four persons, including Faizal for committing offenses punishable under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections143, 147, 148, 307, 324, 342, 448, 427, 506 read with 149 relating to offenses relating to rioting, attempt to murder, violence, kidnapping. They were all sentenced to undergo 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. They were also directed to pay a fine of Rs 1 lakh each for allegedly attempting to murder Padanath Salih, the son-in-law of former Union Minister PM Sayeed in relation to a political controversy during the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. The UT Administration of Lakshadweep, in the plea, said that the consequence of Faizal`s conviction by the Ld. Sessions Court, Kavarthi on January 11, 2023, was that by operation of Article 102(1)(e) of the Constitution read with Section 8(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the respondent, who was an elected Member of Parliament from Lakshadweep Constituency, stood disqualified by the operation of law from the date of conviction and the Lok Sabha Constituency of Lakshadweep stood vacated. The Lok Sabha Secretariat had issued a Notification dated January 13, 2023, to the same effect in terms of Article 102(1)(e) of the Constitution of India read with Section 8, of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, i.e. by virtue of conviction of the Faizal, stood disqualified as a member of Lok Sabha representing Lakshadweep Parliamentary Constituency of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep. Pursuant to this disqualification, the Election Commission of India issued a press note dated January 18, 2023, deciding to hold bye-elections to fill the vacancy in the Parliamentary Constituency of Lakshadweep on February 27, 2023. However, by the impugned interim order dated January 25, 2023, the High Court has suspended the conviction and sentence of the respondent for offenses including Section 307 IPC where the punishment of 10 years rigorous imprisonment was imposed, and the sentence of the accused was suspended. The administration said that the impugned interim order has suspended the conviction of the respondent, only on the basis of consequences of an election, which are totally irrelevant to the entire issue."Section 389 CrPC for the purposes of suspension of conviction does not envisage the ground that was referred by the High Court while passing the impugned interim order," the UT said. It added that the principles of democracy, purity of elections, and decriminalization of politics have all been accepted and acknowledged by the High Court but ignored by the High Court while passing the interim impugned order. The UT stated in its plea that the High Court had ignored the object and spirit of Section 8(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and Article 102(1)(e) of the Constitution. That is the entire impugned interim order, there is no iota of discussion on the suspension of sentence, especially when the respondent No. 1 to 4 (accused persons) have been convicted under Section 307 IPC". New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise visit to the new parliament building here on Thursday evening and inspected various works as well as interacted with construction workers, sources said. The prime minister spent more than an hour inside the building. Accompanied by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Modi had a look at the facilities coming up at both Houses of Parliament, the sources said. He also interacted with the construction workers, they said. Delhi | PM Narendra Modi today went for a surprise visit to the new Parliament building. pic.twitter.com/WAlSWgBdd8 ANI (@ANI) March 30, 2023 The new building, which was earlier expected to be completed by November last year, is likely to be inaugurated soon. In December 2020, Prime Minister Modi had laid the foundation stone of the new parliament building which will have modern facilities. Tata Projects Ltd is constructing the building after being awarded the project for Rs 971 crore in 2020. However, the project cost is believed to have gone higher. The new building will also have a grand Constitution Hall to showcase India's democratic heritage, a lounge for members of Parliament, a library, multiple committee rooms, dining areas and ample parking space. Under the Central Vista redevelopment project, the government will also construct an Executive Enclave that will house a new Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Cabinet Secretariat, India House and National Security Council Secretariat. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi saying that the Congress leader has no knowledge of the country, and has become a cause of the Congress party's downfall in the poll performances. CM Chouhan compared Rahul Gandhi to 'Rahu' of the Congress party. Rahu, an imaginary celestial body, is ascribed to evil influence under Hindu astrology. "Rahul Gandhi is a leader who has no knowledge of the country as well as its policies. The country runs by the Constitution and not by the tongue (speech). People of the country know that the Congress is a problem for the country and Rahul is a problem for the Congress," Chouhan told reporters. Where would the Congress leader have been had he not belonged to the Nehru-Gandhi family, Chouhan asked. Congress leaders are trying to make Rahul Gandhi a national leader even though he is the "most unsuccessful, weak, irresponsible, careless and egotist leader of the party, he remarked. Referring to Rahul tearing up an ordinance on electoral disqualification law issued by the Manmohan Singh government in 2013, he asked whether it was not an "act of egotism" Being egotist, Rahul Gandhi disrespects different sections of society and castes as he knows that they would not be able to challenge him, Chouhan said, alleging that his ego made the Congress leader term an entire community as thieves. "Despite all this, he says that he will not apologize," the chief minister said. "At present, he has lost his Lok Sabha membership and his (official) residence. If the Congress continues to challenge backward classes, then it will lose its existence one day," Chouhan said. All "corrupt leaders" were in trouble, he further said. The Congress leader had in the past sought proof of surgical strikes against terrorists, questioned the Army's valour and disrespected the country and its democracy on foreign soil, Chouhan alleged. (With PTI inputs) Chennai: A row erupted here on Thursday over the alleged denial of entry to a family, said to be from a particular ST community, into a city cinema theatre despite possessing valid tickets, though the cinema house insisted it only adhered to Censor rules. As the issue snowballed into a major controversy, with many on Twitter asking if the members were denied entry because they belonged to the particular Narikuravar community, the theatre management later allowed all of them to watch the newly released Tamil flick, "Pathu Thala", starring Silambarasan TR. A video of the members being denied entry despite showing what seemed like valid tickets but being shooed away by theatre staff went viral, drawing widespread condemnation. Some people were heard trying to persuade the staff to allow the family inside. Local news channels shared a video on their social media platform. An incident at Rohini Theater in Chennai where a certain community was not allowed to watch the film even after buying tickets has caused a shock pic.twitter.com/qwStLXV94q T2TNEWS (@T2T_News) March 30, 2023 The management of Rohini Silver Screens theatre, where the film was running, said it has taken note of the situation. "A few individuals along with their children with valid tickets have sought entry to the cinema to watch 'Pathu Thala' movie. As we know, the movie is censored U/A by the authorities," it said in a statement. Tamil Nadu | Some people belonging to a particular tribe were denied right to watch a movie with tickets at Chennai's Rohini Theater They have been allowed inside on time before the show immediately after it was brought to the management notice," clarifies Chennai's Rohini pic.twitter.com/YPp1qbzxOc March 30, 2023 Children below 12 years cannot be permitted to watch U/A-rated movies as per the law, it added. "Our ticket checking staff has denied entry on this basis to the family which had come with children aged 2,6,8 and 10." "However, since the audience gathered turned into a frenzy and took a different perspective of the situation without full understanding, in order to avert any law and order problem... The same family was allowed entry to watch the movie on time," the statement read. The theatre management later released a video of the family enjoying the action flick. New Delhi: Hours after Germany said that it has 'taken note' of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday (March 30, 2023) said that India won't tolerate 'foreign influence'. Sharing a screenshot of senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who thanked the German foreign ministry for 'taking note of how Democracy is being compromised in India through the persecution of Rahul Gandhi', Rijiju on Twitter 'thanked' Rahul Gandhi for 'inviting' foreign powers for interference into India's internal matters. "Remember, Indian Judiciary can't be influenced by foreign interference. India won't tolerate 'foreign influence' anymore because our Prime Minister is:- Shri Narendra Modi Ji," Rijiju said in a tweet. Thank you Rahul Gandhi for inviting foreign powers for interference into Indias internal matters. Remember, Indian Judiciary can't be influenced by foreign interference. India won't tolerate 'foreign influence' anymore because our Prime Minister is:- Shri @narendramodi Ji pic.twitter.com/xHzGRzOYTz Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) March 30, 2023 The Bharatiya Janata Pary (BJP) leader's reaction came after Digvijaya Singh tagged a tweet by Chief International Editor of Deutsche Welle Richard Walker, in which the senior journalist had posted a video of a German foreign ministry spokesperson reacting to Gandhi's disqualification. At a press briefing, Germany's foreign ministry spokesperson said, "We have taken note of the verdict of first instance against Indian opposition politician Rahul Gandhi as well as the suspension of his parliamentary mandate." "To our knowledge, Mr Gandhi is in a position to appeal the verdict. It will then become clear whether this verdict will stand and whether the suspension of his mandate has any basis," the spokesperson was quoted as saying. Germany expects that "standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles" will equally apply to the proceedings against Rahul Gandhi, the spokesperson added. Thank you Germany Foreign Affairs Ministry and Richard Walker @rbsw for taking note of how the Democracy is being compromised in India through persecution of @RahulGandhi https://t.co/CNy6fPkBi3 digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) March 30, 2023 A host of BJP leaders then attacked the Congress and Singh and accusing the party of "inviting foreign interference" in internal affairs. "Disgrace to nation, INC & Rahul Gandhi don't believe to fight India's democratic, political and legal battle within country, hence, invite foreign powers to interfere in our internal matter," Information and Broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur said. "But New India headed by Narendra Modi Ji will not tolerate any foreign intervention," he added. Disgrace to nation, @INCIndia & @RahulGandhi don't believe to fight India's democratic, political & legal battle within country, hence, invite foreign powers to interfere in our internal matter. But New India headed by @narendramodi Ji will not tolerate any foreign intervention. pic.twitter.com/qjL7dRX1JJ Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) March 30, 2023 Finance Minister Niramala Sitharaman also slammed the Congress over Singh's tweet. "Apparent that INC wants foreign interference in our affairs. Sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Communist Party of China with opaque contents. During interactions abroad, plead for help to change government. Thank them when help forthcoming. Any more proof needed?" she said. Apparent that @INCIndia wants foreign interference in our affairs. Sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Communist Party of China with opaque contents. During interactions abroad, plead for help to change government. Thank them when help forthcoming. Any more proof needed? https://t.co/aZ4rNuJhxN Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) March 30, 2023 The BJP and Congress have been attacking each other since Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from Lok Sabha on March 23 after a court in Gujarat's Surat convicted him in a 2019 defamation case. New Delhi: Bank branches in several cities of the country will remain closed during certain days of the month of April as per the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Holiday list. However online banking activities will continue to work. Hence, if you want to visit your bank branch for any bank related important work next month, you must note down the number of days when branches will be closed in various cities in the month of April 2023. While some bank holidays will be observed nation-wide, some others will be local holidays. Several bank branches will remain closed in various states owing to these festivities. Before visiting your bank branch in the month of April, you must note down the list of important days during which banks will remain closed. Banks will remain closed for total 16 days in the month of April 11 as per the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) holiday calendar list and the remaining days are that of weekends. However, you must note that the banks will NOT be closed for 16 days in all states or regions. This is the total number of days when banks in different parts of the country will remain closed for state-observed holidays. For example bank branches might be closed for Babu Jagjivan Rams Birthday in Hyderabad but not closed for the same in Goa, Bihar or other states. Here is an elaborate list of bank holidays falling in the month of April 2023. Check out the list. April 1, 2023: Banks on the 1st date of April will be closed due to the annual closing of the banks. Banks in Aizawl, Shillong, Shimla, and Chandigarh will be opened. April 2, 2023: Sunday April 3: Mahavir Jayanti April 4: Mahavir Jayanti (Banks will be closed in Ahmedabad, Aizawl, Belapur, Bangalore, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai, Jaipur, Kanpur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, New Delhi, Raipur, and Ranchi). April 5: Jagjivan Ram Jayanti (Bank will be closed in Hyderabad) April 7: Good Friday ( Banks will be closed all over India except Agartala, Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Jaipur, Jammu, Shimla, and Srinagar). April 8: Second Saturday April 9: Sunday April 14: Ambedkar Jayanti ( Banks will be closed all over India except Bhopal, New Delhi, Raipur, Shillong, and Shimla) April 15: Vishu, Bohag, Bihu, Himachal Day, Bengali New Year ( Bank holiday will be witnessed in Agartala, Guwahati, Kochi, Kolkata, Shimla, and Trivanantpuram) April 16: Sunday April 18: Shab-I-Qadr ( Bank branches will be closed in Jammu and Kashmir) April 21: Id-Ul-Fitr ( Banks will be closed in Tripura, Jammu & Kashmir, and Kerala) April 22: Fourth Saturday April 23: Sunday April 30: Sunday Reserve Bank of India places its Holidays under three brackets --Holiday under Negotiable Instruments Act; Holiday under Negotiable Instruments Act and Real Time Gross Settlement Holiday; and Banks Closing of Accounts. However, it must be noted that the bank holidays vary in various states as well not observed by all the banking companies. Banking holidays also depend on the festivals being observed in specific states or notification of specific occasions in those states. Holidays of the mentioned days will be observed in various regions according to the state declared holidays, however for the gazetted holidays, banks will be closed all over the country. New Delhi: The Chhattisgarh government will start rolling out its Unemployment Allowance scheme in the state from 1st April 2023 onwards. Under the scheme the state government will give Rs 2,500 monthly allowance to unemployed youth in the Chhattisgarh. The Chhattisgarh Government has announced a provision of Rs 250 crore in the budget for this purpose. The State's Unemployment Allowance scheme was announced by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel when he presented the annual budget of Rs 1,21,500 crore for the financial year 2023-24 on 6th March 2023. CM Baghel, who is in charge of the finance portfolio, also said that the monthly honorariums for anganwadi workers, house guards, village kotwars, and other employees would be increased. Eligibility To Get ChhattisgarhUnemployment Allowance Of Rs 2,500 The applicant of Unemployment Allowance scheme must be a native of Chhattisgarh. Under the scheme, unemployed youth in the age group of 18 to 35 years who have passed Class XII, and with an annual family income of less than 2.50 lakh will be given the allowance of Rs 2,500 per month. Additionally, he/she must be enrolled in any district employment and self-employment guidance centre of Chhattisgarh, and have had his employment registration for at least two years as on April 1 of the year of application. Mode Of Payment For ChhattisgarhUnemployment Allowance Of Rs 2,500 The unemployed will receive monthly payments of Rs 2500 on their bank accounts directly. The unemployed youth will also receive training for developing their skills, and consequently get assistance in finding work. New Delhi: Ever since UPI regulatory body National Payment corporation of Indias (NPCI) circular on UPI came out, online media has been flooded with reports claiming that UPI transactions over Rs 2,000 will be charged at 1.1%. Busting the media reports, PIB in its latest fact check tweet has said that the above claims are misleading. These reports dont affirm to the real crux of the NCPI circulation. PIB has tweeted, there is no charge on normal UPI transactions. It further clarified that circular is about transactions using Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPI) like digital wallets. 99.9% transactions are not PPI. "Recent regulatory guidelines, the Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPI Wallets) have been permitted to be part of interoperable UPI ecosystem. In view of this NPCI has now permitted the PPI wallets to be part of interoperable UPI ecosystem. The interchange charges introduced are only applicable for the PPI merchant transactions and there is no charge to customers, and it is further clarified that there are no charges for the bank account to bank account based UPI payments (i.e. normal UPI payments)," said an NCPI release. .@IndiaToday claims that UPI transactions over Rs 2000 will be charged at 1.1%#PIBFactCheck There is no charge on normal UPI transactions. @NPCI_NPCI circular is about transactions using Prepaid Payment Instruments(PPI) like digital wallets. 99.9% transactions are not PPI pic.twitter.com/QeOgfwWJuj PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) March 29, 2023 .@business_today has claimed that #UPI transactions over 2000 are to be charged at 1.1% from 1st April.#PIBFactCheck There is no charge on normal UPI transactions. Full details https://t.co/sVR9oLB8PG pic.twitter.com/sTYJeNY77M PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) March 29, 2023 Clarifying the NPCI release, Ramesh Narasimhan, CEO, Worldline India said, The interchange fee has been introduced by NPCI for P2M transactions only (for greater than 2K value) that will happen on the wallet in the UPI framework. Currently, these wallets are serviced independently by the respective PPI issuers and interchange was also managed by each of them independently. This interoperable program shall now rationalise the interchange for P2M transaction and bring it under NPCI governance. It is to be noted that the interchange circular will not have any impact on the UPI transactions in any manner. It is only rationalising the interchange on wallets and bringing it under the scope of NPCI. The other advantage is that going forward all wallets will be available from all banks who support UPI acquiring as it will be part of the stack (UPI, RuPay Credit Card and PPI Wallets), he added. Lets understand NPCI circular and its impact on customers in simple terms. What are Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs)? Online wallets, smart vouchers, smart cards, and many more are prepaid payment instruments (PPIs). They keep a particular prepaid amount that users can use to purchase items, mobile recharge, etc. For instance, Paytm wallet is an example of PPI. What does NPCI circular say? According to the new circular of NPCI, a charge of 1.1% will be applicable on UPI transactions over Rs 2000 done via prepaid payment instrument from April 1, 2023. It will also be applied on loading money in wallets via UPI. There are no charges for bank to bank transfer via UPI. Who will pay the interchange fee? The merchant will pay to the receiver bank/payment provider on UPI transactions over Rs 2000 done via PPIs from April 1, 2023. Customers will not pay any amount on that. What is a PPI payment via UPI? Suppose, if you are doing a payment to a merchant via Paytm wallet. Once you scan the merchants QR code, it will allow you to direclty pay to the merchants bank account. So from April onwards, an interchange fee of up to 1.1% will be levied on transactions above Rs 2000 that the merchant has to pay, not you. Does loading money in the wallets also attract the charges and do you have to pay? NPCI circular also mentioned that an interchange fee up will be levied while transferring money to third-party wallets like Paytm, Phonepe, etc. Right now, you dont have to pay that charge until and unless these third-party providers decide to pass on the charge to users. Unified Payment Interface (UPI), a real-time mobile payment system that allows bank to bank transfer, has become the backbone of digital India. From payment transfer to tens of thousands to Rs 5-10 payment to tea shops, UPI has transformed the Indian economy drastically in the past few years. One of the reasons that links to the success of UPI's fabulous growth is no charges of transactions from peer-to-peer or peer-to-merchant until now. NPCI is all set to go away with free days of UPI. Indian Railways has inducted a new WAG12B electric locomotive at its Nagpur Depot. Delivered by Alstom, it is the 300th unit to be delivered by Alstom. The locomotive is capable of hauling long-heavy freight trains at a top speed of 120 kmph. The 12,000 HP locomotive is delivered as a part of the 3.5 Billion Euro contract with Alstom, wherein the manufacturer will provide 800 high-powered double-section locomotives to Indian Railways. These locomotives are named at WAG-12B by the Indian Railways, and they can tug up to 6,000tonne rake at the top speed. The 300th e-loco for Indian Railways was flagged off from @AlstomIndia's locomotive #maintenance depot in Nagpur today! Alstom is supplying @RailMinIndia with 800 high-powered double-section #freight locomotives of 12,000 HP. Learn more: https://t.co/Vo5dTvXyzj pic.twitter.com/qMF1h1WIOb Alstom (@Alstom) March 29, 2023 It is pertinent to note that as part of the contract, Alstoms Nagpur Depot will be maintaining 250 WAG12B e-loco starting from series 60251. This depot is equipped with the latest technologies and features to anticipate breakdowns thereby enabling proactive maintenance of India`s most advanced freight locomotives at significantly lower costs. The depot has 12 tracks for maintenance with hi-tech equipment. The depot is equipped with Centred Fleet monitoring (CFM) system to remotely monitor the fleet via the Health hub and Train Tracer system. The Prompt Response Team (PRT) is deployed for 24 x 7 loco attention. Green features like rainwater harvesting, zero discharge using effluent treatment plant and sewerage treatment plant, 100 per cent LED lights, daylight panels, occupancy sensors, greenery and provisioned for 1 MW rooftop solar plant. This is the second such facility set up by Alstom, after the depot at Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, which houses the first 250 locomotives delivered to Indian Railways. It is also notable that Nagpur Depot completes 7 months+ of operations and records 1.6+ Million service defect-free kilometres for the Nagpur Fleet. The site is a success story for the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model, where supervisors are from Alstom and technicians from Indian Railways. The WAG-12B locos are being built at one of India`s largest integrated greenfield manufacturing facilities at Madhepura (Bihar), under a Joint Venture between Alstom and Indian Railways. This is the largest Foreign Direct Investment project in the Indian Railway sector. The facility has an installed production capacity of 120 locomotives per annum and Alstom has progressively achieved nearly 90 per cent indigenization. With these powerful e-Locos being manufactured within the country, India has become the 6th in the world to join the club of countries producing high-horsepower locomotives indigenously. Also read - PM Narendra Modi To Flag Off Bhopal-New Delhi Vande Bharat Express On April 1 The WAG-12B locomotives made its inaugural run on the first fully operational sections of the Dedicated Freight Corridors two years ago. Equipped with Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBT) based propulsion technology, these e-Locos will have considerable savings in energy consumption with the use of regenerative braking. The technology is also helpful towards making the acceleration process more efficient by reducing heat generation and traction noise.Additionally, it will not only bring down operational costs, but also reduce the congestion faced by Indian Railways. By Ann Saphir (Reuters) -The Federal Reserve has "more work to do" to get inflation back down to its 2% goal, Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari said on Thursday, although he did not say specifically how much further he believes interest rates will need to rise to do the job. "We've seen some real progress" from the Fed's rate hikes so far, Kashkari said at a town hall event livestreamed on the regional Fed bank's website, noting that the housing market has slowed, goods prices have fallen, and new leases are less expensive. "The one area that is particularly concerning right now is that the services economy, outside of housing, has not shown any sign of slowing down," he said. "Wage growth is still growing faster than what is consistent with our 2% inflation target; that tells me we still have more work to do to bring the services side of the economy back into balance... we know we have to get inflation down, and we will." Kashkari joined his colleagues in a unanimous vote last week to lift the Fed's policy rate range by a quarter of a percentage point to 4.75%-5%. Projections from Fed policymakers show most expect to need to raise interest rates one more time to bring down inflation that by the Fed's preferred gauge rose 5.4% in January from a year earlier. A new reading on that measure is due out Friday. Kashkari noted that the Fed is closely watching whether stress in the banking industry, touched off by the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank just over a week before the Fed's most recent rate hike, will result in tighter credit and downward pressure on borrowing, growth and, ultimately, inflation. "Banking panics and banking stresses tend to take longer than you think" to resolve, he said. "It's probably going to take us a while to understand, are there more losses out there?" And while the U.S. banking system is sound and the vast majority of banks have positioned themselves for higher rates, he said, "what's unclear right now is how much the banking stresses of the past few weeks is leading to a sustained credit crunch, which would then slow down the U.S. economy." The Fed is watching that "very very closely." (Reporting by Ann Saphir; Editing by Chris Reese and Andrea Ricci) The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) intends to add wholesome dishes to its menu, some of which will be made with millet. All vendors in Uttar Pradesh, including 78 static units at train platforms, have been urged to expand their menus to include millet-based foods, according to IRCTC's top regional manager Ajit Kumar Sinha. "Along with them, mobile units of railways, pantry cars, and IRCTC restaurants in the government buildings have also been given the same direction," he added. Also read: Chennai-Coimbatore Vande Bharat Express Completes Trial Run, Arrives 22 Min Ahead Of Schedule The IRCTC official further said, "The measures are being undertaken in line with 2023 being declared by the United Nations as the International Year of Millets." According to IRCTC, food items such as millet laddoo, bread and roti made of bajra, jowar, ragi, millet kachori, millet khichdi, millet dalia, millet biscuits, ragi idli, ragi dosa, and ragi uttapam, among others will be served to train passengers. With IANS Inputs Eastern India's first Bharat Gaurav special tourist train will embark on a journey from Kolkata on May 20 touring five Jyotirlingas, a senior railway official said here on Thursday. Eastern Railway General Manager Arun Arora said that IRCTC is offering 700 seats for the journey in a new LHB rake. Commencing its journey from Kolkata station, the pilgrimage will cover Omkareshwar, Mahakaleshwar, Somnath, Nageswar, and Trimbakeshwar over 11 nights and 12 days, he said. Noting that the tourist train will provide all facilities including on-board medical assistance, Arora told reporters, "I am sure it will be very popular in West Bengal." Boarding and deboarding of tourists will be at various stations covering the states of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh. Throwing open the booking for the travel package, he said a 33 percent concession is being given in all categories. Also read: Indian Railways: IRCTC Adds Millet-Based Meals For Train Passengers, Check Menu The package has been classified into three categories -- economy (sleeper class) with 315 seats, standard (3AC) with 297 seats, and comfort (2AC) with 44 seats, IRCTC (eastern zone) group General Manager Zafar Azam said. The fares for each passenger are Rs 20,060 for the sleeper, Rs 31,800 for 3AC, and Rs 41,600 for 2AC, Azam said. This will include accommodation in hotels, vegetarian food, and road transportation apart from the other facilities, he added. With PTI Inputs Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Haryana on finishing the process of electrifying its entire railway network, saying the state would reap many benefits from this achievement. Ashwini Vaishnaw, the minister of railways, has previously tweeted about it. Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the accomplishment in a tweet, "Congrats Haryana! Many benefits will come with this accomplishment." The state of Haryana has "attained new heights," according to a statement from the Haryana government after the state's railway network was successfully fully electrified. On behalf of the people of Haryana, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar expressed gratitude to the prime minister and the railway minister. He said Haryana is consistently moving on the path of development under the visionary leadership and inspiration of Prime Minister Modi. Also read: Indian Railways: IRCTC Adds Millet-Based Meals For Train Passengers, Check Menu He said 100 percent railway electrification in the state would greatly benefit the citizens. Along with this, this step will also prove to be significant for the protection of the environment, he added. According to an official statement, the existing broad gauge network of Haryana is 1,701 route kilometre, which is now 100 percent electrified. Haryana falls under the Northern, North Central, and North Western Railway's jurisdiction. Some of the major railway stations in Haryana are Ambala, Panipat, Gurugram, Kurukshetra, Hisar Junction, Rewari Junction, Rohtak Junction, and Bhiwani. Some of the popular trains passing through Haryana are Kalka Shatabdi Express, Himalayan Queen, Kalka Mail, Paschim Express, Golden Temple Mail, and Kalinga Utkal Express. These trains provide connectivity to various parts of the state and major cities in India. With PTI Inputs New Delhi: Air plane displays, blood donation drives, live concerts, and more! There are videos and then there are viral videos of this kind. Fans from across the world took to the streets, created chants, organised concerts, conducted airplane displays, organised blood donation drives garlanded posters of global star Ram Charan. In a truly overwhelming display of love, affection for the star who has impressed the world with his sheer talent, humility, style game and more. The videos have been trending on social media, a record in itself ! All the notable events were taking place in India, USA, Japan simultaneously. Mega Blood Donation Camp Followed By Birthday Celebrations Of Our Global Star #RamCharan By Chandu Lalam Anna #TeamRamCharan Atcthapuram pic.twitter.com/QkR3rIJFQE Team RC Khammam (@TeamRCKhammam) March 28, 2023 Mega Blood Donation Camp Followed By Birthday Celebrations Of Our Global Star @AlwaysRamCharan By #ChanduLalam Ana #TeamRamCharan Atcthapuram pic.twitter.com/7WaBfAR3Gu Team Ramcharan WestGodavari (@TeamRC_WestG) March 28, 2023 @AlwaysRamCharans spellbinding work in films & social causes are truly an inspiration for many. The way his fans initiated a blood donation drive on the grand occasion of his birthday is touching & it will make the legend feel truly blessed. #GlobalStarRamcharan #Ramcharan pic.twitter.com/YOuHhfdwOv Rana Ravi Rai #RWorld (@raviranabjp) March 28, 2023 After a whirlwind of a week, right from the pre birthday celebrations on the sets of RC 15 now titled as Game Changer, to the concert with thousands of fans in a live audience, to the first party that brought the entire film industry after the mammoth Oscar win under one roof, a suave looking Ram was then seen jetting off from Hyderabad airport with his wife, Upasana and cute doggie Rhyme yesterday. Ram Charan turned 38 years old on March 27, 2023. The actor is famous for his role as Alluri Sitaram Raju in SS Rajamoulis RRR in which he starred alongside Jr NTR. NEW DELHI: Germany on Thursday said that it has taken note of the verdict of the first instance of suspension from Parliament of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi."We have taken note of the verdict of first instance against the Indian opposition politician Rahul Gandhi as well as the suspension of his parliamentary mandate. To our knowledge, Mr Gandhi is in a position to appeal the verdict," a German Foreign Ministry spokesperson said during a press briefing that was aired on German state-owned international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW). "It will then become clear whether this verdict will stand and whether the suspension of his mandate has any basis," the spokesperson added according to a video of the broadcast which was posted on Twitter by Richard Walkar the Chief International Editor of DW based in Berlin. Germany "expects that the standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles will apply in the the case," she said. Earlier this week US Department of State Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said that the US is watching Rahul Gandhi`s case in Indian courts. "Respect for the rule of law and judicial independence is a cornerstone of any democracy, and we`re watching Mr Gandhi`s (Rahul Gandhi) case in Indian courts," he said addressing a press briefing in Washnigton. Patel, responding to a question on Rahul Gandhi`s disqualification as an MP said that the US engages with the Indian government on a shared commitment to democratic values, including freedom of expression. "The US engages with the government of India on our shared commitment to democratic values, including of course freedom of expression in our engagements with our Indian partners," Patel had said. On March 23, Rahul Gandhi was convicted by a Surat disctrict court and sentenced to two years imprisonment in the 2019 defamation case over his `Modi surname` remark made in 2019 during an election rally in Karnataka. The criminal defamation case against Rahul Gandhi was filed by BJP MLA from Surat West Purnesh Modi.After being convicted by the court, Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from the Lok Sabha.The sentence of two-year imprisonment has been suspended for 30 days before which Rahul Gandhi has to appeal against the conviction. Rahul Gandhi`s disqualification from Lok Sabha triggered a massive political row with the BJP stating that the Congress leader was "a habitual loose cannon" and the Congress alleging that he was got "deliberately disqualified". VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis has a respiratory infection and will need to spend "a few days" in hospital for treatment, the Vatican said in a statement on Wednesday, amid concern for the 86-year-old's condition. The 86-year-old pontiff was taken to Rome's Gemelli hospital after complaining of breathing difficulties over the past few days, the statement said. Tests showed he had the infection but did not have COVID-19, it said. "Pope Francis is touched by the many messages received and expresses his gratitude for the closeness and prayer," the Vatican said. Francis, who this month marked 10 years as pope, is sometimes short of breath and generally more exposed to respiratory problems. He had part of one lung removed in his early 20s when training to be a priest in his native Argentina. His latest hospitalisation comes ahead of a Palm Sunday service on April 2 that marks the start of a hectic week of ceremonies leading to Easter Sunday on April 9, throwing into doubt whether he would be able to lead them as customary. Francis' health has attracted increased scrutiny in the past two years, during which he has undergone colon surgery and begun using a wheelchair or a walking stick due to chronic pain in one knee. The Vatican had initially said the pope had gone to the hospital on Wednesday for a scheduled check-up. But Italian media reported he arrived in an ambulance after cancelling a television interview at the last minute. Francis had attended his weekly general audience in St Peter's Square in the morning, appearing in good health. Washington: A judge in the US has ruled that spouses of H-1B visa holders, a significantly large number of whom are Indians, can work in the country, in a big relief to foreign workers in the American tech sector which has seen massive retrenchments. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China. US District Judge Tanya Chutkan dismissed a lawsuit filed by Save Jobs USA which had approached the court to dismiss the Obama-era regulation that gave employment authorization cards to spouses of certain categories of H-1B visa holders. Save Jobs USA is an organization comprising IT workers who claim they lost their jobs to H-1B workers. Tech companies such as Amazon, Apple, Google, and Microsoft had opposed the lawsuit. The US has so far issued nearly 1,00,000 work authorisations to spouses of H-1B workers. In her order, Judge Chutkan said the primary contention of Save Jobs USA is that Congress has never granted the Department of Homeland Security authority to allow foreign nationals, like H-4 visa-holders, to work during their stay in the United States. But that contention runs headlong into the text of the Immigration and Nationality Act, decades of executive-branch practice and both explicit and implicit congressional ratification of that practice, she wrote. The judge wrote that Congress has expressly and knowingly empowered the US government to authorise employment as a permissible condition of an H-4 spouse's stay in the United States. The fact that the federal government has had longstanding and open responsibility for authorising employment for similar visa classes further manifests Congress' approval of it exercising that authority, she said. The Department of Homeland Security and its predecessors have authorised employment not just for students, but also for their spouses and dependents, Judge Chutkan wrote in the ruling. Also, the Department of Homeland Security has long extended work authorisation to spouses of foreign government officials and spouses of employees or officers of international organisations, the judge wrote as she dismissed the lawsuit filed by Save Jobs USA. Ajay Bhutoria, a prominent community leader and advocate for immigrant rights, applauded the court's decision to allow H-1B spouses to work and support their families. The H-1B visa programme is designed to allow skilled foreign workers to come to the United States and work for American companies. However, until recently, H-1B spouses were not allowed to work, which often placed a significant financial burden on families, he said. "With the court's decision to allow H-1B visa holders' spouses to work, thousands of families across the country will be able to breathe a little easier. This decision will provide much-needed relief to families who have been struggling to make ends meet and it will help to ensure that these families can stay together and thrive," Bhutoria said. "Allowing H-1B spouses to work is not just a matter of economic fairness, but it is also a matter of family unity and stability. I applaud the court's decision, and I hope that this is just the first step towards a more compassionate and equitable immigration system," he said. Save Jobs USA said it plans to appeal against the court ruling. Thousands of Indian IT professionals in the US, who have lost their jobs due to the series of recent layoffs at companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon, are now struggling to find new employment within the stipulated period under their work visas following the termination of their employment to stay in the country. According to The Washington Post newspaper, nearly 200,000 IT workers have been laid off since November last year, including some record numbers in companies like Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and Amazon. As per some industry insiders, between 30 to 40 percent of them are Indian IT professionals, a significant number of whom are on H-1B and L1 visas. The situation is getting worse for those on H-1B visas as they have to find a new job within 60 days or else, they would be left with no other option but to head back to India. Under current circumstances, when all IT companies are on a firing spree, getting a job within that short period, they feel is next to impossible. WASHINGTON: The United States sees no reason for China to overreact to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen`s transits of the US, US Department of State Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said on Wednesday (local time), adding that the transits are consistent with the longstanding policy of Washington.The statement of Vedant Patel comes after the Chinese spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council said that China firmly opposes Tsai Ing-wen`s planned "transit" visit to the US to meet US officials and will take resolute countermeasures in such an event, CGTN reported. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday embarked on a 10-day visit to Central America, which will include transit in the US, CNN reported. Responding to a question regarding China announcing that there would be countermeasures if Taiwan President meets US House Speaker, Vedant Patel said, "I would reiterate what I said at the top, that transits of the United States are based on longstanding US practice consistent with our unofficial nature of relations with Taiwan. There is no reason to take countermeasures. There's no reason for Beijing to turn this transit, which is consistent with longstanding US policy, into something it`s not or to overreact. As I said previously, we oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side. We don`t support Taiwan`s independence, and we continue to expect that cross-strait differences be resolved through peaceful means," he further added. In his opening remarks at the press briefing, Vedant Patel said that Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen will transit through New York over the next few days en route to Central America. He said that Taiwan also confirmed that Tsai will transit through the US on her way back to Taiwan via Los Angeles next week. "Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen will transit through New York over the next few days en route to Central America. Taiwan has also confirmed President Tsai will again transit through the United States on her return to Taiwan next week via Los Angeles," Vedant Patel said. He further said, "Transits by high-level Taiwan authorities are not visits. They are private and unofficial, and they are not new. Every Taiwan president has transited the United States. President Tsai has transited the US six times since taking office in 2016. This will be her seventh transit." Vedant Patel stressed that these transits have been consistent with longstanding US practice and added that Washington's "one-China" policy remains unchanged. He said that US approach to Taiwan and transits by its senior authorities have remained consistent and have longstanding "one China policy" which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three US-China Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances. He said that these transits have always been consistent with longstanding US practice, consistent with the unofficial nature of our relations with Taiwan, and consistent with the US "one China" policy, which remains unchanged. In the press briefing, Patel said, "The US opposes any unilateral changes to the status quo by either side, and we do not support Taiwan independence, and we expect cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means." Zhu Fenglian`s remarks came in response to reports that the Taiwan President planned stopovers in the US and is expected to meet US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Zhu termed it another provocation that seriously violates the one-China principle if Tsai contacts McCarthy, CGTN reported. Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning in a press conference on Wednesday said, "China firmly opposes any form of official interaction between the US and the Taiwan region. We firmly oppose any visit by the leader of the Taiwan authorities to the US in any name or under whatever pretext." According to the statement released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Mao Ning further said, "We firmly oppose the US` having any form of contact with the Taiwan authorities, which violates the one-China principle. China has repeatedly protested to the US side on Tsai`s so-called stopover in the US." Last year, China fired multiple missiles and launched military drills around Taiwan after then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island. Her visit also strained the bilateral ties between US and China. A female Florida panther known as Babs roams with one of her kittens in an image captured by a camera trap at Babcock Ranch State Preserve in Charlotte County. The image is one of many of panthers in the wild that appear in "Path of the Panther," a documentary that opens Saturday at the Polk Theatre in Lakeland. Most Floridians will never see a Florida panther in the wild, even lifelong residents who venture deep into the woods. Starting Saturday, moviegoers will have three chances to observe the elusive and endangered predators in their natural habitat, captured in high-definition splendor. Path of the Panther, a documentary replete with footage of the big cats, opens a three-day run at the Polk Theatre with a screening to be followed by a panel discussion including two of the filmmakers. A team that includes renowned Florida nature photographer Carlton Ward Jr. spent years pursuing panthers in Florida's most forbidding landscapes to produce the 89-minute film, a National Geographic Documentary with Leonardo DiCaprio as executive producer. I think people are in for a treat, in terms of seeing a larger-than-life view of Florida that they might not ordinarily ever encounter, said Eric Bendick, the films writer, director and producer. It is a chance to see how rich and beautiful and really wild our backyard is in Florida, and a chance to understand why it's so important to preserve that landscape so unique among anywhere on Earth. Growth: Developer and residents make cases for and against Creek Ranch development on Hatchineha Road Also: Wildlife crossing in Polk County will be 1st for I-4 between Tampa, Orlando Bendick and Ward will join Adam Bass of Conservation Florida for a panel discussion after Saturdays 7:30 p.m. screening. The Polk Theatre will also show the movie Sunday at 2 p.m. and Monday at 6:30 p.m. Path of the Panther opened in limited theatrical release on Feb. 24. By a coincidence of scheduling, Saturdays first showing in Polk County occurs on the states officially designated Save the Florida Panther Day. Florida panthers, the only surviving species of large cats east of the Mississippi River, have rebounded from near extinction but still number only between 120 and 230, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Story continues National Geographic Explorer and photographer Carlton Ward Jr. paddles through a swamp in South Florida while setting up cameras during work on the documentary "Path of the Panther." The film screens Saturday through Monday at the Polk Theatre in Lakeland. Though mostly confined to a swampy expanse in southern Florida, panthers sometimes venture as far north as Polk County. The FWC has documented several sights over the past decade, and the remains of a 2-year-old male panther were found last year along the Polk Parkway near Auburndale. The movie promotes the concept of the Florida Wildlife Corridor, recognizing the need for contiguous wilderness areas stretching throughout the states peninsula. Ward participated in a four-person expedition in 2012, covering roughly 1,000 miles on a meandering route from the states southern tip to the Georgia border, a trek that led to the creation of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation. The Florida Legislature has acknowledged the concept by allotting money for habitat protection. Bendick directed the four-part TV series Epic Yellowstone and is at work on a series about national parks for National Geographic. He joined Ward and others for a 2015 expedition that yielded The Forgotten Coast, a documentary that ran on PBS stations. More:Florida panther dies on Polk Parkway near US 92 in Auburndale Soon after that, Ward pitched the idea of a package about the Florida Wildlife Corridor to National Geographic, and an editor suggested that he concentrate on Florida panthers. Using the first of three National Geographic grants, Ward began installing still cameras in South Florida to capture images of panthers, using a device that triggered the camera when an animal crossed a laser beam. Right when that photo project began to take off, and then at the same time, we decided, Wow, if we can photograph these animals, we can also film them, Bendick said. And so, that was a major turning point for the project. A male Florida panther travels beneath a wildlife underpass to avoid traffic on S.R. 80 near LaBelle in this poster image for the documentary "Path of the Panther." The documentary illustrates the panthers' need for large and connected ranges of land in Florida. Another impetus came in 2016, when biologists detected a female panther north of the Caloosahatchee River for the first time in more than 40 years. Bendick described the panther, nicknamed Babs, as a real pioneer. FWC scientists allowed Ward, an eighth-generation Floridian, to place trip cameras in areas where the panther was roaming. The project gained new urgency with the 2019 passage of legislation directing the Florida Department of Transportation to begin planning for three toll roads covering a combined 330 miles through mostly rural areas including an expressway from the Lakeland area to Naples. Though the Legislature scrapped those plans in 2021 amid concerns about funding, the proposals illustrated the ongoing threat of development throughout the Florida Wildlife Corridor, including sections of Polk County. And that's kind of when we decided this needed to be a feature documentary, where we could maintain the strong conservation storylines, Ward said. We kind of just kept following the story from there. So, in a lot of ways, the panther led us through the various stages of the project into its current form. Progressing from the original still cameras, Ward and the team placed high-definition video cameras along routes that he and biologists had determined the panthers traveled. Carlton Ward Jr., right, and Jen Korn examine the first photos of Florida panther kittens seen north of the Caloosahatchee River in nearly 50 years as cinematographers Danny Schmidt and Eric Bendick capture the moment. The team spent about six years compiling footage for the documentary "Path of the Panther." The fascinating thing about these cameras is the panther takes its own photo, Bendick said. The panther crosses a beam on the trail, and then the camera turns on ahead of when it will walk through. So what you realize when you see the footage is that the images are of wildlife, not just panthers but all kinds of wildlife, behaving in a way that we almost never see them because there was no human that was altering their behavior. While the wildlife scenes are the films main draw, Bendick included interviews with such Floridians as Betty Osceola, a Miccosukee Everglades educator and conservationist, and Elton Langford, a DeSoto County cattle rancher. The director said the pair provided a sense of how the customs and livelihoods of humans depend on the same natural lands the panthers need for continued survival. Ward said the panther serves as a symbol for the Florida Wildlife Corridor, a concept that he said has relevance far beyond the Sunshine State. Despite the population growth (in Florida) and the 1,000 people moving here a day, we still have the Florida panther, the last big cat east of the Mississippi River, and a connected wildlife corridor that represents nearly half the state that we still have a chance to protect for future generations, Ward said. And that, to me, is really exciting. Because if we can do it here, we can set a global example. We can balance the ecology and the economy for the rest of the planet. Path of the Panther will air later this year on the National Geographic channel and stream on Disney+. But the filmmakers say it is best seen in a theater on a large screen. Leslie Sikora, executive director of the Polk Theatre, said she received requests from patrons to screen the documentary. I think it's important for people to take that journey, to see what's going on with the Florida Wildlife Corridor, if you will, just to see how vulnerable wildlife is and the need for more land conservation, Sikora said. I think it's an important message to tell because the Florida panther is unique to Florida, so we need to kind of bring it to everybody's attention, I think, if we can. Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on Twitter @garywhite13. This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Filmmakers to discuss panther documentary at screening in Lakeland (Bloomberg) -- Peabody Energy Corp., the top US coal producer, shut operations at an Alabama mine following a fire Wednesday with no estimate of when it will reopen. Most Read from Bloomberg The Shoal Creek Mine, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) west of Birmingham, is the companys lone producer of metallurgical coal for export in the US. It is an underground mine that generated about 800,000 tons of coal last year for steelmaking, accounting for a little more than one-tenth of the companys total met coal exports, according to filings. Peabody didnt provide estimates of the fires impact on the mine or on its overall operations and didnt respond to emailed questions. The Mine Safety and Health Administration is investigating, the company said in a statement. Shoal Creek employs 419 workers, all of whom were safely evacuated. The mine will be shut while the fire is under investigation, said Andrew Blumenfeld, an analyst at McCloskey by Opis. If the cause is easily identified, it could be open within days, Blumenfeld said. But if the investigation is more complicated, the site could be closed for months. Thats not atypical with mine fires, he said. Met coal for making steel is higher quality than coal for power plants and typically commands a significantly higher price. The fire comes as Peabody is pushing to expand its seaborne metallurgical operations, including by starting redevelopment efforts at the North Goonyella mine in Australia, which has been closed since a 2018 fire. Peabody said when firefighters evacuated the Shoal Creek mine, they reported no flames were visible. Fires in underground coal mines are notoriously hard to fight because firefighting operations are more challenging underground and because the coal provides fuel for the blaze. Story continues Peabodys shares were down 2.7% in late trading in New York. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. VANCOUVER, BC, March 30, 2023 /CNW/ - First Mining Gold Corp. ("First Mining" or the "Company") (TSX: FF) (OTCQX: FFMGF) (FRANKFURT: FMG) reports its fourth quarter and annual financial results for the year ended December 31, 2022. The audited consolidated financial statements, management's discussion and analysis ("MD&A"), and annual information form ("AIF") are available on First Mining's website at www.firstmininggold.com/investors/reports-filings/financials/ and have been posted under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and EDGAR at www.sec.gov. First Mining Gold Corp. Logo (CNW Group/First Mining Gold Corp.) During 2022, the Company published its draft environmental impact statement related to its Springpole Gold Project, completed a $5.3 million flow-through equity financing, successfully completed the acquisition of the Duparquet Gold Project in Quebec, divested its non-core Goldlund NSR royalty for US$7 million, and published its inaugural Sustainability and ESG Report. "Our achievements in 2022 highlights a transformative year for First Mining as we acquired a second flagship asset and demonstrated hidden value in our asset portfolio," stated Dan Wilton, CEO of First Mining. "The publication of our draft Environmental Impact Statement for our Springpole project was a significant milestone as we continue to advance project permitting efforts along with Indigenous assessment processes for the Project". In addition, First Mining has embarked on its inaugural regional exploration program in the Birch-Uchi Greenstone Belt surrounding the Springpole gold deposit, and we expect to announce exciting results in the coming year. Our inaugural ESG report highlights our commitment to environmental and social sustainability, and we plan to issue an ESG report annually to demonstrate continued progress. First Mining continues to be well funded with a strong balance sheet and a number of non-dilutive financing tools in the portfolio to provide financial flexibility as we work towards significant milestones at both Springpole and Duparquet." Story continues 2022 Highlights: Published the draft Springpole Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Assessment document in May 2022. Continued to support the development of an Anishinaabe Impact Assessment working with local First Nation communities with a focus on increasing the ability of community members to participate in current and future negotiations and contract and employment opportunities. First Mining is committed to supporting initiatives that promote community health and well-being, and is seeking to collaborate with communities, industry, and all levels of government on sustainable programs for the region to ensure a healthy and productive workforce for the future. Published First Mining's inaugural Sustainability and ESG Report in June 2022. Early September 2022, completed a non-brokered private placement offering of flow-through shares, raising aggregate gross proceeds of $5.3 million. Completed the acquisition of the Duparquet Gold Project in Quebec in September 2022 as a result of acquiring Beattie Gold Mines Ltd., 2699681 Canada Ltd. and 2588111 Manitoba Ltd. for a total transaction value of approximately $24 million. October 2022, completed a 3,843 line km geophysical airborne survey over portions of the Birch-Uchi mineral tenure to further support district exploration targeting in 2023 and beyond. December 2022, sold our 1.5% NSR royalty on the Goldlund gold property being operated by Treasury Metals Inc. for US$7 million to Sprott Resources Streaming and Royalty Corp. Throughout the year, continued to advance Feasibility Study work activities for the Springpole Gold Project, including metallurgical test work, process design, preliminary pit slope guidelines and mine design, optimization studies, and completed 5,843 metres of drilling at the project, for geotechnical, hydrogeological, and acid rock drainage test work and data collection purposes. Commenced exploration activities in the Birch-Uchi which included a summer field program consisting of soil geochemistry, mapping, and prospecting campaigns, and a targeted exploration drilling campaign on the Swain property, consisting of a 5-hole drill program totaling 1,560 m. 2023 A Year of Catalysts First Mining has started 2023 making significant progress on further de-risking the Springpole Gold Project and advancing the recently acquired Duparquet Gold Project. In Q1 2023, First Mining completed a winter drill program consisting of 2,779 m drilling on the three top regional exploration targets around Springpole, and assays are pending. First Mining also continues to de-risk the Springpole project by addressing the reviews of the Draft Environmental Assessment document with regulators and local and Indigenous communities, advancing the Feasibility Study work, including the feasibility metallurgical review, mine plan, tailings deposition plan, process flow sheet development, and the power and road infrastructure studies. In addition, First Mining continued its environmental baseline data collection at Springpole and has commenced environmental data collection at the Duparquet Gold Project. First Mining has also initiated a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") on the Duparquet project and expects to have that completed in H2 2023. About First Mining Gold Corp. First Mining is a gold developer advancing two of the largest gold projects in Canada, the Springpole Gold Project in northwestern Ontario, where we have commenced a Feasibility Study and permitting activities are on-going with a draft Environmental Impact Statement ("EIS") for the project published in June 2022, and the Duparquet, Pitt and Duquesne Gold Projects in Quebec, a collection of advanced stage development assets located on the Destor-Porcupine Fault in the prolific Abitibi region. First Mining also owns the Cameron Gold Project in Ontario and a portfolio of gold project interests including the Pickle Crow Gold Project (being advanced in partnership with Auteco Minerals Ltd.), the Hope Brook Gold Project (being advanced in partnership with Big Ridge Gold Corp.), an equity interest in Treasury Metals Inc., and a portfolio of 20 royalties. First Mining was established in 2015 by Mr. Keith Neumeyer, founding President and CEO of First Majestic Silver Corp. ON BEHALF OF FIRST MINING GOLD CORP. Daniel W. Wilton Chief Executive Officer and Director Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "projects", "intends", "estimates", "envisages", "potential", "possible", "strategy", "goals", "opportunities", "objectives", or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to future events or future performance and reflect current estimates, predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events and include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: (i) the Company's exploration drilling program in the Birch-Uchi Greenstone Belt and timing of any news releases announcing any results from such program; (ii) the Company's plans to issue an annual ESG report; (iii) timing related to the Environmental Assessment process for the Springpole Gold Project; (iv) timing for the advancement of studies related to the Feasibility Study for Sringpole; and (v) timing for the completion of a PEA for the Duparquet Gold Project.. All forward-looking statements are based on First Mining's or its consultants' current beliefs as well as various assumptions made by them and information currently available to them. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the respective parties, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Such factors include, without limitation the Company's business, operations and financial condition potentially being materially adversely affected by the outbreak of epidemics, pandemics or other health crises, such as COVID-19, and by reactions by government and private actors to such outbreaks; risks to employee health and safety as a result of the outbreak of epidemics, pandemics or other health crises, such as COVID-19, that may result in a slowdown or temporary suspension of operations at some or all of the Company's mineral properties as well as its head office; fluctuations in the spot and forward price of gold, silver, base metals or certain other commodities; fluctuations in the currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar versus the U.S. dollar); changes in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations, pressures, cave-ins and flooding); the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities, indigenous populations and other stakeholders; availability and increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development; title to properties.; and the additional risks described in the Company's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2022 filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com , and in the Company's Annual Report on Form 40-F filed with the SEC on EDGAR. First Mining cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When relying on our forward-looking statements to make decisions with respect to First Mining, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. First Mining does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by the Company or on our behalf, except as required by law. Cautionary Note to United States Investors The Company is a "foreign private issuer" as defined in Rule 3b-4 under the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and is eligible to rely upon the Canada-U.S. Multi-Jurisdictional Disclosure System, and is therefore permitted to prepare the technical information contained herein in accordance with the requirements of the securities laws in effect in Canada, which differ from the requirements of the securities laws currently in effect in the United States. Accordingly, information concerning mineral deposits set forth herein may not be comparable with information made public by companies that report in accordance with U.S. standards. Technical disclosure contained in this news release has not been prepared in accordance with the requirements of United States securities laws and uses terms that comply with reporting standards in Canada with certain estimates prepared in accordance with NI 43-101. NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators that establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning the issuer's material mineral projects. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/first-mining-announces-year-end-2022-financial-results-and-operating-highlights-301785464.html SOURCE First Mining Gold Corp. Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2023/30/c9356.html FLG Partners, LLC CFO Consulting & Board Advisory Firm Adds New Partner Sandra A. Gardiner FLG Partners: Experienced Interim CFO Consultants for Financing, Restructuring, M&A and IPOs ROI and Proven Value Since 2004 Palo Alto, CA, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FLG Partners, a leading CFO consulting practice and Board advisory services firm serving over 500 companies, from emerging to enterprise-level, has announced the election of Sandra A. Gardiner as a partner at the firm. The addition of Ms. Gardiner adds to the firms already strong track record of leadership in fundraising, M&A and IPO planning and execution in the Life Sciences sector, among others. We welcome Sandy to our expanding team of C-suite leaders at FLG Partners. She is a talented finance executive and board advisor in the medtech and medical device space with significant experience working with public companies, notes FLGs Managing Partner, Laureen DeBuono. Sandys strong roots in Life Sciences further enhances FLGs deep experience working with clients from all subsectors in this sector, from pharma to healthcare, from digital health to diagnostics, biotech to medtech. Ms. Gardiner is located in the Bay Area and has a career spanning over 30 years working with development-stage medtech and medical device companies as well as with larger enterprises pursuing commercialization. Prior to joining FLG, Sandy was EVP and CFO of Pulse Biosciences (2019-2022), a publicly traded medtech company. She successfully led the company through its preparation for commercialization in the U.S., EU and Canada, building its global infrastructure and establishing an international subsidiary and direct sales force while growing its market cap to $1B+. Before her tenure at Pulse Biosciences, Sandy was EVP and CFO at Cutera, Inc. (2017-2019), a publicly traded global aesthetic company, at Tria Beauty, Inc. (2015-2017), a venture-backed manufacturer of aesthetic laser medical devices, and at Aptus Endosystems, Inc., Ventus Medical, Inc., Vermillion Inc., Lipid Sciences Inc., Cardima, Inc., Comac, Inc and Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Inc. Sandy has been a board director at Bend Research Inc. and at Lucira Health and currently serves as board director of LevitasBio and board chair of Valley Humane Society. Story continues For more information about FLGs expanding team of C-suite partners, please visit flgpartners.com. About FLG Partners, LLC Founded in 2004, FLG Partners (www.flgpartners.com) is a leader in CFO solutions, and CEO and Board advisory services in Silicon Valley and the United States. FLG provides financial and operational leadership to companies ranging from newly funded startups to Fortune 100 companies across multiple sectors from technology and life sciences to consumer products, among others. The firms partners engage clients in interim or long-term assignments in leadership roles that typically are consulting engagements. FLGs partners leverage their substantial expertise, objectivity and industry best-practices leadership to deliver superior value to clients including in business planning and execution; financings; SEC reporting and compliance; mergers, acquisitions and divestitures; troubled-company turnarounds and restructurings, and IPOs and SPACs. FLG Partners has helped raise over $5 billion in growth financing, IPO, and M&A and SPAC transactions for the firms clients since January 2021. Attachment CONTACT: Laureen DeBuono Managing Partner 415-244-3024 laureen@flgpartners.com Small Businesses and Thousands of Jobs at Stake as New Legislation Being Pushed Could Devastate the State's Thriving Hemp Industry TALLAHASSEE, FL / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Patrick O'Brien, an American veteran, founder of Learn Sativa University and SaveFLHemp.org - an organization committed to protecting Florida's thriving hemp industry and the small businesses that depend on it - recently spoke before the Florida House of Representatives, advocating for small businesses and the people of Florida. His plea, however, went unanswered as the House pushed forward with House Bill 1475, potentially endangering the entire hemp industry in the state. Defending Florida's Hemp: Veteran Patrick O'Brien Takes a Stand O'Brien, along with other business owners and cancer survivors, was allotted a mere 30-second window to passionately argue against the bill's devastating consequences on small businesses, individuals, and the economy. In a room filled with over 70 opponents of the bill, including stage 4 cancer patients, doctors, and lawyers who attested to the benefits of hemp products and how the bill would adversely affect Florida's industry, the representatives seemed to disregard the pleas of their constituents. The hemp industry has contributed significantly to Florida's economy, providing jobs for over 100,000 people and generating substantial tax revenue. Despite the overwhelming evidence against the bill, hemp businesses were told to "stay in their lane" as HB 1475 continues to push forward. The bill, disguised as a measure to protect children, would primarily benefit Florida MMTCs at the expense of the hemp industry. The representatives, many of whom demonstrated little knowledge of the plant, its uses, or the science behind it, chose profit over people, voting in favor of the bill while claiming to hear the concerns of the crowd. The proposed legislation is constitutionally unethical and goes against federal guidelines. Moreover, the "guidelines" set by this bill are already in effect in Florida, and the addition of outrageous THC caps and the redefining of hemp in Florida law would only serve to destroy small businesses. Story continues All eyes are now on the next committees, the Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee and the Infrastructure Strategies Committee, which have the power to stand with small businesses and prevent large corporations from monopolizing the hemp industry in Florida, a state that prides itself on freedom and opportunity. O'Brien has also initiated a petition opposing the bills, which can be signed online at saveflhemp.org. With thousands of signatures already collected, the goal is to gather even more support to protect Florida's hemp industry. O'Brien will continue his fight for the industry when he returns to Tallahassee for SB 1676, which will be presented before the Fiscal Committee. The bill is almost identical to HB 1475 and could devastate the state's hemp industry. His determination and commitment to the cause serve as a powerful reminder that the people of Florida will not back down without a fight. About SaveFLHemp.org SaveFLHemp.org is a dedicated organization committed to protecting Florida's thriving hemp industry and the small businesses that depend on it. With a focus on providing accurate information, resources, and advocacy, SaveFLHemp.org works tirelessly to ensure that the voices of entrepreneurs, industry workers, and consumers are heard by policymakers and legislators. Through grassroots efforts, educational campaigns, and strategic partnerships, SaveFLHemp.org seeks to create a sustainable future for Florida's hemp industry, safeguarding the economic and social well-being of the countless individuals who rely on it. Contact Information Allyson Perez Director of Operations media@saveflhemp.org 720-295-1439 SOURCE: SaveFLHemp.org . View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/746697/Floridas-Hemp-Industry-Under-Fire-How-Two-Bills-Threaten-Small-Businesses-and-Jobs Key Insights Given the large stake in the stock by institutions, Bank of Hawaii's stock price might be vulnerable to their trading decisions The top 10 shareholders own 50% of the company Using data from analyst forecasts alongside ownership research, one can better assess the future performance of a company To get a sense of who is truly in control of Bank of Hawaii Corporation (NYSE:BOH), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. With 77% stake, institutions possess the maximum shares in the company. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk). Institutional investors would appreciate the 5.1% increase in share prices last week, given their one-year returns have been disappointing at 35%. Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Bank of Hawaii. See our latest analysis for Bank of Hawaii What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Bank of Hawaii? Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing. As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Bank of Hawaii. 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. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Bank of Hawaii's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story. Institutional investors own over 50% of the company, so together than can probably strongly influence board decisions. Bank of Hawaii is not owned by hedge funds. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is The Vanguard Group, Inc. with 10% of shares outstanding. BlackRock, Inc. is the second largest shareholder owning 9.6% of common stock, and Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management, LLC holds about 6.3% of the company stock. In addition, we found that Peter Ho, the CEO has 0.5% of the shares allocated to their name. Story continues On further inspection, we found that more than half the company's shares are owned by the top 10 shareholders, suggesting that the interests of the larger shareholders are balanced out to an extent by the smaller ones. While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. 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 Bank of Hawaii While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. The company management answer to the board and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board themselves. Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances. Our most recent data indicates that insiders own some shares in Bank of Hawaii Corporation. The insiders have a meaningful stake worth US$38m. Most would see this as a real positive. Most would say this shows alignment of interests between shareholders and the board. Still, it might be worth checking if those insiders have been selling. General Public Ownership The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 21% stake in Bank of Hawaii. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies. Next Steps: It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Bank of Hawaii better, we need to consider many other factors. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with Bank of Hawaii , and understanding them should be part of your investment process. 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here wwing / Getty Images/iStockphoto Technically, water is not food but a lot of food stamp recipients still use their benefits to purchase water. A 2016 study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households spent 1.2% of total expenditures on bottled water, which adds up to tens of millions of dollars a year. Social Security: Whether Youre 62, 65, 67 or 70, Heres Why Your Age Matters Discover: 3 Signs Youre Serious About Raising Your Credit Score What you cant do is use your SNAP benefits to buy the water that comes out of your sink. SNAP cannot be used to pay your water bill, although some people think that should change. Water and other utility bills do play at least one role in SNAP, the USDA food-purchasing assistance program formerly known as food stamps. When determining a households SNAP eligibility, states consider households total shelter costs. That includes the cost of utilities such as water, heat and electricity, according to the USDA. Many states use Standard Utility Allowances (SUAs), which are amounts that reflect typical low-income household utility costs. SUAs can be used in lieu of the households actual costs when determining your SNAP eligibility and benefit amount. But when it comes to how actual SNAP benefits can be spent, the USDA has very strict guidelines on what is allowed. Here are eligible items listed on the USDA website that you can buy with your SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card: Fruits and vegetables Meat, poultry, and fish Dairy products Breads and cereals Other foods such as snack foods and non-alcoholic beverages Seeds and plants that produce food for the household to eat To help pay water bills, many SNAP households get financial assistance through the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP), a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services program that provides funds to low-income households for water and wastewater bills. That program is set to expire at the end of this year, according to Manuel P. Teodoro, an associate professor at the La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. However, some lawmakers want to make LIHWAP a permanent, ongoing program. Story continues In a March 29 column for Newsweek, Teodoro made the case for including water bills among eligible SNAP items instead of extending the cumbersome and complex LIHWAP indefinitely. Uncle Sam could channel water assistance dollars into SNAP and allow participants to pay for their water bills with their EBT cards, Teodoro wrote. This is a good year to consider the idea, too, because Congress will be voting on the Farm Bill in the fall. That bill, negotiated every five years, is the nations largest agricultural and food policy omnibus. A simple change to this years Farm Bill could make water bills eligible for payment through SNAP, Teodoro noted. There are good reasons to think that doing so will result in federal water assistance with dramatically higher participation, much wider reach, and with far greater administrative efficiency than a permanent LIHWAP. Take Our Poll: Do You Think the US Should Raise the Medicare Tax on High Earners To Help Save the Program? He pointed out that SNAP boasts an 82% participation by eligible households much higher than federal programs to help eligible households pay utility bills. Extending SNAP benefits to water would immediately help the 41 million people already enrolled in the program without any of them having to apply or be screened for participation in yet another assistance program, Teodoro wrote. Providing federal water assistance through SNAP also would help hard-to-reach people who rely on private wells, or who pay for their water utilities through their rent or homeowners dues. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Food Stamps: Can SNAP Be Used to Pay Your Water Bill? Highlight Intercept 4.11% CuEq over 34.3m Strike Length Extended by 150m and Remains Open in All Directions Borehole EM Surveys Underway to Better Define Additional Tesla Potential VANCOUVER, BC, March 30, 2023 /CNW/ - Foran Mining Corporation (TSXV: FOM) (OTCQX: FMCXF) ("Foran" or the "Company") is pleased to announce assay results from three additional holes from its winter drill program at the new Tesla discovery, located approximately 300 metres ("m") north of Foran's McIlvenna Bay Deposit in Saskatchewan. Key Highlights: Significant assay results from Hole TS-23-07w1: Significant assay results from Hole TS-23-07w2: Significant assay results from Hole TS-23-09A: Significant zones of sulphide mineralization have been intersected in holes TS-23-10 and TS-23-11w2 (assays pending), extending the current strike length of the Tesla Zone to 550m. Borehole Electromagnetic ("EM") surveys underway to better define the Tesla conductor for follow up drilling this summer. 2023-24 exploration will focus on continued definition drilling of the Tesla Zone, which remains open in all directions. Dan Myerson, Foran's Executive Chairman & CEO, commented, "It is truly extraordinary how quickly our exploration team's strategy and techniques have enabled a swift understanding of the Tesla Zone, evidenced by our high success rates to date in intercepting robust zones at such an early stage of discovery. Assay results continue to demonstrate the sizeable near-mine opportunity at the Tesla Zone, with recent results including some of the highest zinc intersections we've encountered to date across notably thick intercepts. Excitingly, mineralization encountered in holes with assays yet to be released have now extended Tesla's strike a further 150m to 550m, and it remains open in all directions. We are still in the early innings of our exploration journey as we work to establish a truly world-class district-scale critical minerals infrastructure-type asset at McIlvenna Bay & Tesla, and we look forward to sharing future results regularly in 2023 and beyond." Story continues Tesla Zone The Tesla Zone lies adjacent to the McIlvenna Bay Deposit and was discovered during the 2022 summer program (see June 8, 2022 press release), while drill testing a ~900m (strike) by 300m (width) electro-magnetic conductor (Figure 1). Significant widths of copper and zinc-rich sulphide mineralization have now been intersected in thirteen drill holes, successfully expanding the currently defined strike of the zone to approximately 550m. Tesla remains open in all directions for expansion with further drilling. Figure 1 Plan View of Tesla and McIlvenna Bay (CNW Group/Foran Mining Corporation) Drilling continues to expand the footprint of the Tesla mineralization with additional thick intersections of massive to semi-massive and stringer sulphides: Drill hole TS-23-07w1 was drilled as an up-dip wedge starting from 400m depth on the pilot hole TS-23-07 and reaching a final depth of 1,278m. TS-23-07w1 successfully intersected the Tesla zone mineralization approximately 90m up-dip from TS-23-07. TS-23-07w1 intersected a substantially thicker zone of mineralization than the parent hole, with zinc-rich massive and semi-massive sulphides overlying a copper-rich stringer zone, together reaching a combined thickness of over 50m. Similar to other drill holes intersecting the Tesla Zone and the adjacent McIlvenna Bay Deposit, the massive/semi-massive sulphide intervals generally consist of coarse-grained pyrite in a fine-grained red-brown sphalerite-rich groundmass associated with strong chlorite alteration, while the underlying stringer zone is associated with stringer-style and foliation-bound chalcopyrite and pyrite in moderately to strongly chlorite and/or sericite altered felsic volcanic units. Drill Hole TS-23-07w2 was also drilled as a wedge from approximately 400m depth on pilot hole TS-23-07, this time rolled to the south to obtain an additional intersection into the Tesla horizon. TS-23-07w2 successfully intersected the Tesla Zone approximately 60m up dip from the pilot hole and also contained a thickened zone of mineralization relative to the pilot hole, with similar zinc-rich massive and semi-massive sulphides underlain by a thick copper-rich stringer zone. Again, these two zones formed a mineralized interval over 50m thick. TS-23-09A was drilled approximately 300m south of TS-23-07 where it also successfully intersected the Tesla horizon. TS-23-09A was drilled to a depth of 1,259m and intersected three zones of mineralization: a 4.9m combined interval of zinc-rich massive sulphide and copper-rich stringer mineralization, followed downhole by a 4.06m interval of zinc and copper-rich massive sulphides consisting of coarse-grained pyrite and +/- chalcopyrite in a fine-grained sphalerite-rich groundmass, followed directly downhole by a 27m interval of copper-rich stringer style mineralization consisting of pyrite and chalcopyrite stringers in a moderately sericite- and silica altered unit with patchy chlorite-rich intervals. Two additional holes, TS-23-10 and TS-23-11w2, were collared 100m to the northwest of TS-23-07 and 100m southeast of TS-23-09A respectively. Both holes have successfully intersected significant sulphide mineralization, thus extending the known strike length of the Tesla Zone to approximately 550m where it remains open in all directions for expansion. Assays for TS-23-10 and TS-23-11 are pending and will be reported when received from the assay lab. An image of TS-23-10 mineralization is provided in Figure 2, a cross section showing the relationship between the Tesla mineralized zones and drill holes is provided in Figure 3, and a table of detailed composites from the 2023 winter program are provided in Table 1 below. Figure 2 An image of a mineralized zone from TS-23-10 (CNW Group/Foran Mining Corporation) Figure 3 Cross section through TS-23-07, TS-23-07w1 and -07w2 Location is A-A in Figure 1 (CNW Group/Foran Mining Corporation) Table 1 2023 Tesla Assay Results1 (*Denotes Previously Released) Hole From_m To_m Interval_m Cu % Zn % Ag g/t Au g/t CuEq % TS-23-07w1 951.2 985.5 34.3 0.25 8.47 57.5 0.41 4.11 Including 951.2 971.0 19.8 0.25 12.44 74.6 0.37 5.70 TS-23-07w1 987.0 1001.8 14.8 1.05 0.15 7.3 0.35 1.39 Including 994.8 1001.8 7.0 1.51 0.13 7.5 0.33 1.83 TS-23-07w2 977.5 988.2 10.7 0.38 4.86 34.2 0.46 2.75 Including 977.5 980.0 2.5 0.49 13.17 38.8 0.30 5.91 TS-23-07w2 988.2 1028.7 40.5 1.05 0.21 8.9 0.23 1.34 Including 988.2 990.5 2.3 2.52 1.56 39.7 0.99 4.04 And 1005.8 1011.0 5.2 1.57 0.06 7.2 0.16 1.75 TS-23-09A 936.7 941.7 5.0 0.94 5.00 19.0 0.21 3.09 Including 937.3 938.8 1.5 1.26 14.32 39.8 0.42 7.20 TS-23-09A 963.3 967.3 4.0 1.40 3.98 24.8 0.06 3.11 TS-23-09A 986.0 1013.0 27.0 0.69 0.77 9.8 0.12 1.13 Including 986.0 988.0 2.0 1.30 2.09 22.0 0.27 2.42 And 997.5 1001.0 3.5 1.14 0.51 11.8 0.03 1.44 TS-23-07* 1034.5 1042.3 7.9 1.17 4.38 28.6 0.33 3.24 Including 1035.2 1038.7 3.6 0.22 8.34 30.2 0.17 3.68 And 1039.8 1042.3 2.5 2.51 1.04 26.1 0.70 3.55 TS-23-07* 1045.8 1046.9 1.1 1.72 0.42 13.7 0.62 2.38 TS-23-07* 1051.9 1061.3 9.4 1.22 0.17 6.9 0.24 1.49 Including 1056.6 1059.8 3.2 2.18 0.30 10.2 0.32 2.58 TS-23-07* 1223.1 1227.6 4.5 0.12 4.12 79.1 1.49 3.22 Including 1225.2 1226.4 1.2 0.08 3.91 78.8 3.22 4.23 TS-23-08* 1003.0 1019.9 16.9 1.07 6.06 30.4 0.02 3.58 Including 1010.9 1014.0 3.1 0.29 14.50 22.7 0.01 5.90 TS-23-08* 1019.9 1052.0 32.1 2.04 1.06 21.5 0.02 2.61 Including 1034.2 1037.8 3.6 4.17 1.97 29.5 0.001 5.12 And 1040.4 1049.5 9.1 3.40 0.43 25.0 0.001 3.74 TS-22-06A* 809.2 812.8 3.6 0.56 0.07 4.3 0.003 0.62 TS-22-06A* 886.2 901.4 15.2 1.35 0.15 11.9 0.07 1.54 Including 889.0 892.4 3.4 3.05 0.25 24.0 0.07 3.36 TS-22-06A* 905.4 915.5 10.1 3.10 3.00 32.2 0.25 4.62 Including 911.1 914.5 3.4 6.10 3.96 61.9 0.39 8.29 TS-22-06A* 937.5 941.0 3.5 0.95 0.07 9.5 0.62 1.45 TS-22-06A* 991.6 996.0 4.4 1.86 0.25 11.9 0.10 2.11 Including 992.4 993.0 0.6 9.90 1.48 57.8 0.17 10.99 TS-22-06A* 1058.5 1059.7 1.2 1.01 3.82 14.0 0.002 2.55 TS-22-06A* 1064.9 1066.6 1.7 0.74 2.71 8.7 0.001 1.82 TS-22-06A* 1073.6 1076.0 2.4 0.48 1.30 5.9 0.001 1.01 TS-22-06A* 1078.0 1093.7 15.7 2.17 1.21 18.6 0.01 2.77 Including 1080.0 1081.5 1.5 5.90 2.06 39.6 0.02 6.97 TS-22-06A* 1093.7 1100.8 7.1 0.26 11.82 16.7 0.004 4.82 Including 1093.7 1096.4 2.7 0.15 18.90 19.4 0.006 7.38 TS-22-06A* 1103.6 1105.7 2.1 0.29 9.15 19.5 0.01 3.87 TS-22-06A* 1105.7 1109.9 4.2 0.78 0.91 15.7 0.04 1.26 TS-22-06A* 1114.6 1132.0 17.4 2.08 4.47 29.3 0.11 4.04 Including 1117.9 1119.9 2.0 6.64 6.14 59.5 0.14 9.47 TS-22-06A* 1205.0 1222.1 17.1 0.59 13.07 23.5 0.04 5.69 Including 1205.4 1210.1 4.7 0.29 19.41 20.9 0.02 7.73 TS-22-06A* 1224.9 1246.5 21.6 0.57 7.09 30.2 0.23 3.60 Including 1238.4 1242.4 4.0 0.25 14.26 17.4 0.14 5.82 Note: True widths for are estimated to be approximately 80% of reported intersections, except TS-23-06A which was drilled down dip. Intervals generally composited using a 0.5% Cu cut-off grade in stringer zones. 1Copper Equivalent values calculated using metal prices of $4.00/lb Cu, $1.50/lb Zn, $20.00/ounce Ag and $1,800/ounce Au with no provision for metallurgical recoveries. 2023 Exploration Programs The 2023 winter exploration program, which focused on expansion drilling of the Tesla Zone from the ice on Hanson Lake, is nearing conclusion as ice conditions wane. Foran is currently planning for an expanded drill program at the Tesla Zone from land during the remainder of the year utilizing directional drilling technologies. With the closing of the recently completed $100M financing (see our March 27, 2023 press release), of which C$25 million was flow-through, the Company is well funded and is exploring options to add additional rigs to further fast-track drilling at Tesla as we continue to expand the mineralized footprint of the zone and work towards the completion of a future resource estimate. Planning is also underway for the summer regional exploration program focusing on drill targets located both proximal to McIlvenna Bay and on our Bigstone Project (25km to the west), along with geophysical surveys to define drill targets on our extensive land holdings to the south. It is currently anticipated that the summer program will begin in June. Quality Assurance and Quality Control Drilling was completed using NQ size diamond drill core and core was logged by employees of the Company. During the logging process, mineralized intersections were marked for sampling and given unique sample numbers. Sampled intervals were sawn in half using a diamond blade saw. One half of the sawn core was placed in a plastic bag with the sample tag and sealed, while the second half was returned to the core box for storage on site. Sample assays are performed by the Saskatchewan Research Council ("SRC") Geoanalytical Laboratory in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. SRC is a Canadian accredited laboratory (ISO/IEC 17025:2017) and independent of Foran. Analysis for Ag, Cu, Pb and Zn is performed using ICP-OES after total multi-acid digestion. Au analysis is completed by fire assay with ICP-OES finish. A complete suite of QA/QC reference materials (standards, blanks and duplicates) are included in each batch of samples processed by the laboratory. The results of the assaying of the QA/QC material included in each batch are tracked to ensure the integrity of the assay data. Qualified Person Mr. Roger March, P. Geo., Senior Geoscientist for Foran, is the Qualified Person for all technical information herein and has reviewed and approved the technical information in this release. The Company's head office is located at 409 Granville Street, Suite 904, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6C 1T2. Common Shares of the Company are listed for trading on the TSXV under the symbol "FOM". 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. About Foran Mining Foran Mining is a copper-zinc-gold-silver exploration and development company, committed to supporting a greener future, empowering communities and creating circular economies which create value for all our stakeholders, while also safeguarding the environment. The McIlvenna Bay project is located entirely within the documented traditional territory of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation. The Company also owns the Bigstone Project, a resource-development stage deposit located 25km southwest of its McIlvenna Bay project. McIlvenna Bay is a copper-zinc-gold-silver rich VHMS deposit intended to be the centre of a new mining camp in a prolific district that has already been producing for 100 years. McIlvenna Bay sits just 65km West of Flin Flon, Manitoba and is part of the world class Flin Flon Greenstone Belt that extends from Snow Lake, Manitoba, through Flin Flon to Foran's ground in eastern Saskatchewan, a distance of over 225km. McIlvenna Bay is the largest undeveloped VHMS deposit in the region. The Company announced the results from its Feasibility Study on February 28, 2022, outlining that current mineral reserves would potentially support an 18-year mine life producing an average of 65 million pounds of copper equivalent annually. The Company filed a NI 43-101 Technical Report for the McIlvenna Bay Feasibility Study on April 14, 2022. The Company filed a NI 43-101 Technical Report for the Bigstone Deposit resource estimate on February 11, 2022. Investors are encouraged to consult the full text of these technical reports which may be found on the Company's profile on www.sedar.com. Foran trades on the TSX.V under the symbol "FOM" and on the OTCQX under the symbol "FMCXF". Forward Looking Statements CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements, as defined under applicable securities laws (collectively referred to herein as "forward-looking statements"). These statements relate to future events or to the future performance of Foran Mining Corporation (the "Company") and reflect management's expectations and assumptions as of the date hereof or as of the date of such forward looking statement. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "continues", "forecasts", "projects", "predicts", "potentially", "intends", "likely", "anticipates" or "believes", or variations of, or the negatives of, such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "should", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this news release speak only as of the date of this news release or as of the date specified in such statement. Inherent in forward-looking statements are known and unknown risks, estimates, assumptions, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this news release. These factors include management's belief or expectations relating to the following and, in certain cases, management's response with regard to the following: The proposed strategic investment by Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan; the status and progression of credit facility discussions; unlocking the untapped value of the Company's properties, delivery of superior or any investment returns; scale, scope and location of future exploration and drilling activities; the potential for the Company's land package to be transformational, the focus of the Company's future drill programs, the incorporation of geotechnical and hydrogeological information into the overall project design; The long-term investment horizon of shareholders; The growth of the Company from developer to producer; The certainty of funding; The future of the Company; De-risking McIlvenna Bay; Delivering on the Company's Net Positive Business strategy; Ownership and reliance on the Company's mineral projects; The Company's history of losses and potential inability to generate sufficient revenue to be profitable or to generate positive cash flow on a sustained basis; The Company's statements about the expected life of mine, productive capacity and other technical estimates on its projects, and the Company's reliance on technical experts with respect thereto; The Company's exposure to risks related to mineral resources exploration and development; Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Infectious Diseases and Other Health Crises on the Company; Global financial volatility and its impact on the Company; The impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict; Government, securities, and stock exchange regulation and policy; Legal proceedings which may have a material adverse impact on the Company's operations and financial condition; Capital market conditions and their effect on the securities of the Company; Insurance and uninsurable risks; Environmental, health and safety regulation and policy; Mining hazards and risks; Title rights to the Company's projects; Indigenous peoples' title and other legal claims; Mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates; Uncertainties and risks relating to the Feasibility Studies; Fluctuations in commodity prices, including metals; Competition; Expertise and proficiency of management; Limited operating history; The availability of future financing; Dilutive effects; Impacts of global climate change and natural disasters; Inadequate infrastructure; Relationships with local communities; Reputational damage; Risks arising from the Company's reliance on financial instruments; Risks arising from future acquisitions; Management conflicts of interest; Security breaches of the Company's information systems; and the additional risks identified in our Annual Information Form dated June 8, 2022 and other securities filings with Canadian securities regulators available at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant operational, business, economic and regulatory uncertainties and contingencies. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, described or intended. Readers are cautioned against undue reliance on forward-looking statements and should note that the assumptions and risk factors discussed above do not contain an exhaustive list of the factors or assumptions that may affect the forward-looking statements, and that the assumptions underlying such statements may prove to be incorrect. Actual results and developments are likely to differ, and may differ materially, from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in the Company's securities filings and this news release. All forward-looking statements herein are qualified by this cautionary statement. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. Foran Mining Corporation Logo (CNW Group/Foran Mining Corporation) SOURCE Foran Mining Corporation Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2023/30/c0345.html Innosphere Ventures Client Company Attracts International Spotlight New Iridium New Iridiums mission is to decarbonize the chemical industry. Our next generation photocatalysis technology is driven by light rather than heat enabling CO2 utilization, process electrification, and unprecedented efficiencies in energy and material usage. Our value proposition is creating low-carbon chemicals at competitive cost. https://newiridium.com/ About Innosphere Ventures Innosphere Ventures accelerates the success of science and technology-based startups through its unique accelerator and commercialization programs, specialized laboratory facilities, and venture capital fund. Innosphere has supported founders and CEOs building high-tech companies for 24 years and is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization with a strong mission to grow the regions entrepreneurial ecosystem. https://innosphereventures.org/ Fort Collins, Colorado, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fort Collins, CO- New Iridium, a client company in Innosphere Ventures REACH Energy Accelerator, has been selected for a short feature film by RE:TV, a branch of Sustainable Markets Initiative founded by King Charles III. The Sustainable Market Initiative was launched by the former Prince of Wales at The World Economic Forum 2020 Annual Meeting in Davos with the mission to build a coordinated global effort to accelerate the private sector transition to a sustainable future. "We are honored to have our technology showcased by RE:TV." said Dr. Chern-Hooi Lim, New Iridium founder and CEO. "The chemical industry is the third largest emitter of CO2, behind only cement and steel, and our solutions provide a viable pathway for decarbonization." New Iridiums mission is to decarbonize the chemical industry by utilizing CO2 to create value-added products and reducing carbon emissions through highly efficient chemical manufacturing. The chemicals industry generates trillions of dollars of revenue globally, producing a wide range of products from packaging and paint to food and pharmaceuticals. However, many of the manufacturing processes involved rely on high temperatures making the industry a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, said Dr Chern-Hooi Lim. New Iridium aims to reduce the sectors CO2 impact using next-generation technology powered by light to produce low-carbon and lower-cost versions of existing commodity chemicals - often consuming more CO2 than the process emits. Taking inspiration from the natural process of photosynthesis and powered by renewable electricity, New Iridium's technology could eliminate millions of tons of carbon emissions from chemical manufacturing. View the segment here. New Iridium has also been selected as one of 40 presenters for the 2023 NREL Industry Growth Forum, chosen from applicants from across the globe. The forum represents a one-of-a-kind opportunity in the cleantech space and is known as the premier event for cleantech entrepreneurs and investors. Story continues Attachments CONTACT: Betty Cozzolino Innosphere Ventures 5632123082 Betty@innosphereventures.org Brent Cutcliffe Co-Founder and COO of New Iridium 720.314.1236 brent@newiridium.com French banks defeat NY lawsuit by family of Cuban bank seized by Castro Logo of BNP Paribas in Nantes By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) - Societe Generale SA and BNP Paribas SA on Thursday won the dismissal of a lawsuit in New York accusing them of trafficking in assets that Fidel Castro's government seized in 1960 from the former owners of a Cuban bank. The case had sought damages estimated at several hundred million dollars. It was brought by 12 heirs, mostly children and grandchildren, of Carlos and Pura Nunez, who had owned Banco Nunez before and during the Cuban Revolution. SocGen and Paribas were accused of evading U.S. sanctions by doing business with Cuba's central bank after it nationalized and absorbed Banco Nunez and other lenders, resulting in more than $1 billion of profit for the French banks since 2000. But in Thursday's decision, U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil said that despite claims by a SocGen whistleblower, the heirs lacked proof that SocGen funds kept flowing through Banco Nacional de Cuba even after the French bank was warned about it. The Manhattan judge also said she lacked jurisdiction over BNP Paribas, which according to the heirs "routinely" provided cash in Switzerland to the Cuban central bank and transacted with entities that did business with it. Vyskocil also said many claims against BNP Paribas were too old. Lawyers for the heirs did not immediately respond to requests for comment. SocGen and BNP Paribas declined to comment. The heirs had sued under the Helms-Burton Act, a 1996 U.S. law that allows lawsuits against traffickers in property confiscated by Cuba's government. Litigation was suspended for 23 years because of international opposition and concern U.S. courts could be flooded by lawsuits. The Trump administration lifted the suspension in April 2019, to boost pressure on Havana to end Cuban support for Venezuela's socialist President Nicolas Maduro. In November 2018, SocGen agreed to pay $1.34 billion and enter a deferred prosecution agreement to settle U.S. charges over its handling of transactions related to Cuba and other sanctioned countries. Story continues SocGen complied with the agreement, and that case ended three years later. The case is Sucesors de Don Carlos Nunez y Dona Pura Galvez Inc et al v Societe Generale SA, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 20-00851. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; editing by Jonathan Oatis) Fortune Business Insights Key companies covered in French fries market are McCain Foods Limited (Canada) , J.R. Simplot Company (U.S.), Lamb Weston (U.S.), Farm Frites International B.V. (Netherlands), Aviko (Netherlands), Ore-Ida (U.S.), Cascadian Farm Organics (U.S.), Alexia Foods (U.S.), Checkers Rallys (U.S.), Arbys I.P. Holder (U.S.) & Others. Pune, India, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The French fries market size was valued at USD 15.00 billion in 2021 and is projected to grow from USD 16.20 billion in 2022 to USD 22.29 billion by 2029, exhibiting a CAGR of 4.7% during the forecast period. French fries are the most sustainable potato products made up of potatoes and are eaten as snacks across the globe. It can be eaten with various sauces, mayonnaise, ketchup, and others. Fries are served in various shapes such as waffles and thin, curly strips. It is one of the most demanded and liked snacks all over the globe. Fortune Business Insights provides this information in its report titled French Fries Market, 2022-2029. Get a Free Sample Research PDF: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/french-fries-market-107372 List of Key Players Mentioned in the Report: McCain Foods Limited (Canada) J.R. Simplot Company (U.S.) Lamb Weston (U.S.) Farm Frites International B.V. (Netherlands) Aviko (Netherlands) Ore-Ida (U.S.) Cascadian Farm Organics (U.S.) Alexia Foods (U.S.) Checkers Rallys (U.S.) Arbys I.P. Holder (U.S.) Report Scope & Segmentation: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2022-2029 Forecast CAGR 4.7 % 2029 Value Projection USD 22.29 Billion Base Year 2021 French Fries Market Size in 2022 USD 16.20 Billion Historical Data 2018-2020 No. of Pages 208 Segments Covered By Product, By End-Use ,By Region French Fries Market Growth Drivers Increasing Demand for Ready-to-Eat Food to Boost the Market Growth Rising Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) and Online Food Delivery to Promote the Market Growth Segments: Increasing Demand for Frozen Fries to Spearhead the Demand in the Market On the basis of product, the market is divided into fresh and frozen. Frozen segment is expected to hold the largest market share as it has a higher shelf life and easy to make to fresh-cut fries. This product is the most demanded snack and is readily available in various flavors, sizes, and shapes. The properties that make the products demand high are higher shelf-life, convenience, and read-to-cook. Also, their taste and quality are the main reasons for the market growth. Story continues Browse Summary of this Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/french-fries-market-107372 Food Service to Hold Significant Market Share Due to Increase in Quick Service Restaurants Based on end-use, the market is segmented into retail and food service. Food service dominated the market share in 2021. Some factors, such as quick service restaurants and increasing fast food franchises, are expected to increase the demand for the food service segment in the market. Retail has exhibited the fastest market growth, as most consumers are inclined toward food delivery. Report Coverage: The report offers: Major growth drivers, restraining factors, opportunities, and potential challenges for the market. Comprehensive insights into regional developments. List of major industry players. Key strategies adopted by the market players. Recent industry developments include product launches, partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions. Drivers and Restraints: Online Food Delivery and Rising Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) to Drive the Market Growth French fries is one of the most consumed snack food, which is famous and demanded in rapid service restaurants and from online retailers such as Food Panda, UberEats, and Swiggy. The demand is increasing for fresh and frozen fries due to the inclination of focus of people toward ready-to-cook and ready-to-make food. Quick service restaurants have been designed for consumers who demand fast food and have less time to make food. Consumers are willing to pay high prices for ready-to-cook food and quick-service restaurants. Due to the excessive consumption of French fries, adverse effects can be seen on health such as obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Due to the presence of salt and oil in ample amounts in fries, it is said that it could double the risk of untimely death when consumed in excess. Inquire Before Buying This Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/queries/french-fries-market-107372 Regional Insights: Consumption of Ready-to-eat Food to Dominate the Market in North America North America dominated the market with the largest market share in 2021. Also, it is one of the most prominent regions globally due to large number of consumers. The growth is mainly due to increased consumption of ready-to-eat and convenient food products and quick-service restaurants in the U.S. such as WhataBurger, Freddy, and Five Guys. China, India, and Japan have accounted for the expansion and growth of the market due to rapid transformation in peoples lifestyles and increasing focus toward the Western culture. The rising demand is expected to drive the French fries market share. The South American market has seen a rise in the French fries market growth over the last decade. The demand for French fries is rising across urban cities such as Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, food services got impacted negatively, but post-pandemic, the situation is getting on track again; hence, the market is anticipated to grow during the forecast period. Competitive Landscape: Market Players Focus on New Product Launches to Strengthen Market Position Leading companies in the market are competing to increase their market share by providing solutions that are specific to particular sectors. These players strategically work with and take over local rivals to gain a solid regional footing. These companies prioritize developing innovative products and effective marketing strategies to capture a larger market share. It is projected that the growing volume of international trade will present lucrative opportunities for market players. Key Industry Development: November 2022 : Lamb Western Co., in partnership with Sergio Herman: Atelier-Frites, has launched a potato-based product in the Netherlands and Belgium. Atelier Frites has recognized the product with Lamb Weston Co. to make sure that the market grows. Get a Quote: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/get-a-quote/french-fries-market-107372 Detailed Table of Content: Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Executive Summary Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities Key Insights Overview of the Parent/Related Markets Industry SWOT Analysis Supply Chain Analysis Recent Industry Developments - Policies, Partnerships, New Product Launches, and Mergers & Acquisitions Qualitative Analysis Related to COVID-19 Impact of COVID-19 on the Market Supply Chain Challenges amidst Pandemic Potential Opportunities due to this Global Crisis Global French Fries Market Analysis, Insights, and Forecast, 2018-2029 Key Findings / Summary Market Size Estimates and Forecast By Product Fresh Frozen By End-Use Food Service Retail By Region North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa North America French Fries Market Analysis, Insights, and Forecast, 2018-2029 Key Findings / Summary Market Size Estimates and Forecast By Product Fresh Frozen By End-Use Food Service Retail By Country (Value) U.S. By Product Fresh Frozen Canada By Product Fresh Frozen Mexico By Product Fresh Frozen TOC Continued! Speak to Our Expert: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/french-fries-market-107372 Read Related Insights: Dehydrated Potatoes Market Size to Hit USD 8.84 Billion by 2026; Rising Preference for Nutrition-rich Processed Foods to Boost Sales Opportunities: Fortune Business Insights Extruded Snacks Market to Hit USD 77.72 Billion by 2029 | Extruded Snacks Industry to Exhibit at a CAGR of 5.57% till 2022-2029 Snack Food Products Market to Hit USD 838.60 Billion by 2029 | At a CAGR of 5.3% About Us: Fortune Business Insights delivers accurate data and innovative corporate analysis, helping organizations of all sizes make appropriate decisions. We tailor novel solutions for our clients, assisting them to address various challenges distinct to their businesses. Our aim is to empower them with holistic market intelligence, providing a granular overview of the market they are operating in. Contact Us: Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd. 9th Floor, Icon Tower, Baner - Mahalunge Road, Baner, Pune-411045, Maharashtra, India. Phone: US: +1 424 253 0390 UK: +44 2071 939123 APAC: +91 744 740 1245 Email: sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com Connect us via Social Media Channels: LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Blogs Persistence Market Research U.S. to Command over 30% of the Global Fruit Flavors Demand by 2033: Reveals Persistence Market Research New York, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The revenues of the Fruit Flavors Market were estimated at US$ 726 million in 2022 and are anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 4.7% from 2023 to 2033, according to a recently published Persistence Market Research report. By the end of 2033, the market is expected to reach a valuation of US$ 1.2 billion. The U.S. is expected to witness around 32% share in the global fruit flavors market. The key drivers influencing the demand include increasing demand for natural and clean-label products, rising consumers interest in organic products, increase in technological advancement, rising global population, and increased demand for natural ingredients in food products. In 2018, global personal care and cosmetics sales were around US$ 488.3 billion which increased in 2019 to about US$ 511.2 billion. Fruit flavors are also used in the personal care and cosmetics market, as they can provide a pleasant scent and flavor to products. The use of natural fruit flavors in personal care and cosmetics products has increased in recent years due to consumer demand for natural and sustainable ingredients. The increase in demand for fruit flavors in personal care and cosmetics products, food and beverages, and pharmaceuticals influences the growth of the fruit flavors market in upcoming years. Click Here to Get Free Sample Copy of this Report@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/30894 According to Research, global citrus flavors sales were over US$ 1.92 billion in 2019 and it is projected to reach over US$ 2.53 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 3.6% during the forecast period. Citrus flavors are used in a wide range of products, including soft drinks, fruit juices, candies, baked goods, and seasonings. The growing demand for citrus flavors in the food and beverages industry influences the growth of the fruit flavors market in the upcoming years. Story continues Competitive Analysis: Key players in the market are Archer Daniels Midland Company, Givaudan, DOHLER, MANE, Fona International Inc., Flavaroma, Kerry Group, Sensient Technologies, Takasago International Corporation, FLAVOR PRODUCERS LLC, and Citromax Flavors. A few of the recent developments in the Fruit Flavors Market are: In December 2019, Givaudan (Switzerland) finalised the acquisition of Ungerer (US) to expand its expertise in natural ingredients and solidify its position as the industry leader in the rapidly expanding local and regional customer segment. In June 2021, Kerry Group announced that it had completed the acquisition of Niacet Corporation, a leading provider of specialty food ingredients, for US$ 1.01 billion. The acquisition is expected to strengthen Kerry Group's position in the food preservation and food safety markets. Get Full Access of this Report@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/checkout/30894 More Insights Available Persistence Market Research, in its new offering, presents an unbiased analysis of the Fruit Flavors Market, presenting historical market data (2018-2022) and forecast statistics for the period from 2023 to 2033. The study reveals extensive growth in Fruit Flavors Market by Flavor Type (Berries Flavor, Citrus Flavor, Melons Flavor, Stone Fruits Flavor, Tropical Fruits Flavor, Apples and Pears Flavors, Others), by Form (Liquid, Powder), by Application (Food & Beverages, Pharmaceuticals, Personal Care & Cosmetics, Nutraceuticals) by Sales Channel (Direct Sales, Retail Sales) by Region (North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia- Pacific, Middle East and Africa) - 2023 to 2033. You Can Customize this Report As per Your Requirement Click Here@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/request-customization/30894 About Food & Beverage Division at Persistence Market Research The Food & Beverage team at Persistence Market Research provides all the necessary insights and consulting analysis to fulfill the unique business intelligence needs of clients worldwide. With a catalog of more than 500 reports pertaining to the latest statistics and analysis from the food & beverage industry, the team is happy to help with every business intelligence research and consulting requirement. Other Trending Reports: About Persistence Market Research: Business intelligence is the foundation of every business model employed by Persistence Market Research. Multi-dimensional sources are being put to work, which include big data, customer experience analytics, and real-time data collection. Thus, working on micros by Persistence Market Research helps companies overcome their macro business challenges. Persistence Market Research is always way ahead of its time. In other words, it tables market solutions by stepping into the companies/clients shoes much before they themselves have a sneak pick into the market. The pro-active approach followed by experts at Persistence Market Research helps companies/clients lay their hands on techno-commercial insights beforehand, so that the subsequent course of action could be simplified on their part. Contact Rajendra Singh Persistence Market Research U.S. Sales Office: 305 Broadway, 7th Floor New York City, NY 10007 +1-646-568-7751 United States USA - Canada Toll-Free: 800-961-0353 Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com Key Insights The projected fair value for General Mills is US$107 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Current share price of US$85.03 suggests General Mills is potentially 20% undervalued Our fair value estimate is 29% higher than General Mills' analyst price target of US$83.00 How far off is General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS) from its intrinsic value? Using the most recent financial data, we'll take a look at whether the stock is fairly priced by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. There's really not all that much to it, even though it might appear quite complex. We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model. See our latest analysis for General Mills What's The Estimated Valuation? We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars: Story continues 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF ($, Millions) US$2.57b US$2.64b US$2.79b US$3.06b US$3.20b US$3.31b US$3.41b US$3.50b US$3.59b US$3.68b Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x4 Analyst x7 Analyst x5 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ 3.46% Est @ 3.05% Est @ 2.75% Est @ 2.55% Est @ 2.40% Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 6.8% US$2.4k US$2.3k US$2.3k US$2.3k US$2.3k US$2.2k US$2.1k US$2.1k US$2.0k US$1.9k ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$22b After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (2.1%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 6.8%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032 (1 + g) (r g) = US$3.7b (1 + 2.1%) (6.8% 2.1%) = US$79b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= US$79b ( 1 + 6.8%)10= US$41b The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is US$63b. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of US$85.0, the company appears a touch undervalued at a 20% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind. dcf Important Assumptions We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at General Mills as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 6.8%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.800. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. SWOT Analysis for General Mills Strength Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry. Debt is well covered by earnings and cashflows. Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows. Weakness Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Food market. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow for the next 3 years. Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value. Threat Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the American market. Moving On: Although the valuation of a company is important, it is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. Why is the intrinsic value higher than the current share price? For General Mills, we've put together three additional elements you should look at: Risks: For example, we've discovered 1 warning sign for General Mills that you should be aware of before investing here. Future Earnings: How does GIS's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every American stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here FILE - Protest posters are placed in front of the fuel element fabrication plant of the 'framatome' company in Lingen, Germany, on Sept. 12, 2022. German officials have criticized plans by French firm Framatome to produce nuclear fuel in a joint venture with Russia's Rosatom at a facility in western Germany, and say they will consider whether an application to do so can be rejected. (Lars Klemmer/dpa via AP, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) BERLIN (AP) German officials have criticized plans by French firm Framatome to produce nuclear fuel in a joint venture with Russia's Rosatom at a facility in western Germany, and said Thursday that they will consider whether an application to do so can be rejected. Officials in the state of Lower Saxony have received a request for the Framatome-owned ANF facility in Lingen, near the German-Dutch border, to be allowed to produce hexagonal fuel rod arrangements used in Soviet-designed water-water energetic reactors. Such reactors, known by the Russian acronym VVER, are common in Eastern Europe and the fuel production would take place under license from state-owned Rosatom. Doing business with (Russian President) Putin must stop, and that also and especially applies to the nuclear sector, Lower Saxony's Energy Minister Christian Meyer said. He added that it would be wrong to cement the nuclear industry's dependence on Russia through a direct or indirect involvement of Rosatom at the Lingen facility in view of Putins brutal energy war against Europe. A senior German nuclear official said the request by ANF is now being closely scrutinized by federal and state authorities due to Rosatom's involvement. We view the influence of Rosatom in Europe with particular concern, said Gerrit Niehaus, who heads the nuclear safety department at Germany's Environment Ministry. Rosatom is an arm of the (Russian) state, which is involved in the military nuclear administration and the production of nuclear weapons. Naturally we want to push back against that influence. Rosatom has been accused of involvement in Russia's occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, which is Europes largest. Niehaus noted that the European Union has not imposed the same sanctions on the Russian nuclear sector as it has on Russia's fossil fuel industry. This poses a legal problem for German authorities in blocking Rosatom's involvement. However I can announce that our oversight concerning nuclear laws will go as far as legally possible, he said. Particularly when it comes to the question of the conditions for approval and the grounds for refusal we will examine very carefully what options we have to consider the negative influence of a state company like Rosatom." Neither Framatome nor its owner, EDF, immediately responded to a request for comment. Company Logo Global Agrochemical Market Global Agrochemical Market Dublin, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Agrochemicals Market by Type (Fertilizers, Pesticides), Crop Type (Cereals & Grains, Oilseeds & Pulses, Fruits & Vegetables), Fertilizers Type, Pesticide Type (Insecticides, Herbicides, Fungicides, Nematicides) and Region - Forecast to 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global market for agrochemicals has been estimated to be USD 235.2 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a rate of 3.7% between 2023 and 2028. The agrochemicals market is projected to grow at an exponential rate due to factors such as rising demands for food, climate change-induced pest damage, growing population, declining arable land and demand for high crop yields. Herbicides segment is estimated to account for the largest share in 2023 with a CAGR of 3.6% Herbicides are widely used to effectively manage weeds at a cheap cost. They make up the main section of crop protection chemicals for most countries in all regions. Additionally, the use of Pesticides in agriculture has changed because of GMOs. Herbicide use has increased because of genetically modified (GM) crops that are herbicide resistant. The main causes driving the worldwide herbicide market are changing climatic conditions, dwindling arable land, and rising food consumption. Integrated pest management is opening the door for pest control without endangering the environment, despite several regulatory norms limiting the use of Herbicides. This presents a fantastic opportunity for herbicide producers to capitalize on the market potential to produce green Herbicides, which are expanding more quickly. As per USDA in 2021, broadleaf weeds can be controlled annually and perennially with the help of the herbicide dicamba. Farmers may adopt genetically modified dicamba-tolerant (DT) seeds despite federal and state bans on their use. For instance, federal regulations in 2019 mandated that fields in areas with endangered plant species maintained buffers on all sides of the field and restricted the use of dicamba to cotton fields from one hour after dawn to two hours before sunset, 60 days after cotton was planted. Some states placed additional limitations or extensions for the use of dicamba. Story continues Phosphatic Fertilizers is projected to witness the growth of 3.9% during the forecast period A crucial nutrient needed for plant growth is phosphorus. Food production is restricted if soils lack phosphorus unless the nutrient is added as fertiliser. In order to increase food production, phosphorus needs to be present in sufficient amounts. The growth of seeds, plants, and roots are all aided by it. Among the most crucial elements for plant life, phosphorus ranks with nitrogen and potassium. Phosphorus in soil is depleted for a number of reasons, including being washed away by rain. Therefore, phosphorus-based fertilisers are essential to modern agriculture. Phosphate rock is used to make commercial phosphate fertilisers. According to the US Geological Survey's (USGS) in 2020, the world consumption of phosphate fertilizers is projected to increase from 47 million metric tons (MT) of nutrient-rich rock in 2019 to 50 million MT in 2023. Africa, India, and South America will account for about three-quarters of that growth in phosphate demand. Fertilizers to dominate the agrochemicals market in 2023 The fertilizers market is becoming extremely popular since they are critical for increasing crop output by giving crops vital nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphate, potassium, and others. The demand for fertilizers, particularly in the agricultural sector, has risen quickly because of rising food consumption brought on by a growing population. Fertilizer demand is anticipated to rise because of this. Additionally, the fertilizer industry is fragmented, with numerous fertilizer businesses active globally. Industry participants establish joint ventures and strategic alliances because fertilizers enhance agricultural yield. Pesticide and fertilizer use, production, and consumption have risen exponentially globally over the past few decades, according to a 2022 UNEP report on "Environmental and health implications of Pesticides and fertilizers and means of limiting them." As a result, the need for fertilizers is anticipated to increase, particularly for NPK fertilizers. Market Dynamics Drivers Impact of Abiotic Stressors and Growing Cases of Plant Diseases Rising Demand for High Crop Productivity Favorable Government Policies, Subsidies, and Regulations Restraints Increasing Resistance of Insect Pests Against Agrochemicals High Cost Associated with Liquid Agrochemicals Opportunities Increasing Research and Development on Innovative Adjuvant Products Drift Potential of Uavs with Adjuvants in Aerial Application Crop-Specific Nutrient Management Through Precision Farming Challenges Rising Cost of Raw Materials Reluctant Adoption of Chemical Pesticides Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 375 Forecast Period 2023 - 2028 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $235.2 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2028 $282.2 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 3.7% Regions Covered Global Key Topics Covered: 1 Introduction 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Premium Insights 5 Market Overview 6 Industry Trends 7 Agrochemicals Market, by Crop Type 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Cereals & Grains 7.3 Oilseeds & Pulses 7.4 Fruits & Vegetables 7.5 Other Crop Types 8 Agrochemicals Market, by Fertilizer Type 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Nitrogenous Fertilizers 8.3 Phosphatic Fertilizers 8.4 Potassic Fertilizers 9 Agrochemicals Market, by Pesticide Type 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Insecticides 9.3 Herbicides 9.4 Fungicides 9.5 Nematicides 9.6 Other Pesticide Types 10 Agrochemicals Market, by Type 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Fertilizers 10.3 Pesticides 11 Agrochemicals Market, by Region 12 Competitive Landscape 13 Company Profiles 14 Adjacent & Related Markets 15 Appendix Companies Mentioned Bayer AG (Germany) BASF SE (Germany) Syngenta (Switzerland) UPL (India) Compass Minerals (US) EuroChem Group (Switzerland) OCP Group (Casablanca) K+S AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT (Germany) Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (Chile) Sumitomo Chemicals (Japan) ADAMA Ltd (Israel) Nufarm (Australia) Nutrien Ltd (Canada) Yara (Norway) ICL (Israel) Corteva (US) Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc. (US) The Mosaic Company (China) Jiangsu Yangnong Chemical Co., Ltd (China) Agrolac (Spain) FMC Corporation (US) Nippon Soda Co. Ltd (Japan) Isagro SPA (Italy) Nissan Chemicals Corporation (Japan) Terramera Inc. (Canada) For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/cdhsf4 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood,Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 Zion Market Research [201 + Pages Research Study] According to a market research study published by Zion Market Research, the demand analysis of Global Automotive Fabric Market size & share revenue was valued at around $35.67 billion in 2022 and is estimated to grow about $52.12 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of approximately 4.2% between 2023 and 2030. The key market players are listed in the report with their sales, revenues and strategies are Sage Automotive Interiors Inc, Lear Corporation, SRF Limited, Seiren Co. Ltd, Faurecia S.A., Heathcoat Fabrics Limited, Acme Mills Company, TWI Ltd, Yanfeng Automotive Trim Systems Co. Ltd, Haartz Corporation, Tenowo GmbH, Toyota Boshoku Corporation, Suminoe Textile Co. Ltd, J&J Auto Fabrics Inc, Adient Plc, Moriden America Inc, Trevira GmbH, Takata Corporation, Grupo Antolin Irausa, S.A., Bmd Private Ltd, Martur Automotive Seating Systems, Glen Raven Inc, and others. Houston, TX, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zion Market Research has published a new research report titled Automotive Fabric Market By Fabric Type (Polyester, Vinyl, Leather, Nylon, Velour, And Others), By Application (Carpets, Upholstery, Pre- Assembled Interior Components, Tires, Safety Belts, Airbags, And Others), By Vehicle Type(Passenger Vehicles, Light Commercial Vehicle, And Heavy Commercial Vehicle), And By Region Global And Regional Industry Overview, Market Intelligence, Comprehensive Analysis, Historical Data, And Forecasts 2023 2030 in its research database. According to the latest research study, the demand of global Automotive Fabric Market size & share in terms of revenue was valued at USD 35.67 billion in 2022 and it is expected to surpass around USD 52.12 billion mark by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 4.2% during the forecast period 2023 to 2030. What is Automotive Fabric? How big is the Automotive Fabric Industry? Automotive Fabric Market Coverage & Overview: The global automotive fabric market size held around USD 35.67 Million in 2022 and is estimated to grow to about USD 52.12 Million by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 4.2% over the forecast period. Story continues Automotive fabric is an essential component of the interior of a vehicle. It is used to cover the seats, headliners, door panels, and other parts of the car's interior. The fabric used in automotive applications needs to be durable, comfortable, and easy to clean. Most automotive fabrics are made of synthetic fibers such as polyester, nylon, or a blend of the two. These materials are known for their durability and resistance to wear and tear. Additionally, they are often treated with a variety of finishes to enhance their properties, such as stain resistance, UV protection, and flame retardancy. There are many different types of automotive fabric available, including woven, knitted, and non-woven fabrics. The type of fabric used will depend on the specific application and the desired characteristics, such as comfort, appearance, and durability. In recent years, there has been a growing trend toward using sustainable materials in automotive fabric, such as recycled polyester and natural fibers like cotton and wool. This reflects the increasing consumer demand for environmentally friendly products and the automotive industry's commitment to sustainability. Get a Free Sample PDF of this Research Report for more Insights with a Table of Content, Research Methodology, and Graphs - https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/automotive-fabric-market (A free sample of this report is available upon request; please contact us for more information.) Our Free Sample Report Consists of the Following: Introduction, Overview, and in-depth industry analysis are all included in the 2023 updated report. The COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak Impact Analysis is included in the package About 201+ Pages Research Report (Including Recent Research) Provide detailed chapter-by-chapter guidance on Request Updated Regional Analysis with Graphical Representation of Size, Share, and Trends for the Year 2023 Includes Tables and figures have been updated The most recent version of the report includes the Top Market Players, their Business Strategies, Sales Volume, and Revenue Analysis Zion Market Research research methodology (Please note that the sample of this report has been modified to include the COVID-19 impact study prior to delivery.) Global Automotive Fabric Market: Growth Factors The global automotive fabric market is expected to grow in the coming years, driven by the increasing demand for comfortable and aesthetically appealing car interiors. Innovations in textile technology, such as the development of high-performance fabrics, are also driving the market growth. Moreover, the growing awareness about the importance of eco-friendly materials is pushing manufacturers to produce fabrics that are environmentally sustainable. However, the market also faces some challenges. One of the major restraints is the high cost of advanced materials and manufacturing processes. In addition, the volatility in raw material prices can also affect the profitability of manufacturers. Another challenge is the stringent regulations related to the use of chemicals and the disposal of waste products. Overall, the automotive fabric market presents opportunities for growth and innovation. The demand for lightweight and fuel-efficient vehicles is expected to boost the demand for advanced fabrics. The rise of electric vehicles and the adoption of new technologies, such as autonomous driving, also offer opportunities for market expansion. Directly Purchase a copy of the report with TOC @ https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/buynow/su/automotive-fabric-market Report Scope Report Attribute Details Market Size in 2022 USD 35.67 billion Projected Market Size in 2030 USD 52.12 billion CAGR Growth Rate 4.2% CAGR Base Year 2022 Forecast Years 2023-2030 Key Market Players Sage Automotive Interiors Inc., Lear Corporation, SRF Limited, Seiren Co., Ltd., Faurecia S.A., Heathcoat Fabrics Limited, Acme Mills Company, TWI Ltd., Yanfeng Automotive Trim Systems Co., Ltd., Haartz Corporation, Tenowo GmbH., Toyota Boshoku Corporation, Suminoe Textile Co., Ltd., J & J Auto Fabrics, Inc., Adient Plc., Moriden America Inc., Trevira GmbH., Takata Corporation, Grupo Antolin Irausa, S.A., Bmd Private Ltd., Martur Automotive Seating Systems, and Glen Raven Inc. Key Segment By Fabric Type, By Application, By Vehicle Type , And By Region Major Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East &, Africa Purchase Options Request customized purchase options to meet your research needs. Explore purchase options Segmentation Analysis: Segmentation Analysis The global automotive fabric market is segmented based on fabric type, application, vehicle type, and region. Based on vehicle type, the market is segmented into passenger vehicles, light commercial vehicles, and heavy commercial vehicles. The passenger vehicle segment held the largest market share in 2022 and is further predicted to grow rapidly at a significant CAGR during the forecast period. Passenger vehicles include cars, SUVs, and light trucks, and they typically require a wide range of fabrics for their interiors, including seats, headliners, carpets, door panels, and dashboard covers. The passenger vehicle segment is expected to witness substantial growth in the coming years due to the increasing demand for comfortable and luxurious car interiors. Consumers are increasingly looking for vehicles that offer a comfortable and enjoyable driving experience, which has led to the adoption of advanced fabrics with enhanced properties such as durability, stain resistance, and noise reduction. In addition, the rising demand for electric vehicles and the integration of advanced technologies in vehicles, such as infotainment systems and driver assistance features, are driving the demand for innovative and high-performance fabrics. These factors drive the growth of the segment during the forecast period. Based on fabric type, the automotive fabric industry is divided into polyester, vinyl, leather, nylon, velour, and others Based on application, the market is segmented into carpets, upholstery, pre- assembled interior components, tires, safety belts, airbags, and others. The airbags segment held a notable market share in 2022 and is further expected to cite the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. This is mainly due to the increasing demand for safety features in vehicles. Airbags play a critical role in protecting passengers in case of a collision or accident, which has led to their widespread adoption in modern vehicles. The development of advanced airbag technologies, such as side-curtain and knee airbags, has also contributed to the growth of this segment. Additionally, government regulations mandating the installation of airbags in vehicles have further fueled the growth of this segment. Furthermore, the rising awareness about the importance of safety features among consumers is expected to drive the demand for airbags in the future. The global Automotive Fabric market is segmented as follows: By Fabric Type Polyester Vinyl Leather Nylon By Application Carpets Upholstery Pre- Assembled Interior Components Tires Safety Belts Airbags By Vehicle Type Passenger Vehicles Light Commercial Vehicle Heavy Commercial Vehic Browse the full Automotive Fabric Market By Fabric Type (Polyester, Vinyl, Leather, Nylon, Velour, and Others), By Application (Carpets, Upholstery, Pre- Assembled Interior Components, Tires, Safety Belts, Airbags, and Others), By Vehicle Type(Passenger Vehicles, Light Commercial Vehicle, and Heavy Commercial Vehicle), and By Region Global and Regional Industry Overview, Market Intelligence, Comprehensive Analysis, Historical Data, and Forecasts 2023 2030- Report at https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/automotive-fabric-market Competitive Landscape Some of the main competitors dominating the global Automotive Fabric market include - Sage Automotive Interiors Inc. Lear Corporation SRF Limited Seiren Co. Ltd. Faurecia S.A. Heathcoat Fabrics Limited Acme Mills Company TWI Ltd. Yanfeng Automotive Trim Systems Co. Ltd. Haartz Corporation Tenowo GmbH. Toyota Boshoku Corporation Suminoe Textile Co. Ltd. J & J Auto Fabrics Inc. Adient Plc. Moriden America Inc. Trevira GmbH. Takata Corporation Grupo Antolin Irausa S.A. Bmd Private Ltd. Martur Automotive Seating Systems Glen Raven Inc. Key Insights from Primary Research: According to the analysis shared by our research forecaster, the Automotive Fabric market is likely to expand at a CAGR of around 4.2% during the forecast period (2023-2030). In terms of revenue, the Automotive Fabric market size was valued at around US$ 35.67 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach US$ 52.12 billion by 2030. Automotive fabric is an essential component of the interior of a vehicle. It is used to cover the seats, headliners, door panels, and other parts of the car's interior. The fabric used in automotive applications needs to be durable, comfortable, and easy to clean. Most automotive fabrics are made of synthetic fibers such as polyester, nylon, or a blend of the two. These materials are known for their durability and resistance to wear and tear. Based on vehicle type, the passenger vehicle segment held the dominating market share in 2022. Based on application, the airbags segment is predicted to cite the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. Based on region, the Asia-Pacific region held the dominating market share in 2022. Have Any Query? Ask Our Experts: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/inquiry/automotive-fabric-market Key questions answered in this report: What is the market size and growth rate forecast for Automotive Fabric industry? What are the main driving factors propelling the Automotive Fabric Market forward? What are the leading companies in the Automotive Fabric Industry? What segments does the Automotive Fabric Market cover? How can I receive a free copy of the Automotive Fabric Market sample report and company profiles? Key Offerings: Market Size & Forecast by Revenue | 20232030 Market Dynamics Leading Trends, Growth Drivers, Restraints, and Investment Opportunities Market Segmentation A detailed analysis By Fabric Type, By Application, By Vehicle Type, And By Region Competitive Landscape Top Key Vendors and Other Prominent Vendors Request for Customization on this Report as per your requirements - https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/custom/1990 (We tailor your report to meet your specific research requirements. Inquire with our sales team about customising your report.) Regional Analysis: The Asia-Pacific region held the dominating share in the global automotive fabric market in 2022 and is further anticipated to grow at a rapid CAGR during the forecast period. This is mainly due to the increasing demand for passenger vehicles, particularly in countries like China and India. The region's growing population, rising disposable incomes, and increasing urbanization have led to an increase in car ownership and demand for comfortable and aesthetically appealing car interiors. Moreover, the region's strong manufacturing base, cost-competitive production, and availability of raw materials have attracted automotive fabric manufacturers to set up their production units in the region. Additionally, government initiatives to promote the adoption of electric vehicles and stringent regulations related to vehicle safety and emission norms are expected to drive the growth of the market in the Asia-Pacific region. By Region North America U.S. Canada Rest of North America Europe France UK Spain Germany Italy Rest of Europe Asia Pacific China Japan India South Korea Rest of Asia Pacific The Middle East & Africa Saudi Arabia South Africa Rest of the Middle East & Africa Latin America Brazil Argentina Rest of Latin America Recent Developments In 2021, Adient, a leading company in the automotive fabric market, providing seating solutions to major automakers around the world, announced the introduction of its new product, LYFTE It is a lightweight seat foam that can reduce the weight of car seats by up to 25%. Adient also partnered with Yanfeng Automotive Interiors to develop a new 3D trim cover technology that enhances the look and feel of car seats. In March 2021, Lear Corporation, a global automotive technology leader in Seating and E-Systems, announced that it had partnered with Gentherm to develop a new line of heated and cooled seating solutions for electric and autonomous vehicles. The new products will feature Lear's advanced seating technology and Gentherm's thermal management systems, providing passengers with a more comfortable and personalized experience. To know an additional revised 2023 list of market players, request a brochure of the report: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/requestbrochure/automotive-fabric-market FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS What is Automotive Fabric? Ans: The automotive fabrics are designed to offer the passengers maximum comfort and security while having the drive. It adds high quality to the interior of the vehicle and also makes it more attractive. By using the automotive fabric for the interior of automobiles, the safety of both humans and vehicles increases. The safety belts and airbags are mainly helpful for human safety. At what CAGR, the global automotive fabric market will expand during forecast years? Ans: The global automotive fabric market is predicted to increase at a CAGR of 4.2% during the forecast period. What will be the market value of the global automotive fabric market by the end of 2030? Ans: The global automotive fabric market worth around USD 35.67 million in 2022 and is estimated to grow to about USD 52.12 million by 2030. What are the factors driving the global automotive fabric market growth? Ans: The global market for automotive fabric market is driven by the growth in the automotive industry, increasing demand for comfortable and aesthetically pleasing car interiors, and advancements in fabric technology. Additionally, the trend toward lightweight and eco-friendly materials is also expected to fuel market growth. Which region will contribute notably towards the automotive fabric market value? Ans: The Asia-Pacific region held the largest share of the global automotive fabric market in 2022 and is likely to continue the same trend during the forecast period. This is attributable to the presence of a large automotive industry and increasing demand for passenger and commercial vehicles. Additionally, the rising disposable income of consumers and the growth of the construction industry are also expected to drive market growth in the region. Who are the leading players in global automotive fabric market? Ans: Some of the major companies operating in the global automotive fabric market include Sage Automotive Interiors Inc., Lear Corporation, SRF Limited, Seiren Co., Ltd., Faurecia S.A., Heathcoat Fabrics Limited, Acme Mills Company, TWI Ltd., Yanfeng Automotive Trim Systems Co., Ltd., Haartz Corporation, Tenowo GmbH., Toyota Boshoku Corporation, Suminoe Textile Co., Ltd., J & J Auto Fabrics, Inc., Adient Plc., Moriden America Inc., Trevira GmbH., Takata Corporation, Grupo Antolin Irausa, S.A., Bmd Private Ltd., Martur Automotive Seating Systems, and Glen Raven Inc. Browse Other Related Research Reports from Zion Market Research: IoT Fleet Management Market by Platform (Device management and Application Enablement Platform (AEP)); by Services (Professional and Managed); by Solutions (Drive Time Analysis, Driver Information System, Fleet Analytics, Fuel Management, Remote Diagnostics, Routing Management, Tracking and Monitoring, and Vehicle Maintenance); by Cloud Deployment Model (Hybrid, Private, and Public); by Fleet Type (Commercial Vehicles (CV), Passenger Cars (PC), and Public Buses): Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 2024: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/global-iot-fleet-management-market Forestry And Agricultural Tractor Sales Market by Drive Type (4-Wheel Drive and 2-Wheel Drive); By Power (Below 10 kW, 10-30 kW, 30-50 kW, and Above 50 kW); and By Application (Forestry and Agricultural) Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 2017 2025: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/forestry-and-agricultural-tractor-sales-market Automotive Steering Systems Market by Product (Electronic Power Steering Systems, Hydraulic Power Steering Systems (HPS), and Electro-Hydraulic Power Steering Systems (HPS)); by Application (Passenger Vehicle and Commercial Vehicle) -Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 2017 2026: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/automotive-steering-systems-market Automotive Electronics Market By Application (ADAS, Body Electronics, Infotainment, Powertrain, and Safety Systems): Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis, and Forecast, 2017 2024: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/automotive-electronics-market Automotive Interior Materials Market: by Product (Plastics, Composites, Leather, Fabrics, and Metals), by Application (Dashboard, Airbag and Seat Belts, Seats, Door Panels and Trims, Carpet and Headliners, and Others), and by Vehicle Type (Passenger Cars, Heavy Commercial Vehicles, and Light Commercial Vehicles): Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis, and Forecast, 20172024: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/automotive-interior-materials-market Automotive Test Equipment Market by Product (Chassis Dynamometer, Engine Dynamometer, Wheel Alignment Tester, and Vehicle Emission Test System), by Vehicle (Passenger Vehicles, LCV, and HCV), and by Application Tool (Handheld Scan Tool, Mobile Device-Based Scan Tool, and PC/Laptop-Based Scan Tool): Global industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis, and Forecast, 20172024: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/automotive-test-equipment-market Automotive Aftermarket Fuel Additives Market by Type (Multifunctional Gasoline & Diesel Additives, Diesel Performance Additives, Gasoline Performance Additives, Specialties for Gasoline, Cold Flow Improvers, and Others), by Application (Gasoline and Diesel), and by Distribution Channel (Automotive Workshops, 4S Stores, Unauthorized Spare Parts and Service Centers, Big Stores, E-Commerce, Gas Stations, and Others): Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis, and Forecast, 20182025: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/automotive-aftermarket-fuel-additives Automotive Camera Market by Vehicle Type (Light Commercial Vehicles, Heavy Commercial Vehicles, and Passenger Vehicles), by Technology (Thermal Camera, Digital Camera, and Infrared Camera), by View Type (Single View System and Multi-Camera System), and by Application (Lane Departure Warning System, Driver Monitoring System, Park Assist System, Blind Spot Detection, Adaptive Cruise Control System, Autonomous Emergency Braking System, and Others): Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis, and Forecast, 20182025: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/automotive-camera-market Clutch Market for Automotive By Type (Wet Clutch and Dry Clutch), By Transmission Type (Automatic, Manual, Automated Manual, and Dual Clutch), By Material Type (Ceramic, Organic, and Others), By Sales Channel (Aftermarket and OEM), and By Vehicle Type (Commercial and Passenger): Global industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis, and Forecast, 20182025: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/clutch-market Electric Vehicle Range Extender Market by Product (Fuel Cell Range Extender, Ice Range Extender, and Others), by Component (Electric Motor, Battery Pack, Power Converter, and Generator), and by Vehicle Type (Passenger and Commercial): Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis, and Forecast, 20182025: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/electric-vehicle-range-extender-market About Zion Market Research: Zion Market Research is a leading market research organization offering industry expertise and scrupulous consulting services to clients for their business development. The reports and services offered by Zion Market Research are used by prestigious academic institutions, start-ups, and companies globally to measure and understand the changing international and regional business backgrounds. Our clients/customers conviction on our solutions and services has pushed us in delivering always the best. Our advanced research solutions have helped them in appropriate decision-making and guidance for strategies to expand their business. 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Rockville, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global biomedical textiles market is anticipated to be worth US$ 17 billion by 2022-2032, growing at a CAGR of 5%. Throughout the forecast period, the market is expected to be driven by an increase in the number of operations and a demand for high-quality wound dressing material. Growing health awareness and the technical advancement of biomedical textiles are expected to considerably influence the market in the near future. North America is expected to lead the worldwide market due to the presence of important players and well developed healthcare centres. The prevalence of obesity is expected to increase demand for biomedical textiles across a range of applications, supporting the industry. According to data from the National Institutes of Health, around 5 million Americans have heart disorders connected to valves, and 10-15% of the US population has gallstones in the bile duct. Biomedical textiles are among the cutting-edge medical equipment needed for the treatment of such disorders. Also, due to the U.S.'s high investment costs in the development of its healthcare system, profitable market possibilities for growth are anticipated to emerge in the near future. Download a Free Sample Copy of this Report - https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=6441 Drivers: Biomedical textiles are widely used in wound care applications such as dressings, bandages, and other medical devices. The growing incidence of chronic wounds and the increasing demand for advanced wound care products are expected to drive the growth of the biomedical textiles market. The development of advanced manufacturing technologies such as electrospinning and 3D printing has led to the production of novel biomedical textiles with improved properties such as increased porosity, biocompatibility, and mechanical strength. These technological advancements are expected to drive the growth of the market. Biomedical textiles are used in the production of various implantable medical devices such as vascular grafts, artificial ligaments, and tendons. The increasing demand for implantable devices due to the rising incidence of chronic diseases is expected to drive the growth of the market. Governments across the world are taking initiatives to promote the use of advanced medical devices and wound care products, leading to an increased demand for biomedical textiles. For instance, the Affordable Care Act in the United States has led to increased funding for wound care research, leading to the development of advanced wound care products. Story continues Key Market Trends: In the biomedical textiles market, smart textiles are being used in wearable medical devices such as activity trackers, smart garments, and health monitors. The integration of smart textiles in medical textiles is expected to drive growth in the market. The demand for sustainable and eco-friendly materials in the biomedical textiles market is increasing. Many manufacturers are now using renewable and biodegradable materials such as bamboo, hemp, and recycled polyester to produce biomedical textiles. Antimicrobial textiles are fabrics that have been treated to prevent the growth of bacteria, viruses, and fungi. With the growing concern over hospital-acquired infections and the need for infection control, the demand for antimicrobial textiles in the medical industry is increasing. The wound care segment of the biomedical textiles market is seeing significant growth due to the increasing demand for advanced wound care products. The development of wound dressings with advanced properties such as antimicrobial properties, self-healing capabilities, and controlled drug release is expected to drive growth in the market. The implantable textiles segment of the biomedical textiles market is also seeing growth due to the increasing demand for advanced implantable medical devices. The use of implantable textiles in the production of medical devices such as artificial ligaments, tendons, and vascular grafts is expected to drive growth in the market. Get Customization on this Report for Specific Research Solutions https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=RC&rep_id=6441 Restraints: Biomedical textiles are often produced using advanced manufacturing technologies and materials, which can be expensive. This high cost of production could limit the growth of the market, especially in developing countries. Biomedical textiles are subject to strict regulatory requirements in many countries, which can make it difficult and time-consuming to get products approved for use. This can limit the growth of the market by slowing down the development and commercialization of new products. Biomedical textiles often involve the use of animal-derived materials, such as collagen, which can raise ethical concerns among consumers and limit the market for such products Regional Landscape: North America is expected to dominate the market due to presence of key players and highly developed healthcare centers. Besides this, China is expected to witness a market value of US $ 3 Bn by 2032. Increasing number of cardiovascular patients is expected to boost the adoption of biomedical textiles in the country. Competitive Landscape: The competitive landscape of the biomedical textiles market is highly fragmented, with numerous players operating in the market. For instance, In 2022, Confluent Medical announced significant investment from TPG. The company had signed an agreement to acquire a majority stake in the company. Key players of the Global Biomedical Textiles Market Royal DSM Confluent Medical Technologies Cardinal Health Johnson & Johnson Services Inc. B. Braun Melsungen AG Smith & Nephew Meister & Cie AG Medline Industries Inc. 3M ATEX TECHNOLOGIES Integra Life Sciences Corporation Paul Hartmann AG BSN Medical Explore Our Safe & Secure Payment Options for Quick Buy https://www.factmr.com/checkout/6441 Global Biomedical Textiles Market- In-Depth Assessment on Key Segments By Fabric Non-woven Biomedical Textiles Woven Biomedical Textiles Knitted Biomedical Textiles By Fiber Biodegradable Biomedical Textiles Non-biodegradable Biomedical Textiles By Application Biomedical Textiles for Implantable Applications Biomedical Textiles for Non-implantable Applications Biomedical Textiles for Surgical Sutures Applications By End Use Biomedical Textiles for Ophthalmology Biomedical Textiles for Neurology Biomedical Textiles for General Surgery Biomedical Textiles for Orthopedics Check out more related studies published by Fact.MR Research: Biomedical Refrigerators and Freezers Market: The global biomedical refrigerators and freezers market size reached a valuation of around US$ 3.3 Bn in 2020, which amounts to close to 1% share of the overall medical equipment market. Sales of biomedical refrigerators and freezers are slated to accelerate at a CAGR of 6% to top US$ 6 Bn by 2031, mainly on back of rising demand for biomedical products and vaccines across the world. Plasma freezer sales are set to increase at a CAGR of 5% across the assessment period of 2021 to 2031. Microscopy Devices Market: The global microscopy devices market stands at a value of US$ 9.9 billion in 2023 and is estimated to exhibit expansion at 6.9% CAGR over the next ten years. As such, worldwide microscopy device shipments are forecasted to reach US$ 19.3 billion by 2033-end. Microscopy is a field of study that involves the use of microscopes to study small objects that are not visible with the naked/unaided eye. MRI-guided Radiation Therapy Systems Market: The global MRI-guided radiation therapy systems market stands at a valuation of US$ 545.1 million in 2023 and is expected to secure a revenue of US$ 2.89 billion by the end of 2033. This Fact.MR study predicts that worldwide sales of MRI-guided radiation therapy systems will rise at a prolific 18.1% CAGR over the next ten years. Endoscopic Clips Market: The global endoscopic clips market is valued at US$ 487.5 million in 2023 and is forecasted to secure a revenue of US$ 997.2 million by 2033-end. Worldwide endoscopic clip sales are estimated to increase at 7.4% CAGR across the forecast period (2023 to 2033). Increasing burden of digestive diseases and gastrointestinal disorders in people across the world is a prime factor that is projected to bolster demand for endoscopic clips in the future. Pregnancy Point of Care Testing Market: The global pregnancy point of care testing market is valued at US$ 1.5 billion in 2023 and is forecasted to secure US$ 2.33 billion in revenue by 2033-end. Global demand for pregnancy point of care testing is predicted to rise at 4.5% CAGR over the next ten years. Increasing prevalence of gynecological disorders and fertility issues around the world is projected to primarily influence demand for pregnancy point of care testing in the future. About Us: We are a trusted research partner of 80% of fortune 1000 companies across the globe. We are consistently growing in the field of market research with more than 1000 reports published every year. The dedicated team of 400-plus analysts and consultants is committed to achieving the utmost level of our clients satisfaction. Specialties: Competition Tracking, Customized Research, Syndicated Research, Investment Research, Social Media Research, Business Intelligence, Industry Analysis, Thought Leadership. Contact: US Sales Office: 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United States Tel: +1 (628) 251-1583 Connect to Author: Shambhu Nath Jha Email : shambhu@factmr.com Sales Team : sales@factmr.com Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter | YouTube SPHERICAL INSIGHTS LLP The Global Commercial Greenhouse Market Size was valued at USD 29.34 Billion in 2021 and the worldwide commercial greenhouse market size is expected to reach USD 69.27 Billion by 2030, according to a research report published by Spherical Insights & Consulting. Companies Covered:The Glasshouse Company, DeCloet Manufacturing Ltd, Europrogress, Luiten Greenhouses, Sotrafa, Nobutec BV, Ammerlaan Constructions, Ludy Greenhouse, Saveer Biotech Ltd, Harford, LumiGrow, Agra-tech, Inc, Rough Brothers, Inc, Hort Americas, Top Greenhouses, Stuppy Greenhouse, Everlight Electronics, Richel Group, Argus Control Systems, Certhon, Logiqs BV and among others. New York, United States , March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Commercial Greenhouse Market Size is to grow from USD 29.34 billion in 2021 to USD 69.27 billion by 2030, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10.39% during the projected period. The Commercial Greenhouse Market is expected to grow significantly during the projected period, owing to commercial greenhouses ability to produce more yield than traditional farming techniques, as well as the decrease in arable land per capita, which is boosting the global commercial greenhouse market forward. Global Economy: Recession Risk Rising Analysis and Russia-Ukraine Conflict War Impact we have added in the final premium report. Get a Sample PDF Brochure: https://www.sphericalinsights.com/request-sample/1617 In a commercial greenhouse, consumers can grow fruits, vegetables, flowers, and transplants for planting in an extremely stable and controlled environment. This enables greenhouse plants to produce continuously despite local temperature, soil, or terrain constraints. Plants are typically mass-produced for consumer consumption in commercial greenhouses. Greenhouse farming allows farmers to grow their crops in a more suitable and controllable environment. During the study period, the Asia-Pacific greenhouse market will be driven by rapid population growth on shrinking land, particularly in China and India. One of the primary reasons for the growth of greenhouse farming is that cultivable land is becoming increasingly scarce. As a result, the commercial greenhouse farming market is being driven by the need to increase crop yield on available land in order to meet rising food demand. Rapid urbanization, which has accelerated the adoption of modern farming techniques, and the rising population have been the primary drivers of growth. Furthermore, factors such as global arable land decline, which is causing a shift to indoor farming techniques such as greenhouses, and government interventions such as export subsidies, tariffs or import levies, and direct payments to growers, among others, are boosting the market growth. However, rice, sugarcane, and wheat require a large amount of water and a longer harvesting time than other crops, making them difficult to cultivate using greenhouse farming. Greenhouse farming can only grow a limited number of crops, making it an unsatisfying option for many farmers. These factors may limit the growth of the commercial greenhouse market during the forecast period. Story continues Browse key industry insights spread across 200 pages with 130 market data tables and figures & charts from the report on by " Global Commercial Greenhouse Market Size , Share, and COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Type (Glass Greenhouses, Plastic Greenhouse), By Application (Fruits, and Vegetables, Flowers, and Ornamentals, Nursery Crops, Others), By Equipment (Hardware, Software & Services), By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa), Analysis and Forecast 2021 2030." Get Detailed Report Description Here: Buy Now Full Report: https://www.sphericalinsights.com/checkout/1617 The plastic segment is anticipated to dominate the market during the study period. On the basis of type, the global commercial greenhouse market is classified into glass greenhouses and plastic greenhouses. During the forecast period, the plastic segment is expected to dominate the market. The reason for the segmental growth is that one of the primary advantages of a plastic greenhouse over a glass greenhouse is its low installation cost. Plastic greenhouses are divided into three sub-segments: polyethylene, polycarbonate, and polymethyl-methacrylate. The Fruits and vegetables segment witnessed the largest market in 2021 and is expected to dominate the market over the predicted period. Based on the application, the global commercial greenhouse market is segmented into fruits and vegetables, flowers, and ornamentals, nursery crops, and others. The fruits and vegetables segment is expected to dominate the market during the projected period, accounting for approximately 53% of the revenue share in 2021. The reason for the segmental growth is the increased cultivation of commonly grown fruits and vegetables in greenhouses. Moreover, such vegetables are protected from harsh weather conditions such as wind, cold, drought, bugs, and scorching heat. In 2021, the hardware segment held the largest market share. On the basis of equipment, the global commercial greenhouse market is differentiated into hardware, software, and services. In 2021, the hardware segment dominated the market. Farmers' increasing demand for hardware to maintain a suitable environment in greenhouse farming is driving segmental growth. The software segment is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the study period. Greenhouse management software improves crop planning and tracking, enables remote operation of the growing facility, and reduces the need for manual intervention. Inquire Before Buying This Research Report: https://www.sphericalinsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/1617 The Europe region held the largest share of the Global Commercial Greenhouse Market. Europe is expected to grow at a significant CAGR over the forecast period, accounting for approximately 34.6% of revenue in 2021. The region's growing population, combined with decreasing agricultural land availability, is a major driver of greenhouse farming's popularity. Traditional farming techniques may not be able to produce enough food to feed this massive population, so technology-driven agriculture is becoming increasingly important. During the study period, Asia Pacific is expected to grow the fastest. The greenhouse market is expected to grow at a remarkable rate due to the rising population and the need to maintain food security through alternative high-yield farming techniques. Moreover, many developing countries, such as Singapore, Australia, Indonesia, and India, are implementing greenhouse farming techniques to improve their agricultural sectors because greenhouse farming produces more than traditional farming. Competitive Analysis: The report offers the appropriate analysis of the key organizations/companies involved within the global market along with a comparative evaluation primarily based on their product offering, business overviews, geographic presence, enterprise strategies, segment market share, and SWOT analysis. The report also provides an elaborative analysis focusing on the current news and developments of the companies, which includes product development, innovations, joint ventures, partnerships, mergers & acquisitions, strategic alliances, and others. This allows for the evaluation of the overall competition within the market. Major vendors in the Global Commercial Greenhouse Market include The Glasshouse Company, DeCloet Manufacturing Ltd, Europrogress, Luiten Greenhouses, Sotrafa, Nobutec BV, Ammerlaan Constructions, Ludy Greenhouse, Saveer Biotech Ltd, Harford, LumiGrow, Agra-tech, Inc, Rough Brothers, Inc, Hort Americas, Top Greenhouses, Stuppy Greenhouse, Everlight Electronics, Richel Group, Argus Control Systems, Certhon, Logiqs BV and among others. Get Discount At @ https://www.sphericalinsights.com/request-discount/1617 Browse Related Reports North America Micronutrient Fertilizers Market Size, Share, and COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Nutrient (Zinc, Manganese, Copper, Iron, Boron and Others), By Application (Soil, Foliar, Fertigation and Others), By Form (Dry and Liquid), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa), Analysis and Forecast 2021 2030 https://www.sphericalinsights.com/reports/north-america-micronutrient-fertilizers-market Global Biopesticides Market Size, Share, and COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Product Type (BioHerbicides, Bio Insecticides, Bionematicides, BioFungicides, and Others), By Application (Seed Treatment, Foliar Spray, and Soil Spray), By Source (Biochemicals, Microbials, and Beneficial Insects), and By Crop Type (Grains & Oil Seeds, Fruits & vegetables, Cereals, and Others), By Form (Dry and Liquid), by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa), Analysis and Forecast 2021 2030 https://www.sphericalinsights.com/reports/biopesticides-market About the Spherical Insights & Consulting Spherical Insights & Consulting is a market research and consulting firm which provides actionable market research study, quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight especially designed for decision makers and aids ROI. Which is catering to different industry such as financial sectors, industrial sectors, government organizations, universities, non-profits and corporations. The company's mission is to work with businesses to achieve business objectives and maintain strategic improvements. CONTACT US: For More Information on Your Target Market, Please Contact Us Below: Phone: +1 303 800 4326 (the U.S.) Phone: +91 90289 24100 (APAC) Email: inquiry@sphericalinsights.com, sales@sphericalinsights.com Contact Us: https://www.sphericalinsights.com/contact-us Follow Us: LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter By Marc Jones LONDON (Reuters) - The derivatives industry body, the International Association of Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA), has backed Credit Default Swaps amid concerns about the role they have played in the recent bout of global banking turmoil. Credit default swaps (CDS) are derivatives that offer insurance against the risk of a bond issuer - such as a bank - not paying their creditors. European Union markets watchdog ESMA said on Thursday that it, together national regulators, had been "looking into the recent market movements, including in the CDS market". It followed comments earlier in the week from Andrea Enria, the supervisory chief at the European Central Bank, who highlighted the sharp volatility in Deutsche Bank's CDS as its shares tumbled on Friday. Far from being opaque, one of the criticisms levelled by Enria, ISDA's Chief Executive Officer Scott O'Malia said regulators already had access to a extensive data showing, "who is trading what, when and in what size." Changes made after the 2008 financial crash mean that in 18 of the 20 top world economies all over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives including "single-name" CDS as those for individual banks or firms are known are now reported to regulators via so-called trade repositories. "These rules mean single-name CDS, which play an important role in managing risk, are much more transparent," Malia said. In addition, the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporations (DTCC) Trade Information Warehouse a centralized database that details virtually all cleared and bilateral CDS contracts contains information for more than 50,000 accounts across 95 countries. Clearing of individual bank or company CDS is also available at LCHs CDSClear and ICE Clear Credit. For example, LCH offers clearing in over 300 European corporate names, including both Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank, as well as other big lenders such as Barclays, BNP Paribas, and HSBC. Story continues Overall, the credit derivatives market is also far smaller than it was before the 2008 crisis. According to data from the Bank for International Settlements, the gross market exposure of credit derivatives was $247 billion at the end of June 2022 versus $5.4 trillion at the end of 2008. "The credit derivatives market continues to play a critical role, particularly during times of volatility," Malia said. "It enables firms to customize and hedge their exposure to individual credits or sectors." (Reporting by Marc Jones; Editing by Toby Chopra) Fortune Business Insights The FMCG logistics market size is projected to reach USD 131.54 billion in 2028, at compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.15% during the forecast period 2021 to 2028. The FMCG logistics industry was USD 103.57 billion in 2020. Pune, India, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global FMCG logistics market size was USD 103.57 billion in 2020 & market is projected to grow from USD 105.85 billion in 2021 to USD 131.54 billion in 2028 at a CAGR of 3.15% during the 2021-2028 period. Fortune Business Insights published this information in its report titled, FMCG Logistics Market, 2021-2028. According to our analysts, proper management through the supply chain activities in each region, storage and transportation services helps the FMCG logistics industry achieve its business goal. KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS: May 2021: Supply On, which is the supply chain business network for the automotive, aerospace, railway, and manufacturing industries, has been acknowledged for the third time in a row as a leader in Gartner Magic Quadrant Multienterprise Supply Chain Business Networks. Request a Free sample PDF: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/fmcg-logistics-market-106299 Report Highlights: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2021-2028 Forecast Period 2021 to 2028 CAGR 3.15% 2028 Value Projection USD 131.54 Billion Base Year 2020 Market Size in 2020 USD 103.57 Billion Historical Data for 2017-2019 No. of Pages 150 Segments covered FMCG Logistics Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Transportation Mode (Railways, Airways, Roadways and Seaways), By Product Type (Food & Beverages, Personal Care, Household Care, and Other Consumables) Growth Drivers Rise in Implementation of IoT-Empowered Connected Devices to Fuel Market Growth Collaborations among Companies to Safeguard Their Brand Values in Global Market Market Drivers & Restraints Progressive technological movements and their adoption in FMCG applications have completely modified the FMCG logistics market. Companies have begun preparing their FMCG supply chain by integrating novel-period technologies, such as IoT, analytics, big data, and robotics. Story continues Executing modern technology in logistics, such as drone delivery, has deteriorated the lead time and catalogue records for FMCG companies, thereby accomplishing their consumer demand for fast delivery. This factor is projected to spur the FMCG logistics market growth and elevate demand during the mentioned timeframe. COVID-19 Impact Mobility Limitations Inflicted Owing to COVID-19 Set to Hinder Market Growth The global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has had an adverse impact on the supply chain and logistics industry, as it had been delayed due to the prompt spread of COVID-19 in the world. This pandemic has triggered enormous ambiguity and panic for all industrial value chain members involved. Furthermore, according to Institute for Supply Management research, supply chain commotions have budded worldwide, and nearly 76% of businesses have had to decline revenue goals by an aggregate of 23%. To get to know more about the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this market, please visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/fmcg-logistics-market-106299 Report Coverage The report presents a holistic study of the FMCG logistics market and current trends and future expectancies to establish proximate investment gains. An in-depth analysis of any upcoming opportunities, threats, competitions, or driving factors is also mentioned in the report. Step by step, a thorough regional analysis is offered. The COVID-19 impacts have been added to the report to help investors and business owners understand the threats better. The top players in the market are identified, and their strategies to bolster the market growth are shared in the report. Segments Based on the mode of transportation, the market is segmented into Railways, Airways, Roadways, and Seaways. The roadways segment holds the largest share globally and is projected to preserve its leading position in the market throughout the forecast period. The market is segmented into food & beverages, personal care, household care, and other consumables in terms of product type. Geographically, the global market is segregated into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the rest of the world. Regional Insights Asia Pacific region is expected to exhibit the highest CAGR during the forecast period and also held the maximum FMCG logistics market share. The sector has been perceiving sturdy growth, navigated by augmented expenditure power among the middle-income class and deteriorating cost of production, which was a consequence of commoditization. North America holds the second-largest position in the market as the existence of a varied coastline is approved with a wealth of travel destinations. Europe region is anticipated to be the fastest-growing region in the upcoming years. Buy now this Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/106299 Competitive Landscape Collaborations among Companies to Safeguard Their Brand Values in Global Market Indispensable players in the market are constantly opting for operative approaches to promote their products and establish their positions in the market. One such stratagem is to unveil novel products by merging or collaborating with other companies to expand their availability to end-users. List of Key Players Covered in the FMCG Logistics Market Report DHL Group (Bonn, Germany) Kuehne + Nagel (Schindellegi, Switzerland) C.H. Robinson (Minnesota, U.S.) Ceva Logistics (Marseille, France) FedEx Corporation (Tennessee, U.S.) Nippon Express (Tokyo, Japan) DB Schenker (Essen, Germany) Agility Logistics (California, U.S.) Bollore Logistics (Puteaux, France) FM Logistics (Roissy-en-France, France) FMCG Logistics Market Segmentation By Transportation Mode Railways Airways Roadways Seaways By Product Type Food & Beverages Personal Care Household Care Other Consumables Have Any Query? Ask Our Experts: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/fmcg-logistics-market-106299 Table of Content: 1. Introduction 1.1. Research Scope 1.2. Market Segmentation 1.3. Research Methodology 1.4. Definitions and Assumptions 2. Executive Summary 3. Market Dynamics 3.1. Market Drivers 3.2. Market Restraints 3.3. Market Opportunities 4. Key Insights 4.1 Key Industry Developments - Merger, Acquisitions, and Partnerships 4.2 Distribution Analysis 4.3 Porters Five Forces Analysis 4.4 PEST Analysis 4.5 Technological Developments 4.6 Impact of COVID-19 5. Global FMCG Logistics Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2017-2028 5.1. Key Findings / Summary 5.2. Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Mode Of Transportation 5.2.1 Railways 5.2.2 Airways 5.2.3 Roadways 5.2.4 Seaways 5.3. Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Product Type 5.3.1 Food & Beverages 5.3.2 Personal Care 5.3.3 Household Care 5.3.4 Other Consumables 5.4. Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Region 5.4.1 North America 5.4.2 Europe 5.4.3 Asia Pacific 5.4.4 Rest of the World Continued Ask For Customization: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/ask-for-customization/fmcg-logistics-market-106299 About Us: Fortune Business Insights offers expert corporate analysis and accurate data, helping organizations of all sizes make timely decisions. We tailor innovative solutions for our clients, assisting them address challenges distinct to their businesses. Our goal is to empower our clients with holistic market intelligence, giving a granular overview of the market they are operating in. Contact Us: Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd. US: +1 424 253 0390 UK: +44 2071 939123 APAC: +91 744 740 1245 Email: sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com DUBLIN, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Microneedle Flu Vaccine Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Research and Markets Logo The Microneedle Flu Vaccine Market is expected to grow at a registered CAGR of 6.95% during the forecast period. Companies Mentioned Debiotech S.A NanoPass Technologies Limited Becton, Dickinson and Company FluGen, Inc CosMED Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd Microdermics TSRL Inc. Vaxess Technologies Microneedle Flu Vaccine Market Trends Quadrivalent Flu Vaccine Segment is Expected to Projected Significant Growth Over the Forecast Period The quadrivalent influenza (flu) vaccine protects against four flu viruses, including two influenza A viruses and two influenza B viruses. The quadrivalent flu vaccine segment accounts for significant revenue in the microneedle flu vaccine market due to its cost-effectiveness, efficacy against viral infections, and easy availability in hospitals and clinics. According to the CDC, in December 2021, quadrivalent vaccines protected against four flu viruses: an influenza A (H1N1) virus, an influenza A (H3N2) virus, and two influenza B viruses. Moreover, increasing clinical development of microneedle flu vaccines to check their efficiency and safety is anticipated to boost the segment. For instance, according to ClinicalTrials. Gov updates in February 2022, a study titled "A Clinical Trial of Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine in Healthy Subjects Aged 6 to 35 Months"was conducted under the evaluation of Sinovac Biotech Co., Ltd to assess the safety and immunogenicity of quadrivalent influenza vaccine in healthy infants aged from 6 to 35 months. Such development creates a huge opportunity for market players to develop a therapeutic approach anticipated to boost the segment. North America Holds a Significant Share in the Market and is Expected to do so during the Forecast Period North America currently dominates the market of microneedle flu vaccines and is expected to continue its stronghold for a few more years. The high prevalence of influenza is expected to drive the regional market over the forecast period. For instance, according to statistics published by MedAlertHelp, in 2022, about 5% to 20% of Americans were diagnosed with influenza yearly. Further, according to the data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in October 2021, 35 million flu-related illnesses, 380,000 flu-related hospitalizations, 20,000 flu-related deaths, and 16 million flu-related medical visits were reported in the 2019-2020 season. This growing disease burden is anticipated to impact market growth over the coming years positively. In North America, the launch of new flu prevention campaigns and initiatives by healthcare organizations is expected to drive demand for influenza vaccines and develop effective vaccination delivery systems. Story continues For instance, in October 2021, the CDC and the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID), along with other public health and medical organizations, jointly announced the opening of the 2020-2021 flu vaccination season, highlighting the importance of vaccination and recommending that everyone six months and older get vaccinated against flu once a year. Moreover, in December 2022, Vaxess Technologies, Inc., a life sciences company developing a shelf-stable vaccine patch, reported positive interim results from a first-in-man trial of VX-103, a monovalent seasonal influenza vaccine patch. Day 57 results showed that MIMIX (microarray/microneedle)-Flu significantly exceeded the 2007 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) criteria for accelerated licensure of influenza vaccines, with the 15ug and 7.5ug patches leading to seroconversion rates of 85% and 77% respectively along with seroprotection rates of 92%. Vaxess's new GMP facility has successfully produced a clinical trial drug product consisting of a proprietary silk fibroin microneedle patch loaded with influenza vaccine antigens. Key Topics Covered: 1 INTRODUCTION 2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 MARKET DYNAMICS 4.1 Market Overview 4.2 Market Drivers 4.2.1 Increasing Prevalence of Influenza and Viral Infections 4.2.2 Key Players Focusing on Research and Development of Micro-Needle Flu Vaccines 4.3 Market Restraints 4.3.1 Complications and Risks Associated with Microneedles 4.4 Porter's Five Forces Analysis 5 MARKET SEGMENTATION (Market Size by Value - USD million) 5.1 By Product Type 5.1.1 Solid Microneedle 5.1.2 Hollow Microneedle 5.2 By Vaccine Type 5.2.1 Trivalent Flu Vaccine 5.2.2 Quadrivalent Flu Vaccine 5.3 Geography 6 COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE 6.1 Company Profiles 7 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES AND FUTURE TRENDS For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/6kao4t About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-microneedle-flu-vaccine-market-2023-increasing-prevalence-of-influenza-and-viral-infections-drives-growth-301786040.html SOURCE Research and Markets Assyrian Monastery in Mosul Holds Mass 20 Years After Iraq War Muslims used to share our joys and sorrows, we were brothers and still are. The monastery guard is Muslim. When we celebrated Mass two days ago, the residents of the area welcomed us very much," Ezzat Sami told Al Jazeera. ( Ismael Adnan/Al Jazeera) Mosul, Iraq -- For years, Mosul's Christians haven't been able to worship in their churches as their city was racked with insecurity and violence. But earlier this week, they celebrated the Divine Liturgy in Deir Mar Mikhael (Monastery of Saint Michael) for the first time in more than 20 years. The Sunday mass was held by Archbishop Najib Mikhael Moussa, head of the Chaldean diocese of Mosul and Aqra, who told Al Jazeera of his happiness with being able to do this after so long. "We hope that we can continue our prayers in all the destroyed churches and monasteries that were destroyed and their believers displaced," he said. The residents of Mosul have lived in insecurity since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. In June 2014, the city was taken by the ISIL (ISIS) armed group, which held it till July 2017. But even after their city was liberated, the people of Mosul suffered scattered attacks that added to the feeling of being unsafe. "After 2003, as Christians, we used to stay at home for long periods and deliberately not go to churches and monasteries because of the bad security conditions and threats to Christians," Hamid Tuzi, 31, told Al Jazeera. "Christians were frequently targeted, many people were threatened and emigrated, and many priests were killed." Archbishop Najib Mikhael Moussa told Al Jazeera: "Mar Mikhael [is known as] the angels' companion due to his highness of virtue and lofty morals. When ISIL controlled Mosul, many churches and monasteries were destroyed and many are still damaged, despite it being six years since the city's liberation. Ezzat Sami, 69, moved away from Mosul in 2014 when it was taken by ISIL, taking up residence in Duhok in the Kurdish region of Iraq. But he comes back to visit Mosul a lot and told Al Jazeera he was "happy that we can come to mass again after a long time and remember the old days and remember our relatives who passed away or who left Iraq. I remembered my deceased father." Archbishop Najib Mikhael Moussa gives communion to a woman during mass at Deir Mar Mikhael, northwest of Mosul. The monastery, which is named after its builder, dates back to the fourth century. ( Ismael Adnan/Al Jazeera) I remember the last time we came to the monastery before the fall of Iraq in the hands of the US. We used to come every year at the beginning of spring. We would attend mass then we'd picnic. We'd gather in the monastery's yard. We would bring food with us and stay till the sun set," Ezzat Sami told Al Jazeera. ( Ismael Adnan/Al Jazeera) SPHERICAL INSIGHTS LLP The Global Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Market Size is expected to reach multimillion by 2030, at a CAGR of 5.6 % during the forecast period 2021-2030. Due to increasing patient count of nasopharyngeal cancer has grown significantly at a strong CAGR during the forecast period, according to a research report published by Spherical Insights & Consulting. Companies Covered: Biocon Limited, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals, F. Hoffman La-Roche Ltd., Merck & Co., Inc., Novartis AG, Pfizer, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) PLC, Sanofi, Theravectys SA, Eli Lilly And Company, Roche, BioDiem and Others. New York, United States , March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Market Size is projected to reach multimillion USD by 2030, in comparison to 2021, at a CAGR of 5.6% during the forecast Period 2022-2030. The key driving factors for the nasopharyngeal carcinoma treatment market considered are increasing aging population, rise in consumption of tobacco, increasing health awareness, and changing lifestyle, which are key driving factors for the nasopharyngeal carcinoma market. The studied market is expanding due to increasing the number of cases & increasing awareness of treatment and diagnosis. Global Economy: Recession Risk Rising Analysis and Russia-Ukraine Conflict War Impact we have added in the final premium report. Get a Sample PDF Brochure: https://www.sphericalinsights.com/request-sample/1616 The term Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma is rare cancer that appears in the nasopharynx. Nasopharynx is at the base of the skull and directly above the roof of the mouth. Major symptoms included in nasopharyngeal carcinoma are a lump in the nose or neck, sore throat, difficulty in breathing or speaking, difficulty in hearing, pain & ringing in the ear, or headache. The techniques which are used to diagnose nasopharyngeal carcinoma are EBV antibody test, X-ray, ultrasound, endoscopy, biopsy, CT scan, MRI, PET scan, or PET-CT scan. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is classified into three types, based on cell appearances under the microscope such as keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma, non-keratinizing differentiated carcinoma, and undifferentiated carcinoma. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma begins in squamous cells that track the nasopharynx. Story continues The factors which are limiting the market growth such as the high cost of therapeutic procedures such as chemotherapy, surgeries, and radiation therapies, results in out-of-pocket expenditure among non-insured nasopharyngeal carcinoma patient. Furthermore, the side effects of the drug which are prescribed for the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma can hamper the growth of the market. COVID 19 Impact The ongoing outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic had a positive impact on the pharmaceutical industry but it affects the nasopharyngeal carcinoma market due to the hospital visits of patients declining and the diagnosis rate also decreases during the pandemic. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma mostly occurs in elderly or immunosuppressed people and the clinical data shows that they may be more susceptible to Covid 19 infection. The main concern during the pandemic was to stay safe at home and boost immunity, which has decreased patient clinic visits, leading to collapse the market of the nasopharyngeal market in 2020. Browse key industry insights spread across 200 pages with 100 market data tables and figures & charts from the report on " Global Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Market Size , Share, and COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Therapy (Chemotherapy, Immunotherapy, Radiation Therapy, Other Therapy), By End Users (Hospitals & Clinics, Ambulatory Surgery Centers Electronics, Others), By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa), Analysis and Forecast 2021 2030". Get Detailed Report Description Here: Buy Now Full Report: https://www.sphericalinsights.com/checkout/1616 The chemotherapy segment is dominating the market with the largest market share over the forecast period. Based on the therapy, global nasopharyngeal carcinoma is classified into chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, and others. Among these, the chemotherapy segment is observing the market during the forecast period. Owing to the new product launches and increasing incidence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, the chemotherapy segment is composed to witness the growth of the market. For example, in January 2022, the research article published by NCBI, that the addition of chemotherapy reduced the risk of death, with an absolute survival rise in children aged group 5 and the elderly population respectively. Thus, such researchers admired that chemotherapy is expected to drive growth. The hospitals & clinics segment is dominating the market over the forecast period. Based on end users, the global nasopharyngeal carcinoma market is segmented into Hospitals & Clinics, Ambulatory Surgery Centers Electronics & others. The hospitals & clinics segment accounted for the largest market share over the forecast period owing to the market players massively investing in the emerging region to provide productive treatment solutions for higher healthcare quality and better patient outcomes. Also, the fast appropriation of the technology is expected to boost the market growth Inquire Before Buying This Research Report: https://www.sphericalinsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/1616 North America is projecting the market with the largest market share during the forecast period North America is dominating the largest market share over the forecast period due to increasing cases & high awareness in the population regarding treatment and diagnosis in North American countries. Furthermore, the presence of key market players, which leads to technological advancements and delivers new products also projects the North America Market growth. Asia Pacific is also expected to grow the market substantially during the forecast period, increasing research and development expenditure & clinical trials associated with growing product approval. Competitive Analysis: The report offers the appropriate analysis of the key organizations/companies involved within the global market along with a comparative evaluation primarily based on their product offering, business overviews, geographic presence, enterprise strategies, segment market share, and SWOT analysis. The report also provides an elaborative analysis focusing on the current news and developments of the companies, which includes product development, innovations, joint ventures, partnerships, mergers & acquisitions, strategic alliances, and others. This allows for the evaluation of the overall competition within the market. Major vendors in the Global Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Market include Biocon Limited, Bristol Myers Squibb Company, Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals, F. Hoffman La-Roche Ltd., Merck & Co., Inc., Novartis AG, Pfizer, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) PLC, Sanofi, Theravectys SA, Eli Lilly, and Company, Roche, BioDiem and Others. Get Discount At @ https://www.sphericalinsights.com/request-discount/1616 Recent Development In June 2022, KMC clinics in Kolkata, India, started cancer screening, including nasopharyngeal cancer under the head and neck division. The screening program was launched in collaboration with the Indian Medical Association (IMA), the Indian Dental Association (IDA), and Medica Super specialty Hospital. And it is expected to be carried out almost 16 centers under KMC. In January 2022, Wistar Institute launched a phase 2 trial investigating the safety and efficacy of the oral inhibitor VK-2019 in patients with advanced Epstein-Barr virus-positive nasopharyngeal carcinoma, which is a rare type of head and neck cancer lymphoma, this trial is led by the researchers at the Stanford university school of medicine. Browse Related Reports Global Electrophoresis Market Size, Share, and COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Type (Capillary Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis, 2D Electrophoresis, Routine electrophoresis, Pulsed-field electrophoresis, Isoelectric focusing, and Immunochemical electrophoresis), By Application ( Estimation of DNA molecule, Analysis of PCR Product, Forensic Science, Protein and antibody interaction, and Clinical pathology analysis), By End-User ( Research Institute, Healthcare and Diagnosis Centers, Biotechnological and Pharmaceutical industry, and Educational Institution), and By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa), Analysis and Forecast 2021 2030. https://www.sphericalinsights.com/reports/electrophoresis-market Global Atomic Layer Deposition Market Size, Share, and COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Product Type (Metal ALD, Aluminium Oxide ALD, Catalytic ALD, Plasma Enhanced ALD, and Others), Application (Electronics & Semiconductors, Medical Equipment, Research & Development Facilities, Fuel Cells, Solar Devices, Magnetic Heads, Sensors, Barrier Layers, Primer Layers, Optical Devices, Thermoelectric Materials, NonIC Application, and Others), and By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa), Analysis and Forecast 2021 2030. https://www.sphericalinsights.com/reports/atomic-layer-deposition-market Global Assistive Reproductive Technology Market Size, Share, and COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Technology (In Vitro-fertilization (IVF), Artificial Insemination (AI-IUI), Frozen Embryo Replacement (FER), and others), End-Users (Hospital, and Fertility Clinics), and By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa), Analysis and Forecast 2021 2030. https://www.sphericalinsights.com/reports/assistive-reproductive-technology-market About the Spherical Insights & Consulting Spherical Insights & Consulting is a market research and consulting firm which provides actionable market research study, quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight especially designed for decision makers and aids ROI. Which is catering to different industry such as financial sectors, industrial sectors, government organizations, universities, non-profits and corporations. The company's mission is to work with businesses to achieve business objectives and maintain strategic improvements. CONTACT US: For More Information on Your Target Market, Please Contact Us Below: Phone: +1 303 800 4326 (the U.S.) Phone: +91 90289 24100 (APAC) Email: inquiry@sphericalinsights.com, sales@sphericalinsights.com Contact Us: https://www.sphericalinsights.com/contact-us Follow Us: LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter The nuclear medicine market is expanding rapidly due to the rising prevalence of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic diseases caused by an inactive lifestyle. Furthermore, the growing geriatric population susceptible to chronic diseases, rising demand for image-guided procedures and diagnostics globally, and the presence of robust products in the pipeline will drive nuclear medicine demand during the forecast period LAS VEGAS, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- DelveInsight's Nuclear Medicine Market Insights report provides the current and forecast market analysis, individual leading nuclear medicine companies' market shares, challenges, nuclear medicine market drivers, barriers, and trends, and key nuclear medicine companies in the market. DelveInsight_Logo Key Takeaways from the Nuclear Medicine Market Report As per DelveInsight estimates, North America is anticipated to dominate the global nuclear medicine market during the forecast period. Notable nuclear medicine companies such as Lantheus., Cardinal Health., GE Healthcare, Curium Pharma, Nihon Medi-Physics Co., Ltd., Novartis (Advanced Accelerator Applications), Cambridge Isotope Laboratories, Inc, Sotera Health LLC, Bracco Imaging SpA, Jubilant Pharma Limited, Necsa, IBA Radiopharma Solutions, Bayer AG, Norgine, Eczacbas-Monrol, NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, LLC., Eckert & Ziegler., Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited, ITM Isotope Technologies Munich SE, Mallinckrodt PLC, and several others are currently operating in the nuclear medicine market. In February 2023, Nuclear Medicine 600/800 Series Systems were recalled by GE HealthCare due to risk of detector fall injuring patients. In May 2022, Penang Adventist Hospital (PAH) , located in Pulau Pinang, Malaysia, launched a full-fledged private nuclear medicine center in northern Malaysia. The new facility offers diagnostic and treatment procedures for specific conditions and diseases such as hyperthyroidism, thyroid cancer, lymphomas, and bone pain caused by different types of cancer. In March 2022, Bracco Imaging launched Blue Earth Therapeutics to advance the development of therapeutic radiopharmaceutical technology. Blue Earth Therapeutics is building a pipeline of precision-targeted therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals, initially focused on prostate cancer, with plans to expand into additional disease areas in oncology. In February 2022, Applied Molecular Therapies launched 177Lu PSMATherapy, a molecularly targeted radiopharmaceutical for treating prostate cancer. In February 2022, Cerveau Technologies, Inc. and Nihon Medi-Physics announced that they signed a manufacturing service agreement in which Cerveau grants NMP the right to manufacture [18F] MK-6240, a next generation investigational Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging agent. Story continues To read more about the latest highlights related to the nuclear medicine market, get a snapshot of the key highlights entailed in the Global Nuclear Medicine Market Report Nuclear Medicine Overview Nuclear Medicine is an essential component of today's healthcare delivery system and has a significant impact on patient care. The development of various radionuclide and radio-labeled compounds and equipment has resulted in rapid growth in the Nuclear Medicine Market over the last four to five decades. Nuclear medicine employs trace amounts of radioactive materials (or tracers) in products and procedures to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of illnesses. Iodine-131 was the first radionuclide used in medicine. Following that, several other radionuclides and isotopes were created for diagnostic purposes. Several radioisotopes are now produced and distributed in the market for various medical purposes. The two major types of conditions for which Nuclear Medicine has enormous potential are cancer and cardiovascular disease. It also has applications in a variety of diseases, including nephro-urology, orthopedics, rheumatology, and neuropsychiatry. Nuclear Medicine Market Insights North America dominated the global nuclear medicine market in 2021 and will continue to do so during the forecast period (20222027). This can be attributed to the region's increasing incidence of cancer, cardiovascular disorders, and other diseases due to high processed food consumption and lifestyle changes. Furthermore, the presence of key domicile players in the region, the rising burden of the geriatric population prone to chronic diseases, the favorable reimbursement scenario for radiopharmaceuticals in the United States, and others are among the key factors that contribute to the growth of the nuclear medicine market in North America between 2022 and 2027. In addition, the rise in product launches in the region is expected to boost the nuclear medicine market growth. For instance, in April 2022, the FDA recently approved 177Lu-PSMA-617 (Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan; Pluvicto) as a targeted radioligand therapy for the treatment of patients with PSMA-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). To know more about why North America is leading the market growth in the nuclear medicine market, get a snapshot of the Nuclear Medicine Market Outlook Nuclear Medicine Market Dynamics One of the key factors driving the nuclear medicine market is the rising prevalence of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other diseases around the world, which can be attributed to a variety of factors such as genetics, age, obesity, and unhealthy lifestyles. Furthermore, the establishment of nuclear medicine centers that will provide access to nuclear medicine treatments all over the world is expected to boost the nuclear medicine market. Moreover, increasing technological advancements in disease diagnosis and treatment, and the rising approval of new nuclear medicine-based devices that aid in meeting patients' treatment needs will drive the nuclear medicine market in the coming years. However, the high cost of nuclear medicine, the equipment used in the procedure, and the stringent regulatory approval process may impede the growth of the nuclear medicine market. Additionally, the nuclear medicine market suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic because the outbreak resulted in the cancellation of outpatient visits and the suspension of non-emergency hospitalization and diagnostic procedures. As a result, routine clinical examinations and diagnosis procedures were reduced. However, the development of the COVID-19 vaccine has begun the process of economic recovery, with the easing of lockdown restrictions and the return of normalcy in the economic landscape, which has begun the process of resumption of regular healthcare services such as outpatient visits for diagnosis and treatment purposes, bringing the demand for products in the nuclear medicine market back on track. Get a sneak peek at the nuclear medicine market dynamics @ Nuclear Medicine Market Dynamics Analysis Report Metrics Details Coverage Global Study Period 20192027 Base Year 2021 Nuclear Medicine Market CAGR ~10% Projected Nuclear Medicine Market Size by 2027 USD 12.4 Billion Key Nuclear Medicine Companies Lantheus., Cardinal Health., GE Healthcare, Curium Pharma, Nihon Medi-Physics Co., Ltd., Novartis (Advanced Accelerator Applications), Cambridge Isotope Laboratories, Inc, Sotera Health LLC, Bracco Imaging SpA, Jubilant Pharma Limited, Necsa, IBA Radiopharma Solutions, Bayer AG, Norgine, Eczacbas-Monrol, NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, LLC., Eckert & Ziegler., Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited, ITM Isotope Technologies Munich SE, Mallinckrodt PLC, among others Nuclear Medicine Market Assessment Nuclear Medicine Market Segmentation Porter's Five Forces Analysis, Product Profiles, Case Studies, KOL's Views, Analyst's View Which MedTech key players in the nuclear medicine market are set to emerge as the trendsetter explore @ Nuclear Medicine Companies Table of Contents 1 Report Introduction 2 Executive summary 3 Regulatory and Patent Analysis 4 Key Factors Analysis 5 Porter's Five Forces Analysis 6 COVID-19 Impact Analysis on Nuclear Medicine Market 7 Nuclear Medicine Market Layout 8 Global Company Share Analysis Key 3-5 Companies 9 Nuclear Medicine Market Company and Product Profiles 10 Project Approach 11 About DelveInsight Interested in knowing the nuclear medicine market by 2027? 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It supports pharma companies by providing comprehensive end-to-end solutions to improve their performance. Get hassle-free access to all the healthcare and pharma market research reports through our subscription-based platform PharmDelve. Connect with us on LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter Additionally, get in touch with our business executive to explore @ Healthcare Due Diligence Services Contact Us Shruti Thakur info@delveinsight.com +1(919)321-6187 https://www.delveinsight.com/medical-devices Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1082265/DelveInsight_Logo.jpg Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-global-nuclear-medicine-market-to-exhibit-growth-at-a-significant-cagr-of-10-by-2027--delveinsight-301785577.html SOURCE DelveInsight Business Research, LLP WILMINGTON, DE / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Transparency Market Research Inc. - As per market research conducted by TMR, the global AC-DC power supply adapter market was valued at US$ 16.1 Bn in 2022 and is estimated to reach US$ 31.5 Bn by end of 2031. The insights provided by the expert team of TMR educate the CXOs and stakeholders regarding the current market scenario which helps them in understanding the market growth trajectory. https://storage.googleapis.com/accesswire/media/746674/AC-DC-Power-Supply-Adapter.jpg The key areas of research are based on aspects such as competitive landscape, regional insights, emerging trends, and company profiles. Market players exploit these opportunities to upscale marketing strategies, which can further contribute to market growth. AC-DC power supply adapters are prominently used as external power sources, which can be converted into a voltage, current, and different frequencies. These adapters safeguard humans from DC, which can prove to be hazardous. Download a sample for highlights on market drivers and challenges affecting the AC-DC Power Supply Adapter: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=77193- AC-DC power supply adapters play a crucial role in cooling electronic devices. These devices can be connected to smartphones, tablets, laptops, wearable devices, and television sets. The increase in usage of AC-DC power supply adapters in consumer electronics has opened new avenues for market development. AC-DC Power Supply Adapter Market: Growth Drivers Expanding Electronic Products Demand: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to increasing sales of electronic items. Robust growth in sales of computers, laptops, and tablets is fueling the global market. Factors such as penetration of the Internet, work-from-home culture, and rise in disposable income could be attributed to business growth. Government Initiatives to Develop IT infrastructure: Government bodies of developing countries across the globe are focusing on upgrading existing businesses and strengthening the IT infrastructure. The application of power modules is expanding in the automotive, transportation, and industrial sectors, which is likely to drive market progress. Story continues Increase in Applications in Healthcare Sector: Surge in demand for AC-DC power supply adapters in healthcare offers lucrative opportunities to market players. The development of miniature medical devices has increased the demand for these adapters. Healthcare professionals are focusing on power supply development and strive to provide AC and DC outputs that can prove to be efficient in running medical equipment efficiently. Expand operations in the future - To get requisite details, ask for a custom report: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=CR&rep_id=77193 Key Findings of AC-DC Power Supply Adapter Market Freestanding External Power Adapter Segment to Witness Exponential Growth: The freestanding external power adapter segment is likely to witness robust growth owing to extensive applications in electronic products such as television, tablets, smartphones tablets, and others. Rise in applications of these adapters in industrial process control systems, defense applications, measurement equipment, and medical devices is expected to bolster the segment. 25W-100W Output Power Segment to Account for Major Market Share: The 25W-100W output power segment is anticipated to account for a significant market share during the forecast period. This is ascribed to the high penetration of electronic devices such as tablets, laptops, and smartphones. These devices require quick charging in less time due to their extensive use for work and domestic purposes. AC-DC Power Supply Adapter Market: Regional Dynamics Asia Pacific is home to electronic component manufacturers. The consumer electronics industry in the region is growing rapidly. Rise in demand for these products across the world has opened new growth avenues in Asia Pacific. Consumer preference for advanced electronic products and the rise in usage of digital media is expected to augment the market in the region in the next few years. Furthermore, the increase in sales of electronic items has created immense growth opportunities in the global market. Hence, Asia Pacific is likely to dominate the global industry. The market in North America is expected to experience robust growth during the forecast period due to an increase in the adoption of smart household devices. The region is a hub for research and development activities. This has increased North America's market size. AC-DC Power Supply Adapter: Competitive Landscape Key players operating in the global market are concentrating on rigorous R&D to simplify the processes and accelerate the development of novel applications with innovative features to attract consumer attention. Novel product launches, such as wireless charging stands and fast charging devices, are likely to augment the global AC-DC power supply adapter market. Key Points from TOC: Preface 1.1. Market Introduction 1.2. Market and Segments Definition 1.3. Market Taxonomy 1.4. Research Methodology 1.5. Assumption and Acronyms 2. Executive Summary 2.1. Global AC-DC Power Supply Adapter Market Overview 2.2. Regional Outline 2.3. Industry Outline 2.4. Market Dynamics Snapshot 2.5. Competition Blueprint 3. Market Dynamics 3.1. Macro-economic Factors 3.2. Drivers 3.3. Restraints 3.4. Opportunities 3.5. Key Trends 3.6. Regulatory Scenario 4. Associated Industry and Key Indicator Assessment 4.1. Parent Industry Overview - Global Power Supply Industry Overview 4.2. Supply Chain Analysis 4.3. Pricing Analysis 4.4. Technology Evolution Roadmap 4.5. Industry SWOT Analysis 4.6. Porter's Five Forces Analysis 4.7. COVID-19 Impact and Recovery Analysis 5. Global AC-DC Power Supply Adapter Market Analysis, by Type 5.1. AC-DC Power Supply Adapter Market Size (US$ Bn) and Volume (Billion Units) Analysis & Forecast, by Type, 2017-2031 5.1.1. Freestanding External Power Adapter 5.1.2. Wall Mount Power Adapter 5.2. Market Attractiveness Analysis, by Type TOC Continued Grow your profit margin with Transparency Market Research - Buy the report at: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php?rep_id=77193<> Leading players operating in the market are Jeckson Electric Company Motorola Solutions, Inc. XP Power MEAN WELL Enterprises Co, Ltd. Schneider Electric TDK Corporation Artesyn Technologies Advantech Co. AC-DC Power Supply Adapter: Segmentation By Type Freestanding External Power Adapter Wall Mount Power Adapter By Output Power 5W-12W 13W-24W 25W-100W Above 100 W By Application Smartphones & Tablets Computers & Laptops Wearable Devices Home Appliances Audi/Video Devices Medical Devices Industrial Equipment Telecommunication Devices Others (personal care, devices, power tools, and others) By End-Use Industry Consumer Electronics, Healthcare Telecommunication Industrial Others (automotive, defense, avionics, etc.) By Regions North America Latin America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East& Africa Latest Electronics and Semiconductors Industry Reports : - Key Developments in Wireless Charger Industry Rise in Applications of FIB in Semiconductor & Electronics Sector Growing Role of Optoelectronic Devices in Consumer Electronics and IT & Telecommunication Industries Key Players in Global Circuit Breaker Market Regional Outlook of Mobile Biometrics Industry Increase in Generation of Renewable Energy Augmenting Grid-scale Battery Market Development Key Players in 3D Printing in Construction Market Demand for Conventional and Rapid Prototyping in Medical Devices Top Thermoelectric Module Manufacturers Demand for Demolition Robots to Boost Construction Robots Market Use of UV Analyzers in Food & Beverage Industry Demand for Quartz Crystal from Consumer Electronics Industry Demand for Pressure Transducers from Process Industries Boosts Market About Transparency Market Research Transparency Market Research registered at Wilmington, Delaware, United States, is a global market research firm that offers market analysis reports and business consulting. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insights for thousands of decision makers. Our experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools & techniques to gather and analyze information. Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports. For More Research Insights on Leading Industries, Visit our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8e-z-g23-TdDMuODiL8BKQ Contact Us: Nikhil Sawlani Transparency Market Research Inc. CORPORATE HEADQUARTER DOWNTOWN, 1000 N. West Street, Suite 1200, Wilmington, Delaware 19801 USA Tel: 1-518-618-1030 USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453 Website: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Blog: https://tmrblog.com Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com SOURCE: Transparency Market Research Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/746674/Global-Sales-of-AC-DC-Power-Supply-Adapter-is-Expected-to-Accelerate-at-a-Whopping-79-CAGR-Reaching-US-315-Billion-by-2031--TMR-Analysis Company Logo Dublin, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Surgical Pouch Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2017-2027 Segmented By Type of Pouch (J-Pouch v/s K-Pouch), By Shape, By Therapeutic Area (Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn's Disease, Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, Others), By End User, By Region" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Global surgical pouch market is anticipated to grow with a steady CAGR during the forecast of 2023-2027 The market growth can be attributed to growing instances of intestinal surgery that involve the removal of a part of the gastrointestinal tract and an artificial pouch to be installed to complete the digestion process. Additionally, the rapidly increasing number of patients suffering from ulcerative colitis along with other chronically disruptive diseases that require surgical advanced procedures, further support the growth of the global surgical pouch market in the next five years. Technological advancement and increasing research to bring in innovative medical devices, equipment, and tools further substantiate the growth of the global surgical poach market in the future five years. Increasing investment in the healthcare industry, and government involvement through favorable schemes, coupled with consumers' tendencies to spend lavishly on healthcare and patient care services substantiates the growth of the global surgical pouch market. High Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Diseases Promises Market Growth Rapidly increasing instances of gastrointestinal diseases are a major cause of the increasing surgeries thereby driving the growth of the global surgical pouch market in the upcoming five years. Instances of ulcerative colitis are rapidly growing among the population. The disease has a higher prevalence among the population aged between 30 to 40 years. A higher middle-aged population strengthens the claim of increasing instances of the disease that indirectly aids the market growth. The number of cases varies between 9-20 cases in every 100,000 population. The instances have been increasing in recent years due to the sedentary lifestyle of the population. Higher consumption of junk and fast food coupled with excessive consumption of alcohol and smoking adds to the high risks of the disease. Story continues Moreover, the hectic lifestyle, lack of workout, and prolonged sitting while working also aid the increasing cases of diseases. Other similar diseases are also increasing due to such lifestyles, thereby the treatment often involves surgical pouch implants and thus substantiating the growth of the global surgical pouch market in the future five years. Investments and Industry Expansion Fuels Market Growth The market may also register considerable growth due to expanding healthcare services and industrial growth. The governments are actively investing in better healthcare and patient care services. North American region may hold the largest market for the surgical pouch owing to high investments and growing expenses in the healthcare industry. Economies like the United States spend almost 17 percent of their GDP on health care, which is more than any other country. The United States also spends around 10,600 U.S. dollars per capita on health expenditure, the highest in the world. As of 2020, the U.S. spent a total of 4.1 trillion U.S. dollars on healthcare. The industry also expands on the backbone of highly qualified experts and surgeons in the sector providing excellent opportunities for patients to survive complicated surgeries. In the year 2019, the number of gastroenterologists in the United States was 15,450. Tendencies of the population to spend lavishly on healthcare. Increasing medical tourism also adds to the growth of the global surgical pouch market in the forecast years. Competitive Landscape Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in global surgical pouch market. Cook Group Incorporated Medtronic Plc. B. Braun Melsungen AG Richard Wolf GmbH Steris Corporation Voice of Customer Factors Contributing to Demand for Surgical Pouch Demand, By Therapeutic Area Preference, By Type of Pouch Barriers to Adoption of Surgical Pouch Brand Awareness Report Scope: Surgical Pouch Market, By Type of Pouch: J-Pouch K-Pouch Surgical Pouch Market, By Shape: J S W Surgical Pouch Market, By Therapeutic Area: Ulcerative Colitis Crohn's Disease Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) Others Surgical Pouch Market, By End User: Hospitals & Specialty Clinics Ambulatory Care Centers Others Surgical pouch Market, By Region: North America United States Mexico Canada Asia-Pacific China India Japan South Korea Australia Europe France Germany United Kingdom Spain Italy South America Brazil Argentina Colombia Middle East & Africa South Africa Saudi Arabia UAE For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/npa9mx About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood,Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 Employees express trust in leaders' competence and integrity and value fairness and impartiality as part of the workplace culture SINGAPORE, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Great Place To Work, the global authority on workplace culture announced the 10 companies who are Best WorkplacesTM in its inaugural Healthcare & Biopharma List. This marks the first Healthcare & Biopharma industry list in Singapore by Great Place To Work, a recognition for companies such as COVID-19 vaccine creators like AstraZeneca, to Alcon Asia the largest eye-care device company with surgical and vision care helping us to see clearly, and a homegrown brand like telemedicine provider WhiteCoat Holdings, competing with the best-of-the-best global brands. The companies were shortlisted using rigorous analytics and confidential employee feedback. Companies were only considered if they are a Great Place To Work CertifiedTM organization. Managing Director of Great Place To Work ASEAN and ANZ, Ms Evelyn Kwek said: "Singapore has become a choice location for biopharmaceutical companies to set up their operations to develop and produce new products given our world class infrastructure, collaborative ecosystem and strategic geographical location, connecting global companies to the huge Asian market. The ability to access skilled talent is another strategic factor. Great Place To Work is therefore proud to be launching the inaugural Healthcare & Biopharma List to support great workplaces in this sector in elevating their brands to attract the most talented, diverse and purpose-aligned employees. We congratulate the 10 companies on this inaugural List and they are indeed Best Workplaces, as validated by the voices of their employees." The Best Workplaces in Healthcare & Biopharma List is determined using Great Place To Work's For All methodology to evaluate. Based on employee's voices from the Best Workplace companies, the competence and integrity of their leaders are top attributes within the workplace, and management showing fairness and impartiality in staff treatment. Story continues The Great Place to Work Trust Index Survey enables employees to share confidential quantitative and qualitative feedback about their organization's culture by responding to 60 survey questions. Collectively, these statements describe a great employee experience, defined by high levels of trust, respect, credibility, fairness, pride, and camaraderie. 85% of the evaluation is based on what employees report about their experiences of trust and reaching their full human potential as part of their organisation, no matter who they are or what they do. Great Place To Work analyses these experiences relative to each organisation's size, workforce make up, and what is typical in the healthcare and biopharma sector. The remainder of the evaluation is an assessment of all employees' daily experiences of the company's values, people's ability to contribute new ideas, and the effectiveness of their leaders to ensure they are consistently experienced. About Great Place To Work As the global authority on workplace culture, Great Place To Work brings 30 years of ground-breaking research and data to help every place become a great place to work for all. Their proprietary platform and For All Model helps companies evaluate the experience of every employee, with exemplary workplaces becoming Great Place To Work Certified or receiving recognition on a coveted Best Workplaces List. Follow Great Place To Work on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram or visit greatplacetowork.com.sg to learn more. About Great Place To Work Certification Great Place To Work Certification is the most definitive "employer-of-choice" recognition that companies aspire to achieve. It is the only recognition based entirely on what employees report about their workplace experience specifically, how consistently they experience a high-trust workplace. Great Place To Work Certification is recognized worldwide by employees and employers alike and is the global benchmark for identifying and recognising outstanding employee experience. Every year, more than 10,000 companies across 97 countries apply to get Great Place To Work Certified. Contact: Daphne Lee, Senior Writer and Content Marketing Manager, Great Place To Work ASEAN & ANZ Email: daphne.lee@greatplacetowork.com Best Workplaces in Healthcare and Biopharma List 2023 10 organizations have been listed Company name & Ranking Company info Companies' Profile: #1 Medtronic Singapore (Healthcare) Medtronic is a leader in global healthcare technology and it boldly addresses the most challenging health problems facing humanity by searching and finding solutions which are guided by its mission to alleviate pain, restore health and extend life. https://greatplacetowork.com.sg/gptwcertified/medtronic/ #2 Boston Scientific (Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals) Boston Scientific is dedicated to transforming lives through innovative medical solutions that improve the health of patients around the world. As a global medical technology leader for more than 40 years, the company operates in over 100 countries and advance science for life by providing a broad range of high-performance solutions that address unmet patient needs and reduce the cost of healthcare. https://greatplacetowork.com.sg/gptwcertified/boston-scientific/ #3 WhiteCoat Holdings (Healthcare) WhiteCoat is a fast-growing digital health company in the Southeast Asia region. The company is founded on the belief that everyone has the right to have access to affordable, convenient and high-quality healthcare services. https://greatplacetowork.com.sg/gptwcertified/whitecoat/ #4 Alcon Asia (APL) (Manufacturing and Production) Alcon is the global leader in eye care dedicated to helping people see brilliantly. Its rich 75-year history is built on a solid foundation of market-leading eye care expertise and deep, long-standing relationships with eye care professionals. https://greatplacetowork.com.sg/gptwcertified/alcon-singapore-apl/ #5 Servier Singapore (Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals) Servier is an international pharmaceutical company governed by a non-profit foundation dedicated to Cardiovascular disease, Oncology, Diabetes, and Psychiatric disease. https://greatplacetowork.com.sg/gptwcertified/servier-singapore/ #6 Merz Aesthetics Singapore (Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals) Merz Aesthetics is a leading, global aesthetics company and has been family-owned since 1908. It has an award-winning portfolio of injectables, devices and skincare products that help healthcare professionals fuel confidence through aesthetic medicine. https://greatplacetowork.com.sg/gptwcertified/merz-aesthetics-singapore/ #7 Advanced Sterilization Products Singapore (Healthcare) At Advanced Sterilization Products (ASP), the company provides innovative infection prevention technologies to improve patient care. Its Terminal Sterilization and High-Level Disinfection solutions offer the assurance healthcare professionals need, to protect patients during their most critical moments. https://greatplacetowork.com.sg/gptwcertified/asp/ #8 Amgen Singapore Manufacturing (Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals) Amgen is committed to unlocking the potential of biology for patients suffering from serious illnesses by discovering, developing, manufacturing, and delivering innovative human therapeutics. This approach begins by using tools like advanced human genetics to unravel the complexities of disease and understand the fundamentals of human biology. In 2015, Amgen established its commercial presence in Singapore to serve patients suffering from serious illnesses. https://greatplacetowork.com.sg/gptwcertified/amgen-biotechnology-singapore/ #9 Stryker Singapore (Manufacturing & Production) Stryker is one of the world's leading medical technology companies and offers innovative products and services in Medical and Surgical, Neurotechnology, Orthopaedics and Spine that help improve patient and healthcare outcomes. The company serves healthcare customers including hospital administrators, surgeons, and healthcare professionals in all healthcare environments, from large, integrated hospital systems to small, outpatient surgery centers. https://greatplacetowork.com.sg/gptwcertified/stryker/ #10 AstraZeneca (Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals) AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/Nasdaq: AZN) is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of diseases in three therapy areas Oncology, Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology. Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. https://greatplacetowork.com.sg/gptwcertified/astrazeneca-singapore/ (PRNewsfoto/Great Place to Work, Korea) Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/great-place-to-work-unveils-best-workplaces-in-the-inaugural-singapore-healthcare-and-biopharma-list-2023-301784192.html SOURCE Great Place To Work ASEAN & ANZ Greystone NEW YORK, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Greystone, a leading national commercial real estate finance company, has provided a $10,602,100 HUD 223(f) loan to refinance a 162-unit multifamily property in Jacksonville, Florida. The financing was originated by Eric Rosenstock and Jesse Yodice at Greystone, on behalf of Royal American Companies. Built in 1980, Oak Tree Apartments in Duval County consists of 26 detached buildings with 162 one-, two-, and three-bedroom units. The $10.6 million HUD-insured financing carries both a 35-year term and amortization with a low, fixed rate and 90% loan-to-value (LTV). The property qualifies for a lower annual MIP (Mortgage Insurance Premium) of 0.25% because it is rent-restricted. In addition to refinancing, loan proceeds enable the borrower to monetize a portion of their equity and continue with improvements to the property. Greystones extensive multifamily lending platform and our FHA expertise mean we can offer the financing our clients need to provide quality affordable housing for the residents in their communities, said Mr. Rosenstock. We are committed to serving the affordable housing market and work tirelessly to provide creative solutions for the properties in our clients portfolios. Throughout this transaction, our team lived up to Greystones reputation for industry-leading service and exceptional expertise, said Mr. Chapman, Founder of Royal American Companies. We were thrilled with our teams passion for affordable housing and their dedication to getting us what we needed for this property. We look forward to working with Greystone on more projects in the future. About Greystone Greystone is a private national commercial real estate finance company with an established reputation as a leader in multifamily and healthcare finance, having ranked as a top FHA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac lender in these sectors. Loans are offered through Greystone Servicing Company LLC, Greystone Funding Company LLC and/or other Greystone affiliates. For more information, visit www.greystone.com. Story continues PRESS CONTACT: Karen Marotta Greystone 212-896-9149 Karen.Marotta@greyco.com NEW YORK, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The global healthcare education solutions market size is estimated to grow by USD 6.57 billion from 2021 to 2026, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 8.53% during the forecast period. Factors such as the need to address challenges in the healthcare industry through effective medical training, widespread adoption of m-learning, and evolved learning and education landscape will drive market growth during the forecast period. A major driver fueling growth in the healthcare education solutions market is the need to address challenges in the healthcare industry through effective medical training. Due to the changing technologies in the global healthcare industry, physicians are required to be well-versed with new methodologies in patient care for improved decision-making. The skills of medical professionals usually have a direct impact on patients' health. Hence, proper education and training of medical professionals are essential. Because of the increasing incidence of infectious and chronic diseases, healthcare practitioners (HCPs) must have information that is disease-oriented and aligned with patient needs and global healthcare trends. Hence, healthcare education solutions are required to assist HCPs in improving their competency, addressing healthcare gaps in specific segments of the global healthcare industry, and translating innovations into practice for improving the overall quality of patient care. Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Healthcare Education Solutions Market Healthcare Education Solutions Market Market Dynamics Key challenges - The high costs for developing e-learning content will be a prominent challenge for the healthcare education solutions market during the forecast period. A significant amount of time, money, and resources need to be associated with developing content for e-learning courses. The development of moderately interactive e-learning content takes about 90-240 hours, costing medical education course developers approximately USD 10,000 per produced hour on average. The cost of developing online courses increases with the complexity of the content, especially in medical education. The key factors resulting in high content development costs for e-learning courses include source content, elements embedded in the learning content, and the level of interaction and instructional complexity involved. Online medical course development involves subject matter experts, an instructional design team, a project management team, and technical staff specialists. These professional roles are active in the three different stages of developing an online medical course and lead to high variable costs. Hence, regular updates on the existing online medical courses with additional information and training models further increase the cost of developing online medical courses and may hamper the growth of the market during the forecast period. Story continues Drivers, trends, and challenges have an impact on market dynamics, which can impact businesses. Find more insights in a sample report! Healthcare education solutions market - Geographical Analysis North America is estimated to account for 32% of the global healthcare education solutions market growth during the forecast period. The US and Canada are the key markets for healthcare education solutions in the region. Market growth in this region will be slower than the growth of the market in other regions. The presence of an advanced and matured healthcare industry, specifically in developed countries, facilitates the healthcare education solutions market growth in North America during the forecast period. Healthcare education solutions market insights - Vendors : 15+, Including 3M Corp, B. Braun SE, Becton Dickinson and Co., Boston Scientific Corp., Bruker Corp., Canon Inc., Cardinal Health Inc., Erbe Elektromedizin GmbH, FUJIFILM Holdings Corp., General Electric Co., Johnson and Johnson, Koninklijke Philips NV, Medtronic Plc, Olympus Corp., PerkinElmer Inc., Sectra AB, Siemens AG, Smith and Nephew plc, Stryker Corp., Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., and Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc. among others Coverage: Parent market analysis; key drivers, major trends, and challenges; customer and vendor landscape; vendor product insights and recent developments; key vendors; and market positioning of vendors Segments: Delivery (Classroom-based and e-learning and geography (North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America) To understand more about the healthcare education solutions market, request a sample report Healthcare education solutions market - Vendor Insights The rising adoption of smart devices among students has influenced the growth of online medical education, thereby promoting distance learning. Vendors operating in different regions attract international students by offering distance-learning programs in medicine. Technavio report analyzes the market's competitive landscape and offers information on several market vendors including - B. Braun SE - The company offers healthcare education solutions such as evidence-based, best practice, product training, clinical education, clinical consulting services, and collaborative medical education outcomes research. Becton Dickinson and Co. - The company offers healthcare education solutions such as training programs that comprehensively and seamlessly support healthcare providers across care areas. General Electric Co. - The company offers healthcare education solutions such as product training, industry education, and rigorous certification programs to meet the needs of customers. For more insights on vendors and their offerings, Request a Sample Report! The healthcare education solutions market report provides critical information and factual data, with a qualitative and quantitative study of the market based on market drivers and limitations as well as future prospects. Why Buy? Add credibility to strategy Analyzes competitor's offerings Get a holistic view of the market Grow your profit margin with Technavio- Buy the Report What are the key data covered in this Healthcare Education Solutions Market report? CAGR of the market during the forecast period Detailed information on factors that will drive the growth of the healthcare education solutions market between 2022 and 2026 Precise estimation of the size of the healthcare education solutions market and its contribution to the parent market Accurate predictions about upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior Growth of the healthcare education solutions market across North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America A thorough analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information about vendors Comprehensive analysis of factors that will challenge the growth of healthcare education solutions market vendors Gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Related Reports: The healthcare middleware market size is expected to increase by USD 1.76 billion from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 9.75%. The growing amount of healthcare data is one of the key drivers supporting the healthcare middleware market growth. The healthcare information software market size is expected to grow by USD 11.76 billion from 2021 to 2026 at a progressing CAGR of 7.9%. The rising adoption of advanced technologies in healthcare is a market trend that is expected to have a positive impact in the coming years. Healthcare Education Solutions Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 8.53% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 6.57 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth of 2021-2022 (%) 8.25 Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America Performing market contribution North America at 32% Key countries US, Canada, Japan, Germany, and UK Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled 3M Corp, B. Braun SE, Becton Dickinson and Co., Boston Scientific Corp., Bruker Corp., Canon Inc., Cardinal Health Inc., Erbe Elektromedizin GmbH, FUJIFILM Holdings Corp., General Electric Co., Johnson and Johnson, Koninklijke Philips NV, Medtronic Plc, Olympus Corp., PerkinElmer Inc., Sectra AB, Siemens AG, Smith and Nephew plc, Stryker Corp., Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., and Zimmer Biomet Holdings 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 the forecast period Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized. Browse for Technavio Consumer Discretionary market reports Table of Contents 1 Executive Summary 1.1 Market overview 2 Market Landscape 2.1 Market ecosystem 3 Market Sizing 3.1 Market definition 3.2 Market segment analysis 3.3 Market size 2021 3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026 4 Five Forces Analysis 4.1 Five forces summary 4.2 Bargaining power of buyers 4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers 4.4 Threat of new entrants 4.5 Threat of substitutes 4.6 Threat of rivalry 4.7 Market condition 5 Market Segmentation by Delivery 5.1 Market segments 5.2 Comparison by Delivery 5.3 Classroom based - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 5.4 E-learning - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 5.5 Market opportunity by Delivery 6 Customer Landscape 6.1 Customer landscape overview 7 Geographic Landscape 7.1 Geographic segmentation 7.2 Geographic comparison 7.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 7.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 7.5 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 7.6 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 7.7 South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 7.8 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 7.9 Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 7.10 Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 7.11 Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 7.12 UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 7.13 Market opportunity by geography 8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 8.1 Market drivers 8.2 Market challenges 8.3 Impact of drivers and challenges 8.4 Market trends 9 Vendor Landscape 9.1 Overview 9.2 Vendor landscape 9.3 Landscape disruption 9.4 Industry risks 10 Vendor Analysis 10.1 Vendors covered 10.2 Market positioning of vendors 10.3 3M Corp 10.4 B. Braun SE 10.5 Becton Dickinson and Co. 10.6 General Electric Co. 10.7 Johnson and Johnson 10.8 Koninklijke Philips NV 10.9 Siemens AG 10.10 Smith and Nephew plc 10.11 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 10.12 Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc. 11 Appendix 11.1 Scope of the report 11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist 11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ 11.4 Research methodology 11.5 List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ Global Healthcare Education Solutions Market Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/healthcare-education-solutions-market-to-grow-at-a-cagr-of-8-53-from-2021-to-2026--driven-by-the-need-to-address-challenges-in-the-healthcare-industry-through-effective-medical-training---technavio-301783254.html SOURCE Technavio FILE - A U.S. Black Hawk helicopter takes off after deploying soldiers during the Swift Response 22 military exercise at the Krivolak army training polygon in the central part of North Macedonia, May 12, 2022. Two U.S. Army Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopters crashed during training Wednesday night, March 29, 2023, in Kentucky, killing nine soldiers. The Black Hawk is a twin-engine, four-bladed, medium-lift, utility helicopter developed for the U.S. Army since the 1970s by Sikorsky Aircraft of Stratford, Conn. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) Two U.S. Army Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopters crashed during training Wednesday night in Kentucky, killing nine soldiers. Here are questions and answers about Black Hawks: WHAT IS THE BLACK HAWK? The Black Hawk is a twin-engine, four-bladed, medium-lift, utility helicopter developed for the U.S. Army since the 1970s by Sikorsky Aircraft of Stratford, Connecticut. It typically has a crew of two pilots and two crew chiefs. Its basic Army designation is H-60; export versions are designated S-70. WHAT IS IT USED FOR? The Black Hawk is built in multiple configurations for a wide range of missions including cargo lift, combat assault, special operations, search-and-rescue, medical evacuation, aerial firefighting and VIP transport, according to Lockheed Martin, parent of Sikorsky. In addition to the crew, it can seat 12 fully equipped troops. Seats can be replaced with stretchers to carry wounded. Armed versions can carry guns, rockets and guided missiles. WHO USES THE BLACK HAWK? The Black Hawk is a workhorse for the U.S. Army, which operates more than 2,100 of the aircraft, as well as other U.S. forces and the militaries of dozens of other nations, according to Lockheed Martin. U.S. variants include the Navy's Seahawk, the Air Force's Pave Hawk and the Coast Guard's Jayhawk. A non-military version used for fighting wildfires is called the Firehawk. HOW MUCH DO BLACK HAWKS COST? In 2022, the U.S. government and Sikorsky signed a five-year contract for 120 Black Hawks, with options for a total of 255 aircraft for the U.S. Army and foreign militaries. The contract was valued at $2.3 billion for the expected deliveries and up to $4.4 billion if all options are exercised, Lockheed Martin said in a news release. The signing marked the 10th multiyear contract between the U.S. and Sikorsky for H-60 helicopters. New cruises include a spectacular 21-day roundtrip from Boston; private island Half Moon Cay remains centerpiece of Caribbean sailings SEATTLE, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Holland America Line's 2024-2025 Caribbean season opens for booking today, and the premium cruise line is continuing its trend of longer, more immersive cruise itineraries with the introduction of three new voyages that are 14 and 21 days. Also new for this season is adding Boston, Massachusetts, as a Caribbean departure port in addition to Fort Lauderdale, Florida and the return of calls at Bermuda. Caribbean cruises range in length from four to 14 days, span the entire region and include a call at Half Moon Cay, Holland America Lines award-winning private island. The 2024-2025 season puts the spotlight on longer voyages, offering travelers more time in the Caribbean and the opportunity to visit more islands on one itinerary. "Holland America Line is meeting the desire of our guests who want more immersive experiences, and we're excited to offer new itineraries and a new departure option for this Caribbean season," said Gus Antorcha, Holland America Line's president. "With sailings covering the entire region and combinable itineraries up to 35 days, our Caribbean cruises extend to lesser-visited islands and are among the most diverse in the industry." Holland America Line's Caribbean cruises sail from October 2024 through March 2025 and feature five- to 21-day options to the eastern, western and southern regions, including sailings that spend a day discovering the Panama Canal. Six Holland America Line ships will head to the Caribbean including two Pinnacle Class ships with the majority of itineraries roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale. Two of the new itineraries depart from Boston. Nearly all itineraries feature Half Moon Cay, Holland America Line's award-winning private island in the Bahamas boasting the finest beach in the Caribbean. On select itineraries, evening departures from Puerto Rico, Curacao, St. Maarten and Aruba mean more time in port and the chance to experience the vibrant Caribbean nightlife. Story continues Guests can cruise to the Caribbean aboard Eurodam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Nieuw Statendam, Rotterdam, Volendam and Zuiderdam. New and Notable Longer Cruises: New is a unique 21-Day "Perfect Caribbean Escape" cruise roundtrip from Boston aboard Zuiderdam. Departing Oct. 19, 2024, this extended tropical adventure includes a partial Panama Canal transit and a call at Bermuda. Following Bermuda, the ship makes its way to Half Moon Cay; Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos; Curacao; Aruba; Cartagena, Colombia; Colon, Panama; Puerto Limon, Costa Rica; Port Canaveral, Florida; and Bimini, Bahamas. Following the 21-day roundtrip Boston cruise, Zuiderdam offers a new 14-day "Southern Caribbean" itinerary from Boston to Fort Lauderdale departing Nov. 9 that also includes a call at Bermuda. The ship then heads to St. Thomas, St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Barbados, Curacao and Half Moon Cay. The 21- and 14-day departures can be combined to form a destination-rich 35-Day Collectors' Voyage for the ultimate Caribbean experience. Another new 21-day Caribbean exploration sails roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale aboard Volendam. Departing Jan. 4, 2025, this in-depth "Ultimate Caribbean" journey deeply explores the area, with calls at Half Moon Cay; Amber Cove, Dominican Republic; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Tortola; St. Maarten; Antigua; Dominica; St. Lucia; Barbados; St. Vincent; Grenada; Bonaire; Aruba; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; and Grand Cayman. Western Caribbean: Holland America Line's western Caribbean itineraries include six-, seven- and 10-day options. The seven-day cruise calls at Cozumel, Mexico; Half Moon Cay, Ocho Rios and Grand Cayman. The three 10-day itineraries span the region and are combination of ports that include Montego Bay or Falmouth, Jamaica; Mahogany Bay, Honduras; Belize City, Belize; Grandy Cayman, Cozumel, Half Moon Cay, and Bimini. Eastern Caribbean: The seven-day eastern Caribbean itinerary includes Grand Turk, St. Thomas, San Juan and Half Moon Cay. A longer 11-day "Eastern Caribbean Wayfarer" itinerary calls at St. Maarten, Antigua, St. Lucia, Dominica, St. Kitts, St. Thomas and Half Moon Cay. Southern Caribbean: In addition to the new Boston to Fort Lauderdale cruise, the southern Caribbean itineraries range from nine to 14 days. The nine-day cruise makes way to the ABC Islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao before visiting Half Moon Cay, while the 10-day itinerary also adds Grand Turk and Amber Cove. The 14-day "Southern Caribbean Holiday" cruise departing Dec. 21, 2024, explores St. Thomas, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, Guadeloupe, St. Maarten, Puerto Rico and Half Moon Cay. Tropical Caribbean: Guests looking for a shorter getaway can embark on the five-day itinerary that visits Half Moon Cay and Amber Cove. The popular seven-day Tropical Caribbean returns with calls at Grand Turk, Amber Cove and Half Moon Cay. Partial Panama Canal: Guests looking to visit the Panama Canal without a coast-to-coast transit can embark on the 12-day "Panama Canal Sunfarer" itinerary. In addition to venturing around Panama Canal's Gatun Lake and a partial transit, the itinerary includes Curacao, Cartagena, Colon, Puerto Limon, and Half Moon Cay. Combine Back-to-Back Cruises for Longer Collectors' Voyages Many of the cruises can be extended into Collectors' Voyages to create the ultimate Caribbean exploration with more economical fares than booking the cruises individually. Ranging from 14 to 35 days, these longer journeys combine nonrepeating, back-to-back itineraries, enabling guests to span more than one Caribbean region and enjoy the ultimate island-hopping journey. Early Booking Bonus Offers For a limited time, when guests book newly opening 2024-2025 Caribbean cruises with the Have It All premium package, the standard package amenities of shore excursions, specialty dining, a Signature Beverage Package and Surf Wi-Fi are included plus the added perk of free prepaid Crew Appreciation, along with free upgrades to the Elite Beverage Package and Premium Wi-Fi. Guests also can take advantage of Holland America Line's Exclusive Mariner Society Early Booking Bonus. Mariner Society loyalty members can enjoy up to $400 onboard credit per stateroom when select cruises open for sale. Guests must book these cruises by June 27, 2023, to receive the Exclusive Mariner Society Early Booking Bonus. For more information about Holland America Line, consult a travel advisor, call 1-877-SAIL HAL (877-724-5425) or visit hollandamerica.com. Editors Note: Photos are available at https://www.cruiseimagelibrary.com/c/zuqcdnsf. Find Holland America Line on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the Holland America Blog. You can also access all social media outlets via the home page at hollandamerica.com. About Holland America Line Holland America Line, part of Carnival Corporation and plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL and NYSE:CUK), has been exploring the world for 150 years with expertly crafted itineraries, extraordinary service and genuine connections to each destination. Offering an ideal mid-sized ship experience, its fleet visits nearly 400 ports in 114 countries around the world and has shared the thrill of Alaska for 75 years longer than any other cruise line. Holland America Line's 11 vessels feature a diverse range of enriching activities and amenities focused on destination immersion and personalized travel. The best live music at sea fills each evening at Music Walk, and dining venues feature exclusive selections from a Culinary Council of world-famous chefs. CONTACT: Bill Zucker, Erik Elvejord PHONE: 800-637-5029, 206-626-9890 EMAIL: pr@hollandamerica.com ms Eurodam at Half Moon Cay in the Caribbean Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/holland-america-line-adds-boston-bermuda-and-longer-itineraries-for-2024-2025-caribbean-season-301786018.html SOURCE Holland America Line HSBC chief executive Noel Quinn managed the bank's Asia-Pacific business when the loan was made - REUTERS/Tyrone Siu/File Photo The chief executive of HSBC has been accused of pressuring the banks staff to give a 40m loan to the real estate company his daughter worked at. Noel Quinn, chief executive of the FTSE 100 lender, and senior managers at HSBC allegedly intervened in 2014 to give struggling housebuilder Mar City a 40m credit facility and handed the couple behind the business a 10m personal loan. The claims are made in a lawsuit being brought by Tony and Maggie Ryan, the former controlling shareholders of Mar City. Mr Quinn was a long standing personal friend of Mr and Mrs Ryan, according to the lawsuit. It alleges that Mr Quinn encouraged his friends to take the loan. HSBC is accused of using the loans to effectively take control of the company and drive it into insolvency. Mar City, which was listed on Londons junior Aim market, ultimately collapsed into administration in 2016. HSBC denies all of the allegations, with lawyers acting for the bank saying the accusations made in the suit are selective, inaccurate and incomplete. They added that inaccuracies in the couples evidence are too numerous for HSBC to address each and every one. The banks lawyers said Mr and Mrs Ryan do not have an explanation about how Mar City could have been saved or how HSBC prioritised its own interest over the real estate company. Bridget Lucas, a barrister acting for the bank, said at a High Court hearing on Wednesday that the couple offer no explanations as to which assets of MCPLC were supposedly stripped. Mr Quinn, who was head of HSBCs Asia Pacific bank at the time, also denies telling Mr Ryan that the loan management unit at the bank was like the wild west. Separately, investor pressure to split HSBCs booming Asian business off from its stagnant Western operations continues to mount. Ken Lui, an investor who runs a group campaigning for a spin-off of the Asian business, has called an informal shareholder meeting in Hong Kong next week to make his case for a split. Story continues The lobbying comes ahead of the banks annual meeting in Birmingham in May. HSBC has been forced to give shareholders a vote on conducting a strategic overhaul of the business, including spinning out its Asian arm, following a request from Mr Lui. A spokesman for HSBC was contacted for comment. (Bloomberg) -- HSBC Holding Plcs chief executive officer Noel Quinn and other senior managers were accused in a London lawsuit of pressuring the banks staff to loan millions of pounds to a friends real estate firm, where Quinns daughter worked. Most Read from Bloomberg After Quinn and a senior manager intervened, HSBC gave Mar City Plc a 40 million ($49.3 million) credit facility and handed the couple behind the firm a 10 million personal loan to be channeled into the then AIM-listed company that faced a liquidity crunch in late 2014, lawyers for Tony and Maggie Ryan said in court filings. The Ryans are seeking damages from HSBC for allegedly using the loans to effectively take control of the company and drive it into insolvency, lawyers for the couple said in the documents prepared for a High Court hearing this week. Quinn is accused of inducing his long standing friends to take the loan. HSBC denies all the allegations. The accusations by the couple are selective, inaccurate and incomplete, the banks lawyers said. The inaccuracies in their evidence are too numerous for HSBC to address each and every one. The Ryans dont have any explanation on how the company could have been saved or how HSBC prioritized its own interest over Mar Citys, the lenders lawyers said during the hearing on Wednesday. They offer no explanations as to which assets of MCPLC were supposedly stripped, Bridget Lucas, HSBCs lawyer, said. Quinn, who was head of Asia Pacific commercial banking at the time, denies telling Ryan that the loan management unit at the bank was like the wild west, the lender said in their court filing. A spokesperson for HSBC declined to comment further. Story continues Ultimately, the homebuilder suffered financial difficulties and entered administration in 2016. Its the second attempt at winning the claim that was earlier shot down by a London judge. The Ryans won a rehearing after an appeals court said a previous judge should have withdrawn from overseeing the the case because a loan from HSBC to a hot yoga studio owned by Judge Nigel Gerald and his wife raised the perception of possible bias. There was no finding of actual prejudice. The Ryans lost a ruling in June 2022 when Gerald viewed their allegations as having no evidence and an attempt to blacken the name of HSBC, according to the judgment. HSBC asserts it repeatedly tried to help Mar City restructure, the ruling said. --With assistance from Harry Wilson. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. The Business Research Company's global market reports are now updated with the latest market sizing information for the year 2023 and forecasted to 2032 LONDON, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As per The Business Research Company's Hydrogen Global Market Report 2023, the global hydrogen market size will grow from $13.5 billion in 2022 to $15.9 billion in 2023 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 17%. The global hydrogen market size is then expected to grow from $29.5 billion in 2027 at a CAGR of more than 16%. tbrc_logo During the forecast period, the growing demand from the energy sector will support the hydrogen market growth. Hydrogen-oxygen fuel cells are being increasingly used as an energy source to mitigate the pollution crisis. Fuel cells are being increasingly used to generate electricity as an alternative to fossil fuels. Hydrogen oxygen fuel cells are also used in space stations. Hydrogen fuel cells are also expected to be widely used to power cars replacing petroleum as fuel. For example, in June 2022, a new wave of interest emerged in environmentally friendly hydrogen generation technology. This is due to the fact that the potential applications for hydrogen are growing in a variety of fields, including power generation, industrial processes in the production of steel and cement, fuel cells for electric vehicles, heavy transportation like shipping, production of green ammonia for fertilizers, cleaning products, refrigeration, and grid stabilization, as well as fuel cells for electric vehicles. Learn More On The Hydrogen Market Report https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/hydrogen-global-market-report The hydrogen market is concentrated, with a few large players. The Linde Group was the largest competitor with 27.5% hydrogen market share, followed by Air Liquide, Air Products and Chemicals Inc., Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation, Air Water Inc., Showa Denko K.K., Iwatani Corporation, Gulf Cryo, Messer Group GmbH and SOL Group. Story continues Companies in the hydrogen market are focusing on adopting IoT (Internet of Things) technologies to connect equipment and smart devices to garner real-time insights and locate gaps in the manufacturing process. The data obtained is processed, analyzed, and interpreted by plant managers and senior-level management to improve quality and achieve optimum production levels. Smart systems give information on the working conditions and performance of chemical reactors with embedded software and analytics tools to notify plant operators and managers of possible machine breakdowns. For example, in February 2023, 45-8 Energy, a French provider of energy-based services, and Solexperts, a Swiss mechanical engineering consulting firm, launched SurfMoG H2, a new IoT tool for underground hydrogen monitoring on the occasion of the hydrogen congress Hyvolution. Request A Free Sample Of The Hydrogen Market Report https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/sample.aspx?id=2696&type=smp The global hydrogen market is segmented - By Mode of Distribution: Pipeline, High-Pressure Tube Trailers, Cylinders By Application: Chemical, Refinery, Metal processing, Other Applications By End User: Chemicals, Aerospace and Automotive, Energy, Refining, Glass, Welding and Metal Fabrication, Other End Users As per the hydrogen market analysis, the top opportunities in the hydrogen market segmented by mode of distribution will arise in the high-pressure tube trailer segment, by application will arise in the refinery segment, by end user will arise in the refining segment. The industrial hydrogen market size will gain the most in China at $5.1 billion. View More Similar Market Reports: Hydrogen Fuel Cells Global Market Report 2023 https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/hydrogen-fuel-cells-global-market-report Hydrogen Energy Storage Global Market Report 2023 https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/hydrogen-energy-storage-global-market-report Green Hydrogen Global Market Report 2023 https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/green-hydrogen-global-market-report Interested to know more about The Business Research Company? The Business Research Company has published over 3000+ detailed industry reports, spanning over 3000+ market segments and 60 geographies. The reports draw on 1,500,000 datasets, extensive secondary research, and exclusive insights from interviews with industry leaders. The World's Most Comprehensive Database The Global Market Model, The Business Research Company's flagship product, is a market intelligence platform covering various macroeconomic indicators and metrics across 60 geographies and 27 industries. The Global Market Model covers multi-layered datasets that help its users make better strategic decisions. Contact Information The Business Research Company Europe: +44 207 1930 708 Asia: +91 8897263534 Americas: +1 315 623 0293 Email: info@tbrc.info Follow Us On: LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/company/the-business-research-company Twitter: https://twitter.com/tbrc_info Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBusinessResearchCompany YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC24_fI0rV8cR5DxlCpgmyFQ Blog: https://blog.tbrc.info/ Healthcare Blog: https://healthcareresearchreports.com/ Global Market Model: https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/global-market-model Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1751581/tbrc_logo.jpg Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hydrogen-market-outlook-2023-2032-forecasted-hydrogen-market-value-and-growth-rate-major-drivers-and-trends--by-the-business-research-company-301785720.html SOURCE The Business Reseach Company Market Research Future Image Sensor Market is Rapid industrialization and growing research and development activitie New York, US, March 29, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to a comprehensive research report by Market Research Future (MRFR), Image Sensor Market Research Report: By Technology, Optical Format, Linearity, Spectrum, Application- Forecast Till 2030, the market is anticipated to acquire a valuation of approximately USD 39 billion by the end of 2030. The reports further predict the market to flourish at a robust CAGR of over 9.6%. during the assessment timeframe. Image Sensor Market Insights: The automatic image sensor is a sophisticated and contemporary photosensitive electrical device that quickly and easily transforms light inputs into digital signals. The two most often used image sensors are complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) advanced sensors and charged coupled device (CCD) sensors. The market for image sensors is enormous. These image sensors are designed to provide clients with greatly improved image quality, exceptional frames at a reasonable price, dynamics, and modern range along with decreased or lessened noise, decreased or diminished dark current, and extremely decreased power consumption. Modern digital cameras and other imaging technologies generally use high-quality image sensors to capture the fundamental characteristics of a good image and produce pertinent or important information about the advanced image. Other contemporary uses for image sensors include enhanced sensing, U.V. spectroscopy, optical coherence tomography, sorting inspection, and numerous machine vision applications. The market share for image sensors is rising. The market for image sensors is predicted to be driven by the market penetration of image sensors in autos, the trend towards miniaturisation in many industries, the contemporary twin cameras in Smartphones and advanced tablets, and the high demand for upmarket medical current imaging solutions. Moreover, it is anticipated that during the estimated period, the image sensor market would be restrained or constrained by rising prices for advanced manufacturing processes. Story continues Get Free Sample PDF Brochure: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/850 The prominent players in the image sensor market are Sony Corporation (Japan) Limited Samsung Semiconductor Limited. (South Korea) Omni Vision Technologies Limited PixArt Imaging Limited (Taiwan) S.K. Hynix Inc. (South Korea) Limited Teledyne Technologies (U.S.) Limited. Report Scope: Report Metric Details Revenue forecast in 2030 USD 39 Billion Growth Rate CAGR of 9.6% from 2022 to 2030 Base Year 2021 Study Period 2022-2030 Key Market Opportunities Increasing demand for advanced camera-enabled mobile phones, reduced power consumption and increased compactness of CMOS image sensor. Key Market Drivers Rapid industrialization and growing research and development activities. Growing need for high-definition image capturing devices. Browse In-depth Market Research Report (100 Pages) on Image Sensor Market: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/image-sensor-market-850 The diverse applications of image sensors in contemporary industries are among the market's various emerging trends. For a different lucrative image sensor business, companies like Sony Corporation have now emerged as a completely separate corporation. The company's most recent and most lucrative line of business is the image sensor, which is also their primary area of focus. The multipurpose usage of simple image sensors in contemporary smartphones and sophisticated DSLR cameras from various manufacturers, such Nikon Limited and Sony Corporation, are some of the elements contributing to the modern semiconductor industry's significant profitability. Samsung is putting a lot of effort into developing its new cutting-edge pixel technology, known as ISOCELL, in the vast field of CMOS image sensors. The primary drivers of the image sensor market's expansion include the rising demand for mobile devices with high-tech cameras, the CMOS image sensor's modern, low-cost power consumption and increased compactness, as well as the expanding use of various image sensors and CMOS image sensor biometric applications. As a result, it is anticipated that the global market for image sensors will grow by more than 8.20%, about (2022 -2030). Yet among other major issues that are impeding or limiting the growth of the image sensor market are the high power consumption of certain CCD image sensors and the declining market for various digital still cameras. Many reasons are supporting the growth of the worldwide image sensors industry share. According to the most recent MRFR report, there are numerous factors that are influencing image sensor size, including the need for continuously lower power consumption, modern camera-enabled phones, growing use of various biometric applications, the compactness of CMOS advanced image sensors, growing use in various industries for quality control to improve product yield, and various spotting detective units in various product lines. The growth rate of camera image sensors has been significantly slowed down by the COVID-19 epidemic, and the major profit share of the corporations has been steadily declining. The entire supply chain has been hampered by COVID19. Long-term lockdown had a negative impact and was bad for the companies' morale. Ask To Expert: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/ask_for_schedule_call/850 The significant power consumption of image sensors, the steadily declining market for contemporary digital still cameras, and the numerous supply chain disruptions caused by the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak are the main factors that could restrain or limit the growth of the global image sensor market over the projected period. The size of the picture sensor is greatly increasing due to numerous variables. The businesses use cutting-edge methods to plan and carry out their ongoing commercial activities. The size of the market, worldwide technological trends, capital investments, and other factors are just a few that have an impact on the expansion of the image sensor market research. Image Sensor Market Segmentation: Image sensor market is segmented on the basis of technology, optical format, linearity, spectrum, application, and region. By Technology, the market is segmented into CMOS, CCD, sCMOS and others. By Optical Format, the market is segmented into 1/10 to 1/6 Inch Image Sensor, 1/5.9-to-1/4-inch Image Sensor, 1/3.9-to-1/2-inchx Image Sensor, 1/1.9 to 1 inch image sensor and Above 1 inch Image Sensor. By Linearity, the market is segmented into Linear and Non-Linear. By Spectrum, the market is segmented into Visible Spectrum and Invisible Spectrum. By Application, the market is segmented into Consumer Electronics, Automobile, Surveillance, Medical and others. Check for Discount: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/850 By Region, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Rest of the World. During the anticipated period from 2019 to 2024, the global image sensor market is anticipated to grow significantly. The market for image sensors is broken down geographically into North American nations, European countries, Asia-Pacific countries, and the rest of the world. Due to the concentration of major international players in Asia-Pacific, the region is anticipated to dominate the expanding NEMS market throughout the projected decade. Related Reports: Near Field Communication Market Research Report: By Type and End-User- Forecast Till 2030 Virtual Reality Headset Market Research Report: By Type, Component, Application- Forecast Till 2030 Internet Radio Market Research Report: By Software Media Player, Audio Formats, Phone Support, Advertiser Type - Forecast Till 2030 About Market Research Future: Market Research Future (MRFR) is a global market research company that takes pride in its services, offering a complete and accurate analysis regarding diverse markets and consumers worldwide. Market Research Future has the distinguished objective of providing the optimal quality research and granular research to clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help answer your most important questions. Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter CONTACT: Market Research Future (Part of Wantstats Research and Media Private Limited) 99 Hudson Street, 5Th Floor New York, NY 10013 United States of America +1 628 258 0071 (US) +44 2035 002 764 (UK) Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Website: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com Key Insights Institutions' substantial holdings in MGM Resorts International implies that they have significant influence over the company's share price 50% of the business is held by the top 10 shareholders Insiders have been selling lately To get a sense of who is truly in control of MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. We can see that institutions own the lion's share in the company with 67% ownership. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company. And last week, institutional investors ended up benefitting the most after the company hit US$16b in market cap. The gains from last week would have further boosted the one-year return to shareholders which currently stand at 2.7%. Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of MGM Resorts International, beginning with the chart below. Check out our latest analysis for MGM Resorts International What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About MGM Resorts International? Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index. As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in MGM Resorts International. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. 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 MGM Resorts International, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too. Investors should note that institutions actually own more than half the company, so they can collectively wield significant power. We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in MGM Resorts International. Our data shows that IAC Inc. is the largest shareholder with 17% of shares outstanding. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 9.1% and 6.6% of the stock. Story continues We also observed that the top 10 shareholders account for more than half of the share register, with a few smaller shareholders to balance the interests of the larger ones to a certain extent. While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. 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 MGM Resorts International While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it. Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group. Our information suggests that MGM Resorts International insiders own under 1% of the company. As it is a large company, we'd only expect insiders to own a small percentage of it. But it's worth noting that they own US$96m 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 With a 15% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over MGM Resorts International. 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. Public Company Ownership We can see that public companies hold 17% of the MGM Resorts International shares on issue. We can't be certain but it is quite possible this is a strategic stake. The businesses may be similar, or work together. 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 learn about the 4 warning signs we've spotted with MGM Resorts International (including 1 which is concerning) . Ultimately the future is most important. You can access this free report on analyst forecasts for the company. 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Investors who take an interest in Staffline Group plc (LON:STAF) should definitely note that the Interim Non-Executive Chair, Thomas Spain, recently paid UK0.37 per share to buy UK152k worth of the stock. That's a very decent purchase to our minds and it grew their holding by a solid 29%. View our latest analysis for Staffline Group Staffline Group Insider Transactions Over The Last Year Notably, that recent purchase by Thomas Spain is the biggest insider purchase of Staffline Group shares that we've seen in the last year. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of UK0.36. While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock if insiders have bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price. We note that Thomas Spain was also the biggest seller. Happily, we note that in the last year insiders paid UK490k for 1.31m shares. But insiders sold 267.72k shares worth UK96k. Overall, Staffline Group insiders were net buyers during the last year. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction! There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying. Insider Ownership Of Staffline Group I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. From looking at our data, insiders own UK1.1m worth of Staffline Group stock, about 1.8% of the company. However, it's possible that insiders might have an indirect interest through a more complex structure. We consider this fairly low insider ownership. Story continues So What Does This Data Suggest About Staffline Group Insiders? It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchases. We also take confidence from the longer term picture of insider transactions. We would certainly prefer see higher levels of insider ownership but analysis of the insider transactions suggests that Staffline Group insiders are expecting a bright future. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. While conducting our analysis, we found that Staffline Group has 1 warning sign and it would be unwise to ignore this. If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions. 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here KingKong DOGE ASHGABAT, TURKMENISTAN, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- KingKong DOGE is an innovative community-driven project that is revolutionizing the meme token space. Created by a team of experienced professionals who were frustrated by the lack of value in most meme tokens, KingKong DOGE aims to provide real-world use cases and utilities that benefit the holders while disrupting the meme token landscape. Built on the Binance Smart Chain and Ethereum, KingKong DOGE offers advanced features like AI NFT minting, DAO governance, and high-speed, seamless swapping. The tokenomics model is designed to strike a balance between rewarding the holders and creating value for the project. The team is committed to creating value for the community of holders, and that's why several burning mechanisms are in place that burn a small percentage of every transaction automatically, reducing the total supply of $KINGKONG. This scarcity value incentivizes long-term holding, and the holders benefit from their commitment to the project. $KINGKONG is much more than a meme token. It offers real-world use cases, value, and the opportunity for the community of holders to shape the project's future. The DAO feature enables the community to take control and submit proposals to make a real difference in people's lives. KingKong DOGE's vision is to create a vibrant community of holders who are passionate about the project's mission and the opportunity to earn rewards through farms and pools. The team has big plans for the future, including strategic partnerships with top blockchain projects, collaborations with renowned influencers in the crypto space, and high-impact marketing plans to raise awareness and drive adoption. KingKong DOGE is the ultimate meme token, offering unparalleled value and opportunity to its holders. The presale is about to launch, and the project invites you to join the revolution. For more information on KingKong DOGE and how to participate in the presale, visit the website at kingkongdoge.io Story continues Join the KingKong DOGE community on Twitter: https://twitter.com/kingkongdoge Join the Telegram community: https://t.me/kingkongdogetoken Disclaimer: The information provided in this release is not investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is recommended that you practice due diligence (including consultation with a professional financial advisor) before investing or trading securities and cryptocurrency. CONTACT: Alex Don KingKong DOGE contact at kingkongdoge.io Key Insights Tion Renewables' estimated fair value is 58.23 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Tion Renewables is estimated to be 50% undervalued based on current share price of 29.40 Our fair value estimate is 31% higher than Tion Renewables' analyst price target of 44.33 Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of Tion Renewables AG (ETR:TION) as an investment opportunity by taking the forecast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model is the tool we will apply to do this. Believe it or not, it's not too difficult to follow, as you'll see from our example! Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model. See our latest analysis for Tion Renewables What's The Estimated Valuation? We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars: Story continues 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF (, Millions) 13.1m 14.8m 14.4m 14.1m 13.9m 13.8m 13.7m 13.7m 13.7m 13.6m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Est @ -2.81% Est @ -1.92% Est @ -1.29% Est @ -0.86% Est @ -0.55% Est @ -0.34% Est @ -0.19% Est @ -0.08% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 5.1% 12.4 13.4 12.4 11.6 10.9 10.3 9.7 9.2 8.8 8.3 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = 107m We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (0.2%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 5.1%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032 (1 + g) (r g) = 14m (1 + 0.2%) (5.1% 0.2%) = 278m Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= 278m ( 1 + 5.1%)10= 170m The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is 277m. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of 29.4, the company appears quite good value at a 50% discount to where the stock price trades currently. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent. dcf Important Assumptions We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Tion Renewables as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 5.1%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.827. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. SWOT Analysis for Tion Renewables Strength No major strengths identified for TION. Weakness Interest payments on debt are not well covered. Shareholders have been diluted in the past year. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow for the next 4 years. Trading below our estimate of fair value by more than 20%. Threat Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow. Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the German market. Looking Ahead: Whilst important, the DCF calculation is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. Why is the intrinsic value higher than the current share price? For Tion Renewables, there are three fundamental elements you should further examine: Risks: Case in point, we've spotted 3 warning signs for Tion Renewables you should be aware of, and 1 of them can't be ignored. Future Earnings: How does TION's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the XTRA every day. If you want to find the calculation for other stocks just search here. 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here (Reuters) - Wealth funds in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar have invested hundreds of millions of dollars with former U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner's private equity firm, the New York Times reported on Thursday. The Emiratis invested more than $200 million with Kushner's Affinity Partners, while a Qatari entity also put in a similar sum, the newspaper said, citing people with knowledge of the transactions. Kushner, who was also a top adviser to Trump, formed the Miami-based Affinity Partners in 2021, Reuters had reported. The investment from the UAE came through a sovereign wealth fund, but the Qatari investor's identity was unclear, the NYT report said. Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Mubadala, Emirates Investment Authority, Affinity Partners, and the Qatar and UAE embassies in Washington did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. Last year, a U.S. House of Representatives committee had said it was investigating the Saudi Arabian government's $2 billion investment with a firm of Kushner. (Reporting by Jaiveer Singh Shekhawat in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar) SINGAPORE, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Jersey Finance formally launched its new presence in Singapore and its refreshed South-East Asia market outreach strategy at a special reception this week (28 March). Logo Hosted at Eden Hall, the residence of the British High Commissioner to Singapore, Her Excellency Kara Owen CMG, Her Excellency personally opened the reception, and was joined in giving a welcome address by the Government of Jersey's Assistant Chief Minister with Responsibility for Financial Services, Deputy Elaine Millar, and Jersey Finance Chief Executive Officer, Joe Moynihan. The reception was attended by around 100 guests including Government of Jersey officials, the Director General of the Jersey Financial Services Commission (JFSC), Jill Britton, as well as local and visiting industry professionals. The British Chamber of Commerce supported the event. The official launch follows on from Jersey Finance's appointment at the end of last year of Yiow Chong Tan as Business Development Director for the South East Asia market, based in Singapore. With extensive business and corporate finance experience in the Asian markets, Yiow will play a key role in delivering Jersey Finance's new South East Asia strategy, working closely with Shanghai-based Maria McDermott, Business Development Consultant at Jersey Finance. Having built a strong reputation within the Greater China region since 2005, and having opened an office in Hong Kong in 2009, Jersey Finance has cited Singapore as a key complementary hub that can help further extend the global reach of Jersey's financial services industry and bring its corporate, private wealth and alternative funds proposition to key growth markets across the South East Asia region. During the visit to Singapore, Joe Moynihan and Deputy Millar also joined a roundtable event for Jersey and Singaporean firms focussing on the growing relationships between Jersey's financial services industry, Singapore and the wider South East Asia region. Story continues Commenting on the new Singapore presence, Joe Moynihan, Chief Executive Officer, Jersey Finance, said: "A key part of our global markets strategy is to diversify our international connectivity as an international finance centre, and our refreshed South East Asia strategy is a critical part of that. Our new presence in Singapore will both complement the existing profile we have built up over many years through Hong Kong and also strengthen relationships in other markets in the region where we feel we have a really strong story to tell supporting both inbound and outbound investor capital. "Critically, we see Singapore and Jersey as natural partners and believe that Jersey can play a really positive role within the region too, supporting Singapore's own ambitions. Both Jersey and Singapore have successfully created a specialist proposition for international investors built on high standards, a framework of internationally endorsed regulatory standards and a passionate belief in the value of global connectivity." Deputy Millar added: "There are many similarities between Jersey and Singapore, as both are jurisdictions that have carved out a successful niche as centres of excellence for professional services and, increasingly, sustainable finance and fintech. The Government of Jersey continues to be focussed on its objective of enhancing Jersey's international relationships and this new presence in Singapore is a really positive step in supporting that. The focus of our relationship with Singapore is one of cooperation and collaboration, and I have no doubt that Jersey Finance establishing a presence here will only strengthen that relationship." Jersey has been building closer ties with Singapore for some years, with this year marking ten years since Jersey and Singapore signed a Double Taxation Agreement. Meanwhile, research from the Centre for Economics and Business Research quantifying the full extent of Jersey's global economic footprint has found that the capital intermediated through Jersey equates to 46 billion of GDP in Asia each year, supporting in excess of 2.4 million jobs in the region. For a short video on Jersey's presence in South East Asia and case studies on how Jersey firms are expanding their footprint with clients and investors in the region, visit Jersey Finance' website at https://jsy.fi/40B9QuU. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/jersey-finance-hosts-reception-to-formally-launch-singapore-presence-301784300.html SOURCE Jersey Finance University of New Orleans Leader BringsStudent Focus, Collaborative Leadership Florida Tech's Next President John Nicklow, Ph.D., is the new president of Florida Institute of Technology. Formerly president and CEO of the University of New Orleans, the Pennsylvania native starts at Florida Tech on July 1. MELBOURNE, FLA., March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- John Nicklow is the next leader of Florida Institute of Technology. Board of trustees chair Travis Proctor announced today on behalf of the board that Nicklow, president of the University of New Orleans in Louisiana, has been appointed as the sixth president in Florida Techs 65-year history. Nicklow, with a background in engineering and higher education teaching, research and administration, will bring a student-centered focus to his new role. He takes office July 1. Dr. Nicklows leadership success as a sitting president at the University of New Orleans, his extensive background in academics and research, as well as his approach to teamwork and collaboration will all be assets to Florida Tech, Proctor said. Throughout his 25-year career, he has a proven record of fostering enrollment growth and student success, strengthening campus research enterprises and expanding strategic and philanthropic partnerships. Nicklow was selected after a comprehensive, year-long search that involved trustees, faculty, staff, students, parents and alumni. The search committee held listening sessions before the national search opened and ultimately attracted 112 applicants. Once five finalists were identified, open community forums were held with each and campus comment was gathered through more than 400 surveys received and reviewed by the search committee. I want to thank the Florida Tech community for being engaged in the search, Nicklow said. The fact that you were so involved demonstrates to me that you are truly invested in this amazing institution. I hope you will maintain that level of engagement as we move forward to realize the vibrant future that I know is within our grasp. Working together, well ensure that Florida Tech is all that it can and should be. Nicklow said the entire campus community must work together so that Florida Tech is increasingly a place where students want to be by ensuring they have the best college experience possible. Story continues I believe Florida Tech is at an inflection point, and that presents a wonderful opportunity for the university, Nicklow said. My vision is to make Florida Tech the top choice for students interested in STEM fields from all over the state, nation and world. To achieve that, we must continue Florida Techs excellent academic and research prowess and attract top notch faculty and staff. This will also help us become the preferred partner for businesses, industry and government. Im thrilled for Florida Tech and the larger community that the board of trustees has selected as its new president Dr. John Nicklow. He brings with him a superb record of accomplishment as a higher education administrator, and an equally impressive philosophy of leadership, said Robert King, Florida Techs interim president. Dr. Nicklow has demonstrated himself to be the kind of leader who listens to diverse perspectives, carefully assesses a situation and then takes decisive action. I look forward to working closely with him as he makes the transition into the Florida Tech and Melbourne community. He will be a great asset to both. Nicklow joined the University of New Orleans in 2015 first serving as provost and vice president for academic affairs before being named president in 2016. Prior to his eight years at the University of New Orleans, he served as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Southern Illinois University, as well as earlier administrative appointments including chief enrollment officer and leadership positions in the College of Engineering and Department of Civil Engineering at that institution. Nicklows research interests focus on advancement of STEM education and on optimization of environmental and water resources systems. He has published more than 75 articles and is the author of four books. He is a registered professional engineer, a certified professional hydrologist, a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, and a diplomate of the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers. Nicklow has been active in the New Orleans community as well. He has participated in many local and regional nonprofit and economic development organizations including GNO, Inc., the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, the Business Council of New Orleans, the New Orleans Business Alliance, the Louisiana Committee of 100, the Rotary Club of New Orleans, and the board of directors of Benjamin Franklin High School. He serves as chairman of the Greater New Orleans Higher Education Consortium. A native of western Pennsylvania, Nicklow earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in Civil Engineering from Bucknell University in Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Arizona State University. He has been inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Alumni at Arizona State Universitys School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, and he is a recent recipient of the NCAA Champion of Diversity Award. He began his career as an environmental engineering officer with the U.S. Public Health Service. He and his wife, Stacy Nicklow, have one son, Ethan. Florida Tech is a university with a proud past and a very bright future, Nicklow said. Together, we will accomplish great things, and Stacy and I cannot wait to get started. Visit Florida Techs Next President website for John Nicklows full bio and video greeting, comments from colleagues, the opportunity to send a welcome message to Drs. John and Stacy Nicklow and more. Attachment CONTACT: Adam Lowenstein Florida Institute of Technology 321-674-8964 adam@fit.edu The U.S. judge overseeing Three Arrows Capitals bankruptcy proceedings has again ordered co-founder Kyle Davies to turn over financial documents. After filing an opinion on the matter last week, U.S. Judge Martin Glenn signed whats now the second order giving Davies fourteen days to turn over financial records related to his insolvent crypto hedge fund or be held in contempt. That means his new deadline to cooperate with the liquidators is April 13. The last deadline was March 16. This is not the first time the liquidators have accused Davies of withholding information. They filed a similar motion to compel his cooperation in February, saying he had been shamelessly raising millions to launch a new company. 3AC Liquidators Ask Judge to Intervene, Say Co-Founder Is 'Withholding Information' The Singapore-based firm, which also goes by the name 3AC, was ordered to liquidate in June, following weeks of speculation that the company had endured severe losses following the collapse of the TerraUSD algorithmic stablecoin in May. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Davies confirmed that 3AC had lost approximately $200 million on its TerraUSD position. Pressure mounted as creditors margin called 3AC, meaning they asked the firm to provide more collateral to secure borrowed funds. The final blow came when Voyager Digital (which itself is now undergoing bankruptcy proceedings) issued a default notice for more than $600 million. Davies and co-founder Su Zhu went quiet on social media for a few months before resurfacing when crypto exchange FTX collapsed and filed for bankruptcy. The subpoena was served over Twitter on January 5 after the court determined that attempts to serve Davies by more conventional means had been unsuccessful and gave the 3AC liquidators permissions to use social media. That amounted to a tweet that tagged Davies and Zhu and included images of the subpoena. 3AC Founders Kyle Davies and Su Zhu Tagged in Tweet Delivering Court Subpoena Story continues Zhu is not subject to the new judges order to cooperate. Glenn wrote in his opinion the liquidators have not provided enough evidence to establish U.S. jurisdiction for Zhu. The Foreign Representatives have made a substantial showing regarding Davies contacts with the United States, the judge wrote. By never appearing, Davies has obviously failed to articulate why these contacts do not render him amenable to discovery orders in the United States. The judge again noted that Davies has been posting regularly on social media while refusing to respond or comply with court orders. Since January 5, 2023, Mr. Davies has been active on social media, having tweeted or retweeted dozens of times on Twitter, he said in a court filing. The Foreign Representatives claim that Mr. Davis is educated, represented by counsel, and undoubtedly aware of the Subpoena given that there were a large number of replies (41) and retweets (64) regarding the Subpoena following service. A week ago, Davies shared a photo on Twitter saying, There would be peace on Earth if we all spent more time in Bali. There would be peace on Earth if we all spent more time in Bali pic.twitter.com/OgA35g81BE Kyle Davies (@KyleLDavies) March 23, 2023 Three Arrows Founders Roll Out Bankruptcy Claims ExchangeBut US Residents Are Barred Last month, Davies and Zhu opened the waitlist for Open Exchange (OPNX), a new company that allows users to trade bankruptcy claims. The marketing on the companys website asks users if they have money stuck on a crypto platform and includes the Three Arrows Capital logo with FTX, Genesis, Celsius, BlockFi and Genesis. But the companys main Twitter account promises the platform will offer a lot more than the trading of bankruptcy claims. OPNX will be more than just a revolutionary claims marketplace, the company said on Twitter Thursday. Users will be able to trade spot, futures, claims and much more all on one platform, with one universal cross margin account. About nine in ten (91%) employees in the food services industry say that there is a manpower shortage, where they cite low wages (58%), long working hours (48%) and dealing with unreasonable customers (42%) as the top challenges they face at work. Majority (65%) of employees expect to leave the food services industry in the foreseeable future, with 26% of them considering leaving in the next six months and 16% of them in the next year. Nearly three in four employees (72%) say the lack of skills development and training is a key factor in driving them to leave the industry, with 67% of employees revealing that they have not been enrolled in industry-relevant training programmes in the past two years. The top three training areas employees desire are business management (35%), personal development (31%), and system and work process improvement (29%). SINGAPORE, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With the gradual recovery of the food services industry, nine in ten (91%) employees say that there is a manpower shortage and cite low wages (58%), long working hours (48%) and dealing with unreasonable customers (42%) as the top challenges they face at work. A majority of employees (65%) expect to leave the food services industry in the foreseeable future, with 26% of them considering leaving in the next six months and 16% of them in the next year. Nearly three in four (72%) employees say the lack of skills development and training is a key factor in driving them to leave the industry. In fact, most (67%) reveal that they have not been enrolled in industry-relevant training programmes in the past two years, despite being keen in enhancing their skill sets in the areas of business management (35%), personal development (31%), and system and work process improvement (29%). Lack of support in professional development driving employees to leave food services industry These are some of the key findings from the recently launched Industry Insights Report 2023 on Food Services, which aims to explore the current landscape of the food services, including the challenges and career outlook among employees. Based on a survey of 200 food services employees in Singapore, and interviews with industry practitioners and experts from NTUC LearningHub, the report also investigates the skills and training gaps among workers in relation to the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) in Singapore. Story continues More than two in five (42%) employees in the food services industry voice that their employers have not taken any active steps to support them in career planning, with nearly a third (32%) report being unaware of the available career pathways in the industry. Nonetheless, employees express interest in pursuing career tracks such as research and development (34%), quality assurance and control (29%), and pastry and baking (28%). Employees who do receive support from employers on career planning say that the most common steps taken are providing opportunities for career progression, such as promotions and expanded roles (25%), opportunities for learning and development (22%), and mentoring and career advice (20%). Commenting on the survey findings, Tay Ee Learn, Chief Sector Skills Officer at NTUC LearningHub, says, "The introduction of the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) for the food services industry will indeed act as an anchor in the continual development of the workforce by facilitating wage and career progression. Businesses can now identify the relevant Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) training modules, such as those offered by training providers like NTUC LearningHub, to meet the mandatory requirements set out by the PWM; while exploring other industry-relevant skills and even Critical Core Skills (soft skills) that will benefit the business and workforce. More importantly, cultivating a robust ecosystem for learning and development by having business leaders champion skills development and lifelong learning will uplift employees by helping them achieve their career goals, and ensure longevity in the industry." To download the Industry Insights 2023 Food Services report, please visit http://www.ntuclearninghub.com/foodservices-2023. To find out more about the courses, training, and grants, visit NTUC LearningHub's website at www.ntuclearninghub.com. About NTUC LearningHub NTUC LearningHub is the leading Continuing Education and Training provider in Singapore which aims to transform the lifelong employability of working people. Since our corporatisation in 2004, we have been working with employers and individual learners to provide learning solutions in areas such as Cloud, Infocomm Technology, Healthcare, Employability & Literacy, Business Excellence, Workplace Safety & Health, Security, Human Resources and Foreign Worker Training. To date, NTUC LearningHub has helped over 26,000 organisations and achieved more than 2.6 million training places across more than 2,900 courses with a pool of about 900 certified trainers. As a Total Learning Solutions provider to organisations, we also forge partnerships to offer a wide range of relevant end-to-end training. Besides in-person training, we also offer instructor-led virtual live classes (VLCs) and asynchronous online learning. The NTUC LearningHub Learning eXperience Platform (LXP) a one-stop online learning mobile application offers timely, bite-sized and quality content for learners to upskill anytime and anywhere. Beyond learning, LXP also serves as a platform for jobs and skills development for both workers and companies. For more information, visit www.ntuclearninghub.com. (PRNewsfoto/NTUC LEARNING HUB) Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/lack-of-support-in-professional-development-driving-employees-to-leave-food-services-industry-301784494.html SOURCE NTUC LearningHub WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Today, the MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) released a landmark study of jihadi reactions to the Russia-Ukraine war, titled "The Global Jihadi Movement - Divided Over The Russia-Ukraine War, Possible Implications For The West." As MEMRI Vice President Ambassador Alberto Fernandez notes in his preface, this "comprehensive" study "provides a minutely detailed deep dive into this war's impact across the 'jihadosphere' - the media, information, and propaganda space where Islamic extremists communicate amongst themselves and to the outside world." He adds: "Not surprisingly, a prevalent view among jihadis is glee at non-Muslims killing each other... these are 'wars between Crusaders and Crusaders.' Like some Western governments, jihadis are in no hurry for this war to end. The more damage it inflicts on both sets of 'infidels,' the better." The JTTM project, which monitors, translates, and analyzes Islamist terrorism and violent extremism worldwide 24/7, has tracked jihadi reactions to the Russia-Ukraine conflict since its beginning in February 2022. In addition to information on jihadis fighting in the conflict, this report comprises a wide range of examples of reactions from major jihadi organizations - ISIS; Al-Qaeda and its branches, such as Al-Shabab in Somalia; Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham in Syria; the Taliban; and Iran-backed militias - and their media outlets and supporters. The study also presents in-depth thoughts about and reactions to the war by prominent individual jihadis, both in the region and in the U.S. and West. The posts are on mainstream platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram, as well as on the encrypted and password-protected platforms that they use. The report's lead author, MEMRI Executive Director Steven Stalinsky, explained: "Since the war in Ukraine began, the spotlight has primarily been on the geopolitical aspect of the conflict and its impact on international relations. At the same time, a jihadi war within the war is underway; some of these groups are taking Russia's side, and others are supporting Ukraine. These developments will have national security ramifications worldwide. This new study, which has taken over a year to complete, includes never-before-released information on the Russia-Ukraine war's impact within the jihadi world." Story continues An excerpt of the report can be read on MEMRI.org. The full report is available to JTTM subscribers. Government, media, and academia with full credentials can request access to it and to other JTTM reports; inquiries may be sent to jttmsubs@memri.org with the report title in the subject line. ABOUT MEMRI Exploring the Middle East and South Asia through their media, MEMRI bridges the language gap between the West and the Middle East and South Asia, providing timely translations of Arabic, Farsi, Urdu-Pashtu, Dari, Turkish, Russian, and Chinese media, as well as original analysis of political, ideological, intellectual, social, cultural, and religious trends. Founded in February 1998 to inform the debate over U.S. policy in the Middle East, MEMRI is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization. MEMRI's main office is located in Washington, DC, with branch offices in various world capitals. MEMRI research is translated into English, French, Polish, Japanese, Spanish, and Hebrew. MEMRI - Middle East Media Research Institute: www.memri.org MEMRI TV - www.memri.org/tv Jihad & Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) - www.memri.org/jttm Cyber & Jihad Lab (CJL) - www.memri.org/cjlab MEMRI Twitter: https://twitter.com/memrireports/ MEMRI YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC59Cpk70K2TwdmApJOTuW9g/videos MEMRI Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/memrireports/ Contact Information: MEMRI media@memri.org 202-955-9070 www.memri.org SOURCE: Middle East Media Research Institute View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/746699/A-New-Landmark-MEMRI-Jihad-And-Terrorism-Threat-Monitor-JTTM-Study-How-The-Global-Jihadi-Movement-Is-Divided-Over-The-Russia-Ukraine-War Patients can now secure additional time, service and support from their trusted physician ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Concierge Choice Physicians (CCP) , the nation's leading full-service concierge medical service provider, today announced that Robert Chiascione, a primary care physician with MountianView Primary Care in Las Vegas, NV, has enrolled in the company's Hybrid Choice program, an enhanced service that gives patients peace of mind with greater connectivity between doctor and patient. Dedicated to providing real options for patients and physicians, Concierge Choice Physicians (CCP) is the largest private provider of the full range of concierge programs available. CCP announced today the addition of 10 new practices, highlighting that in an uncertain healthcare marketplace, both physicians and patients want practice models that assure and protect provider choice and relationships. For more information visit www.choice.md. (PRNewsfoto/Concierge Choice Physicians) Dr. Chiascione has a small, personalized internal medicine practice that serves a significant number of patients aged 50 and above who were seeking additional time, service and support. The Hybrid Choice program by CCP makes this practice experience possible. With the Hybrid Choice, Dr. Chiascione is able to provide patients the option to receive the highest level of connectivity, or to continue as a patient in his traditional practice. No patients are dismissed. The program is simply an option for patients who want assurance that the physician who knows them and their health history will be managing their medical care. "Many of my patients are dealing with multiple conditions or a chronic condition that requires more time with me and more support from my staff, but that's not always easy to offer in this demanding healthcare marketplace," says Dr. Chiascione. "I needed to find a way to give my patients the option for this type of relationship. That's why I explored the Hybrid Choice option by CCP." Today's medical practices are under increasing pressure. For physicians in high-need areas like Dr. Chiascione, CCP's Hybrid Choice is a win-win for doctors and patients. Patients who join get more time and personalized care from the doctor they know and trust, while physicianswho are often stretched to the breaking pointget to practice a more satisfying, old-school style of medicine for a portion of their day, while also relieving the financial pressure on their practice. Story continues Membership benefits include : same-day/next-day appointments that are scheduled for longer so patients never feel rushed; a dedicated concierge coordinator at the office to answer calls and facilitate care; direct after-hours support via Dr. Chiascione's private cell number; patient advocacy and enhanced coordination with specialists and other health providers; and a comprehensive annual exam with customized screenings for each patient. For patients admitted to the hospital, Dr. Chiascione will visit and stay connected with the physicians providing care. "My patients are all different, and have varying healthcare needs," says Dr. Chiascione. "This program allows them to have greater control of the service and support they receive. It's a great option for some patients and I'm quite enthused by the positive response I've been receiving." For more information on Dr. Chiascione's Hybrid Choice program, patients can call (877) 888-5590 or email members@ccpmd.com. About Robert Chiascione, MD Robert Chiascione, MD is an Internal Medicine Specialist in Las Vegas, NV, with over 35 years of experience in the medical field. He graduated from Ross University, School of Medicine in 1988. His practice, "MountainView Primary Care" is located at 7010 Smoke Ranch Road, Suite 100, Las Vegas, NV 89128. About Concierge Choice Physicians (CCP) Dedicated to providing real options for patients and physicians, Concierge Choice Physicians is the largest private provider of the full range of concierge programs available todayHybrid and FullFlex. The company provides innovative, flexible and affordable models proven to work in medical practices of any sizefrom solo physicians to large medical practice corporationsboth independent and affiliated with hospitals or health systems. Headquartered in Rockville Centre, NY, the company has worked with more than 500 physicians in 29 states. For more information, please visit www.ccpmd.com. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/las-vegas-internist-now-offers-the-hybrid-choice-concierge-program-from-concierge-choice-physicians-301786142.html SOURCE CONCIERGE CHOICE PHYSICIANS pixdeluxe / Getty Images A pair of U.S. senators who are pursuing a bipartisan proposal to reform Social Security aimed to calm fears late last week that their plan will lead to reduced benefits for recipients. Social Security: Romney Asks Why 25% Drop in Funds Isnt in Bidens Budget Advice: 3 Ways To Recession-Proof Your Retirement The senators Republican Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Independent Angus King of Maine, who caucuses with Democrats are leading a group of legislators in a proposal to reform Social Security on several fronts. As previously reported by GOBankingRates, their ideas include raising the full retirement age to 70 from 67. They also have proposed creating a sovereign-wealth fund to help pay for Social Security. The fund could be funded with $1.5 trillion or more in borrowed money. Another option is changing the formula that calculates monthly Social Security benefits from one based on a workers average earnings over 35 years to a formula based on the number of years spent working and paying into Social Security. These proposals come amid heightened talk of reforming Social Security before the programs Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund runs out of money. That could happen as soon as 2032, according to one estimate, leaving the program solely reliant on payroll taxes for funding which might cover only about 75% of benefits. Take Our Poll: Do You Think the US Should Raise the Medicare Tax on High Earners To Help Save the Program? Many Social Security advocates strongly oppose raising the full retirement age, equating such a move as a cut in benefits. Cassidy and King looked to quell those fears in a joint statement issued on March 3. In response to what they called incomplete and somewhat alarmist reports regarding the proposal, the senators said their goal is to preserve and protect the retirement security of all Americans now and long into the future. The Social Security fund will be insolvent in less than a decade, the statement said. If Congress chooses to do nothing, current law requires painful 24% cuts to benefits and a daunting future for fulfilling our promises. If we come together now, we can preserve and protect the retirement security of all Americans now and long into the future. Story continues Cassidy and King said that conversations are ongoing regarding their plan, and they will provide further details when they have a fully developed plan. But they did offer a peek at a couple of possible elements. There are dozens of considerations being weighed to protect Social Security, including locking early retirement at 62, an ironclad protection for lower-wage workers, and seeking avenues to increase benefits immediately, the joint statement said. Under what we are discussing, millions would immediately receive more, and no one would receive less. The wild card is whether their plan even makes it to a Congressional vote. They might have a hard time convincing Democrats and even some Republicans to sign on to a higher full retirement age. And as NBC News noted, President Joe Biden and many Democrats prefer addressing the funding shortfall through new revenues, while many Republicans favor reduced spending. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Latest Social Security Proposal Would See Millions Receive More, and No One Would Receive Less LG Continues to Lead Future Vehicular Software Development by Acquiring Both Functional Safety and Cybersecurity Certifications SEOUL, South Korea, March 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- LG Electronics (LG) is the first player to meet international testing standards for functional safety and cybersecurity management for vehicles. LG annually updates required certifications for its hardware and software solutions for electric vehicle components through leading global testing organization, TUV Rheinland. LG Electronics (LG) is the first player to meet international testing standards for functional safety and cybersecurity management for vehicles. A respected player in the rapidly growing EV components industry, LG has consistently complied with international regulations and participated in key certification programs. To lead the field of vehicle safety, LG is committed to securing the technical capabilities both at the employee and the organizational level. LG Electronics (LG) is the first player to meet international testing standards for functional safety and cybersecurity management for vehicles. Recently, LG research engineer Kim Min-kyu obtained the Automotive Functional Safety Expert qualification, becoming the second individual ever to do so since the qualification program was established in 2011. Also, LG acquired functional safety certification for its ADAS front camera in the '4M' (Material, Method, Machine, Man) categories in 2022. The company's vehicle components also comply with the Cyber Security Management System (CSMS) the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe's (UNECE) regulation No. 155 (UN R155). "With the rising importance of vehicle security and safety regulations in the global auto industry, acquiring certification for our auto components and technologies is key to maintaining competitiveness," said Eun Seok-hyun, President of LG Vehicle component Solutions (VS) Company. "LG will continue to comply with the latest standards and grow its capabilities in safety and security to provide our customers with even more reliable solutions." "We congratulate LG on producing Asia's first Functional Safety Expert, an achievement that reflects the company's outstanding, across-the-board performance in acquiring top industry certifications and qualifications," said Frank Juettner, CEO and director of TUV Rheinland Korea. "Obtaining the latest certifications, including ISO/SAE 21434, demonstrates LG's commitment to providing its customers and partners with the highest level of product, system safety and security." Story continues LG has built stellar track records maintaining its innovation at the highest level of quality and reliability. Already in 2018, LG secured technical certification for Functional Safety Management (FSM) in infotainment development, and in 2021, its Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) front camera passed assessments for functional safety (product and processes) based on ISO 26262 an international functional safety standard for the development of electrical and electronic systems for vehicles. LG also plans to lead future trends in autonomous driving, where functional safety will be centered on the fast-growing area of Safety of The Intended Functionality (SOTIF). SOTIF is becoming increasingly important as the entire auto industry seeks to incorporate and expand the use of various advanced technologies in their vehicles, including artificial intelligence (AI), high-definition maps, sensor data interfaces and cybersecurity applications. About LG Electronics Vehicle Component Solutions Company The LG Vehicle component Solutions Company is bringing human-centric innovations to the auto industry. Having secured its position as a trusted and innovative partner, the company continues to provide intelligent and environmentally responsible solutions including in-vehicle infotainment, connectivity, and automotive vision systems. As an 'Innovation Partner for Future Mobility', LG is committed to diversifying its portfolio to further strengthened its capabilities with acquisitions including automotive lighting systems provider, ZKW Group, and vehicle cybersecurity company Cybellum, as well as the joint venture, LG Magna e-Powertrain. For more news on LG, visit www.LG.com/global/mobility. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lg-becomes-worlds-first-auto-component-supplier-to-meet-global-standard-for-functional-safety-and-cybersecurity-301785354.html SOURCE LG Electronics (Bloomberg) -- Premier Li Qiang called China an anchor for world peace while expressing optimism about the recovery in the worlds second-biggest economy in a keynote speech at a forum that included business and government leaders from around the globe. Most Read from Bloomberg Chaos and conflicts must not happen in Asia, otherwise the future of Asia would be lost, Li said Thursday at the Boao Forum for Asia amid tensions between China and the US over issues including trade, technology and Taiwan. He also urged nations to firmly safeguard the hard-won peaceful environment. In this uncertain world, the certainty China offers is an anchor for world peace and development, he said. This is the case in the past and will remain so in the future. Chinas economic recovery is picking up pace, and March will likely produce a better outcome than the first two months of the year, Li said, citing stronger consumption, investment and sentiment. He added that China will continue to pursue stability, expand domestic demand, open the economy and safeguard the financial sector. Li said a China thats stable and dedicated to development would be a pillar for the world economy in a time of uncertainty. We do have the confidence and ability to sail the giant ship of the Chinese economy steadily ahead against all winds and waves, and make even greater contributions to the global economy, he added. Economists are forecasting growth of 5.3% this year, up from just 3% in 2022. Morgan Stanley is even more bullish, predicting 5.7% expansion for the year, and saying in a report Thursday that the government is restoring confidence in private businesses with the return of Jack Ma to China and the swift announcement on Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.s restructuring. Story continues Even so, global growth is slowing and foreign businesses remain cautious about doing business in China. The latest survey from the American Chamber of Commerce in China shows the country is no longer one of the top three investment priorities for US firms. Almost half of US firms already in the market plan no new investments, according to the survey. The four-day Boao gathering comes as Beijing rolls out a charm offensive to court overseas business and investment and bolster its diplomatic efforts to portray China as a responsible geopolitical actor. For foreign firms, operating in China in recent years hasnt been easy. Many faced disruptions and supply chain logjams due to stringent Covid Zero controls, while consumer spending slumped and profits were squeezed. More recently, US firms have faced more scrutiny for their business ties to China amid rising political tensions between the two countries. The Boao event follows on the heels of the China Development Forum earlier this week in Beijing, with global executives like Apple Inc.s Tim Cook and Standard Chartered Plcs Bill Winters making their first visits to the country in years. Li urged foreign business leaders in a meeting this week to take a long-term view amid economic challenges. US-China Strains While strained China-US relations rarely came up during the China Development Forum earlier this week, the mood at a closed-door panel was somber, said Scott Kennedy, a China specialist at the Center for Strategic & International Studies. At the session, which didnt include Li or other senior officials, some Chinese participants complained about a reflexive American opposition to Chinas success, while US participants expressed concern over an unintentional crisis erupting, Kennedy said. Foreign companies are also having to contend with security risks. Japan is seeking the release of an employee of drugmaker Astellas Pharma Inc. who was recently taken into custody by Chinese authorities. A Japanese official told parliament this week that China had detained 17 Japanese citizens since 2015. Also, five local employees at the American due diligence firm Mintz Group were detained last week, according to the New York Times. The company is suspected of engaging in unlawful business operations, the Foreign Ministry in Beijing said. Debt Relief China is also under pressure to provide more debt relief to developing countries. In a speech to the Boao Forum on Thursday, International Monetary Funds Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva underlined the importance of countries in a relatively stronger position helping the vulnerable members of our global community. While she welcomed Chinas participation in multilateral efforts to restructure debts of some developing nations, a number of Western nations including the US, the IMFs largest shareholder, have accused Beijing of dragging its feet in providing relief. The Ministry of Commerce has designated 2023 as the Year of Investing in China, with a series of promotional events planned to lure investors. Commerce Minister Wang Wentao last month said China welcomed foreign businesses to step up research and development spending in the Asian nation. Chinese leaders have in the past used the Boao Forum to announce major steps to open the financial system, including the establishment and expansion of the stock connect program that links mainland exchanges with Hong Kong. (Updates with additional comments from Li.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. With the acquisition of Audaxys in Portugal, Linedata reaffirms its ambition to meet the new challenges facing lending and leasing organizations PARIS & LISBON, Portugal & MADRID & MEXICO CITY & NEW YORK & TORONTO, March 30, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Linedata (Euronext Paris: LIN), a global provider of credit and asset management technology, data and services, announces today the expansion of its Lending and Leasing activities in Southern Europe with the acquisition of Audaxys in Portugal. Through this project, Linedata confirms its ambitions in a region with strong growth potential. Portugal has gradually established itself as a major hub for the world's leading technology companies. Thanks to the quality of its universities, recognized for their excellence in the fields of finance, industrial engineering and technology, the country is today a source of talent renown on the international scene, both by start-ups and major players. As a major player in the global credit and finance market, this acquisition reaffirms Linedata's commitment to expanding in Southern Europe throughout the Iberian region. Linedata's cutting-edge solutions will enable companies seeking technological excellence and innovation to rely on a trusted partner. "The acquisition of Audaxys consolidates our position in Portugal, a territory of the future, open to the world and destined to be one of the key drivers of technological innovation globally, particularly in the financial sector, an industry of major local importance," commented Jamil Jiva, Global Head of Business Development at Linedata. "Its connections with the countries of the Portuguese-speaking world, particularly Brazil via the Portugal 2030 programme, make it a key business location in Europe. As we did in Riga a few years ago for the asset management business, our ambition is to develop a center of excellence in Portugal dedicated to the credit business, based on the know-how of local teams." Story continues "I am delighted by our merger with Linedata, a partner of international renown who shares our human values of caring employees and clients. This alliance offers Audaxys and his teams new development perspectives in the credit business, as well as an even wider range of products and services to meet our clients' needs. We are ready to face tomorrow's challenges together with confidence and determination," added Miguel Rangel, Chairman and CEO of Audaxys. ABOUT LINEDATA With 25 years experience and 700 clients in 50 countries, Linedatas 1100 employees in 20 offices provide global humanized technology solutions and services for the asset management and credit industries that help its clients to evolve and to operate at the highest levels. Headquartered in France, Linedata achieved revenues of EUR 172,7 million in 2022 and is listed on Euronext Paris compartment B FR0004156297-LIN Reuters LDSV.PA Bloomberg LIN:FP.linedata.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230320005054/en/ Contacts Press Linedata - Aurelia Szymanski Tel : + 33 6 63 72 94 14 Email : aurelia.szymanski@se.linedata.com SAN FRANCISCO, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lookout, Inc ., the endpoint to cloud security company, today announced that it has been recognized by CRN , a brand of The Channel Company , with a prestigious 5-star rating in its 2023 Partner Program Guide. The 5-star rating is achieved by select vendors that deliver the best of the best, going above and beyond in their partner programs to help push growth and positive change. Companies are scored based on their investments in program offerings, partner profitability, partner training, education and support, marketing programs and resources, sales support and communication. The Lookout channel partner program is uniquely positioned to tackle the evolved security challenges of the modern threat landscape, including the proliferation of hybrid work. Lookout partners benefit from the Lookout Cloud Security Platform , which converges security service edge (SSE) and endpoint security to protect users and data wherever they reside. It continuously monitors the risk posture of users and devices to provide dynamic and granular zero trust access based on the sensitivity level of apps and data, enabling organizations to protect its workers, their devices, applications and data from unauthorized access as well as from modern day internet based threats. The platform provides customers the ability to leverage the threat intelligence from mobile endpoints to make more informed decisions for cloud security services. The Lookout 5-star rating in the CRN 2023 Partner Program Guide comes from this technical excellence and leadership, combined with the Lookout dedication to partner success. The annual guide offers essential information to solution providers such as managed service providers (MSPs), value-added resellers (VARs), systems integrators and strategic service providers as they explore technology manufacturers' partner programs to find the vendors that will best support their business needs. Story continues "We're proud to accept this honor for the second consecutive year," said Eva-Maria Elya, vice president, channel and MSSP, Lookout. "It validates our dedication to building the best possible ecosystem for our partners to thrive. As we look ahead to the rest of 2023, we're eager to continue to build and provide value for our partners so that we can enjoy further shared success." "In today's world, the need for innovation is greater than ever," said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. "Solution providers seek vendors that can keep pace with their developing business and evolving client needs. CRN's 2023 Partner Program Guide delivers deep insight into the strengths of each program, spotlighting the vendors dedicated to supporting their partner community and pushing positive change throughout the IT channel." Lookout was selected for a 5-star rating based on its extensive support available to partners as well as comprehensive incentive programs, training, certifications, access to technical staff, dedicated channel account managers and sponsors, field leadership support and more. The 2023 Partner Program Guide will be featured in the April 2023 issue of CRN and online at www.CRN.com/PPG . For more information about the Lookout channel partner program, visit: https://www.lookout.com/partners . About Lookout Lookout, Inc. is the endpoint to cloud security company purpose-built for the intersection of enterprise and personal data. We safeguard data across devices, apps, networks and clouds through our unified, cloud-native security platform a solution that's as fluid and flexible as the modern digital world. By giving organizations and individuals greater control over their data, we enable them to unleash its value and thrive. Lookout is trusted by enterprises of all sizes, government agencies and millions of consumers to protect sensitive data, enabling them to live, work and connect freely and safely. To learn more about the Lookout Security Platform, visit www.lookout.com and follow Lookout on our blog , LinkedIn and Twitter . Contact Lookout PR: press@lookout.com 2023 Lookout, Inc. LOOKOUT, the Lookout Shield Design, LOOKOUT with Shield Design, and SIGNAL FLARE are registered trademarks of Lookout, Inc. in the United States and other countries. DAY OF SHECURITY, LOOKOUT MOBILE SECURITY, and POWERED BY LOOKOUT are registered trademarks of Lookout, Inc. in the United States. Lookout, Inc. maintains common law trademark rights in EVERYTHING IS OK, PROTECTED BY LOOKOUT, CIPHERCLOUD, SCREAM, the 4 Bar Shield Design, and the Lookout multi-color/multi-shaded Wingspan design. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lookout-earns-5-star-rating-in-2023-crn-partner-program-guide-301785357.html SOURCE Lookout MacDonald Mines Exploration Ltd. TORONTO, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MacDonald Mines Exploration Ltd. (TSXV:BMK) (MacDonald Mines or the Company) announced today that Greg Romain has tendered his resignation from the positions of President & CEO and as a director of the Company to pursue another opportunity. Mr. Romain has offered to assist the Company with the transition to his successor. The Board of Directors will begin a search for a qualified candidate to succeed Mr. Romain and will provide additional information as it becomes available. About MacDonald Mines Exploration Ltd. MacDonald Mines is a Canadian gold and base metal exploration company focused on exploring its 100%-owned, 19,720ha (197km2) SPJ Project, 20km southeast of the prolific Sudbury Mining Camp in Northern Ontario. The Companys focus is to locate what it theorizes to be large gold systems with high-grade gold surrounding the past producing Scadding Gold Mine and potential large gold structures surrounding Alwyn, Glade, MacLeod and Norstar. The Company is also focusing on key battery metal systems surrounding Candore and Jerome within the SPJ Project to supply the renewable energy transition, particularly nickel, copper, and PGEs. The demand and need for critical battery metals is at an all-time high, and MacDonald Mines feels the SPJ Property Area has the potential to be part of the solution. Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain certain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this news release and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Story continues NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. To learn more about MacDonald Mines, please visit www.macdonaldmines.com. For more information, please contact: Fiona Fitzmaurice, Chief Financial Officer Phone: +1 (416) 364-7024 Email: ffitzmaurice@macdonaldmines.com Strengthens Measures to Protect Shareholder Interests through ShareIntel's DRIL-DownTM process. DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Mangoceuticals, Inc. ("MangoRx" or the "Company"), a company focused on developing, marketing and selling a variety of men's health and wellness products via a secure telemedicine platform, including its uniquely formulated erectile dysfunction (ED) drug branded "Mango," today announced that it has retained Shareholder Intelligence Services, LLC ("ShareIntel") for a 12-month, full-service agreement to review the trading of the Company's common stock to track, identify and monitor for potential illegal short selling activities and deploy solutions to help combat any such activities. ShareIntel aggregates and analyzes shareholder trading data through its DRIL-DownTM process, a compliance driven Software-as-a-Service "SaaS" platform that examines equity flows and reveals suspicious, aberrant, and/or unusual trading activity. The tool aims to help management to identify, interpret and communicate shareholder and broker-dealer movement to the market. The Company is concerned that it may have been the target of a market manipulation scheme involving illegal short selling based on the recent trading pattern of the stock. The Company is committed to taking all necessary actions to protect the interests of its shareholders and will continue to work with ShareIntel and other partners to combat potential manipulative and egregious illegal short selling and trading activities to help ensure fair market conditions. About Shareholder Intelligence Services, LLC Shareholder Intelligence Services, LLC, or ShareIntel, is a compliance driven Software-as-a-Service ("SAAS") provider, retained by public companies to track shareholder ownership, monitor critical broker-dealer and shareholder movement. This process is managed through a proprietary patented web-based application known as the "Data Repository Information Link" system, DRIL-DownTM. The ShareIntel solution empowers public companies with unique analytical tools and provides actionable analytic metrics to help identify abusive short selling, coordinate and monitor for regulatory compliance and provide solutions to help facilitate investor relations, shareholder outreach and more. www.shareintel.com. Story continues About Mangoceuticals, Inc. Mangoceuticals, Inc. is a company focused on developing, marketing and selling a variety of men's health and wellness products and services via a secure telemedicine platform. To date, the Company has identified men's wellness telemedicine services and products as a growing sector and especially related to the area of erectile dysfunction (ED). The Company has developed a new brand of ED product under the brand name "Mango" (think "Man Go"). For more information, please visit www.MangoRx.com. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Such statements include statements regarding the Company's ability to grow its business and the MangoRx brand and other statements that are not historical facts, including statements which may be accompanied by the words "intends," "may," "will," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "projects," "predicts," "estimates," "aims," "believes," "hopes," "potential" or similar words. Actual results could differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements due to certain factors, including without limitation, the use of proceeds from the offering, the Company's ability to achieve profitable operations, customer acceptance of new products, the effects of the spread of COVID-19, the demand for the Company's products and the Company's customers' economic condition, the impact of competitive products and pricing, general economic conditions and other risk factors detailed in the "Risk Factors" section and elsewhere in the Company's final prospectus relating to the offering filed with the SEC. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any responsibility to update the forward-looking statements in this release, except in accordance with applicable law. CONTACT INFORMATION: FOR MEDIA AND INVESTOR RELATIONS Fraxon Market Initiatives, LLC Frank Benedetto Phone: 619-915-9422 Email: investors@mangorx.com SOURCE: Mangoceuticals Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/746598/Mangoceuticals-Inc-Retains-ShareIntel--Shareholder-Intelligence-Services House Speaker Kevin McCarthy again called on President Joe Biden to meet with him on the debt limit only this time he worked in a nasty dig about the 80-year-old presidents age. At a press conference to celebrate the House passage of H.R. 1, Republicans energy bill, McCarthy suggested that Republicans might pass legislation to raise the debt limit based on the letter he sent Biden this week, which included a number of broad proposals to cut spending. House Republicans continue to insist that any increase in the debt ceiling must be paired with spending cuts, an approach they did not take when the debt limit was raised three times under former President Donald Trump. Asked what the effects of such a House bill might be given that it could not get through the Senate and would not be signed by Biden, McCarthy insisted that Republicans have been reasonable and responsible in their approach to the debt limit. He is making the decision that he wants to put the economy in jeopardy, McCarthy said of the president. I dont know what more I can do and how easy I would bring the lunch to the White House. I would make it soft food if thats what he wants. The speakers jab elicited laughs and applause from the Republicans lined up behind him at the news conference, but it did not improve McCarthys chances of arranging another meeting. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that, unlike the White House, Republicans have yet to produce a budget plan. What we really need from Speaker McCarthy and House Republicans is to see their budget, she said. We want to see what they value. We want to see exactly what it is that they want to cut. So lets have that budget discussion. What does the speaker want to discuss? What are the specific cuts? What taxes does he want to raise? Its been three weeks. Weve had our budget out. Like what you're reading? Sign up for our free newsletter. (Bloomberg) -- House Republicans are finalizing a bill combining an increase in the US debt ceiling with spending cuts, energy deregulation and other GOP priorities, Speaker Kevin McCarthy told reporters Thursday. Most Read from Bloomberg McCarthy added that his party would be prepared to pass the bill should President Joe Biden refuse to negotiate. Republicans hold a narrow majority in the House, but the bill is opposed by Democrats, who control the Senate. The conference is very close. If the president doesnt act, we will, McCarthy said. I think the markets would be very excited that one entity here is taking action. Democrats vowed to oppose the coming GOP bill. Democrats are united and will not capitulate to an extreme MAGA wish list just because Republicans have reduced themselves to holding the economy hostage, said Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania, the top Democrat on the Budget Committee. White House Demands GOP Budget They Think McCarthy Cant Deliver The US debt ceiling must be raised by sometime this summer to avoid a market-rattling US payment default. Biden and McCarthy last met Feb. 1 to discuss the debt ceiling and have been locked in a standoff ever since. While Biden has produced a tax-increasing $7 trillion budget proposal for fiscal 2024, the GOP has delayed the release of their comprehensive plan. Instead, McCarthy sent Biden a letter this week outlining demands for a debt-ceiling increase that include cutting domestic spending to pre-pandemic levels, clawing back unspent Covid-19 funds, imposing tougher work requirements on anti-poverty benefits and easing regulations on energy projects. McCarthy said on Thursday the debt-increase bill that the GOP is working on would be based on the ideas in the letter. It is not yet clear how much the debt limit would be increased but the GOP is discussing a short-term bill to stave off a default until September. Story continues McCarthy said that he would prefer to negotiate with Biden, however, and would be willing to meet immediately with the president. The White House has demanded a full budget plan from the GOP before such a meeting, and continues to insist that any budget talks be separate from the debt ceiling which it wants lifted or suspended without conditions. In a sign of growing animosity, McCarthy made a derogatory reference to the 80-year-old presidents age. I would bring the lunch to the White House, McCarthy said. I would make it soft food if thats what he wants. The White House reiterated its demand for a GOP budget. What we really need from Speaker McCarthy and House Republicans is to see their budget, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. Wheres the budget? They come up with excuses. --With assistance from Jennifer Jacobs. (Updates with White House statement in the last line) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. TORONTO, March 30, 2023 /CNW/ - Medtech Canada, the national association representing Canada's medical technology companies, released the following statement from its President and CEO, Nicole DeKort, in response to the Manitoba Government announcing universal access to insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors for patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes as part of Manitoba's 2023 budget. Medtech Canada Logo (CNW Group/Medtech Canada) "In his budget address, the Hon. Cliff Cullen, Manitoba Minister of Finance, stated, 'Manitobans with diabetes simply can not live full lives without access to necessary medical technology.' The Minister couldn't be more right. Diabetes requires managing glucose levels day and night. Access to technology such as insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors (CGM) are a big step towards decreasing this burden, especially when an insulin pump is combined with an integrated continuous glucose monitor that allows for adaptive insulin delivery. In 2021 the Manitoba Government expanded eligibility for advanced glucose monitors and insulin pumps to include all young adults under the age of 25. While this was a step in the right direction, it left many unable to access the benefits afforded by these technologies that positively impact patients. With this announcement, Manitoba is a Canadian leader in access to insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors for patients living with diabetes by reducing the administrative burden on prescribers and expanding who is allowed to prescribe these technologies. Access to diabetes technology not only improves quality of life and reduces disease burden, but can also reduce and delay health complications, resulting in long-term savings for the health system in both financial and human resources. We encourage other provinces to follow suit and provide universal access to insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors for patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes. Medtech Canada looks forward to continuing to work with provincial governments to ensure access to proven technologies is available to patients when they need them, where they are." Story continues To learn more about the opportunities presented by medical technologies to address backlog and health system challenges, please visit: medtechinnovation.ca/medtech-solutions. About Medtech Canada Medtech Canada is the national association representing Canada's medical technology companies. Our association advocates for achieving patient access to leading edge, innovative technology solutions that provide valuable outcomes. Our members are committed to providing safe and innovative medical technologies that enhance the quality of patient care, improve patient access to health care, and help enable the sustainability of our health care systems. The medical technology industry in Canada employs over 35,000 Canadians in approximately 1,500 facilities across the country. SOURCE Medtech Canada Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2023/30/c4030.html TruBit, the leading cryptocurrency platform in Latin America, has teamed up with Mercado Pago, the largest and fastest-growing fintech in the region, to provide a safe and user-friendly method of purchasing cryptocurrencies through their wallet and exchange. This strategic partnership has the potential to transform the crypto landscape in Mexico. Mercado Pago has been widely accepted in various establishments in Latin America, from supermarkets to convenience stores like Circle K and 7-11, pharmacies, gas stations, banks such as Santander, BBVA, HSBC, and many more. As a result, people in Mexico can easily deposit cash into their Mercado Pago accounts and then access TruBit's wide range of crypto products. This integration enables more than 14 million existing Mercado Pago Mexican users to conveniently access a diverse range of cryptocurrencies through TruBit. With this new option, users can now purchase over 80 assets, including BTC, ETH, USDT, MMXN, and XRP, using their Mercado Pago and Mercado Credit account balances. MEXICO CITY, MEXICO / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / TruBit and Mercado Pago have announced their strategic partnership to offer innovative cryptocurrency purchasing solutions to their users. The collaboration between TruBit, the leading crypto ecosystem, and the fastest growing fintech in Latin America aims to foster the mass adoption of cryptocurrencies in the region, where many people still do not have access to traditional banking services. Mercado Pago has multiple cash deposit establishments in Mexico, from supermarkets to convenience stores like Circle K and 7-11, pharmacies, banks such as Santander, BBVA, HSBC, and many more. As a result, people in Mexico can easily deposit cash into their Mercado Pago accounts and then access TruBit's wide range of crypto products anytime, anywhere, without the need for a bank account, credit or debit card. TruBit, Thursday, March 23, 2023, Press release picture Jorge Cabrera, Commercial Director of Mercado Pago, asserts that the company's main goal is to become a reliable ally for users, helping them manage their finances efficiently. With a broad user base of over 14 million in all of Mexico, the company has registered that in recent months, around 138,000 of them have acquired cryptocurrencies and 7% have used the MercadoPago application for buying and selling. Story continues "What we are really looking for is to offer users the option to enter the field of cryptocurrencies in a simple and accessible way, this is a first step in our vision of democratizing financial services," Cabrera explained. We are committed to providing innovative and quality solutions that allow users to take control of their finances in a secure and reliable way. With the alliance with TruBit, we are confident that we can expand cryptocurrency purchase options in an accessible and easy way for our users in Mexico and throughout Latin America. TruBit's integration of Mercado Pago as a purchase option is a significant development for Mercado Pago users in Latin America. This integration enables more than 14 million existing Mercado Pago Mexican users to conveniently access a diverse range of cryptocurrencies through TruBit. With this new option, users can now purchase over 80 assets, including BTC, ETH, USDT, MMXN, and XRP, using their Mercado Pago and Mercado Credit account balances. This feature is especially beneficial for individuals seeking to expand their investment portfolio and explore new financial horizons. As the most comprehensive crypto platform in Mexico, TruBit is dedicated to satisfying all of its users' crypto requirements. The platform offers a wide range of crypto products, such as spot trading, perpetual trading, earn+, payment, and remittance services. With the recent integration of Mercado Pago and other payment options, TruBit now delivers a more complete, efficient, and zero-cost crypto onboarding experience for everyone. Finally, it's worth mentioning that Mercado Pago business accounts can now invest a portion of their funds in cryptocurrencies through TruBit Earn+. This new option enables businesses to take advantage of the upward trend in Bitcoin, which has been the best performing asset over the last decade and is likely to continue its growth as its supply decreases. "Recently, Trubit has just released the connection to SPEI, and now it is connected to Mercado Pago, which is another important achievement, providing a more simple fiat gateway for Latin American users to buy and sell cryptocurrencies directly. At TruBit, we strive to provide the best user experience and are committed to making it easy for every Latin American user to join the cryptocurrency world." concluded Maggie Wu , CEO and co-founder of TruBit. The alliance between TruBit and MercadoPago, the leading electronic payment processing giant, is a significant milestone in the regulatory compliance journey from cash conversion to crypto assets. By leveraging their strengths and expertise, both companies are poised to offer innovative solutions that connect digital payments with the world of cryptocurrencies. Discover the most comprehensive platform in the region and join the cryptocurrency revolution today. About TruBit One crypto ecosystem for all your needs. TruBit simplifies entry into the cryptocurrency market for enthusiasts and users by offering a hassle-free wallet TruBit and comprehensive exchange TruBit Pro. With subsidiaries in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia, TruBit is committed to delivering more convenient, secure, and comprehensive digital currency services for all Latin American users. About Mercado Pago Mercado Pago is a leading electronic payment platform in Latin America that offers a wide range of services to facilitate and secure online payment and collection processes. It is owned by Mercado Libre, the fastest-growing fintech company in Latin America, and currently operates in several Latin American countries. The platform allows users to make secure and easy online payments through various means, such as credit cards, debit cards, bank transfers, and cash at authorized payment points. Additionally, Mercado Pago offers a virtual wallet where users can store their money and make payments and transfers without the need for a bank account. For more information and media inquiries, please contact: jane@trubit.com www.trubit.com SOURCE: TruBit View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/745514/From-Mercado-Pago-to-TruBit-Buying-Crypto-Has-Never-Been-Easier - The launch of Global X Hang Seng TECH ETF (2837) is part of Mirae Asset's broader strategy of expanding its presence in technology themes - With a total of 25 ETFs listed in Hong Kong, Mirae Asset is well-positioned to meet the growing investors' demand for innovative and thematic investment products HONG KONG, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mirae Asset Global Investments (Hong Kong) Limited, (the "Firm" or "Mirae Asset") today announced the launch of its new Global X Hang Seng TECH ETF (2837), offering investors a broad-based and efficient investment tool to gain access to the innovative tech sector with high growth potential. (PRNewsfoto/Mirae Asset Global Investments (Hong Kong) Limited) The Global X Hang Seng TECH ETF (2837) tracks the Hang Seng TECH Index, which represents the 30 largest technology companies listed in Hong Kong that have high business exposure to technology themes and pass the index's screening criteria. The index covers sectors classified under information technology, consumer discretionary, healthcare, industrials, and financials. It targets those with high business exposure to the selected technology themes, such as Cloud, Digital, Ecommerce, FinTech, or Internet or autonomous activities. The Hang Seng TECH Index comprises some of the most innovative and dynamic companies in Hong Kong's technology landscape, with a total market capitalization of approximately HKD 9.8 trillion as of March 28, 2023[1]. As a leading ETF provider, Mirae Asset remains dedicated to offering our clients access to dynamic and emerging themes. Mr. Wanyoun CHO, Chief Executive Officer of Mirae Asset Global Investments (Hong Kong) Limited said: "We are delighted to launch the Global X Hang Seng TECH ETF (2837), which provides investors with a simple and efficient way to invest in the fast-growing technology sector in Hong Kong. By introducing this broad TECH index-based ETF to its thematic-focus product line-up, Mirae Asset demonstrates its commitment to providing innovative investment solutions that meet the evolving needs of its clients in the region." Story continues HKEX has just announced the new listing rules for Specialist Technology Companies to be effective from March 31, 2023. This provides a new listing pathway for the new economy sector, which includes artificial intelligence. Mr. Cho added, "With the recent favorable market development on tech companies listing, and the artificial intelligence (AI) technology advancement, we see long-term and sustainable growth potential in the technology sector." The Global X Hang Seng TECH ETF (2837) tracks the Hang Seng TECH Index, with a total expense ratio of up to 0.45% for the first 12 months. It is available for both retail and institutional investors, trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange during normal trading hours. With this new ETF, the firm has a total of 25 ETFs listed in Hong Kong, covering thematic growth, ESG, core, income, and commodities ETFs. About Mirae Asset Global Investments Group Mirae Asset Global Investments Group (the "group") is an asset management organization with over US$198 billion in assets under management as of Dec 31, 2022[2]. The organization provides a diverse range of investment products including mutual funds, exchange traded funds ("ETFs"), and alternatives. Operating out of 20 offices worldwide, the group has a global team of more than 1,000 employees, including more than 200 investment professionals. The group's global ETF platform features a line-up of 490 ETFs that offer investors high quality and cost-efficient exposure to newly emerging investment themes and disruptive technologies in the global markets.[3] The group's ETFs have combined assets under management of US$82 billion and are listed in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, the United Kingdom, and the United States.[4] About Global X ETFs Global X ETFs was founded in 2008. For more than a decade, our mission has been empowering investors with unexplored and intelligent solutions. Our product lineup features over 180 ETF strategies and over $41.6 billion in assets under management.[5] While we are distinguished for our Thematic Growth, Income, and International Access ETFs, we also offer Core, Commodity, and Alpha funds to suit a wide range of investment objectives. Global X is a member of Mirae Asset Financial Group, a global leader in financial services, with more than US$482 billion in assets under management worldwide.[6] Mirae Asset Global Investments Hong Kong: https://www.am.miraeasset.com.hk/ Global X ETFs Hong Kong: www.globalxetfs.com.hk Important Information Investors should not base investment decisions on this document alone. Please refer to the Prospectus for details including product features and the risk factors. Investment involves risks. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. There is no guarantee of the repayment of the principal. Investors should note: 1. Global X Hang Seng TECH ETF (the "Fund") seeks to provide investment results that, before deduction of fees and expenses, closely correspond to the performance of the Hang Seng TECH Index (the "Index"). 2. The Fund's investments are concentrated in companies with a technology theme. Technology companies are often characterised by relatively higher volatility in price performance. Companies in the technology sector also face intense competition, and there may also be substantial government intervention, which may have an adverse effect on profit margins. These companies are also subject to the risks of loss or impairment of intellectual property rights or licences, cyber security risks resulting in undesirable legal, financial, operational and reputational consequences. 3. The Fund's investments are concentrated in securities listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (the "SEHK") of companies that are active in technology sector may result in greater volatility in the value of the Fund than more diverse portfolios which comprise broad-based global investments. The value of the Fund may be more susceptible to adverse economic, political, policy, foreign exchange, liquidity, tax, legal or regulatory event affecting the technology sector. 4. The Index is subject to concentration risk as a result of tracking the performance of securities incorporated in, or with majority of revenue derived from, or with a principal place of business in, the Greater China region. The Fund's NAV is therefore likely to be more volatile than a broad-based fund. 5. As part of the securities lending transactions, there is a risk of shortfall of collateral value due to inaccurate pricing of the securities lent or change of value of securities lent. This may cause significant losses to the Fund. The borrower may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. The Fund may suffer from a loss or delay when recovering the securities lent out. This may restrict the Fund's ability in meeting delivery or payment obligations from realisation requests. 6. The trading price of the Fund unit (the "Unit") on the SEHK is driven by market factors such as demand and supply of the Unit. Therefore, the Units may trade at a substantial premium or discount to the Fund's net asset value. 7. Dividends may be paid from capital or effectively out of capital of the Fund, which may amount to a return or withdrawal of part of an investor's original investment or from any capital gains attributable to that original investment and result in an immediate reduction in the Net Asset Value per Unit of the Fund. Disclaimer This document is for Hong Kong investors only. This document is provided for information and illustrative purposes and is intended for your use only. It is not a solicitation, offer or recommendation to buy or sell any security or other financial instrument. The information contained in this document has been provided as a general market commentary only and does not constitute any form of regulated financial advice, legal, tax or other regulated services. Certain of the statements contained in this document are statements of future expectations and other forward-looking statements. Views, opinions and estimates may change without notice and are based on a number of assumptions which may or may not eventuate or prove to be accurate. Actual results, performance or events may differ materially from those in such statements. Investment involves risk. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. It cannot be guaranteed that the performance of the Funds will generate a return and there may be circumstances where no return is generated or the amount invested is lost. It may not be suitable for persons unfamiliar with the underlying securities or who are unwilling or unable to bear the risk of loss and ownership of such investment. Before making any investment decision, investors should read the Prospectus for details and the risk factors. Investors should ensure they fully understand the risks associated with the Funds and should also consider their own investment objective and risk tolerance level. Investors are advised to seek independent professional advice before making any investment. Information and opinions presented in this document have been obtained or derived from sources which in the opinion of Mirae Asset Global Investments (Hong Kong) Limited ("MAGIHK") are reliable, but we make no representation as to their accuracy or completeness. We accept no liability for a loss arising from the use of this document. Products, services and information may not be available in your jurisdiction and may be offered by affiliates, subsidiaries and/or distributors of MAGIHK as stipulated by local laws and regulations. This document is not directed to any person in any jurisdiction where the availability of this document is prohibited. Persons in respect of whom such prohibitions apply or persons other than those specified above must not access this document. It is your responsibility to be aware of and to observe all applicable laws and regulations of any relevant jurisdiction. Please consult with your professional adviser for further information on the availability of products and services within your jurisdiction. This document is issued by MAGIHK (Licensed by the Securities and Futures Commission for Types 1, 4 and 9 regulated activities under the Securities and Futures Ordinance). This document has not been reviewed by the Securities and Futures Commission or the applicable regulator in the jurisdiction in which this article is posted and no part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, or referred to in any other publication, without express written permission of MAGIHK. Copyright 2023 Mirae Asset Global Investments. All rights reserved. [1] Source: Hang Seng Indexes, as at 28 March 2023. [2] Source: Mirae Asset, Dec 31, 2022. [3] Source: Mirae Asset, Dec 31, 2022. [4] Ibid. [5] Source: Global X, Dec 31, 2022. [6] Source: Mirae Asset, Sep 2022. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/mirae-asset-bolsters-tech-etf-line-up-with-global-x-hang-seng-tech-etf-301784766.html SOURCE Mirae Asset Global Investments (Hong Kong) Limited Molecure Molecure Announces Full Year Financial 2022 Results A Year of Significant Progress Entering 2023 with strong momentum and a robust pipeline of proprietary, first-in-class compounds First patient dosed in Phase I trial with OATD-02, a novel, first in class dual arginase inhibitor for the treatment of cancer Lead proprietary candidate, OATD-01, a novel chitinase inhibitor in sarcoidosis, expected to advance into a Phase II study with first patient dosed in second half of 2023 Chief Medical Officer Samson Fung, MD, appointed to the Molecure Management Board to lead global clinical development, translational science and regulatory strategies Dr. Zbigniew Zasona, Director of Biology, promoted to Chief Scientific Officer Warsaw, Poland 30 March 2023 Molecure S.A. (Molecure: WSE: MOC) a clinical stage biotechnology company that uses its world leading medicinal chemistry and biology capabilities to discover and develop first-in-class small molecule drug candidates that directly modulate unexplored protein and RNA targets to treat multiple incurable diseases, announces full year results for the period ended 31 December 2022. The full report in Polish can be found here . Molecure has made significant progress over 2022, becoming a clinical stage biotechnology company preparing our two most advanced assets to start multi-center phase I and phase II studies respectively said Marcin Szumowski, CEO and President of the Management Board of Molecure. The decision to change our name to Molecure reflects our mission, vision and confidence in the clinical and market potential of our pipeline which we believe could make an important difference to patients with cancer and interstitial lung diseases. In recent weeks, we achieved an important milestone dosing the first cancer patient in a Phase I study with OATD-02, the first and only dual arginase inhibitor. This novel small molecule has been designed to treat a broad range of solid tumors as well as leukemia, particularly in combination with other anti-cancer therapeutics, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors." Story continues OATD-01, a novel chitotriosidase 1 (CHIT1) inhibitor with disease modifying potential in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis, is nearing the start of Phase II, with the first patient expected to be dosed in the second half of 2023. Positive results of this clinical proof-of-concept study in sarcoidosis may open doors to treatment of other Interstitial Lung Diseases (ILDs), including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) as well as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) which represent significantly larger global patient populations. I am looking forward to data from this study which we hope will confirm the key role of CHIT1 inhibition as a new treatment pathway for diseases where chronic inflammation leads to tissue remodeling and fibrosis." "We believe that a successful outcome to this study may mark an important value inflection milestone that will further enhance Molecures profile with both potential pharma partners and investors. Investor Presentation The Company's full year presentation to investors will be held on April 5, 2023 at 2:00 PM (CET) in an online meeting. Link here . The meeting will be conducted in Polish and English with simultaneous translation. It is expected to last approximately 90 minutes. Selection of the meeting language will be available after joining the event. Commercial & Operational Highlights In 2022, Molecure announced a new name and brand identity. This change reflects the Companys DNA as well as its growth and maturity, with ongoing commitment to discover and develop novel small molecule therapies for millions of people suffering from serious and incurable diseases worldwide. Molecure regained all rights to its novel, chitinase inhibitor OATD-01 Data generated to date demonstrate an attractive pharmacological profile for OATD-01 and scientific advice received from EMA and FDA is highly supportive of progressing OATD-01 into Phase II clinical development. The first patient in the planned Phase II trial is expected to be dosed in the second half of 2023 Multiple discussions with leading pulmonologists & KOLs in interstitial lung diseases have taken place throughout 2022 to help shape the planned clinical development program of this novel drug candidate OATD-01 could be the first drug targeting sarcoidosis that is disease modifying and moreover it has potential in several other respiratory indications including IPF as well as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH),which addresses a much larger patient population The President of the Polish Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices and Biocidal Products granted permission to conduct the first clinical trial of OATD-02 in November 2022 Following the CTA approval, Molecure has recently initiated a Phase I clinical trial with the first patient dosed in March 2023. The study will assess safety, tolerability and preliminary efficacy of OATD-02 in patients with advanced and/or metastatic solid tumors OATD-02 is an oral, potent and selective first-in-class, dual arginase inhibitor (ARG1 and ARG2) with the potential to treat a broad range of cancers in combination with other anti-cancer agents A Publication* entitled OATD-02 Validates the Benefits of Pharmacological Inhibition of Arginase 1 and 2 in Cancer was published in August 2022 This paper covered the first study validating the potential benefits of pharmacological inhibition of ARG2 in cancer and demonstrates that OATD-02 is a potent dual ARG1/ARG2 inhibitor with intracellular activity (necessary for targeting ARG2) and exhibiting immunomodulatory and direct antitumor efficacy in pre-clinical models * Link to publication here . Significant progress in deubiquitinase inhibitor programs USP7 inhibitor program is progressing to the advanced lead optimization stage The lead molecule OATD4828 has shown encouraging dose-dependent inhibition of tumor growth in preclinical models of various cancer types A promising selective and potent compound has recently been discovered with high affinity for USP21, a novel and biologically validated therapeutic target for cancer treatment Further development and expansion of the mRNA targeting small molecule discovery platform Continued development of this novel platform, with a broad range of analytical techniques being applied to confirm the secondary structure of 6 most promising target regions Expansion of both cellular and molecular screening capabilities Ongoing collaborations with leading international RNA centers to expand and leverage the companys expertise and alternative approach to identify compounds interacting with selected mRNA regions A profit-sharing based service offering is being developed to provide potential industry partners interested in discovery and development of small molecules that interact with mRNA an option to pursue targets and any NCE leads discovered under the collaboration in exchange for revenue sharing with Molecure in the form of development milestones & royalties Key organizational changes to drive the Company through its next phase of growth and clinical development Appointment of Samson Fung, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer to lead global clinical development, translational science and regulatory strategies. Dr Fung will lead the advancement of 0ATD-01 and OATD-02 into Phase II and Phase I clinical trials respectively Dr. Zbigniew Zasona, former VP research biology promoted to Chief Scientific Officer Supervisory board expanded to include Dr. Paul van der Horst, Dr. Nancy Van Osselaer and Pawe Trawkowski as its new members Important Post-period Highlights Significant progress made on OATD-02, an oral, potent and selective first-in-class, dual arginase inhibitor (ARG1 and ARG2) for the treatment of cancer First patient dosed in March 2023 in Phase I clinical trial to assess safety, tolerability and preliminary efficacy of OATD-02 in patients with advanced and/or metastatic solid tumors lnitial clinical data expected at the end of 2023 Publication in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, a journal of the American Association of Cancer Research, entitled Arginase 1/2 inhibitor OATD-02: from discovery to first-in-man setup in cancer immunotherapy. Link here . Dr. Samson Fung, Chief Medical Officer appointed to the Companys Management Board to support the successful clinical development of OATD-01 and OATD-02 Dr. Zbigniew Zasona, promoted to Chief Scientific Officer from his former position as VP Research Biology. Dr. Zasona, remains on Molecures Management Board Partnering events and investor conferences Post period end, CEO, Marcin Szumowski and business development director, Nicolas Beuzen attended partnering conference Bio-Europe in Basel Switzerland in March. The event brought together thousands of outstanding biopharma companies enabling meaningful partner discussions The company will also attend and present pipeline progress at the LSX Congress in London, 3-4th May. The LSX Congress is one of the largest healthcare conferences and partnering events held in Europe. Full Year Financial Highlights Operating income of PLN1.64 million, a slight increase from 2021 due to grants received during the year Operating expenses totaled PLN18.63 million, an increase of PLN3.41 million. This was mainly due to higher wages as the companys pipeline advances together with increasing costs of external services Net loss for the year ended 31 December 2022 totaled PLN15.26 million vs net loss of PLN13.64 million in 2021 due to higher costs As of December 31, 2022, Molecure had cash of PLN66 million (US$15 million) Current cash balances are expected to fund the companys operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements for at least another 12 months. US$/PLN exchange rate 4.38 as of 31 December 2022 ENDS For further information, please contact: Molecure S.A. (PR & IR) Marta Borkowska Email: m.borkowska@molecure.com +(48) 728 728 143 MEDiSTRAVA Consulting (Financial PR) Frazer Hall, David Dible, Sandi Greenwood, Eleanor Perkin molecure@medistrava.com +44 (0)203 928 6900 About Molecure Molecure is a clinical stage biotechnology company that uses its world leading medicinal chemistry and biology capabilities to discover and develop first-in-class small molecule drug candidates that directly modulate the function of underexplored protein and RNA targets to treat multiple incurable diseases. Molecure has generated a diverse pipeline of seven distinct programs with the support of leading academic life science institutions globally, including Yale University, Rutgers University, the Flemish Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) in Ghent, the University of Michigan and the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw (IIMCB). Molecures most advanced in-house drug candidate is OATD-01, a first-in-class inhibitor of CHIT1 for the treatment of interstitial lung diseases, such as sarcoidosis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, that is Phase II ready. A Phase II trial in patients with sarcoidosis is expected to start in the second half of 2023. Our second proprietary candidate is OATD-02, an oral, potent and selective first-in-class, dual arginase inhibitor (ARG1 and ARG2) for the treatment of cancer, which has advanced to Phase I clinical development in March 2023. Molecures headquarters and laboratories are located in Warsaw, Poland with an additional laboratory facility in odz. The company is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (ticker: MOC). For more information, please visit https://molecure.com LinkedIn: Molecure | Twitter: @molecure_sa | YouTube: Molecure SA SmartAsset: Are money market accounts safe? When banking failures occur, depositors naturally become worried about their money. They also tend to question whether to withdraw cash from their accounts or leave it where it is. And as depositors look for a safe place to house their funds during a crisis, many consider money market accounts (MMAs) as an option. But are money market accounts a secure place to store cash? We'll discuss the details. If you want more guidance on what financial institution best fits your financial plan, consider enlisting the help of an experienced financial advisor who can provide a holistic strategy given your personal circumstances. Are Money Market Accounts Safe? Like many commercial bank accounts, money market accounts are insured up to $250,000 by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). So if depositors have $250,000 or less saved in their money market account, they are covered. This helps depositors by adding insurance for their money. If depositors have more than $250,000, putting the rest of their money in another FDIC-insured bank account will keep their money secure as well. Money market accounts are different from money market mutual funds, however. Money market mutual funds are typically offered by brokers and are not FDIC-insured. Banks and credit unions don't offer money market mutual funds, either. What Is a Money Market Account? A money market account works as a kind of hybrid between a savings account and a checking account. In general, a money market account can offer the best of both worlds. For example, MMAs may be similar to checking accounts in that account holders can write checks or use a debit card. Those options may not be available for users of savings accounts. MMAs also have the ability to earn interest like a savings account does. They may even earn higher interest than your typical savings accounts earn. When it comes to annual percentage yield (APY), money market accounts may use a tiered system. This means that APYs can be higher or lower depending on how much you have saved in your account. Keep in mind APYs can change to higher or lower rates at any time. Story continues On the flip side, money market accounts do come with limitations. For one, it's not uncommon for MMAs to have minimum balance requirements. And MMA holders are typically restricted to six withdrawals per banking statement cycle due to federal regulations. If you have any questions about the restrictions, you should contact your financial institution for more information. Should You Open a Money Market Account? SmartAsset: Are money market accounts safe? Not only can you find money market accounts at banks, but they can also be offered at credit unions, too. At credit unions, MMAs are insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) for up to $250,000. But before diving in to open an MMA, consider the following factors: Your Current Banking Institutions When it comes to a banking collapse, don't panic immediately. Keep up to date with any news surrounding your current banks, whether it's positive or negative. Taking money out of your account immediately without good reason may cause problems. For example, making a $10,000 withdrawal or more will trigger the bank to report it to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for any potential illegal activity. Your Withdrawals and Savings Habits A money market account may grow over time. So if you plan on parking your cash, this is a good place to start. But if you make frequent withdrawals, a money market account may not be the right choice for you, as there are limited withdrawals per month. Consider your spending habits before making a decision. The Benefits of a Financial Advisor If you are having trouble making a decision on where to safely deposit your money, a financial advisor may be able to help you review your options. An advisor may help calm your fears during a time of crisis and help walk you through various financial scenarios needed to help you resolve your concerns and reach your financial goals. Bottom Line SmartAsset: Are money market accounts safe? Any time a banking crisis occurs, it will naturally cause fear among many depositors. Many depositors will look for a safe place to put their money, and a money market account could be a suitable destination for their needs. To determine if a money market account is right for you, consider your savings and withdrawal habits. Tips for Opening a New Bank Account Banking decisions can be big. From deciding where to keep your money to what types of accounts you need to use, these decisions impact your financial future. Working with a financial advisor can help you be proactive about making the right decisions for your unique personal situation. Finding the right financial advisor doesn't have to be hard. SmartAsset's free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you're ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now. As you're contemplating what bank to use for your new checking or savings account, consider our guide to the best banks in America. Photo credit: iStock.com/Jinda Noipho, iStock.com/PeopleImages, iStock.com/dragana991 The post Are Money Market Accounts Safe? appeared first on SmartAsset Blog. The panopticon might be realer than we realize. Earlier this month, ResumeBuilder.com surveyed 1,000 business leaders at companies operating on a primarily remote or hybrid plan. The vast majority of them admitted to monitoring their employees in some shape or form. Perhaps most dystopian: More than one-third required employees to be on a live, monitored video feed. Three in four of those companies have fired employees because of what they found via their monitoring software. A similar amount70%said theyve had employees quit over their refusal to be monitored. Companies are sticking with their choices; 97% believe using the software has increased workers productivity. But just 10% of those companies admitted that theyre using the monitoring software as a means of encouraging a return to in-person work. The employee monitoring boom coincided with the pandemic, when many industries switched to a remote-first model for the first time. Worried productivity would falter at home and hurt their bottom line, leaders struggled to lure workers back into office, and some turned to monitoring the workers insistent on staying home. Nearly 40% of the companies ResumeBuilder.com surveyed said they first began monitoring workers in 2020. But the trend has only grown; 20% started monitoring within the past year. The survey echoes previous findings that a shocking 80% of major private employers in the U.S. track productivity, as the New York Times reported last year, from tracking keyboard swipes to active time online. The results could lead to missed bonuses or promotions. Its clear from our survey that there are still organizations struggling to manage their workforce post-pandemic, ResumeBuilder.coms chief career advisor Stacie Haller wrote. The focus on hours worked versus actual productivity seems to reflect the challenges management teams are facing. Resentment hamstrings innovation Despite employers' beliefs that monitoring remote workers can make them more productive, they're only breeding a paranoia that makes their efforts backfire. Story continues When asked by ResumeBuilder.com how they use their monitoring software, most companies said via monitoring web browsing and application use (62%) and blocking certain content and apps (49%). But a surprisingly high percentage37%require workers to be on camera all day. Of this group, nearly all (93%) say they monitor the live video feed, often for four or more hours per day. Naturally, this doesnt fly for many workers, who end up quitting. In fact, monitored workers tend to be less loyal and extend less effort because of their fundamental mistrust of their company. In 2021, David Welsh, a management and entrepreneurship professor at Arizona State University, conducted a study that found employees under the watchful eye of bosses were more likely to take unapproved breaks and work more slowly. Workers felt like they were being controlled, and they had less of a sense of personal responsibility because of how they were being monitored, he told the BBC. Indeed, ResumeBuilder.coms study found that remote workers being monitored usually spend two to three hours of the workday non-productively, with some time spend on non-work activities like browsing the internet or social media. But I would point out that two hours may be easily wasted when working in-house as well, Haller said. However, in-house employees are not being monitored in the same way. It is not surprising that many employees do not want to feel like Big Brother is watching them daily. As bosses become more confident in their workers ability to perform without oversight, software monitoring will hopefully become antiquated, Haller said. Thats putting aside the fact that, despite all the spying and resentment, hybrid workers are the most productive, engaged, and optimistic about their work and its impact. Maybe the best thing bosses could do is leave their people alone. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com More from Fortune: Ohio government statehouse in Columbus. Ohio government statehouse in Columbus. Credit - Getty Images/iStockphotoCopyright 2019 Christopher Boswell If you attend a college-level earth science class in Ohio in the coming years, you might learn about how climate change is causing heat waves, flooding, and record storms, and how humanity has a shrinking window to drastically cut emissions and forestall the worst effects. But your instructor could also be forced to spend a big chunk of time talking about how a few largely discredited researchers and fossil-fuel funded lobbyists dont think theres really much of an issue. Thats because just last week, the state senate began debating the Ohio Higher Education Enhancement Act, which would tie the hands of instructors at colleges and universities from teaching effectively on subjects the state legislature has labeled as controversial, including climate change. Those institutions would have to guarantee that theyre encourag[ing] students to reach their own conclusions, on such matters, which also include subjects like abortion rights. The schools are also obligated to not seek to inculcate any social, political, or religious point of view on students. Higher education institutions would also be barred from implementing sustainability initiatives. Diversity or equity programs would also be banned. Classroom politics have been at the center of an intense national discussion for years, with much of that controversy focusing on sexual orientation, gender identity, race, and American history. Climate science is sometimes thrown into the debate as well. Idaho, for instance, went through the legislative equivalent of a knock down drag out fight over a proposal to include climate change in the states academic standards back in 2019. Those tensions have recently been inflamed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantiss increasingly zealous efforts to remake the states school systems and universities in opposition to what conservatives have termed wokeness. Now, the Ohio education bill may signal that that renewed conservative education push has extended to climate science as well, with politicians seeking to insert proven falsehoods into higher-education science courses. Story continues That conservative crusade comes at a time of increased attention among educators and progressive politicians to get more climate science into classrooms in order to help children understand the accelerating changes in the world around them. New Jersey became the first state to legislate climate change into its learning standards back in 2020, followed by Connecticut last year. New Jerseys standards went into effect last fall, with educators introducing children to climate change starting in kindergarten, and in both science classes and less obvious subjects, like art and physical education. Supporters of the policy point to studies that show how climate education can inculcate sustainable habits, and even help increase parental engagement on the issue. Many schools mention climate change in science class, but absent efforts like those in New Jersey the curriculum can fall woefully behind the current science and state of urgency. On a recent visit to several D.C.-area charter schools, for instance, a colleague of mine was surprised by how little climate awareness was part of the curriculum. She asked one class of 11th graders if any of them were worried about how climate change would impact their own lives; only one hand went up, and that student was more focused on what would happen if the polar ice caps melted 100 years from now. A few students in a 9th grade class had heard of Greta Thunberg, but werent exactly sure what she stood for. When prompted, a few other 11th graders in another school acknowledged that heat waves had gotten worse in the D.C. area over the past few years, likely because of climate change, but the solution, they said, was more air conditioning. Other classes were more informed, but it appeared to be due to the efforts of individual teachers, not the curriculum. Ohios law proposes to go entirely in the opposite direction, preventing educators from teaching the established facts of climate change as such, and forcing them to add misleading arguments from climate change skeptics. Supporters say the measure is about championing intellectual diversity on an important subject. What I think is controversial is different views that exist out there about the extent of the climate change and the solutions to try to alter climate change, said Republican state senator Jerry Cirino, the bills primary sponsor, speaking with Energy News Network. That would seem to mean that educators must validate the perspective that climate change is a minimal threat, or that theres not much we can do about it, both of which are untrue. Classroom debates in which students are encouraged to argue and draw their own conclusions about big issues are an important part of education. But schools and colleges are also places for instruction, and its the job of teachers and educators to determine which topics are places to indulge multiple contrasting views, and which are places for hard facts. Climate science is well-established, but by framing the fields basic concepts as a topic worthy of spirited debate, those legislators are really promoting false fossil fuel industry talking pointsthat wrongly say humans arent causing the warming, or that the changes wont necessarily be that badand putting them on the same level as actual science in the minds of those students. That might serve the interests of a few hard-line state legislators who havent been keeping up with the most recent U.N. climate reports. But its a profound disservice to the students who will face the realities of a warming world in the years ahead. A version of this story also appears in the Climate is Everything newsletter. To sign up, click here. When starting a business, there are many different things you have to prepare. From employing workers to stocking up inventory, a lot goes into building a business. The process of getting it all together does not happen overnight. Despite all our planning, sometimes things are out of our control. One day you could walk into your store and find out the sprinkler broke overnight, leaking onto all the products. You could leave one night and immediately after, someone breaks in and steals from your business. Insurance is a way to have protection for these instances when life takes a turn for the worse. But how much is business insurance? What kind do I need? When determining how much business insurance will cost, you must factor the type of industry you work in and the specific job you do. Learn More: Why small businesses need general liability, property How much is business insurance? There is not an exact amount that all business insurance costs. There are several factors which determine the cost of business insurance, such as the type of industry you work in and the specific job you do, according to Andrew Hellman, Allstate business insurance strategic integration and field effectiveness leader. For example, those who interact with the public more, such as retail businesses, tend have higher costs of business insurance when it comes to liability coverage, Hellman explained in an email. On the flip side, a business professional who interacts less will not pay as much for liability since they have lower risks in comparison to customer-facing industries. Business insurance cost is also impacted by state availability as qualifications may vary by state, Hellman wrote. According to Next Insurance, small business insurance in New Jersey generally costs around $64 per month. An estimate by Next Insurance for small business insurance in California is approximately $37 per month. But these estimates are not concrete, either, since they do not account for the different costs and the amount of risk each business and industry faces, says Next Insurance. Story continues "In general, the cost of your business insurance depends on the specific type of policy you need," Hellman said via email. What are the types of business insurance available? In general, business insurance helps cover the costs related to property damage, lawsuits, lost business income and other covered losses, Hellman said. "Without business insurance, you may have to pay out-of-pocket for costly damages and any legal claims made against your business," he added. Common types of commercial business insurance include general liability coverage, commercial property insurance, professional liability coverage, workers compensation insurance and commercial auto insurance, according to The Hartford Financial Services Group. General liability insurance covers your business from claims of bodily injury to someone else, property damage to another persons belongings or personal injury, such as libel or slander, says The Hartford. Meanwhile, commercial property insurance protects your business from damage loss, such as from fires, burglary, theft, wind or lightning, according to The Hartford. Policies for lifes unexpected problems: 3 types of insurance everyone should consider Just curious? We're here to help with life's everyday questions Do I need business insurance? The short answer is yes, you need business insurance. Even if you are the only owner of a business, insurance protects from a a variety of risks, said Hellman. Commonly covered risks business insurance protects from, Hellman explained, include: Theft Lightning Fire and smoke Car crash into your business Windstorm or hail Sprinkler leakage Vandalism Falling objects Explosion "As a rule of thumb, general liability insurance is a basic policy to have as a business owner because it helps cover bodily injury, property damage and various legal and medical expenses," he said. More of your Money questions answered This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How much is business insurance? Breaking down types, costs, protections Multitude SE Multitude Group Annual Report for 2022 published Helsinki, 30 March 2023 Multitude SE (ISIN: FI4000106299, WKN: A1W9NS) (Multitude or the Group) is pleased to announce that the Group's Annual Report, Corporate Governance Statement and Remuneration Report for the year ended 31 December 2022 have been published today on the companys website. The Annual Report consists of annual review and financial review, including Board of Directors report, consolidated financial statements and parent companys financial statements. The annual review includes the ESG Report 2022 which comprises the non-financial statement. It outlines the Groups ESG Goals and KPIs focused on people, processes, and the environment, with commencement of reporting on the Groups carbon emissions. The ESG report 2022 further highlights the Groups commitment to customer well-being through responsible lending practices and the introduction of a Responsible Lending Index and a commitment to progress on employee well-being supported by formalised a hybrid policy and statement on diversity and inclusion. Multitude has prepared the Financial Statements and Board of Director's Report in accordance with European Single Electronic Format (ESEF) reporting requirements. The audit firm PricewaterhouseCoopers Oy has provided an independent auditor's reasonable assurance report on Multitude's ESEF financial statements in accordance with ISAE 3000 (Revised). The financial statements and Board of Directors report in accordance with the ESEF reporting requirements and the assurance report will be published next week. Key highlights 2022 Exceeded guidance, achieving EBIT of EUR 31.6 million, compared to EUR 27.2 million in 2021* (16.2% y-o-y increase) The loan portfolio grew to EUR 509.5 million, a 12.8% increase from the end of December 2021 Revenue increased 4.0% from EUR 204.2 million in 2021 to EUR 212.4 million (net of directly attributable transaction costs) Net profit increased to EUR 12.0 million compared to EUR 2.3 million last year (EUR -3.5 million after loss from discontinued operations) The equity ratio increased to 24.1% (net equity ratio 30.2%) in December 2022 compared to 21.2% in December 2021 Earnings per share increased to EUR 0.39 from a loss of EUR (0.32) in 2021 The Board of Directors proposes to the Annual General Meeting a dividend of EUR 0.12 per share Management confirms EBIT guidance of EUR 45 million for the year 2023 Story continues Key figures, in EUR million 2022 2021* % change Revenue 212.4 204.2 4.0% Impairment to loans to customers (78.7) (71.9) 9.3% Profit before interests and taxes (EBIT) 31.6 27.2 16.2% Profit before taxes 13.8 4.7 195.2% Profit from continuing operations 12.0 2.3 420.6% Loss from discontinued operations - (5.8) -100% Profit (loss) for the year 12.0 (3.5) na Earnings per share, continuing operations (in EUR) 0.39 (0.05) na Earnings per share, discontinued operations (in EUR) - (0.27) na Earnings per share for the year (in EUR) 0.39 (0.32) na *Restated to reflect IFRS requirement of offsetting customer acquisition cost from revenues, reclassifying depository compensation scheme costs, and adjustment in carve-out of discontinued operations (translation difference). The total impact of restatement and reclassificationson 2021 P&L: EBIT + EUR 3.3m, Profit from continued operations +EUR 1.1m, Total net profit after discontinued operations EUR 0.9m. The Annual Report is available in PDF format at: https://www.multitude.com/investors/results-reports-and-publications/2022 The Corporate Governance Statement and Remuneration Report have also been published as separate PDF files at: https://www.multitude.com/investors/results-reports-and-publications/2022 German translation of the Annual Report will be available on our website next week. The translation covers Board of Directors report and financial statements. About Multitude SE: Multitude aims to become the most valued financial ecosystem by acting as a growth platform that creates success stories in FinTech. With profound know-how in technology, regulation, funding and cross-selling, Multitude offers a range of sustainable banking and financial services for FinTechs to grow and scale rapidly. Multitude and its three independent business units, SweepBank, Ferratum and CapitalBox, employ around 700 people in 19 countries, and they together generated EUR 212 million revenue in 2022. Multitude was founded in 2005 in Finland and is listed in the Prime Standard segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol FRU. www.multitude.com Contacts: IR@multitude.com https://www.multitude.com/investors/ir-contact Attachment NanoXplore Inc. MONTREAL, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NanoXplore Inc. (NanoXplore) (TSX: GRA and OTCQX: NNXPF), a world-leading graphene company and its wholly-owned subsidiary VoltaXplore Inc. (VoltaXplore), a graphene-enhanced Li-ion battery manufacturer for the Electric Vehicle and grid storage markets, are pleased that the Government of Canada has recognized the critical importance of clean technology manufacturing by introducing a 30% refundable investment tax credit (ITC) in its 2023 Budget. This federal government initiative, along with the provincial financial support, is in line with NanoXplores decision to move forward with the construction of a 2GWh battery cell gigafactory in Quebec. At nameplate capacity, the facility may produce up to 130 million cells per year. The ITC along with the provincial financial support were major milestones for NanoXplore and VoltaXplore and VoltaXplore anticipates finalizing remaining funding in the next few months to potentially start construction in early calendar 2024. Moreover, NanoXplore will also benefit from the ITC in both federal and provincial 2023 budgets for its battery material initiative, which was unveiled in its 5-year strategic plan back in November 2022. Soroush Nazarpour, President and Chief Executive Officer of NanoXplore, commented: We are very happy with the outcome of both Federal and Provincial budgets. Not only this paves the way for the construction of the VoltaXplores 2GWh gigafactory, but also NanoXplore will receive additional funding for its battery material processing initiative. We are most grateful to the Canadian and Quebec governments for their support in these projects and helping shared Canadas objective of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. We are in the final stage of our financing and we anticipate starting construction in early calendar 2024 and commission the plant in calendar 2026. This is transformational for both companies and I would like to thank all shareholders for their utmost support. Our graphene-enhanced battery solutions are showing tremendous performance and we are excited to bring them to market. Story continues About NanoXplore Inc. NanoXplore is a graphene company, a manufacturer and supplier of high-volume graphene powder for use in transportation and industrial markets. The Corporation provides standard and custom graphene-enhanced plastic and composite products to various customers in transportation, packaging, electronics, and other industrial sectors. NanoXplore is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec with manufacturing facilities across North America and Europe. Please visit www.nanoxplore.ca. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (together, forward-looking statements) within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements, and subject to risks and uncertainties. All forward-looking statements are based on our beliefs as well as assumptions based on information available at the time the assumption was made and on managements experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors deemed appropriate in the circumstances. No assurance can be given that these assumptions and expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are not facts, but only predications and can generally be identified by the use of statements that include phrases such as anticipate, believe, continue, could, estimate, foresee, grow, expect, plan, intend, forecast, future, guidance, may, predict, project, should, strategy, target, will or similar expressions suggesting future outcomes. Forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and involves a number of risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking information necessarily involves known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause NanoXplores actual results to differ materially from any projections of future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Any forward-looking information is made as of the date hereof and, except as required by law, NanoXplore does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise such information to reflect new information, subsequent or otherwise. Forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs, expectations and assumptions and are based on information currently available to management. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the future circumstances, outcomes or results anticipated or implied by such forward-looking statements will occur or that plans, intentions or expectations upon which the forward-looking statements are based will occur. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by such statements. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved the contents of this press release. For further information, please contact: Martin Gagne Director, Investor Relations martin.gagne@nanoxplore.ca Tel: 1 438.476.1927 NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / Entergy Corporation Entergy Corporation, Thursday, March 30, 2023, Press release picture From left, Rivers Frederick, Kya Moller and Dan Boren attend the WBENC conference Entergy has received a prestigious national award from the Women's Business Enterprise National Council recognizing companies that have demonstrated an ongoing commitment to including women-owned businesses in their supply chains. Entergy was recognized for successfully implementing world-class diversity and inclusion programs that enable growth and innovation, while breaking down barriers for women entrepreneurs. We're one of 66 corporations to receive this award and one of the companies honored in the chemicals, energy and utilities sectors. In a press release, WBENC said, "these corporations are impacting the next generation of women-owned businesses to ensure sustainability of future supply and their business models, such as investing in advanced education and/or mentoring by industry executives." Kya Moller, senior manager, supplier diversity and sustainability, accepted the award on Entergy's behalf earlier this week at an event during the 2023 WBENC national conference in Nashville, Tennessee. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Entergy Corporation on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Entergy Corporation Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/entergy-corporation Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Entergy Corporation View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/746732/National-Group-Honors-Entergys-Commitment-to-Women-Owned-Businesses YTD net sales $40.5 million, up 8.6% from prior year Q3 net sales $12.2 million, down $2.5 million from last year, $3.5 million of decrease attributable to sale of cannabis business In Q3 Sprout outperformed Organic Shelf Stable Baby Food category, had highest sales velocity in Toddler Meals segment 1 and increased NA distribution to approx. 29,350 doors with Loblaws launch Diluted Earnings Per Share attributable to equity holders of the company $0.06 Company will host a conference call at 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) Thursday March 30, 2023, to discuss these results LAVAL, QC, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc. ("Neptune" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: NEPT), a consumer-packaged goods company focused on plant-based, sustainable and purpose-driven lifestyle brands, today announces financial and operating results for the three-month period ending December 31, 2022. Neptune Wellness Logo (CNW Group/Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc.) Raymond P. Silcock, Chief Financial Officer of Neptune commented, "This is the start of our transition to a pure play consumer-packaged-goods company. On November 9, 2022 we completed the sale of our cannabis business, which resulted in a reduction of $3.5 million in cannabis sales in the third quarter. Partially as a result of this sale, and also due to other cost cutting measures, we are starting to see the positive earnings impact of reduced SG&A costs anticipated in last year's strategic business review. SG&A for Q3 was down $9.7 million as compared to the same period last year." Sprout, our organic baby and toddler food brand, ramped up innovation this year and outperformed its category with the two fastest growing organic toddler meal items nationally, and the highest sales velocity in the Toddler Meals segment.1 Sprout also continued its North American expansion during Q3 by launching into Loblaws, the largest grocer in Canada, reaching a total of approximately 28,000 doors in the United States and 1,350 in Canada. Biodroga, our nutraceutical co-manufacturing business, had year-to-date net sales of $11.8 million, up 6%, as compared to same period last year. This was driven by increased sales of MaxSimil and MaxSimil based products, which are now the most popular of Biodroga's product lines. Story continues Third Quarter 2023 Financial Highlights: Consolidated net sales for Q3 totaled $12.2 million, down $2.5 million from prior year Lost cannabis sales versus prior year amounted to $3.5 million. Gross profit in Q3 was $1.9 million, a gross margin of 15.4% of net sales, up from 11.3% for the same period last year. SG&A expenses for the quarter totaled $8.7 million compared to $18.4 million for the same period last year, a reduction of 52%, primarily driven by reduced headcount in both the cannabis and Sprout businesses. Net loss of $497 thousand dollars for third quarter compares to a net loss of $16.8 million in the prior year, an improvement of $16.3 million primarily due to the reduced SG&A ($9.7 million) as well as from the gain on the revaluation of the derivatives net of the one day loss on issuance ($7.4 million). Adjusted EBITDA loss for the quarter totaled $5.1 million compared to a $14.2 million loss for the same quarter last year. Third Quarter Events and Recent Business Highlights: Completed the divestiture on November 9, 2022 of the cannabis assets, including the Sherbrooke plant and the Mood Ring and PanHash brands. Announced an accounts receivable factoring facility of up to $5 million for its Sprout Organics baby food brand. Sprout now has the two fastest growing organic meal items nationally, and the highest sales velocity in the Toddler Meals segment. 1 Sprout achieved strong fill rate of 85% for the third fiscal quarter. Biodroga continues to report strong growth year-over-year, driven by MaxSimil. ------------------------------------------ 1) Sales velocity: Sales dollars per total point of distribution; Nielsen AOD; Total US xAOC Latest 13 W/E 12-31-22 Conference Call Details: The Company will host a conference call at 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on Thursday March 30, 2023 to discuss these results. The conference call will be webcast live and can be accessed by registering on the Events and Presentations portion of Neptune's Investor Relations website at www.investors.neptunewellness.com. The webcast will be archived for approximately 90 days. ADJUSTED EBITDA Although the concept of Adjusted EBITDA is not a financial or accounting measure defined under US GAAP and it may not be comparable to other issuers, it is widely used by companies. Neptune obtains its Adjusted EBITDA measurement by excluding from its net loss the following items: net finance costs (income), depreciation and amortization, and income tax expense (recovery). Other items such as equity classified stock-based compensation, non-employee compensation related to warrants, impairment losses on non-financial assets, revaluations of derivatives, costs related to conversion from IFRS to US GAAP and other changes in fair values are also added back to Neptune's net loss. The exclusion of net finance costs (income) eliminates the impact on earnings derived from non-operational activities. The exclusion of depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation, non-employee compensation related to warrants, impairment losses, revaluations of derivatives and other changes in fair values eliminates the non-cash impact of such items, and the exclusion of costs related to conversion from IFRS to US GAAP, together with the other exclusions discussed above, present the results of the on-going business. From time to time, the Company may exclude additional items if it believes doing so would result in a more effective analysis of underlying operating performance. Adjusting for these items does not imply they are non-recurring. In Q4 2022, the Company added the costs related to the conversion from IFRS to US GAAP as an adjustment to the definition of Adjusted EBITDA. Adjusting for these items does not imply they are non-recurring. About Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc. Headquartered in Laval, Quebec, Neptune is a consumer-packaged goods company with a mission to redefine health and wellness. Neptune is focused on building a portfolio of high quality, affordable consumer products in response to long-term secular trends and market demand for natural, plant-based, sustainable and purpose-driven lifestyle brands. The Company utilizes a highly flexible, cost-efficient manufacturing and supply chain infrastructure that can be scaled to quickly adapt to consumer demand and bring new products to market through its mass retail partners and e-commerce channels. For additional information, please visit: https://neptunewellness.com/ . Disclaimer Safe Harbor ForwardLooking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates, and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements with respect to the Company's strategic review, expected cost savings, projected growth of Sprout and Biodroga, the success of the Company's action plan, future increased revenues, expectations regarding expenses, cash needs, cash flow, liquidity and sources of funding, future expansion plans, initiatives and strategies of the Company, and the Company's performance, growth initiatives, profitability, future product launches and plans and gain in market share. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time such statements were made. Actual future results may differ materially as 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 materially differ from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors, among other things, include: the ability of the Company to successfully implement its strategic initiatives; implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's operations; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; changing consumer habits; the ability of the Company to successfully achieve its business objectives and cost cutting plans; plans for expansion; political and social uncertainties; inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; the ability of the Company to obtain financing on acceptable terms, the adequacy of our capital resources and liquidity, including but not limited to, availability of sufficient cash flow to execute our business plan (either within the expected timeframe or at all); the ability of the Company to obtain financing on acceptable terms, expectations regarding the resolution of litigation and other legal and regulatory proceedings, reviews and investigations; employee relations; and the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions in the markets where the Company operates. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. Additional information regarding these and other risks and uncertainties relating to the Company's business are contained under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K dated July 7, 2022, for the year ended March 31, 2022. NEPTUNE WELLNESS SOLUTIONS INC. Condensed Consolidated Interim Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (in U.S. dollars) As at As at December 31, 2022 March 31, 2022 Assets Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $3,404,023 $8,726,341 Short-term investment 17,540 19,255 Trade and other receivables 4,919,568 7,599,584 Prepaid expenses 2,937,662 3,983,427 Inventories 16,942,808 17,059,406 Total current assets 28,221,601 37,388,013 Property, plant and equipment 1,862,667 21,448,123 Operating lease right-of-use assets 2,144,362 2,295,263 Intangible assets 17,343,178 21,655,035 Goodwill 14,396,380 22,168,288 Total assets $63,968,188 $104,954,722 Liabilities and Equity Current liabilities: Trade and other payables $21,984,254 $22,700,849 Current portion of operating lease liabilities 489,849 641,698 Deferred revenues 285,004 Provisions 5,936,933 1,118,613 Liability related to warrants 1,444,058 5,570,530 Total current liabilities 29,855,094 30,316,694 Operating lease liabilities 2,229,583 2,063,421 Loans and borrowings 15,936,658 11,648,320 Other liability 23,000 88,688 Total liabilities 48,044,335 44,117,123 Shareholders' Equity: Share capital - without par value (11,778,392 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2022; 5,560,829 shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2022) 321,791,727 317,051,125 Warrants 6,117,600 6,079,890 Additional paid-in capital 57,303,078 55,980,367 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (14,539,294) (7,814,163) Deficit (357,075,395) (323,181,697) Total equity attributable to equity holders of the Company 13,597,716 48,115,522 Non-controlling interest 2,326,137 12,722,077 Total shareholders' equity 15,923,853 60,837,599 Commitments and contingencies Subsequent events Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $63,968,188 $104,954,722 See accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated interim financial statements. On behalf of the Board: /s/ Julie Philips /s/ Michael Cammarata Julie Philips Michael Cammarata Chair of the Board President and CEO NEPTUNE WELLNESS SOLUTIONS INC. Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Loss and Comprehensive Loss (Unaudited) (in U.S. dollars) For the three and nine-month periods ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 Three-month periods ended December 31, 2022 December 31, 2021 Revenue from sales net of excise taxes of nil and $643,476 (2021 - $746,870 and $1,127,569 ) $11,945,092 $14,371,095 Royalty revenues 263,816 276,670 Other revenues 20,164 Total revenues 12,208,908 14,667,929 Cost of sales other than impairment loss on inventories, net of subsidies of nil and nil (2021 - ($3,952) and $927,753 ) (10,328,349) (13,026,604) Impairment gain (loss) on inventories 12,765 Total Cost of sales (10,328,349) (13,013,839) Gross profit (loss) 1,880,559 1,654,090 Research and development expenses (28,836) (301,645) Selling, general and administrative expenses, net of subsidies of nil and nil (2021 - ($427)and $100,178 ) (8,727,323) (18,429,528) Impairment loss related to intangible assets Impairment loss related to property, plant and equipment Impairment loss on assets held for sale Impairment loss on right of use assets (271,057) Impairment loss related to goodwill Net gain on sale of property, plant and equipment 84,998 6,490 Loss from operating activities (7,061,659) (17,070,593) Finance income 2,956 Finance costs (1,362,776) (363,466) Loss on issuance of derivatives (1,029,614) Foreign exchange gain (loss) 524,571 (601,347) Change in revaluation of marketable securities (17,640) Gain on revaluation of derivatives 8,367,871 1,245,134 Gain on settlement of liability 66,169 6,566,221 265,637 Loss before income taxes (495,438) (16,804,956) Income tax (recovery) expense (2,013) 50 Net loss (497,451) (16,804,906) Other comprehensive loss Net change in unrealized foreign currency gains (losses) on translation of net investments in foreign operations (tax effect of nil for all periods) (231,490) 332,074 Total other comprehensive loss (231,490) 332,074 Total comprehensive loss $(728,941) $(16,472,832) Net income (loss) attributable to: Equity holders of the Company $1,288,110 $(15,009,015) Non-controlling interest (1,785,561) (1,795,891) Net loss $(497,451) $(16,804,906) Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to: Equity holders of the Company $1,056,620 $(14,676,941) Non-controlling interest (1,785,561) (1,795,891) Total comprehensive loss $(728,941) $(16,472,832) Basic income (loss) per share attributable to: Common Shareholders of the Company $0.06 $(3.14) Diluted income (loss) per share attributable to: Common Shareholders of the Company $0.06 $(3.14) Basic weighted average number of common shares 11,030,838 4,781,190 Diluted weighted average number of common shares 11,094,967 4,781,190 The Company has removed certain captions compared to prior NEPTUNE WELLNESS SOLUTIONS INC. Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) (in U.S. dollars) For the three and nine-month periods ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 Nine-month periods ended December 31, 2022 December 31, 2021 Cash flows from operating activities: Net loss for the period $(44,289,638) $(47,762,688) Adjustments: Depreciation of property, plant and equipment 652,196 2,135,961 Non-cash lease expense 385,800 563,428 Amortization of intangible assets 1,352,787 2,436,219 Impairment loss on goodwill 7,570,471 Share-based payment 2,832,438 6,251,713 Impairment loss on inventories 3,079,997 2,996,333 Expected credit losses 496,846 1,978,705 Non-employee compensation related to warrants 178,917 Loss on issuance of derivatives 3,156,569 Net finance expense 2,656,865 1,170,069 Unrealized foreign exchange (gain) loss (6,545,401) 10,568 Change in revaluation of marketable securities 107,564 Interest received 1,440 7,796 Interest paid (215,019) (961,463) Gain on settlement of liability (66,169) Revaluation of derivatives (16,083,681) (8,706,973) Impairment loss on property, plant and equipment 2,404,459 Impairment loss on assets held for sale 15,346,119 Impairment loss on right-of-use assets 271,057 Impairment loss on intangibles 2,593,529 Payment of lease liabilities (253,795) (236,802) Income tax expense 14,543 11,894 Net gains from sale of property, plant and equipment (170,000) Changes in operating assets and liabilities 6,543,514 (6,394,409) Income taxes paid (360) (11,894) Net cash used in operating activities (20,669,892) (43,820,603) Cash flows from investing activities: Proceeds on sale of assets 170,000 Proceeds from the sale of Cannabis assets 3,121,778 Acquisition of property, plant and equipment (601,743) (1,034,982) Acquisition of intangible assets (434,168) Sales of Acasti shares 44,509 Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities: 2,690,035 (1,424,641) Cash flows from financing activities: Increase in loans and borrowings, net of financing fees 3,800,000 Withholding taxes paid pursuant to the settlement of non-treasury RSUs (574,153) (978,699) Gross proceeds from the issuance of shares and warrants through a Direct Offering 5,000,002 Proceeds from the issuance of shares and warrants through a Registered Direct Offering Priced At-The-Market and Concurrent Private Placement 6,000,002 Warrants issuance costs (1,330,211) Proceeds from exercise of options and pre-funded warrants 65 Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities: 12,895,705 (978,699) Foreign exchange loss on cash and cash equivalents (238,166) (454,341) Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents (5,322,318) (46,678,284) Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 8,726,341 59,836,889 Cash and cash equivalents as at December 31, 2022 and 2021 $3,404,023 $13,158,605 Cash and cash equivalents is comprised of: Cash $3,404,023 $13,158,605 See accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated interim financial statements. NEPTUNE WELLNESS SOLUTIONS INC. Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Cash Flows (continued) (Unaudited) (in U.S. dollars) For the three and nine-month periods ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 Additional cash flow disclosure: Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Nine-month periods ended December 31, 2022 December 31, 2021 Trade and other receivables $2,489,793 $(2,541,426) Prepaid expenses 798,493 (2,162,076) Inventories (2,544,635) (2,720,569) Trade and other payables 1,599,623 2,684,869 Deferred revenues (285,006) (303,765) Provisions 4,550,934 (1,112,762) Other liabilities (65,688) (238,680) Changes in operating assets and liabilities $6,543,514 $(6,394,409) Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/neptune-reports-fiscal-third-quarter-ended-december-31-2022-financial-results-301786491.html SOURCE Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc. NORBIT ASA Trondheim, 30 March 2023: NORBIT today announces that it has published its Annual Report for 2022, which also includes the Sustainability Report and the Corporate Governance Report, which the board of directors approved on 29 March 2023. "Our ability to develop and grow continued to be demonstrated in 2022. We delivered close to 50 per cent growth in revenues and improved profitability, driven by strong performance across all our business segments. We are on-track to reach our ambition of delivering NOK 1.5 billion in revenues and an EBITDA margin of 25 per cent in 2024. Since 2010, revenues have on average grown by 31 per cent annually and we have improved our profitability, laying the foundation for long-term value creation," says Per Jrgen Weisethaunet, CEO of NORBIT. The report is attached to this notice and is also available at the company's website, www.norbit.com, under Investors. The company also publishes its annual financial statements in European Single Electronic Format (ESEF), available as an attachment to this release. For further queries, please contact: Per Jrgen Weisethaunet, CEO, +47 959 62 915 Per Kristian Reppe, CFO, +47 900 33 203 About NORBIT ASA NORBIT is a global company providing tailored technology to selected applications by solving challenges through innovative solutions, in line with its mission to Explore More. The company is structured in three business segments to address its key markets: Oceans, Connectivity and Product Innovation & Realization (PIR). The Oceans segment delivers tailored technology solutions to global maritime markets. The Connectivity segment provides tailored wireless solutions for identification, monitoring and tracking. The PIR segment offers R&D services, proprietary products, and contract manufacturing to key customers. NORBIT has around 450 employees, with headquarter in Trondheim, R&D and manufacturing in Norway and Hungary, and a worldwide sales and distribution platform. Story continues For more information: www.norbit.com This information is subject to the disclosure requirements in the Norwegian Securities Trading Act 5-12. Attachments NORBIT ASA Trondheim, 30 March 2023: The Annual General Meeting of NORBIT ASA will be held on Thursday 4 May 2023 at 4:00 pm at the companys headquarter in Stiklestadveien 1, 7041 Trondheim, Norway. Shareholders who are not able to physically attend the meeting are encouraged to vote in advance or submit a proxy form prior to the meeting. Attached please find the following documents: The notice of the general meeting, including the proposed resolutions and attendance and proxy forms The proposal from the nomination committee for the general meeting The guidelines for remuneration to the senior executives The board of directors report on salary and other remuneration for leading personnel for 2022 Recommendation on selection of auditor The proposed new articles of association All documents to be processed in the meeting, including access to electronic registration and proxy, will be made available at the companys website www.norbit.com . To access the electronic system for notification of attendance, reference number and PIN code must be stated. For more information, please contact: Per Jrgen Weisethaunet, CEO, +47 959 62 915 Per Kristian Reppe, CFO, +47 900 33 203 About NORBIT ASA NORBIT is a global company providing tailored technology to selected applications by solving challenges through innovative solutions, in line with its mission to Explore More. The company is structured in three business segments to address its key markets: Oceans, Connectivity and Product Innovation & Realization (PIR). The Oceans segment delivers tailored technology solutions to global maritime markets. The Connectivity segment provides tailored wireless solutions for identification, monitoring and tracking. The PIR segment offers R&D services, proprietary products, and contract manufacturing to key customers. NORBIT has around 450 employees, with headquarter in Trondheim, R&D and manufacturing in Norway and Hungary, and a worldwide sales and distribution platform. Story continues For more information: www.norbit.com This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. Attachments Community leaders in Hammerfest, Norway, voted in favor of a pioneering project which could provide long awaited freedom for captive whales. NEW YORK, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- City leaders in Hammerfest, Norway recently voted in support of creating an urgently needed planned marine reserve in one of their local fjords. The decision is celebrated by OneWhale, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the world-famous "Russian spy whale" Hvaldimir, which initiated the project just two years ago. OneWhale, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the world-famous "Russian spy whale" Hvaldimir, celebrates city leaders in Hammerfest, Norway, who recently voted in support of an urgently needed planned marine reserve. The plan is to designate a pristine fjord for the Norwegian Whale Reserve, a pioneering international initiative to provide an ocean home to cold water whales who, like Hvaldimir, have been released from captivity but require rehabilitation and new skills in order to survive in the wild. More than 3,000 whales and dolphins are estimated to live in captivity around the world, primarily in marine theme parks. Most are confined to cramped concrete-and-glass tanks for most of their lives and isolated from other members of their species. "This landmark vote is a giant step for whales in captivity. It also moves us closer toward our goal of protecting Hvaldimir, the whale who inspired the project," said OneWhale founder Regina Crosby Haug. "This decision will hopefully bring the world its first large-scale nature reserve for whales, which will provide a sanctuary for Hvaldimir and other whales like him. There are many whales ready to be released from their tanks, and there are millions of people around the world ready to celebrate when it happens." Hvaldimir, a young male beluga whale, appeared off the Norwegian coast near Hammerfest in 2019. He wore a harness that suggested he may have been trained to gather information by Russian intelligence. Because of his training and experience with humans, Hvaldimir is vulnerable to harmful interactions with humans, boats and marine industries. In cooperation with NOAH, Norway's largest NGO for animal rights, OneWhale's advisory board includes world-class marine scientists, researchers, wildlife conservationists, and veterinarians. OneWhale has also established a year-round public safety team for Hvaldimir, known as Team Hvaldimir, which provides education and safety practices for the public. Story continues The Norwegian Whale Reserve will offer formerly captive whales like Hvaldimir a safe and protected natural environment to unlearn their habits toward humans. The ultimate goal is that with successful rehabilitation, the whales can be released back to a wild population. While each whale is an individual and case-by-case situation, the founding principles of the Norwegian Whale Reserve are Rescue, Research, Rehabilitation and Release. For more information about Hvaldimir or the Norwegian Whale Reserve and how you can financially support the efforts, visit https://www.onewhale.org/. About OneWhale OneWhale is a nonprofit created expressly for protecting the health and welfare of Hvaldimir, Norway's famous resident beluga whale. OneWhale has enlisted a world-renowned team of experts, including whale researchers, scientists, and marine mammal veterinarians, all dedicated to helping Hvaldimir lead a long, healthy, and safe life in Norway. OneWhale works every day to ensure Hvaldimir's safety and survival. Our mission is to offer Hvaldimir refuge, rehabilitation and release to a wild beluga population. We believe he deserves to be truly free with his own kind. To find out more and support our mission, visit https://www.onewhale.org/. MEDIA CONTACT: Heather Ripley Orange Orchard hripley@orangeorchardpr.com (865) 977-1973 Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/norway-town-votes-to-support-marine-reserve-for-formerly-captive-whales-301785257.html SOURCE OneWhale Company to release Q1 results May 3 PROVO, Utah, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: NUS) today announced the resignation of its chief financial officer, Mark Lawrence, effective March 31, 2023. After six years at the company, Lawrence has elected to pursue an outside opportunity but will remain as a senior advisor through April 2023 to support a smooth transition. Additionally, the company is reiterating first quarter and annual 2023 guidance provided on Feb. 15, 2023. Nu Skin logo (PRNewsfoto/Nu Skin Enterprises) "On behalf of our board, management and the entire Nu Skin team, we thank Mark for his leadership and significant contributions over the past six years," said Ryan Napierski, president and CEO. "He has been integral in our transformation toward Nu Vision 2025, including the introduction of our first connected beauty device system and expanding our digital-first business model. Mark has been a tremendous leader and has built a highly talented team of proven professionals to accelerate our work moving forward. We wish him and his family well in their future endeavors." Nu Skin's board of directors has appointed James D. Thomas, senior vice president and chief accounting officer, as interim CFO and has initiated a formal process to identify a permanent replacement. Thomas joined Nu Skin in 2010 and has served as chief accounting officer since 2019. He has led several critical, global financial projects across multiple disciplines over the years. Prior to Nu Skin, Thomas worked as an assistant controller of another public, technology-enabled wellness company and served in the assurance practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Thomas holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Accounting degrees from Utah State University. The company will announce first-quarter results after the market closes on Wednesday, May 3, 2023. The management team will host a conference call with the investment community later that same day at 5 p.m. ET. The webcast of the conference call, including the financial information presented, will be available on the investor relations page of the company's website at ir.nuskin.com. A replay of the webcast will be available at the same location through Wednesday, May 17, 2023. Story continues About Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. 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 nearly 40 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 nearly 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. Important Information Regarding 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, that represent the company's current expectations and beliefs. All statements other than statements of historical fact are "forward-looking statements" for purposes of federal and state securities laws and include, but are not limited to, statements of management's expectations regarding the company's revenue and earnings guidance for the first quarter and the full year, as well as its future performance. The forward-looking statements and related assumptions involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially from any forward-looking statements or views expressed herein. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following: issues that could arise during the company's closing and review/audit procedures, such as the need to make an adjustment to the projected numbers; risk that epidemics, including COVID-19 and related disruptions, and other crises could negatively impact our business; adverse publicity related to the company's business, products, industry or any legal actions or complaints by the company's sales force or others; risk that direct selling laws and regulations in any of the company's markets, including the United States and Mainland China, may be modified, interpreted or enforced in a manner that results in negative changes to the company's business model or negatively impacts its revenue, sales force or business, including through the interruption of sales activities, loss of licenses, increased scrutiny of sales force actions, imposition of fines, or any other adverse actions or events; any failure of current or planned initiatives or products to generate interest among the company's sales force and customers and generate sponsoring and selling activities on a sustained basis; political, legal, tax and regulatory uncertainties, including trade policies, associated with operating in Mainland China and other international markets; uncertainty regarding meeting restrictions and other government scrutiny in Mainland China, as well as negative media and consumer sentiment in Mainland China on our business operations and results; risk of foreign-currency fluctuations and the currency translation impact on the company's business associated with these fluctuations; uncertainties regarding the future financial performance of the businesses the company has acquired; risks related to accurately predicting, delivering or maintaining sufficient quantities of products to support planned initiatives or launch strategies, and increased risk of inventory write-offs if the company over-forecasts demand for a product or changes its planned initiatives or launch strategies; regulatory risks associated with the company's products, which could require the company to modify its claims or inhibit its ability to import or continue selling a product in a market if the product is determined to be a medical device or if the company is unable to register the product in a timely manner under applicable regulatory requirements; unpredictable economic conditions and events globally; the company's future tax-planning initiatives; any prospective or retrospective increases in duties or tariffs on the company's products imported into the company's markets outside of the United States; and any adverse results of tax audits or unfavorable changes to tax laws in the company's various markets; and continued competitive pressures in the company's markets. The company's financial performance and the forward-looking statements contained herein are further qualified by a detailed discussion of associated risks set forth in the documents filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements set forth the company's beliefs as of the date that such information was first provided, and the company assumes no duty to update the forward-looking statements contained in this release to reflect any change except as required by law. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nu-skin-enterprises-announces-resignation-of-cfo-reiterates-first-quarter-and-2023-outlook-301786465.html SOURCE Nu Skin Enterprises Funds will be used to accelerate product innovation and company growth TORONTO, March 30, 2023 /CNW/ - Nulogy, the leading provider of supply chain collaboration solutions, today announced the company has received $20 million CAD (approx. $15 M USD) in a mix of funding from Export Development Canada (EDC) and incremental working capital from a Tier 1 Canadian Bank. The funds will be used for product innovations and to accelerate the growth of Nulogy's multi-enterprise supply chain platform and solutions. Nulogy Secures $20 Million CAD Funding to Drive Supply Chain Collaboration & Digitization Solutions (CNW Group/Nulogy Corporation) Nulogy's solutions are used by fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) and consumer packaged goods companies and their networks of contract manufacturing and contract packaging suppliers. The funding from EDC was completed in the first quarter of 2023. Nulogy's cloud-based platform provides a set of solutions both for suppliersincluding co-packers and contract manufacturers, and for the brands and manufacturers who trust these suppliers to function as an integral part of their business operations. The unique capabilities of the Nulogy solutions enable these companies to collaborate in near real time to monitor and manage orders, to respond to rapidly changing conditions, and to cut costs, increasing the quality and efficiency of their supply chain operations. According to a 2021 report from industry analyst firm Gartner, Nulogy is the only notable vendor for the contract manufacturing and contract packaging industry. "We're excited to partner with EDC to continue innovating new capabilities to better serve our customers, while accelerating the growth of our network of users," said Jason Tham, CEO and co-founder of Nulogy. "As a provider of multi-enterprise solutions, the larger the number of users of our network, the greater the value for all usersso we're very excited about the value this brings to our community of customers." "Nulogy has been focused on core supply chain solutions, propelling some of the world's leading brands and their supplier networks in more than 20 countries," said Guillermo Freire, Senior Vice-President, Mid-Market Group at EDC. "EDC is committed to helping Canadian mid-market companies like Nulogy realize their international growth potential. As a strategic partner, EDC can support Nulogy by leveraging our financial solutions, trade knowledge, and global networks, which will provide the company with even more momentum as they expand into new markets around the world." Story continues About EDC Export Development Canada (EDC) is a financial Crown corporation dedicated to helping Canadian businesses make an impact at home and abroad. EDC has the financial products and knowledge Canadian companies need to confidently enter new markets, reduce financial risk and grow their business as they go from local to global. Together, EDC and Canadian companies are building a more prosperous, stronger and sustainable economy for all Canadians. For more information and to learn how we can help your company, call us at 1-800-229-0575 or visit www.edc.ca. About Nulogy Nulogy, a leading supplier of cloud-based supply chain solutions, enables customers and their supplier communities to collaborate on a multi-enterprise platform to deliver with excellence to an ever-changing consumer market. The Nulogy platform optimizes upstream supply ecosystems composed of brands, contract manufacturers and packagers, third party logistics providers, and raw material and packaging suppliers in order to accelerate supply chain responsiveness and collaborate at the speed of today's market. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nulogy-secures-20-million-cad-funding-to-drive-supply-chain-collaboration--digitization-solutions-301785943.html SOURCE Nulogy Corporation Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2023/30/c5884.html HAMPTON, Va., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Old Point National Bank (Old Point or the Bank) is proud to celebrate its centennial anniversary this year. It all started in the Phoebus neighborhood of Hampton, Virginia by locals who cared about their community and wanted to help area citizens and businesses. The first branch opened in 1923 and now Old Point National Bank operates 14 bank branches, 3 commercial lending offices, and 3 mortgage offices throughout the Hampton Roads and Richmond, Virginia areas with assets of $1.4 billion. The Bank has also grown into a larger family of financial services to include Old Point Wealth Management, Old Point Investment Services, Old Point Mortgage, and Old Point Insurance. Like the Old Point Comfort lighthouse it was named for, Old Point National Bank's solid foundation has enabled them to be a steady and trusted partner through all kinds of economic conditions. Old Point has weathered 17 U.S. economic recessions, 6 major wars, and countless hurricanes over this last century and continues to thrive. Even though Old Point has grown substantially since its humble beginnings, it is still operated under local management, with the same trusted name, and the same genuine concern about its customers. Old Point has been recognized many times, both locally and nationally, over the years for its commitment to its community and its employees. Some of these honors include "Best Bank to Work For" by American Banker, "Best Place to Work in Virginia" by Virginia Business Magazine, "Best in Business" and "Best Place to Work" by Cova BIZ Magazine, "Top Workplace in Hampton Roads" by Inside Business, and "Corporate Volunteer Excellence" by Volunteer Hampton Roads. Recently, representatives from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) visited Old Point National Bank to celebrate this historic milestone with the Company's Board of Directors and executives. The Bank plans to continue celebrating its anniversary all year long with its employees, customers, board members, and shareholders. These festivities will include their Annual Stockholders' Meeting and 100th Anniversary Celebration on May 23, 2023. Story continues Chairman, President, and CEO, Robert Shuford, Jr. added, "Old Point is proud to have supported thousands of small businesses and individuals over the last 100 years and we look forward to continuing to build strong relationships and support our community. The Bank has had many accomplishments over the years, but recent ones have included growing our team in Richmond, opening our new Southside Corporate office, and hitting record levels of top-line revenue, net income, and loan growth for 2022." About Old Point National Bank Old Point National Bank is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Old Point Financial Corporation (Nasdaq: OPOF) which serves the Hampton Roads and Richmond regions of Virginia as well as operates a mortgage loan production office in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is a locally owned and managed full-service community bank offering a wide range of financial services, from solutions focused on individuals and small businesses to comprehensive commercial services. For more information visit OldPoint.com. For more information, contact Laura Wright, Vice President/Marketing Director, at lwright@oldpoint.com or (757) 728-1743. Representatives from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) celebrate Old Point National Bank's 100th anniversary with the companys board of directors and executives. Old Point National Bank Old Point National Bank logo (PRNewsfoto/Old Point National Bank) Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/old-point-national-bank-celebrates-100-years-of-community-banking-301786359.html SOURCE Old Point National Bank The ex-vivo model is based on a unique technology developed at the Weizmann Institute, and it can predict oncological treatment success and personalize the right treatment for each patient OncoRix's cancer solutions, developed by Cannabotech, will soon be available in California as medical cannabis with doctor's recommendation The research was carried out under the supervision of Prof. Tamar Peretz, Senior Oncologist at the Hadassah Medical Center, director emerita of the Sharett Institute of Oncology and director emerita of the Breast Cancer Center at the Hadassah Medical Center; and Dr. Yitzhak Angel, a pharmacologist specializing in drug development HERZLIYA, Israel, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cannabotech (TASE: CNTC), a biotechnology company that developed OncoRix an integrative oncology brand, based on Cannabis and functional mushroom extracts, published the results of its study using an ex-vivo model to test its anticancer efficacy on breast cancer tissues. As part of the study, the integrative products were also examined in combination with chemotherapy, including their effects on the tumor environment and immune response. Breavix was designed to support oncological journey of breast cancer patients, have been tested in several preclinical studies, and will be sold in California soon. At OncoRix.com, patients can register to participate the trial and integrate Breavix with chemotherapy. (PRNewsfoto/Cannabotech) Results from the experiment on the patients' tissues confirmed Cannabotech's previous results in cells, demonstrating a critical milestone toward proving the products' efficacy in humans. Among the important findings, OncoRix products showed: Synergistic activity in combination with common chemotherapy: increasing the anti-cancer effectiveness of low-concentration chemotherapy and a significantly higher anticancer efficacy in comparison with chemotherapy alone. An impact of the treatment on immune system cells in the tumor environment, which may indicate the activation of the immune cells in the tissue. These findings mean that it would be possible to achieve increased efficiency in killing breast cancer cells while reducing the required chemotherapy doses. This, in turn, should significantly reduce side effects and thus offer a cure to more patients, since today, dosage reduction is sometimes required due to the adverse effects of anticancer drugs. Story continues It is estimated that a significant proportion of breast cancer patients already take medical Cannabis in parallel to medications, aiming at treating tumor process symptoms and oncological treatments' side effects. OncoRix offers these patients a solution that would mitigate side effects and holds real potential for enhancing anticancer therapy per se. OncoRix's integrative oncology product series was based on extensive data in the literature, and its efficacy was tested in a number of different research models. The Cannabinoid products will be administered in the form of a soft gel, and the functional mushroom extracts in the form of caplets, where a unique delivery system technology has also been incorporated into each solution to improve treatment effectiveness. The products have been specifically adapted to be integrated into current oncological treatment protocols, in parallel with the conventional drugs, under the medical cannabis regulations. The products are expected to go to market in California in the coming months, under the OncoRix brand. Of the first two solutions to be launched, one supports breast cancer patients and the other treats pain associated with tumor-related disease. Additional solutions for colon, pancreatic, lung and prostate cancers are to be launched subsequently. The solutions will be offered as part of a six-month program in which the oncology patient will take the integrative products alongside the conventional treatment. As part of the program, patients will also be accompanied by a personal oncology nurse and professional counsel from OncoRix's team of clinical experts. In parallel to the products' commercial launch, OncoRix is expected to conduct a clinical-observational trial in California, where it will collect relevant patient data in order to further test the combined treatment in humans. OncoRix will use the collected findings in its marketing efforts to penetrate the oncology market in California, as well as in the construction of a personalization system that is currently under development. In the current experiment, cancer tumors were taken only from patients with breast cancer expressing hormone receptors (luminal breast cancer), considered the most common breast cancer tumors. The combination was tested alongside the most common chemotherapy in the treatment protocol. It should be noted that OncoRix has previously shown a different efficacy in other subtypes of breast cancer. At present OncoRix is racing to finish the production of its initial stock according to California's local regulations, forming a team to manage the project in California, and raising capital to ensure successful penetration of the local oncology market. Cannabotech's CEO, Elchanan Shaked, said: "This is another significant milestone on Cannabotech's path to becoming a leader in the integrative oncology arena. OncoRix products are intended for use in combination with chemotherapy in several types of cancer and are expected to be launched in the coming months in California. The company aims at setting a new standard in the oncology industry." Prof. Tamar Peretz, Senior Oncologist, said: "A significant percentage of cancer patients is currently being treated with Cannabis alongside the conventional treatment. The integrative products developed by Cannabotech are unique in being developed under standards similar to those in the pharmaceutical industry and combining several active agents. The company's integrative products have demonstrated impressive and promising results in cell cultures tested in the laboratory. Based on these experiments, there is room to start exploring the possibility of integrating the products in treating breast cancer patients as well." Dr. Yitzhak Angel, Cannabotech's pharmacological consultant, said: " The strong synergistic effect on breast cancer tissues demonstrated by the products among themselves, and in combination with chemotherapy, resulted in increased efficiency of killing cancer cells. The unique experimental system enables a functional study in a 3D cell system where treatment can be personalized, bringing us closer to the patients. We are greatly encouraged by these results, which constitute another important milestone in proving the scientific feasibility of the products. We shall continue working to provide patients with a cure." About Cannabotech: Cannabotech is an Israeli biomedical company that develops personalized botanical solutions for preventive medicine and integrative oncology medicine. The solutions are based on research and development and in-depth surveys performed over the past four years and are currently at the commercial stage for select target markets, including England, Poland and California. In the last three years, as part of the integrative oncology concept, Cannabotech has been developing OncoRix, which includes a series of 8 formulations designed to assist in the oncological treatment and are based on unique combinations of botanical extracts from the Cannabis plant and functional mushrooms. The company aims to designate these medical products for integration into the existing treatment protocols for oncology patients. Cannabotech's shares are traded on Tel Aviv Stock Exchange under the symbol CNTC For more information visit: www.OncoRix.com Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2044108/BREAVIX___Packages_5.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2044109/3963707/New_Logo_OncoRix_Logo.jpg For investment and collaboration options: moav@oncorix.com or +972-54-9720724 OncoRix Logo (PRNewsfoto/Cannabotech) Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/oncorixs-breast-cancer-integrative-solution-demonstrated-enhanced-efficacy-when-combined-with-chemotherapy-in-an-ex-vivo-model-301785664.html SOURCE Cannabotech TORONTO, March 30, 2023 /CNW/ - Orford Mining Corporation (TSXV: ORM) (Orford) is pleased to report that it has drilled a possible new gold bearing horizon 150 meters to the north of the South Gold Zone on the Joutel Eagle Property ("Joutel Eagle"). Hole 23-JE-007 has reported 1.3 g/t Au over 16.1 metres from 201.0 metres including higher grade intervals of up to 4.5g/t Au over 1.1 m, in a previously untested area of the Joutel Eagle Property (Table 1, Figure 1). New Results from hole 23-JE-015 in the South Gold Zone reported 1.10g/t Au over 54.7 metres including higher grade intervals of up to 9.1g/t over 0.4 m (Table 1, Figure 1). This hole was drilled in the South Gold Zone, 25 metres southeast of the previously reported results from 23-JE-004 (14.6 metres of 4.1 g/t). The majority of assays from the recently completed 2023 drill program are pending (Table 2). Note that all drilling intervals are down-hole lengths. True thicknesses cannot be estimated with available information. David Christie, President and CEO of Orford, commented, "The 2023 drill campaign on our Joutel Eagle property has proven that the property has tremendous potential value with the discovery of a new zone 150 metres to the north of the South Gold Zone. Drilling on the South Gold Zone continues to prove mineralized continuity along strike which was the main purpose of the program." The Joutel Eagle Property is located along the fertile Casa-Berardi Structural Zone and historical Eagle-Telbel Mine Trend in the Abitibi Greenstone belt. A total of 14 holes and 2,535 metres (Table 3) have been drilled in 2023. This drilling program has tested a 400-metre strike of the South Gold Zone (Figure 1). Both the 20221 and preliminary 20232 drilling results Orford received to date have shown that the South Gold Zone hosts higher grade gold over wider intersections than had been reported historically. Holes 23-JE-007 and 23-JE-006 (Table 1, Figure 1) were drilled to test: Story continues possible parallel mineralized horizons to the north of the South Gold Zone, possible cross structural corridors which may contribute to concentrating gold mineralization on the property. The gold results obtained in Holes 23-JE-007 and 23-JE-006 (Table 1) successfully demonstrate the occurrence of additional gold mineralized zones in addition to the exciting thick South Gold Zone results. All other remaining assays are pending. Data was collected during the drill program with a core orientation tool and a full structural interpretation will be completed once all assays have been received and reported to identify 1) additional targets in the South Gold Zone, 2) secondary targets which may be associated with structures hosting higher grades oblique to the South Gold Zone, and 3) other targets along strike and parallel to the South Gold Zone to the northwest and southeast along the Eagle mine horizon. Figure 1: Map of the Joutel Eagle South Gold Zone Showing New Results and Completed Drilling. Note that All drilling intervals are down-hole lengths. True thicknesses cannot be estimated with available information. Information on adjacent properties is not necessarily indicative of the potential on Orfords Joutel Eagle Property[1][2] (CNW Group/Orford Mining Corporation) ___________________ 1 Orford Mining News Release dated June 7, 2022. 2 Orford Mining News Release dated February 21, 2023. Table 1: Highlight of Joutel Eagle Drill hole assays received to date. All drilling intervals are downhole lengths. True thicknesses cannot be estimated with available information. Composited intervals are reported at a cut-off of 0.5g/t Au. From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Gold (g/t) 23-JE-004 100.3 114.9 14.6 4.1 Previously Reported February 21, 2023 including 106 114.8 8.8 5.8 Previously Reported February 21, 2023 including 112.8 114.8 2 8.6 Previously Reported February 21, 2023 including 113.1 113.4 0.3 28.7 Previously Reported February 21, 2023 23-JE-004 128.8 158.9 30.1 1.1 Previously Reported February 21, 2023 including 132.8 145.1 12.3 1.8 Previously Reported February 21, 2023 including 134.5 138.9 4.4 2.9 Previously Reported February 21, 2023 including 142.5 144.1 1.6 2.6 Previously Reported February 21, 2023 23-JE-005 36.8 42.6 5.8 2.4 NEW including 41.5 42.8 1.3 10.9 NEW including 42.3 42.7 0.4 27.7 NEW 23-JE-005 53.6 56.9 3.3 2.1 NEW including 54 55.1 1.1 5 NEW including 54 54.7 0.7 6.2 NEW 23-JE-005 85.6 93.6 8 1.5 Previously Reported February 21, 2023 including 85.6 90.4 4.8 1.8 Previously Reported February 21, 2023 including 85.6 86.5 0.9 4.6 Previously Reported February 21, 2023 23-JE-006 52.8 53.1 0.3 1.3 NEW 23-JE-006 55.2 56.7 1.5 0.7 NEW 23-JE-006 73 76.4 3.4 0.6 NEW 23-JE-007 201 217.1 16.1 1.3 NEW including 201 212 11 1.8 NEW including 205.6 212 6.4 2.4 NEW including 206 210.4 4.4 3.0 NEW including 206 207.1 1.1 4.5 NEW 23-JE-007 225.2 229.9 4.7 0.7 NEW including 229.2 229.8 0.6 2.1 NEW 23-JE-015 81.1 135.8 54.7 1.1 NEW including 81.1 109.7 28.6 1.7 NEW including 82.9 88.3 5.4 2 NEW and 84.9 88.3 3.4 2.5 NEW including 86.8 88.3 1.5 3.8 NEW including 87.9 88.3 0.4 7.4 NEW and 96.5 109.3 12.8 2.7 NEW including 102 109.3 7.3 3.5 NEW including 103.7 109.3 5.6 4.0 NEW including 103.7 104.4 0.7 7.2 NEW including 107.6 109.3 1.7 4.7 NEW including 108.1 108.5 0.4 9.1 NEW Table 2: Status of Assay Results Received from the 2023 Joutel Eagle Drilling Program (SGZ=South Gold Zone) Hole Number Assay Reported (%) Area 23-JE-004 100 SGZ 23-JE-005 100 SGZ 23-JE-006 99.1 North Horizon 23-JE-007 94.2 North Horizon 23-JE-008 0 SGZ 23-JE-009 0 SGZ 23-JE-010 0 SGZ 23-JE-011 0 SGZ 23-JE-012 0 SGZ 23-JE-013 0 SGZ 23-JE-014 0 SGZ 23-JE-015 50 SGZ 23-JE-016 0 SGZ 23-JE-017 0 SGZ Table 3: Joutel Eagle: South Gold Zone Drill Hole Coordinates (UTM NAD83 Zone 17) Hole ID X Y Length (m) Azimuth Dip 23-JE-004 684302 5490470 195 30 60 23-JE-005 684216 5490520 159 30 60 23-JE-006 684258 5490757 163 30 50 23-JE-007 684207 5490640 252 30 50 23-JE-008 684172 5490545 192 30 55 23-JE-009 684129 5490570 159 30 60 23-JE-010 684073 5490571 156 30 60 23-JE-011 684029 5490597 155 30 60 23-JE-012 684345 5490445 219 30 60 23-JE-013 684389 5490420 189 30 60 23-JE-014 684303 5490462 156 30 50 23-JE-015 684324 5490458 159 30 60 23-JE-016 684159 5490522 162 30 55 23-JE-017 684303 5490462 219 58 57 2535 Total m Assays Sample shipments were sealed and shipped to AGAT Laboratories, Val-d'Or, Quebec. All gold assays reported were obtained by standard fire assay on 50 gram nominal weight with an atomic absorption spectroscopy finish or by gravimetric finish in the case of overlimit and on request (methods 202551 and 202564) at AGAT Laboratories, Mississauga, Ontario. All samples were also analyzed for multi-elements, including copper and silver, using a four-acid method with an ICP-OES finish (method 201070) at AGAT Laboratories, Mississauga, Ontario. Drill program design, Quality Assurance/Quality Control ("QA/QC") and interpretation of results are performed by qualified persons employing a QA/QC program consistent with NI 43-101 and industry best practices. Standards and blanks are inserted at a minimum of 10% for QA/QC purposes in addition to those inserted by the lab. A subset of samples has not yet been sent for a verification assay at another lab. AGAT Laboratories are accredited by the Standards Council of Canada and found to comply with the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025:2017. About the Joutel Eagle Property The property is situated just to the northwest of Agnico Eagle's past producing Eagle-Telbel operation which produced in excess of 1.1 Moz of gold3 from 1974 to 1993. The Joutel Eagle property covers 11 km of the Casa Berardi structural zone south splay (CBSZ) which is associated with several gold deposits and, together with our McClure East property, gives Orford over 17 km coverage on the prolific CBSZ. The Joutel Eagle Property sits to the north of Orford's 100% owned Joutel South Property and to the west of Orford's 100% owned McClure East property. Information from neighbouring properties is not necessarily indicative of the mineralization on Orford Mining's properties. On November 30, 2021 Orford announced that it had entered an option to acquire 100% of the 50 square kilometer Joutel Eagle Project from Globex Mining Enterprises Inc. (TSX: GMX) (OTCQX International: GLBXF) (Frankfurt: G1MM). About Orford Mining Corporation Orford Mining is a gold and critical mineral explorer focused on highly prospective and underexplored areas of Northern Quebec. Orford's principal assets are the Qiqavik, West Raglan and lithium exploration projects comprising a land package totaling over 111,000 hectares in the Cape Smith Belt of Northern Quebec. The Qiqavik Project hosts several new high-grade gold discoveries along a mineralized trend in excess of 40 km. The West Raglan Project hosts a number of high-grade Raglan-style nickel/copper/platinum group metal discoveries along a 55 km mineralized trend. In early 2023 Orford acquired large claim blocks targeting Lithium in the Nunavik Region. These Lithium claim blocks have been carefully selected as having promising lithium potential after an exhaustive compilation of available data. Orford also has four property positions in the Joutel region of the Abitibi District of Northern Quebec, which hosts historical deposits such as the Eagle/Telbel, Joutel Copper, Poirier Copper, and Vezza deposits. Orford continually seeks new gold exploration opportunities in North America. Orford's common shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol ORM. This information from neighbouring properties is not necessarily indicative of the mineralization on Orford Mining's properties. Qualified Person The disclosure of scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been approved by Alger St-Jean, P.Geo., Chief Geoscientist of Orford, a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. The historical assays referred to in this release and shown in this figure were obtained from historical work reports filed with the Quebec Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and has not been independently verified by a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43- 101. __________________________ 3 Systeme d'information geominiere of Quebec "SIGEOM", Quebec Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources. April 20, 2020 DV93-01 Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains "forward-looking information" including without limitation statements relating to the liquidity and capital resources of Orford and potential of one or more of the Qiqavik, and West Raglan, properties. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Orford to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could affect the outcome include, among others: future prices and the supply of metals; the results of drilling; inability to raise the money necessary to incur the expenditures required to retain and advance the properties; environmental liabilities (known and unknown); general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; political instability, terrorism, insurrection or war; or delays in obtaining governmental approvals, failure to obtain regulatory or shareholder approvals. For a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to Orford's filings with Canadian securities regulators available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although Orford 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 made as of the date of this news release and Orford 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 applicable securities laws. The TSXV has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Orford Mining logo (CNW Group/Orford Mining Corporation) SOURCE Orford Mining Corporation Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2023/30/c8842.html VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / (TSXV:OGN)(OTCQX:OGNRF) Orogen Royalties Inc. ("Orogen" or the "Company") is pleased to report operating and financial results for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, and updates on corporate and operational activities. "Fiscal 2022 marks Orogen's first year of profitability resulting from strong revenue from our royalty and prospect generation business coupled with tight cost controls," commented Orogen's CEO, Paddy Nicol. "The Ermitano gold-silver mine in Mexico, where Orogen holds a 2% NSR royalty, delivered solid revenue and 2023 guidance from operator First Majestic Silver points to another strong year. We transacted on eight mineral projects that profitably supported our prospect generation business and added eight new royalties. Orogen now holds 44 royalty and mineral property interests including 23 royalties, 14 projects under option, two alliances, and five projects available for option or sale. Finally, we are very encouraged by the recent developments on AngloGold Ashanti's Silicon project in Nevada, where Orogen holds a 1% NSR royalty. Gold and silver resources at the Central-Silicon area continue to display exceptional promise with additional potential to come from the Merlin area, thought to be one of the most significant exploration targets in the greater Silicon camp." Fiscal 2022 Year End Highlights All amounts are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated. Net Income from Operations: Net income was $840,178 or $0.005 per share compared to a net loss of $2,831,445 or $0.02 per share in 2021, representing a $3,671,623 increase in net income. This was due to a significant increase in royalty revenue, a profitable prospect generation business, and a 7% reduction in general and administrative expenses. Royalty Revenue: Royalty revenue of $3,744,776 was earned from the Ermitano royalty during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, with 1,588 attributable gold equivalent ounces ("GEOs") sold at average price of US$1,791 per ounce. This is an increase of $3,135,488 or 515% compared to a revenue of $609,288 earned in 2021. The Company holds a 2.0% uncapped and non-buyable net smelter return ("NSR") royalty on the Ermitano Mine with First Majestic Silver Corp. ("First Majestic") as the operator that began commercial production in the fourth quarter of 2021. Prospect Generation : Net income of $316,761 from prospect generation activities compared to $288,733 reported in 2021, representing a 10% increase. During the year, the Company recorded $881,118 (2021 - $1,654,845) in revenues and $564,357 (2021 - $1,366,112) in expenses that includes exploration expenditures and impairment costs. G&A Expenses : General and administrative expenses of $3,257,516 were incurred in 2022 compared to $3,508,917 incurred in 2021, representing a 7% reduction. Cash flow : Cash flow of $687,115 was generated from operating activities in 2022 compared to $3,529,230 that was used in operating activities in 2021. Cash flow generated from operating activities, excluding changes in non-cash working capital, was $786,053 in 2022 compared to $2,371,252 that was used in 2021. Working Capital: The Company has working capital of $12,083,375 at December 31, 2022 compared to $10,239,343 at the beginning of the fiscal year. The Company has no long-term debt. Story continues For complete details of the Company's financial results, please refer to the audited consolidated financial statements and MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. The Company's filings are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on Orogen's website at www.orogenroyalties.com. Please also see non-IFRS Measures at the end of this news release. Summary of Results Consolidated Statement of Income and Comprehensive Income For the Year Ended December 31 2022 2021 Income from Royalties $ 3,744,776 $ 609,288 Income from Prospect Generation activities 316,761 288,733 Other income 89,889 100,136 Total income 4,151,426 998,157 G&A 3,257,516 3,508,917 Operating income (loss) before other adjustments $ 893,910 $ (2,510,760 ) Other income (loss) 15,960 8,757 Gain (loss) on marketable securities fair value adjustment (198,388 ) (194,521 ) Net income (loss) before income tax $ 711,482 $ (2,696,524 ) Income tax recovery (expenses) 128,696 (134,921 ) Net income (loss) and comprehensive income (loss) for the period $ 840,178 (2,831,445 ) Basic income (loss) per share $ 0.00 $ (0.02 ) Diluted income (loss) per share $ 0.00 $ (0.02 ) Non-IFRS and Other Measures GEOs 1,588 268 Average realized gold price per GEO US$ 1,791 US$ 1,795 Cash flow from operating activities, excluding changes in non-cash working capital $ 786,053 $ (2,371,252 ) To date, the Company has over 44 royalty and mineral property assets in Canada, United States, Mexico, Argentina and Kenya including 23 royalties, 14 mineral properties under option, two alliances and five projects that are available for sale or option. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company sold two projects, entered into six earn-in agreements, and added eight royalty assets to its portfolio. The Company capitalized $1,816,452 in acquisition and exploration expenditures, and received $2,605,094 in recoveries from project sales, expense reimbursements and payments from partners on active earn-in agreements, joint ventures, or alliances. A gain of $842,797 was recognized because of these activities resulting in a net income of $316,761 after impairment and exploration expense deductions for the Company's prospect generation business. Total general and administrative expenses for the 2022 fiscal year was $3,257,516, a 7% reduction compared to $3,508,917 incurred in 2021 and this was due to a reduction in salary expense that was offset by higher accounting, legal, general overhead, and professional fees. Lower head count and salary costs charged to alliances contributed to lower salary expenses for 2022. Q4-2022 Summary The Company reported its highest net income in the fourth quarter, and this was due an increase in royalty revenue, significant reduction in G&A expenses, and a gain from fair value adjustments of marketable securities. During the three-month ended December 31, 2022, the Company reported net income of $939,271 compared to a net loss of $2,304,254 reported during the same period in 2021 and this represents an increase of $2,973,525 in net income and this was due to: Royalty Revenue: $904,681 (2021 - $609,288) in royalty revenue generated from the Ermitano mine. This represents 424 GEOs (2021 - 268 GEOs) based on an average price of US$1,726 (2021 - $1,795) per ounce, a 9% increase in production compared to the average production of the last three quarters. Prospect Generation: The Company reported a loss of $86,154 (2021 - loss $1,211,182) from prospect generation activities from $216,058 (2021 - $154,930) in revenues less $302,212 (2021 - $1,366,112) in expenses including impairment cost of $155,548 (2021 - $1,403,648). G&A Expenses: The Company incurred $716,859 (2021 - $1,415,896) in general and administrative expenses, representing a 49% reduction due to lower expenses in most categories including share based compensation, salaries, and professional fees. Marketable Securities Fair Value Adjustment: The Company recognized a gain of $677,076 (2021 - $90,670) in adjusting marketable securities to fair value. The gain was due to an improvement in the value of the Company's equity investment portfolio compared to the previous quarter. Ermitano (Sonora, Mexico) First Majestic operates the Ermitano mine where the Company holds an uncapped and non-buyable 2.0% NSR royalty. During the 2022 fiscal year, First Majestic reported that the Ermitano mine contributed to more than 60% of the plant feed at the Santa Elena operation after it commenced commercial production in later 2021. The Company received total royalty revenue of $3,744,776 (US$2,844,357) with 1,588 GEOs sold at an average price of US$1,791 per ounce. Highlights include the following: Successful expansion of liquid natural gas powerplant at the Santa Elena mine from 12 MW to 24 MW to supply lower cost, cleaner power to operations which includes the Ermitano mine. Strong production from the Ermitano mine continued with its second highest quarterly production in Q4. First Majestic expects production between 7.8 and 8.7 million silver equivalent ounces for 2023 as it transitions to full production at the Ermitano mine. First Majestic expects underground development will focus exclusively in the Ermitano mine to achieve 2,500 tonnes per day of underground ore extraction throughout 2023. Approximately 20,000 metres of infill drilling at the Ermitano mine to convert Inferred Resources to Indicated Resources and mine expansion for 2023. In accordance with First Majestic's 2023 guidance, using a silver to gold ratio of 84:1 and gold price of US$1,800 per ounce, the Company forecasts that production between 92,000 and 103,000 gold equivalent ounces is forecasted for the Ermitano mine for 2023 resulting in revenue of approximately US$3.4M for 2023, a 20% increase in revenue compared to 2022. Note: For full updates on the Santa Elena mine, refer to First Majestic's MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2022 that was filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) on February 23, 2023. Silicon (Nevada, USA) Orogen holds an uncapped and non-buyable 1.0% NSR royalty on 79 square kilometres of ground at the Silicon project that includes the Silicon deposit and the Merlin area located Nye County, Nevada, US. The project is owned and operated by AngloGold Ashanti NA ("AngloGold"). As disclosed in AngloGold's Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve Report as at December 31, 2022, the following activities were completed as at December 31, 2022: Exploration drilling comprised of 262 RC drill holes, 65 DD holes and 40 RC pre-collar/diamond tail for a total of 146,109 metres. Detailed geological mapping at 1:5,000 scale has been completed over a total of 58 square kilometres. Ground geophysics was carried out on the project including a total of 1,307 kilometres of induced polarization/resistivity, ground magnetics and gravity surveys. Geochemical sampling comprising outcrop rock chip sampling and 2.6 x 2.3 kilometres soil survey was also carried out at various phases of the exploration program. Drilling program is continuing to infill and further delineate the deposit as well as collect test work material in support of the planned pre-feasibility study that includes the Merlin area. A US $50 million exploration budget including 12 drill rigs is planned for Silicon, Merlin and the greater district for 2023. Total mineral resource declared by AngloGold on the Silicon deposit is 4.22 million ounce gold and 17.7 million ounce silver at the Central-Silicon zone, including indicated resources of 3.4 million and inferred resources of 800,000 ounces gold. This is a change from an inferred mineral resource of 3.37 million ounces gold declared in 2022. The increase in mineral resource ounces was a result of successful greenfields exploration, supported by an open pit optimization at US$1,750 per ounce gold to demonstrate reasonable prospect of economic extraction. Testing completed in 2022 provided more details regarding metallurgical variability of the transitional and unoxidized material. This resulted in a reduction in heap leach recovery compared to the previous assumptions. Continued studies will further refine the recovery estimates and evaluate the addition of a third processing option that may be more suitable for those materials. The table below illustrates the year-on-year changes in mineral resource1: Source: AngloGold Ashanti Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve Report as at December 31, 2022 Additional highlights include the following: Indicated resources of 121.56 million tonnes grading 0.87 g/t gold for 3.4 million ounces and 3.98 g/t silver for 15.54 million ounces. Additional inferred resources of 36.03 million tonnes grading 0.70 g/t gold for 800,000 ounces and 1.92 g/t silver for 2.23 million ounces. Silicon pre-feasibility study to integrate Merlin area for potentially larger scale mining activity is expected to be completed in 2023. These results show that resources at the Silicon deposit have increased both in confidence and size. AngloGold has invested a significant amount of capital to date for Silicon and the surrounding district including US$614 million in acquisition of Corvus Gold Inc. and Coeur Sterling Inc. The pre-feasibility study report on Silicon, including the Merlin area, will be an important milestone for Orogen as it will provide a more complete indication of scale and size of the project. Note: AngloGold's Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve Report as at December 31, 2022 was filed on March 17, 2023 and can be found at www.anglogoldashanti.com or on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Qualified Person Statement All technical data, as disclosed in this press release, has been verified by Laurence Pryer, Ph.D., P.Geo., VP Exploration for Orogen. Dr. Pryer is a qualified person as defined under the terms of National Instrument 43-101. Certain technical disclosure in this release is a summary of previously released third-party information and the Company is relying on the interpretation provided. Additional information can be found on the links in the footnotes. About Orogen Royalties Inc. Orogen Royalties is focused on organic royalty creation and royalty acquisitions on precious and base metal discoveries in western North America. The Company's royalty portfolio includes the Ermitano gold and silver Mine in Sonora, Mexico (2.0% NSR royalty) operated by First Majestic Silver Corp. and the Silicon gold project (1.0% NSR royalty) in Nevada, U.S., being advanced by AngloGold Ashanti. The Company is well financed with several projects actively being developed by joint venture partners. On Behalf of the Board OROGEN ROYALTIES INC. Paddy Nicol President & CEO To find out more about Orogen, please contact Paddy Nicol, President & CEO at 604-248-8648, and Marco LoCascio, Vice President of Corporate Development at 604-248-8648. Visit our website at www.orogenroyalties.com. Orogen Royalties Inc. 1015 - 789 West Pender Street Vancouver, BC Canada V6C 1H2 info@orogenroyalties.com 1. https://reports.anglogoldashanti.com/22/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/AGA-RR22.pdf Forward-Looking Information This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this presentation, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that Orogen Royalties Inc. (the "Company") expect to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believe the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Furthermore, the extent to which COVID-19 may impact the Company's business will depend on future developments such as the geographic spread of the disease, the duration of the outbreak, travel restrictions, physical distancing, business closures or business disruptions, and the effectiveness of actions taken in Canada and other countries to contain and treat the disease. Although it is not possible to reliably estimate the length or severity of these developments and their financial impact as of the date of approval of these condensed interim consolidated financial statements, continuation of the prevailing conditions could have a significant adverse impact on the Company's financial position and results of operations for future periods. Forward-looking information in this news release includes disclosures regarding NSR royalty payments to be paid to the Company by First Majestic Silver Corp. ("First Majestic"), the owners and operator of the Ermitano mine located in Mexico and that the forecasted revenue which are based on First Majestic "NI 43-101 Technical Report on Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve Estimates" having an effective date of June 30, 2021. In addition to the technical report, the disclosure herein also contains and the updated mineral reserve and resource estimates for the Ermitano mine based on the Santa Elena Mineral Reserve, Resource Estimates with an effective date of December 31, 2021 as announced by First Majestic on March 31, 2022 and as disclosed in their December 31, 2021 AIF, and First Majestic's MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2022. Forward-looking statements are based on several material assumptions, which management of the Company believe to be reasonable, including, but not limited to, the continuation of mining operations in respect of which the Company will receive NSR royalty payments, that the commodity prices will not experience a material adverse change, mining operations that underlie the royalty will operate in accordance with the disclosed parameters and other assumptions may be set out herein. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Except where otherwise stated, the disclosure in this news release relating to properties and operations in which Orogen holds a Royalty are based on information publicly disclosed by the owners or operators of these properties and information/data available in the public domain as at the date hereof, and none of this information has been independently verified by Orogen. Specifically, as a Royalty holder and prospect generator, the Company has limited, if any, access to properties on which it holds Royalty or other interests in its asset portfolio. The Company may from time to time receive operating information from the owners and operators of the mining properties, which it is not permitted to disclose to the public. Orogen is dependent on, (i) the operators of the mining properties and their qualified persons to provide information to Orogen, or (ii) on publicly available information to prepare disclosure pertaining to properties and operations on the properties on which the Company holds Royalty or other interests, and generally has limited or no ability to independently verify such information. Although the Company does not have any knowledge that such information may not be accurate, there can be no assurance that such third-party information is complete or accurate. Some reported public information in respect of a mining property may relate to a larger property area than the area covered by Orogen's Royalty or other interest. Orogen's Royalty or other interests may cover less than 100% of a specific mining property and may only apply to a portion of the publicly reported mineral reserves, mineral resources and or production from a mining property. Non-IFRS Measures The Company has included certain results in this news release that do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") including total GEOs sold, average realized gold price per GEO, and cash flow from operating activities excluding changes in non-cash working capital adjustments. The Company's royalty revenue is converted to a gold equivalent ounce by dividing the royalty revenue received during the period by the average gold price of the period. The Company has also used the non-IFRS measure of operating cash flows excluding changes in non-cash working capital. This measure is calculated by adding back the decrease or subtracting the increase in changes in non-cash working capital to or from cash provided by (used in) operating activities. SOURCE: Orogen Royalties Inc View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/746856/Orogen-Royalties-Announces-Profitable-2022-Fiscal-Year-End-Results The time for Ramadan this year for observant Muslims is from late March through most of April. The holy month started March 22 and will end April 21. One of the most well-known parts of the holy month is fasting from sunrise to sunset. Because Islam follows a lunar calendar, the dates when Ramadan occurs shifts every year. The lunar calendar is 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar used to mark months and days. During this sacred time, how can non-Muslims be supportive of their Muslim friends, neighbors and colleagues? Heres some more information about Ramadan, and some ways to be supportive. Muslim worshippers perform the sunset prayer at the shrine of Sheikh Abdul Qadir al-Kilani in Baghdad before breaking their fast during the first week of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, on March 27, 2023. What is Ramadan? Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic Lunar Calendar. Muslims believe this month was when God began to reveal the Quran to Muhammad in 610. While there are some exceptions, Muslims are told to fast during Ramadan. The fasting means nothing consumed, including water, from the first light of sunrise, until the sun is fully set. Its meant to focus people on God, and to become reflective and self-reflective, Colleen Keyes, board member of the Muslim Coalition of Connecticut, said. This is a month of trying to get right, get back to what were about, and to reconnect to God in a special way, she said. Muslims see Ramadan as a sacred month for worshiping God. However, the end of the holy month, Eid Al-Fitr, is a celebration, as family and friends visit each other and eat, and children get new clothes, said Fatima Es-Slaoui Collins, a library assistant in the childrens department at Otis Library. Fatima Es-Slaoui Collins, a library assistant in the childrens department at Otis Library, shelving books. Muslims see Ramadan as a sacred time to get closer to God, with a celebratory end of the month with Eid Al-Fitir, as friends and family visit and children get new clothes, she said. How should non-Muslims be supportive of Muslims observing Ramadan? One way is to be aware of how the fast affects people differently. While some are more invigorated during the fast, others may get a brain fog, have less energy, or may move slower. Even in school, young children arent required to fast, but some choose to do it anyway. It may take longer for these students to take their tests, Keyes said. Beyond the five daily prayers Muslims pray ordinarily, they will go to the mosque every evening during Ramadan, reciting long Taraweeh prayers, so they may be out late. Then, people will get up before dawn to eat before the fast, Keyes said. Story continues Some schools that have consulted with the Muslim Coalition of Connecticut have decided to have students observing Ramadan take the lunch break in the library or another part of the school away from the cafeteria. Some schools may provide Ramadan-themed activities for these students, Keyes said. How is the fast broken? Once the sun has set, or a little while after, Muslims will have a snack, being dates with water or milk, as Mohammad would do. Then, people will eat another snack food from their own culture, like Pakistanis eating samosas or Arabs eating pita and hummus. After that, evening prayers are said, and then the iftar meal is eaten, often starting with soup, Keyes said. We often think were going to eat the legs off the table, but when we start eating, we find we cant fit that much because our stomachs shrank, she said. What would be an appropriate greeting for a non-Muslim to give a Muslim during Ramadan? The most common greeting during Ramadan is Ramadan Mubarak, which means blessed Ramadan. A Muslim person may respond back with the same, or Ramadan Kareem, meaning generous Ramadan. The latter signifies that Muslims should increase their charity during the holy month, including serving the poor, Keyes said. How do different Muslim communities observe Ramadan? The main variations include cuisines, and when to break the fast. Sunni Muslims will break the fast at sunset, whereas Shias will break the fast 10 to 15 minutes after sunset, Keyes said. Some mosques will offer a fast-breaking meal while open for prayers, though that depends on affording the food, and how many evenings they want to offer the meal. Others prefer iftar at home or with family, Keyes said. How large is the Muslim community in eastern Connecticut? There are over 50 mosques across the state. The mosque in Groton is The Islamic Center of New London. There are relatively few Muslims in Norwich, as most of the community in southeastern Connecticut lives around Groton, working for Pfizer or other employers in the area, Es-Slaoui Collins said. This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Supporting Muslims during Ramadan: Fasting until Eid Al-Fitr gathering Market Research Future Packaging Foams Market Information Report by Structure (Flexible Foam and Rigid Foam), by Material (Polystyrene, Polyurethane, and Others), by Service (Food Service, Protective Packaging, and Others) and by Region - Global Forecast to 2030 New York, US, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Packaging Foam Market Overview According to a Comprehensive Research Report by Market Research Future (MRFR), Packaging Foams Market by Structure, by Material, by Service and by Region - Forecast to 2030 the market for packaging foams is anticipated to grow to USD 26.01 billion by 2030. Also, it has been predicted that the market for packing foams will rise at a 6% CAGR throughout the projection period. The method of mixing gas in solid and liquid form results in foam packaging. Toys, electronics, and other products all make extensive use of this foam packaging material. Moreover, this product can be utilised for a wide range of packaging needs. Due to its usefulness in protecting items and low cost, foam packaging is increasingly in demand across a range of industries. For the protection of sensitive objects during shipping, packaging foam now offers a sophisticated cushioning effect. Online shopping has become more prevalent as a result of growing digitization, which has increased demand for packaging foams. Moreover, transportations frequently sustain damage from being dropped, kicked, etc., where packaging foam serves a critical function in lowering these incidences. Packaging is typically needed by industrial enterprises to safeguard their goods during distribution, which is raising the demand for flexible foam. The market growth is considerable as a result of the leading players' ongoing efforts, the packaging foams market trends research claims. Additionally, the market for packaging foams is expanding during the research period due to rising demand from the target audiences, including distributor and supplier companies, manufacturers of packaging foams, consultants and investment bankers, the government, various end users, and independent regulatory bodies. Story continues Get a Free Sample PDF Brochure: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2748 Market Competitive Landscape: JSP (Japan), Zotefoams Plc. (U.K.), Armacell (Germany), Synthos SA (Poland), BASF SE (Germany), Sealed Air Corporation (U.S.), Rogers Corporation (U.S.), Foampartner Group (Switzerland), Kaneka Corporation (Japan), Arkema (France), Among others. Report Attribute Details Market Size in 2030 USD 26.01 billion CAGR 6% (2022-2030) Base Year 2021 Forecast Period 20222030 Historical Data 2020 Forecast Units Value (USD Million) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered by Structure, Material, Service Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW) Key Market Drivers Growth of packaging foams Increase in technology developments in packaging Raw materials are easily available Browse In-depth Market Research Report (100 Pages) on Packaging Foams: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/packaging-foams-market-2748 One of the key drivers of the growth of the worldwide packaging foams market is the escalating level of technical advancement in the packaging industry. So, the use of packaging foam has increased as a result of this cutting-edge technology. Also, the expansion of the global industry is a result of improvements in transportation technology, which aid in lowering transportation costs. The Plastics Foodservice Packaging Group provided the FDA with revised styrene migration data in 2013, which demonstrates that styrene reduces intake by 6.6 micrograms per person per day when compared to polyurethane foam packaging. As a result, the packing foams market is expanding significantly. Due to the growing digitalization of the product or the rise in consumer online purchases, the global packaging foams market has created new chances for key players and producers. Also, the global market for packing foams offers development potential due to the decline in transportation costs. With the leading players' ongoing efforts, the opportunities in the worldwide packaging foams market are expanding. The fluctuation in raw material prices may have an impact on the pricing of the goods, which might be a significant market limitation for the worldwide packaging foams market. To increase its share of the global packaging foams market, the major player has employed growth tactics. In addition, the packing foams market is expanding in many parts of the world. In the event that the price of the raw material rises, the global market for packing foams may encounter difficulties. Due to the unprecedented COVID-19 problems, the global market for packing foams may face difficulties. The COVID issue caused a significant loss for the global market. To address these new problems, the worldwide industry has brought in a number of significant companies. The global market is forecasting a greater market value for packaging foams in the approaching years, according to the global market report. Also, regional players are exerting all of their resources to accelerate market expansion. In order to increase the market share of packaging foams in various geographies, the major worldwide players have implemented a number of methods, including mergers and acquisitions, contracts and joint ventures, partnerships, investments & expansions, new product launches, and various agreements. Share Your Queries: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/2748 Overview of the market segments Based on the material type segment, the global packaging foams market has been divided into polyolefin foam, polyurethane foam, and others. Based on the structure category, the global packaging foams market has been divided into Rigid Foam and Flexible Foam. The global packaging foams market has been divided into protective packaging, food service, and others based on the service type segment. The food and beverage, medical and pharmaceutical, automotive, aerospace and defence, personal care, electrical and electronic, consumer packaging, and others end-user segments make up the worldwide packaging foams market. Regional Evaluation Based on regional segmentation, the worldwide packaging foams market has been divided into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the rest of the world. Due to the region's easy access to raw materials, the Asia Pacific market is anticipated to have the highest packaging foams market value over the forecast period. Also, this area is expanding as a result of rising foreign investment in the Asia Pacific region. In addition to this, the increase of internet shopping in nations like Indonesia, China, India, and Thailand is another factor contributing to the expansion of the global market for packing foams. Even with a reduced cost of production, this region can serve the lower market, which is boosting the expansion of the worldwide market. Check Discount: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/2748 Discover more research Reports on Packaging & Transport Industry , by Market Research Future: Dry Bulk Shipping Market : Information by Type (Capesize, Panama, Supramax and Handysize), Application (Iron Ore, Coal, Grains, Bauxite/Alumina and Phosphate Rock) and Geography - Forecast till 2030 Collapsible Metal Tubes Market Research Report by Product Type (Squeeze Tube, Twist Tube, Others), by Closure Type (Standup Cap, Nozzle Cap, Fez Cap, Flip Top Cap, Others), by Capacity (Less than 20 ml, 20 to 100 ml, More than 100 ml), by End-use (Cosmetics, Industrial, Pharmaceutical, Food, Homecare & Personal Care, Others), and Region - Forecast to 2030 Display Packaging Market , By Type (Cellulose Fibers, Corrugated Pallets, Corrugated Paper Board Sheeting, Others, by end-use (Retail and Pharmacy) and Region - Forecast 2030 About Market Research Future: Market Research Future (MRFR) is a global market research company that takes pride in its services, offering a complete and accurate analysis with regard to diverse markets and consumers worldwide. Market Research Future has the distinguished objective of providing the optimal quality research and granular research to clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help answer your most important questions. Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter CONTACT: Market Research Future (Part of Wantstats Research and Media Private Limited) 99 Hudson Street, 5Th Floor New York, NY 10013 United States of America +1 628 258 0071 (US) +44 2035 002 764 (UK) Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Website: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com The decrease will be reflected beginning with customers' April 2023 bills Combined with January and March decreases, Piedmont has reduced average residential customers' bills by $421 per year Video here: Learn how your natural gas bill works and what factors influence your monthly bill CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Piedmont Natural Gas has received approval from the Tennessee Public Utility Commission to reduce customer billing rates due to a decrease in the market cost of natural gas. The decrease will be reflected beginning with customers' April 2023 bills. This rate reduction translates to a savings of approximately $3 per month, or $36 per year, for the average Tennessee residential customer. Piedmont previously decreased the benchmark cost in Tennessee effective with customers' January 2023 and March 2023 bills, for a total annual savings of $421 for the average residential customer. "Piedmont is continually working to keep costs as low as possible for our customers," said Sasha Weintraub, senior vice president and president of Piedmont Natural Gas. "We're happy the downward trend in the cost of natural gas allows us to provide some relief following the winter months, when increased usage driven by colder temperatures may have resulted in higher bills." Piedmont requests periodic rate adjustments to reflect fluctuations in the market price of the natural gas it purchases for its customers. By law, Piedmont does not mark up the cost of natural gas and must pass through the actual cost on a dollar-for-dollar basis to customers. "Even with these cost reductions, we recognize there are customers who may continue to struggle with paying their bills, and we encourage customers to apply for assistance, enroll in our Equal Payment Plan and implement energy-saving tips to help take control of their natural gas bills," added Weintraub. Level out your bill with the Equal Payment Plan (EPP) program This free service helps customers manage their budgets by eliminating high winter bills. The EPP program levels out a customer's natural gas bills, allowing them to pay a predictable, equal monthly amount to help avoid billing surprises. Piedmont determines this payment by adding up a customer's annual natural gas usage and then dividing it into the same payment amount each month. Learn more here. Story continues Assistance for customers in need Piedmont regularly communicates with customers about the programs and assistance available to help them manage their bills. The winter bill resource page at piedmontng.com/WinterBills shares information about utility assistance administered by agencies in their state and local communities. Share the Warmth provides funds to local agencies to assist families with their utility bills, no matter the source of energy they use. The Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) provides winter heating assistance to pay for natural gas, electric and other methods customers use to heat their homes. There are many customers who are eligible but do not apply for this annual federal benefit that can reduce winter heating costs for low-income families. Information on how to apply locally: thda.org/help-for-homeowners/energy-assistance-programs/low-income-home-energy-assistance-program-liheap. Piedmont says anyone in need should apply for this and other newly available programs to see if they qualify. For detailed federal and state-specific information, go to piedmontng.com/WinterBills and click on your state. Energy-saving tools Piedmont Natural Gas also offers a variety of energy-saving tools to help customers and our communities identify ways to save money and energy all year long. These programs and tools help customers understand what factors are impacting their natural gas bills and emphasize specific actions they can take to reduce the impacts of high winter usage. Eight low- to no-cost energy-saving tips and projects Natural gas use typically spikes in the winter as customers combat low temperatures to stay warm. Below are tips to help manage your energy use when temperatures decline. B-roll of energy efficiency measures is available here. Set your thermostat to the lowest comfortable setting to help save. Installing a "smart" or programmable thermostat will also help reduce your energy use while you are asleep or away. Leave drapes or blinds open during sunny winter days to allow the sun to warm the house. Close them at night to help insulate your home. Change air filters regularly. A dirty air filter makes a heating system work harder, which uses more energy. Manage water heating. Set your water heater temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit or consider installing an on-demand or tankless water heater that only heats water when you need it. Learn how to reduce energy use. The first step to reduce energy use in your home is to identify and prioritize energy-saving improvements. This can be accomplished through a certified auditor or by performing your own energy audit. Seal air ducts. Make sure the air ducts from your home's furnace and central air conditioner are properly sealed. Ducts that leak into the attic or crawl space can substantially increase your heating and cooling bills. Seal your home. One of the quickest energy-saving tasks you can do is caulk, seal and weatherstrip all seams, cracks and openings to the outside. This can save 10% to 20% on your heating and cooling bills. Consider insulation. Consider whether you need to add insulation to your ceilings, floors and walls. Insulation between the indoors and outdoors reduces energy demand, saving you money while improving the comfort of your home. Piedmont Natural Gas Piedmont Natural Gas, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, distributes natural gas to more than 1.1 million residential, commercial, industrial and power generation customers in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Piedmont Natural Gas earned the No. 1 spot in customer satisfaction with residential natural gas service in the South among large utilities, according to the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Gas Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study, and has been named by Cogent Reports as one of the most trusted utility brands in the U.S. More information: piedmontng.com. Follow Piedmont Natural Gas: Twitter, Facebook. Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 28,000 people. Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company has interim carbon emission targets of at least 50% reduction from electric generation by 2030, 50% for Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 upstream and downstream emissions by 2035, and 80% from electric generation by 2040. In addition, the company is investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy storage, and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear. Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2022 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' "World's Best Employers" list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Media contact: Jason Wheatley Media line: 877.348.3612 jason.wheatley@duke-energy.com Twitter: @PNG_JasonW Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/piedmont-natural-gas-reduces-average-residential-customer-bill-in-tennessee-by-approximately-36-per-year-301785981.html SOURCE Piedmont Natural Gas TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / March 30, 2023 / PJX Resources Inc. ("PJX") has intersected massive sulphide with anomalous cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni) and silver (Ag) in a quartz-dolomite gangue in metasediments that is possibly similar in style to mineralization at the Black Butte copper-cobalt deposit located to the south in Montana (see Photo-A, & Fig. 1). Mineralization was intersected while drilling Mobile-MT electromagnetic (EM) and magnetic geophysical anomalies at the Lewis Ridge target late last year on the Dewdney Trail Property. The mineralization occurs approximately 3 kilometres north of alkalic intrusive related gold-copper-silver mineralization at PJX'S previously announced Estella Basin target in the Sullivan Mining District and Vulcan Gold Belt of southeastern British Columbia, Canada. John Keating, President of PJX commented: "This was the first phase of drilling to test EM and magnetic anomalies at the more than 2.5 km long and 1.5 km wide Lewis Ridge target area. Our initial thinking was that geophysics identified potential Sullivan-type zinc-lead-silver mineralization. However, drilling has discovered potential for sediment hosted copper-cobalt type deposits possibly similar to those that occur east of Butte, Montana. PJX plans to further explore and drill the Lewis Ridge copper-cobalt target area, and the previously announced new Estella Basin intrusive-related gold-copper-silver target area this year." Photo A - Massive sulphide (pyrite) with anomalous cobalt, copper, nickel and silver mineralization in a quartz-dolomite gangue (white mineralization) at the Lewis Ridge target area. Possible sediment hosted mineralization similar to the Black Butte cobalt-copper deposit. On the right is an enlarged photo of the massive sulphide to display the fine to coarse pyrite texture. Background Geology Four holes (LR22-01 to LR22-04) were drilled late last year at the Lewis Ridge target to test EM and magnetic anomalies defined by an airborne Mobile-MT (EM) and Magnetic survey flown for PJX by Expert Geophysics. Hole LR22-02 intersected massive sulphide mineralization consisting of fine to coarse grained pyrite that has a somewhat net-textured appearance and is fractured or brecciated possibly due to folding (see Photo A above). The 1.42 m wide (drill width) zone with 60% massive sulphide in quartz-dolomite gangue was intersected from 125.87m to 127.29 m down hole, and analyzed 644 ppm (0.06%) Co, 819 ppm (0.08%) Cu, 144 ppm Ni and 2.66 ppm (2.6 g/t) Ag. The sulphide zone appears bedding parallel and possibly stratabound similar to Black Butte massive pyrite mineralization containing Co, Cu, with anomalous Ni and Ag. Black Butte massive pyrite locally contains tennantite (arsenic mineral); Lewis Ridge massive sulphide has 1187 ppm arsenic. Black Butte occurs with black shales that are correlative with the middle Aldridge geological formation. Lewis Ridge target occurs at the base of locally black graphitic and/or calcareous silts and argillites of the middle Aldridge. Black Butte occurs in the Helena Embayment, a shallow water environment on the east side of the Belt-Purcell rift basin and east of the Butte intrusive related Cu-Molybdenum-Ag deposits. The Lewis Ridge target area is a shallow water environment on the east side of the Belt-Purcell basin, and east of the Sullivan sediment hosted Zn-Pb-Ag deposit (see Fig. 1). Black Butte mineralization is associated with an east-west fault called Volcano Valley. The east-west Kimberley Fault influenced the formation of the Sullivan Deposit. The Jackleg fault at Lewis Ridge may be the eastern extension of the Kimberley fault (see Fig 2) Volcano Valley, Kimberley and Jackleg are all considered to be transverse faults in the Belt-Purcell basin. Lewis Ridge Target occurs along a large north-south oriented west dipping overturned anticline, and at the equivalent geological time to the Sullivan deposit located about 25 km to the west (see Fig. 3). Story continues Geophysics - Drilling The Lewis Ridge zone with massive pyrite, and the overlying locally graphitic and/or calcareous sedimentary rocks are both conductive rock units. Their conductive nature help explain the large EM apparent conductivity geophysical anomaly. However, the 2 units, along with mafic sills intersected, are not magnetic and do not appear to account for magnetic anomalies (see Fig. 4). Cu-Co deposits also occur in Idaho. Pyrite is known to replace pyrrhotite in some of these deposits. Pyrrhotite is often magnetic. If the same type of replacement occurs at Lewis Ridge, then any pyrrhotite not replaced by pyrite may generate a magnetic anomaly. Hole LR22-01, drilled toward the northeast (Az 047, dip -75), intersected locally graphitic and calcareous sediments above the quartz-carbonate zone from 111.67-116.12 m. The 4.45m (drill width) zone contained minor sulphide veins and a weighted average analysis of 2410 ppm Cu with low Co, Ni, and Ag. Hole LR22-02, was drilled toward the southwest (Az 227, dip -80) from the same drill pad as LR22-01. Hole LR22-03, was also drilled toward the southwest (Az 227, dip -45) and encountered what appear to be west dipping faults and was abandoned when the hole was becoming stuck in a fault zone. Hole LR22-04, was drilled toward the northeast (Az 047, dip -80) to drill across the west dipping faults and test the large EM and somewhat coincident magnetic anomaly at depth (see Fig. 4 and 5). The 800 m hole drilled along the eastern limb of the overturned anticline fold and across a series of faults. This resulted in the hole remaining within the locally graphitic and/or calcareous sediment unit, and therefore did not test the potential horizon with cobalt and copper mineralization at depth that is stratigraphically lower. Figure 1 - Belt-Purcell basin geology map. Lewis Ridge target and Black Butte deposit both occur on the east side of the basin and were formed in shallower water environments and in similar age rock. Figure 2 - Sullivan Mining District geology map with Dewdney Trail Property target areas. The Kimberley Fault influenced formation of the Sullivan Deposit. The Jackleg Fault may be the eastern extension of Kimberley fault. Figure 3 - Dewdney Trail Geology map draped on topography. Lewis Ridge (cobalt-copper) and Estella Basin (gold-copper-silver) target areas occur along the same anticline fold axis as the historical Estella and Kootenay King Mines. The Lewis Ridge target occurs at or near a geological horizon that is equivalent in depositional time to the Sullivan Deposit located about 25 km to the west. The Jackleg Fault may be the eastern extension of the Kimberley Fault that influenced the formation of the Sullivan deposit. Video 1 and 2 showing the Lewis Ridge location can be found on PJX's web site https://pjxresources.com/ Figure 4 - Apparent Conductivity Map draped on topography. Conductive Anomaly defines a large area, over 2.5 km long and 1.5 km wide. Massive sulphide (pyrite with anomalous cobalt and copper) and locally graphitic/calcareous sediments intersected in hole LR22-02 are conductive. The large Magnetic anomaly at depth may represent an area with greater sulphide content containing copper and cobalt that has been folded along the east limb of the wide overturned anticline fold. Figure 5 - 2-Dimensional modelling of six of the 30 flight lines over the Lewis Ridge Target display a potentially more conductive area at depth (400 to 800m) that appears to correlate with the magnetic anomaly defined by 3 Dimensional modelling. Conductive and magnetic anomalies support the potential for sulphide mineralization. Sulphide zone intersected in LR22-02 and the magnetic anomaly at depth will be a focus of future drilling. Summary The large magnetic anomaly at depth occurs along the east limb of a broad anticline fold. Folding can cause massive sulphide mineralization to form cigar or irregular shaped deposits. The large magnetic anomaly at depth is somewhat coincident with a large conductive area. This target at depth and other shallow target areas on Lewis Ridge may host multiple cigar shaped and possibly horizontal Cu-Co mineralized bodies (see Fig. 5). The next phase of exploration includes drilling to test shallow targets and the large target area at depth. Qualified Persons The foregoing geological disclosure has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Trygve Hoy P.Eng. and John Keating P.Geo. (qualified persons for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects). Dr. Hoy is a Director of PJX, and Mr. Keating is the President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of PJX. About PJX Resources Inc. PJX is a mineral exploration company focused on building shareholder value and community opportunity through the exploration and development of mineral resources with a focus on gold, silver and base metals (copper, cobalt, lead zinc, and other metals). PJX's primary properties are located in the historical Sullivan Mine District and Vulcan Gold Belt near Cranbrook and Kimberley, British Columbia. Please refer to our web site http://www.pjxresources.com for additional information. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Linda Brennan, Chief Financial Officer (416) 799-9205 info@pjxresources.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information The information in this news release has been prepared as at the date noted above. Certain statements in this news release, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements", constitute "forward-looking statements" under the provisions of Canadian provincial securities laws. These statements can be identified by the use of words such as "expected", "may", "will" or similar terms. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of factors and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by PJX Resources Inc. as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, known and unknown, could cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Except as otherwise required by law, PJX Resources Inc. expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statements to reflect any change in PJX Resources Inc.'s expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. Cautionary Note to US Investors: This news release may contain information about adjacent properties on which PJX Resources Inc. has no right to explore or mine. We advise U.S. investors that the SEC's mining guidelines strictly prohibit information of this type in documents filed with the SEC. U.S. investors are cautioned that mineral deposits on adjacent properties are not indicative of mineral deposits on our properties. This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. This press release uses the terms "Measured", "Indicated", and "Inferred" resources. United States investors are advised that while such terms are recognized and required by Canadian regulations, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission does not recognize them. "Inferred Mineral Resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an Inferred Mineral Resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of Inferred Mineral Resources may not form the basis of feasibility or other economic studies. United States investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of Measured or Indicated Mineral Resources will ever be converted into Mineral Reserves. United States investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of a Mineral Resource is economically or legally mineable. 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: PJX Resources Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/746529/PJX-Resources-Identifies-Cobalt-Copper-Mineralization-Potential-in-the-Sullivan-Mining-District Fuels and lubricants industry leaders to gather in Kuala Lumpur from June 14-16, 2023 HONG KONG, March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- F&L Asia Ltd announced the preliminary program for F+L Week 2023 Conference & Exhibition, one of the most anticipated events for the fuels and lubricants industry in Asia. The program includes a two-day technical session featuring prominent industry stakeholders on June 14-15, a pre-conference networking event and the opening of the table-top exhibition on June 13, the Annual F&L Asia Awards Dinner on June 15, and a visit to Malaysia's historic city of Melakawith a stop at PETRONAS' refinery and Melaka's famous Jonker Street for lunch and sightseeing. F+L Week 2023 will be held at the Grand Ballroom of the Four Seasons Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with the conference theme of "Fuels and Lubricants: Navigating the Energy Transition." Speaker highlights of the two-day technical session include presentations by Flavio Kliger, President of Lubrizol Additives; Ahmad Adly Alias, Vice President of Refining, Marketing, and Trading at PETRONAS; Sarah Horne, Global Vice President of Synthetic Base Stocks at ExxonMobil; Dr. Z. George Zhang, Vice President, International R&D, Valvoline Global Operations; and Goh Koon Eng, Vice President of Commercial, Chevron Oronite, to name a few. "We are thrilled to unveil the preliminary program for F+L Week 2023, which features prominent industry leaders and a diverse array of thought-provoking sessions," says Vicky Villena-Denton, CEO of F&L Asia Ltd., the organiser of this annual industry event, which is celebrating its 28th year. Since 2017, the F&L Asia Awards have been a staple of Asia's fuels and lubricants industry. Nominations for the Person of the Year, Lifetime Achievement Award, Future Leaders Award, and Product Development of the Year will close on March 31. The winners will be honoured during the F&L Asia Awards Dinner at the Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur on June 15. The accolades recognise individuals that have demonstrated exceptional innovation or entrepreneurship to stand above and beyond their peers or, in the case of products, products that have unique properties and a distinct value proposition. Story continues The Tabletop Exhibition for F+L Week is already sold out. Delegate registrations are now open with an Early Bird rate of US$1,498 per person available until March 31, 2023. Registration fees include access to the pre-conference networking event, the two-day technical session, the F&L Asia Awards Dinner, year-round access to the bespoke networking app, F+L Connect, and the Melaka tour. F&L Asia Ltd is encouraging attendees to register early to secure their spot. F+L Week's Advisory Board plays a critical role in maintaining the F+L Week program's reputation for quality. The Advisory Board for F+L Week 2023 has also been confirmed and includes Hind Abi-Akar, Senior Advisor, Electrification and Advanced Power Solutions, Caterpillar; Eric G. Holthusen, former Chief Technology Officer, PETRONAS Lubricants International; Gary M. Parsons, Technical Advisor, Automotive Engine Oils; Dr. SSV Ramakumar, Director, Research & Development, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.; R.A. Rao, Technical Advisor, Indian Additives Ltd; Ravi Tallamraju, Chief Technology Officer, PETRONAS Lubricants International; Dr. Z. George Zhang, Vice President of International R&D, Valvoline Global Operations; and Dr. Ping Zhu, Director Of Technology, Asia Pacific, Lubrizol Corporation. To find out more about F+L Week 2023, visit the conference website . ABOUT F+L WEEK F+L Week 2023 will be held from June 14-16 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The event will be co-located with the ALIA Annual Meeting. For full details of the F+L Week 2023 event or to register, click here . The conference theme is " Fuels and Lubricants: Navigating the Energy Transition." Governments, investors, and consumers around the world are signalling plans for a more rapid shift away from fossil fuels. While fossil fuels will continue to play a key role in the decades to come, the pattern of use will change. F+L Week will provide insight into the technical challenges and opportunities that come with the energy transition and the implications for fuels and lubricants of a more sustainable future. The F+L Week 2023 Conference & Exhibition starts on June 13, 2023, with a pre-conference networking day for customers and suppliers to connect. Participants can pre-book their appointments via the powerful digital app, F+L Connect. For inquiries, please contact us at conference@fuelsandlubes.com . For more information, please, visit the website: https://www.fuelsandlubes.com/fl-week Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/preliminary-program-confirmed-for-fl-week-2023-fuels--lubricants--navigating-the-energy-transition-301785563.html SOURCE F&L Asia Ltd.; Fuels and Lubes Prince Harry arrives at the Royal Courts Of Justice in London on March 28. Prince Harry arrives at the Royal Courts Of Justice in London on March 28. LONDON (AP) Prince Harry returned to a London court Tuesday for a second day of hearings to see if the phone hacking lawsuit he brought with Elton John and other celebrities can withstand a challenge from the publisher of The Daily Mail. The case is one of several brought by the Duke of Sussex in his battle with the press and alleges the publisher hired private investigators to illegally bug homes and cars and to record phone conversations. Associated Newspapers Ltd. denies the allegations and is seeking to throw out the case, arguing that the claims are too old and rely on information they turned over in confidentiality for a 2012 probe into media law breaking. Actresses Liz Hurley and Sadie Frost, and Johns husband, David Furnish, are also parties to the case. The lawsuit alleges Associated Newspapers, which publishes The Daily Mail and The Mail On Sunday, commissioned the breaking and entry into private property, and engaged in other unlawful acts that invaded the privacy of the famous plaintiffs. Attorney David Sherborne, who represents the prince and others, said the intrusions were habitual and widespread and later concealed or covered up. Articles were falsely attributed to friends, a family source, palace sources, royal insider, or similar unnamed individuals to throw subjects off the scent of the true origin, Sherborne said. Among the allegations in court papers were that Associated Newspapers unlawfully obtained the birth certificate of John and Furnishs child before they saw the document and illegally gleaned information on Harrys previous relationship with Chelsy Davy, a jewelry designer from Zimbabwe. The publisher is also alleged to have hired a private investigator to hack Hurleys phone, stuck a mini-microphone on a window outside her home and bugged ex-boyfriend Hugh Grants car to gather financial information, travel plans and medical information during her pregnancy. Story continues The case is to some extent a replay of a British phone-hacking scandal that was front page news a decade ago and eventually brought down another tabloid and ended with the conviction of the former spokesperson for then-Prime Minister David Cameron. The allegations date primarily from 1993 to 2011 but also stretch beyond 2018, Sherborne said. Associated Newspapers claims the information about the scandal was so widely known the subjects could have sued years ago. It would be surprising indeed for any reasonably informed member of the public, let alone a figure in the public eye, to have been unaware of these matters, attorney Adrian Beltrami said in writing. Related...